republican front-runner for the president. according to the latest national poll. leaving many analysts wondering if the georgia businessman's plan resonating. all that and more on "american morning." good morning, everybody. it is thursday, october 13. >> it is certainly not a good morning. i can't get messages from people, i can't send messages. >> mine was down yesterday but back now. >> mine was up yesterday but i e-mailed this morning. our executive producer said i will be late. >> that's the e-mail i sent. >> he is panicking going where are my anchor. >> if you don't know what we are talking about, millions of blackberry users are without service this morning. now four-day blackout spreads to north america. the outage primarily affects e-mails and internet access, not the ability to make phone calls or text. >> weird. problem started monday affecting customers in europe, middle east and africa. by tuesday, it has spread to south america and yesterday customers here in the united states and in canada were hit hard. erin mclaughlin is live in london. what's blackberry say being this? >> reporter: actually research in motion coming out this morning saying there has been a significant improvement in services for its customers in europe, middle east and africa this morning. they offered a full range of services including e-mail p.bbm text messaging as well as browsing. my blackberry is working this morning. the problem, however, started monday when a core switcher which is part of research in motion's infrastructure here in europe failed. and we had a chance to talk to steven bates last night to learn more about that. >> cause behind the delay is in the core structure systems within the infrastructure. we still don't think we are out of the woods yet. our team is working and will continue working night and day until we get to that resolution point. >> reporter: well, the work seems to have paid off, carol. although the executives have been working around the clock in the building in back of me to solve this problem saying their cautiously optimistic that the network improvements will continue. >> well, customers are really angry. the stock plunged. stock down 60% already this year before this even happened customers were fleeing research and motion and blackberry device. but this is clearly -- this is clearly a tough development for a big company like this. isn't it, erin? >> reporter: it is absolutely a tough development, as you mentioned. they have been losing some ground in the smartphone industry to the apple 4s which comes out friday. as well as google's android. it certainly -- this isn't helping matters for them. the customers have been absol e absolutely outraged in some instances by the particular outage. again, research in motion coming out this morning and saying they have seen significant improvement in their network. europe, middle east and africa and full range of services should be available to blackberry users. >> thanks, erin. >> part of the problem is a lot of companies like the secure servers that research in motion uses. for a lot of users the option to go to another phone isn't there. >> corporate user, we have hundreds of people using blackberry and know they have this arrangement. >> i can switch to an iphone. i don't have to use this. >> personal. >> yes, yes. lot of their base is commercial. people that work for big companies. >> new developments involving that alleged iranian plot to kill a saudi ambassador on american soil. >> we are finding out more about the suspect in u.s. custody. described as friends as a happy-go-lucky used car salesman in an unorchestrated terror campaign. >> reza, there is quite a bit of skepticism when it comes to iran's alleged role in this plot. >> reporter: there's -- no question about it. but what wore seeing, despite that skepticism, is the diplomatic fallout with this alleged plot. clearly washington is moving with lightning speed to take a more aggressive stance against iran and are pushing other countries to do the same. what's important to remember what sometimes gets lost in the drama this plot is an allegation at this point, nothing has been proven, number of u.s. officials have come out and said look, we cannot link this plot with the leadership of iran attorney general eric holder himself said we can't link it with the leadership of iran. and in spite of all of that, the obama administration is moving forward as of this was a real plot. we already slapped sanctions on an iranian airline and talking about a fifth round of economic sanctions and they are talking to other countries, pushing them to apply pressure on iran so despite all the questions, it seems like the u.s. wants to take advantage of this situation to isolate iran. iran is condemning the allegations. they launch ad protest with the u.n. >> i will tell you what, the evidence trail was pretty solid on this. yes, it is an allegation but given what they have seen in the investigation, they are taking it quite seriously. what are we learn being the guy, i mean, used car salesman, happy-go-lucky guy and at the center of all of this, apparently. >> reporter: yes. based on what we have learned about this man, he doesn't exactly fit the mold of someone who picked to run