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CARL AZUZ: Fridays are awesome.
CNN 10 starts now.
I'm Carl Azuz.
Here we go.
For more than a year and a half, the news has been dominated
by events related to COVID-19, since early 2020,
the United States has seen the most positive tests overall.
It's reported more than 45 million since the pandemic hit.
Daily case numbers have fluctuated wildly.
Last year, they rose and then plateaued in the spring.
Rose and then plateaued in the summer.
But during the winter months of late 2020 and early 2021,
American Health officials reported their highest
numbers of new cases.
A daily average of more than 250,000 in early January
according to the New York Times.
The numbers dropped significantly in the weeks
and months after that.
And despite a slight rise in mid-April,
new positive tests reached a low point by mid-June.
But then a new variant, a new strain of the disease
arrived in America.
It's called Delta.
And health officials say it was largely
responsible for the next spike in COVID cases, which
peaked at an average of more than 175,000 per day
in mid-September.
That's why the steady decrease that America
has seen since then is both hopeful and concerning.
Hopeful because the number of new cases
is headed in the right direction, down.
Concerning because the nation's been here before,
and a new COVID strain that causes another spike in cases
is still possible.
Again though, all this is only for the US.
On the other side of the Northern Hemisphere,
Russia has seen a sharp climb in cases since last month.
It's currently averaging more than 32,000
positive tests per day.
In an effort to keep the virus from spreading,
the Russian capital of Moscow plans to lock down from October
28th to November 7th.
Moscow's mayor says historic numbers of cases
are expected there in the coming days.
Overall, the numbers have charted a bumpy graph worldwide
with cases rising and falling as different nations
have reported different impacts at different times.
10-second trivia.
What is this year's most popular Halloween
costume for kids in the US?
Spider-Man, Princess, Batman, or Ghost?
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According to the National Retail Federation Spider-Man
tops this year's costume list.
The NRF is the largest retail trade association in the world.
It frequently reports on how much Americans are spending
and what they're spending it on throughout the nation's
holidays.
This Halloween, the NRF says 65% of Americans
are planning to participate in some way.
That's not a record.
But the amount of money they plan to spend is.
Celebrants say they'll drop almost $103 on average.
Most of it, going to Halloween costumes,
decorations, and candy.
CNN 10 contributor Chris James tells us
what it adds up to nationally.
CHRIS JAMES: Hey, Carl.
It is so good to see you again.
I know it's hard to believe, but Halloween is fast approaching.
And I'm excited to report that this year
is already projected to be bigger and better than ever.
The demand for trick or treating is promising
to be extremely high this year.
And that's welcome news for stores all around the country
who saw a massive dip in sales last year during the height
of the pandemic.
This year, the National Retail Federation
projects Halloween spending to hit a record $10.14 billion
according to a survey conducted every year
that predicts consumer behavior.
And obviously, one of the best parts about Halloween
is the abundance of candy and chocolate.
And total sales are currently over 40%
above 2020 levels according to the National
Confectioners Association.
And many of the country's biggest retailers
decided to start the Halloween season early this year.
Some, with interesting strategies
for stocking the shelves.
According to a Walmart spokesperson,
they move candy corn into its seasonal aisle
first, explaining that it's a top seller early in the season.
Closer to the date of Halloween, bagged candy and chocolate
become more popular, which reminds me I
need to go hit the store and stock up
before they run out of options.
We all have our favorites.
And mine is most definitely Reese's,
especially the ones that come in the shape of a pumpkin.
I think you know what I'm talking about.
Back to you, Carl.
CARL AZUZ: According to the US government,
two of the basic requirements to attend college in America
include having completed high school
and being at least 17 years old.
But there's not an age limit on being too old to attend.
And while most college sophomores are around 19 or 20,
there's a student athlete at Georgia's Reinhardt University
who's closer to retirement age.
