[♪ THEME MUSIC ♪] >>> OF LOCAL NEWS ON ARIZONA PBS, ON ARIZONA HORIZON, THE LATEST RESEARCH FROM TGEN ON THE INCREASINGLY PREVALENT DELTA VARIANT OF THE CORONAVIRUS.

HELPING NEWLY PLANTED CITRUS TREES HANDLE THE SUMMER HEAT, AND ON BREAK IT DOWN, A LOOK AT LGBTQ INCLUSION IN PROFESSIONAL SPORTS.

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

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

I'M TED SIMONS.

THE STATE SENATE EATS RECOUNT OF MARICOPA COUNTY BALLOTS TODAY WITH THE START OF A MACHINE COUNT OF TOTAL BALLOTS CAST.

IT'S AN EFFORT THAT HAS NOW GONE ON FOR OVER THREE MONTHS.

>>> THE FDA ANNOUNCED A NEW WARNING ON THE JOHNSON & JOHNSON COVID VACCINE, INVOLVING A RARE NEUROLOGICALTON.

>>> RESEARCH AND RECOVERY, WE HAVE CON OFFICIALED ADDITIONAL VICTIMS.

THE NUMBER OF CONFIRMED DEATHS IS NOW 94.

83 OF THESE VICTIMS HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED.

AND 80 NEXT OF KIN NOTIFIED.

PLEASE JOIN ME IN CONTINUING TO PRAY FOR THOSE WHO WE HAVE LOST, THE FAMILIES GRIEVING.

>> THE IDENTIFICATION PROCESS HAS BECOME MORE DIFFICULT AS TIME GOES ON.

>>> AND IN CUBA PROTESTS CONTINUE.

THE DEMONSTRATIONS CAN CERTAINLY CAUGHT THE ATTENTION OF THE WHITE HOUSE.

>> I DON'T THINK WE HAVE SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THIS IN PROTESTS IN A LONG, LONG TIME.

THE UNITED STATES STANDS FIRMLY WITH THE PEOPLE OF CUBA.

>> THE CUBAN GOVERNMENT IMPOSED AN INTERNET BLACKOUT.

>>> AND THE AMC REPORTED ANOTHER POST-PANDEMIC RECORD OVER THE WEEKEND.

THE COMPANY SAYS APPROXIMATELY 3.2 MILLION PEOPLE WATCHED MOVIES AT THEATERS WITH THE OPENING OF "BLACK WIDOW" THE BOX OFFICE LEADER.

>>> THE DELTA VARIANT OF THE COVID-19 CONTINUES TO SPREAD.

WHAT EXACTLY DO WE KNOW ABOUT THIS VARIANT.

WE ASKED DR. DAVID ENGELTHALER OF TGEN.

DOCTOR, ALWAYS A PLEASURE, ALWAYS GOOD TO HAVE YOU ON, BECAUSE WE LEARN SO MUCH ABOUT SO MANY ASPECTS ABOUT COVID-19.

HOW PREVALENT IS THIS VARIANT IN ARIZONA?

>> SURE, TED.

IT'S GREAT TO BE HERE, AND THANKS FOR HAVING ME ON.

THE DELTA VARIANT HAS REALLY BECOME THE NAME BRAND OF THIS VIRUS.

IT HAS BECOME PROBABLY THE MOST PREVALENT VARIANT IN THE U.S.

IT LOOKS LIKE IT IS PROBABLY JUST UNDER 50% OF THE CASES IN THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS IN ARIZONA.

>> WOW.

IS THIS A MUTATION ON A MUTATION ON A MUTATION?

>> AT THE A GREAT QUESTION.

THESE VARIANTS ARE SUCCESSFUL LINAGES OF THE VIRUS THAT HAVE PICKED UP MULTIPLE VARIATIONS.

IT HAS PICKED UP A SERIES OF VARIANTS THAT ALLOW IT TO REPLICATE FASTER, MORE, AND SPREAD MORE READILY.

SO THAT'S WHY WE SEE MUCH FASTER MUTATION.

