First Up: Greek Debt Crisis

AZUZ: The country has a massive debt. We're talking nearly $400 billion. That is bigger than the entire nation's economy. The Greek government is considering some plans to get try to that debt under control. Those plans include spending cuts, and those are not popular with a lot of workers. Yesterday, thousands of Greeks went on strike. They walked off the job because of the proposed cuts and they took to the streets to protest. This one is at the Greek parliament building. Lawmakers were inside going over those proposals to cut spending. The people outside are workers: teachers, doctors, transportation employees. They were demanding that members of parliament come outside and face them.

Of course, police were out all over the country to deal with these protests. In some spots, that led to fighting between the police and the protesters. Some people in the crowds threw bottles, rocks and sticks at the officers. In the capital city of Athens, a fire bomb hit a bank, killing three people inside. Parliament lawmakers held a moment of silence for the victims.

In terms of Greece's debt, the country is getting some help from the European Union. On Sunday, it agreed to an aid package worth $145 billion. But in order to get that package, Greece must adopt some of those cost-cutting measures that it's considering.

Is this Legit?

MATT CHERRY, CNN STUDENT NEWS: Is this legit? The U.S. government has a list of people who are not allowed on board airplanes. Legit! It's called the No Fly list.

No-Fly

AZUZ: And the government is making some updates to it, specifically, how often airlines have to check it. This is based on changes to the No Fly list or when names are added to it. In the past, airlines had 24 hours to check the list after they were told about an update. Now, they'll have to do it within two hours. The goal of this is to prevent a repeat of what happened on Monday.

That's when Faisal Shahzad, a suspect who's been arrested in connection with the failed bombing plot in Times Square, was allowed to get on a plane even though his name was on the No Fly list. Shahzad's name had been added to the list earlier in the day. But because it was within that old, 24-hour window, the airline hadn't checked the updated list when it sold him a ticket. As we told you yesterday, there were other things that did raise red flags, including the fact that Shahzad bought his ticket in cash. So, authorities were able to find and arrest him before his plane took off.

Oil Spill

AZUZ: One leak down, two to go. BP says the smallest of three leaks in the Gulf of Mexico has been sealed. More than 200,000 gallons of oil have been leaking into the Gulf every day. Plans are now underway to stop the biggest leak. In the next few days, officials expect to place a pollution containment chamber -- the four-story, steel box you see right here -- over that leak. If it works, a second box will be used to cover the last leak. The plan is to collect the oil inside those boxes and then pipe it up to ships on the surface. Reports indicate that the oil is getting closer to shore. Miles of booms -- these sort of floating barriers -- have been put in place to try to control the spill. Gary Tuchman gives us a closer look.

(BEGIN VIDEO)

GARY TUCHMAN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: We're 35 miles south of Gulfport Mississippi. These are the Chandeleur Islands, actually in Louisiana waters, and right now you are looking at the oil that is threatening to come on this island.

Protective boom's right here; this yellow thing is the boom. It looks like foam. But this is the oil from the massive oil slick.

People on the coastline, obviously in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida, are very concerned. But we can tell you, because we took a three-and-a-half hour boat ride to get out here, that the oil is still at least 35 or 40 miles away. I mean, you could see it right now: If it wasn't for this protective boom, it would be on these islands.

These islands are amazing wildlife refuges. They are places where migratory birds come on their way between North, Central and South America. And you can see the birds as the sun is going down on these islands.

These islands used to be about 20 miles long, north to south. But because of hurricanes over the years -- Katrina, George -- it's now about 16 miles. And ultimately, the fear is that in the years to come and if there's more damage here, the islands will be gone.

They're uninhabited; no one lives here. Although about a couple hundred years ago, there were a couple hundred people who lived on the islands. Now, it's a wildlife refuge. The oil you see is right here next to the boom, and there's great concern it will go over the boom, on these islands, and then on the coastline. This is Gary Tuchman, CNN, on the Chandeleur Islands, Louisiana.

(END VIDEO)

This Day in History

(ON SCREEN GRAPHIC)

May 6, 1915 - George Herman "Babe" Ruth hits his first major league home run.

May 6, 1937 - The Hindenburg, the largest airship ever built, explodes as it arrives in New Jersey.

May 6, 1954 - Roger Bannister becomes the first person to run the mile in less than four minutes.

Shoutout

TOMEKA JONES, CNN STUDENT NEWS: Today's Shoutout goes out to Ms. Neal at Tarkanian Middle School in Las Vegas, Nevada! Which of these events takes place in the month of May? You know what to do! Is it: A) Armed Forces Day, B) Veterans Day, C) Armistice Day or D) Flag Day? You've got three seconds -- GO! Armed Forces Day is a salute to all branches of the U.S. Armed Forces, and it falls on May 15. That's your answer and that's your Shoutout!

Wounded Warriors

AZUZ: From tanks to Humvees and even back to cavalry horses, troops are used to riding into battle. But the Soldier Ride is something that happens after the fighting is over. It's part of the Wounded Warriors program, which honors and helps members of the military who have been injured. Last week marked the fourth cycle of the annual Soldier Ride. You can have a look at it right here.

(BEGIN VIDEO)

TED WADE, WOUNDED WARRIOR: It's like the doors are opening and you're walking outside for the first time.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Come on. You can do it. Keep going, man.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All cyclists, you must stay in the lane the cruiser is in when you're over there for them to accept the responsibility of the escort.

STEVEN NARDIZZI, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, WOUNDED WARRIOR PROJECT: This is a great event. It's progressed into a rehab ride where we've got over 30 warriors here right now participating in a ride and getting out, sometimes for the first time, of a hospital and learning what they can accomplish again in life.

SARA WADE, TED'S WIFE: I also always see a big change in his mood with the bike ride coming up. There's a lot of anticipation and a lot of excitement.

T. WADE: I've been going to the gym and riding exercise bikes for several hours.

S. WADE: Ted had neurosurgery over in Germany and spent about two weeks in a neurosurgery intensive care unit there. It was doubtful that Ted was going to survive. It's kind of surreal and it definitely puts things into perspective. I think it definitely helps you stay motivated when sometimes it's easy this far post-injury to burn out from rehabilitation.

T. WADE: It's continuing my momentum for the future, and with the way things are looking, good into the future.

(END VIDEO)

Blog Report

AZUZ: Really like that story. Well, Ashleigh is talking to us. She says teachers are like her second parents. They help her fix her mistakes and learn from them. She's just one of hundreds of people paying tribute to teachers this Teacher Appreciation Week! Renee and Andrea say Mrs. MacDonald inspired them to be better people and to remember equality. Helen calls Mr. Giampetro a big influence on her decision to become a teacher. Mrs. Kelley is a teacher that Elijah can really relate to. She's also the only one in class who laughs at my puns. I'm glad someone's laughing, Mrs. Kelley! Zach, Hannah, Wendy and Chase all think Mrs. Vann is the best teacher ever, saying her sense of humor helps them learn. Shelby, Matthew, Lacey and Hannah all praise Mrs. Chapp for making learning fun. We wish we could read all of these comments on air, but you can see them all on our blog at CNNStudentNews.com!

Before We Go

AZUZ: Before we go, lawmakers have to deal with some serious issues. For example, serious questions about wildlife, like whose frog can jump the farthest. Apparently, annoying the frog is a viable strategy, but not a winning one. This frog jumping competition is an annual event at the California state capitol, one that's sure to put a little hop in your step. The winner has a name that is just perfect for government work.

Goodbye

AZUZ: And that name is Tad-poll worker. It is a great thing when they write the puns for us. That ribbeting competition brings today's show to a close. For CNN Student News, I'm Carl Azuz.

First Up: Times Square Arrest

AZUZ: First up, officials have arrested a suspect in connection with a failed bombing plot in New York City. Authorities say that Faisal Shahzad has admitted he was involved with the incident. They're now calling that a "terrorist plot." Shahzad is a naturalized U.S. citizen. That means he was born in another country -- in this case, Pakistan -- but he became a U.S. citizen about a year ago. Officials said that they plan to charge Shahzad, whom you see in these pictures from Orkut.com, with an act of terrorism and attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction. Those charges filed in court yesterday. Attorney General Eric Holder said that since he's been in custody, authorities have been questioning Shahzad and that he's been giving them "useful information."

But we're gonna back up for you right now and go through the timeline to show you how we got to where we are right now. Saturday night, someone leaves an SUV in Times Square. A couple of street vendors notice it, tell police. Police find a makeshift bomb inside and disarm it. Now, we're into the search for a suspect. The SUV helps with that. Authorities figure out whom it belonged to, they contact that person, find out that he had sold the vehicle to Shahzad. So, where is Shahzad? He's trying to get out of the country. In fact, when police arrested him, he was on a plane that was about to head to the United Arab Emirates and then on to Pakistan. A couple things helped tip off authorities here. One: Shahzad was on the no-fly list. That helped officials track him down. Two: He paid for his ticket in cash at the counter; no reservation. That raised a red flag for the airline, which told airport security. Hours after Shahzad was arrested Monday night, security forces in Pakistan conducted a raid and took two or three people into custody. Pakistani officials say that raid was in connection to the Times Square plot.

Nashville Flooding

AZUZ: Well, over in Tennessee, the Cumberland River is going back down and the weather forecast is looking better. But it's going to take a while to recover from this week's severe floods. Experts say the river topped out at nearly 12 feet above flood stage. It left homes underwater, destroyed roads. Officials are blaming the severe weather for more than two dozen deaths, including ten in the Nashville area. That city's mayor declared a state of emergency on Sunday. That lets Nashville ask for help from state officials, and it helps make it easier to get and give out supplies and services. More than a thousand people were rescued from the water over the weekend.

Downtown Nashville, hit hard by the storms. Here, you can see some of the flooding in the city's football stadium. In addition to being Tennessee's capital, Nashville is also known as the "country music capital of the world." It's home to the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Grand Ole Opry. The lower levels of both of those landmarks were flooded, too.

