(upbeat music) - Coming up next on "NewsDepth": heavy snow impacts much of California; snowpacks could help Lake Mead's water levels; a new crew has made it to the International Space Station; and Nick tells us all about the First Amendment.

"NewsDepth" is now.

(upbeat music continuing) Record snow in California has left many people stranded.

Hello, everybody, I'm Rick Jackson.

Thank you for joining us.

Residents in California had almost nonstop snowfall last week.

California Governor Gavin Newsom later issued a state of emergency in 13 counties, including hard-hit San Bernardino County, and areas of Sierra Nevada have accumulated upwards of 140 inches of snow.

That's almost two of me!

Well, the California National Guard has been deployed to help dig out communities, but it could take up to 10 days to clear out all that snow.

As Nicole Comstock reports, those who are trapped have waited days to receive help.

- [Michelle] These are the trails we've created just to get out of the house down to the street.

And it seems like every time we have shoveled, it comes right back.

- [Nicole] Michelle Calkins trudges through the snow tunnel she dug in Lake Arrowhead to get from her home to the grocery store.

She's one of thousands who've been snowed in during this historic storm for a week straight.

- On our deck, snow up to the windows.

And until you're actually physically walking on the street here, you really just don't understand it.

I mean, look at my window.

- [Nicole] She says she and her husband were prepared for the first-ever blizzard warning here in the San Bernardino Mountains, but the depth of the snow caught the whole county off-guard.

- We're not a city.

We are unincorporated and we need help.

People are trapped in their homes.

They cannot get medicine.

- [Nicole] Now, her plea for help is going viral on Twitter.

- We're trying to get the attention of our governor, Gavin Newsom.

Like, are you listening to us?

- So, we're trying to bring some resources from other state agencies that deal with snow that can get the proper equipment up the hill.

- [Nicole] At a press conference, the county said there are still 617 miles of road to plow up here and the unprecedented snow has been too much for them to keep up with.

County firefighters have also been busy, with 96 search-and-rescue missions using these snowcats.

And after three more feet of snow fell overnight, it might be another week until they dig people out of their homes.

- If people have food, shelter, water, and heat and they're in their structures that are in good condition, they're gonna need to weather this storm.

- If we start stretching into another week, that's gonna be a problem.

- [Nicole] Gigi Bannister lives in Crestline, where snow caused the roof to collapse at the main market in town, Goodwin's.

She works with 119 people who are trapped at Valley of Enchantment mobile home park with collapsed carports.

- And these are seniors and veterans, and so they got nobody there.

That's why they live there.

- Thank you, Nicole.

Winter weather can really be unpredictable; that is, unless you're a weather forecaster.

To forecast means to predict or estimate future events.

This term is more commonly used with the weather and financial trends.

So, have you ever wondered just how the weather forecasters always know the temperature in every town?

Part of that is because of a network of volunteer weather trackers, just like 92-year-old Arlene Coles from Maine, who's been tracking the weather for 60 years.

Jim Keithley spent the day with her.

- [Jim] She exemplifies the modern term "work from home."

She's been collecting weather information since 1965 as an official weather observer for NOAA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

She took over the job after a friend passed away.

She's among a nationwide network of about 7,500 volunteers who track the weather conditions for NOAA.

She has a briefcase with all of her old records, including her very first official recording.

- May 13th, 1965.

- [Jim] And what was the temperature?

- The temperature, the high was 62, the low was 43.

And when I read it, it was 59.

This is the first book I ever had.

- [Jim] 1965.

- Yeah.

- [Jim] I was a year old.

(Arlene laughing) - Well, a lotta people weren't very old then.

- [Jim] It's an easy job, she says.

She can just glance out her kitchen window to see how much snow is on the ground.

There's a giant ruler in clear view.

- Six inches right now.

Six inches of snow on the ground.

- That's what we got?

- That's what the stake says.

- [Jim] She can check the temperature from her kitchen, her home office.

It's wired from the outside thermometer and runs through her cellar and up to the kitchen counter.

- Temperature right now is 12.5.

- [Jim] Why do you like to do this?

- Well, I think it's interesting.

I think everybody's interested in the weather, don't you?

- [Jim] When I asked her why she hasn't retired to Florida, I quickly discovered she's not a big fan of the heat.

No?

- No thank you.

- [Jim] Why not?

- I like it here!

- [Jim] With all this snow?!

- What's the matter with the snow?

- [Jim] She decided long ago to take her official readings at dinnertime, five o'clock sharp.

