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Romney in the Holy Land; Colorado Shooting Suspect Due in Court; Romney Vows Protection for Israel, Criticizes Iran; Becoming the Superhuman; Athletes Aiming for Gold in London, Lots of Talk about Opening Ceremonies

Aired July 29, 2012 - 18:00   ET

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

DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN ANCHOR: You are in THE CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Deborah Feyerick, in today for Don Lemon.

Let's get you up to speed on some of the big stories we're following this hour.

(VIDEO CLIP PLAYS)

FEYERICK: A movie theater turned into a murder scene. The Colorado suspect linked to that mass shooting spree is going to be in court tomorrow. James Holmes is expected to be formally charged with 12 counts of first-degree murder.

Police say Holmes killed 12 people at the movie theater, 58 others were injured. Court documents filed Friday show Holmes was a patient of a psychiatrist at the University of Colorado just before the attack.

And getting the VIP treatment, almost presidential treatment, today in Jerusalem. The presumed Republican nominee for the White House, Mitt Romney, today, he weighed on one of the stickiest issues of the Middle East conflict, the status of Jerusalem. Romney tells CNN he considers Jerusalem the capital of Israel and believes the American embassy should be there. The U.S. embassy is currently in Tel Aviv.

Also today in Jerusalem, Mitt Romney and his wife visited the Western Wall, one of the oldest -- one of the old city's holiest sites.

Full details on Romney's day with Israeli leaders coming up in just a moment.

And the Arab League says war crimes are being committed. Syria is battling rebels for control of the country's largest city. The U.N. estimates 200,000 Syrians have fled the city over the past couple of days. Activists say the government is stopping supplies of fuel and food from reaching neighborhoods controlled by rebel fighters.

And a memorial service is being held today for the 15 victims of a rollover crash in Texas. The truck was filled with undocumented immigrants. Custom enforcement agents say they were from Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico. A damaged front right tire is being blamed for causing the accident. And this man and this woman tried to get married in their own church. The answer? No. The reason? Because they are black. It happened in Mississippi. They are angry and they are doing something about it.

Stay with CNN. They will be with me live right here later this evening.

Well, it's becoming a very long hot summer for a big chunk of the country. Extreme heat is making life miserable for folks in the Southern Plains. Heat advisories and excessive heat blanket parts of Oklahoma and Arkansas. Temperatures are spiking from 105 to 113 degrees are in the forecast through Thursday.

Well, the fight for the White House goes overseas. Republican Mitt Romney is in Jerusalem today, touring holy sites and plunging headfirst into one of the most divisive issues of the Middle East conflict.

CNN's Jim Acosta is there.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JIM ACOSTA, CNN NATIONAL POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Mitt Romney stuck to his pledge not to criticize the president here in a speech in Jerusalem, but he did draw some big contrast with Mr. Obama. The main headline from the speech: his call for Jerusalem to be the undisputed capital of Israel. That is something no other U.S. president has ever called for. It's also a position that could in flame tensions in this region should Romney become president.

Now, the other headline from this speech, Romney issued a stern warning to Iran, should that country continue to develop nuclear weapons. Here's a portion from Romney speech.

MITT ROMNEY (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Make no mistake: the ayatollahs in Tehran are testing our moral defenses. They want to know who will object and who will look the other way.

My message to the people of Israel and the leaders of Iran is one in the same. We will not look away nor will my country ever look away from my passion and commitment to Israel.

(APPLAUSE)

ACOSTA: After a bruising week for Romney in Britain, his campaign offered up a new optic to voters back home, that was of Romney and his wife visiting the Western Wall here in Jerusalem. That is one of the Jewish religion's most sacred sites. Romney paused to pray and then left a note in the wall's crack.

Now, next up for Romney, he holds a fund-raiser here in Jerusalem before he heads of to the last leg of his trip, Poland.

Jim Acosta, CNN, Jerusalem.

(END VIDEOTAPE) FEYERICK: The Colorado suspect linked to a shooting rampage in a movie theater is due in court tomorrow. James Holmes is expected to be formally charged in the case. Twelve people died and 58 others were injured.

David Mattingly joins us live outside of the courthouse in Centennial, Colorado.

