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CNN Saturday Morning News

Finding Common Ground with Evangelicals; Obama Honors Top Cops; Kidnapped Girls Recovering; Hudson Brother-in-Law Guilty of Murder; Returning Military Veterans Struggle to Find Work; California to Vote on Ban of So-Called Reparative Therapy for Gay Children

Aired May 12, 2012 - 11:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

RANDI KAYE, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back. From CNN Center this is CNN SATURDAY MORNING.

We want to get you back to Mitt Romney's speech there at Liberty University. We're told from his campaign this is not a policy speech but he will talk about his own life experiences and share some of those lessons that he learned with his audience there.

So let's go back and listen in just a bit more.

MITT ROMNEY (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: -- his conclusion was this. Culture makes all the difference -- not natural resources, not geography -- but what people believe and what they value. Central to America's rise to global leadership is our Judeo-Christian tradition with the vision of the goodness and possibilities of every human life.

The American culture promotes personal responsibility, the dignity of work, the value of education, the merit of service, devotion to a purpose greater than self, and at the foundation, the pre-eminence of family.

The power of these values, this culture, is evidenced by a recent Brookings Institution study that Senator Rick Santorum brought to my attention. For those who graduate from high school get a job and married before they have their first child, the probability that they will be poor is two percent. But if those things are absent, 76 percent will be poor.

Culture, what you believe, what you value, how you live matters. Now, as fundamental as these principles are, they may become topics of democratic debates from time to time, so it is today with the enduring institution of marriage. Marriage is a relationship between one man and one woman.

The protection of religious freedom has also become a matter of debate it strikes me as odd that the free exercise of religious faith is sometimes treated as a problem, something America is stuck with instead of being blessed with. Perhaps religious conscience upsets the designs of those who feel that the highest wisdom and authority comes from government.

But from the beginning, this nation has trusted in God, not man. Religious liberty is the first freedom in our Constitution and whether the cause is justice for the persecuted, compassion for the needy and the sick, or mercy for the child waiting to be born, there is no greater force for good in the nation than Christian conscience in action.

Religious freedom opens the door for Americans that is closed to many others around the world, but whether we walk through that door and what we do with our lives after we do is up to us. Someone once observed that the great drama of Christianity is not a crowd shot following the movements of collectives or even nations. The drama is always personal, individual, unfolding in one's own life.

We're not alone in sensing this. Men and women of every faith and good people with none at all sincerely strive to do right and lead a purpose-driven life. And in the way of lessons learned by hitting the mark and by falling short, I can tell you this much for sure. All that you have heard here at Liberty University about trusting in God and in his purpose for each of us makes for more than a good sermon. It makes for a good life.

So many things compete for our attention and devotion. That doesn't stop as you get older, by the way. We're all prone at various times to treat the trivial things as all important, the all important things as trivial. And little by little lose sight of the one thing that endures forever.

No person I've met, not even the most righteous or pure of heart has gone without those times when faith recedes and the busyness of life is normal and sometimes even the smallest glimpses of the Lord's work in lives can reawaken our hearts. They bring us back to ourselves. And better still to something far greater than ourselves.

What we have, what we wish we had, ambitions fulfilled, ambitions disappointed. Investments won, investments lost. Elections won, elections lost. These things may occupy our attention, but they do not define us. Each of them is subject to the vagaries and the serendipities of life. Our relationship with our maker, however, depends on none of that. It's entirely in our control for he is always at the door and knocks for us.

Our worldly success cannot be guaranteed, but our ability to achieve spiritual success is entirely up to us, thanks to the grace of God.

The best advice I know to give is to give those worldly things your best but never your all. Reserve the ultimate hope for the only one who can grant it. Many preachers advise the same, but few as memorably as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. As a young man he said, "With most of my life ahead of me I decided early to give my life to something eternal and absolute not to these little gods that are here today and gone tomorrow, but to God who is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

In this life, the commitments that come closest to forever are those of family. My dad, George Romney, was a CEO, a governor and a member of the president's cabinet. My wife Ann asked him once, "Dad, what was your greatest accomplishment?" Without a moment's pause he answered, "Raising our four kids". Ann and I feel the same way about our family. I've never once regretted missing a business opportunity so that I could be with my children and grandchildren.

Among the things in life that can be put off, being there when it matters most isn't one of them. As C.S. Lewis said, "The home is the ultimate career. All other careers exist for one purpose and that is to support the ultimate career".

Promotions often mark the high points in a career. I hope I haven't seen the last one of those. But sometimes the high points come in unexpected ways. I was helped to -- asked to help rescue the 2002 Olympic Winter Games in Salt Lake City. I'm -- I'm embarrassed now to recall that when this opportunity was first presented to me, I -- I dismissed it out of hand. I was busy, I was doing well, and by the way, my lack of athletic prowess didn't make the Olympics a logical step for me.

In fact, after I accepted the -- the position my oldest son called and said, "Dad, I've spoken to the brothers. We saw the papers this morning. We want you know there's not a circumstance we could have conceived that would put you on the front page of the sports section."

The Olympics were -- were not a logical choice, but that was one of the best and most fulfilling choices of my life. Opportunities for you to serve in meaningful ways may come at inconvenient times, but that will make them all the more precious.

People of different faiths like yours and mine sometimes wonder where we can meet in common purpose when there are so many differences in creed and theology. Surely the answer is that we can meet in service, in shared moral convictions about our nation stemming from a common world view.

The best case for this is always the example of Christian men and women working and witnessing to carry God's love in every life, people like the late Chuck Colson. Not long ago Chuck recounted a story from his days just after leaving prison. He was assured by people of influence that even with his prison record, a man with his connections and experience could still live very comfortably. They'd make some calls, get Chuck situated, set him up once again as an important man.

His choice at that cross roads would make him instead a great man. The call to service is one of the fundamental elements of our national character and culture. It has motivated every great movement of conscience that this hopeful fair-minded country of ours has ever seen. Sometimes as Dr. Victor Frankel observed in his book for the ages, it's not a matter of what we're asking of life but rather what life is asking of us how often the answer to our own problems is to help others with theirs.

And all of these things, family, faith, work, service, the choices we make as Americans in other places are not even choices at all. For so many on this earth, life is filled with orders, not options. Right down to where they live, the work they do, and how many children the state will allow them to have. All the more reason to be grateful this and every day that we live in the United States of America where the talent God gave us may be used in freedom. Thank God for this country.

And so at this great Christian institution, you've all learned a thing or two about these gifts and the good purposes they can serve. They're yours to have and yours to share. Sometimes your Liberty education will set you apart and always it will help direct your path. And as you now leave and make for new places near and far, I hope for each one of you that your path will be long and life will be kind.

The ideals that brought you here, the wisdom you gained here, and the friends you found here, may these blessings be with you always wherever you go. Thank you to you all. God bless you. And God bless the United States of America.

KAYE: And you've been listening to Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney speaking there at Liberty University. He's trying to connect with conservative Christians and Evangelicals.

Just about seven minutes into his speech saying marriage is a relationship between one man and one woman. We'll take a look at some of the key moments of that commencement speech with our political reporter Shannon Travis on other side of this break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: Presumptive GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney gets the chance to find some common ground with evangelical Christians. He's just finished the commencement address at Liberty University, a school that teaches that Romney's Mormon faith is a cult.

Shannon Travis watched the speech there for us. And Shannon, I guess I want to get your take. It took only about seven minutes or so for him to mention same-sex marriage and saying that marriage is between a man and a woman.

SHANNON TRAVIS, CNN POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: That's right. Only a few minutes before he went right into that. Just a bit of background, Randi, yesterday the campaign told us that Mitt Romney would not specifically mention gay marriage and in fact he didn't say the words gay marriage but obviously he talked theme of traditional marriage and defending that.

Let's take a listen to what Mitt Romney himself said just a few moments ago.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MITT ROMNEY (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Culture, what you believe, what you value, how you live matters. Now, as fundamental as these principles are, they may become topics of democratic debate from time to time, so it is today with the enduring institution of marriage. Marriage is a relationship between one man and one woman.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TRAVIS: Now, Randi, outside of that sound bite, the speech was not overtly political. There were no specific attacks against President Obama, yet he did comment (inaudible) that says that he's obviously courting these religious conservatives here at Liberty University.

He mentioned "God", I counted so many times I actually lost track. He talked about trusting in God sending these students off into the work world the first days of their career. Take a listen to one sound bite that caught my attention in terms of religion.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROMNEY: Strikes me as odd that the free exercise of religious faith is sometimes treated as a problem, something America is stuck with instead of being blessed with. Perhaps religious conscience upsets the designs of those who feel that the highest wisdom and authority comes from government.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TRAVIS: Now, Randi, the references to God and religion are noteworthy because as you know, there were a lot of public protests against Mitt Romney coming here to Liberty University. Why? Because obviously the candidate is Mormon and this university itself teaches that Mormonism is not part of the Christian faith.

So you saw a lot of students before today's commencement protesting that, but we didn't actually see any physical protesting here at the commencement itself, Randi.

KAYE: From what I understand, the commencement Facebook Shannon actually had to be shut down, right, because there was so much -- so many complaints by students there about his coming to speak.

TRAVIS: That's right. It was a heated debate on the university's Facebook page over having him come here, but, again, we haven't seen any evidence of students actually protesting here physically. It's pretty much all been confined online as we know, Randi.

KAYE: All right. Shannon Travis, appreciate that. Thank you very much.

Now to President Obama. He's honoring the best and the bravest in law enforcement this hour at the White House. The President and the Vice President Joe Biden handing out awards to the National Association of Police Organization's top cops winners. First time we've seen the President and the Vice President since Mr. Obama threw his support behind same-sex marriage, in fact.

Let's listen in here just a bit.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Nicholas Joseph. Give him a round of applause for that.

You know, I look forward to this event each and every year because it's a chance to say thank you. Every day hundreds of thousands of law enforcement officer keep our neighborhood safe, and, frankly, they don't ask for a lot. They don't ask for a lot of credit. They don't go to work planning to be heroes. They just do their jobs. But when you put on that badge, you assume a special responsibility and every time you put it on, you never know if this day will be the day that you've spent your entire career training for, the day that when just doing your job and being a hero are exactly the same thing.

For the men and women standing behind me, America's top cops, that day came, and when it did, they were ready. They didn't flinch. They didn't back off. There are people who are alive today only because of their courage.

I had a chance to shake each one of these individuals' hands and express my appreciation to them personally. They're a pretty humble group. Some of them will tell you they don't deserve to be called heroes. They're entitled to their opinion.

I disagree with them. I think they are. What else do you call a team that takes down a deranged gunman and saves countless lives?

Or a unit that flies a helicopter into dangerous winds and pulls off a daring night-time rescue.

Or an officer, who after being shot three times, switches her gun from her right hand to her left so that she can return fire until backup arrives.

I guarantee you that when the bullets were flying, when lives were on the line, these men and women weren't thinking about bravery. They weren't thinking of themselves. Instead, they were looking out for their fellow officers and for the civilians that they swore to protect. And when they return home, they'll go back to being just another member of the team.

But they've earned this moment. Today we celebrate 34 extraordinary individuals, and we recognize the sacrifices they and their fellow officers make. Some of our top cops are still recovering from gunshot wounds.

I'm sure that many are even now thinking of a partner or team member who fell in the line of duty, so we honor their memories today. We honor all those who put their lives on the line in order to protect their fellow citizens, even if they were complete strangers. I hope that we also pledge to learn something from the example that they set because while most of us will never be asked to run straight into a hail of bullet or chase down an armed suspect on foot, we also have responsibilities to meet.

For those of us in elected office, that includes helping states and cities to keep first responders on the job. It includes supporting cutting-edge tools they need from high-speed public safety broadband network to a new generation of mobile apps. Even as we do everything we can to support men and women like our top cops and to make police work safer and more effective, we do have to recognize one thing will never change. Our safety will always depend on the quiet heroism of ordinary Americans like the ones that we recognize today.

We will be forever in debt to those who wear the badge, to men and women with a deep sense of duty, willing to serve and sacrifice on our behalf. I don't think these individuals don't mind me saying they're representative of the sacrifices and that quiet courage that exists among law enforcement officers all across the country and their families because I know the strains on families is such a difficult job is significant as well. And those families, those of you who are here today, we want to say thank you to you as well.

