by Ethan Faverino | Dec 18, 2025 | News
By Ethan Faverino |
U.S. Representative Abe Hamadeh (R-AZ-08) has sent a sharply worded letter to the Acting Chairwoman of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), Caroline D. Pham, seeking answers and potential regulatory action regarding the newly announced partnership between prediction-market platform Kalshi and CNN.
In the letter, Congressman Hamadeh warns that the collaboration “poses direct and foreseeable threats to market integrity, democratic stability, and American national security,” arguing that it creates an unprecedented structural conflict of interest by allowing a major news organization to both report on and financially benefit from high-stakes geopolitical events.
“CNN would be uniquely positioned to shape public perception and news cycles around the very events Kalshi lists as tradable markets,” said Congressman Hamadeh. “These events would involve elections, war, foreign policy crises, and domestic instability. No other major media outlet has attempted such a partnership, and for good reason: it creates a built-in structural conflict of interest that allows an influential news organization or foreign adversaries to shape outcomes for financial or competitive advantage.”
The congressman highlighted Kalshi’s existing controversial markets, including contracts that reportedly allowed trading on whether Palestinians in Gaza would suffer mass starvation or when Israel might conduct military actions in Gaza or the West Bank—markets he described as “chilling.”
Specifically, the congressman posed four questions to the CFTC:
- What actions is the Commission taking to review the CNN-Kalshi partnership under Section 5c(c)(5)(C), with respect to informational conflicts of interest and event manipulation?
- Is the CFTC assessing whether the partnership creates vulnerabilities for foreign or domestic actors to influence U.S. politics, economics, or national security for financial profit?
- Has the Commission evaluated whether CNN’s editorial influence, combined with Kalshi’s event contracts, renders these markets “contrary to the public interest?”
- What steps will the CFTC require to ensure robust compliance controls, including editorial firewalls, conflict-of-interest disclosures, and foreign-influence screening?
Hamadeh gave Acting Chairwoman Pham 30 days to provide a detailed written response outlining the Commission’s assessment and planned actions.
“My constituents have raised alarm bells about a media company with a long-documented record of partisan manipulation now positioning itself to influence and profit from geopolitical events in real time,” stated Hamadeh. “This partnership is not merely inappropriate; it is outright dangerous.”
He concluded, “The CFTC’s mission is to safeguard the integrity of U.S. markets, and allowing CNN, a network already viewed by many Americans as a propagandistic actor, to operate inside a live prediction market creates unacceptable national-security and governance vulnerabilities.”
Ethan Faverino is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Ethan Faverino | Dec 15, 2025 | News
By Ethan Faverino |
U.S. Representative Eli Crane (R-AZ02) joined forces with Reps. Juan Ciscomani (R-AZ06), Janelle Bynum (D-OR), and Joe Neguse (D-CO) to introduce the Wildfire Aerial Response Safety Act of 2025, a bipartisan measure aimed at enhancing the safety and effectiveness of aerial wildfire suppression operations.
The legislation mandates the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), in close consultation with the Secretaries of the Interior and Agriculture, to conduct a comprehensive study on the disruptive effects of unauthorized drone activity over federal lands during active firefighting efforts.
The resulting report will equip Congress with critical insights to inform targeted policies that reduce risks and protect vital suppression resources.
Key elements of the study include gathering detailed data on the frequency of drone incursions, their direct impacts on firefighting operations, resulting delays in response times, and the additional financial burdens imposed on federal agencies.
It will further assess potential mitigation strategies, such as advanced counter-drone technologies and infrastructure, alongside robust public education initiatives to underscore the severe hazards posed by drone interference.
The FAA is required to deliver its findings and actionable policy recommendations to the appropriate congressional committees within 18 months of the bill’s enactment.
With Arizona facing recurrent and intense wildfires, coupled with a surge in unauthorized drone operations, Rep. Crane emphasized the urgent need to eliminate barriers that hinder effective fire management.
