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American Morning: Wake Up Call
Iran Sending Ships Near U.S. Coast; Christie Keeps Supporters Guessing; Rival Views On How Jackson Died; Australian Women On Front Lines; Fate Of "Inflammatory" Anthony Tape
Aired September 28, 2011 - 05:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Developing this morning: word that Iran is planning to send ships near the U.S. coast.
It appears the GPS tracking service OnStar is listening to its outraged customers. The company now saying it will reverse course on tracking.
Plus, a group of high school students take cheating to a whole new level. Police say they hired a college student to take their SAT exams.
Good morning to you. It is Wednesday, September 28th. This is your A.M. WAKE-UP CALL.
I'm Carol Costello, joining us live this morning from New York.
Let's talk about the trial of Michael Jackson's doctor. This is day two of Conrad Murray's involuntary manslaughter trial. Today, Jackson's personal assistant is expected to testify about the chaos inside Jackson's bedroom when Murray realized Jackson had stopped breathing.
Prosecutors say Murray abandoned all principles of medical care when he used Propofol to put Jackson to sleep every night for more than two months. The drug, along with sedatives, killed Jackson. Murray's team says Jackson gave himself the fatal dose.
Yesterday, jurors heard Jackson slurring his words in an audio recording made just weeks before he died. He was talking about his upcoming shows in London.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
MICHAEL JACKSON, KING OF POP: When people leave my show, I want them to say, "I've never seen nothing like this in my life."
(END AUDIO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Murray faces up to four years in prison and the loss of his medical license if he is convicted.
Iran is planning to send Navy ships near the Atlantic coast of the United States. At least that's what a commander has told Iran's state-run news agency. Why, you ask? That commander says Iran will do it because the U.S. does the same thing near the marine border.
The U.S. Defense Department has not commented on this. American ships have been deployed to the Persian Gulf in the past.
It looks like 41 years of good fortune have run out for a fugitive. George Wright is a convicted killer who escaped from a New Jersey prison in 1970 and later hijacked a plane to Algeria. He managed to elude the law until Monday when he was arrested in Portugal. The United States is trying to get him extradited.
Right now, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie is not running for president, really. But the day is young.
Last night, he gave a foreign policy speech at the Reagan Library in California. It sounded kind of like a stump speech. Afterwards, the audience asked the no-nonsense Republican the inevitable question.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My Italian mother, she told me to tell you that you've got to run for president.
GOV. CHRIS CHRISTIE (R), NEW JERSEY: Anybody who has an ego large enough to say, "Oh, please, please, please stop asking me to be leader of the free world." It's such a burden, but by the same token, that heartfelt message you gave me is also not a reason for me to do it. That reason has to reside inside me.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: In the past, Christie has said with no uncertainty that he is not running for president, so his less absolute response last night has changed. We'll talk more about this with Tim Farley in our Political Ticker.
If you're eating cantaloupe for breakfast, scrub it and rinse it first. And outbreak of a dangerous Listeria bacteria has been traced to cantaloupes grown in Colorado and sold across the country. At least 13 people have died and more than 70 have gotten sick in 18 states.
Those adventurous engineers with rappelling gear will try to tackle the Washington monument again today. They're looking for damage from last night's earthquake. They couldn't rappel last night because of the weather. There is a chance of thunderstorms again today, so they might have to wait.
CNN's Brian Todd explains why you don't want to be hanging onto the monument in bad weather.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: These engineers are going to have to inspect every stone. It will take at least a few days. Park officials say they can work through heavy rain, but if there's any threat of lightning, they'll have to stop. The monument has been hit by lightning several times in its history.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: The Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool, by the way, will be reflecting again next spring. Right now, it's kind of a giant mud pit as you can see. Workers are fixing leaks and installing a new circulation system.
Now, let's head to Atlanta and check in with Jacqui Jeras.
So, will the weather be fine to be way up on top of the Washington Monument today?
JACQUI JERAS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Well, it won't be fantastic weather, not my favorite. There will be some clouds and yes, a chance of rain in the forecast. You know, delays today looking a lot like what we saw yesterday. It's that pesky cutoff low that doesn't want to go away that's finally going to get out of here, though, before the weekend's end. There you can see it swirling around across the Great Lakes and Ohio Valley, a very slow mover.
And we do have some showers and thundershowers up and down the East Coast. And look at that big cluster across parts of Virginia, and that will probably be moving into Washington, D.C., as we head into the late morning hours.
