Arizona

Gov. Katie Hobbs wants to make Arizona more affordable. Can she do it?

Published

2 months ago

January 12, 2026

Gov. Katie Hobbs wants to make Arizona more affordable. Can she do it?

Gov. Katie Hobbs put her focus squarely on making life more affordable for Arizonans feeling the pinch of higher costs in the final State of the State speech of her first term as governor.

Hobbs’ 45-minute speech was given to Arizona lawmakers and their guests at the state House of Representatives, but its message appeared targeted to Arizona voters stressed by risings costs. Hobbs, a Democrat seeking reelection this November, repeatedly turned back to efforts to make life more affordable, and the governor portrayed that as one area to find common ground with the Republican majority at the Capitol.

Hobbs spoke about the issue in personal terms, noting that she worked at Pizza Hut to put herself through college and took extra jobs to support her family when she was a lawmaker.

“Affordability isn’t a joke or some hoax,” Hobbs said. “It’s a real and consequential challenge that families across Arizona must grapple with every day. Pocketbooks are strained, and Arizonans need their elected officials to take action.”

Hobbs called on lawmakers to “immediately” pass her version of a plan to replicate part of President Donald Trump’s massive tax package, signed into law in July.

The speech was light on new policy announcements, but Hobbs did reiterate her goals to create new fees on short-term rentals and data centers in order to fund aid for families to pay their utility bills and water conservation, respectively.

Hobbs did announce that the Arizona Department of Water Resources had created a groundwater management area in La Paz County, a process that had been underway and is the second administratively created regulation area in the state.

Hobbs talked vaguely about plans to reduce the state’s expenditures by $100 million over the next three years, which she dubbed the Arizona Capacity and Efficiency Initiative. She also spoke in support of funding K-12 public education, and foreshadowed changes she will propose to the state’s private school voucher program called Empowerment Scholarship Accounts. More details of both proposals are expected to be released on Jan. 16, when Hobbs debuts her budget plan.

“In my plan, the original mission of the ESA program — to help kids with disabilities and in military families — remains untouched,” Hobbs said. “But even the program’s most ardent supporters must agree: it’s time we tackle the waste, fraud, and abuse to ensure taxpayer dollars are going towards true educational purposes.”

In targeting waste, fraud and abuse, Hobbs borrowed a piece of political rhetoric often used by the Trump administration. She repeatedly portrayed Arizona’s government as efficient and effective when compared to the leadership in Washington, D.C.

“We delivered 10 million school meals to children who needed them while Washington cut food assistance and then held it hostage during the federal government shutdown,” Hobbs said of her work in 2025. “And the budget we passed was bipartisan and balanced, while the Washington budget was partisan and skyrocketed the national debt by trillions of dollars — leaving our children and grandchildren to pick up the tab for our federal government’s reckless and irresponsible spending.”

She also blasted the federal government for rejecting an emergency declaration after flooding swept through Globe and parts of Gila County last year. Hobbs used the issue as one of several throughout her speech to call for bipartisanship.

“I hope elected officials on both sides of this chamber, and in Congress, join me in calling on (the Federal Emergency Management Agency) to right this wrong and reverse their callous decision to deny our communities emergency assistance,” Hobbs said. “To the people of Globe and Miami — you deserve better than this. We will continue to fight for you and all Arizonans — especially when Washington, D.C. won’t.”

While many of Hobbs’ goals prompted standing ovations from Democratic lawmakers in the chamber, the speech was received coolly by Republicans. Still, it was also notable that the lengthy address did not prompt antics as in prior years, when GOP lawmakers turned their backs on the governor or left the chamber entirely.

Hobbs did not discuss issues that have animated Democrats in past elections, such as LGBTQ rights or abortion access, save for passing references to allowing Arizonans the freedom “to decide who to love” and “to make your own medical decisions, including how and when to grow your family.”

“She sounded more like a Republican,” said Rep. Matt Gress, R-Phoenix and a former staffer for GOP Gov. Doug Ducey.

