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Charles Barkley blimp returns to Phoenix skies

The Charles Barkley blimp is back as Final Four week begins.

News

Keep an eye on the sky for a rare migratory sighting: The 128-foot Charles Barkley blimp is back in Phoenix for the first time in two years.Why it matters: We&#x27;ve missed Soar Charles (also called: Charles Flightly, The Up Chuck, Air Chuck One and The Ugly Chuckling).

Phoenix unveils new South Mountain Activity Complex

After more than two years of work, Phoenix unveiled the South Mountain Activity Complex.

If you&#x27;re looking for a scenic event space, a spot for a family picnic or a good place to start a hike, the new South Mountain Activity Complex may be the place for you.State of play: After more than two years of work, the city of Phoenix unveiled the new activity center, off Central Avenue near the South Mountain Visitor Center.

Krav Mama: A self-defense class designed for new moms

A Tempe instructor created a postpartum workout where moms train with their babies.

<figure><img alt="A gif of a woman holding a baby and kicking a heavy bag in a gym." height="600" id="671d5f45-200d-469c-8060-0a3462c8e142" src="https://images.axios.com/ZstKyMUT41Amr56A_Usmnb3bB_w=/2026/03/26/1774548998563.gif" width="800"/><figcaption>Jessica and her daughter test out Krav Mama. Photo: Courtesy of EVKM Self Defense &amp; Fitness</figcaption></figure>Tempe Krav Maga instructor and new mom Sara Ullenbruch-Zarezadeh has developed a postpartum version of the popular Israeli self-defense training. <ul><li>She&#x27;s calling it Krav Mama.</li></ul>Why it matters: Protecting yourself looks different when you have a baby in your arms or a tot by your side.

How Trump's mail voting order could affect Arizona voters

Arizona officials will challenge a Trump order affecting how mail ballots are sent.

Arizona is again in the crosshairs of President Trump&#x27;s mission to <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="nationalize elections" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2026/02/08/save-america-act-trump-nationalize-elections" data-vars-content-id="107a3dd6-dff7-455f-895f-cff4673c604c" data-vars-headline="How Trump&#x27;s mail voting order could affect Arizona voters" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2026/02/08/save-america-act-trump-nationalize-elections" target="_self">nationalize elections</a> and limit voting by mail.Why it matters: The vast majority of Arizonans cast mail ballots, and critics say Trump&#x27;s latest move would disenfranchise some of those voters ahead of a crucial November election in the battleground state.

Don Bolles case detective Jon Sellers was "a part of history"

Don Bolles, country music and motorcycle races: Remembering former detective Jon Sellers.

Jon Sellers, who spent years in the spotlight as the Phoenix Police Department&#x27;s lead investigator in the assassination of Arizona Republic reporter Don Bolles, died quietly in July 2024.State of play: Sellers, 88, <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="died" data-vars-click-url="https://www.heritagefuneralchapels.com/obituaries/Jon-Gilbert-Sellers?obId=31867599" data-vars-content-id="0e6bb6e9-e858-424f-940d-1dbf29377631" data-vars-headline="Don Bolles case detective Jon Sellers was &quot;a part of history&quot;" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.heritagefuneralchapels.com/obituaries/Jon-Gilbert-Sellers?obId=31867599" target="_blank">died</a> of double pneumonia, his wife, Marlene Sellers, told Axios.

Arizona-made Civil War film debuts in Scottsdale

"The War Between" tells a Civil War story few know, filmed entirely in Arizona.

A new feature film about the Civil War&#x27;s westernmost battle is a &quot;love letter&quot; to Arizona on and off screen, the filmmakers tell Axios.The big picture: &quot;<a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="The War Between" data-vars-click-url="https://www.thewarbetweenfilm.com/" data-vars-content-id="7ea02748-d491-49a7-99a3-20e43974a44e" data-vars-headline="Arizona-made Civil War film debuts in Scottsdale" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.thewarbetweenfilm.com/" target="_blank">The War Between</a>,&quot; set in the Arizona Territory in 1862, features an almost entirely Arizona-based cast and crew. Its theatrical premiere is Friday at Harkins Shea 14 in Scottsdale.

