(bright music) - [Tony] The state is preparing to offer more vaccines following the FDA's approval.

- We've got about over a thousand vaccine providers in Arizona that can administer COVID-19 vaccines.

- [Tony] Back to class, tens of thousands of students begin their fall semester.

- I'm excited though, I see many people wearing their masks and following the guidelines.

- [Tony] Helping Afghans in Arizona, what nonprofits need in the coming weeks.

- They could be donating some of their furniture or some of the needs to be able to set up apartments.

(bright music) - Hello, and welcome to Arizona 360, I'm Tony Paniagua, in for Lorraine Rivera.

This week the Food and Drug Administration fully approved a COVID 19 vaccine.

It is for the two dose shot provided by Pfizer.

And Arizona, the state health office says 3.4 million people are fully vaccinated and they hope with this announcement that number will grow.

Jessica Rigler is the Assistant Director for Preparedness.

She oversees the state's COVID 19 responses.

- You know, we're thrilled to see that FDA has finally approved Pfizer vaccine for individuals 16 and over.

There are still other vaccines that are under (indistinct) authorization for those 12 and older as well.

And we've been seeing some slight increases in vaccine orders, doctor's office across the state.

And we're encouraged by that hoping to see some additional increases and individuals in Arizona getting vaccinated.

- I know that we have spoken to people in the past, and they've been saying, many of them that they needed this approval in order for them to go forward with getting a vaccination.

Are you trying to use this in your messaging, if you will to try to attract more people into getting vaccinated.

- We know that these vaccines against COVID are safe and effective.

The full approval of Pfizer vaccine further enhances that message for us.

And so we're really trying to spread that message to the Arizona public to make sure they've got confidence in these vaccines.

- And are you ready to meet the needs?

Should we say you get tens of thousands of people who are interested all of a sudden in getting vaccinated?

- Absolutely, we've got about over a thousand vaccine providers in Arizona that can administer COVID-19 vaccines.

That ranges from your local pharmacy, to a doctor's office, to community pop-up vaccination locations.

There's ample vaccine availability for those providers to order, and we've got vaccine within five miles of that 95% of Arizona State.

So we are ready and able to vaccinate those who are interested in getting vaccinated.

- So what do you see as the major roadblock now in the fact that so many vaccines are available and some people are still refusing to get vaccinated?

- We wanna make sure that people have an opportunity to get their questions answered.

We know that the COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective.

They're also free for people, and they're the best thing that we have to prevent COVID-19 infection.

So we're really encouraging folks if they have questions to reach out to their healthcare provider or another trusted healthcare entity in order to talk through their specific individual questions and feel confident that they can also get the safe and effective vaccine.

- What are some of the more common questions that you are receiving at the moment?

- You know, the question really rains, we've got a whole backpacks theories on our website as well that can answer some of those common questions with your questions about, whether vaccines can cause infertility?

They cannot.

We also have questions from people about, whether they're effective?

They are effective in preventing infections.

- And what about storage of these vaccines?

I know they have a shelf life.

Are you deciding where the vaccines go, depending on what type of vaccine it is?

For example, we've heard that rural areas are less capable of providing the really cold conditions for some of the vaccines.

- We've been fortunate throughout the period of this vaccine roll out that the FDA has updated some of the storage and handling requirements for vaccines.

So while for instance, the Pfizer vaccine stays longest in ultra cold storage.

You can actually put that vaccine in a normal refrigerator that a doctor's office in the rural community might have, and keep it for a couple of weeks to offer to your patients.

And so there really are much fewer barriers to administering, storing these vaccines even in our rural communities.

- And what about getting vaccinated in those rural communities?

Any idea on how far people will have to drive in some cases to get the vaccination?

- It really depends on where people live and how close they are to a retail pharmacy or a healthcare provider.

We've got really good coverage for the vast majority of Arizonians across the state, they can get a vaccine within five miles of their house.

Some of our rural communities though certainly are farther away from healthcare services.

And so we encourage them to visit azhealth.gov/findvaccine, to identify the closest vaccination location to them.

And we work in partnership with our local health departments and local providers to make sure that we can identify where there may be additional needs and provide services in those areas.

- And what about testing?

I've heard from some people that now testing is being charged in some cases by certain companies, is the state providing free testing still?