So, again, to the 2012 Top Cops. Thank you for everything you do. God bless you and your families, and God bless the United States of America.

KAYE: In the Rose Garden, you've been listening to the President speaking in the Rose Garden honoring the top cops. Lots of folks there getting some praise, getting a little handshake from the President as well.

Jurors convict Jennifer Hudson's ex-brother-in-law for killing her mother, her brother, and her nephew. A jury in the case reveals why some of them had a hard time reaching a decision.

Just a reminder you can continue watching CNN from your mobile phone. You can also watch CNN live from your desk top. Just go to CNN.com/TV.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: Turning to the chilling kidnappings and murders of a Tennessee family that rocked the nation and shattered the lives of two young girls. Investigators say the girls are recovering after they were found dirty, dehydrated and starving on Thursday.

CNN's George Howell is in the family's hometown of Whiteville with details of their harrowing ordeal .

GEORGE HOWELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We know that Alexandria and Kyliyah were reunited with their father, Gary Bain, here in Whiteville, Tennessee. And also law enforcement here in the county, they did set up road blocks, check points around the home just to give the family some privacy, given everything that they've gone through.

Also three more people were arrested in this case. One person arrested for filing a false police report, two others arrested for illegal possession of a firearm, and we learned that this is a husband/wife duo and they apparently gave Adam Mayes the weapon that he used to shoot and kill himself.

Also we're learning the cause of death, how JoAnn Bain and Adrienne Bain died. We learned from a source that the cause of death was strangulation. And obviously, many people in this community, it's very hard for them. It's very hard for people to deal with, to process.

But there is definitely a sigh of relief here in Whiteville knowing that these two girls are now safe. George Howell, CNN, Whiteville, Tennessee.

KAYE: The tip that led to the girls' rescue didn't come from a witness but rather a person who thought that that area would be a good hiding spot. Mississippi's governor said there's a very good possibility the tipsters will take home the $175,000 reward offered for that suspect's arrest.

After days of testimony, a very emotional moment for the family of Jennifer Hudson. Yesterday a Chicago jury found the former brother-in- law of the singer and actress guilty of murdering Hudson's mother, brother, and 7-year-old nephew. He will be sentenced to life without parole.

Ted Rowlands is in Chicago with details.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: With her head down Jennifer Hudson held hands with her sister and fiance in the Chicago courtroom where she spent the past three weeks hearing to testimony. As the seven guilty verdicts were read against William Balfour, Hudson started to cry.

Her mother Darnell Donerson, her brother Jason and her 7-year-old nephew Julian King were murdered by Balfour in October of 2008. Prosecutors say Hudson wanted to be in the courtroom.

ANITA ALVAREZ, COOK COUNTY PROSECUTOR: One of the things she said to me was, "This was my mother. And if it were me, my mother would be here every day. I'm going to be here every day." Her celebrity status had nothing to do with the fact that she was there. It was for love of her family.

Rowlands: Jurors say just hours before the verdict they were divide 9- 3 in favor of a conviction.

JACINTA GHOLSTON, BALFOUR CASE JUROR: Three of us who just needed to see the picture a little clearer. There were still some holes or some gaps per se that needed to be filled in. What we did was we just took what we had and began to break it down a little further. Once it made sense we were all able to come to a unanimous decision.

ROWLANDS: Balfour's defense team said they respected the jury's decision.

AMY THOMPSON, BALFOUR'S ATTORNEY: But we do disagree with the verdict. It's always been our position and it still is that William Balfour is innocent of these murders and we're hoping that the appellate court will take a look at this case with a very critical eye.

ROWLANDS: The defense argued that a lack of DNA evidence and eyewitnesses linking Balfour to the murders was enough for a not guilty verdict. The jurors say they were ultimately swayed by the totality of the circumstantial case. They say Jennifer Hudson wasn't a factor.

THOMPSON: This wasn't a case about Jennifer Hudson for us. This was a case about William Balfour. So for us, her celebrity really had nothing do with it. It's unfortunate that it was her family. But this was not for us the Jennifer Hudson case. This was the people of Illinois against William Balfour.

