>> thanks, stephen. now to the latest in the foiled u.s. terror plot. u.s. experts are heading to yemen to look for the people responsible for sending explosives to the u.s. we're live in the newsroom with the latest. rebeccah? >> authorities are meeting in yemen with the government about ways to crack down on extremists targeting the u.s. the man believed to be behind the latest bombing attempt continues to elude authorities. >> today at airports across the country, security is on high alert. passengers are advised to support anything -- report anything suspicious. >> how am i going to get around? i'm not going to fly -- drive from florida to d.c. >> you just have to roll with it. new leader and opinions caused by a lot of trepidation and paranoia, or you move on with life. >> today, u.s. officials are in yemen, where packages bound for chicago synagogues weroriginate. they're installing screenings that will check all packages now. but an even bigger worry, packages and in the cargo hold of commercial airplanes packed with passengers. investigators are looking for this man, 28-year-old ibrahim azia read. the saudi bowring al qaeda operative is believed to be behind this plot. have the same markings as the failed christmas day bombing attempt out a series was tied to. -- al aziri was tied to. >> critics say they're still needs to be better screening of all cargo. they're warning that the costs of massive cargoes grinning could be prohibitive. -- cargo screening could be prohibitive. >> many people will see either a frost or a freeze tonight. >> upper 20's 2 loh 30's in may severed the overnight. cover the plant and bring them inside you want to hang on to them the rooftop camera looks nice out there. clear skies and temperatures in the 50's across the area. down to 47 in germantown. here is a list of advisory's we have on the computer. on the eastern shore of delaware, those are all freeze warnings. most of eastern southern maryland and along the peninsula of virginia. cooler than average temperatures will continue a few days more. the complete forecast in just a couple of minutes. >> i do not like the sound of that. also coming up, a local university professor arrest on pornography charges. plus, they spent time in long lines to get help with their energy bills, but were turned away. it will tell you why. a woman took her pet fox for a halloween walk. find out what happened next. >> outrage over a broken and malfunctioning metro escalators all across the region. is anything being done to fix the problem? caroline lyders has the latest breakdown. there were writers injured? >> that is right, four metro riders were injured. there are 54 as the letters out of service. metro said it is working on them, but many passengers say it is not fast enough. >> at the site of the accident, metro has closed off the escalator and put up a sign. >> it cannot maintain the equipment. >> passengers are outraged, saying not only was the escalator not working, but it apparently caused the accident. john was there on the escalator, among the crowd leaving the stewart colbert rally. >> -- the stewart/kulbir rally. >> it kind of crashed. >> witnesses say it sped up and then abruptly crashed. it left a pile of people at the bottom. the worst part is that metro riders say that just last month there were safety lapses. an audit concluded the metro escalator problems are not just about convenience, but safety. >> it is about safety. the >> metro did not want to answer questions on camera, saying it had no comment other than saturday's incident remains under investigation. >> another one bit the dust. >> and metro will have a meeting on thursday. we will let you know if this incident comes up. reporting live from southwest washington, caroline lyders, abc7 news. >> thank you so much, caroline. metro actually broke its saturday ridership over the weekend. more than 825,000 people packed the train, most headed to the national mall for the jon stewart and steven colbert rally. that is the highest ridership ever recorded. it typically has about 300,000 riders. >> today, the board refused to reinstate this bar's liquor license. last month, employees at their beat a man to death after each rate brick through the window -- after he threw a brick through the window. montgomery county police are investigating a bizarre case of apparent arson. investigators believe that someone set a speed camera on fire. the flames caused significant damage to the camera. if you saw something out of the ordinary in that area, you are asked to call the fires -- the fire marshal's office. >> the president, first lady, sarah palin, bill clinton -- all of the political heavyweights are on the campaign trail this election. many expect a gain in the house for republicans. we will have more on the national races tonight. we'll also look at the hy the contested gubernatorial race in maryland. a live report on the ehrlich verses o'malley, coming up at 5:30 p.m. >> today, it is not the loss that fans are talking about the most. it is the coach's decision to replace quarterback donovan mcnabb with only two minutes left in the game. >> you want to call this an unexpected move. this really caught redskins fans by surprise and it has been talking today. it has been scratching their