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American Morning: Wake Up Call
Amanda Knox Back in the U.S.; Chris Christie Says He's Not Running; Congressman Seeks Probe Of Holder; Post-Quake Fixes To Cost Millions; NBA Cancels Preseason
Aired October 05, 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: From an Italian prison to her home in Seattle, Amanda Knox lands in the United States and talks publicly for the first time about her ordeal.
Plus --
(VIDEO CLIP PLAYS)
COSTELLO: A building explodes moments after Ohio firefighters go inside to search for victims. The amazing moment of impact caught on camera.
And why U.S. leaders at the United Nations got up and walked out right in the middle of a Security Council meeting.
Good morning to you. It is Wednesday, October 5th. This is your A.M. WAKE-UP CALL. I'm Carol Costello, joining you live from New York this morning.
It's a brand-new day in every sense of the word for Amanda Knox. She'll be waking up at her Seattle home for the first time in four years. Knox returned to the United States with her family yesterday, just one day after an Italian appeals court overturned her murder conviction in the death of her British roommate, Meredith Kercher.
Knox fought back tears as she spoke to reporters, thanking her parents and her friends for their support during her time in prison.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
AMANDA KNOX, MURDER CONVICTION OVERTURNED: What's important for me to say is just thank you to everyone who has believed in me, who has defended me, who has supported my family. I just want -- my family is the most important thing to me right now, and I just want to go be with them. So thank you for being there for me.
(CHEERS)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Italian prosecutors say they'll appeal the Knox ruling to Italy's Supreme Court.
The Wall Street protesters are getting some reinforcement from groups who know a thing or two about demonstrations. Several unions now endorsing the so-called "Occupy Wall Street" movement and plan to join the protesters in New York's financial district today.
One labor leader says his union supports the protesters because, quote, "These young people are speaking for the vast majority of Americans who are frustrated by the bankers and the brokers who have profited on the backs of hardworking people," end quote.
The protests started several weeks ago and have spread to several other cities. Members say they oppose corporate influence, social inequality and other disparities between the rich and poor.
There is a sharper focus this morning to the battle for the Republican presidential nomination. We now know that New Jersey Governor Chris Christie is not going to enter the race. After several weeks of growing support for a White House run, Christie says he's sticking to his current job.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOV. CHRIS CHRISTIE (R), NEW JERSEY: Now is not my time. I have a commitment to New Jersey that I simply will not abandon.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Christie dismissed questions on whether he'd consider running as vice president on the Republican ticket, saying he doesn't think he'd even be asked.
Democrats in West Virginia are celebrating Earl Ray Tomlin's victory at the gubernatorial election. He belt out businessman Bill Maloney in yesterday's special election, despite a flood of GOP attack ads trying to link him to President Obama. Tomlin took over as acting governor last year after Joe Manchin was elected to the U.S. Senate.
It happens nearly every day and it could well happen again today. Deadly anti-government protests in Syria. Months of a violent Syrian crackdown spilled over into the United Nations, triggering a walkout by U.S. Ambassador Susan Rice. Her move came after China and Russia vetoed a Security Council resolution condemning the Syrian government's response to the protests.
Rice said the Obama administration was outraged by the vote. At least 2,600 people have been killed and thousands injured since the protests started in March.
Some restitution finally for the victims of Bernard Madoff's Ponzi scheme. Nearly three years after the scheme unraveled, about $312 million in recovered money will be distributed today. The trustee in charge of liquidating Madoff's securities firm says the money is urgently needed by some of Madoff's former customers. Today's distribution is being made to holders of 20/30 accounts.
Madoff is serving a 150-year prison sentence.
Now, let's head to Atlanta and Rob Marciano.
I don't want --
ROB MARCIANO, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Where were you yesterday? I was worried about you. Resting up for game four?
COSTELLO: I was worried about me, too. Stop that.
The Tigers had a total bull pen meltdown. I know that. But today is another day.
MARCIANO: As if the Yankees haven't had offensive bats all season long. Game five tomorrow night is turning out to be a fantastic MLB postseason. Oh, I didn't know this was coming.
COSTELLO: I love that.
MARCIANO: Oh, isn't that cute? Old school and everything.
By the way, in full disclosure, I'll be taking Friday off. This was planned well ahead of time. It actually has something to do with it. I am watching the whole game. I managed to make it to the eighth inning last night, because I felt guilty about turning it off in the seventh inning the night before.
All right. Enough of that. Let's talk about what's shaking as far as weather is concerned.
