The Gaggle: An Arizona politics podcast

Two years ago in Arizona, and in most of the world, conditions were starting to feel apocalyptic. After sweeping across China and Europe, the new coronavirus, also known as COVID-19, made its way to America. The nation was suddenly locked in quarantine. Grocery store shelves were barren of essentials. Workers were laid off by the millions. Life as we knew it was upended and no one how bad it would get or how long it would last. Around this time, Gov. Doug Ducey took some of his first executive actions on COVID-19. All elective surgeries were halted to make room in hospitals for coronavirus patients. Restaurants were closing but were allowed to start serving alcohol to go. Two very strange years later, it seems that the worst of the pandemic is behind us. In this week's episode of The Gaggle, an Arizona politics podcast, host Yvonne Wingett Sanchez is joined by two Arizona Republic reporters to help take stock of it all. Stephanie Innes covers health and walks through the timeline from March 2020 to March 2022. Russ Wiles is a business reporter and he shares how Arizona is surviving financially and economically compared with the rest of the country. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On Monday, Maricopa County Attorney Allister Adel announced she will resign from her position on Friday, March 25. This comes after months of dismay regarding how she is leading one of the nation’s largest prosecutorial teams. Her time as County Attorney comes to an end amidst scrutiny that she is not fit for office after her staff raised concern regarding her battle with alcohol abuse. Arizona Republic investigative reporter Robert Anglen recently noted that 180 cases fell apart because of her procedural failures. Her impending departure means there will be a special election to replace her, and not a lot of time to qualify to run. As of yesterday, Julie Gunnigle, who ran against Adel in 2020, collected enough signatures to run. In this week's episode of The Gaggle, an Arizona politics podcast, host Ron Hansen talk with Robert Anglen about Adel's resignation and what will happen next to replace her. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Republican state lawmakers are scrambling to undo parts of a law they fast-tracked to change the way party activists become party officials. Precinct committee members, or PCs, are not people the casual voters will know, but they play a key role in shaping party politics and who runs for political office. Republicans quickly pushed through election changes that reflect the state's new political boundaries after last year's redistricting process. The governor signed the bill the same day. To the surprise of the grassroots and lawmakers themselves, the law also eliminated elections for PCs. Changing the law it requires a legislative super-majority, and the Democrats aren't eager to help Republicans fix their mistake. Sparks are flying on both sides of the aisle. In this episode of The Gaggle, The Republic's state government reporter, Mary Jo Pitzl, joins hosts Ron Hansen and Yvonne Wingett Sanchez to discuss the unexpected drama. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Republican Utah Sen. Mitt Romney labeled U.S. Rep. Paul Gosar a moron over the Arizona Republican's association with a political conference organized by a white nationalist. Another participant, Republican state Sen. Wendy Rogers of Flagstaff, was censured by the Arizona state Senate for threatening comments she made to her colleagues. It was the first time in three decades a senator was publicly censured by her own party. It was a move applauded by Gov. Doug Ducey, who had been slow to condemn her remarks. The rise of extremism in the Arizona GOP has grown over the past few years, with concerns also raised over the actions of Kelli Ward, chair of the Republican Party of Arizona. Recently, the U.S. House Committee that is investigating the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol issued subpoenas to her. In this week's episode of The Gaggle, an Arizona politics podcast, hosts Yvonne Wingett Sanchez and Ron Hansen talk with political historian Matthew Dallek. They discuss how these fringe views became more mainstream and what it means for the future of politics. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Conservatives from Arizona and elsewhere took aim at President Joe Biden while outlining their preferred policy agenda during annual gatherings in Orlando last week. Among those on hand were several notable Arizonans, including U.S. Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., and gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake, a former Fox 10 anchor. Also last weekend, far-right extremists heard from U.S. Rep. Paul Gosar, R-Ariz., and state Sen. Wendy Rogers, R-Flagstaff. The Conservative Political Action Conference and America First Political Action Conference drummed up grievances against Biden and promoted former President Donald Trump. In today's episode, The Republic's Stacey Barchenger joins Gaggle hosts Ron Hansen and Yvonne Wingett Sanchez to dissect the what happened and what it means in Arizona. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the early weeks after the 2020 election, Arizona House Speaker Rusty Bowers, R-Mesa, resisted direct appeals by President Donald Trump and key allies to participate in a scheme to set aside the certified election results in Arizona. He’s still getting lobbied by some in that orbit, and Bowers is still pushing back. His support was recently sought He recently received a recent effort to get his support on a bill to decertify the 2020 presidential election results. That effort was previously unknown. At the outset of this year’s legislative session, Bowers emphatically killed one bill that would have banned voting machines and mail voting, among other things. Bowers assigned the bill to 12 House committees, effectively ensuring its demise. He also came out against another bill that would set aside the 2020 presidential results. Bowers called the legislation “profoundly unwise.” That bill was introduced by Rep. Mark Finchem, R-Oro Valley, a loyalist to former President Donald Trump. In this week's episode of The Gaggle, an Arizona politics podcast, hosts Yvonne Wingett Sanchez and Ron Hansen wanted to hear directly from the speaker. He is an artist by trade who is charting a decidedly different path than many in his party these days. The Gaggle met with Bowers in his office to discuss his relationship with Republican Party, previously unseen documents related to the 2020 presidential election results, and his future. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On Dec. 14, 2020, 11 Republicans met at the Arizona party headquarters. There they signed a document falsely claiming they were the “duly elected and qualified” electors for the state of Arizona. But the truth of the matter was that they were anything but. Now the House committee investigating the January 6th attack subpoenaed two Arizonans who signed that false document. In this week's Gaggle reporter Richard Ruelas joins Yvonne Wingett Sanchez to explain what was happening with the Arizona GOP electors. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Maricopa County Attorney Allister Adel's career in the office has been connected to her health since before she was elected. She had been appointed to the position and was recovering from a life-threatening fall and major brain surgery when election results showed she had won the job. She returned to her office in March, only to step away in August 2021 while she entered rehab for anxiety, alcohol abuse and an eating disorder. Now, according to an investigation by Arizona Republic reporter Robert Anglen, staffers have expressed concern over her sobriety and absence in key meetings. In this week's episode of The Gaggle, an Arizona politics podcast, Anglen joins host Ron Hansen is joined by Robert Anglen to discuss these allegations and what the next steps could be for Adel. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

COVID-19 continues to grip our state as attempts to return to a semblance of normalcy hobble along. After two years of data collection, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention found that Arizona has the second highest COVID-19 death rate in the country. For most of January, Arizona has reported an average roughly around 20,000 new infections daily. This is the stage set for schools this semester. Last week on The Gaggle we heard from our own education reporter and the executive director of Arizona Schools Administration about what the situation looks like on the ground. This week, we turn our attention to the capitol and the bills that could affect schools and their ability to defend against the coronavirus. In this week's episode of The Gaggle, an Arizona politics podcast, hosts Yvonne Wingett Sanchez and Ron Hansen talk with Mary Jo Pitzl, state government reporter, and Stacey Barchenger, who covers the Ducey administration for The Arizona Republic about how the Arizona legislature is dealing with COVID and schools. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the past few weeks, parents of school-aged children have all had the same experience of getting their kids ready for school. You grab their backpack, their lunch, a snack and, for the third year in a row, you grab their mask. The COVID-19 variant omicron is twice as contagious as the delta variant and at least four times as contagious as the first strain we experienced in March 2020. Currently, the omicron variant has resulted in the highest number of COVID-19 cases Arizona has seen in months. This has some parents nervous about their K-12 children returning to class in 2022. But schools that don’t return in person run the risk of losing school funding. In this week's episode of The Gaggle, an Arizona politics podcast, hosts Yvonne Wingett Sanchez and Ron Hansen talk with Yana Kunichoff. She is the k-12 education reporter at the Arizona Republic. She joins the podcast to dive into what is going on within Arizona’s public school system about the coronavirus, how schools are staying open and what that could mean for parents and students moving forward. Later in the episode, Yvonne Wingett Sanchez talks with Mark Joranstaad, executive director of the Arizona Schools Administration, for a look on in the inside of the operation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Arizona Legislature is in full swing, marked by several notable highlights. There are a large number of new lawmakers, and it is Doug Ducey’s last year in the governor’s office. Politicians are gearing up for the bills they want to pass in the third straight session affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Lots of questions are circling the copper dome at the Capitol. But one in particular is loitering in the wings: Can Arizona lawmakers come together to make real decisions this year? Or will they get bogged down in political fights? Ray Stern, Arizona state politics reporter, and Mary Jo Pitzl, state government reporter, join The Gaggle today to hash out what the 2022 session holds for Arizona. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week Gov. Doug Ducey kicked off the 2022 legislative session by delivering his final State of the State. His eight years as governor of Arizona will come to an end in January 2023, and people are closely watching how his last year will unfold. Tax cuts, COVID-19 response, school choice and school spending and border security are among topics Ducey mentioned in his speech. The governor also invoked the words of his high school football coach, who told players to play the game to the bitter end. In this week's episode of The Gaggle, an Arizona politics podcast, hosts Yvonne Wingett Sanchez and Ron Hansen talk with Daniel Scarpinato. He served as Ducey’s chief of staff from 2018 to 2021 but has been a part of his team since 2014. He advised Ducey on the Governor's State of the State speech and is now a partner at Ascent Media, a national advertising and political consulting firm. They break down the final State of the State speech, what can be expected from Ducey's last year in office, and the shifting political winds that will affect the 2022 election cycle. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After an eventful 2021, it's shaping up to be another busy year in Arizona politics. The congressional and legislative district maps have been redrawn for the next 10 years, a U.S. Senate seat is up for grabs, and no matter what happens, Arizona will get a new governor. As we look ahead into 2022, the hosts of The Gaggle, Yvonne Wingett Sanchez and Ron Hansen, cover some of the biggest stories we are prepping for this year. Joined by fellow Arizona Republic reporters, The Gaggle breaks down redistricting, the Senate race and what Gov. Doug Ducey might do next. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Gaggle hosts Yvonne Wingett Sanchez and Ron Hansen are taking off this week to celebrate Christmas and New Years. Be sure to catch up on our Democracy in Doubt series where we take a deep dive into Arizona's ballot review. All five episodes are available. Happy Holidays! We'll be with you in the new year. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

