>>> COMING UP IN THE NEXT HOUR OF LOCAL NEWS ON ARIZONA COVID CONCERNS.

ON CRONKITE NEWS: A LOOK AT THE PUSH UNDERWAY TO ALLOW COMMUNITY COLLEGES TO OFFER FOUR YEAR DEGREES, AND ON BREAK IT DOWN: THE PRESSURE OF BEING THE FIRST.

ALL OF THIS AND MORE AHEAD IN THE NEXT HOUR ON ARIZONA PBS.

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

I'M TED SIMONS.

ANOTHER VERY ENCOURAGING COVID REPORT TODAY.

ONLY 563 NEW CASES ON RECORD.

THAT'S AS LOW AS IT HAS BEEN IN MONTHS, INDEED, THE FIRST TIME SINCE OCTOBER THAT WE HAVE SEEN THREE STRAIGHT DAYS OF FEWER THAN 3,000 CASES.

WE NOW RANK 15TH HIGHEST IN THE COUNTRY.

AND THE DEATH RATE SHOWED SOME IMPROVEMENT.

IT NOW RANKS 8TH HIGHEST.

THE STATE'S VACCINATION EFFORTS ARE IN FULL SWING, BUT THERE IS CONCERN OVER THE MORE CONTAGIOUS U.K.

VARIANT OF THE VIRUS.

WE TALKED ABOUT ALL OF THIS WITH DR. CARA CHRIST, DIRECTOR OF THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH SERVICES.

DR. CHRIST GOOD TO SEE YOU AGAIN.

LET'S TALK ABOUT THIS JOHNSON & JOHNSON VACCINE.

WHEN ARE WE GOING TO GET THIS THING?

>> WE HAVE IT CURRENTLY IN ARIZONA.

THE HEALTH DEPARTMENTS ARE WORKING WITH THEIR PROVIDERS TO GET IT OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY.

>> AND WHAT, END OF THE WEEK?

START OF THE NEXT WEEK?

>> LIKELY END OF THIS WEEK, PEOPLE WILL START TO SEE IT.

THIS IS THE ONE DOSE VACCINE, SO YOU ONLY NEED ONE DOSE TO BE FULLY VACCINATED.

>> AS FAR AS VACCINATIONS ARE CONCERNED, IT SOUNDS LIKE THE PROCESS IS GOING PRETTY WELL NOW.

WHAT ABOUT THOSE, THOUGH, IN UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES.

HOW ARE YOU REACHING OUT TO THOSE AREAS.

>> SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE REALLY FOCUSED ON RIGHT NOW.

WE HAVE THE STATE VACCINATIONS SITES, BUT WE'RE TRYING TO FOCUS ON GETTING THOSE VULNERABLE HARD-TO-REACH POPULATIONS THAT MAY HAVE NO INTERNET OR DIFFICULTIES WITH TRANSPORTATION.

SO WE'RE REACHING OUT, AND WE HAVE BEEN DOING TOWN HALLS.

WE'LL DO ANOTHER ONE TONIGHT.

WE HAVE BEEN TARGETED SOCIAL MESSAGING, AND YARD SIGNS.

AND OVER THE PAST WEEK, WE PEOPLE GO DOOR-TO-DOOR AND REGISTER PEOPLE OVER THE AGE OF 65 AND ACTIVELY REGISTER THEM AND ARRANGE THEIR TRANSPORTATION AS WELL.

>> AS FAR AS -- YOU SAID OVER 65.

WHY NOT OVER 55?

>> SO WHEN WE STARTED THAT PROJECT, WE WERE STILL IN THE OVER 65.

NOW WE WILL EXPAND DOWN TO THE 55.

BUT WE WILL BE MOVING THIS PILOT INTO OTHER AREAS THAT WE HAVE IDENTIFIED NEED ADDITIONAL ASSISTANCE.

>> WE'RE GETTING CONTACT FROM FOLKS WHO HAVE CHILDREN, YOUNGER FOLKS, PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES, THOSE WHO SHOULD BE GETTING VACCINATED BUT JUST AREN'T AT THE 55 AGE LEVEL.

HOW IS THAT WORKING?

IS THERE A WAY TO GET PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES IN THERE AHEAD OF THE CROWD?

