Valley 101

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Arizona's Paleolithic history is just 45 minutes from Phoenix in the Great Bend of the Gila Aug 19, 2024

Show notes

Drive about 45 minutes southwest of the Phoenix Valley, and you will reach an expanse of the Sonoran desert with a long, rich history.

The Gila River runs through this area, which was once lush with flora and fauna. Now, with the river dammed up, the water doesn't always flow. Nonetheless, the region is still home to an abundance of people, wildlife and historical treasures. These three aspects are what locals, archaeologists, and biologists hope to preserve as a national monument.

The Great Bend of the Gila, as the monument would be named, is a network of braided rivulets. These streams join into the Gila River, which cuts through prehistoric lava fields and flows past nearby mountain ranges before joining the Colorado River near the Sea of Cortez.

Respect Great Bend of the Gila is the campaign pushing President Joe Biden to sign this area into national monument status. The campaign includes local tribes, wildlife biologists and archeologists. The proposed monument boundaries are about 70 miles of the Gila River corridor and approximately 370,000 acres of public land.

In this episode of Valley 101, we hear from representatives of each of these groups. They share the history, discoveries and importance of the Gila River region to Arizonans and the nation.

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Can Arizona's power grid sustain our future? Aug 12, 2024

Show notes

Power grids in the United States are struggling. As temperatures increase and populations grow, so does the stress on systems that keep our electricity running.

For the West, electricity is most important in the hot summer months. It keeps our cool air-conditioners pumping.

Going without air conditioning for too long can be not only an annoyance, but also a major health risk, especially in states like Arizona with over 100-degree averages each summer.

Arizona is drastically below the national average when it comes to grid failures. In the last 24 years, the state has only had six outages due to extreme weather.

This week on Valley 101, a podcast by The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com, we'll look into what makes Arizona's power grid efficient and if it is prepared to withstand rising temperatures in the future.

Subscribe to The Arizona Republic's climate newsletter here.

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How many 'childless cat ladies' live in Arizona? Aug 05, 2024

Show notes

Vice President nominee JD Vance rubbed some Americans the wrong way when a clip from a 2021 interview surfaced recently. He derided some voters as "childless cat ladies" in a now infamous quote, Vance said the country is run "via the Democrats, via our corporate oligarchs, by a bunch of childless cat ladies who are miserable at their own lives and the choices that they've made and so they want to make the rest of the country miserable, too."

While the comment could be brushed off as political rhetoric, it intrigued The Republic's data reporter, Caitlin McGlade. She wondered just how many childless cat ladies reside in Arizona. Turns out, it's not a small number.

In this episode of Valley 101, we go behind the data with Caitlin and discover just how big a demographic these cat ladies are and whether or not they could be a tipping point in November's election.

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Where does Arizona's political extremism come from? Jul 29, 2024

Show notes

After the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, and after digging into Arizona's prominent role in the plot to overturn the 2020 election, Republic reporters repeatedly heard questions we couldn't quite answer.

What is going on in Arizona?

Why does this state seem to have people willing to push the political envelope further than almost anyone else?

Hosts of Rediscovering season 4, The Roots of Radicalism, join Valley 101 to discuss why extremism is the focus of their four part investigation and how radicalism became so common in the state. Listen to all episodes of Rediscovering season 4 now wherever you listen to podcasts or by going to the season's landing page on azcentral.

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The efforts to grow the film industry in Arizona Jul 22, 2024

Show notes

In the world where business and film collide, many states have lucrative film tax incentives that attract big production companies to their sites. Arizona's previous tax program closed its curtains in 2010, but a new initiative, the Arizona Motion Picture Program, went into effect on Jan. 1, 2023, that reinstated film tax credits if a production meets certain criteria.

Despite the absence of bigger production companies in the Valley, the community of independent filmmakers is going strong. There are many opportunities in the state to showcase one's work, including through various IFP programs and other events, like the Phoenix Film Festival.

This week's episode of Valley 101, a podcast by The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com, explores the latest developments that have taken place behind the scenes in Arizona's film industry – and why residents won't see the immediate effects.

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Should Arizona be using its limited water on growing weed? Jul 15, 2024

Show notes

Something Arizonans hear a lot is that we're running out of water. While the state has enough water to not induce complete panic yet, conservation methods are being put into place and Arizona's long-term water supply is being considered more often by policymakers.

