good morning. moment of truth. convicted of a murder she swears she didn't commit, amanda knox now awaits monday's verdict in an explosive case that will have the american make a final plea to the court. will it help or hurt her chances for freedom? jailhouse reaction, the secret recording of casey anthony finally released showing her response to learning her daughter caylee's remains were found. what the tape may reveal and why it was never played to the jury. and for his father, the 6-year-old son of the firefighter who fell to his death at rangers stadium throws the ceremonial first pitch. an emotional moment that had the

50,000 fans in tears. today is saturday, october 1st, 50,000 fans in tears. today is saturday, october 1st, 2011. captions paid for by nbc-universal television welcome, everyone, to this special split edition of "today" on a saturday morning. i'm lester holt in perugia. amy is back in studio 1a. we are at the point we are counting to to a verdict in the much watched amanda knox case. we believe it could come down as early as monday. both sides delivered dramatic and forceful closing arguments this week with the prosecution calling the american a cold-hearted killer who deserves life in prison. the defense says the evidence proves she is innocent. we're going to get the latest in the appeals case in just a moment, amy. and more ahead on that

remarkable casey anthony video. in jail, authorities tape her reaction as she first learns her daughter's remains were sloeloc. it's explosive video and we'll bring you to you in a moment. did michael jackson's personal physician kill the kinger with a fatal dose of propofol and try to cover it all up? it was a week of dramatic testimony with some of jackson's family in attendance. we'll go live to los angeles for an update there. then we switch gears and get the latest buzz on demi moore and ashton kutcher. rumors are flying that the hollywood power couple could be headed for divorce. are those rumors true? we'll have more on that story a little later. let's begin with the amanda knox case. for more on that, let's head back to lester in perugia. >> thanks, amy. on monday, amanda knox will be allowed to address the court. this is not sitting on the

witness stand. 24 is what they call here a declaration. a defendant has a right to stand up and be heard at any point. in this case, she will have the final say, at least the final remarks in this appeals case. a short time later, two judges and six jurors will go behind closed doors and start deliberating. will she be exonerated or continue to serve time in prison? no matter the outcome of the case, it is one that has certainly fascinated millions. amanda knox has entered court this past week like so many times before. it could all soon be over. she's in the final days of appealing her conviction on murder and sexual assault charges. very soon, she's expected to stand up in court and make a final plea for her freedom. since her arrest in 2007, amanda knox has done from an unknown 20-year-old college student to an object of enormous

international attention. she was voted the most fascinating woman in italy in a television poll. there have been marriage proposals, books and a made for tv movie. >> my conscious is clean. >> reporter: some italian lawmakers sent a letter to italy's president on her behalf. even do many donald trump weighed in on hr conviction. >> i think people should boycott italy. they shouldn't go to italy. >> the all-american girl from seattle was once called angel face by the italian media. but british tabloids painted the picture of a wild party girl with a dark side, a portrait her family has furiously contested. for years, knox has resolutely maintained her innocence, saying she was with her boyfriend the night merthdy kihcher was killed. knox's family has been

unwavering in their support, flying back and forth from seattle to perugia dozens of times. her stepfather, even her best friend moving here to support her. the whole family is here right now, hoping to bring amanda home. >> you've got a 24-year-old kid essentially fighting for her life and this is her last chance to tell the judge and jury that she truly had nothing to do with this horrific crime. >> since the start of her appeal, knox has remained focused in court. in the few days, she appears to be worn out and anxious as she await the decision on her future. with me now is nbc's tappen bell who has been covering this case since days after the arrest. i have to ask you, all week long, we heard the prosecution doing its best to salary advantage the evidence, but going after the character, the she devil as she call her. does this all relate to the fact that i'm not sure what a killer looks like, but in a lot of people's minds, that's not the face of a killer?

>> they've been doing this for almost four years now, trying to paint what appears to be amanda knox, the all-american college girl, trying to paint her as a killer, going as far as her hygiene. really, appearances, what does a killer look like? who knows. but she does appear to not have the she devil, the evilness that they paint her as. even the italian media called her angel face. if someone is an angel face, doesn't necessarily look like a kill per court today and sunday, amanda knox l her saying. we've been looking at this as black and white. she either stays free or she stays in jail. are there other decisions the judges could make? >> there is more than one charge. people focus on the murder charge, the big one, the sexual

assault. the judge and the jury has the ability to change the convikdz of man slaughter, reduce the sentence, the prosecution is pressing for them to give her a bigger sentence, saying what she has now is too lenient. >> obviously, the family, if there's a verdict in her favorite, they would like to get her out of italy quick. >> there's rumors that there's a jet here in preesh ya. legal experts i have spoken to say it is the best hipg for her to do, get out quickly. there is another level of appeal and they want to get her out as soon as possible. i think they'll look back to almost four years ago when she had the opportunity to get out of the country. a lot of people said that would have been better, to deal with it from the united states and i think that's what they'll want to do with it if she is released. >> for those who watch, there are interesting dynamics, subtexts that you read. i see her codefendant interacting with his family. i don't see amanda doing that. is there a reason for that? >> well, there is a reason.

i mean, from the blind eye, it looks like, well, they're being tougher on amanda knox in the courtroom. what it's actually, there are different prisons, different guards, different rules. rafael's prison is more relaxed on this. therefore, even amanda's family can go around the table and have conversations with her coaccused, but with amanda, they have to speak to her via the lawyer. they're not supposed to go around and have a conversation with amanda. >> just a matter of a different prison, different guards, different rules. >> it is. >> so many things you pick up on in that courtroom. it is very different from an american court. thank you, we'll be talking to you towards monday. lester, thank you. turning now to decision 2012 and the big question surrounding new jersey governor chris christie. will he or won't he? nbc's mike va cara joins us from washington with the and. i'm kidding. mike, good morning.

>> yeah, right. will he or won't he? chris christie said no too many times to count. but now, the new jersey governor may be having a change of heart. as chris christie himself put it, it's put up or shut up time. after months of a flat refusal -- >> no, i'm not running. >> if you don't feel it in your heart, you have no business running. >> after months of a flat refusal, the tough-talking governor is now said to have second thoughts of a white house run. ene even with the gop race under way, many aren't satisfied with the field. >> some republicans see christie as the ultimate anti-obama. >> he seems to be the straight talker that everybody wants. most of us have dreams to see what it would be like to see governor christie debate president obama. >> if he does run, governor

christie would be playing catchup. and many believe he must decide in days. >> you have to do all the little things, building that campaign, fund-raising dooem team, rolling out your policy proposal, all with not a whole lot of time to be able to do so. >> top ten ways the country would be different if chris christie were president. >> reporter: there is another challenge facing christie. christie is overweight, a fact he says he struggles with. >> where do you fall down in terms of dealing with that? >> i eat too much. it's not a complicated thing. >> reporter: already, american attitudes towards the overweight, concerns about the impact on a president's health and the electability of christie as a result all are being raised. does this humanize him or work against him? >> ultimately, in the end, people want someone who is going to be a good president, who is going to make the right decision and people believe have the right solutions. >> amy, back among those who are

