good morning. welcome to news 4 midday, i'm keith russell. >> i'm barbara harrison. it's thursday, october 11th, 2012. we begin with what killed the six-day old panda at the zoo. zoo keepers released the cause of death. we are live where the news can frens wrapped up. megan? >> reporter: the scientists and veterinarians conducted a lot of work here to figure out what happened. they believe they have the cause of death. what we are being told is the

panda cub's lungs were poorly developed. it doesn't allow enough oxygen to get to the liver and it caused the death of the panda cub. it was a baby girl. the cub was a female cub. they are not exactly sure why it happened. it doesn't mean it will happen again. they still have hopes that the mother could have a cub. she is back on view to the public. she was out in her yard this morning and eating. she had her back turned for a good part of the morning, two visitors coming to see her. she is almost back to normal in terms of her behavior. she's not cradling her toy anymore. she's no longer using the nest she built. the last of the nest was moved yesterday. she's down in weight and not regained her appetite. she's eating 80% to 85% of what she would normally eat. >> we want to see her get to

100% consumption of bamboo, fruits and vegetables and biscuits as she normally would at this time of year. remember, she wasn't eating when she was in the den. she's down in weight about 20 pounds from her normal 240. she's about 220 this week. so, that's a little bit off. it's not a lot off. >> reporter: as for the future of whether they will be swapped out with other pandas with better breeding prospects, none of those decisions have been made. they may know something more on whether they will stay here or be swapped out again with other pandas later this fall. reporting l ining live, megan m. >> if she does stay soon, do

they say how soon before she can be mated again? >> reporter: they have a window of once a year. it would be some time. they are not sure what they will do. before she got pregnant this time around, there was talk of one of both of them being swapped out when she got pregnant and had the cub, there was renewed hope they could stay here. exactly what is going to happen, we have to wait and see. they collaborate with the experts in china to make the decisions. >> thanks. good luck wherever she ends up living. turning to the weather and sunny skies on a cold morning. veronica johnson is in for tom kierein today. good morning. >> good morning, guys. yes, a real fall, crisp day under way. you can see the beautiful blue sky out there. not many people noticed the front that moved through in terms of precipitation because we didn't get rain out of it.

we got a weather front that moved through from clouds and warmth to cooler and no clouds. we have, again, the pretty blue sky today? here is a look around the area. 55 degrees in annapolis, maryland. good afternoon to you. get up into montgomery county, 52 right now in montgomery village. alexandria, 52 degrees as well. temperatures are running cooler than average. in fact, for today, by six to ten degrees across the area. you can see how clear it is up to the north pennsylvania, down to the south and the carolinas. you have the big "h" to thank for that. that's an area of high pressure that's come down from canada. what's next for us, more cool air or should i say cold air. we'll take a look at what happens over the next couple days. you are going to be wowed at what comes our way. back to you guys. >> thanks. we are going check on the

midday traffic now. >> danella sealock, yesterday with the nationals game starting at 1:00, we knew there would be slow movement. with the game starting at 4:00, is it better? >> as far as nats park, no congestion in the area. the game starts later today. that's good. metro is the best option for the game later. what i'm seeing in northeast d.c., the intersection of saratoga avenue and brentwood road, please approach with caution. road work taking place around the area. the american legion bridge, sluggish. further up, construction blocking the right lane. i-66 as you make your way eastbound approaching the beltway, the left lane is blocked and you are sluggish. over to you. >> a baltimore family, devastated, completely devastated after losing five members in a fire that took place this morning.

the 5600 block of denwood avenue. tony tull is live from the news room with the latest. >> good morning. it's rough when you have to report on children. fire investigators in northeast baltimore are sifting through what's left of a severely burned home for clues that left five people dead including four children all under the age of 7. baltimore city fire department got the call around 2:00 a.m. this morning. once on the scene, one man reported to be 52 jumped from a second story window. he sustained injuries to his neck and back after jumping head first. firefighters heard screams coming from the home. by the time they got inside, they were unable to rescue the remaining people. as for the children that did not make it out, they are believed to be, 1, 3, 5 and 7 years old. the fifth person was a grandmother and was 55 years old. we talked to relatives earlier this morning and reported ten people were inside the home when

