♪ Music Playing ♪ >> Coming up next on "Arizona Horizon", the latest on a new COVID variant and an update on massive changes to the C.D.C.

's vaccine advisory panel.

Also tonight, we'll hear about a hybrid high school program and visit an Arizona republic motorcycle trip to Peru, those stories next on "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 am Ted Simons, Arizona senate Republicans today introduced a state budget that nullifies the proposal from the house that was released late Friday night.

The senate budget, unlike the house plan, achieved bipartisan support and was negotiated with the governor.

17 1/2 billion dollars spending plan way focus on education, public safety, transportation, water and public health.

The sin at proposal will be heard in committee tomorrow and expected to be voted on by the full senate Wednesday and sent to the house for consideration.

Attorney general Kris Mayes has joined the attorneys general in all 50 states to agreeing with a settlement with Purdue pharma and the Sackler family and ran the drug company regarding Oxycontin and other opioid products, state asks cities claim it led to massive addiction cases and overdose deaths if the plan is finalized the pay offs will occur over the next 15 years.

Maricopa county's health department is report that go a person infected with measles traveled through sky harbor last week.

Officials say that the exposure points were beyond the security check points in terminal 4 and Concourses "C" and "D." State and federal officials are working to locate and protect travelers who may have been exposed.

Other headlines, C. NN reports the majority of immigrants arrested and detained by ice are not violent criminals the president pledged to crack down on.

Indeed, new Data reportedly show that fewer than 10% of the detained migrants are violent criminals.

Saying the president yesterday directed Eisen force.

To increase its number of deportations in major cities like L.A., New York, and Chicago.

An NBC news poll shows most merges are not happy with the president's second term.

Survey shows president trump's business disapprove the rating is at 55%, unchanged from a similar pole in April but a slight change in Republican support for the president.

25% now are saying that they are thrilled, quote, thrilled, with the president's actions.

That's down.

Seven points.

From April.

And Israel today attacked the headquarters of Iran's state television as the four-day war between the two countries continue.

Today's strikes occurred as an Iranian news anchor was on the air.

The attacks indicate that Israel is broadening its range of targets which also include energy installation and command centers along with continued attacks on Iran's nuclear and military infrastructure.

>> Yet another COVID variant is suppressing around the country and reported in Arizona.

This comes as secretary Robert Kennedy Jr., HHS second, RFK Jr. made massive changes to the C.D.C.

vaccine advisory panel.

Joining us now for more is will Humble executive director of the Arizona public health association.

Good to see you, thanks.

Before we get to that other stuff.

This measles thing what do you make of this?

>> There was and exposure past the security point as you just mentioned in the airport on Concourse "C" and "D" in terminal 4 at sky harbor.

Maricopa county is trying to find anybody who may have been exposed to the risk the take-home message for folks is if you are unvaccinated or especially if you had your infant baby in Concourse "C" or "D" on those days that's something to really pay attention to.

If you are vaccinated or had the disease like I did in the '60s, it's not a big deal.

>> If it's in the air, how long does it stay in the air?

>> Oh, super contagious.

Like let's say I have measles during this interview and I leave, it's still going to be in this room two hours from now.

>> Two hours.

>> Yeah.

>> All right.

That brings to mind COVID and the past COVID conversations.

How long is that.

COVID is it What have we got here.

>> It's a new version.

It's the next iterations.

The virus is trying to stay ahead of people's immune systems and it mutates in a way to try to evade the antibodies that we have all developed through infections and previous vaccines.

Importantly the clinical presentation isn't any different it's not more sever.

It's not more dangerous, but it is more contagious.

Every next verse is more contagious than the previous.

>> Symptoms any different than the past?

>> About similar.

There are more people reporting a really sore throat early on.

That's about it.

>> What about current vaccines?

I think this is called nimbus, current vaccines are they going to address it?

Do they help nimbus at all?

>> I got mine back in the fall of 2024, the last booster.

So it provides some protection.

The -- there will be a new version of the COVID vaccine that comes out this fall.

