>>>.

>>> REMEMBER HE HAS ANOTHER POSITION IN ADDITION TO BEING THE GOVERNOR OF ARIZONA.

HE IS THE CHAIRMAN OF THE REPUBLICAN GOVERNOR'S ASSOCIATION, WHICH PUTS HIM AS ONE OF THE HIGHEST PROFILE REPUBLICANS IN THE ENTIRE COUNTRY.

SO IT MIGHT NOT BE POLITICAL OFFICE FOR HIM, BUT WHEN REPUBLICANS ACROSS THE COUNTRY, AND ESPECIALLY IN ARIZONA ON THE CONSERVATIVE, VERY CONSERVATIVE SIDE HAVE BEEN REALLY PUSHING FOR A BAN TO THE SO-CALLED VACCINE PASSPORTS AS WE'VEEN.

>> OTHER -- WE'VE SEEN IN OTHER STATES.

THERE'S BILLS IN OTHER STATES, SPECIFICALLY TJ SHOPE WORKING ON THE LANGUAGE WITH THE GOVERNOR THAT THEY'RE GOING TO CODIFY.

BUT I THINK IT'S SAFE TO SAY THERE IS SOME INVOLVEMENT IN THESE UPCOMING, CRAZY POLITICAL RACES WE'RE GOING TO SEE IN ARIZONA IN 2022, AND JUST NATIONALLY THAT DUCEY IS THE TOP PERSON OUTSIDE OF THE FORMER PRESIDENT WHO'S GOING TO HELP THESE REPUBLICANS GET ELECTED IN THEIR PRIMARIES AND GENERAL AND VACCINE JUST BECAME A BIG, BIG PART OF THAT AT THIS POINT, JUST TRYING TO CONFUSE A LOT OF PEOPLE, MAKING IT SEEM LIKE SOMEONE'S TRYING TO MANDATE GETTING THE VACCINE, BUT IT'S NOT A THING.

PRESIDENT CROW SAID HE WANTED TO JUST CONTINUE FOLLOWING THE CDC GUIDANCE AND THAT'S KIND OF WHAT IT DOES.

IF YOU DON'T HAVE A VACCINE, AND YOU ARE NOT WEARING A MASK OR PROTECTING YOURSELF, SOCIAL DISTANCING, WHAT HAVE YOU, YOU'RE NOT PROTECTED, AND I THINK AS ARIZONANS LEARNED THIS MORNING, THE POINT GUARD OF THE PHOENIX SUNS, CHRIS PAUL, APPARENTLY WAS VACCINATED AND NOW MAY HAVE TESTED POSITIVE FOR COVID-19.

SO WE'RE STILL NOT OUT OF THE WOODS.

>> YEAH, YEAH.

STILL NOT OUT OF THE WOODS AS FAR AS A BUDGET IS CONCERNED EITHER.

WHAT'S GOING ON, DYLAN?

SEEMS LIKE NOTHING IS GOING ON?

>> IT'S A STRESSFUL TIME FOR EVERYTHING, BUT BUDGET IS KIND OF WHERE -- WE TOOK A BACK SEAT UNDER THE SPECIAL SESSION TO KIND OF GET SOME FUNDING TO THE WILDFIRES THAT HAVE BEEN RAGING DOWN IN PINAL AND GILA COUNTIES, BUT IT DOESN'T LOOK LIKE ANY PROGRESS IS BEING MADE ON THE BUDGET.

THE GOVERNOR VETOED 22 BILLS A FEW WEEKS AGO, AND HIS REASON WAS SEND ME A BUDGET, OTHERWISE I'M NOT GOING TO SIGN BILLS FOR THE REST OF THE SESSION, AND STILL THEY DO NOT HAVE THE VOTES, AS WE SAW LAST WEEK.

THE HOUSE CAME TO ORDER LAST MONDAY, REPRESENTATIVE DAVID COOK, A CONSERVATIVE REPUBLICAN, ALSO DEALING WITH FIRES THAT HAVE BEEN ON HIS RANCH, VOTED NO.

HE'S THE ONE HOLDOUT IN THE HOUSE.

