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CNN Saturday Morning News
Alligator Attack Survivor; Search for American Tourists Intensifies; Obama Questions Romney's Role at Bain; Syrians Assaulted By Helicopter Fire; Chicago Rocked by Rising Murder Rate; Olympic Legends Dish on the Games; Autistic Hiker Survives Utah Desert; Son Jokes on Internet, Father Arrested in Iran; 8-Year-Old Climbs Kilimanjaro
Aired July 14, 2012 - 11:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
RANDI KAYE, CNN ANCHOR: All right. Talk about being brave, 17-year-old Kaleb Langdale lost the lower half of his right arm but managed to survive an attack from a 10-foot gator. He told our Soledad O'Brien how he made it out alive. Thanks to his quick thinking.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KALEB (FRED) LANGDALE, SURVIVED AN ALLIGATOR ATTACK: I was trying to swim and I think I'm going to ride on back and trying to come back again to catch another thing of water and that's when he got my arm. And I got a breath of air and he drag me back down and he done a death roll and broke all the bones in my arm.
So then I took my feet and put it on his mouth to try and break my arm off because I knew it's either going to be the arm or my life. So I was like, forget the arm.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: Incredible.
Kaleb also gave himself first aid to try to stop the bleeding before he made it to the hospital. Authorities later caught and killed that alligator.
From the CNN Center, this is CNN SATURDAY MORNING. It is Saturday July 14th. Good morning everyone, I'm Randi Kaye.
Egyptian security steps up its effort to find and free a kidnapped American couple and their tour guide.
A staggering number of murders on the streets of Chicago: 259 so far this year. We'll track how illegal weapons get into the hands of killers.
And the anticipation builds for London 2012. Gold medalist Dominique Dawes and Jackie Joyner-Kersee preview the summer games with me.
We begin with the developing story the search for two American tourists and their guide intensifies. They were kidnapped in the Sinai Peninsula where officials say the people were taken from a tour bus. It is actually the third time American tourists have been kidnapped in that area this year.
CNN foreign affairs reporter Elise Labott has been following the developments for us from Amman, Jordan. She joins us by phone. Elise, what is different would you say about this kidnapping compared to the others that we've reported on before?
ELISE LABOTT, CNN FOREIGN AFFAIRS REPORTER (via telephone): Well Randi, in the past a lot of these kidnappings were about money. And a lot of these Bedouins were just trying to make a little extra money. And what they would do is kidnap Americans or other westerners for ransom. And in a short period of time they are released.
This time they have some very specific demands. They have some relatives that were detained recently in Alexandria on drug charges and they want to get them released in exchange for releasing these Americans.
KAYE: So will the State Department, will anybody in the U.S. government negotiate with them?
LABOTT: Well, that's not really U.S. policy, Randi, to negotiate with kidnappers or terrorists. And also this is about Egyptian law. The Egyptian authorities are working on this issue with trying to negotiate the release, not really clear whether they would let these relatives go.
But the U.S. is really leaving it in the hands of the Egyptians and -- and saying that obviously they'll do anything they can to help them home. But I don't think negotiating is in the cards for the U.S.
KAYE: Yes and you know this is such a popular area for tourists. I mean and then you hear about these kidnappings. And they're certainly on the rise, right?
LABOTT: They're on the rise, Randi, because in the last year since the fall of Hosni Mubarak, the area's been even more lawless than usual. I mean this is -- really the Sinai is really this explosive mix of -- of militants and criminals and trafficking.
But since Hosni Mubarak's fall, the Egyptian authorities really haven't had the bandwidth to pay extra attention to this region because they're dealing with a lot of turmoil and the protests and the political chaos in Cairo and some of the bigger cities.
So usually they're pretty good about patrolling the area, but right now they just -- it's not their first priority. So there's a lot more criminal activity in the Sinai.
KAYE: And getting back to the State Department, Hillary Clinton is in Egypt on a previously scheduled trip to meet with the newly elected President Mohammed Morsi.
Does this change anything about the focus of her visit, do you think, even if they're not going to negotiate? LABOTT: I think what it does, Randi, is it highlights the fact that the Sinai is a very dangerous area. It's on the border with Israel. There have been some cross border attacks into Israel by militants. And Israelis are very concerned and the U.S. is very concerned. And now you have Americans that are involved.
So I think obviously the first priority is dealing with the new government engaging between the two countries. And -- but also the issue of the Sinai and the peace treaty between Israel and Egypt, they want to make sure that that Sinai is under control. Because there could be a lot of trouble not only about criminal activity and kidnapping of Americans but about between Israel and Egypt if that area isn't brought under control.
KAYE: Elise Labott, thank you very much. I appreciate that.
