• A millennial paid off more than $100,000 in student loan debt in two years by juggling two jobs.
• Secretly working multiple remote jobs allowed him to double his income.
• He said being "overemployed" is stressful at times, but the financial benefits are worth it.

Adam paid off his student loan debt last month, after more than doubling his income by juggling multiple remote jobs.

Two years prior, he had roughly $118,000 in student debt and was earning about $85,000 annually from one job as a security risk professional. Adam, who is in his 40s and based in Arizona, was eager to become debt-free as soon as possible. He started looking for ways to boost his income and discovered "overemployment."

Since early 2023, Adam has secretly juggled two full-time remote roles simultaneously. While his overemployed lifestyle has been stressful at times, he said he typically doesn't work more than 55 hours a week across his gigs — and that the financial benefits have outweighed the downsides.

"I would like to be a millionaire before I turn 50," said Adam, whose identity was verified by Business Insider but asked to use a pseudonym due to fear of professional repercussions. "I want the financial freedom to give more time to family and friends."

Adam is among the Americans who have worked multiple remote roles on the sly to boost their incomes. Over the past two years, BI has interviewed more than two dozen job jugglers who've used their extra earnings to pay off debt and travel the world. To be sure, holding multiple jobs without company approval could have professional repercussions and lead to burnout. But many current and former overemployed workers have told BI the financial benefits outweigh the downsides.

Job juggling is worth the stress

In 2022, Adam began supplementing his income by driving for food delivery platforms like DoorDash. But after growing frustrated by his meager earnings, he decided to explore other options. That same year, he watched a YouTube video about people secretly working multiple jobs to boost their incomes.

When Adam began looking for a second remote gig in early 2023, he said his two main goals were to double his income and pay off his student loans within two years. In February 2023, he landed a second remote security risk professional role that pushed his combined earnings to more than $170,000 annually.

Adam said working multiple jobs has been challenging at times. He said it can be difficult to juggle overlapping meetings and deadlines, and that coordinating vacation time across both jobs can be laborious — as each employer has a different policy and approval process. While he's generally been able to manage his workload, he said it can be difficult when colleagues quit or are out of the office, and he's asked to pick up some extra work.

"Managing priorities and ensuring both roles receive adequate attention requires careful planning and adaptability," he said.

While these challenges have been stressful at times, Adam said he's generally been able to avoid burnout. He tries to stay organized and automate his work wherever possible. Outside work, he makes an effort to spend plenty of time with his friends and family. When he needs a break during the workday, he sometimes plays video games.

"I have learned to manage stress pretty well," he said.

Looking ahead, Adam said he has no plans to stop job juggling. His goal is to boost his combined income to at least $250,000 annually by swapping one of his jobs for a higher-paying one or starting a consulting business on the side.

"I do plan on staying overemployed for the foreseeable future," he said. "The way I am overemployed may change."

Are you working multiple remote jobs at the same time and willing to provide details about your pay and schedule? If so, reach out to this reporter at [email protected].

FIRST ON FOX: Newly-minted Arizona Republican Rep. Abe Hamadeh was sworn in to the U.S. House Friday, revealing to Fox News Digital that he honored the life of ISIS victim Kayla Mueller by using her family’s Bible during the ceremony in Washington, D.C.

"This year will mark 10 years since the tragic loss of Kayla Mueller, a beacon of selflessness and courage whose legacy continues to inspire Americans across the nation. Kayla’s parents, Carl and Marsha Mueller, have borne the unimaginable pain of losing their daughter and endured years of uncertainty surrounding her fate," Hamadeh told Fox News Digital. "Their strength and resilience are the foundation of Kayla’s extraordinary spirit."

A humanitarian worker from Arizona, Mueller was abducted by terrorists while leaving a Doctors Without Borders hospital in Aleppo, Syria, in 2013. She was held hostage for 18 months, when she was believed to be repeatedly tortured and raped by ISIS militants, including then-ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. 

Mueller was killed in February 2015. 

KAYLA MUELLER’S PARENTS PRAISE TRUMP, SOLDIERS FOR RAID THAT KILLED AL-BAGHDADI

Mueller’s parents, Carl and Marsha Mueller, have previously praised President-elect Trump for carrying out a military mission in 2019 that killed al-Baghdadi and spoke at the 2020 Republican National Convention. 

GOP CONGRESSMAN-ELECT REVEALS AMBITIOUS 100-DAY PLAN FOR TRUMP ADMIN: 'NOT GOING TO GET FOOLED AGAIN'

"The Trump team gave us empathy we never received from the Obama administration. Kayla should be here. If Donald Trump had been president when Kayla was captive, she would be here today," Carl Mueller said. 

Hamadeh cited the Muellers’ 2020 RNC address in his comment to Fox Digital, reflecting on how the young woman’s mother read a letter her daughter wrote while imprisoned, which stated: "I have been shown in darkness light and have learned that even in prison, one can be free."

"What a powerful thing to write in the face of such horror. Kayla’s unshakable faith and inner strength were a reflection of the values instilled by her remarkable parents," Hamadeh said. 

"As I take the oath of office, I am profoundly honored to fulfill my promise to the Muellers and the American people by being sworn into Congress using Kayla’s family Bible. It serves as a testament to her unwavering belief in light over darkness and freedom over oppression."

Hamadeh, 33, is an Army veteran and former Maricopa County prosecutor who won his election to represent Arizona's 8th Congressional District during the 2024 cycle. The Trump-backed candidate, the son of Syrian immigrants, joined Fox News Digital in November for his first interview since winning the election, celebrated the GOP's successes nationwide and previewed his top priorities. 