- There are several locations around the state where people can go to receive free testing, either offered through state supported contracts, local support and contractors.

Or many people have insurance that will cover the costs of testing, specimen collection and testing if they've been exposed to a COVID-19 case or they're experiencing symptoms for COVID-19.

So it's really important when you go to get tested that you're checking what the requirements are of that testing locations to identify if those tests are going to be free or not?

- All right, Jessica Rigler, thank you very much for joining us.

- Thank you so much for your time.

- Tens of thousands of students are back in college classrooms this week as the state's three universities and community colleges begin the fall semester.

And many classes throughout Arizona, masks are required when physical distancing is not possible.

And for students and instructors throughout the region, the new normal will take some adjusting.

Going to in-person classes for the fall semester is taking on a whole new meaning around the world.

Sure there is still excitement and optimism or some anxiety and stress, but there are also masks, reminders about social distancing and other concerns.

It's a continuation of the Corona virus chapter that we all encountered in 2020.

Here's how student Vierely Adams describes last year.

- The 10th level of hell, the 10th level of hell, if it existed.

- Adams began studying at Pima Community College in 2019 BCP, before the COVID pandemic.

She took classes online in 2020, while she also happened to be pregnant with twins.

- So I had a couple of things I was really worried about.

Trying to stay safe for me and my loved ones and my babies.

And also making sure I could try to finish all seven classes which it was quite difficult because a lot of things were just like, Hey, let's try this, let's try that.

Being able to ask all these questions, interacting with people, I really did miss it.

I missed that interaction with people.

- And then this happened in class, like... - [Tony] She's happy that interaction is back, and so is her enthusiasm about education.

And she has lots of company.

The colleagues in this public speaking class have chosen to be here.

They enjoy the in-person participation and cooperation.

- I'm really grateful to be back.

So I'm fully vaccinated, also pretty healthy.

So I don't feel too uncomfortable about it.

I'd rather be in person in class.

I have a really hard time with online learning.

I need to like get out of my house and go somewhere to be motivated.

- There is one that I'm using and it's like... - [Tony] For instructor Terry Filipo, it's the past year and a half has also posed challenges.

She kept mostly to herself since March of 2020, teaching virtually from her home while the campus was closed.

So returning to the classroom is like getting back behind the wheel.

- I have mixed reactions.

Everything feels so familiar yet so unfamiliar.

There's this saying, "Back to school buzz in the air."

There's the saying, "Back to school excitement in the air."

But there's also all this uncertainty.

What will the classes feel like?

What lessons have we learned in the past year and a half?

How comfortable do people feel wearing masks?

How comfortable do people feel being within six feet of each other.

- [Tony] At the University of Arizona, the students we spoke to have also been pondering questions.

There are lessons to be learned, not just in school, but in life.

Olivia Mandros is majoring in education.

- For me it is just like, I'm more aware now.

It's like, I can't get too close or like, I think about things that I didn't before Covid, it's just, it has opened my mind more to the situations and what I need to do to protect myself and others.

But yeah, it's just a new mindset.

- [Tony] Her friend, Cladissa Martinez agrees.

- It's been an experience.

It's been a roller coaster.

- [Tony] Martinez transferred to the university last year, but she had not been able to take classes in person until now.

- This is actually gonna be hopefully my first full semester at U of A , cause I transferred from Pima.

I'm excited though, I see many people wearing their masks and following the guidelines.

So I think it'll go well.

And I hope it does.

I hope it continues.

- Martinez and Mandros are both vaccinated and so is senior Carlos Cabrera.

All three have had friends or relatives who have been infected with COVID.

Although those people were spared from severe symptoms.

- The vaccination, I don't believe people should be forced to get it, but it is a good decision to maybe consider it.

I know the Pfizer one is getting FDA approved, I don't know if it's done yet.

But hopefully once that's finished, people will be more, have more incentive to get it.

- [Tony] Did you have apprehensions about getting vaccinated?

- Yes, at first, but I kind of got fed up with everything and wanted everything to go back to normal, so I got it.

- [Tony] And that is yet another issue for Vierely Adams to think about.

As a new mom with personal health concerns, she decided to wait due to the vaccines fast track rollout.

With FDA approval she says, she'll reconsider.

- I want to do it from my daughter and make sure that I'm healthier for them.

