Cassie: Hey guys! It is Cassie Hudson, and I am getting ready to break a sweat in this week's Next Big Thing. Channel One News starts right now.
Arielle: All right,Cassie is coming up in just a bit, but first, happy New Year to everyone. It is officially 2018! I am Arielle Hixson, and let's get this first show of the year started.
Now, a new yearrings in new lawsall over the country, and that means a lot of changes are coming your way.
Workers trying to scrape by are getting a raise.The minimum wage — the lowest amount a worker can be paid — went up in 18 states.
Some big changes in California: It is now the eighth and largest state to legalize marijuana for recreational uses.And California is now a sanctuary state.That means police will not be allowed to ask people if they are in the country legally or hold anyone for deportation unless that person has been convicted of a crime.
In Michigan high school coaches must now be trained to more quickly spot concussions, a law aimed at better protecting young athletes.
In Illinois, who gets the dog in a divorce?Well, like children, judges will now determine sole or joint custody for pets.
Now, the new year is off to a bone-chilling start.Temperatures across the country have hit record lows, and many cities are in the middle of a deep freeze.
The bitter cold has started to turn parts of Niagara Falls into a block of ice.Ice also formed on Lake Superior in Duluth, Minnesota, where the wind chill dipped 36 degrees below zero.
Even the Deep South is frozen over. In Arkansas this fountain froze from top to bottom. And in North Carolina, three duck hunters had to be rescued after icy water refroze around their boat. The frigid temperatures are also making it difficult for firefighters to battle fires. And you know it is cold when the CalgaryZoo won't even allow the penguins to go out and play.
But the subzero temperatures couldn't stop the annual Polar Bear Plunge in Brooklyn, New York. Ambulances were even standing by in case of hypothermia.
There is no way I would ever get into that freezing water — not a chance.Okay, now, you just heard today's Word in the News:hypothermia.It is when a person is so cold that the body temperature drops below normal.
Now over to the country of Iran and something that doesn't happen there very often: protests. That is because the strict government cracks down on anyone who speaks against it. But that hasn't stopped thousands from hitting the streets in Iran over the last week.
These protests are the biggest in almost a decade in Iran. They began because of concerns over the economy and food prices but have now sparked anger over political and religious rule.Already more than 20 people have been killed and hundreds arrested.
The country's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, spoke out, claiming foreign "enemies" are trying to divide the nation.At the same time, President Trump fired off another tweet yesterdaycriticizing Iran's human rights and warning that "the U.S. is watching!"
The anger in Iran seems to be spreading, as are fears of a government crackdown.The last time there were large protests in Iran, back in 2009, the government shot and killed protestors in the streets. More than 100 people died, and 10,000 were arrested.
All right, everyone, Keith is here, and it is time to get your geek on in the New Year.
Keith: Arielle, so listen to this: This next story is about a girl from Colorado who saw a problem and came up with a solution. What makes it even more important, it could protect a lot of kids from getting sick. Take a look.
This awesomely talented kid is getting national attention.Not for her music, but for her contribution to science.
Gitanjali Rao: If my mom asked me,“What do you want for Christmas?”,I'd be like, “Lead.”
Keith: That is right, lead — a deadly poison — that Gitanjali Rao needed for a scientific invention.
Gitanjali: Introducing Tethys, the easy-to-use, fast, accurate, portable and inexpensive device to detect lead in water.
Keith: Gitanjali won a national competition for her device, which was inspired by a real-world problem.
Gitanjali: I've been following the Flint water crisis for about two years.
Keith: Back in 2014, residents in Flint,Michigan, complained their water started to smell and taste bad. It was because their water had been contaminated with dangerous levels of lead, which can affect the heart, kidneys and nerves and can impact children's development.
Nearly 100,000Flint residents drank lead-contaminated water for more than a year, causing the number of children with lead poisoning to double. It was a problem that caught Gitanjali's attention.
