[♪ THEME MUSIC ♪] >>> COMING UP IN THE NEXT HOUR OF LOCAL US IN ON ARIZONA PBS, ON ON CRONKITE NEWS, THE LATEST ON THE SURGE OF UNACCOMPANIED MIGRANT CHILDREN AT THE BORDER AND HOW IT AFFECTS THE IMMIGRATION DEBATE, AND ON BREAK IT DOWN, A CONVERSATION ABOUT DIVERSITY IN MOVIE AND TELEVISION CHARACTERS.

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

>>> GOOD EVENING, AND WELCOME TO "ARIZONA HORIZON," I'M TED SIMONS.

GOVERNOR DUCEY TODAY ANNOUNCES ALL ARIZONANS AGE 16 AND OLDER WILL BE ABLE TO REGISTER FOR A VACCINE STARTING TOMORROW AT 8:00.

ARIZONA IS CLOSING IN ON 2000 VACCINES ADMINISTERED SO FAR.

>>> THE EXPANDED ELIGIBILITY IS COMING AFTER THE CDC IS WARNING THAT VARIANTS COULD SPARK ANOTHER POSSIBLE SURGE, AND NOW IS NOT THE TIME TO BACK OFF ON MITIGATION EFFORTS.

>> WE AS A COUNTRY MUST DECIDE WHICH PATH WE ARE GOING TO TAKE.

I'M WORRIED IF WE DON'T TAKE THE RIGHT ACTIONS NOW, WE HAVE ANOTHER AVOIDABLE SURGE JUST AS WE ARE SEEING IN EUROPE RIGHT NOW.

>> THE KRNGD DIRECTOR ADDS THAT TWO NEW VARIANTS ACCOUNT FOR 52% OF THE CASES IN CALIFORNIA, AND 29% HERE IN ARIZONA.

THIS AS THE NUMBER OF OVERALL CASES IN ARIZONA INCREASED BY 484 TODAY.

ONLY THREE OTHER STATES HAVE LOWER CASE RATES.

THE DEATH RATE, THOUGH, STILL 11TH HIGHEST, DESPITE NO NEW FATALITIES ON RECORD TODAY.

>>> ANOTHER BATCH OF STIMULUS CHECKS WILL BE ISSUED THIS WEEK.

THEY MIGHT APPEAR IN BANK ACCOUNTS MARKED AS PENDING ON PROVISIONAL.

>>> NEW PHOTOS RELEASED TODAY SHOW OVERCROWDED CONDITIONS AT A CUSTOMS AND BORDER FACILITY TODAY.

>> CHILDREN PRESENTING AT OUR BORDER WHO ARE FLEEING VIOLENCE, OR PROSECUTION, FLEEING TERRIBLE SITUATIONS IS NOT A CRISIS.

WE FEEL THAT IT IS OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO HUMANELY APPROACH THIS CIRCUMSTANCE AND MAKE SURE THEY ARE TREATED AND PUT INTO CONDITIONS THAT ARE SAFE.

I WILL SAY THAT -- YOU KNOW, THESE PHOTOS SHOW WHAT WE HAVE LONG BEEN SAYING WHICH IS THAT THESE FACILITIES ARE NOT PLACES MADE FOR CHILDREN.

THEY ARE NOT PLACES THAT WE WANT CHILDREN TO BE STAYING FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME.

OUR ALTERNATIVE IS TO SEND CHILDREN BACK ON THIS TREACHEROUS JOURNEY.

>>> LAST WEEK'S ATTACKS AT ATLANTA AREA SPAS PUT A FOCUS ON THE INCREASING VIOLENT ATTACKS ON ASIAN AMERICANS.

WE SPOKE WITH DR. KAREN KUO FROM ASU'S ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICAN STUDIES DEPARTMENT TO GET AN HISTORICAL CONTEXT ON THESE HATE CRIMES.

THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.

WHAT IS HAPPENING?

>> ONE IT IS ON ASIAN AMERICAN WOMEN'S, AND WE'RE SEEING AN INCREASE ON ASSAULTS SINCE COVID IN MARCH OF LAST YEAR, AND SOME OF US THIS DID NOT GET BETTER BECAUSE OF OUR FORMER PRESIDENT REFERRING TO THIS AS THE ASIAN VIRUS, AND THAT FUELS A LONG-STANDING HISTORICAL RACIAL ANIMOSITY TOWARDS ASIAN AMERICANS.

