Kaely Monahan

The Gaggle podcast: Why Arizona is part of growing third party wave across US

Arizona is one of the nation’s newest swing states — and one of the most competitive. President Joe Biden’s 2020 win in Arizona had the smallest margin of any state in the country. Arizona is working on its fourth straight cycle with a competitive…

'We have to come together': New Rep. Juan Ciscomani sits down with The Gaggle

It didn’t take freshman Congressman Juan Ciscomani long to draw attention in Washington, D.C. The Republican who won a Tucson-based seat from retired Democratic Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick prominently threw his backing for the House speakership to Kevin…

Arizona HERstory: Meet Pearl Hart, the 'Bandit Queen'

March is Women's History Month, and the Valley 101 podcast is taking the opportunity to explore the stories of women from Arizona's history whom you might not have heard of.In this second episode of Arizona HERstory, we uncover the truth behind the…

Arizona HERstory on Valley 101: Meet the stagecoach-robbing 'Bandit Queen,' Pearl Hart

March is Women's History Month, and the Valley 101 podcast is taking the opportunity to explore the stories of women from Arizona's history whom you might not have heard of. In this second episode of Arizona HERstory, we uncover the truth behind the…

New election cycle, same denialism? Strategist explores how GOP can avoid repeat of 2022

It’s 2023, but if you listened to some of the events around the annual Conservative Political Action Conference or a hearing at the Arizona Legislature in recent days, it could feel like we’re stuck in 2022 or even 2020. Arizona’s lawmakers need to…

Woody Harrelson's 'Champions' could have gone wrong in a lot of different ways. It doesn't

Big Hollywood names have been the crook to pull audiences into movies since the Golden Age of film. So it's no surprise that "Champions" also uses star power to lure moviegoers. But the film's true star isn't Woody Harrelson, and it isn't just one…

Arizona HERstory on Valley 101: Meet Ayra Hackett, community leader and Black publisher

March is Women's History Month, and the Valley 101 podcast is taking the opportunity to explore the stories of women from Arizona's history whom you might not have heard of. Opening the series is the story of Ayra Hackett. Entrepreneur, midwife and…

What animals native to Arizona are endangered?

Animals of different shapes and sizes live all around us. And a lot of those critters are native-born Arizonans. Sometimes, they make their way into our cities.Last week, producer Kaely Monahan explored the birds of Arizona. It's a great look at the…

‘Of an Age’ is a period drama that's better left to history

People hardly forget their first love. But few of us let it ruin our lives. In Goran Stolevski’s queer coming-of-age drama “Of an Age,” however, that’s exactly what happens to the lead character. Australian Kol (Elias Anton) is a shy yet driven and…

Listen: Kansas, Michigan offer lessons for Democratic governors with a GOP legislature

It’s been 14 years since Arizona last had a Democratic governor. At that time, just like today, Arizona’s Legislature was controlled by the state GOP. Democratic wins at the top of the ticket are not new in Arizona anymore. Since 2018, Democrats have…

A Valentine from us to you – How Arizona became a state

February 14th to all is Valentines Day, but to us, it's also statehood day. To show our love to you and Arizona, we are gifting you a special episode on how Arizona became a state. Producer Kaely Monahan finds out how the Arizona Territory gained its…

Best bird-watching sites in metro Phoenix? Valley 101 has you covered

When it comes to bird-watching, Arizona is ranked among the top three states. That's according to Cathy Wise, community science program manager with Audubon Southwest. And she would know. She's dedicated her life to studying birds. More than 500 bird…

Clashing political styles: The Gaggle compares Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, Rep. Ruben Gallego

When U.S. Rep. Ruben Gallego announced he was running for U.S. Senate, the Arizona Democrat made clear that it’s in part because of what he views as the misguided priorities of U.S. Sen. Kyrsten Sinema. Sinema, now an independent, has long made clear…

Caregivers will see themselves in the empathetic ‘One Fine Morning’ movie

There is a moment in “One Fine Morning” where Sandra Keinzler is sitting in a subway car. The city of Paris zips by in a blur, looking like a Monet painting. The car slowly descends from the above-ground tracks into a tunnel. The scene lasts only a…

Why is the sun so much brighter in winter? Valley 101 has the answer

Have you ever found yourself squinting more in the winter? Even sunglasses don't seem to help. Turns out it's not in your mind: The sun is truly brighter in the winter. Phoenix is known as the Valley of the Sun. And it’s no joke that we get a lot of…

Water woes: Gaggle podcast explores why Rio Verde Foothills needs a solution now

Residents of the Rio Verde Foothills community just northeast of Scottsdale are facing dry taps and no immediate solution. The unincorporated area has for years relied on Scottsdale to process the water that gets hauled up to the community.…

There's enough blame to go around. But Rio Verde Foothills needs a water solution now.

Residents of the Rio Verde Foothills community just north of Scottsdale are facing dry taps and no immediate solution. The unincorporated land has for years relied on the City of Scottsdale to process the water that gets hauled up to the…

'Missing' is like 'Searching' on steroids. You better hold on.

How far will you go to find a missing loved one? If you’re Liam Neeson, to the ends of the earth. For “Euphoria” actress Storm Reid, to Google Search and beyond … at least within the bounds of cyberspace. “Missing” is a follow-up, but not exactly a…

Best Valley 101 episodes from 2022

As Valley 101 enters its fourth year, we look back at the stories that moved us, taught us, and helped us grow. These are a review of the best episodes from 2022. Listen to Valley 101 on your favorite podcast app or stream the full episode below. Got…

Abortion, inflation, school funding: The Gaggle looks at what's ahead for Arizona in 2023

It’s 2023 and Arizona has a new governor, a U.S. senator without a party affiliation, a more conservative Legislature and familiar issues to face in this new year. So how will all that play out? Good question. Today on The Gaggle, host Ron Hansen is…