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.
KJZZ's Sun Up Transcript for July 20, 2026
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:
¡Bienvenido, amigos! This is KJZZ’s Sun Up, your daily news update from here in Phoenix on our state and region. I'm Phil Latzman, good to have you along. We bring you this podcast as a daily digest of Arizona news as reported by our KJZZ news team. Welcome to a fresh week. It is Monday, July 20th. Happy Moon Landing Day—57 years ago today. And Spain, felicidades to them as the World Cup winner. Hope you had a good weekend, whatever you were doing. Let's get right to a check of the news. A shooting in Tucson early Sunday morning resulted in 10 people critically wounded, including a male suspect who was taken into custody. As Ignacio Ventura reports, the shooting happened downtown near Congress Street and 6th Avenue.
IGNACIO VENTURA:
The Tucson Police Department says patrol officers responded to multiple gunshots in the area. An officer discharged his weapon at the suspect after he attempted to flee. The victims, who sustained gunshot trauma, were provided first aid and transported to a local hospital. The Tucson Police Department says the County Incident Team and Sheriff's Department are investigating the crime. In a statement on social media, Tucson Mayor Regina Romero wished the victims a speedy recovery and thanked first responders. Ignacio Ventura, KJZZ News, Phoenix.
PHIL LATZMAN:
Arizona voting rights groups are training residents in Phoenix and Tucson to become constitutional observers on Election Day. From the Fronteras Desk in Tucson, Alisa Reznick takes us to one of their events.
ALISA REZNICK:
Around 80 people filed into a hotel in Tucson Saturday for an event organized by advocacy group LUCHA. Karime Rodriguez says volunteers are briefed on what voting access should look like and how to report Election Day issues. Rodriguez says the possibility of ICE agents being near or at polling sites is causing fear, especially for new citizens.
KARIME RODRIGUEZ:
Just the threat of potentially having ICE there scares them. And it's—even though they're—they are citizens now, they are saying, "You know, because of the color of my skin, I might be targeted."
ALISA REZNICK:
A failed bill crafted by GOP lawmakers would have required ICE agents to be at polling sites across the state. Meanwhile, the Department of Justice says it wants to send election monitors to swing states, including Arizona. Tucson resident Frank Thompson says he's joining the training to encourage people who may be apprehensive to still vote.
FRANK THOMPSON:
I'm here to try to give people an understanding the importance that their voice, the vote. If they don't exercise that voice, they are going to lose it.
ALISA REZNICK:
Alisa Reznick, KJZZ News, Tucson.
PHIL LATZMAN:
Well, the town of Gilbert is the next community in Arizona seeking to update its zoning code in response to concerns about data center development. Taylor Griffith has more.
TAYLOR GRIFFITH:
Gilbert has one data center. Before it considers its next one, the town wants to update some building requirements. In a statement, the town says it recognizes the need for data centers in an ever-growing digital world, but does not want them to have a negative impact on local water supplies, considering current shortages on the Colorado River. Among the proposed rules are restrictions on where developers could build data centers and on open-loop cooling systems, which require lots of water. A public hearing on the zoning code amendment will be held on August 5th before going to the council for consideration in September. Taylor Griffith, KJZZ News, Phoenix.
PHIL LATZMAN:
An increase in monsoonal activity has led Grand Canyon National Park to reduce its fire restrictions on the South Rim. Ignacio Ventura has that good news.
IGNACIO VENTURA:
According to the National Park, the weather in Northern Arizona mitigated fire danger. Only Stage 2 fire restrictions have been lifted on the South Rim, meaning Stage 1 restrictions still apply. Under the current rules, visitors are allowed light campfires in designated fire rings at maintained campgrounds. People are being encouraged to take precautions, including checking fire restrictions and following smoking guidelines. Stage 2 fire restrictions still remain in place on the North Rim for the rest of the 2026 season because of limited water resources. Ignacio Ventura, KJZZ News, Phoenix.
PHIL LATZMAN:
Well, the Chandler Police Department is launching a Back to School Traffic Safety Campaign. As Bridget Dowd reports, comes just a few months after a student was fatally struck by a car near a school campus.
BRIDGET DOWD:
In April, 16-year-old Chandler High School student Javen Camacho was hit by a car while crossing the street outside a marked crosswalk near campus. He was taken to a hospital and later died. This week, police officers will conduct targeted enforcement in school zones across Chandler. They'll also share reminders about safe driving on social media. The campaign will focus on violations that put kids at risk, like speeding in school zones and failing to yield to pedestrians in crosswalks. The Chandler Unified School District has also created a committee to re-evaluate its off-campus lunch policy and make other recommendations to improve student safety. Bridget Dowd, KJZZ News, Phoenix.
PHIL LATZMAN:
Arizona's utilities are facing unprecedented energy demand driven by data centers and other large industrial users. And as Greg Hahne reports, it's causing supply chain issues, which is causing projects to get pushed back.
