[♪ THEME MUSIC ♪] >>> COMING UP IN THE NEXT HOUR OF LOCAL NEWS ON ARIZONA PBS, "ARIZONA HORIZON," WE'LL PREVIEW PRESIDENT BIDEN'S STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS WITH ARIZONA CONGRESSMAN RAUL GRIJALVA.

AT SECURITY IN THE NATION'S CAPITOL AHEAD OF TONIGHT'S STATE OF THE UNION SPEECH, ON "BREAK IT DOWN," A PLUNGE INTO ALL THINGS ENCANTO.

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

GOOD EVENING, AND WELCOME TO "ARIZONA HORIZON."

I'M TED SIMONS.

STATE SENATOR WENDY ROGERS WAS FORMALLY CENSURED BY HER COLLEAGUES IN THE SENATE FOR COMMENTS SHE HAS MADE ON SOCIAL MEDIA, AND AT A RECENT CONFERENCE FOR WHITE NATIONALISTS IN FLORIDA.

THE RESOLUTION CITES ROGERS PUBLICLY ENCOURAGING, QUOTE VIOLENCE AGAINST AND PUNISHMENT OF AMERICAN CITIZENS ALONG WITH THE POLITICAL DESTRUCTION OF THOSE DISAGREEING WITH HER VIEWS.

ROGERS HAS DAMAGED THE REPUTATION OF THE ARIZONA STATE SENATE THEY SAY.

IN EXPLAINING HER VOTE, SHE DECLARED, QUOTE, I DO NOT APOLOGIZE.

ER I WILL NOT BACK DOWN, AND ADDED THE CENSURE WAS AN ATTEMPT TO DESTROY HER REPUTATION.

IN COMES A WEEK AFTER GOVERNOR DOUG DUCEY DECLINED TO CRITICIZE ROGERS.

HE SAID, INSTEAD THAT HER VOTE WAS NEEDED TO FURTHER HIS AGENDA, AND THAT SHE IS STILL BETTER THAN THE OPPONENT SHE FACED IN THE ELECTION.

TODAY HE SAID ANTI-SEMITIC AND HATEFUL LANGUAGE HAS NO PLACE IN ARIZONA.

>>> PRESIDENT BIDEN IS SCHEDULED TO DELIVER HIS STATE OF THE UNION SPEECH TONIGHT.

IT COMES AMID A GLOBAL CRISIS IN UKRAINE, AND A STALLED DOMESTIC AGENDA ON THE HOME FRONT.

WE SPOKE WITH ARIZONA CONGRESSMAN RAUL GRIJALVA ABOUT WHAT HE EXPECTS TO HEAR AND HOPES TO HEAR TONIGHT FROM THE PRESIDENT.

CONGRESSMAN, GOOD TO SEE YOU.

THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.

WHAT ARE YOUR EXPECTATIONS FOR THE STATE OF THE UNION SPEECH TONIGHT?

>> YOU HAVE GOT TO DEAL WITH THE ISSUES IN FRONT OF US.

YOU KNOW, THE -- THE FULL -- THE FULL RECOVERY FROM THE PANDEMIC.

I WANT TO HEAR ABOUT THAT, AND I THINK THE AMERICAN PEOPLE WANT TO HEAR ABOUT THAT.

AS SO -- I THINK YOU HAVE TO DEAL WITH THE ECONOMIC ISSUES OF INFLATION AND -- AND GENERAL COSTS, NOT ONLY IN ISSUES OF FUEL, BUT IN OTHER AREAS, RENTAL AND OTHERS AS THOSE -- AS THAT COST TO AMERICAN FAMILIES CONTINUES TO RISE AND RISE TO DEAL WITH THAT, AND HOW WE'RE GOING TO HOLD THOSE -- THOSE COSTS DOWN, AND MAKE IT MANAGEABLE FOR FAMILIES.

AND THEN UKRAINE, AND -- AND PUTIN'S AGGRESSION AND THE VIOLENCE AND THE HUMANITARIAN CRISIS, AND HOW HE SHOOK UP THE WORLD AT THIS POINT, AND THE DELICATE SITUATION WE FIND OURSELVES IN.

SHORT OF A COMMITMENT OF TROOPS AND A MILITARY PRESENCE IN THAT CONFLICT OF -- OF MEN AND WOMEN IN UNIFORM, SHORT OF THAT, BECAUSE I -- I DON'T SUPPORT THAT.

WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO TO -- TO PRESSURE AND TO A GREAT EXTENT MAKE PUTIN AND HIS DECISION AND MAKE RUSSIA PAY FOR THAT THROUGH ECONOMIC SANCTIONS, HUMANITARIAN RELIEF, AND THE SUPPORT OF THE UKRAINIAN PEOPLE AND THEIR GOVERNMENT.

THAT IS WHAT I HEAR ABOUT TODAY.

AND I ANTICIPATE THE PRESIDENT, AND I ANTICIPATE THE PRESIDENT WILL CONTINUE TO SET OUT THE AGENDA ABOUT WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE, NOT NECESSARILY WHAT HASN'T BEEN DONE, BECAUSE THE WAY THINGS HAVE BEEN ARE IMPORTANT, INVESTMENTS IN THE AMERICAN PEOPLE ARE STILL SITTING THERE, AND THEY NEED TO BE MOVED FORWARD, AND PART OF THAT IS THE BOTTLENECK AND THE STALLING THAT HAS HAPPENED ON THE SENATE SIDE.

BECAUSE THE DEMOCRATS IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES HAVE DONE THEIR JOB, AND SET SIGNIFICANT LEGISLATION TO DEAL WITH RECOVERY, TO DEAL WITH THE ISSUE OF THE CLIMATE, THE DROUGHT IN THE SOUTHWEST, AND THE LIST GOES ON.

THOSE ARE IN FRONT OF THE SENATE, AND THEY NEED TO MOVE.

>> WELL, AND "THE WASHINGTON POST," CONGRESSMAN REPORTS THE PRESIDENT IS REVISING THE STATE OF THE UNION SPEECH TO EMPHASIZE UKRAINE AS OPPOSED TO DOMESTIC ISSUES.

DO YOU THINK THAT IS WISE?

>> I STILL -- THIS -- IT IS AN ISSUE THAT HAS CONSEQUENCES.

IT HAS CONSEQUENCES ON -- DIRECTLY TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE, AND IT HAS CONSEQUENCES TO THE FUNDAMENTAL ISSUES OF WAR AND PEACE, AND SO YES, I THINK IT IS IMPORTANT TO TALK ABOUT THAT, BUT THE DOMESTIC ISSUES CONTINUE TO BE IMPORTANT ISSUES, AND I THINK SOME EMPHASIS HAS TO BE MADE ON THAT.

AND NOT ONLY DO I UNDERSTAND IT, BUT I THINK IT IS ALMOST NECESSARY THAT YOU DEAL DIRECTLY WITH THE AMERICAN PEOPLE AND TALK ABOUT UKRAINE AND THE AMERICANS.

>> IS IT ENOUGH TO RELAUNCH THE ADMINISTRATION.

AND I USE THOUGH WORD RELAUNCH, BECAUSE THE PRESIDENT'S APPROVAL RATING IS AT THE LOWIST IT HAS BEEN.

IS THIS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THAT?

>> I REALLY BELIEVE THAT WHAT -- THE EXPECTATIONS WE HAVE FOR THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION ARE, AND WERE, AND CONTINUE TO BE HIGH IN TERMS OF PUSHING AN AGENDA.

I THINK THAT THAT'S IS RECALIBRATING AND REFOCUSING ON THOSE PRIORITIES.

I DON'T THINK -- I THINK IS VERY IMPORTANT.

BECAUSE IF I SENSE ANYTHING IN THE FRUSTRATION AMONG MY CONSTITUENTS IS THE LACK OF ACTION, AND IT ENDS UP WHEN YOU ARE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, IT ENDS UP IN YOUR LAP, AND IT ENDS UP IN THE WHITE HOUSE, AND I THINK WE HAVE TO UNDERSTAND THAT WHAT WOULD BE AND IS RIGHT NOW, WHETHER IT IS THE AFTERMATH IN GETTING OUT OF THE PANDEMIC, THE ECONOMIC ISSUES THAT OCCURRED THERE.

THE DOWNTURN THAT OCCURRED THERE, AND NOW WE HAVE UKRAINE, AND NOW WE HAVE LOOMING OVER US THIS WHOLE PLANET CRISIS, THEY HAVE TO BE DEALT WITH, AND I THINK THAT CONTINUING TO PUSH THOSE ISSUES FORWARD -- I DON'T THINK THIS IS THE WRONG THING FOR THE PRESIDENT TO DO.

