exception to free speech? >> often the greatest triumphs to free speech come in the cases with the least sympathetic speakers. >> at issue is whether first amendment rights allow protesters to disrupt military funerals. members at the was perot practiced church protest -- at the west road baptist church led by after fred phelps, whose daughter spoke after the -- >> the soldiers have died for their sins, and americans can say that and not be penalized. >> a man -- sued the church after his son's funeral. >> i find it insulting to the families. so many people have died in this country throughout our history to preserve such a precious right, and to have a group of needy people destroy it and mocked it the way they are, it is a crime. >> snyder lost his case in court and was forced to pay phelps and his followers. even some who shared his disgust say they are protected by the first amendment. several media organizations have filed briefs siding with the protesters, saying distasteful as the protests are, denying them the right would undermine free speech. >> investigators are trying to see if a crime spree in two northern virginia counties may be linked. a burglar targeted four homes in a wealthy neighborhood. courtney robinson has more. >> four homes burglarized and this will feet deep community in haymarket. that is shocking. >> the people can get through that gate. despite the iron gate, stone walls and surveillance cameras, prince william county officers say burger got in and stole cash from cars -- a burglar got in and stole cash from cars or kitchens. each home has a security system, and the homeowners were inside asleep at the time. this man, who asked to remain anonymous, says it happened at his home. >> each of the homes has 10 acres, so it is easy to move from one house to the next without being seen. >> prince william county is looking into whether this burglar is responsible for 90 break-ins in fairfax county. the cases are similar. all are first class neighborhoods where cash was taken from cars or kitchens while homeowners were there. >> every night sometimes when i'm home, and during the day when i'm there with my kids. >> some people might not be relies they have been burglarized. they say residents should put on their alarm systems and lock their doors bring in manassas, courtney robinson, abc 7 news. >> in prince george's county, police are investigating a shooting death in hyattsville. police responded to the home at bay ridge lane. we have no information about the victim's name or any suspects. a man is in the hospital with life-threatening injuries after being hit by a freight train this morning pre the victim was hit about 3:00 a.m. along rhode island avenue in prince george's county. police have not released his name or any more information about the extent of his injuries. tensions are running high in part of northwest d.c. at the funeral for a man who was shot and killed just after another funeral. police are out in force, outside king immanuel baptist church where the furor for jamal coats got under way an hour ago. he is the d.c. man who was shot and killed on the d.c. corridor last month. the shot was fired just after another man's funeral, abc murder victim killed earlier in september. -- a d.c. murder victim killed earlier in september. the county exec with says public -- dozens of public this safety jobs could be on the chopping block. montgomery county residents will get their chance to vote on the hot-button issue of ambulance fees. >> their way too high. but what if it is repealed? ike leggett says county services will have to be cut to make up for the expected 14 million in lost revenue. he proposes cutting 115 public safety jobs, taking almost one dozen ambulances out of service and cutting programs for teens. >> i'm not going to raise taxes, so we have to make the cut. we can debate what cuts we should make, but we have to make these cuts and i simply want people to know and understand the impact of this referendum. >> the council president says -- adding that the cuts will be felt across the county. residents say that even if the measure fails, the services need to stay. >> i think we should try to do our best not to cut services. >> we do like most of america -- tighten your belt even more. that is what we are doing. >> i click it urged the council to vote on the cuts now cut -- ike leggett urged the council to vote on the cuts now, but no action will be immediately taken. the washington post reports that all of the graduates in the july 2009 class received perfect scores on their mandatory tests. an internal investigation is underway into allegations that an instructor at the department of training academy provided students with the answers. d.c. mayoral candidate vincent gray held his first rally last night, putting a budget shortfall of up to $400 million, likely to renew talk about massive spending cuts or even higher taxes. let's switch over to the weather now. another chilly day for most of us, but for how much longer? adam caskey is here with the first forecast. >> we got off on a warmer foot compared to yesterday. yesterday we cleared out earlier, getting up into the upper 30's and the clouds held it earlier in place today. that is why it was not as cold. clouds have overspread the metro area yet again. look at that -- see that little, teeny blotch of green north and west of winchester and east of romney, west virginia? those are a few sprinkles. if you spotty sprinkles or win the showers here and there. gaithersburg, 62. 