CNN Student News Transcript: March 13, 2008

(CNN Student News) -- March 13, 2008

Quick Guide

New York's New Governor - Meet the man who's taking over as the new governor of New York.

Planes Grounded - Discover why a major U.S. airline grounded part of its fleet.

Level Playing Field - Visit a college in Iraq where female students take the field.

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. It's Thursday. I'm Carl Azuz. You've found a brand new edition of CNN Student News. Glad to have you along for the ride.

First Up: NY Governor Resigns

AZUZ: First up, Eliot Spitzer is out as the governor of New York, after resigning in the wake of a political scandal. He made the announcement yesterday, saying he was "deeply sorry" he didn't live up to the public's expectations. The resignation goes into effect on Monday. In yesterday's show, we told you that Spitzer has allegedly been linked to a prostitution ring. Officials claim to have discovered the connection during a federal investigation, and legal experts say he could face several charges of wrongdoing. As he stepped down, Spitzer reflected on his time in office.

GOV. ELIOT SPITZER, (D) NEW YORK: I look at my time as governor with a sense of what might have been. But I also know that as a public servant, I and the remarkable people with whom I worked have accomplished a great deal. There is much more to be done, and I can not allow my private failings to disrupt the people's work.

AZUZ: We'll get to who's taking over as governor in a minute. But first, do you know where he'll be governing from?

Is this Legit

GEORGE RAMSAY, CNN STUDENT NEWS: Is This Legit? New York City is New York's capital. Nope! A lot of folks think it's New York City, but the capital is actually Albany.

New York's New Governor

AZUZ: There won't be a special election to see who's moving into the governor's mansion in Albany. The position goes to the next person in line, Lieutenant Governor David Paterson. Brian Todd gives us some background on the man who's taking the reins in New York.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BRIAN TODD, CNN REPORTER: Not as well known as Eliot Spitzer, and not as controversial. David Paterson was sworn in as lieutenant governor of New York in January of 2007.

ED KOCH, (D) FORMER NEW YORK MAYOR: He is an understated guy, and I think that, at this particular moment in time, will be very helpful.

TODD: At 31, he was the youngest state senator ever in New York State, then worked his way up to senate minority leader, making more friends than enemies. Paterson, who is now 53, lives in Harlem and becomes New York's first African-American governor. In 2004, he was given a speaker's slot at the Democratic National Convention.

STATE SEN. DAVID PATERSON, (D) NEW YORK, 2004: I have a vision for New York state. I can't see it with my eyes, but I feel it in my heart.

TODD: Paterson is legally blind, but that didn't keep him from running in the New York City marathon.

PATERSON: I'm as proud of that as any elective office or any other achievement I've had in my life.

DAVID DINKINS, (D) FORMER NEW YORK MAYOR: Legally blind, he was able to finish law school and get elected to the senate, to become the leader of the Democrats in the senate. All this with what, for some, would be a handicap.

TODD: Paterson comes into office as a relatively fresh face.

STEVE KORNACKI, NEW YORK OBSERVER: The public is hoping for that replacement to redeem the office and to redeem their faith in elected officials in general. So David Paterson, in a sense, walks into a great opportunity.

TODD: Republican leaders say they're willing to give the new governor the benefit of the doubt.

ASSEMBLYMAN JAMES TEDISCO, (R) NEW YORK: I told him we'd give him our full support, because this is not about politics anymore.

TODD: Paterson will need all the friends he has. New York State has to close a budget gap of up to five billion dollars this year. Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

Shoutout

RAMSAY: Time for the Shoutout! What is the most-produced commercial jet ever? If you think you know it, shout it out! Is it the: A) Boeing 737, B) Airbus A380, C) Boeing DC-9 or D) Lockheed L-1011? You've got three seconds -- GO! This was really tough, but the title of best-selling commercial jet goes to Boeing for its 737 family. That's your answer and that's your Shoutout!

