Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Newsroom
Iraq Suicide Bombs Kill Scores; U.S. Troop Casualties Risen; U.K. Terror Bomb Suspect Appears London Court; Toddlers Die in Hot Cars; Live Earth Concerts; Spinal Tap; Lucky Wedding Day
Aired July 07, 2007 - 12:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN NEWS ANCHOR: We'll, let's continue with the momentum of modern day. Let's talk about this Live Earth concert that has everyone around the world singing the praises of taking care of our environment.
We're also going to be talking to an actor, well-known actor, Ed Begley, Jr., who will also be talking about his show and how he lives being environmentally conscious every day. I know, you're looking at the performers here with the Live Earth concert. He's going to be joining us in the Noon Eastern hour to talk about how you, too, could be living earth conscious every day.
And let's talk about the state of affairs in Iraq. A member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Senator Jack Reid, he is in Baghdad right now for the 10th time. He'll be sitting down this morning with the commanding general, David Petraeus. He's going to be joining us to talk about his assessment of Iraq and whether he still believes that next year the U.S. should begin its troop withdrawal. All that and more in the Noon Eastern hour as well as the 2:00 p.m. Eastern hour. Back to you. All right.
From Disney or rather from down under in Sydney, Australia, to way down under in Antarctica, Live Earth concerts rumble cross the continents, 24 hours, nine major cities and more than 150 artists sounding the alarm of global warming and the environment. Madonna takes the stage in London. We're live there, and in New Jersey, later this hour. As tens of thousands of people pay up and party down in this year's cause celeb.
In Iraq, first. A rash of suicide bombings and other attacks killed scores of people and wounded dozens more, today. The deadliest was in a village near the northern city of Kirkuk. Western news agencies report more than 100 people were killed in a suicide truck bombing. And another suicide truck bomb ripped through another northern market town killing at least 20 people. The bomb leveled shops and small houses.
Car bombs and other attacks every day you hear new numbers of dead and wounded in the Iraq war. Most are civilians. CNN's Hala Gorani puts a face on the suffering.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HALA GORANI, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This was Zaneb al Wan (ph) before the attack. This is her today, the human face of the victims of violence in Iraq. Overshadowed by the apparently endless body count, it is the forgotten figure. Iraq's injured and maimed.
So far in 2007, according to government figures, almost 13,000 people thousand have survived car bombs, mortars and rockets, but their lives have been forever altered.
Zaneb, who's now 18, says her house with was attacked last December.
"They took me to the hospital and I faint. When I woke up, my legs were gone," she says.
She waits for an appoint at Baghdad's artificial limb center, one of two public facilities for amputees in the Iraqi capital. Zaneb winces in pain as the doctor measures her strength and says she still has to wait at least a month before she can be fitted with prosthetic limbs.
We follow her to her house in eastern Baghdad's Obadi (ph) neighborhood where she says the attack that left her badly injured also killed her sister and sister-in-law.
At first, she says she isn't scared that she is strong. But then: "I can't go out. I can't. What can I do?"
ZABEB AL WAN (ph), IRAQI AMPUTEE: I remember my family was all there. In one moment, I was in the ambulance back to the house after a month and a half, I came home and my family was gone.
GORANI: According to Iraq's ministry of interior, one-quarter of all injuries from the violence in Iraq involves the loss of at least one limb. The head of this center says it can make 1,200 artificial limbs a year. Half the number needed to help amputees. For Zaneb, thousands of Iraqis like her, getting new legs will only be the beginning of a life long recovery.
Hala Gorani, CNN, Baghdad.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: More American troops have died fighting in Iraq. The U.S. military reports today that a total of 12 troops died yesterday and Thursday, all but one died in combat. U.S. troop casualties have risen in recent months at the same time the troops increased ordered by President Bush.
A top army officer in Iraq warns of major setbacks if those troops now, in place, were with drawn.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MAJ. GEN. RICK LYNCH, U.S. ARMY: The enemy only responds to force and we now have that force. You know, we can conduct detailed kinetic strikes, we can do cordon and surges and we can deny the enemy the sanctuaries. If those surge forces go away that capability goes away. And Iraqi security forces aren't ready yet to do that. So, now what you're going to find if you did that is you'd find the enemy regaining ground, re-establishing a sanctuary, building more IEDs and carry those IEDs in Baghdad and violence would escalate. It'd be a mess.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: Well, since the start of the Iraq war, 3,602 U.S. troops have died, most in combat operations.
Well, coming up in the NEWSROOM, I'll speak with a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Senator Jack Reid. He's in Baghdad holding talks with the top U.S. commander in Iraq. Don't miss my exclusive interview with him, 2:00 Eastern.
In Britain, meantime, the first suspect charged in a terror bomb plot appeared in a London court today. Bilal Abdullah, seen in this photo, moments after his arrest a week ago, spoke only to confirm his name and age. He's charged with conspiring to cause explosions in London in Glasgow, Scotland. The court ordered him held until his next court appearance on July 27.