ARIZONA GOVERNOR, NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER UNVEIL PAINTING HONORING KAYLA MUELLER

"I know election integrity is the top of my list as well, because without secure elections, we can't have a republic. And, so, I know that's going to be top priorities — election integrity, border security, as well as making sure we increase our energy independence — because that's going to help reduce inflation rather quickly once we start growing the economy," Hamadeh told Fox Digital at the time. 

"[Trump] does have a mandate from the American people," Hamadeh added. "The last time a Republican won the popular vote and Electoral College was 2004 with an incumbent president, President George W. Bush. You know, the last time it was a non-incumbent, I believe, was 1988 under George H.W. Bush. And he was still at least the VP at the time. So, this was a historic mandate. And President Trump, I'm going to support him all the way in Congress and make sure that we're going to change our country around very quickly."

Hamadeh told Fox Digital he will carry Kayla Mueller's legacy with him as he dives into his work in Congress. 

"Kayla’s memory calls on us to live with purpose and courage, and I will carry her legacy with me as I fight for the freedoms and values she so deeply cherished. I am eternally grateful to Carl and Marsha Mueller for entrusting me with this sacred honor and for their enduring faith in our country’s ability to uphold the principles Kayla embodied," he said. 

Hamadeh's swearing-in ceremony follows a tragic terrorist attack in New Orleans on New Year's Day that left at least 14 dead and dozens injured when a truck plowed through crowds of people on Bourbon Street. 

Authorities confirmed an ISIS flag was recovered in the suspect's car and reported that the individual was "inspired" by the terrorist organization. But they believe he acted alone in carrying out the attack. 

Fox News Digital's Andrew Mark Miller contributed to this report. 

Arizona’s top law enforcement officer said in a recent interview she is unafraid to stand up to President-elect Trump on immigration enforcement.

Democratic Attorney General Kris Mayes told the U.K.'s Guardian any plans to construct deportation centers, which she previously called "concentration camps," in the Grand Canyon State would be a nonstarter.

Mayes defended Dreamers, beneficiaries of the Obama-era DACA program, saying any federal attempts to send them to their home countries would be "a bright red line for me."

"I will not stand for an attempt to deport them or undermine them," Mayes said. "I will do everything I can legally to fight [family separation or construction of deportation camps].

MD MAYOR PUSHING IMMIGRANT LEGAL ADVOCACY FUND TO REBUFF TRUMP AGENDA

"Not on our soil."

The Dreamer moniker originates from the DREAM Act — Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors. It was first proposed by Sen. Richard Durbin, D-Ill., and the late Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, in 2001 and has been reintroduced in several succeeding sessions of Congress by Durbin but has never become law.

Most recently, it was proposed in 2023 by Durbin and his Republican counterpart in Senate Judiciary Committee leadership, Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina.

Former President Obama borrowed pieces of the legislation when he instituted DACA, the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.

Trump previously tried to get rid of DACA but was stopped by the Supreme Court in DHS v. University of California.

MARYLAND GOVERNOR DEFENDS $190K TRUMP-CENTRIC CONSULTANT CONTRACT AS PRESIDENT-ELECT MOVES IN NEXT DOOR

"I think the Supreme Court will ultimately see the merits of protecting them," Mayes said of Dreamers. 

"We want to give the courts the opportunity to make the right decision here, and we’ll be making very strong arguments on that proposition."

In previous comments reported by the Arizona Mirror, Mayes said the issue with mass deportation proposals from people like Trump and "border czar"-designate Tom Homan is that they can lead to abuses of the system.

Mayes has said she wants to see violent criminal offenders and drug cartel members removed from the U.S.

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In the Guardian interview, Mayes credited near-complete border-state cooperation on the matter of immigration.

New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez, California Attorney General Rob Bonta and Mayes are "united," she said, adding Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is the one border state lawman who is not.

"[W]e are going to fight for due process and for individual rights," she said of herself, Torrez and Bonta.

Mayes also acknowledged the fentanyl crisis and a porous border, saying Arizonans rightly want it rectified.

She reportedly said more federal resources should be spent on additional Border Patrol and prosecutions of cartel-connected people, as opposed to Trump’s idea of using the National Guard to help deport illegal immigrants.

"[W]hen Arizonans voted for Donald Trump, they did not vote to shred the Arizona and U.S. Constitution [and] I strongly believe that," she told the Guardian.

Fox News Digital reached out to Team Trump and some members of Arizona’s Republican congressional delegation for comment on Mayes’ Guardian interview but did not receive a response by press time. 

• Some overemployed Americans have secretly worked multiple remote jobs to increase their incomes.
• They've used the money to travel, save for retirement, buy cars, and pay off student debt.
• Many said job juggling was worth it despite the long hours and risk of professional repercussions.

Some Americans have increased their incomes by secretly working multiple remote jobs, and they're using the money to splurge or improve their financial futures.

In 2021, Robert was making roughly $180,000 a year from his tech job. When his workflow started to slow, he feared he could be laid off and found a job that paid $190,000 annually. He kept both remote roles, and in 2023, Robert earned more than $300,000 across the two.

Robert, a Gen Xer in Florida, said the extra income enabled him and his partner to take a roughly $20,000 cruise and spend another $10,000 on trips to Yellowstone, the Galápagos Islands, and Las Vegas, among other places.

"We spend a lot on travel because life is more about experiences and memories than material things," Robert previously told Business Insider. His identity is known to BI, but he asked to use a pseudonym because of his fear of professional repercussions.

Robert is among the "overemployed" Americans who have secretly worked multiple remote jobs to boost their incomes. Over the past year, BI has interviewed more than two dozen job jugglers who've used the extra money to pay off debt, save for retirement, and afford expensive weight-loss drugs.

