Consumer prices declined on a month-to-month basis in June while annual inflation continued to moderate, according to the Joint Economic Committee’s latest Monthly Inflation Update.
The report found that the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), the government’s primary measure of inflation, fell 0.42% from May to June. On an annual basis, consumer prices were 3.53% higher than in June 2025, down from the 4.25% year-over-year inflation rate recorded in May.
Core inflation, which excludes the more volatile food and energy categories, also eased. Core CPI declined 0.02% during June and increased 2.59% over the past 12 months, marking a slowdown from the previous month’s annual rate of 2.85%.
Energy prices were a major factor in the monthly decline. The energy index fell 5.71% in June after increasing 3.88% in May. Despite the monthly decrease, energy prices remained 15.70% higher than a year ago.
Food prices continued to rise modestly, increasing 0.21% during the month and 3.01% over the past year.
Inflation continued to vary across the country. The Northeast recorded the highest annual headline inflation rate at 4.3%, followed by the Midwest at 3.8%. The South and West each posted annual inflation rates of 3.2%
The June report also showed that workers experienced modest gains in purchasing power as inflation-adjusted wages increased. Real average weekly earnings for all private-sector employees rose 0.77% from May, while real average hourly earnings increased 0.80%.
For production and nonsupervisory employees, real average weekly earnings increased 0.55% and real average hourly earnings rose 0.81%.
The Joint Economic Committee noted that “real” earnings reflect wages after adjusting for inflation making them a better indicator of workers’ purchasing power. Weekly earnings are considered a more comprehensive measure of income because they account for changes in both hourly pay and hours worked.
The report also showed inflation came in below expectations. According to forecasts from the Cleveland Federal Reserve, economists had projected monthly headline inflation of a 0.06% decline and annual inflation of 3.92%. Instead, headline CPI fell 0.42% in June and the annual rate registered 3.53%, indicating inflation cooled more than anticipated.
Compared with June 2025, annual inflation remained elevated but continued its gradual moderation. Headline inflation stood at 3.53%, food inflation at 3.01%, core inflation at 2.59%, and energy prices remained the fastest-growing component, rising 15.70% over the past year despite their sharp monthly decline.
Ethan Faverino is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
Three Arizona Democratic congressional candidates received a combined $34,600 from Jonathan Soros, the son of billionaire political donor George Soros, and his wife, Jennifer, across the 2024 and 2026 election cycles, according to Federal Election Commission records.
JoAnna Mendoza, a Democratic candidate seeking to challenge Republican Rep. Juan Ciscomani in Arizona’s Sixth Congressional District, received a combined $14,000 from Jonathan and Jennifer Soros for the 2026 election cycle. Jonathan Nez, a Democrat seeking Arizona’s Second Congressional District seat, received another $14,000 from the couple.
Dr. Amish Shah’s congressional campaign received a combined $6,600 from Jonathan and Jennifer Soros during the 2024 election cycle. Shah was the Democratic nominee in Arizona’s First Congressional District that year and is seeking the seat again in 2026.
The contributions were publicly disclosed and fall within federal campaign-finance limits. During the 2025-2026 election cycle, an individual may give a candidate committee up to $3,500 for each election, with the primary and general elections treated separately. Two married donors can therefore contribute a combined $14,000 to a candidate participating in both elections. The individual limit was $3,300 per election during the 2023-2024 cycle.
The contributions represent a smaller, more direct form of Soros family involvement than Arizona has seen in previous election cycles. In 2016, the Associated Press reported that a Soros-funded political group contributed $2.3 million in the Maricopa County sheriff’s race, supporting Democrat Paul Penzone and running advertisements against Republican incumbent Joe Arpaio. Another Soros-funded group spent $1.3 million as the sole contributor to a group opposing Republican Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery. Penzone defeated Arpaio, while Montgomery won reelection against Democrat Diego Rodriguez.
The Soros political network also spent heavily on an Arizona ballot measure during the 2024 election. State campaign-finance records show the Open Society Action Fund contributed $1,999,999 to Arizona for Abortion Access, the committee supporting Proposition 139. The measure amended the Arizona Constitution to establish a right to abortion. George Soros founded the broader Open Society Foundations network, which includes the Open Society Action Fund.
