(upbeat music) - Coming up next on "NewsDepth," we learn how the Electoral College affects elections.

An AI professional answers your questions about his job.

Ohio played a critical role in the Underground Railroad.

And we visit one of the first Black hospitals in the country.

"NewsDepth" is now.

(upbeat music) Did you know that the Electoral College, not the public, is responsible for choosing the president of the United States?

Hello everybody, I'm Gabriel Kramer.

Thank you for joining us.

The Electoral College is a unique aspect of the United States Presidential election system.

Instead of directly electing the president based on the national popular vote, the Electoral College is comprised of representatives or electors from each state who cast their votes for the president.

In today's Politics on Point, Nick explains how and why this was determined by our founding fathers.

(upbeat music) - Every four years, millions of Americans flock to the polls to select their next commander in chief.

Each citizen gets one vote.

The votes are tallied and a winner is declared.

Actually, no.

(record scratches) In our democracy, it's not that simple.

There's one more step between the votes cast by citizens and a new president, and that's the Electoral College.

The Electoral College is a group of people representing the states of the US who cast the votes that officially elect the president.

The individual people in the Electoral College are called electors.

There are 538 total electors in the United States, one for every senator and representative plus three for Washington DC.

In Ohio we have two senators and 16 representatives.

We have 18 electors.

Anyone who can vote can be an elector, but usually the political parties in each state use the position of elector to recognize citizens with strong ties to their party.

When voters cast their ballots, they think they're voting for a candidate, but they're actually voting for electors in their state who support that candidate.

The electors then cast their vote for president based on the voters.

In most states, including Ohio, there is a winner take all policy.

That means whichever candidate gets the most votes in that state is whom all the electors will vote for, even if the margin of victory is very slim.

Like when President Barack Obama carried the state of Florida with a margin of 0.88%, in that case, Obama still won all 29 electoral votes.

It takes 270 electoral votes to win the presidency.

That's the majority of the 538 total electors.

Every presidential election comes down to the Electoral College's votes.

Most of the time this aligns with the votes of individual citizens, called the popular vote.

But presidents have been elected without winning the popular vote.

This process seems sort of anti-democratic, right?

So who's to blame for this system?

Actually, it was our founding fathers, you know, the guys that basically invented the United States.

When they were writing up the Constitution, they had to figure out for the first time how the president would be chosen.

They didn't think it was fair for Congress to decide who would be the next leader of the country, but they also weren't sure that the general public should have that job either.

The Electoral College was their compromise.

It may seem like a weird way of doing something as important as electing the next president.

The United States is the only democracy where the leader is chosen indirectly like this, most other countries have direct elections where the people decide who they want as president or semi-direct elections, where a governing body elects the president.

Some people think that we should do away with the Electoral College, but it's what the founding fathers chose, and for now, that's how it's going to stay.

- Thank you, Nick.

State lawmakers in Maine are holding a public hearing for a bill that would change the way the state votes in the presidential election.

The legislation known as the National Popular Vote Bill has already been passed in 17 states, including Massachusetts and Vermont.

The popular vote refers to the total number of votes cast in an election.

In a popular vote system, each individual's vote directly contributes to the overall tally, and the candidate with the highest number of votes wins.

Nora Hogan caught up with the bill's lead sponsor.

- It'll give everyone the same level of vote.

Your vote's gonna count the same as mine, and same as somebody in California or Texas, or anywhere else.

- [Nora] Lawmakers in Maine have the potential to reshape the way we vote in presidential elections.

It's called the National Popular Vote Bill, and it's already been enacted in 17 other states.

- It's a bipartisan issue, it's really just, do we wanna do this the the right way, the way it was meant to be done?

You know, the person who gets the most votes wins the election.

- [Nora] Right now, Maine casts its four electoral votes based on who wins in each of our two congressional districts.

If LD 1578 passes, all of our electors would vote for whoever wins the majority of the vote nationally.

Critics say that it defeats the purpose of the Electoral College, but supporters claim that it would give voters more power.

After today's public hearing, the bill would go into a workshop and then move to the floor for a vote before the end of the month.

