plane maneuver before sophisticated rockets came in to lower it to a precise landing zone. no margin for error. nasa described it as seven minutes of terror even creating a universal hit for this dramatic viral video. >> if any one thing doesn't work right. >> it's always been a fierce opponent. mars conquered the rest 24 space craft worth billions of dollars. mars has been winning. this is the most challenging. >> if curiosity can pull off the upset. >> i am emotionally terrified. >> embark on a two-year mission exploring for new clues about past or present life on mars.

>> we're explorers. it's on the other side. scientists they want to answer. >> eagle eyes observers may spot a jar of these pea nuts. a bit of tradition to pass them around before a very critical part of the mission. with so much on the line nobody wants to mess with tradition. >> we are told that rover is less than 100,000 miles away from mars. so wish them luck. turn on the politics and specifically taxes and presidential politics. mitt romney has been saying that he will not release more of his income tax returns and continues to be the subject of a campaign trail and topic of tonight when i spoke with the political senior congressional reporter. >> tax returns it's amazing that this is still an issue. the governor was still trying to

address this issue. the democrats are doing everything they can to keep you alive. the longer, it probably hurts mitt romney. there are two things here. one something in the tax returns that will be very politically damaging to romney that's why they're pressuring him to release it. and if not they knock him from being secretive. and if you're romney you've made the same calculation. you have decided they will take the heat because whatever is in there could be more damaging news story. so democrats really only see a political advantage here and they've managed to keep it alive. >> and it was kind of strange. seeing the senate majority leader hearry reid going to the floor to address such a partisan issue in a presidential campaign race and talking he knew some guy who knew some guy who has seen mitt romney's tax returns and he hasn't paid any.

>> he said in ten years. he knows romney hasn't paid according to this one source one of his friends someone who is an investor and the majority leader said look i'm not even certain it's true and he did make this charge unsubstantiated charge. but has done what the democrats want continue to talk about the unreleased tax returns. and it was still kind of strange that mitt romney ended up addressing it anyway and told harry reid to put up or shut up. but he kept it right there in play in a week that we had some new jobs reports. >> the friday jobs report came out sort of a mixed picture for the president and it was something that the republicans are trying to make the case that the obama economy has failed. and they can't make that case as clearly if romney gets

constantly answering these charges these questions about why not releasing the tax returns. is there something that he's done? >> you covered the congress for politico. so let me ask you how are things shaping up? at least for this november 6 election? the democrats have fairly narrow majority here this year. how are things? >> in the senate 53-47 23 democratic seats up. four seats that can go republican very easily democratic seats in montana and missouri nebraska, north dakota. those can easily go to the republicans. but it's not that straightforward because those are very close races in montana. very close races. also democrats could pick up a republican seat and namely massachusetts between warren and scott brown. this is going to be a very

closely contested race for the senate. it could even be 50/50. >> good times. >> all right. thank you. well there's outrage over in d.c. law that mandates a drivers license be suspended if a person gets a reckless driving ticket in another state and that is a big problem because when virginia's definition of reckless driving is 11 miles over the speed limit. >> aaron fry of northeast d.c. said last january virginia police stopped him for going 1 in a 75 mile an hour zone. >> i paid about $250 and when i renewed my license in may i got a notice saying my license was revoked. i had knowledge i was speeding but no idea this was possible. >> it's all because of the word reckless. in virginia reckless driving is

anything over 0 miles an hour regardless of the speed limit which means six points towards license revication. in d.c. reckless driving is a long definition that includes driving carelessly and heedlessly likely to endanger any person or property. it's 12 points and automatic revication. d.c.'s director would not talk to us today told the post they are equivalent violations. as for the d.c. public. >> why would they want to do such a dumb thing like that? >> so why are we enforcing this absurd law? and so i think we should moving as rapidly as possible. to change it. >> we should mention a hearing has been scheduled for september. this means the first full week of stiff new sentences for those caught drunk driving a first

time conviction now means a thousand dollar fine and six months behind bars about three times the previous penalty if a child is in the car that tacks on another $1,000 and five days in jail for each child another big change here the blood alcohol limit drops to 0.04 for cabbies and truck drivers for mandatory time as well. special session in maryland internet gambling may be brought to the table if passed maryland would join delaware which just signed off on online gambling special session was initially called to discuss bringing table games to maryland and a new casino site to prince george's county. the u.s. focal service has default ford the first time in its history with no help from congress the social service was unable to make a payment to the government for future retiree health benefits. that agency will now cut hours at more than 13,000 rural post

offices across the country. post officeless still deliver mail and employees will get paid but more changes could be on the way. another deadline for default comes sometime next month. he's accused of killing six people and injuring gabrielle gifford. why he may never be brought to trial. >> welcome center quiet right now but some changes are on the way in the extended

