by Matthew Holloway | May 31, 2025 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
The National Endowment for Democracy (NED), created in 1983 as a “resource for information related to democracy worldwide,” has found itself in the crosshairs of Arizona Congressman Eli Crane (R-AZ02). Crane has introduced the Defund the National Endowment for Democracy Act of 2025, a measure designed to strip the private institution of all taxpayer funding on the basis that it “evolved into a key contributor to global censorship campaigns, domestic propaganda, and regime change politics.”
In a statement released Thursday, Crane told supporters, “I’m proud to introduce this sensible measure to ensure that American resources are no longer used to support this organization’s anti-American objectives. Hardworking citizens should not be forced to foot the bill for anything that undermines freedom of speech and liberty.”
He continued, “The National Endowment for Democracy has strayed far from its original mission. We owe it to the American people to protect their interests and put an end to this disgusting waste of their money.”
In an in depth investigation published in August 2024, Tim Meisburger wrote for The Heritage Foundation that although the NED is required to be bipartisan, “[it] is led and staffed almost entirely by Democrats, and its board members and ‘experts’ have sought to delegitimize the Republican party.”
The report laid out in detail that through a series of grants, the NED “has supported development of the international ‘disinformation industrial complex’—including one grantee that sought to censor and suppress conservative speech in the United States in advance of the 2020 and 2022 elections.” It also added that starting in 2019 during the hotly contested 2020 Presidential Election, the endowment’s budget nearly doubled, exploding from $180 million annually to $300 million.
The report further observed the integration of the NED within the bureaucratic ecosystem of the Department of State, which during the first Trump administration maintained a character largely hostile to the president. Meisburger wrote, “Legislation requires the NED to ‘consult with the Department of State on any overseas program funded by the Endowment prior to the commencement of the activities of that program.’”
Statements from prominent board members Anne Applebaum and Rachel Kleinfeld cited in the report from Heritage are particularly alarming, with Applebaum saying of Republicans that “they aren’t even a legitimate political party.” While Kleinfeld wrote, “The embrace of violence and intimidation as a political tactic by a faction of the GOP will cause violence of all types to rise—against all Americans.” She added, “I am a Democrat, and I believe that that is very important right now: because the Republican party is in thrall to this anti-democratic force.”
Of the ostensibly Republican members of the board, which is statutorily split along partisan lines, only a single member donated to President Trump’s campaign “while others made significant contributions to Never Trump political action committees and candidates,” suggesting a strong sentiment against Trump-supporters.
Posting to X on Thursday Crane wrote, “We must end this disgusting waste of taxpayer resources.”
Matthew Holloway is a senior reporter for AZ Free News. Follow him on X for his latest stories, or email tips to Matthew@azfreenews.com.
by Matthew Holloway | May 30, 2025 | Education, News
By Matthew Holloway |
A stunning report of alleged whistleblower audio from inside a Catalina Foothills 9th grade health classroom in the Tucson area was released by the advocacy group ‘Save CFSD’ via X on Wednesday. In the audio recording, a voice alleged to be a Catalina Foothills School District (CFSD) teacher criticized the religious texts of Christianity, Islam, and Judaism, suggesting that “most parents aren’t understanding, aren’t accepting, or whatever.”
In the post to X revealing the audio, Save CFSD wrote, “We obtained this audio recording of a biased lecture in a 9th grade CFHS Health class on LGBTQ issues. You will hear the teacher encourage students to question what they’ve been told by their religious leaders and parents.”
The voice heard speaking began by saying, “Now, the topic that we’re dealing with today stems with sexuality as well as LGBTQ. It’s a lot of information that we get regarding this discussion comes from our faith. A lot of people have very strong feelings. This group right here has open executions on the streets in some parts of the world where if somebody who’s identified as gay and they find them, they catch them, they chop their heads off. That still happens today. So that’s telling you that it’s a very strong belief that something is wrong or immoral, and so it’s critical for us to do our own research rather than just listening to what people tell you.”
