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Michael Richards' Rant; Israeli Attacks; Islam and Christianity
Aired November 26, 2006 - 22:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: Good-bye hugs and kisses. Thanksgiving weekend has come to an end. We're going to show you who's having the most trouble getting home.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Do you see yourself as a symbol of this bigger issue now?
MICHAEL RICHARDS, COMEDIAN: Perhaps a voice that got it in motion.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LIN: Also, shock, remorse, then apologies. Comedian Michael Richards goes on Jesse Jackson's radio show to share he real reasons for his racist outburst.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (INAUDIBLE) Does God hate me because I'm gay?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LIN: And why are people asking a squirrel questions about God? You'll find out.
You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.
Welcome to the NEWSROOM, your connection to the world, the Web, and what's happening right now. I'm Carol Lin. You've been busy today, so let's get you plugged in.
And leading the headlines tonight, definitely not a warm welcome here. Pope Benedict XVI is visiting Turkey on Tuesday. And plenty of people there are not happy about it. About 25,000 protestors marched through Istanbul on Sunday. And CNN's Anderson Cooper is there. You're going to hear from him in just a few minutes.
Target Taliban. NATO troops clashed with Taliban fighters in southern Afghanistan this weekend. At least 50 militants were killed, along with a NATO soldier.
And Reverend Al Sharpton leading a rally in New York City on Sunday. He wants to know why police opened fire on an unarmed man on his wedding day. A full report on the shooting and some possible punishment, coming up.
A Honolulu police officer who helped protect the president last week has died. 30-year-old Steve Favella crashed his motorcycle while escorting President Bush's motorcade on Hickham Airforce Base. Favella broke his pelvis and suffered internal injuries. President and Mrs. Bush expressed their condolences in a White House statement tonight.
And Michael Richards is sorry, he is shattered and he's healing. The actor appeared on the Reverend Jesse Jackson's weekly radio show this morning doing damage control after his racial outburst on stage. Jackson says he hopes the incident will spark a national dialogue over use of the 'n' word.
And that brings us to our last call question tonight. Do you accept Michael Richard's explanation? Give us a call at 1-800-807- 2620 and we're going to air some of your responses at the end of the program.
Also right now is your turn to choose the news. Is there a particular story that you want to hear more about? Well, e-mail us at weekends@cnn.com. Or you can send us your video or webcam suggestions at cnn.com/exchange. We're going to get you the answer within the hour.
In the meantime, the big travel weekend is practically over. And for most people, it was a smooth traveling holiday. The weather cooperated in most of the country and major U.S. airports avoided extreme delays. We're going to preview your Monday morning travel conditions and wrap up the remaining bottlenecks in just a few minutes.
But first, we want a story -- start with a story that everyone is talking about. We're talking about comedian Michael Richards still trying to repair the damage done last week by his racist rant at an L.A. comedy club.
Richards, who played Kramer on "Seinfeld", was a guest today on the Reverend Jesse Jackson's radio show. And we want to warn you, the following report by Brooke Anderson contains language some of you may find disturbing.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MICHAEL RICHARDS, COMEDIAN: I know I've hurt them very, very deeply. And now I can say I am deeply sorry for this.
BROOKE ANDERSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Michael Richards is apologizing once again for his racist rant at a comedy club in Los Angeles.
RICHARDS: I'm shattered by it, the way this came through me, it was like a freight train.
ANDERSON (on camera): Richards came here to Premiere Radio Networks to sit face-to-face with Jesse Jackson on his nationally syndicated radio show "Keep Hope Alive" to personally ask for forgiveness from the African-American community.
JESSE JACKSON, REVEREND: You used the word nigger and then the lynching scene. I mean, have you been here before?
RICHARDS: No, no, no, no, no. That's the first time for me to talk to an African-American like that. That's a first time for me.
ANDERSON (voice-over): But this isn't the first time he's said I'm sorry. This latest act of contrition comes nearly a week after Richards appearance on "The Late Show with David Letterman." It wasn't well-received.
SINBAD, COMEDIAN: The apology was a piece of trash. You can't go on Letterman. I said that's the punk way out.
ANDERSON: CNN was the only media outlet allowed into Jackson's radio show, which included a call from Al Sharpton and featured comic Paul Mooney and two NCAA leaders in studio. We were asked to film the interview, but at the very last minute before the show went on the air, Richards became extremely uncomfortable with the presence of the cameras. And we were told they were no longer permitted. Richards did allow brief filming only during a commercial break.
