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Thousands of Philadelphia Eagles fans will flock to the Valley next week, likely bringing some of their unique antics with them.

State of play: Eagles fans like to climb light poles to celebrate significant sports victories. 

They've wreaked such havoc that the Philadelphia Police Department has taken to greasing street poles before big events to stop climbers from destroying city property or injuring themselves.

Recently, officers used a product called Bio Bottle Jack Hydraulic Fluid ISO 32, CBS Sports reported, and they've used Crisco in the past. 

Zoom in: We asked Phoenix and Glendale officials whether they're prepping our light poles in anticipation of the Eagles arrival.

So far, there are no plans to douse them in grease. But Phoenix police encouraged us to check back in closer to game time.

We also asked our Axios Philadelphia colleague Isaac Avilucea why Eagles fans behave this way.

"The world expects extreme sports jackassery from Philadelphia. We’re top of the sports totem pole right now, and what better way to flex than with a legendary show of stunt-making, primal exhibitionism and unflagging competitiveness."

Watch out Phoenix: Eagles fans love to climb light poles

We asked Phoenix officials if they're prepping our poles in anticipation of the Eagles arrival.

An Eagles fan climbs a Philly light pole in 2018. Photo: Mitchell Leff/Getty Images

Super Bowl

Thousands of Philadelphia Eagles fans will flock to the Valley next week, likely bringing some of their unique antics with them.State of play: Eagles fans like to <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="climb light poles" data-vars-click-url="https://twitter.com/TodayInSportsCo/status/1619848106912415745?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1619848106912415745%7Ctwgr%5E81b3592bf2cee4321a444e925b86f21fecb17cf7%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.newsweek.com%2Fphiladelphia-eagles-fans-climb-citys-greased-poles-celebrate-win-1777372" data-vars-content-id="224bc4b0-3390-4bdc-9990-7362876dc0d3" data-vars-headline="Watch out Phoenix: Eagles fans love to climb light poles" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://twitter.com/TodayInSportsCo/status/1619848106912415745?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1619848106912415745%7Ctwgr%5E81b3592bf2cee4321a444e925b86f21fecb17cf7%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.newsweek.com%2Fphiladelphia-eagles-fans-climb-citys-greased-poles-celebrate-win-1777372" target="_blank">climb light poles</a> to celebrate significant sports victories.

Sports

News

Arizona enters Black History Month with no official critical race theory ban but with a political landscape that could still restrict how teachers build curriculum around race.

Why it matters: Pushes for so-called CRT bans in states with conservative legislatures, including Arizona, have led some educators to scrap once-noncontroversial Black history lessons over fears of firing and social media shaming, Axios' Russell Contreras reports from a new RAND Corporation survey. 

The intrigue: Teachers in these states told researchers they didn't teach CRT, but changed lessons over concerns they could be accused of doing so, Ashley Woo, assistant policy researcher at RAND, told Axios.

"It just becomes so exhausting that, yes, I know there are (teachers) that are, like, 'I'm not even going to touch that. I'm not even going to acknowledge it's Black History Month because I'm worried it might be heard different than what I said,'" Arizona Education Association president Marisol Garcia told Axios Phoenix

Catch up quick: CRT is a graduate college-level framework, rarely taught in grade school. But Republicans have been using it as a broad term for history or other lessons they view as denigrating races, casting blame or teaching that people are inherently oppressive or oppressed.

State of play: Former Gov. Doug Ducey signed a budget bill in 2021 prohibiting teachers from using history to make any ethnicity feel guilt or shame for past events. 

Yes, but: The state Supreme Court struck down Ducey’s CRT ban because it's illegal to lump unrelated items into a budget bill. 

Still, the debate over if and how teachers should discuss race in classrooms has dominated school board meetings and statewide elections. 

Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne defeated incumbent Kathy Hoffman last year by running on an anti-CRT platform.

By the numbers: A quarter of all teachers nationwide reported that limitations placed on how teachers can address race or gender have influenced their choice of curriculum materials or instructional practices, the RAND survey found.

That percentage includes teachers who live in red states where new restrictions have been imposed and in states where no limitations have been introduced, highlighting the overall anxiety from teachers.

The latest: The House Education Committee voted on party lines to advance a new anti-CRT bill Tuesday. 

"The subjective interpretation of the language and enforcement of this type of law makes it very dangerous," Rep. Nancy Gutierrez, D-Tucson, a teacher at Tucson High, said before casting a "no" vote.

"The lack of clarity inevitably causes a chilling effect where teachers wishing to steer clear of any discipline will avoid covering topics and discussing issues of great social and historical value," she said.

Critical race theory debate may have "chilling effect" on Arizona teachers

Pushes for so-called CRT bans have led some educators to scrap Black history lessons.