>> WHO IS CARRYING OUT THESE RACIALLY-MOTIVATED ATTACKS?

>> WELL, IT LOOKS LIKE NOT ALL OF THEM ARE WHITE.

I WAS READING ABOUT THE INCIDENT OF THE OLDER CHINESE WOMAN IN NEW YORK WHO WAS SET ON FIRE BY TWO 13-YEAR-OLD BOYS, BUT I THINK WE HAVE TO UNDERSTAND THAT ANTI-ASIAN RACISM IS NOT JUST SOMETHING THAT CERTAIN ETHNIC GROUPS CARRY OUT, BUT IT'S PART OF THE RACISM OF OUR ENTIRE COUNTRY, AND IN PARTICULAR, WE SEE THE KINDS OF HATE CRIMES BEING CARRIED OUT, WOMEN AND ELDERLY ARE DISPROPORTIONATELY THE ONES THAT ARE VICTIMS.

THERE ARE ALSO THE MOST VULNERABLE PEOPLE WITHIN THE ASIAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY, SO I THINK THAT COMBINATION, THAT WE HAVE ALL GROWN UP WITH, YOU KNOW, FOR GENERATIONS IN THIS COUNTRY, THAT EVERYONE CAN PRACTICE ANTI-ASIAN RACISM.

>> THE OLDER FOLKS WILL BEING THE MOST VULNERABLE, WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?

>> IT SEEMS LIKE THERE ARE A DISPROPORTIONATE SOMEBODY OF ELDERLY THAT ARE BEING ATTACKED, BUT I WOULDN'T SAY IT IS ANYTHING NEW, LIKE I WAS SAYING.

AND I WAS JUST READING ABOUT SOMEBODY ELSE SAYING THAT HIS MOTH -- MOTHER BEING ASSAULTED, SO I THINK PROBABLY SEEING THEM AS BEING VULNERABLE, AND SOME OF THEM DON'T SPEAK ENGLISH VERY WELL.

THE WOMAN IN NEW YORK DIDN'T SPEAK ANY ENGLISH, SO SEEING THEM AS NOT BEING ABLE TO NAVIGATE THE U.S.

VERY EFFECTIVELY PROBABLY MAKES THEM MORE VULNERABLE.

>> YOU INCLUDED THE CHINESE EXCLUSIONARIANT, HOW IMPORTANT THOSE HAVE BEEN AS FAR AS THE SYSTEM OTHERNESS.

SO MANY PEOPLE COME TO AMERICA, AND SO MANY PEOPLE HAVE BEEN OTHERS, AND ARE STILL CONSIDERED OTHERS IN CERTAIN RESPECTS.

ARE THERE DIFFERENT SHADES HERE?

>> YEAH, I THINK FOR ASIAN AMERICANS THERE IS A LOT OF DISABILITY IN THEIR CUSTOMS.

AND WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ACTUAL LEGAL RACISM.

SO THE LAW WAS THE FIRST RACE-BASED DISCRIMINATION LAW, AND FROM THERE ON THERE WERE OTHER EXCLUSIONS THAT WERE PASSED, THE 1932 ACT THAT PREVENTED PEOPLE FROM COMING ON, AND THEN ANTI-NATIONALIZATION ACTS WHICH SAID YOU COULD NOT BECOME A NATURALIZED U.S. CITIZEN.

SO ALL OF THESE LAWS CAUSED THESE PROBLEMS.

>> WITH THAT IN MIND, WHAT DO YOU TELL FOLKS, THE BEST WAY TO APPROACH THIS, BECAUSE I THINK THIS HAS BEEN DOWN PLAYED AND WASN'T TAKEN AS SERIOUSLY AS THESE ACTS AGAINST OTHERS.

HOW DO WE FIX THIS?

>> WELL, ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS TO PROBABLY EDUCATE YOURSELF.

LAST YEAR PBS RELEASED A FIVE-PART SERIES INTERVIEWING PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY AND ACADEMICS, SO THAT IS THE FIRST STEP.

AND IF YOU ARE A STUDENT AND YOU CAN TAKE AN ETHNIC'S STUDIES CLASS, SO THAT IS THE FIRST STEP.

AND NOW WHEN WE HAVE THESE MEDIA FLAIRUPS, THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO READ ABOUT THE HISTORY OF IT.