Unlike those earlier expenditures, the money given to Mendoza, Nez, and Shah was contributed directly by Jonathan and Jennifer Soros to the candidates’ authorized campaign committees and was subject to federal individual contribution limits.
Jonathan Soros is an investor who previously served as president and deputy chairman of Soros Fund Management. He is also a director of the Jennifer and Jonathan Allan Soros Foundation and has participated in Democratic and progressive political organizations.
The contributions come as Mendoza and Nez have accumulated multimillion-dollar campaign accounts ahead of Arizona’s July primary election. The NRCC highlighted the contributions on X and cited comments from Arizona Republican Party Chairman Sergio Arellano published by the Arizona Daily Independent.
Arizona Dems pocket massive Soros checks while posing as ‘working class’
“Democrats love calling themselves the party of the working class,” Arizona Republican Party Chairman Sergio Arellano observed according to the Arizona Daily Independent. “That’s funny because they seem to spend a lot more time listening to radical billionaire donors than the people actually working overtime to pay the bills. Maybe that’s why hardworking Americans aren’t buying what they’re selling anymore.”
Mendoza’s campaign reported raising approximately $7.35 million and spending about $4.09 million through July 1. The campaign ended the reporting period with approximately $3.26 million in cash on hand. Mendoza is a retired Marine and former political consultant running against Ciscomani in a district Democrats have repeatedly targeted.
Nez, a former president of the Navajo Nation who unsuccessfully challenged Republican Rep. Eli Crane in 2024, reported raising approximately $3.52 million during the current cycle. His campaign spent approximately $1.67 million and reported about $1.91 million in cash on hand through July 1.
Shah’s campaign reported raising approximately $1.83 million during the current election cycle. The former Arizona state representative is competing for the Democratic nomination in the First Congressional District after losing the 2024 general election to Republican Rep. David Schweikert.
The National Republican Congressional Committee cited the Soros contributions while attacking Mendoza and Shah over their political positions.
“Democrat lobbyist JoAnna Mendoza and socialist Amish Shah sold out Arizona the moment they cashed these massive Soros checks,” NRCC spokesman Ben Petersen said in a statement. “These liberals serve the radical left-wing agenda of a billionaire family pushing dangerous socialist, defund the police, open borders policies.”
Two years after the attempted assassination of President Donald Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania, the Republican National Committee (RNC) is drawing attention to past remarks by Arizona Democratic congressional candidate JoAnna Mendoza in which she questioned the federal government and compared the United States to countries where democracy has collapsed.
Mendoza, a retired Marine running to represent Arizona’s Sixth Congressional District, made the statements during three separate political appearances released online between 2025 and 2026.
The RNC accused Mendoza of contributing to hostile political rhetoric surrounding Trump and connected her comments to the violence directed against him.
“JoAnna Mendoza continues to spew vile conspiracy theories and the extremely divisive rhetoric that have led to three assassination attempts against President Trump,” RNC spokesman Nick Poche said in a statement provided to AZ Free News. “Americans will never forget what happened in Butler, or the Democrats who refused to lower the temperature and tried to tear our nation apart.”
In the first video, released by LD18 Democrats, Mendoza questioned the reliability of federal intelligence while answering a question about the Middle East and Iran.
Mendoza criticized the Biden and Trump administrations’ handling of Israel, Gaza, and Iran before questioning whether the government possessed reliable intelligence about recent actions involving Iran.
“Can we even trust our intelligence agencies right now?” Mendoza asked. “Can we even trust our government to give us the correct information? And I think the answer to that is no.”
Mendoza said she was alarmed by what she described as the Trump administration’s actions in communities across the country and suggested that the nation’s democratic institutions were being eroded.
“It really scares me to think that, you know, what we’re seeing play out right now across our nation in communities, to see what this administration is doing, I never thought that I would see in the homeland,” Mendoza said.
“I never thought that I would see what has transpired happen here,” she continued. “You see it in countries like the ones I’ve been deployed to where democracy does not exist or has fallen.”
Mendoza did not identify a single policy or incident in that portion of the presentation. Rather, she broadly characterized the administration’s conduct as “unprecedented” and said she entered the race because she could no longer remain on the sidelines.
