emily: good morning, i'm emily riemer. internet co i'm antoinette antonio, in for randy this morning. a construction worker rescued on the job in newton. the bizarre accident and the efforts to free him from a cement mixer. emily: a connecticut home reduced to rubble. the massive explosion and the victims who made it out alive. questioning why a program to put body cameras on some officers is lagging. why the commissioner says it's been a hard sell. juli: but first, -- emily: but first, changes are coming. cindy: a sure are. we will be near 90 degrees, but right now it is comfortable. 65 in town, skies are clear. not dealing with too much fog, just a little bit on the vineyard, but it is pretty

up through the north shore, we have lower 60's. comfortable to start with the clear sky, high-pressure giving us another nice day but with an increase in the wind we will bring in more humidity as the day wears on and that is ahead of the final boundary. you're watching this for tomorrow, triggering thunderstorms across the area, and there is the potential for some of them to be severe. , with just a few clouds this afternoon and temperatures in the lower 70's. by lunchtime we are in the lower 80's and we should top out near 90 degrees. the hottest stuff is through the merrimack valley and southwesterly wind will keep us in the 70's on cape cod. more on the timing of those weekend showers coming up. let's get you out to the roads. olessa: good morning. starting things off with the

brighton. we are watching one accident in everett, involving a tractor-trailer. it couldn't to negotiate the turn and they are still clearing the scene. no injuries reported, but it is still out there and we will keep you posted. just some overnight construction on 24 northbound by 128 and north of town. and again approaching route 2. trains and buses starting on schedule. accident that left a worker trapped and in excruciating pain is under investigation. antoinette: the eyeopener's juli mcdonald is live in newton with major effort to save that man's life. juli: right now a construction worker is battling painful injuries after a complicated rescue in newton. it took first responders two hours to free the man who's foot got caught in a cement mixer at an apartment complex under construction on lagrange street.

metal auger that sucked the worker's foot in when he slipped. the 22-year-old nauset construction worker was in unbelievable pain given oxygen and an iv as firefighters carefully cut the mixer apart by hand. they couldn't use power tools because the operation was so delicate. >> we couldn't use the torch because the ankle was wrapped around the auger and the heat would burn it. >> got in there. apparently they had bags of cement about four feet high. juli: the worker was conscious and talking when he was taken to the hospital. investigators are trying to determine if anything could have prevented this accident. juli mcdonald, wcvb newscenter 5. antoinette: other stories we're following right now, two animal inspectors are fired following the investigation of dismal

last month, hundreds of animals were found in poor health many were dead. more than a dozen people are under investigation. no charges have been filed. antoinette: right now, investigators in connecticut are trying to figure out why this home was reduced to rubble. seven people were inside that home in vernon when it suddenly exploded. four of those victims are under the age of 16. amazingly, nobody was killed. officials are now looking into a possible gas leak as c neighbors who witnessed the blast left shocked, describing a devastating scene. >> one guy in the very beginning who was picking away debris on the front porch, we could hear him. at least we knew that they were ok. antoinette: one of the victims has been released from the hospital. the others are suffering from serious injuries, but are

murder trial will make an important request. the eyeopener's sera congi is live at the federal courthouse in south boston with what's at stake today. sera: today a judge will decide whether the number fbi agent will spend any time behind bars. robert fitzpatrick has already pleaded guilty to perjury and obstruction of justice. he admitted he lied during his testimony at whitey bulger's murder and racketeering trial in 2013. embellishing his personal even claiming he was the first officer to recover the gun used to assassinate martin luther king, jr. all of this, in part, to boost sales of a book he co-authored. as part of his plea deal, both sides are asking for two years of probation. but a judge has the final say on that. sera congi, wcvb newscenter 5.

for a new pilot program. department leaders along with the city council held a public hearing in mattapan last night to discuss the plan. some questioning why it's taken so long to get that six month trial up and running. commissioner bill evans hoped to have 100 cameras on the streets by july but he says that's turned out to be unrealistic. his new target date is september first, but he says the department will probably have to assign officers to wear the devices if they won't volunteer. emily: commitment 2016, this morning president obama is preparing to head to martha's vineyard for vacation. but not before firing back at donald trump for repeated claims that the election to replace him is rigged. >> if mr. trump is up 10 or 15 points, and ends up losing, then maybe he can raise some questions. that doesn't seem to be the case

in maine yesterday, the gop candidate himself tried to get back on message hammering familiar themes, including telling the crowd the boston marathon bombing could have been prevented if the u.s. had not admitted the tsarnaev brothers as refugees. >> the most important issue facing civilization right now is radical islamic terrorism, and we have a president, we have a es emily: both campaigns will be covering a lot of ground today. hillary clinton and tim kaine holding events from washington, d.c. to wisconsin and michigan. trump and mike pence will be in indiana, iowa and green bay. antoinette: massachusetts senator elizabeth warren is keeping the heat on donald trump. going on-the-record here in the wcvb studio, she blasted trump for accepting a purple heart from one of his supporters. >> the idea that if donald trump

