[♪ THEME MUSIC ♪] >>> COMING UP IN THE NEXT HOUR OF LOCAL NEWS ON ARIZONA PBS, DISCUSS THE LATEST ON THE RUSSIAN ASSAULT ON UKRAINE, AND ON "CRONKITE NEWS," A LOOK AT THE SCIENCE BEHIND P;REGNANCY AND THE COVID VACCINE.

THAT'S ALL AHEAD IN THE NEXT HOUR ON ARIZONA PBS.

>>> GOOD EVENING, AND WELCOME TO "ARIZONA HORIZON."

I'M TED SIMONS.

THE ARIZONA REPUBLICAN PARTY TODAY FILED A LAWSUIT, ASKING THE ARIZONA SUPREME COURT TO END EARLY VOTING IN THE STATE.

THE LAWSUIT CLAIMED THAT THERE IS NOTHING IN THE STATE CONSTITUTION THAT ALLOWS FOR EARLY VOTING, AND THE ONLY AUTHORIZED FORM OF VOTING IS IN PERSON AND ON ELECTION DAY.

EVERYTHING IS ELSE IS ILLEGAL.

REPUBLICAN PARTY LEADERS CLAIM THAT VOTING BY MAIL OPENS UP OPPORTUNITIES FOR FRAUD.

>>> RUSSIA AND UKRAINE MET TODAY.

AND THE FIGHTING CONTINUES AS RUSSIAN FORCESES INTENSIFY THEIR ASSAULT.

THIS AFTER A VIDEO OF A DRONE ATTACK FROM UKRAINE.

>>> BRITISH INTELLIGENCE IS REPORTING THAT RUSSIAN MASSED FORCES ARE LOCATED ABOUT 20 MILLIONS FROM THE BORDER OF THE CITY OF KIEV.

>>> A MAJOR NEW SCIENTIFIC REPORT TODAY BY THE UPUNDERWARMS THAT MANAGERS OF CLIMATE CHANGE ARE INCREASING FASTER THAN HUMANITY AND NATURE CAN ADAPT.

THE REPORT WAS WRITTEN BY 270 SCIENTISTS FROM 67 COUNTRIES, AND IT IS BASED ON YEARS OF RESEARCH.

THE REPORT STATES THAT THE NATURAL WORLD HAS ADAPTED TO CHANGING CLIMATES OVER MILLIONS OF YEAR, BUT WHAT IS HAPPENING NOW IS CHANGING FAR TOO FASTER FOR NATURE TO HANDLE.

>>> THAT COMES AFTER THE SUPREME COURT IS HEARING CASE THAT WOULD CONTROL THE EPA'S ABILITY TO REGULATE CLIMATE CHANGE.

>>> THE SUPREME COURT TODAY ALSO AGREED TO HEAR AMAJOR NATIVE MERP CHILD WELL FEHR CASE.

THE COURT LOOKED AT A 1978 LAW THAT PLACES KIDS WITH RELATIVES OF THE SAME TRIBE.

OPPONENTS CLAIM THAT PROVISIONS OF THE LAW VIOLATE EQUAL PROTECTION PROTECTION.

>>> AS WE MENTIONED EARLIER, RUSSIAN FORCES ARE FACING FIERCE RESISTANCE FROM UKRAINIAN TROOPS AND CITIZEN VOLUNTEERS.

EARLIER WE SPOKE WITH ARIZONA CONGRESSMAN RUBEN GALLEGO, ABOUT THE RUSSIAN ASSAULT AND WHERE IT IS ALL HEADED.

CONGRESSMAN THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.

WE APPRECIATE YOUR TIME ON THIS.

YOUR INITIAL REACTIONS ON THE INVASION IN UKRAINE.

>> IT IS HORRIBLE, IT'S INHUMANE, AND I HOPE THE RUSSIANS LOSE.

AND I'M DOING EVERYTHING I CAN TO MAKE SURE THE UKRAINE ARMY, AND THE PEOPLE THEMSELVES HAVE ANY WEAPON THEY NEED TO DEFEND THEMSELVES.

>> WHAT SHOULD THE U.S. DO IN THIS SITUATION?