>> WITH THIS NEW PRIORITIZATION, BASED ON AGE, THEY WILL BECOME ELIGIBLE A LOT EARLIER, BECAUSE THOSE WITH CHRONICLE MEDICAL CONDITIONS -- AND THERE IS A SPECIFIC LIST THAT THE CDC BELIEVES PUT YOU AT HIGHER RISK, THEY WOULD HAVE BEEN AFTER ALL OF THE ESSENTIAL WORKERS.

WE WOULD HAVE HAD TO OPEN IT UP TO ALL OF THE UTILITY WORKERS, GROCERY STORES, ALL TYPES OF ESSENTIAL BUSINESSES.

NOW WE'RE MOVING THEM UP IN AGE, WHICH WILL GET A LOT OF THOSE WITH THOSE CHRONIC MEDICAL CONDITIONS THAT QUALIFY IN A LOT EARLIER, AND WE'RE ONLY DOING A LIMITED WORK OF ESSENTIAL FRONT LINE WORKERS AT THE SAME TIME.

>> AND IF SOMEONE IS CURIOUS AS TO WHETHER THEIR CHILD QUALIFIES, WHERE DO THEY GO?

>> WELL, RIGHT NOW IT TOTALLY DEPENDS ON AGE.

WE RECOMMEND YOU GO TO THE ARIZONA WEBSITE, OR YOUR COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT TO DETERMINE WHAT GROUP THEY ARE CURRENTLY VACCINATING.

>> AND THOSE CATEGORIZATIONS COULD CHANGE AT ANYTIME?

>> SO WHAT IT IS BASED ON IS AS WHICH HIT 55 TO 60% OF THAT POPULATION, THE COUNTIES HAVE THE OPTION TO MOVE INTO THE NEXT AGE GROUP.

SO ABOUT 60% OF ALL ARIZONANS WITH A MEDICAL CONDITION THAT PUTS THEM AT HIGHER RISK WILL BE COVERED IN THE 55 AGE GROUP.

WHEN WE HIT 45 AND ABOVE, WE'LL BE HITTING 70 TO 80%, AND THEN WE'LL HIT 90% OF ALL ARIZONANS.

>> THERE IS CONCERN ABOUT THE VARIANT OUT THERE.

HAVE WE SEEN THE U.K.

VARIANT IN ARIZONA?

>> SO WE HAVE HAD CASES OF THE U.K.

VARIANT IDENTIFIED HERE IN ARIZONA.

WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE RIGHT NOW IS THAT THE VACCINE IS STILL A GOOD MATCH FOR THE U.K.

VARIANT, BUT IT DOES APPEAR TO HAVE A HIGHER TRANSMISSION RATE, SO IT'S EASIER TO CATCH.

>> ARE YOU EXPECTING ANOTHER SPIKE IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF MONTHS?

>> WE MAY SEE ANOTHER SPIKE IN CASES, ESPECIALLY IF WE GET ONE OF THESE VARIANTS THAT ESTABLISHES A WHOLE TIER IN ARIZONA.

HOWEVER, WHAT WE WOULD ANTICIPATE IS NOT SEEING THE SAME LEVEL OF INFECTION DUE TO THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE VACCINATED.

>> HOSPITALIZATION IS THE MAJOR CONCERN HERE, ARE WE READY FOR IT?

>> OUR HOSPITALS HAVE DONE A PHENOMENAL JOB, EVEN DURING THIS LAST SPIKE, THEY WERE DOING A GREAT JOB MANAGING THE NUMBER OF PATIENTS.

BECAUSE THE VACCINES ARE SO EFFECTIVE, WE LIKELY WILL NOT SEE THAT LEVEL OF SURGE AGAIN.

>> LAST QUESTION, THE GOVERNOR'S ORDERS LIFTING THE OCCUPANCY RESTRICTIONS AT BARS AND RESTAURANTS AND GYMS AND THESE SORTS OF PLACES.

WITH THIS VARIANT OUT THERE, WAS THAT A WISE MOVE?

>> LIFTING THE OCCUPANCY LIMITS, OUR DATA IS REALLY GOOD, BUT PEOPLE SHOULD STILL BE WEARING MASKS AND STAYING PHYSICALLY DISTANT FROM THOSE THEY DON'T LIVE WITH.

