Tucson’s Conservative Talk

Kathleen Winn hosted a lively and in-depth discussion on the future of transportation infrastructure in Pima County, focusing on Propositions 418 and 419—the renewal of the Regional Transportation Authority’s half-cent sales tax for another 20 years. Her primary guest, Ted Maxwell, president and CEO of the Southern Arizona Leadership Council and a member of the RTA board, made a strong case for passage. The conversation tackled voter concerns head-on: trust, accountability, project delivery, and what happens if the measures fail.

Patriotic rock artist Andy Ross joined to discuss his multifaceted career and his brand, American Rebel.

Josh Jacobson, founder of the Tucson Crime Free Coalition, now in its third year, joined Winn to discuss the organization’s street-level work and the flood of messages from families seeking help for unsolved cases.

The show took a somber turn with news of an overnight crash of an Arizona Department of Public Safety Ranger helicopter in Flagstaff. Both pilots were killed while responding to an active shooter incident. Retired DPS Lieutenant Dave Smith joined Winn to mourn the loss.

Pamela Neal brought a message of hope. As honorary chair of the upcoming Southern Arizona Heart Ball—“Rubies and Boots”—she is raising funds to equip schools with CPR kits and AED machines.

Kathleen Winn opened the segment with her co-host Ava Chen, diving straight into the recent release of additional Epstein documents — described as a "dump" of roughly 3 million pages. Chen framed the conversation around a critical question: beyond the known crimes and the long-publicized client list, what deeper societal rot does this exposure reveal, and how is the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) exploiting it?

Later in the broadcast, retired sergeant Betsy Brantner Smith joined Winn for the "Smith and Winn" segment. The discussion turned to ICE enforcement actions in Minneapolis and broader border security.

Precinct committeewoman Laurie Moore called in to debrief the previous day's contentious Board of Supervisors meeting. Republicans were heavily outnumbered, with one activist reportedly swearing at a Republican attendee's emotional support dog wearing a MAGA pin.

Arizona took a significant step forward in safeguarding election transparency yesterday when the House of Representatives unanimously passed House Bill 2022, sponsored by State Representative Alex Kolodin (LD3), who is also running for Secretary of State.

Nationally renowned psychiatrist Dr. Carol Lieberman joined Winn to examine the wave of violent anti-ICE protests and the stark contrast with genuine freedom fighters in Iran.

One of the most urgent stories unfolding right now is the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of “Today” show co-anchor Savannah Guthrie. Nancy was last seen Saturday evening, January 31, around 9:30 p.m. near her home in the Catalina Foothills. A family member called 911 around noon Sunday after she failed to appear at church. Joined by law enforcement veteran Dave Smith to discuss the Guthrie case and broader public safety issues in Tucson and Pima County.

Michael Letts, president and CEO of Invest-USA.org, joined to discuss ways everyday citizens can back law enforcement during a time of intense public criticism and morale challenges.

Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne addressed the teacher and student walkouts protesting ICE enforcement that disrupted Tucson Unified schools on Friday. TUSD sent advance notice to parents that absences were possible, and many schools shut down entirely—even when some teachers wanted to work.

On a today’s edition of Winn Tucson, host Kathleen Winn dove into pressing issues facing Arizona — from election security and voter roll maintenance to teacher activism and local political engagement. The conversation featured State Rep. Alexander Kolodin (R-Scottsdale), retired educator Laurie Moore, longtime precinct committeeman Mark Lewis, and community advocate Dave Smith.

On today’s edition of Winn Tucson, host Kathleen Winn dove into pressing national and local issues with two standout guests: former NYPD intelligence sergeant and author Christopher Strom, and Arizona State Mine Inspector Les Presmyk.

In a riveting discussion on Winn Tucson, host Kathleen Winn delved into breaking developments from China with Ava Chen of the New Federal State of China. Chen urged listeners to pray for the Chinese people amid escalating instability under Xi Jinping's rule. She revealed that since January 24, 2026, Xi has arrested General Zhang Youxia, his top military commander and a close ally, in a move that could ignite regime change.

Shifting to local issues, Winn hosted Dave Smith, former law enforcement officer and Pima County GOP chair, to unpack Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes' call for public monitoring of ICE agents via videos and a website for reporting "federal misconduct."

Laurie Moore, a local activist, called in to rally attendance at Pima County Board of Supervisors meetings, urging visuals like packed rooms and flags to go viral and intimidate Democrats.

Gerard Scimeca, Chairman and General Counsel of Consumer Action for a Strong Economy (CASE), joined Winn to explain why immigration enforcement matters economically. Scimeca emphasized that stable commerce and secure jobs require law and order. "In order to have a viable economy, in order to have a stable economy and regular commerce, where people feel secure in their jobs and secure in their purchases, you can't have rampant crime in the streets, you can't have lawlessness," he said.

Retired Sgt. Betsy Brantner Smith, spokesperson for the National Police Association and co-host of "Smith & Winn," joined the program to discuss escalating threats to law enforcement.

Sergio Arellano, newly elected chair of the Pima County Republican Party (and recent candidate for Arizona GOP chair), closed the program. Arellano, a combat veteran, former Army infantryman, and former outreach director for Arizona's mortgage settlement program, emphasized unity after a divisive internal process. "We're done with the division. We're done with the fighting," he said.

Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes has stirred controversy by interpreting laws in a way that suggests individuals can ignore federal immigration enforcement. Kathleen Winn described this as dangerous, emboldening resistance similar to Minnesota's. Stephen Mundt agreed, calling it egregious and anti-law enforcement, extending risks to local police.

Mundt advocated limiting mail-in ballots to deployed or international voters, counting them pre-election, and questioned prolonged certification periods. Winn criticized Arizona's "voting month" enabling corruption and urged voter action beyond complaints.