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American Morning

Conrad Murray on Trial; Jackson Audio Played in Court; Knox Compared to "Jessica Rabbit"; Cantaloupe Outbreak Kills 13; Targeting the Haqqani Network; Israel to Expand Settlements; Iran Threatens to Move Ships Near U.S.; The President's "Titanic Struggle"; Will Christie Run?; On the Road Again; Wall Street Protests Enter 13th Day; Manhunt Ends After 41 Years; Jurors Hear Drugged-Up Jackson Tape; Israel To Expand Settlements; Bolivians Protesters Tear-Gased

Aired September 28, 2011 - 06:00   ET

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

ALI VELSHI, CNN ANCHOR: A chilling audiotape. I'm Ali Velshi. Jurors at the Michael Jackson death trial hear the singer barely coherent talking about the tour that never was. We're live at the courthouse in Los Angeles.

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Carol Costello. Chris Christie delivering a big foreign policy speech last night sounding very presidential. A lot of Republicans hoping he'd announce a run for the White House. But the New Jersey governor keeping everyone guessing or so it seems on this AMERICAN MORNING.

VELSHI: Good morning. It is Wednesday, September the 28th. Christine is off today. Welcome to AMERICAN MORNING.

COSTELLO: Yes, good morning to you. Up first, a dramatic start to the Michael Jackson death trial as the prosecution and defense offered their version of who's to blame for Jackson's fatal drug overdose.

Jurors heard an audio recording of a barely coherent Jackson just weeks before his death, and they saw a picture of him dead on a hospital gurney. CNN's Don Lemon was in the courtroom. He talked to the Jackson family.

He joins us now live from Los Angeles. You were inside the courtroom, Don. Set the scene for us.

DON LEMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Carol, and good morning to you, Ali, as well. How do you say this? Yesterday, when it all started, the Jackson family walked in, and they were -- they are a strong family.

I mean, I've never seen them together this much, the funeral, but now they are cohesive now and they are together and they walked in that courtroom and supporting their mom, Katherine Jackson who is a strong woman.

When we sat down in that courtroom and they played, they dimmed the light, played some videotape and played that audiotape of Michael Jackson, they had to play it twice, because the first time you couldn't hear it.

It was heart wrenching, and everyone sort of looked at each other like, is that Michael Jackson? Hear it for yourself and then we'll talk about it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAEL JACKSON, SINGER/SONGWRITER: When people leave this show, when people leave my show, I want them to say I've never seen nothing like this in my life. Go. Go. I've never seen nothing like this. Go. It's amazing. He's the greatest entertainer in the world.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: So that was that. And they had to endure it twice, and I -- you know, listen, I'm a young reporter, but I'm human. My heart goes out to the Jackson family, but it really goes out to that mom who sat right in front of me.

I kept thinking about my own mom had this was happening, and when he played that tape, everyone, Janet, Tito, Revee, Latoya, Jermaine, all looked down the row at their mom and started passing tissue down and she started crying. The whole courtroom was stunned at that point, Carol.

COSTELLO: Don, explain to us where this audio recording was taken from.

LEMON: So the audio recording was apparently during the time Conrad Murray had just started treating, at least that's what the prosecution saying, had just started treating, that's what Kenya Ortega, the producer and director of "This Is It," has just treating Michael Jackson.

And it came from a cell phone, an iPhone, it's like an I- recorder and an I-chat application that's on a cell phone and Conrad Murray had recorded Michael Jackson's, either a conversation or something that he was taping him doing and that's what the prosecution found.

So I don't know the exact date of that recording, but that was heart wrenching. Now, the other part, too, that was heart wrenching, along, Carol, with this videotape is a picture. You saw the picture of him on the gurney.

So we walk into the courtroom and they start opening statements, the prosecution and it's normal. Then the lights dim and it becomes this production of a movie that they're taking you through a heart wrenching movie.

You see Michael Jackson up on the stage on the 24th and then the 25th, nine hours later, you see this picture that was taken of him in the hospital, and you wonder, what's going on? How is this family going to endure it?

There are jurors who can't even look at picture. They'd look up and then they'd look down, it's so hard to look at, and you -- again, I have to say, as a family, if this had happened to me, I don't know if I would be able to sit in that courtroom without someone picking me up off the floor.

It's hard to deal with. It's hard to look at, but that's the reality of what happened to Michael Jackson. So today we're going to go back inside of Michael Jackson's home. We're going to go back inside the final moments of his life, back to the rehearsals, back to all of that.

And I'm going to have to sit again right behind that family and witness it all. And they're going to have to relive it all over again.

COSTELLO: Yes. Don Lemon reporting live from Los Angeles. Of course, the point of that audio recording as far as the prosecution is concerned is that it shows that Dr. Murray knew that Michael Jackson was a drug addict.

And he continued to administer these drugs to Michael Jackson and, of course, we all know what happened in the end. As Don said, the trial will continue today. For complete coverage and analysis of the Michael Jackson death trial, check out our sister network HLN.

VELSHI: Amanda Knox's lawyers are set to give their final arguments tomorrow after a break today in her bid to have her murder conviction overturned. Knox is a college student from Seattle. She was convicted of the gruesome murder of his housemate in Italy.

Yesterday defense lawyers compared Knox to Jessica Rabbit, the cartoon character, saying she isn't the femme fatale the media made her out to be. She was just drawn that way.

COSTELLO: The listeria outbreak from cantaloupe is now of the deadliest outbreaks in the United States in more a decade. Health officials say 72 infections and 13 deaths are now linked to the tainted fruit.

The illnesses have been reported in 18 states from California to Maryland. Investigators say the source of the outbreak appears to be the Jensen Farms in the rocky forward region of Colorado.

VELSHI: Also new this morning, the United States taking steps to officially designate the Haqqani network as a foreign terrorist organization.

The al Qaeda-linked group is considered a serious threat to U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan. The anticipated move by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton would be significant because it would allow the U.S. to freeze the group's assets in American banks. Officials tell CNN an announcement could come soon.

COSTELLO: Israel has announced plans to build more than 1,000 new homes in East Jerusalem. The United States calls this deeply disturbing.

Britain and other European countries have condemned the settlement expansion. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says the decision is counterproductive to efforts to restart Israeli/Palestinian peace talks.

VELSHI: And some tough talk from Iran. The country threatening to move a powerful presence of Navy ships very close to U.S. waters. A state run news agency says the move is in response to the presence of U.S. war ships in the Persian Gulf.

The U.S. government has had no immediate response to this. Back in February, two Iranian Navy ships passed through the Suez Canal for the first time since 1979.

COSTELLO: In the worlds of politics, it's going to be a titanic struggle for President Obama to get re-elected. That's not a Republican talking. Those are the words of the president's campaign manager, David Axelrod. He was speaking in New Hampshire and was surprisingly blunt about the challenges ahead.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAVID AXELROD, OBAMA CAMPAIGN MANAGER: We had the wind at our back in 2008. President Obama got 53 percent of the vote. That means 47 percent of American voted against him. We don't have the wind at our backs in this election.

We have the wind in our face because the American people have the wind in their faces. So this is going to be a titanic struggle, but I firmly believe we're on the right side of the struggle.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Axelrod went on to say he believes the president will prevail in 2012, because he's on the right side of the struggle, and Republicans are spending too much time blaming Democrats for everything without offering up solutions of their own.

VELSHI: Well, will he or won't he? No denials this time, just a clever deflection from Chris Christie. The New Jersey governor delivered a foreign policy speech entitled, quote, "Real American Exceptionalism" at the Reagan Library last night in Simi Valley. When someone in the audience asked the inevitable question about whether he's running for president.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are you reconsidering, or are you standing firm?

GOV. CHRIS CHRISTIE (R), NEW JERSEY: Listen, I have to tell you the truth. You folks are an incredible disappointment as an audience. The fact that that took -- the second question -- shows you people are off your game. That is not American exceptionalism. (END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: He had them eating out of the palm of his hand.

VELSHI: Yes. But he didn't say no this time. He has been very, very, very blunt and clear about no, no, how many ways do I have to say no? Do I have to commit suicide to say I'm not running? He didn't actually say that.

COSTELLO: Although, he did point the audience to "Politico" and "Politico" has on it, an audio and videotape of like every single denial.

VELSHI: But that wasn't the same as saying no. I have to say that. I just feel like there's a shift last night.

COSTELLO: He's just enjoying it. Wouldn't you get into it if people were begging you to run for president of the United States?

VELSHI: Yes, but unfortunately, Sarah Palin's already got that one cornered, enjoying people wanting you to run for president. He was, by the way, pushing his own record as governor of New Jersey.

So we're going to talk a little bit about whether or not he's going to do it. More people are saying, his closest supporters.

COSTELLO: Yes, his closest supporters. That will happen in the 7:00 hour, Eastern of AMERICAN MORNING.

Up next, the president's visit to the west coast. He's raising millions of dollars for his re-election campaign, so why do we, the taxpayers, have to foot the bill for his trip? Brianna Keilar takes closer look.

VELSHI: His life story reads like an international crime novel, but after more than 40 years on the run, the hunt for a man who escaped from prison and hijacked a plane is over.

COSTELLO: And Hallmark is sorry for your loss, or shall I say your job loss. The greeting cardmaker launching a line of cards for the unemployed. It's our "Talk Back" question this morning. Are job loss greeting cards kind or inappropriate? Join the conversation. It's 11 minutes past the hour.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

VELSHI: Welcome back. A closer look now at the president's three-day west coast trip. Officially, he's on the road to promote his jobs bill, which is official business.

