Southwest
Florida’s move from 2000s vexation to 2020s role model a blueprint for Arizona, lawmakers say
The 2000 presidential election was held up for weeks due to snafus across the state of Florida, and ultimately ended in a Supreme Court ruling effectively deciding that Texas Gov. George W. Bush would be named the victor.
In recent Arizona elections, voters and Republican politicians have complained of similarly grueling canvassing, wait times, alleged technical difficulties and a generally drawn-out process.
“How is it that Florida can have their results at 8:00 at night, and Arizona is the last in the country to report the electoral votes?” State Senate President Warren Petersen, R-Gilbert, asked.
Petersen said that Arizona hopes to learn from Florida’s failures, and how it went from an unwittingly tardy linchpin in a historically narrow election to a well-oiled machine that counts 11 million votes more quickly than some smaller states.
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Petersen referenced what he called the “Florida model” that now restricts “late early” ballot drop-offs at county recorders’ offices – as Grand Canyon State voters could do so on Election Day while Floridians have only until the Friday before.
Tabulations of ballots will also occur on-site at offices, and address verification would occur every two to four years depending on the size of the Arizona county, he said.
Petersen said that such changes are necessary to restore public trust in the election process; something both states have historically struggled with.
In 2000, Bush supporters and conservative activists staged what became known as the “Brooks Brothers Riot” in Miami.
Longtime Republican consultant Roger Stone had reportedly help organize the group of well-coiffed protesters to converge on Miami-Dade County’s election office in hopes of halting the disputed ballot tabulations.
Bush later dubbed one participating lawmaker, then-Rep. John Sweeney, R-N.Y., “Congressman Kick-Ass” for his voraciousness that evening.
In Arizona in recent elections, right-wing activists, including commentator Alex Jones, converged on Phoenix election sites chanting, “1776” and demanding better oversight of the ballot count after allegations flew regarding problems with the long-winded canvassing.
Arizona Democrats, however, appear opposed to Republicans’ reform bill, claiming potential disenfranchisement among other critiques.
Gov. Katie Hobbs said that legislators are “attempting to jam through a partisan bill that guts vote-by-mail and makes it harder to vote.”
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“I offered common sense compromises to count votes faster, and they were rejected. I refuse to let extremists make it harder for Arizonans to vote.”
State Sen. T.J. Shope, R-Coolidge, disagreed, saying on X that he has voted early every election since turning 18 and finds no such issues with the legislation.
“I’ve read this bill over and over again and fail to understand how it ‘guts vote by mail and makes it harder to vote,’ Shope said. “There’s literally nothing in the bill that makes it harder to vote. Sign the Bill.”
Christian Slater, a spokesperson for Hobbs, also criticized AZGOP Chair Gina Swoboda over the legislation, saying the administration tried to “negotiat[e] in good faith,” but that Republicans “refused common sense compromises to protect voting rights.”
Former Rep. Debbie Lesko, R-Ariz., who retired from Congress to pursue a seat on the county board in Phoenix, said she supports the legislation, particularly from the vantage of her new role.
“As a Maricopa County supervisor, I know this legislation will help instill more confidence in our elections process,” Lesko said in a statement.
“Governor Hobbs should sign this bill – it’s the right thing to do for the future of Arizona elections.”
Maricopa County – home to nearly two-thirds of the state’s population – would, under the legislation, see its early-vote deadline be set Friday evening prior to election day.
In the other 14 counties, voters who choose to “late early” vote would be required to show ID to county staff – so recorders could skip the time-consuming verification process that can delay the final count.
To push back on allegations of disenfranchisement, the bill would also provide for three days of early in-person voting running up to Election Day proper.
One of Lesko’s counterparts on the Maricopa board said the measure appears nonpartisan.
“This carefully crafted … legislation is a commonsense solution that ensures election integrity while expanding access by adding two extra days to an already nearly month-long early voting period,” said Supervisor Mark Stewart.
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Los Angeles, Ca
L.A. Jewish institution among targets of foiled terrorist attack, U.S. officials say
A Jewish institution in Los Angeles was among the locations targeted in a recently foiled terrorism plot, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York Jay Clayton announced this week.
The thwarted terrorist attacks were the result of the recent arrest of Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood Al-Saadi, an Iraqi national and senior member of Kata’ib Hizballah, U.S. officials said.
“Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood Al-Saadi, a commander for the terrorist organization, Kata’ib Hizballah, faces serious charges for his role in numerous attacks against U.S. interests across the globe, including his efforts to kill on U.S. soil,” Clayton said. “As alleged, for years, Al-Saadi committed himself to furthering the terrorist goals of Kata’ib Hizballah and the IRGC, two terrorist organizations dedicated to harming the United States and its allies.”
