Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Saturday Morning News

American Tourists Kidnapped in Egypt; Shooting People For Fun; Syrians Attacked From Sky

Aired July 14, 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.

Shopping with your credit card today? Well, soon you might have to pay more per swipe. The $7 billion credit card company settlement is being called a victory for retailers, but it could be a loss for you.

Plus, a wave of homicides hit U.S. cities. Chicago, compared to Afghanistan, while a rash of shootings rattle New York. All morning we'll put murder in America in focus.

And later, a shocking death among the Hollywood elite. Sage Stallone dead at 36.

It is Saturdays, July 14th. Good morning, everyone. Glad you are with us. I'm Randi Kaye.

It is early, so hopefully your kids are tucked in their beds sleeping like the little angels that they are. That is what one Tennessee woman had been hoping for years ago when she adopted a little boy from Russia. Now you may remember this story of Artyom Saveliev. He was the seven-year-old boy whose adopted mother decided after just six months that he was, quote, mentally unstable. She couldn't deal with him, so she simply put him on a plane back to Russia with a note returning him like a pair of pants that didn't fit. She said she had only met the boy once and had not been aware of his mental condition.

An investigation was launched. Well now a Tennessee judge has ordered the mother in this case, Torry Hansen, to pay for the boy's care in Russia since legally she's still considered to be his mother. She will have to pay $150,000 in back support and fees plus $1,000 a month until the boy is 18. Now given that he just turned 10, that will amount to almost a quarter million dollars -- $246,000 to be exact. Hansen had testified that the boy wanted to kill her, but the adoption agency says the boy was not violent.

So here this morning is my "Talk Back" question for you. Do you think the mother should have to pay for this boy? Should she pay more, less or perhaps nothing at all? Did she even breech the adoption contract, do you think? You can tweet me @RandiKayeCNN and I'll share your comments throughout this show this morning.

Now a developing story out of Egypt this morning. Details still coming into CNN, but here is what we know right now. Two American tourists, along with their guide, have been kidnapped. The incident taking place in the Sinai peninsula region where officials say the people were taken from a tour bus.

It is the third time American tourists have been kidnapped in that area this year. The U.S. embassy in Cairo issuing the following statement via Twitter. Quote, "we are in close touch with Egyptian authorities who are doing everything they can to bring about the safe release of the American tourists."

Joining me now by phone from Amman, Jordan, is CNN foreign affairs reporter Elise Labott.

Elise, good morning.

Tell us what's different about this kidnapping than the other ones that we've seen this year.

ELISE LABOTT, CNN FOREIGN AFFAIRS REPORTER (via telephone): Well, yes. Yes, Randi. These -- the reason that it's different is because this time, you know, these Bedouin kidnappers usually are doing these kind of things for money. This time, they have an agenda. They have some relative that had been detained in Alexandria on drug charges and they want to let them go. So it's a little bit more complicated than just getting that money to them. And usually it just kind of -- they get released right away. But this time it's a little bit more complex.

KAYE: And so they are making specific demands to have their relatives released?

LABOTT: Specific demands to have their relatives released. And they're working -- you know, the Americans are saying that they're working with the Egyptian authorities. But, of course, the Egyptians have their own laws and a lot of times, you know, you don't negotiate with so-called kidnappers or those kind of people. So it's a little bit more complex than just, you know, giving them their money and letting the people go.

KAYE: Right. And certainly this is --

LABOTT: Now there are demands involved.

KAYE: This is a popular tourist area certainly and it's a little frightening that these kidnappings are on the rise, right?

LABOTT: They're on the rise because since the fall of Hosni Mubarak, Randi, it's really -- Sinai has always been a kind of lawless region with a lot of Bedouins involved and criminal activity and trafficking. But the Egyptian police have always kind of kept somewhat control over the area. Since the fall of Hosni Mubarak, it's been a lot more (ph) stable. It's considered a kind of no man's land, if you will. And the Egyptian authorities really aren't taking care of the border like they should be.

KAYE: And Hillary Clinton is in Egypt, which is why you're there, for a previously scheduled visit with newly elected President Mohamed Morsi. Does this now change the focus, do you think, of the visit? I mean what, if anything, can she do to help facilitate the release of these folks? LABOTT: I mean generally Secretary Clinton isn't going to have a lot of, you know, involvement in the negotiations surrounding these people. Obviously the U.S. wants to get these Americans home as soon as possible. But she'll be talking to President Morsi about the recent Egyptian elections that brought him to power, the Egyptian economy is really in shambles and the U.S. wants to see what the U.S. can do to help this flailing economy.

And also there are a lot of questions about the party which brought Mohamed Morsi to power, the Muslim Brotherhood. There's a lot of questions of how they're going to treat women, what they're going to do with other Islamist groups, like Hamas, that are involved in the Palestinian territories. And so there are a lot of questions and a lot -- there's a lot of political chaos going on in Egypt that Secretary Clinton wants to discuss with President Morsi about how he's going to move Egypt forward since the fall of Hosni Mubarak.

KAYE: Elise Labott, thank you for the update. Do keep us posted with more news from there as it happens. Appreciate that.

A new massive credit card settlement could mean more fees for you. Visa, MasterCard and some of the country's biggest banks have agreed to a massive $7.25 billion settlement with retailers. The lawsuit centers around credit card swipe fees. Merchants allege credit card companies were fixing the price of those fees. Now retailers will see those swipe fees reduced temporarily. That being said, this could mean more money out of your pocket when you use your credit card. Merchants will now be allowed to tack on a surcharge for credit card purchases versus the cash.

A federal judge is allowing Mississippi's anti abortion law to go into effect, but the state's only abortion clinic will be allowed to stay open without facing punishment, at least for now. The judge's ruling gives the clinic time to comply with the state's new law which requires doctors to be certified OB/GYNs with privileges at local hospitals. The ruling is seen as a win for both sides.

Both President Obama and Mitt Romney are on the attack over Bain Capital. That is the company that Romney founded. He says he left in 1999, but new documents show that he was being paid by Bain for a couple of years after that. And you better bet the president is demanding answers from his rival.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Ultimately, Mr. Romney, I think, is going to have to answer those questions because if aspires to being president, one of the things you learn is, you're ultimately responsible for the conduct of your operations.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: The campaign is trying to pin more liquidations and job losses on Romney. Meanwhile, Romney is ripping the president's re-election campaign for what he calls demeaning and disgusting tactics. Here's what he said to our Jim Acosta. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MITT ROMNEY (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: There's no question but that his campaign is putting out information which is false and deceptive and dishonest. And they know it. And they ought to stop.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: Romney is adamant he had no roll whatsoever at Bain after February 1999.

This staffer working on the president's re-election campaign died Friday after collapsing in the Chicago headquarters. According to "The Chicago Sun-Times," 29-year-old Alex Okrent had previously worked on several of Obama's campaigns and was recently working in the campaign's ad department. President Obama called his family to offer his condolences and spoke with other campaign staffers in a conference call.

Now to the end of a long manhunt. This is Vincent Walters, the U.S. Marshals' 15th most wanted fugitive. He's now behind bars. Walters was captured in Mexico after 24 years on the run. He was wanted for the 1988 kidnapping and murder of a woman in San Diego.

Trying to kill people for kicks. It's what investigators in South Carolina say these two young men did. Twenty-year-old Bryan Holder and 17-year-old Mattison Schomer, with the goatee, are each charged with three counts of attempted murder. And it's a blessing, they had pretty bad aim. Of the three people they allegedly targeted while laying in a field off a highway, just one, a teenage girl, was hit.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SHERIFF CHUCK WRIGHT, SPARTANBURG COUNTY, SOUTH CAROLINA: We got a young girl that was doing absolutely nothing wrong that got shot because she was sitting there. By the grace of God, she's going to have a full recovery.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: The sheriff just announced the arrests. The shootings were at the beginning of this month. And CNN's Nick Valencia is here this morning to fill us in on more exactly here.

So you have these shootings. How do investigators say the snipers were actually targeting their victims?

NICK VALENCIA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Can you believe this, Randi? Just a bizarre plot to randomly shoot people. This is really reminiscent of what happened early this year in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and in 2002 you remember the D.C. area just paralyzed there by the D.C. beltway snipers.

But in this incident, these suspects, police are saying -- that local sheriff in Spartanburg, South Carolina, saying that they laid in a field just alongside Ashville Highway randomly targeting their victims using a high powered rifle.

Now in one incident, a man and a woman were in a car. The woman was shot in the back. She narrowly escaped becoming a paraplegic according to the sheriff. The man, also, he was unscathed. But in a separate incident, also along Ashville Highway, a man was pressure washing some gas pumps. He also narrowly missed being hit. But, still, authorities are charging these two suspects with three counts of attempted murder.

KAYE: And it sounds like they were just doing it for kicks. Are the suspects talking? Are they saying anything?

VALENCIA: Well, one of the suspects has shown a little bit of remorse. The younger suspect, the 17-year-old suspect, has said he was sorry. We was paraded in front of police. But we have some sound with the other suspect and he didn't show that much remorse at all actually.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BRYAN HOLDER: I'm completely innocent. I had nothing to do with any of these.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VALENCIA: And you see there, just a quick sound bite for him saying that he's innocent. He doesn't believe that he should be arrested.