Containment Effort

AZUZ: Florida's governor has also declared a state of emergency for 13 counties in his state. This is a response to the massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Now, every Gulf Coast state, from Louisiana to Florida, has asked the National Guard to help fight the spill. Meantime, BP -- that's the company that owns the well that this oil is gushing out of -- is trying to stop the leak at the source. Plan A -- use remotely operated subs to close a valve -- hasn't worked. Plan B? Brian Todd tells us about that.

(BEGIN VIDEO)

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT, WASHINGTON, D.C.: I'm Brian Todd in Port Fourchon, Louisiana, where we have access to something that you've never really seen before because they haven't really tried it before. This large, box-like structure right here is called the "pollution containment chamber."

It looks like a huge rusty box. But after so much futility, this might be the device that stops the massive oil flow in the Gulf. Forty feet high and weighing nearly a hundred tons, the pollution containment chamber is almost ready to be lowered on top of the leaking wellhead from the destroyed rig.

They've been working on this device for about a week now, and they're essentially cutting it to specs to fit this particular pipe that's leaking. We can't go up to the top there where those guys are welding because of the dangers, the hazards here. But here's how it's going to work: These two openings are going to be lowered on top of the leaking well. The leaking end of it's going to come out that window right there. There's another part of the well that's jutting out that will come out that opening right over there. This will be lowered and those flaps there in the middle will be sitting on the ocean floor to prevent this from sinking any further.

The idea is for this to plant down, clamp, then channel the oil to waiting surface containers. This is what they call the "top hat," the cap to the dome. It's going to be placed on top of it, essentially acting as the top of the funnel that's going to siphon the oil to the surface. A riser's attached to the other side, almost like a straw going to the surface to a ship that will carry the oil out.

Smaller versions of this have been successful before. Officials say this dome may be able to capture as much as 85 percent of the oil spewing from those pipes.

Is this the last, best hope to contain this spill?

JASON HOLVEY, WILD WELL CONTROL: I don't believe that's the case. If for some reason this did not work, there are a lot of brilliant minds working for BP right now. I'm sure there are multiple efforts going on parallel to ours.

TODD: But at the moment, those other efforts either aren't working or won't be ready as quickly. They're also building a smaller version of the pollution containment chamber. You see it going on right there, with this guy welding here. That's not going to be ready quite as quickly as the larger one. Now, the timetable for that larger one: they hope to finish that here in the yard by Wednesday. Then they've got to do some quality controls, get it onto a ship to transport it out there. They hope to lower that onto the leaking well by the end of this week. Brian Todd, CNN, Port Fourchon, Louisiana.

(END VIDEO)

Shoutout

MATT CHERRY, CNN STUDENT NEWS: Today's Shoutout goes out to Mr. Edwards' history classes at Niobrara County High School in Lusk, Wyoming! This is a picture of Timothy Geithner. What's his job? You know what to do! Is he the: A) NFL Commissioner, B) President of Harvard, C) Treasury Secretary or D) U.S. Poet Laureate? You've got three seconds -- GO! Timothy Geithner is the 75th secretary of the U.S. Treasury Department. That's your answer and that's your Shoutout!

Tax on Banks?

AZUZ: Because that's his job, one of Secretary Geithner's responsibilities is to try and keep the U.S. economy stable. He thinks one way to do that is through a tax on banks. He talked about this on Capitol Hill yesterday. Specifically, the tax would be aimed at large banks that might have gotten help from the government during the financial crisis. Secretary Geithner says more than 99 percent of the country's banks won't be affected. But some people who are opposed to this tax argue it could cause problems for small businesses because it might be harder for them to get loans. A big part of all of this is risk. Banks sometimes make risky investments and loans. And under the proposed tax, the banks that take more risks would have to pay more.

School Cuts

AZUZ: Another part of the financial crisis is job cuts. You know that by now. A new survey looks at how many might be coming up where you are right now, in school. According to the report, more than 80 percent of U.S. school districts expect to cut jobs in the 2010-2011 school year. The survey interviewed administrators from 49 states. They're predicting that more than a quarter million positions will be let go. We're talking about teachers, nurses, administrators, cafeteria workers. Districts that don't cut jobs will probably put a freeze on hiring. The head of the group that took this survey says that while there are some signs that the U.S. economy is getting better, so far, it's just not happening in schools.

Teacher Appreciation Week

AZUZ: A few months ago, Anastasia wrote that the economy was forcing her school to cut back, but that it made everyone proud to see teachers trying to cheer students up, even though the teachers were losing their jobs. She appreciates the work teachers do, and so do these folks: Jared says, "Mr. McBurrows doesn't just teach; he makes the lesson fun and interactive." Mrs. Yribe -- I might not be saying it right -- but has helped Allison better understand science. Lyn writes that "Mr. Chmil changed her mind about history and cultures." Moses sends a shoutout to Mrs. Herman, saying "she's the awesomest teacher ever." Cameron says, "Mr. Langhorst always finds a way to make class fun." Thanks to Mr. Sumner, Quinton says he can play multiple instruments and wants to be a musician. And Gracie and Ellie thank their mother for homeschooling them and being the best teacher they could ask for. Thank your teacher at CNNStudentNews.com!

Before We Go

AZUZ: And before we go, we like to end the show with something light hearted. For example, this YouTube video of a nice, warm campfire... no, it's the top of a birthday cake! And check this out, watch what happens next. There it is! Blowing this sucker out is gonna be tough. But you gotta admit it looks really cool. But the candle creators did miss one detail, though: They forgot to disconnect the smoke detector, and they heard all about it. They'll definitely know better for next time.

Goodbye

AZUZ: But it definitely makes this a truly enlightening experience. I guess they can't be all crazy animals and eating contests, however much I love them. All right: Facebook comment of the day comes from James, who asks if I could have any color hair, what would it be? James, would be the color of thunder. We'd love for you to write on our wall at Facebook.com/cnnstudentnews. If you have a random question or comment about the show, you know where to find us. Have a wonderful day. We'll see you soon.

First Up: Oil Spill

AZUZ: First up, BP will "absolutely be paying for the clean-up operation" of a huge oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. The company owns the oil rig that sank in the Gulf last month, causing the spill. The thing is still leaking out more than 200,000 gallons of oil per day. That's making things hard for the area's fishing industry, as you might imagine. Officials have banned fishing in part of the Gulf for a while. Some local seafood restaurants are worried about being able to get the food they need to sell. The industry brings about $2.4 billion to the Gulf Coast.

This spill is threatening parts of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida. CNN estimates that the overall area that could be impacted by the oil spill is almost as large as the state of Delaware. Officials say they're fighting the spill in three ways. One: They're trying to cap the well that's leaking the oil. Two: They're trying to stop the oil before it reaches land. And three: They're getting ready to clean it up if it does make landfall. Jacqui Jeras looks at what makes this such a tough fight.

(BEGIN VIDEO)

JACQUI JERAS, CNN WEATHER ANCHOR: Well, there have been a lot of questions as to why it's been over a week now and, for some reason, no one's been able to get down there and stop this leak from going any further, unfortunately. Now, there are a lot of reasons why it's been such a difficult challenge, and some of that has to do with the location of it and how deep this is.

The BOP, which is what we know as the blowout preventer, is where the main leak is coming from, and it sits about 5,000 feet down on the ocean floor. So, that's nearly a mile, where it's very, very dark; and the pressure is very, very intense. Now, a blowout preventer, or BOP, is actually a series of valves, and it's designed to stop a leak like this. We've got a picture to show you of what it looks like. It's very large and it's very heavy. Here you can see it; it's about two stories tall, and you can see those series of valves here. Now, the type of BOP it is, it's called a ram BOP, and that means there's a series of plates, two different plates, that will come together and push together, and it will seal off, hopefully, any leak. And it sits right on top of that well. Now, there are three different ways that you can turn this thing off, and unfortunately, none of those ways have worked so far.

So, in the meantime, what officials are doing to try and stop this, two different things. One: They're putting dispersant down near the source, down near the BOP, to try and hold it in that area. The other thing they're doing, is that they've got these little roving vehicles, or ROVs, or submersibles. And they've got robotic arms on them. And so, they're going to use those robotic arms to try and manually turn off that valve. So far, none of those things have worked very well.

So, we're looking at a long-term solution. And there's only two ways that officials tell us that can get done. One way is to build a type of tent to cover it up. The second way is to drill another hole into the well, and then put cement or other type of coagulator in there to block it up and hope that that will seal it. Well, we've just heard now from BP officials that they're going to try the tent option. And they're building three rectangular boxes which are made out of steel, and they each weigh 73 tons. These boxes are going to go down to the ocean floor, cover up those leaks. And then what they can do, is they can attach a pipe to the top of it and divert that oil wherever they want it to go. For example, perhaps, a ship, where they will collect some of that oil.

So, this is a long-term process. Officials tell us it could take up to three months. In the meantime, best estimates tell us that 5,000 barrels of oil continue to gush out of it every day.

(END VIDEO)

Airline Merger

AZUZ: Up in the sky. It's United... It's Continental... It's... Uninental? Maybe Conti-nited. Either way, the name's not right, but two of the country's major airlines are planning to merge together. United and Continental made the announcement yesterday. For the record, they'd keep United's name, so the company would be called United, but it would have Continental's logo. If the deal does go through, it'll make the new company the world's largest airline. That's an "if" because this merger has to be approved by the government. One of the possible concerns is whether the merged airline would have too much control over prices. One expert says it might not affect the cost on flights to major cities, but it could impact international flights or flights in and out of smaller cities. The airlines argue that prices are determined by a lot of factors, but not by individual companies.

This Day in History

(ON SCREEN GRAPHIC)

May 4, 1961 - The Freedom Riders start their trip through the Southern U.S. to protest segregation.

May 4, 1970 - Four students are killed at Kent State University when National Guardsmen fire into a crowd of protesters.

May 4, 1979 - Margaret Thatcher becomes the first female prime minister of Great Britain.

