CNN Student News Transcript - August 18, 2011

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• The daily transcript is a written version of each day's CNN Student News program
  
• Use this transcript to help students with reading comprehension and vocabulary
  
• Today's Daily Discussion poses critical thinking questions related to the program

(CNN Student News) -- August 18, 2011

Download PDF maps related to today's show:

• Syria
• Libya & Malawi
• Joplin, Missouri

Transcript

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

YAINER OVIEDO, SENIOR, JOPLIN HIGH SCHOOL: Hi, I'm Yanier Oviedo.

LYDIA MCALLISTER, SENIOR, JOPLIN HIGH SCHOOL: And I'm Lydia McAllister, and we're from Joplin High School and you're watching CNN Student News.

CARL AZUZ, CNN STUDENT NEWS ANCHOR: Our thanks to Lydia and Yainer, whom you might remember from yesterday's program. They were helping us kick off today's show. We're gonna hear more from them in just a few minutes. I'm Carl Azuz. Let's get to today's headlines.

First Up: Arab Spring

AZUZ: First up, we're checking in on two countries in turmoil that are both located in the same part of the world. Earlier this year, parts of the Middle East and Northern Africa experienced something that was called an "Arab Spring." Basically, protesters in a bunch of countries revolted against their governments. In some cases, it led to longtime leaders being kicked out of power. In most nations, it led to violence.

That's what we're seeing in Syria, the first country we're talking about today. The violence there has gone on for months. There are reports that Syrian military forces have been shooting at civilians who are speaking out against the Syrian government. Syrian officials deny that. They say they're targeting armed groups and terrorists. And CNN can't confirm the claims from either side because Syria won't let outside journalists into the country. What we do know is that this isn't just affecting Syrians. The United Nations usually has more than 160 workers in Syria. But it's pulling dozens of them out because of the violence. Other countries who also have officials in Syria have told them to leave as well.

The north African nation of Libya was also part of that "Arab Spring." The conflict there developed into a civil war. Rebels, like the ones you see in this video that was posted on YouTube, are fighting against the forces of longtime leader Moammar Gadhafi. The rebels say they're making progress in their efforts to get closer to the capital city of Tripoli, but Gadhafi has been urging his supporters to fight back. The rebels and Libyan military aren't the only ones involved here. Other countries -- including the U.S., as well as Great Britain and France -- are part of a NATO mission that's been flying air strikes against Gadhafi's forces. Over the past week, NATO planes have damaged or destroyed around 150 military targets.

Failing State

AZUZ: Next up, we're heading down to southern Africa, to the nation of Malawi, home to around 16 million people. Spring may be long gone, but some people in Malawi are trying to piggy-back off what's happened in the "Arab Spring." These people are protesting against their government. It hasn't developed into anything like what we're seeing in Syria or Libya, but the situation is getting dire. Nkepile Mabuse looks at what's behind all this.

(BEGIN VIDEO)

NKEPILE MABUSE, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Inspired by the "Arab Spring," Malawians took to the streets last month calling for President Bingu wa Mutharika to resign. The country's human rights commission says police used live ammunition against unarmed civilians, killing 19 people.

This is but one of the many reasons behind the angry demonstrations: just about everything in Malawi is in short supply. People here blame the president for mismanaging the economy. They've demanded he explains why he's seemingly so wealthy while all they know is hardship.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE, MALAWI: People are starving. There is no medicine in the hospitals

UNIDENTIFIED MALE, MALAWI: You go to the shops, people are not buying goods because it's very difficult to find money and the future looks very bleak.

MABUSE: President wa Mutharika has threatened to "smoke out" those who protest again, but organizers are determined to return to the streets. Malawians are not the only ones demanding good governance. In June, the IMF suspended its financial assistance to Malawi citing economic mismanagement. Britain, the European Union and the United States have also cut aid. Malawi, which was hit by a devastating famine in 2005, is one of the poorest countries in the world. Without the help of foreign governments, many here fear the worst. Wa Mutharika has asked the nation for more time to address their needs, but many here have told us their patience has run out. Nkepile Mabuse, CNN, Malawi.

(END VIDEO)

I.D. Me

TOMEKA JONES, CNN STUDENT NEWS: See of you can I.D. Me. I'm a U.S. government organization that's part of the Health and Human Services Department. I'm responsible for protecting and advancing public health, and I establish rules for the nation's food supply. I'm the FDA, the Food and Drug Administration, and I'm responsible for regulating parts of the tobacco industry.