So, delays expected once again today in New York City due to rain and thunderstorms. And Washington, D.C., those thunderstorms especially late, I say, this morning into the afternoon hours. Philadelphia, Chicago looking for rain and low clouds, in Detroit and Cleveland. So, we have almost every single city on the map today that we had yesterday.
Now, we do have some concerns about flooding. Flood watches have been posted across parts of Pennsylvania and into Upstate New York. Rainfall rates of one to three inches can be expected today. And the ground still quite saturated here.
So, use a lot of caution if you're traveling around and if you do run across any roads with water over them, don't drive through it.
So the big story is that low. Slight risk that some of those thunderstorms could be severe in the mid-Atlantic and things are being quiet across the Midwest. We've got a big cold front, Carol, that's going to be coming through and sweeping out that low. The weekend will be so much cooler and so much nicer.
And how about that for all the people that have the weekend off? Timing couldn't be better, right? Hang in there. Another couple days.
COSTELLO: I know. I'm looking forward to it. It's going to be, what -- is it the 50s or the 60s we're looking at?
JERAS: Fifties for overnight lows for sure. I think we'll hit into those 60s for highs, though.
COSTELLO: That's perfection! Thank you, Jacqui Jeras. We appreciate it.
Republican presidential candidate Rick Perry is taking some heat over his performance at the GOP debate last Thursday. Comedian Stephen Colbert says that looks awfully familiar. Here's your punch line.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIPS)
STEPHEN COLBERT, COMEDIAN: I don't like what I'm hearing people say lately about Rick Perry. He has had a bad week largely because of one moment in Thursday's Republican debate.
GOV. RICK PERRY (R-TX), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I think Americans just don't know sometimes which Mitt Romney they're dealing with. Is it the Mitt Romney that was on the side of against the Second Amendment before he was for the Second Amendment? Was it before he was before the social programs?
COLBERT: I like this guy, because folks, this weekend, he did not run away from his debate performance. He owned it!
PERRY: It's not who is the slickest candidate or the smoothest debater that we need to elect.
COLBERT: So what if he's not a slick talker? Some of our greatest presidents have been tongue-tied on occasion. How soon we forget this.
GEORGE W. BUSH, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT: Fool me once, shame on -- shame on you. Fool me, we can't get fooled again.
(END VIDEO CLIPS)
COSTELLO: If you have a smartphone and you use it in public, this is a story you do not want to miss. See why you could be in danger of drive-by hacking.
But, first, here is the "Quote of the Day." "I think they're over this first African-American president thing." Coming up in 90 seconds, find out which Republican presidential candidate said that.
It's eight minutes past the hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: It is nine minutes past the hour. This is your A.M. WAKE-UP CALL.
Now, back to our quote of the day. The quote, "I think they're over this first African-American president thing," end quote. Who said that? Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain. That's what he told FOX News. He was asked a question about how he planned to reach out to black voters.
New developments to tell you about this morning involving G.M.'s GPS tracking service OnStar.
Let's head to Hong Kong and Kristie Lu Stout. She has the lowdown for us.
So, I guess OnStar said, I think we'd better change our policy.
KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: That's right. General Motors has decided not to collect driving data from those who cancel their OnStar subscriptions. OnStar offers driving directions and vehicle data to some 6 million mainly G.M. car owners. And it recently told customers that it reserved the right to track and sell information about their cars even after their subscription ended.
That resulted in a huge public outcry, a request for government investigation, and finally, a big U-turn. OnStar will no longer collect data from former customers -- Carol.
COSTELLO: A lot of people are very happy about that. On another subject, tell us about this drive-by hacking. Who's really in danger?
STOUT: Well, almost anyone who owns a smartphone, iPhones, iPads, BlackBerrys, Windows 7 and Android users. All these devices regularly act as shared networks in public places. And unless these networks are properly secured, all these smartphones are vulnerable to infiltration or a hack attack.
For example, there's an app for Android that's called Face Sniff that makes hacking possible through the handset. It can hijack social media profiles over Wi-Fi link in just minutes. As more and more of our mission-critical work is taking place on these devices, security experts are calling for more vigilance.
So, Carol, if you have a smartphone, be smart. Just surf on secure networks.
COSTELLO: I will do that and take your advice.
Kristie Lu Stout, thanks, as always.
STOUT: Thank you. I know, I'm sounding like an after-school special, be smart. Thank you, Carol.
COSTELLO: No, we like it. It's good advice. Thanks, Kristie Lu.
First Lady Michelle Obama played a major part in her husband's 2008 victory, but can other spouses do the same? They're trying. Ahead, see which candidates' wives are expected to intensify their appearances on the campaign trail.