If it passes, it won't go into effect until additional states join the pact.

So this won't be a play during the 2024 election.

- Thank you, Nora.

Whenever I drive around our great state, I'm always impressed by the complexity of the farms.

Farmers have to be experts in all things like science, math, business, weather, technology, and that's not even considering that they need to know how to raise crops and care for livestock.

Recently we caught up with a few students from Waterford High School who are members of the Future Farmers of America, and recently won top honors in advanced parliamentary procedure, which earned them this week's A+ Award.

Students participating in parliamentary procedure competitions are evaluated on their ability to conduct an orderly and efficient meeting using parliamentary procedure.

I'm sure your parents and teachers can tell you all about the importance of an efficient meeting.

The team from Waterford earned a gold rating and advanced to the state championship for the 18th time in the last 22 years.

That's a pretty remarkable run of excellence, but these students do more than just run meetings.

Lainey, who is a senior, told us that she gets to show livestock through FFA.

Her specialty is pigs.

She told us that she gets assessed on how she handles the animals and how they respond to her.

She could not be more grateful for the skills and opportunities FFA has given her.

Taylor, who is a junior, told us that she focuses a lot of her work on studying soil.

She told us that not all soil is equal, and just because a type of soil is good for planting crops, and may not be good for building on, I never knew that.

Kaylee also does a lot of work with soil types, and she told us that her experiences with FFA have helped her become a strong public speaker.

That's a great skill to have, and even though I speak to you every week, I still get nervous.

Taylor told us that she really enjoys participating in all of the different competitions and learning new things.

She said that she really learned how to adapt to challenges because of the interesting things she's done in FFA.

Allison added that she really appreciates the team atmosphere in the club and that everyone has been very supportive.

Mackenzie told us that the team atmosphere and the unique challenges really allow her to test her limits and take on new responsibilities.

This week's A+ Award goes to the Waterford FFA chapter's Advanced Parliamentary Procedure Team for their excellent performance and facing new challenges.

Keep up the great work.

Last week we talked about artificial intelligence and we asked you to send in your questions about careers in AI, for the Career Callout segment.

There is a significant demand for AI and machine learning jobs across various industries.

As technology continues to advance, organizations are increasingly leveraging AI to improve efficiency and make data-driven decisions.

Demand for AI in machine learning specialists is projected to grow 40% by the year 2030.

Some of the key areas within AI where there is high demand for skilled professionals include machine learning engineers, data scientists, and AI software developers.

This career path requires a bachelor's degree.

The average salary for an AI specialist is $106,000 per year.

To excel at a job in AI, you'll need a combination of technical skills and soft skills.

For example, knowing programming languages like Java and Python, being good at math, but also communication skills and ethical awareness.

We now meet Laks Srinivasan, a strategy and analytics executive at the Return on AI Institute.

He is here to answer some of your questions about his job.

(upbeat music) - Hi, I am Laks Srinivasan, I'm with Return on Artificial Intelligence Institute.

I'm here to answer your questions on AI today.

Alexandra, from Walter G. Nord School in Amherst wants to know, "How long has AI been around?"

Artificial intelligence, also known as AI, it's been around for a long time.

I believe it goes back to 1956, that's almost 65 years ago.

As you know, AI is a smart computer that can do human-like things read, write, think, and so on.

And a bunch of smart people got together in 1956 and said, well, computers then were adding up numbers, and they said, "Can it do more?

What if it can do more intelligent things like human beings?"

And that's where the term artificial intelligence was coined.

And since then, it's been getting smarter and smarter every day.

Grayson from Parkwood Elementary in Beaver Creek asked, "What are some of the ways people can use AI?"

So AI is a tool.

It has, as I said, limitless possibilities.

It's like a pencil.

You can use it to write, you can use it to draw, you can use it to play games.

So here's some cool ways people use AI for, for example, doctors can use it to identify things in an x-ray that they may otherwise miss.

And it can also, AI can also be used in cars, for example, to detect maybe there's someone crossing the road that the driver's not paying attention, may apply brakes to it.

And it can also help you in school.

