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CNN 10
U.S. Drugmaker Says Its Vaccine Shows Promise; Storm Leaves Behind Destruction in Central America; Native American Tribe Promotes Prescribed Burning
Aired November 10, 2020 - 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: Hi, I`m Carl Azuz with your daily down the middle delivery of world events. Our show starts with news from the
pharmaceutical industry. The drug company Pfizer says it`s moved a big step closer to a breakthrough in the fight against corona virus. Pfizer`s
one of many companies that are working on a corona virus vaccine. It says an early look at research indicates its shot is more than 90 percent
effective in protecting people from catching COVID-19. Pfizer`s in the midst of its phase three trial, when tests are carried out on tens of
thousands of volunteers. The disease continues to spread though at different rates in different countries.
Health officials say last Wednesday was the first time the United States recorded more than 100,000 positive tests in a 24 hour period. And the
country`s seen that several times since then. According to Johns Hopkins University, the U.S. has reported around 10 million positive tests in all
since the pandemic began early this year and health officials have blamed more than 237,000 deaths on corona virus in America. Many people who catch
the disease have no symptoms from it though and officials estimate the overall survival rate for corona virus is more than 99 percent. Still,
because it appears to be deadlier than the flu there`s been an international race to prevent its spread, develop treatments from existing
and new medicines and manufacture an effective vaccine.
Has Pfizer done that? No one knows yet. A non-profit consumer rights organization criticized Pfizer`s announcement. The group "Public Citizens"
says publishing early and incomplete information in a press release is quote "bad science". It adds that more data is needed to prove the vaccine
is effective against serious cases, hospitalizations and deaths from corona virus. Pfizer also says more research and safety information needs to be
gathered. If its vaccine is proven safe and effective, the company says it will be free to all American citizens. It`s unclear though how many of
those citizens would actually get it. In a CNN poll conducted last month, 45 percent of Americans said they would not try to get vaccinated once a
drug becomes available.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is the same storm that`s brought so much havoc to Central America with mudslides, flash flooding and extremely powerful
winds.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (NOT TRANSLATED)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (NOT TRANSLATED)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
AZUZ: 10 Second Trivia. Be stirring as the time be fire with fire is a quote from Shakespeare play? Henry the V, All`s Well That Ends Well, King
John or As You Like It. This line is from the life and death of King John which Shakespeare published in 1623.
That`s likely where we got the phrase "Fight fire with fire" and though Shakespeare meant it differently, prescribed or controlled burning is
fighting wildfires with fire. People intentionally burn certain areas so that when a wildfire gets there, it has nothing else to burn and can`t
spread. The downsides, sometimes controlled burns can go out of control. They can worsen air pollution, possibly threatening the health of residents
nearby. But a Native American tribe that does this in California says history proves its advantages.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: For generations, members of the Karuk tribe in northern California have embraced fire rather than fight it.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We try to bring back, like, family based burning in our area. Which would be traditionally how we would do it is like having
families burning their village areas and having that responsibility and having that knowledge of, like, when and how to burn it.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The Karuk intentionally light fires to clear brush and vegetation in wildfire prone areas. They say it not only reduces the
impact of future fires but makes trees and plants more resistant. They feel it`s a crucial tool for the community and they want to be able to do
it more and on their own terms. Vickie Preston (ph) is a technician with the tribe`s natural resources department.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: A lot of our wellbeing is very much connected with, like, where we live and how the land is doing. You just feel a lot safer
when you`re able to do those prescribed burns around your places. It`s been really -- a real (inaudible) and just been so real, like hard, seeing
like places that we were wanting to burn. They`re burning intensely in wildfire.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The Karuk has to seek permission from and work with the U.S. Forest Service to do prescribed burns because the government owns most
of the land according to the tribe. The California Resources Board also says burn smoke could create unhealthy levels of pollution if managed
incorrectly.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Their regulations say, like, no burning at certain times or no this and that and it`s been something that we`ve had to work
under. We`ve had to get permits for. They`ve gotten a lot of slack over for even wanting to do and so that`s been a struggle for many years.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: In a statement to CNN, the U.S. Forest Service said they support their tribal partners as long as they follow prescribed fire
rules and safety.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: California and the 12,000 acre forest fire in the (inaudible).
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The debate on how to handle fires has lasted decades. The U.S. government outlawed burnings in native communities with the Weeks
Act in 1911. During that time, the U.S. Forest Service also pushed a fire suppression policy. Firefighters put out more fires instead of managing
them. Experts in fire ecology say this removed natural fire from the landscape allowing brush that could fuel fires to build up. And it wasn`t
until the 1950s when the U.S. government started to take prescribed burning seriously.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So instead of having suppression (inaudible) policy everywhere all the time, we adopted the policy that was called fire by
prescription. And we tried to restore good fires as well as prevent bad ones.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Factors like climate change and human development in wildfire prone areas have complicated reintroducing prescribed burns back
in California. If the Karuk tribe and some experts say the benefits of prescribed burns usually outweigh the downsides. In 2016, the U.S.
Geological Survey and the National Park Service found using prescribed fires across a handful of national parks in California reduced fire hazards
for several years after its use.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We need to see more funding for -- for the work. You know, more crews, more community based effort, more attention to tribal
practices and cultural burning. We should be looking for and taking advantage of any opportunity to learn from tribal communities and to work
with them. But I also know that prescribed fire needs to be used strategically and in a targeted way, at the right times if we`re going to
actually have an impact.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The Karuk have seen the consequences of extreme wildfires first hand. Happy Camp, where a large portion of the tribe
lives, lost dozens of homes and buildings due to a wildfire this year. But the tribe remains hopeful prescribed burns will become the norm.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You know, I`m realistic that it`s going to be hard and realistic that whatever work I do is also something that has to be
handed off to the next generation.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
AZUZ: It`s been said that the traffic on Parmalee Gulch Road will only slow down when pigs fly. Well, the man who owns property in this part of
Jefferson County, Colorado made a flying pig. He used paper mache, fiberglass, pink paint and lipstick because lipstick on a pig and it`s
working. Drivers are slowing down to look at it. The owner plans to leave it up all winter and possibly make more as long as people keep tapping the
brakes when they see them.
Last time a flying pig was at a bar-b-que food fight. Now don`t "grunt" at me or bust my "chops". You know I`m "oinkclined" to "ham" it up. You know
I`m always "rooting" for the puns that are "bacon" you groan and I always keep a "spare" or two just to "rib" people with. I`m Carl Azuz for CNN.
We got a shout out today to Inter-Lakes High School. It`s our viewers in Meredith, New Hampshire getting the mention on today`s show. The only
place we look for the schools we mention is the comment section of our most recent YouTube show. So good luck you all.
END
