Arizona stories ready to republish | October 12, 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.

Andy Biggs stresses affordability, border security in Arizona
U.S. Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Arizona, is framing his campaign for governor around economic affordability, water management and border security, drawing a sharp contrast with the Democratic incumbent, Gov. Katie Hobbs. In an interview with "The States," The Center Square's daily podcast, Biggs criticized the Hobbs administration’s fiscal and regulatory track record, arguing that Arizona has slipped under the governor’s leadership. By Chris Woodward.

Arizonans to vote on increased protections for girls’ sports
Arizonans have a chance on Nov. 3 to strengthen Arizona’s state law preventing biological males from competing in female sports. Currently Arizona is one of 27 states with a law that stops transgender athletes from playing in female sports. By Zachery Schmidt.

Poll: $2 trillion federal deficit alarms voters, eludes single popular solution
With the federal government borrowing $2 trillion over the past 12 months, 88% of U.S. voters say addressing the federal deficit is important – yet they disagree on what the best solution is, new polling shows.

‘Super intelligence’ has some early takers, plenty of skepticism
Whether the Sept. 29 executive order of second-term President Donald Trump related to computer systems, software and processes that can emulate aspects of human work and cognition changes vocabulary beyond his administration will be told with time. For now, replacing the term “artificial intelligence” with “super intelligence” is his request. Writing on social media this week, Trump doubled down by saying anyone using “artificial intelligence” as opposed to “super intelligence” is an “enemy” of the White House. By Alan Wooten.

Poll: Majority of voters concerned about socialists running for office
A majority of American voters are concerned with socialist candidates running and possibly winning political office, according to a new poll. The Center Square Voters’ Voice poll found that 55% of American voters are concerned about Democratic Socialist candidates running for and winning elected office in the U.S., while 37% aren’t concerned.

Poll: Majority of Americans say U.S. consumers pay tariff costs
Most American voters say U.S. consumers ultimately pay for tariffs, a new national poll found. The White House says foreign exporters do. The Center Square Voters’ Voice Poll found 58% of registered voters said U.S. consumers pay most of the cost of tariffs through higher prices. Sixteen percent said U.S. companies that import goods pay the tariffs, 15% said foreign countries or foreign companies do, and 11% weren’t sure.

School choice improves learning at a lower cost, analysts say
As public education remains a concern for taxpayers, supporters of school choice programs argue that giving families more educational options can improve student outcomes at a lower cost. This concludes a three-part series. 

Taxpayer group: Some state tax policies disadvantage data centers
The buildings that house thousands of computer servers powering cloud computing and artificial intelligence have increasingly caught heat over environmental and energy concerns. Another common criticism is that state and local governments offer data centers sweetheart deals to attract them, including tax breaks and other incentives, potentially leaving ordinary residents to shoulder some of the costs associated with their development. But the National Taxpayers Union has released a pair of studies in a series arguing that at least two common state tax policies treat data centers less favorably than other industries.

Report: Unelected officials take top salaries
Some of the highest-paid state executives across the country in 2025 were unelected education officials, according to a new report. Ballotpedia curated a report detailing the salaries of top-ranking state officials across the country in 2025. The list found that nine of the top 10 highest paid officials were appointed to their positions.

Coast Guard exceeds recruiting goals, largest enlisted class in nearly 4 decades
The U.S. Coast Guard has surpassed its recruiting goals for the third consecutive year.  Under the Trump administration, the Coast Guard now has its largest enlisted class in nearly four decades. 

Everyday Economics: Higher rates have winners. The price squeeze leaves most households worse off.
Higher interest rates divide households. Savers holding cash or buying new bonds can earn more interest. Borrowers taking out new loans or carrying variable-rate debt pay more. Existing bondholders can suffer losses as inflation and yields rise, while stock-market gains cushion households with substantial portfolios.

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CONGRESSIONAL RACES: The Center Square previews congressional races in Arizona as part of a series about the Nov. 3 general election. By Zachery Schmidt.

TCS POLL DEFICITS: With the federal government borrowing $2 trillion over the past 12 months, 88% of U.S. voters say addressing the federal deficit is important – yet they disagree on what the best solution is, new polling shows. The Center Square’s Voters’ Voice Poll found that 47% of voters surveyed think that simply cutting government waste, fraud, and abuse can “significantly reduce” the deficit. By contrast, 41% think reducing the deficit will require "major changes to federal spending and taxes

TCS POLL NONCITIZEN VOTING: With the 2026 midterm elections only three weeks away, more than half of Americans reported being concerned about noncitizens voting in November, according to a new poll. The Center Square’s Voters Voice Poll found that 54% of registered voters are at least “somewhat concerned” about noncitizens voting in the 2026 midterm elections. About 33% of respondents said they were “very concerned” about noncitizen voting and about 21% reported being “slightly concerned” about the issue ahead of the midterm elections.

EXPENSIVE SPYING: The Georgia Department of Human Services, which oversees the state's child welfare agency, paid more than $950,000 for just one Chevrolet Traverse. But most of the cost apparently is for sophisticated spying equipment that will be used by a unit tasked with rescuing sex-trafficked foster teens, an investigation by The Center Square found.

GEORGIA DEBATES: The Atlanta Press Club is hosting several debates in races across Georgia as competition heats up ahead of the midterm elections. The Center Square will report on races for Lt. Governor, Attorney, General, Secretary of State and the Public Service Commission. (Andrew Rice) 

VVP DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY: Former Vice President Kamala Harris maintains the support of roughly 40% of Democratic registered voters for the 2028 Democratic primary.(Morgan Sweeney)

VVP REPUBLICAN PRIMARY: The Center Square will report findings from the latest Voters’ Voice Poll on who Republicans would choose if the 2028 Republican primary were held today. (Morgan Sweeney)

CAMPAIGN TRAIL: President Donald Trump is set to hit the campaign trail hard this week, crisscrossing the U.S. as the midterm elections are less than a month away. (Sarah Roderick-Fitch)

VVP HOUSEHOLD FINANCES: Seven in 10 American voters say they are treading water or falling behind financially, with 41% reporting their income stayed flat while expenses rose and 15% saying their income fell outright, according to a new poll from The Center Square. Just 10% say their income outpaced their expenses. The squeeze lands hardest on lower earners: 22% of voters making under $50,000 report falling income, against 6% of those making more than $100,000. Economists weigh in on the gap between a growing economy and household budgets. (Brett Rowland)

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Dave Mason
Regional Editor
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