Jim Small

Senate Republicans reject extending ACA tax credits, instead propose spending on health-savings accounts | Arizona Mirror Senate Republican ACA health care plan proposes Health Savings Accounts instead of extending insurance tax credits

“The bill not only fails to extend the tax credits, it increases costs, adds tons of new abortion restrictions for women, expands junk fees and permanently funds cost-sharing reductions.”

Mark Kelly leads push for release of unedited video of deadly boat strike that killed two survivors | Arizona Mirror Hegseth Caribbean strike video release demanded by Democrats after controversial follow-on attack killed survivors

“Why wouldn’t they release it? They were so excited, the Department of Defense and Pete Hegseth, so excited to release all those videos until this part, and then, ‘Oh no, we can’t release that.’”

Scottsdale residents prepare lawsuit over Axon headquarters agreement | Arizona Mirror Scottsdale Axon lawsuit TAAAZE threat challenges city memorandum as illegal rezoning bypassing public input

"The City and Axon’s effort to bypass the public’s referendum right and force an unwanted project through backdoor channels is improper and illegal," a lawyer for opponents of the Axon HQ wrote

story via @jerodmacevoy.com

Arizona moves to comply with Trump anti-DEI order in public schools Arizona education DEI Trump order compliance begins as state board votes to remove diversity references from standards

“Any educator will tell you that gutting standards around responsiveness to cultural backgrounds ... would be educational malpractice, and would erase what makes our students unique.”

story via @caitlinsievers.bsky.social

Federal court unseals grand jury materials in Epstein sex trafficking case | Arizona Mirror Maxwell grand jury records unsealed by federal judge under Epstein Files Transparency Act with Dec. 19 deadline

Attorney General Pam Bondi must release the material by Dec. 19 in accordance with the law, which lawmakers dubbed the Epstein Files Transparency Act

I bet they’ll provide the coolest armbands.

Trump's new student loan rule could dissuade people from advanced nursing degrees | Arizona Mirror States are already grappling with workforce shortfalls caused by exhausting work conditions that have led many nurses to burn out and leave the field

States are already grappling with workforce shortfalls caused by exhausting work conditions that have led many nurses to burn out and leave the field

Glenn Hamer, the longtime AZ Chamber of Commerce CEO who took over the Texas Assn of Business in 2021, is being sued for sexually assaulting the leader of a Texas business nonprofit www.texastribune.org/2025/11/24/t...

Mayes asks Supreme Court to overturn ruling that halted her fake electors case Arizona fake electors case appeal seeks to revive charges against Republicans as Mayes challenges court ruling.

“We remain squarely focused on ensuring the defendants are held accountable because there is nothing more important than enforcing the rule of law.”

story via @glorihuh.bsky.social

Chart showing detention population, among those arrested in the interior, by criminal record, May 2019 through present. There are three lines shown. (1) Prior conviction (which rises from around 9,000 in January 2025 to just over 16,000 in November 2025), (2) Pending criminal charges (which rises from around 5,000 to 15,000), and (3) No criminal record (which rises from around 1,000 to 21,000).

NEW: ICE has finally released post-shutdown detention data. The latest data reveals that a full 40%(!) of people arrested in the interior and held in ICE detention have no criminal record; no criminal charges or prior convictions. That is up from just 4% when Trump took office.

Free speech absolutism in action over on the Nazi bird site

Veterans condemn deportations of immigrant service members under Trump Arizona veteran deportations Trump policy removes Iraq war veterans as advocates condemn immigrant servicemember removals

They defended this country. They raised their hand and they swore to uphold the Constitution, and then they come home and we say, ‘Oh, thanks for your service, get out.’ It’s wrong.”

story via @glorihuh.bsky.social

If you receive an illegal order, you have a duty to disobey.

This isn’t controversial.

A President calling for the execution of anyone who reminds service members of this oath is showing us why the duty to disobey illegal orders is so important in the first place.

