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(CNN) -- Welcome to New York City. Hope you packed your appetite. We're not claiming these are the definitive "best," "most essential," or "most authentic" restaurants in all of NYC or any of that jazz. We are just saying that if it were us in town for a few days, these are the places we'd make a beeline for to eat, drink and generally be delighted. Not a fan of our faves? Well, OK then. Just send us a DM or a note @eatocracy on Twitter, let us know where you are, and we'll find you some food to suit your mood. Have a delicious stay. Terroir | Tribeca Address: 24 Harrison St. Phone: 212.625.9463 Website: http://www.wineisterroir.com/ Categories: Downtown, Bar, Eat at the bar Solo Dining: Yes Tip: Three words: Riesling on tap. It may be touted as a wine bar, but the food is killer. Chicken liver and lardo bruschette are life-changers. Caracas Arepa Bar Address: 93 1/2 East 7th St. Phone: 718.218.6050 or 212.529.2314 Website: http://www.caracasarepabar.com Categories: Downtown Tip: For a taste of Venezuela, chomp into one of these stuffed corn-flour arepas. Feeling indecisive? Try the La Popular sampler of three different, traditional varieties. Otto Enoteca Pizzeria Address: 1 Fifth Ave. Phone: 212.995.9559 Website: http://www.ottopizzeria.com/ Categories: Downtown, Celebrity chef, Eat at the bar Solo Dining: Yes Tip: Order some antipasti at Mario Batali's casual pizzeria while you wait on his thin-crusted creations. Runny yolk fans opt for the Pane Frattau -- a pie with a sunnyside-up egg in the center. The house-made olive oil gelato is the ultimate sweet-savory ending. Gramercy Tavern Address: 42 East 20th St. Phone: 212.477.0777 Website: http://www.gramercytavern.com/ Categories: Gramercy/Flatiron, Date night Solo Dining: Yes Tip: It's one of the New York's most beloved restaurants -- and for good reason with its luxurious yet homey atmosphere. Everything's seasonal and you really can't go wrong. Sakagura Address: 211 East 43rd St. Phone: 212.953.7253 Website: http://www.sakagura.com/ Categories: Midtown, Hidden gem, Eat at the bar Solo Dining: Yes Tip: A taste of Tokyo is hidden in the basement of a Midtown East office building -- your friends will be impressed you found this place. Go for lunch and sake -- their platters are a multi-course steal at $20. Pearl Oyster Bar Address: 18 Cornelia Street Phone: 212.691.8211 Website: http://www.pearloysterbar.com/ Categories: Downtown, No reservations Solo Dining: Yes Tip: Come for the lobster roll, stay for the blueberry pie. Impatient diners take note: they do not accept reservations. Spotted Pig Address: 314 West 11th Street Phone: 212.620.0393 Website: http://thespottedpig.com/ Categories: Downtown, Celeb spotting, Late night Tip: The gastropub to end all gastropubs. Devils on Horseback, chicken liver and a burger with Roquefort are a few of its hearty offerings. A 2-hour wait is normal during peak time as is celeb-spotting in the witching hours. Momofuku Ssam Bar Address: 207 2nd Avenue Phone: 212.254.3500 Website: http://www.momofuku.com/ssam-bar/ Categories: Downtown, Celebrity chef Tip: Order the pork buns and stop by Milk Bar next door for a compost cookie, crack pie or one of the ever changing, always inventive soft-serve ice creams. Porchetta Address: 110 East 7th Street Phone: 212.777.2151 Website: http://www.porchettanyc.com/ Categories: Downtown, Casual Solo Dining: Yes Tip: Pork lovers: eat Porchetta's porchetta. That is all. Marea Address: 240 Central Park South Phone: 212.582.5100 Website: http://www.marea-nyc.com/home.html/ Categories: Midtown, Date night, Eat at the bar Solo Dining: Yes Tip: It was just named Best New Restaurant at the James Beard Awards so reservations may be tight. But, it's worth the fuss to order fusilli with red wine braised octopus and bone marrow and eat at the bar. Taim Address: 222 Waverly Place Phone: 212.691.1287 Website: http://taimfalafel.com/ Categories: Downtown, Casual Solo Dining: Yes Tip: Skip the ubiquitous street cart falafel and head to the West Village. Choose between red, green or harissa falafel flavors. The Little Owl Address: 90 Bedford Street Phone: 212.741.4695 Website: http://www.thelittleowlnyc.com/ Categories: Downtown, Date night Tip: This darling neighborhood restaurant is perfect for date night. Signature meatball sliders are a must, while a pork chop with butter beans and dandelion is close to porcine perfection. If soft shell crab is available, dive in for a suprisingly light taste of summer. Katz's Delicatessen Address: 205 E. Houston Street Phone: 212.254.2246 Website: http://www.katzdeli.com/ Categories: Downtown, Old New York, Casual Solo Dining: Yes Tip: It's the quintessential New York deli -- as seen in When Harry Mat Sally. Order the classics: corned beef, pastrami or tongue with a Dr. Brown's Cel-Ray chaser. Grand Central Oyster Bar Address: 89 E. 42nd St. (in Grand Central Station) Phone: 212.490.6650 Website: http://oysterbarny.com/ Categories: Midtown, Old New York Solo Dining: Yes Tip: This is old school New York. Nab a table in the cavernous, subterranean dining room or saloon or a seat at the curving lunch counter or raw bar and slurp down fresh oysters or a classic pan roast. Blue Hill Address: 75 Washington Place Phone: 212.539.1776 Website: http://bluehillfarm.com/food/blue-hill-new-york Categories: Downtown, Date night Tip: Dine like the First Couple at this lauded, lovely farm-to-table restaurant helmed by James Beard Award winning chef Dan Barber. Torrisi Italian Specialities Address: 250 Mulberry St. Phone: 212.965.0955 Website: http://www.piginahat.com/index.php Categories: Downtown, Casual Solo Dining: Yes Tip: Italian-American classics to take-out or eat-in by two accomplished, contemporary chefs. Word has quickly spread about this 18 seat restaurant's chicken parm hero and turkey sandwich. Degustation Address: 239 East 5th Street Phone: 212.979.1012 Website: No website Categories: Downtown, Adventurous Tip: Skip a la carte and go for the tasting menu: a New York bargain at 5-courses for $55. The tiny restaurant seats diners at a counter around an open kitchen -- dinner and a show. Shake Shack Address: 366 Columbus Ave. Phone: 212.889.6600 Website: http://shakeshack.com Categories: Gramercy/Flatiron, Casual, Outdoors Solo Dining: Yes Tip: Shack burgers, Chicago-style dogs and shakes are the draw at Danny Meyer's ode to summertime eats. Park yourself in the inevitable line -- locations in Madison Square Park, the Upper West Side and Citi Field triple your chances to satisfy crinkle-fry cravings. Death & Co. Address: 433 E. 6th St. Phone: 212-388-0882 Website: http://www.deathandcompany.com/lounge/ Categories: Downtown, Bar Tip: Cocktails are to die for at this East Village bar. Drinks like the Joy Division and the Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test sparkle amid the Gothic loveliness of this cocktail manor. Lombardi's Address: 32 Spring St Phone: 212-941-7994 Website: http://www.firstpizza.com Categories: Downtown, Casual Tip: The nation's first pizzeria doesn't accept reservations, but their wood-oven pies are worth the wait. Hill Country Address: 30 West 26th Street Phone: 212.255.4544 Website: http://www.hillcountryny.com/ Categories: Gramercy/Flatiron, Casual, Good for groups, Live music Tip: Boot scoot on over to Hill Country for some low and slow-smoked brisket, ribs and all the southern fixings. Save room for a PB & J cupcake. Everything's bigger in Texas so bring your appetite. Beacon Address: 25 W. 56th St. Phone: 212-332-0500 Website: http://www.beaconnyc.com/ Categories: Midtown, Eat at the bar Solo Dining: Yes Tip: This undersung Midtown gem boasts some of the city's greatest bar treats - woodfired pizza and serious cocktails. Lunch prix fixe is a steal. Sripraphai Address: 6413 39th Avenue Woodside, Queens Phone: (718) 899-9599 Website: http://www.sripraphairestaurant.com/ Categories: Queens, Adventurous Tip: Sure, it's a shlep from Manhattan (hop the 7-train to Woodside Ave.), but the papaya and catfish salad and fish maw soup are worth the journey for serious Thai devotees. Sushi Yasuda Address: 204 East 43rd Street Phone: (212) 972-1001 Website: http://www.sushiyasuda.com/ Categories: Midtown, Date night Solo Dining: Yes Tip: Oh, oh, the otoro! Opt for bar seating to watch the master prepare sumptuous fatty tuna, Arctic char and shockingly fresh urchin up close. Flatiron Lounge Address: 37 West 19th St. Phone: (212) 727-7741 Website: http://www.flatironlounge.com/ Categories: Gramercy/Flatiron, Date night, Bar Tip: Artful mixologists led by the fabulous Julie Reiner craft bygone cocktails and daily drink flights by hand in this lovely, Art Deco-influenced bar. Get there early. Han Bat Address: 53 West 35th Street Phone: (212) 629-5588 Website: No website Categories: Midtown, Late night Tip: Skip the late night slice and opt for bi bim bop and ox knee broth served 24/7 in the heart of NYC's Koreatown. Keens Steakhouse Address: 72 West 36th St. Phone: (212) 947-3636 Website: http://www.keens.com/ Categories: Midtown, Old New York Solo Dining: Yes Tip: In 1905, Lillie Langtry sued to be allowed access to the gents-only premises. Upon winning, she swept in and ordered the mutton chop. Follow her lead. Don't miss prime-rib hash and 200+ single malts. Hearth Address: 403 East 12th St. Phone: (646) 602-1300 Website: http://restauranthearth.com/ Categories: Downtown, Date night Tip: Chef Marco Canora's Italian-influenced American fare is inventive, hospitable and homey -- complemented by one of the most creative wine lists in town. WD~50 Address: 50 Clinton St. Phone: 212.477.2900 Website: http://www.wd-50.com/ Categories: Downtown, Adventurous Tip: Chef Wylie Dufresne deconstructs classic like eggs Benedict to re-imagine using high-tech "molecular gastronomy" techniques. Like Mama never made. Pegu Club Address: 77 W. Houston St., 2nd Floor Phone: (212) 473-7348 Website: http://www.peguclub.com Categories: Downtown, Bar Tip: Named for the Pegu Club cocktail, this romantic upstairs bar boasts classics and original inventions by mixologist Audrey Saunders. Nice Green Bo Address: 66 Bayard St. Phone: (212) 625-2359 Website: No website Categories: Downtown, Adventurous Solo Dining: Yes Tip: The bare-bones atmosphere and terse service aren't the draw; the turnip and ham pastries and sumptuous stewed pork balls surely are. Prune Address: 54 East 1st St. Phone: (212) 677-6221 Website: http://www.prunerestaurant.com/ Categories: Downtown, Killer brunch Tip: A wild Sunday brunch Bloody Mary menu and an omelet with a marrow bone side sates adventurous eaters. Spaghetti carbonara breakfast soothes damage from late night revels. Jimmy's Corner Address: 140 W. 44th St Phone: 212-221-9510 Website: No website Categories: Midtown, Dive bar Tip: a.k.a. The Boxing Bar. Jimmy Glenn's low-key joint is a longtime haven for thirsty locals in need of respite from Times Square tourists. Kabab Café Address: 25-12 Steinway St. Astoria Queens N/R to Astoria/Ditmars Blvd. Phone: 718-728-9858 Website: No website Categories: Queens, Adventurous Tip: This eclectically decorated cash-only café is home to Egyptian fare so soulful and sumptuous, it's not unusual to see patrons tearing up. Get the meze platter and let Chef Ali El Sayed select the rest of your meal for you.

Check out our favorites, from Katz's to Caracas . Visit Lombardi's, the nation's first pizzeria . Try the papaya and catfish salad at Sripraphai .

(CNN) -- From Singapore to Norway, there are plenty of reasons to plan your next trip around a fabulous hotel opening its doors next year. Here are 11 of them. The Reverie Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam) Opening: January 2015 . Part of the new Times Square building in Ho Chi Minh City's District 1, this lavish lodging doesn't cut corners. The 286 rooms and suites have been fitted out by four of Italy's finest interior designers and come with elaborate chandeliers, jeweled beds and velvet curtains. Cantonese food is dished up by a Michelin-starred chef, there's traditional Italian in a dining room named after Romeo and Juliet (R&J), a deli and one of the longest bar counters in HCMC (reportedly the length of a city block). You can arrive in one of the property's fleet of Rolls-Royce Phantom Dragons or, if you're short for time, chopper in -- the hotel has its own helipad. The Reverie Saigon, 22 Nguyen Hue, Ben Nghe, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam; +84 8 3920 9520 . Mama Shelter (Los Angeles) Opening: February 2015 . Philippe Starck may have been responsible for the design of existing properties in the Mama Shelter portfolio, but the French interiors celebrity passes the baton to Thierry Gaugain for the brand's Los Angeles property. Located in a 1923 building and one-time hotel in Hollywood (supposedly a favorite of Jimi Hendrix and Eva Gardner) the property's 70 rooms will feature the same design flair of sister properties across France and Turkey. Unfortunately, we'll have to take the company's word for it -- no photos have yet been released of the secretive new property. In addition to a ground-floor restaurant and bar, the hotel will offer dining and drinks on a rooftop patio. From here you'll enjoy unbroken vistas of the nightlife along Cahuenga Boulevard, the Hollywood ArcLight (one of the largest movie theaters in the city), Amoeba Music and, every Sunday, the Hollywood Farmers' Market, which is a block away on Selma and Ivar. Mama Shelter, 1557 Wilcox Ave., Los Angeles . Lizard Island (Great Barrier Reef, Australia) Opening: March 1, 2014 . Cyclone Ita devastated this petite Great Barrier Reef island when it hit in April 2014. Almost 12 months down the track, and following a massive rebuild and remodeling effort, the isle and its resort have set a re-opening date. From March, guests will have access to Lizard Island's understated, barefoot luxury once more, with new resort additions including a standalone two-bedroom suite, The Villa, which comes with its own plunge pool, wraparound deck, and views of the Coral Sea. The Pavilion now features a separate lounge offering ocean vistas, and the Sunset Point Villas now have more plunge pools. Inside are design nods to the reef, with an earth-tones palette complemented by pops of coral, blue and gold. A dedicated wine and cheese room has been added and the island's spa has been relocated and expanded to include a dedicated manicure and pedicure room. One thing that hasn't changed is the spectacular diving and snorkeling, with some of the world's most dazzling marine life steps from your room. Lizard Island, Lizard Island National Park via Cairns, Australia; +61 3 9426 7550 . Park Hyatt Zanzibar (Tanzania) Opening: March 2015 . The UNESCO World Heritage-listed Stone Town, the historic heart of the East African island of Zanzibar, offers a dramatic backdrop for the soon-to-open Park Hyatt Zanzibar. The rich culture and heritage of this Tanzanian island -- an important trading hub for spices during the 19th century -- is reflected in the hotel's design, with its 67 rooms spread over two buildings. One of them is the 17th-century Mambo Msiige, a beautiful Zanzibari mansion enveloping a peaceful courtyard and featuring intricate carvings. Oceanfront rooms and suites offer shimmering views of Dhow Harbour and the Indian Ocean, a view also found from the beach-side infinity pool. Other diversions range from an Anantara Spa to Zamani Residence, the hotel's restaurant designed to pay homage to a traditional family residence by allowing guests to enjoy meals in different areas, including a library with a veranda, the living room and the main dining room, with a terrace and residential-style kitchen. Park Hyatt Zanzibar, Shangani Street, Stone Town, Zanzibar, Tanzania; +255 24 223 1234 . Anantara Tangalle Resort & Spa (Tangalle, Sri Lanka) Opening: mid-2015 . One of two Anantara hotels opening on Sri Lanka's picturesque southern coast in 2015 (the other being the Anantara Kalutara Resort & Spa, welcoming guests from late 2015), Tangalle Resort & Spa sprawls over 18 hectares in Tangalle, a beach-side town around 80 kilometers east of the historic fortified city of Galle, and within easy reach of several national parks. Design is inspired by traditional Sri Lankan architecture, with high-pitched thatched roofs, local artwork and artifacts, hand-carved furniture and plenty of breezy open spaces dotting groves of coconut palms. The 152 guest rooms include 32 pool villas, which the hotel is billing as being the first of their kind in the country. Facilities include a selection of restaurants and bars and an Anantara Spa. Residences will be on offer for those who want to truly make the resort a home away from home. Anantara Tangalle Resort & Spa, Tangalle Bay, Sri Lanka . Patina, Capitol Singapore . Opening: mid-2015 . Patina Hotels & Resorts' flagship hotel is spectacular. The brainchild of Singapore's Kwee family -- who also own the city's Capella, Conrad, Regent and Ritz-Carlton hotels -- the Patina occupies two heritage-listed buildings: the Capitol Building and Stamford House. Part of a bigger redevelopment project transforming the old Capitol Movie Theatre, the 157-room hotel has two huge names attached to it: Pritzker Prize-winner Richard Meier and notable interior design company Jaya International Design, which conceptualized the beautifully laid out accommodations, including Wellness Suites and Art Suites. Other features range from a library-lounge and saltwater relaxation pool to a state of the art fitness center and signature restaurant and bar. Patina staff double as concierges -- a concept designed to tap into the creative skills of employees and have them provide personal experiences for guests. Patina, Capitol Singapore, 15 Stamford Road, Singapore . Four Seasons Hotel Seoul (South Korea) Opening: mid-2015 . South Korea's first Four Seasons hotel will blend traditional designs with ultra-modern trimmings. Occupying a new 25-story building in the CBD of Jong-gu, the hotel stands out for its prime location. Adjacent to Gwanghwamun, the main gate of Gyeongbok Palace and the historic districts of Jong-ro and Isadong, the Four Seasons is a great base from which to explore the Korean capital. The 317 rooms and suites showcase an earthy fusion of blonde wood, marble and local ceramics. Facilities include restaurants and saltwater pool. Meanwhile, another Four Seasons property is set to debut in the Moroccan city of Casablanca mid-year. Four Seasons Hotel Seoul, South Korea . Alila Seminyak (Indonesia) Opening: Q2 2015 . It turns out there's room to squeeze yet another hotel onto Bali. The latest luxury lodgings come courtesy of the Alila hotels group, which has four existing properties across the Indonesian island. This newcomer sits on a beach along Bali's southwest coast, a short walk from the bars, restaurants and busy shopping streets of Seminyak. Rooms and suites ring a pool -- one of three at the hotel -- that leads to the beach. An 811-square-meter penthouse comes with its own infinity pool and terrace, as well as three bedrooms, a living room and kitchen. Like other Alila properties, there's a strong environmental focus: buildings are laced with vertical rooftop gardens and green corridors link the four buildings. Recycled and reclaimed building materials are used throughout and rainwater harvesting and solar energy are employed to reduce the hotel's environmental footprint. Alila Seminyak, Jalan Taman Ganesha No. 9, Bali, Indonesia . SLS Park Avenue (New York) Opening: late 2015 . The third hotel in the SLS portfolio, joining properties in LA and South Beach, SLS Park Avenue has a perch that's hard to beat. Located at 444 Park Avenue in Manhattan's trendy NoMad neighborhood, it's a couple blocks from Central Park and the Museum of Modern Art. A celebrated creative team is behind the project, including visionary designer Philippe Starck, who was responsible for conceptualizing the 190 guest rooms and suites as well as a handful of restaurants and bars spanning the lobby and rooftop. While the design concept is yet to be announced, from what we've seen of the property it's clear that Starck is bringing his signature whimsy to the project, which includes a glamorous blend of gilding and mirrors and a moody color scheme with plenty of designer furniture. SLS Park Avenue, 444 Park Ave. S., New York . Lofoten Opera Hotel (Norway) Opening: late 2015 . The Lofoten archipelago is a dramatic union of soaring peaks, untouched beaches and sheltered bays. It's here that you'll soon find the Lofoten Opera Hotel, a property befitting its wild surroundings. Design firm Snohetta is behind the eye-catching building that cascades toward the sea and links the mountains and ocean. In addition to hotel rooms -- all of which will offer unbroken views thanks to the hotel's circular design -- the 11,000-square-meter site will be home to apartments, an amphitheater and spa. It's a far-flung corner of the world, but that's part of the appeal. The surrounding wilderness offers treks, kayaking and sailing, among other activities. Lofoten Opera Hotel, Lofoten, Norway . Ritz-Carlton, Langkawi (Malaysia) Opening: 2015 . Fringed by tropical rainforest, the Ritz-Carlton, Langkawi enjoys a private cove and beach overlooking the Andaman Sea on the island's southwest corner. The 132-room resort, including 42 villas, nods to traditional architecture: buildings reflect kampong village styles and classic interiorsl. The family-friendly property features three swimming pools, including one just for children, and there's also a Ritz Kids Club. While staff look after your young ones you can head to the spa, replete with a Turkish-style hammam. Restaurants reflect the diversity of local culture, with Malay, Chinese, Thai and Indian offerings -- plus French fine dining and an international beach grill. Ritz-Carlton, Langkawi, Malaysia .