But he's spending more time raising millions of dollars at a high-priced fundraiser on your dime, and it's all perfectly legal. Here's White House correspondent, Brianna Keilar.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): On the president's three-day western swing, he fielded questions at a town hall meeting in Northern California, and visited a high school in Denver.

Two official events to promote his jobs plan. Compare that to the seven fundraisers he headlined on the trip. He raised at least $7.5 million for his re-election coffers and the Democratic National Committee.

And you, the taxpayer, are footing the bill for most of the trip, which also cost millions of dollars. Pete Sef is with the National Taxpayers' Union, a non-partisan group against wasteful government spending.

PETE SEPP, EXECUTIVE V.P. NATL TAXPAYERS UNION: Usually, a political party only covers a fraction of the costs of presidential travel usually in the single digit percentages. Most of the money raised really comes at a free cost to the parties. They only reimburse for a few hundred thousand dollars on a given trip if taxpayers are lucky.

KEILAR: It's expensive for the president to travel. Air force one costs about $180,000 per hour to operate, according to the air force. There's a support plane for the president's limousines, sometimes, another for his helicopter, marine one and a secret service detail.

Hotel rooms and meals for dozens of white house staffers, and don't forget local security costs like overtime for police officers in the presidential motorcade.

BILL CLINTON, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Not for me, but for you.

KEILAR: Previous presidents, Democratic and Republican, have done the exact same thing. In September of 1995, President Clinton attended eight fundraisers in four days on a cross-country swing, and then, there's the campaign events that don't raise money but rally support. Like this one.

President Bush's dramatic entrance into a campaign event at a Florida baseball stadium less than a month before his re-election, and taxpayers picked up almost the entire tab. Call it a perk of the presidency, something a mere candidate does not enjoy.

SEPP: That's the point. When the parties themselves have to pay for the costs of the pomp and the circumstance, well, the pomp and the circumstance gets a lot smaller, a lot more modest.

KEILAR (on-camera): There's not a lot of transparency in just how much it cost for the president to travel. We asked the White House, but as other administrations have done before, they don't disclose the costs citing security concerns.

But a report done by a Democratic Congressional Committee during President Bush's tenure put the cost as divided 97-3. That's 97 percent paid by the taxpayers, three percent paid by the party.

Brianna Keilar, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: Someone at the White House could sure use a geography lesson. Take a look at the press credentials given to reporters who are covering the president's West Coast trip. See how the three states he's visiting, Washington, California and Colorado are highlighted? Well, there's just one problem. That's not Colorado. It's actually Wyoming. But they both have pretty mountains.

(LAUGHTER)

VELSHI: Not a mistake our Rob Marciano would make. He is on assignment in Broward County, Florida, but he still wakes up to give us the forecast this morning. Good morning, Rob.

ROB MARCIANO, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Hey, good morning, guys. Yes. We're deep in the Everglades. We'll tell you why in a second, but first, it's kind of muggy and warm and buggy down here. I want to take you to Denmark, which is much cooler and a spot where they saw the northern lights, one of many spots across the North Atlanta. It's used the paths a couple of nights.

That geomagnetic storm for the most part is over, but this cool iReport taken, obviously, in motion just a little bit. You see this in person. It is a spiritual event, no doubt about it. All right. Folks across the northeast certainly hoping for some drier weather. A stubborn, stubborn storm system continues to sit and spin, and showers continue to pop up in areas that don't need it, especially Eastern Pennsylvania and parts of Northern New York.

We've got issues there. In some cases, they've seen nine to 11 inches of rainfall just in the month of September from Philly up to Redding -- Allentown, Northern Jersey, and that's an area that is included in the flash flood watches, some of which are posted through tomorrow morning for an additional one to three inches of rainfall possible in this area.

All right. When will this all break down? I'm sure my colleagues have been talking about this cutoff low that's been emblazed across the Great Lakes for almost a week. Well, it's going to get a kick in the pants from a little spot of cool air from Canada, and that will help shift things off to the east, but that will bring cooler air down across much of the southeast and the northeast over the weekend, but finally, switching up this weather pattern just a little bit.

All right. The reason we are down here, because reptiles and amphibians, better known as herpetofauna, your word of the day, have invaded Florida as an explosion of an invasive non native species in the last 10 to 20 years, and it's becoming a big, big problem mostly because of the trade. We'll talk about more of that in the next hour -- Guys.

VELSHI: What is a cutoff low you just talked about?

MARCIANO: You know, it's basically --

COSTELLO: That kicking the pants from Canada.

