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American Morning

Prolific Sexual Predator Arrested Again; 'Paging Dr. Gupta'

Aired April 19, 2004 - 08:30   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.


SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: And good morning. Welcome back, everybody. Exactly half past the hour on this AMERICAN MORNING. In just a few moments, we're going to take a look at the health risks of sun exposure. Usually the following thing that we would say how bad it is for you, getting a tan, but actually, in just a moment, we're going to talk to a doctor who disagrees with that conventional wisdom, and then, of course, Dr. Sanjay Gupta is going weigh in on what he has to say.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Also this half hour, surprising results of a study tracking mountain lions in Southern California. They're closer to suburban neighborhoods than anyone thought previously. In a moment, a new strategy to find the lion habits. Is there a chance of coexistence? We'll talk to one scientists involved deeply in that in a few moments here.

O'BRIEN: Top stories, though, first, Iraqi police say two civilians killed in a mortar attacks in Baghdad today, the same day that a rocket hit the grounds of the Swedish embassy. The building was vacant. And as the violence continues, U.S. administrator Paul Bremer says coalition forces will still be in Iraq past the June 30th handover. Ambassador Bremer says Iraqis will not be able to handle their own security after the power handover.

Israel paying tribute to the victims of the Holocaust, traffic came to a standstill for two minutes today as a siren sounded across the country. The Annual Holocaust Remembrance Day began last night with a series of ceremonies commemorating the deaths of some six million victims.

Memorial services are planned in Oklahoma today for the 168 people who were killed nine years ago in the Oklahoma City Bombing. Meanwhile, the state trial of bombing conspirator Terry Nichols resumes this morning. An FBI agent who questioned Nichols two days after the bombing is due to take the stand. Nichols is already serving a life sentence on federal convictions.

In Florida, two people are safe after flipping over in a small plane on the runway during an airshow yesterday. The passenger sustained minor injuries, while the pilot remained unharmed. Another man hospitalized after he plunged 50 feet to the ground. His motorized parachute collapsed. That happened all at the same event. His condition has not been released.

No. 1 at the weekend box office was "Kill Bill Volume 2." It's slaying the competition. Uma Thurman and Daryl Hannah stars in the second part of Quentin Tarantino's tale of revenge. Theaters raked in $25.6 million bucks for the sequel. Bill Hemmer liked it. Another tale of vengeance, "The Punisher," a comic book adaptation, opened in second place with 14 million bucks. Who's in "The Punisher?" Do you know?

HEMMER: No, we knew this last week.

O'BRIEN: Anybody? Anybody?

HEMMER: John Travolta, who else? Who?

O'BRIEN: Who?

HEMMER: They don't know any more than we do.

O'BRIEN: I really appreciate that, when you help us out by yelling things.

HEMMER: By the way, "Kill Bill," a little more dialogue than you would usually think.

O'BRIEN: You liked it, right?

HEMMER: It was decent, decent film, yes. You see one, you see two.

(WEATHER REPORT)

HEMMER: A prolific sexual predator has been arrested again, this after a legal loophole freed him from a life sentence earlier this month.

Miguel Marquez has more on that story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MIGUEL MARQUEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Serial child molester and self-described monster, Edward Harvey Stokes, is behind bars, arrested in Gresham, Oregon, a suburb of Portland, after a tip came in from a woman who had seen news reports about Stokes.

GRANT MCCORMICK, GRESHAM POLICE DEPARTMENT: He admitted who he was. And he was taken into custody without incident.

MARQUEZ: Investigators searched a used ambulance Stokes had parked in a lot south of Portland and white Ryder van that Stokes rented last week.

MCCORMICK: There is a mattress in back of the van. We don't know what that is being used for, but that will be processed.

MARQUEZ: Stokes was let out of prison on April 7th in Orange County, California after his sentence for sexual battery of a teenager was overturned. Stokes' accuser in the case, a 16-year old boy, killed himself shortly before trial. And a California appellate court ruled that Stokes had been denied his constitutional right to confront and cross examine his accuser. While serving an earlier sentence for child molestation in Colorado, Stokes wrote to a prison therapist that he had 212 victims. After being let out of prison in California, Stokes applied for a driver's license in Washington state. And investigators say he gave a false address. Two warrants were issued for his arrest.

(on camera): A spokesman from Noma County jail says Stokes is being held on a no bail warrant. His arraignment to come as early as Monday morning.

Miguel Marquez, CNN, Los Angeles.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HEMMER: Miguel, thanks for that. The charges against Stokes are minor, but police say they are relived to have found them. They feared he was hunting -- the possibility of hunting for more victims -- Soledad.

