HORIZON ON ARIZONA PBS ON 7/21/21 AT 8:00 P.M. TEST TEST TEST TEST >> COMING UP IN THE NEXT HOUR OF LOCAL NEWSEN ARIZONA PBS ON "ARIZONA HORIZON," THE SUNS' REMARKABLE SEASON IS OVER.

WE LOOK AT LAST NIGHT'S GAME AND WHAT'S NEXT FOR THE TEAM.

ON CRONKITE NEWS THE INCREASING IMPACT OF THE DELTA VARIANT IN ARIZONA, AND NATIVE STUDENTS WEARING TRADITIONAL DRESS TO GRADUATION CEREMONIES, NEXT ON ARIZONA PBS.

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

I'M TED SIMONS.

THE DELTA VARIANT IS NOW THE DESCRAINT OF THE CORONAVIRUS IN ARIZONA.

THAT'S ACCORDING TO T-GEN WHO TELLS THE ARIZONA REPUBLIC THAT THIS HIGHLY CONTAGIOUS VARIANT WILL LIKELY REMAIN DOMINANT IN THE STATE UNLESS AND UNTIL AN EVEN MORE CONTAGIOUS STRAIN SHOWS UP.

THIS AS ARIZONA AGAIN REPORTED OVER A THOUSAND NEW CASES OF COVID-19 TODAY.

THE STAYS SHOWS TEN NEW COVID RELATED FATALITIES.

FOR VACCINES 45% ARE VACCINATED, 40% BELOW THE NATIONAL AVERAGE.

A NEW STUDY SHOWS THAT FEWER KIDS AND TEENAGERS RECEIVED PRESCRIPTION MEDICATION DURING THE HEIGHT OF THE PANDEMIC.

THERE WAS AN 80% DROP IN COUGH MEDICINES FOR THE COMMON COLD AND 46% INCREASE IN ANTIBIOTIC PRESCRIPTIONS, THEY THINK DUE TO SOCIAL DISTANCING AND MASKS, HOPEFULLY CUTTING COWEN ON THE NEED FOR MEDICATIONS BUT MIGHT ALSO ACCOUNT FOR AN INCREASE IN ANTIDEPRESSANTS, THE ONE CLASS OF DRUGS THAT DIDN'T DROP IN PRESCRIPTIONS.

>> NATIONAL NEWS, NANCY PELOSI TODAY REJECTED TWO CONGRESSMEN THAT REPUBLICANS WANTED TO SEAT ON A SELECT SMEET TO COM THE -- SEAT TO EXAMINE THE CAPITOL RIOT.

JIM OWNS, BECAUSE BOTH VOTED AGAINST IT AFTER THE CAPITOL WAS ATTACKED.

>> SPEAKER PELOSI HAS TAKEN THE STEP OF DENYING THE REPUBLICAN PARTY'S PICKS FOR THE SELECT COMMITTEE ON JANUARY 6.

TO REPRESENT SOMETHING THAT HAS NOT HAPPENED IN THE HOUSE BEFORE FOR A SELECT COMMITTEE BY THE HISTORIAN.

AN EGREGIOUS ABUSE OF POWER.

PELOSI HAS BROKEN THIS INSTITUTION.

>> AS SUCH, REPUBLICANS WILL NOT PARTICIPATE IN THE HEARINGS.

MOSEY ADMITTED THAT HER MOVE WAS UNPRESS UNPRECEDENTED BUT SHE CALLED IT "NECESSARY."

IN SCIENCE NEWS, ANIMAL FOSSILS FROM 167 MILLION YEARS AGO HAVE BEEN DIS COVERED IN ENGLAND.

IT'S THE LARGEST AND BEST SPREFERRED DISCOVERY ON RECORD.

AMONG THE FINDINGS ARE PREVIOUSLY UNKNOWN SPECIES OF SEA CREATURES WHICH INDICATE THE SITE WAS ONCE A RELATIVELY WARM AND SHALLOW SEA.

>> LAST NIGHT'S SEASON-ENDING LOSS BY SUNS PUT AND HE TO THE TEAM'S STORYBOOK FROWN THE NBA TITLE.

SUNS LOST THE SERIES TO THE MILWAUKEE BUCKS 4 GAMES TO 2, THE SUNS' FIRST APPEARANCE IN THE NBA FINALS SINCE 1993.

FOR MORE ON THE TEAM, THE SEASON AND SERIES, WE SPHOAK THE FOUNDER AND CEO OF SPORTS 360AZ.COM.

