by Ethan Faverino | Nov 20, 2025 | Economy, News
By Ethan Faverino |
While entrepreneurship is surging across the United States, a new nationwide study by iPostal1, using U.S. Census Bureau data, reveals that not every state is riding the same wave.
Arizona lands solidly in the middle at 24th place, recording 1,275 business applications per 100,000 residents and a total of 121,091 new filings in 2024—a healthy 58.2% increase since 2019.
That positions Arizona just behind regional neighbor Nevada (23rd, 1,695 per 100,000) and ahead of New Mexico (28th, 952 per 100,000), making it a moderate but steady player in the national entrepreneurial boom.
Nationally, New York tops the list with a staggering 39,422 business applications per 100,000 residents and 291,773 total filings in 2024 alone—nearly doubling Florida in second place (20,461 per 100,000). Florida recorded the highest raw total at 631,896 applications in 2024 (up 61.3% since 2019), followed by Georgia with 242,706 (up 41.1% since 2019).
At the opposite end, North Dakota ranked last with only 95 applications per 100,000 residents—less than 0.25% of New York’s rate. Rounding out the bottom five are Delaware (145 per 100,000), Idaho (156 per 100,000), Vermont (170 per 100,000), and South Dakota (191 per 100,000).
While many states remain sluggish, some showed explosive growth. Wyoming led the nation with a 215.8% surge in applications since 2019, followed by Delaware with a 121.6% increase. Alaska, however, saw the smallest growth in the nation at just 12.2%.
“The U.S. has no shortage of ambition, but opportunity isn’t spread evenly,” said Jeff Milgram, CEO and founder of iPostal1. “In states like New York, Florida, and Texas, entrepreneurship is booming – people are starting businesses, taking risks, and finding opportunity. But other states are still catching up. Sometimes it’s access to funding, sometimes local policy, or just the confidence that new ventures will be supported. Those details matter more than most people think.”
“When small businesses can find funding, mentorship, and a clear path through regulation, as well as the tools and resources to set up their businesses which include virtual mailing addresses and digital mailboxes, we see numbers rise fast,” Milgram concluded, “as we’ve seen not just in Wyoming and Delaware, but across much of the South and Northeast.”
Ethan Faverino is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Ethan Faverino | Nov 18, 2025 | Economy, News
By Ethan Faverino |
As retailers gear up for Black Friday and the holiday rush, a new analysis of FBI crime data highlights significant variations in shoplifting risks across the U.S., with Oregon emerging as the state most vulnerable to theft this November.
The study examined shoplifting reports per 100,000 residents in November over the past four years (2021-2024).
“As retailers prepare for Black Friday and the peak winter shopping months, these variations underscore the need for tailored, state-specific strategies,” said CEO of Turvallinen Markus Kanerva, whose company conducted the study. “Stores in high-incident areas may need to increase security personnel, deploy advanced surveillance technology, or implement stricter inventory controls. “
Oregon leads the nation with an average of 59.90 incidents per 100,000 people—a staggering 89.68% above the national average of 31.58.
New Mexico ranks second with 57.85 incidents per 100,000 (+83.19% above the national average), followed by Delaware in third with 48.48 (+53.51%). New York and Arizona round out the top five with scores of 47.47 (+50.32%) and 46.91 (48.54%), respectively, showing elevated risks in the Southwest and Northeast regions.
Vermont (46.72, +47.94%), Pennsylvania (46.27, +46.52%), Virginia (45.60, +44.40%), Maryland (42.76, +35.40%), and Tennessee (39.76, +25.90%) complete the top ten.
On the other side of the list is Idaho, which reports the lowest rate in the nation with 15.45 incidents per 100,000 residents—51.08% below the national average. Following is Rhode Island with 18.72 (-40.72%), Alaska with 19.08 (-39.58%), Hawaii with 19.09 (-39.55%), and Maine with 19.21 (-39.17%).
“Relying on broad, national-level policies is no longer sufficient; the data suggests that nuanced approaches and being responsive to local risk patterns are far more effective in preventing theft,” Kanerva added. “As holiday shopping ramps up, businesses that proactively address local shoplifting trends are likely to be better positioned to navigate one of the busiest retail periods of the year.”
Ethan Faverino is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Ethan Faverino | Nov 17, 2025 | News
By Ethan Faverino |
The Goldwater Institute has filed a lawsuit against Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes, demanding the release of consumer records tied to the AG’s 2024 antitrust lawsuit against nine major residential landlords and RealPage, Inc.
Filed on November 12, 2025, in Maricopa County Superior Court, the suit accuses the Democratic attorney general’s office of violating Arizona’s public records law by refusing to disclose basic information about complaints, or lack thereof, that prompted the state’s allegations of an illegal rent price-fixing conspiracy affecting hundreds of thousands of renters in Phoenix and Tucson metros.
Stacy Skankey, litigation director for the Goldwater Institute’s American Freedom Network, noted that there was no mention of any actual consumer complaints.
Skankey emphasized that Goldwater takes no position on the underlying antitrust claims. Instead, it seeks only aggregate data: the total number of consumer complaints received by the AG’s office regarding RealPage and the defendant landlords, including any unsolicited submissions.
The Goldwater Institute first requested the records in April 2024. After months of silence, the AG’s office issued a denial in January 2025. Follow-up attempts went unanswered, prompting Wednesday’s legal action.
“It should be very easy to comply with, and yet, you know, after this long, drawn-out process, here we are now having to demand that these be produced,” stated Skankey.
The Center Square reported that when it contacted the Attorney General’s Office, the agency responded that it had produced all documents required under state law.
