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BORDER VIOLENCE

PHOENIX — State prosecutors meeting at a conference Tuesday said the illegal flow of guns from the United States to Mexican drug cartels poses one of the biggest challenges in trying to reduce violence along America's southern border. Many guns used by drug cartels in gun-restrictive Mexico come from the United States. The guns are typically bought through straw buyers and smuggled across the border to be used against the Mexican government in its war against the cartels. Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard said the United States can do a better job in stopping the flow of guns to Mexico, but noted those efforts have improved recently. By Jacques Billeaud.

PALIN-ARIZONA

TEMPE — Hundreds of Sarah Palin fans flocked to a Costco store in Tempe on Tuesday to meet the former Alaska governor and vice presidential candidate and to have her sign their copies of "Going Rogue." Many stayed in line overnight in 45-degree weather wearing thick coats, wool socks, gloves and blankets, and attempted to sleep in camping chairs and against a concrete wall. The first person in line, Drew Sweatte, got there 27 hours early. By Amanda Lee Myers.

AP Photos AZRF101-114

SCHOENEWEIS-WIFE'S DEATH

PHOENIX — Former Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Scott Schoeneweis' wife died from an overdose of cocaine and an anesthetic, lidocaine, an appellate court disclosed in a ruling released Tuesday. The ruling also said an investigation revealed evidence that Gabrielle Schoeneweis' cocaine use "may have caused harm to another person." That person was not identified. By Paul Davenport. Eds: Moving news and sports.

COUNTY SUED

PHOENIX — Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas and Sheriff Joe Arpaio filed a federal racketeering lawsuit Tuesday against a group of county administrators, elected officials, judges and attorneys. The suit accused the defendants of participating in a wide-ranging conspiracy to hinder an investigation into the $341 million criminal court tower under construction in downtown Phoenix and the ongoing investigation of county Supervisor Don Stapley.

DETENTION OFFICER-CONTEMPT

PHOENIX — A Maricopa County Sheriff's detention officer will report to jail after defying a judge's order to publicly apologize to an attorney for looking at her documents in court without her knowledge or consent. Adam Stoddard, who works in the sheriff office's Court Security Division, said Monday night that he doesn't regret his actions and won't apologize.

Also note:

— ARIZONA BUDGET-WATER MONEY — The Arizona Supreme Court has turned away a challenge to sweeps of nearly $14 million from a special water projects fund to help balance the state budget.

— SELF DEFENSE — The Arizona Supreme Court is letting stand a lower court ruling that overturned the murder conviction of a man who claimed self-defense in the shooting death of a hiker in northern Arizona.

— MARIJUANA SEIZURE — U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at the Nogales Port of Entry have seized more than 4,500 pounds of marijuana found inside a tractor trailer loaded with vegetables.

— BALD EAGLE CLOSURES — The U.S. Forest Service has closed two bald eagle breeding areas along the Verde River to the public to reduce human disturbances to the eagles during their nesting season in the Verde Valley.

— POLICE ASSAULT PLEA — A man who stabbed one Tucson police officer and shot another is facing up to 60 years in prison after pleading guilty to four counts of aggravated assault.

— TRIBAL OFFICIAL SENTENCED — A former leader of a tiny Indian tribe in northern Arizona has been sentenced to two years in federal prison and fined $75,000 for stealing nearly $300,000 in tribal funds.

— TUCSON-HOME INVASIONS — A SWAT team on Tuesday rescued 15 suspected illegal immigrants who were being held hostage in a trailer in south Tucson, law enforcement officials said. No shots were fired, and no one was injured.

— ARIZONA SHERIFF-HECKLERS — Hecklers in the audience broke into a loudly sung version of "Bohemian Rhapsody" and forced a high-profile Arizona sheriff to abandon a First Amendment forum sponsored by Arizona State University's journalism school.

— BODIES FOUND — Tucson police determined the deaths of three people found inside a residence Monday was a murder-suicide.

— FLAGSTAFF-SCHOOLS — Flagstaff Unified School District administrators are scheduled to meet Tuesday with the governing board to discuss possibly closing and merging elementary school campuses next year.

— FLAGSTAFF-4 DAY WEEK — Saving an estimated $40,000 a year is not enough incentive for Flagstaff to go to a four-day work week for city workers.

— KINGMAN-OFFICER FIRED — A Kingman police officer shot in the line of duty has been fired from the department.

— MULTIPLE DEATHS-ACCIDENT — Yavapai County investigators say driver error and inexperience played a role in an SUV crash near Crown King that killed four members of a Glendale church last week.

— US 93-BLASTING — A road blasting project along U.S. 93 between Kingman and Hoover Dam is expected to cause traffic delays Wednesday.

TOPIC: TOY JEEPS

LAKE HAVASU CITY — Thirty-two children in Desert Hills will receive a small handcrafted wood jeep for Christmas this year created in a makeshift Santa's workshop situated just north of Lake Havasu City. John Kent, a returning winter visitor from Oregon, has been making toys the better part of 45 years and has no plans of stopping — ever. By Jayne Hanson, Today's News-Herald.

AP Photo of Dec. 1: AZLHC101