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CNN Live Today
Interview With Rev. James Forbes, Jr.; "Fahrenheit 9/11" Screening In Crawford, TX; Suicide Car Bombing In Iraq; "Amish In The City"
Aired July 28, 2004 - 10:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Presidential candidate John Kerry is expected to land in Boston next hour for the Democratic convention and its formal nomination.
Kerry will be joined by his crewmates. We're looking at a live picture now. That's his plane taking off from Philadelphia heading to Boston. On board with him, crewmates who served with him in Vietnam who will join him for a boat ride across Boston Harbor.
We're keeping you informed. CNN, the most trusted name in news.
Just weeks after the Republicans mourn the death of an iconic leader, another Ron Reagan shown in the spotlight of the Democratic party. The youngest son and the namesake of the late president last night delivered a heartfelt plea for embryonic stem cell research.
President Bush had signed limits to federal funding of that research, which Reagan and others say could save lives.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RONALD REAGAN, JR., SON OF LATE PRESIDENT RONALD REAGAN: In a few months, we will face a choice. Yes, between two candidates and two parties, but more than that. We have a chance to take a giant stride forward for the good of all humanity. We can choose between the future and the past, between reason and ignorance, between true compassion and mere ideology.
This -- this is our moment, and we must not falter.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAGAN: Both Ron Reagan and his mother, former First Lady Nancy Reagan, have urged GOP leaders to drop their opposition to stem cell research. They say it offers promise against many diseases, including the Alzheimer's that robbed the former president of his later years.
Now we want to tell you about another speaker from last night who focused on faith and politics. The Reverend James Forbes says he believes it's time to restore Democratic values to America.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REV. JAMES FORBES, JR., SR. MINISTER, THE RIVERSIDE CHURCH: After September 11th, the peoples of our nation and the world were more united than ever before. The dramatic destruction of that unit since then represents a historic failure of moral leadership.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAGAN: Reverend Forbes is the senior minister of New York's Riverside Church, and he is with us this morning from Boston. Reverend, good morning. Thank you for being with us.
FORBES: Good morning. Good to be with you.
KAGAN: And good to share a part of your speech from last night.
You say that you really need to look no further than your own faith to make any decision about picking moral leaders and public policy.
FORBES: I believe it is necessary to consult the soul of your heart and of your nation, and that when we make decisions, we need to make them on the basis that they will conform to the highest values that we have.
This means that in a Democratic society, we've got to discover: Are we still faithful to the documents that gave us birth or are we, in a sense, experiencing a mutation? Is our DNA being changed into something that really doesn't look like America?
KAGAN: Reverend, you've come up with 10 principals. You call them the "Prophetic Justice Principles" that you list as guides for people when they're trying to figure out who they support and what they should support.
And I -- we don't have time to go through all 10; I wanted to share a couple of them with our audience.
FORBES: Sure.
KAGAN: The first one is to seek the common good. You say to ask: Does the policy promote the common good of society rather than the interest of an elite few? Does the policy do harm for humanity for selfish national gain?
FORBES: Yes.
KAGAN: If you can comment on that on, please, sir?
FORBES: I believe that we are experiencing that some people in power will tend to serve their own special interest at the expense of the nation. And what we need to do is look at whether the common good is being served in any particular policy that emerges.
KAGAN: You also have at number four: Demand justice and care for the vulnerable. Does the policy demand justice for the poor and the disempowered? Is the policy good for children? For the elderly? For the disadvantaged? Does it show sensitivity to the spirit of the golden rule?
With all due respect, sir, are some of these -- or as a whole, it is pie-in-the-sky to expect people to reach and aim for these?
FORBES: Yes. I think that there is, in a sense, a pie-in-the- sky, but when you bring it down to earth, what we are talking about is, in a Democratic society, there is the commitment that we will at least use our energy to meet the needs of all of our citizens.
