ASU Center for the Study of Religion and Conflict receives $150K to help groups serving communities hit hard by pandemic In Arizona, some of the communities hit hardest by the coronavirus pandemic have been the same communities whose plight often goes unnoticed — refugees, asylum-seekers, DACA recipients, mixed-status migrants and Native American tribes. In a move that is new to the Arizona State University Center for the Study of Religion and Conflict, it has been able to award grants ranging from $3,000 to $10,000 to 13 separate organizations serving the state’s most vulnerable communities, after receiving $150,000 in funding from the Henry Luce Foundation.

Arizona was one of the earlier states that attempted to open from its lockdown, and had initially received mixed feedback on how things were going. As the reopenings have progressed through June, it is clear that Arizona is headed for trouble. The question seems to be just how much coronavirus can actually fit in the state.

@45isalier Retweeted an Arizona ER Physician describing the increases that are occurring in hospital bed usage in the state. It shows a worrying increase over the past several days as the state continues to reopen. Coming from someone who works in the ER and deals with the real effects of the coronavirus, it seems as though This item was added with TAGS v6.1.9.1. The initial search was made using #Arizona and this item was added to the collection because of its medical importance and contradicts the narrative that reopening now is appropriate.

Maya wanted to celebrate her 6th birthday at the pool. Per state law, Arizona pools were closed. I even tried local hotels to see if any would let me rent a room in order to access the pool. No luck. In the end, we decided to bend some local rules and try to swim in Rio Salado, gaining access via the boat launch. We swam in the warm water for about an hour before a park official warned us that the police could ticket us. It was almost nap time for the 1 yo, and we were ready to leave anyway. It wasn't a pool, but we did get to swim. The day was declared a success by my 6yo who declared it "the best birthday ever." Photo from left to right: Julián Peralta-Kole, Katy Kole de Peralta, Maya Peralta-Kole, and Cassie Ashdown.

Luckily my 5 yo continues to lead a fairly normal life. Her screen time is usually limited to when her brother naps, (about 2 hrs. a day), and she is happy to spend the rest of the day playing, painting, and singing. Occasionally, she does talk about missing school, her friends, and her nana in Michigan, but we can usually patch over the pain with a video call.

It's hard to keep an active 1 yo entertained when the parks are closed, swim class was canceled, and I can't even take him to the supermarket for a light distraction. So, I caved. I broke down after watching him cry and say "I want," repeatedly while stretching his hands towards his sister's paints and paintbrushes. On Friday night, I figured, sure it's going to be a mess, and it might be a disaster, but provided he doesn't eat it, it's harmless.

Here in Arizona, salons and barbers were initially designated as "essential services," but the day before all the members of our family were scheduled to have haircuts, they were ordered to close. This has left us with long unruly hair. Eli, shown here, has been growing his hair out, but it's never been this long. He now has a "man bun," for which we endlessly tease (though he wears it as a point of honor.). This question about what is essential and what is not, as well as how we handle such simple grooming as hairstyle have taken new meaning for us during the pandemic.

With the stay-at-home order and school closures in effect, we see more children and youth playing outside. A popular activity in our neighborhood in South Tempe is to make chalk drawings on driveways. At this house, the kids chalked out their message to stay home and stay safe (along with an Easter egg).

Maya Peralta-Kole meets with classmates and shares what she has been doing at home while Tempe Public Schools have been closed.

Five year old talks to neighbor through fence about Coronavirus.

Governor Ducey says he and Superintendent Hoffman will work with education leaders and public health officials to reassess the need for school closures and provide additional guidance through March 27.