50 years ago, an infamous burro incident became a defining moment

The incident dogged the congressman's career and haunted his U.S. Senate bid.

Last weekend marked the 50th anniversary of one of Arizona&#x27;s most bizarre political scandals — when U.S. Rep. Sam Steiger shot and killed two burros.Flashback: Steiger was a rancher and five-term Republican House member from Prescott.

Sandra Day O'Connor voted most influential figure in Arizona History Showdown

The Supreme Court justice defeated John McCain in the Arizona History Showdown championship.

And the winner is … Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O&#x27;Connor.State of play: The Arizona History Showdown is over, and the history-making O&#x27;Connor was voted by Axios Phoenix readers as our state&#x27;s most influential historical figure.<ul><li>O&#x27;Connor easily dispatched Sen. John McCain, taking nearly 65% of the vote in the championship round.</li></ul>Between the lines: O&#x27;Connor is, of course, most famous as the first woman on the U.S. Supreme Court, and her lasting influence was primarily at the national level for her many years on the bench and her role in deciding major cases.<ul><li>But before she became a groundbreaking national figure, she was a highly influential state legislator, rising to Senate majority leader, and she went on to become a Maricopa County Superior Court and Arizona Court of Appeals judge, setting the stage for her Supreme Court tenure.</li><li>Her legacy lives at the federal courthouse in downtown Phoenix, which is named for her, and the nonprofit Sandra Day O&#x27;Connor Institute, which was founded in her honor in 2009 to champion civics education and civil discourse.</li></ul><div><figure><div id="av-hermesv2/brackets/2025-08-08-1239-arizona-history-showdown-W8HPB" style="max-width:100%" data-vars-category="embed" data-vars-sub-category="axios-visual" data-vars-asset-id="av-hermesv2/brackets/2025-08-08-1239-arizona-history-showdown-W8HPB" data-vars-iframe-src="https://graphics.axios.com/hermesv2/brackets/2025-08-08-1239-arizona-history-showdown/index.html" class="gtmView"><img alt="A bracket that displays Arizona History Showdown results from round 1 to 4, with Sandra Day O&#x27;Connor emerging as the winner from among the original 16 entries." class="axios-visual-newsletter-fallback-image" src="https://graphics.axios.com/hermesv2/brackets/2025-08-08-1239-arizona-history-showdown/fallbacks/2025-08-08-1239-arizona-history-showdown-fallback.png" width="1200" height="1522"/><img alt="A bracket that displays Arizona History Showdown results from round 1 to 4, with Sandra Day O&#x27;Connor emerging as the winner from among the original 16 entries." class="axios-visual-apple-fallback-image" src="https://graphics.axios.com/hermesv2/brackets/2025-08-08-1239-arizona-history-showdown/fallbacks/2025-08-08-1239-arizona-history-showdown-apple.png" width="750" height="2304"/></div><figcaption>Bracket: Axios Visuals</figcaption></figure></div>What they&#x27;re saying: Scott O&#x27;Connor, the justice&#x27;s son, told Axios that his mother&#x27;s greatest accomplishments in the Senate included a statute-by-statute <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="elimination of laws that were discriminatory against women" data-vars-click-url="https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/politics/arizona/2023/12/01/was-sandra-day-oconnor-a-feminist/1460260002/" data-vars-content-id="ef95bda2-dd2c-4f65-9b88-da5ee27da3b0" data-vars-headline="Sandra Day O&#x27;Connor voted most influential figure in Arizona History Showdown" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/politics/arizona/2023/12/01/was-sandra-day-oconnor-a-feminist/1460260002/" target="_blank">elimination of laws that were discriminatory against women</a>, and major mental health legislation inspired by her time working for the Attorney General&#x27;s Office at the Arizona State Hospital.