by Ethan Faverino | Jul 29, 2025 | News
By Ethan Faverino |
The Scottsdale Police Department announced the retirement of Aiden, a beloved 20-year-old Percheron/Thoroughbred cross breed.
Aiden had a 13-year service with the Scottsdale Police Mounted Unit and was known for his intelligence, athleticism and gentle demeanor.
He will now embark on a new journey as a therapy horse at Camelot Therapeutic Horsemanship, continuing his service to the community.
Aiden joined the Scottsdale PD Mounted Unit in June 2012 at the age of seven, following a successful career in Hunter/Jumper competitions. Recommended by the Mounted Unit Veterinarian for his exceptional training and temperament, Aiden quickly adapted to police work, becoming a reliable member of the unit.
Standing 18 hands tall (six feet tall at the shoulder), and weighing around 1,700 pounds, this white-coated gentle giant became a familiar presence across Scottsdale.
Throughout Aiden’s career, he patrolled Old Town Scottsdale on weekend nights, engaging with the community. He also served high-profile events such as the Waste Management Phoenix Open, Super Bowl, and New Year’s Eve celebrations in Old Town.
Aiden also represented the department at police memorials, ceremonial events, and rode in several Parada del Sol parades.
His calm presence was also very helpful during many protests and civil unrest around the Valley, earning him the trust of his officer partners, Debbie Shuhandler, Aaron Bolin, and Keegan DeShotel.
Beyond his patrol duties, Aiden was also a community ambassador, participating in Mounted Unit education demonstrations, neighborhood block parties, and numerous school visits.
In retirement, Aiden found a perfect new home at Camelot Therapeutic Horsemanship, a Scottsdale based nonprofit dedicated to providing therapy to people with disabilities and veterans.
Paired with a retired police officer who attends lessons at Camelot, Aiden is already making a positive impact, bringing comfort to those he serves.
Camelot Therapeutic Horsemanship, located in North Scottsdale, has been serving the community since 1980, offering programs that promote riding and horsemanship as a means of therapy, improving strength, coordination, balance, and self-esteem.
Ethan Faverino is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Ethan Faverino | Jul 28, 2025 | Economy, News
By Ethan Faverino |
Arizona’s elderly population is facing a devastating wave of fraud, with seniors aged 60-69 losing a staggering $12,555,627 to scams in the first quarter of 2025, according to a new study done by cryptocurrency exchange ChicksX.
The Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) Consumer Sentinel Network data reveals that 31.3% of Arizona residents in this age group targeted by fraudsters have suffered financial losses, with a median per-person loss of $1,000, nearly double the national average of $597.
The most common scams targeting Arizona seniors include business imposters (393 reports), government imposters (266 reports), and online shopping frauds (148 reports).
These scams exploit the trust of the elderly often through official-sounding phone calls, emails, or fake online deals.
Arizona ranks among the top states for fraud losses per report, with a per-report loss 99.8% higher than the national average.
The impact of fraud extends beyond the 60-69 age group. Arizona residents aged 70-79 filed 1,457 fraud reports with 29.3% resulting in financial loss, average $3,000 per person.
Those aged 80 and over reported 535 cases, with 28.8% losing funds at a median of $3,640 per incident.
In total, Arizona residents aged 50 and older lost over $41 million to fraud in Q1 of 2025.
“Fraudsters know that seniors may be more trusting, less familiar with online platforms or purchases, or unaware of how sophisticated modern scam attempts have become,” said CEO of ChicksX, Al Alof. “It’s essential that families and communities talk openly about these risks and the warning sign to prevent vulnerable individuals from falling victim.”
Nationally, 60,379 fraud reports were filed by those aged 60-69 in Q1 of 2025, with 29% resulting in financial losses totaling $354.9 million. Arizona ranks third among the hardest-hit states.
