Fast-moving object approaching Earth | Newsmaker | FOX 10 Phoenix

Fast-moving object approaching Earth | Newsmaker | FOX 10 Phoenix

A FAST MOVING OBJECT THE SIZE OF MANHATTAN IS HURTLING TOWARDS OUR SOLAR SYSTEM, AND IT WILL MAKE ITS CLOSEST PASS TO EARTH ON DECEMBER 17TH. COMET, ASTEROID OR SOMETHING ELSE? A HARVARD ASTROPHYSICIST BELIEVES THERE’S A STRONG LIKELIHOOD THIS IS A CRAFT OF ALIEN ORIGIN. AND THE IMPLICATIONS, OBVIOUSLY, FOR HUMANITY WOULD BE PROFOUND. AVI LOEB, PROFESSOR AT HARVARD, JOINS ME NOW. GREAT TO SEE YOU. THANK YOU. AND I’VE BEEN READING WITH WITH INTEREST WHAT YOU’RE PUTTING OUT THERE. IT’S VERY PROVOCATIVE. >> WELL, YOU KNOW, SCIENCE IS FUN AS LONG AS YOU ALLOW YOURSELF TO LEARN SOMETHING NEW. AND THE PROBLEM WITH EXPERTS IS THAT THEY INSIST ON PAST KNOWLEDGE THAT THEY PROMOTED IN ECHO CHAMBERS. AND OBVIOUSLY, ANYTHING IN THE SKY, THEY ARGUE, IS A COMET. BUT WE SHOULD BE OPEN MINDED BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, IF WE HAVE A VISITOR FROM THE COSMIC STREET TO OUR BACKYARD, IT MAY NOT BE A ROCK. IT COULD BE A TENNIS BALL THROWN BY A NEIGHBOUR. SO LET’S LOOK AT THE DATA. >> THAT IS A VERY INTERESTING ANALOGY. ALL RIGHT, DOCTOR LOEB, IT IS CALLED THREE EYE SLASH ATLAS. GIVE ME THE BEST CASE FOR WHY YOU THINK THIS OBJECT MAY BE EXTRATERRESTRIAL AND MAYBE ALIEN FORM. >> WELL, FIRST, ITS BRIGHTNESS IMPLIES THAT IF IT REPRESENTS REFLECTION OF SUNLIGHT FROM A SOLID OBJECT, IT NEEDS TO BE 20KM IN DIAMETER. THAT’S BIGGER THAN MANHATTAN ISLAND. AND THIS IS A GIANT ROCK. THE PREVIOUS INTERSTELLAR OBJECTS WERE HUNDREDS OF TIMES SMALLER, SO IT JUST DOESN’T MAKE SENSE THAT THE THIRD OBJECT FROM INTERSTELLAR SPACE WILL BE 100 TIMES BIGGER THAN THE PREVIOUS TWO, AND WE WON’T SEE ANYTHING IN BETWEEN. AND MOREOVER, THERE IS NOT ENOUGH ROCKY MATERIAL IN INTERSTELLAR SPACE TO DELIVER US A ROCK OF THIS SIZE 20KM OVER A PERIOD OF ABOUT A DECADE THAT WE CONDUCTED THE SURVEY OF THE SKY. BECAUSE THIS MATERIAL IS VERY RARE AND YOU EXPECT IT ONCE PER MAYBE 10,000 YEARS OR LONGER. AND SO IT’S SURPRISING IF INDEED IT’S A ROCK OF THAT SIZE NOW, IT WILL ACTUALLY GET CLOSEST TO THE SUN ON OCTOBER 29TH, 2025. AND THAT’S WHEN THE EARTH WOULD BE ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE. IT’S AS IF IT TRIES TO AVOID US. WE WON’T BE ABLE TO OBSERVE IT, BUT IT ALSO COMES FROM A DIRECTION IN THE SKY THAT IS CROWDED WITH LOTS OF STARS. IT WAS DIFFICULT TO SEE IT UNTIL JULY 1ST, 2025. AND SO THE FUNDAMENTAL QUESTION IS, WAS THIS DESIGNED BY INTELLIGENCE OUT THERE? AND MY ARGUMENT IS THAT WE SHOULD COLLECT AS MUCH DATA AS POSSIBLE TO FIGURE IT OUT. AND I DEFINED A NEW SCALE THAT IS NOW CALLED THE LOEB SCALE AFTER MY LAST NAME, WHERE ZERO IMPLIES A PURELY NATURAL OBJECT LIKE A COMET OR AN ASTEROID, AND TEN IS A DEFINITELY TECHNOLOGICAL OBJECT THAT MANOEUVRES AND BROADCASTS A SIGNAL OR TRANSMITS SOME ARTIFICIAL LIGHTS. AND