Today's News

Phoenix News

• Joe Arpaio, county attorney to announce plans for corruption investigations
  The sheriff, county attorney holding news conference this afternoon.
  
  
• Phoenix officials launch blitz to get out word on census
  Forms will be arriving next week, and Phoenix wants residents to mail them back by April 1.
  
  
• Phoenix area should see dry weekend, for a change
  Saturday and Sunday should be sunny with temperatures in the low 70s.
  
  
• Phoenix officer accidentally shoots assault suspect
  A 27-year-old suspect in an aggravated assault was accidentally shot in the shoulder Wednesday night in Phoenix after startling a police sergeant, officials said.
  
  
• Immigration measures draw demonstrators
  Dozens of demonstrators rallied Monday at the state Capitol against bills that would make it trespassing to be in the country illegally and require local law enforcement to assist in enforcing federal immigration laws.
  
  
• Arizona near bottom in Lottery ticket sales, auditor general says
  Arizona ranks near the bottom of per-capita lottery ticket sales compared with other states.
  
  
• Maricopa County Attorney: Conflicts abound in ethics probe of him
  Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas says the special investigator appointed for the State Bar of Arizona should recuse himself because of conflicts.
  
  

The Phoenix Suns

• Moment of truth approaching for Phoenix Suns, Amar'e Stoudemire
  Just when it seemed his days in Phoenix were over, Stoudemire is making Valley love him all over.
  
  
• Leandro Barbosa's return to squeeze Phoenix Suns backcourt
  The Suns' guards will see increased competition for playing time with Leandro Barbosa's return.
  
  
• Suns' Frye suspended 1 game for scuffle with Pacers
  The Suns' Channing Frye was suspended for 1 game for his part in an altercation against the Indiana Pacers.
  
  
• Suns' Leandro Barbosa back; Steve Nash getting needed rest
  Leandro Barbosa has returned to practice while Steven Nash has a chance to work on his beaten-up body.
  
  
• With Robin Lopez, Suns no longer playoff pushovers
  Bickley: The soft-serve Suns have changed since inserting Robin Lopez in the starting lineup.
  
  

Republic Front Page

• House Dems ban company earmarks
  Facing an election-year backlash over runaway spending and ethics scandals, House Democrats moved Wednesday to ban earmarks for private contractors, sparking a war between the parties over which would embrace the more dramatic steps to change the way business is done in Washington.
  
  
• Failed real-estate venture turns investors into accidental landlords
  Right Place Properties has left behind at least 42 unfinished condo-conversion projects.
  
  
• Governors, educators push uniform teaching standards
  Effort aims to improve math and English skills.
  
  
• Job-focused voters weary of D.C. games
  There's a gaping disconnect between what Americans care about and what President Barack Obama and Congress, Democrats and Republicans are actually doing. A new Associated Press-GfK poll tells the story: contempt for lawmakers, a bare majority approving of what Obama is doing.
  
  

Movie Reviews

• 'A Prophet'
  'A Prophet' Jacques Audiard's film about a young man (Tahar Rahim) coming of age in prison is difficult, complex and something close to brilliant. Rahim is outstanding, as is Niels Arestrup as a Corsican crime boss who rules the prison. (R - 155 minutes) P, S, V.
• 'The Yellow Handkerchief'
  'The Yellow Handkerchief' (Associated Press) ''The Yellow Handkerchief'' is a standard-issue indie drama about hitting the road with strangers in hopes of reconnecting with an intimate from your past. William Hurt infuses ex-convict Brett Hanson with deep, palpable melancholy, yet the story rides on transparent artifice and weepy sentiment that turns to goo by the end. (PG-13 - 96 minutes) P, S, V.
• 'Creation'
  'Creation' (Kerry Lengel) Brooding biopic follows Charles Darwin as he struggles with his decision to publish his theory of natural selection, a revolutionary idea that threatens his relationship with his pious wife. The human melodrama is balanced by intriguing connections with Darwin's intellectual life. An intriguing portrait of a man and a time that changed everything. (PG-13 - 108 minutes)
• 'Remember Me'
  'Remember Me' (Orlando Sentinel) Robert Pattinson stars in this ''adult'' romantic melodrama that pushes the boundaries of how sexual you can get without earning an R-rating, smashing mushy up against mental illness. Pattinson plays Tyler, a morose, aimless and seemingly bipolar hunk who mourns a dead brother and dates a cop's daughter just to get back at the NYPD detective who roughed him up. (PG-13 - 108 minutes) P, S.
• 'Our Family Wedding'
  'Our Family Wedding' (Associated Press) Rick Famuyiwa's ''Our Family Wedding'' is charming despite its cliche milieu. To be sure, there are plenty of predictable jokes reliant on stereotypes. But it often smacks of real people. (PG-13 - 101 minutes) P, S.
• 'Green Zone'
  'Green Zone' Paul Greengrass turns the story of manipulated and falsified intelligence in the war in Iraq into what may be a new genre: the historical non-stop action drama. Matt Damon is good as a soldier who realizes the truth and seeks to expose it, but with the breakneck pace, there's not a lot of time to nurse your righteous anger. (R - 115 minutes) P, V.
• 'She's Out of My League'
  'She's Out of My League' Jay Baruchel stars as a loser whose friends convince him his relationship with a beautiful woman (Alice Eve) is doomed. A notch above the typical sex comedy, thanks to the cast and the surprising amount of heart. (R - 104 minutes) P, S.
• 'Brooklyn's Finest'
  In ''Brooklyn's Finest,'' the stories of three cops - dirty detective Ethan Hawke, deep-undercover Don Cheadle and alcoholic burnout Richard Gere - converge in a film that pretends to the thoughtful intricacy of ''Crash,'' the gritty realism of ''The Wire'' and the stylish intensity (and high body count) of ''The Departed.'' Really, it's just another collection of noir-lite clichés. Arizona Republic review by Kerry Lengel.
• 'Alice in Wonderland'
  Arizona Republic film critic Bill Goodykoontz reviews ''Alice in Wonderland.''
• 'The Ghost Writer'
  Arizona Republic film critic Bill Goodykoontz reviews Roman Polanski's ''The Ghost Writer.''