the fire started. no word on their condition. barbara says her granddaughter who escaped through a window. >> one of my granddaughters doesn't want to talk to anybody. she threw her baby out the window. >> reporter: what happened? >> i don't know. she threw her baby out the window and she jumped out there. >> barbara and keith, two firefighters were injured. one after falling through a second story floor to the basement. he's expected to be okay. live in the news room, tony tull. >> bad story. thanks for checking in. we have learned the name of the man who was killed yesterday near the university. gregory of northeast washington. someone shot and killed the 21-year-old near 8th street. police chief says an officer heard the gunfire and found him. the shooter got away. police are offering a $25,000

reward for information to help them find the killer. >> a d.c. police officer is facing criminal charges in pittsburgh. he threatened a bus driver. they arrested him over the weekend. he pulled out his expandable baton and began swinging it when the driver of the bus told him he had to stand or wait for another bus. he's on leave from the d.c. police department and in pittsburgh at a grad student. for the nats, there is no tomorrow if they don't win today. yesterday, an 8-0 loss in the first home game gave st. louis a 2-1 lead in the best of five series. today, if the nationals win, they continue. news 4s melissa mollet is live outside nats park. melissa, i imagine the difference between the feeling yesterday and today is oh, boy. please don't let it end. >> reporter: i know. i know. everybody is keeping their fingers crossed saying come on,

we can do this. things are more calm right now. yesterday was a game starting at 1:07. today at 4:00. we don't have as many folks here. a gut wrenching loss, the nats need this one. it's hard for fans coming out of this roller coaster. >> i think we're doing fantastic. rmp the cold morning air couldn't keep fans away. how long have you been out here? >> since 6:30 this morning. >> some in massive blankets. others sporting shorts. there were fans waiting in vans and those hopping in cars for warm air. >> egg mcmuffin and coffee. >> reporter: with hours until the crowd grows, the nationals get a chance to prove they are the team to beat. washington fans are ready for a rally. >> i want a close game and pull it out at the end. that would be exciting. >> reporter: from the camera on our truck mast 61 feet up, nats

park looks barren. a parking lot waiting for fans. fans who will fill the seat and the stadium. dan has been through 30 nats games this year alone. >> amazing, i have lived here 12 years and ever since the team came to this area of town that i live in, it's transformed our neighborhoods. >> we may be down now, but one thing washington has is faith. and a lot of heart. >> it's like if -- jump up and down, then we have another team to root for. watch the nationals. >> reporter: fans eager to see their team fight through game four for a shot at game five. >> they have a great run. they've earned it. >> reporter: those disappointed by yesterday are moving on, looking forward to today. >> we are going win. there's no question. we are going to win. we play our best with our backs

against the wall. this is the situation. >> 98 wins during the regular season. everybody here confident the team can beat the cardinals today. we are back out here. tomorrow night, two things to make sure. first of all, gates open at 1:30. go inside, grab a seat. stt getting excited about the game two and a half hours. later, if you have a ticket, make sure it says game two. at nats park, melissa mollet, news 4. back to you. >> best record in the majors. we cannot go down that easily. >> reporter: no, we are not. i'm confident. >> he's in! >> the nats game has no sus spence. the orioles on the wrong end of it falling to the yankees, 3-2.

voted the second nicest player in the major league by "sports illustrated" wunlt nice to the orioles. another home run as well. the dreams of a beltway world series hanging on by a thread. the nats, as we told you, they have to win to stay alive. the orioles have to do the same tonit. back against the wall. >> yep. >> see what happens today. 12:minutes after 11:00 is the time now. plus, the latest presidential poll. is mitt romney still seeing a boost from his debate performance? new information from let me tell you how i will create 12 million jobs

when president obama couldn't. first, my energy independence policy means more than three million new jobs. many of them in manufacturing. my tax reform plan to lower rates for the middle class and for small business creates seven million more. and expanding trade, cracking down on china, and improving job training takes us to over 12 million new jobs. i'm mitt romney, and i approve this message.

analysts say one thing to look for tonight in the vice president debate is look for it to be aggressive.

