>> remembering senator ted kennedy. president barack obama called him the defender of a dream, known as the liberal lion. good evening. i'm marybeth marsden. tonight we remember the life of senator kennedy. here in baltimore and across the nation, people are remembering. flags have been flying at half- staff since the news broke on the passing of the senator. senator kennedy died last night at his home in massachusetts. he was 77 years old. ted kennedy was the last surviving brother in an enduring political dynasty. even president obama said he is owed his ascension to the white house in part to senator kennedy. t.j. winick is standing by in hyannis port. >> reporter: good afternoon. ted kennedy's casket will lie at the jfk presidential library in boston tomorrow. the funeral will be held saturday in the roxbury neighborhood of boston, that again on saturday.

and then some time soon after, the late senator will be buried near his two brothers at arlington national cemetery. the patriarch of the kennedy family led the way even as he faced death. >> he was ready to go and wanted to go. there was a peace there that was absolutely beautiful. >> reporter: president obama, vacationing with his family on nearby martha's vineyard said the late senator's long illness gave his friends and family a chance to pay their respects. >> these months have no doubt been difficult for him. they also let him hear from people in every corner of our nation and from around the world just how much he meant to all of us. at the kennedy compound, his son patrick and members of the family arrived to start preparing for his funeral. in a statement, the family said: we have lost the irreplaceable center of our family and the joyous light of our lives. he always believed that our best days were still ahead, but it's hard to imagine any of them without him. >> talk about his legislative accomplishments and the

difference he made in public policy. for me, i lost my best friend in the senate. >> reporter: senator kennedy was the youngest of nine children. while he was first known as john and robert kennedy's brother, he will be remembered for his remarkable legislative achievements over five decades. edward kennedy then devoted his life to carrying on the unfinished legacies of both his great brothers. and today the governor of massachusetts, deval patrick said he would try and honor the late senator's last request to change the state's succession law so they could immediately name someone to the senate seat. t.j. winick, abc 2 news reporting. now back to you. >> and joining us on the phone is our senior senator from maryland, senator barbara mikulski. senator, thank you so much for sharing your thoughts with us tonight. >> marybeth, this is a very sad day for our country. senator kennedy certainly was a

champion for those who were left out, didn't have a voice, but also for the middle class. he was a big believer in expanding opportunity in education and health care, and was one of the founding fathers of medicare. so a great loss for our country. >> senator mikulski, you have worked side by side with senator kennedy for more than 20 years. what are some of your personal memories of him? >> first of all, what i so admired ted was his wit, his warmth, his jokes. you would appreciate that we always had friendly arguments. he was a -- he liked his lobsters and clams, i like my steamed crabs, and in fact, i even brought him to baltimore and we ate at one of our crab houses. and he had to admit we had a lot of delicacies. we also worked so hard on

legislation. and very few people might not know, but he was a big champion of many of the issues related to women's health. i worked with him to double the cancer, the breast cancer research. we established the office of women's health at nih, and the work that he did there, working with a republican president, george bush the elder, and dr. bernadine healy, we did the famous hormone replacement study that resulted in breast cancer declining 15%. so he was a real champion. and he was my friend. he helped me get started in the senate with paul sarbanes. he got me on the right committees. and i've been up there at hyannis. and we, again, we often joked that we both had chunky jeans. we were always on diets. we always wanted to know the greatest diet that oprah was on, would it match up for us. and we both liked sailing and

snacks. >> those sound like good hobbies. you mentioned health care. and obviously health care reform was one of his personal crusades. how do you think his pass willing affect the fight for health care reform? >> i would hope that it would galvanize the senate and nation on how we need to really advance covering the uninsured without -- with the principle of doing no harm to those that have it. most of all, i hope that his death would help create a better climate and a better tone. when ted kennedy debated, he could be the lion that reported, but deep down he wanted civility. he wanted intellectual rigger, and he really wanted to work across-party lines. that's why he worked so well with john mccain and orrin hatch and other conservatives in the senate. and i think that's what he would want us to do. we do need to crack the health

