COMING UP NEXT ON ARIZONA HORIZON: THE U.S. SUPREME COURT TURNS DOWN A REQUEST TO HEAR A LONG- STANDING LAWSUIT OVER A MASSIVE COPPER MINE PLANNED FOR ARIZONA... ALSO TONIGHT: MORE ON THE U.S. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT CLOSING ITS CIVIL RIGHTS INVESTIGATION OF THE PHOENIX POLICE DEPARTMENT... AND WHAT A NEW REPORT FINDS NEW NUMBERS REGARDING THE RATES OF ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE.

THOSE STORIES AND MORE, NEXT, ON ARIZONA HORIZON.

GOOD EVENING, AND WELCOME TO ARIZONA HORIZON.

I'M TED SIMONS.

ARIZONA TREASURER KIMBERLY YEE TODAY ANNOUNCED THAT SHE'S RUNNING FOR STATE SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION.

YEE, A REPUBLICAN, WILL CHALLENGE REPUBLICAN INCUMBENT TOM HORNE SHOULD HORNE DECIDE TO RUN FOR RE-ELECTION.

YEE WAS FIRST ELECTED AS TREASURER IN 2018 AND WON RE- ELECTION IN 2022 AFTER ABANDONING A BRIEF RUN FOR GOVERNOR.

SHE'S TERM-LIMITED OUT A THIRD RUN FOR TREASURER.

PRIMARY CHALLENGES AGAINST INCUMBENTS ARE UNUSUAL IN POLITICS, BUT FAR-RIGHT REPUBLICAN LAWMAKERS IN THE STATE'S "FREEDOM CAUCUS," HAVE BEEN INCREASINGLY VOCAL IN THEIR FRUSTRATION WITH THE WAY HORNE IS GOING AFTER DUBIOUS PURCHASES WITH EDUCATION VOUCHERS, OR ESA'S.

INDEED, NOT LONG AFTER YEE'S ANNOUNCEMENT, HORNE ISSUED A STATEMENT RE-ITERATING HIS, QUOTE "HIGH PRIORITY IN THE SURVIVABILITY OF ESA'S," WHILE AT THE SAME TIME LISTING ITEMS THAT HAVE BEEN REJECTED FOR FUNDING, INCLUDING A $5,000 ROLEX WATCH, A $24,000 GOLF SIMULATOR, $60,000 WORTH OF CRYSTALS, AND FUNDING FOR A VASECTOMY KIT.

HORNE ALSO NOTED THAT HIS DEPARTMENT HAS WON EVERY APPEAL WHEN PARENTS HAVE CHALLENGED THE REJECTIONS.

OTHER HEADLINES: THE U.N. EXPECTS MILLIONS OF POTENTIAL JOBS WILL EVAPORATE THIS YEAR DUE TO THE EFFECTS OF PRESIDENT TRUMP'S TRADE WAR.

THE AGENCY PREDICTS 53 MILLION NEW JOBS CREATED NEXT YEAR, WHICH SOUNDS LIKE A LOT, BUT IS 7 MILLION FEWER JOBS THAN PREVIOUSLY EXPECTED.

THE INTERNATIONAL LABOR ORGANIZATION REPORTS THAT NEARLY 84 MILLION JOBS ACROSS 71 COUNTRIES ARE TIED TO U.S. CONSUMER DEMAND, MAKING THEM VULNERABLE TO THE IMPACT OF U.S. TARIFFS.

AND GLOBAL TEMPERATURES ARE FORECAST TO REACH RECORD OR NEAR-RECORD LEVELS DURING THE NEXT FIVE YEARS.

THAT'S ACCORDING TO TWO OF THE WORLD'S TOP METEOROLOGICAL AGENCIES.

SCIENTISTS WARN THAT THE HIGHER TEMPERATURES COULD MELT SEA ICE AND GLACIERS TO THE POINT OF NO RETURN.

THE REPORT ALSO NOTED WORSENING EXTREMES AROUND THE WORLD, FROM UNPRECEDENTED HEAT WAVES TO DEADLY INLAND FLOODING DUE TO RAPIDLY INTENSIFYING HURRICANES.