joe biden and republican challenger paul ryan will face-off in kentucky. it's the only debate between the two and will cover foreign and domestic issues. to maintain romney's momentum after the victory in last week's debate. joe biden's job is to turn the tide and get team obama back on track. the coverage begins at 9:00 follows by news 4 at 11:00. mitt romney is taking a break today. a new poll by nbc news and the wall street journal shows major gains by romney in ohio and virginia. romney leads the president 48 to 47, a three-point swing from last week. romney gained two points in ohio to shrink the gap to 51 to 45. in florida, it's just a one-point lead for the

president, 48 to 47. storm 4 meteorologist, veronica johnson joins us with a look at the forecast. >> very much like fall around here. we were at 70 degrees yesterday. if this were a roller coaster ride today or actually tomorrow, we would be at the top of the drop. temperatures are going to start to take a dive. >> stomach goes up in your throat? >> as long as you put your hands up, keith. hands up, everybody, hands up. 55 is the temperature now. we started out chilly this morning. running five degrees below average, the temperature. you can see there's a lit bit of wind, too. you can see extra chill from the wind. it's at 15 miles per hour out of the northwest. later today, we'll have more of a southerly wind. when you look to the west, you can see the readings that are still cool, still in the 40s. pittsburgh in west virginia, all this chilly air behind the front that came through last night.

again, it was without rain. it allowed the temperatures to take a dive. that front well to the east. you can see the clear skies under high pressure. pennsylvania down to virginia and even points westward. if you are going to the game today, it's again, at 4:00. i know you know that. by the end of the game, it's going to be chilly. you need maybe a light coat, a nice thick sweatshirt. 64 is the temperature at the top of the game there. mostly sunny conditions. definitely cool and turning cooler. we are under an influence of high pressure today. nothing but sunshine. watch what happens tomorrow. we are going to pick up a few clouds as another dry presip comes through the area. we get the reinforcements again as though temperatures were cool enough. by the time we get to friday night late, early saturday morning, there's a possibility of frost advisories being issued for the area as temperatures will be down into the 30s.

many neighborhoods by saturday morning. another front for the beginning of next week. that's one that could bring the best chance of rain. you can see that front on saturday, late, will be bringing a lot of rain to the nation's midsection. it's developing in areas of the southwest today. it could be a big severe weather outbreak for so many locations, missouri, up into iowa, down through oklahoma. big, severe weather outbreak, for us, showers, maybe a thunderstorm at the beginning of next week. here is a look at the forecast for today. a cool day, back to feeling like november. 59 to 64. a little bit of wind. breezy conditions tomorrow with the next fronlt. for your evening, cooler, jacket required. we drop from the low 50s to the mid-40s for the evening. here is a look at the four-day forecast. so, yesterday, 70. we have three days where we are going to see high temperatures in the low and mid-60s. sunshine for today. the up and down, like the roller

coaster ride. cool today. breezy and cool tomorrow. cool saturdays. breezy sunday. sunday we check the temperature to the low and mid-70s. we should remain there for awhile. sunday is the day to get out and take great fall pictures. we have a little bit of color here. it's good when you get the sunshine, a few clouds and wind where you can catch the rays falling. >> i'm tired of this roller coaster stuff. i want a merry go round. keep it going round and round. >> that was summer. >> thank goodness we are out of the 90s and century mark temperatures. thanks a lot. it is 11:20. still ahead on news 4 midday, his comic book inspired canvasses are coming to our area. you can take in the mickey mouse and superman paintings. >> steps you can take in the gym

to prevent back pain tomorrow. here is a look at what's hot

take away his toys and he'll play with a stick. take away their bikes and they'll still find a way to get where they're going.

