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Demonstrators struggle as National Park Service officers and Border Patrol agents try to pull people from a fallen human chain during a demonstration at Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument on Sept. 21, 2020.

Stand off with Border Patrol, National Park Service ends in scuffle with Indigenous-led demonstrators

O'odham organizers and their supporters stopped construction for over five hours at Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument.
In 1856, William Henry Perkin, an 18-year old chemistry student at the time, was trying to synthesize malaria drug, when accidentally developed a purple dye. This dye is believed to be one of the first steps of chemistry taking over the world.

What living in a world made from chemicals means for "The Sensitives".

Also on Arizona Spotlight: Jes Baker on making self-love a part of the pandemic; and a Summer 2020 insect update from "The King of Sting", Justin O. Schmidt.
Ryan Parker Knox (left) and Joseph McGrath performing "The Mark on the Wall" by Virginia Woolf in the AZPM radio studio.

Rogue Radio presents Virginia Woolf's "The Mark on the Wall"

Also on Arizona Spotlight: Tucson Samaritans' 18 year mission continues; and how the border wall endangers the future of the Sonoyta mud turtle.
Life casts can be a powerful tool for self-exploration, says Paul Weir, a key organizer of Tucson's annual All Souls Procession.

Behind the Mask

Also on Arizona Spotlight: A plea on behalf of sacred lands threatened by border wall construction; and a sincere thank you to comic book legend Dennis J. O'Neil.
In his book "At the Center of All Beauty: Solitude and the Creative Life", Fenton Johnson uncovers what role did solitude play in the lives of famous writers, thinkers and artists.

"At the Center of All Beauty": Author Fenton Johnson on the connection between solitude and creativity

Also on Arizona Spotlight: How a DNA test revealed a sensitive family secret; and essays from two young women about the changes the COVID-19 pandemic has brought to their lives.
In the 1990s, small, independent antique shops began to fold and dealers relocated into large antique malls. Midtown Antiques in Stillwater, Minnesota is likely the largest in the upper Midwest.

"Secondhand: Travels in the New Global Garage Sale"

Also on Arizona Spotlight: Adiba Nelson shares an open love letter to all women, everywhere; and how UA scientists are understanding climate change through research in the Southern Ocean.
The crew of the whaling vessel Pequod, portrayed by Ryan Parker Knox, Christopher Pankratz, Aaron Shand and Eduardo Rodriguez, in The Rogue Theatre's stage adaptation of "Moby Dick".

The great white whale, sighted in Tucson!

Also on Arizona Spotlight: A conversation with ecologist Brad Lancaster; and the series "Youth Crossing Gender Borders" begins.
John Waters tours each year to bring "A John Waters Christmas" to his fans.

Celebrate Christmas the John Waters way.

Also on Arizona Spotlight: "The 89-90 Trip" spends a day in Yellowstone National Park; and the legacy of ecologist Aldo Leopold.
A Sonoran Desert bee (genus Melissodes) identified by The Tucson Bee Collaborative, photographed by Bruce D. Taubert.

How to ID a Bee.

Also on Arizona Spotlight: A closer look at how Tucson neighborhoods voted in the last local election; The 89-90 Trip: Day Three begins in Panguitch, Utah; and "Tilly the Trickster" at the Live Theatre Workshop.
Dierdra McDowell performing as Eartha Kitt in her one-woman show, "Down to Eartha">

Getting "Down to Eartha".

Also on Arizona Spotlight: Hear a "StoryCorps: One Small Step" conversation from Kansas City; "The 89-90 Trip" heads to Flagstaff; and learning to read the secrets of the trees.
Archie is a big brown bat, and has been taken care of by Bob & Debbie Beucher since being rescued more than sixteen years ago.

It's always bat night at the Mission Garden.

Also on Arizona Spotlight: Climbing Mt. Lemmon in the bootprints of Sara Plummer Lemmon; and food writer Jane Stern's love affair with American diners.
Verónica Reyes-Escudero examines photos from the de la Torre family collection at UA Special Collections.

UA Special Collections: Preserving the Stories

Also on Arizona Spotlight: The TUSD's ongoing debate about expanding sex education; Is there any hope left for the 2019 monsoon?; and has Arizona's "stupid motorist law" increased flash flood safety?
A statue stands in front of the Holocaust History Center in Tucson.

"Never again, para nadie."

Also on Arizona Spotlight: New state law that may provide justice for greater numbers of Indigenous women and girls; A reaction to the Trump administration changing the Endangered Species Act; and a very short story from Aurelie Sheehan.
UA graduate student in geosciences Becki Beadling on a research vessel in teh Southern Ocean, deploying robotic floats that gather information for the SOCCOM project.

Ocean & Space

Learn about UA scientists in the Southern Ocean measuring climate change; and celebrating the past and future of space exploration at Spacefest X.
Gerry & Darwin Hall, photographed by Jade Beall (detail).

"Wise Bodies, Beautiful Elders" - photographer Jade Beall confronts ageism in the raw.

Also on Arizona Spotlight: The facts regarding mental illness and gun violence; and mushroom hunters go on a monsoon quest.
Harvey Girls at the lunch counter of the Harvey House in Winslow, Arizona circa 1910.

Arizona Spotlight for August 1st, 2019

Looking back at a 1979 radioactive contamination in Tucson, and citizens working together; exploring the history of Harvey Houses in Arizona; and a couple finds common ground with "One Small Step".

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