Sex & Violence – News Syndication

posted by AndrewW on Jul 25

Story By: by Phil Galewitz and Julie Appleby

Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius talks about insurance with Nick Kaplanis, manager at Frager’s Hardware Store, Washington, D.C.

Today the federal government released proposed rules that will govern how states set up and run new marketplaces where individuals and small businesses can shop for health insurance.

The so-called exchanges are a key element of the health care overhaul law. Sliding subsidies for private insurance on the exchanges will be available for residents who earn up to 400 percent of the poverty level, about $43,560 this year.

Those who qualify for Medicaid, the state-federal program for the poor, will be able to sign up for it through the exchanges. The idea is to make buying coverage like shopping for an airline ticket online.

The proposal from the Department of Health and Human Services runs hundreds of pages. Insurers, consumer advocates and others will have 75 days to comment. Final rules are expected later this year.

Insurers want states to be granted a lot of flexibility in how they design their exchanges, and the companies don’t want to be barred from seats on oversight boards.

Consumer groups, however, would prefer that insurers not be allowed on the boards or, if they are, to make them meet strict conflict-of-interest rules.

Both groups are watching closely to see whether the federal government will require states to choose which insurers can participate — and negotiate with them over prices and other issues — or allow a looser structure in which all insurers that meet the minimum standards under the law can participate.

Exchanges must be up and running by Jan. 1, 2014, although states must prove a year earlier that they will be ready. The federal government will establish exchanges for states that can’t or won’t do so themselves.

Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and her top deputies unveiled the proposed regulations at Frager’s Hardware Store, near where Sebelius lives on Capitol Hill. Frager’s has been in business 90 years and its owners provide health coverage to their 25 full time employees, though they said that’s been getting harder as premiums climb.

Manager Nick Kaplanis on Monday gave no endorsement to the exchanges or the health law in general. His only question to Sebelius was to ask if she could get President Obama to visit next time. She said she would.

Last week, John Weintraub, a co-owner of the store, who wasn’t around for Monday’s event, told Kaiser Health News that he was skeptical of the new law. “I am not confident at all that Obamacare will lower my costs,” he said. “It seems like whenever the government does get involved in something like this, it never works out.”

Originally Published On: www.npr.org – Original Article Here

posted by AndrewW on Jul 25

Story By: by Jordan Rau

Dying patients in nursing homes are an increasingly lucrative source of business for hospice companies, which have made a big push into these facilities, according to a federal audit that was just released.

Medicare spending on hospice care for patients in nursing facilities increased by 69 percent over just four years — from $2.6 billion in 2005 to $4.3 billion in 2009, according to the Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General. More than a third of Medicare hospice spending in 2009 was for the care of 337,000 patients in nursing homes.

About 58 percent of the higher Medicare spending was due to increased enrollment. But much of the spending also was caused by the length of hospice care in nursing homes, which is three weeks longer than for patients who receive services at home.

The report found hospices with more than two-thirds of their patients in nursing homes earned on average $21,306 per patient, which was $3,182 more than the overall average cost per hospice patient.

Nursing home hospice patients tended to need less medical care than the average hospice patient, the report found. That allowed that the hospices to spend less of their Medicare payments on care.

Jodi Nudelman, who heads the inspector general’s New York office, says that hospices provide on average just four services per week for Medicare beneficiaries in nursing homes. “And many of these services were similar to the services that nursing facilities already are being paid for,” she says in a podcast accompanying the release of the report — the first time the usually tight-lipped IG’s office has adopted this media technology.

The report adds more evidence showing that the growing cost of Medicare’s hospice benefit is being driven by more than just concern for patients. Kaiser Health News’ story published with the New York Times last month examined many concerns raised in whistleblower lawsuits and by government oversight groups such as the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission.

In a written response released with the audit, the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services said it is moving to reduce its payment levels for nursing home-based hospice patients, as the IG has recommended.

The audit said it had counted 263 hospice companies where at least two-thirds of patients were in nursing homes. Most were for-profit companies. Many were located in four states: Iowa, Massachusetts, Ohio, and Pennsylvania, the report found, but it didn’t release the names of individual hospices.

The IG’s investigation is continuing to examine the business relationships hospice companies form with nursing homes.

