A progressive advocacy group plans to host election crisis training in Arizona less than a week before Election Day.
Interfaith Alliance planned stops for Phoenix, Flagstaff, and Tucson in its “The Vote Is Sacred Tour,” a series of events across Arizona and 14 other states slated to begin the first week of October.
The Arizona Republican Party’s Latino group brought attention to the organization’s planned activities, alleging that “partisan operatives” were gathering “to rehearse election disruption.”
EXPOSING THE ELECTION MANIPULATION GAMES!
While hardworking Arizonans prepare to make their voices heard, partisan operatives are setting the stage in Phoenix to rehearse election disruption. The voters deserve transparency, order, and honest elections.
The Phoenix event is scheduled for Tuesday, October 27; the Tucson event is scheduled for Thursday, October 29; and the Flagstaff event is scheduled for Tuesday, November 3.
The organization says the events are intended to provide voter education on ballot items, voter registration, and funds to local activists, in addition to providing a “trained, peaceful presence at the polls and crisis-ready communities.”
An election crisis scenario planning toolkit provided by the organization, in partnership with Protect Democracy, floated six sample scenarios occurring during early voting and on Election Day concerning ICE operations, President Donald Trump invoking the Insurrection Act or declaring premature victory in races, right-wing claims of foreign interference and unverified ballots, and federal takeover of election operations.
One scenario proposes that in mid-October a posted video of a faith leader being violently arrested sparks nationwide protests, resulting in the Trump administration federalizing the National Guard and filing federal criminal charges against pro-migrant organization leaders partnering in election advocacy work.
Interfaith Alliance reported that it selected the location for each of the trainings based on the “2026 Election Risk Heat Map” by the Voting Rights Lab. Arizona was ranked as 87 out of 100 for election risk, with Maricopa County ranked as 100 out of 100 for election risk and Pima County ranked as 90 out of 100 for election risk.
The risk index reportedly measures counties for “close contests, bad actors, and systemic weaknesses.”
The organization previously held a similar tour during the 2024 election across six states.
Interfaith Alliance scheduled a kick-off of this latest tour with a No Kings-affiliated event on Wednesday.
Several key members of the organization have held prominent roles within Democratic presidential administrations and the party.
Maggie Siddiqi, the senior advisor for the organization, held a directorship within the Biden administration’s Education Department. Siddiqi advised former Education Secretary Miguel Cardona on religious freedom issues and led efforts to address antisemitism and Islamophobia.
Derrick Harkins, board member, was the Democratic National Committee’s director of interfaith outreach, a faith leader for former President Barack Obama’s 2012 reelection campaign, and faith leader for the Biden administration’s Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Jake Siewert, board member, was the White House press secretary under President Bill Clinton and counselor to the secretary of the treasury under Obama.
Interfaith Alliance began with seed funding from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee in 1994.
Since then, its foundation has grown to pull in millions every year: around $1 to $3 million annually since 2011. Its schedule of contributors isn’t public, though some contributors have named the nonprofit in their tax filings, including the Eula Mae and John Baugh Foundation, which gave $1 million in 2024; Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors Inc., which gave $300,000 in 2023; the Rockefeller Family Foundation, which gave $170,000 between 2022 and 2024; and the William B. Wiener Jr. Foundation, which gave $80,000 between 2018 and 2019.
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Legislative leaders are petitioning the Arizona Board of Regents for an independent investigation into Arizona State University (ASU) over the near-fatal hockey team workout that occurred last month.
State Rep. Matt Gress (R-LD4) and State Sen. Hildy Angius (R-LD30), respective chairs of the Arizona House and Senate education committees, issued a joint statement urging an outside review after ASU hockey players were subjected to a workout last month that caused one player, 21-year-old Matthew Mayich, to collapse from heat stroke.
Mayich was hospitalized and remains in a coma on life support. It is unclear whether he will recover.
The lawmakers issued their statement following a 26-page letter sent to ASU President Michael Crow from seven members of the hockey team on Monday that heavily disputed ASU’s own initial findings.
