Arizona stories ready to republish | October 21, 2026

Below are today’s Arizona and national stories, available for immediate republication. You can access them via The Center Square RSS feed or BLOX Content Exchange.

Gallego rallies against sky-high gas, diesel prices in Phoenix
A jet-black Suburban rambled into the tight confines of a Chevron gas station in Midtown Phoenix Tuesday afternoon. After the Secret Service-grade detail with Arizona plates ambled its way into a parking spot, U.S. Sen. Ruben Gallego, the state's junior senator, got out and talked to reporters Tuesday afternoon about a topic on voters' minds two weeks before the midterm election: the nation's sky-high gas and diesel prices. Gallego blamed the conflict with Iran. By Christopher Boan.

Kelly warns Prop. 144 would disenfranchise Arizonan voters
U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Arizona, blasted the state's voter ID proposition as voter disenfranchisement as he stood with local labor, political and spiritual leaders Tuesday in Phoenix. The men and women in the windowless conference room, tucked deep inside the United Food and Commercial Workers local's hall, oppose Proposition 144. They said the Nov. 3 ballot measure would wipe out the state’s most popular form of voting: mail-in ballots. By Christopher Boan.

Ansari, other congressional Dems seek end to sexual violence
Three congressional Democratic representatives talked about dangers that female politicians face frequently during a press conference Tuesday inside a Midtown Phoenix high-rise office building. The trio of lawmakers, led by first-term U.S. Rep. Yassamin Ansari of Arizona, rallied in support of Democratic Congressional candidate Bernadette Greene-Placentia, who reported being raped while fixing a campaign sign over the summer. By Christopher Boan.

U.S. EPA supports Maricopa County rule to reduce emissions
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is supporting a Maricopa County plan to encourage businesses to replace old, high-polluting non-road vehicles with cleaner technologies. The EPA says there's no cost to taxpayers. By Zachery Schmidt.

Taxpayer Philanthropy: Nonprofit pays Michelle Obama aide $700k
A former policy director for First Lady Michelle Obama was paid nearly $700,000 in total compensation last year despite revenue to the taxpayer-funded refugee resettlement organization plummeting by nearly $130 million, an investigation by The Center Square found. 

Poll: Limits on license plate reader use, retention needed for privacy
Most registered voters say that license plate reader cameras should be used only in serious crimes or emergency situations, or with limits to protect privacy, according to a new poll.

Trump announces release of Russian-held American prisoner
Stephen Hubbard, a retired American teacher from Michigan, has been released from a Russian prison, according to President Donald Trump.

New fraud whistleblower program pays up to $30,000 per qualifying tip
The Trump administration is starting a new $25 million program that will pay Americans who discover and report instances of fraud up to $30,000 per qualifying tip.

What the U.S. Senate's permitting bill means for data center development 
Although Congress failed to pass the Ratepayer Protection Act, another bipartisan bill the U.S. Senate intends to take up would codify even stronger protections for American taxpayers facing surging electric bills due to data centers.

Importer sues over $40M in cheese duties under 1930 tariff law
A family-run food importer says new tariffs on Canadian cheese will cost it an estimated $40 million a year on products that entered the United States duty-free until last month.

Report: $16M not enough to address federal office vacancies
Federal agencies have spent $16 million since January 2025 to assess how office buildings are being used across the government, but a new report said it does not do enough.  

U.S. Supreme Court declines to weigh Maine's 72-hour waiting period
Maine's three-day "cooling off" period for firearm purchases remains in effect after the U.S. Supreme Court declined to consider a challenge to the controversial new requirement. 

Plaintiffs in Maryland case stress equal opportunities for all
After the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to hear a lawsuit challenging admissions policies at middle schools in Montgomery County, Maryland, an attorney for the plaintiffs said the Constitution guarantees everyone an equal opportunity, regardless of race.

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MESA UNIFIED PROP. 419: One of Arizona’s most populated school districts is asking voters to approve a $449 million school bond at a time where enrollment has declined by 16% over the last decade. The Center Square will discuss why the district’s asking voters to approve such a large measure now, talking with experts from Common Sense Institute of Arizona, the Goldwater Institute, Arizona Education Association and, of course, the district itself. By Christopher Boan. 

EL Niño IN ARIZONA: As a potentially historic El Niño pattern sets its sights on the U.S, The Center Square will talk to economists from the University of Arizona, meteorologists from the National Weather Service and the university’s water experts to break down how this winter’s natural disasters could leave taxpayers in Arizona and across the American Southwest on the hook. By Christopher Boan. 

VVP TRUMP PERFORMANCE: More than half of Americans disapprove of President Donald Trump’s job performance, including his handling of the economy, according to The Center Square Voters’ Voice Poll. 

PREDICTION MARKETS: House members can still bet on what Congress does, and no rule requires them to report it. The Senate banned the practice in April and told senators in May how to disclose it. CBO priced a House ban at effectively nothing on Monday, citing “limited evidence” that members trade these markets. The bill cleared committee 5 to 4 in June and the report has never been filed. The House Ethics Committee’s chief counsel responded to questions with two words: “No comment.” (Brett Rowland)

FRAUD ANNOUNCEMENT: Vice President JD Vance will make a fraud announcement in Cincinnati on Wednesday. (Andrew Rice) 

VVP: A majority of American voters don’t want to live in communities where socialist candidates have gained influence, according to the The Center Square’s Voters’ Voice Poll. (Sarah Roderick-Fitch)

PRISONER RELEASE: President Donald Trump announced the release of Stephen Hubbard, an American kept prisoner in Russia since 2022, with the president stressing there was no “swap” regarding Hubbard’s release. (Sarah Roderick-Fitch)

VVP ECONOMY: A month ahead of the midterm elections, slightly more Americans indicated they had more confidence in the Democratic Party when it came to handling the economy, according to the latest Center Square poll. (Morgan Sweeney)

ROUNDTABLE: President Donald Trump is holding a roundtable at the White House Wednesday afternoon. (Morgan Sweeney)

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Dave Mason
Regional Editor
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