by Ethan Faverino | Nov 10, 2025 | News
By Ethan Faverino |
Congressman Abe Hamadeh urged the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner, Dr. Martin Makary, to immediately withdraw or indefinitely suspend enforcement actions against desiccated thyroid medications.
This follows explosive allegations of misconduct by former Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) Director George Tidmarsh.
Dr. Tidmarsh resigned on November 2, 2025, amid a Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) investigation into claims that he abused his regulatory authority to target desiccated thyroid drugs—medications safely used by 1.5 million Americans for decades—in an effort to harm business rival, Kevin Tang.
Aurinia Pharmaceuticals filed a lawsuit the same day, alleging Tidmarsh used official FDA resources to “target multiple companies” linked with Tang, including a company where Tang serves as board chairman, American Laboratories, a key supplier of active ingredients for desiccated thyroid drugs.
The timeline raises serious concerns as Tidmarsh assumed leadership of CDER in July 2025, just one month before the FDA issued enforcement warnings against these very medications.
Reports indicate Tidmarsh was placed on administrative leave on November 1st, before resigning the following day.
In Congressman Hamadeh’s first letter, he raised alarms about the FDA’s actions, warning that restrictions could disrupt care for thousands of veterans and seniors in Arizona’s 8th District who rely on these treatments. Although Hamadeh’s office followed up many times, the FDA provided a very generic response to their inquiries.
Now, in a November 4th letter to Commissioner Makary, Congressman Hamadeh demanded immediate action, including:
- Suspension of all enforcement actions against desiccated thyroid drugs initiated on or after July 2025.
- A transparent public and congressional accounting of all regulatory decisions involving thyroid medications, including communications, conflicts of interest, and internal concerns about Dr. Tidmarsh.
- 180-day advance notice to Congress before any future enforcement, with scientific justification and patient impact assessments.
- Guaranteed uninterrupted access for the 1.5 million patients dependent on these medications.
- Substantive responses to his original August inquiries.
“It was clear to me, based on the feedback that I have received from countless constituents, that the FDA’s action against these medications was likely not science-based,” said Congressman Hamadeh. “Given our government’s reaction to COVID-19, it is not hard to imagine that bad actors in our government have personal agendas and no regard for science or our citizens.”
“The FDA’s primary mission should be ensuring drug safety and efficacy, not unnecessarily restricting access to medications with established track records of safety and effectiveness,” concluded Congressman Hamadeh. “The American people expect that FDA regulatory actions be grounded in science and patient safety, not personal scores or abuse of authority.”
Ethan Faverino is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Ethan Faverino | Nov 9, 2025 | News
By Ethan Faverino |
The Center to Advance Security in America (CASA), a nonpartisan organization committed to enhancing national safety and security, has formally filed a complaint against Arizona Democratic Senator Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) with the Senate Select Committee on Ethics.
The complaint, written by CASA Director James Fitzpatrick, accuses Gallego of violating Senate ethics rules through comments that allegedly threaten physical violence against House Speaker Mike Johnson and falsely claim he is “protecting pedophiles.”
CASA’s complaint, addressed to Chairman James Lankford (R-OK) and Vice Chairman Chris Coons (D-DE), demands a thorough investigation and appropriate disciplinary measures.
The organization argues that Gallego’s statements not only breach the Senate Ethics Manual’s standards for moral and ethical conduct but also risk inciting further political violence in an already volatile climate.
The ethics manual, which CASA is referring to, states, “The Senate of the United States is a responsible political body, important in the maintenance of our free institutions. Its members are expected to conduct themselves with a proper respect for the principles of ethics and morality, for senatorial customs based on tradition, and with due regard for the importance of maintaining the good reputation of the Senate as the highest legislative body in the Nation.”
The complaint traces back to a heated in-person exchange in the U.S. Capitol on October 8, 2025, between Gallego, a former U.S. Marine, and Speaker Johnson.
The following day, October 9, Gallego amplified the incident via an Instagram post captioned, “Mike Johnson doesn’t know that’s not why Marines fold their arms.” In the video, Gallego remarked, “And he should be happy I had my arms folded. There’s a reason why Marines fold their arms. It’s because it’s a way to make sure that we restrain ourselves.”
CASA interprets this as an implied threat of physical assault, emphasizing Gallego’s military background as a factor heightening its significance.
