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I’M SOLEDAD O’BRIEN. WELCOME TO MATTER OF FACT. THE RAPID GROWTH OF AI AND CLOUD COMPUTING ARE CREATING A NEED PLACES TO HOUSE ALL THAT DATA AND POWER TO RUN THE FACILITIES. UTILITIES AROUND THE COUNTRY ARE RUSHING TO ACCOMMODATE THIS, AND THAT’S HARD TO DO. WE HAD ALL THE ASSETS NECESSARY FOR DATA CENTERS, POWERED FIBER, LAND, WORKFORCE AND CUSTOMERS. WE TRAVEL TO VIRGINIA, ONE OF SEVERAL STATES BECOMING HOME TO MASSIVE DATA CENTERS FOR EVERY DOLLAR IN SERVICES, A DATA CENTER USES, WE GET ABOUT $26 BACK IN TAX REVENUE. IS SOMEBODY REALLY GOING TO WANT TO COME IN WITH THIS AS THEIR VIEW, THE PROS AND CONS FOR COMMUNITIES AT THE HEART OF THESE DEVELOPMENTS, PLUS, WHAT CHANGES AT YOUR CHILD’S SCHOOL IF THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION IS DISMANTLED, THE INTENTION IN FEDERAL LAW IS THAT WE ARE PROVIDING FREE AND APPROPRIATE PUBLIC EDUCATION. WE TALKED TO A STATE SUPERINTENDENT ABOUT THE ROLE THE FEDERAL AGENCY DOES AND DOES NOT PLAY IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS, AND A GRASSROOTS PROGRAM THAT’S HELPING PARENTS. WE TAKE THEIR KIDS OUT OF THE BASEMENT, GET THEM MOVING. HOW IT’S MAKING THE SPORT OF CYCLING MORE ACCESSIBLE AND INCLUSIVE FOR KIDS TODAY. THOSE STORIES RIGHT NOW ON MATTER OF FACT. THE DEMAND FOR DATA CENTERS IS EXPLODING. THESE MASSIVE FACILITIES HOUSE OUR DIGITAL INFORMATION. WELL, DATA CENTERS EXIST ACROSS THE COUNTRY. A FEW STATES HAVE BECOME HUBS. TEXAS, CALIFORNIA, VIRGINIA BETWEEN 2023 AND 2024. THE AMOUNT OF MEGAWATTS OF STORAGE UNDER CONSTRUCTION IN PRIMARY MARKETS MORE THAN DOUBLED. DATA CENTERS ALSO REQUIRE A HUGE AMOUNT OF ENERGY TO OPERATE IN THE UNITED STATES. THEY’RE SLATED TO GO FROM ABOUT 4% OF ENERGY CONSUMPTION TO AS MUCH AS 12% BY 2028. OUR CORRESPONDENT DAN LIEBERMAN TRAVELED TO ASHBURN, VIRGINIA, WHICH HAS BECOME KNOWN AS THE DATA CENTER CAPITAL OF THE WORLD. WE HAVE THIS BEAUTIFUL VIEW. YOU COULD SEE THE HORSES. KRISTA GELLER AND HER HUSBAND PATRICK BOUGHT THEIR HOUSE IN ASHBURN, VIRGINIA, 12 YEARS AGO, EXCITED TO RAISE THEIR KIDS IN A BUCOLIC SETTING ABOUT 40 MILES FROM WASHINGTON, DC. WE WERE NAIVE TO BELIEVE THAT IT WOULD REMAIN A FARM, BUT THE LAND BEHIND THEIR HOME WAS REZONED TO INDUSTRIAL. OH MY GOD. FOR THE LAST SEVEN YEARS, THEY’VE SEEN THEIR FARM VIEW TRANSFORM AS CONSTRUCTION CREWS BUILD DATA CENTERS, MASSIVE FACILITIES THAT HOUSE TENS OF THOUSANDS OF COMPUTER SERVERS. IT MAKES ME FEEL SAD. IT DOESN’T FEEL LIKE A DATA