A national soda tax would be...

Helpful

Harmful

Can't decide

or see results

There are federal taxes on alcohol and tobacco, and there seems to be a growing call for a national tax on sodas and sugary drinks.  Congress isn't debating a specific law on this now, but if it were to pass one, it would mean that you'd have to pay more for pop.

Many people blame sugary drinks for obesity, saying they add calories that consumers don't burn off.  Supporters of a tax say it would both discourage people from drinking excessive sodas and bring in billions of dollars for the government.  Critics of the idea say that sodas are harmless in moderation and that people should be free to drink them without any added costs.  Also, raising prices on anything during a recession is an extremely unpopular idea.

Weigh in on which argument you side with.

Carl Azuz, Anchor

My guess is that a lot of you will side with Dustin Reader, who loves the Cincinnati Bengals so much that he had their logo shaved into his hair.  But the thing is, his school had warned him about his hair before.  So there's a good chance that Dustin knew it could've been against the code of conduct when he got his Bengals haircut.

Well, it landed him in in-school, but he's definitely gotten people talking.  His father believes the haircut is an example of freedom of expression, but that freedom (as you already know) is sometimes limited when you're in school.  So it's a question of whether the haircut is worth the hassle.  It seems to be for Dustin.  Would it be for you?

Carl Azuz, Anchor

On September 11, 2001, 2752 people were killed when two planes were deliberately crashed into New York City's World Trade Center. In today’s show, we report on Attorney General Eric Holder’s decision regarding five alleged terrorists with ties to the 9/11 attacks. They will be tried in a New York civilian court blocks away from where the Twin Towers once stood. Some disagree with this decision, saying that suspected terrorists should be tried in a military court at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. They raise security concerns about having terrorist suspects on American soil. Defendants in a civil trial will have the Constitutional protections given to any U.S. citizen. One Congressman says he's concerned that could result in shorter sentences.

9/11 is, without a doubt, the most significant date in my lifetime, so many Americans are interested in this trial. It’s your turn! Tell us where you stand in this important debate: Do you think that terrorist suspects should be brought to America to stand trial under the U.S. Constitution, or in a military trial?

John Martin, Writer

Historian and Latta Plantation tour guide Ian Campbell said, "I was trying to be historically correct, not politically correct."

Charlotte NAACP President Kojo Nantambu said, "You want to be more sensitive than you want to be politically correct or historically correct."

What was your feeling on the controversial history lesson featured on Friday's show?

Carl Azuz, Anchor

We've covered a variety of stories this week about heroes - and different kinds of them.  On Tuesday, you learned about a teenager who founded a great cause after losing part of his legs.  On Veterans Day, we paid tribute to all of America's heroes who've served in the Armed Forces.  And on Thursday, you hear about a Pakistani custodian who reportedly sacrificed his life to protect students from a suicide bomber.

To me, all of these stories feature heroes.  How would you define a hero?

Carl Azuz, Anchor

Veterans Day is this Wednesday, and I'd like to include some of your words in our special report.  It's okay if you don't personally know someone who's served in the U.S. Armed Forces.  We'd just like to hear what you'd say to thank America's veterans for their service, regardless of when or where they served.

Please tell us here, and then be sure to watch on November 11 to see if your comment appears on CNN Student News!

Carl Azuz, Anchor

When I first read Friday's story about Marcus Jordan's Nikes causing contract problems for the University of Central Florida, I wondered what the big deal was.  Can't a student player wear whatever shoes he wants on the court?  Then, I found out that Adidas gave his school uniforms, equipment and shoes - as long as UCF players wore Adidas apparel.  So when Marcus chose to play with UCF, he was probably expected, like the other UCF players, to lace up in Adidas.

It was an unusual choice for him to have:  whether to wear his father's namesake Air Jordans or to wear his school's Adidas-sponsored sneakers.  What choice would you have made?

Carl Azuz, Anchor

What would you do?

Return the ring

Keep the ring

Not sure

or see results

Let's say you've just rung every doorbell in the neighborhood, gotten enough candy to fill a dump truck, and stumbled home to eat it.  You spill out chocolates and mints and gum and candy corn on the kitchen table, and something shiny catches your eye:  Gleaming among all the brightly colored wrappers is a three-diamond, anniversary ring.  It's as surprising to see as it is beautiful to look at.  Maybe you even try it on to see how it fits.

Then, the next day on the news, you hear about a woman who thinks the ring accidentally slipped off her finger while she was handing out candy.  She's in good spirits, but the ring holds both sentimental and monetary value, and the woman is hoping and praying she gets it back.

Now it's on you:  You know you've got it, and you know it's worth something, and you know who lost it.  What do you do?

Carl Azuz, Anchor

The costumes can get really creative, and the parties can be fun.  But there's a time every year when I wish I were younger, and that time is Halloween.  Why?  Because I miss trick-or-treating.

My friends and I would get the biggest pillowcases we could find and then stuff them with candy from every house in every nearby neighborhood.  We'd collect enough to last through Christmas.  Sure, it got stale after a couple weeks, but does that ever stop you from eating it?

Let us know how you spent your Halloween, wherever you spent it!

Carl Azuz, Anchor

One thing I've learned while anchoring this show is that y'all like to comment on controversy.  You'll see one of those on Friday in the story about how kids older than five are no longer allowed to use a park in Kensington, Maryland between 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.

The reasons why are outlined in the report, along with the problems created by the new rule.  Do you see any problems with it?  Or do you think that Kensington should keep the rule in place?

Carl Azuz, Anchor