Want a sign of economic hope? Look to a place where the housing collapse began: Phoenix, Arizona.
PHOENIX -- Caught your breath yet?
The hype, the pageantry -- and yes, the blazing fire -- that are the Daytona 500 are now behind us, and with all due respect to the Great American Race, now it's time to ditch the restrictor plates and get the Sprint Cup season underway.
With the NHL Board of Governors in Pebble Beach, CA. on Dec. 5-6 to discuss the subject of realignment for the 2012-13 season, we asked SI.com hockey scribes Michael Farber, Sarah Kwak, Darren Eliot, Brian Cazeneuve and Adrian Dater -- to say what they would do if they ran the zoo. While addressing the question of where to place the Jets and a western team that must take Winnipeg's vacated spot in the Eastern Conference/Southeast Division, our writers were free to move teams at will, rename the divisions and conferences, and even reformat the schedule.
Home prices continued to sink in the third quarter, falling to levels not seen since early 2003.
AVONDALE, Ariz. -- With a new track surface and an altered layout, Phoenix will lead Sprint Cup teams into the great unknown this weekend.
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I'm more than a little disappointed with calculators. I began saving regularly for retirement in the late 1970s and according to the calculator I was supposed to be pretty well off by now. What actually happened, though, was that I did OK until about 2000 but not very well since then. I'm glad I saved, but the calculator was wrong. --David R., Phoenix, Arizona
A church called the Phoenix Goddess Temple has been accused of being a house of prostitution, and a six-month undercover investigation has resulted in the arrests of 20 women and men who worked there, Phoenix police said Friday.
A container with explosives that was part of a Phoenix police training exercise was recovered Monday after it was stolen last week from Sky Harbor International Airport, a police spokesman said.
A massive dust storm enveloped areas of Arizona on Tuesday night, causing low visibility and delaying flights in and out of the state's largest airport.
Hollywood couldn't have better scripted the wall of dust that looked big enough to eat Phoenix.
Time lapse video of an unusual dust storm that plowed through parts of Arizona before reaching Phoenix.
"It takes a half hour to get anywhere," said the clerk at the rent-a-car place when I asked him how far from the airport to my uncle's neighborhood in Sun City. He was right. That buzzy restaurant you read about is a half-hour away. The Phoenix Art Museum? Half-hour.
In a three-day span, 2011 All-Stars Carmelo Anthony and Deron Williams were traded from the Western Conference to the Eastern Conference; the East-leading Celtics dealt their starting center, well-regarded workhorse Kendrick Perkins; and former All-Stars Gerald Wallace (from Charlotte to Portland) and Baron Davis (from the Clippers to Cleveland) and reigning Most Improved Player Aaron Brooks (from Houston to Phoenix) were sent packing.
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- It's time to put the Daytona 500 to bed and focus on the rest of the 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup season, beginning with Sunday's race at Phoenix International Raceway.
By now, the entire country has gotten the message that Arizonans are angry and frustrated over illegal immigration. But, oddly enough, the anger and frustration isn't usually aimed at the illegal immigrants themselves.
These are the glory days of the residential real estate investor. Low prices, rock-bottom interest rates and stable rental markets have created huge buying opportunities.
One person died when a small plane crashed into a building and burst into flames Wednesday morning near the Deer Valley Airport runway in Phoenix, Arizona, authorities said.
It was an ethnic twist on an American classic, the kind of thing that some people consider appealing and others frightening. Pinto beans, diced tomatoes, salsa and jalapenos top a hot dog that's grilled to perfection.
PHOENIX, Arizona (CNN) -- The Phoenix Police Department arrested 45 people during widespread protests Thursday against a controversial immigration law, police spokesman Sgt. Tommy Thompson said Friday.
Opponents of Arizona's new immigration law clashed with police Thursday in downtown Phoenix in a massive display of civil disobedience over the controversial legislation's enactment.
Barry Broome of the Greater Phoenix Economic Council talks about the economic impact of Arizona's immigration law.
