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Weekend Early Start

Romney-Ryan Hit the Road; What Ryan Brings To The Ticket; Gas Prices Rise; Olympics Closing Ceremony Tonight

Aired August 12, 2012 - 06:00   ET

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

RANDI KAYE, CNN ANCHOR: From CNN world headquarters in Atlanta, this is EARLY START WEEKEND.

Mitt Romney makes it official naming Paul Ryan as his running mate, but is the Tea Party big gun a big gamble for the Republican ticket?

Plus, the NFL star formerly known as Ochosinco behind bars this morning. Hear what police say happened inside his car last night that landed him in jail.

And the Olympics may be coming to an end, but the TV careers for many of these star athletes, well, they're only just beginning.

It is Sunday, August 12th. Good morning, everyone. Glad you're with us. I'm Randi Kaye.

Bold, risky and possibly game changing. Just some of the reaction after Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney picked Wisconsin Congressman Paul Ryan to be his running mate. Our national political correspondent Jim Acosta takes us along on the campaign trail for a debut of the men who call themselves America's comeback team.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JIM ACOSTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Mitt Romney descended from the battleship, the USS Wisconsin, to issue a campaign call to arms for Republicans.

MITT ROMNEY (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Today we take another step forward in helping restore the promise of America.

ACOSTA: And there's no bigger gun in the conservative movement than the GOP's vice presidential candidate, Wisconsin Congressman Paul Ryan.

REP. PAUL RYAN (R), VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Wow. Hey! And right in front of the USS Wisconsin, huh?

ACOSTA: The House Budget Committee chairman, whose persona is equal parts fiscal hawk and Midwestern nice, delivered a message straight out of the Ryan gospel.

RYAN: We won't duck the tough issues, we will lead. We won't blame others, we will take responsibility. ACOSTA: Romney campaign officials say the GOP contender made his decision and called Ryan on August 1st, one day after he returned from his overseas trip. The two men then met four days later when Ryan accepted the offer.

For the first time, campaigning as running mates across Virginia, they sharpened their rhetoric on the economy.

RYAN: It doesn't have to be this way. We can turn this thing around.

ACOSTA: But Romney also warned Republicans, Ryan will soon come under attack from Democrats. After all, it was Ryan who once laid out a blueprint for cutting the deficit that included a plan to partially privatize Medicare for future seniors. A potential worry for older Americans.

ROMNEY: We're going to talk about issues and a vision for America, and not drag down in the dirt like you're seeing from the Obama campaign.

ACOSTA: Sensing a Medicare mud fight, the Romney campaign released an internal memo that says, "as president (Romney) will be putting together his own plan for cutting the deficit and putting the budget on a path to balance. But as one Romney adviser described the Ryan pick, this was an important decision about how the governor plans to govern as president.

Still, there could be a generational upside. The 42-year-old Ryan, who was joined on stage by his wife and small children, could help the GOP ticket's appeal to younger voters. A campaign aide tweeting out pictures of Ryan's children making sandwiches and playing on the Romney bus.

But the day was not without its glitches. Romney inadvertently introduced Ryan as the man at the top of the ticket.

ROMNEY: Join me -- join me in welcoming the next president of the United States, Paul Ryan.

ACOSTA: A mistake Romney quickly corrected.

ROMNEY: Every now and then I'm known to make a mistake. I did not make a mistake with this guy. But I can tell you this, he's going to be the next vice president of the United States.

ACOSTA (on camera): As it turns out, President Obama made the same mistake introducing Joe Biden four years ago. If that's the worst mishap of the day, the Romney campaign will chalk up this rollout as a success. From here, the ticket rolls on to North Carolina and then Paul Ryan's home state of Wisconsin.

Jim Acosta, CNN, Manassas, Virginia.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAYE: So now we know the name of Mitt Romney's running mate, but what exactly does Paul Ryan bring to the ticket? That is one of the questions I'll ask Republican strategist Ron Bonjean (ph). You can hear his answer coming up in just a few minutes at 6:15 Eastern Time.