I RANK THIS OBJECT THREE ATLAS AS FOUR ON THE SCALE BETWEEN 0 AND 10. AND OF COURSE, THE MORE DATA WE HAVE, THE CLEARER IT WILL BECOME. YOU KNOW, AS IT COMES CLOSER TO THE SUN, IT SHOULD ERUPT, IT SHOULD OUTGAS AND PRODUCE A BEAUTIFUL COMETARY TAIL. IF IT IS A COMET, WE DON’T SEE A COMETARY TAIL. AS OF NOW, THE HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE TOOK A VERY HIGH RESOLUTION IMAGE OF IT, AND ALL WE SEE IS SOME GLOW SURROUNDING IT THAT IS ACTUALLY PRECEDING IT TOWARDS THE DIRECTION OF THE SUN, BUT NOTHING BEHIND IT. THE WAY WE SEE COMETARY TAILS WHICH ARE PUSHED AWAY FROM. >> SO IT’S GOT. >> A UNIQUE. >> IT’S GOT A UNIQUE SIGNATURE THAT DOESN’T IMPLY COMET. AND AS YOU KNOW, NASA IS SAYING THIS IS A COMET. IT POSES NO THREAT TO EARTH AND WILL REMAIN AT A DISTANCE OF AT LEAST 1.6 ASTRONOMICAL UNITS. THAT’S ABOUT 150 MILLION MILES. BUT AS WE KNOW, NASA HAS BEEN WRONG. BEFORE THEY THOUGHT THEY HAD DISCOVERED A NEW ASTEROID, WHICH TURNED OUT TO BE ELON MUSK’S ROADSTER. THE TESLA ROADSTER THAT HAD BEEN LAUNCHED. SO THEY’VE BEEN WRONG BEFORE. >> OH, YEAH. I MEAN, SCIENCE IS FULL OF MISTAKES, YOU KNOW, AND SCIENTISTS IN THE MAINSTREAM OF SCIENCE THAT ARE CONSIDERED EXPERTS OFTEN INVEST BILLIONS OF DOLLARS TO CHECK A HYPOTHESIS THAT TURNS OUT TO BE WRONG. YOU KNOW, THE SOME EXAMPLES INCLUDE, FOR EXAMPLE, THE A NEW SYMMETRY OF NATURE, SUPERSYMMETRY THAT WAS THOUGHT TO BE DEFINITELY OUT THERE. AND THEN THE LARGE HADRON COLLIDER WAS CONSTRUCTED AT A COST OF $10 BILLION AND DIDN’T FIND ANY EVIDENCE FOR IT IN ITS NATURAL RANGE OF PARAMETERS THAT WAS EMBRACED FOR DECADES BY THEORETICAL PHYSICISTS. AND, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE MANY SUCH EXAMPLES THAT I CAN BRING. BUT THE POINT IS THAT SCIENCE IS NOT DECIDED BY AUTHORITY. IT’S DECIDED BY EVIDENCE. AND THE PROBLEM WITH EXPERTS IS THAT THEY OFTEN USE ECHO CHAMBERS THAT REPRESENT THEIR PAST KNOWLEDGE. AND AND BY DOING THAT, THEY DO NOT ALLOW SOMETHING SURPRISING TO BE DISCOVERED. IF YOU INSIST THAT. SO, FOR EXAMPLE, THERE WAS. >> ITS ARROGANCE. >> ITS. YEAH. I THINK IN SCIENCE WE SHOULD HAVE SOME SENSE OF HUMILITY BECAUSE NOBODY EXPECTED, FOR EXAMPLE, QUANTUM MECHANICS TO BE DISCOVERED. IT WAS COMPLETELY SURPRISING. WE STILL DON’T UNDERSTAND IT A CENTURY LATER. AND ALBERT EINSTEIN HAD A DIFFICULT TIME INTERPRETING IT. AND THIS IS JUST TO SHOW YOU THAT VERY OFTEN NATURE IS MORE IMAGINATIVE THAN WE ARE. AND OF COURSE, FOR US TO ARGUE THAT WE ARE THE MOST INTELLIGENT SPECIES THAT EVER EXISTED SINCE THE BIG BANG IS INDEED ARROGANT, BECAUSE THERE ARE 3 BILLION STARS IN THE MILKY WAY GALAXY AND PROBABLY BILLIONS OF EARTH SUNS. ANALOGUES. YES. AND YOU KNOW, THIS IS JUST LIKE SEEING A LOT OF HOUSES ON YOUR STREET THAT LOOKS JUST LIKE YOURS, AND YOU INSIST THAT THEY HAVE NO RESIDENCE IN THEM? >> NO. AND I MY CONTENTION HAS ALWAYS BEEN, YOU KNOW, WE SAY, WELL, NOTHING