>> GOOD TO SEE YOU AGAIN, GAD YOU GOT OUT OF MILWAUKEE OKAY, LOOKS LIKE YOU SURVIVED, HOWEVER, THE SUNS DID NOT.

WHAT HAPPENED LAST NIGHT?

>> UM, THE BETTER TEAM WON.

HOW'S THAT FOR JUST A CHEESEY ANSWER?

NOBODY COULD STAY WITH GIANNIS.

I MEAN, NOBODY.

>> TED WHEN I LOOK BACK ON THE SERIES, WE GO INTO A SERIES OF ADJUSTMENTS, THINK ABOUT THAT.

IN MILWAUKEE, SET UP FOR TWO GAMES, JRUE HOLIDAY GORKYS AFTER CHRIS PAUL, RIDE HIM LIKE A BACKPACK AND HE D. GUESS WHAT, CHRIS PAUL WASN'T REALLY THE SAME PLAYER AFTER THAT.

GIANNIS I FELT LIKE AS THE SERIES PROGRESSED HIS CONFIDENCE GREW AND GRIEW.

REMEMBER GIANNIS WENT THROUGH A COUPLE OF YEARS WHERE HE DIDN'T GET THEM OVER THE TOP.

THERE WERE ACTUALLY PEOPLE THAT SAID, I HOPE HE'S GOING TO GET OUT OF HERE, YEAH, GREAT PLAYER, BUT HE CAN'T GET A TITLE FOR US.

SO AS THE SERIES PROGRESSED IT FELT TO ME LIKE HE JUST LOOKED AT DeANDRE AND SAID, MANY AT SOME BO, YOU KNOW?

SO IT WAS MAN AGAINST THE TILED, AND THERE'S NO OTHER WAY TO SLICE I. GIANNIS JUST DOMINATED AND DESTROYED DeANDRE.

PEOPLE WANT TO SAY, OH,ATES TEAM GAME.

NO.

ONE ON ONE, HEAD TO HEAD, IT WAS NO CONTEST.

THROW IN THE TOWEL.

THAT'S HOW MUCH HE DOMINATED DeANDRE.

I HOPE DeANDRE GROWS FROM IT.

>> AND OBVIOUSLY GIANNIS HAD A HISTORICALLY GOOD GAME IN POINTS AND PRODUCTION.

HOWEVER, THE SUNS, I MEAN CHRIS PAUL PLAYED BETTER.

BUT THERE WERE STILL STRETCHES IN WHICH CHRIS PAUL WAS NOT THE CHRIS PAUL WE EXPECT, AND DEVIN BOOKER, PLEASE HIS HEART, HAD A GREAT SERIES BUT WAS 5 OF 22, HE WAS MISSING WIDE-OPEN SHOTS.

FOR THE SUNS, WHAT WAS GOING ON, WERE THE BUCKS SWITCHING THINGS UP?

WAS MILWAUKEE DOING THINGS DIFFERENTLY OR WERE THE SUNS JUST NOT HITTING SHOTS?

>> I THINK, TED, THE BIG THREE OF MILWAUKEE, AND MIDDLETON DIDN'T REALLY PLAY GREAT OFFENSIVELY IN THE FIRST QUARTER, BUT AS THE GAME PROGRESSED AGAIN HE SHOWED THAT HE WAS AN MVP AND OLYMPIC PLAYER.

HE'S ON THE OLYMPIC TEAM WITH DEVIN AND JRUE HOLIDAY.

THE BIG THREE FOR MILWAUKEE, HOLIDAY, MIDDLETON AND GIANNIS, WHO DID THE SUNS HAVE?

DEVIN BOOKER AND NICE CONTRIBUTIONS FROM CHRIS PAUL, DAWNED PUT UP OKAY NUMBERS BUT NOWHERE NEAR GIANNIS.

SO THE BIG THREE, WHEN IT'S ON THAT BIGGEST STAGE, PLAYING IN FRONT OF 20,000 FANS INSIDE AND 60,000 FANS OUTSIDE IN MILWAUKEE, AND THEY'VE BEEP FOLLOWING YOU IN THE SMALL, LITTLE TOWN WHERE THE ONLY THING REALLY GOING ON IS THE BUCKS AND THE BLUES TO A CERTAIN -- BREWERS TO A CERTAIN EXTENT THAT TEAM GREW.

THAT TEAM WENT THROUGH ADVERSITY LAST YEAR AND THE YEAR BEFORE IN THE POSTSEASON.