FDA Warning Label Lawsuit

AZUZ: Specifically, the FDA deals with the manufacturing, marketing and the distribution of tobacco products. The organization's facing a lawsuit because of a new rule about cigarette packages. In June, the FDA introduced nine new warning labels. Those include graphic images of what could happen to your body if you smoke. Officials say they're designed to make people more aware of the dangers of cigarettes. According to the new rules, half the space on each cigarette package would have to display one of these labels by September 2012.

Five tobacco companies have filed a lawsuit against the government. They say these new warning labels are unconstitutional. Their argument is that the government shouldn't require companies that are making a legal product to put a label on it that essentially urges people not to buy it. An FDA spokeswoman said the agency doesn't comment on unresolved lawsuits.

Is This Legit?

JIM RIBBLE, CNN STUDENT NEWS: Is this legit? On the Enhanced Fujita scale, an EF-5 is the strongest category of tornado. True! The scale measures a tornado's wind speed by the damage that the storm causes.

Learning in a Disaster Zone

AZUZ: To put this in perspective: An EF-1 tornado might pull the shingles off your roof. An EF-5 would rip the entire house off its foundation. That's what roared through Joplin, Missouri last Fall: an EF-5 tornado. Yesterday, we had a report on the start of the new school year in Joplin. And I had a chance to talk with two of the students who were featured in that report. You saw them introduce today's show. I asked them some of the questions you posted on our blog.

(BEGIN VIDEO)

AZUZ: Yainer, can you describe the mood for us of the students you've spoken to as you guys get back to school in Joplin?

OVIEDO: Yeah. So far, the mood's been really great. Everyone's excited. We got our laptops today during third and fourth hour, so everyone's really happy about it.

AZUZ: Lydia, in an article you wrote for CNN.com, you said you were "more excited than usual" to get back to school this year. Talk to us about that.

MCALLISTER: It's nice going to school every day. Just the normality of it all. It's been such a crazy summer. Now going to school this week, that's all the same.

AZUZ: There's a student on our blog named Montana who wanted to know how difficult it was to prepare for school this year, since so many people lost their supplies in the tornado. What was that like?

MCALLISTER: Actually, we got almost everything donated to our school. So, none of the students had to buy school supplies this year. We even got backpacks given to us with the laptops. So, that's been really great.

AZUZ: You know, a lot of students saw the story today on CNN Student News; they were really interested in about what it's like to go to school in a mall, even if it's in an old store. In fact, Jaeyeong from Korea wanted to know what that's like.

MCALLISTER: It's definitely an experience. Something that not a lot of, I don't know any other high school that has to go to school in a mall. It's cool. The building itself is shut off from the mall completely. There's one door, I think, that goes into the mall, but it's closed off right now.

AZUZ: So, you don't have direct access to shopping?

MCALLISTER: No, we're kind of in our own little world over here. It's nice. I like it.

AZUZ: James wanted to know if you get to eat in the food court?

OVIEDO: I guess they're trying to see if we can earn it.

AZUZ: Would you prefer to eat there or just have the school food?

MCALLISTER: Definitely the food court.

AZUZ: I want to ask you guys what advice do you have for the students of Ringold, Georgia and Tuscaloosa, Alabama? Now, those are two other towns that were hit by tornadoes this spring. And what sort of advice would you have for students who are getting back to school there?

MCALLISTER: I think you just have to look at it as any other school year and go back knowing that, and go back with a good attitude.

OVIEDO: Stay strong. Things are going to be hard for a while. With all your friends, just going back to normal.

(END VIDEO)

Maps Promo

AZUZ: CNN Student News brings you headlines from around the globe. And on our home page -- that's CNNStudentNews.com -- we help you pinpoint just where these global headlines happen. Our maps are free, downloadable and now updated for the new school year. We're giving you some continental context. You're gonna love it. Check 'em out at CNNStudentNews.com.

Before We Go

AZUZ: Before we go, they say that music soothes the savage beast, which is just about the only reason we can think of why someone would stash a piano in the middle of the woods. This one was actually part of an art project. The idea was that people out hiking would find it and maybe sit down to play a song or two. That's one way to enhance the sounds of the forest.

