devon is for howard bernstein with weather. angie has the traffic and she is reading my kleenex box because they advise if it is stuff waiting to come out it says let it out. >> actually it says go home. >> no way. >> those who are mold spore sufferers and you have the other side of things coming around. potential for a lot of rain showers and a messy commute. the rain isn't looking that impressive. go to live doppler nine thousand. a few sprinkles here and there. go to the weather computer. on the big picture you will see a heavier batch of showers west of here. that's the main event of the storm. current temperatures have very mild, upper 50s and 60s. we will stay there until a front comes through. then we have possibility of thunderstorms throughout the day before the front comes

through. more on the forecast coming up in a bit. we will check on traffic first with angie. hello, everybody. begin with construction that will be in to affect until 5:00 a.m. the chain bridge, we have construction crews out there working. it is closed until 5:00. on 66, we are clear through manassas through centreville. no problems to report on 395 northbound. finding lanes wide open from the beltway to the 14th street bridge. let's take you to route 4, route 5, 301, all the roads are okay and call it a wrap with the outer loop in maryland. north north of the district nicely from 95 too 270. that's a quick look at traffic. back to you. president obama has scored the largest victory of his presidency. in an historic vote, the health care reform bill passed with more votes than expected. changes are being sent to the senate so the houses can reach a compromise before sending it

to the president. >> reporter: with a razor thin margin of victory, democrats delivered on their historic overhaul of health care and gave president obama what could be the landmark achievement of his presidency. >> the bill is passed. >> reporter: president obama's dream of overhauling the health care system will soon be a reality. >> we proved we are still a people capable of doing big things and tackling our biggest challenges. >> reporter: house democrats secured three more votes than the 21 they needed to push through the historic legislation. >> we believe this act passed tonight is an all-american act. >> reporter: the mast passage of the landmark legislation is months after angry public protest. and a day filled with contentious debate in the house. republicans opposed the bill calling it dangerous. >> let's bring down this bill

and bring back the idea that made this country great. folks are scared. they are really scared. >> reporter: the bill that will extend coverage to 32 million americans still steam rolled ahead, thanks in part to an 11th hour deal to gain the support of a handful of lawmakers. president obama agreed to issue an executive order that will reaffirm the ban for federal funds against abortion. president obama lobbied hard to get the signature issue passed. he called or met with 90 members of congress just over the past week. the house voted on the senate health care bill and then on legislation to fix the senate version. it now heads to the president for signature. the second will be sent back to the senate which will start debate on the changes later this week. in convincing waiverring democrats to vote yes, president obama said failure to pass this bill could weaken his presidency. got the outcome he wanted and he is expected to sign the health care bill in to law on

tuesday. on captiol hill, i'm joel brown, back to you. immigration reform appears to be the next issue on the president's agenda. president obama told demonstrators gathered on the national mall he would do everything in his power to forge a bipartisan consensus on allegation reform this year. they want to protect the rights of undocumented workers and their families. thousands of demonstrators marched near the white house this weekend protesting u.s. troops in afghanistan and iraq. at least eight people were arrested after mock coffins were placed in front of a fence outside of the white house. surae chinn has more. >> reporter: some stood out more than others. >> we'd rather have money funding communities rather than war. >> reporter: but all had a message at peace. >> people don't have jobs and education system is broken.

>> reporter: they called for renewed efforts. a mile and a half away, democrats are expected to vote on a massive health care bill to help americans. >> i will take what i can get at the moment. >> there's more that can be done with health care than they are talking about today. >> reporter: the large protests brought many antiwar groups together, each with their own reasons for being here. some more personal than others. >> her daughter was killed in action in iraq 2 1/2 years ago. since then her family has fallen apart, not able to hold jobs on the verge of losing her husband. this woman's son is alive but could be sent overseas again. >> he has had three tours. one more, i think they just want to send them back killed. after nine years, i want it to

