(upbeat music) - Coming up next on "NewsDepth."

Governor DeWine visits the community after the train crash.

Mary tells us about the Clean Water Act.

Is there a line for what can be said online?

And how important is sleep, for your health?

"NewsDepth" is now.

(upbeat music) Residents of East Palestine are still dealing with the aftermath of the train derailment.

Hello, everybody, I'm Rick Jackson.

Thank you for joining us.

The Environmental Protection Agency, or EPA, says it's going to make Norfolk Southern clean up the railroad's mess in the Ohio village.

That agency's leader was in town, along with Governor Mike DeWine, and Norfolk Southern's CEO.

But as Miguel Marquez reports, the process is going to take a long time.

- [Miguel] Nearly three weeks after the derailment, people in East Palestine, Ohio, still concerned.

- We need to feel safe in our home.

I mean, I don't even walk in my grass because I don't know what's in it.

- [Miguel] Officials say the air and water is deemed safe, so far.

But not everyone is convinced.

- So, it's safe to drink the water?

- Water is safe to drink.

- Because I haven't even brushed my teeth with it.

- [Miguel] East Palestine resident Carolyn Brown hosted the EPA Administrator Michael Regan and Ohio Governor Mike DeWine in her kitchen, both assuring her her municipal tap water is safe.

- We believe in science, so we don't feel like we are being your guinea pig.

But we don't mind proving to you that we believe the water is safe.

- Okay, thank you, I appreciate that.

- Here's to Carolyn.

Here's to you.

- [Miguel] They say the village tap water testing will continue for years and anyone with a private well should have it tested as well.

- Norfolk Southern's corporate greed, incompetence, and lack of care for our residents is absolutely unacceptable to me.

- [Miguel] The governor of neighboring Pennsylvania announced his state made a criminal referral to investigate Norfolk Southern's handling of the derailment.

This as the the EPA announced it is ordering Norfolk Southern to complete all of the cleanup or the agency will immediately take over and seek to compel the company to pay triple the cost.

- I expect within the next 48 hours, Norfolk Southern will begin working with the agency on the contents of the work plan.

They have to put together a work plan that's going to be very prescriptive.

- [Miguel] And the CEO of the railroad says he is already committed to doing what's right.

At a church across town, a new medical clinic opening up today to help people concerned about getting sick from the chemicals spilled in the derailment and controlled burn.

- We want to help get people on the right track and navigate them through this health care system.

- [Miguel] But there is much more to be done.

- We are moving as fast as we physically can, of course, time is of the essence.

- [Miguel] For now, it's all about building trust and getting people the help and answers they need.

- We are going to continue to follow the science.

We are going to continue to listen to the experts who understand this.

- Thank you, Miguel.

Last episode, we reported that Norfolk Southern had not attended a community meeting in which residents shared their concerns.

Since then, the company has made an official statement promising to clean up after the accident.

- Norfolk Southern is committed to the community and citizens of East Palestine.

We're going to be here today, we're going to be here tomorrow, we're going to be here a year from now, and we're going to be here five years from now.

- Sadly, this was not the first time Ohio's natural resources have been affected by industrialization.

Industrialization is the development of industries in a specific region.

Pollution turned Lake Erie into the Dead Lake and the Cuyahoga River into the Burning River.

Issues with our water led to the creation of the Clean Water Act to regulate water pollution across the nation.

Up next, Mary dives into the history of our waterways in this week's "Know Ohio."

(upbeat music) - Today we think of Lake Erie, our north coast, as a treasured natural resource that really belongs to all of us.

Our Great Lake is an important place that provides a trade route for ships, drinking water for 11 million people, and a fun place for swimmers, boaters, and fishermen.

But just a few decades ago, Lake Erie was declared dead.

That meant that the lake was extremely polluted, mainly from industries along the shore and Cleveland's ineffective sewer system.

Cleveland was once a much larger city and an industrial powerhouse, with factories producing everything from steel and plastic to paint and fabric, and for generations these factories dumped their by-products into the lake with very little regulation.

In even worse shape was the river that winds through Cleveland and feeds into Lake Erie, the Cuyahoga River.

By the 1960s, this river didn't actually look like water.

Some say the river flowed different colors, depending on what color the paint factory was producing that day, but mostly it just looked like a dark mix of oil and grease.

