Congress` Historic Impeachment of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas; Robot Completes First Surgical Procedure in Zero Gravity; Inside the World of Competitive Lion Dancing. Aired 4-4:10a ET
Aired February 15, 2024 - 04:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
COY WIRE, CNN 10 ANCHOR: Hello, sunshine. I`m back home in the city of our CNN World Headquarters, Atlanta, Georgia. Rise up. It`s Thursday, February
15th, happy Friday eve.
Let`s get this show started with something that has not happened in our nation in nearly 150 years.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. MIKE JOHNSON, (R) HOUSE SPEAKER: The resolution is adopted.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WIRE: That`s House Speaker, Mike Johnson officially announcing the impeachment of Homeland Security Secretary of Alejandro Mayorkas. He`s only
the second cabinet official ever in U.S. history to be impeached. The other was Secretary of War, William Belknap, way back in 1876.
Now, the final count came down to just one vote. And this comes one week after House Republicans previous impeachment effort fell short. At that
time, House Majority Leader, Steve Scalise was absent during the vote due to cancer treatment, but his return this time helped push House Republicans
to approve the measure. Not every GOP member supported this decision, though, including Representative Ken Buck.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. KEN BUCK, (R) COLORADO: You can, try to put lipstick on this pig. It is still a pig. And this is a -- a terrible impeachment. It sets a terrible
precedent.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WIRE: Now, those Republicans who were in favor of impeachment accused Mayorkas of committing high crimes and misdemeanors for his handling of the
Southern Border, by failing to enforce border laws during a crisis over immigration.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. MARK GREEN, (R) HOMELAND SECURITY CHAIRMAN: This guy essentially subverted the laws passed by this body, and that can`t stand. A cabinet
secretary doesn`t get to pick and choose which laws they`re going to enforce.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WIRE: OK. So what`s next? We do know that it is very unlikely that Mayorkas will be removed by the Democrat controlled Senate. And we`re going to make
sure to give you the latest as House Republicans now work to build their case before the Senate.
Next, we head up to the International Space Station where a surgical robot did something that has never been done before. Our Kristin Fisher got an
exclusive behind the scenes look at how a Nebraska based team performed a simulated operation using this space-based robot.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KRISTIN FISHER, CNN SPACE AND DEFENSE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Sitting on top of this SpaceX rocket when it launched in January was the first
surgical robot bound for outer space.
SHANE FARRITOR, CTO, VIRTUAL INCISION: So MIRA is a small surgical robot.
FISHER (voice-over): MIRA, made by a company called Virtual Incision, arrived at the International Space Station in February and on Saturday, it
did something that`s never been done before.
FARRITOR: Saturday was the first time that a surgical robot in space was controlled by surgeons on Earth to perform simulated surgical activities.
FISHER (voice-over): Virtual Incision provided CNN with exclusive video as six surgeons at the company`s headquarters in Lincoln, Nebraska took turns
operating the robot after it was powered up by NASA astronauts roughly 250 miles above.
DR. MICHAEL JOBST, SURGEON: The adrenaline was pumping and I could feel my heart pounding. It was -- it was really exhilarating. But at the same time,
once I saw that, you know, robotic device doing the things that I`m used to it doing, settled down.
FISHER (voice-over): Dr. Michael Jobst says he`s already performed 15 surgeries with MIRA during clinical trials on human patients here on Earth,
but he`s never had to contend with zero gravity or a time delay of about half a second.
JOBST: A split-second during -- you know, a half a second is going to be significant, so this was a big challenge.
FARRITOR: You can see a left hand with a grasper and a right hand with a pair of scissors. And we use rubber bands here to simulate surgical tissue.
JOBST: So you could think of those rubber bands as perhaps, you know, blood vessels or tendons, or other connective tissue that has elasticity. So
we`re able to, you know, grab hold of the rubber bands and then take the scissors and just basically to cut them.
FARRITOR: All right, I`m going for it.
(OFF MIC)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yeah, yeah.
(APPLAUSE)
FARRITOR: That was one small rubber band, but a great leap for surgery.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WIRE: Pop is hot shot.
Which two colors make up the Chinese flag?
Blue and white, red and yellow, black and green, or white and red.
If you said red and yellow, put your hands up. Red is a popular color in China, symbolizing happiness, luck, and prosperity, while yellow expresses
power and represents the earth in traditional Chinese culture.
Last week, we mentioned the start of the Chinese Lunar New Year and the holiday celebrations are still going strong. One of those traditions is
lion dancing, a vibrant art form rooted in Southern China during the Tang dynasty over 1000 years ago.
