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New polls show Romney's unfavorability ratings on the rise – Paul Steinhauser reports
According to a new poll released overnight by The Washington Post and ABC news, Romney's unfavorability rating has jumped four points since May, increasing from 45% to 49%.
President Obama's numbers have remained steady, with 53% possessing a favorable view of the candidate and 43% with an unfavorable view.
CNN's political editor Paul Steinhauser joins Early Start this morning to break down these figures and to explain how each candidate fares among independents.
U.S. female gymnasts continue to dominate at Olympics – Amanda Davies reports
U.S. women's gymnastics finished on a high note in London yesterday. Gymnast Ali Raisman won two medals, taking gold in the floor exercise and bronze in the beam competition.
Fellow American and all-around champion Gabby Douglas didn't fare as well as her teammate, taking a fall on the beam to finish seventh.
CNN's Amanda Davies recaps yesterday's events on Early Start this morning and explains what's in store at the Olympics today.
Inside the mind of an extreme hoarder – CNN's Elizabeth Cohen discusses new study
According to a new study in Archives of General Psychiatry, two regions of the brain go on high alert when a hoarder is forced to decide whether to keep something they own or throw it away.
This response is quite different from people who have obsessive-compulsive disorder and from people without any mental disorder at all.
On Early Start this morning, CNN's Elizabeth Cohen explains the new study and explains why many hoarders get upset when they are offered help with their problem.
Joplin Islamic Society spokeswoman discusses the suspicious fire that burned mosque to the ground
This morning, the investigation into a suspicious fire that destroyed a mosque in Joplin, Missouri continues.
Investigators from the FBI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and the Jasper County Sheriff's department were at the scene of the fire all day Monday, combing through the wreckage searching for evidence of arson.
This was the second fire to hit the Islamic Center in little more than a month after a man attempted to set the mosque on fire on July 4th.
Although that man has still not been identified, his image was caught on surveillance camera and authorities are offering a $15,000 reward for information leading to charges from the FBI.
Islamic Society of Joplin member and spokesperson Kimberly Kester discusses the fire with Zoraida Sambolin on Early Start this morning, stressing that although the mosque has received threats in the past, the members of the center "don't want to jump to any conclusions or lay blame on anyone."
Southern Poverty Law Center Fellow: 'We are looking at the very real possibility of more domestic terrorism along these lines'
More details are emerging this morning about Michael Page, the man accused of killing six worshipers at a Sikh temple in Wisconsin on Sunday.
For several years after being discharged from the Army, Page fronted a white supremacist punk band called "End Apathy."
Shortly after, the accused gunman attracted the attention of the Southern Poverty Law Center, a non-profit group that studies hate crimes and extremist groups.
On Early Start this morning, Southern Poverty Law Center Senior Fellow Mark Potok says that the biggest hint that Page could become violent was the name his band.
"'End Apathy,' I think that really suggests the idea that he felt the white supremacist scene was all talk and no action and somebody had to do something," Potok explains.
Regarding the skin head groups with which Page was affiliated, Potok says, "Hammer Skins are the scariest, most violent skinhead group out there so Page was in the middle of a scene that was very violent, hyper political and he wasn't on the fringes of this scene. He was really in the thick of it."
Potok explains that there are thousands of people across the country who are affiliated with similar white supremacist groups, saying that the problem is "accelerating, not decelerating" and stressing that "in the long run, we are looking at the very real possibility of more domestic terrorism along these lines."
President Obama slams Romney's tax proposals, calls plan 'Romney Hood' – Paul Steinhauser reports
Out of nowhere, the famous outlaw Robin Hood has stepped into the 2012 presidential race, not as a candidate, but as a new attack line in President Obama's stump speech.
During a campaign stop in Stamford, Connecticut last night, the president dubbed Romney's tax plan "Romney Hood," saying that the candidate's proposals are "like Robin Hood in reverse."
Romney's camp has fired back, asserting that Obama's assertions are false and responding that "there's only one candidate in this race who's going to raise taxes on the American people – and that's Barack Obama."
On Early Start this morning, CNN political director Paul Steinhauser discusses this new line of attack and weighs in on speculation about Romney's VP pick.
MYB: Apple stock near all-time high
(CNN Money)- Shares of Apple were up nearly 1.5% Monday to about $625. The stock has rebounded more than 8% since a 4% pummeling the day after it missed forecasts and guided lower. In fact, the stock is now just 3% below the all-time high of $644 it set back in April.
It appears that any lingering concerns about Apple's rare case of underperforming and underdelivering have been replaced by excitement about new products (iPhone 5 is rumored to be unveiled and go on sale next month) and the upcoming dividend payment to shareholders.
Alison Kosik discusses the company's success on Early Start this morning.
What's trending for August 7, 2012
During NASA's Curiosity rover's landing on Mars, the internet went wild over the rocket scientist in mission control with a mohawk. The scientist gained 20,000 twitter followers overnight and now has his own Tumblr page dedicated to him.
CNN's John Zarella was able to track "mohawk guy" Bobak Ferdoski down and found out that the 32-year-old changes his hairstyle for every mission and has a masters degree in aeronautical engineering from MIT.
Also trending this morning, the NFL will have a female referee for the first time in history while regular NFL officials are locked out by the league.
Shannon Eastin, who has spent time officiating high school and college games, will be part of the replacement crew officiating Thursday's Packers-Chargers game.
Finally, an adorable little girl named Camrynn is being called the cutest NFL fan ever after she told Arizona linebacker Sam Acho that she loved him when she got the chance to meet him at training camp.
MYB: Mortgage closing costs falling & new airline baggage delivery service
The average cost of closing on a mortgage fell 7.4% over the past year, signaling more good news in the housing market. Alison Kosik explains why costs are falling on Early Start this morning.
Kosik also discusses American Airlines' new baggage delivery service, available at more than 200 U.S. airports and some cities abroad starting this week.
What's the next stage of 'Curiosity's' mission? John Zarrella reports
(CNN) - NASA's rover Curiosity successfully carried out a highly challenging landing on Mars early Monday, transmitting images back to Earth after traveling hundreds of millions of miles through space in order to explore the Red Planet.
The $2.6 billion Curiosity made its dramatic arrival on Martian terrain in a spectacle popularly known as the "seven minutes of terror."
CNN's John Zarrella joins Early Start live from NASA's jet propulsion lab in Pasadena, California this morning to discuss the rover's mission and to explain what's next for Curiosity.
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