CNN Student News Transcript: November 20, 2007

(CNN Student News) -- November 20, 2007

Quick Guide

Waiting For Aid - Learn about relief efforts in Bangladesh following a deadly cyclone.

Thanksgiving Travel - Listen to some tips for flying and driving this Thanksgiving holiday.

Talking Turkey - Check out our tribute to the famous fowl featured for Thanksgiving.

Transcript

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

MONICA LLOYD, CNN STUDENT NEWS ANCHOR: You've found your way to CNN Student News. It's our last show before Thanksgiving, and we're happy to have you with us for it. Hi, everyone. I'm Monica Lloyd.

ID Me

CARL AZUZ, CNN STUDENT NEWS: See if you can I.D. Me! You'll have to look to Southern Asia to find me. I border the Bay of Bengal between India and Myanmar. I got my independence in 1971 from what was then called West Pakistan. Bangladesh, a country of 150 million, is actually smaller than the state of Iowa!

First Up: Waiting For Aid

LLOYD: And that country is trying to recover from one of the worst natural disasters in years. Last Thursday, parts of Bangladesh were pounded by a deadly cyclone. That's what hurricanes are called in that part of the world. More than 3,000 people were killed by the storm, and officials are concerned that number might keep going up. But as Cal Perry tells us, right now, relief efforts are the priority.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CAL PERRY, CNN REPORTER: Speeding across the biggest delta in the world, a race against time for aid agencies. With each day that passes, the situation grows more dire for people in rural southern Bangladesh. In areas so remote they're only reachable by boat, a massive recovery and aid effort is being mobilized. The aid comes ashore; just the necessities for simple survival.

ROD SNIDER, SAVE THE CHILDREN: Plastic bucket, pots, pans.

PERRY: Some never even got word of the storm, like Taslima. In the best of times, feeding her children, literally a daily hand-to-mouth existence. She and the children, aging from three to 16, fled for their lives.

TASLIMA: Somebody came and told us to flee our home. Part of the house had already been destroyed. We ran for cover.

PERRY: Rod Snider, an emergency response advisor for Save the Children, is used to handling massive disasters. He's been doing it for 15 years all over the world. He knows exactly what to look for: surveying the damage and setting up a distribution center, bringing calm to a chaotic situation, and of course, paying special attention to the children, who were in trouble even before the storm breached this low-lying farmland. What's your immediate concern for the children?

SNIDER: The immediate concern is, one, are they protected, are they with their family and are they healthy? Right, so that's what we're looking for. And, like I was saying earlier to you, malnutrition is a big concern in this area.

PERRY: So much needs to be done, and quickly. Beyond the immediate need for basic supplies and rebuilding, the coming weeks and months could bring more disaster to a people that have already endured so much.

SNIDER: There's stagnant water, and it's right against the house here. And so this can present all kinds of problems with malaria. This is where dirty water gets into; kids will come and play in it and then they will get sick.

PERRY: As Sheemarani arrives with her young baby Anamika, the aid workers tell us she's stunted, suffering from malnutrition and small for her age. We ask if she's been sick. "Not yet," the mother answers. And it's that "not yet" that concerns aid workers the most. The rice harvest destroyed for the year, and the potential for disease only grows greater by the day. Cal Perry, CNN, Patkahi, southern Bangladesh.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

Impact Your World

LLOYD: This cyclone happened halfway around the world, but that doesn't mean you can't take part in the relief efforts. Go to CNN.com/Impact to find out how.

Promo

LLOYD: Do humans need to feel happy? And if so, what makes them happy? In the CNN Classroom Edition: Happiness And Your Health, Dr. Sanjay Gupta examines the connection between the two, and asks where happiness comes from and where people can get it. The program airs on CNN next Monday, and you can find the free curriculum guide at CNNStudentNews.com.

simpliFLYing

LLOYD: Thanksgiving is still a couple days away, but travel conditions around the holiday are already bad. Weather caused delays yesterday in Atlanta, Chicago and New York. You can't do anything about nature putting your flight in a holding pattern, but the Transportation Security Administration has a couple suggestions on how you can help keep things moving at the airport. Jeanne Meserve has the details.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JEANNE MESERVE, CNN REPORTER: Travel is expected to be very heavy this holiday weekend. The security lines could be long, so the Transportation Security Administration is putting out some pointers in the form of a public service announcement that's being posted on their Web site and elsewhere. One of the principal recommendations is that you pack your carry-on luggage in layers: put in some clothes, and then place your electronics side-by-side on top of that instead of jumbling them all together. That'll make it easier for the screening personnel to take a look inside. The TSA says it should save you time.

