still remaining is was the family here? was this child being supervised? that's something investigators are trying to confirm right now and i'll tell you something. it's still something that's ongoing here right now. >> that's one incredible fall. i know you'll keep us updated. we're also following some breaking news out of olney where a fire at a townhouse grew to three alarms this afternoon. nobody was hurt, but that house was completely destroyed by flames. the red cross is assisting the two adults and two teenagers who lived there finding alternate accommodations, no word yet what may have started that fire. tonight joe biden and paul ryan in their first and only debate of this campaign, 2012. good evening. i'm anita brikman coming to you live from usa today headquarters in mclean. we'll go back to the studio in a few minutes for more of today's headlines, but right now a preview of this all important vice presidential debate from reporter emily schmidt.

>> reporter: tonight marks paul ryan's and joe biden's one chance to vie for the no. 2 job. biden joked with reporters. >> you ever seen me rope a dope? >> reporter: but this is his chance to make up for what was widely perceived as a loss by president obama to mitt romney in last week's debate. >> the vice president is very much looking forward to the debate tonight because there are really clear distinctions between the president and mitt romney even if governor romney is trying to fuzzy up those distinctions in the final weeks of the campaign. >> reporter: biden has done this before debating sarah palin in 2008. it's ryan's biggest ever debate stage. he's talking of studying 40 pounds of paperwork as republicans try to build up biden's debate skills. >> i've known paul for a long, long time. he's always hit the ball out of park, but let me tell you something. this is his first time. joe biden has been doing this

since the 1800ism. >> reporter: six new polls show the race tightened after the first presidential debate especially in battleground state of virginia, florida, ohio, wisconsin and colorado. it puts more pressure on candidates tonight. however -- >> if either of these candidates make it about them, i think they're making a mistake. this is about governor romney and president obama. i think they'll both focus on thatch. >> reporter: it's a dual challenge. steal the stage for tonight and set the stage for their running mates for the rest of the campaign. >> when the debate starts at 9:00 tonight, tune into wusa9 to hear what the candidates have to say. at the same time join us online at www.wusa9.com to read what usa today reporters are saying about the debate in a live blog. you can take part in our conversation with us through facebook and twitter. at 11:00 i'll be here to fact check the debate with the usa today political team. it's going to be a long night,

an exciting night full of information. we'll watch it all the way through. derek, for now back to you in the studio. right now one of the presidential candidates making his case to voters in north carolina. it's mitt romney who is holding the rally in asheville all set to be joined by congressman john boehner. former arkansas governor mike huckabee and country singer ronny millsap are also scheduled. the republican vice presidential candidate is scheduled to speak tomorrow. meantime president obama spending his day in florida. he'll be holding a rally in miami in about an mauer. earlier he was talking to the -- in an mauer. earlier he was talking to the crowd -- in an hour. earlier he was talking to the crowds in coral gables. today police identified the man shot in the 1100 block of eighth street northeast, his name? gregory darnell troxler, so far

no suspects or motive in the case. two of three suspects charged in the beating of a capitol hill man will be in court tomorrow, tommy branch and sonny kuti charged in the attack of tommy maslin. a third suspect waived his right to preliminary hearing. news today of a huge development deal near nationals park. according to the prince of petworth blog, the mixed use project will include 650,000 square feet of offices, retail, hotel pace and residences just north of the stadium across from the navy yard metro station. there's no word yet when that work would begin. coming up at 7:00 we'll tell you why you may see big bird a whole lot more towards the end of the month, that and much more at 7:00. >> we thought bing bird just hung out on sesame street. -- big bird just hung out on sesame street. >> i think it's a political thing. coming up these little birds have something to brag

about not many of us can. we'll tell you. >> it was a bright brisk day, numbers a bit below average but no complaints, 63 and 49. average is 73 and 53, record high 90 set back in 1990. that's the last time we have a record high of 90 or higher until march 22nd, no precip in the books, a little behind for the month and the year. we'll come back and talk about the coldest air of the season at way. >> but first some encouraging news in the housing market coming up in 90 seconds.

another sign tonight that the housing market is on the rebound. foreclosure rates reached a five-year low in september. that means fewer families were forced to leave their homes. realty track reports it is the second straight month of declines in foreclosure filings and the number of homes entering those foreclosure processes are at the lowest level since late 2007. four children and their grandmother are dead after a row house fire in baltimore. the victims included a 2-year- old, her 4-year-old brother. they were all in one bedroom and their grandmother nancy worrell was screaming for help from the window. >> they said she was asking for help and when she come back around, the fire was just on her. >> it's terrible. >> and it hurt right here. it hurt.

