CARL AZUZ, CNN STUDENT NEWS ANCHOR: However you're watching today's edition of CNN Student News, thanks for doing it. I'm Carl Azuz, at the CNN Center in Atlanta.
AZUZ: First up, congressional Democrats float plans for an auto industry bailout by the White House. The initial response: not exactly enthusiastic. As you know, this issue -- whether the government should help out struggling U.S. automakers -- has been dominating headlines for weeks. White House officials had some concerns about the proposal they saw yesterday; the president and lawmakers plan to keep working on the details. Now, Kate Bolduan looks at the latest steps in this process.
KATE BOLDUAN, CNN REPORTER: Auto industry supporters, like Michigan Senator Carl Levin, paint a dire picture of what will happen if Congress doesn't act quickly.
SEN. CARL LEVIN, (D) MICHIGAN: Last month, we lost what, 500,000 jobs in this country? So, the economic impact would be terrible if any of the Big Three go under. And there is that recognition, I think, that is growing across the country and here in Washington.
BOLDUAN: Friday, Democratic leaders reversed course and reluctantly agreed to fund the emergency loan using money that was reserved to help automakers produce more fuel-efficient vehicles, a plan the White House is pushing. Sources tell CNN the loan could total between $15 and $17 billion to help the carmakers survive through March. However, lawmakers say it will come with a price: restructuring and oversight.
SEN. CHRIS DODD, (D) CHAIRMAN, BANKING COMMITTEE: I'm not for giving these companies any money at all, short of real commitments to restructuring, reorganization and putting someone like a czar or a board with real power to make decisions.
BOLDUAN: Senate Banking Committee Chairman Chris Dodd says one condition should be a change in leadership.
DODD: If you're going to really restructure this, you've got to bring in a new team to do this, in my view.
BOB SCHIEFFER, HOST, CBS' "FACE THE NATION": So, what you're saying about GM is that Rick Wagoner, the chairman, has to go?
DODD: I think he has to move on.
BOLDUAN: Despite growing consensus among Democratic members of Congress, Republicans, with the power to block the bill, remain divided. Some, like Alabama Senator Richard Shelby, continue to oppose a bailout, saying bankruptcy is the better option.
ALABAMA SENATOR RICHARD SHELBY: This has been 30 years in the making. This so-called bridge loan to nowhere will be the first down payment of many.
BOLDUAN: A Democratic leadership aide says the goal is to finalize the auto rescue package to vote by the middle of the week. But it remains unclear if they have the votes and the support to pass it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
Spoken Word
ILLINOIS GOV. ROD BLAGOJEVICH: As of now, every agency has been ordered to suspend doing any business with the Bank of America. The Bank of America received $25 billion in taxpayer money as part of the financial bailout.
Chicago Sit-In
AZUZ: The governor of Illinois, whom you heard there, says that bailout money should help keep people working. But more than 200 employees are out of a job because their factory shut down after Bank of America shut off the company's line of credit. As we reported yesterday, the workers have responded by staging a peaceful protest at the Republic Windows and Doors factory. Yesterday, we said "Republican" Windows and Doors; it's Republic. Laid-off workers there say they won't leave the plant until they get severance and earned vacation pay, as required by law. For its part, Bank of America says it is not responsible for any action taken by Republic or the company's commitment to its employees.
Making History
AZUZ: Some history being made in the House of Representatives. When the next Congress is sworn into office, it will include the first Vietnamese-American ever elected to America's legislative branch. Republican Anh "Joseph" Cao claimed victory in Louisiana this weekend. The attorney and local organizer defeated incumbent Democratic Representative William Jefferson. That nine-term congressman is facing trial on federal corruption charges. Cao's win also breaks a century-long streak of Democratic control in New Orleans.
Shoutout
ERIC GERSHON, CNN STUDENT NEWS: Time for the Shoutout! Which of these countries is Pakistan? 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, the nation of Pakistan is A. That's your answer and that's your Shoutout!
AZUZ: Pakistan is responding to last month's deadly attacks in Mumbai, India by carrying out raids inside its own borders. Indian authorities say the only surviving attacker has told them that he and the other gunmen were trained at a terrorist camp in Pakistan. Reza Sayah has the details of the country's crackdown on the group that's being blamed for the violence.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REZA SAYAH, CNN REPORTER: Pakistani military officials confirm to CNN a raid launched against a facility with suspected links to the Mumbai attacks. Sources tell CNN that at least 15 people have been arrested. The raid took place just outside the city of Muzaffarabad. That's the capital of the Pakistani portion of the disputed territory of Kashmir. This is a territory that India and Pakistan have fought over for more than six decades.
