One Arizona leader is using her statewide office to support Israel at a time when that nation faces tremendous threats to its security.
Arizona State Treasurer Kimberly Yee recently announced that her office “plans to increase Israel bond holdings to support Israel during this time of crisis.” Yee’s press release shared that the State Treasurer’s Office “has been investing in Israel bonds since 2013 and currently has $15 million in holdings.”
Today I announced my commitment to increasing Arizona Treasury @IsraelBonds holdings in support of Israel. Arizona is a friend and ally of Israel, and it is imperative that we support them through our actions, not just our words.
— Arizona Treasurer Kimberly Yee (@AZTreasurerYee) October 16, 2023
Treasurer Yee issued a statement in conjunction with her announcement, saying, “In the wake of the distressing news of the horrific terrorist attacks in Israel, I promptly directed my investment team to contact our esteemed partners in Israel to increase our Israel bond holdings as we continue to stand firmly with Israel. The state of Arizona is a friend and ally of Israel, and it is imperative that we support them through our actions, and not just our words.”
Yee also took an opportunity to highlight the importance of her action and encourage her colleagues around the country to follow suit. She said, “Israel bonds are a secure and reliable investment option that not only contributes to the Arizona Treasury’s diversified investment portfolio, but also strengthens our support and partnership with the State of Israel. Investing in Israel bonds is something that I not only support, but also urge my fellow state financial officers to do as well, especially in this time of crisis. In this time of adversity, it is our duty to stand resolute and support Israel as a nation.”
The Treasurer’s Office noted that “Israel bonds serve as an investment option for individuals, institutions and nations worldwide to support the economic growth and stability of the State of Israel,” adding that “investments in Israeli bonds offer both reliable financial returns and contribute to Israel’s economic and strategic well-being.”
According to Yee’s office, “the Israeli government will be issuing new bonds and Arizona has been placed at the forefront of the list of institutional buyers.”
The second-term Republican Treasurer has been a staunch supporter of Israel throughout her time in public service, using her platform and her office to stand with the American ally to the full extent of her authority. During her first term, Yee led the efforts to become “the first state in the country to enforce Anti-BDS laws (Boycotts of Israel) by divesting $143 million from Unilever, the parent company of Ben & Jerry’s, in response to the company ending distribution of its products in parts of Israel.”
In 2022, Treasurer Yee also notified Morningstar Inc. that they were at risk of being placed on the Arizona Treasury’s prohibited investment list for violating Arizona law by actively boycotting the State of Israel. Yee said, “It is my duty to defend Arizona’s anti-BDS law and I will ensure that Arizona does not do business with companies that are attempting to undermine Israel’s economy.”
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
As Arizonans continue to pay high prices at the gas pumps, a recent revelation exposes a possible contributing factor from the state’s chief executive.
On Monday, the Joint Legislative Ad Hoc Study Committee on Air Quality and Energy issued a press release after a hearing with Michelle Wilson, the Regulatory Compliance Administrator for the Arizona Department of Weights and Measures, publicizing that Wilson “admitted the Hobbs Administration was passive when oil companies in March warned of refinery shutdowns.” The Committee added that “according to Wilson, for the first time in five years, the Governor’s office received a request from refineries to ask the EPA for a waiver, allowing for an alternative fuel type to provide an adequate supply for drivers and preventing a hike in gas prices” – yet after the Governor’s Office “had conversations with the EPA about submitting a request for a waiver,…the EPA convinced Hobbs to not submit one.”
According to Senate Republicans, “this catastrophe reduced the supply of the type of gasoline drivers in Maricopa County are required to fill their tanks with, known as ‘Cleaner Burn Gas’ (CBG), in order for Arizona to comply with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean Air Act requirements.”
“Rather than making a case on behalf of Arizonans struggling to fill their tanks with prices hitting $5 per gallon, Governor Hobbs chose to not push back against the EPA and was complicit with the Biden Administration’s pro-inflation, radical environmentalist agenda,” said Senator Sine Kerr, the Committee’s co-chair. “As a result of Hobbs’ inaction, Maricopa County drivers were forced to shell out an extra several hundred million dollars just to get to their destinations during this supply disruption.”
