[♪ THEME MUSIC ♪] >>> COMING UP NEXT ON ARIZONA PBS, ON "ARIZONA HORIZON," THE LATEST ON PHOENIX MERCURY STAR BRITTNEY GRINER.

>>> AND WE'LL HEAR FROM SIN NORA QUEST, AS THE COMPANY HITS THE 5 MILLION MARK FOR COVID TESTS.

THAT'S ALL COMING UP ON "ARIZONA HORIZON."

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

I'M TED SIMONS.

PHOENIX MERCURY BASKETBALL STAR BRITTNEY GRINER IS STILL BEING DETAINED IN RUSSIA, AFTER AIRPORT SECURITY OFFICIALS SAID THEY FOUND VAPE HASHISH PRODUCTS IN HER CARRY ON.

GRINER WAS IN RUSSIA, BECAUSE SHE HAS PLAYED ON RUSSIAN-LEAGUE TEAMS FOR THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS.

THE CONGRESSIONAL BLACK CAUCUS MEAT WITH THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION TODAY TO EXPRESS ITS CONCERNS.

>> I THINK IT IS IMPORTANT THAT WE DISCUSSED A BRITTNEY GRINER WITH THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES.

I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE BELIEVE THE DETAILS OF OUR DISCUSSION FOR THE ADMINISTRATION TO CONTINUE ITS CONCERNS AND EXPRESS ITS CONCERNS IN A WAY THAT WAS BEST.

WE KNOW ABOUT BRITNEY GRINER, AND WE KNOW THAT WE HAVE TO MOVE ON HER SITUATION.

>> WE WILL HAVE MORE ON BRITNEY GRINER'S INDICATION IN A MOMENT.

>>> RUSSIA'S ATTACKS ON UKRAINE ARE REPORTEDLY ESCALATING.

THE KREMLIN HAS PROPOSED TO HELP EVACUATE THOUSANDS OF UKRAINIAN CITIZENS, BUT ONLY IF THEY RELOCATE TO RUSSIA OR BELARUS.

THERE ARE CONCERNS THAT A HUMANITARIAN CRISIS WILL OCCUR IF RELIEF DOESN'T ARRIVE SOON.

>> WE SEE A LOT OF CHILDREN.

WE SEE CHILDREN COMING ONLY WITH THEIR MOTHERS BECAUSE THEIR FATHERS ARE STAYING THERE TO FIGHT, AND THIS IS A REAL CRISIS.

NO ONE IN EUROPE EXPECTED TO SEE THIS HAPPEN AGAIN AFTER WHAT HAPPENED IN WORLD WAR II.

>>> MORE THAN 1.7 MILLION PEOPLE HAVE BEEN FORCED TO PLEA.

>>> JILL BIDEN WAS SCHEDULE TO BE IN TOWN TODAY TO PROMOTE HIGH-TECH JOB TRAINING PROGRAMS AT INTEL AND AT LOCAL COMMUNITY COLLEGES.

SHE WAS ALSO SCHEDULE TO ATTEND A DEMOCRATIC FUNDRAISER AND THEN ATTEND AN EVENT THAT FOCUS ON NATIVE AMERICAN HEALTH SERVICES.

>>> AS WE MENTIONED EARLIER, BRITNEY GRINER IS STILL DETAINED IN RUSSIA, AND ATTEMPTING TO GET HER OUT ARE BEING COMPLICATED BY ATTACKS FROM RUSSIA.

JACOB TAKE YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US ON "ARIZONA HORIZON."

WE APPRECIATE YOU TAKING THIS TIME TO TALK ABOUT THIS.

LET'S START OF THE BASICS HERE.

SOME PEOPLE AREN'T AWARE WHO BRITTNEY GRINER IS.

WHO IS SHE?

>> SHE IS A WNBA PLAYER, AND PLAYS WITH THE PHOENIX MERCURY, AND SHE WAS IN RUSSIA AT THE TIME, BECAUSE OFF SEASON WNBA PLAYERS MAKE A LOT MORE MONEY BY PLAYING WITH OVERSEAS TEAMS.

