CNN Students news 2011-05-13

(CNNStudentNews)--May13,2011DownloadPDFmapsrelatedtotoday'sshow:TranscriptTHISISARUSHTRANSCRIPT.THISCOPYMAYNOTBEINITSFINALFORMANDMAYBEUPDATED.CARLAZUZ,CNNSTUDENTNEWSANCHOR:Fridaysareawesome!Yes,thatincludesFridaythe13th.ThankyouforspendingpartofyourdaywithCNNStudentNews.I'mCarlAzuz,andIknowthere'sapaperairplanearoundheresomewhere.FirstUp:BracingfortheWorstAZUZ:LouisianaistryingtoprepareasthisbulgeoffloodwatermovessouthdowntheMississippiRiver.InNewOrleansyesterday,thewaterlevelwasat17feet.Butofficialsdon'tthinktheriverwillcrest--hititshighestpoint--untilithits19feet.Andtheyexpectthattohappenmorethanaweekfromnow.Nextdoor,inMississippi,14countieshavebeendeclaredmajordisasterareasbythegovernor.That'llhelpfreeupmoneyforthereliefefforts.EdLavanderaisinLouisiana.He'slookingathowofficials--andindividuals--arepreparingtodealwiththewaterthat'sheadingtheirway.(BEGINVIDEO)GERALDGAUDET,STEPHENVILLE,LOUISIANARESIDENT:Theygoingtostartpumpingthewateroutwhenitstartscomingin.EDLAVANDERA,CNNCORRESPONDENT:GeraldGaudetwillfightofftherisingwaterwithalittleLouisianabayouingenuity:hisownhomemadeleveewall.Gerald,doyoureallythinkthiswallwillbeenough?GAUDET:I'mhopingso.Ifitgetsanyhigher,thereain'tgoingtobemuchintheneighborhoodforsure.LAVANDERA:DisasterisflowingdownstreamandresidentsintownslikeStephenvilleandMorganCityareattheendoftheline.GAUDET:Gettingprettyreadynow.Themorecloseritgets,startingtogetworriedaboutit.LAVANDERA:WorriedbecausetheMorganzaSpillwaywilllikelybeopenedinthecomingdays.ThatwillredirectMississippiRiverwaterawayfromBatonRougeandNewOrleanswestintotheAtchafalayaRiverbasin.ArmyCorpsofEngineersColonelEdFlemingwilldecidewhentoopenthefloodgates.COL.EDFLEMING,U.S.ARMYCORPSOFENGINEERS:So,whatthesestructuresaredesignedforistotakeexcesswaterbeyondthedesigncapacityfortheleveesystemoffthetopoftheriver.LAVANDERA:ThisisoneofthefloodgatesoftheMorganzafloodstructure.Ontheotherside,thepressurefromthefloodwatersisalreadystartingtorise.Thisstructureisalmost5,000feetlong,andithas125gates.Inthecomingdays,someofthosegateswillbeopenedup,andwhenthatdoes,amassivewallofwaterwillcontinuetoflowoutthisway,drowningoutthisareaandflowingtowardtheGulfofMexico.Thesefloodgateshaveonlybeenopenedonce,backin1973,bringingthekindofimagespeoplearoundherehaveneverforgotten,likeMorganCityMayorTimMatte.MAYORTIMMATTE,MORGANCITY,LOUISIANA:Thisiswherethewaterlevelreachedin'73.LAVANDERA:'73.MATTE:Yes.LAVANDERA:Thisispartofthewallthathelditback.MATTE:That'scorrect.LAVANDERA:Now,a22-footwallprotectshistoricdowntownMorganCity.MATTE:Itwillbewateralltheway.Ofcourse,itwilltouchthiswallanditwillextendallthewaytothatwalloverthere.LAVANDERA:You'reconfidentaboutthesewallsholdingup?MATTE:Ihavetobe.Yes.Havetobe.LAVANDERA:Andifforwhateverreasontheyfail?MATTE:Totalcatastrophe.Thisentirecitywouldflood.LAVANDERA:NationalGuardsoldiersarebuildingupleveesaroundtown,anditseemslikeeveryoneintheseneighborhoodshasaboatinthedrivewayreadytogo.ButGeraldGaudetwillstayonthebackporch.So,you'lljustsitbackhereandwatchthatwaterstartcreepinguphereinafewdays?GAUDET:That'sit.I'mgoingtopullmychairsoverhereandmyswing,andwe'llsithereandwatch.Maybecatchsomefish.LAVANDERA:EdLavandera,CNN,MorganCity,Louisiana.(ENDVIDEO)ShoutoutSHELBYERDMAN,CNNSTUDENTNEWS:Today'sShoutoutgoesouttoMr.Hofer'sgovernmentclass--andthoseStateoftheUnionprojects--atCroftonHighSchoolinCrofton,Nebraska!WhatisthenewestU.S.presidentialCabinetdepartment?Isit:A)HomelandSecurity,B)Commerce,C)HealthandHumanServicesorD)Energy?You'vegotthreeseconds--GO!TheDepartmentofHomelandSecurityisthenewest;itwasestablishedin2003.That'syouranswerandthat'syourShoutout!TerrorArrestsAZUZ:Thatdepartmentwascreatedinresponsetothe9/11terroristattacksthatwerecarriedoutbymembersofalQaeda.HomelandSecurityofficialssaylonewolves--peoplewhoactontheirown--canbejustasdangerousasterroristorganizations.That'showofficialsdescribetwomenarrestedWednesday,aslonewolves.AnundercoverpoliceoperationinNewYorkCityfoundevidencethetwomenwereplanninganattackonasynagogue,aJewishplaceofworship.Onesourcesaidthesuspectshadn'tworkedoutthedetails.Theywerearrestedwhentheyboughtgunsandahandgrenade.HearingsonOilAZUZ:DowninWashington,D.C.,somemembersofCongresshavesometoughquestionsforthecountry'sbiggestoilandgascompanies.Mainly,whyshouldtheykeepgettingmoneyfromthegovernment?Subsidies--moneythatthegovernmentgivestocompanies--wasthefocusofyesterday'shearing.SomeU.S.SenatorsaretalkingaboutgettingridofthosesubsidiesforthefivebiggestU.S.oilandgascompanies.Theysaytheindustryshouldbewillingtomakesomesacrificestohelpthecountry.TheplanwouldusethesavedmoneytohelppaydowntheU.S.deficit.Butoneoilexecutivesaidiftheseproposalsbecomelaw,itwouldactuallyhurtthecountry.REXTILLERSON,CEOANDCHAIRMAN,EXXONMOBIL:Itisnotsimplythattheyaremisinformedanddiscriminatory.Theyarecounterproductive.ByunderminingU.S.competitiveness,theywoulddiscouragefutureinvestmentsinenergyprojectsintheUnitedStatesandthereforeundercutjobcreationandeconomicgrowth.I.D.MeTOMEKAJONES,CNNSTUDENTNEWS:SeeifyoucanI.D.Me!I'maEuropeancountrythat'shom