“It’s clear Governor Hobbs is taking her marching orders from the federal government, instead of serving the best interests of our citizens,” said Senator Frank Carroll, a member of the committee. “While Republicans were securing a tax rebate to give $260 million dollars back to Arizona families hurting from historic price hikes, the Governor sat on her hands and cost families at least half that amount at the pump. We plan to analyze potential changes to policy to protect Arizonans from these irresponsible actions by the Executive Branch and reckless big government overreach.”
In the leadup to the hearing, legislative Republicans signaled they sought to investigate “the driving force behind (Arizonans’) pain at the pump and how to provide relief to motorists.” They promised to “analyze one of the contributing factors pushing Arizona’s gas prices to level higher than the national average, which is the unique blend of gasoline required by state law since 1997 called ‘Cleaner Burning Gasoline.’”
This isn’t the first time Hobbs has taken political heat for her actions (or lack thereof) on this issue. Earlier this year, Senator Jake Hoffman unleashed a blistering rebuke of Hobbs’ reported failure “to do the right thing by requesting this waiver to allow prices at the pump to drop.” Hoffman’s statement followed accounts of a letter that had been sent to Hobbs in March by independent petroleum refiner HF Sinclair, warning the state’s chief executive “of a critical supply shortage in Arizona due to an unexpected equipment failure stopping the production of ‘Cleaner Burning Gasoline’ (CBG) required by the Biden Administration in Maricopa County, as well as parts of Pinal and Yavapai Counties.”
Per Senator Hoffman’s release, HF Sinclair had argued that Hobbs would be within her right to seek the waiver from the EPA, writing, “Pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 7545(c)(4)(C)(ii), EPA may temporarily waive a control or prohibition respecting the use of a fuel when extreme and unusual fuel supply circumstances prevent the distribution of an adequate supply to consumers. EPA may grant such a waiver where such circumstances are the result of a natural disaster, Act of God, refinery equipment failure, or another event that could not reasonably have been foreseen or prevented, and where doing so would be in the public interest (e.g., when a waiver is necessary to meet projected temporary shortfalls in fuel supply in a state or region). Such circumstances presently exist in Arizona.”
In his June release, Hoffman said, “Katie Hobbs’ incompetence as Arizona’s Governor continues to take center stage, and hardworking Arizonans are paying the price for it. The average price for a gallon of gas right now in Maricopa County is a full $1 higher than the national average. This is extra money that could help with groceries, medications and other necessities many of our taxpayers are having a difficult time affording because of the Biden Administration’s reckless policies leading to historic inflation.”
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
Border Patrol agents are facing increasing dangers as a result of empowered cartels and smugglers.
Last week, the Vice President of the National Border Patrol Council, Art Del Cueto, posted a picture of online messages that contained threats and concerning solicitations about personal information for agents and members of their families.
Del Cueto said, “Unbelievable! #heroesingreen have to get this information through media because the administration and agency doesn’t put anything out to the #bootsontheground…”
The longtime border official added a number of hashtags to stress his point, including “#wherestheintel,” “#nocommunication,” “#theyreallydontcare,” “#excusescoming,” “#stayvigilant,” “#staystrapped.”
The messages shared by Del Cueto include the following:
“We will pay for any addresses of border patrol agents!!”
“$200 your way if you get me a border patrol agent’s address”
“$1k if you get me they mommas address”
“We offer $$$ for information on BP agents”
“Top dollar on good info”
“I’ll post us torturing any bp agent u send”
Ali Bradley, a National Correspondent for NewsNation, shared additional insight from conversations with Border Patrol agents, stating that “the agency says the messages also show the intent to post the torture of BPAs on social media.”
NEW: “We will pay for any addresses of border patrol agents!!”@CBP sends out internal alert to agents after intercepting messages seeking the home addresses of agents and their families with an intent to do harm— The text message obtained by CBP states, “$200 your way if you… pic.twitter.com/98PA8pYdWv
She added, “Agents I talk to are extremely concerned for their safety. While assaults on agents are down from last year, assaults involving firearms are up slightly.”
