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	• NEWS >> ATW Week of September 25, 2007 Yearly Script Program Index -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- OPEN/WELCOME Hi and welcome to Assignment: The World for the week of September 25th, I’m Teej Jenkins. Our top story this week… the climate takes a front seat at the United Nations. TOP STORY- UNITED STATES 40 degrees. 43 minutes north 74 degrees, 00 minutes west Leaders of some 80 nations met this week at the United Nations to discuss the warming earth and what to do about it. The unprecedented meeting follows a report by U-S scientists that the Arctic Ocean’s ice cap shrank to a record-low size this summer. Discussions focused on December’s annual climate treaty conference in Bali, Indonesia. Efforts there will work toward launching a new emission-reduction agreement to succeed the 1997 Kyoto Protocol. The Kyoto pact required 36 industrial nations to reduce greenhouse gases by 2012. The U-S has rejected the Kyoto Protocol. President Bush did not attend the meetings, but will host his own two-day meeting in Washington D.C. That meeting, the first in a series of planned discussions will include 16 “major emitter” nations. Environmentalists fear the President’s efforts will undercut the global UN negotiating process. The UN summit and Bali conference wraps up a year where UN scientists warn of rising temperatures that will cause drastic changes in our planet unless something is done to control greenhouse gases. greenhouse (adj.) ~of or relating to or caused by the greenhouse effect; "greenhouse gases"~ ATW Fact There was an estimated 7.2 million high school participants in athletics in 2005—06. Those athletes account for an estimated 2 million injuries, 500,000 doctor visits, and 30,000 hospitalizations annually. Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention INTRO REST OF THE NEWS In the rest of the news this week… Japan’s ruling party makes its choice Peru’s former leader returns to face charges Thousands march in protest in Louisiana. #2— UNITED STATES 31 DEGREES, 41 MINUTES NORTH 92 DEGREES, 08 MINUTES WEST A judge in Jena, Louisiana refused to release a teenager whose arrest in the beating of a classmate led to the largest civil rights demonstration in years. Late last week, tens of thousands of protestors from all over the country converged on Jena, Louisiana in a rally against what they say is a double standard of prosecution. The march was in support of “The Jena Six,” a group of black teenagers originally charged with attempted murder in the beating of a white classmate. Their case became the flashpoint for one of the largest civil rights demonstrations in years. The cause for the demonstrations date back to August of 2006, when a black high school student asked at an assembly if blacks could sit under a shade tree that was a gathering place for whites. He was told yes, but soon after nooses appeared in the tree. Three white students were suspended but not prosecuted. Fights followed the noose incident culminating in the physical confrontation and bodily injury to a white student. Five of the Jena six were originally charged with attempted second-degree murder, charges since reduced for four of the five. The sixth suspect was arrested as a juvenile, his charges sealed. Demonstrations were all peaceful as marchers gathered at the local courthouse, a park, and the yard where the tree once stood. It was cut down in July. Flashpoint (n) a critical point or stage at which something or someone suddenly causes or creates some significant action. #3— PERU 12 DEGREES, 03 MINUTES SOUTH 77 DEGREES, 03 MINUTES WEST Former President Alberto Fujimori returned to Peru to face charges of corruption and human rights violations. Fujimori says the charges are politically motivated and that, while his government made mistakes, his conscience was clear. Fujimori’s extradition has caused reactions from both followers and foes. Fujimori was popular in the early years of his term in office for crushing a violent guerilla movement, overseeing a flourishing economy and building schools and health clinics. Later, however, his government drifted more toward authoritarianism. In 2000, His ten-year government collapsed amidst charges of corruption and Fujimori spent five years in exile in Japan. In 2005, he surprised many when he moved to Chile and revealed his hopes to run for President. authoritarianism (n) characterized by or favoring absolute obedience to authority, as against individual freedom #4— —JAPAN 35 DEGREES, 42 MINUTES NORTH 139 DEGREES, 46 MINUTES EAST Yasuo Fukuda easily won election as president of Japan’s ruling party, setting the stage for his selection as the next Prime Minister this week. Fukuda defeated former Foreign Minister Taro Aso by a vote of 330 to 197, giving Fukuda 63 percent of the vote. Fukuda plans to continue Japan’s role in fighting terrorism, improve relations with Asia and address Japan’s economy. He vows to rebuild the popularity of his party, which has plunged after a year of scandal and missteps by outgoing Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Speaking at a news conference Fukuda said Japan needs to send a message of “willingness to the international community” or risks being seen as “giving up.” terrorism (n) to the use of violence and threats to intimidate or coerce, esp. for political purposes. POP QUIZ #1 In our story about the UN Global Warming Summit, we told you environmentalists are concerned with: 1. greenhouse gases 2. natural gases 3. fossils And the correct answer is number one, environmentalists say greenhouse gases are causing the Earth’s temperature to rise. OLD CLUE # 1—LOCATION – Now its time for the answers to last week’s clues in the news. Find the location of our first clue and you get Nyala, Sudan. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and African Union counterparts met in an effort to boost support for scheduled peace talks aimed at ending the conflict in Darfur, Sudan. More than 200,000 have been killed and at least 2 million others have fled their homes to escape the fighting. Rebels, government troops and allied militias have been fighting since 2003. OLD CLUE # 2— IRAN SANCTIONS Fill in the blanks of our next clue and you get Iran Sanctions? French President Nicolas Sarkozy is calling for tougher sanctions against Iran, saying that Iran is seeking nuclear weapons. Sarkozy says he will discuss toughening sanctions when he meets with other world leaders at the United Nations General Assembly meetings this week. While calling for tougher sanctions, Sarkozy said France did not want to see the situation lead to war. The United States and other countries suspect Iran of seeking nuclear weapons while Tehran insists they only want nuclear technology to produce electricity. OC #3 – ATTORNEY GENERAL Research the role of our newsmaker and your find that Michael Mukasey is President Bush’s choice to become the next Attorney General of the United States. If confirmed, Mukasey will replace Alberto Gonzales, who stepped down following months of investigations into the firings of 9 U.S. attorneys. President Bush called for a quick confirmation but Senate Democrats say no hearings will be held until the White House answers questions about its role in the firings of federal prosecutors earlier this year. THIS WEEK IN WORLD HISTORY This week in world history… September 26, 1960 The first televised presidential debate took place when John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon faced off to discuss the issues. While radio listeners felt that Nixon won the debate, television viewers chose Kennedy who seemed more at ease in front of the camera. CHECK IT OUT INTRO We visited the Genesee Country Village Museum in Mumford, New York and stepped back in time to learn about the craft of quilting. Check it out. CHECK IT OUT Janice: Quilting has been used since the time of the Egyptians because they made mummy wraps and it wasn't until we came to the United States to the colonies and we started making patch work quilts out of left over piece of material. That we really started our own brand of quilting which is the patch work idea with little piece of material now we can out and buy it then they used what ever they had put it together and that became a quilt but in the very beginning of the 19th century they used what ever was left over from something to make quilts or blankets, quilts or blankets. VO: Janice and the people at Genesee Country Museum still keep this old craft alive by passing down this skill to kids of today. These group of kids spend a week at Genesee Country Museum learning what it was like to live in the 19th century. Janice: I begin by showing them the material, I show them pillows that I have made and how they could do it and how they could do it together and usually they think it's going to be very simple and we will get it done in a day. With in a day they understand that it isn't that simple and by the end of the week they can appreciate what it was like to live in the 19th century. At this point everyone has finish there quilt they took the patterns they cut around them, they pieced them together. They learned to cut and put the smallest pieces together first and make bigger pieces and make a line because it's very difficult to fit something in but if you sew the lines together they have learned that and they have done this totally by hand they have all of there pillows done they have stuffed there pillows and at this point we are doing some appliqué which is cutting out a pattern folding it over as you sew so you don't see the raw edges. Katelyn : The hard part was making extremely small stitch’s so it will all stay together because it you make to big of a stitch it will rip a part. I thought that it was going to be a little bit easier then some of the other patterns but it turned out that quilting was not that easy. ISN’T IT COOL A South African community has a “gang” problem. But it isn’t what you think…. The gang is made up of the country’s last colony of coastal baboons – a protected species. Residents say the baboons are breaking into houses and parked cars in search of food. They seem to enjoy the havoc they cause… bounding playfully across rooftops in search of their booty. ISSUE The start of a new school year also marks the start of a new athletic season. That means kids will be playing football and other contact sports. Unfortunately, over the next few months we will read of injuries, concussions and much more serious results from playing what some consider to be unnecessarily dangerous sports. Some feel that with all the injuries, football and other contact sports are too much of a liability. They say we should not allow children to play such high-risk sports. But sports psychologist Gregg Steinberg says the benefits of playing a competitive sport far outweigh the dangers. Dr. Steinberg says the life lessons learned on the playing field give participants a competitive edge in their future. Others feel that with the right equipment and adult supervision the chance for injury is low and that kids should be allowed to be kids. We would like to know what you think? “Are contact sports too dangerous?” 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, “Would you like to be President of the United States?” The majority of you, 74 percent, say no you would not like to be President. 17 percent say yes, you are interested in the job. 9 percent are undecided. Many of you feel you are up for the challenge of being President. Jordan B. of Cottage Grove, Minnesota writes, “It takes responsibility and I’m responsible. It takes hard work and I’m a hard worker.” Michaella R. of Des Moines, Iowa is excited with the possibilities. Michaella writes, “I would be able to help with poverty… and the homeless. I would do what I could to change the world.” Noah R. of Webster, New York agrees and adds, “I would get to make laws that I think are fair, it would be hard but I would be able to help a lot of people.” The majority of you, however, feel it is too tough a job. Alyssa M. of Greenfield, Wisconsin writes, “Although I am (what my aunt calls) a leader, I really don’t like politics. Everyone is always trashing their opponents and lying to make themselves look better.” Samuel M. of Sioux Center, Iowa agrees and adds, “There are too many big decisions, you have no private life and you have to travel to dangerous places.” Sam R. of Green Bay, Wisconsin writes, “I do not like to make decisions for other people. I also (would) not like to put people’s lives in danger.” Finally, Andrew B. of Fairfield, Virginia feels it is a no-win position, Andrew writes, “I think being President would be a really hard job… trying to make people happy would be impossible.” We look forward to your responses to our two latest questions: “Does the United States need a national service requirement?” and “Are contact sports too dangerous?” 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 demonstrations in Louisiana, we told you the students charged are being called: 1. Gang of Six 2. Jena Six 3. Club Six And the correct answer is number two, the six black youth are being called The Jena Six. NEW CLUES And now it’s time for next week’s clues in the news… Our first clue a location… 22 degrees, 00 minutes north latitude 96 degrees, 05 minutes east longitude Our second clue is a scrambled letter clue..it is two words. First Word A L E E R N G Second word S A S M E L B Y And finally, our third clue is a newsmaker. What is? Blackwater USA 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.