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 non-profit healthcare system. Last year, Banner reinvested more than $1.1 billion in community health and charity care. Banner Health, Non-profit for Arizona. bannerhealth.com/nonprofitforaz.
PHIL LATZMAN: This is KJZZ's Sun Up, your daily news update from here in Phoenix on our state and region. I'm Phil Latzman, your host for this podcast, a daily digest of Arizona news as reported by our KJZZ news team. Welcome to Wednesday, August the 5th, 2026. Rolling over the hump of news this week, hope you've been staying cool still with an extreme heat warning now extended through Sunday. Chance of some dust, so be wary. And let's keep on truckin' with a check of the news.
Well, Democratic Governor Katie Hobbs has reportedly made her pick for lieutenant governor. The New York Times says it'll be former Mesa Mayor John Giles as her running mate. Though a longtime Republican, Giles has spoken out against President Trump and was even given a primetime spot at the Democratic Convention in 2020 to endorse Joe Biden, then backed Kamala Harris in 2024. A Hobbs spokesman has declined to confirm the story. The governor has till Friday to make her choice for the state's first-ever lieutenant governor. Her Republican opponent, Andy Biggs, picked conservative former state Senator Sina Kerr, a Buckeye farmer, as his running mate last week.
Well, in other news, the Arizona Clean Elections Commission has denied Republican Ralph Heap's request to withdraw from the agency's funding program, which gives candidates public money to run their campaigns if they forego large donations and outside dollars. The decision comes as Heap faces allegations he broke state law by failing to disclose who paid for hundreds of his campaign signs. Nick Myers, who lost to Heap in the Republican Corporation Commission primary, claimed those allegedly ill-gotten signs gave Heap an unfair advantage.
NICK MYERS: Campaigns for down-ballot offices like the ACC are decided disproportionately on name recognition. Signage is often the single largest driver of that recognition, especially in the final weeks of the race.
PHIL LATZMAN: Heap's attorney argued he has the right to withdraw from the program because he hasn't yet received any Clean Elections funding.
Well, leaders of the Colorado River Indian Tribes, or CRIT, say the federal government didn't consult them enough while drawing up new plans for sharing Colorado River water. Alex Hager has more on that.
ALEX HAGER: The tribe in western Arizona has some of the most powerful water rights in the state. It holds nearly a quarter of all the Colorado River water in Arizona. Tribal Chairwoman Amelia Flores says she was encouraged by some parts of the new federal plan, but it was put together too quickly and didn't give the tribe enough time to send meaningful input. She also says the Bureau of Indian Affairs has failed to properly maintain the tribe's irrigation systems, making it hard for them to use and conserve water. The Colorado River Basin is home to 30 Native American tribes, and they've been excluded from conversations about how to share water going back more than a century. Alex Hager, KJZZ News, Phoenix.
PHIL LATZMAN: Well, Governor Katie Hobbs says Republican criticism directed at her over federally proposed Colorado River cuts doesn't reflect the reality of negotiations. From the politics team, here's Camryn Sanchez.
CAMRYN SANCHEZ: Late last week, the federal government released water-sharing guidelines which outline potentially massive cuts to Arizona's water supply. Hobbs' gubernatorial opponent, Andy Biggs, and other Republicans have since bashed her for failing to secure a better deal for the state. Here's Hobbs.
KATIE HOBBS: That is absolutely invalid criticism and, quite frankly, nothing more than political gamesmanship from people who have not been involved in the process at all.
CAMRYN SANCHEZ: Hobbs noted that the states are still waiting to see the final rules regarding water cuts, which will be released soon. She says she's been keeping lawmakers up to date and her administration is still fighting for the best deal for Arizona. Camryn Sanchez, KJZZ News, Phoenix.
PHIL LATZMAN: All businesses in states like Arizona are feeling the impact of a 25% year-over-year drop in travel by Canadians to the U.S. Arizona Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Danny Seiden says President Trump's anti-Canada rhetoric, as well as new requirements for international visitors who stay in Arizona for longer than 30 days, have some Canadians deciding it's no longer worth the trip. And that's hurting the bottom line of Arizona businesses.
DANNY SEIDEN: They really are family. We -- we all know the Canadian snowbirds in our neighborhood. We know what they mean to our economy. You can talk to people in Yuma, which is a high destination spot for Canadian snowbirds, and they'll tell you their businesses are all down, and they're missing their Canadian friends.
PHIL LATZMAN: Seiden says Canadians contribute about $1.5 billion annually in spending towards Arizona's economy.
Well, this past Sunday broke high and low temperature records across the state, and with ACs running high, APS customers set another new record for energy consumption. Ted Geisler, CEO of APS, highlighted the utility's performance through the extreme weather on a recent earnings call.
TED GEISLER: On August 2nd, we reached a new all-time peak demand record of 9,164 megawatts, exceeding last year's record by more than 500 megawatts. This record is a clear signal of the growth underway in our service territory and our performance this summer demonstrates we're ready for it.
PHIL LATZMAN: Sunday's record passed the previous high that was set earlier this year, in fact, on July 24th.
Well, federal authorities say they have taken down a firearms trafficking ring operating in Arizona and in Mexico. Matthew Casey has details.
MATTHEW CASEY: A grand jury recently indicted 21 people for conspiracy to unlawfully buy firearms and other crimes. Authorities say more than 100 guns and 125,000 rounds of ammo were seized as part of the two-year investigation. U.S. Attorney for Arizona Timothy Courchaine spoke at a news conference.
