CNN 0507

STUDENTNEWSUSUnemploymentNumbers;AiredMay7,2012-04:00:00ETTHISISARUSHTRANSCRIPT.THISCOPYMAYNOTBEINITSFINALFORMANDMAYBEUPDATED.(MUSICPLAYING)(BEGINVIDEOCLIP)UNIDENTIFIEDFEMALE:We’reMr.Baltus’(ph)firstyear(inaudible)classinAllen(ph),Texas.ThisisforTeacherAppreciationWeek.UNIDENTIFIEDFEMALE:WeloveMr.Baltus(ph).He’sagreatteacher.UNIDENTIFIEDMALE:Andwelearnalotfromhim.UNIDENTIFIEDMALE:(Inaudible).UNIDENTIFIEDMALE:Backtoyou,Carl.(ENDVIDEOCLIP)CARLAZUZ,HOST,CNNSTUDENTNEWS:ThankstoMr.Baltus’studentsforhelpingkickoffTeacherAppreciationWeek.Overthenextseveraldays,wearegoingtosharesomeoftheiReportvideosthatyousentin,andwe’llhavemoreonTeacherAppreciationWeekinafewminutes.Rightnow,though,let’sgettotheheadlines.Firstup,we’relookingatthelatestnationalunemploymentnumbersfromtheU.S.government.InApril,theunemploymentratewentdownfrom8.2percentto8.1.It’snotbecausethatmanypeoplegothired.It’sbecausehundredsofthousandsofAmericansdroppedoutofthelaborforce.Ifyoustoplookingforajob,you’renotcountedintheunemploymentrate.EdgarTreigutslooksathowthiscouldimpactthisyear’spresidentialrace.(BEGINVIDEOCLIP)EDGARTREIGUTS,CNNCORRESPONDENT(voice-over):Employmentfiguresarecrucialinanelectionyear,andthenumbershavenotbeeninthepresident’sfavor.Theeconomyaddedjust115,000jobsinApril.That’sdownfrom154,000inMarch.Theunemploymentratedroppedslightlyto8.1percent.Butthat’sonlybecausethenumberofadultsactivelylookingforworkhasfallentothelowestlevelsince1981.MittRomneysaystheeconomyshouldbeaddingcloserto500,000jobsamonth.FORMERGOV.MITTROMNEY,R-MASS.,PRESIDENTIALCANDIDATE:ThisisasadtimeinAmerica.Whenpeoplewhowantworkcan’tfindjobs--TREIGUTS(voice-over):TheEconomicPolicyInstitutesays300,000to400,000jobsshouldbeaddedeachmonthfortheeconomytorecover,butPresidentObamainsiststherecoveryisstillalive.BARACKOBAMA,PRESIDENTOFTHEUNITEDSTATES:AftertheworsteconomiccrisissincetheGreatDepression,ourbusinesseshavenowcreatedmorethan4.2millionnewjobsoverthelast26months.TREIGUTS(voice-over):EmploymentgrowthbegantoslowinMarchafterthreestrongmonthsinthewinter.Someeconomistsbelievetheslowdownisaseasonaladjustment,suggestingwarmweatherearlierintheyeargavetheeconomyanartificialboost.PresidentObamasaysnextweekhe’llurgeCongresstocometogetherandtakestepstoacceleratejobgrowth.OBAMA:There’stoomuchatstakeforusnottoallberowinginthesamedirection.TREIGUTS(voice-over):Iftheemploymentfiguresdon’tstayafloat,thepresidentwillbepaddlingagainstastrongcurrentaheadoftheNovemberelection.I’mEdgarTreigutsreporting.(ENDVIDEOCLIP)AZUZ:ThefirstseveralmonthsofthisyearhavebeenfocusedontheRepublicansideofthatelection,throughprimariesandcaucuseswenowknowthatGovernorRomneyisthatparty’spresumptivenominee.NowhisDemocraticopponenthasofficiallylaunchedhiscampaign.(BEGINVIDEOCLIP)AZUZ(voice-over):PresidentObama,runningforreelection,kickedoffhiscampaignwithralliesinVirginiaandOhioovertheweekend.ThoseareexpectedtobebigbattlegroundstateinNovember’spresidentialelection.Attheevents,thepresidenttalkedaboutsomeofhisaccomplishmentssincehetookoffice.Hepledgedto,quote,finishwhatwestarted.GovernorRomneyisscheduledtobeinOhiotoday,workingtogathersupportinthatbattlegroundstate.HiscampaignalsotalkedaboutPresidentObama’stimeinoffice,describingitasatimeof,quote,brokenpromisesandineffectiveleadership.InGreece,voterscasttheirballotsyesterdayformembersofthenation’sparliament.Exitpollsshowedthatthepoliticalpartiesinthecoalitionthathasbeeninpowerwereprobablygoingtolosealotofseatsinparliament.Thepollsindicatedthatmanyvoterswereangrywiththegovernment’seffortstocutspending.That’sbeenhappeningasGreecetriestogetitsmassivedebtcrisisundercontrol.AndFranceisgoingtohaveanewpresident.ThemanwhojustwentinsidethatvotingboothisFrancoisHollande.Andtheresultsfromyesterday’srunoffelectionindicatethathebeatoutNicolasSarkozy,who’sbeeninpowersince2007.HollandewillbeFrance’sfirstleft-wingpresident.He’sasocialist.Thismeansitsfirstpoliticallyliberalleadersince1995.(BEGINVIDEOCLIP)UNIDENTIFIEDFEMALE:Today’sShoutoutgoesouttoMs.Lindus’socialstudiesclassesatPortlandLutheranHighSchoolinPortland,Oregon.Whichofthesecountrieshasthehighestpopulationdensity?Herewego.IsitChina,Germany,JapanortheUnitedStates?You’vegotthreeseconds,go.Ofthosecountries,Japanhasthehighestpopulationdensitywithmorethan800peoplepersquaremile.That’syouranswer,andthat’syourShoutout.(ENDVIDEOCLIP)AZUZ:OneofthechallengesJapan’sgovernmentisfacingishowtogetenoughelectricpowertoallthosepeople.UpuntilMarchoflastyear,partoftheanswerwasnuclearpower.That’swherenearlyone-thirdofJapan’senergycamefrom.Butthatchangedafterameltdownatoneofthecountry’snuclearpowerplants.KyungLahexaminesthecurrentstateofJapan’senergysituation.(BEGINVIDEOCLIP)KYUNGLAH,CNNCORRESPONDENT(voice-over):Thisisawakeupcall,literally,anighttimevisitatthefrontdoorstepofJapan’sprimeminister’sresidence.Protestersdemandingfromthetopthattheworld’sthirdlargesteconomystayfreeofnuclearenergy.Restartingthenuclearreactorsisthesameasstartingawar,saysthisprotestor.It’sthesameasmurder.ThatpopulistrageboilingmorethanayearaftertheFukushimanuclearplantdisaste