O'BRIEN: Still to come on AMERICAN MORNING, we've all heard about the dangers of the sun. Well, ahead, a doctor who turns that idea on its head. We're going to hear from him, and also Dr. Sanjay Gupta.

HEMMER: Also, the CEO credited with turning around McDonald's sluggish sales dies suddenly today. Andy checks on that story, and how that will influence the fast food giant next here in a moment in business.

O'BRIEN: And hundreds of mountain lions killed as they wander into suburbia. We're going to check out some new ways to try to save them. Stay with us. You're watching AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HEMMER: In medical news today, a Boston University researcher is taking a counterintuitive view about exposure to the sun. A new book is out. It's called "The UV Advantage." Dr. Michael Holick says Americans should not fear ultraviolet rays; they should embrace them, in part. In a moment, we'll get Sanjay's opinion about this view, but first, Dr. Holick about the dangers he sees in underexposure to the sun.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DR. MICHAEL HOLICK, AUTHOR, "THE UV ADVANTAGE": It turns out that the major source of vitamin D, which is critically important for our health and welfare throughout our lives, comes from exposure to sunlight, and if you wear a sunscreen or avoid all sun exposure, you're at high risk of developing vitamin D deficiency and serious health consequences.

HEMMER: This goes contrary to what a lot of people say about staying out of the sun. How do you counter that?

HOLICK: Well I think that, you know, just like anything in life, moderation is what you want. And I think a little bit of sun exposure is not only makes you feel better, but permits you to make vitamin D in your skin, which is critically important for not only bone health but for prevention of common cancers and diabetes and even multiple sclerosis.

HEMMER: You say a little bit of sunshine, how much is a little bit? Can you define that better?

HOLICK: It depends on time of day and season of the year and your skin type and skin sensitivity. But typically no more than maybe five to ten minutes of sun exposure from the hours of 11:00 to 3:00 in the afternoon. Arms and legs or hands, face and arms two to three times a week.

HEMMER: You also mention sun block. Are you recommending still wear it or not to wear then it based on your research?

HOLICK: The recommendation is that you get this little bit of safe exposure and then put a sun block on, preferably at least 15.

The reason for not putting a sun block on before going outside is that a sun block SPF of 8 reduces your ability to make vitamin D by more than 95 percent.

So what I like to recommend is that you go out for a few minutes, get the beneficial effect of sun exposure. Then put the sun block on, prevent the damaging effects due to chronic, excessive exposure.

HEMMER: You know, Doctor, the head of your department at Boston University said your research was embarrassing and pressured you to resign, actually. In fact, he said it was, quote, "an embarrassment for this institution." How do you respond to that from a colleague?

HOLICK: Well, I think that I'm a professor of medicine and physiology and biophysics and I remain as such at Boston University. And I have a joint appointment in dermatology.

I think that Dr. Gillcrest (ph) has very strong feelings about not being exposed to any sunlight which, I believe, really puts people at risk. And because of my sensible recommendation, she felt that it was outside the realm of what she was teaching. And then, therefore, asked me to resign from her department.

HEMMER: Doctor, there's another thing here. The International Tanning Association apparently is helping you promote your book, and also contributing to your research. Do you see the inherent conflict of interest, if that's the case?

HOLICK: Well, I have really no control over what the Indoor Tanning Association wishes to do about the book and the book that's going to be out May 18 is really talking about sensible sun exposure. It's not advocating tanning, per se.

The fact that the Indoor Tanning Association has helped fund my research in the past, it's always been as a gift and it's always been a non-restricted gift for me to do research as I wish. So that it's not research I was doing for them, per se. So I don't feel there's any conflict.

HEMMER: Dr. Michael Holick's our guest from Boston. Appreciate your talking with us, Doctor. Interesting theories and interesting research you provided, as well. Thank you, again, Doctor.

Our own doctor, Dr. Sanjay Gupta follows us now. Good morning to you, Sanjay.

(CROSSTALK)

HEMMER: Other ways to get vitamin D. How do you do it other than laying in the sun?

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, first of all, it's interesting. Dr. Holick's obviously a pretty smart guy which, I think, probably makes it even more alarming that he says there are concerns people not getting enough sun exposure.

I mean certainly melanoma is a much bigger problem than vitamin D deficiency. There's no epidemic of vitamin D deficiency in this country. You can get vitamin D in other ways, in food, certainly. Milk, for example, has vitamin D. Everybody knows that it's been fortified. Supplements, a little bit of sunshine can give you vitamin D as well. Certain foods.