<ul><li>Throughout her career, he said, his mother would find areas of need and do what she could to improve them.</li><li>He called his mother the godmother of Arizona&#x27;s <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="judicial merit selection system" data-vars-click-url="https://azmirror.com/2024/03/19/arizona-judicial-retention-keeps-judges-accountable-why-do-republicans-want-to-do-away-with-it/" data-vars-content-id="ef95bda2-dd2c-4f65-9b88-da5ee27da3b0" data-vars-headline="Sandra Day O&#x27;Connor voted most influential figure in Arizona History Showdown" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://azmirror.com/2024/03/19/arizona-judicial-retention-keeps-judges-accountable-why-do-republicans-want-to-do-away-with-it/" target="_blank">judicial merit selection system</a>, which voters approved in 1974.</li><li>After she retired from the Supreme Court, Sandra Day O&#x27;Connor created the iCivics online education provider, which her son said is a major, but often overlooked, accomplishment.</li></ul><div><figure><div id="av-hermesv2/brackets/2025-08-08-1240-arizona-history-showdown-VFBK9" style="max-width:100%" data-vars-category="embed" data-vars-sub-category="axios-visual" data-vars-asset-id="av-hermesv2/brackets/2025-08-08-1240-arizona-history-showdown-VFBK9" data-vars-iframe-src="https://graphics.axios.com/hermesv2/brackets/2025-08-08-1240-arizona-history-showdown/index.html" class="gtmView"><img alt="A bracket that displays Arizona History Showdown results from round 1 to 4, with John McCain emerging as the winner from among the original 16 entries." class="axios-visual-newsletter-fallback-image" src="https://graphics.axios.com/hermesv2/brackets/2025-08-08-1240-arizona-history-showdown/fallbacks/2025-08-08-1240-arizona-history-showdown-fallback.png" width="1200" height="1522"/><img alt="A bracket that displays Arizona History Showdown results from round 1 to 4, with John McCain emerging as the winner from among the original 16 entries." class="axios-visual-apple-fallback-image" src="https://graphics.axios.com/hermesv2/brackets/2025-08-08-1240-arizona-history-showdown/fallbacks/2025-08-08-1240-arizona-history-showdown-apple.png" width="750" height="2304"/></div><figcaption>Bracket: Axios Visuals</figcaption></figure></div>Jeremy&#x27;s thought bubble: I left the voting to our readers, but if I&#x27;d filled out a bracket, my winner would&#x27;ve been longtime U.S. Sen. Carl Hayden.<ul><li>Hayden has been gone for so many years and Arizona has grown so much in the decades since his Senate career ended that it&#x27;s easy to overlook how important he was to the state.</li><li>He used his seniority to direct a lot of federal resources to what was, at the time, a very small state, and capped his career with the passage of the monumentally important Central Arizona Project.</li></ul>The bottom line: Thanks to all of our readers who made the Arizona History Showdown a success!<ul><li>As a native Arizonan and lifelong history nerd, this has been a labor of love and a longtime dream, and I&#x27;m glad that so many of you enjoyed it.</li></ul>🗣️ You tell us: The bracket format was a lot of fun, and we&#x27;d love to use it again.<ul><li>What would you like to see from our next Axios Phoenix bracket competition?</li></ul>

