TED: "ARIZONA HORIZON."

ALSO TONIGHT, THE IMPACT OF A CLIMATE SCIENCE DENIER ON CLIMATE IMPACT ON THE U.S.

>>> AND A TIME OF DECLINING FEDERAL FUNDING.

THOSE STORIES AND MORE NEXT ON "ARIZONA HORIZON."

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TED: GOOD EVENING, AND WELCOME TO "ARIZONA HORIZON."

I'M TED SIMONS.

PRESIDENT TRUMP RECENTLY REMOVED MEMBERS OF A BIPARTISAN FEDERAL ELECTION COMMISSION IN YET ANOTHER MOVE BY THE PRESIDENT TO EXERT WHITE HOUSE INFLUENCE OVER HOW U.S.

ELECTIONS ARE CONDUCTED.

FOR MORE ON THIS, WE WELCOME BILL GATES, EXECUTIVE DIRECT OFFER ASU'S MECHANICS OF DEMOCRACY LAB.

GOOD TO SEE YOU.

THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.

>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.

TED: I NEVER KNEW SUCH A THING EXISTED.

>> YOU'RE NOT ALONE, TED.

BUT THIS IS A GROUP THAT'S BEEN AROUND SINCE 2002, AFTER THE BUSH V. GORE EXCITEMENT IN FLORIDA.

THIS COMMISSION WAS CREATED AS PART OF HELP AMERICA VOTES ACT, AND IT'S A BIPARTISAN GROUP, SO IT HAS FOUR COMMISSIONERS, TWO REPUBLICANS, TWO DEMOCRATS, SEVERAL ROLES THEY SERVE, BUT THEY FALL WITHIN THE REALM OF PROVIDING FEDERAL GRANTS TO LOCAL ELECTION OFFICES, ALSO CERTIFYING ELECTION MACHINES, AND CERTIFYING OTHER SORT OF TECHNICAL PIECES WITHIN THE ELECTIONS PROCESS, BUT IT'S PRIMARILY VOLUNTARY ROLE THAT IT PLAYS WITHIN ELECTIONS.

TED: VOLUNTARY MEANING THE STATES ASK FOR IT AS OPPOSED TO BEING MANDATED TO -- >> THAT'S RIGHT.

EXACTLY.

LIKE FOR EXAMPLE, IT'S NOT REQUIRED THAT THE VOTING MACHINES BE CERTIFIED BY THE EAC, BUT THEY DO PROVIDE IT, AND SOME STATES LOOK TO THAT AS AN IMPORTANT ELEMENT WHAT THEY DO IN CERTIFICATION OF VOTING MACHINES.

>> THE COMMISSION DOES NOT COUNT VOTES?

>> CORRECT.

TED: DOES NOT ADMINISTER ELECTIONS.

>> NO, IT DOES NOT.

TED: THIS IS A BIPARTISAN FEDERAL AGENCY, CERTIFYING GRANTS, WHY THE PRESIDENT FIRED TWO DEMOCRAT MEMBERS AND THE LONE MEMBER ALLOWED THAT MEMBER TO RESIGN.

WHY DID ALL THIS HAPPEN?

>> I THINK THE PRESIDENT WAS NOT HAPPY WITH WHAT -- THE FACT THAT THE EAC HAD FAILED TO MAKE CERTAIN RADICAL CHANGES TO THE WAY THAT WE RAN ELECTIONS IN THIS COUNTRY, AND I BELIEVE THAT HE FELT, BASED UPON THE SLAUGHTER DECISION, THE RECENT U.S.

SUPREME COURT DECISION, THAT HE HAD THE AUTHORITY TO DO IT.

THAT'S WHY HE DID IT.

TED: HAPPENED A WEEK AFTER THIS DECISION, DIDN'T IT?

>> THAT'S CORRECT.

TED: PEOPLE EXPECTED THIS FOR A LONG TIME.

