good morning. fever pitch. with just nine days until the midterm elections with the power in congress at stake, both sides on attack as the clock ticks down. we'll have the latest from the campaign trail. >> opening arguments -- nine years afterhaff disndra levy disappeared, the man charged goes on trial and the former congressman lked to her could be the star witness. >> and heart of gold. meet the 5-year-old boy who gave up his birthday cash to help other kids in need. it's a remarkable child with a grown-up less son for everyone

it's a remarkable child with a grown-up less son for everyone "today," octer 24, 2010. captionsaid for by nbc-universal televion good morning and welcome to "today" on a sunday morning. i'm lester holt. >> and i'm jenna wolfe. we're just a week away - >> from halloween. >> what are we going to ? >> i have waited for four years at "today" for halloween to be on a sunday. now that'm here i can be the annoying person not telling anyone. >> i have to say, it was with remarkable speed. normally it's weeks a weeks. this was easy. >> it's a good one. >> that's all we'll give you. we could go as politicians and we'd have company out there. how's this for a transition? busy day on the campaign trail. midterm elections a week away. the president feeling the heat,

trying to prevent what could be a seismic shift in power on capitol hill. we're talking strategy, momentum and the race to watch with david gregory. >> tonight is football night in america. it is the vikings versus the packers. all eyes on brett favre whose troubles continue off the field. he's in the middle of the growing sexting scandal, allegedly sending steamy voicemails and text messages to aets host, also a playboy pinup. >> and celine dion, after years of public struggle to have a larger family, has aouble dose of good news this morning. twin boys born this weekend. more comin up. >> and then a feline feat for the record books. this is stewie the cat from nevada. he's now in the guinness book of world records for being the longest cat on the planet at 4'0". he probably has no idea he holds the record.

>> she's having a heckf a time holding him. that's long cat. lots to get to. we begin with closing the deal on the midterm elections. nine days away from elections with democrats at risk of losing control, president obama is trying to rally the base as campaigner-in-chief. mike viquera is at the white house for us. >> reporter: it's a brief rest fo the president before going back out on the campaign trail. still trying to keep congress in democratic hands. anher town, another crowd, another rally for t campaigner-in-chief. this time it's in minnesota. >> you said yes, we can. now in 2010 you have to say, yes, we can. >> reporter: it was a swing through five states. president obama trying to avert election day disaster for his party. the present hopes to light a fire under traditional democratic voters with rallies on college campuses. >> this is a trojan kind of

welcome righthere! >> reporter: including 37,000 iday at usc and focusing on women's issues with a discussion in seattle on challenges they face in the economy. >> all along the way, mr. obama raised millions as he slammed republicans. >> they are clinging to the same worn out, tired, snake oil ideas that they were peddling before. [ cheers and applause ] >> reporter: big rallies or no, polls show republicans are set to make major gains. publicans including sarah palin rallied in saturday. >> that's right. you fire them. you fire pelosi and retire reid d their bandf followers. >> reporter: senate candidate marco rubeo leads his race. >> i'm the only one running that would have voted against the stimulus package, running to

tackle the debt and save social security and will vote to repeal and replace obamacare. >> reporter: the president is still trying to hold back the republican wave. more travel in rhode island tomorrow and then to connecticut. he goes to chicago and a couple of other places over the course of the next nine days until november 2. jenna? >> he has a busy stretch. thanks. david gregory is moderator of "meet the press" good morning. >> good morning. >> president obama was campaigning yesterday. the president won minnesota in 2008 but the state hasn't seen a democratic governor in 20 years. what are dayton chances here? >> this is an area where the president wants toave a real impact. he's going to states he did win where he has an impact on the traditional pillars of the democratic party coming out to vote.