IT HASN'T APPEAR TO BE MORE SEVERE, BUT IT ALLOWS IT TO TRANSMIT FASTER, AND THAT'S WHY IT IS WINNING ONE OF THE SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST RACE.

>> FOR THOSE OF US WHO ARE VACCINATED, HOW CONCERNED SHOULD WE BE?

>> REALLY THE BIGGEST CONCERN SHOULD BE AMONG THOSE WHO ARE NOT VACCINATED.

BECAUSE THIS IS LIKE WATER, AND IT CAN FIND THE CRACKS, SO IT WILL BE MUCH MORE SUCCESSFUL ABOUT FINDING THE NEXT SUSCEPTIBLE PERSON.

FOR THOSE THAT ARE IMMUNIZED, THAT DO HAVE IMMUNITY, YOUR RISK IS NO GREATER THAN ANY OTHER VARIANT.

SO WHILE WE MIGHT GET SOME OF THESE BREAK-THROUGH CASES, THESE PEOPLE ARE NOT GETTING VERY SICK.

>> WILL THE NEWS REMAIN, GREAT, IF HALF THE STATE IS NOT GOING TO GET VACCINATED?

>> CERTAIN I WILL IN REGIONS OF THE COUNTRY AND OUR STATE, THAT MEANS THE VIRUS IS GOING TO HAVE MORE CHANCE TO MOVE TO THE NEXT INDIVIDUAL, MAYBE PICK UP NEW MUTATIONS AND CAUSE A NEW VARIANT.

IN ARIZONA MY CALIBRATION PROBABLY PUT US AT ABOUT TWO-THIRDS LEVEL OF THE IMMUNITY.

SO 75% OF THE POPULATION HAVE LEVEL OF IMMUNITY.

BUT MOST OF THE REST OF THE WORLD IS JUST BARELY GETTING THE VACCINE OUT, AND THERE IS GOING TO BE A LOT OF OPPORTUNITY FOR ADDITIONAL VERYARIANTVARIANT.

SO THIS DELTA VARIANT AND THE ALPHA VARIANT, THESE ARE VERY SUCCESSFUL, AND THE ONE'S WE'RE SEEING NOW.

>> SO TGEN IS SEE -- SEQUENCING THE VARIANT.

WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?

>> WE ARE REALLY TRYING TO UNDERSTAND HOW IS THE VIRUS EVOLVING.

WHAT CAN WE LEARN?

WE LOOK FOR INDIVIDUAL MUTATIONS AND SEE HOW IT MIGHT DIFFERENT FROM OTHER STRAINS.

WE CAN SEE WHICH ONES MIGHT BE PICKING UP MUTATIONS IN THAT SPIKE VARIANT THAT WILL ALLOW US TO SPREAD FASTER OR EVADE IMMUNITY.

SO WE HAVE BEEN SEEING THOUSANDS OF VARIANTS SHOW UP, BUT THE VAST MAJORITY DISAPPEAR.

WHAT WE HAVEN'T SEEN IS ANYONE BECOME MORE SEVERE, AND WE HAVEN'T SEEN ANY EVADE THE VACCINE.

SO THAT'S WHY WE HAVE TO KEEP DECODING THE GENETIC MATERIAL OF ALL OF THE NEW STRAINS.

>> AND DOCTOR, YOU HAVE WRITTEN ABOUT THIS, THE TRUST IN SCIENCE.

WHAT YOU JUST SAID IS SCIENCE.

THAT'S HOW SCIENCE WORKS AND ADVANCES.

WHY AREN'T PEOPLE GETTING VACCINATED?

>> THIS HAS BEEN AN UNFORTUNATE VICTIM OF THIS PANDEMIC.

ONE SIDE HAS BEEN USING IT AS A BATTERING RAM, AND REALLY SCIENCE IS JUST ACCLAIMATION OF SCIENCE INFORM AND THE VACCINES IS HOW WE END THIS PANDEMIC.

AND JUST UNDERSTAND THAT THERE IS SOME GREAT SCIENCE BEING GENERATED THAT WE CAN USE TO GET TO A HEALTHIER STATE.

DOCTOR, THANK YOU, SIR.