To be sure, while some employers may be OK with their workers having a second job, doing so without company approval could have professional repercussions. Additionally, job juggling can lead to burnout, and the ethics of doing it in secret are up for debate.

But many current and former overemployed individuals told BI that the financial benefits were worth it, and some have used the money to build additional income streams. BI has verified their earnings, and their identities are known, but they asked to use pseudonyms because of their fear of professional repercussions.

Overemployed workers set up new earnings opportunities

Patrick, an account manager, earned about $200,000 last year secretly working two full-time remote jobs and doing some freelance work.

He used the extra income to pay off debts and make home improvements. It also allowed his wife to trade her full-time job for a part-time gig so she could spend more time with their child.

"I'm a new father, and my goal is financial freedom," Patrick, who's in his 30s and lives in California, previously told BI.

Some overemployed workers have tried to turn their extra earnings into additional income streams.

In 2023, Luke made about $225,000 across multiple remote jobs. The e-commerce professional said he used the extra income to make a down payment on a truck and start an Airbnb. He said he didn't want to become reliant on the extra income.

"I went into it saying that I was not going to use the money as spending money," Luke, who's in his 30s and lives in the South, previously told BI. "I was basically going to treat the money like it wasn't there unless it was something that I needed to buy that was big."

Over the past few years, Charles, a consumer-product professional in his 30s, earned between $100,000 and $300,000 annually by working multiple remote roles. His income fluctuated as he bounced between different jobs.

He said boosting his earnings made it possible for him to make home improvements, buy a rental property, and purchase a new car.

Some job jugglers have padded their savings or paid down debt

Some overemployed workers haven't splurged much and have instead used the money to shore up their finances.

Adam, who's in his early 40s, had roughly $118,000 in student-loan debt as of January 2023. The security-risk professional said juggling two remote roles and doubling his income to more than $170,000 had allowed him to significantly reduce his debt burden.

"I'm expecting to have all my student loans paid off before Christmas," Adam, who lives in Arizona, previously told BI. In November, Adam said he was still on track to meet this goal.

Adam said he also used his extra money to build a four-month emergency savings fund and help out a few friends financially.

In 2021, Phil, a software engineer in his 30s, saw his workload decline at his job. He thought the change would give him the time to juggle two remote jobs simultaneously.

Phil, who's in his 30s and lives in Texas, said his roughly $350,000 annual pay allowed him to allocate nearly $75,000 to his retirement funds last year.

"Overemployment definitely helps as far as financial security is concerned," he previously told BI.

Are you secretly working multiple remote jobs at the same time and willing to discuss details about your pay and schedule? If so, reach out to this reporter at [email protected].

President-elect Trump estimated the exact time his administration will be "fully operational" on Jan. 20 in his first rally-styled speech since his decisive win over Vice President Kamala Harris last month. 

"You just have a few days to wait. We're going to be fully operational, I would say, by about 2:00 on the 20th," Trump said from the AmericaFest stage. 

Trump took the stage of the Phoenix Convention Center Sunday as part of Turning Point’s annual AmericaFest – a four-day event billed as part of the "biggest conservative movement in the country" – where the president took a victory lap for his electoral win last month, and to also preview his administration in the waning days of the transition period. 

"The thing that brings people together is victory. It's winning. And we had that for much of my first year. We had the most – we had the greatest economy in history, in our first term. We can now call it a first term. We had the greatest economy in the history of our country, maybe in the history of any country, frankly. And we had – we did things that nobody could have done. And we're going to do them even better now. We're going to be drilling, as we say, ‘drill, baby, drill.’ We're going to drill, baby drill, but we're going to be doing a lot more than drilling," he said of his win and upcoming administration. 

TRUMP SET TO DELIVER FIRST RALLY-STYLED SPEECH SINCE DECISIVE ELECTION WIN: 'BIGGEST CONSERVATIVE MOVEMENT'

On Saturday evening, Trump issued a message on Truth Social, calling for the U.S. to regain control of the Panama Canal. He elaborated during his speech Sunday that "we will demand that the Panama Canal be returned to the United States of America in full, quickly and without question."

"A secure Panama Canal is crucial for U.S. commerce and rapid deployment of the Navy from the Atlantic, all the way to the Pacific. It's an incredible thing. And drastically cut shipping times down to U.S. ports by days and even weeks. The United States is the number one user of the Panama Canal, with over 72% of all transits heading to or from U.S. ports. Think of that. So we built it. We're the ones that use it. They gave it away," he said. 

The canal had been under American control since its construction was completed, and it began operations in 1914. It was handed over to Panama during President Jimmy Carter's administration in 1977.

Trump also previewed his upcoming administration, saying that in addition to carrying out the "largest deportation operation in American history," his admin will also roll out an advertising campaign highlighting the evils of drug use, spotlighting fentanyl that flows across the border. 

"We're going to do very big advertising campaigns, just like a campaign for running for president. We spend a lot of money, but it'll be a very small amount of money, relatively. We're going to advertise how bad drugs are for you, how bad they are. They ruin your look. They ruin your face. They ruin your skin. They ruin your teeth. If you want to have horrible teeth, take a lot of fentanyl. If you want to have skin that looks so terrible, take fentanyl," he said. 

Efforts to bolster border security and deport illegal immigrants in the nation, Trump said, will also include efforts to secure the northern border. 

"Canada allows people and drugs to flood in through our northern border. You know, we have a northern border that's not doing so well either. Likewise, people are coming in from Mexico in numbers that have never, ever been seen before. We had 21 million people come in over the past four years," he said. 