64 at dulles airport. variable cloud cover, because we're still dealing with sunshine in southern maryland. cloudy almost everywhere else. noticeably warmer and sunnier in the next couple of days. we will talk temperatures, coming up. investors hope for another big day on wall street. the dow is up slightly, and it is hovering just under 11,000. yesterday, the dow closed at 193 points up 190 -- the dow closed up 193 points, the best since september. analysts reported private employees cut 39,000 jobs last month. the white house is denying a claim that president obama is considering adding hillary clinton to his 2012 presidential ticket. veteran journalist bob woodward told cnn that secretary of state clinton and vice president joe biden could switch places in 2012. both the white house and the clinton advisers say there is nothing at all to this rumor. it was the thud heard round the world, or at least during last night's forbes most powerful women dinner. >> we cannot sustain -- oops. was that my -- goodness that is all right. all of you know who i am. >> the presidential seal fell from the lectern as president obama was speaking. it was picked up and taken off the stage after the president finished his speech. another two dozen tankers are up in flames on their way to bring fuel to nato troops in afghanistan. insurgents attacked a convoy outside pakistan, torched the truck, and killed a driver. this is the sixth attack on convoys taking supplies to troops in less than a week since pakistan closed a key border crossing last thursday after a nato strike killed pakistani soldiers. the ambassador apologized for that strike. tomorrow marks nine years since the war and afghanistan began. the president will award the medal of honor to the parents of the army staff sergeant robert miller. he was leading a patrol in 2008 when insurgents opened fire. he gave his life protecting his mentor the award will be given in a white house ceremony later this afternoon. coming up -- a home burns to the ground with firefighters right there on the scene. we will tell you why they did nothing to stop it. plus, toxic sludge, a caustic wave sweeping away cars and homes. now, the frantic effort to stop that spread. veterans wounded in war get a new way to get around. first, some new breaks in the clouds out there. we know everyone's looking for ways to save. why not save on car insurance? [ coin drops ] [ high-pitched voice ] thanks. [ normal voice ] you're welcome. get a free quote at progressive.com. imagine calling 911 because york home is engulfed in flames, only to be told that the -- your home is engulfed in flames, only to be told that the firefighters will not help you. this resident forgot to pay the $75 annual fee for fire protection. the firefighters stood there and watched his home burned to the ground. without the payment, they are required by law not to help. >> i lost everything in the house -- three puppets that belongs to my grandkids. >> we have to follow the rules, the ordinances, and that is exactly what we do. >> the homeowner's son is charged with assault for punching the fire chief and the face. experts say paying for emergency services could be increasingly common as more towns run out of money and have to make tough decisions about where to spend their money. and loudoun county man is in custody after a standoff with police. officials responded to the 15800 block -- a man and woman inside said they had been attacked by the homeowner. he allegedly fired several shots from a gun and three hours later police arrested 51-year-old steven underwood. he is charged with simple assault and weapons charges. investigators say a deadly flood of toxic sludge could trigger an ecological catastrophe. four people have been killed since monday when the substance poured out of an aluminum plant in hungary. now authorities feel the -- fear the toxins could be spreading down the danube river to serbia, and although the up. wild hair storm pounded people in arizona on tuesday. drivers in phoenix could not see the road in front of everyone tv reporter was in the storm when the hail started to pound. the wind knocked down 40 power poles, and one nearby town, a poll felt -- >> you look at the hale hitting ponds and swimming pools, it looks like a splash, splash, big ones. interesting stuff. >> we do not have that around here. >> our freezing levels in the atmosphere are different. >> the clouds are starting to break up today. >> they did break up, but now they are feeling back in again. that is why we use the term "variable cloud cover." that is what it is. the cloud cover varies. from art hd ruth scammed -- a nice sunrise, clearing up right at sunrise. -- from our hd roof can -- a nice sunrise, clearing up right at sunrise, but now it is filling back in. there is a look at the chesapeake bay, chesapeake beach. the clouds are filling in there as well. temperature's only in the 50's. 56 in manassas, berkeley springs, 54. now we go over to the maps to get a look at the satellite. the white is the clouds. notice and southern maryland, we still have some sunshine down near king george county. parts of the south and southeast. but that cloud cover is continuing filling in from the west. we will see that overspread southern maryland in the next couple of hours. notice as we put this back into motion, you can see that pinwheel, the counterclockwise circulation in the atmosphere. that is that pesky upper level low pressure system, giving us the variable cloud cover, the unsettled weather conditions, the showers here and there. a few sprinkles cannot be ruled out, but for the most part we will be dry. this upper level will finally pushed out by tomorrow. it will be out of here, back to sunshine. but as we transition away from that upper level circulation and the unsettled weather pattern it brings, it will be breezy. you'll notice gusty