good morning efrp. i'm alex witt and the whole world is watching. >> protests on wall street and beyond. mo expected today after hundreds of arrests this weekend. what's their message? in italy in anticipation, we may learn the fate of american student amanda knox in the next day. what happens then, we'll examine that question. from the post office, it is experiencing historic financial losses. can these messages help the service survive. the prohibition era a new documentary looks at what happened when america went dry. good morning everyone. welcome to weekends with alec witt. we start with a dramatic escalation with the protests in new york city. 700 people arrested after one of the biggest days of demonstrations yet. protesters shut down a lane of traffic on the brooklyn bridge. a whole slew of social issues. nbc's michelle franzen is joining me this morning. what is this that the protesters

want? >> that's a good question. a variety of platforms thaerg trying to come together and explain and get attention for. as you can see from those arrests since yesterday, that they are trying to get that message out that they mean business. certainly the arrests yesterday are also starting to give shape to their message. >> two weeks and counting. several hundred faithful protesters continue to camp out near wall street. their numbers grow each day, fueled by the power of social media. a few scuffles with nypd and the common threat of discontent over high unemployment and distrust of government and corporations. >> there's something unjust going on right now in this economy and society. >> john drove from connecticut to speak out. >> because we can't pay for big expensive lobbyists to work for what we want. >> the sit-in turned into a small community. complete with a food kitchen and

media center. but by design, there is no one leader of this group and no organized set of demands. >> we're each doing our own thing but we're doing it together. we're coming together and saying things need to be changed. how are we going do this? >> we are the 99%. >> in los angeles, protesters took to the streets to show solidarity. >> i can't travel to d.c. or new york. so i think it's great that we are doing this in cities across the united states. >> even in portland, maine, 100 people turned out. the movement, labor experts say, is also gaining the attention of high-profile activists like michael moore and union leaders backing that could elevate the conversation to the political stage. >> this is a liberal version of the tea party, especially with young people who are getting mobilized and expressing their grievances. i think this could potentially carry over into the 2012 elections and get people to the polls. >> so far, the protesters are just getting started they say.

>> those protesters are expected to be back out there today. there's a few several dozen that have been camped out there overnight and they're starting to take shifts. they're getting more organized. they're getting the backing of some unions that are starting to speak out including the steel union. and the steelworkers union and they're expect today have a big rally this week. >> we'll keep our eye on that. the protest is today's twitter question. occupy wall street, worthy cause or waste of time? tell me what you think. my handle is at alex witt. i'll read your tweets later in the show. an a apparent military accident. bombed by mistake. killing at least 30 soldiers. the bombing happened saturday night at an abandoned school in the southern arabian province during the heavy fighting with the al qaeda militants. the school was used as a shelter by soldiers of the 19th brigade. developing this morning,

fallout from the killing of u.s. born terrorist anwar al awlaki. the state department is issue ewing a new alert for all americans traveling overbroad. there's an increased violence against u.s. citizens. he was killed in yemen friday in a drone attack. andrea mitchell is joining me from washington. andrea, good morning. >> reporter: the state department issued the -- because his followers will respond by retaliating against americans both here in the united states and traveling abroad. the state department warning caused the american born yemeni, the preeminent advocate of violence. his importance was he inspired lone wolf terrorists here and adept at understanding american targets because of his familiarity with the united states. intelligence officials warn that his death does not mean that al qaeda and the arabian peninsula, his organization is no longer a threat to the u.s. eliminating one person, even

someone as inspirational as al awlaki was will not end the terror threat. interestingly, he was not a major presence in the air rab world. his value to al qaeda was he was -- many living in the united states. meanwhile, the capture of the ha can i leader in afghanistan is another victory for u.s. intelligence and nato with no help from pakistan. u.s. and afghan officials say he helped to choose targets such as the u.s. embassy and kabul a few weeks ago and the intercontinental hotel in june. helped to get fighters across the border from pakistan into afghanistan. pakistan is downplaying the importance of his capture. another sign of a serious rupture between the united states and pakistan when it comes to fighting terrorists. alex in. >> nbc's andrea mitchell in washington. thanks for that. in a few minutes, i'll speak with former cia officer about the travel warnings and what tools the cia uses to find the

