🌱 Valley Cities Rake In Rent Tax + Unvaccinated Overrun Banner

Hello, people of Phoenix! It's me again, Caitlin Sievers, your host of the Phoenix Daily.

First, today's weather:

Mostly sunny. High: 63 Low: 41.

Here are the top stories in Phoenix today:

1. As locals struggle to pay increasingly high rents, cities in the Valley are raking in taxes from renters. When landlords are charged state sales tax based on the rent their tenants are paying, those landlords often pass on the tax costs to their tenants. (Phoenix New Times)
2. Some major Valley hospital systems are overrun with unvaccinated COVID-19 patients. Close to 100 percent of the COVID-19 patients hospitalized through Banner Health are unvaccinated and officials there are concerned that the health care system will soon be unable to meet patients' demands. (KJZZ)
3. A holiday shopping event on Saturday will transform McDowell Road in Phoenix into Mercado on Miracle Mile. The event is set to include live music, food, pop-up shops and festive lighting and banners. Businesses along the corridor are also set to participate, 60 percent of which are minority owned. (KTAR.com)

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Today in the Phoenix area:

• Ancient Snapshots: Verde Valley Family Life from the 11th to the 14th Centuries with Ken Zoll, at Arizona Humanities, 1242 N. Central Ave. in Phoenix. (1 p.m.)
• "Assisted Living: The Musical" — Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts. (2 p.m.)
• Creative Kids: Kite Keychains! — Foothills Branch Library. (4 p.m.)
• Arizona Wind Symphony — Tempe Center for the Arts. (7 p.m.)

From my notebook:

• The Arizona Humane Society is offering $20 spay or neuter surgeries for pit bulls and pit bull mixes. The humane society's veterinary clinics are offering the $20 surgeries to pit bull parents who need financial assistance. Applications will be open to the first 100 pit bull parents who sign up. (Facebook)
• At Phoenix Public Library you can listen to the music of legendary Mexican singer and pop culture icon Vicente Fernández, also known as the “King of Rancheras." Fernández died last week at 81 years old. (Facebook)

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Now you're in the loop and ready to head out the door on this Thursday. I'll see you around!

— Caitlin Sievers

About me: I'm a passionate writer and photographer who worked as a reporter and editor for various publications in the Midwest before landing in Phoenix. I have seven roommates. Four of them are cats. Contact me at caitlin.sievers@patch.com with story ideas and feedback.