Do you see yourself as a symbol of this bigger issue now?
RICHARDS: Perhaps a voice that got it in motion.
ANDERSON: Following the show, Richards spoke exclusively to CNN about what he plans to do next.
RICHARDS: Personal work, deep personal work.
ANDERSON: As in therapy, psychology?
RICHARDS: Yes, to get to the depths of my anger, the issues of anger. I'm seeing someone now.
ANDERSON: OK.
RICHARDS: The African-American community has -- I mean the leadership has opened up the healing. And for that, I'm grateful.
ANDERSON: Community leaders hope the healing extends to everyone, not just Michael Richards.
WILLIS EDWARDS, NAACP: We have to begin at home, too within our own community and begin today stamping out using that word called the "n" word. We hope that everybody across American would join us and never allow their children, allowing themselves to use the "n" word.
RONALD HASSON, NAACP: This word has no place in our society.
ANDERSON: Brooke Anderson, CNN, Hollywood.
(END VIDEOTAPE) LIN: The Reverend Jesse Jackson had more to say about his meeting with Michael Richards. He appeared on CNN earlier today. And Jackson says he is hopeful that Richards can find healing. He also is concerned about the larger problem of racism in society.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JESSE JACKSON, REV., CIVIL RIGHTS ACTIVIST: He is a symbol of a deeper malady in our culture. It is Richards one day, but it's Harold Ford running a magnificent campaign for Senate and then the Republicans party uses a race bait to, in fact, diminish his chances of winning that Senate seat. It's how we respond to Katrina. It's lack of a commitment to enforce civil rights laws. Somehow we as a nation must come to grips with the impact of this - of our malady of this kind of anti black mania. We deserve all to be better.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LIN: Also tonight, I spoke with Charles Steele, president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. That's the organization founded by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Now Mr. Steele told me that Michael Richards' comments highlight the deep rooted problem of racism.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHARLES STEELE, SCLC PRESIDENT: We need to reach out to Mr. Richards. First of all, he made the first step. He admitted that he did something terribly wrong. He apologized. We have to accept that.
But it goes deeper and further than that. And not only with Mr. Richards. There are others. Once they are pressurized and made...
LIN: Right.
STEELE: ...to feel uncomfortable, then this kind of...
LIN: Comes out.
STEELE: And we can't make this word to accessible to people as we have been. It's too relaxed in our society, even in the African- American community.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LIN: One more note about my conversation with Charles Steele. When I asked him if he believed Michael Richards when he said he regrets his racist comments, Steele told me yes, I believe him.
Now a stunning example of faiths colliding. Thousands in Turkey protest Pope Benedict's upcoming visit. Coming up, we'll talk live with an imam and a Catholic priest for their thoughts.
And millions of Americans traveled this weekend for the holidays. Did delays ruin their return home? JACQUI JERAS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: And I'm meteorologist Jacqui Jeras in the CNN Weather Center. We'll talk about the impact of our storm across much of the West and what can you expect when you head back to reality? Tomorrow you're back to work forecast. That's coming up tonight.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
TIME STAMP: 2211:25
LIN: And we're watching holiday traffic as people are winding their way home, taking a look at the Bay Bridge and the San Francisco bridge. Everything looks pretty smooth moving there in northern California. Beautiful night there as well.
Well, the skies were full and the roads were clearly congested in some places. But as bad as it was for some people, the busy holiday travel weekend could have been a lot worse.
Things were a little rough at the start with big crowds and bad weather in several parts of the country. But today, it was slow, but steady in most parts of the country.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LIN (voice-over): After a long weekend of food, friends, and family, Thanksgiving travelers are rushing back home tonight to make it to work by Monday morning. Despite a few setbacks, the trip home was relatively smooth for most people.
Unlike Wednesday night into Thursday when rain and snow snarled already congested traffic in the Northeast, Sunday's weather cooperated keeping roads fairly clear for those traveling by car.
But in some places like New Haven, Connecticut, traffic backed any way, not from winter weather, but from the sheer volume of travelers. On Pennsylvania's Interstate 79, traffic was heavy but flowed smoothly to the delight of drivers.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm surprised a little bit, yes. I think maybe a lot of people might have been taking the airplanes.