In Glasgow, several hundred people from Muslims to Quakers rallied against terrorism in a bid to prevent a backlash against the Islamic community in Scotland. The Glasgow area is home to about 60,000 Muslims.
Another terror attack is being remembered, meantime, in Britain today. New prime minister, Gordon Brown, took part in a low-key event marking the London suicide bombings two years ago. Fifty-two people were killed, hundreds wounded.
A parent's nightmare. Authorities say two toddlers died after being locked in hot cars for hours. One case involves a 2-year-old boy in Iowa. The child's 18-year-old uncle is now charged with child endangerment. The other involves 1-year-old boy in Idaho, details on that case from Annie Bishop of affiliate KXLY.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANNIE BISHOP, KXLY REPORTER: With his rosy cheeks and contagious smile, 15-month-old Patrick Graber, Jr. was precious.
PATRICK GRABER, FATHER: And we was just so cute and so full of life. I don't know how you could possibly forget him. It was just -- he was a kid you never forgot.
BISHOP: He was already walking and just starting to talk.
GRABER: He knew how to say "bottle" and starting -- when you told him you love him and he starting to say "I love you, too" back.
BISHOP: Patrick Graber named his first son after him. On Wednesday, Graber experienced what no parent is ever prepared for.
GRABER: My heart dropped. I called my wife, called my mom. They came down there. BISHOP (on camera): Baby Patrick was inside an SUV parked along this street. It's the main street through Orofino. He was in that SUV for five hours until a co-worker of his dad's walked by, saw him inside the car and called 911.
GRABER: Checked all the doors, all the doors and windows were up and locked and she just stood there and waited for the police to show up.
BISHOP (voice-over): When police arrived they broke out a window. It was too late. Patrick, Jr. was already dead. It was 93 degrees in Orofino on Wednesday, much, much hotter inside the SUV.
Rita Johnston, the baby's step grandmother, was watching him that day. She was visiting a friend inside this house when, she told me police, she fell asleep. She's now charged with involuntary manslaughter and injury to a child. Graber is still in disbelief and left with so many questions.
GRABER: I don't know how she could possibly forget a kid for five hours, asleep or not. No, can't do that.
BISHOP: He finds strength knowing his little boy may someday save another child's life.
GRABER: It's hurtful that he's gone, but I just want his name out there so that this doesn't happen to anybody else ever again.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: Extreme deadly conditions in many parts of the country from that kind of extreme heat to also flooding in many parts of Texas. Reynolds, it's a pretty serious situation out there.
REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Oh, no question about it. It's really been a time of extremes. We've seen, again, the first half of what you are talking about, the extreme temperatures in many places, especially the desert southwest.
(WEATHER REPORT)
Another big story we have been talking about was the flooding that we have experienced in parts of Oklahoma and Texas. We've got some amazing iReport pictures to show you. These were sent in by Jay Schulz. Take a look at this. This was outside Tyler, Texas, not far from where he works. You can see the roadway just washed out completely, took talking a truck. Now, another image shows another vehicle just -- well, actually just shows the same truck, it just shows a different vantage point of it, sort of gives you a wider scope.
This is actually just a covert with that -- there's the second vehicle, wouldn't you know it, tight there. That was actually one of the vehicles that was just swept farther downriver, just showing the powerful -- of things water can do, floodwaters.
(WEATHER REPORT)
Back to you -- Fred.
WHITFIELD: That'd be great, because it's been a really dry summer so far.
WOLF: Oh, my -- the grass in my lawn, it looks as bad as the hair on my hand. Go figure. We could use a break...
WHITFIELD: I'm sure your hair looks much better than the grass.
WOLF: Oh, check's in the mail.
WHITFIELD: All right, thanks a lot, Reynolds.
WOLF: Anytime.
WHITFIELD: All right, well perhaps you think you do your part to help the environment. Well, wait until you hear what it's like "Living with Ed."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ED BECKLEY, JR, ACTOR: It's a 1936 house with no energy efficiency at all and I made it as energy efficient as I could and made it as environmentally sound as I could in every aspect. I literally went: Hey, it is 1990. I have been "an environmentalist" for 20 years, now let me go a little further, so I decided I will go down the list -- 50 simple ways to save the earth, let me try all 50, figuring maybe half of them would work. They all work.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: Ed Beckley, you know him as a pretty impressive actor. Well, he's also a pretty impressive environmentalist and he and a lot of folks around the world are doing their part, as you see right here, in some of the Live Earth concerts taking place around the world. Well, musicians and fans all across the world come together for the environment. It is called Live Earth. We go live to two of the venues next in the NEWSROOM.
