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7 Brew outbids Dutch Bros for defunct Salad and Go locations

More drive-thru coffee spots are coming to the Valley no matter what.

Food and Drink

Coffee chain 7 Brew won a bankruptcy auction for a host of defunct Salad and Go locations, including many in the Valley, edging out rival coffee giant Dutch Bros.Why it matters: Many of the salad restaurant&#x27;s vacant locations will still become drive-thru coffee spots, but they&#x27;ll now bear the name of 7 Brew, which is trying to make inroads in Arizona.

Arizona universities face declining enrollment

International student restrictions and a "demographic cliff" are hurting college enrollment.

News

Universities across the U.S. are feeling the pinch from enrollment declines, and Arizona hasn&#x27;t been immune.Why it matters: Lower enrollment means fewer graduates for the job market and the loss of a major revenue source that international students bring.

Trump admin wants to nix rule protecting Arizona wilderness

Almost 1.2 million acres of Arizona's national forests are protected by the rule.

Environment

The Trump administration has moved closer to eliminating the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Roadless Rule" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/salt-lake-city/2025/09/05/trump-roadless-rule-utah-wildfires-logging-national-forests" data-vars-content-id="8a06a700-70a8-4288-8e29-f8731b113507" data-vars-headline="Trump admin wants to nix rule protecting Arizona wilderness" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/salt-lake-city/2025/09/05/trump-roadless-rule-utah-wildfires-logging-national-forests" target="_self">Roadless Rule</a> in national forests, potentially opening hundreds of thousands of acres of Arizona wilderness to development.Why it matters: The <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="decades-old federal policy" data-vars-click-url="https://www.fs.usda.gov/managing-land/planning/roadless" data-vars-content-id="8a06a700-70a8-4288-8e29-f8731b113507" data-vars-headline="Trump admin wants to nix rule protecting Arizona wilderness" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.fs.usda.gov/managing-land/planning/roadless" target="_blank">decades-old federal policy</a> has protected millions of acres of wilderness from new roads and logging — to the delight of conservationists and the ire of the timber industry.

Exclusive: Diamondbacks say ongoing Chase Field lease talks are "non-productive"

Millions in repairs are on hold until a new lease is signed.

Sports

Lease extension talks between the Diamondbacks and the public entity that owns Chase Field have been &quot;non-productive to date&quot; and are holding up millions in necessary repairs, team president and CEO Derrick Hall tells Axios.Why it matters: A <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="new state law" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/phoenix/2025/06/24/chase-field-funding-goes-to-governor-after-final-arizona-house-approval" data-vars-content-id="fd50f65b-f899-49eb-98df-26907c43eabd" data-vars-headline="Exclusive: Diamondbacks say ongoing Chase Field lease talks are &quot;non-productive&quot;" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/phoenix/2025/06/24/chase-field-funding-goes-to-governor-after-final-arizona-house-approval" target="_self">new state law</a> set aside $500 million in tax dollars <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="to fund fixes" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/phoenix/2025/03/25/diamondbacks-chase-field-funding-bill" data-vars-content-id="fd50f65b-f899-49eb-98df-26907c43eabd" data-vars-headline="Exclusive: Diamondbacks say ongoing Chase Field lease talks are &quot;non-productive&quot;" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/phoenix/2025/03/25/diamondbacks-chase-field-funding-bill" target="_self">to fund fixes</a> to the nearly 30-year-old stadium, but those repairs are on hold until the team agrees to a new lease with the Maricopa County Stadium District.

Arizona vaccine exemptions hit record high amid measles outbreak

More than 10% of kindergarteners obtained a vaccine exemption last year.

Education

Vaccination rates among kindergartners in Arizona decreased during the 2025–2026 school year for all tracked <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="vaccines" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2026/08/11/trump-vaccines-midterms-measles-order" data-vars-content-id="7ab35596-56e3-4727-9cba-d5ae945ae1d3" data-vars-headline="Arizona vaccine exemptions hit record high amid measles outbreak" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2026/08/11/trump-vaccines-midterms-measles-order" target="_self">vaccines</a>, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="reported" data-vars-click-url="https://www.cdc.gov/schoolvaxview/data/index.html" data-vars-content-id="7ab35596-56e3-4727-9cba-d5ae945ae1d3" data-vars-headline="Arizona vaccine exemptions hit record high amid measles outbreak" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.cdc.gov/schoolvaxview/data/index.html" target="_blank">reported</a> on Monday, while vaccine exemptions rose to their highest rate since at least 2012.Why it matters: The drop-off coincided with continued efforts by the Trump administration to make controversial <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="vaccine policy changes" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2025/09/26/mmr-mmrv-vaccine-shot-schedule-cdc-trump" data-vars-content-id="7ab35596-56e3-4727-9cba-d5ae945ae1d3" data-vars-headline="Arizona vaccine exemptions hit record high amid measles outbreak" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2025/09/26/mmr-mmrv-vaccine-shot-schedule-cdc-trump" target="_self">vaccine policy changes</a> and with <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="measles cases" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2026/07/22/measles-cases-surge-past-last-year" data-vars-content-id="7ab35596-56e3-4727-9cba-d5ae945ae1d3" data-vars-headline="Arizona vaccine exemptions hit record high amid measles outbreak" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2026/07/22/measles-cases-surge-past-last-year" target="_self">measles cases</a> in Arizona hitting levels not seen in at least two decades.

