Flash Flooding In The Grand Canyon | August 27, 2024

Summary

In this episode of CNN 10, KY Wire covers the rescue of over 100 people in Grand Canyon National Park due to flash floods. The segment also explores the rise of security robots in cities across the US, raising questions about privacy and job security. A heartwarming story about a high school community's efforts to free a former classmate, Evan Gershkovich, who was wrongfully detained in Russia, is highlighted. Plus, a look at South Africa's efforts to protect endangered seals from plastic pollution, and a fun encounter with MLB star Salvador Perez playing whiffle ball with kids in Kansas.

Takeaways

• 🌍 Over 100 people were rescued due to flash flooding in Grand Canyon National Park, with a missing hiker's body unfortunately recovered.
• 🤖 Security robots are becoming more prevalent in cities across the U.S., raising questions about privacy and job displacement for human security personnel.
• 📚 A high school community in Princeton, New Jersey, rallied for over a year to bring home a former classmate, Evan Gershkovich, who was wrongfully detained in Russia.
• 🇿🇦 South Africa is home to the largest land mammals and marine life, and Cape Town's VNA Waterfront has implemented innovative measures to protect endangered seals from human interaction and plastic waste.
• 🏞️ The Two Oceans Aquarium in Cape Town runs a unique program to reduce human-animal conflict within a working harbor and tourist destination.
• ⚔️ Plastic pollution is a significant threat to wildlife, particularly seals, and the aquarium team uses a specialized tool to disentangle seals from plastic without causing distress.
• 🏈 MLB star Salvador Perez joined a group of neighborhood kids in Kansas for a game of whiffle ball, showcasing a heartwarming interaction between a sports hero and his young fans.
• 🎉 CNN 10 gives a shout out to Union Colony Preparatory School in Colorado, celebrating their achievements and encouraging perseverance.
• 🌟 The script highlights the power of community, the importance of wildlife conservation, and the positive impact of celebrity engagement with fans.

Q & A

What event occurred at Grand Canyon National Park that required the rescue of over 100 people?

Flash flooding caused by monsoon storms led to the rescue of more than 100 people at Grand Canyon National Park.

How did the Arizona National Guard assist in the rescue at the Grand Canyon?

The Arizona National Guard used a Blackhawk helicopter to evacuate 104 tourists and tribal members from a canyon on the lands of the Havasupai tribe.

What tragic discovery was made along the Colorado River?

The body of a missing hiker was recovered along the Colorado River.

What is the role of security robots in communities and buildings?

Security robots are used to assist human security guards by patrolling communities and buildings, utilizing advanced technologies and sensors.

What concerns have been raised regarding the use of security robots?

Concerns about privacy issues and potential job losses for humans in the security field have been raised due to the use of security robots.

What was the unique high school reunion held in Princeton, New Jersey?

The reunion was for a former Princeton High School student, Evan Gershkovich, who was wrongfully detained in Russia.

What was the outcome of the efforts by Evan Gershkovich's community and the Wall Street Journal?

Their efforts led to Gershkovich's release as part of a prisoner swap between Russia, the US, and other Western Nations.

Which African nation has three capital cities?

South Africa has three capital cities: Pretoria (executive), Cape Town (legislative), and Bloemfontein (judicial).

What innovative method is Cape Town using to protect endangered seals?

Cape Town uses a dedicated seal platform with wide slats to allow seals with plastic entanglements around their necks to rest, enabling rescuers to disentangle them without causing distress.

What challenges do Cape fur seals face in South Africa?

Cape fur seals face challenges from climate change, human-wildlife conflict, and more recently, rabies.

Which MLB star joined a neighborhood kids' whiffle ball game in Kansas?

Kansas City Royals catcher Salvador Perez played a couple of innings with the neighborhood kids and hit a home run.

What is the significance of the shout out to Union Colony Preparatory School in the script?

The shout out is a recognition and encouragement to the students of Union Colony Preparatory School, acknowledging their efforts and achievements.

Outlines

00:00

🌧️ Flooding in Grand Canyon National Park

Grand Canyon National Park experienced severe flooding due to monsoon storms, which transformed waterways into dangerous, debris-filled torrents. This led to the rescue of over 100 people, including tourists and tribal members, by Arizona's National Guard using a Blackhawk helicopter. Tragically, a hiker's body was found along the Colorado River. The park service and medical examiner are investigating the incident. Fortunately, no rain is expected in the forecast, which should mitigate further risks.