COULD TRAVEL THAT FAST. NOTHING COULD REACH US BECAUSE IT’S TOO FAR AWAY. WELL, LET’S PUT A CIVILISATION THAT’S BEEN AROUND A BILLION MORE YEARS THAN US. WHERE WOULD THEY BE IN TECHNOLOGY? SO I. THINK IT’S JUST COMPLETE ARROGANCE AND IGNORANCE TO THINK THAT WE’VE GOT ALL THE ANSWERS. I THINK IT’S JUST ARROGANT. >> WELL, ALSO, THE SUN IS 4.6 BILLION YEARS OLD, AND THE AGE OF THE UNIVERSE IS 13.8 BILLION YEARS. AND SO THAT’S THREE TIMES LONGER. SO WE THE SUN WAS AROUND ONLY FOR THE LAST ONE THIRD OF COSMIC HISTORY. MOST OF THE STARS FORMED BILLIONS OF YEARS BEFORE THE SUN. AND IF IF A CIVILISATION LIKE OURS EMERGED NEXT TO THEM, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN ASK, HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE? VOYAGER, THE SPACECRAFT THAT WE LAUNCHED OUT OF THE SOLAR SYSTEM, HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE IT TO REACH THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE MILKY WAY? IT’S LESS THAN A BILLION YEARS, AND THEREFORE THEY HAD PLENTY OF TIME. THOSE COSMIC NEIGHBOURS THAT WE HAVE PLENTY OF TIME TO REACH OUR BACKYARD. >> YEAH. LET ME ASK YOU ABOUT A COUPLE OF THINGS. DOES THIS HAVE ANY STEERING MECHANISM THAT YOU THINK? ARE YOU SEEING IT GO OFF A STRAIGHT LINE AT ALL, OR IS THERE ANY DIRECTION THAT IT IS BEING STEERED? >> THAT’S AN EXCELLENT QUESTION. SO FAR, NO DATA WAS REPORTED ABOUT THE TRAJECTORY AND HOW CLOSE IT IS TO WHAT WE EXPECT FROM GRAVITY ALONE. AND, YOU KNOW, THE DATA WILL GET BETTER AS IT COMES CLOSER. BUT EVENTUALLY, YES, THIS IS CONSIDERED TO BE NON-GRAVITATIONAL ACCELERATION, A SUBJECT THAT COULD REVEAL THE EXISTENCE OF A PROPULSION SYSTEM OR SOME ENGINE TO THE OBJECT. THAT WILL DEFINITELY BE A TECHNOLOGICAL SIGNATURE. IS IT? >> IS IT TRAVELLING FASTER THAN WHAT WE WOULD EXPECT, I THINK WHAT IS IT? 41 MILES PER SECOND? IS THAT FASTER THAN WHAT WE CAN DO, OR IS IT TRAVELLING IN A WAY THAT MAKES IT LOOK UNUSUAL? >> WELL, IT’S TWICE AS FAST AS THE FASTEST ROCKETS THAT WE EVER LAUNCHED, AND IT’S MUCH FASTER. TWICE AS FAST AS THE PREVIOUS INTERSTELLAR OBJECTS. IT COULD BE PRODUCED BY NATURAL PROCESSES SUCH AS SPEED. IT’S NOT OVERWHELMING. BUT YOU HAVE ALSO TO REALISE THAT AN OBJECT MOVING MUCH FASTER THAN THAT WOULD NEVER BE NOTICED BY ASTRONOMERS, BECAUSE WE WOULD JUST HAVE ONE FRAME OF IT AND WE WOULDN’T REALLY KNOW HOW FAST IT’S MOVING. SO ASTRONOMERS ARE USING TELESCOPES TO LOOK FOR OBJECTS MOVING ROUGHLY AT THE SPEED OF PLANETS AROUND THE SUN. AND AND THIS ONE IS, IS TWICE AS FAST AS THE SPEED OF THE EARTH. >> WELL, THAT THAT SUGGESTS THAT IT WANTS TO BE NOTICED. >> WELL, MAYBE MAYBE IT’S ONE OF THOSE REASONS THAT IT VISITS THE INNER SOLAR SYSTEM, BUT WE WILL NOT KNOW UNTIL WE IT COMES CLOSER AND GETS BRIGHTER. AND, YOU KNOW, APPLYING HEAT TO IT FROM SUNLIGHT WOULD REVEAL US THE IDENTITY OF THIS OBJECT. WHEN DO YOU THINK? >> YEAH. DOCTOR, WHEN DO YOU THINK WE WOULD GET AN ANSWER? IT LOOKS LIKE WE’RE. IT’S GOING TO PASS CLOSEST TO EARTH IN LATE DECEMBER, BUT WE’RE GOING TO GET A GOOD PASS AT MARS. DO YOU THINK WE’RE GOING TO HAVE AN ANSWER, SAY, WITHIN A MONTH AS TO WHAT THE ORIGIN OF THIS NOT MAYBE NOT THE ORIGIN, BUT WHAT IT IS? >> YEAH. THAT’S MY HOPE THAT BY COLLECTING MORE DATA, IT WILL EVENTUALLY BECOME CLEAR. IF IT’S ANOMALOUS, IT WOULDN’T BE POSSIBLE TO SHOVE THESE ANOMALIES UNDER THE CARPET OF TRADITIONAL THINKING. HOWEVER, IF IT’S A COMET, IT WILL BE CLEAR THAT IT’S A COMET BECAUSE IT WILL WARM UP AS IT GETS CLOSER TO THE SUN AND ERUPT IN OUTGASSING AND RELEASE OF DUST. SO MY HOPE IS THAT BY THE END OF SEPTEMBER, WE WILL KNOW. >> YOU KNOW, IT’S JUST THE ONE THING THAT’S INTERESTING TO ME. JUST A QUICK ANSWER ON THIS, IF YOU WILL. I MEAN, IT’S KIND OF AVOIDING THE ONE PLACE IT’S TEEMING WITH LIFE IN OUR SOLAR SYSTEM. >> TRUE. >> IT’S ODD. DO YOU HAVE ANY THOUGHTS ABOUT IT? >> WELL, IT MIGHT HAVE A REASON FOR THAT. IF IT RELEASES, FOR EXAMPLE, MINI PROBES. SO I AM LEADING THE GALILEO PROJECT. THAT IS MONITORING THE SKY WITH THREE OBSERVATORIES AND LOOKING FOR ANY OBJECTS THAT ARE TECHNOLOGICAL BUT NOT HUMAN, MADE IN OUR SKY OVER MASSACHUSETTS, PENNSYLVANIA AND NEVADA. AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO DO THAT FOR THE COMING YEARS. BUT I INSTRUCTED MY RESEARCH TEAM TO CHECK IF, CLOSE TO THE END OF OCTOBER 2025, THERE WOULD BE ANY NEW OBJECTS APPEARING IN THE EARTH’S ATMOSPHERE IF WE WOULD NOTICE ANY ACTIVITY. NOW WE ARE DOCUMENTING EVERYTHING WITH, YOU KNOW, MACHINE LEARNING SOFTWARE THAT ANALYSES OBJECTS AND LOOKS FOR OUTLIERS. AND SO IF THE IN THE MONTHS AFTER THE PASSAGE OF ATLAS CLOSE TO THE SUN, IF WE WOULD SEE ANY UNUSUAL ACTIVITY, YOU WILL YOU WILL KNOW ABOUT IT. >> STICK AROUND, DOCTOR LOEB, WE ARE GOING TO CONTINUE THIS CONVERSATION ONLINE. BUT WHEN WE COME BACK ON NEWSMAKER, ARIZONA IS SITTING ON BILLIONS OF DOLLARS OF LAND IN SCHOOL BUILDINGS THAT ARE NOT IN USE BECAUSE STUDENT ENROLMENT HAS BEEN DROPPING IN THIS STATE SINCE 2008. COULD THAT MONEY BE BETTER SPENT ON EDUCATING SEASO. >> GOOD MORNING FOOTBALL OVERTIME WEEKDAYS AT 11 A.M. >> BACK ON NEWSMAKER ENROLMENT IN ARIZONA’S PUBLIC SCHOOLS IS DROPPING. YOU MAY NOT KNOW THAT IT’S BEEN DROPPING SINCE 2008. DECLINING BIRTH RATES. MORE AND MORE KIDS OPTING FOR CHARTER SCHOOLS, HOME SCHOOLING, PRIVATE SCHOOLS. YET ARIZONA SCHOOLS HAVE 78,000,000FT■!S MOE SPACE THAN NEEDED. THAT’S ENOUGH FOR 630,000 ADDITIONAL STUDENTS THAT WE DON’T HAVE. THE QUESTION IS, COULD THE MONEY BE BETTER SPENT TO IMPROVE STUDENT OUTCOMES? KATIE RATLIFF WITH THE COMMON SENSE INSTITUTE OF ARIZONA AND HER GROUP DID A DEEP DIVE INTO THIS. KATIE. THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING ME. >> OKAY. IT SEEMS THAT WE HAVE BUDGETED IN THIS STATE FOR ENROLMENT GROWTH PROJECTIONS. THAT IS SIMPLY OUT OF LINE WITH REALITY. IS