CNN 2012-01-14

 This is CNN Student News and a little while we are going to talk about milestone 1 for the US debt. But first up today, we are heading to the Middle East. Violence is the daily part of life in some regions of Syria. Protesters have fighting with government forces there for months. The protesters want Syrian president Bashar Assad out of power. The government has cracked down on the protesters. There are reports that thousands of people have been killed. It has been hard for CNN to confirm those reports, because Syria wasn't letting international journalists into the country. That changed yesterday, a CNN crew was allowed in the Syria, it's saw protesters rallies like these. Some of the rallies were against president Bashar Assad, but others were supported him. Nick Robinson said what he witness was the country, it is deeply divided. "Passion was very high. People was very angry, they were very afraid. A lot of people were coming, I am showing what they said, were bullet wounds, birdshot wounds involve some people shot. What the - him shot by - law for the government. Yet the same time, in the - today was the large pro-government rallies people telling us they - president Bashar Assad what is happening get this country is dividing a -. People are believing opposite things. Some believe that the president is the - man for the country. The others don't and not talking to each other unless it ready leading to a much more divided country the new - months ago."

Iran says it is enriching uranium, it's a part of its controversial program. Iran says its nuclear program is the sign for peaceful purposes like its medical needs. But other countries including the United States believed Iran could be making nuclear weapons. And attention has isolated 2 Iran from some other countries. But Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is getting some international support during the trip to Latin America, staring in Venezuela. Ahmadinejad and Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez come from different cultures but both - with the United States. President Chavez welcomed to president Ahmadinejad in the ceremony yesterday. But one minute's politician called the Iranian leader's visit and embarrassed man for Venezuela.
What's the word? It's the total value of all goods and services that a country produces in a year. Well, Gross Domestic Product or GDP. That's the word.
And that doesn't just mean the government produces. The gross domestic product includes all of the goods and services that private companies sell too. Right now, the US GDP is around fifteen point three trillion dollars. And that is about what the country's debt is. It is the milestone we mentioned to the start of today show. America's debt, the money that the federal government owns is right around that fifteen point three trillion dollar mark. Some experts say in fact, the debt and GDP are in the same level shows how important is for the American government to deal with its financial problems. Next step, we are heading back out on the presidential campaign trail last week. Iowa held caucuses 3 is probably meetings or Republican voters announced their presidential preferences. The state, the spotlight 4 today is New Hampshire. It's holding the primary where voters each cast a single private ballot 5. The Republican candidates - many of them here. They have been now trying the rally support. Former Massachusetts governor Mitt 6 Romney has had a big lead in polls of New Hampshire. He has a kind of home field advantage since he was the governor of the state right next store. But other candidates can use the strong showing in New Hampshire to get some momentum 7 going into the next primary contests.
Many Americans is working in the winter less wonder land. Snow - Iowa don't have enough snow -. Lake - hasn't  frozen yet. Chicago is seeing what is the least snowy winters ever. Many - blamed something called La Nina, that's a weather pattern that starts in the Pacific Ocean and there are saying that's the reason why that has been sort of warm, snowless winter in many places. There are some exceptions - saying in today before we go segment, but over in four months, case meet - at affiliated 8 WCAX shows how some snows starts struggling.