CNN 2011-12-20

 In fact,the bill of rights was ratified 1 on this very day back in 1791.There are 27 amendments 2 to the US constitution.The bill of rights includes the first 10.You know some of the big ones:freedom of religion and speech,protection from having to testify against yourself,protection from cruel and unusual punishment.The bill of rights also includes:freedom from unreasonable 4 search and seizure,the right to a trial by jury,the right to a speedy trial,the right to bear arms.The bill of rights was created because some folks're worried the constitution outlined the rights of the Federal government,but not the rights of the people.

NBA had to cancel part of its season because of a lockout,but when the league does start back up later this month,it's gonna have something new-a program on player concussions 6.The NBA announced the new plan on Monday.Its goal is to protect players from the long-term impact of these head injuries.The other major US pro 3 sports leagues have their own concussion 5 policies,the NBA's went into effect last Friday when training camps opened.Dr.Sunjay Gupta talks a litte bit about how it works.they are now gonna have a standardized 7 testing for players before they start the season.That testing is gonna be done every year,and this seems to be a common theme,because of sometimes the vagueness of concussion symptoms.What we're talking about here is testing all the players at the beginning of the season and then if there's some suspicion of a concussion,doing another exam and comparing the two.That's something we keep hearing about in the NFL as well,and that seems to be the beat way to try and take out some of the vagueness of concussion testing.
Today shoutout goes out to Mr Hutton and Ms Shaler's humanities classes at Mckinley Middle school in Racine Wisconsin.What do crude oil,wheat and silver all have in common? Are they all commodities,dividends,renewable resources or non-renewable resources.You've got 3 seconds,go! They are all commodities that can be bought and sold.That's your answer and that's your shoutout.
Commodities play a big part in our next 2 stories.The first one,Poppy Harlow looks at the land that some of these commodities are grown on.Some investors 8 think their money is better spend out in the fields than on the floor of the stock market right now.But critics warn those purchases come with their own risks.After decades of trading stocks and fighting the wild swings of the markets,Dave Erickson saw something he liked a whole-lot better.We are in plainfield in Ilinois,southwest of Chicago.Farmland.It's something that you can hold onto and it's real.This year he and his partners spent 11 million dollars buying 735 acres of farmland right outside Chicago.We're looking at it as a investment with the future growth and the builders returning.This one is_for a single family home and town home.Brokers 9 like Keith Warpinski sold land like this to developers at steep prices during the housing boom.I sold land in the 50,60,70 thousand per acreage 4,5,6 years ago.But then came the bust 10.Now those prices're so depressed,you're buying land for 10,15,20 thousand per acre.This property was close to 100,000 an acre,100,000 an acre,100,000.When,just 5 years ago,and what did you buy it for,I bought this one for 171,17,000.Developers may have been hurt in the financial meltdown,but land for farming is in real demand.According to the Chicago fed,farmland prices here in Illinois are up 23 percent in just the last year.High commodity prices and low interest rates are feeding demand,but so is fear.There's not a lot of other things out there that people trust.They know if they buy a farm,it's gonna be there.But buyer,beware! You have to plan for these worst-case scenarios 11.Bill Isaac was chair of the FDIC when the farmland bubble burst in the 80s.Does this feel like we are on the cusp of something similar,I think we could be,we're not there yet,we gotta get interest rates up higher at some point,significangtly higher and people who're buying land which is illiquid need to take that into account that agriculture prices may come down and they have to count and to factor that into their equation.But whether to grow or to build,land is back in fashion.
Our next story takes us across the Atlantic Ocean to Norway.The commodity we are considering here is butter,it's important for baking,especially if you're making any Chrismas cookies.But first you need to get it and that's the problem.Norway is facing a butter shortage.Couple reasons for that,people have been using more butter for low-carb diets and making natural home-cooked meals.And Norway has lower milk production this year.Any of you taking economics knows this is affecting prices as well.Higher demand and lower supply means the price of butter has shot way up.In some places,more than 30 times the normal price. 
Over years,greeters in Maine have welcomed US troops returning home.A pair of pups have been at the end of that line of greeters for the past year and a half.Opie and Skylar are therapy dogs.Some troops say that playing with the four-leged friends provides comfort.The dogs'owner says little guys know it's time to work when those hardnesses go on.They don't bark,eat or jump on anyone.Opie and Skylar have met more than 500 flights which means they have quite the tale to tell.
That's all the time we have for now.Check out our blog at CNN Student News.com.We're asking about what you're looking forward to in 2012.You'll see some students'answers in tomorrow's show.I'm Carl Azuz.