end and i want it to end for all the mothers, fathers and wives. we have had enough. military families and the veterans are the front lines of this entire global war on terror. >> reporter: in washington, surae chinn, 9 news now. >> renee bowman, the come woman convicted killing two of her daughters is scheduled to be sentenced today. they found the bodies of two of her children locked in a freezer. bowman has been sentenced to 25 years in prison already after pleading guilty to abusing her surviving daughter. prosecutors have asked the judge for a sentence of life in prison without parole. the cause of a house fire in clinton, maryland, which killed an 8-year-old girl and injured a woman is under investigation. it happened saturday night on park view lane. the woman told them her daughter was trapped inside. they found 8-year-old kennedy pearson but she was pronounced dead on the scene.

in the news now, two former american presidents head to haiti today two months after the devastating earthquake. become be become and george bush will assess the recovery needs. so far the clinton-bush haiti fund has raised $37 million for the effort. victims of chronic child abuse within the catholic church in ireland appear unimpressed with the effort of apology from pope benedict xvi. it refutes irish church officials for not allying church law correctly and they say the secrecy the church tried to impose was worldwide and they predict more people will come forward and the scandal will spread. two baltimore police officers are recovering after shot while making a traffic stop. they found marijuana in in the car. when the officers tried to arrest the driver he pulled out a gun and shot them. the officers returned fire, killing the suspect. one officer was shout in the face and the other in the

hands. both are expected too recover. congress basses legislation which may make paying for college easier for several families. and the large -- larger your population the higher your unemployment. we will have more on that coming

happy monday. traveling eastbound on the dulles toll road may see a sprinkle or two but no incidents or accidents to report toward the beltway. more traffic in realtime coming up. "living $mart" report of the morning. jessica doyle is here. she's been watching world markets this morning. good morning. >> good morning. investors hope it will be a happy monday but it wasn't for investors in asia. major indices there dropped 2% as the debt crisis increased further anxiety. here at home wall street hopes to restart the winning streak.

the dow dropped 37 points on friday but despite the loss it was up 1% on the week. on friday the nasdaq lost 17 and the s&p was down by 6. unemployment in in the nation's cities continues to rise. the majority of metropolitan areas showed an increase in the jobless rate in january, including the district, with rates rising to 12%. 35 cities reported unemployment at 15% or higher. california and michigan are the hardest hit states. the house not only voted for health care reform yesterday but passed an overhaul of colleges that affects millions of students. the bill would eliminate the reliance on private lenders for student loan and direct $36 billion in new spending to pell grants for students in financial immediate -- financial need, among others. the bill is heading to the senate where it is expected to pass. more studies suggest that

american children need to make several immediate lifestyle changes. it is 4:41. you are watching 9 news now.

residents in minnesota launched a full assault on the water rising from the crow river. teams of people used sandbags and dikes hoping to keep the water at bay. though some roads took on water they are hoping it will begin to recede so they can start the cleaning process. the river is expected to crest at 20 feet. in my hands i have the power, the radar clicker and the weather clicker. >> the two making all the weather go. >> this is it. so i turn them over to you because i have no idea what i'm doing. >> wish you could make it go away. i wish that was the case. the heaviest rain is holding off until midday. the morning commute we are holding off the worst of the storms. unfortunately that means we will linger storms throughout

the day here. in the immediate area a few showers around gaithersburg up to 270 heading out of town. from washington, we have a few showers and sprinkles there. and then right around washington, still a few showers, more toward northwest and as you head to maryland, davidsonville got showers on the way out to annapolis on the freeway there and loudoun county we have a few showers there. a wide view of what's going on with live doppler nine thousand. it is hit and miss showers here and there. the heaviest of the rain is holding back. a lot of showers through the morning hours. not that bad. 67 degrees with a thunderstorm here and there think the morning hours. lingering clouds on tuesday with showers possible and we are cooler as the front passes through. you know what? this is a fairly quick-moving storm. it is done by tuesday afternoon and wednesday up to 65. the momslikeme.com bus stop forecast, this is looking