WHITE HOUSE PRESSED ON BIDEN REFUSING TO SPEAK PUBLICLY AHEAD OF SHUTDOWN

Trump's speech on Sunday followed Congress avoiding a prolonged government shutdown early Saturday morning. Members of the House returned to the negotiating table last week after Trump and allies such as Elon Musk slammed a more than 1,500-page bill as "outrageous" and rife with excessive spending. 

Trump called on Republicans to suspend the debt limit as part of their talks to avert a government shutdown. The final bill, however, did not include a suspension of the debt ceiling.

Trump has not spoken publicly since the bill’s passage, including on Sunday, although sources told Fox News that the incoming president is not that happy with the bill. 

In his speech, Trump again reaffirmed his support for former Fox News host Pete Hegseth as secretary of defense in his second administration, as Hegseth battles allegations of sexual misconduct and excessive drinking while rallying support for his confirmation among senators. Hegseth has denied the allegations and vowed that he won't drink "a drop of alcohol" if confirmed to Trump's Cabinet.

TRUMP NOMINATES TV PRODUCER, CREATOR OF 'THE APPRENTICE,' TO SERVE IN NEW ADMINISTRATION

"To get wokeness out of our military and restore the unquestioned strength and fighting spirit of the American armed forces, I have appointed Pete Hegseth to be our next secretary of the defense. He's going to be great. You know, I've interviewed with him a lot on Fox, and all he ever wanted to talk about was the military," he said. 

Trump also celebrated his other Cabinet picks, including Pam Bondi as attorney general, and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services. 

"When you look at, like, autism from 25 years ago, and you look at it now, something's going on. And I nominated Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Think of it. Think of this: 25 years ago, autism, 1 in 10,000 children. Today it's 1 in 36 children. Is something wrong? I think so, and Robert and I, we're going to figure it out," he said. 

TRUMP NOMINATES PAIR TO HELP LEAD DOJ, ANNOUNCES FEDERAL RAILROAD ADMINISTRATION PICK

The former and upcoming president continued in his speech with his typical campaign talking points, vowing to come through on his promises to unleash the energy industry and remove "woke" policies from schools and the military. 

"I will sign day one orders to end all Biden restrictions on energy production. Terminate his insane electric vehicle mandate. Cancel his natural gas export ban, reopen ANWR in Alaska, the biggest site potentially anywhere in the world, and declare a national energy emergency," he said. 

'EVIL TERRORISTS': HOUSE GOP BORDER HAWKS RALLY AROUND TRUMP'S DEPORTATION PLAN TARGETING 'CARTEL THUGS'

Adding at another point: "With a stroke of my pen on day one, we're going to stop the transgender lunacy. And I will sign executive orders to end child sexual mutilation, get transgender out of the military and out of our elementary schools, and middle schools, and high school. And we will keep men out of women's sports."

Trump also quoted his mother at one point during his speech, citing her use of the word "befuddled" to describe Democrats following the election. 

"If you watch television now, they're all befuddled. They don't know what the hell happened. They're befuddled. To use quite a nice word that my mother used to use years ago, talking about somebody that's a mess. But they did. They've lost their confidence. And hopefully they'll lose it for a long time and then come over to our side because we want to have them," he said. 

AmericaFest kicked off on Dec. 19 in Phoenix and will conclude on Sunday following Trump’s speech. The annual event is billed as one that reenergizes conservative students and voters "​​all while celebrating the greatest country in the world." The venue has about a 14,000-person capacity, while Turning Point reported about 21,000 tickets were sold for the convention. 

"We are incredibly honored that President Trump will deliver his first rally-style speech since the election at AmFest 2024 in Phoenix," Turning Point USA and Turning Point Action chief Charlie Kirk said in a press release ahead of the event. "This was already the largest multi-day event in the movement, and this year will be the biggest we’ve ever hosted, by far."

President-elect Trump is set to take the stage in Phoenix, Arizona, on Sunday to deliver his first rally-styled speech since his decisive win over Vice President Kamala Harris last month. 

"We are incredibly honored that President Trump will deliver his first rally-style speech since the election at AmFest 2024 in Phoenix," Turning Point USA and Turning Point Action chief Charlie Kirk said in a press release. "This was already the largest multi-day event in the movement, and this year will be the biggest we’ve ever hosted, by far."

"When I spoke to the president, he said he’d only do it if we called it a ‘Tribute to Arizona,’ so that’s exactly what we’re doing. President Trump knows the people of Arizona have always been with him, they’re loyal to him and they just delivered the largest win for him of all of the swing states, giving him a 5.5% margin of victory."

Trump is expected to take the stage of the Phoenix Convention Center at 10:30 a.m. local time Sunday, as part of Turning Point’s annual AmericaFest – a four-day event billed as part of the "biggest conservative movement in the country."

LAWMAKERS REACT TO STOPGAP FUNDING AND AVERTING GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN

Trump’s address at the event comes just a day after Congress avoided a prolonged government shutdown. 

The Senate passed a stopgap spending bill early Saturday morning – after the midnight deadline had passed and the government briefly shut down – and sent the legislation to President Biden for his signature. 

PRESIDENT BIDEN SIGNS STOPGAP FUNDING BILL INTO LAW, NARROWLY AVERTING SHUTDOWN

Last week, lawmakers had reached an agreement on a short-term spending bill that included more than 1,500 pages of text. Conservatives and Trump allies, spearheaded by billionaire Elon Musk, slammed the original and lengthy legislation, as negotiations came down to the wire last week, taking issue with provisions such as increasing lawmakers' cost of living. 

Trump called on Republicans to suspend the debt limit as part of their talks to avert a government shutdown, which has exceeded $36 trillion. The House crafted a new, 116-page bill that included suspending the debt limit for two years until January 2027, roughly $110 billion in disaster relief aid for Americans affected by storms Milton and Helene, as well as a measure to fund rebuilding Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge.