>> WE COULD HELP OUR MILITARY AS WELL AS OUR ALLIES TO ARM THEM WITH THE INTELLIGENCE THAT THEY NEED TO FIGHT BACK AGAINST THE RUSSIANS.

THEY DON'T HAVE TO BEAT THE RUSSIANS, THEY JUST HAVE TO HURT THEM SO MUCH, THEY THE RUSSIANS PULL AWAY FROM THIS FIGHT.

WE NEED TO BE THE LEADER OF ALL WESTERN ALLIES TO PUT BOTH DIPLOMATIC AND ECONOMIC SANCTIONS ON THE RUSSIANS.

>> DIRECT ACTION, WHETHER IT BE BY WAY OF MILITARY ASSISTANCE, NO-FLY ZONES, THESE SORTS OF THINGS.

COULD THIS HELP AT HOME?

I MEAN RIGHT NOW HE IS FACING RESISTANCE EVEN AT HOME, BUT THE MORE WE GET INVOLVED, DOES IT HELP HIM MORE?

>> WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT AS WE TRY TO HELP UKRAINE, THAT WE ARE NOT ALSO HURTING THEM, MAKING THE RUSSIAN'S WILL TO FIGHT EVEN STRONGER.

I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE TAKE OUR STEPS VERY DELIBERATELY AND SMARTLY, BECAUSE WE DON'T WANT TO FIND OURSELVES SHOOTING DOWN RUSSIAN PLANES AND CAN ESCALATION OCCURS THAT WE CAN'T CONTROL.

WE HAVE CERTAIN SECURITY OBLIGATIONS TO UKRAINE, INCLUDING ARMING THEMSELVES.

AT THE SAME TIME, I THINK IT WILL NOT CREATE A BLOWBACK AMONG THE RUSSIAN POPULOUS WHO RIGHT NOW IS AGAINST THE WAR.

>> AND WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT THE RUSSIAN MILITARY, AND UKRAINE'S MILITARY?

>> THESE TWO MILITARIES ARE ENTIRELY DIFFERENT THAN WHAT THEY WERE SEVEN YEARS AGO WHEN THEY FIRST CRASHED.

THE UKRAINIAN MODEL WAS BASED AROUND THE OLD SOVIET MODEL.

AND NOW WE HAVE TRAINED A VERY MODERN FIGHTING FORCE THAT IS AUTONOMOUS.

THE RUSSIANS THEMSELVES ARE STILL GOING TO SURROUND THAT IDEA.

THEY DON'T REALLY OPERATE AUTONOMOUSLY, BUT THEY ARE MUCH BETTER ABOUT MOVING AND LOGISTICS.

NOW, UNFORTUNATELY NOT ALL OF THEM ARE UP TO SPEED, AND YOU CAN KIND OF TELL WHERE THEY ARE RUNNING OUT OF AMMO IN CERTAIN AREAS, TO KNOW THAT THEY ARE NOT MODERNIZED.

WHAT UKRAINE HAS BEEN FIGHTING LARGELY HAVE NOT BEEN THE TOP-NOTCH RUSSIAN SOLDIERS, IT HAS BEEN THE MIDDLING FOERMENT MAKES, BUT HAS BEEN VERY IMPRESSIVE SO FAR.

THE WILL OF THE UKRAINIANS TO FIGHT, AND KNOWING HOW TO USE -- YOU KNOW, SMALL-GROUP TACTICS TO BASICALLY AMBUSH THE RUSSIANS HAS BEEN QUITE IMPRESSIVE.

THE RUSSIANS ARE REALIZING IF THEY GET INTO SMALLER GROUPS, THE UKRAINIANS ARE USING BASICALLY WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE TO ME TO BE HUNTING TEAMS TO GO OUT AND HUNT THESE SMALLER RUSSIAN UNITS, WHICH IS CREATING A LOT OF CHAOS.

THERE IS A LOT MORE TO COME, UNFORTUNATELY.

UKRAINE IS STILL THE UNDERDOG HERE.

THEY ARE REALLY FACING A VERY STRONG SUPER POWER THAT IS DETERMINED TO DESTROY THEM.

LUCKILY THEY HAVE THE WILL OF THE PEOPLE, THE WILL OF THE WORLD ON THEIR SIDE, AND THEY CAN SURVIVE THIS, AND THEY CAN TURN BACK RUSSIA, BUT IT WILL BE COSTLY.

