uld've had a v8. the judge refuses to strike the testimony of a key prosecution witness in the drew peterson murder trial. good afternoon. i am steve sanders. and i'm dina bair. we welcome our viewers who are watching us around the country on wgn america and on the web. wgn's randi belisomo is live at the will county courthouse with our top story. the state police officer is testifying about his interview

with thief the fourth wife of drew peterson ... the interview where peterson asked to sit and as a professional courtesy ... the judge denied the defense request to strike the testimony but they saw the fbi agent to took the statement have this testimony entered ... the local official said that he did not view the death of kathleen savio as anything but an accident and did not collect evidence ...

expected to testify today is a friend of kathleen savio and an old classmate both said that kathleen savio told them that she feared drew peterson would kill her ... a teenage girl was sexually assaulted in the avondale neighborhood. the 17 year old girl was walking in the 27-hundred block of north artesian. she got into a man's car after he offered her a ride. the man then threatened her with a gun and drove her to an alley.. then sexually assaulted her. police did not release a description of the suspect or his car. no arrests have been made. a man pretending to be a a woman in kendall county. it happened near griswold

springs road and little rock road around seven o'clock last night. the victim says she was driving along when a blue, ford crown victoria with emergency lights... began following her. she pulled over, and a man disguised as a police officer walked up to her car, pulled a mask over his face, and then took out a gun. he ordered her to walk into a cornfield, where he sexually assaulted her. if you have any information please call kendall county crimestoppers. a woman hit and killed by a megabus in the west loop... is remembered for her volunteer work and sense of humor. 76 year old donna halstead was struck as she crossed adams street near union station. police say the bus' side mirror knocked her to the pavement, and she hit her head on the concrete.

one witness says the timer clock was close to zero as she crossed the street. the bus driver, shemeka hudson, was cited for failing to yield to a pedestrian. arson investigators are looking into a fire that damaged six garages on the north side. the alley between the 16- hundred block of west farragut and west berwyn, just before midnight. officials believe the fire was one garage, and quickly spread to the others. there was extensive property damage... including a 1975 vintage corvette. some angry brides say they're paying thousands of dollars for new wedding gowns and bridesmaid dresses... after the store where they ordered them apparently went out of business. brides say "sister's bridal" in valparaiso closed suddenly and the owner is not returning emails or phone calls.

the building's owner says the bridal shop has not paid rent in two months. a new survey in three crucial swing states shows just how close november's presidential election is likely to be ...

morning show in wisconsin... president obama leads republican challenger mitt romney 51- percent to 45-percent. slight edge. he holds 50-percent of likely voters compared to the president's 45-percent. and in virginia... 49-percent of those surveyed say they support the president, with 45-percent saying they back romney. the president won all three of these swing states in 2008. hundreds of thousands of voters in chicago will soon find result of the city council

just one day before the pre- season kicks off, chicago bears quarterback jay cutler accepted a new starting role... dad. cutler's fiance kristin cavallari announced the birth of camden jack cutler this morning on twitter. into the world. cutler and cavallari began dating in the fall of 20-10 and were engaged in april 20-11. though they broke off their engagement in july they reconciled and announced they were engaged again in november. cutler and the bears open their preseason schedule tomorrow at soldier field against the denver broncos. coming up later: why you may be bargains when you shop. and what the fbi says now happened to the shooter in at oak creek wisconsin sikh temple

tragedy and we have an update on it the

investigators in wisconsin say police did *not* kill sikh

temple shooter wade michael page. page shot and killed six people at a temple south of milwaukee sunday. three others - including another police officer - were critically wounded. page was a white supremacist. and authorities were worred that racist hate groups might try to target the officer who shot page. but they now say page took his own life. >>the second responding officer who shot page in the stomach thereby newt realizing that threat neutralizing that threat ... subsequently there was a gunshot wound to the head that was self- inflicted by the shooter ... also .. page's ex-girlfriend has been arrested. investigators say they found a gun in the home of 31-year-old misty cook. she's charged with illegal gun possession because she's a felon. she spent more than three months in jail for fleeing and eluding police in 2005. but authorities say cook had no role in the shootings.

and the national night out observance in oak creek wisconsin took on a somber note last night ... in memory of the shooting victims. attendees lit candles during a vigil. many signed giant condolence cards for the families and get- well cards for those who were injured. the gunman who killed six people and wounded 13 others in a shooting rampage in arizona last year, has admitted to the crime. jared loughner entered a guilty plea in court ... admitting to opening fire on a political townhall meeting held by then congresswoman gabrielle giffords who is still continuing her recovery. loughner's plea came after a judge found him competent to stand trial ... after he was forcibly medicated for schizophrenia. under this plea deal .. loughner avoids the death penalty. giffords and her husband say they're satisfied with the guilty plea, and hope that avoiding a trial will allow the other victims to move on with way at the largest u-s research station in antarctica. the national science foundation is coordinating the operation at the mcmurdo station.. and an australian team is being sent in to assist. it's nine degrees below zero at the station today. the mcmurdo station is built on bare volcanic rock on ross island.. the solid ground farthest south accessible by

ship. research in astrophysics, biology, medicine, geology and other scientific studies is conducted there. the american patient is in stable condition but there is no word on exactly what the medical condition is ... just ahead: you've heard of second-hand smoke -- now there's a report about third-hand smoke and its effect on kids. and, still to come this midday: why experts say you may be missing out on some of the best bargains when you shop. and later in lunchbreak: we're getting ready to celebrate some of the best restaurants in the gold coast with this year's taste of the gold coast.

fiber ads use super models, metamucil uses super hardworking psyllium fiber which gels to remove unsexy waste and reduce cholesterol. taking psyllium fiber won't make you a model, but you should feel a little more super. metamucil. down with cholesterol. ...time for the bloomberg "on the money" report, live from the

n.y.s.e. president obama said his administration is giving $30 million in aid to farmers and ranchers dealing with the worst drought in over 50 years ... they are offering a grace period for on anunpaid insurance premiums ... if you want to pay for your starbucks purchases with your cellular phones the companies making it easier they are investing $25 million in the mobile application transaction co. " square " ... and there's reports that consumers might be losing money because they cannot calculate

the best deals that's according to a study out of the university of miami ... shoppers are more likely to choose what's on labels rather than calculating deals from the base price ... hewlett-packard has raised its earnings forecast ... next: the new biodegradable bags some chicago stores may begin using. plus: he's been off the job for nearly two months, and: new information about congressman jesse jackson junior's recovery -- and when he we have live music from singer/ songwriter adam cohen...opening tonight for rufus wainwright.

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we're learning more about congressman jesse jackson junior's stay at the mayo clinic. wgn's frank holland has more on the congressman's health and return to the campaign trail. >>the congressman will leave the mayo clinic soon and will run for reelection according to one of his top aides its major news considering the congressman has been on a medical leave of absence since june 10th and we did not find a out about that since weeks later ... and it's been kept a secret ... i spoke with his aide on the phone this morning he believed calls were confidential ... >>they wanted to just let us know that they appreciate the expressions of support concern and prayers as a result to wanted to give this information

to us as an update and i think he plans to run in november >>alot of people are questioning how he handled his situation and whether or not he is capable of carrying out his duties ... >>our political analyst says that that's what these calls were all about ... >>he wanted to make sure that the people behind him are given special assurance that he will be ok ... >>the rev. jesse jackson said that his son was recovering well but did not speculate on the discussion about reelection the effort to ban plastic shopping bags in chicago may have just taken a step forward. a new biodegradable bag has just been unveiled .. and are now being handed out around the city.

we've all seen plastic bags blowing through the air or stuck, hanging from trees or floating in rivers and streams. they have become constant reminders of the damage that can be inflicted on the environment from careless attention to waste material. now, a chicago company has partnered with alderman joe moreno to try and popularize the use of bio-degradable plastic bags in local stores. a combustible bag is a great option it breaks down instead of existing for thousands of years instead of plastic ... they are the newest generation of plastic bags - a bio- degradable form that dissolves in the elements because they are made of natural ingredients. >>it will break down similar to that of a banana peel or apple

alderman moreno and the green grocer hope the trend of using bio gradable plastic bags will spread to other wards throughout the city. ... we are focused on sustainable products ... the bags themselves have also been a big factor for us ... >>they hope that by selling bags with advertising local merchants will be more inclined to work with the program >>we will continue to order these and get more information about putting our own logo on the bags ... robert jordan wgn news

least four men who robbed a suburban jewelry store. the entire robbery was captured on video. it happened monday afternoon at the roosevelt gold exchange on the 1200 block of cicero avenue in cicero. the men walked into the jewelry store, tied up and beat the clerk, and got away with 40,000 dollars in cash and jewelry. they weren't able to take the actual security camera because of the owner's dog max >>thanks to max we got your picture ... save your money fellows for the prison commissary! "n" line when captured, police say the men face armed robbery and aggravated battery charges.

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you're looking for in an unusual meteorological event over lake michigan ... >>it's that kind of season we have several elements combining to produce some waterspouts later tomorrow and friday august sept. oct. are the big months for waterspouts those are tornadoes over the water ... we might have some pretty good rain showers ... we will get warm again next week. we welcome

this rain. this is the first of a series of these storms in the next couple of days scattered shares this afternoon and tonight into tomorrow morning but they will grow more numerous as the storm consolidates late tomorrow into friday ... this alberta clipper is coming from the northwest it's not the type of weather system you would expect to see in the summertime this shows you how unusual weather pattern has been ...

there heat advisory is in the far west ... we are five degrees cooler than we were 24 hours ago ... the midwest is in for a big drop in temperatures with this front coming the mold count is still just below 50,000 is still problematic for those who have mold allergies this is the coolest air in six weeks we have seen...

the great lakes are at historically warm levels and with this cold air coming that will produce waterspouts. august is 78.4 degrees as the average that's above the normal this is the 11th consecutive month of above normal temperatures here in chicago if it continues this has never happened before ... it is quite warm in the southern suburbs.

everyone is in the '80s 79 degrees here in the city and a sampling of temperatures across the chicago metropolitan area: the mold count remains high there are low values of ragweed and tree pollen ... these will be the biggest rain totals we have had all year ...

the alberta clipper will run down this thermal boundary setting up those showers ... the southwestern states are under a heat advisory temperatures are over 110 degrees the hot air don has moved to the west and we see some very strong wind with this jet stream let's look at tomorrow ...

this afternoon we have mixed sun and clouds, scattered showers isolated thunderstorm in some spots ... lakeside temperatures will likely drop ... tonight we may see a few embedded thunderstorms tomorrow it will be cloudy and cool with scattered morning showers more numerous in the afternoon and even more so at night when you can expect downpours. that's the coolest day in six weeks that since june 25th it will feel cool and it will be rainy weather time for today's trivia: which artist did not perform at

the original woodstock in 1969? was it a. jethro tull b. joe crocker c. the who [ crack of bat ] ball. ball. [ crack of bat ] [ male announcer ] hanging out with cal has its benefits... so does taking one a day men's. go to stayinthegame.com to enter for a chance to meet me and watch the 2013 mlb all star game. i've worked hard to build my family. and also to build my career. so i'm not about to always let my frequent bladder urges, or the worry my pipes might leak get in the way of my busy lifestyle. that's why i take care with vesicare. once-daily vesicare can help control your bladder muscle and is proven to treat overactive bladder with symptoms of frequent urges and leaks day and night. if you have certain stomach or glaucoma problems, or trouble emptying your bladder

do not take vesicare. vesicare may cause allergic reactions that may be serious. if you experience swelling of the face, lips throat or tongue stop taking vesicare and get emergency help. tell your doctor right away if you have severe abdominal pain or become constipated for three or more days. vesicare may cause blurred vision so use caution while driving or doing unsafe tasks. common side effects are dry mouth, constipation, and indigestion. i've worked hard to get to where i am... and i've got better places to go than always going to the bathroom. so take charge of your symptoms by talking to your doctor and go to vesicare.com for a free trial offer. ahh, now that's a clean mouth. i wish i could keep it this way. [ dr. rahmany ] you see, even after a dental cleaning... plaque quickly starts to grow back. but new crest pro-health clinical plaque control toothpaste can help. it not only reduces plaque... it's also clinically proven... to help keep plaque from coming back. plus, it works in these other areas dentists check most. ♪ ♪ new crest pro-health clinical plaque control toothpaste. life opens up when you do. for extra plaque protection

try new crest pro-health clinical rinse. breaking news - an attorney for george ryan says the former illinois governor has qualified for work release five months before his july 2013 parole. this according to a report in the daily journal in kankakee. according to former illinois governor george ryan's new home will be a halfway house in

chicago's west loop. the 78-year-old ryan is serving a 6 and a half year sentence at the federal prison in terre haute, indiana for a 2006 conviction on corruption charges. on monday a federal court denied ryan's latest appeal seeking early release. well have more on this story on our news at 5 oclock. time for sports: brooks raley becomes the 15th rookie to play for the cubs this year, and you'll see him again. he'll likely get a few more starts with matt garza on the d- l. cubs playing late in san diego again. there's no score in the third... raley loads he bases with no outs, and chase headley singles in two runs. next inning, it's 4-0, 2 men on for former south sider carlos quentin, and he homers to left. gives up seven runs on eight hits in his major league debut. cubs lose their seventh in a row, 7-4. they try to avoid the sweep tonight, right here on wgn. white sox "picture day" at the

cell before taking on the royals. gordon beckham leading off the game... he hits his eleventh home run of the year, and first career lead-off homer. it's tied at two in the seventh... jake peavy still gives up the go-ahead single to alex gordon. peavy loses his eighth game... 5-2 the final. the tigers won, so the sox' lead is just a half-game. they wrap up the series tonight. brian urlacher missed his sixth straight day of practice in bourbonnais. he won't play in the pre-season open in denver tomorrow night. lovie smith only says urlacher is excused for personal reasons. newly re- signed rashied davis practiced for the first time yesterday. he's trying to win back his old spot on special teams, after he spent a year in detroit. davis says he's happy to be back with the team that signed him from the arena league. china still leads the medal count 75-71 over the u-s with five more golds. allie raisman took home a gold and bronze in gymnastics. the u.s. won two medals in the

110-meter hurdles, but lolo jones failed to medal with a fourth place finish. also, the men's boxing team is eliminated from medal contention... it's the first time ever they won't win at least one medal. that's a look at sports. your live illinois lottery drawing is next. brehere are the winning pick three numbers: 4 8 9

here are the winning pick four numbers: 2 4 4 2

... today and lunch break we're making a mouthwatering salad ... using watermelon and avocado and fresh heirloom tomatoes ...

these are all locally grown by area farmers ... ... we are making a vinaigrette with honey and mustard we also include cucumbers we make cucumbers vinegar that's champagne vinegar that has the infusion of the marinated cucumber we at can hollow or grape seed oildd canolo or rapeseed oil

this is a very easy recipe the best things are often simple. you only want to marinate for a short time ... you can add other things like pickled cucumber and balsamic caviar or avocado that

we puree with lemon juice ... so we will garnish this more we will add something like fresh gooseberries that we get from local farmers ... we just piece this together >>it is like a work of art you even include edible flowers for the garnish! >>it is just beautiful ... the taste of the gold coast is next thursday august 16th ... we

will lots of chefs and lots of restaurants and mixologists ... it will take place at the sofitel on chestnut street ... to learn more or get some tickets you can go to the website taste of the gold coast .com we will have this recipe on our web site along with a link for more information about the event: wgntv.com/midday

i'm on break sweetheart. [ woman ] you know you don't have to put up with this. those annoying period symptoms. general pain relievers like advil, only treat cramps, but midol has three active ingredients to take care of that... and fatigue and bloating. because you deserve better.

in medical watch.. the dangers of third hand smoke. we've heard a lot about health problems caused by second hand smoke.. when someone smokes in the presence of other people, who can then inhale that smoke. now scientists have identified third hand smoke.. the fumes that come off someone who smokes elsewhere. thirdhand smoke is generally considered to be residual nicotine and other chemicals left on a variety of indoor surfaces by tobacco smoke. doctors say there's evidence third hand smoke can be a risk factor for chronic ear infections and chronic respiratory infections in children. and they say children of parents whose hair and clothing reeks of smoke are more likely to have asthma attacks. people who are obese or

overweight when they develop type 2 diabetes appear to live longer than diabetes patients with normal weight. northwestern university researchers analyzed data from different studies.. including 26 hundred adults diagnosed with diabetes. they report, people with normal body mass index were more than twice as likely to die during the studies, compared to people who were overweight or obese. it's the latest example of the so-called "obesity paradox" that's puzzled doctors for some time.. why larger patients with certain chronic diseases seem to fare better than thin patients. despite rising obestiy rates among children and teens in the u-s.. cholesterol rates have improved over the last two decades. a national health survey shows total cholesterol down significantly on average among kids and teens aged six to 19. at the same time, there were beneficial increases in hdl, or "good" cholesterol. researchers say two trends may be contributing to the improvement: the emphasis on

replacing saturated fats with healthier fats in commercially available food.. and public health initiatives to reduce second hand smoke exposure.

people have doubts about taking aspirin for pain. but they haven't experienced extra strength bayer advanced aspirin.

in fact, in a recent survey, 95% of people who tried it agreed that it relieved their headache fast. visit fastreliefchallenge.com today for a special trial offer. time now for the answer to today's trivia question. we asked: which artist did not perform at the original woodstock in 1969? was it a. jethro tull b. joe crocker c. the who the answer: jethro tull... ian anderson, the frontman for tull, allegedly turned down the gig because he didn't like hippies and was concerned about inappropriate nudity.... take a look at this guy ... >>is this self bloating or what ...loathing or what? >>and we have rain bearing down

on the area this is the first of a series of weather fronts moving through the area ... we are also getting some cooler air with this and we are going to see scattered water spouts overly michigan tomorrow and some lake enhanced rainfall ... look moving through the time line you can see the way the rain showers are proliferating there's also a hole in northeast wind coming down the length of the lake the day after tomorrow ... downstate will be in the '90s we will remain in the '80s ... looking at the wind up with

this system we have some strong wind by friday morning gusting 30 mi. per hour ... some blustery unseasonable weather coming ... these are the coolest temperatures we will see since six weeks ago we have a beautiful day saturday we will be back into the 80s by next week thanks for joining us today. we hope you have a great afternoon. this evening and again at 9:00.

we'll reviewe will leave you with more live music from ... adam: tonight he will be at the bank of america theatre opening for rufus wainwright