The raid, according to sources, targeted a site run by a group called Jamaat-ud-Dawa. This is where things get a little confused and murky. If you ask Jamaat-ud-Dawa what your organization is about, they will tell you all they are is a charity group. They do relief work, they run a couple of schools, they have a Web site they invite you to look at. They say you can tour our facilities and you will find nothing. But U.S. intelligence officials, Indian intelligence officials and analysts say Jamaat-ud-Dawa is actually a front group for the banned militant group Lashkar-e-Tayyiba. Lashkar-e-Tayyiba was a group formed a couple of decades ago in Pakistan to fight India rule in Kashmir. It is widely believed that in the past, Pakistani intelligence services funded and nurtured this group. And it has also been accused in carrying out a number of attacks during the past decade in India. And of course, it is suspect number one, according to the Indian government, in these latest attacks on Mumbai.
Jamaat-ud-Dawa denies any links to Lashkar-e-Tayyiba, but once again, military officials in Pakistan say a raid has been carried out and 15 people are under arrest. The raid, coming just days after U.S. secretary of state came to Islamabad and demanded Pakistan to act. Reza Sayah, CNN, Islamabad.
AZUZ: Why is there salt in the sea? How would you define infinity? Do snails have self-awareness? Not your typical trivia. But you better come up with answers if you're searching for acceptance to a couple universities in England. These quirky questions are part of the interview process. Atika Shubert examines why the pair of prestigious schools is presenting prospective students with these peculiar ponderings.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ATIKA SHUBERT, CNN REPORTER: Always dreamed of going to Britain's prestigious Oxford or Cambridge Universities? Well, then try answering these brain teasers that we took to the street.
INTERVIEWER: Would you rather be a novel or a poem?
PERSON ON THE STREET: A poem.
INTERVIEWER: How many monkeys would you use in an experiment?
PERSON ON THE STREET: Seven.
PERSON ON THE STREET: Two, I would say.
INTERVIEWER: Do you think you're clever?
PERSON ON THE STREET: Can be.
INTERVIEWER: Should we have laws for the use of light bulbs?
PERSON ON THE STREET: No.
INTERVIEWER: If I were a grapefruit, would I rather be seedless or non-seedless?
PERSON ON THE STREET: With seeds.
PERSON ON THE STREET: Seedless.
PERSON ON THE STREET: The use of light bulbs?
PERSON ON THE STREET: Yea.
PERSON ON THE STREET: I can't. It's my birthday today; I can't think.
SHUBERT: All strange but actual questions asked at admission interviews to "Oxbridge," as the two universities are collectively known. But what's the logic behind the questions?
PERSON ON THE STREET: I'd imagine that they're trying to profile you, to see which side of your brain works quickest: your left or your right side.
PERSON ON THE STREET: I mean are they on drugs, these people at Cambridge? I don't know, maybe.
PERSON ON THE STREET: Because if they just ask them academic questions, then everyone can just be a robot.
SHUBERT: University admissions say that last answer is exactly right.
MIKE NICHOLSON, OXFORD: What we're trying to do is move students out of their comfort zone. Many students will have a body of knowledge and they may be expected to be trusted on that in the interview. What we want to do is take them beyond that point and get them to start thinking for themselves.
SHUBERT: Questions that stretch your thinking. Maybe they should have asked this question:
INTERVIEWER: How would you organize a successful revolution?
PERSON ON THE STREET: By making me the president of the United States of America.
SHUBERT: Some questions, it seems, are easier to answer than others. Atika Shubert, CNN, Oxford.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
Promo
AZUZ: Would you rather be a novel or a poem? Yeah, you know we're talking about this on our blog. Head to CNNStudentNews.com and share your thoughts on these peculiar admissions practices. But remember, please only use your first name, so we can post what you say.
Before We Go
AZUZ: Before we go, it can be hard to pick out the perfect Christmas tree. That's why Claudia just takes them all! And decks them out with oodles of ornaments and lots of lights. The whole house holds some holiday cheer. She's got 37 total trees stashed all over. In the kitchen, in the living room. There's one in the pantry she refers to as her pan tree. It's decorated with pans. There are even two in the bathroom.
Goodbye
AZUZ: But, we probably don't want to see what's hanging on those branches. You guys have a great day. We'll see you tomorrow.
CNN Student News - December 9, 2008
CNNMoney: White House reviews automaker plan
Governor gets tough with bank over labor sit-in
First Vietnamese-American elected to House
Pakistan raids camp over Mumbai attacks
Admissions brainteasers stump many
Planet in Peril - Battle Lines
Talking Democracy: Teaching Tools
CARL AZUZ, CNN STUDENT NEWS ANCHOR: However you're watching today's edition of CNN Student News, thanks for doing it. I'm Carl Azuz, at the CNN Center in Atlanta.
