Stay ConnectedHelping you keep up with what matters in Arizona’s political news. Each week we interview politicians, public figures or journalists to break down one local issue and how it affects your life in Arizona.
Coming to you every Wednesday morning, The Gaggle is hosted by The Arizona Republic’s national political reporters Ron Hansen and Stephanie Murray, and is produced by Amanda Luberto.
The Arizona Supreme Court ruled in a 4-3 decision this month to allow the owners of Brush & Nib Studio to refuse to make custom wedding invitations for gay and lesbian couples.
In 2016, the owners sued the City of Phoenix over its anti-discrimination ordinance. The ruling seems like it only affects one business, but it could have broad impacts across Arizona and maybe even rise to the U.S. Supreme Court.
This week, The Gaggle podcast will break down how this state Supreme Court decision could impact same-sex couples and other minority groups. In this episode, we hear from Jessica Boehm, a Phoenix city hall reporter, and Shaun McKinnon, who previously reported on legal rights for the LGBT community.
In the episode you'll hear: How the case about wedding invitations for same-sex couples got to the Arizona Supreme Court What next steps the city might take How the LGBT community reacted to the legal decision
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By now, you've likely seen headlines about vaping and how it's caused illness in hundreds of people across the U.S. and even a handful of confirmed deaths.
How popular is vaping in Arizona? Is vaping causing lung illnesses or deaths in metro Phoenix? How might the concern over vaping affect the state's medical-marijuana industry, which is one of the largest in the country?
In this week's episode of The Gaggle, a podcast from The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com, hosts and political reporters Yvonne Wingett Sanchez and Ron Hansen talk with health care reporter Stephanie Innes and marijuana reporter Ryan Randazzo about the rise of vaping in Arizona.
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Bill Montgomery is the newest Arizona Supreme Court justice appointed by Gov. Doug Ducey.
The Arizona Supreme Court decides thousands of cases that affect your everyday lives, from education funding to abortion policies. (To hear more about it, listen to The Gaggle podcast's May 15 episode about the Arizona Supreme Court and Ducey’s previous appointments.)
This week, The Gaggle podcast will break down what you need to know about Montgomery's controversial prosecutorial record, his conservative politics and how he might approach the job of jurist on the state's highest court.
Hosts Yvonne Wingett Sanchez and Ronald Hansen talk with Arizona Republic reporters Lauren Castle and Robert Anglen about this new appointment and how it might affect life in Arizona.
In the episode you'll hear:
What's at stake for Montgomery with this ethics complaintHow his appointment will shape the future of the state Supreme CourtHow his childhood shaped his political ideology
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The legalization of marijuana in Arizona could be up for a vote once again in 2020.
A group backing the movement released the language for a ballot measure in August for the first time. After a failed 2016 effort at legalization, Arizonans have been expecting the state's licensed medical-marijuana dispensaries to propose another measure.
In a previous episode of The Gaggle, the hosts looked at why Arizona is likely to legalize recreational marijuana and which political figures are changing their messaging on marijuana.
This week, The Gaggle podcasthosts Yvonne Wingett Sanchez and Ronald Hansen talk with Arizona Republic reporter Ryan Randazzo to break down what you need to know from the 16-page proposal.
In this episode you'll hear:
What would people be able to purchase under this initiative? How much revenue would recreational marijuana bring to the state? What is the likelihood this ballot measure will pass?
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Former Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio said he has few regrets and wants to serve the public as Sheriff again in an interview with TheGaggle podcast hosts Yvonne Wingett Sanchez and Ron Hansen.
Arpaio, who is 87, served as Maricopa County sheriff from 1993 to 2016. He lost his 2016 race to Democratic challenger Paul Penzone. His tenure was marked by controversy, filled with investigations into his policing and jailing practices that brought many costly lawsuits.
Referring to his 2020 bid to become Maricopa County sheriff, Arpaio said he's "in it to win it." In the 30-minute sit-down interview, Arpaio said he wants to fight drug trafficking and illegal immigration and "put those tents back up."
He said "good things" he did (as sheriff) were "erased by a certain sheriff," referring to current Maricopa County Sheriff Paul Penzone. For all that and more, listen to this week's bonus episode of The Gaggle podcast.