though he had earned it, as though somehow it meant something because he can hang up one more metal? antoinette: warren also chided democratic nominee hillary clinton for hiring debbie wasserman schultz just days after she resigned as dnc chair. schultz was booed at the philadelphia convention after leaked emails revealed she tried to undermine the campaign of senator bernie sanders. senator warren goes on the record with ed harding and janet wu this sunday morning at 11:00 a.m., right here on channel 5. emily: scratch tickets won't be sold online this year after all, -- antoinette: but supporters say they're not giving up on the initiative. the group they're hoping to target with this trend. emily: 5 investigates scathing words from boston's police unions. why they say the city is putting lives at risk, and the mayor's response. antoinette: plus, a local push to fight the zika virus. the vaccine nearly ready for

end the week. i am tracking thunderstorms that will impact part of the weekend.

emily: 5 investigates, this morning cityde to the mayor and police commissioner. mike beaudet obtained this scathing letter, claiming the city is putting officers at risk. the union says it has been begging the city for what they call the necessary personnel and equipment for 18 months. the letter goes on to say, quote, "you can sing kumbaya or we shall overcome till the cows come home, but that won't stop a rifle round aimed at a police officer's chest." mike brought the claims to mayor

>> some of the points they made, they say there aren't enough officers and that their equipment is a good enough. >> i don't know what is the right number of officers. i think that's an argument that they have had for a long time. emily: it's worth noting, the union is contract negotiations with the city right now, but in the letter, they insist this is about safety. we reached out to the unions but never heard back. antoinette: 5 investigates tonight, new security measures in place at sheriff's departments when it comes to transporting passengers. exposed what really happened to a 29-year-old man on the night he died in the back an essex county sheriff's department van in january. investigative reporter kathy curran shows you what's being done and digs into the security measures used by departments all across the state. coming up tonight at 5:00. drought conditions intensifying across the state.

for rain. plus a local lab fighting the zika virus. the money battle some say is delaying a breakthrough, an

cindy: welcome back. antoinette: an unsettling number to share with you this morning. nearly 62% of the state is now considered to be in severe drought. that's up from just 40% a week ago according to the latest update form the u.s. drought monitor. state officials issued a drought watch on july first for parts of the state and many communities now have water restrictions in

cindy: and the deficits keep growing every day. it's hit or miss with these downpours at this soaking rain -- not in the next six to 10 days. this area of the ora encompassing most of southern new england. this is pretty incredible for the next six to 10 days, it looks like it is below normal precipitation across the northeast. there is somewhat weather in the middle of the country but we can't get it here. the exception will be saturday but it won't be wet all day

showers and thunderstorms dropping towards st. louis, that is the final boundary working in our direction and as it comes through on saturday there will be a marginal risk for severe storms. out ahead of this storm is the humidity ramping up with high dominating us for the past few days and now it is the southwesterly wind. really in the sticky air working in. tomorrow, the dewpoint temperatures will be in that oppressive range and when you have that much moisture any storm can get going. you have the potential for a lot of rainfall and the humidity will go away on sunday. you can see how cool it is down toward the vineyard, 48 degrees.

beverly, 65. temperatures will drop up and drop by 10:00. 80 degrees for your lunch hour, near 90 for high temperatures. the hottest areas will touch that 90 degree mark and then we will have southwesterly wind on the south cape. 60's to around 70 in. across the area, very slow, and less humid air drops in thunderstorms tomorrow could cost them gusting wind and the potential for some very heavy rainfall across the area. tomorrow is a high impact weather day with the potential for rain, and during the morning hours, we are already seeing storms. they will be scattered in

organized line will come northwest to southeast. it reached out for the cape and offshore. if you have outdoor plans on saturday, it won't be raining all the time. that is the window. can't say i'm thrilled about it, but sunday looks great. [laughter] olessa: one problem spot early this morning. here is video from the scene, the tractor-trailer accident, overturned and ended up getting stuck. street, so keep in mind that they are working that. we will a you know when it clears. the major roadways are looking good, no problems along the pike. so far, just a little bit of overnight construction. there's the accident. keep in mind the closure, where we have that accident investigation. 95 looks good, there is some road work northbound approaching

little bit longer in the same story by routes 2. so far transit buses will start on schedule. antoinette: your health this morning, the urgent fight against the zika virus taking a big step forward in boston. researchers at beth israel deaconess medical center are working on a major breakthrough. they've found a vaccine that works in mice and monkeys. but it still has to be tested on humans. to be right here in the boston area. we will be looking for people who want to contribute to making the vaccine right around here in boston. antoinette: researchers will need 30 to 50 volunteers for clinical human trials which could start in october. they also need money. senator ed markey toured the lab yesterday calling on congress to come back into session to pass emergency funding to fight zika. yesterday, massachusetts got $200,000 in federal funding to monitor the virus here in the

emily: checking the markets in your economy this morning asian stocks were mixed overnight as investors wait for a critical jobs report in the u.s. right now stock futures here are higher. the july unemployment report is due out at 8:30 a.m. governor baker will sign off on new legislation today regulating ride-sharing services like uber and lyft. drivers here in massachusetts will have to undergo background checks. the new law will also allow pick-ups at the south boston convention center and logan airport. it does not include a proposal to fingerprint drivers which antoinette: lawmakers hoping to get scratch tickets online say they'll try again next year. the state senate had initially approved the plan to sell lottery tickets online as part of an economic development bill. but lawmakers took it out of the final version over the weekend. supporters say the lottery needs to start appealing to a younger generation online to maintain strong revenue.