But, right now, the way authorities are telling us that they were led to this -- these two suspects was, there was a weapons robbery where a weapons cache, a cache of weapons, about 11 guns was stolen from a home just outside of Spartanburg, including that high-powered rifle used in the two shooting incidents. Both men, again, are being charged with three counts of attempted murder and authorities are still trying to figure out who took those shots.

KAYE: So no clear motive. Wow, it's a good thing they did have bad aim, as we said.

VALENCIA: Just random, yes.

KAYE: Yes.

Nick Valencia, thank you for the update. Appreciate it.

VALENCIA: Thank you.

KAYE: An epidemic of violence. Chicago is seeing a historic rise in murders. But police now say that they have a plan to stop the killings.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: There is no such thing as an acceptable level of violence. Those are the words of Chicago's police superintendent talking about the alarming rise in the murder rate in his city. We are focusing on homicides this morning, but not just the numbers. We're looking at solutions, the impact on the community and the police. We started in Chicago. And 259 murders already this year. That's a 38 percent rise for the first six months. But the city has put a new plan in place and they say it is working.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GARRY MCCARTHY, CHICAGO POLICE SUPERINTENDENT: The issue with the violence is the retaliatory shootings between the gangs. We've spoken about this and spoken about this and spoken about this. The fact is, we did not have a comprehensive strategy to address it in the past. We had things that we did about gangs. We have now created a comprehensive strategy to address it.

How is it working? It's working pretty well because this weekend alone we had less shootings than we did for any weekend this year going back to February.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: But we can't just focus on Chicago this morning. There is better news in other big cities. New York has seen an historic 17 percent drop in murders this year. It's a similar story in places like Philadelphia and Detroit. But it still doesn't blunt the pain in communities across the country.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOSE RIVERA, FATHER OF THREE-YEAR-OLD INJURED IN SHOOTING: Now, all I can say is that this gun violence needs to stop.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's right. That's right.

RIVERA: It needs to stop.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's right. Yes, that's right.

RIVERA: Enough is enough. OK? It shouldn't take a three-year-old little boy to bring a community together to understand that enough is enough.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All right.

RIVERA: OK? Thank you all.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All right. Thank you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: That was the father of a three-year-old caught in the crossfire. He spoke at an anti-violence rally in New York, but his message rings true for all communities, and not just big cities. Take a look at this. The murder rate is down 4 percent in the biggest cities with more than a million people. But on the other side of the coin, the murder rate is up nearly 20 percent in our smallest towns.

Coming up next hour, the story from the streets of Chicago. I'll talk with an ER doctor who also happens to be a police officer. Be sure to tune in for that.

Drinking from a bottle of water probably doesn't seem like a big deal to you, right? But one woman broke down in tears. In about 10 minutes, see this mother regain some independence after she lost both arms and legs.

And take a look at this poor puppy's little face. He was attacked and we'll tell you by what. And a hint, not another dog.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: U.S. intelligence is closely watching chemical stockpiles in Syria. Officials believe President Bashar al Assad's government forces have been moving some chemical weapons in recent days.

Meanwhile, it's been another bloody day on the streets with reports of low-flying helicopters launching attacks on towns across the country. Nearly two dozen people were killed just this morning. The relentless violence comes two day after Syrians endured what may be the single deadliest day in the 16 month long crisis. And now Syrian protesters are making it clear that they are getting tired of diplomatic talks that have gone nowhere and they want Kofi Annan to be removed as special envoy.

Let's go straight to Mohammed Jamjoom, who is following all of these developments for us from Abu Dhabi.

Mohammed, what more can you tell us about these latest attacks?

MOHAMMED JAMJOOM, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Randi, today, very disturbing accounts emerging out of Syria. At least 22 people killed. That's according to opposition activists that we've been speaking with in different parts of Syria. They're saying that today there was a suicide car bombing that happened in the countryside in Hama, in Hama province. Security forces there, as well as opposition activists, saying that a car bomb targeted a security insulation of some sort and that several security personnel, the Syrian regime, were killed as a result.

Now also we're hearing disturbing accounts from the Damascus countryside. We're hearing that a suburb of Damascus, called Maliahad (ph), that there have been helicopters firing on that town. There is an armature video we can't authenticate in which the activist speaking on the video purports that there is a helicopter in that video firing on the residents of that town. Again, very disturbing reports out of Syria today.

