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Thursday, 28 March 2024

Midmorning Wtih Aundrea - May 21, 2020 (Part 1)

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Midmorning Wtih Aundrea - May 21, 2020 (Part 1)
Midmorning Wtih Aundrea - May 21, 2020 (Part 1)

(Part 1 of 2) Many Americans say they will refuse to fly even after coronavirus restrictions are lifted.

United Airlines is trying to allay customer fears by instituting new cleaning procedures and social distancing flights.

And the bird population in the United States has dwindled by approximately 30% since 1970, but ornithologists and conservationists are beginning to see glimmers of hope.

Thanks for watching.

It's been 10 years since scott pelley featured a brother and sister living in a van during a 60 minutes profile.

Life has changed for them.

But the takeaway is one of hope.

Tony dokoupil has more.

Autumn hope johnson doesn't need the news to know what's happening these days.

Not the economic news, anyway.

That, she's already lived.

Autumn hope johnson: 12:04:17 it's terrifying.

I'm scared for those families.

I'm scared for the children.

Autumn hope johnson : in the clear bin, we have dirty laundry... autumn and her younger brother were those children, two of the 16 million living in poverty after the great recession.

Scott pelley: so you're not really heating up food so much... autumn hope johnson : no.

Scott pelley: ...you're eating out of cans?

Autumn hope johnson : yep.

Their mother died when they were young ... and their father had lost the family house in seminole county, florida.

By the time scott pelley caught up with them in 2011 for 60 minutes, they were living in this yellow delivery truck.

Scott pelley: whatús that like?

Autumn hope johnson : itús an adventure.

Aaron johnson : yeah, thatús how we see it.

Scott pelley: when kids at school ask you where you live, what do you tell them?

Aaron johnson : when they see the truck, they ask me if i live in it, and when i hesitate they kind of realize.

And they say they wonút tell anybody and-- autumn hope johnson : yeah, itús not really that much of an embarrassment.

I mean, itús only life.

You do what you need to do, right?

Tony dokoupil: 11:30:02 // where did that poise come from?

Autumn hope johnson: 11:30:05 it came from hope.

It came from hope for a better future.

/// tony dokoupil: 11:34:03 at what point did you realize that, "wow a lot of people have seen this now, and a lot of people are trying to get in touch with me" autumn hope johnson: 11:34:25 that same night.

That same night.

// maybe 10, 15, 20 minutes after our section ended, there were people in our community who drove up and said, "hey, w wanted to give you some things."

/ 11:34:56 // that was when it really hit for me that there are people who are out there who really do care still.

One of those people was the president of stetson university, who noticed autumn wearing a second- hand stetson shirt in the report and offered her a full scholarship.

Autumn hope johnson: 11:38:15ish it was incredible.

And it-- it-- honestly, it changed my life.

But she still need to get in.

After her father lost custody, she bounced around foster care families, and very nearly gave up.

Tony dokoupil: 11:44:16 if you had dropped out of school and disappeared under your problems, people would have understood.

In fact, that probably is the expectation for a lotta kids in your situation.

Autumn hope johnson: 11:44:38 absolutely.

I know a lot of children who have done that.

Instead ... at 17, autumn was adopted into a large and loving family ... who encouraged her to get back in touch with stetson -- which she did.

Tony dokoupil: 11:46:58 were you known as the girl on campus from the 60 minutes report?

Or did you arrive completely anonymous, blending in with the crowd?

Autumn hope johnson: 11:47:16 oh, i totally blended in with the crowd.

100%.

Tony dokoupil: 11:47:20 and that's the way you wanted it?

Autumn hope johnson: 11:47:23 that's how i wanted it.

I mean, a part of me did want to update the world that i had made it and i was here.

But at the same time, like, i just-- i just wanted to be a normal kid.

But last year, as a junior, she decided she was ready to stand out again.

At a major conference on homelessness, one of her mentors&professo r rajni shankar brown introduced a familiar 60 minutes report and then a certain young woman.