Of course there was no swimming in it, and workers along the river were instructed to go directly to the emergency room if they fell in.

But this notorious image changed everything.

On June 22, 1969, oil-slicked debris on the river caught fire for about 30 minutes, and the so-called burning river brought national attention.

"Time Magazine" picked up the story, and this photo of an intense fire on the Cuyahoga River was published alongside the article in 1969, but it's actually a photo from a much worse fire in 1952.

In fact, what many people outside of Cleveland did not know is that the river had actually caught fire over a dozen times by that point.

Regardless, this image burned into the country's consciousness, and Cleveland mayor Carl Stokes became a national spokesman for environmental regulation, often speaking before Congress.

In 1970, just a year after the fire, Congress established the Environmental Protection Agency, which protects the environment by writing and enforcing regulations.

And just a couple years after that, Congress passed the Clean Water Act to stop factories from dumping harmful pollutants into waterways around the country.

It really inspired environmental action, but the infamous burning river photo did not exactly help Cleveland's image.

Cleveland's unofficial nickname has been the "Mistake on the Lake", and our burning river and dead lake are still the butt of jokes, even decades later.

As we start to come out from under that shadow, it's important to remember how bad things became, so we never let it happen again.

(ball bouncing) - Thank you, Mary.

Our environment has definitely come a long way since all these regulations were established.

And, although it still hasn't fully recovered, I trust that the actions from all of you young people are going to get it that much closer.

Because one thing is clear, you care about the earth.

It doesn't matter if a student is in 12th grade or second grade, in Beaver Creek or in Beachwood, you and your peers are definitely working to make the world a cleaner and better place.

Shin, a second grader at Bryden Elementary in Beachwood, even started a club to do just that.

His efforts have earned him this week's A plus award.

Back in the fall, Shin's class had a conversation about the idea that everyone can create change in the world.

Shin, who his teacher, Mrs. Margulies, described him as a thoughtful and motivated leader, decided to put that thought into action.

He started planning a Save the Earth Club that would meet during recess to help clean up trash around the school yard.

Shin told us that he'd been noticing a lot of litter around and really wanted to clean it up to make the school more beautiful.

Once he came up with a plan, he created a PowerPoint that he presented to each one of the six second grade classes at Bryden Elementary.

His club ended up with nearly 50 members.

Talk about a motivated group of Bison!

To participate, the students only needed a pair of gloves, tongs, and a bucket, to collect any trash that was on the ground.

He told us that the tongs he used were simply old barbecue tongs that his parents didn't need any more.

Shin also told us that after the work was done each day, it was important to wash your hands.

That's a key thing to always remember.

Before we left, we asked Shin what he learned from the club.

He told us that "If people work together to fix a problem, the job is always easier."

Teamwork is very important.

Shin's principal, Ms. DeGeorge, told us that "We're all proud of Shin and all that he has accomplished with the Save the Earth Club.

It's been exciting to watch the discovery of his passion to help make the world a better place, and inspire others to do the same.

Seeing the impact it's made on our school has been extremely special."

If you're wondering what's next for the Save the Earth Club, he has part two planned for the spring.

He learned that plants help to clean the air that we breathe so he's going to plant clover, rosemary, and Japanese skimmia in the school yard this spring.

So this week's A plus award goes to Shin, for making the world a better, and cleaner, place.

Congratulations.

Okay, now back to the news.

Social media have become major platforms for free speech and expression in today's world.

People can express their opinions and share their ideas, regardless of geographic boundaries.

However, social media platforms are also private companies and have the right to set their own policies and guidelines for content moderation.

The Supreme Court is hearing back-to-back oral arguments this week in two pivotal cases that could reshape online speech and content moderation, while carrying significant stakes for the wider internet.

Chris Nguyen is in Washington with more on the legal battle ahead and how it could ultimately impact you.

- [Chris] At the Supreme Court, the battle over free expression online is coming to a head.

- The way the internet works today may fundamentally change as a result of what the Supreme Court decides.

- [Chris] This week, two cases are being heard, and the outcomes could determine whether tech platforms and social media companies can be sued for recommending content to their users or for supporting acts of international terrorism by hosting terrorist content.

- We have this very rare instance where a lot of people in DC agree that something needs to be done.

