CNN Student News Transcript: September 29, 2008

(CNN Student News) -- September 29, 2008

Quick Guide

America Votes - Review some of the highlights from this year's first U.S. presidential debate.

Spreading Scare - Examine the international response to a scandal over tainted milk in China.

Out for a Walk - Consider the impact of China's first spacewalk on the country's global standing.

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: We're kicking off a new week of CNN Student News, and we're glad to have you with us. From the CNN Center, I'm Carl Azuz.

First Up: America Votes

AZUZ: First up today, we're talking about debates, after some speculation that the first presidential face-off might be postponed. It didn't happen. Senators Barack Obama and John McCain did square off on the issues last Friday. The scheduled topic for the evening was foreign policy, but the candidates spent the first thirty minutes talking about, you guessed it, the economy. That's understandable given the current financial struggles facing the U.S. Susan Candiotti reports on some of the highlights fom Friday's event in Oxford, Mississippi.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN REPORTER: They walked out appearing relaxed and got down to business. As expected, both candidates were first asked about the hornet's nest on Capitol Hill over a financial bailout.

SEN. BARACK OBAMA, (D) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: This is a final verdict on eight years of failed economic policies promoted by George Bush and supported by Senator McCain.

SEN. JOHN MCCAIN, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We are not talking about failure of institutions on Wall Street. We're talking about failures on Main Street and people who will lose their jobs and their credits and their homes.

CANDIOTTI: Time and again, they were pressed on what they'd have to give up because of the financial crisis.

MCCAIN: How about a spending freeze on everything but defense, veterans' affairs and entitlement programs?

OBAMA: Another place to look for some savings: we're currently spending $10 billion a month in Iraq, when they have a $79 billion surplus.

CANDIOTTI: The rest of the debate focused on foreign policy, with McCain trying to showcase his experience.

MCCAIN: Senator Obama twice said in debates that he would sit down with Ahmadinejad, Chavez and Raul Castro without pre-conditions. Without pre-conditions.

OBAMA: This is a major difference I have with Senator McCain. This notion that by not talking to people we are punishing them has not worked. It has not in Iran. It has not worked in North Korea.

CANDIOTTI: There was no single, apparent defining moment for either candidate. Next up, the one and only vice presidential debate. Susan Candiotti, CNN, at the University of Mississippi.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

Promo

AZUZ: You know we'll be covering that VP debate on our show, along with the remaining events between Senators McCain and Obama. Now, to learn about the history of presidential debates, how all this stuff got started, check out our One-Sheet on the subject or our Debates 101 video. And our Learning Activity helps students interpret the events. Find it all at CNNStudentNews.com!

Bailout Update

AZUZ: Back to the financial crisis and a plan to fight it. On Sunday, Congress released a draft of a bailout bill. This thing is based on President Bush's $700 billion proposal, but it includes some conditions and restrictions. The $700 billion would be released in stages, starting with $250 billion immediately. A board of economic experts would be created to keep watch over this bailout process. And there would be restrictions on the compensation packages, the pay, for corporate executives whose companies take part.

Shoutout

GEORGE RAMSAY, CNN STUDENT NEWS: Time for the Shoutout! Indonesia, South Korea and the Philippines are all part of what continent? If you think you know it, shout it out! Is it: A) Africa, B) Asia, C) Europe or D) South America? You've got three seconds -- GO! You can find all of these countries in Asia. That's your answer and that's your Shoutout!

Spreading Scare

AZUZ: All of those nations are banning some Chinese food products right now because of a scandal involving tainted milk. China's leader is promising to improve his country's food safety after dairy products contaminated with a chemical called melamine have made more than 50,000 children sick. Sohn Jie-Ae looks at how countries across the Asian continent are responding to this scandal.

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SOHN JIE-AE, CNN REPORTER: The scare over tainted milk in China continues to spread across Asia. The country's food and drug administration banned the import of Chinese-made food products containing powdered milk after authorities said they found biscuit products tainted with melamine.

CHOI SUNG-RAK, KOREA FOOD SAFETY BUREAU CHIEF: Until now, September 24, 124 products have been inspected, including chocolate, bread and biscuits. As a result, melamine has been found in two products.

