nklin parkway but first we get that all important fourth of july forecast from meteorologist cecily tynan. >> hi rick and monica. a beautiful start to the fourth of july holiday. unfortunately it's not going to stay this way tomorrow. the temperatures really tell the story. the sunshine is back with some high thin clouds so filtered sunshine 82 degrees in philadelphia currently, 80 in allentown, wilmington and reading and dover 78 degrees. millville 77 and along the beaches much nicer beach day than yesterday. 75 degrees with the ocean temperature of 73 degrees. so, if you're out and about this evening it's looking pretty nice. temperatures will be slow to drop. part of the reason why, the clouds will be increasing really inflating the earth so at 7 o'clock 80 degrees. by 8 o'clock 78. by 9 o'clock, 76 and by 10 o'clock 74 degrees. so a-very comfortable evening for the third of july. the problem though, for the weekend, double scan live showing there's low pressure, a surface low near northern

kentucky. what that will do is track to our south. typically in a pattern like that most of the moisture would miss us but there's an upper level feature that would help draw in that moisture and that means clouds and showers for the fourth of july. future tracker showing by 9 o'clock in the morning you could actually have some heavy rain generally west of philadelphia. it will be reaching the coast early in the afternoon. the good news is, though, things will be clearing out in time for the fireworks as far as the rain. this is what to expect tomorrow. cloudy and cool for july with temperatures in philadelphia only in the 70's. scattered showers and perhaps even a period of steady rain if those two low pressures can really interact and pull up a lot of moisture. however, for the evening we will be drying out and sunday is looking spectacular. i'll have all the details including the shore and the poconos coming up in the full okay weather forecast. rick. >> all right, cecily we'll check back in later. thank you. stay ahead of changes in the weather this weekend by vis sitting 6abc.com. there you'll find live satellite images, street level

radar and the hourly forecasts from accuweather also get a personal look at the accuweather team by following our meteorologists on facebook and twitter. >> the jersey shore of course one of the most popular fourth of july destinations and the crowds filled up the beaches today. the action cam in cape may america's oldest seaside resort. there is a lobster bake planned for tomorrow night sounds delicious and a party on the lawn outside congress hall. and then fireworks will be set off on a barge in the ocean at about 9:15. folks went down to delaware to take in the surf and sand at rehoboth and the ocean packed today. everyone we talked to said the weather made for a perfect beach day. >> 35 and beautiful. couldn't ask for a better day to hang outer and enjoy the boardwalk and the sun. >> and rehoboth will have its own fourth of july fireworks display sunday night at nine:15. they'll be launched between brooklyn avenue and laurel street. >> well, philadelphia's bursting with holiday fun all weekends long. the big concert on the parkway

fireworks expected to at track hundreds of thousands of people. john rawlins joining us to tell us how crews have been preparing for the big celebration tomorrow. hey, john. >> reporter: hi, rick. well right there it is right behind me there, that is the stage for tomorrow night's concert. they have been testing their amplifiers a short time a. trust me they sounded just fine. everything coming together just right. in front of the art museum stage hands and others hard at work putting together the focal point for tomorrow night's concert. meanwhile behind the museum technicians taking 12 to 16 hours to carefully load and wire fireworks that will last just minutes once launched in the july 4th sky. >> they'll last about 15 minutes but it's a continuous 15 minutes of color glitters, red, white blue. >> reporter: 700,000 the estimate of the number of visitors in the city tomorrow. denise and chester of new york

state arrived yesterday and have been on the move. >> i love the row houses. we went down by the water. i like the architecture so we sort of have been doing that. >> reporter: with so many people in town and national concerns about a possible lone wolf terror attack, authorities say they are in close contact with the feds. >> i want to emphasize yes there's been a lot of chatter that's something that you've heard all over the country but there's no specific threat to anywhere that we are aware of right now. >> reporter: organizers asking visitors not to bring alcohol, coolers or cooking equipment and strongly discouraging bags and back packs. >> not to bring big back packs. those things will be subject to checks and so -- and you don't want to carry and lug that stuff around anyway because it will be hot. you want to enjoy the concert and so just be mindful of what you are bringing with you and that everything is going to be subject to being checked. >> reporter: both officials saying use common sense when you think about bringing anything to a concert. other advice offered today is

