[♪ THEME MUSIC ♪] >>> COMING UP IN THE NEXT HOUR OF LOCAL NEWS ON ARIZONA OF LOCAL NEWS ON ARIZONA PBS, AT TUCSON POLICE CHIEF CHRIS MAGNUS, WHO WAS NOMINATED TODAY TO LEAD U.S. CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION.

, AND ON BREAK IT DOWN, AN EFFORT TO INCREASE BLACK WOMEN IN SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING AND MATHEMATICS.

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

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

I'M TED SIMONS.

PRESIDENT BIDEN TODAY NOMINATED TUCSON POLICE CHIEF CHRIS MAGNUS TO OVERSEE CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION.

HE IS A LONG-TIME CRITIC OF TRUMP ERA IMMIGRATION POLICIES.

HE HAS BEEN IN LAW ENFORCEMENT FOR MORE THAN THREE DECADES.

THE U.S.

SAW A SPIKE IN BORDER CROSSINGS LAST MONTH.

>>> TODAY'S COVID REPORTS SHOW 22% OF ADULTS IN ARIZONA ARE NOW FULLY VACCINATED.

THOSE NUMBERS ARE RIGHT AT THE NATIONAL AVERAGE.

THE GOAL IS TO GET HEARD IMMUNITY, BUT WHAT EXACTLY DOES THAT MEAN, DR. ANTHONY FAUCI SAYS DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT.

>> I WOULD LIKE TO GET PEOPLE AWAY FROM THIS CONCEPT.

WE DON'T KNOW WHAT HERD IMMUNITY PERCENTAGE OF VACCINATED PEOPLE, PLUS PEOPLE WHO HAVE RECOVERED.

WE HAVE MADE ESTIMATES THAT IS SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 70 AND 85%, BUT WE DON'T KNOW THAT AS A FACT.

SO LET'S GET AS MANY PEOPLE VACCINATED AS QUICKLY AS WE POSSIBLY CAN.

>> ONE WAY TO GET MORE PEOPLE VACCINATED IS TO GET THE MESSAGE OUT.

THAT MESSAGE COMES FROM STATE HEALTH DIRECTOR DR. CARA CHRIST.

>> PLEASE, IF YOU HAVE GOTTEN THE VACCINE, TELL PEOPLE ABOUT YOUR EXPERIENCE.

>>> THERE IS A MICRO CHIP SHORTAGE IN THE U.S. >> OUR VIEW IS THAT THIS IS CERTAINLY SOMETHING WHAT WE NEED TO WORK CLOSELY WITH INDUSTRY AND CONGRESS, IN HOW WE CAN PRESENT THIS SHORTAGE FROM HAPPENING IN THE FUTURE.

>> THIS COMES AFTER INTEL ANNOUNCED A $20 BILLION EXPANSION OF ITS FACILITY IN CHANDLER.

>>> A 20-YEAR-OLD BLACK MAN WAS SHOT AND KILLED IN A MINNEAPOLIS SHOOTING OVER THE WEEKEND.

THE OFFICER SAID SHE MEANT TO GRAB FOR HER TASER AND INSTEAD GRABBED HER GUN.

>>> A CARDIOLOGY SAID, GEORGE FLOYD'S DEATH WAS ABSOLUTE I WILL PREVENTABLE.

>> IT WAS CAUSED BY LOW OXYGEN LEVELS.

>>> AS WE MENTIONED EARLIER, ARIZONA IS RIGHT AT THE NATIONAL AVERAGE FOR THE NUMBER OF ADULTS RECEIVING COVID VAK VAK -- VACCINATIONS.

AND WE SPOKE WITH DR. SWAP THAT READY ABOUT THIS.

>> THIS IS WHAT IS INTERESTING, OUR RATES ARE AS GOOD OR BETTER THAN THE NATIONAL RATES, AND HERE IN MARICOPA COUNTY WE'RE SEEING AROUND 40% OF ELIGIBLE ADULTS HAVING SEEN THEIR FIRST DOSES.

