Nothing Left Unsaid on the cost of war, anti-trans legislation, and Erika Qwerk

This week on Nothing Left Unsaid, we break down the rising cost of war, from gas prices to billions spent on bombing campaigns. We also dive into anti-trans legislation and ballot measures in Arizona and the implications of the SAVE Act on voting rights.

Transcript

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Hey everyone, it's your host, Abigail, and I'm so excited to be back for another episode of Nothing Left Unsaid. I'm having a really good start to my week. I got to have a friend visit from out of town last night, and we went to see actually one of his friends, Allie Nicholas, who's playing a show at the Rosetta Room headlining. It was really cool to be there and see all of her, all of her fans, um, and to share that moment with him, getting to be so proud of his friends. So let me know if you've seen any cool shows at the Rosetta Room. That was my first time going. Uh, in other news, the temperatures are rising and so are the gas prices because Trump decided to attack Iran for basically no reason other than to do what Israel wants. Um and it's horrific what we're doing. We are using money that should go to funding health care and food assistance and and making the lives of the children in this country better. Instead, we're using that money to fund bombing children in Iran. Um, in one attack, they killed 175 school children. It's absolutely horrific. There's always plenty and plenty of money for bombs, but when we want health care and housing and the things that actually keep our community safe and secure, there's never enough. In one instance, they bombed a girls' school, killing over 100 children. This is just one aspect of the Trump administration's war on children. They're still continuing to hide the Epstein files in which there are allegations that Trump raped a minor. Additionally, we're attacking trans children in schools. At the Arizona legislature, Senator John Kavanaugh is pushing yet another bill to ban pronoun usage and to segregate trans girls from bathrooms, from sports, from other from locker rooms. This man literally cannot stop imagining minors showering naked together. Um and the ridiculous thing is that it's basically a non-issue. Um, a lot of public schools in Arizona actually don't use uh team showers. This is like, this hasn't been done in decades. Um kids just go home and practice and shower at home after they practice. It's cleaner, faster, and it's more privacy. Um, but he's still continuing to push this. We've also got Representative Selena Bliss pushing a sports ban as well. Um it's really giving always picked last in gym class more than anything. Like they could find literally anything better to do than to attack kids. Um, because Katie Hobbs has will veto, likely veto these bills, they're trying to put these bills on our ballots in November. They're asking Arizonans for you to give the go-ahead for these people to bully trans kids. It's disgusting. Another thing that's happening on the federal level in terms of legislation is the Save Act. Um, because Trump and his cult, his cult, um they're basically trying to predetermine the results of the next election by stopping people from voting. The SAVE Act would block millions, um, including active voters. This would affect married women whose names don't match um the name on their birth certificate. That's the same thing for LGBTQ people who might have a different name than is on their birth certificate. Um, it would make it more difficult for people who live in rural areas. Um, really just widespread would attack the right to vote. And that is really their intention. Um, it's all part of their wider plan to take over our elections. And it's really unpopular, but we know that Trump is hellbent on getting it passed. So we're really working to make sure that our representatives um vote no on this bill. And whether whether the SAFE Act passes or not, Trump and his allies are laying out the blueprint to set the tone for state efforts to suppress voters. Like we're seeing this on the national level and we're seeing it at the AC legislature. So we've got to keep an eye out. Another thing that I'm really concerned about is the media merger that's happening right now with um HBO and Paramount. Um, this media merger would put nearly all mainstream US news sources under Trump-friendly ownership. Maybe it's just me, but I think Trump TV as the only option is maybe not the best idea. A new report from Sahara Sejati from our last episode shows that Arizonians are paying skyrocket skyrocketing costs for food, health care, and energy. Um, I saw another article that said that one in three Americans are choosing to forego things like food or using less electricity because they need to pay for their doctor's visits. Meanwhile, we're spending literally a billion dollars a day, I believe eleven point three billion dollars in the first week of bombing Iran. The m what's the math there? For an update on detention centers, um, in surprise, students and people in the community have organized so hard in pushing back that they're forcing members of Congress like Greg Stanton to pay attention. This is exactly the pressure that we need to maintain. The company, it was recently reported that the company that has been contracted to run the Surprise Detention Center by ICE is the same company that runs Alligator Alcatraz. We do not want that shit in Arizona. And big shout out to the student activists who have been organizing against this. We know that student activists have always been at the forefront of activism from anti-Vietnam war protesters to right here in Surprise Arizona. One thing that's been making me laugh a little bit lately, I don't know if y'all have seen the clip of the drag queen uh Lauren Benal, who has been parodying Erica Kirk under the moniker Erica Kirk. It's really hilarious. If you haven't seen it, um I'll plug a little clip here.

