suspect standoff. police and friends surround an apartment building. >> is an al qaeda militant wanted for a deadly holdup inside? >> i'm kai jackson. >> and i'm mary bubala. here's what people are talking about. >> cornered in taluz. right now, police are corralling a suspect who is holding up 17 people. the suspect is telling people he killed for al qaeda. >> reporter: french police are trying to capture a suspected killer. they have been in a tense standoff with mohammed merra, who shot at them this morning. police say a french man drove to his school and killed

teacher jonathan sadler, his two young sons and a little girl. hundreds of mourners gathered in -- jerusalem to bury the victims. he vow the -- the french foreign minister vowed he would fight the crime. president nicolas sarkozy said that france must be united. and again, escaped on a motorcycle. france's interior minister says the suspect claims to have connections to al qaeda. he says merra was reportedly seeking payback for the killing of palestinian children in the middle east and the french army's involvement in afghanistan. aftergan authorities say merra was arrested for bomb making in kandahar five years ago, but escaped in 2008 during a taliban prison break. tina kraus, wjz eyewitness news. >> two police officers were injured when the suspect shot

at them from a window. >> maryland republicans will have a say in the race for president. in today's campaign 2012 report, mitt romney is the first gop candidate to visit our state in advance of the april 3rd primary. fresh off his big win in illinois, romney helps him on his lead. romney plans to win the support of local republicans. adam? >> any minute now, a town hall meeting will kick off. romney is saturating the air waves. he's spending nearly half a million dollars. these are live pictures that we just got here from the american american legion hall in arbutus. this is also where governor bob ehrlich kicked off his campaign for governor last time. it's a very popular hot spot with maryland republicans. romney is hoping to walk away with maryland's 37 delegates. also the chairman of romney's campaign. we're still waiting for romney

to take the stage and begin to speak. maryland is going to begin to hold primaries. and early voting will begin this saturday. >> adam, thank you. stay with complete coverage of campaign 2012. we'll bring you the latest on the candidates and the primary results. a maryland senator is marking a milestone in washington. moments ago, barbara mikulski is known as the longest-serving woman in baltimore history. she graduated from the house in 1976 and then went on later. wjz is live with this historic moment. we'll have much more coming up new at 5:00. putting baltimore on a budget. mayor stephanie rawlings-blake reveals the spending plan that is already causing controversy. political reporter pat warren breaks down the preliminary proposal. >> reporter: the mayor is looking for budget cuts that will also allow a tax break for homeowners. >> reporter: the budget

includes the first installment of a plan that would reduce taxes. >> our goal is to get baltimore growing again by over 10,000 families. and this budget is the first of several to come that will help us in achieving that goal. >> reporter: a proposal is sure to spark heated debate, as the city seeks to soak up a $48 million budget. >> it gives permnancy, reliability, and redictability. -- predictability. it allows the department to plan every day, whatever day of week it is, for those closures so they can respond more efficiently to calls. >> reporter: budget options include changes in employee benefits. consolidating 911 and 311 call centers and closing some rec centers. there are eight rec centers that the cities can't close. the mayor is also proposing push back to the plan to close fire companies. and this is a long process.

so it am require final approval. >> the new budget takes effect july 1st. >> an anne arundel county woman is recovering today after being attacked with a hammer. police say 33-year-old robert benscotter struck his 61-year- old mother repeatedly in the head and the chest. she was able to run away from her home on hazel nut court and call for help. benscotter was arrested a short time later. he is facing attempted murder charges and assault. fugitive found. a man wanted for injuring a cambridge police officer is in a wicomico county jail. 39-year-old demetrick dembe was arrested last night on erdmann avenue in baltimore. police say dembe was the driver of the truck stopped by cambridge police last sunday for a traffic violation. an officer was forced to jump out. way when denbe hit the gas. two officers fired at the vehicle but he was not struck.

he is being hold without bond. outside now, still mostly cloudy. still mild and humid. wjz has first warning weather coverage. jessica kartalija is live at washington, d.c. at the cherry blossom festival. let's start with bob with the first warning weather. >> just fantastic weather continues. temperatures running 10, 15, 20, 25 degrees. in some areas, above normal. right now, we're up to 67. normal highs today at 55. so 13 degrees or so degrees above normal. 62, a little cooler by the ocean there. and 70 up in elkton. tomorrow looks like we'll get rid of some of these clouds. overnight tonight, still a chance of fog. but tomorrow, looks like very warm air begins moving in, particularly from maryland north. where lots of places maryland, new england, will get close to 83 degrees. i think we'll get at least to mid- to upper 70s, probably touching 80, on maybe thursday afternoon, probably on friday afternoon. just amazing weather continues.