>> THANK YOU, >>> UP NEXT ON ARIZONA HORIZON, HOW THE PANDEMIC HAS CHANGED THE WAY THAT WORKING PEOPLE LOOK AT LIFE AND CAREER.

>>> HELP WANTS SIGNS AND JOB POSTINGS ARE POPPING UP EVERYWHERE.

THIS AS MANY ARE USING THE PANDEMIC TO CONSIDER NEW OCCUPATIONS AND A DIFFERENT APPROACH TO WORK.

WE TALKED ABOUT THAT WITH THE CUR RENTED LABOR LANDSCAPE WITH SHARON IR RIN H. FOULON.

IS THIS A LABOR SHORTAGE IN THIS U.S.

RIGHT NOW?

>> CERTAINLY THAT IS WHAT THE MEDIA WOULD SUGGEST.

BUT I THINK WHAT IS MORE INTERESTING IS IT A LABOR SHORTAGE ORE A LABOR RESET.

WHERE THE POWER STRUCTURE IS A LITTLE DIFFERENT.

>> SOME FOLKS ARE SAYING THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T WANT TO GO BACK TO WORK, BECAUSE THERE IS STILL CONCERNS ABOUT CATCHING COVID.

>> YEAH, THAT'S PART OF IT.

AND WE GOT INTO A RHYTHM OF WORKING FROM HOME, AND THE FLEXIBILITY AFFORDED TO US, AND WE ALL IMAGINE AGED TO DO IT BETTER.

THERE ARE MANY STORIES OF PEOPLE WHO STILL STRUGGLE WITH THE WORK FROM HOME SITUATION, BUT FOR MANY, IT IS REALLY QUESTIONING -- CHALLENGING FOR A LOT OF EMPLOYERS HOW DO YOU BALANCE THE NEED OR WANT FOR THEM TO BE ON-SITE OR ONGROUND, KNOWING WHAT THE VACCINATION RATES ARE, BUT WE HAVE PROVEN SO MUCH MORE THAT WE CAN DO THIS WORKING FROM HOME, AND THERE IS THIS BALANCE BETWEEN EMPLOYEE AND EMPLOYER.

>> HOW MUCH DOES INCREASED PAY EFFECT THAT PLANS.

BECAUSE A LOT OF FOLKS ARE SAYING, IF I'M GOING TO TRY SOMETHING NEW, I WANT TO MAKE MORMONNY IS -- MORE MONEY.

>> YEAH, AND A LOT OF PEOPLE SAY THERE IS A MORE HEALTHY WORK/LIFE BALANCE.

>> RIGHT.

BUT EMPLOYER HAVE TO FIGURE OUT HOW MUCH MORE AM I GOING TO HAVE TO PAY THESE FOLKS.

>> THERE'S THAT.

AND THERE'S THE PAY, AND COMP, BUT THEN THERE IS THE OTHER PIECE OF HOW MUCH AM I DEMANDING AT WORK?

HOW MUCH AM ALLOWING THIS TO BE A PIECE OF IT.

A LOT OF THE LARGE CONSULT IMPORTANT -- CONSULTANT FIRMS ARE SAYING THIS HAS TO BE A PART OF IT NOW.

I KNOW I CAN GO UP NORTH AND ENJOY WORK AND HOME AT THE SAME TIME.

>> MARKET CONDITIONS WOULD SUGGEST, WITH THE HELP OF JOBLESS BENEFITS WHICH GIVES PEOPLE MORE TIME TO MAKE THESE DECISIONS, THAT SALARY WOULD INCREASE.

DOES THAT MAKE SENSE?

>> I THINK IT DOES.

BUT, AGAIN, I THINK IT'S THE SCORECARD SCORECARD.

IS IT A FIVE-DAY WORK WAY, OR A FOUR-DAY WORK IS WEEK.

ALL OF THE PIECES, I THINK IT IS DEFINITELY A SELLER'S MARKET FROM AN EMPLOYEE TO ORGANIZATIONS.

MY BIGGEST WORRY IS THE SLOW ADDITIONS.

>> INTERESTING.

COHORTS HERE.