's trying to knock down the ea tha change is a good thing, put more onus on republicans for being responsible for the condition of the country and that he's trying to make changes, but it's hard to come. at this point, he's got to try to rally the base. >> it keeps going. he was in nada campaigning for senate majority leader harry reid in a race against sharron angle who called reid out of touch. that's the same argument made in 2004 against tom daschel. that was a demoralizing loss for the democrats. could it be a demoralizing loss here as well? >> no question. it's a smart reference point. you have that real anti-leadership sentiment going on. it affected daschel. if it affects reid it's a huge prize for the republicans. pecially because they don't think it's as realistic to capture the senate as the house.

to knock off id, sharron angle seemed like she was offering diminishing returns, but that ra has something that's reared its head. in nevada, not only is he the majority leader, but the onomy, the foreclosure crisis, the areravages are being felt i nevada. >> joe sestak isunning against pat toomey. the republicans are concerned. should they be? >> yes. this is atate where the democratic tendencies are coming home. you've got more democrats engaged here who appear more interested in the race. sestak endorsed by the philadelphia enquirer and philadelphia matters. there is a reason the president is going there. in pennsylvania, the

southeastern part of the state, you get big turnout. 48% in southeastern pennsylvania. you get turnout commensurate with their size and the population and you can turn a race for the state. that's what the president and sestak are focused on. >> nine days togo. we'll see. thank you very much. >> thank you. >> time for a check of the morning's headlines with craig melvin from wrc the news desk this morning. good morning. >> good morning to you. we start in haiti where aid groups are rushing medical supplies to rural areas to stop cholera from spreading. the death toll topped 200 saturday. nearly 2,700 others are infected. the disease could hit the capital where thousands are still living in tent camps. human remains were found in a park where an illinois student was thought to be heading last

week. authorities have classifiethe case as a death investigation and they are still pursuin leads in connection with her disappearance. meanwhile, two georgetown university students and another person were arreste saturday. officials found the suspected drug lab inside a college dorm at georgetown. the three face charges of possession of drug paraphernalia. police thought the lab was producing meth but later thought was to be creating a drug known as dmt. >> and fran crippen may have died of a heart attack. he said he was not feeli well. the waters were unusually warm there, in the mid 80s and several swimmers were treated for heat exhaustion. finally, celine dion has two more reasons for her heart to go on. she gave birth to twin boys at a

florida hospital. they are five weeks premature but are said to be doing fine. lester, jenna, back to you. >> we're happy for her. janice is here. we're happy for that. >> it's a nice day in the northeast th temperatures in the 60s to near in new york city. it's stormy in other parts of the country. good morning. i'm tom kierein. there may be some rain for the skins and bears in chicago this

afternoon. here we have just some high clouds drifting over the region. it a beautiful sunday morning. great weather for outdoor rk regs. afternoon highs will climb out of the 50s where we are now to the mid-70s. and we'll have the clouds in and out. and then mostly oudy by late tonight as well as on monday could get some sowers tomorrow afternoon, maybe some thundershowers monday evening. highs in the low 70s. then on tuesday and wednesday should be remaining mild. maybe a shower on wednesday. as we get into thursday, friday and saturday.. up next, the nine-year mystery surrounding andra levy. now, the case is finally coming to tal. more on it after this. and when my symptoms came back i'd get this tightness in my chest. so i went back to my doctor again. we chose symbicort to help control my asthma symptoms all day and night. [ man ] symbicort improves my lung function, starting within 15 minutes. symbicort wi not replace a rescue inhaler for sudden symptoms. it is a combination of two medicines and should not be taken more often than prescribed. symbicort contains formoterol. medicines like formoterol

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that adverti flights for 25,000 miles? but when you call... let me check. oh fudge, nothing without a big miles upcharge. it's either pay their mileupcharges or connect through mooseneck! [ freezing ] i can't feel my feet. we switched to the venture card from capital one -- so no more games. let's go see those grandkids. [ male announcer ] don't pay miles upcharges. don't play games. get the flight you want with the venture card at capitalone.com. [ loving it ] help! what's in your wallet? [ indistinct shouting ] ♪ another day ♪ another dollar ♪ daylight comes [ dogs barking ] ♪ i'm on my way ♪ another day ♪ another dollar ♪ working my whole life away