heads, wondering what the coaches have to. but >> chuck wilson can barely contain his disappointment and anger as he reflected on yesterday's redskin game. not only did they lose to the alliance, but in a questionable move, mike shanahan benched donovan mcnabb with only two minutes left and the game on the line. >> i think he is telling donovan that he does not have a lot of confidence in his game. >> a surprising move by coach shanahan? redskins fans we talked to did not see it coming. >> he is a veteran. you do not take a veteran out of the game mike donovan mcnabb. >> it was very depressing. >> many could not understand why he would bench such a critical player at a critical time in the game. and then there is coach shannon's explanation for why he made been moved. >> i thought it gave us the best chance to win because rex is very familiar with the terminology and the system. >> some fans are angry. some are complex. but others are supportive of the decision made by the head coach. >>. coach shanahan took another shot at explaining his move during a press conference this afternoon. tim brant was there and he will have a report on that coming up in sports. >> it was not the quarterback. it was the offensive line the quarterback was working with. coming up, a local professor was arrested after police say a child pornography was found on his computer. >> i still cannot understand it. why would somebody want to do this? >> and an explosive interview after randy quaid and his wife talk about why they believe someone is trying to kill them and why they're not safe in hollywood. >> what was hanging outside that local church now has police investigating a very serious that local church now has police investigating a very serious hate crime bob ehrlich's 24 years in politics. in congress ehrlich voted with george bush 90% of the time, protecting the special interests. as governor, ehrlich cut education, increased college tuition by 40%, and vetoed an increase in the minimum wage. and after losing his election, bob ehrlich joined a lobbying firm and got paid $2.5 million to represent casinos and wall street banks. bob ehrlich--24 years of putting the special interests first. >> a hateful trick over the weekend was no treed for this church. >> a large doll covered in racial slurs was found hanging outside of the church on laurel park drive. >> there was a swastika, racial epithets, even slurs against the president. it was not just the words, but the image. a large, brown doll hanging from a tree by a news. police say they have not seen anything like this in laurel since 1967. >> unfortunately, you would think that things would be getting better, but they are not. >> it really hurts. >> early sunday morning, a large rag doll was found hanging from the tree outside city of zion church. it was hung shortly before parishioners came to mass. a swastika and other epithets were scrawled on it. >> we are not going back to africa. we're not going back to the back of the bus. >> pastor gregory strong, who leads the african-american congregation, says the plan is to scare people from voting. >> if you were to go in and vote, what would inspire you to go out and vote after what happened today? >> police are scouring the doll for fingerprints and also interviewing potential witnesses. but anyone who thinks this is a prank or a joke, you are mistaken. it is a crime and will be treated as a crime. >> the mayor says he will spare no expense in finding the perpetrator. >> the trial of elizabeth smart's accused kidnapper is under way after a musical disruption this morning. mitchell was kicked out after he started singing hymns. the judge tolerated a distraction for about 30 minutes or so before sending him off to watch jury selection through closed-circuit television. if convicted, he could spend the rest of his life in prison. >> aft -- actor randy quaid and his wife say they are far from comfortable in their new real- life roles as hollywood refugees. tonight, they are claiming an elaborate conspiracy could result in their murder if they return home. >> who would be trying to kill us? an estate planner who had created a living trust, and a county that could cash randy's royalty stream of forever. >> they follow us. the tag ourself funds. they hacked our computer. >> they claim they are running from a group they called the star whackers. they claim they are responsible for the deaths of actors like heath ledger and david karina and also claimed that actors like mel gibson and lindsay lohan could be next. >> a woman is arrested for walking her pet. the problem? her pet is a fox. she has been walking -- she was walking her props in costume -- her fox in costume in the park yesterday. she said he is neutered, and litter box trained. >> we are keeping an eye on the temperatures. >> it will be the coldest night of the season so far. any plans that you really really like and want to keep, bring them inside. in arlington, rush hour is under way. clear skies. tonight after the sun goes down, if you look in the southeast sky, you will have a spectacular view of jupiter. it is extension -- exceptionally bright this time of year and there's no moon to compete with it in the sky. our weatherbug is showing numbers well below average for this time of year. 52 right now in martinsburg. our average high is 62. the very good 8 to 10 degrees below that. the dewpoint is running in the 20's. many will be in the upper 20's by morning. there is an advisory for frost for arlington, the district, and st. charles and across the river and into virginia is middleton peninsula. and north and west bopping around washington to eastern delaware, these are freeze warnings in effect. these are temperatures overnight inside the beltway. outside the beltway, more suburban areas. temperatures right now, 54 degrees downtown. 