CNN Student News Transcript: February 15, 2008

(CNN Student News) -- February 15, 2008

Quick Guide

Top Stories - Get the details about a deadly school shooting on an Illinois campus.

One Tough Race - Find out how presidential candidates cope with the rigors of the road.

Swiss Art Heist - Head to a Swiss museum whose walls were stripped of four famous paintings.

Teachers: Please preview today's top story, as it addresses a school shooting in Illinois.

Transcript

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

CARL AZUZ, CNN STUDENT NEWS ANCHOR: Hi, I'm Carl Azuz. Welcome to CNN Student News. We'll begin with today's headlines, and you teachers may want to preview them; we're covering a school shooting in Illinois.

First Up: Top Stories

AZUZ: Law enforcement officials are mapping out how the violence happened at Northern Illinois University's DeKalb campus. Some facts that were clear on Thursday night: At least six people were killed, including the shooter, who killed himself. And more than 12 others were wounded. One student said it all started at around 3:00 PM central time, yesterday. About an hour later, officials said the danger had passed, and counselors were on hand to help anyone who needed it. Campus is closed today for the school's 25,000 students.

The U.S. military's planning to blast a broken spy satellite out of the sky. This thing's about the size of a bus, and it's carrying a thousand pounds of toxic fuel with it. It's unlikely that when it falls through the Earth's atmosphere, the satellite will actually hit anything. But officials aren't taking any chances; They're hoping to hit it with a single missile from a U.S. Navy ship. Some experts have said America is trying to keep any secrets of the satellite, from getting out. But military officials call that theory, bunk.

AZUZ: Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, that's him on the right, says he wants Republican Senator John McCain to be our next president. You might remember that Romney suspended his own campaign last week, and he wants all the delegates that he won to now support McCain. Romney doesn't agree with McCain on everything, but he thinks it's important for the two to team up for the benefit of the Republican party.

MITT ROMNEY, FORMER PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: This is a man who tied his political fortunes to the fortunes of our country at a time of war. Such courage is not always rewarded in politics, but it was this time. And that's a credit to both the man and to the party he will lead in the election of 2008.

One Tough Race

AZUZ: Though he had less backing, Romney's probably getting more sleep now that he's not running for office. Regardless of who wins the nominations and the presidency, rest is something every candidate loses. In some ways, they're kinda like rock stars on tour; Lots of cities, lots of excitement, lots of exhaustion. And all that takes a toll, though some can get used to it. Doctor Sanjay Gupta reports on the rigors of the road.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, (D) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: How's it going Boston!

HILLARY CLINTON, (D) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Hello New Mexico!

JOHN MCCAIN (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I will win here in the state of Alabama with your help!

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN SR. MEDICAL COO RESPONDENT: Running for president is a cross-country endurance race; a marathon.

MIKE HUCKABEE, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Thank you Burlington for coming out this morning.

GUPTA: Beginning early each morning, and ending late at night.

CLINTON: Okay, we're on the road again.

GUPTA: It's a schedule that can leave candidates sick...

CLINTON: (Cough, cough) Can I have a lozenge or something?

GUPTA: And tired.

KELLERMAN: Sleep deprivation is a very real problem for the candidates. It can lead to some foggy thinking. It can affect their memory. It can affect their concentration.

GUPTA: Fatigue appears to be one issue where the candidates agree.

OBAMA: You know what I got for Christmas? Eight hours sleep.

HUCKABEE: I'm finding out just how long I can go sleep deprived. Running for office is sort of like being waterboarded I think.

CLINTON: You try to sleep whenever possible, which is usually on planes, or in the car. And some days, you know, there is not enough caffeine in the world to keep you going; You just have to plow through.

GUPTA: Wherever they go, candidates are tempted with food, often fast food.

Here's one thing you probably don't know about Hillary Clinton: She likes her food spicy.

CLINTON: I like hot food, and I am convinced that there is an ingredient in hot peppers that has kept me healthy since 1992.

HUCKABEE: Tight schedules leave candidates little time for any real exercise.

GUPTA: This may surprise you: For most of us, stress depresses immune function, making us more likely to get sick. But Doctor Rick Kellerman at the American Academy of Family Physicians does not think stress is a big problem for the candidates.

