STUDENT NEWS

Cease-Fire in Syria?; North Korea`s Rocket Test

Aired April 13, 2012 - 04:00:00   ET

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

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is (inaudible) class at John (Inaudible) Middle School.

GROUP: Welcome to CNN Student News.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Take it away, Carl.

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CARL AZUZ, HOST, CNN STUDENT NEWS: Thanks to Ms. Bailey`s (ph) class for that introduction You know we always think Friday`s are awesome, although you friggatriskaidekaphobics might disagree about this particular Friday. Today CNN Student News is taking you all over the world. We start in the Middle East.

Different groups from around the world have been pushing for an end to the violence in Syria. Yesterday, that seemed to happen, even if it was only for a short time. The sound of artillery fire has been daily event in many Syrian cities. Part of a peace plan set a Thursday deadline for the cease-fire.

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AZUZ (voice-over): And listen to this.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (Speaking foreign language).

AZUZ (voice-over): What you don`t hear is artillery fire, no explosions. This YouTube video does show a tank in the middle of the city, but there doesn`t seem to be any fighting going on, at least for a few moments.

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said it was a critical moment for ending the violence in Syria. But he also said the world was watching with what he called skeptical eyes, since the Syrian government hasn`t kept several promises it`s made in the past.

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AZUZ: The window for a North Korean rocket launch is open. The nation announced last month that the launch could happen any time between yesterday and Monday. We`ve reported on the tensions surrounding this rocket.

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AZUZ (voice-over): North Korea says it`s using it to launch a weather satellite into orbit. But other countries, like the U.S. and South Korea think the launch is just a cover for North Korea to test a ballistic missile.

Tom Foreman explains how experts might be able to learn what this rocket is for.

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TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Intelligence analysts and rocket scientists all around the world have watched very closely the development of this rocket. They know that there has been input from the Russians and from the Chinese in terms of the technology used. They know that the North Koreans have also played with that a good bit.

But they don`t know a whole lot of other things about this rocket, other than the general shape and the possible capability. Last one, the Unha-2, is about 100 feet tall. This one seems to be taller than that a bit, 176,000 pounds in weight roughly. And the payload, boy, this is a big guess here, anywhere from 200 to 1,400 pounds, maybe a lot more.

It`s hard to say, because there`s so many specifics we don`t know about this. We do know that when it lifts off, there will be an awful lot of things to watch as it blasts up into space, things that will give intelligence services a sense of how well it`s performing.

For example, do the boosters drop off as they should in the drop zones indicated by North Korea? And beyond that how does this thing fly once it gets into space? They will look at the color of the flames coming out of the back. This will give them an idea of exactly what kind of fuel is being burned, how effectively it`s being burned.

They`ll look at the trajectory of the flight. Is it flying more like a satellite launching missile, or is it flying more like a ballistic missile? There are differences in the direction which they fly. They`ll also look at the telemetry, all of the information coming out of this as it flies.

That won`t only be professional services looking at it, but all sorts of amateurs around the world, in Australia and South America, keeping track of that, seeing what they can figure out. And the overall performance, is it acting like a well-disciplined, well-constructed rocket as it flies 17,000 miles an hour, 300 miles in the air, and tries to launch this little satellite right here, which is really the focus of it all.

When you think about it, because that little satellite is actually a very low performance piece of technology as far as we know, kind of like Telstar was back in 1962. The big question is: would you put all of that technology to work just to launch this? That`s what intelligence analysts think is the big question.

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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Today`s Shoutout goes out to Mr. Butler`s civics classes at Ben Gamla Charter School in Plantation, Florida. The Ring of Fire is located around which ocean? You know what to do. Is it the Arctic Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, Indian Ocean or Pacific Ocean? You`ve got three seconds, go.

The perimeter of the Pacific Ocean is where you`ll find the Ring of Fire, although it`s shaped more like a horseshoe than a ring. That`s your answer, and that`s your Shoutout.

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AZUZ (voice-over): The Ring of Fire is a huge area of seismic activity. In fact, around 90 percent of all the world`s earthquakes happen inside that region. That includes the powerful quake that hit Indonesia on Wednesday. Had a magnitude of 8.6. It was followed by a shock that was an 8.2. No immediate reports of any major damage, but that wasn`t the only activity in the Ring of Fire.

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AZUZ: Early the next morning, a pair of earthquakes hit off the coast of Mexico. They weren`t as powerful as the ones in Indonesia. They registered with magnitudes of 6.9 and 6.2.

