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CNN 10
U.S. Congress Certifies Electoral College Votes; Examination of Some Global COVID-19 Responses; Virtual Reality Helps Some South Koreans Step Back In Time. Aired 4-4:10a ET
Aired January 08, 2021 - 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: Guess what? It`s Friday and Friday`s are awesome. Welcome to CNN 10. My name is Carl Azuz. After a tumultuous day at the U.S.
Capitol on Wednesday, lawmakers continued to process of counting the Electoral College votes from the November 3rd presidential election.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MIKE PENCE, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: May God bless all who serve here and those who protect this place and may God bless the United
States of America. Let`s get back to work.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
AZUZ: In the early hours of Thursday morning after defeating some Republicans objections to vote counts in two states, lawmakers finalized
the election victory of Joe Biden. Current Vice-President Mike Pence declared that the president-elect received 306 electoral votes while
President Donald Trump received 232. Biden`s inauguration is scheduled for Wednesday, January 20th in accordance with the 20th Amendment of the U.S.
Constitution. Following Wednesday`s protests and a riot at the U.S. Capitol building which was linked to four deaths, the president-elect said that
through war and strife America has endured much and that the nation would endure and prevail again.
And President Trump said that though he totally disagrees with the outcome of the election, there would be an orderly transition to the Biden
Administration on January 20th. As we mentioned yesterday, President-elect Biden says his first priority will be to address the ongoing coronavirus
pandemic. There`ve been some new strains of the virus that have cropped up worldwide and researchers don`t know if the newly approved emergency
vaccines will be effective against them, but scientists have identified more existing drugs that could help COVID-19 patients. As they continue
investigating the best ways to fight the disease, world leaders are trying to figure out the best way to prevent its spread.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I`m Salma Abdelaziz in London. The UK has recorded its deadliest day since April. On Wednesday, more than 1,000
people were reported killed due to corona virus. By many measures, this current outbreak is worse than the one during the Spring and what`s more difficult is the authorities have essentially
used up all the tools in the toolbox. We`re already under a nationwide lockdown here in England, already under the toughest rules and
restrictions. Essentially the government`s plan now is to vaccinate their way out of this crisis. A serious ramping up of the inoculation program but
it will tough weeks ahead.
MELISSA BELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I`m Melissa Bell in Paris. The European Medicines Agency has approved for use in the EU`s 27 member states the
Moderna coronavirus vaccine. This comes as several countries have seen fears over the size of their stock levels and the pace of their rollout
programs. On Wednesday, the German Health Minister urged patients saying that the vaccine was a scarce commodity. The commission has confirmed that
it will acquire 160 million doses of the Moderna vaccine which it will add to the 300 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine already being delivered
across the EU.
SAM KILEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I`m Sam Kiley in Jerusalem where Israel is going to impose a national lockdown to try to combat the COVID-19 virus
starting at midnight tonight, Thursday night going into Friday. All social gatherings will be banned. People will be confined to their homes. Schools
will be closed and all non-essential businesses also shutdown.
SELINA WANG, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I`m Selina Wang in Tokyo. Japan`s prime minister has declared a state of emergency in Tokyo and the surrounding
areas. As COVID cases continue to break new records every day. But this isn`t a hard lockdown. Japan`s government has no legal means to enforce
COVID-19 restrictions. This move simply urges residents to stay at home and for bars and restaurants to close by 8 p.m. Up until late December, Japan`s
government had actually been encouraging people to go out and spend through this domestic travel campaign. Health experts say that this move is now too
little, too late.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
AZUZ: 10 Second Trivia. In terms of latitude, which of these cities is located the farthest north? Pyongyang, North Korea, Shanghai, China, Tokyo,
Japan or Charlotte, North Carolina. The North Korean capital of Pyongyang is located at 39 degrees north, the northern most latitude on this list.
A sort of homecoming, at least a virtual one is our next topic. It`s been more than 70 years since fighting began in the Korean War. When it started,
thousands of families fled to the south and many of them became separated in the chaotic flood of refugees. Some found out later that their loved
ones were trapped in the north. And the strict control of its communist government, which doesn`t allow North Koreans to travel freely has largely
kept separated families from reuniting. With the ebb and flow of North Korea and South Korea relations over the years, a tiny fraction of these
families have been able to temporarily reunite. But most of those that are still alive in South Korea don`t ever expect to meet their loved ones in
the north or travel back to their childhood homes. But a new virtual reality program is offering some of them a chance to take a step back to
their past.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: (inaudible) hay day was from 1960s. Loved by elderly South Koreans, her emotional signature song about
separated families highlights her own heartache. Millions of people were torn from loved ones by the Korean War, fleeing to the south or stuck in
the north when the peninsula was split. Decades later, the chance of elderly families seeing one another again are rapidly shrinking. Shin Me
(ph), her parents and five of her seven siblings walked south for two months to escape the fighting.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (UNTRANSLATED)
HANCOCKS: Shin Me (ph) paid a broker to track down her younger sister in North Korea who was just six when Shin Me (ph) left and organized a reunion
in China more than 20 years ago. The only contact with lost family in her native country until now. Virtual reality company Tekton, working with the
South Korean government is determined she will at least see her hometown again.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (UNTRANSLATED)
HANCOCKS: The three-month project has shown Shin Me (ph) her old school, her old home.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I was very worried about her because a wife (ph) the thing that I made doesn`t resemble her memory.
HANCOCKS: The moment of truth. Shin Me (ph) walks towards her childhood home for the first time in decades. She reaches out to touch her past. She
knows she will never see again.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (UNTRANSLATED)
HANCOCKS: This project is intended to promote peace with North Korea. South Korea`s Unification Ministry is hoping they can do this for more separated
families next year. With fading memories this would be a chance for many to see their home one last time. Paula Hancocks, CNN, Seoul.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
AZUZ: It`s not every day that the block you use to get up on a horse is actually an ancient marble slab dating back to the 2nd century A.D. No one
knows how a Roman relic found its way to a garden in southern England. Though archeologists say wealthy British travelers did bring artifacts like
this home in the 1700 and 1800s. The woman who used it as a horse mounting block for the last 10 years had no idea it was historic. An auction house
estimates that the relic could fetch as much as $20,000. And that`s not "horse feathers", "horse withers", or us just "horsing around".
Now some might hear that price and say "neigh" but when a block hit`s the "block" after "Roman" across Europe, treasure hunters are sure to "saddle
up" and pull down some serious "denarius" and that`s an "artifact, jack". West St. Mary High School gets today`s shout out, want to say hello to our
viewers watching in Baldwin, Louisiana. We hope all of you have a wonderful weekend ahead and we`ll look forward to seeing you Monday. I`m Carl Azuz
for CNN.
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