hello, did you for joining us. i'm j.c. hayward. the supreme court is taking up president obama's healthcare law today, two years after the president actually signed it into law. some say that this is the biggest case to go before the nation's highest court in

decades. nine justices are listening to three days of arguments, concerning whether the healthcare law is constitutional. 26 states are challenging the law, which aims to extend health insurance to more than 30 million americans. >> the question is, how much the federal government can force states to comply with its will. >> reporter: today's issue is, should the court postpone a decision, because the law doesn't actually go into effect until 2014. outside the courthouse, scores of people waited in line throughout the weekend just for the opportunity to get inside the court to hear those arguments. kristen fisher joins us now from the supreme court with more information. kristen? >> oral arguments lasted about two hours, they wrapped up about 15 minutes ago. i tell you what a ticket inside

the supreme court during those arguments were truly the hottest ticket in town. aside from the media, over 100 people were allowed inside to hear those arguments. these are people that were waiting throughout the weekend, some as early as friday afternoon, waiting outside in the rain and cold to get a seat inside. now for those who do not make it in, there is still plenty of activity outside the supreme court. hundreds of people have been demonstrating early this morning. these are people on both sides of the healthcare debate. opponents say it is unconstitutional, the government shouldn't be allowed to make americans purchase health insurance. supporters, on the other hand, like young, a three time cancer survivor, says she knows firsthand the barriers patients face with the current healthcare system. >> i had to make, we had to make decisions based on what prescription drugs i could

take. i had life threatening blood clots and the lovenox i needed cost $100 a month. i had to choose the sacrifices to make in order to keep my son and my self alive. >> our very own bruce leshan was one of the 117 credentialed media allowed inside. what was it like? >> obviously, awesome and amazing, to be part of what is perhaps the most important supreme court case in four decades. but the reality is, what we were hearing about today is deep in the woods. this whole kind of threshold issue, about whether the court even has jurisdiction to hear this case. the government initially said no, the court doesn't have jurisdiction, changed its mind. the obama administration, in there, today, arguing that the court should hear this, should decide it, but justice briar actually said to the government lawyer at one., now wait a

minute, you are in here today arguing this is not a tax. and then tomorrow you are going to come in here and say it is a tax, doesn't make any sense. if it is a tax, the court officially does not have injurious dick until somebody actually pays the tax and that won't be until about 2015 on tax day. >> reporter: this is day one? >> the big deal day, of course is tomorrow, that is where the really big issue is going to be discussed. the individual mandate, or what the government calls minimum health coverage. so there is even more time to argue about that tomorrow, and that really is going to be the big one. >> reporter: bruce leshan, grad you got inside. back to you. thank you very much. today the national black

united front is planning a solidarity rally at the u.s. department of justice to demand justice for trayvon martin. the 17-year-old was shot and killed a month ago today in sanford, florida. his pham and supporters want an arrest in the case. neighborhood watch captain george zimmerman admits to being the shooter, but he says he fired in self-defense. residents in sanford held a prayer rally last night. >> it starts right here, right now with us. >> the first thing is we are going to do a thorough investigation to see what happened here. no one can imagine this happening to their family. >> a grand jury will examine this case when it meets next month. the new black panther party is offering a $10,000 bounty on george zimmerman. the organization calls for a pos is he to -- a posse to find and

capture him. hundreds of people took part naturally on saturday. they were calling for action in the trayvon martin case. many wore black hoodies, like the one that martin was wearing when he was killed. they also held skittles and boxes of iced tea because that is what martin was carrying at the time of his death. president obama is in south korea where more than 50 heads of state are at a nuclear summit. it is the comments of the president to the russian president that some are listening to. >> reporter: an open microphone recorded a conversation between president obama and outgoing russian president med vie did he have. president obama was heard describing how he would deal with issues like missile defense after the election. >> after my election i have

more flexibility. >> reporter: both leaders didn't know their conversation could be heard. the white house says the president's comment reflect political reall the, adding domestic issues are keeping president obama from addressing longstanding problems with russia. president obama was very candid, admitting the united states has too many nuclear weapons. >> i saw as a father who wants my two young girls to grow up in a world where everything they know and love can be instantly wiped up. >> reporter: he warned north korea to back down. >> instead of the dignity you desire, you are more isolated. >> reporter: president obama says the united states will hold back food aid if north korea makes good on its promise to launch a long range missile. rohit -- rita nissan.