IN FACT TOM HICKS, ONE OF THE COMMISSIONERS, SPOKE TO MY CLASS LAST YEAR HERE AT ASU AND SAID I COULD BE REMOVED FROM OFFICE AT ANY TIME BY THE PRESIDENT.

TED: AND HE WAS.

ALL RIGHT, SO IT SOUNDED LIKE THE COMMISSION RESISTED CHANGE THAT THE PRESIDENT WANTED TO SEE ON A VARIETY OF NATIONAL VOTING.

NATIONAL VOTING FORM.

STICKLER HERE IN ARIZONA FOR QUITE AWHILE.

TALK TO US WHAT HE WANTED, WHAT THE COMMISSION WAS RELUCTANT TO DO?

>> HE WANTED TO SEE CHANGES, FOR EXAMPLE, AS IT RELATES TO REQUIRING THAT DOCUMENT -- DOCUMENTED PROOF OF CITIZENSHIP, WHICH WE HAVE HERE IN ARIZONA, BUT THAT'S NOT A NATIONAL REQUIREMENT.

IT'S A VERY SMALL NUMBER OF STATES, AND THE EAC WAS NOT IN A POSITION TO DO THAT, SO ESSENTIALLY HE WAS SAYING THEY'RE NOT HELPFUL, AND SO LET'S JUST MOVE FORWARD AND LET'S REMOVE THESE COMMISSIONERS FROM OFFICE.

>> EVERYONE IS OUT THERE, IS IT GOING TO PUT NEW COMMISSIONERS IN?

GOT TO BE TWO DEMOCRATS, GOT TO FIND DEMOCRATS THAT ARE HAPPY WITH HIM?

>> EVEN IF THE PRESIDENT DOES CHOOSE TO NOMINATE COMMISSIONERS THEY HAVE TO BE APPROVED BY THE SENATE.

IT'S UNLIKELY AT THIS POINT.

WE'LL PROBABLY MOVE FORWARD WITH NO COMMISSIONERS, WE SAW THAT SEVERAL YEARS IN THE 2000S AND THE EAC CONTINUED TO OPERATE.

TED: INTERESTING, DOES IT CHANGE AT ALL UPCOMING ELECTIONS, WHETHER IT'S PRIMARY ELECTIONS AROUND THE COUNTRY, OBVIOUSLY TOMORROW, BUT IN NOVEMBER, DOES IT CHANGE MUCH AT ALL?

>> THIS IS THE IMPORTANT THING FOR VIEWERS TO KNOW IS THAT IT DOESN'T.

ELECTIONS ARE RUN AT THE LOCAL LEVEL.

THIS MADE NEWS, IT MADE HEADLINES BUT DOESN'T AFFECT THE BALLOT THAT VOTERS ARE GOING TO RECEIVE OR THE PROCESS THEY'RE GOING TO DEAL WITH.

TED: BUT IT SOUNDS LIKE IT MIGHT COMPLICATE THE TESTING AND CERTIFICATION OF VOTING MACHINES, WOULDN'T IT?

>> NO, WE'RE NOT EXPECTING, THAT BECAUSE FOR EXAMPLE, THOSE MACHINES THAT HAVE BEEN CERTIFIED, BECAUSE THE COMMISSIONERS ARE REMOVED FROM OFFICE, IT DOESN'T MEAN THEY'RE DECERTIFIED, AND WE'RE SO CLOSE TO THE ELECTION, FOR EXAMPLE, WE HAVE A PRIMARY TOMORROW HERE IN ARIZONA.

TED: RIGHT.

>> WE DO NOT ANTICIPATE, YOU TALK TO EXPERTS ACROSS THE U.S., THEY DON'T IMPACT ANY IMPACT ON VOTING AS A RESULT OF THIS MOVE BY THE PRESIDENT.

>> I WANT TO GET TO THE COUNTY AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE RECORDER AND BOARD OF SUPERVISORS IN A SECOND, THE PRESIDENT IN HIS RECENT SPEECH SAID U.S.