LIN: But Pittsburgh's airport actually had fewer passengers than it did on Wednesday and most planes were on time. Busy but calm in the Denver International Airport with an expected record 170,000 passengers. Air traffic in Florida was also above average on Sunday with Orlando's Airport reporting 100,000 travelers, but short security lines and on-time departures gave passengers something to be thankful for.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I was expecting it to be a little bit more hectic, but it's been pretty tranquil.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LIN: Pretty tranquil, all right. Now they arrived with a message at LAX, L.A. International Airport. No doubt there was a captive audience there, but did things really go as planned today for city workers on strike at one of the busiest airports in the nation?
To CNN's Kareen Wynter now in Los Angeles. Kareen, smooth sailing out there even though there was a strike?
KAREEN WYNTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Carol, to put it this way, a union representing thousands of city workers, they were hoping to cause quite an up roar with this strike, but they may have struck out in their attempts to rattle city officials and passengers on this very busy travel day.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KAREEN WYNTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It wasn't the activity in the air, but directly on the ground.
CROWD: Strike, strike, strike!
WYNTER: That was the big headline out of Los Angeles International Airport. And engineers and Architect Association union representing more than 7,000 city employees chose one of the busiest travel days of the year to stage a strike. More than 100 workers picketed outside an LAX terminal, hoping to disrupt traffic and send a message to the city's mayor.
BOB AQUINO, ENGINEERS AND ARCHITECT ASSOC.: We need to have our contracts settled. And we need to be treated fairly because this is what it looks like when the people who build and maintain these airports aren't treated fairly. So it is important that everybody understand this message. And that's why it's being sent home today.
WYNTER: Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's spokesman says union workers received a substantial retroactive raise involving disputes over a previous contract. And that while the mayor supports the rights of workers to organize, he's disappointed they picked a busy holiday travel day to do it.
Despite the long lines and cramped terminals, airport officials say passengers couldn't have picked a better day to fly. There were few travel delays and short waiting times at security screening checkpoints to the surprise of anxious passengers.
SANDRA ANDREWS, PASSENGER: It just seems like security's not the problem that it used to be. So we got through smoothly. And we got here early and didn't get the expected delays.
WYNTER: Not everyone cruised through the chaos, especially those unaware of the recent security ban on carry on liquids and gels.
JOEL SCOTT, PASSENGER: They did take away my water. And I had to buy this one for $3 inside.
WYNTER: Despite the brief inconvenience, many travelers say they were still giving thanks the last day of the holiday rush, knowing their trip home could have been a lot worse. (END VIDEOTAPE)
WYNTER: Carol, I just checked in with Los Angeles police. And they say the strike caused very little damage in terms of disturbance with traffic. It didn't hinder it much they say at all. And also, there was no unruly activity. They tell us the protest was very peaceful, no arrests to report. Carol?
LIN: Good news. And it looks like a beautiful night out there in Los Angeles, Kareen. All right.
WYNTER: It absolutely is.
LIN: A terrific holiday weekend. Thanks very much.
Let's check in with Jacqui Jeras to see if there's anything else that may interfere with your travel tomorrow and also see how the weather's doing across the country. Jacqui?
JERAS: Hey, Carol. Overall, the weather really has been cooperative for the airports. Hasn't been quite as good on some of the interstates. We had a little closure due to an accident along I- 80 and parts of California. A little trouble along he I-5 and I-90 because of this potent storm system, which has been pushing in all day across the Pac Northwest predominantly.
We've got winter storm watches and warnings in effect. That includes much of - really, the western half almost of the U.S. Right? All the reds is where we have the warnings. We're expecting to see one to two feet of snow with this storm system in most of the warned areas here.
We finally saw some snow today in Seattle. A few flurries and light showers going on. Less than a half of an inch reported, but we could get up to 1 to 2 inches before all is said and done.
Staying all liquid into the Portland area. Some rain showers moving in now from the west. And most of the airport delays today have been in San Francisco, due to the rain that we had earlier today. You can see that has moved through, but we're still dealing with low clouds and fog. Delays at SFO are one hour and five minutes. And we also have some delays at JFK, about 45 minute departure delays. And that's just due to high volume.
