>> IN 2016,
LEAD POISONING IN FLINT, MICHIGAN WAS A HUGE STORY.
BUT A RECENT INVESTIGATION BY REUTERS FOUND IT IS NOT
JUST A PROBLEM IN MICHIGAN, IT IS A HUGE PROBLEM
THROUGHOUT THE UNITED STATES.
AND IN SOME LOCALITIES IT IS WORSE THAN FLINT.
WHAT THEY FOUND THROUGH THEIR INVESTIGATION WAS NOT NEARLY
3000 AREAS WITH RECENTLY RECORDED LEAD POISONING
RATES, AT LEAST DOUBLE OF THOSE IN FLINT DURING THE PEAK OF
THAT CITY'S CONTAMINATION CRISIS.
BEFORE I GET INTO MORE NUMBERS AND THE SPECIFIC LOCATIONS,
IT'S IMPORTANT TO MENTION THAT A LOT OF STATES DON'T EVEN DO
THE NECESSARY TESTING OR KEEP NECESSARY RECORDS FOR
REUTERS TO DELVE INTO WHAT IS HAPPENING.
ONLY CERTAIN STATES PROVIDED DATA OF WHAT IS HAPPENING
IN VARIOUS PARTS OF THE STATES.
LET IS A BIG DEAL BECAUSE FOR CHILDREN IT HAS BEEN TIED
TO DEVELOPMENTAL ISSUES, LEARNING DISABILITIES, AND
CAN REALLY IMPACT THE POOREST.
THEY FOUND REALLY HIGH LEAD LEVELS AND A LOT OF
CHILDREN IN THESE PARTICULAR AREAS.
>> I WANT YOU TO UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF LEAD.
THERE IS VERY CREDIBLE STUDIES THAT SAY THE SPIKE IN
VIOLENCE THAT WE HAD IN THE 60S, 70S,
AND INTO THE 80S WAS BECAUSE OF TOO MUCH LEAD IN THE AIR.
IT WASN'T JUST BECAUSE OF LEAD PAINT AND CONTAMINATION,
BUT OUR CARS USED TO PUT LEAD INTO THE AIR.
YOU REALIZE HOW DEVASTATING LEAD CAN BE IF YOU READ THOSE
STUDIES.
THAT GETS INTO OUR SYSTEM, IT MAKES US ñ IT HAS A GREAT
NUMBER OF CONSEQUENCES, ONE IS PROCLIVITY TOWARD VIOLENCE.
THIS IS A POISON.
I CAN'T EMPHASIZE ENOUGH HOW IMPORTANT THIS IS.
>> BY THE WAY, I MEANT TO SAY LOCALES, AND I SAID LOCALITIES.
I KNOW THAT IS NOT A WORD.
HERE IS WHAT REUTERS FOUND.
LET ME TELL YOU THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THESE TRACTS AND
ZIP CODES.
THE TRACKS ARE SPECIFIC AREAS THEY LIKE TO STUDY.
THEY HAVE ABOUT 4000 PEOPLE IN EACH, ZIP CODES HAVE ABOUT
7500 PEOPLE IN EACH.
EVEN THOUGH POVERTY IS THE NUMBER ONE INDICATOR AS TO
WHETHER OR NOT FAMILIES ARE EXPOSED TO LEAD, THIS PROBLEM
IS IMPACTING PEOPLE THROUGHOUT ALL SOCIOECONOMIC STATUSES.
HERE IS PART OF THE PROBLEM.
EVEN THOUGH IT WARRANTS A RESPONSE, THERE ISN'T THE
NECESSARY FUNDING AVAILABLE TO DEAL WITH THIS PROBLEM.
WHAT HAPPENS IS A LOT OF THESE ARE OLD HOMES THAT USE LEAD
PAINT.
THERE IS A POLICY THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY WHERE IF THERE IS
LEAD PAINT YOU JUST PAINT OVER IT.