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AZUZ (voice-over): We`re jumping from the Pacific Ocean over to the Gulf of Mexico now, where representatives from the Royal Dutch Shell Oil company say a sheen of oil has been spotted out in the water. The company says the sheen covers about 10 square miles.

That estimate would mean it`s equivalent to around 6 barrels of oil. Shell said activated an oil response ship to come out and deal with the sheen. The Coast Guard is trying to figure out who`s responsible.

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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: See if you can ID me. I was founded in 1846. I`m where you`d find George Washington`s uniform, the Star-Spangled Banner and Kermit the Frog.

With 19 museums, I`m the world`s largest museum and research complex.

I`m the Smithsonian, and many of my museums are located on the National Mall.

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AZUZ: The Smithsonian`s National Museum of American History has a new exhibit called "American Stories." The museum`s curator says it uses well- known and less familiar stories to tell the tale of America, from the Pilgrims to the present day.

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AZUZ (voice-over): Visitors can see some iconic cultural items, like Dorothy`s ruby slippers from "The Wizard of Oz." Kermit the Frog is part of this exhibit as well. And you`re about to see the boxing gloves worn by Muhammad Ali.

Technology also plays a big role in our society and a big role in the "American Stories" exhibit. The curator says her hope is that visitors realize they are part of America`s history, too.

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AZUZ (voice-over): You`ve read about a lot of that stuff in your history textbooks. In fact, much of what we learn throughout life comes from books. So in the spirit of National Library Week, we`re asking what your favorite book is and why. Do you even read for fun in your free time? If so, put that book down for just a second, and talk to us on our blog at cnnstudentnews.com.

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AZUZ: In the "Spotlight" section on our home page, you`ll see a link for CNN Heroes. It`s where you can nominate someone whom you think is making a difference in his or her community. Dr. Benjamin LaBrot doesn`t work in just one community. He`s found a way to affect lives all over. And the work he`s doing is why he`s one of this year`s CNN Heroes.

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DR. BENJAMIN LABROT, MEDICAL MARVEL: My name is Dr. Benjamin LaBrot. I don`t have a private medical practice. I make no salary.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Ben, you want to take her? This is Ingrid (ph).

LABROT: I started an organization called Floating Doctors to use a ship to bring health care to communities that have fallen through the cracks and denied access to health care.

Floating Doctors has a 76-foot 100-ton ship that we refurbished from a completely derelict hull, and we use that to transport all of our supplies. Since we set sail about 21/2 years ago, our mission has been continuous. We were two months in Haiti. We transited to Honduras. And we`ve been working in Panama for about the last eight months.

(Speaking Spanish.)

In the last two years, we`ve treated nearly 13,000 people in three countries.

OK, we`re on our way. We should be there in, like, 15 minutes.

I`ll find patients who have never seen a doctor before in their lives.

That was about as good a result on that ultrasound as we could possibly hope.

Typical community is usually living with no electricity, with no running water, with no sewage, essentially living with none of the basic requirements as we understand it.

We`ve built schools. We`ve done community projects. We`ve provided health education for thousands of patients.

Floating Doctors is an all-volunteer organization. Nobody gets paid. All of our medical supplies are donated. I had to postpone many aspects of my own personal life. I don`t have a home somewhere. I had to give up a lot, but I gained everything.

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AZUZ: When it comes to blowing up balloons, there`s the easy way --

-- and there`s the hard way.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Two, one.

AZUZ (voice-over): This is the hard way. It`s called a Rube Goldberg machine, something that does a simple task in a hugely complicated way. These students at Purdue University broke their own world record with this 300-step machine. Bet you didn`t know you could peel an apple, make a burger, change a light bulb and sharpen a pencil, all on the way to blowing up a balloon.

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AZUZ: Setting a new world record may inflate those students` egos, but it`s also earned them a place in pop culture history. All right. Quick congratulations to the students at Jan Gingelwright (ph) Junior High, who got this week`s social media trivia question right. How did they accomplish that simple task? With a long series of steps.

First, they watched the video question. Then they figured out the answer. They typed up that answer, told us their school and city name, and then after that, we checked to make sure they were right. We confirmed their information, (inaudible) --

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STUDENT NEWS

George Zimmerman Charged

Aired April 12, 2012 - 04:00:00   ET

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

CARL AZUZ, HOST, CNN STUDENT NEWS: Hi, I`m Carl Azuz and welcome to CNN Student News. We have a bit of breaking news leading off today`s show, news out of Florida that happened right as we were producing this show last night.

