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In today’s newsletter:
🖼️ New MOCA Tucson director Gabriela Rangel brings a global perspective to the borderlands, seeing the museum as a space to explore migration, identity and community through art. Read a Q&A with her en español and in English.
đź’§ As federal approval nears for a Patagonia mine, locals warn of growing risks to water, wildlife and nearby communities. Read more.
đź’» After helping a friend struggling in English-only classes (and reading an AZ Luminaria story!), an Arizona teen built a tool to connect families with bilingual schools statewide. Learn more about Emilio.
Featured stories
The border is what defines Tucson for new MOCA director Gabriela Rangel
Gabriela Rangel arrived in Tucson with only half her books. The other half she donated to a public library before moving her life from New York to the Sonoran Desert. […]
La frontera que define a Tucson y la visiĂłn de Gabriela Rangel en MOCA
Gabriela Rangel llegó a Tucson con solo la mitad de sus libros. La otra mitad la donó a una biblioteca pública antes de trasladar su vida de Nueva York al […]
Water concerns rise as Patagonia mine nears federal approval
The U.S. Forest Service on March 5 announced it plans to soon approve the nation’s first critical minerals mine, South32’s Hermosa project, when it released the final environmental impact statement, […]
Arizona teen builds website to help families find dual-language schools
When a friend came to him and confided she was failing her high school classes, Emilio Saenz listened. She was falling behind, she said. Spanish is Andrea Valenzuela’s native language […]
Flickers 🕯️
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Gather in community to watch the first Tucson screening of our new documentary produced with AZPM highlighting resident fights for stability and unity in Tucson’s mobile home parks. The screening will take place April 2, 7 p.m. at the Historic Y. The event is free but please RSVP.
The 2025 Annual Report for the Pima County Transition Center, which connects people leaving the jail with basic services and a peer navigator, has had a measurable impact, writes county administrator Jan Lesher. That includes a reduction in 30-day jail rebooking rates and an improvement in court appearance rates. Read the full report.
KXCI’s 2nd Annual Baila el Pueblo – A Desert Music Festival will return on Saturday, March 21 to Cathedral Square in the heart of downtown Tucson, celebrating the region’s cultural diversity with a full day of live music. After drawing more than 1,000 attendees in 2025, the festival comes back with a vibrant mix of Southwestern musical traditions, along with a marketplace featuring local food vendors and artisans. The 2026 edition will feature headliner Mexican Institute of Sound, the project of musician and producer Camilo Lara, known for blending funk, cumbia and electronic music with traditional Mexican sounds in high-energy performances that have captivated audiences worldwide. More info.
The cost of home insurance in Arizona is expected to rise by 1.8% in 2025-2026, according to an analysis of rates by insurance price comparison firm Insurify. The largest jumps in insurance are expected in California, where costs are projected to rise upwards of 15%. “When you have these big catastrophes, it’s not just that insurers have to pay out a lot of plans, it’s that they’re all happening fast,” said Matt Brannon, author of the new report, told Grist. “It creates extreme financial risk for insurers, and they tend to respond to this risk by raising their rates.” Read the full report here.
A panel of borderlands business leaders will discuss how recent U.S. and Mexico trade, economic and foreign policy changes are affecting businesses and the regional economy during the Borderlands Forum: An Update on Border Economics in These Changing Times on March 25. The event will run from 10:30 a.m. to noon at the United Methodist Church of Green Valley and will also be available on Zoom. The forum is free to attend with a suggested $15 donation. Register.
The Community Foundation for Southern Arizona will host a Campus Art Reception & Artist Market from 5:30-7:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 26, at its Broadway campus in Tucson, featuring new installations by Southern Arizona artists, live music and an artist market with work for sale. More info.
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