EARLIER THIS WEEK, THE U.S. SUPREME COURT TURNED DOWN A REQUEST BY A GROUP FIGHTING TO STOP A PROPOSED COPPER MINE IN AN AREA EAST OF SUPERIOR THAT'S KNOWN AS A SACRED NATIVE AMERICAN SITE.

TO LEARN MORE, WE WELCOME DEBRA KROL, SHE'S THE INDIGENOUS AFFAIRS REPORTER AT THE ARIZONA REPUBLIC AND AZCENTRAL.COM.

IT'S GOOD TO SEE YOU AGAIN.

HOW LONG YOU BEEN WORKING THIS STORY?

>> I'VE BEEN WORKING THIS STORY FOR ABOUT EIGHT YEARS.

>> IT IS A LONG-STANDING SUIT.

THE PROPOSED COPPER MINE.

WHAT ARE WE TALKING ABOUT HERE?

>> THE PROPOSED COPPER MINE IS IN THE SECOND LARGEST REMAINING WORDS COPPER DISCOVERED HERE IN THE CONTINENT.

THEY'RE THINKING THERE'S SOMEWHERE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF 40 BILLION POUNDS OF COPPER UNDERNEATH A FLAT CAMPGROUND.

AND WE KNOW THAT THERE HAS BEEN MINING IN THAT AREA FOR MORE THAN 100 YEARS UNTIL THE EISENHOWER ADMINISTRATION ISSUED A MINING BAN.

IT WAS REITERATED BY THE NIXON ADMINISTRATION, BUT WHEN THEY FOUND THAT THAT BODY OF BRITISH AUSTRALIAN COMPANY CALLED REVOLUTION WANTED TO FIGURE OUT A WAY TO GET TO THAT COPPER BECAUSE, THERE'S BILLIONS AND BILLIONS OF DOLLARS WORTH OF COPPER DOWN THERE.

>> SO THERE WAS A LAND SWAP INVOLVED, CORRECT?

>> YES.

RESOLUTION HAD BOUGHT ABOUT 5,000 ACRES OF ENVIRONMENTALLY SENSITIVE LAND AND WANTED TO EXCHANGE THAT TO THE FOREST SERVICE FOR THE 2200 ACRES OF THE OAT FLAT CAMPGROUND.

THEY RAN AFOUL OF BOTH ENVIRONMENTALISTS AND RECREATIONALLISTS WHO ALL VALUE OAT FLAT AND DIDN'T WANT ANYTHING TO HAPPEN TO IT BUT IN THE DARK OF NIGHT DECEMBER OF 2014, A GROUP CONGRESSMEN LED BY SENATOR McCAIN STUCK A MIDNIGHT RIDER ON TO A DEFENSE BILL, AND WE ALL KNOW DEFENSE BILLS HAVE TO PASS.

SO THAT PUTS THE LAND SWAP INTO PLAY.

AND THEY'VE BEEN FIGHTING EVER SINCE.

>> THIS HAS CONSIDERED -- HAS IT ALWAYS BEEN CONSIDERED SACRED LAND TO THE APACHES?

>> IT HAS BEEN CONSIDERED SACRED LAND TO AT LEAST ONE BAND OF APACHES.

THERE ARE SOME APACHE PEOPLE WHO DON'T ARE REALLY CARE EITHER WAY.

OTHER JUST WANT TO HAVE A JOB BUT THIS ONE PARTICULAR BAND, WHICH WAS LED BY THE FORMER CHAIRMAN OF THE SAN CARLO APACHE TRIBE AND OTHER APACHE PEOPLE FROM OTHER APACHE BANDS DO CONSIDER THIS A SACRED PLACE.

AND IT'S BEEN ARCHEOLOGY AND ANTHROPOLOGY HAS SHOWN THAT THERE HAS BEEN CEREMONIES GOING ON AND VARIOUS OTHER ASSETS.

>> AND THAT WAS THE CRUX OF THE APACHE STRONG HOLD, I GUESS, WHICH IS KIND OF A GRASS ROOT GROUP THAT BROUGHT THIS FORTH.