Special prosecutor Angela Corey announced that George Zimmerman has been charged with murder in the second degree. Zimmerman is the neighborhood watch leader who shot and killed Trayvon Martin back in February. He told police he acted in self-defense.

Prosecutors say Zimmerman turned himself in to authorities yesterday, and you can get more details on the shooting and the special prosecutor`s announcement by going to the "Spotlight" section at cnnstudentnews.com.

Once again, for you, though, George Zimmerman being charged with murder in the second degree in connection with the death of Trayvon Martin. The rest of today`s edition of CNN Student News starts right now.

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AZUZ: A massive earthquake followed the threat of a tsunami for people in Indonesia. That combination could bring up tragic memories. In 2004, there was an earthquake off the Indonesian coast, and that triggered a tsunami, this giant wall of water. It killed more than 200,000 people --

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AZUZ (voice-over): -- was absolutely catastrophic for the region. Well, yesterday, there was another major quake. This one had a magnitude of 8.6. It hit the same area, off the coast of the island of Sumatra. There was also a powerful aftershock a couple hours later.

Some residents were told to evacuate to get to higher ground, where they would be safer. Officials put out a tsunami watch, but they canceled that later in the day. Unlike the massive devastation of eight years before, there were no immediate reports of deaths or destruction from this quake.

We`ve been talking to you recently about this. It was a ship that was washed away by the tsunami that hit Japan last year. It was thought to be lost until it showed up off the coast of Canada. The thing was still intact.

It was part of this giant field of debris that the tsunami washed out into the Pacific Ocean. You see it moving across the Pacific in this simulation on your screen now.

Over the course of a year, this ship drifted all the way across the Pacific. The Japanese ship gradually drifted into U.S. waters. It was drifting at about a mile per hour, and heading toward fishing areas in the Gulf of Alaska. That`s when the U.S. Coast Guard decided to sink it. Officials said the Japanese vessel posed a threat to other ships in the area. They also said it might be an environmental hazard.

So late last week, the Coast Guard opened fire with cannons on this ship. They blew holes in its side. What`s interesting is it took more than four hours for it to sink.

On April 12th, back in 1861, Confederate forces opened fire on Fort Sumter in South Carolina. That marked the beginning of the U.S. Civil War. In 1945, President Franklin D. Roosevelt, the longest-serving president in U.S. history, died a few months into his fourth term in office.

In 1961, Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first person to travel into space. His historic journey lasted just under two hours. And 20 years after that, in 1981, NASA launched the space shuttle program. The vehicle was Columbia; the program lasted for 30 years.

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AZUZ: April is National Autism Awareness Month. The goal is to educate people about this medical disorder and about issues in the autism community.

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AZUZ (voice-over): Autism is actually a series of developmental disorders. They usually appear before someone turns three years old. The symptoms are different from person to person, but all autism disorders affect the ability to communicate and to interact with others.

Last month, a report released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated that about one out of every 88 of the 8-year-old children it surveyed has autism. These disorders are about five times more common among boys than among girls.

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AZUZ: While autism is often diagnosed in childhood, is a lifelong disorder, there`s no cure for it, and for adults with autism, finding a job can be a very difficult struggle. Gena Somra reports on one business that`s trying to help.

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GENA SOMRA, CNN REPORTER (voice-over): Tom Pinchbeck never dreamed he`d turn his family rose farm into an employment center for people with autism.

After fierce international competition forced him to close the farm started by his great-grandfather, a family friend worried about his own autistic son`s future, helped reshaped Pinchbeck`s legacy. Now Pinchbeck is working with the non-profit group, Ability Beyond Disability to put a dent in the staggering 88 percent unemployment rate among Americans with autism.

JOAN VOLPE, VICE PRESIDENT, ABILITY BEYOND DISABILITY: He likes for folks to come into our program, learn the skills that they need to learn and let us help them place them in their community where they live and find a job and hopefully a career.

SOMRA (voice-over): Will Swartzell, a 19-year old with autism, is one of Rose`s employees. He and his mother, Sondra, say potential employers should put aside stereotypes that may prevent them from hiring those with autism.

WILL SWARTZELL, ROSES FOR AUTISM EMPLOYEE: I believe that autism only -- for me, it tells me that I learn a certain way that the majority doesn`t really, you know, is used to learning.