Kris Mayes’ communications director, Richie Taylor, also told The Center Square, “Attorney General Mayes is proud to have taken on major corporate landlords and RealPage for allegedly orchestrating a price-fixing scheme that drove up rents for families across Arizona.”
Skankey responded, saying she and her team disagree with the statements made by the AG’s office, and there is no proof they complied with the state public records law.
Ethan Faverino is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Ethan Faverino | Nov 16, 2025 | News
By Ethan Faverino |
U.S. Congressman Abe Hamadeh (AZ-08) urged Attorney General Pam Bondi to launch a federal investigation into allegations of bribery and prosecutorial misconduct tied to the Democrat Attorneys General Association (DAGA), the States United Democracy Center (SUDC), and multiple state attorneys general offices.
The congressman, a former prosecutor, highlighted the direct impact on his Arizona constituents—grandmothers, business leaders, veterans, seniors, and activists—who he says have been targeted for exercising their First Amendment rights in what appears to be politically motivated prosecutions.
Court filings in State of Arizona v. Kelli Ward et al. uncovered an apparent coordinated scheme where partisan nonprofits allegedly funneled payments to influence criminal cases.
Key allegations outlined in Hamadeh’s letter to AG Bondi include:
Suspicious Financial Timing: Arizona AG Kris Mayes received $200,000 from DAGA. She received $50,000 after hiring SUDC in May 2023, and $150,000 right after announcing indictments in April 2024, raising red flags of potential quid pro quo.
Unprecedented Control by Partisan Group: The Arizona AG’s office claims an attorney-client relationship with SUDC, effectively ceding prosecutorial authority to a politically aligned nonprofit, undermining independence and due process.
Opaque Organizational Ties: Tax records indicate that SUDC shares leadership, addresses, and bank accounts with the Progressive State Leadership Committee, a structure seemingly designed to mask money flow and coordination.
Hamadeh also pointed to SUDC co-founder Marc Elias’s prior sanctions by the Fifth Circuit for “redundant and misleading” conduct and lack of candor, including filing undisclosed duplicate motions, requiring him to complete court-ordered ethics training.
“My constituents, including veterans and seniors who make up a significant portion of AZ-08, deserve confidence that their taxpayer dollars ensure law enforcement decisions affecting their rights are made impartially, and are not going to partisan Democrat-affiliated organizations,” stated Congressman Hamadeh. “The apparently credible allegations rise to a level of seriousness that warrants an investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice.”
In his letter to AG Pam Bondi, Hamadeh demanded answers within 30 days on:
- The status of any DOJ probe into DAGA-SUDC arrangements.
- Similar financial ties in other states with politically charged cases.
- Protections for defendants’ due process rights.
- Review of tax filings, bank records, and communications.
- Timeline for investigation and public findings.
“The allegations outlined above, if substantiated, represent a fundamental corruption of prosecutorial independence and the rule of law,” concluded Hamadeh. “My constituents and all Americans deserve to know that criminal prosecutions are conducted based on evidence and law, not influenced by financial payments from partisan political organizations.”
Ethan Faverino is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Ethan Faverino | Nov 15, 2025 | Economy, News
By Ethan Faverino |
The NFIB Small Business Optimism Index declined 0.6 points in October to 98.2 points. Despite the small decline, it remains above its 52-year historical average of 98. In a positive sign, the Uncertainty index dropped 12 points to 88, marking the lowest level this year.
NFIB Chief Economist Bill Dunkelberg said, “Optimism among small businesses declined slightly in October as owners report lower sales and reduced profits. Additionally, many firms are still navigating a labor shortage and want to hire but are having difficulty doing so, with labor quality being the top issue for Main Street.”
Labor challenges persisted, with a seasonally adjusted 32% of owners reporting unfilled job openings, unchanged for the second straight month, and the lowest since December 2020.
Labor quality was cited by 27% of owners as their single most important problem, up 9 points from September and the highest since November 2021, when it reached 29%. It ranked 11 points above taxes, the second-largest concern. Of the 56% of owners hiring or trying to hire, 88% reported little to no qualified applicants.
Sales and profits declined, as a net negative 13% of owners reported higher nominal sales over the past three months, down 6 points. Positive profit trends fell 9 points to a net negative 25%—the largest contributor to the Index decline.
Among those with lower profits, 33% blamed weaker sales, 16% noted rising material costs, and 9% pointed to both labor costs and price changes.
Pricing pressures eased slightly, with the net percentage of owners raising average selling prices falling from 24% to 21%, though it is still above the historical monthly average of 13%.
30% of small businesses plan to raise prices in the next three months, just down 1 point. An unadjusted 31% reported higher prices, while just 12% reported lower prices.
Inventory gains dropped 3 points to a net negative of 6%. 10% reported stock increases while 15% reported reductions. Supply chain disruptions were cited as the biggest reason for inventory problems, with 60% of owners saying it affected them to some extent.
Capital investments saw 55% of owners reporting outlays in the past six months. Among them, 36% spent on new equipment, 22% on vehicles, and 14% on facility improvements or expansions. 23% plan outlays in the six months.
20% of small business owners expect better conditions, the lowest since April, but well above the historical average of 4%. Only 13% view it as a good time to expand. Business health assessments shifted, with 12% rating their business as excellent, 51% good, 33% fair, and 4% poor.
“A reduction in sales and profits has certainly taken a toll on small business owners’ optimism,” NFIB State Director Chad Heinrich said. “Despite these challenges and the ongoing labor shortage, our members are resilient, with many still trying to create good-paying jobs for Arizonans.”
Ethan Faverino is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