WE'RE TALKING FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS, WE'RE TALKING RELIGIOUS RIGHTS HERE, AND THE SUPREME COURT SAID WE'RE NOT GOING TO LISTEN TO THAT.

WHAT WAS THAT ALL ABOUT?

>> BACK IN THE 1980s THERE WAS A SUPREME COURT DECISION KNOWN ASLING.

IN FACT, FORMER SUPREME COURT JUSTICE SANDRA DAY O'CONNOR WAS HEAVILY INVOLVED IN THAT WHERE A GROUP OF NAVY PEOPLE WANTED TO SAVE THE SACRED REDWOODS FROM HAVING A LOGGING ROAD GO THROUGH IT.

AND THE ARGUMENT WAS THAT THEY DIDN'T THINK -- THE SUPREME COURT AT THE TIME DIDN'T THINK THAT THE NAVY PEOPLE'S RIGHTS RELIGION WOULD BE RESTRICTED SUCH THAT IT LED TO THE RELIGIOUS FREEDOM RESTORATION ACT AND SEVERAL OTHER LAWS THAT RESTORED THE RIGHT OF THE PEOPLE TO PRACTICE THEIR RELIGION.

SEVERAL OTHER COURTS HAVE BEEN RELYING ON THAT DECISION EVER SINCE.

BUT THERE IS A GROWING NUMBER -- WE LOOKED AT SOME OF THE PAPERS AND DE SCENT PAPERS FROM THE NINTH CIRCUIT, WHICH WERE ALSO RULED AGAINST APACHE STOPPING HOLD BY A 6 TO 5 VOTE, AND THEY'RE ALL SEEING MAYBE WE NEED TO REVISIT THIS.

AND THE SUPREME COURT, JUSTICE GORSUCH, WHO IS NO FLAMING LIBERAL AT ALL, HIS QUOTE WAS CONSEQUENCES WILL REVERBERATE FOR GENERATIONS.

DID THE SUPREME COURT GIVE A REASON FOR NOT HEARING THIS?

>> NO, THEY GAVE NO REASON.

THE ONLY THING THAT WE KNOW IS HIS DESCENT.

THE SUPREME COURT NOT LISTENING TO IT RIGHT NOW.

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT WITH THIS THIS IS A MASSIVE MINE PROJECT.

>> IT'LL BE 40 TO SIT YEARS BEFORE ALL OF THE COPPER CAN GET OUT.

IT'S PROBABLY A MINIMUM OF 10 TO 15 YEARS BEFORE THEY EVEN START BRINGING ANY COPPER OUT OF THE GROUND.

>> WOW.

>> AND BLOCK CAVE MINING WILL BE USED, AND THAT MEANS HUMONGOUS CRATERS, CORRECT?

>> YES, THINK IT AS AN UNDERGROUND OPEN PIT MINE.

THEY'RE GOING TO TUNNEL UNDERNEATH THE ORR BODY AND LEAVE PILLARS UP AND THERE WILL BE ANOTHER TUNNEL THAT IS DRILLED TO A CRUSHING SITE.

ONCE THEY GET IT ALL UNDER MINED THEY'RE GOING TO START KNOCKING DOWN THE PILLARS WHICH IS GOING TO CASCADE THE -- >> OH, I SEE.

>> AND EVENTUALLY WHAT WILL BE LEFT IS A TWO MILE WIDE THOUSAND-FOOT DEEP CRATER.

>> WHAT WAS HELD UP WILL BE KNOCKED DOWN AND THAT CRATER WILL -- ARE THERE OTHER LAWSUITS?

THIS IS NOT A DONE DEAL, IS IT?

>> IT'S NOT A DENY DEAL, THERE'S TWO OTHER LAWSUITS IN THE WINGS.

ONE BY THE APACHE TRIBE AND ONE BY A COALITION OF ENVIRONMENTALISTS.

