Arizonans aren't expected to let sky-high gas prices get in the way of their Memorial Day weekend plans.

Why it matters: With gas pushing an average of $4.82 per gallon — about 25 cents higher than the national average, per AAA — your long-weekend road trip will cost a lot more than it did last year.

• The average then was about $3.20 per gallon.

State of play: More than 970,000 Arizonans are projected to travel at least 50 miles this weekend, according to AAA.

• About 850,000 of them are expected to drive.

The big picture: We're not the only ones expected to hit the road — AAA predicted that a record 45 million Americans will travel for Memorial Day weekend, with 39.1 million driving to their destinations.

• Memorial Day is a guaranteed day off, even for people who don't get much vacation time, "so they're gonna take full advantage and travel with their families," AAA Mountain West Group spokesperson Doug Johnson said in a video earlier this month.

Good news: There are no scheduled state highway closures this weekend, according to the Arizona Department of Transportation.

Be smart: Nothing can suck the fun out of a holiday weekend faster than unexpected traffic jams.

• The best times to travel today and tomorrow are before 11am and before 10am on Monday, per AAA.
• Traffic should be minimal Sunday.

Temperatures have been creeping up all week and are expected to be near triple digits in the Valley this weekend, making it a good time to get out of town.

• Yes, but: Northern and eastern Arizona could see rain Monday.

If you're staying put this weekend, you can still find ways to beat the heat.

🌊 Take a dip: Most public pools open for the season this weekend, including in Phoenix, Mesa, Glendale, Peoria and Gilbert.

🎖️ Remember the fallen: Don't forget the reason for the day — there are Memorial Day observances across the Valley on Monday.

Hit the road

University of Phoenix staff earlier this week planted 10,000 flags spelling out, "Never Forgotten, Always Remembered."

• The flags will be removed later today and distributed at local military cemeteries ahead of Memorial Day.

The Maricopa County Attorney's Office (MCAO) is pushing back after ICE accused it of refusing to press charges against a woman accused of killing her child in a rollover accident.

Why it matters: Admonitions from the Trump administration can trigger waves of criticism against public officials, regardless of the facts of a situation.

State of play: ICE used its official X account on Monday to criticize MCAO for not bringing criminal charges against a woman, who the agency says in the U.S. illegally, after a fatal rollover accident.

• Brenda Liliana Rivera-Estrada was arrested on charges of manslaughter and child abuse following the crash, which killed her 9-year-old daughter and left her three other minor children injured, per court testimony.
• "But Maricopa county prosecutors declined to file charges," per ICE's post, adding that Rivera-Estrada's now in its custody pending a review of her case by the U.S. Department of Justice's Executive Office for Immigration Review.

The other side: MCAO responded that it hasn't dropped the case. Rather, it's still investigating.

• County Attorney Rachel Mitchell "has said this many times: We have one chance to get this right. Complex cases like this routinely take time to gather the evidence needed to prove a case beyond a reasonable doubt," the agency said on X.

Zoom in: MCAO had to wait for additional information from DPS, such as lab results and a collision analysis, which isn't unusual in DUI cases, spokesperson Erin Pellett told Axios.

• Without charges, Rivera-Estrada must be released within 72 hours, Pellett said.
• DPS sent the case back to MCAO on Thursday.

The intrigue: Mitchell declined to comment on why ICE targeted MCAO, an agency that is run by a Republican county attorney and hasn't had recent conflicts with the Trump administration.

• ICE wouldn't comment on MCAO's response.

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⚕️ President Trump nominated radiologist Nicole Saphier, a Valley native and ASU grad who now lives in New Jersey, as U.S. surgeon general. (AZcentral)

🏀 The Suns and Mercury extended their media rights partnership with Arizona's Family through 2030 and added a streaming option to the deal. (Arizona Sports)

👟 The Sedona McDonald's-themed "Book 2" Nikes will be available in two designs. (Arizona Sports)

• The gray-and-turquoise design can be purchased online starting June 2.
• But the all-turquoise version is limited to 50 pairs and can only be won through a McDonald's app sweepstakes, which runs today-May 28.

🗳️ Half of Benson's six-member City Council was recalled amid backlash over an aluminum plant. (AZPM)

📱 Former Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb, who's seeking the GOP nomination in the 5th Congressional District, was accused by women interviewed by The Arizona Republic of sending dozens of sexually explicit messages and images and threatening one woman to keep it quiet. (AZcentral)

• The newspaper said it reviewed digital evidence, including screenshots that appeared to come from Lamb's personal cell phone number and social media accounts.
• Lamb and his campaign did not respond to specific allegations, but campaign attorney Andrew Gould told The Republic: "The campaign is aware that various false, misleading, and potentially defamatory allegations have circulated online for years."

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