an international terrorist plot. he is 56 years old. divorcee. had a child. born in iran. naturalized u.s. citizen. lived in the u.s. for about 30 years. his friends describe him as a sometimes disorganized absent-minded happy-go-lucky guy. he was nevering into religion and politics. his ex-wife said she would be shocked if she was involved in a plot like this. >> i cannot for the life of me think he would be capable of doing that. at the wrong place at the wrong time, i am sure of that. i know that his innocence is going to come out. >> that was his wife. expressing her disbelief a used car salesman from texas would be tapped by the most elite branch of the iranian military to assassinate the saudi ambassador. >> so strange. i guess that if they really did tap this particular man, maybe they -- the thought was no one would suspect this used car salesman to carry out this crime. >> reporter: yeah. look, there's a lot of questions that surround this case. first and foremost is what iran have to gain by going after the saudi ambassador? i mean a lot of people easily argue that they would have more to lose than to gain. if they want to go after a saudi target or even a u.s. target there's plenty in their backyard in places like iraq, afghanistan, bahrain. so -- a lot of questions remain unanswered. even so you see washington aggressively moving forward and applying pressure in iran in an effort to isolate. >> thank you, reza. terrorism trial of the underwear bomber ending abruptly with a guilty plea. mutallab admitted trying to blow up a plane christmas day two years ago with a bomb hidden in his drawers. he said he's guilty by u.s. law but not by islamic law. herman cain surged to the lead in the race for the president nomination. the georgia businessman and 999 tax plan got plenty of hits from the other candidates earlier this week. look at the latest nbc "wall street journal" poll. cain is finishing on top with 27% of the vote along likely republican voters. mitt romney at 23%. rick perry is 11 points back. most of cain's gain as come at perry's expense. join us at 7:00 p.m. eastern time. erin burnett, herman cain. 7:00 p.m. eastern on cnn. next tuesday night cnn host it is western republican presidential debate in las vegas. and anderson cooper will moderate. that's tuesday, october 18. 8:00 p.m. eastern on cnn. carol costello will be attending the debate and you will have analysis and interviews the morning after. >> surprises, too. you will like them. free trade deals with south korea, colombia and panama are now heading to president obama's desk. these deals were passed by the house and the senate last night. the white house congress say the deals will create jobs in the u.s. and boost u.s. exports by $13 billion a year. critics said that going back to nafta have seen negative job creation in this country and competition. but it made it. the president is set to sign it. >> after years years of trying. we have to talk about sports now, unfortunately. okay. i'm ready. the texas rangers one win away from the second world series appearance. they beat my detroit tigers last night, 7-3. nelson cruz is amazing. he did it with his arm and his bat. everybody knows miguel cabrera is not the fastest runner on the planet so why did you send him? nelson cruz put the game away. three-run homer in the 11th. the man can hit. cabrera. he can throw but he can't run. in the national league, st. louis cardinals took a 2-1 series lead. four-run rally in the first inning. 4-3, the final score there. still to come, other devastation as mexico's pacific coat dealing with the aftermath of hurricane jova. accused of breaking into the phone of the hottest celebrities and revealing their most personal pics to the world. the fbi says they have the so-called hollywood hacker. america's bullying crimes says how severe is it? even big bird is getting bullied. the big yellow guy -- i saw him -- wandering around. >> i walk in and big bird is here. >> man, i thought i was hallucinating. >> that was a little crazy. 11 minutes after the hour. so, how was school today ? i have to be a tree in the school play. good. you like trees. well, i like climbing them, but i've never been one. good point. 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[ laughs ] [ male announcer ] ask your doctor if chantix is right for you. welcome back to "american morning." a peaceful community in southern california in total shock this morning after a mass shooting inside of a salon. the gunman now identified as 42-year-old scott decry. eight people are dead. one is in critical condition after this man opened fire in a busy hair salon in seal beach, near los angeles. he was arrested as he tried to drive away. police say they were looking into the possibility the gunman knew someone in the salon, possibly his ex-wife, and this may have been the tragic domestic dispute. authorities exhuming the bones of some of john wayne gacy's victims. the serial killer was convicted of 33 murders of mostly teenage boys but eight were never identified. the police in cook county, i will, are asking relatives of boys that disappeared in the '70s to come forward to compare dna. fbi say they have the hollywood hacker breaking into dozens of celebrities' cell