by Ethan Faverino | Nov 30, 2025 | News
By Ethan Faverino |
As the 2025-26 NBA season heats up, a new study from iGaming hub eSportstars.io has revealed the true cost of catching an NBA game live, with the Phoenix Suns landing at No. 8 on the list of the league’s most expensive teams to see in person.
According to data analyzed from Seat Geek, the average ticket price to watch the Suns play at Footprint Center this season is $172.00 – well above the league-wide average of $148.42.
The Suns sit comfortably in the top 10, trailing only a handful of major franchises while ranking ahead of the reigning champion Oklahoma City Thunder ($137.00).
The top five most expensive teams to watch live start with the star-studded Los Angeles Lakers at an average of $365.75 per ticket, followed by the Golden State Warriors with $279.47, the Boston Celtics with $247.96, the New York Knicks with $238.49, and the Dallas Mavericks with $215.00.
The Lakers remain in a class of their own, with average tickets costing 146% more than the league average and 31% higher than the second-place Warriors. Even though Warriors tickets are $90 cheaper than Lakers tickets, they are still 88% above the NBA average ticket price.
On the other end of the spectrum, the Charlotte Hornets rank last with the cheapest average ticket price of $82.00 – 45% below the league average. Closely following the Hornets is the Atlanta Hawks with $82.16. Rounding out the bottom five are the Detroit Pistons with $85.15, the New Orleans Pelicans with $85.24, and the Portland Trailblazers with $89.50.
“The huge variation in average ticket prices across teams shows how much fans are willing to pay for a live game, and how strong the fanbases are for the league’s biggest teams,” said eSportstars.io content manager, Hana Suzuki. “Teams with such huge fanbases and iconic players will naturally have higher ticket prices as they are in higher demand, whereas the teams with more affordable tickets give fans the opportunity to have the live NBA experience without the cost.”
Ethan Faverino is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Jonathan Eberle | Nov 29, 2025 | News
By Jonathan Eberle |
Maricopa County officials are asking a federal judge to rein in what they describe as years of mission creep by the court-appointed monitor overseeing reforms within the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO), arguing that the agency has fully complied with the policy changes required under a landmark racial-profiling case.
In a new legal filing submitted last week in Sheridan v. Melendres—a case that began nearly two decades ago over civil-rights violations during traffic stops—Board of Supervisors Chairman Thomas Galvin and Vice Chair Kate Brophy McGee contend that the county has long met the terms of the court’s orders and that continued federal intervention is no longer justified.
The filing points to a central argument: since the court issued its first injunctive order, MCSO has undergone sweeping reforms, leadership changes, and years of federal scrutiny. “Since the issuance of the Court’s first injunctive order, fourteen years have passed, three new Sheriffs have taken office (from both political parties), MCSO has achieved 100% compliance with required policy changes, and there have been zero new allegations of targeted immigration enforcement by MCSO,” the document states.
At the heart of the county’s challenge is the work of federal monitor Robert Warshaw, who has overseen MCSO’s compliance efforts for nearly 15 years. According to the filing, Warshaw and his team have collected more than $30 million in fees during that time. County leaders say they have been increasingly frustrated with what they describe as an expansion of Warshaw’s role—particularly his recent “audit” of county spending related to the case. They argue that federal oversight was intended to ensure constitutional policing practices, not to scrutinize local budgeting decisions.
“In today’s legal filing, we highlight how far the federal monitor has strayed from his original charge,” Galvin and Brophy McGee wrote in a joint statement. “Digging into county finances and trying to minimize the cost of Melendres compliance is not just an insult to taxpayers, it’s beyond the federal court’s jurisdiction.”
County attorneys note that nothing in the county’s budgeting practices violates state or federal law. For that reason, the Board says it will not participate in further disputes over compliance-related costs. The county’s brief argues that questions about staffing, budgets, and administrative costs fall squarely within local authority. Citing Supreme Court precedent, the filing asserts that “federal-court decrees must directly address and relate to the constitutional violation itself.”