High volumes of snow will continue for tomorrow. We'll watch for snow to move into Salt Lake City. Denver, we think, will wait till later in the week. Travel across the nation's midsection looks pretty good. Some occasional showers and thunderstorms developing into the plains later in the day. And high pressure dominating the East.
What a great holiday. Get outside and spend it with your family if you have one more day to burn. Carol?
LIN: All right, sounds good to me, Jacqui. Thanks.
We're going to be talking about faith and the divisions among religions. Are they too deep?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No justice!
CROWD: No peace!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LIN: Shock and outrage from a New York City community. Coming up, a deadly police shooting and demands for answer.
Plus whipped cream and religion, a tasty combo you might say? Well, one church is hoping some provocative ads will fill its pews. Hear from the minister who says the two really do mix.
SHANON COOK, CNN ANCHOR: Wow, how am I supposed to follow that one? Hi, I'm Shanon Cook. A concert to remember, the princes are turning to pop to put on a royal tribute to their late mother. I'll share the details when we return.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
TIME STAMP: 2221:00
LIN: Pope Benedict is scheduled to arrive in Turkey on Tuesday, his first visit to a Muslim country. And as we told you earlier, thousands hit the streets today in protest.
CNN's Anderson Cooper is already in Turkey preparing to cover the pope's visit. I spoke with him by phone just a short time ago.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LIN: Anderson, give me a sense of what it feels like to be there and what people are telling you about what they expect from the pope's visit?
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: It's a lot of anticipation about the pope's visit. People aren't sure what to make of it, what he's going to say. I think people are sort of waiting to hear, you know, if the pope does address the comments that he made several months ago, which obviously, you know, caused uproar around the world, or whether he's going to limit his comments meeting with the patriarch of the Greek orthodox church here with other Christian leaders obviously a very small minority here in Turkey, which is 99 percent Muslim.
But I think that a lot of people throughout the country are going to be listening very closely to what the pope has to say once he actually gets here.
LIN: Are people telling you that they specifically want an apology from the pope?
COOPER: You know, there certainly are people who will tell you that is what they want, and that the apology that he gave thus far was not enough, that it did not go far enough.
You know, this is not, though, a - you know, this country which prides itself on being a secular country, you know, since the 1920s, secularism has been the official policy here, a very rigid separation between religion and politics. So this is not a place where you see massive demonstrations.
So today there was a rally. They had anticipated about 100,000 people. A local Islamic party had called for as many as 100,000 people to come into the streets to protest the pope's visit. Only about 10,000 or so showed up. Many of the signs were in English, people chanting "no pope."
LIN: And Anderson, as you know, the network is focusing on both the Muslim world's reaction, as well as the Christian world's reaction, and how the two worlds meet on this story. What are we going to see on "360"?
COOPER: We're going to be focusing a lot on sort of this crucial time in Turkey's history and really in relations between Islam and the West.
LIN: Anderson, we'll be looking forward to your coverage. Thank you.
COOPER: Thanks, Carol.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LIN: Tune into Anderson Cooper's "When Faith Collide: Christianity and Islam." That is Monday night at 10:00 Eastern. And then on Tuesday at 6:00 a.m., CNN begins a full day of special coverage.
Now are the divisions between Islam and Christianity so deep that they can't be overcome? Well, a quick history note. Istanbul was the capital of Christianity for more than a thousand years until it fell to Muslim forces in 1453 and became the seat of the Ottoman Empire.
Now the question is can we ever get along? Joining us to help answer that question, the founder of the American Society for Muslim Advancement, Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf. Also, associate editor of the National Catholic Weekly America magazine, Father James Martin.
A pleasure to have both of you, gentlemen. Imam, let me begin with you. What do you think the pope needs to do on his trip, during his trip to Turkey, to smooth things over after last September's comments about Islam and violence?
IMAM FEISAL ABDUL RAUF, FOUNDER, ASMA SOCIETY: Well, first of all, let me thank you gain again, Carol, for being with you tonight.
LIN: Our pleasure.
RAUF: What he has to do is to address the facts directly, to put the real issues on the table. There is a concern that he has, which I think is a legitimate one, regarding the rise of Muslims in Europe and the demographic shifts that are taking place right now there.
