>> i do, alex. i think this is potentially the most important decision that this president may have to make, and he's got a lot and has had a lot of important decisions to make. >> wow, yeah. >> but the difficulty here, alex, is that you are never sure what is going to work and what is not going to work. and, clearly, general mcchrystal has said, look, we cannot fight a traditional war in afghanistan. it can't be for control of territory, it can't be fire battles. it clearly can't be sending these drones into villages when you think you've got somebody in a house you want to take out. this is not working. and you know, if anybody who has read "three cups of tea" by greg mort mortenson knows how important the hearts and minds are in that country. so, the question is, if you add what looks like it's going to be about 40,000 troops he recommends, how do you deploy them to get the civilian society back? >> see, now -- >> and this is hard. very hard. >> but peter, you say if. we've got the vice president

not a lot changes, alex. really, it's just down there in poor old atlanta that's going to have kind of rainy weekend. >> what's your favorite season? >> spring. it's my birthday month, so, april. >> oh, that's nice. that's nice. okay, thank you very much, bill. >>> still ahead, banks banking on you to be a bad bookkeeper. see how fees are helping banks balance their books. >>> and it takes a mighty big check to have dinner with sarah palin. you're going to see how much someone shelled out for supper with sarah and friends. ♪ the amazing always infinity. ♪ it's astonishingly flexible. ♪ unbelievably soft. ♪ and has an amazing material... that's 4x more absorbent than you may need. making fluids seem to... poof... disappear. just like magic. ♪ always infinity. have a happy period. nows just how much water vegetables need. so, to turn those vegetables into campbell's condensed soup, we don't boil it down, our chefs just add less water from the start. ♪ so many, many reasons ♪ it's so m'm! m'm! good! ♪ new aches

i talked to a guy earlier today, alex. he says he's visiting from california, and today in new york was the first time he had seen rain in six months. can you imagine? six months. they haven't had any wet weather at all. >> nope. wow. >> their rainy season comes, when, november, december? >> they could certainly use the rain, though, with the fires. remember jimena? didn't quite happen. didn't make it. all right, bill, thank you very much. >>> and this is a sad story to share this morning. the world's oldest person has passed away. gertrude baines died on friday at a los angeles, california, hospital. she was 115 years old. the georgia native was born, if you can imagine this, april 6th, 1894. back then, the u.s. flag had 44 stars and grover cleveland was president, to put it all in perspective for you. baines had out-lived every one of her relatives. gertrude baines dead at the age of 115. and if you will indulge me just for a moment here, i want to show all of you, i was able to be at that birthday party celebration you

alex? >> okay, mike viqueira, thanks very much, mike. >> reporter: all right. >> watch "meet the press" tomorrow on nbc. moderator david gregory speaks exclusively with former president clinton about the controversy surrounding iran. check your local listings for the time. >>> turning now to the death of a census worker in kentucky. bill sparkman's body was discovered by a family visiting a rural kentucky cemetery. jerry weaver tells the "associated press" that sparkman was gagged and his hands and feet were bound with duct tape. authorities say the word fed was written across sparkman's chest. officials say his preliminary cause of death is asphyxiation. the director of the census bureau says the agency is taking necessary precautions. >> we've suspended activity in those -- in that county and notified our client agencies that we've done so until we figure out what's happening. this is a very complicated matter. it isn't clear what happened, but prudence tells us that we should stop for a

>> i think so, alex. he did a very good job this week with his speech, going to folks with health insurance. look, nobody's terribly pleased with their insurance coverage. i mean, they may be pleased with their doctors, but you know, when they're like me and you have a psa test and somebody sends you a $300 bill and you think you've got the high coverage, you're not real happy, and i think everybody's got a story about their health insurance. >> the psa number? >> luckily, i'm okay, joe, thanks. i appreciate it. but you know, a lot of this is preventive, too. and i think this is where this is going. i mean, people now understand the necessity of good health care preventing serious cancer and trying to solve problems before they become big problems. so, i think the president's right to go after folks out there with the insurance. >> you know, joe, i'm curious what you can hear from the president today in this speech in minnesota that is different than what we've heard before, other than this case that we'r

they're flooding the zone, alex. whether it has any effect remains to be seen, but meanwhile, one issue that's gathered attention is ever since the former president jimmy carter told nbc's brian williams that he believes that racism is behind a lot of the attacks that we saw at some of those town halls that we heard during that joint session of congress from joe wilson. here's what president obama had to say in reaction to that controversy. >> look, i said during the campaign, there are some people who still think through the prism of race when it comes to evaluating me and my candidacy, absolutely. sometimes they vote for me for that reason, sometimes they vote against me for that reason. i'm sure that was true during the campaign. i'm sure that's true now. but i think you actually put your finger on what this argument's really about, and it's an argument that's gone on for the history of this republic, and that is, what's the right role of government? >> reporter: so, the president continues to try to keep the pres