And, David, what are we expecting to see at tomorrow's hearing? And are you hearing anything about James Holmes and what he's been doing this past weekend?

DAVID MATTINGLY, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Deb, expect tomorrow to see the prosecution in this case to take center stage in this terrible tragedy. We're going to be hearing from them tomorrow about what kind of charges they intend to seek against this alleged killer.

We had 12 people who are killed in the theater. We're looking at the potential of 12 murder charges there, premeditated first-degree murder charges there. We also have 58 people wounded. So, there are any number of dozens, potentially dozens of attempted murder charges that could come about as well.

We're also expecting to hear more about that mysterious package that the alleged killer sent to his psychiatrist at the University of Colorado. Authorities have that package in their possession but the defense has said that that represents protected patient-doctor privilege with those communications. So, we're going to wait to see how the judge weighs in on this if the content of that package will be allowed into evidence. And if so, how? Deb?

FEYERICK: And, David, it's so interesting because it may have been protected before he allegedly went on this rampage after obviously as a different dynamic, a different question. But also, there's the issue of his apartment because that apartment was rigged so that it would go off and that clearly he also he was planning on doing maximum damage and take lives there as well.

So, what about the charges there?

MATTINGLY: That's right. There's the potential for more attempted murder charges there. This was a death trap from everything we've been told about it, there were multiple improvised explosive devices, multiple trip wires. He even set off a timer so that loud music was going off after he departed from the apartment, almost as bait for someone to try and gain entry into his apartment. And authorities have said what they found in there if someone had gone in that door unprepared, they would have been at the very least severely injured but most likely killed.

FEYERICK: Remarkable, just planning this on two fronts.

And, David, we've also learned that there was a shooting victim separate in another heartbreaking, heartbreaking tragedy. Ashley Moser apparently had a miscarriage and her 6-year-old also was killed in that theater attack. What are you learning?

MATTINGLY: That's right. Ashley Moser's daughter Veronica was killed that night. She was 6 years old. She was the youngest victim that night. And yesterday, Ashley went in for more surgery and at that time she did suffer a miscarriage.

FEYERICK: Yes.

MATTINGLY: She found out just that day, she had gone in for a sonogram, according to her boyfriend, and they were able to determine that she was about 8 weeks pregnant at that time. They were somewhat celebrating that night when she, her boyfriend, and little Veronica were all sitting there together in that movie theater. They were all wounded.

But right now, Ashley is still in the hospital, very severely injured, and there's a lot of speculation about long-term injuries that she might be suffering. But right now, again, this tragedy just keeps going on and just keeps making things worse for the families involved.

FEYERICK: Tragic.

All right. Dave Mattingly, thank you so much. We'll check with you a little later on.

And later this hour --

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This isn't about me. This is about me showing an act of kindness.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FEYERICK: One man's mission to pay tribute to the victims of the Colorado theater shooting.

But, first, a party crasher. Did you wonder who this woman in the red shirt was during the opening ceremonies of the Olympics? Well, so did the Indian delegation that was with her.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FEYERICK: And another exciting day in London with swimming rivals and teammates Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte swimming on the same team today.

CNN's Becky Anderson live for us tonight in London, where it's just after 11:00 o'clock in the evening.

And, Becky, Phelps and Lochte working together today but it still wasn't enough for a gold.

BECKY ANDERSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: No, it wasn't. Michael Phelps back in the water for second of his seven events, alongside his teammate Ryan Lochte today in the 4x100- freestyle relay. Team USA were defending their position as Olympic champions. They won a medal in every year 4x100 freestyle relay since the event debut back in 1964, only not appearing in the 1980 Olympics, of course, in Moscow.

Not enough, though, tonight. They're up against their nemesis, the Australian team. But it was the French who walked away with the gold tonight. The Americans grabbing a silver and the Russians getting a bronze. So quite a surprise in the pool behind me here today.

Some compensation for you guys in the States. So Dana Vollmer actually picking up a gold today with a world record of 55.98 in the 100-meter fly finals. She had actually a bit of a disaster towards the end of that. The last five or six meters really didn't look like she was swimming her best but she had already done what she needed to do as she really swam a fantastic race. Now, to say with the world record, the States should be absolutely delighted with her -- Debra.

FEYERICK: And also, Becky, what about this mystery woman we're hearing about? This I think is absolutely a little bit scary, given security, but it's a little bit funny, too.

ANDERSON: It's an amazing story. In fact, Deborah, she remains a mystery woman. This is a woman we saw at the opening ceremony who joined the Indian team as they marched around the stadium behind me and nobody knew who she was. And the Indian team leader was absolutely furious. They had said it had taken the limelight away from the team and indeed. You know, showed up with a lot of security issues that the London organizers really had to answer today. And among some of the controversy that they had to answer back.

Well, Sebastian Coe, the head of the London organizing committee, said they still actually don't actually have name for her but they can confirm that she actually was a participant at the opening ceremony. She had been part of the cast of that splendid show and that he describes it as having gotten overexcited, a little too excited, and got herself involved in the ceremony.

She did no harm at the end of the day but it threw up all sorts of questions about what had happened with security, somebody could just get on to the track and march alongside a team.

FEYERICK: Sure. No harm if you include impostering an athlete.

Becky Anderson for us in London, thank you so much. We appreciate it.

So now that today events are over in London, here is the latest medal count. China is in the lead right now, with six gold medals and 12 overall. The United States is second and Italy is in third for the overall medal count.

Well, guns are big business. Not just in the United States but around the world. The United Nations wants to regulate that but a group here at home is lining up against a proposed treaty.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: Don't forget, you can stay connected. You can watch CNN live on your computer. You can do it from work, just go to CNN.com/TV.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FEYERICK: The Colorado massacre is on the minds of many Americans. But the United Nations, the focus was on passing a treaty to stem the flow of illegal guns and avoid crimes against humanity. That took place this week. Friday, diplomats finished a month's long negotiation of a historic Arms Trade Treaty, designed to regulate a market worth up to $60 billion a year.

Well, the National Rifle Association is opposed to any treaty, warning it could affect Americans' rights to bear arms, even though the U.N. and the U.S. say that's just not true. It's hard to tell that to Wayne LaPierre, head of the NRA. I spoke with him just recently.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WAYNE LAPIERRE, CEO, NRA: Stay away from our Second Amendment, stay away from our freedoms, and we're sure not going to let you anywhere near our guns.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FEYERICK: And that basically sums up the NRA's approach to gun control, whether it's here in the United States or overseas.

Here to talk about that and where the White House contenders stand on the issues, Republican strategist Ana Navarro, and CNN contributor and senior writer for ESPN, L.Z. Granderson.

Thanks so much to both of you for being here.

And, Ana, I want to start with you. Look, the NRA says it speaks for gun owners but a Republican pollster found that about 74 percent of NRA members believe that concealed to carry permits should only be granted to applicants who have completed gun safety training. It seems to make sense. But the NRA opposes that.

Is there a disconnect? Are the majority of gun owners simply being drowned out by the louder voices like those of Wayne LaPierre?

ANA NAVARRO, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: You know, I think not. I think the majority of gun owners are very important and their voices are not being drowned out at all. And we see that, Deb, because we see that neither of the two candidates are touching the gun issue. It is an issue that is so political, that is so powerful and that moves so many people that we haven't seen Mitt Romney nor Barack Obama, for all he says, move gun legislation or talk about it in these last few weeks even after Aurora.

So, I think if anything, it tells you that, no, those voices are not being drowned out. Those voices of the gun owners of the NRA and the political people when it comes to guns are all very powerful and vocal. FEYERICK: L.Z., the latest Gallup on gun control conducted before Aurora, but after Virginia Tech, which is five years ago, it shows that more than half of all Americans oppose bans on assault weapons. You oppose that ban, too. It seems to make sense.

Is it enough, though, when we're talking about just one gun, one kind of gun?

L.Z. GRANDERSON, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Well, I think that it avoids the real issue, which is these weapons have gotten into the hands of people who have had some criminal intent or some evil intent. And banning the guns is not going to stop someone from committing mass murders. I think that's two separate conversations.

