The Gaggle: An Arizona politics podcast

Hacienda HealthCare has been under international scrutiny since the January after an incapacitated patient was raped and gave birth. Another patient was found with maggots near a surgical wound. It sparked outrage over conditions at Hacienda, as well as fear over what might be happening at other care facilities across Arizona. Many of us are still wondering about the fallout. Arizona officials and Hacienda claim they have taken appropriate action and things are better. Parents of patients at Hacienda say it’s a nice facility that they like. But a new  investigation by The Arizona Republic reveals information about its condition and what it may mean for patients and the public more broadly. The Gaggle's hosts Yvonne Wingett-Sanchez and Ronald Hansen talk with Republic's reporters Robert Anglen and Stephanie Innes to break down part of their subscriber exclusive investigation and what it tells us about Arizona care facilities. How to get help in a care facility: If you are concerned about the well-being of a loved one in a care facility, you can contact the following organizations:Arizona Regulatory Board of Physician Assistants: 480-551-2700The Arizona board of Nursing Care Institution Administrators and Assisted Living Facility Managers: 602-364-2374Arizona Department of Health Services: 602-542-1025Adult Protective Services Hotline: 1-877-767-2385You can also contact  the #HeretoHelpAZ Call for Action team at The Republicat 602-444-2255. Another resource available to search disciplinary actions against care facilities is AZ Care Check from the Arizona Department of Health Services. To follow more of Robert and Stephanie's reporting make sure to follow them on Twitter @robertanglen and @stephanieinnes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mark Kelly is running for the U.S. Senate and is expected to the Democratic nominee to challenge Republican Sen. Martha McSally. Kelly is a retired astronaut, former combat pilot and the husband of former U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords. She represented the Tucson area in Congress for five years. The nation came to know Kelly in 2011, after a shooting in Tucson that left 6 dead and 13 injured, including his wife. Kelly launched his U.S. Senate race in February and has garnered national attention. But Arizonans may have questions about how he would represent the state.Does he support keeping the Affordable Care Act? What are his thoughts on the Green New Deal? Why should voters chose him over McSally? Mark Kelly joins the hosts of The Gaggle to answer that and more.In this episode you'll hear: How Mark Kelly plans to use the senate seat to impact ArizonaA 19-minute interview with Mark KellyA breakdown of the interview and what it means for 2020 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Arizona will play a key role in the 2020 election, and Democrats across the country are hoping to turn the state blue. But how are they going to accomplish that in a historically red state?Tom Perez, the Democratic National Committee chairman, recently visited Phoenix. Gaggle hosts Yvonne Wingett Sanchez and Ron Hansen talked with him about the party's plans and priorities. Spoiler alert: it's all about health care.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Props 105 and 106 could greatly limit services and transportation in Phoenix, but so far, they've gotten little attention.  Phoenix voters will see the two propositions on their ballots in August. What are they? Prop 105 would halt all light-rail expansions in Phoenix. Prop 106 would cap Phoenix government spending until the city pays down its pension debt — potentially limiting city services. The Gaggle's hosts Yvonne Wingett-Sanchez and Ronald Hansen talk with The Arizona Republic's reporter Jessica Boehm to break down how these two ballot initiatives could affect the future of Phoenix and the Valley.    In this episode you'll hear: How light-rail expansion and pension budget funding affect you.Who is behind these propositions.Why Phoenix is having an August election. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Gaggle podcast hosts Yvonne Wingett Sanchez and Ronald J. Hansen interview former Phoenix Mayor and now Democratic Congressional Rep. Greg Stanton about what he learned touring the Customs and Border Patrol facility in Clint, Texas, and how he'd apply those lessons to a potential Phoenix facility. Plus, hear from one of the reporters following migrant facilities in Arizona, Jeanette Hinkle, about the first-of-its-kind, non-governmental housing facility for migrants opening in a shuttered Phoenix school building. Episode article link here.Related reading:-- Reports of misconduct and sexual assault of migrant kids surface at Yuma border facility-- Phoenix approves migrant shelter for asylum-seekers at closed school Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Arizona's 10 largest wildfires have all happened in the last 17 years.Most recently the Woodbury Fire, which started June 8 in the Superstition Wilderness, became the state's fifth largest fire. It has burned nearly 124,000 acres and by Tuesday it was 90 percent contained.But that's part of a newer firefighting strategy. Firefighters have let it continue to burn because they are using it to their advantage. To find out why listen to this week's episode. The Gaggle host Yvonne Wingett-Sanchez talks with The Arizona Republic reporters Bree Burkitt and Shaun McKinnon on the history of wildfires in Arizona and how they have changed over the years.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 2018, police shootings hit record levels in Phoenix. Reporters with The Arizona Republic investigated the state's police shootings for 19 months and found that the deadly trend extends across Arizona.There were 117 police shootings statewide — a 75% increase from the previous year.After compiling data from all 15 counties in Arizona, reporters Uriel J. Garcia and Bree Burkitt identified some key factors: guns, aggressive behavior, mental illness, training, and police culture. This week's episode of The Gaggle podcast breaks down what you need to know from Garcia and Burkitt's investigation. To read the report mentioned in this episode visit policeshootings.azcentral.comFollow Yvonne Wingett Sanchez on Twitter @yvonnewingettFollow Ronald J. Hansen on Twitter @ronaldjhansen Follow Bree Burkett on Twitter @breeburkittFollow Uriel J Garcia on Twitter @ujohnnyg Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

First, Arizona legalized medical marijuana in 2010. Then came a failed attempt to legalize recreational marijuana in 2016. So why are those in the marijuana industry giddy at the thought of the future? Political insiders don't think Gov. Doug Ducey will fundraise or campaign against recreational marijuana legalization in 2020 like he did in 2016. Plus, he recently signed a bill cutting the cost of a medical-marijuana card in half, greatly benefitting medical marijuana users. The political shifts, combined with softening public sentiment toward marijuana usage, points to a 2020 political season ripe for legalizing recreational marijuana in Arizona.Follow along on Twitter:Yvonne Wingett Sanchez: @yvonnewingett Ronald J. Hansen: @ronaldjhansen  Ryan Randazzo: @utilityreporter All things politics from azcentral: @azcpolitics Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

First Amendment rights for constituents and lawmakers alike can get fuzzy in the evolving age of social media. Is online communication the new town hall? When can and can't lawmakers block constituents on social media? The Gaggle podcast hosts Yvonne Wingett Sanchez and Ron Hansen break it down with a constituent who was blocked by his representative and says he knows many people who have been blocked by multiple Arizona lawmakers. They also talk with a First Amendment lawyer, who says this is part of a controversial national trend that includes President Donald Trump. If you ever use social media platforms such as Facebook or Twitter to watch or interact with lawmakers and politicians, this one's for you.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Phoenix City Council's two newest members, Betty Guardado and Carlos Garcia, were sworn in June 6. The two represent districts 5 and 8 respectively, some of the lowest-income neighborhoods in parts of west, south and downtown Phoenix.Guardado and Garcia come from nontraditional backgrounds; Guardado has a background in union organizing, and Garcia led an immigrants rights activist group called Puente Arizona. Both also defeated their more traditional, experienced opponents. What does this surprising election say about how Phoenix is changing? And how will residents feel the effects? The Gaggle podcast hosts Yvonne Wingett Sanchez and Ron Hansen break it down with Phoenix City Hall reporter Jessica Boehm. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices