Adrian Ballinger: Hi, I'm Adrian Ballinger.
Cory Richards: I'm Cory Richards.
Ballinger: We are EverestNoFilter.
Richards: Just home from Mount Everest,and Channel One News starts right now.
Emily:Thanks to Adrian and Cory for kicking off the show. More on their epic trip in a bit.I am Emily Reppert. Let's get right to it.
Facebook is getting into the sharing mood, helping investigators figure out just what went on during the 2016 presidential election.
CEO Mark Zuckerberg said he is handing over more than 3,000Facebook ads generating $100,000 for the company to Congress.The ads contained divisive issuesand have been linked to Russian internet trolls. Some reportedly praised Donald Trump and attacked Hillary Clinton.
Intelligence officials say Russia also used social media to promote stories like this oneabout an upsurge of violence from immigrants towardAmerican citizens. That story was false.
The aim was to sway voters towardDonald Trump and create distrust in the media. The information is already in the hands of special counsel, led by Robert Mueller.Both Congress and Mueller are investigating whether anyone from the Trump campaign was involved with Russia.
Okay now, today Hurricane Maria is on track to hit the island of the Bahamas.Already this week, it has blown through several Caribbean islands, including the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico, leaving behind utter devastation.
The rescues are underway.The Puerto Rico National Guard started pulling people out of flooded communities. And nowwe are starting to see what Maria left behind.Uprooted trees and widespread flooding blocked many highways and streets. Windows have been blown out of buildings and appliances ripped from walls.
On the island of Dominica, the storm killed at least seven people and left a path of destruction. The U.S.Virgin Island of St. Croix was also hit hard. Some homes were completely flattened.
And many of those same islands had already been ripped apart from Hurricane Irma less than two weeks ago.Irma also hit the Florida Keys, a group of islands off the coast of Florida.Now residents are beginning to return home to find a long road to recovery ahead.Tom Hanson is in Florida with more.
Tom: Hurricane Irma hit the Florida Keys pretty much head on, and we are out with the U.S.Coast Guard to survey some of the damage.
Give us some perspective. How many millions of dollars have been lost?Is it too much to tell?
Coast Guard agent: Yeah. Between the docksand the homes, the windows, the boat lifts — like, the damage is hundreds of millions of dollars lost.
Tom: Wow.
The Florida Keys boast some of the most stunning homes, scenery and wildlife in the U.S., parts of which have been turned upside down by Hurricane Irma, a catastrophic storm that blew through the area.
Just over there, that is a 25- to 30-foot sailboat.
And this is your first time being back to this area?
Coast Guard agent: Yep.I have not seen this area since I've been back. Pretty catastrophic damage.
Tom: After seeing the damage at sea, we went on land as residents began trickling into see what was left of their homes.
As you are driving, you can kind of get a feel of just how low lying a lot of this land is. The water literally comes up just a few feet from the road. Such a beautiful area, so to see it like this is just really kind of haunting.
And the further we went, the worse the damage became.
They are not going to return to the home that they left; that is pretty clear. I don't even know how you would pick back up from this.
Big Pine Key is one of the spots hardest hit by Hurricane Irma.
We see some people picking up stuff in their yard, and we are just going to see if maybe they can show us around or answer a few questions.
My name is Tom.
Bryan Santiago: Bryan.
Tom: Nice to meet you.
That is where we met 16-year-old Bryan Santiago.
Fortunately, his home suffered damage that can be fixed, but the emotional toll it took on him and his family has been hard.
Bryan: It's insane.There's, like, an RV park — the trailers, they're all just flipped and against each other everywhere. It’s just like — man.
Woman: We had warnings.They gave us, like, what? Couple,four days, five days for us? You're never prepared — you are never prepared for something like this.
Tom: Still, his mom considers their family lucky. Just one block away, a home was completely lifted from its foundation.The surge from Irma crashed a boat into the side of it.
