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STUDENT NEWS

New Hope for Greece

Aired February 22, 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: Well, whether you`re observing Ash Wednesday, George Washington`s birthday or just marking the midpoint of the week, we are glad you`re doing it with CNN Student News. I`m your host, Carl Azuz, bringing you 10 minutes of headlines, no commercials.

New hope for Greece: the country that`s been struggling with severe debt is getting another bailout from other European countries. This is the second deal that Greece has gotten in two years. The latest one is worth $172 billion, and it`ll help keep Greece from going bankrupt.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

AZUZ (voice-over): You`ve heard us talk about Greece before. In order to get money from other countries to stay afloat, Greece has had to make deep cuts in government spending, what it pays government workers and how much retirement money they get.

In the short term, Greece will be able to pay some of its debts which have been reduced by the deal. But some analysts are saying this is just a quick fix. It`s not going to help the country in the long term, and if Greece`s economy eventually goes completely under, it could significantly hurt other economies throughout Europe. They`re interconnected.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

AZUZ: Well, here`s an example of how a headline you hear on our show can directly affect you. Oil prices are going up worldwide. It`ll likely mean higher gas prices, and part of the reason is the action recently taken by the Middle Eastern nation of Iran. Tommy Andres explains how it factors into what we pay at the pump, and how high gas could get in the months ahead.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TOMMY ANDRES, CNN REPORTER (voice-over): Cuts in Iranian oil exports are raising fears that the already rising price of gas could go up higher than first expected. Oil prices surged after Iran announced it`s cutting exports to Britain and France.

ANDRES: This is largely a symbolic move because Britain hasn`t been buying oil from Iran for over a year. France buys only a modest amount. And the reason oil prices spike is because there`s so little spare capacity in global oil markets right now that oil prices spike on the smallest headlines.

ANDRES (voice-over): Iran`s decision was made in retaliation against new sanctions over its nuclear program. Most of the oil the U.S. imports comes from Canada, Saudi Arabia and Mexico. But because oil is an internationally traded commodity, Iran`s decision is increasing prices everywhere.

Senator Chuck Schumer of New York says the U.S. needs to take steps now to prevent the rising cost of oil from affecting gas prices.

SEN. CHARLES SCHUMER (D), NEW YORK: The Saudis in the Gulf states ought to pump more oil immediately. And that`s what our government ought to do. It ought to tell the Saudis, you know, we`re trying to keep Iran in line by squeezing them economically, but they ought to pump more oil so the price doesn`t go up.

ANDRES (voice-over): Already some states are seeing gas prices above 4 bucks a gallon.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It`s outrageous, but I mean, I guess it is what it is, you know, you got to just keep working harder and hopefully it`ll go down and fluctuate as it does yearly.

ANDRES (voice-over): Analysts say the price of gas could rise on average more than 50 cents a gallon by this summer. That means some states could be looking at as high $5 a gallon gas.

I`m Tommy Andres reporting.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Time for the Shoutout. Which of these Middle Eastern countries is Yemen? If you think you know it, shout it out. Is it, A, B, C or D? You`ve got three seconds, go.

On this map, the letter A represents Yemen, located between the Red Sea and the nation of Oman. That`s your answer, and that`s your Shoutout.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

AZUZ: Yemen`s government is categorized as a republic, and what means is that its citizens vote for people to represent them. But until last November, the country had had the same leader, Ali Abdullah Saleh, for decades. He resigned after months of protests.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

AZUZ (voice-over): And on Tuesday, voters streamed to the polls to decide who to replace Saleh. There was one name on the ballot, that of the country`s former vice president, Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi, a worker with Yemen`s interior ministry was optimistic, calling this a people`s election.

But Hadi became vice president in 1994. So some of Yemen`s citizens are skeptical about whether he`ll be able to fulfill his promises of making Yemen safer and creating more jobs there.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

AZUZ: Well, one side effect of the violence going on in Syria, food and medical supplies aren`t getting to the people who need them. Fighting between government forces and the groups opposing them has killed an estimated 9,000 Syrians since last March. Now CNN can`t independently confirm that because the Syrian government has limited what journalists are allowed to do inside the country.

But the International Red Cross has called for a cease-fire. It called for that on Tuesday. And what the Red Cross wants is just a two- hour stop in the violence so that humanitarian aid can be distributed in Syria. CNN`s Arwa Damon illustrates why that is so incredibly crucial.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ARWA DAMON, CNN REPORTER (voice-over): The men call out names, carefully counting out and distributing baby diapers to families huddled in a bunker. Everything here is carefully rationed, including food, which is running short.

Sheikh Amin (ph), who leads the humanitarian effort in Baba Amr tells us that in the last two weeks nothing has come into the neighborhood. Some of what they`ve gathered comes from shops and homes or is salvaged from stores hit by artillery.

"We take the products to distribute so they don`t go to waste," Sheikh Amin (ph) explains. "We keep track of everything we took to reimburse the owners." Moving the staples is an elaborate process.

DAMON: Even an operation like this one, bringing in these basic supplies that residents here so desperately need, has to happen under cover of darkness. They also have to be as fast as possible.

They`ve been quickly calculating exactly what it is that they need to take out for the time being, and they`ve been loading things like babies` diapers, cracked wheat, lentils. But then someone called out, saying, "Oh, should we put cooking oil on the truck?" Well, they`ve run out of cooking oil. In fact, this is pretty much all that they have left.

DAMON (voice-over): All they have left for the thousands trapped in Baba Amr.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (Speaking foreign language).

DAMON (voice-over): "There is no food. There is only cracked wheat and rice," this woman at a bunker laments, showing us what bread she has left.

"Look at it. Look at what we are eating," she cries. The shortages are not just confined to Baba Amr. On the outskirts of Homs, there are entire networks in place, just to deliver bread and fuel. War brings out the worst in people, but also the best.

DAMON: Abu Fadi (ph), here is one of the many people who is trying to help others out, by making runs to Damascus to get things like bread, gasoline, cooking oil.

DAMON (voice-over): "But even that takes lengthy planning and great risks," he tells us. "We have people there that we are working with to gather the products," he says, "but it takes time, and the road is very tough. We have to go through the farmlands, getting shot at, just for a bite of bread and a bit of fuel."