ELLEN HOWE, TSA SPOKESWOMAN: It takes three minutes to do a bag check, if they have to dive into somebody's bag. So, what we're asking the public to do is partner with us and think about how they can help us help you get through security faster.

MESERVE: The TSA is also recommending that you have your identification and your ticket out when you go through the security line, and they also say remember those rules about liquids. You have to bring things on in containers that are three ounces or less. Put them in a one-quart bag; one of these per person. Take them out of your bags; put them in the bin at the security checkpoint. If you do all these things, the hope is it'll shorten those lines at security. Jeanne Meserve, CNN, Reagan National Airport.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

Gas Prices Up

LLOYD: Instead of braving the airports, a lot of people are hitting the road to get to their Thanksgiving destinations. Drivers might avoid long lines at the ticket counter, but they still have to fill up their tanks, and that could take a toll on their wallets. Alina Cho looks at the rising price of gas around this holiday weekend.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ALINA CHO, CNN REPORTER: If you're one of the 31 million Americans who will drive to your destination for the Thanksgiving holiday, get out your wallet. The Lundberg Survey says the average price of a gallon of gas is now $3.09. That's close to the all-time high set back in May. It's 86 cents higher than last year and 13 cents higher than two weeks ago.

MAN ON THE STREET: Definitely concerned. I don't drive that often, but when I do, it makes a big impact on the budget.

MAN ON THE STREET: Not that concerned, personally. I don't pay for gas money; it's mom's credit card. But it's something that you got to think about every day.

CHO: The nation's cheapest and most expensive gas are both out West. If you're looking to save a couple of pennies, head to Tucson, Arizona, where the average price is $2.91. San Francisco has the highest gas prices. A gallon will cost you $3.48 there. And unfortunately, it's going to get worse before it gets better. The people over at Lundberg say, when it comes to gas prices, don't be surprised if we break another record soon, with the price of oil steadily climbing toward $100 a barrel. Those that watch this very closely say we could easily see $4.00 a gallon by the spring. Alina Cho, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

Before We Go

LLOYD: On Thursday, a lot of us will stuff ourselves with stuffing, pad our plates with potatoes and cram our craws with cranberries. But the true star of Thanksgiving is, of course, the turkey. So in honor of the holiday, Carl Azuz pays tribute to this palatable poultry.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

AZUZ: Every year at Thanksgiving, the president pardons one special turkey that gets to live out the rest of its life in peace. This ain't it. It's a crucial part of tradition, one that says Thanksgiving isn't Thanksgiving without turkey! And maybe a nap. Tryptophan, an essential amino acid in turkey that functions as a precursor to seratonin, a substance that helps regulate sleep.

And if your feasting leads to sleeping, you might dream of smoked turkey, stuffed turkey, roasted turkey, fried turkey, turkey sandwiches, turkey dogs, turkey legs, turkey bacon, turkey jerky. It doesn't matter as long as it's on the table and you're not a vegetarian. But, get this, there's actually no proof that turkeys were part of the first Thanksgiving harvest feast back in 1621!

What was on the table? Probably venison or goose; they were more readily available. That wouldn't have mattered much to folks like Ben Franklin. The Founding Father was a huge fan of turkeys. He once went so far as to call the bald eagle, our national symbol, "a bird of bad moral character," adding that the turkey was "more respectable." We couldn't reach any eagles for comment, and the turkeys we had were cooked.

But there's no denying a connection between turkeys and freedom. Take for example this brash birdbrain, who exercised his freedom to stop traffic without giving up his freedom to run away. These audacious adventurers were seeking freedom on the railways, hoping to catch the first train out of Jersey before Thanksgiving. And this costumed creature is free to roam about a house as a pet without having to worry about the oven.

PHYLLIS GERSCH, TURKEY OWNER: He's like a little dog with wings.

AZUZ: Not to mention strong, birdlike features. But besides the oven, what's a turkey's biggest fear? Behold: The turkey eating competition, where gorgers guiltlessly gobble all the turkey they can. It's definitely not for the birds; they'll all tell you it's a fowl idea. This is Carl Azuz, wishing all of you pilgrims and turkeys a Happy Thanksgiving!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

Goodbye

LLOYD: And that turkey talk is where we take flight. Remember, we'll be off for the rest of the week, so we'll see you on Monday. Have a Happy Thanksgiving, everyone. I'm Monica Lloyd. E-mail to a friend