Last month, Treasurer Kimberly Yee shared that her office had “increased Israel bond holdings by $5 million.” The announcement from the Arizona Treasurer’s Office came about a month after Yee promised the increased commitment in the days following the horrific terrorist attack from Hamas in southern Israel on October 7.
Arizona Treasurer Kimberly Yee announced a $5 million investment in Israel bond holdings, which brings @AZTreasury Israel bond holdings to $20 million by December 1, 2023.
— Office of the Arizona State Treasurer (@AZTreasury) November 17, 2023
“As Arizona’s Treasurer, I remain committed to supporting the State of Israel not only through my words, but through my actions. This $5 million investment in Israel supports Israel’s economic recovery while providing our taxpayers reliable returns,” said Arizona Treasurer Kimberly Yee. “Israel has been a longtime friend and ally of Arizona and the United States. We must stand resolute with Israel.”
According to the Arizona Treasurer’s Office, “Israel bonds serve as an investment option for individuals, institutions and nations worldwide to support the economic growth and stability of the State of Israel. Investments in Israeli bonds offer both reliable financial returns and contribute to Israel’s economic and strategic well-being.”
“The State of Arizona’s support for Israel is remarkable, and it aligns with the immediate response to the war in Israel across many U.S. states during this crucial period for the Jewish state,” said Israel Bonds President and CEO Dani Naveh. “At a time when Israel is under attack, investments in Israel bonds represent the most powerful and direct way to stand with the State of Israel and its people. This message from the people of Arizona to the people of Israel is unmistakable: You are not alone.”
The second-term Republican Treasurer has been a staunch supporter of Israel throughout her time in public service, using her platform and her office to stand with the American ally to the full extent of her authority. During her first term, Yee led the efforts to become “the first state in the country to enforce Anti-BDS laws (Boycotts of Israel) by divesting $143 million from Unilever, the parent company of Ben & Jerry’s, in response to the company ending distribution of its products in parts of Israel.”
In 2022, Treasurer Yee also notified Morningstar Inc. that they were at risk of being placed on the Arizona Treasury’s prohibited investment list for violating Arizona law by actively boycotting the State of Israel. Yee said, “It is my duty to defend Arizona’s anti-BDS law and I will ensure that Arizona does not do business with companies that are attempting to undermine Israel’s economy.”
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
Arizona’s chief law enforcement officer has taken several, alleged Christmas grinches out of commission.
Late last week, Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes announced that her office “in partnership with the Arizona Retailers Association and with the help of law enforcement partners, seized thousands of cloned gift cards and other merchandise.” Mayes’ coalition also arrested eight people “as part of an alleged scheme to defraud retailers and consumers.”
Scammers are cloning gift cards, acting like the Grinch and taking your holiday gifts.
The law enforcement blitz and subsequent arrests come at a time where consumers would be more vulnerable to gift card and merchandise fraud during their frenzied holiday shopping.
In a statement to accompany her announcement, Mayes said, “The agents and investigators that make up the Organized Retail Theft Task Force in the Attorney General’s Office have demonstrated our commitment to protecting Arizonans from fraud by uncovering this complex gift card cloning scam. The successful seizure of thousands of cloned cards and the arrest of several individuals reflects my office’s unwavering dedication to stopping organized retail theft across Arizona.”
Mayes added her appreciation for the members of her coalition, saying, “I am grateful for the support the Arizona Retailer’s Association and our law enforcement partners provided to the Attorney General’s Office in this operation. Together, we will pursue and stop criminals engaged in these activities wherever they occur in our state.”
According to the Arizona Attorney General’s Office, “gift card cloning happens when fraudsters take gift cards from stores, copy the magnetic strips, and return the copied gift cards to store shelves. When a consumer buys the card, the fraudster uses the copied magnetic strip to drain the funds leaving the consumer with a worthless card.”
Tips from Mayes’ office include the following:
Consumers can avoid being defrauded by double-checking to ensure that the number on the back of any gift card matches the number on the receipt. If the numbers do not match, that is a sign the card has been cloned.