Times Square Incident

AZUZ: Okay, moving from the past to the present, authorities are looking for clues in that failed bombing attempt in New York City over the weekend. One of the things that they're checking: security cameras. There are a bunch of those all over Times Square, where it happened. This is one of the first videos released by the police. Now, you see the man in the spotshadow on the right of your screen. He's changing his shirt. Officials are trying to figure out who he is. He's not a suspect; he's just someone that they want to talk to. Authorities say it's too early to know who was involved. But Attorney General Eric Holder -- the top law enforcement official in the country -- has promised that whoever is responsible will be brought to justice.

United Nations

AZUZ: We're gonna stay in New York and move over to the United Nations building for a meeting about nuclear weapons. That is where Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the president of Iran, was yesterday. This meeting is designed for countries to discuss ways to cut down on the number of nuclear weapons around the globe. Of course, some countries, including the U.S., argue that Iran is trying to make nuclear weapons. Iran says its nuclear program only has peaceful purposes. During his speech at the U.N. yesterday, President Ahmadinejad blasted several nations, especially the U.S. and Israel. He argues that those countries want complete control over nuclear weapons and nuclear power. Several delegates walked out during his speech.

Water Main Break

AZUZ: Heading over to Boston, Massachusetts, where nearly 2 million people are waiting for officials to run tests to make sure that the water is safe to drink. This might look like good video; it is a serious problem: a water pipe that broke over the weekend and sent millions of gallons rushing out of the pipeline. It happened about 12 miles west of Boston, but it affects around 30 communities in the region. Welders have repaired the pipe, but authorities have to run a lot of tests to make sure that water is safe. And until those tests are finished, you have to boil the water before you can drink it or use it to cook.

Shoutout

TOMEKA JONES, CNN STUDENT NEWS: Time for the Shoutout! The Socratic method is used in what field? If you think you know it, shout it out! Is it: A) Engineering, B) Teaching, C) Painting or D) Aviation? You've got three seconds -- GO! The Socratic method is a version of teaching, and on this National Teacher Day, today's Shoutout and show are dedicated to all of you teachers out there!

Blog Comments

AZUZ: And so's this next segment. Teachers, here's what your students are saying about how you've inspired them. Gracie thanks Miss Freeman for giving her the courage to go out and be the best person she can be. Megan says Mr. Fish gave her the confidence to get in front of people and speak. From Ningxia: Mr. Zhu opened the door of "why and how" and taught the importance of thinking. Miss Wang shared the joy of painting. Cole says Senorita Gandara and Senora Gregor helped in math. Trevor notes that Mr. McGowan makes the whole class laugh. And Melvin thanks Mrs. Betty and Mrs. Schoeck for helping him control his attitude. Tell us how your teachers help you! CNNStudentNews.com is the address; share your comments and first names only, please.

Before We Go

AZUZ: Before we go, they say that laughter is the best medicine. But this...?

[VIDEO OF PEOPLE LAUGHING]

AZUZ: That is kinda creepy. I don't care if it was World Laughter Day. World Laughter Day; that's not a joke. It's an annual event that's charged with chuckles, giddy with giggles, chock full of chortles and governed by guffaws. These jokesters seem to be taking the theme pretty seriously.

Goodbye

AZUZ: For them, it's no laughing matter. You thought we'd let that go without a pun? Please, don't make me laugh. All right, listen. On a serious note, I wanna give a Shoutout to the students of Bridgewater Middle School; specifically, their band. Thank you guys for stopping by CNN Center last week; it was good seeing you. On that note, we are done for the day. Please make sure to tune in again tomorrow. For CNN Student News, I'm Carl Azuz.

CARL AZUZ, CNN STUDENT NEWS ANCHOR: That story out of New York City leading off our show today. I'm Carl Azuz. This is CNN Student News.

First Up: Times Square

AZUZ: Things are more or less back to normal in New York's Times Square. The area was put on lockdown for a while over the weekend, and here is why: Saturday night, someone left an SUV with the engine running on the street. A T-shirt vendor noticed it, saw smoke coming out of it, told a nearby police officer. The officer looked inside and spotted what authorities think might have been a bomb. That's what triggered the lockdown. Times Square is usually filled with tourists and people going to the theater. Authorities immediately evacuated the area. You can see some of that in this iReport. Some people were moved out of Times Square. Others were kept inside the hotels or theaters they were already in.

Eventually, the bomb squad was called in. That's the guy in the gray suit just to the left of center of your screen there. Inside the SUV, they found a device made from gasoline cans, propane tanks, fireworks and electric clocks. Police say it apparently didn't work. Instead of exploding, it just filled the SUV with smoke. The vehicle was taken out of Times Square yesterday. Officials have started an investigation into the whole thing. They're checking the vehicle and its contents for fingerprints. They're going over surveillance footage and amateur videos from Times Square to see if they can identify who left the SUV there. Authorities are treating this incident as a potential terrorist attack.

Gulf Coast Oil Spill

AZUZ: Next stop, Louisiana. Officials there are making some predictions about an oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Ken Salazar, the secretary of the interior, is warning the region to prepare for the worst. Several government officials think the leak could continue for weeks. The fishing industry in part of the Gulf will be shut down for at least 10 days.

All of this started with an explosion on an offshore oil rig last month. The rig sank; it caused a leak. And now, more than a million and a half gallons of oil have spilled into the Gulf. The Coast Guard and the company that owns the rig are both doing what they can to contain this spill. President Obama, who visited the region yesterday, says those efforts will keep going for as long as it takes.

U.S. PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA: I'm not going to rest, and none of the gentlemen and women who are here are going to rest or be satisfied, until the leak is stopped at the source, the oil on the gulf is contained and cleaned up, and the people of this region are able to go back to their lives and their livelihoods. Currently, the most advanced technology available is being used to try and stop a leak that is more than 5,000 feet under the surface. Because this leak is unique and unprecedented, it could take many days to stop. That's why we're also using every resource available to stop the oil from coming ashore and mitigating the damage it could cause.

Severe Storms

AZUZ: North from the Gulf Coast, a couple states are recovering from severe weather. Parts of Arkansas were hit by heavy storms, possible tornadoes on Friday. One person was killed. About two dozen others were hurt. Meanwhile, "extremely dangerous" flooding in Tennessee is responsible for at least five deaths over the weekend. Nashville got between 6 and 10 inches of rain in just 12 hours on Saturday. The city's mayor called it "one of the most severe rain events Nashville has ever experienced." He urged people to stay home and off the roads. There was more rain in the forecast for Tennessee yesterday.

Teacher Appreciation Week

AZUZ: Well, it's time to give a little thanks to your teachers! This is Teacher Appreciation Week. And to celebrate, we want you to head to our blog and talk about your favorites. But put some thought into this one. Tell us how your teachers make a difference in your lives. It could be by showing you CNN Student News. If you want to go for some extra credit, and we know you want some extra credit, send us an iReport for Teacher Appreciation Week. You can do it all at CNNStudentNews.com.

Immigration Reform

AZUZ: The issue of immigration getting a lot of attention right now. Part of the reason seems to be a new law in Arizona. We covered that last week. The law requires any immigrants in Arizona to have immigration documents with them at all times. It also requires police to question anyone who might be in the U.S. illegally.

Over the weekend, thousands of people protested the Arizona law. Officials said 50,000 people marched in this demonstration in Los Angeles. There were similar protests in New York, Washington and Arizona. Critics of the law argue it will lead to racial profiling. They claim police will question people about their immigration status based mostly on their race.

Now, Arizona Governor Jan Brewer is working to address that criticism by making some changes to the law. She signed those changes into effect Friday. This is the big difference. Originally, police officers in Arizona could stop anyone based simply on a "reasonable suspicion" that they might be in the country illegally. Now, officers can only ask people about their immigration status while the officers are enforcing some other law; maybe speeding, maybe loitering. Governor Brewer says the changes "make it crystal clear and undeniable that racial profiling is illegal and will not be tolerated in Arizona."

Shoutout

TOMEKA JONES, CNN STUDENT NEWS: Today's Shoutout goes out to Ms. Killey's social studies classes at Haven Middle School in Evanston, Illinois! What type of musician is most likely to perform a cappella? You know what to do! Is it a: A) Cellist, B) Guitarist, C) Drummer or D) Singer? You've got three seconds -- GO! Since a cappella means "without instrumental support," a singer is the right choice here. That's your answer and that's your Shoutout!

Virtual Choir

AZUZ: Nearly 200 singers raised their voices in a choir performance recently. They didn't need any instrumental support, but they did get some help from technology. When the curtain went up, they weren't really there! John Vennavally-Rao takes note of how the ethereal ensemble came together.

(BEGIN VIDEO)

JOHN VENNAVALLY-RAO, REPORTER, CTV NEWS, TORONTO: At first, it may seem strange that Patrick Murray is all alone, given choirs are all about making music together.

PATRICK MURRAY [SINGING IN LATIN]: Singing "Lux Aurumque."

VENNAVALLY-RAO: The 20-year-old music major at the University of Toronto, singing to his computer a popular choral piece called "Lux Aurumque."

MURRAY: I recorded a video on my webcam along with the audio and then uploaded it to YouTube.

VENNAVALLY-RAO: On its own, a rather ordinary video. But Karen Koh of Singapore did the same. So did Steven Hansen in Sweden. And Melody Myers of Tennessee. Videos that kept coming in on YouTube, the different parts of the same song.

MELODY MYERS OF TENNESSEE, [SINGING IN LATIN]: Singing "Lux Aurumque"

VENNAVALLY-RAO: All singing to an instructional video from composer-conductor Eric Whitacre.

MURRAY: Everybody had to sync up their video to his video at the start of this beep.

VENNAVALLY-RAO: Producer Scott Haines put all those clips together; this, the extraordinary result: the conductor and the 185 voices on YouTube.

MURRAY: These people are from everywhere. 12 different countries represented in this video.

VENNAVALLY-RAO: A choir unlike any other.

