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NASA Delays Test Launch Of Next Generation Orion Capsule; Protests In New York After Grand Jury Fails To Indict Officer; A Look Inside The Fight Against ISIS In Kobani; Kyoto Temple Begins Offering Same-Sex Marriage Ceremonies; Japanese Woman Begin Taking On Non-Traditional Jobs

Aired December 04, 2014 - 8:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

KRISTIE LU STOUT, HOST: I'm Kristie Lu Stout in Hong Kong. And welcome to News Stream where news and technology meet.

Now we are waiting for NASA to launch its next generation spacecraft, but delays have pushed back the debut of Orion.

And on the front lines of the fight against ISIS, an exclusive look inside Kobani.

NASA's next generation spacecraft is still waiting to launch. The countdown has been paused multiple times now, but the launch window remains

open for close to two more hours. This is to be the first time Orion has been in space. The unmanned craft will orbit the Earth twice before

splashing down in the Pacific Ocean later today.

Now Orion was designed for deep space exploration. And today's test is a key step in NASA's plan to send astronauts to another planet.

Now NASA expects Orion to take up its first crew in 2021. By then, we'll be launching on a new, more powerful rocket that will allow

astronauts to further explore the solar system.

Now NASA will then work to capture an asteroid and then put it in orbit around the moon. It wants to send humans to explore the asteroid's

surface by 2025. But the big goal here is Mars.

Now NASA plans to reach the red planet in the 2030s.

Now we'll have much more on Orion shortly, but now to report just out from Freedom House that says Internet freedom worldwide is in decline for a

fourth straight year.

Now right here you're looking at a map of the 65 countries that are assessed in this annual survey. Now more than half moved into negative

territory in 2014 as a growing number of countries began to ramp up online censorship and adopt laws criminalizing online dissent.

Now another key concern here, several countries have pushed through surveillance heavy legislation on par with the now infamous surveillance

program in the United States.

Now here to break down all the figures for us in this new report is our regular contributor Nick Thompson. He joins us now live. And Nick,

are there any glimmers of hope in this report?

NICK THOMPSON, NEW YORKER.COM: There are not a lot. Most of the report is quite negative, most of the report is quite depressing. However,

there are two countries that did improve, two large, important countries: one is India, which relaxed some of the restrictions on Internet freedom

that it had during recent periods of unrest in the last year. And the other is Brazil, which passed a very important law protecting both net

neutrality and privacy rights on the Internet.

So, there are some glimmers of hope in some very important countries, but most of the report is quite dark.

LU STOUT: Now let's talk about the affect of the NSA scandal. The surveillance program has been condemned around the world. And yet is it

being copied by other countries?

THOMPSON: Yes. This is one of the most disturbing parts of the report is that -- you know, what the report does is it looked at 65

countries, examines them in depth, looks at their policies on Internet freedom, their protections of people's right to speak out online, what

government surveillance is, invasions of privacy law, different categories. And one thing they found is that in lots of nations there's effectively

jealousy of the NSA.

Wait, the NSA is doing that? The United States is able to spy on people like that? We should be able to do it, too. Or, the other way to

look at it would be the United States does it? Well, we can certainly do that. Who can condemn us now?

So, there have been lots and lots of places where laws have been -- laws increasing government surveillance have been passed. And that's quite

disturbing and yet another very pernicious effect of what was revealed about the NSA.

LU STOUT: And, Nick, the cost of diminished Internet freedom here. We're not just talking about filters and sensors anymore, it's about

detention and arrests. Have the stakes gotten much, much higher here?

THOMPSON: Yeah, this is another very interesting trend in the report. So the way that countries used to filter the Internet and used to crack

down is they would look for keywords. And they would sort of troll the net or they would block people from saying certain things. Now there seems to

almost be a shift in policy as more people have come online, as the Internet has become more important in countries around the world what's

happening is that people who say things that challenge the government or challenge the people in power, they're arrested. So it's not just filters

online, it's actual active arrests of people who are speaking out and speaking their minds.