>> YOU MENTIONED UKRAINE AS AN UNDERDOG.

CAN SUPERIOR WILL IN THIS CASE DEFEAT OR HOLD OFF SUPERIOR RESOURCES?

>> ABSOLUTELY.

LOOK AT THE END OF THE DAY -- YOU KNOW, UKRAINE IS A COUNTRY ABOUT THE SIZE OF TEXAS WITH ABOUT 44 MILLION PEOPLE.

THE RUSSIAN FORCES ARE ABOUT 190,000.

NOW THOSE ARE INFANT TRY.

IN ORDER TO HOLD A COUNTRY THE SIZE OF UKRAINE, WITH A LOT OF VETERANS, MIND YOU, YOU ARE GOING TO NEED MORE THAN WHAT YOU HAVE RIGHT NOW.

SO EVEN IF THEY TAKE KIEV, INSTALLING A PUPPET GOVERNMENT WON'T WORK.

YOU WILL HAVE TO INSTALL MORE MEN TO ACTUALLY HOLD THE COUNTRY, AND THAT WILL BE VERY DIFFICULT FOR THEM D BECAUSE THEY ARE GOING TO BE IN SOME SMALL ISOLATED TOWNS.

YOU ARE GOING TO SEE A LOT MORE, I WOULD SAY INSURGENCY TACTICS AND THAT POINT, AND IT'S VERY EXPENSIVE.

I DON'T KNOW HOW RUSSIA WINS THIS IN THE LONG RUN.

TACTICALLY, I THINK THAT WILL AT SOME POINT BE ABLE TO DEFEAT THE UKRAINE ARMY, BUT NOT DEFEAT THE PEOPLE.

>> IT DOES FEEL -- AND CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG -- AS A COMBAT VETERAN, DOES IT FEEL LIKE IT IS GOING TO BE A LONG FIGHT?

>> IT DOES.

REALLY ONLY ONE -- MAYBE ONE-THIRD, MAYBE EVEN LESS OF THE POPULATION WAS IN SUPPORT OF THE INSURGENCY WHEN I WAS IN THE SUNNI AREA OF IRAQ, BETWEEN THE SYRIAN BORDER AND DOWN TO THE RIVER, AND WE HAD SOME GREAT SUPPORT FROM LOCAL IRAQI SOLDIERS, NATIONAL GUARDS MEN.

WE HAD SUPPORT FROM LOCAL POLICE OFFICERS WHO WERE FIGHTING SUNNIS, AND WE WERE BETTER MARINES, BETTER DISCIPLINED.

SOMETHING THAT MIGHT BE RADICALLY DIFFERENT IS THAT IN ALL OF THE YEARS WE WERE IN IRAQ, WE TOOK ABOUT 4 TO 5,000 CASUALTIES GIVE OR TAKE.

RUSSIA MAY BE TAKEN THAT IN THE FIRST FIVE DAYS.

>> WOW.

>> THAT TELLS YOU THE WILL TO FIGHT OFF THE RUSSIANS, AND NUMBER 2, HOW DRAMATICALLY DIFFERENT AND MUCH BETTER THE UKRAINIAN ARMY IS AT RESISTANCE FIGHTING.

>> WOW.

DOES THIS WAR -- YOUR GUT FEELING -- DOES THIS CONFLICT, THIS WAR, THIS ASSAULT -- DOES IT BEGIN AND END IN UKRAINE?

>> IT BEGINS AND ENDS IN MOSCOW.

THIS WILL BE THE END OF PUTIN IN MY OPINION, WHENEVER THIS IS DONE.

BECAUSE I DON'T JUST BELIEVE UKRAINE CAN EVER BE GOVERNED BY THE REGIME FROM RUSSIA, AND WHEN THAT BECOMES TRUE, AND -- AND THE RUSSIANS ACCEPT THAT, THEY WILL PULL OUT, BECAUSE THEY CAN'T -- AGAIN, CAN'T AFFORD IT, AND PUTIN'S END GOAL WILL ACTUALLY HAVE BEEN DRAMATICALLY -- YOU KNOW, BLOW BACK ON HIM.

UKRAINE WILL ONLY BE CLOSER TO EUROPE.