if you come down to the concert and you see a suspicious item a backpack whatever it is by yourself don't touch it, don't try to move it, call police. live along the parkway, john rawlins, channel6 "action news." back to you. >> thank you, john. 6abc by the way is proud to be the broadcast partner for the wawa welcome america celebration. you can join us live tomorrow from 10:00 a.m. to noon for the independence day freedom ceremony and parade. "action news" anchors matt o'donnell and tamala edwards will be hosting that for you. also tomorrow night get ready to rock. rick williams and cecily tynan will host our philly fourth of july jam live. adam joseph and karen rogers will be there as well. philadelphia's own the roots will perform along with special guests miguel and jennifer nettles. all that fun begins at 7:00. whether you're on the parkway at the beach or grilling in your own backyard, we want you to share your holiday weekend with us. just use the #6abc fourth on social media. we'll be showing pictures during our special coverage tomorrow night right here on 6abc. >> and that's not all from a

regatta on the schuylkill river to a fun filled day at the philadelphia zoo, there is a lot to do this holiday weekends. besides fireworks. "action news" reporter eva pilgrim is at a pop-up beer garden in south philadelphia tonight to tell us what else is on tap this week. hi eva. [laughter] >> reporter: hey, rick yeah, not everyone staying in the city this weekend is going to be hitting the parkway. you can see behind me all of these good people here at the beautiful pop-up beer garden at 15th and south street. people they're just relaxing right here in the city. this hidden oasis the pennsylvania horticulture society's pop-up beer garden the in south philadelphia opened at noon today, the bar at 2:00 and those who have the day off were here soon after. >> i don't have anything i have to do today so i'm reading the new york times and sitting back having a drink and chilling. >> i think the atmosphere is perfect it's great. the weather couldn't be nicer. appropriate amount of shade. >> reporter: along the banks of the schuylkill. >> we love america.

>> reporter: the independence day regatta kicked off this morning and everyone added a little extra color to their usual regatta weekend festivities. >> a lost families are grilling and, you know, hanging out the rest of the day to support the team. >> a lot of people are dressing up, a lot of bandanas tank tops, even some shorts and socks. pretty popular thing to do this weekend. >> reporter: at the zoo it was, well, a zoo. >> i thought everybody would be at the shore. >> reporter: thousands of people packed in to get a good look at the stars of the show. >> we heard that it was like the greatest zoo and there's a lot of fun things. >> reporter: back out here live, there's literally something fun for everyone this weekend no matter your idea of fun or your crowd threshold. if you want to take part in the fun here at this beer garden it is opened until midnight tonight. it will open back up tomorrow at 2:00 p.m. serving again and they will close again at midnight tomorrow night as

well. we are live here in south philadelphia, eva pilgrim channel6 "action news." >> all right, thank you, eva. time for a check of our "action news" traffic report on a friday night. >> a holiday friday weekend. let's go live to matt pelman see where the traffic spots are. hi matt. >> where are your ban dan nans tank tops. >> they're at home ready for the weekend. >> i'm sure they'll be out in no time. good afternoon monica and rick. we're entering a holiday weekend and yesterday was so busy with people heading out for that holiday weekend. this afternoon really isn't too bad. if you're headed down the shore on 42 and the a.c. expressway light volume at this point. we've seen some delays today. we're not seeing many right now. as you travel through dennisville headed down towards stone harbor wildwood cape may there is still some congestion from the 347 merge to 610 along 47 southbound. back in the city eva just told us about some of those events this weekend like the regatta along the kelly drive so that's closed already. the mlk or even the schuylkill are some good alternates. we're prepping for the big concert in the parkway so the

inner drive of the inbound ben franklin parkway is already closed. outbound inner drive will close at 6:30 this evening and by independence mall chestnut street is blocked for preparations for the festivities there tomorrow. we also have a 8k. they don't do a 5k they do an 8k in swarthmore tonight at 7 o'clock so lots of street closures there. couple montgomery county accidents to avoid. one in plymouth meeting along germantown pike at launfall road. one at huntington pike and byberry road. new castle county a crash on the northbound side of 95 of 95 at 141. we will check it again rick and monica. >> much more ahead on "action news" for you at 5:00, 11 people were killed in fireworks related incidents in the u.s. last year. what you need to know to stay fay safe before your fourth of july celebration this weekend. >> also at 5:00 mastercard is adding a new security feature

for card holders. find out how the company wants to identify you. okay. >> that's just a hint. >> let's see how they do it again. >> it's a clue. >> that's monica's ad lib for the night. those stories and much more on the full weekend forecast from cecily when "action news" at 5:00 comes right back. stay with us.