Fall is in the air, no doubt about that. We'll probably have delays across the Northeast, not because of the showers and the unsettled weather that we've been dealing with the past couple of weeks, but just because of some leftover winds. We'll take that.
Thunderstorms across Salt Lake City. We had nasty thunderstorms with a big wind and sandstorms across parts of Arizona yesterday. And San Francisco, strong storm heading out that way.
Check this out. This is more reminiscent of November, if not December, or January. Strong jet stream, good vortex there spinning and getting a lot of energy into California. Winter storm warnings are posted still for the Sierra Nevada and into the Wasatch of Utah, above the 8,000-foot mark. We'll see a foot, maybe a foot and a half more snow with this next batch of energy rolling in.
Elsewhere, the fire threat will be high across parts of the plains. We had the Bastrop fire flare up again yesterday and record- setting temperatures as far north as Pierre. Ninety-five degrees in through the Dakotas yesterday. It will be 86 degrees in Minneapolis. Meanwhile, 71 in New York City and 84 in Atlanta.
All right. I want to show you some video out of a stock car race in Oklahoma. Look at this crash here. And one of the drivers -- obviously. the car explodes into flames. That car -- that driver's name was Terry Muskrat.
Kip Hughes gets out to pull his competitor out of his burning car. And we later found out that race car driver Kip Hughes, his dad was a driver, Carol, and suffered a similar accident and his face was burned because of it. And when he saw that as a 7-year-old child, he said if I'm a driver and I see a burning vehicle, I'm going to do what I can to get my fellow driver out.
And he had -- that actually came true in his racing career. So, unbelievable stuff there. Good stuff.
COSTELLO: Good for him. Like who cares who wins the race at that point? Because, you know, some things are more important, right?
MARCIANO: Exactly. You know, we somehow -- sometimes forget just how dangerous race car driving is with all the safety measures that we've seen in the past 10 to 20 years. But it's dicey stuff, that's for sure.
COSTELLO: Yes. I'm glad everyone was OK. Thank you, Rob.
MARCIANO: OK, Carol.
COSTELLO: Governor Chris Christie knows that being a public figure leaves you vulnerable for all kinds of jokes. And for him, well, his weight is what comedians love to joke about. His response, make fun all you want, just be funny.
Here's your punch line.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIPS)
DAVID LETTERMAN, COMEDIAN: I honestly think he made the right decision because think about it this way. Do we really want a president who looks like an American league umpire? No. We don't. Aye! Ha!
(LAUGHTER AND APPLAUSE)
LETTERMAN: He would have been the first American president visible from space.
(LAUGHTER AND APPLAUSE)
(END VIDEO CLIPS)
COSTELLO: That's just so wrong.
OK. People have been holding out and waiting for the new apple iPhone. But this morning, many are calling it nothing but a big, fat disappointment. Why they're not so pleased. That's coming up.
And here's today's "Quote of the Day." Here it is -- one of the world's highest paid actors in some hot water after saying this, actually. He said this after a photo shoot.
This is the quote. Quote, "You just feel like you're being raped somehow. It feels like kind of weird -- just weird, man." Learn who said that in 90 seconds.
It's nine minutes past the hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: It is 10 minutes past the hour. This is your A.M. WAKE-UP CALL.
Now, back to our "Quote of the Day." This is the quote: "You just feel like you're being raped somehow. It feels like a kind of weird -- just weird, man," end quote.
Who said that? It was actor Johnny Depp. He's describing photo shoots in an article that appears in "Vanity Fair." Several rape victim advocacy groups have come out and called his comments insensitive.
Around this time yesterday, we talked about the excitement and anticipation of the new iPhone. Twenty-four hours later, I don't know that the excitement is still quite at the same level.
So, let's head to Hong Kong and Kristie Lu Stout. It's not really an iPhone 5, turns out. It's just sort of an iPhone kind of better than iPhone 4.
KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Yes, but, you know, we did mention this yesterday in the show, that it could be an iPhone 4S. Sure enough, that's it. Now, for some expectations or some people's expectations were set a little too high, Apple did not unveil a brand-new smartphone but a souped-up version of last year's iPhone 4. Now, the iPhone 4S, it has a camera, a faster processor, and new voice interface called Siri, and a demo.
Apple senior vice president, Scott Forestall, he asked Siri about the weather. It pulled up all the latest weather data, and that drew applause from the audience. But it did not impress investors. Back on Tuesday, Apple shares fell almost 5 percent after the big news and later recovered to end the day just slightly lower.
And the iPhone 4s will go on sale later this month, October 14th. Back to you.
COSTELLO: We'll see how it does.