SO IF YOU ARE HIGH RISK, STAY HOME AND AVOID LARGE CROWDS, BUT IF YOU ARE OUT WITH PEOPLE YOU DON'T LIVE WITH, MAKE SURE YOU ARE WEARING A MASK AND STAY SIX FEET AWAY FROM INDIVIDUALS.

SO EVEN WITH THE VARIANT WHAT WE HAVE IDENTIFIED IS THAT -- FOR INSTANCE, A RESTAURANT ACCORDING TO OUR MITIGATION STRATEGIES STILL NEEDS TO KEEP TABLES AT LEAST SIX FEET APART.

THEY CAN'T HAVE MORE THAN TEN PEOPLE AT A CERTAIN TABLE, AND THEY ARE REQUIRED TO MAKE SURE THAT STAFF AND PATRONS WEAR A MASK WHEN THEY ARE NOT ACTIVELY EATING OR DRINKING.

>> DR. CARA CHRIST, GOOD TO SEE YOU AGAIN.

WE APPRECIATE YOUR TIME ON THIS.

>> THANK YOU.

>>> UP NEXT, HOW DOES LIFE CHANGE FOR THOSE WHO'VE BEEN FULLY OR PARTIALLY VACCINATED?

>>> THE CDC RECENTLY ANNOUNCED NEW GUIDELINES FOR THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN FULLY VACCINATED AGAINST COVID-19.

WE TALKED ABOUT THE NEW RECOMMENDATIONS WITH WILL HUMBLE, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE ARIZONA PUBLIC HEALTH ASSOCIATION.

GOOD TO SEE YOU, WILL HUMBLE, ALWAYS A PLEASURE TO SPEAK WITH YOU.

LET'S TALK ABOUT THE CDC GUIDELINES NOW FOR THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN VACCINATED, YOUR THOUGHTS?

>> YEAH, I WAS REALLY PLEASED TO SEE THE GUIDANCE THE WAY IT CAME OUT, I WAS A LITTLE CONCERNED THAT THE CDC WOULD MAKE IT IMPRACTICAL AND NOT REAL LIFE, BUT THEY DID A NICE JOB.

IT WASN'T OVERLY CONSERVATIVE, AND IT RECOGNIZED THAT WE HAVE TO START SHOWING PEOPLE THAT WHEN YOU ARE VACCINATED, THERE ARE LIBERTIES AND CHANGES THAT COME WITH THAT.

AND THAT BUILDS MORE MOMENTUM FOR PEOPLE WANTING TO GET VACCINATED.

>> I THOUGHT FOR GRANDPARENTS ESPECIALLY, THIS WAS A REALLY SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT.

>> YEAH, I THINK THAT IS THE THING THAT IS THE BIGGEST CONCERN.

SO MANY SENIORS HAVE BEEN LOCKED AWAY IN THEIR HOUSES FOR A LONG TIME, AND MISS THEIR KIDS AND GRAND KIDS.

SO THIS GIVES THEM -- ONCE THEY HAVE GOT THEIR SECOND VACCINE, AND THEY WAIT A COUPLE OF WEEKS, IT GIVES THEM PERMISSION TO START SEEING FAMILY MEMBERS AND BE IN PERSON WITHOUT MASKS, SO IT ALLOWS THEM -- EVEN THE EXTENDED GUIDANCE SAYS IF YOU USED TO GO TO A GYM GO AHEAD, AND GO WORKOUT.

YOU STILL HAVE TO WEAR A MASK, BUT START LIVING YOUR LIFE AGAIN, AND START TAKING SOME OF THOSE FREEDOMS YOU HAVE BEEN MISSING, INCLUDING VISITING FAMILY.

>> AND FAMILY MEMBERS IN DOORS, KIDS AND THINGS AS LONG AS THEY ARE NOT AT RISK, BUT NOT -- GENERALLY FRIENDS IN DOORS YET, BUT FAMILY MEMBERS YES.

>> WELL, FRIENDS IN DOORS IF EVERYONE ELSE IS VACCINATED.

>> THERE YOU GO.

LOTS OF VACCINATIONS GOING ON RIGHT NOW.

LET'S TALK ABOUT THIS.

