CNN Student news October 6, 2016

CARL AZUZ, CNN STUDENT NEWS ANCHOR: The Caribbean nation of Haiti has postponed a presidential election. Four U.S. states have declared states of emergency and it`s all because of Hurricane Matthew.

As it approached the island nation of Bahamas last night, Matthew`s winds spun at 120 miles per hour. That made it a category three hurricane. The forecasters predicted it would get stronger before reaching the U.S. That could happen tonight, that could be delayed until Saturday.

Meteorologists don`t know for sure where Matthew was headed, but they had a cone, a potential range to work from.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JENNIFER GRAY, CNN METEOROLOGIST: So, when you take a hurricane, right inside that center eye wall, that`s where you`re going to have the strongest winds, right around that center. Cluster of thunderstorms, that`s where we have the 120-mile-per-hour winds. Once you pan the storm out, the winds start to get a little bit less and less. With this particular hurricane, the hurricane winds extend about 45 miles from the center and then tropical storm force winds extend nearly 200 miles from the center.

So, when you`re looking at the track of this, if this storm tracks right down the middle, if it brushes that coast and stays a little bit offshore, you are going to have slightly weaker winds than say if this storm pushed on shore, that`s when you could have catastrophic 120-mile-per-hour winds plus on shore, with all of the storm surge, as well as the very, very heavy rainfall.

Best case scenario, it stays to the east side of the cone, stays offshore and the winds aren`t quite as great. You`ll still get high surf beach erosion, but you won`t have those strong hurricane force winds. If this storm once again though tracks right down the center line, we could see a devastating winds though across much of the coast of Florida, as well as storm surge, a lot of rainfall and beach erosions.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

AZUZ: Florida Governor Rick Scott said yesterday that everyone in his state must prepare for a direct hit. Mandatory evacuations were in place for several coastal areas, in Florida and South Carolina. On its destructive path through the Caribbean, Hurricane Matthew was blamed for at
least 10 deaths in the Dominican Republic, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Haiti.

That`s why Floridian officials were taking no chances.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The National Guard deployed more than 500 National Guards member. Members have already been deployed across the state. There are evacuation orders just south of us, in Brevard County. And you can expect those to expand, especially in the coastal areas and barrier islands like the one we`re on right now.

Gas stations with huge lines. Even reports that some gas station have run out of gas. There are also aisles and aisles and aisles at grocery stores that have been emptied out by people buying water and nonperishable food items.

So, people are heeding this warning, even though things outside right now look calm and beautiful. They will not be that way once this hurricane gets closer to Florida.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

AZUZ: On Tuesday night, the two U.S. candidates for vice president sat down with the moderator for their one and only debate. Indiana Governor

Mike Pence is on the Republican ticket with businessman and television personality, Donald Trump. Virginia Senator Tim Kaine is on the Democratic ticket with former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

Vice presidential debates have been characterized as proxy events, meaning, they`re not always about the two people on the stage, their records and their policies. But more about the people they`re running with, defining and defending the presidential candidates.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DEBATE MODERATOR: Gentlemen --

SEN. TIM KAINE (D), VICE PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: If you can`t meet Nixon`s standard --

DEBATE MODERATOR: The people at home cannot understand either one of you when you speak over each other. I would please ask you to wait until it is that the other is finished.

SUBTITLE: The candidates for vice president argued over Donald Trump`s tax returns --

KAINE: Donald Trump his tax returns to show he was qualified to be vice president. Donald Trump must give the American public his tax returns to show that he`s qualified to be president. And he`s breaking his promise.

SUBTITLE: -- taxes.

GOV. MIKE PENCE (R), VICE PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: You can roll out the numbers and the sunny side, but I got to tell you, people in Scranton know different. People in Fort Wayne, Indiana, know different. The answer to this economy is not more taxes.

SUBTITLE: -- Vladimir Putin.

KAINE: These guys have praised Vladimir Putin as a great leader. How can they defend that?

DEBATE MODERATOR: Yes, and we will get to that, Senator.

(CROSSTALK)

PENCE: I must have hit a nerve here.

DEBATE MODERATOR: Why the disconnect?

PENCE: Because --

You know, there`s an old proverb that says the Russian bear never dies, it just hibernates. And the truth of the matter is, the weak and feckless foreign policy of Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama has awakened an aggression in Russia.

SUBTITLE: -- Hillary Clinton`s emails.

DEBATE MODERATOR: Two hundred fifty thousand people --

PENCE: If your son or my son handled classified information the way Hillary Clinton did --

QUIJANO: -- one hundred thousand of them children -- Governor --

PENCE: -- they`d be court martialed.

SUBTITLE: -- Trump`s statements.

KAINE: He`s called women slobs, pigs, dogs, disgusting. He went after John McCain, a POW, and said he wasn`t hero because he`d been captured.

PENCE: There they go again.

KAINE: I have said to Governor Pence I can`t imagine how you can defend your running mate`s position on one issue after the next.

(CROSSTALK)

KAINE: And yet he is asking everybody to vote for somebody that he cannot defend.

PENCE: I`m just trying to keep up with the insult-driven campaign on the other side of the table.

KAINE: You know, I`m just saying facts about your running mate.

PENCE: Yes.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

AZUZ: A few references to their running mates on those clips, and the next time that Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton meet face to face will be Sunday night at 9:00 p.m. Their second debate will have a town hall format, meaning many of the questions will be asked by members of the audience.

We don`t know yet if the nation of Libya will come up, but the North African country is where the U.S. supported the fight against former Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi in 2011. Its condition today could pose a major challenge for either Trump or Clinton.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Here are some reasons Libya could be the biggest global problem for the next U.S. president:

The country is in chaos. As ISIS lost ground in Syria and Iraq, it`s become their fallback stronghold. And to make matters worse, there`s no central government to battle them.

Libya is close to Europe and it appears though that ISIS is smuggling fighters among the thousands of refugees and migrants using the

Mediterranean route to arrive in Europe each moment.

It`s a magnet for poor, young and sub-Saharan Africans who head north for a better life. This puts them becoming an endless supply of recruits for jihadists.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

AZUZ: To the moon, again. That`s where a number of international teams are racing to go, not with human astronauts this time, but with a lander and a robotic rover. The technology company that started the competition wants to inspire scientists and businesspeople to find relatively low cost
ways to explore space. And while the prize money is tens of millions of dollars, it`s not worth the effort in terms of cost alone. So, why participate?

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NEIL ARMSTRONG, NASA ASTRONAUT: It`s one small step for man --

OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: In today`s dollars, it costs nearly $140 billion to put a man on the moon.

ARMSTRONG: -- one giant leap for mankind.

LIEBERMANN: It was the culmination of the Cold War space race.

NARRATOR: Thirty private teams from 16 countries.

LIEBERMANN: Now, another space race is nearing its end. The $30 million Google Lunar X Prize.

Teams have to put a rover on the moon, move it 500 meters in any direction and feed back high definition video from the lunar surface. The teams must be almost entirely privately funded and they have until December 31st, 2017.

Two teams lead the way towards that deadline, an American team Moon Express, and the Israel team, Space IL.

INBAL KREISS, ISRAEL AEROSPACE INDUSTRIES: Israel is a startup nation. So, we are as a startup nation must continue to be leading in all these front (ph) of technologies.

LIEBERMANN: Space IL was the first team to book their launch to the moon sometime next year.

Why is all these so necessary?

We visit Space IL at Israel Aerospace Industries, putting on jackets and hats to enter the clean room. This is where satellites are built and this is where Space IL will construct their space craft.

First prize is $20 million and yet it costs much more than $20 million to get to the moon. Why do this?

ERAN PRIVMAN, CEO, SPACE IL: Well, of course, not for the prize. There are many reasons to be there. We as an Israeli team, we would like to put Israel, Israeli technology on the moon next to the Russians, the Americans, and China. So, we believe this by itself is a great achievement.

LIEBERMANN: CEO Eran Privman remembers watching man`s first step on the moon. He was just a little boy. It was the moment of inspiration that he uses to this day at Space IL.

PRIVMAN: If we accomplish it, then we definitely open a new era for a commercial travel to either the moon or to Mars or to elsewhere.

ANNOUNCER: Five, four, three, two, one, zero --

LIEBERMANN: They all have sounded like science fiction a few years, then maybe the real mission of the Google Lunar X Prize, to redefine what`s possible.

Oren Liebermann, CNN, Central Israel.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

AZUZ: Before we go, it`s like a combo, football, juggling, ballet and the circus. So, thank goodness for slow motion. This comes to us from Immagine Video.

Flea flicker play, QB throws deep, the receiver is well-covered, the pass is deflected and then the fun begins. After more bubbles and hiccups that we can count, the Pro Titans of the Western Communities Football League score a very hard one touch down.

