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CARL AZUZ: Hi.
I'm Carl Azuz.
Welcome to the show.
In normal times is a phrase we've used a lot lately it.
Hearkens back to a simpler time, to a world without COVID 19.
When the Olympics, for instance, were held on time.
Every two years alternating between the Winter and Summer
Games.
Well, these ain't normal times.
COVID forced the postponement of the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics
until just a few months ago.
And in less than 100 days from now,
another international sporting event dawns in Beijing, China.
The Winter Games will be held less than a
year after their counterpart in Japan.
And like Tokyo, Beijing is putting a number of rules
in place to try to prevent the spread of coronavirus.
It's hard to say whether that worked in Japan.
It did manage to successfully host the events
despite the concerns and some calls for the games
to be postponed again.
In the days before and following the Summer Olympics,
Japan saw an increase in COVID cases driven by the highly
contagious Delta variant.
But they dropped off sharply after a peak
in mid to late August.
And medical experts just don't know for sure
whether hosting the games had an impact on Japan's COVID cases.
Now, with the spotlight turning to China,
worries are welling up about its own recent increase in cases
despite the fact that an estimated 75% of its population
has been fully vaccinated.
China has reported 133 new infections in recent days.
It's a relatively tiny amount compared
to many other countries, but Chinese officials
did postpone the Beijing marathon that
was supposed to be held Sunday.
And they've increased testing and clamped down on travel.
As it gears up for the start of the Winter Olympics
on February 4th, China's readiness to prevent COVID
is only one of the questions being asked
about the communist country.
DAVID CULVER: 100 days until China
hosts another Olympic games.
This one, like Tokyo, taking place
in the midst of the pandemic.
But unlike Japan, Chinese officials
are preparing for rather extreme containment measures.
Creating bubble-like atmospheres.
Olympic venues in and outside of Beijing
will essentially be sealed off.
Planners even dedicating specific lines
of transportation between the three main competition sites.
Only domestic spectators will be allowed.
So you'll likely see stands full with mostly Chinese fans.
As of now, organizers intend to keep those traveling
into the country and those attending
the events separated from the rest of us already here
in China.
So as to keep the virus from spreading
during and after the games.
This 100 day countdown coming amidst
another COVID-19 outbreak here.
Once again, linked to the Delta variant.
Targeted lockdowns, travel restrictions, mass testing,
strict contact tracing, all of that back in place
as daily confirmed case counts are back in the double digits.
It may not sound like a lot, but you've got to remember:
China is sticking with their zero COVID policy.
No matter how disruptive it might be to everyday life here.
And this outbreak, once again, calls into question
the efficacy of Chinese vaccines.
Especially considering this recent cluster of cases
was first detected among a group of people
who had been fully vaccinated.
The games will also be plagued by growing
geopolitical pressures.
Questioning China's human rights record
and its cracking down on pro-democracy movements.
From Hong Kong, to Tibet, to Xinjiang, to Taiwan,
this country faces a range of extremely sensitive issues.
Internationally, we have already seen many calls for boycotts.
But ahead of the games, China is trying
to push past all of that.
Showcasing itself as wanting global peace and stability.
And as a leader in battling climate change.
Even promoting these games as the first Olympics
with competition venues fueled 100% by green energy.
These 2022 Olympic games will, no doubt,
highlight China's ability to wow the world
with pageantry and performance.
They'll deliver on that.
But can they change how the world
views this rising superpower?
David Culver, CNN, Shanghai.
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CARL AZUZ: 10 second trivia.
Which type of storm occurs most commonly
between September and April, hurricane
nor'easter monsoon or typhoon?
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Though they can form at any time,
the most common time for nor'easters is
during the colder months.
And the first one of those of the season
has soaked the US Northeast with rain
and left hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses
in the dark.
From Delaware, to Maine, and all the states in between,
officials were reporting flooding, damage, or power
outages from the storm.
Wind gusts along the coast of Massachusetts
yesterday were predicted to be as high as 85 miles per hour.
That's the equivalent of a category one hurricane.