“Given Gallego’s military training as a Marine, he has the physical capabilities to inflict serious bodily harm,” mentioned CASA in the complaint. “Any threat whatsoever to any federal official should be taken seriously. But Gallego threatened the Speaker of the House. The Speaker is second in line to be President and a key official for continuity of the American government.”
Intensifying the issue, Gallego joined fellow lawmakers for a press conference outside the Capitol on October 15, 2025, where CASA called the accusations against Johnson false.
“Speaker Johnson is protecting pedophiles; that is what this is all about,” declared Gallego. “The only reason Adelita Grijalva is not being sworn in right now is because he wants to protect whatever is in those files and all the pedophiles that would be revealed, and he wants to make sure every day that doesn’t happen. He has one more day to protect all those pedophiles, whether it’s involving Donald Trump or any of his rich elite friends.”
Fitzpatrick’s letter brands this as “defamation per se,” asserting that Gallego “knows this statement is false and he is acting with malice and reckless disregard for the truth in stating it.”
Ethan Faverino is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Ethan Faverino | Nov 7, 2025 | News
By Ethan Faverino |
Axon, a global leader in public safety technology, has signed an agreement to acquire Carbyne, the cloud-native emergency communications platform trusted by agencies serving over 250 million people worldwide.
The $625 million transaction, expected to close in the first quarter of 2026, marks a critical milestone in Axon’s mission to transform public safety from the moment a 911 call is placed.
By combining Carbyne’s modern call-handling core with Axon’s AI-driven Prepared platform, the company introduces Axon 911–the industry’s first fully integrated, start-to-finish emergency response system.
Axon 911 seamlessly links callers, dispatchers, and field responders through real-time data, live video, multilingual translation, and automated evidence workflows. From the initial alert to final case resolution in Axon Evidence, every critical detail is captured, shared, and actionable.
“Every year, more than 240 million 911 calls are made in the U.S., and in too many cases, vital information is lost between the call and the response,” said Axon Founder and CEO, Rick Smith. “By uniting Axon’s 30-year legacy of innovation with Carbyne’s cloud-based call management platform, we’re closing that gap, giving call takers and dispatchers instant visibility and connecting them directly to officers in the field. It’s how we transform a call for help into the first moment of intelligence.”
The transformation relies on two complementary engines. Prepared by Axon serves as an AI overlay that enhances any existing 911 system with real-time transcriptions, automated triage, and non-emergency deflection. It currently operates in over 1,000 centers across 49 states and serves nearly 100 million residents.
Carbyne functions as a cloud-native core with 99.9% uptime, intelligent routing for voice, text, and video, and real-time voice-to-voice translation. The platform currently processes more than 250 million data points annually.
Together, Prepared and Carbyne power Axon 911 as a unified platform. Call data instantly feeds Axon Fusus for real-time analytics and command visibility. Dispatchers can trigger Axon Drone as First Responder (DFR) directly from the call screen to help deliver real-time updates. Body-camera footage, drone feeds, and digital evidence are automatically archived in Axon Evidence.
Even though 80% of 911 calls now originate from cell phones, most centers still rely on decades-old landline systems. A survey done by Carbyne with the help of the National Emergency Number Association reveals that 86% of centers face high call volumes at least weekly, with 35% experiencing them daily. Additionally, 63% report that 50-80% of calls are non-emergencies.
“Carbyne was created to modernize how help arrives — by giving emergency professionals the clarity, resilience, and confidence they need in critical moments,” said Carbyne Founder and CEO, Amir Elichai. “Joining Axon allows us to scale that mission globally and integrate more deeply into the broader public safety ecosystem. Together, we’ll help agencies save time, reduce uncertainty, and improve outcomes for the people and communities they serve.”
Ethan Faverino is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Ethan Faverino | Nov 6, 2025 | Economy, News
By Ethan Faverino |
Arizona has emerged as one of the nation’s hotspots for shoplifting, ranking third highest in the United States with 587.83 incidents per 100,000 residents in 2024, according to a new report by Summit Defense.
This rate is 56% above the national average, highlighting a growing challenge for retailers and law enforcement across the state. The study, which analyzed FBI Crime Data Explorer figures for the full 2024 calendar year, underscores Arizona’s position in a troubling trend that has been dominating Western states.
