with approval rating of a 15-month high. we'll take you live to the st. petersburg event in an hour. formally designated a terrorist area. they operate in the north region. the decision was made despite concerns it willunder mine u.s. relations. they can freeze the assets in u.s. banks. in afghanistan, britain's prince harry reported for duty in heldman. he will be treated like any other soldier. it's his second tour in afghanistan. back in the states, republican vice president nominee, paul ryan told a colorado tv station he believes states should decide themselves whether to legalize medical marijuana. colorado is one of 17 states

that allowed it. ryan said during the same interview, it is not a high priority. mitt romney is back on the campaign trail in virginia. it's likely he'll hit president obama hard on the issue of jobs. jim acosta has more on that from new hampshire. jim? >> reporter: randi, mitt romney came to this minor league baseball park to give his pitch on the economy. he was served up a softball in the form of the nation's unemployment report. mitt romney tried to offer sobering words of what he called the hangover after president obama's convention party. in another disappointing report on the stagnant jobs market. >> it's been 43 straight months above 8%. it's a national tragedy. >> reporter: the unemployment numbers show 96,000 jobs created in august.

the rate dropped due to 368,000 leaving the work force. he has a new line where the president is taking the country. >> it's four more years of the four last years. i don't think the american people want four more years. >> reporter: he hit back on the president's charge he's yet to offer specifics saying he will create 12 million jobs with tax cuts, more domestic energy. listen how he vowed to tackle the deficit. >> balancing our budget. president bush or president obama have made the steps that need to be made. >> reporter: as for that jab on whether the british were ready to host the olympics. >> you can't visit the olympics without insulting our closest ally. >> reporter: the gop nominee

punched back. >> i can talk about the olympics in a straight talk manner. i think it's appropriate if the president would talk to china in a straight talk manner. this president can tell us it's someone else's fault. >> reporter: the romney campaign announced an ad blitz. >> i should tell you that i feel right at home because i'm in a barn. >> reporter: ann romney was in a targeted state, virginia, urging voters to turn the reigns on the economy over to her husband. >> so, let's talk some horse sense. barack obama said four years ago, if i can't turn this economy around after three and a half years, i'm looking at a one-term presidency. well, it's our turn to turn the economy around and i know mitt

can do it. >> reporter: there could be trouble looming for romney if it ticks below 8%, a number he says the president cannot beat. they plan to drill down on the issue. one top adviser put it for the next 60 days. randi? >> jim, thank you very much. a lot of people are talking about clint eastwood's empty chair moment. he's talking about it, too. find out how he says he came up with the idea, backstage. romney is not talking at least about gay marriage. find out what happened when a reporter tried to ask her about that hot button issue. [ male announcer ] citi turns 200 this year.

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people are talking about obama's speech. it must have been pretty good. today, clint eastwood said he's voting for the chair. >> that was bill maher with the most memorable moment ever. i'm talking about the night when clint eastwood stole the spotlight talking to an empty chair that was supposed to represent president obama. eastwood is telling his hometown paper how it happened. he said there was a stool there and a fella kept asking me if i wanted to sit down.

when i saw the stool there, i thought i'll put it there and ask president obama why he didn't keep the promises he made to everybody. >> the economy will likely influence most voters, social issues like same-sex marriage have their place. when a reporter at an iowa station tried to ask ann romney those things, she insisted they will not decide the election and deferred any talk of them to her husband. >> i'm not going to talk about specific issues. i'm going to let my husband speak on issues. i'm here to talk about my husband and the kind of husband and father he is. >> do you believe health insurance should be required to cover birth control? >> again, you are asking me questions not about what this election is going to be about. if you want to try to pull me off the other messages, it's not going to work.

