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First Up: Oil Rig Explosion

AZUZ: First up, we're heading to the Gulf of Mexico, where rescue crews are responding to an explosion. It happened at an oil rig late Tuesday night. There were 126 people on the rig when the fire broke out. The company that owns the rig says most of those people are safe. The Coast Guard was called in to help evacuate the area. Now in this video, you can see someone who was injured being pulled up into a rescue helicopter. At least 11 people were missing when we recorded this program yesterday evening.

Supreme Process

U.S. PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA: And while we cannot replace Justice Stevens's experience or wisdom, I will seek someone in the coming weeks with similar qualities. An independent mind, a record of excellence and integrity, a fierce dedication to the rule of law, and a keen understanding of how the law affects the daily lives of the American people.

AZUZ: President Obama, talking about what he's going to look for when he nominates someone to the Supreme Court of the United States. You heard him mention Justice Stevens. That's John Paul Stevens, who says he's retiring from the Supreme Court when the current term ends in June. Yesterday, President Obama met with Democratic and Republican leaders to talk about Justice Stevens's replacement. The president's started putting together a list of possibilities, but he doesn't get the final say. The president only nominates people to the U.S. Supreme Court. It is the Senate's job to confirm those nominees through a process that's called "advice and consent." White House officials say President Obama should pick his nominee for Justice Stevens's seat by next month.

Volcano Update

AZUZ: "Insignificant." The word that one expert used to describe the amount of ash coming out of a volcano in Iceland yesterday. Over the past week, this has forced the cancellation of thousands of flights. But as the volcano calmed down, the skies over Europe opened up again; they got busy. About 75 percent of the normal number of flights were expected to be in the air Wednesday. That is a huge relief for passengers who'd been stranded. One official said the crisis had grounded as many as 1.2 million travelers each day.

Shoutout

BARBARA HALL, CNN STUDENT NEWS: Today's first Shoutout goes out to Mrs. Frazier's economics and civics classes at Parchment High School in Parchment, Michigan! What word describes the fee someone pays for borrowing money? You know what to do! Is it: A) Accrual, B) Bonds, C) Security or D) Interest? You've got three seconds -- GO! When you borrow money, the additional fee you pay is called interest. That's your answer and that's your Shoutout!

GM Loan Payback

AZUZ: General Motors says it's paid off a loan in full, including interest. The company borrowed $6.7 billion from the U.S. and Canadian governments last year. That was part of a much larger deal to help keep General Motors from going out of business. The head of GM says the fact that the company was able to pay back the loan is a good sign that things are turning around.

Wall Street Reform

AZUZ: A bill aimed at making some reforms on Wall Street is making its way through the U.S. Senate. Yesterday, a committee passed a proposal that would try to prevent another financial meltdown and avoid bailouts for Wall Street like we've seen in the past couple years. Democrats and Republicans have disagreed over this financial reform issue, specifically, over what should and shouldn't be part of it. But after some negotiations, both sides are saying that compromise is possible.

New $100 Bill

AZUZ: Ben Franklin is busting out of his oval frame. It's part of a facelift for the $100 bill. The Treasury Department debuted the new look yesterday. It includes some new features that are designed to prevent counterfeiting, like a 3-D security ribbon that's inside the paper. This is the first redesign for the hundred since 1996.

Your Money

AZUZ: Well, when this Financial Literacy Month began, we asked for your questions about money. Anchor and chief business correspondent Ali Velshi has some answers for you!

ALI VELSHI, CNN ANCHOR AND CHIEF BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: The understanding of taking a portion of your money and putting it somewhere else where you cannot easily touch it, where you have to have a discussion with yourself or your parents about how you are going to spend that money, is brilliant.

AZUZ: What's also brilliant is that tomorrow on CNN Student News, you are going to find out what percentage of your money that he recommends you save! That, plus more monetary information coming at you in Friday's show.

Shoutout Extra Credit

JOHN LISK, CNN STUDENT NEWS: Time for a Shoutout Extra Credit! April 22, 1970 marked the first nationwide celebration of what? Is it: A) Armistice Day, B) Earth Day, C) Arbor Day or D) Groundhog Day? Another three seconds on the clock -- GO! April 22nd of 1970 marked the first national Earth Day. That's your answer and that's your Shoutout Extra Credit!

