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American Morning: Wake Up Call

Deadly Quake Hits Turkey; President Obama's New Economic Strategy; Search For Baby Lisa; Pilot In 2009 Crash Not Qualified; Obama's New Economic Strategy

Aired October 24, 2011 - 05:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

ALI VELSHI, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. It is Monday, October 24th.

This is your A.M. WAKE-UP CALL. I'm Ali Velshi, joining you live this morning from New York.

Well, a frantic search for earthquake victims -- for earthquake survivors under way this morning in eastern Turkey. A powerful 7.2- magnitude quake hit near the border with Iran yesterday, killing at least 217 people and injuring some 350 others. It was centered near the city of Van.

Hundreds more are believed to have died in what's said to be the most powerful quake to hit Turkey in more than 10 years. Rescue workers used everything from their hands to shovels to cranes, to reach trapped survivors crying out for help amid the rubble.

A reporter in Van describes the scene there.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REPORTER: Let me tell you, it's really, really cold. It's like in some areas, it's, you know, zero Celsius degrees, literally freezing. And there's no electricity in most of the city. No natural gas. I mean, the survivors are now trying to survive the cold weather at the same time.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELSHI: Turkey is especially vulnerable to earthquakes because it sits on major geological fault lines.

An autopsy confirms that Moammar Gadhafi died from a gunshot wound to the head. We want to warn you -- the following images are very graphic. Now, what doctors didn't reveal is whether the ousted Libyan leader was shot in a crossfire or killed by rebels who captured him last Thursday. The U.N. is calling for an investigation into his death.

Meanwhile, people lined up over the weekend to view his corpse. The family wants his body handed over so they can give him a proper burial.

As the international community asks more questions, many Libyans are celebrating Gadhafi's death. Libya's interim leader declared the nation's freedom yesterday from the dictator that they feared and hated. Now, announcement came amid wild celebrations in the central square in Benghazi, the very place where the revolt against Gadhafi started eight months ago.

CNN's Nick Paton Walsh was there.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: In a speech, he called on Libyans to remember their brothers (INAUDIBLE) clearly a sign he needs to appeal to the goodwill of individuals here to begin on the hard road ahead toward reconstruction, development and trying to create some kind of post-Gadhafi world where high expectations and the like, held by ordinary Libyans will somehow be translated into improvements in their ordinary daily lives.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELSHI: The ruling National Transitional Council says it will hold its first elections for a national congress within the next eight months.

Well, they're counting votes this morning in Tunisia, the country where the Arab spring uprising first started 10 months ago, held the region's first free elections yesterday. Jubilant voters flocked to the polls to cast ballots for a new constitutional assembly. More than 60 political parties and thousands of independent candidates competed for 218 seats. The first results are expected on Tuesday.

The revolt that toppled Tunisia's long-time president triggered similar uprisings across North Africa and the Middle East.

With his jobs bill a no go in Congress, President Obama is shifting gears in a bid to jump-start the economy. "The New York Times" reports the president will propose executive branch actions to tackle such problems as housing and education during a three-day western trip, which starts today.

The first stop is Las Vegas. "The Times" says he'll push for new rules for federally-guaranteed mortgages so that more homeowners with little or no equity can refinance and avoid losing their homes to foreclosure. Now, in Denver, "The Times" says Mr. Obama will announce policy changes to ease repayment of federal loans by college graduates.

A 32-year-old shark attack victim is being remembered by family and friends as unique and one of a kind. George Thomas Wainwright of Texas was killed yesterday while scuba-diving off Western Australia. Police say the attack happened near a popular tourist spot in the waters off of the city of Perth. They said the bite marks on Wainwright's body indicate a great white shark probably attacked him.

His sister spoke with a CNN affiliate WMBB.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BRENDA WAINWRIGHT, SHARK ATTACK VICTIM'S SISTER: I think it was the wrong place, wrong time because he was very wise. I would trust him with anything to do with being on the water. I always had complete confidence in his skills.

WANDA BRANNON, SHARK ATTACK VICTIM'S SISTER: He was an extraordinary person. He was one of a kind and he, you know, like my sister said, he's more than just a quick news spot. He was our brother. And we loved him. And he will be missed.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELSHI: Wainwright's death was the second fatal shark attack near Perth in the past two weeks.

All right. Let's go to our friend, meteorologist Rob Marciano from Atlanta.

Good morning, Rob. What are we expecting in terms of flight delays this morning?

ROB MARCIANO, AMS METEOROLOGIST: A little bit. We got a weak storm that's moving across the Great Lakes. We're going to talk about that.

Plus, what's shaking down in the Tropics, Ali, still hurricane season. So, what's happening down there is certainly of concern to us, and we may have something that's going to be making its way in our direction.

