Vue lecture

A Town Council Turns to a Deck of Cards to Break a Tie

Two candidates for Town Council in Gila Bend, Ariz., finished with the same number of votes. A century-old state law mandated breaking the tie with a game of chance.

© Anna Watts for The New York Times

Patricia Riggs, the interim town clerk of Gila Bend, Ariz., declared Jesus Rubalcava the winner of the Town Council seat after a game of high-card draw with the opposing candidate, Athena Guerrero.
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Reno Has Long Known of Wildfire Risk. The Hawk Fire Proved It’s Real.

The Sierra Nevada region is a hot spot for wildfires and some see the Hawk fire as providing an impetus for hardening communities against catastrophe.

© Ian C. Bates for The New York Times

The Hawk fire, burning in Reno, Nev., has destroyed structures and kept people out of their homes.
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America’s Desert Metropolis Is on the Short List to Lose Water

Decades ago, Arizona won funding for a massive Colorado River project by agreeing to be first in line for cuts at a time of deep drought. The Trump administration says that time has come.
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