SOMRA (voice-over): With the help of a few charitable grants, Roses for Autism is now helping young adults with autism improve their lives, and Pinchbeck`s rose farm is also back, producing close to 1 million flowers per year -- Gena Somra, CNN, Gilford, Connecticut.

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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Today`s Shoutout goes out to Ms. Chaney`s government class at Kuinerrarmiut Elitnaurviat in Quinhagak, Alaska. Which branch of the U.S. military was established most recently. Here we go. Is it the Army, Navy, Air Force or Marine Corps? You`ve got three seconds, go.

The United States Air Force was established as its own branch of the military in 1947. That`s your answer, and that`s your Shoutout.

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AZUZ: Members of the Air Force don`t just serve in the sky. In fact, today, we`re talking about a group of airmen that does most of its work on the ground. It`s a specialty unit. It`s credited with saving hundreds of lives. Reynolds Wolf caught up with some of them recently and learned how they unleash their unique skills.

REYNOLDS WOLF, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Robins Air Force Base in Georgia is home to some 7,000 airmen, six of them are among the most deployed and most vital in the military.

Like Azak, a 5-year-old German shepherd -- yes, he`s a dog, but he`s also considered an airman.

STAFF SGT. ROCKY FOREMAN, USAF: They`re not people, obviously, but they, you know, they`re almost like that for us. They`re our partners, so that`s how we look at them.

WOLF (voice-over): Staff Sgt. Rocky Foreman is Azak`s handler.

FOREMAN: (Inaudible) my dog (inaudible).

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I understand.

FOREMAN: Get out of here! Oh!

WOLF (voice-over): He says there`s a lot more to his job than just holding a leash.

WOLF: What is his specific role?

FOREMAN: Well, he can find certain types of explosive or narcotics. He is also a patrol certified dog, so that means he can do the bite work, the escort, the detention and apprehension of suspects.

Get it, boy. Get it, boy. Azak, get him.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Whoo! Get your dog. Get your dog. Get your dog off me.

FOREMAN: Whoa, buddy.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Get your dog.

FOREMAN: Azak, out.

And they can save lives, just like soldiers and airmen can. They can stop the whole line of patrol before you even get to a detonation or a hazardous area, due to their detection sense. That`s when you would halt everything and basically you would -- whoever`s with you, that`s how many lives you saved because of his nose.

WOLF (voice-over): It`s estimated these dogs save an average of 150 lives each.

LT. COL. TOM MORSE, COMMANDER, 78TH SECURITY FORCES SQUADRON: The dogs don`t know that they`re being heroes. They`re just doing what they think is right between their relationship that they have with their handler and themselves.

WOLF (voice-over): That partnership is critical to their success.

MORSE: It`s extremely that we do find the right handler with the right dog. The better the relationship, the better the detection capability, the better the capability they`re going to be having when they`re going out there and doing any kind of mission.

WOLF: How do they decompress? How do they separate themselves from a very violent, from a very frightening situation?

MORSE: They have some downtime, where they`re able to go and relax. And it might be just that handler having time with the dog, petting it, playing with it a bit more. And then they go out and do the mission again. It becomes routine, and it becomes something that the dog looks forward to.

WOLF (voice-over): Staff Sgt. Foreman is relying on that relationship.

FOREMAN: Azak, out. Sit.

WOLF (voice-over): The two will head overseas in a matter of weeks.

WOLF: Do you feel confident when you`re deployed, having this guy with you?

FOREMAN: I feel completely confident with him by my side overseas. We`re good to go.

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AZUZ: I`d be confident with him, too. And you know, dogs aren`t the only animals we`ve seen used in the military. We had a report recently about how dolphins are used to detect mines underwater. Always cool to see animals serving in our armed forces.

Well, before we go today, there is a new reason to think twice about texting while walking. This 400-pound black bear was wandering around the California neighborhood recently. The news helicopter tracking him had the perfect view for what`s coming up.

There`s a guy walking, looking down at his phone. Then he looks up -- there he goes. Takes off. Can you imagine, texting while walking, looking up and having a bear? A lot of people just walk into street signs. You can`t blame the guy for turning tail. He was actually texting to tell his boss he was going to be late because of some commotion outside his home. He was right.

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AZUZ: Should have just showed him the video of the close encounter though, because that would have put the story into context. Luckily, the man was a runner, so he was able to get away, but just "bearly." We hope you enjoy the rest of your Thursday. We will be back tomorrow with more CNN Student News, possibly more puns if you`re lucky. I`ll see you later. I`m Carl Azuz.

