seems the jury is no closer to a verdict. -- the former city councilman ken harris, and it seems the jury is no closer to a verdict on felony murder and conspiracy. >> they are considering the case seriously. that is all anyone can ask for. it could be that 11 are holding out in favor of acquittal. it could be another number. >> charles mcganey, gary collins, and jerome williams faced 29 charges each. no one is sure whether it the deadlock is over the first or last charges. >> they may have gotten to the rest of the case or not. it is anybody's guess. >> the defendants, lawyers, and prosecutors were in the room as the judge read the jury their instructions again and sent them back into deliberations. it is a waiting game for the

defendants and everyone involved. >> they are waiting patiently with complete faith in the jury. >> deliberations will continue for a fourth day tomorrow at 9:00 a.m. >> thank you. the u.s. supreme court heard an emotionally charged case that could redefine the first amendment right of free speech. it involves the westborough baptist protest of the funeral of a marine. gary collins was in the courtroom. >> this case has deep emotional reactions so strong nearly every state in the union has passed laws to curb these types of tactics. to claim the title of united states marine ♪ >> supporters stood vigil outside the supreme court building, waving signs touting their beliefs in front of hundreds of people lined up to

get inside. the case may become a landmark decision, creating a new standard for the first amendment, the right of free speech and assembly. back in 2006, members of the church, led by fred phelps, staged a protest regarding the u.s. policy on gays in the military. they demonstrated 1,000 feet away from the funeral of marine corporal lance snyder in westminster. they chose the site to maximize publicity for their cause but public opinion is clearly not on their side. >> i think it is amusing to talk to these people. it is interesting arguing with them. >> i think their message is absurd. it is horrible. it is anti-american. >> you have the right for freedom of speech, but there is also a decency line that has been tread upon. >> the question is whether the first amendment protects protesters against civil claims. matthew's father won a $500

lawsuit against the church for the intentional emotional trauma the protesters brought to the family. but it was overturned in the fourth circuit court. >> speaking as a father, the westborough baptist church conduct was so extreme it went beyond all possible bounds of basic human decency. that it can be regarded as utterly intolerable in a civilized nation. all we wanted to do was married matt -- was barry met with dignity and respect. >> does free speech from freedom of religion and peaceful assembly? to those attending a funeral constitute a captive audience, which would make them protected from unwanted communication? for your lack of shame you are going straight to hell

on your crazy trying ♪ >> stop worshiping your feelings and start obeying god. >> for some this is not about free speech, but harassment. >> several media organizations including the associated press and the hearst corporation have signed a brief in support of the first amendment issues at the center of this debate. if you would like to read the brief, you can log on to our web site and click on local news. >> a new state report shows more maryland high school students are getting their diplomas. it also shows that you're dropped out of school last year. our education reporter is live in the news room with more. was it a significant change in the numbers are just moving in the right direction? >> a little of both. 21 of 24 school districts made progress both in the numbers of students dropping out and those graduating. the latest date dropout and

graduation numbers come more than a month into a new school year and show fewer students are dropping out. the state reports a rate of 2.3%, down from 2.8%. there is also evidence more maryland high school students graduated last year. the graduation rate is 86.6%, up from 85.2%. school officials believe there is a connection with the high school assessments. >> in many ways, we feel the high school assessments have been a positive force for students in ensuring that no student is anonymous. >> baltimore city school officials were impressed with their graduation and drop out numbers. the dropout rate is 4.1%, down from 6.2%. we talked with two students at w. e. b. du bois high school, when a former dropout who is back to get his diploma. >> i go to day and night school to get all my credit so i can

graduate in 2011. >> this is important to you. >> yes. >> his classmate is not surprised by the turnaround. >> it is only natural that they go up even if it is just a little bit. >> to graduation numbers are also on the rise, now at 66%, up from 60.1%. >> i think it is the most important thing we do. the city cannot be what it should be if our kids are not graduate in from high school, if we do not become more successful than anyone. >> the numbers prove the district is at least headed in the right direction. >> celebrate our success. i think the numbers are significant. we can do better and will continue to be a partner to improving our school system. >> you can see your district graduation and dropout rates. just log onto wbaltv.com and

click on education. >> thank you. two days after pleading no contest to campaign finance contributions, helen holden is headed on a taxpayer-funded trip to florida. she is heading to the national association of counties conference in palm beach next week. there was a vote in favor of the expenditure. should the trip had been approved after a plea? >> i do not think the two are related. she is a working councilwoman with a budget. she has trouble expenses as a part of her budget. >> council president jack young, who presides over the board, abstained from the boat. the trip was planned well before the plea and young did not have a plan in picking who went on the trip.