running for the gop nomination actively, something may have been missed over the last few days in all this christie frenzy. mitt romney, meet the new front-runner, same as the old front-runner. rick perry has had his stumble in debates. now in the most recent polls, mitt romney back on top. >> mike va cara, thank you. alex, good morning. >> good morning. >> i think the question, obviously, is is it too late for chr christie to run? >> we know the electoral calendar is getting shifted as florida announced it's going to go earlier than expected. that's new hampshire, south carolina, iowa are expected to sort of chase that. so that shortens christie's window for getting in. the other thing you have to consider is he needs to get a campaign stop, he has to get registered. >> three months potentially till iowa, correct? >> he has to get some skin in the game if he's going to get

in. >> so there are obstacles that christie is up against, mainly time. what about the other candidates who are actually running, is this hurting the gop? >> sure. i think christie standing on the sidelines is keeping a lot of people' hands in their pockets. the donor base is waiting to see. the big fish are waiting to see who the actual candidates are before they put the money down. i think that's hurting folks like perry and romney who are sort of waiting for the money to reign down and it's not there yet, in large part because christie, who a lot of people pin they are hopes to is on the sidelines. >> and he hasn't said anything but no. what will you have to see to end the speculation? >> i think the speech at the reagan library gave a lot of people, a lot of people who didn't know perry were overcome with arter and enthusiasm about him. i think for someone who has largely been, as you said, skeptical of his own ability to run for president, he thought,

wait a second, i have support here. behind the scenes, we're hearing heavyweights urging him. >> so it sounds like christie will have no problems fund-raising. romney just released his numbers. he may bring in up to $13 million. governor perry may surpass that. why are these fund-raising numbers so important? >> fund-raising is a sign of strength. at this point, the gop on hold wants to see one clear guy out in front. there's been a lot of back and forth. we thought romney was going to be the savior, now it's perry is going to be the savior. there needs to be a decision and the best decision is reflected in fund-raising mojo. >> you mentioned some of the primaries being moved up. florida moved up its race and now it looks like we've got new hampshire, iowa, south carolina moving up theirs, as well. so iowa caucuses, as we mentioned, in three months from now. how does moving that primary calendar affect these

candidates? >> it's really interesting. usually after the first couple wins, you have a clear front-runner. i think what we're going to see is a lot of back and forth here. iowa is looking to be perry country. new hampshire is looking to be romney country. south carolina could be perry country, nevada could be romney country. so you're going back and forth here. i think that means we're going to have an extended primary calend calendar. >> kind of fun to mention where we were four years ago. hillary clinton was the front-runner for the democrat and we had rudy giuliani, a front-runner for the gop. >> exactly. >> who knows, everybody can change. >> exactly. peter alexander is at the news desk with a check of the other headlines. >> good morning to you. we begin today with the latest testimony in the trial of michael jackson's daughter, the first paramedic to reach jackson's bedroom testified friday that dr. conrad murray did not want to see which medication he had given to the pop star. richard sennis says murray never

mentioned giving jackson propofol. we will have much more on this trial coming up in our next hour. stunning new pictures show engineers repelling down the side of the washington monument looking for loose stone and mortar. while officials warn any loose pieces could fall and injury somebody below, the monument itself is said to be structurally sound. the inspection work will continue through the weekend and should be all wrapped up by tuesday. some joggers and cyclists in the windy city ran into another obstacle along lakeshore drive. check this out. massive waves, pushed washington from lake michigan on to their running and biking path. look, he gets drilled. police eventually had to close the path until the waves could finally subside. frightening news for visitors in australia. an ultra line plane crashed into

a ferry on friday. emergency crews had to use a plane to get the passenger safely out of the plane. two children on that ferris wheel remarkably were rescued. they were not hurt. the plane was taking off from a nearby air strip and obviously failed to gain enough altitude to clear the ride. president obama signed legislation renewing the combatting autism act for another three years. finally, talk about a special highlight, how about throwing out the first pitch to your favorite major league baseball player. 6-year-old cooper stone, there he is, he had that very honor friday afternoon at arlington, texas, as the rangers began their playoff run. cooper there with his dad, who fell to his death earlier this season trying to catch a foul ball that was tossed to him by outfielder josh hamilton. then the tribute yet yesterday where hamilton caught cooper's

pitch offering his biggest fan a huge hug. they will now build a statue to cooper and his son outside of rangers ballpark. >> it brings tears to your eyes. >> a little boy and a big smile. >> it's so sad, though. i can't get over what happened. i appreciate it. bill karins has a look at your forecast. good morning. >> good morning. it's october 1st and it feels like it. i know. october is here. unfortunately it still feels like september in the mid-atlantic. this is still where the weather is very unsettled. all that means to you is it's going to be cloudy, cool, up through new england. that was the case last night with the yankees game getten canceled and that's the case right now with that heavy rain shifting into the boston area. from boston, hartford, into new england, i know you want to get out there and enjoy your what should be typical beautiful fall

weather, the northwest, you're going to deal with showers yourself. we could be record highs. can you believe it's going to be in the 90s today in >> cool wet weather in store for today. not a complete washout. afternoon showers likely. temperatures 56 to 62 degrees. west and the intermountain west. denver today, 88 degrees. that's your weekend forecast. am amy. bill, thank you. the economy took another huge hit on friday. the stocks plunged 240 points bringing the dow to its worst quarter in more than a decade. and bank fees are going up. bank of america will charge a $5

a month fee for the use of a debit card. with us now is mary thompson. good morning. >> good morning. >> so these down numbers are awful. they're go the going to hit home for people. when they look at their quarterly statements, it's going to be ouch. what does this mean for investors? >> it will be a shock. the dow jones was down 12% on the quarter. obviously, when you open that statement, a little reassessment, maybe. you know, do i want to put more money in at this point? is now a buying opportunity or do i want to reassess my portfolio? this is a time to call your financial adviser if you have any questions about it. >> and let's talk about this new debit card fee. bank of america, $5 a month, that's $60 a year just to use your debit card. explain to me why this makes sense because a lot of people will be upset about this. >> a lot of people are. there was part of the dodd frank

pill that passed last year called the burbin amendment. it cut in half the fees that clients charges to use their debit cards for purchases. banks are looking for ways to recoup that money. >> we have bank of america doing this, but are we going to see other banks following suit? that's the big question. is my bank going to do this, too? >> some banks are already doing it. regents and sun trust have implemented a fee. it's more likely to be implemented at the larger banks because they're the ones impacted. there is an exemption at any bank with assets under $10 billion. keep in mind, there are various ways you can avoid it, whether it be through having certain minimum balanceses in your account or having direct deposits. consumers can shop around and they're likely to find banks

that will not have that fee. >> it's interesting you say that. this fee directly impacts lower to middle income families who might not be able to keep larger balances. >> you're exactly right. a, they're going to have to be more vafsy with their banking choices and with their checking accounts. >> a recent survey found 76% of interest checking accounts were free. now today, it's only 45%. atm fees are on the rise. are we going to see a trend in rising bank fees to make up for these losses that they are now facing? >> we are. this is one of the ways that we're seeing it. but yes, likely consumers will see higher fees down the road. >> mary thompson, thanks so much. we appreciate it. still to come, jailhouse reaction after learning her daughter's remains were found, how does casey anthony behave inspect we will show you.

still to come on "today," anticipate ago verdict, we're in perugia, italy, where the amanda knox appeals case is coming to an end. hollywood heartbreak, are demi and achuthan heading for divorce?