CENTER SHOULD BE IN MY BACKYARD. VIRGINIA HAS BECOME AN EPICENTER FOR THE DATA CENTER. INDUSTRY, AS DEVELOPERS AND TECH COMPANIES LOOK TO POWER ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND CLOUD COMPUTING. SO INSIDE OF THIS IS JUST THOUSANDS OF COMPUTERS. THAT’S WHERE YOUR PHOTOS LIVE. THAT IS WHERE YOU’RE DOING GOOGLE DOCS OR MICROSOFT WORD PROCESSING. IT’S ALL INSIDE THESE BUILDINGS. BUDDY RIZER IS THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE DEPARTMENT FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN LOUDOUN COUNTY. HE ENCOURAGED DATA CENTER COMPANIES TO INVEST IN THE REGION. WE HAD ALL OF THE ASSETS NECESSARY FOR DATA CENTERS. YOU’RE LOOKING FOR POWER. YOU’RE LOOKING FOR FIBER, LAND, WORKFORCE AND CUSTOMERS. WE’LL GET ABOUT $1 BILLION IN TAX REVENUE FROM THE DATA CENTER INDUSTRY JUST THIS YEAR. IT’S ENABLED US TO BUILD WORLD CLASS SCHOOLS AND GREAT ROADS AND WONDERFUL PARKS AND COMMUNITY SERVICES THAT WE WOULDN’T HAVE OTHERWISE BEEN ABLE TO DO. IN TERMS OF THE CONCERNS THAT RESIDENTS HAVE, MANY OF THEM SAY THE DATA CENTERS ARE CREATING HAVOC IN THEIR COMMUNITY. DO YOU UNDERSTAND THAT PERSPECTIVE? I UNDERSTAND THE PERSPECTIVE, BUT I THINK THAT WHEN YOU’RE LOOKING AT A GROWING COMMUNITY AND YOU LOOK AT THE NEED TO GROW THE COMMERCIAL TAX BASE, WE HAVE TO HAVE THOSE TRADE OFFS. WE HAVE A LOT OF NEW GENERATION COMING ON THE SYSTEM, AND NOW WE HAVE THESE NEW LARGE LOADS. ROB GRAMLICH, PRESIDENT OF GRID STRATEGIES, A CONSULTING FIRM FOCUSED ON ENERGY AND POWER SYSTEMS, SAYS ANOTHER CONCERN IS THE AMOUNT OF ENERGY IT TAKES TO POWER THESE FACILITIES. ONE DATA CENTER CAN ALREADY USE AS MUCH POWER AS 80,000 HOMES, AND A REPORT FOUND THAT THIS SURGE IN DEMAND WILL LIKELY INCREASE SYSTEM COSTS FOR ALL CUSTOMERS. RATES ARE GOING UP AND WE’RE IN A SITUATION WHERE ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT IS VERY EXPENSIVE. STATE REGULATORS, ECONOMIC REGULATORS AT THE PUBLIC UTILITY COMMISSIONS KIND OF HAVE TO DECIDE, OKAY, WHO’S GOING TO EAT, HOW MUCH OF THIS COST AND HOW DO WE HOW DO WE SHARE IT AND SPREAD IT AROUND? I AM VERY CONCERNED THE DATA CENTERS WILL BE PASSING THEIR COST BURDENS ONTO RESIDENTS. DESHUNDRA JEFFERSON IS THE CHAIR AT LARGE OF THE PRINCE WILLIAM BOARD OF COUNTY SUPERVISORS. SHE WON ON A CAMPAIGN PROMISE TO PUT UP MORE GUARDRAILS AGAINST DATA CENTER DEVELOPMENT. THE PREVIOUS BOARD WAS APPROVING PROJECTS NEAR HOMES, NEAR SCHOOLS WHERE THE TRAFFIC COPS. WE’VE GOT TO TELL THEM THIS IS NOT A GOOD SPOT FOR YOU. A