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Violent protests over housing erupt in New Orleans

NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana (CNN) — Protests against a City Council plan to tear down low-income New Orleans housing turned ugly Thursday, with police using pepper spray and stun guns to clear a crowd angry they weren’t allowed into City Hall for the vote.

The City Council voted unanimously to greenlight the demolition of the city’s four largest public housing developments, saying they are too damaged by Hurricane Katrina to allow residents back into them.

But many in New Orleans, including former residents of the developments, say they fear the local and federal governments will not guarantee similarly affordable housing be built in their place — calling the demolition an effort to move poor people out of the city.

At about 11 a.m., several protesters were dragged out of council chambers after scuffles broke out among people who packed the room, and members of the crowd booed council members and shouted insults at them. Watch protesters grapple with police

About 30 minutes later, hundreds more protesters angry that they weren’t allowed into the meeting began rattling an iron gate outside City Hall.

They were pulling the gate open, trying to come in, said Superintendent Warren J. Riley of the New Orleans Police Department. They were allowed to stand there and protest peacefully. Then they began to try and tear the gate down. They punched a couple of civil sheriffs in the face. They broke the gate open. So, some of those officers did use Mace to defend themselves and also to regain control of the gate and close the gate.

Riley said that after the council chamber’s maximum capacity of 278 was reached, no one else was allowed inside.

Video, shot by New Orleans television station WDSU, shows at least one law enforcement officer shooting a liquid spray at the crowd as police struggled with protesters for control of the gate.

Moments later, a woman could be seen crying and screaming on the ground before several other protesters picked her up and carried her away.

Peter O’Connell, who described himself as a student living in New Orleans, told the station he was hit by pepper spray and narrowly avoided being shocked by a police stun gun, which hit his jacket but not his body.

We were just trying to gain access to the City Council meeting, which we all feel and know that we have a right to attend, he said. We were denied access and, in the process, brutalized by the police.

Riley said the use of force was justified.

It was clear that there were people there that had one goal in mind and that was to be disruptive, be disobedient and in some cases to actually start a physical confrontation, he said.

The department said 15 people were arrested. Most were charged with disturbing the peace, and all had been released from jail by Thursday evening, police said. Authorities said there were no serious injuries.

After the vote, New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin commended the council for the decision.

Could the federal government have done better? Sure. Could [federal housing officials] have opened more units quicker? Sure, he said. But we are where we are today, and today, we had a unified decision to move forward with accountability, honoring our overriding premise that every citizen has a right to return to the city.

The city has promised to replace the developments with mixed-use family housing that will provide plenty of low-income units.

Some at Thursday’s meeting said that saving the existing developments would not have been a favor to the city’s poor.

Howard Robertson, a retired major with New Orleans police, said the units already were in bad shape before Katrina — with many of them boarded up and vacant havens for crack dealers.

Since the storm, they are even in worse condition — windows are broken, more than a fourth of all the buildings are boarded up where you can’t even go in, he said. All the city’s trying to do is actually improve the living conditions.
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Schwarzenegger: California will sue federal government

(CNN) — California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger plans to sue the federal government over its decision not to allow a California plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, he announced Thursday.

Environmental Protection Agency chief Stephen Johnson announced the decision Wednesday, refusing the state’s request for a waiver that would have allowed it to cut emissions faster than a new federal plan the president signed into law Wednesday.

It’s another example of the administration’s failure to treat global warming with the seriousness that it actually demands, the governor said at a news conference Thursday.

Bush on Thursday defended the decision of his EPA administrator.

Is it more effective to let each state make a decision as to how to proceed in curbing greenhouse gases? Or is it more effective to have a national strategy? he said.

Citing the new energy law — which sets a fuel economy standard for the whole country — Bush said Johnson made a decision based upon the fact that we passed a piece of legislation that enables us to have a national strategy.

But Schwarzenegger said he would like to set a higher standard for California. Anything less than aggressive action on the greatest environmental threat of all time is inexcusable, he said. Watch Schwarzenegger slam the Bush administration for denying California the waiver

The new federal law will increase fuel efficiency standards by 40 percent by 2020, requiring automakers to bring their fleets to an average of 35 miles per gallon.

The California plan, however, would cut emissions by nearly 30 percent by 2016, raising fuel efficiency standards in the state to 43.7 miles per gallon for passenger cars and some SUVs and trucks, while larger vehicles would need to reach 26.9 mpg by that year.

In all, 16 states had either adopted California’s tough standards or announced plans to do so.

A top aide to Schwarzenegger said the governor has been frustrated with the White House over emissions standards, and was very exasperated after a February meeting with Johnson.

EPA officials say they went the extra mile with Schwarzenegger, even taking the unusual step of holding a second hearing in California on emissions. They say they’re sorry he’s upset, but they believe a national standard on emissions is going to be more effective.

A White House official would only react to Schwarzenegger’s frustration by saying the administration looks forward to working with him on a variety of issues.

In the ebb-and-flow relationship between Schwarzenegger and Bush, sources close to the governor say this is a low point.

It’s never been a warm, throw-your-arms-around-the-shoulders kind of relationship, said former Schwarzenegger adviser Joel Fox. Even during the re-election campaign for the president, he would come to California and the governor wouldn’t always be there to greet him.

Fox said Schwarzenegger and Bush have cooperated on issues like immigration, but the two have differed on several issues, including stem cell research funding, the expansion of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program and climate change.

He’s got a pretty strong personality, the governor has, and wants to get things done. If the federal government is one of those obstacles, then he’ll run that tank he has over it. It’s not particularly anything personal, I think.

Schwarzenegger is much closer — personally and politically — to the president’s father, former President George H.W. Bush, another aide said.
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CNN Student News Transcript: December 21, 2007

(CNN Student News) — December 21, 2007

Quick Guide

Today’s Headlines - Hear about several news events that are making headlines today.

2007 Video Yearbook - Look back at some of the biggest stories of the past year.

Best of Before We Go - Check out our favorite Before We Go videos of 2007.

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: It’s Friday, and you’ve made your way to the end of the week with CNN Student News. Hi, everyone. I’m Carl Azuz. This is our last show of 2007, and we’re happy to have you with us as we wrap up the year.

First Up: Today’s Headlines

AZUZ: Now before we get to our review of news from the past year, we want to get you caught up on some stories that are making headlines today.

AZUZ: Congress ended 2007 ‘on a high note.’ That’s what President Bush said during his year-end review on Thursday, but he also had some criticism for lawmakers, saying that they stuffed a spending bill with money for projects that he called wasteful. During his remarks, the president also talked about the economy, the environment, and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Parts of New Zealand are cleaning up after an earthquake struck the country’s northeastern coast. The U.S. Geological Survey registered a six-point-six magnitude for the quake, which hit Thursday night. According to officials, the seismic event caused some structural damage, which you can see here, but there were no initial reports of any injuries. And Frederick Dominguez and his three children are safe and sound after an ordeal in the California wilderness. The group went out searching for a Christmas tree last Sunday and got lost in the woods. They were rescued on Wednesday after helicopter pilots spotted a help sign that the family made out of tree branches. The children were back in the hospital Thursday after one complained of pain from frostbite. Two were sent home.15-year-old Alexis is still being treated.

Shoutout Newsquiz

GEORGE RAMSAY, CNN STUDENT NEWS: Time for the Shoutout! Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is the final installment in what author’s seven-book series? If you think you can conjure up an answer, shout it out! Is it: A) Dr. Suess B) Tom Clancy C) Beverly Cleary or D) J.K. Rowling. You’ve got three seconds, — GO! Many of you muggles probably knew this one before we gave you the choices. The young wizard’s writer is J.K. Rowling. That’s your answer and that’s your shoutout!

2007 Video Yearbook

AZUZ: It’s hard to believe that 2007 is almost over. But before we flip the calendar to ‘08, we want to take a look back at the people and events that have been in the headlines over the last 12 months. From a political crisis to presidential candidates, striking writers to best-selling wizards, you’ll find it all in our video yearbook.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

AZUZ: 2007 kicked off with a changing of the guard at the United Nations. Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon took over for Kofi Annan. The South Korean diplomat wants to streamline the U.N., making it a more efficient organization. In the states, history was made.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Madame speaker.

