by Daniel Stefanski | Sep 4, 2024 | News
By Daniel Stefanski |
Arizona’s top county prosecutor is setting her sights on teen violence within her jurisdiction.
Earlier this month, Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell announced the start of ‘Report, Don’t Repost,’ which “tackles the growing issue of teen violence fueled by the sharing of violent content on social media platforms rather than reporting those incidents to law enforcement.”
In a press conference to promote this new campaign by the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office and other local law enforcement agencies, Mitchell shared that “in 2023, the number of submittals for first-degree murder involving juveniles surged by 350%, rising from 6 cases in 2022 to 27 cases in 2023. Similarly, submittals for aggravated assault saw a 108% increase, with cases rising from 12 to 25 between 2022 and 2023. Overall, total referrals of juveniles charged as adults increased by 32% during the same period.”
The veteran prosecutor said, “When a video shows up online or on social, all we know is what we can see. We may not have the names of the people in the video or know where the fight occurred. We also may not know what happened just before or after the video begins and ends. It makes it infinitely harder for police to investigate and for my lawyers to prosecute.”
Mitchell added, “My job as a prosecutor is to build a strong case. Encouraging the community to report these incidents instead of sharing them online is an excellent way to do that.”
The law enforcement agencies on board with this campaign are Phoenix Police, Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office, Apache Junction Police, Arizona State University Police, Buckeye Police, Chandler Police, Gilbert Police, Glendale Police, Goodyear Police, Mesa Police, Queen Creek Police, Surprise Police, and Tempe Police.
The Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office posted a graphic of the campaign to highlight the importance of the issue.
Additionally, two Phoenix Police Department officers discussed the new campaign in the aftermath of the announcement.
According to the release from the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office, “The campaign includes a range of educational resources for parents, educators, and teens that highlight the consequences of sharing violent content.”
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Matthew Holloway | Sep 4, 2024 | Education, News
By Matthew Holloway |
Multiple sources have confirmed that two professors at Arizona State University, Dr. Angela Lober and Jenny Irish, spent an hour discussing with students “dismantling capitalism and electing a female president to restore reproductive rights.” They also asserted that, as Lober claimed, “the United States hates women and everything the female body does.”
The program in question: “Jenny Irish’s HATCH: A Speculative Future for Reproductive Rights,” was offered by the university through ASU Events on the website. The event was described as a workshop where, “Professor Irish will give a reading from Hatch, after which she’ll be joined in conversation by Dr. Angela Lober, Clinical Associate Professor and Director of the Academy of Lactation Programs at the Edson College of Nursing and Health Innovation. Come ready with your own questions and comments about the future of reproductive health in the face of climate change, misinformation, and other problems facing our present and our future.”
Hatch is a collection of prose poems from English Professor Jenny Irish. ASU described Hatch as, “This apocalyptic vision engages with the most pressing concerns of this contemporary sociopolitical moment: reproductive rights, climate crises, and mass extinction; gender and racial bias in healthcare and technology; disinformation, conspiracy theories, and pseudoscience; and the possibilities and dangers of artificial intelligence.”
The event, co-hosted by the Lincoln Center for Applied Ethics, took a decidedly apocalyptic turn according to College Fix, with Irish warning of a dystopian future for the United States complete with “cannibalism,” and “forced breeding camps.”
“So much of our reality points toward those futures,” she told attendees. Lober added, “The balance between hope and despair is an everyday experience for me.” She explained, “A couple years ago I never thought Roe v. Wade would be overturned. How could we possibly do that?”
Irish also made an ardent defense of transgenderism and claimed an “all-out assault on the trans community and people’s ability to self-identify,” exists in the U.S. She added, “It is disgusting, immoral, and wrong.” Per the Arizona Sun Times, the professors took about 15 questions via Zoom and when asked about the well-published decline in global birth rates, Lober said it doesn’t “bother” her, claiming “we are overpopulated.”
Coordinator of the ASU event, Karina Fitzgerald, told College Fix, the goal of the event was to “encourage students that are following creative pursuits or other types of worldbuilding to simply explore other elements that they haven’t thought of before in their writing, or other ways to challenge themselves in creative processes.” She described the “element of worldbuilding” for creating “fictional stories” as “a good exercise for students to get in the practice of.”