“I’m proud to co-introduce this bipartisan legislation to address the growing issue of drones interfering with aerial fire suppression efforts. Arizona is prone to devastating wildfires, and it’s imperative that we minimize obstruction and delays,” said Rep. Crane. “With our bill, Congress would have the necessary information to craft policies that help our firefighters combat wildfires before they get out of control. I urge my colleagues to support our approach.”
Ethan Faverino is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Ethan Faverino | Dec 13, 2025 | News
By Ethan Faverino |
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), through U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), has achieved unprecedented border security milestones, with illegal border crossings reaching the lowest levels ever recorded at the start of a fiscal year.
Preliminary data for October and November 2025 show a continued historic decline in apprehensions and encounters, reflecting the effectiveness of President Trump’s policies and leadership.
Since President Trump took office on January 20, 2025, total enforcement encounters along the southwest border through the end of November stand at 117,105—37% below the monthly average of 185,625 recorded during the Biden administration.
U.S. Border Patrol apprehensions have averaged under 10,000 per month, described by DHS as “a level of deterrence unmatched in modern border history”.
Daily apprehensions along the southwest border now average just 245—fewer than 11 per hour—and a stunning 95% reduction from the Biden-era daily average of 5,110 (February 2021-December 2024). For comparison, December 2023 saw 336 illegal crossers apprehended every hour during the height of the prior administration’s border crisis—more than today’s entire daily total.
In October 2025, nationwide Border Patrol encounters and apprehensions totaled 30,573, distinctively down from 142,742 in October 2024, 309,605 in October 2023, and 278,317 in October 2022.
Preliminary data for November 2025 show 30,367 encounters, slightly lower than October’s record low. Combined, October and November recorded just 60,940 encounters—the lowest two-month start to any fiscal year on record and 28% below the previous low of 84,293 set in FY2012.
“Once again, we have a record low number of encounters at the border and the 7th straight month of zero releases. Month after month, we are delivering results that were once thought impossible: the most secure border in history and unmatched enforcement successes,” said Secretary Kristi Noem. “Thanks to President Trump’s leadership and the dedication of DHS law enforcement, America’s borders are safer than ever before.”
Every individual apprehended is processed for removal in accordance with the law, reversing Biden-era policies that pulled agents from the field to facilitate mass releases, leaving hundreds of miles of border unpatrolled for extended periods.
Ethan Faverino is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Ethan Faverino | Dec 13, 2025 | News
By Ethan Faverino |
A group of Republican military veterans in Congress, led by Rep. Ryan Zinke (R-MT) and Rep. Rick Crawford (R-AR), has introduced H.Res.932 to denounce what they describe as “dangerous and seditious rhetoric” from six Democratic lawmakers.
The resolution accuses the Democrats of encouraging members of the U.S. military and intelligence community to defy orders from the Commander-in-Chief, potentially violating the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ).
The measure, co-sponsored by 27 representatives, including freshman Congressman Abe Hamadeh (R-AZ08), highlights a video posted on November 18, 2025, in which the targeted Democrats—Senator Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Senator Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), Rep. Jason Crow (D-CO), Rep. Christopher Deluzio (D-PA), Rep. Maggie Goodlander (D-NH), and Rep. Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA)—urged service members to resist “illegal” orders.
The resolution argues that such statements, made without evidence of unlawful directives from the Trump administration, undermine the constitutional chain of command and place troops at risk.
“Congressman Hamadeh has joined sixteen fellow military veterans in Congress in condemning the six Democratic legislators who engaged in wildly inappropriate and potentially seditious conduct by encouraging our military and intelligence personnel to defy their commander-in-chief for political purposes,” stated the Office of Congressman Abe Hamadeh in a tweet on December 4, 2025.
Rep. Zinke echoed these sentiments in his own announcement: “Today, @RepRickCrawford and I, joined by 16 fellow veteran lawmakers, introduced a resolution condemning the Members of Congress who publicly urged our military and intelligence professionals to refuse orders from the Commander in Chief. By encouraging personnel to independently judge the legality of orders, these individuals are promoting disobedience for political purposes and at the peril of our service members, without being able to point to a single piece of evidence of illegal orders being issued. The U.S. military code is clear on this, and as veterans themselves, they all should have known better.”
