The news dam broke yesterday, and it was every story, everywhere, all at once. Here’s what Arizona Globe is following, and probably following up on, today:

•After an Arizona Mirror story where a half-dozen Arizona residents say that Green Party candidates falsely used their names and donation records to qualify for public campaign funding, Clean Elections announced its intention to hold hearings to force those candidates to return the money. The Commission will meet tomorrow to decide about initiating repayment on roughly $4.7 million against Green candidates Risa Lombardo and Duwayne Collier and former GOP gubernatorial candidate Scott Neely. As one voter told the Mirror, “I did not fill out these forms or sign them. I did sign a petition in 2025 in a Safeway parking lot and I wish I could remember what cause the petition was for.” We’ve all been there, ma’am.

•Senator TJ Shope is openly challenging attorney general Kris Mayes over calling for corruption reform after clearing Gov. Katie Hobbs of wrongdoing in the Sunshine Homes campaign-donation investigation. Shope says there has been “zero effort” by Mayes’ office to engage him on contractor-donation transparency. Shope’s SB1186 already would have required state contractors/grant applicants to disclose things of value given to the governor or related political entities; Hobbs vetoed it. He just wants Mayes to call him! Even legislators hate getting left on read.

•Governor Hobbs and Representative Andy Biggs, vying to preside over the 48th State for the next four years, won’t be debating this year, but they did appear together at a public-safety forum in Phoenix last night. Both candidates expressed a desire to for strong law enforcement to deal with the fentanyl crisis. But from there, they diverged. Hobbs accused Biggs of standing with January 6th rioters, which Biggs called an “absolute lie.” “I will never stand with folks who assault officers,” Hobbs said. “I will stand with officers every single day.” Later, Biggs told reporters that Hobbs’ accusation was “about as nutty as I’ve heard from her this campaign.” See what we’re missing by not having a debate?

•The saga around Prescott Valley Mayor Kell Palguta’s bar fight widened yesterday with a Republic report that the August 16 chair-pulling incident at Bird Cage Saloon was not spontaneous. Apparently, Palguta and a friend deliberately approached a husband and wife, who’d been critical of him on Facebook, at the bar. “I felt bullied by these people,” said the mayor’s pal in an interview. “It was time for a conversation.” Apparently the mayor issued a “knife hand” gesture, whatever that is, used profanity, and called his critic a “keyboard warrior.” Police issued a criminal citation to the third-term mayor for misdemeanor assault and disorderly conduct. He may yet learn that the best way to deal with bullies is to ignore them, or to buy them a drink.