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CNN Student News Transcript: March 30, 2010

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CNN Student News - 3/30/2010
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(CNN Student News) -- March 30, 2010

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Moscow, Russia
Michigan
Indianapolis, Indiana

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 back in session with a new broadcast of CNN Student News! Reporting from CNN's world headquarters, I'm Carl Azuz. We start today in the Russian capital, Moscow.

First Up: Moscow Attacks

AZUZ: Russian police don't know yet who attacked two subway stations during rush hour yesterday morning. What they have found out: It was likely a terrorist attack. Investigators say it was done by female suicide bombers. The explosions killed dozens of people, wounded at least 60 others and infuriated the Russian public. No group has come forward and said it was responsible. Police think the attack was probably the work of rebels from Chechnya. This is a Russian republic where rebels who want independence, have fought Russia for almost 20 years. The country's leader, President Dmitry Medvedev, said the fight against Chechen rebels would continue to the very end. He also said Russia needed to beef up all of its security measures.

RUSSIAN PRESIDENT DIMITRI MEDVEDEV [TRANSLATED]: Prevention of such terrorists acts is a complex endeavor. We need to do more. Look at the problem around this whole country, not just in the transportation system or in a single town. It is obvious whatever has been done so far is not enough.

AZUZ: Here's the scene from New York subways yesterday. There wasn't a specific threat there, but as a precaution, New York police doubled their patrols -- it was just one example at how security was up worldwide in the hours after the Moscow bombings.

Militia Arrests

AZUZ: Police in the U.S. state of Michigan say they've prevented an attack there. Nine militia members have been charged with planning an assault on law enforcement officials. The militia's leader described himself as a "Christian warrior" and government authorities say he and his followers had declared war on police and trained extensively to plan an attack. You see pictures here from part of a series of government raids in Indiana, Michigan and Ohio. The raids were made over the weekend. The militia's members are charged with seditious conspiracy, attempted use of weapons of mass destruction, teaching the use of explosive materials and possessing a firearm during a crime of violence.

Positive Indication

AZUZ: A hopeful sign for the economy, courtesy of Wall Street: Yesterday, the Dow Jones Industrial Average closed at its highest point in a year-and-a-half. It was up four-tenths of a percent. What does that mean? Well, we've talked about the Dow as an indicator of how the stock market is doing. If the Dow is up, the stock market could be improving. And some folks think that could signal a strengthening economy.

Word to the Wise

MATT CHERRY, CNN STUDENT NEWS: A Word to the Wise...

incentive (noun) something that encourages greater effort

source: www.dictionary.com

Race to the Top

AZUZ: Tennessee and Delaware just won big -- the two states will get education money from the Obama administration's "Race to the Top" initiative. They're the only two winners so far, though 40 states and the District of Columbia competed. Here is what they won: $100 million for Delaware. $500 million for Tennessee. Education Secretary Arne Duncan said they won because their plans to reform their schools would be felt all over the two states. Race to the Top has another phase coming; more money will be awarded. It'll come from the government's massive stimulus package, passed last year. To win, states have to prove they're turning around low-performing schools and getting students ready for college. It's a controversial program; finalists have to toughen their standards for teachers. And critics are concerned it'll only reward states that make promises to improve their schools instead of states that are actually prepared to do it.

Health Care

AZUZ: Something else Americans are divided over: the president's health reform overhaul. A new CNN Opinion Research Corporation poll is out. It asked people if they approved or disapproved of the passage of the health care bill. The results: 56 percent disapproved. 42 percent approved.

Your response on our blog was pretty close to that. We asked whether you thought the law was a milestone or a mistake and 60 percent said mistake while 40 percent said milestone. Now this isn't a scientific poll like the first one, but it gives an indication of what you're thinking. And Daniel is thinking, "it is not the answer to the problems our current health care system has." He goes on to say it's unconstitutional. Shelby says her father's had illness half his life so this plan is a milestone. "The only people who believe it's a mistake," she writes, "are those who aren't ill or who can afford great insurance." But Carrie's concerned about the national debt. She believes that "if we increase that, what are government officials leaving us when it is our turn to make a difference?" Couple comments from our Facebook site now: Noah says it was a mistake, not just for what the bill stands for, but the way it was passed. He's convinced this was not in the best interests of the country. Abigail votes milestone saying "one of the most important steps to lowering federal debt is making health care cheaper." But back on the blog, George says, "it's a huge mistake because he wouldn't like to be paying for someone else's health care plus his own."