DR. RICK KELLERMAN, AMERICAN ACADEMY OF FAMILY PHYSICIANS: These are people that have learned how to cope with that stress. In fact, they may even thrive on the stress.

GUPTA: And Kellerman says the rigors of the campaign trail may be a good test for what has been called the toughest job in the world. Doctor Sanjay Gupta, CNN, reporting.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

Shoutout

AZUZ: Today's Shoutout goes out to Ms. Elder's social studies classes at Woodside Middle School in Fort Wayne, Indiana! Who painted this work of art? If you think you know it, shout it out! Was it: A) Monet B) Cezanne C) Van Gogh D) Degas You've got three seconds--GO! This work is called "The Boy in the Red Vest" and was painted in the late 1800s by Paul Cezanne. That's your answer and that's your Shoutout!

Swiss Art Heist

AZUZ: This next story sounds like something out of a Hollywood heist film. Swiss police are calling it "spectacular", and they don't mean that in the good way. On Sunday, three masked men stormed a museum housing some of the world's finest impressionist artwork and made off with four paintings-- one by each artist mentioned in that Shoutout. Frederick Pleitgen explains who the thieves could be, what their next step may be, and who's watching.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN REPORTER: Swiss police say the heist could be the work of a criminal gang from Eastern Europe. Gone: four impressionist masterpieces worth more than $160 million. They took the paintings from this gallery in broad daylight. Police say the crooks knew exactly what they were after.

MARKO COTESI, SWISS POLICE: "The burglars acted in a very professional way," this Swiss police official says. "The whole robbery lasted only three minutes."

PLEITGEN: Quick and brutal. Three men with guns stormed the entrance to the museum and forced security personnel to the ground. Then they went straight to the exhibition room, ripped the masterpieces off the wall, took off in a car, and disappeared.

CORTESI: "During the escape, some of the stolen paintings may have partially stuck out of the trunk," this policeman says.

PLEITGEN: Experts wonder why it was so easy for the robbers to take the impressionist masterpieces. Like the "Blooming Chestnut Branches." Van Gogh painted this just weeks before he died. And this Cezanne - called "The Boy in the Red Vest" - worth almost $100 million alone. If the crooks do try to sell the paintings, this man will likely know about it. Julian Radcliff tracks stolen art and knows how criminal gangs operate.

JULIAN RADCLIFF, THE ART LOSS REGISTER: If the police don't succeed in recovering these pictures in the next 6 or 9 months, they may well be offered for sale in 10 or 15 years' time having been used in the underworld as a form of currency in the meantime.

PLEITGEN: Just last week, two Picassos were taken from a gallery just miles away. Police say that may have been the work of the same criminal gang. Frederik Pleitgen, CNN, Berlin.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

Black History Month

MONICA LLOYD, CNN STUDENT NEWS: Breaking down barriers is just what Condoleezza Rice does. She achieved several "firsts" in her lifetime; the first female national security adviser, the first woman and first African American to become provost at Stanford University, and in 2005, the first African-American woman to become U.S. Secretary of State. Rice was born in segregated Birmingham, Alabama in 1954. She graduated early from high school, already an accomplished pianist and finished college at age 19. What's next for Rice? She's mentioned how she might like to be commissioner of the National Football League. With her track record, nothing's outside the realm of possibility. Celebrating the achievements of Condoleezza Rice, this Black History Month.

Promo

AZUZ: I know at least one question from today's show is in our free Newsquiz, and you'll find the other ones answered in our programs throughout the week. So study up at our Web site, where you'll find free transcripts and past shows, and see how well you do on this week's free Newsquiz from CNNStudentNews.com!

Before We Go

AZUZ: Whether or not you thought romance was alive and well on Valentine's Day, surprises were, and not just the kind with flowers. The young guitarist you see here had no idea her father was tucked into the gigantic heart next to her. He'd been away in the military for nine months, and during the time she was playing he jumped out to give the girl, her brother and sister the surprise of their lives. When asked how all this made her feel, one daughter replied, "inside, I was about to blow up."

Goodbye

AZUZ: But she kept herself together as her family got together. And whether you spend this weekend with your folks, your friends, or on your own, we hope you have a great one. We'll be off Monday for President's Day, so CNN Student News will see you next Tuesday! I'm Carl Azuz. E-mail to a friend