specific terror leaders and how difficult is that. president obama issuing a sharp rebuke of his republican rivals. he spoke at the annual human rights campaign dinner in washington, d.c. last night and he criticized the gop presidential contenders for staying silent when some voices in the crowd booed a u.s. soldier serving in iraq. the soldier asked a question via videotape and said he was gay. >> we don't believe in the kind of smallness who says it's okay for a stage full of political leaders, one of whom could end up being the president of the united states, being silent when an american soldier is booed. we don't believe in that. we don't believe in standing silent when that happens. we don't believe in them being silent since. you want to be commander in chief, you can start by standing up for the men and women who wear the uniform of the united

states even when it's not politically convenient. >> some of the candidates say they didn't hear the boo'ing. the president highlighted his administration's push for equal rights, including repealing the military's ban on openly gay service members. let's go now to decision 2012. herman cain's poll numbers are climbing since winning the florida straw poll. but he's just suffered a blow to the campaign staff. his communications director, ellen carmichael announced saturday she's quitting. she's pursuing other opportunities. what happens to the communications department? carmichael says, i'm not sure of what the staff itself will look like because my assistant also left today. governor rick perry is pushing back against criticism of his immigration policies. he says offering illegal immigrants instate tuition breaks helps them off the streets and it keeps them off the government dole. he suggested using it to help fight drug violence in mexico. >> we were able to stop the drug

cartels in colombia. was with the coordinated effort. it may require our military in mexico working in concert with them to kill these drug cartels and to keep them off of our border and to destroy their network. >> a half an hour or so from now, we'll know the latest gop straw poll held at the national federation of republican women convention. at that event, rick santorum railed against the president's healthcare law. bringing up his three-year-old daughter. >> we have a special little girl who is three years old. these children don't get care. these children are shuffled off to the side because now that government is a control and when you walk into that hospital, you're no longer a patient. you're a consumer. >> we're going to get the results of that straw poll when released a little later on this hour. will he or won't he? there are still rumblings that new jersey governor chris christie will get into the race. but a new report suggests there

could be serious hurdle. more on that in a few minutes. let's go to italy. the fate of american student amanda knox could be decided by this tomorrow. knox is scheduled to address the court tomorrow. her father spoke this morning on the "today" show. >> the evidence that's been presented in the court of law, i feel pretty good because you just said it, the dna has been discredited and nothing of amanda or raphael in the room where she lost her life. i find it difficult how you can find somebody guilty when you're not in the room. we're hoping for the best but we have to wait for the decision. we're going to italy. good morning, chapman. what are we expecting to see happen in court tomorrow? >> reporter: good morning, alex. well, we're down to hours really. not days. when amanda knox could be entering an italian courtroom for one final time. we're expecting her legal team to finish up their rebuttals to

the summing up made by the prosecution tomorrow morning. then it's knox herself who will stand up, address the court. we're told it's her final plea real toy proclaim her innocence. we're told it will be emotional and not short. after that, of course, the judge and the jury members or the judges i should say, will retire to the chambers to deliberate and come up with a verdict. when this will happen tomorrow or will it happen tomorrow, it's anyone's guess. but it will be that will begin tomorrow. we could have a verdict soon. knox's parents have spoken to us and said it's been a tense weekend. there's a lot of waiting around. no court this weekend. after court last friday, they've been having to wait around. but they are hopeful with what they've heard in this appeal case surrounding the dna evidence that their daughter will be home free soon. they're waiting to see what the judge and jury come up with as soon as tomorrow, alex. >> chapman, whatever happens

tomorrow, is that it? is it over? is this the final straw for amanda knox whatever comes what way? >> reporter: not really. there are a few options that they could come up with. they could uphold the conviction, overturn it, they could increase her sentence or reduce it. there is one final level of appeal to the supreme court. the high court here in italy. but knox herself, if she's found guilty and is set free, she's a free woman. she can travel back to america and then what happens next is anyone's guess. the prosecution could decide to appeal. but it's likely if she's found not guilty, she'll be out of the country. >> i understand this is going to be televised live there, right? >> reporter: we're waiting for final confirmation, but it does seem that will happen. that the judge allow pool cameras into the courtroom to give out the verdict live on television. >> chapman bell, many thanks from perugia. in the states, the weather, more rain expected in the northeast this weekend. but in new york, right now it's

