[♪ THEME MUSIC ♪] >>> COMING UP IN THE NEXT HOUR OF LOCAL NEWS ON ARIZONA PBS, ON "ARIZONA HORIZON," HOW THE PROPOSED NEW INFRASTRUCTURE BILL WOULD IMPACT THE STATE AND HOW THE PLAN WOULD BE PAID FOR.

AND ON CRONKITE NEWS WHY FENTANYL IS BECOMING MORE READILY AVAILABLE IN THE U.S. THAT'S ALL COMING UP IN THE NEXT HOUR OF ARIZONA PBS.

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

I'M TED SIMONS.

THE DEREK CHAUVIN CASE OF GEORGE FLOYD IS NOW IN THE HANDS OF THE JURY.

>> THIS CASE IS EXACTLY WHAT YOU THOUGHT WHEN YOU SAW IT FIRST, WHEN YOU SAW THAT VIDEO.

IT IS EXACTLY THAT.

YOU CAN BELIEVE YOUR EYES.

IT'S EXACTLY WHAT YOU BELIEVED.

IT'S EXACTLY WHAT YOU SAW WITH YOUR EYES.

IT'S EXACTLY WHAT YOU KNEW.

IT'S WHAT YOU FELT IN YOUR GUT.

IT'S WHAT YOU NOW KNOW IN YOUR HEART.

>> THE DEFENSE COUNTERED THAT WHAT THE JURY SAW WAS NOT THE FULL STORY.

>> THROUGHOUT THE COURSE OF THIS TRIAL YOU HAVE SEEN US DO THIS, A SECOND HERE, A SECOND THERE, A SCREEN SHOT HERE, A SCREEN SHOT THERE.

YOU NEED TO REVIEW THE ENTIRETY OF THE EVIDENCE IN THIS CASE.

DURING THE COURSE OF YOUR DELIBERATIONS AS WELL.

AND I CAN TELL YOU THAT SOME OF THE VIDEOS THAT YOU HAVE SEEN, THEY ARE MUCH LONGER THAN WHAT WAS PRESENTED IN COURT.

>> AND THEY SAID CHAUVIN DID EXACTLY WHAT HE WAS TRAINED TO DO.

THE PROSECUTION TODAY HIS ACTIONS WERE NOT NECESSARY, OR PROPER.

>>> TODAY'S RULING IN THE CAPITOL RIOT TRIAL WILL LIKELY BRING CHARGES.

>>> GOVERNOR DOUG DUCEY LIFTED HIS EXECUTIVE ORDER REQUIRING K-THROUGH 12 SCHOOLS TOO REQUIRE MASKS, SAYING THAT SCHOOLS WERE, QUOTE, READY TO DECIDE THEIR NEXT STEP WHEN IT COMES TO MASKS.

>>> AND THE GOVERNOR TODAY BANNED STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS FROM ISSUING SO-CALLED VACCINE PASSPORTS, KEEPING CITIES AND TOWNS FROM REQUIRING AN INDIVIDUAL TO CARRY A VACCINATION CARD TO ENTER AN AREA.

>>> 37% OF ADULTS HAVE NOW RECEIVED AT LEAST ONE VACCINE SHOT.

DR. ANTHONY FAUCI TODAY EMPHASIZED THE IMPORTANCE OF GETTING VACCINATED.

>> WE LEAVE IT UP TO YOU.

LOOK AT THE DATA.

THE DATA SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES.

WE ALL WANT NORMALCY IN AMERICA.

THE HIGHWAY TO THAT NORMALCY IS VACCINATION.

>>> ARIZONA REPORTED 692 CASES OF COVID TODAY.

THAT'S KEEPS THE SEVEN-DAY AVERAGE AT AMONG THE BEST IN THE COUNTRY.

AND NO NEW COVID-RELATED FATALITIES REPORTED TODAY.

>>> PRESIDENT BIDEN RECENTLY UNVEILED A MORE THAN $2 TRILLION INFRASTRUCTURE FACT AGE.

WE TALKED ABOUT THE INFRASTRUCTURE PROPOSAL AND THE PLAN TO PLAY FOR IT WITH JENNY BROWN.

THANK YOU FOR JOINING US TODAY.

$2.3 TRILLION PLAN.

