Return to Transcripts main page

CNN 10

President Obama Delivers Major Speech on Terrorism; Recovery Efforts in Oklahoma

Aired May 24, 2013 - 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: It`s awesome that you`re spending part of your Friday with CNN STUDENT NEWS. My name is Carl Azuz. First up today, a major speech from President Obama. The president says America is at a crossroads in the fight against terror. Yesterday he talked about some of the programs and policies that the government has used in that fight, things like the drone program. The president acknowledged some of the controversy surrounding this. But he said drone strikes are legal and save lives. President Obama also talked about the prison facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba where dozens of terrorism suspects are held. He wants to close that facility and move those prisoners.

Some Republican leaders criticized the president`s speech. They said his proposed changes don`t have any clear benefits. One Republican congressman says the president is underestimating the threat that terrorists pose to America.

Over in the United Kingdom people are reacting to a terrorists attack on a member of the British military. Lee Rigby joined the British Army in 2006, he served as a machine gunner in Afghanistan, he was also a drummer in the military recruiting team. Rigby was attacked and killed near these military barracks on Wednesday. Two suspects were arrested at the scene, no charges had been filed when we take this show. Before police arrived, one of the suspects said, quote, the only reasons we killed this man is because Muslims are dying daily. Prime Minister David Cameron said his country will never give in to terror or terrorism in any form. The British government considers this a terrorist attack. The Muslim Council of Britain said the attack has no basis in Islam, the group urged Muslims and non-Muslims to come together to fight against hatred.

In Oklahoma, rain and winds are slowing things down, but recovery efforts are moving forward after Monday`s tornado. You might wonder what you can do to protect yourself if this kind of storm shows up in the future. Dr. Sanjay Gupta has some suggestions.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: 13 minutes. That`s the average lead time you`d have if the tornado was headed your way.

There is obviously no completely safe options during a tornado. Your best bet is to get into the basement, somewhere below ground level, but keep in mind that if you`re there, you want to see what`s on the floor above you as well. Refrigerator or a piece of heavy furniture could come crashing through the floor. So you want to be weary of that. Also, here in Moore, Oklahoma, there aren`t a lot of basements. Studies have actually shown that there is another very good option. Take a look over here. An interior room or a closet like that can be the best place to be as well. The house is gone here, but that closet preserved, even the cloth inside of that. Remember, you just get 13 minutes. So find that safe place. Maybe grab a helmet or a bike helmet. Even throw some mattresses or a blanket over you to try and protect the head.

One place you can`t hide from a tornado is in your car. Tornado- strength winds can pick up a one to two ton vehicle like this one and toss it around like you or I would a basketball.

Now, (inaudible) want to be driving toward a tornado, but it`s also a bad idea to be driving away from a tornado. It`s hard to gauge the distance. If you must be driving and the weather is clear, try driving at right angles to the tornado, perpendicular to get out of the path of the storm. There is another misconception as well, which is that you should get out of your car and run underneath an overpass. What happens in the situation like this is the wind is actually funneled, it`s even more powerful than the storm and there`s also a lot of debris, and that debris can injure you.

Now, if you`re stuck outside as a tornado approaches, find a ditch or any place far away from potentially dangerous objects and vehicles and stay well.

Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN, Moore, Oklahoma.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

AZUZ: Updates for you now on two people we feature on our show. The first one is someone you have mentioned, Zach Sobiech. He was diagnosed with bone cancer when he was 14. He started writing music, and his first song was called "Clouds."

Zach`s song was an online hit, it`s been viewed millions of times on Youtube. Last May, when he was 17, Zach`s doctors told him he only had a year to live.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ZACH SOBIECH: You`ve got to live life fast, you know, you can`t really put on the brakes at all and can`t wait for anything.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

AZUZ: Zach passed away this week surrounded by his friends and family. His story and his music helped to raise money for cancer research. Zach`s legacy maybe in a message he wanted to share with everyone. That you don`t have to find out you`re dying to start living.

Our other update is on Aimee Copeland. Last year a flesh-eating bacteria cost her both of her hands, one leg and the other foot. Amy`s recovery involved some technological advancements.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERT KISTENBERG, GEORGIA TECH: These hands are going to allow Amy to do more than any other hands that are currently available in the world.

