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CNN Student News

Aired June 21, 2002 - 04:00   ET

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

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ANNOUNCER: You're watching CNN STUDENT NEWS seen in schools around the world because learning never stops and neither does the news.

MICHAEL MCMANUS, CO-HOST: It's Friday again. To vaccinate or not to vaccinate? We'll bring you the government's decision in our "Lead Story." Later, we "Chronicle" one brave teen's walk of a lifetime. Looking ahead to "Week in Review," we wrap the swearing in of Afghanistan's new president. Then, we'll pay our respects to the heroes of 9/11.

It's Friday, June 21. Broadcasting from CNN Center, I'm Michael McManus.

Our "Lead Story" today, the smallpox vaccine. Debate over resuming vaccinations has been ongoing. Smallpox is a painful virus that kills one-third of its victims and leaves others scarred or blind. By the end of this year, there should be enough smallpox vaccine available for every American if the lethal virus is released as a terrorist weapon.

Up until now, the CDC vaccination policy allowed for use of the vaccine only if there is an outbreak. The disease was eradicated globally in 1980, but now that vaccine is available once again. Should mass vaccinations be brought back to protect against a possible biological attack?

CNN Medical Correspondent Rhonda Rowland reports on new recommendations just released by the CDC's vaccine panel.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RHONDA ROWLAND, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Should every American get a smallpox vaccine if they want?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Those in favor of the motion ...

ROWLAND: The answer is no. At least that's the recommendation of scientists who set vaccine policy in the United States. The scientists say the threat of smallpox being re-introduced as a terrorist weapon is low, but not zero. Offering (UNINTELLIGIBLE) vaccinations is risky. Side effects range from swelling to encephalitis, which is a brain inflammation and even death. And today there are about 40 million people with compromised immune systems who are at particularly high risk, a group that did not exist when the vaccine was in routine use back in the early '70s.

DR. HAROLD MARGOLIS, CDC: What has changed is that we have more people living today who have altered immune systems. They have been survivors of cancer. They have organ transplants, people with HIV aids.

ROWLAND: Scientists say the smallpox vaccine is the single most dangerous vaccine because of its possible side effects. Yet the advisers are recommending it for some 10 to 20,000 people. The new recommendation is to vaccinate designated smallpox response teams in every state made up of medical professionals ranging from doctors, nurses, lab workers and disease investigators, as well as medical personnel at designated hospitals.

These vaccinated teams would be responsible for patient contact and care in the event of an outbreak. Health officials want to reassure the public if there is an outbreak, vaccine could get to those who need it quickly.

DR. JULIE GERBERDING, ACTING DEPUTY DIRECTOR, CDC: We can get the products in the stockpile to any place in the United States within 12 to 24 hours. So I don't think the rate limiting issue is getting the vaccine to the area where there's a problem.

ROWLAND: Vaccinations were discontinued in the '70s because it was believed the virus was wiped from the face of the earth. The exception, two known stockpiles, one at the CDC in Atlanta and the other in Russia. But scientists fear it could have gotten into the wrong hands and developed into a terror weapon.

(on camera): The vaccine panel's recommendations are not final. They'll be reviewed by the head of the CDC and HHS Secretary Tommy Thompson. The advice of the vaccine panel is usually followed, and a final decision could come within weeks.

Rhonda Rowland, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MCMANUS: And topping our "Headlines" this Friday, America's freeways. It turns out the highways built for fast, convenient travel by car just aren't filling the bill. A new study by the Texas Transportation Institute finds rush hour traffic and traffic jams are at their worst in history. But if you drive or just ride in a car, you already knew that.

Here's Natalie Pawelski with our traffic report.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NATALIE PAWELSKI, CNN ENVIRONMENT CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): If you think traffic is getting worse in your town, you're probably right. TIM LOMAX, TEXAS TRANSPORTATION INSTITUTE: There's a combination of factors. It's the amount of people, the amount of roadway that is there. It's sort of a demand/supply relationship. You can think of it that way, and there's a lot more demand than there is supply.

PAWELSKI: The annual Urban Mobility Report from the Texas Transportation Institute finds in the average American city people traveled 85 percent more miles by car in the year 2000 than they did in 1982. And rush hour drivers are now wasting an average of 62 hours a year stuck in traffic. Now that's not total travel time, that's just the extra time spent going slow or going nowhere because of traffic congestion.