THAT WHERE WE ARE? >> EXACTLY RIGHT. WHAT I THINK HAS HAPPENED IN OUR STATE IS WE NEVER ANTICIPATED THAT DISTRICT SCHOOLS WOULD STOP GROWING, BECAUSE FOR A LONG TIME THEY WERE GROWING FASTER THAN WE COULD EVEN BUILD THEM. BUT YOU’RE EXACTLY RIGHT. AROUND 2008, DISTRICT ENROLMENT WENT FLAT AND IT HAS NEVER RECOVERED. CHARTER SCHOOL ENROLMENT HAS CONTINUED TO GROW. PRIVATE SCHOOL ENROLMENT HAS CONTINUED TO GROW. HOMESCHOOLING HAS ACTUALLY TRIPLED. IT USED TO BE ABOUT 2%. TODAY IT’S ABOUT 6%. BUT THE ONLY SYSTEM THAT GETS FUNDED IN ORDER TO HAVE NEW CAPITAL, NEW SCHOOL BUILDINGS BUILT BY THE STATE ARE DISTRICT SCHOOLS. AND SO I JUST DON’T THINK LAWMAKERS EVER ANTICIPATED THIS SCENARIO THAT WE’RE IN. AND YOU’RE RIGHT, IT’S BEEN COMPOUNDED EVEN FURTHER BY THE FACT THAT NOW THE NUMBER OF SCHOOL AGED CHILDREN IN ARIZONA IS STARTING TO DECLINE. SO EVERY SYSTEM IS FIGHTING FOR FEWER AND FEWER KIDS. >> WE WERE OVER A MILLION KIDS K THROUGH SENIOR YEAR OF HIGH SCHOOL, AND NOW IT’S BELOW A MILLION. WE’RE IN THE NINE HUNDREDS. >> THAT’S RIGHT. WE SAW THE FIRST EVER DECLINE IN THE NUMBER OF SCHOOL AGED CHILDREN IN 2022. FROM OUR ORGANISATION’S PERSPECTIVE, WE WEREN’T SURE IF THAT WAS JUST A BLIP OR IF THAT WAS A NEW TREND. BUT IN 2023, WE SAW ANOTHER DECLINE. AND SO I THINK IT’S SAFE TO SAY THAT THIS IS NOW A TREND. IT SHOULDN’T BE A SURPRISE. WE’VE SEEN FERTILITY RATES DECLINING NOW FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS. PEOPLE ARE HAVING FEWER KIDS. IT’S A LITTLE HARD TO WRAP YOUR HEAD AROUND BECAUSE WE ARE STILL A GROWING STATE. OUR OVERALL POPULATION IS GROWING, BUT PEOPLE AREN’T HAVING AS MANY KIDS ONCE THEY MOVE HERE, AND THEY’RE NOT MOVING HERE WITH AS MANY KIDS AS THEY USED TO. >> LET’S SHOW GRAPHIC ONE. THIS IS ENROLMENT. AND THIS ALSO GETS INTO KIND OF WHERE WE ARE. CAN YOU DESCRIBE WHAT WE’RE SEEING HERE. BECAUSE THE PROJECTION OBVIOUSLY FROM THE AUDITOR GENERAL AND EVEN THE JOINT LEGISLATIVE BUDGET COMMITTEE IN 2019, THE FORECAST IS OFF. JLBC IS A LITTLE BETTER, BUT YOU CAN SEE WHERE DISTRICT ENROLMENT WAS PROJECTED. AND AND WHAT WE’RE SEEING. >> THAT’S EXACTLY RIGHT. SO YOU CAN SEE EXACTLY THE TREND THAT I’M TALKING ABOUT. BACK IN THE EARLY 2000 WE WERE GROWING REALLY FAST. OUR SCHOOL AGE POPULATION WAS GROWING REALLY FAST, AND EVERYONE HAD EVERY REASON TO BELIEVE THAT THAT WOULD CONTINUE. AND I SHOULD POINT OUT SFB, THE AUDITOR GENERAL AND JLBC ARE ALL NONPARTISAN ORGANISATIONS WHOSE JOB IT IS TO PROJECT FUTURE OUTCOMES. SO YOU CAN SEE WE’RE NOWHERE NEAR WHERE WE THOUGHT WE WOULD BE IN 2007. BUT WHAT’S EVEN MORE SURPRISING IS WE’RE NOT EVEN ANYWHERE NEAR WHERE WE THOUGHT WE WOULD BE AS EARLY AS 2018. THAT BLUE LINE IS WHAT THE JLBC, THE NONPARTISAN LEGISLATIVE BUDGET OFFICE, THOUGHT ENROLMENT WOULD LOOK LIKE TODAY. WE’RE FAR BELOW THAT. AND OF COURSE, THE DARK GREY AT THE BOTTOM, THAT’S DISTRICT ENROLMENT. SO YOU CAN SEE, WHILE