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Tropical Cyclone Phailin Hits India; U.S. Federal Government Remains Shut Down

Aired October 14, 2013 - 04:00   ET


CARL AZUZ, CNN ANCHOR: Hi, welcome to CNN STUDENT NEWS. It`s Monday. It`s Columbus Day. We`ll have more on that coming up. It`s a new week of CNN STUDENT NEWS. In the U.S., we talk about hurricanes. In the Indian Ocean, these storms are called cyclones, and parts of India are recovering from the strongest cyclone to hit that country in 14 years. Tropical Cyclone Phailin hit India`s eastern coast. It was the equivalent of a category 4 hurricane. At least 14 people were killed. Before the storm hit, officials evacuated nearly a million people. They say that effort helped limit the number of casualties. Getting people back on their feet could be challenging. The cyclone damaged property; it flooded highways; it knocked down trees and power lines.

In parts of the Pacific Ocean, cyclones are called typhoons, and at least 13 people were killed when Typhoon Nari hit the Philippines this weekend. More than 43,000 people were forced out of their homes by that storm.

Back in the United States, some of the parks and monuments closed by the partial government shutdown are starting to reopen. New York made a deal with the National Park Service to fund operations at the Statue of Liberty. State and local funds will help reopen Grand Canyon National Park out in Arizona. And in South Dakota, Mount Rushmore is set to reopen first thing this morning thanks to a similar deal.

But there was no deal in Washington this weekend on either the shutdown or the debt ceiling. That deadline is just three days away, and there is talking between the White House, the Republican-led House of Representatives and the Democratic-led Senate. There is also some serious finger pointing.


UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Lawmakers scurrying out of Washington even though there is no deal in place to end the partial government shutdown and avoid a possible default this week.

REP. STEVE SOUTHERLAND, R-FLORIDA: My staff has every plane ready, every plane flight on our schedule. We`re ready to come back as soon as there is a vote.

SEN. DAN COATS, R-INDIANA: This thing is so fluid and so many things are changing. All I know is we got a president who does not want to negotiate.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Perhaps a hint of defensiveness with talks between the White House and House Republicans having collapsed and both sides blaming each other. Now all eyes on the Senate and whether Majority Leader Harry Reid and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell can work out a compromise.

SEN. HARRY REID, D-NEV., and MAJORITY LEADER: The conversations were extremely cordial, but very preliminary, of course. Nothing conclusive. But I hope that our talking gives some solace to the American people and the world.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: But Reid is still sticking firm to key Democratic demands.

REID: They`re not doing us a favor by opening the government, reopening the government. They`re not doing us a favor by extending the debt ceiling. Those - that`s part of our jobs.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Meantime, Republicans accuse the president of pulling a bait and switch.

REP. JOHN FLEMING, R-LOUISIANA: The president apparently was not negotiating in good faith. All he`s really said is, whatever you offer, I`m not interested in it. He`s hoping to cut a deal with the Senate, which would I think be a terrible deal, to undermine the house.


UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It`s time for the shoutout. The Swat Valley is located in what country? If you think you know it, then shout it out. Is it in Egypt, France, Pakistan or the United States? You got 3 seconds, go.

The Swat Valley is in the northern part of Pakistan. That`s your answer and that`s your shoutout.

AZUZ: Malala Yousafzai was 10 years old when the Taliban arrived in the Swat Valley and started imposing its harsh rules. For example, no girls allowed in school. Malala became a target after she spoke out for education rights. She is still speaking out, and in an interview with CNN`s Christiane Amanpour, Malala talked about the attack on her life and about her cause, which she says a bullet could never end.


MALALA YOUSAFZAI, ACTIVIST: He asked, who is Malala? He did not give me time to answer his question. And my friend told me, my best friend, Maniba (ph), that at that time, you just squeezed my hand, and you just pushed it with force, and you do not say anything, and then in the next few seconds, he fired two bullets. One bullet hit me, the left side of my forehead, just above here, and it went down through my neck and into my shoulder. And I think I was hit by only one bullet, and it also affected my eardrum, so now I have problem in listening as well. It also cut down my facial nerve. But still, if I look at it, it`s a miracle. My brain is saved, my spinal cord is safe, everything is fine, I am alive, and I still can talk. I can smile. So I thank God for that.

Before the terrorists, we were going to school. It was just a normal life, getting a heavy bag (ph) and doing homework daily, and being good and getting high marks. We could not understand what we are doing, why are we going to school. But then later on, when the terrorists came, when they stopped us from going to school, I got the evidence, and they showed me a proof that, yes, the terrorists are afraid of education, they are afraid of the power of education. And if a woman gets education, then she becomes more powerful. And we all know that the terrorists are afraid of the power of women as well. So now, at that time, we realized that yes, education is important, because it was snatched from us.

So I would like to tell every girl in UK and America, in the countries, in the developed countries where education is available to them, go to schools, and realize its importance before it is snatched from you, as we have been suffering from that situation.


AZUZ: Today`s roll call starts with two northern neighbors before we head down to the Gulf. Let`s go to the map. Call it the Peace Garden State, the Flickertail state, the Roughrider state. We call it North Dakota, home of the Vikings from Kindred High. Right next door is Montana, where the Sidney Eagles are checking out CNN STUDENT NEWS. And finally, we hit the capital of Louisiana, Baton Rouge, to say hello to the Panthers from Woodlawn High School.

He sailed the ocean blue in 1492. Of course, he mistook the Caribbean for Asia, but leading the Nina, the Pinta and the Santa Maria, Christopher Columbus did traverse the Atlantic, and for that, he got his own holiday on the second Monday in October.

Columbus was Italian, so some folks celebrate Italian American heritage on Columbus Day. One view is that Columbus was a heroic explorer, bridging Europe with the Americas. Another view looks at the effects that later had on those native to North and South America, the diseases brought from Europe, the destruction of some Native Americans` way of life. That`s part of the reason why different celebrations in parts of Latin America, like Dia De La Raza (ph), leave out Columbus himself.

La`Shanda Jones got interested in the U.S. Coast Guard when she was in college. Jones says that when she was growing up, she was used to people telling her what she couldn`t do. That that gave her more motivation to succeed. Now she`s a lieutenant, and she`s breaking ground in the sky.


LT. LA`SHANDA JONES, U.S. COAST GUARD: It`s a dream job. Flying, how cool is that?

The power within to me means that I know where I came from, and I appreciate it. It means that I can go out and run a mission and be confident and be direct.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Meet Lieutenant La`Shanda Jones. She`s the first black female helicopter pilot in the United States Coast Guard. But her story could have turned out much differently. When she was 2, her mother committed suicide, forcing her to live in a home that would later turn out to be abusive.

JONES: The Department of Social Services took me from my home and put me in foster care. At that time, I was just turning about 16 years old, and it`s hard to find placement for kids when you`re that age.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Despite the odds, La`Shanda graduated at the top of her high school class. She then went on to attend Spellman College in Atlanta, and eventually became interested in the Coast Guard.

JONES: Primarily, we do search and rescue. Flying is an inherently dangerous job.

The pilot in command is responsible for the safe and efficient mission completion. I wish my mother was here. I with a lot of things were different, but at the end of the day, I am very proud for the woman that I had been allowed to become.


AZUZ: Magicians may not like to share tricks of the trade, but the one in this YouTube video is happy to share tips of the trade. He starts by offering delivery drivers five singles, then he makes a little presto change-o, and ends up handing them five 20s. That`s $100 tip. The sleight of hand is not taken slightly.


UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You know how it works, so there you go. 20, 40, 100 bucks.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That`s awesome.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yeah, it is pretty awesome.


UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, no, don`t - I`m sure you can use it.


AZUZ: If you want your magic tricks to get noticed, putting them on social media will definitely tip people off. So no matter how you slice it, that`s notoriety for the tipper. And for the pizza delivery guys, just a little extra dough.

It`s going to eat up all our time for the day, but we`ll reappear tomorrow, just like magic. See you all then.