♪ Music Playing ♪ >> COMING UP NEXT ON "ARIZONA HORIZON," A LOOK AT WHY THIS SUMMER IN THE U.S.

WAS THE "HOTTEST" SUMMER ON RECORD.

ALSO TONIGHT, WE'LL HEAR ABOUT WORKFORCE SERVICES FOR MARICOPA COUNTY JOB SEEKERS AND EMPLOYERS.

AND, A NEW BOOK CHRONICLES THE TRUE-CRIME CASE OF A SELF-HELP GURU AND HIS DEADLY RETREAT IN SEDONA.

THOSE STORIES AND MORE, NEXT, O "ARIZONA HORIZON."

>> "Arizona Horizon" is made possible by contributions from the friends of Arizona PBS.

Members of your public television station.

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

I'M TED SIMONS.

THIS SUMMER WAS THE HOTTEST SUMMER ON RECORD ACROSS THE U.S., WITH ARIZONA GETTING ITS FAIR SHARE OF UNUSUALLY WARM TEMPERATURES.

SCIENTISTS ATTRIBUTE THE HIGHER TEMPS TO HUMAN-CAUSED CARBON POLLUTION.

JOINING US NOW TO TALK ABOUT THAT AND THE LATEST EL NINO FORECAST IS ASU CLIMATOLOGIST, RANDY CERVENY.

>> Thanks fox, Randy, good to have you here.

>> My pleasure.

>> The hottest summer on record across, 2.7 degrees hotter.

That seeps like a lot.

>> It is.

It is.

When we average numbers, the -- what would normally seem like oh, it's only 2 1/2 degrees hotter.

But when you add so many numbers together it's a tremendous increase.

>> I was going ask, how does that -- the climate central analysis there.

How did you reach these numbers >> What they do is they take the individual records for all of the cities across the country and they statistically model them to determine what the average temperature then is across the whole area.

What we really have seen is it's the southern part of the country that was roast this is particular year.

>> And this model can show human affect, greenhouse gases being emissions these sorts of things.

>> What we can see is the changes that take place between now and what happened decades ago.

And what we have seen is with recent years, expansion of what's called the subtropical high.

The Bermuda high the big high pressure system that sits usually over of gulf of Mexico and into the Atlantic is moving northward and keeps clear skies and more sunshine allowing the southern part of the country to get hotter and hotter.

>> And, again, as we always talk about heat in Arizona, it's not just the highs, it's the overnight lows which don't get that low anymore dork they?

>> That's true.

And that is a definite aspect of greenhouse warming is that it traps the heat at night to keep the place hotter than it would otherwise be.

>> So there is an effect, human beings, sign at this times are locked in this?

>> Yeah.

It's not -- for scientists it's not something debated anymore.

>> Yeah.

Yeah.

All right.

Let's talk about the next few months.

And we have graphs and some visuals here and we are talking -- let's start with the next -- nice clouds out here right now, Randy.

Next seven days show what?

>> Well, we are going to miss out on the huge amount of moisture that hurricane polo, you probably have seen on the news, this category 5 hurricane that is down off the coast of Mexico.

It is pumping up a huge amount of moisture.

But it's kind of missing us.

It's going into New Mexico.

>> Yes.

>> New Mexico has rained all day today.

And they have a flood alert for the entire state.

>> For the next seven -- the next seven days not so bad here.

>> Not so bad.

But what happens is that each day as we move the next seven days our chances for having rain across Arizona is going to get higher.

>> All right, another graphic and this talks about the rain projection for October, November, and December.

Oddly enough, the next three months.

And it looks to me like that that again is not so bad.

>> It is not bad at all.

In terms of helping against the drought, that is going to be a big player.

We hope.

You are never going to change the world with one winter, but this is definitely going to make a dent in the drought.

>> For October, November, December, should southern California have that much going on rain wise?

>> Normally they don't.

And formally we don't.

What's happening here is we are shifting the circulation.

If you notice the places that are going to get below normal are up there in the northwest.

>> Yes.

>> The storm that is they usually get in the winter will be moving down towards us.

>> And we got Florida, of course, getting above, always above counsel there in Florida.

I want to to get to the el nino effect on all of this in a second here.

Temperatures for the next three month is our next graphic and you would think with all of the rain, maybe still leans above normal here?

>> Still leans to normal.

But notice the hottest places that are going to be this fall, are again, up not northwest.

Where they are not expecting storms.

So they get a lot of sunshine, they are going to heat up.

We and particularly New Mexico, because they are getting the brunt of the storm so far this summer and into the fall, more likely to be normal, or maybe just slightly above normal.