The letter disputed key facts regarding ASU coaching staff adherence to heat acclimatization protocol and workout approval policy, the nature of the near-fatal workout, availability and application of heat stroke preventative equipment and water breaks, and the timeline and treatment of Mayich’s deteriorating condition.
Gress said that an outside investigation would be the only way to determine the truth behind this incident.
“Seven players who were on that field have raised serious questions that ASU’s own review does not answer,” said Gress. “We need an independent investigation to determine whether ASU followed its own rules, who was responsible for protecting these athletes, and what happened when Matthew Mayich showed signs of distress. ASU should not be left to investigate its own conduct and decide whether anyone should be held accountable.”
Angius also encouraged the board to secure an outside investigator in order to assure protection to the players behind the letter, who submitted it anonymously through counsel out of fear of retaliation.
“Student-athletes should never have to choose between telling the truth and protecting their scholarship, roster spot, or playing time,” said Angius. “If players fear retaliation for speaking about what happened to a teammate, the Regents need to act. They should protect these students and appoint an investigator who answers to the Board, not ASU.”
🚨House and Senate Education Chairs Call for Independent Investigation of ASU Hockey Workout
Chairman Gress and Chairman Angius ask Board of Regents for outside review after seven players dispute ASU’s account of August 20 workout
The players’ letter alleged that the workout instructor and the workout plan for that day weren’t approved; the session lasted more than 75 minutes, not 45 minutes per the ASU report; Mayich and other players weren’t acclimatized to the heat and received no water during the workout; Mayich and other players were made to continue the workout despite showing signs of physical distress; emergency equipment to treat heat stroke wasn’t on the field; and staff improperly treated Mayich’s heat stroke.
The report further alleged that an assistant coach observed Mayich exhibiting signs of disorientation about an hour into the workout, but took photos and videos instead of intervening. About a half hour later, an assistant coach observed Mayich exhibiting signs of disorientation and directed players instead of trained staff to assist Mayich. Mayich was allegedly sat up instead of laid down to rest, squirted with water rather than immersed, and kept in the sun rather than removed to a shaded area.
The report alleged that some, but not all players, were only given one water break for less than a minute throughout the whole workout. Mayich allegedly didn’t receive any water.
On Tuesday, Mayich’s parents issued a statement calling for the removal of coaches who ran the workout that hospitalized their son pending an independent investigation. Greg Powers, the team’s head coach, and his assistant coaches were on the field that day.
Powers had selected the workout instructor: an Army special forces veteran named Tim Ziesel reported to suffer from serious and lasting issues with decision-making and emotional regulation, among other problems, incurred from a 2023 motorcycle crash.
“The players shouldn’t have to worry about retaliation from the people they report to every day. And there are plenty of former college and pro players in the Valley who could step in and help,” stated the Mayiches. “Mostly, we want accountability for what happened to our son, and we want his teammates to be safe.”
Mayich, a native of Ontario, Canada, was a recent transfer to ASU; this season would have been his first with the Sun Devils. Mayich was previously drafted to the National Hockey League in 2023, but didn’t sign a contract.
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Secretary of State Adrian Fontes has released key records necessary to determine voter eligibility after his attempt to blame the federal government was disputed.
Fontes released those federal felony conviction reports on Tuesday after Maricopa County Recorder Justin Heap publicly contested Fontes’ explanation to county recorders as to why those records were missing.
Fontes reportedly claimed that the federal government hadn’t provided updated felony reports for about a year, telling ABC 15 that the Department of Justice (DOJ) was responsible for holdup and that Heap was engaging in “a purely political stunt.”
However, Heap revealed last week that the DOJ confirmed to him that those reports were provided to Fontes.
Heap said in an updated statement on Tuesday that he learned about the reports’ availability after calling the DOJ directly. Heap said Fontes’ delayed release of the reports has put the recorders under an extremely tight deadline since early voting begins October 23.