Jairo Tellez's seafood distribution business is a family affair. In the industrial warehouse that houses J and V Mariscos on the west side of Phoenix, his wife, Vicki, and four of his seven children load trucks, take phone calls, enter data and help care for his infant grandson, who has a playpen in Tellez's office.
The vice mayor of Phoenix talks with CNN's TJ Holmes about the new immigration lawset to take effect this week.
July 15: Legal Hearings Begin Against S.B. 1070 Arguments against S.B.1070, Arizona's stringent law to stop illegal immigration, began Thursday in Phoenix, Arizona. Federal District Court Judge Susan Bolton is overseeing all the legal challenges. At least seven lawsuits have been filed, including two by Arizona police officers David Salgado and Martin H. Escobar, plus a suit by the Department of Justice. Additional cases will be heard July 22, and S.B. 1070 is to go into effect July 29th.
Almost seven years after her abduction, Amber Rose Nicklas was found safe in a home in Phoenix, Arizona.
Police say one thing was clear when authorities showed up at a house in Arizona looking for a California girl who had been missing for seven years. The family inside was hiding something.
A man and woman suspected of kidnapping a 5-year-old boy from Missouri were arrested Tuesday afternoon in Phoenix, Arizona, an FBI spokesman said.
On Tuesday, I asked a leading NBA scout to break down the Finals. Here is his analysis.
They came from Los Angeles and San Diego, and Wisconsin, Texas, Illinois, Chicago, Seattle and, of course, Arizona -- a river of humanity flooding the Phoenix streets to protest the state's controversial immigration law.
Protesters from several states vow to swarm the streets of Phoenix on Saturday to rally against Arizona's controversial immigration law, organizers said.
Where and when the Great Free Agent Summer Summit takes place no one is certain at the moment. Ambassador Dwyane Wade has called it, and, presumably, fellow diplomats LeBron James, Joe Johnson and Chris Bosh (the attendance of the Toronto Raptors forward would make this a truly international meeting) will be there, too. We can only hope that a photographer is present to capture the moment, as one was at Yalta, where Roosevelt, Stalin and a fur-hatted Churchill famously met to figure out what the post-World War II world should look like, much as the future geography of the NBA will be sussed out this summer.
Just how pivotal is Thursday night's game in Los Angeles? Consider: Winners of Game 5s in a best-of-seven series hold a 129-26 record, and home teams have a staggering 117-38 record in the fifth game of a tied series. But while the Staples Center may give the Lakers an edge over Steve Nash & Co., five other factors will play a major role in tonight's outcome:
The Phoenix Suns have a chance to win one of the most remarkable championships in NBA history. Their star point guard, Steve Nash, is 36 and playing with a broken nose and black eye. Their leading scorer, Amar'e Stoudemire, has been available to the right bidder for so long that the Suns replaced his locker room stall with a FedEx box. Starting forward Grant Hill is on his second career.
PHOENIX -- There was a moment last night, late in the second quarter as the Phoenix Suns reserves were taking turns seeing who could hit the most uncontested three-pointers, where it appeared to dawn upon the thousands of garishly clad folks around me at US Airways Arena: We might just win this thing. And not just the game at hand, but perhaps even this series. After all, the Suns' gimmicky zone was looking less gimmicky and more permanent by the minute, the Lakers big men were befuddled and Channing Frye's jump shot -- apparently sequestered at the border this past week -- finally cleared immigration. But the most promising sign in Phoenix's 115-106 win -- or ominous one, if you're a Lakers fan -- was the play of Kobe Bryant.
PHOENIX -- They had the best seat in the house, Steve Nash and Amar'e Stoudemire did. Cushioned, with a courtside view of one of the most important games in recent Suns history. Ordinarily, Nash and Stoudemire would be on the floor, running and gunning, trying to power Phoenix to a critical victory in the fourth quarter. But on Tuesday night, their place was on the bench, watching. Watching the Suns' second unit manhandle the Lakers starters on the way to a Western Conference finals series-tying 115-106 win.
