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Arizona Diamondbacks surging as they battle for a wild card spot

The D-Backs have surging after losing 9 in a row to start August

Sports

5 must-try local Phoenix ice cream shops

Here are the tastiest spots to grab a frozen treat, according to Axios Phoenix readers.

Food and Drink

Arizona History: Why tubers throw marshmallows in the Salt River and why they must stop

The marshmallow fight tradition dates back at least two decades.

Things to Do

How "golden handcuffs" locked up Phoenix's housing market

Roughly 67% of Arizona homeowners with mortgages have a rate below 4%.

Real Estate

Petition urges Phoenix to abolish reversible lanes

Opponents say the "suicide lanes" are unsafe, while the city says they're needed for rush hour traffic.

News

Community advocates and local businesses last week launched an online petition they hope will put pressure on the city of Phoenix to abolish the controversial reverse lanes on Seventh Avenue and Seventh Street.How it works: The <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="reverse lanes" data-vars-click-url="https://www.phoenix.gov/streets/projects/7th-street-and-7th-avenue-reverse-lanes" data-vars-content-id="5962f2be-6c51-4d39-95ea-9b8548602706" data-vars-headline="Petition urges Phoenix to abolish reversible lanes" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.phoenix.gov/streets/projects/7th-street-and-7th-avenue-reverse-lanes" target="_blank">reverse lanes</a>, or &quot;suicide lanes&quot; as they&#x27;re often called, use left-turn lanes as extra lanes of traffic during rush hour.

A traffic sign hanging over a busy road. 

Microtransit is here, but few Valley cities looking to continue its spread

Buckeye plans to join Avondale, Chandler, Glendale, Surprise and Tolleson with a microtransit program.

Transit

Microtransit programs are on the rise in Arizona and nationwide, but beyond a few <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Valley cities" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/phoenix/2023/08/21/microtransit-buses-phoenix-arizona-valley-cities" data-vars-content-id="20cffdd9-a1b5-46b6-9c07-9a925d3d5cfd" data-vars-headline="Microtransit is here, but few Valley cities looking to continue its spread" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/phoenix/2023/08/21/microtransit-buses-phoenix-arizona-valley-cities" target="_self">Valley cities</a>, there&#x27;s little interest in implementing the rideshare-style system.Catch up quick: Microtransit programs generally allow riders to use a mobile app to hail on-demand shared cars that pick them up at virtual stops.

The back of a white van with purple and yellow markings with a small ramp extending from an open side door.

Phoenix breaks ground on project to make Grand Canal grander in Maryvale

The project will add enhancements along the canal between 47th and 75th avenues.

Development

City officials, neighborhood leaders and others gathered Tuesday for the groundbreaking ceremony for <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Phase 3 of Phoenix&#x27;s Grand Canalscape project" data-vars-click-url="https://www.phoenix.gov/Streets/GrandCanal3" data-vars-content-id="0e073617-a009-4a75-aef3-6d3767ba7dd6" data-vars-headline="Phoenix breaks ground on project to make Grand Canal grander in Maryvale" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.phoenix.gov/Streets/GrandCanal3" target="_blank">Phase 3 of Phoenix&#x27;s Grand Canalscape project</a>, which will improve the waterway in the Maryvale area.Driving the news: The third phase will cover the Grand Canal from 47th Avenue just north of Osborn Road to 75th Avenue and Camelback Road, at the boundary of Glendale.

23 years and $20 million later, the Capitol light rail plan is dead

It was an idea $20 million and 20-plus years in the making.

Winning the Republican <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="state Legislature&#x27;s" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/phoenix/2023/08/01/arizona-legislative-session-end-prop-400-ballot" data-vars-content-id="70b24254-3759-4b7a-ad97-323cb2d3562f" data-vars-headline="23 years and $20 million later, the Capitol light rail plan is dead" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/phoenix/2023/08/01/arizona-legislative-session-end-prop-400-ballot" target="_self">state Legislature&#x27;s</a> permission to ask metro Phoenix voters to continue funding transportation came at the cost of a planned light rail extension that would have connected downtown to the state Capitol.<ul><li>It was an idea $20 million and 20-plus years in the making.</li></ul>

Microtransit programs spreading in Valley cities

Microtransit programs operate similarly to ridesharing apps like Uber and Lyft.

A handful of cities have ushered in a new era of <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="mass transit in the Valley" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/phoenix/2023/08/14/phoenix-light-rail-alternatives-mass-transit-options" data-vars-content-id="1748f02c-0d2c-472b-bdad-17fa8bdb5ce8" data-vars-headline="Microtransit programs spreading in Valley cities" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/phoenix/2023/08/14/phoenix-light-rail-alternatives-mass-transit-options" target="_self">mass transit in the Valley</a>, a rideshare-style service known as <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="microtransit" data-vars-click-url="https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/southwest-valley/2022/05/25/southwest-valley-cities-launch-microtransit-pilot-program-2022/7226285001/" data-vars-content-id="1748f02c-0d2c-472b-bdad-17fa8bdb5ce8" data-vars-headline="Microtransit programs spreading in Valley cities" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/southwest-valley/2022/05/25/southwest-valley-cities-launch-microtransit-pilot-program-2022/7226285001/" target="_blank">microtransit</a>.How it works: Microtransit operates similarly to Uber and Lyft. Riders can use a smartphone app or call a phone number to hail a car, which typically picks them up at &quot;virtual stops&quot; and takes them to other stops in pre-established zones of operation.