WE WROTE AN ARTICLE OURSELVES ABOUT THE HISTORY OF ANTI-ASIAN RACISM IN WOMEN, FOR EXAMPLE, SO I THINK THAT'S THE FIRST STEP, AND YOU CAN GET INVOLVED IN LOCAL COMMUNITY GROUPS.

THERE IS PLENTY OF THEM IN ARIZONA.

THERE IS THE JAPANESE AMERICAN CITIZENS LEAGUE, ARIZONA CHAPTER, THOSE CAN ALL HELP.

>> ALL RIGHT.

DR. KAREN KUO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.

>> THANK YOU SO MUCH.

IT WAS A PLEASURE.

>>> ACCORDING TO NEW SURVEYS 25% OF AMERICANS HAVE WITNESSED ASIANS BE HARASSED OVER COVID-19.

>>> UP NEXT ON HORIZONTAL, A NEW STUDY TAKES A LOOK ON COLORADO RIVER WATER SUPPLIES.

>>> A RECENT STUDY SUGGESTS THAT ARIZONA COULD FACE DEEPER CUTS ON COLORADO RIVER RIGHTS.

WE LEARN MORE FROM SARAH PORTER, THE DIRECTOR OF THE KYL CENTER FOR WATER POLICY AT ASU'S MORRISON INSTITUTE.

SARAH, GOOD TO SEE YOU AGAIN, THANKS SO MUCH FOR JOINING US.

THE FUTURE OF THE COLORADO RIVER PROJECT OUT OF UTAH STATE.

IT SEEMS TO SUGGEST THAT DEEPER CUTS ARE AHEAD.

TALK TO US ABOUT THIS.

>> WELL, IT'S A REALLY IMPORTANT STUDY, AND IT MAKES A BIG CONTRIBUTION TO THE DISCUSSION ABOUT THE MANAGEMENT OF THE WATER SUPPLIES OF THE COLORADO RIVER.

IT LOOKS AT A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT SCENARIOS, THINKING ABOUT THE WATER SUPPLIES FOR THE UPPER BASIN, AND WHAT THE AUTHORS, WHO ARE EXPERTS IN THIS AREA, AND FROM MULTI-DISCIPLINES WANT TO CONVEY IS THAT THE CURRENT MODELING THAT IS BEING DONE IN THE OFFICIAL WAY, DON'T TAKE INTO ACCOUNT SUFFICIENT LIKELY, BUT MORE EXTREME SCENARIOS, SO WE HAVE TO TAKE A HARDER LOOK AT SOME OF THE MORE DIRE SCENARIOS IN THINKING ABOUT FUTURE NEEDS, AND THEY ARE MAKING THE ARGUMENT THAT WE ARE STILL IN A CONVERSATION OF PUTTING MORE USERS ON TO THE COLORADO RIVER, SO THE BIG UP-SHOT IS THEIR CONCLUSION IS THE WAY WE HAVE BEEN NAVIGATING THE SUPPLY, THEY ARE SAYING THAT IS GOING TO DO IT NOW.

WE HAVE TO DO SOMETHING BIGGER AND MORE DRAMATIC.

>> ONE THING I SAW WAS THE CUTS ARE NOT ENOUGH TO SUSTAIN LAKE POWELL AND MEAD.

DO YOU AGREE?

>> THE WATER MANAGERS WHO AGREED TO THE DROUGHT CONTINGENCY PLAN UNDERSTAND THAT THEY WERE GOING TO TURN AROUND AND START NEGOTIATING NEW WAYS OF MANAGING THE RIVER, AND THIS IS A PROCESS CALLED THE RECONSULTATION PROCESS, AND THERE IS A LOT OF WORK GOING INTO IT WITH THE IDEA THAT THE DEADLINE IS 2026, WHICH IS TOMORROW IN WATER MANAGEMENT.

>> YEAH.

AND I READ AS WELL, THAT THIS STUDY IS USING A MODELING SYSTEM THAT IS USED BY THE BUREAU OF RECLAMATION, AND IT SUGGESTS THAT YOU HAVE GOT TO LOOK AT WORSE CASE SCENARIOS.

>> YEAH.

FOR EXAMPLE, MORE DRAMATIC IMPACTS OF DROUGHT.

THAT I THINK IS THE MOST SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTION OF THE STUDY, IS TAKING THE DATA, AND DOING DIFFERENT KINDS OF MODELING.

I COULD MAKE THE CASE THAT IT IS JUST AS IMPORTANT TO DO THAT IN ARIZONA AND THE LOWER BASIN.