winds throughout the day tomorrow. limited sunshine throughout the afternoon. a few isolated sprinkles, with the showers cannot be ruled out. about 63 for a high. near 50 downtown. sunny and seasonable temperatures, and you will notice a breeze tomorrow afternoon. wind will be gusting up to 25. here is your extended forecast. this is the kind of seven-day we like to see. a lot of sunshine, high temperatures in the 70's. maybe even some upper 70's by the upcoming weekend. we look at high pressure with sunshine, clear skies, none of this variable cloud cover business. just sunshine. >> that looks wonderful, perfect all day. at them, thank you very much. a popular set of wheels is now serving those who have served our country. this morning, scooters were donated to wounded veterans at the iwo jima memorial. to give veterans with impairment the mobility they need to help fulfill their dreams. the commonwealth now has an iphone application called "virginia is for lovers." some 12,000 sites are listed, and with a simple click, people can look up restaurants, hotels. the best part of the new app is that it is free. coming up -- a logger trip to school because children hit the sidewalks. parents might want to take note of all this. later today on "oprah," an exclusive -- one bomb, 20 personalities. ♪ storyteller: the itsy bitsy spider went up the water spout. down came the rain and clogged the gutter system creating a leak in the roof. luckily, the spider recently had geico help him with homeowners insurance. water completely destroyed his swedish foam mattress. he got full replacement. and now owns the sleep number bed. his sleep number is 25. call geico and see how much you could save on homeowners insurance. another dancer is leaving the ballroom. >> margaret and louis. >> comedian margaret cho and her partner dance their final dance last night. if one woman said she was glad she took part in "dancing with " and hope she will reach a whole new art in spirit -- a whole new audience. with healthy refreshments in token a large crowd of students, parents come and teachers want -- marched right down sligo avenue this morning. >> exercise is good for everyone. staying healthy and being healthy is a wonderful thing. >> there is traffic. i would not let him walk to school by his self because he would cross a couple of dangerous streets. this is our chance to do so. >> the walk wrapped up with some speeches from montgomery county executive ike leggett, anthony brown, and re less hood. 90% of chips in the u.s. are taken by car. only 8% are by walking. americans take 5000 step today, have as many as people in countries like australia and switzerland. experts have said a lack of exercise leads to obesity and skyrocketing health-care costs. still ahead, and is back with a final look at the weather. i'm looking for something to help take care... of what medicare doesn't pay for. but i don't want to spend more than i have to. a little help, please. how about this? aarp medicare supplement insurance plans, insured by unitedhealthcare insurance company, are competitively priced in your area. medicare doesn't pay for everything. these supplemental insurance plans... help pay for some of those out-of-pocket costs. that could save you up to thousands of dollars a year. and with competitive rates, these plans might be right for you. i like where you're going with this. call now for your free information kit and medicare guide. these are the only plans of their kind endorsed by aarp. and if you're new to medicare... or rethinking your current supplemental insurance plan, these rates are competitive and could be worth a look. now that's the kind of help i like. call now for your free information about aarp... medicare supplement insurance plans, insured by unitedhealthcare insurance company. volunteers are turning this muddy mess into a playground. they will work throughout the day on this project along suitland parkway in southeast d.c. they're trying to finish by 2:30. that is when a three-time olympian will join local leaders for a dedication ceremony. it is like a home makeover. >> definitely, playground edition. many kids would consider mud a playground itself. >> this is true. >> but go to our storm scanner right now, and we will see some areas of rain mainly in new england and pennsylvania. this has been giving us the unsettled weather for the path past couple of days. that was been around for a couple of days and kick out of here tomorrow. tomorrow, back to the sunshine. comfortable as well, 73. that is where we should be temperature-wise. we have been below average for several days. 73 but tomorrow, mid to upper 70's by the weekend. a good chance of mid 70's by friday through sunday, maybe by the middle part of next week we could see some showers. until then, it is looking present -- is looking pleasant with a good chance of sunshine. we do need a chance to dry out after the drought. >> when you see the seven-day forecast, it we wish we could >> when you see the seven-day forecast, it we wish we could start tom my dad is the supervisor of a train station and my mom's a teacher. my dad's an auto technician. my mom's a receptionist. i'm not sure i would have been able to afford college without the tuition freeze. while tuition in other states is rising out of reach... governor o'malley made the tough choice to freeze tuition. he made my dream of going to college into a reality. i'm the first in my family to go to college. my brother and i never would have been able to afford college. even though times were tough... governor o'malley kept his promise. there's never a doubt... there's never a doubt whose side he's on. martin o'malley... moving maryland forward.