>> Okay.

That's relatively encouraging there.

We looked at the maps and graphs and things, how much is el nino right now playing into that in.

>> This is the dominant factor.

I mean, we are -- >> Even now?

>> Even now.

We are not expecting to be talking about el nino now because normally it is a wintertime situation, it shifts the jetstream and causes winter storms to change.

But what has happen second degree with the strength of the warm waters that we have in the Pacific.

And the waters have just been outlandishly hot.

We are getting big hurricanes.

And the moisture from those hurricanes is being pumped up into the southwest.

Not only us, but places that hardly ever get storms like Hawaii.

Hawaii is going to be having their third hurricane, near hurricane hit.

>> Wow.

>> Going on next couple of days >> You mentioned those rising temperatures, those surface temperatures in the ocean, we have a graphic for that, too, Randy.

Actually you have a graphic for that.

And it looks like just look for the red.

Look for the pink, the red there.

That's the one, isn't it?

>> Yeah.

What's weird is the other lines are showing you some of the biggest el nino years that we have had on record.

Many people remember how wet it was here in 1997 or you go even older than that, back in 1982.

Those were some of the worst el ninos we have seen in terms of producing lots of rain over the southwest.

This is hotter in the Pacific than anything that we have seen.

>> When -- we saw the next three months and seven days, when do we expect to say oh, boy it's el nino time.

>> You can see he it now, people are saying the monsoon is not hitting us but it was New Mexico.

More rains go in to New Mexico than in Arizona.

It's New Mexico getting pummeled and they'll get hit this entire week.

>> How long is -- I would imagine, you know, December, January, February, really getting hit as well.

How long is this thing going to go?

How long do el ninos usually impact the weather usually start to die off by February and early March.

Looking at this because it's unprecedented looking to for it to continue to next May.

We have the potential no rains between now and Macon instanty here in the south.

>> We have heard about it, you mentioned the storm being troupial storms and even hurricanes forming out in the Pacific.

Any of that stuff going to come riding you want coast and hit us in any way, shape, or form?

>> Polo the moisture from polo right now is actually pushing in to New Mexico as we speak.

There is another storm that is off the California coast, actually California is getting worried about this.

It's probably going to put some moisture in to California and Arizona.

>> So something could happen in the next few months, something could come riding up out of the Pacific and impact us like we have seen this in the past,.

>> Absolutely.

>> Wet the valley and parts of the state have been hit hard.

>> That's normally what happens in the fall is that it's the hurricanes that are down off the coast of Mexico as they do I out and we'll see more of that this year.

>> Quickly, California, has already declared a state of emergency because of el nino.

Are they jumping the gun a bit there, what do you think?

>> Yeah, I think so.

But given the population, and given the problem that is they have had with things like wildfires, I will say they are probably right to do so so that they can get prepared.

Because it is going to be a wet fall for the southwest.

We gotta be prepared.

>> ASU climatologist Randy Cerveny, always a pressure, thank you.

>> Thank you.

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>> Thinking about the future is something we all share.

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>> SEPTEMBER IS NATIONAL WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT MONTH, A GOOD ENOUGH TIME TO CHECK IN WITH MARICOPA COUNTY'S WORKFORC DEVELOPMENT DIVISION, WHICH OFFERS JOB SEEKERS A VARIETY OF TOOLS TO HELP LAND THAT NEXT JOB INTERVIEW.

TO LEARN MORE, WE WELCOME JARED BEARD, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF TH COUNTY'S WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT DIVISION.

Welcome to "Arizona Horizon."

Good to have you here.

>> Great to be here.

>> You betcha.

Give me a better definition of the division, this part of Maricopa county.

>> Yeah, so the work fort development division is a division you were the county's human services department.

And what we do is really provide career in job services to job seekers across the are valley to help them not find a job but get into a career and something that they can grow in.

>> Helping them at every stage of their career?

>> Absolutely.

So for our programming, which is the workforce innovation and opportunity act, we really focus on all job seekers, ages 15 -- 14 and up.

>> Wow.

Everything from like career coaching to, what, pumping up the resume a little bit.

How does it work?

>> Yes, we offer resume assistance, job search and fund certain individualized services.

So for people looking for job train and credentials and certifications to get into different fields, we support with that as well.

>> Skills training and commuter classes those things are big.

>> Absolutely.

We offer workshops for anybody who can walk into the center and access those as well as those individualized services.

>> What about connections to careers and employers by way of say, apprenticeships.

>> So Maricopa county is actually one of the national leaders in workforce funded registered apprenticeships.