care access issue in our country. but we need to do it with a far better tone than what's been going on the last month. >> how will the character of capitol hill now seem different to you? >> well, it's going to be a huge vacuum. this man really was the leader in the senate with his voice, with his encouragement, and one person can't fill it. it means it's incumbent on all of us there to take a look at what makes our country great. and it is this idea of expanding opportunity. we've got a lot of problems in our country. but ted kennedy, like he said, the dream never dies and the dream goes on. and i think that's the way we need to approach it. >> senator, finally, i know you're rehabbing that ankle. i was just wondering how it's

feeling. >> well, i'm doing great. i'm going to be back at work on september 8th. i'm going to look really cute instead of a cast, i've got something that looks like a space boot. i look like one of the hubbell astronauts advance people. but it's all the better to kick butt and try to get this job done and help get jobs and health care going in our country again. >> all right. we definitely want a photo opportunity of that. >> oh, you're going to get one! >> thank you, senator, for joining us tonight. >> bye. ben cardin issued a statement, including these memories: i served for two years on the senate judiciary committee with senator kennedy, and i consider him one of the most remarkable, outstanding leaders of our generation. personally i lost someone who has been a mentor, a friend and one of my heroes. the nation has lost a leader who fought to right wrong, who worked to insure that all americans had a better tomorrow, and who knew how to work across-party lines the make important progress. on behalf of all of

maryland, governor martin o'malley shared his memory of senator ted kennedy. >> the most powerful type of presence that any person can bring to this world is the presence of compassion. and oftentimes that compassion is born from one's own woundedness. senator kennedy worked hard, and he worked very, very hard at his calling, at his discipline, at his craft, forging legislation and finding ways that we might be able to make this world a more just and a more fair place. and for that reason, he had the respect of people on both sides of the aisle. and even people that disagreed with him on philosophy, or policy, nonetheless had a tremendous amount of respect for him because of that presence of compassion, because of that hard work. because of that discipline. because of that belief that each of us can make a difference in this world. >> if you're looking for a place to leave your condolences or share your memories or thoughts about senator kennedy, go to our website, abc 2 2

news.com. an assistant chapter in the country's history has ended. coming up on abc 2 news at 5:30, we'll have more on the legacy of ted kennedy. coming up tonight at 10, abc 2 news will be airing a special called remembering ted kennedy with diane sawyer and charlie gibb. you can see that tonight at 10, followed by abc 2 news at 11. another warm and humid day today in the baltimore area. and right now maryland's most powerful radar not indicating any precipitation. we're not expecting any this evening. but as we go towards the end of the week, that's going to be a different cup of tea. as far as the forecast, for the next couple hours, partly cloudy, humid. we'll see temperatures hang right around 86 degrees for another couple of hours. but a new tropical storm danny could impact our weekend weather. we'll tell you all about it, coming up. >> all right, norm, thanks. the state of maryland has made it official. more than $450 million in budget cuts. as roosevelt leftwich reports, some of the cuts are causing an outcry. >> so the secretary's agenda -- >> reporter: it was more

formality than anything else. the $450 million in cuts will affect state services. the governor says it's just about getting through the recession. >> if you look at the various ships and the fleet of the the united states of america, there is not a stronger ship than the uss maryland for getting us through to the other side of this storm. >> reporter: she is going to sail with a lot less wind behind it. the biggest losers state employees. 204 jobs cut, and 159 that won't be filled, saving $72 million. community-based care providers for health care services, $21 million in payment reductions. university of maryland system is losing $30 million, and reduced operating expenses and fund transfers. and local governments more than $200 million in aid for everything from highway funding to police and community colleges. such big hits could mean a reduction in local services, and eventually increase in

costs for higher education. the board says it will look at everything, and the tuition freeze may not last. >> what is the breaking point? when we feel that quality is taking a back seat. as long as quality is in the front seat, we're going to work towards the highest quality, the best affordability, and the highest accessibility. >> reporter: the biggest single job loss will come with the closing of the upper shore community mental health center. 90 jobs eliminated. and services transferred to other parts of the state. >> my phone has been ringing off the hook. it started last night and say we're going to close the mental health facility. we found over a million dollars to buy speed cameras. does that make any sense? i don't think so. >> reporter: the economy is still in a downturn. some leaders say they may have to come back in december to make even more cuts. and if things still don't turn around, they say 2011 is going to be even leaner. in annapolis, roosevelt leftwich, abc 2 news. tonight bge crews are still working to fix a gas main leak in downtown baltimore that

