Free Republic

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...

I took this photo of a billboard off of either State Route 51 or I-17 in Phoenix. This season, the wall to wall law firm and cannabis billboards are giving some ground to political billboards. Both sides are represented, and neither side is pushing issues on the billboards. Trump Billboards: Arizonans LOVE Trump (superimposed over AZ state flag) TeamUnity (Trump, flanked by Vance, RFK Jr., Tulsi Gabbard, Vivek Ramaswamy) And the above (which I count as pro-Trump) "If It's Not Close, They Can't Cheat" The Harris Billboards are: "I'm a Conservative. I am voting Harris."--Kevin, Arizona. (Kevin is pictured.)...

Walter Ringfield Jr., the 27-year-old Phoenix resident charged with stealing keys to voting equipment from Maricopa County elections headquarters, has a history of theft allegations - and an apparent interest in running for public office. Ringfield remains in custody without bail, and faces charges of theft and criminal damage for allegedly stealing a security key from the Maricopa County Tabulation and Election Center, MCTEC for short, where he’d briefly worked as a temporary staffer. What do officials say Ringfield stole? Maricopa County election staff identified the stolen item almost immediately on June 20. Security footage reviewed that same day showed...

PHOENIX — Cam Ferguson gets to his spot on the street adjacent to Chase Field — home of Major League Baseball’s Arizona Diamondbacks — about four hours before first pitch to set up his usual display of cold water, sports drinks, peanuts and candy. By game time, it’s about 103 degrees Fahrenheit on this Labor Day afternoon in downtown Phoenix. Business is brisk. “Two for five, but it’s eight inside!” shouts another vendor, hawking water bottles. “Plus, they’re having some problems with the air conditioning in there.” It’s always hot this time of year in central Arizona, but 2024 is...

A 61-year-old professor born in Phoenix, Arizona, believes he is the first person to gain Irish citizenship solely based on the results of a DNA test, the Irish Times reported.John Portmann, an author and professor of religious studies at the University of Virginia, took an Ancestry.com test in 2019 at the behest of his adopted sister. Portmann was cared for by nuns in Phoenix before being adopted and grew up not knowing anything about his background.When he received his DNA results, he was shocked to find out he was full-blooded Irish...he couldn't stop thinking about Ireland and about his biological...

Desert Diamond Arena at 9400 W Maryland Avenue, Glendale, AZ 85305. Friday, August 9, 2024. Doors open at 1:30 PM. Please arrive no later than 3:30 PM. PHOENIX (AZFamily/AP) — Vice President Kamala Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, continue their tour of battleground states this week, with campaign events happening in Michigan on Thursday and Arizona on Friday.

Maricopa County elections officials will reportedly need to spend thousands of dollars to reprogram security equipment after an apparent theft at an election facility. On June 20, surveillance footage within the Maricopa County elections building in downtown Phoenix captured an employee taking a “security fob” and keys off a desk before putting them in his pocket. According to police documents, the employee was questioned about the alleged theft, but he denied taking the security fob and keys. The next day, detectives went to the man’s home and saw part of the keys in his vehicle. He was arrested and told...

US Central Command reporting destruction... Russia says it repelled a massive Ukrainian drone attack...Slight damage reported from a Ukrainian attack on an oil depot... The US Justice Department says that police in Phoenix engaged in a pattern of conduct violating the civil rights of residents... A senior Hezbollah commander reportedly killed in southern Lebanon tonight. Israel launching what... At the G7 summit Joe Biden signing a ten-year security pact with Ukrainian President... In the British Election there is a new You Gov poll showing Reform UK at 19 percent leading the Conservatives at 18 percent for the first time... Dutch...

The season’s first heat wave is already baking the Southwest with triple-digit temperatures as firefighters in Phoenix — America’s hottest big city — employ new tactics in hopes of saving more lives in a county that saw 645 heat-related deaths last year. Starting this season, the Phoenix Fire Department is immersing heatstroke victims in ice on the way to area hospitals. The medical technique, known as cold water immersion, is familiar to marathon runners and military service members and has also recently been adopted by Phoenix hospitals as a go-to protocol, said Fire Capt. John Prato. Prato demonstrated the method...