ELECTIONS ARE INDEFENSIBLE, THE U.S.

HAS BEEN HACKED AND COMPROMISED IN THE PAST, AND THAT NO THIRD-WORLD COUNTRY HAD IT AS BAD AS WE HAD IT.

WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF THOSE STATEMENTS?

>> THEY'RE SIMPLY NOT TRUE, AND AS MY EXHIBIT A THEY WOULD PRESENT TO YOU, THE 2020 ELECTION HERE IN THE STATE OF ARIZONA, AND SPECIFICALLY IN MARICOPA COUNTY.

IT WAS THE MOST REVIEWED, THE MOST AUDITED ELECTION IN THE HISTORY -- I WOULD ARGUE OF THE WORLD, AND WHAT DID THEY FIND?

THERE WERE 50 BALLOTS THAT NEEDED TO BE RERUN.

PRESIDENT TRUMP IS UPSET ABOUT THE FACT THAT HE LOST THAT ELECTION, AND SO HE CONTINUES TO LITIGATE IT.

TED: ARE YOU WORRIED THAT HIS WORDS DURING THAT SPEECH WOULD BE A PRECURSOR OF SOME KIND TO THE CHALLENGE THE MIDTERM ELECTIONS BECAUSE A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE?

>> UNFORTUNATELY WE HAVE SEEN THIS IN THE PAST, FROM HE AND SOME OF HIS ALLIES, BUT I HAVE TO SAY, TED, THERE WAS REALLY NOTHING NEW IN THAT SPEECH.

I'VE HEARD SOME REFER TO IT AS I NOTHING BURGER.

IT'S NOT A NOTHING BURG TORT EXTENT IT RAISES QUESTIONS ABOUT THE GOOD PEOPLE THAT RUN ELECTIONS ACROSS THIS COUNTRY.

THE INCREDIBLE SYSTEMS THAT ARE IN PLACE.

THE FACT THAT WE HAVE REPUBLICANS AND DEMOCRATS WORKING TOGETHER AND EYEBALLS ON EVERYTHING THROUGHOUT THIS PROCESS, AND FINALLY THE FACT THAT ELECTIONS ARE RUN AT THE LOCAL LEVEL.

THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS OF JURISDICTIONS RUN BY OUR FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS, SO DESPITE WHAT THE PRESIDENT SAID, I REMAIN CONFIDENT IN OUR ELECTIONS AND HOW THEY'RE GOING TO BE RUN THIS YEAR.

TED: SPEAKING OF THE LOCAL LEVEL, ARE YOU CONFIDENT THAT THE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS AND THE COUNTY RECORDER WHICH WILL BE AFFECTED AFTER THE PRIMARY FOR THE GENERAL AND FOR THE FUTURE, THE PRIMARY THINKS THE SUPREME COURT RULES IN PLACE.

THE AGREEMENT IS IN PLACE.

WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF IT?

>> I THINK THE AGREEMENT BEING IN PLACE IS A GOOD STEP.

AS YOU KNOW, THE RECORDER AND THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS WERE INVOLVED IN LITIGATION SINCE LAST YEAR.

THIS NEW GIVES CLARITY ON SOME OF THESE ISSUES THAT WERE UP IN THE AIR, AND I THINK THAT'S GOOD FOR VOTERS.

I THINK IT WAS BECOMING A DISTRACTION FOR FOLKS, AND BEST OF ALL, IF THERE ANYWHERE DISPUTES AS WE MOVE FORWARD, THERE IS A SPECIAL MASTER, WHO IS A JUDGE, JUDGE CHRIS COREY, WHO IF THESE ISSUES COME UP, THEY CAN TALK TO HIM, AND HE WILL SERVE AS A NEUTRAL ARBITER.

THAT'S WHAT WE NEED.

HE'S TAKING THE TIME TO LEARN ABOUT THIS AGREEMENT, AND THE SEPARATION OF ELECTION RESPONSIBILITIES.

