(CNN Student News) -- September 21, 2010

1CARLAZUZ,CNNSTUDENTNEWSANCHOR:Weatherandwarrior.Thosetwothingsmightnotseemliketheygotogether,buttheywillbytheendoftoday'sshow.Hello,everyone.I'mCarlAzuz.WelcometoCNNStudentNews.FirstUp:RecessionAZUZ:TheNationalBureauofEconomicResearchsaystherecessionisoverandthatitendedinJuneoflastyear.Thestockmarketwashappywiththisnews.Ithitafour-monthhighyesterdaybasedontheannouncement.Thatgroupthatwementioned,theNationalBureauofEconomicResearch,istheonlyonethatofficiallydeclareswhenarecessionstartsandfinishes.Onequestion:Whyaretheyjustannouncingitnow?TheNBERusuallytakesawhiletodeclarewhenrecessionsstartandend.ThisonestartedinDecember'07;thegroupdidn'tannouncethatuntilayearlater.Theywaitbecausetheywanttomakesurethateconomicchangesaregoingtolast.PoppyHarlowisbreakingdownwhatgoesintothedecision.Whatdoyouhaveforus,Poppy?(BEGINVIDEO)POPPYHARLOW,CNNMONEY.COMCORRESPONDENT:Hithere,Carl.Well,yes,therecessionofficiallyover.ThatcomingtousonMondaymorningfromtheNationalBureauofEconomicResearch.Thisisagroupofeconomists,theonlygroupthatcansaywhetherthiscountryisinoroutofarecession.TheysaidthatwefellintoarecessioninDecember2007,andtheysaythatrecessionendedinJune2009.Thatmakesitofficially18monthslong,thelongestrecessioninthiscountrysinceWorldWarII.Actually,thelongestrecessionsincetheGreatDepression;that'swhyitiscalledtheGreatRecessionnow.TheysaythatJune2009iswhenthiseconomyhitrock-bottom,andtheysawrecoveryafterthat.TheydoeverythingfrommeasureGDPinthiscountry,tosalaries,toincome,toemployment,toindustrialproductiontogaugewhetherornotwe'reoutofarecession.Now,theydidsaytheeconomyissluggish,therecoveryissluggishsincethen.Iftheydosaythereisadouble-dip,oranotherrecession,thatwouldbeconsideredanewrecession,notacontinuationofthisrecession.ButI'llsay,alotofpeopledon'tfeellikeweareoutofarecession,andhere'swhy.Takealookatthesenumbers:WhentherecessionofficiallyendedinJune2009,theunemploymentrateinthiscountrywas9.5percent.Itisnow9.6percent,sothejobspicturehasn'tgottenanybetter.Andthehousingpicturehasn'tgottenanybettereither.Takealookatthesenumbers.Whenyoulookatmedianhomepricesin2007,whenwefellintotherecession,wewereabout$219,000.In2009,whenwecameoutoftherecession,theywere$172,000orso,andnowtheyarejustmildlyhigherthanthat.So,youhavestillahousingcrisisinthiscountry,ajobscrisisaswell.That'swhymanyAmericansdon'tfeellikethisrecessionisofficiallyover.Alotmoredetailstoexplainitallforeveryoneoutthere.YoucancheckthemoutrighthereonCNNMoney.com.Carl?(ENDVIDEO)2BlogPromoAZUZ:ThanksagaintoCNNMoney.com'sPoppyHarlowforthatreport.Hundredsofyouhavetalkedtousabouthowtherecessionhasaffectedyou,yourfamiliesandyourschools.Whatwewannaknownowisifyouagreeordisagreethattherecessionisover.TheplacetotellusisourblogatCNNStudentNews.com.You'llfindthelinkonthelowerrightsideofthepage.IsThisLegit?STANCASE,CNNSTUDENTNEWS:Isthislegit?TheUnitedNationsSecurityCouncilhas192members.Notlegit!It'stheU.N.GeneralAssembly--themainbodyoftheUnitedNations--that'smadeupof192membercountries.U.N.MeetinginN.Y.AZUZ:TheGeneralAssemblyisgettingtogetheratU.N.headquartersinNewYorkthisweek.OnThursday,thegroupwillstartitsannualdebate.That'swhenmembernationsdiscussglobalissuesandwhattheymightdoaboutthem.Beforethatstarts,though,theU.N.ishavinganothermeeting.Thisoneisabouttheorganization'sMillenniumDevelopmentGoals.ThemanspeakingatthepodiumisSecretary-GeneralBanKi-moon,theleaderoftheU.N.Hewantsthemembercountriestokeeppushingtowardthedevelopmentgoalstheysetforthemselvesadecadeago.Thoseincludefindingwaystofightpoverty,hungeranddisease.Theconcernisthat,becauseoftheglobaleconomiccrisis,countrieshaven'tbeenabletoputasmuchmoneytowardfightingthoseissues.PayingwithPlastic?AZUZ:Therecessionaffectedhowwespendmoney.Accordingtoanewsurvey,itaffectedwhatweusetospendmoney.Talkingaboutcreditcards.In2007,87percentofthethingswebought--ourpurchases--weremadewithplasticoncreditcards.In2009,itwasdownto56percent.Someexpertsthinkitcoulddropto45percentthisyear.Analystshaveafewdifferentreasonswhy.One:Peoplearen'tspendingasmuch.Two:Morepeopleareusingdebitcards.Thoseusuallydon'tletyouspendwhatyoudon'thave.Andthree:Newlawsaremakingitharderforyoungpeopletogetcreditcards.What'stheWord?TOMEKAJONES,CNNSTUDENTNEWS:What'stheWord?theU.S.statethatishometoSaltLakeCityUTAHThat'stheword!3UtahWildfireAZUZ:OfficialsinUtahfeelprettysurethey'vegottenahandleonawildfirethat'sbeenburningacrosspartofthestate.Fourhomesweredestroyedbytheflames.Thestate'sgovernorsaysthat'sremarkable;hewasworriedupto100housesmightbelost.Thishappenedaround30milessouthofSaltLakeCity.YoucanseesomeofthesmokeandflamesinthisiReport.It'sbeingcalledtheMachineGunFire.Apparently,itstartedfromammunitionthatwasfiredatanearbyNationalGuardcamp.Authoritiessaythat'snotunusual.Theproblemhereisthatstrongwindspickedupthefireandhelpeditspreadsoquickly.IgorHitsBermudaAZUZ:PartsofBermudaarecleaningupanddryingoffafteravisitfromHurricaneIgor.NoreportsofanyseriousdamageorinjuriesonBermudaafterthestormhit,althoughsomeofficialsestimatedthattwo-thirdsofBermudalostpower.IgorisstilloutintheAtlanticandmaki