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Is this legit? In the U.S., there`s an infinite amount of capacity to provide cell phone service.

Not legit. Wireless experts do not know exactly what the limit is, but they do agree there is one.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

AZUZ: We can`t see the wireless spectrum, but we will probably see the effects of hitting its limits, and that could happen as early as next year.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

AZUZ (voice-over): We wireless users can expect more dropped calls, slower data and Internet on our phones, and possibly higher service prices, too. The reason is the skyrocketing demand for video, email and apps for mobile phones. Compared to an old school cell phone, some smartphones use up to 24 times the amount of wireless spectrum. Tablets can use 122 times as much.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

AZUZ: With more and more Americans using these devices, capacity for wireless service is simply running out. The good news here is that there are ways to extend the wireless spectrum limit. The bad news is there are no quick fixes to this, and all of those fixes that are available are expensive. So higher service prices could be inevitable.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

AZUZ (voice-over): There`s a big debate tonight between the Republican presidential candidates. It`s cohosted by CNN and the Republican party of Arizona, and it`s not only the last debate for the next round of primaries and caucuses, it could be the last GOP debate of the season. Tune into CNN tonight at 8:00 pm Eastern to hear the Republican candidates make their cases live.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

AZUZ: And before we go today, how often do you meet somebody who holds an official world record? Not often.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

AZUZ (voice-over): That`s why a 16-year-old Vermont high school student made this, what is likely the world`s longest staple chain. He was bored after finishing his science test, so he started a small staple chain, and then he looked up what the world record was. Guinness said that was 422 feet of staples. So the student just went for it. He spent his summer stapling, stringing along 750 feet of heavy metal.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

AZUZ: It`s not exactly a strength record, but you could still call him the Man of Steel. Having the patience alone to do that would test anyone`s "metal," but the end result is definitely off the chain. I know. You might be groaning, but the puns are a CNN Student News staple. For now, we`ll clamp it and stamp out a new show for you tomorrow. I`m Carl Azuz.

END

STUDENT NEWS

Violence in Syria

Aired February 17, 2012 - 04:00:00   ET

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

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hello, Carl. We are the English class from China.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hello, my name is (inaudible).

ALLE (PH): I`m Alle (ph)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (Inaudible).

LEBOS (PH): I`m Lebos (ph).

AMY (PH): I`m Amy (ph)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (Inaudible).

URSULA (PH): I`m Ursula.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (Inaudible).

GROUP: (Inaudible). Yay!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(MUSIC PLAYING)

CARL AZUZ, HOST, CNN STUDENT NEWS: An introduction all the way from China, that is awesome. We thank you all for sending that in. We thank all of our audience for spending part of your Friday with CNN Student News.

Twelve months -- that`s how long this political revolt and violence have been going on in the Middle Eastern nation of Syria. Other countries have spoken out against Syria`s government for reportedly attacking civilians.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

AZUZ (voice-over): Yesterday, the United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution that calls for an immediate end to the violence. It`s the strongest statement that the U.N. has made on the crisis in Syria. But the resolution isn`t binding. It doesn`t force Syria to do anything.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

AZUZ: A lot of the violence has been reported in cities like Homs and Dura (ph) those are in the southern part of the country. Ivan Watson`s team were in the northern part of Syria. He filed this report on the situation there.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

IVAN WATSON, CNN REPORTER: What is striking is at one point we saw a skyline of the largest city in the area, Idlib. And there you could see a Syrian government flag prominently flying in the heart of the city, and less than a kilometer away, a Syrian opposition flag of green, black and white, also flying in the heart of the city.

WATSON (voice-over): It`s very clear that government and opposition control, sometimes what`s dividing these forces is sometimes just kilometers.

And there have been cases, we have been told, within the last 24 hours, of deadly artillery assaults hitting opposition-held villages and killing at least two residents of that village. The inhabitants here, they are enjoying what they say is self-rule. They are calling these pockets of liberated Syria.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Today`s first Shoutout goes out to Ms. Dearinger`s photojournalism and broadcast journalism students at Legacy High School, in Mansfield, Texas.

Chevrolet, Buick and Cadillac are all brands from what car company? You know what to do. Is it Ford, GM, Chrysler, Toyota? You`ve got three seconds, go.

Those brands are all made by General Motors. That`s your answer, and that`s your Shoutout.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

AZUZ: General Motors is celebrating some good company news this week. It announced that in 2011, it made its biggest annual profit in GM`s history, $7.6 billion. It was two years ago that General Motors declared bankruptcy and needed a bailout from the U.S. government.

But that`s actually why this profit news is kind of mixed.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

AZUZ (voice-over): When GM declared bankruptcy, it let the company make some significant changes. It closed plants. It closed dealerships and it got rid of some brands. That restructuring helped the company be more profitable. But it`s not because of how many vehicles GM is selling. Sales levels in 2011 were lower than they were before the recession.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

AZUZ: Well, no matter what you drive, the federal government wants carmakers to limit what you can do using the car`s electronics. On some vehicles, drivers can tweet. They can use navigation or Facebook.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

AZUZ (voice-over): Well, the Department of Transportation is recommending that a lot of that stuff be shut off to drivers while the car`s in motion, or at least limited in how much they can spend using it. The reason? Wrecks. In 2010, more than 3,000 people in America died in crashes blamed on distracted driving.

Down the road, the government may recommend electronic limits on any devices brought into the car, like smartphones or tablet computers. But for now, it`s only for devices already installed in cars. And these are voluntary recommendations for carmakers, not laws they`re required for follow.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

AZUZ: We`re going to try to fold in one more automotive story, from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. We should be able to make it fit, since it`s about a car that can fold.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

AZUZ (voice-over): It`s an electric car that was built at MIT. You`re about to see why it`s unique. Watch the wheels. They can turn all toward the center of the car, which lets it fold up on itself.

