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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.

Democrats sue Postal Service over rule on mail-in ballots
Democratic attorneys general from California, 22 other states and the District of Columbia filed a lawsuit Wednesday morning against the U.S. Postal Service over its rule on mail-in ballots. Arizona is among the plaintiffs. By Dave Mason.

Arizona GOP chair slams Mayes for not charging Hobbs
Arizona Republican Party Chair Sergio Arellano criticized Attorney General Kris Mayes’ decision not to press charges against Gov. Katie Hobbs in an alleged pay-for-play scheme. On Friday, Mayes announced her office would not pursue criminal charges against the governor after an investigation into allegations that Sunshine Residential Homes made political donations that influenced the state's approval for Sunshine's rate increases. By Zachery Schmidt.

Arizona cities reassess use of Flock cameras
Arizona local governments continue to grapple with how they should handle Flock cameras. As of August, many cities have either adjusted their Flock camera policies or ended their contract with the automatic license plate reader company. Opponents say the cameras and their data violate people’s constitutional rights, but supporters say the cameras are useful in solving crimes. By Zachery Schmidt.

Poll: Republicans' chances of controlling Congress in 2027 appear shaky
Four months out from the 2026 midterm elections, Republicans’ chances of maintaining control of Congress appear slim, new polling shows.

Taxpayer Philanthropy: Detransitioner suing a surgeon linked to trans-care nonprofit
Before North Carolina passed a new law in 2023 outlawing body-altering gender treatments on minors, lawmakers heard testimony from Prisha Mosley, a young detransitioner who spoke of "severe and lasting injuries" after being convinced as a teen that she was a boy born in the wrong body.

SAVE America Act supporters clamoring for U.S. Senate to pass bill
When Congress returns in September, it faces a backlog of legislative priorities including major bills funding U.S. farms, road and water infrastructure, and the entire federal government. But with midterm elections fast approaching, no issue is more pressing to Republicans closely aligned with the Trump administration than election security, in particular, passing the contentious SAVE America Act.

Massachusetts did not follow its own climate rules, lawsuit reveals 
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is in hot water as a prolonged legal battle revealed the state ignored policies to limit emissions tied to climate change. 

Trump floats renaming Lake Ontario as trade war escalates
President Donald Trump said he's giving "serious consideration" to renaming Lake Ontario "Lake America" amid trade tensions with Canada that could test a 1989 agreement on naming features the two countries share.

Musk won't be charged for $1M checks at Wisconsin rally
Elon Musk will not be charged with a crime following a review of complaints against Musk reviewed by La Crosse County District Attorney Tim Gruenke forwarded from the Wisconsin Elections Commission.
The complaints centered around accusations that Musk attempted to bribe voters with a pair of $1 million checks given to two people at a rally before the state’s 2025 Supreme Court election. 

South Carolina tops nation in young home ownership
South Carolina leads the nation in home ownership for young people, according to a new report.   Planera, a construction scheduling firm, analyzed U.S. Census Bureau Data to determine how many individuals ages 15 to 34 held a mortgage in each state. South Carolina led the rankings with 12.64% of young people holding a mortgage. 

16 state AGs call out Big Four accounting firms for prioritizing climate goals, ESG
Sixteen state attorneys general are calling on the “Big Four Accounting Firms” by letter for accountability over their actions that prioritize Environmental, Social, Governance investment strategies and climate goals, which will prove to be detrimental to consumers, the officials say.

Agency's $140B uranium plan not fully reported to Congress
A federal agency estimated it will cost about $140 billion to enrich uranium for national security through 2105, but hasn't reported that figure to Congress as required, a watchdog found.

Report: AI for students may still promote DEI ideology
Diversity, equity and inclusion principles will still be promoted to American students through AI that’s been infused with the identity-based ideology, despite educational institutions’ recent backtracking, a new report from Defending Education warns.

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META SETTLES LAWSUIT: Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, is settling a lawsuit over addressing risks to youth using social media. California, Arizona and Colorado are among the states that sued Meta, and the lawsuit trial had already started in Oakland when Meta agreed to the settlement. By Chris Woodward.

MINING EDUCATION: The U.S. Department of Energy is giving $100 million to mining schools across America. University of Arizona’s School of Mining and Mineral Resources is among those seeking the federal funds. The Center Square discussed the education initiative with the Department of Energy. By Zachery Schmidt.

TCS VVP: American voters say local communities should be able to limit data centers if they cause a strain on electricity, water, land or infrastructure, according to a new poll.

VETERAN CARE: The Center Square speaks with Jim Whaley, a veteran and policy advocate about the Take Care of America’s Veterans Act, legislation that would provide consequential resources for veteran mental health programs. (Andrew Rice) 

MAINTENANCE BUDGET: The Department of War requested nearly $20 billion for facility upkeep in fiscal 2025 but funds only about 80% of its maintenance needs, short of its own 90% goal, leaving an estimated $285 billion backlog across a portfolio of more than 736,000 facilities. (Brett Rowland)

TCS VVP ISSUES: Inflation remains voters' top concern heading into the 2026 midterms, with 20% of registered voters naming it the single most important issue facing the country and 41% ranking it among their top three, according to The Center Square's newest Voters' Voice Poll. The economy (12%), government corruption (9%) and healthcare (7%) followed, a fiscal-heavy top tier that echoes independent Pew polling from July. (Brett Rowland)

REAL ESTATE SETTLEMENT: The FTC and five state attorneys general announced a settlement resolving their antitrust case against Zillow and Redfin, requiring Redfin to reenter the rental listing market it abandoned after Zillow paid it $100 million to stop competing. (Brett Rowland)

HEALTH DEPARTMENT CRACKDOWN: A Missouri woman serving free breakfast to her neighbors was told by local health officials that she needs a permit to continue or could face jail time. The Goldwater Institute has gotten involved in her case, saying the health department is overstepping. (Morgan Sweeney)

TCS VVP: A majority of American voters are concerned with the growing influence of socialism and communism in politics, according to a new poll. (Sarah Roderick-Fitch)

HOME SALES: Sales of new single family homes dropped 10% in July from the previous month as mortgage rates continue to creep up. (Therese Boudreaux)

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Dave Mason
Regional Editor
[email protected]