Now, just to tell you about more of the fallout from the Tremsa massacre, we're seeing more videos emerge from Tremsa. One of the videos is purporting to show U.N. vehicles in that town. This is interesting because even though the U.N. observer mission in Syria has not commented on this, we know that yesterday they wanted to get to that town to try to investigate further. But they said that they couldn't because the violence hadn't ceased. So we're trying to find out if they are in that town, why those vehicles may have been there earlier today -- Randi. KAYE: And, Mohammed, we mentioned this, the fact that the opposition is very angry with Kofi Annan. They want him out. They want him out of these negotiations. Why is that?

JAMJOOM: They're furious with Kofi Annan. In fact, yesterday, Randi, we heard reports of so many demonstrations. And we saw amateur videos of so many demonstrations throughout different towns and provinces in Syria. People marching, not just in solidarity with the victims of that reported massacre in Tremsa, but also to express their anger at Kofi Annan. In fact, they were calling for the removal of Kofi Annan as the special envoy to Syria.

The opposition activists we've been speaking with say, look, Kofi Annan, since he became special envoy, and the U.N. observer mission in Syria, they have not been able to staunch the tide of violence there. They say not only that. In fact, the violence and the deaths have escalated since they have started coming in there. And they believe that this mission has only given more time to the regime there to continue its brutal crackdown against those freedom fighters and those opposition activists in Syria -- Randi.

KAYE: And certainly a lot of people very concerned about Syria's chemical weapons and the stockpile. What do you know about the signs that the government forces are actually moving some of these chemical weapons?

JAMJOOM: Well, a U.S. official told CNN that the U.S. said that Syria had moved some of its chemical stockpiles in recent days. The official said they weren't sure why that had happened. Whether that was just to protect these stockpiles because of all the fighting that's going on in Syria, or whether the regime was intending to use it against people in Syria. So that's the concern there. It really goes to show how much concern there is from the U.S. and other parts of the international community about the weapons stockpile in Syria. We know that the U.S. has been surveilling for quite some time those weapons stockpiles in Syria to see if the Syrian government is moving it, to see if the Syrian government is intending to use it against the population there. A lot of concern. And these comments yesterday really go to show how worried the international community is about just this point -- Randi.

KAYE: Mohammed Jamjoom, thank you very much for your reporting this morning.

A cheating husband caught. Now his ex-wife is using his infidelity to sell their home. You may be surprised by his reaction.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: Checking stories cross country.

In California, drivers will be able to text and drive once again, but you still have to be hands free. You need to have a voice recognition program to make it work. Governor Jerry Brown signed the bill into law yesterday. Police say this isn't for everyone because some people just can't multitask. Moving south to San Diego. A pit bull named Abby is recovering after a rattlesnake bit her face. Her foster mom was terrified as she rushed her to the vet.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VICTORIA FERGUSON, FOSTER DOG OWNER: As soon as I opened the back door, I heard the snake. And took my breath away. And she was sitting in the passenger seat just kind of staring at me like, I don't know what's going on. And, I mean, just the 10-minute drive, you could see her face already start swelling.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: You can see Abby's face is swollen, but apparently she'll be just fine. The vet says that they treat lots of dogs with snakebites. It is pricey, though, costing nearly $6,000.

And in Oregon, a mother of two is selling her home after her husband cheated on her. Look at the for sale sign Elie Zober put in the yard. It reads, "husband left us for a 22 year old. House for sale by a scorned, slightly bitter, newly single owner.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ELIE ZOBER, DIVORCEE: I'm certainly not the first person to be cheated on. I won't be the last. So a lot of people relate. A lot of people see the sign and, you know, a lot of women say things like, oh, I wish I had done that or, um, I'd do worse.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: The couple divorced after 10 years of marriage. Her husband actually helped make the sign. They're hoping it will give them an edge in a competitive housing market. Got to give them credit for being creative.

One of the nation's most famous political families is back in the headlines this morning. And we will tell you why.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: It is 29 minutes past the hour. Welcome back, everyone. I'm Randi Kaye. Thanks for starting your day with us.

A man from Uzbekistan who plotted to kill President Obama will now spend almost 16 years behind bars. Twenty-two-year-old Ulugbek Kodirov was sentenced on Friday. Kodirov, seen here, pled guilty in February. He hatched his plan to assassinate the president while communicating online with someone he thought was a member of an Islamic terrorist group. Well, it unraveled when he purchased weapons from a man who turned out to be a confidential source for the U.S. government.

To Egypt now, where we continue to monitor developing story. Two Americans have been kidnapped along with their guide in the country's Sinai region. It's the third time American tourists have been kidnapped in that area this year, the U.S. embassy in Cairo issuing this statement via Twitter, quoting, "We are in close touch with the Egyptian authorities who are doing everything they can to bring about safe release of the American tourists."