but if take you away early childhood education... slash k-12 funding... and cut college aid for middle class families ... they won't go far. yet that's exactly what mitt romney wants to do... ...to pay for a $250,000 tax break for multi-millionaires. if mitt romney wins, the middle class loses. priorities usa action is responsible for the content of this advertising. the national gallery of art is celebrating the art of roy. this is the first comprehensive

retro specktive. harry joins us with more on the exhibit that opens sunday. is that right? >> that's right. it opens on sunday and is here with us until january 13th. >> it doesn't happen this often. >> no, this is once in a generation. the last show was 20 years ago, that was in new york. i wanted to grab this one for washington, d.c. >> it's interesting this that art is considered art. there was a time when this was just comic book pictures and no one would think it's something someone wants to collect and pay in the millions of dollars for. >> right. it was shocking. the point of it was to be shocking in the beginning. with this painting, mickey, which is hours at the national gallery. >> this the national gallery owns? >> yes. the artist and his wife gave it to us on our 50th anniversary. he considered this his first hot

painting, 1961. >> have you been doing other art before this? >> yeah. he was 37 years old. he had a long career already as a teacher. a painter trying to be abstract and expressive. he had a couple kids. he was decorating their rooms and realized, why don't i bring that into my art. >> his art did not meet with the enthusiasm it gets now, these days, in the beginning, did it? >> actually, he really took off. he took off very quickly. when he hit this idea, the famous dealer of new york picks him up and the paintings started to sell. >> i can remember this one. this one we saw everywhere. what is this called? >> it's called "oh, all righ" even if people don't know his name, they know these images because they have come into our

common language so much. >> okay. tell us about this one. this is obviously called "wham!" >> this is from the '60s, romance and war. he was doing it roughly at the same time, going back and forth. you know, yin and yang drawn from d.c. comics, marvel comics. he adjusted and he was after a sort of iconic image. >> how many pieces do you have in this exhibit? >> over 10 pieces from over 50 lenders from around the country and around the world. >> very exciting. it opens this weekend, right? >> opens on sunday. i give a talk on sunday at 2:00 p.m. it continues through january 13th. >> fantastic. all at the national gallery. >> yes. >> thank you for coming in. you have done a beautiful job of collecting these. i can't wait to see them all. >> thank you.

hope to see you down there. >> thank you. coming up the next half hour of news 4 midday, police remain tight lipped in colorado about a missing girl hours after a body was discovered. we'll have the latest on that. progress in morning after a series of attacks on a popular walking trail. veronica johnson will look ahead to the weekend. will the fall chill stick around? stay

right now on news 4 midday, officials at the national zoo see the giant panda cub die from complications of lung and liver problems. the lungs were not fully formed. this morning, the mom made her way into the exhibit for the first time since the death of her cub. >> tonight is the first and only vice presidential debate. biden and ryan will face-off in kentucky. the debate will cover foreign

and domestic issues. coverage begins here on nbc 4 at 9:00 followed by news 4 at 11:00. police in colorado are not releasing information about the body found near where a 10-year-old girl was reported missing. they discovered the body where they were searching for jessica ridgeway. they will not confirm it's the body of that of the missing girl. she disappeared on her way to school last week. police say they plan to continue searching for ridgeway today. >> the search that would continue in westminster will continue this morning. we have been speaking throughout the week about the canvas conducts in and around the disappearance location of jessica ridgeway. that will continue along with additional open space areas we plan to work on today. >> detectives said they believe ridgeway was abducted. so far, no leads on a possible suspect. hikers and bikers will see

more police patrols on a popular trail in montgomery county. montgomery county police say two attacks on the capital crescent trail may be linked. a teenager grabbed two others on september 29th in the tunnel in bethesda and tried to rob them. on friday, police arrested a 16-year-old from rockville in this case. they believe the attack may be connected to one that happened in july. >> i couldn't believe it was happening here. i'm in the area all the time. i could not believe it. >> police made at least one arrest and another attack that happened in july. they do not believe it's related to the other attacks on the trail. as police investigate who is behind a series of gropings in fairfax county, there's another reported incident. a 25-year-old woman reported being fondled on cumberland drive in springfield. she's the sixth person to report

such an incident. investigators think there could be more. >> health officials are trying to contact 1500 people linked to the meningitis outbreak. it's according to the baltimore sun. the cdc reported 138 people had fungal meningitis. 12 victims have already died including one in maryland and one in virginia. the shots commonly used to treat back pain came from a new engld compounding center in massachusetts. they recalled all the products. it's not going to stop more cases from being discovered in the coming weeks. >> fuels from start to finish by doping. it's what a report says about lance armstrong's career. the more than 1,000 page report contains testimony from 11 former teammates. they say arm strong took human growth hormone, testosterone and