THE SUNS DIDN'T.

WHEN PEOPLE TALK ABOUT THE BUBBLE, THAT'S ANCIENT HISTORY.

DON'T BRING UP HOW THE BUBBLE GOT THEM TO THIS POINT, BECAUSE IT DIDN'T.

SO TO ME, I LOOK AT SUNS AND SAY THEY'RE STILL A PIECE OR TO IN ITS MATURATION.

PLAYING THE BIG GAMES, BRIDGES DOESN'T KISS APPEAR ON THE OFFENSIVE SIDE OF THE FOOTBALL, BASKETBALL I SHOULD SAY.

CAMERON JOHNSON IS ABLE TO HIT SOME OF THOSE SHOTS.

I THOUGHT THAT CAMERON PAINE PLAYED VERY WELL EARLY LAST NIGHT AND THEN WE DIDN'T SEE MUCH OF HIM IN THE SECOND HALF AND THEY NEEDED INSTANT OFFENSE, SOME EASY BUCKETS.

MILWAUKEE, TED, HAD EASY SHOTS.

SUNS DID NOT.

IT FELT LIKELET THE SUNS HAD TO WORK HARD.

DEVIN BOOKER MAKES A FALLAWAY IN THE LANE WITH MIDDLETON AS GOOD AS YOU'RE GOING TO SEE.

HE SAYS THAT'S AN AMAZING SHOT.

YOU NEED SOME EASY BUCKETS.

AND THE SUNS DIDN'T PLAY THEIR SHARPEST, SMARTEST GAME.

STEAL BY DEVIN BOOKER, THROW DOWN THE COURT, JOHNSON THROWS IT OVER HIS HEAD OUT OF BOUNDS.

BOOKER GIVES HIM ONE OF THESE AND SHAKES HIS HEAD.

YOU CAN'T HAVE THAT ON A CHAMPIONSHIP TEAM, YOU CANNOT HAVE THAT.

>> SO WHERE DO THE SUNS GO FROM HERE, WILL NEXT YEAR'S ROSTER BE APPRECIABLY DIFFERENT FROM THIS YEAR, SHOULD IT BE?

>> THE FIRST ITEM OF BUSINESS IS CHRIS PAUL AUGUST 1 CAN OPT OUT OF HIS CONTRACT, NORTH OF $44 MILLION.

PEOPLE SAY GOSH, WHY WOULD HE DO THAT?

HE CAN MAKE MONEY IN ENDORSEMENTS, HE'S MADE A TON OF MONEY.

MAIM JOHNSON HAS BEEN ON TWITTER SAYING LeBRON ALONGSIDE OF CHRIS PAUL, ANTHONY DAVIS, WHAT A GREAT LINEUP THAT WOULD BE.

IT'S NOT TAMPERING BECAUSE IT'S THE OFF SEASON NOW.

CHRIS PAUL AND LeBRON ARE VERY CLOSE, LeBRON WAS AT THE SUNS GAME THE OTHER NIGHT.

WHERE THERE'S SMOKE THERE'S FIRE I THINK ON THIS ONE.

CHRIS PAUL IS 36 YEARS OF AGE.

IS HE GOING TO GET ANOTHER BIG CONTRACT?

PROBABLY NOT.

DID HE START TO WEAR DOWN IN THE FINALS?

YOU SAW IT, I SAW IT, THE ANSWER IS UNEQUIVOCALLY YES.

SO CHRIS PAUL IS THE FIRST ITEM OF BUSINESS.

WHAT DOES HE DO?

WHAT COULD THE SUNS DO, COULD THEY TRADE HIM?

I DON'T THINK THAT'S LIKELY.

THEY WANT TO KEEP THE BUILDING INTACT AND FANS WOULD NOT UNDERSTAND THAT.

KNOCK YOURSELF OUT, CHRIS'S YOU, GOT A GREAT CAREER, YOU WANT TO GO SOMEWHERE ELSE AND WIN IN LOS ANGELES WITH LeBRON, KNOCK YOURSELF OUT.

CAMERON PAINE IS GOING TO BE A FREE AGENT.

IS HE READY TO STEP INTO WHAT CHRIS PAUL WAS FOR THE SUNS?

THE ANSWER ON THAT IS I DON'T KNOW.

I DON'T THINK SO.

I THINK THEORIES A REALLY GOOD PLAYER, I THINK HE'S GOT TO GO GET PAID SOMEWHERE.