STATE GOVERNMENT REPORT SAYS THAT ONE THIRD OF DATA CENTERS ARE CURRENTLY LOCATED NEAR RESIDENTIAL AREAS, AND THAT FUTURE RESIDENTIAL IMPACTS ARE LIKELY. WE’RE SEEING PROBLEMS WITH NOISE IN SOME CASES, LIGHT POLLUTION SHINING 24 HOURS A DAY. AND THAT’S A BIG CONCERN FOR ME BECAUSE FOR HOMEOWNERS, YOUR LARGEST ASSET REALLY IS YOUR HOME. YOU’RE PUTTING EVERYTHING INTO IT. WE CANNOT DO ANYTHING THAT’S GOING TO DESTROY RESIDENTS QUALITY OF LIFE. ON THE FLIP SIDE, THERE’S TAX REVENUE. THERE’S JOBS, THERE’S CONSTRUCTION FOR A COUNTY LIKE YOURS, OUR DATA CENTERS DOING A LOT OF GOOD. THEY’RE DOING BETTER. DATA CENTERS ARE DOING BETTER BECAUSE WE’RE FORCING THEM TO DO BETTER. THEY CERTAINLY BRING TAX REVENUE. THERE ARE JOBS IN CONSTRUCTION, BUILDING THE DATA CENTERS AFTERWARDS. THERE ARE UNION JOBS FOR ELECTRICIANS WHO MAINTAIN THE EQUIPMENT. BUT WE HAVE TO BALANCE THAT. IT’S A NICE LOOKING BUILDING. I MEAN, IF YOU TAKE AWAY SOME OF THE SCALE, YOU WOULD THINK, WELL, THAT’S AN OFFICE BUILDING. AS DATA CENTERS COME TO MORE PLACES AROUND THE COUNTRY. BUDDY RIZER ENCOURAGES COMMUNITIES TO CAREFULLY ASSESS WHAT’S RIGHT FOR THEM. NOT EVERYWHERE NEEDS TO HAVE THE AMOUNT OF DATA CENTERS WE HAVE HERE IN LOUDOUN TO REALLY HAVE AN IMPACT ON YOUR COMMUNITY IN A POSITIVE WAY. SO DEFINE WHAT YOU WANT AND SET UP THOSE GUARDRAILS. EARLY GUARDRAILS THAT HOMEOWNERS LIKE KRISTA GELLER AND HER FAMILY WISH HAD BETTER PROTECTED THEM. YOU SPEND A LOT OF MONEY FOR A HOUSE. YOU SPEND A LOT OF MONEY TO LIVE OUT HERE OR TO LIVE WHERE YOU WANT TO LIVE. AND I THINK IT’S PART OF YOUR, YOU KNOW, YOUR SERENITY. IS SOMEBODY REALLY GOING TO WANT TO COME IN AND BUY IT WITH THIS AS THEIR VIEW? FOR MATTER OF FACT, I’M DAN LIEBERMAN IN VIRGINIA NEXT ON MATTER OF FACT, WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION ON THE CHOPPING BLOCK. WHAT DOES THAT MEAN FOR THE WORKLOAD OF STATE OFFICIALS AND EDUCATORS? PLUS, IS THE UNITED STATES LOSING A CRUCIAL TOOL IN ITS ABILITY TO PROTECT THE COUNTRY AND ITS INTERESTS? AND IT’S AN EFFORT TO MAKE PROFESSIONAL CYCLING MORE ACCESSIBLE TO ALL. WE MEET THE TEAM GIVING KIDS BIKES AND GEAR AND TRAINING FOR FREE. YOU’RE WATCHING, MATTER OF FACT, AMERICA’S NUMBER ONE NATIONALLY SYNDICATED PUBLIC AFFAIRS NEWS MAGAZINE. WHAT WILL CHANGE IN PUBLIC SCHOOL EDUCATION IF THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION IS EFFECTIVELY DISMANTLED? PRESIDENT TRUMP HAS SAID HIS ADMINISTRATION’S GOAL IS TO RETURN EDUCATION BACK TO THE STATES. SO WHAT DOES THAT MEAN