Illustration of a Black teacher's hand erasing the word "history."

Critical race theory

Arizona enters Black History Month with no official critical race theory ban but with a political landscape that could still restrict how teachers build curriculum around race.Why it matters: Pushes for <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="so-called CRT bans in states" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2023/01/12/critical-race-theory-fights-crt-education" data-vars-content-id="5a58a85a-f999-461e-9a77-9b118cd44288" data-vars-headline="Critical race theory debate may have &quot;chilling effect&quot; on Arizona teachers" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2023/01/12/critical-race-theory-fights-crt-education" target="_self">so-called CRT bans in states</a> with conservative legislatures, including Arizona, have led some educators to scrap once-noncontroversial Black history lessons over fears of firing and social media shaming, Axios&#x27; <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Russell Contreras" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2023/02/01/black-history-month-teacher-fears-crt-ban-books" data-vars-content-id="5a58a85a-f999-461e-9a77-9b118cd44288" data-vars-headline="Critical race theory debate may have &quot;chilling effect&quot; on Arizona teachers" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2023/02/01/black-history-month-teacher-fears-crt-ban-books" target="_self">Russell Contreras</a> reports from a new <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="RAND Corporation survey" data-vars-click-url="https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RRA134-16.html" data-vars-content-id="5a58a85a-f999-461e-9a77-9b118cd44288" data-vars-headline="Critical race theory debate may have &quot;chilling effect&quot; on Arizona teachers" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RRA134-16.html" target="_blank">RAND Corporation survey</a>.

Politics

The Phoenix City Council might need a bigger dais soon. 

What's happening: The council voted Wednesday to start the formal council redistricting process. During their discussion, four council members — Deb Stark, Jim Waring, Carlos Garcia and Sal DiCiccio — asked staff to look at adding more districts.

By the numbers: The Phoenix City Council has had eight districts since voters approved the system in 1983.

The population then was about 800,000. Today, it's 1.6 million.

Why it matters: Each council member represents more than 200,000 people and most districts span distinctively different neighborhoods, making it difficult for elected officials to understand the needs of all their constituents.

"It's really hard to represent people with their values and their interests when it's that large," Council Member DiCiccio said at a meeting Wednesday. "It doesn't allow for the diversity of opinion as much."

Of note: We have one of the largest constituent-to-council-member ratios in the U.S. based on population.

Similarly sized Philadelphia and Houston each have 16 council members.

State of play: Phoenix must adopt new council districts using 2020 U.S. Census population numbers by next January.

Adding districts will require voter approval, and the city clerk told us the council would need to refer a ballot measure to voters in the coming months to meet this year's redistricting schedule.

What's next: The city is expected to hire a redistricting consultant by April, per a staff report. The council will decide whether to ask voters to add more districts by that time.

Of note: Phoenix isn't the only governmental body in Arizona with huge districts. 

Our legislative districts are also among the most populous in the country. Multiple attempts to add more representatives have failed. 

💭 Jessica's thought bubble: If the city adds more council members, it'll likely have to remodel the current chambers to fit everyone. 

Maybe they could include some modern amenities like a press area and more outlets while they're at it? 

Asking for a friend who's had to stand through many hours-long meetings. (😉).

Phoenix considers adding council districts next year

Voters would have to approve the additional council seats.

Illustration of the city of Phoenix with shifting green and purple districts inside it.

City council

An outline of Phoenix with green and purple districts drawn on it. 

The Phoenix City Council might need a bigger dais soon. What&#x27;s happening: The council voted Wednesday to start the formal council redistricting process. During their discussion, four council members — Deb Stark, Jim Waring, Carlos Garcia and Sal DiCiccio — asked staff to look at adding more districts.

All eyes will be on the Valley next weekend as it hosts the Super Bowl for the fourth time. 

But that attention comes with an increased likelihood of public safety threats.

State of play: Glendale Police commander Brandon Blanco tells us the Valley's law enforcement agencies have been planning for the Super Bowl since the moment last year's game in Los Angeles ended. 

What they're saying: Blanco says many of the officers working the game have staffed past Super Bowls, and this will be his fifth, including out-of-state games. "We won't be surprised by any of it. We've got it down pretty good," he said. 

The big picture: Hundreds of local and federal law enforcement officers will assist with events across the metro next week.

The Valley has an additional 117 bomb technicians and 104 explosive device canine handlers coming in from federal and out-of-state agencies to help, Phoenix Police commander Brian Lee said at a City Council meeting last week.

Yes, but: Lee assured the council that emergency responses across the city will not suffer because of the big game.

The department is temporarily moving detectives and specialty officers to Super Bowl duty next week and activating its reserve division so normal patrol squads are uninterrupted.

Zoom in: Traffic issues are likely to cause the biggest public safety headache on game day, Blanco tells us.

Glendale traffic engineer Tony Abbo will be at the Emergency Operations Center, a few miles from the stadium, along with officials from ADOT and local and federal law enforcement agencies.

He will alert officers to crashes, override traffic signals to ease the flow of vehicles and send traffic advice to motorists using electronic message boards around the stadium.

Of note: Glendale has developed much of the land around State Farm Stadium since the last time it hosted the big game in 2015. This means there's significantly less parking.

If you must drive, purchase parking in advance and know which route will get you to your lot. There won't be parking available for purchase on game day. 

What we're watching: There'll  be a lot of city employees working overtime next week. We'll be requesting those costs to put into perspective how much Valley taxpayers spent on the Super Bowl. 

How Phoenix and Glendale are preparing for Super Bowl safety

Traffic issues are likely to cause the biggest public safety headache on Super Bowl Sunday.

A man sitting in front of a wall of TV screens showing roadways. 

 Traffic engineer Tony Abbo at the Glendale Traffic Management Center. Photo: Jessica Boehm/Axios

All eyes will be on the Valley next weekend as it hosts the Super Bowl for the fourth time. <ul><li>But that attention comes with an increased likelihood of public safety threats.</li></ul>

Former U.S. Rep. Gabby Giffords displayed her inextinguishable optimism in a New York Times interview published earlier this week about her continued fight for gun safety legislation. 

Flashback: On Jan. 8, 2011, a gunman shot Giffords at point-blank range as she greeted constituents at a "Congress on your Corner" event at a Safeway outside Tucson.

The gunman killed six people, including federal Judge John Roll, Giffords' aide Gabe Zimmerman and 9-year-old Christina-Taylor Green.

The attacker injured 13 others, including Giffords, who remains partially paralyzed on her right side and struggles to speak because the bullet destroyed the part of her brain that controls language.

What she's saying: "Our lives can change so quickly. Mine did when I was shot. I've never given up hope. I chose to make a new start, to move ahead, to not look back," Giffords told the NYT.

State of play: The former congresswoman and her husband, U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly, founded the gun safety organization Giffords (originally called Americans for Responsible Solutions) in January 2013, following the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Newtown, Connecticut.

The group has successfully pushed for "red flag laws," which keep potentially dangerous people from buying guns, in 19 states and Washington, D.C.

It also backed Congress' passage of a package of guns safety measures last year and dozens of other gun control laws across the U.S.

Yes, but: There have been more than 3,800 gun-related deaths nationwide so far this year and 54 mass shootings — defined as four or more people shot in one incident, per the Gun Violence Archive. 

And in many states, including Arizona, there has been no significant change in gun laws since Giffords was shot.

The bottom line: Giffords told the Times that progress, in politics and her medical recovery, "happens inch by inch."

Gabby Giffords maintains hope in gun safety battle

"I’ve never given up hope," she told The New York Times.

Gabby Giffords in December 2022. Photo: Presley Ann/The Hollywood Reporter via Getty Images

Gabby Giffords

Former U.S. Rep. Gabby Giffords displayed her inextinguishable optimism in a <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="New York Times interview" data-vars-click-url="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/30/us/politics/gabby-giffords-mass-shootings.html?partner=slack&amp;smid=sl-share" data-vars-content-id="ce719b59-270e-4af2-9a81-f65838234fc3" data-vars-headline="Gabby Giffords maintains hope in gun safety battle" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/30/us/politics/gabby-giffords-mass-shootings.html?partner=slack&amp;smid=sl-share" target="_blank">New York Times interview</a> published earlier this week about her continued fight for gun safety legislation. Flashback: On Jan. 8, 2011, a gunman <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="shot Giffords" data-vars-click-url="https://www.azcentral.com/in-depth/news/local/arizona/2021/01/05/gabrielle-giffords-shooting-tucson-arizona-who-was-shot/3987786001/" data-vars-content-id="ce719b59-270e-4af2-9a81-f65838234fc3" data-vars-headline="Gabby Giffords maintains hope in gun safety battle" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.azcentral.com/in-depth/news/local/arizona/2021/01/05/gabrielle-giffords-shooting-tucson-arizona-who-was-shot/3987786001/" target="_blank">shot Giffords</a> at point-blank range as she greeted constituents at a &quot;Congress on your Corner&quot; event at a Safeway outside Tucson.

Jessica Boehm

Featured stories

Phoenix considers adding council districts next year

Gabby Giffords maintains hope in gun safety battle

Critical race theory debate may have "chilling effect" on Arizona teachers

Watch out Phoenix: Eagles fans love to climb light poles

How Phoenix and Glendale are preparing for Super Bowl safety