LOS ANGELES — The twins were 7, shy and scared. Talking was tough and describing what happened nearly impossible.

Wayne Brown spent decades working to improve Mesa, from its arts programs to its financial standing. Under his leadership on the city council and as mayor, the city saw a new spring training facilities built, a new convention center created and the establishment of the Mesa Arts Center.

Buzz words such as “subsidies” and “loopholes” have been thrown around by politicians for decades. If you’re seeking to impose punitive financial policies, these words are certainly more appealing than terms like “tax” or “penalty.” The Obama Administration is currently pursuing tax increases on the oil and gas industry under the guise of ending accounting loopholes.

Dear Debt Adviser: I own my home and have no mortgage or note. I have no debts except a student loan of about $11,000, and I can pay that off right now. I’ve always wanted to be debt-free, and I could write a check tomorrow and do that.

PHILADELPHIA — A Philadelphia abortion doctor was found guilty Monday of first-degree murder and could face execution in the deaths of three babies who authorities say were delivered alive and then killed with scissors at his grimy clinic, in a case that became a flashpoint in the nation's debate over abortion.

The football coaches evidently can’t wait until August for their first showdown of the year.

It took six school years, but Williams Field now has a championship trophy to call its own.

Jodi Arias was convicted of first-degree murder Wednesday in the gruesome killing of her one-time boyfriend in Arizona after a four-month trial that captured headlines with lurid tales of sex, lies, religion and a salacious relationship that ended in a blood bath.

The 2013 legislative session began with a unanimous vote in the House and the Senate to appropriate emergency funding for additional Child Protective Services staff. With that vote, lawmakers affirmed child safety as a top priority.

Travelers accustomed to chain eateries like Chili’s and Paradise Bakery now have a chance to experience local offerings such as Cowboy Ciao, La Grande Orange and Barrio Cafe at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.

The Maricopa County Community Colleges Governing Board will consider raising property taxes within the limit permitted by the state May 21.

A survey shows U.S. home prices rose 10.5 percent in March compared with a year ago, the biggest gain since March 2006.

Magdalena Mozes Herzberger has been on a mission ever since a British soldier picked her up from among the dead at the Bergen-Gelsen concentration camp in northwest Germany in April 1945. The soldier cried as he carried her, and she looked over the numerous dead as they passed.

Dillie Nerios is a Florida food stamp recruiter. Her job is to sign up 150 seniors monthly in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

Scrambling to find votes for her Medicaid expansion plan, Gov. Jan Brewer said Thursday she is now willing to approve legislation to stop Planned Parenthood from getting any of the funds.

The Arizona Legislature has gone from the fast track to stuck in the mud as lawmakers have become bogged down by the three key issues: Medicaid, sale taxes and the state budget.

Resign to run

I just spent some time running numbers. The most successful gun control law in the U.S. was passed in Kennesaw, Ga., in 1982. The crime rate dropped 89 percent in the city, compared to the modest 10 percent drop state-wide, it has stayed at the same low level. If you are going to look at gun laws, shouldn’t you take the most successful one into account? Well, maybe not in Marietta, Ga., it is illegal to spit from a car or a bus, but perfectly legal to spit from a truck. Couldn’t find out how that’s working out.

Companies that want to sue former workers who have stolen what they say are trade secrets need to prove that what was taken is truly a secret, the Arizona Court of Appeals has ruled.

Thousands of students in poorly performing public schools could soon get what amounts to a voucher from the state to go elsewhere -- or even get educated at home -- a move that could remove hundreds of millions of dollars a year from public schools.

Folks, when did America’s greatest treasure, United States citizenship, become a bartering commodity for votes with the Hispanic/Latino community as per Sen. John McCain? When did America’s greatest treasure, United States citizenship, become a bartering commodity with the Hispanic/Latino Community for converts to the Mormon religion or the recapturing “fallen away” parishioners of the Catholic church or more donations in the Sunday Mass collection basket or monthly tithes.

Recent images of a cruise ship limping back to port after an engine malfunction didn't do the cruise industry any favors heading into the summer vacation season. And cringe-worthy accounts from passengers who had to make do without power or working toilets for five days may have turned some travelers off cruising for good.