THERE ARE CONSTRAINTS ON THE KIND OF MODELING THAT IS DONE AT THAT LEVEL.

THERE ARE CERTAIN POLITICAL CONSIDERATIONS THAT GO INTO HOW THE MODELING OCCURS, SO IT IS VERY DIFFICULT FOR THE PARTIES IN THOSE NEGOTIATIONS TO MODEL CERTAIN KINDS OF THINGS THAT COULD HAPPEN ON THE RIVER THAT COULD BE -- FOR EXAMPLE, REALLY DEVASTATING TO SOME OTHER USERS ON THE RIVER.

>> SO WHEN THE STUDY SUGGESTS CAPPING USE AND ADDING CUTS TO LOWER-BASIN STATES, ARIZONA, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN TO ARIZONA?

>> ARIZONA HAS ALREADY AGREED TO AMBITIOUS CUTS.

THERE MAY BE CONVERSATION ABOUT ADDITIONAL CUTS.

CERTAINLY IN THE UPPER BASIN IT MEANS SOMETHING THAT ARIZONA HAS BEEN LOOKING AT FOR A LONG TIME, THAT IS SOMETHING THAT ARIZONA HAS REALLY COME TO TERMS WITH MUCH MORE THAN SOME OTHER PARTS OF THE COLORADO RIVER WATERSHED.

>> AS FAR AS THE TIER LEVEL, REGARDING ALLOTMENTS AND THIS AVAILABILITY, ARE WE HEADED FOR TIER 1, TIER 2, EVEN MORE?

>> YEAH, WE HAVE THIS AGREEMENT THAT MANY LAKE MEAD DECLINES TO CERTAIN SPECIFIC LAKE ELEVATIONS, ARIZONA AND THE OTHER PARTIES WILL TAKE SPECIFIED CUTS.

AND IT IS CENTRAL ARIZONA TAKING THE LION'S SHARE OF THE CUTS.

1.6 ACRE FEET IS ABLE TO GO TO CENTRAL ARIZONA.

WE'RE CURRENTLY IN A TIER 0 SHORTAGE.

IF THE LEVEL OF LAKE MEAD GOES TO 10.75, WE'LL ENTER A TIER 1 LEVEL, AND GIVE US CLOSE TO A THIRD OF THE ALLOCATION.

RIGHT NOW IT LOOKS LIKE WE'RE ENTER A TIER 1 SHORTAGE.

WE'LL KNOW IN AUGUST OF WHAT THE CUT IS.

THERE HAS BEEN A HUGE AMOUNT OF PLANNING FOR THAT, MOST OF THAT WILL FALL TO PINAL COUNTY AGRICULTURE, AND THERE IS A STRATEGY FOR MITIGATING THE IMPACTS TO THE WATER USERS THAT WILL FEEL THEM.

>> ALL RIGHT.

WE'LL KEEP AN EYE ON THIS -- WHEN IT NEVER SEEMS TO RAIN IN ARIZONA, THERE IS CERTAINLY A SOURCE OF CONCERN.

SARAH, ALWAYS A PLEASURE.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

>> THANKS.

GOOD TO SEE YOU.

>>> IT HAS BEEN A ROUGH YEAR FOR THOSE WHO ENJOY AND IN SOME CASES DEPEND ON LIBRARIES, AND IT HASN'T BEEN EASY FOR LOCAL LIBRARIES TO ADJUST AND RESPOND TO CONCERNS.

WE SPOKE TO SCOTTSDALE LIBRARY DIRECTOR KIRA PETERS ABOUT HER CONCERNS.

KIRA, GOOD TO SEE YOU.

TALK TO US ABOUT THE PAST 12 MONTHS, WHAT HAVE THEY BEEN LIKE FOR LIBRARIES?

>> WELL, THE PAST 12 MONTHS HAVE BEEN TA -- TUMULTUOUS TO SAY THE LEAST, BUT WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO TURN ON A DIME TO RESPOND.

>> SCOTTSDALE PUBLIC LIBRARIES ARE THEY OPEN NOW?

>> THEY ARE OPEN, AND HAVE BEEN OPEN FOR A LONG TIME WITH SAFETY PROTOCOLS IN PLACE.

WE HAVE MODIFIED THE WAY WE HAVE DONE THINGS, BUT OUR BUILDINGS -- WE HAVE TWO BRANCHES THAT ARE OPEN, WHERE PEOPLE CAN COME IN, BROWSE, CHECK OUT BOOKS, USE THE FACILITIES AND USE THE WIFI.