05:00

🤖 Security Robots in Urban Areas

Security robots are becoming a common sight in cities from New York to Hawaii. These advanced technological devices assist human security guards by using an array of sensors. While they enhance security measures, they have raised concerns regarding privacy and potential job displacement for human security personnel. Critics question their effectiveness and public safety, and there is currently a lack of data to support their reliability as a security solution.

🏡 High School Reunion for Detained Alumnus

In Princeton, New Jersey, a unique high school reunion was held to welcome back Evan Gersich, a former student who was wrongfully detained in Russia. Gersich, a Wall Street Journal reporter, was convicted of espionage in a trial criticized as a sham and was sentenced to 16 years. However, after 16 months of advocacy from his family, colleagues, and community, he was released in a prisoner swap involving Russia, the US, and other Western nations. The community's efforts to keep his story alive and advocate for his release played a significant role in his eventual freedom.

🇿🇦 South Africa's Unique Wildlife Conservation

South Africa, known for its rich biodiversity, is home to the largest land mammals like African elephants and a variety of marine life including great white sharks, penguins, and fur seals. In Cape Town, a program managed by the Two Oceans Aquarium focuses on protecting endangered Cape fur seals. The seals face threats from climate change, human-wildlife conflict, and diseases like rabies. A significant threat is plastic pollution, with many seals found entangled in plastic debris. The aquarium's Marine Wildlife Management program is the first of its kind, aiming to reduce human-animal conflict within a working harbor and tourist destination. They have developed a seal platform with wide slats that allows them to disentangle seals from plastic without causing distress, showcasing innovative conservation efforts.

⚾️ MLB Star Joins Neighborhood Whiffle Ball Game

In a heartwarming encounter, Kansas City Royals catcher Salvador Perez surprised a group of neighborhood kids by joining their whiffle ball game in Kansas. Perez played a few innings with the young players, even hitting a home run, making the experience epic for the children. This interaction highlights the positive impact professional athletes can have on their communities by engaging with fans in a personal and memorable way.

📚 Shout Out to Union Colony Preparatory School

The broadcast concludes with a shout out to Union Colony Preparatory School in Greeley, Colorado, encouraging students to persevere through challenges on their path to success. The message is one of motivation and resilience, emphasizing the importance of continued effort regardless of obstacles.

Keywords

💡Monsoon storms

Monsoon storms are seasonal wind patterns that bring heavy rainfall to certain regions, typically resulting in flooding and other weather-related hazards. In the context of the video, monsoon storms led to flash flooding in Grand Canyon National Park, which necessitated the rescue of over 100 people and highlighted the dangers posed by such natural phenomena.

💡Search and rescue operations

Search and rescue operations refer to coordinated efforts to locate and assist individuals in distress, often in emergency situations. The video describes how these operations were initiated in response to the floods in the Grand Canyon, with the Arizona National Guard using a Blackhawk helicopter to evacuate tourists and tribal members, underscoring the critical role of such operations in saving lives.

💡Security robots

Security robots are autonomous or semi-autonomous machines designed to enhance security measures by patrolling areas and using advanced sensors to detect potential threats. The script mentions these robots being used in various locations, raising discussions about their potential impact on privacy, job security for human guards, and their overall effectiveness in ensuring public safety.

💡Espionage

Espionage is the act of spying or using spies to obtain secret or confidential information, typically for political or military advantage. The video recounts the case of a Wall Street Journal reporter who was wrongfully detained in Russia and convicted of espionage in a trial that was criticized as a sham, highlighting the serious implications of such charges and the international efforts to secure his release.

💡Prisoner swap

A prisoner swap is an exchange of detained individuals between two or more parties, often as part of diplomatic negotiations. The script mentions a complex prisoner swap involving Russia, the US, and other Western nations that led to the release of the wrongfully detained journalist, illustrating the high-stakes nature of such negotiations and their potential to resolve international disputes.

💡Marine Wildlife Management

Marine Wildlife Management involves the conservation and protection of marine animals and their habitats. The video discusses a program in Cape Town that focuses on reducing conflict between humans and marine animals, particularly Cape fur seals, within a working harbor and tourist destination, showcasing innovative approaches to wildlife conservation in urban settings.

💡Plastic pollution

Plastic pollution refers to the accumulation of plastic waste in the environment, which poses a significant threat to wildlife and ecosystems. The script describes efforts to disentangle seals from plastic debris in Cape Town, emphasizing the urgent need to address plastic pollution and its detrimental effects on marine life.

