CNN Student News Transcript: August 27, 2008

(CNN Student News) -- August 27, 2008

Quick Guide

Democratic National Convention - Discover the theme of day two at the Democratic National Convention.

Scores Stay The Same - Examine how this year's SAT scores stack up against previous results.

Too Good To Play - Make the call about a young pitcher whose league says he's too good.

Transcript

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

CARL AZUZ, CNN STUDENT NEWS ANCHOR: The week is halfway over, but we're just getting started with this Wednesday edition of CNN Student News. From the CNN Center, I'm Carl Azuz.

First Up: Democratic National Convention

AZUZ: We're starting things off in Denver, where the Democratic Convention is rolling along. Sixty speakers took to the podium over the course of six hours yesterday, focusing on the theme of day two: "Renewing America's Promise." The economy - surprise, surprise - was one of the topics of choice as the cheering crowd heard from elected officials, including mayors, governors and members of Congress, as well as several nonpoliticians. Former Virginia Governor Mark Warner gave Tuesday's keynote address, but the biggest speech came from Senator Hillary Clinton. The former candidate led a historic campaign for the presidency, but lost out to Barack Obama for the Democratic nomination. Last night, she addressed the convention.

SEN. HILLARY CLINTON: Whether you voted for me, or you voted for Barack, the time is now to unite as a single party with a single purpose. This is a fight for the future. And it's a fight we must win together.

Shoutout

STAN CASE, CNN STUDENT NEWS: Time for the Shoutout! What amendment to the U.S. Constitution gave women the right to vote? If you think you know it, shout it out! Is it the: A) 9th Amendment, B) 14th Amendment, C) 19th Amendment or D) 23rd Amendment? You've got three seconds -- GO! Women can vote thanks to the 19th Amendment, which became law 88 years ago this week! That's your answer and that's your Shoutout!

Hurricane Gustav

AZUZ: Parts of Haiti and the Dominican Republic are struggling through Hurricane Gustav. The storm strengthened and made landfall yesterday on Hispaniola, the Caribbean island that's home to the two countries. Some areas experienced flooding as Gustav drenched the region, dumping an estimated 20 inches of rain in some spots. Forecasters predict the storm will sweep by Cuba and head toward the Gulf of Mexico, where it's expected to become a "major hurricane" over the next few days.

Scores Stay The Same

AZUZ: I used to think the "T" in SAT stood for torture. Whether or not you agree with that, the College Board, the group that administers the SAT, says almost every college in the country accepts this test as part of its admissions process. So, you aspiring college students can see why it's important to take it. But as far as recent scores go...

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

AZUZ: SAT scores are in a slump. You can't exactly say they're down, because they haven't changed since last year. But 2007 wasn't the year you wanted to copy. The class of 2008 scored an average of 515 on the math section. That's out of 800 points. On reading, it was 502 out of 800 points. Just like last year, those are the lowest levels in almost a decade. And if you only look at reading, the last time scores were worse than this was in 1994.

But there is a silver lining, as far as the College Board sees it: The lower scores are due to the fact that more people than ever are taking the SAT. This year, over 1.5 million students sacrificed a few hours -- and they might say brain cells -- studying and buckling down on the test. It was a slight increase from last year, but a big bump of almost 30 percent over the last decade! And 36 percent of those tested were the first in their families to even attend college. So, you see what the College Board means when it says that a "broader array" of students are taking the test.

Oh, and if you're looking for bragging rights, guys averaged better than girls on the reading section by four points and math section by 33 points. But girls got their revenge on the writing portion, scoring around 13 points higher.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

Shoutout Extra Credit

CASE: Time for a Shoutout Extra Credit! In 1980, who famously asked, "Are you better off than you were four years ago?" You know what to do. Was it: A) Jimmy Carter, B) Gerald Ford, C) Lyndon Johnson or D) Ronald Reagan? Three seconds back on the clock -- GO! Ronald Reagan, who would win the 1980 presidential election, asked that famous question during a debate with Jimmy Carter. That's your answer and that's your Shoutout Extra Credit!

Are We Better Off?

AZUZ: When Ronald Reagan asked that question, it was aimed squarely at the state of the country's economy. It stood out as one of the most memorable moments in debate history, and it's become a key question in presidential politics. Now, presidents probably get way more credit and take way more blame than they deserve when it comes to the economy. But with this year's election looming, candidates are asking again: Are we better off financially than we were eight years ago? Christine Romans examines the answer.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. BARACK OBAMA, (D) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Ask yourself a simple question. That is, are you better off now than you were when Bush took office?