First Up: Big Three Bailout?
AZUZ: First up, congressional Democrats float plans for an auto industry bailout by the White House. The initial response: not exactly enthusiastic. As you know, this issue -- whether the government should help out struggling U.S. automakers -- has been dominating headlines for weeks. White House officials had some concerns about the proposal they saw yesterday; the president and lawmakers plan to keep working on the details. Now, Kate Bolduan looks at the latest steps in this process.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
Downloadable Maps
Chicago, Illinois
Pakistan
Oxford and Cambridge, England
KATE BOLDUAN, CNN REPORTER: Auto industry supporters, like Michigan Senator Carl Levin, paint a dire picture of what will happen if Congress doesn't act quickly.
SEN. CARL LEVIN, (D) MICHIGAN: Last month, we lost what, 500,000 jobs in this country? So, the economic impact would be terrible if any of the Big Three go under. And there is that recognition, I think, that is growing across the country and here in Washington.
BOLDUAN: Friday, Democratic leaders reversed course and reluctantly agreed to fund the emergency loan using money that was reserved to help automakers produce more fuel-efficient vehicles, a plan the White House is pushing. Sources tell CNN the loan could total between $15 and $17 billion to help the carmakers survive through March. However, lawmakers say it will come with a price: restructuring and oversight.
SEN. CHRIS DODD, (D) CHAIRMAN, BANKING COMMITTEE: I'm not for giving these companies any money at all, short of real commitments to restructuring, reorganization and putting someone like a czar or a board with real power to make decisions.
BOLDUAN: Senate Banking Committee Chairman Chris Dodd says one condition should be a change in leadership.
DODD: If you're going to really restructure this, you've got to bring in a new team to do this, in my view.
BOB SCHIEFFER, HOST, CBS' "FACE THE NATION": So, what you're saying about GM is that Rick Wagoner, the chairman, has to go?
DODD: I think he has to move on.
BOLDUAN: Despite growing consensus among Democratic members of Congress, Republicans, with the power to block the bill, remain divided. Some, like Alabama Senator Richard Shelby, continue to oppose a bailout, saying bankruptcy is the better option.
ALABAMA SENATOR RICHARD SHELBY: This has been 30 years in the making. This so-called bridge loan to nowhere will be the first down payment of many.
BOLDUAN: A Democratic leadership aide says the goal is to finalize the auto rescue package to vote by the middle of the week. But it remains unclear if they have the votes and the support to pass it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
Spoken Word
ILLINOIS GOV. ROD BLAGOJEVICH: As of now, every agency has been ordered to suspend doing any business with the Bank of America. The Bank of America received $25 billion in taxpayer money as part of the financial bailout.
Chicago Sit-In
AZUZ: The governor of Illinois, whom you heard there, says that bailout money should help keep people working. But more than 200 employees are out of a job because their factory shut down after Bank of America shut off the company's line of credit. As we reported yesterday, the workers have responded by staging a peaceful protest at the Republic Windows and Doors factory. Yesterday, we said "Republican" Windows and Doors; it's Republic. Laid-off workers there say they won't leave the plant until they get severance and earned vacation pay, as required by law. For its part, Bank of America says it is not responsible for any action taken by Republic or the company's commitment to its employees.
Making History
AZUZ: Some history being made in the House of Representatives. When the next Congress is sworn into office, it will include the first Vietnamese-American ever elected to America's legislative branch. Republican Anh "Joseph" Cao claimed victory in Louisiana this weekend. The attorney and local organizer defeated incumbent Democratic Representative William Jefferson. That nine-term congressman is facing trial on federal corruption charges. Cao's win also breaks a century-long streak of Democratic control in New Orleans.
Shoutout
ERIC GERSHON, CNN STUDENT NEWS: Time for the Shoutout! Which of these countries is Pakistan? 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, the nation of Pakistan is A. That's your answer and that's your Shoutout!
Targeting Terrorists
AZUZ: Pakistan is responding to last month's deadly attacks in Mumbai, India by carrying out raids inside its own borders. Indian authorities say the only surviving attacker has told them that he and the other gunmen were trained at a terrorist camp in Pakistan. Reza Sayah has the details of the country's crackdown on the group that's being blamed for the violence.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REZA SAYAH, CNN REPORTER: Pakistani military officials confirm to CNN a raid launched against a facility with suspected links to the Mumbai attacks. Sources tell CNN that at least 15 people have been arrested. The raid took place just outside the city of Muzaffarabad. That's the capital of the Pakistani portion of the disputed territory of Kashmir. This is a territory that India and Pakistan have fought over for more than six decades.