MURRAY: There are people in Austria in this video. I've never been to Austria and maybe I never will, but here I am in this video singing with someone in Austria.

VENNAVALLY-RAO: Composer Whitacre wrote he found the final product overwhelming. The poetic symbolism about our shared humanity and the need to connect.

MURRAY: All you needed to participate was a webcam and a microphone. I think it's the future of creating music.

VENNAVALLY-RAO: And Whitcare says he hopes to one day compose an original piece for the virtual choir with hundreds, perhaps thousands, of people singing alone, together.

(END VIDEO)

Before We Go

AZUZ: Really great stuff there. Well, last but not least today, it's not a sun dress. It's a Capri-Sun dress! And it's not just for senior prom, it's for a senior project! If not Project Runway. The ingredients: 117 packets of juice! One boyfriend to help drink all that juice. Some thread, some hot glue, three weeks to assemble. All of it added up to a passing grade and a one-of-a-kind, if not comfortable-kind, of couture.

Goodbye

AZUZ: Now, if you're unsure how to address such a dress, just remember that in fashion, you always reap what you sew. We are piecing together more stories for you, so tomorrow, be sure to try us on for size. I'm Carl Azuz; we'll see you then!

First Up: Oil Update

AZUZ: The federal government will use "every single available resource" to help contain that oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. The secretary of Homeland Security declared it an incident of "national significance." What that means is that resources from other parts of the country can be used to try and control the spill. Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal already declared a state of emergency to help free up resources for the effort. Yesterday afternoon, the oil was about 16 miles off the Louisiana coast and headed toward shore. When it does start hitting the coast, it could threaten hundreds of species of wildlife: birds, shrimp, crabs, otters. In fact, the entire Gulf Coast fishing industry could be affected.

Yesterday, we told you that the Coast Guard was going to try and contain part of the spill by setting it on fire. They did; you can see the smoke from that fire right here. They were hoping to set another controlled burn yesterday, but the weather wasn't cooperating. Some authorities think this spill is getting worse, much worse. At first, the estimate was that the spill was leaking out about a thousand barrels of oil per day. Now, the Coast Guard is saying that's increased to as many as 5,000 barrels. That's more than 200,000 gallons per day.

Financial Reform

AZUZ: The Senate is ready to debate a financial reform bill. When you hear the word debate, you mighty think of people being on opposite sides of something. This time, everyone agrees! They all want to debate. Republicans and Democrats had been working on this bill in private sessions. They disagreed on some parts of it, and the Republicans -- plus a few Democrats -- blocked it from moving forward until those differences could be worked out. Late Wednesday, they changed their minds. Every senator, Republican and Democrat, voted to start debate.

Immigration Reform

AZUZ: The Senate's looking at taking up another controversial issue: immigration reform. Some Democratic senators were planning to release a new proposal late yesterday. It would increase the number of border patrol officers and make it tougher to hire illegal workers. Plus, it outlines a process to legalize the millions of illegal immigrants in the U.S. One Republican leader says the proposal is just an attempt to get voters out for November's midterm elections. He says there's no chance that immigration reform will move through Congress. Some Democratic sources say the same thing, that the odds of this passing the Senate this year are pretty slim.

Word to the Wise

MATT CHERRY, CNN STUDENT NEWS: A Word to the Wise...

calorie (noun) a unit of energy or heat that is often associated with food

Fast Food

AZUZ: Your body needs calories for energy; they fuel everything you do. But if you get too many of them or don't burn them off with exercise, those calories can turn to fat. Lawmakers in part of California say that some fast food kids' meals have too many calories. They believe one way to discourage kids from wanting those meals is to ban the toys that come with them. So, the new rule in Santa Clara, California: kids' meals with more than 485 calories get no toy. Kids' meals with less calories can still include the toy. There are also limits on fat and sodium, or salt. One lawmaker says this will help fight childhood obesity and "breaks the link between unhealthy food and prizes." But the California Restaurant Association thinks the rule goes too far, and some critics say parents should be responsible for what their children eat.

Blog Promo

AZUZ: This led us to consider a question that's kind of like the video game question we asked the other day: Who's responsible here? Who should decide on calories? Is it the government? Should restaurants be responsible? Should parents be responsible? Go to our blog, tell us your opinion. The address: CNNStudentNews.com.

This Day in History

(ON SCREEN GRAPHIC)

April 30, 1789 - George Washington is inaugurated as first president of the United States

April 30, 1803 - Negotiations conclude on Louisiana Purchase, which doubles the size of the United States

April 30, 1975 - South Vietnam surrenders to the North, ending the Vietnam War; remaining Americans are evacuated from Saigon

Shoutout

TOMEKA JONES, CNN STUDENT NEWS: Today's Shoutout goes out to everyone whose parents serve in the U.S. Armed Forces! What branch of the U.S. military was founded first? If you think you know it, shout it out! Is it the: A) Army, B) Navy, C) Air Force or D) Marines? You've got three seconds -- GO! The U.S. Army was established first, way back in June of 1775. That's your answer and that's your Shoutout!

Military Child

AZUZ: The Month of the Military Child pays tribute to people whose parents serve in all branches of the military. 1.7 million American kids have a parent who serves, and this month recognizes their sacrifices; for example, when your mom or dad is away for months at a time. Sandra Endo shows us how the military is helping families stay in touch.

(BEGIN VIDEO)

SANDRA ENDO, CNN CORRESPONDENT, WASHINGTON, D.C.: So, where's your daddy at?

AMARI LUNN, MILITARY CHILD: On a ship.

ENDO: On a ship?

ENDO: Three-year-old Amari Lunn can't wait for daddy to come home.

FAINA LUNN, MARRIED TO U.S. NAVAL OFFICER: I have to explain to him that daddy's working. But he's like, "But when is daddy coming home?"

ENDO: Daddy is Navy Chief Gary Lunn, currently on the USS Dwight Eisenhower, deployed in the North Arabian Sea. Lunn has been deployed for six months; his family eagerly awaits his return.

F. LUNN: Where do you see daddy? Do you see daddy on the TV?

A. LUNN: Yeah.

ENDO: This is Lunn's 9th deployment. But this one is different thanks to a program his kids affectionately call the "Daddy Show."

F. LUNN: Press play. Back up so you can see daddy.

ENDO: Through a non-profit program called United Through Reading, deployed service members can choose a book and record videos from their base to read aloud to their children.

CHIEF GARY LUNN, U.S. NAVY: Today, I'm going to read, the book is called "The Ear Book."

A. LUNN: "The Ear Book!"

ENDO: Programs like this one that help keep families connected are becoming increasingly popular in the military. When service members with kids are deployed for long stretches, psychologists say it's the children who feel it the most.

LYNETTE FRAGA, ZERO TO THREE: Some children may withdraw and you have a difficult time talking about their experience. Or some children are very aggressive and you might see them crying a lot or having trouble sleeping.

ENDO: But with these videos, smiles often replace tears, especially for the Lunn family.

ROMELLO LOVINSKY, MILITARY CHILD: It's, like, better because I get to see him and he'll get to talk with me and stuff on the videos.

ENDO: Do you see a difference in your kids?

F. LUNN: Yes, yes. Now, he thinks daddy's around more.

ENDO: It's also a major morale boost for the parent serving far away.

G. LUNN: I know it's helping me out a lot, especially knowing the response that's coming from it. Just mentally, calming me down and enabling me to stay focused at my job.

I love you. I love all of you. Muah!

A. LUNN: Muah!

ENDO: With the country engaged in two wars and many service members facing multiple deployments, the military is expanding and promoting programs which help ease the strain on families. Sandra Endo, CNN, Norfolk, Virginia.

(END VIDEO)

Comments

AZUZ: Okay, at Facebook.com/CNNStudentNews, a student named Adrian called our attention to the Month of the Military Child. He told us about his experience as one -- the service and the sacrifice -- and we asked for your experiences as well. Cory described it as an adventure, just by moving around and making new friends along the way. Ryan says it can be hard to keep friendships with the frequent moves, but that he's grown up learning respect and flexibility. Nate says the hardest part is the time his dad spends away from home, but that he couldn't be any more proud as his son. And Kevin says it's hard because his family makes sacrifices, but it's for a big cause. We thank and salute all of you military kids out there for your sacrifices.

Before We Go

AZUZ: And before we leave you today, you've heard of electronic music. This would be the literal version: a mechanical marimba player. He's not just banging out some pre-planned tune, either. This is jazz, and he's improvising, learning what his fellow musicians are doing and then adapting to it. At least, that's what they claim. Now, before any of you get worried about robots ruling the music industry, the point here is the interaction: man and machine working together.

Goodbye

AZUZ: And that sounds just fine to us, because do you really think a robots-only band would play jazz? There's no chance. They'd totally be metal. Sunday starts National Teacher Appreciation Week. So, while you've got some time over the weekend, why not send us an iReport with a Shoutout to your favorite teacher? You, and I mean you, could be featured on our show! Find out how to send us an iReport at CNNStudentNews.com. We'll see you on Monday. Have a great weekend.

First Up: Oil Rig

AZUZ: Authorities around the Gulf of Mexico are in a race against time. They are trying to control an oil spill that's heading toward the Louisiana shore. Yesterday, it was about 23 miles off the coast of Louisiana. It could reach land by Friday. If that happens, officials say it could create an ecological disaster. This is all from the Deepwater Horizon. That's the oil rig that sank in the Gulf last week. The company that owns the rig is trying to stop the leak underwater. Meantime, authorities on shore are trying to block the oil from getting to sensitive areas. Reynolds Wolf takes us over the spill to get a closer look.

(BEGIN VIDEO)

REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN METEOROLOGIST: From the air, the spill appears massive. You can definitely see it.

LT. CRAIG MURRAY, U.S. COAST GUARD: Those are skimmers and booms trying to recover oil.