IT IS NOT ABOUT RECALIBRATING, IT IS ABOUT RE-EMPHASIZING WHAT GOT US TO THE DANCE, AND THE FACT THAT WE HAVE THESE PIECES OF LEGISLATION, THE ADMINISTRATION'S SUPPORT, AND IT SITS IN THE SENATE WITH THE ABILITY TO EXERCISE ITS MAJORITY, TO ME, YOU KNOW, THAT'S THE JOB THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE, AND -- AND YOU CANNOT -- I -- I REFUSE TO, QUITE HONESTLY TO -- TO TAKE BLAME FOR THE FACT THAT THE SENATE HASN'T DONE ANYTHING.

I -- WELL, AT THE SAME TIME, WE HAVE TO GET SOMETHING DONE, AND IF IT MEANS BREAKING DOWN THE BUILD BACK BETTER INTO DIFFERENT PARCELS, AND DEAL WITH THEM INDIVIDUALLY, I WOULD HOPE TO SEE A SIGN FROM THE SENATE THAT THAT IS ACCEPTABLE.

I'M WILLING TO GO THAT ROUTE INSTEAD OF THE OVERALL PACKAGE, >> AND AN INDICATION FROM THE PRESIDENT AS WELL THAT HE IS LOOKING FOR THAT KIND OF THING.

>> RIGHT.

>> STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS, THEY ARE USUALLY PRETTY -- OPTIMISTIC, BUT THERE ARE A LOT OF PROBLEMS AS YOU POINTED OUT.

HOW OPTIMISTIC CAN THE PRESIDENT BE TONIGHT WITH EVERYTHING THAT IS GOING ON?

>> I THINK HE NEEDS TO BE OPTIMISTIC, AND I GIVE THE PRESIDENT CREDIT.

HE DOES NOT TURN AROUND EVERY DAY, AND SAY, LOOK, IT'S TRUMP'S FAULT THAT WE'RE HERE, WHICH HE COULD DO AND IN A QUANTITATIVE WAY THAT IT'S TRUE, BUT THE FACT REMAINS WE'RE AT THIS JUNCTURE THAT IS A PIVOTAL TIME FOR THE NATION BOTH INTERNATIONALLY AND DOMESTICALLY, AND BEING POSITIVE MOVING FORWARD, I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THAT AT ALL.

>> THE REPUBLICANS, AND DEMOCRATS, AND THE VIEWING AUDIENCE, EVERYONE AGREES, DON'T MAKE THE SPEECH TOO LONG, RIGHT?

>> YEAH, OR -- OR AS I HAVE EXPERIENCED THE LAST FOUR YEARS, DON'T MAKE IT SO SHALLOW THAT THERE'S NO CONTENT.

SO BOTH SUBSTANCE AND BREVITY ARE IMPORTANT.

>> ALL RIGHT, ARIZONA CONGRESSMAN RAUL GRIJALVA ALWAYS A PLEASURE, SIR.

>> THANK YOU, MY FRIEND.

>>> UP NEXT ON "ARIZONA HORIZON," A LOOK AT AN ARIZONA BLOCK CHAIN RESEARCH ORGANIZATION.

>>> BLOCK CHAIN IS A SECURITY MEASURE DESIGNED TO MAKE IT DIFFICULT OR IMPOSSIBLE TO CHEAT DIGITAL SYSTEMS.

AZ BARK IS A PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP DESIGNED TO ADDRESS THESE ISSUES.

WE LEARNED MORE FROM WES GULLET AND SCOTT CARLSON FROM KUDELSKI SECURITY.

GENTLEMEN THANK YOU BOTH FOR JOINING US.

SCOTT, LET'S START WITH YOU.

BLOCK CHAIN.

WHAT IS THAT?

>> IT'S TRICKY FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND.

YOU HAVE TO THINK ABOUT A BIG LONG LIST OF INFORMATION.

TRADITIONAL WE STORE IT IN LIKE A DATABASE, AND PEOPLE CAN MESS WITH IT AND DO THINGS WITH IT FOR THEIR PURPOSES.

BUT LET'S SAY YOU DON'T TRUST THE PEOPLE RUNNING THAT.