I understand there are some developments in France involving the iPhone 4.5. Tell us about this. Samsung is attempting to get a ban on sales of this new version of the iPhone.
STOUT: Yes. Samsung Electronics is also not impressed by the iPhone 4S. It is confirmed it will ask courts in Italy and France to block its sale in those two countries. Now, Samsung claims that the iPhone 4S uses two patents that belong to them. And Apple has yet to respond to these claims.
Back to you.
COSTELLO: Fascinating.
Another fascinating story you're working on -- researchers in Dallas, they could actually make objects disappear?
STOUT: That's right. This is another invisibility cloak story. But this one uses something called the mirage effect. Now, a mirage happens when a big leap in temperature over a small distance bends light rays and sends them toward the eye.
So when you see a pool of water in the middle of the desert, it's really just the blue sky being redirected onto the sand and then sent directly into your eye.
Now, instead of using sand, these researchers at the University of Dallas, they used these microsheets of carbon nanotubes. And by hitting an on and off switch, they can quickly heat the nanotubes, bend the light rays and make an object appear invisible.
So you have to check out the demo. It's on YouTube. Invisibility created by basically tricking the human brain. Pretty cool stuff.
COSTELLO: It's really cool stuff. Kristi Lu Stout, thanks as always, live from Hong Kong.
No, no and no. New Jersey Governor Chris Christie puts an end to speculation about a 2012 presidential bid? So, what does this mean for other candidates still in the race? We'll have a closer look just ahead.
It's 13 minutes past the hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: Fifteen minutes past the hour.
Now that Governor Christie has said no, again, to the 2012 presidential race, the attention turns back to the other GOP candidates. Need a brief refresher? Leave it to comedian Stephen Colbert. Here's your punch line.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
STEPHEN COLBERT, COMEDIAN: I don't know about you, but I could not be more excited about all the options in the GOP presidential field. These candidates are like the perfect appetizer sampler platter. You've got pizza bites, crazy bread, boiled potato, Texas toast, foie gras, imitation foie gras, unexpected squirrel jerky, all with a Santorum dipping sauce. Hmmm.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(LAUGHTER)
COSTELLO: Time now for your Political Ticker with Tim Farley, host of "Morning Briefing" on Sirius POTUS live from Washington.
Good morning, Tim.
TIM FARLEY, SIRIUS POTUS: I'd bet on the squirrel jerky. I don't know about you, but I think I'm headed there, Carol.
COSTELLO: So mean but still very funny, wasn't it?
Let's talk about New Jersey Governor Chris Christie. He says he is not running for president for a final time. So, for a final time, let's listen again.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHRISTIE: I've explored the options and listened to so many people and considered whether this was something that I needed to take on. But in the end, what I've always felt was the right decision remains the right decision today. Now is not my time. I have a commitment to New Jersey that I simply will not abandon.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: So, Tim, is Mitt Romney doing the happy dance?
FARLEY: Well, I think he probably is. And you think about Chris Christie who is out. And, by the way, Agatha Christie is not running nor is Lou Christie, or Julie Christie or Christie Brinkley or Mitch Daniels.
I think there's an interesting thing to talk about because going back to that Colbert bit which was kind of funny, it was October the 3rd of 1991 when Bill Clinton, the governor of Arkansas, announced that he was running for president. And the field, by the time you got to the New Hampshire, polls, the New Hampshire primary, was Bill Clinton, Paul Tsongas, and far behind were people like Tom Harkin and Bob Kerrey. And where are they now?
The point is, is that this is very early in the process. If you had a room of the Republicans right now, and you had 10 Republicans in a room, two of them like Mitt Romney and probably the rest were split among the other candidates, maybe Rick Perry gets and Herman Cain share a couple voters. So, this is very early in the process.
Mitt Romney clearly had the most to gain to get to your question, though, because let's face it, he was the governor of a blue state. And he had a lot of what you would call liberal opinions. So, chances are, it was Mitt Romney had the most to gain, but we'll see as we move forward in this whole process who exactly is to gain because Mitt didn't gain a whole lot when Rick Perry started faltering in those latest polls, Carol.
COSTELLO: No. The person who gained was Herman Cain. He's number two in CNN polls.
FARLEY: Exactly.
COSTELLO: It's amazing.
Of course, many analysts say that doesn't really mean anything. It's sort of just a placeholder, but it is intriguing that his numbers have risen so dramatically.
How important you think that Christie --
FARLEY: No, I think you're right.
COSTELLO: -- how important will a Christie endorsement be, do you think?
FARLEY: Well, he could certainly raise money. He could get out there and energize people, because once he jumps into the fray, he's a strong speaker, he's an inspiring speaker, and he brings something to the table that frankly we don't see from a Mitt Romney.