ROWLANDS (on camera): There's no death penalty in the state of Illinois. However there is a mandatory sentence in this case. William Balfour will be sentenced to spend the rest of his life in jail without the possibility of parole.

Ted Rowlands, CNN, Chicago.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: Veterans who have risked their lives on the front lines in Iraq and Afghanistan often fight another battle when they get home, the fight to find a job. CNN cameras followed members of a National Guard unit desperately looking for work after returning from Afghanistan.

And here's part of their story from the upcoming documentary "Vets Wanted," narrated by Army veteran J.R. Martinez.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

J.R. MARTINEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Our service members can bring a lot to the work-force and contribute in a lot of ways. Quite honestly, they want to work. They're looking to work. They want to be independent. They want to be able to provide for themselves.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: So your resume has to pop.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The jobs I was looking to come back to does not exist anymore because of the cutbacks.

MARTINEZ (voice-over): Before he left, Chris Wiley (ph) was working full-time for the Georgia National Guard.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So now that that's not there anymore and I'm having to go out and find a regular job in the civilian world, it's a big change, a real big change.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You want to grab their attention.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There's not a whole lot of jobs out there right now. The pressure is on. That's when I sat down and started writing a resumes out, sending it out. It's getting down to the wire now. I think the stress is starting to kind of hit both of us now.

MARTINEZ: He was making close to 50,000 dollars a year before deployment. Now he supports his family with tips.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I know the jobs are out there. The thing is there's so many people looking.

How it's going.

There might be 20 jobs open in one place.

Have great night. Yet 2,000 people have applied for it. Those aren't good odds. It's almost like playing the Lottery. You get that good job, it's just a toss-up.

MARTINEZ: He's running out of savings and time.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: With this job now and the savings, it's going to last us for a couple more months at least. Three months is the maximum. If I don't find something in three months, I'm going back to Afghanistan.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: This election year, CNN takes you on a journey with citizen soldiers as they struggle to serve country and family. J.R. Martinez narrates "Voters in America: Vets Wanted." It's the first in a series of documentaries about American voters. You can watch it Sunday, 8:00 p.m. Eastern, right here on CNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(WEATHER REPORT)

KAYE: It may be half way around the world, but it is having an impact on your retirement, the struggle in Greece to form a new government.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: Checking top stories this hour, almost a week after Greek elections, there is still no government in place. The president will be asking all party leaders to form a national unity government. That is the only way to avoid new elections and continued financial assistance from other European nations.

Three party leaders tried to cobble together a government this week, but failed.

Noted car designer Carroll Shelby has died. His name really is synonymous with speed. Shelby may be best known for developing the Cobra and several version of Shelby Mustangs. Beside Ford, Shelby also designed cars for Chrysler, including the high performance Viper.

Carroll Shelby was 89 years old.

The San Diego Chargers will retire late linebacker Junior Seau's number, 55. And it will do it during a halftime of its regular season home opener in September. Seau killed himself earlier this month. He was the most decorated defensive player in San Diego Chargers history.

Some people believe gay people can be turned straight. You'll hear from a young man who went through a therapy designed to change him from gay to straight.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: This week, President Obama came out in support of same-sex marriage, but some people think that being gay is a choice. And when people see their children showing so-called feminine traits, they hope something called reparative therapy will cure them. This week, California may become the first state to actually ban this type of therapy. The vote is Tuesday.

I spoke recently with someone who grew up dealing with this therapy about how it affected him.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KAYE (voice-over): When Ryan Kendall was 13, his mother read his diary and discovered he was gay. That was the beginning of the most painful years of his life.

RYAN KENDALL, WENT THROUGH "REPARATIVE THERAPY" FOR BEING GAY: For years I thought God hated me because I was gay.

KAYE: Ryan says his parents were determined to change him. They signed him up for what's called reparative therapy with the National Association for Research and Therapy of Homosexuality, otherwise known as NARTH. Reparative therapy aimed at changing sexual orientation has been used for decades as a way to turn potentially gay children straight.

KENDALL: Every day, I would hear, this is a choice. This can be fixed.