MARCIANO: Yes. (INAUDIBLE) kick in the pants. It's basically like a stick in the stream that gets caught and he doesn't go anywhere, and eventually, a bigger stick comes down and moves it out of the way. I guess, that's the best analogy I can come up with at 6:00 a.m. Things might change in the next few days, guys.

VELSHI: Thank you, Rob. Good to see you. Stay as unboggy and unmuggy as you can down there. We'll check in with you a little while.

COSTELLO: Thank you, Rob.

Now, it's time for you to "Talk Back." Our question this morning, are job loss greeting cards kind or inappropriate? I know it's a strange question when there are hallmark cards when there are Hallmark cards for everything, birthdays, kwanza, Valentine's Day, depression, divorce, cancer, yes, cancer.

Well, Hallmark's latest, unemployment. It's launched a line of job loss cards. That's right. If a loved one has just lost their job and is on the edge of bankruptcy, just send them a card. Imagine, them opening up that card and experiencing this Hallmark moment. Is there anywhere I could hack up a hairball, like on a former employer's head?

Other messages are more thoughtful like the one about taking the lemon life gives you and making a martini with a twist. You'll handle this like you do everything else in your own unique way, and everything will be more than OK. Psychiatrist, Gale Salt, says although Hallmark is capitalizing on a niche (ph), that niche (ph) does work for some people.

Hallmark, well, Hallmark told us, quote, "Cards for people who have lost their jobs are a reflection of the times. Hallmark customers were asking for these cards to offer support to their friends or family going through a difficult time. People in times of need always look for ways to connect."

Maybe I'm being a tad harsh, but with unemployment, perhaps, the biggest fear America has right now, I'm not sure a Hallmark moment can make it better or can it?

So, the "Talk Back" question today. Are job loss greeting cards kind or inappropriate? Facebook.com/americanmorning. Facebook.com/americanmorning. I'll read your responses later this hour.

VELSHI: Kind or inappropriate. Two good questions, but spark business.

COSTELLO: You're right. For hallmark, maybe. VELSHI: That was creating a card for something I didn't know you could get a card for.

COSTELLO: That's a person who's been fired if someone sent me a card like that --

VELSHI: You wouldn't really get to that.

COSTELLO: I'd punch them.

(LAUGHTER)

VELSHI: Fair enough.

OK. Ahead on AMERICAN MORNING, an SAT cheating scheme uncovered at an elite Long Island high school with students allegedly paying a recent grad thousands of dollars to take the test for them. We'll tell you about that on the other side. It is 22 minutes after the hour.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

VELSHI: Twenty-five minutes after the hour. Welcome back. We're "Minding Your Business" this morning.

Right now, U.S. stock futures are up. Stocked have closed higher for the past three days on hopes that Europe's debt crisis is being resolved, but this morning, there are concerns about the bailout for Greece and whether it could be in jeopardy.

According to the "Financial Times," Euro zone members are now split over the terms of the loan. Some members are, apparently, demanding that private sector pay more.

New information this morning on the economy's pulse in about 30 minutes. A report on mortgage applications will be released giving us a sense of whether people are taking advantage of these low home mortgage rates and low home prices. We'll also learn if orders for durable goods are up, things like planes and cars.

In Lower Manhattan, the protesters have been gathering to voice their outrage at Wall Street and over the nation's economy are calling for 20,000 people to flood the area in the next few months. At least 100 people have been arrested since the protests started 12 days ago. More protests are expected on Wall Street this morning.

The popular iPad could be about to get new some competition. This morning, Amazon is expected to reveal its new tablet computer. Rumors are it will be called the Kindle Fire and able to stream both movies and TV shows.

And Apple is expected to unveil the long awaited iPhone 5 at a press event on Tuesday. It's been 15 months since the iPhone 4 was announced and among the expected upgrades, a bigger screen, better camera, voice recognition, and more carriers.

AMERICAN MORNING back right after this break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO,: It is 30 minutes past the hour. Welcome back to AMERICAN MORNING. Good morning to you.

Time for our top stories:

An eye-opening start to the Michael Jackson death trial. Jurors heard an audiotape of the pop star just weeks before he died. Jackson is heard slurring his words as he talks about his upcoming tour. In opening statements, prosecutors said Dr. Conrad Murray's negligence caused Jackson's death from an overdose of Propofol, the defense says Jackson gave himself the fatal dose.

VELSHI: The Iranian navy is threatening to move navy ships near the U.S. East Coast. The announcement coming from an Iranian commander. A state-run news agency says the move is in response to the presence of U.S. warships in the Persian Gulf. The U.S. government had no immediate response.

COSTELLO: And Chris Christie is keeping everyone guessing about his plans for the election in 2012. The New Jersey governor delivered a foreign policy speech at the Reagan Library in California last night, and when asked if he's considering running for the White House he deflected the question and would only say he's touched and flattered by all the support.