Phoenix welcomes new NIH facility to downtown

The facility will conduct research on diabetes and kidney disease.

Health

Phoenix&#x27;s downtown bioscience core welcomed a new member on Friday, as the National Institutes of Health unveiled a new clinical research unit dedicated to the study of diabetes and other diseases.Why it matters: In its new 35,000-square-foot facility, the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) will work to advance our understanding of such conditions while also bringing more intellectual firepower to downtown Phoenix.

Experts warn of burn risk with children's squishy toys

Gel-filled toys like squishy dumplings and NeeDoh could burn kids if they get too hot.

Popular, gel-based children&#x27;s toys pose potential burn risk, something to keep in mind during the Valley&#x27;s brutal summers.Threat level: Gel-filled toys like &quot;squishy dumplings&quot; or NeeDoh can cause thermal or chemical burns if they get too hot, including when they&#x27;re left in cars during Arizona&#x27;s blistering summers, Dr. Jon McGreevy, division chief of pediatric surgery at Phoenix Children&#x27;s Hospital, says in a statement to Axios.

Arizona overdose deaths surge amid national decline

Overdose deaths hit an all-time high in Arizona last year while national rates have declined.

Arizona is tragically defying a national trend on drug overdose deaths as rates here climb amid a nationwide decrease, according to a <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="report by the New York Times" data-vars-click-url="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2026/07/15/upshot/arizona-drug-overdose-deaths.html?elqTrackId=1C8D829222D9916CC736D6DBAE2491BE&amp;elq=1a9c44cca6de49e8a151551860b44503&amp;elqaid=2355&amp;elqat=1&amp;elqCampaignId=1447&amp;elqak=8AF51A636A4886FD9761471A7263BECD1F997B04FD09E3A0A7CF3556317B7E6CB399" data-vars-content-id="5940012c-69c1-4ed8-9ee2-1e8c9d24c0fe" data-vars-headline="Arizona overdose deaths surge amid national decline" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2026/07/15/upshot/arizona-drug-overdose-deaths.html?elqTrackId=1C8D829222D9916CC736D6DBAE2491BE&amp;elq=1a9c44cca6de49e8a151551860b44503&amp;elqaid=2355&amp;elqat=1&amp;elqCampaignId=1447&amp;elqak=8AF51A636A4886FD9761471A7263BECD1F997B04FD09E3A0A7CF3556317B7E6CB399" target="_blank">report by the New York Times</a>.Why it matters: Arizona&#x27;s rate is now twice the national average.

What Arizona families should know about cyclospora

Here's what doctors say about produce, pools and reducing your risk.

Investigators still haven&#x27;t identified a common contamination source for the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="cyclosporiasis outbreak" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2026/07/07/cyclosporiasis-stomach-bug-cases-symptoms-outbreak" data-vars-content-id="2875ce56-deda-4865-96f8-58eced1c70a4" data-vars-headline="What Arizona families should know about cyclospora" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2026/07/07/cyclosporiasis-stomach-bug-cases-symptoms-outbreak" target="_self">cyclosporiasis outbreak</a> gripping the nation, limiting the guidance health officials can give consumers.The big picture: Fresh produce remains the focus of investigators, with lettuce and other ingredients pulled from some Taco Bell restaurants also under scrutiny.

Why local reinvestment matters for Arizona health care

Arizona's health care system is under pressure from rising costs, federal coverage challenges and increasing demand for care.

<div data-sponsor-disclosure="&quot;{&quot;logoUrl&quot;:&quot;https://images.axios.com/hHgZS712P41BCNe-pHAeR_m6IYw=/2026/07/06/1783360779973.png&quot;,&quot;headline&quot;:&quot;A message from: Banner Health&quot;}&quot;"></div><div style="display:none"></div>Arizona&#x27;s health care system is under pressure from rising costs, federal coverage challenges and increasing demand for care.