WOLF: Even from this height, there's plenty to see. On the surface, there's a little bit of a rainbow-like sheen, and much of that is going to be burned away by the sun's rays. But there's also a thicker layer of crude oil in places, and all of that's going to have to be skimmed away. NOAA scientist Ed Levine says the oil moves with sea currents and winds, both affecting the slick shape and size.

ED LEVINE, NOAA: Probably about 97 percent of the floating oil on the surface is very thin sheen. Sheens, molecules thin, thinner than a coat of paint on the side of your house. The area where the thick oil is is in about that three percent of the surface.

WOLF: Currently, the slick continues to grow. And scientists estimate the well is leaking some 42,000 gallons of oil a day. Failure to contain could be catastrophic to the people, beaches and businesses along the Gulf Coast.

LEVINE: The thing we're trying to minimize is land impacts because of the environmental and socio-economic damage that it can do. One of NOAA's concerns is also guaranteeing the safety and security of the seafood, that no tainted products get to market.

MURRAY: The previous location of Deepwater Horizon is at 11:00.

WOLF: And it's going to take a huge effort as we fly over the location where the Deepwater Horizon was once operational. All that remains is a blanket of oil and boats.

MURRAY: The number of assets on scene each day increase.

WOLF: Working to stop the leak and what Coast Guard officials say might become one of the most significant oil spills in U.S. history. Reynolds Wolf, CNN, over the Gulf of Mexico.

(END VIDEO)

AZUZ: You heard in that report that the sun is going to burn away a lot of the floating oil. Another way to do that: set it on fire! It's called a controlled burn, and it's designed to get rid of a lot of the oil. The Coast Guard was preparing for that yesterday, but they're waiting on right weather conditions to get started.

I.D. Me

MATT CHERRY, CNN STUDENT NEWS: See if you can I.D. Me! I'm a desert that covers parts of Arizona, California, Nevada and Utah. I'm home to the Joshua Tree National Park. And I'm named after a group of Native Americans. I'm the Mojave Desert, and I take up more than 25,000 square miles.

Cross Controversy

AZUZ: The U.S. Supreme Court says that a memorial out in the Mojave Desert does not violate the U.S. Constitution. The memorial is a large cross. It was put up in 1934 to honor fallen soldiers. But it's located in a national park, and some people argue that it's a religious symbol that goes against the concept of separation of church and state. The cross -- which you can see right here -- was boarded up because of the legal battle. Yesterday's Supreme Court decision was close: 5 to 4. Writing for the majority, Justice Anthony Kennedy said that this cross represents "far more than religion." But in opposition, Justice John Paul Stevens argued the government can't lawfully endorse a religious symbol as a way to pay tribute to veterans.

Facebook Promo

AZUZ: We have a new video up on our Facebook page. It's all about the month of the military child, which is right now! April! We're gonna have more about this on our show later this week. Now, maybe you know someone who's a military child, maybe you are one. Either way, we'd love for you to head to Facebook, check out this new video, share your thoughts. You might see them on a show later on this week.

Thailand Clashes

AZUZ: Both the United States and the United Kingdom are telling people not to travel to Thailand unless it's absolutely necessary. The reason is violent political unrest. It has gripped the Asian country for a while now, and fighting broke out again yesterday. Police forces facing off against protesters who are opposed to the government. A CNN reporter on the scene described it as a "tense and intense standoff." She said police used rubber bullets and live ammo. Thailand's government has actually made rules about this. It says troops can use tear gas if protesters get within about 100 yards and live ammo if the protesters get within 100 feet.

Greece

AZUZ: Over in Europe, the financial outlook for a few countries isn't looking too good. The investment ratings for Spain, Portugal and Greece all went down this week. Greece might be the worst situation. Experts are using the word "junk" to describe that nation's investment rating. Basically, they're saying that it's very risky to put your money there. Greece has a massive debt, nearly $400 billion. That's bigger than the country's economy. Greece is developing ways to cut spending, but Greek workers aren't too happy about some of those plans, and they've been protesting about it, like you see here. Greece is also asking for financial help from the European Union: a bailout of more than $50 billion.

Shoutout

TOMEKA JONES, CNN STUDENT NEWS: Today's Shoutout goes out to Mr. Naas' social studies classes at Mahaffey Middle School in Fort Campbell, Kentucky! Which word describes a portion of earnings given to someone who owns stock in a company? Is it: A) Dividend, B) Security, C) Bond or D) Interest? You've got three seconds -- GO! When a company makes money, it usually pays its stock holders dividends. That's your answer and that's your Shoutout!

Learning How to Inve$t

AZUZ: Okay, here's your next homework assignment: Take $20,000 and invest it in the stock market. Would you know how to make some dividends? What if you were asked to do the same thing when you were just 6 years old?!? It's not a hypothetical. It's actually happening at a school in Chicago with real kids and real money. Christine Romans explains the reasons why.

(BEGIN VIDEO)

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Meet America's future investment bankers and accountants.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We have to look out for the dividends.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I like checking the Dow.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My favorite stock would have to be Apple.

ROMANS: At Ariel Academy, students learn how to make money...

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The financial ratio, it helps the business, like...

ROMANS: Save money...

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think everybody should at least save half of their money.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Don't forget your decimal.

ROMANS: And invest money, real money, thanks to the school's unique saving and investment curriculum.

CONNIE MORAN, DIRECTOR, ARIEL INVESTMENT CURRICULUM: The incoming first grade class gets a $20,000 endowment. When they get to fifth grade, students will start to choose stocks that they think we should be buying, and we will buy them.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Stock prices (INAUDIBLE) $67.58, and the dividend is 14 cents per share.

ROMANS: When students graduate from eighth grade, the $20,000 goes back to the incoming first grade. Any profit above that amount gets split; half goes to improving the school or to charity, the other half gets divided among the kids.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm not going to invest in that at all.

ROMANS: Of course, some years, like 2009, there's no profit, and the kids learn that investing is no slam dunk. But that doesn't deter kids like Ariel graduates Mario and Miles Gage.

MARIO GAGE, ARIEL ACADEMY GRADUATE: I have my own portfolio and it's just really amazing. I'm able to take everything that I learned at Ariel to the next level.

ROMANS: Miles and Mario weren't the only ones in the family getting an education.

MICHELLE GAGE, MOTHER OF ARIEL ACADEMY GRADUATES: And I started looking over some of the materials that they were bringing home. It was still a little foreign to me, but then they kind of broke it down, like children do, and I started getting a little excited about that, and then the knowledge, and I'm like, wow. You know what? This is fun.

ROMANS: Fun and finance doesn't often appear in the same sentence, but that's not true at Ariel. Christine Romans, CNN.

(END VIDEO)

Before We Go

AZUZ: Before we go, we've got a little bedtime story for you. But it won't make you tired. It's the annual Great Bed Races in Louisville, Kentucky! Now, don't sleep on these guys. They are serious competitors. Although some of the teams need a little practice. Or a lot of practice -- I mean, she's hitting every cone! You're supposed to go between them, not through them. The announcer claims it's a steering problem. Naw, it's not a steering problem. The winning team crushed the competition by more than 2 seconds.

Goodbye

AZUZ: But they took it all in stride. Afterwards, we hear they were as cool as the other side of the pillow. You know, if we ever got tired of this stuff, we'd go ahead and put the puns to bed. But what kind of a wet blanket would want that? They just keep on coming. I some of you out there are groaning, and it's probably time that we quit while we're a-bed. We'll have more tomorrow for you. For CNN Student News, I'm Carl Azuz.

First Up: Bank Investigation

AZUZ: First up, a hearing gets heated on Capitol Hill over one company's role in the financial crisis. Goldman Sachs is, essentially, a bank. And it's been one of the most successful companies on Wall Street for decades. Just like a lot of banks, it took a major hit from the recession and needed help from the government -- a bailout -- in order for it to stay in business. Goldman's been paying that money back.

Now, some lawmakers are questioning Goldman about whether it had a role in the recession. During a Senate hearing yesterday, some of those questions got pretty tough. One senator accused Goldman of serving itself instead of its clients. Company executives insist that they did nothing wrong. That is just part of the controversy surrounding Goldman Sachs right now. Christine Romans has more for us on who and what are involved. Christine?

(BEGIN VIDEO)

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Carl, this case is about the big housing crash, big money and, of course, big politics. The government agency called the Securities and Exchange Commission has charged one of the most powerful banks on Wall Street, Goldman Sachs, with fraud. The case is complicated, so before we go any further, let's look at the main characters of this story. First, the SEC, or the Securities and Exchange Commission. It is a government agency in charge of regulating Wall Street and protecting investors. Then, there's that investment bank, Goldman Sachs, one of the most profitable and revered players on Wall Street. Goldman Sachs earns money by making its own investments and by helping clients, usually other companies or pension funds or even governments, putting together their own deals. And a third character in this story, billionaire investor John Paulson.

So what happened here? The SEC says that Goldman Sachs misled its clients by selling them an investment product comprised of very bad mortgages. It allegedly didn't tell the clients that the product was put together by John Paulson, the billionaire, who hand-picked the mortgages and specifically wanted the product to go south. At the end, investors lost $1 billion and Paulson made $1 billion. Well, who cares? Well, Goldman Sachs is accused of misleading those clients, and that is something that the SEC says is a problem. And Goldman Sachs denies those charges, by the way. The company said in a statement, "The SEC's charges are completely unfounded in law and fact and we will vigorously contest them and defend the firm and its reputation." John Paulson also says that his role in the deal was "appropriate and conducted in good faith."

To make the story even more interesting and more complicated, the SEC is now in a little bit of hot water, too. Some Republicans have implied that the agency may have timed these charges against Goldman Sachs to help pass the financial reform legislation, a big issue on Capitol Hill these days, which all Republicans currently oppose. The Securities and Exchange Commission defends its impartiality. But investigation of the investigation is now underway. On Tuesday, executives from Goldman Sachs were on Capitol Hill to answer questions from lawmakers separately. Stay tuned for more news on this case. Carl?