The study says the worst traffic is in Los Angeles where the average rush hour driver loses 136 hours a year, more than three work weeks, to traffic jams. The runners up in the time drained category San Francisco, D.C., Seattle, Houston, San Jose, Dallas, New York, Atlanta and Miami where the average rush hour driver loses an extra 69 hours a year stuck in traffic.

LOMAX: Once you get to a big system, it's difficult to maintain the pace of the roadway and transit system development and you wind up falling behind. More congestion is typical in bigger cities.

PAWELSKI (on camera): The report says traffic jams aren't just annoying, they are expensive. For the 75 cities studied, researchers added up all the extra time and fuel wasted because of traffic congestion. The price tag they figure is almost $68 billion a year.

Natalie Pawelski, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MCMANUS: World Cup games are continuing with some big matches taking place over the next 72 hours. So before the games begin, who better to prime us than a soccer great herself. We turn to the women's U.S.A. team captain Julie Foudy, an Olympic medalist.

CNN's Kim Abbott sat down with the athlete to talk about soccer, of course, and the value of team sports plus strides made since Congress passed Title 9 30 years ago. We recently told you all about that law which barred discrimination in education due to gender and that means equal opportunities in sports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KIMBERLY ABBOTT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: A lot of young girls today have never known a time without Title 9. They've always had the opportunity to play in sports just as their counterparts have.

JULIE FOUDY, U.S.A. WOMEN'S SOCCER TEAM CAPTAIN: Right.

ABBOTT: Tell me why you think it's still needed today when there's so many opportunities out there for girls already.

FOUDY: Well I think the positive of it is there are so many opportunities out there and people say today well these young girls don't even know about it. And I say well that's a good thing because it means we're getting towards the state of equality. But I think on the flip side of it, you -- one of the things I always talk about with these young kids is just because you don't know about it doesn't mean that it's totally in effect. And I think that's one of the problems with Title 9 is we've made great strides over the 30 years, but you can still see when you look at high schools and universities. They've done studies that show that, you know, over 80 percent are still not in compliance, meaning they still haven't gotten to par with what Title 9 requires in terms of numbers of girls playing sports.

ABBOTT: What have these opportunities done for young girls? Tell me some of the things that happen when...

FOUDY: Right.

ABBOTT: ... a girl is involved in sports.

FOUDY: Besides all the physical, you know, attributes, it brings and all the things you hear about, you know, healthy living and all that. Besides that, I think you know the mental side, this confidence, this self-esteem, this belonging to a team is -- I mean you just can't measure that. It's invaluable. And for me growing up, you know I always used it as my strength. You know I always had sports and that was something that I belonged to.

ABBOTT: How has that translated into your adult life? I know I read somewhere that 80 percent of Fortune 500 executives...

FOUDY: Right.

ABBOTT: ... were part of sports teams.

FOUDY: Right.

ABBOTT: So how does playing a sport as a high schooler...

FOUDY: Right.

ABBOTT: ... translate into your career path perhaps?

FOUDY: Right. Well I think, you know first of all whether it be an individual or a team sport, I've mostly been involved in team sports, it teaches you how to work within an environment with other people. You know how to give and take, how to share, how to kind of come to this common goal together. And for me I feel like I can walk into a situation and be fine and adapt because I've had to do that on the soccer field for so many years playing in front of, you know, 90,000 people for a World Cup or an Olympics and understanding it. It's all of a sudden pressure becomes this privilege, you know, and it's not something to fear but it's actually what a great opportunity. And so you're able to turn everything into a positive, which I think sports really helps with.

ABBOTT: You mentioned pressure, do you think there's too much pressure on young kids to get involved in these sports? I mean we see 3 and 4-year-olds out on the soccer field now and their parents pushing them really, really hard. Do you think that they've gone overboard? Have we done too much?

FOUDY: I think, yes, parents -- the parents need to learn that a kid's going to go with what his or her own heart says and not that -- they can't push them so much that it turns them away. I had so many friends that the parents just killed their passion for whatever they were doing, a sport or a craft or whatever, because they pushed too hard. So I mean I think it's -- there's a fine line between supporting and wanting to be supportive and encouraging and really pushing them over the edge where they're not even enjoying it.

