hairy problems. republican presidential candidate rick perry finds himself in the middle of a racially charged controversy. and signing off. andy rooney dishes out a few more trademark complaints and thanks his audience on his final regular appearance on cbs's "60 minutes." this is the "cbs morning news" for monday, october 3rd, 2011. captioning funded by cbs good morning everybody. good to see you. i'm terrell brown in for betty nguyen this morning. it may be amanda knox's best last chance of freedom. knox pleads her own case to an appeals court this morning. knox has spent four years behind bars. t the jury is expected to issue a verdict sometime today. >> reporter: amanda knox's italian nightmare may soon be coming to an end. >> as a mom, you worry. you know she is suffering and

lost weight. she tells you she can't eat, she can't sleep, because of the stress. of course! it breaks your heart. >> reporter: in an interview, her parents, curt knox and edda mellas, said they hope their daughter who has served nearly four years in prison will be freed. >> obviously, my hopes is she -- her overturn her conviction and tell her she is free to go home. >> reporter: but she faces a harrowing task in italian who will decide her fate. >> she is pleading for her life. it's a big thing. i think she wants to be pointed but i think it's going to be really heartfelt to really have that judge and jury understand that she had nothing to do with the death of meredith. >> reporter: after knox and her former italian boyfriend raffaele sollecito addressed the court, the jury and judges will deliberate together. a quick verdict is expected.

>> probably sometime in the afternoon, early evening, they will all come back in. we all stand there, they stand, and they read their verdict. >> reporter: knox and sollecito were convicted in 2009 of the murder of their roommate meredith kercher in a house they shared in perugia. but during their trial, the dna evidence used to convict them was thrown out after a scientific panel ruled it was unreliable. >> well, she's totally innocent. both her and raffaele had nothing to do with this horrific crime. you look at the use of just circumstantial evidence, there is no case. >> reporter: if found not guilty, the family plans to get amanda knox out of italy as quickly as possible. she could be back home in seattle by late tuesday, or wednesday. peter van zandt, cbs news,

perugia, italy. >> earlier this morning i had a chance to talk to cbs solina in perugia and said how easy it is that knox is addressing the court in fluent italian? >> it's very important indeed. she now speaks fluent italian. she spent four years or close to four years in prison in perugia and her italian is very good. she's fluent. and certainly this was not the case when she first arrived in perugia and when this whole thing happened. she had only been here, you know, a couple of weeks when the murder took place. >> how confidence is knox's legal team that her guilty verdict will be overturned. >> i think, you know, as confident as they can be. i mean the dna, the independent review of dna evidence that was carried out by this court was strongly in amanda knox's and

raffaele sollecito's favor. it showed that the dna traces were too low to be reliable and so small that they could the be -- not be retested. >> of course, later this morning, "the early show" will have full conch of amanda knox's trial with live reports from perugia, italy. to the ballots of president. texas governor rick perry faces new questions about a racially sensitive issue and will new jersey governor chris christie decide to get into the race. susan mcginnis is in washington this morning with all of the latest. susan, good morning to you. >> good morning, terrell. >> reporter: chris christie is running up against the clock to make his decision with the iowa caucuses only about three months away. meanwhile, rick perry is responding to those accusations after he suffers his latest blow. rick perry is still trying to drum up support, despite the latest hit to his campaign. on sunday "the washington post." reported that the texas governor and his family leased a hunting camp named after a racial slur,

n head with n being the racial word. >> that is very insensitive and since governor perry has been going there for years to hunt, i think it shows a lack of sensitivity. >> reporter: republican presidential candidate herman cain shared his outrage sunday. but perry's camp says, quote, a number of claims made in the story are incorrect, inconsistent, and anonymous. he denied he used saying his father painted over it. while perry tries to get his campaign back on track, political observers are waiting to see if another potential candidate jumps into the rate. new jersey governor chris christie didn't answer questions on sunday, but he is reportedly closing in on a decision and apparently even has a team looking into a possible presidential bid. >> i think he has done a great job as governor. i think he would be a very viable candidate. >> reporter: some high profile republicans are ready to see christie run, but others believe his moderate views on gun