Consumers should also look for signs of tampering, such as stickers placed over activation codes or damage to packaging or faint scratches on the card from being swiped through a card reader.
For extra precaution, consumers may consider purchasing gift cards stored behind the counter or near cash registers.
The Organized Retail Crime Task Force was established under the previous administration of Republican Mark Brnovich. In December 2021, Brnovich wrote an opinion piece for the Wall Street Journal, warning would-be criminals of his office’s efforts to investigate and prosecute these offenses – especially in the wake of the lawlessness in Arizona’s neighboring state to the west. He wrote, “As Arizona’s attorney general, I have refused to capitulate to the lawless mob…We expect our efforts will deter such theft and hope our task force becomes a model for California and other states.”
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
The Tucson Border Sector continues to attract a record number of illegal immigrants.
Late last week, John Modlin, the Chief Patrol Agent of the U.S. Border Patrol’s Tucson Sector, reported that there were 18,900 apprehensions in his sector in just one week.
Week in Review… 18,900 Apprehensions 145 Federal Criminal Cases 15 Rescues 10 Human Smuggling Events 6 Narcotics Events 2 Firearms Seized
Ali Bradley, a Network Correspondent for NewsNation, highlighted that this eyepopping number was an increase over the previous week’s record of 17,500 for the sector.
AZ: 18,900 apprehended by Border Patrol alone last week—Compare this to what @USBPChiefTCA reported last week of 17,500 which was a record high—The majority entering illegally through cuts in the wall in Lukeville which is where we have been reporting from for the last two… https://t.co/swm9aNBS96pic.twitter.com/Xc3JavvYyo
Bradley also reported that most of these aliens have been “entering illegally through cuts in the wall in Lukeville.” Lukeville has become the epicenter of the border crisis in recent months, with thousands of individuals pouring through openings in the border fence, which have largely been procured by smugglers on the Mexican side.
Another journalist, Bill Melugin from Fox News, shared CBP’s revelations that “an average of 5,000 illegal immigrants are being released into the US every day, and that there were 670,000 known gotaways recorded in FY’23” in addition to “150+ countries encountered since 10/1.”
NEW: In a private briefing yesterday, CBP told lawmakers an average of 5,000 illegal immigrants are being released into the US every day, and that there were 670,000 known gotaways recorded in FY’23, FOX has learned. 150+ countries encountered since 10/1. https://t.co/3ShHh99ndi
Arizona Legislators have long been outraged at the lack of action on the border, and the reactions to this fresh round of numbers were no different. House Majority Leader Leo Biasiucci wrote, “Enough is enough with this border shit show. It’s time Arizona grants arresting powers, & the authority to carry, to all 5000 Arizona National Guard @ the border. Take over border duties with local Sheriff’s. Arrest, load them up, and deport them immediately. 10th Amendment!!!”
Enough is enough with this border shit show. It’s time Arizona grants arresting powers, & the authority to carry, to all 5000 Arizona National Guard @ the border. Take over border duties with local Sheriff’s. Arrest, load them up, and deport them immediately. 10th Amendment!!! 🇺🇸 https://t.co/6WRCVnV19D
Representative Joseph Chaplik stated, “Democrats don’t care. Where are they in AZ calling for this to stop? Doing something in a week from now doesn’t help. Damage is done.”
Democrats don’t care. Where are they in AZ calling for this to stop? Doing something in a week from now doesn’t help. Damage is done. #azleg#arizona@GovernorHobbs
The skyrocketing apprehensions have created chaos and alarm bells throughout government at all jurisdictions, in large part, due to what law enforcement isn’t encountering. Thanks to CBP agents being pulled off the lines to help process overwhelming numbers of arrests, cartels and smugglers can run ‘gotaways’ and deadly drugs – including loads of fentanyl – through other, unmanned areas. In the past fiscal year, a record number of suspected terrorists were apprehended at the border (169), leading many to question how many other dangerous people are slipping through the cracks and into the interior of the homeland.