New York state police say Kerry Kennedy, the daughter of the late Robert F. Kennedy, was under the influence of drugs during a hit-and- run incident. Kennedy was found behind the wheel of her vehicle after 9-1-1 calls reporting the SUV operating in an erratic manner just before colliding with a tractor-trailer.

But a spokesman for Kennedy denies the charges, saying several tests showed his client had no drugs or alcohol in her system. She's scheduled to appear in court on Tuesday.

A representative for Sylvester Stallone says the actor is devastated this morning after his son, Sage, was found dead in his Los Angeles home. The younger Stallone, who appeared in the movie "Rocky V" with his dad was working on several film projects and was engaged to be married. Sage Stallone was 36.

Visa, MasterCard and some of the country's biggest banks have agreed to a massive $7.25 billion settlement with retailers. Merchants allege credit card companies were fixing the price of swipe fees. Now retailers will see those swipe fees reduced temporarily. But this could mean more money out of your pocket when you use your credit card.

If upheld by a court, merchants will now be allowed to tack on a surcharge for credit card purchases. And next hour, we will talk to an expert in Washington who will break down what exactly this all means for you.

A multibillion-dollar trading blunder sinks the stock of the nation's biggest bank and damages the reputation of one of Wall Street's most respected minds. And as it turns out, the loss was bigger than anyone every thought.

Our business correspondent, Christine Romans, has more on the JPMorgan Chase fallout.

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Randi, JPMorgan's bad derivatives bet ballooned to a whopping $5.8 billion loss, far greater than the $2 billion originally estimated. Now even with this huge loss, the bank still earned $5 billion in the second quarter.

CEO Jamie Dimon spent two hours answering questions with analysts in New York, again admitting the mistake but saying his bank is even stronger for it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAMIE DIMON, CEO, JPMORGAN CHASE: We learned a lot. I can tell you this has shaken our company to the core. And what happened here is that most of the management team went back and said let's redouble our efforts to make sure we are running a great company, granular, thoughtful, disciplined in every possible -- we can never say that we won't make mistakes. We operate in a risk business.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: That risk lapse has carved $25 billion off JPMorgan's market cap since the trading loss came to light on May 10th. It's a stock that is widely held by mutual funds, and shareholders have been punished.

There's likely more punishment ahead for the traders and managers behind these trades. JPMorgan will try to claw back up to two years of compensation from them. And Dimon said none of those traders and managers still works for the bank. But he praised one of them. The head of the unit, Ina Drew, who he said volunteered to give up her pay.

Now Jamie Dimon was paid $23 million last year. And the bank says he may also wind up giving back some of his compensation. He is, after all, the boss.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DIMON: That's why I'm here. We made a mistake. I'm absolutely responsible. The buck stops with me.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: The whole affair is an embarrassment so soon after the financial crisis, a crisis caused by a shadowy derivatives bet. And it certainly tarnishes Dimon's reputation as the smartest banker in the industry. But if you bank at JPMorgan or you have a mortgage there, it does not affect your accounts. If you have JPMorgan stock, well, you've seen it in your statements, Randi.

KAYE: Christine Romans, thank you.

Protein is vital to staying healthy. But how do you get al the protein that you need while avoiding meat? Well, nutritionist Mark McDonald will give us tips on how to do it by only eating plant-based foods.

(MUSIC PLAYING)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(MUSIC PLAYING)

KAYE: Well, we certainly hope you are awake this morning.

As we all know, protein is essential to every diet. When you think protein, you probably think of a big steak or pork or chicken perhaps. But these meats actually have some serious drawbacks. They can be loaded with saturated fats, chemicals and added hormones. So lots of folks are taking a different route to getting their daily dose of protein without meat, turning instead to plant-based proteins. And if you are wondering how the heck to get protein from plants, well, luckily, we have nutrition coach Mark McDonald here with us this morning. Because a lot of people are like, plants? What, (inaudible) plants --

(CROSSTALK)

MARK MCDONALD, NUTRITIONIST: Exactly.

KAYE: So, first of all, tell us the difference between a plant-based diet versus -- or a plant-based protein versus an animal protein.

MCDONALD: So plant-based protein is -- it has -- it's all about making sure you get the right amount of nitrogen in it. So plant-based or animal both provide you with protein. But the key is to make sure that you have complete protein. Many plant-based proteins don't have all the essential amino acids. So your body can't utilize it as protein.

So beginning with plant-based, you got to make sure you have the right protein and that it's complete protein.