I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S PHOENIX, IF HIS AGENT WOULD SAY NO, ANOTHER YEAR OF YOU BACKING UP CHRIS IF CHRIS STAYS HERE.

TED, YOU KNOW THIS.

IN SPORT, THE LINEUP, THE PICTURE OF THE TEAM, FROM ONE YEAR TO THE NEXT, ALWAYS HAS A NEW FEW FACES.

DOESN'T MATTER WHAT TEAM IT IS, IF IT'S JJ WATT AND THE CARDINALS PICTURE THIS YEAR, GOSH KNOWS HOW MANY NEW FACES WILL BE IN THE DIAMONDBACKS BILET END OF THE YEAR, OR SAME WITH THE COYOTES.

BUT YOU'RE NEVER GOING TO HAVE THE SAME GROUP OF PLAYERS TOGETHER.

THEN IT'S JAMES JONES, THE GENERAL MANAGER OF THE TEAM.

DO THE FANS TRUST HIM, DOES ROBERT TRUST HIM ENOUGH TO SAY, YOU KNOW, WE SAW DeANDRE ANTIGET DOMINATED BY GIANNIS, MAYBE WE NEED TO BE A SMALLER, QUICKER, MORE SPRY BASKETBALL TEAM HE THAN HAVING A BIG MAN IN THE MIDDLE THAT.

WOULD BE A DRAMATIC SHIFT.

THAT WOULD BE A DRAMATIC CHANGE.

BUT THERE'S NO QUESTION THAT DeANDRE'S LACK OF PLAY ON BOTH ENDS OF THE FLOOR, WE RESTED HIM LAST NIGHT.

FINE PLAYER, HE'S YOUNG.

HE'S YOUNG.

THIS ISN'T BAGGING HIM, IT'S A FACT.

HE GETS THE BALL 2002 ARE 2002 FEET FROM THE BASKET, TURNS THE WRONG WAY,ATES JUMPER THAT'S SHORT.

GIANNIS IS DOMINATING.

IT'S JUST AN EXPERIENCE THING WITH HIM, AND GETTING MORE REPS AT THIS LEVEL.

LOOK, THE SUNS HAVE TO BE A TOP-FOUR TEAM NEXT YEAR.

THEY HAVE TO BE.

THIS IS NOT ONE OF THOSE, WELL, THEY HAD A NICE RUN.

THEY GOT A LITTLE BIT LUCKY, THERE WAS NO ANTHONY DAVIS, DENVER DIDN'T HAVE JAMAL MURRAY, CLIPPERS DIDN'T HAVE KAWHI LEONARD.

IT'S NOT ABOUT SCOTT FOSTER, THE REFEREE.

PEOPLE FALL INTO THE REFEREE TRAP, THAT'S PRETTY SHALLOW IN MY OPINION.

THEY DIDN'T LOSE BECAUSE OF THE REFEREE LAST NIGHT.

THEY DIDN'T LOSE FOUR IN A ROW BECAUSE OF WHO WALKED OUT WEARING THE STRIPES.

MILWAUKEE WAS JUST FLAT BETTER.

>> AND THAT'S WHERE WE STARTED THE CONVERSATION, MILWAUKEE WAS SIMPLE LAY BETTER TEAM.

BRAD, GOOD TO SEE YOU AGAIN AS ALWAYS, AND THANKS FOR HELPING US OUT AS WE TRY TO FIGURE OUT THIS CHAMPIONSHIP RUN THAT DIDN'T QUITE MAKE IT AND WE'LL SEE WHAT HAPPENS NEXT YEAR.

THANKS, BRAD.

>> YOU GOITIA, TED.

>> UP NEXT, THE HISTORY OF VOTING RIGHTS AND THE CURRENT CLIMATE OF VOTING RESTRICTIONS.

>> THE BIDEN DMANGSD DEMOCRATS IN CONGRESS ARE PSHING TO ADDRESS VOTING RESTRICTIONS AROUND THE COUNTRY.

DAVID DALY AS WRITTEN ABOUT VOTING RIGHTS.

WE ASKED ABOUT THE CLIMATE ON VOTING ISSUES.

>> DAVID DALY, WELCOME TO ARIZA HORIZON, GOOD TO HAVE YOU HERE, WE APPRECIATE YOUR TIME.

WE'RE TALKING ABOUT VOTING RESTRICTIONS, NOT JUST IN ARIZONA BUT AROUND THE COUNTRY.

THE SUPREME COURT'S INPUT ON THIS, AGAIN, NOT JUST ON ARIZONA CASES.