Just become a routine, just like setting a table, she said.

She collects the rain and snow from these metal cylinders.

- And then I measure it and put it in the book.

- [Jim] Here's a picture from 1984.

She was in her 50s then.

And even though she says it's harder to get around these days, she won't quit.

- There are times when it's dark at night at five o'clock and the snow has piled up eight inches deep and I look at myself and I say, "Why are you in this?"

But you go put your boots on, put your jacket on, your mittens, and you find it's not bad at all.

- And at the end of each month, Arlene will mail her findings to NOAA, as she's done for 57 years.

When I asked her, "Why don't you email them?

", here's what she said about that.

- I don't have email.

- [Jim] Why not?

- I don't like it.

It's one more thing to get mixed- I always am fighting with that computer.

- [Jim] Arlene says she'll continue to do the job until she can't anymore.

Do you ever wanna retire?

- I told 'em that when I couldn't do a good job, I would retire.

- [Jim] And here you are at 92.

- I don't know, I take a day at a time.

- [Jim] Something tells me she's gonna be around for a while.

She still drives to the store and treks through her front yard for a job she still loves.

- Wow, what a commitment!

And thank you, Jim.

For this week's Write-In, we want you to help us track the weather.

But hold on, you don't have to be outside right this second.

You can just look out the window.

We wanna know if it's cold or warm, sunny or cloudy, snowing, raining, windy.

Be as descriptive as you can and then head over to our Inbox form to send in your observations.

Now, winter can present several hazards and dangers, especially when snow mixes with ice and creates slippery sidewalks and roads, so we have to be extra cautious.

A Wisconsin man's working on clearing the sidewalks of snow and ice in his neighborhood for accessibility.

Now, accessibility is making the environment, activities, or information usable for as many people as possible.

What makes this act exceptionally unique is he's in a wheelchair himself, something that doesn't stop him from completing his good deeds.

Ryan Jenkins reports.

- A couple days ago, a lady posted that she was hoping people would do a little bit better job of shoveling and that she had fallen down.

And I was just made to see that some people had actually called her a Karen.

- [Ryan] Matt Felton knows all too well how challenging it can be when snow and ice aren't cleaned up after a storm.

- Well, it's just frustrating 'cause people just can't relate, I guess.

And it's just frustrating when people are really quick to spout out something when I know for a fact if their situation were to change like mine did, they would be talking a different story.

- [Ryan] Five years ago, he said both of his legs were blown off in what he called a freak accident.

- Yeah, I could hop over snowbanks just fine.

I would never even think of something like this.

- [Ryan] Today, Matt and his service dog, Luna, work their way down KK in Bayview- - [Matt] Luna here, she pulls my wheelchair all over the place.

- [Ryan] Cleaning up spots that haven't been touched after the storm this past week.

- Maybe people see this and they realize that we're all in a community, we're all in this together, and there's a lotta people that have the ability to get out there and and do stuff like this to help other people out.

- [Passerby] I can help out.

- [Matt] I'll be going down KK after we're done with this.

- [Ryan] And along came the help.

- And a bunch of people came down and helped.

And when I first showed up, people saw me doing it and they offered to take a shovel and help out too.

So, people have been very, very responsive.

It's been great.

- [Ryan] An engaged citizen not trying to raise a fuss, just raising awareness, hoping more people will do their part to help keep sidewalks accessible for all.

- I was once like that too and I think if people just have more understanding of, "Hey, this could happen to me-" So, I don't wanna get on anybody's case about it.

I just want people to wanna help.

- Thank you, Ryan.

Hey, let's check in with our canine co-worker, shall we?

I think NewsHound has the petting zoo all ready for us.

(exotic percussion music) (dog barking) Hey, NewsHound!

You look pretty focused.

Might be on the trail of a good story.

(computer keys clacking) Oh, you got one?

Great, tell us what you found.

(dog barking) Oh, okay, a story about an injured sled dog who's on the road to recovery.

To watch this brave pup's story, click the Petting Zoo button on our website.

(mouse clicking) NewsHound, thank you.

(spring bouncing) Of course, winter's not all bad.

I mean, it's your favorite season, at least for a lot of you based on our poll a couple of weeks ago.

Winter does usually come with snow, but all that snow will eventually melt, which is good for our lakes and rivers.

This year, the water levels in Lake Mead in Nevada are getting higher and higher, all thanks to the precipitation coming from the mountains.

Abel Garcia has details.

