Consuelo in the News
In the wilds of Arizona, a hunt for bipartisanship
YUMA, Ariz. -- Down a long dusty track, the Dunn family homestead appears like an oasis, shielded by a thick patch of palm trees from the parched expanse and nearly triple-digit temperatures.
The wheat farm operated by state Rep. Timothy Dunn, a conservative Republican from a district along the U.S.-Mexico border, is also a refuge from the partisan wars being waged across this battleground state and reshaping the national political map.
Five Democratic elected officials trekked to this corner of the Grand Canyon State in early September to join five Republicans for the opening of dove hunting season. The overnight outing, billed as “barbeque, burritos, and birds,” was a rare celebration of bipartisanship: The group talked over a friendly dinner before setting out at dawn for their prey, in all spending nearly a full day getting to know each other out of sight of the cameras and the raucous debates back in Phoenix.
The wheat farm operated by state Rep. Timothy Dunn, a conservative Republican from a district along the U.S.-Mexico border, is also a refuge from the partisan wars being waged across this battleground state and reshaping the national political map.
Five Democratic elected officials trekked to this corner of the Grand Canyon State in early September to join five Republicans for the opening of dove hunting season. The overnight outing, billed as “barbeque, burritos, and birds,” was a rare celebration of bipartisanship: The group talked over a friendly dinner before setting out at dawn for their prey, in all spending nearly a full day getting to know each other out of sight of the cameras and the raucous debates back in Phoenix.
As Arizona tilts further right, these Mexican-American Jewish siblings push back
While headlines focus on the Arizona’s questionable audits, its challenges to voting rights and its fur-clad QAnon shaman, insiders say if you want to understand the deeper shifts going on in the state’s politics, watch the Hernandez siblings.
Arizona is no stranger to political dynasties – the Goldwaters, Udalls and McCains. But no one’s ever seen the likes of the Hernandez family of Tucson: a Latino gay son, two Mexican-Jewish daughters and a whole lot of ambition.
They are avatars of a statewide population that is more Latino, younger and more liberal. About 1 in 5 Arizona voters are Latino, and Republican voters outnumber Democrats by fewer than 100,000, down from 170,000 eight years ago. An influx of young people gave Phoenix a Democratic mayor, and the shift had a strong impact on both the 2020 presidential election and a 2020 win for Democratic U.S. Senator Mark Kelly.
Arizona is no stranger to political dynasties – the Goldwaters, Udalls and McCains. But no one’s ever seen the likes of the Hernandez family of Tucson: a Latino gay son, two Mexican-Jewish daughters and a whole lot of ambition.
They are avatars of a statewide population that is more Latino, younger and more liberal. About 1 in 5 Arizona voters are Latino, and Republican voters outnumber Democrats by fewer than 100,000, down from 170,000 eight years ago. An influx of young people gave Phoenix a Democratic mayor, and the shift had a strong impact on both the 2020 presidential election and a 2020 win for Democratic U.S. Senator Mark Kelly.
Sunnyside's Consuelo Hernandez: Access to high-speed internet should not be a luxury
It’s been a tough year. If one thing has become clear between a once-in-a-century global pandemic, it’s that our ability to keep our economy in motion has been hinged on one important thing: fast, reliable internet access.
But not every American has access to affordable internet they can depend on, and the pandemic has only made these disparities in online connectivity more glaring. For some, it’s an affordability issue, or an adoption issue — not having the digital skills to get connected. And for others, such as those living in rural areas, it’s because broadband service isn’t available in their communities.
Millions of Americans don’t have access to high-speed internet at home, and yet a reliable connection has become an essential part of learning and working from home during the pandemic. People of color and lower-income households are also less likely to have broadband service at home.
But not every American has access to affordable internet they can depend on, and the pandemic has only made these disparities in online connectivity more glaring. For some, it’s an affordability issue, or an adoption issue — not having the digital skills to get connected. And for others, such as those living in rural areas, it’s because broadband service isn’t available in their communities.
Millions of Americans don’t have access to high-speed internet at home, and yet a reliable connection has become an essential part of learning and working from home during the pandemic. People of color and lower-income households are also less likely to have broadband service at home.