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CNN 10

Protests in Egypt; Fiscal Cliff Negotiations; North Korea Prepares for a Rocket Launch

Aired December 07, 2012 - 04:00   ET

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


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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALES (singing): We are the women`s barber shop from Coronado (ph) High School, and CNN STUDENT NEWS starts now.

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CARL AZUZ, CNN ANCHOR: That was seriously one of the best I-reports segments I`ve ever seen, so big thanks to the Coronado Quartet for an awesome introduction on this Friday. I`m Carl Azuz, we`ve got a lot to talk about today: current events, cultural events, even a couture event. We are starting with a political crisis.

A leader who says he`s doing what`s best for his country. Some of his people accusing him of having too much power. The streets filled with protests and violence. It`s happening in the country that`s seen this before, in fact, less than two years ago - Egypt. This was the scene in Cairo on Tuesday. People who support President Mohamed Morsi and people who are against him fighting right outside the presidential palace. At least six people were killed, more than 670 were wounded. In a speech yesterday, President Morsi spoke out against the violence and said that people responsible will be punished. Military tanks in the streets of Cairo are just one sign the tension is not going away.

Next up, we are moving to Asia and focusing on North Korea. The country says that sometime between December 10th and 22nd, it`s planning to launch a rocket. But the North Korean government claims that the rocket is for science and research purposes. The thing is, if this launch happens, it would involve the same technology that would be used to launch a ballistic missile. It would also violate a pair of resolutions from the U.N. Security Council. The U.S. has spoken out against this launch plan, it`s also keeping an eye on it. Experts say this satellite image shows increased activity at the North Korean launch pad.

Let`s bring it back to the U.S and head to Washington D.C. President Obama and U.S. House Speaker John Boehner talked on the phone Wednesday. If you`ve been watching our show, you probably know what they were talking about -- the fiscal cliff. Negotiations about this cliff and any deal to avoid it involve two main things: taxes and government spending. Today, Jessica Yellin looks at one of those and compares the plans from the two sides in the debate.

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JESSICA YELLIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: In the New Year, taxes go up on everyone, unless Washington takes action. But the government needs more money. President Obama wants to get some of it from the top two percent of wage earners. He wants to raise their tax rate and limit how much they can deduct. The White House says this will bring in $1.6 trillion over ten years. Republicans say they`ll agree to bring in more money, but not by raising tax rates, in fact they want to lower tax rates for everyone. Instead, they raise money only by limiting deductions and closing loopholes. Speaker Boehner says, this will raise $800 billion over ten years.

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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Today`s first "Shoutout" goes out to Mrs. Peterson`s social studies classes at Richard Ira Jones Middle School in Plainfield, Illinois.

What city is the headquarters of the U.S. Navy`s Pacific Fleet? Here we go, is it San Diego, California, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, San Francisco, California or Norfolk, Virginia? You`ve got three seconds, go!

Pearl Harbor has been the U.S. Pacific`s Fleet headquarters since February 1941. That`s your answer and that`s your "Shoutout."

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AZUZ: Today, the Pacific Fleet includes 180 ships, nearly 2,000 aircraft and 140,000 sailors and civilians. It wasn`t quite that big in 1941, but the potential military might of the U.S. Pacific Fleet led to what happened 71 years ago today.

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FRANKLIN DELANO ROOSEVELT: December 7, 1941, a date which will live in infamy.

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AZUZ: President Franklin Roosevelt talking about the Japanese surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, more than 2400 Americans were killed, more than 1100 others wounded, more than 300 air crafts destroyed or damaged, 21 ships were sunk or damaged. The attack struck a serious blow to the Pacific fleet, which was Japan`s goal. It also led the U.S to officially enter World War II the very next day.