- [Abel] Lenny Mayorga has lived in Boulder City since 1992.

He visits Lake Mead regularly, witnessing the bathtub rings getting bigger each year.

- Just really disheartening.

- [Abel] Mayorga spends his time at Lake Mead Marina with his family.

He used to have a boat, but got rid of it as water levels got lower, something many boaters have done.

But a significant amount of snow may help bring some of the water back.

- Those higher snowpacks are going to affect how Lake Powell is and Lake Mead.

- [Abel] Vice president of Lake Mead Marina's operations Bruce Nelson says his team has been following the snowfall very closely, showing me this graph of the snowpack in the Upper Colorado River Basin.

The red line this year is already 31% over the 30-year historic average.

That means we've surpassed the last year's peak well before when it normally hits around the first week of April, and even more snow is on the way.

- If you look at the projections and what the Colorado River is capable of and the amount of snow that's continuing to fall, if that keeps happening the sky's the limit.

It could really bolster us.

- Through the SNOTEL Telemetry Network.

- [Abel] A hydrologist at the Colorado Basin River Forecast Center, Paul Miller, walked me through the basin status map.

He says this map shows all areas that feed into the Colorado River are showing a snowpack that is well above average.

- We've seen a significant snowpack accumulation this season, much better than we've seen in more than a few years.

(laughing) - [Abel] But Mayorga says he is worried it isn't going to mean much.

- That's been, obviously, heaven-sent, so that's good, but it's just gonna go back down, unfortunately.

I mean, we're taking too much water.

- [Abel] Miller says they will provide the Bureau of Reclamation a forecast by this Friday so they can release new data and a prediction of our water levels by mid-March.

- Thanks, Abel.

Conserving water is important, not just for our water bills but also to protect the environment.

To conserve means to prevent wasteful overuse of a resource.

And in some areas of the United States, conservation is vital, as they're almost running out of water.

People in St. George, Utah, have had to come up with some creative plans to minimize water use.

Bill Weir visited that area and reports that one solution is jokingly being called a pipe dream.

- [Bill] Only about 8% of a home's landscaping can include lawn.

And if you want to start an endeavor that guzzles a lotta water, you are free to look somewhere else.

- If somebody wanted to come and build a golf course today, I don't know where they would get the water from.

And I'm telling you, I know where every drop of water is.

- [Bill] Zach Renstrom is in charge of the water of Washington County, Utah, which holds the fastest growing metro area in the nation in a region that's suffering the worst mega-drought in 1,200 years.

But that combo of a lot more people and a lot less water has forced some of the toughest water laws in the nation.

- We're developing plans that basically say during a drought situation that there can be absolutely no outside watering for any type of anything, even for trees.

We also talked about cutting off our construction water.

And I know that's like, "Oh, well, what's the big deal with construction water?"

But if we stopped construction water, that act alone would lay off about 20% of our county.

- [Bill] So, like a lotta folks around here, he's counting on Utah to build an estimated $2.2-billion pipeline to pump water from Lake Powell across 140 miles of desert and into this Washington County reservoir, a hugely controversial idea passed by state lawmakers 17 years ago.

- To be honest, it's kind of uncomprehendible to think of a diversion of that size that would serve 200,000 people in one county in southern Utah at this moment in time.

There's just not the water.

- [Bill] For environmental advocates like Matt Rice of American Rivers, developing with a pipeline mentality makes less sense now than ever.

- We're in a place where everybody across the board, lower basin, upper basin, agriculture, municipalities, we have to be laser-focused on doing more with less water because that's our future.

That is our reality.

- [Bill] But in the meantime, thanks to the new infrastructure bill and Inflation Reduction Act, there are billions of federal dollars for towns like Ivins to take water reclamation to the next level and, like Las Vegas, capture, treat, and recycle every drop possible.

- So, the few drops of rain that we get, if we can use them four or five times, that's a whole different thing than the drop of rain comes, you use it, and off it goes down the river.

- [Bill] But he knows better than most: Living through climate change in the West means living with a culture change around water.

- Thank you, Bill.

Well, that brings us to today's poll.

What are some of the ways that you help conserve water at home?

Head online to choose between turning off the tap, taking short showers, turning off the water while you brush your teeth, being smart when watering your plants, or checking for leaks so they can be fixed.

Well, for this poll, you can actually check all of the strategies that you do.

Now, last week, we asked you if you think work weeks or school weeks should be four days long instead of five, and I can't say I'm surprised at these results.

