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American Morning
Knox Heading Home to Seattle; Amanda Knox Heading Home; Michael Jackson Death Trial; Will Christie Run for President; Obama Embraces "Underdog" Role; ESPN Yanks Hank Williams Jr.; Chemical Mixing Sparks Massive Fire; Search for Highway Gunman; "Occupy Wall Street"; Apple Unveils New iPhone Today; Bear Chases Dog into Home, Attacks Couple; Christie "On The Verge" Of Announcement; Early Concerns About Solyndra
Aired October 04, 2011 - 05:59 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ALI VELSHI, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, Christine. I'm Ali Velshi. One day after her murder conviction was overturned, Amanda Knox is coming home. She's about to board a plane today heading for her hometown, Seattle. What her friends say she plans to do first when she lands.
CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back. I'm Christine Romans. Chris Christie is still playing it coy. The New Jersey governor still refusing to answer questions about a possible for the White House, but CNN has learned he maybe on the verge of his making big announcement on this AMERICAN MORNING.
VELSHI: And good morning to you. It is Tuesday, October 4th. Carol is off today. Welcome to AMERICAN MORNING. Good to see you back.
ROMANS: It's nice to see you too.
VELSHI: It's cold out.
ROMANS: It is October. All of a sudden it's October 4th. I feel like yesterday we were saying, good morning, it's July 5th. You know, we're right here and into fall.
All right, after four years in an Italian prison Amanda Knox is coming home today. You're looking at new video from the airport shot just a short time ago. Knox family members can be seen in the terminal. Amanda Knox is not seen with them.
She was reportedly escorted by police through a private entrance. The American exchange student had her murder conviction overturned yesterday. Knox sobbing uncontrollably when this verdict was read.
So emotional, she had to be helped from the courtroom. Her friends say the first thing she wants to do when she returns home to Seattle is lie down on a green field.
Let's get the latest from Becky Anderson live in Perugia, Italy this morning. Do we have a timetable for Knox's departure, Becky? BECKY ANDERSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes. We believe she's gone. It's now mid-day local time, and we believe she left Rome, which is about two hours from here, at 11:00. You're right. The family went to London on a regular flight. A possibility Knox left on a private jet.
They're going to London, we believe. There's a flight about 3:00 local time London out of Heathrow to Seattle, and so she'll be there within, what, eight, nine hours after she leaves London. This is the front page of the local paper here, "Innocent. They didn't do it. The Court of Appeals absolves Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito."
But it goes on to say that outside the court, they were cries of shame, shame and that was -- with reference to the way the people here feel about the Italian justice system. I spoke though to one of Knox's lawyers just after we got the decision handed down by the presiding judge and this is what he told me this last night.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LUCIANO GHIRGA, DEFENSE LAWYER FOR AMANDA KNOX: We are fully satisfied Amanda's release, she was to go back home. She's been waiting for this. She always confirmed that she was a friend of Amanda -- of Meredith. So this has been -- she's likes Italy. She likes Perugia. She will be back. She came here for this reason. She just wants to go home now.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Yes, that's it. She just wants to go home. We believe she's on her way. The Kercher family held a press conference this morning very briefly. They said the search goes on. We're back to square one. They are emotional and confused.
When asked whether they would reach out to the Knox's or whether if the Knox's reached out to them, they would sort of welcome them with open arms, Meredith Kercher's brother said, no. This is the wrong time. Not yet. Things continue.
There may be a prosecution appeal, of course. We don't know that. The Italian highest court within the next 114 days until they work out what happens next, they are just completely confused. What is going on, what has gone on in the last two years. Back to you, guys.
ROMANS: All right, Becky Anderson. More on that family press conference right now. Thanks, Becky.
VELSHI: Yes, if Amanda Knox and her former boyfriend had nothing to do with the murder of Meredith Kercher, the victim's family would like to know who did kill her.
Less than two hours ago, the Kerchers held a news conference in Perugia, Italy. Meredith's brother, Lyle telling reporters the family has tried to comprehend how a jury decision that was so certain two years ago, could suddenly be tossed out.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LYLE KERCHER, BROTHER OF VICTIM: -- were released yesterday were not the guilty and we are now obviously left wondering who is the other person or people and really for us it feels very much like back to square one and the search goes on, really, to find out what truly happened.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VELSHI: The Kerchers say despite their disappointment with the jury's decision, they're grateful for all the support received around the world, including here in the United States.
Now to the start of week two in Michael Jackson's death trial, the emergency room physician who declared Jackson dead was on the witness stand yesterday telling the court Dr. Conrad Murray, Jackson's personal physician, failed to tell her the entertainer had the drug Propofol in this system.
But even if she had that information, it was too late to save the king of pop. Later today, two of Dr. Murray's girlfriends are expected to take the stand including a Houston cocktail waitress on the phone with him when he realized Jackson had stopped breathing.