“After we exposed his failure publicly, the missing files suddenly appeared,” said Heap. “Our pressure delivered results for all 15 counties. Now Recorders across the state must tackle his backlog just days before early voting begins.”
ELECTION INTEGRITY UPDATE: Last night the County Recorders received years of felony records withheld by the Secretary of State. Fontes blamed the DOJ. I called the DOJ directly: they had provided the reports for years. After we exposed his failure publicly, the missing files… https://t.co/97jzy08Lwd
— Maricopa County Recorder Justin Heap (@azjustinheap) September 30, 2026
Heap expressed concern to The Center Square that felons may cast votes in the upcoming election due to the delayed delivery of the records.
“I think there’s a strong likelihood that some felons are going to be voting this election cycle because the secretary of state has not carried out his lawful responsibility,” said Heap.
Heap also advised that the delivery format of records in the past has been problematic. According to Heap, Fontes’ office has delivered files in an unusable format by providing them in a PDF form rather than CSV plain-text format.
Sergio Arellano, Arizona Republican Party chair, accused Fontes of being a habitual liar and endorsed Fontes’ opponent, Alex Kolodin.
“A pattern of lies and deceit from the Secretary of State Fontes is not what AZ needs,” said Arellano.
Fontes yet again caught with his hand in the cookie jar 🍪. A pattern of lies and deceit from the Secretary of State Fontes is not what AZ needs . Submit your ballot immediately, Vote for @realAlexKolodin !! Big thank you to @azjustinheap for sticking through with this, election… https://t.co/HJ4hgABbsT
Fontes did not issue a statement addressing the withheld records. However, he did address the results of the probe into alleged noncitizen voters discovered by Heap’s office.
Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell reported that 52 of the 60 voters referred to her office for alleged noncitizen voting were citizens, and eight of the 60 voters were legal residents registered due to a flaw in the Motor Vehicle Department system.
Fontes appeared to echo Heap’s critical language in his statement responding to Mitchell’s findings.
“I find it deeply disappointing that others have used this moment to spread the false narrative that our elections are not secure but, thankfully, they have once again failed to provide any proof to substantiate their claims,” said Fontes.
PRESS RELEASE: Secretary of State Adrian Fontes Responds to County Attorney Mitchell’s Finalized Maricopa County Voter Roll Probe pic.twitter.com/4yTIhbdpyB
Heap said in his statement last week that he was “disappointed” by Fontes’ decision to misrepresent the status of the withheld felony reports.
“As the County Recorder for Arizona’s most populated county, I am disappointed that Secretary Fontes would gamble the trust of Arizona voters on a lie,” said Heap. “Arizona is missing at least three full quarters of felony data and voter ineligibility due to Secretary Fontes’ failure to follow the law.”
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The city of Phoenix has rezoned more than five acres to continue legalized camping for the homeless.
The city council unanimously approved the zoning amendment during its formal meeting on September 9. The space costs approximately $4.8 million a year to operate.
The city’s legalized camping area for the homeless is its safe outdoor space. The campground is operated by Keys to Change, a 24-hour operator, and Community Bridges Inc., which provides case management on site seven days a week.
The safe outdoor space provides a maximum of 200 camping spaces and can accommodate a maximum of 300 individuals.
The property is fenced in and provides shade for camping spaces; restrooms and showers; supportive services such as case management; on-site security 24 hours a day, seven days a week; and trash and recycling.
Homeless individuals camping within the safe outdoor space may not use drugs, consume alcohol, or start fires on the property.
Surrounding businesses may email Keys to Change to notify of any potential issues.
According to the Office of Homeless Solutions (OHS) Director Rachel Milne, the city employs five behavioral health technicians through Community Bridges and brings in outside partners like Circle the City, which provides medical and behavioral health services twice a week, to serve the safe outdoor space.
Milne reported that there are 56 shelters and transitional housing projects in the Phoenix area as of the 2026 Point in Time Count. The city owns three of those 56.