UKRAINE WILL ONLY BE CLOSER TO GETTING INTO NATO.

THERE WILL BE MORE COUNTRIES WILLING TO HELP THEM.

AND THE RUSSIAN ECONOMY AND REPUTATION, MILITARY AS WELL AS DIPLOMATIC AND ECONOMIC REPUTATION IS GOING TO BE IN TATTERS.

SO I DON'T SEE PUTIN BEING ABLE TO SURVIVE THIS FOR TOO LONG.

AND IN MY OPINION, IF HE WERE SMART HE WOULD START TO PULL OUT NOW, BUT I DON'T SEE HIM LASTING UNTIL 2026, LIKE HE SAID HE WILL.

>> CONGRESSMAN THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.

>> THANK >>> UP NEXT ON "ARIZONA HORIZON," A CLOSER LOOK AT PRESIDENT BIDEN'S NOMINEE FOR THE U.S. SUPREME COURT.

>>> PRESIDENT BIDEN LAST WEEK, NOMINATED KETANJI BROWN JACKSON TO THE U.S. SUPREME COURT.

THAT MADE GOOD ON THE PRESIDENT'S CAMPAIGN PLEDGE TO NOMINATE AN AFRICAN AMERICAN WOMAN TO THE HIGH COURT.

WE LEARNED MORE ABOUT THE NOMINEE AND THIS HISTORIC NOMINATION FROM ASU LAW PROFESSOR VICTORIA SAHANI.

VICTORIA, GOOD TO HAVE YOU BACK ON "ARIZONA HORIZON."

AS WE TALKED LAST TIME ABOUT THE NOMINEE, THOUGHTS ON THE NOMINATION?

>> I AM SO EXCITED ABOUT JUDGE KETANJI BROWN JACKSON BEING NOMINATED FOR THIS HISTORIC POST ON THE SUPREME COURT.

SHE IS EMINENTLY QUALIFIED.

AND THIS WOULD BE HER THIRD TIME BEING CONFIRMED BY THE SENATE AS A NOMINEE.

>> WAS THAT FACTOR IN PRESIDENT BIDEN CHOOSING HER?

IT IS GOING TO BE HARD FOR THOSE FOLKS TO SAY NO THIS TIME.

>> YES, I THINK THAT WOULD BE ACCURATE.

SHE HAD BIPARTISAN SUPPORT BEFORE, AND WHAT IS INTERESTING IS THAT ONE OF THE REPUBLICANS THAT VOTED IN HER FAVORITE IN THE PAST WAS LINDSEY GRAHAM -- >> YES.

>> -- WHO WASN'T AN OUTSPOKEN ADVOCATE OF ANOTHER JUDGE FROM SOUTH CAROLINA WHO WAS NOT SELECTED.

SO IT WILL BE INTERESTING TO SEE.

>> BACK TO KETANJI BROWN JACKSON, SHE WAS THE FRONTRUNNER, I BELIEVE FROM THE START.

WHO IS SHE?

TALK TO US ABOUT HER?

>> YES, JUDGE KETANJI BROWN JACKSON HAS A VERY UNIQUE BACKGROUND.

SHE ATTENDED HARVARD COLLEGE, AND HARVARD LAW SCHOOL.

THEREAFTER SHE CLERKED FOR THREE JUDGES AT THE DISTRICT COURT LEVEL, THE CIRCUIT COURT LEVEL, AND SHE CLERKED FOR JUSTICE BREYER ON THE SUPREME COURT.

HER PARENTS ARE EDUCATORS AND EDUCATION ADMINISTRATORS, SO SHE HAS THAT ALMOST BACKGROUND OF HER PARENTS REALLY SUPPORTING HER THROUGH HER WHOLE CAREER.

>> JUDICIAL PHILOSOPHY, WHAT DO WE KNOW?

>> SHE IS KNOWN FOR HER REPUBLICANREASONED OPINIONS.

SOME MAY SAY SHE IS A LITTLE LENGTHY, BUT I THINK IT IS BETTER TO BE THOROUGH THAN VERY BRIEF.

SHE IS AN BALANCED JURIST.

SO SHE IS NOT A -- AN EXTREME LEFTY, AS SOME REPUBLICANS MIGHT -- MIGHT SAY.

