Free Republic

The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) for Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale advanced 0.4 percent for the two months ending in April 2025, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Regional Commissioner Chris Rosenlund noted that the all items less food and energy index increased 0.3 percent. The food index rose 1.0 percent, and the energy index increased 0.7 percent. (Data in this report are not seasonally adjusted. Accordingly, bi-monthly changes may reflect seasonal influences.) The Phoenix area all items CPI-U rose 0.3 percent for the 12 months ending in April. The index for all items less food and energy...

Residents of a small town in Arizona are reeling after a pastor was found murdered April 28 in his home. William Schonemann, 76, was pastor of New River Bible Chapel in New River, Ariz., where he was known as “Pastor Bill,” according to the Arizona Republic. Investigators with the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office have not released much information on the case beyond confirming they discovered Schonemann’s body the evening of April 28 after responding to a report of a deceased elderly male. They have not announced any suspects, arrests or motives for the crime. The Maricopa County Medical Examiner’s Office...

After years of sellers calling the shots, some of the hottest pandemic-era housing markets are now grappling with a surplus of listings — and not enough willing buyers. According to real estate brokerage Redfin, April saw nearly half a million more homes listed than buyers in the market, the largest gap since at least 2013. But this supply surge hasn’t translated into a wave of closings. Instead, home sales have stalled in many areas, particularly across the Southeast and Southwest, where inventory has ballooned past pre-pandemic norms. In Miami, for example, there were almost three times as many sellers as...

The State Board of Education suspended Jesse Ruiz's license for two years after finding he wrote inappropriate messages in students' yearbooks. (the message was "hail satan")

GLENDALE, Ariz. — Three people are dead and five others were injured after a shooting at a restaurant in a Phoenix suburb Sunday night, police said. Police received calls reporting shots around 7:45 p.m. at El Camaron Gigante Mariscos & Steakhouse, Glendale Police Department Officer Moroni Mendez said during a briefing. Mendez said three people died from their injuries and five other people were injured by gunshots or shrapnel, KPHO-TV reported. “Obviously there was a lot of people here,” Mendez said. “A lot of people that were attending some sort of event. Anyone who has information, please come forward and...

A 24-year-old brutally killed a young woman as she enjoyed a morning hike because he believed he was a transgender woman and was jealous of her beauty, according to police. When policer asked the alleged killer about Heike before his arrest, he reportedly said: 'That's what I would want to look like.'

A beloved Arizona yoga teacher who vanished after he set out for a would-be romantic meetup with a blind date last month has been found dead. The body of Marcus Freiberger, 45, was discovered at a rock quarry in Phoenix, about 6 miles from Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, on March 19 — nearly one month after the scheduled date, AZ Family reported, citing the Phoenix Police Department. His sister, Tina Hall, broke the news of her brother’s death on Tuesday in a heart-wrenching Facebook post. “It is with a heavy heart that I share the tragic news that Marcus...

Sara Haines, co-host of The View, has warned that the Democratic Party’s unhinged screaming and volatile behavior at rallies is not fixing the country and is making things worse for them. Whoopi Goldberg noted that progressive leaders like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., and Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., are engaging at rallies “at a moment when leadership roles on the left are wide open.” Goldberg also recalled how Sanders showed in his recent interview that he was “not ready to talk about future party planning yet.” Sanders recently accused ABC “This Week” host Jonathan Karl of asking a “nonsense” question about...

Most people worry about their bike or car being stolen — not their home. But that’s exactly what happened to D’Andrea Turner when squatters took over her Phoenix home and sold it without her knowledge. “It feels so surreal,” Turner shared in an interview with ABC 15 Arizona. “I feel like I’m in the Twilight Zone. Really, I didn’t even think something like this could happen.” But it did. After Turner’s ex-husband, Keith — a long-haul trucker — left the house unattended for a period of time, two strangers, Aaron Polmanteer and Lledera Hollen, forced their way in. Once inside,...

PHOENIX — On the night of March 13, 1997, thousands of Arizonans looked up and saw something they couldn’t explain—a massive, V-shaped formation of lights hovering in the sky. Twenty-eight years later, the Phoenix Lights remain one of the most infamous UFO sightings in U.S. history, fueling speculation, debate, and ongoing scientific curiosity. Among those who witnessed the phenomenon firsthand was Dr. Lynne Kitei, a former medical professional who was so profoundly impacted that she left her career in medicine to study the lights full-time.

