Azia: Hey guys. It is Thursday, September 3. I am Azia Celestinoand Channel One News starts right now.
Let's jump right into headlines. And first up, back in April the death of Freddie Gray sparked riots in Baltimore, Maryland. Six police officers were charged in his death. And yesterday, their attorneys asked a judge to dismiss the charges.
As a judge heard arguments inside, protesters outside the Baltimore courthouse demanded justice for Freddie Gray, the 25-year-old man who died of spinal injuries while in police custody.
Shai Crawley: Freddie Gray was an eye opener. It was like whoa! If it could happen to Freddie, why not me? I'm in these communities every day. I consider myself a street creature. It could have been me.
Azia: The judge in the case denied motions to have state's attorney Marilyn Mosby recuse herself or be excused. He also turned down a request to have all charges against the six officers dismissed. He still must decide whether the officers will be tried together or individually.
Gray's death sparked violent protests in April that locked down Baltimore. Demonstrators threw bricks and rocks at police officers, set a CVS on fire and torched patrol cars.
Next up, the Iran deal pushed by President Obama looked for a while to be on shaky ground. But now the president has secured enough votes in Congress to move the deal through.
And it was this senator, Maryland's Barbara Mikulski, who sealed the deal, becoming the 34th Democratic senator to announce her support. That means Republicans don't have enough votes to stop it.
John Kerry: We are telling Iran that it can't have a nuclear weapon period.
Azia: Minutes after the news that President Obama would get enough votes, Secretary of State John Kerry, who brokered the deal, spoke at a news conference. The speech was carried live in Iran. Republicans have vowed to fight the deal, but their options are extremely limited.
And last up, European countries are facing a growing crisis. Thousands of people escaping war and poverty are now pouring into Europe from Africa and the Middle East.
This was the scene in the country of Hungary this week. Hundreds of people are now stuck and protesting in the streets. They risked everything to come to Europe, but now they are not allowed to keep going.
They are sleeping in the streets and have no food or water.They had planned to board trains to make it to Germany, but the Hungarian government shut down the train station after thousands had flooded in.
More people are flooding Europe in search of a better life now than in the past 70 years. They come without any papers on illegal routes. And European governments aren't any closer to figuring out what to do.
And it is not just Hungary. This group was stuck on the border of Greece, trying to push through and make their way north to Germany.
So far this year, more than 300,000 have made the dangerous journey, double last year's numbers and growing every day.
Alright coming up, a new film about professional football tackles issues about the sport and the health of its players.
Ok guys, from professional football to the school field, there is probably no other health issue in sports that has exploded like concussions. And now a new movie is getting a lot of buzz for its hard hitting message. Keith Kocinski has more.
Keith: Football is a game of hard hits, which can lead to lasting scars off the field,
like long term brain disorders.And now, it is the subject of a new Hollywood movie, “Concussion.”
That disease is CTE, chronic traumatic encephalopathy, and it was discovered by Bennet Omalu, a Nigerian born doctor played by Will Smith. Omalu identified the disease in 2002 after examining the brain of Pittsburgh Steeler center Mike Webster. The Hall of Famer died when he was just 50, after struggling with memory and thinking problems, depression and homelessness.
Omalu said Webster's brain was badly damaged by proteins, as if he had Alzheimer's disease. He has since made similar discoveries in the brains of more than a dozen former NFL players.
Omalu believes CTE is caused by repeated mild traumatic brain injuries from years of hitsplaying in the NFL. The 2012 suicide of popular linebacker Junior Seau, who suffered from CTE, put the NFL on alert. So did rising star Chris Borland, who quit in March after his rookie season because of the long term risks of head injuries.
A study conducted by the National Institutes of Health Research, on the brains of 34 former NFL players who died and donated their brains to research, show 90 percent of them have pathologically confirmed CTE.
On Tuesday, the NFL wouldn't respond directly to the movie, but issued a statement saying, "We have no higher priority" than player health and safety.
In April, a judge approved a $1 billion concussion settlement between the NFL and more than 5,000 former players.
The movie ''Concussion" opens in theaters in December, just before the start of the playoffs. So, far this season a variety of star NFL players have already gone down from concussions, and it is just the preseason.
Keith Kocinski, Channel One News.
Azia: Thanks Keith. And it is definitely become a big topic in high schools as well. That’s because about 300,000 high school athletes across all sports suffer from concussions each year.
All right, after the break, all hands on deck, teens come to the rescue.
Hurricane Sandy tore through the Northeast in 2012, hitting 24 states from Florida to Maine. The destruction was costly, surpassed only by Hurricane Katrina.
And now, three years later, there are still some historical sites torn apart and in need of help. Arielle Hixson caught up with one group answering that call.
Arielle: Across the country, young people are trying to save America’s history with hope. These volunteers are with the New Jersey Youth Corps of Phillipsburg, a second-chance program for young people. Today, they are on a mission to restore a porch on the Fort Hancock post in Sandy Hook, New Jersey.
John Warren: Building 26 has been the headquarters of Fort Hancock, an Army Fort, which used to be active here. And it’s still our headquarters today.
Arielle: The youth corps is working with HOPE, the Hands-On Preservation Experience, to not only preserve the past, but build the foundation for a brighter future.
Phillip: It has put me on a better path. Instead of sitting at home and doing nothing, I'm here working on this.
Arielle: About 2 million people visit Sandy Hook every year. The National Park Service is working hard to replaces places like this that were hit hard by Hurricane Sandy.
Warren: We have so many projects that we need to do to that if it wasn't for “Hands-on Preservation Experience," HOPE, this porch wouldn't be remade right now, or it wouldn’t be for years to come.
Arielle: The young adults of the youth corps gain the skills and experience to graduate the program with their GED’s, a certificate that's considered equal to a high school diploma. ButHOPE goes beyond the degree.
Katie Sullivan: I see a lot of people coming out of their shell, and that’s in a way what we aim to do at the youth corps. To kind of push them a little beyond their boundaries to realize that maybe their path didn't go the traditional route, but they still have value and they still have a lot of skills and gifts to share with the world.
Phillip: Usually, I have social anxiety and here I am talking.
Arielle: From the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Site to the Raleigh National Cemetery, the more than 100 members of HOPE have logged 20,000 hours at 37 historical sites in 22 national parks.
Warren: I think all national parks deserve to be preserved for the public, especially historic sites and sites with special meaning.
Arielle: The corps members are eight weeks into the 12 week restoration project, but their path in life has already been restored.
Phillip: Originally, I wanted to be a chef. But now I’m leaning more toward historical preservation.
Sullivan: I think there's been several times where after graduation we call a kid in and say, “What have you been up to since you left the program?” And they’ll say, “Oh, I have a job now. I moved out of my parent's house. I'm registering for school. I got my driver's license.” And they might be one of those kids who a year or two ago didn't leave their house.
Phillip: It’s given me a second chance.
Arielle: Arielle Hixson, Channel One News.
And to check out a list of America’s most endangered historical sites, just head on over to Channelone.com. We even have more information on how you can get involved.
Alright guys, that's all for now. But have an awesome day and we will see right back here you tomorrow.
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