I AM BULLISH ON THE GENERAL ELECTION.

TED: WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF THE FACT THAT COOPERATION SEEMS TO BE NOT A PART OF THIS AGREEMENT?

THERE ARE LINES OF DEMARCATION AND THEY ARE STRONG.

>> WELL, THE SYSTEM WE HAD IN PLACE WITH BOTH RECORDER FONTES AND RECORDER RICHER WAS ONE APPROACH, WHERE WE WERE VERY INTERTWINED IN THE OPERATIONS.

THAT IS NOT POSSIBLE GIVEN THE CURRENT STRUCTURE AND RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE BOARD AND THE RECORDER.

I THINK THIS NEW AGREEMENT RECOGNIZES THAT, AND IT ACTUALLY SETS UP BOTH SIDES FOR THE HIGHEST LIKELIHOOD OF SUCCESS WITH THIS ELECTION IN NOVEMBER.

TED: LAST QUESTION QUICKLY HERE.

ONE OF THE SUPERVISOR SAYS WORRIED THAT THE COUNTY RECORDER WHO ASSOCIATES WITH ELECTION DENIERS WILL PUT HIS, QUOTE, THUMB ON THE SCALE.

YOU WORRIED ABOUT THAT?

>> FOR ME, I UNDERSTAND THE CONCERN FOR FOLKS AND SOME OF THE COMMENTS MADE IN THE PAST, BUT I KNOW THAT THE RECORDER'S OFFICE HAS A LOT OF GREAT PEOPLE IN THERE WHO HAVE INTEGRITY.

I HAVE CONFIDENCE THIS ELECTION IS RUN WELL ON THE BOARD SIDE AND THE RECORDER SIDE.

TED: BILL GATES, ASU'S MECHANICS OF DEMOCRACY LAB.

GOOD TO SEE YOU.

>> THANKS FOR HAVING ME.

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TED: THE NATIONAL CLIMATE ASSESSMENT IS UNDER NEW LEADERSHIP AS THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION INSTALLED A CLIMATE SCIENCE DENIER TO RUN THE GOVERNMENT'S CLIMATE REPORT WHICH IS CONGRESSIONALLY MANDATED TO LOOK AT HOW AMERICANS ARE AFFECTED BY CLIMATE CHANGE.

JOINING US IS DAVE WHITE ASU'S DIRECTOR OF GLOBAL SUSTAINABLE AND AUTHOR OF FIFTH NATIONAL CLIMATE ASSESSMENT A FEW YEARS AGO.

GOOD TO SEE YOU.

>> THANKS FOR HAVING ME, TED.

TED: WHAT IS THE GLOBAL CHANGE RESEARCH PROGRAM?

I NEVER HEARD OF IT UNTIL NOW?

>> CREATED IN 1980 ENACTED BY ACT OF CONGRESS SIGNED BY PRESIDENT GEORGE H.W.

BUSH AND COORDINATED ACROSS 15 FEDERAL AGENCIES TO ENSURE THE AGENCIES COOPERATE TO PRODUCE EVERY FOUR YEARS THE AFFECTS OF GLOBAL CHANGE ON THE U.S.'

ECONOMY AND ITS ENVIRONMENT.

TED: THIS IS AGAIN MANDATED BY CONGRESS?

>> YES, THE REPORT, THE AGENCY THE U.S.

GLOBAL CHANGE RESEARCH PROGRAM AND THE NATIONAL CLIMATE ASSESSMENT IT OVERSEES ARE MANDATED BY CONGRESS.

TED: THERE WAS A PORTAL WHICH YOU COULD LOOK AT PAST REPORTS.

THAT WAS CLOSED BY PRESIDENT TRUMP, SAYING IT WAS A VEHICLE FOR POLITICAL AGENDAS AND NOT SOUND SCIENCE.

WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF THAT?

