CNN Student News Transcript: February 19, 2009 adapted by 李在光 (Transcript) we are preventing their neighbors from being pulled over that edge too. Foreclosure Fix? - Examine a new plan aimed at fixing the U.S. foreclosure crisis. WILLIS: The multi-pronged plan will modify loans for borrowers who are struggling to make payments Afghan Troop Increase - Hear how U.S. troops are and facing foreclosure. The goal: bring payments to adapting to a new deployment strategy. no more than 31% of a borrower's income; refinance Black History Month - Get first-hand accounts of loans for homeowners currently making payments into a 15-year or 30-year loan with a fixed rate of attending historically black schools. interest; give bankruptcy judges the power to THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY reduce the mortgage debt of individuals in NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE bankruptcy; encourage lenders to cooperate by UPDATED. offering them a payment of $1,000 for mortgages that are modified successfully. Professor Nicholas CARL AZUZ, CNN STUDENT NEWS ANCHOR: To Retsinas runs Harvard's Housing Research Center. all you official Facebook fans who've talked about sweater vests, today's edition of CNN Student News NICOLAS RETSINAS, HARVARD UNIVERSITY'S goes out to you. I'm Carl Azuz. Now for our top story. JOINT CENTER FOR HOUSING STUDIES: How successful it will be will be in part determined with First Up: Foreclosure Fix? how successful the stimulus is in putting people AZUZ: President Obama introduces a new plan back to work. If people keep losing their jobs, we'll aimed at fixing the country's foreclosure crisis. He see more and more foreclosures. says the collapse of the housing market has led to WILLIS: On the other hand, the federal government job losses and companies shutting down, and he is in a better position than any time before to believes this new measure could help millions of influence the housing industry, because it operates Americans. But it has to go through Congress. Some the largest lender to first-time homebuyers, plus its Republican leaders have raised concerns about cash injection into the nation's lending industry gives how it would work, and one political analyst it leverage over banks. The devil is in the details, questioned the fairness of the plan. Gerri Willis and we will have more of those when eligibility breaks down the president's proposal. requirements are released March 4. Gerri Willis, (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) CNN, New York. GERRI WILLIS, CNN PERSONAL FINANCE (END VIDEO CLIP) EDITOR: The wide-ranging program comes with a I.D. Me! price tag of $75 billion. It targets two groups: homeowners who, because of falling real estate ERIK NIVISON, CNN STUDENT NEWS: See if you values, owe more than their home is worth. Group can I.D. Me! I'm an Asian nation that's a little smaller two: those families caught in the wave of massive than the state of Texas. I was founded in 1747, and I layoffs. got my independence from the UK in 1919. Much of my land was controlled by the Taliban from 1996 U.S. PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA: Through this through 2001. I'm Afghanistan, and I'm home to plan, we will help between seven and nine million nearly 33 million people. families restructure or refinance their mortgages so they can avoid foreclosure. And we're not just helping homeowners at risk of falling over the edge, - 1 - 李在光 英語書堂 cafe.daum.net/jakelee05 (011-9151-3627) CNN Student News Transcript: February 19, 2009 adapted by 李在光 Afghan Troop Increase getting the co-operation of local people. We just had a walk through the Pul-e-Alam district center, where AZUZ: Of course, U.S. troops ousted the Taliban the Afghans were staring at the U.S. troops. But not from power in 2001. But that group is regaining necessarily because they were not happy that they influence in the country and clashing with Afghan were here, but because they were curious. This is the and U.S. forces. That's why President Obama is largest presence that the U.S. troops have had in sending 17,000 new troops to Afghanistan. Atia Logar Province since the war began. The locals Abawi, who was embedded with one division of the appear to have mixed feelings about the new country's Logar Province, reports on the military's presence. adjustment to this new assignment. MAN ON STREET: We just have a request that they (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) not go into homes, bombard our homes at their own ATIA ABAWI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: A unit of the will, or air-strike