>> we have been in and out of clubs throughout the day. temperatures have been below normal, but the rainfall has been scattered. only a few showers east of the mountains into central maryland. you see a couple of showers crossing susquehanna at into lancaster county. that is the most significant shower action close to baltimore. a couple of sprinkles through the potomac valley, but most of the rain staying to our north and west. chilly air will hang around tonight. once the system gets out of here we are in for drier and milder weather that will carry us through the weekend. >> after that momentous win in pittsburgh, the ravens' want to keep the momentum going this sunday against denver. >> the only person who stayed calm during that final drive was the quarterback. pete gilbert has more on how joe cool is living up to his nickname. >> pressure coming from the left

side of the offense. touchdown ravens. the ravens' offense delivers a miracle. >> the coming of age before our eyes. joe delivers in the last second against the steelers, the highlight of his young career. maybe a live changing event? >> we played pretty good against the jets. we did not against the bengals. it is one week out of four. we are playing good. >> a total rebuff of the place -- of the praise. he refused to buy into the fans and media hype. >> could you have done a play like that with t.j. after the first week he showed up? >> i could have done that right away. it is not that hard. >> do not get him wrong. he did enjoy it. just not as much as you. >> it is definitely something to be excited about. as a player, i do not think one

win is any different than another in regular season. >> to fans deserve more from their leader? >> people talk about how he has a dull personality. he is just a secure guy who is not going to get rattled about having a bad game. he is not going to change what he does. he is going to do what he does. >> joe seems amused by questions of whether this is a defining moment, so i talk to him after his time at the podium. he said he feels the same way as he did a week ago. defense just did not have to hold on as long. joe flaco remains unflappable. >> and very unassuming. will have more on the ravens' preparation, plus the game plan airs tonight at 7:30. you can see it over the air at channel 200 date on comcast or 60 on verizon vios.

watch for a chance to win tickets to a ravens' game. >> i am sure when he was all by himself he was excited. secretary of state hillary clinton response to claims that she and the vice-president may swap jobs in 2012. >> a permanent birth control procedure that a lot of women do not know about. it is said to be the most effective and there is no surgery involved. >> starting next fall, maryland travelers will be able to get traffic information from their cell phone.

did the little piggy cry wee wee wee all the way home? piggy: weeeeeee, weeeeeee, weeeeeee, weeeee weeeeeeee. mom: max. ...maxwell!

piggy: yeah? mom: you're home. piggy: oh,cool, thanks mrs. a. anncr: geico. 15 minutes could save you 15% or more. >> baltimore mayor stephanie rawlings blake welcome partners in the fall cleanup. the department of recreation and parks will hold events in coordination with the public works department. the theme this year -- streets are streams. clean water starts in your own yard. residents are encouraged to remove trash from streets and parks, and where trash winds up -- the harbor. the sure to mark your calendars. >> new research shows that binge

drinking is becoming more of a trend for students and for adults. researchers at the cdc found that one in four high school students drink excessively and one-third of adults binge drink when they have a call. binge drinking is defined as four or more drinks for women or five or more for men over a short time. five of those surveyed reported binge drinking in the last month. men were twice as likely to drink heavily than women do and the practice was most common among caucasians. children born to women who drink lightly during pregnancy appear to suffer no behavioral problems. women who indulged in one or two alcoholic beverages a week had children with no more social or emotional difficulty than those who abstained for drinking during pregnancy. researchers stress that are not recommending that pregnant women drink. pregnant women are strongly advised to abstain from alcohol. it is the most effective,