BUT OUR HIGH-INCOME COMMUNITIES, OUR HIGH-INCOME ZIP CODES HAVE THE HIGHEST RATE OF VACCINATIONS, WE'RE STILL SEEING A LOW LEVEL IN LOW-INCOME LEVEL COMMUNITIES.

SO IS IT ABOUT ACCESS OR HESITATION IN IN THOSE COMMUNITIES, AND WHAT WE'RE FIGURING OUT IS IT IS LITTLE BIT OF BOTH.

SO NOT THE SAME PICTURE OF ALL OF US IN ARIZONA.

>> THERE IS THE UC BERKELEY STUDY FOCUSING ON MARGINALIZED RESPONSE, AND ARIZONA IS NOT LOOKING TOO GOOD.

>> YEAH, THAT UC BERKELEY STUDY LOOKS AT PERSONALIZED POPULATIONS, AND WHEN IT LOOKED AT COVID-19, ARIZONA DID NOT RANK VERY WELL, IN FACT I THINK WE WERE 47TH IN THE NATION.

AND THE STUDY CONTRIBUTED THAT TO MASKS WEARING, AND MESSAGING, AND INCONSISTENCE IN LEADERSHIP.

>> AND AGAIN, YOU CAN REFER TO THIS, BUT IT SOUNDS LIKE MIXED MESSAGING THE BIG CUP PROFIT HERE.

.

>> YEAH, NATIONALLY AND LOCALLY TOO.

REMOVING MASK MANDATES AT CERTAIN LEVELS.

AND HERE IN PHOENIX THE MAJOR HAS SUPPORTED MASK MANDATES, AND OVER THE COURSE OF THE PANDEMIC WE HAVE GONE BACK AND FORTH, SO NOT A LOT OF CONSISTENCY, SO COMMUNITIES OF COLOR, LOW-INCOME FOLKS, ELDERLY, SUFFERED THE MOST BECAUSE OF IT.

>> AND TESTING HAS BEEN KEY.

IT HAS BEEN CRUCIAL.

THE IDEA OF GETTING AS MANY PEOPLE TESTED AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE, CRUCIAL.

WE'RE SEEING A DECLINE.

WHY?

>> YEAH, SO AS OUR VACCINATION RATES ARE LOOKING PRETTY GOOD, WHAT WE'RE SEEING IS A REAL DROP IN TESTING.

AND ON ONE HAND THERE IS A MUCH BIGGER FOCUS AND FOCUS ON VACCINATION, BUT THE OTHER PIECE IS REALLY PUBLIC PERCEPTION.

THE PUBLIC SEEMS TO BE THINKING A LOT LESS ABOUT TESTING.

BUT THAT'S A REALLY IMPORTANT PIECE.

WE DON'T WANT TO GO DOWN THIS FALSE RABBIT HOLE.

AND WHEN WE'RE NOT TESTING AT THE SAME RATES, WE'RE NOT GETTING AN ACCURATE PICTURE.

AND THERE ARE CERTAIN POPULATIONS THAT ARE JUST HIT HARDER, AND IT'S HARDER FOR US TO FIGURE OUT WHERE THOSE ARE.

>> AND THIS REDUCED NUMBER OF TESTS IS THAT ONE OF THE REASONS THAT WE'RE SEEING A REDUCED NUMBER OF CASES?

>> THAT COULD BE LENDING TO THE NUMBER.

WHAT WE SAW JUST LAST WEEK WAS A SLIGHT INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF CASES IN ARIZONA, AND WE SAW A DECREASE IN THE NUMBER OF CASES.

SO WE NEED MORE TESTING TO BETTER UNDERSTAND WHAT OUR FULL PICTURE LOOKS LIKE, AND A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF WHY PEOPLE ARE NOT GETTING TESTS AND A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF HOW TO REACH THOSE POPULATIONS THAT ARE AT THE MOST AT RISK.

>> THANK YOU.

>> THANK YOU.

>>> AND UP NEXT, AN EFFORT TO HELP BOOST THE LOCAL ECONOMY BY HELPING BOOST LOCAL BUSINESSES.