And you're not just seeing this in China and Russia and Iran, in places where we know this is happening, you've seen it everywhere. You're

seeing crackdowns in Ethiopia, you're seeing crackdowns in Ecuador, you're seeing crackdowns in Morocco, a place which was actually quite good on

Internet freedom for what you would expect.

So, this is a very disturbing trend in a disturbing report, absolutely.

LU STOUT: And, Nick, that map that we're sharing that's on the screen just then about Internet freedom in 2014 reminds me of another map both of

us shared on social media recently. How does the findings in the freedom of the net report align with press freedom today?

THOMPSON: Well, I think the two issues are inextricably linked. I mean, what's happening around the world is there's a lot less freedom of

the press. There are a lot more journalists who are being arrested. There are a lot more journalists who are being killed. And that is going along.

And it maps pretty closely with countries where there's a lot less freedom for people to speak out online. And that's partly because the line between

journalists and citizens is blurry. And it's partly because repressive governments tend to crack down on both of these things. And it's partly

because there's a lot of repression happening in very important countries like Russia that spreads across journalism, across the Internet.

But it is quite disturbing that both of these things , both of -- you know, both press freedom worldwide and Internet freedom worldwide are

declining at a time where we sort of thought 10 years ago there's this inextricable march towards progress, towards openness, the Internet will

bring more openness, it'll bring more conversation, it'll bring more democracy and yet we're now seeing a retrenchment. And it's a very -- it's

a disturbing path.

And the fact that this is the fourth year in a row this has happened in the Internet Freedom Report is also not a good thing.

So this is an area where we thought there'd be great human progress and there doesn't seem to be.

LU STOUT: Yeah, it's a very, very disturbing report, really appreciate you just walking us through the key findings in this Internet

freedom report just out a couple of hours ago.

Nick Thompson of the NewYorker.com joining us live from New York. Thank you, Nick.

Now, in a moment we're also waiting for the launch of NASA's next generation spacecraft, the Orion. So let's get some perspective from a

retired NASA astronaut. Leroy Chiao joins me now live from Houston, Texas. And Leroy, good to see you. Thank you for joining us here on CNN.

There have been, as you know, a number of delays. We're still waiting for the Orion test launch to go. Are you confident that the test launch

will proceed and succeed?

LEROY CHIAO, RETIRED ASTRONAUT: Yes. I think we will launch today. I hate to jinx it by saying that. But what we're waiting on are guessing

when. So just exceeding, barely tickling over the limit of 21 knots.

But we've got a long launch window, a couple of hours. And so I think by that time we will have a window where we just need a few minutes of

relative calm when we can get this launch off.

LU STOUT: Yeah, you're right, nobody wants to jinx this unmanned test launch. So fingers crossed here.

Now the Orion has been described as Apollo on steroids. And I want to ask you your thoughts about that comparison.

CHIAO: Well, if you look at the Orion capsule, it looks a lot like the Apollo capsule. It's the same shape. It's a lot bigger. The base of

the Orion is about five meters. It's designed to be more capable than Apollo. It's designed to be able to take up to six astronauts. It's right

now is being configured for four -- not for today's launch, but the first iteration. And it will be able to go farther than the moon as part of

another vehicle stack.

So, it is an important milestone today. It's the first U.S. government launch of a new spacecraft since the end of the shuttle era in

the middle of 2011. So we're all -- all of us in the business here are very excited about it.

LU STOUT: Yeah. Very excited indeed.

I mean, to go farther than the moon and to eventually reach Mars one day, that is a very big and bold dream. And it needs a big budget. Does

NASA and its partners, does it have the money and the support to carry out a Mars program?

CHIAO: At this current time there is no Mars program. There is talk about Mars. There's vague notions of Mars in a couple of decades, but

there's no formal program. So that's an open question.

The idea is that we are moving forward at least one step at a time. Developing the Orion is the very first step. There are a lot of other

pieces that would go into a Mars program, including a lander, an Earth departure stage, a habit module. So all of those things have to come

together in the coming years. And the idea is to build it up as much as we can one step at a time to get the capability to eventually send humans to

Mars.

