[♪ THEME MUSIC ♪] >>> COMING UP IN THE NEXT HOUR OF LOCAL NEWS ON ARIZONA PBS, ON "ARIZONA HORIZON," WHAT TO EXPECT ON ARIZONA ROADWAYS THIS HOLIDAY SEASON.

AND ON BREAK IT DOWN, A DISCUSSION ABOUT WOMAN OF COLOR IN THE MUSIC INDUSTRY.

THAT'S ALL AHEAD IN THE NEXT OF ARIZONA PBS.

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

I'M TED SIMONS.

BIG DAY FOR THE STATE'S INDEPENDENT REDISTRICTING COMMISSION, WHICH IS IN THE PROCESS OF REDRAWING THE CONGRESSIONAL AND LEGISLATIVE MAPS.

THE COMMISSION IS EXPECTED TO ACCEPT NEW TEMPLATES.

IT'S CONSIDERED A TURNING POINT FOR THE COMMISSION, WHICH SHOULD HAVE THOSE FINAL MAPS READY BY THE END OF THE YEAR.

>>> JUST UNDER 3,000 CASES OF COVID-19 TODAY.

THERE WERE 20 COVID-RELATED FATALITIES FOR THE DAY, AS FOR HOSPITALIZATIONS, THEY ARE DOWN A BIT WITH JUST UNDER 2700 CASES REPORTED.

ER ALL OF THIS AS A NEW STUDY SHOWING THAT THE OMICRON VARIANT MULTIPLIES 70 TIMES FASTER THAN THE INITIAL VIRUS OR DELTA VARIANT.

BUT OMICRON MULTIPLIES MUCH LESS IN THE LUNGS.

RESEARCHERS WARN, THOUGH, THAT OMICRON IS SO INFECTIOUS THAT IT COULD CAUSE MORE SEVERE DISEASE AND DEATH DUE TO SHEER NUMBERS.

>>> HEALTH OFFICIALS IN THE U.S. SAY THEY ARE SEEING OMICRON CASES DOUBLING EVERY TWO TO FOUR DAYS, AND THEY EXPECT IT TO PEAK IN JANUARY.

IT ALSO SUGGESTS OMICRON OUT-COMPETING THE DELTA VARIANT.

>>> U.S. SUPREME COURT TODAY SENT A CASE CHALLENGING A TEXAS ABORTION LAW BACK TO A FEDERAL APPEARS COURT.

TODAY'S MOVE LITERALLY KEEPS THE TEXAS BAN IN PLACE FOR MOST ABORTIONS THERE, AND WILL BE ENOUGH FOR THE SUPREME COURT TO RULE ON A CASE FROM MISSISSIPPI THAT DIRECTLY CHALLENGES ROE V. WADE WADE.

>>> A SURVEY OF CLOSE OF A THOUSAND WORKERS SAID MORE THAN A THIRD WOULD CONSIDER OR WILL CHANGE JOBS NEXT YEAR.

AND 60% WHO MADE A CHANGE THIS YEAR, PLAN ON CHANGING AGAIN IN 2022.

>>> IT'S THAT TIME OF YEAR FOR HOLIDAY TRAVEL.

EARLIER TODAY WE SPOKE TO ALDO VASQUEZ WITH AAA.

>>> ALDO, GOOD TO SEE YOU.

THANKS FOR JOINING US.

WHAT ARE YOU EXPECTING FOR HOLIDAY TRAVEL THIS SEASON?

>> YEAH, SO IT IS GOING TO BE A BUSY ONE.

WE ANTICIPATE ABOUT 109 MILLION PEOPLE TRAVELING FOR THE HOLIDAYS, AND ABOUT 100 MILLION WILL BE HITTING THE ROADS.

SO IT WILL BE BUSY OUT THERE EVEN THOUGH WE'RE SEEING A REBOUND OVER WHAT WE SAW IN 2020.

IT IS GOING TO BE ABOUT 8% MORE OF WHAT WE SAW BEFORE THE PANDEMIC.

>> AND IS THIS BECAUSE OF PEOPLE TRYING TO MAKE UP FOR LOST TIME?

