Keith: What is up, everyone? It is Thursday,January 4. I am Keith Kocinski.
We begin today in the country of Iranas it braces for an eighth day of protests against the government. The situation is so bad that the U.S. is now calling for an emergency session at the United Nations to address the unrest.
This is the worst violence Iran has seen in nearly 10 years. People are fed up with poverty, high food prices and lack of freedom. They are making their voices heardand are protesting against the government. But yesterday, protestors in support of the government also hit the streets. Some experts say the Iranian government told them to do it to show support. More than 21people have been killed and 400 arrested.
Now, with all of these latest developments, we figured it is a good time to learn more about Iran. So here is a story from Maggie Rulli and Tom Hanson, who visited the country two years ago to show us what life is really like inside Iran.
Tom: Mysterious, terrifying, ancient and modern: The Middle Eastern country of Iran is a complicated place.Some say Iran is a threat to the world.
They are saying,“Death to Israel, death to America.”
Others say it is misunderstood.
What do you think Americans think of Iranians?
Teen: We are terrorists.
Teen: They hate us.
Teen: They hate us.
Tom: Maggie Rulli and I wanted to see what life is like there for ourselves — a hard thing to do as an American reporter.
That is where we are going, that little dot right there: Tehran, which is the capital of Iran.
After months of waiting, we finally got permission for a seven-day trip to a land where America is known as "the Great Satan."
For all that you hear about Iranians in America, they are actually surprisingly nice. I have gotten a lot of “hellos,” a lot of “how are yous,” a lot of “welcome to Irans.” You know, and that is not really what I expected coming here.
What do you think of American people?
Woman: American people? Actually,I love them so much because they're so cool, friendly, you know. I love them.
Man: They're cool people. Yeah,I think we have something in common.
Maggie: People are going out of their way to say hi to us, to invite us out with them. They just — itseems they really want to share a part of their culture with us.
Tom: We found that Iran is a land of ancient customs from one of the oldest civilizations on Earth —Persia — a nation of modern cities and educated people who take pride in their country, even for non-Muslims who live here.
Woman: If there were a war between Israel and Iran, I would fight for my country. First I am Iranian, and then it's my religion that matters.
Tom: But it is also a place with little freedom.Ninety-nine percent of the country is Muslim, and all of the seventy-seven and a half million people living in Iran have to follow strict Islamic law.
Amir: No parties. Drinking alcohol — not allowed. Being gay — not allowed. No hijab — that’s not allowed. And smooching outside — not allowed.
Tom: Islamic law says men and women can't even hang out together unless they are married, but on the streets of Tehran, we noticed that wasn't being obeyed.Still, women have to dress modestly.
Maggie: So it is illegal for me to go outside showing too much arm or leg. I have to wear loose clothing, and I have to always keep my head covered.The only time when I am in Iran that I can take my headscarf off is once I get back to my hotel room.After 110 degrees today,it feels good to let my neck breathe a little bit.
Tom: Pictures of the country's religious leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, are everywhere, giving the feeling the government is always watching: who you can hang out with, what you can listen to, even which websites you can visit.
When I typed in ChannelOne.com, it takes us to this page.This page basically says that the information is restricted and that we cannot access it. Give it about 20 or 30 seconds, and it redirects you to this. This is a government website. Now, we tried this with BuzzFeed, Netflix, Washington Post — all are restricted, and all take you to this page.
And breaking the rules can land you in jail — or worse.
Teen: I’m in trouble for my hair, my dresses.
Tom: And what happened? Did you just get a fine or a ticket?
Teen: They actually arrest me.
Tom: Oh, they arrested you.
Teen: Yes.
Tom: Wow.
It is a common story here.In a case that made headlines in 2014, seven young people were arrested and sentenced to a public beating, all for making this videoand posting it on YouTube.
Needless to say, people were very careful about what they said to us on camera.
Woman: I can't say that.
Tom: You can't say that?
Woman: No, sorry.
Tom: Iran executes more of its prisoners than anyone in the world, it treats women and religious minorities as second-class citizens, and it ranks at the bottom of several lists for human rights. There is no freedom of the press, and many journalists have been put in prison.We were told we would be watched the entire time.
Maggie: I guess here, even when you are allowed and you have a permit, it doesn't necessarily mean that theyare going to still let you do it.
Tom: But even the strict control is weakening. The country is slowly changing as a huge population of young people are pushing for a more open society.
Teen: The opportunity here now is the global village. We are much closer now. We just talk more often to outside people, and so yeah, I think nothing can get in our ways.
Keith: And for more about life in Iran and some behind-the-scenes videos, head to ChannelOne.com.
All right, next up, that mocha Frappuccinocould be getting pretty pricey.
Keith: There is a concern brewing over one of the world's most popular drinks — coffee. Worldwide, coffee drinking has doubled over the last 35 years, while the areas suitable to grow it are shrinking because of changes in the environment.
And to understand this story, we are going to start out with today’s Word in the News: supply and demand.Now, supply is how much of a product is available, demand is how much people want, and the relationship between the two affects the price.
So too much supply means prices go down, and too much demand means prices go up. Emily Reppert breaks it down.
Woman: My go-to is just plain coffee with half and half.
Woman: Iced coffee.
Woman: Plain latte.
Emily: For many coffee is life.
Woman: Everyday, every morning.
Man: It gets me up in the morning, gets me to do the things that I need.
Woman: It’s not even like I need it to stay awake, it’s like I need it to function on a basic level.
Emily: Okay, so we know the demand is high, but now the global coffee supply is struggling to keep up.
And it is because of damage being done to the planet by climate change, which means coffee is in trouble, and so are the farmers who grow it.
Anthony Khabala: It is not so good.
Emily: Up here in the mountains of eastern Uganda, coffee is the most important thing they grow. Anthony and Vincent Khabala's family have been growing it on their farm about 4,000 feet up the slopes of Mount Elgon for generations.But lately, they have been having problems they have never had before.
It turns out coffee is aspickyas the people who drink it. It likes the right altitude, the right temperature and the right amounts of rain and sunshine — in the right order, of course.
Khabala: Too much sunshine produces bad fruits.
Emily: But it is more than just the weather conditions. This fine, white powder produced by the stemborer beetle is just one of the pests and diseases which have come up from the valley as the weather has warmed, destroying some farms completely.
Coffee yields have been dropping, and prices are up by as much as 30percent in some areas since 2015. But it is more than just the consumer's morning pick-me-up that is threatened. The farmers are caffeine-dependent for another reason: because coffee farming is a family business.
So for the people who produce it and depend on it and for the people who consume it, they are all hoping for a solution.
Ian George: I don't know what I would do. I rely pretty heavily on coffee, especially in the mornings or late at night when I need to get things done. It's a pretty big part of my day.
Lauren Ballaster: It's not even — it’s, like, beyond love. It's,like, survival.
Emily: Emily Reppert, Channel One News.
Keith: Now, what does it mean for coffee drinkers here in the U.S. and around the world? Well, it could mean higher-priced cups of brew.
Okay, before we go, here is one more thing.
It was freezing cold, but that didn't stop this school from welcoming back Bridget. The signs say it all.
Eight-year-old Bridget Kelley missed more than 15 months of school while she battled cancer, so on her first day back at Merrymount Elementary School in Massachusetts, students, teachers and parents lined up to walk her to class.
Way to go,Bridget!
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