However, ASU Professor of Philosophy, Religious Studies, and Theology Dr. Owen Anderson offered a different perspective in a comment to AZ Free News. He starkly criticized his colleagues’ openly political statements that move beyond the “fictional stories.”
Dr. Anderson wrote, “ASU professors are not to use university resources to tell students how to vote in an election. Not only that, professors are to be examples of clear thinking. Instead, these professors are using cheap scare tactics and logical fallacies to try and influence students. It is a misuse of their position and creates an unfair power dynamic for students. When will ASU hold such professors accountable?”
The Shapiro Professor of Public Interest Law at George Washington University, Dr. Jonathan Turley, while noting the professors “have every right to espouse these views and it is good for students to have a wide variety of viewpoints on campus,” took note of the “hyperbolic rhetoric,” renewing his objection that conservative, moderate, and libertarian faculty have been purged from academia.
Specifically, Turley pointed to the staunchly one-sided, anti-capitalist nature of the event’s rhetoric writing, “The ASU event captures a rising call for dismantling an economic system that helped drive industrial innovation and massive wealth creation. It has also left great wealth disparities. We have sought to address poverty with social programs that offer greater opportunity for those who have not been able to escape cycles of poverty. We have much work to be done. However, the anti-capitalist movement often offers few specifics on the alternatives, as at the ASU event.”
He concluded, “This is a debate that should be welcomed but not in this type of one-sided, jingoistic presentation. Imagine how much more substantive this panel would have been with an alternative viewpoint. Let’s have a discussion on the merits of capitalism and the record of alternative systems. That would offer educational and not merely emotive benefits to our academic community.”
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 | Sep 4, 2024 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
Two Arizona sisters, identified as Enedina N., 72, and Ubaldina N., 82, have been found dead in a White Nissan Pathfinder riddled with bullets off the side of Mexican Federal Highway 2, approximately 21 miles south of the border community of Sonoyta.
The two women, one holding dual-U.S.-Mexican citizenship and the second a permanent resident, were reportedly on their way to Caborca, Sonora, their hometown.
According to a Friday statement posted to X from the Sonora Attorney General’s Office (Fiscalía de Sonora), “The incident was reported at 10:30 a.m. on Friday, August 23, when two lifeless women were reported, from Arizona and originally from Caborca, where they were headed, identified as Enedina ‘N,’ 72 years old, and Ubaldina ‘N,’ 82, inside a white Nissan Pathfinder vehicle, which had bullet impacts and had overturned at kilometer 221+500 of the aforementioned road.”
The authorities reported that investigators and from SEDENA and National Guard officers located a navy blue 2023 Ford F150, which had been reported stolen near the town of Quitovac, with “90 caliber 7.62×39 cartridges, three caliber 7.62×39 magazines, 22 rifle magazines, three ballistic vests and four AK-47 caliber 7.62×39 rifles.” The Mexican authorities noted that the “probable criminals” are still at large. According to Reuters, the particular stretch of Federal Highway 2, “is infamous for violence and the trafficking of migrants searching for better opportunities and security in the United States.”
Prosecutors for the Sonora AG’s Office said, “Security forces from three levels of government immediately initiated an operation to locate and arrest the criminal group responsible, with the support of specialized air and ground forces.” The Biden-Harris Administration’s Department of State told USA Today through a spokesman that U.S. authorities “are closely monitoring the situation.” The spokesman told the outlet, “We extend our deepest condolences to the family and loved ones of the deceased. We have no further comment at this time.”
Arizona outlet 12News reportedly spoke to the son of one of the victims on condition of anonymity Friday evening. He revealed that not only had his mother and aunt perished in the horrific attack, but their third sister had also recently perished from cancer. “My mother and my aunt were taken away violently from us,” he told reporters. “They were great people… they were great, loving grandmothers who loved to help their family and their community.”
The son told 12News that his mother and aunt lived in Phoenix but also owned homes in Mexico and would travel back and forth to visit family and vacation.
“This was so tragic, so shocking, that somebody like my mom and my aunt would be victims of such a crime,” he added. “Because they were just completely innocent people who just happened to travel the area.”
