Students: We're the Hedgesville Middle School Roboticsteam from Hedgesville, West Virginia

Students: We're the Hedgesville Middle School RoboticsTeam from Hedgesville, West Virginia, and Channel One News starts right now!

Keith: All right, some fancy robotics work from the Hedgesville School RoboticsTeam. Thanks, guys.Okay, first up today, Meals on Wheels, the program that delivers food to the elderly and sick, is getting a lot of love.Donations over the weekend reached over $100,000. It is all in response to the White House's budget proposal put out last Thursday that plans to slash money to the nonprofit program.

Meals on Wheels is a lifeline for 2.4 million senior citizens, veterans and the disabled. One-third of its budget comes from the federal government, but proposed budget cuts are putting the 43-year-old program at risk.

White House Budget Director Mick Mulvaney says the program doesn't work, and funding needs to be cut.

Mick Mulvaney: We can't spend money on programs just because they sound good and great—Meals on Wheels sounds great.

Keith: Fifty-six-year-old Linda Preast from Georgia signed up for the program two years ago after a stroke left her in a wheelchair.She voted for Donald Trump and now says she is surprised.

Linda Preast: I was under the influence that he was going to help us.

Keith: The budget proposal is still unclear as to exactly how much money would be slashed from Meals on Wheels. And Congress must still sign off on President Trump's budget, but there is already pushback from Democrats and Republicans in Congress.

Next up, we head to South America and to the country of Peru, where extreme flooding has killed dozens.

The flooding has devastated more than half of the country. Rescue workers have had to pull hundreds from raging waters that often come rushing down without notice. And there have been intense scenes like this one,where a woman who was swept up in the waters and debris miraculously makes her way to safety.

More than 70 people have died, and thousands have been forced to leave their homes, taking only what they could carry in backpacks or plastic bags.This is all because of a series of storms that recently hit Peru. The heavy rains have caused rivers to overflow and caused dangerous mudslides. It is the worst flooding the country has seen in over 20 years, and more storms are on the way.

All right, when we come back, a music festival finds itself in the political conversation.

Keith: For two weeks every March, the capital of Texas becomes the capital of music as thousands of musicians take over Austin and people come from all over to take part. And Azia, it is called South by Southwest, right?

Azia: That is right,Keith. The music and media festival wrapped up yesterday, but this year was a little different. Here is a look at what went down.

South by Southwest is known for its creative vibe, drawing crowds to panel discussions, midnight movie screenings and, of course, a ton of concerts.But this year,there was an unexpected headliner on the schedule: politics. Several events touched on the impact of President Trump's policies on the entertainment and tech industries.

Some South by badgeholders said they are worried about how labels like "fake news" affect creativity.

Michael Onofri: I think that could have an effect on what we say and how we say what we say, if we can’t speak our minds.

Azia: And the real news had an impact on the festivities, especially the Trump administration's orders to try and restrict travel from some Muslim-majority countries and an increased crackdown on people who entered the U.S. illegally.

Felix Walworth of the band Told Slant tweeted that he cancelled his show because of the contract with South by Southwest that stated international artists performingin unofficial shows may be immediately deported.

But South by Southwest's CEO,Roland Swenson, said in a statement it is a misunderstanding.He said, in the current political climate, the contract wording seems strong, but added that it has been a part of the agreement for years.

But still, all that didn't stop the music. For Bassel Almadani and his band,Bassel and the Supernaturals, playing South by Southwest this year meant more than just putting on a good show.

Bassel Almadani: It allows us to have a conversation with people in a wide variety of settings.

Azia: His band played for a South by showcase called Contrabanned: Music Unites. The lineup included members from each of the six countries on President Trump's travel ban.

Overall, this year marked a major shift for South by. The festival once known for finding the next big thing has crossed into new territory, where politics plays a bigger role.

Azia Celestino, Channel One News.

Keith: Really interesting stuff,Azia.