- [Tony] Back to school is no longer just about lectures, assignments, reports, or finals, new pandemic related approaches are also part of the experience.

Once again, instructor Terry Filipowicz.

- I always ask in my classes, do you want to be closer to each other?

If we're working in small groups, or if we're working in dyads, groups of two.

How close do you wanna sit together?

Now I ask, if you want to touch this, you can.

There's also electronic copies of this, there's digital versions.

So it's all about being mindful of what other people's boundaries are, and then honoring those.

- This week, Pima Community College announced it would forgive $2.7 million in student loan debt for some 4,500 students.

The college received the funding from the federal government through the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund.

The average debt is about $500 and college officials say, getting a fresh start will help students move forward with their lives.

Norma Navarro Castellanos, is the Executive Director of Financial Aid and Scholarships at PCC.

- This is approximately 4,500 students that have outstanding tuition balances.

And this is a write-off, a write-off that the college decided and our board of governors decided to do to facilitate students to be able to return to school, to come and finish, obtain college transcripts, or even in some cases, their diplomas.

So that they can either transfer to other institutions or be able to go to work.

And those are really important things for students to be able to finish.

- PCC says students enrolled on or after March 13th, 2020 are eligible for the loan forgiveness.

(bright music) Across the globe.

All eyes are on Afghanistan.

As a number of US service members have been killed during the ongoing evacuation of Americans and some Afghans under a fast approaching deadline.

In Arizona, migrant and refugee groups are preparing to help however possible.

We learned more from Jennifer Tompkins, she is the Executive Director of the Tucson Refugee Ministry.

Jennifer many people are watching those devastating images out of Afghanistan on television, hearing those stories on a radio, and they think there is nothing they can do to help out, their hands are tied.

What would you say to those living in Southeast Arizona?

- Yeah, definitely connect with the resettlement agencies, Lutheran Social Services or IRC.

They could be donating some of their furniture or some of the needs to be able to set up apartments.

That's a huge way that they could be able to help as they're resettling.

It's as simple as even in the grocery store when you see somebody who is from (indistinct) just smiling and welcoming, making sure that we're being really good neighbors.

But again, I would say that volunteering with us, Tucson Refugee Ministry and making those lifelong friendships with our newest neighbors is a great way to be able to really affect them for life.

To really be able to welcome them and envelope them as part of our community.

- Can you tell us a little bit about the Tucson Refugee Ministry?

When was it founded and why was it established?

- Yeah, Tucson Refugee Ministry was established in 2006, and it was really established because our founder realized that there were all sorts of refugees in our community who've been resettling in Arizona since 1980.

And that they really needed to be welcomed.

They really needed to be able to be enveloped into our community.

- And I would imagine you've settled people from many different countries over the years.

Of course, now we're talking about the Afghan refugee situation.

What is it currently happening right now with them?

- So a lot of our Afghan refugees here in Tucson are just heartbroken over what they're seeing with their country being decimated by the Taliban.

With their country men trying to desperately flee.

So you know, we've got over 3000 refugees that have been resettled from Afghanistan in Arizona.

And right now it's just this...

It's a really hard thing to sit and watch.

And you know, really wanting to, as a community come around them and support them in this.

- What are the biggest needs that the organization is facing and the refugees of course?

- Yeah, for our organization we don't directly resettle the...

The resettlement agencies in Arizona do the resettlement part of that.

But we kind of take over once they've been resettled.

We haven't, we seek to build community and help to envelop them into community and really provide for practical needs.

How to use our banking system, how to get a job, how to you know, get your kids in school or a driving lessons.

So we really are seeking once they have been resettled to help them to be able to integrate into the community better.

- And I understand you also provide emotional support, because on your website it says that about, only about 50% of refugees are actually befriended by an American once they come to this nation.

So therefore I think you also provide emotional support, right?

- You know, I can't imagine having to flee my country with little or nothing and not have friends or family members around.

Coming to a country that, you know, post 9/11 country that didn't maybe have such a great view of Muslims.

And then also fighting that view of that there are different types of Muslim.

You know, they don't agree with the Taliban, that they feel like the Taliban has changed what their religion really is.

And then, you know, living in a predominantly Christian country, it's frightening.