THE SAN CARLOS APACHE TRIBE HAS FILED FOR AN MARGIN JUNCTION WHILE THEIR SUIT IS ADJUDICATED BECAUSE THEY'RE FEARING THAT ONCE THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT IS ISSUED, PROBABLY IN MID-JUNE THAT IT OPENS UP A 60-DAY WINDOW, ANYTIME OF WHICH THEY CAN HAND THAT OVER TO RESOLUTION.

THEY WANT THEIR DAY IN COURT.

>> AND QUICKLY, ARE THEY GOING WITH THE ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS OR THE RELIGIOUS CONCERNS, THE FIRST AMENDMENT?

WE JUST SAW WHAT HAPPENED THERE AS FAR AS THE SUPREME COURT IS CONCERNED.

WHERE DO THEY GO?

>> THEY'RE GOING WITH THE ENVIRONMENTAL AND WATER ISSUES.

THEY'RE WORRIED THAT THE BIG CRATER IS GOING TO COLLAPSE A MAJOR AQUIFER THAT SERVES MOST OF EASTERN AND CENTRAL ARIZONA.

THE APACHE TUFT.

>> HAS THE COPPER COMPANY, HAVE THEY CHANGED THE PLANS, HAVE THEY LISTENED TO THOSE WHO ARE AGAINST THIS?

HAS THIS CHANGED OVER THE YEARS?

>> THEY HAVE MADE SOME MAJOR CONCESSIONS.

THEY KNOCKED THE IF THE PRINT DOWN FROM 2400 ACRES TO 2200 ACRES.

THEY'VE DONE A LOT OF ENVIRONMENTAL MITIGATION BECAUSE ONE OF THE BIG CONCERNS WAS THE EMORY OAT GROVES, EMORY THE OAK GROVES, SO THEY'VE BEEN WORKING THERE.

THEY'VE BEEN WORKING TO DO A LOT OF THE CULTURAL ASSESSMENTS AND SAVING WHAT THEY CAN.

WITH THE LAND BASED RELIGION, ONCE THE LAND IS GONE, SO IS THE RELIGIOUS POWERS.

I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANY WAY WE CAN GET AROUND THAT.

ALTHOUGH, THEY SEEM TO BE TRYING TO DO SOMETHING.

>> YEAH, CONCESSIONS HAVE BEEN MADE, BUT YOU STILL GOT A LONG WAY TO GO.

GREAT REPORTING ON THIS, DEB.

THANKS SO MUCH FOR SHARING YOUR STORY.

>> THANKS FOR HAVING ME ON AGAIN.

>> YOU BET.

>>> THE U.S. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT RECENTLY ANNOUNCED THAT IT WAS ENDING A CIVIL RIGHTS INVESTIGATION INTO THE PHOENIX POLICE DEPARTMENT.

IT WAS ONE OF A NUMBER OF POLICE INVESTIGATION AROUND THE COUNTRY AT THE DOJ UNDER THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION ENDED.

JOINING US NOW IS MICHAEL WHITE AN ASU PROFESSOR AND ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF THE ASU CENTER FOR VIOLENCE PREVENTION AND COMMUNITY SAFETY.

GOOD TO HAVE YOU HERE.

YOUR INITIAL THOUGHTS WHEN YOU HEARD THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT SAID WE'RE OUT OF HERE.

I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO RECOGNIZE THAT THE DISMISSAL OF THE INVESTIGATION IN PHOENIX, AND AS YOU SAID IN A NUMBER OF OTHER CITIES, IS POLITICAL IT'S BASED ON THE PHILOSOPHY OF THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION.

THEY BELIEVE THE U.S. DEPARTMENT SHOULD NOT BE INVOLVED IN THE INVESTIGATION AND OVERSIGHT OF LOCAL POLICE DEPARTMENTS.

>> AND NOT ONLY THAT, BUT CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, THE FINDING, THE CONSTITUTIONAL VIOLATIONS THAT WERE FOUND, THOSE HAVE BEEN RETRACTED, CORRECT?

