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CNN Sunday Morning
Western Wildfires Still Burning; Benzene in Soda?; "The Simpsons" Movie
Aired July 09, 2007 - 07:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BETTY NGUYEN, CNN CO-ANCHOR, CNN SUNDAY MORNING: Hello from the CNN Center in Atlanta, this is July 8th. Good morning, everybody. I'm Betty Nguyen.
T.J. HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR, CNN SUNDAY MORNING: I'm T.J. Holmes. Thanks for starting your day here with us. 7:00 in the East, 5:00 a.m. in Utah where fire crews are battling a fast-moving wildfire this morning.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We just back up and keep our firefighters safe, and hope for the best.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: One hundred sixty acres already burned and this is just one of a dozen large fires burning right now out west.
HOLMES: And take a look at this wild ride. A jet skiing couple lucky to be alive after riding their Wave Runner over a 30-foot drop off. You will hear more about this coming up.
NGUYEN: Look at that.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How high were the levels when you put these drinks under a stress test?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Some of them were as high as 19 parts a billion, others 80 parts per billion.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: A story everyone will want to see this morning, especially if you drink sodas. Yes popular soft drink now named in a lawsuit because they contain Benzene, a chemical known to cause cancer. We have your health alert that is ahead on this CNN SUNDAY MORNING.
But we do want to start with the worst fears being realized out west. Record heat paving the way for dangerous wild fires.
HOLMES: Now burning in several states, some forcing evacuations in parts of Nevada, California and Utah. Well hundreds of thousands of acres already have been destroyed and the fire is pretty much burning out of control. One in Utah could become that state's largest wildfire ever. The fast moving wildfires could start causing power outages in other areas leaving people exposed to those record temperatures.
Well an elite fire fighting team is expected to arrive in Utah later today and take up positions on the front lines of the massive fire in Miller County, about 120 miles south of Salt Lake City. We get more now from Alex Cabrera of Salt Lake affiliate KSL.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ALEX CABRERO, KSL-TV: No matter what firefighters do to fight this fire, nothing seems to be working.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Its pretty well doing what it wants to do.
CABRERO: All day long this fire kept growing and growing. The wind pushing it faster than crews can handle.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We just back up and keep our firefighters safe. Hope for the best.
CABRERO: Ranchers are hoping for the best, too.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They will burn this all with a backfire.
CABRERO: Trying to herd their cattle out by foot and by truck.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yeah, we have 900 head of cattle out here.
CABRERO: Glenna Davis and her family decided it was time to go as the fire headed towards town making the sky dark and the wind hot.
GLENNA DAVIS, KENOSH, UTAH RESIDENT: We have seen fires, but it has not gotten this close to home.
CABRERO: An evacuation order has not been put into place here, but firefighters told residents to get ready just in case.
DAVIS: We grabbed our purses, my 8-year-old he grabbed some pillows, blanket and his stuffed animal.
CABRERO: And then there is I-15 with thick, dark smoke causing problems everywhere.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The fire will hit the freeway here in about five minutes.
CABRERO: Forcing a closure between I-70 near Beaver, as the fire continues to burn and grow out of control.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We can't stop it. We get fire lines put in, two head also pinch together, blow over the fire lines and we're off running. (END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: Well they are dealing with a completely different problem in the Midwest, and that is flooding some areas still under water. Coffeyville, Kansas was one of the worst hit areas. Residents are being told to stay away because of lingering health dangers. Oil that spilled into the water from a local refinery covers much of the area. Remaining floodwaters are also contaminated with potentially dangerous bacteria.
And hundreds of people in Oklahoma are eligible for federal disaster relief. President Bush designated two ravished counties as federal disaster areas. Emergency officials say more than 800 homes have been destroyed by flooding in northeast Oklahoma just over the past month.
HOLMES: Lightning and triple digit temperatures. That's no good. It's a dangerous mix in those areas where wildfires are raging now.
NGUYEN: CNN meteorologist Reynolds Wolf joins us now live in the Weather Center with a look at today's forecast. I can almost tell you what it's like, rain in many areas.
REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN METEOROLOGIST: You guys have taken the whole forecast and --
HOLMES: Well that's what it has been like for the past month or so.
WOLF: We have been talking about big thunderstorms in the west. People wonder why would we have thunderstorms near these fires? Wouldn't that help the fires? You get a thunderstorm with a single drop of rain, you have a tiny bit of moisture in the atmosphere, and near these fires out west, that hot air from the fires causes that moist to rise up into the higher levels of the atmosphere where it's cooler and it forms those big thunder heads, and you have lightning that hits the earth where it's very dry and then you have more fires. So these fires feed on themselves. The lightning is a big fire producer, unfortunately.