And you`re probably wondering what the point it. The idea is to save space when parking on city streets. When these cars fold up, you can fit three of them in a space that would normally fit one vehicle. Plus there are no side doors -- you get out from the front.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

AZUZ: And our social media question of the week: we asked you which organization was founded 55 years ago this week during the Civil Rights Movement. One of the Thunderbirds at Harmony Middle School in Kansas was the first person to get the right answer: the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, or SCLC.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

AZUZ (voice-over): The organization was officially founded on February 14th, 1957. Its headquarters is in Atlanta, Georgia, and its first president was Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

The mission of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference is to ensure equal rights and justice for all Americans. The group worked to achieve that goal by helping local organizations that were part of the Civil Rights Movement. The SCLC coordinated training programs, education projects and voter registration drives.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

AZUZ (voice-over): The SCLC was founded 55 years ago this week. Did you know that the NAACP, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, was created more than 100 years ago. If so, you already know one of the answers on our Black History Month quiz. Check it out in the "Spotlight" section, cnnstudentnews.com. See if you can score a perfect 10.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Time for a Shoutout Extra Credit.

Whose face is on the U.S. nickel. Here we go. Is it Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton, Franklin Roosevelt or George Washington? Rewind that clock to three seconds and go.

The five-cent piece bears the face of America`s third president, Thomas Jefferson. That`s your answer, and that`s your Shoutout Extra Credit.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

AZUZ: President Obama`s administration says it`s more concerned with what`s in coins than who`s on them. The penny in your pocket might look like copper, but copper actually makes up less than 3 percent of a one-cent coin. And the main metal in nickels ain`t nickel. According to this next report from Athena Jones, the material makeup of U.S. currency could be in for a change.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ATHENA JONES, CNN REPORTER (voice-over): Julian Leidman knows coins. He`s been collecting them since he was 11 years old, and he`s been dealing them for nearly half a century.

JULIAN LEIDMAN, COIN DEALER: When cents were first made, this was the size of the cents.

JONES (voice-over): He says the look in metal content of the coins made in America have changed multiple times over the years.

LEIDMAN: They started in 1793. There was three different designs in 1793.

JONES (voice-over): And now pennies, as well as nickels, could be set to change again as part of an effort to cut costs. In the last budget the Obama administration asked Congress for permission to change the metal makeup of pennies and nickels, because they`ve become more expensive to produce than they are worth -- a lot more expensive.

It costs 2.4 cents to make one penny, and 11.2 cents to make a nickel as of last year.

The reason? The rising prices of the copper, nickel and zinc that go into the coins. Since 1982, pennies have been made mostly of zinc, and are merely copper plated. Nickels, on the other hand, are 75 percent copper and 25 percent nickel. And at current market rates, the price of raw materials alone is almost six cents per nickel. Add in the minting process, and it`s more than double face value.

JONES: Does it surprise you that it costs so much to make these coins?

LEIDMAN: Well, because of the raw metal, no, it doesn`t surprise me. It`s -- what surprises me is they haven`t found something before.

JONES (voice-over): The U.S. mint is in the early stages of studying the issue, so it`s too soon to know what the final mix could be or just how much cost savings could be achieved.

But Leidman thinks both coins could be discontinued.

LEIDMAN: My thoughts as a coin dealer is I`d like to have them. I`d like whatever they make them of, I`d like to have them. My thoughts as a guy on the street is get rid of them. And do the rounding.

JONES: This is just the latest attempt to cut costs at the mint. The decision to stop making the presidential one-dollar coins last December is expected to save the mint $50 million a year -- Athena Jones, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

AZUZ: We`re going to admit we were a little confused with today`s "Before We Go" video. We know that --

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

AZUZ (voice-over): -- these two are out for a walk. What we`re not sure of is if she`s walking the dog, or if the dog is walking her. Maybe he thinks she just needs a little push to get going.

According to the guy who`s shooting this YouTube video, the upright rover refuses to put all four feet on the ground when he goes out for a walk. Might be a little odd, probably a little stubborn --

(END VIDEO CLIP)

AZUZ: -- but at least she`s willing to make a stand. Whoo! All right. Now, before you give us our walking papers, want to let you know that there`s no show on Monday in honor of President`s Day. We hope you enjoy the long weekend, and we will see you on Tuesday.

END

STUDENT NEWS

Iran`s Nuclear Program; China`s VP Visits Iowa

Aired February 16, 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: Hey, happy Thursday. I`m Carl Azuz. This is CNN Student News. It`s your passport to 10 minutes of global headlines. Today we`re spending time in North, Central and South America, but we start in the Middle East.

The nation of Iran has a controversial nuclear program. Iran says the program is designed for peaceful uses, but other countries, including the U.S., believe Iran is trying to build a nuclear weapon. One thing we know for sure is that this program is moving forward.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

AZUZ (voice-over): This is Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in the middle of your screen. He was part of a presentation yesterday where fuel rods were loaded into the core of a nuclear reactor. These are the first nuclear fuel rods made inside Iran, so this is a big advancement for the country`s nuclear program.

The United Nations and European Union have put sanctions -- penalties -- on Iran in part because of its nuclear program. Those sanctions have been affecting Iran`s economy and its citizens. President Ahmadinejad responded to the latest sanctions yesterday. He said Iran will cut oil exports to six European countries.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

AZUZ: Moving to the Central American nation of Honduras, where officials are investigating a deadly fire at one of the country`s prisons. It happened overnight on Tuesday, and as of Wednesday afternoon, at least 272 inmates had died. The fate of more than 100 others was unknown.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

AZUZ (voice-over): This was a minimum security prison that can hold around 850 prisoners. More than half of the facility was affected by the fire. One survivor said he and other prisoners were asleep when they heard screams.

He said everyone ran for their lives. Authorities don`t know how the fire started. They`re looking into whether a short circuit might have sparked it, or whether a prisoner might have set a mattress on fire.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

AZUZ: All right. Let`s say you`re China`s vice president and you`re visiting the United States. Where do you want to go? Muscatine, Iowa, is where. Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping insisted on a stop in the town yesterday. It`s because he spent two weeks in Muscatine back in 1985, and he wanted to visit with his old friends.

