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Honduras and Guatemalan Caravan of Migrants Head North to Mexico and United States; Halloween Spending By Americans; CNN Hero Chris Stout (ph) Has "The Veteran`s Village"; Largest Pumpkins Around the United States
Aired October 22, 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: Thank you for kicking off a new week with CNN 10. I`m Carl Azuz here with your down the middle explanation of world
news. I`m also here with a cold. So please bear with me if I don`t sound as chipper as I normally do. From Honduras to Guatemala to Mexico, a group
of thousands has been making it`s way through Central America and it`s led to debates in Mexico and the U.S. over what to do about it. The caravan of
migrants formed on October 13th in northwest Honduras. We don`t know exactly how many people are taking part in the march to the west and the
north. The Mexican government says there are more than 2,000 people stuck in a border connecting Guatemala and Mexico.
The Honduran government says that 2,000 people in the caravan have turned back for home. So what is this about? One of the Honduran migrants who
spoke to CNN said, there is no work or future in his home country and that he was headed for either Mexico or the U.S., wherever he could find a job.
Those who`ve spoken to other news organizations have made similar statements. How are countries reacting? Well Mexico says, anyone who has
a visa, the legal permission to enter Mexico, will be allowed in but anyone who doesn`t will have to either apply for refugee status which would give
them protection in Mexico or be processed and sent back home.
The U.S. government has been pushing Mexico to make sure that the march does not reach the U.S. border. And President Donald Trump has threatened
to stop U.S. assistance to Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador unless they do more to stop caravans like this one from heading toward the United
States. Honduras and Guatemala said they were taking action to bring the migrants home, but many of those who`ve made it to the Mexican border with
Guatemala are literally caught on a bridge between two nations.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PATRICK OTTMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Some crossed into Mexico from Guatemala by boat, others waded, or swam, just barely. The thousands of
migrants mostly Hondurans said they were fleeing poverty and violence. On Friday, Mexican police stopped the estimated 4,000 strong caravan of
migrants dead in their tracks on a bridge that joins Mexico and Guatemala. The bridge became a holding cell, one without bathrooms or water or mercy
from the brutal sun where the crush of migrants waited to see if they would be allowed to pass.
Mexican police watched as the migrants took to the river but this time didn`t try to stop them. They were not able to cross the bridge so now
they`ve come across on rafts, some of them very heavy loaded. Some of them with small kids carrying all they have on their back and now they`re going
to get off here, finally on the Mexican side to continue the journey north to the United States. After a week traveling, many of these migrants are
out of money and hope is fading but they say they have no choice but to continue on. Patrick Ottmann, CNN on the Mexico-Guatemala border.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CARL AZUZ: 10 Second Trivia. On which of these holidays do Americans plan to spend the most amount of money? Mothers Day, Easter, Valentine`s Day,
or Halloween. According to the National Retail Federation, Americans spend more on Mother`s Day than any other event on this list.
I bet you were thinking Halloween with that event just over a week away. It`s not even in the top five holidays on which Americans spend the most
amount of money. Still, according to the survey by the National Retail Federation, we are expected to spend $9 billion on Halloween this year.
It`s a little less than last year`s record of $9.1 billion. Costumes will account for $3.2 billion of planned spending. Princesses and Super Heroes
are the most popular costumes for kids. For adults, it`s witches, vampires and zombies, oh my.
You know what else is in the top four? Pirates "Arrrrr", in addition to that though, the NRF survey says people plan to spend $2.7 billion on
decorations, $2.6 billion on candy and $400 million on greeting cards. One thing that is expected to set a record this year is the number of people
planning to dress up their pets. The survey indicates that almost 1/10 of the entire U.S. population will do this. And the most popular costumes for
our furry friends are in order pumpkins, hot dogs, even some cats are being dressed as hot dogs, and bumble bees.
There`s a growing community of tiny houses in Kansas City, Missouri that has a unique mission. To serve those who`ve served their country.
Thirteen of these houses opened early this year. Thirteen more will be done next month. They`re part of something called "The Veteran`s Village".
It`s one example of the work of Chris Stout (ph) a former U.S. Army Corporal who`s also a CNN Hero.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(CHRIS STOUT): I served in Afghanistan. You know, when I came home I really struggled with my injury and PTSD. Being around other veterans I
really loved that. I felt that that was a career path I wanted to get in to. I realized there was a huge gap in services. It was a real struggle
to, kind of, walk people in to get the help that they needed.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I served in the U.S. Navy and then I was chronically homeless for about eight years. You feel a sense of desperation,
loneliness. I had no home.
(CHRIS STOUT): If you`ve ever served, you know that if one of your fellow platoon guys, they need help. You help them.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Fill that out for me.
(CHRIS STOUT): Veteran`s (inaudible) Project is designed to be the place that says yes first and figures everything else out later.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There`s your card.
(CHRIS STOUT): We serve anybody who has ever raised their hand to defend our Constitution.
What branch are you?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Navy.
(CHRIS STOUT): Oh my gosh.
We are the go to place for all things veteran.
You guys got a bus pass, all that good stuff?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes sir. You don`t know who much it helps. But it does.
(CHRIS STOUT): One of our flagship programs is our free bus passes for veterans. They`ve given out more than 1 million in rides in less than a
year. For homeless vets, the tiny homes gives them their own personal, private space. I didn`t know what a tiny house was. I had to Google it.
A fully furnished home provides everything that these guys need to live with dignity. To live safely and to just fix what got them there in the
first place.
How come you`re not sleeping?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don`t know.
(CHRIS STOUT): So if you want to get squared away dude, we`ll get you hooked up.
So our tiny homes are organized into a "Veteran`s Village". They get to know each other. They`re supporting each other.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We`ve all kind of put on the uniform and it`s - - it`s just a wonderful brother and sisterhood here. It`s like having a
second family.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They know the homes are small. So we made them all the 5 x 7`s.
(CHRIS STOUT): Oh, these are really cool. This is like - -
We couldn`t have done this without the community. We have 13 houses built. We just started another 13 homes. (inaudible) coordinate the things but
the community makes this happen.
Now you guys are truly a blessing and a God sent for these guys and - -
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well it`s all for a good cause.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (inaudible)
(CHRIS STOUT): When we see somebody reconnecting with their family, that`s huge. When I see a win for them, it`s a celebration for me.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I am starting my own lawn care business. Trying to finish my Associate`s degree. It changed my life.
(CHRIS STOUT): I remember the first day I met you. (inaudible) like a different guy.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The help job (inaudible). I ain`t looked back since man. Dreams are starting to come true again man. I tell you Chris man,
you the man bro. You saved my life. If it weren`t for this man.
(CHRIS STOUT): Just keep doing good man. That`s - - that`s - - that`s what we ask.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I love this place. It makes me love my country.
(CHRIS STOUT): We all went through basic. We all served. This is just my way and opportunity to serve them.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CARL AZUZ: It`s "The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown." The U.S. state of Minnesota is one place where farmers try to grow the "gigantic us" gourd
they can and this prodigious pumpkin is a winner with a weight of 2,091 pounds. That`s more than some two seat sport`s cars. And this isn`t the
only place where fantastic fruit is farmed. In Illinois, one pumpkin came off the vine at 1,510 pounds. The winning farmer heated the soil to get
the gourd to grow. Guess it "stems" from a deep "seeded" desire to "carve" out a niche for yourself by growing the "vinest". The most "gourdgous",
the most "overpiezed" pie in hopes of utterly "squashing" the competition. I`m Carl Azuz for CNN 10.
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