Study Finds Significantly More Democrat Professors At ASU Than Republicans

Study Finds Significantly More Democrat Professors At ASU Than Republicans

By Staff Reporter |

A review of Arizona State University (ASU) professors’ voter registration data found that there were 15 times more Democratic professors than Republican ones. 

According to an analysis of voters by The College Fix, nearly 300 professors out of over 500 total were registered as Democrats — or, 52 percent of the professors. 

Comparatively, just under 20 professors were registered as Republicans, just over a dozen were registered with a third party, about 140 were unaffiliated, and just under 100 were unidentified. 

The outlet identified voter registrations using Maricopa County records. Their study excluded lecturers, adjunct, and emeriti faculty. 

One significant finding noted by The College Fix: a vast majority of psychology professors were Democrats: 48 to one Republican. 

The English department displayed a similar disparity: 64 Democrats to six Republicans. More professors were unaffiliated in that department (about 20) or unknown (just over 10).

Sociology also had a similar disparity: 38 professors registered as Democrats compared with just two Republicans. Nine were unaffiliated, 11 were unknown. 

History professors were 22 in number registered as Democrats, with just two Republicans.

Politics and global studies professors were 25 in number unaffiliated, 21 registered as Democrats, and two registered as Republicans.

In a similar prior study by The College Fix, the University of Arizona was also found to have a predominance of Democratic professors. 

The predominance of Democratic registrations among professors would explain last year’s faculty controversy over a watchlist of professors accused of discrimination against conservative students. 

The university had shut down the T.W. Lewis Center for Personal Development within the Barrett Honors College after its principal funder withdrew funding due to the “left-wing hostility and activism” of Barrett Honors College faculty.

39 of the 47 faculty members in the college had launched a campaign for action to be taken following an event featuring three conservative speakers on campus: Charlie Kirk, the founder and president of Turning Point USA; Dennis Prager, a radio talk show host and founder of PragerU; and Robert Kiyosaki, an author and presenter with PragerU. 

ASU removed on-campus marketing of the event following the Barrett Honors College faculty opposition campaign.

Those faculty members also recruited students to oppose the event beforehand. 

Following the controversial event featuring the three conservative speakers, ASU let go of two faculty members: Ann Atkinson, who had been the executive of the Lewis Center, and Lin Blake, who had been the operator of the venue where the event was held, the Gammage Theater. 

The predominance of Democrats within ASU faculty hasn’t deterred students from registering Republican and turning out for president-elect Donald Trump this year. 

About a month before the election, thousands of students and young adults turned out for a voter registration event, “Greeks for Trump,” spearheaded by Turning Point USA. Spectators observed a sea of students donning “MAGA” hats.

The surge in youth support for Republican candidates translated to the state flipping back red this election from the last, and the state legislature expanding its Republican majority.

AZ Free News is your #1 source for Arizona news and politics. You can send us news tips using this link.

Tucson Man In Online Terror Network Arrested For Producing Child Sex Abuse Material, Cyberstalking

Tucson Man In Online Terror Network Arrested For Producing Child Sex Abuse Material, Cyberstalking

By Staff Reporter |

A 20-year-old Tucson man was arrested earlier this month for producing child sexual abuse material and cyberstalking for several terror networks online.

In a lengthy press release, the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced the charges against the Tucson resident, Baron Martin. 

Martin allegedly participated in child sextortion sites, called “online violent terror networks” by the FBI, known as 764 and CVLT. On these networks under the moniker “Convict,” Martin would claim to own these networks. The DOJ clarified that the online terror networks remain active, even with Martin’s arrest. 

“764 remains a dangerous network of violent extremists who systematically target children and weaponize child sexual abuse material for the purpose of furthering an accelerationist agenda, destroying civilized society, and causing the collapse of the U.S. Government,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security Matthew G. Olsen. “The Department of Justice is fully committed to stopping 764’s acts of terrorism and disrupting the 764 network.”

764 networks criminals who target vulnerable minors to produce and share extreme gore media and child sexual abuse material. Per the DOJ, 764 members seek to desensitize minors with violence and sexual abuse materials with the aim of grooming them into committing future violence. 

764 members usually target female minors and have them photograph or video the mutilation of themselves or others.

The public learned of 764 about a week prior to Martin’s arrest. Cyberscoop published a report after receiving exclusive access to details of the ongoing federal investigation into 764.

764 carries loose associations with a global cybercrime collective, “The Com.” These networks engage in the targeting, grooming, extorting, and harming of children with the goal of corrupting them into effective, violent criminals capable of destroying society upon entering adulthood. 

Among Martin’s alleged crimes committed online: forcing minors to self-mutilate for him, and harassing and threatening a minor with the assassination of their loved one. 

In the former alleged crimes, Martin had victims cut designs into their bodies, like swastikas and satanic symbols. He threatened to leak pictures of his victims if they didn’t comply. In that latter alleged crime, Martin agreed to pay someone $3,000 to kidnap and murder a victim’s loved one.