BUT AROUND THE COUNTRY.

YOUR THOUGHTS ON VOTING RESTRICTIONS AS THEY STAND NOW?

>> I THINK IT'S A REALLY SCARY MOMENT, AND WHAT WE ARE SEEING IS THAT THE U.S. SUPREME COURT HAS ESSENTIALLY HANDED STATE LEGISLATURES A GREEN LIGHT OR REALLY WHATEVER KINDS OF VOTING RESTRICTIONS THAT THEY DESIRE TO IMPOSE, AND THEY'VE DONE THIS AT A TIME IN WHICH STATE LEGISLATURES AROUND THE COUNTRY ON THIS FLIMSY PRETEXT OF VOTER FRAUD THAT DIDN'T ACTUALLY HAPPEN IN THE 2020 ELECTION ARE RACING AHEAD WITH REALLY AGGRESSIVE AND AMBITIOUS PLANS.

WHEN YOU PUT ALL OF THAT TOGETHER, AND WHEN YOU COMBINE THAT WITH THE FACT THAT STATES LIKE ARIZONA, STATES LIKE GEORGIA, THE MARGIN OF VICTORY HAS JUST BEEN SO CLOSE BETWEEN DEMOCRATIC AND REPUBLICAN CANDIDATES AT THE PRESIDENTIAL LEVEL THAT JUST A HANDFUL OF THESE LAWS, A HANDFUL OF NEW RESTRICTIONS, COULD MAKE A HUGE IMPACT AT A NATIONAL LEVEL.

>> YOU MENTIONED THE ELECTION.

THE IMPACT OF DONALD TRUMP LOSING THE ELECTION AND NOT CONCEDING AND SAYING THAT IT WAS RIGGED, AND IT SEEMS AS THOUGH THAT HAS BEEN AN ACCELERATOR FOR ALL THIS.

>> I THINK THAT'S RIGHT.

I THINK THE FIRST ACCELERATOR REALLY IS THE SUPREME COURT DECISION IN 2013 AND THE SHELBY COUNTY CASE WHICH ELIMINATED PRECLEARING SECTION 5 OF THE VOTING RIGHTS ACT, WHICH MEANT THAT BASICALLY HAD A HISTORY OF RACIAL PREJUDICE IN THEIR VOTING LAWS, HAD TO GET THOSE LAWS PRECLEARED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE IF THEY WANTED TO MAKE ANY CHANGE.

LEGISLATIVE MAPS ALSO HAD TO GO UP THERE.

ARIZONA WAS AMONG THOSE STATES THAT NEEDED TO TAKE THAT STEP BECAUSE OF, YOU KNOW, A LONG HISTORY OF THESE LAWS, AND MEASURES.

AND AS SOON AS THE U.S. SUPREME COURT DID THAT, THAT VERY AFTERNOON, IN FACT, TEXAS RACED TO ENACT ITS NEW VOTER I.D.

MEASURE, EVEN THOUGH THERE WERE STUDIES AFTER STUDY THAT SHOWED THAT IT WOULD POTENTIALLY KEEP AS MANY AS 600,000 LATINO VOTERS FROM VOTING WHO WERE LEGALLY REGISTERED BUT LACKED THE SPECIFIC NEW FORM OF I.D.

THAT THE TEXAS LEGISLATURE WAS NOW GOING TO REQUIRE.

AND THAT JUST SPREAD LIKE WILDFIRE THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY IN THE YEARS AFTER 2013.

BUT THEN YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT, THE SECOND KEY STEP HERE IS WHAT WE HAVE SEEN IN THE LAST SIX MONTHS, SOME 400 BILLS INTRODUCED BY LAWMAKERS AROUND THE COUNTRY IN 48 STATES, ENACTED IN MORE THAN 15 STATES.

THAT HAVE PUT A HOST OF NEW VOTING RESTRICTIONS ON CITIZENS ALMOST ALL OF THEM JUSTIFIED, LAWMAKERS SAY, BY TRYING TO ROOT OUT VOTER FRAUD.

THE TROUBLE IS THEY CAN'T ACTUALLY POINT TO ANY EVIDENCE OF VOTER FRAUD.

>> SIT LIKELY TO SEE MORE IN THE WAY OF FEDERAL LITIGATION HERE, FEDERAL ACTION AGAINST SOME OF THESE STATES?