That isn't exactly 100 percent match, because this is so brand-new.

But it will provide better protection than last year's.

>> Okay.

Real quick, are you concerned that people are just tuning this stuff out when it comes to COVID?

>> Well, to some extent that's okay.

I mean, it's nowhere near the risk it was five years ago.

>> It's a good sign.

>> Yeah.

>> Yeah.

>> I am not freaked out about it.

>> All right.

Are you freaked out about what's happening at HHS?

>> Yes, sir!

>> Talk to me about it.

>> So as you know, everyone has heard it was at the top of the show here.

The advisory committee for immunization practices, which is the part that it's an organization really a committee that advising C.D.C.

on vaccine recommendations.

Mr. Kennedy got rid of all -- they don't get paid a lot of money, so I can't say fired.

They were all dismissed all 17 members of that talented committee and then that very next day he asked eight members to -- eight new people to come onto the committee.

Four of whom are like vehemently anti-vax.

They have been around for decades one is on the board not works at on the board of a vaccine advisory -- they put out misinformation about vaccines.

Like these are not people that in my opinion should be evaluating, you know, the risk benefits of these vaccines which is what the ACIP's job is.

The FDA does a separate analysis.

They are the ones who do the first check of vaccines to license them.

Where the clinical trials happen and so forth.

>> The panel that had the big change, give vaccine recommendations.

>> Right.

>> And folks like me, go on the air and say hear is what the health officials are saying regarding vaccines and you are saying these folks don't think vaccines work much at all?

>> They have confirmation bias in my opinion, which means like you just look at the evidence that confirms what you already believe.

Which is not what science is all about.

You are supposed to look at all of the evidence and then make a new determination using the fresh evidence.

And so, yes, but I want to make a certain point here.

>> Yes.

>> It's not just the recommendations that are important.

The health plans, your health plan, my health plan, medicate, the vaccines for children program, they only pay for vaccines that are recommended by C.D.C.

So first is the licensure with the FDA.

How you get that, how that vaccine becomes accessible is if your health insurance plan pays for it.

If it's not recommended by the C.D.C.

they will not pay for it.

In my opinion that's what Kennedy is trying do.

He's not delicensing the vaccines he'll get sued he'll tell his FDA to get rid of the licenses, not going to, what he will do is take the ACIP.

Get rid of the recommendations then get the health plans to not cover them then you lower the uptake of vaccines without pulling the license.

>> Impacts on vaccinations in the U.S.?

What will happen here?

>> Remains to be seen.

Like nothing yesterday.

But when you look at who is on this committee that will be making the recommendations to the C.D.C.

in the future, I expect some of them will be pulled from the list.

I think the first one he'll go after is Gardasil, a vaccine that prevents cervical cancer.

He's been against that vaccine for a long time.

And now he has the power of the State.

And he'll be able to, in my opinion, I think he will take that off the list.

>> You mentioned insurance, what about Medicare and Medicaid?

>> Same thing.

>> Same thing.

>> Right.

Now, stayed Medicaid agencies like access they can decide let's say they drop the Gardasil vaccine, access could actually say, okay, we'll pony up the money and pay full freight and not accept the federal dollars for this vaccine.

That's a state bistate choice.

>> Last question, RFK Jr. is saying again that vaccines, these vaccinations that he's talking about, these vaccines they are not even subject to placebo trials.

>> Thank you for asking that question, Ted, because that's bogus.

It's hog wash.

He has to know that.

It's not true.

The phase three of these clinical trials takes thousands of people that are either administered the vaccines or a placebo they follow the populations overtime.

They are not licensed until that full phase three trial is done.

Then they go to a phase four trial, post marketing, and look for things that, you know, now you are in the millions of people not thousands, so they look for things after that.

I just wrote a blog about this whole thing.

It just irritates me when I see the health and human services secretary say things that are just absolutely blatantly not true.

>> Will Humble, Arizona public health association, got it off your chest.

[ Laughter ] >> Good to have you here.

>> Thanks, Ted.