>> investigators are questioning three people in the murder of an elderly woman in east mount airy. 85-year-old regina bruner homes was found dead in her home earlier this week. her throat had been slashed. police recovered a stolen laptop that belonged to the victim. the u.s. marshall's office is offering a reward of $1,500 to catch this man. he's wanted for shooting a police officer in camden wednesday night. officials say 21-year-old victor bennett shot officer prince read on ken wood avenue at park boulevard. police say bennett opened fire on officer read as he drove past in an unmarked car. the officer was hit in the arm and is recovering. officer read could not shoot back because he was getting cover from the incoming bullet. he later however tried to

search for the suspects. anyone with information is asked to call police. >> in health check tonight concerns about lightning strikes. believe it or not they happen more in july than any other month of the year. this year alone 14 people have been killed by lightning already and the national weather service has one simple rule to keep in mind when you're outdoors. when thunder roars, go indoors. no outdoor place is safe as lightning can strike 10 to 15 miles away from a storm. on a more positive note, though statistics show 90 percent of people injured by lightning do survive. >> part of the holiday set celebrations for many americans this fourth of july will be the fireworks thanks to an easing of restrictions in many states there's been a surge in fireworks sales. >> but experts of course warn of the dangers, too and abc news reporter randy hit has was need to know to stay safe. >> reporter: this is what firefighters warn could lap this fourth of july weekend

while setting off fireworks. >> injuries to their hands their arms, their facial area. >> reporter: these mannequins are holding illegal brands which have led to busts from couldn't done california. 12-year-old jordan bernstein is now recovering from second degree burns across his face and body from what's believed to be a homemade fire work. >> so fast it burned his hasn't he threw it down thank god and it explode on the ground in front of him. >> reporter: last year 11 people were killed in fireworks related accidents and more than 10,000 injured. one blew a hole in this kayak thursday seriously hurting two people in michigan. even this professional show in southern california two years ago proved dangerous. when a fire work malfunctioned injured 28 people. emergency crews say your best bet is sticking with these legal brands but even they can pose fire risks. >> smoke bomb rolling down a hill bounces into the grass now you have a problem. >> reporter: that's why in

drought stricken california they're trading trading in their show for laser lights. burns account for most fire work-related injuries and something as simple as a sparkler can be dangerous. last fourth of july emergency rooms treated 1400 people injured from sparklers. in los angeles brandy hit channel6 "action news"." >> breaking news tonight along 95 south, there it is right there at the center of your screen a car fire again on 95 south approaching academy road right now. fire crews are on the scene. they've just arrived and they're obviously trying to take care of the flames. but traffic asy as you can see has moved off to the shoulder and there's somewhat of a backup at this hour. now, volume is nothing like it usually is on a friday night because of the holiday weekend but you do want to be careful if you're driving on 95 south. now look at all the billowing smoke coming from that car fire. no word of any injuries or exactly what happened but we're keeping on eye on it. 95 south near academy road you do want to be careful and

we'll bring you much more as it becomes available to us. we'll be right back.

>> health insurer aetna is buying rival h. mana for $37 billion.

the deal creates the second largest managed care company and they will pay approximately $230 a share. the company will have more than 33 million members and bring in $115 billion. the deal must be approved by regulators and shareholders. master cards is adding a new security feature for cardholders. instead of using your fingerprint to authorize a transaction mastercard will let you take a selfie. mastercard plans to let 500 cardholders test it before everyone else. >> seniors in south jersey celebrated the fourth a day early will a holiday barbecue dam residents at spring hill's cherry hill assisted living facility enjoyed all their favorite grilled foods today. and the party was decorated red white and blue with patriotic music too. folks packed the boardwalk in wildwood today. many were there to check out the july boardwalk craft show. a lot of things up for grabs from jewelry to hats, all

handmade and homemade. you can check out the vendors yourself on the boardwalk at rio grande avenue. it runs, the show runs all week long. >> up next on "action news" at 5:00 tonight another check of that forecast. >> all right, check it out right now, sky6 is checking out center city where a lot is going on down independent hall and of course stick around meteorologist cecily tynan with details from accuweather on your holiday forecast when we come right back. that's odd... at our very own beach house? how do you know? you've got the new instant game from the pennsylvania lottery. oh, yeah! $1,000,000 big money with top prizes of a million dollars. [male announcer] want to see your dreams come to life? you could scratch your way to instant winning. the pennsylvania lottery. bring your dreams to life.