So, if poor people are neglected, then the elderly, children, then the Democratic society is not quite what it was supposed to be. The dream of America opening doors of opportunity so that those who are disadvantaged will not just fall off the edge of the earth, but that in this culture and in a Democratic society, their needs are our concerns.
That's one of the strongest issues that we have before us this year.
KAGAN: As we're listening to the comments of Ron Reagan, another one of the speakers from last night -- and I knew we had you coming up -- I was wondering, how do you balance that, being a man of the cloth but taking challenges like stem cell research? What's your position on that?
FORBES: My belief is that God invites all of us to enter into the laboratory where we work with the Godly principles. So, stem cell research is one of the ways in which we continue to ask: Can we, by making use of this technology, save lives? And then we have to ask: How do we balance it out?
There are some people who think that stem cell research will actually destroy life. I believe that's always a problem. In every enterprise, we balance out and see where the greatest good can be done. I think stem cell research will be in the direction of the greater good for our society.
KAGAN: Understand. And my final question for you, sir: How do you deal with blurring the line between church and state? Those who are uncomfortable having a man of the cloth talk about not only matters political, but at a political convention.
FORBES: I believe that people who know the Declaration of Independence, one of the founding documents, must recognize that there was a spiritual sensibility there. What we want to avoid is having governments favor a religion that they like and, in sense, make it difficult for other religions.
I believe that what we must do is to always keep moral and spiritual principles before our government, not that we will curry favors from them, but that we will impact the direction of the policy in the direction of the common good, in the direction of peace and justice for us all.
That's a religious responsibility. It does not violate our Constitution.
KAGAN: It sounds, Reverend, like you're trying to push many of us to seek our best no matter what our political views might be. And for that, I thank you for your time.
FORBES: My pleasure.
KAGAN: Thank you so much. Reverend James Forbes, the Riverside Church in New York City. Thanks for being with us.
Well, one of the most popular speakers at last night's convention, you can see that she's not even planning to vote for Kerry in November. Well, she has a reason for that: She's only 12 years old.
Ilana Wexler founded a grassroots group, and it's called Kids for Kerry. But she directed some of her attention to the vice president, Dick Cheney.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ILANA WEXLER, FOUNDER, KIDS FOR KERRY: When our vice president had a disagreement with the Democratic senator, he used a really bad word! If I said that -- if I said that word, I would be put in a time-out. I think he should be put in a time-out.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAGAN: Well, it is not time-out for Ilana Wexler just yet. Tonight, she's going to be on David Letterman's show, and rival talk show host Jay Leno has called her, as well. Not the last we've heard of that young lady, no doubt.
A look at tonight's prime-time lineup here on CNN. "ANDERSON COOPER" begins at 7:00 Easter, 4:00 Pacific, followed by an "AMERICA VOTES SPECIAL" with Wolf Blitzer. Then at 9:00 Eastern, 6:00 Pacific, join "LARRY KING LIVE" from the FleetCenter.
Filmmaker Michael Moore has enjoyed a warm welcome at the convention for his movie "Fahrenheit 9/11" and its attack on the Bush administration. Yet Moore wants to deliver his message to a new audience: the president himself. Moore has invited Mr. Bush to tonight's screening of the film, which happens to be taking place near the Bush ranch in Crawford, Texas.
To set the stage for all this, let's bring in reporter Jennifer Kent. She is with one of our affiliates in Waco, KXXV. Jennifer, good morning.
JENNIFER KENT, REPORTER, KXXV: Good morning, Daryn.
Now, we are just blocks away from where the film is going to be showing. Now, Crawford is a quiet and conservative town with a population of about 700, but the population may triple today. The size may triple, that is, as people are coming from all over the country to see Michael Moore's controversial film "Fahrenheit 9/11" here in the president's hometown.
Now, the documentary was released nationwide in late June, but Crawford's neighboring cities weren't showing the film that's critical of President Bush until just last week. The Crawford Peace House, which is a peace group from Crawford, said that they were willing to drape a sheet over the side of a barn to project the film, just as long as they could see it.
