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The PGA and DraftKings Inc. will hold a groundbreaking ceremony Monday for a new sportsbook at TPC Scottsdale. 

Details: The sportsbook is expected to open in the fall of 2023, PGA Tour spokesperson Allie LeClair tells Axios. 

It will be the first sportsbook at a golf course in the U.S. or at a site that hosts a PGA Tour event, she said. It will also be the first one in Scottsdale. 

The Arizona Republic reported in April that it will have about 390 seats, 40 kiosks, seven betting windows, a restaurant, an outdoor patio, VIP cabanas and more than 3,400 square of video walls and screens. 

Who's coming: PGA commissioner Jay Monahan, DraftKings CEO Jason Robins, Scottsdale Mayor David Ortega and Waste Management Phoenix Open Tournament chairman Pat Williams will be on hand for the ceremony.

Between the lines: The Waste Management Phoenix Open, which is held every February, is one of the biggest annual sporting events in the Valley. It's also one of the most heavily attended PGA Tour events each year with more than 700,000, according to TPC Scottsdale. 

In 2018, the last year that daily statistics were released, the tournament attracted more than 215,000 on Saturday's round, Cronkite News reported. 

Zoom out: According to data from the Arizona Department of Gaming, there are 25 retail sportsbooks operating the state.

First golf course sportsbook to break ground in Scottsdale

The sportsbook is expected to open in the fall of 2023.

A large crowd watches as golfer Patrick Cantlay prepares to chip the ball

Patrick Cantlay chips at this year's Phoenix Open at TPC Scottsdale. Photo: Christian Petersen/Getty Images

Sports betting

The PGA and DraftKings Inc. will hold a groundbreaking ceremony Monday for a new sportsbook at TPC Scottsdale. Details: The sportsbook is expected to open in the fall of 2023, PGA Tour spokesperson Allie LeClair tells Axios.

Sports

Note: "Typical" refers to the average home value in the middle 30% of estimated home values in a region; Data: Zillow; Map: Erin Davis/Axios Visuals

Home values dropped across the Valley from July to October as the red hot housing market continues to cool, according to data from Zillow. 

We've put the stats into an interactive map.

State of play: Typical home prices, based on the Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI) fell most sharply on the west side, particularly around Glendale, west Phoenix and Tolleson. 

The two biggest decreases, both of 8.2%, were in neighboring ZIP codes — 85031 and 85035. 

The former covers the area between 43rd and 59th avenues and Camelback and Thomas roads. The latter runs from about 43rd to 83rd avenues between I-10 and Thomas. 

By the numbers: The drops reduced the typical home price from $297,000 to $273,000 in 85031 and from $290,000 to $266,000 in 85035. 

Tolleson, the western part of Phoenix's Estrella Village area and Glendale between 67th and 83rd avenues notched 7.5% decreases.

Yes, but: No part of the Valley has been spared. Every ZIP code in the Phoenix metro area experienced price decreases during this period. 

The smallest decreases we saw were in the Apache Junction and Gold Canyon area, where prices only dropped by 2.2%.

The 85006 ZIP code, which is bound by Thomas Road and Seventh, 24th and Van Buren streets, only saw a 2.5% drop, from about $443,000 to $432,000.

Why it matters: Phoenix Realtors president Andrea Crouch, of The Crouch Group, tells Axios that the decrease in values and prices was a change that needed to happen.

"It is a result of sellers coming down from the moon on where they wanted their price to be, down to the Earth where the buyers are," she said.

Despite popular sentiment that many homebuyers have been priced out of the market, Crouch says, houses in the Valley are still affordable compared with the rest of the country, and the decrease in prices will help. 

She's hoping the Fed will lower interest rates when the new year begins. 

Context: The housing market started cooling earlier this year, with asking prices for active listings on the decline and the average number of days homes spent on the market on the rise. 

Zoom in: Crouch said the decrease is a market correction, not a crash. 

People were getting 30 offers for every listing and the Valley was flooded with cash buyers who were constantly outbidding each other, which allowed sellers to get whatever price they wanted, she says.

But a dramatic rise in interest rates shifted the situation to a buyers' market. 

Every Phoenix-area ZIP code sees drop in home prices

The west side has the biggest drops, some of more than 8%.

Housing

Home values dropped across the Valley from July to October as the red hot housing market continues to cool, according to data from Zillow. <ul><li>We&#x27;ve put the stats into an <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="interactive map" data-vars-click-url="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/KdaWz/1/" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/KdaWz/1/" target="_blank">interactive map</a>.</li></ul>

Real Estate

The Arizona Secretary of State's Office said it requested that a pair of tweets be taken down nearly two years ago because they constituted misinformation that could undermine confidence in elections. 

The email was among a tranche of messages from a federal lawsuit that surfaced over the weekend showing election officials from different states attempting to remove false allegations from social media in 2020 and 2021.

Driving the news: On Jan. 7, 2021, the Secretary of State's Office emailed the Center for Internet Security (CIS) about misinformation being spread by an account on Twitter. 