You know I'm always asking you know kids what do you love? What do you want to do when you grow up or what would you like to do for a living? And I think you know sports, there's an outlet there both physically and mentally, and for them to at least try it. You know that's what I'm always saying just try things. You know be creative about the things you're trying. You know go after whatever and then follow your heart with that. And if you enjoy it, stay with it. If not, find something else you love.

But you know I think the key is having an open mind to say I'm going to try everything because one of these things is going to fit and I'm going to find my way in life through that. Because I just feel -- I really strongly feel if you find something you truly believe in and love you just can't go wrong.

ABBOTT: You've been able to role model and reach out to some non-traditional athletes as well in your Top Soccer program. Tell me a little bit about that.

FOUDY: I've been involved for three years with Uniroyal Tire in a program called Top Soccer that's run through U.S. Youth Soccer. And it's basically just that, getting these people who traditionally haven't played in a sport off the sidelines actually playing soccer. The focus clearly is not so much about competition but about just having fun. And so they group them, you know, according to their cities where they start.

There's over 10,000 kids playing right now in 200 cities, and you know from visually impaired, hearing impaired, physically impaired, you know some of them are in wheelchairs, they link them with buddies they call them that are volunteers to come out. Uniroyal donated a ton of equipment. They have all this adapted equipment like balls with bells in them so that they can hear the ball. And so it's awesome because you know they just enjoy it.

ABBOTT: What else do you have planned? What are some of your upcoming goals both on and off the field?

FOUDY: Right. To get a real job someday.

ABBOTT: Like what?

FOUDY: Quit this soccer gig. I have -- we have our World Cup next year in 2003 so I'll hopefully, knock on wood, be healthy enough to play in that and 2004 is the Olympics so I'll play (ph)...

ABBOTT: What are your personal goals for those two events?

FOUDY: Well you know it would be nice to win another World Cup. We have two under our belts and won the last one where Brandy (ph) was kind enough to get naked for us in the final. So hopefully to win another World Cup and Olympics would be nice. We took home, we like to call it the white gold in Sydney, the silver. So it would be nice to finish on two big years and be able to walk away.

ABBOTT: And World Cup, do you think we're ever going to see the kind of mania that we see in other countries for soccer here?

FOUDY: I mean it's great to see that America gets exposed to, you know, this mania because it's phenomenal. And I mean I think the World Cup clearly brings that around, you know, every four years. But it's nice because our guys I mean they for so long have been taking so much grief about the last World Cup when they finished in last place in '98. So I'm just so excited for them because it's nice to sit as a fan and cheer them on because they've been doing that to -- for our team for so many years. So -- and I -- and it's wonderful for every program, not just, you know, the women's team, for Top Soccer, everything because you know they've generated so much attention in this country because of their success. So I hope they continue to do well.

ABBOTT: Think it'll stick this time?

FOUDY: Yes, I'm always optimistic.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MCMANUS: Graduation is supposed to be one of the most important days of a student's life. It's a door between goals achieved and a promising future to follow. Yet for one high school student, it marked a dream ignored yet not forgotten.

Our Susan Friedman has the inspiring story of a young girl's astounding determination.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MASHA MALIKINA, GRADUATE: I went back to school and I started saying that I'm going to walk across the stage for graduation. I want to walk across the stage for graduation.

SUSAN FRIEDMAN, CO-HOST (voice-over): For Masha Malikina, the simple act of walking across the stage to receive her diploma was one she had to work for.

MALIKINA: I was in a car accident on October 29, 1999, and left me paralyzed from the chest down.

FRIEDMAN: The Atlanta teen was determined not to let this car accident stop her from getting her diploma on foot. So she worked and worked at rehab. Then on graduation day, the school system took away her dream, denying her the chance to walk across the stage, telling her it was too risky. Her story doesn't end here though, thanks to a local radio station.

BERT WEISS, HOST, "THE BERT SHOW": I saw Masha's story and immediately it was something has to be done about this. So we brought her in the next morning just to talk to her about it. And while she was on with us just kind of the spontaneous reaction was how do we make a difference? And the thought was how can we give her a graduation she never had before? And from there the floodgates just opened.

FRIEDMAN: A flood of humanity. Friends and strangers alike stepped forward to back Masha and watch her walk to get her diploma during graduation ceremony No. 2. The setting, Atlanta's premiere concert and sports venue.

