What's up, sunshine? I'm Koi Wire. This
is CNN 10, the only news show where you
can go from high school boxing gym to a
sky-high Lego world record to ants worth
thousands of bucks. Oh, and stick around
because prom season just delivered one
of the most epic entrances we've ever
seen. We will start today though with a
story at the intersection of academics,
immigration, and unconventional ways to
ease fears. Some schools across the
country are feeling the impact of
federal immigration crackdowns more than
most. In Queens, New York, the principal
at Atlas High School, Miss Mesman,
estimates more than half of the students
there are in the process of obtaining
legal status. Lately, enrollment is
dropping, absences are rising, and the
principal says it's likely due to fear
of being deported before becoming fully
documented. So, staff took action. A
classroom turned into a nail tech
training center, a storage closet turned
into a boxing gym. The school created
spaces where students can learn a trade,
build confidence, and prepare for life,
whether they return to their home
country or gain citizenship. Our Hannah
Kaiser has more.
>> When you're in the gym, how do you feel?
with a lot of adrenaline and so happy.
>> This is Gabriella. She's a junior at
Atlas High School in Queens where a lot
of the students are recent immigrants,
including her. She says she moved to the
US from El Salvador when she was 13.
>> You know, the immigrant depression,
everyone has it cuz I've been 5 years
here in New York. I'm still have the,
you know, the feeling that my life is
there, but I know it's not.
>> The number of students at the school has
shrunk by about 40% this year, mostly
because of immigration crackdowns across
the country. We've concealed the
students identities for that reason.
>> Come on everybody, let's go. The bell
rang.
>> Children are coming to school less
frequently. I think part of it is is
that they don't feel safe transiting to
school. And because they have this
feeling that they will soon be facing
deportation, they maybe aren't really
committing to the process of getting an
education because they are choosing to
work.
>> The boxing program is one of many that
the school has created to motivate the
students to continue to show up.
>> Nail tech, barber, photography,
hardware and software technology. Those
types of programs are programs of
interest to students, but also ways that
our students can earn a living while
they are becoming documented.
>> The boxing program has brought solace
and comfort to them.
>> This year, coach Mike Figueroa, who
leads the boxing gym, designed a program
so that the students could train to earn
money as certified coaches.
>> There we go. Come on. Four, five, six.
When Gabriella imagines her future in
boxing though, it's not as a coach or a
trainer. It's her in the ring.
>> My goal is to have a fight, professional
fight someday. I imagine my mom, my
brother, my coins, my aunties. I mean,
all my family is there, you know. I'm
being so strict with my drink cuz that's
my dream to me.
>> Ah, good job.
10 second trivia. What do ants use to
communicate? Sound waves, body language,
colors, or pherommones.
If you said pherommones, you knows
what's up. Ants release and detect
invisible chemical messages. When a
worker finds food, it lays a chemical
trail on the way back to the nest.
That's why those ants often form those
neat single file lines. Fair warning,
this next story might make your skin
crawl. These may look like vitamins, but
they are ants. More than 2,200 of them,
individually packaged, and they just
landed one man in serious trouble. We're
talking a 12-month jail sentence and a
$7,700 fine. The ants were found in the
luggage of a Chinese citizen in
Nairobi's main international airport. A
Kenyan court says he was caught trying
to smuggle the live ants out of the
country without a permit. Illegal. Yes,
the man pleaded guilty. His attorney
says he'll appeal the prison sentence.
Turns out though, these ants are
surprisingly valuable. They're prized by
collectors who build formicariums,
basically luxury ant farms where
enthusiasts pay big money to study
entire colonies. Why are these specific
garden ants valuable? Unclear. Officials
say as demand drops for things like
elephant ivory, traffickers are turning
to smaller, lesserk known species like
ants. But prosecutors say removing ants
in large numbers can damage ecosystems
in ways that are anything but small.
From tiny ants to a massive canvas in
Times Square in New York City, a
Japanese artist is reminding us that
every ending carries a spark of a new
beginning. The piece is called Morning
Again, a 3minute video installation that
plays nightly 3 minutes before midnight
across 96 digital screens.
>> That's insane.