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN REPORTER: You will hear a lot over the next nine weeks about family budgets and the struggling middle class, and whether the economy is better off today.

LAKSHMAN ACHUTHAN, ECONOMIC CYCLE RESEARCH INSTITUTE: In a word, no. You're comparing a recession today with eight years ago, when you were in a boom. And that's a tough comparison no matter how you slice it.

ROMANS: Tough comparison indeed. Remember gas at $1.49? It has more than doubled during George W. Bush's administration, most recently $3.68 a gallon. Medical costs are gobbling up an ever bigger chunk of your hard-earned dollar. Think about it this way: More than 17 cents of every consumer dollar is spent on health care. Tuition and food prices are exploding as paychecks, after inflation, shrink. Economist Mark Zandi says the rich are a little richer, the poor, a little poorer. And everyone else...

MARK ZANDI, WWW.ECONOMY.COM: I think for the average American, they are treading water financially. Their incomes are about where they were eight years ago, and their net worth is about where it was eight years ago as well.

ROMANS: Historically, income rises. The Democrats blame White House economic policy. It's one reason many say John McCain must distance himself from Bush and choose a running mate strong on the economy. At the same time, the GOP warns against Democrats taxing and spending the country further in the hole. Christine Romans, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

AZUZ: Now, not all of the economic news from the last eight years has been bad. With some of the good, once again, here's Christine Romans.

ROMANS: If you own your home, you don't have some crazy mortgage, and you didn't raid it like an ATM machine to pay for all kinds of other things, including things that you have to, like college tuition and the like. If you own that home, home prices are still up since 2001, according to Zillow. It's a real estate Web tracker. You've got to go back to 2004, is where we are for home prices right now. So, it has still been a pretty good run for homeowners, despite all that's been happening.

Promo

AZUZ: Want to know what's coming up on tomorrow's edition of CNN Student News? Two ways to do it: Be on our staff, or sign up for our daily e-mail! With a new look for the new school year, it'll clue you in to the topics we're covering on our show. Head to CNNStudentNews.com to sign up today!

Too Good To Play

AZUZ: It happens a lot in sports: a dominating player just takes over a game. And if you're on the losing end, it might not seem fair how good he is. Well, that's what a baseball league decided about one young pitcher. And now he and his team have been thrown out. Kent Pierce of affiliate WTNH in New Haven, Connecticut, has the call.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KENT PIERCE, WTNH REPORTER: The Will Power Fitness team came to play, but the other team never showed, and they say the reason is a nine-year-old pitcher named Jericho. Why aren't you playing a baseball game right now?

JERICHO SCOTT, 9 YEAR-OLD PITCHER: Because the league doesn't want me to play baseball. So, they kicked us off the thing and told us that they're not showing up.

PIERCE: The league is the Liga Juvenile de Baseball, a private league of four teams of eight, nine and ten year olds. League officials have kicked the Will Power team out of the league for the rest of the season. They say it's because of how Jericho throws. Why don't they want you to play?

SCOTT: Because they said I pitch too good.

PIERCE: Does that seem like a good reason to you?

SCOTT: No.

PIERCE: Now, here's what a lawyer for the league told News Channel 8. He said that some of the younger, less experienced batters were afraid to hit against Jericho. So, the League asked the coach to move Jericho to a different position. The coach says, shouldn't the best players play the positions at which they're best? So, at the last game, the coach sent Jericho to the mound.

WILFRED VIDRO, COACH: As soon as that happened, the other team started packing up, packing up their bags. And they said no, you can't put the pitcher in to play.

PIERCE: And now the whole team is banned from play. That's why their opponent, except for one kid, did not show up. The question is, is this 58-pound 9-year-old that dangerous?

NICOLE BUONOME-SCOTT, MOTHER: There are other kids in this league older than him, throw harder than him and have hit players.

PIERCE: His mother says Jericho has never hit a batter. He's just a good pitcher who was leading his team to an undefeated season, upsetting three-time league champ Carlito's Barber Shop, a team that is well-connected.

BUONOME-SCOTT: What doesn't seem fair to me is, the president of the league, that's his team. Seems like a big conflict there.

PIERCE: League officials have not spoken to the press and did not return calls Saturday. Do you hope they change their minds, or what do you hope happens?

SCOTT: I hope we all get to play baseball.

PIERCE: But today, Jericho and his team had to settle for playing their parents.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

Goodbye

AZUZ: You know we're talking about this one on our blog. So, stop by and tell us your thoughts. That's where today's show crosses home plate. We'll see you tomorrow. I'm Carl Azuz.