until the weekend. then some changes. >> all right, bob. thank you. our beautiful weather means the d.c. tidal basin means a wash in beauty. our complete coverage continues. jessica is along the potomac at the cherry blossom festival. >> unbelievable, mary. this is the peak today. people have been coming from owl after avenue -- all over the country to see it. this is the 100th year that the cherry blossoms have been here in washington, d.c., along the tidal basin. take a look. >> in washington, d.c., the perfect day for a picnic. >> it's all very, very pretty. >> or even a spot of tea. >> we call it tea on the tidal basin. so it's time to pull out all the fine china and silver and really do it up right. >> reporter: the 100th anniversary of the japanese, giving 3,000 cherry blossom trees to the united states.

a symbol of the blooming friendship between the two countries. >> why do you think it is important that people see something like this? >> this is also a good reminder that people can say thank you in many ways. >> we're here to come see the cherry blossoms, have lunch, and a couple of beverages. [ laughter ] >> reporter: the cherry blossom festival typically runs two weeks, but they've extended it three more in honor of the centennial. >> so this year is going to tell the story, how this amazing gift has now become the nation's greatest spring-time celebration. >> reporter: in is also the -- this is also the first year you can see the cherry blossoms from the martin luther king jr. memorial. an additional 160 cherry trees were planted over there. we'll have more on that coming up at 5:00. we're having a wonderful time at the beautiful cherry blossom festival. >> and we will have much more on the cherry blossoms coming up at 5:00 and 6:00.

vandals may be responsible for a large hazmat in whitemarsh. sky eye chopper 13 is over the scene of ebenezer road and railroad avenue. the maryland department of the environment says they were called by csx and baltimore county fire. they found a 10,000-gallon storage tank leaking products. two people were hurt in a serious accident in harford county. sky eye chopper 13 is over the scene at old mountain road in joppa. you can see rescuers secured the car and removed the roof to get the driver and passengers out. it took 25 minutes minutes to rescue them. they're both recovering at hopkins bayview medical center. the cause of that crash is under investigation. let's check on the roads now with kristy breslin at wjz traffic control. we have a couple of delays to begin the rush hour. travel on the north side inner loop, slows down there from charles to perring parkway. the west side inner loop is slow there, as you make your approach to 70. a water main break has forest

park avenue closed in both directions. that's between windsor mill and county line. so take kiernan. others include back river road. snowden river parkway. east lombard at south front in baltimore city. and also, pennsylvania avenue at baker street. let's now take a live look. as you can see, things are moving pretty decently on the west side of the beltway at wilkens avenue. this traffic report is brought to you by the cochran firm. if you or someone you know has suffered a personal injury. call 1-800-the firm. or call them for your free consultation. still ahead. fallen boulders, just how big is it? and what caused it to crash into a ohio home. spend most of your day in front of a computer, well, you might need a pair of these. i'm monique griego. coming up, we'll tell you why. maryland is getting a new area code. stick around for the 411. and there are more clouds

than sun out today. does that mean rain is in our first warning weather forecast? ,

a boulder breaks free in a hillside in ohio, spelling disaster for one homeowner below. the boulder slammed into the home in athens. it also crushed up the cars and knocked down utility poles there. believe it or not, no one was injured. families in the neighboring homes have been evacuated while crews crook looked into the rain's intensity. flames engulf a marina in san diego, causing millions of dollars in damage. nine boats there caught fire. five of them are completely destroyed. repairs are estimated around $1.3 million. you spend at least a few hours in front of a computer, listen up.

your eyes are probably paying the price. monique griego reports, computer vision syndrome in today's wjz healthwatch. >> reporter: a lot of people spend their days typing and clicking away in front of a computer. >> it's then between 8 to 12 hours a day, staring at computer screens, all day, every day. >> reporter: and soon, his vision paid the price. >> i started notice, my vision was getting worse. my eyes got dryer. >> reporter: coaler had cvs, computer vision syndrome. it's a broad term for those spending three or more hours a day in front of a computer screen. >> it is all over the place. i would say it is something that affects all age groups. >> dr. lauren says cvs can affect people. >> the big thing they'll notice is they are tired all the time.

>> reporter: one thing like saking a simple break can help prevent cvs. >> you can address the dryness by putting in eye drops. >> reporter: also buy one of these. they cancel out the yellow light in most computer screens. >> reporter: coaler admitted he got the glasses and while they not stylish, they get the job done. >> there comes a point where you have to decide what is more important to get your work done or look handsome while you do it? >> reporter: doctors say an easy thing to remember is 20/20/20 rule. every 20 seconds, take a 20- second break to look at least 20 feet away. market the are mixed. the dow is down 46. the s&p is off 3. and the nasdaq is off 1. let's go to new york now. alexis christoforous has

tonight's cbs money watch update. hewlett packard says it will combine its printing and p.c. divisions to save money. the move comes at a time when sales of printers and ink are falling and pc sales are hurting as more people buy tablets and smart phones. home sales fell unexpectedly last month. national realtors says it slipped about 1% in february. but that was after the best winter sales pace in five years. analysts say it's a positive sign ahead of the spring sales season. starbucks and green mountain coffee areex expanding their partnership. the two will make, distribute and sell starbucks' coffee packs for use in keurig's g's machine. the threat to the online shopping giant qvc is expanding to china. it will join venture with

china's own government radio station. qvc will own 49%. the china national will own the remaining 51%. in new york, i'm alexis christoforous. it's a big day for twitter. the social network and breaking news service turns 6 today. it was on march 21st, 2006, when twitter cofounder jack dorsey typed out his first tweet to the world. it handles more than 140 million tweets per day. >> and about one or two tweets per week for you and i. >> we're trying. >> exactly. we're getting there. that's all you can ask. here is a live picture of mitt romney. he is now in arbutus for a town hall meeting. an update on his visit to baltimore county, coming up at 4:30. a clean escape. wait until you hear how long this cat survived in a washing machine.

deadly stage collapse. how the band sugar land is holding up financial lawsuits for the victims. the weather has a bit of a tropical feel today. don't miss bob's updated first warning forecast. wjz 13 is always on. for the top stories on wjz.com, for instant updates and first warning weather all the time, click wjz.com. copd makes it hard to breathe,

so i wasn't playing much of a role in my own life, but with advair, i'm breathing better so now i can take the lead on a science adventure. advair is clinically proven to help significantly improve lung function. unlike most copd medications, advair contains both an anti-inflammatory and a long-acting bronchodilator, working together to help improve your lung function all day. advair won't replace fast-acting inhalers for sudden symptoms and should not be used more than twice a day. people with copd taking advair may have a higher chance of pneumonia. advair may increase your risk of osteoporosis and some eye problems. tell your doctor if you have a heart condition or high blood pressure before taking advair. if you're still having difficulty breathing, take the lead. ask your doctor if including advair could help improve your lung function. get your first full prescription free and save on refills at advaircopd.com.

hello again. i'm jessica kartalija. we're live in washington, d.c., where the cherry blossoms are in full bloom. today is the peak that came early because of all of these warm weather conditions we have been having. for the latest on the updates, here's bob. >> beautiful afternoon there. not hot. now, tomorrow is going to be pretty warm in d.c. probably mid- to upper 70s. might even get to 80. take a look at radar. i found one little thundershower there. just between salis salisbury and princess ann. you can see where it's going right now. let's take a quick zoom in

here. see who is getting this shower. nobody. don't have the city listed. there you go. 53 hill, chinnity. polk road and weegz little places there. so you folks down there are getting a quick shower. everybody else pretty quiet as you can see, not much going on. 67 degrees, very pleasant. and of course, all month long, i don't think they had one warmer day all month. east winds continue to keep this ocean moisture in. that's why we had this heavy fog this morning. 62 down by the beach. everybody in the 60s, except elkton just jumped up to 70. locally, it's a mild, wonderful afternoon. a little cooler by the bay, of course. 62 in annapolis and kent island. rock hall, 67. that light east wind. tomorrow, we expect a slight

turn to the south or southwest, which will hopefully, or i guess, depends on your perspective. brings in a little dryer air aloft. we will get more sunshine. temperatures will go up. today, 85 degrees. all kinds of records, in the upper midwest. maybe not that warm. low pressure over oakland. see that spin right through there. look at all of that moisture. louisiana getting four, five, six, seven, eight, 10 inches of rain. some places, some of that moisture is going to stream out to the east. by saturday, we'll see scattered showers. looks like the rain chances continue into sunday this weekend. maybe some showers as early as friday night. and we do need that rain. so it stays very, very warm. we'll start to see clouds increase friday afternoon or even shower. a little cooler to the north. and we'll turn cooler this weekend and early next week. south winds, hopefully 5 knots, very late, which means fog is likely to form in some spots overnight again.

