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Step team: Hey, I'm Cori Grainger.

Hey, I'm Tayla Solomon.

And I'm Blessin Giraldo.

And we are the cast of “STEP” the movie, and Channel One News starts right now! Right now.

Azia: They will be stepping up real soon. I am Azia Celestino, and today, Florida bracing for impact — Hurricane Irma is on its way. Plus, the president faces backlash over his plan to end DACA. It is Friday, so let's get it going.

Just weeks after Harvey hit Texas, another storm is heading our way, and it is one of the most powerful Atlantic storms in history. Keith has the latest on Hurricane Irma.

Keith: Yeah, Azia. We are all definitely keeping an eye on what is going on in the Atlantic right now. That is because Irma has already hit several Caribbean islands this week, killing 10 people so far, leveling entire towns and leaving many more in the region without power. And now Florida is directly in its path.

Sandbags are being filled, gas stations are packed, water bottles are in short supply, and thousands are leaving Miami. These are the final hours before Hurricane Irma makes landfall. South Florida yesterday looked like a summer getaway, but in 36 hours, the pictures could be very different. 

Governor Rick Scott: Leave. Get out. We can't save you once the storm starts.

Keith: Already Hurricane Irma has devastated several Caribbean islands, packing winds of 185 miles per hour, destroying homes, snapping trees and killing at least 10 people. 

Man: The carnage in Barbuda is unprecedented. Clearly, Irma was an unprecedented storm.

Keith: It then moved north to Puerto Rico as a strong Category 5 hurricane, cutting power to over 1 million people on the island, but luckily not doing nearly as much damage as feared. 

The concern now is the deadly force. One hurricane expert calculated the energy from Irma to be at 7 billion watts. Crazy, right? That is about twice the energy in all the bombs dropped in all of World War II. 

Another problem is storm surge. Scientists expect anywhere between 5 and 10 feet of flooding in south Florida. Of course, with winds clocking in over 130 miles per hour, power outages and severe damage to buildings and homes are likely. 

After Florida Hurricane Irma isn’t done just yet but is expected to weaken as it continues moving north, possibly still battering several states on the East Coast, like Georgia and South Carolina.

Azia: Our thoughts are with all of those in the path of the hurricane. Stay safe, guys.

And as Florida braces for the monster hurricane, the people of Texas are left cleaning up after Hurricane Harvey destroyed parts of Houston. This week, the House of Representatives secured $7.8 billion in relief funding for Texas. And while it may be a long road back to normal life, there are some good signs going on.

Students at La Grange ISD were finally allowed to return back to school after historic flooding shut down the school district.

Paola Murillo: Something disastrous might have happened to us then, but I feel like when a door closes, many more open for us. 

Azia: And despite the setback, students and teachers say they are coming back strong.

President Trump’s decision to end a government program that allows thousands of young, undocumented immigrants to stay here in the U.S. is being met with backlash.

The program known as DACA, or Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, allows young people who were brought to the U.S. illegally as kids to stay and work in America. President Obama put it into place. But on Tuesday, President Trump cut it, saying it was unconstitutional and that Congress should be the ones to address immigration.

Now business and political leaders say the president was wrong to end the program. Fifteen states are filing a lawsuit against the federal government to keep DACA alive. Microsoft said in a statement, “This is a big step back for our entire country,” and vowed to protect its DREAMer employees.

And Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg spoke out on Facebook Live.

Mark Zuckerberg: I think rescinding DACA is a particularly cruel and difficult decision to make.

Azia: Okay, coming up after the break, some Baltimore teens step it up. 

Azia: Okay, this next story is about three teens in Maryland who used the power of teamwork and the tradition of step to overcome their obstacles. Arielle Hixson caught up with them for today's Feel-Good Friday.

Arielle: In one of the most dangerous cities in America, every stomp, hit and clap goes far.

I have watched you guys step, and you guys are on sync to the millisecond. How do you do it?

Step team: Practice.

Arielle: That is what you learn in the new documentary “STEP,” which follows a group of teen girls and their journey from the streets of Baltimore to the steps of college. 

Amanda Lipitz: The team embodied everything the school wanted them to be: leaders, sisters, brave, courageous, outspoken. All those things come from stepping.

Giraldo: I feel like we're inspiring not only people that see the movie but Baltimore City. And that's why I really feel so proud to be a part of this movement and this documentary, because we're telling people the possibilities are endless. As long as you want it, if you can dream it, you can do it.

Arielle: In the film the girls attend the Baltimore Leadership School for Young Women, where every student is expected to not only graduate from high school but get into college.

Paula Dofat: They come in to school knowing that it's not if they're going to go to college, it's going to be where they're going to go to college, if they choose that path. 

Arielle: In Baltimore the graduation rate at public schools is steady, but the dropout rate is increasing, a statistic that the Baltimore Leadership School for Young Women is trying to improve. 

Solomon: We even had a thing where we did studying and then step practice to make sure that we're academically focused.

Arielle: Baltimore has also had a fiery history surrounding the Black Lives Matter movement. In 2015, right after the tragic death of Freddie Gray — a man who died while in police custody — Baltimore erupted into protests that soon turned violent. 

Reflecting on Baltimore's past, these young students are inspired to rise from their surroundings and take a step toward their future. 

You guys are first-generation college students.

Step team: Yes.

Arielle: How does that feel?

Grainger: It feels really good, because, you know, we're showing people that it's possible for them too. A lot of times, we think that, just because nobody in our family has done whatever it is, that what are the odds that I'm going to be able to do it? I'm a testament that you should never let any circumstance dictate whether or not you do what you want to do.

Arielle: As seniors, the Lethal Ladies of Step have two battles: One is in the classroom, and the other is on the stage. 

Grainger: Well, for me, it definitely allowed me to have a creative outlet. A lot of people, when they don't have outlets, they turn to negative things like drugs, violence, negative or harmful relationships. And step is really something positive that you can do because it not only is a form of entertainment, but we also use it as a forum to educate people, you know, to get our points across and to let the world hear what we have to say.

Arielle: One key piece of advice from these girls: The road to success comes one step at a time. 

You probably had a lot of naysayers who said, “You can’t do this, you can’t do that.” What would you say to them?

Grainger: Say watch me!

Solomon: Believe in me!

Giraldo: Be resilient and stay confident!

Arielle: Arielle Hixson, Channel One News.

Azia: Thanks, Arielle. Such an inspirational story.

Okay, next up, we told you about a principal in Washington, D.C., who paid her students a hundred bucks to give up their tech devices for one day a week. So we asked you, would you give up your phone for cash? Seventy-four percent said yes, but 26 percent wouldn't even dare.

Tyrel said, "Yes, because it would help me get more active."

Troy upped the price. "I would do it for $400 to $1,000." 

But Jella said, "My phone is my baby. You wouldn't give up your baby for a couple bucks."

I am with you, Jella. But I was forced to give up my phone for a day, along with the entire Channel One team. You have got to see how that one turned out — it is up at . 

All right, guys, that is all for now. Have an awesome weekend, and we will see you right back here on Monday.

 

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