i'm alex witt.g you this morning along with a surge for a woman who disappeared after being released by police. >>> first president obama issuing another warning to iran in his address this morning. he says iran is speeding down the path to confrontation and needs to reveal a previously secret. they will face increased pressure and isolation and opportunity to their

we go down to alex. >> alex: charlie, you challenged the play that appeared to be a touchdown. it was called an incomplete pass. what did you see on the play? >> his foot was inbounds, but i guess they thought he was bobbling it. i saw his foot, what i thought his foot come down inbounds. so that's why i challenged the call. >> alex: penalties have killed you in the first half. what do you make of the penalties? >> penalties, back-to-back personal foul calls killed us. but what really killed us is when we had ball handling down on the goal line, when we got the ball, you know, at the time. we can't make mistakes. >> alex: two of your stars appear to be fairly seriously injured. how does the play calling change with jimmy's toe injury? >> i can't hang him out to y. we got to do what we got to do to win the game right now. we're down by one. >> alex: thank you. >> tom: they are down by one. great comeback by the spartans. who took the momentum away from notre dame late in the first half. don't forget the halftime performances of the notre dame and michigan state bands can be seen

i mean you remember, alex.e first day of school is chaotic, trying to figure out the locker and that kind of stuff so parents and teachers and principipals are communicatg on this and trying to figure out the best solutions. teacher by teacher and student by student. >> yeah. i have a couple of kids heading there this week and all about what you just said. thank you so much. >> all right. take care. >> you, too. for more on the push for health care reform, head to our e-mail with an interactive feature to show the overall process and the path the bill must take to become law. >>> let's get the very latest in the jaycee dugard case. sean hornbeck how 18 spent more than four years in the abductor's one-bedroom apartment and offered this insight into why jaycee never escaped -- let's get further into what he had to say. what do you know? >> you know, first of all, alex, let's talk about the similarities and the differences. yes, hornbeck was 11 years abducted in missouri but spent four years with the kidnapper, le

i'm alex witt. 9:00 a.m. eastern. 6:00 a.m. out west.t is time for a look at what's happening right now. we begin with the very latest on the search for missing yale graduate student annie le. on this the sixth day le is missing and the day she was to be married, authorities are still being very cautious. >> we don't know where she is. we don't know what happened to her. we don't know if a crime was committed or not. >> nbc's mike tiabbi is live in connecticut with the latest. let's get right to the evidence. are they saying it's definitely something that belonged to annie le or not? >> reporter: no. we're trying to figure out if it's associated to annie le. we learned from a source that among the evidence that was found in the building behind me where she was on tuesday is bloody clothing, other evidence, too, pointing to maybe the strong possibility of foul play but not associated with annie le. most of the press conference yesterday by officials and knocking down the rumors wild yesterday afternoon saying that no body has been found.

it was very interesting, alex.thousands of protesters on the west front of the capitol to protest president obama's policies, not just health care but a lot of people having anxiety and anger, frankly, over the amount of money the zboft spending, bailouts and the rest. you know the story. but back in minneapolis, the president spoke to i'd have to say adoring throng. 15,000 strong supporters who want change in health care so the fight continues. you're right. there could be movement in the senate as early as this week with an actual bill language and driters for weeks and months the gang of six and everybody waiting now on the edge of the seat to see how it works out, alex. nothing is settled at this point. >> mike, if you read between the tea leaves or get a sense of things, you can feel things in the air. do you get a sense that the white house is -- well, you know what i'm saying. do you get a sense that the white house is more positive after wednesday night's speech that they feel they have momentum going their

alex, did congress vote the right way? >> you know, i think -- i think clearly the congressman overstepped his bounds. he can find another way to make his name world famous, i think. he's learned that. but this is just politics in washington. the democrats are having a hard time holding their party together on health care. and politics is better than policy here to hold them together. so this is not a vote that is going to do anything to fix the economy right now. this -- whether they voted the right way or not, this is a vote they didn't even need to take. >> paul, was this a good use of congress' time? this started hours ago. they've been debating for hours? >> speaker pe loelosi didn't wao do this, but i feel like they had no choice. i worked for the then house majority leader. that place is steeped in tradition. it's not the worst thing that ever happened. i'm not goig to give lectures on civility. i've said much worse things about other people. i'm not a congressman interrupting a president in the middle of an address