i know. i have been out there. >> i don't want to pull you off any message. you just told a reporter questioning you in cleveland that you want women to have a secure and stable future. i asked you about marriage and whether lesbian mothers should be allowed to marry. isn't that part of creating a stable feature? >> again, i'm going to talk to you about the economy and job creation and how my husband is the right person for the right time. >> for his part, mitt romney has opposed gay marriage but supports domestic partner benefits. ann romney is letting her husband take the issues on that. what impact will it have in november? here is cnn white house concerned. >> reporter: at this convention, democrats are embracing same-sex marriage in a state that passed

a referendum banning same-sex marriage. the first openly gay person spoke tuesday. >> we must continue bringing america together. >> reporter: just take a look at the entertainment lineup. delta ray wrote the anthem opposing the same-sex marriage anthem that passed here. it was one day later president obama changed his stance on the issue. >> i concluded that for me personally, it is important for me to affirm that i think same-sex couples should be able to get married. >> reporter: four years ago when he was running for president, he held a different view. >> define marriage. >> i believe marriage is the union between a man and a woman. >> reporter: the president's change of heart energized young voters and his base. >> it absolutely makes me

respect and support him ten times more. it's an issue for the bedroom, not for our courts. >> reporter: six out of ten americans have a family member or close friend who is gay. most americans support same-sex marriage. it's a divisive issue that could cost the president votes. >> i voted for obama. i don't know who i'm going to support. marriage is definitely between a man and woman. >> reporter: republicans are hoping ads like this one made by a super pac will pull voters away from the president. >> obama is trying to force gay marriage on this country. it's not the change i voted for. marriage is between a man and a woman. >> that's not the change i voted for, either. >> what can we do? >> we can vote for someone with values. >> reporter: the obama campaign is betting he gains more votes and campaign donations than he loses. michelle obama touted what her

husband has done for gay and lesbian voters. >> whether passing hate crimes or speaking out for all americans to be able to do what barack and i did, marry the love of our lives. >> want to know how to fight common colds with your spices fromour kitchen? how about helping an ear ache with olive oil and garlic? it's possible. we have must see alternative treatments for you and your family.

welcome back to "cnn saturday morning." it is 42 minutes past the hour. from coughs to headaches, more and more americans are turning to alternative treatment. it's a broad term from foods and spices to yoga, acupuncture and massage. dr. lawrence rosen is one of the experts leading the way on this. his new book, "treatment alternatives for children" focuses on treatments for children. such an interesting topic. a lot of people talking about this. tell us what kind of things we are talking about here and why try some of these over say, pills and real medicine? >> it's a great question. i came to the book through one of the parents in my practice who said, you know, on a daily basis, we are talking with families about not just conventional medicines but

things we found in our kitchen cabinets that are good for children's health. we are finding ways now to integrate spices and common ingredients you might cook with for health of childn. we are understanding why they work and if they are safe. in many cases, very effective. >> there's one part in your book where you have specific treatments. ten spice rack resources that we should turn to. we have the list to share with viewers at home. one of them is cayenne pepper. that really caught my attention. what is so good about that? >> it's kounlter intuitive. we think of it as being spicy. when we cook with it, that's the way we use it. there's a substance in it. you will see it in over the counter medications for pain relief. t it is numb nerve impulses. it's anti-inflammatory.

it helps with headaches. it's used topically for insect bites and other painful conditions. >> just to mention a few of the others, clove, dill, mint, cinnamon, all of that is good stuff? >> oh, yeah. basil, mint, all these things, even in my own garden, we have o roegano. mint is good for digestive disorders. dill was used in water for kids hundreds of years ago. these are useful things for family's health. >> you have a part in fact book with a top ten superingredients. apple cider. it's big on the list. i take this every day. a table spoon of it. tell us why it's so good. >> it's used both internally and topically. in term, we use it more in topical conditions for acne or

warts. also, people who drink it find it can help with your metabolism, in some cases lowering cholesterol or blood sugar. there are many different things that it can help with. mild heart burn, digestive disorders or irritable bowl syndrome. >> sea salt is on there, too. a lot of people say oh, salt, aren't we supposed to cut back on that? what is good about that? >> you have to be mindful. just because things are natural doesn't mean they are safe. it's used for respiratory conditions. there are studies for asthma and cystic fibrosis. the studies are finding they may be helpful. we use them in nasal congestion and allergies.

