>> hi, everybody. i'm sally thorner. >> and i'm vic carter. kai is off tonight. here's what people are talking about. >> the death of senator edward kennedy. he passed away overnight after a year-long battle with brain cancer and nearly 50 years of outstanding service in the senate. tonight, eyewitness news has complete coverage of his life and legacy. karen brown reports from wjz, from hyannis port. >> reporter: senator ted kennedy will be laid to rest at arlington national cemetery, near his brothers, john and robert. this has released a flood of admiration. they say the lion of the senate passionately maintained his causes while maintaining contact with his adversaries. >> reporter: during his 47 years on capitol hill, kennedy championed healthcare, education, and civil rights.

condolences are pouring into his washington office, and flags have been lowered to half staff. >> for me, i lost my best friend in the senate. he's a great friend. >> reporter: the 77-year-old lost a long battle with brain cancer overnight at his home. vice president joe biden spoke with kennedy's widow. >> she said he was ready to go, joe. but we were not ready to let him go. >> reporter: the family will leave the kennedy compound here in hyannis port here on wednesday and the motorcade will transport the body to the presidential library in boston. his body will lie in repose for public viewing through friday. >> reporter: mourners have been flocking to the kennedy library, as well as the kennedy museum in hyannis port, to write messages to the family. >> i just know that he has been a strong and faithful leader for all of these years. >> the kennedys have left a remarkable legacy. to the world. to the world. >> reporter: president obama will speak at a funeral mass on

saturday. then the family will hold a private burial for kennedy at arlington national cemetery. karen brown, cbs news, hyannis port, massachusetts. and our complete coverage continues now. weijia jiang is live with reaction from low lawmakers. it's certainly been a very difficult day for maryland leaders who called the senate a pioneer who paved the way for lawmakers across the country. >> from baltimore. >> i'd ask for a moment of silence before we close. >> reporter: to annapolis. >> to maryland, our heartfelt condolences go out to the family for the passing of this giant. >> reporter: they mourn the loss of a colleague and international leader, a legacy. senator ted kennedy. >> he had the respect of people on both sides of the aisle. and even people that disagreed with them on philosophy or policy, nonetheless, had tremendous amount of respect for him because of that compassion. >> there is not a piece of

social legislation that was put forth during the time that he was in the senate, did he not have his fingerprints on them. >> reporter: local leaders point to the senator's mark on the country, from the civil rights act to education. >> he was really a voice to provide opportunities for so many people. and we here in the city benefit as a result of that. >> reporter: senator cardin says his passing leaves an enormous hole in the u.s. senate. his skills were key to the passage of legislation. >> reporter: many also spoke about the senator's gift of effortlessly weaving his charisma into his work. >> reporter: senator kennedy brought out the best in those around him. he was the same, good-hearted guy whether he was at a bowling alley or meeting with international leaders. >> they could use that to broker a compromise, to strike a compromise. and i wish we had more people like that these days in washington.

>> reporter: all the maryland lawmakers we spoke with today mentioned the senator's leadership in the healthcare arena. they hope congress considers his lifetime work as this tough debate in washington rolls on. >> okay, weijia, thank you. stay with wjz for complete coverage of ted kennedy's passing. remember, wjz is always on. for a slide show, extra video, and more reaction, log onto wjz.com. and tonight, don't miss a cbs news special. kennedy, the last brother. that's right here on wjz 13. our other top story tonight. we're tracking another storm as it gains strength in the atlantic ocean. tropical storm danny formed today with top winds of 45 miles an hour. danny is currently about 400 miles east of the bahamas. and forecasters say it's on a path to clip maryland's coast over the weekend. we have complete first warning coverage of the storm. we begin with tim williams. >> good evening, sally. good evening, everyone. we want to show you what we're looking at here as we look at