It`s how butter fingers turned to glue. And you could see how we couldn`t pass up the chance to show how the play was so well-received, he might have been cornered and initially caught some criticism for having bubble hands. But at the end of it all, he was in the zone y`all.

I`m Carl Azuz, and that`s yardly the only puns we`ve got. Catch us again tomorrow.

CNN Student News October 5 2016

 Happy to see you today as we get started with a new edition of CNN STUDENT NEWS. I`m Carl Azuz at the CNNCenter.

First up, the troubled relationship between Russia and the U.S. seems to be getting worse. On Monday, Russia announced that it was suspending part ofan agreement with America focused on reducing the two countries` nuclear weapons.

The agreement was signed in the year 2000. It was for the two nations to get rid of their extra plutonium, an element that could be used to makenuclear weapons. But because of what it called "unfriendly actions" by the U.S., Russia said the deal was suspended. Analysts say it`s mostly a

symbolic move that follows a series of recent disagreements between the two countries.

The U.S. also made an announcement concerning Russia, that it was suspending talks with the country over ending the violence in Syria. Youmight remember that Russia and the U.S. organized a short-lived ceasefire there. The U.S. blamed Russia for making commitments in Syria that it
didn`t follow, but America says it`s still looking for ways to find peace in Syria.

A U.S. State Department spokesperson said the decision to end talks with Russia was not linked to Russia`s suspension of the plutonium agreement.

In the U.S. presidential race, we`ve talked a lot about Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton and Republican nominee Donald Trump, not as much asDemocratic Senator Tim Kaine and Republican Governor Mike Pence. They`re the two main parties` vice presidential running mates.

The Democrat represents the U.S. state of Virginia. Tim Kaine was elected to the job in 2012. Before that, he served as Virginia`s governor from2006 to 2010. And before that, Mr. Kaine worked as an attorney and taught part-time at the University of Richmond`s School of Law. He was named

Hillary Clinton`s running mate on July 22nd.

The Republican governs the U.S. state of Indiana. Mike Pence was elected to the job in 2012. Before that, he served Indiana in the U.S. House ofRepresentatives. And before that, Mr. Pence worked as an attorney and hosted a radio show and local TV program. He was named Donald Trump`srunning mate on July 15th.

The two candidates took the stage last night for the one and only U.S. vice presidential debate. It was held at Longwood University in Farmville,Virginia, and it was a chance for the men to discuss what the nation would like under a Clinton or Trump administration.

We`re going to bring you some of the highlights in tomorrow`s show. For now, a quick look at how the polls and an electoral map appeared for theDemocratic and Republican nominees.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The numbers say this was a very good week for Hillary Clinton.

Look at this -- she`s at 47 percent, five points ahead of Donald Trump. She was two points behind him about a month ago. Johnson down here at 7percent. Stein at 2 percent.

Of course, what really matters in all of this is the electoral vote. And if you look at the map as we project it right now, yes, you see a lot ofred. But in the big population centers out here and over here, that`s where you have a lot of electoral votes and they`re going solidly blue.

Some of the light blue ones in here also tilting that way.

If Hillary Clinton wins nothing but the blue states on this map, she has won the election. Donald Trump has to win all the red states, all of thelight red or pink states here, plus, the yellow battleground states, and he has to tip one of the light blue states in his direction if he`s going to

have a chance of winning in the Electoral College. It could be a done, but it is a reach.

And the enthusiasm is closing. For a long there, we saw tremendous enthusiasm on his side, very little on her side. It`s still in his favor,but she`s getting considerable closer.

But here`s one last thing that is really worth bearing in mind and ought to worry both parties. When you ask voters out there, their general opinionof both of these candidates, they`re still seen in the negative light, which suggests that no matter which one wins, the public may have a very
hard time watching that inauguration come January.



AZUZ: And no matter which candidate wins, he or she could have a very strenuous time determining the nation`s new foreign policy. In addition to

Russia, in addition to Syria, there are several international challenges awaiting the next U.S. president. One of them involving the communistnation of North Korea might not even wait for inauguration day.

The U.S.-based Center for Strategic and International Studies says North Korean leaders have routinely tried to ramp up international tensionsespecially around U.S. elections. North Korea has conducted missile tests and nuclear tests as a way of trying to intimidate U.S. leaders. Though

fighting in the Korean War ended in 1953, the North has remained a U.S. rally.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WILL RIPLEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: North Korea could be the biggest global headache facing the next U.S. president. Here`s why,it`s real and growing nuclear threat, not only to the region but potentially the world.

Their leader Kim Jong-un is relentless. Sanctions and warnings have done little to slow his nuclear ambition. In fact, he`s accelerated weaponsprogram.

Kim wants his arsenal of nuclear missiles capable of hitting the U.S. and he`s developing missiles that can be fired from submarines and mobilelaunchers, making them really hard to track. So, the next U.S. president faces two challenges. One, trying to convince North Korea`s unpredictable,

young leader to give up his nukes and the other challenge is to be prepared for any scenario, including an attack.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

AZUZ: On a list of endangered species, you might not expect to see bees. But for the first time, some types of bees are now protected under the U.S.Endangered Species Act.

Specifically, we`re talking about yellow-faced bees. They`re native to the islands of Hawaii. They`re said to look like small wasps, but they haveunique yellow and white marks on their faces that help distinguish them.

Seven species of yellow-faced bees are now officially classified as endangered. And experts say this is actually a good thing for them. Itprovides money for their protection. It allows officials to start programs to help them recover.

There are both manmade and natural threats to these insects -- destruction of their habitat, invasive species, wildfires, droughts, tsunamis andhurricanes. And some of the problems they`re facing are shared by bees around the world.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NOAH WILSON-RICH, CHIEF SCIENTIST, BEST BEES CO.: It`s bizarre.

And when a beekeeper goes into his hive, he`ll find a queen. She`s healthy, laying eggs, find maybe food, some honey, pollen stores. He won`tsee many signs of the disease outright, but the bees are gone, and it`s so mysterious.

Where did they go?

We just don`t know and that`s what we call colony collapse disorder.

My name is Noah. I`m a beekeeper.

In 2006, October to December, an alarming number of commercial bee colonies were dead in Pennsylvania, and this is really when we start talking aboutmodern day colony collapse disorder.

People like mysteries because it`s an interesting story. But this is really important story. We need honey bees for the role as pollinators, ofover 130 crops that humans depend on, fruits and vegetables. They contribute over $15 billion annually just to the U.S. economy alone.

It`s hard to determine the causes of colony collapse disorder because there are no bodies found. How can we find out how something died without thebody?

There have been some obscure hypotheses, ranging from cellphones to aliens.

Those are not well-supported, but certainly discussed, and then there are some more well-supported hypotheses, including lack of nutrition to do thehabitat loss. We have fewer flowers around and also diseases.

Here in the United States, we have a lot more talk in the news and among scientists and researchers about the effects of pesticides on honeybeehealth, specifically with regards to the neonicotinoid class of pesticides.

Something that our research focuses is vaccine for bees, for totally unique approach, regardless of what is killing them. We`re already looking at howto make them healthier.

Bees are important. We need the bees because we need food. Bees need us because now, bees are doing much better in managed colonies than inferiorcolonies. They`re healthier when they`re managed. So, this interrelationship that we have over evolutionary time has just forced thetwo of us, humans and bees together.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

AZUZ: OK. We`ve heard of car wraps, mat paint jobs, bedliner paint jobs. But for this custom covering, you`ll need to rub more than two cents together because it took 51,300 of them, plus, multiple bottles of various kinds of glue.

The coinage alone adds an additional 282 pounds of weight to the truck, and the man who made it says it took him seven weeks working six to seven hoursa day to put it altogether. He keeps extra glue for when the hood or door slam and knock a few cents off. But all in all, he says it`s worth every

penny -- especially since its stays in mint condition.

And while a lot of folks would like to offer their two cents on that or get a penny for their thoughts, kind of turns the whole customization idea onits head, though to drive it, you`d have to love heavy metal.

This is CNN STUDENT NEWS where we`re always linking news and puns just to see what we can coin. I`m Carl Azuz.

CNN Student News October 4 2016

CARL AZUZ, CNN STUDENT NEWS ANCHOR: A tail of two storms is where we begin today`s edition of CNN STUDENT NEWS. I`m Carl Azuz.

When we produce today`s show, the Japanese island of Okinawa was getting hit with a super typhoon. It`s name is Chaba. Its maximum sustained winds were about 165 miles per hour. That made it the equivalent of a category five hurricane, the strongest type. Several islands were in Chaba`s
expected path, which was expected to turn east near South Korea and roar across the northern Japanese mainland.

And in the Caribbean, Hurricane Matthew, a category four storm last night, was expected to brush by Jamaica and hit Haiti overnight before moving over

Eastern Cuba. Matthew was traveling slowly, with 140-mile-per-hour winds, the longer it hovers over an island, the more rain it can bring and the bigger its threat of causing flash floods and mudslides.