SLS' third hotel will be located in New York's trendy NoMad neighborhood . Four of Italy's finest interior designers fitted out Ho Chi Minh City's Reverie Saigon with chandeliers and jeweled beds . Park Hyatt will be opening a 67-room hotel in the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Stone Town .

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Aid started flowing into Haiti Wednesday in the wake of the earthquake that slammed the impoverished nation late Tuesday afternoon. One of two military cargo planes carrying a 30-man assessment team arrived at Port-au-Prince airport Wednesday evening to assess Haiti's needs. One of the team's first jobs is to get the airport working to a point where it can handle flights from around the world filled with people and supplies to help the victims of the quake. In addition, a unit of U.S. Air Force Special Operations Forces left Hurlburt Field in Florida, with the unit including airmen, search-and-rescue experts and equipment to set up temporary air traffic control systems. A Canadian military plane was to depart Trenton, Ontario, laden with supplies at 2 a.m. Thursday. But the air space was not open to charitable organizations, said Franklin Graham, president of Samaritan's purse, which was planning to send charter planes loaded with supplies to Haiti Thursday morning. "I hope and pray that they will open that air space first thing in the morning," he told CNN. U.S. Embassy staff at the Port-au-Prince airport said the tower and the lights were working, U.S. State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley said; a CNN producer said the windows in the tower were broken. As the scope of the disaster began to come into focus, offers of help began pouring in. Crowley said the Netherlands, Iceland, Puerto Rico, Guyana, Brazil, Canada, Belize, Cuba, Morocco and France all had offered aid. Impact Your World: How you can help . The World Bank promised $100 million in emergency funds for recovery and reconstruction, subject to approval by the World Bank's board of directors. World Health Organization personnel were planning to depart Thursday morning for Haiti, where their priority was to identify hospitals functional enough to treat the injured and coordinating the international health response. After relief organizations found themselves tripping over one another following the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, they decided to coordinate their efforts with those of non-U.N. organizations in what is called the "U.N. Cluster System." In the system, WHO plays the lead coordinating role for health; the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees or the Red Cross does it for shelter; and the World Food Programme does it for food, according to Christy Feig, WHO's director of communications. Former U.S. President Bill Clinton, who in 1975 honeymooned in Haiti with the current secretary of state, Hillary Clinton, urged listeners to donate to http://www.clintonfoundation.org/haitiearthquake/. "Anybody who sends us money, we're just going to move it into those supplies quickly," he promised. He urged world leaders who have already made a commitment at a Clinton Foundation donors' conference to check to see whether they had fulfilled it. "Most countries are way behind on fulfilling it," he said. "They (Haitians) need your help now." He said that, after the 2004 Asian tsunami, Americans donated more than $1 billion, with a median contribution of $56, and half of the money came via the Internet. "Little donations can add up to big amounts," he said. "Five or ten dollars can make a huge difference. These people are just like you and they're hurting now." Search-and-rescue teams from cities in the United States headed to Haiti, with a team from Fairfax, Virginia, due to arrive Wednesday in Port-au-Prince, the State Department said. The U.S. Agency for International Development was expected to have an emergency response team on the ground Wednesday, Crowley said. The United States was also sending aid by ship, and the crew of the USNS Comfort has been ordered to report to the Navy hospital ship. The ship was expected to leave port in Baltimore within five days of receiving its orders, but it had not yet been ordered to deploy, Capt. John Kirby told CNN. It would take about five days to get to Haiti. The 7.0-magnitude earthquake struck southern Haiti late Tuesday afternoon, knocking down buildings and inflicting destruction and casualties yet to be tallied, given limited communications and emergency services in the Caribbean nation. Many other countries have also offered assistance: . • Brazil's Ministry of Defense ordered its troops in the country to offer whatever assistance they can, Brazil's official news agency reported. The South American nation has 1,266 troops -- including 250 in an engineering unit -- in Haiti as part of a United Nations stabilization force. • China was preparing to send a 50-member rescue team, including three sniffer dogs, the official news agency Xinhua reported. China has 125 peace-keeping police in Haiti, but no diplomatic ties with the country, Xinhua reported. • Spain was sending three planeloads of aid -- two from Panama in Central America and one from Madrid, the Spanish capital, CNN affiliate CNN+ reported. Spain was also making 3 million euros ($4.35 million) available for aid and will coordinate the European Union response. • France, Haiti's former colonial ruler, dispatched two planeloads of rescue personnel, one from Guadeloupe in the Caribbean and one from Marseilles, France. • Russia was sending a mobile hospital with a staff of 45, including 20 doctors, Emergency Situations Ministry spokeswoman Elena Chernova told CNN. The mobile hospital "has intensive therapy, surgery, diagnostics, ultra-sound, X-ray, electrocardiogram modules as well as a blood test laboratory," and can accommodate 50 patients at a time, she said. • Cuba sent an additional 30 doctors, plus medical supplies, to join the 344 doctors and paramedics it already had working throughout Haiti on humanitarian missions, said Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez. • Iceland was sending a 37-man search-and-rescue team and offered to help evacuate foreign nationals, its foreign ministry said. • Canada had a five-man team already in Haiti as part of the U.N. relief efforts there. All five were helping with the relief effort, Capt. Elizabeth Tremblay told CNN. • The United Kingdom and Israel also pledged to send survey teams. • Under a U.S. State Department program, individuals with U.S. cell phones can donate $10 to the Red Cross by texting "Haiti" to 90999. The State Department said Wednesday afternoon that the campaign had received nearly 83,000 hits. • Musician Wyclef Jean's Yele foundation is accepting $5 donations for texting the word "Yele" to 501501. Text the word "Haiti" to 25383 to donate $5 to the Internal Rescue Committee. The donations will appear on mobile phone bills, in addition to any charges for texting and data. • The Jolie-Pitt Foundation donated $1 Million to Doctors Without Borders for operations in Haiti. "It is incredibly horrible to see a catastrophe of this size hit a people who have been suffering from extreme poverty, violence and unrest for so many decades," said Angelina Jolie in a news release. The group, also called Medecins Sans Frontieres, said its medical teams have treated more than 1,000 people since the earthquake hit. Prior to the earthquake, its 800 staff members ran three hospitals in Port-au-Prince, but they were all badly damaged. Its teams have been operating out of open-air hospitals since Tuesday afternoon. The group was focusing on re-establishing surgical capacity to deal with crushed limbs and head wounds, said Paul McPhun, an emergency management expert for the organization, also known as Doctors Without Borders. • The United Nations was releasing $10 million from its Central Emergency Relief Fund (CERF), Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said. It was also mobilizing an emergency response team to coordinate relief efforts. • The American Red Cross promised $1 million in aid and said it was releasing enough supplies -- tarps, mosquito nets and cooking sets -- from its warehouse in Panama to meet the immediate needs of 5,000 families. • Islamic Relief USA, which describes itself as America's largest Muslim relief organization, announced it would fly $1 million in aid to Haiti in coordination with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. • The World Food Programme was airlifting 86 metric tons of food from its hub in El Salvador, enough for more than half a million meals, the agency said. The aid included ready-to-eat food and high-energy biscuits. • AmeriCares was sending $3 million in medical aid, including antibiotics, pain relievers, bandages and other supplies, plus relief workers to distribute the aid. It was also releasing 10,000 pounds of emergency relief and pledging $5 million in aid. • The U.S. Fund for UNICEF, the United Nations Children's Fund, said it had released $500,000 to assist the efforts of the 10 international staff and 34 national staff in its Port-au-Prince office. In Jacmel, southwest of the capital, thousands of people have sought shelter in camps set up by the government, UNICEF relief worker Guido Cornale told CNN. UNICEF is providing clean drinking water to the victims and has distributed 2,500 kitchen kits that can be used to set up kitchens in the camps. At least 1,000 people were to be fed a hot meal Wednesday night, Cornale said. • The United Nations Foundation committed $1 million to address the most urgent humanitarian and re-construction needs in Haiti, UNF Founder Ted Turner said in a statement. Turner founded CNN but is no longer associated with the network. • The World Health Organization was sending a 12-person team to Haiti to help with the medical response. • The International Rescue Committee was deploying its Emergency Response Team, focusing on critical medical, water and sanitation. • The Salvation Army was preparing to send a team from Florida that would include emergency disaster services personnel, including Haitian Salvation Army officers who speak Creole. The organization has more than 60 church/community centers on the island, it said. • Catholic Relief Services had 340 staff members already in Haiti, and pre-positioned supplies in the country. The group said it would also send staff members from its home office in Baltimore, Maryland, to the neighboring Dominican Republic. • National Nurses United issued an urgent call for registered nurse volunteers to provide assistance. • The International Monetary Fund was planning to "coordinate with other international agencies, and mobilize our assistance as quickly as possible," Managing Director Dominique Strauss-Kahn said in a statement. • Businesses pledging relief in amounts exceeding $500,000 included UPS, Google, Coca Cola, Lowe's, Bank of America Charitable Foundation, Wal-Mart and ConAgra Foods Foundation. The quake, centered about 15 kilometers (10 miles) southwest of Port-au-Prince, struck shortly before 5 p.m. Tuesday. Roads in Haiti were unsafe because of a lack of lighting and because many buildings had collapsed into the roads or were threatening to do so, said Ian Rodgers of the relief organization Save the Children. CNN's Elise Labott, Adam S. Levine, Shasta Darlington, Tom Watkins, Maxim Tkachenko, Per Nyberg, Edvige Jean-Francois, Deb Feyerick, Matt Smith, Mike Mount, Larry Shaughnessy, Khadijah Rentas and Pierre Meilhan contributed to this report.

NEW: Aid, search-and-rescue experts begin to reach Haiti . NEW: One of two military planes with 30-man team lands in Port-au-Prince to assess needs . World Bank promises $100 million in emergency funds for recovery and reconstruction . Former U.S. President Bill Clinton: [Haitians] "need your help now"

(CNN) -- Home to up to 10 percent of all known species, Mexico is recognized as one of the most biodiverse regions on the planet. The twin threats of climate change and human encroachment on natural environments are, however, threatening the existence of the country's rich wildlife. And there is a great deal to lose. In the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) World Conservation Monitoring Centre's list of megadiverse countries Mexico ranks 11th. The list represents a group of 17 countries that harbor the majority of the Earth's species and are therefore considered extremely biodiverse. From its coral reefs in the Caribbean Sea to its tropical jungles in Chiapas and the Yucatan peninsula and its deserts and prairies in the north, Mexico boasts an incredibly rich variety of flora and fauna. Some 574 out of 717 reptile species found in Mexico -- the most in any country -- can only be encountered within its borders. It is home to 502 types of mammals, 290 species of birds, 1,150 varieties of birds and 26,000 classifications of plants. Pronatura, a non-profit organization that works to promote conservation and sustainable development in Mexico, has selected six species which it says symbolize the problems faced by the destruction of nature. "These are only some of the species which have some degree of conservation," says Eduardo Cota Corona, Director of Conservation at Pronatura. "However, there is a countless number of species in Mexico which find themselves in danger of extinction." Golden Eagle . It is the country's national symbol yet the Golden Eagle is close to extinction in Mexico. One of the largest raptors or birds of prey in the world, the Golden Eagle's wingspan can reach lengths greater than two metres. Only the Bald Eagle and the California Greater exceed it in size in North America. With its powerful hooked bill and long and sharp claws it can sometimes capture prey of a size that is surprising for its size, including crane, wild ungulates and domestic livestock, though more often than not it tends to feed off small mammals such as rabbits, hares, ground squirrels and prairie dogs as well as reptiles and small-to-medium sized birds. Primarily a solitary bird, the Golden Eagle pairs up to breed, building nests made of dry branches in cliffs and escarpments. The female typically lays two eggs which are incubated by both the male and female. Usually, only one of the hatchlings survives. The Golden Eagle can be found in Asia and Europe and mainly in the western part of North America. It was common in Mexico but in recent years has become a rare sight. Its demise has been attributed to the destruction of its habitat and the elimination of its natural prey. Human activity, in the form of hunting, capturing and commercial sale have also contributed to its decline. Pronatura has lobbied for legal protection of this bird that forms part of Mexico's flag and has launched conservation projects in its natural habitat, such as in the Cumbres de Monterrey National Park and the Cuatro Ciénegas Biosphere Reserve. Gray Whale . Pachico Mayoral, a Mexican fisherman form Baja California, claims to be the first person to have a friendly encounter with a gray whale. Up until then this enormous cetacean -- an adult can reach a length of 16 meters and weigh in at 36 tons - had been known as the devil fish for its aggressive behavior when hunted. The main group of gray whales is found in the northeastern Pacific. Each year a herd of 25,000 whales sets out on what is believed to be the longest migration in the animal kingdom - 12,500 miles - between their feeding grounds in the Bering and Chukchi seas off Alaska and their breeding territory in the warmer waters of the lagoons of Baja California. Over its lifetime, it is estimated that an Eastern Pacific gray whale will travel the equivalent of a return trip to the moon. A smaller herd of about 300 gray whales can be found in the Western Pacific between Korea and the Kamchatka peninsula in Russia. Excessive hunting in the 19th century pushed the gray whale to the brink of extinction but protection mandated by the International Whaling Commission in 1946 and the declaration by the Mexican government of Laguna San Ignacio in 1972 as a Gray Whale refuge means that it is one of the few success stories. Pronatura and the Aztec foundation have raised nearly $4 million with which they hope to guarantee the protection of 20,000 hectares of the gray whale's habitat in Baja California and ensure its survival in the years to come. Jaguar . It may be top of the food chain but this doesn't guarantee the survival of the jaguar in Mexico. The largest cat in the Western Hemisphere (it's nearest rival is the puma), the jaguar can be found anywhere from the southern United States to as far south as northern Argentina. In Mexico, it can be found mainly in the tropical forests of Chiapas and the Yucatan peninsula. With its tawny yellow coat speckled with black rosette-like spots for camouflage, the jaguar resembles most the leopard of Africa, although it has a stockier build which makes it adept at climbing trees, stalking through undergrowth and swimming. The jaguar's list of prey is long: it can hunt anything from white-nosed coati to larger mammals such as deer. Its unique anatomy -- it has an unusually large head and powerful teeth in comparison to other big cats -- gives it an abnormally powerful bite, meaning that it can take on armoured reptiles such as caiman, crocodiles and tortoises, while it often bites through an animal's skull to inflict a killer blow to the brain. It plays an essential part in maintaining a balanced ecosystem by hunting species which would put local environments out of kilter if they were to become too abundant. The jaguar is an important symbol in local Mexican culture. The Mayans believed it was a messenger between the living and the dead and Mayan kings often incorporated the jaguar into their name, while an elite group of Aztec warriors were known as "Jaguar Knights'. In Mexico, the jaguar is a threatened species. Its decline is mainly due to the destruction of its natural habitat. For example, in the Ria Lagartos Biosphere reserve in northern Yucatyan state, Pronatura reports that only 20 percent of the original forest cover remains, the rest having been cleared for cattle-herding. Tourist development also plays its part; El Ocotal Natural Reserve, where cameras placed in the forest have captured images of six individual jaguars and pumas, is close to Mexico's tourism capital, Cancun. Pronatura estimates that if present conditions persist, the jaguar could become extinct in the northeastern part of the Yucatan within 30 to 40 years. Mexican Prairie Dog . Closely related to squirrels, chipmunks and marmots, the Mexican prairie dog is a burrowing mammal found in northeastern Mexico. It earnt its name from its distinctive call -- a mixture of barks and yips -- which is believed to be one of the most sophisticated languages in the animal world. The Mexican prairie dog feeds on the herbs and grasses of the plains of northeastern Mexico and lives in "towns" -- excavated colonies of up to 50 individuals which are ruled by a single alpha male. Listed as an endangered species since 1970, the prairie dog now occupies less than two percent of its former territory and can now only be found in southern Coahuila and northern San Luis Potosi -- an area of less than 500 square miles. While vulnerable to hunting from coyotes, bobcats, badgers and hawks, its largest threat is loss of habitat due to agricultural expansion. Mexican farmers have often viewed the prairie dog as a pest and it has often been hunted or poisoned. Pronatura Mexico fights for the legal protection of "Los Llanos de Tokio", an area of grassland in Nuevo Leon, San Luis Potosi and Coahuila and it has signed a conservation agreement with private land owners and ejidos (farming collectives) to protect 42, 000 hectares of land. Monarch Butterfly . Each year, between December and March, these orange and black-patterned butterflies, the size of an adult human hand, congregate in numbers of up to 250 million in a pine and oyamel tree forest in Michoacan in Central Mexico. They migrate approximately 3,000 miles from the border between northeastern United States and Canada and their gathering to breed in Mexico is considered one of the most extraordinary sights in the natural world. During its life cycle, which can be up to 20 weeks, the Monarch Butterfly goes through what is known as a complete metamorphosis, comprising four stages. From eggs laid by the female, a caterpillar is hatched. The caterpillar eats its own egg case and feeds off milkweed while storing energy in the form of fat and nutrients. It then spins a silk pad and hangs from a leaf or twig while it molts. Within its green exoskeleton, hormonal changes occur, converting the caterpillar into a butterfly. After two weeks a mature butterfly emerges. But in the last 20 years forest cover in its breeding habitat has decreased by an estimated 40 percent. Illegal logging, an increase in cases of forest fires and high levels of poverty in the region which put pressure on natural resources, have all contributed to a situation in which Pronatura believes the forest may disappear completely within 20 years. Pronatura and the non-profit organization The National Foundation for the Conservation of the Monarch Butterfly's Habitat have launched projects to promote sustainable development programs that help improve the quality of life of the inhabitants of the "El Chapulín" community and reduce the direct pressure on the natural resources. They also hope to reforest 30, 000 hectares of the Monarch Butterfly reserve with oyamel trees. Vaquita . The elusive vaquita ("little cow") or cochito ("little pig") is one of the smallest and most endangered cetaceans in the world. The only endemic marine mammal in Mexico, this porpoise can only be found in a small area in the upper Gulf of California and the Colorado River delta. The vaquita can grow up to 1.5 meters and closely resembles the harbor porpoise in life span and breeding habits. It feeds on small fishes and squids. Only 50 years ago the vaquita was unkown to science and yet it is now classed as "in critical danger of extinction" by the World Conservation Union. The vaquita is difficult to monitor because it often dives when it hears motor boats approaching but generous estimates place its population at 600. However, a recent study put the number as low as 150. With an estimated 39 to 54 dying every year as a result of by-catches, it seems only a matter of time before the vaquita disappears completely. Its main threat comes from gillnets -- highly effective fishing nets used to capture the totoaba, an enormous fish with high commercial value -- in which the vaquita gets caught up and drowns. In 1983 the Mexican government established the Upper Gulf of California Biosphere Reserve to protect them but it would seem that more stringent fishing laws must be implemented if the vaquita is to survive. E-mail to a friend .

