50 MEGALOPOLITAN LIFE them. (It’s an order he has frequently ignored.) She tried and failed to get Phoenix police, the attorney general’s office and even the FBI to investigate him. She finally struck paydirt with the State Bar of Arizona, which began disbarment proceedings against Gagic. In the end, Gagic lost his law license, giving him all the more reason to tweet invectives at his powerful foe. i i i BEST CHANGE OF HEART ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY Downtown Phoenix is in a perpetual state of renewal, with massive cranes dotting the skyline to construct shiny new building after shiny new building. Hallmarks of the city’s past are either dwarfed by glitzier structures — or are torn down altogether. That nearly happened to a tiny gem of Phoenix history: the Louis Emerson House. Built by its name- sake, the roughly 800-square-foot brick home has stood in the center of Phoenix since 1902. Then Arizona State University decided that the home, located at Fourth and Pierce streets, was in the way of its new medical school headquarters. ASU sued to seize the historic home by eminent domain, arguing that it needed to be razed to make room. In reality, blueprints showed ASU wanted the home’s lot only for outdoor space, not any part of the med school struc- ture. The suit generated a huge backlash. The home’s 89-year-old current owner — Robert Young, who’d already relocated the house once before — vowed to fight. Mere weeks after the lawsuit was filed, Young was pleasantly surprised when ASU pulled an about-face, dropping the suit and allowing the home to remain. i i i BEST PROTECTION AGAINST FASCISM LOOKOUT LOOKOUTNEWS.ORG The tagline of this Phoenix-based nonprofit news outlet — Fierce. Independent. Queer. — explains why it’s an essential player in Arizo- na’s media landscape. Founded in 2022 by Joseph Darius Jaafari, the rare investigative journalist with a sense of humor, LOOKOUT and its dogged coverage cut across the corro- sive, authoritarian machinations of the Trump era. We can argue over a precise defi- nition of fascism; hell, we Americans will be doing just that for years to come. In broad strokes, fascism organizes an in-group that wields power unbound by rules, norms or the common welfare. That in-group coheres against out-groups it seeks to punish or control. This stuff is anti-American and it’s insidious. But if anyone knows how to safely navigate the world as an out-group, it is your fierce, independent queer friends. LOOK- OUT’s recent hire of veteran reporter John Washington underscored its commitment to enterprising fact-finding, an urgent need in MAGA’s ditzy information environment. Further still, Jaafari and Jake Hylton, the publication’s indefatigable executive director, also leverage LOOKOUT to build genuine human networks. They host and promote a calendar of events so numerous, you wonder when either of them sleeps. Fascists attack journalists because journal- ists include regular people in a public discus- sion to help them better understand the world and make informed decisions. By supplementing that mission with actual, physical inclusion — at public forums, at movie screenings, at bar hangs, at gym sessions, at DJ nights — Jaafari and Hylton are nurturing a community capable of protecting and validating the very out- groups that fascists have to scapegoat in order to hold power. Can LOOKOUT save democracy one big gay dance party at a time? Keep reading to find out. i i i BEST RADIO STATION KWSS 93.9/99.5 FM KWSS.ORG As AI insinuates itself into Phoenix radio, KWSS proves there’s no substitute for humans working the mics. The independent FM station is staffed by an all-volunteer on-air crew, each with actual personalities, quirks and tastes. There’s midday host Licia Torres, a 30-year radio veteran with an affinity for eclectic tunes and jokes to spare. (Tune in weekdays at noon for her “Retro Radio” lunch hour.) Brian Defox spins indie rock on weekends. Local musician Brett Coleman broadcasts reggae favorites on Saturdays during “The Vibes Alive Radio Show.” They’re some of the reasons why KWSS rules the local airwaves. So are its anything-goes playlists. While some Phoenix stations confine local artists to an hour or two of weekend programming, the FM broadcaster keeps them woven into daily rotation and often debuts new tunes. Listeners also get a say in what’s played, requesting tracks online from the thousands in its library. As one proclaimed on social media earlier this year: “You guys make radio worth it!” i i i BEST WASTE OF $2 MILLION MILL AVENUE