52 in gaithersburg. it was a glorious day yesterday in the 60's. we're now at 10 degrees cooler in quantico. i believe tomorrow will be a degree or two cooler than today. 42 degrees up in albany. if you look at a contour here, 68 in nashville, 75 in atlanta. this high pressure to the north in ontario was stronger. we are keeping an eye on what appears to be a developing system over louisiana right now there is just -- right now. there is just a chance that this could be close enough thursday to give us some showers. by wednesday evening come a few clouds may approach. if this system it's close enough, we could see a few scattered showers. a cold front comes in behind this and we get chile again for the rest of the week. -- and we get chilly again for the rest of the week. a slow, clearing trend on thursday. turner cox back one hour on saturday. -- turn your clocks back one hour on saturday. >> tonight, on abc7 prime time, detectives respond on castle that there is a cop down. >> i can understand how you might think i'm a stripper, but that is a mistake. >> nypd. >> castle is on at 10:00 after a two-hour "dancing with the stars" followed by abc7 news at 11:00 p.m. >> my life changed. in a day, in an instant. >> facing heart disease, thos jennifer donlon it shows us the road to recovery. >> they were shocked at what they were told. take a closer look at keith fimian and his inspection business. fimian's former business partner said fimian lied, his record "built upon a fraud." his business sued more than 40 times. slapped with thousands in liens. its corporate status revoked. now we learn fimian signed a campaign pledge that protected tax breaks for corporations outsourcing jobs. fraud, failed policies. unfortunately, that's keith fimian. of gourmet coffee and tea to choose from. it's the way to individually brew fresh, delicious coffee in under a minute. way to brew, hon. 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[ female announcer ] choose. brew. enjoy. keurig. >> the d.c. government once again open its doors to help those behind on their utility bills. >> attendance rose today, although some left disappointed. >> some have been in the dark for weeks, if not months, and now face being in the cold as well. they started lining up by 4:30 a.m. this morning, he said, hoping the city would help them pay their utilities, and explaining to reporters how they ended up in here. >> phone, car, gas, insurance, food, so some things do not get paid eventually. >> she has two children. there are others. help seekers claim that a mere cut off notice is not enough from a utility. >> i just wish they would come down here and it is cold and getting colder. >> the people we are serving [unintelligible] >> one came inside to take advantage of the situation. she promised, if elected, they would not have to stand in the cold like this. for many, it was a day of anxiety, but if you do not have the money, what choice? >> they helped some 8000 people at a in the event that they had at a convention zinder in september. from the looks of it here, they still have a lot of work to do as winter comes on. >> coming up, potholes and road problems. the new way that you can see action taken on virginia road. trex ended its election date eve -- >> and it is election day eve. eve -- >> and it is election day eve. >> behind bars ton bob ehrlich's 24 years in politics. in congress ehrlich voted with george bush 90% of the time, protecting the special interests. as governor, ehrlich cut education, increased college tuition by 40%, and vetoed an increase in the minimum wage. and after losing his election, bob ehrlich joined a lobbying firm and got paid $2.5 million to represent casinos and wall street banks. bob ehrlich--24 years of putting the special interests first. ♪ ♪ from the styles you want... ...to the foods you crave. even your favorite toothpaste. now, the things you love at target... are even better. save 5% off today and everyday... when you shop with your target credit or debit redcards. are you redcard ready? only at target. >> a george washington university professor who sought some tech help also found himself in trouble with the police. >> greta has the reaction on the campus for us. >> his name is diego fasselini. he teaches at gw and by sheer accident, thousands of pornographic pictures of children were found on his computer. >> 48-year-old diego fasselini, who teaches part time at george washington university is charged with possession of child pornography. gregg's it is shocking. you do not the your professors are involved -- >> it is shocking. you do not think your professors are involved with things like that. >> he was having trouble with the computer's hard drive and dropped off to be