the enhanced satellite picture. the enhanced just simply brightening the colors to give you a better idea of where the storms are. danny, the center of circulation with this storm, was a little hard to see. it's to the left of all the colors you see there. and those are the thunderstorms that are generating around this storm. they are eventually going to wrap around this storm. and when they do, we expect these storms to intensify. currently, a tropical storm. eventually, we expect it to be a low-level, category 1 storm if not stronger. this will be moving to the west/northwest. winds, sally mentioned, 45 miles per hour sustained. gusts up to 58 miles per hour. what you saw there was danny as it starts to move along the east coast. and specifically along the maryland coastline. we expect this storm to be a category 1 storm. and it will definitely have an impact on what we're doing here in the mid-atlantic. for a little more on what that impact is going to be, we send it over to bernadette woods. >> if that forecast does work out the way we're expecting,

what we're expecting for the national hurricane center to break down, this is what it will look like. it will break up ahead of the storm because of this. rain on and off for the day friday. the potential for small storm surge would be possible for saturday. however, as the storm cuts up and crosses just offshore, that wind gets cut off and turns around to the northeast and is going to push all of that water out of the bay. if there were to be any storm surge with this, because everyone is concerned with that after isabel, there is a small chance and it would be during the day and evening hours on friday. then, coastal flooding becomes a concern. by saturday. rain really picking up. heavy rounds of rain. and the closer it tracks to the coast, the heavier the rain is going to be. the farther away it moves the less rain will be. also, high wind. we're expecting back here in the city, up to tropical storm forced winds gusts. wind gusts. that could be approaching 40

miles per hour. down at the coast, with that system just offshore, if it does become a hurricane, there could be hurricane gusts 74 miles an hour or even higher. and in addition to that, coastal erosion and flooding. we'll have your forecast coming up shortly. stay with wjz 13. and first warning weather. for instant updates and the storm's track, log onto wjz.com. right now, traffic in downtown baltimore, still is being affected by gas main leak and break at with west fayette and utah street. the pressure of yesterday's break sent at least four manhole covers flying into the air. the road remains closed in the area. as bge crews worked on the repairs. they're having trouble reaching the leak because of decades-old infrastructure. it's unclear how long the repairs will take. $454 million in cuts. a short time ago, the board of public works approved the drastic plan in hopes of closing the budget gap. in addition to furloughs, more than 200 state employees will lose their job.

complete coverage begins with political reporter pat warren. live in annapolis, where the state's top lawmakers voted to pass those cuts this afternoon. >> reporter: that's right, vic. the vote was unanimous. and the worst part of it is this may not be the last time the board of public works is required to make budget cuts. >> reporter: strapped for cash. >> we're facing the same challenge that every family and every business in maryland is facing. >> reporter: everyone like state worker sheila hill, cutting back on food. >> i'm more bare bones. i economize. i listen to things. i use a thousand ways to use ground beef or chicken, instead of baying, you know -- buying, you know, chops. >> reporter: and dorothy, whose disabled son is losing benefits. >> we're taking on more expenses so he can do the things that will help him have a full life in the community. >> reporter: there was nothing gained for dorothy or sheila in today's vote. >> all favor for the signal, by

saying aye. all opposed? motion carries unanimously. >> reporter: that vote puts 200 people on the unemployment line. >> today, formal letters are being sent out to those individuals. >> reporter: in all, $736 million has been cut from the budget. 60% of that coming from state agencies. 29% from aid to local governments and 11% from state employees. local governments must deal with losing $210 million. $160 million of it in highway funds, health departments and police will lose $20 million each. >> some of these cuts will no doubt challenge us as we've never been challenged before, to make the connections necessary to know what we know and to apply that knowledge in order to make progress, even though we have less money. >> reporter: and come december, even less when the next revenue estimates report is due. >> i think that we're going to be back here, 7, 8th, 9th time. and it's just a very bleak

