Aired August 19, 2003

CNN Student News

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

CHRISTINA PARK, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and welcome to CNN Student News on this Tuesday, August nineteenth! I'm Christina Park at the CNN Center.

First up. Could it be a copycat crime, of last year's sniper shootings in the Washington, D.C. area? Police in West Virginia aren't ruling anything out.

They're questioning dozens of possible suspects, following three fatal shootings at gas stations near Charleston. Deanna Morawski tells us who's helping them out.

WEST VIRGINIA SNIPER SHOOTING

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DEANNA MORAWSKI, CNN STUDENT NEWS REPORTER: They are scenes all too reminiscent of the D.C. sniper shootings last year: gas stations cordoned off by police tape...A sheriff giving a press conference. But for family members of West Virginia's shooting victims...it's not the same, and never will be.

WILLIAM SCHWAB, UNCLE OF LATEST VICTIM: You got to be a coward to shoot someone, to kill someone, I mean, for no reason. You don't take another person's life.

MORAWSKI: In the past week, three seemingly random victims have been fatally shot with a single bullet to the head. The first-- a man using a pay phone on august 10th. Another man and a woman were shot in separate incidents on Thursday... Just an hour apart. All three took place at night.

Police have not officially linked the cases...but say there are similarities between the bullets used. They hope to find this sniper more quickly than the last.

SHERIFF DAVE TUCKER, KANAWHA COUNTY: I will say at this time we do have 100 leads. And every lead is being covered. During this, as I mentioned leads, there are suspects arrived through this investigation and we are actively pursuing those.

MORAWSKI: Based on witness descriptions, police are looking for - a dark-colored full-size pick-up truck, perhaps a Ford F-150 and an overweight white male seen driving that truck. They're also looking for a person who is local or very familiar with the area. Someone who could navigate the rural mountain roads connecting Thursday's two crime scenes.

But police say they're keeping their options open...and are learning from D.C. investigators about the modus operandi of their sniper.

SHERIFF TUCKER: They have supplied us with vital information because they have been on the front line with that particular case. If there's similarities, we're not taking any chances if this is the way it's going', this information is vital so that we're ready to move in another direction.

MORAWSKI: In the meantime, police encourage area residents to go on with daily life...but warn them to know their surroundings and not go out alone at night.

For CNN Student News, I'm Deanna Morawski.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

A Word to the Wise

modus operandi (n) a manner of operating or functioning; a person's manner of working

(Source: www.dictionary.com)

California Recall: Indie-Dudes!

CHRISTINA PARK, CNN ANCHOR: The American Civil Liberties union is getting involved in California's recall election swamp. The organization -- which aims to defend our civil rights -- says the election should be postponed from this October until next spring, when new voting machines will eliminate the apparent confusion caused by punch card ballots. The recall vote will determine whether governor Gray Davis will get to keep his job.

Critics say he hasn't done enough to help the state's energy crisis, and blame him in part for California's budget deficit -- when a state spends more money than it earns. Whether or not the vote is postponed, Bill Schneider has the scoop on a group that could play a decisive role in the ballot.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BILL SCHNEIDER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: First came Ross Perot in 1992. In 1998 we got Jesse ``The Body'' Ventura. In 2000, John McCain was a political sensation. Now it's The Terminator. They're the ``indie dudes.'' Extremely independent. And while many women think they're cool, these candidates are especially popular with young males. Like this guy.

YOUNG MAN: Arnold Schwarzenegger movies are just like pizza. When they are good, they are really good. When they are bad, they are still pretty good.

SCHNEIDER: These dudes like candidates who take on the establishment.

JOHN MCCAIN/R- ARIZONA: The Washington establishment is in a panic mode.

ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER/CALIFORNIA GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE: I will go to Sacramento and I will clean house.

SCHNEIDER: The indie dudes are self-made men, not party men. Perot made himself rich. Schwarzenegger pumped himself up. Ventura made a spectacle of himself. McCain is a war hero. They all became famous outside of politics. To them, politics is the enemy of problem-solving. Their mantra? Just fix it.

ROSS PEROT/FORMER PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE (1992): If you want to fix the engine you gotta lift up the hood and get under there and go to work.