Throughout the Caribbean, airports have been closed. Storm shelters open and cruises rerouted to avoid the hurricane.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: This is what we`re expecting the storm to do as it gets into the Bahamas. This is what concerns me. You can see the left turn as it gets east of Cuba and then it gets into Turks and Caicos, it turns left, it turns back toward the U.S. And then it has turned right
to miss us.

Now, that`s the forecast. But that still concerns me although that`s going to happen or not. Here are the models, see how they turn left.

See this little left? This what really concerns me. That part right there will -- will they actually turn right again or will they just keep going to the left? Those are so many days away.

I know and we talk about this all the time, that the first 24 to 48 hours of a model is very good. After that, not so good. So, if this is a good part and this might not be the good part, where does it go from there, you need to keep watching if you live in the East Coast, anywhere.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

AZUZ: Once again, international tensions have flared up over a place named Kashmir. It`s not an independent country. Kashmir is a highly disputed region of Asia that both India and Pakistan claimed as their own. They each control part of it, so does China. But it was in the section of

Kashmir that`s controlled by India where an attack was launched late Sunday night.

India blames terrorists for shooting at an Indian army camp there. This was after troops from India and Pakistan exchanged fire with each country accusing the other of provoking it. As the anger has risen and the relationship has worsened between India and Pakistan, India relocated 10,000 people who were living near a disputed border area of Kashmir. These are only the latest incidents in a decades-long dispute over the region.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SUBTITLE: Kashmir: A bitter dispute.

RAVI AGRAWAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Kashmir today looks and sounds on edge, armed and ready to go off. Its lands are carved up in an easy truce between an easy truce between India, Pakistan and China, too. But before all that, Kashmir known not as a flash point, but Asia`s Switzerland, with
beautiful snowcapped peaks and lush valleys.

So, how did we get here?

The troubles began around 1947 when India and Pakistan gained their independence from Britain. Pakistan was created out of Muslim-dominated areas. Kashmir was a sticking point. It was Muslim majority but its leader at the time decided to accede to India.

Now, fighting over Kashmir has led to wars in 1947 and again 1965. Evan after both India and Pakistan became nuclear, they attack each other in 1999, stopping short of a full scale war. Today, tensions are ratcheting up once again.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

AZUZ: Updating you now on an unexpected vote in the South American nation of Colombia. We reported yesterday that polls showed that a peace agreement negotiated by the nation`s government and the FARC rebels who`ve been fighting it for 52 years had a good chance of passing. But by a very thin margin, voters rejected the agreement on Sunday, 50.22 percent voted against it, 49.78 percent voted for it. One major criticism of the agreement was that it didn`t do enough to punish the rebels for these past crimes.

Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos says he doesn`t have a plan B, but that a ceasefire between the government and the rebels would stay in place while negotiations between the two sides would continue in Havana, Cuba. FARC leader Rodrigo Londono who also goes by Timoleon Jimenez also says he`s committed to peace. The United Nations is sending its Colombia envoy to Cuba to join the discussions.

A lot of uncertainty now hangs over Colombia. And the same can be said for the Middle Eastern nation of Afghanistan. Its government controls about two-thirds of the country, but the Taliban, Afghanistan`s former rulers who allowed terrorists to live and train there control about 10 percent, and they`ve increased their attacks recently, despite hundreds of airstrikes this year by the U.S., which supports the Afghan government.

These events plus the fact that more than 8,000 U.S. forces remain in the country contribute to the challenges it presents for the next American leader.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Here are three reasons Afghanistan could be the biggest global program for the next U.S. president.

Afghanistan is nearing a failed state. The Taliban controlled more territory there than any time since the war started in 2001. That means Afghanistan could become a haven for terror groups, including rivals al Qaeda and ISIS.

There are no good policy options for the next White House. You can`t abandon a country at the heart of America`s longest war with thousands of lives that are being lost. But at the same time, there`s no realistic public appetite for a substantial rise in troop numbers.

Afghanistan is both Pakistan and India`s problem and they are both nuclear powers. Afghanistan accuses Pakistan of assisting the Taliban. Pakistan accuses India of interfering in Afghanistan. Either way, Afghanistan suffers and remains a regional headache for the U.S.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

AZUZ: The 2016 Nobel Peace Prize for medicine has been awarded to a Japanese biologist. Yoshinori Ohsumi made discoveries in the area of autophagy. That`s the process that a cell uses to recycle some of its own components. Scientists have known about autophagy since the 1960s, but
Ohsumi`s work, which included experiments with baker`s yeast led to a deeper understanding of how cells stay healthy.

He`ll receive more than $900,000 in prize money. As advances in medicine are made around the world, there`s a U.S.-based biotechnology company that`s raised record funds, even though its method is so far unproven and hasn`t worked before, and its human trials which could take years are just getting started.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RACHEL CRANE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: For years, incurable diseases like cancer and HIV have stumped scientists. But if there`s a cure for those diseases right under our noses, literally?

At biotech startup Moderna, they believe the key to treating rare diseases is to trigger the body to heal itself, to make its own medicine. And how does that work? It all comes down to proteins.

STEPHANE BANCEL, CEO, MODERNA: So, sometimes when you`re sick, what you`re just missing is one protein. If we could just give you that protein back, then you`ll be healthier again.

CRANE: So, how do you get that one missing protein back into your body?

For years, we`ve relied on pharmaceutical companies to make expensive protein-based drugs for treatment. But protein based drugs aren`t as effective as they could be and can degrade in the bloodstream or digestive tract.

That`s where Moderna comes in. By injecting your body with messenger RNA molecules, they`ve discovered a way to naturally trigger your body cells into making their own healing proteins. The body makes its own medicine.

In theory, messenger RNA or MRNA could deliver the genetic instructions to your cells to make any type of protein that your body needs to heal itself.

But until recently, scientists believe our immune systems would reject MRNA from outside sources.

BANCEL: Evolution has taught all of our cells to ignore messenger RNA when it comes from the outside. That`s what a virus looks like. What we`ve been able to do at Moderna is actually change the properties of that MRNA so that to the cell, it looks likes its own.

CRANE: And that breakthrough has led to potential treatments for a wide range of conditions, from heart disease to cancer. Over the last four years, Moderna has raised $1.5 billion, partnering with pharmaceutical companies, the government, and recently, the Gates Foundation, who committed $20 million to tackle HIV.

But research is still in its early stages. Moderna recently started their first two human clinical trials and has plans for at least four more.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

AZUZ: Before we go, a desert kaleidoscope. That`s the theme for this year`s Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta. It got off the ground over the weekend in New Mexico and runs through the week. More than 500 hot air balloons are taking part in one of the oldest forms of aviation.

And, of course, that looks amazing in this time-lapse video.

There have been some crashes here and there. No serious injuries have been reported.

Of course, some people get an over-inflated sense of confidence. You can call them basket cases. But that kind of thing tends to balloon with each rise of each successful launch. You got to both know the ropes and let them go especially if you expect to get around the world in 80 days.

I`m Carl Azuz and I`m all out of hot air. We`ll take off with more news tomorrow.

CNN Student News - October 3, 2016

CARL AZUZ, CNN STUDENT NEWS ANCHOR: Delivering your October 3 edition of CNN STUDENT NEWS. I`m Carl Azuz. Happy to have you watching.

We`re getting started today with a potential peace treaty in the South American nation of Columbia. I say potential because voters had the final word yesterday and we didn`t have results yet when we produce this show.

But here`s what this is all about. For 52 years, a rebel group called the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Columbia, also known as FARC, has been fighting against the Columbian government. That government is a presidential republic. FARC is a Marxist group supporting a redistribution of wealth and opposing international influence in businesses in Columbia. It`s been largely funded by the illegal drug trade.

The U.S. labels FARC a terrorist group. It`s used guerilla tactics, raids, bombings, sabotage, kidnappings, in its five decade war against the government. An estimated 220,000 people have died.

But last week, Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos and FARC leader Rodrigo Londono signed a peace agreement which could end Latin America`s longest running war. As part of the deal, FARC would give up its weapons and convert from a guerilla group to a left wing political party. It also
said it would pay reparations to victims of the war.

The agreement has extensive international support from the U.S. and the U.N., to Central and South American nations. And polls showed it had a good chance of passing with Colombian voters. But critics feel it doesn`t go far enough to punish FARC fighters for their crimes.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RAFAEL ROMO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It`s very evident that not everybody in Colombia is in favor of the peace agreement. These people behind me come from different parts of Colombia, here to Cartagena, to say no to the peace agreement. Their main point is that they are not willing to forgive a terrorist group as they call the FARC that has killed people, that has committed any number of atrocities, including kidnappings and assassinations before they go to jail, before they`re tried and before there`s justice.

