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CNN 10
Historic Monsoons Inundate Parts of Southern India; The CDC Issues a Report Concerning Drugs in America; Iconic General Electric Company Hits Headwinds
Aired August 21, 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 HOST: Hi, I`m Carl Azuz. Thank you for watching this Tuesday.
Tuesday`s coverage on CNN 10 starts with a natural disaster taking place in Southern Asia. Parts of Kerala, a state in southern India are underwater.
The rainy season brought on by the seasonal monsoons was worst this year than it usually is.
Indian officials say some parts of Kerala received more than twice the amount of rainfall that they usually do, and that`s caused the worst
flooding the state has seen in almost a century.
Over the past couple of weeks, the rivers that crossed Kerala swelled out unto the land nearby, ruining hundreds of thousands of homes. More than
300 people have been killed in the flooding. There are some areas where there are no visible roads, just water, and some of that is filled with
sewage, with immense potential to cause infection.
Fishermen have come in by the thousands to help rescue people. They`ve brought their own boats, using them around the clock until they`re too
damage to sell anymore and they say that even some of those who need help, those whose homes have been inundated with water have been reluctant to
leave either because they don`t trust the would be rescuers or they`re concerned that their homes would be robbed once they left them. Conditions
for people in some of the shelters aren`t much better.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ALEXANDRA FIELD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Rescuers can only reach the most desperate by boat and by air. People left stranded by raging waters by the
thousands.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No houses left here, no houses left here. Almost all the houses are flooded. It`s currently four feet flood has come down in
this particular place. And when we get inside, still you can`t walk. You need a boat or something like that.
FIELD: Emergency workers among them, the Indian air force, and the national disaster response force must navigate the washed out roads to
deliver supplies, a hand -- any help they can give.
DHARAMBIR SINGH, ASSISTANT COMMANDANT, NATIONAL DISASTER RESPONSE FORCE: On the day we were deployed here, and -- the situation was very horrifying.
Almost 10 feet to six feet and you can find water everywhere. There are water what I will do anything else.
And but, today if we speak, the water is depleting. The water level is coming down and down. But the main work will start now.
FIELD: The Indian state of Kerala is now a disaster zone. Food is airdrop to those who can`t be reached, the injured and traumatized taken to
hospitals. Days of deadly landslides and flash floods brought devastation worse than any they`ve seen before, even here.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The thing is, right now, the flood which we are experiencing right now is horrible. We never had such a chaos situation.
Every flat, every house is filled in the water.
FIELD: Hundreds of thousands have reached shelters are still in need.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The thing is, there`s no toilet over here, OK? There`s nothing -- not -- no sanitation, basic sanitation thing over here. There`s
no drinking water over here. We have no drinking water, the water issue is the primary -- that`s also a primary concern.
FIELD: Every year, millions of tourists visit Kerala drawn by its rivers, its natural beauty. Its natural disaster has now claimed hundreds of
lives.
Alexandra Field, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
AZUZ: An ominous statistic just came out from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the CDC. It suggests that more Americans died of
drug overdoses in 2017 than in any other year in U.S. history. Seventy-two thousand people are believed to have died last year from drug overdoses.
And this is according to the CDC`s preliminary data, which is still incomplete for states.
That might mean that the actual number of overdose deaths is event higher. The last record for this was the one before, 2016. And over the past 10
years, the CDC says the number of overdose deaths has doubled.
As far as 2017 goes, more than two-thirds of overdose deaths are being blamed on opioids. This can include everything from the painkillers that
doctors prescribed to illegal heroine to synthetic chemicals like fentanyl, which is incredibly potent, tightly controlled, but still illegally sold,
sometimes as a counterfeit drug for something that appears less dangerous.
Most of the prescription drugs that are abused are obtained from family and friends, often from their medicine cabinets. That`s according to an
assistant professor at the University of Florida College of Pharmacy. Some states are trying to deal with this by limiting doctors` ability to
prescribe opioids. Some communities are making sure their first responders always carry opioid antidotes that can save the life of someone who
overdoses.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Every 19 minutes, someone dies from an accidental drug overdose. Most of the time, it`s from
prescription drugs like oxycodone or hydrocodone. These drugs all belong to a family of drugs called opioids.
SUBTITLE: Why are opioids so addictive?
GUPTA: They are prescribed to dull pain. But they also boost dopamine, giving some people a high. They can also slow down your breathing and are
highly addictive.
So, why is it so easy to get hooked?
Well, for one, our body can build up a tolerance. So, the more you use, the larger dose you need to get the same effect.
Secondly, you can become dependent on them. In fact, your body creates natural opioids that are released when you`re hooked yourself. But if you
habitually use painkillers, your body stops producing its own, and relies on the drugs instead. If you try and stop then, the body goes through
withdrawal.
Consider this: in 2012, there were 259 million prescriptions written for opioid painkillers, nearly enough for every American adult and child to
have their own bottle of pills. Look, we need to treat pain, but we also don`t need to treat everything with the pill.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
AZUZ (voice-over): Ten-second trivia:
Which of these American companies is the oldest?
U.S. Steel, Ford, General Electric or Walmart?
General Electric is created in 1892, making it the oldest company on this list.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
REPORTER: General Electric, G.E. -- you probably know the company best for its famous invention, the incandescent light bulb.
Since its funding, the company has invented thousands of products and changed American life in the process. Just think about all the items in
your kitchen that G.E. had a hand in. G.E. had rolled out the first electric toaster in 1905. They sold the first widely used refrigerator.
They repurposed the technology used in World War II to invent the microwave.
And it`s not just appliances, they also were responsible for the first American jet engine, the x-ray machine, even the lab-grown diamond, and
it`s nearly 130 years in business. G.E. has reinvented transportation, medical technology in a domestic realm.
But in recent years, it`s hit a snag. Its stock performed so poorly, it was booted from the Dow. It has to cut jobs, its dividends, even sold off
some of its most iconic businesses. Some analysts say that G.E.`s problem is that it`s too complex. It has its fingers in too many different
industries.
G.E. has said that it will simplify and restore itself to icon status.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: General Electric marches on.
REPORTER: But its recent troubles have some wondering if its future isn`t so bright.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
AZUZ: Every now and then, movie cars. Rare and exciting vehicles made famous by the films they were in come up for sale.
A Ghostbusters ambulance was once on the market for $200,000. Same price for the batmobile used in the 1966 TV show.
One little problem with the $3.5 million Aston Martin you`re about to see? You can`t legally drive it on the street.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SUBTITLE: If you`ve dreamed of riding in style like James Bond, Aston Martin has you covered.
Soon, you`ll be able to buy your very own silver 1964 Aston Martin DB5.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You`ll be using this Aston Martin DB5 with modifications. Now, pay attention please.
SUBTITLE: Just like the one Sean Connery, as James Bond, first drove in the 1964 movie "Goldfinger" you can expect some cool gadgets to come with
the car.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Windscreen, bullet-proof, as are the side and the rear windows. Revolving number plates, naturally. Valid all countries.
SEAN CONNERY AS JAMES BOND: Anything else?
SUBTITLE: Only 25 cars will be made for direct sale. And are priced at $3.5 million each, plus taxes.
The first customers will get their cars in 2020.
Someone paid $4.6 million in 2010 for an original 1964 DB5 used in the film.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
AZUZ: Oh, sure, some fans have a bond with it. And you need more than a goldfinger to buy it. But if you`re Aston me, you Martin look elsewhere if
you got the drive to actually drive the car you were driven to buy.
Being street illegal is a major stop sign because you`ll never find out if it goes zero to 60 in 007 seconds.
I`m Carl Azuz and that`s CNN 10.
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