The Veterans Affairs department announced a new effort Friday to clear a backlog of veterans waiting for decisions on their applications for disability benefits to help those veterans who’ve been waiting the longest to get benefits sooner.

Arizona lawmakers voted Wednesday to pave the way for research at state universities that could eventually allow doctors to recommend marijuana to treat more conditions.  The state's medical marijuana law allows it for glaucoma and AIDS and other chronic or debilitating conditions that lead to severe and chronic pain.

The attorney who helped Tucson shooter Jared Loughner avoid the death penalty will now join the team that’s representing the Boston Marathon bomber. A U.S. magistrate has approved the addition of Judy Clarke to the team of lawyers defending Dzhokhar Tsarnaev.

Victims of gun violence gathered Thursday outside Senator Jeff Flake’s Phoenix office. They pleaded with the senator to explain his recent vote against background checks for gun sales. Family and victims of Tucson and Aurora shootings ask Jeff Flake to talk with them on the background check vote.

A former state lawmaker is going to Washington to serve as a top promoter of the Obama Administration’s Affordable Health Care Act.  Matt Heinz is a doctor who said the real challenge will be overcoming some staunch opposition to the law.

The state legislative session has been stalled the last several weeks as talks continue over Medicaid expansion. Governor Jan Brewer has asked lawmakers not to send her any more bills until there is agreement on Medicaid, and while lawmakers remain at the capitol, the cost of keeping them there is about to go down.

Arizona’s economy is still recovering, but slower than expected. That is the consensus from experts at Arizona State University’s W.P. Carey School of Business, which offered its economic forecast Thursday.

Computer hackers have forced the Maricopa Community College District to shut down its primary website. The district said nearly 280,000 students and employees could be affected. It set up a temporary site after malware was discovered on its main site.

Fewer Arizonans will be traveling this holiday weekend than last year. But, of those who do, more will get there by car. And, as KJZZ’s Mark Brodie reports, that could be good news for the state’s economy.