[♪ THEME MUSIC ♪] >>> COMING UP IN THE NEXT HOUR OF LOCAL NEWS ON ARIZONA PBS, THE AMERICAN LUNG ASSOCIATION LOOKS AT THE STATE OF ARIZONA'S AIR QUALITY.

ON CRONKITE NEWS, A PROFILE OF ASU'S MARCHING BAND AND SPIRITS FLY, WHICH ARE BACK ON THE FIELD.

AND POLITICAL ACTIVISM IN SPORTS ON BREAK IT DOWN.

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

THE STATE SUPREME COURT REFUSED TO HEAR THE LAST REMAINING LEGAL CHALLENGE TO ARIZONA'S ELECTION.

ONE RESIDENT CLAIMS THAT BALLOTS WERE FLOWN INTO SKY HARBOR.

THE COURT RULED THE RESIDENT DIDN'T HAVE STANDING TO SUE ON ANY ELECTION ISSUE BECAUSE SHE WASN'T REGISTERED TO VOTE IN THE ELECTION.

AND THE AUDIT CONTINUES AT VETERANS' MEMORIAL COLISEUM.

AND A PRO-TRUMP BROADCASTING NETWORK FEATURED A REQUEST FOR DONATIONS TO HELP FUND THE AUDIT.

IT CLAIMED THE AUDIT IS, QUOTE, DANGEROUSLY UNDERFUNDED.

AND CINDY McCAIN MADE IT CLEAR ON WHERE SHE STANDS ON THE EFFORT.

>> THE WHOLE THING IS LUDICROUS, AND THIS COMES FROM A STATE PARTY IN ARIZONA THAT REFUSED TO BE AUDITED THEMSELVES ON VOTES THAT WERE CAST.

SO THE ELECTION IS OVER.

BIDEN WON.

>>> AND THE NUMBER 3 REPUBLICAN IN THE U.S. HOUSE LIZ CHENEY TWEETED TODAY IN RESPONSE TO DONALD TRUMP, SAYING THAT THE ELECTION WAS NOT STOLEN.

OTHER NEWS THERE IS INCREASING CONSENSUS THAT THE U.S. MAY NEVER REACH THE HERD IMMUNITY IN COVID-19.

THE RESULT A VIRUS THAT WILL LIKELY SETTLE IN AS A MANAGEABLE THREAT.

>> WE MAY NOT GET TO ZERO, BUT IF WE CAN GET INFECTIONS AT VERY LOW LEVELS, MOST OF US CAN GET BACK TO OUR LIVES IN NORM ALWAYS, I THINK WE CAN LIVE WITH THAT.

>>> ARIZONA'S INFECTION RATES IS AT ITS HIGHEST LEVEL SINCE EARLY MARCH.

THERE WERE NO NEW FATALITIES CERTIFIED.

>>> AND GOVERNOR DUCEY TODAY ISSUED AN EXECUTIVE ORDER REINSTATING THE REQUIREMENT THAT THOSE TWO RECEIVE UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS MUST SHOW THAT THEY ARE ACTIVELY SEEKING WORK.

THE REQUIREMENT HAD BEEN SUSPENDED DUE TO THE PANDEMIC, THE GOVERNOR SAID HE MADE THE MOVE BECAUSE SO MANY EMPLOYERS ARE LOOKING TO HIRE.

>>> THE AMERICAN LUNG ASSOCIATION IS OUT WITH ITS ANNUAL STATE OF THE AIR REPORT.

THE RESULTS FOR ARIZONA ARE MIXED.

WE LEARNED MORE FROM THE LUNG ASSOCIATION.

THANK YOU FOR JOINING US ON THIS MONDAY.

THE STATE OF THE AIR REPORT.

WHAT ARE WE TALKING ABOUT HERE?

>> YEAH, THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.

WE JUST RELEASED THE 22ND ANNUAL STATE OF THE AIR REPORT, WHICH SHOWS THAT DESPITE THE NATIONWIDE PROGRESS OF CLEANING UP POLLUTION, MORE THAN 40% OF AMERICANS STILL LIVE WITH UNHEALTHY PARTICLE POLLUTION.