picture, as far as state revenues. >> reporter: depressingly enough, the state could face as much as a billion-dollar deficit in the next fiscal budget. reporting from annapolis, i'm pat warren. back to you, sally. >> complete live coverage of the budget cuts continues now in annapolis with mike hellgren and more reaction from state workers. mike? >> reporter: sally, wjz wanted to show you the faces of this recession. people directly impacted by these cuts. and many who still have their positions are not only worried about their future job security but also the quality of services that the state is providing. >> i work for the state this last 17 years. >> reporter: darrell brown spoke to wjz on the steps of the state house. he's among the tens of thousands of state workers, forced to take days off without pay. hundreds more will be let go. >> you got a job today and none tomorrow. you know, just makes you uneasy. the cuts are going from the state house to our house. >> reporter: and he has seen

the impact of furloughs in the comptroller's office where he works. >> in the last year. so we had to take furlough days. and there's been a lot of people that have just gone out and retired. go ahead and retired because they don't know what's coming down the pipe next. >> reporter: david day spent nearly a decade, caring for the grounds around the state house. he's feeling the pinch but staying positive. >> i will make it. i guess some people have it harder than me. but i guess what can you do? at least we have jobs. >> reporter: do you have any concerns about job security as well if this keeps going on the way it is? >> i do. definitely. my personal situation, i've kind of switched apartments a few times. and i was bless the in being able to do that as opposed to being laid off. but you never know. >> nikki west calls the cuts disconcerting. she's just glad he -- she has a paycheck. >> i would rather take a

furlough than someone be laid off. >> reporter: bottom line, a little more than 200 jobs lost. 160 positions unfilled. and the 70,000 people who still have positions will have to take furloughs. ask the budget outlook in the future looks bleak. live at the state house, mike hellgren, wjz eyewitness news. >> stay with wjz for continuing coverage of the budget cuts. and remember, wjz is always on. log onto wjz.com for a breakdown of these cuts, the latest updates and to read stories. a major drug bust. a woman tries to smuggle cocaine through bwi marshall in her bra. tonight, we have new details about her arrest, including how she got cost -- caught. police have a name but no -- face but no name. they need neighbors to help find him. >> i'm gigi barnett. that story straight ahead. i'm alex demetrick. coming up, lessons learned from the water taxi accident that

claimed five lives. that story as eyewitness news continues. and take another live look outside, on another beautiful august evening. don't miss the updated first warning weather forecast straight ahead.

it has happened twice. a suspect caught exposing himself in a baltimore complex. now, as gigi barnett reports, police are turning to neighbors to help them catch him. here is a wanted flyer. on it, the face of a suspect police want neighbors to remember. >> who is this man? do you know who he is? >> it's a question police want answered. august 7th, police heard the woman knocking on the first floor window. >> there was a man standing there in a t-shirt. he lifted the t-shirt to expose himself. and she screamed.

>> then the suspect ran off. >> one of the most distinctive parts about him is the dark mole. >> then it happened again. this time, for a woman on this street. the 300 block of sunshine place. police say she woke up to a man over her. and the suspect was completely naked. now, police fear it may be getting worse. >> he's escalating. he started out, standing outside a bedroom. then virtually naked in a bedroom. and these kinds of things can increase in violence and intensity. >> oh, my gosh, i'm getting goose bumps. >> reporter: she's taking extra steps to stay safe, like locking doors and windows. however -- >> with this thing going on, it's hard to be sure. >> reporter: investigators believe the suspect may live in the apartment complex. that's why he was able to get away so quickly. police say he is in his late 20s or early 30s.