I'm a strong supporter of the Second Amendment right. I believe we have the right to bear arms, and that includes assault rifles. What we need to do, though, is start looking at the government to monitor the purchases of these weapons, to be more responsible in terms of gauging who has the rounds and how many rounds are purchased within a number of months. I think that would helps us in terms maybe being able to identify people who maybe a threat to society, but I don't believe the government should come in and ban all weapons.

I just want to comment on one thing that Ana said earlier, that is, it's not true that the candidates haven't said anything about the guns. When Mitt Romney was governor, he actually did sign into law a ban on these weapons. He hasn't talked about that now because that tends to be his policy in terms of avoiding controversy or issues with his own base. But he certainly did something when he was governor.

FEYERICK: Right. And getting --

(CROSSTALK)

FEYERICK: But that's what Mitt Romney -- but let's -- President Obama had this to say recently on gun control. Let's take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I, like most Americans, believe that the Second Amendment guarantees an individual's right to bear arms. But I also believe that a lot of gun owners would agree that AK-47s belong in the hands of soldiers, not in the hands of criminals.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FEYERICK: Well, it's kind of interesting. I was speaking to somebody in the newsroom yesterday. He said, well, in fact, most U.S. soldiers carry M-16s, not the other type of weapons.

Are we talking about responsible gun ownership here? And let's talk about that issue. Because if you have the NRA saying no gun controls whatsoever, L.Z., you seem to be sort of moderate. And, Ana, you're saying, it's too much of a political topic. So where does the conversation even begin that allows us to take responsible gun ownership in the right direction? Or is that just an impossibility?

NAVARRO: Well, I do know that -- I do think that the conversation, a responsible conversation is not going to begin 100 days before an election. This is something that Barack Obama talked about, gun control four years ago. But after he said those words you just put on TV, just the next day, the White House came out and said there will be no push for new gun control legislation.

And I'll tell you why. Four years ago, Barack Obama was talking about the people who wanted to cling to their guns and their religion. Well, today, he desperately needs to cling to the people who cling to their guns and their religion, because they are in many of the swing states, like my state of Florida, like Ohio and many of the other swing states.

FEYERICK: All right. Well, we're going to ask both of you to stay here because we've got a lot more to talk about. We're going to talk about (INAUDIBLE) in just a little while.

Ahead, we did see a side of Mitt Romney today that we really haven't seen too much and there are a couple of things the presumptive Republican nominee did that got some people pretty upset.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FEYERICK: Mitt Romney is in Israel and just four minutes into his speech, he brought up Iran.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROMNEY: Make no mistake: the ayatollahs in Tehran are testing our moral defenses. They want to know who will object and who will look the other way. My message to the people of Israel and the leaders of Iran is one and the same. We will not look away, nor will my country ever look away from our passion and commitment to Israel.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FEYERICK: Ad joining me here now, Republican strategist Ana Navarro and CNN contributor L.Z. Granderson.

OK, L.Z., some have criticized Governor Romney for not taking a stand on issues. Today he seemed strong and very unambiguous, saying that whenever security of Israel is most in doubt, America's commitment to Israel must be most secure. And he talked about Iran.

What did you think? Did he say anything new as far as you think?

GRANDERSON: Well, you know, I think it's kind of funny that we're characterizing this as Mitt Romney coming out, saying something very strong, because for the most part, he just went out and say what President Obama has been saying for the last three years. There hasn't been much difference from his stance than the stance that W. had, the stance that Clinton had before him. And that is, you know, we will be there for Israel and we will do everything we can to keep nuclear arms out of Iran. That's the only thing he said, that's the only thing all the other presidents have said.

The thing about Jerusalem, though, that's the thing that's kind of raising eyebrows because essentially, you know, as we were talking during the break, is that sort of sets up a conversation that can lead towards war. And the last thing we need is some wannabe going overseas and talking about war, especially someone who, when given the opportunity to fight in a war for his country, opted to go to France. That's the thing that raises eyebrows and that's the thing that kind of really ticks me off about his visit.

FEYERICK: And, L.Z., let me just clarify for everybody out there who's listening, when Mitt Romney was there in Israel, he said that he believed that Jerusalem should be the capital of Israel. And it's long been Tel Aviv because Jerusalem, obviously, such a main point of contention between Israelis and the Palestinian.