AND WHAT COULD IT LOOK LIKE? JILL UNDERLEE IS THE WISCONSIN STATE SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION. THANK YOU FOR JOINING US. THANK YOU SO MUCH. SO HOW MUCH OF EDUCATION ALREADY LIES WITH THE STATES AND HOW MUCH SORT OF LIES WITH THE FEDS, WITH EACH OF THE STATES THAT IS PART OF THEIR CONSTITUTION THAT THEY OVERSEE PUBLIC EDUCATION, THINGS LIKE CURRICULUM, FOR EXAMPLE, AND THE ORGANIZATION OF SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND WHAT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT OVERSEES IS THIS BASELINE GUARANTEE THAT ALL KIDS ARE ARE GUARANTEED THIS ACCESS TO A FREE PUBLIC EDUCATION. SO IT’S A BASELINE OF EXPECTATIONS FOR EQUAL RIGHTS, FOR EXAMPLE. SO IF THINGS SHIFT OVER TO MORE STATE CONTROL, WHICH IS WHAT PRESIDENT TRUMP HAS SAID, THE GOAL IS. WHAT WORRIES YOU IF THAT FEDERAL FUNDING IS NOW SHIFTED TOWARDS THE STATES? IT COULD BE PROBLEMATIC BECAUSE IT COULD BE A POTENTIAL MISUSE OF WHAT THE THE FUNDS WERE ORIGINALLY GUARANTEED FOR. SO IF THEY SAY, WE’RE GOING TO TAKE ALL THIS FUNDING THAT WAS INITIALLY TARGETED TOWARDS CERTAIN POPULATIONS, LITERACY PROGRAMS AND HIGH POVERTY SCHOOLS, INDIVIDUALS WITH SPECIAL EDUCATION NEEDS AND PUT IT IN ONE GRANT TO THE THE STATE. THEY COULD PUT A STRINGS ATTACHED THAT SAY THAT THIS FUNDING HAS TO GO TO PRIVATE SCHOOL VOUCHERS AND PRIVATIZATION FOR FOR FAMILIES INSTEAD. AND IT MAY NOT REACH THE INTENDED RECIPIENTS AS IT HAD IN THE PAST. THERE SEEMED TO BE SPECIFIC AND PARTICULAR CONCERNS ABOUT SPECIAL EDITOR TITLE ONE FUNDING AND CIVIL RIGHTS PROTECTIONS. WHY IS THAT? IT’S REALLY THE IDEA BEHIND THOSE LAWS, LIKE IDEA, FOR EXAMPLE, IS TO MAKE SURE THAT KIDS ARE PROVIDED THIS FREE PUBLIC EDUCATION, THAT THEY ARE NOT DISCRIMINATED AGAINST BECAUSE OF THEIR DISABILITY. AND THAT’S THE CONCERN IS IF THE OVERSIGHT FOR THAT IS GONE, WHERE WILL INDIVIDUALS BE ABLE TO APPEAL WHEN THEY FEEL THAT THEY ARE BEING DISCRIMINATED AGAINST? AND THAT’S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THE US DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION HAS HANDLED IS THE OFFICE OF CIVIL RIGHTS APPEALS FOR DISCRIMINATION, AND BEING ABLE TO SETTLE THOSE THOSE DIFFERENT SITUATIONS. PRESIDENT TRUMP HAS SAID, WELL, IT’S ALL GOING TO EXIST STILL JUST GOING OFF INTO OTHER AREAS, RIGHT? THE DOJ WOULD HAVE A ROLE. PELL GRANTS WOULD GO UNDER THE SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION. ET CETERA. IS THAT NOT A GOOD MODEL? WHEN IT WAS ALL CENTRALIZED AT THE US DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, WE KNEW WHERE TO GO. IT WAS A PRIORITY WHEN THOSE PROGRAMS ARE DISPERSED TO OTHER AGENCIES, CAN WE SAY THAT STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES WILL BE A PRIORITY IN THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE? CAN YOU SAY THAT HIGHER EDUCATION FUNDING AND STUDENT LOANS WILL BE A PRIORITY? WE’RE ALSO LOSING THE EXPERTISE OF THOSE INDIVIDUALS, AND WE’RE LOSING THOSE RELATIONSHIPS. SO THERE ARE QUITE A FEW CONCERNS. IS YOUR WORRY IN PART BECAUSE YOU THINK THE STATES WON’T BE ABLE TO MANAGE THE BUREAUCRACY? OR ARE YOU WORRIED BECAUSE OF SORT OF THE STATES ACTUALLY HANDING OVER THE MONEY EFFECTIVELY AND ACCURATELY? I’M ABSOLUTELY CONCERNED ABOUT THE CAPACITY OF THE STATES. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT HAS BEEN ABLE TO HELP US WITH, YOU KNOW, IS, IS THE, YOU KNOW, THE GUIDANCE AND BEING ABLE TO, YOU KNOW, PROCESS OUR FUNDING CLAIMS. WE’RE ALREADY STRESSED WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT THE AMOUNT OF WORK THAT, YOU KNOW, OUR STATES HAVE. AND I THINK IT WILL BE ABSOLUTELY DISASTROUS FOR OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND ESPECIALLY KIDS. DOCTOR JILL UNDERLY IS WISCONSIN’S STATE SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME. APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU. COMING UP, A LOOK AT A PROGRAM BREAKING RACIAL BARRIERS IN CYCLING. PLUS, WE’RE SPENDING TAXPAYER MONEY. LET’S MAKE SURE WE’RE SPENDING IT WISELY. WHY THIS FORMER LIEUTENANT GENERAL SAYS WE HAVE TO BE CAREFUL OF TAKING SAVINGS TOO FAR. BETWEEN TABLETS, VIDEO GAMES AND CELL PHONES. AMERICA’S KIDS ARE STRUGGLING TO GET ACTIVE. THE AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION REPORTS FEWER THAN 1 IN 5 CHILDREN AGE 6 TO 17 GETS THE RECOMMENDED DAILY HOUR OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY NEEDED FOR A HEALTHY HEART. A GRASSROOTS CYCLING PROGRAM IN QUEENS, NEW YORK, IS TRYING TO GET KIDS MOVING. OUR CORRESPONDENT, ALEXIS CLARK TAKES US TO THE TRACK. WELCOME BACK TO OUR FALL SEMESTER OF STAR TREK AT THE KESSINA VELODROME IN QUEENS, NEW YORK. THEIR STAR TREK, A YOUTH OUTREACH PROGRAM FOUNDED 20 YEARS AGO THAT’S TEACHING KIDS TRACK RACING. NICE WORK. GOOD JOB. MIKE SANDLER IS ONE OF THE COACHES. WE’LL SEE KIDS COMING THROUGH THE PARK ON THEIR BIKES, AND WE ASK THEIR PARENTS, DO YOU WANT TO TRY BIKE RACING? I WANT TO SEE FOCUS. A LOT OF KIDS DON’T THINK OF BIKE RACING AS A SPORT. THE FIRST TIME THEY’VE EVER