And now a video from northeast India that has gone viral. But I have to warn you, the images you're about to see are disturbing.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(VIDEO FROM INDIA)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: A young girl attacked and molested by a group of men outside a bar. Police have arrested four of the 14 suspects. They have been charged with molestation, unlawful restraint, vulgar behavior and causing harm. Official records show there has been a sudden burst of crimes against women in that country.
Closer to home, George Zimmerman, the man charged with killing 17- year-old Trayvon Martin, wants a new judge. His legal team has asked for Kenneth Lester to step down from the case accusing him of bias. They filed a motion saying the judge made disparaging remarks about their client's character. The attorneys say the judge also has threatened their client with contempt.
Turning to politics now: President Obama's campaign has released a new ad today. It features Mitt Romney singing "America the Beautiful". Obama's campaign charges in the ad that Romney either shipped jobs, outsourced or stored portions of his financial portfolio in several other countries.
The ad comes as 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 years after that. The President is demanding answers from his rival. And Romney is ripping the President's re-election campaign for what he calls demeaning and disgusting tactics.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MITT ROMNEY (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I think what the President is doing is -- is -- is terribly destructive to the political process and beneath what the people of America expected from someone who said he was going to rise above partisan politics and bring a new era of change to Washington. We're not seeing that in this campaign so far.
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: My understanding is that Mr. Romney attested to the SEC multiple times that he was the Chairman, CEO and President of Bain Capital. And -- and I think most Americans figure if you're 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.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: President Obama is hitting the campaign trail today in the battleground state of Virginia.
Athena Jones joins us now from the White House.
Athena, good morning. Why Virginia? Why is it so significant for the President?
ATHENA JONES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Randi.
Well, this State -- Virginia's 13 electoral votes are very important to President Obama's re-election campaign. As you know he won the state back in 2008, but it is by no means a reliably blue state. He was the first Democrat to win since Lyndon Johnson back in 1964.
And so the Obama campaign is hoping to keep Virginia in the D column by focusing on this idea that he is going to fight for the middle class whereas Mitt Romney is going to be more concerned with helping out the wealthy. This is (AUDIO GAP) against John McCain.
And specifically today we expect to hear the President again call on Congress to extend those tax cuts for the middle class for people making less than $250,000 a year -- Randi.
KAYE: And I would imagine Mitt Romney also a busy man today.
JONES: Well, actually Mitt Romney is up -- spending the weekend up at his lake house in Wolfeboro, New Hampshire along the shores of Lake Winnipesaukee. But of course we are keeping an eye on him. No public schedule. But if anything changes, we'll be watching him as well -- Randi.
KAYE: All right. Athena Jones at the White House, thank you.
Outrage over the uniforms for team USA is leading designer Ralph Lauren to make a change for the next set of Olympic Games. The company announcing that it will make uniforms for the 2014 games in the United States. That is a change from this year's outfits, which were made in China.
And the contractor responsible for providing security guards for the Olympics says it stands to lose up to $77 million. The company's chief executive says he regrets they didn't recruit enough people as promised less than two weeks before the event. Now the government will step in adding 3,500 extra troops to cover that gap.
More violence in Syria: And the Assad regime is now attacking civilians from the sky. We'll have a live report.
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KAYE: Just hours after one of the deadliest days in Syria, more violence and more deaths. There was heavy shelling in several places. At least 35 people were killed just today. Yesterday more than 200 died. Opposition activists say regime forces are firing at people from low-flying helicopters. Syrian state-TV claims at least three civilians and a security officer were killed in a suicide truck bombing.
Mohammed Jamjoom is in Abu Dhabi watching all of this unfold. What is happening there now Mohammed?
MOHAMMAD JAMJOOM, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well Randi, a lot more disturbing reports emerging out of Syria today from opposition activists. As you mentioned a lot of reports of low-flying helicopters firing on -- firing on residents of villages in and around Syria.
Now, there's one amateur video we should talk about. This purports to show a helicopter flying over the Damascus suburb of Al Maliha. It was purportedly taken earlier today. In it the person on the tape is saying that this is a helicopter firing on the residents of this town, which is in a suburb of Damascus.
That's very disturbing. We've also heard reports of this car bomb in Hama province that killed several people. And as you mentioned shelling throughout the country, different provinces, the death toll today according to opposition activists up to 35.
Now let's talk for a moment about Tremseh. That's the village this reported massacre happened a couple of days ago and where activist says as many as 220 people may have been killed there.
Now we know that earlier the U.N. observers mission which have been suspended in Syria on June 15th that they actually made it to the town. But the last that we heard was that the residents of the town did not want them coming in if they were going to be accompanied by Syrian Regime Forces.