PHOENIX -- Something happened on the way to a Celtics-Lakers showdown in the NBA Finals -- the Phoenix Suns are trying to derail it. Backed by 18,422 orange-clad fans, the Suns climbed back into the Western Conference finals, cutting down the Lakers 118-109 to slice L.A.'s series lead to 2-1.
"Truth is generally the best vindication against slander" -- Phoenix Suns locker-room whiteboard, prior to Game 3
This story appeared in the May 24 issue of the magazine.
LOS ANGELES -- After the Lakers fell to the Celtics in the NBA Finals two years ago, and Pau Gasol finished his exit interview back at the team's headquarters, he walked down to the weight room that he so often ignored, and told the trainers he was committed to getting stronger. If he ever saw Kevin Garnett and Kendrick Perkins in a similar situation again, he had to be ready.
LOS ANGELES -- For most of this season, the MVP chants at Staples Center sounded weary and contrived, remnants of a bygone era kept on display for nostalgia's sake. The chants would start after every trip to the free-throw line but quickly wane and die, as if the locals were repeating those three letters out of habit and not because they really believed what they were saying. Sure, Kobe Bryant was still one of the best couple of players in the game, but even in Los Angeles everybody knew that the MVP resided in Cleveland.
Ever since Phoenix whipped San Antonio in the Western Conference semifinals, a few variations on this topic have been out there in the ether: What does the success of Suns coach Alvin Gentry say about former Suns coach Mike D'Antoni?
Sitting in front of his locker Sunday, a towel wrapped around his waist and a half-finished bottle of Becks in his hand, Amar'e Stoudemire soaked in the moment.
Margarito Blanco trains his camcorder on the officer approaching a Chevy pickup, while his friend Andrew Sanchez furiously scribbles notes on a pad.
Attorney General Eric Holder says the Arizona state law on immigration may increase racial profiling.
February sure seems like a long time ago. Three months after nearly being dismantled at the trade deadline, the Suns are eight wins away from an NBA championship, courtesy of a gritty 107-101 win over San Antonio that advanced Phoenix to the Western Conference finals
SAN ANTONIO -- The Spurs prepared for a lot of things coming into this series. Goran Dragic dropping 23 points in the fourth quarter wasn't one of them. Behind a head-shaking performance from the 24-year old Dragic, the Suns blew past the Spurs 110-96 to seize a commanding 3-0 lead in the Western Conference semifinals.
Steve Nash and Grant Hill had no reason to speak up.
Almost two games deep into all the conference semifinal series and a number of stories have already become headliners. Of course, the most notable has been LeBron James' elbow injury. Who else made the list of top 10 second-round newsmakers? Take a look ...
After a practice last month, the Spurs' rookies sang happy birthday to DeJuan Blair. "I sang it to myself too,'' said Blair. In San Antonio, the rookies are expected to sing on teammates' birthdays, and for much of this season Blair has been the only Spurs rookie at practice -- thus their only singer.
Remember February, when the Suns were thisclose to breaking up their roster? Well, neither do they. "Los Suns," as they were known on Wednesday, moved one step closer to their first conference finals appearance since 2006, beating San Antonio 110-102 on Wednesday to seize a 2-0 series lead.
Round 1 of what is expected to be a competitive second-round series between Phoenix and San Antonio went to the home team, with the hot-shooting Suns knocking down 51.9 percent of their jump shots en route to a 111-102 victory.
DENVER -- On Wednesday morning, Diamondbacks manager A.J. Hinch strolled around the visiting clubhouse at Coors Field wearing a hooded sweatshirt, shorts and flip-flops. Such youthful fashion choices -- not entirely out of place in a big league clubhouse but rare for a field boss -- suit the 35-year-old Hinch just fine.
Demonstrations in support of immigrants' rights are scheduled Saturday in at least 21 states, the District of Columbia and two Canadian provinces. In all, protests are planned for 47 cities.