i'm alex witt and this is "msnbc saturday."lus the bittersweet development in the mistake that brought two couples together. >>> but we begin with the very latest into an alleged al qaeda-linked bomb plot here in the u.s., and here's what we know right now. federal marshals transferred najibullah zazi from denver to new york, where he will face terrorism charges. prosecutors say zazi was planning an attack to coincide with the 9/11 anniversary. officials say evidence shows he had intent of making a bomb and being in new york city on 9/11. police stopped him on september 10th. meanwhile, surveillance tape from a beauty warehouse shows zazi shopping. the afghan immigrant allegedly bought unusually high quantities of hydrogen peroxide and acetone. and police say three or possibly several more of zazi's possible accomplices remain at large. investigators have fanned out across new york to search for them. joining me is nbc news terrorism analyst michael sheridan with the police department and former state department ambassador at l

when i say never, alex, i mean never. sorry sarah palin fans, i have given you another reason to hate me. it's reality. it's just reality. boy, i hope i'm right or i'm going to pay for that one. despite that fact, she's beloved by the base. she's beloved by my mother and a lot of people that supported me in 1994. she was abused by the press in a way most conservatives believe was unfair. i talked to a top conservative in washington, d.c., a woman, they liked sarah palin when she came out. somebody said to me, you know, people just love her because the media hates her so much. right now, it's enough. might be enough for early straw polls, but not as we move forward. i think, in the end, it will be between mitt romney and his conservative challenger. he's not going to move as far to the right as he did in 2008. >> he still holds a point or two above sarah palin. it will be fun. >> it's always fun. it will give us something to talk about. of course, it's meaningless. on "morning joe" we'll spend time talking act the results.

. >> and i'm alex witt. good morning to all of you. 24-year-old raymond clark being arraigned at a new haven courthouse. he was arrested early this morning at a hotel for the strangling death of yale grad student annie le. ron allen is in new haven for us. good morning to you. any word yet on the charges against clark? >> reporter: the charge is going to be some type of charge that relates to murder. we don't know exactly what it's going to be. the court process is going on right now. another issue being debated is bail. prosecutors were asking for bail of some $3 million, which gives you some sense of the severity of the crime, as they see it. the court process is under way. we should have tape of that f r fairly soon. as you reported, clark was arrested this morning at a motel not far from where he live, about half hour drive from campus where he was staying the night after being released by police after submitting dna samples. it's those dna samples, hair, nail, other material, that they used to connect h

>> it's just a growing problem, alex.you say, that he got the crew up about 30 minute ago, a little early. they're getting ready to fire their rockets on the back of the spacecraft here. they'll fire that, about two minutes past the upcoming hour and it should put them out of any danger. this mystery debris, they think, came from the spacewalk last saturday. something came loose from the space station or space shuttle. they don't know which, but know they'll have to get out of its way and have a chance to land at 7:05 pm tonight. if they can't make it on a first try because of suspected thunderstorms in the area, they'll try again at 8:42. if they can't make it at 8:42, another wave off and they'll try tomorrow night, alex. >> thank you for that, jay barbree. keep an eye to the sky. we appreciate that. >>> following breaking news out of indiana, clay county, specifically shall between bloomington and terre haute, a man has barricaded himself in a home after holding that woman hostage, eventually freed. according to wtrh,

reporting live, i'm alex at wusa9.com. >> alex, you look like you are holding a bag. what's in your bag? >> i'm working hard. what do you want? any requests? >> peaches, tomatoes, what do you want? cucumbers and green beans. we will get you a list before you come back. >> i'll get my photographers to help me. >> all right, we'll see you back here later. >>> all right, some pink slips are going to be going out to hundreds of dc teachers next month. the mayor and school chancellor say they have to make major cuts to cover an unexpected $40 million budget short fall. the head of the washington teacher's union says they feel blind sided by the move. especially since the district just hired 900 new teachers this summer. >> the circumstances surrounding this risk has made our teachers wonder whether or not this is really about a short fall of funds or if this is a back door way of getting rid of veteran teachers. >> it is at the doorstep of the council, because it's not our action. > dc councilman, chairman i should says he is surprised by the layoffs, since the mayor just

good morning, everyone, i'm alex wit and welcome to msnbc saturday. conservatives are gathering to pick their presidential front-runner for 2012. >>> but first there's the president pulling out all the stops this weekend to bring his health insurance reform to every single tv set. the president says jimmy carter got it wrong when he suggested racism is the secret reason for the rancor over health reform. >> like i said during the campaign, are there some people who still think through the pris prizm of race? i think that's true, but i think you put your finger on what this argument is really about. and it's an argument that's gone on for the history of this republic. and that is, what's the right role of government. >> i'm joined live in washington by msnbc's mike viqueira. good morning to you, mike. let's talk about health care and what else the president will be hammering out this weekend. what's behind health care on the agenda? >> reporter: well the football metaphors abound this fall season, the president, they say is flooding the zone with a med

