Scott: What is up? It is Friday, February 6th. I am Scott Evans and Channel One News starts right now.
Now for today’s headlines, and first up, Secretary of State John Kerry was in Ukraine yesterday to meetwith the country's president Petro Poroshenko to discuss the ongoing conflict there.
Kerry announced the U.S. would provide an additional $16 million in aid for Ukraine asit battles in the eastern part of the country.
For a week, the fighting has been intense. Poorly trained Ukrainian troops are now under heavy pressure from rebels who want Eastern Ukraine to become a part of Russia. Officials say even though Russia agreed to a peace deal last year, the country is still providing weapons and military support to the rebels.
Kerry: We cannot close our eyes to tanks that are crossing the border from Russia and coming into Ukraine.
Scott: So far the U.S. has only provided humanitarian aid.But Ukraine's leaders say they need weapons and military help to fight the rebels, something the U.S. is now considering.
The conflict, which began last year, has killed more than 5,000 people.
Next up, it is a big win for supporters of net neutrality. Now, that's the idea that internet providers should treat all websites equally. And after months of debate and 4 million comments from the public, the government announced a new plan this week.
The chairman of the Federal Communications Commission proposed new standards that support a free and open internet, also known as net neutrality.
Marguerite Reardon: Just to ensure that a broadband provider cannot block your access to any particular content. If you’re watching Netflix they can’t go in and monkey with the Netflix traffic.
Scott: The rules would also bend so called fast-lanes, where websites pay internet providers to push their content or service out faster than sites that don’t pay.
Marguerite: The real fear with the fast-lanes is that if you have some companies who are able to pay for priority access, then what happens to a company that is just starting out?
Scott: The Internet Association which represents major tech companies like Google, Amazon and Facebook support the new proposal. And it looks likely to past in an upcoming FCC vote later this month, but likely won’t change much for consumers. It is really meant to prevent changes in internet service.
Lawsuitsfrom broadband providers and other opponents are expected.
Now, that's going to do it for headlines. But coming up, what would you do to protect your home from terrorists?We will introduce you to some unlikely fighters on the frontlines in the battle against ISIS.
The U.S. and its allies have been fighting ISIS with jets dropping bombs on targets in Syria and Iraq. But on the ground, there's a bloody battle on the frontlines.Many of those fighters arejust regular people who are doing what they can to defend their homes against a brutal enemy.Tom Hanson has more.
Deniz Sipan: We don't want to be afraid raising our kids in future and having a normal life.
Tom: These are the men and women on the front lines in the battle against the terror group ISIS in Syria. Farmers, housewives and shopkeepers, armed with old guns, volunteering to fight.
Deniz: If we didn't do it, the whole place will be full of ISIS, and they'll destroy everything.
Tom: Twenty-two-year-old Deniz Sipan quit her job as an elementary school teacher five months ago to become a sniper on the front line. But these fighters have so few weapons Denizhas to share her gun with another fighter. Still, she says she will never give up.
Deniz: When I came, at first I was scared. But after a while, you know what should be done and you know why you're here. I need to protect myself, and my friends, and my people, and my country.
Tom: Deniz is just one of thousands of Kurdish fighters on the frontlines of war against ISIS in Syria and Iraq.
The Kurds are an ethnic group in the Middles East, about 30 million people across 4 different countries, often called the world’s largest peoplewithout any country to call their own.
In the battle against ISIS, the Kurds have become a key ally for the U.S., fighting to protect their land ever since ISIS took hold last summer. In the Syrian town of Kobani, holding that line has been a success.
The U.S. and Kurdish forces declared victory over ISIS last week. But it took more than 700 airstrikes and four months of brutal street fighting by Kurdish forces to drive the militants out.
Now that ISIS has left Kobani, there are concerns that the terror group may target other parts of the frontline in full force.
“If we're killed on the battlefield, don't cry for us,” they sing. We're fighting for freedom.
These are determined soldiers, but Ahmad Mohammed, a wheat farmer turned commander, says they desperately need better guns and airstrikes to fight ISIS.
“We want the international community to help defend us against these terrorists,” he says. “Any kind of help would be good.”
Tom Hanson, Channel One News.
Scott: Dozens of Westerners, including Americans, have joined the Kurds in the fight against ISIS. Most of them recruited through social media.
Alright coming up, a story that brings new meaning to the phrase “walking a mile in a man's shoes.”
Now how many miles would you say you walk every day? And I don’t mean traveling in a car, I mean actually walking, because the gentleman you are about to meet puts in some serious mileage.
Arielle: Yeah, Scott. After falling on hard times, a Detroit man had to walk 20 miles a day to work and back. But after his story went viral, and through the kindness of strangers, his life is about to change.
James Robertson in Detroit, Michigan spends more time getting to and from work than he does working.
James: I do it with no excuses.
Arielle: He starts at 8am with a walk to the bus, followed by an hour long ride. Then he walks 7 miles to clock in by 2pm. He hasn't missed a day making plastic equipment parts in 13 years.
James: To me, the attendance is just onlyhalf the battle. How I do the job, that's when the real battle is won.
Arielle: At 10 pm, when Robertson finishes his shift, he walks the same 7 miles to catch the bus. By then it is 1am and the service is limited. So he has to walk an extra five miles to get home.
That adds up to about 19 miles. That only leaves him with two hours to sleep before he wakes up to do it all over again.
James: I often thought about forgetting about the whole thing. But then there is this voice inside me that tells you “you better go ahead and do it because your girlfriend don't wanna hear it, your friends don’t wanna hear it, your coworkers don't wanna hear it. And you got to get up and do it the next day.”
Arielle: His story was featured in the Detroit Free Press,and then offers to help James came pouring in.
Evan Leedy, a junior at Wayne State University set up a GoFundMe page for donations.
Evan: Most of the donations have been 20, 25 bucks. And I’ve had a lot of people comment and say that“you know this is all I have. I wish I could give more.”This is all added up to what it is now.
Arielle: What it is now, is close to $300,000 dollars including multiple offers to buy Robertson a car.
Believe it or not, he is not surprised by the support
James: This is Detroit. We're the “Comeback City.” Forget Los Angeles, Detroit is the real “City of Angels."
Scott: Wow, every little bit helped. That’s pretty awesome. Thanks Arielle.
Now you know what else is pretty awesome?The Next Big Thing.
If you are one of those people who arealways looking for their keys, well we might have the fix for you. But first, let’s see what you thought about last week’s Next Big Thing.
We told you about the hoverbike, a cross between a motorcycle and a helicopter.Is it the Next Big Thing?
Ninety-two percent of you said yes,I willtaketo the clouds on that one.
Eight percent of you said no, I will keep my wheels on the ground, thanks.
Have you ever been locked out of your house because you forgot or even lost your keys?Well, now you won't have to worry about ever remembering your keys ever again.
This is Lockitron. It fits on the deadbolt on your door and lets you lock or unlock your door from your phone.
It works with any phone, even with a simple flip phone, by using text messaging. And you can control it from anywhere in the world. So you can let guests in if you are away or out of town.
You can share access to your door with anyone, anywhere, instantly with a simple swipe.
Lockitron sends a message when someone unlocks the door, even if they use a key. Plus you get a message if someone knocks on your door.
It runs on batteries and uses Wi-Fi to connect to your phone. Some models have Bluetooth and let you unlock the door, simply by walking up to it. And it cost about $100 dollars.
So, what do you think? Is a phone lock the Next Big Thing?
Well, head to Channelone.com to vote.
And that is going to do it for us this week. Make your weekend one you won't forget, and we will see you on Monday.
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