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THISISARUSHTRANSCRIPT.THISCOPYMAYNOTBEINITSFINALFORMANDMAYBEUPDATED.CARLAZUZ,CNNSTUDENTNEWSANCHOR:Hi,I'mCarlAzuz,welcomingallofyoutoCNNStudentNewsonthisInternationalWomen'sDay,March8th.It'sthereasonwhyMarchwaspickedtobeWomen'sHistoryMonth,andwearecommemoratingitallmonthlonghereonCNNStudentNews.Todaythough,we'restartingwithgasprices.FirstUp:JumpinGasPricesAZUZ:It'sdifficulttotellthisstorywithoutusingthewordouch,becausesomanyofusarefeelingthepainatthepump.Ifyouoryourparentshavefilledupthegastankrecently,youknowwhythisheadlineissobigtoday.Gaspricesarewayup.AndaccordingtoAAA,they'vegoneupeverydayforthepast13daysinarow.Thetotaljumpoverthattime:almost34cents!Takealookatthisherenow.Yesterday,thenationalaverageforagallonofregularwasjustover$3.50.Andthestatewiththehighestaverageoverall?ThatwouldbeCalifornia,atnearly$3.90.ThestatewiththelowestaverageoverallisMontana,ataround$3.19.Now,youseegaspricesaredifferentfromstatetostatebecausepartofthepricecomesfromlocaltaxrates.Thereasonpricesareuparoundthecountryisbecausethecostofcrudeoil--thebiggestpartofgasprices--isontherise,too.OneexperttoldCNNthatheexpectsgaspricestokeepgoingup,sonotmuchreliefinsight.HawaiiVolcanoEruptsAZUZ:Thisisnotoil.It'slava,andit'sshootingoutofavolcanoinHawaii.ScientistssayKilaueawasshootinglavaashighas80feetintotheaironSunday.Thestateisnostrangertovolcaniceruptions.That'showtheHawaiianIslandsarebelievedtohavebeenformedinthefirstplace.Theislandsarethetopsofachainofvolcanicmountainslikethis.Kilaueaisoneofthemostactivevolcanoesintheworld.Since1952,it'serupted34times.Andthislavayouseehere,itstartedflowingovertheweekend:It'spartofanongoingeruptionthatstartedin1983.It'shappeninginaremotearea,sonopeopleorhomesarethreatened.SoundCheckROBERTGATES,U.S.SECRETARYOFDEFENSE:Iwouldtellyouthatyouallkeepmeupatnight.Ithinkalotaboutthepeopleouthere,andwhatyouarehavingtoputupwithandtheconditionsyouliveinandthesacrificesyoumake.GatesinAfghanistanAZUZ:AheartfeltmomentforDefenseSecretaryRobertGatestalkingtoU.S.troopsservinginAfghanistan.Hetendstovisitthatcountryeveryfewmonthstoseeinpersonhowthewareffortisgoing.TheU.S.isscheduledtostartpullingtroopsoutofAfghanistaninJuly,thoughSecretaryGatessaidsomeAmericantroopscouldbethereafter2014.WhileinAfghanistan,GateswasalsoscheduledtomeetwithseniorAmericanmilitaryofficersandwithAfghanleaders.There'sbeensometensionbetweenAfghanistan'spresidentandU.S.commandersrecentlyafternineAfghanboyswerekilledinaNATOmilitaryoperation.GatesmadeapersonalapologytoAfghanPresidentHamidKarzai,whoacceptedit.ShoutoutTOMEKAJONES,CNNSTUDENTNEWS:Today'sShoutoutgoesouttoMr.Blessing'ssocialstudiesclassesatUnionCountyHighSchoolinLiberty,Indiana!Whatisthenameofthisrace?Youknowwhattodo!Isitthe:A)Breeders'Cup,B)Juneau500,C)IditarodorD)WestminsterRally?You'vegotthreeseconds--GO!ThesepoochesarepartoftheIditarod,anannualdogsledraceinAlaska.That'syouranswerandthat'syourShoutout!RaceAcrossAlaskaAZUZ:Everyyearsince1973,musherslineuptospendmorethanaweekracingacrosssomeoftheroughestterrainyoucanimagine.Mountains,forests,frozenrivers;allintemperaturesfarbelowzero.ThatistheIditarod.TracySabowasatthestartinglineforthisyear'sracetofindoutwhypeoplearesoeagertotakeonthischallenge.(BEGINVIDEO)TRACYSABO,CNNCORRESPONDENT:It'sknownasTheLastGreatRace.TheIditarod,Alaska'sfameddogsledrace,requireseveryfieldentranttotakeateamof16dogsfromAnchorage,AlaskaallthewaytoNomeontheBeringSeacoast.Weheardfromthemusherswhytheymush,andsomeofthosethingsmightsurpriseyou.HUGHNEFF,IDITARODMUSHER:Whenyou'removingasonedownthetrailandthey'realllikeone,they'relikeoneanimalalmost.Sixteenofthemworkingasone,andyou'reapartofit,youreallyareinheaven.DEEDEEJONROWE,IDITARODMUSHER:IreallyloveWillow,Alaska.Ithinkit'sGod'sgreatestcreation,boththepeopleandthescenery.Andtherearesofewfiltersbetweenusandrawcreationwhenwe'reouttherethatyoureallygetachancetoadmirewhatthereishereonEarth.MARTINBUSER,IDITARODMUSHERANDFORMERCHAMPION:Iditarodistheflagshipeventofoursport.Thisishowthesportisdoneatitsapex,youknow,thebestdogcare,thebestdogscompetinginthelongest,toughest,thebestrace.DALLASSEAVEY,IDITARODMUSHER:Itsjustagreattradition.TheIditarod,thisisthe39thrunning,andit'sbecomepartofAlaskajustinitself,thisrace.It'sjustkindoffunforeveryone,andeverybodylovesdogs.SABO:ItwilltakeabouttwoweeksforthesemushersandtheirdogteamstoreachNome.Thepurseinthisrace:$50,400forfirstplace.Mostofthemwilltellyoutheydon'tdothisracetogetrich.TheydoitsotheirdogscanfinallycomeinunderthatfamedBurledArchalongtheBeringSeacoast.TracySabo,CNN,Willow,Alaska.(ENDVIDEO)ChessMovesforLifeAZUZ:Greatstuff.OurnextreportcomesfromCNN'sRandiKaye.It'saboutanorganizationinAtlanta,Georgiathatuseschesstohelpyoungpeoplemakelifedecisions.Howcanrooktoking'spawnfourapplytomorethanaboardgame?We'regonnaletRandi,andtheorganization'sfounder,explain.(BEGINVIDEO)ORRINHUDSON,CHESSCHAMPIONANDBESOMEONEFOUNDER:Iam...GROUP:Iam...HUDSON:...somebody.GROUP:...somebody.HUDSON:Iam...GROUP:Iam...HUDSON:...achampionGROUP:...achampion.RANDIKAYE,CNNCORRESPONDENT:Afterseeinganewsreportofseveralpeop