blood transfusions, but encouraged teammates to dope up, too. they hope the report will force changes to the sport. >> the u.s. postal services pro-cycling team ran the most sophisticated, professionalized and successful. >> everybody knows he was the best and everybody knows he won because he was the best. >> armstrong has not commented on the report but denied the usadas assertions. he was banned from the sport in august and stripped him of his titles. > controversy at a d.c. university. an administrator is on paid leave after taking a stands on the effort to allow same-sex marriage in maryland. she is the chief's diversity officer in northeast d.c. this summer, she signed a petition to reverse maryland's

proposed same-sex marriage law. school officials say it's inappropriate given her position. one pastor says it's an issue of free speech. >> she is suspended because somebody floated her name out and said she signed it. it's one of those things, where does the free speech end? >> no one answered the door when we went to her home in prince george's county. university president says he'll use the time she's on leave to think about the next move in this situation. >> today, the dalai lama will speak about medical care. it's part of a larger tour including this trip to syracuse university earlier this week. the spiritual leader will speak during two events. one held at an outdoor pavilion. yet, he was in williamsburg. there, he spoke about treating enemies with compassion and the

consequences of war. 1989, nobel peace prize winner. >> seems like he has a positive message. >> certainly many, many people feel that way. we are going to check with veronica johnson to find out what the weather is going to be like. >> what is your message out there on the storm team 4 weather deck? >> walk on the sunny side of the street today. i'm on the storm team 4 weather deck. i have a shade of the can pi there under a tree. it's a little on the nippy side. i am still expecting sunshine through the day and a clear sky for tonight. that means great viewing for the international space station. with, many times bring you times best viewing times for the international space station. now that it's docked with the space x dragon, you will be able to see them together. you won't be able to see the detail. it's southwest to northeast for

five minutes at 7:35. right after the sun goes down. hey, for nature news, you can follow me on twitter, vjohnsonnbc4. we have interesting stuff we put on there. we are in the 50 z. 52 in gaithersburg. 55 in d.c. here is a look at today into the 0is, barbara. low and mid-60s and sunshine we are expecting. we'll take a look at the four-day forecast and the extended forecast that goes into early next week in a couple minutes. >> thanks, veronica. we are going to check on the traffic. how is it looking on the roads? >> construction is slowing everyone down. if you are traveling across the key bridge inbound, construction blocking the left lane. i-66, traveling eastbound i-66, approaching the beltway, the left lane is blocked in. congestion as you travel the belt way.

you are under speed at 30 miles per hour. that drive will take 20 minutes. taking another look at the american legion bridge on the outer loop, road work blocks the right lane. over to you. >> thanks. it was coach against coach at a youth football game in california. take a look at this video a parent posted online of a coach charging and tackling a rival coach. things got out of control. people tried to step in causing more fights. no word this morning on why one coach went after the other one. a sigh of relief for redskins fans. rookie quarterback robert griffin iii will play against minnesota. he took part in a full practice and felt no ill attacks of the mild concussion he suffered against the falcons. griffin says he is ready to play, but he'll be evaluated daily and has not been cleared for contact.

he's learned he needs to work harder to keep himself safe. every year, millions of people suffer from back pain or injuries. exercise can reduce your chances of injuries. fitness expert steve hayes is here to talk about the importance of strengthening those back muscles. i have back problems. >> so do i. >> it's called i get back in the bet. >> yeah. that's pretty good. >> first, you started in the gym this week. >> yeah. >> let's look at some of the exercises you did in the gym and what you did to increase back strength. >> this is what is called rowing. as you notice, i'm working the upper part of the back, tighten up the abdominals. this is a pull one. pull from in front, not behind. the back stretches from the lower part up to the top. this is like a crossover with the cable because, again, you are working the upper part of the back and going back to the rowing.