However, the concern that many Turks have, and I just came back this afternoon from Turkey, is that the pope as Cardinal Ratzinger has historically had a consistent position against Turkey's entrance into the European Union. And some of the government officials even told me that they view his insistence on arriving at this time on the eve of the talks on December 8th regarding Turkey's accession to the Europe Union is in their perception an attempt to prevent Turkey's attempts to gain such admission.
LIN: As in an anti Muslim position.
RAUF: And they read it that way. Also his visit to the Greek orthodox patriarch is viewed by many Turks as more an attempt to bridge the historical rift between the Roman Catholic church and the Orthodox church as the expense of Muslims.
LIN: Well, Father Martin, why does the pope have to go now? I know this was a scheduled trip. And in fact, there was discussion by the Turkish ambassador to disinvite the pope after his comments about Islam back in September. Why shouldn't the pope just postpone the trip?
JAMES MARTIN, FATHER, AMERICA MAGAZINE: Well, that's a good question, but I think as imam was saying, there is a desire on the pope's part to reach out to the Orthodox church. That's always been a very important part of, you know, his belief. There has been a desire to reunite those parts of Christianity together.
And I think also he does recognize after that talk in Regansport (ph) that it is important to sort of reach out to Muslims as well. So you could say this is good timing, in fact.
LIN: Father, imam, we brought you on the program because both of you at this point symbolize the divide that the pope is going to be facing in Turkey during his visit there.
Imam, do you look at Father Martin's faith and do you see them as a faith of conquerors and crusaders? Is there that sort of divide between Islam and say the Catholic church?
RAUF: Well, first let me say this. I would not use the phrasing that we are symbols of a divide. I know -- I myself...
LIN: Fair enough.
RAUF: ...and many, many Catholic cardinals like Father McCarrick and many, many Catholic writers and thinkers and Jesuit priests who are very dear friends and are committed to expressing the values of our respective faiths really speak of, which is the adoration of the one God that we both worship, and to love our neighbors, we love ourselves regardless of their faith tradition, regardless of their background, their color of their skin, etcetera.
And these are the powerful principles on which all religions, especially Christianity and Islam unite. Many non Muslims are unaware that Jesus Christ is our prophet. We regard him and adore him as our prophet as well.
And the Koran is quite specific in saying that among the closest people to you, you'll find to be the Christians. The problem, Carol, has less to do with religious differences as it has been with the -- when religion gets associated with political issues. And this is really the underlying crux of what we're seeing in Istanbul today.
LIN: Father Martin?
MARTIN: Well, I would agree. I think you can look at the example of John the 23rd, who was pope in the 1960s. And he was actually a papal delegate to Turkey and worked in Istanbul in the 1940s.
And he had a saying he liked, which was in the essentials unity, in differences dialogue, in all things charity. And so I think people of goodwill on both sides can agree, as imam was saying, in you know our love of the one God and of our respect from all individuals.
And so, I think starting with these essentials is very important. And you know, being open to dialogue and all things as John the 23rd liked to say charity.
LIN: Father Martin, Imam Rauf, peace to both of you. Thank you very much. We'll all be watching closely as the pope arrives in Turkey on Tuesday.
RAUF: Thank you, Carol.
MARTIN: Thank you.
LIN: In the meantime, Israeli troops and tanks leave Gaza. A cease-fire is holding there, but will it last? Shanon Cook has more. Shanon?
COOK: Thank you, Carol. The cease-fire between Israel and Palestinian militants is holding, as you say, though, it did get off to a pretty shaky start.
Nearly a dozen rockets were apparently fired at Israel from Gaza just after the truce took effect. In fact, about an hour after the truce. The military wing of Hamas and Islamic jihad both claimed responsibility. Israel says no one was wounded. And it will give the truce a chance to succeed. And the Palestinian government insists it is 100 percent behind the cease-fire.
Well, about 300 people in London have come forward. They say they may have been exposed to radiation that apparently caused the death of this former Russian agent.
Doctors say Kremlin critic Alexander Litvinenko was poisoned by polonium 210. And traces of the substance have been found at his London house, at a sushi bar where he met a contact on November 1st, and a hotel he visited.
Now health authorities say the risk to the public is extremely low, but they'll test these people as a precaution.
Well, it would have been her 46th birthday. Instead, a memorial concert is being considered to commemorate the 10th anniversary of Princess Diana's death. According to reports, her sons, Prince William and Prince Harry, are planning a huge charity concert themselves. It's rumored that artists like Beyonce and Elton John may be asked to take part. The concert would take place on July 1st, the late princess's birthday.
