CNN Student News Transcript: April 15, 2008

(CNN Student News) -- April 15, 2008

Quick Guide

Swarm of Quakes - Consider the significance of a swarm of earthquakes in the Pacific Northwest.

The Co$t of Food - Assess the impact that rising food prices are having on Egyptian markets.

Teen Hero - Listen to the story of a 17-year-old hero and a 5-year-old who was rescued.

Transcript

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

MONICA LLOYD, CNN STUDENT NEWS ANCHOR: It's Tuesday, and you've found your way to the start of a new edition of CNN Student News. Thanks so much for joining us. I'm Monica Lloyd.

First Up: Swarm of Quakes

LLOYD: First up, scientists are warning residents in California to get ready for the big one. According to new calculations, there's a 99.7 percent chance that an earthquake of magnitude 6.7 or larger will strike the state in the next 30 years. The last time a quake that big hit California, it caused $25 billion in damages. California sits on part of the North American plate, and as Keeley Chalmers of affiliate KGW tells us, there's been a lot of seismic activity on it recently in the Pacific Northwest.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KEELY CHALMERS, NEWSCHANNEL 8 ENVIRONMENTAL REPORTER: The swarm of quakes started a couple of weeks ago off the southern Oregon coast. The latest, a magnitude 5, struck about 200 miles west of Bandon.

VICKI MCCONNELL, OREGON STATE GEOLOGIST: It's interesting, but it's not something that we consider threatening.

CHALMERS: State geologist Dr. Vicki McConnell has been monitoring the quakes. She says they've all been happening along the same fault line, but she adds they are not related to the nearby Cascadia Subduction Zone.

MCCONNELL: These are relatively shallow. They are only occurring about six miles deep.

CHALMERS: Scientists believe the Cascadia Subduction Zone caused a magnitude 9 earthquake here in the Pacific Northwest 300 years ago. McConnell says the recent quakes are much more shallow, measuring magnitude 5 or smaller.

MCCONNELL: They don't have enough of a magnitude, and they're not the type of movement that we would worry about tsunamis or anything else.

SCOTT BURNS, PORTLAND STATE UNIVERSITY GEOLOGY PROFESSOR: We have been following them.

CHALMERS: Portland State University geology professor Scott Burns is also monitoring the quakes. He believes these tiny tremors are a good thing.

BURNS: If you have a whole bunch of small earthquakes, that's good. You're releasing all that energy; that's good.

CHALMERS: And although they are not directly tied to the Cascadia Subduction Zone, Burns wonders whether these quakes could be a precursor to a much bigger one to come.

BURNS: The question, are we going to get the big one? The answer is yes. The question is when, and we don't know.

CHALMERS: And that could be hundreds of years away. These quakes now, simply tiny reminders of our constantly changing Earth.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

Spoken Word

JACQUI JERAS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: When we see a swarm like this, these are individual earthquakes that kind of happen in the same general area. But when you have a large quake and then several aftershocks, the aftershocks tend to be a little bit weaker. Just to kind of give you an idea of where this is, I put it on Google Earth, and we put on data from the last couple of days to show you where quakes have been. There you can see the Pacific Northwest, and all of these dots that you can see over here off the coast, those are some of the more recent quakes that we've had. This blue line here, that's what we call the "subduction zone." So, that's where the plates, one lays on top of the other, so we would tend to see more activity here. But most of the swarms have been farther out over the Juan de Fuca plate. Something to watch, and I guarantee you those scientists, if anything big comes after this, they are going to try and find some kind of relation.

Promo

LLOYD: California is one of the most active areas in the world for earthquakes. What are some others? Our Learning Activity can help you track them down. It lets students research where major quakes have taken place and examine why some regions are more prone than others to these natural disasters. Check it out at CNNStudentNews.com!

The Co$t of Food

LLOYD: You've probably heard some news recently about rising prices for things like oil and gas. Add food to that list. According to the head of the World Bank, there have been huge jumps in the cost of basic items like rice and wheat. The result has been riots in countries around the world, where people are forced to spend more and more of their income on food. In Haiti, the prime minister was actually kicked out of office because of increasing prices. The Caribbean nation relies almost entirely on other countries for its food supply. Aneesh Raman is in Egypt, another place where food-related riots have broken out. He tells us about the impact of the increasing costs.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANEESH RAMAN, CNN REPORTER: For many of Egypt's poor, this is breakfast, lunch and dinner, called Aish in Egyptian Arabic, which means both life and bread. And recently, aish became too expensive after global commodity prices skyrocketed and domestic supplies fell short. So a few weeks ago, the government stepped in. At this police-run bakery, 72,000 pieces of bread are shipped out every day to 2 of the 30 distribution centers set up nationwide, where the price per slice is one cent.