The Syrian Regime Forces are saying they have to accompany the U.N. observers into that town to defend the delegation. But the residents of that town according to the activist that we're speaking with are saying they're not going to let those Observers in to investigate unless they are not accompanied by the regime forces -- Randi.
KAYE: And then you have the Syrian opposition looking to remove Kofi Annan as a special envoy. He's been trying all these months to get a cease fire. What are they so angry about?
JAMJOOM: They're angry, Randi, because they say that ever since Kofi Annan was appointed as the envoy to Syria and ever since this U.N. mission went into Syria that not only has the violence not stopped, not only have the killings not stopped, they say it's actually escalated. And they're blaming some of this on Kofi Annan. They say that because he continue to negotiate with the government there they not give the government more time to carry out this crackdown that's been going on.
Yesterday we saw and heard of many rallies throughout Syria. We saw a lot of amateur video showing thousands of people in different parts of Syria marching in the streets, not only in solidarity with the victims of that massacre in Tremseh, but also expressing outrage at Kofi Annan and the U.N. and calling for the removal of Kofi Annan as the Syrian -- as the envoy to Syria -- Randi.
KAYE: And what about the stockpile? The chemical weapons stockpile. How much concern is there that the government is moving this?
JAMJOOM: Well, we heard from a U.S. official yesterday, Randi that the U.S. now believes that some chemical weapons in Syria have been moved. But the official that spoke to CNN said that they're not sure if it was moved in order to protect the chemical weapons because of the fighting that's going on in Syria to make sure nothing happens to it, or more -- more ominously, was it moved in order to try to use it against some of the population of Syria? There's been a great concern from the U.S. and other international powers about Syria's weapons stockpile.
And the U.S. has said for a while now that they've had their eye on Syrian weapons stockpiles there trying to make sure that nothing happens. And -- and there is -- because of these new reports, a lot more concern about what exactly is going to be done with these -- these weapons that they believe have been moved -- Randi.
KAYE: Yes. And still no indication that this conflict is going to end any time soon. Mohammed Jamjoom, thank you.
And now to Northern Afghanistan where at least 17 people were killed in a suicide bomb attack at a wedding, 40 others have been injured. It seems the target of the attack was a prominent member of the Afghan parliament. He was killed as he welcomed guests to his daughter's wedding. No one has claimed responsibility so far, but the Taliban is expected.
The number of murders in Chicago since January has now surpassed the number of troops killed in Afghanistan this year. And most of those dying are young people. We'll take a look behind the numbers.
And a reminder if you're leaving the house right now, you can continue watching CNN from your mobile phone. You can also watch CNN live from your laptop. Don't leave us behind, just go to CNN.com/TV.
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KAYE: The numbers are staggering and the headlines so frequent that they're really almost mind-numbing. I'm talking about Chicago. The violence there is nothing new. But this year it is turning out to be especially bloody.
Take a look at this. So far this year there have been 259 murders in the city. That is already up 38 percent since last year.
Let me put that in perspective. More people are being killed on the streets of Chicago than U.S. troops in Afghanistan this year. So many murders and there aren't even gun shops in Chicago. Yet somehow thousands of illegal weapons are making their way onto city streets.
I tracked one of the guns responsible for killing a Chicago police officer a couple of years ago and you may be surprised to find out where it came from.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KAYE (voice-over): Thomas Wortham wanted to be a police officer just like his father. But his promising career with the Chicago Police Department ended suddenly in May 2010. Officer Wortham was gunned down by four alleged gang members trying to steal his motorcycle. It happened in a matter of seconds just outside his parents' house. His father, a retired police sergeant, grabbed his gun to try and save his son.
THOMAS WORTHAM III, FATHER OF FALLEN OFFICER: I saw him with their guns out and I hollered out to them.
KAYE (on camera): And you shot one of them.
WORTHAM: I won't say anymore than they shot my son and in return they were shot.
KAYE (voice-over): This is where this tale of tragedy ends. But investigators would soon figure out where it began. About 600 miles away in Mississippi where the gun used in the murder was first purchased. This ATF agent, who asked not to be identified, worked the case in Mississippi.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That trace showed one of our defendants had purchased that firearm in Mississippi.
KAYE: The ATF says it was purchased in 2007 by a man who was paid $100 to buy guns for gun trafficker Quawi Gates.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The individual went in, completed the paperwork and gave the firearms to Mr. Gates and never thought about the guns again.
KAYE: The ATF says Gates paid at least three people to buy guns for him, which he then sold to gang members in Chicago.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He preyed upon young college students that didn't have much money. And he would offer them $100 just to go into a gun store, fill out paperwork and hand him a bag of guns. As simple as that.