>> YES, CLIMATE CHANGE.GOV, THE PORTAL THAT RETAINED NOT OWN.

REPORTS FROM THE PRIOR CYCLES BUT TREASURE TROVE OF VALUABLE INFORMATION, DECISION SUPPORT SYSTEMS, DATA AND TOOLS INCREDIBLY USEFUL TO LOCAL GOVERNMENTS, STATES, BUSINESSES, INSURANCE AGENCIES AND OTHERS TO HELP INCORPORATE AND FACTOR IN CLIMATE CHANGE AND CLIMATE RISK INTO DECISION-MAKING.

SO YES, UNFORTUNATELY, THE PORTAL REMAINS OFF-LINE, THOUGH THERE ARE NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS AND OTHER PARTS OF THE GOVERNMENT, INCLUDING THE NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION, WHICH RETAINED SOME OF THAT INFORMATION.

TED: INTERESTING.

THE ASSESSMENT NOW, THE GLOBAL CHANGE RESEARCH PROGRAM AND THE ASSESSMENT IS RUN BY A GENTLEMAN NAMED MATTHEW WYLICKI, HE HAS NO HISTORY OF CLIMATE SCIENCE.

INDEED, HE IS A CLIMATE SCIENCE DENIER.

>> THIS IS AN UNFORTUNATE APPOINTMENT AND ONE THAT REFLECTS A TREND IN THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION THAT ATTEMPTS TO UNDERMINE THE CREDIBILITY, THE RELIABILITY AND THE VALIDITY OF CLIMATE SCIENCE PRODUCED AND SUPPORTED BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.

THE NEW APPOINTMENT OF PROFESSOR WYLICKI TO LEAD THE GLOBAL RESEARCH PROGRAM UNFORTUNATELY IS A CONTINUATION OF POLITICIZATION OF THIS AGENCY AND THIS SPACE AND REFLECTS THE ADMINISTRATIONS UNDERMINING OF CREDIBLE SCIENTIFIC INFORMATION THAT IS ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY TO HELP AMERICANS ADAPT TO A CHANGING CLIMATE.

TED: HE'S A FORMER GEOCHEMIST, DOES THAT MAKE SENSE TO HAVE SOMEONE INVOLVED LIKE THAT?

>> THERE ARE WIDE RANGE OF CLIMATE DISCIPLINES, THE NEW DIRECTOR OF GCRP HAS NO CREDENTIALS IN CLIMATE SCIENCE.

HE WAS AN UNSUCCESSFUL ACADEMIC, NOT ABLE TO EARN TENURE AT UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA AND FASHIONED HIMSELF SOMEWHAT AS A MAVERICK OUTSIDER WHICH IN MY ESTIMATION IS A COVER-UP FOR NOT HAVING CREDENTIALS THAT HE WOULD REQUIRE TO RUN SUCH AN IMPORTANT AGENCY AND REPORT.

TED: AND YET, HE SAYS THAT CLIMATE SCIENCE BELIEVERS ARE, QUOTE, BEING SOLD SNAKE OIL?

>> YES, THIS IS ONE ILLUSTRATION HOW HIS COMMENTS PUT HIM COMPLETELY OUTSIDE THE CONSENSUS OF THE SCIENTIFIC COMMUNITY, THE NATIONAL SCIENCE COMMUNITY AND THE COMMUNITY HERE AND THE UNITED STATES WHICH HAS CLEARLY ESTABLISHED THROUGH DECADES AND DECADES OF RESEARCH, THE ROLE OF HUMAN ACTIVITY IN CLIMATE CHANGE AND IMPORTANTLY, THE OPPORTUNITIES FOR ADAPTATION THAT EXIST.

TED: HE CLAIMS THAT THE GLOBAL WARMING IS DUE TO INCREASING SUN RADIATION AS OPPOSED TO CARBON DIOXIDE.

IS THERE ROOM FOR THAT ARGUMENT?

