• NEWS >> ATW November
20, 2004
Yearly
Script Program Index
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OPEN/WELCOME
Hi and welcome to Assignment: The World for the week of May 20th, 2004.
I’m Elissa Marra.
In our top story this week…terrorists strike another blow to hopes
for peace and order in Iraq.
1—IRAQ
U-S officials are still trying to gauge the loss of Abdel
Zahraa Othman. Also known as Izzadine Saleem, the head of the Iraqi
Governing Council was killed Monday by a suicide bomber. Saleem was
a leader of the Islamic Dawa Movement, a writer, philosopher and political
activist. His moderate views were seen as an aid to the U-S turnover
of power to an interim Iraqi government June 30th. He is the second
member of the Governing Council killed by those who oppose American
involvement in Iraq. That level of anger is of great concern to the
leader of the neighboring country of Jordan. King Abdullah the Second
says he believes President Bush intends to return Iraq to the Iraqi
people. But the King also believes that much of the anger directed against
the U-S also stems from its support of Israel. King Abdullah joined
U-S Secretary of State Colin Powell at the World Economic Forum held
near the Dead Sea. Powell told reporters the U-S was doing all it could
to address Arab concerns.
Interim (adj) temporary
ATW FACT
The Republic of India gained its independence from Britain in 1947.
Roughly 1-third the size of the U-S, it has more than 1-billion citizens.
English and Hindi are just two of India’s 16 official languages.
INTRO REST OF THE NEWS
In the rest of the news this week…
-A mixed reaction to a new government in India
-A rally for change in Israel.
-and South Korea’s president starts over.
#2—INDIA
A surprise political victory scrambled financial markets as well as
political alliances in India. The Congress-party forged an unexpected
win in voting that was spread out over several weeks. Party leader Sonia
Gandhi has turned down the chance to become India’s first foreign
born prime minister. Gandhi is the widow of former Prime Minister Rajiv
Gandhi. While her husband’s family has a long history of leading
India, Sonia Gandhi was born in Italy. In her place, Gandhi is expected
to name former finance minister Mahn – mo - han Singh. India’s
financial markets had an historic stumble the day after election results
were made public but rebounded just as strongly on Tuesday. India’s
previous government had been steering the country toward both a healthy
economy as well as better relations with neighboring Pakistan.
Widow (n) a woman whose husband has died and who has not remarried.
#3—ISRAEL
In the midst of one of the bloodiest weeks for Gaza, more than 100-thousand
people marched in hopes of peace. The demonstration Saturday supported
the withdrawal of Israeli troops from the Gaza Strip and other Palestinian
areas. If was also prompted by a week in which 13 Israeli soldiers and
at least 31 Palestinians were killed. While polls show that a majority
of Israeli’s favor a troop pullout, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s
own party recently voted against the idea.
Elsewhere, U-S Secretary of State criticized Palestinian leader Yasser
Arafat who Powell says is blocking efforts to end terror attacks on
Israel. Powell called on both Israel and the Palestinians to stop the
cycle of strike and counterstrike
Majority (n) a number more than half of the total number of a given
group
#4— —SOUTH KOREA
South Korea’s president is back on the job, just in time to face
several serious challenges. Roh Moo-hyun was impeached by the South
Korean parliament on March 12th for a violation of an election law and
for incompetence. Late last week, the Constitutional Court ruled that
while Roh had violated an election law, it was not a serious enough
offense to warrant his ouster. Supporters celebrated the court’s
decision Friday. Roh later apologized to the nation for the turmoil
caused by his impeachment.
Turmoil (n) Utter confusion, extreme agitation
POP QUIZ #1
In our story about India, where did we tell Sonia Gandhi was born?
Was it
1. India
2. Italy
3. Pakistan
And the answer is number 2. Incoming Prime Minister Sonia Gandhi was
born in Italy.
OLD CLUE #1—DOMINICAN REPUBLIC ELECTIONS
And now it’s time for the answers to our clues in the news…
Our first clue is the location of Santo Domingo, the capitol of the
Dominican Republic. Former president Leonel Fernandez won his old job
back after voting on Sunday. He defeated current Dominican President
Hipolito Mejia after an often bitter campaign that was marred by claims
of dirty tricks. The Dominican Republic shares the same island as Haiti.
Like Haiti, inflation and high unemployment led to voter dissatisfaction.
The 51 per cent who chose to return Fernandez to the presidency hope
he can bring back the relative prosperity the Dominican Republic enjoyed
during his tenure in the late 1990s.
OLD CLUE #2—BROWN VS BOARD OF ED.ANNIVERSARY
Our second clue was a newsmaker event: Brown versus the Board of Education.
That was the name of the Supreme Court decision that historians say
started the civil rights movement in America. Monday was the 50th anniversary
of that decision. In it, the National Association for the Advancement
of Colored People argued successfully for the integration of schools.
While the case in question began in Topeka, Kansas, the ruling affected
all of the U-S. Integrating schools did not happen quickly. Many schools
and cities in both north and south took decades to implement the Supreme
Court’s order.
OLD CLUE #3—PREAKNESS STAKES
And finally, unscramble our third clue and you get Preakness Stakes.
The Preakness is the second step in what is known as the Triple Crown,
three races run in five weeks. Only 11 horses have won all three races
starting with Sir Barton in 1919. The last horse to win the Triple Crown
was Affirmed in 1978. Smarty Jones now has his chance at fame. The three
year old thoroughbred won Saturday’s Preakness by a record breaking
11 lengths over his nearest competitor.
THIS WEEK IN WORLD HISTORY
This week in world history…May 20th, 1927, the Treaty of Jedda
establishes Saudi Arabia as an independent nation. While less than 1
per cent of its 2 million square miles can raise crops, Saudi Arabia’s
economic future was ensured after oil was discovered in March of 1938.