Now, Moore accepted the invitation and decided he would come to President Bush's hometown while he was visiting his ranch. Crawford residents immediately started scrambling and organized a pro-Bush rally, and one of President Bush's representatives from his campaign is also going to be on hand. They flew in from Arlington, Virginia.
Now, right now, I have with me Skip Londos, who has been organizing the "Fahrenheit 9/11" screening. Now, we were talking about this earlier. This is a film that's very critical of President Bush, and it's just miles away from his ranch.
How do you feel about that?
SKIP LONDOS, CRAWFORD PEACE HOUSE: Well, it is critical of my understanding. I haven't seen it yet, but I know it's a powerful movie. Perhaps a critically important movie, politically and historically.
My -- I guess my sense is people ask why Crawford and why near the Bush ranch? And our response is why not? If we were going to have a free and open and vital democracy, we have to be willing to look at dissenting points of view with respect. And that's what this is about: free and open exchange of information.
KENT: OK. This is going to be right -- you know, right near, just a mile away from where the pro-Bush rally will also be. Are you afraid that there might be any conflict between the two groups?
LONDOS: No, we have peacekeepers in place. We respect their opinions and their right to do what they're going to do as we expect them to respect our rights. So don't expect any real violence or anything of that sort.
KENT: Have any of the pro-Bush people gotten in touch with you guys about showing one way or another their feelings about you guys showing the movie?
LONDOS: Minimally, minimally. A few people have stopped by and said, we don't like what you're doing. But also we've had people from the community say, we support you in what you're doing, glad you're here, but we probably can't go to the movie because we're concerned about what our neighbors will think.
KENT: All right. Well, thank you very much, Skip Londos.
Now the movie will be showing in a parking lot just blocks away from here. It's going to be free. It's going to be benefiting the Crawford Peace House here. Reporting for CNN, Jennifer Kent.
KAGAN: Jennifer, thank you so much for that live shot from Waco. Appreciate that. Much more news ahead. Going broke in America, new numbers on how many Americans are declaring bankruptcy in our check of business headlines.
Also, leaving behind the simple life for the big city life. A group of Amish young people head for Los Angeles and you get to watch it all. Amish in the city ahead on CNN LIVE TODAY.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(STOCK MARKET REPORT)
KAGAN: To Iraq now: The death toll continues to climb from a suicide car bombing in Baquba. The attack on a crowded marketplace has left at least 68 people dead and more than 50 others wounded. Our Michael Holmes is in Baghdad, he filed this report for us just a short time ago.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It happened at 9:40 in the morning, a busy time in a busy place. The heart of Baquba was bustling, shops were busy, there was a market and at an Iraqi police station scores of young men waiting to enlist.
Police say a suicide bomber drove a minibus into the crowd and detonated his explosives. The scene is one of carnage and chaos as emergency workers called in from around the city to help with the casualties.
And there were many. Scores were killed, scores more wounded. Among the dead, all 21 passengers on board a second bus passing by when the bomb detonated. Many of those potential police recruits also on the list of dead and wounded.
There were numerous smaller attacks around Iraq on Wednesday, the one-month anniversary of the handover of power to the Iraqi interim government. Baquba has seen similar attacks in the past.
Baquba has seen similar attacks in the past, suicide bombings, car bombs and shootings. And today, as in the past, the targets: Iraqi security forces and those who wish to join them.
Michael Holmes, CNN, Baghdad.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAGAN: Now a look at other stories making news coast-to-coast here in the U.S. We begin with a motorist detained earlier this month in Des Moines. He's pleaded innocent to felony possession of body armor and weapons. According to court papers, police found suspicious items in the man's vehicle during a traffic stop, and he told them he knew of terrorist activities in the San Diego area.
In Shreveport, Louisiana, residents inside this home had a volt last night when a fast-moving automobile came to an abrupt stop, against their house. No one suffered any life-threatening injuries, but three of the four people in the car were ejected. Police say the vehicle apparently became airborne after the driver lost control and hit a sign.
