Arizona charter schools are supposed to be open to everyone. They can't discriminate against prospective students on the basis of gender, ethnicity, disability, or language proficiency. But as it turns out, some charter schools were ignoring state law. In a December 2017 report titled "Schools Choosing Students," the Arizona chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union revealed that a shocking number of charter schools use exclusionary enrollment policies. Families attempting to enroll their child in charter schools faced essays, interviews, requests for a birth certificate or Social Security number, and fees. Some schools asked whether the prospective student had a disability or special education needs, and others asked about the primary language spoken at home. The ACLU argued that these hurdles are unacceptable, and last spring advocates showed up to lobby the Arizona State Board for Charter Schools. Apparently, the board was listening. In June, officials reviewed enrollment policies and mandated changes at almost 100 charter schools. The ACLU says that more oversight is needed. Nevertheless, the campaign achieved an impressive outcome: a fairly quick response from a board that has been criticized for a laissez-faire approach to charter schools.

A bill that would provide unlimited menstrual supplies to women in Arizona prisons stalled in the House because Representative T.J. Shope, a Republican from Coolidge who chairs the House Rules Committee, wouldn't put it on the agenda. #LetItFlow activists, outraged that female inmates received only 12 sanitary pads a month, took matters into their own hands by sending pads, tampons, and cash to purchase feminine hygiene products to the Arizona Department of Corrections, by way of Shope's office. Well, that unblocked the process. Within days, the ADC changed its policy, increasing the number of pads per inmate to 36 per month. Naturally, Shope, a man, took credit for the success: "When I became aware of this issue, I reached out to ADC and urged them to change the policy and they now have!" he wrote in a self-congratulatory press release. Oh, yeah, at the bottom of the statement he acknowledged that Democratic Representative Athena Salman, a woman, had actually introduced the legislation that he had previously derailed. We'll excuse Shope's slight as a case of MPS — Manly Power Shit.

The boys and girls in the state Legislature had this great gig going. The Arizona Constitution apparently prohibited the arrest of legislators during or right before a session "in all cases except treason, felony, and breach of the peace or shooting someone on Fifth Avenue." (Okay, we added that last one.) In other words, legislators could pretend they were Indy car drivers going to and from work. But then state Representative Paul Mosley spoiled their little secret by pulling the immunity card on a sheriff's deputy who clocked the Republican from Havasu City traveling 97 mph in a 55 mph zone. Mosley even bragged to the deputy that he had been driving 120 mph earlier and sometimes hit 140. The deputy let him go, and no one would have been the wiser except for that damn body cam. The video of the stop went viral, and that meant that Daddy, i.e. Governor Doug Ducey, found out. Uh-oh. The governor whacked Mosley and other legislators with a sternly worded statement. "No one is above the law, and certainly not politicians. Everyone should know that, but clearly a reminder is needed," Ducey said. Then, the governor grounded the speed demons with an executive order empowering state law enforcement officers to cite elected officials for criminal violations such as speeding or reckless driving. No word if he's going to prevent them from going to the prom.

David Stringer is the gift that keeps on giving Phoenix New Times more internet traffic. He created his first digital sensation in 2017 when, according to fellow legislator Jesus Rubalcava, the Prescott Republican with the bad toupee told a group of businesspeople and educators that teachers are paid well enough because they have an easy, part-time job that doesn't require a specific skill set. And they get two months off in the summer. (That set social media on fire.) Then, he acknowledged earlier this year that the job might have a certain degree of difficulty because, as he told attendees at a Yavapai County Republican Men's Forum, "there aren't enough white kids to go around" in Arizona schools. He blamed the problem on immigration, which he called "an existential threat to the United States" and "politically destabilizing." That prompted even staunch Republicans like Governor Doug Ducey to call for Stringer to resign. He did not. In fact, he doubled down on his anti-immigration stance in a campaign ad, claiming immigration "creates a permanent underclass and traps people in poverty." Apparently, there were still enough white, non-teacher Republican voters to go around in the Legislative District 11 primary because they voted for him to run again in the fall.

Bike-share services are a good idea in theory. Riders can use their smartphone to pay to rent a bike, then leave it at their destination without having to return it. It saves money compared with car ownership, and reduces carbon emissions. In reality, certain parts of metro Phoenix have become a bike-share wasteland, with abandoned two-wheelers left anywhere and everywhere you can think of. It'd be kind of funny if it wasn't so annoying. The Instagram account @litterbikesofaz shares our opinion; its feed is jammed with photos of sad, discarded bikes (and parts of bikes) hanging from fences, lying in roadways, and dumped in canals. Next time you see one, take a picture and send it in.