>> CERTAINLY THERE ARE NATURAL CYCLES THAT ARE PART OF UNDERSTANDING THE CLIMATE THAT OPERATE AT GLOBAL AND LONG-TERM SCALES.

CLIMATE SCIENCE HAS INCORPORATED AND UNDERSTANDS THE ROLE OF NATURAL CYCLES AS WELL AS THE ROLE OF HUMAN ACTIVITY IN ACCELERATING SOME OF THE PROPHECIES THAT LEAD TO GLOBAL WARMING AND ITS IMPACTS PARTICULARLY ON TEMPERATURE AND PRECIPITATION AS WELL AS EXTREME EVENTS.

SO HE IS USING A NUMBER OF TECHNIQUES TO TRY TO EXPLOIT UNCERTAINTY AND SHIFT PEOPLE'S FOCUS AWAY FROM WHAT WE FULLY UNDERSTAND TO BE THE MAJOR CAUSES OF THE CLIMATE CRISIS.

TED: AND YET, HE REPRESENTS A NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO WOULD AGREE WITH HIM WHEN HE SAYS SCIENTISTS ARE FABRICATING DATA TO GIVE FALSE IMPRESSIONS.

THAT MEANS PEOPLE LIKE YOU.

HOW DO YOU RESPOND TO THAT?

>> IT'S CERTAINLY AN AFFRONT TO THE SCIENTIFIC COMMUNITY.

THE CLIMATE ASSESSMENT, FOR EXAMPLE, GOES THROUGH SEVERAL ROUNDS, UP TO SEVEN ROUNDS OF REVIEW BY INDEPENDENT SCIENTISTS, BY THE NATIONAL ECONOMIES OF SCIENCE, ENGINEERING AND MEDICINE, AND MULTIPLE REVIEWS BY THE PUBLIC, THROUGH AN OPEN REVIEW PROCESS.

THIS PROCESS TYPICALLY TAKES FOUR FULL YEARS, COMPLETELY VETTED, BASED ON PUBLISHED CREDIBLE PEER-REVIEWED SCIENCE AND EVALUATED BY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC AND OTHER INDEPENDENT EXPERTS.

THE PERSON CHOSEN TO LEAD THE PROGRAM PUBLISHES MOST OPINIONS ON TWITTER.

TED: RIGHT, BUT EVERYTHING YOU MENTIONED BEFOREHAND.

ALL THAT DOCUMENTATION AND ASSESSMENT AND REASSESSMENT AND SUCH, HE CALLS IT CONFIRMATION BIAS.

>> AGAIN, THIS IS A TECHNIQUE TO DISTRACT AND TO OBFUSCATE THE ISSUES AND THAT IS NOT CONFIRMATION BIAS, THAT IS THE SCIENTIFIC PROCESS.

TED: LAST QUESTION HERE.

YOU BECOME HEAD OF THE AGENCY, OR YOU WRITE ANOTHER CHAPTER OF -- SOUTHWEST CHAPTER OF ASSESSMENT, YOU DECIDE THE MESSAGE THAT SHOULD BE GIVEN REGARDING CLIMATE, CHANGING CLIMATE, GLOBAL WARMING, THE WHOLE NINE YARDS, WHAT WOULD YOU SAY?

>> I WOULD RETURN TO OUR KEY MESSAGE FROM 2023 WHEN WE PUBLISHED THE FIFTH NATIONAL CLIMATE ASSESSMENT.

WE UNDERSTAND THE CLIMATE RISKS AND WE SHOULD FOCUS ON MITIGATING WHERE WE CAN, LIMITING THE HARM THAT'S OCCURRING, BUT ALSO THE OPPORTUNITIES TO ADAPT.

THERE ARE GREAT OPPORTUNITIES FOR ECONOMIC ADVANCEMENT FOR IMPROVING THE LIVES OF PEOPLE ALL ACROSS AMERICA BY MAKING MORE HEALTHY SUSTAINABLE AND VIABLE COMMUNITIES AND WE CAN DO THAT WITH THE INFORMATION THIS ASSESSMENT PROVIDES.

