Return to Transcripts main page
CNN 10
Apparent Coup In Sudan; Weather-Related Problems In America; Preservation Of Potato Varieties In Peru; Sale Of A Triceratops. Aired 4- 4:10a ET
Aired October 26, 2021 - 04:00:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CARL AZUZ, CNN 10 ANCHOR: Instability in the African nation of Sudan. That`s where we`re starting today`s show. I`m Carl Azuz for CNN 10. Worry
in our hearts is how some demonstrators are describing the situation in Sudan`s capital. Their country`s military appears to have taken over in
another coup. Sudan has seen several of those since the late 20th century. It`s former President Omar al-Bashir was a military leader when he seized
power in 1989.
He was known for his harsh rule over the Sudanese people and he`s been accused of crimes against humanity and genocide in Sudan`s western Darfur
region. During massive civilian protests in 2019, the military took over once again forcing President al-Bashir out of office. A transitional
government was set up, power was shared between military and civilian groups, but tensions stayed high in the African nation.
In September, forces that were loyal to the country`s former president tried and failed to take power back, and in October thousands of
demonstrators gathered in front of the presidential palace to demand the military take control again. While thousands of other amassed in the
streets to support the nation`s civilian leaders. So, instability in Sudan is ongoing. What`s happening right now? Sudan`s military has broken up
its power sharing government with civilian leaders.
It`s declared a state of emergency. It`s reportedly arrested government officials according to witnesses, and the head of Sudan`s armed forces says
that quote, "independent and fair representative government would take control until a new one is elected in 2023".
Flights have been suspended from the capital`s international airport. Internet connections have been severely disrupted. Sudan`s civilian prime
minister, who was arrested has called for the Sudanese to peacefully protest the takeover. Many people have taken to the streets, and there`ve
been some reports of violence against the demonstrators. Several other countries including the United States are speaking out against the apparent
military coup, and calling for stability in Sudan. A cold front that plowed across the United States has made its mark. The
National Weather Service says several reports of tornadoes came in, as the system moved across Illinois, Kansas and Missouri and it was pushing heavy
rains and winds over the Appalachian Mountains as it moved toward the U.S. east coast.
From New Jersey to Massachusetts, flood watches are in effect through Tuesday afternoon, and authorities said hail and tornadoes were possible in
some isolated places. Meantime, an atmospheric river, a band of exceptionally moist air, has flowed over northern California and brought
heavy rain to the drought-stricken state. The good news is that this helped firefighters get complete control over the Dixie Fire, the second
largest one in state history. The bad news --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PAUL VERCAMMEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: This atmospheric river is dumping rain and bringing wind to hundreds of square miles of northern California and
the big fear, mudslides. Let`s look at what happened on State Route 70, this is in the Tobin area. The hillside came crashing down. The debris so
large that the Cal Trans truck and heavy equipment can`t clear it right now.
This could be days that this lasts here, and then as we look over here. I`m on U.S. Route 50. You can see behind me the South Fork of the American
River starting to fill up. Here in one shot, you can see they have to be careful with flooding in rivers but above the so-called burn scar,
completely stripped of vegetation in some places.
And when the rain comes down, and it comes down as strong for a sustain amount, that`s when you can get the slides, because an ashy, slurry mess.
That`s what they`re worried about. So you`ll hear about power outages and flash flood warnings with these circumstances, and their telling drivers
unless it`s absolutely necessary you shouldn`t be driving. These are potentially lethal conditions as this atmospheric river comes through
northern California. Reporting from El Dorado County, I`m Paul Vercammen, now back to you.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
AZUZ: 10 Second Trivia. In what mountain range would you find the world`s largest salt flat? Andes, Caucasus, Himalayas, or Rockies. Salar de Uyuni
can be found in the Andes Mountains.
Before I wrote this show, if you`d ask me how many varieties of potatoes there are in this world I might have said, baked, russets, sweet, tips,
like four. I would have been wrong by about 4,000. And if you`d ask where most of them are grown, I might have said France because fries, but the
truth is in the Andes Mountains and the nation of Peru is our next stop.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ESPERANZA GABRIEL, POTATO CUSTODIAN TRANSLATED: I can`t let them be forgotten because all the flavors I know now how to grow them. And in that
way, I can keep the varieties alive.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: At the foothills of the central Peruvian Andes lives Esperanza Gabriel. She`s a potato custodian, helping to conserve a
personal collection of over 300 ancestral potato varieties.
GABRIEL TRANSLATED: This one is (inaudible). Inside it has pink pod.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Stef de Hann, from the International Potato Center in Lima works with hundreds of custodians like Esperanza.
STEF DE HANN, INTERNATIONAL POTATO CENTER: So, you can almost compare like to coin collectors or to stamp collectors. They are really important
because potato custodians are basically the guardians of the traditional (inaudible) and they`re also the guardians of the diversity itself.
GABRIEL TRANSLATED: Between the two of us, we have been growing these seeds for 20 years. We`re saving them for the day of our wedding. Those
from my husband`s side and those I inherited.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There are about 4,000 varieties of native potato in the world and most of them are grown in the Andes. While only a handful are
available in supermarkets around the world.
DE HANN: If we don`t preserve the whole genetic base of these potatoes, it would basically mean that we have no options in the future to diversify our
food system. So we will be highly dependent on very few varieties and it would make us extremely vulnerable. The Andean farmers why they grow
potatoes is very risky. So, there`s a lot of disease pressure, there`s a lot of hail. There`s a lot of frost and basically growing these potatoes
together in mixtures is a risk avoidance strategy.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: For Esperanza, the motivation is not only protecting diversity but the simple desire to feed her family.
GABRIEL TRANSLATED: We grow potatoes to eat, and also for selling as well. And we keep them in storage for us to use throughout the year.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A traditional, local dish is pachamanca (ph). The potatoes are steamed underground with hot stones.
DE HANN: You could say that the Andean farmers are really the connoisseurs or the (inaudible) of the potatoes.
GABRIEL TRANSLATED: My momma taught me. Now I want to teach my daughters, so that they can continue cultivating the varieties.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Potato custodians have been protecting seeds for centuries, for Step de Hann valuing traditional agriculture is the only way
to ensure bio-diversity will evolve and remain available to future generations.
DE HANN: As soon as you put a potato in a gene bank, it becomes something static. With the farmers, it`s really something that is continuously
adapting. So some things are getting lost, some things are getting added. A laboratory that`s not managed by scientists creates a laboratory that is
basically more than 10,000 years of evolution in the hands of farmers.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
AZUZ: Big John is on the move. That`s the name of the largest known triceratops skeleton. It was discovered in South Dakota in 2014. It was
recently sold at an auction in France for $7.7 million and the buyer was American so Big John will cross the Atlantic once again. Paleontologists
say the skeleton is about 60 percent complete. The rest of the bones usually have to be remade and some scientists don`t like private sales of
fossils.
But if you collect old artifacts, it`s "triceratops". Cost a "skeleton" of money, but it`s guaranteed to stop your family in their "tracks" when they
see that thing in your home "no doubt it". If the dinosaurs "scores" up your floor, you make no "bones" about it. No one has a pet triceratops,
and leave your guests all "baltieyed". A "bonified" sight with all it`s might but they`re so "fossilized". Maybe not my best rap, but I`m spitting
"artifacts". Want to give a shout out to Natchitoches Central High School today. It is located in Natchitoches, Louisiana. I`m Carl Azuz for CNN.
END
