Suicide: Let’s keep talking
By Phil Riske | Senior Reporter/Writer Any man’s death diminishes me, because I am involved in Mankind; And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee. ~ English Poet John Donne The suicides this month of CNN’s Anthony Bourdain and designer Kate Spade were surprising to say the least, but […]
Read More →Take this job and love it
By Phil Riske | Senior Reporter/Writer When I was a full-time journalist, I didn’t wait with bated breath for CareerCast’s annual listing of worst jobs; I knew where I would end up — near the bottom. Things haven’t changed much since 1970, when I earned $9,000 a year as a TV anchorman. As a comparison, […]
Read More →Hundreds of candidates have filed for Arizona seats in Congress, state government and Legislature
Official filing deadline was Wednesday By Phil Riske| Senior Reporter/Writer Turmoil in the Nation’s Capitol has prompted a record number of candidates for the U.S. House and Senate, 52 of them for Arizona’s seats. Here is the official list. Related: Martha McSally heads opioid hearing in Phoenix; Kyrsten Sinema leaves it early GOP hopes of […]
Read More →Legislature’s ‘animosity toward cities and towns’ overshadowing healthy debate, Chandler mayor says
Jay Tibshraeny calls for consensus on state water plan By Phil Riske | Senior Reporter/Writer Chandler Mayor Jay Tibshraeny is serving his second and last term as mayor. In between mayoral terms, he served in the Arizona Senate, giving him the advantage of living both sides of local and state governments. He was interviewed by […]
Read More →Baseball and newspapers are cruel
The days of the Gold Watch are over Phil Riske | Senior Reporter/Writer Veteran journalists and star baseball players are striking out at the workplace. On Dec. 8, 2009, the Arizona Diamondbacks sent pitcher Max Scherzer to the Detroit Tigers as part of a three-team trade with the New York Yankees. Arizona acquired pitchers Ian […]
Read More →Bucket lists are like New Year’s resolutions
By Phil Riske | Senior Reporter/Writer Five years ago in this space, I published my bucket list. While overdue, I owe our readers an update: Quit smoking—Nope, but cutting down, with help of The Patch. Quit drinking so much Coke—Nope. Better than the other kind of coke. Quit drinking coffee—Yes. I’m still awake. Quit eating […]
Read More →The right to try apricot pits, and the death of a friend
By Phil Riske | Senior Reporter/Writer Seventeen states including Arizona have approved “right to try” laws, giving terminally ill patients access to experimental and unapproved drugs as a last hope of survival. In April, The U.S. House this year approved a national version of right to try. Related: Judge throws out California law allowing life-ending drugs […]
Read More →Most people in Scottsdale eat when they’re hungry. Time to stop surveys before they get out of control
By Phil Riske | Senior Reporter/Writer A couple of years ago, there was quite a backlash from a survey that stated Glendale and Tempe were among the 10 most dangerous suburbs. And there was one that found Arizona among “normal” states. WalletHub in December declared Phoenix 116th among “safe” cities, while Tucson scored the worst at […]
Read More →PhoenixMart says it’s cleared after federal investigation
By Phil Riske | Senior Reporter/Writer In a news release issued Friday, PhoenixMart said it “was officially informed [it] is not the target or subject of an investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice.” In 2016, the U.S. Attorney’s office, FBI, Securities and Exchange Commission, and the U.S. Customs and Immigration Service began investigating possible […]
Read More →As a political mouthpiece, I was never impugned by a comedian
By Phil Riske | Senior Reporter/Writer Some news for those residing in lead mines: the Trump Administration is at war with the news media. At Saturday’s White House Correspondents’ Dinner, guest speaker (I’m not going to call her a comedian) Michelle Wolf crossed the comedy red line by delivering an ad hominem attack on Sarah […]
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