thank you for joining us. breaking news. >> that senator ted kennedy has died at the age of 77. he was the third longest serving senator in our nation's history. >> we're going to get to that story. it's obviously the big story of the day, hear reaction from the family. first to justin berk with a check of the forecast. >> probably the big weather story for the rest of the week could be the developing tropical system. it's not named yet but i believe there will be a storm, that is about 1100 miles to the southeast of ocean city. so if you are planning trips to the beach this weekend pay attention. you thought last weekend's rip currents were bad with bill offshore, this will be a closer call. currently 73, feeling 78 in ocean city. 73 and the sun about to come up in the baltimore area. 66 and we're tracking you at the highland school in bel air. today a dry day. we get up to 90 degrees for the two-degree guarantee this afternoon. sunny to partly cloudy skies. and things go downhill by the weekend. more on that potential tropical storm off the coast coming up in a couple of minutes.

let's check the roads with kim. >> thank you good morning. as we check all our major highways traffic moving along without issues, here on the outer loop on the west side we have building volume towards the route 70 interchange but no real incidents. however, traveling downtown could prove challenging. we have road closures because of utility problems, eutaw street will be closed, that is actually west fayette between park and eutaw closed as crews repair the gas main break there. eutaw between east fayette and mulberry remains closed, for a blown manhole cover from yesterday. jfx at northern parkway, traffic is moving along nicely in both directions. if you're looking for a business you know you can trust let your better business bureau do the work for you. log on to abc2news.com/bbb. back to you. you are just waking up this morning to this breaking news, that senator ted kennedy has died of brain cancer at the age of 77. he died at the kennedy compound in hyannisport, massachusetts,

surrounded by friends and family. the kennedys released this statement about his death. >> "we've lost the irreplacable center of our family and joyous light in our lives, with the inspiration of his faith, optimism and perseverance will live on in our hearts forever. we thank everyone to gave him care and support over the last year and everyone who stood with him for so many years in this tireless march for progress towards justice, fairness and opportunity for all. he loved this country and devoted his life to serving it. he always believed that the best days were still ahead but it's hard to imagine any of them without him." former first lady nancy reagan released this statement. the widow of president ronald reagan says "she's terribly saddened by senator kennedy's death. she said that despite the differences between her husband and democrat kennedy the two could always find common ground and they had a great respect for one another." she noted that in recent years she and the senator were united

in their support for stem cell research. and if it came from washington he had his fingerprint all over it. >> for over a half century we watched him grow up, mourn, make mistakes, run for president and be a liberal leader. linda so has your reaction. she joins us live. >> reporter: good morning. certainly a sad loss for the political world and people i'm talking to say they will remember the senator for his tenacity and passion as a public servant. this 77-year-old died late tuesday night at his home in massachusetts after a year of battling brain cancer. he served more than 40 years in the senate and worked vigorously to change civil and voting rights and improve health care. it's his liberal voice many say they will miss. known as the lion of the senate ted kennedy was recently putting efforts behind universal health care. he work the phones from his sick bed making a final push for health care reform. >> the whole kennedy family was

-- people, they served people and that's what they did and that's what he did all his life. >> so many things to so many people. champion of what was right. >> reporter: kennedy was a champion for social causes. he called health care reform the cause of his life. earlier this year he was awarded the presidential medal of freedom, america's highest civilian honor. live at penn station,landsa so, abc2 news. >> "good morning america" will have more on the life and legacy of kennedy. in other news -- five years' probation, plus six months of community labor, the sentence for r & b singer chris brown who pled guilty to assaulting rihanna. the sentence was handed down yesterday in an l.a. courtroom. he was also ordered to stay away from rihanna who was severely beaten by brown during a brawl last february. the sentence drew mixed reaction from fans as well as the entertainer. >> they put him five years'