permanent form of birth control on the market, and it is also one most women have never heard of. it is called a sure. the procedure is done without surgery, right in the doctor's office. >> she is 12. my second son is dylan. he is 6. my youngest is make them. he is too. >> it was during her third pregnancy that she knew her family was complete. >> three is enough for me to take care of so that i can have time to focus on each of them. >> the decision about which birth control to use was not so simple. >> i tried the patch. i tried the depo shot, the birth control pills, and the iud. none of them worked out great for me. >> her doctor suggested the assure procedure. quills are placed into the philippine tubes through the

cervix -- coils are placed into the colombian -- falopian tubes through the cervix. >> there is a permanent blockage so you never have to worry about pregnancy in the future. >> the procedure takes 10 minutes and is done while the patient is awake. no incisions and no operating room. recovery time is about one day. cramping and nausea are the most common side effects. >> there are no long-term problems of having these insert tubes. they are similar to steps put in a person's heart -- stents put into a person's heart. >> most women opt for tubal ligation. that is a trend that may be changing. >> the evidence is becoming overwhelming compelling -- overwhelmingly compelling. >> unlike tubal ligation or a

vasectomy, it is not reversible. >> what is that word? >> that is her only word of warning to others. make sure their choice is what they will be happy with forever. >> sorry about those problems. there are dozens of assure- certified doctors in the baltimore area. you can find out more on our website. >> now, your insta-weather forecast. >> another day with a lot of clubs but not much rain. on doppler you can see we are sitting in the middle of showers around us. pennsylvania and new england getting heavy rain today. showers representative to the west of us through the mountains. not a lot of rain making it through the baltimore area. you may have caught a brief shower, but for the most part the showers are driving up as they try to move east of the mountains through central maryland.

there may be a slight chance for a lighter brief shower early in the evening. a drying trend is under way for our region. it was cool. cloud cover kept temperatures in the 30's and 40's. it is 41 here. it is in the 50's around baltimore. this is chilly. the normal high is up around 70 degrees. we are at least 10 degrees below that and up to 15 degrees below normal across parts of western howard county. tonight may be cool. leftover sprinkles early will give way to a clear sky. loews from 43 in the northwest suburbs to 50 in the inner harbor. sunset at 6:41. low pressure is cutting across northern pennsylvania into new york state. a very soggy day in northern new england. high-pressure stretches to the west and into the northern

plains. this front does not have much moisture. you can barely see any clouds. it will scoot by almost unnoticed. high pressure will gain control for the next several days. once the skies clear up, futurecast shows abundantly clear whether thursday, friday, and saturday. sunday should pitcher beautiful football weather. get outside and enjoy a ball. tomorrow there will be a brisk breeze. small craft advisories on the day tomorrow because wind will be testing and the waves will build to 3 feet on the open waters of the bay. high tide is at fort mchenry at 6:23 in the morning. the mountains will be chilly in the morning and warm into the low 60's during the afternoon. on the day, strong winds, but a

very pleasant day. partly cloudy and 71. winds on the shore will gust to 25 miles per hour. otto has formed. that is the name of this new storm. it is a sub tropical storm. it does not have the classic characteristics of a hurricane but it may get a little bit stronger. you can see that swirl of clouds north of the dominican republic over the atlantic. we will show you where we think otto will be going. 75 for friday and saturday with mostly sunny to partly cloudy skies. football in baltimore sunday. sunshine and 73. a slight chance for shower monday evening and scattered showers on tuesday. >> we have breaking news. let us go live to captain roy taylor and sky team 11.

>> the city police and are looking at a shooting in this location. they do not know how serious it is. they have a description of the suspect. they are canvassing the area. you can see detectives marking the showcasing on self marley avenue. >> allies of the taliban? there is worry that the afghan government is working on a secret peace deal. >> the latest on the murder of an american man by pirates in mexico. >> coming up at 6:00, why not tell the whole story about an event should be thrown by the city council president?

after months of martin o'malley telling us "maryland is moving forward," "and moving maryland forward" this jobs report tells the truth maryland's economy stalled "we face an uphill struggle in trying to regain the jobs lost" o'malley attempts a cover-up, falsifying the jobs report to help his campaign. "whatever we can do to make it disappear, we need to do it. that's coming straight from the top" martin o'malley, first he makes stuff up, when caught, he covers stuff up. we need a governor who tells the truth.