AI can help you learn better by suggesting videos or lessons or other things that may be right for you and may also be best in terms of what you need to learn next.

So it's like having your own personal tutor, that knows exactly what you may find easy or hard, and be there all the time to help you.

So it is really helpful, but it's important for people to use it wisely and safely.

Haley from Parkside Elementary in Concord, sent this question in, "How does AI get all the information?"

So there are two ways AI gets this information.

First is when AI is built upfront, when it is being trained to learn from the data, a human being or beings would have to gather up all the data and then use it to train the algorithm, for example, I talked about ChatGPT, which I use every day.

It was trained by human beings collecting all the words ever written on the World Wide Web.

Apparently that's 2 trillion words, with a T. And it was human beings gathered all that, and fed into that algorithm so it could learn how to write.

And once the AI algorithm is built, it also can learn by humans like me and you using it every day.

It knows what it's getting, what's being asked, what it's putting out, and do I like it?

It's output or not.

So it kind of knows what we like, don't like and adjusts itself.

So it kinda learns once it gets going.

And that's why I told you it never stops learning as long as it's getting used.

Every time we use it produces data and that data AI use it to learn itself.

It's kinda like feeds on itself.

Hali from Davey Elementary School in Kent wrote, "I think that AI is kind of scary.

I would like to ask, what does the future of AI look like?"

Like any adventure, as I told you, there's so many possibilities and I can see why it can be kind of scary.

And remember the way to address that to become less scared, which is what I do at work, is to help people learn what AI is, to understand it.

And so it becomes useful.

And at the end of the day, it's at the end of the day that, humans are in charge.

So it's only scary as if you put it to bad use.

So if humans can shape it for a better future and make it easy and make life better for everyone, there isn't much to be scared of.

- Thank you, Laks, and thanks to everyone who sent in your questions for the segment.

In North Carolina classrooms, 2024 is starting to look like a year of technological advancements.

Only three states nationwide have created a guidebook on how to implement and use artificial intelligence in schools.

And North Carolina just became the fourth.

Ed DiOrio has more.

- [Ed] EVERY stands for evaluate, verify, edit, revise, and you.

Those components are the Department of Public Instruction's way of not only using AI's capabilities to the fullest, but filtering its uses to not harm students and staff's learning experience.

While educators are excited about its potential, they want to know more about the tool.

- It ultimately is gonna support our students and our staff.

- Artificial intelligence is kind of the latest iteration of the world changing, and so for us, it's very important that we change as well.

- [Ed] Tools such as ChatGPT can help students with language barriers and voice-to-text tasks.

While the teachers can benefit from proofread programs to grade assignments faster.

Some districts like Asheville City schools are yet to scratch the surface with AI, but are prepared to.

- Within central office and working with our school administrators, we've been working on policy.

AI is moving fast and so it's helpful to have even more information out there.

- [Ed] Other systems, including Buncombe County schools, are looking forward to diving deeper into AI's capabilities in 2024.

But not without caution.

- To make sure our students are able to leverage the value of artificial intelligence while protecting from temptations, cheating, and doing something they shouldn't be doing academically.

- [Ed] Common goal with AI isn't about its usage today.

It's focused on preparing students for tomorrow.

- We are charged with preparing our students for the world that they'll enter as they leave our school system.

We have to make sure they're ready for that.

- Thank you, Ed, and that brings us to this week's poll.

We wanna know if your school has a policy for using artificial intelligence in the classroom.

Jump over to our poll page to cast your vote.

You can choose between, "Yes, my school has rules on AI."

"No, my school does not have rules on AI."

Or, "I don't know."

For our Write to Us this week, you guessed it.

We want you to write an AI guide for your school.

We also want to hear the reasons for your decision.

Last episode, we talked about some graffiti artists right here in Cleveland, and we wanna know if you like seeing graffiti in public places.

Out of almost 3000 votes, 70% of you said you like graffiti because it's art.

I think that's where my head is, too.

And another 30% of you don't like it so much, because it could be vandalism.

Thank you all for voting as always.

In more technology news, an associate professor of chemical and biological engineering has made significant advancements in 3D bioprinting, particularly in generating hair follicles within human skin tissue cultured in the lab.