The county maintains that because MCSO has reached full compliance with all policy reforms stemming from the Melendres orders—including the creation of 209 positions tied directly to those requirements—the original purpose of the decree has been fulfilled. “It would be a complete waste of taxpayer money to engage the federal courts in a back-and-forth over what is clearly an issue of local jurisdiction,” the statement reads.
Galvin and Brophy McGee say the Board’s priority is protecting taxpayers and ensuring resources are directed toward public safety needs determined at the local level. The Board of Supervisors represents roughly 4.5 million residents. “We’ll keep standing up for transparency, common sense, and your right to self-govern,” they wrote.
The federal court will now determine whether the county’s arguments warrant narrowing or ending the monitor’s authority—a decision that could significantly reshape the long-running oversight of one of the nation’s most closely watched law-enforcement reform cases.
Jonathan Eberle is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Matthew Holloway | Nov 29, 2025 | Education, News
By Matthew Holloway |
Arizona lawmakers are urging the State Board of Education to fix the state’s Structured English Immersion (SEI) Endorsement Course Framework at its December 1st meeting, according to a letter from Rep. Michele Peña (R-LD23).
A group of State Representatives and Senators cosigned the letter from Peña, warning that existing rules risk placing Arizona out of compliance with federal funding mandates and allow the insertion of politics and racial rhetoric into courses designed to prepare educators, in violation of state law.
“Parents expect English-language instruction to focus on English-language instruction,” Peña said in a statement. “Instead, they’re finding courses with ideological material that has nothing to do with helping students learn English. The Board can’t ignore federal requirements, and it shouldn’t look the other way while universities inject political content into SEI training. The framework needs to be corrected now, and delays only create further problems for students, teachers, and the state.”
Peña warned the board that the present rule set “is harming instructional quality and undermining classroom integrity statewide.”
As noted by Peña, A.R.S. § 15-756.01 requires that the Board of Education “shall adopt and approve research-based models of structured English immersion.” In the letter, Rep. Peña adds, “SEI is intended to be a model focused only on research-based English language acquisition. That is all.”
She continued:
“The insertion of DEI-aligned language, political ideology, or racialized theories is not only outside the scope of the statute, but it also actively undermines the purpose of SEI by introducing content that divides classrooms, distracts educators, and shifts instructional time away from what the law actually requires. Arizona’s students deserve better than to have their language instruction diluted by ideological philosophies and turned into a political debate…
… We expect the Board not to delay corrective action or hide behind process barriers that were never required when these controversial provisions were inserted. Our students, teachers, and districts deserve a framework grounded in objective, research-based instruction, not ideological experimentation.”
The legislators who cosigned the letter include State Representatives David Marshall (R-LD07), James Taylor (R-LD29), Leo Biasiucci(R-LD30), Lisa Fink (R-LD27), and House Majority Leader Michael Carbone (R-LD25), as well as Senators Hildy Angius (R-LD30) and Tim Dunn (R-LD29).
As previously reported by AZ Free News, Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne issued a similar statement in October, calling upon the Board to strip Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) language from Arizona’s teaching standards.
Note: As of this report, the State Board’s public calendar shows the meeting scheduled for Dec. 1, 2025, as a meeting of the Accountability Technical Advisory Committee, while the regular State Board of Education meeting is scheduled for December 8th; this conflicts with the December 1st date provided in Rep. Peña’s statement.
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 Ethan Faverino | Nov 29, 2025 | Economy, News
By Ethan Faverino |
As families across the nation prepared for Thanksgiving travel, gas prices provided relief at the pump, holding steady around $3 per gallon and marking the lowest levels in years.
According to data from fuel savings tracker GasBuddy and the American Automobile Association (AAA), the national average for regular unleaded gasoline has fallen significantly in 2025, with some stations even offering prices under $2 per gallon for the first time since 2021.
This year’s average price stands at $3.12 per gallon so far, down from $3.31 in 2024 and $3.52 in 2023. The decline follows a peak above $5 per gallon in June 2022, reflecting a steady downward trend that has eased the financial burdens on drivers around the country.