A white minivan with purple and yellow markings and the words We Ride on the side.

With future light rail expansion in question, other mass transit options stand out

Bus Rapid Transit and microtransit are among the options being used or considered by some cities,

While long-term expansion of the Phoenix area&#x27;s light rail system is on the ropes due to uncertain funding, regional mass transit planners are looking at other options that can help people navigate the sprawling Valley without cars.Driving the news: In Phoenix, looking beyond rail has become a necessity. A <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="hard-fought compromise" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/phoenix/2023/08/01/arizona-legislative-session-end-prop-400-ballot" data-vars-content-id="15c5d486-689f-45c6-8a9c-1a806bd2b2c6" data-vars-headline="With future light rail expansion in question, other mass transit options stand out" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/phoenix/2023/08/01/arizona-legislative-session-end-prop-400-ballot" target="_self">hard-fought compromise</a> between Gov. Katie Hobbs, a Democrat, and Republican legislative leaders yielded an agreement that will allow Maricopa County voters to weigh in next year on a 20-year extension of a half-cent sales tax for transportation funding known as Proposition 400.

Illustration of a bus seen through the view of binoculars.

ValTrans was "the one that got away"

ValTrans was "the one that got away," former Phoenix Mayor Terry Goddard told Axios this week.

The advent of light rail in the Valley was delayed by nearly 20 years due to voters&#x27; rejection of a proposed mass transit system known as ValTrans.Why it matters: Former Phoenix Mayor Terry Goddard tells Axios that growth patterns in the Valley would&#x27;ve been significantly different if ValTrans had passed, with less sprawl and more housing concentrated along the rail lines.

A silver and blue light rail train on an elevated track. 

ADOT launches annual freeway message contest

ADOT is holding its 7th annual contest for messages on its electronic freeway signs.

Do you ever read the quirky messages on electronic signs on the freeway and think you could come up with something better?<ul><li>The Arizona Department of Transportation is giving you a chance to prove it with its <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="seventh annual safety message contest" data-vars-click-url="https://azdot.gov/safety-message-contest" data-vars-content-id="f0dd4a33-7f83-4596-9504-10f25dcc8dec" data-vars-headline="ADOT launches annual freeway message contest" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://azdot.gov/safety-message-contest" target="_blank">seventh annual safety message contest</a>.</li></ul>

No timeline in sight for Interstate 11 construction in Arizona

One supporter believes the Wickenburg-to-Buckeye portion could be complete within 10 years.

Plans for <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Interstate 11" data-vars-click-url="http://www.i11study.com/arizona/" data-vars-content-id="787145e2-4767-4c9f-a80d-052434795eaa" data-vars-headline="No timeline in sight for Interstate 11 construction in Arizona" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="http://www.i11study.com/arizona/" target="_blank">Interstate 11</a>, which would run from Las Vegas to Nogales, have been in the works for years, but it may be many more before Arizonans can catch a ride on the proposed freeway.State of play: The only existing segment of I-11 is the 22.8-mile portion that runs concurrently with U.S. Route 93 from Henderson, Nevada, to the Mike O&#x27;Callaghan–Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge, which spans the Colorado River and bypasses Hoover Dam.

Illustration of an elevated freeway shaped like an infinity symbol.

Arizona had nation's second-highest rate of pedestrian fatalities in 2022

The U.S. last year saw the highest number of pedestrian deaths since 1981.

Arizona was the second-worst state for pedestrian deaths last year, according to a <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="recent report" data-vars-click-url="https://www.ghsa.org/resources/Pedestrians23" data-vars-content-id="bc7324d0-ae3c-4e5e-94e1-af423761202b" data-vars-headline="Arizona had nation&#x27;s second-highest rate of pedestrian fatalities in 2022" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.ghsa.org/resources/Pedestrians23" target="_blank">recent report</a> by the Governors Highway Safety Association.By the numbers: In 2022, 307 people were killed after being struck by vehicles.

George Santos introduces expulsion resolution in potential final act in Congress

The House is slated to vote to expel Santos on Friday.

