Arizona is again in the crosshairs of President Trump's mission to nationalize elections and limit voting by mail.

Why it matters: The vast majority of Arizonans cast mail ballots, and critics say Trump's latest move would disenfranchise some of those voters ahead of a crucial November election in the battleground state.

Catch up quick: Trump on Tuesday signed an executive order requiring the U.S. Postal Service to check a voter's registration against a federal list before mailing ballots.

• The order says this is necessary to reduce fraud, something Trump has insisted, without evidence, runs rampant in vote-by-mail systems nationwide.

The other side: Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes decried the order as unlawful and fellow Democrat Secretary of State Adrian Fontes quickly announced that he was working with her on a legal challenge.

• "The President is not trying to improve election security, he is trying to control who gets to vote," said Mayes, noting that more than 80% of Arizonans vote by mail and that the system has been used safely for decades.

Between the lines: Fontes said the federal voter database is flawed and doesn't accurately reflect all documented proof of citizenship.

• The Trump administration is currently suing Arizona for Fontes' refusal to hand over the state's complete voter registration database as requested.

The intrigue: It was a Republican Legislature and governor who in 1991 enacted the law allowing Arizonans to vote by absentee ballot for any reason.

• And the Republican-controlled Legislature, along with a Democratic governor, created the Permanent Early Voting List in 2007, ushering in the modern era of early voting.
• Early voting became a partisan dividing line during the 2020 presidential election, when Trump began baselessly claiming that mail-in voting was rife with fraud.

Gov. Katie Hobbs, who previously served as secretary of state, emphasized that mail-in voting has had bipartisan support in Arizona for decades, both in terms of politicians supporting the policy and voters using it to cast ballots.

• "This would be really detrimental to Arizona voters and to politicians on the ballot in both parties," she told reporters yesterday.

Tell a voter

The women's Final Four will be over soon, but it will leave a lasting impact for generations of Phoenix youngsters.

State of play: The NCAA yesterday unveiled its "legacy project," at the Washington Activity Center in Phoenix's Alhambra Village neighborhood.

• The center got refurbished indoor and outdoor basketball courts, wireless scoreboards, a computer lab, a teen lounge, new basketballs and ball racks, and a mural by local artist Martin Moreno.
• Several ASU women's basketball players were on hand to break in the new court with kids who attended the unveiling.

What they're saying: "In every women's Final Four city, the NCAA makes this local investment because we firmly believe that sports is a way that we can leave a lasting legacy," Lynn Holzman, the NCAA vice president of women's basketball, said at the event.

Flashback: The last time the men's Final Four came to the Valley in 2024, the legacy project made improvements to Phoenix's Eastlake Park Community Center.

Taking a dip in Chase Field's swimming pool is a bucket list item for many Arizonans who've watched D-Backs fans splashing in the outfield for the past 28 years.

💧 So much so that the novelty inspired a series of April Fools' Day jokes from ASU Athletics yesterday, in which they "announced" a pool viewing area at Mountain America Stadium, hot tub seats at Mullet Arena and a lazy river in the left field of Phoenix Municipal Stadium.

Jokes aside, Chase Field (then Bank One Ballpark) was the first ballpark to feature a pool when it opened in 1998, and remains the only U.S. professional baseball facility with one today.

• And unlike many gimmicks, this one hasn't lost its luster.

Flashback: Its proximity to the baseball action (415 feet from home plate) garnered lots of intrigue ahead of the Diamondbacks 1998 debut.

• Arizona Republic reporter Thomas Ropp did the math and found out the pool was well within the stroke of most major leaguers — "you'd be well advised to concentrate on the game rather than your backstroke," he warned.
• And columnist Bill Goodykoontz (who's still on the ballpark pool beat at The Republic) wrote that it'd be easy to splash a visiting outfielder — "I'm not suggesting this, of course."

You tell us: Have you ever watched a game poolside? Ever got hit with a baseball while perfecting your cannonball?

• Hit reply and share your story so we can all envy your very-Arizona good fortune.

Editor's note: This story has been corrected to note that Chase Field is the only U.S. professional baseball facility with a pool (not the only professional sports facility with one).

‼️ Phoenix experienced its warmest March, beating the previous average monthly temperature record by 6.5 degrees. (National Weather Service)

👀 The U.S. Department of Homeland Security is scaling back plans for its immigration detention center in Surprise from 1,500 beds to 542, per Mayor Kevin Sartor. (KJZZ/Associated Press)

🗓️ Gov. Katie Hobbs signed legislation repealing Arizona's César Chávez holiday. (KTAR)

🎓 ASU plans to develop its eighth "innovation zone" near the TSMC facility in north Phoenix. (AZcentral)

Reese's Peanut Butter Bunnies are the most uniquely popular Easter basket treats in Arizona — and most of the rest of the country, per a new analysis.

• DoorDash looked at which candy over-indexed the most in each state.

Remember to stock up before Sunday!