(END VIDEO)

Web Promo

AZUZ: Thank you, Christine. In that report, you heard Ms. Romans mention "financial reform legislation." This is something we've talked about before. Congress is looking at ways to make some changes on Wall Street to try to avoid another financial crisis. The Senate is debating how to move forward on that bill. In the meantime, if you want to learn a little bit more about it, head to the Spotlight section on our home page. You will find an FAQ about the financial reform bill, how it might work, what parts of it Democrats and Republicans agree on. It's all right there in the Spotlight section at CNNStudentNews.com.

Word to the Wise

TOMEKA JONES, CNN STUDENT NEWS: A Word to the Wise...

tarmac (noun) a road, especially an airport runway, that's paved with tar

source: www.dictionary.com

Tarmac Delay Rule

AZUZ: A new rule about how long planes can sit on the tarmac with passengers on board is scheduled to go into effect tomorrow. How long is too long? According to the U.S. government, anything over three hours. Airlines that hold planes longer than that could face a fine of up to $27,000 per passenger. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood says passengers who are on delayed flights that are stuck on the tarmac "have a right to know they will not be held aboard a plane indefinitely." A few years ago, there were several reports of planes waiting for takeoff for more than 10 hours. That's part of what led to this new rule. Airlines have said they'll do their best to meet the rule. The head of the Air Travelers Association saying it could lead to more inconvenience for customers. He argues airlines are more likely to cancel flights to avoid fines, and he says the rule puts a time deadline on safety-related activities.

U.S. Auto Makers

AZUZ: Switching gears from planes to cars. The recession hit U.S. car companies pretty hard, but things seem to be getting a little bit better. First, Ford. So far this year, the company has made over $2 billion. To compare, by this time last year, Ford had lost almost a billion and a half. The only part of the world where Ford made a profit last year was in South America. Now, it's making money in every region around the globe. But the company says keeping this pace might be hard, because the cost of the materials that Ford uses to make its vehicles is going up.

Over at General Motors, plans are underway to upgrade five of the company's auto plants. The goal would be for these locations to build what GM calls a "new generation" of fuel-efficient engines. And that could lead to new jobs; about 1,600 of them, according to GM. General Motors has cut about 34,000 jobs from its work force since the end of 2008.

Shoutout

MATT CHERRY, CNN STUDENT NEWS: Today's Shoutout goes out to Mr. Levang's global studies class at Scott Highlands Middle School in Apple Valley, Minnesota! "Varsity" is a shortened version of what word? You know how to play it! Is it: A) Universal, B) Intravarsity, C) Verisimilitude or D) University? Three seconds on the clock -- GO! Varsity comes from university. That's your answer and that's your Shoutout!

GPAs & Sports

AZUZ: Some of the varsity athletes at East Union High in Manteca, California might have known that. Just like at most schools, if you want to stay on the team, you have to make the grade. But East Union has a unique and very public way of making sure students meet standards. Tim Daly of affiliate KXTV breaks down the situation.

(BEGIN VIDEO)

TIM DALY, KXTV REPORTER: It's the first thing you see on the school's website: the grade point averages of East Union's athletic teams. At the top is volleyball at 3.33; at the bottom, men's soccer at 2.42. All of them are expected to work in class as hard as they do on the field or court.

JACKIE KETNER, EAST UNION SENIOR: It's a cut-and-dry policy: you don't have the grades, you don't play. If sports are really important to you, you're going to have your grades up. Really, to do anything at East Union you have to have your grades up, so there is an incentive to keep your grades up, which I think is good.

DALY: It's not just the website. Posters all around East Union show athletes with an academic theme. Tyler Bylow, on the left, says the school's approach has athletes pushing other athletes.

TYLER BYLOW, EAST UNION SENIOR: If you have a teammate in class, and you see him, you'll ask him, "What did you get on that test? Did you turn your homework in?" Stuff like that. You remind him, "You need to get that stuff turned in, because we need you on the team."

DALY: East Union began putting team GPAs on the school's website last year. Now, very few teams lose players who let their GPAs drop below 2.0.

JOHN ALBA, EAST UNION PRINCIPAL: The freshmen see seniors, and the seniors tell them you don't play here unless your grades are up, and so it becomes a culture.

ERIC SIMONI, EAST UNION ATHLETIC DIRECTOR: There's a stigma on athletes in today's society that hey, it's okay to slide by and not take care of business in the classroom. I don't operate that way, and I think on this campus kids understand the fact that they're not going to operate that way either.

DALY: But it's not just the students being pressured to keep their grades up. Their coaches are being evaluated, as well, on how many of their players remain eligible. Stay eligible, they might just end up on a poster.

(END VIDEO)

Before We Go

AZUZ: All right. Before we go, you might've heard of the domino effect. One Texas school is putting it in action. You may think we're showing this video just because it's a huge domino display. And in part, you're right: It is; 27,000 dominoes were involved. But the real story about this is what those dominoes represent. Dollars; one dollar for each domino. Over the past month, students at the school raised money to help out a school in Haiti that they'd partnered with a couple years back. So, you follow the effect: The students raise money, the money goes to Haiti, and helps rebuild a school that was damaged in January's earthquake.

Goodbye

AZUZ: And all the dominoes fall into place. Plus, this story was a great lesson that small efforts can add up to make a big difference. We hope the rest of your day is fantastic! For CNN Student News, I'm Carl Azuz.

First Up: Mississippi Tornado

AZUZ: First up, some Southern states are starting a massive cleanup effort after being hit by tornadoes over the weekend. Mississippi seemed to get the worst of it; Louisiana and Alabama suffering damage, as well. Take a look at this iReport that someone sent in from Mississippi. You can see the rain kind of swirl up from the wind, and then it just comes pouring down. The National Weather Service estimates that the Mississippi tornado had wind speeds of up to 170 miles per hour.

We're right around the start of tornado season right now, so there are some safety tips to keep in mind if you're ever under a tornado warning. One: If you're inside, get to the basement or lowest floor. And two: put as many walls as possible between you and the outside. If you are outside, try to find a nearby ditch to lie down in, but watch out for flooding and watch out for anything flying overhead.

Juarez Violence

AZUZ: Next up, we're heading across the border into Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. It is the most violent city in the country of Mexico, and the reason for a lot of that violence is drugs. Last year, more than 2,600 deaths in Ciudad Juarez were connected to drug violence. Now, officials are looking into the most recent incident of violence to see if it is related. It happened around noon on Friday: a shootout on the streets that left seven people -- most of them police officers -- dead. The city's mayor said it started when police stopped some people they'd been investigating, and then gunmen from those vehicles opened fire. The mayor reacted by ordering more patrol cars out onto the streets. Ciudad Juarez has been a main focus of Mexico's fight against drug organizations.

Video Game Court Case

AZUZ: "This title has been rated M for mature." You've heard that in video game commercials; you've seen the sticker on some of the games. The gaming industry says the point of those ratings is to let people know which games are appropriate for certain players, especially younger players. But some people argue the ratings aren't enough. And this fall, the U.S. Supreme Court will weigh in. It's agreed to hear a case out of California about video games and free speech. The state made a law that bans violent games from being sold to people who are under 18. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger says the law protects young people from the effects of these violent games. The gaming companies say the ban goes too far, and violates the right to free speech and expression.

Blog Promo

AZUZ: The Supreme Court will address the issue in the months ahead. We want to hear your take now! Are violent video games -- are any video games -- a form of free speech? Head to our home page, CNNStudentNews.com, click on our blog, From A to Z, tell us what you think.

Blog Report

AZUZ: Another thing we're talking about on our blog: mistakes teenagers make with money. This is Financial Literacy Month, after all. And Bailey, who had the very first comment, said it pretty well: "The biggest mistake is obvious: teens spend money on things they don't really need." So many of you telling us this! Hallie says when they go out with their friends, "kids spend twice as much as they normally would because they don't wanna look cheap." And Keely thinks "teens spend too much money on makeup. You're beautiful the way you are! Why change that?" Now, as far as the reasons why go, Andrea argues kids spend more "because they don't have to earn it, and they can keep taking it from their parents." David backs that up, saying "teenagers believe their parents will take care of them and that there's no need to invest their money." And Katie asks, "What are we going to do when our parents don't provide for us anymore?" Great comments. You'll notice we included first names only!

The Stock Market

AZUZ: Now, we're gonna invest some time in the stock market, specifically, the Dow Jones Industrial Average. Most people just call it the Dow. You hear about it a lot; you hear us talk about it. It's popular because, though the Dow is made up of just 30 stocks, it gives an idea of how the entire market is doing. And lately, that's been pretty well. The past couple days, the Dow has been at its highest point in more than a year and a half. It finished yesterday over 11,000 points. Now to compare, the record came back in October of 2007 when the Dow was over 14,000. Then the recession happened, and by October of 2008, it had lost more than 5,000 points. But, with it back on the rise, some people are feeling confident about investing in stocks. And a few days ago, I checked in with Ali Velshi -- he's a CNN anchor and our chief business correspondent -- and I asked Mr. Velshi what it means to own stock.

(BEGIN VIDEO)

ALI VELSHI, CNN ANCHOR AND CHIEF BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Stocks, basically, you invest in a company. So just like you own your house, or your parents own your house, you can own a piece of a large company like Coca-Cola or Disney or General Motors. Buying a stock allows you one little share in that company. Now, it's a very small amount; you don't get to go around and fire people or give them raises. But when that company does well, when it succeeds, your stock goes up, or they'll give you some money. And when it does badly, your stock goes down. The idea there is that your fortunes go up or down with that company's.

(END VIDEO)

Shoutout

TOMEKA JONES, CNN STUDENT NEWS: Today's Shoutout goes out to Mrs. Davenport's government class at Point Loma High School in San Diego, California! What does the D in 3-D stand for? You know what to do! Is it: A) Directional, B) Dimensional, C) Digital or D) Diagonal? Three seconds on the clock -- GO! You're perceiving three dimensions when you watch something in 3-D. That's your answer and that's your Shoutout!