>> ABSOLUTELY.

ABOUT 90% OF THE PEOPLE WHO WILL BE TRAVELLING WILL BE HITTING THE ROAD HERE IN ARIZONA.

>> IS PART OF THE REASON MORE CONFIDENCE DUE TO VACCINE AVAILABILITY?

>> THERE IS GROWING CONFIDENCE BECAUSE OF THE VACCINE, BUT, THE OMICRON VARIANT IS A BIG THING IN THE NEWS RIGHT NOW, AND THAT'S WHY EVEN THOUGH THERE IS THIS GROWING CONFIDENCE, WE STILL WANT PEOPLE TO EXERCISE CAUTION AND FOLLOW THOUGH CDC GUIDELINES OF WEARING THE MASKS, AND BRINGING HAND SANITIZER AS PEOPLING DISTANCE FROM OTHER PEOPLE.

THESE NUMBERS THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT HERE, AREN'T CONCRETE BY ANY MEANS, SO WE HAVE TO WAIT AND SEE HOW THE OMICRON VARIANT IMPACTS PEOPLE'S TRAVEL.

>> AND THIS IS DESPITE HIGH GAS PRICES.

>> YEAH, THE CLOSER WE GET TO THE HOLIDAYS, THE CLOSER PEOPLE ARE LOCKED INTO THEIR PLANS.

IT DOESN'T SEEM LIKE GAS PRICES WILL KEEP PEOPLE FROM TRAVELING.

>> WHAT ARE YOU SEEING AS FAR AS GAS PRICES ARE CONCERNED?

>> WE DON'T ANTICIPATE A DROP AT THE MOMENT, BUT IT STILL REMAINS TO SEE IF OIL PRICES WILL AVAILABLIZE OR MOVE HIGHER.

>> BUT SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER THIS YEAR THAN LAST YEAR.

>> YEAH, LAST YEAR, PEOPLE AREN'T REALLY TRAVELLING, AND THIS YEAR, PEOPLE ARE MOVING AROUND, AND THAT DRIVES UP DEMAND AND PRICES AS WELL.

>> GIVE US SOME TIPS FOR ROAD TRAVEL, AIR TRAVEL.

>> THE BEST THING IS BE PROACTIVE AND BE PREPARED.

DO IT BEFORE AND AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE, AND JUST BEING PATIENT.

ROADWAYS AND AIRPORTS ARE GOING TO BE CROWDED, IF YOU ARE DRIVING LEAVE EARLY IN THE MORNING, AND THEN JUST INVEST IN TRAVEL INSURANCE.

THAT IS PROBABLY ONE OF THE BEST THINGS YOU CAN DO RIGHT NOW.

IF YOU HAVE THAT CANCEL AT ANYTIME COMPONENT, YOU CAN SAVE SO MUCH STRESS.

>> YEAH, THAT IS SOMETHING PEOPLE DON'T THINK A LOT ABOUT, AND ANOTHER THING IS WHEN YOU HIT THE ROAD, MAKE SURE YOU ARE PREPARED IF YOU SHOULD BREAK DOWN.

YOU HAVE GOT TO BE PREPARED FOR THAT, DON'T YOU?

>> YEAH, BEFORE YOU HIT THE ROAD, MAKE SURE YOUR VEHICLE IS ROAD READY AND GET YOUR VEHICLE INSPECTED BY A TRUSTED AUTO-REPAIR SHOP, AND GET AN EMERGENCY KIT IN CASE YOU DO BREAK DOWN.

>> AND IF YOU ARE LEAVING THE COUNTRY OR DOING EXOTIC TRAVEL, CHECK THE PRECAUTIONS, TRUE?

>> EXACTLY.

WITH THE NEW OMICRON VARIANT AND THE NEW GUIDELINES, IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO STAY UP TO DATE WITH ALL OF THE INFORMATION.

AAA HAS A COVID TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS MAP TO HELP.

>> ALDO VASQUEZ, ALWAYS A PLEASURE.

THANK YOU FOR THE INFORMATION.