Let's right to it. First off, the travel delays like you wanted, Atlanta, low clouds, Detroit, Cleveland, some thunderstorms in the morning and afternoon wind. And some showers possible in Miami, some fog in Memphis. So, not a terrible big deal.

But the front that's moving across and developing through the plains, that not only is going to bring some colder air, but may drop temperatures from Denver from 78 to the 30s, maybe a little snow there by the end of the week.

All right. Here's tropical storm Rina and the projected right now just off the coastline of Honduras and Nicaragua, with a weak 40- mile-an-hour strength. But expect it to become stronger through the next couple of days, potentially becoming a hurricane as it gets closer to Cancun towards the end of the week. So, that certainly has us worried if it gets into the Gulf of Mexico as we go towards the weekend and the beginning of next week. We're watching that very carefully.

Also watching this or done watching it, I should say, Ali. You know, we've talked about this other satellite that was going to come crashing back to earth. This one a German one, and it did so, Saturday night. Sometime between 9:45 and 10:15 Eastern Time, took about 15 minutes to hit the ground. There it is, about two tons' worth of it.

They think it broke apart into about 30 pieces and fell somewhere over the Indian Ocean, or potentially in mainland China. And, as you know, some of the city there is are very populated. It's possible that some of the debris came down there. But they think if it hit anybody, or anybody saw it or any sort of structures, we would have had reports by now. We haven't seen that.

So, satellite number two has gone, come and gone and has hit the ground hopefully to nothing big as far as damage is concerned.

VELSHI: Yes. We haven't heard anything about any damage or injuries as a result of this thing.

MARCIANO: And no more satellites on the docket, at least for now, that will be crashing back to earth.

VELSHI: Very good, my friend, I'll talk to you a little later on this morning. Rob Marciano for us in the weather center in Atlanta.

Late-night comedians are saying good-bye to Gadhafi in their own special way. Here's your morning punch line.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIPS)

JON STEWART, HOST, "THE DAILY SHOW WITH JON STEWART": Of course, with this sort of event, there's always the question of proof.

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: There's a photograph that has been published from the news agency, AFP. We want to warn you about that. It's quite graphic.

(LAUGHTER)

STEPHEN COLBERT, HOST, "THE COLBERT REPORT": Now, Gadhafi's death was difficult to confirm, since every living picture of him could be confused for a death photo.

Nation, I say we need to stay vigilant here. Gadhafi with a "G" may be gone, but we still have not captured Qadaffi, Kaddafi, Gathafi, and Channukah.

(LAUGHTER)

(END VIDEO CLIPS)

VELSHI: All right. Steve Jobs, the genius you didn't know. A new biography sheds light on the co-founder of Apple. It's a very interesting story. We'll have details of that coming up next.

But, first, our "Quote of the Day," quote, "We are sick of you criticizing us and telling us what to do." That's one what one world leader said to another. Find out who was on the giving and receiving end of that quote in 90 seconds.

It is eight minutes after the hour.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

VELSHI: It is 10 minutes after the hour. This is your A.M. WAKE-UP CALL.

Back to our "Quote of the Day." "We're sick of you criticizing us as telling us what to do." That was French President Nicolas Sarkozy. Diplomats say he directed that at British Prime Minister David Cameron during a European Union meeting over the weekend. The leaders gathered to try to solve the European debt crisis.

All right. Steve Jobs. We know him as the driving force behind all things Apple. But what was Jobs like as a person, as a boss, and as someone who lost the battle against cancer?

Walter Isaacson provides some revealing answers in his new biography titled simply "Steve Jobs," which goes on sale today. When Jobs was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer seven years ago, he put off surgery for nine months, much to the dismay of his doctors and family. Asked why, he told Isaacson that he didn't want his body to be opened. Isaacson talked about the Jobs he came to know in an interview in "60 Minutes."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WALTER ISAACSON, AUTHOR, "STEVE JOBS": He was very petulant. He could be very brittle. He could be very, very mean to people at times. And whether it was to a waitress in a restaurant or to a guy who he stayed up all night coding, he could just really just go at them, and say, "You're doing this all wrong. It's horrible."

And you would say, why did you do that? Why weren't you nicer? And he'd say, "I really want to be with people who demand perfection. And this is who I am."

He was raised in a place that was just learning how to turn Silicon into gold. It had not yet been named Silicon Valley. But you had the defense industry, you had Hewlett-Packard. But you also had the counter-culture, the Bay Area. That entire brew came together in Steve Jobs. He was sort of a hippie-ish, rebel kid, loved listening to Dylan music, dropped acid, but also, he loved electronics.

He was not the world's greatest managers. In fact, he could have been one of the world's worst managers. You know, he was always, you know, up-ending things and throwing things into turmoil. This made great products, but it didn't make for a great management style.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELSHI: Steve Jobs, as you know, died of cancer on October 5th. He was 56 years old.

Well, gas stations in space, NASA is taking a good, hard look at the idea. Of course, NASA calls them propellant depots. "The New York Times" reports that engineers will meet next month in Washington to talk more about it and how it could help make missions to Mars, the moon or asteroids more feasible. They've added the idea around before, but a just-completed six-month study is adding more so-called fuel to the discussion.

With his jobs bill going nowhere in Congress for now, President Obama hits the road today with a new mantra. Just ahead, how he's now saying he's going to confront the economic situation that is facing America.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

VELSHI: Well, for President Obama to those who want his job, late-night comedians just can't get enough of the political headlines. Here's your morning punch line.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIPS)

CONAN O'BRIEN, COMEDIAN: Herman Cain said today of his rivals that he had the greatest admiration for Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich. I thought that was nice, yes. The former pizza executive said he respects Mitt Romney as a businessman and Newt Gingrich as a customer. So --

(LAUGHTER)

O'BRIEN: You remember the story, there was a truck filled with President Obama's teleprompters and it went missing? Well, the stolen truck carrying President Obama's teleprompters has been recovered. But one of the teleprompters still gone. Yes.

Meanwhile, Joe Biden's teleprompter has taken its own life. Shot itself.

(LAUGHTER)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELSHI: Time now for your Political Ticker with Tim Farley, host of "Morning Briefing" on Sirius XM POTUS, live from Washington.

Good morning, Tim. Good to see you again, my friend.

TIM FARLEY, SIRIUS XM POTUS: You, too. You, too, Ali. Good to see you.

VELSHI: All right. President Obama heads out west a week after his east coast tour. And he's hitting the road, with a brand-new mantra, probably one we're going to hear for the next year or so.

Your thoughts?

FARLEY: Well, yes. It's got tweeted out by the White House yesterday. "We can't wait" is going to replace "pass this bill" perhaps because "pass this bill" didn't work. And we had a couple of pieces of the bill that were up for a vote in the Senate which went down to defeat.

The Senate, by the way, is out this week. The House is here, but no action on the president.

So why not?

This visit, though, Ali, I think when you look at it closely, is all about money and about the Latino vote, the Hispanic vote, that the president carried so successfully in 2008. And they don't want to go back to 2004 when George W. Bush got about 44 percent of the Hispanic vote.

Clearly, the president is going to be talking money. There's -- we look at today, there may be something on the mortgage markets here because as you well know, Nevada is just in the toilet when it comes to mortgages. So, that's one of the things I think he's going to be focusing on today, too.

VELSHI: So, you know, I think for the average viewer who doesn't follow politics as closely as others do, it's unclear whether these trips are campaigning or whether they are as the president said, in his speech to the joint session of Congress, this is him taking his message to every corner of the country. I guess the bottom line is, are these kind of trips necessary for policy? Or do they just give the GOP more ammunition to say that the president is out on the hustings when he should be governing?

VELSHI: Now, the president is the president wherever he is. And he govern wherever he is, too. So, I guess it depends on how well it's presented. But note that the big, big fundraisers are going to be behind closed doors. He's going to be having dinner or some sort of an event at Melanie Griffin and Antonio Banderas' house, and also one with Will Smith and Jada Pinkett's. Those are no cameras allowed for those events.

So, what he public will see, to your point, Ali, is they will the president talking about things -- substantive things -- and pushing Republicans. But it does sort of fit in with policy. And this is what every president has to deal with when he's running for re-election, I guess.

VELSHI: I know that these primary and caucus calendars are remarkably important. Nevada has now pushed back the date of its caucus. It does seem to be one of those things again for the audience that thinks that they want to hear about policy and decide who to vote for for the president. This seems to be whole lot of insider process.

But where do we stand now on these primaries and caucuses?

FARLEY: Yes. And to your point about the number of people, with 20 million people having watched the debates, about 5.5 million, the CNN debate alone last week -- let's note that there are some people engaged in this. And the people in Iowa and New Hampshire are very engaged. We're looking at the 3rd of January for Iowa; the 10th probably for New Hampshire, followed quickly by South Carolina and Florida.

In those states, we're going to see this campaign unfold rather quickly I think you'll see, probably Mitt Romney try to win in New Hampshire. He's more or less favored to win there. And Iowa may be a Rick Perry state or it may be a Herman Cain state. I don't know. It sort of depends on how it shakes out.

The thing is, once we get through January, we're going to see who's got the money to continue and that I think will determine where we are when it comes to finally selecting a Republican nominee.

VELSHI: If after these four, Tim, we don't have great performances by Gingrich, by Ron Paul, by Michele Bachmann, by Rick Santorum, and Jon Huntsman, are they out by January?

FARLEY: I believe you're right. Absolutely. I think they are.

And as a matter of fact, if they can't be out by the end of January, they're going to have a tough time making it through February because there are no contests there. And it's just going to be who's got the money to go on after that. And I think that you're probably right. That will -- that will thin the herd.

VELSHI: Right. All right, Tim, always great to see you. Thanks very much for joining us again this morning as always. Tim Farley, the host of "Morning Briefing" on Sirius XM POTUS.

All right. Remember all the debris from the tsunami that hit Japan? Some scientists are saying it could reach Hawaii's shores sooner than predicted. We'll have details on that straight ahead.

But, first, a suggestion -- a special suggestion as you pack your lunch today. Throw a slice of bologna on your sandwich that's because today is National Bologna Day. The lunch meat named after the city in northern Italy, which is not called baloney. It's Bologna. It's probably the only food with its own theme song.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED KID: My bologna has a first name, it's O-S-C-A-R. My bologna has a second name, it's M-A-Y-E-R. I love to eat it every day and if you ask my why, I'll say, because Oscar Mayer has a way with B-O-L-O-G-N-A.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELSHI: And thanks to that commercial, we all know how to spell bologna. That, of course, was the Oscar Mayer commercial aired back in 1973. One of the best commercials ever aired. How many of you still found yourself singing along with it?

It is 21 minutes after the hour.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

VELSHI: After a visit from the U.S. secretary of state, the Afghan president is raising some eyebrows on Pakistani television.

Let's go around the world with my good friend, Monita Rajpal who joins us now live from London.

Good morning, Monita.

MONITA RAJPAL, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Good morning, Ali.

Yes, as you were just saying, you remember Secretary of State Clinton visited the Afghan leader. Now, President Hamid Karzai has some pretty strong words that just don't seem to favor the United States. On a broadcast this weekend on Pakistani GOTV network, Karzai said, quote, "God forbid if any war took place between Pakistan and the United States, we will stand by Pakistan." And he went on to say, "If Pakistan is attacked and if the people of Pakistan needed Afghanistan's help, Afghanistan will be there with you."

Now, the odds of a war between the U.S. and Pakistan aren't particularly high. It is believed that these words were to soften some statements he had made earlier, angry comments he made over Pakistan's support for Afghan insurgent groups. Again, a bit of a surprise, but after what has been considered a successful visit last week with the secretary of state -- Ali.

VELSHI: Very interesting comments.

All right. Monita, let's talk about the trash, the debris from the earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan. We've always known that it's heading toward Hawaii. But there's some news that it might be getting there substantially faster than we expected.

What do we know about this?

RAJPAL: Yes, a lot sooner than was predicted. It's a kind of wave that Hawaiians probably aren't used to. It's a wave of garbage, and we've seen the images there wrecked fishing boats, furniture and other source of debris and again headed towards Hawaii.

According to some, it's coming a lot sooner than expected. The debris washed out to sea after a tsunami roared ashore in Japan last March. Now, as much as 20 tons of trash, 20 tons is floating in the Pacific Ocean. And researchers are saying the currents are carrying it toward Hawaii.

One of the reasons for the adjustment is that this Russian ship, it reports that a few weeks back, it came across some debris, plastic bottles, even refrigerators and TV sets. They aren't exactly sure when the wave will arrive, but they do believe it's now moving, as w were saying, faster than they predicted. And it may arrive at Midway Island next spring, but it's nearly there already. And Hawaii could see the trash wash up on their shores -- get this -- in less than two years, Ali.

VELSHI: It's remarkable. When you look at those pictures, you see, as you said, boats. But you see cars, trucks. I saw an airplane and a helicopter. It will be interesting to see how much of that survives, how much of it doesn't sink by the time it gets there. But that will be quite a bunch of stuff to see wash up on the shores.

Thanks, Monita. We'll talk to you again, soon -- Monita Rajpal joining us from London.

A new video may help crack the case of a missing 11-month-old Missouri girl. A closer look at this surveillance video and what investigators hope to learn from it when we come back.

Also, it's week five of the Michael Jackson death trial. Is the defense ready to defend Dr. Conrad Murray? We'll tell you on the way back.

It's 26 minutes after the hour.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

VELSHI: Good morning. It is Monday, October the 24th.

This is your A.M. WAKE-UP CALL. I'm Ali Velshi joining you live from New York this morning. It's 30 minutes after the hour.

One of the two men charged in an alleged plot to kill Saudi's ambassador to the U.S. will be arraigned in New York this morning. Manssor Arbabsiar is accused of giving an undercover informant a $100,000 down payment for the hit. Federal investigators say the alleged scheme is tied to Iran's Quds force, but Iran's president shut down any connection in a CNN interview over the weekend. The second suspect remains at large.

It's day 20 in the search for an 11-month-old Missouri girl, and now, new video may help crack the case. This surveillance video shows an unknown person walking on the road at 2:00 a.m., about two hours before Lisa Irwin was reported missing and just two miles from her home.

Police have been searching that home after cadaver dogs picked up the scent of a body there. A family lawyer says the suspicions around the parents are distracting.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CYNDY SHORT, IRWIN FAMILY ATTORNEY: It really breaks your heart that we have been looking the wrong direction. And as a result of that, we might not get the happy ending that we want. That's what I'm sad about.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELSHI: Sunday, the girl's parents joined a candlelight vigil outside their home.

In Arizona, relatives of a missing five-year-old girl are planning to march on the state capital today. They're hoping to draw national attention to the search for Jesse Shockly. She disappeared two weeks ago. Now, according to reports, her older siblings were supposed to be watching her when she wandered out of the family's suburban Phoenix apartment.

E-mails from a lawsuit filed by victims' families reveal concerns that the pilot in a New York plane crash couldn't properly fly that aircraft. The 2009 tragedy near Buffalo killed 50 people. The e- mails show Colgan Air officials had doubts about letting the pilot into the cockpit because he had not advanced far enough in his training. The NTSB ruled the pilot, Marvin Renslow, was at fault in the crash.

Today, the much-anticipated Steve Jobs' biography goes on sale less than three weeks after the Apple co-founder's death. Jobs gave former "Time" magazine editor, Walter Isaacson more than 40 interviews for the book, simply titled "Steve Jobs." Isaacson tells "60 minutes," Jobs insisted things be done even if they couldn't be.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WALTER ISAACSON, STEVE JOBS' BIOGRAPHER: When he was creating original Macintosh, Steve Jobs would come in and he would say, we need to have this done by next month. And people would say no, no. You can't actually write this much code by next month. And he would say yes, you can do it.

And in the end, he would not take no for an answer, and he would sort of make a dent in the universe he wanted to. He would bend reality, and they would accomplish it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELSHI: The book was initially supposed to come out in November, but when Jobs died on October 5th, the publisher pushed up the release date.

All right. When you switch phone companies, you can keep your phone number. We all know that, but what happens when you switch banks, generally speaking, you get a completely different account number which makes it kind of unappetizing to switch banks even if you don't like your bank. Well, two lawmakers are hoping to make it super easy for you. I'll tell you that story in just a few seconds. It's 33 minutes after the hour.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

VELSHI: The big money story today, the euro debt crisis. Isn't that kind of the big money story most days? It appears Europe's leaders are getting closer to coming up with a deal. Haven't I heard that one before, too? Let's go to Carter Evans live here in New York.

Carter, are you live or is this a taped replay of something you've said before, because I feel like we've had this discussion.

CARTER EVANS, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: I think we've had this discussion many times.

VELSHI: Prove that you're live. Do something --

(CROSSTALK)

EVANS: OK. I'm going to pull my ear right now.

VELSHI: OK. That proves it. You're live. Go ahead.

EVANS: Here's the thing -- you know, we've been hearing about this euro zone in debt plan for a very long time, and leaders over there have been on the verge of one for a long time, but they've got a lot of different countries that have got to agree on a very uncomfortable plan for a lot of them. They say they made some real progress over the weekend, but they're not quite there yet.

That's kind of what we expected to happen on Friday. So, this is where we were on Friday. Now, it's looking like Wednesday is the big day. On Wednesday, European finance leaders say we will know what their solution is to the debt crisis over there. They say it is very intricate and complicated plan, and they'll be ready to talk about it on Wednesday. So, to be continued once more.

VELSHI: OK. I -- I -- this next story, I don't know how I feel about this largely because I feel like I'm not sure we need to regulate something that's going to cost the banks more money, because then that results in us paying more money, but there's something enticing about the idea that I can change my bank account and keep the same bank account number.

EVANS: Well, look, nobody wants any more regulations. That's for sure. You know, just creates a bunch of hassle, but I think when you feel like you've been taken advantage of so many times, a lot of people feel like they may need new regulations to kind of stick it to the banks or to keep the banks from sticking it to them.

So, this is an idea that's been introduced as a bill right now before Congress to allow you to basically take your bank account number with you wherever you go. Kind of like you do your cell phone number now.

VELSHI: Right.

EVANS: And the idea is to make it easier to change banks. Right now, it's so difficult. You have to change all your direct deposits, all your billed pays, all your automatic payments, those sorts of things. It can be very, very difficult to switch a bank. So, that kind of puts the favor on the bank's side when they're raising fees and doing things like that, because you're looking at these fees and saying, well, maybe I am willing to pay a little bit more, because it is such a big hassle to move.

So, the idea is to allow you to bring your account number with you to make it easier to move. Of course, the banks say, well, this is just going to make it more expensive for us, and of course, that means we're just going to pass it on to the rest of you.

VELSHI: You know what I would do, I would say, aside from the regulation, if I were a good bank, and there are some, I love my bank, that charges virtually no fees and has really good service and really long hours and really nice people, I would just say, we'll set up a system where if you transfer to us, maybe you don't get to keep your same number, maybe you do.

But, we will just make it really easy. We'll sort of take over everything in your account and make it easy to transfer everything, because I think it is next to impossible. The reason people don't change their bank accounts is because it's just such a pain to do it.

EVANS: I think it's a pain to do it, too, and I think that there is room within the private sector to do this as well. Someone could come up with a plan and say, hey, we're the only bank in the U.S. that you can come here instantly. Next week, everything will be set up for you.

VELSHI: All right. Carter, if you have a little capital on the side, you and me --

(CROSSTALK)

VELSHI: Bank of Ali and Carter. Whichever you like. All right. Good to see you, my friend. I'll see you about 20 minutes. Carter Evans at the NASDAQ MarketSite.

All right. It's set to be another big week in the trial against Michael Jackson's doctor. What you can expect when we come back.

But first, my favorite part of the show, time for to you "Get Smart." It's our "Get Smart" question of the day. We are a week away from Halloween. So, better start thinking about your costume if you have it already. Today's question, listen up, what is the most searched-for Halloween costume on Google? A. Is it Charlie Sheen, B. Is it Angry Birds, or C. Is it a ghost? The answer in two minutes on WAKE-UP CALL monster mash.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

VELSHI: You are not a very creative bunch. It's 40 minutes after the hour. This is your A.M. WAKE-UP CALL. I'm Ali Velshi.

Here's the answer to your "Get Smart" question of the day. What was the most searched for Halloween costume on Google? A. Charlie Sheen, B. Angry Birds, or C. A ghost? Now, I would have been entirely disappointed in you if it were a ghost. It's not, the answer is B, angry birds. Really? And "Black Swan," the Natalie Portman character from the movie was second on the list.

That is -- I hated that movie. That was two hours I am never getting back in my life. Third most searched for costume was the Playboy bunny. Really? It's 2011. The Playboy bunny? (INAUDIBLE) I'm going to totally win the Halloween costume contest this year.

All right. It's week five of Michael Jackson death trial. The prosecution is wrapping up its case, and Dr. Conrad Murray's defense team will soon begin calling its own witnesses. CNN's Ted Rowlands is in Los Angeles with more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: When court resumes, Dr. Steven Shaffer will still be on the stand. He testified last week for the prosecution. This is the prosecution's most important witness. They're just finishing up with him. What he's been able to do is establish for the jury what the prosecution believes happened the night Michael Jackson died.

After he's off the stand, the defense will start its case in chief, and we expect to hear among others from some character witnesses. These are going to be Dr. Murray's patients from Las Vegas and Houston. They will come in and tell the jury that he's not such a bad guy. In fact, that he's been a fantastic doctor for them.

Then, the most important witness will take the stand for the defense, Dr. Paul White. He's basically the counter to the prosecution's expert on propofol. White and Dr. Steven Shaffer were actually colleagues. They are actually colleagues. And White is going to be paramount for the defense.

He will have to answer the questions that were raised by Shaffer in the prosecution. We expect he'll take the stand either Wednesday or Thursday, and we expect that he will be the defense's last witness, unless, we don't expect it, they bring Dr. Conrad Murray to the stand. Bottom line, the case should end up, if Murray doesn't take the stand, at the end of the week.

Ted Rowlands, CNN, Los Angeles.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VELSHI: And of course, we'll keep following that on CNN.

Now, to today's sports headlines, another tragic accident during a race.

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VELSHI (voice-over): This time, it was an international motorcycle star. Marco Simoncelli was killed in a crash while racing in Malaysia. Look at that crash. His bike swerved across the track, and he was hit by fellow bikers. His helmet was knocked off. He lay motionless. Simoncelli was given emergency treatment at the track, but he did not survive. He was just 24 years old.

That deadly accident comes a week after the death of IndyCar driver, Dan Wheldon. A memorial was held for Wheldon in Indianapolis. The 33-year-old was killed after a fiery wreck in Las Vegas on October 16th. Other drivers remembered Wheldon for his charm, sense of humor, and his devotion to fans.

TONY KANAAN, WHELDON'S FORMER TEAMMATE: I like you guys. I'm grateful for the time we got to spend with him on earth. And all to that bit of time is done, our time together is not over. We have our memories. We have our feelings. And one day, we'll be together again. (END VIDEO CLIP)

VELSHI (on-camera): Wheldon was a two-time Indy 500 winner. He leaves behind a wife and two children.

In other sports news, a pitching gem by a young arm helped the Texas Rangers even the World Series at two games.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VELSHI (voice-over): Derrick Holland pitched eight and a third innings of a two-hit ball. He struck out seven batters. He didn't give up any runs to the potent Cardinals lineup. Josh Hamilton hit an RBI double in the first inning. That was all the rangers needed. They go on to win four, nothing. Game five tonight in Texas

Check out Green Bay's Charles Woodson, good interception, but it's what happens right after this that got our attention. The packers are playing on the road in Minnesota, but he spots a young Green Bay fan, take a look, he hands her the ball. Check out the smile on her face. Add that to the TV time she got. And safe to say, she'll be a pretty popular girl at school today. Plus, the Packers won to improve their record to 7-0.

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VELSHI (on-camera): Rescue crews are moving as fast as they can in hopes of finding more survivors after that powerful earthquake that hit Turkey. Live report from the quake zone coming up next.

But first, this day in history, as you walk out the door for your eight-hour shift, think back to October 24th, 1940. That day was the start of the standard 40-hour work week. The Fair Labor Standards Act was signed into law by President Roosevelt two years earlier. It also established a federal minimum wage, overtime pay, and child labor laws. So, thank that date for 9 to 5. It's 45 minutes after the hour.

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VELSHI: Good morning. It is Monday, October the 24th. This is your A.M. WAKE-UP CALL. I'm Ali Velshi in for Carol Costello. I'm joining you live this morning from New York. The time is now 5:47 on the East.

This morning, it's a frantic search for survivors in Turkey. Sunday's 7.2-magnitude earthquake ripped through the eastern part of the country near Iran. It killed 217 people, injured 350 more at least. The death toll is expected to rise.

Diana Magnay is in Ercis, Turkey. Diana, we understand just getting to some villages to help those who are in need has been very difficult. What are the problems?

DIANA MAGNAY, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Ali. Well, this is a remote part of Turkey. Ercis, where I am, I've just been visited by the interior minister who up (INAUDIBLE) here saying 169 people died here, 95 in the sort of regional main city of Van, which is about 100 kilometers away from me. They do expect that death toll to rise, but interestingly, he said that it wasn't rising as fast as they had feared.

There are supplies coming into the area. There is food, a little bit of food. They are trying very hard to rebuild the electricity supplies to get water flowing again, but that hasn't happened yet. He said the biggest problem is actually getting tents and accommodation for people. but that this evening, the Red Crescent would be distributing 7,000 tents that will hopefully be able to give some kind of shelter to all those people made homeless tonight -- Ali.

VELSHI: The issue, of course, continues to be the temperature. Whether there's rain in the forecast. For those who did survive, getting those tents will be helpful, but it's going to be cold.

MAGNAY: It is extremely cold at night. And many of the people here who've been waiting for news of loved ones were out throughout the night. As the search and rescue efforts continue and as you can see behind me, they are still going. They've been using dogs. They used that sound technique to listen out in silence and see whether there are any knockings and any sounds coming from within the rubble.

But since day broke, certainly in the two or three sites that we have visited for this -- while the search and rescue keeps going, they say that they haven't heard any noises. And also, of course, what made the nighttime searching far more difficult, Ali, was the fact that there were numerous aftershocks. One man said he felt at least 16, which of course, hampers those efforts to find people -- Ali.

VELSHI: All right. Diana, thanks very much. We'll keep checking in with you. Diana Magnay in Turkey.

An autopsy confirms that Moammar Gadhafi died from a gunshot wound to the head. Now, we want to warn you, the images you're about to see are very graphic. What doctors didn't reveal was whether the ousted Libyan leader was shot in a crossfire or killed by the rebels who captured him last Thursday. The U.N. is calling for an investigation into the circumstances of his death.

With his jobs bill a no-go in Congress, President Obama shifting gears in a bid to jumpstart the economy. "The New York Times" reports the president will propose executive branch actions to tackle problems like the housing and education problems during a three-day western trip. That starts today, first stop is Las Vegas.

"The New York Times" says he'll push for new rules for federally- guaranteed mortgages so that more home owners with little or no equity can refinance and avoid losing their homes to foreclosure. In Denver, the "Times" says Mr. Obama will announce policy changes to ease repayment of federal loans by college graduates.

Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords is set to begin intensive rehab today in North Carolina. She arrived in Asheville yesterday to continue her recovery from being shot in the head back in January. Giffords' office says her therapy sessions will last until November 4th.

Let's go straight to meteorologist, Rob Marciano, live in Atlanta. Good morning, Rob. How is it looking? How are flights looking this morning?

ROB MARCIANO, AMS METEOROLOGIST: So far, so good. We've got little bit of a cluster of thunderstorm that's heading across the Great Lakes right now. I want to show it to you on radar, and then, we'll get cranking through the rest of the country. There you go, heading into the Toledo and Cleveland area through Detroit. So, those are the spots that will see delays, at least, this morning.

But this fairly fast-mover, so in the afternoon, just wind behind it may cause some problems. Some showers across Miami. Memphis a little bit of fog this morning. Also, some fog in Atlanta and some patchy areas across the parts of the mid south. A couple of fronts to speak of, one of which is going to, well, develop into a decent storm as we get towards the middle and later part of the week.

And that will drop temperatures significantly from, say, 78 in Denver to well into the 30s by the time we get towards the weekend. As far as what's cooking with tropical storm Rina, winds of 40 miles an hour, and the forecast track brings it towards Cancun, potentially, becoming a hurricane by the weekend. And yes, that would bring a closer to the Gulf of Mexico.

We'll have to watch this one carefully. Hurricane season, as you know, right through the end of November. We had thunderstorms across Texas over the weekend. Some damage video coming in through North Texas just outside the Dallas area. There you see the thunder and lightning. Came in around one, two, three o'clock in the morning.

And even some cows from a local -- chick-fil-A took some of the damage there. Of course, as you know, Ali, chick-fil-A closed on Sunday so they had time to pick up the pieces before they open up this morning.

VELSHI: You know, I wonder when you're going to tell me that that part of Texas just gets normal weather. Like, it's just temperate and fine. It's not a crazy storm.

MARCIANO: It's part of the fun of living in Texas. That's what makes the people who are from Texas so proud.

VELSHI: They're hardy folk. All right, Rob. Good to see you, my friend. I'll talk to you later.

MARCIANO: Sounds good.

VELSHI: It's a risky idea for people struggling to pay their mortgages. Now, two Georgia lawmakers are under fire for even bringing it up. The story and a live report from the NASDAQ MarketSite when we come back.

But first, let's take a look at the "Word of the Day." It is duqu. Duqu? Duqu? I don't know. Find out what it means -- that much I know -- and why you need to know it right after the short break. It is 53-and-a-half minutes after the hour.

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VELSHI: Fifty-seven after the hour. This is your A.M. WAKE-UP CALL.

Now, time for our "Word of the Day." It is duqu or something of that nature. It's the latest sophisticated computer worm. It's designed to copy keystrokes and steal information from machines that are infected with it. Researchers are frustrated by this worm. They say they're not sure what it's targeting or who originally installed it. Be careful of it, though.

Here are three things to put on your radar today.

NATO is expected to formally decide early this week when to end the military operation in Libya since Gadhafi was killed last Thursday. Right now, NATO forces are on standby until the end of the month.

U.S. leaders are set to meet with North Korean leaders for two days of meetings in Geneva, Switzerland. This could be a step toward restarting negotiations over an end to North Korea's nuclear program.

And tonight, game five for the Texas Rangers and the St. Louis Cardinals battling for the World Series title. Right now, the best of seven series is tied at 2-2.

Let's go to Carter Evans for a look at your money this morning. He joins us live from the NASDAQ MarketSite in New York. Another big week for the markets expected, Carter.

EVANS: Another big week for the markets. We've got some big reports, but not today, coming up later this week. We're going to get a report on home prices tomorrow. We're also going to get the first reading on our third quarter gross domestic product on Thursday. Today, we're going to hear from Netflix.

We're also going to hear from Caterpillar. Those will be some interesting earnings reports. But in the meantime, people are focusing on Europe and that possible solution to the debt crisis there that we're expected to get from European leaders on Wednesday.

VELSHI: All right. Netflix is curious, because we want to see what effect those changes had on its consumers who -- its customer who left, and of course, Caterpillar, always an indication of how construction is going around the world. Is it weakening or strengthening? And that GDP reading is very, very important to see whether we're at a turning point in our economy or not.

But here's something that worries me a great deal. These two Georgia congressmen who are coming up with an idea that allowed you to take your retirement money and pay your mortgage if you're behind. I mean, these are very serious problems. I really worry about this concept. EVANS: I had the same feeling. So, hear me out here. This is what these two congressmen propose. Basically, they're saying, why don't you allow people to use money from their retirement accounts to pay down their mortgages? They're suggesting that you would be allowed to withdraw up to $50,000 from your 401(k), and then, you wouldn't have to pay the normal 10 percent penalty.

You would still have to pay the income tax if you were younger than 59 1/2. See, here's the thing. This is really dangerous territory. Yes, you can bring your mortgage back under control, but this is very risky. You're gambling with your retirement here. And the critics are saying, who are the people that are going to benefit from this immediately? Well, banks of course.

You're going to take money out of your retirement and put it right into your mortgage, which is going to go to pay off the banks. You're going to be lining banks' pockets with this money. And, if you lose your house, well, you just put your retirement in someone else's pocket.

VELSHI: Right. Yes. It's a very worrisome. We live a lot longer than we used to. We live well past our earning potential. It's a worry. We'll continue to follow this together, Carter. Good to see you, my friend. Carter Evans at the NASDAQ MarketSite.

That's it for WAKE-UP CALL. "AMERICAN MORNING" begins right now.