>> two firefighters were also injured. the family says nancy worrell allowed as many of her 19 children as well as her grandchildren to stay in the house at any time. underdeveloped lungs and liver probms killed the baby panda born last month at the national zoo. the zoo released the results of the panda's necropsy today. the chief veterinarian says the week-old panda died after its lungs couldn't provide enough oxygen to its liver and then those liver cells began to die. the zoo beliefs the panda cub was a girl -- believes the panda cub was a girl. a big rally at university of maryland. students are urging a yes vote on question 6 of the maryland ballots next month. >> we need your help. too many people might just skip the questions. some people might not really understand the importance of this. there's going to be a lot of negative ads that are going to be on the television set.

we need your help if we're going to win on november 6th. >> betapen as the students rally -- but even as the students rally, a huge controversy has broken out over the referendum. galludet university has placed its chief diversity is of on paid leave for signing a petition that gave maryland voters a say on same sex marriage. critics are blasting the school saying it's violated dr. lang mccaskill's basic first -- angela mccaskill's basic first amendment rights. supporters say she can't be the diversity officer without supporting equal rights for paul. here's bruce leshan. >> reporter: the two people at the heart of this controversy are not talking. the galludet university president did send out an e- mail blast to students saying that dr. mccaskill has participated in a legislative initiative that some feel is inappropriate. dr. mccaskill's husband did pick up the phone at their upper marlboro home. he said no comment because they're still looking for a  lawyer, but he did say his wife

is so upset about this that she is now under a doctor's care. >> i was quite shocked. >> reporter: the man leading the effort to block gay effort in maryland says he is shocked. >> now we're saying because she signed a petition, oops, put the brakes on. she can't fairly do her job when i think the day before anybody would have probably said she's done a great job. >> reporter: but the group urging support for same sex imagine also says galludet has made a mistake. >> question 6 and marriage equality is about fairness. we think it's only fair dr. mccaskill be reinstated. >> reporter: mccaskill has served galludet nearly a quarter century. she is the first deaf african american woman to earn a phd from the nation's premier university for the deaf, but many students still support the administration's decision to place her on leave for signing the petition, the petition to give voters a right to veto same sex marriage. >> dr. mccaskill is the chief diversity officer and with that position we expect her to

include everyone. >> reporter: this is now a rallying cry for the conservative family research council which has blasted out an e-mail to its thousands of supporters urging them to contact galludet and demand dr. mccaskill's immediate reinstatement. at galludet university bruce leshan, 9 news now. >> galludet's president t. alan hurwitz said in his e-mail he will use the extended period of dr. mccaskill's leave to determine the most appropriate next steps. you'll live at usa today headquarters ahead of tonight's vice presidential debate with a political team like no other. we're going to preview our coverage tonight plus a key debate scheduled for maryland and voter registration deadlines. all of that is ahead.

just under three hours to go until the first and only vice presidential debate of campaign 2012. the stage is set in danville, kentucky, tonight. all that's missing are current vice president joe biden, republican running mate paul ryan, their moderator and the crowd. i'm out here life at usa today headquarters in mclean and i'll be with you all night through

the debate and for 9news at 11:00. once the debate starts usa today reporters will be live blogging about what the candidates are saying. they're fact checking it. you can track that live at www.wusa9.com and take part in the conversation with us on our facebook page and our twitter feed. if you're not near a tv, you can watch the debate here on wusa9 live streamed on our website as well. again, this is a multi-platform experience. then on 9 news now at 11:00 i'll be fact checking the debate with the usa today political team. now local news of high importance, the debate schedule is set for the 6th district race in maryland. roscoe bartlett will meet democrat john delaney in their first debate tonight in hagerstown. their second debate is next wednesday in the same place. then on sunday, the 21st, they debate in rockville. that is followed by appearances in cumberland the next afternoon and one in frederick that night.

the debates wrap up with a second frederick appearance sunday the 28th. so these candidates will spend a lot of time talking with each other. if u plan on voting in maryland, d.c. or virginia in the upcoming election and haven't registered to vote yet, you only have a few days left. in virginia you have until monday. in maryland the deadline is next tuesday and in d.c. your only option at this point is to register in person at the election boards headquarters, but you only have until friday, october 19th, to do that. if you need more specifics on voter registration, you can find it at www.wusa9.com. look under our campaign 2012 tab. it's going to be an exciting night here tonight. again our coverage with the wusa9 team as well as usa today. we'll have it all for you. >> before i let you go, i know you're our health expert and i know we get a kick out of what we asked surae chinn to do today because i just know you.

she went to shady grove adventist hospital in rockville to meet some of the first babies with today's unique birthday. so think about it. in shorthand october 11th, 2012, becomes 10-11-12. do you like that? the first baby born on this day at the hospital entered the world at 3:28 this morning, a frederick maryland baby, baby, mom and dad are all doing well. >> and the first one, i love her so much. it's a special day for us. >> after waiting, waiting, when it was 12 i was like oh, man, lucky day is here. so baby came on the lucky day. we are blessed. we are definitely blessed. >> the baby girl's name is gervenetang which means god's grace. it also happens to be the baby's grandfather's birthday today, so wow, coming in on 10- 11-12, got the family connection going.