The state's water supply comes from three sources: surface water, reclaimed water and groundwater.

These sources are then broken down into three sectors: municipal, industrial and agricultural. Municipal goes toward homes, business buildings and is mainly drinking water. Industrial helps supply things like dairy, mining and golf courses. And agriculture, using about 72% of the water allocation, is used for farming.

But if water is such a precious resource in Arizona, is it really a smart idea to use it to grow marijuana?

This week on Valley 101, a podcast by The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com, we talk with Sarah Porter, director of the Kyl Center for Water Policy at Arizona State University, to give us a sense of where our water is being used. Then, Jake Ritter of Aeriz, a cannabis brand, shares how their grow is using as little water as possible.

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Is Arizona's Black history being erased? Jul 08, 2024

Show notes

While it may not be the state first thought of when considering Black history, Arizona has a diverse and rich history of African American stories dating back to the 1800s. Yet most of the archives, stories and icons are not being preserved or celebrated.

Today, about 5% of Arizonans are Black and some community leaders and activists are working to ensure the buried history is uncovered. From academics to faith leaders, a new generation of voices are speaking up about the truth in Arizona's Black history.

This week on Valley 101, Pastor Warren Stewart of the First Institutional Baptist Church, equality consultant Channel Powe, Assistant Archivist of Black Collections at ASU Jessica Salow and ethnic studies professor Anthony Pratcher II are joined together in a round table discussion on the under-acknowledgement of the state's Black history.

Valley 101 is an Arizona Republic and azcentral.com podcast about metro Phoenix and beyond.

Some past Valley 101 episodes about Black history and leaders in Arizona:

Lincoln Ragsdale Sr revolutionized Phoenix

Ayra Hackett: founder of the first Black woman-owned newspaper

Phoenix's history with redlining

Richard E Harris: Arizona's first Black reporter

Arizona's fight for MLK Day recognition

For more, please check out our archives.

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Should all fireworks be legal in Arizona? Jul 01, 2024

Show notes

Across the nation, Fourth of July is marked by friends and families gathering to watch firework displays – or in some cases, set off their own light shows. Under Arizona law, only some types of fireworks can be legally used and sold during certain times of the year. But some illegal fireworks still make their way into the sky, and it's sparked a debate between Valley residents on what the law should be.

This week's episode of Valley 101, a podcast by The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com, explores firework regulations in Arizona and the differing perspectives residents hold on the devices, as well as safety tips and injury prevention.

Curious about other happenings in the Valley? Check out our newsletters. Whether you're a political hound, food fanatic, or sports fan, we got the perfect letter to keep you in the loop on all things Arizona. Check it out!

And remember to submit your questions about the Valley and Arizona to Valley101.azcentral.com. Your question just might be the subject of our next episode.

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Calling all dog lovers! Find out how to prep your pooch to hit the trails with you. Jun 24, 2024

Show notes

It might be hot out, but we have a cool and cute episode for all you dog-lovers.

Today we revisit one of our favorite episodes from former podcast producer Taylor Seely, on how to hike safely with your dog.

Now, it's probably too hot to hit the trails here in the Valley, but that just gives you the perfect excuse to hit the road and seek out cooler elevations with your pooches.

Taylor Seely speaks with Bretta Nelson, a spokesperson for the Arizona Humane Society. Plus, an only-in-Arizona style story about running into a herd of cows while hiking from Valley resident Debi Palestina.

Curious about other things to do in the Valley? Check out our newsletters. Whether you're a political hound, food fanatic, or sports fan, we got the perfect letter to keep you in the loop on all things Arizona. Check it out!

And remember to submit your questions about the Valley and Arizona to Valley101.azcentral.com. Your question just might be the subject of our next episode.

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Arizona can be weird. Here's 3 things you might not know about the Grand Canyon State Jun 17, 2024

Show notes

The Republic's podcast team is working feverishly on a brand new season of Rediscovering, our investigative podcast series. We're so close to launching as well! Since the team is deep in production, we're bringing you one of our favorite Valley 101 episodes from 2023.

Producer Kaely Monahan explores some odd facts about the 48th state. We hope you enjoy it!

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