Originally Published On: www.npr.org – Original Article Here

posted by AndrewW on Jul 23

Story By: by Jordan Rau

Dying patients in nursing homes are an increasingly lucrative source of business for hospice companies, which have made a big push into these facilities, according to a federal audit that was just released.

Medicare spending on hospice care for patients in nursing facilities increased by 69 percent over just four years — from $2.6 billion in 2005 to $4.3 billion in 2009, according to the Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General. More than a third of Medicare hospice spending in 2009 was for the care of 337,000 patients in nursing homes.

About 58 percent of the higher Medicare spending was due to increased enrollment. But much of the spending also was caused by the length of hospice care in nursing homes, which is three weeks longer than for patients who receive services at home.

The report found hospices with more than two-thirds of their patients in nursing homes earned on average $21,306 per patient, which was $3,182 more than the overall average cost per hospice patient.

Nursing home hospice patients tended to need less medical care than the average hospice patient, the report found. That allowed that the hospices to spend less of their Medicare payments on care.

Jodi Nudelman, who heads the inspector general’s New York office, says that hospices provide on average just four services per week for Medicare beneficiaries in nursing homes. “And many of these services were similar to the services that nursing facilities already are being paid for,” she says in a podcast accompanying the release of the report — the first time the usually tight-lipped IG’s office has adopted this media technology.

The report adds more evidence showing that the growing cost of Medicare’s hospice benefit is being driven by more than just concern for patients. Kaiser Health News’ story published with the New York Times last month examined many concerns raised in whistleblower lawsuits and by government oversight groups such as the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission.

In a written response released with the audit, the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services said it is moving to reduce its payment levels for nursing home-based hospice patients, as the IG has recommended.

The audit said it had counted 263 hospice companies where at least two-thirds of patients were in nursing homes. Most were for-profit companies. Many were located in four states: Iowa, Massachusetts, Ohio, and Pennsylvania, the report found, but it didn’t release the names of individual hospices.

The IG’s investigation is continuing to examine the business relationships hospice companies form with nursing homes.

Originally Published On: www.npr.org – Original Article Here

posted by AndrewW on Jul 22

Story By: by Michelle Andrews

Growing pains aren’t just physical maladies. At least 20 percent of children need mental health services, but often they fall through the cracks at schools, which are often poorly equipped to give them the help they need.

Schools that have health centers on site are the exception. Three-quarters of these clinics provide not only primary care but mental health services as well. Many also provide dental care.

They’re often located in urban or rural areas that are considered medically underserved. But unfortunately, they’re all too rare. Only about 1,900 of all the 133,000 K-12 schools in the country have these comprehensive clinics on site.

The centers got a recent boost when the Department of Health and Human Services said it would award $95 million in grants to 278 school-based health center programs to build, renovate or equip clinics. The health care law appropriated $200 million in funding for fiscal years 2010 through 2013; another round of grants is expected to be announced next summer.

In May, the Republican-controlled House of Representatives voted to defund the section of the health law that created those clinics, but the Democratically-controlled Senate has not considered the bill.

The grants will allow the programs to increase the number of patients they serve to 1.2 million, a more than 50 percent jump from the current 790,000. Some of the grant money will be aimed specifically at improving mental health services, according to the National Assembly on School-Based Health Care, an advocacy organization. In Maryland, for example, a new building will be constructed for North Dorchester High School’s health center that will contain video-conferencing equipment for students who need off-site psychiatry services.

“The things that kids need help with are frequently social and behavioral,” says Linda Juszczak, executive director of the NASBHC. “Mental health services are absolutely critical.”

Originally Published On: www.npr.org – Original Article Here

posted by AndrewW on Jul 21

Story By: by Phil Galewitz and Julie Appleby

Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius talks about insurance with Nick Kaplanis, manager at Frager’s Hardware Store, Washington, D.C.

Today the federal government released proposed rules that will govern how states set up and run new marketplaces where individuals and small businesses can shop for health insurance.

The so-called exchanges are a key element of the health care overhaul law. Sliding subsidies for private insurance on the exchanges will be available for residents who earn up to 400 percent of the poverty level, about $43,560 this year.

Those who qualify for Medicaid, the state-federal program for the poor, will be able to sign up for it through the exchanges. The idea is to make buying coverage like shopping for an airline ticket online.

The proposal from the Department of Health and Human Services runs hundreds of pages. Insurers, consumer advocates and others will have 75 days to comment. Final rules are expected later this year.