The speaker zeroed in on religion almost immediately telling the students:
“The problem is when we go to houses of worship, when we hear people for over time, they can definitely influence us. And maybe we don’t realize it. Now, when we look at the different religions of the world, these are the different texts. The Bible and Christianity, the Koran. And then we got the Torah. And then we have other religious doctrines that many people trust and put their faith in. When we read these, okay, it’s important to understand that these originated thousands of years ago. What was the primary language that was spoken in those regions during that time? Was it English? No. So what are they: Hebrew, Aramaic, Latin, alright? So, when English was developed, do you think they had to translate certain words into something that they thought it represented? Yeah.
“Now today, think of something that only you as teenagers are very familiar with. If you were talking about something specific related to that thing. And if I read it, could I be misinformed simply because I have no clue what you’re talking about? That can happen with translations as well. Now and so when you think of homosexuality, the word, that word did not come into play until the 1900s, so it does not appear in the Hebrew Bible and so forth. Lesbianism is not mentioned at all, so the word homosexuality itself is a modern term. And so, they had to derive it from the Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek. The meaning and application of these passages have been subject to different interpretations throughout history and continue to be debated today, so if you go to various places of worship and you talk to people that are there to lead their flocks, fifty percent will probably say it’s one way. Fifty percent will say it’s the other way. So, if people can’t even agree, how do we know which one is right?…One of the students mentioned last year that their pastor and their church said that anyone who identifies as LGBTQ. Should be herded up, and they should be executed.
“Then there’s some of you that might hear that in your own church, your own congregation, your own house of worship. And then there’s others that are affirming and accepting and loving. I’m not trying to preach or anything like that, so just understand this is for educational purposes.”
The alleged teacher then pivoted to transgenderism and proceeded to guide the students through the process:
“So, what does the term cisgender mean? It’s a new word. So, then we have transgender. There’s different ways you can transition when it comes to your sexuality. So, could you just come out and tell people that you’re transgender and you haven’t done anything different? You’ve just expressed to people that, hey, I’m born male, but I identify as female. Would that be one way of doing it?
“Alright, so first is just letting people know. What would be the next step in the process? So, taking a more about feminine name, starting to dress female rather than male. OK, excellent. What would be the next progression then? So, then starting alterations physically.”
He then turned to how parents react suggesting, “Yeah, they’re probably going to resist it. So that becomes definitely a challenge. Who do you go to talk to if you’re one of those that are struggling? If you went to your parents, and you told them you were struggling, would your parents reject you?”
Finally, the speaker established a fearful response with the students. “You know, most parents aren’t understanding, aren’t accepting or whatever, and so many teenagers are potentially at risk of STDs and STIs that could potentially cause infertility, could lead to an earlier death, simply out of fear.”
The alleged teacher concluded, “One of the students last period mentioned how some of their friends today have been threatened to be kicked out of their homes because of their choices they’re making when it comes to sexuality. My encouragement for you is to make sure you do your research. Make decisions that you feel are good for you. Don’t just base your decisions simply because you’ve been told something.”
Sharing the post from Save CFSD, Arizona Women of Action (AZWOA) commented, “THIS kind of discussion is NOT part of Catalina Foothills curriculum, which is why AZWOA suggests NOT opting into any class that teaches sex-ed/Comprehensive Sexuality Education.”
The AZWOA added, “The 2011 National Sexuality Standards were developed by the Future of Sex Education Initiative (FoSE), which is Advocates for Youth, Answer, Planned Parenthood Federation of America, and SIECUS. YES, PLANNED PARENTHOOD IS IN OUR SCHOOLS. @nopinkschool has been exposing this.”
The group further noted, “To make matters worse, the 2019 repeal of Arizona’s No Promo Homo law helped remove some of the barriers that were set in place, enabling AZ districts to align better with the FoSE standards which may enable discussions on sexual orientation and gender identity.”
Matthew Holloway is a senior reporter for AZ Free News. Follow him on X for his latest stories, or email tips to Matthew@azfreenews.com.
by Matthew Holloway | May 29, 2025 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
On Tuesday, Cochise County Superior Court Visiting Judge Michael Latham dismissed a lawsuit challenging the county’s plans for a new jail district election. He also denied a motion from Attorney General Kris Mayes and Secretary of State Adrian Fontes, who sought to intervene in the election.