Some anxious families here in the U.S. right now are waiting to find out what has happened to their loved ones in Iran. A third earthquake hit northwest Iran today, just one day after two powerful quakes rocked the same region. At least 250 people were killed. Iran's interior ministry says thousands are injured. Saturday's quakes and dozens of aftershocks destroyed four villages. Another 60 villages are badly damaged. Buildings are in ruins. Telephone lines are down and cell phone services are not working in some of the areas. Rescue teams are combing through the rubble, of course, looking for anyone who may have been trapped.

The U.S. and Turkey joining forces in case the embattled Syrian regime falls. In Istanbul, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Turkey and the U.S. will set up a joint team to share information and planning. Clinton also announced another $5 million in humanitarian aid for refugees fleeing Syria's civil war. She said the number one goal is to hasten an end to the bloodshed and to the Syrian regime.

Back here at home, First Lady Michelle Obama made a surprise visit to an Aurora, Colorado, hospital to weekend to meet with victims of last month's movie theater shootings. She personally thanked the doctors, nurses and emergency room staffers who treated the survivors. Twelve people were killed, dozens were hurt after police say James Holmes opened fire at a midnight screening of the new Batman movie.

It will likely be another very emotional day in Oak Creek, Wisconsin, today. The city's Sikh temple is holding its first Sunday services since a gunman killed six people there one weekly ago. He then turned the gun on himself. To honor the shooting victims, candlelight vigils are taking place across the country this weekend, including one across from the White House tonight.

After more than two weeks of intense competition and new world records, the London Olympics will come to a close later today. London will hand the games over to the next host city, Rio de Janeiro, in the closing ceremony. Now, last night's big moment, Usain Bolt lead Jamaica's 4x100 meter relay team to a gold medal and a new world record. The team finished in less than 37 seconds. The U.S. took second. Canada was in third but was disqualified when a runner stepped out of a lane. So Trinidad and Tobago took the bronze.

And today's big event, men's basketball. USA versus Spain for the gold medal. 10:00 a.m. Eastern time. We'll have a full report on today's events in just about a half an hour.

Back in the U.S., football star Chad Johnson is in a Florida jail this morning on a domestic violence charge. You may know him as Chad Ochosinco. He's accused of head-butting his wife last night. He married reality TV star Evelyn Lozada last month. Davie, Florida, police say the two started arguing in the car when she found a receipt for condoms and Johnson claims they accidentally butted heads.

This next story has a whole lot of people talked. It is the story of a man who was in police custody in Arkansas. Jonesboro Police say 21- year-old Chavis Carter was handcuffed behind his pack late last month, but police say still managed to shoot himself in the head. He'd been arrested after police say they found a small amount of marijuana on him. He also had an outstanding warrant from another state. But his family and others in the community don't believe that Chavis Carter killed himself. I traveled to Jonesboro this week and pressed the police chief for some answers.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: Is it even possible, physically, to be handcuffed behind your back and somehow pull the trigger on a gun that you weren't holding when you were handcuffed?

CHIEF MICHAEL YATES, JONESBORO, ARKANSAS, POLICE: For the average person that's never been in handcuffs, that's never been around inmates and people in custody, would react exactly the same way that you just did, about how can that be possible? Well, the fact of it is, it's very possible and it's quite easy.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: I also should add, police searched Carter twice prior to his arrest and never found a gun on him, yet they were able to find a small bag of marijuana.

We want to hear from you about this story. Do you think that a man handcuffed behind his back, double locked by the way many, and in the back of a squad car would be able to shoot himself in the head? You can tweet me about this @RandiKayeCNN and I'll be sure to read some of your responses later on in the show this morning.

Want to be vice president? Get ready to share details about your professional and personal life and a whole lot of that (ph). One of Mitt Romney's most trusted advisers opened up about the process to pick his running mate.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: First there was a phone call after Mitt Romney returned from overseas. Then there was an in-person meeting. And a few days later, Wisconsin Congressman Paul Ryan was officially part of the 2012 Republican presidential ticket. The process of picking Ryan was a top secret one led by one of Romney's long-time aides Beth Myers. She spoke exclusively to CNN's chief political analyst, Gloria Borger, about how Romney vetted his potential VP picks.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BETH MYERS, LED ROMNEY'S V.P. SEARCH: The first swath was broad. We got a good cut of information about a lot of people. He then narrowed it down and we got even more information. We got personal information from each -- each of the potential candidates. And then Mitt took these candidate dossiers and he thought about them. He read all of them word for word. We narrowed it down once again. And we did, you know, an even more deep dive on them and then gave him the final product.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: So, what was Romney's number one criteria? Myers said it was that his running mate be qualified to be president.

