Arizona State University sophomore Anisha Hindocha works hard to put herself through school without having to take out loans – so hard that it’s started to affect her health.

“There they go again!” Ronald Reagan’s words echoed in my mind as I read Rod Livdahl’s recent letter supporting a raise in the minimum wage.

Arizonans who have exhausted their initial 26 weeks of unemployment insurance will see cuts in their weekly benefits of as much as $40 because of across-the-board federal budget cuts known as the sequestration.

In case you forgot, Gov. Jan Brewer has other priorities this year besides getting the Legislature to approve Medicaid expansion.

What is wrong with America?

EDITOR'S NOTE — Aging America is a joint AP-APME project examining the aging of the baby boomers and the effect that this "silver tsunami" is having on the communities in which they live.

Tax reform has become an important issue in dealing with the recession and job creation. There is a plan now in committee in the House of Representatives referred to as HR 25 and is fair to all Americans. It is the Fair Tax (not the Flat Tax) and is supported by the best economists in our nation. The Fair Tax is a consumption tax of 23 percent on new goods and services and would eliminate the IRS and all taxes associated with that agency such as the income tax, payroll tax, capital gains tax, the alternative minimum tax, corporate tax, estate and gift taxes. The imbedded tax of 22 percent on all new goods would also be eliminated. American workers would receive their full paycheck. The Fair Tax would bring millions of high paying manufacturing jobs back to America, boosting the economy, and improving the standard of living for the poor and middle class and eliminate tax breaks for the wealthy. The poor would pay 0% tax through a rebate program. The Fair Tax is also revenue neutral.

New figures show the state's economy continues to plug along.

Arizona's economic recovery is flattening out statewide, with job growth outside the Phoenix metro area for this year and next predicted to be anemic.

During the weeks preceding the formal unveiling of the ludicrously named Border Security, Economic Opportunity and Immigration Modernization Act of 2103, S. 744, the Gang of Eight authors dominated the headlines with their empty promises.

WASHINGTON — Americans are more optimistic the job market is healing and will deliver higher pay later this year. That brighter outlook, along with rising home prices, cheaper gasoline and a surging stock market, could offset some of the drag from the recent tax increases and government spending cuts.

U.S. homebuilders broke the 1 million mark in March for the first time since June 2008. The gain signals continued strength for the housing recovery at the start of the spring buying season.

Hundreds of teachers at religious schools around the state could soon be at risk of being laid off with no prospect of collecting jobless benefits.

WASHINGTON — This may be the year Congress decides what to do about the millions of immigrants living illegally in the U.S. And this may be the week when a bipartisan group of senators makes public details of the overhaul plan it has been negotiating for months.

Arizona’s unemployment rate came down slightly, going from 8 percent in January to 7.9 percent in February.

Finally some actual facts! That’s what I was hoping to find when I opened Rod Livdahl’s letter about the “tickle up effect”. Alas, it was not so. It was simply more “theory,” not supported by actual facts in an attempt to disparage President Reagan’s implementation of supply side economics. So I took one statistic, the unemployment rate, and did some research. These facts paint an interesting picture:

The fight playing out today at the U.S. Supreme Court could impact an Arizona case the high court has not yet decided whether to hear.

Growth and expansion over the last few years has made Banner Health the leading employer in the City of Mesa.

Let’s Talk Tax Reform — reform that actually builds the American economy and creates new jobs.

State lawmakers are poised to make it more difficult for some people to collect unemployment benefits.

The state's jobless rate jumped a tenth of a point in January to 8.0 percent.

Two new reports on the cost of changing how construction activity is taxed could torpedo the sales tax simplification plan being pushed by Gov. Jan Brewer.

The East Valley Chambers of Commerce Alliance (EVCCA) strongly supports Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer’s plan to restore our Medicaid population.

A part of Arizona’s 2010 immigration law aimed at day laborers and those who hire them is unconstitutional and unenforceable, a federal appeals court ruled Monday.