>> YOU KNOW, IF YOU READ THE REPORT, THE DOJ FINDINGS' REPORT, THE RESULTS OF THE INVESTIGATION FROM THE PHOENIX POLICE DEPARTMENT, IT'S -- THE REPORT ALLEGES SIGNIFICANT DEEP ORGANIZATIONAL PROBLEMS INVOLVING USE OF FORCE AND INVOLVING HOW THE DEPARTMENT RESPONDED TO PROTESTS, HOW THEY HANDLED CASES INVOLVING HOMELESS INDIVIDUALS.

THE ALLEGATIONS WERE SIGNIFICANT.

THEY WERE SERIOUS, AND, YOU KNOW, AS WE KNOW THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AND CITY COUNCIL, THEY DISPUTED MOST OF THOSE ALLEGATIONS.

SO AT THIS POINT, WE HAD AN INVESTIGATION THAT TOOK MORE THAN THREE YEARS TO COMPLETE, WHICH IS A PROBLEM IN AND OF ITSELF.

THE SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF RESOURCES TO BODE INTO THAT INVESTIGATION, A TON OF CONCERNING ISSUES RAISED, AND NOW IT'S ALL GONE.

I THINK THAT THE REAL QUESTION IS WHETHER OR NOT PHOENIX POLICE DEPARTMENT MADE SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS DURING THAT TIME THAT THE INVESTIGATION WAS BEING CARRIED OUT.

THEY BROUGHT IN A REFORMED-MINDED POLICE CHIEF WHO HAD EXPERIENCE IN BALTIMORE GOING THROUGH AN OVERSIGHT PROCESS, AND THE DEPARTMENT HAS ALLEGED THAT THEY'VE ADDRESSED MANY OF THE CONCERNS THAT WERE RAISED IN THAT REPORT.

AND SINCE THE INVESTIGATION IS OVER, THERE WILL BE NO FURTHER INVESTIGATION OR OVERSIGHT AT ALL.

WE REALLY DON'T KNOW WHETHER THAT'S TRUE OR NOT, SO THAT, YOU KNOW, IT'S A BIG QUESTION I THINK AT THIS POINT.

>> I WAS GONNA ASK, IS THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT SAYING THAT THESE -- BY RETRACTING, BY SAYING THESE NEVER WERE PROBLEMS OR ARE THEY SAYING THESE ARE AREN'T PROBLEMS NOW?

>> YOU KNOW, IT'S -- I THINK WHAT THEY'RE SAYING IS, THEY'RE ESSENTIALLY PULLING BACK, AND I BELIEVE THEY'RE NOT WEIGHING IN ON THE MERITS OF THE EVIDENCE OR THE INVESTIGATION.

THEY'RE SIMPLY SAYING WE'RE NOT GONNA DO THIS IS NOT SOMETHING THAT WE'RE INTERESTED IN ENGAGING IN, LIKE I SAID, THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION HAD DONE THAT PREVIOUSLY, AND LIKE I SAID, IT'S REALLY A PHILOSOPHICAL POSITION THAT THEY'VE TAKEN.

THEY DON'T BELIEVE THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT SHOULD BE INVOLVED IN THIS KIND OF WORK.

THEY BELIEVE THAT WHEN LOCAL POLICE DEPARTMENTS ARE DEALING WITH MISCONDUCT IT SHOULD BE DEALT WITH AT THE LOCAL 12 AND NOT INVOLVE A DOJ RESPONSE.

>> AT THE LOCAL LEVEL, THERE'S BEEN ATTEMPTS TO REFORM, AT LEAST THAT'S WHAT WE HAVE HEARD -- THIS ROAD TO REFORM REPORT FROM PHOENIX POLICE DEPARTMENT.

WHAT IS THE IMPACT OF ALL OF THIS ON POLICING IN PHOENIX?

USUALLY WHEN THIS PROCESS HAS HAPPENED, THAT THERE'S AN INVESTIGATION AND A FINDINGS LETTER ISSUED, USUALLY WHAT HAS HAPPENED IS THAT THE CITY AND POLICE DEPARTMENT ALMOST IMMEDIATELY BEGIN NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE, AND THE PHOENIX POLICE DEPARTMENT TOOK AN UNUSUAL POSITION, WHEN THAT LETTER WAS ISSUED, THOSE FINDINGS WERE PUBLICIZED, THEY OBJECTED TO IT.

