A plurality of Latinos now says "neither" when asked which major political party cares more about them, according to the latest Axios-Ipsos Latino Poll in partnership with Noticias Telemundo.

Why it matters: More Latinos continue to favor the Democratic Party, but their allegiance is drifting. Some Latinos signal growing differences on cultural issues and crime — and give Republicans an edge in handling the economy, Axios' Russell Contreras and Margaret Talev report.

The big picture: That hasn't translated to a major realignment among Latinos to the GOP, Ipsos pollster and senior vice president Chris Jackson tells Axios.

Zoom in: Latinos are an increasingly important voting bloc, representing 32% of the Arizona population and a growing share of the U.S. population. The poll found that by nearly 3 to 1, Latinos say Democrats care more about them than Republicans, a declining but still dominant share.

• But 32% of all respondents said neither Democrats nor Republicans care about Latinos. That's up from 28% last October and 25% a year ago.
• 40% of respondents said it's a bad time to be a Latino or Hispanic person in America, up from 31% last October and 29% a year ago.

State of play: "Latinos are still more Democratic than Republican by significant margins," Jackson said. "But when you're talking about elections that are won by a percentage point, small losses can make a difference.

• "The Democratic coalition is complicated in the best of times. The more pieces are in play, the harder it's going to be for any Democratic candidate to thread the needle."

Go deeper

It's summer at the Desert Botanical Garden, and that means it's time again for Flashlight Nights, a fun family outing for the kids.

What's happening: Through Sept. 2, the garden is open after dark every Saturday — except this one! — for special tours starting at 6:30pm.

• They've got a limited number of flashlights for visitors, but you can bring your own if you want to make sure you have one.

What to expect: As you walk through the garden, you'll visit multiple stations to learn about the local wildlife, especially the creepy, crawly stuff.

• At the garden's Webster Center, you can see a Gila monster alongside other scaly critters, including a bearded dragon you can pet.
• They've also got live music and fire pits, where you can roast marshmallows for s'mores.

Jeremy's thought bubble: We took the kids last weekend, and they had a blast!

• My kids loved the s'mores and were enchanted by some of the animals. My 3-year-old was super excited to show me the Gila monster.
• At one station, we got to sample ground mesquite, which we learned tastes a lot like cocoa powder.
• We started early, when it was still pretty light out, since our 3-year-old and 5-year-old will last only so long. But if that's not a concern for you, I'd recommend starting later, when it's a bit darker, even though it'll also be a lot busier by then.

Diamondbacks starting pitcher Zac Gallen is the betting favorite at four major online betting services to win the National League Cy Young Award, according to Vegas Insider.

State of play: Gallen started the season with the eighth-highest odds, but was the most bet-upon NL pitcher to win the Cy Young, Arizona Sports reported at the start of the season.

• MLB.com's inaugural 2023 poll of Cy Young voters last month had Gallen as the favorite with 32 votes, well ahead of the 13 for the Atlanta Braves' Spencer Strider.

By the numbers: Gallen sports one of MLB's best records at 9-2.

• He's in a five-way tie for most wins in the NL with Strider (9-2), D-backs teammate Merrill Kelly (9-4), the Los Angeles Dodgers' Clayton Kershaw (9-4) and the Chicago Cubs' Marcus Stroman (9-5).

1 tough competitor: Gallen's top competitor is three-time Cy Young winner Kershaw, who sits second in the betting odds.

What's next: Gallen will be on the mound tonight against the Tampa Bay Rays, who have been the best team in baseball all season.

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📚 Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne is warning schools they could lose state funding if they allow students not yet proficient in English to participate in programs where half of the day is taught in Spanish or another language. (AZcentral)

✈️ American Airlines will begin daily nonstop service between Sky Harbor and Wichita's Eisenhower National Airport in November. Phoenix is the Kansas airport's second most popular destination. (Phoenix Business Journal)

📺 Longtime "Good Morning Arizona" anchor Olivia Fierro is leaving the TV news industry. Tess Rafols, who's been with Arizona's Family for 18 years, is joining Scott Pasmore on the morning show. (AZfamily)

Jeremy here! As longtime readers know, I'm a hot chicken fan who's always on the lookout for a good, new restaurant to try.

• So when Shaquille O'Neal opened the first Arizona location of his Big Chicken chain in downtown Gilbert in March, I knew I'd have to head out to the East Valley to give it a try.

What I ordered: I opted for a non-spicy option that looked too good to pass up. The Crispy Chicken Grilled Cheese was listed as the house favorite, so how could I say no?

• It featured fried chicken tender strips with three kinds of cheese and chipotle barbecue sauce.

The verdict: The Crispy Chicken Grilled Cheese delivered everything it promised — the gooey cheese went great with the juicy chicken. And there are a handful of extra sauces you can try on the side. I was partial to the Carolina honey mustard.

1 great throwback: If you've got a hankering, you can play NBA Jam on an old-school arcade game they've got in the restaurant.