But, you know, this is something that people have been talking about for some time. Vitamin D -- the deficiency is not that much of a national problem.

HEMMER: Well the other thing Dr. Holick is saying. everything in moderation is OK. That was the point he was stressing in that interview.

GUPTA: And I think, you know, it's fun because people do sort rely on that, everything in moderation is OK. But not everything in moderation is OK. And certainly people know that there are certain things that are bad for you.

If you live in Australia, if you live in the Sun Belt, you have a higher incidents of sun cancer, sun-related cancers. And that's a problem. I mean melanoma is a deadly cancer. If you spend too much time in the sun, then you might be more at risk for this.

You ask the right question, which is how much is too much? And that's where it gets tricky. Do you not wear sun block when you go out for these 10 to 15 minutes? Do you wear sun block? And if you do can you stay out longer?

The dermatologists, the community of dermatologists have take an very concrete stand on this which is to say, be very careful when you go out in the sun. It can change the pigment of your skin, it can make your immune system more deficient and possibly lead to cancer.

This is what they're saying. And that's why they're so vigilant about sun exposure. HEMMER: There was another theory out there on the cancer theory that actually exposure to sunlight and vitamin D can actually help prevent certain types of cancer. Do you buy into that?

(CROSSTALK)

GUPTA: There is -- some early trials suggested that the same process by which you make vitamin D may also protect against breast and prostate cancer. Those are in very early clinical trials. Hard to say for sure yet. The skin cancer's the obvious one though, melanoma.

HEMMER: Interesting topic. This time of year, too. Everybody hanging out in the sun very soon. Nice to see you, Sanjay -- Soledad.

O'BRIEN: Still to come this morning, word that McDonald's CEO is dead. Andy Serwer has details on that just ahead as AMERICAN MORNING continues. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

O'BRIEN: Welcome back, everybody. We're just learning this morning about the sudden death of the head of McDonald's. Andy Serwer "Minding Your" business this morning.

The chairman and CEO died apparently of a heart attack, right?

ANDY SERWER, "FORTUNE": That's right. Yes, some sad news, Soledad. Jim Cantalupo, age 60, died of an apparent heart attack this morning in Orlando, Florida, McDonald's is reporting this morning. Cantalupo had been with the company 30 years, he'd been CEO since January 1, 2003.

And I knew the guy, a little bit. A real straight shooter, very nice person and really engineered a very dramatic turn around at this company, Soledad. If you look and see last year sales were up over 10 percent system wide, same-store sales opened for stores opened a year up also 10 percent. The new menu, the salads and McGriddles all came under his watch.

And some sad people out there. Of course, Wall Street not liking the news. The stock is down in premarket trading. A lot of questions of who will be taking over this company. The COO, the president is man named Charlie Bell, an Australian, 43 years old.

And people on Wall Street are not really familiar with him. And this is, of course, is very tragic news for his family and for the company, as well. And it's unsettling news to people in the business community, as well.

O'BRIEN: Is there any indication -- I mean he's a young guy, 60 years old, to drop dead of a heart attack. Shocking certainly to his family and of course lots of other people, as well.

Any sense that there was a succession plan, as I know many businesses put into place where there's two or three people that they've sort of handpicked to take over if the guy should retire, not drop dead?

SERWER: I really don't think there was so much of a succession plan because he was only 60 years old, because he'd only been CEO since January of 2003, and because he was engineering this comeback at the world's largest restaurant company. So it really comes as quite a shock. And if you had told this man, Charlie Bell, that he may be the CEO of McDonald's tomorrow, I think that would have come as a big surprise to him. So, we're going to see how the company copes with this over the coming days and weeks.

O'BRIEN: That's sad news for his family. What a shock. How awful.

SERWER: Absolutely.

O'BRIEN: All right, Andy, thanks for updating us. We appreciate it.

HEMMER: We want to get to California as we change gears a little bit here. More than 700 mountain lions have been killed in the past 10 years for threatening to harm people. New technology now giving researchers a bit better understanding of how mountain lions live, and results are surprising. For one thing, humans, they say, are not the lions' No. 1 target. Walter Boyce, director of the UC Davis Wildlife Health Center, and lead researcher on the Southern California Puma Project talked with us recently. His organization is looking for answers on how humans and lions can, believe it or not, coexist. Some thoughts now from him.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WALTER BOYCE, DIR., WILDLIFE HEALTH CTR.: Lions are closer to humans than many people realize. They're very animals, but they're primarily active at night, during dawn and dusk. People are most active during the daytime. It's easiest for (UNINTELLIGIBLE). But they're still out there, oftentimes watching us, and adjusting their behaviors to what we're doing.