OR DOES IT MAKE ANY SENSE TO DO THAT, EVEN FOR PRESIDENT BIDEN TO GET ON THE BULLY PULPIT AS MUCH AS HE CAN, DOES IT MAKE ANY SENSE WHEN YOU'VE GOT THE SUPREME COURT, GARY MENTIONED THE CASE HERE IN ARIZONA, THE SUPREME COURT SEEMS NOT WILLING TO LOOK ON A CERTAIN SIDE OF THE STORY?

>> THE SUPREME COURT IS REALLY SQUEEZING THE LIFE OUT OF THE VOTING RIGHTS ACT.

THEY HAVE SQUEEZED THE LIFE OUT OF SECTION 2, OUT OF SECTION 5.

AND IT IS REALLY CLEAR THAT A LOT OF THE MEASURES THAT HAVE BEEN PROPOSED AROUND THE COUNTRY WOULD PROBABLY PASS MUSTER WITH THIS COURT BASED ON THE BERNOVICH CASE.

IT REALLY SUGGESTS THAT IT IS HARD TO SEE EXACTLY WHAT KIND OF RESTRICTIVE VOTING MEASURE THIS COURT WOULD NOT HAVE A PROBLEM WITH.

THERE IS THIS ENTRENCHED, ENDURING MINORITY RULE THAT'S SPREADING ACROSS THE COUNTRY, AND IN THIS MOMENT WHAT WE NEED IS A U.S. SUPREME COURT THAT WILL STAND UP FOR VOTERS, AND INSTEAD, THEY'RE STANDING UP FOR NARROW PARTISAN INTERESTS.

>> DAVID DALY, HIS BOOING UNRIGGED, HOW AMERICANS ARE FIGHTING TO SAVE DEMOCRACY, THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME, WE APPRECIATE IT.

>> A PLEASURE, THANK YOU.

♪ ♪ ♪ >> ARIZONA, LIKE MUCH OF THE COUNTRY, IS EXPERIENCING A BLOOD SHORTAGE.

THIS IS USUAL LIT TIME OF YEAR WHEN BLOOD SUPPLIES RUN LOW, BUT CANCELLATIONS DUE TO THE PANDEMIC ARE EXACERBATING THE SITUATION.

LEARN MORE FROM SUE.

>> THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US IN STUDIO, IT'S GOOD TO HAVE YOU HERE TALKING BLOOD SPLI.

WHERE DOES ARIZONA'S BLOOD SUPPLY STAND?

>> RIGHT NOW WE'VE JUST COME OFF ABOUT A THREE-WEEK CRITICAL FEEL BLOOD.

IT'S BEEN A CHALLENGING TIME OF YEAR, TYPICALLY THE HIGH SCHOOLS BRING IN THE LARGEST NUMBER OF DONORS WITH THEIR BLOOD DRIVES, AND OF COURSE WE DIDN'T HAVE THAT THIS PAST SPRING WITH COVID-19.

WE WENT INTO THE SUMMER LOWER THAN NORMAL.

BY MID-JUNE WE WERE IN A CRITICAL APPEAL FOR BLOOD.

AND, OF COURSE, THE INDEPENDENCE HOLIDAY IS ALWAYS A TOUGH TIME FOR US.

BUT WE'VE FINALLY BUILT UP SUPPLIES TO REASONABLE LEVELS FOR MOST BLOOD TYPES, SO RIGHT NOW WE HAVE AN URGENT NEED FOR ALL BLOOD TYPES, BUT A CRITICAL NEED FOR TYPE O BLOOD, THE UNIVERSAL DONOR, AS WELL AS FOR PLATELETS, THE CLOTTING FACTOR IN I CAN'T REMEMBER BLOOD THAT CANCER AND LEUKEMIA PATIENTS DEPEND UPON.

>> TYPE O ALWAYS SEEMS LIKE AN URGENT NEED.

>> IT DOES, BECAUSE IT'S TRANSFUSED AT A MUCH HIGHER RATE THAN ANY OTHER BLOOD TYPE.

TYPE O IS THE UNIVERSAL DONOR.

O NEGATIVE ONLY ABOUT 9% OF THE POPULATION HAS O NEGATIVE, BUT IT'S THE ONLY BLOOD TYPE THAT CAN GO TO ANY HOSPITAL PATIENT REGARDLESS OF THEIR BLOOD TYPE.

SO IT'S TRANSFUSED AT ABOUT DOUBLE THE RATE OF THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT HAVE IT.

AND THEN O POSITIVE, WHILE IT CAN JUST GO TO POSITIVE BLOOD TYPES, THAT'S 80% OF THE POPULATION.

