CNN students news 2011-01-05

(CNNStudentNews)--January5,2011DownloadPDFmapsrelatedtotoday'sshow:TranscriptTHISISARUSHTRANSCRIPT.THISCOPYMAYNOTBEINITSFINALFORMANDMAYBEUPDATED.CARLAZUZ,CNNSTUDENTNEWSANCHOR:BroadcastingfromtheCNNCenter,thisisCNNStudentNews.Nowourshow,asmanyofyouknow,isputtogetherinAtlanta,Georgia.Today,though,we'restartingoutinthenation'scapital,Washington,D.C.,withreportsonsomeoftheheadlinesfromthere.FirstUp:BackinWashingtonAZUZ:Firstup,PresidentObamaisbackintownandbackatworkaftertakingafamilyvacationovertheholidays.HearrivedbackinWashingtonyesterdayfromHawaii.Andoneofthefirstthingsonhistodolistwastoputhissignatureonthefoodsafetybillthatwaspassedlatelastyear.Whenthepresidentsignsthatbill,itbecomeslaw.Foodsafetygotalotofattentionrecentlybecauseofwidespreadrecallsonthingslikespinachandeggs.ThisnewlawisthebiggestoverhauloftheU.S.foodsafetysysteminmorethan70years.It'llgivethegovernmentalotmorecontroloverfoodsafety.Somecriticsargueit'llcosttoomuchmoney.SpeakerChangeAZUZ:Thepresidentisn'ttheonlyonebackonthejob.The112thCongressisofficiallyunderway.ThisincludesallofthememberswhowerejustelectedlastNovember.They'rebeingswornintoday.ThestartofthisnewsessionalsomeansachangingoftheguardatthetopoftheHouse,theU.S.HouseofRepresentatives.CaliforniaDemocraticRepresentativeNancyPelosiwassworninasthefirstfemaleSpeakeroftheHouseonJanuary4th,2007.Yesterday--exactlyfouryearslater--washerlastdaywiththattitle.ThatisbecauseOhioRepublicanJohnBoehnerisbeingsworninasthenewHouseSpeakertoday.IntheNovemberelections,hisRepublicanpartytookoveramajorityintheHousefromtheDemocrats.HealthCareRepeal?AZUZ:ManyRepublicanshavesaidthatoncethisnewcongressionalsessionstarts,they'regoingtotrytorepeal,oroverturn,someofthelawsthathavebeenpassedunderPresidentObama.Thatincludesthehealthcarereformlaw,whichisconsideredoneofthepresident'sbiggestvictoriesofhistimeinoffice.AccordingtoRepublicansources,theplanistotrytogetthisrepealpassedquickly.Thatcouldmeansomekeyvotesthisweek,andmaybeafinalvotebynextweek.PoliticalanalyststhinkthattherepealmightmakeitthroughtheU.S.HouseofRepresentatives,sinceRepublicanshavethemajoritytherenow.Theydon'tthinkit'llgetthroughtheSenate,wheretheDemocratsarestillincontrol.AccordingtoarecentCNN/OpinionResearchCorporationpoll,54percentofAmericansareagainstthehealthcarelaw;43percentsupportit.IsThisLegit?STANCASE,CNNSTUDENTNEWS:Isthislegit?Thenationaldebtisthetotalamountofmoneythatagovernmentowes.Thisistrue!Attheendof2010,theU.S.nationaldebtwasmorethan$14trillion.StatesinCrisisAZUZ:Rightnow,atover$14trillion,thenationaldebtisprettyclosetowhat'scalledthedebtceiling.That'stheamountofmoneythefederalgovernmentcanlegallyborrow.It'skindoflikeanationalcreditlimit.PresidentObamaandsomelawmakerssaytheywanttogetthenation'sdebtundercontrolbyfindingwaystocutdownongovernmentspending.ButsomeexpertssaythatwhatCongressneedstodoisraisethedebtceiling.That'swhatthefederalgovernmentisdealingwithnow.Somenewgovernors,though,atthestatelevel,mighthavetofacesimilarissuesinsidetheirownstatebudgets.MarySnowtellsuswhy.(BEGINVIDEO)GOV.ANDREWCUOMO,(D)NEWYORK:I,AndrewM.Cuomo...MARYSNOW,CNNNATIONALCORRESPONDENT:Facedwithaloomingfinancialcrisis,NewYork'snewgovernor,AndrewCuomo,istakingafivepercentpaycut,andhistopaideswilldothesame.ItcomesasTheNewYorkTimesreportshe'llorderaone-yearpayfreezeforstateworkersonWednesdayaspartofanemergencyfinancialplan.CUOMO:Thestategovernmenthasgrowntoolarge.Wecan'taffordit.Thenumberoflocalgovernmentshavegrowntoolarge.Andnow,we'regoingtohavetoreduceandconsolidate.SNOW:InCalifornia...GOV.JERRYBROWN,(D)CALIFORNIA:Theyearaheadwilldemandcourageandsacrifice.SNOW:California'snewgovernor,JerryBrown,facesa$28billiondeficitover18months.AndIllinoisisamongthehardesthitstates.It'sbeingcloselywatchedtoseehowithandlesitsmassivebudgetshortfall.PETERMORICI,ECONOMIST,UNIVERSITYOFMARYLAND:What'sgoingoninEuropeisaprecursorofwhat'sgoingtohappeninIllinois,NewYork,California.SNOW:EconomistPeterMoricisays,likeEuropeancountriesstrappedwithdebt,U.S.governorsmustreininspendingandrenegotiatepensions.MORICI:Thegovernmentsatthestatemunicipallevelsemploytoomanypeopletodofewthingsineffectively.Andthatsimplyhastochange.SNOW:It'sestimatedthatbudgetshortfallsforallstatescombinedamountstoroughly$140billionthisyear.Compoundingtheproblem,federalstimulusmoneythathelpsstatescreatejobsexpiresthisspring.SCOTTPATTISON,NATIONALASSOCIATIONOFSTATEBUDGETOFFICERS:Ithinkthebestanalogyisthepersonwhowasunemployed,gotajobback,buttheyactuallymakelessthantheydidbeforetherecession.Andthat's,that'sreallywhatstateslooklike.SNOW:ScottPattisonisexecutivedirectoroftheNationalAssociationofStateBudgetOfficers.Hesaysmunicipalbankruptciesarerareanddoesn'texpectthem.But...PATTISON:There'sonlysomuchmoneytogoaround.So,theinterestwillbepaidonthedebt.Thebondholderswillbepaid.Butthere'llbebudgetcutsandperhapstaxincreasesinotherareasthatwillcausepainthat,frankly,citizensaregoingtonotice.SNOW:Buttheoptionsarelimited.Severalnewgovernorshavepledgednottoraisetaxes,whichleavesthemwiththeunpopularchoiceofprogramcuts.MarySnow,CNN,N