>> I am Scott I want to thank all of you that participated in pro my public media campaign.

There is more to be done and urgently so.

Threat to funding for stations like Arizona PBS has been rachet the up the white house sent a formal request to congress to kill our funding for the upcoming fiscal year funding that was already enacted by congress and signed in it to law visit AZPBS, to learn how to contact your representative and make your voice heard.

>> I just found something quite extraordinary.

>> Look at those together, 150 million years ago, the oceans were dominated by a mysterious sea mon stop and this could be one of the largest best preserved skulls ever fundamental now working with scientists, we can uncover more about this prehistoric giant than ever before.

Could this be the greatest Jurassic predator that ever lived?

>> Tuesday night at 9:30 on Arizona PBS.

>> The arctic, a lost world of polar dinosaurs.

>> How did they survive?

Where did they get their food?

Now extreme scientists search for answers.

>> It was a job dropping discovery.

>> They were warm blooded.

>> Fighting against the odds.

If we can understand why they dominated the planet.

Alaskan dinosaurs on nova.

>> A new hybrid high school program is set to start at ASU's preparatory program.

It offers a high broad schedule with the goal of students owning their own education.

We welcome Meghan Hanley direct are to of school did he iron of A ASU prep and Max.

The founding leader.

Thank for joining us.

>> Thanks for having us.

This is a seminar style curriculum, what does that mean?

>> Student will be able to talk at that the things most interesting to them.

Things that are happening in the world that really impact and affect them.

They get to learn the different sides of an argument, understand the data behind the arguments and come up with their own analysis and arguments with their peers.

>> This involves certain classes all classes, how does that work?

>> The seminars it's essentially what's relevant in the world right now and what will be relevant for their future.

These topics are the things that any reasonable person could Land on either side of the fence and have legs to stand to on.

We want them to practice their discussion, debate, dialogue.

We want them to have their minds changed and change each other's minds through conversations for the things that affect them.

>> And this is partnered with Steve love it's, that's from freak nomics, isn't it?

>> It is.

>> He's partnering with this?

>> Yes, he is.

This is really his brainchild.

>> From his radical innovation for social change.

How is this radical?

>> We are rally reimagining and what school and education can clock like, not just for our students but also for our teach scores educators we are helping our students to really take ownership over their learning, understand what might be driving their interest and why it might be driving their interest.

And get to dive into projects that are most interesting to help.

>> Radical innovation to social changes that Mr. Leavitt's program here.

Talking about radical, what kind of social change are we talking about?

>> It's preparing our leader for the future.

To do that they need to know what the content is for the present and the future.

So they are going to use education as an engine for following their dreams.

We also want to expose them to things that they didn't know they didn't know.

So one of our learning methods is called wonder sessions.

And the operative word there is wonder.

So these are the mysteries of the universe and we highlight them in single sessions to peak their curiosity and that might change what they want to do with their futures.

>> So I am a high school kid.

I want to sign up, I am in there.

I go to class, what happens?

What am I experiencing?

>> Great question.

Yeah, so students get to experience a lot of different things during their school week.

Of course, they get to do their seminars, their wonder sessions, their independent -- their in-depth explorations.

Those deep projects that they are going to be work on.

And they will be meeting with content experts.

We call them our teachers, our guides, really guiding students around that content, doing content at their own pace so that they can either accelerator slow down where they need to.

>> Is collaboration involved?

Or is this kind of a one-on-one thing?

>> Oh, it's definitely collaborative.

So the school is Located on campus on ASU Tempe's campus and essentially we want this to be a space that students want to be every day because they feel it's a home base, they feel it's a place where they are productive.

They'll be working on projects with each other.

They'll be doing courses together.

And they'll have their guides come and focus on specific parts that they want to refresh on.

So it's really adaptive to them And if you just walk in you'll see students kind of doing projects, working together, all of that stuff.

>> And this is the kind of thing that would make it, I imagine, easier to adapt to a university education?

>> Absolutely.

We will be teaching our students how to organize their time.