Insurers want states to be granted a lot of flexibility in how they design their exchanges, and the companies don’t want to be barred from seats on oversight boards.

Consumer groups, however, would prefer that insurers not be allowed on the boards or, if they are, to make them meet strict conflict-of-interest rules.

Both groups are watching closely to see whether the federal government will require states to choose which insurers can participate — and negotiate with them over prices and other issues — or allow a looser structure in which all insurers that meet the minimum standards under the law can participate.

Exchanges must be up and running by Jan. 1, 2014, although states must prove a year earlier that they will be ready. The federal government will establish exchanges for states that can’t or won’t do so themselves.

Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and her top deputies unveiled the proposed regulations at Frager’s Hardware Store, near where Sebelius lives on Capitol Hill. Frager’s has been in business 90 years and its owners provide health coverage to their 25 full time employees, though they said that’s been getting harder as premiums climb.

Manager Nick Kaplanis on Monday gave no endorsement to the exchanges or the health law in general. His only question to Sebelius was to ask if she could get President Obama to visit next time. She said she would.

Last week, John Weintraub, a co-owner of the store, who wasn’t around for Monday’s event, told Kaiser Health News that he was skeptical of the new law. “I am not confident at all that Obamacare will lower my costs,” he said. “It seems like whenever the government does get involved in something like this, it never works out.”

Originally Published On: www.npr.org – Original Article Here

posted by AndrewW on Jul 21

Story By: by Phil Galewitz and Julie Appleby

Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius talks about insurance with Nick Kaplanis, manager at Frager’s Hardware Store, Washington, D.C.

Today the federal government released proposed rules that will govern how states set up and run new marketplaces where individuals and small businesses can shop for health insurance.

The so-called exchanges are a key element of the health care overhaul law. Sliding subsidies for private insurance on the exchanges will be available for residents who earn up to 400 percent of the poverty level, about $43,560 this year.

Those who qualify for Medicaid, the state-federal program for the poor, will be able to sign up for it through the exchanges. The idea is to make buying coverage like shopping for an airline ticket online.

The proposal from the Department of Health and Human Services runs hundreds of pages. Insurers, consumer advocates and others will have 75 days to comment. Final rules are expected later this year.

Insurers want states to be granted a lot of flexibility in how they design their exchanges, and the companies don’t want to be barred from seats on oversight boards.

Consumer groups, however, would prefer that insurers not be allowed on the boards or, if they are, to make them meet strict conflict-of-interest rules.

Both groups are watching closely to see whether the federal government will require states to choose which insurers can participate — and negotiate with them over prices and other issues — or allow a looser structure in which all insurers that meet the minimum standards under the law can participate.

Exchanges must be up and running by Jan. 1, 2014, although states must prove a year earlier that they will be ready. The federal government will establish exchanges for states that can’t or won’t do so themselves.

Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and her top deputies unveiled the proposed regulations at Frager’s Hardware Store, near where Sebelius lives on Capitol Hill. Frager’s has been in business 90 years and its owners provide health coverage to their 25 full time employees, though they said that’s been getting harder as premiums climb.

Manager Nick Kaplanis on Monday gave no endorsement to the exchanges or the health law in general. His only question to Sebelius was to ask if she could get President Obama to visit next time. She said she would.

Last week, John Weintraub, a co-owner of the store, who wasn’t around for Monday’s event, told Kaiser Health News that he was skeptical of the new law. “I am not confident at all that Obamacare will lower my costs,” he said. “It seems like whenever the government does get involved in something like this, it never works out.”

Originally Published On: www.npr.org – Original Article Here

posted by AndrewW on Jul 19

(CNN Student News) — June 24, 2011

Download PDF maps related to today’s show:

• Atlanta, Georgia
• Washington, D.C.

Transcript

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

JORDAN BIENSTOCK, WRITER, CNN STUDENT NEWS: Hi, I’m Jordan Bienstock, and this is the latest summer edition of CNN Student News.

This week, we’re taking you behind the scenes to answer a question we get asked a lot around this time of year: What does CNN Student News do over the summer? Let’s go find out!

First up, we’re gonna talk to the executive producer of CNN Student News, Donna Krache.