They say that President Juan Manuel Santos is wrong and so is the international community.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

AZUZ: Up next -- torrential rainfall, life-threatening flash floods and mudslides, this is what`s possible from Hurricane Matthew, a powerful Caribbean storm that was expected to hit Jamaica and Haiti this morning. Last night, Matthew was a category four hurricane, just one step below the
strongest hurricane classification. Its sustained wind speeds were around 145 miles per hour, capable of catastrophic damage that can knock down walls, trees and power poles.

Flights have been cancelled in the Caribbean, people were making emergency preparations. Officials are particularly concerned about Haiti whose infrastructure still hasn`t recovered from an earthquake in 2010 that killed more than 200,000 people and the cholera outbreak that followed, killing thousands of others.

Unsafe encounters, that`s how a U.S. military official describe some recent incidents in the Persian Gulf involving Iranian boats. Last month, seven Iranian fast attack boats reportedly harassed an American ship. The month beforehand, the U.S. Navy fired three warning shots after an Iranian boat
came to close.

The U.S. called the Iranian maneuvers concerning, unsafe, and unprofessional. But they`re just part of the reason why the Middle Eastern country could pose a significant challenge for the next U.S. president.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: The U.S. may have struck a deal with Iran over its nuclear program, but things are still tense.

Iran may be the biggest international headache for the next U.S. president for the following reasons. Iran will become much stronger militarily now that some sanctions are ended. And the stronger Iran still has a largely anti-American agenda. It`s already causing military problems for the U.S.
in places like Syria, Iraq and Yemen and diplomatic problems with Saudi Arabia and Israel.

Some hardliners in the U.S. and in Iran want to roll back the nuclear deal, which could destroy the improving relations between the two long-time rivals. Iran has also hinted that it could ramp up its uranium enrichment at any time and some experts fear the country may secretly be developing
nuclear weapons regardless of the agreement.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

AZUZ: You probably heard the saying, "once in a blue moon". The last one of those happened during the summertime last year. The next will be in January of 2018. In many ways, the opposite of a blue moon is a black moon. And in the western hemisphere, it`s something that happened but that you did not see last Friday.

The eastern hemisphere will have a black moon on October 31st, and the next one won`t happen again until late July of 2019.

OK. So, those are the dates. What exactly is meant by the terms black and blue moons?

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SUBTITLE: How full moons were named.

JENNIFER GRAY, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Full moon names date back to the Native Americans. They would name a full moon and that name would last the entire month and it would help them keep track of the moons and the season.

One of the more notable moons, the Harvest Moon, this is because the fields have already been harvested and this is when animals needed to be killed and stored because winter is coming soon.

Every now and then, we get a couple of bonus moons. You see the lunar calendars roughly 29 days, but our monthly calendar is mostly 30 to 31 days. So, every now and then, you will get two full moons in one calendar month.

When you have two full moons in a calendar month, the second one is called the blue moon. And when you have two new moons in a calendar month, the second moon is called the black moon, which is pretty much the only moon that matches its name, because it`s invisible to us on earth appearing black.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

AZUZ: Growing up in the island of Trinidad, Isha Desselle remembers working with her mother to feed the homeless. She says the elderly in Trinidad were always respected unlike some she met after moving to the United States. So, what she did about that and how she`s helped more than 7,000 senior citizens in Houston, Texas, are reasons why she`s today`s "Character Study".

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ISHA DESSELLE, CNN HERO: When you`re older living on the street, it`s a very scary place. You`re much more vulnerable.

The people who are in between the ages of 50 and 62, society views them as too old for working and too young for Social Security. They need help. It`s like you don`t exist and that`s wrong.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I was in retail management for about 30 years. I lost my job. Suddenly, in my late 50s, I wasn`t getting any callbacks.

Eventually, I lost my car, then I got an eviction notice. I never thought I`d be in that position.

DESSELLE: Thirty years ago, I sold my home and everything that I had, put a down payment on a rundown apartment complex and just got started. To get this place ready for the elderly homeless.

How are you doing?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Great.

DESSELLE: We provide food, shelter, clothing and a variety of supportive services.

The end goal is really to get back on their feet.

I may organize it, but the people here, they are the ones who makes it happen.

Anyone who lives here has a chore if they`re able.

I really want John to do those or George.

They`re at the gate, or office, the kitchen, the maintenance. It`s a community that help each other.

Coby?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Bingo tonight. The Rotary Club will be doing dinner for us.

Once you`re homeless, you just feel like maybe I don`t deserve to get back on my feet.

Turning Point Center, how may I direct your call?

Turning Point can change your way of thinking about that.

Hi, guys!

CROWD: Hi!

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I look forward to my future where I didn`t have hope, I have hope.

DESSELLE: They have so much to offer. People need to not push them aside and don`t pass judgment that quickly, because you can be there, too.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

AZUZ: At the New York Public Library, gone are the days when librarians had to manually put books on carts and then wheel them through the eight- storey building. Now, the books traveled by train.

A new conveyor system is on track to keep things amoving. Researchers request materials, staff load them up on one of the 24 moving cars and they`re transported horizontally and vertically over 950 feet of track to other staff members. The cost, $2.6 million.

So, it kind of turns a library into a books of million, and if it shuts down, it could really put folks in a bind. But there`s no doubt it carriers over stories and it`s a fun topic to cover, because no matter what the technology looks like, libraries will always have pages.

That ushers out another broadcast of CNN STUDENT NEWS. I`m Carl Azuz and it`s probably time for me to shhh.

CNN Student News September 30 2016

 Thank you for spending part of your day with us, this last day of September. I`m Carl Azuz for CNN STUDENT
NEWS.

First up, tragedy at a train station. A transit train crowded with people commuting to work crashed yesterday morning in Hoboken, New Jersey.

Survivors who were aboard the train said it simply didn`t slow down like it`s supposed when it entered the station. It reportedly slammed into a
block that marks the end of the track and then went up in the air inside the terminal apparently causing part of the roof to collapse.

Officials say one person who was standing in the platform when the train came in was killed. More than a hundred other people were injured, some ofthem seriously hurt. Some passengers were able to climb down on their own. Others were trapped until they could be rescued. The train`s engineer is
in the hospital. He`s reportedly in stable condition.

Yesterday wasn`t the first time has crashed at the Hoboken station. The National Transportation Safety Board will be investigating similarities
between this incident and one that happened in 2011. For the time being, real service has been suspended at the station, where more than 15,000people board a train every weekday.

Next this Friday, what could become dangerous waters. Japan is getting ready to join the U.S. in military training exercises in the South ChinaSea. And China says Japan is playing with fire.

The South China Sea is located in the Western Pacific Ocean. It`s an important and contested waterway, surrounded by several Southeast Asiancountries. China claims to control it. Over the summer, an international court ruled that China does not. But the country ignored that ruling,

calling it a farce.

And China continues, along with other countries in the region, to build up its presence there. Why?

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: This is the South China Sea, and this may not look like much. But these small, sparsely populated islands andreefs are at a center of a heated international dispute over land and water rights involving China, the United States and much of Southeast Asia.

Nearly third of the world`s trade passes through here on ships and valuable gas and oil deposits are believed to lie below these waters.

Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan all have competing claims of territory, but China is the most ambitious and the mostaggressive.

As you can see, China claims almost all of the sea, citing a historic boundary it calls the "Nine Dash" line. And over here, in the chain ofislands called the Spratlys, China, to some extent Vietnam, are rapidly building artificial islands, installing infrastructure, all to justifytheir territorial claims.

Now, let`s zoom in all the way in on a reef here known as the Fiery Cross. A satellite photos from the Asian Maritime Transparency Institute revealedjust how much China has transformed this reef into a fully pledged island, reclaiming over 2 million square meters, adding lighthouses, even anairstrip.

And just a few steps away, zoom in to a different story, Sand Cay Island controlled by Vietnam. The AMTI says Vietnam expanded the island here bymore than 50 percent, adding defensive positions, gun emplacements and trenches.

And less than 12 kilometers from here, Taiwan controls Taiping Island. It`s a little more than a runway with a medical clinic, but it helpsjustify Taiwan`s claim to the region.

The dispute also spills out into the seas themselves. Anyone crossing these waters might run into Chinese military ships on drills. U.S. Navyboats conducting freedom of navigation operations, or fishermen from Vietnam, China, or the Philippines. A lot of traffic intention that hasraised fears that this contested body of water could become a flash point between competing nations.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

AZUZ: And it`s just one of several international challenges that the next U.S. president will have to deal with. The election is on November 8th.

Whoever wins will take office on January 20th. And we`ve been running a series that explores the controversies, the conflicts and the concernassociated with other world powers.

Today`s report centers on Russia. In recent years, its relations with the U.S. have sunk to their lowest points since the Cold War. Part of thereason what the U.S. president calls "gaps of trust" between the two governments.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: There are a number of reasons why Russia could be the biggest headache for the next U.S.president. Russia has spent billions, strengthening its armed forces. Vladimir Putin is challenging the U.S. in the skies and on the high seas,propping up the Syria regime of Bashar al-Assad with devastating air power, tipping the military balance against U.S.-backed rebels.