LT. COL. HANI EL SAID, EGYPTIAN POLICE: At this point, yes, I believe we are turning around the corner, and we have perhaps already passed the worst possible crisis.

RAMAN: On bread perhaps, but head to the market and you get an earful about how prices are out of control. As Abdel was telling us that for him business is down, Nadia jumped in to explain why, saying the price of rice, pasta, the things she says that the poor depend on are going up and people are cutting back. Virtually everyone here told us they're buying and eating less of the basics. Mona says she can no longer afford beans.

MONA: "One day everybody will go crazy," she says. "Everyone will complain. We are tired of this."

RAMAN: They are also unsure of exactly what's happening and who's responsible.

NADIA: The government must go on the streets, see the prices. Who is making the price go up, the government or the sellers?

RAMAN: Egypt's finance minister says neither.

YOUSSEF BOUTROS GHALI, EGYPTIAN FINANCE MINISTER: Unfortunately, the price rise is driven by what is happening in the international markets. The local component is very little.

RAMAN: But critics say there is plenty of blame to go around in Egypt, where there is corruption and where wages have been too low for too long. This is a country with a growing economy, with billions coming in through international investment, but little is trickling down.

GHALI: It's not enough. There are 77 million of us. For the 77 million to feel it, we need at least five, six years of 7-plus growth.

RAMAN: That's a long time to wait for butchers at this Cairo market, where the meat now outnumbers the shoppers. Ahmed has three kids, a fourth on the way, and he says he has seen 50% of his business vanish in the past three months as prices have shot up.

AHMED, BUTCHER: No, it's never been this bad. Before, all was better. But we've been building up to this point for a year and now it's very bad.

RAMAN: It's estimated that close to half of Egypt lives on less than two dollars a day. And the reality is that for them, things could get worse. Aneesh Raman, CNN, Cairo.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

Word to the Wise

CARL AZUZ, CNN STUDENT NEWS: A Word to the Wise...

commodity (noun) an item that is useful or valued

source: www.m-w.com

Before We Go: Teen Hero

LLOYD: And finally, when Zach Miller sent out invitations to his six-year-old birthday party, his neighbor Cody didn't get one. It's not much of a surprise. You see, Cody's 17 years old and the two don't really know each other. But now, he's definitely on the guest list. What changed? Cody saved Zach's life. Jeffrey Smith of affiliate KOTV explains the story.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JEFFREY SMITH, REPORTER: They barely knew each other before. Now, they won't forget each other. Cody Phillips and little Zach Miller: Neighbors joined together by a pit bull attack Saturday afternoon.

SMITH: What did you name your dog?

ZACH MILLER: DOG ATTACK VICTIM: Cody.

SHANNON ASH, CODY'S MOTHER: Both the dogs had the little boy, one on each end. And they had him up in the air just tearing him apart. And I started screaming.

SMITH: Zach was outside playing outside when he was pulled through this fence by a pit bull and a sharpei.

ASH: I heard a bloodcurdling scream and I went running next door.

SMITH: He was dragged more than 20 yards.

ASH: He was back where the electrical thing is.

SMITH: Then 17-year-old Cody came running out.

CODY PHILLIPS, TEEN HERO: When I was running towards him, I wasn't scared of the dogs at all. I just didn't have time to think about it.

SMITH: He saw Zach and jumped the fence.

PHILLIPS: I just had to get him away from the dogs. So, I just picked him up.

ROBERT MILLER, VICTIM'S FATHER: He's more than a hero. Cause you hear about dog attacks all the time, and nobody gets involved with it.

SMITH: Zach was brought to the hospital with extensive injuries to his head and legs.

PHILLIPS: He was telling us that he didn't want to go to the doctor, and that he wanted his mommy.

DANA MILLER, VICTIM'S MOTHER: He was a hero by putting his life at risk and saving my son. Because without him and his quick reaction, my son would not be here today. And that boy deserves all the glory in the world. He's a hero. Definitely an angel from God.

SMITH: Cody admits he's had a tough time with it.

PHILLIPS: I wasn't able to sleep last night. I was having some bad dreams.

SMITH: But with Zach back at home, he says he'll be able to sleep peacefully tonight.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

Goodbye

LLOYD: That's gonna bring today's show to a close. Thanks so much for watching. We'll see you again tomorrow. I'm Monica Lloyd. E-mail to a friend