CNN Student News 中東和非洲各國(guó)抗議活動(dòng)是多米諾效應(yīng)？

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

CARL AZUZ, CNN STUDENT NEWS ANCHOR: Hey, I'm Carl Azuz, this is CNN Student News! Today's show is dedicated to Mrs. Klapperich's students in Cannon Falls, Minnesota. Thank you for your "likes" at Facebook.com/CNNStudentNews. Let's get today's show started!

 

First Up: Domino Effect?

AZUZ: Tunisia, Egypt, Iran, Algeria, Yemen, Bahrain. If you've been watching the news the past several weeks, you know what these countries have in common: political unrest. People speaking out against their governments, calling for changes. What's happening in that part of the world could certainly have an impact on other countries around the globe. During a speech yesterday, President Obama talked about the role that the U.S. might play.

 

U.S. PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA: What happens in each of these countries will be determined by the citizens of those countries. We do want to make sure that transitions do not degenerate into chaos and violence. That's not just good for us, that's good for those countries.

 

AZUZ: We're seeing some of these same themes with these protests. They're often organized with social media. The focus is on government leaders or policies that have been in place for a long time. But the situations are unique. And Jill Dougherty is going to show us how the U.S. has been involved so far.

(BEGIN VIDEO)

 

JILL DOUGHERTY, CNN FOREIGN AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT, WASHINGTON, D.C.: Is this what the Obama administration hopes could be the next people's revolution? Iranian police clash with demonstrators on the streets of Tehran, and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton connects the dots with Egypt's revolution.

 

U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE HILLARY CLINTON: We wish the opposition and the brave people in the streets across cities in Iran, you know, the same opportunity that they saw their Egyptian counterparts seize in the last week.

 

DOUGHERTY: As Iranian police round up activists, the State Department begins tweeting encouraging messages in the Farsi language, telling Iranians we want to join in your conversation. Just days after a revolution toppled Egypt's longtime ruler, Hosni Mubarak, unrest is rippling through the region, and the U.S. is trying to figure out how to handle it. In Algeria, protesters clash with security forces and the State Department proclaims their support for the universal rights of the Algerian people, adding, these rights apply on the internet.

 

The government of Syria puts a blogger on trial for espionage; the State Department calls for her freedom. In Jordan, the Chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff and a top State Department official meet with King Abdullah II to show support for the new government he swore in following anti-government protests. Yet nothing is settled in Egypt. Trying to muster international support, President Obama has been speed-dialing fellow leaders in Great Britain, Jordan and Turkey to help keep pressure on the Egyptian military to turn a revolution into a real democracy. Secretary Clinton called the Egyptian foreign minister and her counterparts in eight other countries. The tide of democracy opens opportunities, officials say, but a former CIA director says this is not a stack of dominoes.

 

MICHAEL HAYDEN, FORMER CIA DIRECTOR: The challenge is how does one manage that during the transition period so that you don't see some of the more radical and, unfortunately, those are generally the best organized groups, seizing control, capturing the revolution and taking it into a direction that's very dark.

(END VIDEO)

 

Medal of Freedom

AZUZ: The Medal of Freedom is the highest civilian honor that's given out by the U.S. government. In a ceremony yesterday at the White House, President Obama gave out 15 of them, describing this year's recipients as "the best of who we are and who we aspire to be." That includes former President George H.W. Bush, America's 41st president, whose career of public service spanned 70 years. Georgia congressman and civil rights leader John Lewis, as well as German Chancellor Angela Merkel were also given Medals of Freedom. But it wasn't just politicians. Artists, like the famous poet Maya Angelou, whom the president's sister is named after, along with cellist Yo-Yo Ma and artist Jasper Johns were honored at the ceremony. Sports legends Bill Russell and Stan Musial were also among the Medal of Freedom honorees.

 

Shoutout

TOMEKA JONES, CNN STUDENT NEWS: Time for the Shoutout! What part of the human brain is associated with memory? If you think you know it, then shout it out! Is it the: A) Cerebrum, B) Medulla, C) Thalamus or D) Brain Stem? You've got three seconds -- GO! Your memory is controlled by part of your cerebrum. That's your answer and that's your Shoutout!

