Gov. Doug Ducey is defending indoor political rallies with thousands of people without masks even as he admitted the only way Arizona will stop the upward trend of infections is if people mask up and stay home.

Gov. Doug Ducey is looking for good policies and savings. But requests for money from the general fund, the state’s all-purpose kitty, are tougher to justify than those that come from other sources, like grants and fees.

With slot machines, blackjack tables, alcohol and six poker-style card tables, the set-up at Paradise Cove Social Club in Surprise definitely gives off a casino vibe. The set-up was enough to make at least one state official question exactly what type of operation the Department of Liquor Licenses and Control was considering licensing.