>> it was all cheers today as an experimental solar powered plane completed a 5,000-mile

trek across the pacific ocean. the solar impulse landed in hawaii nearly five days after taking off from japan. the pilots are trying to fly around the world without using a single drop of fuelly they hope to complete their journey by end of the month. >> very cool. speaking of cool unfortunately tomorrow may be a little cool and wet possibly. let's check out the holiday forecast. >> exactly cool cloudy and wet tomorrow but today a great day to kick off the holiday weekend. we are live on sky6 spying on people on the beach in cape may, new jersey. surf is up. there is a moderate risk of rip currents tomorrow. we are seeing some filtered sunshine in cape may. and the water temperature pretty comfortable. 73 degrees just off the coast of atlantic city. the bay upper 70's to even mid 80's in parts of the bay. generally this time of the year the ocean warms up. listen to the lifeguardsly right now philadelphia

82 degrees, allentown is 80. wilmington 78, trenton 79 and on the beaches with winds off the ocean a little bit of a sea breeze so temperatures generally in the mid 70's. satellite6 along with action radar showing what's going to bring us some changes. we had high pressure in control of our weather. that is beginning to move east. that's going away. there's low pressure over northern kentucky that will be moving just to our south but an upper level feature will help to enhance the rainfall and pull it northward so that means tomorrow is not going to be nearly as enjoyable as today but it won't be as wet as last saturday. tonight the clouds will thicken, showers by dawn, especially west of philadelphia. 68 degrees the low in philadelphia. 69 in cape may. 63 in allentown and 65 in wilmington. future tracker really shows the story. lots of clouds. some showers by 8:30. most of the showers at that time should be west of philadelphia. they will continue to push to the east and early in the afternoon arriving at the jersey shore, some heavy rain.

however look at what happens as we head into the evening hours. all of that begins to evaporate. nothing more than a couple spotty showers for the evening, so generally the fireworks should be rain free. so the fourth of july forecast we've had better fourth's but we have had worst in philadelphia. clouds and cool with some areas of showers especially early in the day 75 degrees. down the shore cloudy with some showers 74. the poconos definitely cool grab a sweater if you're heading up there with a high of 65 degrees with some showers. so the five day at 5:00 tomorrow cool, cloudy with some showers. the best concentration will be early in the day. a high of 75 degrees. we're clearing out in time for the fireworks and sunday what a difference a day makes. lots of sunshine. it will be warm. 85 degrees. we warm it up a little bit more on monday, 86 increasing clouds, possibility of a late day shower or thunderstorm monday, a better chance, though, on tuesday 89 degrees and wednesday the heat is on. the afternoon high up to 90.

a cold front will bring us a round of some showers and thunderstorms and behind that temperatures will drop a bit by thursday. i'll talk more about that coming up in the full accuweather forecast. cloudy and wet tomorrow but really nice on sunday. >> okay. >> all right. much more to come on our neck next half hour of "action news" at 5:00. a bank robbery in philadelphia's chestnut hill neighborhood caught on camera. the new sketch police released that police hope track down four suspects. >> press time for abc's battle box. we'll hear from one of the team captains who is hoping to bring home the title and inspire girls around the country in the process. those stories and much more when "action news" at 5:30 comes up next.