♪ another day ♪ another dollar no pills, no pain. how can you get pain relief without taking pills around the clock? try thermacare heatwraps, fo all day relief withoupills. i was surpred, thermacare worked all day you feel the heat. and it relaxes and unlocks the muscle. you've got to try it. [ man ] thermare, more effective for back pain than the maximum dose of acetaminophen, the medicine in tylenol. go to thermacare.com today for a $3 off coupon. thermacare no pills. no pain. just relief. nine years after the disappearance of chandra levy captured the nation's attention, the man accused of murdering her will stand trial. opening arguments begin tomoow. we'll talk about the case in a moment, but first a look back at the mystery. it was the summer of 2001, the disappearance of the washington,

d.c. intern captivated a nation. >> we really couldn't take our eyes off this case for many reass. it had sex, the mistress, washington politics, a congressman. >> reporter: 24-year-old chandra levy vanished on may 1, 2001. when her parents hadn't heard from her in three days susan and robert levy called the police to report her missing. >> i think it's teor the truth to come out. that's all i can tell you. >> reporter: part of the truth, chandra levy's affair wit congressman gy condit. as the investigation continued throughout the summer of 2001, police failed to develop significant leads. finally, a break. a year later a man walking his dog in washington's rock creek park discovered human remains. it was chandra levy. the case now officially a homicide. gary condit was questioned by police about his relationship with chandra.

though he was never a suspect and denied involvement, he eventually admitted to the affair. >> he never commented publically about whether or nothere was an affair with chandra levy. but he clearly answered that estion in detail with the police and with the fbi. >> reporter: congressman condit lost his bid for re-election, his political life ov. >> it's a shakespearian tragedy what happened to this man. >> reporter: the tragic story of chandra levy's murder would languish in the cold case files for yes. now it is back in the spotlight. last year, police charged ingmar guandique with her murder. guandique is serving time for assaulting two women not far from where chandra levy's remains are found. keith alexander is a court reporter forhe washington post and has been covering the story. thanks for being with us. >> good morning. >> if i understand it, there is no dna in the case, they have a

suspect, there is no eyewitness. you have a suspect who passed a polygraph test. what makes them think they have the right guy? >> what makes them think they have the right guy is they have confessions from other inmates who shared a cell wh ingmar guandique in california in a prison. they say guandique admitted to them that he raped and killed chandra levy during the spring of 2001. so prosecutors are really basing a lot of their case on that. also, remember, guandique had confessed to attacking two female joggers in rock creek park around the same tim that chandra levy went missg. sorosecutors are saying, look, he did it before, he did it again and this is why we think he's our guy. >> this is pbably not the strongest case -- as strong a case as they would like. was there some pressure to move forward despite some holes in e case?

>> exactly. this was truly a well documented, well publicized case. this was known around the country and around the world as a quintessential washington story. a young intern comes to washington, tries to make it in the big city. has an affair with a congressman who was 30 years older than she was. she turns up missing and, a yr later, she turns up dead. so there is a lot of pressure. this is one of the most publicizedold cases that washington, d.c. has ever had. there was a lot of publicity. >> let's talk about the congressman. will he be a witness and how would he figure in the testimony? >> he was called as a witness. his name was mentioned as a possible witness. now, the prosecution has got to put gary conditn the stand so he canalk abt, yes, i was initially viewed as a suspect, but the police a the prosecution eliminad him as a

suspect. also, don't forget, gary condit was one of the last people to lk to chandra levy. obviously the prosecutors are going to put him on the stand just so he can be dismissed in front of the jury as a potential suspect. >> that makes me wonder if the defense will try to throw him under the bus or muddy the waters as to who the true suspect y or may not be. >> it is belved chandra levy was not alone in her apartment when she went missing. they believe a man was in the apartment. now, the defense had to let the prosecution and the court know as to whether or not they were going to introduce a winfield defense meaning whether or not they wld introduce a third person as a possible suspect. they have not done so. what that means is probably they are not going to necessarily say that condit was, indeed, the attacker, but they are going to mention other people who very well could have been involved in the case. >> keith, thanks for joining us. we appreciate it.