And later, who dominates conversations anyway? Are men or women? You may think you know the answer, straight ahead, the final word. You're watching CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: Music, money, and medicine for troubled climate. Live Earth concerts giving voice to an environmental message across the globe, today. We are checking in with Brooke Anderson at the Meadowlands in East Rutherford, New Jersey and Monita Rajpal at Wembley Stadium in London.
Good to see both of you.
Monita, let's begin with you. MONITA RAJPAL, LONDON: Yeah Fredricka, it's turning out to be quite an exciting backstage area here at London's Wembley Stadium. Joining us now...
Oh hello. Spinal Tap, so do you do your bit for the environment?
MICHAEL MCKEAN, "DAVID ST HUBBINS" SPINAL TAP: Oh yeah, we try, yeah. I try never to exhale. There's enough carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, but you know, that and there I go.
RAJPAL: So, should Al Gore join your band, you think?
ROB REINER, "MARTY DIBERGI" SPINAL TAP: Al Gore is actually responsible for us all getting together. If you look at Nigel's guitar, he's right in there.
MCKEAN: Al Gore's in here.
CHRISTOPHER GUEST, "NIGEL TUFNEL" SPINAL TAP: Look, look, you have to look inside. That's Al Gore. That's him.
RAJPAL: That's right. Do you think maybe the best thing is just to go back to the days of Stonehenge? I mean, that's the way it's supposed to be is -- there you go.
MCKEAN: Yeah. Yeah. I think it's not a bad idea. You know...
REINER: I thought this was pi. Well, hi to you, too.
MCKEAN: No, no. it's -- yeah, I think that's actually not a bad idea. You know, some of the old ways -- while they were primitive, that some of them work.
RAJPAL: But you guys are hard-core rock stars. I mean, you must have lived the life and you live the life of, you know, consumption.
HARRY SHEARER, "DEREK SMALLS" SPINAL TAP: Why do you look at me when you say that?
RAJPAL: Well, because you look like you do.
SHEARER: Yeah, I do.
MCKEAN: We all looked at you when she said that.
RAJPAL: So, do we blame you?
SHEARER: Yeah.
GUEST: I have a question. Is this the interview?
RAJPAL: Yes.
GUEST: Oh, all right.
RAJPAL: We're live. MCKEAN: We are doing very well.
SHEARER: Well, we're live all the time. I don't know about you. But yeah, I mean, the best thing is just every piece of trash you've got, throw it away at least twice.
MCKEAN: Yeah, that's a great idea.
SHEARER: That's called recycling. See, before it even goes anywhere, just throw it away twice.
RAJPAL: How do you feel about, you know, wanting to perform out there in front of some 90,000 people?
SHEARER: I feel great.
MCKEAN: I think it's too late to pull out.
RAJPAL: But, you don't want to pull out?
MCKEAN: No. Not really. He never does. But that's just personal life.
GUEST: Are you playing?
RAJPAL: No, I don't know how to play.
MCKEAN: This is her job, right here.
GUEST: Oh, right.
SHEARER: Yeah, we're going to be bleeding loud, that's the main thing.
RAJPAL: All right, now if you could say something to George W. Bush right now, what would it be?
MCKEAN: You couldn't broadcast it.
SHEARER: Turn it up. Turn it up. For once.
What? The IQ?
SHEARER: I didn't say that.
(LAUGHTER)
RAJPAL: There you have it, folks, Spinal Tap, there. Just -- one of just the few celebrities and stars, here, at London's Wembley Stadium. And just, you know, moments ago. Could you guys, let me do my job?
SHEARER: No.
(LAUGHTER) RAJPAL: They're just here to spread the word about how environmentally friendly we could all be, that's Al gore's message, the former U.S. vice president's message of the individual being able to really make a different when it comes to the environmental crisis that the world is facing, right now what.
What are they doing?
Are you doing?
All right, back to you -- Fred.
WHITFIELD: They're being naughty. They're being naughty back there. But, soon to hit the stage to inspire everyone to be a little bit more environmentally aware. Monita Rajpal, thanks so much from Wembley Stadium with Spinal Tap.
All right. Let's go to Brooke Anderson who is in New Jersey at Giants Stadium, there, where folks are lining up, at least it looks like a lot of activity behind you getting ready to hear a lot of performers there, too.
BROOKE ANDERSON, CNN NEWS CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Fredricka. We're about two hours away from the kickoff of this concert. It's the final destination of Live Earth and people are streaming into this stadium right now. Everybody is very excited. I spoke to a number of people who are to attend this show and also the New Jersey State Fair, which ironically is in the parking lot next to the stadium, if you can believe it, on this same day.
But a lot of people are wearing t-shirts say "live green, "it's easy to be green." And a couple of guys told me they came all the way from Texas to be here today, that they're here not only for the music, but also for this message.
A group of young ladies told me they've already started to make changes in their lives. They took the bus from the city, they said, you know, it's not much, but it's a start and we did it because of Al Gore's message, because of this concert.