Right now we are getting some scattered showers in places where we really don't need it, way up in the northern Plains. We could use that shower activity in over parts of the four corners, that isn't going to be the story for us. Though also getting some rain in the southeast that is a welcomed thing, but the heat also a tremendous story, where temperatures will get to the century mark again in parts of the desert southwest and much of this heat is going to drive its way to the east, 97 in Washington, D.C. Temperatures in New York also very warm.
Take a look at what you can expect in the big apple over the next couple of days, 95 today, and 97 into Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday low 90s. Then we cool to 88, if you consider 88 cool. Nation's capital does not fair much better, climbing to 99 for Monday and Tuesday. Wednesday even Thursday still into those 90s. The good side of the forecast is we are getting those scattered showers in parts of the southeast. Atlanta this morning getting that beneficial rainfall. It won't last as long as we need it and there's no end in sight to some of the heat around the country and to those fires out west.
NGUYEN: Reynolds, let me ask you this did you say that lighting is seven times hotter than the surface of the sun?
WOLF: Seven times hotter than the surface of the sun. Don't ask me how they found out about that. I just studied this a long time ago in school; I don't think anyone went up there with a thermometer.
NGUYEN: That would be a dangerous job.
HOLMES: Test it out for us, get back to us.
WOLF: I'll do what I can.
HOLMES: Well some frightening moments for some New Jersey diners after part of a restaurant deck collapsed it happened at a southern New Jersey marina it is near Lower Township. Several staff and customers were on the deck at the time.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MIKE MCGOWAN, WITNESS: As far as we know, the floor in the gift shop area was settling, and settles fast.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Okay.
MCGOWAN: Kind of caved in a bit. Nobody died, no major injuries.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All right.
MCGOWAN: Bumps and bruises.
AMANDA BASSE, WITNESS: We were in the Windjammer, we sort of shook and we didn't know what it was. All of a sudden everybody came flying in, they told us we had to evacuate our building that the Crab House Side had just caved in. There's a big hole in the floor. The lady in the gift shop couldn't get out. We had to have one of our girls, Robin, pull her out.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Authorities say nine people were treated at hospitals for minor injuries. The cause of the collapse is being investigated now.
People on board a sightseeing helicopter in New York got more than they bargained for. Instead of a tour of Manhattan they ended up in the Hudson River. The Coast Guard says the chopper they were on crashed yesterday. All eight people on board are safe, are doing fine, but some are said to have minor injuries. Authorities say they were pulled from the water by two good samaritans in private boats. FAA is now investigating this crash.
NGUYEN: Well in Pakistan, a senior military commander has died in that tense standoff at a mosque. Militants reportedly opened fire when troops blasted holes in walls surrounding the so-called Red Mosque. The troops were trying to create escape routes for women and children. The government fears they are being used as human shields. And the cleric leading the standoff says 1900 people are still inside that compound, Pakistan's president says the militants must surrender or die. At least 27 people have been killed so far in that six-day standoff.
The U.S. death toll in Iraq is climbing once again. The Pentagon says a roadside bomb killed one U.S. soldier yesterday and wounded four others. It happened in the Salah ad Din Province, northwest of Baghdad. The U.S. death toll for July now stands at 28.
Well the ancient Greeks had their seven wonders, yes and now the Internet generation has theirs.
HOLMES: Got 100 million votes that were tallied worldwide. Here now the new seven.
NGUYEN: Can we get a drum roll?
HOLMES: Here we go. If you can make out some of these, the Great Wall China, Petra in Jordan, threes sights in Latin America made the list, Brazil, the statue of Christ the Redeemer, Peru's the Machu Picchu and Mexico is Mian Ruins (ph). Rounding out the new seven wonders, Betty's pick, the Colosseum in Rome and the Taj Mahal.
NGUYEN: I like those and our Ireporters have been busy sending us their pictures, a little later this hour CNN's Veronica De La Cruz shares those I-reports from our dot com desk.
HOLMES: From the new Seven Wonders of the World to some of the wonders of the music world they were all on display at the live Earth concert. Al Gore not one of those musical wonders but he was the catalyst behind the shows, they are meant to raise awareness of the dangers of global climate change. Organizers hope that at least a million people would join their pledge to make a difference. Well in all at least 150 artists pitched in to spread the message with music. CNN's Phil Black takes a quick tour of some of the memorable performances.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PHIL BLACK, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Rocking the planet. It started in Sydney, almost 50 thousand attended the first Live Earth Concert, Tokyo was next where U.S. singer Theana (ph) belted out her hits. In Shanghai a change of pace. The 12 girls band playing traditional Chinese instruments. Shakira swung her hips in Hamburg. And in London, the crowds came to see some of the biggest names in the world. Like the Black Eyed Peas who say they're thrilled to be a part of Live Earth.
FERGIE, BLACK EYED PEAS: It's really important because I think that as musicians we can get together and it makes a statement. I remember watching Live Aid, us being in Live Aid, it really just gathers people's attention. BLACK: Sixty thousand people roared to the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Closing the Wembley Show fell to Madonna.
MADONNA: Thank you and good night, London!
BLACK: Probably don't know these guys but they are the coolest band in the world. Literally. Five workers at a British research station in Antarctica, they help the man behind the mission, only U.S. Vice President Al Gore achieved his goal of a Live Earth Concert on every continent in 24 hours what impact that effort will have is somewhat less clear than the obvious good times had by musicians and fans around the globe.
Phil Black, CNN, London.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: Even the penguins came out for the concert. Did you watch that?
HOLMES: I did not.
NGUYEN: Did you get to see a bit of Shakira here?
HOLMES: We saw a lot of Shakira on the show yesterday.
NGUYEN: You read so slowly that those videos kept playing over and over.
Well, a concert of hope draws presidential hopefuls.
HOLMES: At a New Orleans music festive Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton was there as well. Their influence minutes away.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The cancer creation may be 20, 30 years from now, maybe 35 years from now, so it's a long progressive effect. And this Benzene can be the tipping point between cancer when you're 70 or living until you're 90.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: All right. So listen up, cancer-causing Benzene before you pack your cooler, you will want to see this report at 20 past the hour.
HOLMES: Also closed since 9/11, the debate to reopen Lady Liberty's crown.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: Well, music and politics. That's been on display the last couple of days, but this time I'm not talking about the Live Earth concert, I'm talking this time about the Essence Music Festival in New Orleans. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES (voice over): It's long been a mix of great music and serious efforts towards social change. This year the Essence Music Festival is back in New Orleans after a year away due to hurricane Katrina and this year it's mixing music with presidential politics.
SEN. BARACK OBAMA, (D) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: If all of you are ready to not just rebuild New Orleans, but rebuild the New Orleans all across America on the south side of Chicago, and in New York City, and in Los Angeles, and in Houston, all across America, I'm convinced that we will not just win an election this time out, but more importantly we will transform a country.
HOLMES: Barack Obama took center stage at the festival Thursday night followed just hours ago by Hillary Clinton.
HILLARY CLINTON, (D) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I believe it's an American responsibility to rebuild New Orleans, not just one of Louisiana and New Orleans, but all of us working together.
HOLMES: John Edwards is not here but he kicked off his presidential campaign in the Crescent City.
JOHN EDWARDS, (D) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I'm here in New Orleans to a - in the 9th Ward of New Orleans, to announce that I'm a candidate for the president of the United States.
HOLMES: Why all the attention to New Orleans? Because the city's plight has become a national story line and because Katrina had a devastating effect on the city's black community. Black voters are crucial to the Democratic Party.
KEATING HOLLAND, CNN POLITICAL DIRECTOR: Roughly nine in ten black vote Democratic. That makes them the most reliable voting block for the Democratic Party in this country.
HOLMES: And they will play an important role in picking the next Democratic presidential nominee, especially in South Carolina and Florida two early primary states. Senators Clinton and Obama are neck and neck among black voters in the most recent polls. But it is still very early and many voters have not made up their mind.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm not feeling that either candidate would be at this point that much of a difference.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Well of course we all learn so much about the candidates themselves, but what about the other half of those political equations? The spouses? Speaking of, Michelle Obama, we are starting to see this face a lot more these days. She's an accomplished woman in her own right. During our 9:00 a.m. Eastern hour, the beginning of a special series of reports by CNN's Anderson Cooper. This morning a look at the woman at Barack Obama's side. NGUYEN: T.J. once again CNN is raising the bar on the presidential debates and you can take part. On Monday, July 23rd, the Democratic candidates square off in a CNN/Youtube debate. Anderson Cooper hosts this first of its kind event, that's live and interactive on TV and online. You can see the Republican candidates debate on Monday, September 7th. Submit your questions now, log on to CNN.com/americavotes. CNN is your political headquarters.
Well there are new legal trouble for the man who once claimed he killed Jon Benet Ramsey. John Mark Carr captures the attention of police once again. We have his latest charges, that is just minutes away.