And Carol, it sounds like proceeds from the event would go to some of Lady Diana's favorite charities.
LIN: That's really neat. But how involved do you think the young princes actually are?
COOK: It sounds like they're going to be pretty hands-on. I've read many reports that say it was their idea in the first place. And some reports are saying that they are actually going to host the event, which will be interesting for two reasons: one, they've never really done anything quite as hip as that, and secondly --
LIN: At least not intentionally.
COOK: Right -- exactly. And on such a grand scale. This is probably going to air worldwide. But also, Britons have sort of been a little upset, in a way, that the two princes haven't been very forthcoming and open in public about their feelings about their mother and her death, so this could be an opportunity for them to find out.
LIN: Yeah, who could forget the scene at her funeral, with the two boys following behind the casket?
All right, well, a different picture indeed, if they pull this concert off. That sounds good. Thanks, Shanon.
COOK: Thanks, Carol.
LIN: In the news, New York police officers versus a civilian, and a civilian dies. Community reaction, coming up.
Also, smoke billows from a U.S. military post in Baghdad: coming up, the latest on the explosive violence in Iraq.
And also --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: EZ Answer Squirrel, this looks like the Virgin Mary, right?
LIN: Yeah, that was a cinnamon bun. Look for the answers to your deepest spiritual questions. Ask the EZ Answer Squirrel. Or maybe not. We're going to talk to the man behind the squirrel straight ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LIN: And now a story you want to hear more about. Jacob writes us and wants to know more about on a story that briefly made news last weekend, the discovery of some low-level radioactive material in New Mexico.
Well, Jacob, this is what we know so far: police now say they did discover two containers of medical-use radioactive material. It was underneath a car at an Albequerque fairgrounds. After the bomb squad resonded, investigators found the person who left them there, and determined he had simply misplaced the containers. They say the man is a medical consultant. No harm had been done, and no radioactive material had actually leaked out. Turns out it was a false alarm.
Jacob, thanks for writing in.
Now, in New York, anger demands answers, but tonight, answers are hard to come by in a police shooting that left a young man dead just hours before his wedding. A source tells CNN five New York police officers have been put on paid leave, and the investigation continues.
Here's CNN's Mary Snow.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
REV. AL SHARPTON, NATIONAL ACTION NETWORK: How many shots?
CROWD: Fifty!
SHARPTON: How many shots?
CROWD: Fifty!
MARY SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The crowd, led by the Reverend Al Sharpton, counted to fifty to mark the number of shots fired by New York City police officers, killing one man and injuring two others early Saturday morning. And 23-year-old Sean Bell was killed just hours before he was to be married. His two friends, one seen here, received multiple gunshot wounds. Police say no weapons were recovered. And outraged members of the community are demanding answers.
REV. AL SHARPTON, NATIONAL ACTION NETWORK: All of these rumors don't answer the question of why three unarmed men were shot down, with 50 shots, in our community.
SNOW: Early Saturday the three men left a bachelor party at a Queens strip club that was under surveillance. New York City Police Commissioner Ray Kelly says undercover officers were watching the men. And there were suspicions one may have had a gun. Kelly says a plain clothes officer on foot approached the men's car and was struck before the car hit an unmarked police van, adding that the officer was treated and released for an abrasion on the shin.
RAYMOND KELLY, NYPD COMMISSIONER: The officer was struck, and the mini-van was hit at just about the same time, and then the officer opened fire. SNOW: In all, Kelly says five officers opened fire, including one officer who fired 31 shots, meaning he had to reload his 9- millimeter.
MALCOLM SMITH, N.Y. STATE SENATOR: We're united in our pursuit of justice.
SNOW: That has prompted one state senator to get involved, demanding a full investigation.
SMITH: Why would that happen when there's no return fire at all? That's the biggest question.
SNOW: As the community waits for answers, Bell's fiance, and family members, joined in a vigil. And one of Bell's friends is calling for calm.
MIKE JONES, BELL'S FRIEND: Just have warm hearts, but like, don't have hot heads. Because hot heads is how this incident happened in the first place. We have to do this in a way that will respect Sean's memory.