According to the county, Judge Latham ruled that the upcoming election is “the most effective and efficient way to correct the issue” presented in the case and that it falls within “the Cochise County Board of Supervisors’ primary authority.”
Timothy La Sota, outside counsel representing the Cochise County Board of Supervisors, praised the decision in a statement released Tuesday.
He wrote, “Today, Cochise County once again prevailed in court in its efforts to protect the citizens of this County. The Board has agreed to hold a new election because the last election was seriously flawed and left nearly 11,000 eligible voters without ballots. Oddly, the Secretary of State and the Attorney General have attempted to usurp the Board’s lawful functions; first at the Supreme Court and now at the Superior Court and have failed at every turn. This ruling is a vindication of Cochise County’s plan to address a difficult election situation and a repudiation of efforts by statewide officials to butt in, take over local elections, and disenfranchise Cochise County voters in the process.”
The controversy surrounds a proposed 2023 excise tax that would apply until enough revenue is collected by the county to construct a new jail and retire any associated debt. An election held in 2023 by mail-in ballot only approved the tax but was later found to be flawed. An Arizona appellate court determined that because ballots were not sent to inactive voters and no polling places were opened, the election was invalid.
As noted by KVOA, prior to the lawsuit, the Board of Supervisors had already voted for a new election to address deficiencies in the previous election that failed to provide ballots for approximately 11,000 voters. However, the tax had already gone into effect and a sum of approximately $18 million has already been collected to date.
The board voted in March to approve a settlement agreement with the plaintiffs, covering $130,000 for their legal fees.
The Cochise County jail, now over forty-years old, has operated with failing infrastructure, an outdated security system, and a non-functional fire alarm system according to reports. With Supervisor Kathy Gomez of District 2 telling KGUN, “I am terrified of somebody dying under my watch with no fire alarm, and issues with all the doors opening, and you know, the electrical system.”
Commander for the Cochise County Sheriff’s Office Kenneth Bradshaw told reporters at the time, “Everybody agrees, even the Board of Supervisors agrees, that we need a new jail. It’s just a matter of how we get there and what the process was where we are now.”
The voters of Cochise County will decide the matter with early voting beginning October 8th through Election Day 2025. Statements for or against the tax are due by August 6th, and pamphlets will be mailed to voters by no later than September 30th.
Matthew Holloway is a senior reporter for AZ Free News. Follow him on X for his latest stories, or email tips to Matthew@azfreenews.com.
by Matthew Holloway | May 28, 2025 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
In her latest op-ed, Arizona State Senator Shawnna Bolick expresses a growing alarm regarding the prospect of home ownership for younger adults also highlighted in a RealClear Investigations (RCI) report. In short: both the Arizona Senator and the journalists at RCI have come to the same conclusion: the American dream of home ownership is dying at the hands of our federal, state, and local governments, and lobbyists.
As Bolick noted, property costs in Arizona have steadily increased over the past five years, with the average cost of a home ramping up to nearly $500,000 in the greater Phoenix area. Citing ZipRecruiter statistics, she noted that the average salary in the state is $68,329 annually.
Bolick summarized the problem succinctly saying, “For too many today, such a purchase at a relatively young age is increasingly out of reach. Across most major American cities, home prices are by far outpacing wages. If states experiencing economic growth want to keep up with demand, they will need to do something about affordable housing.”
In the RCI report, Joel Kotkin and Wendell Cox suggested one big problem is the disconnect between urban planners and consumers: ‘‘These choices underscore an analysis of Canadian poll results by Sotheby’s, which suggests a ‘disconnect’ between urban planning and consumer preferences: ‘The picture is of young urban families overwhelmingly preferring detached houses, and decidedly not the condominiums into which planners are driving them.’ As Sotheby’s puts it, ‘The report dispels myths about young, urban families’ housing preferences.'”
