Episode 24

Down to One Democrat | Bird Watching at the Marsh | Super Sticky Geckos

Teachers, episode resources including worksheets, guides and access to Google Classroom can be found at the bottom of the page. Want to hop to there now? Click here.

Keep an eye out for these vocabulary terms in the episode:

biomimicry (noun) the study or emulation of nature's forms, processes, and systems to solve human problems.

concede (verb) to surrender or give up something.

marsh (noun) an area of low wet land where grasses grow.

supply chain (noun) the sequence of people and companies that get a product to consumers.

TOP NEWS: 2020 Election Update

Hello everybody!

Welcome back to NewsDepth. We begin with an update on the 2020 race for president. Last week, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders announced he is ending his campaign. That leaves only one Democrat in the race — former Vice President Joe Biden.

Sanders' campaign began strong with early victories in the first caucuses and primary elections, but Biden took a lead at the end of February winning the votes of folks in South Carolina.

Sanders announced he was conceding the race to his staff and then posted a video to his followers. Concede means to surrender or give up something.

Here is a clip from Sander’s speech ending his run:

Biden is now all but set to be the Democrat of choice on the November ballot. He, of course, is up against current President Donald Trump.

Biden had only positive things to say about Sanders’ exit from the race.

“He's inspired and energized millions of supporters, especially young voters, to join him in championing a progressive vision for our country. And he didn't just run a political campaign he created a movement, and that's a good thing for the nation and for our future. While Bernie's campaign has ended, I know his leadership is going to continue.”
- former Vice President Joe Biden

Joe Biden is the only Democrat left in the race for president. _{^{[Photo credit: CNN Newsource]}}

Joe Biden is the only Democrat left in the race for president. _{^{[Photo credit: CNN Newsource]}}

Still, Sanders will remain on ballots in the primaries and caucuses to come. He encouraged his supporters to vote for him as a sign that they support his plans even if he won’t become president.

Though Ohio’s primary has passed, voters here still have time to choose Sanders or Biden. Mail-in voting will run all the way up to April 28. The extended deadline came after in-person voting was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic.

A recent primary in Wisconsin took a different approach. Instead of canceling their in-person voting, they put precautions in place to keep polling places from becoming hot spots for spreading the virus.

Reporter Paul Evansen has this look at the Wisconsin election:

Thanks, Paul.

So what were the Wisconsin results? They weren’t available until a week after the primary: Biden took home about 63 percent of the votes.

TOP NEWS: Coronavirus Impacts Agriculture

Beyond elections in the United States, the coronavirus is cramping spring harvests in Germany. The virus isn’t hurting vegetables, but it is making it difficult for workers to gather together in the field.

With borders closing across Europe, workers who normally travel to help with the harvest aren’t able to make it to work as easily.

On top of this, the World Food Program (WFP) says that the supply chain for food is getting interrupted. A supply chain is the sequence of people and companies that get a product to consumers.

Once veggies are picked, the WFP says getting them to people is becoming more difficult. The WFP delivers food to people in need in more than 80 different countries.

Reporter Fred Pleitgen visited an asparagus farm in Germany to see how farmers, workers and the WFP are faring:

Where is Germany located? Right there! _{[Photo credit: Google Earth Pro]}

Asparagus on display in a German village. _{[Photo credit: Dmitry Naumov / Shutterstock]}

Thanks, Fred!

A+: Marion-Sterling Students Use Voices To Make Healthy Choices in Health's Up Podcast

While the current coronavirus pandemic has put health at the top of everyone’s mind, it is important to think about how to be healthy all year round. This week’s NewsDepth A+ goes to some curious fifth graders who’ve taken steps to choose healthy lifestyles!

Students in Mrs. Simpson’s class at Marion-Sterling Elementary School in Cleveland participated in Health’s Up, a podcast produced by ideastream. The podcast focuses on health topics that the students wanted to learn more about: breathing, sleeping, eating and exercise.

Hosted by a nurse practitioner, Kristi Westphaln, and featuring the advice of health experts from the Cleveland Clinic, University Hospitals and Tobacco 21, the episodes provide helpful lessons and resources for kids and families.

