Students: This is Mr. Fanucchi's journalism class at Wisdom High School in Houston, Texas, and you are watching Channel One News!
Emily: All right, America's future journalists from Wisdom High School kicking us off and getting us in gear on this Tuesday. I am Emily Reppert. Here we go!
First up, a day for children, by children. Yesterday was World Children's Day, and Arielle Hixson met up with some young celebs in New York City who are shining a light on some of the biggest challenges facing kids all around the world.
Arielle: Here at the United Nations in New York City, young people from across the globe gathered in unity…
What brings you guys here today?
Chloe: Oh my goodness, we're here for World Children's Day, and we're so happy to be here.
Arielle: …all for the chance to put kids’ needs first.
Dafne Keen: I am really honored to be here because I am meeting so many interesting people, and I really want to lend my voice to help.
Arielle: It was a day for children, by children…
Isabela Moner: I'm a child myself; I kind of feel like, as a child with a voice and an audience, I have a responsibility to speak for everyone.
Arielle: …with an ambitious motive in mind.
Tony Lake: These children are going to be asked to do a better job than today's adults on trying to make the world and the Earth a better place.
Jaden Michael: The ultimate goal is for all delegates and for all ambassadors here at the U.N. to respect us and to not only that, but to listen to us and to take what we say and actually initiate change so that children are represented.
Arielle: Now, historically, November 20 is a very important date. It is the day when the U.N. decided to adopt the Declaration of the Rights of the Child, designed to protect children around the world, especially in times of distress.
For 2017 it was all about encouraging kids to take on leadership roles.
Woman: And this year, the theme is Kids Take Over.
Chloe: Yes.
Arielle: How do you hope that kids are taking over today?
Chloe: Oh, I hope they are taking over everything, because, I mean, we will take over very soon enough, and so today is our test run, and I think we're going to do a pretty good job, right?
Halle: Yes, I really do.
Arielle: It seems like everyone paused to put kids first, including celebrities across the globe.
At the U.N. students brainstormed ways to solve a number of world issues. In the end they left with an important message: The world is truly at their feet.
Lake: This is a great way of hearing from them what they need now and for them to give a taste of what, I hope, in each of their lives will then propel them into public life, public service.
Arielle: And together, anything is possible.
Jaden: I hope all children learn that from today, we have the power. With a group of adults and all of us coming together, we can change the world, and we can make adults listen.
Arielle: Arielle Hixson, Channel One News.
Emily: Thanks, Arielle. And did you catch today's Word in the News? It is ambassador, a person who promotes a certain group or activity.
All right, now we head to the continent of Africa and the country of Zimbabwe. After almost 40 years of running the country, this man — Robert Mugabe — has been forced out of power.
Scenes like this would have been unthinkable just a month ago, but over the past two weeks, tens of thousands of Zimbabweans took to the streets demanding Robert Mugabe step down.
Man: It's about a new beginning. For us it's about the end of a tyranny rule, and we are going to take our Zimbabwe back.
Emily: Mugabe has been the only leader since the country was founded. He has ruled Zimbabwe for 37 years, and he is not going quite so easily. The army seized power last week and placed him under house arrest. His own party kicked him out of the government and then danced to celebrate his removal.
Ninety-three years old and in failing health, he was once called a hero for helping overthrow white minority rule but is now considered a brutal tyrant who ran the country into the ground. He is perhaps most remembered for sending out bands of thugs who seized white-owned farms, drove off owners, killed livestock and then left the land empty.
The economy tanked, and unemployment soared, but Mugabe's grip on power was iron-clad. He would jail anyone who spoke out against him and cracked down on the media.
So what was it that finally made the people rise up against him? He tried to turn over power to his controversial wife, Grace. Known as Gucci Grace for her expensive shopping sprees, Mugabe's former secretary–turned-wife is deeply unpopular in Zimbabwe.
Next up, ’tis the season for shopping, and with Black Friday coming up, retail stores are not waiting around. Instead, they are taking on their online competitors, finding new ways to get you out of the comfort of your home and into the mall and an actual store.
Want to chill out when you shop? Customers at some Eddie Bauer stores can test out their cold-weather gear when they step into the Ice Box, a giant freezer set to 16 degrees. That is something that can't be done when you are shopping online.
Like Eddie Bauer, retailers across the country are looking for ways to lure customers offline and into their stores, combining retail with entertainment. They call it "retailtainment."
Lisa Haddock: People want to be entertained. They want to have a social experience; they want to be able to talk to a real person and get that advice. And also remember, online, you can't use your five senses as you can on ground.
Emily: It is why Saks had its Wellery pop-up — part fitness center, part shopping experience. Macy's hopes that virtual reality turns into actual sales as customers feel the thrill of a roller-coaster in the store.
But these tricks do come with risks.
Mark Cohen: Well, if it seems like a gimmick, today's customer sees right through it. They might check it out once, but they're not gonna be responsive to it.
Emily: It is estimated that in the next five years, one in four U.S. malls will close. Recently, 46 retailers filed for bankruptcy, and more than 5,000 stores closed. So the effort to get people to shop in stores is urgent for these retailers.
So happy shopping, everyone!
And you know, some of those do look like fun, but ugh, the crowds — no, thank you. I think I will still sit this Black Friday out.
All right, coming up, we are digging in to the history of Thanksgiving.
Emily: All right, the countdown is on for Turkey Day, which means family, football and, of course, food — and lots of it! But let's not forget how this holiday got started.
Here are five things to know about Thanksgiving.
One, the first Thanksgiving is believed to have happened in the autumn of 1621. Fifty Pilgrims and 90 Wampanoag Indians celebrated together, and the feast lasted three days.
Two, Thanksgiving was almost a fast — not a feast! The early settlers gave thanks by praying and abstaining from food, which is what they planned on doing to celebrate their first harvest — that is, until the Wampanoag Indians joined them.
Three, turkey, mashed potatoes and pumpkin pie were not on the menu at the first Thanksgiving. Historians say the main course was likely deer or antelope, duck and fish.
Four, but that sure has changed. Today Americans eat 46 million turkeys each Thanksgiving and about the same number of pumpkin pies, too.
And five, Thanksgiving became an official national holiday in 1941.
And, of course, Thanksgiving is also a time to give thanks. Keith is here with a story of a football team taking a time-out to thank their fans.
Keith: Yeah, Emily, the Dallas Cowboys are known as America's team, and when you get your Thanksgiving dinner from them — well, it is not a bad day. Check it out.
In Dallas, Texas, the Cowboys football team didn't let a recent tough loss on the field stop them from tackling a good cause.
Jason Witten: You know, even though it was a tough loss, to come in here today and see so many great fans and, you know, that have so much challenging situations around them, it really reminds you of the platform that we have and opportunity.
Keith: Players got together at the Salvation Army to serve stuffing, mashed potatoes and turkey at the team's annual early Thanksgiving Day meal.
Dak Prescott: Doing events like this, it's great. It brightens my day, as I said. It puts a perspective into life and how important life is outside of the game of football and my impact on it. And I'm thankful to have that platform.
Keith: The team fed about 500 hungry people. For many of these Texans, it was a day sweeter than a slice of pumpkin pie.
Keith Kocinski, Channel One News.
Emily: Great stuff! And don't forget — make sure to share your Thanksgiving pictures with us by using the #Ch1Thanksgiving, and we will make sure to share ours as well.
All right, guys, we are going to piece out of here. Get it? Like a piece of pie? All right, happy Thanksgiving, and we will see you right back here next week.
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