Putin also continues to support breakaway rebels in Eastern Ukraine, which is fueling instability on the edge of Europe. There will be peace deals tobroker and sanctions to enforce if the next U.S. president is to tame the Russian bear.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

AZUZ: Part of the U.S. president`s job, according to Article II Section II of the Constitution is to be the commander in chief of America`s armedforces. And it`s not every day that members of the military get to question their commander in chief about his policies.

That`s what happened in a CNN town hall Wednesday night. U.S. veterans and active duty members of the U.S. military got to ask President Obama aboutcontroversial subjects. For instance, a recent scandal involving thousands of veterans who couldn`t get timely health care, women serving in combatroles, why the president won`t use the term "Islamic terrorism".

Here`s an overview of some of his responses.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SUBTITLE: The CNN Presidential Town Hall in under two minutes.

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Thank you. Thank you so much.

I will bring in critics of my policy to find out, OK, you don`t think this is the right way to go. You tell me what it is that you think would allowus to prevent the civil war that`s taking place in Syria.

Just sending in more troops is not going to be the answer.

I don`t want to in any way sugarcoat the fact that there have been significant problems in the V.A. that have accumulated over decades.

QUESTION: How do you feel about those NFL players choosing this typically respected time to voice their opinions?

OBAMA: We fight sometimes so that people can do things that we disagree with. We can voice our opinion objecting to it, but it`s also their right.

I want Mr. Kaepernick and others who are on a knee, I want them to listen to the pain that that may cause.

The truth of the matter is, is that this is an issue that has been sort of manufactured. They have perverted and distorted and tried to claim the mantle of Islam for an excuse for basically barbarism.

QUESTION: What would you say, and what advice would you give, to Malia and Sasha, if they approached you and expressed interest in serving in ourmilitary?

OBAMA: I`d say go for it.

I`d be lying if I said I wouldn`t sometimes get nervous about possible deployments. You know, your kids are your kids.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

AZUZ: Some might say it`s kind of rude if you`re in New York Central Park, all dressed up for your wedding, and some dude who just happens to bejogging nearby stops to photo-bomb you.

But this couple didn`t seem to mind too much. The jogger just said, "Hi, I`m Tom Hanks," and proceeded to congratulate them.

The Oscar-winning actor posed for pictures with the happy couple and even took a selfie of his own before continuing his jog.

It certainly didn`t seem to sully the pictures, those wouldn`t be cast away from the album. Think about it, they got their picture taken with CaptainPhillips, Captain Gump, Captain Sullenberger, Captain Miller and Captain Lovell. You can say the photos made a big splash that they were in a

league of their own. Guess if you`re in Central Park, on a dragnet for a picture with a man with one red shoe, you`ll just have to catch him if youcan.

I`m Carl Azuz for CNN STUDENT NEWS, where Fridays are awesome.

CNN Student News September 29 2016

CARL AZUZ, CNN STUDENT NEWS ANCHOR: I`m Carl Azuz, kicking off your Thursday edition of CNN STUDENT NEWS.

First up, a historic showdown between the U.S. Congress and the U.S. president. Earlier this month, the House and Senate passed a controversial bill. Its goal was to allow the families of terrorism victims to sue the government of Saudi Arabia.

Why? The Middle Eastern country has been accused of helping the terrorist group that conducted the September 11th, 2001 attacks. Fifteen of the terrorists were from Saudi Arabia. The Saudi government has denied having any role in the attacks.

Why did President Obama oppose the bill? He said it would interfere with his ability to conduct foreign policy and that it could potentially lead to the U.S. government being sued in other country`s court systems.

For its part, Saudi Arabia threatened to abandon hundreds of billions of dollars of investments in American assets if the bill passed.

Why did U.S. lawmakers support the bill? They felt the families of 9/11 victims deserve to have their day in court against Saudi Arabia. One attorney in the suit suggested that if the Saudi government was innocent, it wouldn`t have to be afraid of the lawsuits.

So, what happened with the bill? President Obama vetoed it last week. But yesterday afternoon, Congress overrode that veto. It was the first time that`s happened since President Obama took office. Overriding a veto takes a two-thirds vote in both the Senate and the House.

And it`s pretty rare. Only around 4 percent of U.S. presidential vetoes had ever been overridden according to "The Wall Street Journal".

The U.S. government is planning to send roughly 500 additional American troops to the Middle Eastern nation of Iraq. Right now, there are around 5,000 troops serving there. That includes those in Iraq on temporary status. The numbers have been increasing since 2014.

Iraq`s government requested more U.S. forces to help out with the upcoming battle for Mosul, a city in northern Iraq that`s controlled by the ISIS terrorist group. U.S. officials have indicated that the Americans might be closer to combat, though not at the front lines. That`s significant because in 2014, President Obama said American combat troops would not be battling on foreign soil in the fight against ISIS.

U.S. officials expect this will be the last increase of American military troops in Iraq. But the nation will likely remain a challenge for America.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: The next U.S. president will be caught between Iraq and a hard place.

Barack Obama called U.S. troops out in his first term. Now, they`re back. They`re there to help crush ISIS, which was born in Iraq.

But the war against the terror group has obscured one important fact -- Iraq is never far from falling apart.

There are three main groups in the country, the Kurds, who basically controlled much of the north, the Shia who ruled from Baghdad and are influenced by Iran, and the once dominance Sunni-Arab minority who don`t trust the Kurds or the Shia.

In the post-ISIS future, the next American president will have the unenviable tasks of trying to keep Iraq together while at the same time preventing a return of ISIS in different incarnation.

It`s not mission impossible, but it`s close to it.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SUBTITLE: Landfall in Taiwan.

Typhoon Megi is the third typhoon to batter Taiwan in two weeks. The typhoon made landfall at 1:30 p.m. local time with winds in excess of 143 mph (230 kph).

The second busiest port in Taiwan, Taichung Port, reported wave height of 10.8 meters (35 feet).

At least four people have died and 316 others were injured due to Typhoon Megi.

Rainfall totals have reached 1,000 mm (over 24 feet) in 24 hours in the mountainous Yilan County.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

AZUZ: To the Midwestern U.S. state of Iowa, the National Weather Service has extended flood warnings to Sunday in the city of Cedar Rapids.

Thousands had to evacuate after more than 10 inches fell in Eastern Iowa and Western Wisconsin last week.

Over the weekend, city workers, contractors, volunteers and National Guard troops banded together. They built temporary walls, levees and laid down

250 sand bags and it looks like it all worked.

The city manager says the efforts appeared to protect the city of Cedar Rapids from serious flooding. The major concern was the Cedar River and how high it would rise. It crested at just over 22 feet and that is six feet above what`s considered major flood stage.

So, what`s the difference between river flooding and flash flooding?

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JENNIFER GRAY, CNN METEOROLOGIST: You can see these different categories. A pair in the purple, that`s major flood stage. And then, of course, those orange, that is minor flood stage.

So, you take the first one. This is a flash flood event. And you can see how steep this spike is. It`s basically flat and then in the matter of hours, boom, peaks and then it drops off rather quickly as well.

Another instance, you may have two thunderstorms, so you have a small peak, and then you have a big peak. But the point is, it happens extremely quickly. The difference in river flooding is that it`s a very gradual process. The river will rise sometimes taking days, and they`re gradually falling. That`s a river flood.

Here`s another example, even more dramatic, and you can see the slow rise and then the slow fall.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

AZUZ: The head of SpaceX, a space exploration company, is laying out a plan for humans to colonize Mars, the planet. And Elon Musk says this could happen in 50 to 150 years, though he wants to get it started, sending the first humans to Mars in the year 2024.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ELON MUSK, CEO TESLA MOTORS: I think there are two main motivations for Mars. I mean, one is, is the sort of defense reason of saying, OK, if something would have happened to Earth, is live as we know it, does it end? Or if it`s on another planet, then it probably doesn`t end.

Multi-planet civilization is likely to last a lot longer than a single civilization.

The other part of it is, just being an incredible adventure. It would be a very exciting and even if somebody never plan to go to Mars, just following the progress I think would -- vicariously would be quite aspiring.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

AZUZ: But at the moment, quite expensive. Musk says it costs $10 billion to get someone there with today`s technology. He wants to get the price of a ticket down to $200,000 per person, through the development of newer and more advanced systems. He says, ultimately, the mission would need a combo of private and government funds.

The downsides: Musk says that people wanting to go to Mars would have to be prepared to die, that the fatally risk would be high. Also, SpaceX is currently dealing with setbacks, like the explosion of one of its rockets on a launch pad earlier this month. But the company, like the U.S. government, is working to send people far beyond the moon.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RACHEL CRANE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: If technologically it becomes possible to colonize other worlds, do you think our bodies and our brains could handle it?