To manage their time and manage all different things that they have.

We want them to be internships extracurricular activities.

There will be things that they get ownership over.

>> Is there in-home learning here?

Do you have to go to class?

Is it digital?

How does that work?

>> Yeah, so there are parts of the day where students need to be there.

And that's because this is their home base.

This is their school.

And our school culture is an in-person culture.

So things like seminar, wonder session, those are in person.

They come in and make sure that they are there.

We hope that they say for as much of the day as they want to we give them more agency over their schedule.

In particular we know that not every high cooler but more high schoolers than not, sleep in later.

>> Yes.

>> And so we want them to sleep well because when you sleep well you learn well.

We have created a more adaptive schedule allow no.

>> It gives them agency to do Y, Y, Z.

How do you make sure they don't have too many agency.

>> That's a great question.

Something we are very aware of.

We know not every student you will be ready to take ownership of every part of their learning.

We will be building trust, also building skills and strategies with our student sews they can do that.

>> 15 concurrent credits with ASU.

You can be done with this 15 credits automatic you, right?

>> Absolutely.

All of our students have an opportunity to take college classes, while they are on site with us.

Or to take the universal learner courses lots of ways that they can embark on their college journey just a little bit earlier.

>> And this starts this fall?

>> Yes, it does.

Absolutely.

Yeah.

We applications are now open.

So if there are interested high school that's live in the area she should apply.

>> Do you think Mr. Leavitt will feature this on freak nomics?

>> I think he will be has if you have been listening to his -- listening to his Podcasts he talks about reimagining education and talked about the leavitt lab, we know this is just the first of many of its kind.

>> All right, well, Meghan Hanley, Max Smith.

Astronaut crept academy this -- is there a name for the program.

>> Leavitt lab.

>> It's called the Leavitt lab.

>> There you go.

>> ASU prep powered by the leavitt lab.

>> Good to have you both here thank you for joining us.

>> Thank you.

♪ Music Playing ♪ ♪ Music Playing ♪ ♪ Music Playing ♪ ♪ Music Playing ♪ Tonight on the news hour how much Israel's strikes have damaged Iran's nuclear capabilities coming up at six on Arizona PBS.

>> Ray stern is a reporter who covers political and legal matters for the Arizona republic and recently stern covered a lot of miles in Peru by way of a motorcycle trip through the sacred valley.

Including a tour at machu Pichu Ray recently joined us on "Arizona Horizon" to talk about his journey.

>> So why?

Why did you do this?

>> Well, Ted, I am always looking for the next adventure.

And meeting for me is part of that.

I have ridden Italy and Spain before as well.

I was trying to convince my motorcycling Buddy Mike that he need to go out of country.

We plan aid trip in 20/20 and the pandemic ruin that last year we said we need to do something soon and we decided on South America it was a spring there.

It's exotic neath of us had been there.

When I look at Peru as a place to go for motorcycles it's a place that draws modelists from around the world.

>> I asked as I read your story I didn't realize that was a destination for motorcycle tourists.

>> It is.

If the place that is the Capitol of the evening an empire the launching point for anyone that goes to Machu Picchu has a dozen motorcycle rentals places.

You need a Moten Dorse.

On your license if you are from the United States or wherever, if you have that you can rent a motorcycle there.

And there are lots of places to see.

>> How did you pick out where you were going to go?

Did you map it out?

How did it work?

>> Great question.

We had no plans whatsoever.

[ Laughter ] >> Except for our plan was to ride a motorcycle in Peru and in particular in this area called the sacred valley of the Incas, where there is a lot of to see.

And we didn't everybody make our reservation for Machu Pichu until the second date of the motorcycle trip that we were on.

We didn't want to lock ourselves in.

>> Right.

>> We wanted to experience the landscape and see it on motorcycle.

With no plans and just go wherever the wind took us.

>> So you used represented bikes?

>> We did.

>> What about gas?

You can't just stop at the corner for a gas station down there?

>> Actually you can.

>> You can?

>> Yes.

There is a lot of modernization there.