WHAT JUMPS OUT AT YOU ABOUT THIS IN >> WELL, OBVIOUSLY THE PART WHERE WE'RE BUILDING THINGS.

THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION IS PROPOSALING A VERY LARGE -- BY ANY SCALE -- IT HAS NOT BEEN PROPOSED BEFORE FOR INFRASTRUCTURE.

THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN IGNORED AND MAYBE NOT TAKEN CARE FOR A WHILE.

THAT PART OF THE BILL HAS PRETTY BROOD BIPARTISAN SUPPORT, BUT THERE'S NO DOUBT THE SCALE IS QUITE LARGE.

>> LET'S TALK ABOUT THOSE DOLLARS HERE.

THE PLAN, I GUESS, IS TO PAY FOR THIS BY RAISING CORPORATE TAXES.

>> CORRECT.

SO -- AND WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT THAT IN TERMS OF A REACTION TO THE 2017 TAX CUTS.

SO WE -- PRIOR TO 2017 HAS A CORPORATE TAX RATE OF [ INAUDIBLE ] PERCENT THAT WAS HIGHER THAN THE REST OF [ INAUDIBLE ] AND THEN IN NOVEMBER OF 2017, WE HAD A LARGE SIGNIFICANT FLASH IN A CORPORATE TAX RATE, DOWN TO 21%.

SO WE HAVE BEEN LIVING IN THAT 21% WORLD, AND NOW WE'RE BACK TO THE MIDDLE, AND THE PROPOSAL IS -- AS YOU SAID, THIS IS A CORPORATE TAX PIECE OF BIDEN'S CAMPAIGN.

PART OF IT IS RAISING WHAT WE CALL THE TOP-LINE RATE FROM 21% TO 28%, AND ESTIMATES ARE THAT WOULD RAISE THE MOST AMOUNT OF MONEY.

AND THE NEXT PROPOSED CHANGE WOULD BE THE INTERNATIONAL TAX LAW FOR PEOPLE THAT HAVE OPERATIONS IN THE U.S., AND THAT WOULD BRING IN ADDITIONAL FUNDS AS WELL.

>> IS THERE ANYTHING IN THIS PAYMENT PLAN THAT SUGGESTS THAT YOU GO AFTER THESE CORPORATIONS THAT RIGHT NOW ARE PAYING LITTLE TO NO TAX?

>> THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.

CERTAINLY SOMETHING THAT MAKES THE NEWS IS WHEN WE SEE ANNUAL REPORTS OF CORPORATIONS WHEN THEY ARE REPORTING THAT THEY HAVE A ZERO TAX RATE, AN EFFECTIVE RATE OF ZERO -- THEY PAID ZERO.

AND THAT RAISES A RED FLAG.

SOMETIMES THEY ARE LOOKING AT COMPANIES, AND SOMETIMES IT IS BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T MAKE ANY MONEY.

SO PUTTING THESE COMPANIES IN A BUDGET, SO YOU MIGHT HAVE A COMPANY THAT DIDN'T MAKE ANY MONEY, AND THAT'S WHY THEY DIDN'T PAY ANY TAXES.

AND THEN YOU HAVE COMPANIES THAT ARE PROFITABLE, BUT THEY ARE NOT PAYING ATTACKSES TO THE U.S. GOVERNMENT BY DESIGN.

BECAUSE THERE ARE TIMES WHEN WE'RE TRYING TO PROMOTE ACTIVITIES, AND TO DO THAT, WE GIVE TAX BREAKS.

A GOOD EXAMPLE OF THIS IS [ INAUDIBLE ] DEPRECIATION, SO TO ENCOURAGE INVESTMENT.

SO WE ALLOW COMPANIES TO WRITE OFF EXPENSES FOR A PERIOD OF TIME.

SO THESE FIRMS ARE OUT THERE, AND INVESTING IN ASSETS THAT COULD HAVE VERY LARGE DEDUCTIONS THAT WOULD DRIVE THEIR TAXABLE INCOME DOWN TO ZERO OR EVEN BOW -- BELOW.

AND THEN OF COURSE YOU HAVE ANOTHER BUCKET.

