>> COMING UP ON ARIZONA HORIZON, AN UPDATE ON COVID AS THE BA2 OMICRON VARIENT IS RACING ACROSS ARIZONA AND CHINA AND DEALING WITH HIGHER GAS PRICES AND SPORT'S BETTING IS LEGAL IN ARIZONA, BUT IT IS ACTUALLY PAYING OFF?

THAT'S AHEAD ON ARIZONA PBS.

>> THIS HOUR OF LOCAL NEWS IS MADE POSSIBLE BY CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THE FRIENDS OF PBS, MEMBERS YOUR PBS STATION.

THANK YOU.

>> WELCOME TO ARIZONA HORIZON.

A DAY AFTER MARICOPA COUNTY ALLISTER ADELE ANNOUNCED HER RESIGNATION, CANDIDATE TO SUCCEED ADEL IN A SPECIAL ELECTION AND THEY'RE ANNOUNCING THEIR CAMPAIGNS.

DECOCRAT JULIE GUNNIGLE, WHO NARROWLY LOST TO ADEL IN 2020 HAS STARTED GATHERING PETITIONS AND SO HAS REPUBLICAN ANNI FOSTER, WHO IS GENERAL COUNSEL TO GOVERNOR DUCEY.

THE PETITION-GATHERING PROCESS WILL BE TIGHT.

BOTH THE REPUBICAN AND DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATES WILL NEED FOUR THOUSAND VALID SIGNATURES, WHICH MEANS TO BE SAFE, UP TO TWICE AS MANY SIGNATURES WILL BE LIKELY NEEDED.

TODAY'S SUPREME COURT HEARINGS FOR JUDGE KENTANJI BROWN JACKSON INCLUDED SENATORS ON THE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE QUESTIONING JACKSON ON A VARIETY OF ISSUES, STARTING WITH HER JUDICIAL PHILOSOPHY.

>> I BELIEVE THAT JUDGES ARE NOT POLICY MAKERS, THAT WE HAVE A CONSTITUTIONAL DUTY TO DECIDE ONLY CASES AND CONTROVERSIES THAT ARE PRESENTED BEFORE US AND WITHIN THAT FRAMEWORK, JUDGES EXERCISE THEIR AUTHORITY TO INTERRUPT THE LAW AND NOT MAKE THE LAW.

>> SO YOU WOULD AGREE WITH ME THAT JUDGES SHOULD NOT BE POLITICIANS?

>> YES.

>> JACKSON WAS ALSO ASKED ABOUT REPUBLICAN ACCUSATIONS THAT SHE'S BEEN LENIENT IN SENTENCING DEFENDANTS IN CHILD ABUSE AND PORNOGRAPHY CASES.

>> AS A MOTHER AND A JUDGE WHO HAS HAD TO DEAL WITH THESE CASES, I WAS THINKING THAT NOTHING COULD BE FURTHER FROM THE TRUTH.

THESE ARE SOME OF THE MOST DIFFICULT CASES THAT A JUDGE HAS TO DEAL WITH BECAUSE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT PICTURES OF SEX ABUSE OF CHILDREN AND IN EVERY CASE WHEN I'M DEALING WITH SOMETHING LIKE THIS, IT IS IMPORTANT TO ME TO MAKE SURE THAT THE CHILDREN'S PERSPECTIVE, THE CHILDREN'S VOICES ARE REPRESENTATIVES IN MY SENTENCES.

>> ONE OF THOSE CONTENTIOUS MOMENTS OF THE HEARING CAME WHEN JACKSON WAS ASKED ABOUT GITMO DETAINEES HER ANSWER DID NOT SIT WELL WITH ONE REPUBLICAN SENATOR.

>> AFTER 9/11, THERE WERE ALSO LAWYERS WHO RECOGNISED THAT OUR NATION'S VALUES WERE UNDER ATTACK AND THAT WE COULDN'T LET THE TERRORISTS WIN BY CHANGING WHO WE WERE FUNDAMENTALLY AND WHAT THAT MEANT WAS THAT THE PEOPLE WHO WERE PEOPLE ACCUSED BY OUR GOVERNMENT BY HAVING ENGAGED IN ACTIONS RELATED TO THIS UNDER OUR CONSTITUTIONAL SCHEME WERE ENTITLED TO REPRESENTATION.

THEY WERE ENTITLED TO BE TREATED FAIRLY AND THAT'S WHAT MAKES OUR SYSTEM THE BEST IN THE WORLD.

>> I'M SUGGESTING THEY FAILED MISERABLY AND ADVOCATES LIKE SHE WAS ADVOCATING WOULD DESTROY OUR ABILITY TO PROTECT THIS COUNTRY.

WE'RE AT WAR AND NOT FIGHTING A CRIME AND THIS IS NOT SOME PASSAGE OF TIME EVENT.

AS LONG THEY'RE DANGEROUS, I HOPE THEY ALL DIE IN JAIL IF THEY GO BACK TO KILL AMERICANS.

IT WON'T BOTHER ME A BIT IF 39 DIE.

KEEP THEM IN JAIL BECAUSE THEY'RE GOING TO GO BACK TO THE FIGHT.

LOOK AT THE FRIGGIN AFGHAN GOVERNMENT, MADE UP FORMER DETAINEES OF GITMO.

THIS WHOLE THING ABOUT THE LEFT ABOUT THE WAR.

AIN'T WORKIN'.

>> THE "NEW YORK TIMES" REPORTING THAT RUSSIA'S COMBAT POWER IN UKRAINE IS 90% OF WAIT WAS WHEN THE ASSAULT ON UKRAINE BEGAN AND SAIDING AN ESTIMATE REFLECTS LOSSES THAT RUSSIAN TROOPS OFFERED AND ADDS THAT RUSSIA IS STRUGGLING ON MANY FRONTS INCLUDING ROUTINE SUPPLY LINES AND LOGISTICS WITH SOLDIERS EVACUATED DUE TO FROSTBITE AND RUSSIA'S ASSAULT ON UKRAINE CONTINUES WITH OVER 3.5 MILLION REFUGEES NOW HAVING FLED UKRAINE TO NEIGHBORING COUNTRIES AND THE U.N. HAS RAMPED IT UP AS TEMPERATURES IN THE REGION PLUMMET.

AND THE NEW OMICRON VARIENT IS CAUSING PROBLEMS IN EUROPE AND CHINA.

ENOUGH SO, THERE CONCERNS OF AN SURGE IN THE U.S. WE GOT AN UPDATE WITH FORMER STATE HEALTH DIRECTOR WILL HUMBLE NOW LEADING THE ARIZONA HEALTH ASSOCIATION.

WILL, GOOD TO SEE YOU IN PERSON AND YOUR PERIODIC TABLE TIE, AS WELL, AND GOOD TO SEE THAT, AS WELL.

AND IS THE PANDEMIC OVER?

>> WELL, WE'RE IN THE TRANSITION BETWEEN -- I THINK WE'RE IN THE ENDEMIC PHASE, QUITE HONESTLY, STILL DECLARATIONS OF EMERGENCY OUT THERE AT THE FEDERAL AND STATE LEVEL, BUT FOR ALL PRACTICAL PURPOSES, WE'VE TRANSITIONED FROM THE PANDEMIC PHASE TO THE ENDEMIC PHASE AND THIS IS WHERE THE VIRUS KEEPS BUBBLING ALONG AND THERE'S SO MANY REINFECTIONS WITH THIS VIRUS.

WHETHER YOU'VE BEEN VACCINATED OR PREVIOUSLY INFECTED, TOO MANY REINFECTIONS FOR US TO GET TO HERD IMMUNITY.

IT WILL BUBBLE ALONG AND NO LONGER BE A CRUNCH IN THE HOSPITAL SYSTEM AND I DON'T THINK WE'LL EVER SEE, YOU KNOW, A FLOOD OF PERSONS INTO EMERGENCY DEPARTMENTS AND OR ICU'S AND THAT KIND OF THING.

BUT IT WON'T JUST FLAT GO AWAY EITHER.

>> EVER?

>> YEAH, PROBABLY EVER.

>> SOMETHING THAT HAS TO BE MANAGED AS OPPOSED TO GOING AWAY.

>> WHAT'S HAPPENING OVER IN EUROPE, IN CHINA, IN HONG KONG?

IT SOUNDS LIKE IT'S RAGING OVER THERE.

>> ESPECIALLY IN HONG KONG.

WILL IT HAPPEN HERE?

AND IT'S A VERY UNIQUE CIRCUMSTANCE THERE.

THEY HAD A REALLY TIGHT CONTAINMENT STRATEGY FROM THE VERY BEGINNING WITH TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS, WITH CONTACT TRACING AND THEY HAD A ZERO COVID STRATEGY, BUT THEY DIDN'T HAVE AN AGGRESSIVE VACCINATION STRATEGY AND SO FEW CASES OVER THE FIRST TWO YEARS, OLDER PERSONS BECAME COMFORTABLE THAT IT'S SAFE NOT TO BE VACCINATED AND GOT AWAY WITH IT UNTIL OMICRON CAME ALONG.

AND NOW, YOU HAVE A BIG COHORT OF HIGHLY SUSCEPTIBLE OLDER PERSONS THAT ARE GETTING THIS OMICRON VARIENT AND FLOODING HOSPITALS IN HONG KONG AND WE'RE IN A DIFFERENT SITUATION IN BOTH WESTERN EUROPE AND HERE BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, VACCINATION WAS A CORE STRATEGY AND WE NEVER HAD CONTAINMENT, AS YOU KNOW, ESPECIALLY IN ARIZONA.

WE NEVER HAD AGGRESSIVE CONTAINMENT AND THAT MEANS A LOT OF PEOPLE GOT INFECTED AND HAVE IMMUNITY THAT WAY.

>> THE NATURAL IMMUNITY, OK. DID YOU TALK ABOUT THE VARIENT AS BA2 AND IS THIS AS CONTAGIOUS AND AS SERIOUS AS OMICRON?

>> IT'S IN THAT FAMILY AND IT'S A LITTLE BIT MORE CONTAGIOUS THAT'S THE ORIGINAL VERSION OF OMICRON AND SLOWLY OVERTAKING AND DISPLACING THE BA1 VARIENT.

REMEMBER, OMICRON DOES PLACED DELTA IN, LIKE, TWO WEEKS AND THAT WAS HUGE AND THIS IS A MINOR DIFFERENCE.

THIS IS A LITTLE BIT MORE TRANSMISSIBLE AND NO EVIDENCE THAT IT'S ANYMORE LETHAL OR CAUSES MORE SERIOUS SYMPTOMS.

BUT THE THING IS, WE CAN TELL THE DIFFERENCE BECAUSE OF THE GENETIC SEQUENCING AND THAT DOESN'T MEAN IT'S A DIFFERENCE.

>> AND IT'S IN ARIZONA?

>> YES.

>> AND IT WILL BE IN ARIZONA -- >> UNTIL THE NEXT ONE.

>> IF WE GO VARIENT, NOT AS LETHAL AND COULD THIS GO AWAY AND NOT GO AWAY?

>> IT'S A CORONAVIRUS -- >> LIKE A COLD OR SOMETHING?

>> LIKE YES.

THERE'S TWO THINGS HAPPENING AT ONCE.

THE VIRUS' NATURAL SELECTION TOWARDS LESS LETHAL AND MORE COMMUNICABLE AND THE STATUS OF THE POPULATION IS GETTING BETTER AND BETTER, WHICH GIVES IT -- WE HAVE MORE RESISTANCE TO IT.

>> LET'S TALK ABOUT VACCINES AND BOOSTERS AND THOSE OF US WITH TWO SHOTS AND BOOSTER, NOW WE'RE HEARING PFIZER SAYING, YOU SHOULD GET A FOURTH OR MODERNA SAYING CERTAIN PEOPLE SHOULD GET IT.

>> DON'T LISTEN TO THE COMPANIES.

SHEER SELLING AND TRYING TO GET THEIR PRODUCT PURCHASED BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.

YOU CAN LISTEN TO LOCAL, STATE AND PUBLIC HEALTH, BUT BE CAREFUL WHEN YOU'RE LISTENING TO COMPANY'S CEO BECAUSE THERE'S A PRODUCT THEY'RE TRYING TO SELL.

>> WHAT SHOULD WE DO?

>> FOCUSED ON ASSISTED LIVING AND GET BOOSTER SHOTS, EITHER THE THIRD IF THERE ARE RESIDENTS OR A FOURTH INSIDE THOSE FACILITIES AND THE STAFF.

THAT'S THE OTHER THING, MAKING SURE THE STAFF IS VACCINATED, BOOSTED IN ASSISTED LIVING AND OTHER CONGREGATE SETTINGS, HOMELESS SHELTERS AND THOSE SORTS OF THINGS AND THOSE CONGREGATE SETTINGS ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT PLACES TO FOCUS.

>> IF YOU'RE OTHERWISE HEALTHY, NOT AT ANY RISK FACTOR, NOT EDERLY, THESE SORTS OF THINGS, HOLD OFF ON THE BOOSTER SHOTS UNTIL THE CDC SAYS A GOOD IDEA?

>> TALK TO YOUR PRIMARY CARE DOCTOR AND SEE WHAT THEY SAY?

I WOULD SAY DEFINITELY GET A THIRD, BUT ON THE FOURTH, TALK TO YOUR DOCTOR ABOUT IT AND, I MEAN, IF YOU LOOK AT RISK BENEFIT, THE RISK IS NEGLIGIBLE ESPECIALLY FROM THE FIRST THREE AND THE QUESTION IS, THE BENEFITS THERE AND THAT'S A DISCUSSION FOR YOUR DOCTOR, BUT IF YOU'VE GOT THREE ON BOARD AND YOU'RE IN GENERALLY GOOD HEALTH, THAT EXTRA DOSE, IT WON'T HURT, BUT IT MAY NOT HELP.

>> OF ALL OF THE TIMES WE'VE HAD YOU ON, THIS IS THE MOST ENCOURAGING WE'VE HAD.

THANK YOU FOR THE INFORMATION.

>> THANK YOU, TED.

>> UP NEXT, THE IMPACT OF HISPANIC BUYING POWER IN ARIZONA.

>> IT'S PRIME TIME ON YOUR TIME.

WATCH PRIME AFTERNOONS EVERY WEEKDAY ON ARIZONA PBS.

DID YOU MISS A SHOW, CATCH UP ON PRIME AFTERNOONS.

YOUR FAVORITE DRAMAS.

>> HISPANIC PURCHASING POWER IN ARIZONA REACHED 63 BILLION DOLLARS IN 2020 WITH THE OVERALL NUMBER IN THE U.S.

REACHES $1.9 TRILLION.

JOSE CARTER LEARNS MORE FROM PEREZ OF THE ARIZONA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

>> A RESEARCH SPECIALIST WITH THE SPANISH CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.

THERE'S SOME INTERESTING STUFF THERE AND GIVE US, FIRST, AN OVERVIEW OF THE DEMOGRAPHICS OF ARIZONA AND THE IMPORTANCE OF THE HISPANIC COMMUNITY.

>> THANK YOU, JOSE.

THIS IS THE MOST COMPREHENSIVE COMPILATION OF RESEARCH IN ARIZONA.

WE FOCUS ON THE ELEMENTS OF A HEALTHY COMMUNITY AND EVERY YEAR, WE DEDICATE THIS TO A DIFFERENT ELEMENT.

SO WE FOCUS ON EDUCATION, ON HEALTHCARE, AND LAST YEAR, IT WAS HOUSING.

AND SOME OF THE DEMOGRAPHICS OF THE HISPANIC MARKET ACROSS THE U.S.

RIGHT NOW, THERE ARE 62 MILLION HISPANICS.

>> WHICH I UNDERSTAND WOULD MAKE HISPANICS, WHAT, THE 25TH LARGEST COUNTRY IN THE WORLD.

>> AND NOT INCLUDING THOSE UNDOCUMENTED OR THOSE FROM PUERTO RICO.

SO WE ARE A VERY LARGE POPULATION.

IN ARIZONA, THE POPULATION HAS REACHED 2.2 MILLION HISPANICS AND WE REPRESENT 30% OF PHOENIX METRO, 40 -- 30% OF THE STATE'S POPULATION AND 40% OF PHOENIX METRO AND 50% OF THE K THROUGH 12 SYSTEM AND I DON'T KNOW IF YOU KNOW THIS, ARIZONA IS ONE OF THE TOP FIVE STATES WITH THE MOST HISPANICS IN THE U.S. >> I DID KNOW THAT BECAUSE WE HAVE OTHER PEOPLE FROM THE CHAMBER ON THE SHOW OVER THE YEARS.

[ LAUGHTER ] >> TELL US ABOUT THIS REPORT FOCUSING ON HOUSING AND WHAT DID IT SAY ABOUT LATINOS AND HOUSING.