Officials also have seized a rising amount of drugs at the open border, which according to reports, may only be 5-10% of the total numbers being smuggled into the United States. The Tucson Sector is one of the nation’s most prolific drug smuggling corridors.
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
Arizona’s top two legislative Republicans are standing for the Second Amendment.
Last week, Arizona Senate President Warren Petersen and House Speaker Ben Toma joined a public comment letter to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) on its newly proposed rule, Definition of “Engaged in the Business as a Dealer in Firearms.”
Petersen and Toma signed on to a letter, which was led by the States of Kansas, Iowa, and Montana – and co-signed by 22 attorneys general of other states. Those States were Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wyoming.
In a statement to AZ Free News, Petersen explained the importance of his signature on this letter, saying, “This is a radical and dangerous proposed rule. You shouldn’t need to be licensed as a firearms dealer to sell a gun to family and friends. In the absence of our Arizona Attorney General defending our citizens’ constitutional rights, I believe it’s imperative state lawmakers push back against this bureaucratic infringement on lawful gun ownership.”
Toma also told AZ Free News, “I am thankful and appreciative for the opportunity to sign on to the letter. Arizona Attorney General Mayes has not expressed any interest in safeguarding Arizonans’ gun rights protected by the Second Amendment. So I felt that it was my duty as the Speaker of the Arizona House of Representatives to speak up for all Arizonans against the Biden Administration’s unconstitutional proposed rule.”
According to the agency, the U.S. Attorney General “signed ATF’s notice of proposed rulemaking, which proposes to amend ATF’s regulations to implement the provisions of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (BSCA), enacted on June 25, 2022.” Specifically, the proposed regulation would “incorporate the BSCA’s definition ‘predominantly earn a profit,’ creating a stand-alone definition of ‘terrorism,’ and amending the definitions of ‘principal objective of livelihood and profit’ and ‘engaged in the business’ to ensure each conforms with the BSCA’s statutory changes and can be relied on by the public.”
The Arizona legislators concurred with the arguments that the proposed rule “violates the Second Amendment, is arbitrary and capricious, and is bad public policy.” The signatories wrote in their comment letter that “this overreach is both shocking and unconstitutional. Although longstanding regulations of large commercial enterprises that sell firearms might be consistent with the Second Amendment, that is not what this proposed rule does. This proposed rule seeks to require a license of every individual who sells a firearm for anything the Bureau sees as a profit to include currency, exchange of another firearm, or a service.”
They added, “If the Bureau was serious about combatting violent crime, it would focus on enforcing the laws that are already on the books to hold violent criminals accountable for their actions. That would be the type of work that could save lives. Unfortunately, the Bureau has instead targeted innocent people who sell firearms. That is not only unlawful but wrong and the Bureau must change course.”
On March 14, President Joe Biden issued an Executive Order, directing members of his cabinet – the Attorney General, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, the Secretary of Education, and the Secretary of Homeland Security to “submit a report to the President within 60 days…describing what actions their respective agencies have taken to implement the Act, data, and analysis regarding the use and early effects of the Act, and additional steps their respective agencies will take to maximize the benefits of the Act.” On May 14, President Biden announced “13 actions his cabinet has taken or will take to maximize the benefits of the legislation, including new steps to keep guns out of dangerous hands, ensure BSCA’s mental health funding helps those dealing with the grief and trauma resulting from gun violence, make our schools safer, and expand community violence interventions.”
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
On Tuesday, the Arizona Supreme Court held oral arguments on the state’s two conflicting abortion bans in the case Planned Parenthood et al v. Kristin Mayes/Hazelrigg.
The court is determining the fate of two conflicting laws: the total abortion ban outlawing all but life-saving abortions, in existence prior to Arizona achieving statehood with versions dating back to Arizona’s first laws as a territory in 1864, and the 2022 ban restricting abortions to 15 weeks’ gestation except in cases of medical emergency. The latter law was codified just months before the Supreme Court overturnedRoe v. Wade in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization.
Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes, who has refused to defend the pre-statehood ban, declared the day before the oral arguments that the ban would relegate Arizonans to a lesser, premodern society.
“Arizonans cannot be shoved back to the 1860s,” said Mayes.
Tomorrow, the Arizona Supreme Court will hear arguments on the harmonization of two conflicting statutes on abortion. The consequences of this case are huge. Arizonans cannot be shoved back to the 1860s. https://t.co/rrfc7wI5AJ
Gov. Katie Hobbs encouraged voters to sign the ballot petition to legalize all abortion up to birth.
If you’re as outraged as I am that there’s a possibility for a Civil War-era abortion ban to go into effect in 2023, then take action right now and sign the petition to put a right to abortion on Arizona’s ballot next November by going to https://t.co/ZYodddLbWGpic.twitter.com/9NqlGdl3fX
Stepping up to defend the pre-statehood ban in Mayes’ stead and first to speak during Tuesday’s oral arguments was Jake Warner, an attorney with the Scottsdale-based conservative Christian legal organization, Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF).
Warner proposed that a certain continuity exists between the pre-statehood ban, which the court referred to as the “territorial law,” and the 2022 ban limiting abortions to 15 weeks’ gestation.
Per Warner, the pre-statehood ban imposes a certain authority on the 2022 statute: all abortions prior to 15 weeks must be life-saving, and that abortions after 15 weeks must not only be life-saving but based on a medical emergency. Warner said that the language of the 2022 statute gave express direction to give deference to the pre-statehood ban.
Chief Justice Robert Brutinel and Vice Chief Justice Ann Timmer didn’t appear convinced of the argument. The pair indicated that physicians would be confused by the two statutes.
"Arizona’s law affirms that life is a human right. I am hopeful that the court will uphold this life-saving principle." – ADF's Jake Warner pic.twitter.com/YmlmnV4zvy
On the subject of ectopic pregnancies — an oft-referenced terminal condition in the abortion debate — Warner said that physicians wouldn’t be punished for their removal, since ectopic pregnancies constitute a medical emergency and their removal constitutes a life-saving measure.
Warner said that the 2022 restriction doesn’t repeal the pre-statehood abortion ban, because it created no new right to an abortion. Brutinel posited that the legislative intent with the newer law was to legalize abortion up to 15 weeks’ gestation. Warner countered that the legislature’s intent with its 2022 restriction was to ensure that it protected unborn life to the greatest extent possible.
Justice Clint Bolick questioned how the current law doesn’t conflict with the territorial ban, challenging the implication that something that wasn’t able to be prosecuted prior to Dobbs could now be prosecuted. Likewise, Brutinel said that a physician couldn’t have been prosecuted for conducting abortions under the new law. Warner responded that the language of the 2022 statute only purports to regulate terminations after 15 weeks, not before.
Counsel for Planned Parenthood Arizona, Andy Gaona, argued that the state legislature has displayed a progressive permissiveness when it comes to allowable abortions. Gaona stopped short of declaring the existence of a right to abortion at the outset of his arguments, but did declare, repeatedly, that abortion constituted a form of health care in closing.
“We have never maintained the right to an abortion exists,” said Gaona. “Abortion is health care. I’m not sure anyone has ever said that in this courtroom.”
Planned Parenthood counsel closing remarks before the Arizona Supreme Court: "Abortion is health care. I'm not sure anyone has ever said that in this courtroom." pic.twitter.com/NKh4O6fD6v
Contrary to what Warner posited, Gaona argued that the 2022 law allows abortions up to 15 weeks without prosecutions, citing the previous court of appeals decision. Timmer asked whether the state legislature would need to declare a right to an abortion in order to permit that interpretation; Gaona responded that the legislature only needs to regulate criminal conduct to do so, arguing that criminal laws allow that which they don’t criminalize.
Bolick pointed out the 2022 law specifically referenced the territorial law in its construction:
“This act does not […] Repeal, by implication or otherwise, section 13-3603, Arizona Revised Statutes, or any other applicable state law regulating or restricting abortion,” stated the provision.
