Take a bow

A love note to our bosses … Support the enemies of the people … And he walked into that one.

We’ve got some exciting news, readers!

The Arizona Media Association declared Hank the “Journalist of the Year,” among the highest editorial honors it awards each year.

The judges reviewed all of the reportage Arizona has to offer and decided that the Agenda is serving up some of the very best.¹

We don’t usually take the time to talk about these little victories — there’s too much work to be done.

But by not celebrating wins like these, we’re denying you subscribers the recognition you deserve.

We’ve said it before: Without you, the Agenda wouldn’t exist. You made this independent local news organization possible by devoting your time, attention, clicks, recommendations, shares, and subscription dollars.

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

This is all of you readers.

But the coolest thing you’ve done for the Agenda is to offer the kind of support and freedom that results in great journalism.

Your decision to subscribe has created an environment where local journalists can take risks, be creative and evolve. It’s no coincidence that an Agenda reporter has won “Journalist of the Year” in two out of three years we’ve been in operation.²

Nearly every dollar we earn comes directly from you. That means you readers are our bosses. (And you’re doing a darn fine job, boss.)

We don’t answer to billionaires, corporate overlords, investors, shareholders, foundations, donors or advertisers.

That’s a rarity in journalism these days.

We call that business model “subscriber-first journalism.” And we think it produces some quality results.

But it’s only possible because of you subscribers.

We started the Agenda in 2021, never really believing it could work. After the 2022 election, we figured it was going well enough to keep doing it for another election, at least, and then we’d decide if it was worth all the extra work.

Well, that deadline is fast approaching and now feels like a good time to reflect on that pledge to make it through 2024 and then reevaluate the Agenda’s future.

Don’t worry. We’re not going anywhere. You all are the best bosses we’ve ever had.

So today, we’re renewing our commitment to you all that the Agenda will be around through another election cycle.

In return, we’re hoping you can do us a favor.

If you can afford to subscribe, click the button to support local journalism.

We try to keep as much of our journalism outside of the paywall as possible, but we do have bills to pay.

If you’re already a paid subscriber, consider donating a gift subscription to a friend or someone who can’t afford it.

You can also upgrade to a founding member and get five donatable subscriptions, or get a group subscription for your whole office, friend group or civic organization.

If you can’t upgrade to a paid subscription, share the Agenda with some friends who might like it.

Our number one driver of growth has always been readers recommending it to friends.

If you don’t have friends, post about your favorite edition on social media.

Social media chatter is our second-largest driver of growth, considering we don’t have an advertising budget.

One final thought: We know we’re approaching the end of election season. And if you haven’t upgraded your subscription yet, you may be thinking, “Why bother? It’ll all be over soon.”

The election is not the end of the political cycle. It’s the beginning.

Winning the election is not the job. The job is to competently govern.

And after this popularity contest is over, we’re going to see who’s capable of doing the job so that we know who to fire and who to promote in the next election cycle.

So stick around. After the election, we’ll all have to deal with its consequences.

The tale of two presidents: Donald Trump rallied in Tempe on Thursday, and the Phoenix New Times broke down some of the most interesting moments, like when Trump called the country “a garbage can for the world” and then suddenly got fixated on the use of the term “garbage can,” TJ L'Heureux writes. Trump renewed “the enemy of the people” moniker for the press, while a glum-looking Joe Arpaio was seen chatting with former White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer. Meanwhile, President Joe Biden apologized for the federal government's abuse of Native American boarding school students at the Gila Crossing Community School on Friday and called the visit one of the most “consequential things I've ever had an opportunity to do my whole career,” per the Republic’s Stephanie Murray. Axios’ Jessica Boehm has a good rundown of the history of Indian boarding schools in Arizona, where the Phoenix Indian School subjected children to military-style instruction and forbade them from speaking their Native languages.

Ballots ablaze: Phoenix police arrested a man for allegedly setting a United States Postal Service mailbox on fire near 7th Avenue and Indian School Road, damaging about 20 mailed-in ballots, ABC15 reports. The suspect claimed the arson wasn’t politically motivated. Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer said if you're worried your ballot was part of the blaze, check BeBallotReady.Vote to verify whether officials received it.

Tightening the reins: The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors and Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer signed a new agreement that limits the next recorder’s election administration responsibilities, KJZZ’s Wayne Schutsky reports. A board-appointed group will now manage early ballot processing, and the supervisors are taking the reins of the recorder’s IT department that handles document recording.

New security measures, same housing crisis: A new state audit found the Arizona Department of Housing wired $2 million to people impersonating a housing nonprofit last year, the Republic’s Catherine Reagor reports. The Housing Department said it has developed new security measures to prevent wire fraud in the future, and the money was recouped through insurance.

Please wire us $2 million. Or just click the button.

The art of evasion: Gov. Katie Hobbs won’t say if she still supports LD13 Democratic House candidate Nicholas Gonzales after news broke he was hit with a misdemeanor for false reporting related to a drawn-out parenting battle with his ex. Instead, she redirected the question to broader efforts to turn the state Legislature blue next year, per the Republic’s Stacey Barchenger.

Case dismissed: Chandler Vice Mayor OD Harris won’t go to court over allegations he wrecked campaign signs this summer after Chandler police built up a pretty convincing case against him, the Republic’s Sam Kmack writes. A judge found there wasn’t probable cause to charge Harris. Meanwhile, the charges against a woman who was arrested this summer for criticizing a Surprise city official at a city council meeting were dropped by a Maricopa County judge, KJZZ’s Kirsten Dorman reports.

Tax-free Zone: Arizona’s Prop 312 is pushing the boundaries of the fight on homelessness, Bolts Magazine writes in a deep dive into the fallout from the City Of Grants Pass v. Johnson decision and Arizona cities’ struggle to rein in homelessness without violating the law. The proposition would allow homeowners to not pay property taxes if local police don’t adequately abate a “public nuisance” like homeless encampments.

In true Bill Clinton fashion, Bill Clinton declared Kari Lake “physically attractive” while swinging through town to support Democrats including Kamala Harris and Ruben Gallego.

Lake didn’t miss a beat.

“As a middle-aged woman, I’m flattered,” she responded. “I thought I was a little too old for him. Doesn’t he like interns?”

1. We also took home a few other prizes, including third place in the Best Newsletter category — though we’re pretty sure that one was rigged, no offense to the winners.

2. Shout-out to our original co-founder Rachel Leingang who won Arizona Press Club’s Journalist of the Year title in 2021.