fixed. according to court documents, the i.t. employee discovered that his hard drive this kick in -- his hard drive contained more than 11,000 images of child pornography, some as young as three years old. he taught two language courses this fall and was arrested by the fbi. the next he should know better -- >> he should know better than to have child pornography on his laptop. >> there are always creeps out there. >> gw officials declined on- camera comment, but issued a statement saying that the faculty member is being suspended pending further investigation and his glasses are being reassigned to other professors. -- his classes are being reassigned to other professors. >> he told authorities that he got these images by surfing the internet. he is due in federal court tomorrow afternoon for both a preliminary and a detention hearing. >> tomorrow, maryland will decide whether martin o'malley will remain governor, or if they want their old governor back in office. >> they spent the day working very hard, both of them bouncing between baltimore and washington. they're basically done talking about the issues at this point. they're saying that they just want their supporters to get out and vote. >> both candidates campaigned in the food joints today. >> he stands for everything i believe in. >> later, gov. o'malley worked the crowd packed at the famous lexington market. >> i like in it. why do we need to change? >> he was urging minority voters to get out and vote. >> we need a big turnout everywhere and we have campaigned in every part of this state. >> it is all turnout. >> that is why governor ehrlich is working to by telling his people to get to the polls. >> we think people will come out in record numbers. >> they said they heard all the issues by now and that both promised jobs to pay -- jobs that pay. >> he is probably doing the right thing with getting out and not taking anything for granted. >> i hope all lot of people get out there and vote, rather than thinking it is a done deal >> one reason people might think that is that polls from the major newspapers in recent weeks have sean o'malley with a double-digit lead. interestingly enough, -- have shown o'malley with a double- digit lead. interestingly enough, internal polls have shown it is very, very close. >> a proposed casino has been an issue on the campaign trail. and now, opponents of the anne arundel mills slots [unintelligible] a recent poll shows voters are almost evenly divided on the issue. >> a virginia cha -- the virginia department of transportation wants to hear from you and now you can call customer service 24 hours a, at every day. -- 24 hours a day, every day. the number is 1-800-367-7623. calls are answered, on average, less than 30 seconds. >> and the king of the roads, khalid joins us with details. >> starting in virginia, 95 southbound not looking too bad. you will get a break, but then it will pick up again at the trial. i want to take a look at the american legion bridge. we are seeing volume on the inner loop of the american legion bridge. an earlier disabled vehicle at connecticut avenue has been cleared, but there are remaining delays. lanes are open near clarksburg, but there is some remaining volume. >> coming up, every second counts when it comes to a heart attack. our reporter jennifer donlon knows that story too well. >> tyler perry bids for an oscar. >> and then later, a wild ride for some commuters in the flood >> and then later, a wild ride for some commuters in the flood plain today, it's nearly double. and nearly a quarter of a million marylanders are looking for work. in addition, we face a national health care plan that will hurt small business and cost us jobs. so we have to ask, are you better off today than you were four years ago? we're heading in the wrong direction. we need strong leadership. say no to things we can't afford. fix our health care plan. and refuse to raise taxes. martin o'malley can't do it. i will. me and the boys earn rewards just for everyday banking. like getting money from the drive thru. and taking out cash at the bank. paying our bills online earns us rewards. now send. we even earn rewards just for swiping our debit cards. it's new checking with rewards at capital one banks all over the dc area. what's in your wallet? >> tether perry has an emotional new film. >> but if the met -- the movie version as good as the stage version? >> tylar perry has high hopes for his new film about colored girls who have considered suicide. he hopes that "colored girls" will bring him some oscar attention. comes out of curls the turbulent 1970's, a cry written poetry about the plight of women and of women of color. tyler. 