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CNN 10

Thousands Of Migrants Suddenly Attempt To Enter The E.U.; Flooding In Texas And Louisiana; Inflation Fears Drive Down International Markets; Famous Arch Collapses In The Galapagos Islands

Aired May 20, 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: Hi, I`m Carl Azuz. What`s being described as a serious crisis for Europe is our first topic today, the dispute directly

involves Spain and Morocco. Spain is part of the European Union. Morocco is not and many Africans have tried to enter Europe by going from Morocco to

Spain. A little more than five years ago, a migrant crisis began in Europe.

Hundreds of thousands of people from the Middle East, southern Asia and northern Africa either entered or tried to get into Europe. Some of them

took tremendous risks to do it. Many were running from terrorism and war in their home countries. Many were looking for a better life. The north

African nation of Morocco and the southwestern European nation of Spain are separated by a waterway called the Strait of Gibraltar.

But there are cities on the Moroccan side of that strait that border Morocco but are officially part of Spain and on Monday and Tuesday more

than 8,000 people tried to illegally cross from Morocco into these Spanish cities, many by swimming. This isn`t the first time this has happened. It

is the first that so many crossed in such a short period of time. Why? We don`t know exactly.

The tensions between Spain and Morocco did increase recently. A rebel leader who has fought Morocco`s government has been treated at a Spanish

hospital. That made Morocco angry and though Moroccan officials have said the surge of migrants had nothing to do with that. Some experts have

suggested maybe it did. Spanish officials, meanwhile, are under pressure to deal with the illegal border crossings and prevent new ones.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Exhausted and cold, thousands of Moroccan migrants swam their way through Spanish enclave Ceuta in northern Africa. Some, wading to

shore, others reaching a border fence. Many of them minors and in need of medical attention. Some entered southern Ceuta at Tarajal Beach.

Most came through northern Ceuta and Benzo (ph) Beach. It was just a short swim around break waters which mark the border up one side and then down

the other to reach Ceuta a Spanish government spokesman said. Risking their lives, many came under the cover of darkness, some aided by floatation

devices but the light at the end turned out to be Spanish authorities.

Police in force as the migrants arrived, many out breath. One Moroccan man drowned the government said. Some were jubilant as they ran into Ceuta town

but it would be a short visit for many of them. The Spanish Interior Minister saying, thousands had already been sent back.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE TRANSLATED: We will be strong in defending our borders.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Spain`s prime minister announced a visit to Ceuta and Spain`s other enclave Melilla on Morocco`s north coast can thank European

Union for it`s support.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE TRANSLATED: We will restore order with the greatest speed. We will be firm to guarantee the security of our citizens against

any challenge and under any circumstance.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Troops were deployed to back-up police and keep the situation contained while increasing border security officials said. The

president of Ceuta, home to 84,000 Spaniards, called the situation unprecedented demanding help.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

AZUZ: Slow moving storms have soaked parts of Texas and Louisiana this week and millions of people in the region are under flash flood watches into

Thursday. Relentless rain, in some areas more than a foot of it is only part of the story. Strong winds have also blown over trees and damaged some

buildings.

The power was out for 100,000 Texan homes and businesses on Wednesday morning but by the afternoon that number had been reduced to 29,000. In

neighboring Louisiana, at least four deaths have been blamed on the weather this week and with more rain in the forecast through Friday, some areas of

Oklahoma and Arkansas are also on the look-out for possible flash floods.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: In the U.S. flash floods kill more people than tornadoes, hurricanes or lightening. A flash flood creates a rush of moving

water that can sweep a grown man off his feet, a car off the road and even your entire home off its foundation. When the ground becomes so saturated

that water can no longer seep into the soil, it begins to run-off quickly into rivers and streams and this causes a rise in water in a flash.

Densely populated areas have an extremely high risk of flash flooding with the additional concrete and less grassy areas for the water to soak into

the soil and they can see flash flooding very quickly.

In mountainous terrain, the combination of gravity plus the easy run-off can lead to catastrophic flooding. When all of that water`s funneled into

rivers, creeks and even the valleys. Remember, flash flooding can happen in a blink of an eye. That`s why it`s important to stay alert and pay

attention in case a flash flood watch or warning is issued for your area.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

AZUZ: 10 Second Trivia. Which of these U.S. events occurred in 1920? President Wilson was re-elected, "The Great Gatsby" was published,

inflation hit a record high or Babe Ruth made is debut. In 1920, inflation in June was almost 24 percent higher than it had been the previous year.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RACHEL CRANE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Inflation is the textbook term for prices rising over time and purchasing power falling. Think of a trip to the

grocery store. It sets you back $100. A year from now, you buy all the same items but they now cost $103. That`s inflation, three percent to be exact.

So what causes inflation? A rise in production cost is one scenario. For example, booming energy prices can drive up the cost of transportation or

manufacturing. Rising wages can also contribute to inflation. If business owners have to pay workers more, they might also raise prices to cover

those higher labor costs.

Inflation can also happen when the demand for goods exceeds supply, then businesses selling those items can increase prices. Prices going up slowly

is generally considered a good thing, especially if wages rise too. It helps keep the economy dynamic and growing. The U.S. Central Bank has even

a target inflation rate, two percent.

But inflation can quickly get out of control when governments print too much money to pay for spending. When not enough real value underlies that

paper, prices surge. That`s called hyperinflation. It happened in Germany, in Zimbabwe in the 2000s and most recently in Venezuela and it`s the Feds

job to make sure the United States keeps the inflation rate on track.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

AZUZ: So those groceries Rachael Crane mentioned, if you`d bought them for $100 last April you would have paid more than $104 for them this April. The

U.S. government says consumer prices are up 4.2 percent from last year. That`s their biggest increase since 2008. Just about everything`s getting

more expensive.

One reason is that the American economy continues its rebound from the drop it took after the COVID pandemic set in. But stocks in the U.S. and around

the world have been dropping over the past couple days because investors are worried about continuing inflation. The big question in all of this

isn`t whether inflation is taking place, it is, what`s unknown is how long it will last and how high it will go.

Some prominent economists believe that quickly rising prices will be a temporary thing. One argues that when supplies of hard-to-find goods like

computer chips and lumber drop back down to their normal levels, prices will too.

So the inflation would be temporary. Others are concerned that if the flow of goods doesn`t get back to normal soon, Americans might stop shopping

because things are too expensive. That could really hurt the U.S. economy because it runs on consumer spending.

From rising prices to falling arches. These are before and after shots of what was known as Darwin`s Arch in the Galapagos Islands. It`s one of the

most famous landmarks in the archipelago which is located about 700 miles west of the South American nation of Ecuador. The country`s ministry of the

environment says natural erosion caused the arch to fall.

Its collapse was reported on Monday and a tour boat happened to be nearby when the top of the 140 foot structure came crashing down. The company says

it will miss this iconic site in the Galapagos, of course, the two pillars are still standing so they maybe renamed.

Things you won`t find on the menu at Wendy`s, alligator. But some people recently found a seven foot gator in the parking lot of a Wendy`s in

Florida. Experts say the animal was probably trying to move from one body of water to another when he arrived at the fast food restaurant. And some

pedestrians had to hurry out of its way to avoid become fast food. Police joked that the gator might have been "hangry" for a cheeseburger. They and

wildlife officials removed the reptile.

They had to get there on the "double". Thankfully the gator was just a "single" but it wasn`t a "junior" and it was giving passersby a "frosty"

reception. The "combo" of police and wildlife officials was anything but "chicken". They knew where the "beef" was and their efforts were all in a

"Dave`s" work.

It`s just too bad Wendy`s missed the chance to offer the "Bacongator". Who`s hungry for puns ya`ll? We hope the students of Rock Ridge High School

are, want to give a shout out to our viewers in Ashburn, Virginia for watching or should I say consuming our show. For CNN 10, I`m Carl

Azuz.

END