Let`s meet a group of young Chinese Americans who are learning to become the next generation of lion dancers, keeping this tradition alive.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KARLIN CHAN, SENIOR DIRECTOR, NEW YORK CHINESE FREEMASONS ATHLETIC CLUB: This may be true decades eight ago, but you know, many tourists will come
down here and assume that none of us spoke English. They would always ask you -- I guess it may be out of courtesy -- do you speak English? I`ll just
looking at him and say, I`ll try.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Up, down, up, down, down, up, down, up.
BRANDON LEE, PRESIDENT, NEW YORK CHINESE FREEMASONS ATHLETIC CLUB: Coming up here is like -- it`s a bonding with the younger guys and older guys. I
think that`s important for guys that Asian-Americans outside that don`t have anywhere to belong. You kind of come here and then you find own family
up here.
CHAN: But lion dancing came to the United States as the Chinese immigrants came to United States back in the 1800s, you know, because you were in a
foreign land, so you had to hang on for something from your culture.
I always thought it was important to -- for Chinese to embrace our own heritage and our culture. And we are Chinese. We`re American. It`s nothing
to be embarrassed about, you know, some of the old traditions, it`s nothing to be embarrassed about.
LEE: So you go bum, bum, bum, bum, bum, bum, bum, bum, bum.
In our lion dance group, they practice all year round because the lion head weighs between 15 to 20 pounds sometimes. Lion dancing during Chinese New
Year is to bring in good luck, and scare away the bad spirits and -- and bringing wealth and prosperity to the New Years.
CHAN: Each successive generation of American-Chinese that are born here, you wander further and further away from their own heritage.
You know, on New Year`s eve, you know, the whole family, extended family gets together for a meal. And a lot of people, you know, younger people at
that time would say, "Oh man, that`s so old fashioned." But, you know, since the pandemic, I think a lot of people came back here and started
embracing their -- their -- their own culture and heritage.
LEE: You know, everybody expects Chinese-Americans to be smartest, the best in their class. Everybody`s comparing you to other people`s kids. And it`s
basically, it`s a competition with Chinese-Americans.
Lion dancing is a very big part of my identity because it`s kind of to stay in touch with my Chinese culture. And, you know, it gives me reasons to
like speak their language and talk to Chinese people and, you know, stay more involved with my own Chinese heritage.
CHAN: When I go out there every year with them, you know, I feel the same way as I did 50 years ago. You know, when I was doing it, the feeling
doesn`t go away. You know, it`s hard to describe, but it`s more like pride.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WIRE: Today`s story getting a 10 out of 10, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. I caught up with DJ as he was hyping up the upcoming WrestleMania in
Philadelphia. And thanks to all of you who submitted questions to my @coywire social accounts. The Rock was delighted to answer some questions
from you, our CNN 10 fam.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WIRE: Rocco Gordon in South Oldham Middle School. What is your favorite movie to be in? And then what`s your favorite wrestling match of your
career? From Jordan in Geisler Middle in Michigan.
DWAYNE JOHNSON, ACTOR: Favorite movie that I`ve been in? Let`s see, it`s kind of tough. I got a few of them. Number one would be "The Scorpion King"
because it was my very first movie. And I was learning the business, baptism by fire. Just thrown into it. It was my first starring role. I felt
like, man, I just don`t want to suck. And I`d like to have a career.
WIRE: You did all right?
JOHNSON: I did all right. And I enjoyed the "Jumanji" movies. I would say the most fun that I had was probably "Jungle Cruise" with Emily Blunt and
Jaume Collet-Serra, our Director.
My favorite match was a match that was non-televised, no pay per view. It was in Hawaii. And it was in the same arena that my grandparents had
struggled in because they were wrestling promoters in the 80s. And I used to go to this arena that`s still there, Blaisdell. And we`d draw no money.
It was always paycheck to paycheck. And it was once a month. And I was able to go back, man. And I`ll share this with you.
WIRE: That`s awesome.
JOHNSON: When it was announced, hey, Rock is coming back home, it sold out. Thank you, God. And I was able to enjoy that arena in that way and give
back to my family.
WIRE: Well, played.
JOHNSON: Good to see you, brother.
WIRE: You too, man.
JOHNSON: It`s like looking in the mirror.
WIRE: I know. He`s the Rock, I`m the pebble.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WIRE: The Rock rocks. And so do you. Thanks to everyone who subscribed and commented on our CNN 10 YouTube page for your shout out request. This shout
out goes to, Tunkhannock Pennsylvania where the Tigers at Tunkhannock Area School District are looking mighty fine in those stripes. And this shout
out goers to the beautiful people at Butte High School in Butte, Montana. Rise up.
Let`s do this again tomorrow. Shall we? And finish this week strong. I`m coy wire, and this is CNN 10.
END