For more perspective, let's bring in Republican strategist Ron Bonjean. He joins me now from Washington.

Good morning, Ron.

RON BONJEAN, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: Hey, good morning to you.

KAYE: So one of the things that you notice about this team is a generational difference. Romney, is seasoned politician and businessman, while Ryan is the rising star, just 42 years old. Is this the jolt that the Romney campaign needed, do you think, not just with the base but with the broader electorate?

BONJEAN: Oh, I think absolutely, you know. That's the thing about the -- especially right now in August is that the campaigns have been doing these -- this in-fighting, this small batter-type, you know, over advertising and who said what. And now you've got a vice presidential pick in Paul Ryan. He's young, he's energetic, he is a star among Republicans, he's rising in the ranks, and he brings the fight now, instead of the small battle, to large ideas. He gets the -- he propels the campaign up to talk about the two distinct futures, whether or not you're going to go with President Obama and more taxes and spending, or you're going to choose the Romney/Ryan ticket, which is talking about economic growth and fiscal responsibility.

KAYE: Now, but if you look at name recognition, 54 percent of Americans say that they don't even know enough about Paul Ryan to form an opinion of him. And as a strategist, how would you advise the campaign to turn that possibly into a strength?

BONJEAN: Well, I'll tell you what, people are going to get to know Paul Ryan right away. I know him and I think he's a fantastic legislator. And you know what? Most vice presidents, people don't necessarily know who they are, but now they're going to because Paul Ryan is going to be on the stump for Mitt Romney. They're going to do lots and lots -- there's going to be lots and lots of media coverage about him. He is very charming. He is very telegenic. He's going to be able to explain the Romney campaign platform in a way that people can understand. And he's going to take it to President Obama. That's one of the key issues -- key attributes that a VP pick needs to have, is they have to go after the other side.

ROMNEY: Yes, he certainly hasn't been shy about going after President Obama, that's for sure.

But what about his experience? I mean Paul Ryan has spent his entire political career in Washington, very little work in the area of foreign policy. What do you make of that and will that be trouble for him?

BONJEAN: He -- you know what's interesting is I've watched several interviews with him on foreign policy and he's very well versed. He's taken -- he has actually traveled to the Middle East several times. He understands what's going on with the rest of the world. So I feel very comfortable with that. I think Republicans do too.

I think you're going to see him wax poetic. If anyone -- on foreign policy. If anyone thinks that he's weak in that area, they'd better watch their six, because he's very good at this and he's a very quick study and he's been around for a long time. He may be young, but he is certainly smart and certainly expressive. And as a guy -- as a -- from Wisconsin, like I am, I've been a big fan of his for a long time.

KAYE: Well, let me ask you how this the -- how the conversation of this campaign might change. Because before the Romney team was hammering President Obama on the economy, now with the Ryan budget and the Ryan plan that Romney has clearly adopted by picking him as VP, making it his own as well, the debate could shift, right, from the economy to entitlements and taxes. So is this election no longer about the president's record and defending that, and instead about the vision for the country?

BONJEAN: Well, it certainly is going to be about the vision of the country, and, you know, the Romney/Ryan ticket's going to keep it focused on economic growth. But it's going to talk about fiscal responsibility too. You know, and this forces the president to talk about the issues and not try to distract people away by going after -- you know, by going after the small issues that we were dealing with earlier on. You're going to see two distinct battles now -- two distinct futures now, a battle over where we take America.

KAYE: Republican strategist Ron Bonjean, thank you so much for your time.

BONJEAN: Hey, thanks a lot.

KAYE: Meanwhile, President Obama is building up the war chest that he'll need to fight the Romney/Ryan team. The president is back in his hometown of Chicago for a series of fund-raiser, including one at his home that costs $40,000 a person. And on Monday, Obama heads to Iowa for a three day bus tour, also making an appearance in the key battleground state on the same day Republican Vice Presidential Candidate Paul Ryan. He'll be making his first solo stop on the campaign.