ROMANS: CNN has learned that Chris Christie is on the verge of announcing whether he plans to run for president. The New Jersey governor refused to discuss his possible candidacy during a swearing- in ceremony for a judge yesterday.
But sources tell CNN he has discussed a bid with the White House with his wife and his family, and he is going to look for a decision with the next 48 hours. Here's CNN's Jim Acosta.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JIM ACOSTA, CNN POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It was as if Chris Christie was auditioning for commander-in-chief Jersey style, reviewing the troops in the state national guard over the weekend and getting a 19-gun salute.
But with much of the political world expecting the governor to decide this week on a bid for 2012, some of his Republican colleagues were all, but advising Christie to stand down.
GOVERNOR BOB MCDONNELL (R), VIRGINIA: Well, it's late. It's 90 days perhaps from the Iowa caucuses beginning. Ultimately, it's up to him. I think we've got a strong field already, but Chris will be an immediate impact on the race, if he decides to join them.
SENATOR JOHN MCCAIN (R), ARIZONA: I think that there is a bit of a caution that always -- the swimming pool looks a lot better until you jump right in. Water may not be quite as warm as you think.
ACOSTA: It just got colder in Iowa and New Hampshire. State officials may bump up their voting to the turn of the year. South Carolina and Florida would follow just weeks later.
ALEX CASTELLANOS, CNN POLITICAL CONTRIBUTOR: He couldn't run a traditional Iowa or New Hampshire or South Carolina campaign at this point. There's just not enough time. He'd take the country in a different direction, Obama, he'd had to that on TV and in the news and not on the ground.
ACOSTA: Christie is already taking (inaudible) potential rivals like rising contender Herman Cain who says the governor is too liberal. The former Godfather's Pizza CEO spent the day meeting with the man who's increasingly becoming a GOP godfather.
HERMAN CAIN (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I believe that a lot of conservatives, once they know his position on those things that you delineated they're going to not be able to support him.
ACOSTA: Christie may also have to answer questions about his health after touching off a debate on his weight with "Washington Post" columnist, Eugene Robinson telling the governor to eat a salad and take a walk.
And the "New York Times" Frank Bruni responding saying, girth doesn't equal character. The governor's office says Christie has not released health records adding he's not required to do so.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are you reconsidering or are you standing firm?
GOV. CHRIS CHRISTIE (R), NEW JERSEY: I have to tell you the truth. You folks are an incredible disappointment as an audience.
ACOSTA: Still, Christie has struck a cord among many Republicans, showing the rest of the field how to have the voters eating out of your hand.
GOV.R HALEY BARBOUR (R), MISSISSIPPI: I think it's a token of the regard that people have for Chris Christie. He's a great governor. If he were to get into the race, he'd have an immediate following.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ACOSTA: Chris Christie's advisers are very tight lipped about the governor's next move. One telling sign maybe what one group of uncommitted GOP contributors is saying in Iowa.
This is the group of donors trying to woo the governor to run for president. CNN has learned those contributors have been told to wait until Wednesday before committing to another campaign. Jim Acosta, CNN, Washington.
VELSHI: Waiting game continues, with the latest polls showing his approval ratings at an all-time low, President Obama now admits he's the underdog in the 2012 race for the White House, but in an interview with ABC News, the president said being a long shot is a role that he embraces.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A poll out of ABC, just coming out later today showing that majority of American, 55 percent, think you'll be a one-term president. Are you the underdog now?
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: Absolutely. Because, you know, given the economy, there's no doubt that, you know, whatever happens on your watch, you've got --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You embraced that pretty quickly.
PRESIDENT OBAMA: You know, I don't mind. I'm used to being an underdog, and I think that at the end of the day, though, what people are going to say is, who's got a vision for the future that can actually help ordinary families recapture that American dream.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VELSHI: And that was from ABC News. When the president was asked which two words he would use to replace his 2000 campaign theme of hope and change, he said values and vision.
ROMANS: President Obama tells ABC News that he does not regret, he doesn't regret the $535 million loan to a solar energy company that later collapsed.
He is defending the loan as new e-mails revealed the administration was worried about Solyndra even before the president visited it in May of last year.
In one e-mail, a White House official reportedly writes, quote, "I am increasingly worried that this visit could prove embarrassing to the administration in the not too distant future."
And President Obama says he'll keep pressuring Congress to pass his jobs program. But House Majority Leader Eric Cantor is rejecting the president's call for a vote on the jobs bill this month calls his all or nothing approach to the legislation unreasonable.
VELSHI: Well, if you watched Monday night football last night, you may have noticed something was missing.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are you ready for some football!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VELSHI: ESPN skipped the famous, "Are you ready for some football" opening, part of the broadcast for over 20 years because earlier in the day, the singer, Hank Williams Jr. got himself into hot water for comparing President Obama to Hitler on Fox News.
Williams released a statement saying he was, quote, "misunderstood." It's an interesting statement actually. ESPN said it's not sure yet whether the song will be back next week. ROMANS: All right, the EPA testing for possible toxic vapors after this inferno erupted at a chemical plant outside Dallas yesterday. Massive plumes of black smoke just pouring from this plant and forcing the evacuation of schools and neighborhoods in the area.
You could see it from 50 miles away, Ali. It happened as workers inside were mixing chemicals. The plant says all of its employees are safe. The EPA told CNN that initial ground level air tests don't show any elevated toxic chemical levels.
VELSHI: Drivers in San Diego, California, are being told to look out for a gunman considered to be, quote, "very dangerous." According to police, a man has been shooting at people along Interstate 805. At least one person has been hit. Fortunately, his injuries are not life threatening.
ROMANS: Even opened fire on an ambulance.
VELSHI: Yes, it's unbelievable. You know, as we remember from the Washington area, snipers. This is a very scary thing. Random people shooting at cars.
ROMANS: It's so indiscriminate, very terrifying. All right, the "Occupy Wall Street" movement is now spreading to other cities. In Boston, about 60 people marched yesterday to raise awareness about the millions of Americans struggling in today's economy.
Other demonstrations are also taking place in Los Angeles, Chicago, and, of course, New York, where the protesters have been camped out for more than three weeks now.
And I have seen my fair share of protests down on the New York Stock Exchange, on Wall Street down there, but this is the longest. They take the cake for the longest.
VELSHI: Absolutely. It's also the longest one not to have honed in on a message, a unified message.
ROMANS: There we go.
VELSHI: I'd be very eager to see what it is exactly the whole group would actually like to get done? It seems very general like a four-day work week and they'd like these guys in jail and they'd like things to be more fair.
ROMANS: They'd also like to bail out student loan debt, why do people have to take student loans all the way through bankruptcy even?
VELSHI: But there are dozens of causes involved that. A little bit unfocused.
In less than seven hour, the world will get its first glimpse of the new iPhone, a device that changed the face ever the cell phone industry. While Apple is good at keeping secrets, there's a lot of speculation that the new phone will be thinner, faster, it will contain a larger screen and better cameras.
Today's announcement is also Apple CEO Tim Cook's first big event since Steve Jobs stepped aside in August. All eyes are going to be on this company. Apple, by the way, as are right now is the most valuable publicly traded company in the world.
ROMANS: Wow. There's no recession in an Apple store.
VELSHI: There is not.
ROMANS: All right, ahead on AMERICAN MORNING, he thought he was just letting the dog back in, and then there was this, a bear in his house. A couple recovering this morning and talking after a brawl with a black bear that left blood all over the living room rug.
VELSHI: All right, it became the safest gig in town after the infamous wardrobe malfunction. Who better to shake things up, guess who reportedly lined up to play halftime at the Super Bowl?
ROMANS: Surfers, meet the jocks. Hawaii's favorite pastime finally becoming an official varsity sport. It's 13 minutes after the hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
VELSHI: We're back to AMERICAN MORNING.
You know it's Nobel Prize time. Two Americans and an Australian have just been awarded this year's Nobel Prize for Physics. It just happened a little while ago. Americans Saul Perlmutter and Adam Reiss and Australian Brian Schmidt won for their work on distant super novas.
The Nobel Committee had to scramble to amend its rules after awarding this year's prize in Medicine to a Canadian biologist who died just days earlier. Sixty-eight-year-old Ralph Steinman, who was one of three scientists honored for their work on the immune system. The committee was unaware of his death from pancreatic cancer when it awarded the prize, which is intended for living recipients. But Nobel officials decided Steinman's share of the $1.5 million will go to his estate.
ROMANS: All right. A couple recovering this morning after a black bear chased their dog into the house and then went after them. It happened in rural Pennsylvania. First, the man tried to peel the bear off his dog. Then the woman tried to get the bear off the husband.
VELSHI: Oh, my goodness.
ROMANS: They came home from the hospital in the afternoon. The man's arm and head banged up, covered in teeth and claw marks.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I saw him being attacked right here in our living room floor, and I - I tried to distract the bear. I don't know that I jumped on him or did whatever, but, I mean, whatever I did was enough to make the bear turn and jump on me.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The bear hit her going out, dragged her outside. I went outside to see the bear on top of her. And then I dove onto the bear to get the bear off of her, of course, and that's when the bear starting tearing the back of my head up.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VELSHI: Man.
ROMANS: Oh, my. The bear took off, by the time police got there, but they did set traps in the area in case it comes back.