control and immigration could hold him back. >> i think that is absolutely a liability for him if he gets in the race. >> reporter: with only about 100 days before the first republican caucus, christie will have to make up his mind soon. another thing christie is certinaly considering should he run is facing a harsher spotlight than he has so far. senator cain says the swimming pool looks different when you jump into it. >> >> susan mcginnis in washington this morning, thank you so much. chief al qaeda bomb maker an official says he was not killed on friday. he was thought to have died in a drone strike in yemen that killed anwar al awlaki. defense secretary leon panetta is in israel this morning. he will be talking with israeli leaders and he'll also meet with

palestinian president abbas during his trip. cbs news "moneywatch" time now. stocks in asia dipped. ashley morrison with more on that in new york. good morning to you. >> good morning to you, terrell. >> reporter: asian markets finished lower with more fears on european debt. tokyo's nikkei lost more than 1.5%, and hang seng was down more than 3%. on wall street dow finished 141 points higher but the nasdaq was down nearly 68 points. asian markets are, in part, reacting to news that greece says it will not meet its deficit targets imposed by international lenders. there have been growing protests over harsh austerity measures the government is implementing, but greek finance officials say they will miss their targets for 2011 because of the deeper than expected recession. in this country, good news at the gas pump. aaa reports the average price for a gallon of unleaded regular is $3.42. that is down 8 cents from just a week ago.

the cost of child care has become a major burden for families. the most expensive state is massachusetts, where it costs an average $16,500 a year to raise a child. that is 16% of the average family's income. massachusetts is followed by new york, hawaii, colorado, and minnesota. and despite the fact that income is down and fears of another recession, more folks are buying their pets halloween costumes. they are called pragmatic luxuries, indulging in things that make you feel better. "usa today" says it may include blue nail polish for 25 bucks or $45 for justin bieber favorites or, of course, that costume for your pet. i can't imagine trying to get happy or raleigh in a halloween costume. that will not happen. >> just get me some food. that's what makes me happy. >> not the blue nail polish? >> no. take me out for a nice dinner. that works for me. >> i usually do on the weekends, don't i? >> let's not start any rumors.

ashley morrison here in new york, appreciate. it. we will take a quick break on that note. coming up on the morning news, a look at the major cases coming up for the supreme court as it opens its term today. plus the occupation of wall street. hundreds of protesters are rested as they take a stand against corporate america. this is the "cbs morning news." >> announcer: "moneywatch" sponsored by just for men hair color. live forward. color. live forward. [ female announcer ] starbucks via® is planted the same... ♪

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or any swelling or affected breathing or skin, or changes in eyesight, including blurry vision, or muscle pain with fever or tired feeling. common side effects are dizziness, sleepiness, weight gain and swelling of hands, legs and feet. don't drink alcohol while taking lyrica. don't drive or use machinery until you know how lyrica affects you. i found answers about fibromyalgia. then i found lyrica. ask your doctor about lyrica today. 60 people are dead in the northern philippines after two typhoons struck just days apart. the storm is headed to china. prolonged flooding has killed hundreds of people across southeast asia, china, and japan the last four months. the manslaughter trial of conrad murray, michael jackson's personal doctor, resumes today in los angeles. murray pleaded not guilty. on friday, paramedics testified about trying in vain to save jackson. prosecutors say murray failed to

tell paramedics he had given jackson a powerful anesthetic. supreme court begins a new term today. among the major cases the court could decide is a request by the obama administration to determine whether the health care law is constitutional and another whether police need a warrant to use a gps to track a suspect. the court will take up a first amendment case that allows the federal government to eliminate cursing and nudity on broadcast television. here in new york city, a demonstration on wall street is entering its third week. it shows no signs of backing the protest appears to be spreading to other parts of the nation. michelle miller reports. >> reporter: they have turned parts of new york's financial district into a campground. hundreds of activists, sometimes more, venting frustration over the direction of this country. >> my father has been unemployed for a couple of years. we got foreclosed on.

