The Gaggle: An Arizona politics podcast

The years-long legal battle over whether Arizona can ban people from delivering ballots from others in bulk remains in flux and as contentious as ever. On Jan. 27, the San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals knocked down the state's "ballot harvesting" law, saying it violated the Voting Rights Act and disproportionately affects Native American, Hispanic, and African American voters....

Last week the Maricopa Association of Governments sent teams of volunteers across the Valley to count the number of homeless people residing in the state. Arizona Republic reporters followed these volunteers and spoke to the homeless individuals about what led to their homelessness and what the experience is like.  This week on The Gaggle, national political reporters Yvonne Wingett Sanchez and Ro...

As Senators sit for hours on end listening to the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump, Arizona Republic reporters are reading cues from Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, a Democrat, and Sen. Martha McSally, a Republican, for insight into how they may ultimately vote.  The senators and their colleagues are weighing two articles of impeachment against Trump. He is charged with abuse of power and obstruct...

The Invest in Education Initiative Act is making a comeback and could be on your 2020 ballot this fall.  The proposal looks similar to the 2018 initiative. It would increase taxes for high-income earners, including single filers earning more than $250,000 or married filers earning more than $500,000. But the previous iteration was struck down by the Arizona Supreme Court in 2018 due to its lack of...

Days after delivering his State of the State speech this week, Gov. Doug Ducey elaborated on his priorities, and fielded questions on some of Arizona's other top issues in an exclusive interview with The Gaggle podcast. Hosts Yvonne Wingett Sanchez and Ronald J. Hansen asked Ducey about his plans for gun safety reform, water policy, marijuana legalization and why he's involved himself on reshaping...

Arizona adults unable to protect themselves from abuse or exploitation because of a physical or mental impairment are falling through the cracks of the state system designed to protect them.   This week on The Gaggle, an Arizona politics podcast, Yvonne Wingett Sanchez and Ronald J. Hansen get an advance interview with healthcare reporter Stephanie Innes about her reporting on the flawed system se...

The annual State of the State address is an opportunity for Gov. Doug Ducey to lay out his agenda for 2020, unveil new policy proposals and reflect on the controversies and successes of 2019.  This week on The Gaggle, an Arizona politics podcast, hosts Yvonne Wingett Sanchez and Ronald J. Hansen talk to State Legislature reporter Andrew Oxford and state government and politics reporter Maria Polle...

The American Psychological Association's "Stress in America 2019" survey found that 62% of Americans say they're stressed by the current political climate. And 62% say that the future of the country is a significant source of stress. Dr. Lynn Bufka is the executive director of practice, research and policy at the American Psychological Association. She joins hosts Yvonne Wingett Sanchez and Ronald...

Merry Christmas and happy holidays from The Gaggle! We're taking a week off to spend time with family and friends. But we wanted to say thank you for giving us your time and attention this year. We'll join you again in 2020 and we're already gearing up for the election-related news to come. Happy holidays, all! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From legalizing recreational marijuana to the presidential election of 2020, there is a lot for Arizonans to watch out for in the coming year.  This week on the Gaggle, an Arizona politics podcast, hosts Yvonne Wingett Sanchez and Ronald J. Hansen sit down with state government reporter Andrew Oxford to go over the six biggest stories they'll be following next year.  In this episode, you'll hear a...

Groundwater levels in many parts of rural Arizona are plummeting. That's because outside investors are buying land, drilling large wells and pumping out water for industrial farms. The investors are drawn to Arizona for its lack of regulation, but nearby residents are enduring the consequences. While investors have the money to drill wells that are four times as deep, nearby families cannot comple...

As Arizona’s national prominence rises going into the 2020 election cycle, there will be concerns about voter security and allegations of voter fraud in the state. In 2016, Arizona's voter-registration system was targeted in at least two hacking attempts connected to Russia. There are no instances we know of somebody changing someone else’s vote in Arizona, and prosecutions related to voter fraud...

