The Gaggle: An Arizona politics podcast

Allister Adel was named the first female Maricopa County attorney on Oct. 3, replacing Bill Montgomery, who was appointed to the Arizona Supreme Court in September. Last week, she announced her transition team and outlined how she plans to move forward in her new appointment. Adel sat down with Ronald Hansen, host of The Gaggle podcast from The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com, for a one-on-one interview. She outlined what changes she has planned for the Maricopa County Attorney's Office and how she hopes to regain the trust of the community while the office faces ethics complaints.Listen to the 13-minute interview below to hear more. In this episode you'll hear:  A short biography of Adel's career Adel's response to the ethic complaints against prosecutor Juan Martinez Our experts' thoughts about the 2020 election for the office of Maricopa County attorney Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hoping to capture the attention of Arizona voters, presidential candidate Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colo., met with local education leaders during a round table at Tempe High School last week. He also sat down with Yvonne Wingett Sanchez, the host of The Gaggle podcast from The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com, for a one-on-one interview. During the interview, Bennet explained why his message should resonate with Arizona voters. He also discussed his concerns over the impeachment inquiry. Listen to the 11-minute interview below to hear more from the candidate.In this episode you'll hear:  Bennet's plan to address the immigration issues in the country His thoughts on how to help middle-class citizens in America Thoughts from our experts on why Bennet is remaining in the race Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Navajo Generating Station closing is a case study for what will be repeated dozens of times across the west: The coal industry has been declining for decades and many plants won't survive.From President John F. Kennedy in the 1960s to current President Donald Trump, saving coal has been a large talking point for politicians. However, because it's cheaper to meet electricity demand with other forms of renewable energy, many coal plants are finding it hard to stay open. This week's episode of The Gaggle podcast looks at the impact NGS's closing has on the plant workers and local communities. We hear from Ryan Randazzo, a business reporter, who breaks down what is in store for the future. In this episode you'll hear:  What economic harm will be caused by the Navajo Generating Station's closure Who tried to save it Whether there are any benefits to closing it Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, you'll hear O'Rourke's discuss:His plans to win Arizona as a progressive Democrat How to make meaningful healthcare changesThe impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump The country's standing with ally nations Whether his gun proposal makes it less likely to get something done Border security and illegal immigration The economy  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Can the Democratic governor of Montana win over supporters of President Donald Trump? That's what Gov. Steve Bullock is betting on. The 2020 presidential candidate is polling too low to make it on stage for any of the Democratic debates so far, but he hasn't dropped out of the race. In this week's episode of The Gaggle, a politics podcast from The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com, Bullock told national political reporter Ronald J. Hansen that he's the only candidate in the Democratic field who can win in red states. Bullock said his ability to speak to conservative voters is what sets him apart from his opponents. Listen to this 15-minute interview to hear more about Bullock's policy priorities and strategy for beating President Donald Trump in the 2020 general election, should he win the primary.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When Vice President Mike Pence came to Phoenix this week, high-dollar donors weren't the only ones to hear from him. In this week's bonus episode of The Gaggle, a politics podcast from The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com, Pence spoke to host Yvonne Wingett Sanchez for an exclusive one-on-one interview. Pence talked to us about Sen. Martha McSally, R-Ariz., and why he supports her election in 2020. Listen to this six minute interview to hear Pence's response to the impeachment inquiry and what is in the future for the Trump-Pence team.In this episode you'll hear: Why he supports McSally's 2020 campaignA response from Pence about the Ukraine controversy A breakdown of the interview and what it means for the 2020 senate race Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A member-by-member breakdown of where Arizona's leaders in the Senate and House of Representatives stand and the political implications for each.National political reporters Yvonne Wingett Sanchez and Ron Hansen talk about:Sen. Kyrsten SinemaSen. Martha McSally Rep. Debbie LeskoRep. David Schweikert Rep. Paul GosarRep. Raul Grijalva Rep. Greg StantonRep. Ann Kirkpatrick Rep. Tom O'HalleranRep. Ruben GallegoRep. Andy Biggs  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Arizona Supreme Court ruled in a 4-3 decision this month to allow the owners of Brush & Nib Studio to refuse to make custom wedding invitations for gay and lesbian couples.In 2016, the owners sued the City of Phoenix over its anti-discrimination ordinance. The ruling seems like it only affects one business, but it could have broad impacts across Arizona and maybe even rise to the U.S. Supreme Court. This week, The Gaggle podcast will break down how this state Supreme Court decision could impact same-sex couples and other minority groups. In this episode, we hear from Jessica Boehm, a Phoenix city hall reporter, and Shaun McKinnon, who previously reported on legal rights for the LGBT community. In the episode you'll hear: How the case about wedding invitations for same-sex couples got to the Arizona Supreme Court What next steps the city might take How the LGBT community reacted to the legal decision Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

By now, you've likely seen headlines about vaping and how it's caused illness in hundreds of people across the U.S. and even a handful of confirmed deaths. How popular is vaping in Arizona? Is vaping causing lung illnesses or deaths in metro Phoenix? How might the concern over vaping affect the state's medical-marijuana industry, which is one of the largest in the country? In this week's episode of The Gaggle, a podcast from The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com, hosts and political reporters Yvonne Wingett Sanchez and Ron Hansen talk with health care reporter Stephanie Innes and marijuana reporter Ryan Randazzo about the rise of vaping in Arizona.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bill Montgomery is the newest Arizona Supreme Court justice appointed by Gov. Doug Ducey.The Arizona Supreme Court decides thousands of cases that affect your everyday lives, from education funding to abortion policies. (To hear more about it, listen to The Gaggle podcast's May 15 episode about the Arizona Supreme Court and Ducey’s previous appointments.)This week, The Gaggle podcast will break down what you need to know about Montgomery's controversial prosecutorial record, his conservative politics and how he might approach the job of jurist on the state's highest court. Hosts Yvonne Wingett Sanchez and Ronald Hansen talk with Arizona Republic reporters Lauren Castle and Robert Anglen about this new appointment and how it might affect life in Arizona. In the episode you'll hear: What's at stake for Montgomery with this ethics complaintHow his appointment will shape the future of the state Supreme CourtHow his childhood shaped his political ideology Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices