[♪ THEME MUSIC ♪] >>> COMING UP IN THE NEXT HOUR OF LOCAL NEWS ON ARIZONA PBS.

ON ARIZONA HORIZON, THE LATEST IN EFFORTS TO HELP FIGHT COVID-19 WITH A SIMPLE ON CRONKITE NEWS, HOW A RECENT PRESIDENTIAL ORDER PROMOTING EQUITABLE HOUSING POLICIES IS VITAL TO BLACK, LATIN-X AND INDIGENOUS HOMEOWNERS IN ARIZONA, AND ON BREAK IT DOWN, THE RACIAL GAP OF PROFESSORS IN HIGHER EDUCATION.

THAT'S ALL COMING UP IN THE NEXT HOUR OF ARIZONA PBS.

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

I'M TED SIMONS.

TONIGHT WE DEBUT A NEW "ARIZONA HORIZON" SET, AS WE RETURN TO OUR STUDIOS AFTER A YEAR OF DOING SHOWS REMOTELY.

THIS REFRESH WAS IN THE PLANS LONG BEFORE COVID-19 UP ENDED OUR PRODUCTION.

>>> WE BEGIN TONIGHT WITH WORD THAT ANOTHER VACCINATION SITE IS SET TO OPEN LATER THIS MONTH.

THIS WILL SERVE THE NORTH VALLEY.

THE SITE IS SCHEDULED TO OPEN APRIL 22ND.

>>> ALMOST A THIRD OF ADULTS IN ARIZONA HAVE NOW RECEIVED AT LEAST ONE DOSE OF A COVID-19 VACCINE.

ARIZONA'S VACCINATION NUMBERS ARE RIGHT AT THE NATIONAL AVERAGE, AND THE CDC LIKES WHAT IT SEES NATIONALLY.

>> WE ARE VACCINATING AT A RATE OF 3 MILLION PEOPLE ON AVERAGE EVERY DAY.

THIS IS THE SPIRIT OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE THAT WILL HELP US SEE THIS THROUGH TOGETHER.

>>> THE STATE'S SEVEN-DAY AVERAGE OF NEW CASES IS CLOSE TO THE BEST IN THE COUNTRY.

FATALITIES RANKS 28TH IN THE COUNTRY.

>>> ON A CYBERING NOTE, CLOSE TO 40,000 AMERICAN CHILDREN UNDER THE AGE OF 18 HAVE LOST AT LEAST ONE PARENTED DUE TO COVID-19 VACCINE.

THE RESEARCH IS BASED ON STATISTICAL MODELING, AND SHOWS AFRICAN AMERICAN CHILDREN HAVE BEEN DISPROPORTIONATELY EFFECTED.

>>> KPNX-TV REPORTS THAT MARICOPA COUNTY SAYS IT WON'T INTERPRET STATE LAWS FOR AN AUDIT COMPANY.

THEY ADDED THAT STATE LAW NEITHER AUTHORIZED NOR PERMITS THE COUNTY TO PERFORM A RECOUNT OF VOTES.

>>> THE SERVICE SECTOR REACHED A RECORD HIGH LAST MONTH.

MARCH WAS THE 10TH STRAIGHT MONTH OF GROWTH IN SERVICES.

>>> AND TESTIMONY TODAY AT THE DEREK CHAUVIN MURDER TRIAL OF GEORGE FLOYD INCLUDE THE HOSPITAL EMERGENCY PHYSICIAN WHO DETERMINED THOUGH CAUSE OF DEATH.

>> WAS YOUR LEADING THEORY THAT FOR THE CAUSE OF MR. FLOYD'S CARDIAC ARREST OXYGEN DEFICIENCY?

>> THAT WAS ONE OF THE MORE LIKELY POSSIBILITIES.

I FELT THAT AT THE TIME, BASED ON THE INFORMATION I HAD, IT WAS MORE LIKELY THAN THE OTHER POSSIBILITY.

>> AND IS THERE ANOTHER NAME FOR DEATH MY OXYGEN DEFICIENCY?

ASPHYXIA.

>>> THE CITY OF CHANDLER'S LARGEST EMPLOYER IS BACK AT IT AGAIN.

INTEL ANNOUNCED IT WILL INVEST $20 BILLION IN NEW FACILITIES AT ITS OCOTILLO CAMPUS.

WE SPOKE WITH NINETTE VAZ OF INTEL'S ARIZONA SITE-COMMITTEE ON THIS MAJOR EXPANSION.

THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.

$20 BILLION EXPANSION IN CHANDLER.

TALK TO US ABOUT THIS.

>> OUT IS AMAZING.

IT SEEMS LIKE A LOT OF OUR NUMBERS THESE DAYS HAVE THE B ON IT.

I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE IN THE CHANDLER SITE IN OCOTILLO CAMPUS WHEN THE ANNOUNCEMENT WAS MADE A FEW WEEKS AGO.

I WAS THERE WHEN IT WAS JUST FIELDS, AND NOW WE ARE INVESTING TWO MORE FACTORIES, ADDING TO THE FOUR WE ALREADY HAVE THERE.

AND WITH IT COMES A HUGE INVESTMENT, NOT ONLY IN INTEL, BUT AN INVESTMENT IN OUR COMMUNITY HERE IN ARIZONA, AND, AGAIN, FOR ME, IT IS A PERSONAL POINT OF PRIDE, BECAUSE I REMEMBER WHEN IT WAS JUST FIELDS, AND NOW IT IS A GROWING SITE, AND ALSO MY FIRST TIME THERE IN OVER A YEAR.

AND IT WAS ACTUALLY EMOTIONAL WATCHING THAT FACILITY GROW AS IT IS.

>> I BET IT WAS.

WHEN YOU SAY, OBVIOUSLY TWO NEW FABS AT THE FACILITY, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?

>> IT MEANS 3,000 MORE JOBS FOR HIGH-PAID, HIGH-TECH EMPLOYEES.

3,000 CONSTRUCTION POSITIONS THAT WILL BE OPENING UP, AND ANOTHER 15,000 JOBS FOR THE COMMUNITY.

>> AND AS FAR AS A SUPPLY CHAIN NOW FOR LOCAL BUSINESSES, I IMAGINE THAT IS IMPACTED AS WELL?

>> OH, IT'S FANTASTIC.

IT WILL DRAMATICALLY EFFECT -- YOU THINK THE NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES, CONSTRUCTION WORKERS, SUPPLIERS, MATERIALS, ET CETERA THAT WILL HAVE TO GO ALONG WITH IT, THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT WILL MOVE TO ARIZONA FOR THIS FACILITY IS A POSITIVE EFFECT AS WELL.

>> HOW HIGH-TECH AND HOW HIGH-WAGE ARE THESE JOBS?

>> YEAH.

YES, WE'RE AN ENGINEERING FIRM, BUT THE MAJORITY OF OUR PROFESSIONAL POSITIONS, THEY ARE NOT ALL ENGINEERS OR PHD'S.

WE HIRE NEW-COLLEGE GRADUATES.

WE HIRE PEOPLE WITH SOME EXPERIENCE THAT ARE COMING INTO INTEL.

ALL THE TYPE OF POSITIONS FROM FINANCE TO ENGINEERING, TO MARKETING, TO ALMOST ANY TYPE OF FUNCTIONAL AREA THAT YOU CAN IMAGINE, WE HIRE INTO.

AND WHEN WE TALK ABOUT NUMBERS LIKE THIS, IT IS QUITE A RANGE OF POSITIONS.

>> YOU MENTIONED YOU GOT EMOTIONAL WHEN YOU THOUGHT ABOUT THIS.

HOW LONG WAS THIS PARTICULAR EXPANSION IN THE WORKS?

>> YEAH, WE'RE CONTINUOUSLY LOOKING INTO OUR FUTURE, AND I MEAN THIS.

WE'RE CONSTANTLY LOOKING AT OUR NEXT GROWTH.

SO WE HAVE BEEN PROBABLY THINKINGS ABOUT IT SINCE THE POINT WE OPENED OUR LAST FACTORY.

BUT WE ALSO RECOGNIZE, AFTER WE HAVE GONE THROUGH A YEAR LIKE WE DID LAST YEAR, AND THE DEMAND FOR SEMICONDUCTORS AND IT HAS GONE THROUGH THE ROOF, AND WE FEEL AN OBLIGATION TO BRING THAT TO FRUITION FOR OUR CUSTOMERS, THE TEACHERS, THE STUDENTS, THE HEALTHCARE WORKERS, EVERYONE WHO REQUIRES THE DIGITAL PLATFORMS TO PERFORM THEIR FUNCTION.

>> THIS EXPANSION, AND EVERYTHING INTEL DOES, WE'RE STILL YOUNG IN ARIZONA WHEN IT COMES TO HIGH-TECH.

WE'RE NOT SILICON VALLEY, BUT HOW IS ARIZONA SHAPING UP IN TERMS OF THE HIGH-TECH LANDSCAPE?

>> YEAH, I KNOW.

IT IS -- WE JUST CELEBRATED LAST YEAR 40 YEARS IN INTEL IN ARIZONA, AND I THINK IT IS DEVELOPING INTO A STRONGER AND STRONGER AREA OF HIGH-TECH INVESTMENT, AND AGAIN, WE MADE THAT CALL A LONG TIME AGO, AND WE THINK IT WAS A GOOD BET WE MADE YEARS AGO, AND IT IS CONTINUING TO GROW, AND INVESTMENTS LIKE THE ONE WE JUST ANNOUNCED, CONTINUES TO SHOW WE MADE THE RIGHT DECISION.

WE'RE SURROUNDED BY HIGHLY SKILLED WORKERS.

WE HAVE GREAT UNIVERSITIES HERE.

WE HAVE A CLIMATE IN ARIZONA, IN CHANDLER, THAT REALLY DEVELOPS THIS CAPABILITY EVEN FURTHER.

>> REAL QUICKLY, I THINK A LOT OF US REMEMBER THE $7 BILLION INVESTMENT IN I THINK IT WAS FEBRUARY '42.

WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO THAT.

>> IT'S CONTINUOUS.

WE'RE CONTINUOUSLY GROWING.

YOU JUST GROW AND MOVE ON TO THE NEXT.

WE'RE STILL GROWING IN THAT SPACE.

>> WOW.

IT SOUNDS LIKE QUITE A GAMBLE HERE.

YOU REALLY ARE PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE.

>> EXACTLY.

WE HAVE TO GET USED TO THAT REQUIREMENT, AND, AGAIN, PEOPLE ARE COUNTING ON US TO DO SO.

YOU HAVE TO DO THAT IN ORDER TO INVEST IN THE PEOPLE, THE TECHNOLOGY, THE COMMUNITY.

AND IT IS A STRENGTH THAT WE HAVE.

>> AND CONSTRUCTION STARTS WHEN?

>> WELL, WE'RE STARTING THIS YEAR, AND WE'RE ALREADY AT -- THE PLANNING HAS BEGUN, CONSTRUCTION, AND HIRING HAS STARTED FOR THAT FAZE.

SO IT'S BEGINNING THIS YEAR.

>> ALL RIGHT.

VERY GOOD.

NINETTE VAZ OF INTEL'S ARIZONA SITE-COMMITTEE, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US.

>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING US HERE.

>>> AND UP NEXT, A NEW PILL JOINS THE FIGHT AGAINST COVID-19.

>>> THERE IS A NEW DEVELOPMENT IN THE FIGHT AGAINST COVID-19 VACCINE, AND IT DOESN'T INVOLVE VACCINES.

IT'S A NEW PILL THAT WILL KEEP PATIENTS FROM BECOMING SERIOUSLY ILL. WE LEARNED MORE FROM JUN WONG, FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA'S COLLEGE OF PHARMACY.

DOCTOR, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US.

WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A NEW PILL FOR THE TREATMENT OF COVID-19 VACCINE, EXPLAIN, PLEASE.

>> SURE.

IT IS BEING DEVELOPED BY MERCK, AND IT HAS A LONG HISTORY -- IT WAS ORIGINALLY DEVELOPED TO TARGET VIRUSES, IT WAS ORIGINALLY DEVELOPED TO [ INAUDIBLE ] VIRUS, BUT LATER ON THIS HAS BEEN FOUND TO [ INAUDIBLE ] OTHER VIRUSES, FOR EXAMPLE, EBOLA, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, FLU VIRUS.

RIGHT BEFORE THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC, IT WAS IN TRIALS FOR VIRAL INFECTIONS, BUT IT WAS THE COVID-19 OUTBREAK WHICH CAUSED THE COMPANY TO [ INAUDIBLE ] WHETHER THIS WORKS AGAINST [ INAUDIBLE ] IT IS A VIRUS WHICH CAUSED THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC.

AND [ INAUDIBLE ] AND ALSO THE ANIMAL MODEL STUDIES IN MICE, IT SHOWS GOOD EFFICACY IN [ INAUDIBLE ] SO WITH ALL OF THAT DATA, THE COMPANY PAIRED WITH MERCK TO PUSH THIS TO HUMAN TRIALS FOR COVID-19.

>> AND HOW FAR ALONG ARE WE NOW IN THESE TRIALS?

>> SO BEFORE -- BEFORE THAT, THEY ALREADY FINISHED THEIR PHASE 1 TRIAL, AND IT WAS PROVEN TO BE SAFE IN HUMANS.

MERCK IS JUST FINISHING THE PHASE 2 TRIAL WITH 202 PATIENTS, AND IT IS BELIEVED PART OF THE DATA FROM THE PHASE 2 TRIAL, AND IT LOOKS LIKE THIS MARKER IS EFFECTIVE, SO THE PATIENTS WHO TOOK THIS DRUG HAD REDUCED VIRAL LOAD, COMPARED TO THE PATIENT WHO DID NOT TAKE THIS DRUG.

RIGHT NOW THEY ARE CONDUCTING WHAT IS CALLED THE COMBINED PHASE 2 AND PHASE 3 TRIAL, AND OVER 3,000 PATIENTS ARE INVOLVED IN THIS TRIAL, AND THEY EXPECT TO HAVE THE RESULTS WITHIN TWO TO THREE MONTHS.

>> SO AS FAR AS -- YOU KNOW, SIDE EFFECTS, ANY OTHER THINGS TO BE WORRIED ABOUT, THIS IS FOR FOLKS WHO HAVE ALREADY CONTRACTED COVID-19.

ONCE THEY TAKE THIS PILL, WHAT CAN THEY EXPECT?

>> WITH ANY DRUG, [ INAUDIBLE ] FOR THIS MOLECULE, THE WAY IT WORKS IS SIMILAR TO REMDESIVIR.

AND RIGHT NOW THAT IS THE ONLY FDA APPROVED DRUG.

SO THIS IS SIMILAR TO REMDESIVIR, AND ALSO TARGETS THE [ INAUDIBLE ] BY THE WAY THE -- THE WORK IS SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT.

SO REMDESIVIR WORKS BY [ INAUDIBLE ] SO AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, THE VIRUS CANNOT [ INAUDIBLE ] AND NOT MAKE IT A PROTEIN, AND THEN THE VIRUS CANNOT REPLICATE.

FOR REMDESIVIR, [ INAUDIBLE ] THE WAY IT WORKS IS THROUGH A DIFFERENT MECHANISM.

IT WORKS BY INTRODUCING MUTATIONS, SO IT CAUSES THE VIRUS TO ACCUMULATE MUTATIONS, AND EVENTUALLY THE VIRUS CAN NO LONGER REPLICATE OR TRANSMIT THE VIRUS, AND IN TERMS OF SAFETY, AT LEAST FOR THE SHORT-TIME TREATMENT, WHAT HAS BEEN DONE -- PHASE 1 TRIAL, THIS COMPOUND OR MOLECULE HAS PROVED TO BE SAFE.

WHAT ABOUT LONG TERM SAFETY?

WE DON'T KNOW.

BECAUSE THIS MOLECULE WAS ONLY PUT IN HUMANS FOR A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME.

AND THE ONE CONCERN IS WHETHER OR NOT THIS TREATMENT COULD LEAD TO MUTATIONS IN HUMANS, BUT AT LEAST FOR THE SHORT-TIME TREATMENT THERE IS NO SEVERE [ INAUDIBLE ] ISSUES.

>> AND HOW LONG BEFORE YOU THINK THIS MIGHT BE AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC?

>> IT DEPENDS ON HOW THE DATA LOOKS LIKE.

RIGHT NOW, THEY COMBINE THE PHASE 2 AND PHASE 3 TRIALS THAT ARE ONGOING.

THAT INCLUDES 3,000 PATIENTS.

BOTH IN THE CONTROL TREATMENT GROUP AND THE [ INAUDIBLE ] GROUP WITH THIS DOUBLE-BLIND TRAIL.

SO IF THE RESULTS LOOK PROMISING, I WOULD SAY PROBABLY BY SUMMERTIME, IT COULD BE APPROVED BY THE FDA, AND THAT COULD BE A GAME-CHANGER.

>> THAT'S GREAT TO HEAR.

SO OPTIMISTIC INFORMATION THERE.

JUN WONG, FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA'S COLLEGE OF PHARMACY, THANK YOU SO MUCH.

>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.

>>> ASU'S KYL CENTER FOR WATER POLICY HAS A NEW DIRECTOR OF RESEARCH.

SHE THE FORMER HEAD OF THE CITY OF PHOENIX WATER SERVICES.

SHE'S AN EXPERT IN WATER-EQUITY ISSUES.

AND SHE RECENTLY JOINED US.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US.

WHAT DOES YOUR NEW JOB INVOLVE?

>> A LOT OF THINGS.

I'M REALLY PROUD TO JOIN THE KYL CENTER FOR WATER POLICY.

THE KYL CENTER HAS REALLY LEAD DOWN AN IMPRESSIVE AMOUNT OF RESEARCH ALREADY.

THERE IS A LOT TO BUILD FROM, AND A LOT YET TO DO.

AS YOU KNOW WE HAVE QUITE A FEW CHALLENGES IN FRONT OF US.

>> YEAH, LET'S TALK ABOUT SOME OF THOSE.

FOCUS, I WOULD IMAGINE IS SECURE ACCESS TO SAFE WATER.

DO WE HAVE THAT NOW?

>> YOU KNOW, IN POCKETS WE DO.

IN POCKETS WE HAVE BEEN VERY SUCCESSFUL IN THIS REGARD.

BUT IN OTHER COMMUNITIES, CHALLENGES REMAIN.

CERTAINLY HERE IN URBAN ARIZONA, WE HAVE MADE GREAT STRIDES.

IF YOU LOOK BROADER, THERE ARE STILL SOME COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE TO RELY ON BASICALLY TRUCKED-WATER DELIVERIES, AND THERE HAS BEEN A LOT OF ATTENTION ON FAIR AND SAFE ACCESS TO WATER IN INDIAN COMMUNITIES AS WELL.

>> AND WE HAD A GROUNDWATER MANAGEMENT -- ACT.

WHAT ARE THE CHALLENGES THERE?

>> THE AQUIFERS DON'T GET REPLENISHED AT A SIGNIFICANT RATE, SO IF YOU DRAW THEM DOWN OVER TIME, THAT BECOMES A PROBLEM FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS.

IT'S A HUGE CHALLENGE IN RURAL ARIZONA, WHERE THERE MAY NOT BE THE SURFACE WATER SUPPLIES THAT ARE OFTEN ENJOYED IN THE URBAN AREAS.

>> INDEED, AND THEN YOU GET THE COLORADO RIVER WITH THAT ISSUE OF SUPPLY AND OVERUSE.