i'm frank kratovil and i approve this message. the real andy harris. buried in his website - a promise to replace the tax code with a 23% sales tax and eliminate the mortgage interest deduction. a bush tax panel said families would pay $6,000 more a year. a reagan tax advisor calls it a very dumb idea. but that's not his only bad idea. harris was the only senator to vote against expanding the child care tax credit and against the state's cancer treatment program. andy harris' extreme ideas will cost us. >> there are new developments in the attack of an american couple, allegedly by mexican pirates in waters along the texas-mexico border. >> officials are asking for hope recovering the body of a man allegedly shot to death on elkin like. >> shot to death on a lake that runs between the u.s.-mexico border. that is what tiffany said happen

to her husband david while they were just saying -- while the word jet skiing last week. the attackers -- mexican pirates. are you sure your husband got shot? afterwards authorities across the border question her story. >> i do not have the photos we were taking. i do not have anything except for my word. >> a sheriff on the u.s. side said a witness corroborated tiffany's account. >> there is nothing that would have me darker story at this time. >> he says he has been warning performance -- has been warning people for months about that area becoming a haven for pirates, pre-teens who barely know how to use a weapon. >> what happened is described by tiffany as a horrible and -- a horrifying ordeal. her husband dying and she was forced to flee for her life. continuing pleas for mexican officials to find the body and return it to the family.

in mcallen, texas, the family mourns the loss. >> i guess god needed him more than we do. >> a man who embraced living life to the fullest. investigators search for answers. >> still ahead we are going to recap the top stories, including the latest from the u.s. supreme court. >> negotiations between the afghan government and the taliban. the possible end to the afghan war on this day when an american hero gets the medal of honor from president obama. >> finding out about the traffic on the roads from your cellphone. two governors, two different approaches.

even in good times bob ehrlich didn't make education a priority. he increased college tuition by 40%, cut school construction by $200 million, and ehrlich voted to eliminate the department of education while serving in congress. but in the toughest of times, martin o'malley has made record investments in public schools, new school construction, and o'malley froze college tuition four years in a row. with martin o'malley, our children always come first.

>> live. local. latebreaking. you are watching wba ltv 11 news -- wbal-tv 11 news at 5:00. >> the new tonight at 5:30, a new program for people travelling on maryland roadways. to get traffic conditions statewide next fall, all you will have to do is dial 511. this is already in place in many states across the country. >> we will be able to access travel information from our phones. >> the new program should be up

and running in the fall and all you will have to do is dial 511 on your phone to get traffic information. here at the state highway administration statewide operations center, traffic is monitored. to get road conditions now you would have to go to the website, but by next fall all you will have to do is dial 511. >> dialing 511, you will be able to find out all the major routes, if they are congested, if there is a crash, if there is a whether closure. you will be able to call and check on your route. >> welcome to 511 new york. >> the 511 service is already in the state of new york. it is a voice recognition and hands free. >> i encourage folks to have the passenger call if they are traveling. if they need to call on their hands free device it will have a voice recognition technology.

they will be able to say i-95 and get information. >> travelers can get road closures, transit reports, and much more. >> my husband and i were traveling in virginia, going up i-95 near fredericksburg. i called virginia 511, told them what i was interested in. we knew there was a crash up ahead. we were able to get off and do it a little detour and get back on the highway. it really helped. >> maryland will have a 511 program similar to the one in new york. >> at some point you will be able to register the routes you are most interested in any system will send information to your computer e-mail. you will know before you leave work whether there is a problem. >> wbal-tv 11 news. >> baltimore county police are investigating an accident involving one of their officers, whose car was struck around 6:30

on security boulevard. three people were taken to the hospital. they are expected to survive. there is no word on what led to the accident. the search is on for a gunman who opened fire in south baltimore, killing a woman. it happened just before noon yesterday. the woman was shot in the back. she was pronounced dead of shock trauma. the man was treated for non- life-threatening injuries. few are as to call police if you have any information. jurors are accused of murdering a former baltimore city council. they did not reach a verdict today. they could not reach a verdict on two of the most serious charges. they were told to try again. deliberations will continue for a fourth day tomorrow morning. >> a major first amendment case is being argued before the u.s. supreme court between a grieving father and a religious group who

displayed anti-gay signs at the funerals of those killed in iraq and afghanistan. snyder sued the westborough baptist church for picketing his son's funeral and won a multi- million dollar judgment. that was overturned over the question of free speech. the case is at the highest court in the land. sally kidd joins us live in washington. this case is really difficult. what have the justices said so far? >> a lot of the questioning came from the more conservative- leaning justice scalia and the more liberal justice ginsburg, with ginsberg saying she does not see the church is out of compliance with maryland law. on the other hand, she said this is a case about exploiting a family's grief. justice scalia seemed more interested in defining limits on protests at funerals and where to draw the line.