tonight, then, look for mostly cloudy, mild, 51. some fog forming overnight. and tomorrow, upper 70s. if we get the sun. otherwise, some spots are staying in the low to mid-70s. but still, we're talking 15, 10, 20 degrees above normal. >> we're used to it now. don't miss tonight's primetime lineup on cbs at 10:00. csi, starring ted danson. scott pelley has a preview of what's coming up tonight on the cbs evening news. we showed you how counterfeit vials of a life- saving cancer drug were shipped into this country. now, our investigative unit catches up with the man who was responsible. that's tonight on the cbs evening news. mitt romney in baltimore county. our complete campaign 2012 coverage continues. >> no, peace. no justice. >> putting on the pressure. they demanded a federal investigation into the shooting death of an unarmed florida teen. what demonstrators want now.

10 aftershocks. the latest on the strong earthquake to rock mexico city. eyewitness news at 4:00 continues afte,,,,,, it's oysternomics 101.

you start with a u.s. senator named ben. by helping restore thousands of acres of oyster beds, he kept hundreds of oystermen on the job... which keeps wholesalers in business... and that means more delivery companies... making deliveries to more restaurants... which hire more workers. and that means more oystermen. it's like he's out here with us. he's my friend, ben. i hope he's your friend, too.

it's 4:29. mostly cloudy. sketch degrees. hell -- 67 degrees. hello, everyone. i'm vic carter. denise is off today. here's what people are talking about. mexico is still recovering today after a magnitude 7.4 quake shakes the coast. monica takes a closer look at the damage. >> reporter: office workers were sent streaming into the streets of mexico city, after a powerful earthquake struck the country's southern region, just minutes after 12 in the afternoon. this worker says it was very strong. the lights started swinging. and the photo copiers also

started sliding back and forth in the office. >> the tremor cost a pedestrian bridge to collapse on top of an empty transit bus. while a major woman's hospital was forced to evacuate patients. phone and power service was briefly shut down in the capital and neighboring state of wahawk a. officials -- oaxaca. officials said 800 homes were damaged. another 60 completely collapsed. >> older buildings and buildings not with earthquakes in design could collapse. but most that are built for earthquakes would survive. >> reporter: it was 11 miles underground in the state of guerrero, near the resort town of acapulco. there, panicked customers emptied cars and hotels, as the ground shook for more than 20 minutes. >> we were on the 20th floor, and everything started chaiking. -- shaking. and i sat on the floor and it

was very scary. i've never felt nothing like that before. >> reporter: earthquakes are not uncommon in the region. in 1985, mexico city was struck by a series of devastated quake that claims the lives of over 10,000 people. even though no deaths were reported from tuesday's trembler, the looming threats of aftershocks has kept the country on high alert. in mexico city, monica villa miczar, wjz eyewitness news. >> reporter: clay is particularly vulnerable to tremors. calls continue for the arrest of a man who fatally shot a florida teenager but has not been arrested or charged. kai has more on how demonstrators are pushing for an arrest. crowds packed into a church, calling for justice for trayvon martin. zimmerman said he fired in self- defense. but the 17-year-old was unarmed. sanford -- ston fard --

stanford police say they had no charges. but many 911 calls from that night do. >> based on what we can hear on 911 tapes, trayvon is running away. how do you provoke an attack when you are running away? >> reporter: the naacp is calling for the stanford police chief to be fired for his handing -- handling of the investigation. >> federal prosecutors and the fbi are now investigating martin's death. campaign 2012 rolls into maryland now. presidential hopeful mitt romney is hoping to win over maryland republicans ahead of the primary here. moments ago, they took the stage at a town hall meeting in arbutus. among the hot topics to be discussed are same-sex marriage. romney hopes to build on the momentum, here in maryland. maryland has 37 delegates up for grabs. >> as i've gone across the country, i have been more