FEATURE
SCIENCE DESK-CICADAS
INTRO
Some parts of the eastern United States might be finding their backyards
over-run by a unique insect…one that only shows itself every seventeen
years. We learned last week that some people actually eat these fascinating
bugs! This week George Wolfe tells us more about the 17-year cicada
on the Science Desk.
FEATURE
SCIENCE DESK-CICADAS
(George) “Today I’m going to tell you all about an amazing
insect you’ve probably never heard of, the Cicada.”
“So what’s so amazing about these winged grasshopper-like
insects? Well first of all they’re always on time! And what I mean
by that is Cicadas only show themselves once every 17 years. They spend
most of their life underground sucking on roots and tree shrubs. At
some point in the late spring, every 17 years, when the soil has warmed
to 64 degrees
Fahrenheit the Cicadas emerge from the ground by the millions all over
the Eastern United States! If you live in this part of the US I’m
sure you know what I’m talking about because right now Cicadas
are turning up every where! Cicadas are unique for two main reasons.
The first is that they use environmental cues such as the temperature
of the soil to signal the end of their ground cycle. The second reason
is that they are born with a certain genetic programming possibly timed
to the flowering cycles of trees they feed off of, which gives them
an internal biological clock telling them when it’s time to return
to the surface! When they finally arrive every member of the population
emerges from a hole, climbs a tree and sheds its skin for the last time.
The brown, wrinkled nymph which has been living underground for so many
years quickly becomes a one and a half-inch adult with a black body,
orange wings and amazing red eyes.
Once the male Cicadas get to a tree branch they produce a buzzing noise
by vibrating two drum like organs on their bellies at great frequencies,
this sound is a mating call that attracts the female Cicadas. Once mating
is completed the female lays up to 600 tiny eggs which after 6 weeks
hatch and the rice sized nymphs fall to the ground, bury themselves
in the soil and will not be seen until seventeen years later! In two
to four weeks the Cicadas that are not eaten by raccoons, foxes or birds
will naturally die off littering the ground and fertilizing the soil.
Now if you want to learn more about Cicadas check out the ATW website
at ATW ONLINE DOT ORG and that’s it from the science desk!”
ISN’T IT COOL
ELECTRONIC ID CARDS/CHINA
Showing your ID card in China is goinghigh tech!
About 100 new ID digital ID cards have been issued to about 100 Beijing
citizens. The electronic ID cards use smart ID technology and will eventually
be carried by 960 million Chinese citizens.
The embedded microchip in the plastic cards store an individual’s
personal information which can be read and checked against databases
kept by China’s security authorities. .
MAILBAG
We received over seven hundred responses to our issue question…”Should
school be year round?” The majority of you eighty eight percent
say no, it should not be year round. Just eight percent say yes, year
round school is a good idea. Four percent are undecided.
Those of you in favor of year round school see many benefits.
Stephanie J. of Osceola, Wisconsin writes, “With more time at school,
we’ll be able to learn more. Fewer kids would get into trouble
during the summer time.”
Alina M. of Keene, New Hampshire agrees and adds, “The original
reason (kids) had the summer off was (to) work on farms. Since kids
don’t generally spend their vacations planting crops, long summers
are unnecessary.”
Sherri B. of Rochester, New York writes, “(vacations) will feel
like you have more time off because it is split up.”
The majority of you, however, feel year round school would be too big
of a change.
Kyle J. of Washburn, Wisconsin writes, “In the summer most kids
like to be outside…it is just more fun to have the summer off.”
Luke S. of Union Springs, New York adds, “(kids) might get overly
tired and thus not do as well. Also, summer break is a break (between)
grade levels allowing students to prepare.”
Jacqueline J. of Long Valley, New Jersey writes, “Schools would
have to spend money on air conditioning. The absence rate would be greater
because families go on vacation.”
Finally, Skye W. of Fargo, North Dakota admits, “Summer is the
time for family reunions. I wouldn’t be able to concentrate in
the summer if it was beautiful outside.”
MAILBAG CLOSE
We’ve enjoyed reading all of your responses to our issue questions
this year and look forward to hearing more of your opinions in the fall.
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 the Dominican Republic, what country did we say shares
the same island? Is it
Jamaica
Haiti
Antigua
And the correct answer is number two. Both Haiti and the Dominican
Republican are located on the island of Hispanolia.
NEW CLUES
And now it’s time to look at news and newsmakers that will be
a part of the headlines in the months to come.
June fifth is the date when Smarty Jones will try to become only the
12th horse to win thoroughbred racing’s triple crown.
June 30th is the date that U-S officials continue to work toward a
transfer of power in Iraq.
Boston is the location from July 26th through July 29th for the Democratic
National Convention.
Republicans will hold their own convention in late August through early
September in New York City.
The world meets in Athens, Greece starting on August 13th for the summer
Olympics.
Look in the coming months for a continued push for a pullout of Israeli
troops from areas occupied by the Palestinians.
U-S operations to stabilize Afghanistan will go on over the summer.
And among the many newsmakers you can count on seeing on newscasts
and in magazines, British Prime Minister Tony Blair will continue to
come under fire for his support of the U-S in Iraq and elsewhere.
These are stories we think will happen in the coming months. Keep listening
to radio and television newscasts and reading newspapers and newsmagazines.
GOOD-BYE
And that’s it for this week’s show. From all of us here at
Assignment: The World, I’m Elissa Marra. Have a great summer! We’ll
see you in September.
© 2004 WXXI-TV/ Assignment: The World.
All Rights Reserved.
