and how the brave young man got away. >> reporter: jacob used the moves he learned in karate to save his own life. >> ever think should' do something like this to you? >> un-unh. >> reporter: jacob was asleep when police say his father's ex-girlfriend tried smother him with a pillow after breaking in and hiding in a spare bedroom for 13 hours. >> covering my mouth, i think about something. then i figure it out and then i give her head butt. >> so, keep in mind jacob is just 8 years old, the second grade, you weigh about 60 pounds, right? show us how you were able to fight off a grown woman. >> reporter: jacob sholes the blocks and punches he used. police say his attacker, helen newsome, bashed him on the head with a dumbbell. he has the nine staples to prove t how badly were you hurt? >> really bad. >> reporter: jacob was able to escape, running to a neighbor's house for help. his dad says he had broken one newsome a few days before the

attack. >> i'm assuming that she was trying to hurt me the best way possible and, you know, what better way to hurt a parent than hurt their kid? >> reporter: jacob's parents are proud he used his self-defense skills to fight for his life. >> fought through the fear, as scared as he was, he did it and he did it all by himself. >> reporter: police tell us newsome confessed. she is locked up on an attempted murder charge. >> she should be in jail forever. >> i want her to have the maximum sentence because no child should fear for his life and no child should ever have to go through what he's been through. >> reporter: darcy spencer, news4. if you found yourself in a fiery plane wreck, how would you survive? that's just part of what crews have to prepare for at dulles international airport. news4's transportation reporter set off firsthand on a rare behind the scenes tour of dulles. take a look. >> reporter: sure you nose what the airport looks like in the usual places, but you've never

seen dulles international like this. riding the aerotrain through a foggy town to the maintenance yard, then checking out the control room for the system, cruising its expansive taxiway he as planes make their way around. checking out the nearly two miles of conveyor belt your luggage has to ride before finally making to the plane. news4 getting a unique look at the inner workings of the airport. one of the most impressive places, the testing ground for firefighters. >> we get one chance to do this right. >> reporter: with images of the recent asiana airlines crash in san francisco still fresh in the minds of not only rescue crews but also passengers, these fire crews know that every second counts. >> we have to extinguish it quickly in order to increase the chances of survivability. people inside the aircraft cannot survive if they are jumping out of planes where there's fire all the way around them. >> reporter: all right. so, we are actually inside the

cab of the vehicle which is known as the striker. these guys come out here, they will train on a quarterly basis. take a look at what's going on here as they are spraying this test plane with water, dousing the flames down and what we have seen is that this fire can actually put out in a matter of minutes. the fire crews here say they hope this is training they never have to use and they hope they never have to meet you. >> that's correct. absolutely right. >> reporter: just remember, next time you fly out of dulles, there's a whole lot more happening than meets the eye. at dulles international airport, adam tuss, news4. hopefully there's someone at dulles prepared to deliver a baby, if necessary. that's right. we have seen an unexpected boom of curbside kids recently, babies born in drive way, on highways and emergency vehicles, even crowded metro stations before their parents can make it to the hospital. i team reporter scott mcfarland looks a this the trend and try to find out what's behind it. >> reporter: amir rah taylor is

healthy and sleeping well at night, the 4-week-old born inside the metro station after his mom went into labor there. >> i'm blessed. i'm truly blessed. the second time my daughter has had her child in a strange place. >> reporter: another of her children born in her second floor bathroom. amir was born days after a baby entered the world during morning rush hour on i-270. >> so pretty. >> reporter: dan swanson hugged the 911 operator who talked him through his wife's delivery of their new baby girl, aria. >> you know it all happened so fast, accident really know what to think at the time. >> she gave birth through the open passenger door of their car in a driveway here on nebraska avenue northwest in d.c., en route to a hospital in silver spring. when the news4 i team started digging, we sifted through four years of centers of disease control birth records, though there is no specific category for road side babies, we spotted a 20% surge in 2008 of children born outside traditional birthing locations, hospitals,

clinics, homes and delivered by untraditional types of people, not doctors, midwives or nurses. even as the national birthrate declined. the maryland and virginia health departments compiled their birth records for us, including other untraditional births. in virginia, 26 babies delivered by non-doctors, non-nurse, non-midwifes in homes or untraditional locations over a 12-month span. 700-plus in maryland, but the state says its data is imprecise, includes babies delivered by doctors new and not recognized in the state's database. prince georges paramedic says he is seeing a trend, delivered eight babies in homes or public the past few years, including one on eastern avenue. >> you witness a child coming into the world, it is definitely a memorable convenient. >> reporter: boosting those curbside deliveries, according to aaa, and the d.c. leader of the american congress of ob/gyns, of the d.c. region's intense traffic. >> a woman is caught in labor, especially if it's her second or