call 4 tin-3 -- 410-310-2020 if you have any information. >> and if caught, the suspect will face burglary charges. if you're waiting for someone to get home from work, let's check on the roads with sharon gibala. >> reporter: i'm happy to say that we're actually not doing too bad out there. one of them on 95. route 22 abdiep off-ramp. -- aberdeen off-ramp. reisterstown road, at caraway road. that's between park avenue and utah street. utah is also blocked between baltimore and saratoga. 295 northbound slow, west nursery road. as far as other delays go, there's a look at your beltway. drive times in the 40s. not so bad. on the west side of the beltway, there's a look at the baltimore national pike. running a little slower. on the inner loop, you're looking at a 14-minute ride, with an average speed of 24 miles per hour. this traffic report is brought to you by subway. you could win a $100,000

jackpot at beaches resort vacation. play scrabble at subway. back over to you. >> hello, tim. >> hell no. not too bad a day. a little warm. but as vic mentioned. not too humid, not -- tolerable. relative humidity at 50%. the wind from the west is coming in at 8 miles per hour. 29.97 and rising. the barometer, we'll talk about that and how it could affect us heading into the weekend.

it's beautiful out there now. but you know, the weather computer has been turning over there with the storm that's coming up. >> danny, he sounds so friendly, like a nice kind of guy. >> let's hope he is. >> it's like the neighbor you don't want to invite to dinner. and danny may not be so nice when he moves in our direction. we're keeping a close eye on him. we are particularly clear around our area. we are looking at storms up to our north. i bring that up because that is a front to our north that is going to play into our forecast from the weekend. when danny starts to make an approach on the eastern sea

board. we have 87 in elkton. 79 in oakton. and winds coming in, bringing in very warm air. today, our temperatures spiked. we did get up to 92 degrees. we had the official high here for a while. but still basically squeaking out some of these temperatures. coming down to 87 down from about 90 earlier in the day. this front is extending all the way back. it's going to be moving into our region by saturday into sunday. what it's also going to do is feed in basically into what is going on with danny. danny is a tropical storm. now, to the south east of cape hatteras. it's going to feed tropical moisture back to the front, bringing us a good brit of rain. danny is a tropical storm.

as it starts to move on past the maryland shores, it could be a level. it is around 74 miles per hour. as it continues to move on by, we expect the winds to die down. any water that could be pushed into the bay will be knocked on out because of that storm, moving on by and thinged -- shifted by the wind. we're not talking about a major storm surge. we are talking about a high surf, rip current along the way. pretty much from niepgd all the way down into florida. tropical storm is going to be threatening the coast as it moves on through. as we mentioned, it could potentially be a hurricane that is going to move this way. this front is going to bring us a chance of some rain by friday evening into saturday. those will be optimum times for the impact of this storm as it moves on through, friday into saturday. and then we'll start to see things start to clear out. but it could be pretty rough with winds and rain the area

wide for that period of time. we'll keep you posted. we have a small craft advisory overnight tonight. tonight, 67 degrees. partly cloudy, with patchy fog. tomorrow, up to 85 degrees. sun with some clouds. and a chance of thunderstorms in the afternoon. we'll keep you posted on danny as it gets a little closer. >> i know you. and we're following breaking news right now out of northeast baltimore. it appears a pedestrian has been struck. sky eye chopper 13. captain mike perry has more. >> reporter: tbeeching, vic. we are on bel air road, south of erdmann avenue, where it looks like a male teenager was struck by an possible in the northbound lanes of bel air road. just a few moments ago, they loaded that teenager into a waiting ambulance. there is no word on his condition at this point. the driver who struck him has remained on the scene.

and fire apparatus are completely blocking southbound bel air road. police are alternately allowing traffic here through the scene. but expect delays. >> okay. thank you very much, captain mike perry. still ahead. emergency room on the football field. a group of students and coaches mysteriously collapse. tonight, police are investigating what they drank before the incident. an armed robbery here at this fells point boutique is one of just 17 here in baltimore. i'll tell you how the victim here put the deputy suspect in the hospital. i'm kelly lynn. plavix is a commonly used medicine, but it doesn't work in all patients. now, researchers at the university of maryland school of

