When Newsweek releases its America’s Best in State Hospitals list, it’s not handing out participation trophies. The rankings are based on data: clinical outcomes, patient safety, nursing quality, and peer recommendations from medical professionals. So when three HonorHealth Scottsdale medical centers landed on the 2026 list, it wasn’t a surprise to anyone paying attention. It was confirmation of what the … Read More
Guest Editorial: Municipal Authority Needs to Be Protected
By Michelle Ugenti-Rita I would like to take this opportunity to share with you how my tenure serving in the Arizona State legislature will bring experience and a unique perspective to the Council. During my first term in the House of Representatives, I was appointed to serve as Chairman of the Government Committee, which had jurisdiction over legislation directly impacting … Read More
Phoenix Makes the List: Christopher’s Earns Its Place Among America’s Most Romantic Restaurants
Just in time for Valentine’s Day, USA Today released its list of the best romantic restaurants in America worth the trip and Phoenix’s own Christopher’s at Wrigley Mansion made the cut. For those of us who call the Valley home, this isn’t just a nice nod: it is validation that we have something truly special here. Perched atop a hill … Read More
Hugh Lytle For Arizona Governor Releases Path To Victory In Year of the Independent
by Hugh Lytle for Governor MEMORANDUM To: Supporters and Key Stakeholders From: Max Fose, General Consultant and Bo Harmon, Campaign Manager Re: The Path to Victory for an Independent Candidate in Arizona Arizona Is Now an Independent State According to the Arizona Secretary of State, as of January 2026: 1,550,556 registered Republicans (35.8%) 1,219,616 registered Democrats (28.2%) 1,561,853 registered Independents … Read More
Karrin Taylor Robson Exits: When Money Can’t Buy What Grassroots Already Decided
By Alexander Lomax Karrin Taylor Robson is out of the Arizona governor’s race, and frankly, it was inevitable. Her campaign was always a monument to the belief that money could substitute for actual voter enthusiasm. She poured over $2 million of her own wealth into this venture, her second attempt after losing to Kari Lake in 2022, hoping to buy … Read More
Preposterous Partisan Power Play Challenged By Arizona Independent Candidate For Governor
Legal Action May Be Taken If Governor Hobbs Signs SB1609 AKA “The Partisan Politics Protection Act” By Hugh Lytle for Governor (PHOENIX) Independent Candidate for Governor Hugh Lytle is challenging the most outrageous partisan ploy in state history. SB 1609 seeks to prevent the Arizona Independent Party from calling itself the Arizona Independent Party. The bill has an emergency clause … Read More
Here We Go Again: The Diamondbacks’ Season Is Already in Midseason Form
And we haven’t even thrown out the first pitch. If you’re a Diamondbacks fan like me, you’ve probably already perfected that weary sigh: the one that escapes when you read “injury” and “Diamondbacks” in the same sentence. Well, dust it off, folks. Corbin Carroll fractured his hamate bone during a routine batting practice session, requiring surgery that could sideline him … Read More
Water: Protecting Scottsdale’s Lifeline
By Councilmember Solange Whitehead This past week, Western states that depend on the Colorado River failed to agree on rules for sharing increasingly scarce water resources, so the federal government may impose its own. Current proposals being discussed could cut Arizona’s share significantly. Scottsdale relies on the Colorado River for roughly 70% of our water, putting us more at risk … Read More
Guest Editorial: We’ve Only Just Begun
By Bob Littlefield Dear Friends: For over a year coverage of the attempt by Axon to build a massive apartment complex in Scottsdale has dominated local media. Yet despite all this attention there is a huge amount of misinformation in the publics’ mind about what is the status of that situation. This misinformation is coming from the proponents of the … Read More
In Memoriam: Abe Kwok, A Voice for Truth in Arizona Journalism
Arizona journalism lost one of its most dedicated voices this week with the passing of Abe Kwok, a 36-year veteran of The Arizona Republic whose career embodied the grit and integrity that local news demands. Kwok started at the Republic in September 1989, and in a profession marked by constant turnover, he was that rare creature: a lifer. He covered … Read More

