Return to Transcripts main page
CNN 10
100-Day Milestone For U.S. Presidents; Anniversary And History Of The U.S. Space Shuttle Program; Traffic Signal For Camels. Aired 4-4:10a ET
Aired April 13, 2021 - 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: Welcome everyone to CNN 10. I`m Carl Azuz. We`re starting with a report on a U.S. presidential milestone. A measurement
really known as the first 100 days. What has a new U.S. leader done and not done in just over three months after inauguration day?
April 30th will mark 100 days in office for President Joe Biden. By day seven, the new leader had signed dozens of executive orders, new directives
from the executive branch. Many of President Biden`s orders aimed to unravel the policies of this predecessor former President Donald Trump and
many of his orders went against the policies of his predecessor, former President Barack Obama.
So you can see how these can swing back and forth. On this 51st day, President Biden signed a new stimulus package. A $1.9 trillion spending
bill intended to ease the financial problems related to coronavirus.
The law had passed in the Democratic controlled Congress on the Democratic president`s 50th day but it received no support from Congressional
Republicans. Another goal the president had was for 100 million Americans to get at least one dose of coronavirus vaccine by his 100th day. Critics
said that goal wasn`t ambitious.
That the nation was on track to do that anyway and it happened on President Biden`s 58th day. But shortly before that, the U.S. leader announced he`d
increase his goal to 200 million doses by his 100th day. We don`t know yet if that will be reached. But this is just a sampling of this particular
president`s actions. CNN Contributor Rachel Janfaza looks at the history of the 100 day milestone.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RACHEL JANFAZA, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Historically, the first 100 days of a new president`s administration are significant Carl. The term the first 100
days dates back to President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. You might know him as FDR. He signed 15 bills into law during his first 100 days in office.
Since then, presidents have been judged for how (inaudible) on what they accomplish during the same period. When FDR took office in 1933, he faced
the "Great Depression", time of major economic crisis. Unemployment had reached an estimated 25 percent.
During his first 100 days of office, FDR worked with Congress to roll out the "New Deal", an aggressive policy agenda that set up to get the country
back on track. The newly elected Democratic majority in Congress was eager to help pass the new president`s legislation.
FDR signed 15 major bills into law during his first 100 days including the Emergency (inaudible), the Public Works Administration, the Civilian
Conservation Corps, the Tennessee Valley Authority, the National Industrial Recovery Act and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. Since then, the
first few months of the new administration has provided a glimpse into the president`s governing style and set the tone for what the commander-in-
chief hopes to accomplish.
Ronald Reagan who was shot in the chest on his 59th day in office signed his first bill into law from the George Washington University Hospital. And
on the eve of his 100th day in office, he delivered an address to a joint session of Congress. George W. Bush marked the occasion by inviting all 535
members of Congress to the White House for lunch.