KAYE: The ATF says it knows of 16 guns that Gates trafficked into Illinois. This map shows some of the crimes involving those guns. Problem is, there's no way to know how many of Gates' guns are still on the street. The ATF says it can't trace them until they're used in a crime and recovered.
This room is where the ATF in Chicago stores some of the illegal guns its recovered off the streets. Over the last few years agents say they've seen a greater demand for more dangerous guns. Criminals they say are no longer satisfied with a smaller gun like this .25. They're now demanding that traffickers bring them something like this a .9 mm. You can see the difference. This one can do much more harm.
ATF director, Andrew Trever was an agent in Chicago at the time. He says an illegal gun may stay on the streets for decades.
ANDREW TREVER, ATF DIRECTOR: We've recovered guns that were originally purchased in the '70s that turn up in homicides here. They can bounce around and be used in multiple crimes.
KAYE: Trever says guns are trafficked into Illinois from at least 25 states because there are no gun stores in Chicago.
(on camera): How much money do the traffickers stand to make?
TREVER: I'm sure they're making close to 100 percent profit on the guns that they sell.
KAYE (voice-over): In the case of Officer Thomas Wortham, Quawi Gates made a few hundred dollars profit on the gun that fired the fatal shot. In the game of gun trafficking, the price of a policeman's life.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAYE: And the drug trafficker in that case was caught and is currently serving out a 10-year sentence.
The Olympics is supposed to be all about good sportsmanship and team spirit. But for one U.S. Olympic team member there's more to it than that. We'll explain.
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KAYE: Welcome back. 25 minutes past the hour. Glad you're with us.
The Olympics kick off in less than two weeks. And today I want to talk about a comment made by U.S. Olympic soccer goalie Hope Solo. She told "ESPN Magazine" the Olympic Village was a non-stop party.
Here's some of what she said, "Athletes are extremists. When they're training, it is laser focus. When they go out for a drink, it's 20 drinks. With a once-in-a-lifetime experience you want to build memories whether it's sexual, partying or on the field.
I asked two former Olympians, Dominique Dawes and Jackie Joyner-Kersee earlier this morning what they thought about this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DOMINIQUE DAWES, OLYMPIC GOLD MEDALIST: In 1992 when I stayed in the Olympic Village my vivid memories were swinging on a swing set which is what I did and hanging out with Charles Barkley in the physical therapy lab because I was constantly in a lot of pain.
But athletes are disciplined. And I think it really does come down to self-control and a lot of athletes are there to get a job done. It's about winning medals and not about partying.
KAYE: Jackie, what do you think? I mean first of all of the comments but what was your experience?
JACKIE JOYNER-KERSEE, OLYMPIC GOLD MEDALIST: Well, my experience, I agree with Dominique. I can honestly say as a laser-focused athlete myself, I never drank, I never sipped champagne, I never had alcohol. So when you go to the Olympic Village, most of the athletes are there to focus on a job, trying to get the job done.
And the one thing that the USOC has done has put this ambassador program together where they talk to the athletes about the dos and don'ts; bringing in former Olympian to have them, they share their experiences.
But there are athletes there that lose focus. But for us it was always about I was trying to win a gold medal, a silver medal, a bronze medal and focusing on what I had to do to get the job done.
KAYE: Is she wrong, though? I mean even if you two obviously weren't involved in this type of behavior. But she's talking about open sex, sex wherever you might see it, in the grass, in between buildings, wherever it might be. Have you heard of anything like this? I mean -- and what kind of tone does that set for especially the young athletes?
JOYNER-KERSEE: It's unfortunate if that is happening. And I would hope and pray that it is not. I don't know. I can't talk about her experiences or what she has seen but I know when I was in the Olympic Village and when I was there, that wasn't going on.
It's almost like she's saying there's no supervision, like they're just running rampant.
KAYE: Right.
JOYNER-KERSEE: And that is -- I don't think that's the case because I really do think that this is a once in a lifetime opportunity. And most of these athletes are there to really make a dream come true because the Olympics don't come around every year.
KAYE: No.
JOYNER-KERSEE: And so if you're in the village having fun, doing those types of things, then you're there for the wrong reason. I can't condone what she's saying but I don't know because I wasn't there to witness it.
KAYE: Right.
Something else that rarely gets talked about that I want to ask you about this morning is what happens when the training and competing ends? What is an Olympian to do? I mean are there jobs? Is there a career after this?
DAWES: Well, I was actually a professional athlete in 1996, so I made a decent amount of money and went on tour shows and Broadway even with my Olympic teammates. And then in 2000 when I retired from the sport, it was a very difficult time because I was always seen as Dominique Dawes, the gymnast. And I really didn't know that I had a different identity.