Here's a sight that you don't see every day. A pit bull and a goat cuddling together in the same cage. We'll tell you why.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: Eighteen minutes past the hour. Checking stories cross country.

First in Aurora, Colorado, where people, determined to defy fear, organized an event called "Take Back the Movies." Jason Cole helped raise $9,000 to hand out 1,300 free movie tickets at five different movie theaters.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) JASON COLE, ORGANIZER, "TAKE BACK THE MOVIES": I wanted to try and find something that was the exact opposite of what this guy did in the dark and to try and find a way to spread a little bit of light.

CHRISTINA JONES, VOLUNTEER: My oldest daughter had a friend who was shot three times in the back. My youngest daughter, at the last minute, made the decision to go to a different theater.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's OK, mama.

JONES: Thanks, son.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hey, this is our motive (ph).

JONES: I know. This is why we're here.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: And when people asked what they could do in return, volunteers told them to pay it forward.

Now to Michigan's upper peninsula, where a teen with down syndrome can finally play football with his high school team. Eric Dompierre is 19 and Michigan's Athletic Association said he was too old to play. After years of lobbying, his family got the state to change the rules and now Eric is pretty excited to score.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ERIC DOMPIERRE: I feel like I am part of a team because the team is working hard for me to go on the field, to kick extra points.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: Eric's father says he wants the rule to be extended nationwide to help all athletes with disabilities.

Now to Tulsa, Oklahoma, where a pit bull and a baby goat have become pals. The pets' owner says the goat thinks the dog is its mother. It was born with a leg problem and the dog, Piper, comforted it until it got better. They've even named the goat GP. That is short for "Goat Puppy," What a cute story.

All right, now to a southern Louisiana bayou where a massive swampy sinkhole is swallowing trees that are 100 feet tall. It is the size of a football field. A hundred and fifty people who live in the area were told to evacuate. They may not be able to return to their homes for a month. Authorities are looking into this. They think a nearby salt cavern may be to blame and they ordered the company responsible for the cavern to fill -- to drill a relief well.

If you're planning a late summer road trip, be prepared to pay a lot more for gasoline as prices keep going up and up. I'll tell you what's fueling that spike.

But first, good morning, Atlanta. Check that out. A gorgeous shot of downtown Atlanta this morning. Sun just coming up. That is picture perfect. Thanks for waking up with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: If you've been feeling the pinch when you go to buy gasoline, you are not alone. AAA reports the national average has climbed to $3.69 a gallon. That's up about eight cents from last week's average. Alison Kosik has more on what is fueling the rise in prices.

ALISON KOSIK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Randi.

The increase in gas prices it's the culmination of a perfect storm of circumstances. First there have been refinery problems all across the country. In the Midwest, a pipeline was shut down a few weeks ago because of a leak and there were problems at BP and Marathon refineries in the region. And in California, there was a fire at a refinery this past Monday. Now, all of these problems have been temporary, but it means our supply of gas has taken a hit. That pushes up prices.

But supply isn't the only issue here. The drought in the Midwest has a lot to do with gas prices. Current law mandates that 10 percent of the gas in your tank is made of ethanol. Ethanol is made of corn. And that's a product we don't have a lot of these days. The USDA said on Friday that the nation's corn harvest this year will be the smallest in 17 years. So you roll all that together and it means higher gas prices. Tom Kloza at the Oil Price Information Service thinks prices will keep rising over the next few weeks, but we should get some relief after Labor Day.

Randi, back to you.

KAYE: Alison, thank you very much.

If you've grown accustomed to seeing your favorite Olympians on TV, well, don't worry, they're not going away after the games end. A whole lot of them are actually going to be reality TV stars.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: Welcome back, everyone. Thanks for starting your morning with us. I'm Randi Kaye. The London Olympics. And today, and so far, the U.S., has won more gold medals in any other countries. Forty four golds and 102 medals in all. China's in second with 38 golds, 87 total medals. And there's more to be won. Dozens of events happening this morning.

So, how do people feel about this year's games? Well, take a look. A new CNN ORC polls shows, 66 percent of Americans say, London has been successful as and Olympics host and 24 percent say, they've enjoyed this year's Olympics more than in the past.

