• NEWS >> ATW January
22, 2004
Yearly
Script Program Index
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OPEN/WELCOME
Hi and welcome to Assignment: The World for the week of January 22th
2004. I’m Elissa Marra.
In our top story this week…the Presidential campaign season starts
in historic fashion.
#1—IOWA
An unprecedented four candidates were virtually tied as Democrats in
Iowa met to decide who they want to face President Bush this fall. By
the time the Iowa Caucuses were complete, the race was no longer so
close. Massachusetts Senator John Kerry surged ahead of the pack to
take nearly 38 per cent of Iowa’s Democrats. North Carolina Senator
John Edwards finished a surprisingly strong second with almost 32 per
cent. The one time front-runner, former Vermont Governor Howard Dean,
came in a distant third with 18 per cent. The Iowa Caucuses are only
the first step in the process of picking a presidential candidate. They
were also the last for Richard Gephardt. The many-term congressman from
nearby Missouri dropped out of the race and said he will support whomever
his party eventually chooses. Two candidates, General Wesley Clark and
Senator Joseph Lieberman, all but ignored Iowa, choosing instead to
concentrate on the next contest: the New Hampshire primary.
Front-runner(n) One that is leading in a race or other competition
ATW FACT
Iowa is the only state whose east and west borders are framed entirely
by water, in this case the Mississippi and Missouri rivers. It’s
also the only state whose first two letters are vowels.
Source: NY Times
INTRO REST OF THE NEWS
In the rest of the news this week…
-Deadly new attacks in Iraq…
-the President sets ambitious goals for the year ahead
-and controversial goals in outer space.
#2—IRAQ
Buildings two miles away shook from the explosion Monday outside the
main gate to US headquarters in Iraq. 23 people were killed and three
times that injured when a pickup truck loaded with half a ton of explosives
was set off by its driver. Most of the casualties were Iraqis. It came
on the eve of a meeting between the chief administrator in Iraq and
UN Secretary General Kofi Annan. Paul Bremer wants the UN to help quiet
the growing call for direct elections in Iraq. That was the cause that
brought more than 100-thousand Sunni and Shia Muslims together Monday
for a peaceful protest. The US says Iraq lacks almost all of the framework
necessary to a fair election process. While the US might be willing
to compromise on the issue, officials say the US will not delay the
handover of power to an Iraqi transitional government on June 30th.
Direct (adj) without intervening persons, conditions, or agencies
#3— — STATE OF THE UNION
Healthy marriages and health care that’s less expensive. Those
are two of the goals set out by President Bush in his annual State of
the Union address to Congress. The President previewed two other proposals
before the speech on Tuesday. He outlined plans to overhaul the nation’s
immigration policy. He would also set ambitious goals for establishing
a base on the Moon and sending a manned mission to Mars. Critics of
the President’s plans say costly initiatives like those have no
place in a nation facing budget deficits approaching 500-billion dollars.
The President told Congress that the economy is growing at its fastest
pace in more than 20-years and that 250-thousand jobs were created since
August. Democrats countered that by noting that more than 2-million
Americans have lost jobs since the President took office.
Deficit (n) sum of money that falls short of required amount
#4— MARS
Over the hills and perhaps a little too far away. That might be a forecast
of the mission that lies ahead for Spirit, the rover now traveling the
surface of Mars. NASA had hoped to find evidence of water in the Gusev
Crater where Spirit landed. Any evidence of that seems to have been
either buried in volcanic debris or scoured by that planet’s other
natural extremes. Scientists think they’ve found a more promising
place but it’s farther away than Spirit was designed to travel.
The rover’s solar powered cells are only supposed to function for
3 months. Spirit will soon be joined by Opportunity. Spirit’s sister
rover will land Saturday halfway around Mars to conduct a search of
its own.
Debris (n) an accumulation of relatively large rock fragments
POP QUIZ #1
In our story about Iraq, what did we tell you was the focus of peaceful
protests? Was it…
1. Direct elections
2. US withdrawal
3. An end to violence
And the answer is…number 1. More than 100-thousand people gathered
to call for direct elections in Iraq.