>> thank you. >> we'll take a break and be back with more. first, these msages. ] in the past, landing an airpne was complicated, with a series of stepped altitude changes. [ air traffic controller ] okay, 245, proceed to your next cleared altitude. [ sighs ] [ male announcer ] today, truecourse flight management systems froge allow for fuel savings, lower emissions and less noise... ♪ ...making the old way of doinghings... [ air traffic controller ] 245, you are cleared to land. [ male announcer ] ...seem less than graceful. ♪ [ male announcer ] ...seem less than graceful. ["stir it up" pling]

stir up a smile with hershey's syrup. bob ehrlich's 24 years in politics. in congress ehrlich voted with george bush 90% of the time, protecting the special interests. as governor, ehrlich cut education, increased college tuition by 40%, and vetoed an increase in the minimum wage. and after losing his electn, bob ehrlich joined a lobbying firm and got paid $2.5 million to represent casinos and wall street banks. bob rlich--24 years of putting the special interests first.

still to come on "toy," brett favre faces off against his former team and fends off new sexting allegations. >> plus, on a lighter note, we're live with stewie the longest cat in the world. you have to see this thing. first, these messages. i do a lot of diffent kinds of exercise, but basically, i'm a runner. last year. (oof). i d a bum knee that needed surgery. but it got cplicated, because i had an old injury.

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women are charged 40% more for the same health insurance as men. domestic violence is treated as a pre-existing condition in eight states. women are abused by their husbands and then by their insurance companies. and last year they tried to end our coverage for mammograms and other preventive services.

well i'm proud to say i got the law changed. i'm barbara mikuls. i approve this message so you'll know that being a woman is no longer a pre-existing condition. good morning. it's 8:26. a cool fall morning out there topping your news for toy. three people including two georgetown university students are under arrest after police discovered a drug lab in a freshman dorm rule. police were called to harbin hall after students complain of a strange odor. in that dm they found chemicals used to make a synthetic hallucinogenic drug called dmt. the enti building had to be evacuated for 12 hours while police processed the scene. no one suffered any ill effects from the chemicals inside the dorm room but the drug is deadly d explosive. 30,000 runners will hit the

pavement this morning to compete in the annual army teniler, one of the most popular races in our region. for drivers it makes things difficult as there are some road closures around downtown and northern virginia to tell you about. washington boulevard between 395 and memorial bridge, columbia pike east of joy street and hov lanes on 395 are all closed. road closures began at 4:30 this morning and will last until 2:00 this afternoon. your weather is up next.

8:28. yesterday was gorgeous. today -- >> even more beautiful. >> really? >> shoulde warming up. we have a few high clouds coming through the region now but they won't be producing any rain. great weather for the army ten-miler which is under way as well as outdoor recreation activities. plans you may have for outdoor fun later today should be just fine high clouds passing over the region coming in out of the southwest this morning and we have temperatures that are mild right now. about 20 degrees warmer than this time yesterday morning and now in the mid-50s. should climb into t mid-70s by midafternoon with the clouds in and out and then tonight cloudying up. could get a shower. then a greater chance tomorrow evening of passing showers, maybe even some thunder and lightning. highs in the low 70s tomorrow. still mild through midweek. might get some more showers on wednesday.

here's a look at the end of the week. cooling down for the halloween weekend. friday, saturday and sundy. afternoon highs near 60 and should be dry. >> a little chilly for the trick-or-treaters. thank you, tom. we'll have a full hour of news and weather coming up. > we're back on october 24, 2010. it's shaping up to be a beautiful day in new york. unfortunately it's staing chilly. that's where we take over. it's a beautiful morning here with us outside in the plaza. i'm jenna wolfe along with lester holt. still to come this half hour, brett favre playing his old team today, the packers. >> it will be a wild game. lots of folks watching it with a different story in mind. he's out of retirement and into hot water over alleged messages he sent to a sideline reporter. new revelations including a video showing the quarterback with exotic dancers.

