Tom: Hey guys. Hope you had a great Halloween weekend. And hey, congrats to the
Kansas City Royals for becoming World Series champs. It is Monday, November 2. I am
Tom Hanson, and Channel One News starts right now.
Let's start off with headlines. And first up, aviation experts from around the world are in
Egypt today after a Russian plane went down over the weekend while flying over the
skies of Egypt, killing everyone on board.
The airplane came down in a remote area of Egypt called the Sinai Peninsula. The 224
people on board the Metrojet were heading to Russia. An Egyptian aviation official said
that about 20 minutes after takeoff the pilot radioed that he was having technical
difficulties and wanted to make an emergency landing at the nearest airport. Then
contact was lost.
Egyptian authorities said they had recovered both black box flight recorders. The
Moscow based operators said the aircraft was manufactured in 1997 and that
the captain had 12,000 hours flying experience. So far, investigators don't know what
caused the plane to crash, but early reports said that the plane appeared to break up in
the air.
Next up, the largest ever release of federal prison inmates is underway across the
country as 6,000 non-violent drug offenders are walking free.
Two years ago, the U.S. sentencing commission voted to cut jail time for non-violent
drug offenders. And this month it takes effect.
The average 10 1/2 year prison sentence is being reduced by two years. And the
program is part of Congress' effort to reduce the federal U.S. prison population, which
has grown to more than 200,000 behind bars.
Kevin Ring: We’ve shifted our resources to locking up drug dealers and offenders who
can be treated in other ways and with shorter sentences.
Tom: But some police disagree, arguing that a mass release comes without a proper
safety net.
Last up, we head to Washington D.C. where lawmakers have signed off on a two-year
budget deal.
On Friday, the Senate gave final approval and now the budget bill, which was already
approved by the House, heads to President Obama's desk. He is expected to sign off
on it.
The agreement allows the government to borrow more money in order to pay its bills. If
Congress didn't approve, the government would have run out of money tomorrow. It is
called raising the debt ceiling. Think of the debt ceiling like a credit card. You have a
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limit to how much you can spend. For the U.S. government, that limit was $18.1 trillion
dollars.
Now if the limit wasn't reached, that would've meant that starting Tuesday, the
government couldn't borrow any more money and wouldn't be able to pay any of its
bills; things like salaries for government workers and the military and financial help for
the poor and elderly.
The White House negotiated the budget with Republican leaders in recent weeks.
But some said the plan didn't go far enough to cut spending. The agreement increases
spending by $50 billion the first year and $30 billion the year after that. And the deal lifts
the debt ceiling until March of 2017.
Alright coming up, celebrating a civil rights icon is turning into a controversial matter.
There is some new controversy over some old southern symbols and how to honor
America’s most famous civil rights leader, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. And as Arielle
Hixson shows us, two monuments too close together is making some noise.
Stone Mountain, Georgia’s most visited attraction, is also known as the Confederate
Mount Rushmore. Etched into its granite face are Robert E. Lee, Stonewall Jackson and
Jefferson Davis, three heroes of the Civil War-era south stand 90 feet tall and 190 feet
wide.
Timothy Pilgrim is with Georgia’s Sons of Confederate Veterans.
Timothy Pilgrim: This memorial honors the 900,000 Confederate soldiers that went off to
fight to protect their families, their homes and country.
Arielle: Georgia State authority plans to put a tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King, a
freedom bell, on top of Stone Mountain. In his famous "I Have a Dream" speech, King
spoke about ringing freedom from the stone mountain of Georgia.
But the opposition was instant.
Pilgrim: To put a monument on top of an existing monument is unlawful, disrespectful
and inappropriate.
Arielle: And the Confederate crowd found unusual allies. The local NAACP, America's
largest civil rights group, was also opposed, along with Charles Steele.
Charles Steele: It's something that was a dark past of our history, and it need to be
buried in history.
Arielle: Steele leads the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, the civil rights
group Dr. King co-founded.
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Steele: We want to eradicate it. We want to blast it. We want to paint over it. Whatever it
takes, that's what we want to do.
Arielle: Now here's the twist. Many surviving members of Dr. King's inner circle support
installing the monument. One of them is Georgia congressman John Lewis.
John Lewis: The Mountain belonged to the people of this state and the people of this
nation. Why not?
Arielle: In his legendary speech, Dr. King spoke of "Out of the mountain of despair...a
stone of hope.” Today, Stone Mountain remains a symbol for both, depending on who
you talk to.
Arielle Hixson, Channel One News.
Tom: Thanks Arielle.
Alright coming up, we meet some kids that made Halloween about more than costumes
and candy bars.
From the candy to the costumes to the carvings, 157 million Americans celebrated
Halloween over the weekend. And get this; $2.1 billion were spent on candy for the
Holiday. Well, one group of young people decided to spare themselves the sweets, and
instead spent their money giving back. Azia Celestino breaks it down.
Kids: Trick or treat for UNICEF!
Azia: These students are ready to trick or treat. Over the weekend, they joined the
countless kids who hit sidewalks with festive bags in hand. But they are not seeking out
sweets; their mission? To raise money for children who need more than candy for a
program called “Trick-or-Treat For UNICEF.”
What is Trick-or-Treat For UNICEF?
Caryl Stern: It’s really simple. Kids get to do what kids like to do on Halloween. They
dress up, they go door to door. But when they do, they carry a little orange box and they
say ‘trick or treat for UNICEF’ and collect change.
Azia: UNICEF stands for United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund. It is
an organization started by the U.N. to help children in need all over the world. In 1950,
they launched Trick-or-Treat For UNICEF.
Stern: We are iconic. We are the original ‘kids helping kids.’ One in 10 Americans has
actually trick or treated for UNICEF at some point in their lives.
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Azia: Turning the Halloween tradition into a way for young people to collect change
towards, well, change.
Stern: And that change is what helps UNICEF save lives.
Azia: Kids go door to door with bright orange boxes to collect donations and send them
to UNICEF. The funds are used to help save and improve children's lives in over 190
countries by providing health care, education, food and clean water.
Maria Goustas: Trick-or-Treat For UNICEF is for children our age, or a little older or
younger, that don't have what we have.
Azia: In New York, students at PS229 Emanuel Kaplan participate in the program every
year.
Roy Park: It's really fun at the same time too. Everyone loves to do it.
Azia: Since its start, Trick-or-Treat For UNICEF has raised more than $175 million for
children around the world. Today, a $5 donation to UNICEF buys 5 days of food for a
malnourished child; $100 scores measles protection for 100 kids; $400 dollars pays for
a pump to give an entire village water.
Maisha Bhuiyan: That's the only chance where kids help kids and we can do something.
Girl: And it shows that anyone, even if you’re really young, can make a difference.
Azia: Azia Celestino, Channel One News.
Tom: And even though Halloween is over, the UNICEF trick or treat fundraising is still
going on. And you can sign up for the UNICEF school challenge over at
ChannelOne.com.
Alright guys, before we go, we asked you to share pics of your costumes from the
superheroes to the ghosts to the zombies using the hashtag #ch1halloween. And you
guys dressed to impress. Check it out.
Over the weekend you guys hit the streets to treat or treat with your siblings, besties
and the whole squad. From the spooky and scream-worthy selfies, to the mystical and
mysterious masks, you guys did not disappoint.
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