Students: We are Mrs. Tregoning’s sixth-grade lit class from Lincoln Junior High School in Skokie, Illinois, and Channel One News starts right now!
Emily: Lincoln Junior High from Skokie, Illinois, thanks for getting the week started, guys. All right, I am Emily Reppert; now let’s get to it.
First up today, a big update in the investigation into Russia and connections with President Trump's team. Michael Flynn, Trump’s former national security advisor, pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about his contacts with Russian officials.
Retired General Michael Flynn entered court Friday and pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about conversations with then Russian ambassador to the U.S. Reports say Flynn was directed to reach out by President Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, described in court papers as "a very senior member" of the Trump team.
On December 22, 2016, Flynn called the ambassador to urge Russia to delay or defeat a United Nations resolution about Israel. A week later, Flynn spoke to Kislyak again, this time about new sanctions, or trade punishments, on Russia.
Flynn was a loyal Trump supporter during the campaign but was fired as the president's national security advisor after just 24 days. At the time, the White House said he was fired for lying to Vice President Pence about his communications with the Russian ambassador.
Flynn's guilty plea requires him to cooperate in the investigation into the ties between Russia and the Trump team. He is the fourth Trump associate to be charged in the probe.
Senator Mark Warner: General Flynn is one more example of the extent of ties between senior officials involved in the Trump efforts and the Russians.
Emily: President Trump is not mentioned in the court documents as being aware of Flynn's phone calls and has repeatedly said there was no involvement with his team and Russia.
President Donald Trump: What has been shown is no collusion, no collusion. There has been absolutely no collusion, so we are very happy.
Emily: And you just heard today's Word in the News: collusion, which is a secret or illegal agreement, especially in order to cheat others.
All right, now, on to taxes. Yeah, not the most interesting topic, and most Americans don't completely understand how the tax system works. But over the weekend, Senate Republicans passed a major tax plan — the first time this has happened in 31 years.
The plan benefits big business and the wealthy, but not all Americans will see equal gains. The corporate tax cut on business will drop from 35 percent to 20 percent and is permanent. A family of four earning $75,000 would get a tax break of $2,200, but only until 2025.
The bill adds $1 trillion to the U.S. deficit over the next decade. The deficit is how much more the government spends than it takes in.
Democrats were against the bill but did not have enough votes to stop it. Next, the House and Senate versions of the tax bill need to be combined; then the bill goes to President Trump, and he will sign it into law.
Okay, so no one wants coal in their stocking at Christmas, right? But what about charcoal? Activated charcoal is one of the latest health trends claiming to cleanse and purify. It first came onto the scene in beauty products but now can be found in some food and drinks. Keith Kocinski has more.
Keith: This ice cream shop in Los Angeles serves up one of the hottest food fads. People are lining up for these sweet treats made with activated charcoal, which some claim will get the bad stuff out of your body.
Renee Villasenor is a believer. She drinks the carbon-rich ingredient in pressed juice at least once a week.
Renee Villasenor: It keeps my skin fresher. It, like, purges some of things that are in there, and, like, I can see my skin, like, glows a bit more when I do drink it regularly.
Keith: Activated charcoal is used medically to treat alcohol and drug poisoning. It is made by heating wood or coconut shells at a high temperature. The result is a dark, flavorless powder that is turning everything from pizza crust to smoothies black.
Activated charcoal has become a go-to remedy for digestion, a cure for acne, even a way to whiten your teeth — with black toothpaste. But doctors say there is no science to back up any of those claims.
Dr. Jamie Lipeles: The detoxifying agent that’s activated charcoal doesn't necessarily just take out the bad stuff. It actually takes out the good stuff as well: some calcium, some hydration — you know, water and electrolytes.
Keith: Dr. Jamie Lipeles also warns activated charcoal can make some oral medications less effective.
Lipeles: It's a porous product that grabs hold of the medication so that it doesn't make it available for the intestine to bring it into the body.
Keith: Renee says she sees health benefits and that it is even whitening her teeth.
Villasenor: So the charcoal powder works really well for my teeth because I drink coffee all the time.
Keith: For others it is just a fun thing to try.
Taylor: I think it's good. It tastes pretty good.
Keith: Keith Kocinski, Channel One News.
Emily: Very cool.
All right, coming up, an after-school program sparking the next generation of first responders.