WHITE HOUSE PRESSED ON BIDEN REFUSING TO SPEAK PUBLICLY AHEAD OF SHUTDOWN

That bill failed 174 to 235, before House lawmakers negotiated and passed another version. 

TRUMP-BACKED SPENDING BILL GOES DOWN IN FLAMES AS SHUTDOWN LOOMS

The final bill sent to Biden included economic relief for farmers and disaster aid for those affected by recent storms, but it did not include a suspension of the debt ceiling, which Trump had requested. 

Trump has not spoken publicly since the bill’s passage, although sources told Fox News that the incoming president is not that happy with the bill. 

Ahead of Trump’s speech on Sunday, conservative lawmakers and allies, including Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, upcoming Trump administration "border czar" Tom Homan, comedian Rob Schenider, and Kirk will also take the stage. 

AmericaFest kicked off on Dec. 19 in Phoenix and will conclude on Sunday following Trump’s speech. The annual event is billed as one that reenergizes conservative students and voters "​​all while celebrating the greatest country in the world."

Fox News Digital's Elizabeth Elkind, Julia Johnson and Michael Dorgan contributed to this report. 

• Culdesac Tempe, a car-free neighborhood in Arizona, opened in 2023.
• Millennials and Gen Zers are paying more to live in walkable communities.
• I toured the carless neighborhood and found a walkable community with micro-retailers.

I'm a New Yorker who doesn't drive, and I've always felt like I couldn't move without a license. However, on a recent trip to Arizona, I found I was wrong.

Many millennials and Gen Zers don't want to depend on cars anymore. According to a 2023 study by the National Association of Realtors, they're paying higher prices to live in walkable communities.

Hence, the rise of walkable neighborhoods like Culdesac Tempe in Arizona, the self-proclaimed "first car-free neighborhood built from scratch in the US."

Cars are banned from the 17-acre block in the Phoenix suburb that opened in 2023. As of April 2024, Culdesac had 200 residents, and eventually, they hope to have 1,000, a company representative told Business Insider.

I stopped by the car-free neighborhood for a tour of the block and thought it felt like an urban oasis in the Phoenix suburb.

Culdesac is in the greater Phoenix area.

Culdesac sits on the east side of Tempe, a suburb roughly 10 miles from Phoenix, also home to Arizona State University.

I recently got a private tour — and the chance to chat with the CEO.

During my visit, I met with CEO and cofounder Ryan Johnson. After years of working in the real estate and transportation industries — and traveling to walkable places worldwide — he was inspired to create a neighborhood free of cars.

From New York City to Budapest, Johnson said his travels launched a passion for cities.

"I saw those places and said, 'Wow, this is a much better way to build a city — with thoughtful architecture, great transportation systems,'" he told BI.

Johnson added that developments in the transportation industry, from ride-share apps to public transit systems and electric bikes, have made living car-free possible in places like Arizona.

Johnson, who grew up in Phoenix and currently lives at Culdesac, hasn't had a car in 14 years.

All around the property, I spotted electric bikes and scooters.

Visitors and delivery drivers can park their cars at Culdesac, but residents cannot.

The company representative told BI that for residents with cars, "it's regulated through their lease agreement that they won't park on-site or on any public streets within 0.25 miles."

Some residents park their cars elsewhere in Tempe, while others, like Johnson, don't have a vehicle. Residents get around on foot, bicycles, electric bikes and scooters. The neighborhood has more than 1,000 bike parking spots.

One Culdesac resident previously told BI that living without a car can be challenging outside the neighborhood, as the surrounding city was built for vehicles.

However, according to the company's website, Culdesac provides residents with a mobility package worth almost $3,000 annually to make transportation easier. It includes a complimentary Valley Metro pass for the light rail that goes through Phoenix and Tempe and discounts on ride-share apps like Lyft and Waymo, a self-driving cab service.

My tour began in the plaza.

The plaza, located across from the neighborhood light rail stop, is the communal center of Culdesac. It's marked by a sculpture by artist Matthew Salenger that doubles as a canopy.

Here, there are games, shaded tables, and weekly events.

Thursday nights at Culdesac light up with a public outdoor night market called Little Cholla. The weekly event features live music, local vendors like food trucks, and dancing.

There's also a two-story gym.

A two-story building in the plaza with giant windows houses the neighborhood fitness center. It has workout classes and is lined with equipment.

Across from the plaza, there are local shops run by residents.

From thrifted clothing to unique dishware and candles, there's plenty of local shopping at Culdesac.

According to the company's website, there are more than a dozen micro-retail shops, including a market, a laundromat, a medical spa, an art studio, and a plant shop.

These micro-retailers have the option to live in their workspace.

The company representative told BI that the small-business owners at Culdesac are residents, and some even live in their stores thanks to a zoning permit that allows them to do so.

All the stores have kitchens and bathrooms, and some have bedrooms.

Steps from the plaza, the neighborhood has a restaurant with outdoor seating.

In April 2023, Culdesac's Cocina Chiwas opened. It's a family-owned Mexican restaurant serving Chihuahuan cuisine.

As I strolled the communal paths, I noticed that Culdesac didn't feel as hot as the surrounding streets. That's because there's no asphalt on the property.

It's no secret that the Phoenix area is hot — sometimes dangerously so in the summers. So Culdesac was built to keep pedestrians cool without asphalt — a road material that gets hotter in the sun.

In the residential areas, the walkways are narrow.

Culdesac intentionally placed the buildings close together to create as much shade as possible.

The buildings' color is also no accident. Culdesac chose white because it reflects sunlight rather than absorbs it.

