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.
Jeffery Epstein has dominated attention seven years after his death. His wealth, social circles and varied interests ensured the digital trail of his life would lead in many directions.
But not many could have guessed that he would posthumously delay the seating of an Arizona congresswoman or that his email threads would catch the University of Arizona in an uncomfortable lie.
Among shocking photos and ghastly electronic interactions, these are some of the ongoing surprises from the Epstein files.
This week on The Gaggle, an Arizona politics podcast, we break down which Arizonans are in the Epstein files, what politicians are and are not saying about the files, and how the Epstein files are creating shockwaves throughout Arizona, Washington, D.C., and the world.
Email us! thegaggle@arizonarepublic.com
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Hosts: Ron Hansen, Stephanie Murray
Producer: Amanda Luberto
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Lawyers are there with guaranteed expertise to help sort out your issues, even when time and money can be scarce.
But the guaranteed expertise doesn't necessarily go all the way to the top. At least not in Arizona.
Now there is a stream of complaints from customers being misled, mistreated and scammed, and the Arizona Supreme Court might be rethinking its oversight.
This week on The Gaggle, we talk with an Arizona Republic reporter about her recent investigation into the Arizona Supreme Court's decision to loosen ownership rules for law firms.
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Guest: Laura Gersony
Hosts: Ron Hansen, Stephanie Murray
Producer: Amanda Luberto
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In late January, Homeland Security agents raided 15 locations of Valley sports bar Zipps after receiving a tip 11 months beforehand that they were employing undocumented immigrants.
E-Verify was set up in 2008 to bar the demand for illegal workers, but in 2025, the Arizona Republic found that no state law enforcement agency is routinely looking for violations. Employers often ignored it.
This week on The Gaggle, a politics podcast by The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com, we talk with someone from the Migration Policy Institute, a nonpartisan think tank that examines all layers of America's immigration system.
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Guest: Colleen Putzel-Kavanaugh
Hosts: Ron Hansen
Producer: Amanda Luberto
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There's a bitter feud between two city leaders. The mayor's top staffer is under a mysterious investigation and is being confined to his house during work hours. And the biggest controversy at the center of it all is a parking garage.
What sounds like a made-for-TV political drama is real life for Scottsdale and it's tearing the conservative-majority city government apart.
This week on The Gaggle, we talk with The Republic's Scottsdale city reporter for an update on the drama happening in the West's most western town.
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Guest: Shawn Raymundo
Hosts: Ron Hansen, Stephanie Murray
Producer: Amanda Luberto
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Political candidates just filed their quarterly campaign finance reports, one of the few times that the public can peek inside political campaigns to see who is giving money to politicians and what those candidates are doing with the cash.
The reports for hotly contested races like Governor, Congressional District 1 and more give us an insight into how they might do in the primaries.
So as the saying goes, this week, we follow the money.
Email us! thegaggle@arizonarepublic.com
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Guest: Brendan Glavin
Hosts: Ron Hansen, Stephanie Murray
Producer: Amanda Luberto
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For the second time this month, a U.S. citizen has been shot and killed by federal agents during a surge in immigration enforcement in Minneapolis.
The raids, protests and the new dimension of Second Amendment rights has gotten the attention of Arizonans as the presence of national agents has increased in the state.
This week on The Gaggle, we talk with guests on both sides of the issue as it expands in Phoenix and across the state.
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Guest: Erica Connell, Art Del Cueto
Hosts: Ron Hansen, Stephanie Murray
Producer: Amanda Luberto
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Being the largest county in the state, Maricopa County will play an immense role in settling Arizona's biggest races in the 2026 midterms this year.
Over the last few years, the county has done relatively well ensuring the process is safe, efficient and without major hiccups.
But that doesn't mean there haven't been problems, nor differing opinions on how to handle them.
This week on The Gaggle, we are joined by Supervisor Thomas Galvin, a Republican member of the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors to talk about the county's litigious relations with Republican County Recorder Justin Heap, the future of election security, data centers and his personal advocacy for bringing hockey back to the desert.
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Guest: Maricopa County Supervisor Thomas Galvin
Hosts: Ron Hansen, Stephanie Murray
Producer: Amanda Luberto
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For the fourth time, Gov. Katie Hobbs offered her vision for Arizona's legislative priorities for 2026.
She touched on affordability and political violence, but noticeably left out some key topics.
This week on The Gaggle, we are joined by Republic reporters who cover the Governor's Office and the Arizona Legislature to walk us through what Hobbs covered in her speech and what it all means.
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Guest: Stacey Barchenger, Ray Stern
Hosts: Ron Hansen, Stephanie Murray
Producer: Amanda Luberto
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In January 2021, President Donald Trump leaned on Arizona officials to disregard the state's certified 2020 election results to present an alternative selection of electors. These Republican "fake electors" tried to deem Trump the winner in Arizona, although the state went to Joe Biden.
Years later, Democrat Kris Mayes' office got indictments of the 11 Republican electors and 7 others, but has yet to go to trial for most of the defendants.
This week on The Gaggle, we are joined by Republic reporter Stacey Barchenger. She brings us up to date on the ongoing fake electors' case, the importance it has to Mayes' bid for reelection, and if it can be closed this year.
Email us! thegaggle@arizonarepublic.com
Leave us a voicemail: 602-444-0804
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Guest: Stacey Barchenger
Hosts: Ron Hansen, Stephanie Murray
Producer: Amanda Luberto
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Goodbye 2025 and hello 2026!
Another packed election year is among us and races for Governor, Attorney General and more are expected to be noteworthy. The legislature will be working across the aisle (maybe) with an even tighter budget, Turning Point USA figures out who they are without Charlie Kirk and the weight of a Trump endorsement will be debated.
This week on The Gaggle, we are joined by members of the Arizona Republic politics team. In a roundtable discussion, they describe what they are watching for in Arizona politics in 2026.
Email us! thegaggle@arizonarepublic.com
Leave us a voicemail: 602-444-0804
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Guest: Stacey Barchenger, Ray Stern, Laura Gersony, Stephanie Murray
Host: Ron Hansen
Producers: Amanda Luberto, Madison Knutson
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