CNN Student News 2010年1-3月合集（视频附文本）CNN Student News 2010年2月3

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

CARL AZUZ, CNN STUDENT NEWS ANCHOR: Can we expect six more weeks of winter? Maybe. Can you expect 10 minutes of commercial-free news? Definitely. I'm Carl Azuz. CNN Student News starts right now!

First Up: Don't Ask Don't Tell

AZUZ: First up, we're talking about the U.S. military's controversial "don't ask, don't tell" policy. Teachers, you might want to preview this segment of today's show. "Don't ask, don't tell" has been around since 1993. In last week's State of the Union speech, President Obama said he thinks it's time to repeal, or get rid of, the law.

The policy, which became law in the early '90s under President Clinton, prohibits gays and lesbians from serving openly in the U.S. military. It also prevents the military from asking a service member if he or she is homosexual. The Defense Department is already taking the first steps to prepare for the end of "don't ask, don't tell," but Congress would make the final decision on this. And some lawmakers argue that with the country in the middle of two wars, this is the wrong time to debate policies that affect the armed services. And as Carol Costello explains, there's an economic side to this as well.

(BEGIN VIDEO)

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: There are plenty of people in high places who say now is not the time to be talking about this issue. America has bigger problems to deal with: government spending, the deficit, jobs. But others say those things are precisely why this is the time. They say "don't ask, don't tell" is costing taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Economic crisis.

COSTELLO: With the country gripped by economic anxiety, Republicans say it's not exactly prime time to revisit such a divisive issue. But those who support repealing "don't ask, don't tell" say now is the time. If Americans want fiscal responsibility in government, then...

NATHANIEL FRANK, PALM CENTER: Repealing the ban would save money in the long run, absolutely.

COSTELLO: Since 1994, the Pentagon has discharged around 13,000 troops because of "don't ask, don't tell." The Government Accountability Office says the policy has cost taxpayers more than $190 million. The University of California put the price tag closer to $363 million, if you factor in the cost to recruit, train and then discharge gay troops. But critics say none of this justifies repealing "don't ask, don't tell;" $363 million is a drop in the bucket.

BOB MAGINNIS, U.S. ARMY (RET.), SYNDICATED COLUMNIST: Well, the discharge of 13,000 or so people is miniscule in comparison to the overall administrative burden that the military pays every year discharging 230,000 people a year.

COSTELLO: Others say repealing the policy could end up costing taxpayers more. A 2008 "Military Times" survey show 24 percent of military personnel would eventually leave the service if gay troops served openly. And what about the cost of sensitivity training and the possibility of creating separate barracks for gay and straight troops?

(END VIDEO)

Blog Promo

AZUZ: A divisive issue it is. You heard several perspectives in that report; we want to hear yours. Tell us what your opinion is of the "don't ask, don't tell" policy. Let us know whether you think it should stay in place, whether you think it should be canceled. You can do all of that at our blog at CNNStudentNews.com. Log on today and share your thoughts.

Word to the Wise

TOMEKA JONES, CNN STUDENT NEWS: A Word to the Wise...

autism (noun) one of a group of medical disorders that affect someone's ability to communicate and interact with others

source: www.mayoclinic.com

Autism Study

AZUZ: Autism usually shows up by the time someone is three years old. By that same time, most kids have gotten the MMR vaccine; it stands for mumps, measles and rubella. Back in 1998, a scientific study written by Dr. Andrew Wakefield linked autism to that vaccine. But other studies have never been able to confirm those results. And now, the medical journal where the original study was published is retracting it; it's wiping the study off the record. CNN's Elizabeth Cohen explains one of the reasons why.

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Basically, that Wakefield didn't randomize his study properly. When you select study subjects for a study, you're supposed to choose them randomly, and they appear to be saying that that did not happen.

AZUZ: A medical group called Dr. Wakefield's actions in the study "dishonest and irresponsible." But Wakefield says those allegations are "unfounded and unjust." Reaction among parents? That seems to be split. Some people say the study caused a lot of harm because it made them afraid of a vaccine. Others have protested in support of Dr. Wakefield. They say his research helped identify how to help some children with autism.

Unemployment Report

AZUZ: Well, a government study says the number of metro areas where the unemployment rate is more than 15 percent went up in December. The survey looked at 372 cities around the U.S., and 19 of them were over that 15 percent level. Twelve of those are in California, including El Centro, which has the country's highest unemployment rate at more than 27 percent. The lowest rates, around 4 percent, were in Fargo and Grand Forks, North Dakota as well as Lincoln, Nebraska. The national unemployment rate will be announced on Friday.