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Stop. It is I, conservative leader Tradwife, and CEO, Erica Kirk, aka Lauren Benal, and I want you to get your tickets to Turning Point US Gay! Hello everyone. It is I, Conservative Leader Erica Quirk. On the cross, our Savior Son. Father, forgive them for they not know what they do.

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Erica Kirk, what a interesting woman. Trump just appointed her to Charlie's seat on the US Air Force Academy Academy Board of Visitors. Um, she has absolutely no qualifications, but the whole board is basically just a big fan club of Trump loyalists. Uh, and their whole task is to basically get woke and DI out of the military. It's really interesting because before, you know, she was really busy cosplaying as a stay-at-home mom and wife. It may seem like this is a big transition, but really Erica Kirk has always apparently maybe been the operator hosting donor dinners, schmoozing billionaires, stealing the checks, etc. Um Charlie, I guess, was the face of Turning Point, and you know, he was basically just clip farming. But the more that we learn about Erica, we the more that we learn that she really kind of jumped at the chance to take power um to market herself as the widow that overcame tragedy. Um but she's pushing the same horrible shit that Charlie Kirk was. The their hate group, Turning Point USA, is actually spending big money right now in Arizona trying to um to determine the outcome of the SRP election, which is um regulates public utilities. They want to make sure that the US Air Force Academy doesn't push the worldview of oppression, oppressor/slash oppressed dynamics, anti-Western, anti-American, and gender ideology. Basically, some real bootlegg shit. So, small reminder: if you are eligible to vote in the SRP election, to mail back your ballot by March 31st, the election is April 7th. We really want to defeat these turning point-backed candidates. For some good news, I want to give a huge shout out to Attorney General Chris Mays. She's won back over a million dollars for Arizona renters who were scammed by some of Arizona's largest landlord companies who are using an AI price fixing algorithm to essentially determine what's the most that we can charge renters, essentially stealing money from Arizonians. This is going to be the first of what should be many settlements from some of the other uh landlord companies. So we're really excited that we can count on A.G. Chris Mays to stand up for renters and for everyday working Arizonians and to take on these corporations. House Democratic leader Oscar de los Santos actually introduced a bill at the AZ ledge that would make this type of price fixing scam conspiracy illegal. But of course, because uh Arizona Republicans control the Arizona legislature, they essentially determine what bills get heard. So they decided, you know, we hate Arizona renters, so we're not gonna hear this bill, keep getting scammed, fuck you. Um, but at least we've got Chris Mays. And before I close the episode, I just want to say that I absolutely stand with Dolores Huerta, Ana Morgia, Esmeralda Lopez, and Deborah Rojas. Um I stand with survivors. Predators need to be held accountable, and my heart absolutely breaks for the things that they and others have gone through. To all survivors of sexual violence, uh, I stand with you and you deserve justice. And finally, I just want to give a little plug for the Voices United benefit event. This is gonna be happening on April 5th at the Crescent Ballroom. There will be live music, I believe, also um auctions. You can support artists, and all this money will be donated to immigrants defense legal funds. So big shout out to the order, the organizers of that, um, to Melt Fest events, pod air in action, organized power and numbers. The last benefit was held at Gracie's and they raised, I want to say, over $20,000 for the legal fund, which is really amazing. So make sure to come out and support the benefit if you are able to. Make sure to like, share, and subscribe our episode. Really appreciate the support, and it really helps us get in front of new ears and eyes. See you next time.