>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.

>>> UP NEXT ON "ARIZONA HORIZON," WE'LL HEAR ABOUT THE METAVERSE AND HOW IT WILL RESHAPE THE FUTURE.

>>> THE METAVERSE IS A WORLD WHERE JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING WILL HAPPEN DIGITALLY.

BILL GATES FOR ONE PREDICTS IT WILL BE USED FOR WORK PURPOSES IN THE NEXT TWO TO THREE YEARS.

WE LEARNED MORE FROM ANDREW MAYNARD, ASSOCIATE DEAN OF ASU'S SCHOOL FOR THE FUTURE OF INNOVATION IN SOCIETY.

GOOD TO HAVE YOU HERE.

>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.

>> GOOD TOO HAVE YOU HERE IN PERSON.

BECAUSE FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND, YOU MAY NOT BE HERE IN THE FUTURE.

WHAT IS THE METAVERSE?

>> IT'S ESSENTIALLY A DIGITAL OVERLAY TO OUR LIVES.

THINK ABOUT EVERYTHING WE DO IN THE TANGIBLE HARD WORLD HERE.

THERE ARE COMPANIES WHO NOW BELIEVE MOST OF THAT WILL BE SHUTTERED OFF INTO CYBERSPACE.

>> IS THAT WHY GOOGLE DECIDED TO CALL ITSELF META?

>> IT WAS FACEBOOK.

>> OH, YEAH, FACEBOOK.

>> IT IS.

>> SO SCHOOL, WORK, SOCIAL?

>> WHAT THE INTERNET DID WAS GAVE US ACCESS TO INFORMATION WHETHER IT'S SOCIAL MEDIA, OR EMAIL OR JUST BROWSING THE WENT, AND NOW INSTEAD OF EXCHANGING INFORMATION, WE ACTUALLY HAVE A PRESENCE, AND YOU CAN FEEL FULLY IMMERSED.

BUT EVEN IF YOU ARE NOT PUTTING ON THE GOGGLES, YOU CAN ENTER THIS CYBER WORLD.

>> NOW WOULD I BE INTERVIEWING YOU OR WOULD MY AVATAR BE INTERVIEWING YOUR AVATAR?

>> WHO KNOWS.

IT COULD BE AN INTERVIEW BETWEEN TWO ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCES.

AND TO BE SURE, THAT'S A LONG, LONG WAY AWAY.

BUT THIS IS HOW PEOPLE ARE THINKING, THAT IF YOU CAN REPRESENT PEOPLE IN THIS CYBER DOMAIN, AND GET THEM PERSONALITIES AND GIVE THEM ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE TO MAKE THEM LOOK AND FEEL LIKE REAL PEOPLE, WHO IS TO KNOW?

>> COULD YOU POSSIBLY JUST WAKE UM, AND PUT ON THE GOGGLES OR WHATEVER THEY ARE IN THE FUTURE, AND JUST DO THAT ALL DAY?

>> SO THIS IS THE BIG QUESTION?

AND THERE ARE COMPANIES, FACEBOOK BEING ONE OF THEM THAT SAY, YES, WE CAN.

AND THE TECHNOLOGY IS INCREDIBLE.

YOU CAN PUT ON THESE GOGGLES, AND IT FEELS LIKE YOU ARE IMMERSED IN A REAL WORD, SO THAT'S EXCITING.

BUT THERE WILL ALWAYS BE SOME PEOPLE WHO LIKE MEETING FACE-TO-FACE.

WHEN THE TV AND THE INTERNET CAME ALONG, PEOPLE THOUGHT WE WOULDN'T NEED BOOKS ANYMORE, BUT PEOPLE STILL NEED BOOKS.

>> EXACTLY.

NOW LET'S TALK ABOUT SECURITY.

COULD HACKERS END UP RUNNING THE UNIVERSE.

>> WELL, I THINK IT'S A BIG POSSIBILITY, BUT IF WE'RE IN DIGITAL SPACE, WE HAVE DIGITAL VULNERABILITIES, SO THAT IS AN ISSUE.