The son provided additional details of the sisters’ horrific deaths. He explained that his mother, who had been driving, was apparently shot in the head while the vehicle was moving at a high speed and died instantly, while his aunt was fatally injured when the vehicle left the road and rolled several times dying trapped in the wreck.
“This is tragic. Graphic. It just tears at the heart,” he said. “And not a single family member has received any information other than what they’ve actually seen on the news, and that’s also a tragic part of the story.”
He also told reporters, “Nobody has told us what is going on with the ongoing investigation. We don’t know anything about the investigation. They haven’t told us any arrests or any leads.”
The son said he feels that the brutal murder was a case of “wrong place, wrong time,” with the outlet noting that the attack took place in broad daylight, and the sisters appeared to be following guidelines given to U.S. tourists traveling in Mexico.
The son lamented, “The crime that is happening there, what happened to my mother and my aunt… it’s just not a recent thing, this has been going on for decades.” He continued, “There’s been a war on drugs since I was a little kid… I’ve heard it a million times. But it’s still going on. It’s still killing innocent people. It’s still killing grandmas. It’s devastating to the community, to the surviving members, and we don’t have an answer.”
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 Daniel Stefanski | Sep 3, 2024 | Education, News
By Daniel Stefanski |
Arizona’s largest county is taking action to support vulnerable youth.
Earlier this month, the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors approved $150,000 for students who are coming out of foster care. The government funding will go to HopeTech, which according to the release from the County, “is the first program of its kind in Arizona, combining housing and support services for foster youth with career training at a Career Technical Education District (CTED) campus.”
HopeTech has been constructed at East Valley Institute of Technology (EVIT). It is a residence hall with 64 beds.
“Investing in our young people as they transition out of foster care is an investment in the future of our communities,” said Vice Chairman Thomas Galvin, who represents District 2 on the Board of Supervisors. “Workforce training provides them with important, economically viable skills, and the opportunity to build a stable, successful life.”
“The generous support from Maricopa County is more than a financial gift,” said EVIT Superintendent Dr. Chad Wilson. “It provides students with additional resources and support needed to step confidently into adulthood and onto a pathway towards independence and prosperity. We are deeply grateful for this investment into these students’ futures.”
Maricopa County’s release reveals that the county “will provide funding to EVIT for furniture and appliances, transportation items to allow greater ease of accessing the 65+ acre property and transporting youth to appointments and trainings, and recreational courts and equipment to provide youth with opportunities for physical activities.”
The communication from the County shares that “officials are hopeful that this program can serve as a model to be replicated in other CTEDs across the state and technical schools nationwide.”
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Daniel Stefanski | Sep 3, 2024 | News
By Daniel Stefanski |
An Arizona-based national organization is highlighting stories of famous Americans.
American Encore has started a series to showcase the “stories of exceptional Americans who have experienced their own path in the pursuit for perfection.”
The first three stories from American Encore are those of Abraham Lincoln, Alice Marie Johnson, and Damien Patton.
Sean Noble, the President of American Encore, said, “There has been a lot of criticism of our nation, its founders, and our history. People tend to forget that our founding documents talk about an aspiration of ‘a more perfect union.’ We are a country that strives to do better and better over time, and I think we need to recognize that we have in fact gotten better.”
Noble added, “But the nation doesn’t get better without the people getting better, so we wanted to tell individual stories about getting better to encapsulate that theme. We hope that it will inspire people to face their challenges and improve themselves, while demanding better leaders as well.”
In its showcase of Lincoln, American Encore writes, “If Lincoln had completely surrendered after any of his many political defeats, the United States may have disintegrated during or after the Civil War, altering the course of our entire planet. Yet because of his legendary perseverance and strength, Lincoln’s story still inspires millions of people around the globe.”
In its showcase of Johnson, American Encore writes, “From start to present, Alice has proven she embodies the power of second chances, bringing a steady stream of light to those around her as a force for good.”
And in its showcase of Patton, American Encore writes, “As an entrepreneur, engineer, and founder of Banjo, his groundbreaking work in real-time detection has left a lasting impact across multiple industries. Patton’s journey, characterized by both professional triumphs and personal transformation, is the quintessential picture of American grit.”