The resolution emphasizes core constitutional principles, noting that the President’s role as Commander-in-Chief is enshrined in Article II, Section 2 of the U.S. Constitution. It also cites UCMJ Article 92, which criminalizes the failure to obey lawful orders, and warns that encouraging insubordination is a federal offense.
The document points out that orders are presumed lawful unless “obviously unlawful,” and criticizes the Democrats for insinuating otherwise without proof.
When pressed for evidence of unlawful orders from President Trump, Senator Slotkin admitted she was “not aware of things that are illegal,” with other participants in the November 18 video making similar concessions.
Despite this lack of proof, the group claimed the Trump administration is “pitting the military and intelligence community against American citizens.”
The resolution concluded with, “The House of Representatives denounces the dangerous and seditious rhetoric spewing from these six Members of Congress that has led to an environment placing troops and their loved ones at risk of harm, compromising and undermining the national security of the United States and the peaceful coexistence and respect deserved by our brave men and women serving in the military and the intelligence community.”
In a follow-up tweet on December 6, 2025, the Office of Congressman Abe Hamadeh urged caution: “The Congressman’s Democratic colleagues should be more careful when making incendiary accusations about the conduct of our military and law enforcement personnel. These performative confrontations may be good for their fundraising, but they’re not good for our country.”
Ethan Faverino is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Ethan Faverino | Dec 11, 2025 | Economy, News
By Ethan Faverino |
Arizona’s childcare system is in crisis, with the number of licensed providers plummeting nearly 50% since 2002, while costs have skyrocketed beyond the reach of many working families, according to a new report from the Common Sense Institute (CSI).
The state’s licensed childcare providers have fallen from 5,126 in 2002 to just 2,779 in 2024—a 46% decline that has driven up prices, lengthened waitlists, and left hundreds to thousands of Arizona children without access to formal care.
The report, Childcare in Arizona: An Economic Opportunity with Wide Implications, warns that without urgent policy action, the shortage will continue to push parents—predominantly mothers—out of the workforce and widen economic disparities across urban and rural communities.
Currently, Arizona ranks 6th in the country for infant care costs relative to median income. The state is behind California, Vermont, Washington, Washington, D.C., and Massachusetts.
Licensed facilities have dropped from 4,660 in 2010 to 2,687 in 2022 before a modest rebound to 2,779 in 2024, with closures accelerating to 9.2% annually between 2018 and 2022 due to COVID-era restrictions, labor shortages, and rising regulatory costs.
Arizona has only 256,267 licensed slots for 460,882 children under age 6. Rural counties like Santa Cruz barely have enough licensed capacity to support 1% of the infant population in the county.
“Even as demand remains high, the number of licensed providers has fallen sharply — limiting supply, driving up costs, and constraining labor force participation,” said Glenn Farley, Director of Policy and Research at CSI. “These pressures ripple through the broader economy, reducing productivity and household income. Based on our analysis, expanding access to affordable, quality care is not only good policy, but a necessary step for sustaining long-term economic growth in the state.”
The median daily cost of infant care now stands at $61.40, a 42.7% increase from $43.03 in 2018, requiring a minimum-wage worker to labor 72.8 hours per month just to afford one infant’s care.
Urban counties like Maricopa and Pima fare better than rural areas, yet shortages remain acute. In Maricopa County, infant slot coverage reaches 13%, and families need 37.6 hours at the average wage to afford care.
Childcare workers earn just $13.67 per hour—57 cents for every dollar the average Arizona worker makes, and per-capita employment in the sector has fallen from 1.5 to 0.8 workers per 1,000 residents since its peak.
CSI estimates that closing the childcare gap could bring 50,000 jobs into the workforce, boosting Arizona’s GDP by up to $17.5 billion and generating $188 million in new income tax revenue under a midpoint scenario.
“Costly, scarce childcare sidelines too many parents,” the report concludes. “Make it more available and affordable, and Arizona wins—more people working, higher incomes, and more state revenue.”
Ethan Faverino is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