ON THE FLIP SIDE, THOUGH, WE'RE GETTING REALLY GOOD AT HARDENING SYSTEMS.

BUT NOW YOU WATCH A VIDEO OF SOMEBODY, AND YOU ARE NOT SURE WHETHER IT IS THE PERSONAL OR A COMPUTER MIMICKING THE PERSON.

>> YES.

AND IT COULD RUN -- WHO ARE THE GATE KEEPERS WHEN THEY DON'T EXIST?

>> YEAH, IT IS NOT GOOD OR BAD, BUT IT IS SO KNEW THAT THERE ARE WAYS THAT WE COULD REALLY FALL FLAT ON OUR FACES.

>> AND WHAT DOES IT SAY ABOUT THE FUTURE OF THE HUMAN CONDITION?

>> RIGHT.

>> WE SEE EACH OTHER, WE HAVE NON-VERBAL CUES, AND THAT IS PART OF BEING HUMAN.

>> ABSOLUTELY.

AND THERE HAS BEEN A HUGE DEBATE OVER SOCIAL MEDIA, AND WHETHER THAT ERODES PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS.

AND WILL THIS GET WORSE.

AND I THINK THERE ARE THINGS WE CRAVE AS HUMANS, AND PART OF THOSE ARE REAL EXPERIENCES.

SO MAYBE PART OF THE POPULATION IS SUCKED INTO THE VIRTUAL REALITY FEEDS AND THEY ARE 300 POUNDS IN THEIR BASEMENTS.

>> BILL GATES SAYS HE SEES METAVERSE CONTROLLING THE WORLD IN THE NEXT TWO TO THREE YEARS.

DO YOU BELIEVE THAT?

>> I DON'T THINK SO.

I THINK IT IS 10 TO 20 YEARS AWAY.

>> SO TECHNICALLY YES, BUT SOCIALLY -- >> YES, IT ALMOST FEELS LIKE A SOCIETY THAT IS BEING EXPOSED TO THE VIRUS, AND WE HAVE GOT TO LEARN REALLY FAST HOW TO ADAPT TO IT, AND WE HAVE TO TRAIN PEOPLE.

AND THAT'S WHAT WE DO AT ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY, WE ARE LITERALLY TRAINING THE NEXT GENERATION OF EXPERTS TO NAVIGATE THE METAVERSE.

>> ARE WE ADVANCED ENOUGH FOR THIS KIND OF THING?

>> TOUCH AND GO.

I WOULD SAY 50/50.

WE COULD BE ADVANCED ENOUGH.

WE HAVE ALL OF THE CAPABILITIES.

WE HAVE THE SMARTS, THE INTELLIGENCE INTELLIGENCE, AND MOTIVATION, AND THEN YOU LOOK AT WHEN SOMETHING REALLY BIG HITS THE WORLDS AND -- >> WE'RE STILL IN THE CAVES.

>> YEAH.

>> ANDREW MAYNARD THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE >> IT HAS BEEN GREAT BEING HERE.

THANK YOU.

>> THANK YOU.

♪ >> >>> ASU FILM PROFESS SCORE AND PLAYWRIGHT GUILLERMO REYES HAS MADE A NAME FOR HIMSELF IN THE LOCAL THEATER SCENE WITH PLAYS COVERING SEXUALITY, GENDER, AND LATINO IDENTITY.

HE SPOKE WITH "HORIZONTE" HOST JOSE CARDENAS.

>> GUILLERMO REYES, IT'S GOOD TO SEE YOU AGAIN.

>> NICE TO SEE YOU.

>> YOU ARE GOING TO BE TEACHING IN THE SPRING ON "LATIN-X THEATER," WHICH EXPLORES HISTORICAL ROOTS.

TELL US ABOUT THAT.