“What we’re seeing is unprecedented, and this is not the norm,” Mendoza said. “I just couldn’t stand by on the sidelines and watch this happen to our country or to its people, to us, to we the people.”
The third clip came from an interview with MeidasTouch host Ben Meiselas, who introduced Mendoza during a segment criticizing Trump and Republican Rep. Juan Ciscomani (R-AZ06).
During a discussion of border security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Mendoza questioned the training and conduct of ICE agents. Meiselas compared the administration’s practices to propaganda and tactics employed in other countries, and Mendoza agreed with the comparison.
“I know. It’s like we’re living in a third world country,” Mendoza said. “I mean, I’ve been deployed to countries who do not have democracy, who are in authoritarian regimes.”
“I never thought that I would see the government and its federal law enforcement agency turn against the American people,” she added, before alleging a pattern of misconduct involving ICE agents.
The RNC released the clips on July 13, two years after Thomas Matthew Crooks opened fire during Trump’s campaign rally near Butler.
Trump was wounded in the right ear. Former fire chief Corey Comperatore was killed while protecting his family, and rally attendees David Dutch and James Copenhaver were wounded, according to the Secret Service.
The FBI said in a 2024 statement that its investigation found no credible evidence that Crooks worked with co-conspirators. Investigators examined his electronic devices, searches, and online activity but did not determine a definitive motive.
The Associated Press reported that Crooks searched for campaign appearances involving both Trump and then-President Joe Biden and viewed the Butler rally as a “target of opportunity.” Reuters reported that his computer activity reflected a mixture of ideological interests without demonstrating a definitive left- or right-wing motivation.
Trump faced another assassination attempt on Sept. 15, 2024, when Ryan Wesley Routh positioned himself with a rifle near Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida. A federal jury convicted Routh in September 2025, and he was sentenced in February to life plus 84 months in federal prison. At trial, prosecutors presented a letter in which Routh described the incident as an assassination attempt and offered $150,000 to anyone who would “complete the job.”
Routh’s writings demonstrated explicit hostility toward Trump. The Associated Press previously reported that Routh had urged Iran to assassinate Trump in a self-published book and later wrote that “DEMOCRACY is on the ballot and we cannot lose.”
A federal grand jury has also indicted Cole Tomas Allen on charges including attempting to assassinate Trump during an April 25 shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner. Prosecutors alleged that Allen ran through a security checkpoint carrying a shotgun and fired at a Secret Service officer, striking the officer’s ballistic vest, as he moved toward the ballroom where Trump was located.
Reuters reported that Allen sent relatives a manifesto describing Trump administration officials as prioritized targets. Prosecutors alleged that Allen disagreed politically with Trump and wanted to “fight back” against government policies he considered morally objectionable. Allen pleaded not guilty, and the case remains pending.
Mendoza is seeking the Democratic nomination to challenge Ciscomani in November.
Mendoza is also facing questions from the RNC about salary payments she has received from her own campaign.
The Mendoza campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
New expert analysis warns that the Arizona government’s plan to reduce the Salt River wild horse population to 120 horses could prove devastating to their continued existence.
The herd currently has approximately 274 horses, nearly half of what the herd was at its peak in recent decades.
Dr. E. Gus Cothran, equine population geneticist and professor emeritus at Texas A&M University, issued a statement expressing concern that the plan may prove detrimental to the future existence of the wild horses. Cothran says wild horse populations require 150 to 200 horses minimum for long-term genetic health, though no number can provide an exact guarantee on a herd’s survival.
“At the most basic level, 150 to 200 animals is a minimum number,” said Cothran. “This is the number that, if everything goes right and only population genetics is involved, should maintain genetic health for 200 years or so.”
Cothran said genetic testing of just 20–25% of the herd would allow for insight into the herd’s genetic health: approximately 55 to 70 horses.
Citing that assessment, advocates and community members have raised concerns that the state’s current plan of removal for the horses would have the potential for permanent and devastating impact to the wild horse population.
The Friends of the Salt River Wild Horses have asked Gov. Katie Hobbs to pause the permanent removals pending an independent genetic study and scientific review.