we'll look into that story. >> and did you get the son kung fu fighting stuck in your head? >> fast as lightning. >> kung fu goes back to the 1600s. i got to be trained by the first soon-to-bemerican grand master of kung fu. that is not a real sword. >> i saw the clip. that's not real. >> yes, my chest is that strong, but the sword is fake. >> i don't want children to find that. >> i'll have fun with keith maza coming up. >> during a tou econoc time fewer people are donating to charity, but a 5-year-old boy decided to give something special. basically his birthday money he donated to charity. that's a great lesson for everybody. >> he's adorable. he looks like the little boy from the tom cruise movie "jerry

maguire". >> oh, yeah! >> first, a feline to remember. did you know there are 80 million cats in the u.s. out of all of them there is only one, from nevada, named stewie who is in the guinness book of world records because he measures 4 inches nose to tail. >> how long is that? >> turn around. what's your name? >> oliv. >> stand up for us. you're about 4'0"? this is how long stewie the cat is. >> his feat landed him in a place in the guinness book of world records as the longest cat on the planet and he joins us with his owner robin hendrickson. hi. >> hi there. >> youave a handful there. when did you realize stewie was longer than the average cat. >> probably about the 5 millionth time i heard someone say, wow, he's got to be the biggest thing i have ever seen.

>> was he just one of those ginormous kittens at birth or did the spurt just happen? >> he was anaverage-size maine coon kitten. >> do you realize his head and tail are in two different time zones? he's a maine coon and they are typically big cats. is he a gentle giant? is that a good descriion? >> yes, yes. very much so. >>hey, are you concerned at all that now that stewie is in guinness getting attention on "today" that it might go to his head? are there special cat toys he'll now request and require when he travels? will it be a first-class kind of deal? >> he's already getting so much tuna. >> he can keep growing. >> aw! seriously, the whole crowd goes "aw."

he's 5 years old and could be growing more. robin, thanks for coming on with stewie. he's a beautiful cat. he is. >> thank you. >> thanks, robin. and now let's get another check of t weather with

good morning. i'm meteologist tom kierein on this sunday morning. we have some high clouds coming through and temperatures are milder than they have been the last cple of mornings. right now 56 at national airport. highs today should make it into the mid-70s with clouds in and out. great for outdoor recreation and then back to work and school tomorrow. quite a bit of cloudiness. afternoon highs, low 70s. a passing shower during the afternoon but a greater chance of showers, maybe some thunder and lightning monday night. thenuesday partly sunny. mid-70s and maybe some rain on wednesday. before we go further whave to talk about football. sunday night football and it's a big game tonight. i believe the vikings will visit the green bay packers a lambeau field. temperatures mild near 60

degrees. that's on nbc tonight. any time you want weather when we're not here go to weather.com. >> thanks, janice. there is a match-up fans he been waiting for. brett favre, the vikings headed to green bay where favre will faceis old team. favre is at the center of a growing scandal. here's nbc's kevin tibbles. >> reporter: since coming out of retirement, the celebrated quarterback has faced as much if not more controversy off the field. all started bydeadspin.com tt the former super bowl champ and mvp sent lewd text messages and photos to a number of women. >> as a father, a family man, a grandfather, a solid guy that represents the nfl brand, his brand is in trouble. >> going back to the hotel and just -- just chill.

so send me a text because i'll be in the building for a couple of hours. >> deadspin says favre, while playing for the jets, left a series of voicemails for jets sideline reporter jen sturger, a one-time pinup. nbc news could not verify the authenticity of the recordings and the nfl says it is still investigating. >> if that's true, he's got to throw himself on the mercy o the public, nfl fans, of women across the country, his wife. >> reporter: now the website radaronline released this video of favre celebrating in a milwaukee bar, seemingly drunk and spewing obscenities with exotic dancers. favre's wife who has battled breast cancer spoke to abc news last week. >> i'm a woman of faith. it's gotten me through difficult struggles and will get me through this one.