During the project, students learned about the dangers of vaping and how to cope with an asthma attack. They also discovered ways to get a better night’s sleep and why sleep is so important for our bodies. They made a healthy Waldorf salad while learning about nutrition and challenged their gym teacher to a fitness competition.

In the breathing episode, Jovan learned what it feels like during an asthma attack.

"Your lungs get like tangled up and they squeeze together and that makes it harder to breathe," he said. "That’s why you have to take the inhaler to get that special air, the medication, inside your lungs so that the asthma attack can stop."

And in the exercise episode, Nar’Velle, said he gets motivated to stay active with the help of his friends.

"Sometimes I'll be tired and I don’t want to do it, but the people I’m exercising with say 'come on, come on, you can do it,' and that makes me feel confident in myself because I know I can go farther than I usually go when I exercise," he said.

Way to go, Mrs. Simpson’s class! We’re proud to award you this week’s NewsDepth A+ for being curious about healthy habits and why they matter.

You can listen to the Health’s Up podcast here. (Teachers, there are also lesson plans and instructional materials for each episode here.)

By the way, the Health’s Up team is planning an episode around COVID-19. If you have questions or comments about the coronavirus, call 216-309-0989 and leave them a voicemail to be featured on an upcoming episode. Make sure to get your parents’ permission first.

Submit your ideas for our NewsDepth A+ segment to newsdepth@ideastream.org

Students learned how to make a healthy Waldorf salad. _{[Photo credit: Anna Huntsman]}

Photo credit: Anna Huntsman

Kristi Westphaln showed the students around the Idea Center where the podcast was edited. _{[Photo credit: Anna Huntsman]}

Exercising isn't always easy! _{[Photo credit: Anna Huntsman]}

No they aren't napping on the job! These students were learning how important sleep is! _{[Photo credit: Kristi Westphaln]}

POLL RESULTS & INBOX

Check it out! Rick has the results from last episode's poll and shares a selection of student answers to the Inbox question:

We've got more of your great answers on the NewsDepth Inbox page.

TOP NEWS: Birdwatching at Mentor Marsh

Based on your letters, you all have been getting plenty of outdoor playtime. Maybe you’ve noticed a few signs of spring while outside, like the return of birds that had flown south for the winter!

For avid bird watchers in Ohio, this is the time to pick up the binoculars and head outside. One place particularly suited for the hobby is the Wake Robin Trail in the Mentor Marsh. A marsh is an area of low wet land where grasses grow.

But the Mentor Marsh wasn’t always the go-to place for birds. Human impacts nearly ruined the natural area. Producer Jean Marie-Papoi and Dave DeOreo headed out to the marsh with a few nature experts to find out about the special ecosystem:

Thanks Jean-Marie and Dave!

Now it's your turn to let us know what natural changes have you noticed now that it's spring? Vote below or click here if the poll does not load!

SPOT ON SCIENCE: Super Sticky Gecko Toes Teach Biomimicry

Let’s stick with animals - literally! Before NewsDepth headed on an early spring break we were in the midst of a Spot on Science series featuring awesome female scientists. Well, we’ve got one last lady for ya! Take a look:

Thanks, Margaret!

Now it’s your turn. Find some biomimicry in your backyard! What human problem could be solved by something you’ve observed in nature? Write to us about it!

You can use the inbox form below to submit your great letters. If the form doesn't load you can also write to us by clicking here.

Rick will share some of the best answers next week.

PETTING ZOO: Good Doggo Delivers Groceries

More animals? Yes, please! NewsCat has found a pup coming to the rescue. Sundance has been a delivery doggie for a neighbor who is unable to leave home during the pandemic.

Reporter Julia Donovan has the story:

Thank you, Julia and NewsCat!

Stay in Touch

That’s all the news we have for you in this week’s Backpack edition of NewsDepth. But there are plenty of ways to stay in touch!

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NewsDepth is made possible in part by the Martha Holden Jennings Foundation. Backpack episodes are made possible in part by The Stocker Foundation.