THERE MAY BE ONE OR MORE HOLDOUTS IN THE SENATE, AND TO MY KNOWLEDGE, SEEMS LIKE IT'S LESS AND LESS LIKELY THAT THE BUDGET IN ITS CURRENT FORM, WITH THE $1.9 BILLION TAX CUT THAT THE GOVERNOR HAS BEEN PUSHING IT DOES NOT SEEM LIKE THAT'S GOING TO BE WHAT WILL BE THE FINAL BUDGET THIS YEAR, AND THERE'S BEEN A LOT MORE TALK OF A SO-CALLED SKINNY BUDGET LIKE 2020.

>> INTERESTING, INTERESTING.

BEFORE WE GO, I WANT AN UPDATE WHAT'S HAPPENING AT THE REVIEW, THE RECOUNT, THE AUDIT, ARE THEY GOING TO GET THIS THING DONE BY THE END OF THE MONTH?

>> THAT'S THE PLAN.

THEY FINISHED UP WITH THE HAND RECOUNTING NOT TOO LONG AGO, NOW THEY'RE DOING A LOT OF THE BALLOT IMAGING WHICH THERE SEEMS TO BE ON A PREDICTED PACE, THEY'RE AVERAGING 100,000 BALLOTS PER DAY AND THE ESTIMATE IS THEY'RE GOING TO BE DONE WITH IT BY JUNE 26.

I THINK THEIR WHOLE PLAN, AFTER THEY GOT THEIR RENEWED STATE AT THE HOUSE AT McDOWELL, I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH LONGER IT'S GOING TO TAKE AFTER WE GET THE REPORT.

>> DYLAN ROSENBLATT FROM THE CAPITOL TIMES, THANK YOU.

>> THANK YOU.

>> UP NEXT, THE DEADLIEST TIME OF YEAR FOR TEEN DRIVERS.

HOW BEST TO TEACH KIDS TO DRIVE SAFELY?

.

>> THE 100 DAYS BETWEEN MEMORIAL DAY AND LABOR DAY ARE THE DEADLIEST TIME OF YEAR FOR TEEN DRIVERS.

NEW DATA FROM AAA SHOWS AN AVERAGE OF 14 ARIZONA TEENAGERS WILL BE INVOLVED IN DEADLY CRASHES THIS SUMMER.

WE TALKED ABOUT THIS WITH ATTORNEY MARK LAMBERT.

MARK, THANK YOU FOR JOINING US AS WE TALK ABOUT TEENAGE DRIVING IN THE SUMMERTIME.

THIS IS THE MOST DANGEROUS TIME FOR TEEN DRIVERS, CORRECT?

>> IT IS, UNFORTUNATELY.

I HAVE MYSELF TWO TEENAGED BOYS, IT'S A NERVE-RACKING TIME FOR PARENTS AND DRIVERS GENERALLY.

THIS YEAR IS GOING TO BE WORSE THAN OTHER YEARS, IN FACT.

SO MANY PEOPLE HAVE BEEN CONFINED TO THEIR HOMES OR RESPECTIVE BUBBLES DURING THE PANDEMIC.

NOW THAT THE RESTRICTIONS HAVE BEEN EASED, YOU'RE GOING TO SEE A LOT MORE PEOPLE ON THE ROAD.

PEOPLE ARE ITCHING TO GET OUT AND TAKE VACATIONS AND ROAD TRIPS.

SO I THINK YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE MORE DRIVERS ON THE ROAD AND THEN YOU'LL HAVE ALL THESE TEENS COMING HOME FROM SCHOOL, THE LESS EXPERIENCED DRIVERS.

PEOPLE DON'T APPRECIATE THAT FOR TEENS, 16 TO 19 YEARS OLD, THE NUMBER ONE LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH IN OUR COUNTRY ARE CRASHES.

SO THIS IS FOR REAL.

THIS IS A REAL CONCERN, AND WHAT WE SEE TOO, SCARY DURING THIS PERIOD, DURING THIS TIME OF DAY, THAT'S WHEN WE SEE THE MOST FATALITIES.