The Trump administration wants 42 million people to reapply for SNAP food aid. What does that mean? | Arizona Mirror The Trump USDA's call for a close reexamination of the 42 million people who receive SNAP has befuddled advocates and lawmakers

A top Democrat called USDA Secretary Brook Rollins’s comments “bullsh*t” and “propaganda”

And maybe try smiling more, eh ladies?

/s

Donald Trump said Mark Kelly and other Dem lawmakers are 'traitors' who should be executed | Arizona Mirror Trump threatened Democrats in Congress with death penalty over video urging military to refuse illegal orders

"I've had a missile blow up next to my airplane, been shot at dozens of times by anti-aircraft fire, and launched into orbit — all for my country. I never thought I'd see a President call for my execution," Mark Kelly said

The Democratic lawmakers (incl Mark Kelly) who Trump said should be executed (!!!) have responded: “This isn’t about politics. This is about who we are as Americans. Every American must unite and condemn the President’s calls for our murder and political violence. This is a time for moral clarity.

This is basically what every interview with Russell Pearce was like.

After a while, I started playing a game when I spoke to him, just to see how long it took him to loop ANY topic back to illegal immigration. It was like a racist and xenophobic version of "Six degrees of Kevin Bacon."

"zip ties near me" is a level of incompetent clout-chasing stupidity that scientists should study

Trump signs bill forcing release of Epstein files | Arizona Mirror Trump signs Epstein files bill forcing DOJ to release unclassified investigation records after House, Senate approval

In one email from Epstein to convicted co-conspirator Ghislaine Maxwell, the financier and sex offender claimed Trump “knew about the girls”

Congressional Democrats urge Hobbs to limit driver data sharing with ICE Arizona Nlets driver data ICE access raises privacy concerns as Democrats urge Hobbs to limit DMV sharing

Some states are already locking down how the data they share with Phoenix-based Nlets is used by federal authorities

story via @jerodmacevoy.com

HHS names authors and releases peer-review comments for gender dysphoria report The new report reveals that many of the authors and reviewers have been outspoken critics of gender-affirming care and belong to anti-LGBTQ+ groups

STAT rounded up on what is known about the authors and reviewers.

The key point: "many of the authors and reviewers have been outspoken critics of gender-affirming care, are affiliated with anti-LGBTQ+ groups, and have little-to-no experience providing clinical care for young trans people."

ICE push to deport Latinos means legal residents are being arrested | Arizona Mirror ICE ethnicity-based arrests lawsuit challenges D.C. enforcement targeting legal residents with 3,000 daily quota

“I told them again that I had papers. The driver of the car, who was one of the officers that handcuffed me, told me, ‘Shut up b–-h! You’re illegal.’ After he yelled at me, I stayed silent.”

There's almost no way this story is true, of course. But image it is. How badly have you fucked up to go from "beating Lincoln and Washington by 25 points" to losing in like 6 months? Really badly.

"...and then I oversaw a bungled response to a pandemic and told people to put bleach in their veins instead of wearing masks, so 200,000 people died before the election and voters punished me for it."

Not a prosecutor, but it seems like a pretty important thing to actually have the grand jury, you know, read and vote on the charges.

Arizona early-voter list would be abolished under proposed ballot measure | Arizona Mirror A Republican state lawmaker wants to overhaul voting in Arizona by eliminating the early-voter list by amending the constitution

“It’s counter to the way the people of Arizona have executed their right to vote, and if they put it on the ballot, voters are going to vote against it.”

story via @votebeat.org

Trump administration unveils plan to try to dismantle Department of Education | Arizona Mirror Trump Education Department dismantling advances with six agreements transferring programs to other agencies

“We are now watching the federal government shirk its responsibility to all kids. That is unacceptable. Congress must reclaim its authority over education during upcoming federal funding battles.”

UPDATE: The Senate has unanimously agreed to send the #EpsteinFiles resolution to Trump, who has said he will sign it