's movie wraps the poetry around -- tyler perry's movie wraps the poetry around a conventional screenplay. >> i know we had a conversation, i think it was in new york about the plan. she was very helpful. >> perry is assembling an impressive cast, including felicia rashad, janet jackson, and whoopi goldberg. >> the movie feels very crash like with one character's life touching and others -- touching another character's life. >> this time, tyler perry hopes for more than ticket sales. this weekend, "saw 3d" led the box office. and the spy comedy "red" held third place. "saw 3d" may not exactly be a ward where the. >> it was halloween -- may not be award worthy. >> it was halloween. >> coming up, a new information about ambulance the spirit cuts only 36 years old, -- an ambulance these. >> only 36 years old, jennifer ambulance these. >> only 36 years old, jennifer donlon talks maryland's governor martin o'malley. endorsed by the washington post for his "tough, decisive steps" on the state budget and unwavering commitment to education. o'malley's made college more affordable. he's helping restore the health of the chesapeake bay, has forward-looking plans on transportation and a record reducing violent crime. governor martin o'malley. one leader moving maryland forward. that's why joe likes aetna's payment estimator. he gets to compare out-of-pocket health care costs before they come out of his pocket. that's awesome. [ female announcer ] now let's say every joe in america uses it. looks like everyone likes saving money. ah, the potential of putting people first. thanks joe. know more. get better. get a smarter health plan. ♪ aetna.com. women are charged 40% more for the same health insurance as men. domestic violence is treated as a pre-existing condition in eight states. women are abused by their husbands and then by their insurance companies. and last year they tried to end our coverage for mammograms and other preventive services. well i'm proud to say i got the law changed. i'm barbara mikulski. i approve this message so you'll know that being a woman is no longer a pre-existing condition. >> this next story is one that is very personal and very important to us. we at abc7 learned firsthand this fall about the dangers of heart disease in women. >> that is right, our colleague, jennifer donlon, suffered a heart attack on the job eight weeks ago. she is recovering now, but her story is a cautionary tale about the dangers of heart disease. we have been with her as she recuperates. >> you both well know that when jennifer donlon is in our newsroom, we all know that she's there. her trademarks are a booming voice and infectious laughter. it has been a little quiet around here for the last two months since the day jennifer almost lost her life. >> it was the end of a stressful day when jennifer donlon's life changed in a heartbeat. >> i had a heart attack. >> our reporter is not breathing. >> we are sending someone out. >> jennifer felt the symptoms of a heart attack. >> i felt pressure inside my chest that became very distant. then i felt my left arm go numb. >> it was not real. this just could not be happening. >> but the call to jennifer's mom was real. it was not a mistake. >> this trip not be happening. it should be the other way around. >> jennifer was rushed to the art medical center where she got the news she feared. she came face to face with her mortality. >> the doctor looked at my face and said uri cagey shows that you are having a heart attack. -- and said, your ekg shows you're having a heart attack. >> i thought, i will die. and it did not want to die there. i did not expect that at 36 years, this was going to be it. >> what led jennifer to this day was a child in fairfax county, where she was raised by her mother, in single-parent and a county science teacher. graduate of the university of virginia, her lifelong dream was to be a reporter in a highly competitive world of broadcast journalism. she got lucky enough to do it in her own town. >> i love what i do. i do believe that journalism is a passion. it is a call. i do not know what else i would do. but back at the hospital, jennifer was quickly taken to the cardiac catheterization lab, where the doctor performed a life-saving procedure. her heart was completely blocked. at that point we switched on a catheter and we removed as much blood as possible. but doctors learned that the heart attack was brought on a tear in the artery. it is an extremely rare condition. in fact, the pain that jennifer felt just seconds after this live report was the actual care. >> if i had not been at the hospital at that moment when it happened, i would be dead. >> as she recovers, jennifer says her mother has been iraq. -- has been her rock. >> my mother has been there for me always, but she has been tough through this. because i have been emotionally very weak at times. i do not know if i will ever be able to thank my mother enough for what she has done for me. >> nearly two months after the near fatal event, jennifer is rebuilding her life. >> five weeks ago i could not walk two blocks. to be out here walking on a sunday, to have the energy to do that, it is great. [laughter] >> it is great to hear her laugh. she is doing well. that is the bright part of that story. but that might well not have been the case, as we know from friends and family that had this happen to them. coming up, we will tell you about how jennifer is coming back, what is involved in her cardiac rehabilitation, and how far she has come in just a mere eight weeks. jennifer said it is a lot of work, both physically and emotionally. we will take you there tonight at 11:00 p.m. >> would she -- does she know if she would have had the heart attack if she did not have athis job? >> she does not know that yet. she's still in a very fact- finding mode about this. and that is a concern. she plans to come back to work