by Matthew Holloway | Aug 23, 2025 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
Congressman Eli Crane announced that the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), under President Trump, is offering low-interest federal disaster loans to help businesses, nonprofits, and tribal nations recover from the devastating 2025 wildfires. The loans respond to the Dragon Bravo and White Sage fires, which scorched the Northern Rim of the Grand Canyon and the Kaibab Plateau in Northern Arizona.
The federal disaster declaration, issued by the SBA on August 13th, covers the Arizona counties of Coconino, Gila, Mohave, Navajo, and Yavapai, as well as the tribal nations of the Navajo Nation, Hopi Tribe, Havasupai Tribe, Hualapai Tribe, and San Juan Southern Paiute Tribe.
According to a press release from the SBA, “The loan amount can be up to $2 million with interest rates as low as 4% for businesses and 3.625% for PNPs with terms up to 30 years. Interest does not accrue, and payments are not due until 12 months from the date of the first loan disbursement. The SBA sets loan amounts and terms based on each applicant’s financial condition.”
The administration clarified that the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) is available to eligible businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, nurseries, and PNPs with financial losses directly related to the disaster. However, the administration noted it is “unable to provide disaster loans to agricultural producers, farmers, or ranchers, except for aquaculture enterprises.”
The SBA explained that the purpose of the loans is “for working capital needs caused by the disaster, and are available even if the business did not suffer any physical damage. They may be used to pay fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable, and other bills that could have been paid had the disaster not occurred.”
As of this report, the Dragon Bravo fire has burned over 145,000 acres and is 62% contained. It has cut a swath of destruction from the north rim of the Grand Canyon northward along both sides of Arizona State Route 67 for about 12 miles and then along the east side of the State Route for nearly another twenty miles, leaving a scar almost 16 miles wide at its widest point.
The White Sage fire has burned nearly 59,000 acres and is 95% contained after spreading in a widening eastward arc from White Sage flat through the Kaibab National Forest toward Coyote Valley.
In July, Governor Katie Hobbs met with Trump administration officials, including Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum, to coordinate with federal authorities on the Dragon Bravo wildfire, days after Congressman Paul Gosar (R-AZ09) joined a growing bipartisan coalition of Arizona leaders calling for an investigation into it. The fire claimed the historic Grand Canyon Lodge along with 50-80 other structures in the area in mid-July.
For more information about the SBA EID loans or to apply, please click here, call SBA’s Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955, or email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov.
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 22, 2025 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
Social media commentator Chaya Raichik’s Libs of TikTok account is calling for charges against current Phoenix City Councilwoman and former Arizona State Senator Anna Hernandez (D) after she allegedly posted a warning threatening the security of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents and interfering with their legal operations.
In a now-deleted post, screen-captured by Libs of TikTok, Hernandez allegedly wrote, “ALERT/ALERTA” and provided an address in Phoenix where ICE Agents were observed to be operating, along with the main cross streets. She wrote, “ICE IS PRESENT/LA MIGRA ESTÁ PRESENTE” and provided a phone number for a “línea de Defensa” or line of defense, which traces back to the Puente Human Rights Movement, an illegal immigrant advocacy organization.
Libs of TikTok wrote, “Anna Hernandez (D), a Former Arizona State Senator and current Phoenix Councilwoman, made a post on her Instagram doxxing ICE’s live location. She’s interfering with ICE and helping criminal illegals evade arrest. Charge her.”
In a follow-up video post to the platform, Hernandez advised her followers to “resist by:”
- “Demanding transparency from our new police chief
- Forcing MCSO to cut ties with ICE
- Investing in care, not criminalization
- Protecting each other at the neighborhood level”
She wrote that President Donald Trump “federalized D.C.’s police — even though violent crime is at a 30-year low. He deployed the National Guard, swept through historically Black neighborhoods, and targeted residents experiencing homelessness.”
She then claimed, “We’re already seeing PPD violate the rights of unhoused people and put immigrants at risk of deportation. A Trump takeover of PPD would only escalate this violence.
As recently as May, Hernandez was organizing demonstrations against ICE at Arizona’s federal immigration court in Phoenix, writing, “ICE is back, making arrests at Phoenix courts. Community with safe status, it’s time to stand up and make our voices heard!”
The allegations against Hernandez came just days after Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem was forced to relocate her personal residence due to increased threats to her person and family, along with “vicious doxxing,” described by a Homeland Security spokesman to Fox News.
“Following the media’s publishing of the location of Secretary Noem’s Washington D.C. apartment, she has faced vicious doxxing on the dark web and a surge in death threats, including from the terrorist organizations, cartels, and criminal gangs that DHS targets. Due to threats and security concerns, she has been forced to temporarily stay in secure military housing,” Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said.
“Secretary Noem continues to pay rent for her Navy Yard residence,” she added. “It’s a shame that the media chooses sensationalism over the safety of people enforcing America’s laws to keep Americans safe.”
In July, ICE officers reported a massive increase in assaults, according to a memo sent by U.S. Homeland Security, with extremist groups targeting ICE personnel and their families through similar coordinated doxxing.