triggered a small explosion yesterday. fire officials say last night's blast knocked four manhole covers out of position around fayette and utah street. bge and public works are investigating exactly what happened. >> it's very challenging. it enables us to practice more, but certainly, you know, now a tremendous amount of time and resources is being spent making these repairs. so hopefully long-term we'll be able to address some of the aging infrastructure. structure issues. >> that is a constant issue in baltimore. no one was hurt in this incident, and no customers really were affected. fayette and utah streets will remain closed as crews continue with the repairs. well, expect lottery fever to spread between now and friday. there were no winners for last night's mega millions. and that means friday night's jackpot is worth an estimated $325 million, with a cash option of 204 million.

mega millions is played in 12 state, of course, including maryland. baltimore police nab a suspected serial robber who is now in the hospital. >> right when he turned his back, i saw a baseball bat behind the counter, and i started hitting him with it, and he is blocking himself with his hands. i guess that's how he broke his arm. >> and even then police say he managed to pull off two more jobs. how about your job, the kids, the house? life gets crazy, and then comes depression. how you can get through it. and how does a 13 1/2 foot high truck fit through a 12- foot-high tunnel? not too well. let's take a look at the temperature news from brooklyn park. a little warmer feeling today. 86 degrees right now. norm is coming up with the full forecast, and the latest on danny. explain.

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diabetes and cancer. they've heard that biomedical research offers hope, that it could control, maybe even cure, their disease. senator ben cardin understands the importance of innovative biomedical research, for patients, their families, and our economy in maryland. call senator cardin today. ask him to protect the 90,000 maryland jobs biomedical research provides and the hopes of patients everywhere. it's not just the future, it's life. in 2 your health, life can be hectic. dr. sanjay gupta looks at how

stress can lead to depression. >> reporter: until last year, stephanie had always been physically and socially active. but overwhelming stress led to a crisis. >> i moved to a new city. and then i took a new job. and then i found myself traveling a lot for work, and being alone, isolated. >> reporter: and depressed. >> it felt like there was this black cloud following me around. >> reporter: psychiatrist charles says the adversities and pressures of modern life are causing more and more people to suffer from depression. he is concerned that it's starting to reach epidemic proportions. >> what causes depression, it really boils down to the end of the day to stress, psycho social stress, all the things that make us miserable in life. >> reporter: she sought the advice of a counselor who helped her develop stress reduction therapies, and to reengage socially. she began to once again enjoy the things she loved, painting,

volunteering. >> and finally, when it lifted, i remember standing and i thought i didn't realize how bad i felt until i felt better. >> reporter: she says she is determined now stress will not get the best of her again. for today's health minute, i'm dr. sanjay gupta. now the forecast certified baltimore's most accurate. here is chief meteorologist norm lewis and maryland's most powerful doppler radar. >> i think the humidity creeped up a little bit today. >> a little warmer today, a little more humid out there. it feels a little more sticky. it even looks sticky outside. the thing we're watching right now, we were looking at the little area of low pressure north of puerto rico has developed into tropical storm danny. we'll show you where the national hurricane center thinks danny is going to be going. let's take a look outside right now. down on pratt street, things looking good right now. temperature at bwi 87 degrees. wind currently from the west at 8. and the pressure steady,

29.97. as far as your tide tomorrow at fort mchenry, a low tide at 8:15 in the morning, right there. high tide right after the noontime hour, 12:24. tomorrow's winds from the east at 6 to 12. sun comes up at 6:30. we'll set at 7:44. temperatures across the region right now. it's 91 in hagerstown. 91 in winchester, virginia. 87 in downtown baltimore. and over on the boardwalk in ocean city, they're cooking at 92 degrees. take a look. there is danny right there. just a little area of low pressure that has now developed into a tropical storm, making its way gradually northward. here is what the national hurricane center is saying about danny. currently winds are 45 miles an hour, moving towards the west northwest at 10 miles an hour. currently, 564 miles east of miami, florida. now danny is going to be making his way up the eastern seaboard, and just kind of brush by our area, a little farther out into the atlantic than we were thinking today. but what that means is that

friday night and saturday morning, that's when the system pulls by the area. it's going to give us some clouds and showers and high surf along the eastern seaboard. and it does not look like it's going to be a major situation. but again, kind of a little brush with danny going to give us a west end of the week into the first porks of the week. our satellite picture, lots of sunshine throughout the day today. as we went through the day, a few little light clouds formed up. as we go lew the evening hours, most of the clouds are going to be dissipating. it's going to be a nice evening, but thick with the higher humidity. right now nothing shows up on maryland's most powerful radar. nice clear scan. don't forget, you can always go to our website to abc2news.com. and check out our interactive radar. right now there is nothing showing up around the maryland area. but if you take our interactive radar and grab ahold of the screen here, we're going to drag it down. you can see showers on the pennsylvania-new york border. and going up into new england, things looking pretty good. southern vermont getting a few light showers. and back over near chicago.

excuse me, if you're heading to chicago, take along an umbrella. looks like shower activity there. but again for us, no precipitation. at least not yet. now overnight, some of these light clouds that we have right now are going to be dissipating, and then during the day tomorrow, the clouds start to increase. then the shower activity starts moving in our direction late tomorrow night. a chance for some showers out west. but with the best chance for rainfall is going to be coming friday night and saturday as danny just kind of breezes by the eastern seaboard. here your forecast for the overnight period. mostly clear and humid. 71 degrees for the overnight low. during the day tomorrow, partly cloudy, some showers arriving very late after midnight. probably 3:00, four income the morning. a high tomorrow of 87 degrees. the extended outlook for the next seven days, as you see cloudy skies, scattered showers, maybe some thunderstorm activity on friday and saturday as danny goes by right there. and then on sunday, mostly cloudy skies, scattered showers, 81. some scattered showers could linger into monday morning, and then gradually clear up. tuesday and wednesday, sunshine. look at the moderate temperatures.

we'll talk more about danny and what is coming up by the end of the weekend, coming up in a couple of minutes. >> thanks, norm. a lot of frustrated authors will tell you how tough it is to get a book published. but in kansas, a 10-year-old is proving it can be done. fourth grader savannah not only loves reading books, she wrote one. and it was published. savannah's book is called abc. she actually wrote it when she was seven. it took her four months to write and color everything. and she still has the original copy. >> i never really thought about being an author. i've always wanted fob a neurosurgeon. one day i was bored, and i just started drawing an apple, which is this out of pen. after that i started writing words with it. and then i started to think maybe i can make a little miniature abc thing to teach my little sister how to read. >> good for her. savannah says kids in her school keep asking her when she is going to be famous or have a

lot of money. and she says that probably won't be any time soon, although she is already working on her second book. it's about tongue twisters. abc's "the view" is working on a list of fill-in hosts while elisabeth hasselbeck is plus, what you need to know about the price of your favorite brew. >> watch abc 2 news any time on channel 1 with comcast on demand.

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and big bodies on high blood pressure medicine. tylenol works with your body... in a way other pain relievers don't... so you feel better... knowing doctors recommend tylenol... more than any other brand of pain reliever. abc 2 news at 5:30 is up next. hello, everybody. i'm terry owens. coming up, more on the passing of senator edward kennedy. a look back at his troubled life and his legacy as a lawmaker. a suspected serial robber is finally nabbed. how police got their man. and with kids headed off to college, some money-saving tips

for parents. it's an abc 2 works for you story you don't want to miss. we'll have the stories. norm is updating the forecast, and that's all ahead at 5:30. >> all right, terry. see you then. our look around the nation takes us to alabama. how does a 13 1/2 foot truck fit through a 12 1/2 foot tunnel? it doesn't. and a truck driver learned that the hard way. the 18-wheeler folded like an accordion. but the tunnel was not seriously damaged. the driver blamed his gps for giving him bad directions. you have probably seen bears at the zoo, but have you ever seen one at a skateboard park? that's where this bear ended up getting stuck in colorado. authorities say they got a call that the bear was trapped in the skateboard park's bowl. so they dropped a ladder down, of course. and the bear eventually climbed out. we'll be right back.

now abc 2 news at 5:30. >> the rk