Since the Great Recession ended in June 2009, the economy has continued to expand. This summer, the United States broke its record for the longest economic expansion. But now people are worried: How long will it last? Is the economy about to burst?  National political reporters Yvonne Wingett Sanchez and Ronald J. Hansen sit down with business reporter Russ Wiles to discuss the nation's economy, h...

Two political action committees, The Committee to Defend the President and GreatAmerica PAC, are heading up a voter drive to identify and register 142,000 potential voters in Arizona. The PACs are using data mining to find and target nonvoters who they think could be swayed to register to vote – and to vote for Trump. Trump narrowly won Arizona by just over 90,000 votes. They hope their efforts wi...

Three women and six children were killed in an ambush in a small town about a three-hour drive from the Arizona border on Nov. 4. The families had dual U.S. and Mexican citizenship and lived in a small town in Mexico. The horrific event captured the nation's attention, including President Donald Trump. "This is the time for Mexico, with the help of the United States, to wage WAR on the drug cartel...

Prosecutors say Paul Petersen, in his private-sector career as a Mesa adoption attorney, illegally arranged for pregnant women from the Marshall Islands to fly to the U.S. to deliver their babies. They allege Petersen fraudulently registered the women for the state's Medicaid system and then arranged the adoptions of their children for up to $40,000. Hear everything you need to know about this sca...

Regina Romero is the front runner and likely winner in the Tucson mayoral race. She made headlines over the summer for winning the Democratic primary. If she wins, she would become the first Latina mayor of Arizona's second largest city. No other Hispanic person has held this office since the late 1800s when Arizona was still a territory.  This week on The Gaggle podcast we talk to Arizona Daily S...

Allister Adel was named the first female Maricopa County attorney on Oct. 3, replacing Bill Montgomery, who was appointed to the Arizona Supreme Court in September. Last week, she announced her transition team and outlined how she plans to move forward in her new appointment.  Adel sat down with Ronald Hansen, host of The Gaggle podcast from The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com, for a one-on-one...

Hoping to capture the attention of Arizona voters, presidential candidate Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colo., met with local education leaders during a round table at Tempe High School last week.  He also sat down with Yvonne Wingett Sanchez, the host of The Gaggle podcast from The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com, for a one-on-one interview.  During the interview, Bennet explained why his message sho...

The Navajo Generating Station closing is a case study for what will be repeated dozens of times across the west: The coal industry has been declining for decades and many plants won't survive. From President John F. Kennedy in the 1960s to current President Donald Trump, saving coal has been a large talking point for politicians. However, because it's cheaper to meet electricity demand with other...

In this episode, you'll hear O'Rourke's discuss:His plans to win Arizona as a progressive Democrat How to make meaningful healthcare changesThe impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump The country's standing with ally nations Whether his gun proposal makes it less likely to get something done Border security and illegal immigration The economy  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaph...

Can the Democratic governor of Montana win over supporters of President Donald Trump? That's what Gov. Steve Bullock is betting on. The 2020 presidential candidate is polling too low to make it on stage for any of the Democratic debates so far, but he hasn't dropped out of the race. In this week's episode of The Gaggle, a politics podcast from The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com, Bullock told n...

When Vice President Mike Pence came to Phoenix this week, high-dollar donors weren't the only ones to hear from him.  In this week's bonus episode of The Gaggle, a politics podcast from The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com, Pence spoke to host Yvonne Wingett Sanchez for an exclusive one-on-one interview.  Pence talked to us about Sen. Martha McSally, R-Ariz., and why he supports her election in...

A member-by-member breakdown of where Arizona's leaders in the Senate and House of Representatives stand and the political implications for each. National political reporters Yvonne Wingett Sanchez and Ron Hansen talk about:Sen. Kyrsten SinemaSen. Martha McSally Rep. Debbie LeskoRep. David Schweikert Rep. Paul GosarRep. Raul Grijalva Rep. Greg StantonRep. Ann Kirkpatrick Rep. Tom O'HalleranRep. Ru...

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...