Assistant Secretary of State Allie Bones tells Axios that the two tweets falsely suggested that the state's voter registration database was controlled by a foreign entity. 

"One tweet asked, "Is our entire election system foreign owned?" and inaccurately claimed that the company that was contracted to implement the current registration database is foreign, Sutherland Government Solutions, while another said the company has a foreign subcontractor."

Twitter took down the two tweets after being contacted by CIS, and the account that posted them, which had 21 followers at the time, is currently suspended. 

Context: Journalist Matt Taibbi on Friday released a series of leaked documents from Twitter highlighting the company's suppression of a 2020 New York Post story about the contents of a laptop owned by Hunter Biden, and about the company's content moderation policies, which he argues favored Democrats who sought to silence critics online. 

Many conservatives viewed the files as vindication for their belief that Twitter had favored Democrats and targeted conservatives by removing posts from its website. 

Some critics accused Hobbs, the state's top election official and now Arizona's Democratic governor-elect, of censoring political opponents based on the 2021 email. 

Yes, but: Bones says facts aren't debatable, and that seeking the removal of verifiably false information is not silencing dissent. 

The voter registration database is run by the Secretary of State's Office. 

Bones also notes that the tweets had nothing to do with this year's midterm elections. 

She says it was common for the Secretary of State's Office to ask for tweets to be taken down, though she says the majority were related to threats. 

What she's saying: Hobbs addressed widespread disinformation about elections Monday during her certification of Arizona's 2022 election results at the statewide canvass, saying false claims that undermine American democracy are still prevalent. 

"Arizona had a successful election, But too often throughout the process powerful voices proliferated misinformation that threatened to disenfranchise voters. Democracy prevailed, but it's not out of the woods. 2024 will bring a host of challenges from the election denial community that we must prepare for," Hobbs said.

Of note: Hobbs, Gov. Doug Ducey, Attorney General Mark Brnovich and Arizona Supreme Court Chief Justice Robert Brutinel signed off on the canvass. 

Why it's important: The election results don't become official until the canvass.

Mandatory recounts and legal challenges to the results can't occur until after certification. 

What we're watching: Kari Lake and Abraham Hamadeh, the losing Republican candidates for governor and attorney general, have both declared their intent to file lawsuits challenging the results of their elections.

They have five days from the date of the canvass to go to court. 

What's next: Three state-level races will go to automatic recounts — attorney general, superintendent of public instruction and one of the two state House seats in District 13, which mostly covers Chandler. 

Democrat Kris Mayes defeated Hamadeh by just 510 votes, Republican Tom Horne defeated Democratic incumbent Kathy Hoffman in the superintendent's race by just under 9,000 votes, and Liz Harris defeated fellow Republican Julie Willoughby by 270 votes for the second House seat in District 13.

Hobbs said the recounts would last "well into December."

The legislature passed a law earlier this year expanding the use of mandatory recounts. 

Secretary of state had disinformation pulled from Twitter

As Katie Hobbs certified this year's election results, her office defended a two-year-old request to remove Twitter disinformation

Robert Brutinel, Katie Hobbs, Doug Ducey and Mark Brnovich are seated side by side at a long table while Brutinel signs a document

Secretary of State Katie Hobbs watches Chief Justice Robert Brutinel sign the statewide election canvass, with Gov. Doug Ducey and Attorney General Mark Brnovich on her left. Photo: Ross D. Franklin/AP

Twitter

The Arizona Secretary of State&#x27;s Office said it requested that a pair of tweets be taken down nearly two years ago because they constituted misinformation that could undermine confidence in elections. <ul><li>The email was among a <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="tranche of messages" data-vars-click-url="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.lawd.189520/gov.uscourts.lawd.189520.71.8.pdf" data-vars-content-id="94ef7b8f-aadb-49c8-accf-c7a8a2b75225" data-vars-headline="Secretary of state had disinformation pulled from Twitter" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.lawd.189520/gov.uscourts.lawd.189520.71.8.pdf" target="_blank">tranche of messages</a> from a federal lawsuit that surfaced over the weekend showing election officials from different states attempting to remove false allegations from social media in 2020 and 2021.</li></ul>Driving the news: On Jan. 7, 2021, the Secretary of State&#x27;s Office emailed the Center for Internet Security (CIS) about misinformation being spread by an account on Twitter.

Politics

President Biden spent Tuesday touting a newly announced factory by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) in north Phoenix as an economic boon for Arizona and part of a resurgence of American manufacturing. 

Context: Biden's visit coincided with the company's announcing its plans to begin construction on a second semiconductor fabrication plant, or fab, in 2024 near its current site under construction. 

The first one broke ground in north Phoenix in 2021 and is expected to begin production in 2024. 

Zoom out: Biden said the U.S. produced about 30% of the world's semiconductors 30 years ago but only about 10% now. 

He noted that Apple will be a major customer of the new TSMC factories, and that the company will now be able to move more of its supply chain to the U.S. 

"These are the most advanced semiconductor chips on the planet, chips that power iPhones and MacBooks, as Tim Cook can attest," he said, referring to Apple's CEO, who spoke at the event. "It could be a gamechanger."