Ted Rowlands has more on Vice President Xi and what his leadership could mean for the relationship between U.S. and China.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TED ROWLANDS, CNN REPORTER (voice-over): Iowa Governor Terry Branstad was serving his first stint as governor when Xi came in `85. The two met again last fall in Beijing, and Branstad says the next Chinese leader said he wanted to come back.

GOVERNOR TERRY BRANDSTAD (R) IOWA: He was so pleased with the warm and friendly welcome he received, and he really considers Iowans his old friend.

ROWLANDS (voice-over): Experts say for years, Xi was known mostly for his famous wife, a Chinese singer, while his lineage runs deeps in the Communist Party, he represents a new generation of leaders. Former Ambassador to China Jon Huntsman believes Xi could be good for American business.

JON HUNTSMAN, FORMER AMBASSADOR TO CHINA: He`s gone out of his way in recent years to bone up on economics and trade, knowing full well that these are the issues that are going to determine whether or not the United States and China are able to get through the years to come.

ROWLANDS (voice-over): China has been blamed for the loss of thousands of American jobs, some of them here. But China buys soybeans, pork, farm machinery and other products from Iowa. In fact, from 2000 to 2010, the state enjoyed a 1,200 percent increase in exports to China.

Governor Branstad wants to expand that relationship and thinks Xi will help.

BRANSTAD: Personal relationships are really important to the Chinese people. Having this kind of relationship with the next leader of China, I think, is very helpful to the state of Iowa.

ROWLANDS (voice-over): People here are exciting, including the Maeglins, who say they are honored that the man standing in their kitchen 27 years ago wants to come back.

DICK MAEGLIN, MUSCATINE, IOWA, HOST: Just for a little time, time spend an hour, hour and a half, in the room with, as he says, his old friends. That`s significant. That`s significant if he weren`t the president.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

AZUZ (voice-over): On this day in history, back in 1923, British archeologist Howard Carter opened the tomb of ancient Egypt`s Kind Tut- ankh-amen.

In 1959, Fidel Castro was sworn in as the new leader of Cuba. The former revolutionary established Cuba`s communist government, which he ran for nearly 50 years.

And in 1968, an official in Alabama made the first 9-1-1 call. He was testing the new nationwide emergency number.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

AZUZ: All right. You know that phrase, "I smell a rat," definitely applies to our next story. But the real question is, what does the rat smell? Police officials in the nation of Colombia hope the answer is explosive. You`ve heard of bomb-sniffing dogs. We had a report recently about dolphins that help identify mines. Rafael Romo reports on their rodent counterparts.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RAFAEL ROMO, CNN REPORTER (voice-over): At a base at the Colombian National Police, a new recruit is being trained. Today`s mission for this four-legged trainee is to find the scent of an explosive device hidden underground, which it does in less than a minute.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (Speaking Spanish).

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (Speaking Spanish).

ROMO (voice-over): The white rat is showered with praise and a reward.

Though safer than a decade ago, Colombia is a country where land mines and car bombs are still a threat.

EDGAR RAMIREZ, LIEUTENTANT, COLOMBIAN NATIONAL POLICE (through translator): Colombia still faces conflicts, such as guerillas and criminal and paramilitary groups. There are many disputed territories because of the drug trade, or simply to take control. And many groups set up land mines in these territories.

ROMO (voice-over): In the past, the Colombian police used bomb- sniffing dogs, but their weight would often trigger the explosives. That`s not a problem for these rats, which weigh slightly less than a pound. And according to the trainers, their sense of smell is just as good as a dog`s. Rats have already been used in Mozambique to detect land mines. One disadvantage is their short lifespan.

RAMIREZ (through translator): These animals live only three to four years, which is a relatively short period of time from a human perspective. On the other hand, they`re very prolific. They reproduce themselves exponentially in a very short time.

ROMO (voice-over): So far, the rats have been trained to detect seven different kinds of explosives. In the process, they`ve become relaxed around humans, and even get on with the cat that protects them from other predators.

ROMO: Officials with the Colombian National Police say they expect to take the bomb-sniffing rats into the field in the second half of this year. They also say they`ve been able to successfully train about 70 rats in the last four years since the project began, and have been able to learn a lot about how the rodents can help them clear fields full of land mines in the Colombia countryside. Rafael Romo, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Today`s Shoutout goes out to Ms. Roberts and Ms. Briel`s American government class at Reservoir High School in Fulton, Maryland.

Which of these words specifically describes a student who skips school? Here we go. Is it delinquent, tardy, didactic or truant? You`ve got three seconds, go.

A student who`s out of school without permission is truant. That`s your answer, and that`s your Shoutout.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

AZUZ: There`s a charter school in Cincinnati, Ohio, that`s tried different ways to fight truancy. They`ve tried pizza parties. They`ve given students occasional Fridays off. But nothing really seemed to work.

So the principal`s trying out a new idea: money.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

AZUZ (voice-over): Show up for school and behave well, and you`ll get paid. Seniors can get $25 per week. Underclassmen can get 10 bucks. Private donors are helping put up the money, and the school`s principal says the program also helps students save for the future.

RAMONE DAVENPORT, PRINCIPAL: Each time a student gets paid, we take $5 and put into a savings account. So when that student graduates, they will at least graduate with some type of funds.

BETHANIE NICHOLSON, STUDENT: (Inaudible) like this is a job. Why am I not getting paid? And I`m getting paid now, so getting paid to come to school, like that`s every kid`s dream.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

AZUZ: All right. So some students think this is a great idea -- not all of them agree. Principal Davenport says he`s gotten some complaints about paying students for something they should be doing anyway.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

AZUZ (voice-over): Well, we`re taking this to our blog at cnnstudentnews.com. Want to know what your opinion is on this. Would paying students help them in terms of their attendance? Would it help them get a better education? You can talk to us on our blog, cnnstudentnews.com. Remember, we`ve got one big rule we want you to follow there. It is first names only. Look forward to hearing what you have to say.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

AZUZ: Well, before we go, an instrumental invention that is out of this world.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

AZUZ (voice-over): It`s a Millennium Falcon electric guitar. It might sound like other six-strings, but something tells us the force is strong with this one. The head is shaped like a famous droid, so you can R2-D-tune up the instrument. And the body is built from a Millennium Falcon toy. What`s amazing is the guy who made this had no previous experience building guitars. He was a total Wookiee.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

AZUZ: But he had no reason to fret. The awesome creation is bound to make him a Star -- Wars. "Ikess (ph)" he`ll be able to use it in a band, but a Millennium Falcon guitar seems built for a Solo career. We hope you "guit-ar" sense of humor. If not, maybe tomorrow offers a new hope. For CNN Student News, I`m Carl Azuz.