It's just about 12 minutes past the hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: Thirteen minutes past the hour. Good morning to you.
Some celebrities are rubbing elbows with the president, or so says Jay Leno. Here's your punch line.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIPS)
JAY LENO, HOST, "THE TONIGHT SHOW": Pushing his new jobs bill. He claims it will be more successful than his last jobs bill which only created one job, and that went to some guy named Bill. So hopefully this new one -- you know, it's interesting, when he was here campaigning in 2008, remember? Every big star, Matt Damon, all these huge stars showed up. Not so much this time. Here, take a look.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, Hollywood was certainly a campaign ATM machine for Barack Obama the candidate, but maybe not so much for Barack Obama the president. In 2008, President Obama had the support of the Hollywood elite, including Robert De Niro and Matt Damon.
Last night, his celebrity backers included Screech from "Saved by the Bell," the "Fall Guy's" Lee Majors, even from "Toddlers & Tiaras" and a special performance from Vanilla Ice.
(MUSIC)
LENO: Oh, man.
(END VIDEO CLIPS)
COSTELLO: Time now for our Political Ticker with Tim Farley, host of "Morning Briefing" on Sirius POTUS live from Washington.
Good morning, Tim.
TIM FARLEY, SIRIUS POTUS: Good morning, Carol.
COSTELLO: We want Christie!
Let's talk about Christie, will he or will he not join the 2012 presidential race? He gave that big speech in the Reagan Library last night in California and the audience members, they put this question to him. Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are you reconsidering or are you standing firm?
CHRISTIE: Listen, I have to tell you the truth. You folks are an incredible disappointment as an audience. The fact that that took the second question shows you people are off your game. That is not American exceptionalism.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: He had them eating out of the palm of his hand. And he didn't flat out say no like he's done in the past. Should we make anything at all of this, Tim?
FARLEY: Well, he did refer them to "Politico" and said, hey, check out all the ways I've said no. Sanskrit has 96 ways of saying love, and I think he's getting close to 96 ways of saying no at this point. And I guess that partly goes to the Republican Party, it's like J. Lo still looking for the right man. You know, they just can't find the guy or the woman they want to represent them.
Look, I don't think that Chris Christie is going to run. He hasn't been in office long enough. He said in that speech last night at the Reagan Library, it has come from inside you. That clip you played at the top of the show, Carol. And it just doesn't seem to be inside him.
Plus, a lot of Republicans, I think, in the conservatives really took a closer look at him, they would wind up seeing that he has some fairly moderates, almost liberal positions compared to harsh conservatives on immigration, on civil unions, and even on collective bargaining. So, I think that -- I still think he's not going to run. But as you said, the day is young.
COSTELLO: This is helping him in the state of New Jersey. I mean, he's going to run for governor again, right? His approval ratings have gone up since people have been asking him if he's going to run for president of the United States.
So, all in all, Chris Christie is probably enjoying this moment.
FARLEY: Yes. And let's remember, he's also fund-raising. When you're fund-raising and you're still in the news, you're more of an attraction so you can raise more money. He's going to raise more money for Bobby Jindal this week. So, that's a part of I think what is playing into this, too.
COSTELLO: Let's talk about the spouses of the Republican candidates who are running in the primary. We're going to be seeing more of them on the campaign trail. Tell us about that.
FARLEY: Well, Ann Romney has been doing a little bit more, and we're seeing more stories pushed out about her. Perhaps as a little more balance and warmth to the Mitt Romney somewhat robotic character or caricature he's been portrayed as.
And Anita Perry, you're seeing her at some of the openings of headquarters both in Iowa and South Carolina for Governor Rick Perry. Look, we've seen that people don't vote for candidates based on what their wives do or what in some cases might be what their husbands do when Hillary Clinton was running for president. But still, it is a part of the big puzzle when people are making up their minds.
In the case of President Obama, he's got a strong ally in Michelle Obama. She has been a strong advocate for anti-obesity and also for soldiers' spouses. She has also been a tremendous fund- raiser, is very popular and very strong as an advocate in some of the communities where the president may or may not reach out. So, I think it's going to be interesting how they become part of the conversation. It's just part of what is a fascinating aspect of the campaign trail, Carol.
COSTELLO: Well, also, you can tell a lot about a person by the person they have married. I think a lot of people, you know, get insight into their true personalities by just listening to the spouse.