Politics & Policy

Ahead of a vote that could make him the first House lawmaker to be expelled in more than 20 years, Rep. <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="George Santos" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2023/11/28/george-santos-expulsion-vote-republicans-majority" data-vars-content-id="c7450d99-da7b-4552-a983-4be840a7ed9c" data-vars-headline="George Santos introduces expulsion resolution in potential final act in Congress" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2023/11/28/george-santos-expulsion-vote-republicans-majority" target="_self">George Santos</a> (R-N.Y.) is introducing an expulsion resolution on Thursday targeting a House lawmaker from his own state. Why it matters: Santos — who faces an <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="uphill battle in a vote" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2023/11/28/republicans-george-santos-resign-expulsion" data-vars-content-id="c7450d99-da7b-4552-a983-4be840a7ed9c" data-vars-headline="George Santos introduces expulsion resolution in potential final act in Congress" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2023/11/28/republicans-george-santos-resign-expulsion" target="_self">uphill battle in a vote</a> to remove him from office following a scathing House Ethics report — is seeking an expulsion vote on Rep. <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Jamaal Bowman" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2023/11/22/house-ethics-jamaal-bowman-fire-alarm" data-vars-content-id="c7450d99-da7b-4552-a983-4be840a7ed9c" data-vars-headline="George Santos introduces expulsion resolution in potential final act in Congress" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2023/11/22/house-ethics-jamaal-bowman-fire-alarm" target="_self">Jamaal Bowman</a> (D-N.Y.), who pulled a fire alarm in one of the House office buildings.

George Santos expulsion spurs rare bipartisanship among House lawmakers

Rep. Robert Garcia encouraged fellow Democrats to support Republicans' expulsion measure.

House Democrats and Republicans finally have something they agree on: booting Rep. <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="George Santos" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2023/11/30/george-santos-jamaal-bowman-expulsion-resolution" data-vars-content-id="4eec0a24-5338-46c4-8b6e-5526cda73c0f" data-vars-headline="George Santos expulsion spurs rare bipartisanship among House lawmakers" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2023/11/30/george-santos-jamaal-bowman-expulsion-resolution" target="_self">George Santos</a> (R-N.Y.) from Congress.Driving the news: In an email sent to Democratic congressional offices on Thursday, Rep. Robert Garcia&#x27;s (D-Calif.) office advocated for Republicans&#x27; resolution to expel the embattled Long Islander.

GOP speculation mounts that McCarthy will exit Congress early

Multiple GOP lawmakers expect former House Speaker <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Kevin McCarthy" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2023/11/12/mccarthy-gop-elections-2024" data-vars-content-id="dbdacc28-b2ed-40c2-a4cb-3bf4792a4d9b" data-vars-headline="GOP speculation mounts that McCarthy will exit Congress early" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2023/11/12/mccarthy-gop-elections-2024" target="_self">Kevin McCarthy</a> (R-Calif.) to step down from his seat before the end of the year, Axios has learned.Why it matters: The potential exit of McCarthy — who privately told donors he is looking to &quot;get the hell out,&quot; according to a source familiar with the conversation — could leave the House GOP with an even narrower majority.

Trump unleashes grievances, warnings in wild 24 hours on Truth Social

Trump warned that his indictments have opened up a "very big and dangerous Pandora's Box."

Former President Trump has spent the last 24 hours on Truth Social unleashing a torrent of grievances, vengeful promises and links to online conspiracy theories about his political rivals.Why it matters: Trump&#x27;s online rhetoric has <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="frequently dipped into violent extremism" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2023/10/04/trumps-words-turn-violent-pressure-builds" data-vars-content-id="4ce9173c-4439-425e-8986-ec54c92037e6" data-vars-headline="Trump unleashes grievances, warnings in wild 24 hours on Truth Social" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2023/10/04/trumps-words-turn-violent-pressure-builds" target="_self">frequently dipped into violent extremism</a> since he left office, escalating as his legal troubles have mounted. Public fatigue and the pro-Trump echo chamber created by Truth Social have at times softened the shock value of the GOP front-runner&#x27;s daily musings.

Rep. George Santos expelled from Congress in historic vote

Santos is the first Republican to be expelled from the House.

The House on Friday voted to expel Rep. <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="George Santos" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2022/12/19/george-santos-republican-congress-biography" data-vars-content-id="235bb126-9767-4b36-a5c3-4560ae03474e" data-vars-headline="Rep. George Santos expelled from Congress in historic vote" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2022/12/19/george-santos-republican-congress-biography" target="_self">George Santos</a> (R-N.Y.) over his many fabrications on the 2022 campaign trail and his two federal indictments.Why it matters: The vote makes Santos just the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="sixth lawmaker" data-vars-click-url="https://history.house.gov/Institution/Discipline/Expulsion-Censure-Reprimand/" data-vars-content-id="235bb126-9767-4b36-a5c3-4560ae03474e" data-vars-headline="Rep. George Santos expelled from Congress in historic vote" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://history.house.gov/Institution/Discipline/Expulsion-Censure-Reprimand/" target="_blank">sixth lawmaker</a> – and first Republican – to be expelled from the House in U.S. history.

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