(lively music) - Coming up next on "NewsDepth": What plans does the United States have for Venezuela's oil?

Artificial intelligence takes center stage at the Consumer Electronic Show.

We stop by tryouts for Chicago's new baseball team.

And the sports tourism market is set to boom in 2026.

"NewsDepth" is now.

(lively music) Welcome back to "NewsDepth" from our winter break.

Hello, everyone.

It's the first episode of 2026.

I'm Gabriel Kramer, and I'm very glad you all joined us today.

While you were out, major international news broke.

US military forces arrested Venezuelan president, Nicholas Maduro.

This is a complicated story, and we'll fill you in with all the details once it's more clear.

The interim president of Venezuela is Delcy Rodriguez.

She was Maduro's vice president.

Interim means temporary.

The relations between United States and Venezuela are shifting, and the Trump administration is already touting big plans for Venezuela's oil infrastructure.

But their oil supply won't come on the market quickly or easily, and some analysts say it may not even be necessary to keep US gas prices low.

Karin Caifa is in Washington with a look at the possible scenarios and what it means for all consumers.

- [Karin] President Trump says Venezuela will turn over 30 million to 50 million barrels of oil to the US.

- We're gonna sell it in the marketplace at market rates, not at the discounts Venezuela was getting.

That money will then be handled in such a way that we will control how it is dispersed in a way that benefits the Venezuelan people.

- [Karin] The number may sound like a lot, but for perspective, the United States consume just over 20 million barrels of oil per day over the past month, which underscores how the lengthy process of US access to Venezuela's vast oil reserves, the largest in the world, may not change how much drivers pay at the pump too soon.

- I think when the president and his advisors talks to US oil companies, executives and analysts, I think there's gonna be a mismatch between how quickly the president wants the money to flow and the oil production to grow, and how quickly it will really happen.

- [Karin] Restoring Venezuela's oil production infrastructure will require billions of dollars of investment.

And with the political climate still uncertain, it may be a risky sell to the private sector.

And forecasters already say 2026 will be the cheapest year for gas since COVID.

OPEC production is up and global demand, down.

After the weekend's events, fuel savings platform, Gas Buddy, stood by a prediction, gas prices will average just below $3 a gallon nationally this year.

- Thank you, Karin.

Now, let's shift gears and look toward the future, which according to this year's Consumer Electronics Show, the future is already here.

The Consumer Electronics Show, also called CES, is an annual trade show highlighting the very latest technologies and innovations.

This year on the convention floor, there was everything from artificial intelligence to old school games, to things that fly.

Steve Wolford gives us the recap.

- We're trying to kind of consumerize private aviation.

- [Steve] From the floor of CES to your backyard landing strip in the next couple of years, a personal two-seat electric-powered aircraft from AIR and Emotiv.

- And we're trying to bring that experience to a lot more people.

- [Steve] Need something larger?

Sambo Motors from South Korea is developing this five-seat air taxi that could be hitting the market in about a decade.

For something a little more down to earth and much closer to mainstream, Waymo's autonomous vehicles, offering new ride hailing service in 20 cities, including Las Vegas.

- What you're seeing here today is the sixth generation of the Waymo Driver, the hardware, the software, and the AI-powered compute that really makes the magic happen, that makes it fully autonomous.

- [Steve] And according to Waymo's Chris Bonelli, 127 million miles traveled autonomously and a collision rate that's 10 times lower than human drivers, all made possible by artificial intelligence, which CES spokesperson Allison Freed says is running the table at this year's show.

- AI is the huge story.

We've got more than 4,000 exhibitors across more than 2.6 million net square feet of exhibit space, and almost every single one of those exhibit feet are occupied with some form of AI.

- [Steve] AI even finding its way into glasses, equipped with tiny cameras and speakers to make you more artificially intelligent.

- They see what you see, hear what you hear, and can summarize the things that are in front of you.

They can give you notifications, they can help book dinner reservations for you.

- And for a little futuristic nostalgia, how about a game of chess on a real chess board against an AI robot capable of playing at a master level or all the way down to most of us?

Well, they say that this thing will deliberately dumb itself down so you can beat it.

- Wow, you know what?

That's really kind of it.

(laughs) It's really fun to watch it actually move the pieces around, like, physically rather than just like seeing a screen flip.

- [Steve] And if you really wanna go back to the future, start looking for these downsized arcade games with "Space Invaders" or "Pac-Man," or how about a KODAK Charmera key chain that looks like an old Instamatic camera with some high tech firepower.

- It takes a micro SD card up to 128 gigabytes.

And so that's like 90,000 pictures you can have on this little key chain camera.