They haven't been able to meet that point where they can actually agree on the answer.

- [Chris] At the heart of it all, Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, a 27-year-old federal law that protects websites like Google, Twitter, and others from lawsuits over what their users post online.

- The Supreme Court's ruling exposes how vulnerable the internet is to regulatory interventions, and how at-risk we are of being faced with a very different internet.

- [Chris] Some experts question if the justices are equipped to make a sound decision, partly because they don't use social media enough to fully understand it.

- It's a structural problem with the Supreme Court, that when they make legislative-like decisions, they don't have the expertise that the legislature has, and they don't hear from all the people that might be affected.

- Thank you, Chris.

Many social media sites allow kids to join when they turn 13, but the US Surgeon General says that's still too young, as kids continue to develop their identities.

Social media can have both positive and negative effects on children, depending on how it's used and how it's managed.

On the positive side, social media can help people connect with others and learn new things.

But on the negative side, they can be exposed to harmful content and cyberbullying.

Cyberbullying is when someone uses electronic communication to bully and intimidate.

Mandy Gaither speaks to a pediatric psychologist about best social media practices for the whole family.

- [Mandy] In early teen years, the US Surgeon General says kids are still developing their identity and social media can have a major impact.

- This skewed and often distorted environment of social media often does a disservice to many of those children.

- [Mandy] That's why Dr. Vivek Murthy says 13 is still too young for kids to be on social media, but keeping them off those sites may be easier said than done.

- It depends on your child and you know your child best.

- [Mandy] Pediatric psychologist Ariana Hoet with Nationwide Children's Hospital says deciding whether a child is ready for social media starts with these questions.

Do you have an open and trusting relationship with your child?

Will they respect boundaries and expectations you set?

Will they come to you if there's a problem or concern?

Also consider their personality.

- Do they really care about what others think about them or are they comfortable in their identity?

How are they with peer pressure?

Because again, social media is kind of opening the world to all of that.

- [Mandy] If you answer those questions and feel they're ready, Hoet says to set up a family social media plan.

- You talk about the safety, you talk about what you're posting, how to interact with others, who you're following, and keep checking in with the child.

- [Mandy] And set limits.

Consider taking devices away at bedtime so sleep isn't affected.

- Being ready doesn't mean I'm going to give them access to this thing and walk away.

You still want to think about how do I monitor?

How do I continue to stay in a partnership with them on how they're using it?

- Thanks, Mandy, those are great tips for any person who uses social media, not just young people.

But you see, the key word here is people.

Now, cats on social media, whole different story.

Why don't we ask our fellow feline friend what she thinks?

It's time for this week's "Petting Zoo."

(upbeat music) (cat meowing) Hey, Newscat!

Reading the newspaper?

Wow, you're old school.

You like to get your news from the paper rather than online?

Well, what did you find for us this week?

Oh!

A cat that went viral for having a fight with a microwave.

I think Newscat is pro cat content on the internet.

Well, to see who won that battle, click the Petting Zoo button on our website.

And thank you, Newscat.

(ball bouncing) Well, we want to know what you think too.

For our write-in question this week, we want to know, should social media platforms regulate what's shared?

Head online to share your point of view.

Last week, we saw how a lot of people keep their bodies moving and we asked you to tell us then about your fitness goals.

So let's see what you had to say by opening our inbox.

(mouse clicking) From Hudson City School in Hudson, Carter's goal is to go outside.

"My fitness goals are to go mountain biking with my dad because we love to go mountain biking together, and another fitness goal is to run on the trails with my mom."

Vivienne from Ledgeview Elementary in Macedonia.

Hey, my son went to that school for a while.

Wants to be a better player for the team.

"Dear NewsDepth, my fitness goals are running the bases in softball!

We also have to make sure we're ready for the game.

This year, I'm in fast pitch.

That's when the pitcher is someone from the opposing team who pitches to you.

But if the other team was batting, someone on my team will pitch to the batter."

Armando from Powers Elementary in Amherst has a healthy plan.

"My fitness goals are to do pushups everyday and jog on the weekends outside as the weather gets warmer.

And to swim as the weather gets warmer to exercise my legs and arms.

My last fitness goal is to eat healthier and to do all the above goals every day."

Sahara from Cheshire Elementary in Delaware, Ohio wants to put the miles in.

