CNN news 2013-09-06 加文本

cnn news 2013-09-06

CARL AZUZ, cnn ANCHOR: It`s a new day, a new week, and for some of you, a new school year. Welcome. And thank you for starting it with cnn STUDENT NEWS. First up today, we`re talking about the Middle Eastern nation of Syria. Its president, Bashar al-Assad, says the Middle East will explode if Syria is attacked. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry says samples from inside Syria tested positive for signatures of Sarin gas, that`s a chemical weapon. The U.S. has considered taking action against Syria and moved warships into the area near the country. Congress has the power to declare war, but the president can order a military strike. Jim Acosta reports on "What`s Going On."

JIM ACOSTA, cnn CORRESPONDENT: In a city that feasts on political theater, it was high drama just passed high noon, as President Obama told the world he had pulled back from the brink of a military strike against Syria.

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: I will seek authorization for the use of force from the American people`s representatives in Congress.

ACOSTA: Aides to the president say Mr. Obama decided to go in a different direction at almost a last minute. An approximately 6 P.M. Friday, the president made the stunning change in plans to seek congressional authorization.

JOHN KERRY, SECRETARY OF STATE: The question is what are we, we collectively, what are we in the world are going to do about it?

ACOSTA: Just hours before the president`s abrupt move, Secretary Kerry had made a passionate case for urgent action, but aides say what Kerry and the rest of the president`s team didn`t know, is that Mr. Obama had been privately kicking around the idea of seeking approval from Congress for days, as Kerry was turning up the heat, the president seemed to be turning it down.

OBAMA: I`m very clear that the world generally is war-weary, certainly the United States has gone through over a decade of war. The American people understandably want us to be focused on the business of rebuilding our economy here and putting people back to work. And I assure you nobody ends up being more war-weary than me.

ACOSTA: The debate that counts is the one to come. In Congress, where lawmakers from both parties still have questions.

SEN. TED CRUZ, (R ) TEXAS: In my view, U.S. military forces justified only to protect the vital national security interest of the United States. And to date, the administration has not focused on those interests.

REP. CHARLES RANGEL, (D) NEW YORK: I don`t see where America is threatened. I don`t see where our national security is threatened. And perhaps, between now and the time we get back in September, 9, the president will have information that would allow the Congress to effectively see where this danger is.

ACOSTA: Administration officials say the president still reserves the right to take military action as one top official put it, the commander-in- chief still has the authority to act, even if Congress says no.

AZUZ: Officials in Japan reported jumping radiation levels at the Fukushima Nuclear Power plant. It had a meltdown after an earthquake and tsunami struck in 2011. These measurements were taken in pipes and containers holding contaminated water. Radiation is the flow of atomic particles and waves, it`s measured in the unit called milliSieverts. In an industrialized nation, like the U.S. or Japan, people are naturally exposed to about 3 milliSieverts per year. The highest reading at one of these tanks, 1800 milliSieverts per hour. High doses of radiation can lead to a wide array of health problems. They can potentially be deadly. The company that owns the Fukushima Plant says it`s confident that it can keep workers safe while they deal with the problem. Radiation can also spread. This animation shows how radiation from Fukushima makes its way across the Pacific Ocean. Experts say, the contamination is reduced, though, as it spreads out across the water.

The first time Diana Nyad tried to swim from Cuba to Florida, she had to stop because of rough waters. That was in 1978, when she was 29 years old. On Saturday, the 64- year old jumped into the water for her fifth attempt. On past swims, Nyad ran in the problems with jellyfish, severe stings cut her third an fourth attempts short. This time, Nyad wore a special suite and mask for protection. The path from Havana to Key West was around 100 miles. It was estimated that Nyad would take about 80 hours to make it, she did it in 53, walking onto the beach Monday afternoon. Diana Nyad is the first person ever to swim from Cuba to Florida without a protective shark cage.