Amanda Davies is at Olympics for us. Amanda, good morning. Let's talk about tonight. What can we expect?

AMANDA DAVIES, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Randi. Yes. Day 17 and people are starting to reflect on what's happened over the last two and a half weeks and on the whole people feel that it's been a great success but there's still quite a long ways go. As you said, event still going on 15 golds still to be won today.

But the rehearsals are starting behind us, four of the closing ceremony. It's not quite as closely guarded secret as the opening ceremony has been. We are expecting what's being described as 50 years of British music like Mashed Up Symphony which seen pictures of the Spice Girls rehearsing at (INAUDIBLE) sparkly black traditional London taxis. We understand George Michael is performing. There's talk of the who as well. About 4,000 performers in all are expected to take place in the three-hour ceremony which is of course, the official handover from the London games to the Rio games for four years time.

But we've got a spare a thought for those athletes some for whom this is the first they have competition for them just as everybody else is winding down. The men's marathon is underway as we speak. There are also some boxing finals. The modern pentathlon includes today and then of course the big basketball match later on, USA against Spain.

KAYE: Yes, and about that big basketball game. A lot of folks are calling it a rematch of the 2008 Beijing basketball finals.

DAVIES: Yes, as you said, it is a rematch of 2008. Coach K there doesn't seem too worried, he's saying, he's frankly putting his feet up, going out partying with his family because his side are playing so well. They are, of course, the USA, very much the favorites heading into this one as defending champions given their dominance of recent time.

But Spain, you know, it's the world's number two ranked team and they have the likes of Pau Gasol and of course they may be looking for some revenge of the defeat in Beijing. USA though have been dominating. And they're looking to emulate the success of the women who put in that sensational performance against France to claim their fifth straight Olympic gold last night.

KAYE: And yesterday's star, of course, Usain Bolt setting new world record with the man's 4x100-meter relay. I guess he is probably celebrating, huh?

DAVIES: Yes. He already said, Usain Bolt -- that he felt he has now a legend, Bolt says, gold in the 100 and 200 meters. And then he led team Jamaica to that fantastic world record gold medal in the 4x100 relay last night. We saw him celebrating on the track with Britain's favorite Mo Farah. Mo was doing the Bolt. And Bolt was doing the Mo Bolt with a little hats on his head.

And then, you know what? You go from there, well, you hit the town. That's what you say Bolt did and understandably. He said, he was pretty happy. Have a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

USAIN BOLT, JAMAICAN GOLD MEDALIST: I'm feeling great. I'm happy, I did what I did. And I came in to become a legend. I am now very happy myself.

UNIDENTIFIED MAN: Are you going to have a good night tonight?

BOLT: Hopefully. I need to get inside. If you guys are ambushing me.

UNIDENTIFIED MAN: Yes. You're cutting into my fun time. I'll see you guys later.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DAVIES: Yes. By all accounts there were reports this morning that were certainly some fun times on the town last night. Bolt and some of his teammates on the decks of some London night spots.

KAYE: Oh, boy. I love how he said the reporters were cutting into his fun time. Amanda Davies, thank you very much for that.

All right. So, you probably expect some big endorsements to pour in for Olympics athletes, right? But hey, this is 2012. Forget Disneyland and Wheaties. Reality TV has also come nothing for our champions. Entertainment correspondent Nischelle Turner has more on which stars may be taking their skills to a television set near you.

NISCHELLE TURNER, ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: You know, Randi, Olympic gold medals, they are great, but the reality is, you know, they just don't pay the rent. So as the stars from these games aim for endorsement deals, some are also trying to leverage their new found fame into a career on Reality TV. Now, Lolo Jones was the track story of the Olympics but I don't know, I kind of fell in love with Sanya Richard Ross, and apparently so did the networks.

The gold medal winning track star with the million dollar smile has reportedly already sold a reality show pilot to the We Network. Now, according to deadline, Hollywood Daily, the pilot was film in Austin before he left for London. Now, it's supposed to start with a look at her rigorous training regimen as well as her personal life. You know, she's married to NFL player Aaron Ross of the Jacksonville Jaguars.