💡Endangered species

Endangered species are those that are at risk of extinction due to various factors, including habitat loss, climate change, and human activities. The video mentions Cape fur seals as an example of an endangered species that is now protected in South Africa, highlighting the importance of conservation efforts to prevent their extinction.

💡Community support

Community support refers to the collective efforts of a community to assist and advocate for one of its members in times of need. The video highlights how a high school community rallied for the release of a former classmate, demonstrating the power of community action and the impact it can have on individual cases.

💡Tourist destinations

Tourist destinations are places that attract visitors due to their natural, cultural, or recreational appeal. The video mentions Cape Town's V&A Waterfront as a popular tourist destination, which also serves as a habitat for marine wildlife, illustrating the intersection of tourism and wildlife conservation.

Highlights

Over 100 people were rescued from flooding in Grand Canyon National Park due to monsoon storms.

Arizona's National Guard used a Blackhawk helicopter for evacuations in the Havasupai tribe's lands.

A body of a missing hiker was found along the Colorado River.

Security robots are being used in cities across the US, raising privacy and job loss concerns.

Critics question the effectiveness of security robots in ensuring public safety.

Princeton High School community rallied for 16 months to free a former classmate detained in Russia.

Evan Gershkovich, a Wall Street Journal reporter, was released in a prisoner swap after 491 days.

South Africa is home to the largest land mammal, the African elephant, and marine life like great white sharks.

Wildlife teams in Cape Town protect endangered seals from human contact and plastic waste.

A unique program in South Africa's working harbor reduces human-animal conflict.

Plastic pollution is a significant threat to Cape fur seals, with many getting entangled in debris.

A special platform and tool are used to disentangle seals without causing them stress.

Kansas City Royals catcher Salvador Perez joined a neighborhood kids' whiffle ball game, hitting a home run.

CNN 10 gives a shout out to Union Colony Preparatory School in Colorado for their achievements.

KY Wire encourages viewers to keep moving forward despite hurdles, signing off CNN 10.

Transcripts

[Music]