VELSHI: See, all - the only wildlife I got -
ROMANS: Meantime, for some reason the dog doesn't want to get outside.
VELSHI: Did try - wildlife I got in the city are rats, pigeons and the odd squirrel, and that's why I live in the city. (INAUDIBLE).
All right. The New York Yankees facing elimination tonight in Motown. Why - who wrote that? That must be Carol Costello who wrote that. What do you mean facing elimination?
The New York Yankees have a chance to even it up after the Detroit Tigers and their ace pitcher Justin Verlander took game three last night 5-4. Verlander struck out 11 Yankees over eight innings. Delmon Young home run in the seventh inning put the Tigers on top for good. The Texas Rangers also took a 2-1 lead in their series last night beating back the Tampa Bay Rays 4-3.
Now, game five between the Yankees and the Tigers is on Thursday night. I intend to be at game five.
ROMANS: Really?
VELSHI: On Thursday night.
ROMANS: (INAUDIBLE).
VELSHI: So there better be a game five on Thursday night.
ROMANS: And you're going to roll right into work on Friday?
VELSHI: Well, one of us. I think whoever team's loses comes to work on Friday morning. So, you know, Carol and I will work that out.
ROMANS: Yes. Well, I'll be here no matter what.
VELSHI: Christine will be here no matter what.
ROMANS: There you go. All right. Brace yourselves for a possible wardrobe - wardrobe malfunction part two. Madonna will reportedly perform at this year's Super Bowl Halftime Show. She'll be the first female solo act since Janet Jackson back in 2004, hence the reference to the wardrobe malfunction.
And Appeals Court toss out the FCC's $550,000 fine for her slip four years later. The Material Girl now 53 years old, probably a little safer pick these days than she was maybe in the '90s -
VELSHI: Back in the day.
ROMANS: -- or '80s, right?
VELSHI: All right. Talking about a home field advantage, surfing is about to become an official high school sport in Hawaii. It took seven years for it to be approved and largely because of money, insurance and safety issues.
ROMANS: Still don't know where you put the varsity letter, Rob Marciano. Still cannot figure out where the varsity letter goes.
VELSHI: Rob, what's your suggestion as to where the varsity letter goes?
ROMANS: It goes on the board. It goes on the board.
VELSHI: Oh, that's good.
ROMANS: Hi, Rob.
ROB MARCIANO, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Well, I mean, you know, most serious surfers will wear, you know, wear actually a shirt. So, you know, you got team jerseys.
VELSHI: There you go.
ROMANS: There you go.
MARCIANO: But, you know, we can show more bikini video if that's what you're looking for Christine.
No good day for a bikini wearing contest that's for sure across parts of the northeast today. Unsettled (ph) weather continues. But today will probably be the last day you see the circulation. As a matter of fact, there's some heavy rains across parts of Eastern Mass, Sussex and Middlesex County seeing a flash flood warning right now with some heavy rain moving into that area. This will slowly make its way off to the east and we'll start to get into some drier weather.
Meanwhile, out west, rain as far south as almost San Diego, and higher elevations, so Vegas getting some rain as well, and higher elevations snows with this. Check out the winter storm warnings that are posted, the Sierra Nevadas. It could see up to a foot of snow in some of the spots. Especially above the 7,000 - 8,000 foot mark winter storm watches have been posted for the Wasatch maybe a foot above 8,000 feet.
Meanwhile, warm and windy, red flag warning is posted for parts of the Upper Midwest and Northern Plains. Temperatures there had been in near record-breaking in some spots. Kind of back side of this high that's bringing gorgeous weather across parts of the southeast.
Temperatures today will be warm again across the midsection - 87 degrees in Kansas City; 81 degrees in Minneapolis, my goodness, that is toasty; 75 in Chicago and just a couple of more beauty shots. Speaking of surfing and waves. The red tide out there in Southern California continues to bring this beautiful, glowing blue surf at night as that phytoplankton activated chemically for some bioluminescence. That will be a cool thing to see a lot. Those are the pictures we have from our iReports.
So there you go.
VELSHI: Bioluminescence is in the water, correct? It's not - it's not a reflection. It's not a -
MARCIANO: Yes. It's in the - it's in the phytoplankton, you know, little organisms in the water. Chemically they get shaken up and that activates and excites whatever is going on them chemically.
VELSHI: Right.
MARCIANO: Glows blue at night.
VELSHI: That's very, very cool.
MARCIANO: Yes.
VELSHI: Hi, Rob. Nice to see you, my friend.
MARCIANO: Likewise.
VELSHI: See you later.
MARCIANO: Cool.
VELSHI: Coming up next, Amanda Knox is released from prison in Italy. She's heading home to Seattle. We understand she's actually left Rome now. We'll take you there live what could be a big homecoming for her.
ROMANS: And she's Chris Christie go-to gal and a decision on whether the New Jersey governor jumps into the Republican race. It could be (INAUDIBLE) what his wife thinks. We're taking a closer look at the role of spouses on the campaign trail, running mates, if you will.
It's 22 minutes after the hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
VELSHI: Twenty-five minutes after the hour. Welcome back. "Minding Your Business" this morning.
If the markets overseas are any indication we could be in for another rough day on stock markets. Right now, Europe and Asia are down on those continued worries about Europe's debt crisis deepening. It's those same fears that pushed the S&P to its lowest level in over a year.
Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke will most likely be defending the Central Bank's latest short-term stimulus to boost the economy when he testifies before Congress this morning. Bernanke will also offer up his outlook for the economy.
Today is the day that Apple pulls back the curtain on its latest iPhone. Among the rumored bells and whistles, a bigger screen, a faster processor, a better camera and a fancy voice control system. The only sure thing in today's event is that the new CEO Tim Cook will have the honor of introducing the new phone.
Sprint may be pinning its hopes on the iPhone. The "Wall Street Journal" reports that the number three wireless carrier has agreed to purchase at least 35.5 million iPhones over the next four years, that's a $20 billion deal and that has some investors worried. Sprint stock was down 32 percent - I'm sorry - 10 percent yesterday. My apologies.
Swiss banking giant UBS saying it expects to make a modest profit in the third quarter even after one of its traders went rogue and blundered away $2 billion in unauthorized deals. That trader, by the way, has been charged with fraud and false accounting.
American Airline stock fell 32 percent - that's where I got that from - fell 32 percent yesterday on fears that bankruptcy is just around the corner. American is the nation's third largest carrier. The only major airline to lose money this year. In a statement the company adamantly denied that it is seeking bankruptcy protection.
AMERICAN MORNING will be right back after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROMANS: And good morning. It is half past the hour. Time for this morning's top stories.
Amanda Knox flying home from Italy to Seattle, Washington, right now. She spent four years in an Italian prison before a jury overturned her murder conviction yesterday. One of her supporters says the first thing she wants to do when she gets home is lie down in a green field.
Chris Christie is on the verge of deciding whether he'll run for president in 2012. The New Jersey governor could make an announcement within 48 hours, according to a source. He refused to answer questions at a swearing-in ceremony for a New Jersey judge.
VELSHI: And new emails revealed that long before a California solar panel company went under, the administration was concerned a half a billion dollar loan to Solyndra could be a political risk for the administration. At one point, White House officials reportedly discussed scrapping the president's visit writing, "the trip could haunt him in the next 18 months if Solyndra hits the wall and files for bankruptcy."
ROMANS: Wow.
VELSHI: Which is exactly what happened.
ROMANS: That's embarrassing.
VELSHI: Yes.
Well, the city of Seattle is preparing for a long awaited homecoming this morning, one day after her conviction was overturned, Amanda Knox is coming home.
Drew Griffin joins us live from Seattle right now, where we're standing by. We understand. I don't know if you have the same information, Drew, that she's left Italy now.
DREW GRIFFIN, CNN SPECIAL INVESTIGATIONS UNIT CORRESPONDENT: Yes, that's what we understand and that would put her on a flight plan. You know, She's got to connect, I believe in London, if we have it correctly, that will get her here sometime late this afternoon, Ali, and we will, we're told by the family, see Amanda Knox. We probably won't hear from her. They're setting up a welcoming home news conference at Sea-Tac Airport and we'll hear from an attorney from a family spokesman and her parents, but maybe or maybe not Amanda Knox. The family is trying to really leave that up to her.
There was a bit of a gathering yesterday. Friends of Amanda Knox gathering in a hotel room, watching the verdict come down, and once that verdict was returned, they were just overjoyed at what had happened in Italy.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIPS)
MARGARET RALF, FAMILY FRIEND: Four years in the coming, it's been a tortuous, a tortuous robbing of two innocent people's lives, but also Meredith lost her life. You know. It's just a tragedy, all the way around.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I just want to get her home. I want Amanda home with her family.
(END VIDEO CLIPS)
GRIFFIN: You mentioned Amanda Knox wanted to lay down in some green grass. I would imagine even though it was dark, she probably did that last night in Italy. We can tell you this, Ali, she likes barbecue and her family is planning some sort of barbecue party when she does get finally home today.
VELSHI: Drew, what's the sense in Seattle amongst her supporters, the friends of Amanda Knox. How did this case fall apart for the prosecution? It was as Meredith Kercher's family said, two years ago, it was a solid case?
GRIFFIN: Yes. Really, if you looked at the evidence, Ali, it was not a solid case at all. I went there. I looked at the evidence. I looked at the DNA reports. I looked at the so-called confession and how that came about.