LU STOUT: Yeah, it's a key step forward, but as you point out, there is no Mars program there in the U.S. So do you think this test, this test

launch that's due to happen in the next hour-and-a-half, fingers crossed, will invigorate and rekindle support and interest in space?

CHIAO: I sure hope so. I think it'll at least for a little while get everyone's attention that we've flown a new spacecraft or a new test

version of a new spacecraft. And, you know, I anticipate we'll get some good data out of this, this'll move the program forward.

But, you know, in a sense it's kind of baby steps unfortunately because where we are with a budget.

LU STOUT: Now, exploration beyond low Earth orbit it's not just an American dream. Does a mission to Mars have to be an international

activity to succeed?

CHIAO: I believe it does. And I would use the example of the International Space Station. It has been so successful in bringing all the

partner nations together, even former Cold War enemies, former World War II enemies. And we actually built this audacious wonderful station. And it

should serve as a template for future exploration, I absolutely think the coalition should be expanded in the future to include countries like China

who is only the third nation able to launch astronauts into space. And so it makes a lot of sense to make this an international effort and it makes a

lot of sense for the United States to be the leader of this effort.

LU STOUT: Now, this is a craft, the Orion, it is designed to sustain a mission to Mars. In this test launch, it's a systems test launch. It's

going to look into how this craft will be able to withstand radiation, how it will be able to withstand the heat, especially upon return back to --

back to planet Earth. Your thoughts about the systems on board that need to be tested. What are people most concerned about how it's going to

perform during this test?

CHIAO: Well, you're right. And this is a test of the spacecraft's systems, some of the systems including the heat shield that's probably the

most critical test. It's going to actually go up to about 3,600 miles, which is much higher than the normal 300 nautical mile orbit of something

like the International Space Station that'll enable them to come back at a much higher speed. So instead of the normal entry speed from low Earth

orbit of 17,500 miles an hour, Orion on this test will come back at about 20,000 miles an hour and the heat shield will get up to a temperature of

about 4,000 degrees Fahrenheit as opposed to a normal entry on another capsule from Leo at 3,000 degrees.

So that would be the critical test, I think.

But it will test other things like the separation and deployment systems, the parachute systems, of course, obviously, a crucial part of any

spacecraft that comes back under parachutes. But we'll learn a lot of the radiation environment as well and some other aerodynamics and things like

that.

LU STOUT: All right, Leroy Chiao former NASA astronaut, thank you so much for sharing your thoughts with us. And take care, hope to talk soon.

Now as we've mentioned, this is an unmanned test flight, but that doesn't mean Orion is going up empty. The capsule's commemorate cargo on

board includes mementos from the Apollo missions. There's a sample of lunar soil and a space suit oxygen hose.

Now also on board is a prehistoric fossil from a Tyrannosaurus Rex. Now NASA say it serves as a reminder of how much life the Earth has seen

during its existence. And then there's also a microchip. The microchip holds the names of more than a million people. And here's a look at some

of the chip's messages. It reads, quote, "for all humanity on the journey to Mars."

Now ASA is also hoping to inspire a new generation of space fans. It teamed up with the children's program Sesame Street and is taking up Cookie

Monster's cookie and Ernie's rubber ducky as well.

Now we will bring you the launch of Orion when it happens.

You're watching News Stream. Still ahead, a CNN crew goes inside Kobani, Syria, a city at the heart of the battle against ISIS militants.

Also ahead, a Japanese temple breaks away from tradition to host a gay marriage. We'll look at signs of change for gay rights in Japan.

And protesters in New York shouted "I can't breathe." We'll tell you why they took to the streets.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LU STOUT: Welcome back.

And now to a behind the scenes look at the battle against ISIS. A CNN crew managed to get inside Kobani, the city at the heart of that battle in

northern Syria. It is a key target for ISIS as it fights to expand its territory to the Turkish border.

And CNN's Nick Paton Walsh went to the front line with some of the fighters trying to keep the city from falling to the radical militants.