thank you, alex. >>> much more ahead.nging the president's place of birth. tossed out of court again. of course, president born in america. is the death of a birther move finally upon us? after the break we will talk to the de facto leader of that movement after this. (music plays) boy: is that your new car? uh...yeah. boy: cool. thanks. i knew i wanted the new subaru legacy. i went back and forth on the hood scoop. but i'm glad i went for it. the all-new subaru legacy. feel the love. here's one for your skin that's clinically proven. olay professional pro-x wrinkle protocol is as effective as the leading wrinkle prescription brand at reducing the look of wrinkles. that's because olay has teamed with a highly specialized group of dermatologists and created a wrinkle protocol that gives you the results of the leading wrinkle prescription brand, without a prescription. olay professional pro-x. this is a guarantee you're guaranteed to love. my name is chef michael. and when i come home from my restaurant, i love showing bail

a big one. >>> summer vacation's over for alex ovechkin.sports, lindsay tells us what he's planning ne are you talking about tonight to begin with? and she said the nationals and what i didn't get time to ask her is, why. >> because they've got a little bit of good news looking ahead to next season, if you can squeeze any out of. >> let's hear it! >> here we go because the pirates beat the dodgers last night, that means the nationals against clinch the worst record in the majors, therefore, the nationals again earn the number one overall pick in next year's draft. good news, depending on who you ask. for this season, the nationals showed some grit. they came from behind and beat the mets, 4-3. we're down at nats park. j.d. drew on the hill for the in nats. he had a rough start. david wright doubled that off the wall and left. comes around the score, gives the mets a 3-0 lead. he would set down and not allow any more damage. the nats begin their come back. desmond hits one deep. that guy is gone into the mets' bull pen. desmond coming on for

top of the third, greinke gets alex gonzalez. david ortiz in the fourth and in the sixth, ortiz up the middle. yuniesky betancourt makes the catch there. greinke, six innings, two hits, no runs, five strikeouts. the royals do beat the red sox. our question of the night, who should win the american league cy young award? we asked. is it greinke? is it felix hernandez? is it cc sabathia? so there's greinke and sitting next to scotty there's just cranky. >>> that is incorrect. john kruk is -- he's a ray of sunshine. he's a ray of sunshine on a cloudy day. kruky here to talk a.l. cy young. >> i know where i'm going when we're done with this. >> straight over to the set. >> you can do this by yourself. >> i can handle it for half an hour. zack greinke only 14 wins. and when you analyze the cy young voting and who ought to get an award, some people feel like wins can be overvalued. when you consider how many times greinke hasn't gotten a ton of support. what's your sense of greinke's place in the hierarchy of where he ought to be in te

. >> alex rios, goes 2-5. he began the game in the 7-74 skid. >> yeah. >> that's tied up 3-3, top five. peavy facing bloomquist. >> great movement on that bat, sinker ball. running in -- >> they tell him in the fifth you're done. >> he's real happy about it. what have i done in the minor leagues if you're going to take me out after 70? >> 3-3 in fifth. loaded for carlos quentin. ouch. his 17th is a grand slam. >> they're going to have to, especially rios who's hitting eighth. as ozzie mentioned earlier this week. less than dramatic way but nonetheless, entertaining. jake peavy, three runs, three hits in five. he walked two, struck out five. 73 pitches and barring any set backs following this start, his next turn in the rotation would have him pitching friday at home against the detroit tigers. it will be a big game for detroit and chicago as well. it's 5 1/2. 5 1/2. two for the twins. that is the a.l. central. two back of detroit. 5 1/2 for the white sox. buck, they're probably done in chicago, 5 1/2 games at

>> reporter: hi, alex. what we heard yesterday from a source at the new haven police department is bloody clothing and other evidence were discovered in the building behind me, this was a building where annie le was seen for the last time tuesday at 10:00 a.m. by a surveillance camera here. as you say, that material is now being analyzed. other crime scene units have shown up, parked in the rear of the building. i walked around. it's a big building. five stories, 120,000 square feet of space, a huge garage in the back with the capacity of hundreds of vehicles association the notion that whatever could have been found should have been found already doesn't really wash. that's why they are back today. the building is filled with air conditioning ducts, passageways and intriguingly beyond what we reported yesterday the new haven register said that bloody clothing was actually found in a drop ceiling so not the kind of thing would be red bag material. this seems to be deliberately secreted away. that's what sor

reporting live, i'm alex, 9news now and wusa9.com. >> alex, feel free to bring any fruit you want backo the station. >>> the white house is scratching the old bush era missile defense system. russia calls it a responsible move, republicans say it weakens our security. here is karen brown. >> reporter: president obama is pulling the plug on a bush era missile defense plan and launching his own. >> it is more comprehensive than the previous plan. it is cost effective. >> reporter: former president, george w. bush wanted to guard against the threat of iran with a missile defense guard. putting radar in the cheq republic. now russian president is calling the new plan a responsible move. president obama's announcement comes ahead of the russian president's trip here to the u.n. general assembly and it could encourage russian support for america's fight against the taliban in afghanistan. defense secretary, robert gates insisted this redesign program is better than the one he recommended to president bush. it uses land and sea defenses. >> it is more aat adapted to the threat we see developi