Though the nor'easter only brought
gusts this high, not the ongoing winds of a hurricane.
Still, experts say this can be more
damaging at this time of year because the trees still
have most of their leaves.
The rain makes them heavier and the wind can blow them
like a sail causing the trees to bend more and possibly
crash down on power lines.
This doesn't happen as much through the bare branches
in winter.
Several Northeastern states say the heavy rains
have brought flooding.
And some police officials say they've
had to make more than 12 water rescues during this nor'easter.
JENNIFER GRAY: The nor'easter occurs
within the most crowded coastline of the United
States, the Northeast.
And they can occur any time of year,
but are most common between the months of September and April.
That's when weather conditions are prime for a nor'easter.
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You start with a low.
It's going to travel from the Southeast to the Northeast
and intensify.
Nor'easters are strongest around New
England as well as the Canadian Maritime provinces.
Now, we have very warm water in the Gulf of Mexico
and all around the coast of Florida.
It's going to warm the air above it.
And that warm air is going to clash with very cold air
coming in from the North.
Now, nor'easters carry winds out of the Northeast at about
58 miles per hour or more.
And keep in mind, the wind direction out of the Northeast
is what defines a nor'easter.
It's also going to cause beach erosion, as
well as coastal flooding, and very,
very rough ocean conditions.
Now, not all nor'easters have snow,
but some of the most memorable ones have dumped lots of it.
CARL AZUZ: Can facial recognition
technology help speed up security checks at US airports?
Some security officials and airlines say, yes
and that it could help smooth out the check-in process.
But many privacy advocates don't like the idea
of a computer recognizing your face serving
as your key to get around.
There are concerns about identity theft.
What if your images not deleted, or it gets hacked,
or it falls into the wrong hands?
There are concerns about the use of this technology expanding,
being required any time you get on a plane
or go into certain buildings.
And sometimes it doesn't work, taking
up extra time to have your identity
checked the old school way.
But for organizations that support the new tech.
- For the first time, your next flight
could be unlocked by facial recognition technology.
Starting at bag check, going through security,
and all the way to the gate.
- Success.
- You're welcome to board.
- The new partnership between Delta Airlines
and the Transportation Security Administration
aims to save passengers time as people
are flooding back to airports.
RANJAN GOSWAMI: - And really, hopefully reduce stress
and increase the speed at which people
traverse through the airport.
- Delta's Ranjan Goswami showed me how
the system works at bag check.
He says what typically takes two minutes and 30 seconds
is now down to 30 seconds.
He says the process of verifying your identity
at the TSA checkpoint is now down to only six seconds.
RANJAN GOSWAMI: I think the timing could not
be more perfect in many ways, because you're
right, more and more regular travelers are
coming back to travel.
- The trial will start at Delta's busiest hub.
At first for those in Delta's frequent flyer program
who also have TSA PreCheck.
Passport and visa photos in a federal database
are compared with your live photo.
The TSA insists that file is immediately
destroyed, upping security from cyberthreats and hacks.
- We've definitely taken privacy considerations
into account the whole way.
If somebody does not want to participate,
they do not have to opt in and participate.
They really have that choice if they
want to have the experience.
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CARL AZUZ: For 10 out of 10, you know that show "Shark Tank?"
Well, this drone video shows real sharks
lurking just beneath surfers and swimmers
near San Diego, California.
And we're not talking about those friendly nurse
sharks or whale sharks.
These are great whites.
Experts believe they're juveniles.
And in these pictures, they leave the humans alone.
Shark attacks are reportedly rare in this area,
though the people and animals get awfully close.
Here's the plan.
We won't tell the sharks how sweet or salty people can be,
and we'll ask the surfers to keep quiet about shark
fin soup and shark skin suits.
Yes, some will say we're sharking
our duty to be transparent, but that water
is transparent enough.
And the last thing we need is for either side
to get frenzied or finatical and start making a splash.
If you know what I'm saying.
We're glad our show is making a splash at William
E. Tolman High School.
It is located in Pawtucket, Rhode Island.
It's great to have you watching.
I'm Carl Azuz.
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