When local poet Jared Duran first started doing his Limited Engagement podcast, it was an excuse for him to pick the brains of some of Phoenix's finest writers. Duran's podcast quickly expanded beyond that scope as he started interviewing musicians, journalists, theater people — even relatively big names like Soft Boys frontman/U.K. cult songwriter Robyn Hitchcock. Like all the best podcasts, a lot of the charm comes from the host. Duran's a rambler, in the best possible way: The intros to his shows can often be 10 minutes long as he weighs in on the Valley's cultural scene and on the things that are on his mind. His interviews also share that digressive feeling, as conversations often detour into surprising territory. And now that Duran has started his own publishing imprint and co-hosts a second podcast, Hoot N Review, with writer Jenna Duncan, he's got a whole lot more to talk about.

The current KJZZ schedule airs The Show at 9 a.m., so if you're well into your day of meetings and conference calls by then, we'll tell you what you're missing. The Show is a collection of oral news stories and features focusing on the Phoenix area, as well as Maricopa County, the state, and the country at large. Hosts Mark Brodie, Lauren Gilger, Steve Goldstein, and Tiara Vian — backed by their small but effective team of producers and reporters — cover everything from making Phoenix a "soccer town" to the Valley's air quality to Planned Parenthood AZ to the adventures of Don Shooter. If you really can't catch it live, we have two podcast suggestions: KJZZ's The Show and KJZZ's The Show: Friday Newscap.

Russ Kazmierczak is a nerdy Renaissance man. He writes, draws, and publishes his own comics as Amazing Arizona Comics; he's a microphone fiend at karaoke; he produces an annual Jack Kirby birthday show; and is part of a Frasier tribute band. He also has a deep and abiding passion for the oeuvre of The Monkees that would probably net him a restraining order if he wasn't so charming about it. But one of the things that Kazmierczak does best is tell stories. Whether it's at storytelling events such as Untidy Secrets, poetry open mics, or a variety show, he tells true-life tales that are honest, affecting, and deeply hilarious. And whereas most tellers are content with just talking onstage, Kazmierczak often accentuates his stories with live drawing, musical accompaniment, and even projects short films and videos on walls using his cellphone. Sometimes he'll even bust out his impressively extensive collection of He-Man toys and narrate elaborate toy fights in front of a live audience. If that doesn't deserve an award all by itself, we don't know what does.

There are plenty of comedians in the Valley with tight fives, but how many of them can say they've created a holiday? In addition to possessing one of the sharpest tongues and fastest wits in Phoenix, comic Anwar Newton is the creator of that most glorious of high holy days: Ja Rule Day, that blessed day on December 9 on which people across the nation pay tribute to Mr. Livin' It Up with thousands of "IT'S MURDA" jokes. But Newton is more than the originator of a fun meme holiday. He's also one of the creative forces behind Literally the Worst Show Ever, one of the best recurring comedy shows in Arizona. A mix of stand-up, character work, and hilarious videos, LTWSE's ambitions and production values put most other comedy nights to shame. And when Newton isn't hosting LTWSE, he's co-hosting a weekly late-night comedy show with Michael Turner called This Week Sucks, Tonight! He also has a killer routine about why you should be worried if you see your doctor drinking from a Polar Pop cup.

Valley resident Scott Godlewski knows a thing or three about creating comics. For proof, load up the latest episode of The Illustrious Gentlemen podcast, where he and fellow artist Ryan Cody drop a dime every week on the inner workings of the sequential art industry, including how to make it in the biz. And Godlewski speaks from experience, considering he's been penciling and inking superheroes for major publishers like DC for going on a decade. (His all-too-brief stints on the post-Rebirth version of Superman and Batwoman are pretty great). Where he really shines is in the pages of Copperhead, the space Western yarn he co-created for Image Comics in 2014 with writer Jay Faerber. Godlewski's finely detailed lines and moody shading gives life to the homespun noir of a no-nonsense female sheriff grappling with mysterious circumstances on a backwater planet. The title's been an artistic and commercial success so far, earning him praise from both fans and critics alike. Way to go, Godlewski.