The Buzz

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The half-hour show focuses on conversations about current topics in Southern Arizona that deserve a deeper look. Each episode of The Buzz addresses a single theme, using studio interviews to delve into what you really need to know to understand a complex topic, one you may have heard mentioned in the news, or something new.

Arizona Public Media

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    • May 9, 2025 LATEST EPISODE
    • weekly NEW EPISODES
    • 28m AVG DURATION
    • 345 EPISODES


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    Latest episodes from The Buzz

    Southern Arizona's role in “Peace Through Deterrence”

    Play Episode Listen Later May 9, 2025 39:44 Transcription Available


    Titan missile silos once surrounded the area, and from churches to plant nurseries, the remnants are everywhere.

    It's Dry Out There: What one of the driest winters ever means for Arizona

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 25, 2025 27:45 Transcription Available


    To say the recently ended winter was dry would be a bit of an understatement. The Tucson area experienced its second driest winter ever, with about a quarter of an inch of rain. That's roughly a 10th of the area's average. Mountain snowpack around the state isn't proving much better. This week, we look at how this extremely dry winter will affect Arizonans.

    Arizona Treasurer Kimberly Yee

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 18, 2025 28:07 Transcription Available


    Kimberly Yee has less than two years left in her second term as Arizona Treasurer. Her time in the office has seen notable growth in Arizona's economy, a restructuring of state income taxes, and new duties assigned to her office. The Buzz spoke with her about her job, new initiatives, and financial literacy.

    Willcox community members talk about the AMA

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 11, 2025 29:06 Transcription Available


    People express trepidation and hope about the future of water in northern Cochise County following the establishment of an Active Management Area in the Willcox basin.

    Wildfire and home insurance

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 4, 2025 28:06 Transcription Available


    A report from The Consumer Federation of America shows insurance rates in Arizona went up by 48% between 2021 and 2024, the third highest rate in the nation. And as wildfires grow in frequency, some homeowners say they are losing their insurance entirely.

    Wildfire and home insurance

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 4, 2025 28:06 Transcription Available


    A report from The Consumer Federation of America shows insurance rates in Arizona went up by 48% between 2021 and 2024, the third highest rate in the nation. And as wildfires grow in frequency, some homeowners say they are losing their insurance entirely.

    "Adelante, Grijalvistas:" The legacy of longtime Southern Arizona Congressman Raúl Grijalva

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 28, 2025 29:00


    This week, we remember the life and legacy of former Southern Arizona Congressman Raúl Grijalva. We hear from people whose lives were touched by him, from his daughter Adelita Grijalva, to friends and constituents.

    The Tucson Festival of Books

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 14, 2025 27:28 Transcription Available


    The annual Tucson event brings around 130,000 people together to celebrate literature. Join us as we chat with the festival organizer, a featured author, and an attendee about one of the largest book festivals in the United States.

    Preventing catastrophic wildfires

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 7, 2025 27:59 Transcription Available


    Arizona's last two rainy seasons have been subpar and have left much of the wildland around the state in severe danger of wildfire. Climate change is exacerbating the situation. So what are state and federal crews doing to help combat the problem?

    How public media is dealing with funding threats

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 28, 2025 31:56


    This week we interview the Chair of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, Ruby Calvert, to explore how proposed cuts to public media funding could hit rural and tribal stations the hardest, threatening vital news and emergency broadcasts.

    Mental healthcare in the Pima County Jail

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 21, 2025 34:07 Transcription Available


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

    Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 14, 2025 27:39 Transcription Available


    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.

    The Buzz celebrates 300 episodes

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 7, 2025 33:24 Transcription Available


    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.

    Comparing public and private-owned utilities

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 31, 2025 27:50


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

    How Trump's immigration policies affect Southern Arizona

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 27, 2025 35:51


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

    Removing ultra-processed foods from school meals

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 17, 2025 27:57 Transcription Available


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

    Previewing the 2025 legislative session

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 10, 2025 30:21 Transcription Available


    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.

    Catching up with Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 3, 2025 28:48 Transcription Available


    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.

    Catching up with some of our 2024 interviewees

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 20, 2024 27:10 Transcription Available


    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.

    What will Arizona's economy be like in 2025?

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 13, 2024 27:38 Transcription Available


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

    Tariffs and Southern Arizona's Economy

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 6, 2024 27:51 Transcription Available


    With the promise of import taxes, will major industries in our area be affected?

    Post-Election Debrief

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 29, 2024 27:47 Transcription Available


    This week on The Buzz, a post-election debrief with the Secretary of State, Adrian Fontes. From voter registration to bomb threats, we'll explore the issues of the 2024 election in Arizona.

    Arizona's 100-year water supply rule

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 22, 2024 27:48 Transcription Available


    We deep dive into Arizona's 100-year adequate water supply rule and the balancing act it creates in a state that's short on both groundwater and homes.

    Take a trip into Kartchner Caverns

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 15, 2024 29:26 Transcription Available


    We mark 50 years since the cave's discovery and 25 years since it opened to the public with a tour.

    How the rest of the world views the American election.

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 8, 2024 30:00 Transcription Available


    The Buzz discusses the big picture of US elections while hearing from foreign journalists about how this election is being viewed worldwide. Plus, take a closer look at why Arizona election results take so long to finalize.

    Election Civility

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 1, 2024 27:49 Transcription Available


    As 2024 campaigns draw to a close, we ask how we can dial back inflammatory rhetoric.