>> AND THIS IS A THREE-YEAR LOOK.

WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT THE PANDEMIC YEAR, RIGHT?

>> YEAH, THAT'S CORRECT.

OUR REPORT TAKES EPA DATA.

SO 2020 WILL COME INTO OUR NEXT YEAR'S REPORT.

SO THIS IS 2017, '18, AND '19.

>> SO BEFORE THE PANDEMIC HIT IN TERMS OF PARTICLE AND OZONE POLLUTION OVER THREE YEARS, IN THE PHOENIX METRO AREA, WHAT DID WE SEE?

>> WE STILL SEE THAT ARIZONA AND THE PHOENIX METRO AREA RANKS HIGH.

WE'RE THE FIFTH MOST POLLUTED CITY FOR OZONE.

>> AND OZONE IS, WHAT, ANOTHER WORD FOR SMOG?

>> YES, THOSE VOLATILE ORGANIC COMPOUNDS THAT MIX WITH SUNLIGHT AND WARM TEMPERATURE, WHICH WE HAVE A LOT HERE IN ARIZONA TO CREATE OZONE.

>> SO NOT GOOD THERE, BUT IT LOOKS LIKE PARTICULATE MATTERS, MAYBE SOME ENCOURAGING NEWS THERE.

>> YES, WE DROPPED OFF OF THE TOP 10, LIST, BUT WE'RE STILL RANK 13TH.

WE STILL LOOK FOR A PARTLY FINE PARTICLE THAT LODGES DEEP IN THE LUNGS AND CAN CAUSE BREATHING ISSUES AND LUNG CANCER.

>> TUCSON AREA, SOUTHERN ARIZONA, IT KIND OF LOOKED LIKE THE RESULTS WERE FLIP FLOPPED.

>> YES, THEY SAW LESS UNHEALTHY DAYS OF OZONE, BUT MORE PARTICLE POLLUTION.

AND THAT COULD BE FOR A VARIETY OF REASONS.

THEY HAD THE REVERSE EFFECT OF WHAT WE SAW HERE IN THE PHOENIX METRO AREA, BUT STILL WIDELY, ARIZONA, WE STRUGGLE WITH OZONE AND PARTICLE POLLUTION.

>> AND THAT BECAUSE WE LIVE IN A DESERT?

IS THERE ONLY SO MUCH YOU CAN DO AND EXPECT?

>> YEAH, WE STRUGGLE BECAUSE WE LIVE IN A DESERT.

WE DO HAVE WILDFIRES AND MORE SEVERE DROUGHTS.

CLIMATE CHANGE IS MAKING IT HARDER TO CLEAN UP, SO WE'RE REALLY CALLING ON THINK BIDEN ADMINISTRATION TO SET HIGHER STANDARDS.

EVEN HEALTHY PEOPLE CAN HAVE IMPACTS FROM POUR AIR QUALITY.

>> WHAT ARE YOU EXPECTING TO SEE DURING THE PANDEMIC YEAR?

>> YEAH, AS WE KNOW, THE TRANSPORTATION SECTOR IS A LEADING SOURCE OF AIR POLLUTION.

WE DID SEE A LOT LESS PEOPLE DRIVING WHEN THE PANDEMIC FIRST HIT, AND WE DID SEE LESS VEHICLES ON THE ROAD, WHICH DID HELP, BUT IT WAS A SHORT PAUSE DURING THAT TIME PERIOD.

ONCE WE STARTED HEADING INTO THE SUMMER OZONE SEASON RESTARTED TO SEE THOSE UNHEALTHY NUMBERS AGAIN, BUT IF WE TRANSITIONED FOR MORE ZERO EMISSION VEHICLES, AND INVEST IN A INFRASTRUCTURE TO SUPPORT, WE COULD DEFINITELY CLEAR UP OUR AIR QUALITY.

>> OVERALL AIR QUALITY, THOUGH, KIDS, THOSE OVER THE AGE OF 65, THOSE GROUPS, SPECIAL CONCERN, RIGHT?

>> YEAH, THOSE ARE OUR SENSITIVE GROUPS.