Ana, what do you think? Do you think that was deliberate? Do you think that was a gaffe saying that Jerusalem should be the capital?

NAVARRO: Absolutely not. And I think it makes all the sense in the world. What he basically said is, look, countries get to choose what their capitals are. And if I were to move it, I would do it in consultation with the Israelis, I would ask the Israelis, do you want this? Is this something that's important to you? And, if so, then make the decision.

So, I think it's a very logical thing that he is saying and I also would beg to differ with my friend L.Z. in what he says that it's the same positions as Barack Obama's. One of the things that Mitt Romney made clear today is that he is not going to look the other way when it comes to Iran.

I would tell you that as somebody that lives in Miami, I am painfully aware of all of the efforts and outreach and cooperation that has been going on for the last 3 1/2 years between Iran and Latin America, our neighbors, our neighbors just across the border. We've seen (INAUDIBLE) now establish operations in Cuba, establish operations in Venezuela. And, yes, we have a president who has looked the other way, who says it's not a national security threat. As somebody that lives 90 miles away from Cuba.

FEYERICK: Let me clarify one thing --

GRANDERSON: I don't understand how someone --

FEYERICK: L.Z., let me just -- but here is the point.

GRANDERSON: OK.

FEYERICK: And that is, is that basically, President Obama has said that he would not support an Israeli strike against Tehran, he says he will not support that. He asked Israel to stand down. A lot of people didn't think that that was the correct thing to do because it is their national security. And then when the foreign policy adviser suggested that he would back an Israeli strike against Iran, Mitt Romney, then Mitt Romney sort of backed away from that. So what are we really talking about here? Are these just words?

GRANDERSON: We're talking about no one wants a war. And I think that is the responsible thing to do, to continue to push towards peace. I don't think you can call a president, who has a kill list, as someone who looks away when it comes to foreign policy, when it comes to national security, when it comes to foreign relations and foreign policy. I don't think that's a fair assessment. You may not be exactly happy with the measure that he's taking, but to say he's looking away and ignoring Iran is an inaccurate way to characterize the way he's handling this.

No one wants a war and no one can afford a war, which is another part of the conversation that we are having. We cannot afford to fight. We are hoping that sanctions and diplomacy would be first. What we don't need is someone who is saying words that would incite a war.

FEYERICK: Sure, OK.

Ana --

(CROSSTALK)

ANA NAVARRO, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST & CNN CONTRIBUTOR: -- and nobody wants a nuclear Iran.

(CROSSTALK)

NAVARRO: I would absolutely agree. Nobody wants a war but nobody wants a nuclear Iran, or an Iran that thinks we are a weak United States. What Mitt Romney said today is we hope that the diplomatic and sanctions options work but, if they don't, there is nothing option that is off the table. And Iran, you better understand --

(CROSSTALK)

FEYERICK: Arguably -- OK, I'm going to have to stop you here because arguably --

GRANDERSON: This is exactly what President Obama said.

FEYERICK: And, L.Z., making the last point, which is Obama and his administration has been very forceful about moving ships into the gulf and taking other actions against Iran specifically as opposed to through Israel.

We're going to leave it there even though we can talk about this for the next three hours. All right?

Thank you so much for joining, L.Z. Granderson, Ana Navarro.

Half past the hour now. Let's take a look at some of the headlines.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) (SHOUTING)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FEYERICK: A movie theater turned into a murder scene. The Colorado suspect linked to that mass shooting spree, he's going to be in court tomorrow. James Holmes is expected to be formally charged with 12 counts of first-degree murder. Police say Holmes killed 12 people at a movie theater. 58 others were injured. Court documents filed Friday show Holmes was a patient seeking psychiatric care through someone at the University of Colorado immediately before the attack.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(APPLAUSE)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FEYERICK: And getting the VIP treatment, almost the presidential treatment today in Jerusalem, the presumed Republican nominee for the White House, Mitt Romney. Today he weighed in on the issues of the conflict, the status of Jerusalem. Romney tells CNN he considers Jerusalem the capital of Israel and believes the American embassy should be there and not in Tel Aviv. Also today, in Jerusalem, Mitt Romney and his wife visited the Western Wall, one of the oldest monuments in the city's holiest area.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(GUNFIRE)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FEYERICK: And in Syria, the Arab League says war crimes are being committed in Aleppo. The Syrians government is battling rebels for control of the country's largest city. The U.N. estimates roughly 200,000 Syrians have fled the city over the past couple of days. Activists say the government is stopping supplies of fuel and food reaching neighborhoods controlled by rebel fighters.

