KJZZ's Sun Up is a weekday morning podcast giving you the Arizona news you need to start your day. It is the biggest stories of the day from KJZZ News.
Transcript
ANNOUNCER: KJZZ's Sun Up is supported by Banner Health, Arizona's largest nonprofit healthcare system. Last year, Banner reinvested more than $1.1 billion in community health and charity care. Banner Health, nonprofit for Arizona. BannerHealth.com/nonprofitforAZ.
PHIL LATZMAN: This is KJZZ's Sun Up, it is your daily news update from here in Phoenix on our station and region. I'm Phil Latzman, your host for this podcast, a daily digest of the Arizona news as reported by our KJZZ news team. It is Friday, we've made it. June the 12th is the date as the weekend approaches. Let's not waste any longer for a check of the news.
Well, a new state budget passed out of the Arizona Legislature on Thursday night with support from most Republican and Democratic lawmakers. From the politics desk at the Capitol, Wayne Schutsky has the latest.
WAYNE SCHUTSKY: Nearly every Republican lawmaker voted for the budget deal, which includes state-level tax breaks mirroring most of the cuts backed by President Trump last year. House Speaker Steve Montenegro called that a win after Republicans tried to pass those cuts multiple times earlier this year, but were met by Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs' veto stamp.
STEVE MONTENEGRO: $1.4 billion. That's historic. It's meaningful money for Arizonans.
WAYNE SCHUTSKY: Most Democrats also voted for the budget and praised the tax relief included for middle-class Arizonans. They also touted a pause on tax breaks for data centers and funding to offset the impact of Republican-backed changes to Medicaid and federal food assistance. But some Democrats voted against the spending plan, saying it spent too much on border and immigration issues while neglecting public schools and higher education. Wayne Schutsky, KJZZ News, Phoenix.
PHIL LATZMAN: An internal investigation substantiated allegations that staffers working for Maricopa County Recorder Justin Heap removed election equipment that didn't belong to Heap's office from the county elections department. Politics editor Ben Giles has details on that.
BEN GILES: Security footage obtained by KJZZ confirmed Heap's staff removed a scanner from a locked area at the Maricopa County Election and Tabulation Center in March. Communications between the elections department, which is overseen by the county Board of Supervisors, and Heap's staff show they were made aware the equipment did not belong to the recorder's office. Heap denies that fact and claims his staff is being targeted over an ongoing feud between the recorder and supervisors regarding who is responsible for administering aspects of the upcoming midterm elections. A special prosecutor is now investigating whether Heap's staff's actions were in any way criminal. Ben Giles, KJZZ News, Phoenix.
PHIL LATZMAN: State legislators have given preliminary approval to Gov. Katie Hobbs's third pick to lead the state health department in four years. Also from our politics team, here's Camryn Sanchez with that.
CAMRYN SANCHEZ: Hobbs' nominees to lead state agencies must be approved by the Republican-controlled State Senate. Debbie Johnston is the latest in a string of nominees to lead Arizona's health agency. Republican Sen. Jake Hoffman grilled her on COVID-19 and pushed her to admit that the state's response was overzealous and mishandled.
DEBBIE JOHNSTON: I think what we need to do is have a better understanding of how to, you know, how to talk to folks about infection control. And, and not force folks to do things that they're going to resent.
CAMRYN SANCHEZ: Although Hoffmann voted against Johnston, the rest of the lawmakers, Republicans and Democrats, pushed her nomination through a Senate committee vote. She still must be confirmed by a vote of the full Senate. Camryn Sanchez, KJZZ News, Phoenix.
PHIL LATZMAN: A federal judge has issued a temporary restraining order barring the city of Phoenix from fully enforcing its new parks ordinance. Jill Ryan has the details.
JILL RYAN: The ordinance bans distributing food or providing medical care to people in need at parks without a city permit. In an ongoing lawsuit, Saint Herman's Table, a ministry that serves food to people without housing, accuses Phoenix of violating its First Amendment rights. Steven T. McFarland is representing the ministry in court.
STEVEN T. MCFARLAND: Imagine if you're handing out hamburgers, it depends on why you're doing it. If you're celebrating somebody's, your, your nephew's graduation, you're fine, you don't need a permit. If you are handing it to a homeless person who hasn't eaten in three days, you're arrested unless you have a permit.
JILL RYAN: The judge's order only applies to the ministry. The city can still enforce the ordinance against other groups. Jill Ryan, KJZZ News, Phoenix.
PHIL LATZMAN: Waymo is expanding its presence in Arizona with a large land purchase northwest of Phoenix. Lily Roseburrough tells us more.
LILY ROSEBURROUGH: The autonomous vehicle producer purchased the 5,500 acres of land in Wittmann from Route 14 Investment Partners LLC for $220 million. Waymo says it'll test its robotaxis at the site, which Chrysler and Apple have also used for vehicle testing. Waymo said in a social media post the development gives access to freeway and urban roads to continue training its autonomous software. This follows the company's decision in May to suspend freeway services in Phoenix. This acquisition joins Waymo's two other vehicle testing sites in California and Ohio. Lily Roseburrough, KJZZ News, Phoenix.