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STUDENT NEWS

North Korea`s Upcoming Nuclear Test

Aired April 10, 2012 - 04:00:00   ET

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

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GROUP: Welcome. We are the seventh grade at St. Jude`s School in Mountain Top, Pennsylvania. And you`re watching CNN Student News, where the news sticks with you.

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CARL AZUZ, HOST, CNN STUDENT NEWS: I want to thank those St. Jude`s students for introducing today`s show. Thanks to all of you for sticking with us for the next 10 minutes. I`m Carl Azuz, welcome to CNN Student News.

First up, tension on the Korean peninsula, and part of it has to do with the possibility of an upcoming nuclear test. North Korea has held two of these controversial tests before. Now South Korean officials say the north is getting ready to run another one. U.S. officials agreed with that information, although North Korea hasn`t said anything about a nuclear test.

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AZUZ (voice-over): What the north is talking about is a separate rocket launch, scheduled for later this week. CNN`s Stan Grant was invited to get an up-close look at the rocket. He explains why there`s some controversy surrounding this launch, too.

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STAN GRANT, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This is what North Korea has been keeping hidden from the world, not any more. A long-range rocket, 30 meters long or nearly 100 feet, that much of the world suspects will launch the next phase of the reclusive country`s missile program.

North Korea insists there is nothing to fear. Not a missile test, but in fact, a satellite launch for scientific research. To prove it, they`ve taken an unprecedented step, opening up the launch site to the eyes of the international media.

For Pyongyang, this also represents a propaganda coup. In the year the country celebrates their 100th anniversary of the birth of its founder, Kim Il-sung.

"This is a spiritual moment as the North Korean people struggle to open the gate to a prosperous and powerful future," this man says. But the United States and its allies see it very differently, a country still technically at war, taking yet another step closer to perfecting a missile that, experts say, could reach American shores.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): I am very disturbed.

GRANT: He can deny that? (Inaudible) deny that it`s -- that it`s --

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): Look for yourselves with your own eyes, then you can judge whether it`s a ballistic missile or whether it`s a launch vehicle to put a satellite into orbit to show that, that`s why we have invited you to this launch site.

GRANT (voice-over): So we certainly get the grand tour, today shown all around the site, the control center, even the actual satellite that will be launched into space on the rocket. One independent European analyst visiting the site says he sees nothing to be concerned about, but - -

CHRISTIAN LARDIER, SPACE ANALYST: I don`t know what they want to do in future, but today what we see is a space launcher.

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AZUZ: An update for you now on a neighborhood watch shooting in Florida. In February, 17-year-old Trayvon Martin was shot and killed by George Zimmerman, a neighborhood watch leader. Police say Martin was unarmed. Zimmerman says he shot Martin in self-defense after the teenager attacked him. We have a video in the "Spotlight" section of our home page with more details on the shooting.

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AZUZ (voice-over): A special prosecutor has been investigating this case. She had three options of possible action: she could charge George Zimmerman with a crime; she could clear him of any wrongdoing or she could send the case to the grand jury. That`s a group that hears evidence and testimony from witnesses and decides whether a case should go to trial.

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AZUZ: We found out yesterday that option three won`t happen. This special prosecutor says she won`t use a grand jury. She added that the decision doesn`t mean things are final. The investigation will go on.

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AZUZ (voice-over): This story has been an emotional one. It`s led to protests across the country, like this one in Sanford, Florida, where the shooting happened. The story`s also left people with a lot of questions, including you.

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AZUZ: We asked what was on your mind, what questions you had when you heard about this story.

Alyssa asks, "Why do the government, media, civil rights activists and citizens . jump to conclusions so quickly about what happened without actually knowing all the facts?"

Ritika asks, "Could a teenager really be dangerous to a man who has a weapon?"

From Mark, "What would have happened if their races were different -- would there still be protests or news coverage?"

And from Shaina, "Why is this type of incident just now being brought to people`s attention? Things like this happen all the time; does America care or know about those other incidents?"

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AZUZ: A lot of things unanswered at this point. We`re going to bring you news updates as we get them.

Meantime, if you want to share your thoughts, cnnstudentnews.com.

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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Is this legit? You have to be at least 45 years old to be a U.S. president.

Nope, not true. The Constitution says U.S. citizens who are at least 35 are eligible to be president.