And in Los Angeles, Courtney Love has been ordered to rehab for 18 months. A judge told the singer to stay away from alcohol, including places that serve liquor. Love was arrested last year while allegedly trying to break into the home of a former boyfriend. She pleaded guilty to a drug charge.
The lure of drugs and alcohol to young people figures prominently in a new reality TV show. It premiers on UPN.
Our entertainment reporter Sibilia Vargas tells us, though, the show's focus is anything but traditional.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: These people are our roommates.
SIBILIA VARGAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): What do you get when you pair five sheltered Amish young adults with six city kids? Controversy, culture clash and ratings. At least that's what makers of UPN's new reality series "Amish in the City" are hoping.
BARRON GARRON, "THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER: It was, in a sense, kind of like "Big Brother" meets "The Waltons."
VARGAS: The 10-episode series follows its Amish participants during Rumspringa. It's a time when Amish youths are allowed to leave the community and experience the temptations of the outside world, and then decide if they want to remain in the Amish religion.
But this fish-out-of-water concept has sparked outrage from one Pennsylvania Congressman, who signed a petition, along with 50 other U.S. representatives, to Urge UPN to drop the show.
REP. JOSEPH PITTS (R), PENNSYLVANIA: I don't think they would do this to young teens of Native Americans, or a group of Hasidic Jews or Muslim teens. And to target the Amish, because they're a small group, I think is wrong.
JON KROLL, EXEC. DIR., "AMISH IN THE CITY": The notion of the show being objectionable didn't come up until these assumptions were made that it would be done in a disrespectful manner. It was not done in a disrespectful manner.
VARGAS (on camera): The show's producers maintain if Amish participants were already in Rumspringa when recruited to live here in the Hollywood Hill, and that, if anything, the show is a journey of growth and self discovery.
KROLL: There is another way of looking at it, which is that if people are truly exposed to both ways of life, and they return to the Amish, it's only going to make their faith stronger.
VARGAS (voice-over): Sibilia Vargas, CNN, Hollywood.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAGAN: And you can learn how faith is working for one legendary singer by logging on to cnn.com/entertainment. There you can read up on Smokey Robinson's first gospel album, and get the latest reviews of other albums, books and television shows. That's CNN.com/entertainment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAGAN: Ponying up in Virginia: The wild ponies of Chincoteague make their annual swim of the Assateague Channel today. The pony right of passage was made famous by the 1947 novel "Misty of Chincoteague." The ponies will be auctioned off tomorrow, with some of the proceeds going to a volunteer fire company. Some pretty pictures there for horse lovers.
(WEATHER REPORT)
KAGAN: Also a self-possessed, spunky opinionated billionaire who wants to become America's next first lady. So how does she stack up against Laura Bush? We'll look at that.
And have you actually -- have you noticed those Madonna-style headsets you're seeing our anchors and correspondents using at the convention? You'll see why some folks are having headgear envy. That's just ahead.
The second hour of CNN LIVE TODAY begins right now.
As always, we kick it off with a look at what is happening now in the news. Boston-bound, John Kerry scheduled to arrive this hour at the site of the Democratic National Convention. We'll have live coverage of his arrival, expected about 30 minutes from now. Tonight, the party formally nominates Kerry as its candidate for president.
A judge in the Kobe Bryant case may release details from a hearing on the accuser's sex life. Transcripts from the closed-door hearing were mistakenly sent to several news organizations. The media groups are challenging the judge's order. In it, he threatened contempt of court, charging against any news organization that might release the information.
A suicide car bomb exploded outside an Iraqi police station today. Officials say that at least 68 people were killed in the attack in Baquba. According to police, the bomber exploded a Toyota Minibus near the police where would-be recruits were lining up.
More rain today in parts of Bangladesh. This country already devastated by the worst flooding in years. Deaths from the monsoon rains across South Asia have topped 11,000, by some accounts, and thousands are suffering from water-borne diseases.