Gress pointed to Hobbs’ calls for $100 million in spending reductions, and her nod to her request the Trump administration pay Arizona over $760 million for border costs. Hobbs also mentioned her past deployment of the Arizona National Guard to the border, and her task forces that she said have helped seize more than 16,000 pounds of fentanyl, 1,200 firearms and made over 1,400 arrests.

“While the federal government uses law enforcement resources to score political points in cities thousands of miles from the southern border, Arizona is laser-focused on securing the border, getting drugs off the streets, and cracking down on criminals poisoning our neighborhoods and our children,” she said.

This is a developing story. Return to azcentral.com for updates.

Reach reporter Stacey Barchenger at stacey.barchenger@arizonarepublic.com or 480-416-5669.

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Arizona

3 men sentenced in Arizona for multi-million dollar scam against Amazon

Published

5 hours ago

March 4, 2026

Press Room

3 men sentenced in Arizona for multi-million dollar scam against Amazon

PHOENIX (AZFamily) — Three Valley men have been sentenced for their roles in what prosecutors described as a “sophisticated fraud scheme” against an online shopping giant.

In a news release, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said Mughith Faisal, 29, of Glendale, was sentenced on Feb. 5 to 18 months in prison. His brother, Basheer Faisal, 28, of Glendale, was also recently ordered to spend 18 months in prison.

The feds said a third defendant in the case, Abdullah Alwan, 28, of Surprise, was sentenced to six months in prison after the trio pleaded guilty to wire fraud.

Prosecutors said the three were also each ordered to pay $1.5 million in restitution to Amazon.

According to federal officials, Alwan worked in Amazon’s logistics division and left the company in 2021 when he reportedly used his knowledge to manipulate rates for transportation deliveries assigned to Amazon’s third-party carriers.

The feds said Basheer and Mughith Faisal used “Blue Line Transport” to knowingly get to increased transport rates that Alwan would then input into Amazon’s system, ripping them off out of $4.5 million.

The FBI’s Phoenix Division helped in the investigation, which was then prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona.

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Arizona

Arizona Lottery Mega Millions, Pick 3 results for March 3, 2026

Published

17 hours ago

March 4, 2026

Press Room

Arizona Lottery Mega Millions, Pick 3 results for March 3, 2026

The Arizona Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.

Here’s a look at Tuesday, March 3, 2026 results for each game:

Winning Mega Millions numbers

07-21-53-54-62, Mega Ball: 16

Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 3 numbers

2-0-8

Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Fantasy 5 numbers

02-05-18-27-41

Check Fantasy 5 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Triple Twist numbers

11-14-17-19-23-24

Check Triple Twist payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news and results

What time is the Powerball drawing?

Powerball drawings are at 7:59 p.m. Arizona time on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays.

How much is a Powerball lottery ticket today?

In Arizona, Powerball tickets cost $2 per game, according to the Arizona Lottery.

How to play the Powerball

To play, select five numbers from 1 to 69 for the white balls, then select one number from 1 to 26 for the red Powerball.

You can choose your lucky numbers on a play slip or let the lottery terminal randomly pick your numbers.

To win, match one of the 9 Ways to Win:

5 white balls + 1 red Powerball = Grand prize.
5 white balls = $1 million.
4 white balls + 1 red Powerball = $50,000.
4 white balls = $100.
3 white balls + 1 red Powerball = $100.
3 white balls = $7.
2 white balls + 1 red Powerball = $7.
1 white ball + 1 red Powerball = $4.
1 red Powerball = $4.

There’s a chance to have your winnings increased two, three, four, five and 10 times through the Power Play for an additional $1 per play. Players can multiply non-jackpot wins up to 10 times when the jackpot is $150 million or less.

Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize

All Arizona Lottery retailers will redeem prizes up to $100 and may redeem winnings up to $599. For prizes over $599, winners can submit winning tickets through the mail or in person at Arizona Lottery offices. By mail, send a winner claim form, winning lottery ticket and a copy of a government-issued ID to P.O. Box 2913, Phoenix, AZ 85062.

To submit in person, sign the back of your ticket, fill out a winner claim form and deliver the form, along with the ticket and government-issued ID to any of these locations:

Phoenix Arizona Lottery Office: 4740 E. University Drive, Phoenix, AZ 85034, 480-921-4400. Hours: 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, closed holidays. This office can cash prizes of any amount.