KAYE: OK. So you brought examples with you. If not all plants, then, have the complete protein, you have some examples of some here that would be --

MCDONALD: That would be complete.

KAYE: OK.

MCDONALD: Because people do like rice and beans. And that makes it complete, but you get like 40 carbs and only 7 grams of protein. So you don't stabilize your blood sugar.

KAYE: I'm guilty of that. OK. Good to know.

MCDONALD: So the key is to make sure you have the right amount of protein and the right amount of carbs.

KAYE: OK.

MCDONALD: (Inaudible) would be edamame. So soy protein provides you with the right balance of protein, fat and carbs to stabilize your blood sugar. You have hemp seed, which I like hemp; to me, it's a higher quality protein, plant-based, than soy. And this gives you great complete protein.

KAYE: People hear hemp and it raises some eyebrows. But that's OK. Just saying.

MCDONALD: Well, hemp is such a balance. I mean I understand that. But --

KAYE: You know where I'm going.

MCDONALD: -- but from a protein side, it's fantastic. It provides you with such great omega-3, 6 and 9.

MCDONALD: Then you have like a Boca burger, so like a vegan or a vegetarian, this is meatless, and you can do a soy. This is another. Tempeh is another soy, where you get a quality protein. You have soy milk, you have the tofu.

And then you have a grain, like quinoa, which still has a lot of carbs, but it does have complete protein. That means it has all the essential amino acids that your body can utilize.

KAYE: So that even better than, say, just a brown rice or something?

MCDONALD: Yes --

KAYE: Because you can get protein in that.

MCDONALD: Exactly. So you can utilize that. And then two other things, you have Quorn, which is -- which isn't a vegan protein, but it's a fungi. It's a mycoprotein from egg whites that many vegetarians utilize. And then you can always do like a protein bar to fill in the gaps for people.

KAYE: Now you mentioned soy a lot. And, you know, I have done a lot of reading on this. I mean, there is some question about whether soy or too much soy is a problem. What do you think?

MCDONALD: Well, so soy has a lower amount of nitrogen per gram than an animal protein. And it causes your body to release estrogen, which is a fat-storing hormone. So when someone has breast cancer or some type of -- any type of estrogen-factor cancer, then they are recommended to avoid soy.

Overall, it's better if you're doing plant-based. But I still prefer a higher quality, like a hemp or animal protein. Or if you are a vegetarian, like a Greek yogurt or a cottage cheese. You're going to get more nitrogen per gram than if you do soy alone.

KAYE: So the dairy is OK, obviously, for the vegetarians. What if you don't get enough protein? How much -- first of all, how much do we need and what are the dangers, if there are any, of not getting enough?

MCDONALD: That's the best question and I just want to hug you for asking. Let's hug it out.

People don't understand protein. Your body -- it's essential. It provides nitrogen. And when you have more nitrogen coming in your body than leaving, you are in a really good state. And when you have less, you're in a really bad state. Your cells can't metabolize and your tissues break down.

So you have to get in protein because it has nitrogen in it. It's the only nutrient that has that. So if you don't get it in, you're in a negative state. So how much do you need?

KAYE: Yes.

MCDONALD: It all depends. But what I recommend is based upon your weight that you want to get at least one gram per body weight typically. So like a female, maybe about 20 grams per meal. A male could be anywhere from 30 to 35 grams per meal.

KAYE: OK. Wow. All right. That's good to know.

MCDONALD: Balance of protein to carbohydrates. It's the most underestimated nutrient that people need. And to stabilize your blood sugar, to keep your body in a positive state, you have to get the right amount of protein, the right amount of carbohydrates and the right amount of fat, get your body hormonally balanced.

KAYE: OK. Why do you think so many people -- I mean, there seems to be such a movement towards plant-based eating. I mean, there are real clear advantages. I mean, I'm a vegetarian. I'm not vegan; I'm not that extreme, but I am -- you know, I find myself I'm much more clear- headed and I have more energy. Do you hear that as well from your clients?

MCDONALD: I do. I think it's a -- so first off, I'm cool with someone's a vegan, vegetarian. I started my program in Venice Beach, California. As long as you get the right amount of protein, carbs and fat. I think there's a misconception that people think meat protein is beef and pork. And they think that, OK, meat is bad because it causes the saturated fat.

But lean protein like chicken, turkey, white fish, those are great sources of protein, egg whites. So to me, I think it's a balance. You just have to get the right amount of plant-based, the right amount of animal. If you are going to do animal protein, and if you're educated on it, it's great for you. Or if you want to be a vegetarian, just make sure you get the right protein to protect your tissue.

KAYE: And what about broccoli and spinach, I mean, those that don't come in a bag or a box like these things, but those offer protein as well.

MCDONALD: Incomplete protein though.

KAYE: OK.

MCDONALD: See this is the thing, you have incomplete and you have complete.

KAYE: (Inaudible) greens.

MCDONALD: The essential proteins, your body can't make, and you only get those through animal or a by-product of animal, like dairy. Or there's only a few plant-based complete proteins. And everything we shared, soy, quinoa, Quorn, these are all things. Hemp, these are complete proteins that are plant-based.

So if anybody's at home this morning, they're in their kitchen, they're watching and listening, they're thinking about, I'm going to make a plant-based breakfast this morning -- I'm going to put you on the spot. What do you recommend?

MCDONALD: Well, you can do a couple things. So if you have a plant base and you have like a soy, like there's a lot of soy, like breakfast sausages, that you could do, that would give you the protein, fat, carbohydrates. You can take some hemp seed or some hemp protein powder and make a little bit of a shake.

You could use some tempeh. You could grill up some tempeh and have fun with that. Or you could do some tofu. This is great or you could do a little bit of cereal with some soy milk. Just make sure your protein and your carbs are balanced.

KAYE: I'm going to eat so well, now that we are a team.

MCDONALD: We are.

(LAUGHTER)

KAYE: Mark McDonald, thank you very much

MCDONALD: Thanks so much, Randi.

(CROSSTALK)

MCDONALD: Are we going to hug it again?

KAYE: No. Got my hug.

(LAUGHTER)

KAYE: I'll leave you hanging until next weekend.

MCDONALD: OK.

KAYE: All right. Thank you.

MCDONALD: Thanks.

KAYE: From good food to bad politics, the president is accused of dirty campaigning as he takes advantage of questions over when his opponent left a previous job. We'll look at why Mitt Romney's departure from Bain Capital is the subject of hot debate.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: One of President Obama's campaign staffers has suddenly died. Alex Okrent was just 29 years old. He worked for Obama's advertising department. And on Friday, he collapsed at the Chicago headquarters and later passed away. The president called Okrent's family to offer his condolences.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LYNN POLLACK, OKRENT'S MOTHER: He was very fierce about what he believed and what he didn't believe. And he worked -- he had such passion for the work that he did. President Obama said that, you know, he couldn't know how horrible we were feeling and that, as a father, you know, of children, he couldn't imagine what this loss must be like.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: Mitt Romney tweeted that he and his wife are praying for Alex's loved ones and the entire Obama campaign team. It's not known what caused Okrent to collapse.

Disgusting and demeaning, words describing the president's latest attack against Republican opponent Mitt Romney. An Obama campaign ad goes after questions about when Romney actually ended his time at Bain Capital.

The president spoke to our affiliate, WJLA, about this yesterday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SCOTT THUMAN, WJLA: What about Bain Capital? It's a big issue for the past 24 hours right now. Mitt Romney's campaign says he left in '99. Yours says it's 2001. There's a significant difference. Is he being dishonest with the American public?

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Well, here is what I know. We were just talking about responsibility. And as President of the United States, it's pretty clear to me that I'm responsible for folks who are working in the federal government.

And, you know, Harry Truman said the buck stops with you. Now, my understanding is that Mr. Romney attested to the FCC multiple times that he was the chairman, CEO and president of Bain Capital. And I think most Americans figure if you are the chairman, CEO and president of a company, that you are responsible for what that company does.

Ultimately, Mr. Romney, I think, is going to have to answer those questions, because he aspires to being president; one of the things you learn is you are ultimately responsible for the conduct of your operations.

But, you know, again, that's probably a question that he's going to have to answer and I think that's a legitimate part of the campaign.

THUMAN: And you think he should answer that soon?

OBAMA: Yes. Absolutely.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: And in fact, Obama's deputy campaign manager says Romney may have committed a felony if he misrepresented himself to the Securities and Exchange Commission. Romney's campaign manager then shot back, demanding the president should apologize for his staff's behavior and comments. The Republican candidate himself spoke to CNN's Jim Acosta about this whole controversy.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) FORMER GOV. MITT ROMNEY, R-MASS., PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: There's no question but that his campaign is putting out information which is false and deceptive and dishonest, and they know it and they ought to stop.

Left any role at Bain Capital in February of '99. And that's known and that's said by the people at the firm. It's said by the documents, offering documents that the firm made subsequently about people investing in the firm.

And I think anybody who knows that I was out full-time running the Olympics would understand that's where I was. I spent three years running the Olympic Games. And after that was over, we worked out our retirement program, our departure official program for Bain Capital and handed over the shares I had.