END

STUDENT NEWS

US Budget Presented; Greek Economic Crisis

Aired February 14, 2012 - 04:00:00   ET

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

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GROUP: Welcome to CNN Student News from Mr. Law`s seventh grade social studies class at Wapakoneta Middle School, the hometown of Neil Armstrong, the first man to walk on the moon. Have a fun time.

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(MUSIC PLAYING)

CARL AZUZ, HOST, CNN STUDENT NEWS: Home of Neil Armstrong. We want to take one small step and thank Mr. Law`s class for that introduction before we take a giant leap into today`s headlines. I`m Carl Azuz. This is CNN Student News.

All right. You`ve had experience making a budget at some point in your life. You planned how much money you`re going to spend, how much you`re going to save. The U.S. government has to work with a budget, too. President Obama released his budget proposal yesterday. Total price tag on this one: $3.8 trillion.

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AZUZ (voice-over): The president`s proposal would make cuts in some areas of government spending. It would also spend money on education and infrastructure, things like roads and bridges. Plus, it would raises taxes on some wealthy Americans. President Obama says there isn`t room in the budget for everything.

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Do we want to keep these tax cuts for wealthiest Americans? Or do we want to keep investing in everything else? Education, clean energy, a strong military? Care for our veterans? We can`t do both. We can`t afford it.

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AZUZ: All right. Now Republican leaders have been against the idea of raising taxes on the wealthy. They say that will not help the American economy. They also argue the country should be spending less, not more, and they President Obama`s budget proposal could actually hurt the economy.

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SEN. JOHN CORNYN (R), TEXAS: Well, this is a very sad day, when the President of the United States fails to keep his promises to the American people once again, and rather than treading water, he actually makes things worse.

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AZUZ: One thing to keep in mind in all of this, the budget proposal is just a proposal. The president doesn`t actually set the country`s budget. That`s something that Congress does.

Well, next up, Greece is in the middle of an economic crisis. It`s been going on since 2010. You probably heard us mention it several times on our show. Other European countries have offered bailouts to Greece. But in order to get them, Greece`s government has to make some spending cuts.

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AZUZ (voice-over): That means cuts to workers` salaries and their retirement, their pensions. Many Greek citizens aren`t happy about this.

Thousands of people gathered in front of parliament over the weekend. They were protesting against the newest cuts. Those protests turned violent with crowds throwing rocks and firebombs at police. Officials say 106 officers and dozens of civilians were injured in the fighting.

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AZUZ: Matthew Chance filed our next report today about the impact that this crisis is having on different generations of Greek citizens.

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MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN REPORTER: Well ,this is just a part of the aftermath of that terrible violence that we witnessed on Sunday night here in Athens. This is a building, obviously, in the center of the Greek capital. It actually housed one of the city`s most historic cinemas.

And there`s a lot of people in the city who are reviled, disgusted at the fact that the protesters torched this building and left it in this state. But even though most people here don`t, you know, approve of the violence that led to this, I think it`s pretty clear that it was an expression of a much wider anger and frustration amongst Greeks about what`s happening to their country.

OK. Well, one of the groups that`s most affected by the crisis in Greece are people between the ages of 16 and 24. Official statistics say unemployment in that age group is a massive 48 percent.

Young and old affected by this economic crisis, some pensioners say they`ve already endured a 25 percent cut in their monthly income, and now they`re going to have to face more cuts with these new austerity measures that are being implemented.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What`s the word? It`s the place on the Earth`s surface directly above the focus of an earthquake. Epicenter, that`s the word.

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AZUZ: You probably remember the massive earthquake that hit Japan last year. The epicenter of that was out in the ocean, more than 200 miles away from Tokyo. But scientists in the island nation are considering the possibilities of another major quake, one whose epicenter could be right in the heart of the country`s most populated city.

Kyung Lah looks at how Japan and its people might prepare.

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KYUNG LAH, CNN REPORTER: Is it a matter not of if, but when?

LAH (voice-over): "What I`m saying is that sooner or later the earthquake will happen," says Professor Shinichi Sakai (ph). He`s not talking about just any earthquake, but the big one, epicenter Tokyo.

Sakai (ph) is with the Earthquake Research Institute at Tokyo University, the agency of record when it comes to earthquakes in Japan. And the institute believes there is a 50 percent chance that in four years a massive magnitude 7.0 will strike Tokyo.

Ominous words not lost on any of Tokyo`s 12 million residents. Thousands took part in this nationwide drill for when that big one hits.

The earthquake institute says since March 11th, quakes have hit Japan at five times the normal level. In essence, say researchers, the entire country`s ground structure shifted, making a massive quake centered on Tokyo much more likely.

LAH: Tokyo is built to withstand a massive quake, but it`s not these modern high-rises that concern city leaders. It`s the older houses, where people live in the city, structure collapses and building fires -- that`s what researchers say will kill an estimated 10,000 people if a magnitude 7.0 strikes here.

LAH (voice-over): "It`s scary," says Setsuko Morita. "There are so many quakes lately." She adds, "I don`t know what any of us can do about this."

"All you can do is prepare and go through the motions of an actual disaster," says Tokyo resident Kenji Isono, logging into the practice disaster site via his mobile phone. He also bought a hand-operated phone recharger just in case of a quake.

LAH: Why do you think more about disasters now?

LAH (voice-over): "Because I feel so many quakes all over Japan," he says, "even though the huge quake centered on Tokyo hasn`t struck yet, we`re more aware."

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Is this legit? Mt. Kilimanjaro is not part of a mountain range.

It`s true. Kilimanjaro is a freestanding mountain that`s surrounded by forests.