And something you should know about, soft drinks, there's an ingredient not listed on the label that's linked to cancer. We have those details right after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: All right. Here's a story you do not want to miss. Before you pack your cooler with soft drinks for that weekend outing, you better listen up because some of your favorite drinks may contain small amounts of cancer-causing Benzene. CNN's Greg Hunter looks at which drinks contain Benzene and what is being done about it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GREG HUNTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: All these soft drinks are mentioned in a lawsuit that claims they may contain Benzene, a chemical known to cause cancer. Without claiming anyone has been harmed by Benzene, the suit asks for the products to be reformulated.
TIM HOWARD, ATTORNEY: The cancer creation may be 20, 30 years from now, maybe 35 years from now. It's a long, progressive cumulative effect. This Benzene can be the tipping point to being with cancer at 70 or living until your 90.
HUNTER: Among the products named in this suit, Diet Wild Cherry Pepsi, Sunny D, Diet Rock Star, Vault Zero, Crystal Light Sunrise Orange, and testing by the FDA, Consumers Union and the beverage industry itself has shown Benzene can form when two ingredients, ascorbic acid and sodium benzoate are in extreme heat. The FDA has no standard for how much Benzene is allowed in beverages, t=but the Environmental Protection Agency does have a limit for Benzene in drinking water no more than five parts per billion. FDA tests of more than 100 drinks off store shelves found only four with levels above that five parts per billion. The rest contained much less. But the plaintiff's test produced different results. How high were the Benzene levels you found when you put these drinks under a stress test?
HOWARD: Some of them were as high as 19 parts per billion; we had 80 parts per billion.
HUNTER: Plaintiff's attorneys paid for independent tests where drinks are left unopened in 115 degree heat for three days, the same stress test they say manufacturers use. Neither the FDA nor any of the manufacturers named in the lawsuit would go on camera. They did issue written statements.
The FDA said, "We do not believe that there's a public health concern for any population group, including children." But Coca-Cola agreed to settle the case in May, and has reformulated Vault Zero and Fanta Pineapple. The company will provide refunds to consumers. A spokesman told us that Coca-Cola's company's products are and remain safe and they comply with all applicable regulations. The company is aware that extremely low levels of Benzene in parts per billion may be found under certain conditions. Pepsi also recently agreed to settle. A company spokesman told CNN, when this issue first came to light, as an extra precaution we reformulated the product, but again, we did not think it was a safety issue, as the FDA would attest. But to plaintiff Lisbeth Gordon, a mother of four it is about safety. The FDA says they don't see a problem what do you say as a mother?
LISBETH GORDON, SUING SOFT DRINK MAKERS: I say it's a major problem. It's a major problem.
HUNTER: Other defendants like Rock Star, Shasta, Sunny Delight and Publix Supermarkets told CNN they cannot comment on current litigation. Kraft witch makes Crystal Light said the suit was dismissed because the company already implemented changes that addressed their concerns. Polar did not return our calls. Consumer advocates say the FDA should have done more to protect the consumer.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is really about a problem that frankly the FDA has been negligent in addressing for many years now. It's taken expensive lawsuits and consumers taking manufacturers to court in order to get them to settle to reformulate their beverages.
HUNTER: Greg Hunter, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: All right. So both Coke and Pepsi told CNN that the company's reformulated their drinks by removing the ascorbic acid and they said there's no way of knowing how much of the old product is on the shelf.
HOLMES: All right Betty, some scary stuff there. Wildfires are burning out west. Reynolds Wolf will look at weather conditions coming up next.
Plus, Veronica De La Cruz will have your ireport on the new seven wonders, and he was a she, but he is also a pastor. A look at one man's struggle between his sex and his religion.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: Good morning, everybody. Welcome back to CNN SUNDAY MORNING. I'm Betty Nguyen.
HOLMES: I'm T.J. Holmes. We start in Iraq. The death toll rises to 150 in a marketplace bombing. We will have the latest from Baghdad. That is straight ahead.
We do want to tell you about this record heat paving the way for dangerous wildfires in the west.
NGUYEN: Right now it is burning in several states. Some of the worst forcing evacuations in parts of Nevada, California and Utah. Hundreds of thousands of acres have been destroyed. These fires still pretty much burning out of control and one in Utah could become the state's largest wildfire ever.
HOLMES: And the fast-moving wildfires also could cause power outages in other areas, leaving people exposed to those record temperatures.
(WEATHER REPORT)
NGUYEN: There is new fighting between Afghan troops and Taliban militants in southern Afghanistan.