And I took a great deal of time in prayer and also deep thought and I found out that my passion is empowering and inspiring people, primarily young people and also parents. I really do want to make an impact in people's lives. So I help people self-reflect.
That's why I speak out today on the importance of health, fitness and wellness.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: Jackie and Dominique are here in Atlanta to address childhood obesity.
An autistic man stranded in a Utah desert for three weeks is finally found. His amazing resourcefulness and his will to survive.
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KAYE: A representative for Sylvester Stallone says the actor is devastated this morning after his son, Sage, was found dead in his Los Angeles home. He appeared in the movie "Rocky V" with his dad and was working on several film projects. He was also engaged to be married. Sage Stallone was 36.
Now, to an amazing story of survival. An autistic man was found emaciated, barely alive after spending three weeks in a Utah desert. 28-year old William LaFever told his rescuers that he went there to answer the call of the desert. The pilot who spotted him Thursday said he didn't want to be rescued at first. He said LaFever was borderline belligerent when they tried to board him onto a helicopter. But it's a good thing he did.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DEPUTY SHERIFF RAY GARDNER, GARFIELD COUNTY, UTAH: He was in tough shape. I don't think he had another 24 hours left in him.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: LaFever survived by eating a frog, raw fish and some edible roots. And earlier, I spoke with Shane Oldfield, the Utah highway patrol pilot who spotted William LaFever. He told me about the moment that he saw the young man.
SHANE OLDFIELD, UTAH HIGHWAY PATROL: In all honesty, we didn't necessarily expect the outcome that we had. So the river's pretty winding. As we came around that fateful turn, I was pretty shocked to see him sitting in the river waving his arms at us.
KAYE: And so describe that scene for me. I mean, you were flying along the river, first of all, why is that? And what did it look like below? OLDFIELD: Well, the best reports we had that he was going to be following the Escalante River to Lake Powell and then continuing onto page, Arizona. It's the only water in the area. And frankly it's such a large area that it was the only realistic and practical place for us to look. So, you know, lucky for him he was actually in the river and wasn't hiding under a rock or under a tree in the shade.
KAYE: Right. I'm sure that he was as surprised to see you as you were to see him. Tell me about that reunion when you got down to the ground and approached him. What -- how did that go?
OLDFIELD: Not as expected to be honest with you. He didn't really want to get in the helicopter at first. He was more interested in a little human contact and conversation and a snack. So we convinced him to eat a granola bar or two, gave him some liquid of course after assessing that he wasn't in any immediate danger and let him take his time getting in the helicopter.
KAYE: And he lost about 50 pounds. I mean describe how thin he looked.
OLDFIELD: It was something you'd see out of the movies or, you know, in pictures. I've never seen anything like it personally in my life. And, you know, helping him into the helicopter, feeling his frame, there was nothing there.
KAYE: And as I mean from what I understand he'd been living basically on some plants and roots and frogs?
OLDFIELD: That's correct. He told us he'd been eating some of the roots that he could get to there in the river bank. By the time we got him, he was unable to stand, walk or even crawl. He was down to rolling. That was about the only form of motion -- locomotion that he had. He told us that a couple of days beforehand he had eaten a frog, he said it didn't sit very well with him and he didn't like it. There was a raw fish in there at some point. But we don't know exactly when that was.
KAYE: And what was he -- you said he was more interested in talking than eating, I guess when you first -- when you first got down to him. What was he saying?
OLDFIELD: Mostly nonsensical things, as you might imagine in the state that he was in, but we tried to keep him talking about his experience, trying to figure out exactly what happened. So we were able to get some bits of information like what he'd been eating. We were able to surmise he'd probably been in that location where we found him for at least three to four days. He basically said that he walked straight until he couldn't walk anymore. And then stopped right there.
KAYE: Well, Shane, I'm sure you're a hero to his family for sure. Your keen eye saved a life. It sounds like just in time. So thank you so much. And congratulations on that. It's incredible story.
OLDFIELD: Thanks, Randi.
Protein is vital to staying healthy, but how do you get all the protein you need while avoiding meat? One health expert says eat a plant-based diet. We'll explain.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: As we all know, protein is essential to every diet. And when you think protein, well, you probably think of steak or pork or chicken, but you can also get your daily dose of protein from plants. Earlier I spoke with Mark MacDonald, he's a nutrition coach and author of the book "Body of Confidence." And he explains the difference between plant protein and animal-based protein.
MARK MACDONALD, HEALTH AND NUTRITIOUS EXPERT: The key is to make sure that you have complete protein. Many plant-based proteins don't have all the essential amino-acids. So you body can't neutralize this as protein. So if you're going to go plant-based, you've got to make sure you have the right protein and that it's complete protein.
