(CNN Student News) -- April 8, 2011
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• Washington, D.C.
• Japan
• Mississippi
Transcript
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CARL AZUZ, CNN STUDENT NEWS ANCHOR: Hi, I'm Carl Azuz and this is CNN Student News, where Fridays are awesome! But you already knew that. Your 10 minutes of commercial-free headlines start right now!
AZUZ: First up, government shutdown. That term is dominating conversations around the U.S. Capitol right now. Quick recap on the background: The U.S. government does not have a budget in place. It needs one to keep running. If Congress can't pass a deal -- or an extension -- by midnight tonight, parts of the government will shut down. We produced this show on Thursday evening, and at that time, there was no deal. Congressional leaders met with the president earlier in the day at the White House. They were expecting to head back for more meetings later Thursday night.
We've talked a little bit this week about what might be affected if the government shuts down. You can check out our archives at CNNStudentNews.com to review that. If this happens -- and again, that is an if -- wouldn't be the first time. Between 1977 and 1980, there were six shutdowns. Nine more between 1981 and 1996. They've been as short as three days, as long as 21 days. Again, the deadline to make a deal is midnight tonight, so you'll want to check out CNN.com for the latest details.
What's the Word?
MATT CHERRY, CNN STUDENT NEWS: What's the word for something that's caused by or related to an earthquake?
SEISMIC
That's the word!
AZUZ: Parts of Japan were rattled by a recent seismic event. Not the massive earthquake that hit last month. We're talking about a new quake that struck on Thursday. The U.S. Geological Survey said this one had a magnitude of 7.1. It's not as powerful as last month's quake, but it did happen in the same area, off the northeast coast of Japan. This new quake was closer to the coast and it led to some tsunami warnings, but those were canceled within 90 minutes. There were no reports of any casualties inside the quake zone. We've reported on the original quake and tsunami disaster's impact on Japan's economy, on its young people. But it's also had a devastating impact on some of the nation's fishermen. Paula Hancocks has that story for us now.
(BEGIN VIDEO)
PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Boat carcasses litter the coastline of northeast Japan. The country's biggest earthquake ever, followed by a devastating tsunami, followed by a raging fire in at least two port cities. And now, radioactive water is being pumped into the sea. The Japanese government says it was an unavoidable emergency measure, but Japan's fishermen are desperate.
Kazuo Sato inspects his oyster floats, forced almost a kilometer inland by the tsunami, to see what can be salvaged. Only the rope is of any use. For three generations, his family has been farming oysters and scallops in the shallow waters of the Pacific Ocean. He puts little stock in government assurances that the release poses no major health risk.
KAZUO SATO, OYSTER FARMER: He says, "None of us can trust what the real safety level of radiation in seawater is, because the government keeps changing it based on what nuclear plants need. It makes me so angry."
HANCOCKS: Sato knows it will take a long time to restore faith in Japanese fish and seafood, even within Japan itself. Authorities estimate that in Iwate prefecture, where we are, around 96% of all boats have either been destroyed or they're still missing after the tsunami. Even without the contamination in the water, fears the fishing industry here has been decimated.
The fish market at the port of Kesennuma is deserted. Locals say they want it open again by July, but don't know if many will be fishing by then. Wataru Ito is cleaning up the fish processing plant he works in.
WATARU ITO, FISH PROCESSING WORKER: He says, "It's going to take at least 2 years to get everything back to normal."
HANCOCKS: Even those whose boats are still intact are not fishing.
YOSHIICHI MIURA, KESENNUMA FISHERMAN: This fisherman says, "I can't find where my nets and tools were washed to."
HANCOCKS: An area once bustling with fishermen, now a boat graveyard. Paula Hancocks, CNN, Rikuzenkataka, Japan.
(END VIDEO)
Shoutout
TOMEKA JONES, CNN STUDENT NEWS: Today's Shoutout goes out to the social studies classes at Cheney High School in Cheney, Kansas! What organization comes up with the names for hurricanes? You know what to do here! Is it the: A) WMO, B) USGS, C) NASA or D) FDIC? You've got three seconds -- GO! The WMO, the World Meteorological Organization, is in charge of the list of names. That's your answer and that's your Shoutout!