It's O'Connor vs. McCain for the Arizona History Showdown championship

Sandra Day O'Connor faces John McCain in the Arizona History Showdown championship.

It&#x27;s a battle of political heavyweights as John McCain and Sandra Day O&#x27;Connor face off in the championship round of the Arizona History Showdown.How it works: Click <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="here" data-vars-click-url="https://www.opinionstage.com/api/v2/widgets/bf5573e0-1f48-4ac8-8116-056d5956fd3f/iframe" data-vars-content-id="939d3ead-c86f-4ebd-8272-e154df7d254a" data-vars-headline="It&#x27;s O&#x27;Connor vs. McCain for the Arizona History Showdown championship" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.opinionstage.com/api/v2/widgets/bf5573e0-1f48-4ac8-8116-056d5956fd3f/iframe" target="_blank">here</a> to vote in the third round. Voting closes at 5pm.

Arizona History Showdown: Final Four edition

Cast your votes in the fourth round of the Arizona History Showdown.

We&#x27;re down to the final four of the Arizona History Showdown.How it works: Click <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="here" data-vars-click-url="https://www.opinionstage.com/api/v2/widgets/a3eb1b4c-cd25-4347-a5f9-d27818356365/iframe" data-vars-content-id="0c00e920-53e9-4e88-9dab-517568506830" data-vars-headline="Arizona History Showdown: Final Four edition" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.opinionstage.com/api/v2/widgets/a3eb1b4c-cd25-4347-a5f9-d27818356365/iframe" target="_blank">here</a> to vote in the third round. Voting closes at 5pm.

Vote in Round 3 of the Arizona History Showdown

Cast your votes in the third round of the Arizona History Showdown.

It&#x27;s the Elite Eight of Arizona historical figures.How it works: Click <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="here" data-vars-click-url="https://www.opinionstage.com/api/v2/widgets/ddbe7ae8-b3b4-48fd-a2a5-71ad304419ee/iframe" data-vars-content-id="f63487b9-367f-492d-b23b-f215460bc111" data-vars-headline="Vote in Round 3 of the Arizona History Showdown" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.opinionstage.com/api/v2/widgets/ddbe7ae8-b3b4-48fd-a2a5-71ad304419ee/iframe" target="_blank">here</a> to vote in the third round. Voting closes at 5pm.

Vote in Round 2 of the Arizona History Showdown

Cast your votes in the second round of the Arizona History Showdown.