HOLMES: This happened yesterday along the Helmand River. The U.S.-led coalition says Taliban militants fired mortars at Afghan police and Afghan troops, then hammered the mortar site with small arms fire and heavy weaponry, killing several militants.
NGUYEN: It's part of a NATO campaign to clear Taliban from that region. And we do want to take you to another region, that being Iraq. The death toll rises from yesterday's suicide truck bombing at a crowded marketplace. Government officials tell CNN 150 people were killed. Hundreds more were wounded.
CNN's Frederik Pleitgen reports on that and other insurgent attacks.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Ambulances rushed the injured to a nearby hospital after a car bomb ripped through a busy market at Amerli (ph) village, 100 miles north of Baghdad.
"I heard a loud explosion," this resident says, "then I saw many people dead and injured." More than 100 were killed and more than 200 wounded in the deadliest attack in Iraq at the end of a week of increased violence.
Only two days ago, a car bomb exploded next to a wedding society in southern Baghdad, killing more than a dozen people. The explosion targeted a photo shop just as the bride and groom were having their picture taken.
U.S. commanders in Iraq say they believe especially Sunni insurgents are stepping up their attacks, not just against civilians, also against coalition forces. Still, one commanding general says he believes the U.S. should maintain its increased troop levels in Iraq, the so-call surge brigades.
MAJ. GEN. RICK LYNCH, CMDR., MULTINATIONAL DIVISION CENTER: An enemy only responds to force and we now have that force. You know, we can conduct detailed kinetic strikes. We can do cordon and searches. And we can deny the enemy the sanctuaries. If those surge forces go away, that capability goes away and the Iraqi security forces aren't ready yet to do that.
PLEITGEN: Most of the victims of the Amerli village market attack were Shiite Turkomen, in a region that until this week had seen very little of the violence that is engulfing large parts of Iraq.
Frederick Pleitgen, CNN, Baghdad.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: This week Tom Foreman looks at the war in Iraq and the comparison to Vietnam on "THIS WEEK AT WAR." Also at 1:00, an update on the British terror investigation.
HOLMES: More legal troubles for the man who once confessed to killing JonBenet Ramsey. John Mark Carr faces domestic violence charges after an argument with his father. Karr was arrested and taken to a suburban Atlanta hospital after complaining of chest pains. And you may, of course, remember, Carr was arrested in Thailand last year after claiming that he killed the 6-year-old beauty queen. DNA tests showed there was no connection.
NGUYEN: Well, you could consider it a "statue of limitations." Yes, Congress is about to reconsider the ban on visitors scaling to the top of the Statue of Liberty. The crown of the American landmark has been off limits to the public since the 9/11 attacks, but the reason may surprise you as we take a live look at Lady Liberty this morning.
CNN's Jim Acosta explains.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JIM ACOSTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The Statue of Liberty has something on her mind and it's bugging one New York congressman, who says it's high time tourists are allowed high above this American icon.
REP. ANTHONY WEINER (D), NEW YORK: If visitors, both American and visitors from foreign lands, can't come here and walk up into the crown of Lady Liberty, they're just not getting the whole experience.
ACOSTA: It all started when the government closed the entire statue after September 11th. After millions in security upgrades, the National Park Service began letting tourists up to the statue's pedestal in 2004. But to this day, the 111-foot climb to the crown is off limits.
RENY VARUGHESE, TOURIST: I think it's like the security is good enough. I think we should be able to go up there.
ACOSTA: To some of Lady Liberty's guests, it's downright un- American.
DENISE NALLEY, TOURIST: Well, I think it belongs to Americans. It was given to Americans. We should be able to go up and see what it looks like up there.
ACOSTA (on camera): While the shatter proof glass is as high as you can go, the National Park Service says this is not really about terrorism. As it turns out, Lady Liberty is not quite up to code.
CYNTHIA GARRETT, STATUE OF LIBERTY SUPERINTENDENT: Our primary concern is the health and safety of our visitors.
ACOSTA: Statue of Liberty superintendent Cynthia Garrett says the winding spiral staircase to the top doesn't meet current building requirements, posing a danger to visitors.
GARRETT: On a day like today, it would be 20 degrees warmer in there. Our staff would be responding to numerous medical incidents. The climb up to the crown wasn't always a pleasant one.
ACOSTA: People routinely passed out making the ascent. Just go back in time and ask these visitors as they huffed and puffed their way to the crown in 1987.
RICHARD ROLLEN, 1987 STATUE VISITOR: It just got really tough going up there. Until you hit the top and then you touch the metal and metal is red hot up there. It's like an oven.
WEINER: Park Service is exactly right. It's a narrow, cramped space. And frankly that's part of the charm in it.