it works the middle of the back. the back has to work from top to bottom, from the waist up to the shoulders. >> most people have this misconception, they walk up straight and right and have great posture and are not overweight. they are not going to have back problems. that's not true. you have to work out that back. >> you have to. two things, the abdominal is a strengthening for the back. the abdominal and hamstring. >> you have two exercises to show us. >> yeah. >> the bent over row. you are going to do it with a band. >> these bands are incredible. slightly bend the knee and take the band and as you pull it, just go up. at this positioning, you are tightening the hamstring and ab. it goes from the lat down to the lower back. you are getting a three-in-one exercise. >> what is the object? is it to get muscles defined in the back or to have the back

become stronger? >> have the back become stronger. you can get definition in the muscle and the muscle is weak. i have a friend of mine, he's founder of the i.t. company. his shoulders and back were killing him. we started doing this with the bands and he feels no pain. >> no pain? >> no pain. >> that's the goal. that's what you want to promote to other people out there. millions of people complain because they have a bad back. my back hurts from the time i get out of bed. >> front pull to back pull. >> go from the front pull, here is a great one. tighten it up, bend the knees, as you pull it out, bring it back here. as you are pulling it back, here and you are pulling it back, you have to engage the abdominals. the abdominal strengthens the lower back. >> if you have the tight stomach, your back is going to

be in great shape. >> go behind the head, same thing. lock it in and pull it out. if you look at my rib cage, you can see my abs working. that works the upper part. the back starts from here up. there's no such thing as spot training. it starts in the core. >> if your core is strong, everything else will fall into place. >> you won't fall on the floor. >> quickly, your wellness tip of the week. >> this is world egg month. world egg day the tomorrow. eggs are high in protein, vitamin "d" and you have to be careful not to eat a lot of them. you need just enough to get you the protein, vitamin "d" and amino acids. >> i like them with cheese. i'm going eat an egg tomorrow without the cheese. in honor of you. >> thank you so much. >> thank you. still ahead on news 4

midday, the time is 11:42. the first family explains a decision on parenting. >> i'm looking for someone to share an adventure. plus,

[ female announcer ] it's one of the hardest decisions

a family can make... realizing a nursing home is the only choice. for many middle class families, medicaid is the only way to afford the care. but as a governor, mitt romney raised nursing home fees eight times. and as president, his budget cuts medicaid by one-third and burdens families with the cost of nursing home care. we have a president who won't let that happen. [ obama ] i'm barack obama and i approved this message.

first lady, michelle obama tells her daughters to embrace whoever they are going to be, just don't do it on facebook. she said in a round table discussion, she won't let malia or sasha join the site. their every moment can be captured and shared online. she talked about the conversation with their daughters. she's worried someone could use their moment of expression to define their character fofr. halloween is just a few weeks away. big bird costumes are flying off store shelves. mitt romney mentioned the eight foot tall character. costume stores have seen an

increase in sales. the other big sellers are presidential masks. president obama's masks are outselling mitt romneys. the number of americans seeking unemployment aid went down last week. let's check in with mary thompson. she joins us live with more on that and the rest of the days headlines. >> stocks are getting lifted from the positive news. housing dropped to a five-year low. holding on to a 26-point gain. the s&p is up five and nasdaq up six. first time unemployment claims dropped. the labor department cautions much of the state is responsible, the numbers are likely to be revised. jp morgan ceo is stepping down. no word on his replacement. he's one of a growing list of

jpmorgan executives. japan's third largest carrier is in talks with sprint nextel. they are rallying on the news that an investment might help sprint compete with verizon. >> for the first time in 30 years, wendys is getting a makeover. the fast food giant updating their logo with a modern lettering and older looking wendy. she still has her pigtails. >> where's the beef? that slogan will last forever. thanks for checking in. in this week's wednesday's child, we meet a boy who has been in foster care most of his life. he's made a lot of progress. we can imagine how far he can go with a family that truly cares. you know that song? ♪ ♪ pop goes the weaz l." >> this is one of his favorites.