>>> LOCAL FIRST ARIZONA IS WORKING TO HELP LOCAL BUSINESSES COMPETE FOR STIMULUS FUNDS.

WE LEARNED MORE FROM LOCAL FIRST ARIZONA CEO KIMBER LANNING.

AND KIMBER LANNING, GOOD TO SEE YOU AGAIN.

AS ALWAYS HOPE THINGS ARE GOING FOR YOU.

YOU HAVE GOT NOW THIS ARIZONA ECONOMIC RECOVERY CENTER.

WHAT ARE WE TALKING ABOUT HERE?

>> IT'S REALLY AIMED AT DRIVING NEW DOLLARS AND OPPORTUNITIES INTO THE COMMUNITIES THAT NEED THEM THE MOST.

AFTER THE LAST ECONOMIC DOWNTURN IN '8AND '9, ARIZONA WAS DEAD LAST.

NOW HERE WE ARE STARING INTO THE LARGEST STIMULUS WORLD EVER SEEN IN OUR LIFETIMES, SO WE'RE WORKING TO COMPLETE FOR THOSE DOLLARS.

WE'RE LOOKING AT COMMUNITIES, HELPING THEM BECOME COMPETITIVE SO THEY CAN WIN SOME OF THOSE DOLLARS.

>> SO I HAVE TED'S HAMBURGER HAMLET HERE, AND I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT TO DO.

DO I HAVE TO APPLY TO YOU GUYS?

HOW DOES THIS WORK?

>> WELL, WE'RE LOOKING AT DOLLARS THAT ARE GOING TO BE ABLE TO SEVERAL DIFFERENT FEDERAL AGENCIES, AND THAT ARE NOT JUST A PPE LOAN.

WE'RE LOOKING AT INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS, AND SMALL TOWNS TO BE ABLE TO ELEVATE AND COMPLETE FOR THOSE DOLLARS.

SO IT'S TWO SIGNIFICANT PARTS.

NUMBER 1 IS WE'RE RESEARCHING ALL OF THE GRANTS WE CAN FIND, FEDERAL, STATE, LOCAL, AND FOUNDATION GRANTS, AND PUTTING THEM INTO ONE-PAGE TEMPLATE, SO EVERYBODY HAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO SEE WHAT IS AVAILABLE.

AND THERE MIGHT BE GRANT WRITERS, OR PROJECT MANAGERS, OR BOOKKEEPERS TO KEY THEN UP ON THE SUCCESSFUL REPORTING.

SO IT REALLY IS, TED, A WIDE VARIETY OF RESOURCES TO CREATE EQUITY IN ARIZONA'S RECOVERY.

>> AND GET A MORE WELL-ROUNDED RECOVERY HERE, IT SOUNDS LIKE.

SO HOW ARE THINGS GOING, AND HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE IT IMPROVE NOT ONLY NOW BUT IN THE FUTURE.

>> WELL, WHETHER WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE RURAL URBAN DIVIDE, OR THE RACIAL WEALTH GAP, SOME ARE FALLING FURTHER AND FURTHER BEHIND.

SO WE'RE TRYING TO FOCUS ON THOSE COMMUNITIES THAT NEED THE SUPPORT.

WHAT WE'RE SEEING WITH SMALL BUSINESSES, THOSE THAT DID NOT INVEST IN TECHNOLOGY BEFORE THE DOWNTURN HAVE FALLEN FURTHER BEHIND.

I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO RECOGNIZE, WE TEND TO THINK OF MOM AND POP RESTAURANT RETAIL, BUT THAT ALSO INCLUDES TECH, MANUFACTURING, REALEST 345I9D, 345I9D, -- AND THOSE ARE PERFORMING EXCEPTIONALLY RIGHT.

SO WE'RE TALKING ABOUT NONE PROFIT AND MUNICIPALITIES AND OPPORTUNITIES.

