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The U.S. President`s State of the Union Address; The Opposing Party`s Response; A Brutal Flu Season
Aired January 31, 2018 - 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: We welcomed our viewers worldwide to this January 31st edition of CNN 10. I`m Carl Azuz.
And an act required by the U.S. Constitution played out in America last night. Our first topic today is the president`s State of the Union
Address.
The event as we know it is not spelled out in the U.S. founding document. It says the president, quote, shall from time to time give to the Congress
information of the State of the Union, and recommend to their consideration such measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient. That`s from
Article II, Section 3 of the Constitution.
The fact that it`s done in person, the fact that it`s done as a speech, the fact that it`s done on television, the fact that there`s an official
response from the opposing political party, none of that is required by the Constitution. But it is tradition dating back decades.
And so, it continued last night when U.S. President Donald Trump entered the House of Representatives to give his first official State of the Union
Address.
So, what topics does he judge necessary and expedient for Congress?
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Tonight, I call upon all of us to set aside our differences, to seek out common ground, and to summon
the unity we need to deliver for the people. This is really the key. These are the people we were elected to serve.
Let`s begin tonight by recognizing that the state of our union is strong, because our people are strong.
Since the election, we have created 2.4 million new jobs, including --
(APPLAUSE)
Including 200,000 new jobs in manufacturing alone. Tremendous numbers.
(APPLAUSE)
After years and years of wages stagnation, we are finally seeing rising wages.
We have proposed new legislation that will fix our immigration laws and support our ICE and border patrol agents.
My duty, and the sacred duty of every elected official in this chamber, is to defend Americans, to protect their safety, their families, their
communities, and their right to the American dream. Because Americans are dreamers, too.
As part of our defense, we must modernize and rebuild our nuclear arsenal, hopefully never having to use it, but making it so strong and powerful that
it will deter any acts of aggression.
In the past, we have foolishly released hundreds of dangerous terrorists, only to meet them again on the battlefield.
So today, I am keeping another promise -- to reexamine our military detention policy and to keep open the detention facilities in Guantanamo
Bay.
As long as we are proud of who we are, and what we are fighting for, there is nothing we cannot achieve.
As long as we have confidence in our values, faith in our citizens, and trust in our God, we will never fail.
Our families will thrive.
Our people will prosper.
And our nation will forever be safe and strong and proud and mighty and free.
Thank you, and God Bless America.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
AZUZ: Another State the Union tradition is the opposing political party`s response. The first televised one of those took place in 1966 after the
State of the Union Address by President Lyndon B. Johnson. He was a Democrat and two Republicans, Senate Minority Leader Everett Dirksen and
House Minority Leader Gerald Ford recorded speeches that were shown after the president`s address.
And so, that tradition continued last night. After the speech by the Republican president, a Democratic U.S. representative named Joe Kennedy
from Massachusetts gave his party`s response. He`s the grand nephew of President John F. Kennedy and he spoke from a high school in his state.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. JOE KENNEDY III (D), MASSACHUSETTS: We see an economy that makes stocks soar, investor portfolios bulge and corporate profits climb but
fails to give workers their fair share of the reward.
A government that struggles to keep itself open, Russia knee-deep in our democracy, an all-out war on environmental protection, a Justice Department
rolling back civil rights by the day, hatred and supremacy proudly marching in our streets.
It would be easy to dismiss the past year as chaos. Partisanship as politics. But it`s far, far bigger than that. This administration isn`t
just targeting the laws that protect us. They are targeting the very idea that we are all worthy of protection.
Ladies and gentlemen, have faith. Have faith: The State of our Union is hopeful, resilient, enduring.
God bless you. God bless your families, and may God bless the United States of America.
(APPLAUSE)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
AZUZ (voice-over): Ten-second trivia.
Which of these "seasons" typically coincides with fall and winter in the U.S.?
Baseball season, hurricane season, flu season, or carnival season?
The only one of these seasons that starts in the fall and continues through winter is the flu season.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
AZUZ: It`s closed down schools in at least 12 states. It set a record for the number of cases in New York state. It`s the first time in 15 years
that every state in the continental U.S. has reported widespread activity during the same week and it`s possible that the current flu season that`s
ravaging the country hasn`t event peaked yet.
Part of the reason is that this year`s flu vaccine appears to be one of the least effective in recent years, though doctors say people should still get
it because it might make the flu less severe. H3N2 is the specific strain of the virus that`s making so many people sick. This strain usually causes
higher rates of hospitalizations and death.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: It`s always scary when you hear of someone dying from something as common as the flu.
There are four main ways the flu can turn deadly.
The first and most common cause is pneumonia. The influenza virus can directly cause viral pneumonia. When someone has the flu, it can weaken
their immune system so much that another virus or bacteria can enter the lungs. Infected lungs filled with fluid making it difficult to breathe, so
oxygen can`t get to the rest of the body which can lead to death.
Sepsis is the second way the flu can become lethal, especially in healthy and younger adults and children. Sepsis occurs when a person`s immune
system goes into overdrive trying to fight the flu. This causes inflammation which can lead to a cascade of symptoms that ultimately ends
in organ failure.
A third way the flu can kill is by increasing your risk of heart attack. Experts say an adult`s risk of heart attack increases six-fold in a seven
days following a flu diagnosis.
The fourth way the flu can kill is by dehydration, particularly among infants and young children. The flu often causes vomiting and diarrhea
which can quickly become life threatening if fluids aren`t replaced in the body.
So, if you get the flu, when should you be worried?
Some people have a higher risks for serious complications from the flu, including the elderly, children under the age of 5, pregnant women and
those with chronic health problems.
If this is you, make sure you see a doctor. If you`re a healthy older child or adult, watch out for sudden dizziness, severe, persistent
vomiting, difficulty breathing, pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen, and flu-like symptoms that improve, then return with a fever or worse
cough.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
AZUZ: A horticulturist says the average humidity in a normal office is 30 percent. Average humidity her is 60 percent and it kind of needs to be.
What`s known as The Spheres is mostly an office space for Amazon employees, that`s Amazon the Internet company, not the rainforest. Although by
looking at this, it has 40,000 plants and 400 different species held together by millions of pounds of steel, concrete and glass.
A place where you could discuss career and plant growth, forage for new ideas, solve problems with good reason, see how many meanings you can
jungle. Call and text support (ph) the survey ecosystems, bringing co- workers for a conference, making the top dissuaditions (ph) and fosters strong workplace habitats. Oh, yes, forest puns. They`ll grow on you.
I`m Carl Azuz and that`s CNN 10.
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