it is 5:28. here's what people are talking about tonight. city police arrest a man accused in a string of robberies. they say he targeted nearly a store a day this month, sometimes two. merchants who were victimized tell suzanne collins, they feel big relief over the arrest. >> reporter: the arrest of mark lomax, seen in this surveillance sphroat photo ends a string of what police say were at least 17 robberies in august. from fells point to hamden. even the lutheran mission store was burglarized. >> it was frightening. but we didn't allow it to escalate into anything significant. and we were definitely praying. >> reporter: the man held what

appeared to be a gun in a plastic bag and demanded their $50. but the victims didn't comply with all requests. >> he did ask us to go upstairs. and we said no. >> reporter: the fells point subway was held up twice in the last two weeks. the owner says what is believed to be a gun was held to has employees' heads. >> somebody caught it. and thank god, nobody got hurt. >> we can surveillance at some of these and we were able to locate him at one of the spots. we took him into custody. >> reporter: the fells point killer was hit three times. but the last time, they were ready. >> the employee had her boyfriend on hand. >> he tried to make for the door. and i was blocking the way. so he went for my neck. meanwhile, my boyfriend grabbed a baseball bat he had we behind the counter and hit him a few times.

>> his head was cracked open. his arm was broken. we had blood. >> you seem happy about that? >> i am thrilled that we stood up for ourselves. >> reporter: suzanne collins, wjz eyewitness news. a police guard is outside of lomax's hospital room, where he's undergoing surgery for a broken arm. an update tonight. police say that 87-year- oldarily wilder is a former boxer who is now suffering from dementia. he is currently being held at a private hospital. but he was not arrested. he allegedly arose ought of his wheelchair and attacked james ground. brown. we're learning more tonight about a unique arrest. customs agents say a woman from jamaica tried to smuggle $100,000 worth of cocaine in her bra. by replacing the padding with two packages.

a large object, protruding from the woman's upper chest area. sometimes, you know, you get into these areas that are unusual. authorities say they first became suspicious when the woman answered some questions inconsistently. she is facing federal charges of smuggling. new information about the kent island football team. sky eye chopper 13 flew over the incident. police say they are now testing the water container. 14 players and three coaches went to the hospital on what is still being blamed on heat stroke. and bottled water is now used at practice. we have breaking news at new york city. "vanity fair" says author and best-selling writer dom nick dunne has died. he started his career with

"vanity fair" in the 50s when his daughter was murder the. he was 83 years old. and tonight, the nation also remembers senator ted kennedy. he spent his last 15 months suffering from brain cancer. but he never gave up fighting for the causes he desperately believed in. >> reporter: in the last year of his life, senator ted kennedy looked to the future. >> the hope rises again. and the dwreem lives -- dream lives on. >> reporter: august 26, 2008, three months after being diagnosed with a brain tumor, kennedy made a surprise appearance at the democratic national convention, and spoke of his mission. >> every american, north, south, east, west, young, old, will have decent, quality healthcare as a fundamental right and not a privilege. >> reporter: he looked cheerful as he attended president obama's inauguration, but suffered a seizure later that day.

still, he made it to capitol hill when he was most needed. >> i look forward to being part of the team. >> reporter: in february, he came to the floor to cast a single vote on the economic stimulus bill. then in march, he arrived to a standing ovation to vote on healthcare. the senator celebrated his 77th birthday at the kennedy center in washington. his wife vicky by his side. >> happy birthday to you ♪ >> reporter: in april, the die- hard red sox fan threw out a ceremonial first pitch. and made a final appearance at the white house, as president obama signed the edward m. kennedy serve america act. this summer, he wrote a passionate letter to massachusetts state leaders. he pleaded for a change in state law, hoping for his senate seat to be filled quickly, so his fight for healthcare could live on. early this month, the president honored the senator with the medal of freedom.