The organization promotes itself as “dedicated to helping our nation and its leaders rise to the test and to confront these challenges,” which it identifies as “the expansion of government bureaucracy, an assault on free enterprise, and challenges to America’s defense of freedom and democracy around the globe.” American Encore promises to “defend freedom, promote free markets, work to expand economic opportunity, and make the case for the American ideals of liberty and democracy, both at home and abroad.”
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Matthew Holloway | Sep 2, 2024 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
In a letter sent on August 15th, the Conservative Political Action Conference, or CPAC Foundation, told Secretary of State Adrian Fontes and Attorney General Kris Mayes that they wish to conduct conversations with both of them to establish guidelines for volunteers to monitor ballot drop boxes for the 2024 election. The reception to the overture from CPAC Chairman Matt Schlapp and Vice Chairman Bill Walton was described as “frosty” by AZCentral on Friday.
In the letter from CPAC, Schlapp and Walton wrote, “The purpose of our letter is not to relitigate the 2020 elections. Rather we hope to work with you to reduce voter concerns regarding election fraud and the fair and transparent administration of elections.”
They added, “The goal is to establish standards for drop box observation that our organization as well as any other interested parties on the right or left, can rely upon and reassure the public in Arizona that drop boxes are not being fraudulently used.”
“Failure to do so risks that the results of the November elections will be questioned by those who did not support the winning candidate,” they warned.
As AZCentral reports, the response from Mayes and Fontes, both Democrats and both controversially involved in the 2020 and 2022 contested elections, was unmistakably negative. The outlet reported that the two elected officials claimed the CPAC letter was not sent in good faith and accused CPAC of fueling public skepticism in the security of Arizona’s elections.
Aaron Thacker, communications director for the Fontes, told reporters, “To come out and pretend like you recognize the problem and that you want to help is so disingenuous when you’re a part of the problem.” Thacker even added that CPAC should have started by asking for forgiveness from the Democrats saying, “They need to lead with a mea culpa, not pointing fingers.”
In a statement to the Arizona Republic, Mayes indicated she would be open to working with CPAC, provided that the group made a statement conceding the Democrat talking point that it is an “indisputable fact” that the 2020 and 2022 elections in Arizona were fairly conducted.
She further indicated that she would not allow CPAC to utilize open-source data to verify the identity of people ballot monitors suspect of committing voter fraud. “I want to be extremely clear that I will not stand for any voter intimidation, and that includes using ‘open-source’ information to identify individuals using a drop box to vote,” she told AZCentral.
Schlapp explained CPAC’s objectives in a reply to inquiries from The Washington Post via X on August 22nd:
“With the election less than 90 days away, we have reached out to state officials in both parties. Our goal is to ensure voters have confidence in the fairness in the system. That means the voting procedures must be transparent, with checks and balances in place so that Americans can have great confidence in the actual winner.
As a part of this process, we have identified unmonitored boxes as one area that undermines people’s faith in fair elections. Hence, we have been planning on a program like this for an extended period of time for states that have failed to establish robust protocols for monitoring drop boxes. Unfortunately, many states still have not detailed a clear, transparent and effective process to address the vulnerabilities of unmonitored drop boxes.”
Speaking to WaPo, Fontes claimed, “The whole thing is an absurd sham to cover up direct efforts to intimidate voters by a bunch of CPAC-recruited vigilantes to intimidate voters — and we absolutely will not be cooperating with them.”
Schlapp concluded, “We hope every person who has a lawful right to vote will have confidence their vote will be counted and protected. Every illegitimate vote – unlawful for a myriad of reasons including voting more than once, voting by those in the U.S. illegally, or votes of deceased persons somehow making it to the ballot box – violates the principle of one person, one legal vote. CPAC is committed to playing a responsible role in making certain all legal citizens have the chance to vote — no matter who they want to vote for – and have it count equally.”
As previously reported by AZ Free News, Democrats have expressed concerns after the Arizona Free Enterprise Club (AFEC) prevailed in court with Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Jennifer Ryan-Touhill ruling the 2023 Elections Procedures Manual unconstitutional. The ruling has effectively cleared the way for CPAC’s monitoring efforts, constrained only by the existing 75ft. exclusion area in Arizona statute.
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.