>> good morning, everyone. i'm lisa robinson. it is 7:25.

here is a look at some of our top stories. several residents in catonsville are on edge this morning after a rash of home break-ins. according to the baltimore county police, there have been nine incidents in september alone. the latest was on oak drive. this time a home owner was inside. >> we started hearing loud banging sounds at our front door. it was obvious it was not a hand, it was an object. the kids freaked out. i was home alone with my 1-year-old and 5-year-old and grabbed them both and we all started screaming. >> baltimore county police are advising people to lock their doors and keep bushes around doors trimmed so burglars don't have a place to hide. call 911 until the dispatcher says it is safe to come out. >> residents in dundalk say someone is vandalizing their soccer field. they say someone four-wheeling

on the grass have done so much damage that soccer matches have to be rescheduled. a reward for the arrest and conviction of the vandals. >> baltimore county police say 85-year-old ana lorton was making a left turn when her car was hit by a honda civic. it happened just before 10:00. she was pronounced dead at the scene. the driver of the other car was taken to johns hopkins bay view and his condition is not known at this time.

>> a little under partly cloudy skies. temperatures are 54 degrees on tv hill. i think we'll get a little rain this afternoon. it won't be a complete wash-out, but something we'll have to watch throughout the day. 57 in annapolis. 51 up in parkton. down at ocean city, 55 degrees. then way out west, oakland 36 degrees and frostburg there at 42. as far as today's forecast is concerned, these partly cloudy skies will give way to mostly cloudy. afternoon showers likely. temperatures 56 to 62 degrees. the forecast heading into sunday about the same. 63 by monday. then high pressure moves in, knocks this moisture out of here. we don't have to worry about it

anymore. it will be downright delightful. 75 in low humidity on thursday. >> thanks, lowell. we'll see you back here in 25 minutes with another update. sgleebd game for amanda knox, four years after her roommate was murdered, two years since the american was convicted of the shocking crime, amanda knox is waiting for the verdict that will either free her or mean decades behind bars in italy. we are back on this saturday morning, october 1st, 2011. this is a special split edition of "today." i'm amy robach in new york. lester holt is in perugia, italy, awaiting the knox verdict. lester, good morning. >> amy, good morning to you. there's a little bit of court business left before it goes to the two judges and six jury members.

both will weigh in on this. the final bit of business will be amanda's plea on monday. the case has been making headlines around the world. we've heard explosive closing arguments from the prosecutors and the defense. we'll take a look at some of the more tense moments of the week coming up. lester, another high profile trial that is just getting started, on friday, a paramedic testified that murray didn't reveal michael jackson was taking the powerful anesthetic that he is taking his life. did murray try to hide the evidence? and casey anthony, late friday, the judge in the case released the jailhouse video that showed her reaction the moment casey was told her daughter was found dead. we'll have more on that case, coming up. but first, let's head back to lester in preesh ya. >> amy, it's been a incredibly difficult week here. both sides have pulled out the stops to prove their case. keith miller has been following

the amanda knox case and following the case from the beginning. he joins us now. >> what we have at this point is everybody in perugia and beyond asking the same question, will amanda knox and her codefendant be released or as the court observers and lawyers who are intimate with the trial say this is just too close to call. from "she devil" to cartoon characters, amanda knox has monopolized this trial with a mass of contradictions. from her all-american good looks to the prosecution's claim that she is evil, the final week of this nine-month appeal trial has seen some of the most heated arguments from the prosecution, that the evidence is rock solid. but the defense has chipped away at the evidence, helped enormously by the court appointed forensic experts who call dna evidence used to

convict knox and her former boyfriend of murdering meredith kircher unreliable. >> as far as the genetic evidence, i feel she has a very good chance. >> the prosecution hit back, attacking knox's character. a lawyer for the plaintiffs called her a witch and a she devil. knox buried her head in her hands. >> the all-out assault on amanda's character and who she is was so over the top, it was incredible. it was really tough to listen to and it was tough for aman ta do listen to, as well. >> she is no diabolical man-eater, declared the defense, but more like the character jessica rabbit from the movie cartoon with the memorable line, i'm not bad, just drawn that way. but knox is clearly suffering as the central character in this emotional courtroom battle. her hair is visibly thinner and she's not eating or sleeping

properly. >> you feel nauseous. all day long. it's this -- you can't settle. you can't relax. and amanda is not sleeping. her first day i was here, i remember looking at the back of her arms and she had hives everywhere. >> knox was just 20 years old when she was arrested for murder, almost four years later, she is still fighting to prove she's innocent. and the prosecution has upped the ante in this case. they're asking for life in prison along with six months of solitary confinement. and this case, lester, continues to battle and capital excavate an audience that is basically worldwide. >> keith, what strikes me is this is a pretty small town. at any moment, you could run into a judge, family member, attorneys, yesterday i ran into the attorney for the kircher family. i asked him point-blank, how do you think it's going to go? he is echoing what you said. i don't know, he said. this could go either way.

i don't think it was false bravado. it was really a sense of we don't know. why is it so difficult with that scientific evidence essentially off the table? >> because basically we have a convikdz in the first round. she was convicted of murder and violent sexual assault along with her codefendant. and the evidence at that time had not been challenged. people, their memories, she was a convicted murderer put away for 26 years and now all of a sudden people are saying, wait a second, maybe it's not true. maybe, in fact, she is not guilt. so a lot of confusion in people's minds who were convinced that she was guilty. now we have a reasonable doubt, i think, basically heading into this verdict, which we're expecting on monday. >> nbc's keith miller, thanks very much. we want to go back to new york and get a check of the weather. bill karins is standing by with that. >> thank you, lester. our friends here are spaushting national volunteer day out here. if you're doing that, we wish

you good weather and a good time. fall's report, we're near peak in the great lakes areas and northern minnesota. new england is start to go change over quickly, as well. the peak in most areas will be over the next weekend or two just in time for the >> well, fall is finally here, but today it might get a little damp, especially later in the afternoon. we'll call it mostly cloudy for today. afternoon showers are likely. winds 10 to 15 miles per hour. temperatures 56 80s and 90s, still feeling like summer. that's your weekend forecast. back to you, amy. >> bill, thank you. we turn now to florida where a judge friday ordered the release of a jailhouse videotape

that shows casey anthony's reaction after learning that the remainses of her daughter, caylee westbound had been found. number's kerry sanders reports. >> there's no sound. the quality is poor. but the images are so powerful, a judge decided in 2010 that casey anthony could not get a fair trial of potential jurors ever saw this. not even the jurors who found her not guilty in the murder case of her daughter saw this video. orange county deputies videotaped casey the very moment she watched local tv and learned her daughter, caylee's remains had been found. detectives hoped casey might confess. the trial long over, the casey acquitted of murder, her attorney argued the video should have remained sealed because casey was in the jail infirmary and making it public would violate her medical privacy. >> in some form of torture, they decided to turn on the television and at that point she

was recorded, her reactions, her physical reactions were recorded. there were medical personnel surrounding her. >> reporter: but friday, orange county judge belvin perry ordered the tape public. it was not to simply see casey's reaction, but to allow the public to judge how the public officials did their job. >> one of the reasons public records acts exist is so that the public through the eyes of the media, the eyes and ears of the public, can see how government acts. >> reporter: in july, casey anthony was found not guilty of murdering her 2-year-old daughter, caylee. casey anthony is free. but she remains in florida in hiding. the 25-year-old is serving out a one-year probation on check fraud charges. her lawyers say she continues to receive psychiatric and grief counseling. the one question that remains unanswered, does the video show a mother's grief or does it

reveal casey's secret had just been revealed? casey says her daughter was not murdered, but rather drown in the backyard swimming pool. for today, kerry sanders, nbc news. >> and casey anthony is still facing legal troubles. the woman whose name anthony used to say kidnapped caylee is now suing her. antho anthony's deposition will take place on october 4th. coming up, is it over? the latest on the divorce rumors for ashashton and demi. when i was ready, not my joints. ] i wantp [ man ] i wanted to button my shirt, myself. [ female announcer ] could your "i want" become "i can"? talk to your doctor. orencia reduces many ra symptoms, like pain, morning stiffness and progression of joint damage. it's helped new ra patients and those not helped enough by other treatments. do not take orencia with another biologic medicine for ra