AND WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT THAT YOU'VE GOT ONE BLOOD TYPE THAT CAN GO TO 80% OF THE POPULATION, IT BECOMES VERY, VERY IMPORTANT THAT WE HAVE A HIGH RATE OF TYPE O ON THE SHELVES, ESPECIALLY FOR EMERGENCIES AND TRAUMAS AS WELL AS PREGNANT WOMEN AND NEWBORN BABIES.

>> YOU MENTIONED INDEPENDENCE WEEKEND, JULY 4 WEEKEND, A TOUGHY.

SUMMER TOUGH AS WELL.

IN TERMS NOT ONLY OF JUST GETTING PEOPLE WHO ARE OUT OF TOWN, THEY'RE NOT HERE TO DOAN BARAKAT'S TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS, THINGS GOING ON WHEN BLOOD SUPPLY IS NEEDED.

>> ABSOLUTELY.

BECAUSE WHAT HAPPENS DURING THE INDEPENDENCE HOLIDAY, THAT'S THE MOST HEAVILY TRAVELED WEEK OF THE SUMMER.

SO YOU TAKE THAT WEEK, WHERE THE DONORS ARE LEAVING TOWN AND NOT DONATING BLOOD, AND THEN THE POTENTIAL FOR ACCIDENTS AND TRAUMAS INCREASES.

IT'S KIND OF A RECIPE FOR DISASTER, WHEN IT COMES TO THE BLOOD SUPPLY, IF WE DON'T HAVE A GOOD SUPPLY ON HAND.

>> WHAT ARE YOU HEARING FROM HOSPITALS?

REGARDING ESPECIALLY ELECTIVE SURGERIES.

PACE OF ELECTIVE SURGERIES, ARE THEY PICKING UP, SLOWING DOWN?

OBVIOUSLY THE PANDEMIC PLAYED A BIG PART IN THEM ALMOST STOPPING, BACK UP AGAIN, BUT NOW WE'VE GOT THE DELTA VEARPT, THE HOSPITALS WORKED UP AND WORRIED ABOUT THAT.

WHERE DOES ALL THIS SNAN.

>> RIGHT NOW WE'RE SEEING AN INCREASE IN BLOOD USAGE BECAUSE HOSPITAL SURGERIES ARE INCREASING, AS COMMUNITIES OPEN UP MORE AND MOVE.

PEOPLE ARE FEELING MORE COMFORTABLE ABOUT SCHEDULING WHAT'S CALLED ESSENTIAL SURGERIES.

THEY MAY NOT BE SURGERIES THAT ARE GEARED TO SAVE YOUR LIFE, BUT FACE IT, IF YOU NEED A HIP REPLACEMENT, YOU NEED A HIP REPLACEMENT.

AND ALL THESE PEOPLE HAVE POSTPONED THOSE SURGERIES DURING THE HEIGHT OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC, AND NOW THAT WE'RE NOT REQUIRED TO WEAR MASKS EVERYWHERE, THERE'S, YOU KNOW, OTHER THINGS THAT ARE OPENING UP, PEOPLE ARE FEELING MORE COMFORTABLE SCHEDULING THOSE SURGERIES, SO BLOOD USAGE SON THE RISE.

>> I HESITATE TO BRING THIS UP BECAUSE SOMEONE MIGHT TAKE IT THE WRONG WAY AND RUN OFF TO BE FACEBOOK AND MISINFORMATION WOULD FLOWER.

BUT WHEN IT COMES TO COVID AND DONATING BLOOD, PLEASE MAKE IT CLEAR THAT IT DOESN'T MATTER.

>> IT ABSOLUTELY DOESN'T.

YOU DON'T NEED TO WORRY ABOUT PASSING ON COVID-19 ANTIBODIES OR COVID-19 THROUGH A BLOOD TRANSFUSION.

SO WE THOROUGHLY SCREEN THE DONORS FOR ANY KIND OF SYMPTOMS.

IF SOMEBODY IS NOT 100% HEALTHY WHEN THEY COME INTO OUR DONOR CENTER OR BLOOD DRIVE, WE DO NOT LET THEM DONATE BLOOD THAT DAY.

WE TAKE EVERY PRECAUTION WHILE THEY'RE THERE.

AND COVID-19 IS NOT PASSED ON THROUGH THE BLOOD, IT'S A RESPIRATORY AILMENT, SO PEOPLE DON'T NEED TO WORRY.