The states with the highest average fraud losses per report for this age group are:
- Alaska: $1,415 per report (121 reports, 26.4% with loss)
- North Dakota: $1,404 per report (79 reports, 39.2% with loss)
- Kansas: $1,000 per report (488 reports, 21.1% with loss)
The states with the lowest average fraud losses per report for this age group are:
- Vermont: $149 per report (118 reports, 24.6% with loss)
- South Dakota: $170 per report (118 reports, 44.1% with loss)
- Maine: $174 per report (396 reports, 18.9% with loss)
Al Alof and ChicksX share that the three tips to help avoid falling victim to fraud are, be suspicious of deals that are “too good to be true,” don’t answer calls that are unfamiliar, specifically ones that claim to be from Social Security or Medicaid, and ask family for help with unfamiliar phone calls or emails.
Ethan Faverino is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Ethan Faverino | Jul 27, 2025 | Education, News
By Ethan Faverino |
Arizona State University (ASU) has lost 27 grants from the National Science Foundation (NSF) so far this year, worth approximately $28.5 million. Many of the grants were tied to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives.
These cuts, part of a broader shift in NSF priorities under the Trump administration, target projects with DEI-related terms like, “equitable,” “underrepresented,” and “racial.”
Among the affected grants were five ASU projects, previously assigned $7,659,588, which heavily emphasize DEI.
Grant Number 2315041 ($2,404,767) funded Collaborative Research: Black Girls as Creators: an intersectional learning ecosystem toward gendered racial equity in Artificial Intelligence education. Running from October 2023 to September 2028 (terminated April 18, 2025), it supported after-school and summer camps for black girls aged 9-14 to collaborate with AI creators, focusing on intersectionality and racial equity.
Grant Number 2411987 ($733,633) funded Positioning Engineering Faculty to Support Black Engineering Graduate Students through Awareness, Knowledge, Capacity Building, and Community. Starting September 2024 and ending August 2029 (terminated April 25, 2025), it trained faculty at ASU and George Mason University in antiracist orientations using virtual reality simulations to address systemic barriers for black graduate students, prioritizing competency over technical skills.
Grant Number 1824260 ($2,999,743) funded an ADVANCE Institutional Transformation project from September 2018 to August 2025 (terminated May 2, 2025), aimed to reshape faculty policies for gender equity and intersectionality, potentially undermining merit-based standards.
Grant Number 2101039 ($931,058) funded Collaborative Research: Accessible Computational Thinking in Elementary Science Classes within and across Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Contexts, ran from August 2021 to July 2025 (terminated April 25, 2025). It trained 60 elementary school teachers in “Culturally Relevant Teaching” for diverse students, which compromised core STEM content.
Grant Number 2236374 ($590,387) funded Increasing the Effectiveness of Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion-Focused Institutional Change Teams through a Community of Transformation, ran from April 2023 to April 2025 (terminated April 18, 2025). It supported a “Community of Transformation” for JEDI (Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion) change agents, emphasizing change over academic standards.
These cancellations align with NSF’s new priorities to avoid projects that prioritize certain groups, as appromixately 94% of canceled grants nationwide included DEI-related terms.
These DEI-focused projects diverted resources from universal STEM advancement, prioritizing ideological goals over merit.
The full list of terminated NSF grants is avaiable here.
Ethan Faverino is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Ethan Faverino | Jul 25, 2025 | Economy, News
By Ethan Faverino |
New research has shown the best cities in the United States for bargain shopping, with Mesa and Glendale, Arizona, both securing spots in the top 10.
Ranking seventh and fifth, these Arizona cities stand out as prime destinations for savvy shoppers seeking affordable deals, joining other top cities like New Orleans, Louisiana, and Orlando, Florida, in a nationwide ranking of budget-friendly shopping hubs.
The study, conducted by saving experts at BravoDeal.com, analyzed cities with populations over 200,000, evaluating the prevalence of affordable retail options such as vintage and thrift stores, pawn shops, discount stores, flea markets, used car dealerships, outlet stores, and wholesale stores.