IT JUMPS UP TO 30% OF ALL THE FATALITIES HAPPEN WITHIN THE 100-DAY PERIOD FROM MEMORIAL DAY TO LABOR DAY.

FROM THE END OF MAY UNTIL THE FIRST WEEK OF SEPTEMBER.

>> OBVIOUSLY, KIDS ARE HOME, THEY'RE BACK HOME, SCHOOL'S OUT FOR THE MOST PART.

THERE'S A LOT MORE DRIVING GOING ON AND A LOT MORE HIGHWAY DRIVING IN ARIZONA, ISN'T THERE?

>> THERE IS, AND THERE ARE CERTAIN RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH DRIVING, AND WE KNOW THEM.

SOME OF THEM ARE SURPRISING.

AAA, THE AMERICAN AUTOMOBILE ASSOCIATION COMES OUT WITH ANNUAL STATISTICS OVER THE 100-DAY PERIOD, AND SOME OF IT IS WHAT YOU EXPECT.

A VERY SIGNIFICANT FACTOR IN THESE CRASHES ARE DISTRACTED DRIVING, AND DISTRACTED DRIVING IS USING YOUR CELL PHONE, TEXTING, MAKING A CALL, WHERE YOUR EYES ARE NOT ON THE ROAD.

YOUR HAND IS NOT ON THE ROAD, ON THE WHEEL, EYES ARE FOCUSED ON WHAT YOU DO ON THE CELL PHONE.

60% OF THE TIME.

ONE OF THE ONES THAT CAUGHT ME OFFGUARD WERE 60% OF THE FATALITIES OVER THE 100-DAY PERIOD INVOLVE DRIVERS OR PASSENGERS WITHOUT SEAT BELTS.

AND IT'S REMARKABLE TO ME AS A PERSON, HAVING DONE THIS FOR THREE DECADES NOW THAT HERE WE ARE IN THE 21st CENTURY TALKING ABOUT, REMINDING PEOPLE YOU NEED TO WEAR SEAT BELTS.

WE THINK EVERYONE WOULD KNOW THAT BY NOW.

EVIDENTLY NOT, AND THEN ONE OF THE OTHER FACTORS THAT WE SEE THAT AAA IS REPORTING AMONGST THE FATALITIES IN TEENS IS SPEEDING.

I AM NOT SURPRISED BY THAT, BUT THESE ARE THREE, IN MY VIEW, LOW HANGING FRUIT AS PARENTS THAT WE CAN DISCUSS WITH OUR KIDS THAT AS ADULTS WE CAN DISCUSS WITH KIDS AND YOUNG DRIVERS.

THE FIRST IS, AND IT'S THE LAW, BY THE WAY.

DON'T USE YOUR CELL PHONE WHEN YOU'RE DRIVING.

NO TEXTING, NO MAKING A CALL.

AT MOST USE YOUR BLUETOOTH, HEADPHONES, BUT DON'T BE TAKING YOUR EYES OFF THE ROAD.

VERY DANGEROUS.

SO THAT'S EASY.

SECOND ONE, WHICH TO ME IS THE LOWEST OF LOW HANGING FRUIT.

PUT YOUR SEAT BELT ON.

HOW HARD IS THAT?

AS WE KNOW, WE HAVE SO MUCH DATA NOW, I'M A PERSONAL INJURY LAWYER.

I'VE DONE THIS FOR THE LAST 30 YEARS.

IF YOU ASK ME THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WEARING A SEAT BELT AND NOT, THERE'S SO MANY CASES THAT I SEE WHERE SOMEONE IS EJECTED FROM AN AUTOMOBILE AND KILLED OR SERIOUSLY INJURED AND HAD THEY BEEN WEARING THEIR SEAT BELT, IT WOULDN'T HAPPEN, AND THEN ALSO ANOTHER LOW HANGING FRUIT IS SPEED.

WHEN PEOPLE TALK ABOUT WHAT CAN ADULTS OR PARENTS DO?

WE CAN SAY ALL THESE THINGS UNTIL WE'RE BLUE IN THE FACE.

THE BEST WAY TO DRIVE IT HOME, NO PUN INTENDED, IS TO PRACTICE WHAT WE PREACH.