84% of you said you'd prefer four-day weeks.

Just 16% of you said you like the five-day weeks we have right now.

Well, there are some jobs that never really get a weekend.

They're on the clock 24/7; for example, if you're one of the astronauts on the latest SpaceX and NASA mission.

The Crew-6 team successfully docked at the International Space Station early Friday morning.

Their rocket blasted off from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida last Thursday.

This launch followed a failed attempt earlier last week.

A problem with fluid used to start the rocket's first-stage engine forced NASA to change plans.

Now, this is the sixth joint crew rotation mission between SpaceX and NASA and is part of NASA's Commercial Crew Program, which sends the agency's astronauts to the ISS.

Mission Commander Steven Bowen and Pilot Warren Hoberg, along with United Arab Emirates astronaut Sultan Alneyadi and the cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev will serve as mission specialists for a Space Station science expedition.

They were greeted by Crew-5 of Expedition 68.

Both crews, making up 11 members in total, will share the ISS until Crew-5's departure, which is scheduled for this month.

It takes some real ingenuity to be able to solve problems on the fly in outer space, almost as much ingenuity to solve a Rubik's Cube.

Now, when I was at your age, Rubik's Cubes were fairly new, but I never really knew anybody who could solve one.

This week's A+ award winner is a nine-year-old competition cuber from Bay Village.

Parker started cubing as an eight-year-old.

He told us that one of the teachers at his school used to bring her son to class from time to time and he always had a cube with him.

Parker really thought the cubes were cool, so he asked his dad to buy him one.

Once he got his first cube, a new passion was born.

Parker told us that he was determined to figure out how to solve the Rubik's Cube and he started watching YouTube videos about solving them.

He even started to notice patterns in the solutions.

Parker told us that once he figured out a few beginner algorithms, it was smooth sailing.

What's an algorithm?

That's a process or a set of rules to be followed in calculations or other problem-solving operations.

Now, Parker is active on the Rubik's Cube competition circuit and even has an international ranking.

His first competition was last November in Columbus.

His second competition was in Dayton just this past January.

He likes to compete in the 3x3, the Skewb, and the Pyraminx events.

He hopes to compete in the 4x4 this April in Louisville, Kentucky.

Now, Parker told us that the cubing community is a very welcoming group of people who are excited to welcome new cubers.

He said one of the things he loves most is that his fellow cubers are always willing to share tips and algorithms and to give advice.

He even offered some advice to any of you who are cubers.

He wants you to know that you should never be discouraged if it's hard at first and never be afraid to ask for advice.

Parker added that you should try a lot of different methods until you find one that works best for you.

Now, Parker's mom shared that she's really impressed with his hard work and how confident he is during the competitions.

She told us that his self-esteem really grew once he started teaching himself new algorithms.

Parker currently has nearly 20 cubes of all different shapes and sizes and styles.

His personal bests are 19.52 in the 3x3 cube, 5.55 in the Pyraminx, and 10.84 in this Skewb.

This year's A+ award winner is Parker.

I'm not gonna try and do that 'cause he's already fixed it.

He's the competition cuber.

Parker, I bet you spend more time with a Rubik's Cube than you do on your phone, don't you?

Well, spending too much time in front of screens, any screens, can have negative effects on children's physical and mental health.

TikTok has announced a new way to prevent teens from endlessly scrolling on its app.

The social media platform says in the coming months, accounts for users under 18 will default to a one-hour screen limit.

Once 60 minutes hits, teens will be prompted to enter a passcode to extend their time on the app.

This new setting is able to be turned off.

But if it is, teens who spend more than 100 minutes a day on TikTok will be prompted to set a daily screen limit for themselves.

Twitter has updated its policy on violent speech.

The new zero-tolerance policy expands restrictions on some types of threats.

They include new prohibitions on using coded language to incite violence indirectly and a ban on wishing harm on others.

Now, Twitter rolled out the update as Congress had hearings regarding regulation of content on social media.

But that brings up the question: How much can the government control of what we say and write and read?

Well, according to the First Amendment in the Constitution, all citizens have a guaranteed freedom of speech and assembly.

The First Amendment holds some of our biggest rights as American citizens, and Nick reviews them for us in this week's "Politics On Point."

(reverent music) (Nick clearing throat) - "We the people of the United States, "in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, "ensure domestic tranquility, "provide for the common defense, "promote the general welfare, "and secure the blessings of liberty "to ourselves and our posterity, "do ordain and establish this Constitution "for the United States of America."

