Students: Hey guys, we’re Ms.Singleton's class atCaldwell High School in Caldwell,Ohio, and Channel One News starts right now!
Arielle: All right, Caldwell High Schoolkicking us off — pretty cool, right?
Tom: Yeah, we always love hearing from you guys.
Arielle: Definitely. Butlots to go through today, so let’s jump right in.
Now, first up, net neutrality is dead.
Tom: Yes. Well, at least for now it is.Net neutrality is the idea that all websites or apps should be treated equally. That means no internet service provider is allowed to speed up, slow down or block any websites or apps that you use.
It works like this: You pay a provider like Verizon or Comcast to give you the connection to the internet from your home or on the phone. But they are only the pipe. You decide what content you look at. But yesterday, a big change went down. Take a look.
The Federal Communications Commission hearing on net neutrality took an unexpected turn when the agency's chairman abruptly stopped the meeting.
Ajit Pai: On advice of security,we need to take a brief recess.
Tom: Police cleared the room, and dogs were brought in.When nothing was found, the hearing continued, and the big vote took place. With a majority the group decided torepealnet neutrality rules, which guarantee equal access to the internet.
Pai: The chair votes aye.The item is adopted.
Tom: Chairman Ajit Pai pushed for the change, arguing the rules put into place under President Obama kept internet service providers from expanding.
Pai: Investment in high-speed networks has declined by billions of dollars.
Tom: Net neutrality has been an emotional issue, leading to protests in the streets and online. Italso has Republicans and Democrats split on opposite sides. The two Democrats on the commission that voted against the rollback didn't hide their outrage.
Jessica Rosenworcel: I dissent from the corrupt process that has brought us to this point.
Mignon Clyburn: The agency that is supposed to protect you is actually abandoning you.
Tom: The fear is that internet providers could pick and choose what content you see — or how fast you see it, blocking or slowing sites that they see as competition.
For example, critics say there is nothing to block companies like Comcast and Verizonfrom charging Netflix and Google more for faster connections, and that may lead to higher costs for you. Think of it like this: There are fast lanes for companies willing to pay, making it hard for small companies to compete.
But Republicans say those fears are overblown.
Brendan Carr: The sky isn't falling. Consumers will remain protected,and the internet will flourish.
Tom: The broadband industry says there are no plans to restrict the internet. But it appears the battle over net neutrality isn't over. Opponents plan to fight the FCC's decision in court.
Tom Hanson, Channel One News.
Arielle: And you just heard today's Word in the News.Repeal means to remove or reverse a law or policy in an official way.
Okay now, next up, a deal between two huge entertainment icons will change what sports you watch at home and even what superheroes battle it out on the big screen.
Disney is buying most of 21st Century Fox for $52.4 billion dollars.The deal will shift some Fox television- and moviemaking studios to Disney, as well as the rights to some characters from the Marvel comic book universe that Fox now holds, like X-Men and the Fantastic Four. Also, it will likely make it easier for subscribers to watch local sports on a new streaming service that it is getting ready to launch.
Some say the bad news is that one megacompany will soon own and run many of our entertainment options.
Okay, now it is time to hear what you guys had to say about one of the hottest items on the wish list this year for the holidays.
We told you about the fidget spinnerand how some may contain dangerous levels of lead, but it is not being pulled off the shelves because it is not labeled as a toy.So we asked you, should fidget spinners be labeled as toys?Fifty-one percent of you guys said yes, and 49percent said no.
Madison said, yes, they are toys, "because all people do now is play with them and do tricks."
Noah said, absolutely, yes, "because they are extremely popular among little kids, including me, and I want them to be tested."
Rowan said, "If fidget spinners are full of lead,then why keep them in stores?"
But Chemari said no. "I think fidget spinners shouldn't be toys because they are used to help people with ADHD.”
Great responses. Thanks for weighing in.
Okay now, when people want instant info, where do they turn to? Google, of course!So, as the year is soon coming to a close, we wanted to check out the top searches for 2017.
And the No. 1Google search this yearwas Hurricane Irma.The hurricane was one of the strongest ever recorded, and it ripped apart Caribbean islands and wreaked havoc in at least nine U.S. states, including Florida.The Super Bowl and the Las Vegas shooting rounded up the top five searches on Google.
Among the top "what is" searches, people typed in “What is DACA?”,“What is net neutrality?”and “What is the Paris Climate Accord?” The solar eclipse was another one.
And, not surprising, the most searched song on Google was "Despacito,”which brings us to the top YouTube video of the year. It is a masked performer on a singing competition show from the country of Thailand. Crazy, right? Well, it got more than 180 million clicks.
Okay, nowwe want to know what you guys think are the most important stories this year.We have our annual list of top stories up at ChannelOne.com, and you get to vote. We will feature the results next week.
Okaynow, coming up, how gaming can break you out of your shell.
Arielle: Okay, how many of you guys have played Pokemon Go.Raise your hands! Oh yeah, a lot of you. Me too. Now, you probably think it is just a fun game, right? Well, guess what? It is also helping your brain and making friends, at least that is what some scientists say.
New research from scientists in Canadashows that kids who play video games may be better at making friends. The scientists looked at the personalities of 101 Pokemon Go players, and those with stronger social skills tended to do better at the game.
Now, this is a surprise because a lot of people actually thought playing video games makes kids less social, or less able to talk and interact with others. In fact, recent research from other scientists shows that newer video games provide kids with a lot of good social experiences and can help kids feel better about themselves.
All right,Azia is here to give us a little inspiration today. Azia, what have you got?
Azia: Yeah, Arielle.So probably the biggest fear of any studentis eating lunch alone, and imagine what you would do if you had just started at a new school and didn't know anyone.
Arielle: That has gotto be scary.
Azia: Yeah, definitely. But this school club is trying to make sure every student has a friend at lunch. Take a look at today's Feel-Good Friday.
When the lunch bell rings at Boca High in Boca Raton, Florida,3,400 kidsrush out of class and into their cliques. But not everyone gets included.At Boca High and at schools across the country, the sad truth is that someone always sits alone.
Denis Estimon: It’s not a good feeling, like you’re by yourself. And that’s something that I don’t want anybody to go through.
Azia: Denis Estimon is a Haitian immigrant. When he came here in first grade, he says he felt isolated, especially at lunch. Now he is popular, but Denis hasn’t forgotten that first-grade feeling.
Denis: To me it’s like, if we don’t try and go make that change, who’s going to do it?
Azia: So with some friends, Denis started a club called We Dine Together. Their mission is to go into the courtyard at lunchtime to make sure no one is starving for company.
Hundreds of friendships have formed. Jean-Max Meradieu even traded football for the club.
Jean-Max Meradieu: I don’t mind not getting a football scholarship.This is what I really want to do.
Azia: Some students in the club know how big of an impact a friend can make.
Allie Sealy: I went from coming from a school thatI always had friends to coming to where I had nobody, so.
Azia: Club member Allie Sealy transferred a few years ago. She says with no one to sit next to, lunch can be the mostpainful part of the day.
Allie: Meeting someone who actually cares and listens to what you have to say really makes a difference, and that can happen at lunch. That can happen at our club.
Azia: Denis has now graduated from high school, but not from this mission. He is now traveling the country, opening We Dine Together chapters at other schools — 15 so far,with more than 100 slated for the new year, teaching others that everyone belongs.
Azia Celestino, Channel One News.
Arielle: Such a sweet story. Every school should do this.
All right, guys, it is time to head out, but have a wonderful weekend, and we will catch you right back here on Monday.
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