PEOPLE OVER THE AGE OF 65, CHILDREN, PREGNANT WOMEN, PEOPLE WHO ALREADY HAVE COMPROMISED LUNG ISSUES, THOSE ARE THE ONES THAT NEED TO BE THE MOST CONCERNED.

>> AND I HEARD PEOPLE WITH CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE, THAT SORT OF THING, AND I HAVE ALSO HERE COMMUNITIES OF COLOR THAT RESIDE IN THESE AREAS, NOT DOING TOO WELL?

>> YEAH, PEOPLE OF COLOR USUALLY LIVE NEAR SOURCES, FREEWAYS, POWER PLANTS, FACTORIES OR REFINERIES, AND SO WE REALLY NEED TO DO MORE TO CLEAN UP AIR POLLUTION SO WE CAN ALL BREATHE EASIER.

>> IS THIS MIRRORING THE NATIONAL SITUATION?

>> WE'RE A LITTLE BIT WORSE HERE IN ARIZONA, AND REALLY THE WESTERN HALF OF THE COUNTRY, IS DOING A LITTLE BIT WORSE.

IN FACT SOME OF THE YEARS WE'RE RECORDING ARE OUR WARMEST YEARS ON RECORD GLOBALLY, SO WE'RE STRUGGLING WITH THOSE WARMER TEMPERATURES, THE DROUGHT ISSUE.

WE HAVE A LOT OF VEHICLES HERE IN ARIZONA, WE'RE 7 MILLION PEOPLE, SO THOSE ARE SOME OF THE IMPACTS THAT IS MAKING IT HARDER TO CLEAN UP FOR SURE.

>> IF YOU HAVE A PIPELINE TO THE WHITE HOUSE, WHAT WOULD YOU SAY?

>> WE WANT STRICTER STANDARDS ON OZONE, PARTICLE POLLUTION, AND EVEN METHANE, AND STRONGER CAR STANDARDS, THAT WOULD HELP.

>> GOOD TO HAVE YOU HERE.

>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.

>>> COMING UP MAY IS ASIAN AMERICAN AND PACIFIC ISLAND HERITAGE MONTH.

WE'LL HEAR ABOUT THAT.

>>> MAY IS ASIAN AMERICAN AND PACIFIC ISLANDER MONTH, AND TODAY WE HEAR ABOUT THE ARIZONA ASIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND ITS MISSION.

"HORIZONTE" HOST JOSE CARDENAS SPOKE WITH THE CHAMBER'S PRESIDENT AND CEO.

>> THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US TODAY.

LOTS OF STUFF TO TALK ABOUT, NOT THE EAST OF IT BEING THE FACT THAT MAY IS ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICAN MONTH.

TELL US ABOUT YOUR ORGANIZATION.

>> YEAH, WE WERE INCORPORATED IN 1983, BUT WE HAVE BEEN AROUND SINCE THE 1900S.

ESSENTIALLY, OUR MISSION IS TO FOCUS ON ECONOMIC AND CULTURAL DEVELOPMENT.

WE HAVE THREE PILLARS THAT WE CONSTANTLY TRY TO PUSH FORWARD WHICH IS GOVERNMENT ENSURING THAT WE HAVE THE RIGHT PEOPLE RUNNING AND THAT THE RIGHT POLICY IS BEING PUSHED.

THAT OBVIOUSLY HELP ALL COMMUNITIES.

SMALL BUSINESS, ENSURING THAT IS NOT ONLY GROWTH AND NEW BUSINESSES COMING IN, BUT ALSO MAKING SURE THEY HAVE ALL OF THE RESOURCES THEY NEED, AND EDUCATION.

WE PROVIDE MENTORSHIP AND SCHOLARSHIPS FOR NUMEROUS STUDENTS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.

SO JUST -- IN A LITTLE BIT OF INFORMATION THAT -- THAT IS WHAT THE ASIAN CHAMBER IS ABOUT.

>> SO TELL US A ABOUT THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY HERE IN ARIZONA?

HOW BIG IS IT?

HOW MANY MEMBERS DO YOU HAVE, AND OVERALL THE HEALTH OF THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY?

