Yes. The American Lung Association’s 2025 report ranked the Phoenix-Mesa metro area fourth-worst in the country for ozone (smog) pollution, based on data from 2021 to 2023. Maricopa County earned an “F” for air quality, averaging 54.8 unhealthy ozone days per year during that period.
Posted inGigafact
Will proposed Trump administration budget cuts affect first-generation college students in Arizona?
Yes. The Trump administration’s proposed 2026 budget would cut more than $1 billion in federal funding for programs that help first-generation college students — potentially affecting more than 1,300 students at Arizona’s public universities.
Posted inGigafact
Has Arizona slipped from a top state for job growth to one of the lowest-ranked?
Yes. As of June 2025, Arizona ranked 47th in the country for year-to-date job growth — a sharp decline from June 2024, when the state ranked third, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data compiled by the Seidman Research Institute at Arizona State University. Between May and June 2025 alone, roughly 8,400 Arizonans lost their jobs.
Posted inGigafact
Did the Tempe City Council vote to expand permit requirements in ways that could affect protests?
Yes. In July 2025, the Tempe City Council approved an ordinance mandating permits for any public gathering exceeding 30 people, including protests and other events that don’t require pre-registration . The rules apply to publicly accessible gatherings on city property, even if informal or organized on short notice.
Posted inEnvironment
Costly maintenance, compliance burden long-term viability of Hopi water treatment system
High levels of naturally occurring arsenic have long plagued the Hopi reservation, forcing families to haul clean water from distant fill stations or buy it in town. The Arsenic Mitigation Project has increased community access to clean water, but the treatment system is difficult to maintain in this remote stretch of high desert.