SO SHE WAS THERE PLAYING FOR RUSSIA, AND WAS ARRESTED THREE OR SO WEEKS AGO IN FEBRUARY ON ALGAYINGS THAT SHE WAS TRANSPORTING NARCOTICS.

WHAT THEY FOUND WAS ALLEGEDLY VAPE PRODUCTS WITH CANNABIS PRODUCTS IN THERE.

>> SO SHE WAS DETAINED THREE WEEKS AGO, AND WAS SHE ENTERING RUSSIA?

WAS SHE LEAVING RUSSIA?

>> IT APPEARED THAT SHE WAS LEAVING RUSSIA.

SHE WAS GOING THROUGH WHAT IS CALLED THE GREEN ZONE WHEN YOU DON'T HAVE ANYTHING TO DECLARE ON YOUR WAY OUT.

>> WHY ARE WE JUST NOW FINDING OUT ABOUT THIS?

>> THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.

I'M NOT SURE.

IT'S NOT CLEAR IF RUSSIAN AUTHORITIES JUST DIDN'T LET ANYONE KNOW.

IT'S NOT CLEAR IF THEY WERE TRYING TO KEEP IT SECRET, PERHAPS.

TRYING TO ORGANIZE THINGS PRIVATELY BEFORE THE PUBLIC FOUND OUT.

>> SO THIS CASE WOULD HAVE BEEN -- IN COME SAYS -- IN SOME WAYS ADJUDICATED, BUT THEY COULD HAVE ALREADY BEEN HANDLING THIS CASE IN SECRET.

>> IT COULD HAVE BEEN GOING THROUGH THE LEGAL PROCESS, YES.

>> SHE IS THING DETAINED.

IS SHE IN CUSTODY OR JAIL OR WHAT DO WE KNOW?

>> THEY HAVE ONLY SAID DETAINED, WHICH IS -- IT IS PROBABLY GOING TO BE SOME SORT OF JAIL SITUATION.

I DON'T THINK IF SHE HAS BEEN FORMALLY CHARGED WITH ANYTHING.

SO IT IS IN THIS ODD LIMBO RIGHT NOW.

>> IS SHE ABLE TO CONTACT FRIENDS, FAMILY, RECOMMENDTIVES?

>> I'M NOT SURE.

IT DOESN'T REALLY SEEM SO.

HER FAMILY HAS RESPONDED.

THEY THANKED EVERYONE FOR THE OUTPOURING OF SUPPORT, AND THEY WOULD LIKE EVERYTHING TO REMAIN PRIVATE AT THIS TIME.

SO WE'RE ALL IN THE DARK HERE.

>> SO SHE IS THERE, AND WE DON'T KNOW WHAT HAS BEEN GOING ON.

ARE IS THERE U.S. DIPLOMATS STILL IN RUSSIA?

I'M GUESSING THERE IS NO ONE THERE TO HELP HER.

IS THERE?

>> PRETTY MUCH ALL OF THE TOP-LEVEL PEOPLE AT THE U.S. EMBASSY HAVE LEFT OR BEEN EXPELLED FROM THE COUNTRY, DUE TO RUSSIA'S WAR IN UKRAINE, AND THE SITUATION BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES AND RUSSIA RIGHT NOW, AND YOU KNOW -- I DON'T KNOW IF THERE IS REALLY ANYONE LEFT.

THERE MIGHT BE A FEW OFFICIALS STILL LEFT TO COORDINATE SOME THINGS.

IT'S A REALLY SKELETON CREW RIGHT NOW.

>> WITH THAT IN MIND, WHAT CAN THE U.S. REALISTICALLY DO ABOUT THIS?

>> THE U.S. CAN PUT PRESSURE THROUGH BACK CHANNELS, BUT OTHER COUNTRIES TO TRY TO GET HER RELEASED.

THERE MIGHT BE POTENTIALS FOR EXCHANGES OF PEOPLE WHO ARE IN CUSTODY -- ALTHOUGH I'M NOT SURE AT THIS POINT IF THOSE THINGS WILL WORK, BECAUSE OF HOW BAD THINGS ARE BETWEEN THE COUNTRIES RIGHT NOW.

THE SECRETARY OF STATE SAID THE UNITED STATES WOULD DO EVERYTHING IN ITS POWER TO GET DETAINED RUSSIAN -- AMERICANS OUT OF RUSSIA.