YOUNGER FOLKS, OLDER FOLKS WHO IS DOING THE RECONSIDERING AND THE REEVALUATING.

>> WHEN I THINK ABOUT FOLKS MY AGE THAT GREAT RESIGNATION THAT KEEPS GETTING SPOKEN ABOUT, 26% OF THE POPULATION IS LOOKING FOR A DIFFERENT JOB.

I -- YEAH, I'M NOT SURE WHAT IS AHEAD FOR US, AND I HAVE LOST TRACK OF YOUR QUESTION.

[ LAUGHTER ] >> THAT'S OKAY.

I THINK I MIGHT HAVE HAD WELL.

I HEAR A LOT OF FOLKS ARE TAKING THIS OPPORTUNITY TO SAY I'M GOING TO START WORKING FOR MYSELF.

>> YES, I'M INCREASINGLY HEARING ABOUT THIS.

AND IT COMES BACK TO, IF I'M GOING TO WORK THIS HARD, WHY NOT DO IT FOR MYSELF.

WHEN I THINK ABOUT THE STUDENTS I'M SEEING, WHAT THEY ARE TALKING ABOUT IS THAT IDEA OF -- WHAT KIND OF PROBLEMS DO I WANT TO SOLVE NOW.

HOW AM I GOING TO CONTRIBUTE.

AND THAT'S PART OF THAT ENTREPRENEURIAL SPIRIT.

AND HOW CAN I HAVE MORE CONTROL, POTENTIALLY OVER THE OUTCOMES, BECAUSE I AM NOW THE OWNER.

>> YEAH.

OVER THERE AT THE SCHOOL OF BUSINESS, TEACHING BUSINESS PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICES, HOW HAS THE PANDEMIC CHANGED THAT A DYNAMIC?

>> YEAH, I THINK WP CAREY IS A TOP BUSINESS SCHOOL BECAUSE WE TEACH THE FUNDAMENTALS.

THERE ARE SO MANY PROBLEMS THAT WILL BE THE ECO EFFECT.

AND I THINK OUR STUDENTS HAVE THE TOOLBOX TO GO FORWARD AND UTILIZE IT.

>> YEAH.

SHARON, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.

WE APPRECIATE IT.

>> THANK YOU, TED.

>>> U.S. SUPREME COURT CORRECTLY RULED THAT NCAA STUDENTS CAN PROFIT OFF OF THEIR LIKENESS.

AND WE SPOKE TO IT WITH VICTORIA JACKSON.

VICTORIA, GREAT TO TALK TO YOU HAVE.

WHAT IS THESE IMPACT OF THIS?

>> THE U.S. SUPREME COURT DECIDED THAT THE SCHOOLS DID IN FACT COME TOGETHER TO AGREE TO RESTRICT THE AMOUNT OF INCOME STUDENTS COULD RECEIVE.

SO, YEAH, AND ATHLETES NOW -- IN THE NARROW RULINGS, THEY CAN NOW RECEIVE MONEY RELATED TO THEIR LIKENESS OF THEIR EDUCATION.

THIS MEANS THAT NOW STUDENTS WHO PLAY SPORTS WILL HAVE SOME OF THE ECONOMIC RATES ENJOYED BY OTHER STUDENTS RESTORED TO THEM.

THIS MEANS THAT ATHLETES CAN NOW SIGN WITH AGENTS.

THEY CAN DO ENDORSEMENT DEALS.

THEY ARE MONITIZE A YOUTUBE CHANNEL.

PREVIOUSLY, THEY WERE RESTRICTED FROM MAKING MONEY.

THIS HAS TO DO WITH ATHLETES BEING ABLE TO USE THEIR SUB POLICETY AND NOTORIETY TO MAKE MONEY FROM A THIRD-PARTY.

>> ARE THERE CAPS TO HOW MUCH?

>> SO WE'RE IN A -- KIND OF, TRYING THIS OUT AND SEE HOW IT GOES PERIOD.

BECAUSE THE NCAA WERE WAITING FOR THE SUPREME COURT TO WEIGH IN.

CONGRESS HAD SIGNALS VERY STRONGLY THAT THEY WERE GOING TO WAIT UNTIL LATER THIS YEAR TO DO ANYTHING WITH THIS.