THERE HAS BEEN GROWTH IN OVERALL ENROLMENT, IT’S REALLY BEEN LIMITED TO THE CHARTER SECTOR SINCE 2008. >> OKAY. AND WE SHOULD POINT OUT THAT IN LESS MEMORY IS FAILING ME, WHICH IS VERY POSSIBLE. WE SPEND OVER HALF OF OUR BUDGET, ROUGHLY HALF OF THE STATE BUDGET GOES TO EDUCATION. IS THAT CORRECT? >> THAT’S CORRECT. AND THAT’S NOT THE ONLY SOURCE OF EDUCATION FUNDING EITHER. MANY OF THE CAPITAL PROJECTS THAT WE’RE TALKING ABOUT, NEW SCHOOLS OR UPGRADING SCHOOLS, GET PAID FOR SOME BY THE STATE AND SOME BY LOCAL TAXPAYERS. SO SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND ONLY SCHOOL DISTRICTS HAVE ACCESS TO ANOTHER FORM OF FUNDING IN THEIR LOCAL PROPERTY TAXPAYER BASE. >> OKAY. LET’S TAKE A LOOK AT NUMBER TWO. NUMBER TWO. THIS IS SCHOOL POPULATION. AND AGAIN WE’RE SEEING THAT THE SCHOOL AGE POPULATION THAT’S THE RED LINE IS PLUMMETING. >> THAT’S RIGHT. AND YOU CAN SEE WHAT I’M TALKING ABOUT FOR A LONG TIME TOTAL POPULATION. THOSE YELLOW BARS WAS RELATED TO SCHOOL AGE POPULATION. AS OUR TOTAL POPULATION GREW. WE COULD EXPECT THAT OUR SCHOOL AGE POPULATION WOULD GROW AS WELL. PRIOR TO 2022, THAT WAS THE CASE. BUT AFTER 2022, YOU CAN SEE THAT’S WHERE THOSE TRENDS START TO DIVERGE. OUR TOTAL POPULATION AS A STATE IS STILL GROWING, BUT OUR SCHOOL AGE POPULATION HAS DECLINED. NOW FOR TWO YEARS IN A ROW. >> OKAY. WE KEEP HEARING THAT, YOU KNOW, SCHOOLS ARE IN DISREPAIR. SO HOW MUCH OF THE MONEY BEING SPENT ON PHYSICAL STRUCTURE AND SCHOOLS IS TO TRY TO UPGRADE OLD CRUMBLING BUILDINGS? AND HOW MUCH IS FOR NEW BUILDING THAT MAYBE ISN’T NECESSARY? >> SO WE LOOKED AT THE TOTAL AMOUNT THAT WE HAVE SPENT ON FACILITIES AND NEW FACILITIES OVER THE LAST SIX YEARS, AND IT’S ABOUT $6 BILLION. NOT EVERY SCHOOL DISTRICT IS DECLINING. THERE ARE POCKETS OF THE STATE WHERE THEY DO NEED NEW SCHOOLS. THEY NEED TO UPGRADE OLD BUILDINGS, OR THEY ARE STILL GROWING AND THEY NEED TO BUILD A NEW SCHOOL. THAT TOTAL COST WOULD BE ABOUT $600 MILLION. >> AND WE’VE SPENT 6 BILLION. >> PRECISELY. >> OKAY, SO IS THE CONTENTION OF THE COMMON SENSE INSTITUTE THAT THE MONEY IS NOW. MISAPPROPRIATED, THAT THIS MONEY WOULD BE BETTER OFF EITHER NOT SPENT OR SPENT IN THE CLASSROOM WHERE THE RUBBER MEETS THE ROAD? >> I THINK IT’S HARD TO ARGUE THAT KEEPING EMPTY BUILDINGS ON THE BOOKS BECAUSE THEY’RE NOT FREE. YOU STILL HAVE TO PAY TO MAINTAIN THEM. YOU STILL HAVE TO PAY TO KEEP THEM OUT OF DISREPAIR. IT’S HARD TO ARGUE THAT $12 BILLION WORTH OF UNUSED REAL ESTATE 78,000,000FT. IT’S COSTING TAXPAYERS $1 BILLION A YEAR TO MAINTAIN THAT REAL ESTATE. IT’S HARD TO ARGUE THAT THAT’S A GOOD USE OF TAXPAYER FUNDS WHEN WE HAVE FEWER AND FEWER STUDENTS WHO ARE PROFICIENT AT READING AND MATH, READING ON GRADE LEVEL, ABLE TO PERFORM THE MATH THAT THEY WILL NEED TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN THE FUTURE. IT’S JUST IT SEEMS LIKE A TOUGH CASE TO MAKE FOR US THAT THIS