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Baltic States Cut Chord with Russian Power Grid; Why this Super Bowl Snack Might Be Inflation-Proof.

COY WIRE, CNN 10 ANCHOR: What`s up, sunshine? Welcome to CNN 10, the best 10 minutes in news because of you. I`m Coy Wire, still in New Orleans for

that Super Bowl coverage.

Congrats to the champs, the Philadelphia Eagles, getting redemption for their loss to these Chiefs in the Super Bowl two seasons ago. Fly, Eagles,
 

champ [tʃæmp] n.【口】冠军，优胜者

redemption [rɪˋdɛmpʃən] n.（尤指基督教的）拯救，赎罪，救赎

fly. All right, let`s get this show on the road.

We start today in Eastern Europe, where Lithuania, Estonia, and Latvia disconnected from their Russian-operated electricity grid before
 

Lithuania [͵lɪθjʊˋenɪə] n. 立陶宛（原蘇聯共和國之一，1991年8月宣布獨立）

Estonia [ɛsˋtonɪə] n. 愛沙尼亞（原蘇聯共和國之一，1991年8月宣布獨立）

Latvia [ˋlætvɪə] n. 拉脱维亚（原苏联共和国之一，1991年8月宣布独立）

successfully synchronizing their electricity systems to a grid operated within the European Union. Why did they do this? Energy independence.
 

synchronize [ˋsɪŋkrənaɪz] v. 同时发生; 同步

Until this weekend, Russia was still in total control of the functioning of the grid and its electricity services to the Baltic countries. The three
 

Baltic [ˋbɔltɪk] adj. 波罗的海的

countries have been preparing to cut the cord with Russia since they joined the European Union in 2004, which invested over a billion dollars in grants
 

grant [grænt] n. 补助金

for the project. But Russia`s invasion of Baltic ally Ukraine in 2022 made it crucially important for these three countries to finally put an end to

its energy dependence on Russia.

The three states renovated existing infrastructure and also built new power lines, several undersea cables, and a crucial link to the mainland European

grid. Six months ago, the Baltic countries officially notified Russia that they would desynchronize from the Soviet electric grid, and Lithuania`s
 

desynchronize [dɪˋsɪŋkrənaɪz] v. 使去同步

grid operator, Litgrid, started the work of cutting old Soviet cables. The agreement that governs the old shared grid expired, and by Saturday, all

three countries have been disconnected, briefly functioning as a power island with only the electricity they produced before synchronizing their

newly independent grid with the continental Europe`s synchronous area on Sunday.
 

synchronous [ˋsɪŋkrənəs] adj.【物】【电】同周期的；同步的

But the threat from Russian interference hasn`t disappeared with this newfound energy independence. CNN`s Clare Sebastian explains the security

concerns, top of mind for officials across the region.
 

top of mind 最先想到

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Cutting one of the last ties to Moscow. This is an old Soviet electrical cable that until recently

linked Lithuania to a Russian-run power grid. Dismantling it is one of the final stages in a years-long project by the three Baltic states to take
 

dismantle [dɪsˋmænt!] v. 拆卸; （逐渐地）废除

back control.

VOOTELE PAI, ADVISER TO ESTONIA`S INTERIOR MINISTRY: Here in this region, we understand fairly well that the cheap Russian energy, in whatever form

it comes, it always comes at a price that no democratic European country should be able to afford.
 

afford [əˋford] v. 支付得起

SEBASTIAN (voce-over): More than 30 years after Soviet troops rumbled back over the border and two decades after joining NATO and the E.U., Estonia,
 

rumble [ˋrʌmb!] v. 使隆隆响

Latvia and Lithuania are once again looking nervously to the east.

The war in Ukraine revealing just how willing Moscow is to both weaponize electricity and, as NATO warned again this week, disrupt daily life in
 

willing [ˋwɪlɪŋ] adj. 愿意的，乐意的

Europe through suspected acts of sabotage ranging from cyber-attacks to arson.
 

sabotage [ˋsæbə͵tɑʒ] n. 蓄意破坏

arson [ˋɑrsn] n. 纵火（罪）

(On camera): Now the Baltics have been preparing for this moment for many years, building three new undersea cables to the Nordic countries and a

critical link to Poland. And that meant that they were actually able to stop buying electricity from Russia more than two years ago. But Moscow

still controlled the shared grid and managed the frequency. And so they were vulnerable.

(Voice-over): Ahead of the switch, security has been stepped up around energy infrastructure.

DOVILE SAKALIENE, LITHUANIAN DEFENSE MINISTER: We are increasing our surveillance efforts, we are increasing our additional security measures.

We are going to watch this with an eye of a hawk.

SEBASTIAN (voice-over): And NATO now has a new mission to protect undersea cables in the Baltic after a string of incidents, including one right here,

the Estlink-2 power cable badly damaged on Christmas Day.

This ship, which was en route from Russia, suspected by Finnish police, of dragging its anchor almost 100 kilometers along the seabed. Russia has
 

en route【法】在途中

denied any involvement, Moscow calling it anti-Russian hysteria.
 

hysteria [hɪsˋtɪrɪə] n. 毫无来由的情绪激动；情绪爆发

SAKALIENE: To imagine that this series of incidents are happening just before we disconnect from the Russian network, again one more coincidence really.

SEBASTIAN (voice-over): The Baltic power switch is a blow for Moscow, experts say. Its westernmost outpost of Kaliningrad, home of its Baltic
 

outpost [ˋaʊt͵post] n. 前哨；前哨基地

fleet, now even more isolated. Its power lines, relics of a superpower past, redrawn.
 

redraw [riˋdrɔ] vt. 重畫

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WIRE: Pop quiz hot shot.

