The Buzz

The Buzz partners with Arizona Luminaria to tell the story of how one man and his family navigate complex mental health and justice systems.

The topic of K-12 education has been a major issue for Arizonans for years. Despite recent increases, the state remains near the bottom for per-pupil funding, and teachers routinely talk about having to have second jobs or side hustles to get by. The state has increased spending on schools since the Red For Ed movement began nearly a decade ago, but test scores have been flat or going down since the COVID-19 pandemic. Add to that concerns about social issues ranging from student pronoun use to school safety. To get an update on many oof these issues, The Buzz spoke with Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne.

This week on The Buzz, show number 300! In this special retrospective, we look back on our journey since we hit the airwaves six years ago, reconnecting with both current and past staffers who've helped make The Buzz what it is today.

As Tucson considers taking over electricity service, we ask what difference public ownership makes.

Trump’s sweeping immigration overhaul ignites legal battles, international tension, and questions of constitutional limits.

A Republican Arizona lawmaker wants ultra-processed foods out of public school meals, and he has introduced a bill that has bipartisan co-sponsors.

Arizona's 2025 legislative session opens next week. A handful of topics are likely to continue to top discussions around the legislature. Even though legislators are not yet gathering, a number of bills have been introduced, giving some ideas of what the major topics will be for the session.

2024 was a busy year for the office of Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes: continued opioid and other lawsuits aimed at protecting the state's residents, attempting to crack down on school voucher and sober living home scams, legal action against a foreign alfalfa farm and more. Just before the end of the year, we sat down with Mayes in a conference room at the Attorney General's office to discuss several topics.

Each year, the staff of The Buzz talk to more than 100 people for the episodes we bring you. To wrap up 2024, we decided to check in on some of the people we talked with to see how the rest of the year went for them.

We recap the year and take a look ahead with two economists. Will Arizona continue to show below-average inflation?