Tucson Arizona Lottery Office: 2955 E. Grant Road, Tucson, AZ 85716, 520-628-5107. Hours: 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, closed holidays. This office can cash prizes of any amount.

Phoenix Sky Harbor Lottery Office: Terminal 4 Baggage Claim, 3400 E. Sky Harbor Blvd., Phoenix, AZ 85034, 480-921-4424. Hours: 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Sunday, closed holidays. This office can cash prizes up to $49,999.

Kingman Arizona Lottery Office: Inside Walmart, 3396 Stockton Hill Road, Kingman, AZ 86409, 928-753-8808. Hours: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, closed holidays. This office can cash prizes up to $49,999.

Check previous winning numbers and payouts at https://www.arizonalottery.com/.

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by an Arizona Republic editor. You can send feedback using this form.

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Arizona

Autopsies show Arizona teens were both shot in the head while camping

Published

1 day ago

March 3, 2026

Press Room

Autopsies show Arizona teens were both shot in the head while camping

Two teenagers were fatally shot while camping northeast of Phoenix in May 2025.
Both Evan Clark, 17, and Pandora Kjolsrud, 18, were shot in the head, autopsy reports said.
A 31-year-old man was arrested and indicted on two counts of first-degree murder in connection with the deaths.

A 17-year-old boy who was fatally shot while camping with a female classmate northeast of Phoenix died from gunshot wounds to the head, according to the first page of his autopsy report.

Evan Clark, 17, and Pandora Kjolsrud, 18, were camping just off State Route 87 near Mount Ord when the two were shot and killed. Investigators discovered their bodies, which had been moved into nearby brush to conceal them, on May 26, 2025.

The first page of Clark’s autopsy report, which The Arizona Republic obtained March 3, found that his death was a homicide with multiple gunshot wounds to the head. The first page of Kjolsrud’s autopsy report also ruled her death a homicide with her cause of death being gunshot wounds to the head and upper body.

Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office detectives ultimately arrested Thomas Brown, 31, of Chandler on Oct. 2, 2025, in connection with their deaths. Brown was indicted on two counts of first-degree murder and remained in jail on a $2 million cash-only bond.

Detectives found Brown’s DNA on gloves inside Clark’s SUV that had Kjolsrud’s blood on them as well, the Sheriff’s Office said.

Partial autopsy reports made available following legal fight

While The Republic has obtained the first pages of both Clark’s and Kjolsrud’s autopsy reports, the remaining pages appeared to remain sealed as of March 3 since Simone Kjolsrud, Pandora’s mother, petitioned to have the autopsy reports sealed or redacted. Simone Kjolsrud argued that various details about her daughter and aspects of her personal life, potentially included in such documents, should remain private and outweigh the public’s right to know.

A Sept. 25, 2025, motion that sought to block the report’s release argued the report could contain information law enforcement hasn’t yet shared and could impair the ongoing criminal investigation.

“Simone Kjolsrud fears that, if released, her daughter’s Medical Examiner’s Report may end up on the internet or be broadcast on the news, which would undoubtedly cause additional trauma and even jeopardize her constitutional right to justice in this case,” the motion stated.

Kjolsrud asked that Clark’s autopsy be sealed as well, arguing that it would likely contain details similar to her daughter’s.

Matthew Kelley, an attorney representing The Republic and other Arizona media outlets, previously objected to the autopsies being sealed and asked that the temporary protective order be vacated.

“To be sure, these killings are particularly traumatic for a surviving family member,” Kelley wrote in his objection. “But the pain felt by a family member cannot override the public’s right to inspect public records reflecting the performance of law enforcement and other public agencies entrusted with investigating such crimes. A veil of secrecy only raises unnecessary speculation about such public performance.”

It was not immediately clear whether Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Geoffrey Fish, who initially ordered the autopsies remain sealed as he reviewed their contents, would unseal additional pages in their entirety or with redactions.

Reach the reporter Perry Vandell at perry.vandell@arizonarepublic.com or 602-444-2474. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @PerryVandell.

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