And whether or not he would be able to get behind some of the positions that Rick Perry has is a question mark, but he'll go out there and he'll stump for the Republican candidate because as you heard yesterday, he's not going to be the vice presidential candidate. He said, "I'm not a number two kind of guy" and also he's not going to make an endorsement right now.
So, he'll play a little bit of a kingmaker. I think we'll see a lot of him on the candidate campaign trail as much against the president as he is in favor of any one particular candidate.
COSTELLO: So, you think it's safe to you that, as far -- you know, if you're a Republican, this is the field -- this is the field that's going to be, so you might as well get used to it.
FARLEY: Yes, a lot of the most people are thinking so. I mean, you could see Sarah Palin, but I doubt it at this point.
I think the other thing to watch is Americans Elect, which is this group that is trying to push for a third-party candidate, somebody who is outside the mainstream going back again to that 1992 Ross Perot helping Bill Clinton get elected with 43 percent of the vote. I'm not sure that we see an individual like that right now. But there is a yearning for something other than what the two parties have offered. And we may see something bubble up.
Americans Elect is a group that's trying to do that. That's another part of the story line. But I think we've seen the Republican field.
COSTELLO: Yes, that group has gained a lot of traction online. Many, many supporters.
Tim Farley, thanks, as always -- Tim Farley, host of "Morning Briefing" on Sirius POTU Radio.
It's a good bet most American woman wouldn't consider getting into a car with a stranger. But in one nation, some women say they're not afraid to hitch a ride. We'll explain.
But, first, take a box of donuts to work for your coworkers, open the door for a friend or pay a compliment to a complete stranger. That's because today is Do Something Nice Day. Ah.
There isn't much information on how this day started, but you really don't need a reason to take part, do you? I know. I'm a little nauseous, too, right now.
It's 20 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:
Several unions are endorsing the "Occupy Wall Street" movement and plan to join the protesters in New York starting today.
At 12:30 Eastern, leading progressive and labor groups will hold a rally on Capitol Hill to demand that Congress focus on jobs, not cuts. The event is being organized by the American Dream movement.
Eighteen deaths now linked to cantaloupes contaminated with listeria. Federal health officials say cantaloupes from Jensen Farms should be thrown out immediately. If you're not sure about the source, check your supermarket, or to be really safe, throw the can' cantaloupe away.
As United States and Iraq negotiate together, any U.S. troops will remain there after the first year -- actually, they're trying to negotiate how many American troops will remain in Iraq, and there might be a surprise announcement coming very soon.
Let's head around the world with Zain Verjee from London.
I know I kind of butchered that intro, but tell us about this, Zain.
ZAIN VERJEE, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: You don't butcher anything at all, Carol. Don't worry about it.
COSTELLO: It's bad.
VERJEE: Always so eloquent -- yes, you did.
You know what? Well, you know, one of the things that's really important here is that the Iraqis are discussing that after 2011, it's not just talking about troop withdrawal, they also don't want to give any legal immunity against Iraqi law to U.S. troops.
This has been a real sore point for Americans because they say, well, if our troops are there in good faith, in a dangerous situation, they should have immunity from protection. But a lot of Iraqis have felt, well, why should they? They should be able to be prosecuted under Iraqi law. And they point to things like the Abu Ghraib prison scandal, Blackwater, killing Iraqi civilians.
And so that is an issue of contention. The U.S. wants more clarification on this as the Iraqis continue to talk about troop withdrawal and whether they even want all U.S. troops out of Iraq by the first of the year.
COSTELLO: Got it.
Let's talk about Cuba now. Most women in this country wouldn't even consider getting into a car with a stranger. But in Cuba, it's a whole different thing.
VERJEE: Yes. It's actually the norm. You know what they call it? They call it coguendo botella (ph) -- you know what that means? How's your Spanish?
It means grabbing a bottle. And, basically, they do all this hitchhiking all the time because they say the public transport is so difficult and so long and time-consuming, it's easier just to hitchhike.
Listen to what they say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REPORTER: "People with cars are conscientious," says Yvette, a schoolteacher. "They stop because the reality is that public transportation is really difficult. I'm not afraid," she says. "I even have friends who met their boyfriends doing this."
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VERJEE: So it's a good way to meet people, I guess, too, Carol.
You know, I'll give you an example. One of the people was saying that it takes them two hours by bus to go from work to home. And if you hitchhike, it just takes 30 minutes. So, it's practical, too, and you could get a hookup -- Carol.
COSTELLO: I mean, are there big crime problems in Cuba? Is it really that dangerous?
VERJEE: Well, they say it's not that dangerous. I mean, there have been a few instances, but the majority of people say that they feel safe. They don't feel afraid. And that they're going to continue doing it because it's more practical.
So, it seems as though in Cuba, that that actually outweighs any of the danger and the incidents that have factored into this.
But you're right, in the U.S. and other parts of the world, people wouldn't dream of doing that.
COSTELLO: No, I don't think I'll be doing that anytime soon here at home.
Zain Verjee, thank you very much, as usual.
The worst place to be during an explosion, you ask?
(VIDEO CLIP PLAYS)
COSTELLO: Would be in that building. Inside the explosion -- details on exactly what happened.
Plus, how much will it cost to repair Washington's National Cathedral after the August earthquake? A lot.
It's 27 minutes past the hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: Good morning. It is Wednesday, October 5th. This is your A.M. WAKE-UP CALL. I'm Carol Costello joining you live from New York. It's half past the hour.
Later today, the involuntary manslaughter trial of Michael Jackson's doctor, coroner's office investigators expected to detail the medications found in Jackson's home including bottles of propofol. Three of Dr. Conrad Murray's former girlfriends stole much of the show yesterday. One described how she may have been on the phone with Murray when the pop star lost consciousness.
Also on the stand, the pharmacist who supplied Dr. Murray with the drugs prosecutors say killed Michael Jackson.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: After reviewing all of the orders placed by Conrad Murray to you, can you provide me with the total number of Propofol vials that were sold and shipped to Conrad Murray?
TIM LOPEZ,PHARMACIST: I can confirm the number.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Is the number 255?
LOPEZ: Yes.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: The detective who interviewed Murray after Jackson's death is also expected to take the stand later today.
A chopper that crashed in New York's East River killed a woman celebrating her 40th birthday. Investigators say the 40-year-old victim was from Australia. Her friend, her mother, and her step- father were all injured when the chopper went down yesterday. A witness describes the moments after the crash.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERT DRESS, WITNESS: When I got there, I said, you know, I thought I was going to see people bobbing up and down in the water. There was no one. It was just those two struts pointing towards Queens. I yelled over to those people. I said, where is everyone? Where is everyone? And they said, they're not up.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: New York mayor, Michael Bloomberg, said the pilot radioed there was trouble just before he came in for a landing. Moments later, the helicopter crashed into the river.
It's one of the firefighters' biggest fears, a back draft.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Go, go, go, go!
COSTELLO (voice-over): This explosion blew out all of the windows of an Ohio restaurant. Amazingly, three brave firefighters escaped unharmed. They crawled out of there. A back draft's power comes from an oxygen-starved fire getting a burst of air. The blaze re-ignites so fast, it causes an explosion like that. The restaurant, of course, was totally destroyed. Still no word on what caused this fire.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO (on-camera): The House Judiciary Committee chairman wants President Obama to appoint a special council to investigate Attorney General Eric Holder. It involves a now discredited federal gun-running operation that allowed U.S. agents -- U.S.-bought firearms to get into Mexico.
Federal agents were hoping to track the sellers and purchasers of guns to Mexican cartels, but some of the weapons were traced back to the murder scenes in the United states and Mexico. Leaked documents suggest Holder knew about "Operation Fast and Furious" earlier than he told Congress in May.
For weeks, we heard the president's repeated calls for Congress to pass his jobs bill. As he returned from pitching his jobs plan in Texas, Senate Republicans tried to force a quick vote on the bill, but it was blocked by Democrats. Republicans hope to show that even some Democratic supporters oppose the president's plan. The White House press secretary called the move a political stunt.
Washington's National Cathedral is slated to reopen on November 12th. It was one of several buildings damaged by the August earthquake. Officials say its full restoration will take years, and that the total cost of that restoration will be in the tens of millions of dollars.
The fees just keep on coming. Another big bank is planning to hit customers with a round of fee hikes. This time, they're on your checking account. We'll discuss after a break. It's 35 minutes past the hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) COSTELLO: Welcome back to WAKE-UP CALL. Citibank is the latest big bank to hit customers with a round of fee hikes. So, let's head to Christine Romans. She's here in New York. Christine, now, there are new charges on checking accounts, and people are not happy about this.
CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: You know, this, Carol, we saw this coming. We knew that free checking was going away. We knew that rewards programs were going away. We knew that there would be new creative types of fees on accounts that use debit cards.
Why? Because the industry has said, for almost two years, that if Congress takes away their fee machine, that they were slapping on people for years, billions of dollars, that they would find new ways within the law to do it, and they are. The latest is Citi. Citi is raising some of the fees that it has on its basic checking accounts.
Now, there are ways to get around it, of course. You could do a handful of online transactions, direct deposits, keep your balance a certain way. Bottom line is, for a lot of Citibank customers, there will be new charges on their checking accounts. Now, I want to give you some advice here.
People are so outraged, but the banks are betting on the fact that you're outraged, but you're not going to go through the pain in the you know what to switch an account. So, if you want to avoid these bank fees, you should look at credit unions. Three-quarters of credit unions do not have any fees.
No strings, no fees. Find small local banks who want your business who are also have lower minimum balances that they're requiring to avoid fees. Consolidate your accounts. If you have your savings in a CD, in a checking account bundled all in the same place, and you do online banking through the bank, direct bill pay, direct deposit, you might be able to avoid some of these fees.
Only use in-network ATMS. Carol, I have said this for years till I'm blue in the face. This is why banks charge fees that they can, because they know that you will pay them. Millions of people every day use an out-of-network ATM because it's convenient. Think of that. You pay 3 bucks to get $50 out. That's six percent you're paying on your own money.
People do it all the time. The banks know it. That's why they keep slapping on fees because people don't stop paying them. Don't bounce a check, pay on time or pay cash. I tell everyone to go to bankrate.com.
They've got a lot of analysis on what the fees are at different banks and credit unions and small banks so that you have all the information you need to decide who's going to be the guardian of your money, Carol.
COSTELLO: What was interesting on the floor of the Senate, Senator Dick Durbin really lashed back at Bank of America.
ROMANS: Yes.
COSTELLO: Because Bank of America actually blamed Congress for its, you know, new fee on debit cards. So, Senator Durbin stood up, he looked directly into the camera, which is, again, unusual. And this is what he had to say. Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. DICK DURBIN, (D) ILLINOIS: If they decide that they want to penalize their customers and nail them $5 a month, $3 a month, that's their decision. But I hope that what happens next is that bank customers across America realize they have the right to change their banks, to move to banks that aren't going to nail them with these fees that are driven by greed.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: And you're right, Christine. It is a pain in the you mow what to change banks.
(LAUGHTER)
COSTELLO: But, the consumer does have power. But, when you have that power, you have to use it, and many people don't.
ROMANS: That's right. They just don't. People don't walk. And one thing that's interesting because Senator Durbin, there are those who said his comments were irresponsible, Carol, because you don't want to be promoting a run on a Bank in America, which is essentially he was saying walk with your feet, get out of Bank of America.
But the banks and the banking industry is counting on the fact that you won't. They know that people over and over and over again pay fees like the ATM fee willingly. They walk to a bank that isn't theirs, and they pay twice to get their own money out. For whatever reason, consumers complain about this, but they don't actually do anything about it.
Congress tried to do something about it and had that card act so that you couldn't have your interest rate jacked up really high. Now, you have to give 30 days' notice if there are going to be any fees on your account.
So, you will have notice from your bank about these fees, but I would encourage everyone to really take a look at what the fees you're paying and what you can avoid, and look at those small community banks, look at those credit unions, and do something about it. I feel bad, when you look at some of these fees, Carol, I mean, they're really eating into people's incomes.
I mean, if your income isn't growing, your cost of living is growing a little bit, and the fees on your accounts are 120 bucks a year, I mean, you're losing money to have someone hold your money in the bank.
COSTELLO: Well, and the biggest frustration, I think, people have besides Bank of America because it's having problems, right?
ROMANS: Right.
COSTELLO: But, the CEOs of these banks are still making lots and lots of money, and most banks are still making enormous profits. So, it's like hmm. We'll see what happens.
ROMANS: Credit unions are not for profit. Just remember that. Banks are for-profit industries. I mean, their stated mission is to make money for shareholders.
COSTELLO: Gotcha. We'll talk more about it on "American Morning." Christine Romans, thank you, as always.
The guessing game involving New Jersey governor, Chris Christie, is over. His decision on whether to run for the White House, well, we know what it is finally. We'll explore what it means next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: Good morning. It is Wednesday, October 5th. This is your A.M. WAKE-UP CALL. I'm Carol Costello joining you live from New York. It is 43 minutes past the hour.
It is a new day in every sense of the word for Amanda Knox. She will be waking up in the United States for the first time in four years. Knox returned to the U.S. with her family yesterday, just one day after an Italian appeals court overturned her murder conviction in the death of her British roommate, Meredith Kercher.