Last month, a Border Patrol agent in Texas was assaulted by a suspected smuggler, according to reports. Per pictures provided to the media at the time, the agent appeared to have blood on his face and uniform. In its account of the incident, Fox News wrote, “Migrants and smugglers are increasingly assaulting and confronting U.S. border personnel as the dangerous escalations of violence increase along the border.”
In addition to the increasing dangers and threats against them, Border Patrol agents are finding themselves completely overwhelmed due to the onslaught of migrants and drugs pouring across the U.S.-Mexico boundary lines, which has been caused by the policies of the Biden administration. Over the course of the three-year Biden-Harris administration, apprehensions of illegal aliens and drugs have continued to rise to historic levels, with no end seemingly in sight. This issue has led to growing fears of potential terror in the homeland – especially after the Hamas attack in Israel a couple weeks ago and the escalating number of terrorist suspects who have been encountered at the border (in addition to the sheer number of ‘gotaways’ escaping detection from law enforcement).
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
An environmental watchdog organization is suing the Biden Administration to increase regulatory oversight of Arizona and other states.
Earlier this month, the Sierra Club filed a Complaint for Declaratory and Injunctive Relief in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, alleging that the Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Michael S. Regan, “has failed to perform his nondiscretionary duty under the Clean Air Act to issue a finding of failure by thirteen states…to submit complete revised nonattainment area state implementation plans and publish notice of that action in the Federal Register no later than six months after the January 1, 2023 deadline by which each of these states was required to submit a nonattainment SIP for the 2015 primary ozone national ambient air quality standard (NAAQS).”
The states targeted in the complaint by the Sierra Club were Arizona, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah, and Wisconsin.”
Sari Amiel, an Associate Attorney for the Sierra Club, released the following statement in conjunction with the legal filing: “More than 100 million people reside in counties receiving failing grades for smog pollution, with Black, Hispanic, and Asian Americans disproportionately exposed to all forms of air pollution. States’ refusal to comply with common-sense air pollution standards is already harmful, but EPA’s failure to hold them accountable adds insult to injury. EPA must fulfill its obligations under the Clean Air Act and take swift action to protect communities from the harmful effects of smog pollution.”
Scot Mussi, the President of the Arizona Free Enterprise Club, also weighed in on the challenge, telling AZ Free News, “This lawsuit is an attempt by the Sierra Club to force Arizona to adopt their radical environmental agenda. They know that ozone levels in Maricopa County are lower today than twenty years ago and that most of the ozone in the region is either naturally occurring or coming from China. But since they couldn’t convince us to ban gas cars and gas stoves, they hope the EPA or a friendly liberal judge will do it for them.”
The 2015 rule has been the focus of many lawsuits since it was initiated under the Obama-Biden Administration. In October 2015, then-Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich led a small coalition of states (Arkansas, the Environmental Department on behalf of New Mexico, North Dakota, and Oklahoma) in filing a lawsuit to challenge the Final Rule. At the time, Brnovich said, “We all want clean air, however, reducing the ozone standards to 70 parts per billion will be nearly impossible for Arizona to attain. The new Rule completely ignores Congress’ intent that the EPA set ozone levels for the states that are actually attainable. The financial stakes for this state are enormous if we are unable to comply and I am going to do everything within my power as attorney general to protect Arizona.”
During the Trump Administration, the EPA was not empowered to raise the standards set under the Obama-Biden Administration. After the decision in 2020, then-EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler explained the reasoning, saying, “The EPA under the Trump Administration has continued America’s leadership in clean air, lowering our particulate matter levels to well below those of many of our global competitors. Maintaining these important standards will ensure Americans can continue to breathe some of the cleanest air on the planet.”
A change in administrations, however, had drastic consequences for this policy. President Joe Biden signed an executive order in 2021, ordering the environmental agency to review a number of actions initiated under the previous administration, including the NAAQS Decision in 2020. Not long after the executive order was signed, the EPA announced its intent to “reconsider the December 2020 decision because available scientific evidence and technical information indicate that the current standards may not be adequate to protect public health and welfare, as required by the Clean Air Act.” At the beginning of this year, the EPA released its proposed revision to the NAAQS, which increased standards from the Obama-Biden administration, prompting various reactions from a number of states around the country.