Shoutout

MATT CHERRY, CNN STUDENT NEWS: Today's Shoutout goes out to Mr. McCoy's social studies class in Beaver Dam, Kentucky! What language does the word "census" come from? You know what to do! Is it: A) Greek, B) Old English, C) Latin or D) Phoenician? You've got three seconds -- GO! Census comes from the Latin word "censere," which means to assess or estimate. That's your answer and that's your Shoutout!

Census Concerns

AZUZ: The census itself is used to assess the number of people living in the United States. It is required by the U.S. Constitution, and you and I are required by law to participate. But in some parts of the country, like the one that Ed Lavandera is about to take us to, people are concerned about what taking part in the census might mean for them. Check it out.

(BEGIN VIDEO)

ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT, DALLAS: I'm going to take you on a journey into one of the poorest neighborhoods in America. This is the San Carlos Colonia, along the Texas/Mexico border. You walk through here and it's like stepping into another world. A colonia is a cluster of homes carved out of the most undesirable property along the southern U.S. border. In Texas, it's estimated some 400,000 people live like 14-year-old Anabeli Rendon.

Who do you live here in with?

ANABELI RENDON, COLONIA RESIDENT: With my mom and my little sister.

LAVANDERA: The three of you live in here?

RENDON: Yes.

LAVANDERA: Wow.

The roads aren't paved. There's no air conditioning or heat, and finding water is a daily quest. So, this is life in the Colonia. We jumped in the back of this pickup truck, and the man driving the truck is going to take us to the water pump so he can fill up this tank. And then he's going to start driving the neighborhood streets here in the colonia and fill up barrels of water for people. Most of the people who live here make under $10,000 a year, finding work wherever they can. So, you'd think the farthest thing from their minds would be the 2010 census count. But Anabeli says the census sparks fear.

RENDON: I just think they are scared, like going out.

LAVANDERA: You think they're scared?

RENDON: I think so, yes.

LAVANDERA: And why do you think they're scared?

RENDON: I don't know, because, I don't know because most of the people are immigrants here. So, yes.

LAVANDERA: So, they don't, they don't trust them.

RENDON: I don't think they do.

REP. HENRY CUELLAR, (D) TEXAS: What can we do to do a better job to make sure we count everybody?

LAVANDERA: Congressman Henry Cuellar and the census director are trying to build trust. Many in this group have relatives living here illegally, but they assure the neighbors it's not about deporting immigrants.

ROBERT GROVES, U.S. CENSUS DIRECTOR: The benefits of participating in the census are quite large. We return as a country over $400 billion a year to local areas, neighborhoods like this, cities and states, dependent on census counts. If you get counted, you get your fair share of that money.

(END VIDEO)

Facebook Promo

AZUZ: If you were to take a census of our Facebook fans, you would find -- as we recently did -- we have now more than 18,000 of them. So, thank you so much! Got a new video up for you today. It's all about you. Check it out. You know the address: Facebook.com/CNNStudentNews.

Groundhog Results

AZUZ: How much longer will Winter last? That depends on whether or not you believe the predictions of a groundhog. He's one of one of the world's most famous rodents. His name: Punxsutawney Phil! When the furry star of Groundhog Day crept outside yesterday, he saw his shadow, and that signals six more weeks of Winter. Of course, it might just be habit. Punxsutawney Phil has made this same prediction 99 times before, and his forecasts have only been correct around 40 percent of the time. Fail! He is not the best weatherman, but he sure is an attention hog.

Before We Go

AZUZ: ...Groundhog. Well, before we go today, NASA is working on a new vehicle, and you're probably going to want one. It takes off like a helicopter, flies like a plane, runs completely on electricity. It's called the Puffin, because it kind of looks like the bird with the same name. At least, whoever named it thought so. The agency says it's trying to create a personal air vehicle for people who only need to travel a couple of hundred miles. So far, the Puffin's longest flight has lasted five minutes.

Goodbye

AZUZ: But we are sure the folks at NASA are puffin' their chests out over the achievement. Sometimes, you know, with these puns, we've just got to wing it. We hope y'all have a great day. We will be back tomorrow. For CNN Student News, I'm Carl Azuz.