he was not well enough to attend, so his daughter accepted the award for him. he made a short appearance at a private wake for his sister eunice shriver. but he did not attend her funeral. this was a sign that many took that he was not well. >> for slide show, extra video, and more reaction, log onto wjz.com. and tonight, don't miss the cbs news special. kennedy, the last brother, looks back on his storied life. that's here tonight on wjz. the fatal water taxi accident that took five lives in baltimore's inner harbor, has brought increased safety measures from the coast guard. alex demetrick reports, the changes may help save lives in the future. >> the water taxi lady dee capsized in 2004, when it was hit by a powerful squall, passing over the inner harbor. >> and the boat just instantly flipped upside down.

my head was on the floor, which is now the ceiling. and i had a battle. a foot and a half of air space on this side of me. that air space just disappeared in a few seconds. and i thought, this is the day that the three of us go together. >> reporter: tom pierce lost his daughter lisa and his wife joan, who along with three others, failed to make it to the surface. >> in this case, it was very difficult for people to get out. and that would not be at this point. >> reporter: one big reason, poon toon boats are no longer used for water taxis in baltimore. and there is a new law. multiple safety changes. >> challenge for us is to foints to a secretary -- point to a single factor. in a capsize, it's such a dramatic event. people were injured as the capsule capsized.

and we can't point solely to the canopy. >> they implemented stricter regulations. it is also recommending the average weight of a passenger be estimated at 175 pounds to prevent overlloyding a boat. -- overloading a boat. >> at the time of the accident, the coast guard was relying on a 145-pound average per person weight. the actual average weight was about 158 pounds. >> reporter: and while no guarantee it won't happen again, the lessons from one tragedy may help prevent another. alex demetrick, wjz eyewitness news. >> according to the coast guard, water taxis and other small passenger boats, operating in and around baltimore, had voluntarily complied with new safety measures. in tonight's school watch report, the reports are in. new college board says maryland students still outpace students on the advanced placement and

act national test. the number of students taking and passing the test increased markedly. time now for a quick look at some of the stories you'll find in tomorrow morning's edition of the baltimore sun. a new study looks at the potentially harmful, cumulative effects of imaging tests. a preview of the 2009 maryland state fair. and checking in with wheezer. one of the headline acts at the virgin mobile festival. for all of these stories and more, read tomorrow's baltimore sun. and remember to look for the updated forecast. in tonight's eyewitness news health watch, the anti- clotting drug plavix is one of the most commonly used drugs around the world. but it isn't effective in all patients. scientists in maryland have uncovered an explanation in our genes. >> reporter: if you've had a heart attack or stroke, you have a heightened risk of having the same thing happen again. the drug plavix is designed to keep platelets in the blood

from sticking together, reducing the likelihood of a second heart attack or stroke. >> reporter: motorcycle enthusiast scat -- scott adeleman says the motorcycle accident he suffered 10 years ago made him a different man. >> i used to be hard charging. and not so much anymore. >> reporter: scott takes medicines every day to keep the platelets from sticking together and increasing the chance for another heart attack. plavix is doing just that. but it doesn't work that way for everybody. some we believe genetics play a strong role in who responds to it and who doesn't. >> there is a common gene variant in who accepts the drug and who doesn't. >> reporter: the researchers discovered the variation after studying the dna of 400 400 amish people in pennsylvania. dr. shuffley explains certain groups are likely to have the gene change. >> asians have about a 50 to

60% prone to this genetic variation. >> reporter: information that could someday lead to a widely used blood test to reveal whether the drug works before patients start taking it. >> we'll be able to individualize therapy to give the best medicine to a specific patient. >> reporter: this latest finding is only a piece of the puzzle. he says more research is needed to find other genes that influence the way a person responds to plavix. i'm kellye lynn, with healthwatch. >> thanks, kelly. people who don't respond are thought to have twice the risk of dying or have a serious cardiac event from a blocked artery. fiery crash caught on tape. an elderly couple is thankful to be alive, after their car goes up in flames. their amazing story is next. cash 4 clunkers is over. but now, there's cash 4 appliances? how a new government program could help you upgrade appliances in your home. putting finishing touches on your exclusive first warning five-day forecast.