And a warning, some of the images may be disturbing to some viewers.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: From inside Kobani, the days ferocity gets no respite at night, a prize so small, but

so valued that violence seems to swallow it whole, grinding its streets down to the bone.

We're heading to the front line where nightly, daily, ISIS hoped to advance with Meedya, a Kurdish female fighter also in their egalitarian

world this unit's commander.

Coalition air power did this, pushing ISIS back. They abandon their dead as they retreat, the decaying smell haunts these front lines.

Some call it Kobanigrad after the city Stalin sacrificed to make a point.

Little left here, but a bulwark of Kurdish defiance 20 meters from ISIS.

They think they see something in the rubble.

(GUNFIRE)

WALSH: Even after coalition support, desperately in need of better arms.

It's the kind of exchanges that happen here hourly. ISIS literally meters to that side shooting at this position, but receiving return fire as

well.

This surely wasn't the death ISIS recruits were sold in their propaganda videos.

Mortars are often used, so we pull back.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Up against the wall. You against the wall.

WALSH: Meedya is 22 and has been within five meters of ISIS. Here, friends are made and lost. Her best friend Reeban (ph) died saving others.

MEEDYA RAQQA, YPG KURDISH COMMANDER (through translator): There were very heavy clashes with ISIS. We were outnumbered and out of ammunition.

She herself was injured, but she advanced to help save the other injured with her. ISIS surrounded her, because girls are very prized by them. She

then blew herself up and killed a lot of them with her.

I was near her then. Her last words were to me were, we will liberate our land with the last drop of blood in my body.

WALSH: The men bring us tea. This is the polar opposite of ISIS's worldview.

They cannot afford to stop the fight, even if that means there's little left to live on when they do.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LU STOUT: Our senior international correspondent Nick Paton Walsh is with us now from Gaziantep in Turkey. And Nick, in your report just then

we got the opportunity to meet Meedya. She is 22-years-old. She is a Kurdish YPG commander. She is certainly brave. And she's also young. I

mean, how well trained are the YPG fighters in Kobani fighting ISIS?

WALSH: Well, they have been doing this for awhile. And obviously in any war, particularly Syria now, those doing the fighting get younger and

younger. But in fact Meedya said to us she'd been involved in the fight against ISIS and whatever different forms it had in Syria's civil war for a

couple of years now.

So, certainly experienced, but obviously not trained as part of a professional army, as we would say in the west, but making the best of what

they have. And you saw there the weapons often old, often jam on them. They do have Iraqi Kurdish Peshmerga in that town with their own heavy

weaponry assisting them. But they still lack ammunition and they see the coalition in the skies and high-tech war planes, but themselves are holding

ISIS back on the ground there with Kalashnikovs as you saw -- Kristie.

LU STOUT: Thank you very much indeed for your reporting. Nick Paton Walsh reporting live from Gaziantep, Turkey, a witness to war, a witness to

that damage caused by that savage fighting in Kobani. Thank you, Nick.

Now a same sex marriage becomes legal and a growing number of countries. Gay couples in some places are still forced to live secret

lives.

Japan is one country that does not officially recognize same-sex unions, but as CNN's Will Ripley reports, there are signs of change.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WILL RIPLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: There is perhaps no greater symbol of ancient Japan than its former capital Kyoto, home to some 1,600 temples,

centuries of time honored tradition.

TAKAFUMI KAWAKAMI, BUDDHIST PRIEST: It's not like we have to keep the tradition the way it is.

RIPLEY: This Zen Buddhist priest is breaking with old idea.

KAWAKAMI: We welcome every couple regardless of their faith or sexual orientation.

RIPLEY: A controversial decision, making Shunkoin Temple the first in Japan officially offering same-sex weddings. The ceremonies are only

symbolic. Japan doesn't recognize gay unions.

KAWAKAMI: Some people say, oh, this is against Japanese traditional value about marriage.

RIPLEY: Open sexual relationships between Japanese men date back to ancient times. Greater western influence in the 19th Century made it

taboo. Today, many gays and lesbians lead secret lives.