YOU PUT YOURSELF AT FAR GREATER RISK BY NOT MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE AN AMPLE BLOOD SUPPLY FOR PATIENTS SHOULD THEY NEED A TRANSFUSION.

>> AND AS FAR AS THE PANDEMIC IS CONCERNED, WE TALKED ABOUT HOW THINGS WERE PRETTY BAD AT ONE POINT, EASED UP.

ARE THINGS GETTING DICEY AGAIN WITH THIS DELTA SNREARNT.

>> WELL, WE HAVEN'T REALLY SEEN IT AT THE BLOOD BANK MAKING AN IMPACT IN OUR NUMBER OF DONORS YET.

YOU HEAR A LOT ABOUT IT ON THE NEWS.

THE BIGGEST IMPACT WE'RE SEEING RIGHT NOW IS THAT SO MANY ORGANIZATIONS ARE STILL WITH VIRTUAL WORK FORCES.

SO OUR NUMBER OF BLOOD DRIVES IS DOWN BY ABOUT ONE THIRD, JUST BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE THE QUANTITIES OF PEOPLE WORKING IN THE PHYSICAL BUILDINGS RIGHT NOW.

AND WE'RE TRYING REALLY HARD TO GET PEOPLE TO DONATE VIRTUALLY, LIKE GIVE BLOOD AT ANY LOCATION AND CREDIT YOUR ORGANIZATION WITH THAT DONATION, SO THEY FEEL LIKE THEY CAN MAKE AN IMPACT BY SPREADING THE WORD TO EMPLOYEES.

BUT WE DESPERATELY NEED MORE ORGANIZATIONS TO HOST BLOOD DRIVES, AND SO WE ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO GO TO OUR WEBSITE, VITALENT.ORG, CLICK ON INTEREST IN HOSTING A BLOOD DRIVE AND PLEASE EITHER HOST A DRIVE OR MAKE AN APPOINTMENT TO GIVE BLOOD.

>> DOES ARIZONA DIFFER AS FAR AS OTHER STATES, OTHER REGIONS IN TERMS OF BLOOD SUPPLY AND DONATIONS?

>> WE ARE THE NATION'S LARGEST INDEPENDENT NONPROFIT BLOOD PROVIDER, SO IT'S HARD TO SAY ON ANY GIVEN DAY WHETHER ARIZONA HAS MORE OR LESS THAN OTHER STATES.

BUT WHAT WE FOCUS ON IS MEETING OUR OWN NEEDS FIRST.

OBVIOUSLY IT'S MOST EFFICIENT TO HAVE THE BLOOD RIGHT HERE IN OUR OWN COMMUNITY TO FILL THE NEEDS OF THE HOSPITALS WE SERVE.

BUT THEN ON A DAILY BASIS WE COMMUNICATE WITH OUR SISTER CENTERS ACROSS THE COUNTRY BECAUSE WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT IF WE DO HAVE ANYTHING TO SPARE OR IF WE'RE SHORT ON SOMETHING THAT WE'RE COMMUNICATING WITH OUR SISTER CENTERS TO SEE THAT EVERYBODY HAS WHAT THEY NEED.

BUT WHEN TIMES ARE LEAN, THAT'S HARD FOR EVERYBODY.

SO IT'S IMPORTANT TO JUST MAKE SURE THAT YOU DONATE BLOOD AND WE'LL MAKE SURE THAT IT GETS TO THE RIGHT PATIENT AT THE RIGHT TIME.

>> VITALENT.

GOOD TO SEE YOU AGAIN.

>> THANK YOU SO MUCH.

>> TONIGHT ON NEWS HOUR, INVESTIGATING JANUARY 6.

HOUSE SPEAKER NANCY PELOSI REJECTS TWO REPUBLICAN PICKS TO EXAMINE THE INSURRECTION, COMING UP AFTER YOUR HOUR OF LOCAL NEWS ON ARIZONA PBS.

>> AND THAT IS FOR IT NOW.

I AM 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 NEWSES, HOW THE PHOENIX SUNS' SEASON BROUGHT THE VALLEY TOGETHER, AND FIGHT FOR NATIVE STUDENTS TO WEAR TRADITIONAL DRESS TO GRADUATION CEREMONIES.

♪ ♪ >> A LOOK AT HISTORY OF VOTING RIGHTS IN AMERICA AND HOW COVID CHANGED THE WAY COLLEGES LOOK AT APPLICANTS AND APPLICANTS LOOK AT COLLEGES, ON THE NEXT