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Arizona has about 55,000 certified, working teachers. Every year, about 40 teachers are disciplined by the Arizona State Board of Education or surrender their teaching certificate after allegations of sexual misconduct.
The Arizona Republic and KJZZ 91.5 FM, the Phoenix public radio station, together reviewed more than 180 allegations of teacher sexual misconduct from the past four years investigated by the Arizona Department of Education. The cases encompassed a range of offenses, raising questions about oversight and children's safety.
You can read Lily's portion of the investigation at positionoftrust.azcentral.com or listen to Mariana's audio stories at positionoftrust.kjzz.org.
You can report suspected child abuse, neglect, exploitation or abandonment to the Arizona Child Abuse Hotline at 1-888-SOS-CHILD or dcs.az.gov/report-child-abuse.
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It's been a year since Arizona Sen. John McCain died of glioblastoma.
The six-term Republican senator is seen as one of the greats by his supporters, who mourn the loss of his bipartisan leadership. In today's increasingly divided political climate, his calls for unity continue to resonate. And his legacy dominates political conversation.
Now his supporters want to preserve and grow McCain's bipartisan legacy. One way they're doing that is through the McCain Institute, an organization at Arizona State University, which trains leaders from both parties in McCain's leadership style.
In this week's episode, The Gaggle hosts Yvonne Wingett Sanchez and Ronald Hansen talk to two people who were close with McCain, Rick Davis and Jon Seaton, about the senator's lasting legacy. The two worked as political advisers to the senator in his presidential campaigns and are close to the McCain family.
In this episode you'll hear:
Why McCain is still a looming character in American politics.A behind the scenes look at moments in McCain's presidential campaign A look into the future of McCain's legacy
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Hacienda HealthCare has been under international scrutiny since the January after an incapacitated patient was raped and gave birth. Another patient was found with maggots near a surgical wound. It sparked outrage over conditions at Hacienda, as well as fear over what might be happening at other care facilities across Arizona. Many of us are still wondering about the fallout.
Arizona officials and Hacienda claim they have taken appropriate action and things are better. Parents of patients at Hacienda say it’s a nice facility that they like. But a new investigation by The Arizona Republic reveals information about its condition and what it may mean for patients and the public more broadly.
The Gaggle's hosts Yvonne Wingett-Sanchez and Ronald Hansen talk with Republic's reporters Robert Anglen and Stephanie Innes to break down part of their subscriber exclusive investigation and what it tells us about Arizona care facilities.
How to get help in a care facility:
If you are concerned about the well-being of a loved one in a care facility, you can contact the following organizations:Arizona Regulatory Board of Physician Assistants: 480-551-2700The Arizona board of Nursing Care Institution Administrators and Assisted Living Facility Managers: 602-364-2374Arizona Department of Health Services: 602-542-1025Adult Protective Services Hotline: 1-877-767-2385You can also contact the #HeretoHelpAZ Call for Action team at The Republicat 602-444-2255. Another resource available to search disciplinary actions against care facilities is AZ Care Check from the Arizona Department of Health Services.
To follow more of Robert and Stephanie's reporting make sure to follow them on Twitter @robertanglen and @stephanieinnes.
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Mark Kelly is running for the U.S. Senate and is expected to the Democratic nominee to challenge Republican Sen. Martha McSally. Kelly is a retired astronaut, former combat pilot and the husband of former U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords. She represented the Tucson area in Congress for five years. The nation came to know Kelly in 2011, after a shooting in Tucson that left 6 dead and 13 injured, including his wife.
Kelly launched his U.S. Senate race in February and has garnered national attention. But Arizonans may have questions about how he would represent the state.
Does he support keeping the Affordable Care Act? What are his thoughts on the Green New Deal? Why should voters chose him over McSally? Mark Kelly joins the hosts of The Gaggle to answer that and more.
In this episode you'll hear:
How Mark Kelly plans to use the senate seat to impact ArizonaA 19-minute interview with Mark KellyA breakdown of the interview and what it means for 2020
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Arizona will play a key role in the 2020 election, and Democrats across the country are hoping to turn the state blue. But how are they going to accomplish that in a historically red state?
Tom Perez, the Democratic National Committee chairman, recently visited Phoenix. Gaggle hosts Yvonne Wingett Sanchez and Ron Hansen talked with him about the party's plans and priorities. Spoiler alert: it's all about health care.
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