[♪ THEME MUSIC ♪] >>> COMING UP NEXT ON ARIZONA HORIZON AN UPDATE FROM THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY ABOUT THE ATTACKS ON VOTING RIGHTS AND MORE.

COMING UP IN THE NEXT HALF HOUR OF LOCAL NEWS, ON CRONKITE NEWS: HOW ONE VALLEY ORGANIZATION IS HELPING GRANDPARENTS AS THEY RAISE THEIR GRANDCHILDREN, AND ON BREAK IT DOWN: THE LACK OF PEOPLE OF COLOR IN MEDICINE.

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

I'M JOSE CARDENAS FILLING IN FOR TED SIMONS.

GOVERNOR DOUG DUCEY HAS REQUIRED PUBLIC SCHOOLS TO OFFER IN-PERSON LEARNING.

SAY THEY MUST OFFER IN-SCHOOL OPTIONS WHILE OFFERING MITIGATION EFFORTS.

THEY SAY THE SCHOOLS ARE SAFE.

>>> ARIZONA'S FOURTH STATE-RUN COVID-19 SITE OPENED AT CHANDLER GILBERT COMMUNITY COLLEGE.

IT IS THE FIRST IN THE EASTERN PART OF ARIZONA.

THE LATEST FROM THE STATE HEALTH DEPARTMENT TODAY, WE NOW HAVE NEARLY 820,000 CASES AND MORE THAN 16,000 DEATHS.

>>> TODAY DR. JOSHUA LABAER, THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE ASU BIODESIGN INSTITUTE, GAVE AN UPDATE ON HOW THE STATE'S NUMBERS ARE LOOKING, AND WHAT HE THINKS ABOUT MASKING MANDATING BEING LIFTED IN OTHER STATES.

>> IT'S AN ODD TIME TO BE RELAXING MANDATES.

IT COULD CERTAINLY IMPACT NEARBY.

I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE TRAVEL RATES ARE BETWEEN ARIZONA AND TEXAS, BUT OBVIOUSLY WE HAVE TO BE CONCERNED.

>>> A FORMER AID OF STATE SENATOR WENDY ROGERS HAS FILED A SUIT FOR HARASSMENT.

ROGERS ISN'T NAMED IN THE CLAIM, BUT POLLONI SAYS HE MAKE TAKE LEGAL ACTION AGAINST HER LATER.

THE STATE LEGISLATURE HAS BEEN BATTLING OVER VOTING RIGHTS FOR VEHICLES, AND NOW BOTH CAUCUSES ARE URGING A CHALLENGE.

I SPOKE WITH SENATOR MARTIN QUEZADA.

THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.

I WANT TO START BY TALKING ABOUT VOTING ISSUES.

YESTERDAY THERE WERE A COUPLE OF PROVISIONS IN ARIZONA LAW THAT HAS BEEN CHALLENGED REGARDING BALLOT HARVESTING AND OTHER ISSUES, BUT LET'S START WITH THE SUPREME COURT CASE.

>> IT'S A SCARY CASE BECAUSE IT IS CHALLENGING ONE OF THE VOTING RIGHTS ACTS THAT IS PUT IN PLACE TO PROTECT AMERICANS, AND ESPECIALLY COMMUNITIES OF COLOR.

THEY ARE ARGUING FOR A NARROW INTERPRETATION, AND WANT ONLY CASES THAT WILL BLATANTLY DISCRIMINATORY TO BE UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF SECTION 2.

AND I THINK THAT FLIES IN THE FACE OF WHAT SECTION 2 IS ALL ABOUT.

IT'S ABOUT LAWS THAT APPEAR TO BE NEUTRAL, YET STILL HAVE A DISCRIMINATORY IMPACT.

>> IT LOOKS LIKE THEY ARE GOING TO RULE AGAINST -- OR IN FAVOR, RATHER OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL'S PROVISION.

>> YEAH, AND THAT'S THE SCARY PROVISION.

WE HAVE A SUPREME COURT THAT HAS BEEN PUSHED FURTHER TO THE RIGHT, AND IT DOES APPEAR THAT WE'RE NOT ON GOOD GROUND IN TERMS OF PROTECTING THE VOTING RIGHT'S ACT, AND STRIKING DOWN THESE TWO LAWS, WHICH WERE FOUND TO BE DISCRIMINATORY.

>> SO THERE HAVE BEEN A NUMBER OF PROPOSALS SPONSORED BY REPUBLICANS IN THE STATE LEGISLATURE, DESIGNED, THEY SAY TO AVOID VOTER FRAUD.