>> I'M PROUD TO SAY WE HAVE AROUND 1500 MEMBERS.

OUR ORGANIZATION HAS GROWNED -- GROWN EXPONENTIALLY.

WE EMPLOY OVER 50,000 INDIVIDUALS IN THE STATE THROUGH OUR BUSINESSES.

>> YOU HAVE A REPORT, I UNDERSTAND LAST ISSUED IN 2016.

TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT IS THERE, AND WHAT WE MIGHT EXPECT TO SEE IN TERMS OF CHANGES COMING UP IN 2022, CORRECT?

>> CORRECT.

THAT WILL BE THE NEXT IMPACT REPORT.

IT IS FILLED WITH SUCH USEFUL INFORMATION.

AMAZING DATA.

WE HAVE BEEN TELLING A STORY ABOUT HOW STRONG OUR COMMUNITY IS ECONOMICALLY.

WE DIDN'T HAVE THE DATA TO BACK THAT UP, AND NOW WE FINALLY DO.

WE WERE ABLE TO SHOW WHAT A TRUE POWERHOUSE OUR COMMUNITY IS.

WE WERE ABLE TO SHOW THAT OUR PURCHASING POWER BACK THEN WAS ROUGHLY 7 BILLION.

WE EXPECT WITH THE NUMBERS WE'RE SEEING THAT THAT IS GOING TO BE CLOSE TO 15 BILLION IN PURCHASING POWER IN THE COMING YEARS, AND THAT IS ASTOUNDING.

>> THIS HAS BEEN A PARTICULARLY HARD YEAR FOR THE ASIAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY.

BACK IN 2020, YOU WERE ALREADY FIELDING HATE CALLS WHEN WE ONLY HAD 15 CASES.

>> UNFORTUNATELY WE WERE.

WE WERE IN THE MIDDLE OF REPLANNING AND THE LAUNCH OF OUR NIGHT MARKET INTO A NEW AREA, SO WHEN WE WERE PLANNING THAT OUT, AND PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER, THAT'S OBVIOUSLY WHEN THE PANDEMIC FIRST CAME ON THE SCENE, SO WE RECEIVED NUMEROUS CALLS ASKING WHY OUR COMMUNITY WAS BRINGING IN DISEASES, WHY WE WERE UNCLEAN, SO IT WAS SOMETHING THAT WE HAD TO DEAL WITH.

UNFORTUNATELY WE HAD TWO PANDEMICS, RIGHT?

NOT ONLY THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC, BUT A PANDEMIC OF IGNORANCE.

WE HAD A PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATION WHO FELT A NEED TO PUT A TARGET ON OUR COMMUNITY, AND WE FELT IT VERY STRONGLY WHERE WE WERE SEEING BUSINESS DROP SIGNIFICANTLY.

WE HAD MEMBERS WHO LOST ROUGHLY 85% OF BUSINESS.

>> AND IN FACT THE REST OF 2020, I HAVE SEEN SOME REPORTS THAT THE INCREASE IN HATE CRIMES AGAINST ASIAN AMERICANS, PACIFIC ISLANDERS INCREASED BY 149%.

>> CORRECT.

AND THAT IS ONLY WHAT HAS BEEN REPORTED.

SO THE BIGGEST ISSUE IN OUR COMMUNITY, WHETHER IT BE CULTURAL, OR WHATEVER WE WANT TO CALL IT, IS THAT WE HAVEN'T DONE A GREAT JOB OF SPEAKING UP ON CERTAIN ISSUES, SO MY JOB AS THE LEADER OF THE ASIAN CHAMBER IS TO MAKE SURE OUR MEMBERS ARE SAFE AND PROTECTED ENOUGH TO FEEL LIKE THEY ARE OKAY TO TALK ABOUT THOSE ISSUES.

SO I HAVE BEEN PUSHING EVERYTHING I COULD, AND DOING EVERYTHING WE WITH VOLUNTEERS AND OUR STAFF TO MAKE SURE EVERYONE IS AS SAFE AS POSSIBLE.

>> ON A BRIGHTER NOTE, THERE'S SOME PROMISING NEW DEVELOPING COMING TO THE VALLEY WITH RESPECT TO THIS BUSINESS COMMUNITY.