A memorial service is being held today for the 15 victims of a rollover crash in Texas. That truck that you see there was filled with undocumented immigrants. Custom enforcement agents say that they were from Guatemala, Honduras and Mexico. A damaged right front tire is being blamed for the accident.

We've heard the description time and again, loner, quiet, kept to himself. Many people assumed those words would apply to James Holmes. A former teacher says that's not the James Holmes that he knew. You're going to hear from that teacher ahead. But, first --

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KEN KAUFMAN, FOUNDER AND CEO, QUIRKY.COM: It's human nature to invest. It's human nature to try to make your life better. It's human nature to try to make the world around you a better place. And what stops people is to do that and actually execute on those ideas. It's really hard.

Good ideas shouldn't find their ways onto shelves because they are the ideas of people with the right luck and circumstance. They should find their way on to shelves because they are good ideas. That's it. Plain and simple.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FEYERICK: A race team based in Denver is honoring the 12 victims of last week's horrific shooting in Colorado. Brigen Smith's (ph) number-78 car bears the names of those killed in the tragedy. The car was on the track for a Sprint Cup race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The hood of the car had a ribbon with a memorial cross and red-and- gold logo that appears on the Colorado state flag. On the rear bummer, the car carried an inscription that read, quote, "For those lost, those injured, and countless acts of bravery." The team shot this just seven miles from the theater where that dreadful shooting took place.

Well, the arrest of James Holmes stunned those who knew him and left many wondering if there were clues that they missed. Among those people is Holmes' fifth-grade teacher. He spoke to CNN about this shock.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PAUL KARRER, FIFTH GRADE TEACHER OF JAMES HOLMES: It's really disturbing. To be so close to something like that it bothers you to your essence, and particularly as a teacher, you're thinking, this is one of my kids. And then you also think, could I have done anything? Or did I see anything? Did I miss anything? You know, could I have done anything to have prevented this? Did I do anything to cause this? Which the answer is no. But that's what you think and that's how you feel.

FEYERICK: Well, from glasses to lipstick, false teeth to your mobile phones, enhancements are very much a part of our daily lives. Is humanity reaching a point where altering what our bodies can do becomes essential for -- I don't know -- let's say, our survival?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FEYERICK: Well, they are the best of the best, men and women from around the world, hoping to fulfill their Olympic dreams in London. But the obsession to push our body to the limit is nothing new. In fact, a new exhibit in London is exploring the extraordinary ways people have tried to enhance the performance and appearance of their bodies.

CNN International's Azadeh Ansari joins me.

Azadeh, we're heard all of the chatter about various scandals, men and women in pursuit of athletic advantage. What is it that they are doing?

AZADEH ANSARI, CNN INTERNATIONAL DESK EDITOR: Well, Deb, it's a fine line between enhancement and cheating. 100 years ago, doping didn't take place, whereas it does today, whereas training did. Training for the Olympics was considered to give athletes an added advantage. So it was only limited to four weeks. But, again, what extent are we going to go to manipulate our bodies to gain that additional advantage?

FEYERICK: It's fascinating. I saw a video of Ryan Lochte and he had a huge -- it was a 36 -- it was a huge wheel and he was pushing it and pushing it, working various muscles. Do we have an obsession on some levels as a society as a culture as to being superhuman?

ANSARI: Who doesn't want to have natural powers or super national powers, like the Hulk or the Iron Man? Of course, it's something that we play with and this idea that we fantasize about. But at the end of the day, the real question is, does having these artificial enhancements give us this unfair advantage or is it -- are we playing here with nature and, by doing that, intervening in our own evolution, and, in essence, creating a monster that we didn't even think we could have any say in or where the end of all of this is going to be.

FEYERICK: And as a dabbler in exercise, I like to say, one of the problems is if you start doing it, you have to keep doing it.