IF YOU RECEIVED YOUR FIRST SHOT, HOW DOES YOUR LIFE CHANGE?

HOW DOES IT CHANGE AS FAR AS GETTING THE VIRUS?

GETTING SICK WITH THE VIRUS AND TRANSMITTING THE VIRUS?

>> YEAH, SO AFTER YOUR FIRST SHOT, WHETHER IT'S MODERNA, PFIZER, OR JOHNSON & JOHNSON, ONCE TWO WEEKS GO BY, YOU HAVE ALREADY BUILT ANTIBODIES.

AND QUITE HONESTLY BY TWO TO THREE WEEKS AFTER YOUR FIRST SHOT, YOU ARE PRETTY WELL PROTECTED AGAINST BEING SO SICK WITH COVID THAT YOU WOULD END UP BEING HOSPITALIZED OR DIEING.

THERE IS STILL A CHANCE THAT YOU COULD -- IF YOU CAME INTO CONTACT WITH COVID, GET SOME SYMPTOMS, BUT YOU ARE HIGHLY UNLIKELY TO HAVE THE KIND OF SYMPTOMS THAT WOULD MAKE YOU SUPPER ILL OR NEED TO GO TO THE HOSPITAL.

YOU ARE 95% PROTECTED, AND WITH THAT COMES A LOT OF FREEDOM, AND FOR THE MOST PART THE CDC GUIDANCE THIS WEEK ACCEPTED THAT, EXCEPT THEY SAID YOU SHOULDN'T TRAVEL, AND I DISAGREE WITH THAT.

IF YOUR KIDS LIVE IN TEXAS, AND YOU HAVE TWO VACCINES, I THINK YOU ARE GOOD TO GO.

>> WITH THOSE TWO WEEKS?

>> THAT'S RIGHT.

>> HOW ARE THEY GOING TO HANDLE THIS U.K.

VARIANT?

BECAUSE IT SOUNDS LIKE IT IS MAKING ITS WAY INTO ARIZONA HERE.

SHOULD WE BE CONCERNED?

>> THE U.K.

VARIANT IS COVERED BY THE VACCINES THAT WE HAVE IN PLACE RIGHT NOW, AND BY THE WAY PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN INFECTED BY THE VIRUS AND RECOVERED FROM A DIFFERENT VARIANT, SO THAT IS COVERED BY THE VACCINES AND THE INFECTIONS THAT PEOPLE HAVE HAD.

IT IS MORE TRANSMISSIBLE, SO IN A SENSE IT PUTS US AT HIGHER RISK FOR THE PANDEMIC CONTINUING.

SO IT'S NOT A SUPER SCARY VARIANT IN THE SENSE THAT IT DOESN'T ESCAPE CAPTURE OF ANDY BODIES, SO I'M HONESTLY NOT THAT CONCERNED ABOUT IT.

I WOULD ONLY BE CONCERNED ABOUT A VARIANT THAT ESCAPES ANTIBODIES AND PUTS US AT A DIFFERENT LEVEL, AND THAT HASN'T HAPPENED HERE.

>>> SO THE GOVERNOR HAS LIFTED RESTRICTIONS, AND IT SOUNDS AS THOUGH -- THE STATE HEALTH DIRECTOR SAYS PEOPLE ARE STILL BEING ADVISED MASK UP, KEEP YOUR DISTANCE AS BEST YOU CAN.

WAS IT TIME TO DO THIS RAISING OF THE OCCUPANCY RATE, THOUGH?

>> I DON'T THINK IT MATTERS.

THERE WAS NO ENFORCEMENT OF THE MITIGATION RESTRICTIONS.

SO BUSINESSES HAVE BEEN OPERATING UNDER -- WE'RE GOING TO WORK WITH OUR CUSTOMERS, SO AS A PRACTICAL MATTER, IT IS NOT GOING TO CHANGE ANYTHING IN THE FIELD.

THE QUESTION YOU ASKED IS, IS IT TIME?

YEAH, I THINK IN SOME KIND OF PSYCHOLOGICAL WAY, IT GIVES PEOPLE A BOOST THAT THINGS ARE GETTING BETTER, BUT I DON'T THINK IT IS GOING TO MAKE ANY DEMONSTRABLE DIFFERENCE IN TERMS OF WHAT HAPPENS WITH THE TRAJECTORY.