and my sister is in college with tuition we can't afford. >> reporter: he has been here since day one. >> we are all here for one reason and that is accountability. >> reporter: it's a diverse group, from college graduates to perennial protesters. they have captured attention. and saturday, on the brooklyn bridge, they even stopped traffic. that led to 700 arrests. >> i think what you're seeing now is actually an organic grassroots movement that doesn't have an organized leadership behind it. >> reporter: shakir says unlike the tea party, these protests lack a unified message. >> i think it makes it much more harder for people to understand what is galvanizing all of these people, what are the various messages of these people. >> reporter: demonstrations like this are planned in at least ten cities across the nation, an indication that their message, no matter how varied, is spreading. michelle miller, cbs news, new york. we will take a break.

coming up on this monday morning, we will check your weather forecast. and in sports, dramatic action in the first week of the baseball playoffs. >> to left field. it's a base hit. one run comes in. here comes the throw to the plate. so i took my heartburn pill and some antacids. we're having mexican tonight, so another pill then? unless we eat later, then pill later? if i get a snack now, pill now? skip the snack, pill later... late dinner, pill now? aghh i've got heartburn in my head. [ male announcer ] stop the madness of treating frequent heartburn. it's simple with prilosec otc.

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time now for a check on the national forecast. the latest satellite picture shows clear skies throughout the southeast and up into the northern plains. the northeast may see a quick passing shower and there is a storm close by in the pacific ocean that is kicking up rain into the northwest. later today, sunny skies going to span from the southeast and into the midwest with warm temperatures into the 70s to 90s. isolated thunderstorms are in the forecast for the desert southwest and up into the central rocky mountains and the northwest is looking at persistent rain falling throughout the day. in sports, st. louis evened up their national league divisional series with philadelphia last night. albert pujols hit a single off cliff lee. st. louis hung on for the "w." st. louis 5-4 over the phillies. in milwaukee, the brewers broke through with a safety squeeze bunt in the sixth inning. they went on to score four more runs. milwaukee beat arizona 9-4. they lead the series two games to none. in new york, detroit's melky -- miguel cabrera started the

scoring for the tigers with a two-run home run in the first inning. tigers pitcher max scherzer pitched no-hit ball in the sixth. tigers held off a yankee rally in the ninth to get a 5-3 win. that evens the series at a game apiece. in the nfl, baltimore grounded the new york jets on "sunday night football." the ravens defense pounded jets quarterback mark sanchez and it ended up in turnovers that led to three touchdowns. baltimore defeated new york 34-17. in cincinnati, buffalo suffered its first loss of the season. bengals quarterback andy dalton led a comeback to tie the game in the fourth quarter. cincinnati, though, kicked the winning field goal as time ran out. they would win this game 23-20. when we return, another look at this morning's top stories. and andy rooney has a few more things to get off his chest as he signs off from "60 minutes" for one last time. >> but i'm not retiring. writers don't retire. minutes" for one last time. that's good morning, veggie style. hmmm

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compromised. why police dispatchers are going long- distance in one bay area community. gunmen open fire at a bay area tattoo party. this morning: new information about the young victims of the triple homicide. and you just had a great workout. now - time for a burger and fries. how many of us talk skinny, but eat fat. join us for cbs 5 early edition ... beginning at 4:30. "i heard this noise, this,,,, on the "cbs morning news," here's a look at today's weather.

there will be showers from washington down to central california. a few isolated thunderstorms will spawn up into the desert southwest and into the central rockies. in the midwest, sunny skies, breezy and warm conditions can be found from the dakotas down to the central plains. here is another look at this morning's top stories. a verdict could come today in the amanda knox trial in italy. she is back in court where she issues a personal appeal to the jury which will decide if she will be set free or whether she will stay in prison. new republican controversy. when it comes to the presidential candidate rick perry, is he facing criticism over a hunting camp his family leased named after a racial slur. after 33 years, andy rooney delivered his last regular essay on "60 minutes" last night. >> i spent my first 50 years trying to become well known as a writer. and the next 30, trying to avoid being famous.