THE DEMOCRATS SAY THIS IS TO REVERSE THE OUTCOME OF THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION.

>> YEAH, REPUBLICANS ARE PUSHING BILLS RIGHT NOW THAT WILL CLEARLY HAVE A DISCRIMINATORY IMPACT ON CERTAIN COMMUNITIES, AND THEY ARE ARGUING THAT THEIR INTENT IS ALL ABOUT ELECTION SECURITY, AND DISCARDING THE FACT THAT IT WILL HAVE A BAD IMPACT ON CERTAIN COMMUNITIES, SO THERE ARE A NUMBER OF PROPOSALS BEING PUSHED THROUGH.

AND WE HAVE BROUGHT OUT THE FACT THAT LATINO VOTERS, BLACK VOTERS, COULD BE HURT BY A LOT OF THESE ISSUES, SO IT'S REALLY TROUBLING TO SEE WHAT THEY ARE TRYING TO DO.

A LOT OF THIS IS IN REGARD TO FURTHERING THIS FALSE NARRATIVE THAT SOMETHING SHADY HAPPENED WITH THE ELECTION THAT JUST PASSED.

THEY DON'T WANT TO ACCEPT THE REALITY AND THEY ARE USING THEIR NARRATIVE.

>> AND THERE WAS THE QUESTION OF THE SUBPOENA ISSUED SEEKING ACCESS TO BALLOTS.

THEY CHALLENGED THAT IN COURT.

THEY LOST, AND IT LOOKS LIKE THEY ARE NOT GOING TO APPEAL?

>> YEAH.

AND THAT IS A LITTLE TROUBLING.

BECAUSE THE RULING ULTIMATELY HANDED DOWN TO THE JUDGE GIVES EXTREMELY BROOD AUTHORITY TO THE SENATE, AND NOW THAT THE RULING IS DONE, NOW THAT THE LEGAL FIGHT IS OVER, WE'RE LEFT WITH A SITUATION WHERE THE SENATE IS GOING TO GET WHAT THEY WANTED, THEY ARE GOING TO GET ACCESS TO ALL OF THESE BALLOTS, AND I'M NOT SURE THEY KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH THAT.

AND THE SENATE IS READY TO TURN THAT OVER, AND THEY ARE SAYING, WE DON'T KNOW HOW TO KEEP THESE BALLOTS SAFE.

>> SENATOR, VERY QUICKLY, TWO EDUCATION-RELATED TOPICS, FIRST REGARDING IN-STATE TUITION FOR DREAMERS.

>> YEAH, I THINK ONE OF THE ISSUES POSSIBLY HARMFUL TO A LOT OF STUDENTS IN OUR PUBLIC EDUCATION SYSTEM.

THE OTHER COULD BE VERY BENEFICIAL TO OUR STUDENTS WANTING TO GET A HIGHER EDUCATION.

I WISH IT WOULD HAVE GONE FURTHER, BUT I THINK THIS IS A MEASURE THAT WE WOULD BE HAPPY TO ACCEPT AND APPROVE, AND WE'RE HOPING TO SEE A VOTE IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS.

>> SENATOR THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US.

>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.

>>> UP NEXT, THE ROLE TECHNOLOGY HAS PLAYED THROUGHOUT THE PANDEMIC.

>>> FROM ZOOM TO WHATSAPP TECHNOLOGY HAS BECOME INTERTWINED WITH THE PANDEMIC.

I SPOKE WITH DR. PAULINE CHEONG FROM ASU'S HUGH DOWNS SCHOOL OF HUMAN COMMUNICATION ABOUT JUST THAT.

THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.

WHAT HAS THE PANDEMIC TAUGHT US ABOUT TECHNOLOGY AND HUMAN INTERACTION.

>> THE PANDEMIC HAS CERTAINLY TAUGHT US THAT OUR INTEREST IN TECHNOLOGY HAS BEEN INTENSIFIED IN EVERY DOMAIN OF OUR LIVES.

TECHNOLOGY IS NOW USED AND INTEGRATED IN OUR DAILY RHYTHMS, AS WELL AS IN THE DIFFERENT SPACES THAT WE INHABIT.

OVER THE LAST YEAR, ZOOM HAS GONE FROM BEING JUST A NAME INTO AN EVERY DAY VERB.

SO IT'S INTERESTING, HOW WE ARE -- AFFECTED.

