Thursday, July 9, 2026

Good Morning! On this day in 1958, the Tohono O’odham Nation engaged in its traditional saguaro fruit harvest, using poles to knock down the cactus fruit.

More than half of retirees in the last five years say they regret how they planned, and it's usually not the mistakes you'd expect. Experts say the ones that quietly derail retirement stay hidden until after the paycheck stops, when a handful of overlooked missteps start compounding at the worst possible time. In today's Flyover Podcast, Amy breaks down the five most common retirement mistakes and how to sidestep them before they cost you. Tune in here to learn more!

Today's sponsor, AirCar, is giving investors a chance to get in early on its vertically integrated flying car company, with a limited-time offer of 10% bonus shares before the current funding round closes.

Court Backs Recorder in Election Fight

The state Supreme Court unanimously sided with Maricopa County Recorder Justin Heap in his dispute with the county's board of supervisors over who controls election duties.

The justices vacated an appeals court ruling that blocked a lower court from directing the board to fund the recorder's operations and return IT staff, servers, and equipment.

The justices also approved Heap's plan to avoid disruptions for the July 21 primary.

Chief Justice Ann Timmer wrote that the board cannot use its budgetary authority to usurp an independently elected officer's statutory functions.

DOJ Warns Over Voter Rolls

A U.S. Department of Justice official warned Arizona and other states that election officials could face prosecution if noncitizens are found on the states' voter rolls.

In letters to all 50 states, Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon, who leads the DOJ's Civil Rights Division, said officials could be charged with aiding violations of laws meant to keep noncitizens from voting.

Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes issued a statement calling the DOJ's actions "insulting," saying Arizona state law requires election officials to verify voter eligibility, including citizenship information.

In 2023, there were about 20,000 voters in Arizona who were registered to vote in federal elections only, as they did not provide Arizona's required proof of citizenship to vote in state elections. Last month, the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to weigh in on ongoing legal challenges to Arizona's law.

Roofers Endure 160-Degree Surface Heat

As air temperatures top 110 degrees in much of the state, roofers are working on surfaces that can reach 140 degrees to 160 degrees.

"The guys are getting baked up there," said Thony Moussa of Power Peak Roofing in Phoenix, noting the extreme heat radiating from concrete tiles and other materials.

Power Peak hands out water, cold towels, and electrolytes and brings crews down every couple of hours to cool off, Moussa said. Others shift work away from the afternoon peak.

Employers also train crews to spot the signs of heat illness, a serious concern as doctors warn workers and athletes of the long-term toll of repeated extreme-heat exposure.

In April, the state Division of Occupational Safety and Health adopted guidelines that address shade, breaks, and water access to protect workers.

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➤ Cochise County: County supervisors directed the county attorney to investigate whether state Attorney General Kris Mayes exceeded her authority by opposing a permit for an aluminum recycling plant in Benson that was later relocated to Mississippi. (More)

➤ Tonto National Forest: A man who spent eight years living illegally in the forest pleaded guilty to federal charges after amassing about 1,000 pounds of trash at his campsite. (More)

➤ Flagstaff: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement plans to open a local office as part of its expanded operations in the state. (See Details)

➤ Navajo County: A judge ruled that former state lawmaker David Marshall can continue serving as county recorder, finding his appointment did not violate the state constitution. (More)

➤ Florence: Seven detainees at the ICE detention center tested positive for measles, prompting a quarantine. (See Details)

➤ Goodyear: The city's lifeguard team won the 2026 Arizona Lifeguard Challenge, topping 20 other teams to become the first West Valley squad to claim the title since the event started in the 1980s. (See Details)

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➤ The University of Arizona won the Big 12 Commissioner's Cup for the 2025-26 season, awarded to the conference's top overall athletic program. The Wildcats won Big 12 titles in men's basketball and men's tennis and sent 18 sports to the postseason. (More)

➤ Arizona Cardinals tight end Trey McBride revealed that the team's initial contract extension offer last year was $12 million per year, low enough that he considered leaving the team in free agency. The two sides eventually agreed on a four-year, $76 million extension. (More)

➤ The Arizona Diamondbacks earned a C in ESPN's midseason MLB grades, holding around .500 despite a pitching rotation near the bottom of the majors in strikeouts and a lineup that ranks next-to-last in home runs. (More)

➤ Meanwhile, the Diamondbacks' farm system made a significant jump in Baseball America's midseason rankings, climbing from No. 25 to No. 13. (More)

➤ Yesterday’s Results: MLB | WNBA | Wimbledon

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➤ Phoenix passed on bidding to host 2026 World Cup matches because city and sports leaders believed that FIFA's hosting requirements outweighed the projected economic benefits, a tourism official said. (More)

➤ Trade uncertainty rippled through the border city of Nogales after the Trump administration announced plans to renegotiate the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement trade agreement annually rather than renew it for 10 more years. (More)

➤ Static Hall in Phoenix opened the state's first collaborative marketplace, where 33 vendors keep 100% of their sales rather than paying a cut to the store. (Read Story)

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There's a pattern to the way new markets take off. First they're dismissed, then they're debated, then they're obvious. By then, the early opportunity is gone. The flying car market is somewhere between the first two stages, which is exactly where you want to be.

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➤ 145 Arizonans were among the more than 400 people arrested during July Fourth weekend chaos in Newport Beach, California, with one official describing the unruly scene as a TikTok takeover. (More)

➤ Catholic converts are growing in Phoenix, especially among younger adults, with the diocese reporting a surge in baptisms, confirmations, and first communions. (Read Story)

➤ Cool underground temperatures await hikers at a lava cave near Flagstaff, formed roughly 700,000 years ago and offering a walk through near-total darkness at a constant 42 degrees. (Read Story)

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The following stories are featured exclusively on The Flyover Podcast—a daily show that gives you the most important headlines in under 15 minutes. Clicking the links will take you directly to these stories:

➤ More than half of retirees regret their planning, undone by five mistakes they never saw coming. (See List)

➤ Search crews have found the Boeing 737 cargo plane that vanished in the Arabian Sea. (Hear Details)

➤ Nike is being sued for allegedly copying 7-Eleven's trademark colors days before the shoe's launch. (Listen Now)