a little bit used in the right way is helpful. >> when you talk alternative methods, is this to round out care from doctors or can it be a full replacement in your opinion? >> no, i think they round out. we talk about in the book integrative medicine. i think it's a pair dime that doesn't throw away the conventional things we have done. we have a medical system that's done a good job of taking care of acute care conditions. when it comes to more chronic conditions or in some first aid cases, we are integrating many of these therapies with conventional therapy. when i see a child with an ear ache, we are saying to parents, if you are interested, there are other ways. you talked olive oil and garlic. we can make a mixture to use for ear aches and ear infections. we are not saying there's never a case for a treatment like antibiotics. more and more families are interested in this type of integrated care. >> thank you so much doctor.

thank you for making that point as well. nice to have you on the program, appreciate it. >> thank you very much. he's a musician, humanitarian and a farmer. ♪ cause you and i both love ♪ what you and i spoke of i know people heard this and turned around. yes, it is jason mraz. if he comes to your town, you will probably see him doing yard work. we'll tell you why. i think we need to farm the oceans like the land. we don't farm crops in the cities in dense areas. coastal waters are the cities or dense areas where there's competing uses for the environment. farming crops on land is the best. it's really the open ocean. not only are we getting a cleaner fish, it's free of

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♪ ♪ ♪ i won't give up on us even if the skies get rough giving you all my love ♪ >> i know it's easier for the photographer if i standstill but how can you not sway to this phone. it's coffeehouse music to go with your cup of joe. i say that because the coffeehouse is where singer

songwriter jason mraz started his career. although his songs are popular, he wants people to know there's more to him than music. he sat down with cnn and shared the message behind his music. >> what's up? i'm jason mraz. >> all my songs come from personal experience. i always write about what i'm processing, something i want to remember and acknowledge or something i want to be when i grow up. ♪ i won't hesitate no more no more it cannot wait i'm yours ♪ >> i think my music has a mission. i don't like to release a song unless it has a purpose. and that mission is healing. that mission is providing comfort, providing a little bit of entertainment.

i want the show to educate but don't want to be in your face about it. i want to lead by example. if you find out what we're doing and we leave places for fans to participate and recycle. fans get to drink from our free water hydration stations so they can bring their own bottle. they will notice in their own lives how it directly impacts them just in their wallet because of the way you live reusing. i want to lead by example because it's how i live at home. i feel if i can inspire my next-door neighbor to do the same, it can have a ripple effect around the world. ♪ i feel like such an introverted person. i want to see the environment

thrive for my own selfish reasons. i like surfing. after it rains you can't, because the water is so polluted. i love hiking and going out into nature trails. i don't like seeing broken beer bottles and aluminum cans stuck up in the trees and not hearing wildlife because mankind has run it all away. i think the whole purpose of saving the planet is so we can preserve human consciousness. i think that's what we're all trying to do. no one wants to say save the planet except the humans. we all want to thrive here. ♪ giving you all my love ♪ >> i think messages from songs and albums in generaleally are up to the listener. whatever they are going to be emoting in theirwn lives that parallel the songs, i feel what the last album is very much like

all the other albums. it's songs of optimism, hope. they acknowledge the dark side that we all fall into from time to time, the melancholy. but the album is full of tools that might bring you back to the light and know there's a delicate balance to enjoy both when you can. ♪ i'm giving all my love i'm still looking up ♪ >> great voice and he's doing great things for the planet. you've got to love that. >> it's great music. you know, when you listen to the songs, maybe on every other track you can say i've been there, i've been there. >> that's you back for sure. that was great. great story by our fabulous producer alicia. coming up in the next hour a remarkable story you do not want to miss. hear how this adorable dog was saved from a gas chamber in north carolina. now his owner has written a book about the ordeal. turns out this dog's story isn't

uncommon. they will both join us in just about an hour. ♪ you and i both spoke out ♪