The raid, according to sources, targeted a site run by a group called Jamaat-ud-Dawa. This is where things get a little confused and murky. If you ask Jamaat-ud-Dawa what your organization is about, they will tell you all they are is a charity group. They do relief work, they run a couple of schools, they have a Web site they invite you to look at. They say you can tour our facilities and you will find nothing. But U.S. intelligence officials, Indian intelligence officials and analysts say Jamaat-ud-Dawa is actually a front group for the banned militant group Lashkar-e-Tayyiba. Lashkar-e-Tayyiba was a group formed a couple of decades ago in Pakistan to fight India rule in Kashmir. It is widely believed that in the past, Pakistani intelligence services funded and nurtured this group. And it has also been accused in carrying out a number of attacks during the past decade in India. And of course, it is suspect number one, according to the Indian government, in these latest attacks on Mumbai.
Jamaat-ud-Dawa denies any links to Lashkar-e-Tayyiba, but once again, military officials in Pakistan say a raid has been carried out and 15 people are under arrest. The raid, coming just days after U.S. secretary of state came to Islamabad and demanded Pakistan to act. Reza Sayah, CNN, Islamabad.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
Word to the Wise
GERSHON: A Word to the Wise...
quirky (adjective) peculiar, strange or unusual
Quirky Questions
AZUZ: Why is there salt in the sea? How would you define infinity? Do snails have self-awareness? Not your typical trivia. But you better come up with answers if you're searching for acceptance to a couple universities in England. These quirky questions are part of the interview process. Atika Shubert examines why the pair of prestigious schools is presenting prospective students with these peculiar ponderings.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ATIKA SHUBERT, CNN REPORTER: Always dreamed of going to Britain's prestigious Oxford or Cambridge Universities? Well, then try answering these brain teasers that we took to the street.
INTERVIEWER: Would you rather be a novel or a poem?
PERSON ON THE STREET: A poem.
INTERVIEWER: How many monkeys would you use in an experiment?
PERSON ON THE STREET: Seven.
PERSON ON THE STREET: Two, I would say.
INTERVIEWER: Do you think you're clever?
PERSON ON THE STREET: Can be.
INTERVIEWER: Should we have laws for the use of light bulbs?
PERSON ON THE STREET: No.
INTERVIEWER: If I were a grapefruit, would I rather be seedless or non-seedless?
PERSON ON THE STREET: With seeds.
PERSON ON THE STREET: Seedless.
PERSON ON THE STREET: The use of light bulbs?
PERSON ON THE STREET: Yea.
PERSON ON THE STREET: I can't. It's my birthday today; I can't think.
SHUBERT: All strange but actual questions asked at admission interviews to "Oxbridge," as the two universities are collectively known. But what's the logic behind the questions?
PERSON ON THE STREET: I'd imagine that they're trying to profile you, to see which side of your brain works quickest: your left or your right side.
PERSON ON THE STREET: I mean are they on drugs, these people at Cambridge? I don't know, maybe.
PERSON ON THE STREET: Because if they just ask them academic questions, then everyone can just be a robot.
SHUBERT: University admissions say that last answer is exactly right.
MIKE NICHOLSON, OXFORD: What we're trying to do is move students out of their comfort zone. Many students will have a body of knowledge and they may be expected to be trusted on that in the interview. What we want to do is take them beyond that point and get them to start thinking for themselves.
SHUBERT: Questions that stretch your thinking. Maybe they should have asked this question:
INTERVIEWER: How would you organize a successful revolution?
PERSON ON THE STREET: By making me the president of the United States of America.
SHUBERT: Some questions, it seems, are easier to answer than others. Atika Shubert, CNN, Oxford.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
Promo
AZUZ: Would you rather be a novel or a poem? Yeah, you know we're talking about this on our blog. Head to CNNStudentNews.com and share your thoughts on these peculiar admissions practices. But remember, please only use your first name, so we can post what you say.
Before We Go
AZUZ: Before we go, it can be hard to pick out the perfect Christmas tree. That's why Claudia just takes them all! And decks them out with oodles of ornaments and lots of lights. The whole house holds some holiday cheer. She's got 37 total trees stashed all over. In the kitchen, in the living room. There's one in the pantry she refers to as her pan tree. It's decorated with pans. There are even two in the bathroom.
Goodbye
AZUZ: But, we probably don't want to see what's hanging on those branches. You guys have a great day. We'll see you tomorrow.