    Campaign finance in the 2024 election

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 25, 2024 27:54 Transcription Available


    How are all those signs, mailers and commercials getting paid for? We'll start with a breakdown from state and federal finance reports and later see what's going on with the money leftover from Krysten Sinema's last campaign.

    The race for open seats on the Arizona Corporation Commission

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 18, 2024 33:32


    This week, we're focusing on a down ballot race that can have serious consequences for Arizonans' bank accounts. Three of the five seats on the Arizona Corporation Commission are up for grabs. The body oversees a variety of duties, but most people know it as the group that sets the rates that utility companies can charge. We look at what the Corporation Commission does, and offer some analysis of the race so far.

    Congressional District 6: Juan Ciscomani and Kirsten Engel

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 11, 2024 27:49


    We speak with both candidates for Arizona's Congressional District 6—incumbent Juan Ciscomani (R) and challenger Kirsten Engel (D)—after this week's debate.

    Weighing propositions that will change our primary elections

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 4, 2024 27:47 Transcription Available


    Arizonans will weigh competing ballot initiatives this year that could have a major impact on how the state handles its primary elections. Will Arizona switch to open primaries or codify its current system in the state constitution?

    Ensuring accuracy in ballots and information

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 27, 2024 27:47 Transcription Available


    The 2024 general election is less than six weeks away, and The Buzz is heading into Your Vote 2024 coverage. This week, we go beyond the horse race to talk about efforts to ensure the information being given to the public is accurate.

    Arizona's rural water fight continues

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 20, 2024 27:55


    We're diving back into Arizona's rural water issues. We'll speak with Arizona's Attorney General, Kris Mayes, about a letter she sent to the Arizona Department of Water Resources. And we'll head back to the topic of Fondemonte, a Saudi-owned farm in rural Arizona, as we speak to the reporter who broke that story some years back about his work and the new documentary it led to.

    Efforts to make Chiricahua National Monument a national park

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 13, 2024 28:57


    This week on The Buzz, we head back to Chiricahua National Monument as a bill to make it a national park is scheduled for a hearing in the U-S House of Representatives next week. GUESTS: (D) Arizona Senator Mark Kelly, bill sponsor; (R) Representative Juan Ciscomani, bill sponsor. REPEAT.

    Becoming an informed voter

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 6, 2024 29:49 Transcription Available


    This week, we're helping voters prepare for this election season. We'll break down how voters can vet news sources and stories, plus we'll talk about what makes a poll worth paying attention to.

    Arizona/Saudi relations go back long before Fondomonte

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 30, 2024 27:44 Transcription Available


    Arizona's relationship with the Arabian peninsula goes back well before Saudi-linked company Fondomonte began buying up agricultural land in the La Paz County desert in order to farm alfalfa that is shipped halfway across the world. It pre-dates the Saudi Kingdom, Arizona statehood and even the US Civil War. This week, we listen in to an episode of Tapped, AZPM's podcast about water in the southwest, that takes us through that long history and how Saudi Arabia's unregulated water use in our state is impacting rural Arizonans.

    What does record-low unemployment mean for Arizona?

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 23, 2024 27:41 Transcription Available


    State and federal reports show unemployment has been under 3.5% for the past three months, a feat the state has never before experienced. But, there are positives and negatives for the state when there are so few people in need of work.

    New ways to recycle plastic in Arizona

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 16, 2024 27:48 Transcription Available


    From creating 3-d printer filament to construction blocks to build houses, Arizona companies are finding new ways to help residents give plastic another life.

    4-Day school weeks in Arizona

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 9, 2024 27:34


    4 days a week in school or 5? We explore why some Arizona schools choose a 4-day school week and how it affects both students and teachers.

    How the largest Indian water rights settlement in U.S. history aims to rectify historic wrongs

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 2, 2024 27:41


    From nation building to water infrastructure, The Buzz explores the path towards water equity and one tribe's dream for true sovereignty.

    What a new Democratic presidential ticket means for AZ and other swing states

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 26, 2024 27:40 Transcription Available


    What does President Joe Biden's decision to drop out of the 2024 presidential race means for a swing state like Arizona? And will Arizona Senator Mark Kelly be Kamala Harris' vice-presidential pick?

    The damming of the lower Colorado River

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 19, 2024 27:53


    We preview the new season of Tapped, AZPM's podcast about water in the southwest.

    From rainwater to food, efforts to reuse finite resources in Southern Arizona

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 12, 2024 27:51 Transcription Available


    People go to notable lengths to get as much as they can out of some of the area's limited resources. In the second installment of our three R's series, Reuse, we'll explore ways that Southern Arizona revives what we already have.

    Revisiting one of the biggest labor disputes in American history, right here in Arizona

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 5, 2024 27:34 Transcription Available


    We look back 107 years at one of the biggest labor disputes in American history, the Bisbee Deportation, following it back to its start in another mining community hundreds of miles to the north.

    The coming state budget has its critics

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 28, 2024 27:55 Transcription Available


    We dive into some areas that saw cuts in the state budget. We talk to people who will see those cuts first-hand about how it will affect their work and those they serve. GUESTS: Kris Mayes, (D) Arizona Attorney General, Chelsea McGuire, Assistant Director of External Affairs at WIFA, Beth Lewis, Director of Save our Schools AZ

    Efforts to reduce our use of finite resources

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 21, 2024 29:23 Transcription Available


    Environmentalists have rallied around the cause of reducing our reliance on finite and polluting resources for decades, but efforts to cut back have picked up in recent years. We look at some of those efforts to reduce the use of plastic, water and fossil fuels.

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