But it's modern in a lot of ways.

I did feel like I was a hundred years in the past a lot on the trip.

It's dusty there.

It's a developing nation, there is a lot of poverty there that you wouldn't see here in the United States.

So it doesn't feel like you are at home.

But you know, it's -- there is still plenty of modern things there.

>> What were the conditions like?

It seems like there was a lot of mud.

>> There was.

As I was reading up before we even went there I am reading, well, only about 65% of the trip is on paved roads.

And you know, just trying to imagine what that would be like, before I left.

I couldn't really figure it out But then when we got there, we learned that, yeah, there is some adversities there.

It was good that we had the hybrid motorcycles that are made for both on and off road riding.

Because there was mud, there was fog, there were fresh land slides that you had to go over.

And you need aid bike that was pretty stirred.

>> I and some of the roads you described, like cliff-side roads, switch backs, it's like you don't know weighs around the -- you don't know what's around the next turn.

That's exciting stuff.

>> It was exciting.

Everything we thought riding a motorcycle in Peru could have been.

>> Even in the paved roads, when you get into the Andres, 14,000-foot pass twice come and going.

That was extremely cold.

There was fog.

And a lot of rain as well.

There were also stream crossings, so these streams would come down off the mountain and cross the road.

And after the like the third or fourth one, I started counting them.

Because I am like these are epic.

Each one I counted 17 in total.

And three of them were actually so intense that I could feel my motorcycle leaning over because of the rush of water and one that even cars wouldn't go through they were waiting as the guy was taking out the boulders and moving them.

>> Yes.

>> And I was kind of like hesitant at first until I saw my friend just now through it.

And then toyed do it as well.

>> The crazy Americans went through while everyone else was being careful.

>> Pretty much.

>> That makes sense.

How were the people down there?

>> This is a place that is very welcoming to tourists.

And, you know, whether you are motorcycle whatever, it's the same.

People are hospitable on the motorcycle.

They can see you are cold or wet and they want to warm up by their fire.

The entire area by the Machu Pichu site and the sacred veil of the Incas and a sort of tourist destination there is a tourist infrastructure there and people are very happy to see you.

>> I was going to say the scenery I would imagine photographs don't do justice to the scenery.

Machu Pichu is famous people make pilgrimages there because it's such an incredible sight.

Was it like seeing the grand canyon for the first time?

>> Absolutely.

It's one of the most dramatic I believe and incredible sight I have ever seen.

We have all seen pictures of it When we got to the top suddenly the sun came out like the Inning can Gods were smile on the ground it's more massive and incredible than we taught it would be.

>> So it looks like?

>> It looks exactly like that.

You are standing in a postcard for that view.

But you get to walk around the complex as well and there are certain parts of it that you can't even see in this picture that just make it obvious that they just engineered entire landscapes and hills and whatnot for their purposes.

>> Wow.

Was that the best memory of the trip?

What was your best memory of all of this?

>> I have zoom good memories it's hard to say one of favorite memory coming up a hill in the Andes, massive fog, I saw what I realized were two little children and they were Kay Shawn indigenous people, they were in indigenous clothing and they were probably only nine or 10 years olds and literally dancing and laughing in the middle of an oncoming lane.

And so I am like worried as heck for them.

>> Yeah.

>> Why are they in the middle of the highway and just entranced by them at the same time.

There were all these alpacas in effect to them as well.

They were maybe herding the alpacas and maybe in the street to protect the alpacas but what a sight.

>> We have a shot there I think That's an alpaca.

>> That is.

Common sight that you see another highway out there.

Alpacas, and also just mentioned that dogs were also a big consideration.

Wet many nipping up at our heels.

>> Sounds like a trim of the lifetime until your next trip wherever that will be, thank you for sharing this.

Congratulations.

I mean this must have been a hoot.

And a lot of things to think about and remember.

>> It really was.

Thank you so much for letting me talk about it.

>> You bet you.

And that is it for now.

I am Ted Simons.

Thank you so much for joining us.

You have a great evening.

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