live in the information center, alex trevino, 9 news now and wusa9.com. >> good advice. thank you, alex. >>> dundalk isn't the only place people are cleaning up from a water main break. instead of a 72-inch pipe, it only took the bursting of a three inch pipe to burst in upper marlboro. some had to move their cars over concerns the driveway may collapse and they lost a good portion of their front yard. they are urging families with damage to file a claim. >>> new this morning, firefighters are investigating a fire at the gabon embassy. it took out this morning. fire officials say it appears to have started in the base and spread to a portion of the first floor. they say no one was in the embassy when it started. this is the second time fire at the gabon embassy in this last month. >>> a serious accident sent a motorist to a hospital with a life-threatening injury this morning. it happened shortly before 3:00. the accident shut down eastbound central avenue. police in montgomery county are investigating a serious pedestrian accident in bethesda. a driver hit a man in his

alex? >> well, denise, that officer was detective aaron harris. he is recovering this evening, as you mentioned, after being shot in a gun battle on his own front porch. >> there is still police presence outside the northwest baltimore home of detective aaron harris. but last night, a heavy response flooded the neighborhood, after harris

alex trevino has an update from the wilson building. alex, what's the latest? >> reporter: 9 news now learned that cab drivers were leaving $20 bills in the ashtrays of their vehicle. some investigators were taking bribes for payment for overlooking deficiencies that should have earned them a failure. part of the probe centers on city hall. the feds arrested the chief of staff to dc councilman jim graham. ted loza is charged with accepting gifts, bribes and trips up to $1,500. >> we fully believe once the evidence has been put in front of a jury he will be vindicated. >> reporter: sources close to the fbi probe tell 9 news now that councilman graham is also a target of the probe. the ward two councilman says he has done nothing wrong and knew of no wrongdoing on behalf of of ted loza. reporting from northwest washington, alex trevino, 9 news now and wusa9.com. >> councilman graham cancelled a taxi cab bill. that was an important part of the investigation. 9 news now confirmed the legislation is dead and there seems to be little interest among council members in

alex trevino is live outside of the house. good morning, alex. >> good morning. fire investigators are inside the home here on royston street trying to clear out debris that caved in. everything that was on the first floor is now in the basement. that's where the fire started. this home on the 5,000 ploy block of royston did not with stand the blaze this morning. a neighbor called the fire department when he noticed flames coming from the roof. another neighbor says the home was unoccupied. dan schmidt says the house is believed to be vacant but does not rule out the possibility that somebody was left behind. the search process for casualties can be dangerous. >> the structure right now, there's no first floor to it at all. it does have a basement to it. obviously that's where the gas- fed fire originated from. again, we will try to get in the home as quick as we can under safe conditions. >> reporter: the gas-fed fire did not threaten homes in the neighborhood. fire crews will work to put out hot spots and dig in the ground to continue the search. the search wil

good morning, everyone, i'm alex witt. welcome to "msnbc saturday."plus conservatives gathering right now to pick their presidential front-runners for 2012. but first, let's go to the president, pulling out all the stops this weekend in an effort to bring his health reform message to every single american with a television set. in a sit-down interview with david gregory to air tomorrow on "meet the press," the president says jimmy carter got it wrong when he suggested racism is the secret reason for the rancor over health reform. so, i'm joined now live from washington by nbc's mike viqueira, at his post at the white house. good morning, mike. >> reporter: good morning, alex. >> let's talk about the points e

alex trevino is live with the details. that's a lot of money, alex. >> reporter: good morning, jessica. indeed is. we are near the intersection of randolph road and new hampshire avenue. now, the folks who potentially use the intercounty connector are motorists who drive through this area but are people willing to dig deep in their pockets? the luxury of a traffic-free highway is not free these days. >> time is always money. >> reporter: motorists like lescy had been looking forward to beating the traffic on the icc under construction between shady grove and prince georges county and on wednesday the transportation authority announced the proposed tolls. >> pricing is set with two objectives in mind. one to make sure it is a congestion free roadway were that means once it is built the price goes up at rush hour to travel the route from shady grove to u.s. 1. it will cost .15 dollars at rush hour and 3:55 at off peak time. at $3 if you go -- add $3 without an e-zpass bringing the toll up to $9.15. the tolls are not yet set

digital correspondent alex trevino is live from the scene with details. alex?porter: neighbors say no one had lived at this house for about a week here on woodson street. giving us information about the fire and the origin of the fire is the public information officer. dansome mitt. tell us what is happening. >> we got a call at 3:30 this morning for a fully-involved fire. firefighters got here. it was a gas fed fire from the basement area. it burned a hole -- actually burned the entire first floor away making the firefighters pull back and then it was time, the actual fire went out to the gas fed area which also made us attack the fire from the exterior, again creating an unsafe situation. the gas ignited again. you know, this house is fully destroyed. we have not done primary and secondary search but we are getting -- making sure no one gets inside the home. >> at any point in time were neighbors put at any danger or risk, was any evacuation necessary? >> no. we had a two-alarm contingent on this fire. 16 firefighters. we contained the fire to the one-story h