Goodbye

AZUZ: And it's another way for people to get in tune with nature. If you're keyed up for more headlines, come on back tomorrow. For CNNStudentNews.com, I'm Carl Azuz.

(CNN Student News) -- August 18, 2011

Download PDF maps related to today's show:

• Syria
• Libya & Malawi
• Joplin, Missouri

Transcript

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

YAINER OVIEDO, SENIOR, JOPLIN HIGH SCHOOL: Hi, I'm Yanier Oviedo.

LYDIA MCALLISTER, SENIOR, JOPLIN HIGH SCHOOL: And I'm Lydia McAllister, and we're from Joplin High School and you're watching CNN Student News.

CARL AZUZ, CNN STUDENT NEWS ANCHOR: Our thanks to Lydia and Yainer, whom you might remember from yesterday's program. They were helping us kick off today's show. We're gonna hear more from them in just a few minutes. I'm Carl Azuz. Let's get to today's headlines.

First Up: Arab Spring

AZUZ: First up, we're checking in on two countries in turmoil that are both located in the same part of the world. Earlier this year, parts of the Middle East and Northern Africa experienced something that was called an "Arab Spring." Basically, protesters in a bunch of countries revolted against their governments. In some cases, it led to longtime leaders being kicked out of power. In most nations, it led to violence.

That's what we're seeing in Syria, the first country we're talking about today. The violence there has gone on for months. There are reports that Syrian military forces have been shooting at civilians who are speaking out against the Syrian government. Syrian officials deny that. They say they're targeting armed groups and terrorists. And CNN can't confirm the claims from either side because Syria won't let outside journalists into the country. What we do know is that this isn't just affecting Syrians. The United Nations usually has more than 160 workers in Syria. But it's pulling dozens of them out because of the violence. Other countries who also have officials in Syria have told them to leave as well.

The north African nation of Libya was also part of that "Arab Spring." The conflict there developed into a civil war. Rebels, like the ones you see in this video that was posted on YouTube, are fighting against the forces of longtime leader Moammar Gadhafi. The rebels say they're making progress in their efforts to get closer to the capital city of Tripoli, but Gadhafi has been urging his supporters to fight back. The rebels and Libyan military aren't the only ones involved here. Other countries -- including the U.S., as well as Great Britain and France -- are part of a NATO mission that's been flying air strikes against Gadhafi's forces. Over the past week, NATO planes have damaged or destroyed around 150 military targets.

Failing State

AZUZ: Next up, we're heading down to southern Africa, to the nation of Malawi, home to around 16 million people. Spring may be long gone, but some people in Malawi are trying to piggy-back off what's happened in the "Arab Spring." These people are protesting against their government. It hasn't developed into anything like what we're seeing in Syria or Libya, but the situation is getting dire. Nkepile Mabuse looks at what's behind all this.

(BEGIN VIDEO)

NKEPILE MABUSE, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Inspired by the "Arab Spring," Malawians took to the streets last month calling for President Bingu wa Mutharika to resign. The country's human rights commission says police used live ammunition against unarmed civilians, killing 19 people.

This is but one of the many reasons behind the angry demonstrations: just about everything in Malawi is in short supply. People here blame the president for mismanaging the economy. They've demanded he explains why he's seemingly so wealthy while all they know is hardship.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE, MALAWI: People are starving. There is no medicine in the hospitals

UNIDENTIFIED MALE, MALAWI: You go to the shops, people are not buying goods because it's very difficult to find money and the future looks very bleak.

MABUSE: President wa Mutharika has threatened to "smoke out" those who protest again, but organizers are determined to return to the streets. Malawians are not the only ones demanding good governance. In June, the IMF suspended its financial assistance to Malawi citing economic mismanagement. Britain, the European Union and the United States have also cut aid. Malawi, which was hit by a devastating famine in 2005, is one of the poorest countries in the world. Without the help of foreign governments, many here fear the worst. Wa Mutharika has asked the nation for more time to address their needs, but many here have told us their patience has run out. Nkepile Mabuse, CNN, Malawi.

(END VIDEO)

I.D. Me

TOMEKA JONES, CNN STUDENT NEWS: See of you can I.D. Me. I'm a U.S. government organization that's part of the Health and Human Services Department. I'm responsible for protecting and advancing public health, and I establish rules for the nation's food supply. I'm the FDA, the Food and Drug Administration, and I'm responsible for regulating parts of the tobacco industry.

