The Gaggle: An Arizona politics podcast

Gov. Doug Ducey awards his inner circle hefty pay increases while giving Arizona teachers less than a 1 percent raise. Steve Bannon visits Scottsdale and gives his full support to Kelli Ward in Arizona’s 2018 Senate race against Sen. Jeff Flake. President Donald Trump has yet to give Ward his endorsement and Flake disregards polls. A family feud erupts between Rep. Paul Gosar and his brother, David Gosar, after Paul made claims in a Vice News interview that the liberal activist George Soros helped the Nazis. And Arizona Secretary of State Michele Reagan says the Department of Homeland Security cannot confirm if Arizona voters were hacked by Russia in the 2016 election. Follow the team on Twitter: Host and politics editor Michael Squires @mgsquires, the governor’s office and state politics reporter Yvonne Wingett Sanchez @yvonnewingett, legislative reporter Dustin Gardiner @dustingardiner, congressional reporter Ron J. Hansen @ronaldjhansen, investigative reporter Craig Harris @charrisazrep and national political reporter Dan Nowicki @dannowicki. This episode was edited by Hayley Sanchez @heyyhayhayley. Find more at politics.azcentral.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Arizona’s Congressman Paul Gosar suggested in a Vice News interview that the violent, white supremacist rally in Charlottesville was planned by “an Obama sympathizer,” and said that George Soros, a liberal activist, turned Jews over to the Nazis. The dominoes are falling in Congressional District 9 after Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton announced his campaign to run for Congress. Arizona schools are upset by the letter grades issued by the Arizona Department of Education and the Board of Education. And the Department of Water Resources delayed a large home development project in Casa Grande because of a Pinal County’s lack of groundwater supply. Follow the team on Twitter: Host and politics editor Michael Squires @mgsquires, the governor’s office and state politics reporter Yvonne Wingett Sanchez @yvonnewingett, legislative reporter Dustin Gardiner @dustingardiner, congressional reporter Ron J. Hansen @ronaldjhansen, Phoenix city hall reporter Jessica Boehm @jboehm_NEWS, education reporter Ricardo Cano @Ricardo_Cano1. This episode was edited by Hayley Sanchez @heyyhayhayley. Find more at politics.azcentral.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Arizona’s 2018 Senate race just got interesting with U.S. Rep. Kyrsten Sinema joining the run, finally ending months of speculation. She will run against Sen. Jeff Flake and several others, including Deedra Abboud. The Department of Child Safety also faces a class action lawsuit, which was filed 2 years ago, and says that the Arizona Foster Care System is failing children. The state of Arizona has removed about 5,500 kids within the last reporting period and many wonder how long until effective changes are made. Vice President Mike Pence also visited Phoenix this week and met with Gov. Doug Ducey over Arnold Palmers and chips to discuss Republican’s tax reform plans. Follow the team on Twitter: Host and politics editor Michael Squires @mgsquires, legislative reporter Dustin Gardiner @dustingardiner, state and government reporter Mary Jo Pitzl @maryjpitzl, and congressional reporter Ron J. Hansen @ronaldjhansen. This episode was edited by Hayley Sanchez @heyyhayhayley. Find more at politics.azcentral.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sen. John McCain does not support the Graham-Cassidy health care bill, another failed Republican attempt to repeal and replace “Obamacare.” President Donald Trump lashed out in a series of tweets over the weekend and said, “Without McCain, we’d already have the heath care.” After many months, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security says that Russia tried to hack Arizona’s voter registration during the 2016 election. But officials are unsure if the new information was a hack previously reported or if it’s a new attack. Follow the team on Twitter: Host and politics editor Michael Squires @mgsquires, legislative reporter Alia Rau @aliarau, national political reporter Dan Nowicki @dannowicki and legislative reporter Dustin Gardiner @dustingardiner. This episode was edited by Johanna Huckeba @jojo_huck and Hayley Sanchez @heyyhayhayley. Find more at politics.azcentral.