Of course, this is a personal mission by the former vice president and staunch environmentalist to inspire people to really make a change, make personal changes and also put pressure on political leaders to change policies on pollution. Al gore was here yesterday touring the facility. He walked on the stage, a stage which, by the way, has a backdrop of recycled tires. So, they are really are staying true to their message.
But Gore also held a brief press conference with New Jersey Governor John Corzine. And Gore said that in the near future, the next generation is going to ask one of two questions about the environment and the action that people took or didn't take. Listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) AL GORE, FMR U.S. VICE PRESIDENT: Either they will ask what in the world were they thinking? How could they have sat on their hands and done nothing? Or they'll as another question and the one I want them to ask is this: next generation will ask one of two questions about the environment and the action that people took or didn't take. Listen to this: How did they get their act together? How did they find the uncommon moral courage to come together and rise to meet a moral change that so many said was impossible to solve?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: I want to mention, by the way, that Gore and the organizers of Live Earth intended to be a very eco-friendly event. They're using recyclable products at the concessions. All the power is used from the renewable sources. Fredricka, they're also using hybrid and fuel efficient vehicles where possible. So, Gore says that it's going to be the greenest event of its kind ever. So, he doesn't want to harm the environment, the event itself.
WHITFIELD: All right, well that's a good start. Brooke Anderson, thanks so much from Giants Stadium.
Well, most of us would be happy to do a little something extra to help the environment. But Ed Beckley, well, he goes way beyond that. We'll show you what living with Ed is like. You're watching CNN, the most trusted name in news.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: Thinking luck seven today in three way 7th day of the 7th month of 2007. A lot of folks are hoping they are lucky in love in the form of making it a good wedding day. Let's go to Las Vegas to a wedding chapel there where a lot of folks lined up to make this a very special wedding day. Tamarra Vaifanua is of our affiliate there, KTNV, joining us now from Las Vegas.
What's happening there?
TAMARRA VAIFANUA, KTNV REPORTER: Well, a whole lot. Now, we are in the middle of a heat wave, but it's more than just hot temps that people are experiencing, here in Las Vegas. Love is in the air and right now we are here at a local chapel, a wedding chapel, where dozens of couples are walking down the aisle on this lucky day.
Now, weddings are a big business in Las Vegas. And chapels and hotels are pulling out all the stops with the number seven in mind. Some are offering rooms on the seven a seven hour spa treatment.
And we are here talking to newlyweds who are just about to get hitched, rather. Darcy and Chris Clever (PH), tell the folks where you're from.
DARCY CLEVER, BRIDE: Green Bay, Wisconsin.
VAIFANUA: So, why did you pick this particular day, Chris, to get married? CHRIS CLEVER, GROOM: Actually, Darcy came up with it. She's the best.
D CLEVER: We were going through the calendar and saw 777 and thought what could be better than that?
VAIFANUA: So, has your day been lucky so far?
D CLEVER: So far. If the wedding goes through.
VAIFANUA: Well, you have a lot of support here. And I've noticed you brought in a lot of family.
D CLEVER: Yes, we have a big group here. Real nice.
VAIFANUA: Well, this is just one of many couples that are tying the knot here in Las Vegas, the city of love. And they are hoping to go home and hopefully with hopefully some luck, live happily ever after. Back to you, Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: Well, let's hope so. Hope so. A lucky day for all of those lucky couples getting married today. Not so lucky in our satellite shot, but glad you were able to join us and we could hear you, Tamarra. Tamarra Vaifanua there in Las Vegas with a couple of folks who are luck in love.
So, you think you live a green lifestyle? Well, meet the star of "Living with Ed," a man that gives whole new meaning to being green.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BEGLEY I'm making toast. So, when I ride this bicycle, I'm generating power that goes down to the battery, right where it's stored. I'll have to ride for 10 minutes, because that's making 240 watts and I'm riding hard.
Sweety?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What?
BEGLEY You want some toast?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No, thanks.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: Well, talk about taking your life in your hands, this is Pamplona, Spain where Running of the Bulls are still (INAUDIBLE).
And later, the brooding man, the chatty Cathy, they are stereotypes, but are they based on reality? We'll find out. You're watching CNN, the most trusted name in news.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: Twenty-four hours, nine major cities, and more than 150 artists. Live Earth concerts are getting underway around the globe, hoping to raise environmental awareness and cool climate warming. Organizers promised to make the shows eco-friendly by using recycled goods and buying carbon credits to offset all that energy being consumed today.
So, perhaps you can't make it to a concert but you want to play along. Well, for Ed Begley Jr. and his wife Rachelle, well, it's easy being green. They share their tips on HGTV's "Living with Ed," and they join us now from Los Angeles.
Good to see you Ed and Rachelle.
ED BEGLEY JR., "LIVING WITH ED": Fredricka, thank you.
RACHELLE BEGLEY, "LIVING WITH ED": Hi.