>> reporter: favre has refused comment saying 's focused on tonight's gam against his former team. >> once again, you know, that's a league issue. i'll say it again. my focus is solely on green bay. >> reporter: for "today," kevin tibbles, nbc news, chicago. >> you can watch brett favre tonight on football night in america on nbc. up next, boy wonder. a 5-year-old's remarkable act of kindness. that's after these messages. ♪ ♪ ♪ [ male announcer ] every day thousands of people are swching from tylenol® to advil. to lrn more and get your special offer, go to takeadvil.com.

take action. take advil®. no calorie sweetener granulated with fiber. sweet! [ female announc ] tastes like sugar and has 3 grams of fiber per tablespoon. use it almost anywhere you use sugar. en in cooking and baking. sweet! [ female announcer ] splenda® granulated with fiber. philips sonicare is the number 1 recommended power toothbrush by sweet! dental professiona it's no wonder philips sonicare is the toothbrush america loves switch now and if you're not 100% satisfied, we'll give you a full refund. this morning, helping others during hard times. with donations dn at charities it's even tough for those in need. some generous people continue to inspire including the remarkable 5-year-old boy you will meet in a moment. first, here's nbc's ron allen. >> reporter: at the ground zero visitor's center, who in the crowd put $10,000 cash in the

collection box and left without a trace? a donation to the new $300 million 9/11 memorial set to open next year. >> i would love to say "thank you" to the person. it's a shot in the arm to everyone working on the project. >> reporter: fund-raising has been tough because of the economy. charities acrs the country report receiving less, while people need more. fortunately people are trying to help. stephanie and tamari tillman know about receiving and giving. they now own a graphics dign business in kansas city, but a w years ago they hit hard times and had to move to a salvatioarmy homeless shelter. >> it was the realizationthat, oh, my god, a week ago we got married and this is how we are starting our new life. >> it was embarrassing, made us feel low. >> reporter: slowly, over the years they got life back on track and never forgot the people who helped.

last month they pledged to give $25,000o the salvation army over the next five years. >> when they pick you up at your most broken place, i think we'll forever be loyal to them as an agency. >> reporter: as this boy was about to celebrate his 5th birthday -- >> i told my friends to make a small donation to the ronald mcdonald house. >> reporter: he raised $288. several acts ofindness during tough times. one anonymous, one from a grateful family and one from a small boy whose gift, they said, seemed as big as any other. for "today," ron allen, nbc news, new york. >> and that young boy and his father join us from ronald mcdonald house where they are volunteering thi morning along with jennifer good, the executive director there. good morning. >> good morning. >> craig, i'm curious how this

came about. i understand you and your son were volunteering at the ronald mcdonald house and your son asked if he could donate old toys to some of the people? why did he want to do that? >> well, i think he can answer that pretty well. he is a strong supporter of the community and we have been volunteering at the ronald mcdonald house and we thought it would be great to continue that. it was his idea. >> magnus, what did you tell people when the said, hey, what do you want for your birthday this year? what did you tell them? >> i told them to make a small donation to the ronald monald house. >> why did you want to do that? >> instead of birthday presents. >> why did you want to do that? >> how did that come about?

how did you gethe idea to do it? >> yeah, where did you get the idea from? >> when i was in the ronal mcdonald house in the spring. >> craig, let me ask you, what is it like as a father to see your son so generous at such a young age and to be ableo have a big heart? it must make you so proud as a dad. does it not? >> yeah, of course it es. i think it's our job as paren to instill some of our beliefs and foundations on our children and this is something that we believe strongly in. so i thought iwas important to have him be a strong supporter of his community. it's somhing that -- >> hey -- >> something that he's embraced whole heartedly. it makes me happy and makes his family happy. >> jennifer, you get volunteers all the time that make donations big and small. what did this gesture meano

you and your organization? >> we were just thrilled. it's pretty amazing to see a little boy willing to give up presents f himself in order to help other people. he knows what it's like to have illness in the family and how it impacts everyone. he just reached out to hel other kids and other families. we were just thrilled that he chose to make a gift to ronald mcdonald house. >> let me ask you this. this is what you did for your 5th birthday. do you know what you want for your 6th birthday? >> to donate to the ronald mcdonald house. >> you want them to do the same thing. that's great. you raised $288 which is fantastic. thank you so much. you did a great thing. thank you. >> thank you. >> craig and jennifer, we want to thank you as well. wonderful story. still to come, if you are looking for a great fall book to curl up with, we have just the read for you.