What is the state of gay rights in Japan?

"Japan still has not LGBT protection laws. Lawmakers aren't even talking about it," says LGBT activity Maki Muraki (ph).

She says coming out can mean getting fired, evicted, or denied health care. And there's no legal recourse.

"If more people come out and get married, it will increase LGBT awareness. It'll lead to marriage equality and workplace equality," she

says.

Equality for couples like Kaziuki Menami (ph) and Matsumi Yoshida (ph), together for 14 years.

"I like him. I love him. I love being with him. He makes me want to work harder," he says.

They hope some day Japanese law will allow them to start a family.

"I'm a man who loves a man, but I have the same life as a straight person."

The same life, but not the same rights.

In traditional Japan, things are slowly changing. Many in the gay community say there's still a long way to go.

Will Ripley, CNN, Osaka, Japan.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LU STOUT: All right, coming up, a new launch time for the Orion. It is set to launch 8:26 a.m. Eastern time, that's just minutes from now.

We're keeping an eye on the launchpad in Florida right here on News Stream.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LU STOUT: All right. Orion launch is on hold. Apparently fuel and drain valve did not close.

Now this is the latest word that we heard from NASA as you look at live pictures at the launchpad there in Florida.

Now former NASA astronaut Leroy Chiao is joining us. And I'll be talking to him in just a moment.

We were waiting for the countdown clock to wind down. Unfortunately, it's not winding down just yet. There's been another delay.

And just to give you some context, NASA is preparing, again, for the test launch of the Orion spacecraft. It's a ship that could take

astronauts one day to Mars.

Now there have been in the last almost two hours a number of delays. The launch is on hold. And this is a systems test for Orion.

Now Orion when it does go ahead with this test launch. It is an unmanned capsule today. It will travel some 3,600 miles above the planet.

It plans to orbit twice and then head back down, splashing down into the Pacific Ocean.

Now it features the largest heat shield ever built. This test launch is paving the way for a test flight in the future and eventually a current

mission later on with the intention to go to Mars.

Now let's go live now to our guest Leroy Chiao, former NASA astronaut. He's been watching this all along.

And Leroy, we were really hoping that the countdown clock was going to begin. There has been another delay. I mean, your thoughts on the number

of delays so far. The window is still open. Is this going to happen or not?

CHIAO: Well, we've still got a lot of time left in the launch window, so they're going to be looking at this latest issue very carefully.

They'll probably cycle the valve a few times to see if they can get it to close. And if so, the launch count should be able to proceed. But of

course without more detail we won't really be able to know for at least several more minutes until they kind of get their arms around the problem.

So, I'm still cautiously optimistic we'll see a launch today and fingers crossed.

LU STOUT: Now, again, he Orion launch is on hold because of fuel and a drain valve did not close. You, as an experienced NASA astronaut, walk

us through the procedures that take place when a launch happens. You know, just how you have to be able to look at whether it's the wind, whether it's

possible debris around, whether it's making sure that the valves, everything is OK. Exactly what is being checked out right now before they

can say all systems go?

CHIAO: Well, of course a rocket is a very complex piece of machinery, so launching one is, you know -- sometimes when you're in the business it

seems like more of a miracle that you get one off.

But you've got a whole launch control team down there. There are people who are monitoring their systems, you know, people dedicated to

certain systems. They're getting telemetry from the rocket. They are issuing commands per the checklist. And when something doesn't work right,

and for example, in this case the valve didn't close when they commanded it to close, then they've got to work the issue and determine whether it

really didn't close or whether it did close, but then the indicator is faulty showing that it didn't.

So they've got to go through and collect as much data as they can, try to do it in and expeditious manner so that they can solve the problem

before the launch window closes and they are in that process right now.

So, it could be any number of things. It can be a technical system on the rocket. It could be a piece of hardware. It could be, as we saw, a

wind violation, it could be a boat that strayed into launch area. You know, so any number of these things could put the launch on hold as it has

this morning.

But I'm still cautiously optimistic that we'll get there today.

LU STOUT: Cautiously optimistic.