Dr. Karande's research can help with patients with skin loss due to injuries or burns, and provide models to test on instead of human skin.

Sarah Jen Hoffer has the details on this growing industry.

- [Sarah] Scientists Pankaj Karande first entered his lab at RPI over a decade ago, and his recent progress in 3D bioprinting has given him a renewed excitement about his work.

- This is what makes me get up in the morning and come to the lab.

- [Sarah] He and his team 3D printed hair follicles in human skin tissue cultured in the lab, marking the first time researchers have used 3D bioprinting technology to generate hair follicles.

- We've all seen 3D printers.

We've seen them print jewelry, we've seen them print parts for prototyping.

But when you employ 3D printing for biological applications, which is what we call 3D bioprinting, we do this to actually build human tissues, human organs.

And so what we do is we take cells, matrix molecules, proteins that would normally be part of a human tissue or an organ, and we combine them together and we print them together to create these tissues.

- [Sarah] Playing an important role in skin healing and function, scientists have two applications in mind.

- For people who have lost skin, either to injuries, to burns and who need grafts, we are trying to create better grafts that can be used on these patients.

And what that means is we want to create grafts that have blood vessels, that have hair follicles that can integrate with the wound site better.

So that's one goal.

The other goal is we often don't think about this, but the hair follicles, for example, in this work that we've shown, they can be a root of penetration for toxin external agents.

And we need models to test the effect of these foreign agents on skin.

- [Sarah] That could lead to new formulations and products to regenerate hair growth, improving quality of life for so many.

- That's something that I've always tried to do, that our work in the lab actually translates into the real world and helps people in the real world.

- Thank you, Sarah.

As February comes to a close, we wanted to share a few more stories in honor of Black History Month.

First up, we have a brand new No Ohio, about the Underground Railroad.

The Underground Railroad was a secret network aiding enslaved people escaping to freedom, and Ohio played a crucial role in this chapter of American history.

Historians estimate that nearly half of all escaped enslaved people made their way through Ohio.

Our state's strategic location, and the bravery of its agents, conductors, and escapees contributed to its status as one of the most successful Underground Railroad states.

Zaria Johnson tells us about some of the brave Ohioans that fought for freedom.

(upbeat music) - When we think of Ohio, we might think of our sports teams, our rollercoasters, our cornfields.

But starting all the way back in 1815, Ohio represented a land of hope for escaped slaves on their journey to freedom.

Historians estimate that between 40 and 50,000 enslaved Americans escaped through Ohio.

That's almost 50% of the total estimated enslaved people who did escape before the Civil War.

All thanks to a system called the Underground Railroad.

Despite the name, the Underground Railroad was not an actual railroad.

It was a secret network of trails, safe houses, and guides that helped escape slaves on their journey north to Canada, where slavery was banned.

It was illegal to help escape slaves, so the Underground Railroad used code names.

For example, people who helped guide escaped slaves were called conductors, and people who helped hide them were called agents, and there were more than 1,500 agents and conductors in Ohio's history, way more than any other state.

John Parker, who was formerly enslaved, was one of those conductors.

He is famous for his double identity.

By day, Parker ran a successful metal workshop, and was an inventor, but by night, Parker would smuggle escaped slaves across the Ohio River from Kentucky.

Some of his rescue missions happened right under slave catcher's noses.

Once the escaped slaves got into his boat, John Parker would head for Minister Rankin, an agent whose house stood above the Ohio River in the town of Ripley.

Minister Rankin would shine a lantern in his window, to lead Parker and the escaped slaves across the river to safety.

Minister Rankin himself was an important member of the Anti-Slavery Society in Ripley, where he was very open about his opinions.

Over 2,000 escaped slaves took shelter in Rankin's house at one time or another while he was active.

Today, both John Parker and Minister Rankin's houses in Ripley have been turned into museums.

So you can visit and learn even more about their amazing stories.

But the town of Ripley was just one example of the Underground Railroad in Ohio.

There were other major stations in Marion, Mansfield, and Salem, including more than 20 stations on the Ohio River.