WHITFIELD: Well Ed, I understand you really have been an environmentalist before many of us even knew how to spell it in 1970 when most of us were still getting used to the idea of Earth day, you already driving around in an electric car and making your own compost. So, over the years, has it been a tough sell, this kind of lifestyle?
E. BEGLEY: Yes, people didn't see the connection 'til recently to the financial ramifications of doing all this stuff. Now, people are starting to get it with the price of gasoline, the price of crude going up and up. Price of energy, kilowatt hour costs what it costs today. And so people now see there is a long-term payback for some things.
But there's a real short-term quick payback for the simple things. A low-hanging fruit (ph), buying a compact fluorescent bulb, getting an energy-saving thermostat, taking public transportation if it's available near you, riding a bicycle if weather and fitness permit. Growing some food in your front or backyard if you have space, being part of a community garden.
All those things I just mentioned are dirt cheap -- literally dirt cheap with gardening. And -- you know, they put a lot of money back in your pocket.
WHITFIELD: So Ed, you make it sound so easy. But Rachelle, I apologize for mispronouncing your name earlier ...
R. BEGLEY: That's fine, I'm used to it.
WHITFIELD: Was this tough for you to get on the bandwagon initially?
R. BEGLEY: Well, it's not -- in theory, it's not tough. I just thought, you know, it is -- it takes -- it's a little bit of a learning curve, you know. I think about everything I recycle -- I recycle every item I have now. I do not throw anything away and I have a thought (ph) before. Eventually, some things I do throw away.
So, I had to learn about that. I had to be willing to take public transportation. All of those things that, you know, I -- I like my creature comforts, you know.
WHITFIELD: Right. So, initially, it's a little uncomfortable. And that's why a lot of folks say you know what, I don't know if I'm ready to do all of this because it's a lot of work on my part.
R. BEGLEY: There's a little learning curve. But, it becomes second nature. It becomes very much of just, you know, your habit. It's just changing a little bit, not much.
E. BEGLEY: And I'd like ...
R. BEGLEY: Listen, if can do it, anybody can do it.
E. BEGLEY: I'd like to think that I've had a good influence on Rachelle, and she claims I am. But she certainly had a good influence on me for aesthetics. I'd have things that look like -- you know, what they look like. They're just kind of very practical, solar things, and a rain barrel ...
WHITFIELD: Yes.
E. BEGLEY: ...that collected rainwater. She's introduced me to the world of appearances and aesthetics.
R. BEGLEY: Yes, it would look like a laboratory in my house had I not ...
E. BEGLEY: Yes, you know, a lot of bunsen burners and beakers and glass.
WHITFIELD: Well yes, we're looking at the tape from one of the episodes of your show "Living with Ed," where you really are showing in your household, how you're able to do this, from the solar panels. And I understand Ed, you even have tracks on some of the solar panels so that it can kind of move along, you know, with the sun, as it rises and sets. So, how elaborate is your home? How green is it?
E. BEGLEY: What I did and what I suggest everybody do is to pick the low-hanging fruit first, do the stuff that's easiest and cheapest. You don't run up Mount Everest. You get to base camp, you get acclimated, and you only climb as high as you can climb. And so that's what I urge everybody to do.
Do the simple stuff, get a compact fluorescent bulb, get an energy-saving thermostat, take public transportation if it's available near you, ride a bike if weather and fitness permit. Do that stuff, and if you like where you are there, then climb a little higher once you've saved money from those first things and ...
R. BEGLEY: And if you're like me, you just marry an environmentalist, or date one for that matter.
WHITFIELD: Then it's an easy fit. But you know, I wonder, too, a lot of folks feel like they don't take the extra step because they think it's going to be too expensive. Say, for example, to get, you know, solar panel ... E. BEGLEY: Right.
WHITFIELD: ...at their home. So, how do you economically, besides the light bulbs, take some of those first steps to be a little bit more green about your every day life, Ed?
E. BEGLEY: You know, there's lots of tips. We have the show "Living with Ed" on HGTV, and we show those tips on the show. Go to livingwithed.net, and they have such things available there. We'll give you the tips for free there, of course.
You know, but -- I can give everybody, you know, a warm shower and a cool beverage. I'm just going to do it more efficiently, and that's what it's all about, being energy-efficient. My friend Bill Nye the Science Guy lives down the street and he's very keen on the world of science, and so am I.
And it's just a matter of doing things more efficiently and not wasting so much energy. That's what it's all about, and it's all very possible. It can be done -- a lot of these things can be done on the most modest of budgets.
WHITFIELD: And then there are Begley's Best, products that you've come up with that are eco-friendly. Tell me about them, and how do we find them?
E. BEGLEY: All right, I have a line of non-toxic cleaning products. What I try to do in my very small way is do a fraction of what Paul Newman, Joanne Woodward (ph), and now Nell Newman do with Newman's Own, to have good products and to give the money away to good causes, environmental causes, people causes and animal causes. And that's what I do.