Emily: All right, so you guys know high school is a pretty busy time, right, Arielle?
Arielle: Oh, definitely.
Emily: You know, you have classes, sports, friends, clubs…
Arielle: And you can't forget about saving lives.
Emily: Wait, what?
Arielle: Okay, I know it might sound a bit surprising, but a group of teens in Ohio are fighting for more than just good grades. Take a look.
Every day, right after school, Nathan Thompson heads straight to the Adena Fire Company in Adena, Ohio, checking the gear and preparing to work.
Nathan Thompson: I was raised to always help people or try my best to help people.
Arielle: Not far behind are three other boys Nathan calls brothers: Ethan, Corey and Brandon. They are part of the Fire Explorer program with the Boy Scouts of America. These young men are getting real-world career training in fire rescue, rope rescue, water rescue, trench rescue and EMS calls — and, of course, saving lives as they go along.
Ethan Toto: Nowhere else around here you really get to do as much as we do.
Arielle: Captain Trevor Sebring works with these boys every day, taking them through two of the three levels of Ohio firefighter courses.
Captain Trevor Sebring: They put the lives of other people before themselves. That's the whole purpose of being here. They've given up a lot from their adolescence and their teenage years to be Fire Explorers.
Arielle: The firehouse is now a second home. While practicing life skills like cooking, cleaning, working as a team and, of course, laughing, four strangers have become brothers.
Ethan: There's not many people willing to help. We have a limited amount of guys down here, and even at my age, what I can do helps out.
Arielle: And the help is desperately needed. Many local fire departments are struggling to meet staffing needs across the country. In fact, volunteer firefighters make up 70 percent of firefighters in the United States.
Nathan: I find it to be somewhat of, like, an honor to be able to serve the community and some of the surrounding communities.
Arielle: For now these teens are trading in their backpacks for boots to keep families safe.
Sebring: I have family that live in this area and my closest friends, and I know that when they call for help, if something ever happens, my boys are coming to take care of them, and they're in good hands.
Arielle: Arielle Hixson, Channel One News.
Emily: Awesome story. Thanks, Arielle.
All right, now it is time for the Next Big Thing! But before we cut into this week's idea, let's see what you thought about last week's. We told you about the new way to capture those special moments in your life — the 3-D selfie. So is it the next big thing? Seventy-seven percent said, “Yes — say cheese!” Twenty-three percent said, “No — where is the delete button?”
Class: Steiner's eighth-grade social studies class, and we think that the 3-D imaging is the next big thing!
Class: We are Ms. Chambers’ seventh-grade literacy class from Holden Middle School, and we think 3-D selfies are the next big thing! Strike a pose!
Class: This is Ms. Pieratt's seventh-grade social studies class from Jennings County Middle School in North Vernon, Indiana, and we think 3-D selfies are the next big thing!
Emily: But Jadyn said, “No, melt the idea.”
Oh man, love those poses! Thanks for sending in those responses, guys.
Now Cassie joins me with a very appetizing Next Big Thing.
Cassie: That is right, Em! Delicious and nutritious, this NBT is a piece of cake — literally.
Chocolate, vanilla, Funfetti — and now lettuce? It is the latest dessert craze, a not-so-sweet cake. Traditional ingredients like sugar and flour are being swapped for veggies to create what is being called a salad cake.
The veggie dessert started in Japan and was invented by food stylist Mitsuki Moriyasu, who wanted to create a guilt-free alternative to baked treats. Instead of sponge cake, you get a crouton-like layer made of chickpea flour and cornbread, and then each layer of the cake is a different veggie variety. Frosting is swapped for a cilantro cheese spread.
Chef: I can definitely see this salad cake being part of certain bakeries and certain places where they will like something healthier. It would definitely not replace a sweet cake because everybody just loves sweet cakes.
Cassie: All right, guys, now it is time for a little taste test. Our friends at Junoon sent us a salad cake for us to try. You up for it, Em?
Emily: You know, Cassie, I like my sugar, but I am going to give it a try.
Cassie: All right, dig in
What do you guys think? Are salad cakes the next big thing? Vote and leave us a comment at ChannelOne.com. Or, even better, send us a video response to .
Emily: All right, clearly, I have to finish this cake, but we are going to get out of here. We will see you guys right back here tomorrow.
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