SO YOU MAY HAVE A GRANT THAT IS FOCUSED ON JOB CREATION THAT A MUNICIPALITY MUST APPLY FOR, AND THAT WILL IMPACT THE COMMUNITY, BUT THE TOWN DOESN'T HAVE THE CAPACITY TO COMPETE FOR GRANT, SO WE'LL HELP.

>> THAT MAKES SENSE.

AND IT MAKES SENSE TO SENATOR KELLY AND GOVERNOR DUCEY.

IT SOUNDS LIKE THEY ARE BOTH ON BOARD.

>> THAT'S RIGHT.

SO SENATOR KELLY'S TEAM HAS BEEN COMING TO OUR COMMUNITY ROUND TABLES AROUND THE STATE TO SHARE INFORMATION, AND GOVERNOR DUCEY HAS ALWAYS BEEN A HUGE CHAMPION OF SMALL BUSINESSES AND FOUND IT IN HIS BUDGET TO INVEST IN THIS PROGRAM AS WELL.

>> AND LAST QUESTION, OBVIOUSLY, THIS IS VERY GOOD NEWS FOR FOLKS WHO ARE RUNNING THEIR SMALL BUSINESSES WHO NEED ALL OF THE EXPERTISE THEY CAN GET, HAS THE PANDEMIC, THOUGH, CHANGED THE VERY NATURE OF THE WAY A LOT OF BUSINESS OWNERS DO BUSINESS?

>> IT CERTAINLY HAS.

I CAN USE MY OWN RECORD STORE AS AN EXAMPLE.

WE NOW HAVE -- WE'RE SELLING USED MERCHANDISE THROUGH ONE DATABASE, WE'RE SELLING NEW MERCHANDISE THROUGH ANOTHER PORTAL, SO SMALL BUSINESS IS BEING SPREAD VERY THIN, AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE RECOGNIZE THAT SMALL BUSINESS NEEDS TO GET COMFORTABLE WITH TECHNOLOGY AND THIS NEW WORD THAT WE'RE WORKING IN.

YOUNG PEOPLE WANT TO PAY FOR THINGS DIFFERENTLY.

>> OBVIOUSLY YOUR CENTER IS DESIGNED TO HELP IN A VARIETY OF WAYS.

LOCAL FIRST ARIZONA CEO KIMBER LANNING, THANK YOU SO MUCH.

>> THANK YOU SO MUCH.

♪♪ >>> ARIZONA TYPICALLY LAGS BEHIND THE REST OF THE NATION WHEN IT COMES TO EDUCATION FUNDS, BUT A REPORT HAS AN UPDATE.

WE TALKED ABOUT IT WITH ERIN HART FROM EXPECT MORE ARIZONA..

THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.

DEFINE YOUR TERM HERE.

>> SURE.

THIS IS THE SITE OF EIGHT INDICATORS AND GOALS.

>> OKAY.

NOW THE LATEST UPDATE OF THIS METER.

THIS NOW SEEMS TO LOOK BACK AT THE IMPACT OF THE IMPORTANT, TRUE?

>> PARTLY TRUE.

BUT IT IS PARTLY [ INAUDIBLE ] WHEN IT COMES TO EARLY EDUCATION, FOR EXAMPLE.

SO THAT MAY TAKE ANOTHER YEAR, YEAR AND A HALF FOR US TO REALLY SEE.

>> IT SOUNDS LIKE FROM THE REPORT, 3 TO 4 YEAR OLDS IN ALLTY LEARNING IS DOWN.

WHAT IS THAT?

>> THAT IS INDICATOR WE CAME UP WITH TO DETERMINE WHAT DOES QUALITY LEARNING LOOK LIKE VERSUS BASIC CHILD CARE.

THERE IS OPPORTUNITIES THROUGH PLAY AND EXPERIENCES, AND IT'S REALLY ABOUT HOW A CHILD IS SUPPORTED IN THE EARLY YEARS.

>> AND 3 TO 4 YEARS DECLINE IN ENROLLMENT.

>> YEAH, WE SAW A DROP FROM 22% TO 19.

AND THIS IS A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT.