CROWD: Masha. Masha.

FRIEDMAN (on camera): Fifty-four million Americans have some type of disability and every day there are barriers, sometimes physical like inaccessibility, sometimes psychological like being told you can't do something you had your heart set on.

(voice-over): That's why amidst all the pomp and circumstance, Masha's second graduation ceremony holds more meaning to her than her first.

MALIKINA: Today is not about me crossing the stage in a wheelchair or me crossing the stage walking, it's more about the fact that I set a goal and I was denied my goal after I'd worked so hard and the fact that I can do it. And also hopefully this will, you know, show people that you can't treat people unfairly. You can't just -- you can't be horrible to people who, you know, who don't deserve it. You can't take away people's dream, it's not your job to do that.

NINA MALIKINA, MASHA'S MOM: I always tell Masha she could do it, and now everybody could see she could do it.

CROWD: Masha. Masha.

FRIEDMAN: Masha no doubt has much support. And in her quest for equality and her demand for respect, she's taken a stand.

(CROWD CHEERING)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Congratulations, Masha.

MALIKINA: Thank you.

FRIEDMAN: She's earned her diploma, this time handed to her by basketball legend Dominique Wilkins.

MALIKINA: As far as goals goes, never set them too low, always set them high. Believe what you stand for and stand for what you believe. And never let anybody tell you that you can't do something because it's all up to you. It's if you want to do something, you can do anything in the world, absolutely.

FRIEDMAN: Moving forward, believing in a cause and having faith in oneself, keys to removing all obstacles.

Susan Friedman, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANNOUNCER: Exploring our world, here now is CNN STUDENT NEWS "Perspectives."

MCMANUS: From the walk of a lifetime to strides in medicine, they're trying an innovative way to combat cancer in China. Scientists there have plans to establish a stem cell database over the next five years. Transplanting blood cells into blood cancer patients would help them rebuild damaged cells. It's a great idea, but one that could be difficult to implement.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Every year 40,000 Chinese suffer from leukemia, 50 percent of them are children. Twenty-two-year-old Zhang Yan developed leukemia last December. She has been in hospital ever since waiting for matched stem cell to be transplanted to help her survive the possibly fatal disease.

ZHANG YAN, LEUKEMIA PATIENT (through translator): I know it's difficult to find matched stem cell because very few people like to donate. I've looked everywhere, even in Taiwan, and I'm still waiting.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: To donate stem cell there's no harm to a healthy body and gives the chance of life to others. Stem cells are basic cells that can develop into specialized cells such as heart muscle cells, red blood cells and skin cells. To transplant blood stem cells is the most effective way to treat blood cancer. But finding matching ones is becoming increasingly difficult in China.

DR. HUANG XIAOJUN, INSTITUTE OF HEMATOLOGY (through translator): The possibility of blood stem cell matching is 1 in 4 among brothers and sisters and 1 in 100,000 among people with no blood relationship. With just one child in a family, it will be more difficult.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He says that a database of blood stem cells is urgently needed. The Red Cross Society of China started work on this project in 1992 but then suspended its efforts until earlier this year.

HONG JULING, DEPUTY DIRECTOR (through translator): We plan to build a nationwide database of 100,000 people's blood stem cells over the next five years. This will basically resolve the needs of the patients.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The U.S. has the largest database in the world with over four million in store. And even Taiwan island has a database of 200,000. But Hong Juling said the funding is the biggest obstacle. At least 15 million yuan is required for the project, and Chinese government filings and currently (ph) stands as only one-tenth of that sum.

This is Maeto (ph), China Central Television for CNN World Report.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MCMANUS: Meantime in the U.S., scientists say new research using stem cells from mice could help in the fight against Parkinson's disease. The say the mouse cells have significantly improved symptoms of Parkinson's in animals, a possible step toward treatment for humans.

It's a new political day in Afghanistan. Over the past week, we've been telling you about the loya jirga, a grand council of Afghans from every walk of life who came together to choose a new government. Well they have been successful, and before ending their nine-day meeting Wednesday, the huge group of delegates chose a new Afghan president.

Gary Tuchman has more on the man who is their choice.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GARY TUCHMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Wearing a distinguished turban for an important day, the interim leader of Afghanistan took the presidential oath of office.