HEMMER: What have you learned?

BOYCE: Well, we've actually learned that it's pretty hard for mountain lions to avoid people when we have as many people as we do now. They try to do a pretty good job, but sometimes, they do things that get them in trouble. They do a lot of things to get them in trouble. They kill for a living. They're an exquisitely adaptive predator, and sometimes they kill dogs, cats, other domestic animals, and when they do that, they oftentimes end up paying the ultimate price, which is we kill them.

HEMMER: Yes, some of your studies -- GPS tracking devices here. You brought one along with us today. How does it work? Why do you use it?

BOYCE: We really can't know what lions are doing, unless we have a way to look through the world in their eyes. This is what this GPS radio collar allows us to do. This collar, we capture an animal, tranquilize it, put the collar on it, and let the animal go. This has a GPS receive in it, so that it can essentially determine its location around the clock, and then send that information to us at a periodic interval.

One of the things we're quite excited about now is it's actually got a cell phone built into it, and it can text message us where the lion is in almost real time.

Now the animal doesn't have to wear that for all its life. It has this drop-off mechanism, so after a predetermined period of time, the collar uncouples, falls off.

HEMMER: So you're tracking these lions and it's telling you what now in your research?

BOYCE: We put this on over 20 animals so far, and what we found is that this urban interface is a pretty short life for animals. Twelve out of the 20 lions have died, the major cause of death has actually been people.

HEMMER: Do you see a point, based on your research so far, that tells you that humans and lions can coexist?

BOYCE: I think that information is the key. If people have information to make good decisions. For example, the pet issue -- lions will kill dogs and cats. If we put our dogs and cats up at night, don't allow them to run loose, lions aren't drawn in near our houses, and our pets are safer, healthier, lions get to live longer.

HEMMER: Walter Boyce with us a few weeks ago here on AMERICAN MORNING, learning more about the mountain lions study, www.wildlifehealthcenter.org. More information there.

Good thing that collar drops off after while, I mean, wearing that thing around.

Walter Boyce, thanks for your time here.

Back to Jack.

JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: Time now for the Cafferty File. The latest cosmetic procedure something you can't see. It's called a voice lift. There are two options. Surgeons either insert implants through an incision in the neck, bring the vocal cords closer together, or they use fat or collagen injections to plump up your cords. According to one doctor, there are people who pay $15,000 for a facelift, and as soon as they open their mouth, they sound like they're 75.

Students at Duke University will soon be able to sleep in. Isn't that special? The university is eliminating 8:00 classes because the poor little darlings are sleep deprived, obviously. Duke is also looking into orientation programs to help freshman understand the importance of sleep, something apparently they failed to be taught in high school, or home or any place along the line before they get to college. So we're going to have to go to orientation classes to learn the importance of sleep. Starting in the fall, the earliest classes will be 8:30. College students get an average of six to seven hours of sleep a night. One expert thinks they should get nine hours.

SERWER: I think they're wimps at Duke. What do you think?

CAFFERTY: Yes, I think that's a good characterization.

Thanks, Andy.

What's that?

SERWER: I'm in big trouble.

CAFFERTY: Bye, Andy, it was nice working with you. Jack, also.

We should be so lucky.

Here's an option for people who want to take their pets with them everywhere? You can now get your shorts made out of your dog's hair. They will turn it into a sweater.

SERWER: That's wrong.

CAFFERTY: "The Atlanta-Journal Constitution" -- here's how it works: you collect the fur, and they you send it to one of these companies, and in about eight weeks, you get a ball of yarn. made out of the mutt's hair.

SERWER: Don't do that.

CAFFERTY: This costs like $400. Then you give the yarn to somebody who presumably knows how to weave, and they make a shirt, or a scarf, or a hat or a tote bag.

See this picture. That scarf on the right is made from the dog's hair on the left.

SERWER: Does that come from the demented producer of yours, this one?

CAFFERTY: This is Sarah Leder's (ph) find, a fine young woman, did not attend Duke University, gets up very early each morning and applies herself quite adequately.

SERWER: Boy, sure does. That's a good one.

CAFFERTY: I'm so tired, I have to go to sleep.

O'BRIEN: All right, thanks, Jack.

O'BRIEN: Still to come this morning, an Ohio community waits for word about one of the Americans being held now in Iraq. We're going to take you there coming up in just a few minutes. Stay with us. You're watching AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) HEMMER: In a moment here, fiery scenes in the Middle East, as Hamas promises retaliation, after the assassination of its leader of Hamas, live in this troubled region, top of the hour here, on AMERICAN MORNING.