>> many groups including media organizations like hearst television, or parent company, have filed friend-of-the-court briefs. can you tell us more about that? >> many of the states and lawmakers who also filed briefs in this case are asking the court to shield military funeral's from what they call psychological terrorism. the media companies and other organizations like the aclu say they do not agree with the church's message but say this is more about a concern about ripple effects. this decision could affect the first amendment. >> difficult and emotional cases. thank you so much. david collins also traveled to washington for today's arguments. he will have the latest in a report at 6:00. >> the u.s. war in afghanistan enters its 10th year tomorrow. 1200 u.s. forces have been killed. there is word that secret talks

to end the war are under way -- negotiations with the taliban. we have followed the developments from washington. >> the afghan government in talks with the taliban. the white house said it supports reconciliation, meaning a compromise to end the afghan war, which has cost more than 1200 u.s. lives. >> if the terms of a deal seemed reasonable and did not lead to a taliban takeover of the country a think most americans would welcome it in order to prevent the next round of fatalities. >> staff sergeant robert miller lost his life to the taliban in 2008 and today was awarded the medal of honor. president obama described how miller counterattacked, protecting his fellow green berets. "had been hit, but still he kept calling out enemy positions. still he kept firing. still he kept throwing his grenades. and then they heard it.

his weapon fell silent. >> president obama wants to start a u.s. pullout next summer, but the taliban is on the rise in afghanistan and next door in pakistan. u.s. convoys are under increasing attack. if a deal does get caught between the taliban leaders and afghan president karzai, is that a defeat from the u.s.? >> cutting a deal allows us to refocus on what is important to us -- al qaeda and stabilizing pakistan. >> after fighting the taliban for nine years, the 10th year starts tomorrow, america's longest war. u.s. officials insist the fight will go on unless the taliban rejects al qaeda. from washington, wbal-tv 11 news. >> a state of toxic emergency for parts of hungary. >> this red sludge has flooded several villages in the country.

half a dozen european nations are on high alert. >> it is on the table. some of hillary clinton pick advisers see it as a real possibility in 2012. >> bob woodward on a possible obama-clinton ticket for the next presidential election. is it really on the table? we will heeaks to send jobs ove.

i think we need tax breaks to send kids to college. so i worked for a $2,500 tax credit to help pay for college. fought to get pell grants expanded and insisted that college loans go directly to kids instead of through banks. i'm barbara mikulski. i approve this message. because it's not about the next election, it's about the next generation. right? yeah!!!

>> secretary of state hillary clinton is dismissing claims that she might replace joe biden as the democratic candidate for vice-president in 2012. it is an idea floated by veteran reporter bob woodward who said the job swap could reenergize the democratic party. the white house, the dnc chairman, and secretary clinton denied the claims. >> i think the vice president is doing a wonderful job. he is a great friend of mine. we work together closely. he is an expert on foreign policy. he chairs the foreign relations committee in the senate for years. we have a great relationship.

i have absolutely no interest and no reason for doing anything other than dismissing these stories and moving on. >> clinton made the comments this morning during a panel discussion of "fortune" magazine's powerful women summit. she did not outright say "no i would not." >> more help is on the way for maryland homeowners struggling to pay their mortgages. >> revealing the secret to hotel savings. >> this is one of the performers with cirque dreams illumination. he is one of the most amazing acts you will see here. >> cloudy and cool weather will give way to a drying trend, sunshine, and warmer temperatures. a beautiful view.

at the airport.