Rajni shankar- brown: 10:29:58 it was amazing-- just because it took so much strength for autumn to have to come out, right, and to have to share that story, and to be vulnerable in front of hundreds of people.

// 10:31:30 we had everybody in tears, but in a good way-- because hearts were opened.

This month, nearly 10 years to the day she first moved into that truck, autumn hope johnson graduated on the dean's list ... and with plans to continue on to law school.

Tony dokoupil: 11:48:03 were there ever moments when you were there on that beautiful campus // when you couldn't imagine that the girl sitting on the floor of the delivery van doing her homework could be the very same girl on that campus?

Autumn hope johnson: 11:48:23 i couldn't imagine it.

It was-- there were times where i look back and i'm like, " shouldn't even be here."

// but i kno that this is a gift.

And i've learned to accept gifts.

And i'm thankful for it.

Suggested outcue: autumn says the lesson in her story is that homelessness is not the same as hopelessness.

And that education really is a ticket out.

Her brother is also doing well after his sophomore year at stetson.

And some people may remember that autumn was called "arielle" in the minutes report.

It's a strange time to be in high school.

All the milestones have changed.

And the ways young people mark the passage of key moments have disappeared or gone virtual.

But across the nation, groups of students are finding ways to be a part of their community - like these in boston.

Take a look.

Video clip "elbo vid 2" of puttin groceries into trunk it's time for a food delivery from a dedicated band of young people..

Cole strachan 33:10 we're providing free delivery service for elderly or anyone in need...and we're also providing them masks with the delivery..

... it's the brainchild of cole strachan ...a junior at boston latin.

He and his friends call their group...'a helping elbow."

Cole 33:40 on camera here for key and to see him move his elbow i just thought of elbow...because touching elbows, not hands.

I thought it was a little play on words... an amusing name..but a serious mission... to make sure people who can't get to the grocery store have the food they need.

Cole 37:08 tighten?

We're just showing people...that they don't need to put themselves at risk..

Cole 37:34 it feels good to do something good during this time.

About twenty students are part of the effort.

Matt balitskiy oversees deliveries..taylo r murray is a mask maker....and evan durrant handles finances.

Evan durrant 45:02 i thought it was a great idea right away, and i just wanted to join and help any way i could.... more sewing video on "elbow vid 5" a "elbow vid 6 beat of nats of sewing machine they're also making and selling face masks to raise money for "feeding america.

Taylor murray 42:42 broll first 2 seconds then on cam for key i know that if i was in a situation where i need help in a time like this..i would want someone else to feel good about helping me.

The people they're helping usually pay for the groceries....but the group will use some of its fundraising dollars to help with that when necessary.

Matt balitskiy 38:39 we were in a position where we had the ability to help others...so why not make the most of our time and actually have a good impact on other people.

It's a learning process.

But summer internships ma many americans say they are áunlikelyá to fly even after restrictions are lifted, according to a recent survey.

But airlines say they are working to lower the risk of people getting sick while traveling.

Kris van cleave got a rare, behind- the-scenes look at what united is doing.

We're on our way back to denver..

The friendly skies that united flight attendant nick engen knew&have turned turbulent.

All we're doing is give out water or soda, no cups no ice.

He's been documenting the new normal of flying for this video blog- nonrevnick... including his now standard preflight temperature check woman: good nick: thanks arriving at washington dulles flyers find&a much emptier terminal, fewer kiosks, plexiglass shields, reminders to distance&and stepped up cleaning.

Online outrage over this crowded flight prompted united to launch a new social distancing policy this week alerting passengers if they are on a flight with 70% or more of the seats sold.

The vast majority are less than half full.

Everyone has a different sense of what is considered uncomfortable.

We are inventing a playbook for cleaning and keeping things safe every day.

We are learning and innovating every day.

Before boarding... a team of cleaners go row by row wiping down seats, tray tables, knobs&anything people might touch.

Then the plane is disinfected using an electrostratic fogger, also used in hospitals, it sprays a mist that kills viruses and bacteria.