Kotkin and Cox also wrote in the investigation that increasingly, the acquisition of a home in America has become reliant on what they term “the classic feudal formula – being born into ‘the funnel of privilege.’” They explained that millennial Americans are “three times as likely as boomers to count on inheritance for their retirement.” And indeed a recent report from the Institute for Family Studies revealed that since 1970, the percentage of young adults who own their own homes has plunged from 50% to as little as 25-30%.
The problem hasn’t escaped the notice of Arizona legislators however, as Bolick noted with her sponsored Senate Bill 1229. She described it as a measure to “address our state’s housing shortage,” which would “deregulate local zoning jurisdictions to reduce unnecessary red tape and overburdensome decision-making coming from our central municipal planning departments.” In addition, she wrote “the bill would allow municipalities to set minimum lot sizes to allow for these types of homes in new developments of five acres or more on lots zoned as single-family homes.”
Matthew Holloway is a senior reporter for AZ Free News. Follow him on X for his latest stories, or email tips to Matthew@azfreenews.com.
by Matthew Holloway | May 27, 2025 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
An investigation by Republican Reps. David Marshall, Walt Blackman, and Quang Nguyen found that the City of Phoenix has distributed over $28.5 million of taxpayer funding to more than 100 private organizations with a shocking lack of oversight. Now, the Goldwater Institute is asking Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes to intervene and stop what it termed an “unlawful spending spree.”
Citing the legislative findings, the Goldwater Institute alleges that “Organizations like the Phoenix Film Foundation, Phoenix Pride Inc, Mexican Baseball Fiesta LLC, the Arizona Science Center’s Galaxy Gala, and many others received subsidies—sometimes simultaneously by multiple departments—under questionable labels like ‘Sponsorships,’ ‘Grants and Subsidies,’ ‘Emerg[ency] Assist[ance],’ or ‘Miscellaneous.’ The city has no lawful authority to spend public money in this way.”
Parker Jackson, a staff attorney at the Goldwater Institute, said in a statement, “This effectively turns large portions of the city’s budget into a patchwork of slush funds that special interests can access in the sole discretion of a single city employee. Amazingly, the city ‘does not track donations by nonprofit status,’ so it does not know exactly how much taxpayer money has been funneled out through this opaque process.”
The reported “Sponsorships,” “Grants and Subsidies,” “Emerg[ency] Assist[ance],” or “Miscellaneous” donations run afoul of the Arizona State Constitution’s Gift Clause according to Jackson in a letter to the Attorney General co-signed by Jon Riches, the Goldwater’s Vice President for Litigation.
Riches wrote, “Most—if not all—of these expenditures appear to violate the Arizona Constitution’s Gift Clause, which strictly prohibits use of public funds to benefit private, special interests. Not only is it doubtful that these allocations serve a legitimate public purpose, but there also appears to be no direct or measurable consideration received in return for this use of public resources.”
The Arizona Constitution under Article 9 Section 7 states, “Neither the state, nor any county, city, town, municipality, or other subdivision of the state shall ever give or loan its credit in the aid of, or make any donation or grant, by subsidy or otherwise, to any individual, association, or corporation, or become a subscriber to, or a shareholder in, any company or corporation, or become a joint owner with any person, company, or corporation, except as to such ownerships as may accrue to the state by operation or provision of law or as authorized by law solely for investment of the monies in the various funds of the state.”
The Goldwater attorneys have called on Mayes to “[e]njoin the illegal payment of public monies” and to “[r]ecover illegally paid public monies,” under A.R.S. § 41-194.01 and A.R.S. § 35-212 respectively.
Jackson wrote in a Goldwater Institute press release that the finding by the Arizona legislature may seem familiar to keen observers: “If treating taxpayers as financiers for private entities—even controversial and ideological ones—sounds familiar, that’s because it mirrors what has been exposed throughout the federal government this year. For example, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) was aptly described as ‘a slush fund for leftist priorities’ after the White House exposed decades of waste and abuse in that agency.”
In a video posted to X, Jackson said, “At the end of the day, public dollars should be used for public purposes… not to enrich special interests at a bureaucrat’s whim.”
Matthew Holloway is a senior reporter for AZ Free News. Follow him on X for his latest stories, or email tips to Matthew@azfreenews.com.