I sell these products called Begley's Best. I don't take any salary myself, so I can give it away as quick as it comes in, at Begley.com you can find these products. And they're at Whole Foods, and Wild Oats and other markets. And they're good products, so I want people to use good products that are non-toxic. So, I'm doing that.
I'm also giving money away to the Midnight Mission to help homeless people down town, the Coalition for Clean Air, and other -- Humane Society kind of groups. I split up people, animals, environment.
WHITFIELD: So Rachelle, you guys are certainly doing your part. Do you think that something like this Live Earth concert or the series of concerts taking place around the world really will get more people interested in living more green?
R. BEGLEY: Oh, I think so, absolutely. I mean, everyone kind of -- everyone enjoys music and they all come together in entertainment and -- so, it just brings people that might not -- they would go see a concert, they might not have every (ph) really entertain the possibility of being green and maybe, you know, they think -- if it's cool, they'll do it. You know, if it's trendy and chic, people will get on the bandwagon. E. BEGLEY: I'm just sorry I'm missing Spinal Tap. I was the first drummer in Spinal Tap. I die in a bizarre gardening accident, and I really miss Chris and Michael and Harry and Rob. So, I wish I was there for that.
R. BEGLEY: I know, I know, actually I do.
WHITFIELD: All right, well maybe we'll send you a tape of their recent interview they did in this hour.
E. BEGLEY: Do.
WHITFIELD: Interesting, let me just put it that way.
R. BEGLEY: I'm sure it was interesting.
WHITFIELD: All right, Ed and Rachelle Begley, thanks so much.
And of course, folks can continue to learn a lot more about living green, just like they do, by "Living with Ed" on HGTV.
Thanks so much to both of you.
All right, well music with that message from Live Aid and Live-8 to today's Live Earth concert. Do these global events really make a difference?
Here's Josh Levs with a Reality Check.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED PEOPLE (singing): We are the world, we are the children ...
JOSH LEVS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): First, it was the single. And then ...
UNIDENTIFIED PEOPLE (singing): We are the world, we are the children ...
LEVS: The Live Aid concerts in 1985 drew millions of people and raised more than $200 million meant to help end Ethiopia's famine. Some of the food made it, and helped. But critics say much of the aid never made it to those in need.
NILE RODGERS, LIVE AID PERFORMER: We didn't understand the business and the politics of those -- that particular country and that war. We didn't understand the infrastructure.
LEVS: Twenty years after Live Aid, Bob Geldof, the man who organized it, took a new tactic. The Live 8 concerts of 2005 were designed to draw attention to global poverty, not to raise money.
BONO, MUSICIAN/ACTIVIST: This is not about charity. This is about justice. LEVS: World leaders appeared with Live 8 leaders. The G-8 and other world powers increased aid and alleviated Africa's debt, though we'll never know how much credit goes to Live 8.
Now, Live Earth is taking on climate change. Organizers hope the concert will have lasting affects by educating people about the environment. But, back in 1985, many people credited Live Aid with educating the world about famine in Africa. And in the following years, the region faced more famine. Its population remains one of the most undernourished in the world. There's no evidence Live Aid made a long-term difference.
Still, organizers of Live Earth say this event will lead to change by inspiring people to make some environmentally-friendly changes in their own lives.
AL GORE, FORMER VICE PRESIDENT: If we can get a small fraction of the people watching this concert to sign up to those measures, then you're going to see the beginnings of major change.
LEVS (on camera): But can they get that, and will it last? If Live Earth can get people to make concrete, lasting changes, it would be one of the most influential events in all of music history.
Josh Levs, CNN, Atlanta.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: And then there's this. It seems no one is immune to Simpson's mania.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN TED KENNEDY, (D-MA): Join us in Springfield, Massachusetts. Just think, after 400 episodes, you'll even be able to enjoy some real chow-dah.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: That's right, Senator Ted Kennedy, switching parts to bring "The Simpsons" to Springfield, Massachusetts. A closer look at the cutthroat competition to host the movie premiere. That is 10 minutes away.
But next, a personal look at the cost of the war in Iraq. We hear from those responsible for fighting it.
You're watching CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHRIS MCGINNIS, EXPEDIA.COM: I think the most important thing you can do before you go overseas is just learn how to say, do you speak English in the native tongue. It's very easy, and it will really endear you to local people. Don't be embarrassed about your accent. It really works. Learn the basic words. Hello and good-bye, of course are important. But also, a really helpful one is excuse me or sorry. In French, it's "desole." Also, "how much" is very important if you're planning on doing some shopping.
I think the most typically American behavior is loudness or boisterousness. So, you'll find a group of loud Americans in a typically quiet European restaurant. So, keep an eye on that when you're over there.