Back in 2020, two the board of supervisors invested $12 million with us to really grow registered apprenticeships here in Maricopa county.

We have had a lofty goal to support 3,000 apprentices by the end of 2020 section and we are almost there.

>> You are making the goal then >> Absolutely.

Right there.

>> I noticed that there is a focus with those that have, quote, significant barriers to employment what, does that mean?

>> One of the things that we take A lot of pride in serving the populations that are a button topped.

We have an incredible smart justice program that focuses on individuals with any type of convictions on their background, helping them with reentry.

We have held the first ever exceptional worker Summit to connecting job services that are neural diverse.

Connecting those most in need with jobs.

>> The connection say big deal.

What do you hear from employers around the valley?

What are they looking for, what do they need?

>> The biggest thing that we hear.

The technical side of things.

They need certain skills, about you the biggest thing we here across all industries are the professional skills.

The importance of showing up on time.

Communicating within a team.

Those types of things and we work really closely with job seekers to make sure that they have that information.

>> So say I am interested and want to find out about it.

Get training.

Whatever I want.

I want to connect.

How does it work?

How do you get started?

How do you apply?

What are the steps involved?

Absolutely.

There is multiple ways to access it.

You can apply online with Maricopa count human services department.

There is a client portal that you can submit Apodaca saying we reach out within 48 hours or walk into one of the Arizona job centers here in Maricopa county we have two because of how vast we are one in Mesa and one in Glendale.

>> And these are like comprehensive job centers?

>> Absolutely.

We do one-on-one case services, where we hold workshops, have a computer room for people just coming in to work on their own to beach up their resume and things like that.

>> What are you hearing from applicants?

What are you hearing from employers?

>> From applicants there is a lot of people who are really working to get their foot in the door.

A playing for A lot of people having trouble getting to the interview is a big connection with employers.

For us we really pride ourselves, because we work with so many employers throughout the year, to figure out, you know, how should a resume be formatted what should be said and how should it be said to make sure that they have an opportunity to get in front of employers and talk about those opportunities.

>> And you are getting good response from end flowers?

>> We are getting great responses from employers.

You know, last year -- last program year alone we fed 59 different hiring events throughout Maricopa county working with 700 different employers at those hiring events.

We really pride ourselves in trying to bring a diverse field of employers across all industries to, you know, really connect with job seekers and fill those vacancies.

>> Last question, where do you learn more?

If you are interested or just curious where do you learn more?

>> Maricopa.gov/WDD.

We have done an amazing job with the website we can find all services list there had and how to action he is them.

>> One more time.

>> Maricopa.gov/W D.

>> Maricopa county workforce services thank you for the informing, we appreciate it.

>> Thank you.

♪♪ ♪ ♪♪ ♪ ♪♪ >> A NEW BOOK EXAMINES THE CASE OF JAMES ARTHUR RAY, A CELEBRIT SELF-HELP GURU WHO LED A DEADLY RETREAT IN SEDONA BACK IN 2009.

THE BOOK IS TITLED "PLASTIC SHAMAN," AND IT'S A TRUE CRIME INVESTIGATION OF THAT DEADLY INCIDENT, ALONG WITH THE WELLNESS INDUSTRY IN GENERAL.

WE WELCOME THE AUTHOR OF "PLASTIC SHAMAN," AWARD-WINNING JOURNALIST ANNETTE McGIVNEY Thank you for being here.

This is great job on this.

Jeez, after a while, do you just get sick of writing about this guy, all this business?

>> Well, yeah.

It was -- it took a lot of persistence for sure.

>> What drew you to the store.

>> I.

>> Well, I lived in Flagstaff for 25 years, so like many Arizonans I was in -- very much paying attention to the news when James Arthur Ray led that sweat lodge in October of 2009 in Sedona where three people died from heat stroke.

And he was convicted of negligent homicide for the deaths of three people.

He went to prison in 2011 after a trial and he was in prison for two years.

And then he got out of prison and he went right back into the self-help business.

And so at that point -- and then a documentary was made about him that was very glowing where the families of victims were not interviewed as all.

And I just thought this is crazy.

As a journalist, I just wanted to look into how is it that this industry, the self-help industry can allow someone that killed three of their clients to go back in to business and attract more people.

>> And that's the other end of the story.

I want to know about this -- who is this guy?

How did he become -- obviously there is a grift going here.

New age scams.

>> Right.

>> How did he gain fame as a self-help guru?

Who decided he was a guru?

>> Right.

It was because he became rich and fame us some how.

He was in the movie "the secret" that came out in 2006 that was a new-age pop hit and he was he was highlighted that film and Oprah Winfrey invited him onto her show and she elevated his profile.