AIMEE COPELAND, AMPUTEE: It feels amazing, because you know, with the other arms I had they really didn`t feel like an extension to my body. This just feels very freeing, it`s more like absolutely, and the hand actually, you know, it seems like this could be my actual hand.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

AZUZ: Aimee`s bionic hands aren`t cheap, they can cost up to $120,000 each. But they also help the self-admitted neat freak clean up her house and do all kinds of things that Aimee said remind her of how she functioned before her accident. Aimee was a graduate student, then she`s working to finish her master`s degree before the end of the year.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Today`s "Shoutout" goes out to Mr. Fagan`s social studies classes at Greenville Senior High School in Greenville, South Carolina. What is the human body`s largest organ? You know what to do. Is it the heart, liver, lungs or skin? You`ve got three seconds, go.

Adults have around 20 square feet of skin making it the body`s largest organ. That`s your answer and that`s your "Shoutout."

(END VIDEO CLIP)

AZUZ: With the weather getting warmer, a lot of us are considering letting our skin soak up some sun. But there is some things we should all keep in mind about tanning, outside or indoors. Danielle Dellorto is with the CNN medical unit. Daniel, what do you have for us.

DANIELLE DELLORTO, SENIOR MEDICAL PRODUCER: Well, melanoma, the most deadly form of skin cancer is the second most common form of all cancers for high school age kids. This rising statistic is one of the reasons our federal government is speaking up about the risk of indoor tanning bed routines. Now, get this: if a person uses an indoor tanning bed before age 35, their risks of developing melanoma increases by 75 percent. The reason indoor tanning beds are so dangerous is because that ultraviolet rays you get from being inside that bed are seven times stronger than the summer sun at noon.

Another concern, according to government official I spoke with, is that tanning beds often give up too much dangerous radiation, making (inaudible) for many teens. So, the bottom line when it comes to indoor tanning beds, just don`t do it. A fake tan is not worth getting cancer for it.

But, of course, not all sun exposure is bad. So, here is what you need to know to protect your skin when you`re outside having fun with your friends this summer. First of, apply sunscreen 30 minutes prior to going outside. It takes some time to kick in. You don`t want to get burned during that exposure period. Also, make sure it is enough of it. Most of us don`t. And finally, don`t be fooled on cloudy days. Dangerous UV rays that are linked to skin cancer are just as strong when it`s cloudy as it is on the bright sunny day.

So make sure to make it a habit to use sunscreen with at least 15 SPF every day this summer. Carl, back to you.

AZUZ: It was originally called Decoration Day, and it likely started during the U.S. Civil War when people decorated the graves of fallen troops from North and South. The first formal observance was in 1868, and though it was led by veterans from the North, they laid flowers on the graves of both Union and Confederate dead at Arlington National Cemetery. It wasn`t until 1971, more than 100 years later that Memorial Day was declared a federal holiday. Congress picked the last Monday in May to make it a three-day weekend, but the 1868 observation was held on the 30th, supposedly because it was when flowers were in bloom nationwide.

In recent years, Memorial day has kind of morphed. Some see it as a vacation day, a day for the pool, a day for a cookout. Some call it the unofficial beginning of summer when sartorial traditionalists resumed wearing white shoes. These were some of the reasons why Congress passed the National Moment of Remembrance Act in the year 2000. Americans are called to remember fallen U.S. veterans at 3 P.M. The hope was that this would help put the memorial back in Memorial Day.

Finally there, it`s just no talent what we`ll come up with sometimes when we close out our show.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED BIRD: (INAUDIBLE)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

The problem is, that the bird in this Youtube video is mixing up his musical styles. His (ph) boxing is straight hip-hop, but his lyrics are all about disco. Who are we to deny him a fowl mesh (ph)?

Besides, it`s impressive that they can throw down those thick beaks. It`s time for us to fly. No show on Monday because of Memorial Day, we`ll see you back Tuesday. Have a great weekend and if today is your last day, have a wonderful summer. I hope to see you again soon.

END