SEEN BIKE RACING IS WHEN THEY COME TO KESSINA VELODROME. CLOSE THAT GAP. BUT IT’S NOT JUST A LACK OF AWARENESS ABOUT TRACK RACING, IT’S THE COST. EQUIPMENT, CYCLING LESSONS, TRAVEL TO RACES FOR STAR TREK’S PARTICIPANTS. EVERYTHING IS FREE. THE BIKES, HELMETS, GEAR AND COACHING. THE CHALLENGE LIES IN KEEPING IT ALL GOING. THE PROGRAM IS FUNDED ENTIRELY BY PRIVATE DONATIONS. WE DON’T GET ANY CITY FUNDING, NO STATE FUNDING. WE JUST HAVE A LOT OF GENEROUS PEOPLE WHO GIVE SMALL OR GIVE BIG. STAR TREK HAS 200 KIDS OF ALL AGES. SOME COMPETE IN LOCAL, STATE AND NATIONAL RACES. CO-FOUNDER DELROY WALTERS, A MASTER WORLD CHAMPION CYCLIST, COACHES THE KIDS REGULARLY. DELROY WALTERS HAS EXPOSED SO MANY YOUNG NEW YORKERS TO THIS SPORT. IT’S SUPER IMPORTANT FOR OUR RACERS TO SEE AN AFRICAN AMERICAN WORLD CHAMPION. AND IT JUST GIVES THEM A WHOLE LOT OF MOTIVATION TO SAY, WOW, I CAN DO THIS. I LOOK AT THIS STUFF, IT’S PRETTY MOTIVATIONAL. I REALLY DON’T TAKE IT FOR GRANTED. AT THE 1984 LOS ANGELES SUMMER OLYMPICS, NELSON VAILS COMPETED AGAINST FELLOW AMERICAN MARK GORSKI, WHO TOOK HOME GOLD. YOU WON THE SILVER MEDAL. THAT WAS SUCH AN AWESOME FEELING WHEN THAT MEDAL TO BE UP ON THE PODIUM. NELSON HOPES HIS STORY CAN HELP INSPIRE MORE BLACK ATHLETES TO TRY CYCLING. I TRIED ALL EVENTS AS A KID, BUT THE CYCLING CAME BECAUSE THE NATURAL ABILITY OF RIDING A BICYCLE, I TOOK IT TO THE NEXT LEVEL AND EVERY OPPORTUNITY THAT CAME MY WAY. DO YOU SEE YOURSELF AS HAVING OPEN DOORS FOR OTHER BLACK CYCLISTS? OH YEAH. THAT’S MY BIG VISION. SO THAT SOMEONE THAT LOOKS LIKE ME CAN BE LIKE ME. IF I CAN SAY IT THAT WAY. FOR MATTER OF FACT, I’M ALEXIS CLARK. AHEAD ON MATTER OF FACT, HOW USAID MADE THE UNITED STATES SAFER. PLUS, THE NOVEL IDEA THAT COULD HELP YOU BECOME A POET. TO STAY UP TO DATE WITH. WITH MATTER OF FACT, SIGN UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTER AT MATTEROFFACTTV. THE UNITED STATES AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT, OR USAID, HAS OPERATED FOR MORE THAN 60 YEARS. WHILE OVER THE LAST FEW MONTHS THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION DECIMATED THE AGENCY, IT HAD BEEN AN ESTABLISHED PART OF NOT JUST FOREIGN AID AND RELATIONS, BUT NATIONAL SECURITY. RETIRED LIEUTENANT GENERAL JAMES DUBIK SERVED OVERSEAS, INCLUDING IN HAITI, BOSNIA AND IRAQ. THE UNITED STATES HAS ENDURING INTERESTS AND VALUES. WE WANT TO PROTECT THE CONTINENT. AND TO DO THIS, YOU HAVE TO HAVE CERTAIN TOOLS. USAID, DEPARTMENT OF STATE. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE, OUR CYBER AND MEDIA CAPACITY. THESE ARE DIFFERENT TOOLS YOU USE DEPENDING ON WHAT NATIONAL INTEREST YOU WANT TO ACHIEVE. AND TO TAKE ONE OF THOSE TOOLS AWAY CREATES A VACUUM, NOT JUST FOR US, BUT IT CREATES A VACUUM FOR ONE OF OUR COMPETITORS. CHINA, RUSSIA, IRAN TO FILL THAT VACUUM AND INCREASE THEIR INFLUENCE AT OUR AT OUR EXPENSE. DUBIK SAYS WHILE SPENDING TAXPAYER MONEY WISELY IS IMPORTANT. TAKING IT TO AN EXTREME CAN LEAD TO UNDERFUNDING. IMPORTANT ELEMENTS OF NATIONAL SECURITY YOU CAN, ON THE SIDE OF BEING TOO STINGY AND CUTTING YOUR FACE OR YOUR NOSE OFF TO SPITE YOUR FACE, OR YOU CAN, ON THE SIDE OF I HAVE ALL THE MONEY IN THE WORLD. THE TAXPAYERS WILL PAY FOR IT. BOTH EXTREMES ARE WRONG, AND MY CONCERN IS THAT WE’RE SHIFTING FROM FROM THE MIDDLE TO, TO THE TO THE EXTREME. USAID SPENDING BEFORE THE CUTS WAS ABOUT 1% OF THE ENTIRE U.S. GOVERNMENT BUDGET. STILL AHEAD ON MATTER OF FACT, HOW A WORD GAME INSPIRED A NEW FORM OFFINALLY, A DIFFERENT KIND POETRY COLLECTION, THE MAGIC WORDS BY AUTHOR, POET AND PROFESSOR JOSEPH FASANO, IS A COMPILATION OF PROMPTS THAT GUIDE READERS TO WRITE POEMS LIKE THIS ONE ABOUT HOME. FILL IN THE BLANKS IN THE TEMPLATE AND YOU HAVE A POEM. FASANO DEVELOPED THE PROMPTS FROM THE CONCEPT OF MADLIBS. THEY STARTED OUT AS CREATIVE WRITING TOOLS FOR CHILDREN. I BROUGHT TO THEM A POETRY PROMPT THAT ESSENTIALLY ALLOWED THEM TO GET OUT SOME IMAGES THAT WERE IN THEIR MINDS, IN THEIR HEARTS, AND IT REALLY WAS AMAZING WHAT WE WITNESSED. YOUNG CHILDREN STARTED TALKING ABOUT THEIR DREAMS, THEIR ASPIRATIONS, THEIR FRUSTRATIONS, THEIR WORRIES. BUT IT’S NOT ONLY CHILDREN USING THE MAGIC WORDS. I STARTED TO GET THESE MESSAGES FROM PEOPLE WHO WOULD SAY, I KNOW THIS WAS DESIGNED FOR CHILDREN, BUT YOU KNOW, MY AGING MOTHER IS WORKING THROUGH DEMENTIA, AND I GAVE HER ONE OF THESE POETRY PROMPTS, AND THIS IS WHAT SHE CREATED. THAT’S BEEN THE MOST AMAZING AND REWARDING THING TO SEE. A WONDERFUL TEACHER IN TEXAS SAID THAT ONE OF HER STUDENTS HAD WRITTEN A POEM USING THE POETRY PROMPTS AND THE MAGIC WORDS FOR ME. SHE WRITES, WHAT IF I TOLD YOU WHEN I WAS INSPIRED, I DREAMT OF A PLACE IN THE WORLD, A PEACEFUL POEM. WHAT IF I TOLD YOU THAT YOU ARE THAT PEACEFUL POEM? WHAT IF I TOLD YOU THAT EVEN WHEN I WISHED, AS MANY TIMES AS I COULD, NO ONE HEARD? BUT YOU DID. THAT’S IT FOR THIS EDITION OF MATTER OF FACT, I’M SOLEDAD O’BRIEN. WE’LL SEE YOU BACK HERE NEXT WEEK. TO WATCH MORE STORIES LIKE THIS ANYTIME, HEAD TO MATTER OF FACT.