WE ALL ARE MODELS.

IF I'M DRIVING WITH MY KIDS AND FAMILY IN THE CAR, I CAN'T BE TELLING THEM NOT TO USE MY CELL PHONE WHEN HIGH PRESSURE CENTER MY JOB, I'M GETTING A TEXT AND FEELING I HAVE TO RESPOND TO IT WHILE I'M DRIVING.

NOT ONLY IS IT AGAINST THE LAW.

IT CAN WAIT.

IT'S IMPORTANT AS PARENTS AND ADULTS, WE PRACTICE AS WE PREACH.

SAME THING WITH SPEEDING, SAME THING WITH WEARING A SEAT BELT.

I ALWAYS THINK WHEN I'M IN A PARKING LOT, MOVING A FEW SPOTS, I NEED TO PUT ON THE SEAT BELT?

YEAH, ALWAYS, WITHOUT EXCEPTION.

>> SHOULD BECOME SECOND NATURE.

FOR MANY OF US, NOT HAVING A SEAT BELT ON WHEN YOU'RE BACKING UP OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY, YOU FEEL LIKE YOU'RE WALKING AROUND NAKED.

AS FAR AS CARS AND KIDS THOUGH, OVER THE YEARS, IT DOESN'T SEEM LIKE TEENAGERS ARE AS CAR CRAZY AS THEY WERE IN GENERATIONS PAST.

ARE YOU FINDING THAT TRUE?

>> YOU KNOW, ANECDOTALLY I AM IN THE SENSE THAT I HAVE TEENAGE BOYS, AND WHEN I WAS GETTING MY LICENSE, WHEN I TURNED WHATEVER IT WAS 15 YEARS 6 MONTHS OR WHENEVER IT WAS I GOT THE PERMIT AND AS SOON AS I COULD GET MY LICENSE, THAT MORNING, WHEN IT OPENED, I WAS AT DMV.

WHAT I'M SEEING TODAY AMONGST A LOT OF KIDS INCLUDING MY OWN, THERE'S NOT THE SAME RUSH AS THE GENERAL POPULATION WHICH IS SURPRISING TO ME.

I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S BECAUSE THE INTERNET AND KIDS CAN COMMUNICATE WITHOUT LEAVING THE HOME, BUT I STILL THINK THE SAME DANGERS ARE POSED BY BEING ON THE ROADWAY AND THERE ARE JUST MORE, THE ROADWAYS ARE MORE CROWDED.

SO WHAT I'M SEEING AS A PARENT ARE KIDS THAT ARE NOT AS ENTHUSED ABOUT GETTING THEIR LICENSE RIGHT AWAY.

ONCE THEY DO, I SEE THEM GOING OUT OFTEN.

I DID THE SAME THING, AND AS AN ATTORNEY, I SEE A VERY SIGNIFICANT INFLUX OF ACCIDENTS IN THE SUMMER MONTHS, AND SEEING ACCIDENTS ALL YEAR AROUND.

>> YEAH, YEAH.

GOOD INFORMATION, ESPECIALLY THE IDEA OF SHOWING BY EXAMPLE.

MARC LAMBER, GOOD TO HAVE YOU, THANK YOU SO MUCH.

>> THANKS, TED.

.

>> JUNETEENTH IS A HOLIDAY THAT CELEBRATES THE EMANCIPATION OF ENSLAVED PEOPLE.

WORD OF THE EMANCIPATION PROCLAMATION MADE IT TO TEXAS THREE YEARS AFTER IT.

CHEF STEVEN JONES, GOOD TO SEE YOU AGAIN.

WE TALKED TO YOU LAST YEAR ABOUT THIS TIME.

YOU HAD A JUNETEENTH MENU FOR THE DATE.

YOU'RE DOING IT AGAIN THIS YEAR.

TALK TO US ABOUT THIS AND WHAT WAS THE REACTION LAST YEAR WHEN YOU DID THIS?

>> WELL, THANKS FOR HAVING ME ON, I APPRECIATE IT.