Kvc by june, united plans to be doing this fogging between every flight on every plane.

Kvc how does fresh air get into the plane?

Jh through these inlets maintenance managing director jim hammer says cabin air is constantly refreshed during flight-and run through a hospital grade hepa filter like this that strips out bacteria and viruses.

Linda bowen and her family are waiting to board a flight to chicago after her mother passed away.

She admits she's a little nervous.

Linda:if there was going to be too many people around not practicing the social distancing, not wearing masks, but i found that most are.

Hi there gone is boarding by group number&now flights are boarding back to front.

As passengers get on they are handed sanitizing wipes the airlines say they need about 70 percent of the seats full to be profitable.

Right now they say they are averaging just 31 passengers per domestic flight but their numbers are trending up.

Kris van cleave, cbs news, reagan national airport, virginia many students who planned on summer internships and the chance to build professional relationships saw those hopes dashed by the covid-19 pandemic.

But there are new opportunities in virtual internships - and experts say the skill sets gained in these unusual times may come in handy for future jobs.

Cbs's nancy chen explains.

Graduating johns hopkins university senior elena neher was looking forward to her summer internship at an archeological center in colorado.

It was canceled due to the covid-19 pandemic.

"i'm still a littl sad about it, of course!

Why wouldn't i be."

Data from glassdoor economic research shows one in two internship openings have closed since the coronavirus outbreak in the u.s. began.

And internship hiring fell 39% percent in april, compared to last year.

Neher managed to arrange a ávirtual internship with a campus museum, instead.

"it's something t build, and something to do research and apply similar skills but it's something i can do at home."

Experts say employers across multiple industries are hosting virtual internships, where students can still gain valuable experience - even if they're missing out on in-person coaching.

University of tampa graduate alexis novales is building relationships in her remote p-r internship.

"utilizing zoom an all the video chat softwares, you can still talk to your supervisors and get to know them, it definitely won't be like, 'hey, let's grab a coffee in ten minutes'.

But you can definitely still have those conversations.: christine cruzvergara is a vice president at handshake, a platform connecting college students with internships and jobs.

She says the flexibility this moment calls for is attractive to employers: "change is muscle, and i think the generations that have to enter a workforce that is difficult - they are actually utilizing that muscle more/// and that will actually set them up very well for the future.

" she recommends students focus on what they can control: like completing online profiles and reaching out to peers and alumni to build a network.

Nancy chen, cbs news, new york.

Not surprisingly, internships in travel and tourism industries were the hardest hit, with a 92% drop according to glassdoor economic research.

When we come back, how bird watchers are being joined by even more mid morning "the bird way" is fascinating look at extremes and surprises from our friends in the great outdoors.

The timing seems right, given the current cris, and our interest in seeing anything except the couch.

But the book is also a jumping off point..

To examine a bigger, broader issue: the state of billions of birds overall.

There are plenty of reasons for concern, but also signs of hope.

Jeff glor spoke to conservationists, biologists, hunters, farmers, and more.

All of them: birders.

This is still migratory season, so birds would be on the move anyway.

But this year, in the middle of a pandemic... as humans have retreated... it seems like the natural world... is in overdrive.

The morning chorus, louder.

The wildlife, wilder.

132941 jennifer ackerman: there's no question that people are being more observant.

// it's cause for-- yeah, a lot of joy and a lot of comfort.

Jennifer ackerman is the author of the new book "th bird way."

Jeff glor: why do you think watching them right now, for so many people, has been-- has been such a comfort?

Jennifer ackerman: well, for one thing, they're the most-- visible wildlife around us.

And they are carrying on with their lives.

Ackerman has been writing about science and nature for three decades, and her latest work shares remarkable insights into birds and those who study them.

That includes former astronaut jessica meir, who raises geese from birth, teaching them to fly& and even brave a wind tunnel& so she can better understand how they handle extreme altitudes.

There's the african gray parrot, confounding widespread perceptions of how birds behave by showing one giving up its food for another.