Another thing that Americans tend to do is compare a lot. So, don't do things like say wow, you sure don't use a lot of ice over here, or gee, your cars sure are small over here compared to back home.
Remember that when you're in Europe, things are different. They're not any better, they're not any worse, they're simply different. And if you can remember that, you'll have a lot better trip.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: There are direct ways to measure the cost of the war in Iraq: the number of lost lives, the billions of dollars spent. But, there are also costs that are impossible to measure.
Tonight in "Battlefield Breakdown," CNN's Special Investigations Unit looks at the cost of the war through the eyes of those fighting it and those who have paid the ultimate price.
Here's John King with a preview.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOHN KING, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): July 24th, 2006, Stephen Castner's third day in Iraq, and his first mission: protecting a two-mile long convoy on the dangerous highway from Kuwait to Baghdad.
Specialist Castner kept watch as the convoy approached Talial (ph) from the south, using his camera and his perch in the humvee gunner's torret to capture the moment. The photos stop at the point a grieving father's questions begin.
STEPHEN CASTNER, SPC. CASTNER'S FATHER: When the IED went off, there was a huge cloud of smoke. And when the truck behind went through this cloud of smoke, they noticed that the humvee was no longer there. There was a great deal of confusion on the radio.
Faye (ph) answered the door. She said, Steve, there are two men here in army uniforms. We both knew what it meant.
KING: Parents aren't supposed to bury their children. And it hurts even more when you are convinced it should not have happened. Stephen Castner's story is, on the one hand, sadly unremarkable. By the Defense Department's count, number 2558 on a list of more than 3500 names. Knocks at the door and gold stars for the window.
On the other hand, Stephen Castner's short experience in Iraq is a telling reflection of how a war in its fifth frustrating year has strained the army to its breaking point, forcing third, even fourth deployments, stressing equipment and leaving an alarming number of active duty and national guard units rated not ready for combat.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: Tonight at 8:00 Eastern, watch CNN's Special Investigation Unit, "Battlefield Breakdown."
Well, everyone knows "The Simpsons" cartoon family is from Springfield. But, no one knows exactly which Springfield. Let the competition begin. We find out the lengths contending cities are going to host "The Simpsons Movie" premiere. That's next.
And 10 minutes from now, an old debate with new fighting words. Who talks more, men or women? We have the answer.
You're watching CNN.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN METEOROLOGIST: I'm Reynolds Wolf with a look at today's allergy report.
At any spot you happen to see on the map that has yellow or even some orange would indicate moderate to high traces of pollen, ragweed, even a little bit of dust. Those spots could include parts of the Big Sky Country, the Pacific northwest, the west coast, the Great Basin as well as the Rockies in the Central Plains. However, for the Northern Plains, through the Ohio Valley and parts of the southeast, the atmosphere is much cleaner and it's easier to breathe.
Enjoy your day.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: They're off, and right behind them, a herd of fired- up bulls. It's the start of the annual running of the bulls in the narrow streets of Pamplona, Spain. You've seen these images before. All done in the spirit of fun, no less.
But this nine-day event is certainly pretty dangerous. At least seven runners were hurt today, but none seriously. Since the official counting began in 1924, 13 people have been killed. The last fatality was an American, gored to death in 1995.
Fourteen Springfields, and one red carpet. Which city of Springfield will host "The Simpsons Movie" premiere? We'll soon know, but while we wait, CNN's Jason Carroll looks at the competition.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NED FLANDERS, "THE SIMPSONS": Look at that! You can see the four states that border Springfield. Ohio, Nevada, Maine, and Kentucky.
JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It could be one of the summer's hottest movies, the television series "The Simpsons" is about to hit the silver screen. But don't look for a Hollywood premiere. "The Simpsons," which is based in a fictional Springfield, USA, is looking for a real Springfield to roll out its red carpet.
Bart, not the show's character, but the deputy mayor of Springfield, New Jersey, hopes his city will be chosen.
DEPUTY MAYOR BART FRANKEL, SPRINGFIELD, NEW JERSEY: My name is Bart, my wife's name is Lisa. We've put up with comments about that for years. So now, it's time to capitalize on that and get everybody to vote for us as the Springfield of "The Simpsons."
CARROLL: There are 14 Springfields in the United States vying for the opportunity to host the premiere.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Welcome to Springfield, Louisiana.
CARROLL: 20th Century Fox asks each city to submit a video, explaining why it should be chosen.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Our search brings us to Portland, Oregon, hometown of series creator Matt Groening. Following the route map it took to reach Hollywood, Matt passed through only one Springfield.
CARROLL: Senator Ted Kennedy personally pitched Springfield, Massachusetts.
KENNEDY: Join us in Springfield, Massachusetts. Just think, after 400 episodes, you'll even be able to enjoy some real chow-dah.