and -- chop! ♪ kung fu fightin ining ♪ >> there's that song again. rst these messages. that i want to do completely on my own -- i like to discuss my ideas with someone. that's what i like about fidelity. they talked with me e on one, so we could come up with a plan that's right for me, and they worked with me to help me stay on track -- or sometimes, help me get on an even better one. woman: there you go, brian. thanks, guys. man: s ya. fidelity investments. turn here. did you know up to 50% of new cavities form between teeth, in places you can't even see? aquafresh iso-active whitening is a breakthrough gel that transforms into an active foam. s active fluoride formula penetrates deep, surrounding and protectg the whole tooth against cavities -- front, back and in-between. for strong, healthy teeth for a lifetime,

try trple protection i-active whitening from aquafresh. amazing. from aquafresh. bob ehrlich's 24 years in politics. in congress ehrlich voted wi george bush 90% ofhe time, protecting the special interests. as governor, ehrlich cut education, increased college tuition by 40%, and vetoed an increase in the minimum wage. and after losing his election, bob ehrlich joined a lobbying firm and got paid $2.5 milln to represent casin and wall street banks. bob ehrlich--24 years of putting the special interests first. sy: i did as ged my property taxes 60 percent.

woman 1 syi didn't owatrnor man 3: he worked for ak 10 billn doanother bamillion.apsed.axers7 h big s don't need help. middle class marylanders do. whether you're inside keeping warm for the cooler weather or in need of a page-turner for your nt trip, there are plenty of good picks. we have book critic and author of the bestseller "strange but true" and "boytill missing." john searles, i just learned your middle name is lester. a little bit of trivia. you ve an eclectic mix of books here. the first is "room." the description, it sounds

disturbing. >> it is. i have been carrying it around for 15 dais and never before have people stopped me so often. it's getting to much attention. in the way "the color purple" is all about the voice, this is all about the ocking, absorbing voice. it's told fro the point of view of a 5-year-old boy and we alize he and his mother are held captive in a room. it is a weird voice and unusual set-up. >> it's disturbing but you can't put it down. >> yeah. >> the next one, "crooked letter, crookedletter." i was puzzling over the title. you explained this is mississippi. >> they say it is a southern thing. but it's how i was taugh to spell mississippi, m-i-crooked letter-crooked letter -- et cetera. it's a blend of great writing and great suspense. it opens with a missing girl, a murder and it gets juicier from

there. lots of twist and turns and surprises. it's a barnes & noble pick for october and an independent book sellers pick. getting tons of attention now. >> stephen king has a collection called "full dark, no stars". >> with a prolific writer there are so many books you don't know if it is a standout book. this is hands-down, a standout book. it very dark. the opening one is about a farmer who murders his wife and convinces his teenage son to help cover up the crime. it's pretty dark. >> okay. the next book is about a story we didn't know was going on until it was over. it involved the kidnapping of david rohde, a reporter. it's called "a rope and a prer". >> his wife was the photographer at cosmopolitan where i worked for years. they tell it from her view at

home and what happed to h when he was kidnapped and his daring escape. >> he was kidnapped in afghanistan. >> yes, by the taliban. it's a gripping read. sort of an unusual way to tell the story. >> the next book -- >> we're lighteng up a bit. >> just the cover makes me smile. it's called "you had me at woof". >> how dogs taught me the secret of happess. i found this writer on twitter. she's really funny. it's a story about getting a dog turned into something enchanting. she felln love with this dog. she said, i wish he were a man but with eyes that looked stighthead and less gas. it's a very funny read. >> you have a humor essay? >> "half empty," it's a very smart, wty, sarcastic read. by david sarkoff. he worked for a best-selling

writer who didn't treat him nicely. it's like "the devil wears prada" and that sort of thing. >> a fantasy book for young adults? >> "the lost hero." i'm not a big fantasy reader but this is getting buzz and it's good for young adults. three kids, one wakes up on a field trip. doesn't know how he got there. a girl with a famous father who goes missing and a boy who sees ghosts. there is a lot going on there. i think teens will love it. >> the next book you don't have because there is a bo, a video and it's george bush's book, decision points. >> i mentied on facebook that george bush was coming out with a book. people started mudslinging. "is it a pop-up book?" no, it's a real book. instead of a chronological story he started with pivotal points