>> THIS YEAR, WE FOCUSED ON HOUSING AND ONE OF THE HIGHLIGHTS, THERE ARE 26 AFFORDABLE AND AVAILABLE RENTAL HOMES PER EVERY 100 LOW INCOME RENTERS WHICH IS AN ISSUE BECAUSE WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THERE IS ENOUGH HOUSING FOR EVERYONE, NOT JUST THOSE WHO CAN AFFORD IT.

BUT ON THE OTHER HAND, THE PHOENIX, MESA, SCOTTSDALE AREA HAS THE MOST MORTGAGE READY MILLENNIALS WHICH IS EXCITING BECAUSE THAT MEANS YOUNGER LATINOS, LIKE MYSELF, ARE RECOGNIZING THE IMPORTANCE OF BUILDING WEALTH, WHICH TIES INTO THE INCREASE IN PURCHASING POWER.

>> LET ME ASK YOU THIS, MORTGAGE READY, THE FINANCIAL WHEREWITHALL TO BUY A FIRST HOUSE?

>> YES, BECOMING MORE FINANCIALLY EDUCATED ON, YOU KNOW, PURCHASING THOSE INVESTMENT HOMES AND NOT JUST PURCHASING A HOUSE, BUT PURCHASING A HOME FOR, YOU KNOW, THOSE MULTIGENERATIONAL LATINO HOUSEHOLDS.

>> AT LEAST SOME OF THE STATE HAS SOMETHING TO SAY?

>> THE MEDIAN AGE OF HISPANICS IS 28 YEARS OLD.

>> AND THE LATINO GDP?

>> YES.

SO THE LATINO GDP BY ONE OF OUR PARTNERS, BANK OF AMERICA IS U.S. HISPANICS, WHERE THEIR OWN ECONOMY WOULD BE THE EIGHTH LARGEST ECONOMY IN THE WORLD AND THAT'S LARGER THAN ITALY, BRAZIL AND CANADA.

AND BACK IN 2019, IT WAS ESTIMATED THAT THE LATINO PURCHASING POWER WOULD REACH $1.9 TRILLION THIS YEAR IN 2022, BUT WE REACHED THAT FIGURE BACK IN 2022.

>> AND THAT HAPPENED EVEN THOUGH WE WERE IN THE MIDST OF THE PANDEMIC?

>> YES.

ACTUALLY, DURING THE RECESSION, LATINOS CONTINUE TO SPEND DURING THAT RECESSION IN 2007 AND 2012 AND IN ARIZONA, AS WELL, IT WAS ESTIMATED TO REACH $57 BILLION THIS YEAR IN 2022, BUT WE SURPASSED THAT FIGURE IN 2020, REACHING $63 BILLION IN PURCHASING POWER.

>> SO THE CHAMBER OF CONGRESS, OBVIOUSLY, IS A BUSINESS ORGANIZATION AND FOCUSED ON BUSINESSES.

WHAT DOES THE REPORT HAVE TO SAY ABOUT LATINO-OWNED BUSINESSES AND THE IMPORTANCE TO ARIZONA?

>> WELL, LATINO-OWNED BUSINESSES THE FASTED GROWING BUSINESSES AND RIGHT NOW, OVER THE LAST TEN YEARS, LATINO-OWNED BUSINESSES HAVE GROWN 34% COMPARED TO 1% OF GROWTH FOR ALL OTHER SMALL BUSINESSES AND IN ARIZONA, THE LATINO-OWNED BUSINESSES HAVE GROWN 11%.

>> SO IT'S IMPORTANT TO THE STATE'S ECONOMY?

>> YES, EXTREMELY IMPORTANT.

>> SO ONE FINAL AREA THAT THAT TO DO WITH FINAL EDUCATION AND YOU POINTED OUT THERE ARE A LOT OF MILLENNIALS WHO ARE IN A PURCHASING PHASE, LET'S SAY, OF THEIR LIVES AND HOW IMPORTANT IS IT TO MAKE SURE THEY KNOW HOW TO HANDLE THAT KIND OF WEALTH BUILDING?

>> YOU KNOW, WE'RE SEEING THAT HISPANICS, THEY'RE GOOD AT MAKING MONEY AND SPENDING MONEY AND SAVING NOT SO MUCH.

