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"Occupy" Protesters Vow to Stay; Big Weekend for GOP Candidates; Following Passion to New Career; Drug Testing Before Benefits; Women Forced to Back of Bus; Rare October Snowstorm; Thai Flooding Worst in 50 Years; Murray Defense Team Up to Bat; Batman Gets Six Months Probation; TSA's Pre-Check Security Program; 13 U.S. Troops Killed in Afghanistan; Adele to Have Throat Surgery

Aired October 29, 2011 - 12:00   ET

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

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Yes. OK. We've got a busy day ahead. We're going to kind of pick up where you left off on that tragedy taking place in Afghanistan.

This is now considered one of the deadliest days for U.S. forces in that country. At least 13 American service members killed in a suicide attack on a NATO convoy. These are pictures taken right after the attack, which happened in the heart of the capital. Our Nick Paton Walsh is in Kabul.

What is NATO says about this attach? How did this unfold?

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, NATO here in Kabul confirming that 13 of their personnel have died. CNN's Barbara Starr hearing from a U.S. official in the Pentagon that all 13 of them were, in fact, American.

It appears that a suicide bomber drove a car he was driving -- we're hearing from Kabul police it was a red Toyota Corolla loaded with explosives -- into this NATO convoy. Now, I understand the vehicle hit was, in fact, a rhino. That's sort of kind of an armored bus used to ferry personnel, but often between established places on regular routes.

So questions, obviously, will be asked as to how this convoy was targeted. But, obviously, you're going to need a huge amount of explosive to damage a vehicle as heavily armored as a rhino. A very tragic day, though, here for U.S. forces -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: And how, at this point, will the forces kind of reassemble and carry on? This is a giant distraction and this is kind of underscoring the volatility of this country from this day forward.

WALSH: Absolutely. I mean, obviously, you know, NATO here deals with casualties like this on a fairly regular basis, though not really of this kind of scale or magnitude in one instant. Things will carry on, but bear in mind also, this is one of a number of instances that have happened today, raising concerns of a flurry of violence, perhaps, ahead of the political season coming up in the month ahead of enforcing conferences (ph), trying to frame the peace and also American permanent presence in the country in the year ahead. Another attack in the south of the country, in Kandahar, in which two ISAF personnel were killed by a man wearing an Afghan army uniform, we understand from an army commander down there. And, in fact, he may have been trained by the two NATO personnel he killed. We also hear they possibly were Australian, although ISAF are not confirming that.

So, a very bad day, indeed, for NATO's campaign here, Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All right, Nick Paton Walsh, thanks so much, from Kabul.

All right, here in the U.S., from the mid-Atlantic to New England, a rare October surprise. A powerful snowstorm could paralyze parts of the region this Halloween weekend. Preparations for the storm are already in full swing.

Among the big concerns, power outages and travel delays, and it's already, by the way, snowing in parts of New York, Massachusetts and other states across the region. Some areas are expecting more than a foot of snow.

Pretty hard to believe, and we're not even at Halloween yet, Alexandra Steele.

ALEXANDRA STEELE, AMS METEOROLOGIST: I know.

WHITFIELD: I mean, so these forecasts are going to be trick or treating?

(CROSSTALK)

STEELE: Oh, no, no. It will be all done by - that's Monday. That's days away. It's Saturday morning.

WHITFIELD: OK.

STEELE: Wait, surprise? I take umbrage with that, as a meteorologist. We've been forecasting this for a couple of days now.

WHITFIELD: Right.

STEELE: This is no surprise.

WHITFIELD: So we're saying big snowfall and then immediate melt?

STEELE: It's a - yes. It's going to be 40 degrees.

WHITFIELD: It's going to be a quickie?

STEELE: It's in and out in one day, and it's exciting. Let's take a look at some really cool pictures. This is like Christmas for meteorologists here. I hope you're enjoying it.

WHITFIELD: I'm excited.

STEELE: I know.

All right, let's show you what we've got in New York City. It is snowing. Look at this. Oh, my gosh. This is beautiful.

WHITFIELD: Oh, my goodness.

STEELE: Washington Square, all the way to Times Square, we had pictures of the snow coming down. You know, it is quite rare. You know, it's been 59 years since we've had an October snow in New York City.

WHITFIELD: This is weird.

STEELE: Yes. And, you know, Fredricka, only since the 1800s, it's only happened three times that we've had measurable - not flurries or flakes or traces, but a tenth of an inch at least.

And in Boston, they'll see snow. It's only happened four times since records were - so kind of in the same vein of -

WHITFIELD: Spooky things this Halloween weekend.

STEELE: Well, extreme weather seems to be the normal in this - this climate change that we're in. So, it certainly is fascinating.

All right, let's look at this. This is the satellite radar composite, and you can see of course the radar, the white is the snow, the green is the rain, and like this delineation line could not be more exact. You know what that is? That's the 95 corridor, as if to the mile it is along this corridor.

Philadelphia, north and west, there's snow and sleet at the airport. White Plains, we've got it; Westchester County airport. We've got snow you can see coming in now. We're watching it all change over, because you know what? It is all about the temperature.

