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Quick Guide & Transcript: Lawmaker indicted in bribery probe, China tackles global warming

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(CNN Student News) -- June 5, 2007

Quick Guide

Congressman Indicted - Learn about the charges being brought against a member of Congress.

Video Yearbook - Review the war in Iraq and the U.S. midterm elections in our Video Yearbook.

Global Warming - Discover China's plan to better control its greenhouse gas emissions.

Transcript

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

CARL AZUZ, CNN STUDENT NEWS ANCHOR: We're rolling through the week here at CNN Student News, and we're glad to have you with us. Hello everybody, I'm Carl Azuz. Charges for a congressman: Law enforcement officials say a member of Congress took almost half a million dollars in bribes. Now he's been indicted by a federal jury. A plan for the planet: China is one of the world's worst polluters, but it's working on ways to cut down on greenhouse gases. And a trunk of treasures: An antique bought at a garage sale in Florida holds a lifetime of memories from a WWII soldier.

First Up: Congressman Indicted

AZUZ: First up today, a member of Congress is accused of taking hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes. A federal grand jury has indicted, or charged, representative William Jefferson with 16 crimes. The Louisiana congressman's lawyer says Jefferson is innocent, but when the FBI raided one of his homes in 2005, they found a lot of money hidden in the freezer. As Kelli Arena explains that the cold cash has the lawmaker in the hot seat.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KELLI ARENA, CNN REPORTER: It looked bad: $90,000 allegedly stashed in a freezer at his D.C. home. And according to federal prospectors, it was. Democratic Congressman William Jefferson now faces charges including racketeering, soliciting bribes and money laundering. The cold cash was allegedly found by the feds more than two years ago. So why did it take so long to indict?

CHUCK ROSENBERG, U.S. ATTORNEY: I think if you look at this 94-page indictment and the number and complexity of schemes that are alleged, actually I would argue that we moved pretty quickly here.

ARENA: Jefferson allegedly asked for millions in bribe money and assets, once even asking for a bribe in a congressional dining room. The government says he scored more than $500,000. He's also accused of bribing a Nigerian official to help broker business deals in Africa. The counts carry a penalty of more than 200 years in prison.

JOE PERSICHINI, FBI ASSISTANT DIRECTOR: This case is about greed, power and arrogance.

ARENA: The probe has already led to guilty pleas by a Kentucky businessman and a former aide to the congressman. Both men are cooperating. The congressman maintains his innocence.

ROBERT TROUT, JEFFERSON'S ATTORNEY: Congressman Jefferson is innocent. He plans to fight his indictment and clear his name.

ARENA: The probe was hardly a secret. A search of his congressional office sparked an all-out constitutional controversy over whether federal agents could legally raid the offices of a sitting congressman.

REP. DENNIS HASTERT, FORMER HOUSE SPEAKER: There's ways to do it, and my opinion is that they took the wrong path.

ARENA: That raid remains controversial to this day and prosecutors still don't have all those documents that were seized. But they think what they do have is more than enough to lock Congressman Jefferson up for a very long time. Kelli Arena, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

Shoutout

GEORGE RAMSAY, CNN STUDENT NEWS: Time for the Shoutout! Which one of these is Representative Jefferson's home state? 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, "C" represents Louisiana, and that's where congressman Jefferson is from. That's your answer and that's your Shoutout!

Missing Soldiers

AZUZ: U.S. forces have been searching for two soldiers who disappeared after an ambush in Iraq last month. Now, an insurgent group is saying they've been killed. The group has released a video, but we want to point out that CNN can't verify it. The tape appears to show the soldier's military ID cards, but U.S. officials say it doesn't give any proof about their status and that they will keep searching for the missing men.

Video Yearbook

AZUZ: The Iraq war claims chapter two of our Video Yearbook. It factored in heavily in the e-mails you sent us. Teacher Vikki Franklin wrote that her class "thinks that the Iraq war was the most important news story of the year." The Middle Eastern country saw progress and pain. Former dictator Saddam Hussein was executed in December for crimes against humanity, bringing closure to many Iraqis and calls for revenge from others. Meanwhile, shattering violence continued. Insurgent bombings claimed dozens of lives at a Baghdad University and thousands more throughout the country. And a grim milestone for American troops: Iraq war deaths exceeded 3,000 late last year and continued to rise.