GREG HAHNE:
The issues were highlighted in a workshop at the state's utility-regulating body. Matthew Robinson, who supervises transmission planning with APS, presented the utility's 10-year plan to the Arizona Corporation Commission.
MATTHEW ROBINSON:
Some of the drivers for the date changes have been those types of—of supply chain delays. We're seeing a significant supply chain lead time for large equipment like transformers...
GREG HAHNE:
Robinson says those wait times are three to four years. While the COVID pandemic led to supply chain slowdowns, an APS spokesperson says the ongoing challenges come from the incredible demand utilities are facing. APS isn't the only utility facing disruptions. An SRP representative told commissioners that it has also had to change business practices to account for supply chain delays. Greg Hahne, KJZZ News, Phoenix.
PHIL LATZMAN:
While gambling has exploded into a multi-billion-dollar business in Arizona, the state continues to battle unlicensed operators trying to get a cut of the action. Here's Ignacio Ventura once again on the latest round of cease and desist orders from the Department of Gaming.
IGNACIO VENTURA:
Although casinos are located throughout the state, a huge portion of Arizona gambling now occurs online, through licensed sportsbooks as well as unauthorized sites that offer sports, casino games, and peer-to-peer wagering. In its latest round of cease and desist orders, the state flagged five entities, citing a variety of violations. Among the allegations were operating without a license, allowing people under 21 to gamble, money laundering, and failing to meet the requirements that allow nonprofits to conduct lawful raffles. The businesses cited were BetOpenly, Bookmaker, Club WPT Online Poker, Cut.inc, and Raffle Creator. Ignacio Ventura, KJZZ News, Phoenix.
PHIL LATZMAN:
Arizona voters have a new option to get their mail-in ballot verified. Voters who show sufficient ID when dropping off their ballots, like a valid Arizona driver's license or other government-issued ID, will have their identities verified on the spot. Pima County Deputy Elections Director Jeremy George says that bypasses the need for county recorders to verify your signature on early ballot envelopes.
JEREMY GEORGE:
One big thing is that you can only do that for your own ballot. If you were dropping off, say, your husband or wife's ballot, of course they're not there, they're not ID-verified.
PHIL LATZMAN:
Voters are still allowed to drop off a ballot without providing an ID at the polls. Election officials say the new method could help speed up the tabulation process for ballots turned in on Election Day tomorrow. Well, tens of thousands of acres in Arizona have burned during this year's fire season, which has kept firefighters busier than last year at this time. As Chris Clements reports, the sheer number of wildfires nationwide raises questions about federal preparedness.
CHRIS CLEMENTS:
The number of wildfires across the nation and the number of acres burned is well above the 10-year average.
RIVA DUNCAN:
We've had other early years like this, but it's never a good thing.
CHRIS CLEMENTS:
Riva Duncan leads Grassroots Wildland Firefighters, a nonprofit advocacy group. After DOGE made staffing cuts to federal agencies that manage fires, Duncan says some agencies, like the ones working on Arizona blazes, like the Pocket Fire, are unprepared. People in her organization who've been on duty tell her...
RIVA DUNCAN:
...that they have engines sitting because they don't have enough staffing, they have crew numbers down...
CHRIS CLEMENTS:
Meteorologists predict an El Niño weather pattern could deliver hotter and drier weather in some parts of Arizona, along with possible flooding as the monsoon season continues.
PHIL LATZMAN:
Well, a window is set to open mid-August for Arizona's off-track betting sites to apply for a state license to run a limited sportsbook. Matthew Casey has details on that.
MATTHEW CASEY:
Off-track betting lets patrons of restaurants and bars throughout Arizona gamble on horse and dog races that happen elsewhere. State law says these establishments can also apply for limited event wagering licenses, which would allow them to take bets on other sports on-site only. State gaming regulators can issue up to 10 licenses. They're opening a two-week window to apply on August 13th. Officials say awarding licenses would generate monthly revenue for the state via an 8% tax. Matthew Casey, KJZZ News, Phoenix.
PHIL LATZMAN:
In sports, huge comeback for the Diamondbacks yesterday at Chase Field. Max Kepler hit a walk-off RBI double in the 10th inning as they rallied from seven down to beat the Cardinals, 8-7. Kepler drove in Jorge Barrosa to match Arizona's largest comeback victory in franchise history. Nolan Arenado's 13th home run tied the game in the eighth inning to complete the comeback—they've won six of seven now. Arizona stays home for three against the A's, starting tonight. In basketball, DeWanna Bonner with a season-high 21 points, Kahleah Copper added 12 of her 18 in the second half, the Mercury beat the Connecticut Sun, 72-63, Sunday to snap a five-game losing streak, and they split the two games played in Phoenix over the weekend. At 9 and 18, the Merc play at Los Angeles against the Sparks on Wednesday. And that'll do it for this edition of KJZZ's Sun Up, Arizona's morning news podcast on this Monday, July 20th, 2026. I'm Phil Latzman. Thanks for being here. Stay cool, hydrated, and we'll do it again tomorrow. Talk to you then.
