Editor's Note

Bern Times

This week's cover story by our senior writer Jim Nintzel is on presidential candidate Bernie Sanders and reaction to his appearance at the Netroots conference in Phoenix.

The majority of my friends and family who tend to vote on the Democratic Party side of life are excited about everything Sanders is saying and all things that he has said in the past—those things that tend to flood progressive Facebook posts. Keep in mind, however, that Sanders is the longest serving independent and just because he caucuses with the Democrats doesn't mean the party's power base will support him over Hillary Clinton. In fact, even if it looks like most Dems are in love with the Bernie, the party will in the end support its own. That's the way it works. But read this week's cover from Nintzel and see what people think and get a glimpse into how the event went down as community activists entered the picture. I like this issue, liked last week's too—hope you're paying attention to the good work being produced by staff writers Maria Ines Taracena and Heather Hoch, and our tireless crew of freelancers. We are also pleased with summer intern Jamie Verwys, a Pima Community College student via journalism instructor Cynthia Lancaster (we always love her students and we've been known to hire them on occasion). This business of journalism is hard, and sometimes many of us can't imagine why millennials see value in hard work, low pay and minimal job security. But somehow they do, and perhaps that should give us all a little hope.

— Mari Herreras, mherreras@tucsonweekly.com