AZUZ: That was the first time anyone had ever used that phrase in that way, because it’s the first time the U.S. ever had a female Speaker of the House. And despite Pelosi’s opposition to the Iraq war. President Bush ordered a surge of an additional 30-thousand combat troops to the Gulf nation. General David Petraeus, the U.S. commander in Iraq, says they could be back home next summer. He also says that the surge largely met its military goals, helping decrease the violence in Iraq. However, there was a grim milestone for U.S. forces in January, when the military announced that 3,000 American troops had died in the war. The figure was approaching 4,000 by the end of this year. Iraq has factored in strongly to the ongoing presidential debates. With eyes firmly fixed on next year’s election, several candidates from the Republican and Democratic parties hit the campaign trail. Their sights set on President Bush’s job. They have to get their parties’ nominations first, though, and that process begins in early ‘08.

The plight of a five-year-old Iraqi boy named Youssif captured the nation’s, and your, attention. He was severely scarred during a brutal attack outside his Baghdad home. But after his story appeared on CNN and cnn.com, people around the world lent a helping hand.They donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to The Childrens Burn Foundation to bring Youssif and his family to the U.S. while he undergoes treatment, all free of charge to them. Tragedy struck Virginia Tech University in April, when a gunman killed 32 people before taking his own life. In the weeks and months that followed, security was increased. And the campus witnessed a unique determination in its students, when most of them returned to class and vowed to continue their education there. It was freak occurrence in Minnesota: In August, a major bridge over the Mississippi River collapsed during the evening rush hour in Minneapolis.13 people died in the incident. The president pledged government money to help rebuild the bridge, which was found to have problems back in 2001. Southern California suffered a series of wildfires that killed 14 people, charred hundreds of thousands of acres, and forced a million people from their homes. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger declared a state of emergency in November. And a term called MRSA, or ‘Super Bug,’ became a part of our vocabulary. It describes a kind of bacterial infection that’s virtually impossible to kill with conventional drugs. Places where a lot of people touch the same equipment are where MRSA can be found, so protect yourself by regularly washing your hands and keeping your cuts covered with clean bandages.

A couple of international headlines: Political changes in Britain and France. British Prime Minister Tony Blair, seen here on the right, stepped down after ten years on the job. Gordon Brown, on the left, took over Blair’s old post. And across the English Channel, President Jacques Chirac wrapped up 12 years in power, with Nicolas Sarkozy becoming the new French leader. Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf declared a state of emergency for 42 days while he sorted through a political uproar. Some had questioned his authority, since Pakistan’s constitution says you can’t be president and leader of the military at the same time. Musharraf stepped down as Pakistan’s military ruler, keeping his job as president, and scheduled new parliamentary elections for next month.

Finally, sports and entertainment: Controversial baseball slugger Barry Bonds officially became his sport’s all-time home run king in August.But in November, he was indicted on charges of lying to investigators, when he testified in 2003 that he did not knowingly take illegal steroids.Bonds was just one of more than 80 players linked to performance-enhancing drugs in what’s become known as the Mitchell report. Named for former Senator George Mitchell, who spent more than a year investigating the controversy. Another sports star in hot water: Atlanta Falcon Michael Vick. The NFL quarterback admitted to playing a key role in running an illegal dogfighting ring, and in December he was sentenced to a 23-month prison term. By now, many of you muggles have finished up the seventh book in the immensely popular Harry Potter series. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows marked the last installment in the Potter saga by British author J.K. Rowling. And speaking of writing, there ain’t much of that going on in Hollywood. Writers hit the picket lines in November, asking for more money for DVD and Internet distribution. TV shows took the first, immediate hit, though many of the late-night shows like Jay Leno and Conan O’Brien plan to return to the air without their writers in January.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

Planet in Peril Promo

AZUZ: Planet in Peril explores some of the environmental issues facing the earth, and next Tuesday, Christmas night, you can catch an encore showing on CNN. We’ve put together educational materials to go along with the program. You can find a link to them in the spotlight section of our home page: CNN Student News, dot com.

Best of Before We Go

AZUZ: All right, time to have a little fun. As promised, here are my top three picks for best before we go videos of the year. Behold the world’s ugliest dog. Its owner says some people mistake it for a monkey… Which I’d say, is a compliment. It’s half Chinese crested, half chihuahua, all nasty. One dude described the tongue as an unfinished fruit roll-up.Mmmm… Speaking of nasty. The only thing uglier than a Chihuahua, and I love them, is a chihuahua nursing squirrels! This dog actually helped rescue the rodents after their nest fell. Wonder if the other squirrels make fun of them, though, saying stuff like, dude, you were raised by a dog! and finally, your pick. A few folks wrote in on our blog that they wanted to see this cheerleader get decked again. Looks pretty violent, but we wouldn’t be showing it if she wasn’t completely fine afterward, however painful this looked. Props to her for taking one from the team. Props to you, for writing in to our blog!

