by Jonathan Eberle | Aug 10, 2025 | News
By Jonathan Eberle |
Arizona lawmakers are intensifying their investigation into systemic failures within the state’s child protection system after the tragic deaths of three children—each of whom had prior involvement with the Department of Child Safety (DCS). Senator Carine Werner (R-LD4), Chair of the Senate Health & Human Services Committee, is spearheading the effort through a formal legislative probe targeting the state’s oversight of licensed group homes.
The investigation was first launched earlier this year following the gruesome murder of Emily Pike, a 14-year-old who ran away from a DCS-licensed facility in January and was later found dead. Now, with the deaths of Zariah Dodd, a pregnant 16-year-old fatally shot after leaving a similar facility, and Rebekah Baptiste, a 10-year-old who died despite multiple abuse reports to DCS, momentum behind the inquiry has grown significantly.
“These tragedies make it painfully clear that when our child protection systems—both state and tribal—fail, the consequences can be horrific,” Werner said in a statement. “We must explore opportunities for system improvement. That is the work ahead of us, and we will not stop until no child in Arizona falls through the cracks.”
The first stakeholder meeting of the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on the Department of Child Safety will take place on Wednesday, September 3. It marks the second phase of a broader review process that will include legislative hearings, stakeholder input, and proposed reforms. While the meeting will be closed to the public and media, Werner is expected to brief reporters in the following days. Earlier this year, Werner called on the Arizona Attorney General’s Office to launch a formal investigation into DCS’s regulatory oversight. She has voiced serious concerns about “underlying systemic issues” that may be placing children and even staff at risk within state-licensed group homes.
“Arizona’s licensed group homes have repeatedly made headlines for egregious mistakes that have cost lives and threatened the safety of staff,” Werner said at the time. “There may be underlying systemic issues requiring immediate reforms, so we must assess where mistakes are occurring and determine the next steps.”
The Joint Oversight Committee’s work will involve officials from DCS, law enforcement, tribal governments, lawmakers from both parties, and social service providers. Their goal: assess current policies, examine communication breakdowns, and identify both short-term interventions and long-term legislative fixes.
As the investigation unfolds, Arizona finds itself once again grappling with the conversation of how to ensure that tragedies like these never happen again.
Jonathan Eberle is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Ethan Faverino | Aug 10, 2025 | Economy, News
By Ethan Faverino |
State Representative Walt Blackman, Chairman of the House Committee on Government, reiterated his strong support for the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for the Resolution Copper project, completed by the U.S. Forest Service (USFS).
In a letter addressed to the Acting Forest Supervisor Ericka Luna, Representative Blackman called for the swift execution of the land exchange authorized by Congress in Section 3003 of the National Defense Authorization Act for the 2015 Fiscal Year.
Representative Blackman said, “The Resolution Copper project is a rare opportunity to strengthen Arizona’s economy—especially in the historic Copper Corridor and across District 7. It will bring high-wage jobs, critical infrastructure investments, and lasting economic support for local businesses.”
The Resolution Copper Project is anticipated to create thousands of construction jobs at first, with thousands more supported during decades of mine operations.
With Arizona’s average mining wage at around $100,000, these jobs promise to enhance the livelihoods of working families across the state.
The project is also expected to generate tens of millions in annual tax revenue, enabling critical investments in public roads and essential services for the Town of Superior and the surrounding areas.
The FEIS, culminating over a decade of National Environmental Policy Act analysis, incorporates extensive input from tribal governments, local communities, and other stakeholders.
Resolution Copper’s Community Working Group has played a vital role in developing mitigation strategies and promoting shared goals.
Additionally, more than 23 local municipalities and organizations have signed Good Neighbor Agreements, establishing a structure for responsible land and community management throughout the mine’s lifespan.
Blackman added, “Resolution Copper has made a genuine effort to work with the community and earn local support—truly being a good neighbor. This project is ready to move forward, and it’s time it does. I urge the Forest Service to act without further delay.”
Representative Blackman emphasized the project’s alignment with Arizona’s legacy as a leader in U.S. copper production. He urged the USFS to proceed with the land exchange, highlighting the potential to drive sustainable economic growth for the Copper Corridor and throughout Arizona.
Ethan Faverino is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Jonathan Eberle | Aug 9, 2025 | News
By Jonathan Eberle |
Arizona Public Service (APS), the state’s largest electric utility, announced Wednesday it will no longer pursue its previous pledge to achieve zero carbon emissions by 2050. The company also scrapped its interim emission reduction targets and removed a commitment to end coal-fired generation by 2031 from its website. The utility now aims to be “carbon neutral” by 2050 — a less stringent target that allows for continued fossil fuel use if emissions are offset through technology such as carbon capture.