Look, this was a bloody rape/murder scene that took place in a very tiny bedroom, and in that bedroom was the DNA all over the place ever the one person who was convicted and is serving a prison sentence for the murder. There was no forensic evidence in the murder scene linking Amanda Knox or Raffaele Sollecito to the crime scene.
What the original trial came up with, with this minuscule pieces of genetic material, one found on a knife that was not found at the crime scene. The other found on a rock glass. The forensic review in this appeal found that neither one ever those pieces of evidence was any good. And that's when this case fell apart.
The very tiny bit of forensic evidence that this prosecution clung to was thrown out, and that, indeed, broke the hole on this whole case and that's what the appeal was based on.
VELSHI: All right. Drew, we'll stay with you, obviously, as the story develops. Amanda Knox will be showing up very soon, or at least with the next several hours we expect in Seattle. Drew Griffin for us there.
ROMANS: All right. Meantime, jury selection set to begin this morning in Detroit, in the trial of the so-called underwear bomber.
Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab was charged with trying to blow up a Northwest flight on Christmas Day in 2009 with a device hidden in his underwear. He's insisting on defending himself at trial. Abdulmutallab has been linked to the American born cleric Anwar al- Awlaki who was just killed last week in a drone attack in Yemen.
VELSHI: And a not guilty plea from the man accused to plotting to fly model planes with explosives into the Pentagon and the U.S. Capitol. Twenty-six-year-old Rezwan Ferdaus, a U.S. citizen from Massachusetts, was arrested last week in Boston. He's also charged with attempting to provide support to al Qaeda for attacks on U.S. troops overseas.
ROMANS: On the first day of the new term, the Supreme Court turned away an appeal from an Ohio judge who wanted to post a copy of the Ten Commandments in his courtroom. The ACLU brought the lawsuit saying it was against the separation of church and state.
VELSHI: All right. Coming up on AMERICAN MORNING, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta says if Congress can't agree on debt reduction, the consequences could be disastrous for America's military. Now, he said this as part of an exclusive interview with CNN's Erin Burnett. We've got it for you after the break.
ROMANS: And will he or won't he run for president? Chris Christie's decision could come down to his wife, Mary Pat. We're taking a closer look at spouses on the campaign trail.
It's 35 minutes after the hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROMANS: Welcome back to AMERICAN MORNING. Good morning, everybody.
The Chris Christie watch continues. Word is the New Jersey governor will announce in the next 48 hours whether he will make a run at the Republican nomination. Christie talked it over with his family, and the most important voice in making the decision may belong to his wife, Mary Pat.
Our next guest has written about the role of spouses on the campaign trail including a best-selling book on Laura Bush. Ann Gerhart, senior writer for "The Washington Post," joins us this morning from Washington.
Good morning, Ann.
ANN GERHART, "THE WASHINGTON POST" SENIOR EDITOR: Good morning.
ROMANS: How important is Mary Pat in the decision that Governor Christie is going to make and what kind of political running mate would she make if this were to become a candidate for the nomination?
GERHART: Well, I think she's probably the key decider. They have four children. They have -- you know, she's got a career. She's a bond trader at Cantor Fitzgerald. She's been working part-time while she's the first lady of New Jersey. I think she's a full partner of her husband, a professional partner. They've been married 25 years.
But I'm sure she has a good sense, as any smart woman who does her research, that it is a grueling process, and then it is a very tough gig. Once you are actually there.
ROMANS: Yes. Well, reportedly, Mary Pat Christie spoke with Barbara Bush to find out about White House life. And sources tell CNN that she went over the pros and cons with her husband to help him decide.
Here's a strong woman with, you know, a working mother essentially, a part-time working mother with her own career. Does she -- is she an asset for him if he decides to run?
GERHART: Yes, I'm sure she'll be an asset it him. She seems to be outspoken and she seems to be engaged. And if you are going to run for president of the United States, whether you are a man or a woman, you'd better have a partner who is fully committed and will support you every step of the way, because the job is tough enough without having that support.
So, I think she becomes an asset and I think she also can appear to -- I think the American people really like to see that there is a spouse backing up that principal.
ROMANS: You know, it's interesting, because the secret weapon in this particular presidency right now is often said to be Michelle Obama, the current first lady. That the president's approval numbers had not been good. Is it -- you know, in our latest polling show the president about 45 percent of the approval rating.
She's going to have to work hard for her husband. It is grueling. It can be difficult, I'm sure, to watch somebody you love, especially if things aren't going your way with negative campaigning and the like.
GERHART: Right.
ROMANS: Do you think her role has to change here for the president going forward even as we're still looking for the nominee and the, quote/unquote, "running mate" for the Republican side?
GERHART: I think that her role has to change somewhat certainly from what it did in the 2008 election when she hadn't done this before.
Look, there's a learning curve for everything and she is going to be a much more effective campaigner this time around. She's more confident, because she's had the last 2 1/2 years now to carry out her own platform, to speak out on his behalf.
She's an extrovert. She likes crowds. She seems to enjoy people. She seems much more comfortable than she did in the past.
Ann Romney is that same kind of candidate as she stumps for her husband for the Republican nomination.
So I think that she's an asset. Look, women usually maintain better approval ratings because they are not exactly in the line of fire and that's helpful. They can also really hurt the main person running, but --
ROMANS: And that's the key. To be someone who's a draw for the person who's running, but also not to have anything that could be seen as a negative, for maybe people who were undecided and decided there was something about that running mate they didn't like.
You mentioned Ann Romney. She maintains her own busy campaign schedule. She's going full force out there. You wrote a piece in the "The Washington Post" about her.
How does she help get support within the party?
GERHART: Well, in some ways, she somewhat plays the same role that Michelle Obama can play for her husband. Both of those men are sometimes seen as cool and cerebral and utterly competent but distant. Not necessarily able to always understand the problems of people who are out there struggling, and both of them serve to verify that for their husbands. You know, they can speak about the man they say and what they know is in his heart.
He's supposed to talk about the issue, but they can talk about the man behind those issues and I think they both do that. She does very well I think for Mitt Romney because she's very approachable and she's very reachable and she can be a little more outspoken and make jokes that he can't exactly.
ROMANS: Let me ask you quick about Anita Perry because she pushed for her husband to run. But, sometimes, these political wife blessings (ph) must have some sort of conflict at their core about getting into all of this.
GERHART: I'm sure they all have a conflict at their core. I mean, let's face it, you'd have to have a complete lack of self- awareness to not have some conflict to either run for president or run for president and supportive as a spouse. So, yes, I'm sure she's got a conflict at their core, and particularly for these people for whom it's the first time around, and I'm sure this is a part of Mary Pat Christie's figuring. You have no idea the level of scrutiny that is coming your way until you live through it.
ROMANS: And that's all to come for one of these candidates, if not a couple of them as we get closer.
Ann Gerhart, senior writer for "The Washington Post," the author of the book "The Perfect Wife" -- nice to see you. Good morning.
GERHART: Thank you.
VELSHI: Well, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta is in the Middle East right now, trying to get Israelis and Palestinians talking peace again. Before leaving, Panetta sat down for an exclusive interview with CNN's Erin Burnett on the premiere of her new show "OUT FRONT."
Panetta says the Pentagon can absorb deep budget cuts, but he warns that partisan politics in Washington could damage our national defense.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PANETTA: If the Congress is irresponsible enough to suddenly turn on this kind of sequester idea because they failed to meet their responsibilities, that would clearly damage our national defense, because that formula says we're going to do -- we're going to do it across the board in some sort of blind fashion that basically hits everything and makes us weak across the board.
It's going to result in rifts. It's going to result in not only force reductions. It's going to result in hollowing out the force and that, frankly, we cannot tolerate. We still face too many threats out there to weaken our defense.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VELSHI: Premiere week continues tonight on "OUT FRONT." Erin Burnett goes one-on-one with Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner. That's tonight at 7:00 Eastern, right here on CNN.
ROMANS: Forty-five minutes past the hour. We've got a quick check of the morning's top stories straight ahead.
VELSHI: Plus, Steve Jobs, he's the man who saved Apple and changed the world. How did he do it? We'll have an in-depth report. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KADIR NELSON, AUTHOR/ARTIST: My name is Kadir Nelson. I'm an author and an artist. And I'm on road about a week out of every month. I'm enjoying pretty much my whole life since I was about three years old. I was commissioned to create the artwork for Michael Jackson's first posthumous released album called "Michael." But I'm primarily a book artist.
I began writing books as well as illustrating it. The publisher really likes to get out and talk about the work that you do. It's a great way to meet the people who are reading the book, because when you're author, you're pretty much working in a vacuum. I usually bring a sketchbook that's pretty small.
As an artist, you always want to be on top of your game and keep your blades sharp. I look at people while they're in the park, in the subway, at airports, and I just draw them. And sometimes, you are a bit tired, but when you meet little kids who are so excited to meet you or even adults, it really gives you energy.
Thanks for traveling with me. I'll see you on the road.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROMANS: It's 48 past the hour. Good morning. Here's what you need to know to start your day.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ROMANS (voice-over): Amanda Knox should be back on U.S. soil today. The freed U.S. student had her murder conviction overturned in an Italian court yesterday. Right now, she's reportedly on a plane from Rome to London where she will connect to Seattle later today.