SCOTT KELLY, NASA, RETIRED ASTRONAUT: Definitely our brains could handle it.

SUBTITLE: Astronaut Scott Kelly believes we`re ready for Mars.

KELLY: Probably the biggest impediment to just going there is the cost. I mean, I think we can overcome the challenges if we could overcome the financial requirements. Who knows what the resources are in Mars, but I think there are advantages, assuming you could do it to having another
livable planet.

NASA believes in redundant systems and earth is a system. So, if at some point in our future became feasible to maybe make Mars somewhat like Earth, then it would be -- there would be a lot of value to that.

But there`s also value in just exploring for explorations sake. I mean, we`re explorers, and I think doing stuff that is really complicated, really difficult, that challenges us, also adds, you know, to our economy and, you know, makes our lives better right there on Earth.

CRANE: Do you think that Elon Musk setting up his own Mars architecture, that that compromises that government`s ambitions in any way, shape or form?

KELLY: Not at all. And, you know, I would hope that NASA would even partner with him in some respects. You know, having competition in everything always helps to if we look at like, you know, someone`s trying to get there first. That would be helpful too.

CRANE: Would you go to Mars?

KELLY: Yes.

CRANE: You would go to Mars?

KELLY: Yes.

CRANE: For how long though?

KELLY: I would go on the three-year trek where you come home.

CRANE: Were you ever counting down the days when you were spending that year in space?

KELLY: I tried to count up. Unfortunately, my colleague Nisha (ph) started counting down at day 100 and every day, he would say 99, 98, 97.

So, I had to count down because of him.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

AZUZ: Before we go, a British prince totally disrespecting a Canadian prime minster. A few well known members of Britain`s royal family are spending the week in Canada. They arrived Saturday. Three-year-old Prince George was among them.

But when Canada`s leader knelt down to offer a high five, the little prince just shook his head, no high five, no low five, not even a handshake -- nothing. I guess the young royal just thought he`d keep his hands to himself.

Does he deserve a hand? Does he need a hand learning etiquette? You could call it a royal snub, or a princely putdown. You say the whole situation got out of hand, but in this case, it seems it`s the Briton who`s declaring independence.

I`m Carl Azuz for CNN STUDENT NEWS.

CNN Student News September 28 2016

CARL AZUZ, CNN STUDENT NEWS ANCHOR: Welcome to a new day of international events covered. I`m Carl Azuz at the CNN Center.

First up, the World Health Organization, part of the United Nations, has a new warning out about air pollution. It says that nine in ten people around the world live in areas with unsafe levels of pollution. The organization collected data from thousands of locations worldwide and says air pollution contributes to more than 3 million deaths every year.

Poor air quality is one reason why you see people wearing face masks in some Chinese cities. Pollution in China is said to factor in to more deaths per year than in any other country.

But India also has a high death toll blamed on air pollution, followed by Russia. And the World Health Organization says air pollution increases the risk of stroke, hearth disease, respiratory infections and lung diseases including cancer.

The report measured pollutants like sulfates, nitrates and black carbon, blamed for getting into people`s lungs. It said that the vast majority of air pollution related deaths occurred in low and middle income countries. As far as the U.S. goes, the WHO estimated that air pollution was tied to more than 38,000 deaths in 2012.

Solutions: the WHO suggests clean forms of transportation, better management of garbage, better cooking stoves in poor countries, and more renewable energy. But it said human activity wasn`t the only cause of pollution. Natural events like dust storms and areas near deserts also pollute the air.

The civil war that`s been tearing apart the Middle Eastern nation of Syria since 2011 shows no signs of ending soon. A ceasefire organized by the U.S. and Russia earlier this month has collapsed. Hundreds of airstrikes hit the rebel-held city of Aleppo over the weekend. For the civilians there, food prices have shut up dramatically and medical care and supplies are getting harder to find.

Syria`s war is an international crisis and whoever wins November`s U.S. presidential election will likely have to address.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CLARISSA WARD, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Here are three reasons why Syria could be the biggest global headache for the next U.S. president.

The big one. It`s ground zero for ISIS and the launch pad for many of its terrorist attacks around the world.

The world can`t figure out what to do with the Syrian president. The U.S. views him as a brutal dictator who has killed hundreds of thousands of its people and wants him out. But Iran and Russia want him in.

Meanwhile, the deadlock has created the worst humanitarian crisis since the Second World War. What happens in Syria doesn`t stay in Syria, and here`s what I mean by that. The fault lines that have emerged from this conflict now threaten to break up the entire region, along religious and ethnic
lines.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

AZUZ: Syria was not something the candidates discuss much at their first U.S. presidential debate, though Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump did talk about ISIS and the importance of defeating the terrorist group. More than 80 million watched them face off on Monday night. It was the most watched debate ever. That`s according to audience research info by the Nielsen Company.

We don`t know yet how or if this debate will impact the national polls. But John King takes a look at how they can.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHN KING, CNN ANCHOR, "INSIDE POLITICS": What does history tell us? Can a debate change a race? Can one candidate come in behind and pull out ahead?

Well, let`s go back and study some history.

SUBTITLE: Debates matter. (Sometimes.)

KING: It`s a tough question, how much do the polls move before and after debate? In part, it depends on how close is the race. It`s the race already baked. Is somebody already on the path to victory? Then, they move less.

And also, it depends on performance. Let`s be clear, it`s a debate.

SUBTITLE: Back in 2008 --

KING: What was interesting about the third debate is that Obama was -- in the instant polls, Obama scored the winner. But this is the debate, if you go back and think about it, we met Joe the Plumber. John McCain tried to make the case that Senator Obama --

SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), ARIZONA: What you want to do to Joe the Plumber and millions more like him is have their taxes increased.

KING: So, it`s a good moment for John McCain. You see, he benefited by a point after that debate, a very good debate moment. Good reviews for Senator McCain after that debate, but again, the race was pretty much baked.

If the voters have already decided which way they`re most likely going, even a strong debate sometimes doesn`t get your much.

SUBTITLE: And back in 2012 --

KING: 2012 is a different case and that`s why every campaign is a little different. 2012, like 2016, was a more competitive race. So, let`s take a look at some of the things coming in.

In the first debate in 2012, the big headline was, where was this guy? The incumbent president of the United States didn`t seem like he wanted to be at the first debate. If you go back and look at the clips, he seemed disinterested, he seemed a little bored, like he wanted to be somewhere else, but he didn`t think that guy, Governor Romney, belonged on the same stage as the president of the United States.

MITT ROMNEY (R), FORMER PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I just don`t know how the president could have come into office, facing 23 million out of work, rising unemployment, an economic crisis at the kitchen table, and spend his energy and passion for two years fighting for Obamacare instead of fighting for jobs for the American people.

KING: Guess what? Debate performance matters. Mitt Romney came up six points, the president went down six points after that first debate. A lot of the conservatives came in to the first debate thinking, we`re going to lose, they came out of the first debate thinking, hey, we got a shot.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

AZUZ: Well, there`s a debate going on in the scientific community about the flu shot. When is the best time to get it? U.S. Centers for Disease Control says getting a vaccination every year is the best protection against the flu, that it can reduce our chances of catching the flu by 50 or 60 percent under good circumstances.

But though flu season doesn`t peak in the U.S. until January or February, clinics and drug stores start marketing the shot as early as August, and some experts have concerned that if people get it that early, especially people over age 65, the vaccine`s effectiveness could wear off before flu season peaks.

Doctors don`t know exactly how long a vaccination`s protection lasts. One immunologist says the best time to get one is between Halloween and

Thanksgiving. Government health officials say an earlier shot is still better than none at all.

When Dr. Edwin Smith started his career in dentistry, he saw a lot -- people with chronic infections, people who`d super glued their teeth back under their gums. But it was the kids in dental pain who troubled him the most.

So, in 2005, Dr. Smith started Kids First Dental Services, a non-profit that`s helped more than 43,000 children. He`s today`s "Character Study".

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DR. EDWIN SMITH, CNN HERO: I was born and raised in Appalachia. I`ve been here all my life. It`s a special place, but there`s jaw-dropping poverty, too. We have people in great need.

Are you OK?

You`re doing great.

I`ve been practicing this for 27 years when I first started. I saw a lot of patients who hadn`t seen a dentist before. I would see a lot of kids who had a mouth full of rotting teeth. In most heartbreaking to see these kids who were in pain. They won`t smile.

Once I was exposed to that, then I felt like something had to be done. We turned a trailer in a multi-dome plank.

We go to the schools. We see in the children who want to be seen.

I`m going to have a look of your teeth, OK?

We provide free checkups.

And get them some education early on.

If you do the preventative work, then they`re going to continue to stay healthy as they get older.

Very nice. Do you brush your teeth? She got really pretty teeth.