Back in a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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Aired April 19, 2004 - 08:30   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: And good morning. Welcome back, everybody. Exactly half past the hour on this AMERICAN MORNING. In just a few moments, we're going to take a look at the health risks of sun exposure. Usually the following thing that we would say how bad it is for you, getting a tan, but actually, in just a moment, we're going to talk to a doctor who disagrees with that conventional wisdom, and then, of course, Dr. Sanjay Gupta is going weigh in on what he has to say.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Also this half hour, surprising results of a study tracking mountain lions in Southern California. They're closer to suburban neighborhoods than anyone thought previously. In a moment, a new strategy to find the lion habits. Is there a chance of coexistence? We'll talk to one scientists involved deeply in that in a few moments here.

O'BRIEN: Top stories, though, first, Iraqi police say two civilians killed in a mortar attacks in Baghdad today, the same day that a rocket hit the grounds of the Swedish embassy. The building was vacant. And as the violence continues, U.S. administrator Paul Bremer says coalition forces will still be in Iraq past the June 30th handover. Ambassador Bremer says Iraqis will not be able to handle their own security after the power handover.

Israel paying tribute to the victims of the Holocaust, traffic came to a standstill for two minutes today as a siren sounded across the country. The Annual Holocaust Remembrance Day began last night with a series of ceremonies commemorating the deaths of some six million victims.

Memorial services are planned in Oklahoma today for the 168 people who were killed nine years ago in the Oklahoma City Bombing. Meanwhile, the state trial of bombing conspirator Terry Nichols resumes this morning. An FBI agent who questioned Nichols two days after the bombing is due to take the stand. Nichols is already serving a life sentence on federal convictions.

In Florida, two people are safe after flipping over in a small plane on the runway during an airshow yesterday. The passenger sustained minor injuries, while the pilot remained unharmed. Another man hospitalized after he plunged 50 feet to the ground. His motorized parachute collapsed. That happened all at the same event. His condition has not been released.

No. 1 at the weekend box office was "Kill Bill Volume 2." It's slaying the competition. Uma Thurman and Daryl Hannah stars in the second part of Quentin Tarantino's tale of revenge. Theaters raked in $25.6 million bucks for the sequel. Bill Hemmer liked it. Another tale of vengeance, "The Punisher," a comic book adaptation, opened in second place with 14 million bucks. Who's in "The Punisher?" Do you know?

HEMMER: No, we knew this last week.

O'BRIEN: Anybody? Anybody?

HEMMER: John Travolta, who else? Who?

O'BRIEN: Who?

HEMMER: They don't know any more than we do.

O'BRIEN: I really appreciate that, when you help us out by yelling things.

HEMMER: By the way, "Kill Bill," a little more dialogue than you would usually think.

O'BRIEN: You liked it, right?

HEMMER: It was decent, decent film, yes. You see one, you see two.

(WEATHER REPORT)

HEMMER: A prolific sexual predator has been arrested again, this after a legal loophole freed him from a life sentence earlier this month.

Miguel Marquez has more on that story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MIGUEL MARQUEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Serial child molester and self-described monster, Edward Harvey Stokes, is behind bars, arrested in Gresham, Oregon, a suburb of Portland, after a tip came in from a woman who had seen news reports about Stokes.

GRANT MCCORMICK, GRESHAM POLICE DEPARTMENT: He admitted who he was. And he was taken into custody without incident.

MARQUEZ: Investigators searched a used ambulance Stokes had parked in a lot south of Portland and white Ryder van that Stokes rented last week.

MCCORMICK: There is a mattress in back of the van. We don't know what that is being used for, but that will be processed.

MARQUEZ: Stokes was let out of prison on April 7th in Orange County, California after his sentence for sexual battery of a teenager was overturned. Stokes' accuser in the case, a 16-year old boy, killed himself shortly before trial. And a California appellate court ruled that Stokes had been denied his constitutional right to confront and cross examine his accuser. While serving an earlier sentence for child molestation in Colorado, Stokes wrote to a prison therapist that he had 212 victims. After being let out of prison in California, Stokes applied for a driver's license in Washington state. And investigators say he gave a false address. Two warrants were issued for his arrest.

(on camera): A spokesman from Noma County jail says Stokes is being held on a no bail warrant. His arraignment to come as early as Monday morning.

Miguel Marquez, CNN, Los Angeles.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HEMMER: Miguel, thanks for that. The charges against Stokes are minor, but police say they are relived to have found them. They feared he was hunting -- the possibility of hunting for more victims -- Soledad.