THIS IS WHERE YOU ARE STARTING TO LOOK AT CORPORATIONS, WHERE FOR YEARS -- OR YEAR-OVER-YEAR, THEY ARE REPORTING SIGNIFICANT PROFIT TO THEIR SHAREHOLDERS, THEY ARE SOME OF THE LARGEST CORPORATIONS IN THE MARKET, AND YET THEY DON'T SEEM TO BE PAYING VERY MUCH TAX TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, AND THAT RAISES A RED FLAG, ESPECIALLY IF THEY SEEM TO BE SHIFTING THEIR PROFITS ALOFT, AND THAT IS A CONCERN FOR LAWMAKERS, SO THAT'S WHERE YOU SEE A CRACKDOWN, LET'S SAY, AND WE SEE MORE OF THAT WITH THIS INFRASTRUCTURE BILL, AN ADDITIONAL CRACKDOWN, AND ONE OF THE LARGEST ONES THERE IS AN INCREASE IN WHAT IS CALLED THE GUILTY TAX FROM 10.5% TO 20%.

THIS IS THE TAX ON FOREIGN EARNINGS.

>> OKAY.

LAST QUESTION HERE.

FOR THOSE COMPANIES THAT ARE GOING TO SEE AN INCREASE IN THEIR TAX LOAD, THESE CORPORATIONS, WILL THAT LOAD PAY OFF IN TERMS OF BETTER INFRASTRUCTURE?

>> GREAT QUESTION.

OBVIOUSLY INFRASTRUCTURE WILL BENEFIT.

EXACTLY HOW WE CAN MEASURE THAT AGAINST THEIR PROFITS -- OR BECAUSE INFRASTRUCTURE TAKES TIME TO PAY OFF, AND HOW WE CAN FACTOR THAT IN INTO ALL OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT GO INTO THEIR PROFITS HARD TO SAY EXACTLY.

>> JENNY BROWN, GREAT CONVERSATION.

GOOD TO HAVE YOU HERE.

THANKS FOR JOINING US.

>> THANKS FOR HAVING ME.

>>> UP NEXT HOW SENIORS WHO ARE FULLY VACCINATED AGAINST COVID SHOULD GO ABOUT THEIR TRAVEL PLANS.

♪ >>> MANY SENIORS ARE NOW FULLY VACCINATED AGAINST COVID-19, AND ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO TAKING TRAVEL PLANS.

WE SPOKE TO A DOCTOR TO GET HIS IDEA OF SAFE TRAVEL FOR SENIORS.

DOCTOR, GOOD TO SEE YOU.

WHAT DO FULLY VACCINATED SENIORS NEED TO KNOW?

>> WELL, IT'S A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO RECONNECT WITH FAMILY AND FRIENDS, BECAUSE LONELINESS IS A BIG DEAL PARTICULARLY IN SENIORS, AND LONELINESS REALLY, CAN INCREASE YOUR RISK OF HEART ATTACK OR STROKE.

SO GIVEN THE PANDEMIC, I THINK WE HAVE BEEN SEEING A LOT MORE LONELINESS AND ISOLATION, AND SENIORS HAVE REALLY SUFFERED A GREAT DEAL.

SO I THINK IT IS IMPORTANT FOR THEM TO REALLY LOOK AT TRAVELING, AND THE CDC HAS RELEASED SOME GREAT GUIDELINES.

YOU DON'T NEED TO QUARANTINE BEFORE AND AFTER, YOU NEED DEED TO WEAR A MASK AT THE AIRPORT AND ON THE PLAIN, AND KEEP IT ON AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE, AND THEN WHEN YOU ARE THERE, VISITING YOUR GRANDCHILDREN, RELATIVES, CHILDREN, ALL OF THE ABOVE, TRY TO LIMIT THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE YOU ARE SEEING, ESPECIALLY IF YOU HAVE A CHRONIC CONDITION.

>> SHOULD FOLKS TRAVELING TAKE THEIR VACCINE CARDS WITH THEM?

>> YES, IT IS A GREAT IDEA TO TAKE YOUR VACCINE CARD.

I THINK WE'RE IN A NATIONAL AND STATE-WIDE DEBATE ABOUT VACCINE CARDS.

SO I THINK IT IS A GOOD IDEA TO HAVE THAT WITH YOU, JUST IN CASE IT IS AN ISSUE.