VELSHI: A manhunt that spanned three continents in four decades is over this morning. George Wright, a convicted killer and airline hijacker who once forced FBI agents to deliver ransom money in only bathing suits, was arrested in Portugal on Monday.

COSTELLO: It's just like

VELSHI: It's a weird story. Yes.

COSTELLO: Deb Feyerick joins us now with how police got their big break? I mean, Portugal?

DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENNT: Exactly. Well, you know, it's always the last place you look, isn't it? Anyway, U.S. Marshals have been tracking him for about a decade and they finally got a positive hit. Along with FBI agents and Portuguese authorities, they arrested George Wright in central Portugal, which is about an hour from Lisbon on the coast where he was living under an assumed name.

The joint statement by law enforcement, the FBI in charge said, quote, "Even after 40 years, the commitment of law enforcement is unwavering."

Now, the story is simply remarkable. In the early '60s, Wright was convicted of killing a World War II veteran during a gas station robbery. Well, he escaped from his New Jersey prison in the warden's car and made his way to Detroit, where he joined the Black Liberation Army.

Then in 1972, Wright, along with four other Liberation Members hijacked a Miami-bound Delta flight out of Detroit. Wright was dressed as a priest and managed to smuggle a gun onboard in a hollowed out bible. Once the plane landed in Miami, Wright and the hijackers demanded $1 million in cash for the release of the 78 passengers onboard.

And FBI agents were told to wear nothing but bathing suits as way to ensure they were unarmed. Now, the hijackers kept the crew and forced the pilots to fly to Boston where they refueled the plane and took on another pilot. They then flew across the Atlantic to Algeria and they asked for asylum.

The government there briefly detained and simply, well, let them go. The $1 million is the most ever demanded as a ransom at the time. It was returned to the U.S., along with the plane. The other hijackers were arrested in Paris four years later.

But Wright remained on the run. He is fighting extradition and his next appearance in a Portuguese court -- well, it's expected in about two weeks.

COSTELLO: So, what's he been doing all this time?

FEYERICK: Probably living a pretty nice life in Sintra. If you've ever been there, it's quite lovely. You know, what's amazing about these hijacking is he got the gun onboard because there was no security. Well, that's changed.

VELSHI: A hollowed bible, and then you ask for $1 million? It's Austin Power-esque, you know? And then you make this plane fly all over the place. This stuff doesn't happen that way anymore.

FEYERICK: No, not anymore. Now, you can barely get on with your shoes.

VELSHI: Yes.

FEYERICK: So, yes, it's definitely changed. But this was instrumental in changing and President Nixon called on changes to be made with the FAA and that's why we have more screening. Obviously, after 9/11, taken to the next level. The underwear bomber, a level higher. So, it evolves.

VELSHI: Very interesting. All right. Deb, thanks very much for the story. Very interesting story.

COSTELLO: Seven people under arrest this morning in an alleged SAT cheating scandal as a suburban New York high school. Authorities say six students at the Great Neck North High School paid 19-year-old Sam Eshaghoff, who graduated just last year, as much as $2,500 to take the SATs for them. The district attorney says he was even able to pull off impersonating a female student.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KATHLEEN RICE, NASSAU COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY: Who are the victims in this instance? Victims are your fellow students, the kids who don't cheat, the kids who take the SAT prep course, the kids who study, the kids who do their homework, the kids who play by the rules.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Eshaghoff faces up to four years in prison if he is convicted on felony charges. The six others, you know, the people he took the SATs for, they're now charged with misdemeanors. We'll have more on the story when the Nassau District Attorney Kathleen Rice joins us at 7:30 Eastern.

VELSHI: All right. Coming up next on AMERICAN MORNING: the iPhone 5 is coming. This is not a rumor. Apple confirming the date of its next big announcement.

So, what can we expect? I'll talk to you about that. I'll talk to you about a new one announcement coming out from Amazon today, a new tablet computer.

COSTELLO: But, actually, we want to talk about Rihanna or just look at her actually -- not so from a northern Irish farmer. He shut down Rihanna's video shoot.

VELSHI: What?

COSTELLO: Oh, yes. Over what she was not wearing.

VELSHI: Oh, that's a tease.

COSTELLO: Which is unusual in itself, isn't it?

It's 35 minutes past the hour.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

VELSHI: Welcome back to AMERICAN MORNING.

The tech world is buzzing this morning. Two big announcements. First, this morning, Amazon is expected to unveil its new tablet, and then, next week, Apple is expected to finally reveal its long-awaited iPhone 5.

Joining me to talk about this, what we can expect, who better than Mario Armstrong? He's the host of Sirius XM's "Mario Armstrong's Digital Spin."

You are going to attend this Amazon announcement today.

MARIO ARMSTRONG, HOST, SIRIUSXM'S "MARIO ARMSTRONG DIGITAL SPIN": Yes.