third or fourth or fifth child, things may be coming really fast and that traffic, i really do believe, is a problem. >> that is the traffic. the news4 i team found the number of women choosing to give birth at home has also soared by 50% since 2004. a cdc researcher base is one in five of those women ends up in the hospital usually due to complications. well, are you prepared for all the big health care changes? still ahead, we will break it all down for you, how health care exchanges will work and how it could save you on insurance costs. a hotel chain is trying to build a room of your dreams and you can actually take a trip underground to see what it might look like. we will show you how, coming up. plus, some news if you're having what we call a quarter-life crisis. find out where the district ranks on the list of best cities for people in their 20s, next.

check out my new friend here, this is robert tally. he has lots of new friends. he won $1 million in d.c. lottery's mega millions game. he bought the ticket on rhode island avenue. he works at nih but he says that he is going to keep working, but no more public transportation for him or those borrowed rides either. he is going to get his driver's license and he is going to buy himself a new car. way to go. well, d.c. residents in their 20s may also be feeling a little lucky a new list from greatest.com names the nation's capital as the best city for 20 somethings. the district's green scenery, wide range of bars and clubs, plus the event metro stationed throughout the area, capitol bike share program helped to nab the top spot. the city's nine universities also add to the under-30 appeal. other top cities for 20-somethings include tucson, arizona, seattle, washington,

and san francisco, california. a new underground lab in the d.c.'s suburbs. here's what makes it so special it is designed to marriott can build better hotel rooms for its guest. from the showers to the pillows, there's no detail that's too small. liz crenshaw takes us inside. >> the first thing i do is jump on the bed. biggest requirement is have a nice, firm, comfortable bed. >> reporter: ronald of silver spring, maryland is describing what makes his perfect hotel room. lerma is one of eight marriott rewards members invited to the basement of marriott's bethesda headquarters last month. >> everybody, come on n come on in. >> reporter: marriott routinely asks members to give feedback on the design and layout of mock hotel rooms, everything from where customers put their bags in a room to how much shower pressure they like. >> i actually enjoy the marriott showers because it's always lots of water. >> reporter: next stop in the basement, a 10,000-square-foot stark white labor to.

this innovation lab, which opened in june, gives guests another way to provide feedback to marriott by designing their very own room. >> this is our chocolate factory that we never show anybody. >> reporter: paul cahill, senior vice president for marriott hotels, says the room is stark white to get rid of any bias. guests are asked to move furniture around and design their preferred hotel room. >> go. >> reporter: these customers weren't shy with feedback. >> everything is right where you can see it without having to think about where's my coffee. >> i don't like this thing. i would have something else. >> given the it is a to be do-it-yourself, you can definitely respect the choices they made and how much thought really goes into it. >> reporter: a top priority for the company today, keeping one technology. >> people are bringing five devices into our guest room where ten years ago, maybe they had a cell phone. >> reporter: that means lots of accessible power outlet he is and more work spaces for laptops and tablets. i'm always on my laptop, i'm always working on the bed.

>> reporter: another consumer demand, clearing the rooms of unnecessary desks, pillows and chairs. >> clearly, the research has shown us, give me a sense of space. let -- declutter my world. >> reporter: tend of the day, marriott hopes its rewards members got an inside peek into hotel design and the company is left with ideas for a better hotel room. >> i think they really have some innovative things planned that are going to be great. >> reporter: liz crenshaw, news4. >> you can also tell marriott what you like in hotel rooms. just check out nbcwashington.com/liz crenshaw. coming up, the study that is trying to find out whether you're more likely than your neighbor to fall victim to unwanted pests, those infestations. those questions about the affordable care act answered. what you need to know about health care insurance exchanges, when news4 this week continues. [ female announcer ] crest + scope

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in news for your health, major changes are coming in the way we were covered by health insurance. all the questions about the afford around care act, or obama care, as it is also known, we want to help guide you through some of those changes. here is doreen gentzler now with more on what t available of health care exchanges will mean for you. >> health insurance exchange is actually a new marketplace where individuals, families and small businesses will be able to shop, compare and buy health insurance. >> reporter: exchanges will be accessed online. they are supposed to be an easy way for people to compare and contrast different plans much the programs are run by the government but the insurance itself will be available through private companies, but with the affordable care act kicking in, you may soon see some big changes. kevin lucia is with georgetown university cementer on health insurance reforms. he says the first thing people should know, your insurance may cover a whole lot more than it used to. >> health insurance sold through