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more on that. good morning. >> good morning, amy. so far, no official word from either ashton or demi. but recent photos showing the couples apart as well as cryptic messages from both of them on twitter are fueling speculation about the state of this power hollywood couple's marriage. for years, ashton cusper and demi moore have been the picture of hollywood marital bliss. their megawatt smiles side by side on countless red carpet, the happy unconventional family. but on monday, a noticeably thinner demi attended an event in new york alone. while tmz is showing photos of ashton partying solo in san diego. even "people" magazine is questioning the state of on their union. >> there are new allegations that ashton has been unfaithful, that they've been living apart for quite some time and is that as a couple, ashton and demi are on the verge of divorce. >> with no public statements,

everyone is trying to read between the tweets. >> ashton and demi are usually prolific tweeters. but more recently, they fell completely silent. then when they did begin to tweet, the tweets were cryptic and misysteriomysterious. >> demi twieted wisdom from an ancient greek philosopher. when we are offended at any man's fault, turn to yourself and study your own failing. then you will forget your anger. on thursday, the "two and a half men" star let a song do his talking on twitter. ♪ don't believe the hype >> then a reference to the 19th century writer austin wilde, when you assume to know that which you know nothing of, you make an ass out of you and me. earlier this month on "ellen" ashton seemed at ease when talking about his marriage. >> do you think she'll like it? >> i think she will.

>> i think she'll dig this outfit altogether. >> from the start, the couple garnered attention. >> they were definitely considered one of hollywood's most unlikely couples. but as the years have gone on, they seemed to be one of the more stable, happy couples in hollywood. >> the last time there were infidelity rumors a year ago, the couple was quick to put on a united front, they were seen together, they tweeted affectionate messages and there have been no such responses yet. >> we reach out to both ashton cusper and demi moore and we have not heard back from them. >> thank you. bonnie and robbie, good morning to both of you. >> good morning. >> we just heard the last time, there was a rumor that ashton was caught cheating. they quickly got together, and

had a united front. that's not happening this time and do you suspect there's a reason why that's not happening this time? >> it's been very suspicious that the pair has not done anything publicly. now, what happened this time is that there were allegations that ashton had cheated with a 2-year-old blond, sara leill is her name, there's been pictures out, it happened in san diego. she apparently told a friend and that's where this all started. now, we have heard from sources at hollywoodlife.com that demi is lived about the whole situation and she's livid that ashton hasn't publicly taken a stand about what happened. >> there is a 15-year age difference between the couple. how much has this defined their relationship in hollywood? >> first of all, it was complete surprise when they got together. i remember, nobody believed that it was real. and it was very surprising that they stayed together ask two

years later, they had a secret marriage in their backyard. however, ashton was always very verbal, like he talked a lot about how much he loved the daughters, he was involved in doing their homework. so people really came to believe that despite the age difference, they were making this work. >> and robbie, what are some of the strengths and some of the issues that come about in these may/december relationships? problems, do they usually come up because of the age difference? >> it depends on when the couple decides to get together. the advantages for some of these men in choosing an older woman is they like how confident they are, how interesting, how they come to the table with financial stability. they don't play games. so the men really love that about these mature -- >> until they have a 21-year-old coming up to them. >> and that is the danger. if you have a man who doesn't have any children and hasn't really lived a full life experience to then choose an older woman who has that in

place, that certainly can create a lot of conflict if you're living that domestic life. >> and there are a lot of hollywood couples who are living this. we have some other examples of this. some of them have worked and some of them haven't worked. >> the power in their relationship has clearly changed. she was a hollywood star, an icon when he met her. she was just a young guy on "the 70s show." today he's the highest paid actor on tv starring on "two and a half men." things have changed between them. >> as they often do. thank you very much. we appreciate it. when it comes to saving energy, we're off to a good start. but now it's time to go to the next level. so let's do a little detective work. pick up what we need. roll out... caulk...and install. and pretty soon, we're seeing the fruits of our labor right there at our bottom line. more saving. more doing. that's the power of the home depot.

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this is the second time, lester, you've been to perugia. tell 34me what it's like to be there. >> the media presence has ratcheted up as we get close to a verdict. this, of course, to tremendous interest to american viewers,

also british viewers and readers. meredith kerch eer's family, as well. everyone is trying to get a sense because the story is covered in different places. italian media recovered this, what many thought a pro prosecution stance during the initial trial. some say that's clearly changed now. clearly a lot of attention as we build up on what could be a verdict on monday. >> we're back, luster. first, this is "today" on nbc.

still to come on "today" the latest in the amanda knox appeals trial. we're live in perugia and we'll talk to one of her friends who came here to support here. >> plus, the latest on dr. conrad murray's trial. did he try to cover up michael

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stories. starting today, a maryland law goes in effect making it illegal to send and read text messages while behind the wheel, even at a red light. a first offense will cost you $75 and a point on your license. if texting contributes to an accident, the penalty goes up to $110 and three points. the new law does not apply to teching, 91 , or gps. if you are planning on the ravens vs. jets, you might want to leave yourself more time. patdowns of all fans entering football stadiums. patdowns now include upper body and knee to ankle searches. they are planning on extra turnstyles to cut down on longer lines. >> the housing authority of balt accused of wasting millions in federal money. senator grassley said his office received several calls about

conflict of interest, waste scomprks fraud. these are charges denied. senator grassley asking for documentation on how they spent $67 million in federal dollars. >> dundalk says someone is vandalizing their soccer fields. someone has done so much damage soccer matches have to be canceled. the fields are used by 300 children from the area. the bear creek recreational council is offering a reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction

>> it is 54 degrees under partly cloudy skies on tv hill. i think it will give way to mostly cloudy skies and some decent chances for rain later this afternoon. as i said, afternoon showers are likely. we'll have west winds around 10 to 15 miles per hour. 56 to 62 degrees. i think our best chance for showers will be in the late afternoon hours, and this will continue as we head into tomorrow and monday unfortunately. more chances of rain. temperatures around the same, 57 degrees. warming up on monday. rain chances go down. the good news is, high pressure takes over on tuesday, bringing with it some delightful weather with low humidity. 70 on tuesday. 74 on wednesday. 75 by thursday.

so by the time we -- so we're finally getting some drying out after all this rain. >> thank you for joining us. we're back at 8:25 with another update. see you then. we are back on this saturday morning. it is the first day of october, 2011. we have a graed great crowd enjoying the crisp, cool weather here. outside on the plaza, i'm amy robach. lester is in perugia covering the amanda knox trial. and still to come, the case of dr. conrad murray. did he give jackson a fatal dose of propofol?