Mexico hosts to up to 10 percent of all known species on Earth . It is home to 502 types of mammals, 290 bird species and 26,000 types of plants . Human development and climate change is placing a big strain on its biodiversity . The Golden Eagle is under threat in spite of being the country's national symbol .

(CNN) -- On the sweltering evening of April 12, 2009, as dusk deepened over the Indian Ocean, several hundred miles off the coast of Somalia, three shots rang out. All the bullets found their targets -- three Somali pirates in a small lifeboat bobbing on the darkening sea. For the past five days the pirates had taken hostage Richard Phillips, the American captain of the Maersk Alabama container ship. President Barack Obama had authorized the use of deadly force if Phillips' life was in danger. Unbeknownst to the pirates, days earlier a contingent from SEAL Team 6 had parachuted at night into the ocean near the USS Bainbridge warship, which was shadowing the pirates in their boat. The SEALs had taken up position on the fantail of the Bainbridge and were carefully monitoring Phillips while he was in the custody of the pirates. One of the pirates had just pointed his AK-47 at the American captain as if he were going to shoot him. That's when the SEAL team commander on the Bainbridge ordered his men to take out the pirates. U.S. terror raids: 2 operations. 2 outcomes. 5 questions . Three U.S. Navy SEAL sharpshooters fired simultaneously at the pirates from a distance of 30 yards in heaving seas at nightfall, killing them all. Obama called Vice Adm. William "Bill" McRaven, the leader of Joint Special Operations Command and of the mission to rescue Phillips, to tell him, "Great job." In the eyes of Hollywood at least, the American public can't get enough of these kinds of operations. "Captain Phillips," a movie starring Tom Hanks playing the rescued sea captain, will be in theaters on Friday. The flawless rescue of Philips was the first time that Obama, only three months into his new job, was personally exposed to the capabilities of America's "Quiet Professionals," as they sometimes refer to themselves. They are the secretive counterterrorism units of special operations, made up of units including the Navy's SEAL Team 6 and the Army's Delta Force, whose well-oiled skills Obama has come to rely upon increasingly with every passing year of his presidency. African raids . This was underlined over the weekend in Africa when operators from Delta and SEAL Team 6 carried out raids in Libya and Somalia -- more than 2,000 miles apart -- targeting a longtime alleged member of al Qaeda in the Libyan capital, Tripoli, and the leaders of one al Qaeda's affiliated groups in the Somali port of Barawe. In Tripoli, Delta operators seized Abu Anas al-Libi, who is wanted for his alleged role performing surveillance on the U.S. embassy in Nairobi, Kenya, which was destroyed by an al Qaeda truck bomb in 1998, while in Barawe SEAL Team 6 operators went ashore to attack a house frequented by commanders of Al Shabaab, the group that launched the attack on the mall in Nairobi two weeks ago where at least 67 people were killed. The Delta raid in Tripoli went off flawlessly, but the SEALs encountered heavy resistance in Barawe and the SEAL team retreated. Details of what exactly happened during the Somali operation are still murky. The two raids over the weekend show that President Obama remains very comfortable deploying special operations forces in countries the United States is not at war with as a means to combat terrorist groups, just as he is comfortable with the use of CIA drones for the same purpose in countries such as Pakistan and Yemen. For the White House, part of the appeal of special operations and drones is that they do not, of course, consume anything like the blood and treasure that are expended on conventional military operations such as the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Indeed, the SEALS have had considerable experience working in and around Somalia in recent years. Six months after the rescue of Phillips, Obama's national security team authorized a mission to take out Saleh Ali Saleh Nabhan, a leader of al Qaeda in Africa. Nabhan was killed by SEAL Team 6 in a helicopter raid on September 14, 2009, as he was driving south of the Somali capital, Mogadishu. The SEALs landed briefly to take Nabhan's body, and after they had confirmed his identity through DNA samples, he was buried at sea. U.S. official: Raid's target was Al-Shabaab foreign fighter commander . Home of SEAL Team 6 . It is quite challenging to enter the SEALs, but an even greater challenge is to be selected for the SEAL's premier counterterrorism force, the innocuously named Naval Special Warfare Development Group based at Dam Neck, Virginia, near the bustling resort town of Virginia Beach. It's known inside the military as "DevGru" and more popularly as "SEAL Team 6" and is an elite within the SEAL elite. The men of DevGru, around 250 in total, are battle-hardened and are usually in their mid-30s. DevGru is divided into squadrons that are named by color: Red, Blue and Gold are the assault squadrons, Grey handles vehicles and boats, and Black is the sniper team. These squadrons scout other SEAL teams, which number around 2,000 men, for those with the particular skills they need. DevGru's base at Dam Neck does not announce itself. Behind the high wire fence that seals the SEALs off from the rest of the world is a large dog pound where the highly trained dogs that accompany the men on their missions live. There is a giant wall to sharpen climbing skills and a hangar full of exceptionally fast boats. Other hangars house experimental Mad Max-like dune buggies suitable for driving in the deserts of the Middle East and weapons rooms loaded with exotic firearms. 'Somalia-ized' SEAL Team 6's greatest coup, of course, was the 2011 operation in Abbottabad, Pakistan, in which Osama bin Laden was killed. However, SEAL Team 6's integral role in the war against al Qaeda and its allies would not have been easy to predict before the 9/11 attacks. Just recall the debacle that has come to be known as "Blackhawk Down." In Mogadishu, Somalia, in early October 1993 a daytime helicopter assault -- by pilots of the Special Operations Air Regiment and elements of SEAL Team 6, Delta Force and the 75th Rangers -- to snatch Somali clan leaders who were attacking U.S. troops stationed in Somalia turned into a fiasco in which two Blackhawk helicopters were shot down by rocket propelled grenades. Eighteen American servicemen died. Scarred by Mogadishu, the Pentagon was resistant to using SEAL Team 6 and Delta to take on al Qaeda in Afghanistan once the terrorist group had rebased itself there in 1996. Indeed, after the 9/11 attacks, then-Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld was deeply frustrated that the first American boots on the ground in Afghanistan were from the CIA and not the highly trained counterterrorism units of SEAL Team 6 and Delta Force. On October 17, 2001, ten days after the U.S. campaign against the Taliban had started, Rumsfeld wrote a secret memo to Gen. Richard Myers, then-chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, expressing his irritation: "Does the fact that the Defense Department can't do anything on the ground in Afghanistan until CIA people go in first to prepare the way suggest that the Defense Department is lacking a capability we need? Specifically, given the nature of our world, isn't it conceivable that the Department (of Defense) ought not to be in a position of near total dependence on CIA in situations such as this?" Officials working for Rumsfeld commissioned Richard Shultz, an historian on special forces, to find out why special operations units were not deployed to hit al-Qaeda before the attacks on New York and Washington. After all, fighting terrorists was why these units were founded in the first place. Schultz concluded that in the years before 9/11 the senior officers at the Pentagon had become "Somalia-ized." Then-special operations boss Gen. Peter Schoomaker recalled, "Special operations were never given the mission. It was very, very frustrating. It was like having a brand-new Ferrari in the garage and nobody wants to race it because you might dent the fender." The attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon allowed Rumsfeld to push special operations to the center of the "Global War on Terrorism." And on September 6, 2003, Rumsfeld signed an order known as an "EXORD" that empowered Joint Special Operations Command to hunt al-Qaeda in as many as 15 countries. Wife: Captured 'most wanted terrorist' al Libi had left al Qaeda . Military's own army . In the decade after 9/11, JSOC became a small army within the military with its own drones, its own air force (known as the Confederate Air Force) and its own intelligence operations. The rise of JSOC was inextricably linked to the vision of Maj. Gen. Stanley McChrystal, a brilliant workaholic from a military family who was beloved by his men; during the Iraq War he who would go out with them on missions to capture/kill insurgents. It was McChrystal who took the special operations Ferrari out of the garage and drove it to become a killing machine of unprecedented agility and ferocity. JSOC went from mounting half a dozen operations a month in Iraq in the spring of 2004 to 300 a month by the summer of 2006. It was McChrystal's five-year command of JSOC between 2003 and 2008 that helped turn its core components of SEAL Team 6 and Delta into what is arguably the most agile and deadly force in history. One of the key officers under McChrystal was Bill McRaven, who took over command from McChrystal as head of JSOC when McChrystal went to take a senior job at the Pentagon. McRaven is a strapping, dark-haired, blue-eyed Texan in his mid-50s. In conversation as he chugs a Rip It -- a heavily caffeinated beverage popular with American soldiers in Afghanistan -- he speaks in well thought-out paragraphs, but he also peppers his speech with the occasional "doggone," as well as other, more robust swear words. A battle-hardened colleague says McRaven reminds him of the comic book superhero Captain America, while another says he "is reputed to be the smartest SEAL that ever lived. He is physically tough, compassionate and can drive a knife through your ribs in a nanosecond." Even as a three-star admiral, about once a month in Afghanistan, McRaven went out with his teams on snatch-and-grab missions. It was McRaven who planned the bin Laden raid down to the last details. Now he commands Special Operations Command, or SOCOM, which oversees special operations by the Navy, Army, Air Force and Marines. According to its mission statement, SOCOM's job is to "synchronize planning of global operations against terrorist networks." A sign of where the Obama administration is placing its bets about what it believes to be the future of warfare is that while there are major cuts planned for all four of the armed services, SOCOM is one of the few places in the military where the force is actually growing.

Peter Bergen: After 'Blackhawk Down' disaster, U.S. stopped relying on special forces . He says 9/11 led to renewed interest in using SEALs, other special forces . Bergen: Weekend's operations show Obama's continued support for special forces . 2009 rescue of U.S. merchant captain from pirates impressed Obama, he says .

(CNN Student News) -- March 6, 2009 . Quick Guide . Wasteful Spending? - Hear how wasteful spending has presented problems for U.S. presidents. Pet Benefits - Learn about some of the health benefits that come with owning a pet. Women's History Month - Celebrate Women's History Month with some famous firsts from the 1980s. Transcript . THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED. CARL AZUZ, CNN STUDENT NEWS ANCHOR: It's the most awesome day of the week! Thank you for spending part of it with CNN Student News. I'm Carl Azuz. We're starting things off with a look at the headlines. First Up: Top Stories . AZUZ: President Obama is calling for a massive overhaul of the country's health care system. At a summit on the issue yesterday, he called rising medical costs "one of the greatest threats" to American families and to the U.S. economy. An estimated 46 million Americans currently don't have health insurance. Among the changes he's pushing for, President Obama wants to create a health care reserve fund that would help move the country closer to universal coverage. Former First Lady Barbara Bush is expected to make a full recovery following heart surgery earlier this week. The wife of the 41st president and mother of the 43rd was diagnosed with the heart condition less than a week before Wednesday's operation. Doctors say the procedure went smoothly and they expect Mrs. Bush to be out of the hospital in about a week. And Wall Street is back on that roller coaster ride. After gaining a bit on Wednesday, the Dow Jones headed in the opposite direction yesterday. The economic indicator dropped 281 points and finished the day at its lowest level since 1997. Word to the Wise . ERIC NIVISON, CNN STUDENT NEWS: A Word to the Wise... earmark (noun) in a legislative bill, an earmark is something that is set aside for a specific use . source: www.dictionary.com . Wasteful Spending? AZUZ: There's a bill making its way through Congress right now that includes more than 8,000 earmarks! The president of a group called Taxpayers for Common Sense says these things aren't necessarily good or bad, it's the process that's problematic. President Obama has vowed to cut down on earmarks and wasteful spending, and as Jason Carroll tells us, he's not the first president to try. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) JASON CARROLL, CNN REPORTER: One might think Democrats and Republicans don't have much in common, but they do: a shared history of wasteful government spending. Remember the '80s and those military contracts that had the government shelling out $435 dollars for a hammer, $640 for a toilet seat? That type of spending stopped, but over the years, the waste has not. BRIAN RIEDL, THE HERITAGE FOUNDATION: Every president since Ronald Reagan has promised his own crackdown on waste, fraud and abuse, and none have been particularly successful. CARROLL: True, promises have been made. FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH: So, let us work together to reform the budget process and cut the number and cost of earmarks at least in half. CARROLL: Presidents have tried to carve the fat when they found it. FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT BILL CLINTON: There was $1 million to study stress in plants, and $12 million for a tick removal program that didn't work. CARROLL: Now, it's President Obama's turn. U.S. PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA: The American people's money must be spent to advance their priorities, not to line the pockets of contractors or to maintain projects that don't work. CARROLL: Even as the president has promised to save taxpayers $40 billion a year, the stop-gap spending bill currently making its way through Congress has come under attack for having the same type of wasteful spending president Obama wants to eliminate. According to the citizens watchdog group Taxpayers for Common Sense, it includes nearly $1.8 million for pig odor research in Iowa, another million for cricket control in Utah. President Obama says his plan will save taxpayers money by not outsourcing services the government can do, ending no-bid contracts that have led to abuses in the past, and strengthing oversight to help maximize accountability. But still, some consumer groups and critics question what incentive there is in President Obama's plan for lawmakers to change their old ways. TOM SCHATZ, CITIZENS AGAINST GOVERNMENT WASTE: It's a full-time job requiring the attention of every secretary and every appointee and every agency, because the individuals that are involved in those systems don't always have an incentive to change them . (END VIDEO CLIP) Pet Benefits . AZUZ: Shifting now from politics to pets. If you've been pushing your parents to get you a dog or cat, you might want to show them this next report. Pet owners do a lot for their animals. But according to some scientists, those furry friends are doing something good for us, too: improving our health! Judy Fortin dives into the details. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) JUDY FORTIN, CNN HEALTH REPOTER: People tend to dote on their pets. They groom them, even dress them, and spend a lot of time walking them. JENNIFER ECKERSON, PET OWNER: We walk 5, 6, 7 days a week, 30 minutes every day at least. FORTIN: Jennifer Eckerson's dog Rosco gets her up and out of bed almost every morning. Dr. Edward Creagan says owning a pet can be a prescription for good health. DR. EDWARD CREAGAN, MAYO CLINIC ONCOLOGIST: Many times, I will put on a prescription pad: one cat, one dog, indefinite refills. FORTIN: Creagan adds there is evidence to back the claims. CREAGON: Studies have shown that individuals who have pets have lower blood pressure, they have a decrease in a stress hormone which is called cortisol, and they have a higher level in their blood stream of feel-good hormones. FORTIN: Creagan says companionship is good for everyone. ECKERSON: He doesn't know if you've had a bad day, he doesn't know, uh, he's just happy to see you no matter what. FORTIN: Unconditional love with the added benefit of good health. Yet another reason to enjoy the company of man's, or in this case, woman's best friend. (END VIDEO CLIP) Blog Report . AZUZ: I gotta get up early this Sunday morning, and you should too! Check out our new segment: "Extra Credit!" It airs at 8:45 a.m. ET on CNN, and we're planning to feature some of your blog comments. While we're on the subject: Melissa says she admires McKay Hatch, the student who started the No Cussing Club, for trying to get people to stop swearing. "It's a nasty habit that some find hard to break." But Kate wrote, "I think that a club about that seems pretty silly. You'll hear the words in life no matter what." When we put today's show together, about 59% of you had said you could completely stop cussing; 41% said you couldn't. Michael writes, "I could stop cussing if I really wanted to, but why would I? I am completely comfortable with the words and I believe I have a right to use those words." A lot of you mentioned peer pressure. Harry says, "I support Hatch's ideas and I want to join the No Cussing Club, unless my friends think I'm weird." Shoutout . NIVISON: Today's Shoutout goes out to Mr. Patty's World Geography classes at Central High School in Keller, Texas. How many female justices have served on the U.S. Supreme Court? If you think you know it, shout it out! Is it: A) Four, B) Three, C) Two or D) One? You've got three seconds -- GO! Two women have served on the country's highest court: Sandra Day O'Connor and Ruth Bader Ginsburg. That's your answer and that's your Shoutout! Women's History Month . AZUZ: March is Women's History Month. We're celebrating the event on our show and online. You can check out our One-Sheet and Learning Activities at CNNStudentNews.com. To kick off our coverage, we're looking back a couple decades to honor some famous firsts from the 1980s, starting with one of the women we mentioned in that Shoutout. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) MICHELLE WRIGHT, CNN STUDENT NEWS: Sandra Day O'Connor is known for her sharp questioning from the bench, especially when she served for 24 years as justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. At the height of her career as a judge, President Ronald Reagan nominated her to fill an open seat on the nation's highest court, and in September 1981, O'Connor was sworn in as its first female justice. O'Connor attended Stanford University, as did Sally Ride. But it was Ride who received her undergraduate and doctorate degrees in physics. While studying for her Ph.D in 1978, Ride was selected for the NASA astronaut training program. On June 18, 1983, she became the first American woman in space, an experience she later described as "the most fun I'll ever have in my life." Back on Earth, Joan Benoit Samuelson gained stardom as a pioneer of women's marathoning. She won the Boston Marathon in 1979 and again four years later. But in 1984, at the age of 26, Samuelson became the first woman to win a gold medal in an Olympic marathon. A year later, she received a prestigious award as the nation's finest amateur athlete. Another noted female athlete is Ann Bancroft. Her rise to stardom came from her passion for the wilderness. After 56 days by sled and on foot, Bancroft and her teammates arrived at the North Pole in 1986. But Bancroft was the first woman to do it. And she led the first American women's team on the 660-mile expedition to the South Pole. Honoring achievements from the 1980s this Women's History Month. (END VIDEO CLIP) Before We Go . AZUZ: And finally, do you want to bolt down the hall when the final bell rings? Apparently, so does this guy. The deer broke into First Flight Middle School recently, and then just broke into flight down the hallway. The speedy scene was caught on security camera. And what's awesome is that Mrs. Blackstock submitted it as an iReport specifically because her students thought it would make a great Before We Go. Goodbye . AZUZ: We "deer" say that they were right. Remember to set your clocks ahead for daylight-saving this weekend, and watch for our "Extra Credit!" segment Sunday morning on CNN. For CNN Student News, I'm Carl Azuz.

Hear how wasteful spending has presented problems for U.S. presidents . Learn about some of the health benefits that come with owning a pet . Celebrate Women's History Month with some famous firsts from the 1980s .