. >> alex rios, goes 2-5.e game in the 7-74 skid. >> yeah. >> that's tied up 3-3, top five. peavy facing bloomquist. >> great movement on that bat, sinker ball. running in -- >> they tell him in the fifth you're done. >> he's real happy about it. what have i done in the minor leagues if you're going to take me out after 70? >> 3-3 in fifth. loaded for carlos quentin. ouch. his 17th is a grand slam. >> they're going to have to, especially rios who's hitting eighth. as ozzie mentioned earlier this week. less than dramatic way but nonetheless, entertaining. jake peavy, three runs, three hits in five. he walked two, struck out five. 73 pitches and barring any set backs following this start, his next turn in the rotation would have him pitching friday at home against the detroit tigers. it will be a big game for detroit and chicago as well. it's 5 1/2. 5 1/2. two for the twins. that is the a.l. central. two back of detroit. 5 1/2 for the white sox. buck, they're probably done in chicago, 5 1/2 games at this point.

alex is live with a preview. good morning, alex. >> good morning.is nice and cool but things are about to heat up here at city hall. a clear advantage point for the southeast tennis and learning center after a judge granted a temporary restraining order blocking the district from evicting the founder. now, the date of -- fate of the center is expected to play out at the wilson building later today. supporters of the southeast tennisster -- center want to prevent the city government from shutting them down. former dc first lady cora masters barry runs the center. >> tennis is the hook and education is the key. >> the political duel is heating up. the judge who granted the order last week stopping the district from evicting the founder and chief executive cora masters fears students who rely on the program would lose if it was shut down while searching for new quarters. >> not only do they not get money for what they do they actually raise money for the kids. they provide educational programs and scholarships and other support for these kids. dc leade

and alex, how would you fight schaefer's point about the duct tape? there's an inaccuracy here. that tape that was found on her and the tape from the house, they did not match as if it came from the exact same roll. that simply said it was the same type of tape. so i think we need to be clear on that point. >> whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. we don't know that yet, alex. that hasn't been confirmed or otherwise. so just hold your horses. let's not put the cart before the horse on that one. but if what you say is true, you're right, it's a valid point. before we go on about tot mom, i want to tell you about a missing nurse. take a listen. >> friends and family holding out hope for any sign of nurse and young mother, 29-year-old toni sharpless. especially her 12-year-old little girl, who is desperately waiting for her mom to come home. sharpless drops her daughter off at her parents', then heads out for a night out with friends. at some point during the night her friend reports the two had a blowup in sharpless's car, so big the friend gets out and sharple

and a good morning for you, i'm alex witt. we begin on the search for missing yale graduate annie le. there is now a reward for finding le, last seen tuesday. dozens of law enforcement personal are wrapping things up with their search efforts, just a day before le was to be married. jeff rossen is live with the latest. what is the latest on this mystery? >> reporter: it really is a mystery. i mean, as each day palssses, t students are getting more and more nervous. at first they thought this was a runaway bride, she was set to get married. the timing is coincidental, to say the least. but now as each day passes and they saw the fbi getting involved so early, sifting through garbage and going into hazmat suits and the mood certainly changed around here. now we've learned there are about 100 law enforcement officers, between police officers and fbi agents now involved in this case. we've also learned through the school officials that they're going through annie le's hard drive, her computer hard drive, along with her e-mail acco

good morning, alexer are we're at the glenmont metro station. many morning commuters heading downtown know about the minor delays due to construction and improvement between the tacoma and fort totten stations where the metro accident happened three months ago. ntsb says there is a pressing need to address safety glitches that could lead to another tragic accident. three months since the deadly accident this complex investigation is far from complete. the national transportation safety board is still working to determine the cause of that fatal crash near the fort totten metro in late june. investigators do have new information about the signal system that was supposed to tell the colliding train to stop. the system failed that day. the findings revealed those signaling circuits told the train the track was clear. the equipment did not signal to stop or slow the approaching train. nine people were killed and 80 injured. now four organizations are looking over urgent recommendations just issued by the ntsb. the company that makes the circuits in

