Tom: Hey everyone, hope you had a great weekend. It is Monday,February 29, and today we take a look at the meaning behind Black Lives Matter, plus we have got a pop quiz for you that may throw you for a leap. I am Tom Hanson, and Channel One News starts right now.
First up today, the IRS, the government agency that collects taxes,recently revealed that it was hacked and that sensitive information was stolen. And that sparked a debate about how safe our personal information is on the web.
The IRS said scammers gained access to more than 700,000 accounts, more than double what was initially thought. The hack happened back in 2015, and the information stolen includes Social Security numbers, birthdates and other data that scammers could use to impersonate a real taxpayer, file fake paperwork and collect someone else's money. The IRS is mailing notifications to those who might be affected.
Experts say these hacks show just how sensitive online security is and why Congress approved new laws in December to fight back. But some are saying more needs to be done to keep private information safe.
And last night the stars were out on the red carpet for the 88th annual Academy Awards. But Hollywood's biggest night was not without controversy.
The golden statues were handed out, and the parties lasted into the night. Brie Larson, the star of “Room,” took home the Best Actress award.
Brie Larson: Thank you to the fans. Thank you to the moviegoers. Thank you for going to the theater and seeing our films. I appreciate it. Thank you.
Tom: Leonardo DiCaprio won Best Actor for his role in “The Revenant.”
Leonardo DiCaprio: Let us not take this planet for granted. I do not take tonight for granted. Thank you so very much.
Tom: But there was a dark cloud over the Oscars this year, with many pointing out the lack of diversity in nominees. Some stars decided to boycott the event. Protests were planned across the country, and Russell Simmons, the music mogul, even held his own award show at the same time: the All Def Movie Awards.
In a rare mix of Oscars and politics,Vice President Joe Biden asked Americans to take a pledge against sexual abuse, an issue across many college campuses.
Vice President Joe Biden: We must and we can change the culture so that no abused woman or man like the survivors you will see tonight ever feel they have to ask themselves,“What did I do?” They did nothing wrong.
Tom: And the end of the night was capped off with “Spotlight” winning Best Picture, beating out the favorite, “The Revenant.”
All right, coming up, we take a look at one hashtag movement that has been sweeping the country.
Tom:As we wrap up Black History Month, we are taking a look at race relations today and one social media movement that has thousands of young people taking to the streets and calling for change.Arielle Hixson breaks down Black Lives Matter.
Arielle: You have seen the protests. You know the hashtag.And you have heard from celebrities. But what is Black Lives Matter all about?
Logan Young: Since the civil rights movement, I think the black movement has been almost stifled, almost, and it's been kind of put to the side. But now it's kind of almost like a reawakening of that same movement and of our generation trying to say that we are the next civil rights leaders, and we are the next people that are going to try to make revolutionary change in America.
Arielle: The Black Lives movement started with the death of Trayvon Martin in 2012. The unarmed black teenager was shot and killed by a resident who was part of the neighborhood watch.The shooter was not convicted of a crime. Many were outraged and felt it was part of a pattern of racism against black men.
The movement gained more momentum after other cases made national headlines: Michael Brown, Eric Garner and Freddie Gray, a black man who died while in police custody.
Last year this area of Baltimore was in complete chaos after the tragic death of Freddie Gray. All eyes were on the Black Lives Matter movement, leaving many with questions,like what it meant, who it could involveand how it could change race relations in the future.
Makayla Gilliam-Price: The intentions of Black Lives Matter are very genuine to the true nature and fluidity of our people.
Arielle: Seventeen-year-old Makayla Gilliam-Price is an activist in Baltimore. She is a confident, young voicedetermined to challenge racism and create equal opportunities for black students in her community.
Her experience with activism started very youngwhen her mother was protesting against the death penalty for her uncle.
Makayla: I was born into that space of like, political, radical, black thought, and then that was just carried through my entire life.
Arielle: So she founded a grass-roots organization to bring Black Lives Matter to a local scale for young students in her city.
Makayla: We get very caught up in the hashtag and just, like, how nice it feels to say that we're a part of these movements, but truly no change is derived until we get on the ground and do that ourselves.
Arielle: Although Makayla is an inspirational leader, her actions often have risks. Just last yearMakayla was arrested during a sit-in at Baltimore's City Hall for protesting police actions following the death of Freddie Gray.
Were you fearful at all? Was it scary?
Makayla: Oh,yeah, we were terrified.And so, like, as a protestor and as like, an activist and organizer, you think that — I think we often adopt this, like, mentality that we are invincible in some way, and we can just be fearless without consequence. I had to put in perspective that my voice and, like, the fact that people know me is not going to protect me when I'm one on one with a police officer who does not agree with my stance.
Arielle: There has been some backlash.Critics of Black Lives Matter say it divided people rather than united them and that it is promoting hatred toward police.But for Makayla the movement is about inspiring and empowering other young people to help them make their communities stronger.
Donovan Taylor: I think that it's great that someone my age has, like, all this, like, organizing power. Like, you really don't think about, like, students in high school, like, organizing walkouts and talking to police commissioners and doing news interviews and things like that. And I think it's, like, really amazing for someone — a peer of mine to be, like, this powerful voice in the community.
Arielle: There are a lot of risks for standing up for what you believe in.But why is it important for students to have a voice?
Makayla: I think student voice is so important because we occupy a space of fearlessness, right, where we can access positions and just be forgiven or written off because we're young, right? And so I think that's a luxury, and it’s almost a privilege that we should take advantage of as young people.
Arielle: Inspiring a generation to lead — one protest at a time. Arielle Hixson, Channel One News.
Tom: Thanks,Arielle.
And we have got more for you guys atChannelOne.com, including a special on African-American innovators making important contributions to America.
All right, after the break we are leaping into a pop quiz.
Tom: Okay, hope you guys are ready because it is pop quiz time, and I have got to admit this one eventhrew me for a loop.So here it goes.
Normally,there are 365 days in a year, but not this year.This year there are 366 days because it is a leap year. So that brings us to your pop quiz question.
Leap years happen:
a. every two years
b. every four years
c. both of the above or
d. none of the above
You have got 10 seconds.
Time is up! The answer is d, none of the above. Okay, okay, this one is a bit tricky. Leap years occur almost every four years. We have to keep you on your toes, guys!
So why do we even need to add a day to our calendar sometimes? Well, the basic problem is the way we count days doesn't line up exactly with nature. It actually takes the Earth a little bit more than 365 days to orbit around the sun. It is more like 365.242199 days long, a difference of about six hours.
Over time that six hours can really add up and would even flip seasons if the calendar wasn't corrected. In ancient Roman times, Emperor Julius Caesar knew this was a problem with the Roman calendar and asked an astronomer to find a way to keep his calendar from straying off course.
The astronomer calculated a year at 365.25 days, which was pretty close, and suggested adding an extra day to every fourth February to make up the time.
But even that wasn't perfect,and over time the calendar was off by a full 10 days.
So in 1582Pope Gregory XIII turned to his astronomer, who came up with this plan. Every four years is a leap year, except a centennial year, unless it is evenly divisible by 400 and not divisible by 4000. So the year 2000 was a leap year, while 2100, for example, will not be.
And even after all of that, our calendar is still off by about 26 seconds. So in the year 4909, we will be a full day ahead of the solar year.And if you think all of that is confusing, we won't even get into how February ended up being the shortest month of the year.
All right, that is it for us. Enjoy your extra day, and we will see you right back here tomorrow.
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