Planes Grounded

AZUZ: Dozens of those planes were grounded yesterday, when Southwest Airlines pulled them aside for inspections. According to the carrier, the move resulted in the cancellation of about 4 percent of their daily flights. Southwest is already feeling the heat after a CNN investigation showed that some of its aircraft took to the skies without going through all the proper safety checks. Drew Griffin has more details on the airline's recent actions.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DREW GRIFFIN, CNN REPORTER: It was done out of an abundance of caution, says the airline; 44 of its Boeing 737s pulled for inspections. While not all were scheduled to fly Wednesday, the airline says there were minor interruptions and a few cancellations of flights. The unexpected grounding comes as the airline is reviewing its maintenance inspections after being hit with the largest fine ever levied on an airline: $10.2 million. Last week, a CNN SIU investigation revealed the airline had knowingly flown thousands of flights and hundreds of thousands of passengers on aircraft that missed mandatory inspections. The FAA also removed one of its supervisors after he permitted Southwest to miss the inspection deadlines.

SCOTT BLOCH, FEDERAL OFFICE OF SPECIAL COUNSEL: We believe there is a significant potential that the FAA is allowing these practices, this lax practice of not complying with air worthiness directives, to occur nationally.

GRIFFIN: In addition to the instant grounding of planes, Southwest released a statement saying it has placed three employees on administrative leave, hired an outside consultant to review Southwest's maintenance, and is cooperating with the FAA to investigate and address any deficiencies in its maintenance controls. Drew Griffin, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

Oil Prices Update

AZUZ: What goes up must come down, right? No. At least not when it comes to oil prices. Another day, another record, the seventh one in the last eight trading sessions for the cost of crude. Wednesday, it topped out at over $110 a barrel! And the price of gas is keeping pace. According to motorist group AAA, the average cost of a gallon of regular hit a new high Tuesday night.

Women's History Month

AZUZ: J.K. Rowling is a legend in her own time. Her 1997 smash book, "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone," found feverish fans from five to fifty-five years old, and older. And the sequels solidified her stance as one of the most widely read authors on the planet. We're talking books available in 60 languages across more than 200 countries! This would explain why "Samme" on our blog suggested that J.K. Rowling would be a good subject of Women's History Month. The 42-year-old author's success didn't stop with literature: The first Harry Potter movie made huge profits, as did the ones that followed. Who would've thought that words like "muggles" and "Hogwarts" would find their way into our everyday vocabulary?

J.K. ROWLING, HARRY POTTER AUTHOR: What will I miss most about the Harry Potter series? Everything. I've loved writing it, and I will miss it hugely.

AZUZ: Rowling has imagined her way into history, and that's why we're honoring her achievements this Women's History Month.

Promo

AZUZ: Literature, law, science and sports: You'll find profiles of groundbreaking women in all of those fields at CNNStudentNews.com! And while you're there, check out our Women's History Month Learning Activities. We've got one that lets students examine how gender roles have changed during the past several decades. It's a timely topic, given our next story.

Level Playing Field

AZUZ: Not too long ago, women didn't have too many options when it came to playing organized sports. But these days, many female athletes are household names, and you probably don't think twice about having both guys' and girls' teams at your school. Kyra Phillips visits a university in Iraq, where female students are smashing stereotypes on the court and in the classroom.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN REPORTER: This is the Sports College for Women at Baghdad University. These women are breaking out of traditional roles, aspiring to jobs and professions that could take them anywhere now. To do this, they and their teachers risk their lives every day just to get here.

"If I don't put myself in danger," anatomy professor Mitham Mahdi tells me, "and these girls don't put themselves in danger, and other Iraqis don't do so, our whole nation will stand still and never improve." And don't let the make-up and hijabs fool you, these women got game.

A lot of Americans think the women are wearing their scarves, they don't play sports and they just do what the men tell them to do. (The women react, shaking their heads, laughing.)

"You're embarrassing us," Noor Samir says. "This is wrong, and the wrong perception of women in Iraq!"

Each one of these girls has a dream: coaching, teaching, maybe even going pro. "Being here elevates our ambitions," Nabrass Nibras tells me. "It makes things better. Our society is a closed one now, but we still have hopes and aspirations. Sports is our outlet." For these athletes, stepping into this gym doesn't just lead to a college degree, it's an escape from war.

ALL THREE GIRLS (TRANSLATED): We're used to these conditions. We leave it up to God. We walk with the explosions behind us, as if it doesn't exist! We just want to get here and live our lives like nothing is going on outside.

PHILLIPS: Any thoughts of winning a war are sidelined here, as these young women concentrate solely on winning the game. Kyra Phillips, CNN, Baghdad.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

Goodbye

AZUZ: And that's the last shot in today's show. But we'll see you again tomorrow to close out the week. Have a great day, everyone. I'm Carl Azuz. E-mail to a friend