"I am following all the rules of Islam," repeated Hamid Karzai in Pashtundari (ph). "I will defend the independence of Afghanistan."

For more than 1,600 delegates attending this grand national assembly, the loya jirga, newly sworn in President Karzai made promises to his nation.

HAMID KARZAI, PRESIDENT OF AFGHANISTAN (through translator): In our government there mustn't be any bribery, no gun running, no discrimination. There must be social justice. If I am not loyal to this promise, I will resign.

TUCHMAN: Karzai had been elected president by the delegates as part of this loya jirga process and now was his chance to announce a cabinet. This mixture of ethnic groups could have much to do with whether this nation experiences peace or violence.

Among the four most important posts, ministers of defense, finance, interior and foreign affairs, the president picked two Pashtuns, his ethnic group, and even did out with two members of the former Northern Alliance who are ethnic Tajiks. Initially, Karzai did not believe he needed the loya jirga's approval for his key cabinet posts but he changed his mind. However, the approval process wasn't exactly comprehensive.

KARZAI (through translator): Raise your hands, all together shout, do you accept the cabinet and the system or not? All right, you've all accepted it. All right, very good, excellent.

TUCHMAN: The new president has made it clear that the U.S.-led military presence will still be welcomed. During this grand assembly, many of these delegates had complained they were intimidated, afraid to speak their minds with warlords participating. They also were not able to form a national parliament. Instead a much smaller group of delegates will be appointed to do that. This woman was one of the delegates.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There are some positive changes and also there are some other changes that people are not happy about but you cannot really make everyone pleased.

TUCHMAN: When it was all over, delegates crowded the stage to accept medals, a souvenir of their participation in the new Afghanistan's loya jirga.

(on camera): Afghanistan is a nation that has had more than its share of violence and hatred and less than its share of most everything else. But if all goes as envisioned, democracy will now start taking root. And by June 2004, this entire nation for the first time will vote in a presidential election.

Gary Tuchman, CNN, Kabul, Afghanistan.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MCMANUS: At one time or another most of us have come into contact with or at least seen a police officer, paramedic or firefighter. Emergency workers are always at the ready but not often in the limelight. That was before last year's terrorist attacks.

Here's CNN Student Bureau with the story of one way our nation's heroes are being celebrated.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JAYME STEVENS, CNN STUDENT BUREAU (voice-over): Everyone is used to hearing the roar of the siren as the big red truck goes flying down the street. Firefighters are in every city and on duty every day to save lives. An exhibit at the Boston Public Library shows the heroes of September 11. The faces of firefighters are reflected off each other as children and adults fill the small room. Viewers of the exhibit said it is just another example of how the world has grown a new appreciation towards the brave men and women that choose this profession.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They're just -- I guess I hadn't thought about it as much before how dangerous of a job it was.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I never really understood what their job was. I never understood how much they put their life on the line for each person each time they go into a building or go to any call.

STEVENS: The Union Square Fire House is situated in Brighton and serves the Boston area. Firefighter Devon Watson, Ladder 14, is a rookie who has only been with the force for a year and two months. He said he can feel the community reaching out to him more since September 11. But for him, he's just doing his job.

DEVON WATSON, FIREFIGHTER: For me I already know what we do. You understand. If I'm training, I know what to expect, I know what we would be doing. I know that if the building is on fire, even if there's a risk of its -- that it's going to collapse, we still go in. So for me personally, no, but I could see from other people's point of view that it's probably changed. Their outlook on firefighters might be different.

STEVENS: Lieutenant Jim Feeney has been with the force for 24 years. Even if he is just now being noticed, to him the job hasn't changed and neither has his attitude.

LT. JIM FEENEY, UNION SQUARE FIRE HOUSE: I've always been of the adage that you know I'll get killed walking across the street on the same day I'll get killed on a building fire. I've never had a fear of getting hurt on this job.

STEVENS: Firefighters have always known their job was dangerous. It took a tragedy like September 11 to show the community.

Jayme Stevens, CNN Student Bureau, Boston.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MCMANUS: And our "Where in the World" there, Los Angeles. And for all you Angelenos not stuck in traffic, there's more on the Web. Head to CNNSTUDENTNEWS.com to test your mental mettle with our weekly news quiz. Plus get a lowdown on a lot of the stories we've covered this week.

In the meantime, I'm Michael McManus, have a great weekend.

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