One year ago, the average was $3.06, matching the price of October 2025, with only minor fluctuations of a few cents this pre-Thanksgiving week.
The Trump administration has highlighted these reductions as a direct result of its energy policies since President Donald Trump’s return to the White House.
In October, the White House issued a statement celebrating GasBuddy’s report that national averages had slipped below $3 per gallon – the lowest in four years.
Head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, Patrick De Haan, said, “It’s pretty compelling to see gas prices this low, falling ahead of Thanksgiving, and it signals what more Americans could experience in the coming months. Lower seasonal demand, falling oil prices, and rising OPEC output are all pushing prices down. While a few stations have recently dipped below $2 through temporary offers and promotions, this marks the first time we’ve seen a regular sub-$2 price.”
The lowest gas price in the country is now $1.99, available at four stations in Midwest City, Oklahoma, part of the Oklahoma City metro area. Reported on Monday, November 24, these are the first prices below $2 nationwide without discounts or promotions, marking the lowest U.S. prices since 2021.
In Arizona, gas prices have remained remarkably stable in recent weeks, with the current average for regular unleaded at $3.336 per gallon – just 4 cents below what it was a week ago ($3.380). Compared to October ($3.339), regular prices have essentially held flat, while showing a modest year-over-year increase of 12.2 cents from $3.214.
Ethan Faverino is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Matthew Holloway | Nov 28, 2025 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
In a special meeting on November 17th, the Scottsdale City Council approved a Memorandum of Understanding with Axon Enterprise, Inc. In a 4-3 vote, the council adopted controversial plans to expand the company’s headquarters in a compromise agreement that allows Axon to build 600 apartment units and 600 condos over two construction phases.
According to interim city communications and public affairs director Holly Peralta, the council also approved three related items on 4–3 votes: creating a new self-certification and third-party inspection program, repealing the 2024 Axon zoning ordinance, and authorizing conditional legal action tied to the ongoing TAAAZE lawsuit if Axon failed to sign the Memorandum of Understanding by Nov. 19th.
Following the vote, Axon released a public statement thanking Scottsdale Mayor Lisa Borowsky, Vice Mayor Adam Kwasman, and Councilmembers Solange Whitehead and Maryann McAllen, all of whom voted in favor of the measure.
“Thank you to Scottsdale Mayor Lisa Borowsky, Vice Mayor Adam Kwasman, and Councilors Solange Whitehead and Mary Ann McAllen for supporting a fair compromise for all parties regarding the new Axon global headquarters. And thank you to the thousands of Scottsdale residents who helped make our project better with their feedback.
We are very excited to move forward with our new headquarters. Our team will work harder than ever to deliver safe outcomes to public safety and communities alike.”
Former City Councilman and Chairman of TAAAZE, Bob Littlefield, released a statement on Tuesday condemning the decision. He wrote in part, “Mayor Borowsky and Councilmembers Kwasman, Whitehead, and McAllen – totally sold out to Axon at the expense of Scottsdale residents. They gave Axon everything they wanted, and more!”
Referring to the city’s vote pertaining to the ongoing TAAAZE lawsuit, Littlefield wrote, “There was an item on the last night’s agenda to have the city join the TAAAZE lawsuit to reverse the ‘Axon bill’ which nullified the right of referendum for Scottsdale residents. Every time this item was voted on in the past, it was defeated by the pro-Axon majority. Last night it passed, but with so many amendments, it will never take effect.”
He added, “…don’t’ let Borowsky, Kwasman, Whitehead and McAllen gaslight you into believing they voted to have the city join the TAAAZE lawsuit – they didn’t.”
In a statement released Thursday, Councilwoman Jan Dubauskas described the deal writing, “While the contract says 600 apartments and 600 condos, without a voluntary deed restriction from Axon, that split is not legally enforceable by the city. Axon can build 1,200 apartments.” She added that Axon “will be the first company in the history of the city of Scottsdale to self-certify that its building meets city code,” and will “provide no additional water to cover its use,” which appears to be affected by a repeal of Scottsdale City Zoning Ordinance No. 4658 in the MOU.