Hurricane Prediction
AZUZ: One forecast center is predicting how many hurricanes we'll see in the Atlantic ocean this year. Now, one thing you gotta remember: Hurricanes can form at any time. But the Atlantic season -- when they're most likely to form -- runs from June 1st through the end of November. And during that time, forecasters from Colorado State University are predicting 16 named storms, with nine of those forming into hurricanes. Just because that's the prediction, doesn't mean it's gonna happen. It also doesn't mean those storms will necessarily make landfall in the U.S. Last year, there were 12 Atlantic hurricanes. None of them made landfall in the United States.
AZUZ: A couple months ago, we covered a story on cursive being written off -- get it? -- at some schools. It might seem like penmanship is losing its prominence. But that's not the case for the folks who run the National Handwriting Contest. And it's not the case for Nicholas Maxim, who just won a penmanship award. What's more impressive than the 5th grader being honored for his handwriting is the fact that he doesn't have hands. When Nicholas was born, his arms stopped at his elbows. And he doesn't use prosthetic limbs, either. He holds the pencil between his upper arms. Nicholas' handwriting earned him the award. And his inspiring story earned him the honor of having a new award named after him: the Nicholas Maxim Special Award for Excellent Penmanship.
Mascot Change
AZUZ: The Bulldogs, Eagles, 49ers. Those are the mascots of some of the colleges that our show staff went to. More than just giant stuffed suits, mascots are a rallying point for students. But the old mascot at Ole Miss in Oxford, Mississippi was a point of controversy. Scott Simmons of affiliate WAPT was on hand for the new mascot's premiere performance.
(BEGIN VIDEO)
SCOTT SIMMONS, WAPT REPORTER: He entered with fanfare at Blair Batson Children's Hospital. His name is "Rebel," and it's the first time anyone's seen the new black bear mascot for Ole Miss. He tried to win over patients. It wasn't easy at first.
Is he cute? Does he have pretty fur? Could you check his teeth and make sure they are clean?
It is an easier sell for children; Ole Miss admits that. Some seven years ago, the university took Colonel Rebel off the sidelines of sporting events because critics claimed he looked like a white plantation owner. Last year, an online vote by alumni and students resulted in the black bear taking it's place.
So, this would be your first exclusive interview, right? Do you feel pressure at moments like this? Some people may not like you.
Look at this, put your hand down
UNKNOWN: No!
SIMMONS: You're making fun of my black bear, man?
RON HOPPER, LIKES THE NEW BEAR: No, we love him, our little teddy bears.
SIMMONS: State fan, right?
HOPPER: Uh huh.
SIMMONS: How are you going to win them over? Charm and personality, you've got a lot of work.
That's the new bear.
LAJUAN TEASLER, OLE MISS FAN: It's an ugly bear.
SIMMONS: No matter what?
TEASLER: No matter what.
SIMMONS: How do you really feel about it?
TEASLER: It's an ugly bear.
MAC WIMBUSH, OLE MISS FAN: It got overblown. I guess I am just tired of everybody trying to be so politically correct.
SIMMONS: Some people fear this is just a prelude to getting rid of the rebel mascot.
MICHAEL THOMPSON, UNIVERSITY OF MISSISSIPPI SPOKESMAN: You mean the Rebel team name?
SIMMONS: Yes.
THOMPSON: Oh no. I mean, his name is Rebel, that's the beauty of this. I mean, we named him Rebel.
SIMMONS: Ole Miss says it will remain the Rebels, but its marketing plan hopes to convince more fans to "bear" with the changing times.
(END VIDEO)
Facebook Promo
AZUZ: We want to hear what you think about Ole Miss' mascot makeover. You can share your thoughts on our Facebook page. That's Facebook.com/CNNStudentNews!
Before We Go
AZUZ: Today's Before We Go report is all about the classics. At least, one of the classics. They say one man's trash is another man's treasure. But in the midst of all this trash in a Kansas storage unit was this! It's a 1966 Shelby Mustang. One of only 1,100. It had been sitting there for 26 years and was still in near perfect condition! Officials think the car could sell for around $200,000. But they might want to make sure it's really worth that much beforehand.
Goodbye
AZUZ: Otherwise, even though it's a classic Mustang, they could be putting the car-t before the horse. Time for us to giddy-up on up out of here. Hope you all have a great weekend. For CNN Student News, I'm Carl Azuz.