Aimee Copeland, you may remember hearing that name. In May, the 24- year old contracted a deadly flesh-eating disease. Doctors gave her a one percent chance of survival. Seven months later Amy is out of the hospital, living at home and planning to go back to school and finish up her master`s degree. The disease has taken its tall: doctors had to amputate both of Amy`s hands, her feet and one of her legs. She has prosthetic limbs and uses an automated wheelchair now. She talked with CNN this week about some of the struggles she`s faces through all of this.

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AIMEE COPELAND, FLESH-EATING DISEASE SURVIVOR: I have really hard moments, definitely. When things aren`t, you know, going right or if a lot of times I`m by myself, I can`t do something, I can`t get to something. And I think it`s really necessary to fully experience those moments of grief, of just absolute exhaustion, and, you know, to experience them, allow to accept them, allow them to pass, and over the horizon there`s always more sunshine and more love, so you know, even in those dark, dark nights of the soul, you know, we wake up and it`s spring. So, I definitely am learning as much as possible from those moments and, you know, trying to heal, slowly but surely.

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AZUZ: Absolutely amazing story, and absolutely amazing person. All right, we want you to think back for this next story today. What was the coolest thing you ever brought to school for show and tell? It doesn`t matter. A seventh grader in Minnesota has you beat. She showed up with Minnesota Viking starting quarterback Christian Ponder as part of a contest she won. Ponder certainly seem to have a good time, and he had some advice for the students.

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CHRISTIAN PONDER, VIKINGS QUARTERBACK: That was like the coolest introduction I`ve ever had in my life going through that longest line of people ever. Looking back on this, you know, seventh grade, how so important that I thought I fit in, but who cares? What is someone else thinking about you is not going to determine how your life goes.

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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It`s time for a "Shoutout" extra credit. The Maccabees are involved in the history of what world religion? You know what to do, is it Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism or Daoism. Rewind that clock to three seconds and go!

In Judaism, the Maccabees are central to the story of Hanukkah. That`s your answer and that`s your "Shoutout" extra credit.

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AZUZ: Well, here is how that story goes: around 165 B.C. The Maccabees led a revolution against Syrians who were oppressing the Jewish people. Now after their victory, the Maccabees rededicated the main temple in Jerusalem, and there`s a light in the temple that`s supposed to be lit all the time. Now, according to the story, there was only enough oil for one night, but the oil lasted for eight days. That`s why Hanukkah lasts for eight days, and why the Hanukkah menorah includes eight candles plus one that lights them. This was a National Menorah lighting from a couple of years ago. This year, Hanukkah starts on Saturday night and it runs until sunset on the following Sunday. The word Hanukkah means dedication, and the holiday is sometimes known as the Feast of Dedication, the Festival of Lights, or the Feast of the Maccabees.

We all know someone with a bad holiday sweater. Some have reindeer on them, some have other things, like this gem I got as a Christmas gift last year and wore just long enough to get the photograph taken. I`m sorry, Bab (ph) it`s ugly. It didn`t come from 18-year old Jack McCarthy, but a lot of people have done their sartorially unsavory sweater shopping with him. He`s kneaded up a stockpile from trips to flea markets, thrift stores and yard sales. If there`s anything pretty about this, it`s the pretty big money they`ve made Jack. And that may be why he doesn`t think they are ugly in the traditional sense.

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JACK MCCARTHY: The more colorful, the more - the more action, the more eyepopping things, that`s our definition of ugly.

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AZUZ: Well, at least now we all know what to ask Santa for. And when you think of doing that, visiting Santa, you might picture a line of crying kids at a shopping mall. Well, they were lining up here all right, but not to sit on Santa`s lap, at least not without a wet suit. Forget a clatter on the roof -- this scuba center stunt is making a splash under the waves in Texas. He needs a waterproof list to check twice, and a tank full of oxygen to keep those cheeks rosy. After all, nobody wants a blue Christmas. And while some sea Scrooges might say, scoo-bah humbug, I have to admit, I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself.

Quick congratulations to Jefferson High School in Boulder, Montana. A student there got Wednesday`s trivia question right on our Facebook site. I hope all of you have a great weekend ahead. END