Keeping you informed, CNN is the most trusted name in news.
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Aired July 28, 2004 - 10:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Presidential candidate John Kerry is expected to land in Boston next hour for the Democratic convention and its formal nomination.
Kerry will be joined by his crewmates. We're looking at a live picture now. That's his plane taking off from Philadelphia heading to Boston. On board with him, crewmates who served with him in Vietnam who will join him for a boat ride across Boston Harbor.
We're keeping you informed. CNN, the most trusted name in news.
Just weeks after the Republicans mourn the death of an iconic leader, another Ron Reagan shown in the spotlight of the Democratic party. The youngest son and the namesake of the late president last night delivered a heartfelt plea for embryonic stem cell research.
President Bush had signed limits to federal funding of that research, which Reagan and others say could save lives.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RONALD REAGAN, JR., SON OF LATE PRESIDENT RONALD REAGAN: In a few months, we will face a choice. Yes, between two candidates and two parties, but more than that. We have a chance to take a giant stride forward for the good of all humanity. We can choose between the future and the past, between reason and ignorance, between true compassion and mere ideology.
This -- this is our moment, and we must not falter.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAGAN: Both Ron Reagan and his mother, former First Lady Nancy Reagan, have urged GOP leaders to drop their opposition to stem cell research. They say it offers promise against many diseases, including the Alzheimer's that robbed the former president of his later years.
Now we want to tell you about another speaker from last night who focused on faith and politics. The Reverend James Forbes says he believes it's time to restore Democratic values to America.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REV. JAMES FORBES, JR., SR. MINISTER, THE RIVERSIDE CHURCH: After September 11th, the peoples of our nation and the world were more united than ever before. The dramatic destruction of that unit since then represents a historic failure of moral leadership.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAGAN: Reverend Forbes is the senior minister of New York's Riverside Church, and he is with us this morning from Boston. Reverend, good morning. Thank you for being with us.
FORBES: Good morning. Good to be with you.
KAGAN: And good to share a part of your speech from last night.
You say that you really need to look no further than your own faith to make any decision about picking moral leaders and public policy.
FORBES: I believe it is necessary to consult the soul of your heart and of your nation, and that when we make decisions, we need to make them on the basis that they will conform to the highest values that we have.
This means that in a Democratic society, we've got to discover: Are we still faithful to the documents that gave us birth or are we, in a sense, experiencing a mutation? Is our DNA being changed into something that really doesn't look like America?
KAGAN: Reverend, you've come up with 10 principals. You call them the "Prophetic Justice Principles" that you list as guides for people when they're trying to figure out who they support and what they should support.
And I -- we don't have time to go through all 10; I wanted to share a couple of them with our audience.
FORBES: Sure.
KAGAN: The first one is to seek the common good. You say to ask: Does the policy promote the common good of society rather than the interest of an elite few? Does the policy do harm for humanity for selfish national gain?
FORBES: Yes.
KAGAN: If you can comment on that on, please, sir?
FORBES: I believe that we are experiencing that some people in power will tend to serve their own special interest at the expense of the nation. And what we need to do is look at whether the common good is being served in any particular policy that emerges.
KAGAN: You also have at number four: Demand justice and care for the vulnerable. Does the policy demand justice for the poor and the disempowered? Is the policy good for children? For the elderly? For the disadvantaged? Does it show sensitivity to the spirit of the golden rule?
With all due respect, sir, are some of these -- or as a whole, it is pie-in-the-sky to expect people to reach and aim for these?
FORBES: Yes. I think that there is, in a sense, a pie-in-the- sky, but when you bring it down to earth, what we are talking about is, in a Democratic society, there is the commitment that we will at least use our energy to meet the needs of all of our citizens.
So, if poor people are neglected, then the elderly, children, then the Democratic society is not quite what it was supposed to be. The dream of America opening doors of opportunity so that those who are disadvantaged will not just fall off the edge of the earth, but that in this culture and in a Democratic society, their needs are our concerns.
