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Dear ,
I hope you and your family are doing well! Below, please find a few updates on my work last week for the residents of Arizona’s First Congressional District.
ICYMI: My Legislation to Support Increased Protection of Religious Institutions
In case any of you might have missed it, last week, I introduced the Warranting of Religious Spaces to Handle Increased Protection (WORSHIP) Act, legislation providing greater flexibility to places of worship and other nonprofit organizations receiving funding from FEMA’s Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP) to bolster security measures against terrorist threats and antisemitic incidents which continue to rise across the country. It temporarily increases the current 50% limitation on personnel and personnel-related activities to 75%, suspends the NSGP waiver request process, and adds the hiring of law enforcement and emergency response providers to the list of covered expenses.
According to the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), antisemitic incidents in the U.S. increased 360% in the first three months after Hamas terrorists barbarically attacked Israel on October 7, more than tripling from the same period last year. The ADL’s Arizona regional office also reported an 86% increase in antisemitic incidents over the past year.
As you will notice in the pie chart pictured above, the 2022 Hate Crime Statistics Report released by the FBI shows that crimes motivated by religious bias increased by over 28% from 2021 to 2022. Religion was listed in the top three bias categories due to volume of reported hate crime incidents, with the highest religious bias being anti-Jewish.
Religion is one of the most sacred aspects of our First Amendment rights. I’ve mentioned before that my faith motivates me to continue to persist in policymaking. Religion means different things for different people, and we are lucky to live in a country that promotes the acceptance of different values. Places of worship are one of the very few locations where communities can come together, unfiltered, and embrace shared beliefs. No one should ever feel endangered in a place that is intended to act as a safe space.
Unaccompanied Minors Are Crossing Our Border at an Alarming Rate
State troopers at the Eagle Pass border crossing in Texas are continuing to find unaccompanied minors in large groups of migrant crossings. They typically carry notes with them that display a name and different addresses in different states.
In the Arizona sectors, we continue to see apprehensions of convicted rapists, human smuggling events, millions of dollars of methamphetamine, and violent criminals. Customs & Border Protection have steadily encountered 7,000+ migrants each day during the last 72 hours, resulting in 21,000 encounters just over the weekend. The Tucson sector has surpassed every other sector for the highest number of encounters, with 49,747 encounters in February alone. The next highest sector for encounters is San Diego, with 31,570 encounters in February.
Local Officers Provide Update on the Valley’s ‘Dinnertime Burglaries’
On February 27, the Scottsdale Police Department hosted a town hall meeting providing further information on theincrease in dinnertime burglaries, possibly tied to a South American crime ring. These groups target high-value items to resell on black markets most likely in their country of origin. These groups usually look for items that are able to be easily carried, and don’t typically have a history of stealing weapons, large electronics, or automobiles.
Law enforcement recommends that civilians lock up their smaller valuables, such as designer purses, jewelry, expensive hardware, and money. Scottsdale PD is increasing patrols from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. around the Valley and encourages citizens to be vigilant particularly in the evening. Scottsdale PD has a service to request a daily drive-by of your home while you’re on vacation. Click here for more details about this service.
National Consumer Protection Week Is Here!
National Consumer Protection Week has officially begun and extends until March 9. Many federal agencies, such as the Federal Trade Commission, the Social Security Administration, the National Credit Union Association, and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation are getting involved in sharing resources to help people understand their consumer rights and avoid frauds and scams.
Don’t become a victim of fraud or ID Theft. Learn to recognize the signs of scams and be aware of malicious tactics, such as phishing emails, texts and unsolicited phone calls, from not only imposter government agencies, but banks and online vendors as well. Take a moment to access educational resources to help you avoid fraud, both locally and federally.
If you have any remaining questions, please refer to my website, where you can find more resources on best practices in avoiding scams and fraud.
Distressed Communities Index Ranks Scottsdale as Second Most Prosperous City
The Economic Innovation Group has created a Distressed Communities Index (EIG-DCI) that displays demographics for different communities around the world. According to the interactive index, Arizona’s First Congressional District ranks above average in all categories, making it one of the most prosperous districts in the state. Only 6% of our district does not have a high school diploma, and only 9% are living below the poverty line. 18% of the adult population in Arizona’s First Congressional District is not working, compared to 21% nationally. Arizonans living in the district make approximately 34% more in median income compared the national average. The job market is strong with the number of jobs increasing by 5% and the number of establishments increasing by 7%. Diversity in the district is plentiful, with 50% of residents being foreign-born. The district is also extremely educated with half of the population having a bachelor’s degree compared the national average of just 34%.
Mobile Office Hours, At A Glance
With National Consumer Protection Week upon us, I wanted to remind you of the incredible work my local constituent service team that my is able to assist residents of Arizona’s First Congressional District with issues involving federal agencies. This is your opportunity to receive one-on-one casework help with federal agency claims, including the IRS, Passports, Medicare, Social Security, VA and other federal benefits. Our next meeting is Thursday, March 21. Please call the district office at (480) 946-2411 or refer to my website for more information.
What I’m Reading & Why It Matters
I came across an incredible article explaining a new potential treatment for type 1 diabetes. The plan is to replace the pancreas’ missing beta cells, which are the islets’ insulin producers, and protect them from immune attacks. Patients have had their beta cells replaced by transplantation from human donors, and Vertex Pharma is testing beta cells grown from stem cells. Both methods still require patients to take immunosuppressants, as there is no way to protect the cells from an immune attack.
The immune system kills cells with non-self HLA markers and also kills cells that have no HLA markers. The thought is to make the beta cells hypoimmunogenic by suppressing the creation of HLA proteins, which are the cells identifying markers, and over implement the CD47 protein which wards off the destruction of cells without HLA markers. In studies with monkeys, when this process is implemented, the diabetes went away and stayed away for 6 months and is now going to human testing in Sweden.
Another approach is to inject a suppressor cell in replacement of the CD47 protein which wards off the killer cells. The third way is boosting the MAFA protein which regulates the expression of the insulin gene. Studies show that increasing the MAFA levels increased insulin levels. |