optimistic because of the patriotism i hear, the passion for america, the innovative spirit of our people that has brought home to me time and time again. just here, just a few moments ago, i met with folks here in the audience, one of whom had a home improvement business, another who has a bus company. owns small and large buses and gets contracts contracts to move people around. i find people with different backgrounds working very hard to provide for their families. and i become more encouraged and optimistic as i meet everyday americans. >> mitt romney is still speaking live in arbutus now. wjz will have the latest on his have town hall meeting, coming up all new at 5:00 and 6:00. and stay with wjz, complete coverage for campaign 2012. we'll bring you the latest on the candidates and the primaries. maryland state police are reminding drivers to pull over on the highway. today, state and local police unveiled a decal that will now

be posted on all public safety vehicles. the decal reminds drivers to pull over when working on the side of the road. today's initiative comes in the wake of two accidents in which officers were injured on the job. tsa agents at dulles international airport, arrested a woman after they say she ingested five pounds of harn. -- heroin. officials noticed that bola's stomach was abnormally rigid. the 52-year-old was taken to the hospital. where they say x-rays revealed these 180 pellets in her abdomen. she now faces drug smuggling charges. the centers for disease control. adrolls out a new campaign. this is a shocking ad now airing. >> the cdc says these ads are graphic and disturbing because they need to be. [ indiscernible ] >> getting ready in the

morning. >> called tips from mostly smokers, the campaign shows former shockers -- smokers living with disease. it will include the 1-800-quit- now number. the ads can now be seen on television, radio, online and billboards nationwide. vic, back to you. >> thank you. government data shows more than 8 million americans have smoking-related diseases. hundreds of visitors are flocking to the washington, d.c. area. to take in the iconic cherry blossoms. this year marks the 100th year since they marked the u.s. jessica kartalija has more. >> reporter: they are expecting about a million people to show up here. and as you mentioned, it is the centennial celebration. 100 years ago, japan gave the trees to the united states as a symbol of the blooming friendship between the two countries. visitors from around maryland, across the country and around

the world, came to see the trees in full bloom. today, they're supposed to be at their peak. many visitors we spoke to are from nearby virginia and maryland. one of the best views is from the new martin luther king memorial. and one couple we speak with from columbia said they're taking the day off from the kids and enjoying a romantic afternoon. >> we came here when cheryl was pregnant with our first. and we used to come down here all the time. but then we just got out of it. we got busy. now that the kids are older, we got some free time. we were down here last year. >> reporter: the cherry blossom festival usually runs two weeks this. week, it is five weeks. or this year, it's five weeks, in honor of the centennial celebration. we're live at the tidal basin, jessica kartalija, wjz eyewitness news. >> right here in town as well. let's check in with bob, who is updating the numbers in the first warning weather center.

>> it's been so warm. that's why the trees are blooming. i've never seen the trees blooming this early in my entire life. take a look at temps now around the region, with still some cloud cover. a little cooler than we might expect. tomorrow, though, is going to be warmer. 67 in d.c. 64, hagerstown. and down by the ocean, 63 degrees. now, tomorrow, should get more of a southerly wind. that's going to bring in some record-breaking warmth. particularly northern areas of pennsylvania, new york and new england. could get close to 80. we might get that warm tomorrow if we get a little more sun in the afternoon. otherwise, at least the mid-70s once again. once again, 20 degrees or more above normal. vic? >> okay. thank you. let's check on the roads now with kristy breslin at wjz traffic control. definitely getting a lot busier out there. on the north side inner loop the delay is over to harford road. on the west side inner loop, stop and go there, from southwestern boulevard, to security boulevard. you can expect about 15 minutes to get through. south side of the inner loop,

also seeing some delays there, from the curtis creek draw bridge to richie highway. and we are still dealing with the water break that has forest park avenue closed in both directions between windsor mills. take tiernan drive as your alternate. other accidents include o'donnell at bailiss. let's now take a live look. as you can see, things are getting a bit slowed there on the beltway, just west of york road. this traffic report is brought to you by volunteers of america. where 100% of donations go to helping people in our area. go online to cars helping people.org. and donate a car now. back to you. new area codes coming to maryland. 667 makes its debut this saturday. the new area code is expected to create an additional 8 million numbers. people in maryland and the eastern shore, requesting a new phone number for any device could get the new area code. straight ahead. bombs blast over syria.