i walk down the street now or go to a football game and people shout, "hey, andy," and i hate that. i've done a lot of complaining here, but of all the things i've complained about, i can't complain about my life. and all this time, i've been paid to say what is on my mind on television. you don't get any luckier in life than that. this is a moment i've dreaded. i wish i could do this forever. i can't, though. but i'm not retiring. writers don't retire and i'll always be a writer. a lot of you have sent me wonderful letters and said good things to me when you meet me in the street. i wasn't always gracious about it. it's hard to accept being light. i don't say this often, but thank you. although, if you do see me in a restaurant, please, just let me eat my dinner. >> that's andy rooney. he is still expected, by the way, to make occasional special

appearances on "60 minutes." a new light bulb has been developed that gives new meaning to the term long-lasting. light can last apparently as long as 37 years of 12 hours of use per day. its designer says a sophisticated cooling system prolongs the life of the ball and expected to cost $850. at that cost, it better last forever, right? many of the nation's churches, sunday, the annual blessing of the animals took place. in new york, there were all sorts of creatures outside the cathedral of the st. john divine. the ceremony is held in observance of the feast day of st. francis. this morning, on "the early show," the latest developments from italy on the amanda knox appeals trial. i'm terrell brown. and this is the "cbs morning news."

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[car horn beeps] [whistles] getting closer to nature can get you closer to your family. go to discovertheforest.org. you know apple's ipad easily dominates the world of computer tablets. it's facing some serious

competition from amazon's newly unfailed gadget. bill whitaker takes a look. >> it's called kindle fire. >> reporter: the latest tablet computer was introduced to the world last week by amazon's ceo jeff basal. kindle fire has many of the features of apple's ipad but its greatest selling point? the price tag. >> it's $199. >> reporter: that is less than half the price of the ipad which starts at $499. but just how big a bite is amazon poised to take out of apple? >> people who were saying to themselves, i don't need a tablet. might say i'm not sure i need a tablet but it would be nice to have one and this one is affordable. >> reporter: it may seem like a no-brainer. if the kindle fire looks a lot like an ipad, works a lot like an ipad and costs 300 less than an ipad, why would you buy an ipad? >> it's really what kind of affection you have for that brand.

>> reporter: sharon ann lee, a cultural trend analyst, says apple has acquired a certain cachet and base of super fans who would buy its product no matter how big the price and no matter how long they have to wait. also there is almost a cult of personality around apple's founder steve jobs. jobs was seen as the david to ibm's goliath when he first started the company and that legend has endured despite apple's tremendous success and size. >> and because they are always innovating and still behaving like a relly young feisty company in the products they are launching, we still feel that way about that company. >> reporter: but amazon might be able to capitalize on uncertainty about apple's future. jobs stepped down as ceo in august because of health concerns tied to his pancreatic cancer. >> so much of apple's mystique is really tied up with this one man. i think a lot of companies feel like they have more of an opportunity than they ever did before, because without steve

jobs there, apple isn't quite the same company. >> reporter: tuesday, apple unveils its newest iphone. its first product launch without steve jobs in almost 15 years. bill whitaker, cbs news, los angeles. >> reporter: finally, you could probably say there was a lot of hot air in new mexico. take a look. the 40th annual albuquerque balloon festival launched this week. it broke a record. 345 hot air balloons got into the sky in one hour. coming up on "the early show" live reports from perugia, italy, in the latest developments in the amanda knox appeals trial. "healthwatch," advice on boosting your immune system during the flu and cold season. all that and more later on "the early show." that will do it for this morning's cbs morning news. i'm terrell brown. take care.

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