What is it like to come back to this?
Harrison: Luckily, we were actually able to see it on NOAA beforehand. They took aerial views. So we did notice the house did move, and then my friend stayed online and kept looking and looking and looking, and a helicopter person actually took some shots with his helicopter of the worst places. And our house was one of them.
Tom: Showing the power of this historic storm, Hurricane Irma broke at least three records and completely obliterated some of the small Caribbean islands in its path.But overall, the state of Florida dodged a major bullet.And with two more months of hurricane season ahead, all people here can do is pick up the pieces and hope they will be spared from another Irma.
In Florida, Tom Hanson,Channel One News.
Emily: And you heard today's Word in the News, catastrophic: causing sudden great damage or suffering.
Okay, coming up, a Feel-Good Friday that takes two friends on top of the world.
Emily: Okay, Cassie Hudson sat down with two BFFs who never gave up on their goal: climbing to the top of Mount Everest, the world’s highest mountain.Get ready to soarwith today's Feel-Good Friday.
Cassie: Describe what this partnership is.
Ballinger:Oh man. I don’t know, but it’s been two months. I need a break.
Richards. Bromance. It’s bromance.
Cassie: For the past two years, climbers Adrian Ballinger and Cory Richards have been documenting their journey climbing Mount Everest on Snapchat.
Richards: Twenty-five thousand feet, got done what we need to do.
Cassie: In 2016Adrian and Cory attempted the climb to the top, but only Cory was able to finish.
Richards: Unfortunately,A.B. had to turn around a little bit earlier, so it's up to me to hold it down.
Cassie: They were determined to finish together, so they tried again this season.
Ballinger: Team. We’re doing it. We’re really doing it.
Richards: We’re going up there.
Cassie: So to make this dream come true, they had to get their bodies ready by eating a high-calorie diet…
Richards: So I’m eating a lot of sugars, which is what helps my body operate up here.
Cassie: …and slowly getting used to the high altitude.
Richards: I’m breathing hard just sitting.
Cassie: Each day, they climb a set amount, rest, get used to the new altitude and then continue climbing.
Ballinger: Of course, I’m a little bit scared. I’m channeling a little bit of this guy.
Cassie: This season, more climbers tried to scaleMount Everest than ever. Experts say overcrowding could make climbing the mountain even more dangerous.It is estimated that nearly 300 people have died attempting to climb MountEverest.
I think motivation is a very tricky and interesting thing. What do you tell yourself when you feel close to the edge or when you think about giving up?
Richards: You know, for me,I'm always reminded of something my dad says. He just says, and many parents say this: “This too shall pass.” I have a real hard time on every summit day, and there comes a moment where it's the darkest, coldest hour of the day. And I always feel like I should turn around. That is the hardest time of day for me to get through, but I know that this too shall pass and that moment will pass.
The indomitable Adrian Ballinger getting ready to leave the tent.
Cassie: On this year's summit day, it was Adrian's moment for redemption.
Richards: Ladies and gentlemen, not only is my phone not dead, but that is Adrian Ballinger with no oxygen on the top of the world.
Cassie: During the final push, there was a moment when it looked like only one of them would make it to the top. But with help from fellow climbers, Cory was able to meet Adrian at the top.
Richards: Here we are! One year later,you did it!
Cassie: On top of the world, with his partner by his side to witness the moment.
And so do you think either one of you could have had the past two years if it wasn’t for the other person?
Richards: Absolutely, we could have absolutely individually have found…
Ballinger: Could we have stood on top?Sure.
Richards: For sure. Would it have been as fun? Would it have been as meaningful? Absolutely not.
Cassie: Cassie Hudson, Channel One News.
Emily: Wow.I guess persistence is key. Very cool story, Cass.
We have got more adventurous young people taking on some pretty intense challenges. Check them out on ChannelOne.com.
And on that high note, we are out of here. Have a great weekend. We will see you right back here on Monday.
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