FDA Warning Label Lawsuit

AZUZ: Specifically, the FDA deals with the manufacturing, marketing and the distribution of tobacco products. The organization's facing a lawsuit because of a new rule about cigarette packages. In June, the FDA introduced nine new warning labels. Those include graphic images of what could happen to your body if you smoke. Officials say they're designed to make people more aware of the dangers of cigarettes. According to the new rules, half the space on each cigarette package would have to display one of these labels by September 2012.

Five tobacco companies have filed a lawsuit against the government. They say these new warning labels are unconstitutional. Their argument is that the government shouldn't require companies that are making a legal product to put a label on it that essentially urges people not to buy it. An FDA spokeswoman said the agency doesn't comment on unresolved lawsuits.

Is This Legit?

JIM RIBBLE, CNN STUDENT NEWS: Is this legit? On the Enhanced Fujita scale, an EF-5 is the strongest category of tornado. True! The scale measures a tornado's wind speed by the damage that the storm causes.

Learning in a Disaster Zone

AZUZ: To put this in perspective: An EF-1 tornado might pull the shingles off your roof. An EF-5 would rip the entire house off its foundation. That's what roared through Joplin, Missouri last Fall: an EF-5 tornado. Yesterday, we had a report on the start of the new school year in Joplin. And I had a chance to talk with two of the students who were featured in that report. You saw them introduce today's show. I asked them some of the questions you posted on our blog.

(BEGIN VIDEO)

AZUZ: Yainer, can you describe the mood for us of the students you've spoken to as you guys get back to school in Joplin?

OVIEDO: Yeah. So far, the mood's been really great. Everyone's excited. We got our laptops today during third and fourth hour, so everyone's really happy about it.

AZUZ: Lydia, in an article you wrote for CNN.com, you said you were "more excited than usual" to get back to school this year. Talk to us about that.

MCALLISTER: It's nice going to school every day. Just the normality of it all. It's been such a crazy summer. Now going to school this week, that's all the same.

AZUZ: There's a student on our blog named Montana who wanted to know how difficult it was to prepare for school this year, since so many people lost their supplies in the tornado. What was that like?

MCALLISTER: Actually, we got almost everything donated to our school. So, none of the students had to buy school supplies this year. We even got backpacks given to us with the laptops. So, that's been really great.

AZUZ: You know, a lot of students saw the story today on CNN Student News; they were really interested in about what it's like to go to school in a mall, even if it's in an old store. In fact, Jaeyeong from Korea wanted to know what that's like.

MCALLISTER: It's definitely an experience. Something that not a lot of, I don't know any other high school that has to go to school in a mall. It's cool. The building itself is shut off from the mall completely. There's one door, I think, that goes into the mall, but it's closed off right now.

AZUZ: So, you don't have direct access to shopping?

MCALLISTER: No, we're kind of in our own little world over here. It's nice. I like it.

AZUZ: James wanted to know if you get to eat in the food court?

OVIEDO: I guess they're trying to see if we can earn it.

AZUZ: Would you prefer to eat there or just have the school food?

MCALLISTER: Definitely the food court.

AZUZ: I want to ask you guys what advice do you have for the students of Ringold, Georgia and Tuscaloosa, Alabama? Now, those are two other towns that were hit by tornadoes this spring. And what sort of advice would you have for students who are getting back to school there?

MCALLISTER: I think you just have to look at it as any other school year and go back knowing that, and go back with a good attitude.

OVIEDO: Stay strong. Things are going to be hard for a while. With all your friends, just going back to normal.

(END VIDEO)

Maps Promo

AZUZ: CNN Student News brings you headlines from around the globe. And on our home page -- that's CNNStudentNews.com -- we help you pinpoint just where these global headlines happen. Our maps are free, downloadable and now updated for the new school year. We're giving you some continental context. You're gonna love it. Check 'em out at CNNStudentNews.com.

Before We Go

AZUZ: Before we go, they say that music soothes the savage beast, which is just about the only reason we can think of why someone would stash a piano in the middle of the woods. This one was actually part of an art project. The idea was that people out hiking would find it and maybe sit down to play a song or two. That's one way to enhance the sounds of the forest.

Goodbye

AZUZ: And it's another way for people to get in tune with nature. If you're keyed up for more headlines, come on back tomorrow. For CNNStudentNews.com, I'm Carl Azuz.