“Our aspiration has evolved based on changes to energy markets and customer needs, and our plans are built around doing what’s right for the people and prosperity of Arizona,” said APS spokeswoman Jill Hanks in a statement to 12News.
The announcement quickly drew sharp criticism from environmental advocates, who accused the company of backing away from its public commitments. “APS is walking away from every clean energy promise it made to the public, to regulators, to shareholders, and to the communities it serves,” said Autumn Johnson, Executive Director of the Arizona Solar Energy Industries Association. “We are left with vague intentions and zero accountability.”
A free-market advocacy group also voiced concerns, though from a different perspective. The Arizona Free Enterprise Club argued that the new plan still comes with a heavy cost to consumers. “While this is modestly better than the carbon-free plan they have been pushing for the last five years, APS’ new ‘carbon neutral’ plan will still cost ratepayers billions,” said Scot Mussi, the group’s president. “The priority should be reliable and affordable baseload power for Arizonans, not meeting arbitrary carbon goals that require massive amounts of expensive wind and solar that will degrade the grid.”
Some of Arizona’s elected officials also weighed in. Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs criticized the decision on X, writing, “Arizona needs an abundance of energy, with a strong, and reliable grid to keep our communities safe and to continue our economic growth. This decision sets us back. It makes our air dirtier, hurts our growing clean energy economy, and forfeits the cost savings of renewable options.”
She continued, “I’ll be reaching out to APS to discuss their decision and reiterate that we must continue investing in new energy technologies and diversify our energy portfolio at the fastest rate possible.”
Hobbs’ response is interesting given her history with APS. After her inauguration, it was revealed that Pinnacle West Capital Corp., the owner of APS, donated $250,000 to Hobbs’ inaugural fund. The group also made a $100,000 donation in 2024 to Hobbs’ secret litigation fund.
Republican gubernatorial candidate, and sitting U.S. Representative, Andy Biggs offered a sharply different take than Hobbs, posting, “Every utility in our state should be prioritizing reliable and affordable energy for Arizonans, not trying to meet the demands of environmentalists pushing the Green New Scam that hurts Arizona businesses and families. As Governor, I’ll make sure Arizona aligns with President Trump’s energy agenda to help our economy flourish.”
APS data shows most of the state’s surging energy demand is coming from the expansion of data centers rather than residential growth. The company and its investors view the sector as a major opportunity for revenue.
While APS maintains it remains committed to expanding cost-competitive clean energy, the rollback represents a significant departure from the 2020 pledge.
Jonathan Eberle is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Matthew Holloway | Aug 9, 2025 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
Democrat-Socialist endorsed politicians are not only present on Arizona ballots but appear to be thriving in the Tucson Democratic Primary. Miranda Schubert, running in the Aug. 5 primary for the Tucson Ward 6 council seat, and Sadie Shaw, running against incumbent City Councilmember Kevin Dahl in Ward 3, who also sits on the Tucson Unified School District governing board, were both endorsed by the Democratic Socialists of America’s Tucson chapter.
In a statement, the Tucson Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) celebrated the early results, saying, “Tonight, Tucson rejected the status quo and supported champions for Public Power and the working class. At a time when big corporations like Amazon are threatening Tucson’s water and a liveable climate, @mirandaforward6tucson’s decisive victory and @sadieforward3 running neck and neck with a well-funded incumbent proves that Tucsonans want elected leaders who will fight for policies like free-transit, affordable housing and public power that will address the crises we are facing and directly benefit the working class people of Tucson. We look forward to working with these two socialists and the most progressive city council in recent history to improve the lives of all people in Tucson.”
According to the DSA, “The Democratic Socialists of America is the largest socialist organization in the United States because we’re a member-driven mass organization.”
The unofficial election results showed that Schubert is trending to capture the Ward 6 council seat “by a wide margin.” As of Friday evening, the tally stood at 6,343 votes, against Democrats Leighton Rockafellow Jr., with 2,927 votes, and James Sinex won 365 votes. She is expected to face Republican Jay Tolkoff, who ran unopposed in his primary. Per AZCentral, Rockafellow has conceded the race.
Schubert declared victory and thanked her supporters Wednesday night, telling them, “I love local politics because it’s so simple. It comes down to having conversations, having conversations with your neighbors and with your fellow community members, and so I hope that this can be the start of more conversations and more work to come together to make Tucson a better place for future generations.”
The Ward 6 seat was vacated by former Councilman Steve Kozachik, who handily defeated Schubert by nearly 18 points in the 2021 Democratic Primary. Kozachik later stepped down to take over the Pima Animal Care Center in 2024. He was succeeded temporarily by Karin Uhlich, who later ran in her own right to finish out his term. However, in July, Uhlich announced she would not seek reelection, leaving Schubert as the frontrunner.