(CNN Student News) -- October 22, 2009 . Quick Guide . Afghan Runoff Problems - Assess the problems that Afghanistan faces in assembling a runoff election. H1N1 Response - Find out how public settings help germs spread from person to person. College Costs - Examine the rising costs of college and how some students are paying tuition. Transcript . THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED. CARL AZUZ, CNN STUDENT NEWS ANCHOR: On HLN, online, on iTunes. However you're watching us, thanks for checking out CNN Student News. Bringing you today's headlines, I'm Carl Azuz. First Up: Terror Charge . AZUZ: First up, authorities have charged a man in Massachusetts with planning to provide material support to terrorists overseas. The U.S. attorney for Massachusetts says Tarek Mehanna tried to get training from the Taliban and hoped to attack members of the U.S. government. The official added that those people were never in any danger. The U.S. attorney claims that Mehanna, who you see in this file video, was involved in this conspiracy that lasted for about seven years. If he's convicted on the material support charge, Mehanna could face up to 15 years in prison. TARP Report . AZUZ: A new report says last year's $700 billion could cost the government more than just money. Neil Barofsky, who oversees the program for the Treasury Department, says it could damage the government's reputation with taxpayers, and there's also a risk of rewarding companies that took big chances. The Troubled Asset Relief Program, or TARP, was passed following last year's financial crisis. Its goal was to help struggling banks and companies. So far, about 17 percent of the loans that were given out as part of TARP have been repaid. IAEA Talks . AZUZ: Iran has signed off on an agreement to send some of the uranium it makes to other countries for further enrichment. This was the result of talks between Iran, the U.S., France, Russia and the International Atomic Energy Agency. Iran says part of the reason it accepted the deal was to prove that its nuclear activities are only for peaceful purposes. Other nations have accused the Middle Eastern country of trying to develop nuclear weapons. Afghan Runoff Problems . AZUZ: President Obama says that the U.S. will continue to work with the Afghan government no matter who wins that country's runoff election next month. As we told you about yesterday, the leading candidates from August's election are going to take part in the runoff on November 7th. But as Chris Lawrence explains, there are some potential problems in putting together an election that soon. (BEGIN VIDEO) CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Afghanistan is trying to pull off an election on little more than two weeks' official notice. And these are the problems it's facing: logistics, lack of awareness, fraud and fear. DR. ABDULLAH ABDULLAH, AFGHANISTAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: The people of Afghanistan were threatened. They lost their fingers in the last round of elections. LAWRENCE: Ink-stained fingers were proof of voting, which made them targets of the Taliban. But a U.S. defense official says there are more American and Afghan troops in place now than in August. And a U.N. official says they're reducing the number of polling stations so security teams won't be spread so thin. On Thursday, the U.N. is launching TV and radio spots, trying to make voters aware there is another election. It's not a given that people know; less than 30% of Afghans can read. A high turnout and a safe election. Those are fine goals for politicians and officials to have. But what about the Afghan people, the ones who may be risking their lives to come out again to cast their vote? We found mixed opinions in this crowded Kabul market. MAN ON THE STREET: We want to build up our country. So despite the problems, I will go to vote in the next election. LAWRENCE: Officials threw out more than a million votes because of suspected fraud. And now, a European Union official says there will be far fewer election monitors for the runoff because the EU can't deploy them all on such short notice. LAWRENCE: Do you trust that your vote will be counted fairly? HABIB HAKIM, KABUL RESIDENT: Uhhh, I don't think so. LAWRENCE: And Habib Hakim can't see how President Karzai or his challenger will improve security. HAKIM: And I'm not sure Dr. Abdullah Abdullah will be able to stop the insurgency in Afghanistan, or at least to limit the level of insurgency in Afghanistan. LAWRENCE: At the least, they want to limit the reach of that insurgency on election day. Chris Lawrence, CNN, Kabul. (END VIDEO) Shoutout . RICK VINCENT, CNN STUDENT NEWS: Time for the Shoutout! Who is the U.S. secretary of Health and Human Services? If you think you know it, shout it out! Is it: A) Kathleen Sebelius, B) Thomas Vilsack, C) Janet Napolitano or D) Timothy Geithner? You've got three seconds -- GO! Kathleen Sebelius heads up the Health and Human Services Department, which is responsible for protecting Americans' health. That's your answer and that's your Shoutout! H1N1 Response . AZUZ: And that puts Secretary Sebelius in charge of the U.S. response to H1N1. Sebelius, who was recently treated for skin cancer above her eye, talked to a Senate committee yesterday about some of the differences between H1N1 and the seasonal flu. U.S. SECRETARY OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES KATHLEEN SEBELIUS: Half the hospitalizations for flu-like illness are for people under the age of 25; very different picture than seasonal flu. Nearly 90 percent of the deaths from H1N1 are among people under 65. Again, a very different picture than seasonal flu, where 90% of the deaths year in and year out are for Americans over the age of 65. AZUZ: The World Health Organization has classified H1N1 as a pandemic because of how far this thing has spread around the world. CNN's Senior Medical Correspondent Elizabeth Cohen shows us how germs like the H1N1 virus can transfer from person to person. (BEGIN VIDEO) ELIZABETH COHEN, SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Let's pretend that you and I are going to get on the subway. We stand in line at this kiosk, and let's say I'm sick. I go like this, I touch this, you're right behind me, now it's your turn. DR. RHONDA MEDOWS, GEORGIA DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY HEALTH: And I'm not so happy with you right now. What happens is, and commonly it happens every single day, is that people who have different illnesses, different symptoms, coughing, sneezing, runny nose, sinus infections, whatever, do the same thing you just did without even thinking about it. H1N1 virus can live on an inanimate object for 2-8 hours. This is a virus that our bodies have never seen before, so all those people who have touched it, if they have H1N1, they have no immunity and neither do you. And this is where the adventure actually starts . COHEN: So, we are now standing behind a whole bunch of people. If one of them were sick and sneezed, could we get sick? MEDOWS: Yes, we can. COHEN: Even at this distance? MEDOWS: It's less than six feet. So that spray, the air droplet spray, could actually come into your being. You're inhaling, you're breathing respiratory droplets. (END VIDEO) No More Fountains . AZUZ: A few moments ago you heard Secretary Sebelius mention it. The H1N1 virus seems to be affecting large numbers of people your age. In order to keep it from spreading, some schools have temporarily shut down, while one Kansas school district is planning to shut down drinking fountains. Students are being urged to bring their own water to class. School officials are even propping doors open to try and keep the handles and the students germ free. Word to the Wise . TOMEKA JONES, CNN STUDENT NEWS: A Word to the Wise... tuition (noun) a charge or fee for instruction, specifically at a private school, college or university . source: www.dictionary.com . College Costs . AZUZ: You know you have to pay tuition when you go to college. But universities get money from alumni and states as well. And when that money decreases, due to a recession, for example, the tuition you pay can increase. For a lot of people, what you can afford is a big part of determining where you're gonna go. And right now, tuition costs are higher than ever. (BEGIN VIDEO) AZUZ: Higher education is coming with a higher price tag. Unlike housing in America, college is a serious seller's market. PATRICK CALLAN, NATIONAL CENTER FOR PUBLIC POLICY & HIGHER EDUCATION: Both the cost and price of higher education have gone up faster than almost anything else in the American economy for 25 years. AZUZ: So, how much money are we talking? According to a new survey by the College Board, if you're planning to go to a public, four-year university in your own state, you're looking at a 6.5 percent increase to around $7,000 dollars per year just for tuition and fees. Public schools in another state: 6.2 percent increase, or more than $18,500 tuition. Private schools: 4.4 percent increase, more than $26,000 per year, tuition. I keep saying "tuition" because room and board in each of these categories is also going up, making the yearly totals even more expensive. There is a silver lining, though. About two-thirds of full-time students are getting help in the form of financial aid. And that doesn't have to be paid back. Fine. But what about the third that doesn't get financial aid? Student loans often come into play here, and not surprisingly, borrowing went up five percent for the '08-'09 academic year. (END VIDEO) Before We Go . AZUZ: Before we go today, we're talking about video games. They're not just for young people. This bowling tournament is strictly for seniors and it's all about the Wii. About 600 older rollers took to the virtual lanes at this tournament recently in Texas. The goal of these gamers wasn't just to set a world record -- which they did. The event was also designed to encourage seniors to stay fit in order to avoid injuries. Goodbye . AZUZ: Plus, it looks like everyone had a Wii-ly good time. Aw yeah, that's how we roll. For CNN Student News, I'm Carl Azuz.

Assess the problems that Afghanistan faces in assembling a runoff election . Find out how public settings help germs spread from person to person . Examine the rising costs of college and how some students are paying tuition .

(CNN Student News) -- October 29, 2009 . Download PDF maps related to today's show: . • Peshawar, Pakistan • Washington, D.C. • Kennedy Space Center . Transcript . THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED. MANDY CARRANZA, CNN STUDENT NEWS ANCHOR: Today marks a milestone for the stock market, one that most people probably don't want to celebrate. We'll explain why in a bit. Hi, everyone. Sitting in for Carl Azuz, I'm Mandy Carranza. First Up: Peshawar Blast . CARRANZA: First up, officials in Pakistan are speaking out against the most violent attack to strike the country this year. It happened yesterday in the city of Peshawar, when a car bomb exploded in a busy marketplace that's popular with women. More than a hundred people were killed by the blast and at least 200 others were injured. The bomb sparked fires that quickly spread through nearby fabric stores. The attack happened just hours after Secretary of State Hillary Clinton arrived in Pakistan to take part in meetings about the nation's fight against the Taliban. She issued a challenge to the people responsible for yesterday's violence. HILLARY CLINTON, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: If the people behind these attacks were so sure of their beliefs, let them join the political process. Let them come forth to the people of Pakistan in this democracy and make their case that they don't want girls to go to school; that they want women to be kept back; that they believe that they have all the answers and that the rest of us who are people of faith have none. Hate Crimes Law . CARRANZA: Back in Washington, President Obama has signed a law that makes it a federal crime to assault someone because of his or her sexual orientation. The new legislation was included in a defense spending bill and it expands on the government's existing hate crimes law. Some critics of the expanded law argue that it's not necessary to specify one particular group. They believe the existing hate crimes law protected people based on their sexual orientation. There's also some concern that the law could be used against people who may say something controversial, although government officials say it will only be used in the case of violent acts. Congressional Gold Medal . CARRANZA: And President Obama took part in another ceremony yesterday, this one honoring Edward Brooke, who you see there on the right. He was the first African-American elected to the U.S. Senate by popular vote. And yesterday, Mr. Brooke was awarded a Congressional Gold Medal, Congress' highest civilian honor. Brooke served as a Republican Senator from Massachusetts from 1967 to 1979. During yesterday's ceremony, President Obama said Brooke ran for office in order to bring people together who had never been together before. And former Senator Brooke had a similar message yesterday as he urged political leaders to put politics aside and come together. Shoutout . BRENDAN GAGE, CNN STUDENT NEWS: Today's first Shoutout goes out to Mrs. Sherrill's 2nd period journalism class at Riverside High School in Greer, South Carolina. Mars is the Roman god of war. Who is his Greek counterpart? If you think you know it, shout it out! Is it: A) Ares, B) Athena, C) Apollo or D) Zeus? You've got three seconds -- GO! Ares is the god of war in Greek mythology. That's your answer and that's your Shoutout! Ares Launch . CARRANZA: And now, Ares might help people reach Mars. Huh? We're talking about NASA and its Constellation program, which includes the new Ares I-X rocket. That's the one. After several days of delays due to bad weather, a test flight of the new Ares rocket launched yesterday, climbing 24 miles above the Earth. According to NASA, this is the largest rocket in the world. The craft is scheduled to replace the space shuttle, and might one day take astronauts to the moon, Mars and beyond. Before yesterday's launch, John Zarrella checked in with a preview of NASA's new program. (BEGIN VIDEO) JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: On launch pad A, the space shuttle. It is the present and soon to be the past. On pad B, the Ares I-X rocket; the future, maybe. Built to replace the retiring shuttle fleet, Ares would be the first vehicle since the Apollo years to take humans out of low Earth orbit, perhaps to Mars. CHARLIE PRECOURT, VICE PRESIDENT, ALLIANT TECHSYSTEMS: It behooves us to build an architecture that can serve a multitude of missions for those next 50-plus years. And that's where this was first envisioned, was to think about space station, lunar, asteroids, beyond. ZARRELLA: The White House has still not decided whether Ares, built with a budget as thin as the rocket itself, should be the shuttle's replacement. NASA and the rocket's developers have pressed ahead. The pressure is enormous. Over the summer, the rocket segments were put together in the vehicle assembly building. The upper part of the rocket is made up of dummy segments designed to mimic the real deal. The lower stage of four segments of solid rocket will burn for two minutes, producing 3 million pounds of thrust. The entire vehicle is filled with a web of 711 sensors. JOE OLIVA, ARES I-X PROGRAM MANAGER: The goal of an early flight test is to get the test off early enough that you can actually use that data to influence and make course corrections, if you will, to the design on the full vehicle. ZARRELLA: But course corrections might cause further delays. The first flight with humans sitting in a capsule on top of the rocket won't take place until 2015, at the earliest. At least five years after the last space shuttle flight. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Booster ignition, liftoff of space shuttle Discovery! (END VIDEO) Shoutout Extra Credit . TOMEKA JONES, CNN STUDENT NEWS: Time for a Shoutout Extra Credit! Wall Street's infamous "Black Tuesday" happened in what year? You know what to do. Was it: A) 1929, B) 1953, C) 1987 or D) 2008? Another three seconds on the clock --- GO! October 29, 1929 is referred to as Black Tuesday. That's your answer and that's your Shoutout Extra Credit! Black Tuesday . CARRANZA: Do the math, and that means that today is the 80th anniversary of Black Tuesday. It's called that because on that day in 1929, the Dow Jones Industrial Average, which gives an idea of how the whole stock market is doing, dropped nearly 13 percent. It became the most famous stock market crash in U.S. history. And many experts point to it as the start of the Great Depression, a global economic slump that would last almost a decade. Richard Roth takes a look back at that fateful day. (BEGIN VIDEO) RICHARD WARSHAUER, WALL STREET AFICIONADO: This is where everything started. And for centuries, this is where everything happened. RICHARD ROTH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The Crash. No, not last year's stock market plunge, but the Great Crash. It all went down 80 years ago this week. WARSHAUER: 1929 was the greatest fall in the Dow Jones over a two-day period. In today's terms, it would be like a 2,200-point drop. ROTH: Richard Warshauer and lifelong friend Jim Kaplan give tours every anniversary of the Great Crash. JIM KAPLAN, WALL STREET AFICIONADO: This whole area was filled with people who had come down to see what was going on. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The tremendous crowds which you see gathered outside the stock exchange are due to the greatest crash in the history of the New York Stock Exchange in market prices. ROTH: Quite a shock, especially because the Friday before, following a large drop, newspapers proclaimed the stock market crisis was over. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: But in October 1929, the Wall Street bubble burst. ROTH: The historic collapse was just starting, eventually leading, many believe, to the Great Depression. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And then it actually loses 89 percent of that value in the stock market crash in 1929. ROTH: At the Museum of Finance on Wall Street, a ticker-tape machine from the crash days. The end of a mania for stocks based on easy credit. RICHARD SYLLA, ECONOMICS PROFESSOR AND HISTORIAN: It's leverage. I mean, we learned in the latest financial crisis that firms and individuals can take on too much leverage. That's exactly what they did in the 1920s. ROTH: A familiar replay to someone born during the crash years. HILDA HEIN, MUSEUM VISITOR: It did have the smell of the same thing happening again. ROTH: The crash experts say a famous story is true. At the market's peak, tycoon Joseph Kennedy, patriarch of the Kennedy clan, hearing stock tips from a shoeshine man and selling stocks short, making a fortune. Do you give out stock tips to anyone, like the famous shoeshine man of 1929? LINWOOD HARRIS, SHOESHINE MAN: No, I don't. No, I don't. ROTH: But he did shine the shoes of Kennedy's grandson, John Kennedy Jr. Linwood says he is the last shoeshine man left on Wall Street. I really had a bad year in the market, so I can't pay you right now, but I'm -- no, I'm going to pay you. Richard Roth, CNN, New York. (END VIDEO) Promo . CARRANZA: You've probably noticed that Carl is off this week. But before he left, he broke out the video camera and talked to some of his co-workers about why they enjoy working at CNN Student News. You can check out their responses in the newest video on our Facebook page. Find it at Facebook.com/cnnstudentnews. Before We Go . CARRANZA: Before we go, Halloween always brings out some interesting activities. Like Colorado's annual coffin race! At least, that's what these are supposed to be. They look more like man-powered go karts. Either way, the event seems to be a crowd pleaser. Basically, the boxes are put on wheels, and then contestants tear down a track that's nearly two football fields long! Of course, the coffin race is part of a seasonal festival... Goodbye . CARRANZA: ...so it's just about fun. There are no grave consequences. We hope to see you again tomorrow as we wrap up the week. For CNN Student News, I'm Mandy Carranza.

Hear one official's challenge to militants after violent attacks in Pakistan . Launch into the details of NASA's new space program and its Ares rocket . Look back at a day that many point to as the start of the Great Depression . Use the Daily Discussion to help students understand today's featured news stories .

(CNN) -- North Korea's longtime leader Kim Jong Il, the embodiment of the reclusive state where his cult of personality is deeply entrenched, has died. He was believed to be 69. Regarded as one of the world's most-repressive leaders, Kim Jong Il always cut a slightly bizarre figure. His diminutive stature and characteristically bouffant hair have been parodied by some in the West. "He's a mysterious person -- I think by design," said Han S. Park, director of the Center for the Study of Global Issues at the University of Georgia and a frequent visitor to North Korea. "Mystery is a source of leverage and power. It's maintaining uncertainty." But for the citizens of his Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Kim was well regarded. This Just In: Up-to-the-minute news on the death of Kim Jong Il . His father, Kim Il Sung, founded North Korea with Soviet backing after World War II. Kim Jong Il was just a little boy when the Communist North invaded the American-backed South, sparking the Korean War in 1950. After the fighting ended, Kim became steeped in his father's philosophy of "juche" or self-reliance -- the basis of North Korea's reclusive nature. North and South Korea never formally signed a peace treaty and remain technically at war -- separated by a tense demilitarized zone. North Korea gives Kim's official birthplace as sacred Mount Paektu. The peak, on the northern border with Chinese Manchuria, is the highest on the peninsula and the site where Korean legend says the nation came into existence 5,000 years ago. Cause of death reported to be "overwork" Researchers who are more objective place Kim's birth in the Far Eastern region of the Soviet Union on February 16, 1942. His father had fled to the Soviet Union when the Japanese put a price on his head for guerrilla activities in occupied Korea. The family returned to the northern part of the peninsula after the Japanese surrender in World War II, and Soviet dictator Josef Stalin anointed Kim Il Sung as the leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. Timeline: Kim Jong Il . Kim Jong Il's younger brother drowned as a child and his mother died when he was 7 years old. Shortly after, when the Korean War broke out , he was sent to Manchuria, returning three years later when it ended. Despite these hardships, Kim Jong Il was presumably surrounded by luxury and privilege for most of his upbringing. As the first-born son of an iron-fisted dictator, "the doors were likely opening for him from a very young age," according to Dae-sook Suh, a professor of political science at the University of Hawaii who specializes in the Pyongyang government. TIME: The iconography of Kim Jong Il . Gradually Kim Jong Il was groomed for the top position, making public appearances in front of cheering crowds. In 1980, Kim Il Sung formally designated his son as his successor. Kim Jong Il was given senior posts in the Politburo, the Military Commission and the Party Secretariat. He took on the title "Dear Leader" and the government began spinning a personality cult around him patterned after that of his father, the "Great Leader." In 1991, Kim Jong Il became commander-in-chief of North Korea's powerful armed forces, the final step in the long grooming process. Three years later, when Kim Il Sung died suddenly from a heart attack at 82, most outsiders predicted the imminent collapse of North Korea. The nation had lost its venerated founding father. Just a few years earlier, its powerful alliances had evaporated with the fall of the Soviet bloc and China's move toward a market-based system. The economy was on the rocks and energy and food were in short supply. A series of weather disasters, combined with an inefficient state-run agricultural system, further eroded the food supply, leading to mass starvation. The timing could not have been worse for replacing the only leader North Korea had known. "Heaven didn't smile on Kim Jong Il," said the University of Hawaii's Dae-sook Suh. After his father's elaborate public funeral, Kim Jong Il dropped out of sight, fueling rumors, but he soon managed to consolidate power. Zakaria: Will the North Koreans rise up? Under his newly organized government, his father's presidential post was left vacant and Kim took the titles of general secretary of the Workers Party and chairman of the National Defense Commission -- a group of 10 men that includes the heads of the air force, army and navy, who are now considered the most powerful in the country. "It's a peculiar government to say the least," Dae-sook Suh said. "He honors the legacy of his father, but the new government is a Kim Jong Il government. It's quite different from his father's." Kim Il Sung's unique style of Stalinism was subordinated to the more militant theme of Kim Jong Il's "Red Banner" policy, introduced in 1996. The changes afoot were dramatically illustrated in 1997 by the defection of Hwang Jang Yop -- the architect of the juche philosophy and the first high-level official to seek asylum in South Korea. In a news conference after his defection, Hwang warned of a growing possibility that his homeland might launch an attack. "The preparation for war exceeds your imagination," he said. Many outsiders viewed the flight of Hwang as another sign that the North Korean regime was on its last legs, but once again it weathered the storm, perhaps even benefiting from the fears of war heightened by Hwang's warning. Despite sending a test missile over Japan in June 1999 and other such incidents, North Korea under Kim Jong Il also sent signals that it is open to new alliances after decades of isolation. Billions of dollars in international aid poured into North Korea during the 1990s, which did little in return. Many analysts conclude that Kim Jong Il has played a poor hand of cards skillfully. "I tend to disregard rumors that he's irrational, a man that nobody can do business with," said Alexander Mansourov, a longtime Korea scholar and a former Russian diplomat who was posted in Pyongyang in the late 1980s. "I believe that he is smart. He's pragmatic. And I think he can be ruthless. He's a man who will not loosen his grip in any way on the people around him." His obsession for movies led to one of the strangest incidents associated with him: The 1978 kidnappings of South Korean actress Choi En-hui and her director husband Shin Sang-ok. The couple's account of their ordeal, given after they escaped North Korea in 1986, sounds like a B-movie script. They said Kim Jong Il held Choi under house arrest and imprisoned Shin for four years for a failed escape attempt. Kim then forced them to work in the North Korean film industry, paying them handsomely while keeping them in the gilded cage of his artistic and social circles. Although the country was having problems paying its debts, Kim lived extravagantly and spent tens of millions of dollars on their film productions, according to Choi and Shin. The couple told Washington Post reporter Don Oberdorfer that Kim was a "micro-manager" who made all the major decisions in North Korea because of his father's ailing condition. Shin described Kim as "very bright," but said that he had no sense of guilt about his misdeeds "due to his background and upbringing." While the Dear Leader is said to have indulged his appetite for the finer things, his people were literally starving to death. The collapse of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s hit North Korea hard when guaranteed trade deals with Moscow came to an end. And then devastating floods compounded the famine. The North Korean regime admitted almost 250,000 people perished between 1995 and 1998, but some outside groups believe it was more like ten times that figure. Nevertheless, an artifice of a successful state was maintained in the capital, Pyongyang, including an opulent subway -- proof that Kim would say reflected North Korea's progress under his and his father's leadership. In 2000, there appeared to be a thaw in North-South relations leading to the first-ever summit meeting between Kim Jong Il and his then counterpart from the South President Kim Dae Jung. South Korea's so-called "sunshine policy" of engagement seemed to be bearing fruit. But Kim Jong Il pressed ahead with his nuclear weapons program and then-U.S. President George W. Bush labeled North Korea as part of the "axis of evil" in his 2002 State of the Union address. A year later, North Korea withdrew from the nuclear non-proliferation treaty. In 2006, the North conducted a nuclear test and test fired missiles adding extra urgency to the six-party talks designed to deal with North Korea's nuclear program. A breakthrough came in 2007, when Kim Jong il finally agreed to disable the nuclear reactor at Yongbyon in return for fuel and better relations with the U.S. But despite dramatically blowing up Yongbyon's cooling tower, North Korea seemed to backtrack afterwards and the deal appeared to be jeopardy. In August 2008, Pyongyang halted the disabling of the plutonium-producing plants in after a stalemate over verification measures. Months later -- as Bush wrapped up his final term in office -- the U.S. government agreed to take North Korea off its list of countries that sponsor terrorism. The move was a turnaround from the Bush administration's previous refusal to drop North Korea from the list until Pyongyang agreed to set up an internationally recognizable mechanism to verify it was revealing all its nuclear secrets. Analysts say it is easy for outsiders to demonize Kim Jong Il, a dictator who spent an estimated 25% or more of his country's gross national product on the military while many in his country went hungry. But in North Korea, closed off from outside influences, fearful of threats from its neighbors, and subjected to decades of political socialization on top of a long tradition of a strict hierarchical system, Kim Jong Il is viewed positively by most people, said Han Park of the Center for Study of Global Issues. "The level of reverence for Kim Jong Il in North Korea is quite underestimated by the outside," Park said. "He is regarded by many as not only a superior leader but a decent person, a man of high morality. Whether that's accurate is not important if you want to deal with North Korea. You have to understand their belief system. Perception is reality." But to the outside world, Kim Jong Il will be remembered as one of the worst despots in history, according to Andre Lankov, an author on Korea's history. "He will be remembered as a person who was responsible for awful things: for the existence of one of the worst dictatorships in not only Korean history but the world history at least in the 20th and 21st centuries," Lankov said. "Yet he did not create this dictatorship -- it was his father's but he took responsibility, and he made sure it continued for many more years." CNN's Dan Rivers contributed to this report.