OLD CLUE #1— HAITI
And now it’s time for the answers to our clues in the news…
Our first clue is the location of Port au Prince, Haiti. An estimated
4-thousand people marched through Haiti’s capital Sunday to call
for the resignation of President Jean-Bertrand Aristede. Aristede and
his party swept elections held four years ago, elections observers say
were flawed. Poverty and unrest have grown since then. Over the past
four months, demonstrations have become more regular and more deadly.
Since October, at least 46 people have died during demonstrations. President
Aristede says he plans to serve out the remaining 2 years of his term.
OLD CLUE #2—IOWA CAUCUSES
Fill in the blanks on our second clue and you get Iowa Caucuses. Since
1972, the first step in the process of choosing major party candidates
for President has been in Iowa. Unlike other states, Iowa voters meet
in 19-hundred different schools, libraries and even homes. Depending
on the support for each candidate, delegates are chosen in each meeting
or precinct. The process continues on steps up to the eventual national
conventions that Republicans and Democrats will hold toward the end
of summer.
OLD CLUE #3—ENERGY SECRETARY
And finally, unscramble our third clue and you have Energy Secretary.
US Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham spent a week meeting with his counterparts
in Japan, the Philippines, China, and Australia. Among the issues discussed
were renewable sources of energy, reforms in the delivery of power,
and the use of cleaner burning fuels in vehicles. The secretary’s
tour of Pacific trading partners and allies was a result of negotiations
several weeks ago at the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting.
THIS WEEK IN WORLD HISTORY
This week in world history… on January 23rd, 1849, Elizabeth Blackwell
earned her medical degree and became the first woman doctor in the United
States. Dr. Blackwell would later establish a hospital for women and
children in New York City, one that would also train other women to
be physicians.
FEATURE
INTRO
Model Aviation can be a fun and educational hobby...check it out!
Wyatt Doremus:
Here at the Rochester Museum and Science Center in Rochester, NY a group
of people fascinated by the science of aviation are exhibitioning some
very cool model airplanes and helicopters to demonstrate the magic of
flight.
Dr. Clavin Uzelmeier:
What we have on display is all kinds of different model airplanes—engine
powered, rubber band powered, there are all things you can fly outdoors,
things you can fly indoors, helicopters, all kinds of things. You can
see the kits; you can see the built planes, meet the guys who actually
built it, see the people actually building the kits and really get into
flight as a hobby. So you can really get kids interested in science
by picking up some of these hobbies.
Wyatt Doremus:
Free flight planes are powered only by the thrust of a propeller, which
is wound up very tightly with a rubber band enabling the plane to get
off the ground and move through the air for longer periods of time.
The air flowing over the wing creates lift. Lift is another important
force, which allows any kind of airplane to stay in the air.
Bob Clemens:
These little planes which only weigh in terms of grams use the same
forces that a 747 does to stay in the air, one is just a little bigger
and heavier than ours!
Ray Stacy:
It’s a lot of fun with model aviation, it’s a great hobby,
it’s a great sport, I share it with my son, it’s what we do.
We learn how to make things fly, we enjoy actually putting something
together and then watching it go up in the air, controlling it and hopefully
bringing it back down in one piece again.
Wyatt Doremus:
For ‘Assignment: The World’, I’m Wyatt Doremus
ISN’T IT COOL
ISRAELI/PALESTINIAN TEAMWORK
Despite continued conflict at home these mountain climbers have reason
to celebrate.
A team made up of Palestinians and Israelis pulled together to successfully
climb a previously un-climbed Antarctic peak.
Two Palestinian members of the team have spent time in Israeli prisons….
And two of the Israelis are former army personnel, proof say organizers
that Palestinians and Israelis can work together.