In the Ward 3 race, DSA-endorsee Sadie Shaw is trailing Democrat incumbent Councilman Kevin Dahl by just 19 votes as of this report. The councilman claimed victory, but Shaw has announced that she will await the final results once they have been canvassed and certified per Arizona law. The winner will face Republican Janet “JL” Wittenbraker, who ran unopposed in her primary.
Wittenbraker recently made waves in the city election by calling out the Tucson Sentinel for “failure to interview Republican candidates on key issues such as fare-free transit, Project Blue, and TPD funding,” adding this is “emblematic of their bias,” and “very disappointing.”
In a statement following the results, she told the outlet, “Tucson is ready for change, especially in Ward 3, where poverty, homelessness, and high crime rates resulted in a competitive race between Shaw and Dahl.”
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 | Aug 8, 2025 | Education, News
By Matthew Holloway |
In a post to X earlier this week, Chaya Raichik’s ‘Libs of TikTok’ revealed a now-deleted video allegedly created by an educator at the PPEP TEC High School’s Cesar Chavez Learning Center in San Luis, Arizona. The video urged teachers to “teach as hard as you can[.] So your students don’t grow up to be… Trump supporters.”
In a screenshot of the post, a man believed to be PPEP TEC High School teacher Edson Delgado, posting under the now-deleted profile ‘mrfacts5x’ wrote, in full, “This school year… Teach as hard as you can[.] So your students don’t grow up to be… Trump supporters. Make America Smart Again.”
In the caption of the post, he added, “If we don’t teach them critical thinking… someone else will teach them conspiracy theories. Let’s make America smart again.”
Libs of TikTok commented on the post, “Teacher at PPEP Cesar Chavez Learning Center in AZ wants to ‘teach’ students so they don’t grow up to be Trump supporters. Any comment @ppeptechs?? Do you condone teachers indoctrinating kids???”
The individual depicted in the post as ‘mrfacts5x’ bears a notable resemblance to Delgado, an educator who was honored by the office of Yuma County Superintendent Tom Hurt as doing “Great things at PPEP Tech!” In a March 25th post to Facebook and is identifiable through the certifications shown hanging behind him in the post to TikTok.
Several commenters on social media expressed reactions, ranging from concern to outrage. Political commentator Paul Szypula wrote, “Our schools are compromised.”
Columnist Emilia Henderson replied on X, “That teacher is PROGRAMMING kids with hatred for their own country. If PPEP allows this, they’re no school at all.. they’re a political FACTORY pushing Democrat obedience.”
Some critics of the TikTok post called for federal funding for PPEP TEC High School to be terminated, while others called for the teacher’s termination. At least one Arizona commenter, ‘JustADudeAZ,’ stated that he reported the incident to Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne. He wrote, “Credit to Tom Horne for listening and getting back to me. He provided where to go to keep people like this teacher honest. If you see teaching like this you can report them directly using this site,” and provided a link to the Empower Hotline.
The hotline is “the forum to report about inappropriate lessons that detract from teaching academic standards such as those that focus on race or ethnicity, rather than individuals and merit, promoting gender ideology, social emotional learning, or inappropriate sexual content,” according to the Arizona Department of Education.
AZ Free News has reached out to PPEP TEC High School for comment but received no response by the filing of this article.
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 Jonathan Eberle | Aug 8, 2025 | Education, News
By Jonathan Eberle |
As schools across Arizona reopen for the fall semester, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne is encouraging parents to be alert to classroom content they believe may conflict with their family’s values. His call follows a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling affirming parents’ rights to withdraw their children from classes that conflict with their religious beliefs.
“The U.S. Supreme Court recently ruled that parents have the Constitutionally protected right to opt their children out of classes when their religious beliefs conflict with course material,” Horne said in a public statement. “As the new school year begins, I am urging parents to be aware they have the power to ensure their child’s school is concentrating on academics, not social indoctrination.”
Horne cited a case from earlier this year involving a Tucson-area teacher whose lessons, he claimed, undermined students’ religious beliefs and promoted gender ideology. According to Horne, the teacher has since retired, and the matter was resolved. “This is exactly the type of situation that was addressed in this recent Supreme Court decision,” he said.
To address concerns like these, the Arizona Department of Education operates an “Empower Hotline,” which allows parents, educators, and citizens to report what they view as inappropriate content in the classroom. Horne said the hotline has received complaints about lessons that focus on race, gender identity, or content perceived as deviating from traditional academic instruction.
“Students need education in reading, writing, math, science, history, and the arts,” Horne added. “The inappropriate lessons about which parents are complaining are a distraction from these crucial academic subjects. My principal goal has been to bring back academic focus into the classrooms.”
The Supreme Court decision referenced by Horne affirms long-standing interpretations of parental rights in education but has gained renewed attention amid ongoing debates over curriculum content in public schools across the country.
Jonathan Eberle is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