DONNA KRACHE, EXECUTIVE PRODUCER, CNN STUDENT NEWS: During the school year, I’m in charge of the content for CNN Student News: the program and the website. In fact, I’m in charge of the content throughout the year. But I like to take a look ahead in the summer. So, one thing we do a lot of here is planning.

You can’t predict the news, but you can tell when there are some important events that you’re going to have to focus on. For example, the election in 2012 is going to be very important. But we also know that, you know, Black History Month in February and Women’s History Month in March, Financial Literacy Month are all months that we like to focus on here at CNN Student News.

There are also people who come to Atlanta during the summer, and they’ll send us e-mails and say, "We’re coming. Is there anybody from Student News we could say hello to?" And if we’re here, we’d love to come downstairs and say hi and do a little meet-and-greet with you. So, if you’re coming to Atlanta, let us know.

BIENSTOCK: Next up, we’re going to check in with our producer, Jeremy Dunn.

JEREMY DUNN, PRODUCER, CNN STUDENT NEWS: My job during the school year is deciding what news stories we’re gonna cover, what stories we’re gonna air, and what elements we need to tell those stories. What video, what sound, what graphics? So during the summer, what I’m doing is I’m looking back at what we do — the whole show — and seeing what works, what doesn’t, what can we do better. And working with the graphic artist, the video editor, picking new music, deciding what we can do to freshen up the show so that it’s interesting for you guys to watch.

BIENSTOCK: This week, we’re going behind the scenes to see what the CNN Student News staff is working on this summer, and the next person we’re going to talk to is our associate producer, Tomeka Jones.

TOMEKA JONES, ASSOCIATE PRODUCER, CNN STUDENT NEWS: So, this summer I’ll be focusing on some more Career Connections segments that you may have seen throughout the 2010-2011 school year. You’re going to get to see the behind-the-scenes of an editor who puts together some cool stuff, not just for our show, but for several other shows.

But on top of that, I’m going to be working with teaming up with different departments, like CNN International and CNN en Espanol. So that way, for the next school year — for the 2011-2012 school year — we can try to get more guests, and we can try to diversify our level of guests that come on our show.

BIENSTOCK: Now, there’s one person on the CNN Student News staff who doesn’t need an introduction from me.

CARL AZUZ, ANCHOR, CNN STUDENT NEWS: All right, you know what I do during the school year. But I have a second job here at CNN many of you may not know about. It’s done right here in CNN’s main studio, and I’m usually on between 12 noon and 1 p.m. Eastern speaking with CNN’s Suzanne Malveaux. I deliver reports that go in depth and give a little more detail about some of the stories in the news. So, if you’re around between 12 and 1 p.m., turn on CNN Newsroom; I might see you there.

And another thing I’ll be doing over the summer is I might be filing some reports from Washington, D.C. So, I’m looking forward to going to the nation’s capital and doing a little work from there.

BIENSTOCK: Next up is going to be our web producer, Jeff DeHayes.

JEFF DEHAYES, WEB PRODUCER, CNN STUDENT NEWS: During the school year, I’m responsible for CNNStudentNews.com. I update the page. I make sure the show is available for streaming. I make sure that the show’s available for podcast. During the summer, I’m working on some behind-the-scenes things: possibly redesigning CNNStudentNews.com, redesigning our daily e-mail. And I’m working on being a cameraman; carrying the camera for all of these interviews.

BIENSTOCK: The next person we’re gonna talk to is one of the writers on the CNN Student News staff: John Martin.

JOHN MARTIN, WRITER, CNN STUDENT NEWS: During the school year, I put together the Daily Discussion and the weekly Newsquiz for you all to use in your classroom. I was just at a conference where I presented Student News to teachers, showing them how to use our program in their classroom, as well as how we use social networking to interact with you all.

Right now, I’m putting together a video and presentations for a conference that we’re hosting here at CNN. We’re bringing in students from all over the state of Georgia, so that they can come here and learn about the world of journalism.

BIENSTOCK: Before we go, I should probably explain who I am. During the school year, I’m the one who writes the CNN Student News show every day. I’m also the department copyeditor. So, you know how your teachers take a red pen to your work sometimes? I do that, but I do it professionally, and with red type on the computer, not a red pen.

Over the summer, I’m obviously anchoring one of our summer shows, and I’m producing some of our shows as well. I’m also doing some writing for CNN.com. It’s a chance to do some extra stuff in different areas and take on new challenges. And finally, because I’m the one who has to come up with all those puns throughout the school year, I’m trying to plan for every possible pun scenario you can think of.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Animals!

