CNN news 2014-02-20 加文本

cnn news 2014-02-20

CARL AZUZ, cnn ANCHOR: Welcome back to cnn STUDENT NEWS. Ten minutes of commercial-free headlines for the classroom. I`m Carl Azuz. Thank you for watching.

First up today, unrest in Venezuela. South American country is officially a federal republic. That means, the central government`s power is limited and voters may choose their representatives. But in recent years, the power of Venezuela`s government has increased. It`s moved towards socialism, taking over control of TV stations, food companies, oil companies. The country`s president Nicolas Maduro has followed in the footsteps of former president Hugo Chavez. A controversial leader who envisioned a socialist Venezuela.

The U.S. State Department recently said it was concerned about protests going on in the country. Afterward, Venezuelan President Maduro kicked out three U.S. diplomats, and the protests continue.

JIM CLANCY, cnn CORRESPONDENT: The streets of Caracas have resembled a war zone. Thousands of anti-government protesters met with water cannons and armed security forces. Buildings scarred with bullet holes.

These protests began last week when students organized against rising crime, food shortages and high inflation.

At more than 56 percent, Venezuela has one of the highest inflation rates in the world.

DANIELLA ROJAS, PROTESTER (through translator): We are here because we hope we can have enough goods, supplies and a safe environment to live in. We also expect quality education.

CLANCY: President Nicolas Maduro met the opposition with a rally of his own and is not backing down.

PRES. NICOLAS MADURO, VENEZUELA, (through translator): I will continue in power, because the people (inaudible) power. On this constitution I swear, I swear and I will swear, nothing will take me off the road of building the Bolivarian revolution that Hugo Chavez left us.

CLANCY: Maduro has the media on a tight leash. The Maduro government threatened legal action for what it called "media manipulation against Venezuela. And attacks on V-TV, the government run television station.

While Maduro can still count on a loyal following of Chavistas, supporters of former president Hugo Chavez, Venezuela`s youth refused to back down.

Jim Clancy, cnn.

AZUZ: There are often obstacles in the Olympics, and not just in the events themselves. Yesterday, when it was time for men`s biathlon and snowboard cross in Sochi, Russia, there was this: fog, lots of fog. Thick fog. It caused the events to be postponed. It was the second day in a row this had happened to the biathlon. American snowboarder Nate Holland said, this is pretty common. Mother Nature doesn`t always cooperate. It doesn`t seem to matter much to the Americans or the Russians. Late yesterday afternoon, the two countries were living the overall Olympic medal count, with 18 medals each. Netherlands was close behind with 17 overall medals, and Norway and Canada had 15 medals each.

Germany had 13 medals total, but eight of them were gold. Germany was leading in gold medals alone.

Some call it the winter blues. If you`re - just not feeling yourself when the days are short, the weather is cold, the sunlight is weak. It`s not just about one hibernate in winter time. For those who feel depressed this time of year or have symptoms of it. There`s a medically recognized reason - and thankfully, there are some easy ways to deal with it.

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, cnn CORRESPONDENT: Even if you love the cold and winter sports, you`ve got to admit, this had felt like a long winter. AT least 12 million Americans suffer from something known as seasonal affective disorder, or SAD. Numbers probably even higher than that. Longer nights, shorter days. All that leads to a chemical imbalance in the brain. What happens, is your serotonin levels are down, and melatonin, which makes you sleepy, that`s up, to make sense. Symptoms can be mild or severe. You can get fatigue, lack of energy, oversleeping, difficulty concentrating. And also, cravings for food that cause waking. That probably sounds familiar as well. Diet and exercise can always help. Also, get outside as much as you can. You can also get a specialty designed light box. You just sit there and stare at it for a while each day, or at least put it on your desk. The point is, you can get a boost of more natural light. Worst case, some doctors may recommend antidepressants or psychotherapy to help you get through this. Another tidbit, find things that bring you joy. Open up the blinds in your house, play some of your favorite music and be with your family. Laughter and togetherness are always great therapy for the winter blues.