ACOSTA: Charm or potential harm. Congress is planning to hold hearings on whether this uniquely American view will ever be seen again.
Jim Acosta, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: Well, speaking of the Statue of Liberty, it was in the running for one of the New Seven Wonders of the World.
NGUYEN: Actually, it was one of your picks, wasn't it?
HOLMES: It was my pick. I was doing the patriotic thing and going with one on our home turf.
VERONICA DE LA CRUZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Rooting for the home team.
HOLMES: But Lady Liberty did not make the cut.
NGUYEN: No.
DE LA CRUZ: No.
HOLMES: So who did make the cut?
NGUYEN: Who up here won in that little...
(CROSSTALK)
DE LA CRUZ: Neither did the Eiffel Tower. My Eiffel Tower...
NGUYEN: Me.
DE LA CRUZ: Hang on. My Eiffel Tower did not win, but my Taj Mahal did.
NGUYEN: Wait, how did you have two picks? You're only supposed to get one.
DE LA CRUZ: Well, you know...
(CROSSTALK)
DE LA CRUZ: I brought you the story. So therefore I get two.
NGUYEN: OK. These are great picks though. So give us the full list.
DE LA CRUZ: All right. Well, you know, all the finalists for the New Seven Wonders of the World are of course well-known international landmarks. Many of you have been lucky enough to visit these places yourself. You sent us your photos you're your videos.
Now Betty's pick, the Coliseum in Rome was one that made the final cut. This is a photo from Brooklyn Bertels of Illinois. And she said took this beautiful picture of the Coliseum at night while on vacation. She says, it is amazing how well-preserved it is.
And, Betty, you have been.
NGUYEN: It is so well preserved, although if you look very closely, you can see the little holes that have been chipped out through time. But it's one of those -- you know, it's not one those just monuments, I would say, that it just really stood there and as you stand and look at it, you're in awe of the fact that it has been there so long.
DE LA CRUZ: Right. Awe-inspiring. And another landmark that made the cut, definitely awe-inspiring, Annemarie Bain of New York, she sent this picture of Machu Picchu in Peru after she took a trip last month with her husband. She tells CNN that photographs can't do justice to these unique ruins high in the Andes Mountains. She also says that she always wanted to see Machu Picchu ever since she was a little girl. And I know that our executive producer, Jen Bernstein (ph), also voted for Machu Picchu. So congratulations, Jen.
NGUYEN: She's a winner too. And these are great wonders. They really are.
DE LA CRUZ: So go ahead and take you now to the Natural Wonders, because there is actually another contest out there. There's another Seven Wonders campaign that you too can get involved in. And this is the Web site. Let's take a look. This is naturalsevenwonders.com. Now unlike the previous contest, these candidates must be natural formations. So a good example would be maybe the Grand Canyon, or the Great Barrier Reef, but nothing like, you know, the Northern Lights or the Milky Way.
NGUYEN: OK.
HOLMES: Got you.
DE LA CRUZ: You have got until August 8th, 2008, which is, guess what, 8/8/08. There you go. And then a panel of judges will choose 21 top candidates. And so on and so forth. We are going to start all over again. So, pay attention folks, because 13 months from now we are going to be talking all about this once again...
(CROSSTALK)
DE LA CRUZ: Yes, 8/8/08 is the big day.
NGUYEN: That's interesting. That will be good stuff. And I'm sure after that one there will be another kind of wonder contest.
DE LA CRUZ: Well, this is an important one because I do believe something like the Grand Canyon should be on the list.
NGUYEN: Oh yes, absolutely. Because you look at that and you are just thinking, how in the world?
DE LA CRUZ: That is awe-inspiring.
(CROSSTALK)
NGUYEN: Very cool, thank you, Veronica.
HOLMES: We will turn to religion and homosexuality. You certainly hear those two together, you certainly know it has awfully been -- certainly been awfully controversial. But what if you think you were born the wrong sex, and what does the Bible say?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DREW PHOENIX, TRANSGENDER PASTOR: Nothing. So it doesn't say that transgender persons cannot serve as clergy, yet.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: We are going to talk to one pastor about being transgender. How has his congregation reacted?
HOLMES: All right. We are going to turn to Homer Simpson now. "The Simpsons," what state do they live in? If you know this show, then you know you don't know where their hometown of Springfield actually is. Well, fans may finally get the answer. Kinda-sorta.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CYDNE' KIMBROUGH, TRANSGENDER WOMAN: I think God made me exactly the way he wanted.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Well, the woman you see there -- just heard there, is transgendered. She has spent much of her life sorting out her sexual identity. Well, as difficult as that may seem, imagine what it would be like to have to deal with that struggle as a minister?