phones. leaking nude or almost nude photos, christina aguilera, christopher cheney is his name. he is facing 121 years in prison on more than two dozen counts of hacking, identity theft and wiretapping. the u.s. attorney also says cheney stole personal information and movie scripts. >> wow. bank of america responding to the thousands of people who have signed a petition railing against their $5 a month debit card fee. the person leading the petition is a 22-year-old. we talked to her friday. speed spoke to a bank official and told her they understand customers are upset but it would be, quote, premature to say whether or not the bank will cancel the fee. >> we hear you. >> she had by friday night over 200,000 people on the petition. i don't know where she is at now. >> when we talked to her in the morning 150,000. by friday night -- >> coolest thing is she's going to meet with the republican member of congress, i-can't remember which one to talk about a bill that would make it's easier to close your account and switch to another bank. >> interesting. one thing i think is interesting by the banking industry pushed us to go from checks to debit cards, plastic, over the past 10, 15 years. >> much cheaper for them to process debit card transaction. >> a matter of cents per transaction. >> interesting. >> yeah, whatever. >> i think molly has done a great job. i admire what she has done. people should take that into their own hands. you can't switch your mortgage around and things like that. bank accounts you can. >> if you have your mortgage with them and checking account with them and direct deposit you don't get the $5 fee. >> go molly. >> rob marciano. >> go find another bank. i mean, you know, capitalism, baby. plenty out there. >> i have done that in the past when i haven't been satisfied with the bank. >> i ditched my bank a while ago. >> other things like the weather. >> god bless america. we are going to go to mexico. hurricane jova made landfall yesterday, category 2 storm. here are some of the results. we talked about how much rainfall would that would come with the storm. with it came this torrential floods across manzanillo. straight up off the beach there for the mountains. a foot of rain which is what they got. this is how the water comes down, in a hurry. torrential rains. five people died with this storm. another tropical depression in guatemala over 13. this storm itself dissipated. still leftover showers. as far as what we are seeing across the u.s., east of the mississippi rain. west of the mississippi we are seeing heat. as a matter of fact, some high temperatures out there. temperatures with santa ana winds 10sh5. long beach, 102. closer to the northeast, looking at showers through milwaukee and chicago. these will be sliding off to the east and catching up to the second batch. pretty much we see the mississippi and unsettled weather throughout the day today. as far as what we are looking at for daytime highs mild and 72 degrees in kansas city. 69 degrees up there in new york. we have baseball tonight. we have game -- carol, come on. give me an update. >> i don't want to give you an update. i'm surly about that game. >> many game five. may see showers again. they may have issues. >> i think it is really the rain that's messing up the detroit tigers. every time they move it is because of the -- lose it is because of the rain. >> has nothing to do with how clutch the rangers are reply. >> whatever. thank you, rob. now is your chance to talk about on the big stories of the day. the question for you this morning, what should the united states do about iran? alleged iranian agent charged in an assassination plot on u.s. soil. the latest twist in a difficult and con ten us is should relationship for nonrelationship should i say, the u.s. has not talked to iran officially since the 1979 revolution. since then iran has been part of the, quote, axis of evil. >> iran aggressively pursues weapons and exports terror while an unelected few repress the irey iowa rainian's people vote for freedom. >> obama was pitching engagement with iran. that was before this. before tehran's brutal crackdown and iranian presidents bashing speeches engagement, doubtful. congressman peter king says the united states needs to respond boldly to the latest provocation and consider military options and throw out iranian diplomats in the united states. >> international norms, violates international law. you are talking about an act of war. we have to -- united states has to really consider taking very significant action. i don't think sanctions alone are enough. >> it is debatable whether sanctions on iran, north korea, or iraq changes behavior. so could this go beyond sanctions? >> it could but we are not -- we are not going there yet. it is critically important that we unite the word in the isolation of and dealing with the iranians. that's the most -- surest way to be able to get results. >> the question of the day -- what should the united states do about iran? facebook.com/americanmorning. i will read your responses later this hour. >> coming up, putting the skills of our military vets to use. we will tell thank you best job if you are leaving the military. 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