Each city was assigned an index score out of 100 based on the number of these stores per 100,000 residents, revealing the best location for cost-conscious consumers.
Mesa, Arizona, earned its seventh place ranking with an index score of 60.28 out of 100. The city has the third-highest number of vintage and thrift stores nationwide, with 35.96 per 100,000 people, making it a hotspot for unique, second-hand finds.
Additionally, Mesa ranks fourth in pawn shops, with 8.01 per 100,000 residents.
Glendale, Arizona, claimed the fifth spot with an index score of 60.68 out of 100. The city leads the nation in pawn shops with 11.03 per 100,000 people, and ranks fourth for outlet stores, with 7.88 per 100,000 residents.
Glendale also secured the seventh spot for discount stores, with 27.97 per 100,000 people.
CEO and Co-Founder of Bravo Savings Network, Marco Farnararo, said, “The ranking is dominated by Southern states, taking up seven of the top 10 spots, and the remainder being occupied by states in the West. This could imply that there is a culture of budgeting and saving money in these regions more than in areas such as the Midwest or the Northeast.”
Ethan Faverino is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Ethan Faverino | Jul 22, 2025 | News
By Ethan Faverino |
The Arizona Republican Assembly (AZRA) has released its Final Legislative Scorecard for the 2025 Arizona State Legislative Session.
This scorecard evaluates Arizona State Senate and House of Representatives members based on their voting records and alignment with AZRA’s core principles of limited government, individual liberties, and fiscal responsibility.
As primary elections approach, this scorecard is a critical tool for voters to distinguish authentic conservatives from those who merely claim the label.
The AZRA Legislative Scorecard is the only one, not only in Arizona but in the nation, where a committee of twelve members from across the state invest thousands of hours analyzing over 1,800 bills annually, rating more than 250 bills.
AZRA then publishes these bill ratings before legislative votes, notifying every legislator in advance and inviting feedback to ensure fairness. To maintain integrity, AZRA contracts a national data firm that receives daily voting data from the Arizona Legislative Council, updating results without manipulation or bias.
The scorecard lists 30 State Senators and 60 State Representatives, providing numerical scores out of 100 based on weighted votes on key bills. Scores are presented alphabetically by last name for letter grades, in descending order, along with party affiliation and legislative district.
Among senators, Senate President Warren Petersen (R-LD14) earned the highest score of 98.5, followed by Senator Wendy Rogers (R-LD7) at 96.9, Senator David Farnsworth (R-LD10) at 95.9, and Senator Timothy Dunn (R-LD25) at 95.5.
The highest-ranking Democrats were Senator Brian Fernandez (D-LD23) at 40.5 and Rosanna Gabaldón (D-LD21), at 34.1. The lowest scoring Democrats were Lauren Kuby (D-LD8) at 25.4 and Priya Sundareshan (D-LD18) at 23.8.
Representative Selina Bliss (R-LD1) led the House with a score of 96.8, followed by a four-way tie at 96.1 among Majority Leader Michael Carbone (R-KD25), John Gillette (R-LD30), Quang Nguyen (R-LD1), and James Taylor (R-LD29).
Rep. Bliss recognized AZRA’s Scorecard saying, “It is an honor to be recognized, along with seatmate Quang Nguyen, by the Arizona Republican Assembly for our work at the Capitol!”
Out of the Democrat Representatives, Alma Hernandez (D-LD20) scored the highest with a 49.4 and Consuelo Hernandez (D-LD21) with a 48.8. The lowest ranked Democrats are Quantá Crews (D-LD26) with a score of 26.6 and Mariana Sandoval (D-LD23) with a 25.5.
The AZRA scorecard reveals a significant divide in voting patterns between Republican and Democratic legislators in the Arizona State Senate and House, with Republicans ranging from 78.7 to 98.5 and Democrats scoring from 23.8 to 49.4.
Correction: This story originally stated that there are 50 State Representatives. The story has been updated to reflect the correct number at 60 State Representatives.
Ethan Faverino is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