WE'RE DOING IT AGAIN, SUCH A GREAT RESPONSE TO HOW WE DID THE JUNETEENTH EVENT LAST YEAR IN THE MIDST OF COVID AND WE DID THAT ONE LAST YEAR A LITTLE DIFFERENT.

WE HAD SEPARATE FEEDINGS AND ONLY ALLOWED SO MANY PEOPLE PER SEATING.

THIS TIME AROUND, WE WENT AHEAD AND WENT TO THE OLD FORMAT, EVERYONE CAN LINGER TOGETHER WITH MASKS OR WITHOUT MASKS.

COMPLETELY UP TO THEM, IT WENT FURTHER INTO THE PANDEMIC AND AWAY FROM IT.

IT'S A GOOD TIME TO CELEBRATE AND THINK ABOUT EVERYTHING AND ALL THE SACRIFICES THAT THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN CULTURE HAS GONE THROUGH AND CURRENTLY STILL GOING THROUGH IN TERMS OF CERTAIN THINGS THAT ARE HOT BUTTONS GOING ON NOW IN THE COUNTRY.

TAKE A MOMENT TO SIT BACK, REFLECT AND EAT GOOD FOOD AND HAVE GOOD THOUGHTS.

>> JUNETEENTH, WHAT DOES THE DATE MEAN TO YOU?

THE EVENT?

THE HOLIDAY?

THE WHOLE NINE YARDS?

>> JUNETEENTH, IT'S ALWAYS MEANT A LOT TO ME AND MY FAMILY, EVEN GROWING UP.

WHEN I WAS GROWING UP, MY GRANDPARENTS WOULD TALK ABOUT IT AND REMIND THE KIDS GROWING UP, NEVER FORGET THIS DAY.

IT MEANS THE END TO AN ABOMINATION, A HORRIBLE THING.

THE FACT THAT IT TOOK TWO MONTHS TO EVEN GET TO GALVESTON, TEXAS, THAT IN ITSELF IS ALSO AN ATROCITY.

BUT IT'S ABOUT REMEMBRANCE AND A CELEBRATION AT THE END OF THE FULL END OF SLAVERY IN THIS COUNTRY, AND AGAIN, YOU REFLECT, YOU PAY HOMAGE AND YOU CELEBRATE.

MY CULTURE WENT THROUGH SOMETHING THAT WAS UNSPEAKABLE, AND TO BE ABLE TO GET THROUGH IT AND SEE WHERE WE ARE AND HOW FAR WE'VE COME IS A GREAT CELEBRATION TO THE HONOR AND RESPECT.

>> AND FOR YOU THE CELEBRATION IS OBVIOUSLY FOCUSED ON FOOD.

IS IT A SPECIAL MENU?

ARE THERE THINGS ON THE MENU YOU DON'T USUALLY SEE?

THINGS THAT ARE EMPHASIZED THAT YOU DON'T USUALLY SEE?

>> CORRECT.

AGAIN, EVERYTHING ABOUT THE JUNETEENTH CELEBRATION IS THAT BASED OFF OF A PICNIC, A BARBECUE.

BRINGING THE COMMUNITY TOGETHER.

EVERYONE COMING AND BRINGING SOMETHING TO THE PARTY.

WHAT I'VE DONE IS I LOOKED AND SAID HOW CAN I BRING SOME AFRICAN-AMERICAN CHEFS WITHIN THE VALLEY TO THE RESTAURANT AND HAVE EACH ONE OF THEM DO A PARTICULAR DISH, AND HAVE THAT DISH MEAN SOMETHING TO THEM AND TELL THE STORY WHAT THE DISH MEANS TO THEM, AND THAT'S WHAT WE DO.

LITERALLY NOTHING WE'RE DOING IS ON THE MENU.

FROM ALL OF OUR CHILDHOODS GROWING UP EATING, OR SOMETHING WE ALWAYS WANTED TO MAKE, AND WE PUT FORWARD OUR BEST EFFORT AND HAVE A GOOD TIME DOING IT.

>> I REMEMBER LAST TIME SPEAKING WITH YOU, YOU DESCRIBE YOUR FOOD AS A DIFFERENT SOUTHERN FOOD WITH ROOTS IN SOUTH AFRICAN HERITAGE.

