(CNN Student News) -- November 16, 2007
Quick Guide
Travel Worries - Hear about President Bush's plan to ease Thanksgiving travel gridlock.
Bonds Indicted - Learn what charges a grand jury filed against baseball's home run king.
Off the Beaten Path - Go Off the Beaten Path to see a dessert designed for expensive tastes.
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, everyone. I'm Carl Azuz. You've made it to the end of the week. But before you take off for the weekend, check out this Friday edition of CNN Student News.
AZUZ: First up, President Bush wants to help ease the gridlock of Thanksgiving travel. With families and friends getting together to gobble up turkey, next week's holiday is one of the busiest travel times of the year. And you know what that can mean. Long lines at the airport and delayed flights. Well, the government has a plan that aims to help things run a bit more smoothly. Kathkleen Koch fills us in on the details.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN REPORTER: To give planes more options, the administration is opening military airspace on the east coast to commercial aircraft over the Thanksgiving holidays. Two new corridors in addition to the dozen already in use.
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES:These new routes will help relieve air congestion from Maine to Florida for nearly five full days surrounding the holiday.
KOCH: The Federal Aviation Administration also plans to halt any non-essential maintenance projects. Air traffic controllers insist none of this addresses the problems on the ground, where there are seven percent fewer controllers to handle traffic than last year and a shortage of runways and gate space.
PATRICK FORREY, PRESIDENT, NATIONAL AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERS ASSOC.: The bottom line is you can only land a number of aircraft at one time on any given runway, so the capacity at the endgame and at the beginning game needs to double or increase before you start killing delays. This is just another gimmick to try and appease the flying public, and its not going to work.
KOCH: Three quarters of chronic delays around the country can be traced to the New York area. The federal government in September implemented new landing and takeoff procedures at JFK airport so it can handle four to six more flights an hour. But the transportation secretary admits bottlenecks on the ground around the country this holiday will still exist.
MARY PETERS, TRANSPORTATION SECRETARY: Well we're not going to build a runway overnight that is for sure. And while we need to do that, again it is important that we do that in consultation with the communities where these airports are located.
KOCH: The administration also wants to double the amount passengers are paid when they get bumped from flights, and fine airlines for flights that are chronically delayed. But these are only proposals and will do nothing to help passengers grappling with delays this Thanksgiving. Kathleen Koch, CNN, the White House.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
Fact Check
JOHN LISK, CNN REPORTER: If you want to get an idea of how many Americans are on the move this Thanksgiving holiday: Passenger traffic is expected to increase by four percent this year over last; that's more than a million more people crowding onto planes. The travel bug swings into high gear around November 16th. The air transport association says some 27-million passengers will jam airports in the dozen days that follow. The Wednesday before 'Turkey Day' and the Sunday and Monday after are peak travel days as well. Industry officials anticipate some two and a half million passengers to be flying each of those days.
That's 400,000 more than on an ordinary day. And there's a warning for air travelers: Most flights are expected to be about 90-percent full, which means if you miss one, you'll could have serious problems booking a timely alternative. Even with airlines adding hundreds of extra workers, travel experts say expect delays and they advise: 'Pack some patience in your bag.'
Shoutout
GEORGE RAMSAY, CNN STUDENT NEWS: Today's Shoutout goes out to the eagle-eyed students of Mr. Duncan's government classes at Angleton High School in Angleton, Texas! What is the busiest airport in the U.S.? If you think you know it, shout it out! Is it: A) Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International, B) O'Hare International Chicago, C) Los Angeles International or D) Dallas/Fort Worth International? You've got three seconds -- GO! The busiest passenger airport in the country -- and one of the busiest in the world -- is Hartsfield-Jackson in Atlanta. That's your answer and that's your Shoutout!
AZUZ: A federal grand jury is charging baseball's home run king with obstruction of justice and perjury, or lying under oath. Federal prosecutors are now saying they have evidence Barry Bonds tested positive for steroids. This came after Bonds told a grand jury he never knowingly took performance enhancing drugs. Back in August, Bonds broke the record for career home runs. But the achievement was surrounded by controversy. The slugger's been at the center of a probe into the use of steroids in professional sports.
AZUZ: Baseball is far from the only sport that's had to deal with a steroid scandal recently. Football, track and field, cycling. They've all had issues with performance-enhancing drugs. Al Goodman tells us about an organization that wants to strengthen the fight against doping in the sports world.