>> TELL US ABOUT THE RESEARCH YOU HAVE DONE?

>> WE HAVE LOOKED AT HOW PEOPLE ARE INTEGRATING THE YOUTH TECHNOLOGIES IN OUR EVERY DAY LIFE.

SO WE HAVE INTERVIEWED PEOPLE ON THE STATE LEVEL AND NATIONAL LEVEL ON HOW THEY ARE CONTACTING TO SMART TECHNOLOGIES, THE DIGITAL APPLICATIONS IN THEIR EVERY DAY LIFE.

AND WE'RE SEEING THAT PEOPLE'S CONNECTS ARE BEING INCREASED MULTI-FOLD.

IF YOU ARE A PROFESSIONAL THAT IS USING TECHNOLOGY FOR WORK, OR A STUDENT USING TECHNOLOGY FOR REMOTE LEARNING, THAT KIND OF TECHNOLOGY IS REALLY -- IS REALLY INTENSIFIED IN THE LAST YEAR.

SO ONE OF OUR RESPONDENTS SAID HOW HER USE OF THE TECHNOLOGY HAS INCREASE FOUR TIMES.

SO FOR THOSE OF US WHO ARE NOW USING DIGITAL APPLICATIONS, WHETHER IT'S ZOOM OR OTHERS, YOU KNOW, THOSE THINGS ARE PULLING US INTO THE DIGITAL NETWORK IN A MORE INTEGRATED WAY.

>> AND WHAT HAS THE IMPACT BEEN ON FRIENDSHIPS AND RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN INDIVIDUALS?

>> YEAH, WITH TECHNOLOGY, THIS HAS ENABLED US TO RECONSTRUCT TIME AND SPACE AND ENABLES US TO LIFT UP OUR SOCIAL RELATIONS INTO A DIFFERENT LOCAL FOR EXAMPLE.

SO AS WE TRY TO CONNECT WITH FRIENDS AND FAMILIES AND REACH OUT TO COUNSELORS AND PEER MENTORS OVER ZOOM, SO THERE ARE MANY IMPLICATIONS.

>> SO IS IT GOOD FOR BAD?

>> WELL, I WOULD SAY IT IS BOTH.

YEAH CERTAINLY TENSIONS THAT WE HAVE OBSERVED WITH THE USE OF TECHNOLOGY, SO IT IS SOMETHING ALONG THE LINES OF TECHNOLOGY INTEGRATION AND SEPARATION, AND ON THE ONE HAND WE ARE INCREASINGLY BETTER IN MACHINE COMMUNICATION.

ON THE OTHER HAND, I THINK THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO ARE YEARNING FOR FACE-TO-FACE COMMUNICATIONS.

>> WHAT ABOUT DIFFERENCES IN TERMS OF THE USE OF THESE TECHNOLOGIES BASED ON AGE AND TECHNICAL PROFICIENCIES.

>> YES.

CERTAINLY THE UP TICK OF TECHNOLOGY IS NOT UNIFORM.

THERE ARE DIFFERENCES ACROSS EACH COHORT, AND DIFFERENCES ACROSS SOCIODEMOGRAPHIC VARIABILITIES, INCLUDING RACE, AND THE YEARS OF EXPERIENCE IN TECHNOLOGY, AND INCLUDING PEOPLE'S PERCEPTIONS AND ATTITUDES TOWARDS IT.

>> DR. PAULINE CHEONG FROM ASU'S HUGH DOWNS SCHOOL OF HUMAN COMMUNICATION, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US TODAY.

>> THANK YOU.

♪ >>> THE MAYO CLINIC RECENTLY PARTNERS WITH THE U OF A COLLEGE OF MEDICINE IN A TOWNHALL TO DISCUSSION COVID-19 VACCINATION COMMUNICATIONS.

I SPOKE WITH MAYO CLINIC'S DR. JUAN GEA BANACLOCHE.

DOCTOR, THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.

THERE HAS BEEN A LOT WRITTEN ABOUT THE RELUCTANCE OF COMMUNITIES OF COLOR TO GET VACCINATED.

WHY DO YOU THINK THAT IS?

>> I THINK THERE'S A LONG HISTORY OF MISTREATMENT OF PEOPLE OF COLOR IN RESEARCH IN MEDICINE THAT IS HARD TO OVERCOME.

ON THE OTHER HAND, YOU ALSO HAVE DIFFICULTIES WITH ACCESS IN COMMUNITIES OF COLOR.

