Axios Phoenix

July 20, 2026
It's Monday. Embrace the new week.
🌧️ Today's weather: Chance of showers and thunderstorms, high of 104.
🎂 Happy birthday to our Axios Phoenix member Cory Shapiro!
Today's newsletter is 857 words — a 3-minute read.
1 big thing: Arizona's insider trading crackdown
As high-profile incidents increase public scrutiny of online prediction markets, several government entities in Arizona have enacted policies to bar employees from cashing in based on inside information.
Why it matters: When government employees profit from information that isn't available to others, it can erode trust in public institutions.
How it works: Online prediction markets like Kalshi and Polymarket allow people to wager on sporting events, politics, pop culture, economic issues and a wide range of other issues.
State of play: Gov. Hobbs issued an executive order last month barring executive branch employees from using nonpublic information to wager on prediction markets.
- Maricopa County enacted a similar policy the following week, as did Secretary of State Adrian Fontes last Thursday.
- Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell is working on a policy as well, spokesperson Erin Pellett told Axios.
Employees who violate the policies can be fired and referred to law enforcement. Hobbs' order says they can also be subject to other "appropriate sanctions."
Yes, but: It's unclear whether any state laws prohibit such wagering or what other sanctions violators could face.
- And it could be difficult to determine whether employees have actually made such bets, Hobbs spokesperson Christian Slater acknowledged to Axios.
- "The question of enforcement is something that we are working on," he told Axios, and the administration will "keep building best practices and regulations."
Zoom in: The Arizona Attorney General's Office is still analyzing the governor's order and hasn't determined whether violators could face legal consequences, Richie Taylor, a spokesperson for AG Kris Mayes, told Axios.
- Slater said there are some instances in which wagers could be legally prohibited, such as with people who have access to classified information.
- The Maricopa County Attorney's Office believes that some cases could merit federal insider trading charges, depending on circumstances, per Pellett.
What we're watching: Hobbs urged "other statewide elected officials, independent boards and commissions, and the judicial and legislative branches to adopt comparable policies."
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2. "The Odyssey" as Nolan intended
The purest form of Christopher Nolan's "The Odyssey" can only be seen in 25 U.S. theaters — including Tempe's Harkins Arizona Mills.
The (really) big picture: Nolan's preferred presentation format can only be shown on 70mm IMAX screens, which offer the highest-quality image and sound from the original film.
Context: Not every IMAX theater is outfitted with that type of screen. The Arizona Mills theater is the only one in Arizona that is.
The intrigue: Nolan previously showed some of his films in 70mm — like "Oppenheimer" — but "Odyssey" was the first narrative film to be shot entirely using IMAX cameras, according to IMAX.
- "IMAX is the best film format that was ever invented. It's the gold standard and what any other technology has to match up to, but none have," Nolan said in a press release.
Nolan fans are going bonkers over it. Some fans bought tickets a year ago, others delayed their pregnancies or went on cross-country road trips to see the film in its proper format, Variety reports.
How it works: A standard film strips is 35mm. A 70mm print is physically larger, allowing for higher image resolution.
- IMAX screens also display a taller image, letting audiences see more of the frame.
- Normally, filmmakers will only film parts of their movie on IMAX since the cameras for it are bulky and expensive.
If you go: Get your tickets soon. Most showtimes have some availability, but the remaining seats are almost all in the first few rows, which is not ideal.
- Showings are scheduled multiple times per day through Aug. 12.
👀 Worthy of your time: Watch this awesome video of technicians installing the 70mm film at Arizona Mills.
3. Chips & salsa: 9 hurt in Tucson shooting
🚨 Nine people were wounded, none fatally, in a shooting in downtown Tucson early Sunday morning. Police shot a suspect and took him into custody. (Tucson Sentinel)
Lattie Coor, regarded as the architect of modern ASU who transformed the school into a top-tier research institution during his 1990-2002 tenure as university president, died at age 89. (AZcentral)
🏈 The NFL suspended Arizona Cardinals personnel executive Ryan Gold indefinitely for providing someone with confidential, non-public inside information about the team's 2026 draft selections before they were announced. (Associated Press)
🏠 ASU halted its efforts to seize a 124-year-old house for eminent domain so it could use the land for its medical school headquarters. (Arizona's Family)
4. Where in the Valley?
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 shoutout in the newsletter.
You tell us: Where in the Valley can you find this rust-colored sign for the Agua Fria?
Catch up quick: Congratulations to Robert Shuler, the first reader to give us the correct location for last week's "Where in the Valley?" photo.
- The horse sculpture is at WestWorld of Scottsdale.
⚽️ Jeremy was rooting for Spain, so he was happy with the World Cup championship game.
😴 Jessica is getting some R&R.
Thanks to Jessica for editing.
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