Similar to the practices of those operating within The Com, Martin is also alleged to have created and posted a detailed guide for identifying, grooming, and extorting children. Robert Wells, executive assistant director of the FBI’s National Security Branch, described Martin’s crimes as “simply horrific.”

“The details in this case are simply horrific as the defendant allegedly coerced children to harm themselves multiple times,” said Wells. “The FBI’s mission is to protect the American people and we take that especially seriously when it comes to the young and vulnerable. The FBI will use all of our authorities to investigate and hold accountable anyone who preys on children.”

Martin may face up to 30 years in prison for producing child sexual abuse material and up to 10 years in prison for cyberstalking.

AZ Free News is your #1 source for Arizona news and politics. You can send us news tips using this link.

Arizona Republican Party Casts Votes For President Trump, Vice President JD Vance

Arizona Republican Party Casts Votes For President Trump, Vice President JD Vance

By Staff Reporter |

On Tuesday, the Arizona Republican Party cast its votes for President-elect Donald Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance. 

“With a decisive victory, Arizonans delivered a clear mandate: return to common sense, security, prosperity and liberty,” said the Arizona GOP. “God bless America and let the Golden Age begin!” 

Trump won Arizona with over 52 percent of the vote (over 1.7 million votes) to Democratic candidate Kamala Harris’s 46.7 percent (over 1.5 million votes). 

As a swing state once again this election, Arizona delivered 11 electoral votes for Republicans. The flip from the 2020 election marked a key victory in an overall decisive comeback for Trump. 

The president-elect not only secured but swept all seven battleground states: Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. Trump won 312 electoral votes over the 226 pulled by Harris. 

Trump won with a greater margin than Joe Biden did in 2020. In the last presidential election, Biden won 306 electoral votes to Trump’s 232. Democrats flipped the key swing states of Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. 

Biden’s 2020 victory over Trump matched Trump’s 2016 victory over Hillary Clinton (both securing 306 electoral votes), meaning Trump outdid his 2016 performance in addition to his comeback from his 2020 election loss.

Trump’s victory didn’t translate to flipped congressional seats in Arizona. Incumbents held their seats within their parties. However, Republicans did expand their slim majority in the state legislature. 

The open Senate seat vacated by independent Kyrsten Sinema was nabbed by Democratic candidate Ruben Gallego, who emerged victorious with 50 percent of the vote (an 80,600-vote lead) to Republican candidate Kari Lake’s 47 percent. 

Lake’s loss didn’t take her out of the political arena, however. Lake secured a spot within Trump’s administration as the director of the federally funded Voice of America (VOA), an entity within the U.S. Agency for Global Media. VOA’s current director is Michael Abramowitz, formerly the president of the DC-based nonprofit Freedom House and longtime reporter with The Washington Post

Incumbent Democratic Reps. Raúl Grijalva and Greg Stanton defended their seats from Republican challengers. Likewise, incumbent Republican Reps. David Schweikert, Eli Crane, Andy Biggs, Juan Ciscomani, and Paul Gosar defended their seats from Democratic challengers. 

Although his seat was hotly contested, Ciscomani fended off a challenge from repeat Democratic candidate Kirsten Engel. 

Abe Hamadeh, a Republican, secured the open District 8 seat left by Debbie Lesko. Unlike Lake, Hamadeh successfully navigated the loss of a statewide seat in 2022 to nab a higher seat this year. 

In the state legislature, Arizona Republicans flipped a net total of three seats: one in the state senate, and three in the state house (another seat in the house flipped blue). Republicans expanded their majority from 16-14 to 17-13 in the senate and from 31-29 to 33-27 in the house. 

The Republican State Leadership Committee (RSLC) claimed in a statement on the legislative expansion that Arizona Republicans outperformed Democrats despite leftwing groups having spent over $9 million. 

The inauguration is scheduled to take place on Jan. 20, 2025. 

AZ Free News is your #1 source for Arizona news and politics. You can send us news tips using this link.

Arizona Congressman’s Bill Expanding Hydropower Heads To President’s Desk

Arizona Congressman’s Bill Expanding Hydropower Heads To President’s Desk

By Staff Reporter |

The nation may see the benefits of hydropower expansion in Arizona, depending on President Joe Biden’s approval of an Arizona congressman’s bill.

That bill, HR 1607 from Congressman David Schweikert, transfers National Forest System land near the Salt River in Arizona to the Bureau of Reclamation for the purpose of additional hydropower generation within the Salt River Federal Reclamation Project. 

In remarks before the House last year, Schweikert explained that pumped storage hydroelectricity supplements energy resources in the state. 

“It’s environmentally sound, it actually allows us to take care of something that is somewhat unique for us in the desert southwest, and that is the solar power we produce,” said Schweikert. 

Pumped storage hydroelectricity pumps water from a lower reservoir to an upper reservoir during low energy demand. During high energy demand, the upper reservoir releases downhill into the lower reservoir through hydropower turbines to generate around 10-12 hours of reliable energy.

In a press release, Schweikert said the legislation proved Arizona’s standing as a state leading on energy production and efficiency. 