VELSHI: We pretty much know what this is?

ARMSTRONG: No, we really don't. We've heard a lot of speculation about what this is and it probably will ring true. But at this point, Ali, they're saying a tablet --

VELSHI: OK.

ARMSTRONG: -- is what they're going to announce.

VELSHI: But we know that Amazon has this base of a Kindle?

ARMSTRONG: That's right.

VELSHI: So, we think it's a Kindle-based tablet?

ARMSTRONG: That's right. They love their Kindle. They have millions of folks that have the Kindle.

Amazon has a huge customer contacts. They have a huge database of customers to reach out to, and you just have people that love their Kindle. So, if it's going to be something that's going to be a little more than a Kindle, it maybe color. You know, more Internet connectivity, more apps, things of that nature, you're going to have people who are going to be excited.

Plus, if it's a Kindle-like type of tablet, more than likely, it's going to be way less than the existing marketplace for tablet costs.

VELSHI: So, what's -- you know, we've gone through this a little, between what iPads cost and the other players cost and when H.P. was getting rid of its tablet it sort of put them down to 99 bucks, couldn't keep them on the shelf.

ARMSTRONG: Right.

VELSHI: What's the cost -- what's the price point for somebody who doesn't own a tablet now?

ARMSTRONG: I would say probably around $200, $250. Probably a really, really legitimate price point. Something that's beyond an e- reader but that's not quite a full-blown tablet.

VELSHI: All right. What, in your experience, you've tried a bunch of these things, because I've got an iPad and I've got a Kindle, which I like using.

What's the stuff that has to be on it to make it you know, the thing that everybody wants?

ARMSTRONG: For this Kindle?

VELSHI: Yes.

ARMSTRONG: Well, number one, I think -- well, I think they already have it. It's going to be key to that because they have the ability to integrate several things that Apple was successful at integrating.

VELSHI: Right.

ARMSTRONG: If you think about the iPad, the ecosystem is what makes it so shrewd, the apps store, the music, videos, all of that. So, Amazon has that. They have a music service. They have a video service. They have online streaming.

So, they have all the components at an apps store. So, they have all the components.

And here's what's interesting. We've been hearing that they're going to actually change, or I should say, build upon the operating system of Android. So, it will not look like existing Android tablets that are out there.

I think this is a smart move for Amazon to say, you know what? We're going to broaden it, or technically say, fork it and change the layers on top of it so that it's more Amazon specific.

VELSHI: You like the Android operating system?

ARMSTRONG: I do.

VELSHI: A lot of people --

ARMSTRONG: No, no. There's nothing wrong with the Android operating system. But I think this is maybe a smart move on their point to say, you know what, Google made it open source. We're going to build upon that and not just be limited to what every other Android tablet is out there because Android tablets have been tough getting steam.

VELSHI: Sure. There are a lot of them out there. And a few of them own the market.

ARMSTRONG: That's right.

VELSHI: All right. Let's talk about the other big announcement. We know on October 5th, Apple is going to be making a big announcement. How certain are we that that's the iPhone 5?

ARMSTRONG: Yes. You know, they keep things under wraps. The only reason we now what was going down with the iPhone 4 is because a dude left the iPhone at a bar and everybody found out about it.

VELSHI: Right.

ARMSTRONG: But that hasn't happened this time. So, we have not seen a prototype that's out there in the jungle. So, we don't know.

But it's safe to assume by looking at their ads sometimes, they give little clues or their invitation, they give clues. This one has, you know, it's all about talk. So, you assume that it's going to be something phone-related. Not an iPad 3, you know, announcement or anything like that.

But they've been saying iPhone 5, is what they've been saying. It's presumed you will have a better camera on there for sure. Sony slipped at CES and kind of said we're building the image sensor for the iPhone. So, it should be an eight megapixel, up from five megapixel.

But there's been a lot of different reports about whether it's going to be larger screen, smaller form factor. Certainly, it should be a faster processor. All of those things should hold true.

But one thing that maybe interesting, Ali, they may come out with a pre-paid version. Not too sure if that's actually going to happen and Sprint should actually finally get --

VELSHI: More carriers.

ARMSTRONG: It's huge.

VELSHI: All right. So, if I'm a guy to have missed the first four iterations of the iPhone --

ARMSTRONG: That's right. Yes.

VELSHI: Tell me why this isn't just an ad to do this? Why we haven't all been snookered into doing the free ads for Apple? Why is this of significance?

ARMSTRONG: Well, because a number of things. I mean, the bottom line is, you've got to give Apple their credit. Whether you love or hate them, they changed, revolutionized the mobile game. I mean, they brought a phone into existence that carriers hadn't created, manufacturers hadn't created and really, they even changed the game on how you use the system.

I mean, for them to be able to own kind of the whole ecosystem is totally brand new. No manufacturer has that until Apple showed that model. So, they've been revolutionizing and, unfortunately, because we love competition, it's really great. They've just been killing it, bottom line, and everyone wants to be better or as good as the iPhone.

VELSHI: All right. Well, we look forward to it. Mario, keep us posted what you learn today with the Amazon announcement.

ARMSTRONG: Yes, we'll be at the Amazon announcement. I'll be tweeting. I know you tweet like crazy.

(CROSSTALK)

ARMSTRONG: You will, OK?

VELSHI: Mario Armstrong -- thanks, Mario. All right.

COSTELLO: Thanks to you both. It's an exciting conversation. Mario's made me more excited about the iPhone 5.

He is one of America's most famous (INAUDIBLE). Now comes word that Andy Rooney is signing off "60 Minutes" after 33 years. Sunday's essay will be the 92-year-old Rooney's last regular appearance on the CBS broadcast. It will be preceded by a retrospective segment on Rooney's career with his longtime "60 Minutes" colleague Morley Safer.

Rihanna nearly causing an international incident by going topless in northern Ireland. She was shooting a video in a wheat field when the owner of the land ordered her to cover up because she was wearing way too little. He didn't like her topless.

She was apparently only briefly topless. She was actually changing into her bikini top. Geez.

Lawmakers even jokingly went at it over her choice of the red, white and blue bikini. The colors of the British flag. Do they -- I guess they must? But, anyway --

(LAUGHTER)

VELSHI: OK.

COSTELLO: It just surprises me that anyone would actually complain about that, but --

VELSHI: Yes. Oh, well.

Forty-five minutes after the hour.

Still ahead, we're going to talk about exotic pets gone wild. Reptile species that shouldn't be found any where are near the United States invaded Florida. We sent our own reptile hunter Rob Marciano to get to bottom of it and he'll join us on the other side of the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

VELSHI: Forty-six minutes after the hour. Here's what you need to know to start your day.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

VELSHI (voice-over): Day two of the testimony at the Michael Jackson death trial. During opening statements, jurors heard an audiotape of a drugged up Jackson just weeks before he died. Prosecutors accuse Dr. Conrad Murray of repeatedly giving Jackson the drug, Propofol, to sleep. The defense says Jackson, himself, is to blame for the fatal overdose.

The Iranian navy threatening to move navy ships near the U.S. east coast saying, the move-in response to the presence of U.S. warships in the Persian Gulf. The U.S. government has had no immediate response.

Israel announcing plans to expand settlements in East Jerusalem. U.S. officials aren't happy about it. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says it's counterproductive to efforts to restart Israeli/Palestinian peace talks.

Tear gas literally raining down on hundreds of native Bolivians. They're against President Evo Morales' plan to build a highway through the Amazon on their ancestral homeland. Morales says he never gave the order to break up the march. He will suspend construction of the road during a national debate.

Powerful typhoons slamming the Philippines, killing at least seven people and leaving thousands of people displaced. Nearly 75 mile-per-hour winds sent huge waves crashing over sea walls. In the capital, many roads are impassable. Schools and businesses are close for the day. The storm is now moving offshore.

The race for the last two playoff spots coming down to the final day of the major league baseball season. Tampa and Boston tied for the American League wild card. St. Louis and Atlanta in a dead heat in the national league.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VELSHI: That's the news you need to know to start your day. AMERICAN MORNING is back right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Good morning to you. Welcome back. It's ten minutes until the top of the hour.

There is an invasion going on in Florida, and we're not talking about snow birds.

VELSHI: The state has got a major problem with reptiles.

COSTELLO: Hmm.

VELSHI: (INAUDIBLE)

COSTELLO: And who else would we put on this story? Our own reptile hunter, Rob Marciano, he's on the case. Explain, Rob.

ROB MARCIANO, AMS METEOROLOGIST: You know, guys, back in 1863, a little bitty green house frog made its way over here via a shipping container. For the next 100 years, other frogs and lizards and turtles have followed the same pathway, but this, in the last couple of decades, you know, curious kids and curious adults who wanted some of these exotic animals in their home, which is fine, but the problem is, a lot of them are getting out.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHRIS GILLETTE, FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY: There goes another guy. Whoa! Right there. Look at this.

MARCIANO (voice-over): One of many dangerous animals reptile expert, Chris Gillette, has found in this area.

GILLETTE: Whoa. He definitely bites.

MARCIANO: An exotic species that shouldn't be anywhere near the U.S. (on-camera) This kind of snake does not belong in Florida. Obviously, it came here --

GILLETTE: No. This guy's from Africa. This is an African species. Snakes are very, very common in the pet trade.

MARCIANO (voice-over): And we found it right next door to an exotic pet importer along with frogs, lizards, and more snakes.

Look at that. Another python. Another one.

GILLETTE: Look at that.

MARCIANO: Right off the sidewalk.

GILLETTE: So, that's another bald python. There you can see, when you find one, you often find more.

MARCIANO (on-camera): You've never seen a concentration of exotic reptile like this in any other spot?

GILLETTE: No. No, I haven't.

MARCIANO: Literally, that's got to be the source?

GILLETTE: That has to be. Absolutely.

MARCIANO (voice-over): The source, according to a University of Florida study, is this exotic pet store, strictly reptiles. The study finds that 25 percent of all established non-native reptiles have been legally distributed through this business. Strictly Reptiles agreed to comment on the phone.

VOICE OF MIKE VAN NOSTRAND, STRICTLY REPTILES: Just because they found an animal loose around my facility, doesn't, you know, doesn't mean that it's an invasive species or that it's established itself in the state of Florida.

MARCIANO: Still, what happens after an animal is purchased at any store is difficult to control.

KENNETH KRYSKO, UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA HERPETOLOGIST: If they're responsible owners, it's not a problem. However, if they're not responsible owners, they will release these animals illegally.

MARCIANO: Illegal, but it's almost impossible to enforce. We asked Florida Fish and Wildlife if the laws are strong enough. They simply said, "Regulations alone will not solve a problem. We see the law as part of a larger effort to increase public awareness of the problem of releasing exotic animals."

The study ultimately found that Florida has the largest number of non-native reptiles and amphibians in the world. So far, there haven't been any widespread negative impacts on the environment, but the study's lead author says it takes decades to see the consequences. KRYSKO: For some people to say, oh, these have no consequences, no negative impacts on our environment at all, oh, OK, well, let us know in about, you know, 30, 40, 50 years. Let's see what actually happens then.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MARCIANO (on-camera): And that's the scary part. Typically, there's about a 40-year lag time. The Burmese pythons become (INAUDIBLE) 20 years when we've seen what they can do to some smaller animals. And you know, just last week, we saw these giant African snails that take hold in Miami.

It actually even suck off people's homes. And, you know, in backyards across the country, guys, there's probably invasive plant (ph) right in your backyard. So, it's become a very, big, big problem. The pet trade has contributed to 84 percent of the pathways of introductions of exotic amphibians and reptiles. And who knows, in 20, 30, 40 years, a beautiful everglades behind me could have a bunch of inhabitants that have no business being in Florida.

COSTELLO: Well, I wouldn't want to run into that African snake. I mean, I'm not scared. That would be scary, wouldn't it?

MARCIANO: I didn't get terribly close to that, but yes. A little bit chicken.

VELSHI: All right. Rob, let's check in with you in a bit. Rob Marciano in Broward County, Florida. We have invasive rat species here.

COSTELLO: And they're big, too.

VELSHI: Yes.

COSTELLO: I mean, big. This big.

We asked you to "Talk Back" on one of the stories of the day. The question this morning, are job loss greeting cards kind or inappropriate? Yes, hallmark has a brand new line of job loss cards.

This from Joseph, "They're inappropriate. Makes the unemployed person feel worse because the person giving the card has the extra money to go and afford such a card."

This from Sharon, "Why spend $3 to $5 on a card? If someone is unemployed, they need their electric bill paid or a gift card from grocery store."

This from Jody, "It's not always easy to come up with the right words when someone faces a disappointment. Cards not only express feelings, they remind the receiver they matter to someone."

And this from Benny, "What about the people who count on those cards being sold and mailed to help them -- what about the people who count on those cards being sold and mailed to help keep them employed?"

Keep the comments coming. Facebook.com/americanmorning.

VELSHI: All right. Jay Leno noticing change on the president's most recent Hollywood swing. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAY LENO, HOST, "THE TONIGHT SHOW WITH JAY LENO": You know, it's interesting. When he was here campaigning in 2008, remember? Every big star, Matt Damon, all these huge stars showed up. Not so much this time. Take a look.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, Hollywood was certainly a campaign ATM machine for Barack Obama, the candidate, but maybe not so much for Barack Obama, the president. In 2008, President Obama had the support of the Hollywood elite including Robert De Niro and Matt Damon. Last night, his celebrity backers included Screech from Saved By The Bell, Lee Majors (ph), Eden from Toddlers and Tiaras, and a special performance from Vanilla Ice.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(LAUGHTER)

VELSHI: Oh, that was good.

COSTELLO: That kid cracks me up.

VELSHI: Little tiaras.

(LAUGHTER)

COSTELLO: Just ahead on the next hour of AMERICAN MORNING, test taker for hire. An SAT cheating ring busted. A Long Island college student accused of taking the test for high school kids who paid in cash. We'll talk to the D.A. about whether this is an isolated incident or could be happening in your child's school.

It's five minutes until the top of the hour.

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