KAYE: And did you believe that?

KENDALL: I never believed that. I know I'm gay just like I know I'm short and I'm half Hispanic. I've never thought that those facts would change. It's part of my core fundamental identity. So the parallel would be sending me to tall camp and saying, if you try very hard, one day you can be six foot one.

KAYE: Ryan says he was treated by Joseph Nicolosi, a clinical psychologist who today is still associated with NARTH.

KENDALL: The constant refrain was the religious one, that this is something that makes God cry, that this is something your family doesn't want for you.

KAYE: At his office outside Los Angeles, we asked Nicolosi if he remembered treating Ryan Kendall about 14 years earlier.

DR. JOSEPH NICOLOSI, CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST: I'm not familiar with the name at all.

KAYE (on camera): His parents have provided bills from your office. There have been checks written to your office but no record.

NICOLOSI: No.

KAYE: He says that your therapy was quite harmful. He said that you told him to butch up, quote/unquote.

NICOLOSI: Never. That's not our language. KAYE: When somebody says, people like yourself, others are trying to get the gay out of people?

NICOLOSI: That's a terrible way of phrasing it. I would rather say we are trying to bring out the heterosexuality in you.

KAYE: Nicolosi says he's kept hundreds of children from growing up to be gay. He credits this man, George Rekers (ph), a researcher and big believer that homosexuality can be prevented. Rekers worked as a doctoral student at UCLA in the 1970s.

In a government-funded experimental program, later called Sissy Boy Syndrome, Rekers treated a boy named Kirk Murphy. To turn around Kirk's so called Sissy behavior, Kirk was repeatedly asked to choose between traditionally masculine toys like plastic knives and guns or feminine ones like dolls and a play crib. If he chose the feminine items, Kirk's mother would be told to ignore him.

Kirk's siblings told Anderson his outgoing personality changed as a result of the therapy.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He had no idea how to relate to people. It's like somebody just walked up and turned his light switch off.

KAYE: George Rekers considered Kirk a success story, writing "his feminine behavior was gone," proof, Rekers said, that homosexuality can be prevented. Kirk's family say he was gay and never recovered from the attempts to turn him straight.

In 2003, Kirk took his own life. He hanged himself from a fan in his apartment. He was 38. Our producers tracked George Rekers down in Florida.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What do you say to the family if they say that the therapy that you did with him as a child led to his suicide as an adult?

GEORGE REKERS, PSYCHOLOGIST: I would think scientifically, that would be inaccurate to assume that it was the therapy. But I do grieve for the parents now that you've told me that news. I think that's very sad.

KAYE (on camera): According to the American Psychiatric Association, the potential risk of reparative therapy is great, including depression, anxiety and self-destructive behavior. The association says therapists' alignment with societal prejudices against homosexuality may reinforce the self-hatred already felt by patients.

(voice-over): Dr. Nicolosi says his therapy isn't harmful and he only treats people who want to change. Not true, says Ryan Kendall.

KENDALL: It led me to periods of homelessness, to drug abuse, to spending a decade of my life wanting to kill myself. It led to so much pain and struggle. And I want them to know that what they do hurts people. It hurts children. It has no basis in fact. And they need to stop. KAYE: Randi Kaye, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAYE: Once again, the vote in California to ban this therapy is Tuesday. We'll keep an eye on it and let you know the outcome. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: Welcome back. NEWSROOM continues at the top of the hour with Fredricka Whitfield. How are you.

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Good to see you.

KAYE: Happy Saturday.

WHITFIELD: Very busy morning. This is big commencement weekend, isn't it?

KAYE: Oh yes.

WHITFIELD: All across the board. OK, we're not going to talk about that so much as we will be joined by our legal guys, of course.

KAYE: They are always fun.

WHITFIELD: Yes. You fly a lot. I fly a lot. There's a case of one young lady who says, you know what, Southwest Airlines has not treated her kindly. Twice she says she has been discriminated against because of her weight. Well, she has a word or two for Southwest Airlines. She says it's time for a policy change.

Southwest Articles has a comment or two for her as well. Their response coming up. And our legal guys will weigh in on this case.

Then, is your commute long to work? Do you spend a lot of time on the road?