Kim Jong Il took over when his father died of a heart attack in 1994 . He will be remembered as one of the world's most repressive leaders . Kim was well regarded within North Korea . He played a poor hand of cards skillfully, analysts say .

(CNN Student News) -- March 25, 2011 . Download PDF maps related to today's show: . • Libya • Syria • Japan: Disaster-affected Areas . Transcript . THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED. CARL AZUZ, CNN STUDENT NEWS ANCHOR: Fridays are awesome! Thank you for rounding out your week with CNN Student News. I'm Carl Azuz, here to pilot you through 10 minutes of commercial-free headlines. First Up: Libya Civil War . AZUZ: First up, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon says there are no signs of a cease-fire in Libya. That announcement came yesterday, one week after the U.N. Security Council voted to enforce a no-fly zone over Libya. That's part of the military operation that's been firing missiles and running airstrikes. It's been led by the U.S. Yesterday, there was talk of a deal that would make NATO, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, the leader of the operation. But that wasn't set in stone, and there was some doubt about it. One interesting point about the conflict in Libya is how it could affect gas prices in the U.S. Libya produces about 2 percent of the world's crude oil; it's not very much. But some stock traders are afraid that the trouble there could happen in other countries that produce more oil. That fear is one reason why oil prices are rising in the stock market. And that means gas prices are more likely to increase too, since crude oil accounts for about 65 percent of what we spend on gas. Now, getting back to the military operation. Diana Magnay is on the ship that some of those airstrikes are launching from. She gives an idea of what life is like there. (BEGIN VIDEO) DIANA MAGNAY, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Each night they fly, Harrier jets off the USS Kearsarge, bound for Libya. U.S. strike missions to take out Gadhafi's air defense and attack capabilities as rebels clash with Gadhafi's forces. CAPTAIN MIKE WYRSCH, HARRIER FIGHTER PILOT: It was pretty neat the next day after the first attacks, to see that the rebel forces, their morale once they saw that they had people coming to help them out. But it's breaking their supply chains as well as slowing down their advance onto Benghazi by taking out their tanks and artillery. MAGNAY: Day times are about maintenance and repair, checking over these V-22 Ospreys, which had their first outing in Operation Odyssey Dawn early Tuesday morning. A daring rescue mission with a team of 30 Marines to find a U.S. fighter pilot who ejected over eastern Libya after his F-15 fighter jet suffered what the military called mechanical failure. The pilot's back in the medical facilities here on board. His other crew member, the weapons officer, also had to eject, but landed in a completely different location. So, he was rescued first by rebel forces and is now back on a U.S. Air Force base in northern Italy. There are around 700 Marines on board, but this isn't a war which involves coalition ground forces. The Kearsarge's six Harrier jets taking the active role in enforcing the U.N.-mandated no-fly zone . REAR ADMIRAL MARGARET KLEIN, COMMANDER, EXPEDITIONARY STRIKE GROUP FIVE: If there are vehicles on the ground that can shoot down our aircraft which are enforcing the no-fly zone, we consider that a legal mandate to be able attack that equipment. MAGNAY: Precision targeting, 500-pound laser-guided bombs, and the sorties continue. No sign here that this part of the offensive is over yet. Diana Magnay, CNN, on the Kearsarge in the Mediterranean. (END VIDEO) Violence in Syria . AZUZ: Syria is the latest country to deal with the political unrest that we've seen around the Middle East and North Africa recently. Syria is located between Iraq and Turkey. And people there have been protesting over economic and human rights issues. Those demonstrations have gotten violent in the past few days, with protesters and security forces fighting on the streets of at least one city. Human rights workers say at least 34 people have been killed in the violence this week. And that includes a soldier who was reportedly shot because he refused to fire on the protesters. Thousands of people came out on Thursday for the funerals of that soldier and some of the other people who've been killed. Disaster in Japan . AZUZ: Toyota, the car company, might shut down some of its U.S. manufacturing temporarily because it doesn't have enough parts. There's been a delay in getting those parts from Japan because of Japan's recent earthquake and tsunami. Inside Japan, workers are still trying to get things stabilized at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. These pictures were taken inside the plant. Two of the workers were taken to the hospital yesterday after they accidentally stepped in contaminated water. Officials say the men could be all right if they're quickly decontaminated. A U.S. Navy aircraft carrier is going through a similar process right now. Martin Savidge, you're on deck. MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Right now, every piece of hardware, every aircraft and every piece of machinery used to move that aircraft is on the front of the USS Ronald Reagan. And you can see a lot of the crew hands. You're wondering maybe why are they all sitting around? Well, we'll show you. Look what's going on back over here: water. Lots and lots of water just being sprayed all over the deck right now, in what is probably the biggest cleanup effort you're ever likely to see at sea. Impact Your World . AZUZ: You can't help scrub down the deck of the Ronald Reagan. But you can support the victims of these natural disasters in Japan. Go the Spotlight section on our home page, CNNStudentNews.com. Click on the "Impact Your World" link, and find out how you can help. Shoutout . TOMEKA JONES, CNN STUDENT NEWS: Today's Shoutout goes out to Ms. Mielke's world cultures classes at Gorzycki Middle School in Austin, Texas! What type of food is a peanut? You know what to do! Is it a: A) Grain, B) Legume, C) Fruit or D) Tuber? You've got three seconds -- GO! Peanuts are legumes. And here's another interesting fact: peanuts are not technically nuts! That's your answer and that's your Shoutout! Allergy Outrage? AZUZ: Peanut allergies are pretty common. But in some cases, the allergic reactions can be life-threatening. And that's why experts say it's important to have a plan in place in order to avoid a potential problem. At one Florida school, the plan in place affects everyone, not just the student with the allergy. And as Jason Carroll explains, the plan is prompting protests. (BEGIN VIDEO) UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They're trying to take away all our rights. JASON CARROLL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Protesters picketing outside a school in Edgewater, Florida. Their signs showing how a medical problem for one of the school's students has turned into a controversy that has some parents calling for that student's removal. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We are not attacking the child or the parents. CARROLL: At issue, rules the school put in place to protect the six-year-old girl who has a life-threatening peanut allergy. Lunches must be left outside the room. Students must wash their hands before entering the room and after lunch. At one point, students were also required to rinse out their mouths. Parents debating whether the rules infringe on the rights of students and take time away from education. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I guess it's not fair for one kid to have a set of standards that the rest of the kids have to abide by. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's protecting the safety of the child. Everybody has the right to an education, so I don't see what the problem is. CARROLL: A district administrator says the rules must be enforced because the student's allergy is considered a disability under the Americans With Disabilities Act. More districts could soon face a similar situation. The Centers for Disease Control says food allergies are on the rise. From 1997 to 2007, reports of food allergies increased almost 20 percent among children under 18 years old. DR. SCOTT SICHERER, PROFESSOR OF PEDIATRICS, MT. SINAI SCHOOL OF MEDICINE: It's always necessary to have precautions for a young child who has a food allergy. There might be specific procedures that need to be in place to just really ensure that that child doesn't end up eating the food that they're allergic to. (END VIDEO) Sound off on our blog! AZUZ: All right, time for you to sound off about this story. Do you think the school policy's appropriate, or do you agree with those parents who say it's unfair? Head to our blog at CNNStudentNews.com. Tell us what you think. Remember, there's a big rule on our blog: first names only. Please don't give us any more info than that. Women's History Month . AZUZ: In honor of Women's History Month, we have a quick quiz to test your knowledge. Who was the first female ever appointed to serve on the United States Supreme Court? Was it: Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Sonia Sotomayor, Sandra Day O'Connor or Elena Kagan? The answer: Justice Sandra Day O'Connor served nearly 25 years on the U.S. Supreme Court after being sworn in on the 25th of September, 1981. In fact, tomorrow is her 81st birthday. Be sure to check out all of our Women's History Month materials. You know the place where you can find them: It's the website you see right there, CNNStudentNews.com. Before We Go . AZUZ: Finally today, I get sore just thinking about a marathon; most runners are sore after running one. But Captain Ivan Castro doesn't mind. He was injured while serving in Iraq and lost his eyesight. Now, every step is a reminder that he is still alive. After the attack, Captain Castro says it took three people to help him stand up. Last weekend, he finished a full marathon. And the only help he needed was his running partner, who helped him navigate the course with a string tied around their wrists. Goodbye . AZUZ: It was an amazing accomplishment. And it's time for CNN Student News to hit the road. We hope to run into you right back here on Monday for more CNN Student News. Until then, have a great weekend.

Find out how the conflict in Libya could affect gas prices in the U.S. Discover why Toyota might temporarily suspend manufacturing in America . Consider a controversy surrounding how one school addresses peanut allergies . Use the weekly Newsquiz to test your knowledge of stories you saw on CNN Student News .

(CNN Student News) -- April 28, 2011 . Download PDF maps related to today's show: . • Afghanistan • Hawaii . Transcript . THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED. CARL AZUZ, CNN STUDENT NEWS ANCHOR: I'm Carl Azuz, and in today's show, we're talking about the U.S. economy, education, defense -- could be a presidential Cabinet meeting. And we're gonna be talking about the cabinet, too. CNN Student News starts right now! First Up: Afghanistan Violence . AZUZ: First up, violence in Afghanistan, where a gunfight broke out at an air force compound in Kabul. Eight U.S. service members and an American contractor were killed in the shooting Wednesday. Coalition officials said an Afghan military pilot started the gunfight. The Taliban said it's responsible for yesterday's shooting. The Taliban is the group that the U.S.-led coalition removed from power when the Afghanistan war started in 2001. A Taliban spokesman said the group had worked with the shooter. But coalition authorities -- and the shooter's brother -- denied that. The shooting happened at the North Kabul International Airport. Officials say it started as an argument between the Afghan pilot and an international colleague. That argument led to the gunfight. Defense Dept. Shift . AZUZ: Some changes getting ready to happen inside President Obama's administration. In fact, it's going to be one of the biggest shifts since Obama took office. And it starts with this man: Defense Secretary Robert Gates. Secretary Gates has been leading the Defense Department since George W. Bush was president. He stayed on at President Obama's request, but he's planning to retire later this year. And this is who President Obama wants to replace Secretary Gates: name is Leon Panetta. He's currently the director of the CIA. He also served as former President Bill Clinton's chief of staff. President Obama plans to nominate Director Panetta to be the new defense secretary. The U.S. Senate has to confirm him for that position. Obama Birth Certificate . AZUZ: That wasn't the only announcement at the White House yesterday. President Obama publicly showed off his birth certificate, which says that he was born in Honolulu, Hawaii. Okay. Why? Well, there are two requirements to be U.S. president. You have to be at least 35 years old, and you have to be a "natural born" citizen. Some people had doubts that President Obama was born in the U.S. They wanted to see this: his long-form birth certificate. Because without that proof, their argument was that he might be constitutionally ineligible to be president. This issue's gotten a lot of attention in the media recently. The White House released the birth certificate yesterday to try to put an end to the questions. Shoutout . TOMEKA JONES, CNN STUDENT NEWS: Today's Shoutout goes out to Ms. Cormican's enrichment class at Clinton Township Middle School in Clinton, New Jersey! What is the term for financial aid that companies get from the government? Here we go! Is it: A) Subsidy, B) Commodity, C) Liability or D) Security. You've got three seconds -- GO! Financial aid given out by the government is called a subsidy. That's your answer and that's your Shoutout! Gas Prices, Oil Profits . AZUZ: Subsidies are usually designed to help companies or industries that produce things for the public. For example, farmers might get money from the government to grow crops. This next report from Lisa Sylvester is about subsidies for the oil industry. With gas prices increasing, so are the questions about whether those subsidies should continue. (BEGIN VIDEO) LISA SYLVESTER, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: The oil and gas industry rakes in billions of dollars in profits a year. Last year, Exxon Mobil made more than $30 billion; Chevron, $19 billion; ConocoPhillips, more than $11 billion; and Royal Dutch/Shell, $20 billion. Meanwhile, it's costing consumers a load of money just to fill up their tank. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There's no reason for the price to continue to go up, because there's lots of gas. I mean, lots of oil, I hear. SYLVESTER: Average price for regular gasoline is $3.87 a gallon. But in cities like Washington, D.C., gas at some stations is already at the $5 mark or higher. Those prices are expected to contribute to huge first-quarter profits for oil companies. On top of the mega-profits, the oil industry enjoys $4 billion in federal tax breaks. There's now a growing chorus to end those subsidies. FADEL GHEIT, FINANCIAL ANALYST, OPPENHEIMER AND COMPANY: The oil companies do not need subsidies, especially when you have $100 oil. It's outrageous for an oil company or oil lobbyist to ask for a subsidy when you have this high level of profitability. SYLVESTER: The American Petroleum Institute represents the largest oil companies. API's senior economic adviser, Rayola Dougher, says when profits are up, it's the shareholders who benefit. She says they are, for the most part, regular joes. RAYOLA DOUGHER, ECONOMIC ADVISER, AMERICAN PETROLEUM INSTITUTE: And at the end of the day, the final earnings, the profits to these companies, broadly go to tens of millions of Americans. Anybody with a 401(k), a pension plan, retired firefighters, teachers. These are the folks that, at the end of the day, benefit from these earnings. About 98.5 percent of the stock of these companies is broadly owned by the American people. SYLVESTER: The American Petroleum Institute says taking away those subsidies would be like a tax on the companies and could cost American jobs. But it is a hard case to make when so many Americans out there are getting squeezed at the gas pump, when we are seeing $5 a gallon for gasoline, and when the companies are making billions in profits. Lisa Sylvester, CNN, Washington. (END VIDEO) Southern Storms . AZUZ: This next headline is one you've heard a lot lately, and not one we like reporting: the southern U.S. recovering from another round of severe weather that plowed through the region yesterday. At least 12 deaths were reported. Hundreds of thousands of people lost power. This is what some Arkansas residents woke up to Wednesday morning: damaged buildings, downed trees, no power. That's from another storm system that moved through the South Tuesday night. And this severe weather may not be over. The National Weather Service issued tornado watches for parts of the South yesterday, as the storms worked their way east. In fact, there were 25 tornado warnings across parts of Alabama last night. And officials said a tornado hit the city of Cullman. These images you're seeing are some of the damage that was caused. Show Your Teacher Appreciation . AZUZ: We've been asking you to head to CNNStudentNews.com and send us your iReports for Teacher Appreciation Week. Keep at it, don't give up; Teacher Appreciation Week is next week. There's just something we want you to remember: You need to be at least 13 to send us an iReport. Also, you can show your teacher appreciation on our blog! I just put the post up last night, and you know where to find it: CNNStudentNews.com! Don't Fail Me Preview . AZUZ: CNN's "In America" series explores different aspects of U.S. society. The newest documentary we worked on focuses on something you are all very familiar with: education. I had the chance to sit down recently with CNN's Soledad O'Brien. She's the correspondent for the "In America" programs, and we talked about what this new program is all about. (BEGIN VIDEO) AZUZ: Soledad O'Brien, you've worked on CNN's "In America" series. We've seen "Black in America," "Latino in America." Your latest report is titled "Don't Fail Me." What's the story behind that title? SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT: It really is an "Education in America" series. "Don't Fail Me" is the story of three students who represent different geographical and also socio-economical areas in the United States. And what we wanted to look at in that particular title was really the position students, American students, are in today. You know, American students rank 17th and 25 in math and science, respectively, in this country, when you look at all industrialized nations. Those are terrible, terrible, terrible statistics. And so, the question was: How do you change that? How do you move the United States back up to number one, where we used to be several decades ago? The question is really these three students, who are great students, ambitious students, motivated students. Who, their plea is very much "don't fail me." Sometimes teachers fail students, sometimes systems fail students, sometimes students fail themselves; they're not ambitious. In this particular case, we're looking at the entire educational system. Is it failing these young people? (END VIDEO) AZUZ: Those of you who participated in FIRST Robotics will wanna check this out too; that's part of this program. You are not going to want to miss it. "Don't Fail Me" airs on May 15th -- that's a Sunday night -- at 8 p.m. ET on CNN. And if you want to check out my full interview with Soledad O'Brien, learn what else she has to say about the upcoming documentary, you can check that out on our home page: CNNStudentNews.com. Before We Go . AZUZ: All right, before we go, we've got time for a speedy lesson. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Take your foot off the brake and we'll go forward. AZUZ: Move forward, all right. This ain't driver's ed. It's pace car 101. Rachel Gilbert's been a big NASCAR fan for 50 years. And since she's turning 100 years old today -- happy birthday -- her family got her an amazing gift: the chance to tool around the track in a pace car. Ms. Gilbert hasn't been behind the wheel of any car in about 16 years, but it was smooth sailing as she revved it up to about 50 miles per hour. Goodbye . AZUZ: Maybe this'll be her new motor -- mode or -- method of transportation. She probably bragged that she was going more than 50, but that's just rev-isionist history. Especially since the course tracked her speed. We were gonna drive through a few more of these puns, but we gotta learn to pace ourselves. So we'll brake for now. For CNN Student News, I'm Carl Azuz. See you later.