(LAUGHTER)

A, it's good for you. B, you kind of like how you feel after you do it. Is it just the physical state that we're trying to change or is it the mental state that we're trying to work on?

ANSARI: It's both. I want to highlight an athlete from this year's Olympics. He's a South African track star and his name is Oscar and he's -- for the first time, he's competing with able-bodied Olympians. And he's a paraplegic, as you can see in the pictures. He's wearing these carbon-fiber legs. and skeptics say, by having that, it's going to give him an added advantage, whereas, he's saying, look, I had to train as hard as all the other athletes for a very long time and this is well-deserved.

FEYERICK: Right.

ANSARI: But to that point, if we're going to test athletes for doping and crack down on them, shouldn't we possibly entertain the idea of testing students taking Ritalin of giving them an extra advantage on an exam?

FEYERICK: Right.

ANSARI: You know, it's almost like the physical sense we can test but, mentally, if you break it down, it's the same thing.

FEYERICK: What is fascinating, Azadeh, is when you look at the advances that have been made in terms of the kind of sneakers and swimsuits. You see these suits that are so arrow dynamic that you're cutting speed in the water. Talk to me a little bit about -- this exhibit really just does go well beyond sports. Describe a little bit to me because it really spans the gamut. ANSARI: It does. And it highlights artifacts from early as 600 B.C. until -- and it spans into the future. And the running shoe that we just saw in the picture before was the Nike lightweight shoe. And it's believed that a track coach invented it by pouring rubber it into his wife's waffle iron.

(LAUGHTER)

Making it lightweight.

FEYERICK: That's right.

ANSARI: All these inventions, like you said, the swimsuit, the shoes, to enhance our performance. The real issue, Deb, is that we can do this, and we can't do it without having moral or ethical implications.

(CROSSTALK)

FEYERICK: Of course. You're asking about how big, how much better, how much faster, how much more superior.

All right.

ANSARI: Thanks.

FEYERICK: Azadeh Ansari, thank you so much. Really appreciate it. Clearly, something to think about during the Olympics.

And the Olympics are just under way. Already surprise winners and some big flops. We're going to be heading back to London.

But, first --

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FEYERICK: Tim Tebow, welcome to Gotham. No one said it would be easy. The Jets' new back-up quarterback booed at a practice yesterday. His crime? Fans were not happy after a few bad passes in the pouring rain. No break there. Tebow was traded from the Denver Broncos to the New York Jets earlier this year. A rock star in Denver. Remains to be seen just how forgiving fans in New York will be.

The athletes are aiming for gold in London and there has been a lot of talk about the opening ceremonies.

Jon Wertheim, senior investigative reporter for "Sports Illustrated," joins us from London, where he's covering the Olympic Games.

Jon, what's the word over there? It's pretty ambitious to have the industrial revolution and health care in the opening.

(LAUGHTER)

JON WERTHEIM, SENIOR INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER, SPORTS ILLUSTRATED: Some say this was the first modern dance devoted to health care. But it's 48 hours after the ceremony, we have gold medal winners, upsets, and still, Andy Boyle is the breakout star of the Olympics. People still talking about that opening ceremony. It was sort of funny. We sort of had this quick transition to competition, but everybody was still talking about the queen and Paul McCartney. And even 48 hours later, it's still at top of mind.

FEYERICK: When you look at it -- because there were a lot of sort of mixed reviews about the opening ceremonies. Visually, it was quite spectacular, a little jumbled at times and definitely different from China. But after China, why not just go for something different?

WERTHEIM: It's so funny, you get this filter through Twitter and social media and then you get the filter here. The British media loved this. This was uniformly praised and celebrated here -- every newspaper, every television station. Twitter was a little more mixed. Overall, it was a smashing success. You're right. It really was the complete polar opposite from China. But there was a real humanity about it, a real sort of humor. We don't take ourselves too seriously. I think the British were really pleased with that component.

FEYERICK: He was trying to say a lot. And the flame, I thought that was spectacular.

Let's talk about some of the athletes. Michael Phelps has been a bit of a surprise. Not just losing, but he hasn't gotten a gold medal yet. Expectations too high?