>> DAVE WHITE, ASU GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY.

THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.

>> THANKS FOR HAVING ME, TED.

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TED: BANNER HEALTH IS A NONPROFIT HEALTH SYSTEM THAT DEDICATES RESEARCH TO PREVENT CONDITIONS INCLUDING CANCER AND ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE, BUT MEDICAL BREAKTHROUGHS CAN TAKE MANY YEARS OF RESEARCH AND WITH FEDERAL FUNDING DECREASING, WHERE DOES THAT LEAVE NONPROFIT HEALTH STRUCTURES?

DR.

COREY CASPER FROM BANNER RESEARCH.

GOOD TO HAVE YOU HERE.

>> MY PLEASURE, THANKS FOR HAVING ME.

TED: BEFORE WE GET TO IT, BANNER HAS BEEN DOING A LOT, THE IMPACT OF DECLINING FEDERAL FUNDING ON MEDICAL RESEARCH OVERALL?

>> DEFINITELY A CHANGE ENVIRONMENT THAT WE'RE IN.

BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH IS COMPLICATED.

IT TAKES INCREDIBLE RESOURCES AND IT ALWAYS HAS TAKEN A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT PARTNERS TO ACTUALLY GET DEFINITIVE STUDIES DONE AND GET THE ADVANCES FOR MEDICINE THAT WE NEED.

THERE'S ALWAYS A ROLE FOR CORPORATE AMERICA.

THERE'S A ROLE FOR THE GOVERNMENT, AND THERE'S A ROLE FOR THE NONPROFIT SECTOR.

WHAT'S HAPPENING NOW IS EACH OF THE ROLES ARE CHANGING AND THE RESPONSIBILITIES IN EACH ARE QUITE DIFFERENT.

TED: HOW IS THE NONPROFIT SECTOR CHANGING?

>> ASSUMING MORE RESPONSIBILITY FOR RESEARCH AND ADVANCING HEALTH ADVANCES THAT PERHAPS CORPORATE AMERICA ARE NOT INTERESTED IN ADVANCING.

IF IT DOESN'T NECESSARILY HAVE A BOTTOM LINE THAT IS BENEFICIAL TO SHAREHOLDERS, IT DOESN'T HAVE SOMETHING THAT THE GOVERNMENT IS FUNDAMENTALLY INTERESTED IN ADVANCING, THE NONPROFIT SECTOR HAS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF ADVANCING THAT WORK.

TED: CAN YOU WORK WITH THE PRIVATE SECTOR THAT LOOKS FOR COMMERCIAL PATHWAYS IN EVERYTHING IT DOES?

>> ABSOLUTELY.

I WOULD ARGUE YOU HAVE TO.

SO THE CORPORATE SECTOR HAS RESOURCES THAT AREN'T AVAILABLE ANYWHERE ELSE, SO MAKING DRUGS OF HIGH QUALITY AND HIGH QUANTITY, BEING ABLE TO PROVIDE THOSE TO WIDE PATIENTS AND WIDE POPULATIONS ONLY CAN BE DONE BY CORPORATE SECTOR.

NONPROFIT SECTOR NOW HAS TO TAKE MORE RESPONSIBILITY FOR POSING AND ANSWERING QUESTIONS THAT ARE AFFECTING WIDE SWATHS OF OUR POPULATION.

TED: TALK ABOUT BANNER HERE.

HOW MANY ACTIVE STUDIES HAVE YOU GOT GOING ON?

I UNDERSTAND THEY'RE CLINICAL AND TRANSLATIONAL, AND I'M NOT SURE WHAT THOSE WORDS MEAN?

>> ABSOLUTELY.