first, here's today's final report from wall street. we'll be right back.

well, it is definitely a nice day shaping up. will tomorrow be the same? well, for that answer, we send it out to meteorologist bernadette woods. hey, bern. >> we're going to start to see those changes tomorrow. but way bigger toward the end of the week and the weekend. here's what it looks like if you're headed to the ocean. here's a prelude. tomorrow, not too bad. a warm one. but by friday, showers and thunderstorms. and actually rain starts to take over. this doesn't do it justice on saturday, with one picture here. we are talking about rounds of heavy rain possible. incredibly gusty winds, possibly gusting up to hurricane strength force on saturday. as danny passes through. and eventually, all of this pulling away. so some showers and thunderstorms lingering into sunday. but back here, for tomorrow, toots it's not under way quite yet. this is what we're looking at. tomorrow starting out, still pretty comfortable out there. as we head through the afternoon, more clouds around. and as we head into the evening

hours, a chance for a shower and thunderstorm. small chance, better chances over the next few days. >> bernadette talks about thursday. so let's talk about friday and move on through the weekend. five-day forecast looks like this. rain cooling thins down to about 78 degrees on friday. for the chance of rain into saturday, as bernadette talked about, this is going to enhance our rain totals. 78 on friday. 80 on saturday. starts to see improvement with the afternoon showers and thunderstorms. overnight lows stay in the mid- 60s. vic? >> okay. thank you very much, tim and bernadette. michael jackson death investigation continues to heat up as police release a detailed time line of what happened in the moments after he died. patty off kaufman -- patty kaufman reports for wjz. when jackson was found not breathing. it took 80 minutes for someone to call 911. >> reporter: a police affidavit says dr. conrad murray found jackson not breathing at 11:00 a.m. >> did anybody witness what

happened? >> no. just the doctor, sir. the doctor was the only bon here. >> reporter: -- was the only one here. >> reporter: but then cell phone records show dr. murray made 11 other calls. at 11:49, another vegas phone number for three minutes. at 11:51. he called houston for 11 minutes. then at 12:12, he called a jackson associate for one minute. the police affidavit shows these calls happened while jackson was unconscious in his bed, and murray was performing cpr. legal experts say if dr. murray is charged with a crime, it won't be just for administering dangerous drugs, but also not for reacting quickly enough to a person who is dying. >> i think anyone would expect him to perform cpr. this is proof of reckless conduct, exactly what law enforcement needs for a manslaughter charge. >> reporter: one las vegas defense attorney, robert langford cautions there could

be an explanation for a long phone call. >> was he talking to another physician? trying to find out if there was a drug he could administer to revive him? you know, we don't know. it's really premature. to say that that shows some criminal intent. >> reporter: dr. murray's office remains closed for sometime now. he remains at home, keeping a low profile. an elderly oregon couple escapes tonight after two couples crashed. the boat suddenly shifted, causing their pickup truck to overturn. the man escaped through the wind window but the woman was caught inside. >> it was kind of yelling about, you know, like pull me out, pull me out. had her hands out the window. so myself and the other fellow, got hold of her hand and were able to get her out. and got her down away from the car. kind of like she couldn't stand very well. so we were trying to drag her, get her away. because we were worried about a

big explosion. >> reporter: about 20 seconds later, the tank exploded, engulfing the truck and the boat. cash 4 clunkers ended this week. but now, your old energy- hogging refrigerators and freezers will qualify for government cash. consumers can get rebates up to $200, for new, energy-star appliances. the details are still being worked out for the so-called cash 4 appliances program, which starts later this year. wjz wants wants to help everybody in these tough economic times by bringing you suggestions to stretch your money. >> dial-up savings with your cell phone. if you're shopping for a new plan, take a hard look at your calling and texting. the website, billshrink.com can help. then try to pick up a plan that