BUT IT'S NOT CLEAR WHAT THE STEPS OF ACTION WILL BE FROM THERE.

>> AND I WOULD IMAGINE A HIGH-PROFILE CASE LIKE THIS.

IS RUSSIA LIKELY TO USE THIS AS LEVERAGE IN >> I THINK, ABSOLUTELY.

IT IS JUST KIND OF TOO PERFECT FOR THEIR CIRCUMSTANCES NOT TO.

SO HAVE -- ALREADY THERE IS A LOT OF RHETORIC OUT THERE ABOUT THE DECADENT SELF-INVOLVED WEST, AND THEY ARE NOT GOING TO CARE ABOUT WHAT IS HAPPENING IN UKRAINE IN A WEEK OR SO.

SO THIS PLAYS INTO THAT.

HAVING A HIGH-PROFILE PERSON THAT IS ARRESTED WITH DRUGS, COULD BE USED.

AND BRITTNEY GRINER IS A MEMBER OF LBGTQ COMMUNITY, AND THAT TOO IS SOMETHING THAT RUSSIA HAS USED AGAINST THE WEST.

THE IDEA THAT WE'RE MORE ACCEPTING OF THOSE PEOPLE, THAT WE HAVE GAY MARRIAGE HERE IN THE UNITED STATES, AND THIS IS REPRESENTATIVE OF A CULTURE THAT IS DETERIORATING.

>> DOES THAT PLAY A FACTOR -- YOU ARE MAKING IT SOUND LIKE IT PROBABLY WILL DO THE NEGATIVE SIDE OF THE LGBTQ COMMUNITY.

AS A BLACK WOMAN, DOES THAT MAKE ANY DIFFERENCE?

>> I THINK IT COULD AS WELL.

DURING THE SOVIET PERIOD, THE SOVIET UNION USED A LOT OF IMAGES OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT TO SHOW HOW OPPRESSIVE THE U.S. WAS AGAINST AFRICAN AMERICAN S. AND HERE, THERE IS DEFINITELY RACE.

IN RUSSIA, JUST AS THERE IS HERE, AND IT MIGHT BE JUST ANOTHER FACTOR THAT -- THAT KIND OF ADS TO THE IDEA THAT -- YOU KNOW, THAT SHE MAY HAVE ALREADY BEEN BREAKING THE LAW, THAT SHE IS PART OF A CRIMINAL ELEMENT, AND THEY MIGHT USE THIS AGAINST HER.

>> YEAH, INTERESTING.

HOW SERIOUS IS THIS?

HOW TOUGH ARE RUSSIAN DRUG LAWS?

>> RUSSIA DRUG LAWS ARE PRETTY STRICT.

FROM WHAT I HAVE SEEN ON WHAT SHE IS ALLEGED TO BE CARRYING, SHE COULD GET FIVE TO TEN YEARS IN RUSSIAN PRISON.

>> MY GOODNESS, GRACIOUS.

LAST QUESTION, I HEARD YOU WERE IN RUSSIAN ABOUT THREE WEEKS AGO.

ARE YOU HEARING ANYTHING -- AND THE RUSSIAN PEOPLE, WHAT THEY KNOW?

>> YEAH, IN RUSSIA IT IS NOW -- ANY KIND OF INDEPENDENT JOURNALISM OR INFORMATION SERVICES HAVE BEEN PRETTY MUCH ALL SHUT DOWN OR STOPPED.

THERE HAVE BEEN OVER 150 JOURNALISTS WHO HAVE LEFT RUSSIAN SINCE THE WAR BEGAN, AND AS A RESULT, PEOPLE ARE GETTING REALLY BIASED OR IN SOME CASES NO INFORMATION EVER.

AND PEOPLE ARE REALLY AFRAID TO SPEAK OUT IF THEY CAN -- IF THEY DO KNOW WHAT IS GOING ON.

RUSSIA PASSED A LAW VERY QUICKLY THAT COULD GET YOU A NUMBER OF YEARS OF PRISON JUST FOR CONTRADICTING THE OFFICIAL LINE ON WHAT THEY ARE SAYING ABOUT THE MILITARY OPERATION.