AND IT IS REALLY SOMETHING ARIZONA NEEDS TO PAY ATTENTION TO AS A STATE.

ARIZONA LOST A FEDERAL GRANT THAT WAS BRINGING IN ABOUT $20 MILLION ANNUALLY, THAT GAVE ABOUT 3,000 KIDS ACCESS TO EARLY LEARNING.

SO WHEN THAT WENT AWAY, EARLY LEARNING WENT AWAY FOR THOSE KIDS.

THE OTHER PIECE OF IT WAS THE EFFECTS OF THE PANDEMIC, AND SO WE REALLY SAW THAT THE PANDEMIC'S EFFECTS ON EARLY EDUCATION WAS REALLY, REALLY SIGNIFICANT THIS YEAR.

>> YEAH, I THINK THE WORD YOU USED WAS IT DECIMATED THE CHILD CARE INDUSTRY.

>> YEAH, IT IS EVERYTHING FROM PROVIDERS TO SCHOOLS, AND COMMUNITY PROGRAMS, AND MANY HAD TO CLOSE BECAUSE OF THE PANDEMIC.

EVEN TODAY, WE'RE OVER A YEAR INTO THE PANDEMIC, AND ABOUT 41% OF THOSE THAT ARE OPEN, STILL HAVE REDUCED CAPACITY.

SO THIS IS PARTICULARLY IMPACTFUL WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT WILL THEY WILL BE READING EFFICIENTLY OVER THE NEXT FEW YEARS.

>> YEAH, I WAS ASKED TO ASK ABOUT THAT THE FACE-TO-FACE INTERACTION WITH OUR PEERS AND ADULTS FOR 3 TO 4 YEAR OLDS YOU NEED THAT.

>> THEY DO.

AND THAT'S WHAT RESEARCH SHOWS.

THAT IS ALSO TRUE FOR OLDER KIDS AS WELL, SO THAT QUALITY EARLY LEARNING REALLY MAKES A DIFFERENCE.

>> SO RECOMMENDATIONS NOW TO BUMP THIS NUMBER UP?

DOES THE PANDEMIC EASING, AND WE HOPE AND PRAY GOES AWAY, WILL THAT SETTLE ALL WATERS OR WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?

>> WELL, THERE ARE A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT CAN DONE.

WE HAVE ADDITIONAL REVENUE, SO THAT COULD OPEN UP EARLY LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES ACROSS THE STATE.

AND COVID RELIEF DOLLARS HAVE COME INTO THE STATE, AND NOW WE HAVE THAT IN OUR HANDS SO WE CAN DEPLOY FOR THINGS LIKE THIS TOO, AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANTLY IMPORTANT FOR KIDS OF LOW INCOME AND COMMUNITIES OF COLOR WHERE THEY MAY NEED MORE SUPPORT.

>> BUT BOTTOM LINE IT SOUNDS AS THOUGH FROM THE REPORT, IT SEEMS THE SUGGESTION IS THAT ARIZONA IS FACING AN EARLY CHILDHOOD CRISIS.

>> YEAH, IF WE DON'T FIX THIS NOW, WE'LL SEE THE EFFECTS FOR YEARS TO COME.

BUT, YOU KNOW, ALSO THERE IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO THINK ABOUT HOW DO WE HELP THE KIDS WHO MAY HAVE HELPED OUT ON THOSE LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES NEXT YEAR, AND HOW DO WE SUPPORTED THEM, AND MAYBE SCHOOLS NEED ADDITIONAL SUPPORT TO MAKES SURE THEY ARE SUCCESSFUL AS WELL.

>> ALL RIGHT.

ERIN HART FROM EXPECT MORE ARIZONA.

THANKS FOR JOINING US.

>> YOU BET.

>>> 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, WHAT HAPPENS NOW THAT THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION 60-DAY REVIEW OF THE BORDER CROSSING IS UP.

AND ON AND ON BREAK IT DOWN, AN EFFORT TO INCREASE BLACK WOMEN IN SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING AND MATHEMATICS.