BIENSTOCK: I can BEARly think of any ideas. A jungle cat on the loose? You must be LION!

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Food!

BIENSTOCK: A donut-eating competition is no holes barred. Lettuce has a bad attitude, but only because it’s at a rough-age.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Seasons!

BIENSTOCK: Nothing SPRINGS to mind. That’s a WINTER remember. It’s AUTUMNatic.

One thing’s for sure: when it comes to puns, SUMMER better than others. That’s gonna wrap things up for this week. Make sure you check out all of our summer shows at CNNStudentNews.com. I’m Jordan Bienstock. We’ll see you later.

posted by AndrewW on Jul 19

(CNN Student News) — July 1, 2011

Download a PDF map related to today’s show:

• Atlanta, Georgia

Transcript

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

Leadership Unplugged

CARL AZUZ, CNN STUDENT NEWS ANCHOR: Hi! I’m Carl Azuz, welcoming you back to another summer edition of CNN Student News. Got something really cool for you this week. We’re talking about Leadership Unplugged.

This is a program that just wrapped up. It’s a partnership between a group called 21st Century Leaders and the staff of CNN and CNN Student News; and what it does is bring about 75 of Georgia’s brightest high school students to the Georgia Tech campus, where they spend a week learning about everything from journalism to, of course, leadership skills.

PRISSY STEWART, 21ST CENTURY LEADERS ASSISTANT DIRECTOR: That’s our goal, is to help them become more comfortable as leaders. You can tell as the week progresses they have come out of their shells, they have taken some risks and learned to work with people who are very different from them.

AZUZ: I had the honor and privilege of kicking things off. I talked a little bit about how I got to where I am, what we do at CNN, and some students then talked to us about their first impressions as the week started.

LEJOI LANE, SENIOR: I think that what stood out most to me was the fact that we got the chance to meet so many unique people and so many different genres of CNN.

TYLER MEUSE, SENIOR: Being able to sit down and talk to professionals one-on-one and ask them the most important questions.

BROOKE VAUGHAN, SENIOR: What stood out to me the most was Carl Azuz. His speech was great. I love how he asked questions and actually got the audience involved in us as students. He actually cared about our answers and cared to have a conversation with normal high school students.

AZUZ: As things got rolling, students learned about many different facets of media. We talked to them about some of the new technologies available to us. We talked about how social networking gets used in newscasts. These were their impressions of that.

EMILY CHO, SENIOR: I learned a lot about how you have to balance between the social media and what actual news is. It’s a big question as to which one comes first: determining what your audience wants to hear and what they need to hear.

GRACE LITTLE, SENIOR: This panel showed me just how much social media influences the way news gets around the world, especially in areas that don’t allow CNN to have cameras on the ground. It’s truly essential in making accurate news reporting.

PHILIP MUSEY, SENIOR: I learned that CNN uses Twitter a lot. You hear a lot about younger generations using Facebook, but Twitter is pretty well known and well used at CNN.

AZUZ: A big highlight of this conference happened right here at the CNN Center in Atlanta, Georgia. Students got to listen to a dinner panel of CNN talent and executives, and they heard a few things about work and life.

OLA RICHARDSON, JUNIOR: Something I really learned is that the friends you get here are the friends that you will need in life.

VICTORIA PARKS, JUNIOR: Definitely that just be yourself and you can be whoever you want to be, and you can do whatever you want to do. Just follow your dreams and pursue yourself.

RED DENTY, JUNIOR: Keep working at it. If you want to work in video broadcasting, you have to start low and work your way up.

CHANDLER BARRE, JUNIOR: You have to have your hook and the one thing that sets yourself apart from everybody else, and make yourself the one that is remembered.

Shoutout

TOMEKA JONES, CNN STUDENT NEWS: Time for the Shoutout! Who is credited with saying, "Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other"? If you think you know it, shout it out! Is it: A) Mahatma Gandhi, B) John F. Kennedy, C) Martin Luther King Jr. or D) Abraham Lincoln? You’ve got three seconds — GO! That quote about leadership comes from former U.S. President John F. Kennedy. That’s your answer and that’s your Shoutout!

Leadership Unplugged

AZUZ: Of course, the name of the program: Leadership Unplugged. A big focus is learning what it takes to be a leader. Here’s what students said about that in their own words.