so what is it you do, alex? how does it work?> when you're a life scout in the boy scouts, you can start your eagle, and one of the requirements is eagle scouts for requirement number five would state develop and give leadership to a service project. >> larry: how do you get the money to them? >> i -- you do fund raising activities. >> larry: you're building a playground for children in russia. in moscow? >> right above the center of mongolia. >> larry: this project took 2.5 years to complete, and on your 16th birthday, you went back to russia for the dedication of your playground. what was that like? >> it was very cool. there was a line to the big slide, and even when we were building it, people were playing on the unfinished parts. >> larry: he's getting other projects together, too. what a hero. thank you, alex, our deserving hero of the week building a playground for his hometown. hero of the week, alex griffith. >>> hey, there, mr. hairy legs. don't worry, i brought your doll. ta da! >> that's the wrong doll. >> jerry, i sa

es el caso de alex alvarado. yo le pido un fuerte aplauso. Él nos acompaÑa en la maÑana de hoy.la falia. >> sÍ, h@ve tudian veterinaria y ojalÁ h@haya mpaÑeros pwóktzh@despierta amera unudo. yh@derta amadespierta aÓw envida ee tienue rreh@despiert@ pwókwudir quhÉ camquiereierta mÚsica porque es mi pasiÓn, porque amo cantar, es spierterik poro hah@ierta icatipwókñsrkÓ hp toy muntentospiertericah@tipwbku qu estádespn apoya amer muchoh@@ ókpmíkh@pwókvyh@derta amh@yo no capÍtulos en la historia porque so quepwókñrlo queh@lmente incentiva y motiva a los muhos y gentee te h@univisionókut@kpdespierta amÍ pausa en mi vida porque tuve que venir acÁ a trabajar. como todo el mundo, buscar el pan y poder estar mejor. tuve un momento... >> ¿quÉ hiciste? >> en el 2002 vine a trabajar a california, trabajÉ en el campo en lo que pude, ayude a jardineros que naciÓ en el favor de darme trabajo por unos dÍas hasta que pude trabajar en una lecherÍa. y le mando un saludo a toda la gente en california que es mano de obra y que dÍa a día se levanta a ganarse el pan. estuve trabajando en un rancho orde

alex, what is your take here?w, i read the passage in the book and it made it sound like he suspected that politics were behind the request to raise the terror alert level and now he is saying absolutely not. >> well, i mean, i think we have to take him at his word and i know his statements might be somewhat contradictory but reasonable people can agree when al qaeda attacks, i think they like to make a splash. i think they like to do something dramatic. what could be more dramatic than striking the united states, you know, when they're having an election? that strikes the heart of democracy. i think, you know, reasonable people can agree that -- that -- that, you know, our country could and should be alerted for the possibility that al qaeda might have been motivated to attack at this particular time. i don't that is a disingenuous argument. i think that what rumsfeld and ashcroft were thinking but it was near the election and politics plays a role in all things near an election. maybe that was in the back of rid

alex demetrick has more. alex? >> reporter: well, vic, it took police less than 24 hours to find and charge two suspects in the shooting, which took place on the officer's front porch last night. >>> there is still police presence outside the northwaste baltimore -- northwest baltimore home. aaron harris. but last night, a heavy response flooded the neighborhood. after harris is attacked by two 16-year-old males. >> preliminarily, we know he was attempting to get into his home, when he was approached by at least two suspects. who were trying to rob him. at some point, gunfire was exchanged. he was struck in thesome -- stomach. >> detective harris was rushed to the hospital. a few hours later, a teenager, named craig tillet, walked into an emergency room. with a gunshot wound to the leg. >> reporter: with a story about how he had been shot. homicide detectives were there to greet him. >> reporter: craig tillet led police to a second 16-year-old. gavon wilson. both had been charged as adults in what was an apparent r

the superior court judge sentenced alex anan alexander to 15 months in prison. three of the women testified to the assaults which took place. the judge also denied his request for a new trial. >>> dancing with the stars. cheryl brook. mark steines has more. >>> coming up on "entertainment tonight. dancing's former congressman tom delay. only we are inside his rehearsal with cheryl burke. >> forget the party line. dancing is on a new team. but the former congressman said he pulled a few political string to -- steer the election his way. >> first of all, i wanted cheryl burke. >> but some weren't cooperating. >> stop, stop, stop. >> reporter: also tonight, eddie sibbering and leann rimes, as their exes speak out. plus, megan fox, kissing a girl. >>> and our mark harmon ncis exclusive. all of that and more coming up later here on entertainment tonight. >>> you can see that at 7:30, here on wjz. >>> it's an addition for the duggar family, after they announce just 18 months after their most recent, they're expecting number 19. they already have 18 children and a gran