DEBBIE BLOUNT: Here, I come up three days--
- As a sophomore at Reinhardt University in Georgia,
Debbie Blount is living the dream.
MARTIN SAVIDGE: You're the first person in your family
to go to college.
DEBBIE BLOUNT: Yeah.
MARTIN SAVIDGE: That's a tremendous achievement.
- So is how Debbie got to college as a student athlete.
MARTIN SAVIDGE: Do you mind if I ask how old you are?
DEBBIE BLOUNT: 63.
- Back in 1976 after high school,
there was no money for college.
She became an X-ray technician, a ski instructor, a wife.
One love introduced her to another, the game of golf.
MARTIN SAVIDGE: So you got good at it.
DEBBIE BLOUNT: I was a little driven.
- Life was great.
Until the heartbreaking death of her husband,
followed by her father, leaving Debbie
for the first time in her life, she says, feeling lost.
Then the idea, why not join a college golf
team As a full time student.
MARTIN SAVIDGE: When you first heard that there must
have been a bit of a pause.
BILL POPP: Probably just a second.
- She tried out and got accepted on the Eagles
Reinhardt's women's golf team.
But would her much younger teammates accept her?
MARTIN SAVIDGE: Do you think there
might have been some doubts in their mind initially?
DEBBIE BLOUNT: Oh, yeah.
- 21-year-old Lauren Welte says she thought it was a joke.
LAUREN WELTE: And I was like, oh, no.
I was so against it.
And I felt so bad saying that but I really was.
- Then came a difficult day on the course, just
Lauren and Debbie, lugging their golf bags on foot around 18
holes in the pouring rain.
LAUREN WELTE: Just being able just to talk to her
and hear her story, and just see how
incredible she is a person, like that really changed everything.
- It's not just her story.
MARTIN SAVIDGE: How good is she?
LAUREN WELTE: She's awesome.
She hits it, the straightus out of all of us.
EVANS NICHOLS: She's committed to doing
the best she can through and through
until there's no more holes to play.
DEBBIE BLOUNT: Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah.
So you get to--
- Debbie's real contribution is something her teammates
are too young to have.
So she passes it along.
Wisdom.
BILL POPP: Understanding how to mentally get back
if something doesn't go well.
MARTIN SAVIDGE: What is it that draws us to this story of hers?
MARK ROBERTS: Well, isn't the American story about renewal
and about reinventing yourself, and seeing
new ways of being who you are.
DEBBIE BLOUNT: Oh.
- Debbie Blount is living her dream and teaching
others they can, too.
MARTIN SAVIDGE: You've made an impact on people's lives.
I mean, that's why we're here.
I mean, you're an inspiration.
DEBBIE BLOUNT: Well, just doing what I want to do.
You know, if that's the case, then awesome.
MARTIN SAVIDGE: As a student athlete on a golf scholarship,
Debbie has a simple plan.
Keep her scores down, keep her grades up.
On the course, she's pretty consistent.
In the classroom, she's got a 4.0.
And she's been nominated homecoming queen.
Martin Savidge, CNN Polska, Georgia.
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CARL AZUZ: For 10 out of 10, another winning entry
in the category of things you don't see every day.
This is not a houseboat, but it is a house afloat.
A woman in Canada who always loved this house
found out that the owners were planning to tear it down.
She couldn't have it moved over land,
so she had it transported the way they used to move homes
around Canada's Bay of islands.
And once it dries out, it'll be ready for the reno.
Don't know what kind of loan she got, but thankfully,
it's not underwater.
Of course, some might float a tub
full of questions about flood insurance or indoor plumbing.
But as long as the idea holds water-- and hopefully,
the home doesn't--
it's a great wave see if it's worthy of being
called seaworthy.
And if someone ever does this again,
they'll have a strong current idea about resale.
For today's shoutout, we're going to Hartford, Connecticut
to say hello to the students of Grace Webb High School.
We hope all y'all have a wonderful weekend.
I'm Carl Azuz for CNN.
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