Now, we are closely watching the launch and when it happens here on CNN International. I want to ask you, you know, there where you are in

Houston and across America, are Americans closely watching this launch? How significant event is this? And could this test launch rekindle

interest in the space program there?

CHIAO: Well, I think so. This is the first U.S. government launch of a spacecraft since the end of the shuttle program three-and-a-half years

ago. So I think Americans and, indeed people around the world will take note of this. It's a significant milestone. And I think it will rekindle

some interest. And hopefully we can sustain that interest.

LU STOUT: All right, Leroy Chiao, thank you so much for staying put there and joining us once again here on CNN as we await the launch of the

Orion vehicle. It's there on the launchpad. There's been another delay according to NASA. It's been on hold because of a fuel and drain valve did

not close.

Leroy Chiao joining us live from Houston. Live pictures there from Florida on your screen. You're watching News Stream.

And still to come on the program we've got this, anger on the streets of New York as protesters demand justice for a man who died while being

arrested. We've got the details straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LU STOUT: I'm Kristie Lu Stout in Hong Kong, you're watching News Stream and these are your world headlines.

Now NASA remains optimistic that it will launch its next generation spacecraft today. Now we have seen several issues that have delayed its

liftoff from the Kennedy Space Center, but the launch window remains open for more than another hour. Now the unmanned spacecraft is due to orbit

twice and test its critical systems before splashing down in the Pacific Ocean. Orion was designed for deep space exploration.

Now police have arrested a woman in the United Arab Emirates in connection with the fatal stabbing of an American school teacher at a high-

end mall in Abu Dhabi. Now security footage shows what police say is the assailant. Now the woman arrested a 30-year-old UAE national. After the

attack in the mall restroom, police say the suspect planted a handmade bomb in front of a Mulsim-American doctor's home.

The Philippines is bracing for a supertyphoon. The storm's exact course is uncertain, but it appears to be heading for the center of the

country and it is gaining strength. Now people in Tacloban, its the city devastated by Typhoon Haiyan last year are preparing for the worst lining

up for supplies to see them through the storm.

Justice denied, that was among some of the slogans where hundreds of protesters on the streets of New York Wednesday night. Now they are angry

over a grand jury decision not to indict a white police officer who use a choke hold on Eric Garner, an African-American back in July.

Now Garner was accused of selling cigarettes illegally on a street corner. And his last words were I can't breathe.

Now U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder says there will be a federal investigation into the case.

Now let's head straight to New York now to get the very latest from CNN's Jason Carroll -- Jason.

JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kristie, hundreds marched and chanted their way through the streets. In fact, right here through Times

Square last night some of them saying the same thing that Eric Garner's wife said, that hey would fight until the very end for justice.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CROWD: I can't breathe! I can't breathe!

CARROLL: Protesters pouring into the streets of New York last night after a grand jury did not indict New York City Police Officer Daniel

Pantaleo in the chokehold death of 43-year-old Eric Garner.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I can't breathe.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's a very painful day for so many New Yorkers.

CARROLL: Arrests made throughout the night as outrage pulsed throughout the city streets for more than nine hours.

CROWD: Black lives matter!

CARROLL: Most chanting Garner's last words --

CROWD: I can't breathe! I can't breathe!

CARROLL: Before dying on this Staten Island street.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I can't breathe. I can't breathe.

CROWD: I can't breathe!

CARROLL: Police, some in riot gear blocking intersections, as protesters began shutting down the city's most iconic landmarks, stopping

the flow of traffic into and out of the island of Manhattan for hours, some lying down right in the middle of the road, the same inside Grand Central

Station --

CROWD: I can't breathe! I can't breathe!

CARROLL: Where other protesters staged a massive "die-in" as evening rush hour hit its peak. Police heavily guarding the Rockefeller tree

lighting ceremony --

CROWD: Three, two, one!

(APPLAUSE)

CARROLL: -- as protesters tried to disrupt the show. The city's public outcry reaching a fever pitch nationwide. From Los Angeles --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I am Eric Garner.