>> I'll bet.

>> He was on the show for two times.

And then he wrote a best-selling good called "harmonic wealth" that came out in 2008 that promised you can make money and also be virtually enlightened at the same time.

>> Well, Jeez, can't be that?

Cinema up in other words in.

>> That's rate.

>> 50-plus people signed up.

$10,000 each to attend this retreat.

>> That's right.

What happens and especially what happened with the fake sweat lodge disaster?

>> He told his followers that he had been trained by a quote, Lakota medicine man in thousand run Native American sweat lodge that was a lie and offense I have to Native Americans to charge money for their ritual.

And have nonnatives lead their ritual but the people had no idea about any of that they just wanted to participate in an authentic Native American ritual.

They were drawn in.

Led an event -- the Yavapai county sheriff's office called it a heat endurance event because it was not a sweat lodge.

But he packed 56 people in to this hut that was covered with tarps and a nasty American sweat lodge is about eight people.

The temperature was hotter than an indigenous ritual he bullied the people to stay in the lodge during eight rounds when normally it's like four rounds.

Those so intimidated by him or physically incapacitated they passed out and some people died.

>> Three died.

18 hospitalized burps deck hydration, kid any failure.

True.

Some people went into the lodge having not had water for a significant period of time.

>> Right.

Yeah.

So before a prop rated the Native American sweat lodge he appropriated a vision quest and had them go out into the guess for the a day and a half in Sedona in October.

It's still very warm and they did not have food or water and sat by themselves in the desert doing this so-called vision quest.

So they were dehydrated when they went into the sweat lodge.

>> Goodness.

He's convicted but two years and he claimed that he was actually communicating with the people who died?

And they told him what?

>> They did a new-age channeling session after the people died and told another followers who obviously makes common sense to feel bad about people dying.

But they told the followers don't feel bad, they wanted to, quote, unquote leave their bodies because they were having so much fun.

And so they tried to really minimize the tragedy.

>> All right.

I mean, you know, there is a limit to what we can figure out here.

But this says a lot.

And your book says a lot of focus.

I want to get to the American Indian traditions and tribal traditions in second.

But the wellness industry.

What did this do to the wellness industry?

Is it wellness industry still as strong as ever right now?

>> Right.

It's definitely -- it's kind of like -- I mean, there is various aspects of the wellness industry that are fine and can help people.

But this sort of corner of the wellness industry, this new-age aspect that appropriates Native American culture, just shape shifts.

So after the James Arthur Ray incident that, you know, resolved around eight a native American sweat lodge in places like Sedona now they don't say they are doing Native American sweat lodge but people call themselves shamans.

So they are basically nonnative white people saying they have received training from indigenous people it's still an issue.

I would think it's an issue fought tribes as welling.

The commodification of all of this the appropriation of all of this.

You get into that and that's a big deal.

>> Right.

>> I mean, this is insulting to everyone but to the tribes, especially.

>> Yes.

Yeah.

And in my respecting, I was very fortunate to get to know a group of Native Americans in Arizona that protested against James Arthur Ray.

And attended every day of the trial and tried to raise awareness about the appropriation of their spirituality.

And they continue to fight it.

You know, it just keeps happening.

>> What is -- why does it keep happening?

What is it about people that want to appropriate Native American symbols and customs?

>> Right.

>> Why does that continue?

>> Well, in my book I kind of dug into that that and broadly, the United States is a countries are you created through European immigrant who came to this country and left their ancestral heritage at the bine behind in Irish, Spain, Italy, wherever, and they cut ties to their own ancestry we come to the United States I am of Irish heritage living in the southwest we adopt that Native American culture as part of our own.

>> Interesting.

>> We continue have ancestral ties.

It's Pretty amazing that they do have this incredible culture that's tied to this land where we are in Arizona going back thousands of years whereas my -- you know, I don't know what my Irish ties are.

>> Yeah.

[ Laughter ] >> Last question on this.

A lot of research and writing.

What did you learn?

Did you learn anything from writing this?

>> I definitely, in addition to being a journalist, I also had been a -- well, I am a survivor of childhood trauma.

As part of my search for healing I did dabble in some wellness, not Native American sweat lodges, but kind of dabbled in wellness and I coming out of this I came to realize that it can be very self-centered, the self-help industry.

>> Yes.

>> And that actually wellness can be more effective if you are focused less on yourself and more on taking care of others.

>> All right.

We have to stop here.

That's a great way to stop, too "Plastic shaman," great job this.

>> Thank you.

>> You bet.

That's it for now I am Ted signs thank you so much for joining us issue you have a great evening.

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