"Dear NewsDepth, my fitness goal is to improve my body's flexibility and be able to do a little workout on a daily basis.

Also me and my dad like to go on trails in the woods and I want to be able to walk a lot of miles and be able to go farther and farther.

Me and my dad have a goal to do more than five parks and in each park at least eight miles.

My plan is to research park names and go there for trails every Sunday morning."

And Nathan from Avon Middle School in Avon wants to play soccer again.

"Hello, NewsDepth.

I play soccer, and I was really, really fit last season.

It was my debut season, and it was the best team I had ever played with.

We won all but two games.

Since then, I had one practice with my dad since last summer, but that was it.

For my fitness goals, I want to try to lower the amount of food I eat, try to get my soccer net set up to exercise with, and try to do a lap or two around my sidewalk."

Wow, good work.

Thanks for writing to us, everyone.

Now, I noticed that no one of you said your goal was to cycle 2,400 miles on just one wheel.

And that's a good thing, because that would be pretty crazy.

Crazy enough that a unicyclist from Maine had that goal, and accomplished that feat.

Ashley Harding speaks to the athlete about why he was inspired to take the journey.

- It took nearly five months, but Saturday, Avery Seuter achieved his highest goal to date in the lowest point possible.

Tell me what went through your mind when you finally crossed the finish line and was in Key West.

What'd that feel like?

- Once I got on the street, and it was straight away all the way down to the southernmost buoy, it was kind of, you know, it felt conclusive.

I had my family there.

- The perfect conclusion to a great trip.

What would you say the biggest challenge was, Avery?

- The trouble is where you get to roads that are maybe not designed for cyclists or pedestrians.

It's very difficult to safely navigate them on a bike or even walking.

So, I think the biggest challenges were those sections that were maybe not as complete.

- [Ashley] That's really what inspired Seuter to make this trip in the first place.

In early September, he started unicycling from Maine to Florida, raising money and awareness for the East Coast Greenway.

It's a bicycle and pedestrian route connecting 15 states, aiming to make travel safer for bikers and riders.

He logged 20 to 30 miles per day, and raised a combined $4,000.

He even turned 20 years old during this trip.

- Around that time, I was staying with people pretty frequently, and as soon as they would find out it was my birthday, they'd go out and get, like, cupcakes or something.

So, I celebrated, I think, five different times, and I was so full of sugar.

I think that's what really helped me get over the finish line.

- [Ashley] Seuter says, when he gets back home to Wells, Maine, he plans to do even more to help improve infrastructure.

He also hopes to inspire people to get out and get active.

- I'd encourage people to get out and bike or walk or move around their communities however they can even if it's not what you do all the time.

It's really, really beneficial for your health and mental health.

- Thanks, Ashley.

Being healthy involves movement, nutrition, and sleep.

But we usually forget about that last one.

Sleep plays a crucial role in our overall health and well-being.

It's essential for the proper functioning of various bodily systems.

Sleep is also important for maintaining mental health, as it can affect our mood, cognitive function, and emotional well-being.

Cognitive function is how well our brain can process and learn.

Margaret interviews a sleep specialist to get some answers and learn the importance of getting a good night's rest.

- I am not a morning person.

I will hit that snooze button over and over again until I absolutely have to get out of bed.

Staying up late and waking up late are two of my bad habits that I want to break.

So I thought maybe knowing the science behind why sleep is important, could help motivate me to catch some more Zs.

I called up Dr. Sally Ibrahim, she's a sleep specialist at UH Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital.

I started by asking her to tell me a little bit about her work.

Take a look.

(upbeat music) - I'm a sleep doctor, I'm a medical doctor, so I see patients in clinic and I also read sleep studies.

When people go to spend a night in the lab, we get some data and we understand what their sleep disturbances are.

And so I see patients with sleep disorders of all kinds, from insomnia, meaning you can't sleep, to hypersomnia, too much sleep, and everything in between that relates to sleep.

- And so, why is sleep so important?

- Sleep is important for all the body functions.

Namely in students' learning, we do a lot of active learning when we're sleeping and the more sufficient sleep we get, the better and more likely we're gonna retain our knowledge the next day.

And so that's why a lot of teachers will say get a good night's sleep because we know that memory consolidation happens in sleep.

There's also a bunch of other things that happen in sleep.

