The Arizona Abortion Access Act has already booked nearly $16 million in ads to push for the ballot proposition that would engrain Roe-era abortion protections in the state constitution, per AdImpact data.

Why it matters: Democrats hope that having abortion on the ballot will keep the focus on their most potent issue — and turn out voters.

• Similar eye-popping spending is underway to support initiatives in Nevada and Montana — two other states with the potential to decide U.S. Senate control and the presidency.

The big picture: Since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade two years ago, abortion rights have won on the ballot in state after state.

• Having the option to vote to protect access to abortion in their state may help Democrats turn out important voting blocs such as young people and women who are independents.

What they're saying: "The fight for reproductive freedom will once again be at the forefront of the issues landscape in Senate battlegrounds, and Senate Republican candidates' well-documented opposition to women's right to make their own health care decisions is a deal breaker for voters," Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee spokesperson Tommy Garcia told Axios.

Yes, but: Arizona for Abortion Access spokesperson Dawn Penich told Axios their campaign is nonpartisan and focused on their "own message of restoring and protecting abortion access."

• "We definitely welcome and appreciate supportive messaging — and we know that there's broad support for abortion rights among voters on both sides of the aisle — but we don't otherwise coordinate with candidates," she said.

The other side: "Democrats don't want to talk about Kamala Harris' role as border czar, her support for defunding the police, or her embrace of the failure that is Bidenomics, so they are going to run a single-issue campaign on abortion," National Republican Senatorial Committee spokesperson Mike Berg told Axios.

• "Kari Lake is the only woman and mom in the race. She opposes a national abortion ban," a Lake told Axios.

Spread the word

Among the Russian prisoners freed in a multi-country swap is a dissident who was charged with treason after condemning the invasion of Ukraine and Russian President Vladimir Putin's authoritarianism during a 2022 speech to the Arizona House.

The big picture: Russia released dissident Vladimir Kara-Murza along with Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan yesterday in an exchange involving the U.S., Germany, Poland, Slovenia, Norway, Russia and Belarus.

Zoom in: In March 2022, Kara-Murza spoke to the Arizona House, criticizing the "war of aggression that Vladimir Putin's regime has unleashed against the nation of Ukraine" and Putin's crackdown on critics.

• "These are very dark times in Russia today," he said, lamenting the regime had arrested hundreds of political prisoners, crushed major opposition groups and liquidated independent media outlets.
• Kara-Murza was also a friend of John McCain who served as a pallbearer at his funeral.

Catch up quick: A Russian court in 2022 charged Kara-Murza with spreading "deliberately false information" about the country's invasion of Ukraine, and he was sentenced to 25 years in prison the following year.

• He was also charged with treason in part for his speech to the Arizona House.

What they're saying: "I'm glad that he's been released. And I hope that he and his wife can keep doing good for their country. It's a mess," said former Speaker Rusty Bowers, who invited Kara-Murza to the House and keeps a picture of him in his phone.

Full story

You don't need your hiking shoes — or any shoes at all — for a new trail near Flagstaff that's designed for people to walk barefoot.

The big picture: The Barefoot Trail west of Flagstaff, near Bellemont, opened for its first season in early July.

• The one-mile trail has a line of fine sand along the middle that makes the walk easy on your feet, along with a variety of features like zip lines, rope walks, obstacles to climb on and mud to squish your feet in.

Zoom in: Leah Williams, who created the trail, said its top two principles are health and a practice known as "grounding" or "earthing," in which people walk barefoot to absorb the Earth's natural electric charge.

• "We hold a lot of inflammation, tension, and this process of grounding allows our bodies to release that," Williams told Axios.

Our thought bubble: I took a walk with my family on the Barefoot Trail during a recent trip to Flagstaff.

• I enjoyed the sensation and found it very relaxing.
• My kids loved it, and my 6-year-old daughter enthusiastically told her cousin about it when we got back to Phoenix.

Explore the trail

🌡️ July was the second-hottest month in Phoenix history, with an average temperature of 101.1°. The only month hotter was July 2023, which averaged 102.7°. (KJZZ)

🧒 Arizona will reinstate a waitlist for families seeking state child care assistance after the state Legislature failed to fill a multimillion-dollar budget hole created by the expiration of COVID-era federal funds. (AZCIR)

🧑‍⚖️ A judge ruled that the parent of a student at Hamilton High School in Chandler who died by suicide cannot bring a wrongful death lawsuit against the school district for its alleged failure to address bullying and harassment the student faced on school grounds. (AZcentral)

Intel will lay off 15% of its workforce, though it's unclear what effect this will have in Arizona, where the company employs around 12,000 people.

Editor's note: An item in the Chips & salsa roundup has been corrected to say the student who died by suicide went to Hamilton High School in Chandler, not Chandler High School.

Welcome to another edition of "Where in the Valley?"

How it works: We show you something cool. You tell us where it is.

• The first reader who names the spot gets a shout-out in the newsletter.

You tell us: Where in the Valley can you find this equestrian-themed image?