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CNN 10
Venezuelans Vote in a Presidential Election; A Texas City Mourns Victims of a Shooting; A Close-Up of a Volcanic Eruption
Aired May 21, 2018 - 04:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CARL AZUZ, CNN 10 ANCHOR: We`re winding down the season on CNN 10. We have two weeks left on air and there will be a hiatus until Monday, August
13th.
Welcome to the show. I`m Carl Azuz.
Millions of people in Venezuela have gone to the polls to vote in a presidential election. It started yesterday morning. The leader of the
South American country has chosen through a simple majority vote and the incumbent president, Nicolas Maduro, is hoping to continue in its job for
at least another six years.
One thing that`s interesting about this is that the main group that opposes Venezuela`s leader is boycotting the election. Many of those who aren`t
voting believe it`s been rigged to give President Maduro the victory. In fact, the election has been criticized as unfair both inside and outside of
Venezuela.
The country`s leader blames the United States for trying to undermine the vote. Venezuelan and U.S. presidents have criticized each other for years.
But President Maduro says Venezuela`s election would not be tarnished and that the outcome would be respected.
The controversial incumbent does have challengers. And while they have different ideas on how to run Venezuela, anyone who wins will have a hard
job ahead.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SUBTITLE: Why Venezuela is in crisis.
PAULA NEWTON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Venezuelan politics have always been complicated and temperamental. But even more so now, as the
crumbling economy has plunged this country into a very dangerous political stalemate.
In 1999, Hugo Chavez was elected president and he turned to his very specific and personal brand of socialism, Chavismo. He gave out free
flats, television sets, refrigerators, fixed prices for basic things, like flour and eggs.
And that made many people in Venezuela happy. It totally brought up the standard of living in the middle class. The problem was there was no way
to pay for these things.
When Hugo Chavez died in 2013, his handpicked successor, Nicolas Maduro, was elected president. He continued with Chavismo.
The problem was that the price of oil collapsed from $100 a barrel to less than $50. The economy has never recovered.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
AZUZ: It`s completely collapsed. Inflation in Venezuela, when prices go up and currency buys less is estimated to reach 13,000 percent this year.
That`s according to the International Monetary Fund promotes financial stability and cooperation. Empty shelves in grocery stores reflect the
shortage of basic things like flour, medicine and toilet paper.
In the words of one woman, who says her family doesn`t earn enough money to buy half a dozen eggs, quote, nothing is normal. An estimated 4 million
Venezuelans have left the country over the past four years. There are around 31 million there now.
The results of the election hadn`t come in by the time we produced this show.
A U.S. congressman from Texas says his community would grieve together, love one another and work together to get through a tragedy that took place
last Friday. In the southeastern Texas city of Santa Fe, schools are closed today and tomorrow, following last week`s shooting at Santa Fe high
school. It ended after school resource officers confronted the suspect and Texas Governor Greg Abbott says the officers likely save lives.
He was expected to meet with family members of the victims yesterday, following a service at the First Baptist Church of Santa Fe. As the news
media arrived to cover that, they observed a rainbow over the church that one reporter said appeared to reach to the school.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SUBTITLE: Officials have issued a red alert for part of Hawaii`s Big Island after a plume of ash from the Kilauea volcano rose 12,000 feet into
the air.
Multiple fissures have cracked open since the volcano erupted on May 3.
STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: This is the first fissure that we were able to get close to when we first got here, right after the eruption
began.
SUBTITLE: This is what it`s like on the ground.
ELAM: The sound is deafening. And I can see -- it`s hard to see, but I can see that there`s some fire burning inside there. There are still, deep
orange pieces being launched out of this fissure into the sky.
You can feel the pressure. It is strong. And it almost sounds angry.
What I understand after talking to volcanologists is that it doesn`t just start as a big eruption. What happens here is that first, there are cracks
in the road. Cracks like these, take a look at this. Cracks like these that you see first.
And then, you see the smoke. Those volcanic gasses starting to erupt. And then after that, what can happen, is the lava starting to erupt out of
earth. And coming out and being flung into the air, several hundred feet in some cases.
SUBTITLE: Kilauea, on Hawaii`s Big Island, is one of the world`s most active volcanoes.
With the red alert, officials warn the situation is very hazardous for aviation.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
AZUZ: Like a lot of private pilot, Paul Steklenski, started working towards his license so he could fly from the pun of it. He originally
didn`t think that he`d been doing it as a form of service. But that change a few years ago, and today, more than 1,000 dogs have Steklenski to thank
for saving their lives.
He`s completed almost 100 flights to save animals. He`s paid for them himself. He`s the founder of Flying Fur Animal Rescue and he`s a CNN Hero.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PAUL STEKLENSKI, CNN HERO: Every dog that steps food on our plane is a passenger. They are getting a private flight to save their lives and I
wouldn`t have it any other way.
I did not choose this path. It was chosen for me. At the time, I really didn`t know why I was doing it.
Clear to (INAUDIBLE) 3,500 going direct to (INAUDIBLE)
I started flying in the spring of 2013, after passing by this airport, on my way to work every day and deciding I would finally take a listen. I was
half a dozen lessons in and we decided to adopt the dog.
The process of adopting Tessa (ph) opened my eyes to a world that I didn`t know existed. If they don`t get out of certain areas of this country, they
don`t live. These animals are perfectly fine and healthy and adoptable, just can`t get out of high kill shelters to that freedom.
(INAUDIBLE) about 12,000 miles southeast to the field.
One side became an airman, I thought this was a way I can use an ability I have to help move a large amount of animals in a short period, and
literally save their lives.
My current schedule allows me to fly about twice a month.
You just look like my Tessa. You`re just like my baby girl.
We`ll head to North Carolina and we`ll meet our fosters and rescues there.
I tried to greet every passenger before we load them unto the aircraft, to spend a few moments with them.
Are you ready to go?
So, they can see me. They can smell me and try to -- can give off each other`s vibes.
We load the airplane up and then we`ll make stop along the eastern coast.
Yeehaw, here we go.
I would start to notice that certain animals were more scared than others.
You smell my cookies.
So, I would lean towards the animal that I can comfort the most to place next to me.
Hey, Bernie. You`re so calm right now.
It`s very important that their time with me is as comfortable as can be. I`m quite certain they know things about the change and they know things
are getting better and they`re going to end up in a pound.
All right, buddy, stay right there.
How (INAUDIBLE) thinking? I think (INAUDIBLE)
All of the shelters that I work with are no kill.
His heart is beating a mile a minute. He`s so scared.
These people are dedicated to taking these animals, fostering them and seeing them through adoption. We couldn`t exist without them.
I`ll get your stuff, OK? I`ll get your baggage.
This is sort of my salvation. It`s something that I feel very privileged to be able to do.
Animals can profoundly change you and to be able to help other people experience that. It`s just the absolute best.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
AZUZ: If you`re big fan of chicken wings, you might think these are worth their wait in gold, 24-carat gold. They`re now on sale to eat at a
restaurant in New York City. They`re brined for 12 hours, coated in a dry rub, baked, then friend. And here`s where the money is. They`re coated in
a layer of gold dust.
Yes, they cost more that buffalo wings. Ten of these are 45 bucks. The restaurant`s owners say they wanted to create something over the top.
But why wings and not nuggets? I guess if you`re going to go for the gold and test your diner`s mettle, you can start a flap with a wing folks, or
dust up with the nugget folks. Either way, the things shining on the wings are bling and it blings us to another rich ending for CNN 10.
I`m Carl Azuz.
END