THEY ARE CALLING IT -- YOU KNOW, DENIGRATING THE MILITARY POSITION OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION, THINGS LIKE THAT.

AS FOR UKRAINE, THE UKRAINIANS NEED ALL OF OUR HELP RIGHT NOW.

MULTIPLE CITIES ARE BEING ATTACKED, AND MANY ARE TRYING TO EVACUATE, AND UKRAINIANS NEED TO BE SUPPORTED BY US AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.

>> JACOB THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.

>> THANKS FOR HAVING ME.

>>> UP NEXT ON "ARIZONA HORIZON," WE'LL SPEAK WITH AN EXECUTIVE FROM SEN NORA CORPS.

>>> SEN NORA QUEST HAS PERFORMED UPWARDS OF 5 MILLION PRS COVID TESTS SINCE THE START OF THE PANDEMIC.

WE SPOKED TO ONE OF THEIR EXECUTIVES.

WELCOME TO "ARIZONA HORIZON."

THANKS FOR JOINING US, AND TALKING ABOUT HOW THE PANDEMIC HAS IMPACTED SONORA QUEST.

AND CONTINUES TO IMPACT.

WHAT ARE YOU SEEING?

>> THANK YOU, TED FOR HAVING MOW TODAY.

I'M VERY GLAD TO SPEAK TO YOU TODAY ABOUT THE PANDEMIC REALLY DID HAVE AN IMPACT ON SONORA QUEST.

WE WERE ABLE TO DO 4.9 MILLION TESTS SINCE MARCH 20TH, 2020, WHEN WE FIRST TESTED COVID PCR.

>> IS THERE A PEAK PERIOD IN OR IS THAT NOW?

>> REAL GOOD QUESTION.

WE JUST GOT ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE PEAK PERIOD.

SO OMICRON REALLY LEAD TO A SURGE VOLUME AND DEMAND WE WERE ABLE TO MEET.

WE REALIZED BACK IN 2020 WHEN THE PANDEMIC WAS REALLY RAGING ACROSS THE COUNTRY, AND IT WAS VERY DIFFICULT TO GET REAGENTS, INSTRUMENTS, STAFF, EVERYTHING, WE WERE ABLE TO COME UP TO A SOLUTION THAT ADDED HUGE CAPACITY THAT ENABLED US TO SUPPORT ARIZONA.

SO THE SURGE FOR OMICRON HIT ITS PEAK IN JANUARY WITH 35,000 PATIENT PCR IN ONE DAY.

>> WOE.

THAT IS A LOT OF FOLKS.

>> YEAH.

>> AND THAT'S NOT THAT LONG AGO.

>> THAT'S RIGHT.

>> WHAT ARE YOU SEEING NOW?

>> NOW THE DEMAND HAS COME DOWN QUITE A BIT.

WE SEE POSITIVITY WELL BELOW 10%.

AND THAT KIND OF CORRELATES WITH THE TESTING WHEN WE HAD THAT SURGE IN MID-JANUARY, POSITIVITY WAS CLOSE TO 40%.

>> WOE.

>> YES.

>> I GUESS A LOT OF PEOPLE KNOW SOMETHING WAS GOING ON.

>> EXACTLY.

WHEN THE OMICRON SURGE REALLY IT ITS PEAK, PATIENTS FEELING SYMPTOMS WENT TO GET TESTING, AND NOW WE SEE A DECREASE IN THE PCR DEMAND.

>> THE SURGE IS BEHIND YOU HAVE, BUT WHEN THIS WAS ALL HAPPENING, AND EVEN NOW, CANCER SCREENINGS, BIOPSIES, CHOLESTEROL SCREENINGS, THESE SORTS OF THING IS, WHAT WERE YOU SEEING THEN AND WHERE ARE WE NOW?

>> TODAY IS WEAR BLUE FOR NATIONAL COLORECTAL CANCER SCREENING.

AND DURING THE VARIOUS SURGES, THE PEAKS THAT WE HAD, WE DID SEE A BIT OF A SOFTENING IN THE ROUTINE TESTING, AND THAT IS REALLY CONCERNING.