better. showers will be here but at least the temperatures are not that bad. we are looking pretty mild here. upper 50s to around 60s, 63 degrees. dress for the rain showers, the umbrella. look for something to keep us dry if you see showers around but not heavy coats or anything like that this morning. it will be cooler later this afternoon toward tonight but i think by coming off the bus late this afternoon it is in the 60s. the cold air rushing in in the forecast. off and on showers. it is going to be mid-morning to midday. the thunderstorms and heavy rain is coming around. highs around 60s to upper 60s. winds not that breezy yet before the front passes through. that will come in overnight. the winds are starting to switch directions. a few breaks in the clouds as we go to tuesday. tuesday afternoon should clear it out and that's the breezy day, 10 to 20 mile an hour winds to the west. the second half of the storm is

coming our way. wide view of what's going on. the heavy rain is holding on right now toward charleston, west virginia. and that is set to move toward washington. this will be our main event here today. zoom in closer and in to our forecast track. what will be happening. once this is set to move toward washington, a period of showers here and there possible. the front doesn't swing through until the evening hours on the. a thunderstorm is possible in the afternoon, evening and overnight hours, but as that starts to come through we will have a clearing of the clouds and cooler in to tuesday. still have to carry on a sprinkle or shower. way out in the highest of elevations we may have to watch for a mix of snow coming in. not going to have any affect here in washington. just looking at rain today. but temperatures before we get the front to come through, upper 60s in many cases. overnight tonight, a front

comes in. lower to mid-40s. tomorrow is cooler than today. a little sunshine could help us to recover though 50s. in the highest of elevations, temperatures in the upper 50s and 60s. washington, going to southern maryland temperatures are warmer as the front will clear later in the forecast period. seven-day forecast, looking out for the rain today holding on to a sprinkle or two through tuesday. this is done by wednesday. good news is we will finish out the week fairly well. friday is cooler with a shower and next weekend we are holding on to sunshine, all beit cooler than the past weekend. >> something to look forward to. thank you so much, devon. on the chain bridge we are seeing head lights. as promised the construction cleared and it is passable both ways. 95 northbound in virginia. no problems dumfries to the

mixing bowl. take it to realtime graphics and show you 495 in virginia. a clear commute from the wilson bridge past 95, annandale, past 66 to the american legion. hi, maryland drivers. 270 southbound smooth sailing from the split to the spur -- not from the split. but frederick to the spur. and you saw some drippage on the camera here. some sprinkles on the wind shields this morning. so far not wreaking havoc with the main butte commute. no problems to report baltimore to powder mill. lanes are open for business. over to you. roads in montgomery county will receive a spring cleaning beginning today. county officials are launching the street sweeping program to clean 5,000 miles of roads and curbs. the goal is to remove debris left behind after the winter snow season. based on past years, officials expect 3,000-tons of materials

could be removed. transportation officials in the district plan to hold a meeting to discuss ways to improve access to the fort totten metro station. it will redesign first place and galloway street northeast to improve circulation. the meeting is 6:30 at the metro transit police substation in the 5300 block of first place northeast next to the fort totten metro station. loneliness and it's affect on its health beginning the living well headlines. according to a new study, loneliness is a potential risk factor for high blood pressure. we look at how you can beat the solitary blues. & only the lonely &&. >> reporter: researchers a the university of chicago concluded that high blood pressure can be brought on by loneliness in adults over 50. >> a lot of people who are lonely and some people who live in a cocoon. & only the lonely &&.