IT DOESN'T SEEM TO RAIN AS MUCH AS IT USED TO.

YOU HAVE GROUNDWATER CONCERNS, COLORADO RIVER CONCERNS -- THAT'S A LOT OF CONCERNS.

>> IT IS.

BUT I'M ALWAYS OPTIMISTIC.

WE HAVE A GREAT FOUNDATION OF WISE WATER MANAGEMENT IN THE STATE, AND WE HAVE TO BUILD FROM THAT.

I'M OPTIMISTIC THAT WE WILL DO THAT.

I THINK THE CHALLENGES ARE SIGNIFICANT, AND WE HAVE ALREADY PUT TO USE THE EASY SOLUTIONS, THE THINGS THAT WERE EASY TO DO, SO ARE IN PLACE.

SO LOOKING FORWARD INTO A HOTTER, DRYER FUTURE, THE CHALLENGES ARE TOUGH, AND THE SOLUTIONS ARE EXPENSIVE AND POLITICALLY DIFFICULT.

>> AND I SAW THE PHRASE WATER EQUITY A COUPLE OF TIMES.

WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?

>> IT MEANS BROOD AND FAIR ACCESS TO SAFE CLEAN WATER IN A COMMUNITY.

HERE IN THE DESERT SOUTHWEST IT IS IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER WATER USE FOR LANDSCAPING IMPORTS RELIEF FROM EXTREME HEAT.

WATER EQUITY IS TRICKY.

CERTAINLY WATER EQUITY IS SOMETHING EVERYONE WANTS AND VALUES.

IT IS HARD TO IMAGINE THAT THERE IS ANYONE IN A COMMUNITY WHO THINK SOMEBODY SHOULDN'T HAVE ACCESS TO SAFE DRINKING WATER SUPPLIES.

BUT WATER UTILITIES, AS YOU KNOW, TED, ARE EXTREMELY EXPENSIVE UNDERTAKINGS.

THE INFRASTRUCTURE IS MADE UP OF CONCRETE AND IRON AND STEEL, AND THERE ARE COMPLEX TRADEOFFS BETWEEN THE MANAGEMENT, PAYING FOR IT, SUSTAINABLE MANAGEMENT OF SUPPLIES OVER MANY GENERATIONS, AND THEN AFFORDABLE ACCESS FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE DISADVANTAGED IN THE COMMUNITY.

>> AND FOR MANY OF US, WE JUST TAKE CLEAN WATER FOR GRANTED.

>> YEAH, AND IF NOTHING ELSE, THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC HAS HIGHLIGHTED HOW IMPORTANT THIS IS TO OUR COMMUNITY.

YOU ARE RIGHT.

IT IS SOMETHING WE HAVE TAKEN FOR GRANTED, BUT SOMETHING WE HAVE TO PAY A LOT MORE ATTENTION TO.

>> SO YOU WORK AT THE KYL CENTER, AND FOR FOLKS WHO ARE CONCERNED FOR NOW AND IN THE FUTURE, WHAT DO YOU TELL THEM?

>> WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO INNOVATE AND BE EFFICIENT AND SMART WITH OUR WATER SUPPLY, BUT I AM OPTIMISTIC.

ARIZONANS UNDERSTAND THE VALUE OF WATER, AND HUMANS ARE PRETTY SMART AND PRETTY GOOD AT FIGURING THIS STUFF OUT.

>> ALL RIGHT.

KATHRYN SORENSEN, CONGRATULATIONS ON THE NEW POSITION.

HOPE TO SPEAK WITH YOU MORE IN THE FUTURE.

>> THANK YOU.

IT HAS BEEN A PLEASURE.

>>> AND 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 HOUR OF LOCAL NEWS ON ARIZONA PBS.

ON CRONKITE NEWS, AN ASU PROFESSOR IS USING ANIMATION TO PROVIDE RELIABLE INFORMATION TO LATIN-X COMMUNITIES, AND ON AND ON BREAK IT DOWN, THE RACIAL GAP OF PROFESSORS IN HIGHER EDUCATION.

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