THEY DECIDED TO FIGHT IT AND IT TURNS OUT THAT WAS A GOOD DECISION, BECAUSE WITH THE ELECTION AND TRUMP'S PHILOSOPHICAL POSITION ON THIS, IT'S GONE AWAY NOW.

>> AND AGAIN, THEY NOT ONLY SAID THAT THEY WOULD FIGHT IT, THEY CALLED IT A SMEAR CAMPAIGN AND NOW THE NEW U.S. ATTORNEY FOR ARIZONA CALLED IT A, QUOTE, UNJUST INVESTIGATION.

DOES THAT RING TRUE TO YOU?

>> YOU KNOW, IT'S HARD TO SAY.

THE -- YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE -- THERE ARE LOTS OF CRITICISMS OF THE DOJ INVESTIGATION PROCESS GENERALLY, AND WE SEE THOSE PLAY OUT IN WHAT HAPPENED IN PHOENIX.

THE FACT THAT IT TOOK THREE AND A HALF YEARS TO COMPLETE THE INVESTIGATION IN MY VIEW IS RIDICULOUS.

YOU CAN'T TAKE THAT LONG TO PLEA THE INVESTIGATION.

THE OTHER THING IS THAT THE INVESTIGATION IS DONE, IS COMPLETED BY ATTORNEYS.

IT'S NOT COMPLETED BY SOCIAL SCIENTISTS WHO HAVE EXPERTISE AND DATA ANALYSIS AND SOPHISTICATED KINDS OF ANALYZE THAT WOULD -- ANALYSES THAT WOULD, I THINK, MAKE A STRONGER CASE OR NOT FOR WHETHER THE ALLEGATIONS ARE TRUE.

SO IT'S REALLY HARD TO SAY WHETHER -- THE MOST SERIOUS ALLEGATIONS THAT ARE ALLEGED IN THAT REPORT, WHETHER THEY HAD ANY MERIT OR NOT, AND, YOU KNOW, THE ROAD TO REFORM REPORT, IT'S AN EXCELLENT READ.

IT LOOKS LIKE THEY ACKNOWLEDGED A LOT OF THE ISSUES THAT WERE A CONCERN.

AND THESE REORGANIZATIONAL ISSUES INVOLVING RECRUITMENT, TRAINING, SUPERVISION, ACCOUNTABILITY, AND, YOU KNOW, IN MANY CASES, YOU KNOW, THE FEDERAL OVERSIGHT PROCESS EXISTS BECAUSE POLICE DEPARTMENTS OFTEN WILL NOT CHANGE UNLESS COMPELLED TO DO SO AND I GO HE IS WHAT WE'LL SEE NOW OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL YEARS IS WHETHER PHOENIX WILL MAKE THOSE CHANGES ON THEIR OWN.

>> THE CONSENT DECREE WAS ONE THING BUT THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT SAYING THIS IS NOT OUR RESPONSIBILITY OR NOT SOMETHING WE SHOULD GET INVOLVED IN IS QUITE ANOTHER.

MICHAEL WILEY, GOOD CONVERSATION.

GOOD TO HAVE YOU HERE, THANK YOU.

>> THANK YOU, TED, TAKE CARE.

A NEW REPORT BY THE ALZHEIMER'S ASSOCIATION SHOWS THAT 1 IN 9 ARIZONA SENIORS HAVE ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE.

THAT'S THE HIGHEST NUMBER REPORTED AND THAT NUMBER IS EXPECTED TO INCREASE AS THE POPULATION OF SENIORS INCREASES.

DR. PARICHITA CHOUDHURY IS A COGNITIVE AND BEHAVIORAL NEUROLOGIST AT BANNER SUN HEALTH RESEARCH INSTITUTE.

DOCTOR, GOOD TO HAVE YOU HERE.

THANKS FOR JOINING US.

>> HAPPY TO BE HERE.