In a statement released that same day, Mayor Borowsky fired back at Littlefield, Dubauskas and TAAAZE, writing in part:
“The Taxpayers Against Awful Apartment Zoning Exemptions (“TAAAZE”) committee, led by former Councilman Bob Littlefield, ran the out-of-state, union-funded Axon referendum. Of the about 27,000 signatures gathered, a total of 25,000 Scottsdale voter signatures were paid for by a California labor union.”
She said that Councilmembers Dubauskas, Graham, and Littlefield voted against holding a referendum election in July and added, “Again, in October, I asked the City Council to hold an election at the next available date, which would have been March 2026. Again, those same Councilmembers refused to listen to reason and said, ‘no.’”
She continued, “…Accordingly, we were left with only two choices:
- File a lawsuit against the flawed Axon legislation, only to have Axon go back to the legislature to fix SB1543, neutering TAAAZE’s and the City’s legal claims and further nullifying the referendum election, leaving Axon free to build 2,000 apartments or more; or
- Strike a compromise to reduce the number of units and project density.”
The mayor effectively laid the blame for the present compromise on the three councilmembers, writing, “Delaying the election cost us our right to vote on the Axon project and resulted in the city being stuck with SB 1543.”
She concluded, “I promised the voters to oppose high-density apartments. In keeping with my promise, I negotiated a major reduction of density, down from 2,000 apartments to 600 apartments and 600 condominiums. Importantly, TAAAZE representatives agreed to resolve the entire dispute if Axon agreed to build 500 apartments and 1,000 condos. In the end, my negotiations with Axon resulted in a much lower overall density than TAAAZE’s last demand.”
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 Ethan Faverino | Nov 28, 2025 | News
By Ethan Faverino |
In a major show of support for America’s military heroes, Congressman Abe Hamadeh (R-AZ-08), alongside Senator Pete Ricketts (R-NE), has introduced two companion bills—the Service Members Tax Relief Act and the Tax Cuts for Veterans Act of 2025.
These bills would fully exempt all active-duty and reserve military income, as well as all service-related retirement payments and VA benefits, from federal income taxes.
The Service Member Tax Relief Act eliminates federal income tax on all pay received by active-duty and reserve members across the eight Federal Uniformed Services—including the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, Coast Guard, NOAA, and Public Health Service Commissioned Corps—as well as their Reserve and National Guard components when on federal orders. This includes base pay, enlistment and retention bonuses, education incentives, and all special and incentive pay.
The companion bill, Tax Cuts for Veterans Act of 2025, amends Section 122 of the Internal Revenue Code to permanently exclude all military retirement pay, retainer pay (Titles 10 and 14), and VA compensation, disability, and survivor benefits (Titles 37 and 38) from federal taxation.
“These bills are in keeping with my commitment to America First principles and advances President Trump’s Peace Through Strength agenda by alleviating the burdens on our service members in some small measure,” said Congressman Hamadeh, a former Army Reserve intelligence officer. “Our service members face high operational demands and cost-of-living pressures that outpace pay tables. So, anything we can cost-effectively do to ease those pressures should be done.”
Senator Pete Ricketts added, “Our servicemembers and veterans sacrifice for the country. We owe them more than we can ever repay. That’s why I’m working to ensure these brave women and men keep all the benefits they earn during military service. We also need to make sure that service members are set up for success when they transition back to civilian life. These bills strengthen our support for Nebraska servicemembers, veterans, and their families.”
Congressman Hamadeh has quickly emerged as a leading voice for America’s veterans and active-duty troops. In September, the House unanimously passed two of his bipartisan bills: the Edith Nourse Rogers STEM Scholarship Opportunity Act and the Health Professional Scholarship Program Improvement Act of 2025.
Congressman Hamadeh and Ricketts’ new bills are now pending in their respective chambers, already earning strong support from veteran advocacy organizations around the country.
Ethan Faverino is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
