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CNN Student News Transcript: September 30, 2008

  • Story Highlights
  • Discover the outcome of a congressional vote on a financial bailout bill
  • Examine the ongoing threat of piracy in the waters off the coast of Somalia
  • Learn about the growing problem of prescription drug abuse among U.S. teens
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(CNN Student News) -- September 30, 2008

Quick Guide

House Votes Nay - Discover the outcome of a congressional vote on a financial bailout bill.

Trouble at Sea - Examine the ongoing threat of piracy in the waters off the coast of Somalia.

Prescription Drug Dangers - Learn about the growing problem of prescription drug abuse among U.S. teens.

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: You've found your way to CNN Student News. Thank you for checking out our last show of September. I'm Carl Azuz.

First Up: House Votes Nay

AZUZ: First up, it is back to the drawing board for a financial bailout plan, as the House of Representatives rejects the current proposal. A majority of Congress, both Democrats and Republicans, voted against the bill in the House, sending congressional leaders scrambling to figure out what in the world to do next. The news hit the stock market hard, too. The Dow Jones -- you've probably heard of that before -- it's an indicator of market trends. This thing dropped nearly 778 points. That's the worst single-day point loss ever. Sandra Endo has more on the fall out.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HOUSE VOTE: Yeas: 205. Nays: 228. The motion is not adopted.

SANDRA ENDO, CNN REPORTER: A big blow to the proposed $700 billion economic rescue bill. House lawmakers have rejected the plan, an outcome that sent markets plunging and left many Americans worried about their future.

MAN ON THE STREET: That's my retirement. It's in mutual funds. It depends on these markets.

ENDO: Republicans are blaming Democrats, accusing them of playing politics.

REP. JOHN BOEHNER, (R) MINORITY LEADER: The Speaker had to give a partisan voice that poisoned our conference -- caused a number of members that we thought we could get to go south.

ENDO: Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi defended her party and denied it was to blame.

REP. NANCY PELOSI, (D) HOUSE SPEAKER: Today, when the legislation came to the floor, the Democratic side more than lived up to its side of the bargain.

ENDO: This caps a week of intense negotiations and partisan bickering. Lawmakers worked all weekend to forge an agreement on a bill aimed at rescuing Wall Street, which would trickle down to the American Main Street. The deal fell apart despite a big push by congressional leaders and President Bush. Though disappointed by the vote, both the president and Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson, architect of the Wall Street rescue plan, have vowed to press on.

HENRY PAULSON, U.S. TREASURY SECRETARY: We've got much work to do, and this is much too important to simply let fail.

PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH: I'm going to be talking with my economic advisers, and we'll be working with members of Congress, leaders with Congress on a way forward.

ENDO: The House could put the bill to a vote again, but it's unclear if and when that will happen. In Washington, I'm Sandra Endo for CNN Student News.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

I.D. Me

ERIC GERSHON, CNN STUDENT NEWS: See if you can I.D. Me! I'm an African nation that's a little smaller than the U.S. state of Texas. I'm located on the Horn of Africa between Ethiopia and the Indian Ocean. My capital is Mogadishu. I'm Somalia, a country that does not have a permanent, national government.

Trouble at Sea

AZUZ: The U.S. Navy is keeping a close eye on a situation off that country's coast, where pirates hijacked a cargo ship last Thursday. Now, some experts believe that the lack of a permanent government in Somalia has made the region vulnerable to this kind of criminal activity. David Mackenzie reports on this latest incident and examines the ongoing threat of piracy around Somalia.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAVID MCKENZIE, CNN REPORTER: The tiny pirate skiffs are dwarfed by the massive MV Faina. In these photographs taken from a U.S. destroyer, the size comparison is almost comical, but the situation is serious. The captured Ukrainian vessel off the coast of Somalia is loaded with arms, including 33 Soviet-era tanks like these and large amounts of small arms and ammunition. The arms were bound for Kenya when the ship was taken.

The U.S. Navy says its ships in the area are keeping watch in an effort to make sure those weapons don't fall into the wrong hands. Earlier this year, CNN was taken aboard a U.S. ship similar to those that are now patrolling the region. The international forces operating here have impressive hardware with remote capabilities and specialist commando forces. But they have been unable to stop rampant piracy in this massive stretch of ocean. Andrew Mwangura has been monitoring piracy for over a decade in this region. He says that the pirates have made the seas off Somalia some of the most dangerous on the globe.

ANDREW MWANGURA, SEAFARERS ASSOCIATION: Somalia piracy is a modern piracy. These people are not joking. These people are looking for money, and they can use any way to get money.