Pizza originated in which Italian city? Venice, Rome, Naples or Florence?

If you said Naples, you are correct. That`s where modern pizza evolved from flatbreads in the 18th century. It is no shocker, probably to most of us,
 

flatbread [ˈflætbred] n.（不使用酵母的）薄面饼，扁面包

shocker [ˋʃɑkɚ] n. 令人震惊的事物

that Super Bowl Sunday is one of the busiest days for pizza delivery.

In the U.S. along with Halloween and New Year`s Eve, the convenient crowd pleaser of a meal gets major points for being affordable at a time when
 

crowd pleaser 受人喜爱的活动；让人开心的事物

food costs have skyrocketed, right? But those pizza pie prices curiously haven`t seemed to change that much for decades. Our Vanessa Yurkevich looks

into what`s behind the affordability of a pie to find out, is it inflation- proof?

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

VANESSA YURKEVICH, CNN BUSINESS & POLITICS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A scene from Home Alone has cooked up an interesting and debatable economic question.
 

cook up【口】编造某事物(尤指行骗)

debatable [dɪˋbetəb!] adj. 可争辩的，可争论的

 

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK, that`s $122.50.

YURKEVICH (voice-over): Is pizza inflation-proof? Social media has pointed out that the McAllister family`s order of 10 pizzas in 1990 is still

comparable in price 35 years later.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All right, the pizza boy needs $122.50 plus tip.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: For pizza?

HAMILTON: 10 pizzas times 12 bucks.

YURKEVICH (on camera): How is a large pizza still $12? Wow.

BILLY ROBERTS, SENIOR FOOD & BEVERAGE ECONOMIST, COBANK: 10 or 12 dollars per pizza per pie hasn`t changed dramatically over the course of years,

especially if you`re using coupons or deals or if you`re a member of whichever chain`s app. But if you`re -- if you`re ordering a specialty
 

coupon [ˋkupɑn] n. 赠券；减价优待券

deal [dil] n. Informal a sale favorable especially to the buyer; a bargain

pizza, it`s not going to be that $12.

YURKEVICH (voice-over): Yes, artisanal or specialty pizzas are in a different ballpark. Even the iconic $1 slice of pizza in New York is a thing of the past.
 

artisanal [ɑrˈtɪzənəl] adj. 传统匠人手工制作的

ballpark [ˋbɔlpɑrk] n.  Slang the approximately proper (price) range; 约略估计的数目

a thing of the past 过时的事物, 历史

But many pizza chains have been able to keep their prices somewhat steady, while most fast-food restaurants have raised their prices.

(On camera): Is pizza inflation-proof?

ROBERTS: It`s not necessarily inflation-proof, but it`s inflation-resistant. Pizza restaurant chains have taken steps to kind of mitigate some of the price increases that they faced in terms of ingredient costs,
 

mitigate [ˋmɪtə͵get] v. 使缓和；减轻

labor costs, back of house equipment costs. A lot of the overhead is reduced for pizza restaurants.
 

overhead [ˋovɚˋhɛd] n. 经常费用

YURKEVICH (voice-over): Deals can help keep prices low. Prices may vary by region and don`t include delivery, but right now, at Domino`s and Papa Johns,

you can get a large carryout pizza for around $12. And at Pizza Hut, you can get two large pizzas for around $14 each.
 

carryout [ˋkærɪ͵aʊt] adj.（餐食）带走的；外卖的

Keen eyes have pointed out that the name Little Nero`s and mascot in Home Alone looks like a play on Little Caesars. Little Caesars pizza in 1990 was
 

keen [kin] adj. 敏锐的

$4. And then in 2003, $5. And now it`s about $7.

(On camera): If you look at that over the span of decades, that`s not that dramatic of an increase, probably for most consumers. So how the heck have
 

heck [hɛk] 感叹词（表示轻微恼火、惊讶或对陈述、提问等加以强调）

you been able to keep prices so low?

GREG HAMILTON, LITTLE CAESAR`S CMO: Value is just a part of who we are. And it has been for decades and decades, even going back to kind of the 90s, as

you mentioned. We always are considering both food costs as well as labor costs and all of the other associated costs, you know, for running the

business.

YURKEVICH: Deals, coupons, does that actually help attract more customers and then, in turn, help keep those prices so low for consumers?

HAMILTON: Back then, it was a buy one, get one deal when that was not a common kind of, you know, offering in the marketplace at all. And so it was

really innovative, helped propel our brand forward. And that is one component of, you know, our value strategy overall.

YURKEVICH (voice-over): While it may not be inflation-proof, pizza can still serve up a good deal, depending on how you slice it.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WIRE: Today, we`re giving a big old 10 out of 10 to the fluffy and feathered furry friends who set out to predict the outcome of Super Bowl

59. Lions, Tigers, and Bears, oh my, and my favorite, Bald Eagles as well. They all weighed in on the Chiefs-Eagles showdown.
 

weigh in 参加, 介入

showdown [ˋʃo͵daʊn] n. 摊牌；最后的一决雌雄

Misha the Tiger walked off with a Choice Chiefs box, while two Montana Bear Cubs gave us a tie as they each chowed down on a cake for each team. And a

shocker, Sitka the Eagle wasn`t repping the Philadelphia Eagles. She went for Kansas City. It was only Vulcan the Lion who smashed in his vote for

the Eagles in a 4-1 Animal Kingdom upset.

All right, now it is time to show some love to the best of chance, you. Our shout-out today goes to the Tigers and Mr. Thorson`s class at Groton Area

High School in Groton, South Dakota. Thank you for making this part of your day. Have an awesome one, everyone.

Shine bright and rise up. I`ll see you right back here tomorrow on CNN 10.

END