SO I THINK THIS IS A GOOD OPPORTUNITY WHILE WE SEE THAT INCREASE IN PURCHASING POWER, IT'S A GOOD OPPORTUNITY TO EDUCATE LATINOS ON WEALTH MANAGEMENT AT THE SAME TIME.

>> A RESEARCH SPECIALIST WITH THE HISPANIC CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.

>> TONIGHT ON THE NEWS HOUR, RUSSIAN INVASION AND UKRAINE CLAIMS TO RETAKE A CRITICAL KYIV SUBURB AS PUTIN FORCES PRESS ON.

>> AND FORMER CHANNEL 3 NEWS ANCHOR BRANDON LEE DISCOVERED CREATING ART HELPS HIM DEAL WITH SERIOUS ISSUES INVOLVING ADDICTIONS AND TRAUMA FROM CHILD ABUSE AND LEE RECENTLY LEFT TELEVISION NEWS TO HELP OTHERS THROUGH THE USE OF ART THERAPY AND WE SPOKE WITH BRANDON LEE WITH HIS WORK AND NEW STUDIO.

BRANDON LEE, WELCOME, A FORMER FACE ON THE SET.

GOOD TO HAVE YOU.

>> GOOD TO SEE YOU AND EXCITED FOR THE INVITATION TO SHOW ABOUT MY STORY AND WHAT I'M DOING.

IT'S EXCITED TO BE HERE AT THE CRONKITE SCHOOL.

LET'S TALK ABOUT ART OF THE SOUL AND WHAT EXACTLY IS THIS AND HOW DOES IT -- I KNOW IT'S ART THERAPY AND HOW DOES IT DIFFERENT?

>> THIS IS AN ART HEALING PROGRAM.

WHEN I FIRST GOT SOBER EONS AGO, MY SPONSOR TOLD ME ALONE TIME WAS MY MOST DANGEROUS TIME BECAUSE I WAS GETTING SOBER AND I NEEDED A HOBBY AND ENCOURAGED ME TO PICK UP PAINTS.

I'M NOT AN ARTIST AND WAS NOT AT THAT TIME.

BUT I DID WHAT HE SAID TO DISTRACT MY MIND IN THOSE EARLY STAGES OF RECOVERY.

IT'S HELPED ME TO HEAL AS A MODALITY THROUGHOUT MY LIFE.

AND SO, YOU KNOW, MY LIFE'S PURPOSE WAS TO SIMPLY WORK WITH OTHER TRAUMA SURVIVORS AND SHOW THEM A DIFFERENT WAY, A DIFFERENT SIDE OF THEIR BRAIN TO GET CREATIVITY FLOWING AND IT'S OPEN TO TRAUMA SURVIVORS, RECOVERING ADDICTS.

THE DIFFERENCE, IN CLINICAL ART THERAPY, IT'S ONE-ON-ONE WITH A TRAINED THERAPIST, TALKING ABOUT YOUR FEELINGS, TALKING ABOUT THE TRAUMA YOU SURVIVED AND OVERCOME.

IT'S AN IMPORTANT MODALITY AND MINE IS ART USED IN THERAPY.

IT'S MUSIC DRIVEN, NEON LIGHTS I'M TRYING TO GET SOMEBODY NEW AND STARTING TO HEAL FROM TRAUMA, TAP INTO A -- I'M NOT ASKING TO EXPRESS THEIR FEELINGS TO ME OR ASKING, WHERE ARE YOU CHOOSING BLACK TODAY OR CHOOSING BROWNS TODAY, NO, JUST ALOSING THEM TO CHOOSE A COLOR THAT MEANS SOMETHING TO THEM AND LETTING THEM EXPRESS THAT TO GET THAT ENERGY OUT.

IT HELPS WITH DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY.

>> IT HELPS YOU WITH OFF OF THESE THINGS.

>> IT HAS SAVED MY LIFE.

A YEAR AGO, I ATTEMPTED TO TAKE MY LIFE.

AFTER I RELAPSED IN 2020, THE SHAME BECAUSE I THOUGHT I LOST ALL OF THAT TIME OF CONTINUOUS RECOVERY I HAD AND THAT SHAME OF THAT RELAPSE WEIGHED SO MUCH ON ME, I ATTEMPTED TO TAKE MY LIFE IN 2022 AND I BECAME SHAMANISM AND ARTWORK IS MY LIFE'S PURPOSE TO GIVE THAT WORK TO OTHER PEOPLE.