Back in the U.S., many Americans had the war on their minds as they voted in last November's midterm elections. They gave Democrats their first majority in both houses of Congress since President Bush was elected. It was a result widely seen as a referendum on how the Iraq war was going, and it installed California Democrat Nancy Pelosi as the first female Speaker of the House, something else you suggested for our Video Yearbook.

Global Warming

AZUZ: Okay, when it comes to rankings, holding the top spot is usually a good thing. But not when it's a list of the world's worst polluters. And experts say that's exactly where China could be in just a couple years: The number one nation for greenhouse gas emissions. But as Jaime Florcruz explains, that country's taking steps to avoid the title.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAIME FLORCRUZ, CNN REPORTER: China is one of the worst polluters in the world. And now, China's come up with a national plan that it hopes will resolve the global warming issue. China pledges to take several measures, but they are all quite modest, and the national plan puts more importance on economic growth. It says that the first and overriding priorities of developing countries are sustainable development and poverty eradication.

FLORCRUZ: That's because China believes that economic development is crucial in keeping its social and political stability. So when there's a clash between economic development and environmental protection, then Chinese officials usually go with GDP growth. Three decades of rapid industrial growth have fouled China's air, water and soil. And that's because China relies on coal for around 70 percent of its energy needs. China is set to overtake the U.S. as the world's largest producer of greenhouse gases as early as this year. In a nationally televised press conference, China acknowledged that for the first time.

FLORCRUZ: China's still engaged in finger pointing. China argues that it should be the rich and developed countries, like the U.S., who must take the lead, and that they must provide financial and technical assistance to developing countries like China. However, the Chinese minister says there's much still to be done.

MA KAI, NATL. DEVELOPMENT AND REFORM COMMISSION: It's a lot of thunder, but no rain. In other words, we've heard the words, but haven't seen much action.

FLORCRUZ: Chinese President Hu Jintao is expected to attend the G8 Summit this week as an observer. He's expected to be put on the spot with criticism that China is not doing enough to help combat global warming. Jaime Florcruz, CNN, Beijing.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

Promo

AZUZ: We're wrapping up our last show of the school year on Friday, but you don't have to wait until the fall to watch CNN Student News. You can check us out every other week over the summer at CNN.com/EDUCATION.

Before We Go

AZUZ: Alright, now this is cool. There's a saying that "one man's trash is another man's treasure." And if you've ever found a hidden prize at a garage sale, maybe you know just what we mean. Well, Mary Costello of Dayton's News Source has an incredible story about a treasure that was lost for more than 60 years, and how it finally found its way home.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARY COSTELLO, REPORTER: Lieutenant Ralph Wildenhaas was 21 years old when his plane crashed during World War II. He was buried in Dayton, but all of his possessions, somehow in the last 60 years, were lost. Until this trunk turned up at a garage sale two weeks ago in St. Petersburg, Florida. Susan Saffet and her husband wouldn't be adding it to her antique collection.

SUSAN SAFFET, FOUND TRUNK: Joe and I looked at it for a little while and realized that this was someone's life.

COSTELLO: After searching online, Susan found Rosemary Brun, Ralph's only surviving sister, in Dayton, Ohio. And Thursday, Susan and her husband sent the trunk up north.

ROSEMARY BRUN, PILOT'S SISTER: I think I'm kind of nervous. My heart was going a hundred miles an hour. Bring that trunk in! Bring that trunk in, yes!

DRIVER: How are you today, ma'am?

BRUN: Hi! Just fine, thank you.

DRIVER: Where would you like me to put this, inside?

BRUN: Yes.

BRUN: Oh, it's rusty. Oh my, oh my goodness me.

COSTELLO: Inside were the things Rosemary had heard about and seen on TV. But now, she could hold them in her hand.

BRUN: Oh, I just don't know what to grab first.

COSTELLO: Lieutenant Ralph Wildenhaas died while serving in World War II 64 years ago. But now, Rosemary remembers what it was like to be his little sister.

BRUN: His life is in there. He had a short life, but he lived it well.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

Goodbye

AZUZ: And that's where we close the lid on today's CNN Student News. Thanks for watching, everybody. I'm Carl Azuz. More Headline News is on the way.


SPECIAL REPORT

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