CNN students new 2011-04-07

(CNNStudentNews)--April7,2011DownloadPDFmapsrelatedtotoday'sshow:TranscriptTHISISARUSHTRANSCRIPT.THISCOPYMAYNOTBEINITSFINALFORMANDMAYBEUPDATED.CARLAZUZ,CNNSTUDENTNEWSANCHOR:It'sThursday,I'mCarlAzuz,andthisisCNNStudentNews!Today,we'regoingtotalkaboutaracethat'soutofthisworld.Or,atleastit'stryingtogetthere.Firstup,though,we'reheadedtoJapan.FirstUp:CrisisinJapanAZUZ:OfficialsaretalkingaboutasortofvictoryforworkersattheFukushimaDaiichinuclearplant.Thedamagedonewe'vebeentalkingabout.Engineershavebeenfightingfornearlyfourweekstokeeptheplant'snuclearreactorsfromoverheating.Buttheyranintoanotherproblemwhenradioactivewaterstartedleakingoutintotheocean.Here,youcanseetheleakandthewaterflowingoutofit.That'sthebeforeshot.Here'stheafter:nomoreleak.Workerswereabletosealitupyesterdaywithachemicalcompoundthey'recallingliquidglass.TheradiationlevelsinthewaterneartheFukushimaDaiichiplantwerealreadygoingdown.Butgovernmentofficialssayjustbecausetheywereabletoplugthatleakdoesn'tmeantheycanbeoptimistic.They'reworriedaboutotherleaksthatmightshowupinotherspotsaroundtheplant.HaitiElectionResultsAZUZ:AquickupdateforyouonHaiti'spresidentialelection.MichelMartelly--youseerighthere--wasdeclaredthewinneroftherecentrun-offelectionwithmorethan67percentofthevote.Martellyhasneverbeenapoliticianbefore;he'sasinger.ButoneanalystsaidherepresentsthechangethatmanyHaitianshavebeencallingfor.BudgetBattleAZUZ:InWashington,D.C.,theclockistickingdowntomidnightonFriday.Congresshasuntilthentocomeupwithsomesortofbudgetdeal,eitheranewbudgetorextendingthedeadlineforone.Andiftheydon't,wearesetforagovernmentshutdown.Thatdoesn'tmeanthateverypartofthegovernmentturnsoffitslights.Butifyou'replanningatriptoanationalparkortheSmithsonian?Sorry,they'llbeclosed.GovernmentofficialsalsosaypaycheckswouldstopforU.S.militaryforces,includingtroopsinIraqandAfghanistan.Andaround800,000governmentemployeeswouldbeinthatsameboat.They'dbeaskedtostayhomeandwouldn'tgetpaid.Again,allofthisisanif.Congressionalleadersaretryingtoworkonacompromiseandavoidashutdown.Butthetwosidesaren'tholdingbackabouttheirfrustrations.SEN.HARRYREID,(D)MAJORITYLEADER:Republicansrefusetotakeyesforananswer.Everytimeweagreetomeetinthemiddle,theymovewherethemiddleis.REP.JOHNBOEHNER,(R)HOUSESPEAKER:Now,we'renotgoingtoallowtheSenatenortheWhiteHousetoputusinaboxwherewehavetomakeachoicebetweentwobadoptions.Co$ttoDriveAZUZ:Foranyofyouwhodon'thaveyourdriver'slicensesyet,youprobablycan'twaitforthedaywhenyoucangetone.Butyourwallet,asallofthedriversknow,mightdisagree.Thecostofdrivingisgoingup.Andsomeofthethingsthatmakeupthatcostmightnotbewhatyou'dexpectorevenreallythinkabout.KarenCaifaexplainshowitalladdsup.(BEGINVIDEO)KARINCAIFA,CNNCORRESPONDENT:Everytimeyoufillupthetank,there'sthatreminder:ifyouwanttohittheroad,it'llcostyou.Highergaspricesmightbethemostobviouscostofowningandoperatingacar,butthey'renottheonlynumberscreepingupward.AAA'sannualstudyofdrivingcostsfoundthatonaverage,gettingwhereyouneedtogocosts3.4%morethanlastyear.That'sbasedon15,000milesofdrivingtheaveragestandardsedan,58.5centspermile,foratotaljustunder$8,800peryear.Thebiggestincreases:thecostoftires,upmorethan15%,largelyduetoariseinthecostofrawmaterials.Fuelcostsup8.6%.Anddepreciation,thelossofyourcar'svaluethatstartsassoonasyoudriveitoffthedealer'slot,up4.9%.Acostmanyconsumersdon'tthinkaboutbecauseitdoesn'thaveapricetag.LabelJOHNNIELSEN,AAANATIONALDIRECTOROFAUTOREPAIR,BUYING&CONSUMERINFORMATION:That'sthegreatestcost,somethingthatyoucanreallyshopforcarsthathavelowdepreciationandsaveyourselfconsiderably.CAIFA:Costofinsurancedroppedonaverageforgooddrivers,asdidmaintenance.That'sespeciallygoodnews,sinceregularmaintenancecanpreventpriceyrepairsdowntheroad.NIELSEN:Alotofpeoplemightbeinclinedtosavealittlebithereandthereandmaybenotchangetheoilandrotatethetires,butjusttakingcareofyourcarcanreallymakeitlastlonger.CAIFA:Maintenancecanalsokeepyourcarmoreefficient,maybeevensavingyoualittlegas.InWashington,I'mKarinCaifaforCNNStudentNews.(ENDVIDEO)ShoutoutSHELBYERDMAN,CNNSTUDENTNEWS:Today'sShoutoutgoesouttoMs.Madden'ssocialstudiesclassesatHuntsvilleIntermediateSchoolinHuntsville,Texas!Whowasthefirstpersoninspace?Youknowwhattodo!Wasit:A)AlanShepard,B)DennisTito,C)NeilArmstrongorD)YuriGagarin?You'vegotthreeseconds--GO!In1961,SovietcosmonautYuriGagarinbecamethefirstpersoninspace.That'syouranswerandthat'syourShoutout!CommercialSpaceRaceAZUZ:GagarinwentintospaceonaSovietrocket.ShepherdandArmstrongwentupinU.S.spacecraft.TitorodeonaRussianvehicle.Butallofthosewerelaunchedbygovernment-runspaceagencies.Withthespaceshuttleprogramgettingreadytoend,NASAisturningtooutsidecompaniestotakeoverfutureflights.JohnZarrellachecksouthowthisnewspaceraceisgoing.(BEGINVIDEO)JOHNZARRELLA,CNNCORRESPONDENT:ElonMuskislikeabigkidwithanewtoy.ELONMUSK,SPACEXCEO:Wedesignedthistobesupertough.Imean,youcanbeatthesnotoutofitanditwillstillwork.ZARRELLA:Musk'stoyjusthappenstobeaspacecraft.Hesunk$100millionofhisownmoneyintodevelopingit.WecaughtupwithMuskandhisDragoncapsuleinWashington,D.C.,whereitwasondisp