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AZUZ: Mt. Kilimanjaro is the tallest freestanding mountain in the world, and it`s one that Kyle Maynard can look down on. He made a successful climb up Mt. Kilimanjaro this year.

You might remember Kyle Maynard. We`ve had him before on CNN Student News. He`s a quadruple congenital amputee. His arms and legs end at the elbows and the knees. He was here at the CNN Center recently, speaking with Dr. Sanjay Gupta about why he took on the challenge of Kilimanjaro.

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DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: First of all, is that right, 19,336 feet?

KYLE MAYNARD, MOUNTAIN CLIMBER: Yes.

GUPTA: You must have the number memorized, seared into your brain.

MAYNARD: It`s definitely -- the experience is seared in, that`s for sure. It was on up top, that 19,000 feet, you`re looking at half atmosphere. So that`s half the amount of air that we have here at sea level.

GUPTA: It`s -- the images are behind you here, Kyle, of what it looked like a little bit. And first of all, I`m just so inspired and excited to have you here, and thank you for coming.

Where does this -- the -- where did this idea come from, and just the mental fortitude and just the idea that, I mean, this is what you want to do. You want to do something that`s -- is frankly seemingly impossible. How did -- how did it all come about?

MAYNARD: You know, our purpose behind this from the beginning was really just to have this vision to help other people go and say, that, look if you are unsatisfied with, you know, whatever condition, circumstances are in your life, then you have the choice to be able to go and create a life that you want, and to be able to go and make the decision to go and do it.

And things aren`t going to be perfect when you start. But just to go and choose that, you know, say that, hey, like I`m capable of living more.

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AZUZ: That`s great stuff.

Well, before we go, even though I`m not wearing the colors, today is Valentine`s Day.

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AZUZ (voice-over): This holiday has really gone to the dogs. At least it has in a town in Ohio. It`s the annual Valentine`s Day social.

There`s a costume contest, a kissing booth and if anyone falls in puppy love, the canine couples can head to the corner chapel and get hitched. Here comes the bride, all dressed in -- fur. We assume they write their own vows for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and cherish --

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AZUZ: -- till death do us bark. That brings us to the -- I like that pun. That brings us to the tail end of today`s show. We hope you have a very happy Valentine`s Day. And for CNN Student News, I`m Carl Azuz.

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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It`s time for the Shoutout. If you think you know it, then shout it out. You`ve got three seconds, go.

That`s your answer, and that`s your Shoutout.

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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Today`s Shoutout goes out to

You know what to do.

You`ve got three seconds, go.

That`s your answer, and that`s your Shoutout.

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AZUZ (voice-over): On this day in history,

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STUDENT NEWS

Whitney Houston Dies; Rmeny Takes Maine, CPAC Votes; Rising Ocean Levels

Aired February 13, 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: All right, it`s true. The weekend`s over, and I`m sorry about that. But that does mean it`s the start of a whole new week of CNN Student News. That`s a good thing. I`m Carl Azuz, bringing you today`s headlines from the CNN Newsroom in Atlanta, Georgia.

If you`ve been on the Internet or on Twitter, or if you watched last night`s Grammy awards, you know about the death of Whitney Houston. The pop superstar was found dead on Saturday. Officials are trying to figure out what caused Houston`s death. She was 48 years old.

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AZUZ (voice-over): Whitney Houston was a musical icon. The singer launched a career in the 1980s. She sold more than 170 million albums and won six Grammy awards, and her success extended to movies, too.

In recent years, Houston made headlines because of her battles with drug addiction. There were reports she was making a comeback with new concerts and a movie in the works. There`s more on Whitney Houston`s life, death and musical legacy at CNN.com.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Is this legit? A presidential candidate who wins a political straw poll is awarded delegates.

Not legit. Straw polls are unofficial votes that indicate general opinions.

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AZUZ: The general opinion expressed by one recent straw poll is that former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney is the leading Republican presidential candidate.

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AZUZ (voice-over): The poll was taken at the CPAC conference last week -- that`s the Conservative Political Action Committee. It`s an annual meeting of political conservatives in Washington, D.C. The straw poll doesn`t officially affect the race for the Republican presidential nomination.

What is official are the results of Maine`s Republican caucuses. They wrapped up on Saturday, and former Governor Romney came in first place there as well. He got 39 percent of the vote. Representative Ron Paul was a close second, with 36 percent.

Former Senator Rick Santorum and Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, who didn`t do much campaigning in Maine, came in third and fourth places.

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AZUZ: The Arab League is trying to figure out what it might do about the crisis in Syria. The group is considering sanctions or penalties against Syria. It`s also talking about sending military experts into the country to examine the violence there.

Syria says it rejects any decision that the Arab League might make. Ivan Watson has the latest on the crisis.

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IVAN WATSON, CNN REPORTER: Residents of the besieged city of Homs awoke once again at dawn on Saturday morning --

WATSON (voice-over): -- to another day of sustained bombardment from the Syrian military. That is routine, a deadly routine they have lived for for the better part of a week, a routine that has killed hundreds of people and wounded hundreds of more at the hands, according to the U.S. ambassador to Syria, of the Syrian military.

Take a listen to what Ambassador Robert Ford had to say to CNN`s Wolf Blitzer on Friday night.

ROBERT FORD, U.S. AMBASSADOR TO SYRIA: We know who is shelling Homs, and it is not the armed opposition groups. It`s the government. And that`s why I wanted that picture put on our Facebook account so that people could see there is the artillery and that`s what`s firing at Homs right now.

The opposition has rifles, it has machine guns, it even has a few rocket propelled grenades, but it doesn`t have artillery. Only one side in this has artillery.

WATSON (voice-over): The Syrian government has consistently argued since the beginning of this uprising nearly 11 months ago that it is fighting armed terrorists linked to Al Qaeda. That is how they have termed the -- what started as peaceful protests around the country.

Increasingly we are seeing signs that the opposition is resorting to the use of arms to fight back against the Syrian security forces. One Syrian opposition group claimed responsibility --

WATSON: -- for killing 10 Syrian soldiers in the northern province of Idlib as a result of an improvised explosive device and an ambush.

