Outrage over Arizona Stolen Valor Bill's blocking
Veterans are sounding off, after an Arizona state senator blocked a stolen valor bill at the state legislature. The bill aims to increase penalties for Arizonans who claim military honors they never earned, or those who alter official military documents. FOX 10's Nicole Krasean reports.
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15 hours ago
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Lori Daybell Trial Day 5: Prosecutors rest case, 'Doomsday Mom' not testifying
The Brief Lori Vallow Daybell's second Arizona trial continues on June 11 in Phoenix. On Tuesday, a number of people took the stand, including a police detective from Rexburg, Idaho. Daybell is accused of conspiring with her late brother in the attempted murder of Brandon Boudreaux. PHOENIX - The second and final Arizona trial of Lori Vallow Daybell, the so-called "Doomsday Mom," resumed in a Phoenix courtroom on Tuesday morning. The backstory This is the second and final Arizona trial for Daybell. In this case, she is accused of conspiring with her brother, Alex Cox, in the attempted murder of Brandon Boudreaux, who once married Daybell's niece. Boudreaux was shot at outside his Gilbert home in October 2019. While Boudreaux was not hit, the incident is linked to a series of deadly events in Idaho, including the murders of Daybell's two children, Joshua "JJ" Vallow and Chad Daybell's first wife, Tammy. In April 2025, Daybell was also found guilty of plotting the fatal shooting of her fourth husband, Charles Vallow, in Chandler. Just like she did in her first Arizona trial, Daybell is representing herself. The trial kicked off on Thursday, June 5 with both sides presenting their opening statements. During Daybell's opening statement, multiple objections were made by the prosecuting attorney, Treena Kay. A day later, Daybell was briefly removed from the courtroom after an intense exchange with the presiding judge. What Happened Yesterday On June 10, Daybell continued her cross-examination of Gilbert Police Officer Ryan Pillar, who also testified on June 9. Pillar is the case agent who investigated the shooting at Brandon Boudreaux's home on Oct. 2, 2019. During Vallow Daybell's cross-examination, she questioned Gilbert's lack of testing to determine the type of gun used, why Boudreaux's Tesla vehicle was not kept in evidence, and the trajectory of the shooting. Prosecuting attorney Treena Kay later re-directed testimony to argument that evidence showed a clear shooting from a Jeep Wrangler that was allegedly driven by Cox, who died in December 2019. Later on, Lieutenant Ray Hermosillo from Rexburg, Idaho took the stand. Lt. Hermosillo was one of the detectives on the case against Lori and Chad Daybell, a crucial part of the investigation leading to the discovery of the remains of Joshua "JJ" Vallow and Tylee Ryan on Chad Daybell's property in June 2020. Daybell did not choose to cross-examine Hermosillo. During Tuesday's proceedings, we also saw photos of rifles discovered in Alex Cox's garage at his Rexburg apartment. In Other News... On the morning of June 11, we obtained legal documents related to a motion that Daybell filed that seeks the recusal of Judges Jennifer Green and Justin Beresky. Per the legal documents, a judge has dismissed Daybell's motion, stating that the motion can't be filed after a hearing or trial began. What you can do You can watch live coverage of the trial on FOX 10's YouTube channel.
Yahoo
15 hours ago
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Arizona's GOP delegation chose tax breaks for billionaires over clean energy jobs and public health
Photo by iStock / Getty Images Plus As a registered nurse with over 25 years of experience serving vulnerable communities across Arizona — in school clinics, long-term care facilities, and public health programs — I've dedicated my career to helping people live healthier, safer lives. I've worked with families struggling to find affordable care, seniors battling chronic health conditions, and children suffering from asthma worsened by air pollution. That's why I was deeply disappointed to see Arizona's Republican delegation in the U.S. House of Representatives vote in favor of what President Donald Trump is calling a 'big, beautiful bill.' There's nothing beautiful about it. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX This bill would add $3.8 trillion to the national debt in order to give massive tax breaks to billionaires — at the direct expense of hardworking Arizonans. Reps. Andy Biggs, Juan Ciscomani, Eli Crane, Paul Gosar and Abe Hamadeh shamefully supported this reckless plan, which guts essential programs that keep people healthy and safe. (Rep. David Schweikert slept through the vote, but said he would have backed it.) That includes slashing Medicaid and food assistance that countless Arizona families rely on. It also repeals clean energy investments made possible by the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). These programs are creating jobs, improving air quality, helping combat Arizona's extreme heat and lowering energy costs for our communities. In just two years, the IRA has created nearly 19,000 clean energy jobs and generated $12.75 billion in investment for Arizona. These are real, tangible opportunities, especially in rural and underserved areas, where job growth and energy affordability are most needed. Rolling back these investments would halt progress, increase electricity bills, and eliminate job opportunities in Arizona's growing clean energy sector. This is particularly dangerous in a state like ours, where the climate impacts are not some distant threat, but our day-to-day reality. Arizona just experienced one of the hottest years on record, and extreme heat is now a leading cause of weather-related deaths. Seniors are especially vulnerable, and many already struggle to pay rising utility bills. Repealing clean energy incentives would worsen those burdens, put lives at risk, and raise energy costs by nearly $400 per household. Our summers are growing longer and hotter, and Arizona is home to some of the fastest-warming cities in the country. Heat-related illnesses have been increasing in tandem with these extreme events. This kind of heat can cause a range of serious health issues, from dehydration and exhaustion to life-threatening conditions like heatstroke. It also worsens chronic illnesses like heart and lung disease, which are common among older adults. Rising temperatures have also been linked to increased mental health challenges, including anxiety, depression, and even suicide. As extreme heat events become more frequent, health leaders and