Guests - Rebecca Terrell, Elijah Norton, Betsy Smith

The Assault on American Farmers: Carbon Capture Pipelines and Eminent Domain

Rebecca Terrell, a senior editor for The New American magazine and former staff member for Congressman Ron Paul, exposes a troubling agenda targeting America’s farmers and farmland. The Department of Energy plans to install 96,000 miles of carbon capture pipelines across every state, including Alaska and Hawaii, under the guise of the Green New Deal. These pipelines, designed to capture carbon dioxide from industrial facilities and sequester it underground, threaten the nation’s most fertile agricultural land.

The process is rooted in United Nations initiatives like Agenda 2030 and Sustainable Development Goals, which Terrell traces back to Agenda 21, signed by President George H.W. Bush in the 1990s. Every administration since has expanded U.S. participation, with President Clinton prioritizing local implementation under terms like “comprehensive planning” and “smart growth.” These policies now manifest in local zoning laws and projects like 15-minute cities, which Terrell links to globalist entities such as the World Economic Forum and even Chinese-backed initiatives like the LEAP project in Indiana.

At the local level, farmers face severe consequences. Pipeline companies, incentivized by federal subsidies through the IRS’s 45Q tax credit, are using eminent domain to seize land. Farmers are coerced into signing easement contracts that grant pipeline companies full control over the property, leaving landowners liable for taxes and risks while stripping them of decision-making power. These contracts even allow companies to sublease or sell the land to foreign entities, raising concerns about national security, especially given Chinese land purchases near military bases.

Terrell debunks the environmental justification for carbon capture, noting that the energy-intensive process releases more carbon than it sequesters. Carbon dioxide, she emphasizes, is essential for plant growth, and current atmospheric levels are historically low. The technology, used for decades in fracking, is criticized by environmentalists like the Sierra Club for enabling oil recovery, yet it’s being pushed as a climate solution. The hypocrisy is stark: pipeline companies profit from subsidies, not market demand, while compromising food security by disrupting prime farmland.

Safety risks are equally alarming. Terrell recounts a 2020 pipeline rupture in Satartia, Mississippi, where a supercritical CO2 leak displaced oxygen, incapacitating residents and stalling vehicles. Emergency responders were unprepared, highlighting the lack of federal safety standards for carbon capture pipelines. In Iowa, a proposed 2,100-mile pipeline by Summit Carbon Solutions threatens similar risks across multiple states, with farmers unable to farm effectively over disturbed topsoil.

Terrell points to political corruption, citing South Dakota’s former Governor Kristi Noem, who campaigned on property rights but supported pipeline projects tied to her investments. Land purchases in sequestration zones by connected individuals further suggest insider dealings. To combat this, Terrell urges awareness and action, directing readers to the documentary Stand Your Ground, available at standyourground.watch, which details the fight against these pipelines.

Elijah Norton: A Financial Steward for Arizona’s Treasury

Elijah Norton, a global insurance business owner and former Arizona Republican Party treasurer, has announced his candidacy for Arizona State Treasurer, aiming to replace the term-limited Kimberly Yee. Norton positions himself as uniquely qualified, citing his experience managing over $100 million in claims reserves and $20 million of the AZGOP’s budget, which supported President Trump’s 2020 reelection campaign. No Democrat has held the treasurer’s office since 1967, and Norton is currently the only declared candidate from either party.

Norton’s primary role as treasurer would involve investing Arizona’s general fund in a conservative, high-yield portfolio, a task he already performs in his business under strict NAIC guidelines. He praises Yee for leaving the office in strong financial shape but vows to review investments to optimize returns without increasing risk. His financial acumen, he argues, sets him apart as the first treasurer in decades with direct investment experience.

Beyond investments, Norton proposes expanding the treasurer’s role to include auditing state agencies, addressing Arizona’s lack of an elected state auditor. He points to scandals like the $20-30 million embezzlement by a Santa Cruz County treasurer and Governor Katie Hobbs’ alleged misappropriation of $341 million as evidence of oversight failures. Norton advocates for a constitutional amendment to place the auditor general under the treasurer’s office, ensuring independent scrutiny of state spending, particularly in education, where he suspects significant waste and fraud.

Norton firmly opposes central bank digital currencies (CBDCs), aligning with Yee’s stance and emphasizing the importance of a robust private banking system. On Proposition 123, which directs state trust fund revenue to K-12 education, Norton supports Yee’s recommendation to maintain a 4.5% distribution rate, rejecting Hobbs’ proposal to increase outflows. He criticizes Democrats for throwing money at education without addressing inefficiencies, advocating for a comprehensive audit to improve outcomes.

