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It`s Friday the 13th and still awesome.
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I`m Carl Azuz with CNN STUDENT NEWS.
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In the eastern Missouri city of Ferguson,
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police say two officers guarding a police station
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were ambushed and shot on Tuesday.
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They both survived,
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but this is just the latest round of violence in a tense suburb in America.
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It started last August, when a white police officer named Darren Wilson shot
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and killed an unarmed 18-year-old named Michael Brown.
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Large protests followed, with demonstrators saying racism
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factored into the shooting and the investigation.
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Some protests were violent.
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A grand jury later cleared Officer Wilson of any wrongdoing.
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That led to another wave of protests.
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Parts of the city were damaged or burned.
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The U.S. Justice Department also investigated Brown`s shooting.
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It said Officer Wilson did not break federal civil rights law
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in a way that could be prosecuted. It didn`t charge him.
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But it did release a report
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that said it found regular racial discrimination in Ferguson,
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both by police and the city`s court system.
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Earlier this week, Ferguson`s police chief resigned.
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The shooting of the two officers happened at the end of a protest.
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Afterward, everyone from the police to Michael Brown`s parents
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to U.S. government officials spoke out against the shooting.
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Authorities launched a manhunt for the attackers.
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Israel is gearing up for national elections.
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They`re set to take place next Tuesday.
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The country is a parliamentary democracy.
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Voters choose members of parliament.
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The parliament then selects the prime minister, who leads the country.
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Israel is a close U.S. ally in the Middle East,
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so leaders around the world are keeping track of this upcoming vote.
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Less than a week before the election,
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Benjamin Netanyahu is on the ropes.
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The latest polls show the prime minister running
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behind a little known mild-mannered politician.
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Now, the prospect of a major upset at the hands of Isaac Herzog,
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known as Bougie.
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There`s fatigue.
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There`s a lot of disappointment by Benjamin --
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from Benjamin Netanyahu. I think his era is over.
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Focused more on his current job,
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Netanyahu has done little grand-handing,
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but has been quick to blame, today pointing to a, quote,
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"worldwide effort to unseat him."
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Campaign officials say money from around the world,
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much of it from the U.S., is funding a grassroots get out the vote drive,
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called V15 with one goal -- get rid of Bebe.
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After six years, Netanyahu`s relentless focus on security
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seems to be falling flat among many Israelis,
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who want a leader to not only keep them safe,
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but deal with rising food and housing prices,
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health care and welfare reform.
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And the increasing inequalities within the Israeli economy,
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the emergence and the widening of the gulf
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between the haves and the have-nots.
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There, he`s vulnerable in these elections.
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Tens of thousands of people filled Rabin Square in Tel Aviv
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this weekend to drive home that message at an anti-Netanyahu rally.
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In his final push before election day,
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the prime minister has doubled down on his security platform,
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with a major speech to the U.S. Congress
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on the threat Israel faces from Iran...
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I feel a profound obligation to speak to you
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about an issue that could well threaten the survival
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of my country and the future of my people.
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-- and hedging on his commitment to a peace
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deal with the Palestinians leading to a two-state solution.
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Herzog says Netanyahu has an empty brand,
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warning about growing tensions with the U.S.,
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Israel`s closest ally, under his leadership.
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I think that he failed. And I`m trying to call his bluff on it.
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But the Netanyahu campaign thinks they have the winning hand,
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,with the Iranian nuclear threat and Islamic extremism
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engulfing the Middle East, aides say, at the end of the day,
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when voters go to the polls, they really realize
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they feel safer with the prime minister.
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And they hope that is their full house.
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Elise Labott, CNN, Jerusalem.
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From Southeast Asia to Northeast America,
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it`s time for the CNN STUDENT NEWS Roll Call.
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We`ll start in Ho Chi Minh City.
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It`s in Southern Vietnam
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and it`s where The Schools of North America are watching.
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Stateside, Olathe is a city in Eastern Kansas.
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It`s also the home of The Timberwolves,
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the mascot of Mission Trail Middle School.
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And Boonton is located in Northern New Jersey.
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Great to see our viewers at Sage Day High School.
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It`s the home of The Arctic Fox.
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It was a major accomplishment for the European Space Agency.
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Last November, after 10 years of traveling,
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an ESA vehicle landed on a comet.
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The vehicle is named Philea and it was the first time ever
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that something built by humans made a soft landing on a comet.
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But it didn`t quite go as planned.
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Philea was supposed to use harpoons
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and screws to secure itself in place. That didn`t happen.
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Scientists believe Philea bounced and wound up in a shadow.
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Because it`s solar-powered, that`s a problem.
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Its batteries soon ran out, putting the mission on hold.
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But there`s a ray of hope for the $233 million lander.
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Who could forget this scene,
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scientists geeking out over a spectacular landing.
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But then it bounced and now it`s dark.
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We have to be a bit patient right now.
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With a dead battery and no 310 million mile long jumper cables available,
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scientists at Germany`s aerospace center have some time on their hands.
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Until the lander gets enough sunlight,
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the comet is approaching the sun,
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so that we can reactivate it.
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While they wait for Philea`s ticker to tick again,
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scientists are paying great attention to
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what the lander has already sniffed up.
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Comet 67P, as it`s known,
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dates back to the early days of the solar system.
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All comets are believed to contain an abundance of organic matter,
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which Philea has just begun to crack.
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It`s already found a carbon element in those
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molecules that is the basis of life.
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Comet 67P and Philea are getting closer to the sun.
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And scientists are hoping its rays will rekindle a dead battery
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and give new life to this remarkable project.
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Fighting hunger, reuniting soldiers with the dogs they left behind,
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helping heal wounded troops --
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these are some of the achievements of CNN Heroes,
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folks who took a step to help others and wound up changing lives.
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It doesn`t always take money or trips across oceans, though.
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Sometimes, it just takes a book.
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And that pretty much covers the subject of today`s Character Study.
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I`ve always loved to read. It kind of takes you to a different place.
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My mom told me when I was eight that some kids don`t have books.
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And that shocked me because everybody should have the option to read.
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So I started by just doing a small book drive
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and then told my parents that I wanted to collect
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and distribute one million books to kids in need by the time I turn 18.
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So welcome to the Reading Warehouse.
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I was 13 when I reached my goal.
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We`ve given books to about 16 countries and 40 states.
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Meeting the teachers, it`s amazing,
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because I hear all about the kids they serve.
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Thank you, sweetie. Thank you for your good work.
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It`s so much fun to see how reading is impacting the community.
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Good afternoon, sixth grade.
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Good afternoon.
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We have about 1,280 students,
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a large homeless and highly mobile population.
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They`re in great need.
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When Maria Keller came to my school, I was so excited.
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And she just gave us books for free and it was amazing.
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Literacy is so important in education.
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I want kids to have a better life.
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I know that reading can do that.
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Before we go, my producer had me at Agility Pig.
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Now, maybe she`s not as fast as your average Border collie,
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but her owner says she`s incredibly smart,
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the smartest dog she`s ever trained.
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And since the woman who runs the class doesn`t discriminate,
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the pig is encouraged to learn the ins and outs of agility.
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Her motivation is food.
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While dogs eventually live for the acclaim of their owners,
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the pig just wants to pig out.
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And she doesn`t exactly hoof it when she hoofs it.
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That`s snout what she`s about.
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But if you could pair her pro-pigsity for learning with the speed of when pigs fly,
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it would be a porcine for dog owners.
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They`d be hog-tied while you`d be bacon records.
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I`m Carl Azuz, hamming it up for CNN STUDENT NEWS.