O'BRIEN: Still to come on AMERICAN MORNING, we've all heard about the dangers of the sun. Well, ahead, a doctor who turns that idea on its head. We're going to hear from him, and also Dr. Sanjay Gupta.

HEMMER: Also, the CEO credited with turning around McDonald's sluggish sales dies suddenly today. Andy checks on that story, and how that will influence the fast food giant next here in a moment in business.

O'BRIEN: And hundreds of mountain lions killed as they wander into suburbia. We're going to check out some new ways to try to save them. Stay with us. You're watching AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HEMMER: In medical news today, a Boston University researcher is taking a counterintuitive view about exposure to the sun. A new book is out. It's called "The UV Advantage." Dr. Michael Holick says Americans should not fear ultraviolet rays; they should embrace them, in part. In a moment, we'll get Sanjay's opinion about this view, but first, Dr. Holick about the dangers he sees in underexposure to the sun.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DR. MICHAEL HOLICK, AUTHOR, "THE UV ADVANTAGE": It turns out that the major source of vitamin D, which is critically important for our health and welfare throughout our lives, comes from exposure to sunlight, and if you wear a sunscreen or avoid all sun exposure, you're at high risk of developing vitamin D deficiency and serious health consequences.

HEMMER: This goes contrary to what a lot of people say about staying out of the sun. How do you counter that?

HOLICK: Well I think that, you know, just like anything in life, moderation is what you want. And I think a little bit of sun exposure is not only makes you feel better, but permits you to make vitamin D in your skin, which is critically important for not only bone health but for prevention of common cancers and diabetes and even multiple sclerosis.

HEMMER: You say a little bit of sunshine, how much is a little bit? Can you define that better?

HOLICK: It depends on time of day and season of the year and your skin type and skin sensitivity. But typically no more than maybe five to ten minutes of sun exposure from the hours of 11:00 to 3:00 in the afternoon. Arms and legs or hands, face and arms two to three times a week.

HEMMER: You also mention sun block. Are you recommending still wear it or not to wear then it based on your research?

HOLICK: The recommendation is that you get this little bit of safe exposure and then put a sun block on, preferably at least 15.

The reason for not putting a sun block on before going outside is that a sun block SPF of 8 reduces your ability to make vitamin D by more than 95 percent.

So what I like to recommend is that you go out for a few minutes, get the beneficial effect of sun exposure. Then put the sun block on, prevent the damaging effects due to chronic, excessive exposure.

HEMMER: You know, Doctor, the head of your department at Boston University said your research was embarrassing and pressured you to resign, actually. In fact, he said it was, quote, "an embarrassment for this institution." How do you respond to that from a colleague?

HOLICK: Well, I think that I'm a professor of medicine and physiology and biophysics and I remain as such at Boston University. And I have a joint appointment in dermatology.

I think that Dr. Gillcrest (ph) has very strong feelings about not being exposed to any sunlight which, I believe, really puts people at risk. And because of my sensible recommendation, she felt that it was outside the realm of what she was teaching. And then, therefore, asked me to resign from her department.

HEMMER: Doctor, there's another thing here. The International Tanning Association apparently is helping you promote your book, and also contributing to your research. Do you see the inherent conflict of interest, if that's the case?

HOLICK: Well, I have really no control over what the Indoor Tanning Association wishes to do about the book and the book that's going to be out May 18 is really talking about sensible sun exposure. It's not advocating tanning, per se.

The fact that the Indoor Tanning Association has helped fund my research in the past, it's always been as a gift and it's always been a non-restricted gift for me to do research as I wish. So that it's not research I was doing for them, per se. So I don't feel there's any conflict.

HEMMER: Dr. Michael Holick's our guest from Boston. Appreciate your talking with us, Doctor. Interesting theories and interesting research you provided, as well. Thank you, again, Doctor.

Our own doctor, Dr. Sanjay Gupta follows us now. Good morning to you, Sanjay.

(CROSSTALK)

HEMMER: Other ways to get vitamin D. How do you do it other than laying in the sun?

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, first of all, it's interesting. Dr. Holick's obviously a pretty smart guy which, I think, probably makes it even more alarming that he says there are concerns people not getting enough sun exposure.

I mean certainly melanoma is a much bigger problem than vitamin D deficiency. There's no epidemic of vitamin D deficiency in this country. You can get vitamin D in other ways, in food, certainly. Milk, for example, has vitamin D. Everybody knows that it's been fortified. Supplements, a little bit of sunshine can give you vitamin D as well. Certain foods.

But, you know, this is something that people have been talking about for some time. Vitamin D -- the deficiency is not that much of a national problem.