Rick Sanchez takes a closer look in today's "Faces of Faith."
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PHOENIX: We pray for ourselves, God.
RICK SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): Reverend Drew Phoenix is a pastor here at St. John's United Methodist Church.
PHOENIX: We pray for this community of which we are a part. We give so much thanks for each other.
SANCHEZ: He has bonded with his congregation.
PHOENIX: Good morning.
CONGREGATION: Good morning.
PHOENIX: Good to see you all here.
SANCHEZ: He preaches love and acceptance.
PHOENIX: This is a very open, affirming, inclusive kind of congregation.
SANCHEZ: Inclusive enough to accept him. You see, in Drew Phoenix's past, he had a different name. He was Ann Gordon. More than a year ago, she had gender altering surgery. Here's how his church has reacted.
PHOENIX: It was one of two reactions. It was either, oh, yes, we're not surprised. Or, you know, congratulations.
SANCHEZ: He's now trying to keep his job because by church doctrine, they may have to remove him. However, they've also never had to deal with his specific issue.
PHOENIX: There's nothing about transgendered persons in our book of law. Nothing. So it doesn't say that transgender persons cannot serve as clergy, yet.
SANCHEZ: So now he waits. The official vote to allow transgender pastors or not is in October.
PHOENIX: I'm very happy. I feel very peaceful. It was absolutely the right thing to do, to transition. I have no regrets whatsoever. You do indeed guide each and every step in our lives as we live more fully into the persons you have created us to be.
SANCHEZ: But what about the Bible? What about remaining a Methodist?
PHOENIX: I believe that we're all made in the image of God. And everybody is loved. Period. No exceptions.
Rick Sanchez, CNN, Atlanta.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: Well, you will recognize this next guy here, he's a comedian, a radio host, an actor, but he is also a person of faith.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
STEVE HARVEY, COMEDIAN: I'm a funny guy. That's how I make my living. So my show is funny. And right after my first 12 minutes of inspiration, we funny. But even throughout there, I'm never disrespectful of God or anybody's faith or what they believe in because it's necessary, man. Without your faith part of your life, I don't know how you make it, man.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: And more of my interview with Steve Harvey. He talks about faith, and he is, as always, funny. That's next Sunday on CNN.
NGUYEN: Well, T.J., if you are a baseball fan and feeling a little low, you may want to consider Philadelphia fans because they are facing something pretty special today.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LARRY SMITH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: How do you handle it?
PHILLY FANATIC, PHILLIES MASCOT: (SOUND OF BLOWING NOSE)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: Yes, heading for a record fans are screaming about. Big frowns and feeling low in Philly.
Plus, it started out like any other fun ride on a wave runner, except take a look at what happens next. It is a huge wipe-out right there, ouch.
Plus, check this out. A couple of people take an unexpected leap. And we're going to tell you about that when we come back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: All right. Take a look at this. Oh, honey, we're having -- isn't this fun? NGUYEN: Great time. Yes, go faster, faster.
HOLMES: Great. A jet ski. Glad we came -- oh!
(LAUGHTER)
HOLMES: That was not supposed to happen, honey. You took the wrong turn. This is a couple, folks, who took an unexpected leap.
NGUYEN: Was that the female driving? I sure hope not.
HOLMES: Oh, see, she said it, folks, not me.
NGUYEN: It kind of looks like it. This is on one of those jet skis. One of those personal crafts. And it went airborne over a spillway. This is a lake in Lewisville, Texas, just outside Dallas. Despite this 30-foot drop, neither person was seriously injured. That's why we can kind of have a little fun...
(CROSSTALK)
NGUYEN: Yes. But when you say "seriously injured," that means they were injured to an extent.
HOLMES: To an extent.
NGUYEN: Just not, you know.
HOLMES: Life threatening. Oh, we hope they're OK. We need to get an update, because that's not funny.
NGUYEN: Yes. We do need an update.
HOLMES: Something that you definitely don't want to do when you're having fun out on the lake somewhere. Let's get to you a record that no one wants. Yes, the Philadelphia Phillies, now just one loss away from the dubious honor in the baseball record book.
CNN's Larry Smith takes a look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SMITH (voice-over): It's a city known for its history. A place once full of great men who dared to make America great. Now Philadelphia is about to ring in a new record, for losing.
(on camera): How many of the losses have you seen personally?
"BEN FRANKLIN," FOUNDING FATHER: A little too many.