probation. i should think if he beat on a woman. >> i think what he did wasn't right, should be punished for it, going to jail would be taking it too far. >> brown will serve his sentence in the state of his home which is virginia. coming up next here on "good morning maryland" -- a 10-year-old girl achieved something many of us could only dream about. plus, how boredom led this little girl to becoming a published author. her story just ahead. nothing brewing in the weather, it's hot, more humid day but we're watching an area north of puerto rico. it could be named tropical storm danny and ride up the coast this weekend. what could it mean for maryland? in a bit. let's check the roads with kim. >> thank you. traffic is moving along smoothly here on the beltway and no problems to let you know about at the tunnels either. let's check the buses and trains. >> good morning. an earlier delay on light rail. that is gone so we're good for travel in both directions of that service. metro subway looking good. on the buses, number 15 diverted westbound at saratoga

and greene due to a watermain break repair ongoing. the 1, 8, 20, 36, 40, 5 and 91 all diverted westbound at fayette and park. and 19, 27 and 91 diverted southbound at eutaw and saratoga. for the mta transit team, i'm mark jones. this is more than my easy button.

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a lot of frustrated authors will tell you how tough it is to get a book published. a 10-year-old girl proves it can be done. fourth grader savannah thunderman not only loves reading books, she wrote one and it was recently published called "abc." she wrote it when she was only 7. >> one day i was bored and i just started drawing an apple. out of this pen. after that i started writing words with it.

then i started to think, maybe i can make a little miniature abc thing to teach my little sister how to read. >> that miniature abc thing now a published book you can find in bookstores. savannah is already working on her second book, about tongue twisters. despite her author status savannah wants to be a neurosurgeon. >> her second book is d.e.f. all right. right now 6:40. coming up next on "good morning maryland" - >> we're remembering a true public servant. >> senator ted kennedy is dead at the age of 77. i'm linden -- linda so live at penn station. pa announcer: final boarding call... all passengers... each with an average speed of 590 mph... almost as fast as you. nothing's gonna hold you down.

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thank you for staying with us on "good morning maryland." i'm jamie costello. >> i'm megan pringle. wednesday, august 26th. we begin with some sad news that happened while you were sleeping. breaking news. >> the work begins anew! the hope rises again! and the dream lives on! [cheers] >> senator ted kennedy has died of brain cancer. he was 77 years old, he fought

for what he wanted and was known as the liberal lion of the senate this morning we'll look back at his legacy, the family, the kennedys and a look back at his contributions. first we're going to send it to justin berk with a first check of the weather. >> good morning. you take a step outside and you'll notice more heat and humidity than yesterday. officially 69 in baltimore. 70s on the bay and lower eastern shore but we have clear skies today. we'll pump up the south-to-southwesterly wind. that will add more heat and humidity and hold off this band of showers to our north. may clip western hills of maryland and central pennsylvania with showers and we could get clouds thrown in as we head through today. clouds of a different sort on down to the south, running 350 to 400 miles to the north/northeast of puerto rico. this area of interest that some early projections may have already a tropical storm status and likely to be named tropical storm danny today by the national hurricane center. that update will be probably coming later this morning until jeart this afternoon --

early this afternoon. by that point we get a handle on the storm. computer models trying to take it up the east coast, very close to ocean city by saturday morning. so interest along the entire shoreline not just for strong rip currents but heavy gusty rain leading into the weekend. today mostly sunny with a slightly more humid taste to the air and high, our two-degree guarantee of 90. let's check the roads with kim. >> as we check the beltway, both loops are running nicely. no problems to let you know about here on the west side, that is just building volume as you make your way towards the baltimore national pike but no accidents to tell you about at this time. however, traveling downtown could prove to be a bit of a challenge. keep in mind crews are still repairing that watermain break that has westbound saratoga between mlk and greene streets remaining closed. barclay street between north avenue and lafayette, remaining open this morning, nothing is going on there. if you're looking for a business you know you can trust, let your better business bureau do the work for you with the business directory. log on to abc2news.com/bbb. back to you.