Learn about the details of a deadly gunfight at an Afghan airport . Consider the debate over continuing subsidies to the oil industry . Check out a CNN documentary that looks at science education in the U.S. Use the Daily Discussion to help students understand today's featured news stories .

(CNN Student News) -- January 18, 2008 . Quick Guide . Focus on: The Economy - Hear about the "r" word, and see how a possible recession could be fought. No Girls Allowed - Learn why a Florida family is balking at a statewide baseball rule. A Song for Spain - Consider what it would be like to have a national anthem without lyrics. Transcript . THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED. CARL AZUZ, CNN STUDENT NEWS ANCHOR: Fridays are awesome! Thanks for spending part of yours with CNN Student News! From the CNN Center, I'm your host, Carl Azuz. First Up: Focus on: The Economy . AZUZ: First up today: Technically, recession isn't a four-letter word. But it is one that Americans don't like to use, because it describes a downturn in the economy over time. Why might this happen? Well, many Americans' home mortgages are going up. And they're not able to pay. More people are out of work, consumers --like you and me-- are spending less money overall. And we don't even need to mention gas prices. Now these factors add up to an economic forecast that's not so good; Your family may be feeling the pinch. And all this is lighting a fire under government officials to fight a possible recession. Brianna Keilar considers the options Congress has, to try to prevent America from slipping into the red. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN REPORTER: With fears of a recession growing, Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke was on Capitol Hill Thursday, urging Congress to act quickly on an economic stimulus package. BEN BERNANKE, FEDERAL RESERVE CHAIRMAN: Stimulus that comes too late will not help support economic activity in the near term and it could be actively destabilizing if it comes at a time when growth is already improving. KEILAR: The president had a conference call with Senate and House leaders from both parties, the White House characterizing it as a consultation rather than a negotiation. All sides are indicating partisan bickering will take a backseat to finding a quick solution. Today marks the first time the White House has said President Bush is backing a stimulus plan, but spokesman Tony Fratto shied away from discussing specifics. TONY FRATTO, WHITE HOUSE DEPUTY PRESS SECY.: The headwinds that we're dealing with right now are things that we see over the next coming quarters. So we do want to try to pass something quickly. KEILAR: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and House Minority Leader John Boehner met for the second day in a row. Both sides are stressing a bipartisan effort, but proposals are still vague. One option Democrats and Republicans seem to agree on: tax rebates: checks sent to taxpayers in an attempt to quickly pump money into the economy. Democrats say they'll scuttle any Republican attempts to extend the president's tax cuts as part of the stimulus package. Privately, congressional Republicans acknowledge it's a fight they can't win. What's more, Bernanke told Congress Thursday, making the tax cuts permanent won't help in the short term. BERNANKE: I think that the evidence suggests that measures that involve putting money in the hands of households and firms that will spend it in the near term will be more effective. KEILAR: Speaker Pelosi is hoping to have a final agreement before the State of the Union on January 28th. Brianna Keilar, CNN, the White House. (END VIDEO CLIP) No Girls Allowed . AZUZ: The next question today is, are girls as good as boys at sports? And if they are, should they be allowed to play at the organized, school level? Swing by Jacksonville, Florida, and you'll find that very controversy rounding the bases. But it's not over a school rule-- It's a state one. Laura Mazzeo of affiliate WJXT steps up to the plate. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) ALYSSA PITRE, WANTS TO PLAY BASEBALL: I can play as well as a boy. LAURA MAZZEO, WJXT REPORTER: Twelve-year-old Alyssa Pitre is passionate about baseball . PITRE: I just love the sport. MAZZEO: She lives by the motto, "practice makes perfect." PITRE: I'm gonna try harder. MAZZEO: She spends hours here in the batting cage and working with coaches on her curveball. But this week, Alyssa went to try out for the middle school baseball team at the Providence School and was told she couldn't play. PITRE: I'm a girl. So what? You're not supposed to discriminate against females if they want to try to do something new, and try to make history at their own school. MAZZEO: The school's headmaster says they have no problem with her playing with the boys, but that she isn't allowed by the Florida High School Athletic Association. DON BARFIELD, HEADMASTER OF PROVIDENCE SCHOOL: Since we have a softball team, the state has indicated to us that she would not be permitted to play baseball. MAZZEO: The most obvious difference between softball and baseball -- it's the ball. The softball and the baseball. But Alyssa says there's much more to it than that. PITRE: The pitching is different. The ball is different. In softball they have longer bats -- different gear. MAZZEO: Alyssa isn't alone in her baseball dreams. her parents are considering taking legal action in hopes of changing the rules. ALYSSA'S MOTHER: If she wants to pursue baseball, then we'll pursue baseball. I just want to give her a chance. You know, give her a chance to try out, to see if she's good enough to make any team. MAZZEO: Alyssa is a humble, yet confident 7th grader. PITRE: I was going to give them something to show, instead of wearing pretty jewelry and short skirts. MAZZEO: She believes she is good enough to play with the boys. PITRE: There's really no difference - girls an play just as good as boys. (END VIDEO CLIP) Promo . AZUZ: Standing up for what she believes in; gotta give her props for that. Another famous American who stood up to create change: Doctor Martin Luther King Junior. CNN Classroom Edition will air 'The MLK Papers - Words that Changed a Nation.' It's on at 4 am Monday morning. Be sure to set your DVR's now. For special curriculum on the program, check out CNNStudentNews.com. Shoutout . MONICA LLOYD, CNN STUDENT NEWS: Today's Shoutout goes out to Mrs. Simmons' geography classes at Dixon-Smith Middle School in Fredericksburg, Virginia! Who wrote the lyrics to "The Star-Spangled Banner"? If you think you know it, shout it out! Was it: A) Betsy Ross, B) Thomas Jefferson, C) Susan B. Anthony or D) Francis Scott Key? You've got three seconds, GO! Francis Scott Key wrote the words to the U.S. national anthem, the Star-Spangled Banner, after witnessing a battle during the War of 1812. That's your answer and that's your Shoutout! Song for Spain . AZUZ: For many of us, it's hard to say, "Oh Say Can You See" without singing it --the words and music are sort-of glued together. In Spain, there's just a tune to hum. And though one Spaniard recently got really close to putting official words to it. Al Goodman explains why many people there, didn't like the way they sounded. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) AL GOODMAN, CNN REPORTER: The English proudly sing their national anthem, the Americans croon to theirs. And then, there's Spain. Hold it. The Spanish anthem doesn't have any words. This man won a nationwide contest with his lyrics for the anthem. But then suddenly the Spanish Olympic Committee, which sponsored the contest, withdrew the winning entry. ALEJANDRO BLANCO, SPANISH OLYMPIC COMMITTEE: Once Spaniards heard these lyrics, they sparked a lot of controversy, even rejection. GOODMAN: Viva Espana, or Long Live Spain, is how the now-discarded lyrics began. The phrase struck a sour note. Critics say it harkened back to the long right-winged dictatorship of Francisco Franco. MARGARITA SAENZ-DIEZ, JOURNALIST: You have to understand that many Spaniards do not consider the national anthem as their own. It was played a lot under Franco. GOODMAN: Spain is now a democracy, but many still bristle at the military march that's served for more than two centuries as the national anthem. Spain is made up of many different peoples, and five languages are spoken across the country. So, naturally, getting agreement on one set of lyrics is no easy task. One of those languages, ancient Basque, is among those taught in Madrid: Basques have their own national anthem and lyrics. At the Basque Cultural Center we found a Spaniard who liked the proposed lyrics for the Spanish national anthem. They're good, he says, and very neutral about Spain. Many others say the proposed lyrics lacked polish and shine. ANTONIO VILLALON, RETIRED CIVIL SERVANT (TRANSLATED): The French and American anthems speak about an enemy to defeat; our lyrics mentioned fields, wheat and friends. It's just stupid. MANUEL RINCON, TAXI DRIVER (TRANSLATED): The anthem should give us goose bumps. Spain's long history and diverse culture should show, in the lyrics. GOODMAN: The Spanish Olympic Committee says the search will go on, but in Beijing, Spanish athletes will likely have to just hum along to a wordless anthem, as they've done for years. It's a tune almost every Spaniard knows. Al Goodman, CNN, Madrid. (END VIDEO CLIP) Before We Go . AZUZ: Before we go, smaller cell phones: Cool. Smaller MP3 players: Cool. Smaller bridges? You're not gonna get too much traffic across this Golden Gate bridge. It's pictured next to a toothpick because it's made from one! Check that out-- you can even see the lines on the hand holding it! This thing was carved, with a great deal more precision than I've got, from a single toothpick and glue. The footage sent in to us by I-Report. The guy who did this says he's been a toothpick artist for 36 years! Goodbye . AZUZ: And as you could see, he really knows how to 'pick' his subjects. That's just painful! And that's where we conclude our week's last broadcast. We'll return on Tuesday, next week. Enjoy your three-day weekend, everyone! I'm Carl Azuz. E-mail to a friend .

Hear about the "r" word, and see how a possible recession could be fought . Learn why a Florida family is balking at a statewide baseball rule . Consider what it would be like to have a national anthem without lyrics .

(CNN Student News) -- December 13, 2010 . Download PDF maps related to today's show: . • Minneapolis, Minnesota • Ivory Coast • Cancun, Mexico . Transcript . THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED. CARL AZUZ, CNN STUDENT NEWS ANCHOR: Hi, I'm Carl Azuz. This is CNN Student News, coming to you from Atlanta, Georgia, where we saw some unseasonal snowflakes over the weekend...in Georgia! Some parts of the country, though, are dealing with much worse conditions than we are. First Up: Winter Weather . AZUZ: Especially the midwestern U.S. A powerful snowstorm plowed through that part of the country over the weekend. Parts of Wisconsin got more than a foot and a half of snow, the state's governor declaring a state of emergency for more than 70 counties. What that does is help free up emergency workers and resources to help deal with it. Minnesota got hit pretty badly, too. In Minneapolis, the hometown Vikings were supposed to play an NFL game against the Giants yesterday. But this before-and-after picture shows you why that couldn't happen. That is the Metrodome, the Vikings' stadium. On the left is what the roof is supposed to look like. On the right: what it looked like yesterday. The roof caved in! This is a dome that's held up by air pressure. And after it got more than 17 inches of snow, just too much extra weight caused it to fail. Some workers were up on top, trying to shovel off the snow. They're not sure how long it's gonna take for the building to open back up. The Vikings game got moved back until tonight, and it'll be played in Detroit. Holiday Wreath Laying . CORAL VIDAL, FORTMAN, MARYLAND: I took my time and then, after I laid the wreath, I said thank you for your service. And I think it's just awesome being here laying these wreaths. JOHN ROYSTER, WEST POINT, VIRGINIA: I read whose name was there and their dates and said a thank you. These are men and women who have given the ultimate. All gave some, some gave all. AZUZ: Two of the hundreds of volunteers who helped lay wreaths on the gravesites of American troops at Arlington National Cemetery this weekend. It's a tradition that's been going on for nearly 20 years, and it happened at hundreds of other cemeteries across the country. I.D. Me . APRIL WILLIAMS, CNN STUDENT NEWS: See if you can I.D. Me! I'm a West African nation located between Ghana and Liberia. I gained my independence from France in 1960. My official name is Côte d'Ivoire. Many people know me as Ivory Coast, and I'm home to around 21 million people. Political Crisis . AZUZ: Côte d'Ivoire, or Ivory Coast, is in the middle of a political crisis. After a run-off in the country's recent presidential election, both candidates -- the current president and one of his opponents -- declared victory. That's not gonna work. The heads of other West African countries say the idea of two leaders just isn't for Côte d'Ivoire. Christian Purefoy gets us up to speed on the situation. (BEGIN VIDEO) CHRISTIAN PUREFOY, CNN CORRESPONDENT, LAGOS: Sworn in as President of Ivory Coast, Laurent Gbagbo stands defiant. The Ivorian people did not elect him president, says the international community. This man, Alassane Ouattara, who has also sworn himself in, is the true president, according to the independent electoral commission . U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE HILLARY CLINTON: We are in full agreement that Alassane Ouattara is the rightfully-elected president of Cote d'Ivoire, and that former President Laurent Gbagbo should respect the results of the election and peacefully transfer power to his successor. PUREFOY: Since the election results were announced this month, there has been a dangerous stalemate in Ivory Coast, a standoff threatening to degenerate into civil war. In the early 1990s, Cote d'Ivoire, or Ivory Coast, was the economic powerhouse of West Africa and attracted immigrants from across the region. But as that economic success began to falter, people in the south of the country turned on what they saw as immigrants in the north. And in 2002, the country was split by civil war. But now, it seems that weeks of regional and international pressure are forcing Gbagbo to the negotiating table. LAURENT GBAGBO, INCUMBENT PRESIDENT OF IVORY COAST [TRANSLATED]: There's no war, and we need to sit down and talk. If there's a problem, we'll talk about it. But men don't hold discussions when things are still hot. They wait for things to cool down to start. So when it'll cool down, we'll talk. So, there won't be a war. I thank you for all that you have done for the Ivory Coast. We are together and the problems you see now, we will resolve them. PUREFOY: Whatever the discussions, other influential West African leaders say a unity government that includes both leaders is unacceptable. GOODLUCK JONATHAN, PRESIDENT OF NIGERIA: It's immediate, it's immediate. Elections have been declared, somebody has won, so he has to hand over. PUREFOY: But talks do not mean action, and for now, the uneasy standoff between the two presidents continues. Christian Purefoy, CNN, Lagos, Nigeria. (END VIDEO) Climate Conference . AZUZ: Okay, from Africa, we're heading over to Cancun, Mexico, where a two-week conference on climate change ended with an agreement. Representatives from around the world came up with a plan that Mexico's president is calling the start of "a new era of cooperation in climate change." Among other things, the agreement will create a $100 billion fund to help developing countries deal with climate change. You see a lot of people clapping here, but not everyone likes this deal. The government of Bolivia says the agreement won't be effective. And Bolivia claims that wealthier nations bullied other countries into accepting the deal. This Day in History . [ON SCREEN GRAPHIC] . December 13, 2000 -- Al Gore concedes defeat to George W. Bush in the U.S. presidential election . December 13, 2003 -- Former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein is captured by U.S. soldiers . December 13, 2007 -- The Mitchell Report on the use of performance enhancing drugs in Major League Baseball is released . Blog Repot . AZUZ: In Memphis, Tennessee, a school's trying to get students to pull up their saggy pants by giving teachers zip ties that they'll use as belts on the students' pants. On our blog, 71 percent of you think the "no saggy pants" policy is a good idea. Lana likes it, but here's what she has a problem with: "The wall of shame that shows photos of students with their pants hiked high." Most of you don't agree with the photo board. Brandon says that low riding defines certain people, and adds "if you don't like it, don't look at it." And Robert argues, "Teachers don't have the right to decide what students wear; it should be up to parents". But Desiree writes that "everywhere you turn, there are pants on the ground or someone's underwear showing." She bets 80 percent of her school doesn't own a belt. Robby calls showing your underwear, "gross. It would be so embarrassing if a girl saw your underwear." And Katia calls saggy pants very unattractive, saying, "I know I don't wanna see boxers." Add your comment at CNNStudentNews.com. Remember, it's first names only! Shoutout . SHELBY ERDMAN, CNN STUDENT NEWS: Today's Shoutout goes out to Mr. Williams' history classes at Canyon Vista Middle School in Austin, Texas! What is the name of this trophy? Is it the: A) Hart Trophy, B) Naismith Award, C) Heisman Trophy or D) Cy Young Award? You've got three seconds -- GO! You're looking at the Heisman Trophy, the award for the most outstanding college football player. That's your answer and that's your Shoutout! Heisman Winner . AZUZ: This year's Heisman Trophy winner is Cam Newton, the quarterback from Auburn University. He won the award on Saturday night. Newton has thrown or run for 48 touchdowns this year, leading Auburn to an undefeated season and a spot in the national championship game, and that's coming up in January. But he's also been the focus of some controversy. The NCAA ruled that Newton's father was involved in a pay-for-play scandal. Essentially, he told schools that they had to pay money for Cam to play football there. An NCAA investigation determined that neither Cam Newton nor Auburn knew what Cam's father was doing, so he's been cleared to play. Original Rules Sold . AZUZ: Just how important are the rules in sports? We're about to show you a set of rules that sold for more than $4 million! It's the "Founding Rules of Basketball," written by the man who's considered the inventor of the game: James Naismith. It's a 119-year-old document that was auctioned off last Friday. In the original rules, players could pass the ball, but not run with it; there was no provision for dribbling. And there wasn't any physical contact. Things have, of course, changed a bit since then. The couple who bought the rules is hoping to donate them to Kansas University, where Naismith was a coach. Before We Go . AZUZ: Before we go, competitions aren't always fun and games. But here's one that sure seems like it is. It's a robotics competition in Maine. But here's the catch: the robots have to be built from LEGOs. 350 students participate in the event. They had to use LEGOs to build robots that could complete a series of tasks. By watching it, you'd be pretty impressed. If we had to compete, I don't even know what kind of robot we'd design. Goodbye . AZUZ: There are a few ideas we could toy around with. Not gonna share any of them, though. After all, we wouldn't want to LEGO any of our secrets. Whoo! All right, it's no secret that CNN Student News returns tomorrow. We'll look forward to seeing you then. Remember, this is our last week on the air before the break. Take care. See you soon!

A winter storm hammers the Midwest with more snow than some spots could handle . There may not be room for two leaders in Cote d'Ivoire following recent elections . The original rules of basketball are apparently worth more than $4 million . Use the Daily Discussion to help students understand today's featured news stories .