HEMMER: Well the other thing Dr. Holick is saying. everything in moderation is OK. That was the point he was stressing in that interview.

GUPTA: And I think, you know, it's fun because people do sort rely on that, everything in moderation is OK. But not everything in moderation is OK. And certainly people know that there are certain things that are bad for you.

If you live in Australia, if you live in the Sun Belt, you have a higher incidents of sun cancer, sun-related cancers. And that's a problem. I mean melanoma is a deadly cancer. If you spend too much time in the sun, then you might be more at risk for this.

You ask the right question, which is how much is too much? And that's where it gets tricky. Do you not wear sun block when you go out for these 10 to 15 minutes? Do you wear sun block? And if you do can you stay out longer?

The dermatologists, the community of dermatologists have take an very concrete stand on this which is to say, be very careful when you go out in the sun. It can change the pigment of your skin, it can make your immune system more deficient and possibly lead to cancer.

This is what they're saying. And that's why they're so vigilant about sun exposure. HEMMER: There was another theory out there on the cancer theory that actually exposure to sunlight and vitamin D can actually help prevent certain types of cancer. Do you buy into that?

(CROSSTALK)

GUPTA: There is -- some early trials suggested that the same process by which you make vitamin D may also protect against breast and prostate cancer. Those are in very early clinical trials. Hard to say for sure yet. The skin cancer's the obvious one though, melanoma.

HEMMER: Interesting topic. This time of year, too. Everybody hanging out in the sun very soon. Nice to see you, Sanjay -- Soledad.

O'BRIEN: Still to come this morning, word that McDonald's CEO is dead. Andy Serwer has details on that just ahead as AMERICAN MORNING continues. Stay with us.

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O'BRIEN: Welcome back, everybody. We're just learning this morning about the sudden death of the head of McDonald's. Andy Serwer "Minding Your" business this morning.

The chairman and CEO died apparently of a heart attack, right?

ANDY SERWER, "FORTUNE": That's right. Yes, some sad news, Soledad. Jim Cantalupo, age 60, died of an apparent heart attack this morning in Orlando, Florida, McDonald's is reporting this morning. Cantalupo had been with the company 30 years, he'd been CEO since January 1, 2003.

And I knew the guy, a little bit. A real straight shooter, very nice person and really engineered a very dramatic turn around at this company, Soledad. If you look and see last year sales were up over 10 percent system wide, same-store sales opened for stores opened a year up also 10 percent. The new menu, the salads and McGriddles all came under his watch.

And some sad people out there. Of course, Wall Street not liking the news. The stock is down in premarket trading. A lot of questions of who will be taking over this company. The COO, the president is man named Charlie Bell, an Australian, 43 years old.

And people on Wall Street are not really familiar with him. And this is, of course, is very tragic news for his family and for the company, as well. And it's unsettling news to people in the business community, as well.

O'BRIEN: Is there any indication -- I mean he's a young guy, 60 years old, to drop dead of a heart attack. Shocking certainly to his family and of course lots of other people, as well.

Any sense that there was a succession plan, as I know many businesses put into place where there's two or three people that they've sort of handpicked to take over if the guy should retire, not drop dead?

SERWER: I really don't think there was so much of a succession plan because he was only 60 years old, because he'd only been CEO since January of 2003, and because he was engineering this comeback at the world's largest restaurant company. So it really comes as quite a shock. And if you had told this man, Charlie Bell, that he may be the CEO of McDonald's tomorrow, I think that would have come as a big surprise to him. So, we're going to see how the company copes with this over the coming days and weeks.

O'BRIEN: That's sad news for his family. What a shock. How awful.

SERWER: Absolutely.

O'BRIEN: All right, Andy, thanks for updating us. We appreciate it.

HEMMER: We want to get to California as we change gears a little bit here. More than 700 mountain lions have been killed in the past 10 years for threatening to harm people. New technology now giving researchers a bit better understanding of how mountain lions live, and results are surprising. For one thing, humans, they say, are not the lions' No. 1 target. Walter Boyce, director of the UC Davis Wildlife Health Center, and lead researcher on the Southern California Puma Project talked with us recently. His organization is looking for answers on how humans and lions can, believe it or not, coexist. Some thoughts now from him.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WALTER BOYCE, DIR., WILDLIFE HEALTH CTR.: Lions are closer to humans than many people realize. They're very animals, but they're primarily active at night, during dawn and dusk. People are most active during the daytime. It's easiest for (UNINTELLIGIBLE). But they're still out there, oftentimes watching us, and adjusting their behaviors to what we're doing.