SO ONCE THE SUPREME COURT CAME OUT AND SAID YES, YOU ARE IN VIOLATION, THE NCAA AND MEMBER SCHOOLS SAID, YOU KNOW WHAT, ALL OF THESE STATES THAT HAVE LAWS GOING LIVE STARTING JULY 1ST, THIS IS GOING TO PUT THOSE SCHOOLS THAT ARE NOT IN THOSE STATES AT A DISADVANTAGE, AND NO SCHOOLS WOULD BE PUNISHED STARTING ON JULY 1ST, IF THEY ALLOWED THEIR ATHLETES TO MONITIZE THEIR NAME AND LIKENESS.

>> OKAY.

SO AS FAR AS THE EDUCATION BENEFIT BENEFIT, IS THERE A CAP THERE?

CAN THEY START BIDDING AGAINST EACH OTHER FOR EDUCATION BENEFITS?

>> THE COURT IS NOT SETTING UP THESE POLICIES AND GUIDELINES.

THE OPINION SAID THIS IS UP TO YOU TO DECIDE HOW MUCH YOU WANT TO ALLOW YOUR BENEFITS.

THEY SAID, YOU ARE DRIVING THIS BUS, AND YOU CAN DECIDE IF YOU WANT TO INCLUDE ALL ATHLETES.

THE SISTER COURT JUDGE WHO ISSUED THE FIRST OPINION, SUGGESTED A CAP OF JUST SHY OF $6,000, BECAUSE THAT'S AN AMOUNT THAT SCHOOLS ALREADY AWARD ATHLETES FOR IN-CASH AND FOR GRADUATION.

SO THERE ARE ALREADY MONEYS IN PLACE, AND FOR EDUCATION, WHICH THIS IS ALL ABOUT, IS SOMETHING THAT SEEMED VERY REASONABLE TO JUDGE WILKINS.

>> ALL SAID AND DONE, IS THIS A GOOD THING FOR COLLEGE ATHLETICS AND DOES THIS CHANGE THE NATURE OF AMATEUR SPORTS?

>> WELL, THAT'S IS WHAT IS INTERESTING HERE.

THE JUSTICE POINTED OUT THAT AMATEURISM IS NOT A STATIC THING.

THE DEFINITION HAS CHANGED OVER TIME, IT'S VERY FLUID, AND THE BENEFITS THAT ATHLETES HAVE RECEIVED HAVE CHANGED AS WELL.

A LOT OF THE JUSTICES ASKED AND EXPRESSED CONCERNS ABOUT A SLIPPERY SLOPE.

YOU KNOW, ONE OF THEM ASKED THE LAWYER REPRESENTING THE ATHLETES, LIKE, WHAT IS THE END GAME HERE?

BUT IT'S VERY HARD TO DRAW A LINE BETWEEN AMATEURISM AND PROFESSIONALISM IN SPORTS.

IT HAS EXPLOSIONED FROM A $4 BILLION A YEAR TO $14 BILLION A YEAR ENTERPRISE.

THEY WERE ASKING WHY THE COACHES AREN'T AMATEURS, IF THIS IS AN AMATEUR SPORT?

AND THIS IDEA THAT ATHLETES MUST BE STATIC AND FROZEN IN TIME WHEN THE INDUSTRY IS VERY MUCH PROFESSIONALIZED HAS BEEN EXPOSED.

AND THEY POINTED OUT THERE IS A VERY EASY WAY TO KEEP COLLEGE SPORTS DISTINCT FROM PROFESSIONAL SPORTS BECAUSE IT'S STUDENTS PLAYING THE GAME.

>> WELL, SIT A FUZZY THING, INDEED.

THANK YOU FOR HELPING US TO TRY TO FIGURE IT OUT.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

>> THANK YOU, TED.

ALWAYS GOOD TO SEE 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, OWN BREAK IT DOWN, AN ACTIVE PROFESSIONAL ATHLETE COMES OUT AS GAY.

THAT WHAT MEANS FOR LGBTQ INCLUSION IN SPORTS.

♪♪