Inoperable parking meters in downtown Phoenix may have you wondering whether you're allowed to park by them. The answer: Park with caution.

State of play: A battery problem is affecting some parking meters downtown and the city is working to fix it, per Street Transportation Department spokesperson John Trierweiler.

• We've observed whole blocks of non-functioning meters in recent weeks, leaving drivers with no way to pay in some areas.

Yes, but: That hasn't dissuaded people from parking at the broken meters, so we reached out to Phoenix Police to find out what the rules are.

Zoom in: The city warns "that parking at an inoperable meter may result in a ticket" and advises people to move their cars to avoid citations.

• Officers have discretion in whether to issue citations in most cases, Phoenix Police spokesperson Robert Scherer told Axios.
• You can be cited for parking at a broken meter, he said, but "an officer would have to establish that a driver did not pay the correct amount."
• "The primary focus of any parking citation is to improve compliance. If an officer uses discretion … then one will not be issued," Scherer said.

My thought bubble: During several recent trips downtown, the meter was broken where I wanted to park.

• The first time, I got paranoid and moved my car to a garage.
• But I decided to risk it at the meter several other times after noticing all the other cars parked at inoperable meters with no tickets on their windows. I wasn't cited, either.

The bottom line: Park at your own risk.

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Amazon is pushing deeper into "instant retail" with a new 30-minute delivery service in Phoenix and several other cities, escalating its speed race with Walmart, Target and delivery apps.

Why it matters: Retailers once competed to deliver in days, then hours. Now the race is to fulfill last-minute orders almost instantly — reshaping how consumers shop for everyday items.

Driving the news: Amazon said yesterday it's expanding "Amazon Now," a 30-minute delivery service offering thousands of groceries, household essentials and other items across dozens of U.S. cities.

• The service is already available in Atlanta, Dallas-Fort Worth, Philadelphia and Seattle, with expansion underway in the Valley, Austin, Denver, Houston, Minneapolis, Orlando and Oklahoma City.
• The announcement follows Amazon's March expansion of one-hour and three-hour delivery options.

Follow the money: Prime members pay $3.99 per Amazon Now order, while non-members pay $13.99.

• Additional fees apply to smaller orders.

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Violent crime fell in Phoenix in early 2026, putting the city in line with other large U.S. cities.

Why it matters: Violent crime fell across major categories during the first quarter compared with the same period in 2025, according to data collected by the Major Cities Chiefs Association from 67 major U.S. law enforcement agencies.

In Phoenix:

• Homicides: 30 → 25
• Rapes: 248 → 219
• Robberies: 616 → 586
• Aggravated assaults: 2,046 → 2,035

Meanwhile, Mesa saw increases in all categories except rape, with murders increasing from three to four.

• Tucson experienced drops in murders, robberies and aggravated assaults but saw an increase in rapes.

Zoom out: Homicides dropped nearly 18% among the 67 cities surveyed.

• Robberies fell 20%.
• Rapes declined 7%.
• Aggravated assaults decreased 5%.

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🎓 ASU's graduating class of 14,000 was its largest ever. Actor Harrison Ford gave the commencement address on Monday. (KJZZ)

💻 A Pima County judge dismissed an injunction against harassment that state Rep. Rachel Keshel (R-Tucson) and her husband obtained against a Scottsdale man they accused of using an online alias to harass them on X.

• The judge said they didn't prove they'd identified the right person. The Scottsdale man denied any involvement. (AZcentral)

⚾ The Diamondbacks traded center fielder Alek Thomas to the Dodgers for outfield prospect Jose Requena. (Arizona Sports)

Brandon Clarke, an NBA player with the Memphis Grizzlies and graduate of Ahwatukee's Desert Vista High School, died at age 29. (12 News)

We've approached the midpoint of Malt Madness with only four brews still alive in our craft beer bracket.

Catch up quick: We've launched a head-to-head competition of local pours in celebration of American Craft Beer Week.

How it works: Round 3 is live. Pick your favorites here until 3pm today.

• We'll have a winner by Friday.