a crisp beautiful october day. what's the weather going to be like where you are? alex wallace is here with the forecast from the weather channel. may i say thank you for this new york day. i know it's up to you. >> you're welcome. we'll tell you how things are shaping up. a lot of areas quiet for the start across the south into the midwest. we have showers here in and across portions of the northeast up into new england, parts of maine and into new york state. some downpours there moving into the upstate areas. even a little bit of snow here as well into the higher hills of central pennsylvania. cold enough for that. got a deep trough that's in place here in the eastern half of the country keeping things cool. 48 in chicago to the atlanta area, a cool start to our morning. again, it's this trough keeping things chilly. 69 in athens and georgia. 60s throughout the carolinas and d.c. doesn't look like you're going to leave the 50s for this afternoon. the chill is on for us in the first weekend of october. things will warm up as we get

into next week, alex. >> okay. alex wallace, many thanks. president obama demanding support for gay troops in a feisty speech. is he close to changing his opinion on gay marriage? plus, awesome jazz music there. prohibition that turned bootlegging into a pastime. i'll speak to ken burns about his amazing documentary. coming up on "weekends with alex witt." capital one's new cash rewards card gives you a 50 percent annual bonus. so you earn 50 percent more cash. if you're not satisfied with 50% more cash, send it back!

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live in a big america, a tolerant america. a just america. an equal america that values the

service of every patriot. we believe in america where we're all in it together. we see the good in one another. we live up to a creed that is as old os our founding ee plur bus u number. that includes everybody. >> that was president obama speaking last night to the gay rights group, human rights campaign. while his speech was tolerance and equality. he only briefly mentioned same sex marriage. joining me now is reporter ann corn blut. she's the author of the cracked ceiling. great to see you. >> good morning. thanks for having me. the president has never said that he would support gay marriage. how difficult is it for the president to walk this very, very fine line on this hot button issue? >> reporter: you're absolutely right. he's been walking a line for a number of years now. what he's said about gay marriage is his views on it are evolving. over time, we've heard that

advisers of his have considered what the implications would be, were he to come out in favor of gay marriage. he never said he would. he is in support of civil unions. but he has a lot of backing from the gay nint community not only as a democrat but his recent steps, ending don't ask don't tell with a lot of fanfare. his support from the gay community isn't in question. i think the question is how he's seen nationwide, how the issue is seen nationwide. gay marriage is not something that is universally supported. it's about a 50/50 split in the country. >> gay rights advocates are hoping that this would be something that's mandated on a federal level. the president has been punting to the states to make their own decisions. >> reporter: sure. yes. that is something where he could take it to the next level and decide do it. the federal level or to voice his own support even if he took no legal actions. even if he has not done so. >> we'll talk chris chris tri now. there's a report saying he's

seriously considering a presidential run but now it's a question of time. can they go through all the logistics to get a national campaign for the presidency up and running and do you think the pressure to run is so great, he thinks this is his opportunity, it may be his time and might as well take advantage now? >> reporter: it's hard to believe at this late hour anybody would still be thinking about getting in. it's october, if you can believe that. yes, it's still possible, of course. anything is possible up until the last minute. there is a tremendous amount of pressure. a lot of republicans are dissatisfied with the field they have so far. but chris christie has been very careful. he's said consistently that he doesn't want to do this, he's not ready. isn't his time. he's had an eye on 2016. as they've watched each new republican enter the race be celebrated and then fall somewhat, they have to be wary. but that said,they are exploring it, there's a lot of pressure from a lot of prominent republicans who aren't happy with the field to get in. just about a hundred days or so, depending when the first voting

starts in which state it's in. it would be could be a few months until it start. >> let's talk about rick perry. doubling down on instate tuition for illegal immigrants. here's what he said yesterday. >> we either kick them to the curb and pick up the cost later down the road and we analyze as they would cost more money if we did not allow them to become educated in the state of texas. that was the right thing for texas to do. >> what is the political calculation here with him sticking to his guns? >> reporter: he's really doing things. he is as you say sticking to his guns. this is the george w. bush tested strategy saying you may not agree with me but you know where i stand. which portrays him as having convictions and sticking to them. he's explaining it more fully. he's talking about having been a border state governor, vetoed a bill that would have given illegal immigrants drivers licenses and so forth. he's trying to talk comprehend

hence civil, to say you don't agree with me, but i've been there, done more than any of these other folks to handle immigration. at least you know what my record of action, not words is. >> ann, kornblut. see you next hour. the republican race for the white house, we'll talk to a candidate who has a unique approach to campaigning. with billions in losses, the u.s. postal is trying to fight extinction. trying to get people back to using snail mail. ♪ it's the end of the world as we know it ♪ it's the end of the world as we know it ♪ and i feel fine ♪ since ameripril was founded back in 1894, they've been committed to putting clients first. helping generations through tough times. good times. never taking a bailout. there when you need them. helping millions of americans over the centuries.

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women drank on the sly. >> men and women almost never drank together before prohibition. maybe at occasional dinner parties at the ritz. because the saloon was a male-only institution. but the speakeasy where there was no law enforced of any kind became different than if you had a jazz band and somebody is -- doing the charleston. you're going to have women and men together. there's a real liberation for women, liberation of behavior that takes place then. an independence. it stayed you know, he can drink, i can drink too. that wouldn't have happened before prohibition. >> that is from a new historical documentary, from the infamous era. i'm joined by ken burns, the man who made it. what a pleasure, ken. good to see you. >> thanks for having me. >> what's interesting is the timing. while you work on your films for years, literally, the timing of this almost pop culture resurgence phenomenon, boardwalk

empire, this is great for you. but what is it that inspired you years ago to get this going? >> i think we're all drawn to that gangster era and the speakeasy with flapper dancing on the table. short skirts, bobbed hair, all of that stuff. we will be always interested in it. we were interested, lynn novak, the co-director and co-producer with me. we were interested because this is the original culture war. this was as much about single issue political campaigns that metastasize with horrible unintended consequences, organized crime. there's a group of people who feel they've lost control of their country and want to take it back. they can take it back by the demonization of recent immigrants of the united states and as always, african-americans. it's about unfunded congressional mandates. everything that we're talking about today is alive in the prohibition story. if you back up, rewind and it's not just about model t's careening around rain-slicked chicago streets with machine guns blasting, you have an

amazing story that's a window into not only that period in american history but how we are now. >> it was an interesting time, too, because this basically took the 18th amendment and turned this country into making such a stance on a morality clause. >> this is exactly right. it sort of has become a cautionary tale. every time somebody says look, i've got the solution if you'll only pass the blanket i-blank amendment. we're cautious about that. the ku klux klan and the naacp, industrialists and the workers union progressives as well as conservatives thought maybe this is it. maybe if we passed prohibition all of the problems would go away. the families reunited. communities better. our slums will empty. the evangelist belize sunday said held will forever be for rent if this goes into effect. the exact opposite happened. the unintended consequences of us limiting human freedom. our amendments always expand

human freedom. but this limited him. the affect is horrible. organized crime would not exist without prohibition. female alcoholism which was nonexistent because women didn't go into the hated sa loons became a huge problem during and after prohibition. >> uh-huh. some people referred to alcohol as the last legal drug. i mean, prohibition was actually responsible for fueling alcoholism. i mean, i know that you look at the fact that prior to prohibition, history else us people drank like fish. it was a huge problem. >> huge in america. that's the impulse to say let's do something about it. but when it's hijacked by wedge issue campaigners and it turns into prohibition for someone else, mark twain says nothing so needs reforming as other people's habit. this was all about trying to control the new immigrants who were changing america. trying to control the african-americans who were newly freed and changing america. it was trying to hold on to something that perhaps never was. that's what had makes it so

instructive. plus as an extra added bonus, you get flapper and speakeasy culture. the fascination we have with them. there's one thing that al capone does, when we're focused on his fascinating life, it's an amazing story. there were hundreds of others. we lose touch with the fact that millions upon millions of regular americans, doctors and lawyers and the guy on the corner were maybing illegal booze, were selling it illegally and were consciously breaking the law. human beings have -- somehow we decided in our infinite wisdom that we would say no and give no money for enforcement and no real reason behind it because it was so hypocrite cli applied. the president of the united states warren g. harding is inviting a bootlegger into the white house even though he's out on the campaign trail saying this is bad, he invites a bootlegger into the house to fuel his whiskey cabinet.

a poker game once a week. tragically, our -- we can continue by watching prohibition. it starts tonight. 9:00 eastern. pbs. three state nights. ken burn, many many thanks. still ahead, another terror threat taken out. how did the u.s. find a latest tar git? how difficult was it? i'll speak with a cia agent about that when we come back. [ male announcer ] to the 5:00 a.m. scholar. the two trains and a bus rider. the "i'll sleep when it's done" academic. for 80 years, we've been inspired by you. and we've been honored to walk with you to help you get where you want to be. ♪