innocent people. We are happy if U.S. Army's 10th Mountain Division prepares to go they bring us security. on patrol. They've only been here for a couple of ABAWI: And that's what these troops say they will weeks. bring. Making this "forgotten war" today's priority. It U.S. ARMY SOLDIER: As we're walking through the is a far away place for soldiers from Fort Drum in New streets, make sure that we're kinda looking at the York to find themselves, and it won't be long before rooftops. That way, we get good situationally aware the Taliban's expected spring offensive tests them. around the area. Task Force Spartan may provide early clues about whether a new influx of troops can work. Atia Abawi, ABAWI: They're part of Task Force Spartan, a big CNN, Pul-e-Alam, Afghanistan. increase in the U.S. presence in the region, and they are the first of tens of thousands to arrive, as (END VIDEO CLIP) Washington shifts its focus to Afghanistan and Shoutout dealing with a resurgent Taliban. NIVISON: Time for the Shoutout! What is the oldest CAPTAIN STAN POLK, U.S. ARMY: This has kind of historically black college or university in the U.S.? If been neglected, if you will. They had free reign and you think you know it, shout it out! Is it: A) Howard, B) very unopposed here. Cheyney, C) Morehouse or D) Tuskegee? You've got ABAWI: Adapting to their new mission isn't easy. three seconds -- GO! Cheyney University was The men and women here had been training for a founded with the name "the African Institute" in 1837. deployment to Baghdad. Three months before they That's your answer and that's your Shoutout! were due to go, their destination changed to this Black History Month remote and unforgiving terrain. AZUZ: The oldest, but certainly not the only. POLK: Yes, there are a lot of intricacies and cultural Historically black schools make up about three training that we focused specifically on for Iraq. But a percent of America's colleges and universities, but of day-to-day insurgent fight, even in the cities of Pul-e- all the African-Americans who earn undergraduate Alam, the mountains of Logar, Nuray or wherever, degrees, nearly 25 percent of them graduate from you're still sticking to the same basics. HBCUs. As our special coverage of Black History ABAWI: Logar and Wardak Provinces are close to the Month rolls on, we hear from some of the students capital, Kabul, which has seen an alarming increase who attend these schools about their experiences in Taliban attacks. Some 3,000 U.S. troops will be there. based here, trying to prevent Taliban infiltration and - 2 - 李在光 英語書堂 cafe.daum.net/jakelee05 (011-9151-3627) CNN Student News Transcript: February 19, 2009 adapted by 李在光 (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) tumor." Ditto for Matt, who told us, "I would not want my business or my kidney all up in the world." Phillip KEN NELSON, CNN STUDENT NEWS: Howard, thought it may be distracting for the surgeon, "they Morehouse, FAMU, Spelman, Xavier: just a few of the should be concentrating on the surgery." And Addy nation's Historically Black Colleges and Universities, says, "I wouldn't mind, but I'm not sure I'd want to also known as HBCUs. HBCUs are accredited, read the story later." historically black institutions of higher learning established before 1964, whose principal mission is Facebook Promo to educate black Americans. Today, over 300,000 AZUZ: There are two ways you can interact with us students are enrolled at the more than 100 HBCUs online: our blog and our official Facebook page! We across America. HBCUs don't just offer bachelor's have a couple new videos up. One responds to some degrees; many of these schools offer graduate of your posts on our wall, and in the other, yours truly degrees and professional degrees, including offers a little behind-the-scenes look at our studio. So, medicine, pharmacy and law. Here's what the log on to Facebook, search for "Carl Azuz, official" students have to say about the experience: and check them out! FLORIDA A&M UNIVERSITY (FAMU) STUDENT #1: Before We Go I thought it was important to be submerged in my culture for at least four years before I go into a place AZUZ: Before we go, a story you can really sink your where's that not as prevalent. teeth into. You're looking at about 20 tons of ground beef, literally! Thousands of burgers spilled across FAMU STUDENT #2: Florida A&M University this Utah interstate Tuesday morning when a truck prepares you for the corporate world, for the real that was transporting the patties crashed. Sadly, no world. It instills in you the values that you need no signs of a nearby ketchup spill.