There are eight candidates running to succeed Laura Pastor representing District 4 on the Phoenix City Council. It's a lot to wade through, but I did my best to untangle it here. Link: www.axios.com/local/phoeni...
Zach Buchanan
@zhbuchanan.bsky.social
Reporter for Axios Phoenix. Former ballwriter. I watch a distressing amount of television.
NEW: The Maricopa County Sheriff's Office has paid $270K to outsource some internal investigations to a firm with ties to the Cyber Ninjas audit. A report by the court-appointed monitor questioned MCSO's vetting processes.
Sheriff's office outsourced investigations to Cyber Ninjas-tied firm
The firm, AZ Truthfinder, has been paid $270,000 since June 2025.
axios.com
The Valley reduced heat deaths in 2025, crediting expanded mitigtion efforts. This year, heat deaths could again top 600. "We have every resource available this summer. So that is really not an issue at play, which does not make sense to us." More:
The Valley is on pace for a dramatic spike in heat deaths
The county could see more than 600 heat deaths for the third time in four years.
axios.com
Tempe's weighing a proposed ban of city use of ALPR cameras. It faces an uphill battle. At last night's council meeting, public speakers overwhelmingly supported it. Tempe Police Chief Kenneth McCoy does not. Some councilmembers expressed concern. More:
Tempe weighs first-of-its-kind municipal ALPR camera ban
The proposed ban faces an uphill battle at the Tempe City Council.
axios.com
NEW: Andy Biggs left positive reviews for two anti-immigrant books on his Goodreads account, including one that made sweeping derogatory claims about Latinos and "rape culture." More here:
Scoop: Biggs left positive reviews of Islamophobic and anti-immigrant books
Biggs is seeking to project a more moderate image in his bid to unseat Gov. Katie Hobbs.
axios.com
Phoenix is still having trouble hiring enough officers to keep up with departures, with more than 500 positions still unfilled. More:
The Phoenix Police Department is still more than 500 officers short
The department has faced recruiting and retention challenges for years.
axios.com
NEW: Diamondbacks exec Derrick Hall tells me that lease negotiations with the public body that owns Chase Field have been "non-productive." A host of repairs, to be paid for by public money set aside in a 2025 bill, are on hold until the lease is ironed out.
Exclusive: Diamondbacks say Chase Field lease talks are "non-productive"
Millions in repairs are on hold until a new lease is signed.
axios.com
Jay Feely loudly touted his endorsement from President Trump in the primary, but that could come back to bite him in a district that has proven willing to vote against Trump-endorsed candidates. From me:
Jay Feely's Trump endorsement could hurt him in November
Feely says he's "nobody's rubber stamp."
axios.com
@sepinwall.bsky.social is the raccoon episode of adults a bottle episode
"Bit fast, innit?" "Annoy your mother-in-law, arrive alive" "NGL, Crazy driving, Gives major cringe" These are our favorite rejected entries from ADOT's highway safety message contest.
The funniest rejected entries from ADOT's safety sign contest
It's not always safe to laugh and drive.
axios.com
Arizona is making a push to host games in the 2031 men's Rugby World Cup, which will be held in North America for the first time. Read about the bid here:
Arizona is making a push to host the Rugby World Cup
The bid would be to host games for the 2031 tournament.
axios.com
An Arizona Board of Regents agenda reveals that ASU is set to extend women's basketball coach Molly Miller, bumping her salary and adding an extra year. Miller led the Sun Devils to the NCAA tournament in her first season with the program.
ASU is set to extend women's hoops coach Molly Miller
Miller led the Sun Devils team to NCAA tournament appearance in her first year.
axios.com
Far-right state Sen. Jake Hoffman recruited Kimberly Yee to run for superintendent and Alexander Kolodin to run for secretary of state. Their campaigns have turned around and spent more than $200K on Hoffman's political communications firm. Story:
Jake Hoffman is making money off candidates he recruited
Jake Hoffman is an influential far-right state senator from Gilbert.
axios.com
For months, the post office has seemingly forgotten the Phoenix neighborhood of Westwood Village & Estates. Residents told me of going without mail for weeks or even months, and crucial pieces of mail being marked "undeliverable" and returned to sender.
This Phoenix neighborhood has been forgotten by the post office
Some residents haven't received mail for nearly two months.
axios.com
The ACLU is making a strategic retreat on its lawsuit challenging Prop. 314, which makes being in the country without authorization a state crime. It dismissed its suit today but promises to refile when there's any evidence of a Prop. 314 arrest.
ACLU drops challenge to Arizona border law
But the move might not be a final say on the matter.
axios.com
Arizona got its infrastructure grade today. It was, uh, not glowing. "While this grade is ahead of many states around the country, an average grade of C is not acceptable." What will it take to boost that evaluation? Lots of $$$$$$$.