JIE-AE: One is called Misarang, meaning rice love. It is made in a Chinese factory, sold in South Korea under the local brand name, Haitai. A company spokesman told CNN the product was not sold outside of South Korea. In supermarkets across Asia, from Jakarta to New Delhi, Chinese dairy products are disappearing.

FRANCISCO DUQUE, PHILIPPINES HEALTH SECRETARY: Today, they have to pull out all this milk and milk products coming from China.

JIE-AE: In Manila, health officials inspected a mall in the city's China Town and removed Chinese milk products, which are currently banned. Officials in Taiwan ordered 160 products containing Chinese milk and vegetable-based proteins off store shelves. In Indonesia, officials started recalling some of the most popular Chinese dairy products. Teams of government inspectors scoured supermarkets in and around Jakarta. Across Asia, consumers are wondering, what's safe? Whether it is at giant supermarket chains or at mom-and-pop shops like this one, the tainted milk scandal has caused Korean foods to get a much more closer scrutiny than ever before.

PERSON ON THE STREET: I will be looking at the label to see where the ingredients came from.

PERSON ON THE STREET: I think if this keeps up, I will stop eating anything made in China.

JIE-AE: Worries here and beyond. Parents across Asia are also reportedly heading to hospitals to get their children checked out. Sohn Jie-Ae, CNN, Seoul.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

Is this Legit?

RAMSAY: Is This Legit? Yuri Gagarin was the first person to travel into space. This one's true! The Russian cosmonaut blasted off on April 12, 1961, orbiting the Earth in about 90 minutes and becoming the world's first spaceman.

Out for a Walk

AZUZ: Since then, only two other nations have sent crews into space, the United States, of course, and now China. The country's first launch came in 2003. And during a trip toward the stars this weekend, a Chinese astronaut took a stroll outside the shuttle, completing his country's first ever spacewalk. Kyung Lah looks at what this milestone means for the country and its space program.

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KYUNG LAH, CNN REPORTER: China's first astronaut to walk in space waved to his countrymen and then uttered these words: "Greetings to all the people in China and the world." Back on Earth, they responded with pride.

PERSON ON THE STREET: I love China!

LAH: "I'm proud to be Chinese," says this man and many in the crowd, as they watched Zjai Zjew-Gaang wave the flag in man's final frontier. It was just a month ago that crowds had gathered around this big screen to cheer on another major international event: the Olympics. This coming so close on the heels of that event, China's government hopes to send this message: that its rising power is not just on Earth, but also in space. A successful spacewalk is a major step forward for China's plans to build a space station by 2020. In the words of China's manned space program, this is a breakthrough.

LIU GUONING, CHINA'S MANNED SPACE PROGRAM (TRANSLATED): The ultimate purpose for exploring space is to pursue peace. China should definitely mark its footprint on this part of history.

LAH: But with details of its space program still cloaked in secrecy and under the control of China's military, concerns linger that this will only expedite a space race. Though analysts who track China's military and technology call the race more of a crawl, and one that may spur more space exploration from the U.S.

DEAN CHENG, CHINA SPACE EXPERT: I think that the U.S. generally responds better when there is competition than where there isn't. Insofar as the Chinese mission is a spur reminding American decision makers that there are other countries out there that are intent on a manned presence, a long term presence, yes, I think that's probably a good thing.

LAH: At the big screen, only big dreams being met in this moment. The days of milk scandals and the earthquake forgotten momentarily. This historic moment seems a natural step to visitors.

CHRISTIAN HOIAGAARD, DANISH TOURIST: Like U.S., like Russia, they had to do it to prove that they are a big nation.

LAH: A big and growing nation, continuing to stretch the boundaries of its power. Kyung Lah, CNN, Beijing.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

Before We Go

AZUZ: Before we go, there's an awesome new personal travel device available, but you have to jump out of an airplane to use it. It was no problem for this guy. He revved up rocket-powered wings on Friday and sailed through the sky across the English Channel, clearing the 22-mile waterway in less than 10 minutes! The adventuresome aviator is the brains behind the operation too. He invented the thing, and he's hoping that one day, his personal jet-wing will be common enough so that everyone can have their own.

Goodbye

AZUZ: Assuming you're not too chicken to use it. That is where today's show takes flight. We'll see you tomorrow. I'm Carl Azuz.