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[ multiple sounds making melodic tune ] ♪ [ male announcer ] at northrop grumman, every innovation, every solution, comes together for a single purpose -- to make the world a safer place. that's the value of performance. northrop grumman. welcome back to weekends with alec witt. developing now, there's a new travel alert for all americans traveling anywhere abroad. the u.s. state department says there's an increased risk of violence against americans after the death of top al qaeda terrorist, anwar al awlaki. he was behind the fiems square bomb attempt. he was an inspired speaker and leader by jihadists.

joining me now jack rice it is an attorney and former cia officer. jack, good morning. >> graed great to be with you. this al awlaki, was one of the top threats to americans, to average citizens like you and me. tell me why and how much does his death put us in more immediate danger. >> well, i think the one thing that al awlaki has done is he is the english-speaking voice of al qaeda. one of the concerns that american intelligence, european intelligence has had is the ability for this man to push out the al qaeda message on the internet, to reach out into homegrown areas. that's the big threat. it's not out of afghanistan, not out of yemen or somalia or elsewhere. it's people in their home countries who could rise up based upon this man's language. that's one of the big concerns. >> al awlaki died in a drone attack in a desert in yemen. it seems like a needle in a

haystack situation. how do they get the intel that leads to these targets? >> this is incredibly difficult, especially in a place like yemen. right now the country itself and the government itself is literally blowing to pieces. this is more difficult than somalia, more difficult than afghanistan. one of the things that this president has done is increased drone attacks and sort of ongoing operations from the sky more than 300% over his predecessor. as a result, they're watching constantly. they're reaching in as much as they possibly can. but yemen has been incredibly difficult. but at the same time, the americans have been looking in a smaller area and they're looking for larger groups of people. they took out not just al awlaki, they took out apparently the bomb maker of the mu tal ab case. there were a lot of people involved here. >> yeah. it killed allegedly sammir kan who edited the propaganda website. you talk about ibrahim allah seer i, the top bomb maker.

add to that osama bin laden's death in may. is the u.s. and the cia, are we winning against terror? >> you know, i guess the problem -- i would say yes in the short term. we are winning in that we're taking out the direct threats. those in the short term. the problem is, this isn't a zero sum game. there's only so many people out there. that's not true. the concern we always have to have is everything that we do could possibly increase the number of people who want to come out and kill us, if you will. if we increase the recruitment of those who decide they want to find ways to kill americans, go and kill our allies. what we have to balance is the ability to go after our enemies on the one side while not motivating others to sort of join the fray against us. so we balance those two constantly. and we should. >> okay. jack rice, as always, many thanks. always good to talk to you. 2012 politics now. new jersey governor chris christie may answer the call to run for president. a new york times article says christie is seriously

considering tossing his hat in the ring and advisers are assessing whether there's still time to launch a campaign. mike is he kwer as at the white house with this. >> the first primaries are a hundred days away. three months away. the filing deadline for new hampshire is less than a month away. october 28th they just announced. that decision would have to come quick. not to mention the debate preparation. governor christie, alex, has said many times that his heart wasn't in a run. now that he may be having a change of heart, a decision would have to come in just days. for republicans a weekend on the trail. >> our country is in trouble. >> and on the -- >> we are ready for a problem solver in the white house. >> but behind the scenes, the party is holding its breath. waiting for this man. >> to chris christie. >> new jersey governor chris

christie. and his answer to gop activists and donors who are urging him to run. >> while his no nonsense style won him conservative backing. >> first off, it's none of your business. >> his stance encore party issues could cost him support. as a federal prosecutor in 2008, christie said on immigration, being in this country without proper documentation is not a crime. >> this week rick perry was heckled by conservatives who see him as soft on immigration. the front-runner and favorite of the right wing, he entered the race six weeks ago. perry's polls are sinking. >> president obama prepares to divide our nation to achieve reelection. >> christie's positions on gun control, global warming and even taxes, while far from liberal, are not in sync with many conservatives. if he does run, christie could be in for a tough primary season. >> christie ought to look at rick perry's problems and say i may not be rick perry but some