but first, let's head out to lester who is in perugia with the latest on the high profile amanda knox case. lester. >> amy, good morning. you've got a cool, crisp day here in italy. they would probably say -- [ speaking foreign language ]. a beautiful day here in perugia. it's a midafternoon here. this is a town that for a lot of americans was put on the map by the amanda knox case. the courtroom is about a two-minute walk from here. i wanted to show you a little bit about this town. the it's a hilltop. the medieval center is on a hilltop. most of the population lives below. in the background, the epinini, the mountain range and they limit the cars here in the center of the city, so most of the people commute on a train, a tram system that moves up into the center of the perugia. this is a town that has much of what brings americans to italy,

the culture, the food, the wine, those sorts of things. but imagine being the knox family. for four years, your thoughts of italy have been bitter thoughts, a daughter who they think is innocent and held unjustly and now they're waiting for a moment. this could be their last weekend in this country to take their daughter home. we're going to hear from them in about what these last four years have been like. >> lester, thanks. we have a lot to get to this morning. peter alexander is there with more of today's top stories. good morning to you. we begin with american officials who say the drone strike in yemen that killed an war al awlaki killed others. are american security agencies on a new heightened alert? >> as a matter of fact, they are, particularly in your way in new york city where the police chief has said revenge attacks could be possible over al qaeda

operatives, very angry over this drone strike. president obama calls it a major blow to al qaeda's capabilities. there's a trop propaganda official, samir khan, he published an al qaeda newspaper called "inspire" that was key to recruiting al qaeda operatives. this over a controversy questioning whether it was illegal or not. >> mike, thank you very much. dozens of people were hurt friday night when an amtrak train collide ed collided. the truck was split in half. fortunately, driver was not seriously hurt. about 35 people on the train were hurt, but fortunately none of the injuries appear to be critical. friends and supporterses of

troy davis are remembering him today at a funeral in savannah. he is the 42-year-old convicted kill over a police officer who was executed in georgia last week, despite emotional pleas for his life. davis insisted to the very end that he was innocent. surfers and sharks, not naturally the best of friends. but they put their differences aside this week when surfers on california's venice peer found a great white shark pup. it was washed ashore, had a fishing hook in its mouth. the quick thinking surfers removed the hook from the shark's mouth and brought it back out to sea. finally, massive waves swept joggers off their feet as they ran ashore lakeshore drive friday. high surf pushed water from lake michigan right on to the path used by runners and cyclists. police eventually had to close the path until the waves could subside. that person just gets drilled. that's a look at the news right now. i want to head back out to the

plaza. i'm on my way to chicago and i think we'll stick to the treadmill. >> we only laugh at that because he was okay, by the way. this is one of the best signs i have ever seen here. this is mira. you have a lot on this sign. you have the sun, the clouds and you wrote the "today" show here. what did you write it in? >> in rice and pasta. >> so we have our breakfast started off right. let's talk about your forecast as we go throughout the weekend. of course, this is the beginning of october. we can still get a hurricane this time of year. it's a major hurricane, but it's going to barely brush bermuda and we head out to seas. hopefully irene was the only one we had to deal with this season. the weather beautiful today in the southeast. northern plains oog loose good. dreary up in northern new england, but we'll give you >> cool wet weather in store for today. not a complete washout.

afternoon showers likely. temperatures 56 to 62 degrees. the triple digits. high today, 101. that's your saturday forecast, amy. >> bill, thank you. now to the trial of dr. conrad murray, michael jackson's personal physician faces four years in prison if convicted of killing the singer. on friday, a paramedic took the stand and made a bombshell accusation against the defendant. credit tin dakristin dahlgren h the latest. >> reporter: outside the courthouse, there is all the spectacle we've come to expect from a celebrity trial.

but the real drama is inside. opening statements started with shocking photos, michael jacks yoon in rehearsal the night before he died next to his lifeless body at the hospital. the prosecution followed with never released audio of what they say is a drugged up jackson, reported by the defendant, conrad murray, michael jackson's personal doctor in his final months. >> when people leave my show, i want to say -- >> and what does he do with that knowledge? what does he do with that information? he orders another shipment of propofol. >> the prosecution contends murray committed involuntary man slaughter by giving the powerful anesthetic to the singer in his home with inefficient emergency

equipment nearby. prosecution witnesses walked the jury through jackson's final days. jackson's head of security described the moments when he entered jackson's bedroom that day and saw dr. murray. >> he appeared to be administering cpr. he appeared very nervous. he was on his side. he was sweating. >> and bodyguard alberto alvarez testified murray ordered him to collect the bottles of propofol in the room before calling paramedics. >> while i was standing at the foot of the bed, he reached over and grabbed a handful of vials and he reached out to me and said, here, put these in a bag. >> richard senif was one of the first paramedics on the screen. >> does dr. murray ever mention to you having administered pr propofol to michael jackson that day? >> no. >> when dr. murray left the room, michael jackson

self-administered a dose of propofol that with the lorazapam created a perfect storm in his body, that killed him instantly. >> the defense attempted to support that claim in cross-examination. >> is it fair to say that he had the physical cycles of someone who had been a drug addict for a long time? >> that's -- that's a hard statement. >> jackson's family was in court every day. mom, katherine says she bleefts murray is guilty. sister latoya tweeted this is a big conspiracy and the doctor knows exactly what happened. >> the family that has not been here in court this week, michael jackson's children. they were there on the day he died. >> paris was on the ground, balled up crying and prince was just -- he was standing there. he had a real shock, you know, just slowly crying type of look on his face. >> it is still unclear whether michael's oldest son, prince, or

daughter, paris, will testify in a trial expected to last another four weeks. for today, kristin dahlgren, nbc news, los angeles. joining us now with more on the first week of the conregard murray trial, beth caras and martin bashir. good morning to both of you. >> good morning. >> good morning. >> beth, i'm going to begin with you. it has a dramatic week of testimony. how has the jury responded? have you been able to gauge the impact it's had on them? >> well, i don't see any emotion from the jury because it's not as though any family members have been on the stand crying. but they're paying very close attention and they're allowed to take notes and they do take notes. i do see jurors look over during sidebar conferences at the jackson family sitting right there to their left. >> and martin, let me turn to you. you've interviewed michael jackson on several occasions. you were with him in an intimate setting in his home, with his

children. a lot of the testimony we've been hearing in the court is about michael jackson's home life. what have you heard so far that gives you any insight into what his inner circle was like in the days and weeks that led up to his death? >> i think what becomes apparent is that this man was totally focused on the performances he was about to give. so he was living in the way that had everybody around him focused on that. he had his doctors there, his chefs, his physical trainers, his body guards, his security. but the central focus of his interest was rehearsing and preparing for what were going to be 50 separate shows. on the trial so far, we haven't heard much about how they had been living personally. what we know is here was a man who was seeking to revive his career and everything he had was focused on that purpose? >> and, beth, in exposing some of these details, is it likely that one of the prosecution's tactics is to humanize michael to the jury? >> well, i don't know that that's really the case. because the witnesses who had

really humanized michael jackson aren't relevant to the charge in this case. the prosecution has to put on what happened in that bedroom that day. and to that extent, a little bit about paris and prince came out because they were standing in the doorway. i don't think we're going to see them testify in the trial even though their names are on the witness list. it's what happened that day and the circumstances around michael jackson getting that much propofol, which was far more in his body than the doctor admits giving him. >> i think this trial is going to center around the character of dr. murray, a man with multiple children, with multiple women, a man who spent a great deal of time focused on his personal life, was anxious about his income, and then was administering drugs in a setting that was inappropriate, that he should never have been doing. this actual trial, much as it concerns the tragic death of michael jackson is actually, i think, going to expose and expound the type of individual dr. murray was.