“Once again, Arizona has proven to lead the charge to deliver innovation and make life more efficient for Arizonans at a time when our state’s economy and population continue to explode,” said Schweikert. “The near unanimous support for this legislation proves that America is ready to embrace long-term energy storage technologies to expand the supply of affordable and reliable energy for our communities.”

Schweikert thanked his Democratic colleague, Congressman Greg Stanton, for his assistance in getting the bill passed with bipartisan support.

“I’m incredibly thankful for my friend and colleague, Rep. Stanton, who’s been crucial to this process of embracing innovation, and I’m looking forward to seeing this technology benefit Arizona,” said Schweikert in the press release.

Stanton contributed a statement to Schweikert’s press release, adding that the pumped storage hydroelectric expansion couldn’t come at a better time. 

“Not only do pumped storage projects provide greater flexibility and improve reliability in our energy grid, but they also cut utility costs for Arizona families and businesses,” said Stanton. “This critical legislation passed the House with an overwhelming majority last year, and today it’s on its way to becoming law.”

It was a bipartisan coalition of elected leaders that ensured the passage of Schweikert’s bill. Both the House Natural Resources Committee and the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources passed the legislation unanimously. 

Schweikert introduced the bill last March. The House passed the bill last November, where it awaited Senate review for over a year. The Senate approved the bill on Tuesday. Arizona Senators Mark Kelly (D) and Kyrsten Sinema (I) introduced companion legislation in March, SB 739, which has advanced to Biden’s desk. 

Kelly said in the press release that the expansion would not only strengthen the state’s energy grid but result in lower energy costs for Arizonans. 

“Expanding pumped-storage hydropower in Arizona will strengthen our energy grid and lower energy costs for families,” said Kelly. “This is about using technology to make our energy more reliable and affordable.”

AZ Free News is your #1 source for Arizona news and politics. You can send us news tips using this link.

Former Democrat State Senator Becomes Lawyer For Major Muslim Activist Group

Former Democrat State Senator Becomes Lawyer For Major Muslim Activist Group

By Staff Reporter |

The Democrat who formerly represented Arizona’s 29th legislative district, Martín Quezada, is now the lawyer for the major Muslim activist group, Council on American-Islamic Relations of Arizona (CAIR-AZ).  

Quezada joined up with the chapter of the nation’s largest Muslim advocacy nonprofit over the weekend during their annual banquet. This career move follows his 2022 loss in the race to become Arizona’s treasurer against incumbent Kimberly Yee, and failure to achieve confirmation on a nomination from Governor Katie Hobbs.

Quezada has a long history of sympathizing with Muslim causes.

In 2016, Quezada voted against the state’s first law prohibiting the state from initiating any Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) against Israel. 

In a 2021 speech for CAIR-AZ, Quezada accused the Israel government of being a “Zionist state” enacting terrorism. Quezada also called for President Joe Biden to cease funding to the Israeli military. 

“All of those billions of dollars, that is directing military aid that is going to occupation forces that are committing terrorism against the people of Palestine right now,” said Quezada at the time. “This — what we are witnessing — is oppression and occupation in action right now. This is murder in action right now.”

Last year, Quezada failed to be confirmed as the Arizona Registrar of Contractors (AROC) director due to his extensive support for the BSD movement. Quezada had purged a number of anti-Israel posts from his timeline in preparation for confirmation, notably one post in which he urged followers to listen to a speech from Michigan Rashida Tlaib demanding the freeing of Palestine.

His timeline has recommenced its criticisms against Israel, last week retweeting a viral post which read “‘Violence isn’t the answer’ unless you’re Israel, the American government, the police, military-trained vigilantes, or a for-profit healthcare system.”

In 2022, Quezada screened a documentary, “Boycott,” detailing various states’ efforts to overturn laws prohibiting BDS actions by the state. 

That same year, during his campaign for the state treasurer’s seat, Quezada rejected claims that he was antisemitic. 

“First of all, the antisemitism charge, flat-out wrong, and it’s ridiculous to even suggest that,” said Quezada. “I am not antisemitic, hard stop, full period right there.”

CAIR-AZ’s executive director, Azza Abuseif, was the state director for NextGen America in Arizona. Abuseif and her family came to the U.S. as refugees from Sudan. Abuseif also serves as a lead organizer for Women’s March Phoenix, and formerly served as board president for the Arizona Democracy Resource Center.

CAIR-AZ provides free legal services to those who believe they have been discriminated against for being Muslim, and they advocate for the inclusion and acceptance of the Islamic religion.

The nonprofit maintains a running list of Islamophoic individuals and organizations, including: Ann Coulter, ACT For America, the Anti-Defamation League, Bill Maher, Fox News, Glenn Beck, National Review, and Steven Crowder.

The national affiliate, CAIR, is an entity of the Muslim Brotherhood linked to activities engaged in by Hamas, the terrorist organization behind last year’s terrorist attack on Israel. 

CAIR leaders celebrated the October 7 terrorist attack on Israel.

AZ Free News is your #1 source for Arizona news and politics. You can send us news tips using this link.