BREAKING: On a 4 to 1 vote, the Arizona Corporation Commission voted to approve an Energy Supply Agreement between the developers of Project Blue and Tucson Electric Power.

In today's Tucson Agenda, co-founder @curtprendergast.bsky.social offers a thank-you to everyone who took a moment to share their thoughts with us. Your responses shape what we'll do next year. (And it's not too late to weigh in on our survey.) www.tucsonagenda.com/p/thankful-f...

Today's Tucson Agenda is @joeferguson.bsky.social ’s love letter — not to journalism, but to the readers who helped him earn his seat again. Read why he’s deeply grateful for the grace and space you’ve given him. www.tucsonagenda.com/p/thankful-f...

ICYMI: On Friday, we dedicated the entire edition with a small quiz asking readers what they want to see in the Tucson Agenda in 2026. Take the quiz here: www.tucsonagenda.com/p/looking-ba...

ICYMI: After months of political sniping, the #TucsonCouncil and #PimaSupes sat down and declared “peace,” and got to work on fentanyl, homelessness and court reforms. The détente might be the real headline. www.tucsonagenda.com/p/its-not-a-...

ICYMI: Tucson is staring down a $40 million budget hole, but instead of dropping bad news from the dais, city officials are taking it straight to residents. Monday night’s Ward 2 forum showed just how much they want your feedback before the cuts come. www.tucsonagenda.com/p/how-to-fix...

Tucson + Pima County are finally sitting down to talk it out at their Big Beautiful Meeting — fentanyl crisis, homelessness, budgets, and jurisdictional turf wars on the table. Plus: Project Blue drama, and the latest plan to crack down on public fentanyl use. www.tucsonagenda.com/p/a-four-mee...

If you’re wondering whether Re. Juan Ciscomani showed up to a town hall in his own district… he didn’t. Tucson voters still turned out — and pressed Sen. Ruben Gallego on healthcare until the very last minute. www.tucsonagenda.com/p/going-wher...

Congressional District 7 finally has its seat back — and @adelitaforcongress.bsky.social wasted zero time showing what she’s going to do with it. #AZ07

The shutdown may be over, but the healthcare showdown is just beginning. And the dueling votes from Adelita Grijalva and Juan Ciscomani are a perfect snapshot of the political fault lines running through Southern Arizona. Link below 👇

This is because the bill that created the Turquoise Alert was neutered from its initial purpose resulting in the first alert that went out being a non-Indigenous person and many Indigenous children being ignored by this new statewide alert system.

Tucson stayed blue at the ballot box Tuesday, approving every Democrat for City Council and every school bond / override. Plan Tucson 2025 passed, buses may stay free, but the new Council will have to tackle a $70 million budget deficit isn’t going away. Link below. 👇

ICYMI: Kris Mayes sued Speaker Mike Johnson for refusing to swear in Adelita Grijalva — calling it the longest delay in modern history. But so far, she’s chosen not to request a fast-track hearing. Her office says they’re being strategic, but could file one “at any time.” Link below: 👇

#Tucson doesn’t just tell ghost stories — some of us work in the buildings that are haunted.. From where gallows at the old courthouse used to be to the haunted hotel rooms, here’s your guide to the spirits still hanging around. Link below. 👇

ICE wasn’t moving fast enough. So Trump is swapping them out for Border Patrol agents in Phoenix, Los Angeles, and beyond — the same crew that rappelled from Black Hawks and tear-gassed a kids’ parade in Chicago. Link to the story below.

Tucson’s future is on your ballot as Proposition 417. Affordable housing, climate resilience, public transit, poverty reduction—it’s all wrapped into Plan Tucson 2025. We made you a quiz and the answers are included. (You’re welcome.) Link below. 👇

Three districts, three ballot questions, and one big theme: the state isn’t keeping up, so schools are asking you to back them at the polls. Link below 👇

The right hand doesn’t know what the left is doing. Marana, Pima County, the state, and the feds are all out of sync over the fate of a shuttered prison. Link below 👇

Did you read our #ProjectBlue edition from Friday? Here is your second chance. A 417-page trove of emails and memos reveals how Project Blue was kept under wraps — and when local officials really knew. Link below. 👇

What looked like a routine summer slump has turned into a $24 million warning sign — and Tucson’s City Council is bracing for worse. Read the story here: www.tucsonagenda.com/p/welcome-to...

Tucson Agenda co-founder Curt Prendergast has even more #Tucson news in today's Education Agenda. azeducationagenda.substack.com/p/as-lukewar...

Project Blue wasn’t on Tuesday’s #PimaSupes agenda — but hundreds of protesters packed the boardroom anyway, demanding Supervisors Heinz and Scott kill the $20.9M land sale tied to #ProjectBlue. Link below 👇

Wonder Woman’s on her side. So is the Arizona Attorney General. But will a federal judge finally make Mike Johnson swear Adelita Grijalva in? Link below 👇

#Tucson showed up. From Presidio Plaza in downtown to a long stretch of Speedway Boulevard in midtown, more than five thousand rallied for democracy and justice in one of the largest protests since Trump took office. And yes — the frogs stole the show. More below. 👇

Former Marine JoAnna Mendoza is the clear Democratic frontrunner in CD6 and has nearly $1 million cash on hand. But Ciscomani didn’t amass a $2.4M campaign war chest by himself, national GOP groups are pouring cash into keeping CD6 red.