But she's not the only one gold-medal winning gymnast Gabby Douglas has also gotten offer to appear in a scripted TV show. She is a huge fan of the Vampire Diaries and she's been tweeting back and forth with the executive producer of the show who is just invited her on. It looks like she may do it. But you know the biggest reality star in the making could be swimmer Ryan Lochte. He's already in a funnier dive video where he encourages people to be in the pool.

Remember, he admitted he peed in the Olympic pool. His agent is telling "The Hollywood Reporter," he's been directly contacted by two different reality shows and he's discussing a third. Now, he's publicly talked about joining the "Dancing with the Stars" which does have a history of Olympic athletes. Half medalists like skater Apolo Ohno, gymnast Shawn Johnson, beach volleyball player Misty May Treanor.

And soccer player hope solo have al strutted their stuff on the show. You know, Lochte has publicly suggested that he should face off on the show against his teammate Michael Phelps. That might be fun to watch. But, of course, the new buzz is that Lochte could be the newest star of "The Bachelor." But he's publicly said, you know, he probably would prefer "Dancing with the Stars" because it's a competition. "The Bachelor" is a competition too though. And I don't know. Because, you know, what? The ladies do love him. Randi, back to you.

KAYE: Thank you very much, Nischelle. All right, get ready to reprogram your metabolism. A fitness and nutrition expert helping us identify our body types. And what routines work best for all of us. We're going to rev it up.

But, first, more than 10,000 children in New York are growing up with their mothers locked up behind bars. This week's CNN hero is on a mission to help these mothers start new lives. It all has to do with repairing broken families, instilling hope, and giving lots and lots of love. Meet Sister Teresa Fitzgerald.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SISTER THERESA FITZGERALD, CNN HERO OF THE WEEK: Across our nation, there are thousands of mothers behind bars. I've never met a woman inside who said, gee, I'm going to go out and I'm going to really mess up again.

What's your lesson you learned here?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Not to ever come back.

FITZGERALD: The depth of her guilt, what she has done to this child, is unbelievable. And they want to do everything to make it right. But they're always unsure whether it's really going to work.

I'm Sister Theresa Fitzgerald, and I happily work with incarcerated mothers to keep their families together, and to rebuild their lives.

When women come out of prison, they are so vulnerable.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What's the hardest part?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I have no money. I need a job. It feels like there's no way out.

FITZGERALD: A home is the heart of what's going to make their life possible.

So good to see you.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: So good to see you.

FITZGERALD: How are you? You're back home.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

FITZGERALD: We give them a lot of love, a lot of support. Around her is a community who has seen growth and change. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Once you forgive yourself, they just want -- trust me, it's going to be all right.

FITZGERALD: Over time, broken bonds have been mended. And there can now be a wholeness to their life.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hi, it's Kelly from the mentoring program. I was a crack head. I gave birth while I was still incarcerated. I just didn't know how I was going to change my life.

Sister Tesa didn't just save me. She saved my entire family. She made me proud of who I am today.

FITZGERALD: It's everyone's right to live the best life that they can. And when I start seeing that take place in the women that I have worked with and I love --

I'm very proud of you.

That's makes it all worthwhile.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: All right. Take a look. This number may shock you. By 2020, it is predicted that 75 percent of Americans will be considered obese or overweight. That is according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. So, the question is how can we curb that number? Nutrition coach and author Mark MacDonald says, the answer may be simpler than you think.

Good morning, Mark. Glad you're here.

MARK MACDONALD, FITNESS AND NUTRITION EXPERT: Thank you for having me.

KAYE: All right. So, we like simple, we love simple answers. So, all right, you say that the key to losing weight and keeping it off is actually to reprogram your metabolism.

MACDONALD: Yes.

KAYE: But you say that it all begins really with just two easy steps.

MACDONALD: Yes, I mean, I agree with you. It's not the simplest thing.

KAYE: Yes.

MACDONALD: But once you get it, it's all about understanding your starting point and what your metabolism is. And there are two wild cards, two genetic things that you program with which is your body type and your set point.

KAYE: So, the first step then I guess would be to identifying your body type, right? There are several types and that all affects human metabolism.

MACDONALD: Yes, I mean, lot of times when people want to lose weight, they just think, well, because my friend can do it or my sister can do it, I should be able to do it.

KAYE: It doesn't work that way.

