John and Diane Foley—the parents of James Foley, an inspiring freelance journalist who was murdered by members of ISIS in Syria on Aug. 19, 2014—will participate this evening in a discussion at the University of Arizona about what it is like for journalists to face a world that seems to be getting more and more dangerous.

I spoke with Diane a few days ago, and she said being a part of these talks are important to them because it is a way to keep their son's inspirations alive. Until his last breath, James was an advocate for his fellow journalists' freedom of speech, and a loud voice shedding light on people's suffering, hoping that through his work he'd be able to change things.

"We feel Jim's spirit with us, and it helps me continue," she said. "Whether it was a child in the inner city of Phoenix or a child suffering in the middle of war, advocating for freelancers and their needs. He was always one to try to help the underdog."

Foley is among 61 correspondents and other reporters who were killed last year, and more than 1,100 journalists and other media workers from Latin America to the Middle East have been killed since 1992, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists. The groups says that figure does not include the many others who have been kidnapped, imprisoned, threatened or forced to flee.

Through the James W. Foley Legacy Foundation, the Foleys hope to help protect journalists reporting from war zones, health and social aids working in dangerous regions and also inspire others to be more involved in the issue. It something that concerns all of us.

In recent days, Diane has been in touch with the family of Kayla Mueller, a Prescott native humanitarian aid worker and activist who was killed on Feb. 6 while held hostage by ISIS. She had been worried about Kayla's situation for over a year, since she was taken captive in Aug. 2013. 

"She was a wonderful young girl, huge heart," she said. "She is one of our heroes."

Diane reached out to her family and hopes to be in touch with them more often, although she wishes they could have met under other circumstances.

"We are going through this horrible situation together," she said.

The forum today is sponsored by the Center for Border & Global Journalism.

Journalist Terry Anderson, a former Associated Press correspondent who was held hostage in Beirut, Lebanon for almost seven years, will participate, as will David McCraw, a First Amendment lawyer from The New York Times. The discussion will be moderated by UA journalism professor and co-director of the Center for Border & Global Journalism, Mort Rosenblum.

The talk is from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the UA's Integrated Learning Center Auditorium 120, located near the Main Library.

Things seem to be going well between Gov. Doug Ducey and Superintendent of Public Instruction Diane Douglas, especially now that legislation clarifying who can fire people in the state's Board of Education is underway.



State Sen. Kelli Ward of Lake Havasu City collaborated with Ducey and Douglas on the language, which would be added as an amendment to HB 2184.



The amendment says the board is responsible for its executives, but Douglas would be the one who implements board policies.



About two weeks ago, the pair got into it after Douglas fired the board's Executive Director Christine Thompson and Assistant Director Sabrina Vazquez. Gov. Doug Ducey then said Douglas had no legal right to do this, and overturned the layoffs, and they went back to work shortly after (awkward).



Douglas then release a statement that said Ducey apparently viewed himself as both the governor and the superintendent of schools. 



We can all put that behind us now.



The Arizona Department of Education issues this:

She seems reasonable.

The times have indeed a-changed. From Peanuts, 1971:


To the current issue of the AARP Magazine:


As Pete Townshend might say, I'm just talkin' 'bout my [aging] generation.

If you're sitting on mountains of beads at your house after a Gem Show spending spree, don't worry. The Beading Divas are looking for bead donations to keep their bracelets for a cause operation running. 

From now until March 7, you can drop off your extra beads to one of many locations, including Silver Sea Jewlery on Fourth Avenue. Then the jewelry-making team will turn those loose beads into buyable jewlery. Then on Saturday, March 14, the Divas will be at Silver Sea to conduct a random drawing to determine which charity will get the money from the bracelet sales. Small prizes, raffles and light refreshments will be available at the event.

Since 2009, the Beading Divas have raised more than $115,000 for animal charities by selling the bracelets that they make for $20. The proceeds from bracelet sales go to a different animal charity each month, amounting to 46 different organizations in five different states getting necessary funds from the group.

For more information on the Beading Divas, you can visit the organization's blog.

It was great to hear from some undergraduate students today at the UA's participation in National Adjunct Walkout Day, asking the administration where exactly their tuition money heads to and demanding better working conditions for the adjunct, tenure track and graduate students who help educate them on a daily basis. 

More than 150 people (very wild guess), many of them wearing red as a sign of solidarity, took over the UA's Alumni Plaza for two hours today demanding administrative transparency, better wages and benefits, and an overall improvement of working conditions for adjunct and other non-tenure track faculty members, including grad students.

UA freshman Josh Baehr reminded fellow undergrads that their voice matters, and reinforced they have a lot more power to change things at the UA than they think.

"Between the 30-something-thousands of us, we sway what goes on under the surface," he said. "Let's start asking the important questions, 'What is our tuition being put towards?' What are the U of A's real priorities? Let's start by putting this tuition under a bright, heavy spotlight. Let's start by supporting our educators, who have sacrificed for us so beautifully, as one loud unified voice, let's help them get the pay, the benefits and the care they deserve."

Hey all you gin-thusiasts out there—it's time to turn your love of the white botanical spirit into a show of support for Tucson's historic (and nonprofit) Rialto Theatre this Saturday, Feb. 28. The Gin Joint Jubilee at Rialto will be part fundraising gala and part roaring '20s theme party (yes, you can and should dress up) with vaudeville entertainment and, of course, some stiff cocktails.