SMITH (voice-over): The Philadelphia Phillies are on the verge of becoming the first team in professional sports history to lose 10,000 games. And some fans are taking it harder than others.
(on camera): How do you handle it?
PHILLY FANATIC, PHILLIES MASCOT: (SOUND OF BLOWING NOSE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You just sort of get used to it. You know, when they're ahead by six runs in the ninth inning, you think they can still lose. They can still lose it. They sure can. And they do.
SMITH (voice-over): Already home to the fictional fighter once proclaimed the "ultimate underdog," the city knows how to handle a "Rocky" ride, but even the toughest fans have had a hard time describing the significance of a 10,000th defeat.
(on camera): As an historical achievement, how would you describe it?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ignominious.
SAM DONNELLON, PHILADELPHIA DAILY NEWS: It's part of the fun, again, of being a sports fan in this town is you're waiting for that anvil to drop on you all the time.
SMITH (voice-over): But how could this be? The Phillies started play in 1883 with 81 losses. But it wasn't until 1919 when they began a terrible stretch of losing at least 90 games 23 times in 29 years.
LARRY SHENK, PHILLIES EMPLOYEE FOR 14 YEARS: When we get to 10,000, 28 percent of them will come from three decades. The '20s, the '30s, and the '40s.
SMITH: In 1980, Philadelphia won its first and only World Series. And although they have appeared in two others since, recently the Phillies have been good, just not good enough.
RANDY MILLER, BUCKS COUNTY COURIER TIMES: They have not been embarrassing lately, but when you look at from 1883 until the year 2007, hey, they have been the worst franchise in the history of sports.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We mourn, but it's not just the Phillies, it's the Flyers, it's the Sixers, it's the Eagles. This town is, I think, made for it. So if you're a Phillies fan, if you're a Philadelphia fan, you are conditioned to lose.
SMITH: So for a city that has not won a title in any sport since 1983, is this milestone finally a reason to scream, we're number one?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Of course we're proud. It's a record. A record is something to be proud of. Even if it's a bad one.
SMITH: Perhaps only wisdom from the wisest of men in Philadelphia can truly explain how to cope with all those losses.
"FRANKLIN": We don't give up. We don't quit. We keep going. And that was set back when we began this nation. Determination.
SMITH: Much like their forefathers, it seems the Phillies and their fans are determined to one day declare freedom from the tyranny of 10,000. Larry Smith, CNN, Atlanta.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: Ten thousand losses. That's a lot of losing.
NGUYEN: Yes. There is really no way to make that sound any better.
HOLMES: We are going to move on to what you could call the wedding of the century maybe?
NGUYEN: Oh yes, it's not because it's a celebrity couple that got married, but the wedding date, of course.
HOLMES: We will talk about that. Also it seems nobody is immune to "Simpsons" mania.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. EDWARD KENNEDY (D), MASSACHUSETTS: Join us in Springfield, Massachusetts, just think, after 400 episodes, you will even be able to enjoy some real "chowda."
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Yes, that was Ted Kennedy, busy doing the work of the people of this country, but also he is pushing hard to bring "The Simpsons" to Springfield, Massachusetts. We'll look closer at the cutthroat competition to host the movie's premiere.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: Well, she is certainly not desperate, she is certainly not a housewife either.
NGUYEN: Oh no, and I don't think she'll ever be a housewife. But TV star Eva Longoria is indeed a married woman today. Co-star Teri Hatcher was among the guests at yesterday's nuptials at a Paris cathedral. Longoria's new hubby? NBA star Tony Parker. He grew up in France and they are among the thousands of couples who thought the wedding date 7/7/07 would be a lucky omen. Actually yesterday's ceremony was the second exchange of vows, T.J.
HOLMES: Yes. The day earlier they had to do it in a civil ceremony. That's required by law.
Well, 14 Springfields to choose from. We've got one red carpet though. Which one of those Springfields is going to get the honor of hosting "The Simpsons Movie" premiere now?
NGUYEN: This is a big deal.
HOLMES: Big deal.
NGUYEN: It has become a huge deal in fact. Soon we are going to see who is going to be able to do that red carpet affair.
And Jason Carroll takes a look at the competition, which is so stiff.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HARRY SHEARER, "NED FLANDERS": 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 asked 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 Matt took to reach to 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 "chowda."
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.
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 to do in Springfield.
CARROLL: Fans can vote online at usatoday.com for their favorite Springfield. As for the fictional Springfield, it hit theaters July 27th.
DAN CASTELLANETA, "HOMER SIMPSON": I'll teach you to laugh at something that's funny.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: "The Simpsons Movie."
CARROLL: Jason Carroll, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
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