KAYE: OK, so you brought some examples with you. If not all plants than have the complete protein, you have some examples of some here that would be --
MACDONALD: That would be complete.
KAYE: -- that would have that. OK.
MACDONALD: Because people do like rice and beans, and that makes it complete. But you get like 40 carbs and only seven grams of protein. So, you don't stabilize your blood sugar.
KAYE: I'm guilty of that. OK. Good to know.
MACDONALD: So, the key is to make sure you have the right amount of protein and the right amount of carbs.
KAYE: OK.
MACDONALD: Tofu 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 is 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.
MACDONALD: Hemp is such a balance. I mean I understand that. But --
KAYE: You know where I'm going.
MACDONALD: But from a protein side, it's fantastic.
KAYE: OK.
MACDONALD: It provides you with such great Omega 3, 6 or 9.
KAYE: All right. MACDONALD: And you have like a Boca burger, so like a vegan or vegetarian, this is meatless, and you can do soy. This is another tempeh, 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's even better than, say, just brown rice or something.
MACDONALD: Yes, this --
KAYE: Because you get protein in that.
MACDONALD: Exactly. So you can utilize that. And then two other things, you have corn, which is -- which is (ph) a vegan protein, but it's a fungi. It's a mysoprotein from egg whites that many vegetarians utilize, and then you can always do like a protein bar to fill in gaps for people.
KAYE: Now, you mentioned soy a lot. And, you know, I've 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?
MACDONALD: Well, 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're 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 an animal protein, or if you are vegetarian like a Greek yogurt, or a cottage cheese, you're going to get more nitrogen per gram than with just soy alone.
KAYE: So the dairy is OK, obviously, for the vegetarians. What if you don't get enough protein? I mean how much, first of all, how much do we need? And what are the dangers if there are any of not getting enough?
MACDONALD: That's the best question. I just want to hug you for asking.
KAYE: OK.
MACDONALD: Let's hug it out.
KAYE: Hug it out.
MACDONALD: People don't understand protein. Your body, it's essential, it provides nitrogen, and when you have more nitrogen come in your body than leaving, you are in a really good state, and when you have less, you are 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 only nutrient that has that. So you don't get in your negative state. So, how much do you need?
KAYE: Yes. MACDONALD: 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, that's so -- that's all right. That's good to know.
MACDONALD: 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. Put your body hormonally in balance.
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 a much more clear headed and I have more energy. Do you hear that as well from your clients?
MACDONALD: I do. I think it's -- so first off, I'm cool with someone is 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 base, the right amount of animal. If you're going to do animal protein, and if you are 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 your broccoli and spinach? I mean those don't come in a bag or a box like these things, but those offer protein as well.
MACDONALD: Incomplete protein though.
KAYE: OK.
MACDONALD: You see, this is the thing. You have incomplete and you have complete.
(CROSSTALK)
MACDONALD: The essential proteins your body can't make and you can 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, corn, these are all things -- hemp -- these are complete proteins that are plant-based.
KAYE: So, if anybody is at home this morning, they are in their kitchen, they are watching and listening, they are 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? MACDONALD: What you do a couple of 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 could take some hemp seed or some hemp protein powder and make a little bit of a shake.
KAYE: OK.
MACDONALD: You could do 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.
KAYE: That's soy milk.
MACDONALD: Just make sure your protein and your carbs are balanced.
KAYE: I hope you were taking notes during that. If you want more information, though on healthy eating, you can find details in Mark Macdonald's book "Body of Confidence."
She's young, she's beautiful, but that's not why this woman is getting attention at the Miss Florida USA pageant. We'll have her amazing story.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: Beware what you share on social media, especially if you have ties to Iran. A college student in Holland knows that all too well. His father was arrested and threatened with execution after he joined a Facebook page. Brian Todd explains.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It's a strange looking cartoon on a Facebook page. Charles Manson's face superimposed over what's believed to be an image of a cherished Ninth Century Shia imam, he's flanked by a camel wearing sunglasses and the donkey from "Shrek." This satirical Facebook page has become popular among young Iranians. Yashar Khameneh, a 25-year-old college student in Holland joined that page about a year ago. Started posting jokes and irreverent video clips.
YASHAR KHAMENEH: Almost everybody that is involved (inaudible) believes that everything would be subject of a joke and nothing and nobody is too holy.
TODD: But in May, Khameneh got frantic calls from his family in Iran. His father, Abbas Khameneh, had been targeted for the alleged sins of his son, arrested, taken to Evin prison, notorious in Iran for torturing prisoners.