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 | Aug 22, 2025 | News
By Ethan Faverino |
On August 6, 2025, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) sent letters to manufacturers, importers, and distributors of unapproved animal-derived thyroid medications, notifying them of the agency’s intent to take enforcement action due to concerns over safety, potency, and dosing consistency.
These medications, derived from dried animals’ thyroid glands, are used by an estimated 1.5 million patients in the U.S. but are not FDA-approved, unlike synthetic alternatives like levothyroxine, which serve approximately 22 million patients.
The agency has allowed a 12-month transition period for patients to switch to FDA-approved medications.
Earlier this week, Congressman Abe Hamadeh (AZ-08) issued a formal inquiry to Dr. Martin Makary, Commissioner of the FDA, seeking clarity on recent agency actions that could restrict access to desiccated thyroid medications such as Armour Thyroid, NP Thyroid, Nature-Thyroid, and Natural Thyroid, which are critical for many patients managing hypothyroidism.
In his letter to Dr. Makary, Congressman Hamadeh emphasized the concerns of his constituents, particularly the veterans and seniors in Arizona’s 8th Congressional District, who rely on desiccated thyroid medications for effective treatment.
“Many of these patients have found desiccated thyroid medications to be more effective than synthetic alternatives for managing their thyroid conditions,” said Hamadeh. “Any disruption to their treatment regimens could have serious health consequences and undermine the doctor-patient relationship.”
Congressman Hamadeh requested that the FDA provide answers by September 5, 2025, to the following questions:
- What specific actions, if any, is the FDA taking regarding desiccated thyroid medications like Armour Thyroid?
- What evidence supports any potential restrictions on these long-established medications that have been safely used for decades?
- Has the FDA conducted a comprehensive analysis of how any restrictions would affect patients who rely on these medications?
- If restrictions are being considered, what steps will the FDA take to ensure patients maintain access to effective thyroid treatment options?
Congressman Hamadeh continued to state, “This issue reflects broader concerns about federal agency overreach into medical decisions that should remain between patients and their physicians. The FDA’s primary mission should be ensuring drug safety and efficacy, not unnecessarily restricting access to medications with established track records of safety and effectiveness.”
Dr. Makary has already responded to the backlash and public concerns via X (Twitter), stating that the “FDA is committed to pursuing the first-ever approval of desiccated thyroid extract, pending results of the ongoing clinical trials. In the meantime, we will ensure access for all Americans.”
Ethan Faverino is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Jonathan Eberle | Aug 21, 2025 | News
By Jonathan Eberle |
The Fredonia Fire Department has been awarded a $10,000 grant through the Good Neighbor Firefighter Safety Program, a national initiative from State Farm and the National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC).
The program, now in its second year, distributed a total of $1.5 million to 150 volunteer fire departments in 44 states. The announcement came on August 18, which is recognized as Volunteer Firefighters Recognition Day.
Volunteer firefighters make up about 65 percent of the U.S. fire service and often serve in rural or small-town communities with limited budgets. The grants are designed to help departments purchase equipment that enhances safety and emergency response capabilities, including protective gear, medical and rescue tools, and communication devices.
“Firefighting and rescue equipment is expensive, and many departments struggle to find the funding they need,” said NVFC Chair Steve Hirsch. “These grants from State Farm enable small departments to secure equipment they need to be better prepared to serve their communities and protect their responders.”
Rasheed Merritt, State Farm’s corporate responsibility assistant vice president, emphasized the company’s commitment to public safety. “We are proud to support volunteer firefighters – the ultimate good neighbors who risk their lives daily,” Merritt said.
In addition to the financial awards, State Farm provided free NVFC memberships to the first 2,000 eligible applicants, offering volunteer responders access to training, resources, and support services.
Since launching in 2024, the Good Neighbor Firefighter Safety Program has distributed $2.5 million to 250 departments nationwide. This fall, State Farm and the NVFC will participate in community engagement events with 10 of the grant recipients, which could include fire prevention activities, parades, or open houses.
Jonathan Eberle is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Matthew Holloway | Aug 21, 2025 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
A letter from Solicitor General of the United States D. John Sauer to the Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Mike Johnson has revealed that the Department of Justice is prepared to defend the removal of former Voice of America (VOA) Director Michael Abramowitz from his position. Abramowitz’s removal was ordered by Acting Chief Executive Officer of the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM) Kari Lake.
The letter sets a clear argument that restrictions under 22 U.S.C. 6205(e)(l) against Abramowitz’s termination for cause under 5 U.S.C. § 7543, are rendered unconstitutional by Article II § 2 Clause 2.
Solicitor General Sauer explained the restriction against Abramowitz’s termination writing, “The head of Voice of America, an inferior executive officer, is appointed by the Chief Executive Officer of the United States Agency for Global Media. See 22 U.S.C. 6205(e)(l). A federal statute provides that the Chief Executive Officer may remove the head of Voice of America only with the approval of the Independent Broadcasting Advisory Board.”
The Solicitor General then laid out the legal position of the administration that the DOJ “will file in defense of the removal of Michael Abramowitz from that office.”
