CNN聽力合輯Sep.17美國憲法日
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MONICA LLOYD, CNN STUDENT NEWS ANCHOR: It's a brand new week and a brand new edition of CNN Student News, and we're glad to have you with us. I'm Monica Lloyd.
First Up: A Town Divided.
LLOYD: Our first story today deals with racial tension in the small Louisiana town of Jena. It started last December over a campus hang-out spot for students, and it culminated with six African-American teens being arrested and charged with beating a white student. One of the six -- Mychal Bell, who was 16 at the time -- was convicted as an adult. But an appeals court overturned that ruling on Friday. Keith Oppenheim fills us in on the details.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KEITH OPPENHEIM, CNN REPORTER: This courthouse in Jena was supposed to be the place where Mychal Bell was to be sentenced on aggravated battery charges. Not anymore. His conviction has been overturned. And a big rally led by Reverend Al Sharpton is still set to take place; a protest against what some believe is different treatment of black and white students. Some people in Jena are tired of the accusations and tired of the media coverage of the story. At a neighborhood fair in Jena, a mostly white crowd didn't want to talk about the Jena Six. But some were clear; they believe protesters and the media are creating friction.
MARY WILSON, JENA RESIDENT: If they hadn't blown it so much out of proportion, it would've been settled a long time ago.
OPPENHEIM: Last year at Jena High School, tensions flared when black students asked school officials if they could sit under a tree which was a traditional gathering spot for white students. Next day, three nooses appeared hanging from the tree. Later, three white students were suspended for that incident. Then, in December, six black students were charged in the brutal attack of a white student. At first, all were charged as adults with attempted murder. For most, the charges were reduced. In June, Mychal Bell was convicted of aggravated battery, and he stayed in jail awaiting sentencing.
MELISSA BELL, MYCHAL BELL'S MOTHER: He's had a lot of time to sit back and think about what he wants out of life and that it could be taken away from him.
OPPENHEIM: After nationwide outcry, this past Friday, an appeals court overturned the conviction, saying because Bell was 16 at the time of the attack, he should have been tried in juvenile court. Reaction in Jena has been mixed. ROBIN TATUM: Because a 16-year-old should not be charged with attempted murder for fighting.
ROBIN CRAIG, JENA RESIDENT: I think juvenile sentencing would be best for him. But he is a repeat offender, and I don't like that. You know, he's had violent acts before.
OPPENHEIM: There is keen awareness here that a rally led by the Reverend Al Sharpton will come to Jena on Thursday. Some say it will make tensions worse. Ellen Buckner disagrees.
ELLEN BUCKNER, JENA RESIDENT: Because it shows they care for those boys, that they're behind them and they care about Jena. They want Jena to have peace and justice.
OPPENHEIM: Estimates for Thursdays rally range from 5,000 to 30,000. Whatever it is, with just 2,900 people living here, the rally could be bigger than the entire population of Jena, Louisiana. I'm Keith Oppenheim.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
We the People...
LLOYD: "We the people." Three little words, but they're the start of something very important: our U.S. Constitution. It established the framework of our government and outlined the basic rights of citizens. And today is the anniversary of its signing back in 1787. So on Constitution Day, we wanted to take a look at how a document signed more than 200 years ago is still in action today. But first, how about a quick quiz?
Shoutout
GEORGE RAMSAY, CNN STUDENT NEWS: What are the three branches of the U.S. government? If you think you know the answer, shout it out! Is it: A) Executive, Judicial and Administrative; B) Legislative, Executive and Judicial; C) Administrative, Executive and Legislative or D) Judicial, Administrative and Legislative? You've got three seconds -- GO! The Constitution created the Legislative, Executive and Judicial branches, but established a system of checks and balances so that one branch can't outrank the other two. That's your answer and that's your Shoutout!
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CARL AZUZ, CNN STUDENT NEWS: You could probably rattle off the three branches of the U.S. government without thinking about it. But this Constitution Day, we'd like to show you just how they're at work.
First up: Article One, Section One: "All legislative powers herein granted shall be vested in a Congress of the United States..." Wow, sounds fancy. That's the language of September 17, 1787. But how does it apply on this same date in 2007?
Let's talk cash. If you were making federal minimum wage this summer, you probably noticed that bump in your paycheck in July. That was a work of Congress. For the first time in 10 years, lawmakers from the Senate and House voted to raise the minimum wage from $5.15 an hour to $7.25. Now that's gonna take a little time. The first bump to $5.85 came a couple months ago. But it's an example of how the legislative branch can have a direct effect on you, if and when its bills are signed by the president.
That brings us to Article Two, Section One: "The executive power shall be vested in a President..." And he does a lot more than sign laws. Maybe you remember his speech from last Thursday night:
U.S. PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH: We should be able to agree that we must defeat al Qaeda, counter Iran, help the Afghan government, work for peace in the holy land and strengthen our military.