The Phoenix Suns advanced to the second round of the playoffs by defeating the Portland Trail Blazers at the Rose Garden 99-90 on Thursday. While the Suns prepare for what is sure to be an emotional second-round series against a Spurs team that has defeated them four consecutive times in the postseason, the Blazers are left to mull over a season that brought pain from almost the beginning to the end, with key injuries a constant companion.
Attorney General Eric Holder says his department is reviewing the immigration law passed by Arizona.
So you don't live in Detroit and you don't live in, uh, Glendale, Arizona, but you're fixin' to pay some mind to tonight's Game 7 showdown between the Red Wings and Coyotes. And you're asking yourself: "Who am I rooting for?"
The Phoenix Suns maintained home-court advantage by swarming the Portland Trail Blazers in a 107-88 victory at USAirways Arena Monday night. The Suns now hold a 3-2 lead in this best-of-seven series and can close it out when the teams play in Portland on Thursday night.
The Phoenix Coyotes were planning on flying home after Sunday's contest in Detroit. After capturing the pivotal Game 6, they'll be bringing the Red Wings with them.
The bus that crashed Friday on an Arizona interstate south of Phoenix, killing six passengers, was operating illegally, the U.S. Department of Transportation said.
Colombian Camilo Villegas holds a one-stroke lead after Thursday's opening round of the Phoenix Open in Scottsdale, Arizona.
When America's financial institutions crumbled and housing values plummeted, cities and families across the nation felt the tremendous impact.
A kidnapped girl was rescued on Christmas Day after a dramatic police chase on the streets of Phoenix, Arizona.
Ever flown through Phoenix, Arizona, and had your bag go missing?
The allegation is shocking: an 8-year-old girl lured to a storage shed with the promise of chewing gum, pinned down and sexually assaulted by four boys, none of them older than 14.
Law enforcement and culture clash after the alleged rape of an 8-year-old Liberian girl. CNN's Thelma Gutierrez reports.
The president of Liberia spoke Friday on the sexual assault of an 8-year-old Liberian refugee in Phoenix, Arizona, decrying reports that the parents believe their family has been shamed by the girl.
With four Phoenix, Arizona, boys ages 9 to 14 charged with sexual assault on an 8-year-old girl, a prosecutor vowed Thursday his office will "seek justice for the young victim in this heartrending situation."
Four boys ages 9 to 14 have been charged with sexually assaulting an 8-year old girl, police in Phoenix, Arizona, said Wednesday.
Officials said a British Airways jet had to be evacuated Friday at a Phoenix, Arizona, airport after smoke was reported in the cabin.
Thirty-year-old Lisa Locascio is walking through what she hopes will soon be her new living room.
Ed Lavandera reports on a new federal program which Phoenix hopes will help it recover from its foreclosure crisis.
The 4-year-old daughter of former heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson died Tuesday, a day after she was injured in a treadmill accident at her home, police in Phoenix, Arizona, said.
Jaime Andrade had just gotten out of the shower when the men came to snatch him.
One U.S. city has had more than one reported kidnapping daily since 2007. CNN's Josh Levs and Eliott McLaughlin discuss.
A school bus crashed into several cars Wednesday in Phoenix, Arizona, sending dozens of people to area hospitals.
A Phoenix, Arizona, elementary school bus careened out of control for nearly a mile Wednesday evening, causing more than a dozen accidents and sending at least 26 people to the hospital.
As tax revenue drops in the struggling economy, police are cutting services. CNN's Kelli Arena reports.
U.S. police departments are streamlining patrols, reducing training and cutting back on some preventative programs as their budgets fall victim to the struggling economy.
Question: My husband and I work for a high-tech company, but we don't have much in savings. My husband has been borrowing money to put into the stock market, but he has lost money for the past two years. I don't think we should be doing this, but he says we need to take risks. What do you think? - Joan, Phoenix, AZ
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