Attendees can bid on silent auction items and enter for raffle prizes with items up for grabs including vacation packages, a hot air balloon ride, gift certificates, original artworks and more with special guests Mayor Jonathan Rothschild and KXCI's Cathy Rivers. Pre-bidding is available now through Bidding Owl. While all of that bidding and raffling goes on, Cirque Roots and Black Cherry Burlesque will keep the crowd entertained with cheeky vaudeville acts. An ensemble group of local musicians will also be playing classics from the '20s and '30s.

From 5:30 until 8:30 p.m. there will be a main tasting event with an hour of dessert samples following that. 9:30 to 10:30 p.m. will feature late night bite options if you're still hungry. Some of the many restaurants serving up samples for the evening include Miss Saigon, Hotel Congress, Hub, Empire Pizza, Proper, The Parrish, Reforma Cantina, Dante’s Fire, Got to be Gluten Free, Delectables, Saffron, US Fries and more. 


But, let's not forget the gin. You can sip on a Tuxedo #2 at R Bar (or you can order one from a server). The exclusive cocktail for the event is a classic that takes an improved (a.k.a. with absinthe) martini base and adds a touch of maraschino. If you're not ready to go full martini, a few of these will sell you on the cocktail once and for all.

The Gin Joint Jubilee kicks off at 5 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 28. Tickets are $75 per person or $125 for a pair and can be found online, along with more information, on the Rialto Theatre website. Each ticket for the fundraiser includes a complimentary drink.

Congress remains deadlocked over funding for the Department of Homeland Security as a Friday deadline to prevent a partial shutdown of the agency looms.

There's movement today in the Senate to try to find a way out of the impasse, according to Talking Points Memo:

On Tuesday, Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) said Democrats would filibuster a "clean" funding bill for the Department of Homeland Security until Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) committed to bringing it up in the House. Senate Majority Leader McConnell (R-KY) offered the plan as a way to break the logjam.

But on Wednesday, after Boehner refused to budge, Reid reversed course and endorsed a clean DHS bill. The aim is to put the heat on Boehner, who is facing immense pressure from the right to hold firm against President Barack Obama's immigration actions, and take away his ability to dodge the issue by saying it's the Senate's turn to act before the House decides what to do next.

"Senator McConnell has agreed to give us a vote on [clean DHS funding]. We're glad to see that that's happened, and we're going to do everything we can to make sure it passes by an overwhelming vote," Reid told reporters after meeting with Senate Democrats. "I think virtually every Democrat will vote for that."

The deadlock stems from the decision of House Republicans to tie a freeze of both the DACA program for DREAM Act kids and the Obama administration’s extended deferred deportation program to the funding of the agency. Among Southern Arizona members of the congressional delegation, Republican Martha McSally voted for the bill, while Democrats Ann Kirkpatrick and Raul Grijalva voted against it.

The DHS budget extension stalled in the Senate after Democrats blocked the legislation.

McSally won't say whether she would support a clean funding bill. McSally spokesman Patrick Ptak told the Weekly today that the office is "monitoring closely to see how the Senate will act since the House has passed a DHS funding bill and will keep you updated."

But in a new USA Today op-ed, McSally gives the impression that she now believes the issues of funding Homeland Security and the president’s executive actions should be considered separately:

Get your planners out, folks, because the Heirloom Farmers Markets and Living Streets Alliance have announced the dates for this year's Tucson Tandem weekends. The pair of two day events blend the Viva La Local Food Festival and Cyclovia Tucson into a weekend long celebration of two of the best things known to man: good food and bicycles.

On Saturday, April 18 from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m., Viva La Local will take over Rillito Park to present all things Tucson food including 25 of the town's best restaurants, over 80 farmers market vendors, local brewers and vintners, and more. Samples of both food and drink for the day run at $5 a pop and entry is $6 for adults and free for children under 12. Proceeds go to benefit the Heirloom Farmers Markets. Should you bike to the event, there will be a complimentary valet and if you buy a bunch of fresh fruits and vegetables, a veggie valet will be there to watch your goods while you dine and imbibe on the park's East Field. Live music will include Tesoro, Cadillac Mountain and more.

Then on Sunday, April 19, downtown Tucsonans can celebrate a glorious five-mile stretch of carless streets from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. The sixth annual festival isn't about getting anywhere quickly or going a long distance—the day is just about imagining the city with fewer cars on the road with 50,000 of your fellow Tucsonans. Whether that means walking, skating, cycling, unicycling or whatever other alternative mode of transport that you fancy, Cyclovia is just a good day to get out and see downtown and south Tucson.


Tucson Tandem has also announced the whole thing will happen again Oct. 31 and Nov. 1 for the fall festival. After all, it's never a bad idea to look ahead past the expansive wasteland of summer to the glimmer of hope known as the end of October.

For more information, visit the Viva La Local and Cyclovia Tucson websites. 

This week in Talking Comics, Cynthia and Jenny review Zombies Vs Robots #1. The zombie apocalypse is here and the robots are on the humans' side. How cool is that? Go Team Humans!

This comic is made up of three stories by Anthony Diecidue, Ashley Wood, Chris Ryall, Steve Niles and Val Mayerik.

Also: a little sneak peek into what a post apocalyptic comic book by Cynthia & Jenny would look like. It includes Waka Flocka & Alpacas, the world isn't ready.

Thanks to James Alvarez for filming and editing.

Talking Comics is brought to you by Heroes & Villains Comic Book Store.