Arizona stories ready to republish | October 9, 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.

Arizonans will have a chance to put a stop to their taxpayer money being spent on diversity, equity and inclusion programs. On Nov. 3, Arizona residents will vote on Proposition 142, which would stop state money from funding DEI-related offices and programs. By Zachery Schmidt.

Trump vows no strikes on Iran before midterms
President Donald Trump says the United States won’t be striking Iran before the midterm elections, vowing also that Iran will never have a nuclear weapon.

Tens of thousands of illegal votes could be cast in Georgia, analyst warns
Vulnerabilities in Georgia's voting system could allow tens of thousands of potentially illegal ballots to be cast next month by people no longer living at their addresses of record, an elections data analyst is warning state officials.

DOJ launches “Tour against Hate” to address antisemitism nationwide
The U.S. Department of Justice is launching a new national initiative to target antisemitism. It’s Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism launched a new “American Tour Against Hate,” led by its chair, Leo Terrell. Its first event will be held in Southfield, Mich., on Wednesday, Oct. 14.

EXCLUSIVE: Congress urged to protect energy companies, consumers amid Suncor case
In light of the U.S. Supreme Court hearing oral arguments in the landmark climate case Suncor v. Boulder, energy worker advocacy group Power the Future called on Congress for swift passage of the Stop Climate Shakedowns Act of 2026 in order to protect energy companies from what it says are unfair lawsuits and consumers from higher prices. 

WATCH: School choice proponents want state, federal programs
States with existing school choice programs continue to opt into the federal Education Freedom Tax Credit Program, with supporters arguing the federal program can complement what the states offer.

Record farm payouts come as subsidies projected to top 30% of net farm income
The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced a record near $14 billion payout through two farmer safety net programs – not the first time the Trump administration has announced record amounts of taxpayer funding to America’s farmers.

DNC sues Trump over $20M ad campaign funded by taxpayers
The Democratic National Committee is suing the Trump administration for using millions of U.S. taxpayer dollars to fund what they claim are political television advertisements only weeks before the 2026 midterm elections.

Trump administration suspends Microsoft from visa program over fraud concerns
President Donald Trump's administration is targeting tech giant Microsoft, suspending the company from a program to apply for green cards for workers who come to the United States to live and work using an H-1B visa.Trump vows no strikes on Iran before midterms

Texas can’t spend $50M for ibogaine trials. Feds may fill the gap
Texas set aside $50 million for the psychoactive drug ibogaine trials on the condition that someone else match it. No drug company submitted a qualifying proposal. The federal government has offered to match state investments instead.

New scorecard for employers works to lower healthcare costs for Americans
Made possible by President Donald Trump’s February 2025 executive order on healthcare price transparency, the State Financial Officers Foundation and the Health Transformation Alliance released a new scorecard to audit employer healthcare spending and reduce healthcare costs for Americans.

Hinson, Turek spar over gas, tariffs, Iran
Candidates for U.S. Senate in Iowa debated plans to alleviate concerns over gas prices, the U.S. military conflict in Iran and tariffs, as partisan control of the upper chamber in Congress hangs in the balance. 

Ossoff, Collins debate healthcare, tariffs, gas prices
Candidates for U.S. Senate in Georgia debated over healthcare policy, gas prices and tariffs on Thursday night in a hotly contested race with national attention.

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FEMALE SPORTS: Arizona voters will decide on Nov. 3 whether to amend their state constitution to say biological males are not allowed to participate in female sports. By Zachery Schmidt.

ARIZONA GUBERNATORIAL RACE: Arizona Republican gubernatorial candidate Andy Biggs talks to “The States,” The Center Square’s daily podcast, about the issues. The Center Square is reaching out to Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs, Biggs’ opponent in the Nov. 3 election, for her reaction. By Chris Woodward.

VVP NONCITIZEN VOTING: More than half of American voters said they were at least “somewhat concerned” about noncitizens voting in the 2026 midterm elections, according to a new poll from The Center Square. Election integrity advocates add context to the data. (Andrew Rice, weekend) 

VVP FEDERAL DEFICIT: American voters are split 47% - 41% over whether cutting waste, fraud, and abuse in government programs is the most effective way to reduce the federal deficit; or whether making major changes to federal spending and tax policy is required. (Therese Boudreaux, weekend)

SCHOOL CHOICE OUTCOME: As public education remains a concern for taxpayers, supporters of school choice programs argue that giving families more educational options can improve student outcomes while providing greater flexibility at a lower cost. More than 30 states have some form of school choice program, while 30 states have opted into the Trump administration’s Education Freedom Tax Credit Program, which will take effect Jan. 1, 2027. (Esther Wickham)

STATE OFFICERS PAY: Ballotpedia found that the highest paid state officer in the country in 2025 was the New York Commissioner of Education with a salary of $489,000. Nine of the top 10 salaries surveyed were of appointed officials associated with educational administration in each respective state. (Andrew Rice, weekend) 

VVP TARIFFS: Most American voters say they, not foreign countries, ultimately pay for tariffs, with 58% naming U.S. consumers and just 15% naming foreign countries or companies, according to a new poll from The Center Square. Republicans and Republican-leaning voters name U.S. consumers over foreign countries 47% to 22%, yet still support tariffs 66% to 25% when told they would raise prices for American households and businesses. Economists weigh in on who the evidence says is paying. (Brett Rowland, weekend)

VVP DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY: As 2026 winds down, former Vice President Kamala Harris remains the clear frontrunner when Democrats are asked who they would choose in a presidential primary. (Morgan Sweeney, weekend)

DATA CENTER TAX BREAKS: Data centers are a contentious issue in the U.S., with many opposing them for environmental and energy reasons. But there’s also a belief that state and local politicians secure sweetheart deals for data centers, exempting them from paying their fair share. The National Taxpayers Union has completed two studies showing that when it comes to two types of taxes, this isn’t the case. (Morgan Sweeney, weekend)

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Dave Mason
Regional Editor
[email protected]