Health officials say hantavirus cruise ship poses little risk to Arizona

An Arizonan who returned from a hantavirus-stricken cruise ship shows no symptoms.

Health officials are monitoring an Arizona resident who was on a cruise ship where several passengers contracted hantavirus, but health officials say there&#x27;s little threat to locals.Why it matters: Hantavirus is highly dangerous and frequently fatal.

New measles case raises concerns about disease spread

Health officials warn of a possible exposure at a Mesa youth basketball game.

A newly reported <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="measles" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2026/03/04/measles-cases-outbreak-vaccine-trump" data-vars-content-id="e16adc19-feda-4c4b-935a-17f71eee5d91" data-vars-headline="New measles case raises concerns about disease spread" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2026/03/04/measles-cases-outbreak-vaccine-trump" target="_self">measles</a> case has raised the alarm about community spread in the Valley.Why it matters: The disease is extremely contagious and can be deadly, especially in babies and young children. About <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="90% of unvaccinated people" data-vars-click-url="https://www.maricopa.gov/m/newsflash/home/detail/3635" data-vars-content-id="e16adc19-feda-4c4b-935a-17f71eee5d91" data-vars-headline="New measles case raises concerns about disease spread" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.maricopa.gov/m/newsflash/home/detail/3635" target="_blank">90% of unvaccinated people</a> contract measles when exposed.

Arizona children lose access to major providers of autism therapy

Parents say insurer contract cuts disrupt critical ABA therapy services.

Nearly 1,000 Arizona children have lost or will soon lose their <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="autism therapy" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2025/07/09/researchers-identify-four-distinct-types-of-autism" data-vars-content-id="01756b37-db97-4945-8b28-250260b7592e" data-vars-headline="Arizona children lose access to major providers of autism therapy" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2025/07/09/researchers-identify-four-distinct-types-of-autism" target="_self">autism therapy</a> coverage after Medicaid insurance plans canceled contracts with two of the state&#x27;s largest providers.Why it matters: Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) is critical to communication and life skills development and prohibitively expensive if not covered by insurance, parents and providers told Axios.

UW scrutinized after monkey death at Arizona primate facility

The USDA cited the university for a "critical" violation of the Animal Welfare Act after a monkey died at its breeding facility.

Animal welfare advocates are again urging the University of Washington to end its <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="primate research" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2017/12/15/for-better-science-give-lab-primates-companions-1513306277" data-vars-content-id="92a7b52b-3d65-48e0-a266-fcd3900b6dca" data-vars-headline="UW scrutinized after monkey death at Arizona primate facility" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2017/12/15/for-better-science-give-lab-primates-companions-1513306277" target="_self">primate research</a> program after a newborn monkey died at the university&#x27;s Arizona breeding facility.The big picture: Monkey research has played a key role in <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="developing vaccines and other therapies" data-vars-click-url="https://wanbrc.uw.edu/about-the-center/" data-vars-content-id="92a7b52b-3d65-48e0-a266-fcd3900b6dca" data-vars-headline="UW scrutinized after monkey death at Arizona primate facility" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://wanbrc.uw.edu/about-the-center/" target="_blank">developing vaccines and other therapies</a>, but <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="ethical concerns" data-vars-click-url="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9710398/" data-vars-content-id="92a7b52b-3d65-48e0-a266-fcd3900b6dca" data-vars-headline="UW scrutinized after monkey death at Arizona primate facility" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9710398/" target="_blank">ethical concerns</a>, <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="advancements in non-animal research" data-vars-click-url="https://www.niehs.nih.gov/health/topics/science/sya-iccvam" data-vars-content-id="92a7b52b-3d65-48e0-a266-fcd3900b6dca" data-vars-headline="UW scrutinized after monkey death at Arizona primate facility" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.niehs.nih.gov/health/topics/science/sya-iccvam" target="_blank">advancements in non-animal research</a> and <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="funding shifts" data-vars-click-url="https://www.science.org/content/article/exclusive-cdc-end-all-monkey-research" data-vars-content-id="92a7b52b-3d65-48e0-a266-fcd3900b6dca" data-vars-headline="UW scrutinized after monkey death at Arizona primate facility" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.science.org/content/article/exclusive-cdc-end-all-monkey-research" target="_blank">funding shifts</a> are forcing labs and federal agencies to reconsider when — and whether — animals are still essential to medical progress.

Health 🩺

Arizona vaccine exemptions hit record high amid measles outbreak

Phoenix welcomes new NIH facility to downtown

Experts warn of burn risk with children's squishy toys

Arizona overdose deaths surge amid national decline

What Arizona families should know about cyclospora