Kurds in northern Iraq held a referendum on independence this week, but several countries oppose this due to concerns it could lead to instability in the region. In the U.S., Republican efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act failed again as a bill did not get a Senate vote. Puerto Rico continues to struggle with widespread power outages and storm damage from Hurricane Maria.

1. CNN 10 SEPTEMBER 27
Kurds Vote on Independence; U.S. Congress Holds on Health Care Vote; Puerto Rico Struggles with
Storm Damage
Aired September 27, 2017 - 04:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL
FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CARL AZUZ, CNN 10 ANCHOR: Hi. I`m Carl Azuz.
Jumping right into the CNN 10 today, we`re taking you to the Middle East
where an ethnic group has repeatedly voted for its independence but may not
be likely to get it.
In the nation of Iraq, home to more than 39 million people, about 15 percent
to 20 percent of the population is Kurdish. This is Iraq`s largest ethnic
minority.
Kurds have been active in the fight against the ISIS terrorist group. They
governed a region in northern Iraq called Kurdistan. And this week, they
held a referendum, a vote on independence, which a Kurdish political leader
said resulted in a yes.
Kurds have sought their own country for decades, but several nations, from
Iraq to the United States, opposed the Kurdish vote. Some countries are
concerned that it can lead to more instability or even ethnic fighting in the
region and Iraq is concerned that it would lose a significant source of
oil and a large chunk of territory if Kurdistan becomes independent.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NIMA ELBAGIR, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Even
as many here continue to ride the waves of post-referendum euphoria, leaders
in the region and beyond are making their feelings increasingly clear, this is
the referendum nobody wanted to happen. With both Turkey and the central
government in Iraq threatening to turn off the tap on Kurdistan`s oil exports

2. and the Syrian foreign minister saying that this is unacceptable. The hope had
been for the Kurdish leadership that this referendum would give them a
mandate to negotiate with Baghdad`s central government.
Iraq`s Prime Minister Haider al Abadi says not only is that not going to
happen, but that his parliament has now given him the empowerment to have
all options on the table, including the use of force to protect what they`re
calling Iraq`s territorial integrity.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
AZUZ: Updating you now on political events from Washington, D.C. A
controversial attempt to repeal and replace a controversial health care law
has fallen short -- meaning that the Affordable Care Act, also known as
Obamacare, will stay at least for now.
Republicans have been trying to repeal and replace this law since it was passed
in 2010. And though the House of Representatives approved their plan to do
that in May, repeal efforts in the Senate where Republicans have a smaller
majority than they do in the House have not been successful.
This week, a few Republican senators said they would not support their
party`s latest bill, the Graham-Cassidy bill to repeal and replace Obamacare.
And yesterday, Senate leaders announced they would not hold a vote.
The political divide over health care was clear earlier this week in a debate
hosted by CNN.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. BERNIE SANDERS (I), VERMONT: The truth of the matter is the
Affordable Care Act has done some very important things. Let`s not throw
the baby out with the bath water. What the American people want is not their
proposal. A poll came out today, 20 percent of the American people think your
idea is a good idea. What the American people want is us to work together to
build on and improve the Affordable Care Act.
SEN. BILL CASSIDY (R), LOUISIANA: This is a debate about who has the

3. power. Is it you the patient, or is it the federal government? The narrative on
the other side is that you don`t have the capability to care for yourself, that
your governor is corrupt, scheming to take away your protections if you have a
preexisting condition. And they think the federal government taking control of
your life is a better way to go.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
AZUZ: So, what does this mean? Analysts say they expect Republicans to
continue trying to replace Obamacare in the months ahead. There`s also a
bipartisan health care plan being discussed in the Senate.
Beach erosion, coastal flooding and gusty winds are expected over the next
day or so in North Carolina`s outer banks as Hurricane Maria hovers nearby.
From there, it`s expected to move out to sea and into history.
The storm killed dozens of people in the Caribbean before it made landfall in
the U.S. commonwealth of Puerto Rico. On that island, power is still out in
most places, phones aren`t working. A dam in northwestern Puerto Rico is in
danger of collapsing, threatening as many as 70,000 people who live nearby.
The Trump administration has been criticized for not doing enough to help.
But the government says its response has been anything but slow, and that
planes and ships with supplies are either in Puerto Rico or headed that way. In
some places, Hurricane Maria`s damage is extreme.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BILL WEIR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I like to show around what was left of
what once was one of the most scenic neighborhoods in Aguas Buenas, the
good water. It`s a town of about 28,000, south of San Juan. First of all, the
first thing you see as you drive up in the highlands, it looks like a bomb went
off. This is lush tropical green area. Imagine the flowers and the foliage, and
it`s like a lawn mower in the sky came down, and it`s like that across the
island.
But this house is in a neighborhood perched right on the ridge. It`s so