GABRIELLE PUYAT, GRADUATED AS A JUNIOR: You have to be able to connect with all different kinds of people. And not everyone’s going to like you; you’re not going to like everyone. But if you have the ability to communicate and cooperate, then you can lead.

FIRST BORN, JUNIOR: I think leadership is the ability to stand out above other people and give them a sense of belonging. As a leader, I don’t think that you’re able to have everyone like you.

MACHMUD MAKHMUDOV, JUNIOR: If you want to be exceptional and create something and be really successful, you really need to persevere as a leader. And know that even though you might be going through tough times, in the end, true leaders do what it takes to be successful.

AZUZ: This was the 6th year for Leadership Unplugged, but this was the first year that some of the students actually got to go on the air live on a CNN network. A few of the students were interviewed by Carlos Montero, an anchor with CNN en Espanol.

CAMILA DONOSO, SENIOR: He just asked us about how we liked it and everyone was a little nervous. He said it was good. The captions were really funny because it said, you know, "young leaders changing the world." And we’re like, "Oh my God!" But if you think about it, we are, because we’re making a difference.

Winners

AZUZ: These 75 students were divided into groups and they were given a project to work on throughout the week. That project was to pitch a story to a panel of CNN executives, so a little bit intimidating there. But they were scored on their pitch, and they were scored on things like the presentation itself, how creative the story was, how balanced the story was. And the winning pitch was a story about illegal immigration in the United States. Some members of that winning group talked to us about what it was like to win.

JUSTIN WHITE, JUNIOR: I was actually afraid that we hadn’t won, but when they called our name, I just knew we had it.

ADEOLA ADENIRAN, SENIOR: Yeah, I was really excited. But I knew that, like, deep down, that we might have a chance because of our title. Our title was really powerful: "Undocumented and Unafraid." It gave me a little hope there.

Goodbye

AZUZ: So, that was how the week wrapped up, and that is how we wrap up this special summer edition of CNN Student News. We hope to lead you back to CNNStudentNews.com, and that you’ll plug in for more stories right here throughout the summer. Hope to see you soon. For CNN Student News, I’m Carl Azuz.

posted by AndrewW on Jul 19

(CNN Student News) — July 6, 2011

Download a PDF map related to today’s show:

• Kennedy Space Center

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! We’re launching a special edition of CNN Student News this week. As the space shuttle program wraps up, we’re taking a look back – and a look forward – at NASA’s space program.

First Up – Last Shuttle Launch

AZUZ: The U.S. has been launching shuttles for 30 years. They are the world’s first re-usable spacecraft. They launch like a rocket and land like a plane.

Atlantis, Challenger, Columbia, Discovery and Endeavour: These five orbiters have launched more than 600 astronauts into space. This video you’re seeing right here highlights some of their achievements.

Over the course of 134 shuttle flights, these crews have logged millions of miles in space and carried thousands of tons of cargo. The space shuttle has served as America’s main transport for crews and supplies to the international space station. Shuttle crews have also repaired space equipment, like the Hubble Telescope. They’ve launched new satellites, and they’ve done experiments that can’t be done on Earth.

When the shuttle was first announced, the idea was that shuttle launches would be cheap enough to happen every week. But it actually costs about half a billion dollars to launch a shuttle, and NASA only ever planned a few missions each year.

So, what’s NASA’s plans for the shuttles’ retirement? Each one of them will become an exhibit in museums across America. So maybe one day, you might even get to go inside one.

Now, we’re going to hear from someone who not only gets to go inside a shuttle, he gets to fly in one too: the commander of Atlantis’s latest mission, speaking a few weeks before the last scheduled mission.

CHRISTOPHER J. FERGUSON, ATLANTIS COMMANDER: I don’t think that the full magnitude of the moment will really hit us until the wheels have stopped on the runway. I’m not sure words will really be able to capture — for the crew and for the entire shuttle work force — just how much the shuttle program has meant to us for the last 30 years.

Shoutout

CHERYL CASTRO, CNN STUDENT NEWS: Time for the Shoutout! Which constellation is named for a hunter in Greek mythology? If you think you know it, shout it out! Is it: A) Capricorn, B) Orion, C) Ursa Major or D) Scorpio? You’ve got three seconds — GO! Orion is the mythological hunter who can also be found in the stars. That’s your answer and that’s your Shoutout!