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>> take a look at some of the stories making headlines this week. jared lee love anywhere could enter a guilty plea on tuesday. reporting that he is ready to say that he is responsible for killing six and injuring many others including former congresswoman gabrielle giffords in january of 2011. doctors who examined him are expected to say that he is competent to stand trial at the hearing. the pilot who left the cockpit during a flight and screamed about religion and terrorists may be released from prison this week. he was found not guilty by reason of insanity last month. passengers wrestled him to the floor. he has been at a fort worth,

texas prison for mental evaluation. a junl will decide what's next for him come tomorrow. clifton the oldest of the three living grandchildren is making history this week. commemoration sare moanies. it is the first time the member of the late president's immediate family will attend the ceremony and their first visit to post world war ii japan. >> coming up right here. the cookies made in this aren't just to turn a profit. what made this teen and his mom want to share what they make with local charity. but first will the forecast be sweet for your workweek? we're going to ask meteorologist steve ruden.

>> apparently the storms are gone? >> a little cooler. but here we are day five we have been over 59 degrees for a daytime high. but tomorrow we want we are going to break that. >> but the outside, a few scattered showers may linger into the early morning hours for the rush hour commute. so you might want to grab your umbrella right now and then grab your sunglasses for later on tomorrow afternoon. 98 degrees.

ten full degrees above our average. also we're losing about a minute and a half of daylight each day and by this time next month you would have lost about 70 minutes of daylight pretty amazing as we move closer toward winter. 0 degrees at reagan national airport. winds out of the south southwest at three miles an hour. overnight hours not a whole lot more. 74 degrees at moment, maryland. they had heavier rain showers earlier in the day. six inches fell the afternoon. 79 degrees. but absolutely no rain to speak of. and our final stop will take us over to 75 degrees over with about half inch of rain. temperatures across the board at this hour looking at 70s out to the west hanging on to

annapolis. and we're going to keep the temperatures slightly above average at least for the next five to ten days. so even though things will cool down not quite as humid. cooler air from michigan to ohio. cooler drier air will try to make its way to our area but we have a frontal system that's going to stall. it moves on wednesday and that's going to allow the heat and humidity to build back. looking at abc 7 live super doppler radar. head out to the valley the blue ridge. this is the track latest tropical storm earneso. taking it further south and that's good news should not affect the mainland the united states. so good news there. taking a look at our future cast. plenty of sunshine late in the day. and then as we move in through

the day that's the perfect day of the week. lots of sunshine, temperatures around 88. and low humidity. nighttime lows, daytime highs tomorrow. the extended hour. lower to middle 90s, wednesday, thursday and friday with nighttime lows in the 70s. and i'm happy to say tomorrow we will not see 95 or better. >> and we're happy to hear

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>> so do you prefer chocolate chip or? a remarkable gift for baking cookies and it's been a tough row. >> in order for the great mills high school football team to succeed, the coach knows he must instill belonging. >> you've got to pick that person up and bring that person with you. >> sophomore line backer aaron ware may not be the biggest within this brotherhood of athletes. his strength comes from understanding the power of families. >> played baseball together. >> when he was only six, his identical twin was diagnosed with a brain tumor. >> he was my best friend. he was always there for me. >> only two days after the

brothers embraced in this picture, eric lost his three year battle with cancer. >> he spiraled into despair. then a doctor urged him to pursue a passion. >> i always liked cooking. >> anything to slip free from his sorrow. he picked cooking. >> i like the chocolate chip. >> baking was therapy at first. now years later at 15 it's his job. >> he says i've got it. and it went from there. >> his mother even quit her job and cashed in her 401(k) to pay for a commercial kitchen. now they run a bakery out of their basement. >> i'm doing something that i love. >> as a tribute to eric if somebody donates cookies and a portion of profits to various cancer causes. from the deepest loss of his

young life came the inspiration that he needed to live on. >> part of a pair and that other half is gone, you've lost half of your identity and i think it took him years to get to basically he knew who he was. >> for now they've been trying to expand their baking business but aaron has big plans including culinary school and one day his own restaurant.