A seasoned campaigner, Norton ran for Congress in 2022 and served as AZGOP treasurer, giving him statewide reach. He plans to campaign aggressively, leveraging his business’s strong leadership to focus on earning voters’ trust. Norton also highlights his ability to mend fences, noting a positive relationship with former rival Congressman David Schweikert, demonstrating the leadership he believes Arizona needs.

Betsy Brantner Smith: Confronting Crime and Education Challenges

Betsy Brantner Smith, spokesperson for the National Police Association, addresses escalating safety and education issues in Tucson and beyond. She recounts a recent incident where Tucson police officers were fired upon in the Balboa Heights neighborhood, with no suspect yet in custody. The attack, which damaged an unoccupied vehicle, underscores the growing danger to law enforcement, with over 200 officers shot nationwide in 2025, 11 fatally. Smith attributes this to leadership failures, including underfunded police departments and unenforced laws.

Tucson’s new median ordinance, aimed at reducing pedestrian deaths and homelessness, is a step forward, but Smith stresses that broader systemic issues persist. The city leads the nation in pedestrian-vehicle fatalities, driving up insurance rates and reflecting poor urban planning. She urges voters to support conservative city council candidates to prioritize safety and reverse Tucson’s decline, which deters retirees from relocating despite the city’s appeal.

In education, Smith highlights Superintendent Tom Horne’s efforts to combat indoctrination and protect parental rights. At a recent Tucson event, Horne emphasized that schools transitioning children without parental consent violate Arizona law, a practice he vows to prosecute. He also warned that schools maintaining DEI programs on their websites past April 25, 2025, risk losing 7% of their federal funding, per Trump administration guidelines. Smith encourages citizens to monitor school websites and report violations, framing education as a non-partisan issue critical to Arizona’s future.

Smith critiques Governor Katie Hobbs’ veto of SB 1164, the Arizona Immigration Cooperation and Enforcement Act, which would have mandated state and local law enforcement to cooperate with federal immigration authorities. The bill, supported by 63% of voters via Proposition 314, aimed to detain illegal immigrants for 48 hours until ICE intervention. Hobbs’ veto, Smith argues, exacerbates Arizona’s immigration crisis, clogging courts and straining resources, particularly in schools where 75 languages are spoken, many by non-literate students.

Immigration and Political Missteps: The El Salvador Controversy

Smith and host Kathleen Winn dissect the controversy surrounding Congresswoman Yasmin Ansari’s trip to El Salvador to lobby for Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a documented MS-13 gang member deported under the Trump administration. Ansari, joined by three other Democratic representatives, seeks Garcia’s release despite his criminal record, including domestic abuse and human trafficking. The delegation’s refusal to acknowledge Garcia’s gang ties, coupled with media misrepresentations labeling him an American citizen, fuels accusations of gaslighting.

The Supreme Court unanimously ruled that the Trump administration must facilitate Garcia’s return only if El Salvador agrees, which President Nayib Bukele has rejected. Smith argues that Democrats are exploiting the case to stoke fear among Hispanic communities, falsely claiming mass deportations target law-abiding immigrants. She defends the administration’s focus on deporting criminals, citing the Biden era’s unchecked illegal immigration as necessitating swift action to avoid decades-long court backlogs.

Winn and Smith frame the trip as a distraction from pressing domestic issues, accusing Democrats of lacking leadership. They contrast this with Trump’s dual endorsement of Andy Biggs and Kari Lake for Arizona governor, a strategic move to neutralize intra-party competition while highlighting Hobbs’ failures, including her veto and financial scandals. Both candidates, they assert, would prioritize border security and fiscal responsibility, unlike Hobbs, whose policies have left Arizona less safe and prosperous.

A Time of Loss and Transition

Congressman Andy Biggs and his wife, Cindy, mourn the passing of their daughter to cancer, leaving behind three young grandchildren. The Biggs family’s deep faith and grace have inspired widespread support, with Winn and Smith extending heartfelt condolences. Similarly, the death of Pope Francis at 88, following a stroke and heart failure, marks a significant moment for the Catholic Church. Elected in 2013 as the first Pope from the Americas, Francis made his final public appearance on Easter Sunday 2025. The Church now enters a conclave to select his successor, with Cardinal Timothy Dolan of the United States among the contenders, raising hopes for an American Pope.