PHOENIX — Happy Friday! Temperatures will be in the double digits this weekend, so get out and enjoy the slowly cooling temperatures!
We're staying on top of the latest happenings from across the Valley, state, and our nation for Friday, September 12; here’s what you need to know as you start your day:
From Meteorologist Jorge Torres - Cooler air on the way
We're wrapping up the week with a breezy and slightly cooler day! Highs in the Valley will top out near 100º this afternoon, with gusts up to 25 miles per hour. Then, get ready for an even cooler weekend ahead as temperatures dip back into the 90s!
Body of conservative activist Charlie Kirk returns to Phoenix after assassination in Utah
Air Force Two landed at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport on Thursday to bring Charlie Kirk's body home.
The conservative activist was shot and killed while speaking at a rally in Utah on Wednesday.
Vice President JD Vance flew to Utah to meet Kirk's family and escort them back to Phoenix.
Kirk is the co-founder of Turning Point USA, which has its headquarters in Phoenix. Kirk and his family are residents of the Valley.
The procession carrying Charlie Kirk’s casket headed north up State Route 51 before turning off and stopping at Hansen Mortuary Chapel at 7th Street and Northern Avenue in north Phoenix.
Three killed in crash on I-10 near SR-85 in Buckeye
A man is among three people who are dead after a crash on Interstate 10 just west of SR-85 in Buckeye.
The Arizona Department of Public Safety has confirmed the eastbound lanes of the freeway were blocked because of the crash between Palo Verde Parkway and SR-85.
Buckeye fire officials say they responded to a single-vehicle rollover crash just after 9:30 p.m. Thursday.
A man was pronounced dead at the scene. He has not yet been identified.
Four others, including a woman, a teenage boy, and two young children, were reportedly in critical condition when they were taken to the hospital.
DPS has since confirmed that two of the other victims have also since died, but officials did not disclose their ages.
Arizona's most resilient desert species facing pressure amid the state's hotter summers
Arizona’s fourth-hottest summer on record is proving fatal for even the most resilient desert species, as saguaros and rattlesnakes are dying in alarming numbers amid prolonged and extreme heat.
The saguaro cactus, a symbol of the Southwest and found only in the Sonoran Desert, is showing signs of stress and sharp population decline. Researchers at the Desert Botanical Garden say mortality rates have jumped from 1 to 2 percent annually to nearly 7 percent in recent years, due in large part to extended heat waves and high nighttime temperatures that interfere with many plants’ natural respiration.
Rattlesnakes are also facing conditions that may exceed their physical limits. Mike Cardwell, a consulting wildlife biologist who has tracked rattlesnakes in Arizona for more than 25 years, said two adult Western diamondbacks failed to emerge after the record heat in July 2023 — a first in his decades of study.
“Those snakes stayed underground during the hottest stretch and never came back up,” Cardwell said. “If it’s happening to rattlesnakes, it’s hard to imagine it’s not happening to other species as well.”
Remembering 9/11: 24 years later, USS Carl Vinson veteran remembers America's first response
On a mission in the Arabian Sea, the five thousand-plus crew on the USS Carl Vinson went about their routine work.
On Sept. 11, 2001, Carl Forkner awoke to a pounding on his door. The intelligence officer, stationed just across the passageway, urged him to turn on the ship's television.
What Forkner saw was not a scene from a Hollywood blockbuster, but the beginning of a new era for the United States and its military.
“I said, ‘Was this like a showing of a new Die-Hard movie or what?’” Forkner recalled. “He said, ‘No, that’s really happening right now. Probably ought to get ready, get dressed. I’m sure we’ll have a meeting in the Captain’s Office.’”
FCC warns consumers about fake cable and streaming discount scams
The Federal Communications Commission is alerting consumers about a new wave of scam calls and texts falsely claiming to offer 50% discounts on cable and streaming services from major providers like Comcast, Spectrum, and Prime.
Consumers across the country are reporting robocalls and voicemails with urgent messages claiming their supposed discount is about to expire. In one example provided by the FCC, a caller impersonating Comcast Xfinity said: "We're reviewing your account, and it appears your 50 percent discount on your monthly bill is set to expire today. To confirm and secure your savings, call the number displayed on your caller ID immediately. This offer cannot be extended."
According to complaints filed with the FCC, people who call back are pressured to act quickly to keep the fake discount. The scammers then claim the only way to secure the savings is to prepay for multiple months of service using gift cards.
The FCC emphasizes that pressure to act quickly and demands for gift card payments are clear warning signs of a scam.