Quotes of the Year

AZUZ: A lot of times, we use video and pictures to help tell a story. But words can be just as meaningful as images. And we couldn’t close the book on 2007 without remembering some of the best quotes from this past year.

AZUZ:

Goodbye

AZUZ: And that’ll be our last word for this year. We hope you have a very happy holidays, and a happy new year. Thanks for watching, everyone. We’ll see you in 2008. E-mail to a friend

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Spears’ network may air teen pregnancy show

(AP) — Nickelodeon is considering a special for its young audience about sex and love following the news that 16-year-old Zoey 101 star Jamie Lynn Spears is pregnant.

The television network has made no announcement about the future of Zoey 101, its popular program aimed primarily at youngsters aged 9-14. Filming for the show’s fourth and final season has finished, and episodes are scheduled to begin airing in February.

For the special, Nickelodeon said it’s talking with Linda Ellerbee, the veteran newswoman who has stepped in frequently in the past with shows on talking to children about difficult issues in the news. She’s done shows about same-sex parents, AIDS, the Columbine shooting and President Clinton’s impeachment scandal.

I think it’s important that something be done, Ellerbee told The Associated Press on Thursday. But I think it’s important that it be done in a measured way, and not just to feed the beast of news stories.

A Nickelodeon spokesman, Dan Martinsen, confirmed the discussions but said no decision had been made.

Spears, the younger sister of pop star Britney Spears, told the OK! celebrity magazine this week that she was pregnant. The father is her 18-year-old boyfriend, Casey Aldridge. She said she plans to raise the baby in her home state of Louisiana. Watch what could be next for her career

Nickelodeon has made no comment beyond a supportive statement for its star: We respect Jamie Lynn’s decision to take responsibility in this sensitive and personal situation. We know this is a very difficult time for her and her family, and our primary concern right now is for Jamie Lynn’s well being.

The company has received a mixed response so far from its viewers, and the news has launched a public discussion about how parents should deal with it.

This is a great opportunity for parents at this moment to talk to their kids about this — more important, to listen to their kids about this, Ellerbee said.

Rather than focus strictly on Spears, Ellerbee said she’s considering producing a broad discussion about how people know they’re in love, when is the right time to have sex and what are the value systems of their parents and friends. It could air as soon as next month.

Right now what Nick is trying to do — and what I am trying to do — is figure out what is the best thing to do for kids, she said.

One television critic, David Hinckley of the New York Daily News, wrote Thursday that to end this sordid moment with a lesson, Nickelodeon should pull the plug on Zoey 101.

If Nickelodeon keeps Jamie Lynn Spears because her product sells, it runs the risk that a valuable message it has spent years crafting could shift from `trust us’ to `whatever,’ Hinckley wrote.

Although Nick executives are still discussing the future of Zoey 101, it’s considered unlikely that it would shelve the final season. The third season ends Jan. 4 with a cliffhanger episode about whether Spears’ character continues to attend a boarding school in California or moves to London with her parents.

Executives at Nick’s rival Disney Channel had their own public relations crisis this summer, when Vanessa Hudgens, the 18-year-old star of its High School Musical franchise, posed for nude photos that were leaked to the Internet. Hudgens apologized, Disney stuck by her and the issue quickly faded. E-mail to a friend

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New Zealand rocked by 6.8 quake

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — A magnitude 6.8 earthquake off New Zealand’s east coast rocked much of mainland New Zealand on Thursday, emergency officials said.

No immediate tsunami warning was triggered at the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Hawaii by the offshore temblor. There were no immediate reports of casualties.

The quake, centered in the Hikurangi undersea trench off North Island hit at 8:55 p.m. local time (0755 GMT) and occurred 40 kilometers (25 miles) below the surface, the GNS Science geological agency reported.

It said the quake was located at sea some 50 kilometers (30 miles) southeast of the coastal city of Gisborne.

We have got a lot of damage and are still assessing the situation, police inspector Wata Shepherd said shortly after the quake cut power to the city’s business district.

Some roofs have collapsed, we are still trying to ascertain the amount of damage (to the city) but we have no injuries, he told the AP. E-mail to a friend

Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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