And on his 100th day in office, Barack Obama held a primetime news conference in the East Wing of the White House. But despite the tradition
Carl, some presidents have said that judging them on their first 100 days is unreasonable as it doesn`t give a new president enough time to
accomplish their goals. John F. Kennedy famously said that even the first 1,000 days wouldn`t be enough time either.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
AZUZ: Another time related topic this Tuesday, an anniversary. Yesterday marked exactly 40 years since NASA`s Space Shuttle Program got off the
ground. Before the last flight landed in 2011, NASA estimated the total cost of the program was $209 billion and space history experts say there`s
been an endless debate over whether it was worth it, but it changed our view of space.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There was a huge acceleration. Solid rocket propellant burns very rough. You go from 3Gs to 0G instantaneously and then it`s this
overwhelming view of the blackness of space. OK. I`m in orbit. I`ve got a lot of work to do.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Over 30 years they flew on 135 missions, transporting 355 people and over 3 million pounds of cargo, part rocket, part orbiter
and part airplane. (Inaudible) space shuttle wasn`t just the next step after Apollo. It was a giant leap in the way we understood and viewed
space.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The success of the space shuttle program really goes back to that initial foundation. Applying what you learn from the Apollo
program in the X vehicle world and really taking it to the next level.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The shuttle program began in 1972. It promised routine access to space and a delivery system capable of building a space station.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Reusability was built into the space shuttle system. A lot of the key design challenges were making that happen, making this
system as light as possible, getting the orbiter just right. The thermal protection system, all the propulsion systems that were necessary, really
it was an incredible marvel of human engineering.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The design was perfected by 1991 and on April 12th, the world tuned in to watch Columbia launch. It had the trademark shuttle look
with two solid rocket boosters and a giant external fuel tank supplied the orbiters three main engines. These propelled it to speeds of almost 18,000
miles per hour. Fast enough to escape earth`s gravity and begin the shuttle era.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It`s sure been fun working with you today. Really appreciate those comments.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Columbia was joined by Challenger, Discovery, Atlantis and Endeavor. Operating at the edge of possibility, it didn`t all go to
plan. Challenger and later Columbia suffered tragic fatal accidents. But together, the shuttle fleet redefined our relationship with space. They
served as orbiting science labs, launched prepared and upgraded satellites including groundbreaking instruments like the Hubble Space Telescope.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When the Hubble Space Telescope first launched, it had a mirror problem but the space shuttle was there to fix that. It`s an
incredibly important achievement.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: But the shuttle`s most important achievements was building the International Space Station.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It`s just unbelievable that humans have built this incredible facility 250 miles up above the earth. Being part of the
assembly it certainly was an incredible highlight for all of us that participated in it. It took a couple hundred space walks, lots of vehicles,
lots of robotic activity to put it all together.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We can see the International Space Station. It`s a wonder accomplishment and we`ll never forget the role the space shuttle
played in its creation.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: In 2011 after a decade of work and over 30 shuttle launches, the ISS was complete and what followed was the final space
shuttle reentry.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We had a nighttime entry. So you could see the plasma, that was pretty intense. There were just so many thousands of people that
had a hand in this vehicle. One of the greatest honors, certainly of my professional career if not my entire life.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A lot of emotion today but one thing`s indisputable America`s not going to stop exploring.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It took close to a decade to reestablish astronaut launch capacity from U.S. soil but on May 30th, 2020 Space X`s Crew Dragon
Demo II launched to the ISS.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Godspeed (inaudible).
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I can`t overstate how much work it was to get us back to that point.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It proved that private companies could continue the shuttle`s legacy.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: For NASA and space exploration, it frees up funding to develop these vehicles that will go beyond low earth orbit.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: NASA hopes it`s Orion spacecraft will make lunar travel routine as part of the Artemis Program that will eventually push on to
Mars.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Shuttle heritage parts will be used in the Artemis Program. Where we`ve been and where we`re going is so incredibly
intertwined.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I would like the space shuttle to be remembered for what it is, an incredibly important piece in this larger, evolutionary approach
to humans in outer space. Complex, powerful and breathtaking.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Three words to describe the shuttle extremely capable vehicle.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
AZUZ: For 10 out of 10 it`s a traffic light for camels. Green means go. Red means don`t. But we wouldn`t blame you if you were to ask why Carl? Why?
Well this is stopping traffic, camel traffic in northern China.
There`s a camel riding place there that`s popular with tourists and that has led to confusion and camel involved collisions. So officials have
created what they say is the first traffic signal for, you get it, camels. Now you might be wondering who "camel up" with the idea.
Were "cam elisions" becoming too dangerous increasing the threat of a "hoof and run". Were the animals spitting at others that cut them off starting
trouble right out of the gate? Of course, it will be the people leading the camels who actually stop and go at the signal. Letting the animals do it
themselves would be too "dromedary".
Whew, I`m "Camel" Azuz for CNN 10. Henderson County High School, we see you watching from Henderson, Kentucky. We`ll see you all tomorrow.
END
