CNN Student News:日本遭遇百年不遇大地震

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CARL AZUZ, CNN STUDENT NEWS ANCHOR: Concerns about lost culture, a plan to cut college costs, and a fearless flyer. That's what's ahead in today's program. But we start with a tour of some international headlines.

First Up: Two Months Later

AZUZ: We begin in Japan, where the country paused for a moment of silence on Wednesday. It was exactly two months after a powerful earthquake struck off the Japanese coast. This was the largest quake to hit Japan in more than 100 years, and it caused a tsunami, this giant ocean wave, that rushed ashore.

The impact on the Asian country: devastating. Nearly 15,000 people were killed. Another 10,000 are still missing. The quake and tsunami damaged several of Japan's nuclear reactors. The worst was this one, the Fukushima Daiichi plant. Engineers have spent two months trying to contain the crisis. Yesterday, the company that owns the Fukushima plant said there's a new radiation leak from one of its reactors. They don't know if the radioactive water was leaking into the sea, though.

Japan is making some progress in its efforts to clean up and rebuild from the natural disasters. But it's going to take a while, partly because the damage is so widespread. Around 130,000 people in Japan have nowhere to live. Temporary housing is going up, but slowly.

Libya Civil War

AZUZ: Next up, the north African nation of Libya. This is a country that's in the middle of a civil war; it started about a month before the Japan earthquake. On one side, the forces of Colonel Moammar Gadhafi, Libya's leader for more than 40 years. On the other side, rebels who want Gadhafi out of power. Other countries are involved in this, too. Forces from the U.S., the U.K., France and several others are part of a military coalition to protect Libya's civilians. The group is led by NATO, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Yesterday, rebels were able to take control of the airport in the city of Misrata. This has been a big battleground between the rebels and Gadhafi's forces. Controlling the airport is important because it can provide access to humanitarian aid that's trying to get into Libya.

Greece Protests

AZUZ: Finally, we're going to cross the Mediterranean Sea and wind up in Greece, a country that's facing some major economic problems. People can invest their money in places all over the world. So when one country -- like Greece -- has trouble, it can have a wide impact. Last year, the nation needed a financial bailout, and it got one from the European Union and the International Monetary Fund. But part of the deal is that Greece has to find ways to cut its budget. And a lot of people don't like some of the options being considered. Yesterday, about 20,000 of them marched through the capital, Athens. Some of these protests turned violent; police fired tear gas on the protesters. And this is far from over, because there are rumors that Greece might need another bailout.

Sound Check

MAYOR CHUCK CARIKER, TUNICA, MISSISSIPPI: It is devastating. It's painful to watch the slow rise of the water. We can't start the recovery and you can't start the healing process until the water goes down. And that's the part that is painful. For their safety, for the safety of others, they are not allowed back in there.

Impact of Flooding

AZUZ: That was the mayor of Tunica, Mississippi. About 600 people in his community have been forced out of their homes as floodwaters rush in. This flooding along the Mississippi River could affect people in ways you might not think about. For example, at the gas station. Some of the largest refineries in the U.S. are located next to the river. There are concerns that those refineries might have to temporarily close as the flooding moves through. And that fear is already driving up the price of gas. The nationwide average went up more than a cent Wednesday. This next report from Martin Savidge looks at another unexpected threat from the floods: the potential loss of a cultural connection.

(BEGIN VIDEO)

MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Long before the Interstate Highway System, there was Highway 61. It was an important north/south connection that stretched from Minnesota to Louisiana. But here's why we're back on Highway 61 today: For much of that distance, Highway 61 runs parallel to the Mississippi River. In fact, it's one of the reasons it's also known as the Great River Road. Historian Judy Peiser says the road, like the river, transformed life.

JUDY PEISER, CENTER FOR SOUTHERN FOLKLORE: It brings trade, travel, transportation. Same thing with Highway 61.

SAVIDGE: From the 1920s to the 1950s, this was a migratory route for African-Americans leaving the Deep South looking for better economic opportunity in the North.

BLIND MISSISSIPPI MORRIS, BLUES MUSICIAN: 61 is kind of like the underground railroad of the South for the poor sharecropper fellow looking for a better way of life.