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AZUZ: U.S. president, 35; U.S. House of Representatives, 25; Prince George`s County, Maryland, School Board, 18. Different levels of government have different age requirements that are set by the U.S. Constitution or state and local governments. Athena Jones caught up with a group of candidates for that Maryland school board who are hoping that their age will pay off at the polls.

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ATHENA JONES, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Meet Edward Burroughs, Raaheela Ahmed and David Murray. These fresh-faced college students spent primary day at the polls, not just voting, but campaigning for seats of their own on the school board in Prince George`s County, Maryland.

In fact, 19-year-old Edward Burroughs is defending his seat. He`s fighting to protect his former classmates from steep budget cuts.

EDWARD BURROUGHS, SCHOOL BOARD CANDIDATE: At the polls last week we had early voting. There were several people who came up and said, you know, "I didn`t vote for you last time because you were too young. But I`ve seen you on the board. I`ve seen you in action, and you`re doing a great job. So you have my vote."

JONES (voice-over): Burroughs got 67 percent of the vote Tuesday. David Murray, who`s 20, wants schools to do a better job preparing students for life after high school.

DAVID MURRAY, SCHOOL BOARD CANDIDATE: Well, you know, our county is lagging behind our peers. We`re persistently at the bottom in terms of student achievement. And I want students to have the same opportunity to go to college and to be successful in the workforce.

JONES (voice-over): At just 18, Raaheela Ahmed is the youngest. She attended the county`s public schools for 13 years.

RAAHEELA AHMED, SCHOOL BOARD CANDIDATE: What do I bring? I bring a knowledge of the schools. I bring a knowledge of the system and what goes on in the schools, and I think that that is something that can be a very good asset to the board.

JONES (voice-over): All three won their primaries, and are gearing up for the November election. Because they graduated recently, they say they know what students and teachers need. Some of their opponents say their youth could be a problem.

ANDRE NOTTINGHAM, SCHOOL BOARD CANDIDATE: We have a $1.6 billion budget. So that`s a $1.6 billion business enterprise. We need folks with experience management.

ZABRINA EPPS, SCHOOL BOARD CANDIDATE: I think my opponent is a very bright young man. He`s in college himself. He`s come through the process. But I think that there`s something to be said for having experience.

JONES (voice-over): But these candidates have a message for people who think they`re too young.

BURROUGHS: With my age comes new ideas, new energy and they`re looking for hands-on, energetic members of the board, who are willing to move the system forward.

MURRAY: We`ve got to be willing to look at things differently.

JONES (voice-over): Athena Jones, CNN, Upper Marlborough, Maryland.

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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Today`s Shoutout goes out to Ms. Gazda`s American government class at Harland High School in Hartland, Michigan.

What article of clothing is presented to the winner of the Masters golf tournament? Is it a gold jacket, checkered pants, green jacket or argyle socks? You`ve got three seconds, go.

A Masters victory earns you a green jacket that you have to return the next year. That`s your answer, and that`s your Shoutout.

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AZUZ: Well, the man now wearing that green jacket is Bubba Watson. He won this year`s Masters tournament in a sudden death playoff on Sunday. It was just the fourth career victory for Watson --

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AZUZ (voice-over): -- and he`s not what you might call a traditional golfer. He doesn`t have a coach. He came up with his own swing. He`s told reporters that he`s not a big fan of practice. So how did Watson end up taking home the green jacket? He says a big part of it was believing in his natural abilities.

BUBBA WATSON, 2012 MASTERS CHAMPION: Going back to my childhood, going back to my wife, what my wife said to me, what my mom said to me, just put my head down -- and I`ve done this before; my caddy`s told me all the time, he said, "You`re a good golfer. You`re here for a reason. You can do this. You`ve hit all these shots before. You just have to do it in this moment."

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AZUZ: Well, before we go, we have the latest installment of an annual Easter tradition.

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AZUZ (voice-over): It`s San Francisco`s Bring Your Own Big Wheel Race. Dozens of adults speeding downhill on toys with plastic wheels -- the phrase "organized chaos" definitely applies here. They even got a celebrity to show up for this year`s event. Really aren`t any rules here. And you don`t have to worry about practicing to cruise around on a toy trike, because after all --

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AZUZ: -- the whole race is pretty much a crash course. The road, of course, plays a big part in determining the winner. But as you could see in the video, it grades on a curve. Never get tired of puns. But right now we`re spinning our wheels, so we`ll come up with more for you tomorrow, and we`ll see you then. `Bye.

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