SNOW (on camera): The shooting is being reviewed by the Queens District Attorney, who is promising a full and fair investigation.
Mary Snow, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LIN: The fight for Iraq claimed the lives of 3 U.S. troops this weekend. Two Marines and a soldier all killed in separate combat incidents. The two Marines died fighting in the volatile Anbar province, west of Baghdad. The deaths bring the total U.S. military deaths in Iraq to 2,876 since the war began.
Now, nortar rounds, at least two of them, landed inside an American military position in eastern Baghdad Sunday afternoon. It sent a plume of thick smoke over the city's already hazy skyline. A U.S. military officer said no one was hurt and gave no firther details.
And this historical note: as of today, the Iraq war has lasted longer than America's involvement in World War II, from Pearl Harbor to the Japanese surrender in 1945 -- 1,347 days. That number of days -- that is the number of days since the U.S. bombing of Baghdad, and it arrived yesterday.
All right, is putting a Jesus bobblehead on your dashboard a sin? One church is asking some really edgy questions this Christmas season. Find out why, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Putting a stop to addictive behavior is no easy task but with 47 million smokers in the U.S. and no surefire method to kick the habit, what help can smokers expect in the future?
Dr. Gary Nabel, director of the Vaccine Research Center at the National Institute of Health says vaccines may play a role in eliminating habitual behavior.
DR. GARY NABEL, VACCINE RESEARCH CENTER: Those addictions are caused by small molecules, by drugs that circulate in the blood. One of the approaches taken now is to see if you can essentially neutralize those drugs as they circulate in the body so the vaccine acts like a sponge to soak up the drug that would otherwise go to the brain.
O'BRIEN: Leading the pack is Nicvax, a vaccine showing the most promise in clinical trials. But Nabel is quick to say that it will take more than just a vaccine to stop smoking or drug use.
NABEL: It will involve the willingness of that person to want to leave it behind.
O'BRIEN: Nabel is also optimistic vaccines may be the answer to other widespread health problems.
NABEL: With the new technology we will see the applications of vaccine technology grow. The numbers of people afflicted with Alzheimer's, with the addiction problem, or heart disease are very great and even if we help a small fraction this would be a lot of individuals who can benefit.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: Squirrels and religion. Downright nutty? Well not for one church which is taking some edgy steps to draw members to the pews. Check this out.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(MUSIC)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: EZ Answer Squirrel, is the soul eternal?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: EZ Answer Squirrel, does got hate me because I'm gay?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: EZ Answer Squirrel, this looks like the Virgin Mary, right?
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LIN: This is the new ad campaign from the United Church of Canada. That's a Jesus bobble head on the car dashboard. And the ad asks if this is funny or a ticket to hell. You'll see in just a moment but first check out my interview with the church's project leader, the Reverend Dr. Keith Howard.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LIN: Reverend Howard, I know that the ads are not coming out for another week or so but is it fair to say that there are some church leaders out there who are having strong reactions, maybe a little freaked out, even?
REVEREND KEITH HOWARD, UNITED CHURCH OF CANADA: Well, there has been reaction. The ads, of course, are designed to be provocative and they have provoked discussion. Outside the church, really a very strong positive response. Inside the church, some concern, people worry that the money would have come out of our operating revenue, which it does not, but in honesty, Carol, most people are so concerned that we find a way to connect with folks 30 to 45 that that concern has overridden any other kind of anxiety, primarily.
LIN: And connect in a way that, frankly, you can't ignore it. I mean, one of the print ads shows a can of whipped cream, it appears to be in the refrigerator and the question posed in the print ad, how fun can sex be before it's a sin?
What does that tell us about what you're trying to get across to the audience you're trying to reach?
HOWARD: Well, it tells us that we know sex is a big part of life and we're not unaware of that but we also know that in these times how that is expressed, how one enjoys their sexuality or thinks about it is a real prime topic for conversation and so what we want to signal with that is that we are aware of that conversation and want to be part of it.
And the reason the word "sin" is in that ad is that when most people think about sex and when they put it beside organization religion or church, usually that kind of feeling or framework comes up and so we kind of want to say, well, let's talk about that.
LIN: Do you think that's why church attendance is declining?