“Shoplifting may seem tempting for many, but it’s just not worth the risk, and when people adopt the mindset of seeing shoplifting as a more insignificant crime, then more people often commit it, and the effect that this can have on businesses is enormous,” said Rabin Nabizadeh of Summit Defense. “This study highlights where shoplifting is an epidemic and needs urgent attention from lawmakers, law enforcement, and local businesses in the state.”
Under Arizona Revised Statutes (ARS) 13-1805, shoplifting is defined as knowingly obtaining goods from a retail establishment with the intent to deprive the owner, including actions like removing items without payment, altering price tags, transferring goods between containers, or concealing merchandise.
Penalties in Arizona escalate based on the value of stolen goods and aggravating factors:
- Less than $1,000: Class 1 misdemeanor (unless a firearm, then Class 6 felony)
- $1,000- $1,999: Class 6 felony
- $2,000 or more: Class 5 felony
- Repeat offenders (two or more prior theft-related convictions in 5 years): Class 4 felony
- Organized retail theft (involving intent to resale or tools to remove merchandise): Class 4 felony
Nationally, New Mexico leads with 777.97 incidents per 100,000 residents—106% above average—followed by Oregon at 675.98 (79% above). Arizona’s third-place ranking puts it ahead of Delaware (581.84 per 100,000, 54% above) and New York (558.55 per 100,000, 48% above).
At the other end of the chart, Idaho reports the lowest rate of shoplifting at 176.90 incidents per 100,000, putting it 53% below the national average. Maine is ranked second with 211.70 per 100,000 (44% below), followed by Rhode Island at 216.25 per 100,000 (43% below), Hawaii at 217.22 per 100,000 (42%), and Alaska at 232.22 per 100,000 (38%).
The 30-39 age group dominates shoplifting demographics in 46 states, including Arizona, accounting for around 30% of all reports nationwide.
Ethan Faverino is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Ethan Faverino | Nov 4, 2025 | News
By Ethan Faverino |
A new analysis has found Arizona among the top 10 U.S. states for the share of births financed by Medicaid, ranking ninth nationwide with 471 Medicaid-supported deliveries per 1,000 live births annually. This comes in at 19% above the national average of 394.46.
The study, which examined five years of data from 2019 to 2023, compiled total Medicaid-financed births for each state, averaged them over the period, and standardized the figures based on total live births to determine the rates per 1,000.
Arizona averaged 36,856 Medicaid-financed births per year, peaking in 2019 at 38,848 (49% of all births) and dipping to its lowest in 2022 at 36,153 (46% of all births).
The top 10 states for Medicaid-funded births (per 1,000) are: Louisiana – 615, Mississippi – 589, New Mexico – 545, Oklahoma – 512, Texas – 487, Alabama – 474.9, West Virginia – 474.6, South Carolina – 473, Arizona – 471, and Tennessee – 465.
It is unknown how many of those children are born to illegal aliens, but a separate finding by the Center for Immigration Studies estimates 225,000 to 250,000 births to illegal immigrants in the U.S. in 2023 alone—representing approximately 7% of all births nationwide.
“Up to a quarter-million births to illegal immigrants is hardly trivial,” the report said. “It appears to be more than the number of births to legal noncitizens, and it is greater than the total number of births in all but two states taken individually. Although not yet available, the 2024 numbers are likely to be even higher.”
The financial implications are substantial, according to a 2023 cost analysis by the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR). The net cost of illegal immigration to U.S. taxpayers at federal, state, and local levels reached at least $150.7 billion in 2023, which is an increase of $35 billion from the 2017 estimate of $116 billion.
After subtracting $32 billion in taxes paid by illegal immigrants from a gross economic impact of $182 billion, the burden equates to $1,156 per illegal immigrant household annually.
Each illegal alien or U.S.-born child of illegal aliens costs taxpayers an estimated $8,776 per year. While some contribute through taxes, these payments only cover one-sixth of the costs they generate. Many illegal aliens working in the “underground economy” avoid income taxes entirely, widening the financial gap.
Federal law prohibits illegal aliens from accessing most federally funded state and local benefits, though states may use their own funds to extend coverage to certain noncitizen populations, including expanded Medicaid for unauthorized immigrants in some areas.
Ethan Faverino is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