again, the news of the day, senator ted kennedy has passed away because of that darned brain cancer. 77 years old. we didn't see him much in the senate floor in the last session because he was being treated and they were in a hurry to fill his role in the senate floor. >> but we remember after he was diagnosed his courage going out in public and of course his campaign to fix health care in this country. something that is going to be certainly in the spotlight this next coming days. we're going to send it to t.j., who starts our morning coverage. >> reporter: to most americans he was the staunch liberal with that famous last name. in reality he was a legislative work horse, a millionar who became a powerful advocate for the middle class. born in boston in 1932, jed jed was the -- edward kennedy was the last of nine children. tragedy would touch them. in early in life his brother

was killed in world war ii, his sister died in a plane crash at just 28. in 1962 while his brother was in the white house ted was elected to jfk's vacant massachusetts senate seat at just 30 years old. >> i pledge that i shall dedicate all of my strength and will to serving you in the united states senate. >> reporter: by then he was married to joan bennet with whom he would have three children but again tragedy when just after a thousand days of camelot president kennedy was assassinated in dallas. and in 1968 brother robert, a senator and democratic candidate for president shot and killed in a los angeles hotel. >> to be remembered simply as a good and decent man, who saw wrong and tried to right it, saw suffering and tried to heal it, saw war and tried to stop it. >> reporter: most assumed ted would one day take his rightful place in the oval office but in the summer of 1969 that all changed.

kennedy drove his car off a narrow bridge on chappaquidick island in massachusetts resulting in the death of a campaign worker. >> this morning i entered a plea of guilty to the charge of leaving the scene of an accident. >> reporter: kennedy apologized in a televised speech and received a suspended sentence. though kennedy would declare in 1979 - >> today i formally announce i'm a candidate for president of the united states. >> reporter: he could not overcome questions about chappaquidick or incumbent jimmy carter. in the 1980s he emerged as a force in the senate fighting for such causes as national health insurance and tax reform. as patriarch of his family he delivered the eulogy at funeral services for john f. kennedy jr. after his death in a plane crash in 1999. before and during the battle for iraq kennedy became one of the loudest anti-war voices in the senate, just as he did during vietnam. in 2008 he was diagnosed with a brain tumor, and kennedy would

once again show resilience. while still undergoing cancer treatment he traveled to denver and gave an impassioned speech at the democratic convention. >> the work begins anew! the hope rises again! and the dream lives on! [cheers] >> reporter: ted kennedy was heir to a glamorous political tradition, with more than 45 years in office, one of the longest-serving senators in united states history. abc news, washington. >> i think many of you will remember ted kennedy standing on the rail of a caboose going through the woods next to his brother's casket draped in an american flag. >> it's the memories, we're remembering those moments. linda so is live at penn station. good morning. >> reporter: good morning. people tell me they will remember senator kennedy as a man for the people. he worked to change many things. reforms and it changed life as we know it. the 77-year-old served more

than 45 years in the senate and worked to change civil and voting rights and health care. the liberal voice many say they will miss. he most recently worked for universal health care. he worked the phones from his sick bed. it's that passion that gave him the nickname the liberal lion. >> i was 8 years old when his brother john passed away. i remember that very -- me and my father sat down and watched that. that is why i remember that. his son, his brother, other brother robert, when he passed away i was living in los angeles. so that was kind of hard. that hurt a little more because of what happened at the ambassador hotel. this one, you kind of knew it was coming, sad but, i mean the legacy will stay on. >> reporter: even though senator kennedy was a democrat he was known for reaching across the aisle. his skill as a negotiator helped him achieve many goals like getting health insurance nor children of the working

poor. live at penn station, linda so, abc2 news. >> senator kennedy was one of the biggest supporters of health care reform. with news of his death democrats are vowing to keep his dream of universal health care alive. from his sick bed earlier this summer kennedy worked the phones making a final push for what he called the cause of his life. senate majority leader harry reid says democrats will rededicate themselves for the causes to which he so do you -- diewtfully dedicated his career. >> you can get more on abc2news.com. and more on "good morning america." now to video you'll only see on abc2 news. a city cop rear ended as she stood at a light on wabash and northern parkway in northwest baltimore. the officer will be ok. no word if the driver will be charged. to exclusive video from