But there's a difference between being a shareholder, an owner, if you will, and being a person who's running an entity. And I had no role whatsoever in managing Bain Capital after February of 1999.

And by the way, this is all an effort on part of the president's campaign to divert attention from the fact that the president has been a failure when it comes to reigniting America's economy.

We have had now 41 straight months with unemployment above 8 percent. And so he continues to try and find some way to attack me, other than to talk about policy. And it's time to talk about what it will take to get America working again.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: If it turns out Romney was leading Bain after 1999, President Obama's campaign says that would mean Romney would have been involved in Bain's moves to cut jobs during that time. We'll dig much deeper when CNN political editor Paul Steinhauser joins me at 8:30 Eastern this morning to talk about this.

"There was an angel looking after my mother." That's what one woman said after a wrong number may have actually saved her mother's life. You have got to hear this story.

(MUSIC PLAYING)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: It is time to check stories that may have been off your radar.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE (voice-over): Taylor Swift has topped another chart, the 22-year old topped "Forbes" list of highest-paid celebrities under the age of 30. The magazine says she made $57 million in the past year, and 18- year-old Justin Bieber is number two at $55 million.

Singer Rihanna comes in third, making $53 million. Besides Swift and Rihanna, four other women made the top 10, Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, Adele and Kristen Stewart.

Steven Dykins (ph) was just driving home in Canada when he received a call that was a wrong number. On the other line, 77-year-old Eileen O'Hara (ph).

STEVEN DYKINS (PH), GOOD SAMARITAN: I was going to ignore it. And she said I'm scared, I can't find my daughter, and I think I'm having a stroke.

KAYE (voice-over): It just so happened Dykins (ph) was just minutes away from O'Hara's (ph) home. He took her to the hospital just in time to save her life. Perhaps this is the luckiest wrong number of all time, because it saved O'Hara's (ph) life.

EILEEN O'HARA, STROKE VICTIM (PH): Think of how things happen and how lucky I was, how lucky I am to be here.

O'HARAS DAUGHTER: There was an angel. There was an angel looking after Mom that day.

KAYE (voice-over): Guns owned by notorious gangster couple Bonnie and Clyde are going on the auction block in September. This gun, a Colt .45 was found on Clyde Barrow's wristband.

And this revolver was found strapped on Bonnie Parker's legs when they were killed in an ambush in 1934. The guns are expected to go for $100,000 each.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: A newly released video diary gives an eerie view into the planning process of a man police say murdered his wife and daughter before killing himself in a bunker he built in the woods. Washington State affiliate KIRO reports.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PETER KELLER: It's about two weeks before the end.

ALISON GRANDE, KIRO 7 EYEWITNESS NEWS REPORTER: (voice-over): Peter Keller hikes to his bunker with a video camera recording his thoughts.

KELLER: So far, I have come to terms with it. Doing OK. It's starting to accept it. Doesn't really freak me out anymore like it did sometimes.

GRANDE (voice-over): He hints at his plan to kill his wife and daughter.

KELLER: I don't have to worry about Lynnette or Kaylene. And everything will be taken care of. It will just be me.

GRANDE (voice-over): And what he'll do if he gets caught.

KELLER: I do have my escape and that's death. I can always shoot myself. And I'm OK with that. GRANDE (voice-over): Keller talks about his new life in the woods.

KELLER: Getting to the point where I'm just trying to live and pay bills and live as a civilian and go to work. It just freaks me out. It's actually more comfortable for me to think about living out here.

GRANDE (voice-over): And while Keller's video diary is getting views on our website and on YouTube, Jack Defrille (ph) doesn't want to see it.

JACK DEFRILLE (PH): We worked with him and had no clue. I guess you expect if someone is crazy, that there'd be indications. Lots of indications. And there was nothing.

GRANDE (voice-over): He worked with Peter Keller for more than 15 years at a computer refurbishing business in Preston. That's where he talked to us.

DEFRILLE (PH): I need to hang on to the decent thoughts that I have for the guy. And the rest of it, I don't want to go there. It's sick. I mean it's just -- it's sickening. And I don't need that.

GRANDE (voice-over): And as we hear from Keller, something he does not explain is why, why he believed the world was going to end and why he killed his family.

KELLER: I don't really feel bad about it. It's just the way it is.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: And that was Alison Grande from KIRO, reporting for us. Keller was found dead in his bunker six days after the slayings. To read more, check out CNN.com/justice for much more on the story.

Thanks for starting your morning with us. We have got much more ahead on CNN SATURDAY MORNING, which starts right now.