and i think that's the character who is going to emerge through these proceedings. and i think it's going to be a fairly ugly and unprofessional presentation of a doctor. >> and martin, part of the defense here by the doctor is whether or not michael jackson had control over his own health, whether or not he was administering any of these drugs to himself. but in terms of that line of defense, you knew michael jackson. was he susceptible to being manipulated by a doctor or by others around him? >> i think you have to remember, michael jackson had a long history of relationships with a number of doctors through accidents like the horrendous burning of his hair when he made the pepsi commercial in the 90s, through to a number of elective surgeries. this was not a man who was new to the experience of being managed by the medics and, doctors. i think he trusted this man.

every day for the time period. and i think he probably trusted him. what he didn't realize, because michael jackson is not a pharmaceutical expert, he's not a pharmacologist, he's not an endroe chronology gist, he's not a medic of any kind, how would he know about the impact of these medicines, these drugs on his body? he was entrusting that to dr. murray. >> he was paying dr. murray for that. >> absolutely. >> but the jackson family has been attendling court every day. what has their demeanor and reaction been like in court? >> latoya has been there every day. she takes a lot of notes. she was emotional one day. she was crying. during the opening statements, katherine jacksan was crying a couple of times. it sit behind them, so i can't see their faces unless they turn to the side. randy jackson has been there every day. haven't seen jackie or marlin. but the family is definitely united during this trial.

even though sometimes there are divisions like germane and randy are upset with the tribute concert that will take place shortly in wales. i'm sure when the autopsy is described, and that will probably be next week, some family members won't be that for that emotional testimony. >> understandable. beth and martin, thank you both. we appreciate it. still to come here on "today" from mirror to mirror to "play it again sam" the real story behind those famous movie lines.

play it again, sam. beam me up, scotty. i don't think we're in kansas any more. go? >> no. i like the way you did that last one. those are some of the most quoted lines in show business history. could it be that we've been flubbing our lines the whole time, as they say? let's go to the videotape.

♪ you must remember this a kiss is just a kiss ♪ >> a line is just a line? when asked to quote casa blanca, most people said -- >> play it again, sam. >> play it again, sam. >> but play the film again and you'll find one of the story's most quoted lines isn't even there. ingrid bergman came close. >> play, sam. play as time goes by. >> it's amazing how many classic revered movie quotes we all get wrong. i think it dates back to the time before vcrs and dvds. >> mirror, mirror on the wall -- >> close, but it's not mirror, mirror. >> magic mirror on the wall, who is the fairest one of all? >> i am dracula. >> i want to suck your blood. >> bella legosi never said it,

he just did it. >> toto, i have a feeling we're not in kansas any more. >> it doesn't help when tinsel town gets it wrong, too. i have a feeling became the more definite, i don't. >> oh, toto, i don't think we're in kansas any more. >> that was especially nice. >> one of my personal favorites is from the silence of the lambs. >> hello, clarify he's. >> good evening, clarifce. >> in my mind, i know i've repeated hello, clarice, even though she was standing there. he smelled her. >> one of the most famous lines as you often hear it is do you feel lucky? >> lester says he always knew that dirty harry line was a quote. >> clint eastwood is saying,

right about now you're asking yourself, did i fire five or six bullets? >> you've got to ask yourself one question, do i feel lucky? well, do you, punk? >> do you, punk? i love that movie. >> obi wan never told you what happened to your father. >> luke, i am your father. >> the force was not with jen that, who blames this scene from tommy boy for getting it wrong. >> luke, i am your father. >> here is what darth vader really said. >> luke, i am your father. >> they got it wrong. the people that wrote the movie got the line wrong. >> they got this one wrong, too. >> i never said beam me up, scotty. it's one of those things. it's an urban myth. >> in his new book, shatner rules, he says he understands why people love the line. >> it's such a lovely idea. i want out of here.

i'm in an awkward situation. beam me out of here, scotty. >> and while the audience may be missing their queue, who cares if they got the wrong line? we just want to see these classics again and again. >> louis, i think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship. >> i guess it's like operator, you know, when you say something to somebody and then somehow it gets twisted and that's what becomes the new reality? >> i love chris barley into the fan saying, luke, i am your father. >> i was so shocked that flow, i am your father. i was surprised by any one of those carolinlines. >> for the record, she does say hello, clarice all the time. >> i love to creep people out at work.

stoil to come on "today," from perugia, italy, judgment

day for amanda knox. plus, falling for the bait, the sneaky ways super markets use to get you to spend more money. but first, these messages. ♪ [ male announcer ] 20,000 btus produce a delicate sear. double-oven range makes dinner and dessert -- at the same time. turbo-charged advantium oven cooks more than twice as fast, in this culinary powerhouse. dan. yes? molé sauce. [ male announcer ] with ge's most advanced cooking technology, the café line takes food further. [ male announcer ] that onion after taste after you again? new crest complete with scope dual blast technology blasts away bad breath germs and food after tastes. new crest complete with scope dual blast. blast your way to fresh breath. [ instructor ] inhale and he he hooo. [ female announcer ] that onion after taste after you again?

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stories. several residents in the catonsville area are on edge this morning after a rash of home break-ins. according to baltimore county police there have been nine incidents including one that happened thursday night on oak drive. this time a home owner was inside. >> these loud banging sounds at our front door. it was obvious it was an object not a hand. the kids freaked out. i was home alone with my 1-year-old and my 5-year-old and grabbed them both and we all started screaming. >> baltimore county is advising residents to lock their doors and keep bushes trimmed to burglars don't have a place to hide. if an intruder breaks into your home, lock yourself in a bathroom until the police say you can come out.

>> vandalism has damaged soccer fields in dundalk. the bear creek recreational council is offering a reward for information leading to the arrest could and conviction of the vandals. >> a deadly car accident in vinks kingsville leaves one person dead and injuries to a second person. anna lordon was making a left turn when her car was hit by a honda civic. it happened before 10:00 friday. she was pronounced dead at the scene. the driver of the other vehicle was taken to johns hopkins.

>> we give a big welcome back to fall today. unfortunately tr -- there is a little rain in the forecast. speaking of rain, we broke a record. at b.w.i. marshall, it was the wettest student over. the old record was set back in 1984. this year, 13.32 inches. that is a lot of rain, thanks to tropical storm lee and hurricane irene. as far as the rest of the day is concerned, partly cloudy skies will give way to mostly cloudy skies. we'll have afternoon showers, most likely in a greater portion of the area. we're monitoring an upper level low. on and off showers. temperatures anywhere from 56 to 62 degrees. this system will stay with us through monday morning, keeping temperatures in the mid to upper 50's tomorrow. then we get warmer on monday with a 20% chance of rain, but

then high pressure takes over, and look at this, on the middle of next week, we're back into the mid 70's and we're dry finally. >> that would be nice. thank you, lowell. thank you for joining us. "11 news saturday morning" starts in 25 minutes. we are back on this cool first day of october 2011. we have a great bunch of folks with us out on the plaza on this saturday morning. i want to thank them for joining us. i'm amy robach here in new york. lester in perugia, italy. lester, a verdict in this nine-month appeals trial is expected on monday, correct? >> amy, monday at the earliest. what will happen on monday, amanda knox and raffaele sollecito will get their final say. sometime on monday it goes to

the judges and the jury. the verdict has taken a heavy toll on their family. her parents and sisters are here to support her. their hope is to bring amanda home sometime in the coming week. we'll have more on the emotional roller coaster this has been for the knox family. and back here in new york, have you been brand washed? from staging displays to inside speed bumps, what are some companies doing to get you to spend even more money? we'll take a look at some of the secrets behind super markets coming up. also for "today" a sampling of suddens on this cool, crisp day here. we're talking beer brewed in the great u.s. of a. that is coming up ahead and we will be drying them. >> and a man who might need a beer, with he's had a busy, busy fall, bill karins, we want to congratulate you because your wife gave birth to a beautiful baby girl on september 18th. oh, look at her sucking her little hand there.

