What's On Your Mind?
Every so often, we like to give you a chance to comment on anything you've seen on CNN Student News. So here it is. Tell us what you're thinking about, whether it's the economy,Mardi Gras,President Obama's address to Congress, the debate over Geronimo's remains, Ivy League schools, pancake races, sweater vests...
Carl Azuz, Anchor
In-flight cell phoning: awesome or annoying?
I guess it's awesome if you're the person talking on the cell phone. It's annoying if you're sitting next to someone who is...
Either way, you're still not allowed to make calls aboard planes in the U.S. Let me ask you this, though: Even if the technology, which you hear about in Monday's show, becomes available in America, is it really that important to be able to make cell phone calls on a plane? And would it be worth it if there were an extra charge for every minute you spoke or every text you sent?
Carl Azuz, Anchor
An Eye for an Eye?
Friday's show brings you the graphic story of Ameneh Bahrami, an Iranian woman whose attacker blinded and disfigured her with acid. She is now demanding an eye for an eye, and so is an Iranian court: The attacker's sentence is that he also be blinded with acid.
Ameneh might've had the option to take what's called "blood money," when the attacker is forced to pay the victim an amount of money for the assault. But she wants the attacker to receive a harsher punishment than a fine. Ameneh hopes that such a sentence will discourage anyone else from ever attacking with acid.
We realize this is a very difficult story to watch, but we'd like to know what you think about the outcome. Is blinding Ameneh's attacker the right punishment? Is there another sentence that would fit the crime? Or do you think that Ameneh should've tried to get the "blood money" instead?
Carl Azuz, Anchor
Twitter in the Operating Room
Surgery is a pretty private event - it's not usually something you want all your friends knowing about, let alone random people on Twitter. You could argue that it doesn't matter whether doctors Twitter about your surgery as long as they don't use your name. But if I'd been the patient discussed on Wednesday's show, I'm not sure I would've wanted the world knowing that I had an extra-large tumor on my kidney - regardless of whether my name was brought up.
Now I realize there's a benefit here to the medical community. But to post the details of it on such a public place as Twitter seems like it goes pretty far. What if something had gone terribly wrong? The world would've known about it.
So let's say you're on your next visit to the doctor. He asks you if his assistant can Twitter all the details of your checkup so that other aspiring doctors would know what the job is like. Would it matter to you if they promised not to use your name?
Carl Azuz, Anchor
Daylight Meteor over Texas?
The reason for the question mark here is that we're still not sure what the thing was. Called a "fireball" and recorded by a videographer covering a footrace, the object that streaked across the Texas sky looked a lot like a meteor and was accompanied by a sonic boom.
What we do know, according to the U.S. Strategic Command, is that it wasn't the remains of satellites that collided in orbit last week. A spokeswoman from the command said, "It's possible it was some kind of natural phenomenon - maybe a meteor."
It certainly looked like that to me. I've seen a few of those before, though rarely that bright and never in the daytime. What do you think it was?
Carl Azuz, Anchor
Peanut Products and Fear
The Peanut Corporation of America (PCA) is getting hammered. First, peanut butter and peanut paste products made at a PCA plant in Georgia are linked to a nationwide outbreak of salmonella, affecting hundreds of people. Then, on Thursday, the Texas Department of State Health Services recalls every product ever shipped from PCA's plant in Plainview, Texas. Why? Because dead rodents, rodent droppings and bird feathers were found in a crawl space above a production area.
Now one thing we want to point out is that the jars of peanut butter that you buy on store shelves are NOT affected. But dozens of other products are, making one of the most fundamental foods in our diets one of the most feared.
When Congress questioned PCA's president this week about the salmonella outbreak, he took the Fifth, saying very little. What do you say - both about the recalls and peanut products?
Carl Azuz, Anchor
Why Lincoln?
You've studied President Lincoln in school; you hear about him on our show; you see him on the five-dollar bill. Some of you will even have to memorize the Gettysburg Address in high school (I think I did it for extra credit).
One of the facts that surprised me about the Civil War president was that he neither wanted to go to war, nor did he hate the South afterward; he encouraged Southerners to stop fighting and rejoin the union quickly.
Well, the U.S. is marking the 200th anniversary of the 16th president's birth. Today, Lincoln remains one of the most popular presidents - if not THE most popular president - in American history. Why do you think this is, so long after he led the country?
Carl Azuz, Anchor
A-Rod's Admission
The man whom many consider to be the best player in Major League Baseball has admitted to using a "banned substance" during the 2001-2003 seasons. Alex Rodriguez's admission and apology, which you hear about in Tuesday's program, come just after a Sports Illustrated report that Rodriguez tested positive for illegal steroids in 2003.
Rodriguez is about to begin his 15th year in the majors. He has hit more than 500 home runs and been named the American League MVP three times. He has also signed a 10-year, $275 million contract for the New York Yankees.
But he has admitted to using an illegal, performance-enhancing drug. So what does this change? What should it change?
Carl Azuz, Anchor
Steroids and Sports
There is A TON of controversy surrounding steroids and the effects of taking them. As far as the government is concerned, if you take steroids to get bigger muscles or to get better at a sport, you're breaking the law. Yet despite the fact that they're illegal, and despite the side effects that come from abusing steroids, some athletes continue to do it.
Two of the baseball superstars you hear about in Monday's show say they've never tried steroids. Some reports directly contradict them. But we're curious as to whether the accusations make you feel any differently about the stars themselves - or about professional sports.
Would you care if record-setting athletes used illegal steroids to make themselves bigger, stronger or faster? Does it matter to you if the games you go to see are "clean," or do you just want to see them well-played, regardless of whether everyone's playing by the rules?
Carl Azuz, Anchor
Follow-Up: Michael Phelps Suspended
Olympian Michael Phelps is seeing consequences from a recent photo that shows him appearing to smoke marijuana. News broke Thursday that USA Swimming was suspending Phelps from competition for three months, during which he won't get any financial support from the organization. The group says Phelps has "voluntarily accepted this reprimand and has committed to earn back our trust."
Also on Thursday: The Kellogg company said it wouldn't renew its advertising contract with the swimmer, saying, "Michael's most recent behavior is not consistent with the image of Kellogg."
Phelps didn't comment immediately on either the Kellogg contract or the USA Swimming suspension. But you're welcome to tell us what you think of what Phelps is facing.
Carl Azuz, Anchor
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