Okay now, I am happy to report today is the first day of spring.And let me just say, after last week's snow that blew through much of the country, I, for one, am happy to welcome a new season.So are many in our nation's capital, who are enjoying the annual Cherry Blossom Festival.But this year, those trees in bloom may be a bust. Arielle Hixson is in Washington, D.C., with a cherry blossom pop quiz.

Arielle: Every year, millions of visitors come down to Washington,D.C., to see the beautiful blossoms on these cherry trees behind me. But this year,the blossoms have taken a beating.After several days of freezing cold temperatures, they aren't looking so good. But people are hoping that they will rebound with some warmer weather.

Now, cherry trees go way back, and they aren't just here to look pretty. They actually represent a political and diplomatic friendship between the United States and another country.

So here is today's pop quiz question:Which country gave the United States the cherry trees?Was it:

a.Russia
b.Mexico
c.Japan or
d.Canada
You have got 10 seconds!

The right answer is c, Japan.More than a hundred years ago, the country of Japan gave the U.S. more than 3,000 cherry trees in honor of the growing friendship between the two countries. Every year, Washington,D.C., holds a month-long National Cherry Blossom Festival.

Japan also celebrates the cherry blossoms with feasts beneath the trees, a tradition that is more than a thousand years old. For years, the National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington, D.C.,attracted visitors from around the world. This year, they were supposed to bloom around March 14, but a cold snap froze the flowers, delaying the iconic pink vision of spring in the nation's capital.

But don't worry, the National Park Service says only about one-third of all cherry blossoms around D.C were damaged, and a good amount will still bud in the next few weeks — blooming us right into spring.

Arielle Hixson, Channel One News.

Keith: Thanks,Arielle.

All right, after the break, we are flocking to this week’s Next Big Thing.

Keith: It is an age-old hobby that is taking off and catching wind with new technology, but before we get to this week's Next Big Thing, let's find out what you thought about last week's.

We told you about the new tech gadgets that let you keep your homework, art sketches and paper all in one place: futuristic notebooks. So is it the next big thing? Seventy-five percent said,“Yes — it's the write idea!” Twenty-five percent said,“No — erase this one.”

Class: This is Mrs. Ludwig's seventh-grade social studies class from Warren Middle School, and we think that futuristic notebooks are the next big thing!

Class: Mama Ayinde's science class at HarambeeCharterSchool in Philadelphia,PA, and we think that the futuristic notebook is the next big thing!

Student: I'm from Connections Learning Center in Golden, Colorado, and I think futuristic notebooks are not the next big thing!

Keith: Thanks for those responses, guys.

Now, with spring upon us, you better get ready for flowers, April showers and birds chirping.

Cassie: That is right,Keith, and this new hobby is perfect for spring. All you need aresome binoculars and a love of the great outdoors. Check it out.

Dessi Sieburth: See, I see a mockingbird.

Cassie: Fourteen-year-old Dessi Sieburth is flocking to the wild, on the lookout for birds. He can identify dozens of their species — some just by listening.

Dessi: And I’m hearing an acorn woodpecker right now.

Cassie: Dessi's fascination with birds began after building a birdfeeder for a Cub Scouts project.

Dessi: Filled it up with seed and put it in my backyard. Then the birds just started coming!

Cassie: He has since discovered he is not alone. Bird-watching — now commonly called "birding" — is one of the fastest-growing hobbies among young people in the U.S., thanks in large part to technology.

Dessi: We have a Young Birders Club; we have about 20 kids from ages about 6 to 18.

Cassie: Smartphone apps have made it easier to record and share bird sightings and help identify different species in the wild, by sight or sound, adding a new level of excitement to the activity.

Dessi: This is kind of like a video game, actually;like, you look for something new and try to find things, and it’s kind of like a game, and I think that kind of excites the mind of young people.

Cassie: So what do you think? Is birding the next big thing?Head to ChannelOne.com to vote and leave us a comment, or …

Keith: Send us a video response to .

All right, guys, we are out of here, but we will see you tomorrow.

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