MACDONALD: It just doesn't work like that. So, just like just how everyone is born with different gifts, there are three body types. An Ectomorph is like that person who can eat whatever they want and never gain weight. I know --

KAYE: I hate those people. Yes.

MACDONALD: And they're like robot, like built for speed. A Mesomorph is someone who is like, 10 pounds where they want to be, they can put muscle on or fat and the Endomorph is that person who seems who just look at food and gain weight. And I call them like a beach cruise, so whether you're a road bike or mountain bike like the Mesomorph or beach cruiser, all three bikes can go from L.A. to New York, some just have to work a little bit harder.

KAYE: I love how you do that. That's a great analogy. All right. So, once you identify your body type.

MACDONALD: Yes.

KAYE: What's the next thing?

MACDONALD: So, it's understanding your set point. So, when people diet, they get excited because they're out on inflated weight, their pants are too tight, their weight is too heavy and they're above their normal weight. So, they quickly drop but they hit that set point, that plateau weight that they can never break through. And that's why diets failed people. So, once you understand your set point, and you know that, OK, I'm at my set point. I have to change my strategy, is to re-program my metabolism.

KAYE: And how long does something like that take, I mean, once you know your body type and your set point,

MACDONALD: It depends on what you're doing. If you're focus on calories, less calories, aren't dieting, you will never reprogram your metabolism. That's why that study 75 percent, we're teaching the wrong concepts. We're teaching people how to eat healthy and not to exercise but we're not teaching you not to eat correctly. We have to stabilize your blood sugar. So once you implement the right strategies and instead of using food to lose weight, use it to create hormonal balance, then you can systematically take your body wherever you want.

KAYE: You know, you always see on the cover of a lot of women's magazines, criticism like speed up your metabolism, foods such as, you know, you should eat to speed up your metabolism.

MACDONALD: Yes. KAYE: Is there -- I mean are there really foods that can actually increase your metabolism?

MACDONALD: It's about stable blood sugar. Just like we were talking before. It's all about eating the right amount of protein, fat, carbohydrates per meal, that stabilize your blood sugar, the right calories per meal in the right intervals, about five to six times a day. So, it may not be the simplest thing, but once you get it, you can do anything. You can eat the foods that you love, you can eat when you travel. You just have to get educated. That's what we have to shift, to educated people. And when you understand your body, take it wherever you want, everything is possible.

KAYE: Right. And you should eat first thing, right? I mean, you should get -- you get that metabolism kicking right away.

MACDONALD: Every time, you missing your meal, your blood sugar drops and your body burn muscles which slows down your metabolism and then you go into that next meal not craving chicken or tuna, you're craving the carbohydrates, good stuff.

KAYE: Exactly.

MACDONALD: And that makes you store fat. So, you have to eat within an hour upon waking, every three to four hour within an hour upon bedtime. And once you keep your blood sugar balance, you release your stored fat, and then with the right exercise, you burn that fat up.

KAYE: A lot of people say, you know, eat a lot of small meals and I think, I'm going to overeat. So, what should a small meal look like in terms of calories?

MACDONALD: For like a female like yourself as a vegetarian, I mean, you could do like eight ounces of Greek yogurt, like a cup of Greek yogurt, some blueberries, like three ounces of blueberries, handful of blueberries and some almonds or cashews because you love cashews.

KAYE: Right.

MACDONALD: That would be your protein --

KAYE: Get away on my secrets. I live on cashews, I admit it.

MACDONALD: So, females about 250 calories per meal.

KAYE: And how about for some big like you?

MACDONALD: I got 400 calories per meal. So, I would eat similar to you, just a little bit more. A little bit more protein, a little bit more fat, a little bit more carbohydrates. An equal amount of protein to carbs and fat.

KAYE: And please tell our viewers that starving themselves and skipping meals is not the way to lose weight, right? I mean, that slows down the metabolism, isn't it? MACDONALD: So, this is the tricky thing. You lose weight but you hit plateau you can't go through which causes yo-yo dieting. So, cutting calories will may help you lose weight, but you'll hit a plateau you can't break through. To reprogram your metabolism, if you skip meals you will forever slow down your metabolism and only regress. If you understand how to eat the food, you often balance your blood sugar, you take your body wherever you want and permanently reprogram it.