Gaona disagreed. He said that the court of appeals’ harmonization of the statutes didn’t repeal the pre-statehood law, even by removing prosecution, because the 2022 law now qualifies as the criminal prohibition for elective abortions. Gaona clarified that a physician couldn’t be prosecuted under the territorial statute, but could under the 2022 law if they conduct abortions after 15 weeks.
Gaona argued that a series of statutes that aren’t self-referential or fail to include language repealing an old statute qualify as an implied repeal. Gaona said that if the legislature’s intent was to resurrect the pre-statehood ban, it should’ve stated that clearly “and it clearly didn’t do that.”
Corinne Murdock is a reporter for AZ Free News. Follow her latest on Twitter, or email tips to corinne@azfreenews.com.
Arizona’s only Jewish statewide elected official, Department of Education Superintendent Tom Horne, will testify on Tuesday morning at a House meeting concerning antisemitism in education.
Horne’s testimony will be heard by the House Ad Hoc Committee on Antisemitism in Education. Tuesday’s meeting will consist of public testimony. Chairing the committee is Rep. Neal Carter (R-LD15). The other committee members are Reps. Seth Blattman (D-LD09), Michael Carbone (R-LD25), Alma Hernandez (D-LD20), Consuelo Hernandez (D-LD21), Alexander Kolodin (R-LD03), Teresa Martinez (R-LD16), Barbara Parker (R-LD10), Jennifer Pawlik (D-LD13), Marcelino Quiñonez (D-LD11), and Julie Willoughby (R-LD13).
Horne warned last month that antisemitism is a burgeoning issue in the U.S.
“Antisemitism is rising across the country and especially on college campuses,” said Horne.
Following the escalation of the Israel-Hamas conflict with the Hamas terrorist attack in October, reports of antisemitic speech and activism in schools have became more frequent.
Last month, Horne addressed one widely publicized incident of a Desert Mountain High School club using materials from UNICEF and Amnesty International to encourage students to side with Hamas. Horne debunked various claims of pro-Palestine materials distributed by the club and its affiliates as propaganda, such as that Israel is an apartheid state and that Jewish peoples illegally obtained land in the Middle East following World War II.
“In none of this propaganda is there any reference to what happened on October 7, not a single reference. All of these kids have an obsession with libels against Israel and the Jewish people,” said Horne. “The actions of Hamas are a repetition of what happened during World War II, yet the materials that are presented by UNICEF and Amnesty International and used as propaganda in our schools make no mention of it at all.”
Hamas murdered over 1,400 innocent civilians on October 7, sparking an escalation in the Israel-Hamas conflict.
According to Horne, his parents fled Poland in September 1938, exactly one year before World War II broke out, because his father, an avid history reader, predicted that the Nazis would invade Poland. Horne shared that his father had warned his Jewish community at the time of the looming Nazi threat, but that not many listened. The remainder of the Hornes’ extended family abroad reportedly perished in the Holocaust.
“I’ve been a big advocate of teaching our students history because our immediate family survived because of my father’s knowledge of history and ability to interpret current events, and I believe that our next generation’s survival depends on their knowledge of history and their ability to interpret current events,” said Horne.
About a week later at the Arizona Board of Regents meeting, Horne turned his back on pro-Palestine protesters attempting to obtain the attention of him and other members.
Superintendent Horne will not tolerate antisemitism. When protestors started speaking in support of a terrorist organization at the Arizona Board of Regents meeting, he turned his back to hatred. pic.twitter.com/s2DTM6DSF5
The Arizona Department of Education (ADE) responded to the protest with condemnation for growing opposition to Jewish people and the defense of Hamas.
“The rise of antisemitism is alarming in our schools, and support for the terrorist group Hamas across the country can’t be accepted,” stated ADE.
Superintendent Horne's parents fled Poland in 1938. His entire extended family was murdered in the Holocaust. The rise of antisemitism is alarming in our schools, and the support for the terrorist group Hamas across the country can't be accepted. https://t.co/Sy6AOrlqYY