CROWD: I am Eric Garner.

CARROLL: -- to Philadelphia.

CROWD: Hands up. Don't shoot.

CARROLL: Where protesters took to city hall during their tree lighting ceremony, holding up signs reading "Black lives matter." The demonstrations

across the country disruptive but peaceful, fulfilling Garner's family wish.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We want to you rally, but rally in peace.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No violence.

CARROLL: Officer Pantaleo said in a statement "It is never my intention to harm anyone and I feel very bad about the death of Mr.

Garner." But Garner's wife says it's too late.

ESAW GARNER, WIFE OF ERIC GARNER: Hell no. The time for remorse would have been when my husband was yelling to breathe. That would have been the

time for him to show some type of remorse or some type of care for another human being's life.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CARROLL: In all last night, Kristie, some 83 arrests, mostly for disorderly conduct. The demonstrations last night here on the streets of

New York overwhelmingly peaceful unlike what we saw in Ferguson, Missouri when that grand jury released its result. New York City's mayor coming out

with a statement this morning saying this is not the end of the Eric Garner story, only the end, Kristie, of a chapter.

LU STOUT: Yeah, incredible scenes at protests -- mainly peaceful protests there in New York. Jason Carroll joining us live. Thank you very

much indeed for that.

Now in Japan, more women are taking on roles traditionally held by men and breaking through the glass ceiling. That story is next on News Stream.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LU STOUT: Welcome back.

Now from construction to agriculture, Japanese women are taking on more non-traditional jobs and leadership roles. Now CNN's Paula Newton

explores how women in business are pushing Japan's economy into the future.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PAULA NEWTON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: As a little girl, Megumi Takata (ph) wanted to be a florist. Today, she says this is her

dream job: a construction supervisor building a high-rise in Shinjuku Central Tokyo.

Here, you can forget the glass ceilings. At just 29, Megumi (ph) is every inch the boss. This building will stand 11 stories when complete.

And she says the opportunity to see it rise is inspiring.

MEGUMI TAKATA, PROJECT MANAGER (through translator): You really have a chance here to create something so big. Even after the construction, the

building has to stand safely. And in that sense, this is a job to create something. And it involves a lot of social responsibility. I'm very proud

of being a part of such a job. And I enjoy it very much.

NEWTON: Megumi is part of a rare breed in Japan, a young, educated woman in a non-traditional job. Despite a womanomics movement in Japan to

finally improve the status of women, changes have been slow, jobs few. Megumi is undeterred.

TAKATA (through translator): I think it will continue to develop. Companies are beginning to put more women into these types of positions.

They also want to take on more women in the labor force.

NEWTON: From downtown Tokyo, we travel more than three hours outside the city to see womanomics down on the farm.

Nahoko Takahashi is the creator of Yamagata Girl's Farm, an agriculture business she has nurtured with a love of the land and a

resistance to what are traditional women's roles in Japan.

NAHOKO TAKAHASHI, YAMAGATA GIRL'S FARM (through translator): Japanese customs are like chains for women and prevent them from working.

NEWTON: And because of that, this is a rare sight as well in Japan, women running and working on their own farm.

Nahoko says women like her reject non-traditional careers and in some cases drop work altogether because they, unlike men, they're the sole

responsibility for household work no matter what they do outside the home.

TAKAHASHI (through translator): I started this girls' farm to provide a place to turn being a woman into an advantage. Once farms run by women

become less rare and female farmers become commonplace, our girl's farm won't be necessary. That is our goal.

NEWTON: Back on the job site, Megumi is optimistic a cultural shift in women's roles is slowly but surely taking place in Japan.

TAKATA (through translator): It's possible, otherwise what am I doing here?

NEWTON: Indeed, Japan's traditional ways have many times been its competitive advantage. That's not the case with the role of women. The

government says it's time Japan creates a society where women shine. And these two women, well they can.

Paula Newton, CNN, Tokyo.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LU STOUT: And that is News Stream. I'm Kristie Lu Stout. But don't go anywhere, World Sport with Laura Rutledge is up next.

END