in florida, every commercial break, there was another ad, whether it be an ad by the campaigns. most were negative in tone or aggressive. mitt romney reminded the recorders outside his campaign office that basically, look, he learned a lesson. he's going to go on the offensive and so that's exactly what he did here over the last ten days. >> preston, you are in the romney campaign headquarters and all week long until we heard mitt romney basically say hey, you can feel it coming my way. is that the vibe you have tonight? >> yeah, certainly. all of its supporters remain upbeat and romney gave you the appearance of the front runner. his only appearance was this morning. other than that, he remained behind closed doors today. wanted to rest up for tonight, focus on the campaign. newt gingrich was out on the campaign trail today making numerous stops along i-4. that's the interstate between tampa and orlando.

that's a key corridor. they say that as the i-4 corridor, so goes the state of florida. that was a key area. newt gingrich trying to make a last ditch effort today to try to rally some type of support. you get the feeling that romney is going to be victor ious. the polls showing romney in the lead over the last 24 to 48 hours. they have been holding steady since the debate on thursday night. all indications are that romney will have a comfortable lead. >> it's so interesting. we thought that gingrich could possibly pull off an upset in florida. until that debate last thursday. was that the turning point for him? >> i think that was definitely the final turning point. gingrich certainly couldn't match dollars with mitt romney here in florida. there are ten television markets. you need a lot of money to survive this state. romney's camp, they outspent gingrich by 5-1 margin. they spent over $15 million when you add in the super pack where gingrich and his

supporters spent over $3 million. again, romney also decided that he was going to fight back. instead of focusing on barack obama. he decided he was going to fight back against the other candidates. and the other thing we can't discount here in this race, derek, is that after some debate performances in south carolina, mitt romney went ahead, he changed this debate coach. in fact, the last day on thursday before the second debate, he basically canceled all campaign stops. he focused on the debate. he was coached all day long and that showed in his performance on last week, thursday, that was the lynch pin in terms of winning the state here tonight. >> brice great stuff. we appreciate it. >> a man is in custody tonight for the murder of lenny harris. that's the man who was found shot dead, his body in a well last week. prince georges county police arrested 49-year-old lin wood johnson today and detectives say johnson newharris, who is a well known community activist, they are not saying exactly how

he knew him. harris disappeared september 21, the next day, somebody was caught on surveillance video using his atm card at a bank. his phone and his car were discovered in the following weeks. police say johnson's motive was robbery, but not giving out many details. >> we have recovered what we believe to be the murder weapon, the murder weapon is a firearm. mr. lin wood johnson gave a full written and verbal confession to prince georges county police department homicide detectives just a few hours ago. >> police are still looking for some other suspects in that murder. >> an update now on that wrong way crash out in anne arundel county that killed four people over the weekend. maryland state police say both drivers were under the influence of alcohol. the crash happened around 3:30 saturday morning and police say 19-year-old brittany ann walker was actually driving the wrong way on route number 50 when she ran into 55-year-old terri

wayne davis. walker and her two passengers were killed in the crash. davis died on the way to the hospital. >> tonight, police are looking for the vandals who damaged the mosque under construction in virginia. the muslim community was just weeks away from opening its brand-new mosque when the vandals hit with avengeance over the weekend. beer bottles, bricks, stones, all thrown at the building. each custom made window broken or shattered. damage estimated at $80,000. >> there are always going be people who don't like this. but the majority of the people within this area, you know, are very accepting and are very loving people. >> the project manager says police collected forensic evidence from what looks to be blood from one of the vandals that may have been cut by some of that broken glass. >> for the first time today, governor martin o'malley testified in favor of same sex marriage. the question, will it have any effect on the lawmakers at the

epicenter of this debate sharply dividing the debate. scott broom was at state house for the day's emotional events. >> as this debate unfolds in annapolis again this year, all eyes are on powerful african american church leaders in prince georges county. >> marriage should be defined between what? >> one man and one woman. >> there you go. >> african american church leaders back again doing battle at an antigay marriage rally in annapolis last night. >> they don't know our god. >> the heart of religious freedom is respect for the freedom of individual conscious. >> on the other side, governor martin o'malley, a catholic who for the first time, testified in favor of same sex marriage in a senate hearing today. >> it's not right and it is not just. that the children of gay couples should have lesser protections than the children of other families in our state. >> it's about love. we all love each other. >> jaywalker is a delegate from prince georges county that