The Future of Hollywood

AZUZ: That third dimension is all over the big screen lately. The weekend's number 1 film in the U.S.? 3-D. The biggest money-maker in movie history? That's in 3-D. Out in Hollywood, some filmmakers are going back to school to learn how to make 3-D movies. Kareen Wynter looks at why the method matters.

(BEGIN VIDEO)

JAKE SULLY, AVATAR: But we would send them a message...

KAREEN WYNTER, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: "Avatar's" message is that the future could mean big bucks when it comes to 3-D. Created and shot with 3-D technology, the film is the highest grossing movie of all time, with roughly $400 million coming from 3-D screens alone in the U.S.

SULLY: Outstanding.

WYNTER: With so much money-making potential, hopes are high that this latest 3-D boom doesn't go bust, and there's a movement underway to blaze this trail straight into the future.

WYNTER: Is it fair to call you a 3-D guru? You've been doing this for, since the beginning of time.

BUZZ HAYS, CHAIRMAN, INSTRUCTOR/VICE PRESIDENT, SONY 3-D TECHNOLOGY CENTER: Sure. I mean, yes, but there's a bunch of gurus out there.

WYNTER: Buzz Hayes began working in 3-D before it was cool. He's the lead instructor at Sony Pictures' brand new 3-D Technology Center, where filmmakers are immersed in an intensive, hands-on course on how to actually film in 3-D, a method much different from converting 2-D movies to 3-D. That process drew mixed reviews from critics, where it's used in "Clash of the Titans." But some would say how important is this? Does the audience really see the difference?

HAYES: I think they already are. I mean, based on some recent releases in theaters, I think people are very vocal about the quality of 3-D that they see, both good and bad. So, we just wanted to raise the bar.

WYNTER: And stay above it, says camera director Jack Messitt, who enrolled in the class because he says his future depends on it.

JACK MESSITT, CAMERA OPERATOR: The language of 3-D is really different than the language that we've all learned to utilize in 2-D. With the great increase in 3-D, I don't want to be left behind.

WYNTER: One exec who says he's ahead of the game is Jeffrey Katzenberg, CEO of Dreamworks Animation. He recently blasted the 2-D to 3-D conversion process, warning that it could turn audiences away.

JEFFREY KATZENBERG, CEO, DREAMWORKS ANIMATION: For the first time in well over a decade, we're actually seeing admissions go up, and 3-D is the reason.

WYNTER: Yes, and they're willing to spend a little bit more for that experience.

KATZENBERG: Well, if you give them something great, and that's the thing we just, I think everybody is being very protective of right now. This is a beautiful golden goose and it's, you know, giving us golden eggs.

WYNTER: And in this golden age of advanced technology where 3-D movies have fired up the box office, industry leaders like Buzz Hayes say the future looks bright. Kareen Wynter, CNN, Culver City, California.

(END VIDEO)

Before We Go

AZUZ: Well, before we go, your mother told you to eat your vegetables. She never said how fast you had to eat them. Probably better to just get it over with quickly? This is an asparagus eating contest. Now, let's stalk about this for a second. 10 minutes. Deep-fried asparagus. And the winner, Joey Chestnut, put away nearly 8 and a half pounds! It is the fifth time he's taken top prize in the event.

Goodbye

AZUZ: Which means he has four titles to, uh, spare, I guess. Might have bitten off more than we could chew with that one. We'll be back tomorrow with another serving of CNN Student News. I'm Carl Azuz.

First Up: Immigration Law

AZUZ: The state is home to a new law that some people are calling the toughest immigration bill in the country. It's expected to go into effect later this year. It only applies to Arizona. What it does is require immigrants, people who have come to the U.S. from other countries, to have their registration documents with them at all times. And it requires police officers to question people if there's a reason to suspect they might be in the U.S. illegally. In the past, officers could only check someone's immigration status if the person was suspected of another crime.

Arizona Governor Jan Brewer signed the bill into law on Friday. She also signed an order that requires police officers to get training on how to do this, how to carry out this law without racial profiling. That's a big concern of some people who are against the law. One Arizona state Senator argues that the state had to do something because the federal government wasn't.

FRANK ANTENORI, (R) ARIZONA STATE SENATE: This is the 1986 Immigration Reform and Control Act. All we need to do is follow this law and we can solve this problem. And it clearly states that if you enter this country without legal permission, you're breaking the law. And if you hire someone that is here illegally, you're breaking the law. But the federal government is not enforcing this, and now Arizona has been forced to do so for the protection of our own citizens.

AZUZ: President Obama agrees that the issue of immigration needs to be looked at. He doesn't believe Arizona's bill is the right way to do it. He's called that bill "misguided." Some other critics, including the governor of New Mexico, Arizona's neighbor, have used harsher words to describe the bill.

GOV. BILL RICHARDSON, (D) NEW MEXICO: It's a terrible piece of legislation. It's against the democratic ideals of this country. It's a step backwards. It's impractical. If I were the administration, I'd look at the legality of this bill. I believe that this bill is going to complicate a lot of issues. It's going to mean, I believe, potentially racial profiling.

Miner Memorial

AZUZ: Moving over to West Virginia, where the state's paying tribute to 29 workers who were killed in a mine explosion earlier this month. President Obama took part in yesterday's memorial service. He and Vice President Joe Biden met with the families of the victims privately before the ceremony. During that ceremony, the president gave a eulogy, talking about the sacrifice that the miners had made. The memorial showed photos of the victims as well as crosses that family members laid mining helmets on top of.

Is this Legit?

APRIL WILLIAMS, CNN STUDENT NEWS: Is this Legit? The Enhanced Fujita Scale is used to measure hurricane damage. Not legit! The Enhanced Fujita Scale, or Enhanced F-scale, measures the damage caused by tornadoes.

Mississippi Tornado

AZUZ: After a tornado ripped across parts of Mississippi over the weekend, it wasn't immediately given a number on the Enhanced F-scale. But the damage from it looks to be awful: roofs ripped off of houses; power lines knocked down; cars flipped over. Authorities say the storm killed at least 10 people, injured dozens of others, destroyed hundreds of homes. As of yesterday, Mississippi's governor hadn't asked the federal government for help in the recovery process. He said he'd probably do that today, though. Nearly 80 members of the Mississippi National Guard are helping out in some of the areas that were hit the hardest.

Some reports said this tornado was almost a mile wide. Think about that: a mile wide! It started on Mississippi's western border with Louisiana and then moved 150 miles east across Mississippi toward Alabama. Along the way, it trampled through entire neighborhoods. Officials were out yesterday to figure out exactly how much damage was done. The stories from some of the victims of this storm are incredible. One woman who took shelter in a hair salon said you could feel the glass and debris flying in and cutting you. Another man who was inside a church said the whole building fell down around him. Luckily, he suffered only minor scratches.

The tornado in Mississippi was part of a long line of storms that went from Missouri down to the Florida panhandle. Chad Myers gives a look at the science behind when and where these storms strike.

(BEGIN VIDEO)

CHAD MYERS, CNN WEATHER ANCHOR: Yeah, Carl, let's talk tornadoes and why. I guess, why so much in the spring time. It's a clash, a clash between the warm and the cold. And in the winter time, the jet stream is all the way down in the Gulf of Mexico. So basically, everybody's cold, so there's no clash. There's no warm and cold all together. In the spring, the jet stream starts to come up a little bit, and when you get the jet stream like this, the cold air is still here, but the warm air is allowed to come out of the Gulf of Mexico.

So, why do we get so many more tornadoes in the U.S. than any place else? Because there is the Gulf of Mexico, there's the moisture source. Storms need a lot of humidity, that's what you can see when you see the storms go up. Obviously, the humidity becomes rain and hail, and then you have dry air that comes out of the mountains. But more importantly, the cold air that comes down from the north. So right there, there's your warm versus cold. And just like if you put oil and vinegar and you try to make a salad dressing, you shake it up, it looks good, but eventually, the oil goes to the top and the vinegar goes to the bottom. You can probably do that in your fridge. You can find some oil and vinegar dressing and figure that out.

So, we get a low pressure center that develops in the Plains; on the one side of that we get a warm front, on the other side it's a cold front. Should be blue but this is the only color that I have. And right here in the middle, right there in that zone is where the severe weather will be. There could be some tornadoes across the north part of it. But more than likely right along the cold front, that's were the severe weather happens.

And for all three reasons, the Gulf of Mexico, the cold air, and the mountains to the west, that's why the U.S. has more tornadoes than any place else in the world, Carl.

(END VIDEO)

Oil Leak in Gulf

AZUZ: Thank you very much, Chad. Down in the Gulf of Mexico is where our next story takes place today. Rescue workers have suspended the search for 11 people who were missing after an explosion on an oil rig last week. Now, the efforts are mainly focused on the oil that's leaking out into the Gulf from parts of the rig that are underwater. One official said about a thousand barrels worth of oil -- that's about 42,000 gallons -- are leaking out every day. Dozens of ships and aircraft are working to help contain this leak, although bad weather caused some delays over the weekend.

Shoutout

TOMEKA JONES, CNN STUDENT NEWS: Today's Shoutout goes out to Mr. V's social studies classes at Fruit Cove Middle School in St. Johns, Florida! Where would you find the Hubble Telescope? Is it: A) On Mt. McKinley, B) In the Nevada desert, C) In Orbit or D) In the Arctic Ocean? You've got three seconds -- GO! The Hubble Telescope has been in orbit around the Earth for two decades. That's your answer and that's your Shoutout!

Hubble 20th Anniversary

NASA ANNOUNCER: And liftoff of the space shuttle Discovery with the Hubble Space Telescope, our window on the universe.

AZUZ: That is how Hubble got up into orbit, hitching a ride on the space shuttle Discovery 20 years ago. It was 20 years ago this weekend, to be specific. And since then, Hubble has taken more than half a million pictures, giving us an out-of-this-world view of black holes and primordial galaxies. The thing did get off to a bit of a rocky start, though. There was a problem with one of Hubble's mirrors that made the pictures it sent back, fuzzy. A repair mission in 1993 fixed that.