>> UTILIZE ARIZONA GROWN PRODUCTS BUT TECHNIQUES ARE THE SAME AS THEY WERE IN THE PAST.

WE TRY TO MIMIC THE TECHNIQUES AND PRODUCTS AND JUST PRESENTING THEM IN A DIFFERENT LIGHT.

IN A DIFFERENT WAY.

IF SOMEBODY WAS TO TAKE A BITE IN IT OF A DISH, YOU GET THAT.

WE OFTEN DO A LOT OF DISHES FROM AFRICA.

WE GET PEOPLE FROM SOUTH AFRICA OR THE WEST INDIES OR WEST AFRICA AS WELL, AND TELL ME, NAILED IT, NAILED IT.

I THINK WE'RE ONTO SOMETHING HERE.

>> SOUNDS LIKE YOU ARE, AND I NOTICE AS WELL, YOU TALK ABOUT USING YOUR FOOD AS A WAY TO COMMUNICATE WITH YOUR ANCESTORS.

TALK TO US ABOUT THAT.

>> ABSOLUTELY.

YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY I CAN'T HAVE CONVERSATIONS WITH MY ANCESTORS BUT CAN HAVE CONVERSATIONS WITH MY ANCESTORS THROUGH FOOD, THROUGH THE JOURNEY, THROUGH THE DISHES THAT MY GRANDPARENTS TOLD ME ABOUT THE MEANING OF THEM COMING UP, AND USING THAT DISH TO WHEN I'M PUTTING THIS DISH TOGETHER AND THINKING ABOUT IT IN MY HEAD, THAT IS WHERE THE ACCOMPLISHMENT IS HAPPENING, THE CONVERSATION WITH THEM AND WATCHING AND EATING AND INTERACTING AND TALKING AMONGST THEMSELVES, I'M COMMUNICATING WITH MY ANCESTORS AND AT THE SAME TIME I'M SPEAKING FOR THEM AS WELL, STAYING TRUE TO THESE DISHES AND TRUE TO THE CULTURE IS SOMETHING THEY HOLD REALLY, REALLY CLOSE TO MY HEART.

>> YEAH, THE HISTORY OF FOOD AND INGREDIENTS IS SOMETHING.

LAST QUESTION BEFORE WE LET YOU GO NOW.

YOU HAVE A DESERT ISLAND DISH?

WHAT MAKES IT FOR YOU?

WHAT IS TOPS?

>> EVERY CULTURE, EVERY SINGLE CULTURE HAS A DISH, A RICE AND BEANS DISH, AND IT IS OF THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN CULTURE AND AMERICAN DISH.

SLAVES ATE IT BECAUSE THEY WERE HARVESTING RICE AND THEY WERE ALSO HARVESTING THE BEANS AND THEY PUT THEM BOTH TOGETHER.

BACK IN THE DAY WOULD USE GIZZARDS OR THEY WOULD USE PIG INTESTINES, HERE WE DO IT VEGAN, THERE IS NO MEAT AT ALL.

IT REMINDS ME AND TAKES ME TO AN EXACT PLACE AND MOMENT IN TIME.

I'M GOING TO PLAY THE GRANNY CARD, IT REMINDS ME OF MY GRANDMOTHER AND THE CHILDHOOD MEALS GROWING UP.

>> CONGRATULATIONS AGAIN, AND YOUR RESTAURANT'S SURVIVING, YOU ARE DOING WELL, YOU MADE IT THROUGH THE PANDEMIC, HOPE YOU GET THROUGH THE OTHER SIDE AND GOOD LUCK WITH THE JUNETEENTH EVENT AS WELL.

CONGRATULATIONS AND THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.

>> THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING ME.

APPRECIATE IT.

.

>> THAT'S IT FOR NOW.

I'M TED SIMONS.

THANK YOU 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 LOOK HOW ONE ASU PROFESSOR IS BUILDING AN ASTEROID TRACKER?

>>> AND ON "BREAK IT DOWN," THE NEED FOR MORE PEOPLE OF COLOR IN MEDICINE.