In March of this year, a group of Democrat attorneys general, led by the State of California, submitted a comment letter to the EPA, urging the Biden Administration to “adopt stringent standards under the Clean Air Act that protect public health against particulate matter pollution.” Attorney General Bonta stated, “High particulate matter pollution levels are a serious threat to public health, particularly for underserved and vulnerable populations. Today’s comment letter urges the EPA to set adequate standards to ensure that all Californians can breathe clean air. The adoption of stronger standards will aid all of California’s communities, but especially communities experiencing environmental injustices, that are disproportionately affected by air pollution. At the California Department of Justice, we will continue advocating for stronger pollution control measures for the wellbeing of all Californians.”
California was joined by the States of Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and the District of Columbia and the City of New York, in the letter.
On the other side of the political aisle, Republican attorneys general have pushed back this year against the EPA’s attempt to cement and expand the NAAQS. In March, Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron spearheaded a 19-state coalition with a letter to the EPA to oppose its updated rule. Cameron said, “As Americans face record-high inflation, the Biden Administration is pushing extreme policies that would harm the economies of energy states like Kentucky. The United States has some of the cleanest air in the industrialized world, and this regulation prioritizes President Biden’s radical climate agenda ahead of the livelihoods of hard-working Americans.”
Joining Kentucky on this letter to the EPA were the States of Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, Virginia, and West Virginia.
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
Arizona sheriffs are pushing state officials to increase funding for border security.
Last week, the Arizona Sheriff’s Association sent separate letters to Governor Katie Hobbs and legislative leaders. Those letters requested Arizona to “double its contribution to local law enforcement to allow (sheriffs) to deploy more resources to interdict human and drug smugglers.”
The sheriffs opened their letter by pointing to the $12 million included in the 2023-24 state budget “to help law enforcement handle crime related to illegal border crossers.” Though these sheriffs were “grateful for the assistance,” they asserted that “the situation at the border has only worsened” since the funds were negotiated by the Arizona Legislature and Governor Hobbs.
David Rhodes, the President of the Association and the Yavapai County Sheriff told AZ Free News, “It is our local communities that are grappling day in and day out with the impacts of an insecure border. We are not just pulling over DUI suspects or patrolling neighborhoods. Sheriffs deputies across the state have become quasi-border patrol agents, seizing fentanyl pills, and arresting human traffickers. And the problem isn’t getting better, it is only getting worse.”
In their letter, the sheriffs wrote, “As Governor and the leaders of our Legislature, we understand you must balance spending priorities. And the federal government holds the ultimate responsibility for securing our border and stanching the flow of drugs and illegal crossers. However, can there be any doubt about the federal government’s abject failure in this area? Your eyes haven’t deceived you. Indeed, daily the media attention highlights the disastrous impacts of an open border. The scourge of fentanyl spreads like a cancer in communities large and small. Much of that deadly drug flows through Arizona. Arizona sheriff’s deputies seize millions of fentanyl pills every year. And the smuggling through our state’s highways shows no signs of abating.”
Just last month, a Cochise County Deputy Sheriff was seriously injured as he attempted to stop a suspected smuggler, who was trying to evade apprehension in her vehicle. When talking to local media about the rash of similar incidents plaguing his county and department, Sheriff Mark Dannels said, “Just this week alone, I’ve had a patrol car damaged, I’ve had two officers, deputies that were trying to be run over by smuggler drivers. This is every day down here.”
The sheriffs promised that, if the legislature were to appropriate more funds for border security in the next budget, they would use it for “more deputies patrolling the roads, more canine handlers and dogs to sniff out drugs, and better technology to match the wealth and equipment used by the cartels.”
As they ended their letter, the sheriffs added a plea for state leaders to heed their calls, saying, “No amount of state money will allow us to seal the 200-mile-long border to all illegal activity. But by making a small investment, Arizona will at least make a dent while improving the safety of our local communities. As this year demonstrated, our state leaders believe border security through effective law enforcement is worth an investment. We hope you see the wisdom in furthering that financial commitment.”
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