>> taylor karins entered the world weighing seven points. she and mom are doing great. bill, we wanted here to give you a little present. >> really? >> yes. i picked it all out myself. >> just kidding. >> this is for you. we'll get something else for your daughter. >> oh, her name is on there. how beautiful. and i lot of the name, by the way. >> this is my first day back. the company is great. they gave me two weeks to go home with my wife. it was the best sleep i've ever had. i have a 19-month-old boy sleeping through the wife, a little girl sleep good and now i'm back to waking up at 2:00 a.m. >> exactly. you're the one getting up early. >> that is great. thank you so much. you've got girls at home. >> i'll give you some clothes. i've got a lot of them. >> she will be looking good. let's have a look at the forecast as i look at my basket here. as far as the weekend goes, everything will be pretty nice

out there as you go throughout your weekend. it will be very, very good as far as the middle of the country goes. here in the northeast, we'll be >> well, fall is finally here, but today it might get a little damp, especially later in the afternoon. we'll call it mostly cloudy for today. afternoon showers are likely. winds 10 to 15 miles per hour. temperatures 56e is warm air ou. denver, you'll be around 88 jegs, too. my little girl is doing pretty good. it will be tough not to spoil her, huh? >> all right, bill. let me send my congratulations to you, as well. in less than 48 hours, amanda knox may learn her fate. will she be free from italy or

in prison for many years to come? it's been difficult for her family. they've been awaiting anxiously the trial and waiting to bring her daughter home. she was far from home, but amanda knox is not alone. >> somebody always has to by in italy. we've made it a point to have somebody there for her, to visit her, so she is not left behind. >> for this entire four-year ordeal, her family has stood with her both emotionally and physically. >> how many trips do you think you've made to italy? >> probably five a year -- 20 in the last four years, something like that. >> anna mellis, amanda's mom and her dad, although divorced, they are united in support of her and determined to clear their daughter's name. >> do you remember the call? >> oh, yeah.

>> did it come from amanda? >> it was very early in the morning. she called me and was talking about how something odd was at her house. she was going back with raffaele because there had been a door ajar. there were three phone calls. in the second one, she had broken down the door and found somebody, she didn't even know at that point in time who it was. and then the phone call was when the police were there. she was devastated. she was beyond upset. it was horrible. >> it was one of amanda's roommates, british student meredith kercher. she had been viciously murdered. and then to learn that your daughter is potentially a suspect, it really wasn't until further down the road, probably two or three days that, you know, at least i got a call saying that, you know, amanda has been charged with murder. it's like, what? >> how do you process that? >> you don't. >> you can't. >> life for amanda and her

family have been a whirlwind ever since. legal and travel expenses soared through the roof. >> it was horrific. there's large parts of it at the beginning we don't remember. we were all in shock. trying even now to find a translator for us so we know what's going on. >> not just a different language, but a different judicial system. >> absolutely. >> anna's husband, a sxurt consultant moved to perugia to be close to amanda. >> anybody who is a parent can really understand you don't leave your kid alone in a prison on the other side of the world. >> and your business allows you to do what you do from perugia. >> correct. >> amanda has adjusted to prison life as best she can. [ speaking foreign language ]. >> a priest who regularly visits amanda in prison told me the constant presence of her family and her friend, madison paxton has provided her enormous

comfort. >> when you're in perugia and get to see her, what are those visits like? >> they're nice because you can hug her, hold her. >> this weekend, the family is in perugia for what could be their last time. either outcome is too difficult for them to dwell on. >> etta, have you allowed yourself at all to fantasize about what it would be like to step off the plane at sea-tac, to drive to west seattle and walk in the door with amanda? >> no. you want to go there and you want to believe that, but as amanda told me, she said, you know what? i feel like i can breathe, but i'm still here, i can still locked up. so until she walks out, i don't try to stay away from those thoughts. >> with us now are two of amanda' friends. good morning to both of you. thank you so much for coming here. you have not had a chance to visit amanda because all of her family is here right now. but you had been in the court.

andrew, a lot has been said about the way she looks. what have you observed? >> i've observed that, you know, she does have some fear that she carries with her. i think that's very unable and inevitable given her situation. i can tell that that core person that i've always known of her who believes the best in every situation and every person, it's still there. >> and jessica, you talk about knowing the person. you came to know her later on through andrew, i know. >> yes. >> but when you hear the descriptions, we've heard some pretty rough descriptions of her, but the prosecution really painted her as an unlikable, horrible person. how difficult is it for you to listen to that? >> it's awful. it's incredibly painful. i think the worst part about it is knowing how she must feel sitting that much closer and have people continue to lie and say horrible things to her that it's not true. it has to feel reminiscent of the first time this happened and it went so horribly for her. i think how hard it is for us,

it has to be worse for her. >> andrew, you met amanda in college. you shared the same dorm. we've talked to others who made the trip at various times. what drives you to come here and be here in this important week? >> you know, we very quickly became best friends after i met her at school. when this first started, i knew there was absolutely no way she can have anything to do with it. it's completely against everything. i know her character to be. i always have wanted her to know that my support is never going to go away and i will be here as long as it takes. >> i know there are strict rules in the court in terms of how she can or cannot acknowledge people in the courtroom. she pretty much has to look ahead. does she know you're there and is she reacting to seeing more and more family and you guys? i mean, it's almost a reminder that the end of this process is nearing, one way or the other? >> she's waved to us in and out of court when there's not cameras present and we can say a quick high as she comes in our out. she knows if she turns around, it's going to be a flurry of

shutters. it's better for us to do it when smob nobody is watching. >> and let's not fool ourselves. court is court. you have two judges in this case and six jury members. i think we even had a picture of the prison where ain a dan is. her hands will be in the fate of those eight individuals. >> yes. >> and it could go against her, despite what may have happened with the dna evidence. are you guys prepared and do you think her family is emotionally prepared? >> i think everyone has to consider that possibility. i think that fear hangs over it, it definitely does, that she was convicted once when we all believed more than anything that she had nothing to do with it. >> we're reminded, you testified as a character witness in the first trial. andrew and jessica, thank you for being here. >> we're going to take a break. be back with more of "today." look. the mr. clean magic eraser kitchen scrubber.