northwest baltimore. fire crews investigating a house fire on oak hill street around midnight. we're told everyone inside did make it out ok. they are being held by neighborhood services. we're still awaiting word on how the fire started in the first place. layoffs and furloughs, a way of life for state workers. >> the governor will announce his plans to balance the state budget today. abc2 news sherrie johnson joins us with more. >> reporter: more budget cuts on the way as the governor announces more than $450 million worth of jobs and services that will get the ax. governor o'malley says this latest round will include furloughs, 205 layoffs. he didn't say which agencies would be affected. o'malley says more details will come after workers are notified. furlough days are based on salary. state offices will be closed on the days before five holidays creating an additional five unpaid days for all state workers. >> for those 34r0es that are

going to be affected, they are all moms and dads, dipping out of their, whatever savings they had to send their kids back to school. it's not something that we do because we enjoy doing it. it's something that we do because it's necessary and in order to protect maryland and get us through the other side of this recession. >> reporter: 159 jobs will remain vacant. the rest of the cuts will come from aid to counties and municipalities and higher education. the list goings before the board of public works today and they will make adjustments when they are not in session. sherrie johnson, abc2 news. beer prices are going up. bud lite, bud, miller, blue moon -- that's what the orange slice? >> mm-hmm. >> and miller lite, all going up. we don't know how high yet but a local beer man says it depends on the local market. if you look at the numbers we are all drinking more. first "cash for clunkers." yesterday we told you about cash for reframing rairs.

here's another -- refrigerators. here's another deal, toys "r" us are offering deals if you bring in cribs and high chairs. this starts friday, starts for three weeks. trade in any used crib, stroller, play yard or high chair. not a one, nobody, no winners in the mega millions jackpot last night. that means friday night the pot is up to $325 million. here are the numbers from last night. solomon jackson jr. of columbia, south carolina doesn't care about the jackpot. >> he doesn't care if you know his name or you know he's a retired state worker. in fact he has no cares in the world right now. after hitting the $259 million powerball jackpot. he stopped by his favorite wal-mart, saved three cents on gas and said what the heck, i'll take my chances, turn down a dollar or two.

he plans to share the money with the south carolina education department. he's one of 12 brothers and sisters but wouldn't tell us how many children he has. congratulations to him. here's the story of the day. fred russ moussen from "the baltimore sun" tells us this story. i think it's a love story. >> it's a tough one. there's a man, his name is james degrowth and met his future wife while picking up his mom at a tupperware party. that was 50 years ago. they worked in this town, raised their family here. and late sunday night nurses wheeled in james next to his wife selma. lowered the bed rails and they put their hands together. and early monday morning a little more than five hours apart they died together holding hands in room 408. at franklin square hospital. our condolences to the family. what a love story. let's shift gears. today, a little more heat and

humidity. downtown, our two-degree guarantee of 90 degrees. back to the north and west, our frontal boundary that could be throwing clouds your way. maybe an evening thundershower up near the pennsylvania line but i think the day stays dry, 87 westminster. 88 parkton. our extended forecast carries us near 70 tonight. cool and 86 tomorrow with a late-day thundershower possible. in the 70s friday and saturday and friday night through midday saturday we'll be watching what could be tropical storm danny with a very close call to ocean city. so stay tuned for the latest on that. we've got the latest computer model tracks on abc2news.com. so check that out as well. here's kim. traffic is moving along nicely on all the major highways as we look at the outer loop of the beltway. that is a backup as you make your way down towards the baltimore national pike and route 70 interchange but no real accidents at this time. that's just delays. we have a couple of events going on downtown as well. >> have a great morning. see you at 9:00.