PHIL LATZMAN: The Arizona Senate has passed a bill that would make it illegal to intentionally disrupt religious services. While it does not apply to protests, the bill would make it a misdemeanor or a felony in some cases to make a commotion or block a person from entering or leaving a place of worship. While sponsors of the bill say it was drafted to address a rise in antisemitism, some worry it could interfere with free speech. Here's Democratic Senator Annalise Ortiz.
ANNALISE ORTIZ: But HB 4117 is an overly broad bill that will instead open the door for political prosecutions of people who are exercising their First Amendment rights.
PHIL LATZMAN: The measure moves now on to the Arizona House. Well, monsoon season's almost here and climate prediction models show a powerful El Niño developing in the Pacific Ocean that could bring some much needed moisture to the Southwest. But as Kathrine Davis-Young reports, Arizona may have to wait a few months before that rain arrives.
KATHRINE DAVIS-YOUNG: The supercharged El Niño is expected to affect weather patterns across the US this summer, and long-range forecasts show chances for above-normal rainfall in Arizona. But University of Arizona climate scientist Michael Crimmins says with past El Niños, Arizona has tended to see drier conditions in July. In fact, the last time there was a strong El Niño in 2023, Phoenix had its hottest July ever and its driest monsoon ever. He says if wetter weather is coming, it likely won't be until later.
MICHAEL CRIMMINS: For us in Arizona, I think it will probably be August into September before we really get any interesting weather.
KATHRINE DAVIS-YOUNG: Monsoon season officially begins on June 15. Kathrine Davis-Young, KJZZ News, Phoenix.
PHIL LATZMAN: Well, the Federal Aviation Administration has proposed consolidating flight paths over Phoenix, but the city is asking the FAA to consider alternatives over noise concerns. Connor Greenwall reports.
CONNOR GREENWALL: The last time the FAA tried to change flight paths in Phoenix, the city fought it in federal court and won. Now, the FAA is again considering changes to the airspace and is taking community input. Jordan Feld, the deputy aviation director for Phoenix, told residents at a community meeting the FAA needs to consider supplemental routes so the air traffic is not too concentrated.
JORDAN FELD: It splits the traffic so you end up with three different corridors. Again, with the idea that that would diffuse the noise.
CONNOR GREENWALL: Based on the FAA proposal, around 80,000 residents in north Phoenix would experience a noise increase between 3 and 6 decibels. Laura Robbins lives in the Deer Valley Park neighborhood and agrees the FAA should consider multiple routes.
LAURA ROBBINS: I think it's wrong that they just decide to just change things and they don't realize the impact. I'm sure if they lived there, they would.
CONNOR GREENWALL: Robbins says she will continue to be a squeaky wheel in hopes the FAA will listen. The window for public comment closes June 30. Connor Greenwall, KJZZ News, Phoenix.
PHIL LATZMAN: Looking south now, Mexico says approximately 14,000 of its citizens are in immigration detention in the U.S. From the Fronteras Desk in Hermosillo, Nina Kravinsky has more.
NINA KRAVINSKY: Mexican Foreign Secretary Roberto Velasco Álvaro says the number of Mexicans in U.S. immigration detention has remained stable in the months since Mexico announced it would ramp up consular and legal action to protect detained citizens. The March announcement came after another death of a Mexican national at the Adelanto Detention Center in California. Mexico said at the time it was the third recent death of one of its citizens there. The country demanded the U.S. investigate the deaths of Mexican nationals in immigration detention since President Trump ramp up deportations at the start of his term. Velasco Álvaro said this week that the United States hasn't provided Mexico with any updates.
ROBERTO VELASCO ÁLVAREZ (in Spanish): Pero naturalmente es algo en lo que hemos seguido insistiendo ...
NINA KRAVINSKY: Naturally, it's something we've continued to insist on, Velasco Álvaro says. Nina Kravinsky, KJZZ News, Ermosillo.
PHIL LATZMAN: And sports, Diamondbacks were swept in Miami, shut out again by the Marlins, 2-nothing yesterday in the finale. Arizona managing just three hits, their 10th loss in 13 games. D-backs continue their road trip in Cincinnati with the first of three against the Reds this evening. Basketball, another loss for the Mercury, they fell in Dallas last night, 85-70. Paige Bueckers, a season-high 31 for the Wings. Phoenix drops to 4 -10 on the season. They're back home to tomorrow to host the LA Sparks. And that'll do it for the, this Friday edition of KJZZ's Sun Up, Arizona's morning news podcast, this June the 12th.
I'm Phil Latzman, have a wonderful weekend, try to stay cool and hydrated out there, have some fun, and we're back at you on Monday to do it again. Talk to you then.