SAVIDGE: A lot of culture came with them up the river and up this highway. Jazz came up Highway 61. Highway 61 is how the blues ended up on Beale Street.

BRAD WEBB, BLUES MUSICIAN: 61 leads straight to Beale Street.

SAVIDGE: And that's no accident?

WEBB: That's no accident. I'm sure.

PEISER: It was a highway of business, it was a highway of education, it was a highway of getting your doctorate, it was a highway of music, it was a highway of life. And it's part of our soul in this region.

SAVIDGE: But now, the historic levels of the Mississippi River are threatening life along Highway 61. In town after town, from Memphis to New Orleans, people wait to see what the water will bring down the road. Martin Savidge, CNN, Memphis.

(END VIDEO)

Shoutout

TOMEKA JONES, CNN STUDENT NEWS: Time for the Shoutout! B.A., J.D. and M.Ed. are all types of what? If you think you know it, shout it out! Are they: A) Sports leagues, B) Government agencies, C) Academic degrees or D) Horse breeds? You've got three seconds -- GO! These are academic degrees: Bachelor of Arts, Juris Doctor and Master of Education. That's your answer and that's your Shoutout!

Faster and Cheaper?

AZUZ: A B.A. is one of the most common degrees offered by colleges, and most people spend four or five years earning it. But with tuition prices going up, that means more money for every year you're in school. Tom Foreman looks at a program that cuts the costs and the time.

(BEGIN VIDEO)

TOM FOREMAN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: A bachelor's degree at the University of North Carolina Greensboro is a bargain, just over $11,000 a year for in-state students. But a handful here are now getting an even bigger break: working toward a degree in three years, not the usual four. Elyssa Tucker, who wants to be a psychiatrist, is one of them.

Were you more interested in the economic benefit or the shorter time in school?

ELYSSA TUCKER, UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA GREENSBORO STUDENT: For me personally, it was more of the shorter time in school, because I do want to go to med school so, really, time is of the essence. I would rather get it done faster than trying to take my time and drag it out forever. My parents, economically, they're like, "yes, this is a gold mine, do it. You are in this."

FOREMAN: A small but growing number of schools are tackling soaring tuitions by offering a three-year option. While some educators worry that it short circuits the college experience, proponents like Steve Roberson say hundreds of students here come from well below the poverty line.

STEVE ROBERSON, DEAN OF UNDERGRADUATE STUDIES, UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA GREENSBORO: The notion of a college degree is that its affordability is just extraordinarily frightening for most families.

FOREMAN: To join the plan, students must arrive with 12 hours of college level courses completed in high school or elsewhere. They must know their major, and they must take on a heavy course load. But the savings:

ROBERSON: We estimate this will save students around $8,000.

FOREMAN: $8,000.

ROBERSON: Almost $8,000, which is about a fourth of a typical collegiate experience here.

FOREMAN: It's tough work.

TUCKER: If you are not driven, this is not going to work for you.

FOREMAN: But for those who are, it can mean a fast-track to even higher degrees, good jobs, and less debt along the way. Tom Foreman, CNN, Greensboro, North Carolina.

(END VIDEO)

Don' Fail Me

AZUZ: "Don't Fail Me!" It's a new documentary from CNN that premieres this weekend. The program features the three students that you see right here, and it uses their stories to take a look at the overall U.S. education system. Check out "Don't Fail Me" when it airs this coming Sunday, May 15th, at 8 p.m. Eastern and Pacific on CNN.

Before We Go

AZUZ: Before we go, we're gonna take a trip over the Grand Canyon. Looks like they're installing a new part on our helicopter here. And here we go. Hey, they just dropped something -- or someone. And he didn't drop, he fell! Right before the afterburners kicked in on his own personal jetpack! This flight of fancy -- and airshow of awesomeness -- lasted more than eight minutes. He was supposed to do the run one day earlier.

Goodbye

AZUZ: But he jettisoned that idea, saying he needed a practice run. Looks like he pulled it off without any problems, despite the gravity of the situation. Okay, time for us to jet. When the next 23 hours and 50 minutes fly by, we'll be back with more CNN Student News.