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CARL AZUZ, CNN STUDENT NEWS ANCHOR: It's Wednesday, I'm Carl Azuz, this is CNN Student News, bringing you 10 minutes of commercial-free headlines from around the globe. In fact, our first story is about a global response.
First Up: Flotilla Response
AZUZ: This international reaction is aimed at Israel, and it is not positive. Protesters around the world speaking out against Israel. The United Nations Security Council criticizing the violence. Turkey calling it a massacre. Even the U.S., one of Israel's closest allies, says it's open to an investigation.
All of this is in response to Monday, when Israeli troops stormed a group of ships bringing aid to Gaza. Israel set up a blockade to control what goods are allowed into Gaza. This group of ships tried to break that blockade. Some of the activists who were taken into custody during the incident have been released, and Israel says the aid that was on board the ships has been delivered into Gaza. The anger is over what happened on those ships, and the two sides tell very different stories.
DANNY AYALON, ISRAELI DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER: They have a history of arms smuggling and deadly terror. On board the ship, we found weapons prepared in advance and used against our forces. The organizers' intent was violent, their method was violent, and the results were unfortunately violent.
AUDREY BOMSE, FREE GAZA MOVEMENT LEGAL ADVISER: There could not have been guns on board, and besides, there is no evidence of it. There is a live streaming from the Turkish boat. You see Israeli soldiers jumping out of helicopters onto the boat shooting. There is no crossfire. Had there been crossfire at close range, some Israeli soldier would have been shot.
Security Headlines
AZUZ: We're checking out a couple security headlines now, starting with what could be a serious blow to the al Qaeda terrorist group. It reportedly announced the death of Mustafa Abu Yazid yesterday. He was the number three man in al Qaeda and the commander of its operations in Afghanistan. Yazid was also responsible for maintaining al Qaeda's relationships with other terrorist groups, like the Taliban. One group of experts says his death is one of the most significant blows against al Qaeda recently. But it also pointed out that the terrorist organization plans for these kinds of losses.
In the United States, Major Nidal Hasan, whom you see here, made his first court appearance in connection with last November's attack at Fort Hood, Texas. Hasan, who is a U.S. Army psychiatrist, is accused of killing 13 people in a shooting spree.Yesterday's hearing was the military version of a grand jury. Hasan answered questions that were asked by the judge, and his lawyers asked for an extension so they can gather evidence for the case. The judge agreed to that request.
Is This Legit?
TOMEKA JONES, CNN STUDENT NEWS: Is this legit? The U.S. sees more tornadoes per year than any other country. True! The U.S. has an average of about 1,000 tornadoes a year. Canada is second with around 100.
Colorado Tornado
AZUZ: Around 25 percent of those tornadoes form in an area that's called Tornado Alley. Colorado is part of that, and it's where this tornado showed up on Monday. These pictures are amazing; look at this. Twisters like this one can sometimes do a lot of damage. But early reports indicated no injuries or major problems with this one, just a lot of power lines knocked down. Tornado Alley sees a lot of twisters pop up in the spring. But forecasters point out that these storms can happen anywhere, at any time.
Dealing with the Spill
AZUZ: Attorney General Eric Holder says he's launching a criminal investigation into the Gulf of Mexico oil spill. And down in the Gulf, there's more bad news for the fishing industry. Officials have closed off more waters to fishing. Nearly a third of the Gulf now is off limits. Meanwhile, BP is starting the "cut and cap" plan. We told you about this yesterday. They're going to cut part of the leaking oil well and then put a cap on it. Hence, cut and cap. Making the cut, though, could increase the flow of oil spilling into the Gulf by up to 20 percent. Now, you've heard a lot from Rob Marciano since this oil leak started. He's one of our reporters covering the story from down on the Gulf Coast. Today, he explains how hurricane season could impact the oily situation.
(BEGIN VIDEO)
ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Almost five years later, signs of Hurricane Katrina are still evident in Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana. And this year's NOAA hurricane forecast calls for up to 23 named storms. Oil from the BP spill is already in the barrier wetlands here.
BILL NUNGESSER, PRESIDENT, PLAQUEMINES PARISH: I'm scared to death. You saw Pass a Loutre. You saw the pelicans. Imagine a storm rolling that oil up and bringing it in here and laying it down.
MARCIANO: That's just the kind of unimaginable devastation that Dauphin Island, Alabama is trying to avoid.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What you see here is the tide is down right now. So, the water is below the basket.
