The role of government on college campuses

 

What's up, sunshine.

Time for your news this Friday April 25th.

I'm Coy Wire.

This is CNN 10 Fun fact Friday for you.

Did you know hummingbirds can fly backwards, dolphins have names for each other and cows have best friends.

A group of people is called a flamboyance and the Eiffel Tower can grow taller in the summer the more you know.

 

flamboyance [flæmˋbɔɪəns] n. 火红；艳丽；浮夸；浮华；炫耀 (also a group of flamingos)

 

Now that we've got some conversation starters for you for the weekend. We've got one more round of news for you to finish this week strong.

Let's go.

We begin today with a battle over what role the government should have on college campuses especially when it comes to protests and free speech.

This is most prominently playing out between the White House and Harvard University.

 

play out 演出; to happen or turn out

 

The Ivy League school is now suing the Trump administration after it froze $2.2 billion that was set aside for the university.

Private universities in the US receive federal funding through grants loans and funds for research purposes.

Without those funds many academic projects on things like tuberculosis, cancer research and space travel hit pause.

 

tuberculosis [tju͵bɝkjəˋlosɪs] n.【医】结核病

 

So why is the White House refusing to give Harvard that money.

The administration framed the conflict as a fight against religious discrimination but it is demanding a lot of changes from colleges and universities across the United States including Harvard.

 

frame [frem] v.【俚】陷害；捏造

 

Among them ending diversity equity and inclusion programs, banning masks at campus protests and giving full cooperation to immigration officials.

And while some universities have complied, at least to some extent.

Harvard said no way.

Here's the president of Harvard speaking out for the first time.

We don't know how much we can actually absorb.

But what we do know is that we cannot compromise on basic principles like defense of our first amendment rights.

Is this bigger than Harvard at this point?

Of course it's bigger than Harvard because we look at what's at risk here.

And what's a risk is the excellence of higher education in the United States.

Lawyers for Harvard and the White House are scheduled to face off in court on Monday.

 

Pop quiz hotshot.

Which of the following was an Olympic event during the early 20th century?

Chess, painting, mathematics, or robotics.

If you said painting you're so Monet, baby.

From 1921 to 1948 artists participated in Olympic events like architecture, literature, music, sculpture and painting.

They competed for medals by creating works of art that celebrated the Olympic sports happening during the games.

Could the GOAT go for one more gold at the 2028 Olympic Games?

Superstar gymnast Simone Biles just told reporters she will definitely be at the 2028 games in LA.

But whether that means she will be in the stands as a fan or in a broadcasting role or flying through the air in competition she won't say.

After just racking up gold medals in team, all-around and vault plus a silver in the floor exercise at the Paris Olympics last year, Biles is also opening up about her friendship with Brazilian gymnast Rebecca Andrade.

 

all-around [ˋɔləˋraʊnd] adj. 全能的

vault [vɔlt] n. 跳马

floor [flor] n. 自由体操

 

And how she feels their rivalry has improved gymnastics as a sport.

We've pushed the sport forward in difficulty so much and I think our friendship, our camaraderie out there and our difficulty has been super exciting to see because we're doing things that the gymnastics community never thought they'd ever see.

 

camaraderie [͵kɑməˋrɑdərɪ] n.【法】同志间的友爱和忠诚

 

So to go out there from two different countries um two black girls is really incredible and an honor.

 

Pope Francis will be laid to rest at the Vatican tomorrow.

Since Wednesday thousands of people have lined up, waiting hours to pay respects to the Pope as he lay in state at St Peter's Basilica.

 

lie in state（重要人物的遺體埋葬前經整容後）供公衆瞻仰

 

On Saturday Francis's funeral will be at 10 a.m. local time in St Peter's Square.

Dignitaries from across the world are expected to attend.

 

dignitary [ˋdɪgnə͵tɛrɪ] n. 显贵，要人

 

He was the first pope from Latin America.

Our David Culver takes us to his hometown in Argentina and speaks to those who knew him by his birth name Jorge Mario Bergoglio before he was chosen as leader of the Catholic Church.

Even before he passed away Pope Francis was memorialized here in his hometown specifically in Flores the neighborhood in Buenos Aires that he was raised.

You can see tributes once again.

We see this all over. Flowers left outside his childhood home.

And they've even got the plaque Vivio Papa Francisco.

 

plaque [plæk] n. 匾；饰板；铭牌；徽章

 

This is the house where Pope Francis lived.

This is where Pope Francis went to elementary school and it's still a school.

You got students who are leaving for the day.

Pope Francis's friendships from even secondary school onward, some 75 plus years ago lasted for decades.

 

onward [ˋɑnwɚd] adj. 继续的

 

And today we actually met up with one of his friends Oscar Creso.

He says he remembers a moment where they were in religion class and the instructor said "Those who have not had your first Communion please stand."

 

communion [kəˋmjunjən] n.（大写）圣餐式，领圣餐礼；圣餐

 

And there were two people who stood up.

It was Oscar and another individual.

And it was offered up that one of the other classmates would take them to have their first communion.

And that person was Jorge Bergoglio.

Pope Francis's legacy it stretches across this community and even imprinted on the ground.

And just a few blocks from his childhood home, the church he went to as a kid and a teenager.

This is the Basilica de San José de Flores.

But it's what happened inside that really stands out.

It says inside this confessional on September 21st 1953. Jorge Mario Bergoglio had the call from God to become a priest.

 

confessional [kənˋfɛʃən!] n. 忏悔室

 

And now that confessional has become a pilgrimage site of sorts throughout the day.

People coming in to leave flowers, candles to offer prayers just to remember.

But it's not just Catholics or even Christians mourning the loss.

To start with this.

Omar Abboud, a Muslim worked alongside then Cardinal Bergoglio and a Jewish counterpart to create the interreligious dialogue institute.

For more than 25 years they built a deep friendship.

When was the last time you spoke with him? Uh this year, January 23.

What did you talk about?  anytime AI. AI?  Yeah You artificial intelligence Yeah.

Omar has been reluctant to do interviews since the Pope's passing.

Omar it's not it's not lost on me that the world has lost a pope, but but you lost a friend.

Words are not enough. Okay Words are not enough. Uh uh If you want I prefer to stop here. please.

 

Today's story getting a 10 out of 10

A baby elephant bringing trunk loads of cuteness.

An adorable 5-month-old baby elephant named Jet made his public debut this week at the St Louis Zoo in Missouri.

Jet had tons of fun exploring the public-f facing habitat for the first time running around, digging in the sand with his trunk.

He's this zoo's first ever Asian elephant calf not born the old-fashioned way.

Zookeepers use scientific fertilization methods to begin the pregnancy all in an attempt to hopefully help to boost the population of the endangered Asian elephant.

 

fertilization [͵fɝt!əˋzeʃən] n.【生】受精（作用）

 

He was born in November growing to more than 500 lb since then.

And uh safe to say the little guy has plenty more growing left to do.

All right lovely people. It is time for the best part of the show.

On the best day of the week we are showing some love and sending a shout out to the Mariners of Dana Middle School in Arcadia, California. Rise up.

 

Arcadia[ɑrˋkedɪə] n. 阿爾卡笛亞（古希臘一山區；人情淳樸，生活愉快）；世外桃源

 

Thank you for making us part of your day.

Cue that Friday music, nadir. Wherever you are wherever you go this weekend make sure you remember that you are more powerful than you know.

You never know when or how but you just might be the spark of joy someone needs.

Have an awesome weekend everyone.

And I'm Cy Wire and we are

CNN 10.