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	• NEWS >> ATW March 8, 2007 Yearly Script Program Index -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- OPEN/WELCOME Hi and welcome to Assignment: The World for the week of March 8th, I’m Teej Jenkins. Our top story this week…Stock markets remain on edge around the world. 1—STOCK MARKETS UNITED STATES 4O DEGREES, 43 MINUTES NORTH 74 DEGREES, 00 MINUTES WEST When stock markets opened Monday, it was to a second week of heavy losses and nervous investors. Japan’s main index had its worst day since last June. Its strong currency makes the price of Japanese goods more expensive abroad and that cuts into profits back at home. The current slump began last week when the Chinese stock market had its worst day in nearly a decade. Investors were also reportedly uncertain of the state of the US economy. Added together, that led to noticeable drops in stock markets from France to India. The US stock market rallied, perhaps in part thanks to the US Treasury Secretary and Japan’s finance minister. The two men who toured Tokyo together on Monday said they thought the financial markets were working well. They also shrugged off speculation that markets may be poised for a financial meltdown or depression. Decade(n) a period of ten years ATW Fact China is a country that is physically slightly smaller than the US but has more than four times the population. China’s 1.3 billion people all live within the same time zone and are bordered by 14 other nations. INTRO REST OF THE NEWS In the rest of the news this week… ----an historic march provides a setting for an historic match… ---Denmark reels from nights of violence… ---and China considers an ambitious plan for the future. #2—CHINA CONGRESS CHINA 39 DEGREES, 55 MINUTES NORTH 116 DEGREES, 25 MINUTES EAST Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao unveiled a wide ranging set of priorities before the opening session of China’s national legislature. Wen promised to boost military spending by nearly 18 per cent, the biggest jump in a decade. Much of that will go toward making China’s large but poorly equipped army into a modern fighting force. He pledged more support for health care particularly in rural areas where 90 per cent of the population has no health insurance and little access to doctors. He also repeated a promise to close the gap between China’s rich and poor. Wen also repeated Beijing’s opposition to an independent Taiwan. China insists that it and Taiwan are one nation and that reunification is only a matter of time. Rural (adj) of or pertaining to the country or country life #3—DEMOCRATS MEET IN SELMA UNITED STATES 32 DEGREES, 24 MINUTES NORTH 87 DEGREES, 01 MINUTES WEST A modern day political drama marked Sunday’s civil rights commemoration in Selma, Alabama. More than a thousand people turned out to remember what became known as Bloody Sunday, a peaceful march in 1965 that ended with marchers being beaten by police. In this year’s march were two of the most prominent candidates for President, Senators Hilary Clinton and Barack Obama. Obama praised original bridge protestors, saying their sacrifice paved the way for his campaign to become the first black president. Senator Clinton had a similar message in a private ceremony earlier in the day. Her remarks were backed up by her most famous supporter, her husband and former President Bill Clinton. President Clinton enjoyed wide support among African Americans but polls indicate that that backing is now split between Senator Clinton and Senator Obama. Sacrifice (n) to surrender or give up for the sake of something or someone else #4— —DENMARK RIOTING DENMARK 55 DEGREES, 40 MINUTES NORTH 12 DEGREES, 35 MINUTES EAST Three nights of rioting in Denmark came to an end Monday when work crews started to tear down a four-story building. The building has for years been a favorite gathering spot for a wide variety of youth groups. However, the leader of a small Christian group that bought the building called it a total wreck and a fire hazard. Several thousand people gathered in Copenhagen over the weekend to protest the eviction of the building’s last tenants. While that demonstration was peaceful, several nighttime clashes with police ended with the arrests of more than 6-hundred people from 10 different countries. Fires were set in several vehicles and some of the protestors threw cobblestones at the riot police. Eviction (n) the expelling of a person from land or a building by legal process POP QUIZ #1 In our story about stock markets, where did we tell you the current financial slump began? Was it 1. China 2. Japan 3. the US And the answer is number 1. China’s large one-day decline is seen as the trigger for the current worldwide financial slump. OLD CLUE # 1—KOSOVO Time now for answers to last week’s Clues in the News. Our first clue was the location of Kosovo. The breakaway region continues to be marked by unrest as the United Nations finalizes its plan. The U-N is expected to approve monitored statehood for the region, a plan that appears to be pleasing no one. Serbia continues to claim the region as its own while Kosovo’s ethnic Albanians say they’ll accept nothing less than independence from Serbia. Russia is also criticizing the plan and could use its veto within the Security Council. The U-N took control over the region after a brief war with Serbia in 1999. OLD CLUE # 2— NEGROPONTE MISSION Unscramble our second clue and you got Negroponte mission. Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte wrapped up a 5 day overseas mission on Tuesday of this week. He met with his counterparts in Japan, China and South Korea. Those meetings covered a wide range of issues including the war on terrorism, trade, and regional security. They also met to discuss the ongoing talks with North Korea to shut down that country’s nuclear weapons program. OLD CLUE # 3—JUPITER PROBE And finally, fill in the blanks on our third clue and you got Jupiter probe. Late last week, a small spacecraft used our solar system’s largest planet to help shave 3 years off its trip to Pluto. In doing so, New Horizons was able to get some close-up images of both Jupiter and one of its moons, Europa. Scientists think that Europa may have a subterranean ocean. If it does, researchers say the chances are better that there may be life as we know it. New Horizons is due to arrive near Pluto in 20-15. THIS WEEK IN WORLD HISTORY This week in world history… March 9th, 1841, after three trials over two years, 53 Africans finally win their freedom in a ruling by the United States Supreme Court. The Africans, who had been kidnapped and sold into potential slavery, had revolted in 1839 while on board the ship, Amistad. ATW FEATURE Although we all know art classes are a lot of fun, Michelle Cardulla of MOKA or the Museum of Kids Art in Rochester, New York believes that creativity opens the mind to better education. Beki Gibney checks it out! ATW FEATURE Michelle: Moka is "the museum of kids art" started about 3 or 4 years ago and I've been publishing kids art in my magazine Lake Affect forever, always wanted to have a place to display it and show it and now we are up and running and we have 4 programs going at all times, from cooking to dancing to painting we serve the kids in this neighborhood which is a very improverished area. Beki: The Motto of MoKA is "Nurturing the hope that begins with art" which means is a very short expression for how deaply passionate Michelle feels about the education of children in the Urban community. Michelle: I just think that nurturing the kids, I mean that in a loving way too, when the kids come up here we give them lots of love, lots of attention, its not just art, I think if you nurture them with anything its good, but we just feel that art is so a natural a way to reach kids. The kids RUN up the stares to get here, and there's a big clean nice table and a cheerful space with art supplies, the kids go crazy. I mean, if you take a look at this place the stuff on these walls iss museum quality and it's doesn't necesarily look like "kid art" it really could be hanging on any museum in the world. It's so sophisticated and a lot of times adult artists come up and just shake their heads and say why do we even bother because the kids have it all over us and especially like second third forth grade because their dexterity isn't there and plus they don't care so if you say draw a monster they don't draw two eyes that are exactly the same they draw kind of a lop sided big eye and a small eye and it just works. Beki: For Assignment: the World, I'm Beki Gibney ISN’T IT COOL TWO-FACED PIG Gary Warner says he’s never seen anything like it. The Sheffield, Illinois farmer is commenting on this piglet with two snouts. Veterinarians are not sure how the piglet got the extra snout but say that, if it can nurse, it could live into adulthood. Warner says the special pig will likely become a pet, living out its years at the farm. ISSUE Book It is the name of the nation’s largest reading motivation program. 50-thousand schools and 22 million children participate from October through March> if reading goals are reached, students get a certificate for a free personal pan pizza at Pizza Hut. Many teachers say the program provides an enjoyable way to build interest in reading. Book It won a citation in 1988 from President Reagan and it has a board of advisors that includes educators, parents and librarians. While organizers acknowledge the nationwide problem of childhood obesity, they say that neither Book It nor the participating schools are causing it. But Susan Linn of the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood says Book It epitomizes everything that’s wrong with corporate sponsored programs in schools. She claims it promotes junk food consumption to a captive audience and forces families to make visits to Pizza Hut a part of raising literate children. She says that in an age when concerns over junk food in school cafeterias, promoting the eating of pizza is the wrong direction to go. So, what do you think? Should Pizza Hut end its reading program? Discuss this issue with your classmates after the show and then write to us with your opinions. MAILBAG We received over three hundred responses to our issue question, “Should the Iditarod Race be stopped?” The majority of you, 53 percent say no the race should not be stopped. 44 percent say yes, it should. 3 percent are undecided. Many of you feel the race is cruel to the dogs. Christina C. of Vesper, Wisconsin agrees and suggests, “I think we should put human on leashes and see how they like it! Dogs have feelings too!” Andrea L. of Walpole, Massachusetts adds, “Dogs should not be pushed to run so long. Who cares about the Iditarod?” The majority of you, however, feel the Iditarod is a long and rich tradition that should be continued. Mary S. of York, New York writes, “Huskies are meant to run because when they run, they feel free!” Luke F. of Bismarck, North Dakota agrees and writes, “There dogs are bred for this purpose. They are bred for running and cold weather.” Luke J. of Brandon, Wisconsin adds, “Sled dogs love to run… running is like playing to them.” Storm H. of Fairfield, Virginia says the Iditarod is an important part of Alaska’s history. Storm writes, “The people of Alaska and the dogs love it. You should not take something that is cherished by the people.” Finally, Brandon R. of Walker, Michigan has one suggestion. Brandon writes, “I think the race should not stop running, many people like (it). They should just make it shorter.” We look forward to your responses to our two latest questions: “Should Pizza Hut end its reading program?” and “Should the US offer an apology for slavery?” We’ll put some of the more thought provoking letters and e-mails on the air. 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 Democratic Presidential candidates, when did we tell you the Selma march known as Bloody Sunday occurred? Was it 1. 1955 2. 1960 3. 1965 And the correct answer is number 3. Peaceful protestors were beaten by police near Selma in 1965. NEW CLUES And now it’s time for next week’s clues in the news… Our first clue a location… 34 Degrees, 51 minutes south latitude 56 Degrees, 13 minutes west longitude Our second clue is a scrambled letter, two words First word A B R A Second word M I S M U T And finally, our third clue is a fill in the blanks, three words First word D blank Y blank I blank H T Second word S blank V blank N blank Third word T blank M blank 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 Teej Jenkins. We’ll see you again next week. © 2007 WXXI-TV/ Assignment: The World. All Rights Reserved.