that's really special. >> it sure is. first i love her little outfit with the little black and white and the pink and as they were waiting waiting waiting dad says mom says we're pushing pushing pushing. >> and the baby is yelling, yelling, yelling, all is well. and the weather, just divine today really. >> divine, cool but we've had no complaints. it was a perfect fall day. we're looking at a nice finish to the week, albeit a little on the cool side and a big warm-up on the end of the weekend in, between coldest air of the season. let's start with live look outside. first do the fall colors looking at peak to past peak outed out toward the divide -- out toward the divide, west of the divide. it's near peak west of i-81 and lots of good color around the shenandoah valley. i think you're better off waiting for skyline drive one more weekend. there's some color in the

immediate metro area. we've got a ways to go still. live look outside, our live weather cam brought to you by michael and son. it almost looks like a fake picture. it's just perfect, not a cloud in the sky, 60 degrees, dew point in the 30s, pressure steady 30.22, wind south, southwest at 11. that will change. there's a cold front to our west. ahead of the front winds south, southwest and behind the front tomorrow morning winds will turn northwest and that cold front will usher in the coldest air of the season tomorrow night. 63 in rockville, 509 great falls, 58 fairfax -- 59 great falls, 58 fairfax, down toward burke and vienna, 60 downtown, 61 college park and 59 in bowie. coldest air on the way, chilly tonight. you'll need your sunglasses tomorrow. chilly for high school football. just dress for the 40s. a freeze watch north and west of town tomorrow night. clear early, a few clouds coming in late as the cold front approaches, just chilly, upper 30s to 40s, winds southwest 5 to 10.

tomorrow morning returning mostly sunny, breezy, 40s and 50s, cold front through, northwest 10 to 15. by afternoon we'll say partly cloudy, a bit breezy. it will be cool but nice, high temperatures around 65, winds turn northerly 10 to 15. you'll probably need a jacket dale tomorrow. here's your -- jacket all day tomorrow. here's your freeze watch, montgomery and loudoun county north and west. if you have plants that are sensitive, bring them in. cold air is coming tomorrow. next three days all green, 65 tomorrow, cool nice, cooler but still nice saturday, 62, beautiful sunday, temperatures in the upper 70s. next seven days just a couple showers on monday. notice now i have the logo up there tomorrow? you know why? because i believe there's going to be a fifth game. >> i believe. >> skins in town, ravens in town, going to be great sunday, showers monday, wednesday, thursday, but we hold in the 70s. >> we believe in them. dave owens is live at

nationals park. how is it looking? >> reporter: hey, guys, it's game on, game four here at nats park, great stuff going on inside. we'll talk about game four right after the break. that's not all, also some football and why it's not a shoe-in rg3 will play against  the vikings this weekend, all that coming up in sports next.

and now 9 sports with dave owens. >> reporter: welcome back to game 166, everybody. it couldn't be bigger, all the cliches, win or go home, your backs are against the wall, there is no tomorrow. you've heard them all. that's exactly what's going on inside that building right now. let's look at how it's going. let's roll the scoreboard right now, 1-1 in the 8th inning. boy, a big one. adam laroche with a home run today, good news for him because he had been struggling congress in. ross detwiler pitching -- coming in. ross detwiler pitching pretty well, some concern about him coming in this game, but pitching good today, 1-1 in the 8th. we'll continue to update you as the evening goes on. turning to baltimore now, if you're an orioles fan, you had every excuse to call into work today and claim a deep gut wrenching sickness after last night's ending in new york. two outs away from a 2-1 series lead when raul ibanez tied it and won it in extra innings.

makes you wonder how can the orioles possible recovery? they have to. >> i feel good about where they are mentally. it's not the first time they've had a challenge this year. hopefully won't be the last. hopefully it is the last. >> one of the trade marks of this team ever since i've been here anyways has been to move past difficult games and adverse situations like that. >> reporter: turning to football now, redskins fans hoping their quarterback doesn't suffer the same fate as dale jr., the nascar driver, who says a blow to the head about five weeks ago might have caused a concussion. last weekend at talladega griffin sustained that concussion against the falcons next week and has to go through the process of getting back on the field, the battery of tests. he says he feels fine, but that doesn't matter. the doctors have to give him the go ahead. head coach mike shanahan said his quarterback is practicing this week, so far, so good. >> it didn't look like there was any setback.

i haven't talked to the doctors yet. we'll go through his tests, but he looked fine. i would say he would probably be limited to full, 85, 90%, 75, 80%, so he's close. >> reporter: time to reveal our latest game of the week poll, a look at your five choices, big game in d.c. this week, beleau and anacostia, plus a showdown in fairfax county. all right, guys, a great scene out here, 44,000 plus as we get into the 8th inning. that's the third largest crowd ever here at nats park. the winner takes on san francisco. that's going to do it from nats park, back to you guys in the studio. we'll be coming up later hopefully talking about nature win. >> no pressure at all. they just need to get it done or this is. >> no pressure. >> that's it for us. got a big night ahead. the cbs evening news is next, the nats game, the debates, derek up at 7:00.

stay with us all night long. have a great one.