🌱 Are New AZ Maps Gerrymandered? + Phx Housing To Stay Hot In 22

Good day, neighbors! Caitlin Sievers here with a brand-new edition of the Phoenix Daily.

First, today's weather:

Hazy sun. High: 65 Low: 43.

Here are the top stories in Phoenix today:

1. Some critics are questioning the fairness of Arizona's brand-new legislative district maps, with the Arizona Democratic Party saying the new districts are gerrymandered. The Princeton Gerrymandering Project says that the maps give Republicans an edge, giving them C and B grades. (Phoenix New Times)
2. Phoenix is listed as No. 8 on Zillow's list of the hottest housing markets for 2022. Zillow expects more than 14 percent home value growth through November 2022, with Phoenix and the others on Zillow's "Top 10" list forecast to exceed that. Florida cities topped the list with Tampa at No. 1 and Jacksonville at No. 2. (AZ Big Media)
3. The leader of an Arizona teacher's union said that his Monday tweet about possible staffing shortages at K-12 schools because of COVID-19 was not meant to encourage a voluntary "sick out" among teachers. Two Republican gubernatorial candidates accused Arizona Education Association President Joe Thomas of using the tweet to encourage the shutting down of school buildings because of the highly transmissible omicron variant of the coronavirus that's spreading rapidly across the country. (KTAR.com)

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Today in Phoenix:

• Hiring Fair: New Scottsdale Boozy Ice Cream Hot Spot, 7135 E. Camelback Road, Scottsdale. (10 a.m.)

From my notebook:

• In honor of National Train Your Dog Month, Arizona Humane Society's certified dog trainers are sharing their secrets for happy, healthy and well-behaved pets. This week, Kayla shared a trick that will help keep your dog active in body and mind. (Facebook)
• Phoenix Public Library invites you to browse its list of Best Adult Books of 2021 and share your own favorite reads from the past year. (Facebook)

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You're officially in the loop for today. See you all tomorrow for another update!

— Caitlin Sievers

About me: I'm a passionate writer and photographer who worked as a reporter and editor for various publications in the Midwest before landing in Phoenix. I have seven roommates. Four of them are cats. Contact me at caitlin.sievers@patch.com with story ideas and feedback.