Town Goes Green

AZUZ: And that makes today the 40th annual Earth Day. Happy Earth Day. From the very beginning, the goal has been to raise awareness about environmental issues. To celebrate, we want to share the story of a town in Kansas. It was already green. But as it rebuilds from a natural disaster, the town is going greener. Tom Foreman unearths the details.

(BEGIN VIDEO)

TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The tornado that ripped through Greensburg three years ago was a swirling black cloud with winds exceeding 200 miles an hour. And it left this small town in ruins.

DANIEL WALLACH, GREENSBURG, GREEN TOWN: It was a 1.7-mile-wide tornado. And the town is 1.5 miles wide. So, there was just very little on the peripheries that survived.

FOREMAN: But the storm of rebuilding that Daniel Wallach and others have led since is proving just as powerful, only this one is green.

WALLACH: And so this town knew they had to have a unique identity.

FOREMAN: That's what you set out to do with this plan?

WALLACH: Yes.

FOREMAN: With the strong backing of the local government, this town is being rebuilt as a model of environmental sustainability. At the new school, drainage systems capture and conserve rainwater to feed the landscaping. Salvage wood covers the walls. Cabinets are made of wheat harvest leftovers. And natural light pours in everywhere. Superintendent Darin Headrick is expecting much lower power bills.

DARIN HEADRICK, SUPERINTENDENT: During the day, we won't even turn lights on here to have classes and activities during the day. Our classrooms are the same way. We really don't know if we'll have to turn a light switch on during the day in the classrooms.

FOREMAN: That's a big savings.

HEADRICK: Well, we hope.

FOREMAN: One of the town's many new wind turbines generates up to 30 percent of the new hospital's electricity, while power and water-saving utilities dominate. Mary Sweet runs the place.

Were you skeptical of this idea to begin with?

MARY SWEET, KIOWA COUNTY MEMORIAL HOSPITAL: Initially I was, yes. At first, I thought it was a gimmick, it was a way to build back and have people help us. But, like I mentioned, it's a roadmap of a way to follow in construction.

FOREMAN: And you think it's working now?

SWEET: It's working wonderfully, yes.

FOREMAN: And all over town, houses are springing up with eco-friendly designs. Like this model made of concrete filled with smart utilities feeding off solar cells, a machine that pulls drinking water from humidity in the air, and so much more.

What's going on up here?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, up here we have the rooftop garden.

FOREMAN: You're going to grow food for the house right up here?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. Absolutely.

FOREMAN: The payoff? By most accounts, this was a small, dying town before the storm. But with each new stage of the green comeback, it is being reborn. And every day, fewer folks are looking back.

WALLACH: With a name like Greensburg, you know, it was a natural fit.

FOREMAN: Tom Foreman, CNN, Greensburg, Kansas.

(END VIDEO)

National Park Week

AZUZ: We're gonna stick with the green theme. It's time for your daily dose of outdoor enthusiasm and more of our coverage of National Park Week! Today, we are making our way out west to the central part of California and Yosemite National Park. This is one of the most visited parks in the country. Yosemite covers about 1,200 square miles. It became a national park in 1890. It was named a World Heritage site in 1984. It is home to hundreds of different wildlife species, but Yosemite is most well known for its nature. We're talking about waterfalls, giant sequoia trees, towering granite cliffs, including Half Dome and El Capitan, which rises up more than 7,500 feet.

Before We Go

AZUZ: Well, before we go: mascots. They've got a lot of things they do to try to pump up a crowd. Start things off with some dancing. One of them tries to get a little fancy with a moonwalk. Down he goes, falling flat on his tail. His buddy comes over out of concern. He's ok! He's okay, everybody; gonna be ok! You wanna see this again? Because we do. Check this out. You start the dance on top of the dugout, and you finish it inside the dugout.

Goodbye

AZUZ: It was the failed moonwalk. One small step for mascots. One giant laugh for mankind. CNN Student News steps back up to the plate tomorrow. We'll see you then.