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Students: This is Coach Kennedy's second-period class at Emmanuel County Institute, and Channel One News starts right now!

Azia: Thanks to the students from Emmanuel County Institute for getting us started today. Let's jump right into headlines, and first up, the United States is now saying that the actions against minority groups in Iraq and Syria by the terror group ISIS are considered genocide. This is the first time the U.S. government has used the word genocide in over 10 years.

The Islamic State has swept through Iraq and Syria in recent years, seizing control of territory with the goal of establishing its own strict Islamic state. The group has killed anyone in its way, including Muslims, Christians and an ethnic group known as the Yazidis. This week the House of Representatives passed a resolution calling the killing genocide, and yesterday Secretary of State John Kerry agreed.

Secretary John Kerry: Daesh is responsible for genocide against groups in areas under its control, including Yazidis, Christians and Shia Muslims.

Azia: The secretary went on to say that ISIS killed Christians because of their faith and forced girls into slavery. Genocide is the deliberate killing of a group of people, especially those of a particular ethnic group. Labeling the killings genocide could put pressure on the U.S. to take more military action. So far, President Obama has ordered airstrikes against ISIS and some Special Forces, but no large-scale ground troops.

An American college student has been sentenced to 15 years of hard labor in a North Korean prison for allegedly trying to steal a propaganda banner while he was visiting the secretive country earlier this year. Otto Frederick Warmbier was detained back in January as he prepared to leave North Korea after visiting the closed-off country with a tour group. Last month the 21-year-old was shown on North Korean TV, which is controlled entirely by the government.

Otto Warmbier: I entirely beg you, people and government of the DPR Korea, for your forgiveness. Please, I have made the worst mistake of my life.

Azia: In a tear-filled confession, which he was probably forced to say, the University of Virginia student claimed he tried to steal a political banner from his hotel as a souvenir. North Korea is a very secretive and tightly controlled nation led by an unstable dictator. Americans have been imprisoned or detained in the past and used as a way to bargain with the United States to try and get more aid and to end trade restrictions on the country.

The U.S. Congress is now getting involved in the Flint, Michigan, water crisis. Yesterday the governor of Michigan, Rick Snyder, was called before a Congressional House committee to answer some very tough questions.

Governor Rick Snyder: Let me be blunt; this was a failure of government at all levels.

Azia: Flint's water supply became tainted with poisonous lead two years ago after government officials decided to switch its source from Detroit to the Flint River to save money. There are reports that the Michigan governor's office knew about the contamination for months but didn't do anything.

Representative Matt Cartwright: I’m not buying that you didn’t know about any of this until October 2015.

Azia: Outside the Capitol Building, families affected by the water crisis arrived with water bottles and signs calling for action.

And we got to hear from you guys sending us your celebration of Pi Day. You know, March 14, or 3-1-4.

For the past 14 years, Chenango Forks High School in New York has had a pie-eating contest. Teachers and students both get in on the fun and compete. The event is put on by the school's math club as a way to get everyone excited about the topic. All the money raised from purchases will go toward fighting Alzheimer's disease.

Some of you got creative with your pastry dishes. Grove Patterson Academy from Toledo, Ohio — well, they got a little crazy partying for Pi Day. Some students even attempted a back handspring — wow! And Elkins Middle School in West Virginia got in formation with an aerial view of the pi symbol. 

That was amazing! Okay, after the break: major changes taking place at one of the country's most famous amusement parks.

Azia: It seems like the tides are turning for SeaWorld. The theme park announced yesterday that it is making some new changes, and Tom is here to tell us more.

Tom: Azia, SeaWorld has faced controversy over animal rights for years. But now, it says it is listening to the public, and it is heading in a new direction.

The wildlife theme park SeaWorld is undergoing waves of change with new policies for the breeding and showcasing of its iconic killer whales, all spawning from the controversy over the treatment of the orcas. For years animal rights groups have argued that family-friendly shows at SeaWorld hide a more troubling reality below the surface.

The 2013 documentary "Blackfish" cast a harsh spotlight on SeaWorld's operations. "Blackfish" tells the story of trainer Dawn Brancheau, who was killed six years ago by an orca named Tilikum. The company disputed many of the film's accusations of animal abuse and neglect, and SeaWorld no longer allows trainers in the pools with killer whales.

But after the film's release, SeaWorld's value dropped. In fact, some parks, like the one in San Diego, California, have ended their killer whale shows. And the company has been suffering from low attendance at all of its 11 parks, facing a lot of criticism by activists who say keeping the whales in captivity is cruel and unnecessary.

And a California commission has even banned captive breeding programs and has prohibited the importing and exporting of animals within the state. The commission says it was inspired by the “Blackfish” film.

Yesterday SeaWorld announced changes at all of its parks, replacing its traditional orca shows with shows that highlight the whales' natural behaviors in the wild. And SeaWorld says it will stop breeding orcas, which means this will be the last generation at SeaWorld.

Man: We are phasing out the program, so we will not breed anymore. People can still see them and learn about them.

Tom: SeaWorld is also working with the Humane Society to help save orcas in the wild and educate the public about endangered mammals.

Man: And we’re very excited about the end of orca breeding. We're excited about the idea that SeaWorld is going to do more rescue and rehabilitation, and together we are going to be advocates to fight commercial sealing, commercial whaling. These are big, macro-level problems for marine mammals.

Tom: But critics have said the changes don't do much to improve the animals' living conditions. Tom Hanson, Channel One News.

Azia: All right, coming up, we are getting centered with this week's Next Big Thing.

Azia: This week's NBT will have you rethinking your workout routine. But before we get into that frame of mind, let's see what you thought about last week's.

We told you about self-cleaning jeans, blue jeans that are anti-stink and anti-stain so you never have to wash them. So is it the next big thing? Sixty-eight percent said, “Yes — just my size!” But 32 percent said, “No — this idea stinks.”

Here is what you guys had to say.

Class: We are Mrs. Lee's eighth-grade advisory class from Honey Creek Middle School…

Class: This is Ms. Dixon's sixth-grade social studies class at GMC Prep School in Milledgeville, Georgia…

Class: …Mrs. Burchfield's sixth-grade ELA class at Meigs Middle School in Tennessee, and we think that self-cleaning jeans are the next big thing.

Azia: But some of you did not agree.

Class: We are Miss Griffith's seventh-grade class from Check Elementary, and we think the waterproof pants are not the next big thing, and they’re nothing better than a trash can.

Azia: This next big thing will give you some peace of mind with a new way to maintain mental fitness. When you want to exercise, you can jump on the elliptical or do a couple reps at your local gym, but what about when you want to work out your brain?

Meditation gyms are making it possible — centers where you can exercise your mind. Mindfulness meditation, a Buddhist-inspired practice, involves sitting comfortably, focusing on your breathing and bringing your attention to the present moment. In New York City, MNDFL is a meditation studio that allows visitors to explore traditional meditation techniques in a contemporary space.

There are many types of meditation, and MNDFL helps you find the right fit for you. The gym offers a variety of different classes ranging from MNDFL 101, an introductory class, to Emotions, a class where you learn to explore and ride the energy of your emotions so you are productive, joyful and free. The classes run anywhere from 30 to 45 minutes.

Today about 18 million Americans meditate, a practice that is known to have health benefits like increased productivity and stress relief.

So cool — I am definitely giving that place a try. So what do you guys think, are meditation gyms the next big thing? Let us know by voting and weighing in at . Or, better yet, send us a video to NBT@.

All right, guys, that is all for now, but have a great weekend, and we will see you right back here on Monday.

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