That's one of the strongest issues that we have before us this year.
KAGAN: As we're listening to the comments of Ron Reagan, another one of the speakers from last night -- and I knew we had you coming up -- I was wondering, how do you balance that, being a man of the cloth but taking challenges like stem cell research? What's your position on that?
FORBES: My belief is that God invites all of us to enter into the laboratory where we work with the Godly principles. So, stem cell research is one of the ways in which we continue to ask: Can we, by making use of this technology, save lives? And then we have to ask: How do we balance it out?
There are some people who think that stem cell research will actually destroy life. I believe that's always a problem. In every enterprise, we balance out and see where the greatest good can be done. I think stem cell research will be in the direction of the greater good for our society.
KAGAN: Understand. And my final question for you, sir: How do you deal with blurring the line between church and state? Those who are uncomfortable having a man of the cloth talk about not only matters political, but at a political convention.
FORBES: I believe that people who know the Declaration of Independence, one of the founding documents, must recognize that there was a spiritual sensibility there. What we want to avoid is having governments favor a religion that they like and, in sense, make it difficult for other religions.
I believe that what we must do is to always keep moral and spiritual principles before our government, not that we will curry favors from them, but that we will impact the direction of the policy in the direction of the common good, in the direction of peace and justice for us all.
That's a religious responsibility. It does not violate our Constitution.
KAGAN: It sounds, Reverend, like you're trying to push many of us to seek our best no matter what our political views might be. And for that, I thank you for your time.
FORBES: My pleasure.
KAGAN: Thank you so much. Reverend James Forbes, the Riverside Church in New York City. Thanks for being with us.
Well, one of the most popular speakers at last night's convention, you can see that she's not even planning to vote for Kerry in November. Well, she has a reason for that: She's only 12 years old.
Ilana Wexler founded a grassroots group, and it's called Kids for Kerry. But she directed some of her attention to the vice president, Dick Cheney.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ILANA WEXLER, FOUNDER, KIDS FOR KERRY: When our vice president had a disagreement with the Democratic senator, he used a really bad word! If I said that -- if I said that word, I would be put in a time-out. I think he should be put in a time-out.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAGAN: Well, it is not time-out for Ilana Wexler just yet. Tonight, she's going to be on David Letterman's show, and rival talk show host Jay Leno has called her, as well. Not the last we've heard of that young lady, no doubt.
A look at tonight's prime-time lineup here on CNN. "ANDERSON COOPER" begins at 7:00 Easter, 4:00 Pacific, followed by an "AMERICA VOTES SPECIAL" with Wolf Blitzer. Then at 9:00 Eastern, 6:00 Pacific, join "LARRY KING LIVE" from the FleetCenter.
Filmmaker Michael Moore has enjoyed a warm welcome at the convention for his movie "Fahrenheit 9/11" and its attack on the Bush administration. Yet Moore wants to deliver his message to a new audience: the president himself. Moore has invited Mr. Bush to tonight's screening of the film, which happens to be taking place near the Bush ranch in Crawford, Texas.
To set the stage for all this, let's bring in reporter Jennifer Kent. She is with one of our affiliates in Waco, KXXV. Jennifer, good morning.
JENNIFER KENT, REPORTER, KXXV: Good morning, Daryn.
Now, we are just blocks away from where the film is going to be showing. Now, Crawford is a quiet and conservative town with a population of about 700, but the population may triple today. The size may triple, that is, as people are coming from all over the country to see Michael Moore's controversial film "Fahrenheit 9/11" here in the president's hometown.
Now, the documentary was released nationwide in late June, but Crawford's neighboring cities weren't showing the film that's critical of President Bush until just last week. The Crawford Peace House, which is a peace group from Crawford, said that they were willing to drape a sheet over the side of a barn to project the film, just as long as they could see it.
