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	• NEWS >> ATW Week of February 21, 2008 Yearly Script Program Index -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- OPEN/WELCOME Hi and welcome to Assignment: The World for the week of February 21st, 2008… I’m Teej Jenkins. Our top story this week Pakistan goes to the polls. TOP STORY - PAKISTAN 33 degrees, 42 minutes north 73 degrees, 10 minutes east Pakistan’s ruling party conceded defeat following parliamentary elections this week. Early returns showed opposition party heading for landslide victories as Pakistan looks to end eight years of military rule. As results come in, President Pervez Musharraf’s political future hangs in the balance. Fear of militant attacks lead to an increased presence of security. Almost 500,000 police and soldiers took to the streets following a series of suicide bombings, including the December assassination of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto that forced a six week delay of voting. No major attacks were reported but there was scattered violence between rival political factions. President Musharraf promises to work with the new government. An overwhelming victory by opposition parties would leave Musharraf politically vulnerable, perhaps even at risk of impeachment. presence (n) the state of being present, in attendance or company in a place. ATW FACT Results from a national survey using measured heights and weights indicate that an estimated 17 percent of children and adolescents ages 2-19 are overweight. Source: 2003-04 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey INTRO REST OF THE NEWS In the rest of the news this week… Condoleezza Rice visits Kenya Castro steps down And Serbs in Kosovo hold their breath. #2 – KOSOVO 42 degrees, 39 minutes north latitude 21 degrees, 10 minutes east longitude Kosovo declared itself a nation Sunday… making a historic bid to become an independent and democratic state. The declaration was carefully orchestrated with U-S and key European powers supporting the move. The United States and several major European nations gave Kosovo immediate recognition. By appealing directly for U-S support and not including the United Nations Kosovo set up a showdown with Serbia and Russia. Kosovo’s ten minority Serb lawmakers boycotted the session and Serbian President Boris Tadic rejected the independence bid as “illegal.” Thousands of Kosovo Serbs protested the move in demonstrations. They want those areas where Serbians live to remain in Serbia. recognition (n) an act of recognizing or the state of being recognized. #3 CUBA 23 degrees, 08 minutes north 82 degrees, 22 minutes west After nearly a half century in power, Fidel Castro resigned as President Tuesday, saying he will not accept another term in office when Cuba’s parliament meets later this week. The move clears the way for his brother, Raul Castro, to formally take office. Raul has been acting president since Fidel Castro became ill in 2006. Fidel Castro’s rule in Cuba had been the longest running in the world for a head of state. In his statement Castro said it would be a betrayal to accept responsibility requiring more mobility and dedication than he is able to offer. In a statement from The White House, President Bush said he hoped Castro’s stepping down would be the beginning of a democratic transition in Cuba. Formally (adv.) in a formal manner. #4 - KENYA 01 degrees, 17 minutes south latitude 36 degrees, 49 minutes east longitude U-S Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice traveled to African to urge Kenya’s rival political factions to share power and end that country’s bloody political crisis. Rice said a deal would improve Kenya’s relationship with the United States. Rice began her visit by meeting with former UN Secretary General Koffi Annan who is in Kenya to mediate peace talks. In a joint news conference Secretary Rice called for implementation of an arrangement that would allow a coalition government in Kenya. Annan said the process had the full support of the European Union, US administration, African Union and the United Nations. Rice later traveled to Nairobi for meetings with President Mwai Kibaki. Kibaki and opposition leaders remain deadlocked on any proposals to share power. Factions (n) A group of persons forming a cohesive, usually contentious minority within a larger group. POP QUIZ #1 In our story about the Pakistan election we told that something of President Musharraf’s hangs in the balance… was it his? 1. past 2. present 3. future And the correct answer is number three, President Musharraf’s future hangs in the balance pending election results. OLD CLUE # 1—LOCATION – PRISTINA, KOSOVO Now its time for the answers to last week’s clues in the news. Find the location of our first clue and find yourself in Pristina, Kosovo. Prime Minister Hashim Thaci declared Kosovo independent in Pristina saying “From today onwards, Kosovo is proud, independent and free.” The former leader of the Kosovo Liberation Army spoke to the assembly in a speech that was televised live nationwide. Thaci pledged that Kosovo would be a nation for all its citizens… a pledge seen as an attempt to reach out to its Serbian citizens. OLD CLUE # 2— AFRICAN TRIP Fill in the blanks of our next clue and you get African Trip. President Bush along with First Lady Laura Bush began a six-day, five nation tour of the African continent last week. His first stop was a brief visit to Benin before heading on to Tanzania. President Bush is the first American President to visit Benin. The tiny West African nation was on the President’s itinerary because it represents a success story he wants to highlight. American aid there has helped to fight poverty and disease. The President and First Lady went on to visit Rwanda, Ghana and Liberia before returning home. OC #3 – STERIOID HEARINGS Unscramble our next clue and you get Steroid Hearings. The Committee on Oversight and Government Reforms held congressional hearings last week into the use of steroids and other performance enhancing drugs in baseball. The hearings brought Roger Clemens face to face with his accuser, former trainer Brian