For example, we can regulate our sugar control, regulate our heart health, and so many other things that are healthy for us to thrive.

- So if I stay up really late cramming for a test, I might not remember what I've been studying if I don't get enough sleep?

- That's a great question.

You will retain some.

You will retain more, probably, if you get a good night's sleep 'cause that memory consolidation occurs during sleep.

Now, some people will still do just fine, (laughs) but we know that you're probably studying more than just on that night and so every single night counts leading up to that, so that you can retain that knowledge.

- Ah, okay, and so how much sleep should someone who is eight to 12 years old get?

- [Sally] Great question.

So preadolescents, you need anything from nine to 12 hours, and in teenagers you need eight to 10 hours.

And so, those are minimal numbers.

The minimum number for teenagers, eight hours, and the minimum number for preadolescents is nine hours.

- What are some tips that you have for when I'm getting ready to go to bed, to make sure that I get a good night's rest?

- [Sally] The tips are making a regular bedtime, making a regular wake time that's between one or two hours of your typical weekday wake time.

Some students, my daughter included, (laughs) who's in sixth grade, thinks that it's okay just to get all your sleep on the weekends.

But the weekend's only a couple of days so we have that full five days to really work with.

We want to avoid caffeine and that could look like a lot of things, chocolate being one, close to bedtime and with dinner.

And we want to reduce our stress levels and make some progress towards bedtime when it's time for bedtime.

- And you said that your daughter had some tips about electronics at night?

- It may be hard to get away from electronics and that's what she mentioned to me.

She said, you know, kids are gonna be on their electronics, you have to tell them what to do and what not to do.

And she's actually right scientifically, interestingly.

So the science is that some electronics may not be so bad.

It depends on what we're doing on it.

So things that are very engaging, when our mind is really active, will be bad for us.

Some of the things that may be more helpful are things like listening to music that's soothing, relaxing, not so alerting, things that just calm us.

There could be a nice easy podcast to listen to, for example, something to put our mind in a relaxed position.

- So you gotta be really smart about what you're doing at night so that when you wake up you'll be smarter.

- Choose wisely, that's right.

- Thanks, Margaret and Dr. Ibrahim.

If resting is so important, and makes us more productive, is it time for America to adopt a four-day work week?

The results from a UK pilot program are in, adding to the growing body of evidence revealing that a shortened work week could be life-changing for employees and beneficial for companies.

Drew Masiaz explains why researchers are calling their study a success.

- [Drew] There's a revolution happening in the workplace.

- Why are we still working five days a week and why aren't we working on our lives?

- [Drew] A non-profit advocacy group called 4 Day Week Global released the results of a six-month pilot involving around 2,900 workers in the UK, where 61 companies agreed to let their employees work four days a week without a reduction in pay.

- All around the world, across many industries, we're finding that this model can work.

- [Drew] According to the results on average, employees reported higher job satisfaction, lower rates of burnout, and less work-related stress.

The results also showed most of the companies involved reported no drop in productivity, with 92% keeping the four-day schedule beyond the trial.

Despite this, some human resource experts believe getting more American companies on-board could be tough because of competition and the fear of falling behind.

- Companies, employees, they want to win, and it is important for them to keep inching their targets higher and higher.

- [Drew] But some psychologists say employee burnout is cause for concern with more people now prioritizing their mental and physical health, especially post-pandemic.

- This is about how we as people are looking to work in the future.

- [Drew] A potentially game-changing shift in culture and mindset as some aim to challenge the status quo.

- Thanks, Drew.

Now, that brings us to today's poll.

Do you think a work week or school week should be four days long instead of five?

Jump on over to our poll page to cast your vote.

You can choose between, yes, four day weeks, or no, five days works for me.

Last week we asked you what your favorite season was and we got more than 4,000 responses.

49% of you said you like winter, brr!

Second place went to summer with 26%.

That's a little more my speed.

16% of the votes were for spring and just 9% of you said you liked fall.

Now, that's a wrap for this week.

But don't forget to vote in this week's poll and write to us about social media and free speech.

Because we always want to hear from you and of course there are plenty of ways 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, or you can tweet us, our handle is @NewsDepthOhio.

Thanks for joining us, I'm Rick Jackson, we'll see you right back here next week.

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

(upbeat music) (calm music)