GATEWAY SIGN You’ll find the Valley’s biggest 2026 boon- doggle dangling above downtown Tempe’s doorstep. Allow us to spell it out for you. In April, the city installed a 94-foot-long sign spanning Mill Avenue just north of Univer- sity Drive. The airborne eyesore consists of 4-foot-tall metal letters spelling “MILL AVE” along flexible cables stretched between two V-shaped pylons. It also glows. The price tag for this seven-letter ornament came to nearly $2 million, carved from Tempe’s $40 million downtown refresh project. City flacks called it “bold” and “iconic.” Residents had their own descrip- tions, clowning the sign on social media (big surprise) before crews even finished hanging it. Critics dubbed it “hideous,” “dumb and unnecessary” and a “colossal waste of taxpayer funds.” Over on the Tempe subreddit, it was likened to a “dollar store birthday banner” by one Redditor. Another saw some value to the thing, albeit as part of Mill Avenue’s weekend nightlife shitshow, calling it “perfect climbing for drunk guys.” i i i BEST THING IN THE SKY THE CHARLES BARKLEY BLIMP Look! Up in the sky! It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s … a Capital One blimp with an image of former Phoenix Suns player and NBA Hall of Famer Charles Barkley on it. (Doesn’t have the same ring as “Superman.”) This spring, while Phoenix hosted the NCAA Women’s Final Four, the 128-foot-long diri- gible graced the Valley skies. It wasn’t the first time Sir Charles soared through the clouds; the blimp came to town in 2024 when the city hosted the NCAA Men’s Final Four, too. The blimp was a social media darling during the days of the tournament this year, as people did double-takes when they realized who was on the aircraft. Though Barkley only played for the Suns for four years, they were some of the team’s most exciting, and it was good to see his face again for a few days, if only on a blimp. i i i BEST ART MUSEUM PHOENIX ART MUSEUM 1625 N. CENTRAL AVE. 602-257-1880 PHXART.ORG Phoenix Art Museum consistently delivers, flat-out. Its commitment to diverse artists is laudable, and its programming is diverse, family-friendly and approachable. Popular holdings include Yayoi Kusama’s mirrored infinity room and the museum’s 9,000-piece fashion design collection, which rotates out in smartly curated shows. Kids Days are a highlight, offering crafts, activities and bite- sized concerts by Phoenix Symphony musi- cians that hold tots in rapt attention. Art here reaches out to everyone, not just prenten- tious elites. But connoisseurs aren’t bored; thought-provoking world-class exhibits like the recent Eric Fischl retrospective, which deserved repeat visits, guarantee as much. A peaceful courtyard with a sculpture garden and a well-curated film series keep summers chill. And last year an all-star restaurant team opened Alden, combining a swanky aesthetic with a crowd-pleasing menu that features a standout burger and superb red Thai curry. i i i BEST NON-ART MUSEUM MUSICAL INSTRUMENT MUSEUM 4725 E. MAYO BLVD. 480-478-6000 MIM.ORG The MIM is a monument to outrageous obsession. On its second floor you travel every country on the planet through geographic galleries that display thousands of instruments, many of which are played over your headset as you approach each exhibit. As you wander the Randi Vosti Artist Gallery, you hear clips by contemporary performers and view their instruments, stage wear and ephemera: Prince’s purple piano, the Wailers’ drums and bass guitar, Johnny Cash’s black suit. The Experience Gallery lets you plonk around on drums, bells, gongs, harps and even a theremin, which is worth the price of admission right there. Professional musicians often perform here, occasionally in the main hall, meaning the sound of a piano concerto or Japanese drumming may fill the building unexpect- edly. A full roster of classes, programs, tours, talks, kids’ events and special attractions like sake tastings and Oktoberfest dinners make this a bona fide hub of cultural life in the otherwise sparse reaches of north Phoenix. i i i BEST FREE MUSEUM ASU ART MUSEUM 51 E. 10TH ST., TEMPE 480-965-2787 ASUARTMUSEUM.ORG On a searing-hot summer afternoon nothing tops a good museum, especially when it pairs exceptional art with its free AC. Since its doors opened in 1950, the ASU Art Museum has stood both as a brutalist icon and as a beacon for art in the region. Recent exhibits include “Carmen Lomas Garza: Picturing the Familiar,” which challenges visitors to abandon caricatures and consider the people who inhabit the American borderland; and