2021 will be known as a big year in Arizona politics. An unprecedented investigation into the voting system in Maricopa County made national headlines and the behavior of Arizona politicians made Saturday Night Live punchlines. As the year comes to a close, the hosts of The Gaggle, Yvonne Wingett Sanchez and Ron Hansen, cover the biggest stories from 2021. Joined by fellow Arizona Republic reporters, The Gaggle breaks down the Jan. 6th Capitol riot, the ballot recount, the rise of GOP gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake, the unease of Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., within her own party, and how COVID-19 affected universities. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Arizona Secretary of State Katie Hobbs issued a ‘new’ apology and acknowledged discrimination took place at the legislature related to then Democractic Senate Aide, Talonya Adams. Hobbs, who in 2015 was the Senate Democratic leader, said in an interview with The Arizona Republic that she recognized that her initial response fell short of taking accountability and that it was unnecessarily defensive. Adams said she was discriminated against on the basis of race and sex – that when she repeatedly raised questions about her pay and working conditions with supervisors, she was fired – a maneuver she argued was retaliation for questioning the process. Adams, who is African American, filed a discrimination lawsuit contending she was unfairly being paid less than white, male colleagues. A motion filed by then Senate lawyer Michael Moberly said Adams ‘simply expressed a desire to discuss a potential raise because her workload had increased, and she had not received a raise during the time she had been employed at the Senate.’ As it turned out, the legislative policy adviser affirmed Adams did earn less than many white, male colleagues. A federal jury last month awarded Adams $2.75 million, ruling she ‘was’ fired for questioning the pay gap. Because of laws capping damages, she will actually receive no more than $300,000. Hobbs released a three-minute apology video via Twitter earlier this month – a mea culpa that included everything from Talonya Adams to her lack of accountability to her limited experience with racism. But was this apology sincere or a part of a larger strategy to help her become the next governor of Arizona? In this week's Gaggle episode, national politics reporter Ron Hansen examines this question and more of the fallout between Secretary Hobbs and Adams with Stacey Barchenger, the Republic’s state politics reporter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Former Arizona Attorney General Grant Woods died of a heart attack on October 23, 2021, at the age of 67. He spent years as a Republican politician in Arizona, often crossing party lines to side with Democratic causes. Woods was known as a fighter who stood up for what was right, even when it wasn’t popular. He will forever be remembered as an authentic Arizonan. The former Republican Arizona Attorney General was celebrated at the Orpheum Theatre in downtown Phoenix on November 23rd. The memorial brought crowds of family, friends, and those who respected Woods. To remember his life as a politician, a lawyer, and a person, The Gaggle hosts Yvonne Wingett Sanchez and Ron Hansen invite EJ Montini to the show. Montini is a columnist for the Arizona Republic who wrote about Woods after his passing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In August, when COVID-19 seemed to be receding as a health problem, and as public schools ramped up for in-person education lessons with masking mandates, Gov. Doug Ducey offered parents who didn’t like those rules an alternative. He said the state would provide vouchers worth up to $7,000 per student to those approved for a grant intended to sidestep masking, promote in-person learning and use federal emergency stimulus funds to do so. Stacey Barchenger, who covers the Ducey administration for The Arizona Republic, has gone over the records to see how the early stages of the controversial new program are working out. A closer examination of the program reveals that it’s not just the U.S. Department of Education, public schools across Arizona and public health officials who are unhappy with it so far. In this week's episode of The Gaggle, host Ronald J. Hansen speaks with Barchenger about the demand for vouchers, how the state is doing at approving requests, the allocation of money and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Gaggle hosts Yvonne Wingett Sanchez and Ron Hansen are taking off this week to celebrate Thanksgiving. If you didn't catch the series, Democracy in Doubt, last week about Arizona's ballot review, all five episodes are available. Happy Thanksgiving. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

GOP lawmakers from at least 18 states trekked to the desert during triple-digit heat to study the process, pose for pictures, battle members of the mainstream press and help push former President Donald Trump’s baseless concern for a stolen election. The election review was started almost singlehandedly by Senate President Karen Fann at the behest of Trump, his allies and some members of her own caucus, and now it’s coming to an end. In the fifth and final episode of Democracy in Doubt, The Gaggle hosts Yvonne Wingett Sanchez and Ron Hansen dive into those who championed the ballot review, like One America News’ Christina Bobb, why Ken Bennett was treated like a pariah, Trumps return to Arizona, who claimed the numbers were ‘made up’ and the fallout of those involved. In a four-month investigation, The Arizona Republic dug into the election review by examining text messages, emails, public records and court records, many made public after the news outlet sued the state for access. Republic reporters spoke to decision-makers, consultants, staff, contractors, campaign aides and others tied to the review of the presidential and U.S. Senate races in Maricopa County. Some talked on the record about their experiences, while others spoke on the condition they not be identified in order to speak candidly about private conversations. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Experts dismissed the 'audit' as worthless. But it also helped the GOP and related interests rake in millions and keep the cause of Donald Trump alive. In episode four of a five-episode series, The Gaggle hosts Yvonne Wingett Sanchez and Ron Hansen dig deep to find out if the Arizona election review was about election integrity or just Trump – how Arizona State President Karen Fann chose partisans with little experience with ballot reviews, which former GOP chair consulted from the shadows and more. In a four-month investigation, The Arizona Republic examined a trove of text messages, emails and court records, many made public after suing the state for access. Republic reporters spoke to decision-makers, consultants, staff, contractors, campaign aides and others tied to the review of the presidential and U.S. Senate races in Maricopa County. Some talked on the record about their experiences, while others spoke on the condition they not be identified in order to speak candidly about private conversations. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The nearly 8-hour insurrection on Jan. 6 at the U.S. Capitol failed to overturn election results. Congress certified Joe Biden’s presidential win after hours of violence and bloodshed. In episode three of a five-episode series, The Gaggle hosts Yvonne Wingett Sanchez and Ron Hansen detail the narrative of a stolen election pressed by Trump, Gosar and Biggs. It was echoed by millions of the president’s followers and encouraged state Senate President Karen Fann to push ahead with a partisan ballot review. Once again, Arizona found its way back into the spotlight as a hotbed of partisan extremism and a magnet for those pushing election conspiracies. In a four-month investigation, The Arizona Republic examined a trove of text messages, emails and court records, many made public after suing the state for access. Republic reporters spoke to decision-makers, consultants, staff, contractors, campaign aides and others tied to the review of the presidential and U.S. Senate races in Maricopa County. Some talked on the record about their experiences, while others spoke on the condition they not be identified in order to speak candidly about private conversations. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the second of a five-episode series, The Gaggle hosts Yvonne Wingett Sanchez and Ron Hansen break down Rudy Giuliani’s audacious pitch in Dec. 2020 to reverse Arizona election results ­– a plan that would involve the help of Arizona House Speaker Rusty Bowers and Senate President Karen Fann. Trump and his allies, including Giuliani, had for weeks pointed to purported irregularities in Arizona, claiming they contributed to a stolen election. A day earlier, Giuliani headlined a meeting at a Phoenix hotel where he and other Arizona Republicans presented claims of widespread voter fraud. The next 35 days would see divisions within the party, talk of subpoenas, more White House calls and then, Jan. 6. In a four-month investigation, The Arizona Republic interviewed dozens of people who were in and around the effort to alter the election outcome and the ballot review that for months sustained outrage over Trump’s loss. Some talked on the record about their experiences, while others spoke on the condition they not be identified in order to speak candidly about private conversations. The Republic also reviewed thousands of pages of documents obtained through public records requests and in an ongoing lawsuit against the Senate and the company it hired to conduct the ballot review. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Over the course of four months, The Republic examined a trove of text messages, emails and court records, many made public after suing the state for access. Reporters spoke to decision-makers, consultants, staff, contractors, campaign aides and others tied to the review of the presidential and U.S. Senate races. Some talked on the record about their experiences, while others spoke on the condition they not be identified in order to speak candidly about private conversations. The Republic uncovered efforts to circumvent the popular vote to engineer an illegitimate Trump victory. Once the results were certified, Trump and his allies shifted to a campaign to pressure local Republicans to overturn election results from voters using an early ballot system largely shaped over decades by their own party. In this first of a five-episode series, Democracy in Doubt, The Gaggle hosts Yvonne Wingett Sanchez and Ron Hansen walk you through the origins of the Arizona election review and how that state plunged into a fog of election conspiracies riven with partisanship and targeted by opportunists from across the country. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Last week the U.S. House of Representatives ended months of infighting among Democrats to pass a $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill that Sen. Kyrsten Sinema helped broker. The historic legislation, along with a still-unfinished social spending bill, serves as a reminder of the Arizona Democrat's central role in what seems politically possible in Washington. A deal with the liberal wing of House Democrats allowed the physical infrastructure plan to proceed. It will boost spending on the nation's various deteriorating structures such as roads and bridges, water systems and expand broadband internet coverage. Progressive Democrats expect a vote on the $1.75 trillion human "Build Back Better" bill later this month. How will Sinema's moderate policies affect the Biden agenda, Democratic fortunes in the 2022 midterm elections, and her own future in the Senate? In this week's episode of The Gaggle, an Arizona politics podcast, hosts Yvonne Wingett Sanchez and Ronald J. Hansen speak with Kyle Kondik. Kondik is a political analyst and the managing editor of Sabato’s Crystal Ball at the University of Virginia Center for Politics. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On Oct. 28, 2021, the five-member Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission adopted new lines for political districts in the state. The new legislative and congressional maps had little contention by the bipartisan commission. The general public now has 30 days to look over the proposed maps and share their thoughts before the finalization date of Dec. 22. The final decision will impact Arizona politics for the next decade. The draft maps are online for the public to view on the Independent Redistricting Commission website. In this week's episode of The Gaggle, an Arizona politics podcast, host Ron Hansen talk with the head of the Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission Dr. Erika Neuberg about what has been proposed so far. Then, Arizona Republic reporter Ray Stern joins the show to break down what this will mean in upcoming elections. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Arizona's congressional and legislative boundaries are being redrawn as part of a process that may seem tedious, but carries outsize importance to understanding the state's politics for the next decade. Arizona is one of the few states that uses an independent commission, rather than having state lawmakers draw their own maps. The Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission, as it is known, has two Democrats, two Republicans and one independent member who sits as the chair of the panel. The IRC presented a draft of a new map on Oct. 5, to receive feedback from the public. In this week's episode of The Gaggle, an Arizona politics podcast, hosts Yvonne Wingett Sanchez and Ronald J. Hansen speak with Yurij Rudensky, a redistricting expert for the Brennan Center's Democracy Program. Rudensky breaks down how Arizona's redistricting process compares to other states, and how public input can make a difference. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The economics of the proposed spending of two major infrastructure bills along with a debate over raising the debt celling is playing out in Congress. There are three separate but important things happening. The first is the $1.2 trillion physical infrastructure bill that passed the Senate and waits action in the House. The second is the broader $3.5 trillion human infrastructure bill that comprises much of President Joe Biden's political agenda. That measure is being scaled back because of concerns raised by both Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., and Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va. Third, Congress still needs to raise the debt celling to approve borrowing for previous spending. The deadline for that is in early December, and if Congress fails to raise the debt figure, it could create chaos in global financial markets. For now, Senate Republicans want Senate Democrats to pass that provision without their support. How does all the proposed Congress spending impact the nation's and Arizona's economy? In this week's episode of The Gaggle, an Arizona politics podcast, hosts Yvonne Wingett Sanchez and Ronald J. Hansen speak with Arizona State University economics professor Dennis Hoffman. He breaks down how the long term investments could impact Arizonans. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Gov. Doug Ducey's time in Arizona's highest office is coming to a close in little over a year, which means that the race to replace him is starting to accelerate. The primary election is on August 2, and eight candidates are looking to take his seat. Former Fox10 television news anchor Kari Lake is running for the Republican Party and was awarded the highly sought-after endorsement by former President Donald Trump at the end of September. Of her four competitors for the GOP spot, other candidates like Matt Salmon are looking for another shot at office. On the Democratic side, Secretary of State Katie Hobbs is the party frontrunner. But Marco Lopez has experience in former President Barack Obama’s administration that could make him attractive to some voters. And Aaron Lieberman just announced he was retiring from the state House to focus on his gubernatorial bid. In this week's episode of The Gaggle, an Arizona politics podcast, hosts Yvonne Wingett Sanchez and Ron Hansen talk with Arizona Republic reporter Stacey Barchenger about the upcoming governor's race, including who is running and where they stand on key issues. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The liberal wing of the Democratic Party seems to be nearing its breaking point with Sen. Kyrsten Sinema. Over the weekend, members of the non-profit Living United for Change in Arizona, or LUCHA, followed Sinema, D-Ariz., into a bathroom at Arizona State University. Activists recorded and shouted their grievances at her for not supporting more accommodating immigration reforms. Progressives' frustration with Sinema go beyond Arizona voters. A Saturday Night Live skit portrayed her as the senator derailing legislation central to the Biden administration, including the $3.5 trillion human infrastructure package. Sinema has said that is too expensive for her vote, but hasn’t said what she would support. In this week's episode of The Gaggle, an Arizona politics podcast, hosts Yvonne Wingett Sanchez and Ronald J. Hansen, speak with Emily Kirkland, executive director of Progress Arizona, a progressive community nonprofit. She's breaking down why the left is angry with Sinema and what they're doing about it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Over the last nearly 10 months, ballots from the 2020 election have been counted and recounted to ensure that there was no election fraud and that Arizona really did vote President Joe Biden into office. While the election review is still happening in other ways, the official reports from Cyber Ninjas confirmed that there was no fraud and that Joe Biden did win Arizona's 11 electoral votes. Leading the way through the ballot recount has been Senate President Karen Fann. She signed onto subpoenas to obtain materials from the county, and helped press the county to hand over its ballots and tabulation machines. And she has presided over various public proceedings involving the review. A year ago, most people didn’t know who Fann even was, but now she has international recognition. This week's episode of The Gaggle, an Arizona politics podcast, hosts Yvonne Wingett Sanchez and Ron Hansen are joined by Arizona Republic reporter Mary Jo Pitzl. Mary Jo has covered the state legislature on and off for a long time and has watched Fann navigate the Capitol for more than a decade. She recently sat down with Fann to find out how she became synonymous with Maricopa County's ballot review. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ten months ago, President Joe Biden won the 2020 presidential election and Arizona’s 11 electoral votes. But a review of Maricopa County's 2.1 million ballots ordered by the Republican-controlled state Senate only ended last week. Cyber Ninjas, the Florida company that oversaw the review for the Senate, found President Joe Biden defeated former President Donald Trump by a slightly margin than the certified results showed, and raised questions about thousands of ballots cast in the election. Arizona Republic reporters spent the weekend absorbing the ballot review results and tracking reaction from across the political spectrum. In this bonus episode of The Gaggle, an Arizona politics podcast, hosts Yvonne Wingett Sanchez and Ronald J. Hansen, speak with Jen Fifield, Mary Jo Pitzl and Ryan Randazzo to break down the results. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The U.S. Senate passed a $1.2 trillion infrastructure package on Aug.10, a win for President Joe Biden and Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., who co-negotiated the bipartisan legislation. But what is infrastructure? And could a massive investment like this make a meaningful impact on your life? Projects could be underway as soon as next year if the legislation passes the House of Representatives and is signed into law by Biden. Those projects include broadband expansion, water projects, funding for tribal communities, public transportation, airport updates and more. In this week's episode of The Gaggle, an Arizona politics podcast, hosts Yvonne Wingett Sanchez and Ronald J. Hansen spoke with various Arizonans to learn how this bill could impact their daily lives. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Benny White, a prominent Pima County Republican data analyst and Larry Moore, the founder of Clear Ballot, one of the largest vote-tabulation companies in the nation, have analyzed voting patterns using public records. Over the summer, White and Moore independently offered their expertise multiple times to the Arizona state Senate’s review of Maricopa County’s ballots. Clear Ballot had no formal role in the analysis. Arizona Senate President Karen Fann, R-Prescott, rejected their offer. In this week's episode of The Gaggle, an Arizona politics podcast, hosts Yvonne Wingett Sanchez and Ronald J. Hansen speak with White and Moore who give us a sense of what they’ll be on the lookout for once the ballot-review report is released. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Last week 22,000 documents related to the ballot recount of the 2020 presidential election in Maricopa County were released to the public. Those include thousands of text messages and emails that shed light on key players and their involvement in the months long election audit. Still to be released are nearly 2,900 more documents that the Senate has kept hidden because they don't believe it's required under the state's Public Records Law. In those documents are conversations between contractor Cyber Ninjas and the lawmakers who ordered the ballot review. This week's episode of The Gaggle, an Arizona politics podcast, host Yvonne Wingett Sanchez is joined by two Arizona Republic reporters: Jen Fifield and Ryan Randazzo. They provide insight on how the documents were obtained, what they discovered, and what it says about the election audit. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In today's bonus episode, we're talking about some of the 22,000 records released by the republican-controlled senate. These records are related to the review of the 2.1 million ballots in Maricopa county from the 2020 election. On Tuesday night, Ryan Randazzo, Jen Fifield and Robert Anglen began poring through those records. They include emails, text messages and videos. We'll go over some of the early highlights and how the ballot review began, who's paying for it and other tidbits we think are worth watching. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Canvassing efforts to examine the legitimacy of voter ballots for the 2020 presidential election could be illegal, according to the Brennan Center for Justice, a New York-based policy institute, but that hasn’t stopped Liz Harris. Harris, who lost a race for the state Legislature in November, is the mastermind behind the “Voter Integrity Project,” an ongoing canvassing effort that began in December. Last weekend a couple dozen volunteers out to prove former President Donald Trump won the 2020 election gathered in Queen Creek. Using a mobile app that provides names, addresses and publicly available voting information of registered voters, volunteers set out to ask voters questions such as, “Can you verify the voters registered to this address?” and “Did you vote by mail or in person?” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As debates about mask mandates in schools rage on in Arizona, pediatric cases of COVID-19 are on par to surpass the cases from the winter surge. Vaccines have proven to be beneficial to people who are contracting the coronavirus, but currently children under the age of 12 years-old are too young to be vaccinated. Away from the discourse on what schools should and should not enforce, doctors are treating young kids who are being affected physically and mentally. In this week's episode of The Gaggle, an Arizona politics podcast, co-hosts Yvonne Wingett Sanchez and Ron Hansen are joined by Valleywise Health Center pediatrician Dr. Salil Pradhan and Pediatric Infectious Disease specialist Dr. Angela Veesenmeyer. They take The Gaggle inside what they are seeing day to day and what they think Arizonans can expect in the new few months. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The chaotic withdrawal of U.S. troops in Afghanistan has upended the lives of Afghans as the Taliban takes power. Many are fearful of Taliban rule because of their barbaric behavior and disregard for women and children. Afghans and civilians who helped the United States during its invasion of the country after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks as interpreters, drivers and in other capacities are fearful they will be viewed as traitors. They worry the Taliban will kill them and their families. The images streaming out of Kabul depict desperation, with civilians begging to flee their country. Some scaled the sides of one American airplane preparing to take off. They fell to their deaths. Others ran alongside the plane, screaming as it gained speed. Evacuation flights for U.S. citizens and Afghan refugees are underway. Many worry not all of their family and friends will be able to escape — particularly those who have cooperated with the U.S. President Joe Biden meanwhile, is facing intense criticism from both sides of the aisle for the withdrawal. He stands by his decision to exit war-torn nation. In this week's episode of The Gaggle, an Arizona politics podcast, host Yvonne Wingett Sanchez speaks with Aaron Marquez, a U.S. Army veteran who served two tours in Afghanistan. She also speaks to an Afghan refugee who served as Aaron’s interpreter, whose real name is not used in this episode for safety concerns. He is instead referred to as Alex. Years ago, Marquez and Alex spent time traversing Afghanistan in their official capacities, helping to rebuild parts of the nation and strengthening relationships with local officials. Aaron then helped Alex build a life in Arizona, and go to college here. Now, the two are fighting a different battle: they fighting to evacuate Alex’s family. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The ballot review of Maricopa County’s 2.1 million ballots from the 2020 election has gone on for 16 weeks. The recounting and scanning has come to an end though. The pallets of ballots have left the Veterans Memorial Coliseum and are back at the county’s Elections Department. It also has become clear who is paying for the review: Pro-Trump, conservative groups aligned with the "Stop the Steal" effort that preceded the Jan. 6 march on the U.S. Capitol that led to a deadly riot. A final report of what Cyber Ninjas found during the audit is expected to come in the next few weeks. Arizona Senate President Karen Fann has said the review has never been about overturning the results of the election. Instead, she has said it’s about examining election procedures and to help ensure the election was conducted fairly and with integrity. She and other lawmakers have indicated they intend to use the results of the review to help pass election-related laws. In this week's episode of The Gaggle, a politics podcast by The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com, co-hosts Yvonne Wingett Sanchez and Ron Hansen are joined by two Arizona Republic reporters: Jen Fifield and Mary Jo Pitzl to help dissect the state of the ballot recount. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As parents prepare to send their kids back to in-person classes, the state is experiencing a rise in cases of COVID-19. This is in large part because of the delta variant of COVID-19, which is now the dominate strain in the state. Some health experts say Arizona is experiencing another COVID-19 surge, and the return to in-person learning has many parents and school administrators questioning how the school year will look. Why the uncertainty and how did we get here again? In this week's episode of The Gaggle, an Arizona politics podcast, hosts Yvonne Wingett Sanchez and Ronald J. Hansen speak with Republic reporter Alison Steinbach for a COVID-19 update, and education reporter Yana Kunichoff about what parents can expect this school year. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As Ducey's time as Governor is set to end in 2023, his eyes are on a more national position. An investigation by the Arizona Republic discovered that the governor was involved in a complex network of interests. A network that includes himself, a Texas millionaire, a Flagstaff gas station, the Arizona Department of Revenue, Ducey's staffers, and potentially $100 million in tax refunds. In this week's episode of The Gaggle, an Arizona politics podcast, hosts Yvonne Wingett Sanchez and Ronald J. Hansen are joined by USA Today investigative business reporter Craig Harris. Harris' investigation resulted in a five-part series about how Gov. Ducey governs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Critical race theory has become a rallying cry for both Republican politicians and conservative parents alike. The COVID-19 pandemic forced parents to become more aware of their children’s curriculum as they attended school virtually. While school officials maintain educators are not teaching students that racism is systemic, some parents — and Arizona lawmakers — want to make sure it isn't allowed to happen. As in-person school board meetings returned, parents packed local school board meetings denouncing critical race theory during public comment. Conservative media and Republican politicians have taken cue from former President Donald Trump as he continues to criticize the study. But what is critical race theory? When did it begin? In this week's episode of The Gaggle: An Arizona politics podcast, hosts Yvonne Wingett Sanchez and Ronald J. Hansen break down the rhetoric surrounding critical race theory. Joining the show are Jamal K. Donnor, an associate professor at William and Mary School of Education, and Arizona Republic city reporters Joshua Bowling and Renata Cló. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In mid-January this year, Arizona residents over the age of 21 legally were allowed to buy recreational marijuana. Passing Proposition 207, known as the Smart and Safe Arizona Act, came with the promise of increased economic revenue and new business opportunities. Since then, new promises have been made. People with pending marijuana charges in most Arizona counties were able to have them dismissed. And those with charges, convictions and arrests on their record can try to get their record expunged. Arizona has had its recreational marijuana program for about six months. Are those promises being met? In this week's episode of The Gaggle, an Arizona politics podcast, hosts Yvonne Wingett Sanchez and Ronald J. Hansen are joined by business reporter Ryan Randazzo to take a closer look. Randazzo covers everything from solar energy to sports betting for The Republic. He has covered marijuana news since 2018. He discusses what promises have come to fruition, how much money legal recreational marijuana has made for Arizona, and where that money is going. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Arizona Republic reported that former President Donald Trump and his allies sought to speak directly to members of the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors after the Nov. 2020 election. The Republic obtained voicemail recordings from Maricopa County through a request under the Arizona Public Records Law, which allows anyone to seek public records from local, county, and state governments. Listen now to hear these voicemails left by Republican party chair Kelli Ward and Trump's personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani seeking to speak directly with Republican supervisors. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., is a staunch supporter of passing congressional legislation by bringing both Republicans and Democrats on board, an approach that has taken on increased urgency in the 50-50 split U.S. Senate. Sinema's first high-profile demonstration of her approach is the framework for the $1.2 trillion infrastructure deal she recently co-negotiated, and President Joe Biden endorsed. Twenty-one senators, 10 Democrats and 11 Republicans, have also signed on to the tentative framework, which could start soon start making its way through the legislative process. Sinema has other bipartisan legislative plans in the works. She is working closely with Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, on a plan to increase the federal minimum wage and separately with Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, that seeks to address the ongoing waves of asylum seekers arriving at the southern border, which have strained the Border Patrol and local communities. But can Sinema's approach to bipartisanship in an era marked by extreme partisanship help deliver legislation beyond spending money on the nation's roads, bridges and water systems? In this week's episode of The Gaggle: An Arizona politics podcast, hosts Yvonne Wingett Sanchez and Ronald J. Hansen are joined by Sarah Binder, a professor of political science at George Washington University. Binder breaks down Sinema's position in the U.S. Senate to lead negotiations on infrastructure and how she compares to other centrist Democrats. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week is the constitutional deadline to pass the Arizona state budget for the upcoming fiscal year. $2-4 million in surplus and the plan being rejected by 2 Republican members lead to the state budget being decided on at the eleventh-hour. This week on The Gaggle: An Arizona politics podcast, hosts Yvonne Wingett-Sanchez and Ronald J. Hansen are joined by reporter Mary Jo Pitzl to break down the details of the budget and dissect who it helps most. Later in the episode, The Gaggle is joined by reporter Rob O'Dell to discuss the failed school vouchers program and deliberate if it could come back again. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., has helped clinch a long-elusive deal on infrastructure. President Joe Biden has endorsed the plan, which was cobbled together over the past weeks behind closed doors by Sinema, and nine other more moderate senators from both parties. The framework was rolled out Thursday. It calls for massive investments into the nation’s roads and bridges, water systems, internet connectivity, cybersecurity, the buses we use to get across town and get our kids to school. It would clean up lead-filled pipes, upgrade power grids and clean up drinking water for ten million Americans and more than 400,000 schools and child care facilities. It’s important to note that this framework is not finished legislation. It’s a deal among a segment of the Senate. Sinema talked with members of Arizona’s press corps after a deal was announced. She maintained on Thursday that the deal she helped broker is evidence that bipartisanship is not dead. Listen to this bonus episode of The Gaggle: An Arizona politics podcast for a quick breakdown of what this infrastructure plan would mean for Arizona. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Arizona cliché "it's a dry heat" resonates for a reason. The temperature has been in triple digits for weeks, there are wildfires raging all over the state, the lakes are too low to utilize for the fires, and there's no rain in sight. It's always hot and dry with little rain in Arizona, but the water crisis is reaching a dire point. Since the turn of the century, Arizona and the West have been in one of the biggest "megadroughts" of the last 1200 years. And it’s being revved up by human caused heating. This week on The Gaggle: An Arizona politics podcast, hosts Yvonne Wingett-Sanchez and Ronald J. Hansen talk with Kathy Jacobs to get a sense of what can be done and how bad the situation is really. Kathy is the director of the Center for Climate Adaptation Science and Solutions at the University of Arizona. Her research focuses on water policy, climate change adaptation and drought planning among others. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Daniel McCarthy, a successful businessman, made a name for himself in Arizona politics after mounting an unsuccessful U.S. Senate primary run against former Sen. Martha McSally in 2020. While he lost that race, McCarthy established himself as a voice of a faction of Arizona conservatives who see both major political parties as failing them. McCarthy viewed his loss to McSally as an early sign of a rigged election, a baseless claim that has wider support after former President Trump has pushed the same narrative following his defeat. McCarthy is trying to form another political option in Arizona, the Patriot Party, and that has caught the eye of Republicans trying to reshape that party. During the annual Arizona GOP meeting to elect party leadership he was booed off stage by attendees. Is McCarthy still a Republican? What does he want for Arizona policy? How will he influence the 2022 elections? Listen to this week's episode of The Gaggle: An Arizona politics podcast, hosts Yvonne Wingett Sanchez and Ronald J. Hansen to hear an unfiltered conversation with McCarthy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices