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Tropical Storm Isaac Hits Haiti; Remembering Neil Armstrong

Aired August 27, 2012 - 04:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


CARL AZUZ, CNN ANCHOR: Well, it`s the last week of August, but if this is your first week back in school or if you had been with us for a while, we welcome you to a new week of CNN STUDENT NEWS.

First up today, from Florida to Louisiana, the watch was on for Isaac. Early Sunday, this was listed as a tropical storm with wind speeds up to 65 miles per hour. But forecasters were saying Isaac could strengthen to a hurricane today, and that`s when it was expected to move across the Florida Keys. Around Florida, people started getting ready for the storm last week. They filled sandbags and stocked up on supplies, things like bottled water, batteries, and flashlights. The storm`s projected path showed it moving up into the Gulf of Mexico, west of Tampa. That`s why the start of the Republican National Convention, which is happening in Tampa, is being delayed until tomorrow. Officials are hoping that will make it safer for delegates.

Tropical Storm Isaac moved across the Caribbean over the weekend. One of the countries it hit there was Haiti. Martin Savidge examines the impact that the storm had on Haiti.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: A machete is Haiti`s answer to the problem, and almost everybody seems to have one. The trees that blocked the road have also pulled down telephone and power lines. We clear one obstacle only to find more lie ahead.

Water is in an even greater danger, threatening to rise faster than it can run off. You can see the water is coming down through this cut, and what they want to make sure is that you don`t get any debris, the branches, the tree limbs, things like that, because if they were to clog in any way, then you`ve got a real problem of flooding in the community. So this makes perfectly good sense.

SAVIDGE: Then comes the flooding. Soon, it gets worse. This is what was feared, and this is exactly what`s happening. The water rushing down off of hills, finds its own channel, makes its own way. In this case, it just happens to be right through a neighborhood.

Eventually, we`re on the road again, and make our way to Jacmel, where ironically, the power may be out, but the city`s traffic light is still functioning. We find our way to the town`s two evacuation chambers. So we`re just going to have a look inside to see the conditions where people spent the night.

You can see the conditions here are pretty miserable at best. I mean, there is no electricity. The only thing they can say they have is a shelter over their head. At least they`re semi-dry.

What about food?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (speaking foreign language). He says there is no food.

SAVIDGE: There is food at the next shelter. Two plastic buckets of peanut butter and jelly. To feed close to 1,000 people. Misery is about the only thing there`s plenty of.

(END VIDEOTAPE) AZUZ: In the northwest Pacific Ocean, hurricanes are called typhoons, and the Japanese island of Okinawa is dealing with a massive one. In fact, officials say this is the strongest typhoon to hit Okinawa in more than 50 years. The island is used to typhoons. One storm chaser told CNN that all the houses there are built with concrete in order to protect against these storms. But typhoon Bolaven is more than $1,200 miles from end to end. That`s about 20 times bigger than the entire island of Okinawa. There are concerns that a typhoon will create huge waves that could wash out highways along the coast.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It`s time for "The Shoutout."

NEIL ARMSTRONG: It`s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Who said those famous words? If you think you know it, then shout it out. Was it Alan Shepard, Neil Armstrong, John Glenn or Buzz Aldrin? You`ve got 3 seconds. Go.

Neil Armstrong took that small step, and giant leap on July 20th, 1969. That`s your answer and that`s your "Shoutout."

(END VIDEO CLIP)

AZUZ: It was a giant leap for mankind because Neil Armstrong had just done something that no one had ever done before. He`d set foot on the moon. Armstrong died this past Saturday. He was 82 years old. A NASA spokesman said, quote, "As long as there are history books, Neil Armstrong will be included in them." Armstrong got his pilot`s license before he had a driver`s license. He flew more than 200 different models of aircraft. He made just two trips into space. His second one, in the summer of 1969, established his place in history.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PRESIDENT JOHN F. KENNEDY: I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal before this decade is out of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to the earth.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Countdown is (inaudible), the prime crew now departing from their crew quarters here at the Kennedy Space Center.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Forty seconds away from the Apollo 11 liftoff. And counting. We`re still a go with Apollo 11. Thirty seconds and counting. 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. Zero. All engine running. Liftoff, we have a liftoff, 32 minutes past the hour. Liftoff of Apollo 11.

Neil Armstrong put it back when he received the good wishes, "Thank you very much, we know it will be a good flight."

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Apollo 11, this is Houston. All your systems are looking good. Going around the corner, we`ll see you on the other side, over.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Roger.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Everything looks OK up here. We`re getting a beautiful picture down there now on 11. The color is coming in quite clearly, and we can see the horizon in all the blackness of space.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hey, 11, this is Houston. We`re getting a beautiful picture of Langrenus now with its rather conspicuous central peak.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Sea of Fertility, that doesn`t look very fertile to me. I don`t know who named it.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Eagle, looking great. Your go (ph).

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (inaudible) down two and a half. Picking up some buzz. Engine stopped. (inaudible). Houston, Tranquillity base here. The eagle has landed.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Roger. Tranquillity, we copy on the ground. We got a bunch of guys about to turn blue. We`re breathing again. Thanks a lot.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Step off the LEM now.

ARMSTRONG: That`s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind. Here, a man from the planet earth first set foot upon the moon. July 1969, AD. We came in peace for all mankind.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The president of the United States is in his office now and would like to say a few words to you, over.

RICHARD NIXON, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Hello, Neil and Buzz. I`m talking to you by telephone from the Oval room of the White House. For every American, this has to be the proudest day of our lives.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: See if you can ID me.

I was born in Texas in 1971. I became a pro triathlete while I was in high school. After surviving a battle with cancer, I won one of cycling`s most prestigious races seven times in a row. I`m Lance Armstrong, and I founded the LiveStrong cancer research organization.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

AZUZ: Lance Armstrong retired from pro cycling last year. The chances of him coming out of retirement, not too good. Late last week, he was banned from the sport. When Armstrong was winning those Tour de France titles, he was accused of doping, using performance enhancing drugs. Armstrong has always denied doping, but the accusations have followed him for years. He`s been under investigation from the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency. Armstrong called that investigation one-sided and unfair, but last week he said he wouldn`t be part of it. He didn`t admit to doping; he just said he was done fighting the accusations. That`s when the USADA banned Armstrong. It also said it was taking away his wins going back to 1998, including his Tour de France titles. It`s not certain whether the agency actually has the power to do that.

Aimee Copeland, you might remember her, she`s back home for the first time since she was diagnosed with a case of flesh-eating bacteria. The 24-year- old contracted the disease in May. Doctors had to amputate her hands, her leg and her other foot in order to save her life. A new part of Aimee`s parents house was built for free by a local contractor. In addition to a living room, bedroom and bathroom, it also has access ramps and elevator and guide rails. Aimee`s father says she has been working hard on her rehabilitation and is determined to live as independently as possible.

Before we go, we got a look at a master in action. This is Dominic Retucci (ph), and he is in some pretty rare company when it comes to the competitive world of cup stacking. Dominic is one of the top 20 sport stackers on the planet. He spent his summer vacation winning four gold medals at this event in the junior Olympics. Dominic`s opponents gave it their all, but considering his extreme skills, the competition was just stacked against him. You think we have only one pun for this story? No, we got a cup-ple. For CNN STUDENT NEWS, I`m Carl Azuz.

END