Chris Christie expected to announce whether he's running for president in the next 48 hours. According to a source, the New Jersey governor has discussed a White House bid with his family and is on the verge of announcing his intentions.
New e-mails suggest White House officials were worried about the energy company, Solyndra, even before that company received a $535 million loan last year. According to one memo, officials argued the company's failure could lead to an embarrassing situation for the president.
Black smoke pouring from a Texas chemical plant. The EPA heading to the area outside Dallas today to check for toxic vapors.
ESPN yanking the famous Monday night football open featuring Hank Williams Jr. after the singer compared President Obama to Hitler yesterday. Williams saying his comments were misunderstood.
The White House became the pink house for one night. The colored white star an annual tradition started by President George W. Bush three years ago in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROMANS (on-camera): That's the news you need to start your day. AMERICAN MORNING is back right after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
VELSHI: Welcome back to AMERICAN MORNING.
After 15 months, rumors will finally give way to reality when Apple unveils its latest iPhone today. The new iPhone is expected to be faster, that contain a much bigger touch screen and better a camera. This morning, we want to take an in-depth look at our mobile society and how Steve Jobs, the man behind the icraze changed our society forever.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
VELSHI (voice-over): In November 2001, Steve Jobs and apple released a game changer. The iPod.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When the iPod music player first came out in the early 2000s, it was $400. It seems outrageously expensive. It was a tremendous risk to come up with a little gadget that was so expensive, and yet, it became a tremendous hit as well.
VELSHI: Jobs didn't stop there. He wanted a one-stop digital music store.
HILLARY ROSEN, FMR CEO, RECORD INDUSTRY ASSN: What Steve needed to do to launch iTunes was convinced the record companies and the music publishers, not an easy lot, to license their music to his online store so that he could then sell it.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: One of the great ironies of Steve Jobs being the person who got us to actually pay for music again is that Steve Jobs had been a pirate himself when he was a teenager. Jobs and Waz packed the phone systems so they could get long distance phone calls for free.
ROSEN: He was one of the few people that really broke through what ended up being sort of a lot of fear on stubbornness on the part of record industry executives. He was determined to get the Beatles to agree to put their music on this catalog, and they had some, you know, their management had some crazy idea, well, you know, let Steve Jobs give us 10 percent of Apple, and then, we'll do it, because, of course, we're going to make this company successful.
I remember calling Steve and sort of reporting in what a failed meeting it was, and he just said, you know, just great music, but you know, they're just wrong. Like, don't worry about it. They're just wrong, and I thought, you know, probably only Steve Jobs would have the confidence to just be so certain that he knew better than the Beatles.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROMANS: Wow.
VELSHI: Yes. Only Steve Jobs would have that certainty, to say, the Beatles are wrong, and they'll eventually come around, which is exactly what they did.
ROMANS: And he was right.
VELSHI: Exactly what they did. It was nearly a year ago that the Beatles finally did make it to iTunes. They have proven to be one of Apples biggest artists. It sold more than nine million songs at 1.5 million Apple's albums.
ROMANS: And so, we'll hear more today about iPhone 5 --
VELSHI: Yes.
ROMANS: And that other gadget that has made them so famous and so rich.
VELSHI: Yes.
ROMANS: All right. After another key al Qaeda hit, looks like David Letterman is going to have to find something else to read in his spare time. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DAVID LETTERMAN, HOST, THE LATE SHOW WITH DAVID LETTERMAN: Boy, we're getting it done overseas. The U.S. now special forces bombed and killed the editor of al Qaeda magazine. Did you hear about this? So, if you're delivery this year -- this month is a little late --
(LAUGHTER)
LETTERMAN: It's because -- they killed him. Hey, where's my --
(APPLAUSE)
LETTERMAN: Al Qaeda magazine, very popular, or as it's known over there, A.Q.
(LAUGHTER)
LETTERMAN: Oh, and the guy's very good. The guy that they knocked off. Before he worked at al Qaeda magazine, he worked at "car, bomb and driver." He was very good.
(APPLAUSE)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VELSHI: All right. Ahead next hour, we're on Amanda Knox watch. The American student reportedly left Rome. She's heading home this morning after her murder conviction was tossed. It is 54 minutes after the hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VELSHI (voice-over): Off the hook for murder and heading home. American student, Amanda Knox, leaving Rome after a four-year battle for justice.
ROMANS (voice-over): The one they've been waiting for. Chris Christie ready to end all of the chatter, making decision on whether he'll run for president. What could this mean for the rest of the field?
VELSHI: No buyers' remorse. President Obama defending a $500 billion taxpayer loan to a solar company that went belly up.
ROMANS: Will it have 4G, a better camera? Will you actually be able to have a conversation with your phone? Apple expected to unveil the iPhone 5 today. We'll separate the fact from the fiction, as we think, on this AMERICAN MORNING.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