SO HOW DO YOU BUILD AN ALL DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY, WHERE YOU CAN MAKE A BIG LIST OF THINGS THAT HAS TO BE CORRECT ALL THE TIME, THAT YOU CAN'T LET SOMEBODY MODIFY IT UNLESS YOU KNOW IT, AND YOU WANT TO STAY AROUND AND PROVE THAT IT IS GOOD.

THAT IS BASICALLY WHAT A BLOCK CHAIN IS.

IT HAS MATHEMATICAL FORMULAS, THAT ONCE IT IS PUT THERE, YOU CAN'T EDIT IT.

AND IF YOU TRY TO EDIT IT, IT IS SCREWED UP.

SO IT BETTER BE RIGHT ALL THE TIME.

AND BLOCK CHAIN IS ONE OF OUR ATTEMPTS TO MAKE THE SYSTEM AROUND 100% DIGITAL INFORMATION.

PEOPLE WATCHING IT.

PEOPLE RECORDING IT.

WHAT WE'RE WANTING PEOPLE TO DO, WORK ON OUR BEHALF AND THINGS LIKE THAT.

>> OKAY.

THE ARIZONA BLOCK CHAIN APPLIED RESEARCH CENTER.

WHAT IS THAT?

>> THESE SCIENTISTS THAT HAVE BEEN WORKING ON DEVELOPING THE BLOCK CHAIN, IT IS A DISTRIBUTED MEASURE.

IT IS ON SEVERAL DIFFERENT SERVERS THAT ARE ALL SPREAD AROUND THE WORLD, AND ALL OF THE DATA HAS TO COME BACK THE SAME.

THAT'S WHAT PROVES THE IMMUNABLE TRUTH TO THIS DATA.

THE ARIZONA BLOCK CHAIN CENTER TAKES THAT FUNDAMENTAL RESEARCH AND BUILDS PRODUCTS FOR COMPANIES.

SO WE'RE AN INDUSTRY-LEAD RESEARCH CENTER THAT SEVERAL COMPANIES BELONG TO.

INTEL IS ONE OF THEM, THE COMPANY SCOTT WORKS WITH IS ANOTHER BARD, BD, THE BIG MEDICAL DEVICE MANUFACTURER IS PART OF IT.

MOVE MEDICAL, AND WE'RE BRINGING IN NEW MEMBERS ALL THE TIME.

AND WHAT WE DO IS HAVE RESEARCHERS AT ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY WHO ARE BUILDING PLATFORMS THAT WE CAN BUILD PRODUCTS FROM THAT RUN ON THE BLOCK CHAIN, AND SO THOSE CAN BE USED -- AND SCOTT CAN GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE ON HOW HE WOULD USE THAT KIND OF RESEARCH.

>> IT SOUNDS SECURITY MINDED TO SOME DEGREE, BUT IT IS THERE FOR BUSINESSES TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF.

AND HOW WOULD A SECURITY FIRM USE BLOCK-CHAIN RESEARCH?

>> WELL, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE WORLD SECURITY IN INFORMATION, GENERALLY, YOU THINK ABOUT TRUST AND INTEGRITY.

AND IF YOU WANT TO TRUST THE INFORMATION YOU GET OR TRUST THE DATA TO BE ACCURATE OR UNCHANGED, YOU WANT TO KNOW THE SYSTEM YOU ARE TRUSTING IS SOLID END TO END.

NOBODY HAS MESSED WITH IT ALONG THE WAY.

SOMEBODY IS MONITORING IT TO MAKE SURE IT IS CHANGED.

MOST COMPANIES DON'T HAVE THE DEPTH OF TECHNICAL RESEARCHES TO BUILD SOMETHING LIKE IT.

SO TAKE THE GROUP WE'RE PART OF, IT'S ABOUT THE SECURITY PART OF THIS.

HOW DO WE MAKE THE MATH WORK?

AND HOW DO WE MAKE SURE IT DOESN'T GET ATTACKED OVER TIME.

OTHER USERS NEED TO TRUST THAT THAT INFORMATION IS THERE FOR MEDICAL DECISIONS, RIGHT?

IT CAN'T BE TAMPERED WITH.

THEY NEED TO TRUST DIGITAL IDENTITY, AND YOU CAN GUARANTEE THAT NOBODY MESSES WITH IT.