Gitanjali: That's not something that I want to go through, what the Flint residents went through. Our water quality's just as important as doctor appointments or dentist appointments.
Keith: Instead of taking days to send water samples to a lab, her device detects lead in seconds using carbon moleculesand a mobile app.She is one of many who love science at school but one of the few who turned an idea into an invention, says her teacher,Simi Basu.
Simi Basu: I am so confident that she will be able to take it to the market if we keep providing her help.
Keith: And she is not stopping there.
Gitanjali: I want to create a happiness meter, which measures the amount of serotonin in your body or the amount of gamma rays, and I still have to figure out how this works.
Keith: When she does, the science world will be waiting.
As of now, more than 6,200 lead service lines have been replaced in the city of Flint,and the lead levels have,fortunately, dropped, so it looks like Flint is on its way.
Arielle: That is good to hear — and really great story,Keith. That girl is brilliant!
Okay, well, next up, we are working up a sweat in this week's Next Big Thing.
Arielle: Now, with the new year in place, we are helping you get started with your resolutions for 2018, but before we do that, let's see what you thought about our last idea.
We told you about the smart and speedy new way to check out at the store — pay by finger. So is it the next big thing? Sixty-seven percent said,“Yes — on point!” But 33 percent said,“No — thumbs down!”
Class: We are Mr. Hoepfner's news junkies,seventh hour at McBride Middle School in Belleville, Michigan, and we think the Fingopay is the next big thing!
Class: We're Ms. Burkhart's seventh-grade class at Ella Elementary in Chicago, Illinois, and we think pay by finger is the next big thing!
Arielle: But Dylan said, “No, because storekeepers should not waste their money trying to make paying for their products a little bit faster.”
Thanks for the responses, guys.
Now, if getting in shape is one of your goals for 2018, then you might want to try this new workoutthat mixes fitness with fine art.Cassie Hudson laced up her sneakers for a tour.
Cassie: In the quiet halls of this museum, a small group of art loversare getting their heart rate up.
Cindy: It was excellent. It was great. I was actually sweating.
Cintrella: I think it's awesome!I think, if you haven't tried it, you should definitely try it.
Cassie: It is called the museum workout, and it is part gallery tour, part dance performance, part workout.
I am sweating!
The workout takes place early mornings at New York City's iconic Metropolitan Museum of Art before the museum opens to the general public. The performance is led by two sparkly-dressed tour guide dancers and a DJ on the go who plays oldies music.
I saw you working so hard out there today. Tell me what inspired you to come to the museum workout.
Cintrella: Well, first of all, I love workingout, and I love the museum, so the two together. And when else can I wear a dress and work out?
Cassie: The workout usually lasts about 40 minutes, spanning two miles and 36 galleries.
Dancer: I feel like when we come to the museum, like, we’re very serious, and sometimes we don’t get through the whole museum. This way, we get to see it quickly, move through it. I saw more this time than when I’m by myself, like, walking slow.
Dancer: I mean, honestly, we're so happy that it can exist! It asks so much of the museum. It really runs counter to the culture of the way that we're trained to be in museums.
Robbie Saenz de Viteri: And I think it's so easy for us to just sort of walk into a museum and read a plaque and then kind of move on, and maybe take a selfie and move on, and this is a way of trying to really look at the art and connect to it in a completely different way.
Cassie: And for those of you who want to break a sweat at the Met,it just wrapped up performances in December, but it is an experience you might see more of in the future.
Cindy: Someone who’s not really, like, into intense exercise, this would be sort of a nice way to get into it while having fun.
Dancer: So what do you think?
Dancer: Do you think the museum workout is the next big thing?
Cassie: You know the drill, guys: Head to ChannelOne.com to vote and leave us a comment. All right, guys, back to you in the studio.
Arielle: So cool! I saw you working up a sweat, Cassie! Get it, girl!
And don't forget, we love hearing from you, so send us your video responses to .
All right, guys, I am going to hustle out of here, but we will see you right back here tomorrow.
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