ISSUE
President Bush’s sweeping new space initiative will have at least
one casualty: the Hubble Space Telescope. As it phases out its space
shuttles, NASA will concentrate all of those remaining missions on the
International Space Station. That won’t allow time or money for
servicing and update the Hubble. That means the telescope will cease
operating in 2007 or 8 and crash to Earth by 2012. NASA regrets having
to abandon the Hubble but says its new priorities call for money and
resources to be used elsewhere. NASA says it has the new and improved
James Webb Space Telescope read for launch in 2011. But the US has already
spent hundreds of millions of dollars since Hubble was launched in 1990.
In return, astronomers have looked into previously unknown parts of
the universe and extended the boundaries of our knowledge in ways never
before possible. Comets, planets, stars, and galaxies are on the long
list of objects the Hubble helped to discover. So, what you think…
“Should the Hubble Space Telescope be abandoned?” Discuss
this issue with your classmates after the show and then write to us
with your opinions.
MAILBAG CLOSE
We received nearly four hundred responses to our issue question…”Should
Pete Rose get a second chance?” the majority of you, 51 percent
say yes, he should get a second chance. 38 percent say no, he should
not. 11 percent are undecided.
Some of you feel giving Pete Rose a second chance would set a bad example
for future players.
Jake J. of Rochester, New York writes, “If we let Pete Rose back…
everybody will think ‘if he can get away with (gambling)…
I guess I can get away with it.”
Many of you feel it isn’t just the gambling that Mr. Rose is guilty
of…
Shanaynay R. of Greendale, Wisconsin writes, “Not only did he bet
on baseball, he lied about it for (nearly) 15 years. He should never
be allowed back in.”
The majority of you, however, feel Pete Rose deserves a second chance.
Nick F. of Pittsford, New York writes, “People make mistakes, he’s
only human. I lived in Cooperstown…people in the Hall of Fame are
there for their greatness and he was a great player.”
Andrew M. of Loudonville, New York adds, “Gambling is a disease…
he wasn’t throwing the games…he always wanted his team to
win. (He) has already paid his penalty.”
Keith W. of Janesville, Wisconsin agrees and writes, “… the
guy has the most hits in MLB history! It’s not like he bet against
his team…(besides) after 14 years he finally confessed.”
Finally, many of you feel Pete Rose should be given a second chance
with limitations.
Joseph P. of Viroqua, Wisconsin writes, “Pete Rose should be inducted
into the Hall of Fame but should still have nothing to do with baseball.
He knew that there was a danger if he gambled…Pete Rose took that
chance and lost his career.”
We look forward to receiving your responses to our two latest issue
questions…and “Does the Constitution apply to Americans with
suspected terrorist ties?” and “Should the Hubble Space Telescope
be abandoned?” If you would like to receive an Assignment: The
World Press card, please enclose a self-addressed, stamped envelope.
You may write to us here at Assignment: The World, Post Office Box three-zero-zero-twenty-one,
Rochester, New York… one-4-6-zero-3… or you may contact us
at the A-T-W website at http://atwonline.org./ We also read e-mail at
atw@wxxi.org.
POP QUIZ #2
In our story about Haiti, what did protesters there want their president
to do? Was it
1) Improve the economy
2) Resign
3) Run for re-election
And the correct answer is number two. Protesters want Jean Bertrand
Aristede to resign.
NEW CLUES
And now it’s time for next week’s clues in the news…
Our first clue a location…
43 Degrees, 23 minutes north latitude
71 Degrees, 56 minutes west longitude
Our second clue is a newsmaker:
ALEKSANDER KWASNIEWSKI
And finally, our third clue is a scrambled letter…two words:
IUPONTOPTRY SNALD
These are clues to stories we think will happen in the coming week.
You can find the answers on radio and television newscasts and in newspapers
and newsmagazines. We’ll reveal the answers on next week’s
show. Good luck!
GOOD-BYE
And that’s it for this week’s show. From all of us here at
Assignment: The World, I’m Elissa Marra. We’ll see you again
next week.
© 2004 WXXI-TV/ Assignment: The World.
All Rights Reserved.