explains that while lawmakers from the county are a democratic block the governor can usually count on. not when powerful churches in the county are opposed. >> many of us go there when it's campaign time every four years. they open up their churches and they don't ask for much. this is one of the instances where they are asked. >> there's diversity in prince georges, too, like pastors darlene and candy holmes. >> all black people do not look alike and all black people do not think alike. >> surprised, their a married same sex couple who raised four children. >> this is not a religious issue. it's a civil issue. indeed, i believe it is an issue of civil rights. >> the gay marriage debate plays out again as a new washington post poll finds the largest number of marylanders yet in favor of gay marriage. hardly an overwelming margin, but proof that minds have been changing on this devicive issue. at the state house in

annapolis, scott broom, 9news now. >> other in virginia, a subcommittee has given a thumbs up to a bill that would add the doctrine to the state code. that would allow virginiaens to use deadly force against intruders to their homes. the state already allows people to defend themselves under common law, but only if the person thinks the intruder intends to harm them. the castle doctrine bill would not require people to determine the intent. today virginia governor says he backs the change. >> to me, that's reasonable. somebody breaks into your house, i don't know what they're going to do. i have to presume they are going to do violence to me or my family. so i would be supportive of reasonable use of force in broader circumstances to deter crime. >> a similar bill was introduced and passed last year, but it failed in the senate. >> well now, a head's up to maryland drivers. the southbound lanes of the bw parkway are reopened in prince

georges. remember, they have been closed because of a fatal accident and happened around 3:00 p.m. two cars involved in that one. the driver was killed. the two people in the other car have nonlife threatening injuries. and metro riders take one last look at the south entrance because starting tomorrow, it will close. for almost nine months. that's so metro can replace the three escalators. the transit agency says the existing escalators were installed in 1997 and turn out to be some of the least reliable in the whole system. the work expected to go on through october. the station's north entrance along q street is what you'll have to use until then. coming up, st warm weather has gotten some of our trees confused. some cherry trees beginning to bloom. we'll tell you why occupy d.c. protesters will have plenty of notice. that's before they ever get kicked out of their camp. [ male announcer ] this was how my day began.

a little bird told me about a band... ♪ an old man shared some fish stories... ♪ oooh, my turn. ♪ she was in paris, but we talked for hours... everyone else buzzed about the band. there's a wireless mind inside all of us. so, where to next? ♪

tonight, the occupy d.c. protesters are still occupying both mcpherson square and freedom plaza. more than a day after the park service said it would enforce that camping ban in both parks. both sides appeared before a u.s. district judge this morning. one of the protesters filed a lawsuit to get an injunction against the park police. the judge denied that request, but did rule the federal government would have to serve any notice of eviction through that court. right now, the national park service says it has no

immediate plan to close down the protests. now, to the town of arizona where city council candidate who was kicked off the ballot is fighting back. we're talking about cabrera. last week a judge removed her name after ruling that her english speaking skills were not good enough to serve in office. under arizona law, office holders must be able to read, write, and speak in english. cabrera was born in arizona, but lived in mexico until she was 17 and she says she can handle her english well enough to serve. >> i speak english. a little maybe. but it's enough. >> okay, you just heard her. cabrera believes this move against her is politically motivated because she once led a recall effort against the current mayor. she is filing a court appeal hoping to get her name back on the ballot. what do you think? should politicians be required

to speak english fluently? arizona law does require that, but the constitution doesn't require it of a congressional candidate. or should the make up of the district be considered when it comes to candidates have a first or second language. she says most of her constituents are spanish speakers. we consider all offer thoughts. send them to mail bag at wusa9.com. today's temperatures will stick around for another day, but winter may be on the comeback. topper will give us a full word on it coming up, but up next, we head off to the kennedy center for a tribute to a d.c. native who hit it big. stay with us.

singer, john legend down at kennedy center paying tribute to d.c. native and motown icon, marvin gay. the purpose was to mark the legendary purpose of the song, what's going on. but as bruce johnson tells us, legend helped to launch what's going on now. that's a campaign aimed at getting young people to use the arts and social media to get involved. ♪ [ music ] >> it was 40 years ago that d.c. native son, marvin gay, called the young masses to get involved on every social and

political front. >> today at the kennedy center, john legend was repeating the call, singing marvin gay's, what's going on. still relevant today, with students from the city's duke eling ellington school for the arts. ♪ [ music ] >> much has changed since marvin gay performed the song in this building. and much remained the same. >> too much unemployment in america. there are too many homeless people on the streets. >> know the issues for youth today. many are living. >> i lost six of my friends, my senior year alone in my neighborhood. they were all murdered. >> we have to wear this. we have to sing this type of song. we have to be somebody who we don't want to be. i think society is also changing and teaching us to be individual. >> john legend hopes to inspire the students using the