IS THE BEST USE OF TAXPAYER FUNDS. >> OKAY, SO WHAT WOULD BE THE OPTION? WOULD YOU SELL BUILDINGS AND SPACE TO THE PRIVATE SECTOR AND WHAT MIGHT THAT LOOK LIKE? >> THAT IS ONE OPTION. SO IF THEY WERE TO SELL THE REAL ESTATE, WE ESTIMATE IT IS VALUED AT ABOUT $12 BILLION. THAT WOULD BE A ONE TIME INFUSION OF CASH INTO THE DISTRICT SYSTEM. IT COULD ALSO BE LEASED FOR ABOUT $1 BILLION A YEAR. THAT WOULD BE AN ONGOING SOURCE OF REVENUE. BUT I THINK OUR PERSPECTIVE IS THAT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A VERY ORDERLY SYSTEM FOR HOW WE BUILD NEW SCHOOLS. THERE IS A BOARD THAT IS HOUSED WITHIN THE ARIZONA DEPARTMENT OF ADMINISTRATION. THEY EMPLOY DEMOGRAPHERS, ECONOMISTS, AND THEY LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, WHEN IS IT APPROPRIATE TO BUILD A NEW SCHOOL? THE STATE WILL FUND IT, ETC. THERE’S NO PROCESS FOR HOW WE GET RID OF UNUSED BUILDINGS. WE HAVE BEEN TRUSTING SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND SCHOOL BOARDS TO DO THE RIGHT THING. AND WITH NUMBERS AT THIS MAGNITUDE, IT’S HARD TO SAY THAT THEY’RE LIVING UP TO THAT OBLIGATION. >> WHAT ARE THEY? WHAT IS THE YOU KNOW, I’M IN THE SCOTTSDALE SCHOOL DISTRICT AND I SEE, YOU KNOW, THEY’VE GOT EMPTY BUILDINGS IN SCOTTSDALE. IS IT A RELUCTANCE TO GIVE THEM UP? BECAUSE HOPE. HOPE AGAINST HOPE THAT IT’S GOING TO SHIFT AND YOU’RE GOING TO NEED IT AT SOME POINT? >> I THINK THAT’S CERTAINLY BEEN THE HESITATION IN THE PAST BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, NEIGHBOURHOODS CHANGE. MAYBE YOUR SCHOOL DISTRICT IS DECLINING BECAUSE NEW FAMILIES ARE NOT MOVING INTO THE NEIGHBOURHOOD ANYMORE. BUT IN THE FUTURE THEY MIGHT. AND SO THE SCHOOL DISTRICT FELT THAT IT WAS THE BEST USE OF RESOURCES TO HOLD ON TO THAT BUILDING SO THAT IF CIRCUMSTANCES CHANGE, MANY MORE FAMILIES START MOVING IN, WILL HAVE THAT ASSET. I THINK THE POINT WE’RE TRYING TO MAKE IS THE NUMBER, THE TOTAL NUMBER OF STUDENTS HAS CHANGED. THERE AREN’T AS MANY KIDS FOR EVERY SYSTEM NOW, AND SO IT SIMPLY DOESN’T MAKE SENSE TO CONTINUE THE SAME POLICY WHEN THINGS HAVE CHANGED SO MUCH. >> AND YOU THINK THAT’S $12 BILLION WORTH OF REAL ESTATE THAT WE’RE JUST KIND OF HANGING ON TO. >> THE TAXPAYERS HAVE PAID FOR IT. THEY INTENDED IT TO BE USED TO EDUCATE STUDENTS. IT’S NOT BEING USED FOR ANYTHING. >> OKAY. LET’S TAKE A LOOK AT NUMBER FOUR. GRAPHIC NUMBER FOUR. THIS IS PERHAPS THE MOST INTERESTING BECAUSE WHAT WE SEE IS THE RESOURCES GOING IN TO DISTRICT SCHOOLS. AND WE SEE THE SPENDING IN THE BLUE LINE. BUT WHAT WE’RE SEEING ON ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE AND PROFICIENCY IS THE RED LINE. AND THESE TWO THINGS ARE NOT IN ANY KIND OF AGREEMENT. >> THAT’S RIGHT. AND THE BLUE LINE THAT IS THE INCREASE IN SPENDING. SO WE HAVE SEEN A 30% INCREASE IN SPENDING THAT IS ADJUSTED FOR INFLATION. SO EVEN WITH THE MASSIVE INCREASE IN INFLATION THAT WE’VE SEEN