KAYE: No. Well, try not to.

WHITFIELD: That's good.

KAYE: With these hours, I don't have much traffic.

WHITFIELD: Apparently, it makes a big difference in your health; 30 minutes, 45 minutes or maybe even an hour, all of that could potentially shorten your life. Dr. Sue Jathaready (ph) will be along with us to join us and talk about you what need to do and how you kind of need to perhaps curb your commute.

KAYE: Start biking more.

WHITFIELD: Maybe. Think of the options in order to preserve your life.

KAYE: Right. WHITFIELD: Then Karen Lee will be along, our financial guru. She's going to be with us. It is spring still, which means it's still a good time for spring cleaning of your finances. What to dispose of, should you go paperless? Are there certain documents that you need to let go of or things you need to hold onto? Karen Lee will be along with us to try and clean out your financial closet.

KAYE: That's good.

WHITFIELD: All that straight ahead at noon eastern time.

KAYE: All right, Fred. Thank you. See you then.

A high school baseball team forfeits the state championship game, all because of one player on the opposing team.

And if you're leaving the house right now, just a reminder, you can continue watching CNN right now from your mobile phone. You can also watch CNN live from your desktop. Go to CNN.com/TV.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: We're looking at stories making headlines across the country. Chaos in Vero Beach, Florida, as paramedics rush to help a woman attacked by a shark.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What bit her? What bit her?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A shark.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's a shark bite?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, it is. It's huge.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: The woman has under gone surgery but it will be several days before she can leave the hospital. Expert say by the size of the bite, it was likely a Bull Shark or perhaps a Tiger Shark. They emphasize that shark attacks are very rare.

In New Mexico, police say a man was drunk when he drove onto a horse track and started doing laps. The suspect told police he wanted to drive like he was in NASCAR. He didn't even stop when police were chasing him. Martin McDonald of Texas now charged with driving under the influence and trespassing.

And in Atlanta, a Kindergartner made an unassisted triple play during a youth baseball game. I'm sorry. Six-year-old Ross Bernath has really made his dad proud.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It was bases loaded. No outs. We were just praying that the ball would be hit to the right kid. They hit it, pop up right to Ross. He snagged it out of the air, ran to third base to get the force out from the runner there. He turned to look to see what was going on at second and basically dove and tagged the runner out that was coming from second. That was it. Triple play.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You caught the ball. What did you think?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I was happy and excited.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Did you think, I can get a triple play?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. I can do it every day.

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KAYE: Don't you love his confidence? Just so you know how rare this really is, there are only 15 recorded unassisted triple plays in pro baseball since 1909.

And in Phoenix, a high school baseball team won a championship by forfeit because the opposing team didn't want to play against a gutsy girl. Christine Harrington of affiliate KTBK explains.

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PAIGE SULTZBACH, HIGH SCHOOL BASEBALL PLAYER: I just joined baseball because our school does not offer high school softball. So I decided why not?

CHRISTINE HARRINGTON, KTBK TV: Paige Sultzbach not only joined the Mesa Prep boys baseball team but became its starting second base woman and helped the team win its first ever championship. Unfortunately their win came by forfeit.

SULTZBACH: I don't believe that anyone wants to win by forfeit or lose by forfeit.

HARRINGTON: But Mesa Prep's opponent, Our Lady of Sorrows Academy, refused to play a team with a girl on it. In a statement, they said "as a Catholic Church, they promote educating boys and girls separately, especially in physical education. Their school policy rules out participation in co-ed sports."

ROBERT WAGNER, HEADMASTER, MESA PREP: You have to admire the stand that they take. It takes tremendous moral coverage to stand by what it is they believe. They are doing what it is that they think is right.

HARRINGTON: But the charter athletic association policy is clear.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If a girl -- girls are not offered a corresponding sport, that they are allowed to compete on boys teams.

HARRINGTON: The association says it has no intention of changing those rules. Paige admits she did opt to sit out the last two times the team faced off because --

SULTZBACH: It was on their field and I felt the need that I needed to respect their rules.

HARRINGTON: But the championship game was to be played in neutral territory, so Paige wasn't about to miss it and says she won't let this --