KAYE: All right. I love it. That's great news. Eating often, looking good.

MACDONALD: And enjoying your food, right?

KAYE: Yes.

MACDONALD: You got to enjoy it. That's the key.

KAYE: I agree. I hear you there. All right, Mark. Nice to have you on. Thank you.

MACDONALD: Thanks, Randi.

KAYE: Good to see you.

MACDONALD: Well, we'll see Colorado shooting suspect James Holmes is back in court soon. I'll tell you why and break down what you should keep an eye out for in the coming weeks. That is all, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: Welcome back. Let's take a look at some of the big stories that we'll be following in the week ahead. The Olympics may be ending today, but the race for the White House certainly heats up tomorrow. Romney will be campaigning in Florida. President Obama will be in Iowa. And his wife Michelle will make her third appearance on the "Tonight Show" with Jay Leno.

And on Tuesday, 17-year-old, T.J. Lane will stand trial for the high school cafeteria shooting that killed three students in Ohio last February.

And then on Wednesday, we have young illegal immigrants. They can start applying for two-year deferrals from deportation. That was a policy that was put in place by the Obama administration, you may recall, back in June.

And on Thursday, look for Colorado shooting suspect James Holmes' court hearing, doctor-patient confidentiality and the contents of that package that he sent to his university psychiatrist will be in question.

And next Sunday, a big day. World Humanitarian Day. A day to honor those who risk their lives to help people in need.

All right. Completely naked and surrounded by sharks, a fisherman prays for help after he falls in shark-infested waters. We'll have the dramatic video and the race to save him.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: We have been talking about this next story all morning. It is the story of man who was in police custody in Arkansas. Jonesboro police, say 21-year-old Chavis Carter was in the back of a squad car with his arms handcuffed behind his back but the police say, he was still managed to grab a gun and shoot himself in the head. He'd been arrested after police say that they found a small amount of marijuana on him, he also had an outstanding warrant from Mississippi.

But his family and others in the community don't believe that Carter killed himself. Now, I also should add that police searched Carter twice prior to his arrest and never found a gun on him. Yet they were able to find a small amount of marijuana. So, I've been asking you all what you think.

I mean, could a man handcuffed behind his back, would he be able to shoot himself in the head? And I've been getting so many responses, some great responses, not a lot of questions. Liz wrote in, "Only reason I believe it is because it seems too unbelievable to make up. They could create a more credible story."

Doug tweeted, "Yes, I think a person handcuffed behind the back could shoot themselves in the head. Albeit, the back of the head."

And Tim asked, "How on earth is that even possible? I feel for that mother and her family."

And I also should add, I got a lot of tweets about where exactly Chavis Carter was shot. His mother tells reporters that he was found shot in the right side of the head but she found that interesting because he is left-handed. Police would only tell us when we pressed them that he was shot in the head. They wouldn't say which side.

So, continue sending me those tweets and all those questions. They've been great. You can find me on twitter@RandiKayeCNN. And as I mentioned, I traveled to Jonesboro this week and I pressed the police chief form some answers and you'll hear what he had to say, in just about 15 minutes from now.

All right. You may not want your kids to see this next story your about to see. An alligator snapped down on a trainer's arm.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(INAUDIBLE)

UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN: Oh, my God. Oh, my God.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: Yikes, that looks like it hurt. It all happened in front of an audience full of kids actually at an Ohio County Fair during an Animal Show. Another trainer, you can see there, run to the rescue. He seems to be trying to tap that guy to get his mouth to open. Fair officials say, they're shutting down the show now. The trainer was treated and released from the hospital. That is a scary moment.

And check out this dramatic rescue caught on tape. A naked fisherman fighting for his life in shark-infested Australian waters treading water for 20 hours after his boat sank. Things turned out well for the unnamed fishermen but two other men on the boat were not as lucky. One was found dead and rescue teams have called after their search for the other due to weather conditions. Incredible.

A California lake is making drivers do a double take. Hundreds of dead fish fill one side of it and that is because the water level has been dropping so fast. Blame it on the region's drought. Usually workers fill the lake with water from another lake. But this dry summer, there's just not enough water to fill both of them.

We've got much more ahead on CNN SUNDAY MORNING, which starts right now.