HOWARD: Well, we did a lot of research before we started into this project. And one of the things that was important for us to figure out is that why over the past few years have we been seeing fewer and fewer folks 30 to 45 and what came back very strongly for us was that at least in Canada it wasn't so much the content of what the church was about but it was things that -- perceptions that people had of organized religion and in a nutshell, they found that they - we found that people view organized religion as being judgmental, arrogant and unwilling to listen.
And so more than anything it was those kinds of images and impressions that were the things that we had to kind of overcome.
LIN: Yeah, there's another ad which shows two plastic grooms on top of a wedding cake and the quote there is, "Does anyone object?" So there is social commentary here and you may actually be pushing the envelope here. HOWARD: Even though the United Church of Canada has an official position in favor of same sex marriages, there is no doubt that there is a lively discussion within the church and within society about that.
And what this ad is simply saying is that we recognize that and that we are encouraging kind of rational conversation about that and can be part of that.
And one of the strengths of the church is that we have always kind of been involved in engaging issues both in personal issues but also issues in which the country as a whole has been engaged and so it's part of our kind of history from the Methodists and others that we are aware of what's happening and trying to find ways to talk about it.
And so that's one of the prime reasons, given the interests and the communications style of folks 30 to 45, that we decided to go to a Web site, wondercafe.ca, in trying to say that even though these issues are very controversial and hot, there does need to be a forum where people can talk about that.
LIN: Well, this is - it's an interesting way to prompt the discussion. I have to ask you, reverend, so what is the answer? I mean, how much fun can sex be before it's a sin? Everyone is going to want to know after this segment.
HOWARD: Well, you're really asking me that?
LIN: Reverend, I'll take you off the hook there.
HOWARD: I'm sorry, I missed the question.
LIN: Thanks so much, reverend. I guess we'll have to stand by ...
HOWARD: I missed your question, sorry.
LIN: Maybe we're going to have to go to church to find the answer. Reverend Howard, appreciate the time.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LIN: He really didn't hear the question, I'm sure.
All right, next we're going to have your comments on tonight's "Last Call" question about Michael Richards.
JERAS: I'm meteorologist Jacqui Jeras in the CNN Weather Center. A powerful winter storm is pulling in the coldest air of the season in the Pacific Northwest. Find out where that cold air is headed, coming up with your forecast.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LIN: All right, let's check the Web to see what you Web surfers are clicking on at CNN.com.
Americans worry a lot, but we worry about the wrong things, apparently. The new Time magazine looks at how people obsess over things like bird flu and mad cow disease, and yet they eat fatty foods and smoke.
And two 15-year-old boys are accused of setting off home-made bombs in a Maine Wal-Mart. Hundreds of people had to be evacuated, at least eight people were treated for eye and throat irritation and ringing ears. At least, ringing in their ears.
And in Italy, former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi fainted during a speech to his political supporters. Berlusconi had been speaking for more than a half an hour when he got sick. He's spending the night in the hospital as a precaution.
For these stories and more, log onto CNN.com\MostPopular.
You've had your turkey and stuffing and plenty of leftovers, and now you're headin home. Today is one of the busiest travel days of the year, and our Jacqui Jeras is watching the highways and the skyways at the CNN Weather Center.
Jacqui, what are you seeing?
JERAS: Well, Carol, it's nice to see a trend that things are starting to quiet down. We only have one airport delay: that's in San Francisco -- arrival delays about an hour. Everybody else is doing quite well.
And overall, weatherwise, it could have been a lot worse.
(WEATHER REPORT)
LIN: Thanks, Jacqui. Winter is here.
A check of the hour's headlines after the break, but first, your responses to our "Last Call" question: Do you accept Michael Richards' explanation?
Here's what you had to say:
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, I don't. I don't really think his apology is sincere. I think the only reason why he came forward with an apology is to try and establish whatever is left of his career.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, I accept Mr. Richards' explanation. I can see the remorse in his heart, in his voice.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Michael Richards -- I used to love him as a comedian, but after his burst, I do not accept it. When you're angry, words that come out in anger, those are usually the words that are deep in your heart.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, I accepted his words; now we need to see his deeds, actions. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, I don't accept it at all. I think it is what it is, and that's how he really feels, and it just took a little pressure for it to come out.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes. I don't accept Mr. Richards' apology as an African-American or as a Native American. I don't think any person of color should.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Micahel Richards can apologize till the cows some home, but that will not take back the hurt.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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