CNN Student News02-18

(CNNStudentNews)--February18,2010DownloadPDFmapsrelatedtotoday'sshow:TranscriptTHISISARUSHTRANSCRIPT.THISCOPYMAYNOTBEINITSFINALFORMANDMAYBEUPDATED.CARLAZUZ,CNNSTUDENTNEWSANCHOR:Oneyearafteritbecamelaw,whatisthereactiontothegovernment'sstimulusprogram?I'mCarlAzuz,andthisisCNNStudentNews!FirstUp:StimulusOneYearLaterAZUZ:Anabsolutesuccessthat'screatedorsavedmillionsofjobs.Amassivewastethathasraisedthecountry'sdebt.Twoopinionsontheverysamesubject:theAmericanRecoveryandReinvestmentAct.Mostfolksjustcallitthestimulusplan.Itwaspassedoneyearagoyesterdaywithapricetagofaround$787billion.Thathassincebeenre-estimatedat$862billion.Thegoalwastoboostthecountry'seconomybycuttingtaxesandthroughgovernmentspending.AndthatisexactlywhatPresidentObamasaysthestimulushasdone.U.S.PRESIDENTBARACKOBAMA:OneyearlateritislargelythankstotheRecoveryActthatasecondDepressionisnolongerapossibility.It'soneofthemainreasonstheeconomyhasgonefromshrinkingby6percenttogrowingatabout6percent.Sofar,theRecoveryActisresponsibleforthejobsofabouttwomillionAmericanswhowouldotherwisebeunemployed.AZUZ:Butotherpeopledisagree.InarecentCNNpoll,nearlythree-quartersofthepeoplesurveyedthinkthatatleasthalfofthestimulusmoneyspentsofarhasbeenwasted.Earlierthisweek,RepublicanRepresentativeJohnBoehner,theHouseminorityleader,saidthatpeople,aren'tgettingtheirmoney'sworthfromthetrillion-dollar'stimulus,'andstrugglingfamiliesandsmallbusinessesarerightlyasking'Wherearethejobs?'BlogPromoAZUZ:Soinyourview,hasthestimulusworked?Gotafewcommentsforyou.Seanissaying:Withoutit,wewouldbestrugglinginanevendeeperrecession.FromLeisha:Whatstimulus?Well,wehaveseenonlymorejobscutandmoreschoolsclosedinmystate.AndSabrinawritesthattheprocesstakesalongtime,somaybethekeypointsjusthaven'tbeenfullyrecognized.Whatdoyousay?BlogwithusfromAtoZatCNNStudentNews.com.ToyotaTroublesAZUZ:Anotherstorywearefollowingforyoutoday:Toyota--Japanesecarmaker--saysit'sgoingtohiremorequalitycontrolworkers,domoretesting,andgetanoutsideagencytohelpfixitscars'problems.Thenewscomesinthemiddleofamassiverecallofmorethan8millionToyotavehiclesworldwide.Problemsincludesuddenaccelerationbrakepedalissues,andsomenewcomplaints--Toyotasaysfewerthanahundred--involvethesteeringinsomeCorollas,Toyota'ssecond-mostpopularmodel.Laterthismonth,theU.S.CongressisplanninghearingstoaskToyotaaboutsafety.Thecompanysaysitwillcooperate,anditspresidenthasrepeatedlyapologized.AKIOTOYODA,TOYOTAPRESIDENT[TRANSLATED]:Toyotaisnotperfect.Butwhenwefindaproblemoraremadeawareofit,weactasquicklyaspossible.Wearesincerelyworkingonthat.AsVPSasakisaid,wenevercoveredanythinguporignoredanyproblems.Ihopeyouunderstandthis.TSASwabsAZUZ:Getyourboardingpass.Checkinyourluggage.Putoutyourpalms.What?Thatlastonecouldbewhatsomeairtravelershear.TheTransportationSecurityAdministrationistryingoutanewsafetycheck,scanningpassengers'handsfortracesofexplosives.Expertssaythere'sabetterchanceoffindingthesekindsofmaterialsifyouchecksomeone'shandsratherthancheckingbaggage.Thegoal,ofcourse,istohelpincreaseairlinesecurity.Thegovernmentsaysthatpartofthewayitdoesthatisbyusingdifferentkindsoftechnology,likethesehandswabs.Aprivacyexpertsaysthispolicyshouldn'tviolatepassengers'privacyaslongasthescansareconductedrandomly.FastFactsMATTCHERRY,CNNSTUDENTNEWS:Timeforsomefastfacts!HaitiandtheDominicanRepublicmakeuptheCaribbeanislandofHispaniola.Spaincontrolledtheislandforatime,butHaitibecameaFrenchcolonyin1697.ThenationgaineditsindependencefromFrancein1804.Today,Haitiishometoabout9millionpeople,anditscapitalisPort-au-Prince.HaitiUpdateAZUZ:FrancecontrolledHaitiformorethanacentury,butthisweekmarkedthefirsttimethataFrenchpresidentevervisitedthecountry.NicolasSarkozy,whomyouseeonthelefthere,wasinHaitiyesterday.PresidentSarkozymetwithHaitianleadersandtouredsomeoftheareasdamagedbylastmonth'searthquake.TheFrenchpresidentwasexpectedtoannounceanaidprogramforHaitiduringhisvisit.ThishasbeenthesceneattheairportinPort-au-Prince:planesbeingusedtobringinreliefsupplies.ThatcouldchangeonFriday,though.AmericanAirlinessaysitwillstartflyingpassengerplanesintoHaiti.Allpassengerflightswerestoppedafterthequakehit.OnecompanyofficialsaidthatofferingtransportationtoandfromthecountrywillbeamajorsteptowardhelpingHaitirebuild.HaitiSurvivorStoryAZUZ:SomeHaitianshavealreadyleftthecountry;theywereevacuatedtohospitalsintheU.S.Oneofthem,aclassicalmusician,hadinjuriesthatcouldhaveaffectedhiscareer.ButasJohnZarrellatellsus,agiftfromanAmericansingerwillhelphimkeepmakingmusic.(BEGINVIDEO)JOHNZARRELLA,CNNCORRESPONDENT:For18hours,RomelJosephlayburiedintherubbleofhismusicschoolinPort-au-Prince.For18hoursuntilhisrescue,theconcertvioliniststayedalertandalivegoingoverinhishead,onebyone,everyconcertoateveryconcerthallhe'deverplayed.Romelwasbadlybroken.Hislegscrushed,bonesinhislefthandshattered.Buttheconcretethatcoveredhimwouldnot,couldnotkillhim.ROMELJOSEPH,VIOLINIST:Ithoughtmytimewasupundertheground,andGodsaysno,youhavethingstodo.ZARRELLA:Threeweeksago,wemetRomel,whoislegallyblind,forthefirsttime.Hementionedhe'dlikeakeyboardtohelpstrength