AZUZ: And that's an example of Article Two, Section Two, which discusses the president's role as commander in chief of the U.S. military. Now the country's judicial power, according to Article Three, Section One, "shall be vested in one Supreme Court." We're going back to 2002 for this one. That's when an Alaska high school student, at a school event, held up a banner that read "Bong Hits 4 Jesus." His principal said it promoted illegal drug use and she suspended him for 10 days, a move the Supreme Court agreed with just this June. The court said young people don't give up all their First Amendment rights when on campus, but it effectively limited those rights. And it's another prime example of how your Constitution affects your life. For CNN Student News, I'm Carl Azuz.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
Is this legit?
RAMSAY: Is This Legit? Of the world's constitutions, the U.S. Constitution is the shortest. Yes! And it's the oldest national constitution as well.
Promo
LLOYD: Now that you've seen the branches of government in action, why not examine some other ways the Constitution is at work today? We've got a Learning Activity that helps students identify contemporary applications of the historic document. Check out the free resource at CNNStudentNews.com.
No Wonder
LLOYD: White or wheat, pumpernickel or pita, bagel or baguette. When you're wandering the aisles at the grocery store, there's an overabundance of bread-based bounty. But not so long ago, if you were slapping together a sandwich, you were doing it with Wonder Bread. That might not be the case much longer. Kara Finnstrom examines the end of the Wonder years in Southern California.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VINTAGE COMMERCIAL FOOTBALL PLAYER: Hey listen, I'm a Wonder kid.
KARA FINNSTROM, CNN REPORTER: For years the question was: "who wasn't?" The fluffy white bread found its way into kitchens across the country.
VINTAGE COMMERCIAL MOM MAKING SANDWICHES: I send my kids' favorite sandwiches on their favorite bread.
FINNSTROM: Becoming an American icon.
CATIE MAINE, CONSUMER: It's in our vernacular. You know, we say, "oh, she's like Wonder Bread" when referring to someone who's pretty straight-laced.
COREY WYNN, CONSUMER: It's nostalgic; it's disappointing.
COMMERCIAL: Kids eat it up.
FINNSTROM: But many of the kids who ate it up then aren't eating it now.
WYNN: I can't say that I do, can't say that I do. I eat a lot of wheat bread.
FINNSTROM: Financially troubled Interstate Bakeries, which makes Wonder, added wheat breads but could not keep up with Southern California's competitive bread market.
SANDRA STERNBERG, INTERSTATE BAKERIES: Our choice was either to reshape or to exit the market. And in Southern California, frankly we had no choice but to exit it.
FINNSTROM: Well, back when many of us were growing up, Wonder Bread was one of the few choices on the bread aisle. Today, there are all kinds of varieties, from rye to country white to Hawaiian to what many consider the Wonder Bread of today, 100% whole wheat.
BOB GIRANDOLA, NUTRITION EXPERT: Whole wheat would be a much, much better choice.
FINNSTROM: Nutrition expert Bob Girandola says processed white bread is stripped of fiber. And fiber can affect whether the body turns extra calories into energy or fat.
GIRANDOLA: A three-fold increase in childhood obesity for the last 25 years; that's outrageous. Now, that's not to say that white bread is causing that. But when we understand the fact that if a child has surplus calories and they are consuming something like a refined grain or a soda or something like that, it's very rapidly converted into fat.
MOM: And I have never bought it for my kids.
FINNSTROM: For Southern Californians who will miss what Interstate Bakeries still proclaims America's number-one white bread...
FINNSTROM: Do you like it?
BONNIE COX, CONSUMER: Yes.
FINNSTROM: Why?
COX: Because it's bad for me. I like it with peanut butter on there, and that's a treat.
FINNSTROM: Company leaders say the fate of two of their other top products...
COMMERCIAL: Watch out. They're stealing the Hostess Twinkies.
FINNSTROM: ...is secure. Twinkies and Hostess Cupcakes stay on shelves.
COMMERCIAL: You get a big delight in every bite of Hostess Twinkies.
FINNSTROM: Kara Finnstrom for CNN, Los Angeles.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
Before We Go
LLOYD: Before we go, holy Dark Knight devotion, Batman. A bat radar. File photos of Catwoman and the Riddler. Even the Batmobile. You might think you're lurking in the lair of the caped crusader. But this bat cave isn't it Gotham. It's in Albuquerque! It belongs to Mike Esch. He's not trying to strike fear into the hearts of evil-doers, just showing off his love for the man in the cape and cowl.
Goodbye
LLOYD: And that Batman superfan closes the case on today's show. We'll see you tomorrow for more CNN Student News. Thanks for watching. I'm Monica Lloyd
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