He wrote:
“Under Article II, inferior executive officers must be removable at will by the President or by a department head acting on the President’s behalf. See Seila Law LLC v. CFPB, 591 U.S. 197, 215 (2020).
“The Supreme Court has recognized only one narrow exception to that ‘general rule.’ Ibid. That exception extends, at most, to certain domestic inferior officers ‘with limited duties and no policymaking or administrative authority.’ Id. at 218.
“The head of Voice of America falls outside that exception. Among other things, he exercises significant policymaking or administrative authority in supervising Voice of America, and Voice of America’s activities implicate the President’s authority to manage foreign affairs.”
Sauer added that this opinion is supported by the precedent set in Seila Law LLC v. CFPB, 591 U.S. 197, 215 (2020) in which the Supreme Court ruling penned by Justice Robers is clear: “In our constitutional system, the executive power belongs to the President, and that power generally includes the ability to supervise and remove the agents who wield executive power in his stead. While we have previously upheld limits on the President’s removal authority in certain contexts, we decline to do so when it comes to principal officers who, acting alone, wield significant executive power. The Constitution requires that such officials remain dependent on the President, who in turn is accountable to the people.”
In short, it is the Solicitor General’s legal opinion that because of the unique, Congressionally-mandated duty of Voice of America to carry out foreign policy objectives and the significant authority the VOA Director has over them, the President and his appointed Acting Chief Executive Officer, Kari Lake, must have the power to appoint and remove personnel from the agency at will to satisfy the President’s duties under the Constitution as vested by Congress: “the Appointment of such inferior Officers, as they think proper, in the President alone, in the Courts of Law, or in the Heads of Departments.”
As previously reported by AZ Free News, Abramowitz was informed of his dismissal after he declined reassignment to the agency’s Edward R. Murrow Transmitting Station of the International Broadcasting Bureau in Greenville, NC, and that the USAGM maintains “the Chief Executive Officer, acting on the President’s behalf, may lawfully remove the Voice of America Director, an inferior officer.”
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 20, 2025 | News
By Jonathan Eberle |
Lawmakers on the Arizona Senate Health and Human Services Committee held a tense hearing Monday as state officials faced questions over one of the largest Medicaid fraud scandals in state history, a scheme that exploited the American Indian Health Program and cost taxpayers an estimated $2.8 billion.
Committee Chair Sen. Carine Werner (R-LD4) opened the hearing by describing the fraud as “staggering” and said it exposed major lapses in licensing, monitoring, and fiscal safeguards. She noted that while corrective actions have been taken, the state’s response has sometimes harmed legitimate providers through delayed payments and abrupt regulatory shifts.
Officials from the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS), the state’s Medicaid agency, outlined how fraudulent providers recruited vulnerable Native Americans into unlicensed sober living homes. Investigators reported that some individuals were lured with alcohol or drugs, their Medicaid identification numbers used to bill the state for services never provided. In many cases, patients were moved repeatedly between facilities, deprived of food and basic necessities, and in some instances locked inside rooms. The schemes often involved “ghost billing,” duplicate charges, and shell companies.
Marcus Johnson, a deputy director at AHCCCS, told senators the abuse centered on the American Indian Health Program, a fee-for-service system that was exploited between 2020 and 2023. Spending through the program jumped from $84 million to $372 million in just three years, with average monthly costs per patient tripling. Johnson said the agency has since suspended payments to 327 providers and instituted stricter verification of tribal status to prevent non-eligible individuals from being enrolled.
Inspector General Vanessa Templeman detailed the human toll of the fraud. Her teams encountered patients living out of trash bags, denied medical choice, and stripped of personal belongings by facility operators. “Most disturbingly,” she said, “we have seen patients denied informed consent and locked in unsafe conditions.” Templeman emphasized her office has referred multiple cases to law enforcement and continues to work seven days a week investigating suspected abuse.
In response, AHCCCS described reforms that include pre-payment claim reviews, new documentation requirements, temporary provider enrollment moratoriums, and technology upgrades designed to detect suspicious billing patterns more quickly. Officials said the agency has fielded more than 36,000 calls through a dedicated victim hotline and provided emergency lodging to thousands displaced by fraudulent operators.
Despite these efforts, lawmakers pressed for answers on accountability. Chair Werner repeatedly asked who signed off on payments, including $650 million allegedly funneled to an individual in Pakistan. Johnson declined to provide specifics, citing ongoing litigation. Senators voiced frustration, with Werner warning that unanswered questions were unacceptable to taxpayers, providers, and patients still suffering the consequences.
Some members also raised concerns about the impact of heightened scrutiny on legitimate behavioral health providers. Senator Shope noted that reimbursement rates have not been updated in a decade, even as costs have risen, and questioned whether the appeals process for suspended providers is fair. AHCCCS officials maintained that due process is in place, pointing to 104 suspensions that were later rescinded after providers demonstrated compliance.
As the hearing closed, Werner pledged continued oversight, stressing that Arizona must both restore public trust and ensure that fraud prevention measures do not destabilize access to care. “We owe it to the people of Arizona,” she said, “to break the cycle of harm and build a behavioral health system that is transparent and resilient.”
Jonathan Eberle is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