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thank you! ♪ phew! [ ernie ] we make our cookies the way only keebler elves can: with a little something extra. so every bite can be uncommonly good. this morning, we're wrapping up the series have you been brand washed? from displays to speed bumps, it's no surprise retailers will try almost anything to get uts to spend our money. how far will they go? martin is the author of "brand washed" martin, good morning. >> good morning. >> so you see companies are influencing our buying habits from the moment we're born? >> yeah. this is shocking news. in fact, the latest sign shows right now that even before we bond, we're avengd by the sense of sound and even the taste.

that means that some brands in asia now, coffee and candy brands and seriously signature taste into the candy, make sure the penetrations are handing it over to the pregnant women and the sad news is that while those children are born, they could have a preference for certain coffee brands. it's shocking news. >> and as a part of the segment, we conducted a poll for our viewers. and one of the questions we asked was how often do you use the brands your parents used? 21% said mostly and 60% said sometimes. does that number surprise you? >> no, it doesn't. in fact, it's too low, according to a global study which basically created a couple of months ago for the book. we've learned that more than 70% of every brand you're using while you're a kid is recycled later on as you grow up. and the reason why is because when we used those brands, we kind of feel we owe it to our parents. we feel kind of guilty if we're not using that brand. that's what the brands are playing on right now. >> if it's good enough for my

mom, gosh darn it, it's good enough for me. when it comes to actual shopping, you say they spend more, even if others were cheaper. 60% of viewers say that they have brand loyalty. >> yeah. and that's exactly the reason why i decided to write brand washed. we are brand washed. we believe we are immune to be affected by anything, but today we are sosa duesed by all the subliminal messages and all the stuff that convince us, we just have to buy that product, right? >> and this is an interesting one. you say when you walk into a store, like a grocery store store, if you shop counter clockwise, you may be spending more and 64% of people say say they shop counter clockwise. >> and the reason why is because we don't want to walk an extra six steps to the left to grab something. retail stores are now

deliberately creating the stores so you're forced to do that. >> and why do we buy more? >> we buy more because we're grabbing with our hand hands. another thing that is fascinating, we actually walk slower and you walk so slow that you're likely to pay 6% more for the product because you're stopping and looking around and dropping it into your shopping cart. >> that's true. when i'm in a hurry, i buy less. you say super markets in particular are good at staging. >> if you go to whole foods, which is a great store, but they are incredibly good at creating a theater. they're cutting fresh flowers. then you walk into the vegetable department and instead of having those small cardboard boxes, they have guigantic dummies. the reason why is they still

want to make us believe that the farmer was just backing up the truck in front of the store and delivering those small cardboard boxes. the reality is one big theater. >> we contacted whole foods. they say we often leave food in its box on purpose to reduce handling. >> well, the reality is, remember, we all want to go back to the market and feel like we are -- but this is one big theater. >> what about the color of future, like bananas? >> this is fascinating. we learned that some retailers are deliberately working with color coding systems because they know which color you and i are mostly affected by when we're going out shopping. this color here is the most powerful color of all of them. it's called 12075 buttercup. this is a color that makes every retailer do this because there is so much money on this one. as soon as it's into vibrant yellow, nobody buys them. >> i know i don't like my

bananas green. that's all i know. martin, thank you so much. it is fascinating. up next, from brands to beers. first, this is "today" on nbc. at bank of america, we're lending and investing in the people and communities who call baltimore home. from funding to help a local business expand their operations... to financing for an organization which provides affordable housing for artists... and partnering with a local hospital to help expand patient care. because the more we do in baltimore, the more we help make opportunity possible.

this morning on "today" taste test of the best beers for the season. >> here to give us a taste of the best brews is bon appetite editor andrew nolton. >> good morning, guys. >> as we get started, all of these beers were made in the usa. >> made in the usa. >> this is a growing business, these breweries. what is it that makes a good, fall beer? >> a lot of it is the ingredient. people think of foods as being seasonal, but beers are

seasonal. a lot of these are seasonal beers, limited releases. a lot of these craft brewers are startinging to get into that. new orleans, this is made with pecans from louisiana. you should get a little bit of that on the nose and in the finish. >> i definitely have it on the nose. >> you like that? >> yeah, i do. >> this is pecan. this one from delaware is a pumpkin, right? >> pumpkin. >> this is a uniquely american style beer made with pumpkin. we have tons of pumpkins. what are we going to do with it? it's spicy, like a nutmegy -- >> spicy. you get some pumpkin spooip spices the. >> it's 5:00 somewhere. >> that's right, yes, ma'am. then we have the only one in a can here. >> can i keep this one while we keep walking? >> you can. >> craft brewers are starting to do a lot in cans. a lot of people like it because you don't get a lot of light in there. this is the autumnnation. this has a little white pepper

and ginger in there, as well. >> yes, you can smell it right before you -- and it is, it has a little bit of a kick to it. >> so all these you want with hearty foods or are good with rich cheeses. >> i feel like i need a brat right now. we're talking smoked porter, wright now. what is it about a smoked beer? >> it's a classic german style beer. they take barley malt and dry it out over fire. you'll get a little smokeyness. this is not one you'll drink a six-pack of. maybe one after dinner with, again, a good hunk of cheese. i like this beer. people don't think they like dark beers. >> that's a sipping beer, right? >> that's a sipping beer. >> big glass for last, wow. >> in honor of october toner fest, this is an octoberfest beer. >> wait, wait, we have a pro. >> this is the biggest glass of

beer i've ever had. i just want to say that. >> there's no reason why it took two of us in this segment. i thought i'd come in, too. >> this is that rich, margin style beer. >> andrew notton, thanks so much. we appreciate it. and we're back, but first, these messages. ld challenge. fixodent denture adhesive challenges you to a 12 hour hold test. ♪ thanks to its time-released formula, you apply fixodent once, and it holds all day. ♪ take the fixodent 12 hour hold challenge. guaranteed, or your money back. ♪ and for guaranteed freshness, try fixodent cleanser plus scope ingredients.

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we're off to a good start. but now it's time to go to the next level. so let's do a little detective work. pick up what we need. roll out... caulk...and install. and pretty soon, we're seeing the fruits of our labor right there at our bottom line. more saving. more doing. that's the power of the home depot. owens corning ecotouch attic insulation is only $9.97 a roll. well, that's going to do it for us on a saturday morning. amy, peter and bill, you know, watching you guys with the beer, it's 3:00 in the afternoon here, it makes sense. but really, 9:00 in the morning?

really? >> really, you've been there, lester. enon that. i know that for a fact. all right. our thanks to bill karins and peter alexander. tomorrow, who will testify in court at the conrad murray trial? we'll tell you. have a great day, everyone. >> live, local, latebreaking -- this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. welcome to 11 news saturday morning. i am jennifer franciotti. >> i am lisa robinson. baltimore county residents are asked to conserve water after any electric feeder line lost power over night. officials are asking 100 residents to conserve water as possible. the areas include cockeysville and telson. we are told be ge crews are working to fix the problem.

baltimore county police say an 85-year-old was making a left turn onto bel air road when her car was hit by a honda civic. she was pronounced dead at the scene. the driver of the other car was taken to johns hopkins days you. >> if you plan to attend the big prime-time game at m&t bank stadium if you might want to leave yourself extra time off as the nfl has ordered more extensive pat downs of all fans that will include the entire upper-body and ankle searches. the baltimore ravens plan to open extra turnstiles to cut down on long lines. so, you're getting the whole upper, lower. up next, dr. kim hammond has answers to your questions. >> does your resonate -- does

your resume look to good to be true? >> who has the best pizza in baltimore? >> i will back you up. she went up. something that is not up, our weather. " temperatur

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