Emily: Hey guys, I am Emily Reppert here at the Hispanic Heritage Parade in New York City, and Channel One News starts right now.
Keith: Looks like an awesome time, and Emily is back in a bit with today's pop quiz, so make sure you get ready.
But first, raging wildfires are tearing through Northern California, ripping through an area known as wine country. Over 20,000 people have been forced to flee, and the governor of California has declared a state of emergency.
Fourteen fires are burning across eight counties, and people are scrambling to save their homes. At least 1,500 structures were destroyed, and 20,000 people were forced to leave their homes.Residents had little warning.
Marlene Rosenberg: The fireman was right there. He said, “You have to go right now.” So we went with what we had, and we took the dog, and that's it.
Keith: Once the flames finish, what they leave behind is burnt-out buildings, roads and cars.At least 10 people are dead, and 57,000 acres are decimated. The fire started overnight Monday in several locations in Napa and Sonoma Counties.
Right now, the wind is the big problem. Gusts of up to 70 miles an hour are fanning the flames. High temperatures and low humidity are all adding to the perfect conditions for wildfires.
Okay, now on to an interesting tug-of-war going on in Washington, D.C., and it is all over our country's immigration policy.
President Trump has one vision; the Democrats have another. And finding common ground is unlikely.
President Trump sent a letter to Congress outlining what he is looking for in exchange for protecting DACA recipients from being deported, or forced to leave the country.DACA immigrants were brought to the U.S. illegally as children but are given temporary permission to work and stay in the U.S.The president told Congress the DACA deal must include full funding for his border wall and a crackdown on sanctuary cities.
Those are cities that instruct police officers not to ask people about their immigration status, meaning they can't ask someone if they are in the U.S. legally.
The president also wants to change the rules for allowing some people to come work in the U.S. and to speed up deportation procedures. President Trump has long taken a hardline stance on immigration, and many of his supporters view DACA as a pass for illegal immigration.
Democratic leaders Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi issued a joint response saying the proposals "go far beyond what is reasonable. This proposal fails to represent any attempt at compromise." And they say funding for the wall "was explicitly ruled out of negotiations." Democrats say they are willing to work with the White House to strengthen border security, including putting in new technology and hiring more Border Patrol agents.
And yesterday capped off the final Nobel Prize award, and this one has to do with money. The 2017 Nobel Prize in economics was awarded to Richard Thaler, a professor at the University of Chicago, and he won for his research in behavioral economics. Basically, Thaler connects the dots on how people think and feel when they spend money.
Now, October is Bullying Prevention Month, and one town has taken an extreme step this month to try and stop bullying. In North Tonawanda, New York, if a student is caught bullying, their parent will pay a fine or do the time. And get this: A parent could go to jail for 15 days, pay $250 or both.
The town passed the new law last week.
Victoria Crago: We didn't feel like maybe anything was being done, and then, all of a sudden, I heard about this ordinance going through, so it was shocking and welcome.
Keith: Victoria Crago says her son was attacked by his classmates in June off school grounds. She hopes this new law will help prevent other kids from getting hurt.
Crago: I think that these teens have figured out that they can get away with this, which is why they're repeat offenders. But if there's a tougher law in place, that may give them pause.
Mayor Art Pappas: We want the message out there that we're serious about this. We don't want anyone to be afraid to be in our city, or to walk the streets, or go to school.
Keith: Mayor Art Pappas says the city isn't trying to focus on punishment, but more so prevention, and he says it is geared toward repeat offenders — people who have been caught bullying before.
Pappas: I think it’s going to get a message out there that certain parents who haven’t now have to take some responsibility for their children.
Keith: Now, we want to know what you think. Should parents go to jail if their kid is caught bullying? Well, head to ChannelOne.com to weigh in, and make sure to sound off in the comment section.
All right, after the break, we wrap up Hispanic Heritage Month with a pop quiz as thousands show their pride with a parade in New York City.
Keith: Okay, we are celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month here at Channel One,so, Emily, take it away.
Emily: Hey guys, I am Emily Reppert, and to finish out the last few days of Hispanic Heritage Month, I decided to drop by the Hispanic Heritage Parade here in New York City to put your knowledge to the test. So here is today's pop quiz.