Now, Moore accepted the invitation and decided he would come to President Bush's hometown while he was visiting his ranch. Crawford residents immediately started scrambling and organized a pro-Bush rally, and one of President Bush's representatives from his campaign is also going to be on hand. They flew in from Arlington, Virginia.
Now, right now, I have with me Skip Londos, who has been organizing the "Fahrenheit 9/11" screening. Now, we were talking about this earlier. This is a film that's very critical of President Bush, and it's just miles away from his ranch.
How do you feel about that?
SKIP LONDOS, CRAWFORD PEACE HOUSE: Well, it is critical of my understanding. I haven't seen it yet, but I know it's a powerful movie. Perhaps a critically important movie, politically and historically.
My -- I guess my sense is people ask why Crawford and why near the Bush ranch? And our response is why not? If we were going to have a free and open and vital democracy, we have to be willing to look at dissenting points of view with respect. And that's what this is about: free and open exchange of information.
KENT: OK. This is going to be right -- you know, right near, just a mile away from where the pro-Bush rally will also be. Are you afraid that there might be any conflict between the two groups?
LONDOS: No, we have peacekeepers in place. We respect their opinions and their right to do what they're going to do as we expect them to respect our rights. So don't expect any real violence or anything of that sort.
KENT: Have any of the pro-Bush people gotten in touch with you guys about showing one way or another their feelings about you guys showing the movie?
LONDOS: Minimally, minimally. A few people have stopped by and said, we don't like what you're doing. But also we've had people from the community say, we support you in what you're doing, glad you're here, but we probably can't go to the movie because we're concerned about what our neighbors will think.
KENT: All right. Well, thank you very much, Skip Londos.
Now the movie will be showing in a parking lot just blocks away from here. It's going to be free. It's going to be benefiting the Crawford Peace House here. Reporting for CNN, Jennifer Kent.
KAGAN: Jennifer, thank you so much for that live shot from Waco. Appreciate that. Much more news ahead. Going broke in America, new numbers on how many Americans are declaring bankruptcy in our check of business headlines.
Also, leaving behind the simple life for the big city life. A group of Amish young people head for Los Angeles and you get to watch it all. Amish in the city ahead on CNN LIVE TODAY.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(STOCK MARKET REPORT)
KAGAN: To Iraq now: The death toll continues to climb from a suicide car bombing in Baquba. The attack on a crowded marketplace has left at least 68 people dead and more than 50 others wounded. Our Michael Holmes is in Baghdad, he filed this report for us just a short time ago.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It happened at 9:40 in the morning, a busy time in a busy place. The heart of Baquba was bustling, shops were busy, there was a market and at an Iraqi police station scores of young men waiting to enlist.
Police say a suicide bomber drove a minibus into the crowd and detonated his explosives. The scene is one of carnage and chaos as emergency workers called in from around the city to help with the casualties.
And there were many. Scores were killed, scores more wounded. Among the dead, all 21 passengers on board a second bus passing by when the bomb detonated. Many of those potential police recruits also on the list of dead and wounded.
There were numerous smaller attacks around Iraq on Wednesday, the one-month anniversary of the handover of power to the Iraqi interim government. Baquba has seen similar attacks in the past.
Baquba has seen similar attacks in the past, suicide bombings, car bombs and shootings. And today, as in the past, the targets: Iraqi security forces and those who wish to join them.
Michael Holmes, CNN, Baghdad.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAGAN: Now a look at other stories making news coast-to-coast here in the U.S. We begin with a motorist detained earlier this month in Des Moines. He's pleaded innocent to felony possession of body armor and weapons. According to court papers, police found suspicious items in the man's vehicle during a traffic stop, and he told them he knew of terrorist activities in the San Diego area.
In Shreveport, Louisiana, residents inside this home had a volt last night when a fast-moving automobile came to an abrupt stop, against their house. No one suffered any life-threatening injuries, but three of the four people in the car were ejected. Police say the vehicle apparently became airborne after the driver lost control and hit a sign.