olympics. opening ceremonies are tonight. a skit that was supposed to include supermodel gisele bundchen has reportedly been dropped from the program. it was supposed to show bundchen being chased down the runway by a man trying to get a selfie but organizers say it was misinterpreted. antoinette: it may be the most anticipated blockbuster of the summer suicide squad out in theaters today and although it's not getting much love from the critics it is expected to break some records. predicting will smith, margot robbie and the gang could pull in 140 million dollars or more, which would easily be the biggest august debut ever. usually we tell you about gators being captured in florida. emily: but this unusual pet was caught in springfield. yes, our springfield. the six-foot long gator was being kept in a backyard enclosure of a home on main street.

nearby zoo and environmental police. the alligator hissed and struggled but was captured and taken to the zoo. no word on whether its owners will face any charges. antoinette: springfield residents facing serious charges. at 5:00, sleeping in isn't always a good idea on your day off. the other weekend mistakes that

to go. antoinette: a construction worker is battling painful injuries after a complicated rescue in newton. it took first responders two hours to free the man when his foot got caught in a cement mixer at an apartment complex under construction on lagrange street. the worker was conscious and talking when he was taken to the hospital. investigators are trying to determine if anything could have prevented this accident. emily: five alleged associates of a new york-based mob family are under arrest, facing extortion charges this morning. the men are accused of committing crimes in sharking and extortion. federal prosecutors say the men used violence, exploited their affiliation with la cosa nostra and made implied threats of murder to instill fear in their victims. antoinette: hundreds filled a mattapan church to say final goodbyes to the 7-year-old boy who drowned at a boston-run day program. family and friends remembered kyzer willis as an energetic child who could light up a room. he was swimming with a group from the program at carson beach

emily: an update on water concerns in concord. tests show there are no signs of contamination in the water supply there. as we reported earlier this week, a town employee found the lock on one of the tanks had been damaged. officials sealed off the reservoir as a precaution and put water restrictions in place. that tank should start going back on line today with restrictions expected to be lifted next week. emily: internet speeds have reached an all time high. speedtest's latest report shows that the internet is 42% faster than last year. xfinity has been reported as having the fastest download speed while verizon has the fastest upload speed. not everyone gets to enjoy the benefits of better technology. the fcc says internet in rural areas is still much slower. antoinette: the red sox closing out their series against the mariners last night it would be travis shaw with the solo home run to get things started for the sox. then mookie betts with the rbi

but the 5th would end with the mariners tying it up. this one would need some extra innings. brock holt gets the single in the 11th and travis shaw scores. sox win, 3-2. emily: the first family will be back on martha's vineyard tomorrow to kick off their annual summer vacation. they have spent just about every summer on the island since the president took office in 2009. the family will join youngest daughter sasha obama who has already been on the island working a summer job at a seafood restaurant. the obamas are expected to be there for two weeks. hopefully they will get some solid weather. [laughter] cindy: this weekend could be iffy, especially on saturday. but you figure, at least you have some assurance of decent weather. i want to get you updated on a roll -- this tropical storm has

that will continue to weaken as it drifts overland but it has produced torrential rain already. an additional 8-12 inches of rain as the system progresses westward, creating a flood across the area. it doesn't look like we will see much today -- high-pressure hanging on with a lot of humidity feeding notice it will get stickier and the humidity will peak on saturday which will trigger some showers and thunderstorms. you can see there are some 80's off to the west but all the heat for now as to the south headed toward st. louis and that is what we are watching tomorrow when it looks like an impact whether day.

the area sunday looks like a nice time. you will break down the forecast as the eyeopener continues. >> now on newscenter 5's eyeopener -- emily: a terrible injury for a construction worker in newton. the delicate rescue after his foot got stuck in a cement mixer. antoinette: a house explodes in connecticut. the new theory on the cause of this mysterious blast. emily: the boston police union writes a scathing letter. five investigates how they say the city is putting officers at risk. on the eye for this friday morning. >> you are watching wcvb, boston's news leader. good morning. this is newscenter 5's eyeopener. >> now the wind is going real -- whoa! emily: also on the eye this morning, not a bright idea. what this guy should have been doing, when he was almost hit by lightning. that is scary. good morning, i'm emily riemer.