Final Four

AZUZ: In the NCAA, we're down to four: the Final Four. The culmination of March Madness, college basketball bliss! Unless, of course, your team has already lost. Saturday's games in Indianapolis will pit Michigan State against Butler; West Virginia against Duke. The two winners of those games will face off against each other on Monday. So it's going to be a very tense and exciting weekend for basketball fans.

I.D. Me

TOMEKA JONES, CNN STUDENT NEWS: See if you can ID Me! As a child, I wanted to become a professional athlete. But I traded a bright future in tennis for a brighter one in science. I got an astrophysics degree in 1978 and five years later, I became the first American woman to travel into space. I'm Sally Ride, and I've worked to encourage young women to study science and technology.

Women in Space

AZUZ: You might not have heard of Cady Coleman yet. But like Sally Ride, Coleman also competed in student athletics; she was a member of MIT's crew team. Coleman also got her doctorate in the field of science. And Coleman also spent time in space. As we wrap up our Women's History Month coverage, John Zarrella looks at how the history that Sally Ride made helped forge the future that Cady Coleman has.

(BEGIN VIDEO)

JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN MIAMI BUREAU CHIEF AND CORRESPONDENT: Cady Coleman puts on a space suit.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Does it feel OK?

CADY COLEMAN, NASA ASTRONAUT: Yes. Fix the shoulder things.

ZARRELLA: Her friend, Nicole Stott, prepares for a walk outside the International Space Station.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And one of the very important pieces of equipment that we have is our comm cap. It allows us to talk to each other.

ZARRELLA: Kay Hire repositions storage racks on the shuttle. There's no special attention. None of this is a big deal, because women flying in space is no big deal. Not anymore.

COLEMAN: In items of the astronaut thing, I have to say that when I grew up, you know, I was born in 1960, girls didn't really do this.

ZARRELLA: Cady was 18 when they started doing it. Six women made history and helped make Cady's future possible. They were part of the astronaut class of 1978. Sally Ride, America's first woman in space, was one of them. Those are tough footsteps to follow in. There's pressure standing on the shoulders of giants.

COLEMAN: Being a woman there, you are just by, you know, just by when people look, you are more visible, by definition. And so, by being more visible, you'd always like that to be "good" visible.

ZARRELLA: And good visible is a heck of a lot easier when you're looking out for each other.

NICOLE STOTT, NASA ASTRONAUT: We kind of have like this little chicks' network set up, I think.

For the EVA, I've compiled a list of things that I thought might be interesting to you and the rest of the ladies.

ZARRELLA: Nicole Stott spent three months on the International Space Station. Cady's headed there in December. The e-mail is one of many Nicole sent down to Cady while she was up there. It dealt with the challenges of space walks for women. Other emails were more down to earth.

STOTT: I think we feel an obligation to each other, you know? There's no reason why somebody should go up there and have to figure out that they should have brought hair conditioner.

ZARRELLA: The bond they share makes it easier to focus on why they are there.

COLEMAN: I think I can say that it's probably true for all of us, that we do what we do because we feel very passionate about it and it - we don't do it because we're women, we just really want to be part of exploring the universe.

ZARRELLA: And they are -- because being a woman and an astronaut is no big deal, not any more. John Zarrella, CNN, at the Johnson Space Center in Houston.

(END VIDEO)

Before We Go

AZUZ: All right, before we go, just looking at this makes you want to stand back. What is on top of this car isn't a sunroof; it's a swarm of bees! A woman who ran into the mall came out to find it on her car. The theory is that a queen bee stopped there to rest, and the workers swarmed around to protect her. Animal control and law enforcement couldn't help. Even the beekeeper you see right there didn't find the queen...

Goodbye

AZUZ: At some point, they all just buzzed off. CNN Student News will bee back tomorrow. We will bug you with more puns then. I'm Carl Azuz.