Jennifer ackerman: 13:47:59 it was this--//really, really remarkable-- show of altruism in the bird world.

And the unusual communication of the greater ani, who cooperatively make decisions with complete strangers to raise their young.

Jennifer ackerman: this is an animal with a brain that's about the size of a nut.

And yet they have these strategies for survival that are ingenious really.

Jeff glor: 134158 should we still use the term, bird brains?

Jennifer ackerman: only as a compliment.

Birds may have more open space in this current cris, but overall, they are hurting.

A much-discussed report in journal science this past october said the bird population is north america has declined by three billion, or 29 percent, since 1970.

Jennifer ackerman: there's so many-- factors that are threatening them.

Climate change is a big one, especially with migratory birds, and also, loss of habitat.

The work to protect those habitats is ongoing.

Wayne: 2/3 of the endangered species in the world depend on wetland habitats.

Wayne roberts is with ducks unlimited, a group started by hunters in 1937 to stop declines in waterfowl populations, now one of the largest wetland conservation organizations in the world.

We visited one of their projects along one of the last and largest remaining wetlands of coastal connecticut.

Jeff glor: it's a beautiful spot wayne roberts: it's an awesome spot jeff glor: what are you trying to do in areas like this?

Wayne roberts: we're restoring some of the tidal flow in these areas that are necessary for the birds jeff glor: why are we losing birds?

Wayne roberts: overall the theme that keeps coming up over and over again is the habitat.

They gotta have somewhere to sleep, somewhere to eat, somewhere to breed.

You gotta have a house.

They gotta have a house.

The work is being done on larry davis' farm, the oldest continually operating family farm in the nation, created in 1640.

He is á13thá generation.

Jeff glor: you've-- you've dedicated a good part of your life to make sure this land doesn't get built on ever.

Larry davis: my whole life// larry davis: grandfather always preached, "keep the land an the land'll keep you."

I don't thin that's anymore evident than today in today's pandemic situation.

As-- as a family farmer, as a farmer, we feed the world.

And if we don't preserve it, if we don't keep it and take care of it, they don't make anymore.

Jeff glor: as-- as the operator of the longest running continuous family farm in the country, when you hear about bird populations going down and being thinned, larry davis: i think that the environment is the pulse of the world.

If-- if-- if there's a bad-- if there are bad things going on, if man has had too much of an influence that has poorly affected the world, you'll find it first in nature.

And so as bird populations drop, other species are as well.

Jeff glor: favorite bird?

Larry davis: uhhh i would just have to go with ducks.

Probably my favorite's the black duck.

They're smart.

They're wild.

Jeff glor: no disrespect to other ducks.

Larry davis: none.

Duck and geese populations, bucking historic trends, have actually increased in the past few decades.

Larry davis: it's imperative that-- that we as a race, supposedly being at the top of the food chain, it's our responsibility to preserve it.

152405 are we doing that right now?

To some degree, yes.

Will we ever be able to do enough?

No, i don't think so.

With world populations booming the way they are, i don't know as we'll ever be able to do enough.

But the goal is for no net loss.

Like larry davis, jennifer ackerman's passion for the land, and those who fly over it, is generational.

Jeff glor: 134505 all of this started with your dad?

Jennifer ackerman: that's right; my dad.

And he-- he was-- a huge influence in my life in this way.

And we still share a tremendous love of birds, and i'm forever grateful to him for-- for setting me on this path.

For her and others, constantly learning more about our most ávisibleá neighbors is a way to make sure they stay that way.

Jennifer ackerman: 13:34:12 oh, i think-- we have a tremendous amount to learn.

You know, we-- we have-- made great strides in understanding bird science but we have a long way to go, and i think particularly in understanding how birds know things and, you know, whether there are ways of knowing in the bird world that are different from our own.

134250 we really have to-- do what we can to make sure that our children and our children's children get to see the birds that we see and learn from them, and learn from their still, you know, largely mysterious ways.

Taking off from a space port near you.

Astronauts head

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