AND THE POLICIES REALLY HAVEN'T CHANGED IF YOU DON'T HAVE ENFORCEMENT.

>> ALL RIGHT.

ALWAYS GOOD INFORMATION.

WILL HUMBLE, THANK YOU.

>> YEAH, THANKS, TED.

>>> A NEW REPORT SHOWS THAT MEANINGFUL CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM IN ARIZONA COULD SAVE THE STATE UP TO $1.5 BILLION OVER THE NEXT TEN YEARS.

WE LEARNED MORE FROM JIM ROUNDS OF ROUNDS CONSULTING GROUP, WHICH CONDUCTED THE STUDY.

AND JIM ROUNDS, GOOD TO SEE YOU AGAIN.

THANKS SO MUCH FOR JOINING US.

INTERESTING RESEARCH HERE REGARDING CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM.

EXPLAIN, PLEASE.

>> YEAH, THANKS FOR HAVING ME BACK ON.

THIS IS AN INTERESTING TOPIC.

WE GOT INVOLVED IN THIS WHEN THE SECOND CHANCES ACT WAS ORIGINALLY PROPOSED.

WE DID THE ECONOMIC ANALYSIS, AND IT REALLY SHOWED THE FULL POTENTIAL IF WE HAD A LITTLE BIT MORE OF A THOUGHTFUL CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM HERE.

AND WE LOOKED AT IT MAINLY FROM THE ECONOMIC SIDE.

HOW MUCH ARE WE SPENDING, HOW MUCH ARE TAXPAYERS PAYING ON THESE ISSUES IF WE ALLOWED NON-VIOLENT OFFENDERS TO SHORTEN THEIR DETENTION TIME, BUT THE SAVINGS TO THE STATE WILL BE HUGE, AND WE CALCULATED THE TOTAL OPPORTUNITY OF THE ORIGINAL PROPOSAL WAS GOING TO BE $1.5 BILLION IN GENERAL REVENUE OVER THE NEXT DECADE.

>> YEAH, RIGHT NOW, WHAT IS IT LIKE 85% OF SENTENCES HAVE TO BEEN SERVED BEFORE RELEASE WILL BE CONSIDERED.

>> YEAH, AND IT IS ONE OF THE HIGHEST PERCENTAGES IN THE COUNTRY.

AND WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT COST, IT'S NOT JUST SOMEBODY GOING TO PRISON, IT'S THE DURATION THEY ARE IN PRISON.

AND IN A NON-VIOLENT OFFENDER COULD PARTICIPATE IN TRAINING PROGRAMS, AND I WOULD LIKE TO SEE SOME OF THE MONEY BE USED FOR ENHANCED WORKFORCE TRAINING PROGRAMS AFTER THE FACT.

AND THAT REALLY HELPS THE INDIVIDUALS OUT, AND WE'RE HELPING TAXPAYERS TOO.

>> DID YOU LOOK AT RECIDIVISM RATES?

>> YEAH, IN GENERAL WHEN YOU HAVE MORE THOUGHTFUL PAROLE OPTIONS, YOU END UP WITH LESS RECIDIVISM, FEWER PEOPLE GOING BACK INTO PRISON.

YOU END UP PEOPLE OUT HELPING THEIR FAMILIES AGAIN.

POVERTY IS A MAJOR ISSUE.

THIS TOUCHES EVERYTHING, WHICH IS WHY WE REALLY GOT INTO THIS PARTICULAR PUBLIC POLICY CAUSE, BECAUSE IT HAD GREAT ECONOMIC NUMBERS, BUT IT LOOKS LIKE IT WILL DO A LOT OF GOOD STUFF TOO.

>> YOU MENTIONED THE ECONOMIC NUMBERS.

TAX REVENUE GOING UP WHATEVER THE CASE MAY BE.

TAX REVENUE GOING UP.

ECONOMIC IMPACT, ALL OF THESE THINGS ARE INTERESTING AND INTRIGUING, BUT HOW DID YOU GET TO THESE NUMBERS?

>> WHEN YOU FIGURE OUT HOW MUCH A PRISONER COSTS PER YEAR, IT IS IN THE UPPER 20 THOUSANDS.