And so when they first come, just helping them to be able to practice language, to be able to gain their citizenship, to feel like they've got just a community around them.

- Your website says that you want to connect the church with the refugees.

How important are the volunteers in your group that work with these people that are coming in from different nations and right now, Afghanistan?

- Yeah, essential, you know, those volunteers, they are at the heart and hands of the community and they're reaching out and loving on the refugees.

Helping them, of course, with those practical needs, but really helping them to feel like this is their home.

You know, as soon as we fly in, we meet them at the airport with signs and balloons and say, "This is your new home, we love you, we welcome you."

- Jennifer, there was an idea among some people here in the United States that refugees are supported and helped and kept basically on welfare for many years after their arrival here.

What is the real story behind that?

- Yeah, the real story is that they actually have to pay back their plane tickets.

So when they fly over, they have a 10 day notice of where they're going to be resettled.

They don't really know which country they're gonna be settled for.

They have to pay back those plane tickets.

They also in our system only have about three to six months worth of help.

And I tell ya, I have a 19 year old son and he's not able to be out on his own within three to six months with out help.

And he has the knowledge and he has the people around him, and he has the cultural experience and knows how to get a job.

And all of these things where, you know, they're coming really from ground zero.

And so for them, you know, that three to six months goes by very quick and they definitely need the support after that.

- All right Jennifer Tompkins, thank you very much for joining us.

- Thank you.

(bright music) - Arizona's Independent Redistricting Commission, recently wrapped up its listening sessions and now the five member panel will begin reviewing how to best draw congressional and legislative maps.

as we head towards the 2022 elections.

ACPM Christopher Conover is back this week with insight from his reporting.

- The Independent Redistricting commission which draws the districts and they're working on that right now, just wrapped up a series of listening meetings, listening tour around the state.

The one in Tucson was very interesting.

The people who live in Oro valley, Marana area, really wanna see some changes to the districts, both congressional and legislative they're in right now because they don't feel represented.

- Let's begin with the congressional district.

We were talking ahead of this interview about district one.

It is massive and it incorporates a lot of different segments of the state's population.

- And that's that Oro Valley congressional district.

It's Oro Valley, Marana and then it goes all the way north to the Utah border.

Picking up Graham and Greenlee counties, parts of Pinal county, Flagstaff, all the way up to Utah.

It's one of the largest districts in the country.

And 10 years ago when it was made, the people in Oro Valley and Marana said, wait a minute, why are you putting us with Flagstaff?

We have nothing in common with them.

There are many Indian nations within that district.

We have nothing in common with them.

So they're really hoping that the commission redraws that district and takes them out of that district.

- Do they wanna join the Southern part of the state?

- They do.

They would like to get into something similar to what is the second congressional district, which is the Eastern part of Tucson and all of Cochise county.

Or maybe if part of the third district gets redrawn, which is the Western part of Tucson all the way to Yuma.

They would like to see at least getting into Southern Arizona and the Metro area sort of.

- And of course, one of the explanations for how the districts are drawn is the population that lives within each of those districts.

- This is what makes it difficult for the Independent Redistricting Commission.

Each congressional district has to have 8,000 people in it.

So coming up with that number is difficult.

At the same time, it must comply with the voting rights act.

You have to have a contiguous district, you can't start and stop at it, it has to be all one piece.

And they also have to try and keep groups, affinity groups together, if you will.

And that's how you get these odd, very large districts.

And then there's the question of competitive districts.

They don't necessarily want to draw a Republican district or a Democratic district.

Now the people who live in that district may disagree with that, but that is not supposed to be the goal of the commission.

And what is happening with these states districts, the legislative districts?

The legislative districts will also be redrawn and the same group in Oro Valley and Marana, they don't like their legislative district because it dips into the city of Tucson.

And they say, we don't live in the city of Tucson.

We don't want to live in the city of Tucson.

So they want, the suggestion was, if you will, a reverse letter C that goes from Marana up towards Saddlebrooke, Oro valley, around the east side of Tucson, Houghton road, area down towards Green Valley, and Sahuarita and kind of rings Tucson in a backward seat.

That one may not survive.

That might be seen as a little too much in gerrymandering or something like that.

But they want out of the districts that are within the city of Tucson.

And for the folks who live in Green Valley, they're paired with south Tucson now or Nogales.

