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Last Days before Midterm Elections; Daily Life in Space Station; White House Ghost Stories
Aired October 31, 2014 - 04:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CARL AZUZ, CNN ANCHOR: Fridays are awesome. It`s good you can join us for this Halloween edition of CNN STUDENT NEWS. I`M Carl Azuz at the CNN
Center.
Four days away from the U.S. midterm elections, and candidates are trying to scare up some votes. We are talking all 435 members of the House of
Representatives, 36 Senators, plus, some governors, state and local officials. They are out in force, making their last weekend push for
support.
And something you need this time around. It`s not just commercials and signs, it`s signs of the times.
Wine (ph) hadn`t even been introduced by the last national election. Some candidates are using it. Selfies were less popular. Some candidates are
taking them. And through Facebook and Twitter, they are doing everything they can, especially to reach younger voters who don`t typically turn out
for the midterms.
If Reid Wiseman and Barry Wilmore want to vote, they are going to need absentee ballots. There are two of the six people aboard the International
Space Station right now. A Russian cargo spaceship arrived there the other morning, and NASA officials say the ISS has enough supplies to last - until
spring at least. That`s a good thing. Especially after an American rocket carrying supplies crashed on liftoff earlier this week.
Ever wonder what an astronaut needs day to day?
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RANDI KAYE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The International Space Station orbits the Earth every 90 minutes, traveling about 17,500 miles per hour. It is an
understatement to say the astronauts and cosmonauts on board enjoy a spectacular view. But daily life in lower Earth orbit is hard work, and at
times complicated. Even getting clean is a challenge. No shower here, instead, they use towels, wipes and a rinse-less shampoo.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And I take my no rinse shampoo, and rub it in. Again, going to working it up to the ends.
KAYE: On board this $100 billion research laboratory, there are never more than six crew members at a time. They stay for about six months, which can
feel like an eternity living on pre-packaged food.
LEROY CHIAO, FORMER NASA ASTRONAUT: We use a lot of the same items the military uses. The meals ready to eat, the MREs.
KAYE: Every so often, supply ships like the one that exploded this week bring fresh fruit and vegetables.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Here (INAUDIBLE) our dinner table. It is a table for six, we don`t have plates. Of course, we don`t need plates in space
because again, everything would just float away.
KAYE: There are no refrigerators in space, and salt and pepper only in liquid form, otherwise the particles would be airborne, clogging air vents
or getting in an astronaut`s eye. Peanut butter on a specially packaged tortilla is a space station staple.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A weightless tortilla. OK. We got one tortilla. Wow, it got away.
KAYE: Most of the day is spent working on science experiments that only a micro-gravity environment can provide. There are also medical experiments,
which can judge how well their bodies adjust to life in space for long periods of time. Of course, sometimes there are space walks, otherwise it
is more mundane stuff like what you might do at home back on Earth.
CHIAO: If you`ve got to change out some filters, you got - you know, light bulb is burned out. You got to go, take time to go, change the light bulbs
out.
KAYE: And while you may be weightless in space, exercise is a must using equipment you won`t find on Earth, like this treadmill.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They`re attached by these strings. They are hardest to the system of hooks and bungee chords.
KAYE: If you are wondering about a bathroom break during the day, thanks to microgravity, using this tiny toilet is not easy.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And of course, you do have your privacy. There is a little door.
KAYE: Sleeping is easier, as long as the astronauts remember to tie down their sleeping bags. When the mission is complete, a Soyuz spacecraft
brings them back to Earth. The return trip takes just three and a half hours.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
AZUZ: We know a lot of folks in the West Coast are celebrating a giant victory right now, so we`ll start in San Francisco today. The Rams of
Francisco Middle School are among those watching from California.
But we haven`t forgotten the royal season of U-Kansas (ph) City fans, including those at Milan High School. The wild cats of Milan, Missouri.
And jumping across the Atlantic, hello to all of our viewers at Lallise (ph) de Lil de Nantes. Thank you for watching in Nantes, France.
AZUZ: OK, that was creepy. Here are some interesting and useful facts about Halloween.
One, the National Retail Federation says Americans will spend the total of $74 billion on Halloween stuff this year. That`s more than 23 bucks for
everyone in America. Two, a record number of people are expected to participate. Why? Because it`s Friday, awesome. It`s not a school night.
Three, the most popular costumes for kids this year, teenage mutant ninja turtles are back, and characters from the movie "Frozen" will join them.
If that bugs you, you`ve got to let it go.
Four, Halloween can be a dangerous holiday. Pedestrians and bicyclists are more likely to be hit by cars this time of year.
So, five, if you go out or take your little brother or sister, stick to sidewalks when you can. Don`t let a mask block your vision. Go with
friends, and look for candy that`s factory wrapped. Avoid stuff that`s homemade by people you don`t know.
Two Halloween traditions include Jack O` Lanterns and ghost stories. The first probably came from the British Isles, but instead of a pumpkin, it`s
likely people carved a large turnip to light.
As for ghost`s stories, well, the more historic a place is, the more likely it is to have them. And two very historic places in the U.S. include the
White House and Capitol building.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: During election season, the focus is the nation`s future. But some of the most told stories in Washington come from the past
or may be the present depending upon how long looks at it.
Politicians, you can`t seem to let go of their seats, or maybe it`s the town can`t let go of them. The holes of government and the president`s
home have their share of ghost`s stories, the more prominent the president, the more prominent in ghost lore (ph) like Abraham Lincoln.
WILLIAM BUSHONG, WHITE HOUSE HISTORICAL ASSC.: Yeah, he is the rock star of all ghosts at the White House, no question about it.
First Lady Grace Coolidge thought she saw him in the yellow oval room looking out over the Potomac contemplatively in the 1920s.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: First Ladies didn`t just tell stories, some have their own stories.
BUSHONG: Abigail Adams who famously hung the president`s laundry in the East Room, because it was unfinished when the Adams went into the House,
and supposedly, a number of witnesses have said, that they have smelt the scent of lavender.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: One of the most popular anecdotes on Capitol Hill also surrounds a former president - John Quincy Adams served 17 years in
the House after being commander in chief, but still left unfinished business.
STEVE LIVENGOOD, U.S. CAPITAL HISTORICA SOCIETY: He had a stroke on the house floor and was carried off into the speaker`s office and died there.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He`s perhaps having late night chats with the lesser known name who may still will be preoccupied.
LIVENGOOD: There`s a famous senator Boies Penrose who was the last one to try to read every bill. And he was a bachelor and would spend evenings in
the Capitol reading. He had a rocking chair and so people would say late that they can hear that rocking chair still going on.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Most of the stories are about 19 century figures, likely relayed before technology turned the news cycle non-stop. All these
years later, still part of the town`s history.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
AZUZ: OK, the challenge at Brian College in Dayton, Tennessee hit four shots: a layup, a free throw, a three pointer and a shot from half court.
The time limit, 30 seconds, the prize, $10,000. The chance that a soccer player with a broken finger who`s never played competitive basketball would
make it? Come on.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)
(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
AZUZ: Incredible. Now, maybe this story isn`t relevant to October 31. But it`s definitely not a Halloween. His skills are scary awesome. His
shots simply spuctacular (ph) with only the ghost of a chance he caught nothing but net in a Web of excitement.
You know you weren`t going to get through this without a little pumpkin. CNN STUDENT NEWS returns Monday with our clock setback one hour. Don`t
forget to fall back Saturday night, and have a happy and safe Halloween.
END