Catch up quick: Biden signed the $280 billion Chips and Science Act in August to promote semiconductor manufacturing in the U.S.

Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego credited the legislation with helping to bring the second fab to Arizona. 

TSMC is expected to apply for federal grants for both phases of the project, The New York Times reported. 

Details: The second facility is expected to be open by 2026, and will produce advanced 3-nanometer chips. Both sites are expected to produce about 600,000 semiconductor wafers annually. 

The expansion will increase TSMC's investment in the north Phoenix site to $40 billion, up from $12 billion. 

Its chairman, Mark Liu, said the expansion will create 21,000 construction jobs and 4,500 full-time, high-tech and high-paying positions. That's a substantial increase from the 10,000 construction jobs and 2,000 full-time positions from the first factory. 

He also expects about 40 supplier companies to locate in the area, which TSMC expects to create 13,000 more jobs. 

Why it's important: The new sites could bring thousands of high-tech jobs to the Valley, attract many others from associated companies and boost the state's high-tech manufacturing sector.

It will also create domestic semiconductor manufacturing for the U.S., shifting more of the industry away from Taiwan, where it faces potential military threats from China. 

Advanced Micro Devices, Apple, NVIDIA and other tech companies will buy semiconductors produced at the Phoenix plants. 

Biden says American manufacturing is back as TSMC expands in Phoenix

Biden said the U.S. produced about 30% of the world's semiconductors 30 years ago but only about 10% now.

President Biden stands at a lectern speaking into a microphone

President Biden at the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. event Tuesday. Photo: Jeremy Duda/Axios

Joe Biden

President Biden spent Tuesday touting a newly announced factory by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) in north Phoenix as an economic boon for Arizona and part of a resurgence of American manufacturing. Context: Biden&#x27;s visit coincided with the company&#x27;s announcing its plans to begin construction on a second semiconductor fabrication plant, or fab, in 2024 near its current site under construction.

Business

Chris Paul's nagging heel injury has kept the 37-year-old point guard on the bench since Nov. 7 and has left Suns fans wondering "Is this the end of Phoenix's NBA title hopes?"

Phoenix lost another starter several days earlier when Cameron Johnson tore his meniscus.  

Yes, but: The team has done surprisingly well since then and currently leads the Western Conference with a 15-6 record. 

The big picture: Paul missed his 11th straight game on Wednesday but the Suns have gone 8-3 during that stretch. 

All-Star Devin Booker dropped 44 and 51 points in his last two outings, respectively.

Yes, and: Cameron Payne has done great as the Suns' starting point guard in Paul's absence, averaging nearly 16 points and 7 assists during that span. 

Torrey Craig deserves props for the work he's done since taking Johnson's spot in the starting lineup as well. 

Zoom in: Deandre Ayton has also stepped up in a big way. He was named Western Conference Player of the Week for the first time in his career on Monday after averaging 24 points and 16 rebounds during a 3-0 stretch for the Suns, which included a 29-point, 21-rebound performance against Utah. 

What we're watching: It's unclear exactly when Paul will return, but general manager James Jones told The Arizona Republic on Tuesday, "He's close."

Johnson's return will take a bit longer. He's been out since Nov. 4. 

He was projected to miss up to two months. 

Meanwhile: Jae Crowder, whose spot in the starting lineup Johnson took, is still in limbo while the Suns look for a trade partner for the disgruntled forward. 

The Atlanta Hawks, Miami Heat, Milwaukee Bucks and Washington Wizards have been reported as possible destinations, while ESPN's Brian Windhorst reported that the Suns and the Washington Wizards could strike a deal as well. 

Jeremy's thought bubble: I started the season with guarded expectations and was somewhat pessimistic about how the team would fare with Paul and Johnson both hurt. 

But the way the Suns have played over the past few weeks has made a believer out of me again, and I can't wait to see what the team looks like when our injured starters return. 

Suns on a roll despite injuries to Chris Paul and Cam Johnson

The Suns currently lead the Western Conference with a 15-6 record.

Deandre Ayton and Devin Book slap hands in celebration during a Phoenix Suns game

Deandre Ayton (left) and Devin Booker. Photo: Christian Petersen/Getty Images

Basketball

Chris Paul&#x27;s nagging heel injury has kept the 37-year-old point guard on the bench since Nov. 7 and has left Suns fans wondering &quot;Is this the end of Phoenix&#x27;s NBA title hopes?&quot;<ul><li>Phoenix lost another starter several days earlier when Cameron Johnson tore his meniscus. </li></ul>Yes, but: The team has done surprisingly well since then and currently leads the Western Conference with a 15-6 record.

Jeremy Duda

Featured stories

Biden says American manufacturing is back as TSMC expands in Phoenix

Secretary of state had disinformation pulled from Twitter

Every Phoenix-area ZIP code sees drop in home prices

First golf course sportsbook to break ground in Scottsdale

Suns on a roll despite injuries to Chris Paul and Cam Johnson