AND THEN ECONOMIES DEAL WITH MARGINAL COSTS, WHICH ARE LIKE THE DAY-TO-DAY COSTS.

YOU STILL HAVE THE CAPITAL, THE BUILDINGS, BUT YOU ARE NOT PAYING FOR THAT MEAL.

AND THEN OVER A TEN-YEAR PERIOD, IT SLOWLY GOES TOWARDS AVERAGE COST, WHICH MEANS YOU ARE GOING TO REALIZE A BIGGER CHUNK OF THE SAVINGS ON THE TAIL END, BUT IT IS STILL SIGNIFICANT EARLY ON.

AND THEN THIS CURVE WILL TOP OUT.

SO WE WERE THOUGHTFUL WITH THE NUMBERS AND THE MATH RELATED TO THE BUDGET.

WE VERIFIED EVERYTHING WITH HOW OTHER STATES HAVE IMPLEMENTED SOME OF THESE THINGS, AND THE NUMBERS NUMBERS SOLID.

>> IS THE LEGISLATURE CONSIDERING IT NOW?

>> THERE IS A BILL OUT NOW THAT IS A WEAKER VERSION, BUT I THINK IT IDENTIFIES THAT THERE IS SOME INTEREST IN HAVING REFORM IN THIS AREA.

IT IS GOING TO PROVIDE GOOD FISCAL SAVINGS.

OUR ANALYSIS IDENTIFIED PRETTY MUCH THE THRESHOLD, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS THE GOAL LINE?

AND EVEN IF WE TAKE BABY STEPS, AND IMPLEMENT SOMETHING THIS YEAR, AND THEN DO SOMETHING THE NEXT YEAR AND THEN THE FOLLOWING, AS LONG AS WE'RE MAKING PROGRESS, IT IS A WIN-WIN FOR EVERYBODY.

>> AND DOES THE PUBLIC WANT SOMETHING LIKE THIS?

>> I THINK IT HAS DIFFERENT THINGS FOR DIFFERENT INDIVIDUALS, AND SO SOME PEOPLE LIKE TO HAVE THE FISCAL SAVINGS.

SOME PEOPLE LIKE TO GIVE PEOPLE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR A SECOND CHANCE, YOU KNOW, THUS THE NAME, BUT IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT YOU -- WHAT COMPONENT YOU LIKE ABOUT IT, THERE IS SOMETHING FOR THE CONSERVATIVES AND THE LIBERALS WITH CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM, AND I'M REALLY HOPING TO IMPLEMENT IT.

BECAUSE CAN YOU IMAGINE IF WE HAVE $1.5 BILLION TO INVEST ON SOME OF THE THINGS WE HAVE TALKED ABOUT ON PREVIOUS SHOWS.

>> YEAH, JIM ROUNDS, GOOD TO THANK YOU, MAN.

APPRECIATE IT.

>> THANK YOU.

>>> 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 OUR OF LOCAL NEWS, ON CRONKITE NEWS A DEEPER LOOK ON THE GAMESTOP PHENOMENON.

AND ON AND ON BREAK IT DOWN: THE PRESSURE OF BEING THE FIRST.

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BECAUSE THIS TYPE OF PROGRAM IS SO IMPORTANT TO OUR COMMUNITY, BECAUSE IT IS ARIZONA'S ONLY PROGRAM DEVOTED TO ARIZONA ISSUES, SUCH AS THE ARIZONA LEGISLATURE, AND NATIONAL ISSUES THAT AFFECT ALL ARIZONANS.

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>>> HELLO, I STRONGLY BELIEVE THAT THE QUALITY OF OUR DEMOCRACY DEPENDING UPON THE QUALITY OF OUR JOURNALISM.

THAT'S WHY PUBLIC BROADCASTING HAS PLAYED SUCH AN IMPORTANT PART IN DEMOCRACY OVER THESE LAST 50-PLUS YEARS OF ITS EXISTENCE.

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>>> IT REALLY IS SO CRITICAL TO MAKE SURE THERE CONTINUES TO BE A PLACE WHERE QUALITY JOURNALISM HAS A HOME, AND THAT PLACE IS HERE, RIGHT HERE ON ARIZONA PBS.

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>>> I'M PRESIDENT AND CEO OF PBS.

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