WERTHEIM: No, it's funny, you have these two athletes, Michael Phelps and now Usain Bolt. They're both sort of the face of these games, but a lot of question marks surrounding them both. Michael Phelps came out and not only did he not win gold, he did not win a medal in his first race. He got silver today in the 400 I.M. relay. This was his last Olympics. There is a sense, is he going to go out, he's not going to replicate his feats from Athens and Beijing, but how is he going to go out. and so far, it hasn't been particularly pretty. And now we're waiting to see with Usain Bolt, where similarly there's this questions, is he still the fastest man in the world? Will he, like Phelps, be overtaken by a teammate? That's really been these two big story lines early in the games.

FEYERICK: And obviously, when you're the superstar, there's also the underdog chomping at the bit to try to get it. Ryan Lochte, the world champion. You've been watching a lot of things, covering a number of things. What has been most interesting so far?

WERTHEIM: That's a good question. Some of what is interesting is just how overwhelming it is. You spend a few hours watching tennis. And there have been a half dozen medals awarded.

I think Britain's role in this and British sports is interesting. I also think there's this balance. You had mentioned the woman, the infiltrator in the parade, and there a lot of stories about empty seats. And this balance between the sport, the competition, and what goes with it. But what blows me away is just how absolutely massive an enterprise. A million fans will watch a bike race. The dream team will play. There will be a really significant event that you'll miss because there are nine others you're paying attention to. It's really been like no other sporting event I've ever covered.

FEYERICK: There's like no question about that. I was riveted on women's ping-pong the other day. I watched men's water polo a little bit today. And there's also trampoline, or am I misremembering from the last Olympics, which is a brilliant sport, when you think about it.

WERTHEIM: No, there's women's boxing. People will mention things and the response will be, oh, I didn't even realize that was a sport. Somebody said hockey. They said, oh, no, it's field hockey. There's a lot going on here. And there's not even Tim Tebow here, deb. There's still a lot going on and a lot to talk about.

FEYERICK: You know, go figure. Who would have thought? Just kidding.

WERTHEIM: Yes.

FEYERICK: Jon Wertheim for us out of there at "Sports Illustrated" for us. Thank you so much. We look forward to touching base with you in a little while. Thanks so much.

Next --

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GREG ZANIS, CROSS MAKER: This isn't about me. This is about me showing an act of kindness.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FEYERICK: One man's mission to pay tribute to the victims of the Colorado theatre shooting.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FEYERICK: A solemn sign of peace amid the immense sorrow in Colorado. Across the street from the movie theatre where 12 people were shot and killed, 12 crosses suddenly appeared. All of them just three feet tall, but immeasurable in their meaning.

Let's meet the man who made them. From Aurora, Illinois to Aurora, Colorado, a cause runs deep for Greg Zanis.

CNN Photojournalist Kevin Myers (ph) and Producer Katherine Rosteki (ph) have the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ZANIS: The cutting out so it has a beautiful end on it instead of just a square end. These are basically four foot tall and two foot wide.

I already got phone calls for two this morning this morning, so I need to have these two made.

People call me and I try to respond immediately. You know, I ask them, do you want a tall cross like this one here -- I dig in and put on the side of the road.

This isn't about me. This is about me showing an act of kindness.

Saturday, I made the crosses up in the morning, painted them. It took about eight hours including the painting. 16 hour drive and it's 1,000 miles. And I think I made it in 12 hours.

(LAUGHTER)

I know I was breaking the speed limit all the way through.

We, as a nation, are grieving here. but me, coming from Illinois, is just saying, one guy come and stopping what he's doing, going all the way out there, is really a picture of what the nation's suffering, too.

I cry a lot. And, you know, it's not so much placing the crosses, is when I actually start writing names.

It's my privilege to give. And there's no strings attached. It's the other way around. I'm offering the gift. You already got it. What are you going to pay for it later?

Somebody asked me, how much do you charge for the crosses?

(LAUGHTER)

I said, what are you talking about? I don't.

Family members are going to be honored with these crosses and they're seeing that and they're going to see an outpouring. I understand thousands of people have been by these crosses already.

I feel very much like Jesus did, you know, that ministering. I don't even have a car. The crosses are a ministry. They're a -- they're a prayer.

(END VIDEOTAPE)