>> i am rod daniels. here is what we are working on for a news at 6:00. de four of jury deliberations for three men accused of killing city councilman ken harris. is there a bigger agenda behind jack young's family fun day? the i-teamafter months of marti

telling us "maryland is moving forward," "and moving maryland forward" this jobs report tells the truth maryland's economy stalled "we face an uphill struggle in trying to regain the jobs lost" o'malley attempts a cover-up, falsifying the jobs report to help his campaign. "whatever we can do to make it disappear, we need to do it. that's coming straight from the top" martin o'malley, first he makes stuff up, when caught, he covers stuff up. we need a governor who tells the truth. >> a toxic mudflow that could potentially affect all of europe if officials cannot stop a

torrent of industrial sludge from reaching one of the continent pick largest waterways. it broke free of a metals plant north of budapest, hungary, and is heading for the danube river. >> parts of western hungary are under a state of emergency because of flooding. we are not just talking about water, though we know how damaging that can be. this is a caustic red sludge that flooded at least six villages. it broke free from a dam containing a reservoir outside of an aluminum production plant. this causes burns on contact. it has already hurt 120 people, killed four. the mud was as deep as 9 feet in some areas. >> this is a serious environmental problem. we are concerned not just for the environment in hungary. that is why we have european

environmental legislation in place. the solution is something which tends not to stay within national borders. >> it has gone into one river. the danger is it will get into water systems throughout the country, causing greater disaster. back to you. >> the reservoir had been inspected only two weeks earlier and no irregularities had been found. the police spokesperson said a criminal probe has been opened. >> now your insta-weather forecast with chief meteorologist tom tasselmyer. >> at times it looked like it was going to rain. we ended up with only a few hundredths of an inch. 0.01 in the inner harbor. there was an occasional break in the clouds. that that the temperature to 60 at bwi marshall, still short of

the normal high of 71 degrees. there are still some showers around the edges of baltimore. there is a chance that a few coming in from the mountains will survive the trip into central maryland. there may be a brief sprinkle as we had to the evening. cool air coming in with clouds and showers. temperatures will be dropping through the 50's and into the 40's overnight tonight. west winds at 5 to 10 m.p.h.. tomorrow it may gust over 20 m.p.h. at times. this area of low pressure moves away from us with soaking rain across northern maine and high pressure behind it. that will produce a brisk west to northwest winds. clearing skies not only for tomorrow but friday, saturday, and sunday. they are nice for enjoying classic fall weather across the mid-atlantic. 68 to 73 tomorrow.

maybe a little bit of cloud cover in the morning. northwest winds averaging 25 miles per hour, an occasional guest going higher than that. on the days, a small craft advisory with waves of two to three feet. high tide at fort mchenry at 6:23 in the morning. the hurricane center has identified a borderline tropical storm that looks impressive as clouds begin to wrap around the center of it. it is sub-tropical storm otto. it is expected to get stronger. right now, the winds are 60 miles per hour at the center. it is forecast to become a hurricane as it makes i way to the east and northeast. it should stay south of bermuda but the winds get up to 75 miles per hour. it is passing well to our south and heads out into the north atlantic. it is interesting that a new storm has formed. it looks like it might become a

little more organized, thankfully staying away from major land areas. breezy tomorrow with sunshine returning. highs in the mid-70s's on saturday and sunday. on sunday about 73 degrees with sunny skies. a chance for a light sprinkle by sunday evening. >> help is on the way for those in maryland who are struggling to keep up with mortgage payments. the department of housing and urban development has set aside a $40 million grant for local families hurt by the recession. local families will be able to receive a 0% loan for up to three years. this is part of the wall street and consumer protection act president obama made a lot in july. the report is out for how much christmas shoppers may spend this year. they are better than the last few holiday seasons. sales were down 4% in 2008 and

increased only 0.4% in 2009. the federation is expecting a 2.3% increase this year. it is a great project and for retailers and those looking for work. >> if in 2009, the retail industry created about half a million temporary jobs. every indication we have gotten this far is that we will do that or better than that this year. >> so far this year, retail sales have been up and down. but they have shown a steady rise in the last three months. getting a good deal on a hotel room is easier than you might think. we have uncovered a secret the industry does not want you to know about. how to find the secret unpublished rates you cannot find online. >> in this economic climate, the hotel industry is super competitive. >> this general manager is blowing the whistle on his own industry. >> we like to call it the giveaway time of our life.