>> YEAH, MOST DEAF -- DEFINITELY.

WE'RE SEEING A BUNCH OF ASIAN BUSINESSES THAT WILL BE OPENING UP IN CHANDLER SOON.

AND THERE WITH OVER 90 ASIAN BUSINESSES RIGHT THERE ON DOBSON AND MAIN.

>> AND YOU HAVE ONE GOING IN CLOSE TO MY HOUSE, THAT IS CLOSE TO MY HOUSE, SO MAKE SURE THAT GOES THROUGH.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US.

IT HAS BEEN A PLEASURE.

>> THANK YOU SO MUCH.

TAKE CARE.

BYE-BYE.

>> BYE-BYE.

♪ >>> THE ARIZONA SUPREME COURT RECENTLY INTRODUCED NEW REGULATIONS ON HOW TECHNOLOGY CAN BE USED TO HANDLE LEGAL CASES.

WE SPOKE WITH JAMES ABOUT THE IMPACT.

JAMES, GOOD TO SEE YOU AGAIN.

LET'S TALK THE LEGAL WORLD HERE.

WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?

>> WELL, IT HAS BEEN A BIG YEAR FOR THE LEGAL PROFESSION.

I THINK THE BIGGEST THING WE HAVE SEEN HAPPENED ON JANUARY 1ST OF THIS YEAR, WHEN A BRAND NEW SET OF RULES WENT INTO PLACE IN ARIZONA THAT NOW ALLOWS LAWFULS TO BE OWNED BY THOSE WHO ARE NOT LAWYERS.

FOR A CENTURY ONLY LAWYERS HAVE BEEN ABLE TO OWN LAW FIRMS, AND NOW YOU CAN HAVE OUTSIDE INVESTORS.

COMING WITH THAT IS A NEW SET OF RULES THAT ALLOWS LICENSED PARALLELS THAT CAN NOW GO INTO COURT ON BEHALF OF SOMEONE, AND THE LAST CHANGE IS DEALING WITH LAWYERS SHARES FEES WITH THOSE WHO AREN'T LAWYERS.

HOW DOES THIS GET TO TECHNOLOGY?

IT IS GOING TO INCREASE THE PACE OF CHANGE.

YOU ARE GOING TO SEE MUCH MORE INNOVATION IN WHAT HISTORICALLY HAS BEEN A BACKWARD TECHNOLOGY.

>> HOW IS AI BEING APPLIED?

>> IN THE LAW, WE LIKE TO DO RESEARCH.

THAT HAS HISTORICALLY BEEN DONE BY GOING TO LIBRARIES.

NOT TRUE ANYMORE.

YOU GIVE FINDINGS AND THE COMPUTER STARTS FINDING CASES ON THEIR OWN.

ALSO WHEN IT COMES TO UNDERSTANDING HOW MUCH IT COSTS TO BUILD A CASE, WE HAVE AI TOOLS THAT HELP US THERE.

LITERALLY EVERY STEP OF THE WAY IT IS MAKING A HUGE DIFFERENCE IN TERMS OF HOW WE'RE PREDICTING HOW JUDGES RULE IN CASES.

WE'RE PREDICTING WHAT THE OUTCOMES WILL BE IF WE FILE CERTAIN MOTIONS, SO YOU NEED TO UNDERSTAND HOW TO HAVE DATA ANALYTICS AND UNDERSTAND COMPUTERS BEFORE GOING TO THE BOOKS.

>> WHAT WAS THE REASON BEHIND THESE CHANGES?

>> WELL, IT WAS FIRST ACCESS TO JUSTICE.

SO LAWYERS -- THE WAY WE MAKE MONEY, AS A PROFESSION IN GENERAL, IS WE SELL OUR TIME.

MOST LAWYERS CHARGE BY THE LAWYER.

AND THAT COULD COST ANYWHERE FROM 200 UP TO A THOUSAND DOLLARS AN HOUR.

MOST PEOPLE CAN'T AFFORD THAT.

