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CNN 10
Initial Jobless Claims Set A Record; Grocery Store Workers are Hailed as Heroes; Visit to Central America; Reporter Evades An Approaching Heard of Bison
Aired March 27, 2020 - 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: Jobless claims will never be as awesome as Fridays unless they get to zero but it`s because they`ve been moving in the
opposite direction that there our first topic today on CNN 10. I`m Carl Azuz. The U.S. Department of Labor says last week initial jobless claims
spiked to 3.28 million. Here`s what that means. According to Investopedia, this is the number of people who asked the government for
unemployment benefits because they`ve lost their jobs in layoffs or business cutbacks. If they meet the requirements for getting help, the
government will pay part of their income for a limited amount of time and initial jobless claims counts those who request these benefits for the
first time. The Labor Department`s been keeping track of this statistic since 1967.
It`s a major indication of how the U.S. economy is doing and this is the first time that initial jobless claims have ever increased by 3.28 million.
The previous record in 1982 was less than 700,000. So this reflects how quickly the corona virus pandemic has caused businesses to temporarily
shutdown in most American industries. The silver lining is the word temporarily. Yes, economists are expecting millions of job losses in the
weeks ahead but they also expect the economy to get better later this year as the spread of COVID-19 slows down.
And U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin says the surge in unemployment claims was recorded before Congress passed an economic stimulus bill which
he said would help. Workers on the front lines of this pandemic are being held as heroes. We told you how people in several countries are applauding
healthcare providers. Now some grocery store employees are being recognized for their risks and hard work.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: We`re asking everyone to work at home if possible, postpone unnecessary travel. We recognize that while many American workers
can work from home many others cannot.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We`re keeping our stores open to serve the American consumer.
TRUMP: They`re stocking up their stores like they`ve never stocked them before.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And create an environment that`s safe for our key members and making sure that they feel supported during this very critical
time.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Here (ph) it`s one, two o`clock in the morning. I`m out there making (inaudible) working hard.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hi.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hi there.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Can you hear me?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Cool, I had to turn on my mic. Sorry.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hey Michelle (ph).
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hello.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The start is the thing about is unprecedented health crisis in this country right now and myself along with thousands, or
hundreds of thousands of grocery workers in this country are on the frontlines. And I mean that`s what we do and it`s what it is and all of a
sudden we`ve been thrust into the role of being what we call essential personnel.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The customers are buying three and $400 dollars worth of groceries.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I just had some hand soap. I was stocking and I could even get it off of our cart and onto the shelf before people were already
like ripping into boxes and taking it.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Your store opens at 6am and trust and believe when you pull up at 6am there`s people there. People shopping and wanting to know,
hey, do you have this? When will you have this? When is the next delivery?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I can just say this much. I have worked for Kroger for 10 years and this is the absolute worst I have ever seen it.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You haven`t dealt with this amount of, like, shortages and workers too. A lot of folks are just calling out because they don`t
feel safe which is totally reasonable.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I look at it at this point. It is what it is. This is my job and the only thing I can do is just try to take an aggressive
approach to wash my hands and do the social distancing and everything that they`re asking us to do.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The manager asked all the workers to try to stay at least 6 feet away from each other but if we can`t space 6 feet away from
the customers.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (inaudible) constantly having to tell myself, don`t touch my face. Washing my hands frequently. Trying to keep 6 feet away
from people.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We do wear to protect our hands and we sanitize our hands in between each customer.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: But for the most part, man, I can really, really say my customers - - they`ve been thanking me up and saying, hey man, thank you
for coming out here man. Thank you for all that you`ve been doing.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I`ve had quite a few customers thank me for being here and working.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And they - - a lot of them understand what`s going on right now and they - - we have real good relationship with most of the
customers and they understand.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And you that makes me feel good at the end of the day that people really appreciate that what you`re doing.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Retail workers have always been undervalued, underpaid. Right now, we`re seeing where they are basically holding - - they`re the
glue right now.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And I feel every grocery worker in the United States of America and I know I speak for them, I mean, you know, you just be - - be
cautious and be safe.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
AZUZ: 10 Second Trivia. In what nation which borders Honduras and Costa Rica would you find the largest lake in Central America? Nicaragua,
Panama, El Salvador or Guatemala. Lago de Nicaragua or Lake Nicaragua is located in southwest Nicaragua.
Like any country, Nicaragua has it`s share of struggles. It`s the poorest country in Central America. It has underemployment, when people have more
skills than their jobs require and there`ve been widespread protests against the government in recent years. But it`s also rich in history,
rich in beauty and rich in activities for anyone who travels there.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Nicknamed the "Land of Lakes and Volcanoes", Nicaragua won`t disappoint the outdoor lover or the history lover or even
the poet. With the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east, Nicaragua packs in outdoors adventures, historic cities and
breathtaking scenery.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well I think Nicaragua is one of Central America`s most diversely appealing countries. It`s going to appeal to beach goers.
People who want outdoor adventures, you know, but it`s also a - - a country with a lot of history. So you go to a place like Leon and Grenada, you`re
going to find history at every corner. It`s also a spot for - - for poetry lovers, you know, this is a nation of poets. You have Ruben Dario, Alfonso
Cortes. So that`s a big draw for a lot of people.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The small region along the west coast called the "Pacific Lowlands" has a taste of all these highlights. One great draw is
the Lago de Nicaragua, the largest lake in Central America and on it Isla Ometepe, an island boasting two large volcanoes, Volcan Maderas and Volcan
Concepcion. The volcanoes are great spots for hiking but be sure to take a guide to avoid getting lost.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The volcano`s the main activity, the main draw that people are going to hiking up but there`s also kayaking. There`s swimming.
There`s some great towns, you know, built (ph) into the mountain. There`s some coffee plantations. Bird watching lots of wildlife.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Back on the mainland, if time at the beach is on the top of your list the costal town of San Juan del Sur is worth a visit.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There`s a real laid back vibe there. It is an old fishing town so it`s still has that vibe. It`s not too overdeveloped just
yet or, you know, it`s a great base also for seeing Nicaragua.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And while you might not think of Nicaragua as a destination for snowboarders, just outside the historic town of Leon is
Cerro Negro a volcano where extreme sports enthusiasts can hike up and volcano board down the ash from the slopes.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
AZUZ: American bison, aka buffaloes, can grow to be 6 and 1/2 feet tall and weigh 2,000 pounds. So when a herd approached KTVM`s Deion Broxton was
reporting at Yellowstone National Park - -
DEION BROXTON: Oh my god.
AZUZ: Oh no. He wasn`t messing with it. After socially distancing himself, he shot this video of the animals that had gotten too close.
Yellowstone said Broxton did the right thing.
The closest I`ve been to bison is at Ted`s Montana Grill but one ever got "oxnoxious" in person, I also would have said "bi son". Because while they
maybe vegetarians, it`s still wise to "hoof" it . No one wants beef with a "buffaload" of trouble that could ruin your whole "boviday". I`m Carl
Azuz. Shout out to our viewers at Melbourne High School. I have a soft spot for the Bulldogs in Melbourne, Florida. We hope you and everyone
watching around the world has a happy and healthy weekend from all of us here at CNN.
END