MCKENZIE: Piracy has increased dramatically recently off the coast of Somalia, and they have gone from taking on smallish cargo vessels to ships as big as that one. Without increased security, people feel the problem will only get worse. According to the Seafarers' Assistance Program in Kenya, which tracks pirate attacks, the pirates have successfully negotiated ransoms from shipping companies of hundreds of thousands if not millions of dollars. With 25 ships hijacked off the coast of Somalia this year, security experts are worried where that money will eventually be used.

RASHID ABDI, INTERNATIONAL CRISIS GROUP: Somalia, as everyone knows, is the, you know, the quintessential failed state, and for a long time there has been a great deal of international concern that the absence of a functioning government, a conducive environment has been created for criminal groups or terrorist groups to come and find a habitat in Somalia.

MCKENZIE: Somalia has not had an effective government for almost two decades. Security experts say that the instability in the war-torn country creates a perfect environment for pirates to flourish. And they worry that the large amounts of ransom being paid could help fuel the conflict in Somalia and even finance international terror. This latest case of piracy has thrown that threat into even sharper relief. David McKenzie, CNN, Mombassa, Kenya.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

Shoutout

GERSHON: Time for the Shoutout! Which one of these Canadian provinces is Nova Scotia? If you think you know it, shout it out! Is it: A, B, C or D? You've got three seconds -- GO! On this map, D represents Nova Scotia, a province that's home to more than 900,000 people. That's your answer and that's your Shoutout!

Hurricane Kyle Hits

AZUZ: As you can see in these pictures, the province battled some rough winds and waters over the weekend thanks to Hurricane Kyle. This storm hit Nova Scotia on Sunday, knocking out power to about 40,000 customers. But several fisherman who secured their ships before Kyle hit, said this thing wasn't nearly as bad as they had expected. They might have been thinking about another storm. History might have been on their minds as they prepared for Kyle. The storm hit this area right around the anniversary of Hurricane Juan, which caused an estimated $100 million in damages there about five years ago.

Promo

AZUZ: From North America to Africa and back again, today's show goes all over the place, spanning the globe. And you can follow the path of the news with our downloadable maps! These free resources offer a little geographic context to some of the hot spots that are in the headlines. Check them out every day at our favorite webiste, CNNStudentNews.com!

Prescription Drug Dangers

AZUZ: We're going to switch things up a little bit now and talk about drugs. When we say that word, you might think of illegal substances like cocaine or heroin. But according to the Partnership for a Drug-Free America, abuse of prescription medication is a growing problem in the U.S. A recent study shows that nearly one in five teens has admitted to using prescription pain relievers to get high. And two in five teenagers believe that prescription medications are "much safer" to use than illegal drugs. Judy Fortin reports on a new prevention program aimed at prescription drug abuse.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JUDY FORTIN, CNN REPORTER: Oklahoma dad Gary Neal is on a mission. He's trying to help stop teenagers from abusing prescription drugs.

GARY NEAL, ANTI-DRUG ADVOCATE: They're taking it out of people's drug cabinets. They're not taking bottles, they're taking two or three pills and trading it with their friends.

FORTIN: That's what Gary thinks happened to his son in 2006. He says a combination of someone else's prescription painkillers and cold medication proved deadly for the 17-year-old.

STEVE PASIERB, PRES., PARTNERSHIP FOR A DRUG-FREE AMERICA: Intentionally abusing prescription drugs is not safer. In fact, it can be every bit as dangerous as illegal street drugs.

FORTIN: Gary has teamed up with the Partnership for a Drug-Free America to promote "Not in my House."

PASIERB: This is unlike any drug issue we've ever dealt with in that supply can be controlled in our own homes.

FORTIN: The group says keep an inventory of the drugs you have in your house, store drugs in a safe, secure place, throw away old prescriptions, and talk to your teen; something Gary wishes he could do today.

NEAL: I've lamented his death every second since he died and will live with it the rest of my life.

FORTIN: I'm Judy Fortin.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

Before We Go

AZUZ: And finally today, what does a rhinoceros do on its birthday? I was gonna say whatever it wants, but when they're this size, they do the same thing we all do: eat cake! Of course his is stuffed with frozen produce and covered with watermelons; not nearly as much fun as chocolate. The crowds came out on Saturday to celebrate Phineus the rhino's first beastly birthday bash. Visitors were even given a chance to win a work of art painted by the behemoth birthday boy himself. All they had to do was guess his weight.

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Goodbye

AZUZ: And add a few pounds to account for the cake. Thats eats up all our time for today. For CNN Student News, I'm Carl Azuz.

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