Between residential buildings, there are courtyards with grills, tables, hammocks, and firepits.

More than half of the entire property is open, landscaped space.

Culdesac has apartments ranging from studios to three-bedroom floor plans.

Culdesac currently has 172 units. More will open in the fall, and the neighborhood will eventually have 760 units.

Studios start at $1,300 a month, one-bedrooms are $1,400, two-bedrooms are $2,100, and three-bedrooms are $2,900 monthly.

On the outer rim of Culdesac, there's a bike shop with tune-up services.

Archer's Bike Shop sells manual and electric bikes. And Culdesac residents get complementary services and product discounts.

Culdesac seems like a place where people can live car-free and get to know their neighbors.

After my visit to Culdesac, I chatted with Brad Biehl, a 24-year-old resident from Colombus, Ohio. Biehl has lived in the neighborhood for six months. He said one of the best parts of living there is the sense of community.

"We're usually in environments where we walk from our door to our car and from the car into the place," Biehl said. "But here, to go anywhere, I usually pass at least two or three of my neighbors, even when I'm just walking to the light rail right around the corner."

Biehl added that he's optimistic about the future of Culdesac when more residents and retailers come in.

"While there are still not a ton of people here yet, there's way more going on than I would've expected there to be," he told BI. "The number of serendipitous interactions that have taken place with the limited number of residents makes me super excited for what people will experience here."

Republican lawmakers in Arizona are calling for Pima County recorder Gabriella Cazares-Kelly to be investigated for her handling of the 2024 General Election, accusing her of closing an early ballot request portal before the legal deadline for early ballot requests, among two other claims of potential misconduct.

Arizona State Representatives Teresa Martinez and Rachel Jones penned a letter to Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes last week requesting a probe following reports of "significant and highly concerning issues" involving Cazares-Kelly’s actions leading up to and during the election, the lawmakers said in a joint statement Monday. Cazares-Kelly, a progressive Democrat, has been in office since 2021. 

Martinez and Jones claim the Pima County Recorder’s Office disabled its online ballot request system six days before the legal deadline, impacting nearly 4,000 voters. They say the decision has raised concerns about compliance with Arizona election laws and potential voter disenfranchisement in the county, located in southern Arizona. The county has a population of just over 1 million people, per the 2020 census, making it Arizona's second-most populous county, behind Maricopa County. 

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The pair have also raised concerns that inadequate safeguards in the recorder’s voter registration program for prison inmates may have allowed ineligible individuals to vote. They say previous inquiries into this matter, including a letter sent by Jones and State Representative Cory McGarr on June 5, went unanswered. 

Thirdly, Martinez and Rachel Jones say that the method of how undeliverable ballots were processed, stored and tracked under Cazares-Kelly's leadership, has also been raised.

A follow-up letter sent by Jones and McGarr on Oct. 24 to clarify compliance with Arizona law likewise received no response, according to the letter.

"Election integrity is the foundation of our democracy, and voters deserve to know their elections are being administered fairly, lawfully, and transparently," Martinez said in a statement. "The numerous irregularities and lack of accountability from the Pima County Recorder’s Office demand a full investigation." 

ARIZONA ALLEGED ‘FAKE ELECTORS’ WHO BACKED TRUMP IN 2020 INDICTED BY GRAND JURY

Jones added that: "When nearly 4,000 voters face barriers to requesting a ballot, and when questions about unlawful voting and ballot processing are met with silence, it’s clear that immediate action is needed to restore public trust."

Cazares-Kelly’s office provided Fox News Digital with a Nov. 19 press release which she addressed concerns regarding the early ballot request portal.

It reads that Pima County discovered a district boundary error weeks before election which led to an "unavoidable delay" in the vendor’s printing and assembly of ballots resulting in many voters flood the online form to request ballots. Some voters did so despite already being on the Active Early Voting List (AEVL), which duplicated their ballot requests.

"The processing of online ballot requests is still a very manual process in our office, requiring us to look up each voter record and review many pieces of information," Cazares-Kelly said, per the release.

"Follow-up communication is often necessary.  After monitoring the progress of the ballot requests during the week leading up to the October 25 deadline, it became clear that our office could not manually process all the online requests in a timely manner. Only 39% of the more than 20,000 ballot requests manually processed before October 19 were valid."

She said that her data team filtered out about 4,000 duplicate requests and emailed the remaining 3,900 voters with unique online early ballot requests, urging them to call the office so it could process the requests more quickly with one phone call versus back-and-forth correspondence.  

"I am confident that most of the voters who requested a ballot using our online form either received their already queued ballots, voted early in person, updated their addresses online or successfully requested a mail ballot," Cazares-Kelly said.

A spokesperson for Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes' office says it has received the letter but is declining to comment further, telling Fox News Digital that the attorney general’s office does not comment on potential investigations. 

Cazares-Kelly is the first Native American woman elected to a seat in Pima County, according to her campaign website. She is the President of the Progressive Democrats of Southern Arizona and Vice President of the Arizona Democratic Party's Native American Caucus.

In Martinez’s and Jones’ letter, the pair made reference to Mayes’ comments last month that her office was investigating whether President-elect Trump’s remarks about former Republican Rep. Liz Cheney qualifies as a death threat under Arizona’s law.

On the campaign trail, Trump called Cheney a war hawk and postulated how she might feel standing in a war zone with "nine barrels shooting at her."

"Arizonans deserve free, fair, and transparent elections," the letter reads. "In light of your recent decision to immediately investigate President-elect Donald Trump over his speech (although you later determined his remarks were protected by the First Amendment), we hope you will agree that Recorder Cazares-Kelly's alarming conduct administering the 2024 General Election warrants a thorough investigation."