They can’t agree on water, fentanyl, or Project Blue — but the City and County will at least try talking it out. We will find out next month when they hold a joint meeting next month. Link below 👇

“Not worth $500 million”: UA student leaders are urging the UA President Suresh Garimella to reject White House compact. Students warn that trading federal dollars for political control undermines privacy protections and academic freedom. Link below 👇

Free bus fares have been one of Tucson’s most debated policies. Ward 6 candidate Miranda Schubert says charging fares won’t solve crime — and may make things worse. Click below for the link. 👇

From delivering pizzas to running Tucson’s Domino’s empire — and now running for City Council. Jay Tolkoff thinks City Hall has its priorities all wrong. Link below 👇

40 violent incidents a day. Not enough cops. The Tucson City Council is trying to balance all of that with still providing free bus rides — and the debate over how to pay for safety on Sun Tran buses isn’t going away anytime soon. Link below. 👇

Tucson’s bus system is free to ride — but at what cost? City leaders face tough choices today on safety and funding - and possibly revisiting free fares. Link below 👇

No permit needed: Tucson says community groups can once again hand out meals in parks without jumping through hoops. The fight over how (and where) to feed the homeless isn’t going away. 👇

Adelita Grijalva thought she’d be sworn in as Arizona’s first Latina in Congress this week. Instead, she learned on social media that Speaker Mike Johnson canceled her ceremony and sent the House home. 👇

A sleepy Cochise County town suddenly finds itself in the middle of lawsuits, recall petitions, protests, and an Attorney General town hall — all over one proposed aluminum plant. Something big is happening in Benson. Read more below. 👇

Tucson hasn’t elected a Republican to City Hall in more than a decade. Janet “JL” Wittenbraker thinks she can change that. Ballots go out next month — and she’s betting voters are ready for a shake-up. Link below. 👇

Tucson hasn’t elected a Republican to City Hall in more than a decade. Janet “JL” Wittenbraker thinks she can change that. Ballots go out next month — and she’s betting voters are ready for a shake-up. Link below. 👇

Six months after voters crushed a half-cent sales tax hike, a new plan is bubbling up. Instead of one big measure, Councilman Kevin Dahl wants to split public safety and social services into separate ballot questions — betting that breaking the tax apart might finally break through the opposition. 👇

Project Blue is moving forward and expects to be operational by 2027, with the goal of full-build out by 2029 near the Pima County Fairgrounds. Read what has changed since the Tucson City Council rejected their first proposal six weeks ago. tucsonagenda.substack.com/p/dont-call-...

Pima Community College is facing as much as $8 million in cuts and are scrambling to find long-term solutions. These cuts are threatening programs preparing high school students for college to helping people get their GEDs. Read it here: tucsonagenda.substack.com/p/a-leg-out-...

Another update on what is shaping up to be Project Blue 2.0 - the #PimaSupes are divided on whether to sell the land to the developer. But they are not willing to go to court over it. Read it here: tucsonagenda.substack.com/p/a-pretty-b...

One week out in the CD7 election: Six counties, four candidates, one safe blue seat — but in a special election, turnout quirks and party enthusiasm can lead to election night surprises. Read it here: tucsonagenda.substack.com/p/the-last-s...

The Pima County Supervisors will meet tomorrow to discuss Project Blue again. While the discussion is behind closed doors in executive session, it is related to the contract it has with the developers. Read more here: tucsonagenda.substack.com/p/the-sequel...

Charlie Kirk's Turning Point USA has been active throughout the country, but few people realize they have been active in southern Arizona for years. Read it here: tucsonagenda.substack.com/p/turning-po...

The Tucson City Council could spend 10 hours discussing city business today. Click for a preview. Read it here: tucsonagenda.substack.com/p/one-long-m...

Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos talks about calling if you see an ICE raid, the need for a new jail and more deputies. Read more here: tucsonagenda.substack.com/p/talking-sh...

We will be back tomorrow, but we've posted an update about what we’ve been working on behind the scenes for the last few weeks. Happy Labor Day! tucsonagenda.substack.com/p/happy-labo...

Our sister publication @ArizonaAgenda comes back from vacation to write about buyouts at the Republic and the closing of five rural newspapers here in Arizona. Read more here: www.arizonaagenda.com/p/bloodbath-...

It was election night on Tuesday and we have updates on three of the four races - one is too close to call. But the real chisme might be from Councilwoman Nikki Lee, who thinks #ProjectBlue is "inevitable" for #Tucson. We have the scoop here: tucsonagenda.substack.com/p/election-n...

It’s Election Day in #Tucson, but the Pima County Board of Supervisors are meeting today - and they’re diving headfirst into releasing privileged memos, tackling data center tax loopholes, and whether sleeping in a wash should be a crime. Read it here: tucsonagenda.substack.com/p/everything...

With 143 million gallons of water on the line in year one of operations, the #Tucson City Council is finally set to publicly dig into #ProjectBlue. No votes yet — but expect plenty of questions, PR spin, and maybe a few water puns. Read it here: tucsonagenda.substack.com/p/the-water-...