It&#x27;s time for Round 2 of the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Arizona History Showdown" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/phoenix/2025/08/04/arizona-history-showdown-bracket" data-vars-content-id="7bd719f2-6c9d-413b-af7f-a751641d70b6" data-vars-headline="Vote in Round 2 of the Arizona History Showdown" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/phoenix/2025/08/04/arizona-history-showdown-bracket" target="_self">Arizona History Showdown</a>.How it works: Click <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="here" data-vars-click-url="https://www.opinionstage.com/api/v2/widgets/f4d9b7a7-5c66-414d-9dc8-38082dedb9c7/iframe" data-vars-content-id="7bd719f2-6c9d-413b-af7f-a751641d70b6" data-vars-headline="Vote in Round 2 of the Arizona History Showdown" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.opinionstage.com/api/v2/widgets/f4d9b7a7-5c66-414d-9dc8-38082dedb9c7/iframe" target="_blank">here</a> to vote in the second round. Voting closes at 5pm.<ul><li>We&#x27;ll show you the results in Wednesday&#x27;s Axios Phoenix.</li></ul>State of play: More than 500 readers voted in the first round, which featured 16 head-to-head matchups, to determine who was the most influential Arizona historical figure.<ul><li>With the first round behind us, we&#x27;ve combined the two brackets into one.</li><li>But we&#x27;ve included the original two brackets so you can see who prevailed in each round and what the winning percentages were.</li><li>See the results of the first round below.</li></ul><div><figure><div id="av-hermesv2/brackets/2025-08-05-1901-arizona-history-showdown-5L6IK" style="max-width:100%" data-vars-category="embed" data-vars-sub-category="axios-visual" data-vars-asset-id="av-hermesv2/brackets/2025-08-05-1901-arizona-history-showdown-5L6IK" data-vars-iframe-src="https://graphics.axios.com/hermesv2/brackets/2025-08-05-1901-arizona-history-showdown/index.html" class="gtmView"><img alt="A bracket that shows results from the first round of an Arizona history showdown survey of 561 Axios readers in August 2025. Winners include Barry Goldwater with 76%, Sandra Day O&#x27;Connor with 95%, and Eugene &amp; Nina Pulliam with 72%. Second-round matchups are set but undecided." class="axios-visual-newsletter-fallback-image" src="https://graphics.axios.com/hermesv2/brackets/2025-08-05-1901-arizona-history-showdown/fallbacks/2025-08-05-1901-arizona-history-showdown-fallback.png" width="1200" height="1578"/><img alt="A bracket that shows results from the first round of an Arizona history showdown survey of 561 Axios readers in August 2025. Winners include Barry Goldwater with 76%, Sandra Day O&#x27;Connor with 95%, and Eugene &amp; Nina Pulliam with 72%. Second-round matchups are set but undecided." class="axios-visual-apple-fallback-image" src="https://graphics.axios.com/hermesv2/brackets/2025-08-05-1901-arizona-history-showdown/fallbacks/2025-08-05-1901-arizona-history-showdown-apple.png" width="750" height="2360"/></div><figcaption>Bracket: Axios Visuals</figcaption></figure></div>Zoom in: Sandra Day O&#x27;Connor notched the most lopsided victory of the first round, besting Mormon pioneer Daniel Webster Jones with 95% of the vote. <ul><li>The closest race was between homebuilder John F. Long and José María Redondo, &quot;the father of irrigation in Yuma.&quot; Long garnered 50.4% — we rounded up on the bracket — winning by five votes out of 561 cast. </li><li>George W.P. Hunt may have helped write Arizona&#x27;s constitution and served as its first governor, but country music star Linda Ronstadt gave him a run for his money, winning with 53%. </li></ul><div><figure><div id="av-hermesv2/brackets/2025-08-05-1857-arizona-history-showdown-RJFZU" style="max-width:100%" data-vars-category="embed" data-vars-sub-category="axios-visual" data-vars-asset-id="av-hermesv2/brackets/2025-08-05-1857-arizona-history-showdown-RJFZU" data-vars-iframe-src="https://graphics.axios.com/hermesv2/brackets/2025-08-05-1857-arizona-history-showdown/index.html" class="gtmView"><img alt="A bracket that displays Round 1 winners in the Arizona History Showdown. John McCain leads with 78% over Wallace &amp; Ladmo. Carl Hayden wins with 81% against James S Douglas. Other winners include Frank Lloyd Wright (71%), Cesar Chavez (70%), Del Webb (64%), Frances Willard Munds (60%), Charles Poston (51%), and Jerry Colangelo (52%). Round 2 matchups are set." class="axios-visual-newsletter-fallback-image" src="https://graphics.axios.com/hermesv2/brackets/2025-08-05-1857-arizona-history-showdown/fallbacks/2025-08-05-1857-arizona-history-showdown-fallback.png" width="1200" height="1578"/><img alt="A bracket that displays Round 1 winners in the Arizona History Showdown. John McCain leads with 78% over Wallace &amp; Ladmo. Carl Hayden wins with 81% against James S Douglas. Other winners include Frank Lloyd Wright (71%), Cesar Chavez (70%), Del Webb (64%), Frances Willard Munds (60%), Charles Poston (51%), and Jerry Colangelo (52%). Round 2 matchups are set." class="axios-visual-apple-fallback-image" src="https://graphics.axios.com/hermesv2/brackets/2025-08-05-1857-arizona-history-showdown/fallbacks/2025-08-05-1857-arizona-history-showdown-apple.png" width="750" height="2360"/></div><figcaption>Bracket: Axios Visuals</figcaption></figure></div>

Time for an Arizona state history showdown

Cast your vote for the most important historical figure in the state.

Arizona Madness is here, and our state&#x27;s history is in your hands!State of play: It&#x27;s time to settle the debate: Who&#x27;s the most influential figure in Arizona history? You decide. The game is on.

Who's the most influential person in Arizona history?

Axios Phoenix wants your help to decide who's the most influential person in Arizona history.

Arizona history nerds unite! Help us decide the most influential figure in state history, and let&#x27;s have some fun along the way.State of play: We&#x27;re constructing a March Madness-style bracket with 32 entries.

History

César Chávez allegations spark reckoning over legacy

Don Bolles case detective Jon Sellers was "a part of history"

Arizona-made Civil War film debuts in Scottsdale

50 years ago, an infamous burro incident became a defining moment

Sandra Day O'Connor voted most influential figure in Arizona History Showdown