- That is awesome.

Thank you, Steve.

My favorite was the personal plane.

Maybe someday that'll make it easier to visit my sister in Illinois.

Now for our poll this week, we wanna know what gadgets are you most excited about.

Fly over to our poll page to vote.

You can choose between the electronic aircraft, the autonomous car, the AI glasses, or the board game-playing robot.

And come back next week to see what your fellow classmates had to say.

On our last episode, we learned that Australia banned all social media platforms for teens and kids.

And we want to know your thoughts on social media for young people.

A split decision.

50% of you think that kids should be allowed on social media and 50% of you think that kids might benefit from supervision from an adult when navigating the social media sphere.

Thanks, as always, for voting.

With the US facing a nationwide housing shortage, new AI technology is looking to speed up the building process.

In California, robots are now being deployed to construct homes in a fraction of the usual time.

Kenny Choi has a story, - [Kenny] Its framing and panels may look like any other home, but what you see here has been built using a robot, except for the cement foundation.

Prasanna Vasudavan is the homeowner.

- I've never built houses before.

This is my first ever time exploring this aspect of home building.

- [Kenny] He recently bought this parcel of land in a burn scarred area of Santa Rosa, ravaged by the 2017 Tubbs Fire.

Vasudavan began researching how long it would take to build a fire-resistant house.

- The average timeframe that I used to get is anywhere from one year to three years, and I didn't have that much of leeway.

- To do that, a San Francisco-based company called Cosmic is using its mobile robotic microfactory.

They've started to build homes and ADUs in parts of Los Angeles decimated by the 2025 wildfires.

Sasha Jokic is founder and CEO.

His AI technology takes what's designed and constructs the framing, floors, and roof panels on location.

Do you think this is the future of home building?

- This is the present and the future of home building.

- [Kenny] Right now the mobile robotic factory is set up in Los Angeles where the company plans to help rebuild homes for victims of the Palisades and Eaton Fires.

They're currently waiving some fees for fire victims and has pledged to build one home for underinsured families for every 10 homes built in the area.

- We are really on a journey to, first, really address the housing shortage right now in LA and bring the families back to their homes really fast.

- [Kenny] An analysis by the National Association of Home Builders estimates tens of thousands of homes aren't being completed because there aren't enough workers.

It's an issue that slows building times and raises costs.

- Construction industry has been battling the issue with the labor shortage for decades.

And, you know, we right now are having a demand of building 9 million homes in US in order to fill the gap on the housing market.

And we don't have people to build those homes.

- [Kenny] For Vasudavan, his prefab custom home is becoming reality faster than he thought it would.

- What you're seeing here is a dream home.

I've been wanting to build something from scratch, from ground up, and I've been able to make this come true.

- [Kenny] He's hoping to see a finished product in six months and believes he's saving a few hundred thousand dollars using robots to build his future home.

- That's a very innovative way to try to solve a problem.

Thank you for the story, Kenny.

Sticking with the cool new gadgets, did you know Ohio is home to some amazing inventors?

Ohio's African American inventor, Garrett Morgan, was a mechanical genius who not only engineered innovative and lifesaving devices that we still use today, but he did all while fighting racism and prejudice.

This week's "Know Ohio" is all about Garrett Morgan.

And while he is best known for inventing the traffic signal, Mary points out that he is also responsible for the pop can tab and the gas mask that keeps workers safe in mining and fire safety.

(lively music) - We Ohioans are an inventive bunch.

From the Wright brothers taking us skyward to Milan-born Thomas Edison giving us light, Ohio's inventors continue to impact our lives.

But the inventor I'm gonna tell you about today is impressive not only because he engineered innovative and lifesaving devices that we still use, but because he did it all while fighting racism and prejudice.

His name was Garrett Augustus Morgan.

And he was born to former slaves in Kentucky in 1877, but he moved to Ohio as a young man.

Although he only had a sixth grade education, Morgan was a mechanical genius.

And after a short time working at a textile factory, he was able to learn how all the machines worked.

He was promoted to mechanic at the factory, but he soon became an entrepreneur, opening a sewing machine repair shop, then a clothing business.

It was the early 1900s, a period of great difficulty for African Americans.

But through his businesses, Morgan became incredibly successful.

In fact, in the 1920s, he became the first African American in Cleveland to own a car.

It was a great luxury at the time, but driving was very dangerous because there were a lot of cars on the road and not enough ways to control 'em.

After witnessing a crash, Garrett Morgan developed the concept of the traffic signal.

He later sold his T-shaped design to General Electric for $40,000.