TIMOTHY COURCHAINE: The defining feature of this investigation is that it encompasses the full firearms trafficking ring, from the fraudulent straw purchasers in Phoenix to the firearms buyer in Mexico and each smuggling link in between.
MATTHEW CASEY: The probe was led by a task force of agencies such as ATF and Homeland Security Investigations. Matthew Casey, KJZZ News, Phoenix.
PHIL LATZMAN: Back to some politics, and House Speaker Mike Johnson and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent will visit Arizona today to meet with business leaders alongside Representative Juan Ciscomani, who is seeking reelection in one of the country's few competitive congressional districts. From the politics desk, Wayne Schutsky reports.
WAYNE SCHUTSKY: Johnson, Bessent, and Ciscomani will tour a manufacturing facility in Casa Grande and participate in a round-table discussion with Arizona business leaders. According to the Department of the Treasury, the trio will highlight the tax cut package passed by Congressional Republicans and signed by President Trump last year. The visit comes as Ciscomani faces Democrat JoAnna Mendoza in Arizona's 6th Congressional District, one of just 18 competitive districts across the country that could determine which party controls the U.S. House next year. Bessent will also meet with Arizona bankers in a separate event on Thursday. Wayne Schutsky, KJZZ News, Phoenix.
PHIL LATZMAN: Well, former Republican Governor Doug Ducey endorsed Congressman Andy Biggs and his running mate for governor on Tuesday. And once again from our politics team, Camryn Sanchez has that.
CAMRYN SANCHEZ: In a statement, Ducey wrote that there's a stark contrast between common-sense candidates and those running under the quote "banner of socialism" in this election. He also explicitly endorsed Attorney General candidate Warren Petersen and encouraged voters to support Republicans all the way up and down the ballot. Ducey did not endorse Republican Kari Lake in 2022 when she ran for governor, and lost to the current incumbent, Katie Hobbs. Biggs was in the state legislature for two of the years Ducey was governor. Biggs told KJZZ that as governor, his administration will share similarities with Ducey's. Camryn Sanchez, KJZZ News, Phoenix.
PHIL LATZMAN: The Obama-era DACA program turned 14 this year. It's supposed to shield some undocumented immigrants brought to the U.S. as children from deportation. But community members say that's no longer the case under President Trump. From the Fronteras Desk in Tucson, Alisa Reznick reports.
ALISA REZNICK: Activists and lawmakers gathered in Tucson to highlight the stories of local DACA recipients targeted by ICE. Congresswoman Adelita Grijalva said they've done things the right way.
ADELITA GRIJALVA: They have paid their taxes, they have passed their background checks, they have renewed their status every single time.
ALISA REZNICK: But even so, they're in limbo. Months-long processing delays are leaving recipients unprotected as they wait to renew their status. Even those with an active status aren't always safe, like Karla Toledo. She was brought to the U.S. at a year old and has no criminal record. Earlier this year, ICE agents in tactical gear tore down her front door and detained her.
KARLA TOLEDO: I hate when people say that, "Oh, you're going to go back home." Home is here. Home is here for Mindy, home is here for Roberto, home is home... sorry, home is here for me.
ALISA REZNICK: Toledo was released from detention, but still has a pending deportation case that she goes to court for next March. ICE arrested 260 DACA recipients nationwide in 2025, according to the agency. As many as 174 were deported. Alisa Reznick, KJZZ News, Tucson.
PHIL LATZMAN: A paper product manufacturer, Kimberly-Clark, is opening a new pilot facility in Yuma to find a substitute for traditional wood fibers. Lilly Roseburrough has more.
LILLY ROSEBURROUGH: A new alternative for the material used to make paper towels, diapers, and tissues may be growing in your backyard. Hesperaloe, also known as red yucca, grows native to the Southwest and is commonly used in residential landscaping. Manufacturing company Kimberly-Clark is opening a new Yuma facility to turn this desert shrub into a variety of paper-based products. Hesperaloe is a relatively low-water plant, which helps the company to reach its water conservation goals. Kimberly-Clark said in a statement it plans to use Yuma's pre-existing agricultural infrastructure and local workforce. Lilly Roseburrough, KJZZ News, Phoenix.
PHIL LATZMAN: In sports, baseball: The Padres jumped on Diamondbacks starter Eduardo Rodriguez early on their way to a 9-4 win last night in Phoenix. The All-Star Rodriguez gave up a season's-worst seven runs, six of them in the first two innings. Manny Machado had three hits and four RBIs for the Padres. Randy Vásquez stymied the D-backs' bats, and Nolan Arenado and James McCann did hit two-run homers in the seventh for all of Arizona's offense in the game. Padres won for the ninth time in 11 games; they move a game behind the D-backs for the third and final NL wild card spot. The same two teams tonight play at Chase Field.
Basketball: Mercury try to make it two in a row with new addition Kelsey Plum. They'll continue a road trip in Atlanta this evening. Phoenix, 12 and 19 on the season, trying to make a late-season playoff push after that surprising trade for Plum over the weekend.
And that does it for this edition of KJZZ's Sun Up, Arizona's morning news podcast. On this August the 5th, I'm Phil Latzman. Have a great day and we'll do it again tomorrow. Talk to you then.