Knox fought back tears as she spoke to reporters thanking her parents and her friends for their support during her time in prison.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
AMANDA KNOX, MURDER CONVICTION OVERTURNED: What's important for me is just saying thank you to everyone who has believed in me, who has defended me, who has supported my family. I just want -- my family is the most important thing to me right now, and I just want to go and be with them, so thank you for being there for me.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Italian prosecutors say they will appeal the Knox ruling to Italy's Supreme Court.
The Wall Street protesters are getting some reinforcements from groups who know a thing or two about demonstrations. Several unions are endorsing the so-called "Occupy Wall Street" movement and plan to join the protesters in New York's financial district today.
The protests started several weeks ago and have spread to several other cities. Members say they oppose corporate influence, social inequality, and other disparities between the rich and the poor. A new survey of veterans says a lot of them feel that the cost of war is too high. Let's head around the world with Zain Verjee. I find this poll really kind of depressing, actually.
VERJEE: It is. You know, the vets said that they don't think that the cost of war in Iraq and Afghanistan was necessarily worth it, and that's a pretty low number. What they're saying, too, though is that they're really proud that they went out there, and they're really proud of their service.
This poll also shows that a lot of vets are just generally ambivalent when they come back because they have benefits back home when they get to the U.S., but there are also a lot of real troubles that they face. They say it's been really hard to return to civilian life and readjust and just being normal again.
A lot of them, too, go through a lot of emotional and psychological scarring when they're out in war zones. And they just said that there's a massive gap of understanding between them and their families and their friends and the wider society when they come back home. So, it's a struggle -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Yes. You know, a lot of people make a show of supporting troops, but they don't really, really support them as far as, you know, being willing to pay for maybe medical care or volunteering at a veterans hospital or things like that which would really help out much more.
Let's talk about where you live over there in the UK, because we always hear that the Britons have a stiff upper lip, but it turns out that might be making them sick.
(LAUGHTER)
VERJEE: We're all really stressed here, really, really stressed. And the stiff upper lip's gone out the window when it comes to jobs because the biggest stress here in the UK is for people in the workplace feeling that they, at any moment, are about to lose their jobs.
I'm just looking at a survey that was done, and they say, essentially, it was that as well as people's work loads that they have to deal with, that it's become so intense. And they're also really stressed about the management style sometimes in the company that they work for.
So, a lot of experts are saying that the key thing for managers is to communicate with their staff and just let them know exactly what's going on. And then, also, to offer any kind of support services, counseling that they think any of the staff members may need. But, long-term sick leave here in the UK has actually become, you know, quite consistent because people are just so stressed that they -- it even beats cancer, just sick leave because of stress.
COSTELLO: Wow. Well, many Americans can relate exactly to what you're saying. VERJEE: Yes.
COSTELLO: Zain Verjee live in London, thanks so much.
Now a look at this day in history. If you're having a martini sometime today, order it shaken, not stirred, because you can pay tribute to Bond, James Bond. "Dr. No," the first movie that James Bond film series was released on October 5th, 1962. Now, you know. Forty-seven minutes past the hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: Ten minutes till the top of the hour.
Let's take a look at sports this morning. Don't make any plans to see your favorite NBA team any time soon. The league just canceled all 114 of its preseason games. Owners and players are negotiating a new collective bargaining agreement. One of the main issues, owners say the league is losing money, and they want players to take a pay cut.
To baseball now where the playoffs are in full swing. Plenty of sports to update you on. But first, check out these pictures. Adrian Beltre had a stellar night, hitting three homeruns for the Texas Rangers. Wow! Check out that cameraman getting a shot of Beltre as he rounds third base. Whoops!
(LAUGHTER)
COSTELLO: That's so embarrassing. But there's no crying in baseball, right? Well, maybe the Tampa Bay Rays are crying. Beltre's power surge helped the Rangers eliminate Tampa from the playoffs 3-1.
Three other games to tell you about. Philadelphia beats St. Louis. The Phillies now up 2-1. Arizona beats Milwaukee, but the Brewers still lead the series, 2-1. And of course, there was one more game that I have to tell you about, although, I don't really want to. My Detroit Tigers looking to knock the New York Yankees out of the playoffs, but it was a long night.
The Yankees win, 10-1. The series now tied at 2-2. And that's OK, Rob Marciano, because I am not worried, and in case all of you didn't know, I'm a Tigers fan. Rob is, well, a Yankees fan. Winner take all now, Rob. Game five is tomorrow night. Winner moves on. Loser goes home.
ROB MARCIANO, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Well, I'm glad you're not worried because everybody in Detroit is. I mean, the good news is, Carol, is that --
(LAUGHTER)
COSTELLO: It's not everybody in Detroit.
MARCIANO: We're guaranteeing a rain-free game five tomorrow night in the Bronx. How's that sound? COSTELLO: Thank goodness. That's great.
MARCIANO: Weather pattern is shifting just a little bit, and that's going to ushering much drier weather, but chilly weather. Let's start you up with some flight delays across this part of the country. The winds today will -- may knock down some -- not knock down planes but will cause some delays at some of the airports. San Francisco, strong in thunderstorms.
We've got some snow and rain out there, in Los Angeles and Vegas as well. Look at the storm system, powering the California, much like it would in November or December. So, this is a very winter-like storm, and we're seeing winter-like results. Snowing along the I-80 corridor and winter storm warnings are posted for the Sierra Nevadas. Five or 10 inches more, above five or 6,000, above 8,000 feet in the Wasatch of Utah.
And parts of the Colorado Rockies will see maybe a foot or more. Meanwhile, back at the ranch, here we go. Starting to see some cooler air move into the northeast. Morning lows in the 20s and 30s. Frost and freeze advisories and warnings have been posted, because the system that has been causing the unsettled weather across the northeast is finally moving out. And that means drier but cooler weather moving in.
Meanwhile, the heat continues to get pumped up across the nation's midsection. Temperatures in Pierre, South Dakota, yesterday over 90 degrees. My goodness. 86. Break out the bikini in Minneapolis, 78 degrees in Chicago, 84 degrees in Atlanta, and 70 degrees up there in New York (ph). Good luck to you tomorrow night and your Tigers. It's a feel-good story, sort of, but I think the Yankees will be playing Texas come the weekend.
COSTELLO: If Detroit's hitters wake up, you're in trouble.
MARCIANO: Yes. If.
COSTELLO: Yes.
MARCIANO: Too little letters and lots of names.
COSTELLO: Oh, whatever, Yankee's fan. Go away Yankee's fan
MARCIANO: I'll see you at six o'clock.
COSTELLO: All right. Thanks, Rob.
It's just before 6:00 in the morning. Do you know how your spouse is spending the family money? The results of a new poll may force you to start asking a lot of questions.
But first, let's take a look at the "Word of the Day." You may soon start hearing a lot of people say they're going to use their Siri function. Find out what that means and why you need to know right after this break. It's six minutes till the top of the hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: It is three minutes until the top of the hour. This is your A.M. WAKE-UP CALL. Now, back to our word of the day. You may soon start hearing a lot of people say they're going to use their Siri function.
Siri is Apple's new voice application feature on the new iPhone 4-s. Apple says Siri understands what you say and can use it to do a number of things including sending messages, scheduling meetings, and making phone calls. Now, you know.
Let's head to the NASDAQ MarketSite and check in with Carter Evans. How are the numbers looking this morning, Carter?
CARTER EVANS, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Well, you know, our futures are kind of mixed. We've got a report on the mortgage index coming up today, a report on the service sector. We're also getting that ADP employment report today.
That's an indication of what we might expect when we get the jobs report from the government on Friday. (INAUDIBLE) from CNNMoney premarket page down 24 points for the Dow. NASDAQ up --
COSTELLO: Did we lose him?
EVANS: This today on CNNMoney.com, Moody's downgrading Italy, knocking its credit down three notches, saying it has some serious structural financial problems, so the European debt woes continue.
COSTELLO: Ooh. And, of course, that never means good news for, you know, us here in the United States. Tell us about this new poll when it comes to spouses sort of not telling the other spouse honestly how they're spending their money.
EVANS: Yes. It shows that 24 percent of spouses cheat, financially. Financially, that is. Basically saying 24 percent say they would not tell their spouse if they were having financial problems. The main concern is that it would damage the relationship. The other concern is that they say their spouse doesn't really know anything.
Don't want to get them all concerned about it. I guess, the good news is 76 percent of people say two heads are better than one when solving financial problems. By the way, I heard you talking with Christine Romans about all these new Citibank charges. Here's my letter from Citibank telling me that I'm getting a downgrade in service, and for that privilege, I get to pay more. Nice, huh?
COSTELLO: They actually said you're getting a downgrade in service, but you'll pay -- I mean, a downgrade in service, they admitted that?
EVANS: They said they're changing my checking account. I had a unique account, and the one that they're giving -- the one that they're changing it into is now the lower level account. And it costs more. COSTELLO: Fantastic.
EVANS: Nice.
COSTELLO: And I mean that sarcastically. Carter Evans, many thanks to you. "AMERICAN MORNING" continues right now.