 

Man vs. Machine

AZUZ: How does our cerebrum stack up against a computer's memory banks? That is the challenge playing out on "Jeopardy!" this week. It's a three-day event pitting two of the show's biggest all-time winners against a super-computer named Watson. This thing was created by IBM. The company says Watson has the processing power of 2,800 powerful computers. Watson's developers say it's a major step forward in the ability of machines to understand human language. That's part of what makes this game so interesting, since a lot of Jeopardy! clues involve word play or double meanings. Host Alex Trebek described Watson's first day of performance as "very bright, very fast, but some weird little moments once in a while."

 

Blog Promo

AZUZ: So, we're not in The Matrix just yet. But we want to hear your take on this man vs. machine face-off. Are you interested to see if a computer can learn language? Do you think machines could ever be as smart as people? Head to our blog at CNNStudentNews.com, let us know what you think.

 

This Day in History

AZUZ: It's February 16th, and on this day in history in 1923, British archaeologist Howard Carter unsealed the tomb of ancient Egyptian ruler King Tut. In 1959, Fidel Castro was sworn in as the prime minister of Cuba after leading a communist revolution that overthrew Cuba's previous leader. In 1968, the first ever 9-1-1 call was made in Haleyville, Alabama. The answer on the other end of the line? "Hello." And in 2005, the Kyoto Protocol, a treaty aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions, went into effect.

 

Inspiring Youth

AZUZ: Well, in more recent history -- like last week -- I interviewed former NFL running back Warrick Dunn. He's known for his accomplishments on the field during 12 seasons with the Tampa Bay Bucs and the Atlanta Falcons. But he's also known for his humanitarian work with the Warrick Dunn Family Foundation, that helps single parents achieve their dream of owning a home. In the second part of our conversation, I talked with Mr. Dunn about what advice he has for young people. Take a listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO)

 

AZUZ: How does somebody who does that, who plays for the Atlanta Falcons, the Tampa Bay Bucs, how do you stay humble and positive through all that?

 

WARRICK DUNN, FORMER NFL RUNNING BACK, PHILANTHROPIST: I've learned early in my life that treat people the same way you want to be treated. But also, I thought about my mom, her dream, her mission, how she treated people, how she wanted better for other people. I've tried to live through her, live through her lessons in life, and I wanted to be like her.

 

AZUZ: What would you tell some of the high school students who are watching our show, who they love what they do, they love playing, but they might not have the talent or the gift to play professionally?

 

DUNN: It's a lot that goes into it. I think, first and foremost, you have to understand "why are you in school?" Your focus has to be education, and I learned that early. Set yourself up, put yourself in a position to really go to the next level, and that's get a college scholarship, graduate from college, get the degree. The game, you can't play the game forever.

 

AZUZ: What advice do you have for today's students who don't know what they want to do?

 

DUNN: You can experience so many different things to really understand what you love or to find something that you're passionate about. That's really going out of your comfort zone and really trying new and different things. It's all about checks and balances. It's all about thinking about not, "how am I going to live today," but "how am I going to live 20, 30 years down the road." You have to have a plan; nothing is going to come easy. You have to work for the things that you want.

(END VIDEO)

 

Before We Go

AZUZ: That man was a very good interview. And we're gonna be putting both parts of it up in the Spotlight section at CNNStudentNews.com, so keep an eye out for that. Our last story, before we go today, my very first job was bagging groceries at a supermarket. Believe that. But I don't remember it being anywhere near this intense! These folks are the best of the best. That's why they're competing in the 2011 Best Bagger National Championships. Contestants have to fill three bags with everyday items, like bread, eggs and cans. The winner, Krystal Smith from Burlington, Vermont, did it in just 38 seconds.

 

Goodbye

AZUZ: With her superior speed and technique, that title was in the bag. But it's time for us to check out for now. We'll be back tomorrow with more commercial-free headlines. Hope you have a great day.