very soon and that is something that she knows she will have to manage. >> we love jennifer and we look forward to her return. her strength and her courage has been inspiring. it is a reminder for all of us to keep an eye on our heart health. >> let's see what is coming up on abc7 news at 6:00 p.m. >> gordon peterson is live in the newsroom. >> i cannot top that. i cannot top jennifer. come back, soon, jennifer. anyway, let me try. and as arrested after police say he deliberately hid a passenger with his car. also, the pope is speaking out after a deadly situation in iraq. militants take an entire congregation hostage and the results are bloody. will have more tonight at 6:00 p.m. >> we will feel like we are in alaska tonight. >> the temperatures are dropping, plummeting as we speak. >> we're looking for a pretty widespread freeze across the viewing area. first, let's give you a look at what conditions are across the area. this is the germantown area. the other is still hanging tough on the trees. -- the color is still hanging tough on the trees. temperatures are averaging six to 10 degrees below average. there you have a current live look at germantown. what is ahead is a frost and freezing night. the areas in darker blue or frost advisory's for the district, arlington and areas south and east and across the northern part of the peninsula of virginia. delaware and the eastern shore and all of that area is in a freeze warning overnight. temperatures will drop from the 40's 250's into the upper 20's temperatures will4 50's into the 40's to the upper 20's into the low 30's. >> everybody is talking about yesterday's redskins game. >> tim brant is live at redskin park, where mike shanahan just wrapped up a news conference. what did he have to say? >> certainly, it is the top of the town and the entire nfl today. the fact that donovan mcnabb, a 6 time pro bowler, he is the quarterback and with one minute and 50 seconds left in the game, this is what the pros play for. instead, donovan mcnabb was yanked. today, mike shanahan tried to explain. >> i thought it would be in the best interest to go a different direction. >> mike shanahan stood by his decision to bench donovan mcnabb, but then added a new twist. >> he had some injuries. >> he said that he has been unable to practice the two- minute offense. but when pressed, he said that mcnabb's replacement had not practiced it either. mcnabb does not speak to the media on mondays, but said this afternoon is dave kane -- >> as with any other -- after yesterday's game. >> as with any other quarterback, you would hope that it would be to remain in the game, but i went along with it. >> as a competitor, you will not be happy. but you will do what the coach says to do. it does raise an interesting point. after the season, will he be here or not? >> folks, mike shanahan and his coaches made these decisions and they're getting paid to make those decisions. after watching these closely, donovan mcnabb, his hamstring, maybe. but there is not an all-pro in this league that cannot play one minute 50 seconds no matter what shape he is in. minute 50 seconds no matter what shape he is in. and his inspection business. fimian's former business partner said fimian lied, his record "built upon a fraud." his business sued more than 40 times. slapped with thousands in liens. its corporate status revoked. now we learn fimian signed a campaign pledge that protected tax breaks for corporations outsourcing jobs. fraud, failed policies. unfortunately, that's keith fimian. [ female announcer ] keurig has over 200 varieties of gourmet coffee and tea to choose from. ♪ keurig is the way to brew fresh, delicious coffee in under a minute. way to brew. [ female announcer ] so with keurig, every cup tastes like it's brewed just for you. ♪ because it is. choose. brew. enjoy. keurig. >> in montgomery county judge has just made a ruling over a lawsuit matter. >> the judge has thrown out a lawsuit filed by the county volunteer fire rescue association. he said it was not filed in a timely manner and there was no proof that they were promoting ambulance fees while on duty could actually change the outcome of the election. >> the county today held its fourth news conference in three weeks. >> who do you want to retain the revenue, montgomery county fire and rescue for the insurance companies and the federal government? >> the volunteer who folk -- who spoke out in favor of question as saying that she was told to pipe down. >> i got a letter telling me to pipe down. apparently, i was breaking ranks. >> it just makes economic sense for the county to spend money to protect a string of revenue as valuable as this. >> they insist if the fee passes, residents will pay higher insurance premiums. >> insurance companies are going to bear $170 million in new fees over the course of a decade and they're not. to pass them along? -- they are not going to pass them along? >> live in montgomery county, julie parker, abc7 news. >> that is all now for abc7 news at 5:00 p.m. now tonight at 6:00 p.m. >> this is a rally. >> the final push to vote in 2010. and rage [unintelligible] >> live and in hd, this is abc7 news at 6:00 p.m. on your side. >> 12 hours and counting until news at 6:00 p.m. on your side. >> 12 hours and counting until the