of those problems i would probably face if i got in. >> and alex, meanwhile back here at the white house, i know you've been talking about the president's fiery speech before the human rights campaign that gay rights group here in washington last night. but after that, on a lighter note, the president, michelle obama out to celebrate their 19th anniversary. they had dinner in alexandria. >> i wonder if she got him a present at target? >> we were told she bought pet supplies there. maybe not. thank you so much mike viqueira. decision day is approaching. she's scheduled to address an a italian court tochl. prosecutors are asking the court to uphold knox's conviction for the murder of her british roommate in 2007 and a verdict could come as soon as tomorrow. joining me now is the author of the fook, the fatal gift of beauty. good to see you. thank you for being here. let's talk about the out comes, there are four we understand. we'll pull this up so people can

see. they can overturn the conviction, uphold the conviction, they can increase the sentence tore reduce the sentence. do you get a sense having followed this trial so closely what's going to happen no, ma'am tomorrow? >> i think it would be stunning if they didn't let the two students go given they don't have any material evidence left in the case. but they've done pretty surprising things in the past. it's very difficult to gauge what's going on behind the doors of the judiciary system there. so i think i would say it's most likely that they're going to be let go. >> you can imagine how the family is hoping that's indeed the case. amanda knox's father spoke earlier on the "today" show. let's listen to what he had to say. >> it's going to be very tough. amanda is going to be making a spontaneous statement. it's going to be tough to hear her struggle for her life. she's going to be pleading for her life and that's going to be it difficult to listen to.

>> kurt knox speaking about his daughter addressing that court tomorrow. they say she's lost weight, having a lot of trouble sleeping. any idea what her mental state is right now? >> well, i think, you know, she's terrified. i think she went through the first trial kind of thinking everything is going to be okay. i'm this kid and my lawyers are going to save me and my parents are going to save me. she was told it was going to be okay. then when she was convicted, she kind of realized she had to start taking it more seriously, i guess. she's changed a lot. she's not the little kid that she was when she was arrested at the age of 20. she's been in jail for four years. >> if they overturn it, can she walk out of that courtroom and that's it, she's free? >> apparently so. yes. >> crazy. we have a -- considering where she will have been in a matter of hours. >> in a matter of hours they think she could be on an airplane going home.

>> extraordinary. we have not heard much from the victim's family, meredith kir cher. are they saying anything publicly? >> they have spoken out. they've been told that amanda knox killed their daughter and they think that she's guilty and they've spoken out on that. they're going to be -- look, the media covered this three different ways in three different countries. the people of italy and the people of the uk are convinced that she's a killer. it's going to -- she's going to walk out, she may walk out but not going to have convinced everyone in the public because this case was tried so much in the media. >> absolutely. all right. the fatal gift of beauty. thank you so much. the post office is fighting to stay relevant. launching a new ad campaign after losing billions of dollars. why it says you shouldn't give up on snail mail just yet.

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to become the dead letter office? new tv commercials for the u.s. post office say that letter carriers are reliable and that paper mail can't be hacked like an e-mail. the ads will run at the same time as the current comic tv campaign for shipping with the post office. >> what is it? just return it. returning gifts is easier than ever with priority rate boxes. if it fits, it ships anywhere in the country for a low flat rate. plus i can pick it up for free. >> perfect, because we have to get that out of this house. >> come on. it's not that bad. oh, yeah, that's got to go.

>> joining me from washington is ed o'keefe who covers the postal service and other stories. ed, good morning to you. >> good to see you, alec. >> you as well. why do they need the commercials right now? they come at a price. >> they do come at a price. only about $145 million a year they spend on -- research suggests that there are people out there who still very much value snail mail and the security and reliability it provides. so what they believe is that if they start writing these ads which are in a sense back to the future, essentially urging customers and businesses to go paper instead of going paper l., it may slow, not stop but slow the decline of the use of hard paper snail mail. >> okay. something that they deliver a lot of, junk mail. i mean, they get that in there with the important mail and the

packages. is there anything to address reducing junk mail would also reduce cost? >> no. in fact, they have no problem delivering junk mail. here's why. it's a very simple reason for them. because, remember, most of those flyers or those advertisements for new credit cards or whatever are advertising. the argument that the postal service makes if we deliver to every single mailbox in this country and it is at least touched before it's quickly thrown in the trash can, it is for us a higher exposure rate for advertisers than television ads, internet ads. more people are seeing and touching that advertisement, if even if they don't read it. than if they're watching tv. the postal service has no problem delivering that kind of mail. there have been products developed and ideas tossed about that perhaps one day it would allow people to screen their mail before it's delivered on-line. where you would essentially be able to say there are nine pieces that want to be delivered.