including quitting drinking at 40, running for president. >> 9/11 and the wars will all be there? >> yes. there is a mix of personal and political stuff. iaven't seen it yet. they are not showing anyone. but it's out in a week and is obviously going to be one of the biggest books of the fall. >> thank you very much. here's jenna. >> all right, lester, thanks. my only insight into the ancient art of kung fu was watching chuck norris films -- and not many of them. so i learned from a mter and please don't try this at home. >> reporter: as you span the history of sports, there is one that gs back -- way back -- and not just thrgh the decades but through the centuries. kung fu. ♪ everybody was kung fu fighting ♪ >> reporter: if you thought every kung fu master lives in china, you would be wrong. meet keith maza. >> nobody just throws one,

nobody. >> reporter: a bornnd raised new yorker, 100% italian and set to become the first american ever named grandmaster of the wing chu style of kung fu. is the grandmaster in charge of the entire practice? >> yes. there is one chief and a bunch of idiots. >> reporter: keith grew up in chinatown and started learning at age 5. 27ears ago he began training with t current grandmaster william chung. you may have heard of one of his other students -- bruce lee. so you taught me a move and i would be being taught by t person who was taught by the personho taught bruce lee? >> right. >> reporter: all the money, talent and skill in the movies, why were they so poorly dubbed? >> i know. the dubbing is terrible. ha, ha, ha. >> yes. just awful, ha, ha, ha.

>> do you do it at night. >> most of the time i do it in the afternoon. >> so does everybody wang chung tonight? excuse me? >> sounded good for me. time for anchor to become grasshopper. >> put it down. >> really? i don't want to hit you. your face beautiful. >> oh, stop. high rack, low rack. >> did i hurt you? >> yeah. i'm going home now. >> so this looksxactly like a person. >> good training partner. never talks back. never talks too much. >> okay. lock, cut. >> reporter: it's a very stressful practice. i dot generally walk down the street with two large steak knives. >> but you do have a magazine. >> hey, what you got? >> nothing. hold on a second. now, what do you got? i'm ready. ♪ you're the best around

>> what's up? >> same to you. >> sweep the leg. >> reporter: and sweep the front hallwa it's really dusty over there, so just when you get a chance. >> push! [ grunting ] >> reporter: this is going to snap back up and kill me. >> no! you did awesome. >> reporter: thank you. i appreciate it. >> put your hands out. we bow. >> reporter: what is that? oh, that's english. we had areat time. >> you brought some weapons. >> these are plastic. >> no, no, no. >> this is the real weapon, "food & wine" magazine. you never want to play with knives but a magazine is just as dangerous -- or self-defensing as that. >> self-defensing?

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today, it's nearly double. and nearly auarter of a million marylanders are looking for work. in addition, we face a national health care plan that will hurt small business and cost us jobs. so we have to ask, are you better off today than you were four years ago? we're heading in the wrong direction. we need strong leadership say no to things we can't afford. fix our health care plan. and refuse to raise taxes. martin o'malley can't do it. i will.

let's check in with david gregory to see what's coming up "meet the press." >> good morning, lester. with only nine days before the midterm elections are voters preparing to send a gop wav to washington and what role will the tea party play? with us theeader of the republican national committee michael steele. >> we'll see you shortly, david. >> that will do it for us. thank you very much. guess what next weekend is! >> halloween! >> come down to t plaza. >> we'll be dressed in our

finest. come down and dress up in your finest. we're more than happy to see you here. >> come down! >> have a great day. i'll see y good morning. welcome to news 4 today. i'm kimberly suiters. it's sunday, october 24th, 2010. the news is just ahead, but first, a quick check on our forecast. meteorologist tom kierein is in for chuck bell this morning. a wonderful sunday under way. we have the autumn color coming on. we'll have some milder temperatures as well by this afternoon. plan accordingly for your recreation and fun. there's capitol hill under a partly cloudy sky on this sunday morning. right no at mid morning. temperatures are in the mid and upper 50s. right now 58 at national airport. in the mid-50s in prince george's