BUT THEN WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THE PAINT GETS OLD AND STARTS
PEELING.
KIDS START GETTING EXPOSED TO IT WHEN PEOPLE REMODEL THEIR HOMES.
IT CONTINUES TO BE A HUGE PROBLEM THAT GOES UNADDRESSED.
>> I HAVE YOUNG KIDS.
ESPECIALLY IF YOU'RE A PARENT YOU CAN EMPATHIZE.
IT LOWERS THE IQ OF YOUR KIDS.
ARE YOU KIDDING ME?
WE ARE ALL RIGHTFULLY OUTRAGED THAT WHAT HAPPENED IN
FLINT, AND IT TURNS OUT IT IS HAPPENING IN SO MANY PLACES.
THIS IS GETTING INTO HER KIDS SYSTEMS.
BUT YET WHENEVER WE ASK FOR INFRASTRUCTURE SPENDING
WHAT WE GOT?
NO, EVERYTHING IS FINE.
BUT THEN WE FIND MONEY FOR OUTRAGEOUS THINGS, WARS,
BANK BAILOUTS, AND WE HAVE LEAD GOING INTO WATERS AND THE
ENVIRONMENT OF OUR CHILDREN AND US.
THIS IS INSANITY.
YES, WE HAVE MONEY TO FIX IT.
THE QUESTION IS DO WE HAVE THE POLITICAL WILL?
WE HAVE TO GET THERE.
LOOK AT ALL THE PLACES IT IS AFFECTING.
THIS IS IN A THIRD WORLD COUNTRY, THIS IS THE US.
WAKE UP.
>> LET'S GO TO SPECIFIC PLACES WHERE THIS IS A PROBLEM.
I HIGHLY RECOMMEND YOU READ THE ENTIRE PIECE.
THESE ARE THE PARTS OF THE COUNTRY THAT STOOD OUT TO
ME THE MOST.
IT'S CRAZY.
AND 4940% OF CHILDREN.
THIS IS AN ONGOING PROBLEM.
WHAT HAPPENED IN FLINT WAS TERRIBLE AND I AM GLAD
THERE WAS A LOT OF ATTENTION DRAWN TO THAT, AT THE SAME
TIME THAT IS NOT THE ONLY PLACE IN THE COUNTRY THAT IS
DEALING WITH THIS ISSUE.
THERE ARE SO MANY PEOPLE, RICH AND POOR, THAT ARE DEALING
AND SUFFERING SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES AS A RESULT.
THERE WERE PEOPLE PROFILED IN THIS PIECE THAT TALK ABOUT HOW
THEY FEEL LIKE THEIR EXPOSURE TO LEAD HINDERED GREAT
DEVELOPMENTS IN THEIR LIVES, LIKE WHETHER IT IS GETTING
A GOOD EDUCATION, OR SUCCEEDING, HOLDING A GOOD JOB.
YOU MENTIONED A STUDY THAT HAS A STRONG CORRELATION BETWEEN
LEAD AND VIOLENCE.
THEY FEEL LIKE THEIR ANGER AND RAGE COMES FROM THE
EXPOSURE TO LEAD.
WE NEED TO ADDRESS IT, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE CONSIDER
THE FACT THAT WE ARE SUPPOSED TO BE LIVING IN THE WEALTHIEST
NATION IN THE WORLD.
>> THE CURRENT STATE OF THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY THINKS THE
STATUS QUO IS WONDERFUL.
TRUMP CAME IN, AND AT LEAST SOME OF IT, THE POPULIST WING OF
HIS ADVISERS FOR ARE THERE BAD SIDES HAVE ONE DECENT SIDE WHICH
IS THEY UNDERSTAND THAT PEOPLE DON'T WANT TO BE POISONED.
AND IF YOU SPEND A LOT OF MONEY ON INFRASTRUCTURE, YOU WILL
CREATE JOBS IN AMERICA AND YOU WILL BECOME MORE POPULAR.