“Once that diversity is lost, it is gone forever!” said Friends of the Salt River Wild Horses in a statement. “Before a single horse is permanently removed, Arizona should demonstrate through independent science that the remaining herd will be genetically healthy and capable of surviving for generations. Friends of the Salt River Wild Horses calls upon Governor Hobbs to halt removals, to do the science, and respect the public process.”
Some contend the Arizona Department of Agriculture’s (AZDA) plan to remove these horses violates the Salt River Wild Horse Protection Act passed in 2016. The act empowers the state to exercise discretionary management of the horse population, with protections against the obstruction, chase, capture, removal, or euthanasia of the horses without government permission.
AZDA awarded the management contract to the Salt River Wild Horse Management Group (SRWHMG). The company is operating on a goal to reduce the herd size over the next five years through natural attrition, fertility control, and manual relocation, per a press release issued by AZDA in February.
SRWHMG has already been involved in population reduction efforts. They reduced the population from 450 horses using fertility control methods.
AZDA promised that all removed wild horses were only permitted for the relocation to approved sanctuaries — no horses may be donated, traded, slaughtered, or sold.
According to AZDA, the contract procurement process included input from an assessment panel consisting of veterinarians, a rangeland management scientist, and a federal wild horse manager.
AZDA Director Paul Brierley said the management plan represented the responsible promotion and protection of the “Salt River experience.”
SRWHMG President Simone Netherlands called the plan “a pragmatic compromise.”
Last month, the Arizona legislature failed to pass a proposed three-year moratorium on the herd reduction and mandatory study on the Salt River horses’ genetic diversity. The House passed the bill, SB 1199, but the Senate declined to pass it on concurrence.
Republican Reps. Juan Ciscomani (AZ-06) and David Schweikert (AZ-01) were among the founding members of the bipartisan Congressional Wild Horse Caucus last year.
These and other members of Congress have been pushing for the passage of the Wild Horse and Burro Protection Act, HR 4356, which would eliminate helicopter roundups.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Corrections adjust the name of “The Friends of the Salt River Horses” to “The Friends of the Salt River Wild Horses” and clarify that the Arizona Senate did not pass SB 1199 on concurrence.
AZ Free News is your #1 source for Arizona news and politics. You can send us news tips using this link.
Arizona taxpayers could face nearly $200 million in additional costs if the state fails to reduce its Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) payment error rate in the coming years.
Data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture shows Arizona’s SNAP payment error rate reached 10.8% in Fiscal Year 2025, ranking 33rd nationally and rising from 8.84% in Fiscal Year 2024.
Under changes enacted through the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R. 1), states with SNAP payment error rates below 6% by Fiscal Year 2028 will avoid cost-sharing requirements with the federal government.
States with error rates between 6-8% must provide a 5% match, those between 8-10% a 10% match, and states exceeding 10% a 15% match.
If Arizona’s error rate remains at 10.8% in Fiscal Year 2028, the state would be subject to the highest matching requirement.
Based on Fiscal Year 2025 figures, eight states recorded error rates below 6% (Idaho, Nebraska, Nevada, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Wisconsin, and Wyoming), while six fell between 6-8%. Another 16 states posted rates between 8-10%, and 20 states exceeded 10%.
Zach Milne, senior economist at Common Sense Institute Arizona said the state has a strong incentive to improve its performance.
Mile told The Center Square, “Improving program accuracy strengthens program integrity and helps the state avoid potentially significant federal cost-sharing penalties.”
He described Arizona’s elevated error rate as a relatively recent development, noting that the state’s rate stood at 5.2% in Fiscal Year 2019 — below the new federal threshold.
The Arizona Legislature passed several measures during the 2026 session aimed at lowering the state’s SNAP payment error rate, but they were vetoed by Governor Hobbs.
Senate Bill 1002 would have expanded eligibility verification tools for the Arizona Department of Economic Security, while Senate Bill 1331 proposed work requirements for SNAP recipients age 60 and younger.
Senate Bill 1334 would have barred the department from seeking work-requirement waivers for able-bodied adults without dependents. House Bill 2206 sought to require the state to reduce its SNAP payment error rate to below 3% by 2030.
In her veto messages, Hobbs argued that the legislation duplicated ongoing efforts by the Department of Economic Security to improve accuracy, including enhanced eligibility verification, additional staffing and training, and investments in technology.