OUTSIDE OF THE PANDEMIC ITSELF THERE HAVE BEEN ALSO ECONOMIC IMPACTS, AND PART OF THOSE RESULTED IN US HAVING TWO LIBRARY BRANCHES, WE HAVE FOUR HERE IN SCOTTSDALE SPECIFICALLY, AND TWO ARE CLOSED WITH DRIVE-THROUGH SERVICE ONLY.

THE TWO THAT ARE CLOSED DO HAVE DRIVE-THROUGH SERVICES, AND I HAVE EXCITING NEWS ABOUT AN INVATTIVE TECHNOLOGY.

OUR FURTHER NORTH LIBRARY IS NORTH OF THE 101 ON SCOTTSDALE ROAD.

WE HAVE NOW LAUNCHED A NEW AND EXCITING TECHNOLOGY, AND DESPITE THE FACT THAT WE DON'T HAVE LIBRARY EMPLOYEES ON THE FLOOR, A PERSON CAN USE THEIR LIBRARY CAR, USE IT TO OPEN, YOU CAN USE THE COMPUTER, CHECKBOOKS OUT, YOU CAN USE THAT LIBRARY ALL IN A DAY, BUT THERE IS NO LIBRARY STAFF ON THE FLOOR.

>> SO IF YOU NEEDED TO USE WI-FI, YOU CAN DO THAT AT A BRANCH THAT IS -- SO IT'S KIND OF OPEN, KIND OF CLOSED?

>> RIGHT.

USUALLY YOU WANT LIBRARIANS ON THE FLOOR.

USUALLY THERE IS PROGRAMMING HAPPENS, STORY TIME, BOOK CLUBS, AND THIS WAS SCOTTSDALE'S DAY OF SAYING, WE WANT THE PUBLIC TO BE ABLE TO ACCESS AND USE THE LIBRARY, SO WE HAD TO SPEND A LOT OF TIME, AND IN ORDER TO EDUCATE THE COMMUNITY ON HOW TO COME IN AND USE THE LIBRARY, AND USE THE COMPUTERS, THEY ARE HAVING TO DO THAT ON THEIR OWN, BUT WE HAVE 326 PEOPLE THAT HAVE ALREADY REGISTERED, AND THEY ARE USING THE LIBRARY.

>> SO COUPLE OF BRANCHES OPEN, COUPLE OF BRANCHES CLOSED, HOW DO YOU DETERMINE WHICH BRANCHES ARE GOOD FOR IN-PERSON SERVICE WITH THE STAFF, AND THOSE THAT DON'T?

>> RIGHT.

HERE FOR EXAMPLE, I'M SITTING HERE IN MY OFFICE, AND THIS IS A LARGE BUILDING, SO WE CAN ACCOMMODATE AND MAKE SURE WE CAN SOCIALLY DISTANCE.

WITH THIS PONY EXPRESS, WE WANTED TO BE CAREFUL, BECAUSE SECURITY WAS A CONCERN FOR MANY, LIKE, WOE, WHAT IF SOMETHING HAPPENS?

SO WE HAD TO BE THOUGHTFUL ABOUT HOW PEOPLE WERE USING THE LIBRARY AND IS IT IS APPROACH TO HIGHLIGHT THIS NEW INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGY, AND WE FEEL LIKE, YES, IT IS.

SO IT IS A VERY GENTLY, USED TECHNOLOGY, IF I CAN USE THAT TERM, SO WE THOUGHT WE WOULD CHECK IT OUT AND SEE HOW IT GOES.

>> FUNDING FOR LIBRARIES, WE HEAR ABOUT THE LATEST STIMULUS PLAN, WHAT ARE YOU EXPECTING, AND WHAT DO YOU SEE TO FAR?

>> THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION, AND I THINK IT'S DIFFERENT FOR ALL MUNICIPALITIES, AND I'M HOPING AS THE ECONOMY CONTINUES TO STABILIZE, THAT OUR FUNDING WILL CONTINUE TO BE STRONG.

>> ALL RIGHT.

KIRA PETERS, BEST OF LUCK, LET'S GET THOSE PLACES BACK OPEN JUST AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

NICE TO TALK TO YOU.

>>> AND THAT IS IT FOR NOW.

I'M TED SIMONS.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US.

YOU HAVE A GREAT EVENING.

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