Hubble is the most sophisticated telescope ever put in orbit. Over the past two decades, it's helped astronomers discover dark energy. It's helped estimate an approximate age of the universe; 13.75 billion years old, according to theory. And it's offered some ideas about how galaxies form. As one NASA official explains it, Hubble worked to turn science fiction into science fact.

ED WEILER, ASSOCIATE ADMINISTRATOR, SCIENCE MISSION DIRECTORATE: When Hubble was launched in 1990, super massive black holes were a fantasy, a theory, something you saw on Star Trek. And one of our goals was to prove, find at least one, and prove it exists. As it turns out, Hubble surprised us. Not only did it find one, but it basically showed us that super massive black holes are pervasive throughout the universe.

Before We Go

AZUZ: Before we go, you remember the world's tallest cat we showed you last week? He could totally beat up this guy. That's because Einstein here is only 14 inches tall! That could make him the world's smallest horse, for now. He was born at 14 inches last Friday, so, ya know, he could grow. But his owner, who's been raising horses for 20 years, says Einstein is the tiniest trotter she's ever seen.

Goodbye

AZUZ: It's not that big of a story, but we didn't want to overlook it. Besides, did you see that little guy running around? It was just pure, unbridled enthusiasm. We are not short-changing you today. Back with more tomorrow. I'm Carl Azuz.

First Up: Wall Street Reform

AZUZ: First up, President Obama is asking Wall Street to be part of his efforts to reform Wall Street. We've talked about this issue of financial reform this week. The president and members of Congress are looking at ways to protect the U.S. economy from another financial crisis. Yesterday, President Obama took his message to New York, to Wall Street. He's pushing a bill that's being debated in the Senate right now, and he explained why he wants the financial industry to get behind it.

U.S. PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA: I am here today, specifically when I speak to the titans of industry here, because I want to urge you to join us instead of fighting us in this effort. I am here because I believe that these reforms are, in the end, not only in the best interest of our country, but in the best interest of the financial sector.

AZUZ: Some members of Wall Street didn't agree with everything the president said. And there's been some debate between Democrats and Republicans over how financial reform should be done. Some lawmakers are criticizing the president's proposal because they say it'll just end up helping Wall Street and costing taxpayers.

REP. JOHN BOEHNER, (R) OHIO, HOUSE MINORITY LEADER: While the president says he wants to reform Wall Street, the bill that we have in front of us will actually provide permanent bailouts for Wall Streets and enshrine "too big to fail," things that Republicans don't do in our bill to reform the regulatory system.

Oil Rig Sinks

AZUZ: A quick follow-up on that story about an oil rig fire in the Gulf of Mexico. You can see it in this iReport from one of the rescue workers. The Coast Guard says the rig has sunk. That happened Thursday. When we recorded this show yesterday, 11 people who had been working on the rig were still missing.

Thailand Violence

AZUZ: Heading overseas to Thailand, where grenade attacks in the capital city of Bangkok have killed at least three people. A Thai official said the grenades came from an area where people who were protesting the government were gathered together. The protesters say they're not responsible. They've been fighting with police for a while. Here, you can see them throwing rocks and other things at police. They support the country's former prime minister, and they want the current leader to leave office. After these recent attacks, Thailand's prime minister called an emergency meeting to figure out how to deal with the situation.

Persian Gulf Exercises

AZUZ: Moving from Thailand to the Persian Gulf now, where Iran is running a massive military drill expected to last three days. An Iranian official says the goal is to show off the country's military strength. It might look like a real battle; what you're seeing here is just practice. The U.S. Navy says Iran has done this sort of thing in the past. This one is getting more attention because Iran talked about it ahead of time.

Shoutout

TOMEKA JONES, CNN STUDENT NEWS: Today's Shoutout goes out to the 8th period current events class at the Tennessee School for the Blind in Nashville, Tennessee! Who is credited with saying, "A penny saved is a penny earned"? Is it: A) Benjamin Franklin, B) Mark Twain, C) William Shakespeare or D) P.T. Barnum? You've got three seconds -- GO! That famous phrase is attributed to Ben Franklin. That's your answer and that's your Shoutout!

Money Talks

AZUZ: You've all been told saving's important. But it can be hard to do sometimes, especially in a recession. There was a recent survey that found that 54 percent of adults who were interviewed said they had not been able to save money over the past year. Recently, I talked with CNN anchor and chief business correspondent Ali Velshi about your questions on saving; when, where, how much, things like that. Listen to what Mr. Velshi had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO)

AZUZ: First question we have is from a student named Jocelyn. She wants to know at what age students should start saving.

ALI VELSHI, CNN ANCHOR AND CHIEF BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: You know, some people start saving when they're born. People give gifts and parents put that money into bank accounts or piggy banks. It is never too early to start saving. That's why we have piggy banks. You should always have some sense of putting something away for a rainy day. The thing about being a kid that's interesting is you go from not having to pay anything to a world where you want to buy everything. And then you go into college, where everything costs a lot more money than you bring in. So, if you can save money right from the beginning, the rest of your life is going to be a lot easier.

AZUZ: What percentage, is there a rule of thumb that students should start saving?

VELSHI: The earlier you start saving, the lower the percentage needs to be. Generally speaking, if people can put ten percent of what they bring in away, that's going to help them. That's just a good policy. So, if you're young and someone gives you ten bucks, or a hundred bucks, put ten percent of it away into a savings account or into a piggy bank; whatever you like to do. Obviously as you get older, you're gonna want to have accounts, bank accounts. The understanding of taking a portion of your money and putting it somewhere else where you can not easily touch it, where you have to have a discussion with yourself or your parents about how you are going to spend that money, is brilliant. I think start with ten percent, and if you can do more than that, do that. And when you get large chunks of money, like gifts for birthdays or bar mitzvahs or things like that, put a larger proportion of that away. So, ten percent's a good rule of thumb for everyday money; larger porportion when you get big gifts.

AZUZ: Is there a safe place, a student named Eric is asking, he's always been curious what's the safest way to save up your money.

VELSHI: Bank accounts can be held by everybody these days. Having a bank account is a great, great idea because it gives you one extra step in having to spend that money. So you have to put it away in an account, and you have to think about the fact that you're going in and get it. You don't want it too accessible. A jar, all you gotta do is take the lid off and take that money. And you certainly, once you start building up some savings, you don't want to keep any significant amount of money inside your house.

(END VIDEO)

Green Education

AZUZ: Excellent ideas from Mr. Velshi about saving money. One way to get started is just to spend less in the first place. There's a group of students in Washington, D.C. that's looking at how to do that in school. As photojournalist John Bodnar shows us, these teens are learning you can save some green by going green.

(BEGIN VIDEO)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK, I am measuring to figure out how much power the pencil sharpener is drawing.

JEFF GUSTAFSON, THE ALLIANCE TO SAVE ENERGY: We work with schools. All elements of it; teachers, students, administrators.

MEGAN CAMPION, THE ALLIANCE TO SAVE ENERGY: This is what we're going to use to see how much power is being drawn by each light bulb.

GUSTAFSON: Trying to teach energy efficiency and bringing that to the schools and back home.

DAVON BRYNT, STUDENT: I would definitely take home to my parents and talk to them about just energy efficiency and how we could save money.

Now, we're going to take some energy data and go upstairs and check out how efficient our school is.

CAMPION: The first is to educate students about the link between energy and the environment.

BRYNT: The desktop is right here, and I'm guessing that uses the most energy since it's always on.

CAMPION: The Green Schools program helps to save energy in schools and allow schools to have that money to spend on other things.

BRYNT: It's 80 degrees Fahrenheit. That's pretty good.

CAMPION: The third is to expose kids to careers in energy and other green careers in sustainability.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We've been burning coal and wood for the past thousands of years and it's just starting to really hit us.

GUSTAFSON: Young people have all the tools at their disposal.

CAMPION: It's not a heat gun. It's an infrared temperature gun.

GUSTAFSON: And the Alliance to Save Energy is really working to get those tools into their hands.

CAMPION: So, this measures the luminosity of any particular light source.

GUSTAFSON: Young people can be the center of moving this forward, making our buildings, making our society, making schools far more efficiently than they currently are.

BRYNT: By applying it in my own life, I'm educating the people around me. And by bringing some of the things that I learned in class today to the administration, I could help the school for years to come.

(END VIDEO)

National Park Week

AZUZ: Bad news: Our tour of national parks is just about over. Good news: We've got one more to go! For our last stop, we're heading across the country up into Maine and Acadia National Park. It became the first national park east of the Mississippi River back in 1919. Not as large as some of the other parks we've mentioned this week; just 65 square miles. But it is home to Cadillac Mountain. That is the highest point on the U.S. Atlantic coast. If you want to check out Acadia, Yellowstone, the Badlands or any of the country's 392 national parks, now is the best time. Entrance is free at all of them throughout National Park Week, but National Park Week wraps up this Sunday. So, try to get in there this weekend.

Facebook Promo

AZUZ: There are a lot of perks to this job. We're putting together a new Facebook video to show you just a few of them. It is every bit as goofy as many of our other Facebook videos. Will it be up over the weekend? You're gonna have to find that out for yourself. You see the address right there: Facebook.com/cnnstudentnews.

Before We Go

AZUZ: Before we go, some tall tales are made up. This one is pure magic. Scarlett's Magic; that is the name of the cat. And the cat is the tallest one in the world. Certified by Guinness and everything. More than 17 inches from shoulder to toe. That is just a towering achievement. What's incredible is, Scarlett's owner says she has more growing to do! Makes you wonder if she has any other special features.

Goodbye

AZUZ: For example, maybe her senses are heightened? That was a straight up catastrophe. But sometimes, coming up with a good pun at the end of the show can be a tall order. Hope you guys have a great weekend. For CNN Student News, I'm Carl Azuz.