“SNAP is the most robust and effective anti-hunger tool we have in Arizona-I know this firsthand,” Hobbs said in her veto letter of the three Senate Bills. “It’s also the most secure, thanks to strong anti-fraud measures and oversight. Instead of creating more needless frustration for Arizona families, I invite you to join me in actually lowering costs for them.”
She also criticized H.R. 1 for imposing unfunded mandates that she said have strained agency resources, noting that she allocated $7.5 million to increase the department’s capacity. Hobbs maintained that the vetoed bills would have added further unfunded requirements without providing resources for implementation or modernization.
Ethan Faverino is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
President Donald Trump has issued a select number of endorsements in Arizona races for the 2026 election.
The latest endorsements went to Rep. Juan Ciscomani to retain his seat in the 6th Congressional District, Rep. Paul Gosar to retain his seat in the 9th Congressional District, and Mark Lamb, former sheriff of Pinal County, for the seat opened by departing Rep. Andy Biggs in the 5th Congressional District.
Neither Ciscomani nor Gosar have opponents in their primaries. Lamb faces off against Daniel Keenan, a construction company owner, in the primary.
Trump’s endorsement bundle on Friday referred to Gosar and Lamb as “MAGA warrior[s],” and Ciscomani as “a tremendous champion.”
All three men, Trump promised, were capable of improving border security, stopping migrant crime, strengthening the military, bolstering economic growth, cutting taxes and regulations, boosting domestic manufacturing and energy, supporting law enforcement, and protecting Second Amendment rights.
Ciscomani will likely face off against Democratic candidate Joanna Mendoza.
I’ve stood with President Trump from Day 1 and I’ve never wavered, not once.
I’m honored to have President Trump’s “COMPLETE & TOTAL” endorsement for Governor of our great state of Arizona! 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/gGootCd6kV
Here are the other endorsements for Arizona candidates made by Trump so far:
Thomas “Jay” Feely, former NFL kicker, for the seat opened by departing Rep. David Schweikert in the 1st Congressional District. Feely faces off against former State Rep. Joseph Chaplik and technology consultant John Trobough in the Republican primary.
I’ve stood with President Trump from Day 1 and I’ve never wavered, not once.
I’m honored to have President Trump’s “COMPLETE & TOTAL” endorsement for Governor of our great state of Arizona! 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/gGootCd6kV
Rep. Abe Hamadeh received Trump’s endorsement to retain his seat in the 8th Congressional District. Hamadeh has no opponents in the primary.
Happy birthday, Mr. President!
My first endorsement from President Trump came on his birthday, June 14, 2022. Even on his birthday he was giving to others. I will never forget that phone call. Thank you for trusting me to be in this battle alongside you to save our country! pic.twitter.com/K1YetQTTGp
Andy Biggs received Trump’s endorsement for the governor’s seat held by incumbent Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs. Biggs has three other opponents: Schweikert and two businessmen, Scott Neely and Ken Miceli.
I’ve stood with President Trump from Day 1 and I’ve never wavered, not once.
I’m honored to have President Trump’s “COMPLETE & TOTAL” endorsement for Governor of our great state of Arizona! 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/gGootCd6kV
Other races have indicated some weigh-in from Trump, but no outright endorsements.
In the attorney general’s race, Trump reposted a county supervisor’s endorsement of Republican primary candidate Rodney Glassman sans commentary last month. Glassman is up against State Senate President Warren Petersen to determine who will face off against the Democratic incumbent, Attorney General Kris Mayes.
But in April, Trump gave Petersen a shout-out at the Turning Point Action (TPA) “Build the Red Wall” event. Trump said Petersen would “help achieve [the] victory” of expanding the “red wall” — the Republican majority.
Trump made a similar post in recent weeks in the secretary of state’s race. The president also reposted a picture sans commentary of another organization’s endorsement of Republican primary candidate Gina Swoboda, former chair of the Arizona Republican Party.
Swoboda took the repost as an outright endorsement, though the other Republican primary candidate in the race, State Rep. Alexander Kolodin, disputed that characterization. Kolodin was also given a shoutout at the TPA event in April.
AZ Free News is your #1 source for Arizona news and politics. You can send us news tips using this link.