And many of these were connected by paths to other safe houses and agents all the way to Canada.

Because escaped slaves were in danger of being captured, they had to travel in extreme secrecy.

During the day, they would hide wherever they could, sometimes in abandoned barns or in the woods, and when it got dark, they would walk many miles to the next safe house.

Escaped slaves would do whatever it took to gain their freedom.

Some would hide in the bottom of an agent's wagon, others would disguise themselves and travel in broad daylight.

One man even packaged himself into a box, and mailed himself to safety.

Ohio became one of the most successful Underground Railroad states.

Of course, geography had a lot to do with it.

With Ohio being on Lake Erie, and being a central location on the Mason Dixon line.

But it is important to remember the courage of the agents, conductors, and escaped enslaved people in Ohio who all played a crucial role.

- Thank you, Zaria.

The first hospital in West Virginia to primarily treat Black patients was in the city of Bluefield.

It opened its doors in 1916.

It dates back to the days of a racially segregated society when Black people and white people were served separately in most businesses.

The hospital played a vital role in addressing the healthcare needs of the Black community in West Virginia.

Robert Castillo spoke with the current owner of the old hospital and its history.

- [Robert] Research done by John Rankin, a former history professor at Bluefield State University reveals the first Black hospital was started by Dr. E.W.

Lomax right here on Bland Street.

Rankin's work titled, "The Early History and Development of Bluefield, West Virginia," claims the hospital first actually opened in a frame house in 1916.

Later it was torn down, and replaced with a brick and mortar building, 10 years later, in 1926.

Lomax later died and the hospital was purchased by Dr. W.A.

Brown and it carried his name.

It was known as Brown's Hospital.

The current owner of the building, Patricia Valentine, says she had no idea of the building's history when she became the new owner of the old building back in 2014.

- One of Dr. Brown's descendants called me from New Jersey and they had found out that we had purchased the building and they were congratulating and was glad that we had it.

And then I began to do some research on it.

- [Robert] Valentine says that research took her to Rankin's work where she discovered the old hospital could accommodate around 50 people.

There are 19 rooms in this former hospital, and the building had many uses, including space to house nurses during its time as an active hospital.

One of the rooms was used as a sunroom for recovering patients, while six others were for private use.

Valentine says she's just starting the process to get this building the historical recognition she believes it deserves.

- I'm trying to get it set up first to have it put in the state registry, and when I talked with the person, she said, "I don't know why, don't see how that this was not listed as historical."

So, this is my job to try to do this first.

- [Robert] Valentine adds, she's had a lot of work done here, including some roof repairs, painting, and even new windows.

She says she's in the process of finishing the roof repairs to prevent further water damage.

Valentine says, this old hospital has earned a place in her heart.

- With me, being Black, it's nice to be able to say, this is part of me.

I didn't make this hospital, I didn't build it, but I just feel so overwhelmed to be able to say that I own a part of Black History.

- Thank you, Robert.

Okay, I think we've given News Hound enough time to come up with a story.

Let's see what he found for this week's Petting Zoo.

(upbeat music) (dog barks) What's up, News Hound?

We have another viewer question for you.

Where are you from?

News Hound says he's from Cleveland.

Oh, look at that puppy pic.

Okay, okay, we should get back to work.

What animal story do you have for us this week?

You found a story about a dolphin rescued by neighbors after getting caught in a net.

To watch a full story, click the Petting Zoo button on our website.

Thanks as always, News Hound.

Well, that's all the time we have for today, but you can keep the conversation going and there are plenty of ways for you to stay in touch with us.

You can write to us, we're at 1375 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio.

Our zip code here is 44115.

You can email us at NewsDepth@ideastream.org.

Plus you can catch all of our special segments on YouTube.

Hit subscribe if you're old enough, so you don't miss out on any of our new videos.

Thank you for joining us, I'm Gabriel Kramer.

We'll see you right back here next week.

(upbeat music) - [Child] "NewsDepth" is made possible by a grant from the Martha Holden Jennings Foundation.

- [Child] Career Callouts featured in "NewsDepth" are funded by the Ohio Broadcast Media Commission.

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