The Gaggle: An Arizona politics podcast

The ranch girl from Duncan, Arizona who grew up to be the first woman to sit on the U.S. Supreme Court, passed away on December 1st, 2023. On December 18th, she entered the highest court in the land one last time. Thousands of Americans came to pay their respects. Today we hear from her younger brother, Alan Day, about what it was like growing up with the ranch girl who would be come a Supreme Court justice. National politics reporter and Gaggle host Ron Hansen connected with Alan Day remotely in the spring of 2022. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, the first woman to sit on the U.S. Supreme Court was laid to rest this week. As the country said its final farewells to Arizona ranch girl, we here on The Gaggle have been honoring her life and legacy through a series of interviews with those who knew her.Welcome to the third episode of The Gaggle’s mini series on Sandra Day O’Connor.Thus far we have heard from O’Connor’s biographer and a historian. Today we turn to someone who was closer to the justice: Ruth McGregor. A former chief justice Arizona Supreme Court, McGregor shared that she’s known Sandra Day O’Connor since the mid 1970s. First they worked solely as associates in the same field, but a friendship grew that lasted a life time.McGregor sat down in the Gaggle studios in April 2022. Former Gaggle host, Yvonne Wingett Sanchez led the interview.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, the country has said its final goodbyes to the first woman to ever sit on the U.S. Supreme Court. To mark Sandra Day O'Connor's historical life, The Gaggle is sharing in-depth interviews with those that knew her. Yesterday we heard from her biographer, Evan Thomas. Today, we’ll hear from Linda Hirshman, a lawyer, cultural historian, and author of many books – including the 2016 “Sisters in Law: How Sandra Day O’Connor and Ruth Bader Ginsburg Went to the Supreme Court and Changed the World.”Hirshman sat down in the Gaggle studios in spring 2022 with then Gaggle host Yvonne Wingett Sanchez. For Hirshman, O’Connor is something of a complicated figure. In her words, O’Connor opened the door for extreme conservatism to enter the highest court in the land. At the same time, O’Connor was a defender of moderation, and believed strongly in nonpartisanship when it came to interpreting the law.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sen. Mitzi Epstein, D-Tempe, spent years as a computer systems analyst before turning to a career in politics. Finding a lack of support and finances for her children's education inspired her to change paths.She now holds a leadership position in the Arizona Senate. Epstein is no stranger to the Arizona Legislature: Although this is her first Senate term, she served three terms in the House of Representatives. She represents a district that increasingly has trended Democratic, covering Ahwatukee Foothills, much of southern Tempe and parts of Chandler.In the 30-member Senate, Epstein leads a caucus of 14 Democrats.This week on The Gaggle, a politics podcast by The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com, Epstein joins hosts Ron Hansen and Mary Jo Pitzl to discuss the state's budget and political balance. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Justice Sandra Day O'Connor has been laid to rest on December 19, 2023.In this special mini series we to bring you the interviews of those who knew her conducted by our host Ron Hansen, as well as former host and Republic reporter Yvonne Wingett Sanchez.We begin with O’Connor’s biographer Evan Thomas. He is a historian and journalist, and penned "First: Sandra Day O'Connor."Speaking from his home in Washington D.C., Thomas shared his reflections on O’Connor with Ron Hansen and Yvonne Wingett Sanchez – both of whom you’ll hear in this interview.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Republican Warren Petersen leads an Arizona state Senate that has been aggressive in pursuing its policy goals and, in many cases, defying Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs. A third-generation resident of Gilbert, Arizona, Petersen was first elected to the Legislature in 2012 and has served in both the House, where he was the majority leader, and now in the Senate. As Senate president, Petersen along with his Republican counterparts in the House, brokered a state budget deal with Gov. Hobbs, as well as a compromise agreement on a regional transportation plan that gave everyone some claim to victory.In this episode of The Gaggle, a politics podcast by the Arizona Republic, Senator Petersen sits down with hosts Mary Jo Pitzl and Ron Hansen to discuss working in the rare state of divided government in Arizona and what lies ahead in 2024. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Americans from President Joe Biden on down have paid tribute to the late Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor since her passing on December 1, 2023. Most of the tributes and memories have understandably focused on her time on the court. She was historic, after all, as the first woman to sit on the Supreme Court. But she was fiercely proud of her roots as an Arizona ranch girl. In fact, she wrote a book about that period of her life with her brother, Alan Day. In this episode of The Gaggle we hear from Alan Day as he takes us to the family ranch, Lazy B. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sandra Day O’Connor, the Arizona ranch girl who was a fixture in Arizona’s statehouse and judiciary before becoming the first woman to sit on the U.S. Supreme Court, died Friday December 1, 2023 of complications related to advanced dementia and a respiratory illness.She was 93.In this bonus episode of The Gaggle, Ron Hansen shares her life story and her impact on Arizona and US politics. He is joined by former justice of the Arizona Supreme Court Ruth McGregor, her brother Alan Day, her biographer Evan Thomas, and more. The Gaggle looks back on the life and legacy of first woman Supreme Court justice. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mesa is one of the fastest growing cities in Arizona. The East Valley is now just shy of half a million residents and has been a magnet for growth. For the the last decade, this boom has been shepherded by Mayor John Giles.He chalks up Mesa's success to several factors including smart investments in the city's properties. This in turn has paved the way for many of the world's biggest companies – Amazon, Apple, Google – to laid down roots here.As Giles begins to wrap up his tenure as mayor of the Valley's largest suburb, he stopped by The Gaggle studio to reflect on how Mesa has evolved, the challenges its overcome and ones it still has, and where he sees himself going next.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When it comes to the holidays, the last thing most people want to think about are politics. The plethora of stories, memes, jokes, and comedy skits about "don't bring up politics at family gatherings" are a testament to the unspoken taboo.But sometimes its easy to forget that our elected officials are people too. And being a politics podcast, we here on The Gaggle wanted to bring you a different side to the men and women who help run our state.In this Thanksgiving episode, we'll hear from legislatures, mayors, and more about their family traditions, new recipes, and cherished holiday memories.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices