>> right now on newschannel8 at 5:30. >> good evening. i'm jennifer leigh. >> i'm josh benson. thanks for being with us tonight. a deadly blow to the heart of alliance. >> at least 31 people are dead and more than 230 injured after capital today. >> the majority of them were station. the rest at this blast at the brussels airport. this shows the moments of chaos just seconds after the explosion. one american who was in the airport spoke to the today show. here is how he described the bombs going off. just about 30 feet from where he was standing. >> so, the first explosion hit and i felt the shock wave kind of hit me. and basically, you kind of turn. and, the lot of degree comes

i saw a large number of casualties on the ground. 30, or 40 feet away, but it didn't look like we would be looking for survivors in that immediate vicinity. >> the terror group isis is now claiming responsibility for the attacks on belgium's capital. president obama speaking from cuba called for nations around the world to unite to defeat terrorism. he pledged to do whatever is necessary to help belgian authorities seek justice. >> the world must unite. we must be together regardless of nationality or race or faith in fighting against the scourge of terrorism. we can and we will defeat those who threaten the safety and security of people all around the world. >> the tore of threat level in belgium has been raised to m maximum. precautions have been taken

washington, miami, new york, and los angeles. joining me right now is retired lieutenant colonel scott mann. he is a special forces veteran and isis expert. we thank you for visiting us. you bring a unique perspective because of your time and service on the battlefield in the areas where iraq, afghanistan, where al-qaeda and isis are most active. as you watch today's event unfold in brussels was it sort of more of what you expected we would continue to see in the west? >> yeah jennifer. i think we need to have a pretty sober conversation about isis. i think the typical thing for us to do is we see this happen and we stop for a second. we stop what we are doing. we gasp at it and go back to our lives. this attack in brussels belgium was forecast in isis after the attacks in paris. they said this is the first of

they are not done with us yet and it is time for americans to step back and really take pause of what is going on in europe because it is probably headed our way. about. based on your experience not only in the field, but your stud you wrote a book called game changer saying we need to have a different strategy to deal with the threat. seeing these images as you see on the screen right now at the airport. people fleeing, do you think that it is imminent for the u.s.? we are certainly seeing increased security here, but people continue to go about their lives. what is your thought process having written the book and been in the field? >> yeah look. we have to go about our lives. we don't want to spend our lives in fear. but at the same time, you know, sticking our head in the sand and pretending this threat doesn't exist or following this

to not name our emy is irresponsible and dangerous. that is what i see a lot of our politicians doing these days. >> so what's the solution? >> i believe the solution involves a bottom up strategy where we go into these rough places where they live. we help locals in these places like iraq and syria fight them from the bottom up. we have the talent and the capability to do this. our nonprofit mission america is putting forward a contract to protectamerica.org and we need every tampa bay resident watching this to go to that and demand our politicians take strategy change in 2016. we have the longest war in our nation's history. my kid and our kids will be fighting this thing if we don't change it. >> scott mann, thank you very much for coming in and giving us your perspective. we are continuing to cover this story for you at 6:00. we will hear from a businessman who just returned from brussels plus you can always check the

thank you both. they let him out and he does it again. a largo man arrested for telling people he is an undercover narcotics deputy. he was thrown back in the slammer the next day. the charge, impersonating an officer. 35-year-old todd bloomencranst said he worked for the police and said his nissan was undercover. he used the same nissan to pull over amber nottingham. >> were you afraid? >> oh hell yeah. i didn't know what would happen when we were pulled over. i was hoping somebody like the real police, or if there was a cop, somebody should be coming with. >> and the story doesn't end there. they talked to him in 2014 after he told people he is an undercover narc and wore a hat

now, an update to an 8 on your side investigation. retirement community scandal. >> the state contends the owners of university village don't have the money to meet their obligation. workers from the nursing center made a lot of noise today. they told senior investigative reporter steve andrews the company is short-changing them and walked a picket line in protest. >> reporter: josh, this labor unrest comes while the new owners, the westport holdings in tampa struggled to stop the state from ending their license and shutting them down. >> we are the union! the working people union! >> reporter: healthcare workers from university village nursing center are protesting working without a contract since december. the new owners here claim through the years, the nursing center was overly generous to its employees and it is time to reel in costs.

>> reporter: karen scott disagrees. generous? i have been working with them over 20 years. i haven't seen $20 an hour yet. >> reporter: management wants to put a cap on salaries and reduce healthcare benefits. it contends workers at university village are paid more than employees at other local facilities. >> i think their comparison is to different facilities that don't have the union. we have the union and the lot of our facilities don't have caps. >> reporter: university village management agreed to talk to us on camera about this and other issues but changed its mind. property. this labor issue comes in the midst of a struggle between florida's department of insurance regulation and the community's new owners. oar contends the owners did not receive necessary approval from the state to take over this continuing care retirement community. they owe $4 million in refunds to residents and their estates.

thomas allensworth was waiting for his $278,000 reimbursement. the state also contends the owners filed false information. karen scott wonders the same thing about the stalled contract negotiations. >> think they have been open with you? >> i doubt it. >> do they put patients before profit? >> profit before patients right here. >> steve, how close are the state and university village with resolving their differences? >> reporter: they are not close at all. the state informed the owners of suspension. so this thing is going to play story. thank you very much, we appreciate it. imagine going to work everyday, but your workplace is making you physically ill. that is what some state workers

against the owners of northwood center. they house several different state agencies. people blame mold, raw sewage, and rodents for their health problems. >> people are going there every single day. and are still very, very, very sick. they have exhausted their sick leave, and they have no other day to take off and they have no choice but to go to work. >> in the latest budget signed by the governor, there is a provision that says the state will no longer make lease payments after july 1. all of the employees in the building will be moving out in the coming months. well, tax related identity theft is on the rise. change that. a look at what is being done to help you safeguard yourself. >> plus, looking to shed unwanted pounds? why you may want a buddy to help you. details straight ahead. >> fantastic day. bright sunshine. very dry air. high above.

we are going to warm it up the next couple of days. forecast coming up. >> we'll have that and more coming up.

hi, guys! spring is almost here and you know what that means! easter is hopping along. so, if you're looking to stretch your dollar this easter holiday, just look at these savings at your local walmart. tampa, in head-to-head shopping, the total amount saved at walmart vs. winn-dixie was $14.07... that's 10% on this week's easter basket.

fill your basket with walmart's every day low prices and get big savings. start shopping with walmart's every day low prices today. and see what you could save. >> tax related identity theft is on the rise. that is why the irs and the tax industry are teaming up to create new safeguards to help protect you. they have a taxpayer guide to identity theft on their website and there is identity theft insurance available to help you get reimbursed for expenses incurred to restore your identity. >> the insurance company will help you get your money back faster.

stress, aggravation, time associated with it. >> final experts say that the best way to keep your personal information safe is to shred and protect your personal documents. a 12-year-old florida girl is facing charges for an odd crime. briana was read her miranda rights, booked into juvenile detention. mug shot and all. the crime? apparently pinching a boy's bottom at school. according to briana, she didn't know the boy. it is a game state of the unions often play. she didn't think it would land her in jail. >> it's just a joke. i regret it. i didn't think it would lead to this. i think it is just a stupid charge. >> according to the seminole county state attorney, if she completes a diversion program and does community service, the charges will be dismissed. a lot of people throw in

routine because it is too monotonous. >> but now, newschannel8's gayle guyardo shows you to get variety to help get you back on track. >> reporter: one of the top reasons people probably quit working out is because they get bored. well i'm going to show you how to knock that out. epic boxing and fitness is one of dozens of gyms across tampa bay that lets people take a class using peer fit credits. >> i love to strength train. i love to box. i love you yoga and spinning. this gives me the flexibility i want. >> reporter: it is so popular it is taking off statewide. >> all over the state, we have 200 studios, jacksonville, orlando, tampa bay, miami. it is a flexible membership for

you get to try all the styles with one pass. >> reporter: so i could box one day or maybe the next day i will take a yoga class. maybe a little downward dog. from yoga to spin. you can keep the variety going. and corporations are buying into the concept. 150 signed up for the first day. >> they are able to use all the areas around. and one of the benefits we do as a company, we offer monthly classes that we sponsor. so, we did soho cycling and a turkey buster. >> reporter: the name of the game is to keep on moving. gayle guyardo, newschannel8. >> and peer fit is continuing to expand.

it follows the life of dr. alex panier, the heart surgeon. it is inspired by kathy magliato. heartbeat airs tonight after the voice. and then stick around for newschannel8 at 11:00. yeah, the beach looks fantastic but if you are stands on the sand, it might feel a little cool. things a little bit cooler thanks to the northwesterly flow for the area. we are looking at 67 degrees here at frenchy's with the north wednesday at 5:00. mostly clear conditions around the air y. hard to find a cloud. look at the guys out here playing volleyball. and hula bay, 73 degrees. northwest wind at 5. 30% humidity. a very nice place to be. spring training baseball, any more perfect weather for baseball anywhere in the country really. orioles, pirates. bradenton.

we will add a few more cloud nice sight tonight. saw it last night too. jupiter and the full moon. the moon is officially full tomorrow morning at 8:00 a.m. but full enough for this view tonight under clear skies. also with the rocket launch at 11:05, look toward the cape. 67 degrees this evening. neighbor a little cool. as for the morning, 57 degrees. close to the normal. act two degrees shy of that. sunny start to the day. a few clouds as the day goes along. getting into a more easterly flow that will bring in a little more humidity. but it should be a nice day. a bit of a warmer feeling because the humidity is coming back. 57 degrees at 7:00 a.m. loads of sunshine. a cool start to the day. by pretty close to the average. it was very chilly this morning with patchy frost. dew point, 40 with the west to southwesterly breeze. in saint petersburg, nice day.

that is fairly low dew point with a relative humidity of 25%. dry day. high above and on the surface. that is our big feature. on the eastern side of that high, the northerly flow is the big reason why. it is just a dense air mass. sinking air with the dry air high above giving us the blue sky. a few of the high clouds, fair weather clouds too. kind of moving slowly toward the east coast. a few inland. but they should dryup tonight. high pressure will continue to be the feature. we will pick up an easterly flow. a sunny start. not as cold. maybe a few afternoon clouds but a little warmer. testifies near 80 degrees. as we cruise into thursday morning we will start to see more of a southerly flow here. a bit more instability with a few more showers and storms that could develop late in the day. here is the change with the cold front approaching the area for friday. the front moves in. isolated showers could drop as

stalled around our region will keep a rain chance all the way it looks like through easter. 58 degrees. forecast low not as chilly. but still upper 40s to start the day. it is fairly cool this time of year. 82 degrees thursday, 84 tomorrow. rain chance 20% increasing to 40% with extra clouds friday. as we go beyond that, saturday and eventually into easter sunday, the temperatures will be up near 80 degrees. we hope the sunrise services should be just fine. we may pick up a few clouds in the afternoon. but the rain chances are definitely there for each day. not going to rain all day. but the chance exists for each one of those days. >> i know you will keep an eye on it. thank you steve. well, a teen in new orleans on a job interview gave the performance of a lifetime. >> coming up next, what he did when a thief grabbed cash from the register and tried to get

>> now to what's making headlines across america. a new orleans teenager looking for a job made a big impression. devin washington was sitting down with two managers at a popeyes.

grabbed money from the register. the cashier started screaming and he jumped up and tackled the thief. >> he tried to put up a fight with me. i was holding him down. i thought it could be anybody. you know. you got to protect somebody. >> and he is a big man to be doing the protecting. washington held the thief down until the police arrived. washington walked away with a job. the search is on for a flight attendant who left behind 75 pounds of cocaine at the los angeles airport. the woman flashed an airline id, but was randomly selected for a secondary screening. she took off her shoes, ditched her bags and ran away. when the officers opened the bags, they found several bricks of cocaine. the delegates duel is in

donald trump is trying to add to his lead. cruz is hoping to take utah and hillary clinton and bernie sanders are squaring off in arizona and utah and idaho. the flu is still popping up in new areas around the united states. could continue around the next month or two. flu season peaks in february and early march, but health experts expect it to linger until april or may. this year's flu vaccine is a good match. nearly 59% effective. there is still time to get vaccinated. well, newschannel8 at 6:00 is coming up next. >> here is stacie with a look at what we are working on. >> thanks you guys. brutal attacks carried out by cowards. dozens are dead after terrorist attacks today in belgium. we have live team coverage coming up. plus, a historic day in cuba as the tampa bay rays take on the cuban national team.

game and we will have a report from him straight ahead. >> an elderly sarasota woman was scammed out of money. >> those stories plus your storm team 8 forecast and

>> evil and cowardly. terrorists target the innocent in belgium. explosions rock an airport. and a subway station in brussels. the images of destruction are heartbreaking and terrifying and the question on so many people's minds is why.

are stacie schaible and josh benson. >> good evening. isis has claimed responsibility for the bombings in brussels. >> more than 30 people are dead. at this hour, the number of injured stands at more than 200. the attacks happened in the belgian capital. two blasts went off at the brussels airport. then, less than an hour later, an explosion at a metro station about ten miles away. we begin our team coverage tonight with jenn holloway who is live in the tampa news center. >> reporter: belgian police not wasting any time finding those responsible for today's terror. we have learned as the search for suspects continues, belgian police have seized a bomb, chemicals, and isis flag in raids taking place hours ago. all of this because of this morning's cowardly terrorist attacks. in belgium, worst fears reallyized. >> we were fearing terrorist attacks and that has now happened. >> reporter: morning attacks on a subway station and the