NASA’s Next Steps

AZUZ: Orion is also the name of a new program at NASA. It’s expected to be the replacement for the space shuttle program. Americans could be headed back to the moon or into deep space toward Mars. Now, those missions are a long way off. Part of the Orion program did go on the road recently though, and WTXL reporter Greg Angel got a chance to check it out.

(BEGIN VIDEO)

DMARCUS MCDONALD, STUDENT: It flies into space and looks at stars or moons or other planets.

GREG ANGEL, WTXL REPORTER: Dmarcus McDonald is talking about Orion. This capsule, touted as the future of NASA, expected to one day carry man into deep space.

CHARLES OHBAUGH, NASA ASTRONAUT: What this vehicle will allow us to do is hopefully go beyond lower Earth orbit, on to the moon and hopefully to Mars, ultimately, is our goal.

ANGEL: But 34 million miles from Mars, here on Earth, Orion is getting a lot of attention during this special stop in Tallahassee. Dee Arnold drove in from Valdosta, Georgia to check it out before Orion is taken to its final destination at Kennedy Space Center.

DEE ARNOLD, VALDOSTA, GEORGIA: I just like things that go on with the space program, and I just think it’s awesome. I just wanted to see the next thing that NASA was going to do, the next part of space explorations.

NASA ANNOUNCER: Three…two…one…launch!

ANGEL: The Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle, as it’s called, will likely be in line to replace the shuttle program.

LINDA SINGLETON, NASA: We’re excited and very passionate about the work we do on this program, and we hope to launch our first orbital test flight as early as 2013, so we’re ready to get on with the next program.

ANGEL: While there’s still a lot of work to be done, according to NASA, this spacecraft should eventually be capable of sustaining a crew of up to six astronauts on deep space missions that could last anywhere from six days for a lunar fly-by, to up to 900 days for a Mars exploration mission.

(END VIDEO)

Blog Promo

AZUZ: There’s debate among scientists on this issue and we know you’ve got some opinions on it, too. Where should America go next? To the moon? Trips to Mars? Somewhere else? Or should we just stay home? Send us your thoughts about the end of the shuttle program and the start of the next space program on our blog. You’ll find that at CNNStudentNews.com.

Goodbye

AZUZ: Before we go, the shuttle program may be on its last Endeavour. And NASA’s not likely to find the lost continent of Atlantis. But that doesn’t mean the agency isn’t going to be looking for its next Discovery. So, while NASA moves forward, we’ll leave you with a look back. We hope you’re enjoying your summer so far. For CNN Student News, I’m Carl Azuz.

(VIDEO MONTAGE OF SHUTTLE PROGRAM)

posted by AndrewW on Jul 19

(CNN Student News) — July 14, 2011

Download a PDF map related to today’s show:

• Atlanta, Georgia

Transcript

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

TOMEKA JONES, CNN STUDENT NEWS: That airplane means it’s time for a new summer edition of CNN Student News! Hi, everyone. I’m Tomeka Jones. And this week, we’re focusing on connections; specifically, Career Connections!

Career Connections: Recruiter

JONES: That’s the name of a segment we debuted this past school year. The goal of Career Connections is to give you guys a look at some of the different jobs around CNN. But first, we want to look at jobs in general. You definitely want to take notes for this! Candice McLemore is here to give us some career advice from a recruiter’s perspective.

Hi, Candice, thank you so much for joining us!

CANDICE MCLEMORE, PROFESSIONAL RECRUITER, TURNER BROADCASTING, INC.: Thanks for having me.

JONES: First question: What exactly does a recruiter do?

MCLEMORE: A recruiter basically has the role of finding qualified and talented employees for a company.

JONES: Can you share with our audience, which is a middle and high school audience, a few dos and some don’ts on how to put together a resume?

MCLEMORE: Sure. I would say in terms of dos, first of all, pick a very simple format. You don’t have to get elaborate; you don’t want to use a lot of different fonts or colors or fancy items on your resume. You want somebody to be able to view it very quickly and to understand what your skills and your qualifications are.