KHAMENEH: A few days after arresting my father I received a call from my mother. She was very crying and said if you don't close that Facebook page, they will execute your father.
TODD: Khameneh messaged the manager of the Facebook page asking for the page to be taken down. The manager refused. Khameneh says Iranian officials have accused his father of supporting anti-religious activities by paying for his son's studies.
What could the Iranian regime have seized on here? I'm with Alireza Nader, he is an analyst for the RAND Corporation. He speaks and reads fluent Farsi.
(on camera): Alireza, what are the phrases on here that would have angered the regime?
ALIREZA NADER, RAND CORPORATION: Well, it says [ speaking in a foreign language ] and specifically this word khorafat (ph), which means superstition in Farsi. So, this Website is basically making fun of Imam, a holy figure within the religion, and saying that the beliefs in him are superstition.
TODD (voice over): Considered sacrilegious by an Iranian government who Nader says has really brought its fist down on social media since the 2009 Green Revolution.
(on camera): Given the technological sophistication of this regime, did you not think beforehand that they would pick up what you were doing on Facebook, figure out who was doing it and then possibly target your family?
KHAMENEH: Well, I never thought that they are going to target my family. I always thought that's OK, you know, I'm doing something that's not acceptable by the regime. I accept the consequence of my own activity.
TODD (voice over): Yashar Khamenei says he still doesn't know the condition of his father, only that his father is "not free." Yashar has also stopped contacting his mother and sister directly. CNN's efforts to get information on his father's arrest and condition from Iranian officials in Tehran and at the U.N. have been unsuccessful. Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAYE: When I say pageant, you probably think beautiful women perfect from head to toe. Well, right now contestants are gearing up to compete in Miss Florida USA's pageant. But there's one contestant who's breaking ground, not because she is perfect but because of her imperfect vision. John Zarrella introducing us to Miss Florida USA's first legally blind contestant.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Just to see where to sign her name, Connor Boss must hold her face inches from the sign-in sheet. You see, Connor is legally blind.
(on camera): We're what? Maybe four feet apart, if that. And you can't see me.
CONNOR BOSS, PAGEANT CONTESTANT: No. It is -- it affects Stargardt's, it affects my retina, and my central vision. So my peripheral vision is intact. ZARRELLA (voice over): At six months old Connor developed over her left eye what's called hemangioma, a buildup of red blood vessels. Surgery took care of that, but within a few years she was diagnosed with Stargardt's, a rare disease, and one had nothing to do with the other. Just plain bad luck.
BOSS: I fell going down the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, believe it or not, but yes, I manage.
ZARRELLA: Stargardt's, a gradual worsening of sight until blindness, is incurable. But Connor also has an incurable thirst to overcome her disability. She was in gymnastics until --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And then when she had to do vault, she actually ran into the vault one time.
ZARRELLA: While Connor can barely see, her vision of the future is clear. She is the first legally blind woman to sign up to compete in the Miss Florida USA pageant. Winner goes to the nationals. Her journey here began just a couple of years ago when Connor was 16. On a whim she entered a local team pageant and won.
(on camera): So, which one was the first one you won?
BOSS: That bad boy.
ZARRELLA: And what is that bad boy?
BOSS: That is the harvest queen.
ZARRELLA (voice over): Connor says each new success, each crown, helps build in her a confidence and self esteem that was lacking, and each new success led her here.
JESSICA SANTIAGO, PAGEANT CONTESTANT: What makes her special is her drive. She is admirable. She doesn't give up.
ZARRELLA: Pageant officials say other than helping Connor get to marks on the stage, she is treated like all the other young women and she never plays to her disability.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She is the last one who would tell you this. She would prefer you not know. And more importantly, it is not what I can't do, it is what I can do.
BOSS: I have come to learn that it is not even about winning the pageants. It's about -- I am so glad that my story could be shared and that at least I can inspire one person, and if I can inspire one person, I feel like I've won.
ZARRELLA: Perhaps what is most refreshing, Connor doesn't take herself too seriously.
(on camera): What's going through your mind right now? What are you thinking?
BOSS: Dinner.
ZARRELLA (voice over): Of course. John Zarrella, CNN, Hollywood, Florida.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAYE: What an inspiring story.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: I know, I love that.
KAYE: Isn't that great?
WHITFIELD: Yes.
KAYE: CNN "Newsroom" starts at top of the hour. Fredricka is here to tell us what you have.
WHITFIELD: Best to her. We have a lot coming up. Of course, Avery and Richard are the best legal minds there are out there. They're with us. We're so lucky. Every noon Eastern time on Saturday. Well, today they're going to be talking about why at an AMC theater or a chain of AMC theaters in California there are cashiers and ticket holders who are complaining that they're standing too long. Have you ever seen that "Seinfeld" episode where George Costanza was -- the security guard is standing too long, he needs a chair!