We travelled all across Kentucky.

We want to take a baby tooth out here.

I do follow-up care, not practice.

You`re done. It`s easy one.

If they can`t get here, we`d help them get in to another practice.

We treat people regardless of their ability to pay.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The dentist will take a look at your teeth.

She had some really bad tooth decay.

We ain`t got no brown smile no more, do we?

You want to look at your mouth.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I can smile real pretty now.

SMITH: Thank you, baby.

Just seeing that we`re still making a difference keeps me going. It means everything to me, to be able to serve my community. This is my home, my

people. This is who I am.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

AZUZ: A manager of a cell phone store in California recently ordered a pizza and bread sticks for lunch. That`s not what was delivered. Inside the box were packs of cash, almost $5,000 worth. She assumed it was for a bank deposit.

But the pizza store didn`t return her call. It took days for her to get in touch with the franchise owner. When she did, though, her reward was a year of free pizza from the restaurant and a week`s paid vacation from her employer.

So, her honesty truly paid off in dough and pizza dough. Oh, sure, someone crust, you might have tried to box up the cash and take it all the way home. But there`s topping doing the right thing. It often delivers a sense of inner pizza.

I`m Carl Azuz and we hope you`ll order more news and puns tomorrow.

CNN Student News - September 27 2016

CARL AZUZ, CNN STUDENT NEWS ANCHOR: Recapping last night`s U.S. presidential debate. This is CNN STUDENT NEWS. I`m Carl Azuz.

Suspense has been building for weeks. The size of the TV, online and social media audience was expected to be historic. It was the first head to head match up between Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton and Republican nominee Donald Trump.

There are other candidates. Why just those two on the debate stage? Because you take part in the U.S. presidential debate, the Commission on

Presidential Debates requires candidates to have the support of at least 15 percent of voters in national polls. Only Mrs. Clinton and Mr. Trump had that.

And in those polls, they are neck and neck. In CNN`s average of five of the most of the recent national polls, Clinton had the support of 44 percent of likely voters. Trump had the support of 42 percent.

But in a number of battleground states, states where either a Republican or a Democrat could win the electoral vote, the two main candidates were so close, they were within the margin of error, meaning neither had a commanding lead.

Now, for the debate. It was scheduled to last 90 minutes with no breaks and no commercials. Donald Trump stood to the left of the moderator,

Hillary Clinton to the right. That was decided by a coin toss.

Hillary Clinton was to receive the first question of the debate, also decided by a coin toss.

And NBC News anchor named Lester Holt moderated. His plan was to spend 30 minutes on each of three main general topics.

The first was on achieving prosperity. It was the chance for the candidates to discuss the status of the U.S. economy and their plans for where to take it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HILLARY CLINTON (D), PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: There are different views about what`s good for our country, our economy, and our leadership in the world.

And I think it`s important to look at what we need to do to get the economy going again. That`s why I said new jobs with rising incomes, investments, not in more tax cuts that would add $5 trillion to the debt.

DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: But you have no plan.

CLINTON: But in -- oh, but I do.

TRUMP: Secretary, you have no plan.

CLINTON: In fact, I have written a book about it. It`s called "Stronger Together." You can pick it up tomorrow at a bookstore --

TRUMP: That`s about all you`ve --

(CROSSTALK)

LESTER HOLT, DEBATE MODERATOR: Folks, we`re going to --

CLINTON: -- or at an airport near you.

HOLT: We`re going to move to --

CLINTON: But it`s because I see this -- we need to have strong growth, fair growth, sustained growth. We also have to look at how we help families balance the responsibilities at home and the responsibilities at business.

So we have a very robust set of plans. And people have looked at both of our plans, have concluded that mine would create 10 million jobs and yours would lose us 3.5 million jobs, and explode the debt which would have a recession.

TRUMP: You are going to approve one of the biggest tax cuts in history. You are going to approve one of the biggest tax increases in history. You are going to drive business out. Your regulations are a disaster, and you`re going to increase regulations all over the place.

And, by the way, my tax cut is the biggest since Ronald Reagan. I`m very proud of it. It will create tremendous numbers of new jobs. But regulations, you are going to regulate these businesses out of existence.

When I go around -- Lester, I tell you this, I`ve been all over. And when I go around, despite the tax cut, the thing -- the things that business as in people like the most is the fact that I`m cutting regulation. You have regulations on top of regulations, and new companies cannot form and old
companies are going out of business. And you want to increase the regulations and make them even worse.

I`m going to cut regulations. I`m going to cut taxes big league, and you`re going to raise taxes big league, end of story.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

AZUZ: So, strong views, strong disagreements. That continued in the second segment of the debate. The focus here: America`s direction -- where is the country headed, how would the candidates address the challenges of American communities and how will the candidates lead?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: And we have to be very strong. And we have to be very vigilant.

We have to be -- we have to know what we`re doing. Right now, our police, in many cases, are afraid to do anything. We have to protect our inner cities, because African-American communities are being decimated by crime.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: And we have to be very strong. And we have to be very vigilant.

We have to be -- we have to know what we`re doing. Right now, our police, in many cases, are afraid to do anything. We have to protect our inner cities, because African-American communities are being decimated by crime, decimated.

You need better relationships. I agree with Secretary Clinton on this. You need better relationships between the communities and the police,

because in some cases, it`s not good.

But you look at Dallas, where the relationships were really studied, the relationships were really a beautiful thing, and then five police officers were killed one night very violently. So, there`s some bad things going on. Some really bad things.

HOLT: Secretary Clinton --

TRUMP: But we need -- Lester, we need law and order. And we need law and order in the inner cities, because the people that are most affected by what`s happening are African-American and Hispanic people. And it`s very unfair to them what our politicians are allowing to happen.

CLINTON: Lester, I think implicit bias is a problem for everyone, not just police. I think, unfortunately, too many of us in our great country jump to conclusions about each other.

When it comes to policing, since it can have literally fatal consequences, I have said, in my first budget, we would put money into that budget to

help us deal with implicit bias by retraining a lot of our police officers.

I`ve met with a group of very distinguished, experienced police chiefs a few weeks ago. They admit it`s an issue. They`ve got a lot of concerns.

Mental health is one of the biggest concerns, because now police are having to handle a lot of really difficult mental health problems on the street.

They want support, they want more training, they want more assistance. And I think the federal government could be in a position where we would offer and provide that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

AZUZ: And that brings us to third planned section of the showdown. Securing America was the theme here. How do Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump plan to keep the country safe and what are their visions for the future of U.S. foreign policy, how it works with other nations of the world?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CLINTON: How do we protect our people?

And I think we`ve got to have an intelligence surge, where we are looking for every scrap of information. I was so proud of law enforcement in New York, in Minnesota, in New Jersey. You know, they responded so quickly, so professionally to the attacks that occurred by Rahami. And they brought him down. And we may find out more information because he is still alive, which may prove to be an intelligence benefit.

So we`ve got to do everything we can to vacuum up intelligence from Europe, from the Middle East. That means we`ve got to work more closely with our allies, and that`s something that Donald has been very dismissive of.

We`re working with NATO, the longest military alliance in the history of the world, to really turn our attention to terrorism. We`re working with our friends in the Middle East, many of which, as you know, are Muslim majority nations. Donald has consistently insulted Muslims abroad, Muslims
at home, when we need to be cooperating with Muslim nations and with the American Muslim community.

They`re on the front lines. They can provide information to us that we might not get anywhere else. They need to have close working cooperation with law enforcement in these communities, not be alienated and pushed away as some of Donald`s rhetoric, unfortunately, has led to.

TRUMP: The secretary said very strongly about working with -- we`ve been working with them for many years, and we have the greatest mess anyone`s ever seen. You look at the Middle East, it`s a total mess. Under your direction, to a large extent.

But you look at the Middle East, you started the Iran deal, that`s another beauty where you have a country that was ready to fall, I mean, they were doing so badly. They were choking on the sanctions. And now they`re going to be actually probably a major power at some point pretty soon, the way
they`re going.

But when you look at NATO, I was asked on a major show, what do you think of NATO? And you have to understand, I`m a businessperson. I did really

well. But I have common sense.

And I said, well, I`ll tell you. I haven`t given lots of thought to NATO. But two things.

Number one, the 28 countries of NATO, many of them aren`t paying their fair share. Number two -- and that bothers me, because we should be asking -- we`re defending them, and they should at least be paying us what they`re supposed to be paying by treaty and contract.

And, number two, I said, and very strongly, NATO could be obsolete, because -- and I was very strong on this, and it was actually covered very

accurately in "The New York Times", which is unusual for "The New York Times", to be honest -- but I said, they do not focus on terror.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

AZUZ: Two very different candidates with two very different views on the future of the U.S. presidency, there`s no debate about it.

