Adelita Grijalva's election as Arizona's newest member of Congress is now official in every way but one — U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson has yet to swear her in, and state Attorney General Kris Mayes is threatening legal action.

Why it matters: Residents of southern Arizona's 7th Congressional District have been without representation in the House since March, when former U.S. Rep. Raúl Grijalva died.

• Johnson has refused to swear in Adelita Grijalva in the three weeks since she won the seat her father held for 22 years.

The intrigue: Grijalva (D-Ariz.) would be the pivotal 218th vote on a discharge petition from U.S. Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) on the release of files related to the sex crimes case against financier Jeffrey Epstein.

Driving the news: Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs, Secretary of State Adrian Fontes and Mayes met yesterday morning to certify Grijalva's Sept. 23 victory.

• In a letter to Johnson, Mayes, a Democrat, noted the speaker had quickly sworn in previous special election winners and said Arizona's right to a full House delegation and the district's rights to the representation they voted for "are not up for debate and may not be delayed or used as leverage in negotiations about unrelated legislation."

Threat level: If Johnson doesn't provide "assurance of when and where" Grijalva will be sworn in within two days, Mayes said she'll go to court.

Reality check: The U.S. Supreme Court in 1969 ruled the House can't exclude members who meet the constitutional requirements to serve, though House rules won't require Johnson to swear in Grijalva until the chamber is back in session, the Arizona Republic recently reported.

• The House has only held pro forma sessions since the shutdown began.
• Yes, but: The speaker has the option of doing so during pro forma sessions, as he did in April for two Florida Republicans.

The other side: At a press conference yesterday, Johnson said he won't swear in Grijalva until the ongoing federal government shutdown ends.

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The storm system that blanketed the Valley over the weekend has made this month the third-wettest October on record, according to the National Weather Service. And we're only halfway through.

The big picture: The remnants of two tropical systems from the East Coast collided with a low-pressure system from the West Coast, resulting in five days of thunderstorms across metro Phoenix, local NWS meteorologist Gabriel Lorejo told Axios.

• Phoenix Sky Harbor measured 3.26 inches of rain between last Thursday and Monday, and some parts of the East Valley saw about 4 inches, he said.

Threat level: Tempe experienced a microburst, with estimated wind speeds of at least 70 miles per hour on Monday, which downed hundreds of trees and damaged some buildings, including several apartment complexes.

Stunning stat: About 70% of all rainfall this year has occurred in the past 45 days, Lorejo said.

• Phoenix has recorded about 7.49 inches so far — roughly the annual average, he said.

1 welcome prediction: We are likely done with triple-digit weather for the remainder of the year, Lorejo told us.

Tell a storm chaser

🏛️ The Tempe City Council will vote on rezoning for a Danelle Plaza redevelopment plan tomorrow. (AZcentral)

⛪ Dallin H. Oaks, a former Utah Supreme Court justice, is the new president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. (Axios)

⛔ JoJo's Shakebar closed its only Arizona location, which came to the Scottsdale Quarter in 2023. (Phoenix New Times)

⚖️ A Maricopa County judge dismissed a lawsuit against a 2024 voter-approved law making it a state crime to illegally cross the U.S.-Mexico border because it hasn't yet gone into effect and can't be enforced until federal courts approve a similar law in Texas. (Arizona Mirror)

Airports across the country — including Phoenix Sky Harbor — are refusing to show a video of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem blaming the ongoing government shutdown on congressional Democrats.

Why it matters: The Trump administration released the video for airing at TSA checkpoints earlier this month, but some transportation authorities have shelved the message out of concern it violates the Hatch Act.

• That's the law that aims to ensure federal programs are administered in a nonpartisan fashion.

Worth noting: Airports do regularly display videos from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) secretary, though those typically focus on safety or travel procedures, not partisan messaging, The Washington Post reports.

What they're saying: Sky Harbor spokesperson Jon Brodsky said the airport followed its policy, which prohibits airing political content.

What we're watching: As the shutdown drags on, air travelers may see more impacts.

• TSA agents and air traffic controllers are essential workers who are required to continue working without pay, but when they get their first zero-dollar paychecks later this month, they may stop showing up, employee advocates warn.

The intrigue: Controller and TSA "sick-outs" played an under-appreciated role in ending the 2018-19 shutdown, as lawmakers faced the prospect of a snarled air traffic network, furious airline executives and an irate flying public.