4. beautiful up here, and this is Diana and here husband Miguel. Say
hi. She`s OK. She`s OK. Her son Miguel.
Here`s the little dog Mika. Hello. Hello. He`s doing OK.
So, they survived thankfully, but they`re very worried because her husband
Miguel who`s a Vietnam War veteran is bedridden inside and he needs
insulin, and so refrigeration is a matter of life and death, and the power is out
for most of Puerto Rico and here`s why.
Look at his, one of the main transmission towers that goes to San Juan
crushed this home. Thankfully, the man who lives here evacuated before the
storm. He`s in a shelter.
But only about 50 people in this town of 28,000 evacuated, most rode it out.
And so, search and rescue teams aren`t able to go check on everyone,
because the roads are impassable as you can see right here.
This is not something you fix with a bucket truck (camion elevador). This will
take helicopters. This will take months. But as we follow the line across,
imagine, this scene is being replayed across Puerto Rico and the need is so
desperate. If this is any indication, Puerto Rico may rise gain, but they`re
going to need a ton of help and a lot of time.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
AZUZ: Eagles, hedgehogs (erizos), honey badgers (ratel *), mongooses
(mangosta *). There are a number of animals that have no fear of poisonous
snakes. And one of the more awesome ones is the secretary bird.
It`s a native of Africa. It`s about four feet tall and kind of funny looking.
And it doesn`t spear: pierce with a spear/harponear) or drop or wrestle
snakes. It kicks them with the force that`s five times its own body weight
and quicker than the blink of an eye. A secretary bird can kick the daylights
out of a cobra and then eat it for a snack.

5. Now, that`s random in this context: (strange)!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
AZUZ: OK. Our next story is about a CNN Hero.
At one point, Khali Sweeney had dropped out of high school. He had no job, no
education, and nowhere to live. But he was able to turn his life around
(change his life) and since then, he`s helped to bring a sense of family to 267
students. He says his program has helped them all graduate high school and
he`s taught them to keep their guard up (be on the alert).
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KHALI SWEENEY, CNN HERO: My house is that one right there that`s still
standing. That`s the house I came to when I was six weeks old. This is where
my parents dropped me off. I always wonder, where was my family at?
So, I found the family that I was looking for in the streets.
I`ve been shot at multiple times. I had a guy who shot 26 rounds at the car.
There was a reason that he didn`t hit me -- it was for me to be here for
these kids.
If you`ve spent enough time with kids, you find out that they`re going
through the same thing that I was going to. No mentors, no positive
role models. You put them in a prime position to be ready for prison, or on a
county morgue.
I`ve been there for real. So, when they hear from me, they`re like, OK. He`s
not sugarcoating it (making it more appealing).
There`s actually an academic program as well.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are you going for the title today? All right. Cool. So,
your (ph) homework yesterday?

6. SWEENEY: Books before box. It`s always been basically the model here.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Do you have your math ready? OK. Let`s get
started on it.
SWEENEY: We hold our kids at the same standard with counterparts in the
suburbs or anywhere around the world. The stuff that we`re doing here is
the stuff that should be given to everyone.
When I first met Jordan, I didn`t see the kid that everybody else saw. I
don`t see bad kids. I see a kid who hasn`t been heard yet.
You`ve been in the ring?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If I haven`t found Khali, I think I`ll be dead or in
jail.
SWEENEY: You draw him like this, open it up too wide. You got him. Keep
working. Let`s go.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He taught me how to be a man basically.
SWEENEY: There you go. I saw what you got to do, just do it, George. Just do
it.
What`s up, man! Are you all right?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Throughout my life looking for a family.
SWEENEY: Stay (ph) right.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They have become my family.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
AZUZ: In Colorado Springs, Colorado, a police van was recently making its way
to the scene of an accident when this happened. And thankfully, it didn`t
cause an accident of its own.

7. No one knows why a raccoon (mapache) would decide to hitch a ride, or why it
would interfere with an officer in the process. It jumped off the van when
the policeman pulled over. No one was hurt in the incident. The police
department said the officer was pawsitively surprised.
He probably raccouldn`t believe his eyes. Certainly, the animal had seen a
carnivore, didn`t he just jumped on a police van by accident? I mean, why
take such an arresting risk? Maybe it thought its mass would keep it out (ph)
of trouble.
I`m Carl Azuz and that`s CNN 10.
END
* Honey badger: ratel Mammal of Africa and Asia
* Mongoose: mangosta Indian mammal