PART OF THE REASON THEY SAID THAT ABOUT OBAMA WAS
BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T WANT HIM TO BE POPULAR.
THE DEMOCRATS WENT ALONG WITH IT.
NOW TRUMP IS IN CHARGE AND I
THINK HE IS GOING TO DO A
GREAT NUMBER OF DISASTROUS THINGS.
HIS ADVISERS, DON'T BE STUPID, THIS WILL ACTUALLY MAKE YOU
POPULAR TO PROTECT THE AMERICAN PEOPLE.
GO FIX THE DAMN PIPES AND MAKE SURE WE DON'T GET POISONED
BY LEAD.
>>LET ME ELABORATE, EVEN THOUGH NEPOTISM SEEMS TO BE AN
ISSUE IN TRUMP'S PRESIDENCY, ONE OF HIS INFORMAL ADVISERS IS
HIS SON-IN-LAW.
INTERESTINGLY ENOUGH, HE IS NOT IN FAVOR OF PRIVATIZING
INFRASTRUCTURE.
I WAS REALLY CONCERNED ABOUT THAT BECAUSE TRUMP HAS BEEN
CAMPAIGNING ON IMPROVING OUR INFRASTRUCTURE AND I
THOUGHT HOW IS HE GOING TO DO IT?
PRIVATISE IT?
HIS SON-IN-LAW IS LIKE NO, I ACTUALLY WANT TO HIRE
PRIVATE COMPANIES AND SUBSIDIZE THEM TO BUILD OUR
INFRASTRUCTURE WHICH I THINK IS FINE.
A LOT OF REPUBLICANS ARE NOT HAPPY WITH THAT, BUT TRUMP
IS WILLING TO LISTEN.
>>YOU MIGHT NOT BE HAPPY WITH JARED KUSHNER, HE IS NOT AN
ADVISOR I WOULD PICK HE IS AMONG TRUMPS BETTER ADVISERS.
LET'S HOPE HE LISTENS.
BUT IF THEY BLOW THIS OPPORTUNITY AND ALL TRUMP
DOES IS ENRICH HIMSELF AND HIS FRIENDS AND DOESN'T DO A
DAMN THING FOR THE AMERICAN PEOPLE, THIS IS A LAYOUT.
IF YOU CAN'T EVEN DO THIS THAN HIS PRESIDENCY WILL BE A
DISASTER.
>>I WANT TO LEAVE YOU WITH ONE OTHER PIECE OF INFORMATION.
THIS HAS TO DO WITH SOUTH BEND, INDIANA.
THAT IS A HUGE STATISTIC.
WHAT DO THEY HAVE IN PLACE TO HELP COMBAT THIS ISSUE?
>> WE HELPED BREAK THAT STORY IN INDIANA.
THEN THE NEW YORK TIMES FOLLOWED UP.
GREAT CREDIT TO JORDAN SHERATON.
HE GOT A TIP FROM THE AUDIENCE.
IT TURNS OUT WE WERE RIGHT ABOUT THAT, YOU ARE RIGHT ABOUT THAT.
THE STORY IS VERY IMPORTANT.
OUR JOB IS TO UNCOVER IT.
THAT IS JUST ONE REPORTER.
WE HAVE MORE REPORTERS, WE CAN COVER MORE STORIES LIKE THIS.
WE ARE NOW HOPING TRUMP DOES HIS JOB.
OUR JOB IS TO UNCOVER THESE THINGS AND SHARE THEM WITH
YOU, AND PUT A SPOTLIGHT ON IT SO WE CAN HELP FIX IT.
IF YOU WANT TO HELP US THROUGH THAT, TYTNETWORK.COM/GO.
LET'S RAISE MONEY TO HIRE MORE REPORTERS AND BREAK THE STORIES.
WE WANT TO TRY TO BE WATCHDOGS FOR YOU.
LET'S GO FIGHT THIS.