(CNN Student News) -- May 16, 2011 . Download PDF maps related to today's show: . • Louisiana • Atlanta, Georgia . Transcript . THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED. CARL AZUZ, CNN STUDENT NEWS ANCHOR: I'm Carl Azuz, and today on CNN Student News, we're gonna be talking about something that won't happen until November 6th... of 2012! But we start things off down in Louisiana. First Up: Severe Flooding . AZUZ: Officials facing the threat of massive flooding there have opened several gates on the Morganza Spillway. A spillway is something that goes over or around a dam. It's a safety feature. When too much water builds up around the dam, the spillway's gates can be opened to let some of that water through. This is what the Morganza Spillway looks like normally: gates closed, nothing coming through. But with floodwaters from the Mississippi River rushing in, engineers opened up some of the spillway's gates for the first time in nearly 40 years. That's what you see here: water barreling through the gate. The Morganza Spillway has 125 total gates. Officials plan to open up to one-fourth of those. Opening the gates should divert floodwaters away from major cities, like Baton Rouge and New Orleans, Louisiana. But it will send water toward homes and farmland in other parts of the state. People who live there -- many of whom have had to evacuate their homes -- are preparing for devastation. KELLI TRIMM, BUTTE LAROSE, LOUISIANA RESIDENT: It's worse than we thought. It's really worse than we thought. We thought maybe we might have water in our yard. Instead, this is going to come into our home. It's going to take everything we have got. Presidential Politics . AZUZ: The next U.S. presidential election is more than 500 days away. Might sound like the distant future, but there's a lot that happens between now and then. And since that process is already underway, we're going to break some of it down for you today. Ultimately, one candidate from each party will face off in the general election. That's on November 6th, 2012. Before that, candidates have to win their party's nomination. That's what the primary elections help decide. There are lots of political parties out there. The Green Party, the Libertarian Party. We're going to look at the two biggest parties: the Democrats and Republicans. On the Democratic side, President Obama is an incumbent candidate. He's running for re-election to the office he already holds. He announced his campaign last month. The Republican side has a field of candidates. Some of them, like former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, U.S. Representative Ron Paul, and former New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson, have announced their plans to run for president. Others have formed what are called exploratory committees. They haven't officially announced their candidacy, but they're looking pretty seriously at the possibilities. Lot of steps to go through between now and election day. We'll take you through it as campaign season rolls along. Shoutout . STAN CASE, CNN STUDENT NEWS: Today's first Shoutout goes out to Mr. Essex's geography students at Washington Middle School in Miles City, Montana! Whose slogan is "the toughest job you'll ever love"? Here we go! Is it the: A) Boy Scouts, B) Air Force, C) Peace Corps or D) Supreme Court? You've got three seconds -- GO! A promotional campaign described the Peace Corps as "the toughest job you'll ever love." That's your answer and that's your Shoutout! Peace Corps at 50 . AZUZ: The organization promotes peace and friendship by having Americans live and work in developing countries. A simple idea, but one that's lasted. The Peace Corps celebrated its 50th anniversary this year. Brooke Baldwin caught up with a new member of the corps as she began her journey. (BEGIN VIDEO) JOHN F. KENNEDY, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT: I have today signed an executive order providing for the establishment of a Peace Corps. BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN ANCHOR: That was March 1961. In the 50 years since President John F. Kennedy launched the Peace Corps initiative, more than 200,000 volunteers have served in some 139 countries. Twenty-two-year-old Katie Pollak is now one of them. KATIE POLLAK, PEACE CORPS VOLUNTEER: It's an exciting thing to be a part of. So many amazing people have been Peace Corps volunteers, and just the network of people who have done it. They use the word "family" a lot. It's exciting to sort of be going into that. BALDWIN: Katie recently earned her college degree in human biology and African studies. She plans to put it to good use for the next 27 months in Senegal, where she'll work in the Peace Corps malaria program. POLLAK: Professionally, this is going to be sort of the best thing that I can do, in terms of on-the-ground experience and whether I want to work broadly in life or doing policy work. And personally, I think it's going to be the biggest challenge of my life, being in an entirely new culture. BALDWIN: Peace Corps volunteers serve in several areas: education, HIV/AIDS awareness, agriculture, and business development, just to name a few. They are provided with health insurance, a housing allowance, and they receive about $7,500 at the end of their 27-month assignment. And the desire to serve is still very strong. KRISTINA EDMUNSON, DEP. COMMUNICATIONS DIR., PEACE CORPS: Today, we have more Peace Corps volunteers in the field than at any time in the last 40 years. And, you know, I think it's representative that Americans are ready to serve. They're standing up. They're answering President Obama's call to service. BALDWIN: Forty-seven people in this latest group of Peace Corps volunteers are heeding that call. COSTA KOKKINOS, PEACE CORPS VOLUNTEER: I just hope to do stuff, to complete projects that people will appreciate. Maybe something that's sustainable, so when I leave they will have it. SARAH KUECH, PEACE CORPS VOLUNTEERS: Two years seems a lot like now, but in the grand scheme of things, it's really not that big. So, if I can donate a little of my time to try to do some good, I think it's worth a shot. BALDWIN: And for Katie Pollak, she says she is ready for the learning experience of a lifetime. POLLAK: One of the goals of the Peace Corps is to bring a better understanding of Americans to other people around the world. And I hope I can, like, be an ambassador for America. And show sort of the good side. BALDWIN: Brooke Baldwin, CNN. (END VIDEO) Shoutout Extra Credit . BARBARA HALL, CNN STUDENT NEWS: Time for a Shoutout Extra Credit! When did Jackie Robinson become the first African-American to play in baseball's major league? You know what to do! Was it the: A) 1930s, B) 1940s, C) 1950s or D) 1960s? Another three seconds on the clock -- GO! Jackie Robinson made his major league debut in 1947. That's your answer and that's your Shoutout Extra Credit! Celebrating Civil Rights . AZUZ: Starting with Jackie Robinson, black and white major leaguers played together on the field. But for many years, they couldn't go to the same restaurants and hotels off the field. That changed with the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s. Saturday, young people got to play and talk with former all-stars as Major League Baseball honored those who fought for social justice in the game and in the country. The celebration continued yesterday when the Atlanta Braves hosted the Civil Rights Game. The teams wore uniforms from 1974. That's the year that Hank Aaron hit home run number 715 to break Babe Ruth's career record. T.J. Holmes talked to "Hammerin' Hank" about the influence of the civil rights era. (BEGIN VIDEO) T.J. HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: Some of them were out there before you. But when you kind of got into the mix, is that something you wanted? Did you ever consider yourself kind of a leader being out front, a leader in the civil rights era? Or did you just want to play baseball? HANK AARON, BASEBALL HALL OF FAMER: I wanted to play baseball and I never felt like I was a leader. But I felt like Jackie Robinson had paved the way for, and I wanted to be a baseball player. Let me put it that way. And Jackie Robinson had paved the way for all of us. When I say all of them, myself, Willie and some of the other black who's came before him and was a little bit younger than he was, had paved the way. And I felt like it was my responsibility, not only as a baseball player, but to carry myself in such a way that other blacks would be able to look at me and say, "oh, I not only want to be the same kind of ballplayer that Hank Aaron was, but I want to carry myself off the field the way that he did." HOLMES: Do you ever look back and think, "You know what? I could have done without it, without the record"? AARON: No, I never did. No. I felt like it was my responsibility. God had given me the ability to play baseball. I had the world on my shoulders. I knew that I could do most anything I wanted to do out on the baseball field. And I always felt like I was, it may sound kind of silly, but I always felt like I was surrounded by angels on the baseball field. You know, I just felt like there was absolutely nothing that could happen to me. (END VIDEO) Before We Go . AZUZ: Before we go, we've got the scoop on a big story out of Canada. It's the world's largest ice cream cake! The massive dessert tipped the scales at more than 22,000 pounds. That's more than 10 tons of ice cream! Engineering students figured out how to build the thing without it melting. Talk about a brain freeze. Thousands of people showed up for the cake's debut. Thousands of lucky people; they each got to try some. Goodbye . AZUZ: Must have been sweet to witness a slice of history. We're gonna chill out for a little bit, but we'll be back tomorrow with more CNN Student News. See you then.

Learn about spillways and the impact that one is having in Louisiana . Follow a new member of the Peace Corps as she begins her journey . Hear from a baseball icon about the civil rights era's influence . Use the Daily Discussion to help students understand today's featured news stories .

(CNN Student News) -- March 31, 2011 . Download PDF maps related to today's show: . • Libya • Syria . Transcript . THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED. MRS. LONG'S STUDENTS: We're from Twin Rivers High School in Broseley, Missouri. Start your tractor, Carl! CARL AZUZ, CNN STUDENT NEWS ANCHOR: We thank Mrs. Long's students in Missouri for getting today's show revved up and ready to go. And we thank all of you for checking out this Thursday edition of CNN Student News. First Up: Changing Strategy . AZUZ: I'm Carl Azuz, and first up today, we have a report from CNN's Chris Lawrence on the conflict in Libya. The U.S. has been involved in this since March 19th, when it launched missiles at targets inside the North African country. But the military strategy is shifting. (BEGIN VIDEO) CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: U.S. officials say they're not in Libya to help rebels win a war. VICE ADMIRAL BILL GORTNEY, DIRECTOR OF THE JOINT STAFF: That's not part of our mandate. LAWRENCE: But the coalition is launching missiles at specific units, like the headquarters of Libya's elite 32nd Brigade. GORTNEY: This is one of Gadhafi's most loyal units. LAWRENCE: The coalition has interpreted "protect civilians" to mean it can destroy any weapons Gadhafi could use. Air strikes hit munitions depots in two cities. GORTNEY: Any place that we can see ammunition storage facilities, things of that nature, that, we're going after those. LAWRENCE: A mission that started with preventing attacks from the air is now focused, not even two weeks later, on destroying targets on the ground. New flying gunships like the A-10 have replaced some of the ships that were firing cruise missiles. These new aircraft fly low, closer to a target, and shoot machine gun fire instead of dropping thousand-pound bombs. They're designed to fight in and around cities, where rebels are trying to hold off Gadhafi's forces. On Tuesday, the NATO commander said that protecting civilians mandate extends all the way into Tripoli itself. ADMIRAL JAMES STAVRIDIS, NATO SUPREME ALLIED COMMANDER, EUROPE: I think that any Gadhafi forces that are demonstrating hostile intent against the Libyan population are legitimate targets. LAWRENCE: So far, the assault has cost the Pentagon well over half a billion dollars. But most of that money came from cruise missiles and other munitions. The strategy has shifted, and now the U.S. forces are focused on refueling planes, jamming communication and striking Gadhafi forces. So, the military only expects to spend $40 million over the next few weeks. And a spokeswoman says, "After that, we would incur added costs of about $40 million per month." How many months? It's hard to tell. SEN. JOHN MCCAIN, (R) ARIZONA: But a stalemate is not an acceptable solution. STAVRIDIS: I think a stalemate is not in anybody's interest. (END VIDEO) Libya Civil War . AZUZ: Some rebel leaders in Libya are calling the battles' front lines "fluid." They made some advances, took control of some key cities. But Colonel Gadhafi's forces have pushed back. And yesterday, the rebels withdrew from some territory they had taken over before. One strategy that coalition military leaders are considering is arming the rebels, giving them weapons. President Obama has said he's open to this idea, and some experts think it could give rebels help in fighting government forces. But there are also some concerns about this, arming the rebels. U.S. intelligence indicates that some terrorists may be fighting on the side of the rebels. So of course, officials don't want to be giving weapons to the wrong people. Shoutout . PAT ST. CLAIRE, CNN STUDENT NEWS: Today's Shoutout goes out to Mrs. Feller's students at Hardin Intermediate School in Hardin, Montana! On this map of the Middle East, which country is Syria? You know what to do! Is it: A, B, C or D? You've got three seconds -- GO! On this map, B is Syria, a country that's home to more than 22 million people. That's your answer and that's your Shoutout! Syria Unrest . AZUZ: Syria is another country in that part of the world that's dealing with political unrest. Dozens of people have been killed over the last few weeks in fighting between Syrian security forces and protesters who are speaking out against their government. The protesters, here's what they want: changes to Syria's constitution and the end of an emergency law that's been in place in Syria for decades. Yesterday, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad spoke to his country about this unrest. He said he recognizes that Syrians want reform and acknowledges that the government hasn't met the needs of the Syrian people. But President al-Assad also referred to an anti-Syria "conspiracy," and said his country won't fall like others that have gone through revolutions recently, like Egypt, for example. One thing President al-Assad didn't address was that emergency law that protesters want lifted. 9/11 Hearing . AZUZ: It's been nearly 10 years since the 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States. After those attacks, Congress created the 9/11 Commission. The goal was to investigate the country's counterterrorism policy and to give recommendations for how to help avoid future attacks. A U.S. Senate committee is holding hearings to discuss how prepared the U.S. is for another possible attack. Yesterday, they heard the opinions of some members of that 9/11 Commission who said that, in many ways, the U.S. is safer today from that kind of terrorist attack. But they also had a warning: They said the threat of terrorism has changed. The commission's chairman said, "Although a devastating 9/11-type attack we believe is less likely, the threat is more complex and it's more diverse than at any time in the last decade." What's the Word? TOMEKA JONES, CNN STUDENT NEWS: What's the Word? It's a term that advertisers use to describe a group of people who share similar characteristics, such as age . DEMOGRAPHIC . That's the word! TVs Watching You? AZUZ: Advertisers use those demographics to decide which ads to show to which people. For example, if you're trying to promote an action movie, advertisers believe they're better off showing that to a younger, male audience than to an older, female audience. Deborah Feyerick is looking at new technology that doesn't just let advertisers target a specific group. It lets them target specific individuals. (BEGIN VIDEO) DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Every time you watch TV, your TV is likely watching you through that box which collects information on show after show after show. All that data sent anonymously, ultimately to advertisers, focused on reaching people likely to buy certain products or watch certain shows. What is the benefit to people like me? To consumers? JON WERTHER, PRESIDENT, SIMULMEDIA INC.: The benefit to consumers is that you get more relevant ads and you have fewer ads that are irrelevant to you that are cluttering up your TV experience. FEYERICK: John Werther of Simulmedia successfully helped pioneer targeted advertising on the Internet. Now, he's doing it with TV. If this is done right, how much money is this worth to advertisers? WERTHER: We think billions. Billions of dollars. FEYERICK: Why? Because what you watch tells a lot about you, sometimes unexpectedly. WERTHER: A rerun of "Saved by the Bell "at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday morning has been one of the most highly effective spots in driving, let's say, audiences to a crime drama several days later. FEYERICK: It's not just set box data, but your other personal data collected when you ask for credit reports or use retail discount cards. Tech companies like Visible World use this data like direct mail, and can now deliver different ads to different households watching the same program. How does the box know which of these four different ads to get to you? SETH HABERMAN, CEO, VISIBLE WORLD: So, we've built a database that talks to Cablevision and sends out these little messages so the set-top boxes switch at the right time to show the right ads in your household. FEYERICK: As for privacy, Ad Age writer Brian Steinberg says it's a tradeoff. BRIAN STEINBERG, ADVERTISING AGE: That's becoming, you know, kind of the new tipping point of how much information we want to give out there and how much will advertisers use to kind of know where we are, where we're walking, what we like, what we don't like, what our preferences are in exchange for more relevant, more interesting advertising. FEYERICK: Commercial advertisers are banking you'll watch. Deborah Feyerick, CNN, New York. (END VIDEO) Blog Promo . AZUZ: You can see how this benefits advertisers, and it brings up a couple interesting questions. Would you benefit from seeing ads that were more relevant to the things you wanted, or do you think this might be a bit of an invasion of privacy, if people know what you're watching and when you're watching it? You see our blog from our front page right there, From A to Z with me. Head to CNNStudentNews.com, click into this blog, and tell us your comments; tell us what you're thinking about this. Before We Go . AZUZ: The competition you're about to see started out with 75 people. After nearly two straight days of dribbling, it was down to just these two. You can sit, stand, bend, eat; you just gotta keep dribbling. But when one guy reaches down to get a banana, oh no! He knows it's over! The ball just got away from him when he was going for that banana. The winner -- hey, contest's over, you can probably stop dribbling. Anyway, the winner gets to join the NBA's Phoenix Suns on a road trip next season. Goodbye . AZUZ: As for the runner-up, we are sure he'll bounce back from this. We'll bounce back tomorrow with more CNN Student News. Look forward to seeing you then. Have an awesome afternoon. I'm Carl Azuz.

Examine a shift in strategy for U.S. forces involved with the conflict in Libya . Hear some opinions on how prepared America is to prevent a future terrorist attack . Learn about a new technology that tailors advertisements to individuals' tastes . Use the Daily Discussion to help students understand today's featured news stories .

(CNN Student News) -- January 14, 2011 . Download PDF maps related to today's show: . • Arizona • Brazil • Nevada . Transcript . THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED. CARL AZUZ, CNN STUDENT NEWS ANCHOR: It's the best day of the school-week and you're about to get a front-row seat to world headlines without a single commercial. In other words, CNN Student News. I'm Carl Azuz! First Up: Arizona Shooting . AZUZ: First up: The giant American flag was recovered in the aftermath of the September 11th attacks in New York City. That was a little over nine years ago, the same day that Christina Green was born. She was one of the victims of a shooting last Saturday in Tucson, Arizona. So the flag was raised in Christina's honor with those who knew and loved the girl walking past it, on the way to a service to remember her. Five other people were killed in the shooting. Speaking at a memorial service for all of them on Wednesday night, President Obama said he wanted America to be as good as Christina envisioned it. U.S. PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA: Here on Earth, we place our hands over our hearts, and we commit ourselves as Americans to forging a country that is forever worthy of her gentle, happy spirit. May God bless and keep those we've lost in restful and eternal peace. May He love and watch over the survivors. And may He bless the United States of America. AZUZ: Arizona Representative Gabrielle Giffords is a survivor of the shooting. She's one of six people still in the hospital, and the only one in critical condition. Wednesday, Giffords opened her eyes for the first time since the shooting and gave her husband a sign she could hear him. Brazil Floods . AZUZ: Australia isn't the only country dealing with ravaging floodwaters right now. We're gonna take you to Brazil, South America, a nation in its summer rainy season. Rains that are out of hand in some places. We want you to look at this -- families that are in "extreme risk" of being washed away. This includes people in the mountains, and people near riverbeds, as landslides, mudslides, and rising waters leave thousands homeless. Around 400 people have died, many are missing. Some families are living in schools and gyms. In some spots, the only dry areas you can see are roofs and tree-tops. And more rains are in the forecast. The country's government is taking some heat for poor disaster planning and allowing people to build homes in dangerous, mountain areas. Etna Erupts . AZUZ: This is what happens when Europe's most famous volcano gets active. Tremors started rumbling in Italy's Mount Etna on Tuesday. By Wednesday, you can see what was going on. The volcano's on the island of Sicily, about 18 miles from the nearest town. It may be spewing ash, but it doesn't seem to be threatening anyone at the moment. That wasn't the case in 1669, the date of Etna's most violent eruption, which killed 20,000 people. I.D. Me . CNN STUDENT NEWS: See if you can I.D. me. I was born in Atlanta, Georgia in 1929. My name was changed from Michael King when I was five years old. In 1964, I became the youngest person at the time to win the Nobel Peace Prize. I'm Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., one of the most famous figures in the U.S. civil rights movement. MLK Day . AZUZ: Many consider Martin Luther King the face of the civil rights movement. Between 1957 and 1968, King traveled over six million miles and gave more than 2,500 speeches. His message: Equality through non-violence. Dr. King organized boycotts and protests. He worked with presidents on creating civil rights laws. And in 1963, he helped lead the march on Washington where Dr. King gave his famous "I Have a Dream" speech. In that, he discussed his vision for a world where people would be judged by their character, rather than their skin color. On April 4th, 1968, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee. Four days later, the idea of a federal holiday honoring him was first introduced in Congress. That proposal became law in 1983 and the first nationwide observance of the Martin Luther King holiday was in 1986. The holiday is on the third Monday of January every year, which is this coming Monday, January 17th. Many people use it as an opportunity to help out with community service projects. For everyone, it's a chance to remember King's dream and the legacy that he left in his work to achieve it. School Lunches . AZUZ: Pizza sticks, tater tots, and hot dogs: the government wants those off your school lunch menu and replaced with foods like chef salad, baked sweet potato fries, and whole wheat spaghetti. It's a new proposal from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and part of the Obama administration's efforts to cut down on childhood obesity. Healthier foods often cost more, so the government plans to help poorer schools pay for the changes. Critics say it shouldn't be up to the federal government to decide what schools are allowed to serve -- that it's a state or local issue. The rule would limit calories for school breakfasts and lunches. If it takes effect, you could see changes several months down the road. Shoutout . CNN STUDENT NEWS: Today's Shoutout goes out to Mrs. Goodman's journalism students at Grassfield High School in Chesapeake, Virginia! What is the atomic symbol for gold? You know what to do! Is it: A) Ag, B) Au, C) Go or D) Hg? You've got three seconds -- GO! The Latin word for gold is aurum; that's why its symbol is Au. That's your answer and that's your Shoutout! How Gold is Mined . AZUZ: Gold, money and dreams: A dangerous combination that has been the downfall of many and the success of a few. The California gold rush of 1849 doesn't scratch the surface of gold's historic lure. Ancient Egyptians and Etruscans wore it. Entire currencies were based on it. But why gold instead of other metals? Well, it doesn't tarnish or corrode. It's easy to work with and shape. And it's very hard to destroy. Poppy Harlow takes us far underground, where modern miners cash in on methods their predecessors, didn't even dream about. (BEGIN VIDEO) UNIDENTIFIED MALE, BARRICK CHIEF SAFETY OFFICER: Your self-rescuer is going to go probably on your right-hand side. POPPY HARLOW, CNNMONEY.COM ANCHOR: We're gearing up to go two miles deep into one of the biggest gold mines in the country. I can't believe we're two Empire State buildings down below the surface of the Earth. And we still have quite a ways to go. Hunting for gold goes all the way back to 4,000 B.C. And today, the obsession continues. Here, in Barrick Gold's Cortez Mine in rural Nevada, more than one million ounces of gold were mined last year alone. That's over $1 billion worth. DAVE BUNDROCK, GOLD MINER: Geology has figured out where the pot of ore is, then they just point us toward it. HARLOW: But finding gold these days is much more complex and expensive than just, well, panning for it. In fact, you can't even see the gold in this mine. I mean, it's amazing to me to think that this is gold, but it is. RANDY HAGER, GOLD MINER:Yes. HARLOW: It's right here. HAGER: Yes. You can't see it. It's microscopic. HARLOW: Miners have to drill and blast through layers and layers of rock to reach the gold. HAGER: There's gold in this. And what I'm going to do is turn this into a pile of muck. HARLOW: It looks like dirt, but muck is actually gold ore. Tiny particles of gold that will eventually make up a gold brick. HAGER: I'm going to get about 10 truckloads out of here. About 10 ounces of gold - 10 to 15 ounces of gold at $1,400 an ounce. And we'll do this several times during a day's work. HARLOW: Not bad money. HAGER: Not bad money. HARLOW: So, after the gold ore is mined, about 400 tons of it goes in massive trucks just like this one. Of that, only four ounces is pure gold. It's taken, it's crushed, then it's taken to a mill and then it's refined. JULIUS STIEGER, PROCESS DIVISION MANAGER, BRARRICK-CORTEZ: After of the ore is crushed and ground, we leach the gold out. From there we put it into a pressure-cooker environment, high temperature and pressure with various chemicals, and that pulls the gold out. This is the final step before pouring the gold bar. HARLOW: Barrick mines gold for around $300 an ounce, and gold is selling for record highs, around $1,400 an ounce. Those big margins mean jobs. Something desperately needed in Nevada, a state struggling with the highest in unemployment and foreclosure rates in the country. JOHN ALEXANDER, SHOVEL OPERATOR: I can provide for my family. You know? And I don't know any other job in this world that can -- I get paid for what I get paid and survive now these days, the way the prices are. HAGER: There's job security here with gold that high. Not going to run out of work. (END VIDEO) Before We Go . AZUZ: With snow falling and daily temperatures in the 20s this time of year, ideas for outdoor activities can come to a stalemate. But not for a pair of local artists in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Someone had this kingly idea for them to sculpt an ice chess set! Don't know how long they pawn-dered the proposal, but it took over a month and a half for them to piece this together and let the game begin. Goodbye . AZUZ: It's something people can play by day, and by knights. A board to keep freedom in check, mate! I'm Carl Azuz, and our next move is gonna be January 18th! Enjoy the Martin Luther King holiday, and we'll see you on Tuesday!