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“Build the Wall.” Three words energized a campaign. But could it be done? What would it cost? What would it accomplish? Our search for answers became this, a landmark new report, “The Wall” with special guest Nicole Carroll, top editor of The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com. Find "The Wall: Reporting on the Border" on Apple Podcasts at http://apple.co/2f00BmW or wherever you find podcasts. Find the entire project at https://www.usatoday.com/border-wall/. Follow the team on Twitter: Host and politics editor Michael Squires @mgsquires, vice president and top editor Nicole Carroll @nicole_carroll, national political reporter Dan Nowicki @dannowicki, congressional reporter Ron Hansen @ronaldjhansen, legislative and government reporter Mary Jo Pitzl @maryjpitzl This episode was edited by Hayley Sanchez @heyyhayhayley. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Representatives from 22 states gathered at the Arizona Capitol for the convening of America's first national convention of states in more than 150 years. Meanwhile, the Arizona Attorney General's Office is suing the Arizona Board of Regents for "dramatically and unconstitutionally" increasing the price of in-state tuition at the state's three universities. Follow the team on Twitter: Host and politics editor Michael Squires @mgsquires, legislative reporter Alia Rau @aliarau, governor’s office and state politics reporter Yvonne Wingett Sanchez @yvonnewingett, and national political reporter Dan Nowicki @dannowicki. This episode was edited by Johanna Huckeba @jojo_huck and Hayley Sanchez @heyyhayhayley. Find more at politics.azcentral.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's official: Voters will decide whether Arizona moves forward with or rejects a massive expansion of the state's school-voucher program. DACA protects about 28,000 Arizonans – how will its end change their lives? Plus, a rundown of the long list of things Arizona's representatives in Congress have to do this session. Follow the team on Twitter: Host and politics editor Michael Squires @mgsquires, governor’s office and state politics reporter Yvonne Wingett Sanchez @yvonnewingett, national political reporter Dan Nowicki @dannowicki and congressional delegation reporter Ron Hansen @ronaldjhansen. This episode was edited by Johanna Huckeba @jojo_huck and Hayley Sanchez @heyyhayhayley. Find more at politics.azcentral.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After being pardoned by President Donald Trump, what are the chances former Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio will get back into politics? Could a bill pass that would ban covering your face during a protest? Follow the team on Twitter: Host and politics editor Michael Squires @mgsquires, legislative reporter Alia Rau @aliarau, governor’s office and state politics reporter Yvonne Wingett Sanchez @yvonnewingett, and national political reporter Dan Nowicki @dannowicki. This episode was edited by Johanna Huckeba @jojo_huck. Find more at politics.azcentral.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

President Donald Trump took shots at Sens. John McCain and Jeff Flake, Arizona Republicans who have repeatedly crossed him, without mentioning their names at his Tuesday rally. Meanwhile, Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey and controversial former Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio were absent. In other news, the group seeking to refer the state's new school-voucher expansion law to the ballot cleared an important hurdle, and two Democrats heat up their race for governor. Follow the team on Twitter: Host and politics editor Michael Squires @mgsquires, governor’s office and state politics reporter Yvonne Wingett Sanchez @yvonnewingett, national political reporter Dan Nowicki @dannowicki and congressional delegation reporter Ron Hansen @ronaldjhansen. This episode was edited by Johanna Huckeba @jojo_huck. Find more at politics.azcentral.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The team watches for Rep. Kyrsten Sinema to announce a likely run for the U.S. Senate seat held by Jeff Flake. U.S. Rep. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., calls President Trump a 'racist' and a 'coward' after his comments on Charlottesville. Investigations into reports of child neglect have dropped, even though calls to Arizona's child-abuse hotline hold steady. Save Our Schools Arizona slams the vetting process for a school-voucher referendum. Follow the team on Twitter: Host and politics editor Michael Squires @mgsquires, governor’s office and state politics reporter Yvonne Wingett Sanchez @yvonnewingett, investigative reporter Mary Jo Pitzl @maryjpitzl, and congressional delegation reporter Ron Hansen @ronaldjhansen. This episode was edited by Hannah Gaber @HannahSGS. Find more at politics.azcentral.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices