Hong Kong`s Past, Present and Uncertain Future; CNN Hero; Bathtub Races in Moravia, New York
CARL AZUZ, CNN 10 ANCHOR: Hi, I`m Carl Azuz and thank you for taking 10 minutes for CNN 10. Your source for objective explanations of world news. We`re starting today`s coverage in Hong Kong where 200 flights were cancelled on Monday when one of the busiest airports in Asia was shut down, the reason, protests. Hong Kong`s latest protest movement has been going on for more than 10 weeks now. The demonstrations have become violent with both protestors and police becoming more intense. The major reasons behind this are rooted in the strained relationship between Hong Kong citizens and mainland China. Officially Hong Kong is a special administrative region of China and it`s allowed certain freedoms that mainland China is not.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A protest like this is not normal in communist China but this Chinese city is not like the rest. A place where the freedom to protest is joined by free speech, a free press and other rights normally found in the west not in a communist country. Welcome to Hong Kong, a city with just over 7 million people that is technically a part of China although it operates under what`s known as one country, two systems. Hong Kong runs its own finances, education, immigration policy and judiciary. It was a British colony until 1997 when the UK worked out a deal to turn Hong Kong back over to China with the stipulation that they continue to enjoy many of the rights they had as British subjects. But that agreement will only last for 50 years and when it ends in 2047, it could mean that Hong Kong will lose a lot of those rights as it will be formally joined with the rest of China. There is concern though that China is not holding up its end of the bargain taking concrete steps over the last few years that many in Hong Kong see as Beijing encroaching on the city`s autonomy. In June 2019, Hong Kong saw hundreds of thousands march to protest a controversial extradition bill that would allow Hong Kong to extradite certain suspects to mainland China. Critics fear that China`s government could simply use the law as a tool to extradite people for political reasons, charges that both Beijing and the Hong Kong government deny. And back in 2014, Hong Kong saw some of its largest demonstrations in decades, a mass protest over how the city`s top leader is elected. Activists say the basic law here allows Hong Kongers to develop their own democracy and to hold free elections. But Beijing insists that it has complete jurisdiction over Hong Kong and must pre-approve all candidate who stand for the top post. There have also been protest over the erosion of press freedom and what activists say is Beijing`s interference in Hong Kong`s local political matters. The deal was supposed to last for 50 years but many in Hong Kong say a lot of the rights they`ve enjoyed for so long are now being taken away far faster than they expected.</s>AZUZ: So why did this lead to the closure of Hong Kong`s Airport? Some of the activists who were protesting see this as a way to get international attention on Hong Kong struggles. Others see the airport as a safer place to stage a protest like a sit in because of the violence that`s been seen on the city streets. Protestors and police say they`ve seen injuries on both sides of those battles. Chinese officials say the demonstrators have attacked officers with dangerous tools and have started to quote "show signs of terrorism". So they want police to crackdown on what Chinese officials call violent crime. The closure of the airport made some protestors think that riot police would soon arrive so many of the demonstrators went home. Not everyone in Hong Kong has been protesting against the local government, police or mainland China. There have been some demonstrations in support of the government. Still, with large demonstration stretching into an 11th week now, observers there say they don`t know where it all will lead and when it will end. 10 Second Trivia. An estimated 85 to 90 percent of wildfires are caused by what? People, lightning, solar flares or lava. Arson, campfires, cigarettes and fireworks are some of the ways in which people cause the majority of wildfires. We`re excited to continue our series today that follows CNN Heroes. Everyday people who see a problem in their community or another one and then take steps to fix it. Woody Faircloth is a great example. Last November he saw the effects of California`s Camp Fire, the most destructive and deadly wildfire in the states history and he decided to help survivors one RV at a time.</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The out of control wildfires in California.</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This fire is destroying everything in its path.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It looks like a scene out of the apocalypse.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It is just complete devastation.</s>WOODY FAIRCLOTH: As news as the fires broke, we were watching this tragedy unfold real time from my home in Denver.</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (inaudible) there`s fire like crazy.</s>FAIRCLOTH: I saw just video after video of people fleeing the fire.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The entire town of Paradise is gone.</s>FAIRCLOTH: Tens of thousands were left homeless. People were sleeping in their cars. They were sleeping in parking lots. It was total chaos. I knew I wanted to do something to help and I decided let`s raise money, buy an RV and give it to a family who lost their home in the fire. We found an RV that we could afford and the day before Thanksgiving my six year old daughter Luna (ph) and I hopped in it and we headed to California.</s>LUNA FAIRCLOTH (PH): You`re doing a really good job driving Dad.</s>WOODY FAIRCLOTH: Thanks Luna (ph). When we got there, it was apocalyptic scene. Everyone we encountered was in shock. We realized just how big the need was. It was overwhelming. OK Luna (ph), this is going to be loud. So that`s when we decided to start a non-profit to take in RV`s and match them with people who lost their homes in the fire. Today, we`re coming up on the year after the fire and a vast majority of those impacted are still displaced.</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The fire burned my whole home. It took everything I owned. I have no baby pictures. I have no pictures of my mother. It`s hard. I`ve moved around a lot. I`ve been living in my car for about a month. It could be years that I will be able to really put it all back together.</s>FAIRCLOTH: Here it is. This is the RV. We purchase RV`s. We also take RV donations. Yeah, we just have a few finishing touches and we`ll be good to go. We refurbish them and then we donate them. So we just picked up this RV, now we`re going to drive it up to a grandmother and we`re super excited to give her, her new home.</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I`m excited. I`m about to jump out of my shoes. (inaudible) Wow. Oh my god. Thank you.</s>FAIRCLOTH: You`re welcome. Yay. You`ve got a place to call your own now.</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes. Yes. Oh my god. This will be my lifesaver. God, look at it. It`s really awesome to think that there are people out there that care.</s>FAIRCLOTH: Think you`ll sleep well in a bed tonight?</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.</s>FAIRCLOTH: Yes.</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I`m dreaming (ph).</s>FAIRCLOTH: It`s great.</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It`s amazing, had no idea my life even existed and they`re going to give me my home. That`s really cool.</s>FAIRCLOTH: You can change the channel. It`s easy to avoid those emotions but when you`re standing face to face with someone. It`s just a powerful connector. A shelter is such a basic need, to provide that to someone that`s the common (inaudible) for me. That`s why I continue to do it.</s>AZUZ: A perfect follow up to the rubber ducky race we told you about yesterday is the Bathtub Race we`re telling you about today. 10 out of 10. This is one way that Moravia, New York honors America`s 13th president. Millard Fillmore was born in Moravia and he was said to be the first U.S. leader to install a bathtub in the White House. Now that`s just a myth but Moravia`s modern bathtub races are 100 percent real. And they look like good clean fun. They have a lot in common with the "soapbox" derby. Their "bubbling" with creativity and for anyone willing to take the "plunge", they`re a good way to "scrub up" on racing skills without getting all "tubsy turvy" with dirty tricks. I`m Carl Azuz and we thank you for watching CNN. END