Still can't believe
>> part of Times Square Arts Midnight
Moment. It's one of the world's largest
digital public art programs. Artist
Tomazu Matsuyama says his inspiration
was the moment where one day ends and
another begins. Known for his largecale
paintings, Matsyama says the
installation allows us to redefine
whether a moment marks the end of a day
or its beginning. Ryan Gosling just
reached new heights, blasting into the
record books. Well, a Lego version of
the actor did by launching into the
stratosphere. A Lego set inspired by the
film Project Hail Mary was launched high
above Wales last week using a high
altitude balloon system. On board were
mini figures of Gosling's character
Ryland Grace and his alien co-star
Rocky. The result, a new Guinness World
Record for highest altitude launch and
retrieval of a Lego set. Yes, that's a
thing. Reaching nearly 115,000 ft above
sea level. Baseball has long been called
America's pastime, but one special
league is making sure it's known as
everyone's pastime. It aims to give kids
and young adults with developmental and
physical disabilities the chance to
play, compete, and belong. No
scoreboards, no strikeouts, and no one
left sitting on the bench. Our Ivan
Rodriguez has more on the league where
belonging is always a home run. him.
Right.
>> For nearly 20 years, this speciallyesed
rubber field in Aquith, Georgia has been
the center of community for hundreds of
families.
>> Bases loaded. Come on. You got to bring
them in.
>> We were here almost an hour earlier
because we had to cheer on our own
friends.
>> Guzman has been bringing her son Antonio
to play in the Horizon League
practically since the field opened. She
says from birth he's faced a number of
medical challenges. Right when we think
everything is almost done, he has a
seizure and we find out he has kiari
malf foration which is required a brain
surgery. So brain and neck surgery and
all of this before the age of 11.
>> While Antonio has gotten older, his joy
of running around the bases lives on.
>> It's a great way for me to see my
friends. It's a great way to play
baseball. It's a great way to get
exercise. I love it. What makes Horizon
League so unique is that this field even
that you can run on it, you can walk on
it, and that it's safe for everyone.
>> A special rubberized turf and completely
flat playing field supporting the
league's purpose, including everyone in
the community.
>> Not very many places have special needs
leagues, and if they do, they're playing
on grass or a dirt field. This turf
field gives them the opportunity to come
in a wheelchair. The dugouts are wider.
Lauren Ham says the league's popularity
has grown so much over the years that
some families travel hours so their
children can be a part of it. As a
mother, Iliana understands.
>> It's a moment where you can be just let
him be a kid. Let him play. We can
connect with families. We don't know
what we would do WITHOUT
>> today's story getting a 10 out of 10.
Prom season where every detail matters
and there are many considerations for
the big night. The dress, the tux, the
corsage, the date. Do you go with
someone? Do you go with your friends?
And how will you get there? And for that
in Topeka, Kansas, one group just set
the bar skyhigh or shall we say bun
high? How about arriving in the Wii
mobile? This all started when some
friends spotted the classic Oscar Meyer
ride in a grocery store parking lot and
thought, hm, why not? I'm like, it would
be amazing to go on this for prom.
>> I asked the driver if they would take
us.
>> I thought it was crazy. It was a shot in
the dark. I'm just used to asking weird
questions like that, to be honest.
>> Turns out the crew aboard the hot dog
mobile had nothing better to do. So, the
driver showed up to escort them with
wiener whistle bineers and matching
corages. Nothing like pulling up in 27
feet of processed perfection. And let's
just say their dates, they relish the
moment. I can't tell if that's the best
or the brat worst. All right,
superstars. Got time for two shout outs
today. First up, Miss Olivia at
PointLoma High School in San Diego,
California. Thank you for subscribing
and always commenting on our CNN 10
YouTube channel. You rock. And Miss Berg
at Northwest Elementary in Houston,
Missouri. Sutton, this beaded banner is
the bomb. Thank you so much for sharing
your creativity with me and the team.
I'm trying to figure out a way to turn
this into like a a belt, like a
championship belt or something. This
This is a keeper. Thank you so much. I
will see you right back here tomorrow,
y'all. Go make it an awesome day. I'm
Koi Wire and we are CNN 10.