HEMMER: What have you learned?

BOYCE: Well, we've actually learned that it's pretty hard for mountain lions to avoid people when we have as many people as we do now. They try to do a pretty good job, but sometimes, they do things that get them in trouble. They do a lot of things to get them in trouble. They kill for a living. They're an exquisitely adaptive predator, and sometimes they kill dogs, cats, other domestic animals, and when they do that, they oftentimes end up paying the ultimate price, which is we kill them.

HEMMER: Yes, some of your studies -- GPS tracking devices here. You brought one along with us today. How does it work? Why do you use it?

BOYCE: We really can't know what lions are doing, unless we have a way to look through the world in their eyes. This is what this GPS radio collar allows us to do. This collar, we capture an animal, tranquilize it, put the collar on it, and let the animal go. This has a GPS receive in it, so that it can essentially determine its location around the clock, and then send that information to us at a periodic interval.

One of the things we're quite excited about now is it's actually got a cell phone built into it, and it can text message us where the lion is in almost real time.

Now the animal doesn't have to wear that for all its life. It has this drop-off mechanism, so after a predetermined period of time, the collar uncouples, falls off.

HEMMER: So you're tracking these lions and it's telling you what now in your research?

BOYCE: We put this on over 20 animals so far, and what we found is that this urban interface is a pretty short life for animals. Twelve out of the 20 lions have died, the major cause of death has actually been people.

HEMMER: Do you see a point, based on your research so far, that tells you that humans and lions can coexist?

BOYCE: I think that information is the key. If people have information to make good decisions. For example, the pet issue -- lions will kill dogs and cats. If we put our dogs and cats up at night, don't allow them to run loose, lions aren't drawn in near our houses, and our pets are safer, healthier, lions get to live longer.

HEMMER: Walter Boyce with us a few weeks ago here on AMERICAN MORNING, learning more about the mountain lions study, www.wildlifehealthcenter.org. More information there.

Good thing that collar drops off after while, I mean, wearing that thing around.

Walter Boyce, thanks for your time here.

Back to Jack.

JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: Time now for the Cafferty File. The latest cosmetic procedure something you can't see. It's called a voice lift. There are two options. Surgeons either insert implants through an incision in the neck, bring the vocal cords closer together, or they use fat or collagen injections to plump up your cords. According to one doctor, there are people who pay $15,000 for a facelift, and as soon as they open their mouth, they sound like they're 75.

Students at Duke University will soon be able to sleep in. Isn't that special? The university is eliminating 8:00 classes because the poor little darlings are sleep deprived, obviously. Duke is also looking into orientation programs to help freshman understand the importance of sleep, something apparently they failed to be taught in high school, or home or any place along the line before they get to college. So we're going to have to go to orientation classes to learn the importance of sleep. Starting in the fall, the earliest classes will be 8:30. College students get an average of six to seven hours of sleep a night. One expert thinks they should get nine hours.

SERWER: I think they're wimps at Duke. What do you think?

CAFFERTY: Yes, I think that's a good characterization.

Thanks, Andy.

What's that?

SERWER: I'm in big trouble.

CAFFERTY: Bye, Andy, it was nice working with you. Jack, also.

We should be so lucky.

Here's an option for people who want to take their pets with them everywhere? You can now get your shorts made out of your dog's hair. They will turn it into a sweater.

SERWER: That's wrong.

CAFFERTY: "The Atlanta-Journal Constitution" -- here's how it works: you collect the fur, and they you send it to one of these companies, and in about eight weeks, you get a ball of yarn. made out of the mutt's hair.

SERWER: Don't do that.

CAFFERTY: This costs like $400. Then you give the yarn to somebody who presumably knows how to weave, and they make a shirt, or a scarf, or a hat or a tote bag.

See this picture. That scarf on the right is made from the dog's hair on the left.

SERWER: Does that come from the demented producer of yours, this one?

CAFFERTY: This is Sarah Leder's (ph) find, a fine young woman, did not attend Duke University, gets up very early each morning and applies herself quite adequately.

SERWER: Boy, sure does. That's a good one.

CAFFERTY: I'm so tired, I have to go to sleep.

O'BRIEN: All right, thanks, Jack.

O'BRIEN: Still to come this morning, an Ohio community waits for word about one of the Americans being held now in Iraq. We're going to take you there coming up in just a few minutes. Stay with us. You're watching AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) HEMMER: In a moment here, fiery scenes in the Middle East, as Hamas promises retaliation, after the assassination of its leader of Hamas, live in this troubled region, top of the hour here, on AMERICAN MORNING.

Back in a moment.

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