Our Constitution sounds pretty good to me.

Nothing to change there, right?

Wrong.

(record scratching) Even the Founding Fathers knew they couldn't make a perfect guide for running the country.

(audience jeering) Enter amendments.

An amendment is any improvements, revisions, or corrections to the Constitution.

There are currently 20-plus amendments to the Constitution, but I wanna focus on the first one.

It provides some of our most important rights.

The First Amendment states, "Congress shall make no law "respecting an establishment of religion "or prohibiting the free exercise thereof "or abridging the freedom of speech or of the press "or the right of the people peaceably to assemble "and to petition the government "for a redress of grievances."

So, within the First Amendment, we've got these five protected rights: freedom of religion, the freedom of speech, freedom of the press, the right to assembly, and the right to petition the government.

Let's take a look at these a little closer.

Freedom of religion was super important to the Founding Fathers.

It's one of the reasons they came to America in the first place.

They wanted to escape other countries where they were forced to follow a specific religion.

Because of the First Amendment, you can now practice any religion or no religion at all.

The freedom of speech and assembly can be grouped together.

They basically mean we can express our own opinions.

We're allowed to speak out and get together in groups to express our ideas.

Of course, there are some exceptions.

For example, you can't tell lies about people or they could try to sue you for it.

(cat meowing) That idea of telling the truth leads me to the next protection, which is super important for folks who work in the news, like me: the freedom of the press.

It means journalists are allowed to report on what's going on without fear that the government might get upset and stop them from doing their work.

In some countries without the freedom of the press, like China, journalists are only allowed to report what the government wants.

As you can imagine, if the government makes a mistake or isn't treating people fairly, they aren't going to want the news to tell people about it.

Finally, the right to petition the government empowers citizens to address their leaders directly if they are concerned about actions or issues.

(politician shrieking) You may have heard about people writing their senators, governors, or other politicians to share their opinions or express concern.

The First Amendment aimed to set Americans apart from other countries and governments that impose stiff rules and regulations over their citizens or punish them for speaking out.

It's all about letting our country stay by the people and for the people.

As the country grows and changes, so do the needs of the Constitution.

It's not stuck in the 1700s.

It's a living, breathing part of our democracy.

(spring bouncing) - Thank you, Nick.

Now, as Nick just said, the country is constantly evolving and laws should evolve with us.

Last week, we asked if you think social media platforms should regulate what is shared.

Let's get your input by opening up our Inbox.

(mouse clicking) (message notification chiming) Otto from Chapman Elementary knows that it could affect young people.

"Dear "NewsDepth," "I do think social media should be regulated "because I do not think kids under 13 years old "should be on phones nor social media "because many apps have been dangerous influences "on apps such as Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.

"Also, it could be very addicting."

Ellie from Ella Canavan Elementary in Medina recognizes that not all content is kid-friendly.

"Dear "NewsDepth," I don't believe "everything should be on social media platforms, "so I think social media platforms should regulate content.

"For example, on children's websites, "they should not allow swearing or violence."

Kareem from Rushwood Elementary in Sagamore Hills is not afraid to share his opinion.

"I think that they shouldn't regulate content "because kids should have their own opinions."

Sofia from Central Intermediate School in Wadsworth thinks platforms could be better for kids.

"Dear "NewsDepth," I feel like social media platforms "should regulate their content a bit more.

"I think that big social media platforms "are doing really well, "but sometimes they aren't responsible "for the content kids are being presented with.

"Sometimes the kids themselves are the problem.

"Sometimes kids under the age of 13 "can lie about their age with no consequences at all, "which leads to them being exposed "to inappropriate content."

And finally, Ryan from Freedom Elementary in Westchester knows social media can spread misinformation.

"I think social media platforms should regulate content "because not only does it minimize "the chances of receiving false information, "it also reduces the possibilities "of creating conflicts among other people.

"This results in ensuring that there is a standard "that users must follow, "which will make them strictly adhere to the rules.

"That is why I think social media platforms "should regulate content."

Well said, Ryan, and thank you to everyone who wrote in last week.

Now, unfortunately, that is all the time we have for today.

But don't forget, we do always wanna hear from you and there are plenty of ways to stay in touch with us.

You can write to us.

Our address is 1375 Euclid Avenue in Cleveland, Ohio, our ZIP Code here, 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) (spring bouncing) - [Child] "NewsDepth" is made possible by a grant from the Martha Holden Jennings Foundation.

(upbeat music continuing) (gentle music)