>> WAS THERE A LIGHT BULB MOMENT?

>> I WOKE UP FROM A DREAM AND THREE WORDS ON THE SIDE OF MY BED AND I ASKED AND WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?

I WON'T ROB YOU OF THIS EXPERIENCE.

IF YOU CONTINUE TO DO ARTWORK TO HEAL AND YOU SAVE THAT PAPER TOWEL, I PROMISE YOU, THIS WILL BE VERY CLEAR TO YOU AND SO I DID.

AND SO, TWO DAYS LATER, I CALLED MY SHAMAN AND HAD AN EPIPHANY AND IT WAS SO CLEAR WHAT SPIRIT WANTED ME TO DO THAT I SPOKE OUT LOUD.

I'M IN THE MIDDLE OF A MAJOR DEAL WITH ARIZONA'S FAMILY AND I'M A NEWS ANCHOR AND I CAN'T LEAVE, BUT IT WAS SO CLEAR AND I SAID, I THINK I KNOW WHAT THAT DREAM MEAN.

I'M SUPPOSED TO OPEN UP AN ART HEALING STUDIO TO SHOW OTHERS, PEOPLE LIKE ME THE GIFT OF ART TO HELP THEM HEAL FROM THEIR TRAUMA.

GO BUILD IT AND THAT'S WHAT I DID.

AND I LEFT SEPTEMBER 27TH.

>> THAT'S WHAT YOU'VE DONE AND WHAT RESPONSE HAVE YOU HAD?

>> I'VE STARTED WITH THREE TREATMENT CENTERS AND HAVE JUST HIT 15 IN A MATTER OF FIVE MONTHS.

>> MY GOODNESS!

>> EVERY CEO AND CLINIC SAID BRANDON, WHATEVER YOU'RE DOING WITH OUR CLIENTS AND MEMBERS, CONTINUE TO DO IT BECAUSE IT'S IMPACTING THEIR LIVES.

THE BEST GIFT TO GET, IN TREATMENT 30 DAYS, FOUR ART HEALING SESSIONS AND I'VE HAD PEOPLE COME BACK JUST TO STOP WITH THEIR KIDS AND GIVE ME A HUG AND INTRODUCE ME TO THEIR KIDS BECAUSE THE ARTWORK THEY HAD MADE IN MY STUDIO, THEY'VE GIVEN TO THEIR WIVES, THEIR HUSBANDS OR THEIR KIDS.

TO SEE THEIR KIDS COME BACK TO THE ART STUDIO AND THEIR MOM AND DAD GETTING SOBER AND GIVE ME A HUG -- >> THAT HAS TO BE VERY, VERY REWARDING.

>> -- MY CUP IS FILLED EVERYDAY.

>> THAT'S A GREAT STORY AND CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR SUCCESS.

>> YOU HAVE A KID'S BOOK.

>> CALLED SPLAT, BRANDON'S BIG FIT AND I COLLABORATED WITH A GOOD FRIEND OF MINE WHO WORKED AT ARIZONA FAMILY.

I WAS THE VICTIM OF CHILDHOOD BULLYING AND SO, A TEACHER BACK IN THE DAY INTRODUCED ME TO ARTWORK AS A WAY TO HELP ME EXPRESS MY FEELINGS.

THIS CHILDREN'S BOOK IS FOR ALL THOSE KIDS BULLIED OUT THERE AND THE PARENTS WHO DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO AND INTRODUCES THEM AS ART, AS A MODALITY.

>> MAY 2ND, IT COMES OUT.

THERE'S LIFE AFTER NEWS.

>> THAT'S THE MOST ENCOURAGING THING I'VE HEARD ALL DAY.

BRANDON, THANK YOU.

>> THANK YOU.

>> AND THAT IS IT FOR NOW.

THANK YOU FOR JOINING US AND YOU HAVE A GREAT EVENING!

COMING UP UP IN THE NEXT HALF HOUR ON CRONKITE NEWS, TEMPERATURES HEAT THE 90'S AND THE WILDFIRE FORECAST AND SPORT'S BETTING IS BIG IN ARIZONA AND HOW PROFITABLE HAS IT BEEN TO THE STATE?