And in Los Angeles, Courtney Love has been ordered to rehab for 18 months. A judge told the singer to stay away from alcohol, including places that serve liquor. Love was arrested last year while allegedly trying to break into the home of a former boyfriend. She pleaded guilty to a drug charge.
The lure of drugs and alcohol to young people figures prominently in a new reality TV show. It premiers on UPN.
Our entertainment reporter Sibilia Vargas tells us, though, the show's focus is anything but traditional.
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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: These people are our roommates.
SIBILIA VARGAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): What do you get when you pair five sheltered Amish young adults with six city kids? Controversy, culture clash and ratings. At least that's what makers of UPN's new reality series "Amish in the City" are hoping.
BARRON GARRON, "THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER: It was, in a sense, kind of like "Big Brother" meets "The Waltons."
VARGAS: The 10-episode series follows its Amish participants during Rumspringa. It's a time when Amish youths are allowed to leave the community and experience the temptations of the outside world, and then decide if they want to remain in the Amish religion.
But this fish-out-of-water concept has sparked outrage from one Pennsylvania Congressman, who signed a petition, along with 50 other U.S. representatives, to Urge UPN to drop the show.
REP. JOSEPH PITTS (R), PENNSYLVANIA: I don't think they would do this to young teens of Native Americans, or a group of Hasidic Jews or Muslim teens. And to target the Amish, because they're a small group, I think is wrong.
JON KROLL, EXEC. DIR., "AMISH IN THE CITY": The notion of the show being objectionable didn't come up until these assumptions were made that it would be done in a disrespectful manner. It was not done in a disrespectful manner.
VARGAS (on camera): The show's producers maintain if Amish participants were already in Rumspringa when recruited to live here in the Hollywood Hill, and that, if anything, the show is a journey of growth and self discovery.
KROLL: There is another way of looking at it, which is that if people are truly exposed to both ways of life, and they return to the Amish, it's only going to make their faith stronger.
VARGAS (voice-over): Sibilia Vargas, CNN, Hollywood.
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KAGAN: And you can learn how faith is working for one legendary singer by logging on to cnn.com/entertainment. There you can read up on Smokey Robinson's first gospel album, and get the latest reviews of other albums, books and television shows. That's CNN.com/entertainment.
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KAGAN: Ponying up in Virginia: The wild ponies of Chincoteague make their annual swim of the Assateague Channel today. The pony right of passage was made famous by the 1947 novel "Misty of Chincoteague." The ponies will be auctioned off tomorrow, with some of the proceeds going to a volunteer fire company. Some pretty pictures there for horse lovers.
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KAGAN: Also a self-possessed, spunky opinionated billionaire who wants to become America's next first lady. So how does she stack up against Laura Bush? We'll look at that.
And have you actually -- have you noticed those Madonna-style headsets you're seeing our anchors and correspondents using at the convention? You'll see why some folks are having headgear envy. That's just ahead.
The second hour of CNN LIVE TODAY begins right now.
As always, we kick it off with a look at what is happening now in the news. Boston-bound, John Kerry scheduled to arrive this hour at the site of the Democratic National Convention. We'll have live coverage of his arrival, expected about 30 minutes from now. Tonight, the party formally nominates Kerry as its candidate for president.
A judge in the Kobe Bryant case may release details from a hearing on the accuser's sex life. Transcripts from the closed-door hearing were mistakenly sent to several news organizations. The media groups are challenging the judge's order. In it, he threatened contempt of court, charging against any news organization that might release the information.
A suicide car bomb exploded outside an Iraqi police station today. Officials say that at least 68 people were killed in the attack in Baquba. According to police, the bomber exploded a Toyota Minibus near the police where would-be recruits were lining up.
More rain today in parts of Bangladesh. This country already devastated by the worst flooding in years. Deaths from the monsoon rains across South Asia have topped 11,000, by some accounts, and thousands are suffering from water-borne diseases.
Keeping you informed, CNN is the most trusted name in news.
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