the rising death toll from the violence. kicked out. occupy protestors clash with police over their campsite. and will this warm weather last the end of the week? and of course, the cherry blossom festival is under way in our nation's capital. here's some of the scenes from the tidal basin. ♪[ music ] ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

the year-long violence in syria is showing no signs of letting up. new video uploaded online shows continued shelling in the city of homes. at least 37 people were killed today. forces loyal to syrian president basmash have reportedly made gains against u.s. rebels in recent weeks. the conflict has killed more than 8,000 people, while opposition activists say more than 10,000 10,000 people have died. occupy protestors are ousted from union park. but they don't go quietly.

about 300 demonstrators clashed with police, when they moved in to evict them. charges range from obstruction of justice to resisting arrest. over the weekend, 73 protest overs were arrested when they tried to reenter zacoty park. the band sugar land is being asked to remember when a stage collapsed. but they don't seem to be helpful. >> the country duo is refusing to give testimony in the lawsuits over what happened at the indiana state fair over the summer. seven people died in this tragedy when a strong wind gust brought down the stage. it happened just minutes before the band's concert in august. lawyers have filed request, asking for the band to be deposed. depositions are expected to be officially filed next week. sugar land's attorneys say the duo will not be available. a hearing to determine whether sugar land will have to

provide depositions is scheduled for friday. a british soccer star didn't know he had a life- threatening problem until his collapse on the field over the weekend. now, as aaron mclauck land reports for wjz, young athletes are sharing their images as well. these are the images that shook the world. fans and fellow players look on in disbelief and shock. images that have motivated young people in london to get their own hearts tested. at this mobile screening room, run by cardiac risk in the young. nathan hayess is training for a half marathon. alarmed at the ordeal, he decided to get checked at the free mobile screening event, at the university college, london. after undergoing an ecg, can help identify any potential condition. >> it's good to have that piece of mind. >> piece of mind the doctors in europe encourage. it's estimated that 12 young

people die in britain every week from an undiagnosed heart condition. and while these conditions are relatively rare, doctors here say screening should be available to everyone under the age of 5, especially athletes. >> there is an undiagnosed heart condition, the risk of death in those in athletic activity, is higher than those who are not in any sport. >> he is now slowly recovering at a hospital. ever wonder how safe the tour bus you're riding on is? now there's anapp that allows you to find out. the federal government came up with an ipod app called safer bus. it comes after a string of deadly accidents, involving two buses. safety-related complaints. there's no doubt. the new ipad is a hot product. but that fact is becoming literal. apple's comment boards are filled with complaints that the tablets are heating up too much

for company. they can warm up to 116 degrees. apple says customers with concerns should call apple care. more than 3 million new ipads have been sold in less than a week. curious cat in australia uses up one of her nine lives after she decide toss take a nap in a washing machine. of course, we'll have that story for you a little bit later. a michigan woman will probably pay more attention the next time she takes a walk. the woman was texting on her phone when her family says she fell right off a pier and into the water. luckily, a teenage girl was walking nearby, pulled the woman back out. neither the woman or good samaritan was injured. call it a suburban war of the roses. a new hampshire woman was facing a serious fine just for trying to decorate her home. she's being fined for planting flowers on her property. the gardening is in direct violation of her homeowners association.

the homeowners association has also put a lien on her house. the woman has vowed to take the matter to court. from teen heartthrob to adult actor, mark steines has more on james vander beak from hollywood. >> coming up here on entertainment tonight. >> whatever to the guy from dawson's creek. well, we caught up with james vander beak on the set of the new show and his video. >> it is the hilarious spoof that is about to go viral. james in skinny jeans. and he can't keep his hands off himself. the purpose of the racy video? to get people talking about the former dawsons creek star, abc's sitcom, don't trust the "b" in apartment b. in it, james plays a version of himself. >> is that a picture of dawson? >> yeah. he's like my gay bff, but he lives here. >> couldn't i just play an

actor with a resume that we make up. but what's fun about using my resume and my name is that we have all of the stuff to make fun of that everybody kind of knows. >> you gotta fan over, huh? >> yeah. >> did she get you to put on flannel? >> we're negotiating. >> also now, we are taking you inside jessica simpson's baby shower. plus, is reese witherspoon expecting? you'll find out what we know. coming up on entertainment tonight. >> and you can see entertainment tonight on wjz. okay now. we have the story about the curious cat in australia, who used up one of her nine lives while taking a nap inside a washing machine. >> dangerously close to a cliz shead ending, this curious cat couldn't have chosen a worse cubbyhole. >> she's a very lucky girl. >> reporter: leila snuck into the washing machine for a snuggle, while owner carrie turned her back. >> back to 30. >> powell walked out. >> reporter: it wasn't the