Al-Saadi recently attempted to carry out attacks in the U.S., officials said, including attacks at Jewish cultural places of interest in New York, Los Angeles and Scottsdale, Ariz.
“Al-Saadi attempted to disrupt American society through intimidation and violence,” a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office reads. “… Those who engage in or support terrorism against Americans and on U.S. soil should take note: the whole of the federal government is committed to dismantling terrorist organizations and bringing their members to justice.”
In a three-month period, Al-Saadi allegedly directed 18 terrorist attacks throughout Europe, including bombings, arson, and assaults targeting American citizens and points of interest. Prior to his arrest, national security officials say he was planning similar attacks on U.S. soil. Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg said that Al-Saadi “presented a serious threat to our national security.”
The European attacks included the bombing of the Bank of New York Mellon, an American bank, in Amsterdam on March 15. On April 29, two Jewish men, one of whom was a dual U.S.-British citizen, were stabbed and seriously injured in London.
In 2020, Al-Saadi took to social media, calling for others to attack and kill Americans in retribution for the deaths of Iranian military officer Qasem Soleimani and Iraqi military commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, U.S. officials said. In more recent months, Al-Saadi allegedly used social media to encourage the killing of Americans and Jews to further the terrorist goals of Kata’ib Hizballah and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
“In or about February 2026, for example, AL-SAADI posted on one of his social media accounts a message in Arabic, which read in part, ‘Do not abandon the blood of your Imam of the time, oh Shiites of Iraq. Kill everyone who supports America and Israel. Do not leave any of them remaining. Civil and military targets, as well as voices of discord, kill them everywhere.’” U.S. officials said.
NYPD Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch confirmed that one of the U.S. targets was a Manhattan synagogue. On April 3, Al-Saadi allegedly spoke to an undercover law enforcement officer whom Al-Saadi believed could carry out attacks in the U.S. That same day, Al-Saadi allegedly texted the undercover officers photographs and maps showing the exact location of a prominent Jewish synagogue in New York City.
Officials have not said what specific locations in L.A. and Arizona were targeted by the terrorist group.
Al-Saadi now faces numerous charges for these crimes in U.S. court. If convicted, he could be sentenced to life in prison.
The case is under investigation by the FBI’s New York Joint Terrorism Task Force, which is comprised of investigators and analysts from the FBI, the NYPD, the FBI Washington Field Office, Counterterrorism Division, and more than 50 other federal, state, and local agencies. Investigators also received help from the Department of Justice’s National Security Division, Counterterrorism Section, the Office of International Affairs of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
A man armed with a knife was shot by L.A. police officers responding to an assault with a deadly weapon call overnight, authorities said.
According to the Los Angeles Police Department, officers with the Hollenbeck Division responded to an apartment complex in the 3000 block of Glenn Avenue in Boyle Heights at 1:45 a.m. Saturday after callers reported a male suspect was armed with a knife and had just assaulted someone in the complex.
Arriving officers found the suspect in front of the residence, but he did not comply with officers’ commands to drop the weapon. He then advanced toward the officers and an officer-involved shooting occurred, LAPD confirmed.
“The suspect was struck by gunfire and remained non-compliant,” the LAPD Public Information Officer said on X early Saturday morning. “Officers deployed a 40mm foam round and ultimately took the suspect into custody.”
Video obtained by KTLA shows the man being loaded into an ambulance and taken to a hospital; officials said he was transported in stable condition, adding that his knife was recovered at the scene and booked as evidence.
No officers or community members were injured during the incident. The man’s name was not released.
Dangerous rip currents and high surf are forecast for Los Angeles County beaches, including the Malibu Coast this weekend.
The National Weather Service has issued a hazardous beach statement, warning of the potentially deadly beach conditions. The dangerous conditions are forecast to last from Saturday evening to Monday morning.
“There is an increased risk of ocean drowning,” the NWS forecast reads. “Rip currents can pull swimmers and surfers out to sea. Waves can wash people off beaches and rocks, and capsize small boats nearshore.”
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A guide to surviving rip currents from the National Weather Service (NWS)
Minor Beach erosion and coastal flooding is possible through the weekend. The flooding is most likely to occur during evening high tides from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m.
Beachgoers are advised to stay out of the water and remain near lifeguard towers. Jetties and tidepools are also especially dangerous during the weekend forecast.
“Rock jetties can be deadly in such conditions, stay off the rocks,” the NWS forecast reads.
Similar hazardous beach conditions are also in the forecast for Santa Barbara County. A high surf advisory is also in effect for Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties this weekend, where 10 to 15-foot waves will be possible.
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