(CNN Student News) -- May 26, 2011
Download PDF maps related to today's show:
• London, England
• Libya
• New York City
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, everyone. I'm Carl Azuz, and you're tuned in to CNN Student News! It's Thursday, May 26th, and you can leave the next ten minutes to us.
First Up: Speech to Parliament
AZUZ: First up, President Obama makes a speech that some people are calling the main event of his week-long trip to Europe. It happened in front of the British Parliament; it's a legislative group that's kinda like the U.S. Congress. During the speech, the president talked about a lot of world issues that the U.S. and Britain have faced together. That includes the economic crisis, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the revolutions, protests and conflict happening right now in the Arab world, like in Libya. The president said the U.S. and U.K. should and will provide an example for other nations to follow.
U.S. PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA: The time for our leadership is now. It was the United States and the United Kingdom and our democratic allies that shaped a world in which new nations could emerge and individuals could thrive. And even as more nations take on the responsibilities of global leadership, our alliance will remain indispensable to the goal of a century that is more peaceful, more prosperous and more just.
AZUZ: All right, you just heard the president mention the alliance between the U.S. and U.K. Suzanne Malveaux looks back now at some of the recent moments in that close relationship.
(BEGIN VIDEO)
QUEEN ELIZABETH II: Ladies and gentlemen, we are here to celebrate the tried, tested and, yes, special relationship between our two countries.
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN ANCHOR: And it's that special relationship that has defined U.S. foreign policy for generations. Think Thatcher and Reagan.
RONALD REAGAN, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT: Prime minister, the entire world salutes you and your gallant people and gallant nation.
MALVEAUX: Or remember former Prime Minister Tony Blair, sometimes criticized for being a little too friendly with President Bush. Their chumminess got Blair in political trouble at home. His support for the Iraq war won him more friends in the U.S. Congress than across the pond.
TONY BLAIR, FORMER BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: We will be with you in this fight for liberty. And if our spirit is right and our courage firm, the world will be with us.
MALVEAUX: And now, the U.S. and UK have come together on two other wars: in Afghanistan and Libya. Beyond the battlefield, there are real economic ties that bind. Each country invests over $400 billion in the other's economy. And nearly 200,000 U.S. citizens live and work in the UK. So, for Prime Minister Cameron and President Obama, this relationship is not something either leader takes for granted.
OBAMA: As Winston Churchill said on a visit to the United States, above all, among the English-speaking peoples, there must be the union of hearts, based upon convictions and common ideals.
(END VIDEO)
AZUZ: President Obama and British Prime Minister David Cameron both discussed progress being made in Libya's civil war. But they also said that the conflict could last longer than people expect. Libya's long-time leader, Moammar Gadhafi, and his forces are fighting against rebels who want Gadhafi out of power. And there's concern about how Libya's civilians are being affected in all this. Nic Robertson traveled to the outskirts of one Libyan town to find out how living conditions -- and living locations -- can change in times of war.
(BEGIN VIDEO)
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: He's taking us to see some caves where we're told families have been hiding from the shelling. We've yet to see the caves, but we're certainly seeing a lot of children. And this is the only place in Zintan we've seen children. Look at them here: families and children. They've deserted the streets of the city and they're living out here on the edge. The caves, we're told, haven't been lived in by people for about 60 years, but because of the random shelling, they're now going back to hiding in them again.
This is the old part of Zintan, right on the hills, on the edge. Down here? Steep. You really feel like you're going into the ancient city here. This is quite incredible. Look up here. These ancient homes here. You can see the power cable now, running inside here. The people can have electricity, some light at night. This is a whole underground labyrinth of caves. The roof is blackened by soot from fires, years of fires. They're black.
Then you come out here into this, and the only way out of here is a ladder. It's an absolute labyrinth. Every side you look, there's an entrance here, here, here, here, another room here with a light bulb. This wasn't here 60 years ago. There's blankets in there if you take a look. Blankets, carpets, space for people to live and hide from the shelling.
(END VIDEO)
U.S. Severe Weather
AZUZ: To the U.S. now. Parts of the country's mid-section are struggling through a historic tornado season. Officials say more than 500 people have been killed in the storms. The latest round of severe weather hit Oklahoma, Kansas, Texas and Arkansas. Oklahoma's governor declared a state of emergency in 68 of the state's 77 counties. That will help free up resources for recovery efforts. Emergency personnel were called out immediately after the storms. Some are searching for victims. Others are working to get power back up and running for the tens of thousands of people who lost it. Officials have determined that the tornado that hit nearby Joplin, Missouri was a 5 on the Enhanced Fujita Scale. The scale measures tornado intensity based on how much damage they cause. A 5 is as high as you can get.
Fleet Week in NY
AZUZ: A handful of U.S. Navy ships are sailing into New York. That's because it's Fleet Week! The Parade of Ships kicks off the annual event before the vessels drop their anchors at different spots around New York City. Fleet Week gives service members the chance for some R & R in the Big Apple. And it gives civilians the opportunity to go aboard these Navy ships. This week's Fleet Week also brings the USS New York back to New York for the first time since it was commissioned. Part of the ship was made from steel that was recovered from the Twin Towers that were attacked on 9/11 nearly ten years ago.
AZUZ: When you go to buy a car, the window sticker gives you a lot of information. But government officials want it to give you more, and in a year or two, that sticker will. New fuel efficiency labels will be required for all new cars starting in 2013. In addition to miles per gallon, you'll see how much you might save -- or spend -- on gas over five years, and how the vehicle stacks up against similar models. Environmental groups support the idea of offering consumers this extra information, but some of them wanted the new labels to assign each vehicle a letter grade. A, B, C, things like that. Critics thought the grades might be too confusing.
CNN Teachers' Lounge & Blog
AZUZ: At CNNStudentNews.com, we are all about your input. First, you teachers. We want to know your thoughts on class rankings. Are you for or against them? That's the newest question in our CNN Student News Teachers' Lounge. You can find that on our home page. Next one is for students. As we wrap up our school year next week, we're going to be talking about the biggest headlines from 2010-2011. You'll see a list of the stories on our blog. What we want is to hear your thoughts on them. Why were these headlines significant? What do you remember most? So teachers: class rankings. Students: top stories. CNNStudentNews.com: get to it!
Shoutout
TOMEKA JONES, CNN STUDENT NEWS: Today's Shoutout goes out to Mr. DeLand's social studies students at North Rowan Middle School in Spencer, North Carolina! U.S. pennies are made mostly of what metal? You know what to do! Is it: A) Aluminum, B) Bronze, C) Copper or D) Zinc? You've got three seconds -- GO! The first pennies were pure copper; today, they're more than 97% zinc. That's your answer and that's your Shoutout!
Before We Go
AZUZ: A project with pennies is making some students angry in Washington state. And it's not because they're not worth much.
MAYRA EVERSON, STUDENT: How has this gotten out of control? Why did this get out of control? Why wasn't there a stop to it?
AZUZ: 14,300 pennies laid out on the cafeteria floor. She's not angry about the project. She's talking about what it represents: the U.S. national debt. Students spent four hours laying out the pennies, with each one symbolizing one billion dollars. The idea was to get other students thinking about the country's $14.3 trillion debt.
Goodbye
AZUZ: Using pennies as a visual aid? It's an idea that makes a lot of cents. And it's definitely a change of pace from your normal economics lesson. And if you're out there groaning, just imagine how I feel. CNN Student News returns tomorrow. You can take that to the bank.
Loading weather data ...
© 2011 Cable News Network. Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Feedback
|