>> THIS IS GREAT.

IT'S GREAT TO HAVE YOU HERE.

IT'S NOT GREAT -- THESE NUMBERS ARE NOT GREAT.

WHAT WAS LOOKED AT AND HOW HAS IT CHANGED FROM PREVIOUS STUDIES?

>> WELL, OBVIOUSLY IT'S STALLERRING-- STAGGERING BUT ARIZONA HAS A HIGH AGE POPULATION.

AND AGE IS ONE OF THE BIGGEST FACTORS FOR THESE NEURO DISEASES INCLUDING ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE AND EVERY YEAR THE ALZHEIMER'S ASSOCIATION COMES OUT WITH A FACT AND FIGURES SORT OF REPORT.

AND WHILE THE PEOPLE OVER THE AGE OF 65, THEIR RISK IS AT 11%, ARIZONA EQUAL TO A NATIONAL AVERAGE PREVALENCE WISE, HOWEVER, WE HAVE THE FASTEST RATE OF INCREASE FROM 2020 TO 2025, WE HAD ABOUT A 30% INCREASE RATE OF DIAGNOSIS.

>> SO THE RATIO HASN'T REALLY CHANGED BUT THE NUMBER, THE VOLUME HAS CHANGED BECAUSE WE'RE GETTING MORE FOLKS HERE, RIGHT?

>> I SAW ALMOST 2/3 OF ALZHEIMER'S ARE WOMEN.

I WAS SURPRISED TO SEE THAT.

>> SO WE UNDERSTAND LITTLE ABOUT WHY THAT IS THE CASE.

WE HAVE HYPE POTT SEES WHICH ALL HAVE SOME EVIDENCE.

ONE OF THE BIGGEST IS HORMONES.

ESTROGEN IS THOUGHT TO BE A PROTECTIVE FACTOR FOR WOMEN AND AFTER MENOPAUSE THERE'S A DECLINE IN COGNITIVE FUNCTION.

ANOTHER REASON IS WOMEN LIVE LONGER AND WHEN THEY LIVE LONGER, THEY HAVE MORE RESILIENCE, BUT WHEN THE DISEASE DOES HIT, THEY HAVE A BIGGER DOWNFALL.

>> WHEN I FIRST SAW THAT, I THOUGHT IT'S GOTTA BE JUST BECAUSE WOMEN LIVE LONGER.

ETHNICITY, RACE, WHAT ARE WE SEEING THERE?

>> GENERALLY HISPANICS AND BLACK FOLKS HAVE A HIGHER RATE OF ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE THAN WHITE TALKING OCCASIONS DO.

ABOUT TWO TIMES HIGHER THAN BLACKS AND ONE AND A HALF TIMES HIGHER IN HISPANICS.

>> DO WE KNOW WHY?

>> WE DON'T KNOW ALL OF THE REASONS.

ONE OF THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES IS THAT WE DON'T STUDY THEM ENOUGH.

SO OF COURSE, THERE IS SOME BARRIERS TO PARTICIPATION IN STUDIES FOR ALL OF THESE COMMUNITIES.

>> THE STUDY ALSO TALKED ABOUT -- THIS IS A QUOTE, AN UPWARD INFLUENCE ON DISEASE BURDEN.

THAT MEANS IN OTHER WORDS A WHOLE LOT MORE FOLKS TO TAKE CARE OF.

>> THAT'S RIGHT.

>> AND ALSO ECONOMIC BURDEN AND HEALTHCARE BURDEN.

SO JUST AS THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO ARE AFFECTED BY THE DISEASE, THE CAREGIVERS ARE AFFECTED.

AND YOU WILL NOTICE MOST OF THE CAREGIVERS ARE ALSO WOMEN.

SO IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE HAVE A HIGHER RATE OF MORTALITY, HIGHER RATES OF LONG TERM CARE FILLS, ALL OF THESE THINGS REQUIRE A BIGGER WORKFORCE, WHICH DOES NOT EXIST AT THIS TIME.

>> INDEED IT DOESN'T EXIST.