>> AND IN TERMS OF AIRPORTS AND AIRLINES AND SUCH, ARE AIRLINES SERIOUS ABOUT CONTACT TRACING, CLEANING THINGS OFF, THESE SORTS OF THINGS?

HAVE THEY GOTTEN THEIR ACT TOGETHER ON THIS?

>> THEY ARE GREAT ABOUT SANITIZING AND AIR VENTILATION ON THE PLANE.

BUT IT IS A MIXED BAG OF WHO IS FULLY VACCINATED AND WHO IS NOT.

I WOULD PREFER TO HAVE A TIERED SYSTEM WHERE FULLY VACCINATED PEOPLE WOULD HAVE LESS RESTRICTIONS, BUT I THINK YOU HAVE TO PROTECT YOURSELF IN THAT SITUATION.

SO THAT'S WHY A HIGHER-GRADE MASK WILL BE IMPORTANT TO PROTECT YOURSELF.

>> AND AGAIN, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT FOLKS WHO ARE FULLY VACCINATED.

FOR THOSE WHO ARE FULLY VACCINATED, I MEAN, THE OLD RULES AND RECOMMENDATIONS STILL APPLY, DON'T THEY IN >> ABSOLUTELY.

IF YOU ARE NOT FULLY VACCINATED, YOU ARE NOT FULLY SAFE TO TRAVEL.

AND YOU HAVE TO ASK YOURSELF WHERE ARE YOU NOT FULLY VACCINATED?

BECAUSE THE EXCUSE TO BE ABLE TO TRAVEL AND VISIT WITH SMALL GROUPS LOCALLY, AND EVEN WHEN YOU TRAVEL, IT IS A GREAT INCENTIVE.

SO MY QUESTION IS WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?

>> AND OLDER FOLKS, SENIORS, AT IN-CREASED RISK EVEN IF VACCINATED?

>> DEFINITELY, I THINK YOU ARE AT INCREASED RISK, ESPECIALLY IF YOU ADD IN ONE OF TWO RISKS, BUT THE INCREASED RISK AT ISOLATION IS EVEN GREATER.

SO I HAVE ENCOURAGED FOLKS WHO ARE IN THAT GROUP, TO GET OUT THERE AND GET VACCINATED.

>> DOCTOR, THANK YOU.

ALWAYS A PLEASURE.

>> THANK YOU, TED.

♪ >>> THE REGION'S CUP IS A DETATE COMPETITION FOR STUDENTS THAT EMPHASIZES RESPECT AND CIVIL DISCOURSE.

WE SPOKE TO THE ARIZONA BOARD OF REGENTS ABOUT THIS YEAR'S UP-COMING COMPETITION.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US.

WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE REGENT'S CUP.

WHAT EXACTLY IS THAT, AND HOW IT GOT STARTED, AND YOUR PLACE IN GETTING IT STARTED?

>> THANK YOU, TED.

THE REGENT'S CUP RECEIVES CIVIL DISCOURSE AT OUR UNIVERSITY.

IT WAS AN IDEA THAT I HAD WHEN I WAS APPOINTED TO THE BOARD.

IT EMANATED FROM A CONVERSATION THAT I HAD WITH MY SON WHEN HE WAS 16.

AND I THOUGHT, WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE A COMPETITION WHERE THE STUDENTS COULD COME TOGETHER AND HAVE A ROBUST COMPETITION ON FREE SPEECH AND THE FIRST AMENDMENT.

THIS WAS THE ONLY ONE OF OUR THREE UNIVERSITIES WITH A GREEN RATING ON RIGHTS IN EDUCATION FOR ITS COMMITMENT TO FREE SPEECH.

SO I'M HAPPY TO REPORT THAT ALL THREE OF OUR UNIVERSITIES NOW HAVE THAT COVETED GREEN RATING.

THE REGENTS CUP INCLUDES ALL THREE OF OUR UNIVERSITIES, BUT WE WANTS TO CREATE A COMPETITION AMONGST THE UNIVERSITIES.

>> AND, AGAIN, THE EMPHASIS HERE -- WE TALKED ABOUT THIS IN THE PAST -- THE EMPHASIS IS CIVIL DISCOURSE AND RESPECT.

IT'S NOT A DISCOURSE WHERE PEOPLE AREN'T THROWING FURNITURE OR CALLING NAMES.

IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE A SOPHISTICATED PROCESS.

>> THAT'S CORRECT.

IT IS TO FOSTER FREE SPEECH AND IDEALOGICAL DIVERSESY AND TOLERANCE OF EACH OTHER.

>> AND THIS IS A COMPETITION WITH SCHOLARSHIPS NOW?

>> THAT'S RIGHT.

>> I MADE THE CASE THAT THIS IS SO FUNDAMENTAL TO A SOCIETY THAT WE CAN HAVE DEBATES IN A CIVIL MANNER.

SO I WAS ABLE TO RAISE QUITE A BIT OF MONEY, AND EVERY STUDENT THAT PARTICIPATED WALKED AWAY WITH A MONITOR AWARD.

AND THEY EACH RECEIVED THREE HOURS OF CREDIT.

AND IN THE FIRST REGENTS CUP, IT WAS ALMOST A FULL SEMESTER THEY HAD TO PREPARE, AND THIS YEAR THEY HAD MORE THAN A SEMESTER TO PREPARE.

>> AND I WOULD IMAGINE IT'S PRETTY IMPORTANT FOR THESE YOUNG FOLKS TO GET THIS PUBLIC-SPEAKING EXPERIENCE, BECAUSE YOU LEARN HOW TO BE COMPOSED AND ARTICULATE IN A HOT AND HEAVY ENVIRONMENT?

>> THAT'S ABSOLUTE.

ONE OF THE COMPETITORS SIGNED UP TO COMPETE WITH THE BELIEF THAT SHUTTING DOWN PEOPLE WHO HAVE OPINIONS DIFFERENT THAN YOURS IS THE RIGHT WAY TO MANAGE IDEALOGICAL DIFFERENCES, AND BY THE TIME THE COMPETITION CAME AROUND, SHE CAME TO A RADICALLY DIFFERENT CONCLUSION THAT WE HAVE TO HAVE MORE CONVERSATIONS TO FORGE SOLUTIONS TO THE MANY, MANY, PROBLEMS THAT WE FACE.

>> SO HOW IT IS JUDGED, AND WHAT THEY ARE LOOKING FOR?

>> WELL, OF COURSE, COVID HAS CHANGED EVERYTHING.

SO WE HAD A CHOICE TO EITHER MOVE THE COMPETITION TO THE FALL IN HOPES WE COULD BE BACK TOGETHER IN PERSON, BUT WE CHOSE TO HOST IT THIS YEAR VIRTUALLY.

THERE ARE DEBATES ALL OVER THE COUNTRY, AND WITH THE INAUGURAL REGENT'S CUP, AS WELL AS THIS ONE, WE HAVE BEEN BLESSED WITH JUDGES TO PARTICIPATE FROM AROUND THE COUNTRY.

WE HAVE REPRESENTATIVES THAT I REFERENCED BEFORE, WE HAD THE FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE ACLU.

THIS YEAR WE HAVE GOT GOOD REPRESENTATION, AGAIN, FROM AROUND THE COUNTRY.

AND WE HAVE SUPREME COURT JUSTICE.

WE HAVE MEMBERS OF OUR SLATE LEGISLATURE, AND WE HAVE JUDGES.

ONE OF THE ASSETS FOR ME IN ORGANIZING THIS WAS A JUDGE FROM THE MARICOPA COUNTY COURT.

SO IT IS A WIDE VARIETY OF PEOPLE, AND FOR ME IT IS ALSO AN OPPORTUNITY FOR ME AND THE JUDGES TO SEE HOW GOOD OUR STUDENTS ARE WHEN IT COMES TO DEBATE AND FREE SPEECH.

>> WHEN IS THIS?

>> THIS FRIDAY AND SATURDAY THE 23RD AND 24TH -- YES, THE 23RD AND 24TH.

ON FRIDAY NIGHT WE HAVE A VIRTUAL RECEPTION FOR THE JUDGES AND THE STUDENTS AND THE COMPETITION ON SATURDAY, AND THE AWARDS ON SATURDAY EVENING.

>> WELL, CONGRATULATIONS ON GETTING THIS STARTED.

THANK YOU.

>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

>>> AND THAT IS IT FOR NOW.

I AM TED SIMONS.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US.

YOU HAVE A GREAT EVENING.