first time it ventured n. luckily, the family's other cacan the, pipa, saw her and started scratching on the laundry door. >> after about 20 minutes of that, i finally came in. and she sat right in front of the machine there. and just watched it. >> reporter: it was then carrie realized what had happened. >> and in that time, all i could see was her beautiful little pink paw, wet, obviously, and not moving. and i was just screaming hysterically. >> reporter: lela was rushed to the local vet with mild hypothermia. >> by the time we realized she also had concussions and an ulcer on her eyes and ulcers on her lips. >> if carrie hadn't changed to the cold wash cycle, lela probably wouldn't have made it. >> well, despite that bad experience, her owner says lela still loves to hang out in the laundry room. spring is the season for change. and we're getting an up-close look at mother nature at work. check out all of these amazing

pictures. you're watching time lapse video of a cat pillar entering a cocoon. you gotta go faster than that. come on, caterpillar. this tape was shot in new zealand. when it emerges in about two weeks, it will be a monarch butterfly. and there it goes. it's mostly cloudy but warm and a bit muggy. bob has the updated first warn,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

stir here's a live look outside right now. some rollers on the lake. i guess they're on the river. let's check in with bob turk to see if they're going to be in the water out of the water. we had fog this morning. very calm and very moist conditions. did have one shower, between had you beenurn and pea hill. look we're lookingald the southwest portions and the northeastern sections of somerset county. one little shower and thundershower in that region. locally, nothing going on

around here. just one little thundershower right there, south of the heburn area. just to the southeast of salisbury. it may last for the next 10, 20 minutes. amidst a brief downpour. we could use some here. good chance this weekend. right now, a mild, but not super warm 67. normal high now, at 55. we haven't seen that in a while. east winds at 5. off the ocean continues to flow in that marine air, which is very moist. tonight, dew point comes up to the dew point, and the deform becomes the same. that's when fall forms overnight. lots of fog in the eastern shore. 57 now in oakland. 64, cumberland. hagerstown and ocean city at 62. it's a very pleasant afternoon. southeast and east winds. tomorrow, a more southerly

flow. lots of rain from iowa. to the west of us, sunny and very warm. 70s and low 80s. chicago is 85. new record today. all kinds of records. in fact, the last two or three days, there have been as many as 2,000 new records set, mainly across the ohio valley and the great lakes. for us. tomorrow, we'll get into the warmer air. at least into the mid-70s. maybe if we have extra sunshine. close to 80 degrees. friday night, this front approaches. scattered showers. and a good chance we'll see rain shower activity this weekend, along with cooler temps. south winds on the bay. very light. bay temp, around 53. tonight, then, let's call it mostly to partly cloudy. fog overnight. down to 51. another mild night. upper 70s tomorrow. low clouds and fog in the morning. finally burning off maybe by about 10:00, 11:00. and the more sun we get, the warmer it gets to maybe as high

as 79 tomorrow. the record, next couple of days is really around 80, 82 degrees. we'll get close to those records. >> thanks a lot, bob. still ahead on eyewitness news. ♪ ♪ hit the road, jack ♪ and don't you come back no more ♪ ♪ no more, no more, no more ♪ hit the road, jack ♪ and don't you come back no more ♪ [ male announcer ] want your weeds to hit the road? hit 'em with roundup extended control. one application kills weeds and puts down a barrier to stop new ones for up to four months. roundup extended control

coming up next on wjz eyewitness news at 5:00. the presidential campaign arrives in baltimore county. putting baltimore on budget. why the mayor's new spending plan is drawing anger from firefighters. >> reporter: hi, everyone. i'm jessica kartalija. we're here in washington, d.c., at the tidal base basin, where the cherry blossoms are in full bloom. more on the cherry blossom

festival coming up. more on the day's breaking news. eyewitness news at 5:00 starts now. mitt romney in maryland. the presidential campaign comes to town. >> how this visit is putting local voters into the national spotlight. >> hi. i'm kai jackson. >> and i'm mary bubala. here's what people are talking about. mitt romney arrives in maryland, hours after a critical win in the illinois primary. he's the first republican presidential candidate to stop here during the season. as local voters prepare to weigh in on the white house. wjz has more on tonight's campaign 2012 report. mike hellgren has more. >> reporter: kai, the former massachusetts governor is just wrapping up here.