seven are junk mail. say i don't want them delivered. that could be decades away still. it has been talked about. frankly, the post after service needs that kind of mail to be delivered in order to keep making money. >> the postal service is trying to look creative. check cashing and renting office space. really? >> that's right. they've got so many post offices and mail processing facilities around the country that they either don't need or don't need all the space. there's discussion of possibly leasing some of their facilities to private retailers or other federal agencies that might need the space. there has been talk in the past and there are bills in congress right now that would let them get into things like check cashing or at least allowing people to come to the post office to renew dliefrs licenses or hunting licenses and to partner with states and make money in the process. all of that could be decided in the next few months it looks like as congress sits down and thinks about the future of the mail. >> all right. ed o'keefe, always good to see you and read the plog.

>> thank you. more damage assessment at the washington monument. for now, they postponed it until later today. they're suspending and taking a closer look at damage done to the site by an august earthquake. they're removing loose pieces of stone during their inspection. what a sight in the skies today. a gorgeous rainbow serving as a backdrop for the latest work. isn't that pretty? we'll be right back. [ male announcer ] heard this one? listen to this. three out of four americans don't get enough vegetables. so here's five bucks to help you buy v8 juice.

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today's ups and downs for you. despite tough economic times, americans are in the mood for ghosts, goblins and goodies. a new national retail federation study shows americans will spend almost $7 billion on halloween this year. that is over a billion dollars more than we all spent last year. retailers, however, are not as ho ho, psyched about christmas. seasonal hiring appears down this year. best buy is going to hire 14,000 fewer temporary workers. toys-r-us will cut seasonal hiring by 5,000.

giving toast to the holiday probably costs you more. the new york times says 12 states passed or changed laws to increase sales on alcohol. cities have taken measures to increase tax revenues from alcohol sales. mortgage rates for a 30-year loan are at a record low of just more than 4%. the eye-popping rates fail to create growth in housing because people lack confidence in the overall economy. banks have made it tougher to borrow money. major league baseball wrapped up one of its most successful seasons at the box office drawing millions of fans. that is the most since 2008. it's a different story at the movie box office. earnings continue to slide despite pricier 3d movies. earnings are down more than 3% from a year ago. a lackluster season making things work for the execs. and this is one of the top feel-good moments from the x

factor. a trash hauler out of rehab. singing an original song. it is the top rising search on you-tube the past seven days and no doubt he's going to become an x factor fan favorite. those are your ups and downs. up next, the latest from the 2012 campaign trail. we'll be speaking with a candidate. fears of retaliation, new this morning, the state department issues a worldwide travel a hert for americans. this is "weekends with alex witt." we're back in three minutes. at aviva, we wonder why other life insurance companies

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set out to create a different kind of cold remedy using powerful medicine and natural ingredients from around the world. he called it vicks vaporub. today, the vicks journey continues. introducing new vicks nature fusion cold & flu syrup. powerful multi-symptom medicine flavored with natural honey instead of artificial flavors and dyes. so you can feel good about what you take to feel better. developing now. the death of a top al qaeda leader. a travel alert for american citizens. at least 700 protesters arrested on the brooklyn bridge. will the anti-greed crusaders be back at it again today? verdict watch, amanda knox's murder appeal is expected to wrap up tomorrow with a verdict shortly thereafter. bank of america isn't doing itself any favors by announcing a new fee to use your atm card.

we'll get you the latest on that. good morning everyone. i'm alex witt. welcome to "weekends with alex witt." it's 11:00 in the east. in a minute or so. 8:00 a.m. out west. we have developing this morning, the state department has issued a new worldwide travel alert. officials warn of retaliatory attacks on americans following the kill killing of anwar al awlaki. good morning mike viqueira at the white house. >> good morning, alex. >> how concerned are we? >> in the early hours after that killing of anwar al awlaki, it happened friday, yemen time, wee hours between thursday and-free here on the east coast. it was first the new york city police commissioner, ray kelly, who issued an alert for citizens of new york city warning of these possible retaliatory attacks. late yesterday the state department with a formal statement that they made an alert warning of the possible retaliation after the death of