what's up sunshine rise up I'm KY wire

this is CNN 10 the best 10 minutes in

news because of you got to meet some of

you this weekend all my new friends at

Youth Villages Inner Harbor in

Douglasville Georgia I see you Mr Wilbur

Mr Blue all right let's get you your

headlines starting in Grand Canyon

National Park where FL flooding prompted

the rescues of more than 100 people

Monsoon storms turned waterways into

Raging Rivers of dangerous debris

endangering hikers tourists and tribes

in the area search and rescue operations

began after local authorities shut down

the area to tourists Arizona's National

Guard used a Blackhawk helicopter to

evacuate 104 tourists and tribal members

from a canyon on the lands of the

Havasupai tribe sadly the body of a

missing hiker was recovered along the

Colorado River over the weekend the park

service and the Coconino County of

medical examiner are conducting an

investigation CNN meteorologists say no

rain is in the forecast in the area in

the coming days and you may have spotted

in a city near you security robots that

are patrolling communities and buildings

from New York to Hawai these oblong Bots

are using a suite of sensors to help out

human security security guards in their

duties experts and manufacturers say

their strength lies in their Advanced

Technologies working alongside security

officials but they've also sparked

concerns about privacy issues and

potential job losses for humans in the

security field critics are also raising

questions about their effectiveness in

keeping the public safe right now there

is a lack of public data to prove just

how effective these robots are so we'll

still have yet to see whether they can

be a reliable security solution next in

Princeton New Jersey a high school

reunion unlike any other a group of

former students athletes and coaches

from Princeton High School have been

rallying together over the last 16

months that's how long their former

classmate Evan gersich was wrongfully

detained in Russia The 32-year-old Wall

Street Journal reporter was convicted of

Espionage there in a sham trial and

sentenced to 16 years in a harsh penal

colony despite the circumstances gers

kovic's family colleagues and community

of former classmates back at home kept

hope alive for 491 days they all kept

his story in the public Consciousness

and on August 1st their efforts paid off

gershkovich was among 24 detainees

released as part of a complex prisoner

swap between Russia the Us and other

Western Nations here's how they kept the

fight for his release and are now

finally welcoming him home

that's right well it's Evans former High

School soccer coaches some of his former

teammates who gathered here and they're

all breathing a sigh of relief to learn

that Evan is finally home you see this

is the community that saw Evan grow up

he went to Princeton High School where

he played soccer won the state

championship when he was a senior so

this is a community of people that have

watched him grow up followed his career

and when they found out that he had been

taken into custody and put into a

Russian prison they jumped right into

action they try to figure out what they

could do as a community to support him

they partnered with the Wall Street

Journal and held a series of events to

keep evans's name and his story in

people's minds they worried that as time

went on that somehow people would forget

about Evan's story so they've been

holding these types of events in fact

the event that was held here was

originally scheduled to be another one

of these uh awareness type of events but

when they learned the good news on

August 1st that Evan was coming home

they quickly pivoted and changed this

into a welcoming party they have

gathered here the same place where they

gathered as young students this is where

they gathered to celebrate their

victories they say they want to welcome

him home and celebrate that he's finally

free

Pop Quiz Hot Shot which African nation

has not one but three capital cities

Zimbabwe South Africa Tanzania or

Algeria South Africa has an executive

legislative and judicial capital in

Petoria Cape Town and Bloom Fontaine

respectively South Africa's biodiversity

is unmatched it's known for being home

to the largest land mammals the African

elephant and r

and it's also home to marine life like

great white sharks penguins and fur

seals Wildlife teams in Cape Town have

come up with a clever way to protect the

endangered seals from challenges they

face from their contact with humans and

plastic waste all while showing them off

to

visitors it's an early and quiet morning

at one of South Africa's most visited

tourist destinations Cape Town's iconic

VNA Waterfront which attracts around 24

million people annually situated in the

oldest working Harbor in the southern

hemisphere it's also a welcoming host to

an entirely different breed of

mammal over the past 20 years we've had

a population of wild cap Fels making use

of our Harbor as acting as an extension

of our oceans and to them I really think

they believe this to be their home it's

a stop of point or safe space they're

not habituated but they move in and out

as they please

aside from playing the part of

Waterfront

attraction they also play a vital role

within the Marine

ecosystem they help balance everything

out from being a prey source to being a

predator themselves they indicate how

the health of the ocean is doing and

they give us a valuable Insight how the

bigger picture of our ocean

helps once heavily hunted Cape fur seals

are now a protected species in South

Africa and it's estimated that around 2

million I inhabit the coasts of southern

Africa still they face significant

challenges with climate change human

Wildlife conflict and more recently

rabies all areas of

concern here on the waterfront a team

from the nearby two oceans aquarium

looks after them the program that we run

here the Marine Wildlife Management

program is unique it's the first of its

kind in the world where we are

essentially reducing conflict between

humans and animals Within the space of a

working Harbor SL tourist destination we

are the

buffer but one of the most widespread

and tangible threats facing these

curious creatures is plastic

pollution we are actually on our second

patrol of the day looking for any seals

that have plastic around the neck and

the hope that we can actually get them

disentangled this morning removing the

plastic items which is most often

commercial fishing debris can be a

challenge so they have to get creative

so we gave them the dedicated seal

platform you're going to see behind me

there with all the seals resting on it

the added benefit to the seal platform

is that we've made the gaps between the

wooden slats very wide and for a very

specific reason we have around 100 seals

a year that come in Waterfront with

plastic entanglements just like these

around their necks but if they come and

rest on our platform here with the wide

slats we get to climb into wet suits

swim below them and disentangle them and

we use a very special tool for that this

is our cutter and it is a hooked blade

on the

inside very thin to fit through the

wooden slats and the idea is that we'll

swimm a wet suit underneath the platform

we poke this through the slat hook it

onto the entanglement and give it a

really good tug and that'll snap it off

the Seal's neck from the Seal's point of

view he's resting in the sun he'll feel

a tug on his neck he'll stand up he'll

bark at the seal next to him and lie

down again he doesn't even know there

was a human involved in removing this

plastic off his neck Brett glazby says

in 2023 they disentangled 124 seals at

the VNA Waterfront alone a statistic

that is increasing year after

[Applause]

year today's story getting a 10 out of

10 it's a home run baby in a real life

sand lot in Kansas complete with a dog

on the other side of the fence a group

of neighborhood kids got the surprise of

their lives when an MLB star asked if he

could join their whiffle ball game

Kansas City Royals catcher Salvador

Perez played a couple of innings with

these young Sluggers and he even hit a

home run absolutely epic all right

Superstars today's shout out goes to

Union Colony Preparatory School in gy

Colorado let them hear you how

Timberwolves we're keeping it moving

this week and making it one to be proud

of there are going to be hurdles on your

way to the finish line but no matter

what it is just keep going see you

tomorrow everyone I'm Ki wire and we are

CNN 10

[Music]