arts, social media. and marvin gay's music. >> kids are very aware of their surroundings and the world is getting smaller and smaller for them through all this technology that we have. they need a little bit of a catalyst. ♪ [ music ] >> bruce johnson, 9news now. >> and the kennedy center is encouraging young people to go to the website, what's going on now.org and john legend will be back in may. he has two concerts coming up. it was another spring-like day across the metro and this time the flowers are apparently liking it. maybe too much. check it out. along the title basin. cherry trees are starting to bloom, but don't get worked up. it's an autumn flowering cherry tree that is starting to bud. the japanese cherry trees that bring millions of visitors, they have not yet started to flower. arborists say those trees know better. it's warm today, but it's

january. as i like to say, let's be real. >> exactly. >> are we going to get real later in the week? >> we are. we're going to be in fantasy land tomorrow. 56 at national. 66 at dulles. we should be back in the 60s tomorrow. no problem. even with the clouds and the showers. let's start with a live look outside. it is very nice outside. temperatures are falling a little bit. they are back in the 50s. they have fallen back in the 50s, but that's the case. temperatures 53 downtown. dew point 33. relative humidity still very low at 47%. pressure steady and the winds out of the south, southwest at 10. they are going to be breezy all night, but that's going to keep temperatures up tonight. so we can thank those winds. all right, in terms of temperatures across the area, the satellite picture. we have a weak system along the gulf coast, stretching moisture up the ohio river. probably less than a tenth of an inch by the time all is said and done. showers and a few patches, light rain in western sections

of west virginia and eastern kentucky. that's about it. we have clear skies now. we will have clouds come in. we will stay dry. temperatures falling a little bit. 56 in bethesda. 55 in great falls. even these would be nice temperature for highs. 55 in springfield. cooler in beltsville. okay, still warm wednesday, breezy and milder tonight. grab your umbrella tomorrow. it's not going to be a lot of activity. cooler and wet on thursday. a very nice finish to the week on friday. sunshine returns. so for tonight, clear early. clouds come in late. breezy and milder, 40 to 45. winds southwest at about 10 to 15. so lows across the metro area, we're talking above 40 or 40 above. very unusual. 41 gaithersburg. 42 rockville. statistically, this is our coldest time of the year. 42 in college park. and maybe you get down to 40 out toward leesburg and manassas. all right, tomorrow morning,

variable clouds, breezy, mild. some showers possible. also sunshine. temperatures in the 40s and 50s. by afternoon, again, variable cloudiness, breeze i si and warm. highs between 60 and 65. winds southwest 10 to 15. becomes northwest 10 to 15 in the afternoon as a cold front goes through. we'll break it down. tomorrow morning, 40s to start with some clouds. maybe a couple sprinkles at noon. also sun. 57 to 62. those are good numbers for noon. by 5:00, 59 to 64. a couple showers possible, but a warm start to february. we had a very warm finish to january. all right, next three days. showers may linger into thursday morning. we'll salvage the back half of thursday, 51. some uncertainty. that's not a power packed storm either. very nice on friday, sunshine. and temperatures back into the low 50s. the next seven days, unsettled over the weekend and cooler, too. in fact, on saturday and sunday, we're going to be in

the mid 40s. some light rain possible saturday night into sunday morning. may end as snow in the mountains and looking at a shower on sunday. maybe a shower on monday. we go back in the upper 40s on monday. we did talk about this yesterday. the arctic air may be coming next week. it changes mind again. >> the arctic air is not coming now? >> not that much of it. >> oh, we'll be back. we want to hear what you think. send your e-mails to mcginty's mail bag. the address, mailbag@wusa9.com. 9news now will be right back.

in the mail bag tonight, that school in a place called burton, michigan, that suspended a 17-year-old kelly from frederick, maryland, says, i am surprise a school finds it necessary to regular hair length at all. it seems like a nonissue. if there is a rule, it should apply to all without exceptions. all

silly. of course the boy should be allowed to grow his hair. he is a cancer survivor like many of us and locks for love is a good cause. it is a nonissue as far as i can see. there goes that word, nonissue. the burton superintendent wants the boy back in school. they are trying to work of you things to say about a potential park police showdown with those occupy protesters at freedom plaza and mcpherson square. carol is wondering if the cops ever had any intention of moving in. in fact, the protesters defied the police and arrested lp but wonder why i hato pay for all the damage, the traffic stop, the extra police and the cleanup after the protesters. d.c. is becoming a joke. and john argues it's really not

about free speech. free speech is speech and within limits, that's fine. defying authority is another issue. and you defy authority at your own risk. if you out number the authority or out last the authority you win. if you don't, you lose. the only losers are those who don't take the time to drop us a line. mailbag@wusa9.com. that is our broadcast. i'll be right back here at 11:00 along with anita brikman. we'll have the latest on the florida primary. we'll see you then. bye bye.

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