Morgan also invented hair products for African Americans, and in 1916, a precursor to the gas mask, which he called a safety hood.

His design allowed people to breathe within toxic environments.

But due to racism, many buyers didn't trust Morgan's device.

When workers drilling a water intake tunnel under Lake Erie hit a patch of toxic gas, Morgan dawned the safety mask himself to venture into the tunnel to rescue the miners.

Because of his race, Morgan was not widely acknowledged as a hero for his valiant efforts that day.

But years later, he got his due.

The water treatment plant, which sits atop the tunnel, was renamed the Garrett A. Morgan Water Treatment Plant 25 years ago.

Fire departments and mine owners across the country ordered his design and it helped to save countless lives.

Garrett Morgan's inventions certainly made the world safer, but his resilience against prejudice made the country more equal.

- Very cool.

Thank you, Mary.

I hope you're feeling inspired by his story because I know I am.

You know what I would invent?

A new gadget for NewsHound.

It would be a dog-sized magnifying glass, so he can track down amazing stories for us.

Well, I guess he already does do that.

Oh, well.

For our right twist this week, we'd like you to put on your thinking caps and invent a new gadget.

Tell us what your gadget does.

How can it help people?

And you can even send us a drawing of your prototype.

A prototype is the first model of a new invention.

Students can use our inbox form online or send us an email to newsdepth@ideastream.org to share their inventions.

Last week, Margaret told us about how reading books can change the way your brain works.

And we want to know your thoughts.

Are books better than screens?

A fifth grader from Northwest Local Schools in Cincinnati said, "Well, it depends on what kind of book you are reading and what you are watching.

For me, I like books more.

The story just is kind of better in a book than in a movie or a show."

A fourth grader from Kensington Intermediate in Rocky River said, "I personally think that screens are better based on what you're watching or searching up.

Instead of reading a book, you can listen to a video about learning and science and you can play games like 'Roblox' and math games and cool math games."

A sixth grader from Perrysburg said, "I think that reading is better for you and your mental health, but sometimes screens can be a little more fun.

With that being said, I still think that books are better than screens."

A fourth grader from Hillsdale Local Schools in Jeromesville said, "I think screens are better.

I think screens are better because you can watch movies.

I can also play fun games like 'Block Blast.'

That is why I think screens are better than books."

A fifth grader from Strongsville City Schools in Strongsville said, "I say that, in my opinion, they are equal.

I like screens and devices, but I think that people should also read.

I heard that reading increases your IQ, and I think that reading is important.

I also think that kids should be able to have some screen time."

Thank you all for writing in.

I really liked the variety of answers we got this time, and I think there's plenty of room for both books and screens.

I mean, you do have to watch "NewsDepth," and they can both be entertaining and informative.

Speaking of entertaining and informative, what do you say we toss it over to NewsHound for this week's "Petting Zoo."

(bright music) (dog barking) Hey, NewsHound, looks like you're taking a nice walk.

That looks fun.

Where's my invite?

All right, I'll join you next time.

What did you find for today?

Oh, cool.

A story about a man who was walking 100 miles to raise money for shelter dogs to find their forever homes.

- It's cold out here.

It's cold out here, guys.

Me and Aria out here taking a nice walk down the road.

This is called The Loneliest Road in America.

Literally, no joke.

- [NewsHound] Kris Rotonda, founder of Jordan's Way, along with Aria, a shelter dog up for adoption, will walk 100 miles this week on Highway 50 as Kris's friend drives along in their new RV.

- Yeah, it's a beautiful part of the world, guys.

Just very, very desolate.

- [NewsHound] Kris has crisscrossed America for nearly six years now.

- So, actually, I go to 300 shelters a year.

I've been to 1,800 shelters since the start of this in 2019.

- [NewsHound] For hours, he walks in live streams at the same time on multiple social media platforms.

- Good morning, Jordan's Way.

Day number two.

Look at those mountains behind me.

- [NewsHound] The influencer with about a million followers connects with viewers and donors around the world.

- Joel, what's up, Rita?

How are you?

- [NewsHound] Raising money for dogs like Abigail who has lived in a shelter for 1,200 days.

- Now, every time we come to the shelters, it breaks my heart.

'Cause I know, like, when I go there, they'll tell me, "This dog's been here three years," "This dog's been here a year."

And we kind of know what's gonna happen if they don't get out.

So, for me, as an influencer, or as somebody that's been trying to have that bold statement, have that big marketing push, it destroys me.

- [NewsHound] The lonely life of so many shelter dogs is why Kris chose to walk The Loneliest Road, to spotlight long-stay shelter animals, including Aria, who has been in a shelter 1,000 days before this big adventure.