SCHNEIDER: Reform it.

SCHWARZENEGGER: I want to go in there, reform the system so it's back in the people's hands.

SCHNEIDER: Take it back.

MCCAIN: It is a fight to take our government back from the power brokers and special interests and return it to the people.

SCHNEIDER: It's like six degrees of separation. Perot founded the Reform Party Ventura got elected as the Reform Party candidate. McCain embraced Ventura. Schwarzenegger went to Ventura's swearing in.

YOUNG MAN: I think it's pretty cool cause Jesse `The Body' Ventura did it and I saw a press conference with them two together and I think it's pretty cool.

SCHNEIDER: Is there an ``indie dude'' ideology? Strangely, yes They share a libertarian distrust of government. Government out of your pockets and out of your bedroom. Listen to the indie dudes philosophize.

SCHWARZENEGGER: I'm fiscally conservative. Very conservative.

SCHNEIDER: Wait. There's more.

SCHWARZENEGGER: When it comes to issues like social issues, I am moderate.

JESSE VENTURA/FORMER MINNESOTA GOVERNOR: So the new wave was to be fiscally conservative with social moderate to liberal policies and I think that's what you're looking at.

SCHNEIDER: What you're looking at is a new wave of candidates and their young male supporters. They come from outside of traditional politics. And they share the same view of government. Call it the indie dude philosophy: don't tell me what to do. Dude!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WEST NILE VIRUS

CHRISTINA PARK, CNN ANCHOR: You've probably heard about it by now, and some of you who spent a lot of time outdoors this summer, may have even contracted it. But what exactly is West Nile Virus, and how many people actually get sick from it? Doctor Sanjay Gupta has these answers, and examines just how big a worry the disease should be.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The West Nile Virus is now in full throttle. The number of human cases tripled a week ago, and has nearly tripled again this week.

That case number is far ahead of where it was this time last year. And there are other differences in 2003: The average age for West Nile victims this year is younger---about 45 years old, versus age 55 last year.

And the mosquito-borne disease is hitting hard in new areas --like Colorado, where there are already 200 victims ---they had just 14 human cases last year. But some things are the same:

COMMERCIAL: "Have you heard the buzz about West Nile Virus?"

GUPTA: The CDC again this year is taking the lead in trying to educate the public---especially in states dealing with West Nile for the first time.

GERBERDING: You can't solve this problem with a single measure. it takes everything from knowing where the next area to be hit is going to be and we do that through our monitoring systems. Taking care of the mosquito larva through larvacide programs spraying where there are cases and we can't control it anyway but most importantly individual people can take the steps they need to take to protect themselves."

GUPTA: The Centers for Disease Control recommends: get rid of standing water in your yard.

• Organize a mosquito control program if there isn't one already.

• Use a repellant containing the chemical DEET.

• Wear long pants and sleeves and spray your clothing with a spray containing DEET or permethrin.

And, keep this in mind, according to the CDC:

80% of those who get West Nile don't get sick at all -- they're perfectly fine.

20% have mild symptoms, such as a fever or a headache.

Less than 1% become severely ill.

The most vulnerable: the elderly and those with suppressed immune systems. So the best strategy: prepare for the worst... but know that chances are, the worst will probably never happen to you.

Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

Shoutout!

Which of the following is not true about West Nile Virus?

If you think you know the answer, shout it out!

Is it that:

A) 80% of those infected show no symptoms B) A vaccination can prevent it C) Average age of this year's victims is 45 D) DEET is effective protection against it

You've got three seconds--GO!

There is no vaccination against West Nile Virus. The name comes from the West Nile district of the African country Uganda, where West Nile Encephalitis was first discovered.

That's your answer and that's your Shoutout!

Before We Go

Before we go...She worked 13 hours a day for a month and a half to set it all up. But with the simple flick of a hand, these dominoes were all on their sides in less than five minutes. The girl who calls herself a professional dominologist, had painstakingly positioned more than 303-thousand tiles at the Singapore expo hall. She unofficially toppled the previous record by more than 22-thousand tiles. Does anyone actually play the game anymore?

That'll topple this edition of CNN Student News. I'm Christina Park. More news is up next, on Headline News.