How many Spanish-speaking countries are there around the world?
a. 3
b. 21
c. 13 or
d. 30
You have got 10 seconds.
All right, time is up. The answer is b, 21. These 21 Spanish-speaking countries are the central focus of Hispanic Heritage Month, and nearly all of them are represented in this parade.
What country are you here representing?
Parade goers: I'm here representing Bolivia.
I'm from Peru.
Costa Rica.
Mexico.
Paraguay.
El Salvador
Emily: Every year, thousands participate in parades like this all across the United States to celebrate their culture and pride.
So you are going to be performing today — what are you going to be doing?
Teen: Basically, you put the bottles together, and you go on your head, and you do that. And you dance with a partner.
Teen: In Spanish it's called "diablada." It's pretty awesome.
Emily: And I see there are people of all ages here. Why do you think it is important for you, for the younger generation, to learn this dance and be involved with it?
Teen: So then, when they grow up, they can do it with their kids, and like, you know, it can continue.
Teen: Being an immigrant in the U.S, sometimes you lose touch a bit with your nationality or your roots, and I feel like that shouldn't be the case, you know. It's a melting culture — it’s a melting pot, and you should embrace your roots and your culture.
Emily: This year’s theme is Family Unity, and parade organizers want the people of Puerto Rico and Mexico, both of which were recently struck by natural disasters, to know that they are not alone.
There has been a lot going on; why do you think, right now, it is so important to have something like this?
Teen: It seems like the country is very divided — according to the news and stuff — and this brings everyone together, you know: the police, the Hispanic people, and all that. It keeps everyone together, and it keeps everyone thinking that we are one country, united, you know?
Emily: Emily Reppert, Channel One News.
Keith: Muchas gracias, Emily.
Arielle: Do you speak Spanish, Keith?
Keith: And 15 other languages. But anyway, all right, we have Arielle here with a story about how some students are trying out new technology to shake up the way people prepare for earthquakes, right?
Arielle: That is right, Keith. Almost two years ago, Eagle Rock High School in California installed an earthquake early warning system in 10 of its classrooms, and with some recent devastating quakes around the globe, it is proving to be even more relevant.
When the alarm goes off, students in Mr. De Leon's advanced physical science class know exactly what to do. It is an early earthquake warning, and Eagle Rock High School is notified through the USGS ShakeAlert system.
Student: Duck, cover and hold, and then be alert.
Arielle: The class sees exactly what can be done in less than eight seconds to prepare for an earthquake.
John Constantino: People generally dismiss it as being negligible, but eight seconds can mean a lot. It can mean life or death.
Arielle: Get this — an early warning system in Mexico gave some people up to a minute to prepare for the 8.1 magnitude quake last month.
Alyssa Montijo: It was like a little reality check. It was kinda scary thinking that we're going to have to be doing that eventually.
Arielle: Eagle Rock High School was the first school in California to get the early warning pilot program two years ago.
Mylene Keipp: So if there's the best technology out there to provide a safe world, I'd like to be at the forefront of it.
Arielle: They started the system in 10 science classes, and now it is in 18.
Moises De Leon: With working with acids, fire, glassware, it's very important. So it will give us time to have the students put the stuff away, turn off the fire, put acid down the sink if we need to do that — so it's very important.
Arielle: The principal is also connected to the system and can make an announcement over the loudspeaker. And it is not just about the warning. They have also used it as a way of teaching their students about earthquakes.
De Leon: We're also giving them the science behind it, you know, and how it starts from the epicenter and that we have so many seconds. It doesn't tell us — it doesn’t detect it; it tells us that an earthquake has happened already, so and it tells us how many seconds before we feel the shaking.
Arielle: Arielle Hixson, Channel One News.
Keith: Awesome story, Arielle. And did you guys catch today's Word in the News? It is pilot program, which isan activity planned as a test or trial.
BTW, interesting fact for you: California is not the earthquake capital of the U.S. — it is actually Alaska.
Well, that is it for us today. Go shake up the world. Hasta manana.
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