FARLEY: Exactly. And I think you also understand that there's an influence that is there, and you kind of wonder who's going to have the president's ear, the last person to talk at night. Laura Bush was popular up until the day that George Bush, even though he was unpopular when he left office, of course, Hillary Clinton as first lady. But you go back, among the names, Betty Ford, look what the interest in Jacqueline Kennedy was all about. And to somebody like Mitch Daniels who's not running this year because he just couldn't get an agreement with his wife that it would be a good idea.
So, a big part of what we're going to be seeing as the campaign trail wears on.
COSTELLO: Tim Farley, thanks. Tim Farley, host of "Morning Briefing" on Sirius POTUS radio.
Nothing says rest and relaxation like a hotel room situated 500 feet under the ground only accessible by a mine shaft. At least that's the theory behind this suite. Coming up, we'll take a spin around this bizarre bedroom.
But, first, as you're plugging away at the gym this morning, get some encouragement to the women in the room. Today is National Day of Women's Health and Fitness.
You go on that treadmill. Let me say that again. You go, girl, on that treadmill!
It's 19 minutes past the hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: It is 23 minutes past the hour. This is your A.M. WAKE-UP CALL.
Here are three things to put on your radar today:
At 11:25 a.m. Eastern, President Obama is hosting an open for questions roundtable online. Questions will come from Yahoo!, MSN Latino and "Huffington Post" Latino voices users.
A federal judge is expected to rule whether to grant a preliminary injunction blocking the enforcement of Alabama's tough new immigration law. It's set to go into effect tomorrow.
And in Arizona, Tucson shooting suspect Jared Loughner heads back to court. The hearing will help determine if he's competent to stand trial. Loughner's accused of killing several people and wounding Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords.
A Saudi woman sentenced to 10 lashes for driving a car.
Let's head around the world to London and Zain Verjee.
Zain, just a few weeks ago, we were talking about women in Saudi Arabia getting the right to vote. And now, one's been sentenced to lashings for driving a car.
ZAIN VERJEE, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Mind blowing when you think about that in this kind of day and age. But that's exactly what's happened. We're talking about Saudi Arabia.
Now, it was a big deal, they said, OK, women can vote and they can even stand in local elections. And now, just on the heels of that, we're hearing that a woman gets 10 lashes for driving a car.
Now, she is appealing the sentence. What happened was, the police basically dragged her out of the car, took her down to the police station, questioned her, made her sign a pledge that she's not going to drive again, and then sent her back home in a taxi.
The important thing to understand, too, Carol, that it's not actually the law in Saudi Arabia necessarily, but these are religious edicts that are interpreted by puritanical Wahhabi Muslims that say women can't drive, women can't open bank accounts, women can't go to school without a male chaperone.
And there's this campaign that's called Women to Drive. And that's -- that is basically what's been spearheading a lot of the driving that we've been seeing lately. This is not the first instance that a woman's gotten behind the wheel of a car recently. There have been other cases.
COSTELLO: Well, I admire her courage. That's certainly true.
Let's talk about this hotel in Sweden where the best room isn't like the penthouse. It's quite the opposite, actually.
VERJEE: Carol, would you pay $590 a night for a hotel in Sweden, a room that's 500 feet below ground? Would you do that?
You have to take -- it's in a mine shaft. So you'd have to take one of those contraptions to go down. Would you do it?
COSTELLO: No, I can't envision myself or paying $590 for a hotel room, but certainly not one underground. Who would be into this?
VERJEE: Right. Well, I actually would kind of be into it just for a night just to see. They've got this kind of winding galleries, these cavernous rooms. It's kind of dark but they have these beautiful chandeliers apparently that light up the whole place.
The only thing that I don't like is that you have to shower above ground if you want to take a shower. I'm not sure what the toilet proximity situation is like, too.
But you have to dress warmly, but it's not too cold. They say it's quite an experience -- the world's deepest underground hotel room.
COSTELLO: I think I'd like a view of the ocean better, but that's just me.
(LAUGHTER)
COSTELLO: Thank you, Zain Verjee.
VERJEE: There is water down there, too, Carol.
COSTELLO: Oh, well, that changes everything. Thank you, Zain. I appreciate it.
CNN's Don Lemon was in the courtroom sitting right behind Michael Jackson's father on the first day of Conrad Murray's trial. Murray is the doctor charged in Jackson's death. We'll talk with Don after a break.
Plus, a jailhouse tape of Casey Anthony on the day she was told her daughter's remains had been found. It's been sealed for years, but a judge could decide today whether it's released to the public.
It's 26 minutes past.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: Good morning to you. It is Wednesday, September 28th. This is your A.M. WAKE-UP CALL.
I'm Carol Costello, joining you live this morning from New York. It's half past the hour.
A photo of Michael Jackson's lifeless body and a recording of the legendary singer's voice incoherent and barely recognizable. It was a dramatic start to Dr. Conrad Murray's involuntary manslaughter trial as both sides offered competing versions of how Jackson died. Prosecutors claim Dr. Murray administered a deadly overdose, but the defense team suggests the pop star was responsible for his own death. Here are some highlights from the opening statements.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DAVID WALGREN, PROSECUTOR: Conrad Murray figuratively and literally abandoned Michael Jackson.
ED CHERNOFF, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Michael Jackson self-administered a dose, an additional dose of propofol, and it killed him. And it killed him like that, and there was no way to save him.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Don Lemon was in the courtroom yesterday. Don joins us live now. So, Don, two very different versions of what happened on June 25th, 2009. I understand you ran into Dr. Conrad Murray in the courthouse. Tell us about that. DON LEMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I did. I ran into him in the hallway. It's an open courthouse. Anyone can go up there, but not everyone, Carol. Good morning, by the way. Not everyone can go into the court. So, as he and members of the Jackson Family and members of law enforcement and lawyers as they're walking through, there are sheriff's deputies with them.
And so, many of us had to wait during the break to use the restroom. And Dr. Conrad Murray walked out of the restroom. Our eyes locked. He looked at me. I guess he recognized him, and he just sort of stared at me for a long time, but he had a very, very, very sort of sullen-look on his face, he and his attorneys.
And this was right after the prosecution opened with their opening statements. And Carol, those opening statements, unbelievable. And we ran into members of the family as well.
COSTELLO: Yes. Tell me about that. You actually chatted with Jackson's parents.
LEMON: I did. When the Jacksons, all of them, walked in, everyone was surprised to see so many of them there, to see Janet, La Toya, Jermaine, Tito, all -- Ribby (ph) there and Mr. and Mrs. Jackson. And so, when they walked into the hallway of the courtroom, Jermaine -- I saw Jermaine, and we had done two documentaries together. And he said hello. And I said how are you doing? He just, you know, put his hand over his heart like that.
And he said, "it's hard." And then, when in the courtroom, we sat down, and Joe Jackson turned around and said, I want to see who's sitting behind me and that just happen the luck of the draw, but I sat right behind Katherine and Joe Jackson. And Mrs. Jackson started talking to me, and we talked politics.
We talked about jobs and that sort of thing. And then, they turned around. And then, Carol, they dimmed the lights, and they played that videotape of the picture of Michael Jackson. And then, they played the audiotape of his voice. And the entire family started looking at each other and passing tissue around.
And the mom started crying and members of the family started crying. It was -- can you imagine? Can you imagine, Carol, sitting there with your own mother and listening to your brother's voice like that and seeing your family member dead on a gurney? It was just -- it was almost too emotional to even handle.
COSTELLO: Did you have a chance to glance at the jury to see how the jury was taking in this audiotape of Michael Jackson slurring his words terribly. Obviously, he was under the influence of some kind of drugs in that audiotape?
LEMON: Yes. I did. And the Jackson sat in front of me who's almost, you know, in a courtroom, it's like a church pew. And so, they were in the row in front of me and in the row in front of them but turned at a different angle was the jury. So, I had a direct view of the jury. I was taking notes. And every time I'd look up, I'd be staring at the back of the Jacksons' heads and right at the jurors.
And their faces were -- they were just in shock. There was really sort of no emotion. Some people looked down. They couldn't really look up at the screen. They just kind of looked up, and then they glanced down. And so, the prosecution did a great job with that because it was very emotional.
And they did -- it was almost -- it was like a production. It was like a movie that they had strung together and that the lawyer was taking you through the story. And if you weren't -- if you didn't feel emotion from that, then you weren't human.
COSTELLO: Well, it will be an interesting day two. Trial resumes in a couple of hours. Don Lemon reporting live for us from Los Angeles. Thanks so much.
LEMON: Thanks, Carol. All righty.
COSTELLO: Michael Jackson's estate, by the way, has earned more than $300 million in the two years since his death. And that could mean a $30 million payout for his mother, Katherine, and his three children, Prince, Paris and Michael. Executors go before a judge today looking for payment approval. Some of that money would also go to charity.
A teenage college student is accused of taking the SATs for half a dozen students from a prestigious Long Island high school. Prosecutors say Sam Ashika (ph), you see him there in the gray, got paid up to $2,500 for each time he stood in using a fake I.D. to get into the test centers. He's facing fraud and impersonation charges. The alleged test dodgers who are covering their faces with their hands and shirts, you see one of them there, they're looking at misdemeanor charges.
Australia's female soldiers will soon be able to serve on the front lines in all combat roles, and that could result in American male troops fighting alongside Australian female troops in Afghanistan. The Australian government is dropping its restrictions on who can hold some of the most dangerous jobs in war.
It joins Canada, France, Germany and other countries with gender- equal militaries. Not on that list, the United States. Women make up 14 percent of America's armed forces, but they are barred from units engaging in direct ground combat. No comment yet from the Pentagon on Australia's decision.
A Florida judge may decide today if he will unseal a jailhouse video of Casey Anthony reacting to news that her daughter's remains had been found. The 2008 tape, apparently, shows the acquitted murder suspect double over and start to hyperventilate. That's according to "The Orlando Sentinel." The judge who banned it two years ago said it was so inflammatory, it would ruin Anthony's chance at a fair trial.
Expect to see more people around Wall Street today, and they're not bankers or tourists. We'll fill you in. It's 36 minutes past the hour. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: Good morning. It's 37 minutes past the hour.
Look for more protests around Wall Street today. This would make day 12. The group occupy Wall Street is protesting against corruption and big business. On its website, it says it is the, quote, "99 percent that will no longer tolerate the greed and corruption of the one percent," end quote. About 100 people have been arrested since the demonstrations started.
Postal workers want lawmakers to save the postal service without layoffs and cutbacks. They rallied across the nation. The post office has been bleeding red ink in the past few years. Thanks, at least, in part to the internet. Among proposals on the table, slash 120,000 postal jobs and stop Saturday delivery.
Something funny happened on the way to the checkout screen. Retailers say people browsing their sites using tablets are more likely to buy and buy bigger than other online shoppers. According to "The Wall Street Journal," tablet owners tend to have more money and spend more time surfing and shopping.
With all of the partisan bickering in Washington and multiple threats of a government shutdown this past year, the public is losing even more trust in our nation's leaders. The revealing numbers coming up.
But first, check out today's "Get Smart" question. For the average insured worker, how much does it cost to buy health insurance for a family of four this year? Is it A. $5,000, B. $10,000, or C. $15,000? The answer coming your way in two minutes.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: It's 41 minutes past the hour. This is your A.M. WAKE-UP CALL.
Now, back to "Get Smart" question. For the average insured worker, how much does it cost to buy health insurance for a family of four this year? Is it A. $5,000, B. $10,000, or C. 15k? The answer is C. $15,000. A new Kaiser Family Foundation report says that amount is up nine percent over last year.
It's time for our "Political Ticker," so, let's bring in our deputy political director, Paul Steinhauser. He joins us live from Washington. Good morning, Paul.
VOICE OF PAUL STEINHAUSER, CNN DEPUTY POLITICAL DIRECTOR: Good morning, Carol.
COSTELLO: So, let's start with President Obama because one of his top advisers is using the word "Titanic" about President Obama's re-election bid. Please tell us more.
STEINHAUSER: Yes. A little bit of honesty here, I guess. And this is his top guy. This is guru, David Axelrod. Remember, this is senior advisor to then Senator Obama when he was running for the White House. He was a top senior advisor in the White House for two years. And then earlier this year, he stepped down and he's back in Chicago now, kind of, again, the top guy behind the re-election campaign.
And he said, listen, let's be honest. The wind is not at our back like it was when Obama first ran for president. Times have changed. It's a little, you know, little dose of honesty there by David Axelrod that this re-election, because of the economy, because of the mood the Americans are in is going to be extremely tough for President Obama, Carol.
COSTELLO: And I think this poll that you're going to talk about illustrates that quite nicely, but it's no surprise that few people have trust in government, but this is an all-time low.
STEINHAUSER: Bingo! An all-time low in CNN/ORC poll. This is brand new, brand you for you, and that we just put it out moments ago. Look at this. We asked, you know, how often can you trust the government in Washington, the federal government? Look at that number, two percent, just about always, 13 percent most of the time.
You (INAUDIBLE) together only about 15 percent of people say they can trust the government. Right below that, 77 percent say only some of the time, eight percent never. Carol, look how -- go to the next graphic. Look how this has dropped. Look at this. Fifteen percent now saying they can trust the government most or always.
That's down ten points from just a year ago. You know, listen. I said when all the squabbling between Democrats and Republicans in congress, the possibility of government shutdowns almost every other month, no surprise you're seeing these numbers, Carol.
COSTELLO: Yes. I don't think anybody surprised by the numbers. Paul Steinhauser, thanks for joining us this morning. We appreciate it.