WATSON (voice-over): Now, Turkey has made an announcement, the Turkish foreign minister visiting Washington, that it is going to start a process, going to apply to the United Nations at its headquarters in Geneva to try to find some way to start sending humanitarian aid to Syria.

The potential obstacles to trying to send aid in would be significant and would probably require the permission of the Syrian regime itself, which is accused of encircling cities like Homs --

WATSON: -- and preventing fresh supplies of food and basic medicines -- Ivan Watson, CNN, Istanbul.

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AZUZ: We`ve got comments on both sides of a report about whether a parade should be thrown for Iraq veterans.

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AZUZ (voice-over): Breonna thinks we should have a parade for our veterans, "just not at the moment. I think this because not all of our veterans are home from war yet."

Madelyn feels that there shouldn`t be any debate about it. "If . people risk their lives for their country, they should be honored with a parade when they come home."

Peter says we should have a parade for Iraq war veterans, but we should do it "once all of our troops are out so they can take part."

Harasmiy doesn`t think it`s yet time to hold parades. The Iraq war is "a controversial topic.and to hold a parade now would only bring about more controversy."

Abbie writes, "The fact that our own government won`t celebrate our heroes who protect this country, just because they think it might be a premature celebration, is just plain sad and wrong."

And from Aaron: "We have grown up seeing the slogan, `support our troops,` yet when it comes time to recognize them, we hesitate and make excuses. They didn`t make excuses when it came time to fight. Now is not the time for us to."

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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Today`s Shoutout goes out to Mr. Kane`s global history classes at Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake High School in Burnt Hills, New York.

Which of these is located below sea level? You know what to do. Is it Lake Tahoe, Rio de Janeiro, Lake Victoria or New Orleans? You`ve got three seconds, go.

New Orleans has a bowl-shaped terrain, so a lot of the city is located below sea level. That`s your answer, and that`s your Shoutout.

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AZUZ: In fact, New Orleans has gradually been getting farther below that zero elevation point. It`s because the sea level has been going up. In this next report, John Zarrella looks at some of the explanations for why this is happening. He also explains how last year was different.

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JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN REPORTER (voice-over): Standing on the shore, looking out at the water, you see a difference? No, there`s no way you`d notice it.

Despite all that talk of rising sea level, scientists found that last year, it actually fell, just an itsy-bitsy bit, about 0.2 of an inch? Why? Just one of those freak things. More water happened to fall on land.

JOSH WILLIS, NASA OCEANOGRAPHER: So about a trillion tons of extra water fell on land that normally would fall in the ocean.

ZARRELLA (voice-over): The biggest recipients of all that extra water, Australia, where it caused terrible flooding that`s still going on, and the northeastern part of South America.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We can see the rainy seasons and the dry seasons over the continents.

ZARRELLA (voice-over): But it was just a hiccup in an otherwise steady rise in global sea level, which has been faster during the past 100 years, NASA scientists say, than at any time during the past 2,000.

A new satellite study of the Earth shows why. The blue shade indicates places where the land ice is being lost. Red is where it`s gaining. Huge amounts of the planet`s land ice, glaciers, Greenland, Antarctica and the ice caps are, the study indicates, melting annually and contributing to sea level rise.

Some spots in the U.S. -- Alaska, Louisiana, could be hard-hit. Studies indicate sea level rise in South Florida from 9 inches to two feet by 2060. Officials here say plans have to be enacted now or scenes like this will be come far more widespread -- John Zarrella, CNN, Ft. Lauderdale.

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AZUZ: Last week, we showed you a dog watching ping-pong. That was child`s play --

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AZUZ (voice-over): -- compared to this, ping-pong prodigy. Actually, this is child`s play, too, when you think about it. Still impressive. This baby`s parents plopped him on the table and started serving up practice shots. Then they served the video up on YouTube. Maybe one day this little guy will be the world`s greatest ping-pong player. We`ll have to table that idea for a while, because right now --

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AZUZ: -- his career is just is its infancy. We`d say he`s probably the best baby ping-pong player we`ve seen, but that seems kind of like a backhanded compliment. When do you think he might consider a bigger sport? I`d say "ten-nis" probably a good guess. We`ll reset the table with more headlines tomorrow. For CNN Student News, I`m Carl Azuz.

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STUDENT NEWS

Banks Settle with Federal Government, 49 States for $26 Billion

Aired February 10, 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: Our social media question this week was about sociology, and a student at Cape Henry Collegiate School was the first one to get it right. Nice work. I`m Carl Azuz. Let`s get to today`s headlines.

First up, we`re looking at a huge deal that involves states, banks and the U.S. housing market. A lot of experts say the meltdown in the housing market was one of the main causes of the 2008 financial crisis --

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AZUZ (voice-over): -- part of the recession we`re still feeling the effects of. Yesterday`s deal is about foreclosures. That`s when a lender takes back a home because the person who`s living there can`t afford their monthly mortgage payments.

The states had accused lenders of making some foreclosures without following the proper procedures. This deal is a settlement for $26 billion. Who is involved? Five of the country`s biggest lenders. They made this deal with the federal government and with 49 states. Oklahoma made a separate deal with the banks.

How does it work? Well, if you`re behind in your mortgage payments and you owe more money than your house is actually worth, this could lower those monthly payments, maybe make it easier for you to keep up.

If your house was foreclosed on, you could be eligible for some money. Some critics say this deal doesn`t go far enough, though.

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AZUZ: And while it could help some people, most struggling homeowners won`t qualify for any of the money in the settlement.

Well, next up, the U.S. military is planning to let female troops serve closer to the front lines. It`s a change in a policy that dates back to 1994, and originally said women can`t serve in units that are directly involved in combat.

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AZUZ (voice-over): But Pentagon officials say reality doesn`t match that policy now. Women have served in support positions, like military police or medics that are regularly in harm`s way. More than 140 female troops lost their lives in Iraq and Afghanistan.

What the military plans to do now is open up around 14,000 jobs to female troops, things like tank mechanics or crew members on missile launchers. They still won`t be allowed in certain combat jobs, but they will be able to serve closer to the front lines.