KAYE: But that's healthy!
WHITFIELD: Yes, well, in this case the argument is, it's not healthy, it's too long, they have long hours of standing up, and it is an issue of labor laws and so we will see if this lawsuit --
KAYE: Because they're suing.
WHITFIELD: Yes, they are suing. We'll see if this lawsuit has a chance. They just want to make sure that these employees have chairs.
KAYE: OK.
WHITFIELD: We'll see where it goes. All right. And then you heard about the case in Australia, there have been several cases recently with great white shark attacks. In this case it was a very close encounter to, excuse me, spear fisherman come nose to nose, so to speak --
KAYE: My goodness.
WHITFIELD: -- with this 12-foot great white shark. I speak with one Joey, that's what they like to call themselves. The dudes in Australia. One Joey, I talked to him about this close encounter and how frightened he was, how thrilling it was at the same time and guess what? He went snorkeling today.
KAYE: Wow.
WHITFIELD: I mean even his pictures -- KAYE: So he is over it.
WHITFIELD: The pictures alone are frightening.
KAYE: I know. 12-foot shark.
WHITFIELD: I can't imagine seeing that thing up close.
KAYE: Me either. I am a diver. But, you know, and it is beautiful to marvel over sharks when they are nearby, but a great white, I think I might think differently.
WHITFIELD: Yes.
KAYE: I don't think I would be excited about great white.
And you're a big athlete, instead of playing tennis after the show today, why not work out your abs? I know you probably already have your six pack.
WHITFIELD: Oh, yes.
KAYE: You know, sure.
WHITFIELD: We're going to have a fitness expert - there she is right there, Desiree Natanson (ph), fitness expert, and she's also a dietetic technician.
KAYE: She's doing the plank. Those are the best (ph).
WHITFIELD: Yes, that's right. A little blend of yoga and calistetics, how you can work your abs, she's going to help you get, you know, that six-pack in order. If you already have a six pack, she is going to help chisel it even further. She'll be joining us later.
KAYE: You don't work out with her?
WHITFIELD: Yes, that was me with her.
KAYE: Oh, that was you. Unrecognizable. I didn't even know that.
WHITFIELD: I was getting down with her there.
KAYE: I saw, wow, that woman is really fit.
WHITFIELD: Yes, that was her that was really fit. A couple of times I just like watched. Oh, my, you're doing good. Anyway, all of that is straight ahead.
KAYE: All good news.
WHITFIELD: Yes.
KAYE: Thank you.
Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro not typically what you think of for an eight-year-old. But not only did he climb it, he did it for a really great cause.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: Welcome back. A pretty remarkable achievement earlier this month. Eight-year-old Tyler Armstrong recently climbed Mount Kilimanjaro, not just for the thrills, but for a great cause. Tyler takes us along on his journey.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Climb for Tyler!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Climb for Tyler!
TYLER ARMSTRONG: Well, I wanted to climb Mount Kilimanjaro because I found out about Duchenne. I hike for a muscular dystrophy cure Duchenne, it's where boys cannot walk and so I try to help them find a cure to help them walk again.
For Kilimanjaro, I trained for a year every month. I would climb a mountain for elevation. It is 19,341 feet. It takes eight days, six days up and two days down. We start about 9:00. Some days we hike for three hours and some days we hike for six hours. There was one part of the mountain where we had rock climbs. The glaciers were really big, and it was all ice. On the mountain you go slow and steady and that's what pulley-pulley means. The porters (ph), they sing this song.
On the top, it was below 12. But we had warmers like toe warmers, hand warmers, body heaters and lots of layers. My heart was pounding so fast, so I had to take lots of breaks. I was all worked up and my legs couldn't move. At the top I felt like I wanted to turn around, but my dad said, don't turn around. We're going to make it.
I was on the top of Africa, and I was super high, and it was just amazing, I've gone on Kilimanjaro.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How does it feel, buddy?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It was great, (inaudible).
I like climbing because I get to hang out with my dad and see nature and reach new heights.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAYE: I just love that kid.
WHITFIELD: I do too. He's so cute.
KAYE: I was all worked up.
WHITFIELD: I know. I love that line.
KAYE: So adorable. Congratulations again.
WHITFIELD: It's just the beginning, my friend. That was very good. KAYE: Well that will do it for me today. CNN NEWSROOM continues with Fredricka Whitfield.
WHITFIELD: All right. Thanks so much. Have a good day and watch that ab segment.
KAYE: Oh I will, be working it.
WHITFIELD: OK, work it. All right, thanks so much, Randi.