>> he insists the competition between hotels is so per se online that hotels like his -- >> deals are big. deals are huge. >> do not want to enter into an online price war on travel sites like expedient, price line, and hot wire. >> there is a commission may have to pay. >> that can be 25% the cost of the room. if a hotel is listed on the travel site for $100, a hotel only gets $75. >> it is smart to call the hotel and as the general manager. "i will pay you $90. will you take it? " >> you can get rates lower than those listed on line. until launching getaroom.com, he has had to keep it a secret.

>> pick up the phone and call. >> his operators do the work for you. just watch. >> the royal plaza in orlando for october 17, for two night. >> priceline list it for $101 a night. >> $73. >> one of the best ways to get a deal is the easiest. as the person at the front desk for a room upgrade for the price of a standard room. >> if we have it available, we look at it as a way to win over a customer for life. >> with hotel occupancy rates at an all-time low, the door is opened. >> everybody is looking for a deal. hotels are more than happy if they have the availability. >> if you do not get anywhere with the reservation call center, insiders recommend you call the hotel directly and as for the general manager.

they want their rooms filled just as much as you want a bargain. >> valley view farm's is making history this autumn. a 1,540 lb pumpkin. valley view said it is the biggest pumpkin ever on display in maryland and one of the largest ever grown in the world. on saturday it will be cut open and the seeds counted by chief meteorologist tom tasselmyer. not really. the first person to guess the correct number will win a gift card. baltimore city council president jack young is throwing a big party at druid hill park this weekend. the event is free. why is he avoiding questions? >> if you are looking for fun music with death defying acts that will make you want to do things you have never done, the circus is it.

two governors, two different approaches. even in good times bob ehrlich didn't make education a priority. he increased college tuition by 40%, cut school construction by $200 million, and ehrlich voted to eliminate the department of education while serving in congress. but in the toughest of times, martin o'malley has made record investments in public schools, new school construction, and o'malley froze college tuition

four years in a row. with martin o'malley, our children always come first. i'm frank kratovil and i approve this message. the real andy harris. his past attacks have been called deceptive, his new attack, false. harris voted for deregulation increasing our electric bills by 72% it's not surprising, harris always sides with the big guys. he opposes cracking down on wall street and supports tax breaks for companies that ship jobs overseas. harris even opposed making big insurance cover cancer screenings. andy harris' extreme ideas will cost us.

>> is a city that comes alive with cirque dreams illumination. >> this combined circus acts with dance and music. >> this is cirque dreams illumination, at the hippodrome

for six performances in october. it comes to life in jaw-dropping ways. >> it is very every day. the cool thing about the show is that all the everyday people have extraordinary gifts and talents. i myself am a reporter. i have seen the street before ♪ >> she is the narrator of the show which incorporates performers from over 20 countries. sergei has been balancing since he was 6. andre is a drummer who happens to use juggling balls instead of drumsticks. he says the ground juggles because their juggling is too common. the key is concentration, which i quickly find out is true. >> in the air it feels different than on the ground. watch this.

i almost got it. i had it going. it is hard. >> for children you have the colors, the imagination, the acts themselves. for adults you have the music, the fact that you are able to fly in the air and juggle and contort and all these things you do not see every day. for an adult is just as fun. >> they will be here until october 17. wbal-tv 11 news. >> she is going to have me trying that floor juggling. >> the supreme court -- a first amendment challenge against the backdrop of war deaths and family morning. >> the jury is deadlocked in any ken harris murder trial.

>> numbers are on the rise in maryland, where the dropout rate is the lowest in over a decade. [captioning made possible by constellation energy group] captioned by the national captioning institute --www.ncicap.org-- clucks a war hero's funeral turn to if others nightmare when protesters from an anti-gay church showed up to demands -- to denounce some sexuality. the supreme court heard an emotionally charged case that could redefine the first amendment right of free speech. if it involves the westborough baptist church funeral protest of a marine back in 2006. david collins was in the courtroom when both sides presented their cases. >> the supreme court will decide whether the first amendment protect funeral protesters from intentionally inflicting emotional distress on the family of the deceased. >> ♪ i go