SO WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT THE TECHNOLOGY-BUILDING PART, MOST PEOPLE LIKE TO USE TECHNOLOGY ON BUILT TECHNOLOGY, AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE PARTICIPATING IN.

>> THIS WHOLE THING SOUNDS A LITTLE CRYPTO, IT SOUNDS LIKE IT COULD IN FUTURE USES INVOLVE VOTING -- I DON'T EVEN WANT TO BRING THIS UP RIGHT NOW -- BUT, I MEAN, IS THIS A SECURITY ASPECT THAT COULD BE USED ALONG THOSE LINES.

>> RIGHT.

ONE OF THE PROJECTS WE'RE WORKING ON IS A VOTING -- THERE ARE DOWS, THAT ARE AUTONOMOUS SYSTEMS.

BUT IT COULD BE APPLIED IN OUR REAL WORLD VOTING AS WELL.

THERE WAS A LOT OF QUESTION ABOUT THE SERVERS AND HOW THAT INFORMATION MOVED AROUND.

WELL THE BLOCK CHAIN COULD SECURE ALL OF THAT INFORMATION, AND IT WOULD BE TRUE, AND YOU COULD TRUST IT, BECAUSE THERE WOULD BE SEVERAL THINGS THAT SAY, YEAH, THIS IS THE DATA.

THE BLOCK CHAIN COULD FACTOR IN TO THE VOTING.

THOSE ARE THE KINDS OF PROJECTS THAT THE APPLIES RESEARCH CENTER IS WORKING ON, BECAUSE WE'RE BUILDING THE PRODUCTS OF THE FUTURE.

>> LAST QUESTION, SCOTT, BECAUSE WE'RE RUNNING OUT OF TIME, IT SOUNDS LIKE CRYPTOCURRENCY AND CERTAIN AREAS OF SOCIETY WHERE THIS WOULD COME IN HANDY, BUT EVENTUALLY SOMEBODY HAS THE KEY, DON'T THEY?

>> THERE IS NOT SUPPOSED TO BE.

ONE OF THE KEY PARTS OF A BLOCK CHAIN IS THAT IT IS DECENTRALIZED.

PEOPLE CONTROL THE INFORMATION THEY PUT IN IT.

OTHER PEOPLE CAN'T TAMPER WITH IT.

YOU CONTROL THE RIGHT TO VIEW IT.

SOMETIMES YOU CONTROL THE RIGHT TO SEE WHO ELSE CAN VIEW IT.

IT'S NOT LIKE THERE IS ONE KEY, WHICH IS THE WHOLE POINT OF BLOCK CHAIN IS TO MAKE IT SPREAD OUT AND UNTAMPERABLE.

AT SOME POINT IT IS SET UP TO LAUNCH, BUT THAT'S POINT ZERO, AND FROM THERE ON OUT, IT IS A CONTROLLED METHOD OF CONTROLLING INFORMATION.

AND IF YOU LOOK AT -- WHAT IF WE WERE TO BUILD A DIGITAL VERSION OF THIS FOR TOKENS, MONEY TRANSFER, INFORMATION TRANSFER, FOR SOMETHING LIKE VOTING, THERE ARE PIECES YOU NEED TO SOLVE ALONG THE WAY.

THE ASSERTION OF THE TECH, LET'S REMOVE WHETHER WE SHOULD, OR THE HUMAN ELEMENT, BUT JUST THINK IF WE WERE INVENTING THE TECH, CONTROLLING THE KEYS AND KNOWING WHERE THEY ARE IS A KEY QUESTION.

YOU HAVE TO ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS BEFORE WE CAN GO FORWARD.

>> WES, REAL QUICKLY.

>> WE'RE HAVING A SUMMIT ON THE 3RD OF MARCH AT NOON, AND YOU CAN LEARN MORE ABOUT THAT ON OUR WEBSITE.

>> ALL RIGHT.

WES GULLET GOOD TO SEE YOU.

SCOTT CARLSON, THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.

GREAT INFORMATION.

>> THANKS, TED.

>> THANK YOU.

>>> AND THAT IS IT FOR YOU.

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, A LOOK AT THE ARIZONA COYOTES NEW HOME AT LEAST FOR THE NEXT FEW SEASONS.

ON "BREAK IT DOWN," A PLUNGE INTO ALL THINGS ENCANTO.