THAT MEANS SOME OF THE WELLNESS CHECKS THAT WE DO -- AND WE DO 97 MILLION TESTS PER YEAR, AND PATIENTS IN SOME CASES DELAYED GETTING IMPORTANT TESTING, SCREENING THAT COULD PREVENT PROBLEMS LIKE COLOW RECTAL CANCER SCREENING.

NOW WE'RE SEEING THE WHOLE OFFERING THAT WE HAVE, WE ARE SEEING AN INCREASE.

BUT WE DID SEE A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT FOR A PERIOD THERE.

>> YEAH.

YEAH.

FLU TESTING, WHAT HAVE YOU SEEN THERE?

>> WELL, INTERESTING.

THIS IS OUR SECOND YEAR OF SEEING HIGH COVID DEMAND AND LOW FLU.

WE HAVE PREPARED A COMBO TO MAKE IT AS EASY AS POSSIBLE FOR AN ORDERING PHYSICIAN OR -- TO -- TO GET THE TESTING, TO DETERMINE IF IT'S COVID OR FLU.

>> YEAH, THAT'S A BIG DEAL TOGETHER GET THE COMBO THING.

THAT MAKES SINCE >> HOME BLOOD DRAWS IS AN INTERESTING THING.

WHAT IS THAT ALL ABOUT?

>> GET LABS IS AN OFFERING THAT WE HAVE TO HELP -- TO SEND THE PERSON TO THE HOME.

>> IT SOUNDS LIKE THAT PROBABLY CHANGED WITH THE PANDEMIC AS WELL, SO MANY PEOPLE NOT WANTING TO GO OUT.

WAS THAT ACH -- AMPLIFIED?

>> THAT'S TRUE.

WE DO SEE THAT SOME PEOPLE PREFER TO GET COLLECTION AT HOME.

WE SOMETIMES HAVE A CAR-COLLECTION.

>> INTERESTING.

>> SO WE LOOK AT A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT OPTIONS TO CONTINUE TO MAKE SURE WE UNDERSTAND WHAT OUR CUSTOMER, THE PATIENT, AND THE CONSUMER -- WE ACTUALLY HAD HERE IN THE STATE OF ARIZONA, THE ABILITY FOR A PATIENT OR CONSUMER TO ORDER 70 DIFFERENT TEST ON OUR OWN WITHOUT A DOCTOR'S ORDER.

>> THAT'S A BIG CHANGE.

>> UH-HUH.

>> THERE IS A CHANGE ON K-12 TESTING.

>> YEAH, I AM REALLY PROUD THAT WE WERE ABLE TO WORK WITH A PARTNER CALLED GINGKO, AND THEY DO THE WORK IN THE SCHOOLS, AND WE DO THE TESTING.

THAT ENABLES PCR TESTING IN A CLASSROOM SETTING.

THE PATIENT COLLECTS IT.

IT GOING INTO A LARGE TUBE, SO WE ARE ABLE TO SCREEN TO DETERMINE IF A STAFF OR STUDENT HAD A POSITIVE, AND THEN HAD A FOLLOW-UP TEST.

>> THAT BRINGS ME TO MY LAST QUESTION.

THE PANDEMIC, HAS IT CHANGED HOW LABS IN GENERAL, YOU IN PARTICULAR -- HAS IT CHANGED HOW YOU DO THINGS AND WILL CONTINUE TO DO THINGS IN THE FUTURE?

>> DEFINITELY.

DURING THE PANDEMIC, WE SAW TELEMEDICINE GROW.

>> YES.

>> WE ALSO SAW OUR OFFERING IN THE ABILITY TO DIGITIZE.

FOR ONCOLOGY TESTING, WE USED TO HAVE USE SLIDES AROUND, AND IT COULD TAKE DAYS AND WEEKS, AND THE PERSON COULD BE STUCK IN THE HOSPITAL.

AND NOW DIGITAL TESTING ALLOWS FASTER DIAGNOSIS, AND BETTER CARE.

>> ONE THING ENCOURAGING COMING OUT OF THERE.

>> THAT'S RIGHT.

>> YEAH, THAT'S RIGHT.

>> THANK YOU SO MUCH.

GOOD INFORMATION, AND GOOD DISCUSSION.

>> THANK YOU, TED.

MY PLEASURE.

THANKS 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.