And they say we have nothing in common with those areas.

So they want to be linked to people they feel they have more in common with.

- And of course, this is all very important because of elections, especially coming up here in 2022 with the legislative districts.

- Exactly, these new maps are supposed to be used in 2022.

The Independent Redistricting Commission, their first map will come out sometime in September.

It's not the one that will get people excited.

It's the October maps that are supposed to be finished by the end of October that could be very close to what we see.

The public will then have until about November, the end of November to make public comment.

And those maps will then get tweaked and finalized.

Hopefully by the end of the year, this is a very short timetable because the census numbers came out very late this year.

- Okay, Christopher Conover, of course we will continue to follow this and see what develops in the near future.

- Thank you.

- In other political news, this week, Arizona expected to learn what contractors found while auditing the 2020 election results in Maricopa county.

AZPM Reporter Andrew Oxford has been following this story since it began and offers some analysis.

- The Senate was expecting to get a report from its contractors this week.

Senate President, Karen Fann say they only got a partial report.

This is not the first setback for this whole process.

If you remember it was expected to yield a report within about 60 days.

And that was something that began back in April.

Senate President, Karen Fann said that some of the contractors the senate had hired were sick due to COVID-19.

And it's not really clear at this point when the public will see a final product from this whole exercise.

- So what is happening?

Why do you think it's been taken such a long time?

- You know, that's been a good question.

I think that's something that election officials would be looking forward to.

You know, we've heard a lot from election officials in recent weeks, raising concerns about this whole process.

Secretary of State, Katie Hobbs published a lengthy report, compiling a number of concerns that her office has raised and things that they've noticed during this recount.

Things as simple as just the way ballots were being counted by the Senate's contractors.

You know, that sounds simple, right?

You take ballots and you count them.

But Arizona's election procedures include some pretty detailed processes for counting ballots by hand as part of an election audit.

To make sure that you don't have mistakes, that you don't have errors.

The secretary of State's office noted that the Senate processes differed wildly from that, and could lead to an error rate that is pretty high.

Especially when you're talking about elections that are really deciding pretty narrowly.

The County Recorder of Maricopa County, Stephen Richer, he's Republican.

He also issued a pretty lengthy paper talking about some of the same concerns.

You know, he said that the Senate's contractors are, you know, not credible, not reliable, don't have experience with elections.

But he also really appealed to Republicans to get past the 2020 election.

You know, he was urging them to look at the numbers that are already there.

You know, saying that the reason Trump lost Maricopa County and really lost Arizona wasn't because of some big conspiracy, but because there were Republican leaning voters who clearly just didn't vote for Trump.

- What is the cost to taxpayers in the state of Arizona for this audit?

- Well, the Senate has agreed to pay its contractors $150,000.

The audit obviously costs a lot more than that.

The companies behind it have disclosed that they've received something like $5.7 million from different organizations.

Many are tied to prominent supporters of former president, Donald Trump.

People like Michael Flynn, Sidney Powell, funneling millions of dollars into this effort.

And the way that these organizations are structured means that we don't necessarily know where that money is actually coming from.

Taxpayers could be on the hook for other parts of this as well.

Maricopa County has already sent a notice of claim to the state Senate saying that, you know, basically warning that they're gonna want money for election equipment that they will have to replace because they had to hand it over to the Senate as part of this audit.

The Secretary of State's office says, they can't use that equipment again now.

So I don't think we've heard the end of this.

- People in the past have accepted elections.

Maybe there's been some arguments here and there, but what kind of a precedent does this set moving forward and upcoming elections, do you think?

- Yeah, that's what really worries election officials that I've talked to.

You know, especially because we've seen Republican legislators from several other states come to Arizona during this process and you know, look at it and wanna take this idea back to their own states.

You've seen lawmakers in Pennsylvania talk about having a review like this of their own.

And you know, election officials that I've talked to, again, Democrats and Republicans have said that what they really worry about is this undermining confidence in the election process.

And really opening the door to people not trusting, you know, even their local election officials and not wanting to participate in the process.

- Andrew Oxford, thank you very much for joining us.

- Thanks.

- That's all for now.

Thanks for joining us.

To get in touch, visit us on social media or send us an email to arizona360 @acpm.org and let us know what you think.

We'll see you next week.

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