MARCIANO: The Alabama National Guard is erecting a four-and-a-half mile barrier to keep the oil from impacting protected wildlife here. The baskets are filled with a polymer powder which can turn the wet oil into a solid, making it easier to collect by hand. But what happens to these oil barriers if a major hurricane hits?
DAN KOONTZ, CI AGENT SOLUTIONS: They'll be gone just like everything else around here too. That category five will take out the houses and take out every building and structure on this island, probably.
MARCIANO: We're out on part of the thick oil here in the Gulf of Mexico. What does the oil do for hurricanes? Well, it would have a hard time developing right over the oil, because the oil actually suppresses evaporation. But that's actually one of the ways that the water actually cools. So, between the lack of evaporation and the darkness of that oil, actually heats up the Gulf. This is going to actually feed it, if anything, and bring it onshore and everything with it, including this big mess.
(END VIDEO)
Shoutout
MATT CHERRY, CNN STUDENT NEWS: Today's Shoutout goes out to the students at Wordsworth Academy in Pennsylvania! When would you wear a mortar board? Is it while: A) Judging, B) Graduating, C) Welding or D) Scuba diving? You've got three seconds -- GO! A mortar board is an academic cap, so you'd wear it while graduating. That's your answer and that's your Shoutout!
Defying Odds
AZUZ: And that's what you seniors all across the U.S. are doing right now, putting on your mortar boards and graduation gowns as you get your diplomas. Finishing high school, as you know, doesn't automatically mean going on to college... unless you go to Arrupe Jesuit High in Denver, Colorado. Nelson Garcia of affiliate KUSA fills us in on the school's graduation streak.
(BEGIN VIDEO)
NELSON GARCIA, KUSA REPORTER: The sounds are the same, and so are the excited faces. But the graduation here at Arrupe Jesuit High School is like no other. This is the fourth year in a row every single senior is going to college.
REVEREND STEVEN PLANNING, ARRUPE JESUIT HIGH SCHOOL PRESIDENT: Sixty percent of you all are the first in your families to graduate high school.
JOSE MADRID, ARRUPE JESUIT HIGH SCHOOL 2010 VALEDICTORIAN: And it changes the history of our family, and it creates a whole different way of seeing the future.
GARCIA: Jose Madrid.
MADRID: Good morning, ladies and gentlemen.
GARCIA: He is valedictorian and one of 54 students who spent one day a week working in a corporation, earning money to pay for Arrupe while getting business experience. School founder Father Steve Planning says that this is at the heart of Arrupe's success.
PLANNING: They get to see, feel and touch the future that we want them to have.
GARCIA: Though Arrupe services low-income neighborhoods, with obstacles that challenge every inner city school...
PLANNING: The 54 of you have earned together a combined total of more than $3.85 million in merit-based scholarships.
GARCIA: That averages to more than $70,000 in scholarship money per student.
MADRID: There was no opportunity for me to fail because so many people believed in me that I had to believe in myself.
PLANNING: Abeline Angeles, Colorado State University.
GARCIA: The sounds may be the same...
PLANNING: Jose Eduardo Madrid, Georgetown University.
GARCIA: ...But this graduation is like no other. It's the last ceremony for Father Planning. He's leaving.
PLANNING: It's always sad to leave anywhere, but it's particularly sad to leave a place that you were involved in the start up of, so it's gonna be sad to say goodbye.
GARCIA: Leaving behind a thriving program which continues to make a difference in northwest Denver.
(END VIDEO)
Promo
AZUZ: The school year is just about finished for us, too. Just two more shows to go. But there are lots of ways to stay in touch with us over the summer. You can always check out what you see right here: that's CNNStudentNews.com. We'll be posting new blogs there over the summer. Or you can head to our Facebook page: Facebook.com/CNNStudentNews.
Before We Go
AZUZ: Before we go, there are some things you just have to see to believe. This one, we're still not sure. This YouTube video shows a bear at a zoo in Japan. He's obviously got some smooth moves. But right here, watch this. He flips it up, waits for it to drop back down, he caught it and he keeps on going. Now, we had a reporter check into this, and experts say it's possible with enough training.
Goodbye
AZUZ: But you do have to paws and really think it over. I mean, do we believe it's real? Bearly. Either way, it's food fur thought. You guys have a great day. For CNN Student News, I'm Carl Azuz.