SO WHEN WE THINK ABOUT HOW TO ADVANCE A NEW CONCEPT FOR MEDICINE, IT STARTS OFF IN THE INVENTION AND DISCOVERY PHASE, SO A SCIENTIST HAS TO THINK ABOUT HOW MIGHT WE BEST ATTACK A NEW DISEASE?

THAT INNOVATION AND DISCOVERY IS DONE IN OUR UNIVERSITIES AND FOR BANNER, OUR TRADITIONAL PARTNER, UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA, BUT WE WORK WITH MANY DIFFERENT UNIVERSITIES ACROSS THE WORLD, TO TAKE THE BASIC DISCOVERS AND THINK OF THE INITIAL IDEAS.

THEN THE ROLE IS HOW DO YOU INTRODUCE THOSE TO A PATIENT POPULATION AND TEST WHETHER THE CONCEPTS WORK AT THE BED SIDE OR THE CLINIC?

THAT'S WHERE BANNER COMES IN.

TRANSLATIONAL RESEARCH TAKES THE IDEAS FROM THE LABORATORY AND TRANSLATES THEM TO PATIENCE.

FOR INSTANCE, IF YOU'RE LOOKING TO DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT WE CAN DEVELOP A BLOOD TEST TO FIGURE OUT YOUR RISK OF DEVELOPING ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE, THAT STARTS IN THE LABORATORY AND GOES TO THE CLINIC.

THAT'S THE TRANSLATION.

CLINICAL RESEARCH, LET'S SAY YOU HAVE A NEW THERAPY THAT YOU THINK COULD WORK IN ONE OF THE DISEASES, HOW TO YOU SAFELY AND EFFECTIVELY TEST IT IN A LARGE POPULATION TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE GOOD.

BANNER HAS OVER 1300 STUDIES WE'RE CURRENTLY DOING HERE IN ARIZONA AND ACROSS OUR NETWORK.

TED: YEAH, BREAKTHROUGHS, FDA APPROVAL, THESE THINGS, CAN IT BE IN SOME WAYS EASIER WITHOUT THE FEDERAL INTRUSION?

>> YEAH.

I MEAN, EASIER AND HARDER.

SOME WAYS TRADITIONALLY FEDERAL FUNDING HAS BEEN A CONSTANT SOURCE OF SUPPORT FOR THE ENORMOUS RESOURCES IT TAKES TO DO BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH.

MORE RECENTLY, THAT HAS BEEN LESS RELIABLE AND HAS BEEN MORE UNDER THREAT.

SO WHAT WE'VE DONE AT BANNER AND MANY NONPROFIT RESEARCH INSTITUTIONS HAVE DONE IS TO SHORE UP THEIR OWN INFRASTRUCTURES TO MAKE SURE WE CAN CONDUCT THE STUDIES EVEN IN LAPSES OR EBBS OF FEDERAL FUNDING.

>> LAST QUESTION HERE, WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO ARIZONANS?

>> GREAT QUESTION.

WHAT IT MEANS IS HAVING A STRONG AND LARGE NONPROFIT HEALTH CARE DELIVERY SYSTEM LIKE BANNER AND OTHER PARTNERS, MEANS WE CAN FILL THE GAPS AND ASK AND ANSWER QUESTIONS THAT REALLY WILL IMPROVE THE HEALTH OF PEOPLE HERE IN ARIZONA.

TED: IS THAT THE NEW NORMAL?

>> THIS IS THE NEW NORMAL.

TED: EVEN PAST, CURRENT CLIMATE?

>> ABSOLUTELY.

I THINK EVEN IN THE FUTURE, WE'RE SEEING SHIFTS THAT I DON'T THINK WILL SHIFT BACK.

TED: INTERESTING, DR.

COREY CASPER, BANNER HEALTH CHIEF RESEARCH OFFICER.

A LOT OF RESEARCH GOING ON OVER THERE.

THANKS FOR TAKING THE TIME.

>> MY PLEASURE, THANKS FOR LISTENING.

>> THAT IS IT FOR NOW.

I'M TED SIMONS.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US.