>> alex. >> jimmy: alex, have you ever sung john madden songs at parties or family get-togethers?. >> jimmy: you're missing out. >> i am? >> jimmy: you're missing out. yeah. what is your name? >> my name is steve. >> man in audience: whoo! [ laughter ] >> jimmy: people are fans of the name steve. all right. is playing john madden karaoke on your bucket list? >> no, it's not. [ laughter ] >> jimmy: well, it should be, because it's just something that's going to happen right now. so, self-fulfilling prophecy. >> it is inevitable. >> jimmy: yes, it is inevitable. okay, let's do this. here is how we play. i'll give you a microphone, and you'll stand with your back to the sharp 108 and you sing the words that you see in front of you, the actual words of john madden himself. he's said some profound things. at the end, we'll decide the winner based on audience applause. and, steve, what will tonight's winner be taking home? >> well, jimmy, tonight's winner will receive a brand new gps karaoke system. sing along to your favorite songs and follow the lyrics with the built-in monitor. it in

i'm alex witt. >> and i'm norah o'donnell. david and tamron have the day off. in "the big picture" this hour, president obama is taking his push for health care reform to some younger supporters. the president held a rally at the comcast center at the university of medal just a few hours ago. wow, he was fired up and ready to go. as he said, he told these college students how his plans for reform are going to impact them and everybody else. and then he compared the so-called public option to a public university like the university of maryland. >> there are some folks who said, well, this is a government takeover of health care. we've got public universities and private universities. nobody says that we're taking over private colleges. what we're doing is giving students a choice. you should have a choice the same way in your health care. >> it's worth noting, of course, that the public option is not included in senator max baucus' plan, which we're learning is picking up some support from moderate republicans and democrats, su

alex demetrick reports on what might be coming. >> 19,000 post cards. each with a signature. and a reason for signing. >> i've worked here my whole life, you know, in annapolis. i've loved the bay, loved the water. and it's a good thing. you gotta fight for what you believe in. >> and to get there, they want government officials to enforce the laws. create standards at work. and put real accountability into the system. >> the petition was delivered to the epa's new point man on the chesapeake. >> the progress on the past 25 years has been wholly inadequate. and we need to have a whole new series of programs so we can define a new area of leadership. >> reporter: what is at stake is life or death for the bay. fish kilts are an example -- kills are an example of the trouble. and nitrogen, which feeds algae blooms. often spotted first by watermen. >> and i knew that would be the first time i would remember. >> next week, the obama administration would formally release details. but in general terms, that plan is already out. >> i think you will anticipate new changes to regulatio

alex, you get the first word. why should this be seen as a minor moment that won't last?the outrage is from michael steele and the other republican leaders. when barack obama tries to talk to schoolchildren about doing their homework, he gets criticized from the right and from the conservatives. and when people like joe wilson stand up and call the president a liar in the middle of the congressional joint session, it's just incredible. there's no sense of decency left of these guys and they're just hitting the lowest possible rung on the ladder to try to upset health care and try to undue this presidency. >> alex, i know in your heart of hearts you're a smart guy, that the image last night is no the one you would have preferred for the republican party. will you just come out now and say, look, i wish a republican controlled hipseit better? >> look i think we're kidding ourselves if you think republicans sat on their hands last night. that's what most americans were doing when they watched it at home. the republicans are on the same page as the american people on the heal

alex trevino is live with an update. >> good morning. the fire is still smoldering.ight should make it easier for crews as they continue their search inside. spokesperson dan schmidt says no one is believed to be inside but crews want to make sure. the house was likely vacant. neighbors hasn't seen anyone here for at least a week. the fire is gas related. we're told the neighbor on the backside of the house on the 5,000 block of woodson street saw the flames shoot up from the house and called the fire department right away. no injuries at this time. firefighters will be here for another couple of hours nominee the property considered safe. we will keep you posted with information. live from fairfax county, 9 news now and wusa9.com. >>> we're also tracking a developing story out of the south pacific. and new information about the deadly tsunami there. at least 99 people are dead the independent state of samoa and in american samoa. a wall of water slammed in the island yesterday following a powerful earthquake. video and pictures show the extent of the damage 6 presid

alex says some people aren't happy. hey there, hey lex. >> reporter: the intercounty connector is the first electronic toll facility and many motorists in silver spring can hop on if they are willing to pay up. they could pay up to 35 cents a mile. the tolling has become an effective way of managing congestion. we talked to some people on the way to work this morning about the icc. here's their thoughts. >> i wouldn't pay that much money. i don't think so. that doesn't make sense. i understand that it would help traffic and all of that, but, you know, $9 is too much. >> we are paying enough highway taxes as it is in the state of maryland and virginia. and no, i wouldn't. i'll stay -- i will have to fight the traffic. hopefully there will be enough people who have some spare money or whatever to get on it and relieve some of the traffic. but no, i wouldn't. >> authorities board is scheduled to vote on a final plan on the 17th. 9 news now and wusa9.com. >>> here's a look at how the ic character tolls stack up against othe