>> having people around you, whether you are in a relationship or have friends in your life is no about dote to loneliness. >> reporter: we visited with a doctor to get tips on relieving loneliness. >> if you have people in your life already, you can start to reach out to them more and know them better by sharing more about what is going on inside of you. & i'm mr. lonely &&. >> reporter: washington is full of things to do with other people. so you can find other people to do things with, and then you will start to have some friends because you will be meeting other people who you have things in common with ♪ [ music ] ♪ >> get a pet because feeling lonely is not just an issue of feeling like there aren't other people in your life, but other beings, as well. and dogs and cats and other animals are a great way to alleviate loneliness. >> reporter: in washington, 9

news now. here's a look at other living well headlines. a study suggests more and more children are obese. it looked at 700,000 kids and teens and found that without major lifestyle changes extremely obese children will face a 10 to 20 year shorter life span and could develop health problems in their 20s. there's at least one possible benefit to losing your hair prematurely. men that start to go bald before age 30 are 29% less likely to develop prostate cancer later in life. more research is planned. pregnant women maybe more likely to lose things. a report finds pregnant women have more trouble remembering where objects are as they get closer to giving birth. that can last three months after birth. more research is needed but experts believe hormonal changes may play a role.

taking vitamin d during the winter may help you fight the flu. a study of japanese school children found those children who took the supplements were 60% less likely to catch the flu. it helped to prevent asthma attacks in children with a history of the condition. for more headlines, head to our website at wusa9.com. click on the living well section there on the home page. 12,000 runners participated in the sun trust national marathon. it is the only one that is run entirely in the district of columbia and the fastest loop course in the country. there was also a half marathon. runners came from 47 states and 21 countries but a local man one the marathon. michael warden finished first. >> it is a big deal and i feel like this is my home turf, so i

want to protect it and do well and i was going for my trial time and i didn't get it but ran one of the fastest times i have ever run. >> i am pretty excited. unexpected win today but it is a great course. >> reporter: la that is laura from bloomington, indiana she won the woman's half marathon. some residents are crying foul over which departments are affect bade round of budget cuts. and local schools aren't as bad off as they once were. we'll be right back.

critics of montgomery county executive ike leggett's new budget are crying foul. he said nothing would be spared and that his office would be cut by 26%. the examiner reports many of

the so-called cuts to the executives office are fundships in cuts that happened earlier this year. which means under his current budget his office will be reduced by 11%. the education lobbying performed by local counties paid off. thanks to an influx of state money, fairfax and prince william and montgomery county maryland will not have to make such drastic cuts to the budget. although cuts will be made, 700 jobs will be spared along with various programs such as music and foreign language and school bus routes. why would run hundreds of busy professionals take hours out of their busy schedule to play teacher to youngsters they don't even know? in this report we hear the answer, it is called for love of children. >> she was a young girl who really was at a cross roads. >> reporter: you could say tim payne wears his heart on his sleeve or rather this office wall. >> he was a kindergartener and

he came not understanding any of the sounds or the letters. >> reporter: ten years ago payne was a for the love of children volunteer and now executive director presiding other hundreds of volunteer tutors, boosting student learning skills through testing and teaching an organized curriculum. >> our goal is to catch them early and ensure they are grade level competent and build on their abilities to think of where they want to be in life. >> reporter: several nights a week, for love of children hosting too awe toring sessions here in adams morgan, a total of 300 kids seeking help when something at school is a struggle. for this 8-year-old it was math. >> is it getting better? >> yes. >> reporter: so is the reading for this girl who says the big surprise is the new girlfriend she got out of the deal. >> really close. i like to see her every week. >> i like to see her smiling.

>> always ready to work and you get a sense of giving back to the community and making a difference in somebody's life and nothing is better than that. >> well, a few more resources would certainly help. >> i have been empowered to tell you the gannett foundation is giving you $6,000. >> that is fantastic news. >> reporter: another good thing would be more volunteers. the only qualification is you have to love kids. for more information on charities we are profiling go to wusa9.com and click on the hero central link. good morning. you are watching 9 news now at 5:00 a.m. i'm andrea roane. >> angie is here. she will have the traffic in a moment. right now devon lucie is in for howard bernstein and is starting the week off with a look at the forecast. >> good morning. right now th