still to come, when 9news now continues, help can be difficult for people living in remote parts of the washington, d.c. area. coming up in today's hero central report, i will introduce you to an organization that is designed to change that. >> find out why republican presidential candidate rick santorum tore into a reporter, who asked a question about a political rival. and their stance, on healthcare.

we are turning our attention now to the republican race for president. rick santorum lashed out last night at a new york times reporter, after he was questioned about comments that he made concerning mitt romney. cbs news caught the exchange on camera. susan mcginniss reports. >> rick santorum got into a testy exchange with a new york times reporter in wisconsin last flight. >> he said mitt romney is the worst republican in the

country. is that true? >> what speech did you listen to? >> right here. >> stop lying. >> santorum took on the reporter, when asked to explain his later ataste tack on -- latest attack on mitt romney. in the speech before the former pennsylvania senator had told a crowd of supporters not to vote for romney. >> pick any other republican in the country. he is the worst republican in the counted try to put up -- in the country to put up against brome, against barack obama. >> quit distorting my words. come on man, what are you doing? >> reporter: jeff sell any is the reporter he tussled with. >> he clearly knew the cameras were rolling here. if he wants to use the media as a foil in this way, that is absolutely up to him.

but we are simply asking questions like we all do. >> reporter: santorum a's the reporter was taking him out of context and tried to make this a broad heir tack on his opponent than it was. susan mcginniss, cbs news, washington. santorum is campaigning in wisconsin. he overwhelmingly won louisiana but he is far behind in the race for delegates. coming up next, howard has the forecast. >> reporter: j.c., look at these temperatures as we go to break, 60 degrees in alexandria, it has some problems tonight with the cold air moving in. i'll explain, that and your 7-day forecast when 9news now at noon returns. if you have copd like i do,

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we have been keeping through e-mails and websites to find you deep discounts. how about a two night get away to miami beach? google offers has a deal you can't beat, a two night miami beach get away for two people. you are going to stay at the beacon hotel in the heart of south beach. all for $299, a 51% discount. this normally goes for $618. are you looking to get in better shape for beach season? sears is offering a nordic track, pro, treadmill. this normally sells for just

under $1300, for $600. and living social is offering a deal from bold earth teen adventures. your middle schooler or high schooler will enjoy a 14 to 24 day expedition in the wild. this is normally a thousand dollars deal but right now is going for $200 per child, an 80% discounsel. if you have seen a deal or are a merchant with an offer for our viewers, i'm jessica doyle, 9news now. in alexandria, volunteers from all over virginia go to the house on wheels to help feed the hungry and the poor. >> it focused its attention on 21 counties outside the metro washington, d.c. area today we are going to salute their good deeds on hero central.

>> people are choosing between food and prescriptions. between food and their light bill. between food and clothing for their children. it is in a crisis mode. with the food we get through catholic charities and the food distributed through the child program is completely essential to the lies of -- to the lives of people that live in the county. >> patrick knows firsthand the value of christ house. he receives food weekly for his loaves and fishes food pan try. >> we take food to other pantries throughout the diocese that aren't get the donations and are seeing a much higher level of poverty than we see in this area. >> nicole bruno is the volunteer for the christ house meals on wheels program. >> we pack 40 pounds of nonperrishable goods, that includes pasta, peanut butter, rice, beans, vegetables, fruit, canned meats and bring them out to the other pantries for

people to distribute from there. >> the backbone of the food pantry is volunteers, like dan foos, a driver and his 15-year-old driver, lisa. they are part of the heartwarming people dedicated to helping others. >> they follow the mission of the catholic church, which is to provide corporal works of mercy to their fellow man. and food is the basic, basic need. according to the usda, one in ten rural families live in poverty according to the rural poverty research institute, 23% of children are living in poverty. that is why this program is so important i don't they are telling us thank you so much for what you do. and we could be do it without