There are two more presidential debates scheduled and one vice presidential debate, all of them are set for next month, and CNN STUDENT NEWS will continue to follow the people, the polls and the process moving forward in this U.S. presidential election cycle.

I`m Carl Azuz. We hope to see you again tomorrow.

CNN Student News September 26 2016

CARL AZUZ, CNN STUDENT NEWS ANCHOR: Hi, everyone. It`s good to see you today. I`m Carl Azuz. And welcome you to CNN STUDENT NEWS on this last week of September 2016.

The stage is set. At 9:00 Eastern Time tonight, the lights, the cameras and the action will be on at Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York.

It`s the first of three scheduled U.S. presidential debates between Republican nominee Donald Trump and Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton.

The two main candidates are making last minute preparations and so is Lester Holt. He`s a news anchor at NBC and the moderator of tonight`s debate.

And there`s a debate going on over the moderator`s role. Should he fact- check the candidates? We don`t know if Mr. Holt will do that tonight. But while some people believe the moderator should immediately correct the candidates if they make false claims, others say that`s not a good idea, that the candidates should fact-check each other like they have in the past.

One thing no one`s debating about the debate is that it`s a big one. Analysts expect it could draw 100 million or more viewers, like the Super

Bowl. And a recent poll showed that one-third of voters said the debate would significantly influence their decision on whom to support.

And while we`re on the subject of polls, a recent ABC News/"Washington Post" poll shows 46 percent of likely voters support Clinton, 44 percent support Trump, 5 percent support libertarian candidate Gary Johnson, and 1 percent support Green Party candidate Jill Stein. The polls margin of
error: 4.5 percent.

Keep in mind that different polls even in the same state can find different results. But most do suggest a very close race between the two main candidates.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHN KING, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hillary Clinton holds the lead in the national polls heading into the first debate, but a bunch of new state polls suggest we have a very tight race, high stakes for the candidates.

Let`s look through some of the new numbers in recent days.

Number one, for a new poll out of the state of New Hampshire. We lean this state Clinton`s way and the Monmouth University poll shows she`s got a lead 47 percent to 38 percent over Donald Trump. The third party candidates Gary Johnson and Jill Stein filling out the field here. But that`s
encouraging for Secretary Clinton. The state, a small state but one she wants to hold.

Down in battleground Florida, though, look at these numbers here. Clinton ahead in this Monmouth University. Others have shown a closer race, but Monmouth has Clinton with a five-point lead in the state of Florida, again, very encouraging for the Clinton campaign.

Florida is a state Donald Trump must win. Without its 29 electoral votes, impossible to see Donald Trump getting elected president. The Clinton campaign will like that poll. Again, some of other polls have shown it a little bit tighter.

Let`s move to battleground North Carolina, again, a must win for Donald Trump. Hillary Clinton very much would like to win this state, but Trump would be encouraged by this. That`s a statistical dead heat, but the Elon University Poll shows Donald Trump pulling into the lead, 44-43. Gary

Johnson is 6 percent. Jill Stein, the green party candidate, not on the ballot in North Carolina.

That`s three, still some more to go. This one is very encouraging for Donald Trump. In the state of Nevada, Latino voters, key to vote of

President Obama`s victories in the state, Democrats have been doing better in Nevada.

But at a moment, a new FOX News poll out shows Trump up three. Now, statistically, that`s a tie, but Donald Trump with momentum in Nevada for sure, 43 percent to 40 percent.

One more, let`s move over to battleground Ohio, like Florida, Donald Trump cannot win the presidency without winning in Ohio and he will be encouraged by this, another FOX News Poll showing Donald Trump with a five-point lead, 42 percent to 37 percent in the state of Ohio, Gary Johnson and Jill Stein riding out the numbers.

What does that mean? Well, let`s switch maps and take a peek. Clearly, Clinton still has an edge when it comes to the stage, but if you look at this right now, here`s Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton, 273 for Clinton, 191 for Donald Trump.

Assume Donald Trump wins Nevada, wins Iowa where he`s leading, no new poll in there, but he`s leading there, wins Ohio, wins North Carolina. Clinton is ahead in Florida right now, Donald Trump must find a way to win it. Even if he did all that, look, Hillary Clinton would still win.

The challenge for Donald Trump heading into this first debate, get more momentum, take something that`s blue here, Pennsylvania, New Hampshire, Virginia, Michigan, Wisconsin, Colorado, something that`s leaning Clinton`s way and pull it back into the tossup and lean it red. That`s Donald Trump`s big challenge heading into the first debate. A bit of momentum perhaps at the state level, but not enough yet.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

AZUZ: Three broad debate topics planned for tonight, include the direction of the U.S., the security of the country, and how America can achieve prosperity. These debates give the candidates a chance to show off their knowledge of U.S. and global issues and how they plan to deal with them.

Today, we`re kicking off a new series of international challenges facing whoever becomes the next president, starting with the nation of Turkey.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Three reasons Turkey could be a major global headache for the next U.S. president.

The biggest, Turkey is the main gateway for ISIS fighters trying to go to and come from neighboring Syria. To stop the flow of militants, the U.S. needs Turkey`s support. Millions of refugees have fled Syria into Turkey and many of them have then moved on to Europe, throwing European politics
and borders into turmoil.

Turkey is a key member of the NATO military alliance. But in July, a faction of the Turkish military tried and failed to overthrow the government. The Turks are demanding that the U.S. hand over an exiled cleric leaving in Pennsylvania who they accuse of organizing the coup, and the U.S.-Turkish strategic alliance is now at risk.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

AZUZ: Players and fans of Major League Baseball are mourning the death of Jose Fernandez. The 24-year-old Miami Marlins pitcher was the National League rookie of the year in 2013 and a two-time all star. Police say Fernandez and two other men were killed early yesterday in a boating
accident. Officials believe they were traveling at full speed at nighttime when their vote hit the rocks of a jetty near Miami Harbor.

Major League Baseball said it was devastated at the news. Fernandez was widely remembered for his love of the game and his community service. The Marlins game against the Atlanta Braves was canceled on Sunday.

Up next today, an epidemic in the United States. There`s been an alarming increase in the number of drug deaths. In fact, since 1999, the number of deaths from overdoses has gone up in all 50 states and drugs are now the leading cause of accidental death in the country. States that had been affected the most, meaning those states with the most drug overdose deaths per 100,000 people include West Virginia, New Hampshire, Kentucky, Pennsylvania and Ohio.

New Mexico has struggled with the issue for the longest period of time and what`s troubling so many researchers is how quickly these rates have gone up. From 1999 to 2014, heroin related deaths for example have increased 439 percent. Scientists in several areas say the blame lies with the
increased use of that drug and of synthetic, manmade opioids, like commonly prescribed painkillers.
What makes them so addictive?

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Before we can explore your brain on opiates, we need to understand a few things. An opiate is chemical derived from opium and it`s the key ingredient in heroin. Those narcotics in your medicine cabinet -- codeine, oxycodone, hydrocodone -- they`re opiate-like, but they are man-made and more commonly referred to as opioids.

So, how do these chemicals affect the brain?

One big way is by exerting powerful pain relief to the rest of the body. Chemicals flood the system, latch on to millions of opiate receptors peppered throughout the body. Think of opiates and the receptors like puzzle pieces. When they bind together, pain signals are dulled, or they go away all together.

If the brain already has opiate receptors, doesn`t that mean it can naturally provide pain relief?

That`s right. Feel good chemicals like endorphins are natural opiates that dull pain and also give you a rush.

The problem with manmade opiates that mimic endorphins, take too many and they can overwhelm the system, give you too much of a rush. That can lead to dependence or abuse. Addiction becomes an ever bigger problem, because opiates also slowdown breathing and heart rate.

Mix them with other things that slow down your body and everything could grind to a halt. In fact, every 19 minutes, someone dies of an accidental prescription drug overdose. Most of the time, it involves an opiate. It`s now more common than dying in a car crash.

If you want to avoid that fate, don`t take more than you`re prescribed. Don`t use other people`s prescriptions. Never mix opiates with alcohol.

And maybe try other ways of alleviating your pain, like over-the-counter pain relievers and good old fashion exercise.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

AZUZ: Things didn`t go so well for my college football team this weekend, but at least nobody disappeared. During the Big 10 network broadcast of

Michigan State versus Wisconsin, the coach in the white short vanishes. What?

Le`s see that again. Now, you see him, no you don`t. Where did he go?

It seems he just walk away at just the right time, watch the player that cuts in front of him. You can see just part of the coach`s white polo moving behind the jersey.

Didn`t want to pass on that. Glad we had the option to reverse that shot to see the trick play action. The coach got a great block while moving from his post and out of his zone and a sort of slant route, you can see the draw of the end around off the screen. And what`s got to be called the coach and back sneak.

I`m Carl Azuz and we`ll hand it off to your teachers.

Debate coverage tomorrow on CNN STUDENT NEWS.

END