McNamee. McNamee claims to have injected Clemen’s with steroids and human growth hormones in the 1990s, a charge that Clemens denies. THIS WEEK IN WORLD HISTORY This week in world history… Feb. 22, 1924. President Calvin Coolidge delivered the first radio broadcast from The White House to the nation. Coolidge addressed the country over 42 stations beginning what is now a weekly occurrence. CHECK IT OUT INTRO We visited the Binghamton Zoo at Ross Park in Binghamton, New York to learn more about the American Alligator, check it out. CHECK IT OUT (Lynn Yarmy) Irwin the alligator was donated to us from the reptile company. I would say, judging by his size, that he is probably about a year or less. (Teej) Irwin is an American alligator, native to none other than the USA. He doesn't like the cold weather so he stays where its warm year round. (Lynn Yarmy) The American alligator is from the Southeastern United States. Florida, far west as Texas, up into Carolina. Young alligators have the yellow striping, and that is for camouflage reasons so they blend in and they're not as visible to predators. But as they become adults they tend to lose the striping and they're usually black or darker color. They can get from 6 to 19 feet, and usually the females get up to about 10, males tend to be larger. (Teej) Male or female, they grow to be big and strong. Interestingly, their sex is determined by the conditions of their nest. (Lynn Yarmy) The alligators will build a nest of things like mud and leaves that will compose and create heat. If the nest is at 80 degrees or above, the hatchlings will come out to be male and the temperature of 70 degrees or below, the hatchlings end up being female. (Teej) Alligators are known for their endless appetite and over time their bodies have adapted to support this hunger. (Lynn Yarmy) One interesting thing about alligators, is that their nostrils and their eyes are actually located on top of their head. That allows them to submerge almost completely in the water, making them undetectable to their prey. (Teej) When Europeans first came to the New World, Spanish sailors mistook the alligator for a lizard, calling it el lagarto. The English adopted the term and in time, it came to be called the alligator. ISN’T IT COOL The only dog listed among America’s most popular breeds for nearly 100 years, a beagle had never won the Westminster Dog Show. That changed when “Uno” lived up to his name and became the first beagle to win Best of Show at the Westminster Kennel Club. Uno got right into the act, jumping up and down and confirming his other title: Nosiest in Show! ISSUE Fast food restaurants are always defending their food. There have been several cases of overweight people suing fast food companies because they claimed that it was the food that caused their weight problem. They argue that if a restaurant advertises that their food is “healthy” or “low fat,” people should be able to eat it without gaining weight. The restaurants argue that their food, like any food, is okay in moderation. If someone eats too much of any one food, they could suffer from weight and nutrition problems. Fast food restaurants are really in the business of serving food that tastes good and is served fast. Restaurant owners say individuals should be responsible for their own eating habits. Well, we would like to know what you think… “Are restaurants responsible for our health?” Discuss this issue with your classmates after the show and then write to us with your opinions MAILBAG We received almost three hundred responses to our issue question, “Should all parents be required to sign a sportsmanship pledge?” The majority of you, 54 percent say no, a pledge is not necessary. 40 percent say yes, it would be good idea. 6 percent are undecided. Many of you feel getting parents to sign a sportsmanship pledge would help. Sierra F. of Fargo, North Dakota writes, “I think parents should have to sign… because some parents start using foul language during their child’s games.” Tony R. of Oelwein, Iowa agrees and adds, “It would prevent people from being injured in fights.” Duncan F. of Hopkinton, New Hampshire writes, “They might say some stuff that will hurt kids feelings…. It doesn’t have to be (just) for sports.” Aaron T. of Weyers Cave, Virginia adds, “It’s agreeing that they will not brag during a game or humiliate people if they don’t win.” The majority of you, however, do not think a pledge is necessary. Bailey M. of Waverly, Iowa writes, “By signing the pledge, it would almost take away your freedom of speech.” Jacob V. of York, New York adds, “I do not think parents should take sportsmanship classes. Not all parents overreact.” Danny P. of Loudonville, New York agrees and writes, “It wouldn’t be fair to other parents… it would be embarrassing to make them sign something (for) something they didn’t do.” Finally, Danielle J. of Pewaukee, Wisconsin writes, “Only some parents are wild and crazy… for the other parents they shouldn’t be signing papers just for a game.” We look forward to your responses to our two latest questions: “Should public displays of affection in school be banned?” and “Are restaurants responsible for our health?” 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 Condoleezza Rice, we told you she left President Bush during his African tour to visit what country…was it? 1. Kenya 2. South Africa 3. Egypt And the correct answer is number one Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice visited Kenya to encourage a power sharing government arrangement. NEW CLUES And now it’s time for next week’s clues in the news… Our first clue a location… 34 degrees, 03 minutes north latitude 118 degrees, 15 minutes west longitude Our second clue is a fill in the blank…it is two words. First word T blank X blank S Second word D blank B blank blank E And finally, our third clue is a Newsmaker…who is? Dmitry Medvedev These are clues to stories we think will happen in the coming weeks. 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. For all of us here at Assignment: The World, I’m Teej Jenkins. We’ll see you again next week. © 2008 WXXI-TV/ Assignment: The World. All Rights Reserved.