IS THERE AN EFFORT, A FOOT, TO GET IT TO EXIST OR AT LEAST IMPROVE THE SITUATION?

>> ABSOLUTELY, WE -- YOU KNOW, AT LEAST AT BANNER HEALTH, WE TRY TO DO GRASSROOTS EFFORT.

SO WE TRY TO RECRUIT FOLKS AT ALL STAGES OF TRAINING INTO DEMENTIA CARE AND WE ALSO WANT TO TRAIN OTHER FOLKS THAT ARE ALREADY WORKING IN NURSING HOMES AND THINGS LIKE THAT THAT ARE PROGRAMMED TO TRAIN THEM AND UNDERSTANDING DEMENTIA AND CARE CARING FOR PEOPLE WITH DEMENTIA.

>> WE'VE DONE SO MANY SEGMENTS ON THIS PROGRAM ABOUT DEMENTIA, ABOUT ALZHEIMER'S, IT'S ONE OF THE FEW THINGS THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT HEALTHWISE.

JUST DOESN'T SEEM LIKE WE HAVE VERY GOOD RESULTS OR IMPROVEMENTS.

I READ ABOUT A BLOOD TEST THAT MIGHT BE HELPFUL.

WHAT'S GOING ON THROUGHOUT.

>> WE ARE ACCUMULATING MORE AND MORE TOOLS FOR DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT AND HOPEFULLY IN THE FUTURE PREVENTION ONE DAY.

SO A WEEK AND A HALF AGO ADA APPROVED THE FIRST BLOOD TEST FOR DIAGNOSIS.

THERE ARE SOME CAVEATS TO THAT.

THIS MUST BE FOR PEOPLE WHO ALREADY HAVE SYMPTOMS SO IT CANNOT BE FOR SOMEONE WHO HAS SYMPTOMS.

IT MUST BE IN A SPECIALTY SET WHERE THEY ARE GETTING THE APPROPRIATE EVALUATION.

SOMETHING WE UNDERSTAND ABOUT ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE IS THE PROTEINS START ACCUMULATING IN OUR BRAIN, ABOUT 20 TO 10 YEARS PRIOR TO ONSET OF SYMPTOMS.

WHAT WE DON'T WANT IS JUST DETECTION OF THE PROTEIN IN OUR BLOOD, BUT NOT HAVING SYMPTOMS AND SO NOT BEING ABLE TO GIVE PEOPLE THE CONTEXT, A REASON FOR THEIR SYMPTOMS.

>> BUT A BLOOD TEST LIKE THIS, WOULD THIS LEAD TO OTHER RESEARCH THAT WOULD HELP EXPLAIN -- AS YOU MENTIONED, WE KIND OF KNOW 10, 20 YEARS PRIOR.

WHEN THAT 10, 20 YEARS PRIOR HITS, CAN THIS HELP IN TERMS OF PREVENTION?

>> ABSOLUTELY.

AND THERE ARE TRIALS ALREADY UNDERWAY.

THERE ARE TRIALS WHERE WE ARE DETECTING PEOPLE WHO HAVE ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE PLAQUE IN THEIR BRAIN.

AND THE BLOOD TEST WAS THE FIRST STEP IN TREATING THOSE FOLKS.

THEY WERE EITHER GIVEN AN INFUSION DRUG TO REMOVE THE PLAQUE OR GIVEN A PLACEBO.

AND WE WILL BE FIND OUT RESULTS IN PROBABLY THE NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS.

AND IT SHOWS DELAYS ONSET OF SYMPTOMS OR IF IT REDUCES BURDEN ON FOLKS, THAT IS GOING TO BE A GAME-CHANGER IN OUR FIELD.

>> WELL, LET'S HOPE SO.

DR. CHOUDHURY, BANNER SUN HEALTH RESEARCH INSTITUTE, WE'RE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR GOOD RESEARCH FOR ALZHEIMER'S.

AND THIS SOUNDS PROMISING.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.

>> AND THAT IS IT FOR NOW.

I'M TED SIMONS.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US.

YOU HAVE A GREAT EVENING.