The Gaggle: An Arizona politics podcast

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 are highly rare.This week's episode of The Gaggle podcast breaks down all you need to know about Arizona election security going into next year's election cycle. We talk with Andrew Oxford, a government reporter, who's been investigating voter security.  In this episode you'll hear:  Should you be worried about your vote? What are the weaknesses in Arizona's election system?  What changes could government make to secure your vote?  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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, how Arizona's faring, and what role the economy will play in the 2020 election cycle.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 will keep Arizona red in 2020. This week on The Gaggle Podcast hosts Yvonne Wingett Sanchez and Ronald Hansen talk with Ted Harvey, the chairman of The Committee to Defend the President. Listen to hear his plans to keep Trump in the White House. In this episode you'll hear: How the PACs are targeting the potential voters Why they are focusing on Arizona  How successful the voter drives are   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 cartels and wipe them off the face of the earth," Trump wrote on twitter. This week's episode of The Gaggle podcast breaks down how the killing of the family could impact U.S.-Mexico relations, including travel and politics. Hosts Yvonne Wingett-Sanchez and Ronald Hansen talk with immigration reporter Daniel Gonzalez. In this episode you'll hear: The history of the families in Mexico, who were members of a fundamentalist Mormon sect How violence in Mexico could impact Arizona How the massacre could impact the 2020 elections   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 scandal in this week's episode of The Gaggle, a podcast from The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 Star political reporter Joe Ferguson to break down what a Romero win would mean for Tucson. The future Tucson mayor could greatly impact the U.S. Senate race considering that both candidates are from the area. In this episode you'll hear: Who is running for Tucson mayor What the Tucson electorate looks like A breakdown of how the mayoral race reflects on Arizona political trends.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 interview. She outlined what changes she has planned for the Maricopa County Attorney's Office and how she hopes to regain the trust of the community while the office faces ethics complaints.Listen to the 13-minute interview below to hear more. In this episode you'll hear:  A short biography of Adel's career Adel's response to the ethic complaints against prosecutor Juan Martinez Our experts' thoughts about the 2020 election for the office of Maricopa County attorney Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 should resonate with Arizona voters. He also discussed his concerns over the impeachment inquiry. Listen to the 11-minute interview below to hear more from the candidate.In this episode you'll hear:  Bennet's plan to address the immigration issues in the country His thoughts on how to help middle-class citizens in America Thoughts from our experts on why Bennet is remaining in the race Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 forms of renewable energy, many coal plants are finding it hard to stay open. This week's episode of The Gaggle podcast looks at the impact NGS's closing has on the plant workers and local communities. We hear from Ryan Randazzo, a business reporter, who breaks down what is in store for the future. In this episode you'll hear:  What economic harm will be caused by the Navajo Generating Station's closure Who tried to save it Whether there are any benefits to closing it Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 megaphone.fm/adchoices