🌱 City Sued For Downtown Encampment + Phoenix Native Joins SNL

Hello! I'm Danielle Fallon-O'Leary and I'll be your temporary host of the Phoenix Daily for a little while. Please note that your newsletters may be a bit lighter during this time. Now, here are all the most important things to know about what's happening locally.

First, today's weather:

Mostly sunny and very warm. High: 102 Low: 82.

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Here are the top three stories today in Phoenix:

1. A group of downtown Phoenix residents and business owners are suing the city over a growing homeless encampment. The group reportedly filed suit last month, seeking a declaration of public nuisance to enforce laws in the camp where hundreds of unsheltered people are residing. Karl Freund, who owns a warehouse near the area and is involved in the lawsuit, stated they want Phoenix to "enforce the existing laws in the books. We're not asking for anything other than that." (PinalCentral)
2. On Friday, Maricopa County received $4.7 million out of an estimated $80 million in the national opioid settlement. Drug makers and distributors — including Cardinal, McKesson, AmerisourceBergen, and Johnson & Johnson — are responsible for the payments for "unlawfully marketing, promoting, and dispensing prescription opioids," according to a county press release. Friday's payment marked the first of several to be paid out over 18 years, with $2.3 million going directly to cities and towns in Maricopa County. (KTAR.com)
3. A Phoenix native and stand-up comedian will soon join the cast of Saturday Night Live. Michael Longfellow, who has been featured on Late Night with Conan O'Brien, is one of four new featured players slated for the show's 48th season. Longfellow joins SNL after the departure of several longtime cast members — including Aidy Bryant, also of Phoenix. (KJZZ)

Today in Phoenix:

• Rad Release 1980s - Central Flow At Sutra Studios (6:00 PM)
• Dose & Dream Unguided Meditation At Sutra Studios (7:30 PM)

From my notebook:

• Thinking about buying an electric car in Phoenix? Arizona is the No. 7 state in the country for EV financial incentives and has the eighth highest registration of EVs per 1,000 motor vehicles, according to Bumper. Learn more about what it’s like owning an EV across the country in their new study. (Bumper.com)
• If you're looking for a new home without leaving the area, check out these five new properties for sale in and around Phoenix. Happy house hunting! (Phoenix Patch)
• Calling all football fans: the Arizona Super Bowl Host Committee is seeking 5,000 volunteers to welcome people to the Phoenix metro for Super Bowl LVII. Click here to learn more. (City of Phoenix, AZ USA via Facebook)

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Events:

• Estate Planning Seminar (September 20)
• Breast Ultrasound Screening Coming Direct to You! (September 21)
• Online Webinar with specialists for grandparent's rights attorneys in Mesa (September 22)
• Online Webinar with professional for a divorce attorney in Glendale (September 27)
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You're officially in the loop for today. I'll see you around!

— Danielle Fallon-O'Leary

About me: Danielle Fallon-O’Leary is a senior writer with content creation agency Lightning Media Partners and assists Patch.com with community newsletter curation. Danielle also holds a Master’s Degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders and works part-time as a pediatric speech therapist.