- Look at that face.

Look at that face.

Again, just wanna do a quick reel, showing more of her.

Look at this.

Come here.

Nom, nom.

She's like, "Nope."

Sorry, Charlie, I'm taken.

- [NewsHound] With money raised from the walk, whoever adopts Aria from anywhere in the world, Jordan's Way will pay for her transport to her new home so she never has to be lonely again.

- And that's my friend, Aria, guys.

Real quick, if you guys can share, if you guys... - That's a great story.

Thank you, NewsHound.

Now, this next story, I think, is a real (tongue clicks) home run.

One family is building an entertainment-based exhibition baseball team in Chicago, modeled after the very successful Savannah Bananas.

The Chicago Snowballs is the new co-ed baseball team, and they're holding tryouts for players who can combine athletic skill with entertainment flare.

A co-ed team means it is mixed gender, so everyone is welcome to tryout.

Founders, Cherie and Paul Travis, want athletes who can hit home runs and also bring personality, creativity, and fun to the diamond.

Noel Brennan shows us how this new sportstainment team can be a big hit.

- All right, here we go.

- [Noel] A rocket arm doesn't guarantee a roster spot.

- Yeah, good throw.

- [Noel] Jonah Campbell knows he needs all-around talent.

- [Jonah] This is certainly not a normal baseball team.

- [Coach] Atta-boy!

- So we're doing our baseball stuff.

We're also showing a little razzle dazzle.

- [Noel] Even home run hitters have to bring something extra to the plate.

- And if I do bad, it's the best fault, okay?

It was not me.

It was not me.

- [Noel] Good thing Miranda Wesolowski is at home in the infield- - Get over there.

- And on the dance floor.

That's exactly what this team needs.

- We want huge entertainers.

We want people to come and have fun.

- Cherie Travis and her brother Paul are fielding a new co-ed team called the Chicago Snowballs.

- Beautiful.

- [Noel] Inspired by the success of the Savannah Bananas.

- There was this discussion of like, "Why Snowballs in the in the summertime?"

And we're like, "That's exactly why."

(Paul laughs) - 'Cause it's ironic.

- [Jonah] There we go.

- [Noel] These are tryouts for people who can play ball (lively guitar music) and just about anything else.

- Yes, we're making plays, we're playing baseball, but it's more than that.

It's about making sure that everybody comes away feeling like they had a show.

- Easy chest push.

There we go.

- [Noel] The team owners call it pro baseball's first co-ed sportstainment experience.

- So we're creating a whole new opportunity to continue playing for both men and women and for them to keep playing the game they love.

- What about this do you think will draw people?

- Probably the intermixing of all of the personalities together, and everybody's got something different to bring to the table.

- All right, run through.

- [Noel] Players need to bring the fundamentals, but also the fun.

- Ow!

- Is there a guy on stilts?

- Yeah, he was earlier.

- [Jonahs] Let's go Snowballs.

- The owners of the Chicago Snowballs are hoping their business is a big success because the Savannah Bananas sell out stadiums wherever they play.

One thing is clear.

There's big money in the business of sports, not just for the teams and players, but restaurants, businesses, hotels, entire cities can feel the economic boom of a big sporting event.

That's because sports tourism is on the rise.

The dates and locations of the 2026 FIFA World Cup hosted across the United States, Canada, and Mexico have been announced, allowing fans to start planning trips.

Sports tourism is booming, with the industry valued at over $707 billion and expected to nearly triple by 2032, driven by major events like the World Cup and the Olympics.

Experts say these events will create significant economic impact, not only for host cities, but also for surrounding areas looking to attract visitors.

Michael Yoshida joins us with more on "The Business of Sports."

- I ended up going to Australia and watched seven of the World Cup matches in Sydney.

- [Michael] Writer Laura McFarland is one of the many who plan trips around sports.

- If you believe like I do that travel is about people, then sports are the quickest way to make friends and get involved in a country's national culture.

- [Michael] Whether traveling to watch or take part in a sporting event, including youth or professional, this is big business and growing.

In 2025, the sports tourism industry is valued as a more than $707 billion market and expected to nearly triple in value by 2032 according to Fortune Business Insights.

- It is a global tourism boost.

Because when you go to a city, you just don't go to the event.

You book a hotel, you eat at the restaurants, you do a lot more.

- [Michael] Expedia's Melanie Fish says 2026 is set to be a medal-winning year for the industry, with the Olympics and World Cup attracting fans from around the world - Just in the Expedia app, fans from England drove searches surging to North America, 85%.