And secondly, in terms of the content, I would say really think about what are the qualities and qualifications that you have. Certainly you can list job duties that you’ve had at previous companies, but you also want to think outside the box in terms of accomplishments as well. Did you solve a particular problem? Did you win an award? Were you on a particular dean’s list or things like that? Try to think about other accomplishments that you can encompass, and then also other involvement that you’ve had outside of the work world as well. So, think about volunteer organizations that you’ve been a part of. And then also, certainly, any technical systems or software, things like that, that you may know how to use, even if you’ve used it in your personal space and not professionally. If it’s a skill that you have, you should include that on your resume.

JONES: OK, my last question: speaking to that middle or high school student, what tips and tricks maybe you can provide for them to get ahead of the competition?

MCLEMORE: I would say for them to get ahead of the competition, to really get involved either in their school, in organizations or on their campuses when they go off to college. One of the things that our company looks for for our interns is people who are really passionate about what we do, but have also put that in to practice in any way that they can. So, if they want to be a publicist, they’re on the PR committee for their student organization, or their sorority or whatever it may be. They’re not just going to classes. They’re doing more and taking more time to get exposure in any way that they can, even in their extracurricular activities.

Career Connections Advice

JONES: Don’t put away that pen and paper yet! A few CNN professionals also have some great advice to share. They talked about their jobs in Career Connections segments last school year. If you missed those reports, go to CNNStudentNews.com to check them out. In the meantime, here’s what those employees had to say about how to get a jump start on your career.

(BEGIN VIDEO)

SUMMER SULEIMAN, CNN VIDEO JOURNALIST: It’s definitely OK not knowing exactly what you want to do and saying "this is what I want to be in ten years." The best part is the journey there allows you to experience and try different things until you find what really works for you.

MONIQUE SMITH, CNN PRODUCTION ASSISTANT: The advice that I would give is if your school has a broadcasting program, make sure you are in that program. Find out what your passion is, because whenever you find out something that you really feel strongly about and you have a good background in it, whatever you decide to do it won’t feel like work. It will just feel like something that you’re doing for fun because you’re interested in it.

JAMES CURRY, CNN INTERNATIONAL PRODUCER: One of the best pieces of advice I was given is treat every job like you’re running for political office. That doesn’t mean go shake hands and kiss babies and all that kind of stuff. It just means get your name out there, let people know you’re interested and pursue it, and don’t stop.

STEPHANIE TODD, CNN EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: Being proactive, I think, in any field is the way to go, and having ideas and not being afraid to speak out and being confident in yourself. You shouldn’t get discouraged by if someone gives you some sort of criticism or critique or feedback. You just have to know that you believe in yourself and you’ve done your best.

JOE CARTER, HLN ANCHOR/REPORTER: You have to have passion in everything you do. Doesn’t matter if it’s at work or at home or at school, you have to have passion. You have to come with energy and excitement. Persistence, because there is another person willing to take it from you if you don’t keep pushing forward. Patience, which is it doesn’t all come at the beginning. It takes time, actually, to get where you want to be. It doesn’t happen overnight. And positioning, so every day you wake up you’ve got to think about how you can better yourself for tomorrow.

AMBER LYON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: A lesson to everybody, whether you’re a journalist or any other type of career, is be willing to take risks. Because if you’re truly passionate about it, follow your passion and success will follow. It will pay off in the end.

(END VIDEO)

Blog Report

JONES: So, are you connecting with any specific career yet? We asked you guys that question on our blog last year. Some of you may have changed your minds, and that’s okay. But here’s what a few of you had to say then. Caitlin said she wants to be a second grade teacher. She says it’s easy for her to learn about this career. All she has to do is observe her current teachers. Coleton dreams of becoming an archeologist so he can make important discoveries. On the other hand, Tyler said he wants to be a kid a little longer and do the stuff as a kid he won’t do as an adult. He said sometimes you have to slow down. Kassandra and Olivia have something in common: they both want to be veterinarians when they get older. And Gavin believes that no matter how young you are, it is never a bad idea to give some thought to your possible profession. He says in these economic times, good jobs are hard to find.

Blog Promo

JONES: Some of you might be spending your summer working. Well, whether you’re interning with a company or just plain old having fun, we want you to tell us about it! There are two ways you can do it: write on our blog or send in a video. You have to at least be 13 to do that. You can do both at CNNStudentNews.com.

Goodbye

JONES: We’ve finished the job for now, but we’re already working on our next summer show. Be sure to recruit your friends to tune in next week. For CNN Student News, I’m Tomeka Jones.