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Half A Million Students Can`t Go To School Because Of A Worker`s Strike; Bees Can Be Trained To Solve Puzzles. Aired 4-4:10a ET
Aired March 22, 2023 - 04:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
COY WIRE, CNN 10 ANCHOR: Hello, lovely people. Wonderful Wednesday to you. It`s #Yourwordwednesday. Follow me at Coy Wire on Instagram, Snapchat and
TikTok, and put your unique vocabulary word in the comment section of my most recent post. And we`ll choose one, fun one to work into tomorrow`s
show.
Last week word from @Brady E. Ellison was exorbitant, meaning unreasonably high price.
We`re starting out today with news out of Los Angeles, where half a million students can`t go to school because of a worker strike. The union,
representing school custodians, cafeteria workers, bus drivers, and other support staff, is forcing the nation`s second largest district to be shut
down. Teachers are also participating in a strike this week in solidarity, and here`s what the union wants, equitable wage increases, more full-time
work, respectful treatment, and increased staffing. The union workers have an average salary of $25,000 a year, and most work part time, which has led
to staffing shortages, according to the union.
The cost of living in L.A. is relatively high now. The superintendent of the school district says they`ve tried to negotiate in good faith, but
California law prevents the school system from putting itself in a position that could lead to bankruptcy. And if they gave in to all the demands of
the union, well, they say, that`s exactly where they`d be.
While some argue that the school workers strike this week would negatively impact students, the district is trying to offset that by offering help to
families, by opening 24 grab and go food sites, having 154 schools provide student supervision, plus about 120 city run sites at libraries, recreation
centers, and other locations.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: More than half a million kids will not be going to school today. The second largest district in the nation, more than a
thousand schools in all, shut down by this strike, called by the union that reps the bus drivers, cafeteria workers, special ed assistants, and
custodians. Like Jose Tovar, whose current wage puts him below the poverty line.
JOSE TOVAR, CUSTODIAN: We`re asking for the world, but they live above water.
MAX ARI, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, SEI LOCAL 99: One in three of our members is either homeless or has been houseless while working for LAUSD.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Their union is demanding large pay hikes, more full- time jobs, more staff, and, "respectful treatment." Some parents are sympathetic.
JENNA SCHWARTZ, PARENT: We have some of our most underpaid workers doing some of the most challenging jobs on our campuses.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The district made an offer, including a pay rise, but only half the 30% demanded.
ALBERTO M. CARVALHO, SUPERINTENDENT, LA UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT: Under California law, we cannot drive the school system into a bankruptcy
position. And if we were to acquiesce to all of the demands, that is exactly where we would be. That is not legally allowable.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So half a million kids don`t go to school while the adults argue.
MIKE BER, PARENT: I support my kids, and ultimately, I feel that they`re probably being left behind in a battle between, you know, adults.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Apparently, it`s gotten ugly. The district calls this strike illegal, claiming it`s all about the money, not the other stuff.
CARVALHO: We have not been presented with compelling evidence that there`s widespread abuses. Are there issues? Yes. Each one of them is vigorously
investigated, and consequences are applied.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: During the strike, there will be some childcare provided at a few schools and parks and box lunches for the many who rely
on free school meals.
The union claims 96% of its 30,000 or so members who work in the district voted for this, a strike scheduled to last three days. So barring any
breakthroughs, there`s no school until Friday.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WIRE: Ten second trivia.
Which of these insects belongs to the genus Bombus?
Beetle, Butterfly, Bumblebee, or Bookworm?
Times up, bumblebees, if you please, belong to the genus Bombus.
Some folks may think bees just randomly fly around feeding on flowers, pushing around pollen, and then hang out in the hives making honey. Turns
out these insects are organized, smart and coachable. A recent study shows that bees can be trained to solve puzzles, and other bees can study a
demonstrator bee to then accurately solve the puzzle themselves.