Fans from Mexico, more than 200%.

- [Michael] Fans and dollars everyone is trying to get in on.

- Even non-host cities are looking at ways that they can leverage getting tourists.

DC is pitching and trying to position itself as, "Hey, take a day trip from Philly to Washington, DC."

You know, do other things while they're there for the World Cup.

That's going to create more economic impact.

- [Michael] In Washington, Michael Yoshida.

- Thank you, Michael.

It's not just professional sports fueling economic growth.

College sports have a big impact on communities as well.

Team decisions like, who will be the next coach for a new season, can also decide how much profit downtown businesses make.

Community leaders in Ames, Iowa say success on the field creates enormous economic impact by attracting visitors, students, and investment to an area.

Marcus McIntosh has the report.

- Yeah, I think a lot of people like to come out to celebrate their wins.

- [Marcus] Autumn Tony works at RAYGUN on Main Street in Ames.

She says in the fall, they turn out designs based on the football games, telling us if the team is doing well, it shows by traffic in the store.

- A lot of people come in to look at those new designs, which brings a lot of new people into the store.

People that might not have otherwise come in.

- [Marcus] The hope is the staff assembled by new head football coach, Jimmy Rogers, will continue to build on what Matt Campbell accomplished in his decade in Ames.

- With change brings opportunity.

- Dan Culhane is the president, CEO of the Ames Regional Economic Alliance.

He's confident the football team can continue its winning waves.

Culhane says, "When ISU is winning, the Ames community and beyond feel the effects of a victory."

They talk about Ames, Iowa.

They talk about the home of Iowa State University, which is Ames, Iowa.

That's really good for the business world.

And we're in the business of trying to attract people here, trying to attract businesses here.

Certainly, Iowa State University is trying to attract students here.

And so all those things combined, the impact is enormous.

We certainly understand the impact winning programs and successful programs have, not just for Iowa State, but also for the Ames community.

- Thank you, Marcus.

Before we run out of time for this week's episode, I have to make sure we highlight the A+ Award winner.

This season, we've had the honor of featuring quite a few of you who have really dedicated yourselves to being kind and helping to spread kindness throughout your schools and communities.

This week's A+ Award winner is being honored for a second time.

You might remember Zoey from Fairview Park.

We featured her on Episode 23 last spring.

Well, she really doubled down her kindness efforts and earned herself a second A+ Award.

"You see, Zoey, who's now a sixth grader at Mayer Middle School in Fairview Park, expanded her kindness efforts across her community and has helped to raise more than $1,600 for nearly 40 different organizations across Ohio.

Zoey told us that as a third grader, she remembered seeing an A+ Award that featured a few students from Central Intermediate School in Wadsworth, who were posting inspirational quotes around their school to cheer up and motivate their classmates.

Zoey was motivated by the story and wanted to do something that would not only cheer up her classmates, but also help people in need.

That's when she started her very own Kindness Club.

Zoey makes bracelets out of pony beads and she gives them to her classmates who might be having a bad day or having a hard time with something.

Zoey doesn't only focus her kindness on her classmates.

She also goes to car shows with her grandfather and gives her bracelets to the people at the car show.

Many of the people are generous enough to make a donation to the Kindness Club.

Zoey then donates the money to charities that help people in need.

Not only that, but she's even been able to work with a local business who also collects donations in exchange for the bracelets Zoey makes to help raise even more money.

Zoey even caught the attention of her community's recreation center, the Gemini Center, and they've allowed her to host kindness events for community members to help make bracelets.

She's even been able to raise money at other events at the Gemini Center throughout the year.

Zoey doesn't just make bracelets to give back.

She also told us that she likes to work with young children and to work with children who have disabilities.

She told us that one of her favorite things to do is to help out at Safety Town.

Safety Town is a program that helps young children learn how to be safe in their communities."

Here's a big shout out to Zoey and her kindness mascot, Fred the Octopus, for helping to keep her community safe.

Keep it up, Zoey.

Now, that's a wrap for the first episode of 2026.

We'll be back next week with more news and even more stories.

Until then, you can keep the conversation going because we always like to hear from you.

And there are plenty of ways for you to stay in touch with us.

You can write to us.

We're at 1375 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio.

Our zip code here is 44115.

You can email us at newsdepth@ideastream.org, plus you can catch all of our special segments on YouTube.

Hit subscribe if you're old enough so you don't miss out on any of our new videos.

Thanks for joining us.

I'm Gabriel Kramer.

See you next week.

(bright music) - [Announcer] "Newsdepth" is made possible by grant from the Martha Holden Jennings Foundation.

(lively music) (bright music)