Councilwoman Anna Hernandez said that safe outdoors spaces were a vital housing option for Phoenix residents and a necessary response to reduced funding under the Trump administration.
“We are not perfect in how this space has been maintained. There are always improvements that can happen and need to happen,” said Hernandez. “Two things can be true at the same time, that we have done amazing work in this space, but also that there’s always a need to continue to improve that. So I do believe that we can hold these two things together, especially in a time where we are seeing our federal administration cut funding for housing and homeless services.”
Vice Mayor Kesha Hodge Washington commended OHS staff for innovating on the safe outdoor spaces as a solution for homelessness.
“They have always heeded the opportunity to grow and learn from the residents’ concerns. I think this definitely shows this is a partnership between the residents and the Office of Homeless Solutions,” said Hodge Washington.
OHS reported that, on average, the homeless stay for 100 days at the campground. Margaret Adams, OHS special projects administrator, told KTAR that the safe outdoor space has served more than 2,500 homeless individuals since its opening in late 2023.
Based on the $4.8 million spent last year, that would mean that it costs the city around $5,700 on average to provide services to each homeless individual at the safe outdoor space.
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Another fraternity at the University of Arizona (U of A) is under suspension based on allegations of hazing.
The Sigma Tau Gamma chapter at U of A was suspended earlier this month for allegedly engaging in hazing behaviors during the fall 2025 semester.
The fraternity was charged with violating six parts of the university’s codes of conduct: endangering, threatening, or causing physical harm; violating other rules adopted by the board or university; violating rules or laws governing alcohol; engaging in off-campus conduct that presents a risk or danger to public health, safety, or security; engaging in, supporting, promoting, or sponsoring hazing; and committing any offense prohibited by state or federal law.
In a letter advising the fraternity of its suspension, U of A cited allegations that the chapter had “forced” new members to drink copious amounts of alcohol and eat live goldfish, and that active members had screamed at, degraded, and threatened new members.
As a condition of their suspension, the Sigma Tau Gamma chapter was prohibited from engaging in recruitment or new member-related activities. The suspension notice letter was dated a week prior to the deadline for recruitment registration.
For the 2025-2026 academic year, U of A punished three other fraternities in response to hazing allegations that were said to have occurred in the fall of 2025 and spring of 2026.
Kappa Alpha Order was accused of forcing new members to complete assigned chores, and of its active members screaming at new members. The university substantiated the allegations of hazing and failure to comply with campus police. The fraternity was fined more than $4,000 and placed on probation through May 2027.
Phi Delta Theta was accused of forcing new members to drink alcohol and steal. The university substantiated the hazing allegations. The fraternity was fined more than $4,000 and placed on probation through May 2027.
Sigma Phi Epsilon was accused of subjecting new members to sleep deprivation, forced alcohol consumption, kidnapping, and calisthenics.
The kidnapping and sleep deprivation allegation were found to be without merit following investigation. Chapter leadership responded that the calisthenics allegation was substantiated, and that forced alcohol consumption occurred for one new member but that the member responsible for that hazing incident was expelled and evicted.
The university fined Sigma Phi Epsilon nearly $4,000 and placed them on probation through May 2027.
Over the summer, Sigma Alpha Mu lost university recognition through May 2031 based on hazing allegations. The fraternity was accused of subjecting new members to burns and forced alcohol consumption; the hazing incidents reportedly resulted in bouts of illness and hospitalization.
The university last removed recognition for a fraternity in 2024, for Pi Kappa Phi.
In total, U of A has six fraternities listed as having loss of recognition status: Alpha Epsilon Pi, Alpha Kappa Lambda, Alpha Sigma Phi, Pi Kappa Phi, Sigma Alpha Mu, and Theta Chi.
Alpha Epsilon Pi and Theta Chi’s statuses both expired in May 2025; the former fraternity appears to have continued activities without reinstatement based on social media posts, while the latter fraternity was formally reinstated this year.
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