Arizona's infrastructure is barely scraping by, engineers say
The state received a "not acceptable" C grade.
axios.com
We had two Class 5 dust storms this week, the first time that's ever happened, at least according to the data we have from the last 16 years. Before this, the Valley had seen only four Class 5 haboobs ever. Story:
History made: Valley sees two Class 5 haboobs in same week
Only four other Phoenix storms in the past 16 years were that big.
axios.com
A new AARP poll shows Katie Hobbs with an 8-point lead over Andy Biggs Kris Mayes has a 5-point lead over Warren Petersen. Still three months to go.
Katie Hobbs comfortably leads Andy Biggs in newly released poll
The poll also shows a smaller advantage for Attorney General Kris Mayes.
axios.com
NEW: Former Mesa Mayor John Giles, reportedly to be Katie Hobbs' running mate, left the GOP earlier this year and switch to "no party preference." Being a Never Trump Republican was a large part of his appeal, so the implications of the move are unclear.
Former Mesa Mayor John Giles has left the GOP
Giles is potentially the running mate for Gov. Katie Hobbs.
axios.com
NEW: Andy Biggs has tapped former state lawmaker Sine Kerr as his nominee for lieutenant governor.
Andy Biggs taps Sine Kerr as his pick for lieutenant governor
Arizona voters overwhelmingly voted to create the lieutenant governor position in 2022.
axios.com
Life announcement, Part 2! It's my first day as a reporter for Axios Phoenix. Super excited to be teaming with/learning from @jeremyduda.bsky.social and continuing to bring you essential reporting on the Valley.
I'm not leaving Phoenix or even the Phoenix news scene. But today is my last day at Phoenix New Times, and I'm really going to miss all the wonderful people who make it such a special place.
It's my last day leading New Times' news coverage. I'll miss this place
Spending two-plus years as a part of this paper's storied history has been an incredible privilege.
phoenixnewtimes.com
We have the 922-page DPS report on the death of Christian Diaz Rendon, whom a Phoenix cop shot as Rendon subdued an intruder. Half of it is redacted, including 363 fully redacted pages in a row. Still, it provides new details. Story by @csosin.bsky.social: www.phoenixnewtimes.com/news/report-...
Personal news: I am entering the final two weeks of my time at Phoenix New Times. I already know my next step, but you'll have to wait to find out what it is.
Robert Gawlitza, the ex-Circle K manager who "bought" the disputed $12.8 million-winning ticket a day after the drawing, isn't going down without a fight. He says he followed Circle K rules to buy it, and says the company fired him for doing so. Story:
Manager says he followed Circle K policy to buy $12.8M lotto ticket
Robert Gawlitza says when he bought what he knew was the winning ticket, a day after the drawing, he followed Circle K rules.
phoenixnewtimes.com
January: Pinal County Sheriff's deputy roughs up deaf 79-year-old Tom Garro April: Garro talks to @csosin.bsky.social, says he's considering a lawsuit May: Pinal County Attorney decides to file charges against Garro Interesting timing, huh? Story:
Elderly deaf man tackled by sheriff's deputy charged with resisting arrest
A sheriff's deputy was so rough with Tom Garro -- a 79-year-old deaf Lyft driver -- that Garro had to go to the hospital.
phoenixnewtimes.com
In an interview with @morgfisch.bsky.social, GOP state Rep. Quang Nguyen called Turning Point COO Tyler Bowyer a "shitter" for tweeting a racist comment at him yesterday. Bowyer questioned whether Nguyen, who fled Vietnam when he was 12, can speak English.
Turning Point leader tweets racist dig at Asian GOP state lawmaker
Turning Point COO Tyler Bowyer asked GOP state Rep. Quang Nguyen -- who fled Vietnam as a child -- if he could speak English.
phoenixnewtimes.com
Before passing an ordinance to restrict homeless aid in city parks, the city of Phoenix sent out a survey. The questions were slanted toward support of the ordinance. Yet the responses were overwhelmingly against it. Phoenix buried it. By @csosin.bsky.social:
Phoenix buried slanted parks ordinance survey after it backfired
A city survey on an ordinance to restrict feeding homeless people in parks appeared engineered to drum up support. It didn't.
phoenixnewtimes.com
Ruben Gallego is dropping Graham Platner over sexual assault allegations, not long after Gallego had to do the same with Eric Swalwell. His office did not answer questions from @morgfisch.bsky.social about whether Gallego's vetting needs to be more thorough.
Ruben Gallego yanks Graham Platner endorsement over rape claim
For the second time this year, Arizona Sen. Ruben Gallego has had to walk back an endorsement over sexual misconduct claims.
phoenixnewtimes.com
We've talked to three people who described aggressive encounters with Pinal County Sheriff's deputy Aaron McRae, who tackled a deaf Lyft driver in January. Three others have filed complaints against him. He's been a deputy for 18 months. By @csosin.bsky.social:
Complaints trail sheriff's deputy who roughed up deaf Lyft driver
Three complaints have been filed against Aaron McRae in 18 months, and three more people had distressing encounters with him.
phoenixnewtimes.com