your pan try. those are the kind of things that just really make you feel good. >> by the way, on april 14th, catholic charities arlington will be kicking off their first annual shoe box project. volunteers will pack and decorate care boxes for people in need. if you would like more information just go to my website, j.c. hayward.com and click on hero central. here's howard with the forecast. >> reporter: we have some wind, that is one of the problems or the big problem today. temperatures will top out into the low 60s over the next few hours. look at these winds. 27 miles per hour out of the northwest, gusting to 35 miles per hour. so yeah, that is an issue. we have temperatures by 7:00 back in the mid-50s. and then by 9:00, we'll be in the low 50s. still with brisk winds, we'll have wind chills tonight into the 40s. maybe i think wind chills into

the 20s by tomorrow morning, if not upper teens. windy today with a gust 30 plus. clear and cold tonight, down in the 20s and 30s. wind chills are going to be a factor on tuesday morning. protect your tender plants, because with temperatures dipping into the 20s, we are going to have some problems. in fact the growing season, it has been so warm the last few weeks. the growing season has begun, wash way, frederick, carroll, north of baltimore, and the i 81 corridor all the way down the valley here east of the blue ridge, still in that freeze watch. what's going to happen? weather as far as over the next few hours, will make their best guesstimate on whether or not there will be a freeze or not and then they'll issue a freeze warning. look at these winds, manassas and leesburg, reagan national

35. it is a windy day out there. temperatures sitting in the low 60s. mid-60s, but low 50s hagerstown, and cumberland barely moved at all today. looking outside here, the weather camera is a flag atop a university building. plenty of sunshine here, very clear skies, 5 degrees, winds north are west at 22. the due points have really dropped into the low 30s. drying out behind this storm here pulling off the east coast. near chicago and south illinois, also driving the winds today. the low pressure continues to suck the cold air in. that is going to drop the temperatures tonight into the 20s and 30s. tomorrow a chilly day, temperatures getting into the mid and upper 50s. tonight will be the coldest

night and back toward 70ish on wednesday, maybe a rumble of thunder. tonight 5 in town, but upper 20s north and west, we are expecting a freeze tomorrow 58, by wednesday warmer a couple of showers 73. as we head into thursday and friday back in the 60s, sunday morning could be a few showers. we are going over to a commercial, we'll be right back, after this.

april is national donate life month. the month dedicated to raising awareness for the need for organ, eye and tissue donors. wusa9 has teamed up with the washington community to bring you the stories of those whose lives have been touched by an organ or eye tissue donation. >> when i was expecting with katrina, the doctors had noticed something was wrong with her heart. she was born with congenital heart defects, and more than just one, it was pretty complicated. when we sat down with her doctors, they had said for us the best way for katrina to survive would be to have a heart transplant. she was nine weeks old when she received her new heart. >> registering to be a donor is easy. register whenever you obtain or renew your driver's license or online at be a donor.org --

beadonor.org. all right. today i am one-on-one with immigration attorney don moors and we are discussing an immigration issue that is causing an outcry across the county and cub try. -- ask country -- and country. it is going to be on the maryland ballot. what we are talking about is the dream act and i'll let don explain exactly what is the dream act? >> j.c., thanks for having me on. dream act is very simple.

children who came here, young adults under the dream act, they will have an opportunity to pay in state tuition to go on to community college. if they were at least in our schools for at least three years, these are kids who came here, their parents brought them, i like to say not illegally, but through alternative entry processes. without vees says -- visas or. >> other people are calling them illegal. >> there is nothing illegal. it is an administrative wrong and these are kids who, again, came here, we have educated them. montgomery county, like fairfax and the rest of this area, we are sitting on the globe with these wonderful resources representing by -- represented by these kids. we have invested so much money their education already. if they get through community

college, being able to pay tuition at the university of maryland. >> this bill was already signed by the governor. why is there so much controversy now, and people want it on the bal lat? >> what comes in with the whole issue of immigration, as i said, it is an investment that would then be realized with a small investment for college. another other side kids have come if with their parents, they have done wrong, they are illegal, and they should be sent home. by giving them in state tuition we are really encouraging some sort of bad behavior and it brings out the whole emotion of immigration. like abortion or other items that we see. >> signatures as soon as the governor signed -t a judge said, gave the blessing in february so it is going to be on the ballot in november. >> all right. so maryland voters will be able

to register their feelings about this in november. did you, don, for being with us. be looking for the dream back on the ballot. come back and visit us at 5:00. have a great day. don't forget to go to j.c. hayward.com. bye bye.