Not quite six years ago, wildfire expert Jack Cohen, who lives in Missoula, Mont., visited Pacific Palisades to instruct firefighters and property owners on how to protect homes against wildfires. Three days of training, including a tour of the community, left Cohen hopeful, but the feeling faded when it became clear that his lessons were not going to be fully implemented. This week’s tragedy has left him with a deep sadness. Respected by fire agencies across the country, Cohen and Pyne have found their straight-talk admonitions often disregarded or dismissed. Sensitive to losses and suffering, both said they are motivated...

Last night was great. Currently Roger Stone speaking.

PHOENIX - President-elect Donald Trump will be back in the Valley next week for an event in Phoenix. Trump is scheduled to speak at Turning Point USA's AmericaFest 2024 at the Phoenix Convention Center. "Those who attend this one-of-a-kind, four-day event will hear from dozens of the nation’s top leaders, network with thousands of like-minded attendees and 100+ partnering organizations, and experience concerts featuring top artists in the country- all while celebrating the greatest country in the world, America," read a description of AmericaFest on the event's website. AmericaFest happens from Dec 19-22. It's unknown which day Trump will speak....

The Brief A father and son from the Phoenix area are accused of running a large drug trafficking organization. The two leaders are also charged with the rare "Kingpin" statute and a majority of the defendants indicted are from Arizona. Phoenix DEA Special Agent in Charge Cheri OZ says Arizona is ground zero for drug trafficking.

A gang of Arizona teens who call themselves the 'Gilbert Goons' was allowed to run amok Phoenix suburbs before several of its members were charged with the murder of 16-year-old Preston Lord. After Preston's brutal beating and subsequent alleged attempted cover ups were detailed by The Arizona Republic, authorities reopened multiple cases believed to have been conducted by a larger group of assailants. Victims and residents in the area have described the group as mostly white, upper-middle-class teenagers from multiple East Valley high schools.

Key TakeawaysTSMC’s Arizona plant has exceeded its Taiwanese facilities in yield.The first of three plants in Arizona is on track to reach full volume production in 2025.TSMC aims to start other facilities by 2028 and manufacture 2nm chips in the US by 2030.TSMC, the world’s largest semiconductor manufacturer, has achieved better yield in its new Arizona factory than its Taiwan facilities. Taiwanese giant TSMC’s new chipset manufacturing unit in the US has overtaken its domestic plants in terms of yield—a key metric in semiconductor production. The update from TSMC’s newly commenced plant in Phoenix, Arizona is good news for the...

TEMPE, ARIZ. - An Arizona prosecutor said the man arrested in the shooting of a Democratic National Committee office in suburban Phoenix had more than 120 guns and over 250,000 rounds of ammunition in his home, leading law enforcement to believe he may have been planning a mass casualty event. Maricopa County prosecutor Neha Bhatia said at Jeffrey Michael Kelly's initial court appearance on Wednesday that federal agents told her about the large seizure made after Kelly's arrest. Scopes, body armour and silencers were also found, she said. A machine gun was discovered in the car he was driving.

A deaf Black man with cerebral palsy was allegedly beaten and tased by Phoenix police officers this summer, in a violent incident that has gained national attention following the release of police body camera footage. In the recently publicized bodycam footage, Tyron McAlpin, 34, can be seen walking through a parking lot in Phoenix, on Aug. 19, when he is approached by two officers in separate police vehicles. The footage was provided to NPR by the McAlpin's attorney. Within seconds of first addressing McAlpin, who is deaf, officer Benjamin Harris jumps out of his vehicle and begins punching McAlpin, followed...

Mark Cuban has been one of the Harris campaign’s most visible outside surrogates in recent months. Now he’s making it official. The billionaire businessman will embark on a series of formal campaign appearances for Kamala Harris beginning with stops alongside the vice president later today, a campaign aide told Yahoo Finance exclusively. It’s a move that comes as the Harris campaign amps up its efforts to reach young men and further capitalize on the "Shark Tank" star's popularity in the worlds of both finance and sports. The first stop will be alongside the vice president today in Milwaukee and La...

A man set himself on fire during an anti-Israel rally in front of the White House on Saturday evening, video shows. The man was identified as Samuel Mena Jr. a former journalist from Phoenix, Arizona, according to 12 News. He was later hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries. The incident occurred just days ahead of the one-year anniversary of the Hamas mass murder of Israeli civilians that triggered the current war in Gaza. Footage circulating on social media showed the incident in which Mena screams in agony as his left arm burns. Bystanders and Metropolitan police officers worked together to douse the...