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AZUZ: Nuclear power provides around 18 percent of electricity used in the United States. That number could get bigger. The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission signed off on licenses for two new reactors in the state of Georgia.

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AZUZ (voice-over): They`re expected to cost around $14 billion, and to generate enough electricity to power a million homes. These are the first nuclear reactor licenses approved since 1978. That was a year before a nuclear accident in Pennsylvania.

Critics say the design for the new reactors isn`t safe enough . The company that built them says they`ve made improvements to make the new reactors much safer than older ones.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Is this legit? A country that has sovereignty is free from any outside control.

Absolutely true. Sovereign countries make all of their own decisions.

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AZUZ: Argentina and the United Kingdom both claim they have sovereignty over a group of islands off the coast of South America. This is actually a debate that`s been going on for 30 years now. It centers around the Falkland Islands, which are smaller than the U.S. state of Connecticut.

Jim Clancy looks at the tension in the past and present.

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JIM CLANCY, CNN REPORTER (voice-over): The Falkland Islands are located about 250 nautical miles east of the coast of Latin America, so they`re about 500 kilometers due east of what is the country of Argentina.

CLANCY: Britain calls them the Falklands. Argentina calls them the Malvinas Islands, and there has been a longstanding dispute over sovereignty. In 1982, there was another set of islands, the South Georgia Islands. And a group of Argentinians went to those islands and planted a flag. It became a media cause celebre.

Well, the military junta that was in charge of Argentina, they invaded, they took over those islands. Britain went to war and all, almost 900 people lost their lives, 250 or more on the British side, some 650 on the Argentine side.

Why are these two islands back in the news? First of all, it`s the 30th anniversary of the war, and Britain plans to commemorate it. Argentina is pressing its claims of sovereignty over the islands at the same time as rallying its neighbors to apply economic pressure on Britain.

Third, we have the issue of oil. That is increasing everyone`s interest. It is not proven how many reserves are there, but some say that the resources are viable. Others say they are substantial.

Prince William is there as part of what we are told is a routine deployment by his Royal Air Force search and rescue squadron. The Duke of Cambridge`s presence, though, is seen as provocative by many in Latin America who view this as a resurrection, if you will, of colonialism.

They see the clear presence of the Crown. Britain says it`s not provocative at all. What they really mean to do is commemorate those more than 250 people who lost their lives defending the Falkland Islands.

This isn`t going to come to a conflict, but it could very well end up in international courts and before the United Nations once again. We have competing claims of sovereignty. It`s a hugely popular and populace issue, and all across Latin America, Argentina is seeking its allies, bringing together the region to put economic pressure on Britain.

The overwhelming majority of the island`s few thousands residents are British, and they want to remain British. And it is that right to self- determination that really fuels a lot of the sentiments in London and beyond about the future of the Falkland islands.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Today`s Shoutout goes out to Mr. Arcella`s global studies classes at the Hammond Academy of Science and Technology in Hammond, Indiana. Ophthalmologists specialize in the study of what? Here we go. Is it lungs, feet, eyes or skin? You`ve got three seconds, go.

Ophthalmologists specialize in disorders and diseases of the eye. That`s your answer, and that`s your Shoutout.

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AZUZ: Some ophthalmologists are working with NASA to try to solve a mystery. It starts with astronauts who spent time on the International Space Station and the answer could take humans to Mars or not. John Zarrella offers a closer look at the details.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: By the way, can`t do this in space.

JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN REPORTER (voice-over): Astronaut Mike Barratt undergoes an eye exam. No big deal, right?

MIKE BARRATT, ASTRONAUT: E-K-Z-G-E?

ZARRELLA (voice-over): But unlike your eyes or mine, the future of human deep space could be riding literally on astronaut eyesight.

TERRY TADDEO, ACTING CHIEF OF SPACE MEDICINE: I would say this is our top priority at the moment. In terms of establishing countermeasures for long duration space flight, this has all of our attention.

ZARRELLA (voice-over): Why? You see, Barratt is one of 10 astronauts who have return from long space station missions with changes to their eyesight, sometimes permanent and not at all good.

The cause? A mystery.

DR. ROBERT GIBSON, SENIOR VISION CONSULTANT: What we`re seeing is structural changes to the retina. We`re seeing wrinkles or folds on a microscopic level to these areas.

ZARRELLA (voice-over): And as this image shows, the back of Mike`s eye has flattened out.

GIBSON: See the farsighted shift, again the cause for the farsighted shift appears to be globe flattening.

ZARRELLA (voice-over): In some cases, back on Earth, the eyes correct themselves, but not Barratt`s.

BARRATT: I`m kind of eagle-eyed at long distance. But I depended up on close up specs.

ZARRELLA (voice-over): Doctors say the problem has only occurred in male astronauts. It`s possibly from an increase in pressure inside the cranium caused by microgravity. Doctors don`t know if the problem might worsen or even lead to blindness on longer flights, say to Mars.

ZARRELLA: Over the next five years NASA is spending about $18 billion to develop a new big rocket and this Orion spacecraft to send astronauts on those deep space missions.

ZARRELLA (voice-over): If the problem isn`t solved, human Mars missions could be in trouble. The alternative? Get them there a lot faster.

BARRATT: I`m still hopeful that in 20 years will have advanced propulsion capabilities that can get us there on a matter of weeks to maybe a very few months. And then a lot of these problems go away.

ZARRELLA (voice-over): Doctors are intensely working the problem with space station crews, undergoing on-orbit exams and using special glasses called superfocus. But so far, there haven`t been eye-opening breakthroughs.

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AZUZ: Well, finally, today, watching ping-pong might not sound very entertaining.

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AZUZ (voice-over): Watching a dog watch ping-pong sure is. Instead of following the bouncing ball, just follow the bouncing dog who`s following the bouncing ball. His owners posted the ping-pong perusing pooch on YouTube. You`ve got to be impressed with his ability to keep up with the match. But we`re pretty sure that the little guy just wants a chance to get in the game.

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AZUZ: All he needs for that is a doggie paddle, then he can show up his voluble skills. We`re going to serve more headlines for you on Monday. Till then, have an awesome weekend.

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