CARROLL: True to Simpson form, people in Springfield, Tennessee, relied on self-deprecating humor to sell their town.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Those Simpsons, all they do is cut down government employees.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There's hardly enough time to get the paperwork processed, get the paperwork in.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Let alone find time to land a man.
(LAUGHTER)
CARROLL: Jokes aside, the mayor in Springfield, Illinois, says a win could translate into tourist dollars for the chosen city. MAYOR TIM DAVLIN, SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS: So, if it adds $1 million, if it adds $2 million, if it adds $500,000, the fact is that it's more money to be able to do the things that we want do in Springfield.
CARROLL: Fans can vote online at usatoday.com for their favorite Springfield. As for the fictional Springfield, it hits theaters July 27th.
HOMER SIMPSON, "THE SIMPSONS": I'll teach you to laugh at something that's funny.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: "The Simpsons Movie."
CARROLL: Jason Carroll, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: He said, she said. But, who said more?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Who talks more, men or women?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, women, definitely. Are you kidding me? It's like no contest.
MOOS: Who talks more, men or women?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I certainly do in my family.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Women.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Women.
MOOS: Why do you think that?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Because I'm married.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: And he wants to stay that way. The debate rages on. What the researchers are saying, straight ahead in the NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: It's an age-old question. Who talks more, men or women? We've all got opinions on that. But a new study offers some definitive and pretty surprising results.
Here's CNN's Jeanne Moos.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Yack, yack, yack.
(on camera): Who do you think talks more, men or women?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh women, definitely (ph).
MOOS: You're ...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are you kidding me? It's like no contest.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Women.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Woman.
MOOS: Why do you think that?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Because I'm married.
MOOS (voice-over): So is the author of the new study in the journal "Science" entitled, "Are Women Really More Talkative Than Men?"
(on camera): Were you surprised?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I was surprised.
MOOS (voice-over): Psychology professor Matthias Mehl, at the University of Arizona says almost 400 male and female college students wore a voice recorder like this one, that sampled sounds for several days, picking up casual conversation.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's like they're really nice.
MOOS: When researchers extrapolated the number of words spoken per day, it was almost the same for men and women.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Wow, 16,000. Whoo!
MOOS: Actually, men spoke about 500 words a day less, but researchers called that statistically insignificant.
VOICE OF PROF. MATTHIAS MEHL, UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA: Had one person, the most talkative participant, who happened to be male, he used 47,000 words a day.
MOOS (on camera): Wow, he never shut up.
(voice-over): And here you thought men only used their mouths to eat, and drink and talk to the TV.
VINCE VAUGHN, ACTOR: All the talking is really starting to drain me, and now, I'm going to have watch the headlights later to see what I missed here.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Honey, look, Gary (ph), just ...
VAUGHN: (INAUDIBLE), shower's not important (ph).
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Please, just take a shower, OK? MOOS: And now we find out men gab just as much as women.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I've got to cut you off now. Hold on.
MOOS (on camera): Who talks more, men or women?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I certainly do in my family.
MOOS (voice-over): If this sounds like the opposite of what you'd heard before, maybe you're thinking of "The Female Brain." That book quoted statistics showing women spoke 20,000 words versus a mere 7,000 for men. But the author now says her numbers were not based on reliable data.
(on camera): Do you think you talk a lot?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Definitely.
MOOS: Do you think you talk a lot?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No.
MOOS: Do you talk a lot?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Trust her.
MOOS (voice-over): Most folks we talked to didn't trust the new study.
(on camera): How many words a day do you think she uses?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh definitely 55,422.
MOOS (voice-over): Her nickname is FM because she talks all the time, like a radio.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And you can't fight with him. He just switches off.
MOOS (on camera): Do you think you talk a lot?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don't think so, but a lot of men think I do.
MOOS (voice-over): Took her 10 words to say yes. Stereotyping starts young.
(on camera): Who do you think talks more, you or your mom?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mom.
MOOS (voice-over): Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE) WHITFIELD: And a look at the top stories in just a moment. After that, CNN brings you "IN THE MONEY." Here now is Ali Velshi.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ALI VELSHI, CNN ANCHOR: Thanks.
Coming up on IN THE MONEY, we're going to focus on America's weight problem. Dr. Sanjay Gupta looks at what America's obesity problem is costing you.Plus, learn how to eat right, even in a fast- food joint, and find out how spend less time and money on the exercise you need.
All that and more, after a quick check of the headlines.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: And now in the news, a suicide truck bomb rips through a market village in northern Iraq. More than 100 people are dead, dozens wounded.
In Pakistan, an explosion in the stand-off at a mosque in the capital of Islamabad. Intelligence sources tell CNN that Pakistani forces targeted a fuel tank inside the mosque. Students took over the mosque Tuesday and since then, more than two dozen people have died.
The 24-hour Live Earth concert is under way in cities around the world. This is the John Butler Trio, performing in Sydney, Australia.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.voxant.com
