Tucson’s Conservative Talk

Ava Chen, from the New Federal State of China, joins for China Watch Wednesday, warning that the upcoming Trump-Xi meeting in Beijing carries hidden dangers.

Robert Contreras, candidate for Marana Town Council, has qualified with over 1,000 signatures (984 validated), exceeding the 560 required.

Seth Keshel, author of The American War on Election Corruption, discusses midterms and the SAVE Act.

Rick Shafton analyzes Joe Kent's resignation from the National Counterterrorism Center. "It's already ended for him... he was a leaker." Shafton questions Kent's consistency: a former Bernie Sanders supporter turned Trump ally.

Ava Chen, from the New Federal State of China, joins for China Watch Wednesday, warning that the upcoming Trump-Xi meeting in Beijing carries hidden dangers.

Robert Contreras, candidate for Marana Town Council, has qualified with over 1,000 signatures (984 validated), exceeding the 560 required.

Seth Keshel, author of The American War on Election Corruption, discusses midterms and the SAVE Act.

Rick Shafton analyzes Joe Kent's resignation from the National Counterterrorism Center. "It's already ended for him... he was a leaker." Shafton questions Kent's consistency: a former Bernie Sanders supporter turned Trump ally.

Nils Grevillius, a Los Angeles-based private detective with experience in the Pacific, Mediterranean, Latin America, and organized crime investigations, analyzes the Nancy Guthrie disappearance. "This case is not a cold case at all. The sheriff's detectives are furiously working on this case according to my sources in Tucson, even as the sheriff himself might soon be facing a recall."

Betsy Brantner Smith addresses protests against the proposed ICE detention center in Marana. "These people want to turn towns like Marana and Oro Valley and Sahuarita into the city of Tucson. They want to destroy the rest of the County."

Matt Beienburg, Director of Education Policy at the Goldwater Institute's Center for Constitutional Advocacy, debunks claims of widespread ESA fraud. "The truth is this is an incredibly successful program. It's serving a hundred thousand students in Arizona."

Daniel Butierez, a local activist and congressional candidate, has filed for a recall petition against Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos.

Dave Smith discusses the Nanos recall effort.

Joel Strabala, LD17 chairman, updates on the RTA election: "So as of last night, without that 8,000-ish ballots, yes vote was 116,000 and no votes was 82,000.

Doug Everett, engineer and candidate for LD17 Senate, qualified with 1,000 signatures—double the requirement.

Cheryl Caswell, candidate for Legislative District 19, joins to discuss her campaign momentum. She turned in over 1,300 signatures for the ballot, exceeding the required 585, with 1,288 accepted.

Joel Strabala, LD 17 Chairman and Election Integrity Commission member, addresses election logistics. With 77,773 ballots left to tabulate as of the previous night and 453 undergoing curing, final unofficial results are expected tonight around 5 p.m., official by Monday or Tuesday.

Elijah Norton, running for State Treasurer, explains the role's intersection with global events. "Anytime the market moves or changes, you know, we have 60% of our portfolio, we have $32 billion in assets under management. 60% of that is invested in the, in equities, which are stocks, right?" Oil spikes from the Iran conflict, AI surges, and Fed decisions affect returns.

Dave Smith addresses the Old Dominion University shooting, where an ISIS-supporting gunman killed Lt. Col. Brandon Shaw and injured others.

Filmmaker Nathan Todd Simms, directed, wrote, and produced the film alongside his wife, daughter, and friend Stuart Bennett. "We went off to make a film that was an independent film that was sort of out of the Hollywood system and we wanted to make something that was going to really resonate with audiences and it sort of just gravitated along the lines of an allegory inspired by Pilgrim's Progress."

Actor Nathan Gamble, who plays 19-year-old Christian, relates personally to the character. Known for Dolphin Tale, The Dark Knight, and The Mist, Gamble was drawn to the script's biblical roots and entertainment value.

Kenneth Abramowitz, founder of SaveTheWest.com and author of The Multifront War, discusses the Iran war's broader implications.

Ava Chen, co-host from the New Federal State of China, joins to discuss China's subdued response during the 12-13 day Iran war.

Dan Sexton and Susan Ellsworth from the John Birch Society discuss their organization's focus on constitutional adherence. Sexton explains: "We expose the votes of congressmen on constitutional issues as to whether they voted to abide by the Constitution or not and the publication the Freedom Index is for all 435 House members and the 100 Senate members and we'll have ten bills listed in the publication in each chamber we'll explain the bill and why a vote for or against the bill would be a constitutional vote or not."

John Gordon, attorney, legal and political analyst, entrepreneur, and host of the nationally syndicated radio show The Truth with John Gordon, delves into Kristi Noem's brief stint as head of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and her recent reassignment.

Betsy Brantner Smith, spokesperson for the National Police Association and member at large for Pima County GOP, exposes Sheriff Nanos' resume issues: "Stephanie Murray, she's a reporter for USA Today, but she also writes for AZ Central, who is really no friend of the Republican Party. But she has put out a scoop yesterday. And she actually went on to Pima. It's on the Pima County Sheriff's Department website, Chris Nanos' work history. His resume is up there. And she did some research, and his resume is wrong.

Joining the show is retired Navy Captain Bill Sullivan, who brings over 25 years of experience as a surface warfare officer. Having served in the Arabian and Persian Gulf, including combat operations against Iraq and enforcing international sanctions, Sullivan offers expert perspectives on the escalating situation in Iran and the Middle East.

Pima County Republican Party's LD 17 Chairman Joel Strabala joins to discuss local elections. He reports 221,399 returned ballots, with 32,600 undeliverable—about 18%—due to invalid addresses or other issues. These are stored and potentially destroyed after six months. Strabala is pursuing a FOIA request for the list and notes 4,734 replacement ballots issued.

The integrity of local elections remains a paramount concern for Arizona voters, shifting focus from national rhetoric to concrete local legislative action. Patricia Pardi, a leading advocate for electoral transparency, emphasized that true security is built at the county level through rigorous oversight and adherence to statutory requirements. The proliferation of early voting and the associated logistical challenges have created vulnerabilities that current legislative efforts aim to address.

The balance of power between state governments and federal agencies is undergoing significant strain, often playing out in complex legal battles. Joel Colley, a constitutional attorney focusing on regulatory compliance, addressed the increasing encroachment of federal mandates on Arizona's autonomy. Specifically, recent EPA regulations regarding water usage and air quality are viewed by state leaders as overreaching, failing to account for Arizona’s unique environmental and economic realities.

The debate over the future of education in Arizona is intensifying, centered on the expansion of Empowerment Scholarship Accounts (ESAs) and the principle of universal school choice. Tara Oster, an advocate for parental rights in education, argues that the current public school monopoly is failing students and hindering economic mobility. The push for universal ESA accessibility is viewed as a critical step toward creating a truly competitive educational marketplace.