OVER THE LAST FIVE YEARS, THEY HAVE STILL RECEIVED A 30% INCREASE, INCLUDING INCREASES TO ACCOUNT FOR INFLATION. SO YES, IT’S SAFE TO SAY THAT AN INCREASE IN FUNDING AND AN INCREASE IN ACADEMIC PROFICIENCY HAVE BEEN TOTALLY DIVORCED FROM ONE ANOTHER OVER THE LAST 4 OR 5 YEARS. >> AND IT TURNS OUT THAT THE LOWEST PERFORMING SCHOOLS HAVE THE MOST EXCESS SPACE THAT CAUGHT MY EYE. >> YEAH. SO ON AVERAGE, ACROSS THE STATE, SCHOOLS ARE AT ABOUT 67% CAPACITY. AND, YOU KNOW, WE’RE NOT ARGUING THAT EVERY SCHOOL SHOULD BE AT 100% CAPACITY. THAT’S NOT A SMART USE OF RESOURCES OR MANAGEMENT OF RESOURCES EITHER. THERE OUGHT TO BE SOME FLEXIBILITY, AND YOU NEED TO BE PREPARED FOR NEW STUDENTS TO COME IN MID-YEAR. BUT D AND F SCHOOLS ARE AT ABOUT 19% CAPACITY. SO IT’S JUST ANOTHER INDICATOR THAT PARENTS ARE SMART. THEY’RE MAKING GOOD DECISIONS FOR THEIR STUDENTS. BUT WHETHER OR NOT WE’RE MAKING GOOD DECISIONS AS A STATE ABOUT HOW WE UTILISE OUR RESOURCES IS REALLY THE QUESTION. >> NEXT UP, LEGISLATURE. IS THAT THE NEXT MOVE. >> WE HOPE THAT THE LEGISLATURE WILL SERIOUSLY CONSIDER, AND THE GOVERNOR’S OFFICE WILL SERIOUSLY CONSIDER THESE NUMBERS, WILL SERIOUSLY CONSIDER THE BEST USE OF TAXPAYER FUNDS AND OF THESE ASSETS AND RESOURCES THAT, AGAIN, ONLY DISTRICTS HAVE SCHOOLS THAT ARE FUNDED BY THE STATE. ONLY DISTRICTS GET FUNDED FOR TRANSPORTATION. THAT, BY THE WAY, 45% FEWER KIDS ARE RIDING THE SCHOOL BUS TODAY. BUT THEY BOUGHT 3100 SCHOOL BUSES OVER THE LAST FIVE YEARS. >> AND I SUSPECT A LOT OF THOSE ARE ELECTRIC BUSES. RIGHT? >> I. >> SUSPECT A LOT OF. >> THEM WERE UPGRADES, BUT THE TOTAL SIZE OF THE SCHOOL BUS FLEET HAS INCREASED BY 4% WITH RIDERSHIP DOWN 45. SO WE CAN’T EXPLAIN IT WITH JUST SWAPPING OUT OLD BUSES FOR NEW ELECTRIC BUSES. >> OKAY, MAN, IT’S A FASCINATING DISCUSSION. THIS IS INTERESTING, KATIE. THANK YOU. KATIE RATLIFF WITH THE COMMON SENSE INSTITUTE OF ARIZONA. APPRECIATE YOUR TIME. GOOD TO SEE YOU,

In this episode of Newsmaker, FOX 10’s John Hook speaks with Harvard physicist Avi Loeb about a fast-moving object approaching Earth.

The object, 3I/ATLAS, was first reported in July.

NASA explains, “The NASA-funded ATLAS (Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System) survey telescope in Rio Hurtado, Chile, first reported observations to the Minor Planet Center of comet 3I/ATLAS on July 1, 2025. Since the first report, observations made before the discovery were gathered from the archives of three different ATLAS telescopes around the world and Caltech’s Zwicky Transient Facility at the Palomar Observatory in San Diego County, California. These ‘pre-discovery’ observations extend back to June 14.”

The second segment is with Katie Ratlief of the Common Sense Institute about Arizona student enrollment, unused educational buildings, and what that money could be used for.

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