Arizona city, large population hub in the East Valley
DoorDash is expanding its use of autonomous tech and drone delivery. A pilot in Phoenix has gig workers loading Dot robots with orders, highlighting the human role in robot-assisted delivery. The company is also rolling out DoorDash Air and revising service fees to better reflect delivery costs, while continuing to rely on Dashers for most daily deliveries.
A Spokane man has been arrested on suspicion of first-degree arson after investigators traced the Old Trails Fire — the largest of three wildfires — to the spot where a witness saw a man crouched. The fires have destroyed about 700–1,100 structures, forced roughly 65,000–67,000 people to evacuate and have scorched thousands of acres; no deaths have been reported.
Severe thunderstorms have moved through central Arizona, bringing golf-ball–size hail, damaging winds and isolated tornado warnings. Residents report widespread property damage and power outages as the National Weather Service issues multiple warnings; the Phoenix metro area faces the greatest flood risk.