STEINHAUSER: Thank you.
COSTELLO: Iran is reportedly planning to deploy naval ships close to the United States, promising a powerful presence off of the Atlantic Coast. We'll take a closer look at what exactly that announcement means.
But first, on this day in history, back in 1924, the first flight around the world ended in Seattle. It took two U.S. army planes 175 days to circle the globe. Now you know. It's 44 minutes past the hour.
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COSTELLO: Good morning, Atlanta, and good morning to you. It is Wednesday, September 28th. This is your A.M. WAKE-UP CALL. I'm Carol Costello joining you live from New York this morning. It is 47 minutes past the hour. Iran is planning to send military ships close to the Atlantic Coast of the United States. That's according to an Iranian state-run news agency. Let's head round the world. Let's head to London and check in with Zain Verjee. Zain, what do you know about this?
ZAIN VERJEE, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning from London. Well, the Iranian state agency is quoting a commander essentially saying that they are going to send a bunch of Iranian ships to the U.S. coast, the Atlantic coastline. What they're also saying, quoting the commander, is that the navy of the Iranian army will have a powerful presence near U.S. borders.
It also goes on to say the world arrogant power, without naming the U.S., is so close to us, they say that we want to be close to them. Don't forget, U.S. troops are in Iraq, and that's on the border with Iran. So, it's likely a reference to that at the very least, but this is something that will definitely be concerning the Pentagon, but there's been no official comment or reaction since this story broke.
Iran's also been sending its naval vessels out to the Gulf of Aden. They say to protect their ships from the threat of piracy in the area. So, they are going out a lot further, but never before to the U.S. coast.
COSTELLO: I'm sure. Maybe, the Pentagon will have something to say about it later today. Let's talk about Libya and the shoulder- fired missiles that have gone missing. Lawmakers here are worried.
VERJEE: Very worried because there are quite a significant number of shoulder-fired missiles that have gone missing. And the concern is that they're going to fall into the wrong hands, into terrorists' hands, and they are going to target U.S. planes with that kind of technology. So, Senator Barbara Boxer, Democrat from California, has said essentially that she wants to come up with this plan and outfit all planes with a technology that prevents them from terror attacks.
We're talking something like $6 billion over the period of 20 years. And the question is, who's going to foot a bill like that? This kind of idea has been floating around for a little bit, but there's always been a fight about who's going to foot that bill. So, this is out there. This is -- and they want to come up with some kind of program to counter any possibility of being shot down by those shoulder-to-air-fired missiles.
COSTELLO: Scary stuff. Zain Verjee live in London, thanks so much.
Let's talk about the trial of Michael Jackson's doctor. This is day two of Conrad Murray's involuntary manslaughter trial. Today, Jackson's personal assistant is expected to testify about the chaos inside Jackson's bedroom when Murray realized Jackson had stopped breathing. Prosecutors say Murray abandoned all principles of medical care when he used propofol to put Jackson to sleep every night for more than two months. The drug along with sedatives killed Jackson. Murray's team says Jackson gave himself the fatal dose. Yesterday, jurors heard Jackson slur his words in an audio recording made just weeks before he died. He was talking about his upcoming shows in London. Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAEL JACKSON, ENTERTAINER: When people leave my show, I want them to say, "I've never seen nothing like this in my life."
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Murray faces up to four years in prison and the loss of his medical license if he is convicted.
Right now, New Jersey governor, Chris Christie, says he is not running for president. Oh, but the day is young. Last night, Christie gave a foreign policy speech at the Reagan Library in California. It sure sounded like a stump speech, but afterward, the audience asked the no-nonsense Republican the inevitable question.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My Italian mother, she told me to tell you that you've got to run for president.
GOV. CHRIS CHRISTIE, (R) NEW JERSEY: If anybody who has an ego large enough to say oh, please, please, please stop asking me to be leader of the free world --
(LAUGHTER)
CHRISTIE: It's such a burden, but by the same token, that heartfelt message you gave me is also not a reason for me to do it. That reason has to reside inside me.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: In the past, Christie has flat out said he's not running for president, so his less absolute response last night is to change, and it makes some those in the audience, at least, they're hopeful.
Those adventurous engineers with their rappelling gear will try to tackle a Washington Monument again today. They're looking for more damage from last month's earthquake. They couldn't yesterday because of the weather. There's a chance of thunderstorms again today, so they might have to wait. CNN's Brian Todd explains why you don't want to be hanging on the monument in bad weather.
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BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: These engineers are going to have to inspect every stone. It will take at least a few days. Park officials say they can work through heavy rain, but if there's any threat of lightning, they'll have to stop. The monument has been hit by lightning several times in its history.
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COSTELLO: The Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, by the way, will be reflecting again next spring. Right now, it's just a giant mud pit. Workers are fixing leaks and installing a new circulation system.
Now, let's head to Atlanta and Jacqui Jeras. And it's a good thing they're working on that reflecting pool because the water was pretty darn nasty because there were a lot of geese around the reflecting pool.
JACQUI JERAS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Oh, no. Yes. We've got a pond in the neighborhood down the street. You don't ever want to walk through that area.
(LAUGHTER)
JERAS: You really don't. It's going to be so beautiful when it's done, though. How exciting, unfortunately, a lousy day in D.C., though. Yes, showers, thundershowers. It's going to be nasty out there as that cutoff low just continues to sit there. Take a look at this satellite picture. This looks almost exactly as it did yesterday, doesn't it, Carol? It's like deja vu waking up all over again.
We've got the low clouds and the fog for you from Minneapolis to Milwaukee, Detroit, Chicago, Indianapolis, and then -- out ahead of this whole thing, that's where we've got the front, and that's where we'll see showers and thundershowers, and there is even a risk that some of these could be severe in the D.C. area. So, much of the mid- Atlantic we'll be watching for that threat.
Wind damage will be the primary concern. If you're traveling today, no delays yet, but we do expect them later this morning. Major delays possible in New York City with rain and thunderstorms. Washington, D.C., we'll see it as well as Philadelphia, Chicago, Detroit and Cleveland. So, lots of folks in the east dealing with those issues.
And as you take a look at our map here today, some of the rain's going to be heavy. We're talking one to three inches. So, flood watches have been posted from Syracuse down into Eastern Pennsylvania including you into Philadelphia. We've had so much flooding in this area. Sad to see that could be the case once again today, but this will likely be flash flooding that hits you real quick and then moves on out.
Temperature-wise, staying cool there in the middle. Carol, one of the most beautiful things in the world to me is the aurora borealis.
COSTELLO: Ah.
JERAS: Take a look at this time lapse. Isn't this gorgeous? This is amateur video. Jesper Grones (ph) sent this to us from Denmark. This was actually earlier this month, but there's this big sun spot right now that's been giving of some very large explosions that are allowing the electromagnetic waves to bring such a beautiful display. So, more can be expected later on this month. So if you live up north, try and watch out for that in the upcoming days and weeks.
COSTELLO: So, that's real video?
JERAS: That's real video.
COSTELLO: That's amazing. It does look fake.
JERAS: It kind of does. Yes. It's kind of a weird thing, purples and greens. Beautiful.
COSTELLO: Thank goodness for that guy.
(LAUGHTER)
JERAS: (INAUDIBLE) to that today.
COSTELLO: Thank you, Jacqui Jeras.
JERAS: OK.
COSTELLO: A federal judge dismisses nine out of 11 counts in a lawsuit against the owners of the New York Mets, but, they could still be on the hook for a lawsuit related to Bernie Madoff's Ponzi scheme. We'll explain next.
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COSTELLO: Two minutes until the top of the hour. This is your A.M. WAKE-UP CALL.
Let's head to the NASDAQ MarketSite to check in with Carter Evans. How do the numbers look this morning?
CARTER EVANS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You know, so far, so good. We've got a report coming up on durable goods orders, but for the most part, our numbers are still high. We had two days of gains. Check out the futures. Dow up 47 points, NASDAQ up almost 5, S&P 500 up about a point on the CNN.com premarket page.
Although, I am a little concerned watching what's going on over in Europe. European markets were positive. This is the FTSE in London starting to slip back and the Dax in Germany now in negative territory. So, of course, all of this subject to change.
COSTELLO: Of course. Tell us more about this big win in court for the owners of the New York Mets.
EVANS: OK. So, you see the Mets, they invested money with Bernie Madoff, $700 million they invested. And here's the thing. The trustee overseeing the return of the money to the victims is suing the Mets for all the gains that they made on that. They made $300 million, took their money out before Madoff went down.
So, he's suing them for that $300 million, and he's also suing them for the $700 million in principal that they put down on that investment. A judge threw out nine of the 11 counts against the Mets. There still are a couple of serious counts, and they still could end up losing that money, but they're a lot further ahead today than they were yesterday. Score one for the Mets.
COSTELLO: Understand. Thank you. Carter Evans live from the NASDAQ MarketSite.
"AMERICAN MORNING" continues right now.