Brazil is ravaged by heavy rains and deadly flooding . Mt. Etna roars to life with tremors and ash . The U.S. government proposes healthier school lunches . Use the weekly Newsquiz to test your knowledge of stories you saw on CNN Student News .

(CNN Student News) -- April 16, 2010 . Download PDF maps related to today's show: . • Blacksburg, Virginia • Iceland • Kyrgyzstan . Transcript . THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED. CARL AZUZ, CNN STUDENT NEWS ANCHOR: Some fast facts to get us going today: I'm Carl Azuz. This is CNN Student News. Fridays are awesome! Today's show is out of this world, or at least, that's where it starts. First Up: Space Strategy . AZUZ: Space. What parts of it are we going to explore? How much money are we going to spend to get there? President Obama has a new strategy that answers those questions. He talked about it in a speech at the Kennedy Space Center yesterday. The president says he is 100 percent committed to NASA and its mission. He's proposing that the agency get an additional $6 billion over the next 5 years, with a goal of sending humans to Mars by the 2030s. But under this plan, what you won't see is this: people walking on the moon. President Obama's strategy would cancel plans to send astronauts back there. He says, "We've been there before. There's a lot more of space to explore." Buzz Aldrin, one of the first men to walk on the moon, agrees with the president. But Aldrin's NASA crewmate, Neil Armstrong, the first man to walk on the moon, disagrees. He's part of a group of astronauts that have criticized the president's plan. Other NASA officials argue that the proposal could cost thousands of people their jobs. The president believes it's a way to move forward. U.S. PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA: This is the next chapter that we can write together here at NASA. We will partner with industry, we will invest in cutting-edge research and technology. We will set far-reaching milestones and provide the resources to reach those milestones. And step by step, we will push the boundaries, not only of where we can go, but what we can do. Mine Safety . AZUZ: The president's also ordering a review of mines that have bad safety records. This comes after last week's tragedy at the Upper Big Branch Mine in West Virginia. President Obama has criticized the company that owns the mine, specifically because of its safety record. The company called that criticism "regrettable" and said the president may be misinformed about the mine's safety record. Meantime, the governor of West Virginia has asked all of the state's miners to show up for work today. But instead of producing coal, he wants them to spend the day re-evaluating safety procedures. GOV. JOE MANCHIN, (D) WEST VIRGINIA: What better honor can we give those fallen miners than to say we're gonna dedicate this day, re-evaluate, have seminars, re-inspect. And those that have repeated violations will be heavily inspected. That's all we can do in honor of those miners, so that we never have another family or miner go through this. Tea Party Rally . AZUZ: Switching over to politics, the Tea Party movement is getting ready for the midterm elections coming up in November. The group has released a list of "heroes and targets." The "heroes" on the list are candidates that the Tea Party plans to support in the elections. The "targets" are anyone that the group would like to see voted out of office. Of course, lists are not the only way that the Tea Party gets its message out. Rallies are the group's bread and butter. This one in Washington, D.C. yesterday was wrapping up a three-week tour across the U.S. The timing: no coincidence. Yesterday, of course, was Tax Day, and the group is opposed to what it sees as government overspending. VA Tech Remembrance . AZUZ: In Blacksburg, Virginia and all over the U.S., people are taking time today to honor the victims of a deadly shooting. It happened on the campus of Virginia Tech University three years ago today. Police say a student at the school went on a shooting spree, killing 32 people before killing himself. Today, Virginia Tech and the local community are holding memorial ceremonies like this remembrance run from last year. Candlelight vigils and a community arts project are also scheduled to mark the day. Word to the Wise . TOMEKA JONES, CNN STUDENT NEWS: A Word to the Wise... dormant (adjective) temporarily inactive, or in a state of no external activity . source: www.m-w.com . Iceland Volcano . AZUZ: A volcano in Iceland had been dormant for more than 180 years. But then a few weeks ago, this started. The volcano is erupting, and some scientists say it could last for more than a year. That's about how long it went the last time this happened. That was back in the 1820s. This time, the impact is being felt all across Europe. Here, you see London's Heathrow Airport, planes on the ground. Where you don't see them is in the sky. The UK is not alone in this. More than half a dozen countries canceled flights yesterday; up to 6,000 total across the European continent. The problem is ash. When the volcano erupted, it sent this huge cloud of smoke and ash high up into the air. If a jet were to fly through that, it could cause the plane's engines to shut down. So, that's why there are so many cancellations. Rob Marciano looks at how weather and winds are playing a part in all of this. ROB MARCIANO, CNN WEATHER ANCHOR: The way the weather pattern is set up right now -- and Iceland, obviously, to the north -- but we've got this funky upper air pattern about 30,000 feet, which is where that ash went to, up where the jets fly. And it's scooting around towards Scandinavia, back through parts of the UK and also into other parts of Western Europe. Here is the, here it is on the infrared satellite picture. You see it right there kind of heading this way. That's the cloud itself. Kyrgyzstan Unrest . AZUZ: Major political change in Kyrgyzstan. The president of the central Asian country has resigned. Kurmanbek Bakiev left for neighboring Kazakhstan yesterday after he was forced out of power last week. This was all part of a deal between Bakiev and Kyrgyzstan's new government. Russia, the United States and several international groups helped in the negotiations. Kyrgyzstan's temporary government told the U.S. State Department that it plans to hold elections in six months. The U.S. says it hopes that Kyrgyzstan will become a model for democracy in the region. The country is important to the U.S. because there's a military base there. And that base supports NATO operations in Afghanistan. Shoutout . MATT CHERRY, CNN STUDENT NEWS: As we wrap up National Library Week, today's Shoutout goes out to all the librarians out there! Where would you find the largest library in the world? Is it in: A) Athens, B) London, C) Washington, D.C. or D) Cairo? You've got three seconds -- GO! Washington, D.C. is home to the U.S. Library of Congress, the largest library in the world. That's your answer and that's your Shoutout! Escape to Charity . AZUZ: Mackenzie Bearup's collection isn't quite that large, but she has rounded up more than 30,000 books. And just like a library, her goal is to share them with other people. Who she shares them with, and why, are what make Mackenzie a CNN Hero. (BEGIN VIDEO) MACKENZIE BEARUP, CNN HERO: I was in the fifth grade when I hurt my knee. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ready? BEARUP: Yeah, I'm ready. The doctor diagnosed me with reflex sympathetic dystrophy. When something touches it, it's like a bomb goes off in my knee. Even though I've tried many different treatments, the only thing able to get my mind off the pain was reading. Do you guys like to read? My pediatrician told me about a home for abused children. Any child being in horrible pain like this, they need something, and something that I knew that helped me was books. OK. This is called "Screaming Millie." But the people in these shelters are just like you and me. They need things to get their mind off of whatever they're going through. I put flyers in mailboxes and I set up a Web site. Thank you so much for donating. My original goal was to get 300 books. Before I knew it, I had 3,000 books. My total right now is 38,000 books. And I've delivered books to libraries and reading rooms in 27 different shelters in six states. And take as many books as you want. If one child finds a love of reading through books I've given them, then that will help them in school and just turn their life around entirely. I really think that reading can do that for someone. (END VIDEO) Promo . AZUZ: Unless you're a librarian, there is one -- and only one -- way to get a Shoutout on our show. Teachers, you head to our home page, CNNStudentNews.com, it's whatyou are looking at right now. Now, in the Spotlight section, which you see, click on that iReport link. And once you get there, hit the "share your story" button to upload a picture of your school. That's it! That's all you gotta do. So start today at CNNStudentNews.com, and be on the lookout for your Shoutout. Before We Go . AZUZ: Before we go, we are bringing you the ultimate in extreme sports. Get ready to shred... with your fingers? Well, why not. No helmets, no pads, no problem, right? It's called fingerboarding; it's kind-of like skateboarding. Maybe not like skateboarding. Everything's scaled down to size. But these guys are trying to land jumps and kick-flips, just like those of you who skateboard. It may look a little strange; maybe it's just the next generation of boarding. Goodbye . AZUZ: I mean, after all, it seems like the perfect sport for the digital age. We're sure they won't get board with it. I don't know. We won't have any more puns; we're just sitting here, spinning our wheels. Hope you have a great weekend. We'll see you next Monday. For CNN Student News, I'm Carl Azuz.

Discover why some famous astronauts disagree about a new space proposal . Find out how a volcano in Iceland is affecting flights across Europe . Hear how one teenager is giving back through a massive book drive . Use the weekly Newsquiz to test your knowledge of stories you saw on CNN Student News .

(CNN Student News) -- May 2, 2011 . Download PDF maps related to today's show: . • Libya • Vatican City • Alabama . Transcript . THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED. GROUP OF STUDENTS FROM BUSINESS, ENGINEERING, SCIENCE, AND TECHNOLOGY (B.E.S.T.) ACADEMY: Welcome to CNN Student News at B.E.S.T. Academy Middle School. UNIDENTIFIED MALE B.E.S.T. STUDENT: Today, we are very glad and appreciative of the teachers who are striving to make us the best and prepare us for a promising and productive future. GROUP: And remember, we are accepting no excuses in our journey to be the B.E.S.T. CARL AZUZ, CNN STUDENT NEWS ANCHOR: Thanks to the students at B.E.S.T. Academy for getting things started today as CNN Student News kicks off Teacher Appreciation Week. I'm Carl Azuz. Let's get to it. First Up: Libya Civil War . AZUZ: First up, the Libyan military is increasing its attacks on rebel forces, and at least one witness says it's "like revenge." This comes after a NATO airstrike reportedly killed part of Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi's family. Gadhafi has controlled Libya for 42 years. Rebels want him out of power; they're fighting against his government and military. NATO, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, is leading an international operation to protect Libya's citizens. Libyan authorities say one of Colonel Gadhafi's sons and three of his grandchildren were killed in Sunday's airstrike. Government officials say Moammar Gadhafi and his wife were in the house when it was targeted, but that they're all right. NATO says it doesn't target individuals, just military-related locations. NATO commanders added that they regret any loss of life during Libya's ongoing civil war. Pope Beatification . AZUZ: The late Pope John Paul II can now be called "blessed," which means he's one step away from becoming a saint. The pope -- the position -- serves as the head of the Roman Catholic Church. And John Paul II served as pope from 1978 until his death in 2005. In the Catholic faith, in order to be beatified -- that's when you're declared as "blessed" -- a person has to be credited with performing a miracle. Becoming a saint requires two miracles. Some people have been critical of how John Paul II handled some issues in the Catholic Church while he was pope. But more than a million people came out to the Vatican on Sunday for the beatification ceremony led by the current pope, Benedict XVI. John Paul performed more than 1,300 beatification ceremonies while he was pope, a very popular pope to this day. Royal Wedding . AZUZ: Their names are still William and Kate, but from now on, you can call them the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. Those are the titles that Britain's Prince William and Catherine Middleton were given after their royal wedding last Friday. It was not what you'd call a small ceremony. The couple tied the knot at Westminster Abbey in front of family and friends. But people around the world tuned in to watch, and huge crowds showed up in London for a chance to see the bride and groom. They will be going on a honeymoon, although they aren't saying where. But they're not leaving for a while. After a quiet weekend, Prince William was headed back to his job as a search and rescue pilot. Sound Check . WALTER MADDOX, MAYOR OF TUSCALOOSA, ALABAMA: My heart's broken. There's no way you can walk on these streets where I have grown up, and the 93,000 citizens that I represent, and see the pain in their eyes, the look of what has happened to us. This has clearly been a dark hour for me personally, and for our city. But I am confident. I believe that we will come out of this stronger, and a new day will dawn for the city of Tuscaloosa. Alabama Aftermath . AZUZ: The mayor of Tuscaloosa, Alabama. His city was hit hard by severe weather and tornadoes that whipped across the southern U.S. last week. Churches across the state of Alabama held a day of prayer yesterday for the victims and survivors. Authorities say more than 330 people were killed across six states; that made it the second deadliest tornado outbreak in U.S. history. President Obama went to see some of the damage in Tuscaloosa on Friday. He declared major disasters in parts of Alabama, Mississippi and Georgia. That declaration will give money to help with the recovery efforts. Weather anchor Reynolds Wolf was also in Tuscaloosa. He gives us a closer look at what the president saw. (BEGIN VIDEO) REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN WEATHER ANCHOR: This is Alabama. It's my home state, the heart of Dixie, and after suffering the worst tornado in its history, this place will never quite be the same. When it comes to damage, it's so incredibly random. One house will have a wall completely ripped away, part of a roof. This one, on the other side of these trees, was actually lifted up and pushed completely off its foundation. And then right across the street on this side there's nothing there. Unreal. Now, before the twisters struck, this truck was in perfect condition. But after experiencing winds, possibly as high as 300 miles per hour, this vehicle has been reduced to rubble. And since this story began, we've been down countless streets, been in many neighborhoods, and still, we're seeing the same stuff. Near and far, there's just destruction. From houses to trees, just devastation. Here in Tuscaloosa though, things are slowly getting back to normal. You look across McFarland Boulevard and you see some construction crews trying to put things back together. All around them, plenty of damage. But things like that can get fixed. For the people who lost loved ones, though, life will never be the same. (END VIDEO) Shuttle Launch Delay . AZUZ: This is not where Endeavour is supposed to be right now. The shuttle was supposed to launch last Friday. NASA called that off because of concerns about the heating system. Next possibility was today, but that's off too. A power problem is what's causing the other delay. The Endeavour crew and support staff were allowed to go home. Officials haven't set a new launch date, but they say it won't be any earlier than next Sunday, May 8th. Shoutout . STAN CASE, CNN STUDENT NEWS: Today's Shoutout goes out to Mrs. Boswell's class at Moreland Ridge Middle School in Blue Springs, Missouri! What is this person operating? You know what to do! Is it a: A) Jib, B) Steadicam, C) TelePrompTer or D) Boom mic? You've got three seconds -- GO! This is a Steadicam, which helps eliminate shaking for hand-held cameras. That's your answer and that's your Shoutout! Career Connections . AZUZ: We're putting the Steadicam in focus today because our Career Connections segment is back! Our own Tomeka Jones is here to give you the scoop. Tomeka? TOMEKA JONES, CNN STUDENT NEWS: Well, the title pretty much speaks for itself! We're trying to help you connect with careers that interest you. Carl, what gave you the desire to become an anchor? AZUZ: Uh, I was a better talker than listener. JONES: Well, CNN's Matt Lingerfelt knew he wanted to be a professional cameraman from the time he was young, like middle-high school age. He learned a lot from the work of Garrett Brown, who invented the Steadicam in the 1970s. And now, he's following in Brown's footsteps. (BEGIN VIDEO) MATT LINGERFELT, CNN STEADICAM OPERATOR: A good operator makes Steadicam look good. RANDI KAYE, CNN ANCHOR: The breakdown is a monumental shutdown. LINGERFELT: Steadicam was originally designed for film. Basically, it's a vest that has an arm that comes around. And I attach this arm that has springs loaded into it. The camera attaches to it. The springs take out all the load of the camera and me walking around, so it balances it out; makes it nice and smooth. We have two minutes until we are live. Right now, we're in the middle of a break and I'm getting time cues in my ear from master control. UNIDENTIFIED CNN DIRECTOR: Her mic. Go Matt. Cue. FIONNUALA SWEENEY, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: You are at the international desk, where we bring you the world up to the minute. UNIDENTIFIED CNN DIRECTOR: Go Matt. Roll them. LINGERFELT: So, the director is telling me, "Matt, I need this shot." And then he'll explain whatever shot it is, either the anchor at a wall or I'm doing a bump shot. And all a bump shot is is just a beauty shot of the studio. UNIDENTIFIED CNN DIRECTOR: Go! Standby to bump everything down, please. LINGERFELT: Well, that's what happens when the president takes over: our shot gets killed. No big deal; happens every day. The best advice I was given is to volunteer and always ask questions if you don't understand what something is. (END VIDEO) Before We Go . AZUZ: Well, you heard Matt Lingerfelt, a friend of mine, talk about directors a lot. You can watch our Career Connections segment on directors at CNNStudentNews.com! Well, we hope you saved enough room for today's Before We Go segment, because it is gonna leave you stuffed. Between the tomato, cucumber, lettuce and bread, you're looking at a five pound burger! And more than three pounds of that is meat. A restaurant in China offers its diners a challenge: if they can get it down in 2 hours, the burger's free. Free food versus massive heartburn? Goodbye . AZUZ: There's a debate you can really sink your teeth into. And you knew it could only show up in our beef-fore we go segment. There's an a-bun-dance of puns we could make about this story, but we've already eaten up all of our time. Just one more thing: This show goes out to our friends at A.C. Reynolds Middle School in Asheville, North Carolina. We appreciate your stopping by CNN last week!

Examine the circumstances surrounding a NATO airstrike in Libya . Tour some of the devastation in Alabama following deadly storms . Meet a CNN Steadicam operator in our Career Connections segment . Use the Daily Discussion to help students understand today's featured news stories .