i almost got him to smile. angel, who is 3 years old loves to dance to whatever is playing from one of the toys in his foster home. >> angel came in care january, 2010 due to medical neglect. he's been in the system for almost two years. angel is a delightful little boy, energetic and active. he has the hopes of global delays, he doesn't let it interfere with day-to-day life. he doesn't speak, but he listens and understands. >> he loves the light-up toys and musical toys. he loves having stories read to him. he's a sweet little boy. he likes to dance. he dances back and forth. he likes music. he works good with his peers in school. he continues to make positive strides, making a lot of

progress day-by-day. he no longer needs his walker. he can run almost anywhere. >> we brought angel a surprise, another music maker. what he really needs is a family to make music with. >> i think he would be a wonderful asset to a family. >> if you have room in your home and your heart for angel or another child who is waiting, call our special adoption hot line. the number is 888-to-adopt-me. >> he's going to be an angel for some family. >> very cute little boy. coming up, from the pages of a book to the big screen. >> plus, veronica johnson will be back with another check of the forecast. let me tell you how i will create 12 million jobs

when president obama couldn't. first, my energy independence policy means more than three million new jobs. many of them in manufacturing. my tax reform plan to lower rates for the middle class and for small business creates seven million more. and expanding trade, cracking down on china, and improving job training takes us to over 12 million new jobs. i'm mitt romney, and i approve this message.

in "today's" weekend scene, a look at classic novels turned into box office draws. i'm excited about this. there are several books i like that are being made into movies. i'm probably going to be disappointed. they are never the same, are they? >> it's the dilemma. you are always going to be disappointed. the godfather and shaw shank redemption and lord of the rings. >> those were all great. i think it's going to be

wonderful. >> this is actually interesting. andr andrea arnold is the director. it's a meditated and poettic film. it's not the first time this has been redone. >> he is going to be african-american? >> yeah. >> when does that open? >> this friday. >> we have something to do. >> life of pie, what a great book that was. >> it was a prize winner in 2001. lee is going the film. who knows what he's going to come up with. it's a fantastic film. it's about a teenager who gets stranded -- >> on a boat. that will be interesting to see. then "the hobbit" opens in december, right? >> december 14th. all the folks missing "lord of

the rings" it's back with "the hobbit." same director. it's going to be fantastic. it's just in time for the holidays. >> we have one a month. which are you more excited about? >> i think the hobbit. i read that book as a kid. >> i think one is going to be the hardest to do. the life of pie because what were they? a tiger and what else? a man and a tiger? >> a mother as well. >> on a boat. it's been awhile. it's been ten years since i read that. this is great. it's exciting. i never thought they would make a movie out of that. lots of exciting things going on. >> what are you doing this weekend? >> i think i'm going to get ready for halloween. we have a lot of things coming up. we have to check that out. >> great to see you. >> thanks. thank you. >> for more ideas for your weekend log on to www.nbcwashington.com, the going

out guide on washingtonpost.com. >> let's look at the stories we are following this afternoon. pat lawson muse joins us with a look at things to come. hey, pat. >> good morning. coming up tonight, it's the only chance for vice president biden and paul ryan to face-off on the issues. a live preview of the debate from kentucky. that's on news 4 at 4:00. from history to calculus. a school expands the classroom to the mall. we'll tell you how that works. coming up at 5:00, is buying pet insurance really worth it? we check out the different plans. all those stories and the latest starting on news 4 at 4:00. keith, barbara? >> see you then. >> we have time now for a final check on the forecast. >> i just came in from outside. definitely chilly. >> wearing the big coat he was talking about? i have never seen it. >> i mentioned it once. >> he didn't notice it.

or maybe he did. okay. outside again we have a gorgeous sky. we are in the 50s and climbing slowly. upper 50s. a little bit of wind, too. i can attest for that. the highs today, 61 around frederick sunshine, yes. 63, manassas. high clouds from the west. a good looking day. feeling a lot like fall. it will be cool and crisp. here is where we are going to be by tomorrow morning, down into the 30s, north and west. friday morning, yeah, cold. by saturday morning, lower readings. a couple mid-30s showing up in gaithersburg and leesburg. so, could see frost advisories issued for saturday morning. here is a look at the four-day forecast. 74 degrees on sunday. it's going to be beautiful. i cannot wait to make plans for the weekend. the next chance of rain. we haven't gotten much rain around here. the next best chance is monday.

could get a little rain around wednesday of next week as well. a little bit of wet weather. it will be mild by that time. it's all part of that system coming in from the southwest. stormy, across the plains. >> we'll enjoy the weekend. thanks, veronica. >> thanks for joining us. tune in at 4:00, 5:00 and 6:00 for all the days news. >> we'll be back tomorrow morning. plan to join us for that. until then, have a terrific day. we