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AL GOODMAN, CNN REPORTER: It's been four years since the sports world's anti-doping delegates got together to discuss the problem. This year, many tell us they have a new sense of urgency.
DICK POUND, PRES, WORLD ANTI-DOPING AGENCY: The people who are determined to cheat will try and find new ways, as we discover the old ways, and we just have to get as close to them as we can.
GOODMAN: Pound's agency, Wada, is not alone in sounding the alarm. The International Olympic Committee president says doping runs the gamut, from elite athletes to universities, even down to the high school level.
JACQUES ROGGE, IOC PRESIDENT: It risks drying out the recruitment of sports, as one day parents might refuse to send their children to sports clubs.
GOODMAN: ROGGE promised far more doping controls at the Beijing Olympics next year and urged government and sports federations to quickly adopt anti-doping rules. But the system was not able to catch Marion Jones, the now disgraced track star who pled guilty to lying to federal agents about her use of steroids. She has returned her Olympic medals; three golds, two bronzes. Nor was the system able to stop Floyd Landis, the first Tour De France winner ever to be stripped of his title. The 2006 champion was disqualified after tests showed unusually high levels of testosterone in his system. He still denies any wrongdoing.
DICK POUND: Now we've got to show, if we get the doping out that the superb performances are real, that's our hope.
GOODMAN: The conference expects to approve stiffer sanctions on athletes --- doubling the suspension for a first serious doping violation from two years to four. And beef up testing and educational programs
Many here know they're playing a game of catchup with the athletes who dope. But they hope to shut down as many cheaters as possible, and restore pride to sport. Al Goodman, CNN, Madrid.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
Shoutout
AZUZ: Time for a Shoutout Extra Credit. A group of stagehands went on strike in what famous theater district this week? If you were with us on CNN Student News on Monday, you'll get this one, no problem. Is it: A) London's West End, B) Rome's Forum, C) Sydney's Opera Harbor or D) New York's Broadway?You've got 3 seconds -- GO! Stagehands went on strike in New York, which caused the curtains to come down on dozens of Broadway shows. That's your answer, and that's your Shoutout Extra Credit!
Promo
AZUZ: And it's also one of the questions on this week's Newsquiz! Every Friday, we give you the chance to put your news knowledge to the test with ten questions about some of the stories we've covered on our show. You already have one answer. Want to see how you do on the other nine? Head to CNNStudentnews.com.
AZUZ: And now it's time to wander off the beaten path and check out some stories from the lighter side of news. In this record-setting report, we've got the biggest. The smallest. A dish for diners with very expensive taste. And of course, we have a Chihuahua.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CARL AZUZ, CNN STUDENT NEWS: Cage match: Chihuahua versus Great Dane! In this corner, hunkered down at four inches: Boo Boo. And in this corner, at 3 feet six inches tall: her worst nightmare. Actually -- and fortunately for the Chihuahua, Harlequin the Great Dane is a gentle giant. Otherwise, Boo-Boo is an hors d'oeuvre. They came snout to snout for the first time as two extremes in the Guinness Book of World Records.
If you wanna know what Boo-Boo felt like, step up to George Bell. You're looking at 7-feet, 8-inches of the tallest man in America -- two inches taller than Yao Ming! Is he bigger than your dad? Yes. Can he dunk? Yes.
Does he wear big shoes? Size 19! He topped six feet in middle school and was 7-foot-six in high school. But he's not the tallest man on the planet; that honor belongs to a Ukrainian who measures 8-feet-five-point-five. Bell is a sheriff's deputy, though, so you can't accuse him of trying to steal the title.
And snakes on a plane? Child's play for Jackie Bibby. He filled up a tub full of rattlers and bathed in all the press. I dunno, man -- I think I'll just stick to soap and water.
And for dessert today, take out a loan. You can't buy a more expensive sundae than this one. It combines 14 of the world's most expensive cocoas with edible 23-karat gold that literally, makes your insides richer. You eat it with a gold spoon that's probably not dishwasher-safe. And it finishes off with a 18-karat gold bracelet to remind you of how rich you gotta be to buy this. The price: $25,000. Gentlemen, start your overtime! I hope she's worth it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
Goodbye
AZUZ: Twenty five grand....brings a whole new meaning to "rich dessert." Well that decadent dish is where we dip out of here. We hope you have a great weekend. I'm Carl Azuz. E-mail to a friend 
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