No wonder bees are able to divvy out responsibilities in hives with specific jobs and roles to strategically live their daily lives. Let`s
learn more now how for bees, teamwork makes the dream work.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Check this out, these bumblebees learned how to solve a puzzle. Then they taught their friends how to do it. The prize sugar.
Researchers studied bumblebee colonies to see if they developed social learning, also known as learned behavior.
Scientists designed a two-option puzzle box that could be opened by pushing a red tab clockwise or a blue tab counterclockwise. One set of bees, called
the demonstrator bees, were trained to use the blue or red tab. Other observer bees watched, and when it was their turn, most bees chose the same
option they had observed from the trained bee. One professor said, our research shows, however, that new innovations can spread like social media
memes through insect colonies, indicating that they can respond to wholly new environmental challenges much faster than by evolutionary changes. The
researchers concluded that bees, like humans, are capable of culture by socially learning behavior.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WIRE: Today`s story tallying a 10 out of 10 is a tale about tater tots. Now, don`t get me wrong, it`s super important to eat mostly fruits and
vegetables and minimally processed, healthy foods that are good for our body and mind. When I played in the NFL, my motto was eat for purpose, not
pleasure. But all of us, pro athlete or not, we have to eat some treat foods every now and then, right? Tater tots were invented back in 1953 in
Oregon as a way to keep potato scraps from going to waste.
Let`s go be spectators in Portland. Now, to learn more about the history of the tot and to see some wild and tasty tater creations.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANDREA DAMEWOOD, PORTALND MERCURY, FOOD WRITER AND RESTAURANT CRITIC: The food scene in Portland is really eclectic right now. When you`re able to
walk into a restaurant and see like, they`re doing what now with tots, I got to try that.
One of the things that we do best is feel good, exciting, high low junk food. It`s always going to be an element of Portland, and people love to
eat that stuff. I mean, who doesn`t want tots with mac and cheese and fried chicken on it?
If you can think about the cuisine, we have a tot for it. So there`s Oaks Bottom, which coined the term totcho. That obviously has a Mexican bent to
it. There`s Japanese restaurant Boxer Ramen, and they do an okonomiyaki tot that is savory and is served with bonito flakes, which are fish flakes that
kind of dance in the heat.
There`s Korean tots, Cajun tots, Greek tots. I`m starting to feel like Bubba in Forrest Gump talking about shrimp.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Lemon shrimp, coconut shrimp.
DAMEWOOD: We basically have all of the tots. Tater tots were invented in Oregon in the 1950s, and that was the Ore-Ida company. And they took a look
at a lot of potato scraps that they had and said, here`s a way to monetize them. And so they formed them into these tots and they`re now the tots we
know and love today.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Heartbreak Hotel, we wrapped the bacon.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thanks, look at that.
DAMEWOOD: In its own way, it`s kind of a version of eating locals still in, like, a very hilarious frozen food way. Because Ore-Ida is an Oregon
company.
ANTHONY BROWN, NACHEAUX, OWNER AND FLAVOR MASTER: Well, tater tot is very versatile. So I was thinking, how do I make this dish tater tots? House
made sauce. How do you elevate tater tots? We`ll do tot tacos as more and more people are doing things with tots I feel like the bar went from here
to up here. So I feel like I need to, you know, just to stay relevant and make sure that we`re still crushing it.
DAMEWOOD: I think most people who come to Portland are into food. Pound of tots, grilled onions, bacon and cheddar cheese with a fried egg on top,
brunch in a bowl. This is a place where if you like to eat and you also want to be able to walk it off in between meals, this is it. This is the
spot.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Coy?
WIRE: Oh, sorry, Jeremy. I was in deep time (ph). I want to thank everyone for commending my dad jokes and asking me to do more of them. I don`t
always tell dad jokes, but when I do he laughs.
And now, special shout out going to Utah today. Kanab High School in Kanab. We see you, Ta. Did you know that Utah`s nicknamed the Beehive State,
coming from the belief that each person works together to support one another. You better believe we appreciate you. Much love and many
blessings.
I`m Coy Wire, and we are CNN 10.
END