>> RIGHT NOW THE CLASS IS LIVE, BUT WE ARE PLANNING TO TAPE SOME OF THESE LECTURES, AND PUT THEM ONLINE SO OUR STUDENTS FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD CAN SEE THEM, AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR THE STUDENTS TO UNDERSTAND THE LATINO CONTRIBUTIONS TO THEATER, FILM, AND TELEVISION, SO I THINK -- IT'S IMPORTANT FOR VARIOUS -- WELL, I WOULD SAY MY FAMILY, EVEN IN LATIN AMERICA, IN CHILE TO UNDERSTAND THAT THERE ARE THESE ARTISTS IN THE UNITED STATES.

AND IT'S IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND THAT EVEN IN LATIN AMERICA, WE ARE NOT NECESSARILY FOLLOWING THE SAME PATH OF MAIN STREAM OR WHITE ARTISTS, THAT THERE ARE A LOT OF ISSUES FOR LATINO ARTISTS TO CONSIDER.

SO IT INVITES A LOT OF DISCUSSION ABOUT WHAT WE CONTRIBUTE TO THE CULTURE AND ALSO COLORISM AND RACISM, AND THOSE ARE ISSUES I ENJOY DISCUSSING.

>> SO IN SOME OF THE PROMOTIONAL MATERIALS, IT TALKS ABOUT THE RECENT KITS, LIKE HAMILTON, IN THE HEIGHTS ALSO, AND A TONY AWARD WINNER FOR THE INHERITANCE.

CAN YOU TALK ABOUT HOW THIS MAY INFORM PEOPLE ABOUT LATINO CULTURE.

>> LYNN MANUEL MIRANDA IS A GREAT EXAMPLE.

HE STARTED IN THEATER, AND THEN HAD THE TYPE OF SUCCESS HE HAS HAD IN HAMILTON AND THE HEIGHTS, SO THAT IS THE PERFECT EXAMPLE OF THE TYPE OF ARTIST WHO HAS BEEN ABLE TO CONTRIBUTE TO ALL OF THESE ARTISTS, AND HISTORICALLY, PEOPLE LIKE [ INAUDIBLE ] WHO BECAME A THEATER ARTIST WHO WAS ALSO ABLE TO CONTRIBUTE TO SEVERAL HITS.

SO I CERTAINLY WANT TO KEEP UP WITH THE VARIOUS CONTRIBUTIONS, AND [ INAUDIBLE ] IS A GREAT EXAMPLE BECAUSE IT IS WRITTEN BY A LATINO.

AND THAT IS AN IMPORTANT THING TO CONSIDER, SO I THINK WE HAVE TO .

-- YOU KNOW, THINK ABOUT HOW THEY CONTRIBUTE.

>> YOU TALKED ABOUT BORDER AND HISTORICAL THEMES WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT THE ROOTS OF LATIN THEATER?

>> WELL, CERTAINLY WE GO BACK, OBVIOUSLY MANY CENTURIES.

AND LIKE THE CONQUEST OF MEXICO, AND OTHERS, NOT JUST PLAYS BUT NOVELS AND SO FORTH, AND I TRY TO HELP THEM.

AND EVEN IN HORROR FLICKS.

THERE WAS AN INTERESTING THEATRICAL FIGURE, SO THERE ARE SO MANY POSSIBILITIES -- >> THE LEGEND OF THE WEEPING WOMAN.

AND ONE OF YOUR LOCATIONS IS IN IOWA.

TELL US ABOUT THAT ONE, AND WHAT IS GOING ON THERE?

>> YEAH, THAT DAY IN TUCSON IS THE NAME OF THE PLAY.

WE TALKED ABOUT IT A FEW YEARS AGO WITH DANIEL WHO HELPED SAVE GAB GABBY GIFFORDS, AND THIS THEATER DEPARTMENT IN IOWA CHOSE TO DO IT.

>> CONGRATULATIONS ON -- ON THAT, AND ALSO CONGRATULATIONS ON THE NEW COURSE.

I LOOK FORWARD TOO HEARING MORE ABOUT IT.

>> THANK YOU SO MUCH.

>>> 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 ON ARIZONA PBS, ON CRONKITE NEWS A LOOK BACK AT COACH COTTON FIT SIMMONDS.

AND ON BREAK IT DOWN, CONFLICT IN THE MUSIC INDUSTRY.