IT IS FINE FOR BUSINESSES, BUT IF YOU ARE AN INDIVIDUAL THAT NEEDS HELP, A THOUSAND DOLLARS AN HOUR IS NOT GOING TO WORK.

SO THE IDEA IS BY BRINGING IN NEW TECHNOLOGY, THAT WILL ALLOW NEW INDIVIDUALS WHO PREVIOUSLY HAVE NOT HAD REPRESENTATION TO GET IT.

THAT'S ONE.

TWO, INNOVATION.

THE LEGAL PROFESSION IS LITERALLY BUILT ON LOOKING BACKWARD.

YOU HEARD IT BEFORE, IT'S PRECEDENT.

YOU TOOK TO THE PAST TO PREDICT THE FUTURE, AND THAT IS NOT CONDUCIVE TO BRINGING IN INNOVATION.

LAWYERS HAVE BEEN PRACTICING THE SAME WAY FOR HUNDREDS AND HUNDREDS OF YEARS BY AND LARGE.

SO THE IDEA IS IF WE BRING IN NEW IDEAS, THE LAWYERS CAN NOW PARTNER WITH TECHNOLOGYISTS, WITH BUSINESS PEOPLE, TO BRING IN IDEAS OUTSIDE OF THE WORLD, LIKE THINK OF SILICON VALLEY, AND WE WANT TO BRING THAT INTO THE LEGAL PROFESSION.

>> YOU SAID THIS IS THE BIGGEST CHANGE IN THE LEGAL WORLD IN A CENTURY.

REALLY?

>> ABSOLUTELY.

WE'RE IN A HIGHLY REGULATED PROFESSION.

AND THOSE RULES HAVE MEANT THAT LAW FIRMS AND LAWYERS CAN ONLY OPERATE IN ONE WAY.

SO WHAT WE SEE NOW HERE IS BECAUSE OF THESE NEW RULES, IT IS GOING TO FUNDAMENTALLY CHANGE HOW LAW FIRMS PRACTICE THE BUSINESS OF LAW.

SO IT DOESN'T SOUND LIKE A LOT -- YOU COULD HAVE SOME OUTSIDE PEOPLE INVESTING, AND HAVE NEW PEOPLE AT THE TABLE, BUT I THINK WHAT YOU WILL SEE IS A BRAND NEW LEGAL SERVICE BEING DELIVERED.

>> WHAT ARE YOU HEARING FROM THE LEGAL COMMUNITY REGARDING THESE CHANGES?

>> I'LL BE HONEST WITH YOU -- LOOK, ANY TIME YOU HAVE A MONOPOLY, WHICH IS WHAT LAWYERS HAVE HAD, WE HAVE HAD A MONOPOLY ON LEGAL SERVICES, THERE ARE BENEFIT FROM THAT, AND THIS IS REALLY A BUSTING UP OF THAT MONOPOLY.

SO THERE ARE SOME PEOPLE ACROSS THE INDUSTRY WHO HAVE BEEN PRETTY NERVOUS ABOUT THIS CHANGE.

AND WE DON'T KNOW WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN.

ARIZONA AND UTAH ARE AMONG THE FIRST STATES TO IMPLEMENT THIS CHANGE.

SO PEOPLE IN GENERAL DON'T LIKE CHANGE.

THEY ARE FEARFUL OF IT, SO I THINK THERE HAS BEEN SOME FEAR AND SCEPTICISM, BUT I THINK THAT HAS ALWAYS BEEN TEMPERED BY OPTIMISM.

I DO THINK THERE ARE SOME PEOPLE THAT DO BELIEVE IN THE CAUSE OF GETTING MORE ACCESS OF INNOVATING, SO I THINK THERE'S A MIXTURE OF EMOTIONS.

>> IT IS GOING TO BE FASCINATING TO WATCH.

JAMES, ALWAYS A PLEASURE.

THANKS FOR JOINING US.

>> GREAT SEEING YOU.

♪ >>> 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, A PROFILE OF ASU'S MARCHING BAND AND SPIRIT SQUAD, WHICH ARE BACK ON THE FIELD.

AND ON BREAK IT DOWN, POLITICAL ACTIVISM IN SPORTS.

♪