Guests - Ava Chen, Paul Sheldon
Geopolitical Choke Points and Local Accountability
Kathleen Winn opens the show reflecting on profound community losses, including the plane crash that claimed the lives of Chris Sheaf and his wife Jackie. She notes their deep service to Tucson and Pima County, their friendship, and the void left behind. "He was a good guy and he did so much for this community and for Pima County and for Tucson and everything and for candidates." Winn emphasizes the importance of honoring such legacies through continued civic engagement.
Ava Chen on Iran Negotiations, CCP Proxy Support, and Global Trade Vulnerabilities
Ava Chen joins for China Watch Wednesday, diving into the rapid developments around the Strait of Hormuz. She highlights U.S. naval actions securing the waterway after Iran's blockade attempts, noting the strategic pressure on the regime. "The United States apparently has systems that can find them and can clear a pathway for ships to go through." Chen stresses the economic stakes, explaining that a high percentage of Iran's oil exports pass through the strait, severely limiting the regime's revenue.
She details the CCP's extensive military assistance to Iran, including advanced shoulder-fired missiles with aircraft-targeting systems, drone assembly lines, chip-making facilities, precursor chemicals for missile fuel, satellite guidance via Beidou, and spy ships in the Gulf of Oman. "The CCP has already gave Iran... 20,000 of those to Iran." Chen warns these weapons directly threaten U.S. and Israeli aircraft. She connects this to broader CCP strategy, using Iran as a proxy while maintaining plausible deniability.
Chen expands on global choke points critical to CCP trade dominance. The Strait of Malacca, the narrowest at 1.7 miles near Singapore, controls 30% of world trade and is vital for oil and goods flow to China. "The narrowest of all is Malacca." She contrasts this with Bab el-Mandeb near Djibouti, where multiple superpowers maintain military bases, underscoring U.S. strategic presence. "If you look at the military bases there, you will know how important that choke point is and who are the superpowers in the world." Chen notes Djibouti's history as a former French colony and current U.S. base proximity to China's largest overseas military facility.
She emphasizes the CCP's dependence on these routes for resources, food imports, and foreign exchange via exports. "China needs resources, oil, gasoline... and they need food." Chen describes the regime's model of subsidized forced labor and environmental exploitation enabling cheap global goods. "This model should not be exported to the world because if it gets exported to the entire world, then really we're going to destroy ourselves in no time." She warns of psychological warfare and proxy strategies, urging vigilance. "The best weapon they have is psychological warfare."
Chen expresses hope for regime change benefiting the Iranian people, calling for elites with moral conviction to step up. "It has to be Iranian people at the end of the day deciding their fate with the help of the free world." She advocates separating people from regimes and prioritizing universal values of freedom and peace. "We live by God, a war, a God wars... love and peace and do good to others. These are fundamental universal values."
Paul Sheldon on Officer Konto's Cancer Battle and Tucson City Leadership Accountability
Paul Sheldon, president of the Arizona State Fraternal Order of Police, addresses the case of retired Tucson Police Officer Konto. Konto served nearly 30 years, much of it in the bomb squad handling explosives, munitions, and hazardous materials daily. "He was exposed to this stuff on practically a daily basis." Sheldon notes the unit's critical role in public safety, including educating the public to reduce unnecessary calls. "Officer Konto was instrumental in kind of shaping the way that bomb dogs were deployed."
Years after retirement, Konto was diagnosed with a specific cancer listed under ARS 23-901, the statute presuming such cancers work-related for qualifying officers and firefighters. Despite this clear legal protection, the City of Tucson denied his claim. "The city of Tucson said no." Konto prevailed before the Industrial Commission and again at the Arizona Court of Appeals. "The Arizona Court of Appeals ruled 100 percent in favor of Officer Konto again." Yet the city continues fighting, with two weeks remaining to appeal to the Supreme Court.
Sheldon expresses deep frustration with the city's refusal to accept responsibility. "This fight's over. And it's time to take care of our employee instead of making him fight both cancer and the city." He highlights the human cost: Konto battles cancer while simultaneously fighting the city for benefits he legally earned. "He feels like they're waiting for him to die." Sheldon calls on Mayor and Council to end the case immediately. "They can go to social media. They could have bragged about it. They could have talked about how great they were. Instead, they chose to completely ignore the situation."
Sheldon underscores the FOP's mission, representing 10,000 active and retired officers statewide. "Our focus is solely on law enforcement." He notes the case's broader implications for morale and recruitment. "How are other officers that are dealing with this exact same thought problem? How are they not looking at this as well?" Sheldon urges the community to contact city leadership. "The city council can think that I sent a letter and that I'm going to call it a day. But unfortunately for them, I am more than happy... to continue to send letters, to continue to make phone calls, to continue to show up at city council meetings."
The article closes with Kathleen Winn reinforcing the need for accountability. "You cannot pretend you care because this is a real life example." She calls on residents to demand the city follow the law and honor its officers. "Call the mayor and council today... say, do something right today."