meets your needs. and most of your friends and relatives use a specific adviser, you can switch to take advantage of a free calling. you can also check out the amount of texting you're doing. if it's not much, you can save by paying for texting alacart. i'm mary bubala, wjz 13. trying to help you ride out the recession. for more recession tips, go to wjz.com, and click on our special section on the home page. for that and more ahead, struggling homeowners, trying everything they can to keep their heads above water, from falling victim to mortgage creditors. and microsoft is caught up in a racial conflict. why did the company change the race of someone on its website? check in for these stories and more and the breaking news coming up at 6:00. >> and eyewitness sports coming up next. hello, everybody. stan saunders here in the sports palace. orioles in action tonight.

we have highlights. and ravens injuries not taking a toll, but definitely starting to add up. that and more coming your way as eyewitness news continues.

on the backstretch of the orioles. >> hoping for a mers. ending. this is to be expected. the o's whoas -- woes. despite the efforts of pitcher brian matis. matusz. runs down the fly ball and snatches it out of the sky. later, bottom 9, tie scored at 6 apiece. until young scores a walkoff. and the twins beat the orioles, 7-6. orioles have lost 27 of 38 games since the all-star break. pro football now. number 97, defensive tackle,

kelly gregg, hurt his shoulder in monday night's win. number 82, pulled his left hamstring during that same game. and number 64, offensive tackle cousins, wearing a boot. he ought to play saturday against the panthers. now, as for the battle, steve seemingly over the edge of this guy. rocky grant gano. right against new york. but you know what? this guy can tackle real good, too. conversely, pashka has converted all three of his kicks this exhibition season. >> we're not just competing for this spot. there's 31 other teams out there. but we'll compete for every one of those positions. >> i'm not really focused on the competition. i think i've done a pretty good job. had a couple of kickoff lows, which i'd like to have those back. i think i've been doing pretty well. >> don't forget, friday night football, here on wjz. 8:00.

washington redskins, hosting the new england patriots. well, based on his so-so performance against the ravens on monday, and the upside of his potential, rookie mark sanchez has been named the new york jets starting quarterback this season. the fifth overall pick out of southern cal mixes in houston on september 13th. that's it for now. among other things, mine that bird. the kentucky derby winner. we'll talk about that, and much, much more, on eyewitness news at 6:00. >> see you then. >> still to come tonight on wjz's eyewitness news. >> i'm mike hellgren in annapolis. with complete coverage of the massive state budget cuts. wjz speaks candidly to workers affected by the furl

♪ ♪ tell me who's watching. (announcer) it's right here. it's easy. ♪ i always feel like somebody's watching me. ♪ it's the money you could be saving with geico. coming up now at 6:00. a staple in america and a legacy. today, he's mourned. complete coverage. the board of public works, chipping away at the budget deficit, takes a chunk out of paychecks. i'm pat warren. coming up, who will do without what. >> i'm derek valcourt in southwest baltimore, where some developers have big plans for this huge, vacant lot. what might be going in here? find out, coming up on eyewitness news. and trouble is churning in the tropics. eyewitness news is tracking the

storm and it could be heading our way. >> check in for these stories and all the day's breaking news. >> eyewitness news at 6:00 starts now. >> reporter: this is wjz tv. wjz dt. and wjz.com. baltimore. >> from the city, to the counties, to your neighborhood. now, complete coverage on wjz 13, maryland's news station. >> a senator's senator. as flags fly at half staff, and visitors flock to memorials, america remembers edward kennedy. >> and tonight, a look back at his life and his remarkable legacy. >> hello, everyone. i'm vic carter. >> and i'm sally thorner, in for denise koch tonight. here's what people are talking about. >> the american legacy touches like royalty. senator kennedy, after a year- long battle with cancer has died. eyewitness news is live with complete coverage. karen brown reports for