SO I THINK THAT IS HISTORICALLY DIFFICULT TO OVERCOME, AND PARTICULARLY WHEN YOU HAVE SOMETHING THAT IS NEW -- IT'S NEW, AND EVERYBODY FEELS VERY RUSHED, AND I THINK THAT PLAYS A ROLE IN THIS PROBLEM.

SO I THINK THAT IS A IMPORTANT.

THE NUMBER, THE PERCENT OF PEOPLE OF COLOR IN THE -- IN THE TRIALS WAS 9.5%, WHICH IS SLIGHTLY LESS THAN THE PERCENT THAN THE PEOPLE OF COLOR IN THE U.S. AS A WHOLE.

SO THEY [ INAUDIBLE ] APPLIED TO THE WHOLE POPULATION OF THE UNITED STATES.

>> AND YET THE MISTRUST SEEMS TO BE SIGNIFICANT.

THERE WAS A SURVEY THAT SAID ONLY 42% OF BLACK AMERICANS SAID THEY WOULD GET A VACCINE, THAT COMPARES TO 61% OF WHITE AMERICANS, AND 81% ASIANS, AND YOU TALK ABOUT THE HISTORY OF MISTREATMENT.

SO HOW DO YOU ADDRESS THOSE KINDS OF CONCERNS.

>> I THINK THE BEST WAY OF ADDRESSING THAT IS BEING ABSOLUTELY OPEN AND EXPLAIN THAT THE PROCESS HAS BEEN TRANSPARENT, AND THERE IS KNOWING HIDING UNDER THE TABLE, AND WE GRIFING THE VACCINE TO OUR FAMILIES AND TO OUR LOVED ONES, AND -- AND BE ABLE TO EXPLAIN EVERYTHING.

BE ABLE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.

I THINK THAT OPENNESS AND HONESTY ARE THE BEST POLICIES.

AND WE NEED TO ADMIT THAT THE VACCINE HAS SIDE EFFECTS THAT [ INAUDIBLE ] SYMPTOMS AFTER THE SECOND DOSE, BUT THEY ARE NOT SERIOUS SIDE EFFECTS.

IT IS A STRONG VACCINE, AND THERE ARE GOING TO BE SIDE EFFECTS, BUT THEY HAVE NOT BEEN SERIOUS SIDE EFFECTS.

AND IT IS EXTREMELY EFFECTIVE.

AND AS FAR AS WE KNOW, VERY, VERY SAFE.

>> YOU PARTICIPATED LAST WEEK IN A VIRTUAL TOWNHALL THAT WAS DIRECTED TO COMMUNITIES OF COLOR.

WHAT KIND OF QUESTIONS WERE YOU GETTING THERE THAT SEEM TO BE BASED UPON THIS MISTRUST?

>> A COMMON QUESTION IS WHERE THERE HAS BEEN A -- WHETHER ANY CORNERS HAVE BEEN CUT IN PROCESS.

THERE IS THIS CONCEPTION THAT THIS VACCINE HAS BEEN RUSHED INTO THE POPULATION WITHOUT ENOUGH STUDIES.

BUT THE REASON THESE VACCINES HAVE BEEN DEVELOPED SO QUICKLY, IS NOT BECAUSE SAFETY HASN'T BEEN FRONT AND CENTER.

IT'S BECAUSE OUR TECHNOLOGY IS SO MUCH BETTER THAN IT USED TO BE.

AND BECAUSE THESE VACCINES CAN BE MANUFACTURED IN A MUCH EASIER AND FASTER WAY.

WHERE DEVELOPING THIS VACCINE IS MUCH FASTER, AND THAT'S THE REASON WHY YOU CAN HEAR ABOUT [ INAUDIBLE ] AND THOSE ARE THINGS THAT WE COULDN'T DO IN THE PAST THAT WE CAN DO NOW, AND THAT IS THE REASON.

>> MAYO CLINIC'S DR. JUAN GEA BANACLOCHE, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US.

>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.

>> THAT'S OUR SHOW FOR TONIGHT.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US.

>>> COMING UP, ON CRONKITE NEWS, A TEACHERS PERSPECTIVE.

WHAT THEY ARE DEALING WITH IN THE DIFFERENT MODES OF LEARNING.

AND ON BREAK IT DOWN, HOW PEOPLE OF COLOR ARE UNDERREPRESENTED IN HEALTH PROFESSIONS.

♪ [♪ THEME MUSIC ♪]