READ THE LETTER BELOW. APP USERS CLICK HERE.

Paul Bissonnette, a former NHL player and hockey analyst on TNT, was assaulted by six men at a restaurant in Arizona on Sunday night after he alleged that a group of "drunk golfers" were causing a scene after being refused service. 

Bissonnette, who last played in the league for the Arizona Coyotes, released a video statement on social media on Monday after news broke that six men were arrested and are facing charges of assault and disorderly conduct for the incident that took place at Houston’s restaurant in Scottsdale. 

The former hockey player, who also hosts a podcast on Barstool, gave his version of events in a video posted on X. He explained that the incident took place at a restaurant he frequents and that he became involved after he saw one of the men become physical with the restaurant’s manager. 

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

"I go to dinner at this place called Houston’s – I go there like three or four times a week. The staff’s incredible, the food’s incredible and, just like good people, I love going there," he began.  

"At one point there was a bit of a ruckus going on in the bar – it was a bunch of drunk golfers. Things obviously continued to escalate. They asked one guy to leave, and then one guy kept getting in the manager’s face, put his hands on him, and that went on for probably 30–45 seconds. You could tell he was a little shocked and surprised and stunned. 

"It’s a family restaurant, I don’t think there was anybody in there who could go maybe help him out. So I went over, I just grabbed the guy's arm that was on [the manager]. I said ‘Sir, if you continue to harass and assault the staff, we’re gonna have problems.’ And then they just started chucking. So, it escalated extremely quickly. I think it was seven guys I fought with throughout the course of the restaurant all the way into the parking lot over to CVS." 

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Bissonnette, 39, said the fight spilled out into the street and claimed that he was kicked in the head several times. He said he was taken to the hospital as a result. 

"Got taken down a couple of times. I got boot f---ed in the head three times by the CVS – luckily didn’t get knocked out," he said in the video. 

"Just like bad dudes. Way too drunk and I don’t know what else they had in their system, but yeah, I’m very, very angry at these guys and kind of want their names out there and want them to pay the piper. Just unacceptable behavior at a family restaurant just because they couldn’t grab another cocktail and didn’t want to hear ‘No’ for an answer. Like I said, at that point with the guy all over the manager I just figured I had to go over."  

According to FOX10, Scottsdale police arrested six men involved in the fight on charges of assault and disorderly conduct. Five are facing misdemeanors and the sixth is facing a felony. They were not identified by law enforcement, according to the report. 

"There was an altercation inside the restaurant with six adult men and the management. Reportedly, Paul Bissonnette tried to help management calm the men and get them to leave. The situation escalated to the men assaulting Paul Bissonnette both inside and outside of the restaurant," Scottsdale Police Sgt. Allison Sempsis told the station.

Bissonnette played in the NHL from 2008-2014, spending his final six seasons with the Arizona Coyotes. 

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, I-Ariz., on Monday appeared to poke fun at Senate Democrats for coming out in support of the filibuster after her former party had called for it to be abolished over the past four years to push through Democratic agenda items.

Sinema, who left the Democratic Party nearly two years ago, responded on the social media platform X to a report by the Washington Examiner citing Democratic senators who now say they support the Senate filibuster to block President-elect Trump's agenda in his second administration.

"Please, please, please stop what you’re doing and read these quotes," Sinema said.

"Filing under: schadenfreude," she continued.

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Sinema and West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin, who has also left the party to become an independent, were the two then-Democrats who opposed eliminating the filibuster during the Biden administration when Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., attempted to abolish it in 2022, although he was unsuccessful without the support of Sinema and Manchin in a razor-thin majority for Democrats.

Both independent senators did not run for re-election and will be leaving the Senate in January.

In August, Schumer told the New York Post that Sinema and Manchin are "both gone" in 2025 when asked if he would make another attempt to eliminate the filibuster.

After the election, Schumer pleaded with Republicans to prioritize bipartisanship.

"I offer a word of caution in good faith: Take care not to misread the will of the people, and do not abandon the need for bipartisanship," Schumer said.

Earlier this month, Sinama responded to Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., who said she would not support eliminating the filibuster now that the GOP will control the House, Senate and White House, but would have supported it if Democrats had the trifecta.

"You don't say?" Sinema wrote on X.

The report from the Washington Examiner quotes several Senate Democrats, including Sens. Dick Durbin, D-Ill; Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii; Chris Murphy, D-Conn., and Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., who all expressed support for maintaining the filibuster to halt Trump-backed legislation.

"I'd be lying if I said we'd be in a better position without the filibuster," Blumenthal said. "We have a responsibility to stop autocratic and long-headed abuse of power or policy, and we’ll use whatever tools we have available. We're not going to fight this battle with one hand tied behind our back."

Durbin said he views the filibuster as "part of the calculation" on how Democrats will resist Republican bills in the next Congress in which the GOP will hold a 53-47 majority in the Upper Chamber.

"We had to live with it when we were in the majority," he said.

Schatz said: "I'm going to try not to make a mess of my position on this one."

The Hawaii democrat previously slammed the "unprecedented abuse of the filibuster by Republicans" during the Obama administration as he backed reforms.

WASHINGTON GOVERNOR-ELECT ANNOUNCES SUBCOMMITTEE TO COMBAT PROJECT 2025

"You play with the rules that exist," Murphy said, adding that he is open to changes but not to "obliterate" the filibuster, which he criticized in 2021 as "downright dangerous," a "slap in the face to majoritarianism" and an "argument that essentially prioritizes consistency over democracy."

Incoming Senate GOP Leader John Thune, R-S.D., recently said that the filibuster will be "safe under Republican control," even if it blocks Trump's agenda.