these marketplaces have to cover an essential benefits package, very important medical services, including maternity, pharmacy, preventive care, with no additional costs. >> reporter: number two, no matter what kind of pre-existing condition you may have, they can't deny you coverage any longer or charge you more. >> right now, insurers can discriminate against people based on their health status. >> reporter: next, this new insurance is supposed to be more affo affordable. government subsidies will be available based on income and family size. >> individuals making up to approximately $45,000 or families of four making up to $95,000 may be eligible for help. >> reporter: finally, if you still need help selecting a plan, the affordable care act is now requiring each state to hire what they are calling navigators. >> individuals will be able to access these navigators through the exchange, the marketplace websites. they will be able to talk to

them on the phone, be able to talk to them in person. >> reporter: doreen gentzler, news4. mafrmts ache little more sense? if you already have health insurance through your employer, you still have coverage and the price of your premium should not change but you can always purchase insurance through the health exchange. open enrollment goes from october 1st and ends march 31st. benefits kick in on january 2014. a new study that needs volunteers but to be eligible, you will have to deal with a very icky problem, stink bugs. usda researchers want you to help them figure out why bugs choose to invade some homes over others them need volunteers in virginia, west virginia and maryland to spend one month, get this, counting the bugs in your house. scientists hope the information will help them curb large infestations and ultimately, kill these pesky creech sures or critters. if you want to sign up to be a stink bug citizen scientist,

visit our website, washington, d.c., and search stink bug. it is just that easy. get counting, one, two, three. his life changed in an instant, but nearly a dozen surgeries later, a local firefighter who lost his arm is ready to take on new challenges. he shows us what's happened after doctors reattach his arm all stations come over to mission a for a final go. this is for real this time. step seven point two one two. verify and lock. command is locked. five seconds. three, two, one. standing by for capture. the most innovative software on the planet... dragon is captured. is connecting today's leading companies to places beyond it. siemens. answers.

a firefighter in prince georges county is working his way back after losing his arm in a horrific crash on the beltway. he has already beat the odds, getting that arm reattached, enduring 11 surgeries. he told news4's erika gonzalez what he wants to tackle next. >> reporter: a standing ovation for lieutenant ryan emmons, the west landing hills firefighter's arm wasself nerd a crash on the beltway last january but doctors have managed to reattach it. in this news4 exclusive, he shows us the progress he has

made after 11 surgeries. last weekend, the royal order of moose presented the 30-year-old with an award for his service and only our cameras were invited. sur rounded by the band of brothers with him when his unit responded to the crash, emmons recounts the ordeal. >> going to be just the typical car crash in the middle of the night. >> reporter: with another crew already on scene and emmons truck nearly there, they were rear earneded by a tractor trailer. >> our driver knew we were going to get hit and he yelled. i figured we would get hit by a car but the impact was greater than the car. >> reporter: the truck was propelled forward, rolled over and crashed through a concrete median. emmons never left the truck, and to this day, doesn't know what severed his arm. >> i mean, i knew my arm was off, you know? i just wanted to make sure i had an arm. >> reporter: today, he does. his fellow firefighters say emmons' perseverance is to be commended.

>> every time we discuss anything, he is talking about how he is going to be throwing ladders, how close he is. >> my injury was a little bit more severe than, you know, average injuries, but just thank you. appreciate everything. >> thank you. >> reporter: erika gonzalez, news4. >> while emmons has movement in his fingers and wrist, he still has no feeling. the west lamb hill volunteer fire department set up a fund for him. we have a link to that website on ours, just go to nbcwashington.com. that's all for news4 this week. i'm veronica johnson, thanks for joining us, as always. until next time, remember, be safe, be kind and be happy. wlap man

i'm terry mcauliffe, candidate for governor, and i sponsored this ad. for 30 years i've worked as an obgyn, my job is to protect the health of women. so i'm particularly offended by ken cuccinelli. cuccinelli wants to make all abortion illegal ... ... even in cases of rape and incest.

... even to protect a woman's health. i want a governor who's focused on schools and creating jobs, not someone who wants to do my job. who's ken cuccinelli to interfere in the lives of women across virginia?

down to the wire. while you were sleeping, the government's first shutdown in 17 years. what's next in the spending debate? plus reaction from all sides. can we get a win? redskins trying to avoid an 0-4 start. some of the challenges against oakland. i'm adam tuss in for richard jordan. >> and i'm angie goff. welcome to adam, first time on the show. >> thank you very much. good to be here. >> if you were driving in this morning, might have a little fog to contend with. >> i noticed it out there. >> i did, too. let's check in with chuck bell. how long will it be around? >> a couple of hours. it will be a little foggy, especially if you o