JUSTICE BREYER HAS CHARACTERIZED HER AS SOMEONE WHO SEES ALL SIDES OF THE ISSUE WHEN HE WAS CALLED ABOUT HER NOMINATION TO THE U.S.

SENTENCING COMMISSION YEARS AGO.

SO I THINK SHE IS SOMEONE AFTER THAT SAME MODEL.

VERY BALANCED, VERY MEASURED.

>> I HEAD SHE IS 51 YEARS OLD, AND SHE WAS A NATIONAL AURA TORRE CHAMPION IN HIGH SCHOOL.

>> ABSOLUTELY.

SHE IS KNOWN TO BE AN AVID QUESTIONER OF THOSE WHO APPEAR BEFORE HER.

AND I WOULD EXPECT HER TO HAVE THAT SAME STATUTE ON THE U.S. SUPREME COURT.

>> YOU MENTIONED LINDSEY GRAHAM.

WHAT DO WE MAKE OF HIS COMMENTS?

>> I THINK ANY NOMINEE THAT PRESIDENT BIDEN WOULD HAVE SELECTED WOULD BE ATTACKED BY REPUBLICANS AND FOLKS ON THE RIGHT.

THAT'S SORT OF PART OF THE POSTURE THEY WOULD HAVE IN A SITUATION LIKE THIS.

I THINK THERE IS ALSO THIS IDEA OF SELLING OF FEAR, BUT EVEN DESPITE SENATOR GRAHAM'S COMMENTS, I THINK JUDGE JACKSON HAS MAINTAINED HER POISE.

SHE HAS MAINTAINED HER STATURE AND HER RESPECT, AND I THINK THOSE COMMENTS ARE UNFOUNDED.

>> SHE ALSO MENTIONED AND SHE DIDN'T HAVE TO, AN UNCLE SERVING A LIFE SENTENCE ON A DRUG CHARGE.

WHY DID SHE DO THAT?

>> I THINK IT IS AN INTERESTING STORY, VIGNETTE FROM HER LIFE.

SHE IS NOT FROM AN AFTER FLEW WANT BACKGROUND, AND WHILE SHE HAS POLICE OFFICERS AND OFFICERS OF THE LAW, AND FOLKS IN THE MILITARY IN HER FAMILY, SHE ALSO LIKE MANY FOLKS HAVE FAMILY MEMBERS THAT HAVE HAD, YOU KNOW, CHALLENGES IN THEIR LIVES.

THIS UNCLE'S SENTENCE WAS LATER COMMUTED.

MY UNDERSTANDING IS HE SADLY PASSED AWAY.

BUT HIS SENTENCE WAS LATER PARDONED BECAUSE IT WAS A NON-VIOLENT OFFENSE.

BUT I THINK IT MAKES HER MORE REAL TO PEOPLE.

>> LAST QUESTION, THE CONFIRMATION PROCESS, WITH EVERYTHING YOU HAVE SAID HERE, DO YOU THINK IT IS GOING TO BE SMOOTH?

>> I WOULD THINK A CONFIRMATION PROCESS WOULD BE SMOOTH, WHEN YOU HAVE A PRESIDENT FROM ONE PARTY AND A VERY SLIM MAJORITY FROM THAT PARTY IN THE SENATE.

THAT SAID, I THINK THERE IS A RISK HERE FOR REPUBLICANS, GIVEN THAT THE DEMOCRATS HAVE VERY SLIMLY THE MAJORITY, IT WOULD BE IN THEIR BEST INTEREST, I THINK, TO SHOW SOME BIPARTISANSHIP, BECAUSE IT IS VERY LIKELY THAT JUDGE KETANJI BROWN JACKSON WILL BE CONFIRMED.

AND I THINK IT WOULD BEHOOVE THOSE WHO VOTED FOR HER IN THE PAST TO BE CONSISTENT.

>> WELL, THANK YOU SO MUCH.

WE APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE.

>> THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING ME.

♪♪ >>> AND THAT IS IT FOR NOW.

I'M TED SIMONS.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US.

YOU HAVE A GREAT EVENING.

♪♪ >>> COMING UP IN THE NEXT HALF HOUR ON ARIZONA PBS, ON CRONKITE NEWS, LOCAL REACTION TO THE UKRAINIAN CRISIS.

♪♪