policymakers must take action now to protect both physical and mental well-being through informed, climate-resilient strategies. These clean energy investments are also key in reducing utility bills by making homes more energy-efficient and expanding access to affordable, clean energy. Through rebates, tax credits, and incentives for home upgrades such as insulation, heat pumps and solar panels, the IRA empowers families — especially those in low-income and historically underserved communities — to reduce their energy consumption and save money each month. As climate-driven extreme heat becomes more frequent and severe, adopting stronger building codes and fully implementing IRA programs are essential to building resilience, protecting vulnerable communities, and easing financial burdens for those most at risk After a lifetime of work, our elders deserve dignity, not heatstroke and financial insecurity. As older adults, we also have a responsibility to protect future generations. Our choices today will determine whether our grandchildren inherit livable communities or face even more deadly heatwaves and health crises. Arizona's decision-makers should be fighting for policies that protect public health, economic security and our environment, not handing out tax breaks to billionaires while our communities suffer. The 'big, beautiful bill' does exactly the opposite. It's an attack on the people I've spent my life caring for — families, seniors, and those most vulnerable to both economic and environmental injustice. We deserve better. Arizona deserves leaders who will put people over profits and prioritize a healthier, more just future for all. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
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2 days ago
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He called for election integrity, then was indicted for fraud. Oh, the irony
A former Arizona legislator who was one of the state's fiercest crusaders for so-called election integrity has been indicted on charges of election fraud. You cannot make this stuff up. Ex-Rep. Austin Smith, R-Wittmann, stands charged with 14 felonies and misdemeanors alleging he forged signatures on his nominating petitions to run for reelection last year. Democratic Attorney General Kris Mayes announced the state grand jury indictment on June 10. Those who see a conspiracy behind every cactus will likely rush to Smith's defense, just as they rushed to defense of Arizona's fake electors. Just as they rushed to the defense of Arizonans and others who stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, to try to stop Congress from certifying the 2020 election. 'Patriots,' I believe they called the rioters. Now, they have a new cause célèbre. Smith was a rising star on the hard right, a member of the Arizona Freedom Caucus and a senior official in Turning Point Action, the political advocacy arm of Turning Point USA. But his political career went into freefall in April 2024 when a Democratic attorney filed a lawsuit challenging Smith's nominating petitions. The lawsuit claimed he forged 100 of the 826 signatures on petitions he circulated — signatures that 'bear a striking resemblance to Smith's' — and thus should be disqualified from running for office for the next five years, as state law requires. The lawsuit included sworn statements from two voters whose signatures appeared on Smith's petitions, saying they did not sign them. Lawsuits seeking to knock candidates off the ballot are common. What wasn't common was Smith's reaction. Rather than fighting the petition challenge, as is typical, Smith quickly dropped out of the race. Naturally, he played the Trump card, proclaiming himself the victim of a politically motivated plot by those who fear him. 'What I was (told) was this was a very intense effort to 'get me' and I needed to be prepared to spend tens of thousands of dollars to defend myself, not only against the civil elections matter, but most likely against some sort of criminal investigation that would be launched by those on the left who are unhappy with my politics,' he wrote in a lengthy statement laying out his victimhood. Smith never struck me as the type to stand down from a fight that he deems righteous. Surely, if those signatures were not forged, I thought at the time, he would stand his ground and explain why those signatures looked so remarkably like his own. Surely, if those signatures were not forged, I thought at the time, Charlie Kirk and his powerhouse Turning Point operation would defend one of his key leaders against the 'tyranny' of the justice system. Yet, there was Smith, high tailing it out of the race and leaving his post with Turning Point. Opinion: Gov. Hobbs finally goes on offense against lawmakers 'The recommendation I received most was that I bow out and live to fight another day,' he wrote at the time. 'I might be confident of victory, but all it would take is a judge believing any one person, and all would be lost.' All wasn't lost, though, as the suspected forger was allowed to continue on at the Legislature through the rest of last year, making laws for the rest of us to follow. Not so much as a single Republican raised an objection. Mayes, meanwhile, launched an investigation at the request of then-Maricopa County Supervisor Clint Hickman, a Republican. 'This is a man who has lied to the people of Legislative District 29 and the entire state about our election operations for at least three years,' Hickman said at the time. 'And now he is accused of lying about the signatures he personally collected to get on the ballot again. 'An investigation will reveal the truth, but this episode tells us something about those who have spread falsehoods with such ease since the 2020 Election. They can't comprehend that most Americans and Arizonans are honest people. They accuse others of dishonesty so easily because they have no qualms about lying to win a political race or a business deal.' On June 2, Smith was indicted for fraud, filing false instruments and 10 counts of signing someone else's name on his petitions to get on the ballot. That same day, Smith announced his appointment to the advisory board of the Arizona Young Republicans. Just think of the advice he can offer young generations of election deniers and conspiracy buffs. Expect to hear the heated cries of 'lawfare!' from the far right in five, four, three … Reach Roberts at Follow her on X (formerly Twitter) at @LaurieRobertsaz, on Threads at @LaurieRobertsaz and on BlueSky at @ Subscribe to today. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Austin Smith will call his indictment 'lawfare' in 3, 2 ... | Opinion