"I find it ironic that a party that has spent a fair amount of time this election cycle talking about the importance of preserving our democracy seems intent on embracing the thoroughly undemocratic notion that only one party should be making decisions in this country," Thune said.

• TSMC's Phoenix chip factories likely won't eliminate US dependence on tech from Taiwan.
• Experts told BI that TSMC's most advanced chips will likely continue to be produced in Taiwan.
• Taiwan's central role in a crucial global industry could help it secure support from the US.

Some US businesses are likely to continue depending on TSMC chips made in Taiwan for the foreseeable future, even as the company builds factories in Arizona.

On November 15, the Biden administration announced that the Commerce Department had awarded TSMC — the world's leading chipmaker — with up to $6.6 billion in funding to aid the construction of three chip factories in Phoenix. The first factory is expected to begin full production levels in early 2025.

In a press release, the Biden administration said the announcement was "among the most critical milestones yet" in the implementation of the CHIPS Act. Supporters of the law hope it will create US jobs, secure supply chains, and make the US less reliant on advanced chips from Taiwan — which faces the possible threat of a Chinese invasion. TSMC produces an estimated 90% of the world's advanced chips, which power everything from iPhones to cars.

While TSMC's Phoenix factories are expected to boost semiconductor chip production in the US, the company isn't making its most advanced chips stateside, industry experts told Business Insider.

Jeff Koch, an analyst at the semiconductor research and consulting firm SemiAnalysis, told BI that chips made in TSMC's US factories are expected to be one to two levels behind the company's more advanced Taiwan-made chips. For example, chips produced using 4 nanometer (nm) technology are expected to be made in the first Phoenix factory, while TSMC's Taiwan factories are already producing chips using 3nm technology. The smaller the nanometer number, the more transistors manufacturers can fit on a chip, making it more powerful and energy-efficient.

While 3nm chips are expected to be produced in TSMC's second Arizona factory — which is slated to begin full production in 2028 — Koch said this would likely come after the production of 2nm chips begins in Taiwan, which is estimated to happen next year, according to TSMC.

Stephen Ezell, the vice president for global innovation policy at the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation, told BI that by the time TSMC's Phoenix factory starts making 2nm chips, he'd expect the company to be producing even more advanced chips in Taiwan.

"The United States will be dependent on chips from Taiwan for a long time to come," he said. "Even if the CHIPS Act is wildly successful, it'll barely get the US back to 17% to 20% of global chip production." The US currently produces about 10% of the world's chips.

The Department of Commerce told BI that as TSMC's Arizona fabs become operational, it expects to see the production of TSMC's most advanced chips transition into the US over the coming years.

TSMC declined to comment on whether the company's most advanced chips will continue to be produced in Taiwan.

Keeping TSMC's most advanced chips in Taiwan gives the island leverage

Companies that prefer to use the most cutting-edge technology — like Nvidia, Apple, Qualcomm, and AMD — will likely continue to source chips from Taiwan, said Chris Miller, a nonresident senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute who focuses on semiconductors.

"I think TSMC's plants in Arizona are significant, but given current policies and investment trends, the US will be using large volumes of chips made in Taiwan for many years into the future," added Miller, who is the author of "Chip War: The Fight for the World's Most Critical Technology,"

TSMC's most advanced chips are made first in Taiwan, in part, because that is where the company conducts its research and development — which makes it easier to roll out more sophisticated technologies. Additionally, keeping that level of production in Taiwan could help the island retain its essential role in the chipmaking industry, which is crucial to the global economy, Koch said.

He added that this dynamic could make the US more likely to provide Taiwan with military support if China invaded.

"It's very unlikely that the Taiwanese government would allow TSMC to build its most advanced fabs in the US without a few years' lag," he said, adding, "This is Taiwan's most valuable strategic capability. Without it, extracting a US security guarantee or support from the Trump administration goes from hard to impossible."

William Alan Reinsch, a senior advisor at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a national security think tank, told BI the Biden administration's goal was to boost domestic chip production — not to completely erase US businesses' reliance on foreign-made chips.

What's more, efforts to develop and foster the US semiconductor industry could help protect America's supply chains from geopolitical events, even if some US businesses continue to source chips from Taiwan.

Do you work in the US semiconductor industry? Reach out to this reporter at [email protected].

Attorneys general from 24 states are urging the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn a lower court ruling and uphold an Arizona law to prohibit biological boys from competing on girls' sports teams.

The petition comes after a federal appeals court ruled that the law likely violates the Equal Protection Clause of the Constitution.

"Sports teams are divided by sex to begin with to give girls a level playing field so they’re not competing against boys," South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson said in a news release. "Arizona’s law restricting girls’ sports teams to biological females is just common sense, and it protects girls from competing against bigger, stronger males who identify as females."

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In addition to Wilson, the attorneys general supporting the petition are those from Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia and Wyoming.

The petition notes that these states have laws similar to Arizona's that restrict girls' sports to biological females.

It also argues that the Equal Protection Clause does not prohibit states from offering separate sports teams for men, women, boys and girls.

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"In sports, equal access means a level playing field," the attorneys general write in their brief. "And a level playing field usually means sports teams divided by sex so that girls can compete against other girls."

"Basing the distinction on biology rather than gender identity makes sense because it is the differences in biology—not gender identity—that call for separate teams in the first place: Whatever their gender identity, biological males are, on average, stronger and faster than biological females. If those average physical differences did not matter, there would be no need to segregate sports teams at all," they continued.

The attorneys general are asking the high court to "make it clear that the Constitution does not prohibit states from saving women’s sports from unfair competition and providing meaningful athletic opportunities for girls and women," according to Wilson’s news release.