But also one - one other thing that's quite fascinating, this is the back end of it. So Washington, D.C., a couple more hours and it's done for you. So this is the back end.

What's going to happen, this area of low pressure is really going to develop off the Delmarva and then intensify, especially later this afternoon and tonight. And we're going to see the winds really kick up, and that's when we really could see kind of a big pop of some snowfall accumulations.

All right. We've already got it. It doesn't seem like October with this kind of map. Redhouse, Maryland already seven inches; Woodland, Maryland, seven inches. These are in Garrett and Allegheny counties. If you're in the mid-Atlantic you know it's Northwest Maryland.

And then Markleysburg, Pennsylvania, that's South Central Pennsylvania. Farmington, you can see, four, five, seven. So the totals are coming in, but that's the end of it for them because now it's all moving north, and as we'll get into northeast, we'll get into New York, Connecticut and then into Massachusetts.

So it's all about the temperatures, and we're going to see those tonight. Tonight, temperatures dropping into 30, 32, so certainly cold enough to support snow. A lot of these temperatures right now in the upper 30s, so we're watching that transition. The moisture is there, the temperatures are dropping. Once that air gets saturated and cools - and look, this is at midnight tonight, you can see Washington, north New York, southwest is over.

Of course, this is the rain off the coast. There's the snow. But, by tomorrow you can see Boston, extreme - really Southwest, Southeast New England will see it kind of in the morning, but then that will be it.

So that moves away, and that is it. And then temperatures warm up into the 40s and 50s, so we are certainly not going to see anything lasting into tomorrow. So, enjoy today. Kind of a sweet surprise. I don't say surprise, but - and we're going to see -

WHITFIELD: You like this.

STEELE: I know. Well, as a meteorologist you should love this.

WHITFIELD: Yes.

STEELE: This is exciting and fun.

WHITFIELD: It's new.

STEELE: It's a weekend. People are out of school and, you know, enjoying it. Traffic is light. So it's - it's all good, really.

WHITFIELD: Yes. That's true. It's - it's better for it to fall on the weekend than during a rush hour commute.

STEELE: Yes. And it's kind of an interesting, certainly unprecedented and quite rare. That's for sure.

WHITFIELD: Yes. All right, we like those surprises.

STEELE: Yes.

WHITFIELD: I say surprise.

STEELE: That's right.

WHITFIELD: Not a meteorological surprise, but -

STEELE: But not to me.

WHITFIELD: But not a surprise to you because you are all knowing.

STEELE: Thanks, Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right, thank you, Alexandra. Appreciate that.

All right, also in the storm's path are the "Occupy Wall Street" protestors. They are camped out in parks in New York and elsewhere.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CROWD: We got sold out!

WHITFIELD (voice-over): All right, despite the storm protestors are vowing to ride it out and stay put no matter what the weather brings.

Here's how filmmaker Michael Moore described it to our Anderson Cooper last night.

MICHAEL MOORE, FILMMAKER: The snow and the winter is not going to stop the collective anger of tens of millions of Americans who have suffered as a result of the economic policies of corporate America. If you think a little bit of snow or cold weather - I mean, I think it will only harden people's resolve.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: All right, one problem facing the "Occupy Wall Street" demonstrators is the fact that police removed power generators that they said were unsafe. Live pictures right now of the snow falling, and folks under the tarp, trying to stay bundled up despite the weather.

All right, in sports news now, the St. Louis Cardinals are the comeback kings of baseball, and now the World Series champions. Look and listen to the final out of Game 7 against the Texas Rangers.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: In the air to left. Well-hit. That is Craig. What a team! What a ride! The Cardinals are world champs in 2011!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: What a moment. The Cardinals were down to their last strike twice in Thursday's memorable Game 6, which many are calling a game for the ages. And now they have won their 11th World Series title. Congratulations.

All right, November is almost here, right around the corner, but NBA owners and players, well they are still very far apart. It seems like they were on the verge of a deal, but then talks stalled, and now all games through November 30th are canceled.

Both sides are battling over a new collective bargaining agreement. The players want higher salaries. The owners want a bigger share of revenues.

And Republican candidates are wooing voters in key states today, except for one. Find out who and why he is opting out.

Plus, it's Halloween weekend, so Richard Herman decided to join us for the first time right here in the studio this spooky Halloween weekend. Oh, yes, Richard, you're going to be along.

And, of course, you know, we're going to be talking about a real-life Batman ordered not to don that costume this holiday weekend. And, of course, you are going to be along with our Avery Friedman, will be joining us as well. You ready for this?

RICHARD HERMAN, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Absolutely.

WHITFIELD: OK. We're excited to have you -

HERMAN: I waited 10 years to be with you, Fred.

WHITFIELD: Yay! Can you believe it's been that long? And finally, face to face?

All right, Richard, we'll see you right after the break.

HERMAN: Great.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right, today Republican candidates are trying to woo voters in states that have their primary votes first, except for one - Herman Cain.

More from CNN's Paul Steinhauser.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PAUL STEINHAUSER, CNN DEPUTY POLITICAL DIRECTOR: You know, we're just 66 days away from the first votes in the race for the White House, but Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain wouldn't be found this weekend in any of the states that vote first in the primary and caucus calendar.

Today Cain finishes up two days of stumping in Alabama, which doesn't hold its contest until mid-March. But the businessman and former Godfather's Pizza CEO, who surged in national and state polling over the past month, he says he's in it to win it.

HERMAN CAIN (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I'm not supposed to be running. I'm not supposed to win. And I'm not supposed to be standing up here with this hat on, but I'm doing it.

STEINHAUSER: Cain's also bringing in the bucks. His campaign told CNN they pulled in more than $3 million in fundraising this month. That's more than Cain raised in the entire third quarter.

Two other Republican candidates, Congressman Ron Paul and former Senator Rick Santorum, are in Iowa today for a GOP forum and straw poll in the state that votes first in the race for the White House. Texas Governor Rick Perry's wife is there as well.

Now, yesterday the Texas governor was asked if he'll be skipping any of the upcoming debates, as he's hinted.

RICK PERRY (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Well, I don't know whether or not we're going to forego any debates or not, you know? There's - there's going to be a lot of debates. I mean, shoot, I may get to be a good debater before this is all over. STEINHAUSER: Perry made those comments yesterday in New Hampshire. That's where Jon Huntsman is today. He's spending just about all his time in the first in the nation primary state.

Meanwhile, Newt Gingrich makes the rounds in South Carolina today, the first southern state to vote.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: And join us every Sunday afternoon at 4:00 Eastern time when we dedicate a special hour to the presidential contenders in this 2012 election season.

All right, so how many times have you heard, "It's just a job?" Well, you're about to meet a man whose job is his passion, and he couldn't be happier.

But first, we like getting the candy, but dressing up is really the best part of the Halloween season for so many people. That's why a lot of us celebrate. So which costumes do we love the most?

Here are the top five for adults, according to the National Retail Federation. Number five, Batman; number four, zombie; and, number three, we love those vampires; number two, pirates. So we're going to tell you - oh, wait. We are going to tell you right now. So, number one, witch.

We'll have the top five children's costumes right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Before the break, we showed you the top five costume - costumes, rather, that adults like this year. And now we have the top five costumes for kids, according to the National Retail Federation.

Number five, being a pumpkin, always fun; number four, pirate; number three, Spiderman; number two, a witch. And, of course, what would be the number one costume for kids? Being a princess.

All right, we'll have the top stories straight ahead, including the big snowstorm that's taking aim at parts of the East Coast. We'll get the latest forecast.

So what do you do when you're out of a job? Following your passion can be tough in a down economy, especially if you have a specialized set of skills. But in this week's "Smart is the New Rich," Christine Romans introduces us to a man who did just that.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's not the NBA, but it's a job, and it turns out David Brown loves it.

DAVID BROWN, BASKETBALL STARS OF NEW YORK: I have a great passion for working with kids. I have a great passion for the sport of basketball. ROMANS: Brown, a former Division I college basketball player, runs Basketball Stars of New York, clinics and camps for kids. He launched the business this spring after leaving a job with the NBA.

BROWN: Freeze, freeze, freeze.

ROMANS: Brown says he's fortunate he's still working in basketball, given the league lockout and prospects for 400 more job losses.

Career coaches say pursuing a passion in the job market with 9.1 percent unemployment, it's a big gamble.

BRAD KARSH, FOUNDER AND PRESIDENT, JOBBOUND: I love passion. I think it's great. And you never want to take a job that you're going to despise or hate or not be pleased with.

But I think, especially for people coming out of school, there's this almost romantic view of jobs. You know, it's I want a job that I'm going to love every day. And, the fact of the matter is, there's probably not many jobs that anybody loves every single day.

ROMANS: After graduating from college, Brown coached at the high school level and at two non-Division I universities. He loved the work, but the pay was tight.

BROWN: I didn't have the chance to really earn a - a real paycheck that would, you know, sustain living, so I had to go out for another opportunity and look for, you know, what my mother would call a real job.

ROMANS: Brown got a job with the New Jersey Nets, selling ticket plans for games. He eventually was promoted to the team's marketing division.

BROWN: You know I say 50 times (ph) don't waste your breath -

ROMANS: But after two years on the job, he felt he ran out of room to grow. He and the team parted ways in the spring, but Brown took what he learned and applied it to a new career - coaching kids.

JONAS PRISING, PRESIDENT, MANPOWERGROUP AMERICAS: It's very important that you take stock of your current situation, you understand what your opportunities are and the areas that you're familiar with. But then, stay active and also look at areas where you can transfer your skills, areas in industries where you can see growth.

ROMANS: For now, he's happy to be working with kids again and having the opportunity to grow his business and pursue his passion for coaching.

BROWN: You know, do what you love. If you do what you love, it's not going to be work and you're going to be successful.

ROMANS: Christine Romans, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE) WHITFIELD: All right, one of the highlights of our noon Eastern hour is our legal segment, and a highlight today, we've got Richard Herman in the house.

HERMAN: Hey, Fred.

WHITFIELD: How are you? Good to see you.

HERMAN: All right. Great to see you.

WHITFIELD: It's great to have you in person. We had Avery here a couple of weeks ago.

HERMAN: I was very jealous of that.

WHITFIELD: Oh, well, and now you're here.

HERMAN: Here I am.

WHITFIELD: Now we just have to get Avery here, you here all at the same time, and, you know -

HERMAN: Avery, me and you. Perfect.

WHITFIELD: We play our peaches and herb, you know?

AVERY FRIEDMAN, CIVIL RIGHTS ATTORNEY: (INAUDIBLE). That sounds terrific.

WHITFIELD: "Reunited."

FRIEDMAN: That sounds great.

WHITFIELD: I know. That's the plan.

So, the plan today, we've got an interesting lawsuit coming up, and we're going to be talking about killer whales and SeaWorld, and we're going to delve in - we're going to take a dive into that case because it's a - it's an interesting one, right?

FRIEDMAN: Take a dive? Not bad.

(CROSSTALK)

HERMAN: A little Batman. A little Batman today.

WHITFIELD: And we've got Batman. That's very interesting. There we go.

HERMAN: And Michael - Michael Jackson.

WHITFIELD: And Michael. M.J., too. All right. So Avery, Richard -

FRIEDMAN: And a surprise. And a surprise.

WHITFIELD: And a surprise, because it is Halloween weekend. FRIEDMAN: Right.

WHITFIELD: Spooky things happen.

All right, much more for our legal segment, straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Killer whales go after SeaWorld in court. Well, it's really the animal rights group PETA that is suing on behalf of the five orcas. It is claiming that SeaWorld is keeping the whales in slavery.

Let's bring in our legal guys, Avery Friedman, a civil rights attorney and law professor in Washington, D.C. this weekend. And then, look right who's here in the house, here in Atlanta, New York criminal defense attorney and law professor Richard Herman.

All right. Good to see both of you.

HERMAN: OK, Fred. This is it.

WHITFIELD: This is fun.

HERMAN: Good to see you. OK.

WHITFIELD: Glad to have you here.

All right, let's talk about this. PETA is saying these animals, these five whales, are living in slavery and they need protected rights, and that's why they're taking this case to court. Avery, where is this going?

FRIEDMAN: It's going nowhere, Fredricka. They're using, believe it or not, the 13th Amendment, which abolished slavery in America, and they're trying to match up the terror of what human beings, African- Americans, had to deal with in that awful chapter of American history and equate it to animal rights.

Now, I've represented animals, I represented a gorilla under - under the Endangered Species Act, but that's different. They're using the constitution. Not only is it wrong, will it be dismissed? But, to be honest with you, Fredricka, I actually find it offensive.

WHITFIELD: You do?

FRIEDMAN: Yes.

WHITFIELD: So Richard, you know, SeaWorld is saying that this is a baseless publicity stunt. Do you agree with that, or do you - do you believe there are grounds for their argument?

HERMAN: There are no grounds. Avery is right. There is no standing. The case will absolutely be dismissed. Whales are not humans. So, some people may think otherwise, but that's the fact. However, I don't believe it's a baseless - I - I mean, it is a publicity stunt, and they need the publicity for this, because if people are that offended they'll stop going to SeaWorld, and then maybe SeaWorld will stop and change their - their routines there.

But, clearly, these whales do not look happy. I mean, they show them frolicking in the ocean, and they show them in like swimming pools, and they don't look happy. So, something's wrong.

WHITFIELD: Well, that's the example, Avery, that PETA is going to underscore. They're going to say these animals are unhappy, and so somebody has got to speak on their behalf.

FRIEDMAN: Well, OK. Then Congress has to pass a law, just like Endangered Species -

HERMAN: Right.

FRIEDMAN: -- but you can't use a section of the constitution that freed American human beings, African-Americans, and equate that to what - what problems they're having with whales. It's just apples and oranges, and, to be honest with you, if you know anything about our nation's history, it's really an offensive move. We understand it. It's wrong. It will be dismissed.

WHITFIELD: All right, let's move on to another case, this in Florida. And this involving people who are applying for welfare, but a new federal law says that they have to get drug tests as well. This, too, is be contested. Richard, where are we going with this?

HERMAN: We're going nowhere with this one also, Fred. The higher court has already put a stay on this. It's not going to be enforceable. It's going to be knocked out.

They argue that in some employment situations you're allowed to get pre-tested for drugs. If you're in the Armed Forces you can get tested for drugs. But here, to make it a nationwide mandate in order to qualify welfare, you must pass a drug test, this is not going to pass. Florida is the only state to try this, and it's just not going to happen.

WHITFIELD: So, Avery, you are in agreement. This is an issue of constitutional rights being violated?

FRIEDMAN: Yes. You know, under the 4th Amendment to our Bill of Rights, you can do a search if there's some basis for it, if there's reasonable cause, probable cause. In Florida, you have to be subjected to a search if you're poor, not whether or not you created - you're responsible for any criminal activity.

And the federal district judge in Miami was right. She granted a restraining order. Richard's right. This case is going right out the window.

And, again, the governor says we're doing it for personal responsibility. Personal responsibility means abiding by the constitution, and the federal judge did it right. Shame on the governor for trying to pursue this.

WHITFIELD: Interesting.

All right, let's move on to another case, this really in the backyard of you, Richard, when you're in New York. And we're talking about a private bus company that transports mainly Orthodox Jews, and the women have to sit in the back of the bus, the men sit in the front of the bus.

This has been going on for many, many years, three decades, and there hasn't been a giant argument about this among those who've been enjoying this bus service. But apparently there's a city contract involved, and that's where this private company, Richard, perhaps crosses the line?

HERMAN: Yes. Thirty years ago, a franchise was granted by the city of New York for this private company to run bus service from Borough Park, Brooklyn to Williamsburg, Brooklyn. These areas are traditionally ultra Orthodox Hasidic Jewish company - people who live in this areas, and according to their laws and their rituals, the women sit in the back of the bus. And, apparently, a non-believer got on the bus and said I'm not going to sit in the back, and the bus driver wouldn't drive. So, hence this lawsuit comes.

And if they don't change their rules, this law - this bus company, they're going to lose their franchise.

WHITFIELD: OK, so the brakes may be put on this bus service in your view, as well, Avery?

HERMAN: The brakes -

FRIEDMAN: Oh, more than lose a franchise. I'll head to New York (ph). Are you kidding me? The Rosa Parks individuals in this, they're the Columbia School of Journalism and the "New York Post" went to test what was going on, and the bus driver decided I'm not driving anywhere because the - the women aren't sitting in the back.

I mean, who is this guy? Like Ralph Cramden? I mean, give me a break. He's a bus driver.

So, that's going to end. Even the mayor, Michael Bloomberg, said this is really outrageous. It violates not only municipal law, but also federal law. Time to bring segregation on a bus, 60 years overdue. It's certainly overdue in New York City.

WHITFIELD: Interesting. OK, well we are not finished with you guys. We've got part two, Avery, as you liked to put it, deux. Part two.

And, you know what? And it's Halloween weekend, and what's a Halloween weekend in a legal segment without, you know, a Batman running around? Or maybe getting hung up into trouble? We're going to explain what happened to the Cape Crusader.

All that, straight ahead. And this will be a Halloween weekend to remember for a lot of folks along the East Coast in particular. Are spooky things falling from the sky? We're talking about snow. It's spooky when it's in October and it's Halloween.

We're going to explain who's being hit the hardest.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right, checking our top stories right now.

A suicide bomber slams into a NATO convoy traveling through Afghanistan's capital city. At least 13 American service members are killed, making this one of the deadliest days for U.S. forces there since the war began 10 years ago. A U.S. military official says the troops were going from one base to another.

And here in the U.S., much of the mid-Atlantic and Northeast bracing now for heavy, wet snow. In some parts it's already falling and on the ground. The rare October snowstorm is expected to dump more than a foot on some areas, and there is a pretty big concern about power outages and travel delays.

And among those out there in the storm in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, our Chad Myers. He is on the road, and you are experiencing the snowfall in a big way?

CHAD MYERS, AMS METEOROLOGIST (via telephone): I am, Fred and visibility down to about 200 feet here. Now I'm on I-83 heading from Harrisburg down to New York to meet up with a crew.

On the turnpike, I had an interesting conversation with a man taking my money. It was $1.10 and I said I'm from Atlanta and this is terrible. He goes, well, at least you're on the road. I kind of stopped and I looked up and said what are you talking about?

You should hear the scanner traffic. There are so many cars off the road right now. You need to be really careful. That's why I got the four-wheel drive from the rental car company. What you don't want to see on this road are taillights turning into brake lights in front of you.

That means people are stopping on the roadway for something as cars are sliding off the roadway. It's treacherous out here, and it will get worse as the sun sets. At least right now, I'm at 32 degrees. When the sun sets, it gets down to about 28. All of these slush on the road is going to be one big ice chunk, Fred.

WHITFIELD: So what are people bracing for?

WHITFIELD: I'm afraid people don't know about this because when I went to the counter, I said I need a four-wheel drive car. They said we have a Durango, but it's two-wheel. I said, well that's (inaudible) that would be worst yet.

And I said give me something four-wheel and they said, well, there's only going to be a couple of inches? I said, a couple? There's going to be 12 right here and he said no, I haven't heard that. I went, well you heard it now.

Get home as soon as you can. I'm not sure people -- this came up so fast. You know, on Wednesday this storm didn't really even exist. A couple inches, sure, but by the time we looked at the computer model yesterday morning.

We knew this was a 10 to 15-inch snowfall for a large area west of I- 95 from Maryland all the way up even into Maine.

WHITFIELD: Wow, pretty miserable conditions, especially for those feeling like they've been caught off guard. Chad Myers travelling there in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. He's going to keep us posted.

We're looking at the radar picture right now. You can see it's pretty significant. The area, that wide swath that is going to be engulfed by a lot of snowfall over the next few hours and then a moment ago, you also saw live pictures out of Columbus Circle in New York.

Hard to believe seeing that dusting of snow on the ground, and it's not even quite Halloween right there. We'll keep you posted on this snowstorm in the northeast.

In the meantime overseas to Thailand now where parts of the country are at the crisis stage as floodwaters there sweep across cities, towns, and farmland. Much of the high water is in Bangkok and the suburbs. CNN's Sara Sidner is in the flood zone in the Thai capital.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SARA SIDNER, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): High tide in Bangkok's Chinatown. Water pours in from the swollen Chao Phraya River just on the other side of these homes and businesses.

Despite the severe flood warnings and this reality, residents who stayed put were far from panicked here. Children even delighted in the murky water. The drainage system of the city pumps it out immediately if there's overflow, and that is why it's not heavily flooded here.

I'm not worried, this resident says. In this riverside neighborhood, the floodwaters came in quickly and receded quickly, but business here has dried up as well.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The water has come out from the Chao Phraya River and now it's flowing out because of the flood.

SIDNER: This was the day that the government warned could be the worst for central Bangkok, but much of Bangkok's commercial district remained dry. Not so in the northern, eastern and western parts of the city.

High floodwaters have remained for weeks in parts of the city ruing homes, shutting down thousands of factories and discouraging tourism. Though people are trudging through it, the stagnant water is beginning to stink. A public health crisis could be the next wave of trouble.

(on camera): The government estimates these floods have caused about $6 billion worth of damage so far. It's impacted the economy here so much that the Bank of Thailand has now revised the country's growth from 4.1 percent down to 2.6 percent.

(voice-over): The cost of this disaster will continue to rise, as long as the floodwaters remain. Sara Sidner, CNN, Bangkok.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: It is Halloween weekend. Richard Herman is here with me. We've got a Halloween story for you, Richard, right?

RICHARD HERMAN, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: We're ready, Fred. We're ready.

WHITFIELD: OK, we're going to talk about batman, the cape crusader and how he got hung up and in legal trouble. We'll have much more from our legal guys straight ahead, Richard and Avery.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: We're having conversations here. OK, we're going to talk about lots, Richard, Avery and I. Lawyers for Michael Jackson's personal doctor are presenting their case to the jury, and our legal guys are back to talk about that.

Avery Friedman in Washington and Richard Herman right here in the studio just in time for Halloween weekend. All right, gentlemen. Really a tough testimony this week may have changed things. The dynamics of the sentiment for the jurors, right, Richard?

HERMAN: My, has the worm turned in the Conrad Murray case.

WHITFIELD: How do you see it?

HERMAN: Everybody was ranting and raving how great the prosecutors were just like in the Casey Anthony case. All of a sudden the defense case begins.

Friday, we saw the defense Propofol expert tells this jury right before they broke for the weekend. Number one, that their Propofol infusion that killed Michael Jackson was delivered by Michael Jackson. That's number one.

WHITFIELD: How can that be?

HERMAN: Because he went through a scientific analysis that there was no Propofol at autopsy in Michael Jackson's urine, and had he had a drip going, there would have been in his urine. So since there was no drip going and no Propofol in his urine, someone had to have administered that killer dose.

WHITFIELD: So interesting. Avery, are you saying this is a real about-face, because earlier one of the first witnesses we heard from was the personal assistant or bodyguard to Michael Jackson who said when he came into the room, he saw that there was some intravenous -- there were remnants of an intravenous application of drugs in Michael Jackson. So this testimony disputes that there could possibly be an IV drip.

AVERY FRIEDMAN, CIVIL RIGHTS ATTORNEY: Well, the fallacy in the argument by Dr. Paul White is that he is accepting for purposes of his expert testimony the truth of Dr. Conrad Murray's testimony that he only administered 25 mls of Propofol.

The fact is that the other expert, Steven Segal, talked about the fact that there were 17 errors. I'm not convinced that Dr. White's testimony overcame that.

Again, the burden is on the prosecution, of course, Fredricka, but at the end of the day, I think this jury understands the case. I think they will consider the expert testimony of Dr. White, but I just don't think the defendant's made their defense persuasive.

WHITFIELD: So, Richard, do you think the jurors are starting to get confused or do they understand the case?

HERMAN: No, they do not understand the case. They're absolutely confused at this point in time. In summation, the defense attorney is going to stand up and say, if you don't know the exact amount of milligrams that were given, if you don't know the, if you don't know the exact cause of death.

If you're confused, if you don't understand the science here, then you must acquit Dr. Murray because the burden of proof is on the prosecution to prove their case beyond a reasonable doubt. If you're confused, they failed.

One other interesting point that Dr. White brought up was there were remnants of Lorazepam in Michael Jackson's stomach and had he had intravenous Lorazepam only, there wouldn't have been any in his stomach.

So that indicates someone took Lorazepam, i.e., Michael Jackson did it to himself.

WHITFIELD: All right, we're going to see potentially the state's wrap up this coming week, gentlemen.

Let's move on to "Happy Days." Not so happy possibly, my goodness, this is amazing that a California judge has thrown out one claim by the cast members of that hit television show that they said they should have received residuals from merchandise.

And they were suing for millions of dollars. Avery, what happened to their case? It almost seemed like it was certainly going to be ruled in their favor.

FRIEDMAN: Yes, well, I can't believe it. When I was carrying my Chachi lunch box, I was kind of hoping that, you know, CBS would ante up the nickel that, you know, the cast would make. But Judge Elizabeth White this week, a superior court judge in California, ruled that because of the way the case was pleaded, pleaded, not evidence, that it wasn't pleaded sufficiently specifically enough.

The fraud claims, the big money here is thrown out, and the case is going to go forward on actual loss. CBS claims it is ecstatic with the ruling. I think it's a terrible one. I think the evidence should result in amending the pleadings, but it goes forward on actual damages only.

WHITFIELD: So, Richard, then somewhere down the line there may be happy days for this casts?

HERMAN: There's never going to be happy days. Where is the Fonz where you need him? They needed the Fonz. The judge gave the right decision.

When you sue for fraud, Fred, you must plead that specifically. You must get specific instances of the fraud, the inducement and misrepresentations. They failed to do that in the pleadings.

It happens every day in courts where these fraud claims are dismissed. All that's left is a contract claim. They sue for 10 million. They'll be lucky to get 9,000. That's all it's going to breakdown.

WHITFIELD: OK, well, this Halloween, we revealed earlier the Batman was on the list as one of the most popular costumes that people would be enjoying. Well, not for Mr. Mark Wayne Williams also known as Batman for his fans.

He's been wearing his costume for a long time, but guess what, recently he got arrested in Michigan because he was not only kind of hanging out. He was dangling from the roof of a building.

But apparently, he was allegedly carrying weapons, a canister of chemical irritant spray and all that kind of stuff. So now, he is no longer allowed to wear the costume. Richard, that's not the toughest thing, I guess, that's been imposed against him.

HERMAN: Well, they charged him with weapons possession. He was hanging from the side of a building dangling. They had to rescue this guy. So they found this baton and chemical sprays and everything on them. So they took him down. By the way, they took his mug shot in his costume. He did it in the costume.

WHITFIELD: But that's the last time he's going to get a chance to wear that costume.

HERMAN: He's resisting arrest, that's the plea bargain. He can't wear the costume and run around.

FRIEDMAN: He can't wear the costume, right.

WHITFIELD: My goodness. So, you know, Avery, I guess, worst things could happen, but you know --

FRIEDMAN: He could have gone to jail.

WHITFIELD: Yes -- the slammer.

FRIEDMAN: Let me tell you, I'm from Wallawalla, Washington, as is Adam West. We both wear capes. So I'm glad that the judge in Michigan shut that guy down. He's not really the real Batman. Not the real guy.

HERMAN: Let's see the real batman, Avery. Let's see it now.

FRIEDMAN: Yes, are you ready?

WHITFIELD: Really? Wait a minute. So we've got Batman who is part of a legal case, and now, you know, it is Halloween and we always like to keep a tradition going.

So every Halloween, Avery, Richard and I kind of dress up, at least for the weekend of Halloween and you know, we're going to take you back a little bit into time. Maybe remember this.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: My gosh, that's clever.

FRIEDMAN: Jack Cafferty is standing by. I'm Wolf Blitzer, but he's a handsome guy. He's a handsome guy. This is what he looks like on Halloween.

WHITFIELD: I love it.

WHITFIELD: OK, so that was Wolf Blitzer and I was Uncle Sam. I hope you can still hear me. Can you hear me still? Then we decided to have a little fun with it. Richard, you were a Rasta Man, right?

HERMAN: Right.

WHITFIELD: This year, Avery and Richard what are you decided to do? Let's check it out. Avery, do you have your prop?

FRIEDMAN: I have no prop. I don't know what you're talking about.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Are you ready?

FRIEDMAN: You're setting me up.

WHITFIELD: All right, I'm feeling good now for Halloween. OK, so that was the previous year as a witch and now Homer's in the house.

FRIEDMAN: Look at that. Look at that.

WHITFIELD: What do you have going on Richard?

HERMAN: I'm a very British barrister or I'm Nancy Grace from "Dancing with the Stars." FRIEDMAN: More the second.

WHITFIELD: Avery, what do you have going on?

FRIEDMAN: I'm the scariest man in America. I am the 1 percent. All these "Occupy Wall Street" guys have been talking about me. I am it. I'm the bad guy. I'm the scariest guy in America. What do you think of that?

WHITFIELD: I say doh! That's all I got from Homer here.

HERMAN: Gangs of New York, Avery.

FRIEDMAN: There we go. That's right.

WHITFIELD: Well, happy Halloween. Scary things happening on our set.

FRIEDMAN: That's wonderful.

HERMAN: Happy Halloween.

WHITFIELD: OK, thanks so much, guys.

HERMAN: You did a lot to do this, Fred. You really went out and overboard in year, Fred.

WHITFIELD: I couldn't be a witchy-poo one more time.

FRIEDMAN: That's fabulous. Great balls of fire.

WHITFIELD: I almost lost my season, so I decided this is a year to celebrate "The Simpsons." They're here to stay.

HERMAN: This is really you, right? Let me see something here.

FRIEDMAN: My God. Look at that girl, my goodness.

WHITFIELD: We're going to have much more straight ahead. We're going to try to get a little bit more serious after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right, we decided to make this a NEWSROOM family affair here. You know, Halloween is coming up on Monday. Can't wait, some of us got a little excited and we made Halloween happen today.

So, you know, Christmas time people kind of light up their homes and really get kind of outlandish sometimes with the decorations. Well, the same thing applies apparently to Halloween.

Check out this house in California. OK, that is really elaborate. That's impressive, Alexandra.

STEELE: It is. You know, a 39-year-old Verizon worker lives there with his wife. He has done it for four years. It takes him 15 hours to program one minute of music. He started months ago and he's trying to conserve and be eco-friendly. So Richard Haley has one showing a night at 7:30. Be polite and don't park near the neighbors and walk over here and everyone watch it together.

HERMAN: How would you like that electric bill?

WHITFIELD: I know. You know, it's huge. I mean, I hope people don't complain. You probably heard of lots of cases where people are complaining about the lights, the traffic around the holiday season, Christmas. But hopefully it's not applying here.

HERMAN: I think it's a nuisance. I think they should take it all down.

STEELE: Come on. I hope his neighbor doesn't call it a new case for you. It's free. Come to California.

WHITFIELD: Apparently, this tape right here has gotten about 3 million hits on YouTube. So it's fascinating to a lot of people.

STEELE: And watching the mouths go up and down.

WHITFIELD: Yes, synchronized, very impressive. Thanks so much.

HERMAN: Can you imagine if one mouth was off. This guy would freak out.

WHITFIELD: I know, but it would be OK with Halloween. It would be like something spooky happened. Richard, it was fun having you here this weekend.

HERMAN: I'm hanging out with you this afternoon.

WHITFIELD: That's right you're going to hang out with us throughout the day because we got some other interesting cases that we're going to have you talk about and educate us on.

HERMAN: Absolutely.

WHITFIELD: All right, thanks so much.

STEELE: Weather may (inaudible) just a little bit today because we have some record snowfall happening in all the big cities.

WHITFIELD: That's right. Sometimes snowfall and weather can all impact your holiday season traveling. We're going to have some tips on folks on how they get around, and maybe you can get through the airports without standing through all those long lines.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: As any seasoned traveler will tell you, long lines at airport security can bring any trip to a grinding halt. But in this installment of "On the Go", Reynolds Wolf shows us how some passengers cruise through airport security. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

REYNOLDS WOLF, AMS METEOROLOGIST (voice-over): Imagine getting through security in minutes and without stripping down.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It was great. I didn't have to take out my laptop, my iPad or my cell phone, didn't have to take off my shoes. It was awesome. It was easy.

WOLF: The TSA is making this possible with its new pre-check program. They get information in advance about frequent travelers who in return get to literally fly through the line.

Currently, pre-check is only available for selected flyers with Delta in Atlanta and Detroit and American Airline customers in Miami and Dallas/Fort Worth.

MARY LEFTRIDGE BYRD, TSA FEDERAL SECURITY DIRECTOR: They can go through our web site to gain information, which demonstrates how a person can become part of program.

WOLF: But even approved passengers aren't guaranteed every time and can still be subjected to extra security later. When it's a body scanner versus security breeze, passengers seem to soar over pre- check.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's just a lot smoother. It just gets you in. It's incredible.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: The latest on today's deadly attack in Afghanistan. Thirteen U.S. troops are dead. Our top stories next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: A look at top stories right now. One of the deadliest days yet for U.S. troops in Afghanistan. Thirteen American service members were killed today in the capital city of Kabul. A suicide bomber rammed his car into the armored bus. The soldiers were part of a NATO convoy going from one base to another.

Here in the United States much of the mid-Atlantic and northeast are bracing for heavy, wet snow. The rare October snowstorm is expected to dump more than a foot on some areas, and there's a big concern about power outages and travel delays.

And British singer, Adele is preparing to have surgery. Her label Columbia Records says Adele will have throat-related surgery and will cancel all her performances for the rest of the year.

She's been plagued by throat problems that forced him to stop her U.S. tour. Adele's album "21" has spent 10 weeks at the number one spot on the charts. We wish her the best.

We were lucky enough to have Richard Herman in the house here for the last hour here in the NEWSROOM. He is going to hang out all day. We're going to talk about some other really fascinating legal cases including a case in Mississippi, a proposed law that would make all abortions illegal.

HERMAN: Not going to happen.

WHITFIELD: And then one of your favorites, John Edwards back in the news this week and Lindsay Lohan, another one of your favorites.

HERMAN: And her daddy.

WHITFIELD: That's right and her dad. So you're going to keep us abreast of what's going on with those legal cases as well. We look forward --

HERMAN: Absolutely.

WHITFIELD: Yes, at 2:00, and later on this afternoon as well.

All right, I'm Fredricka Whitfield. Thanks so much for hanging out with Richard and I, and the rest of the gang. We'll see you again at 2:00 Eastern Time.

Right now, time for "YOUR MONEY."