>> ♪♪ >> "action news" continues with meteorologist adam joseph, jaime apody, rick williams and monica malpass. >> hello again and here's what's happening on "action news" tonight. officials in philadelphia and across the can can't tree are on high alert headed into the holiday weekend after warnings of a possible terror attack on u.s. soil. plus, the fourth of july is in full swing on independence mall. we'll take you inside the summer's biggest block party already under way right now. later shark attack concerns are on the rise after

nearly a dozen encounters in north and south carolina. what experts say is behind the spike in these shark sightings. >> now the details. law enforcement is on a nationwide alert tonight. security has been ramped up across the country after a warning about a potential terror attack. >> officials say there is no specific threat but they want you to remain vigilant. abc's karen traverse is in washington, d.c. tonight for us with the full story. >> reporter: fourth of july means barbecues and fireworks. but this weekend a heightened anxiety. law enforcement officials beefing up security across the nation. here on the national mall in washington, tens of thousands are expected to turn out for a day and night of fun. >> not even worried about what's going on 'cause i feel pretty protected. >> reporter: the celebrations are already under way in philadelphia. the place where it all began 239 years ago. and security there will be tight. >> just be mindful of what you are bringing with you and that everything is going to be

subject to being checked. >> reporter: in boston and new york city, extra security measures in place but officials there were quick to offer reassurance. >> there is no threat to people. you should feel secure coming down. >> in town having a good time myself. >> reporter: law enforcement bulletins are common around major american holidays but in light of recent terror attacks and the growing threat from isis officials aren't taking any chances. one reason for so much concern is the way isis has used social media in an unprecedented way to bring in new recruits. >> what isil is doing is radicalizing people that live here in the united states of america. our nation is under threat, our law enforcement our military are under threat. >> reporter: officials are urging americans to stay vigilant. if you see something say something but at the same time enjoy the weekend with family and friends. reporting from the national mall, karen travers, channel6 "action news." rick monica. >> karen officials in philadelphia say they are on high alert as well this weekend. hundreds of thousands of people of course are expected

on the parkway tomorrow for the big concert and fireworks show. city leaders are beefing up security. some efforts you'll notice some you may not. and john rawlins will have more on the increased safety efforts at this year's festival tonight at 6:00. despite any safety concerns fourth of july celebrations are in full swing already around the tri-state. >> that's right. that includes the liberty block party part of that it is year's wawa welcome america festival. and our own walter perez is lie in the middle of all the festivities. hey, walter. >> reporter: hey, guys. it's fair to call the liberty block party a smashing success. as you can see thousands of people are here and have been here since the party started at about 1 o'clock and this is just the beginning. olde city is bustling with people enjoying what is billed as the biggest block party of the summer. >> ♪♪ >> reporter: it's the liberty block party, part of the wawa welcome america festivities. giant celebration that's

taking place along fifth and sixth streets between market and chestnut. we spoke with a few of the thousands on hand enjoying the great food and cool sounds. >> came down to see what was going on. i'm glad i came because it's really nice. >> we're here for the block party, hear some music. >> first time i've actually been to an event and we're having a good time. >> we're going to come around see all the good things that you guys have, taste all the yummy things, listen to some super music. >> reporter: now the block party continues until 8 o'clock and then comes the pops on independence concert. >> ♪♪ >> reporter: "action news" was there as the philly pops held their final rehearsal before tonight's free outdoor concert on the steps of independence hall. pops director and conductor says a bit of modern music is on the agenda but much of the program will consist of american classics. >> in addition to the philly pops orchestra we'll be having the voices of the philly pops, so they'll be singing battle

hymn of the republic, star spangled banner, god bless america. we'll hear all the great patriotic favorites. >> reporter: all right, back out live as i mentioned at 4:30 if your plans include seeing the philly pops tonight, you better get moving. people have already started laying out their blankets and setting up their lawn chairs for the best spot and for the road closures in this part of olde city getting around here by car is going to be daunting. once again the free concert begins at 8 o'clock. reporting live from olde city, walter perez, channel6 "action news"." back to you guys. >> wold thank you. whether you're on the parkway at the beach or grilling in your backyard we want you to share your holiday weekend with us. use the #6abc fourth. we'll show the pictures tomorrow night. >> 6abc.com your holiday weekend resource center. there you'll find storm tracker six radar latest from accuweather as well as up to date traffic conditions. there's also a full list of all the wawa welcome america

festivities and the fireworks displays throughout the tri-state area. check it out right there for you on 6abc.com. >> in other news tonight one person was killed in an overnight crash on i-95 in delaware county. officials tell "action news" the driver smashed head on into the back of a stopped tractor-trailer going full speed. happened just after midnight in the southbound lanes near route 322 in chester. the truck was stopped with its hazards lights on. the driver was pronounced dead at the scene. >> well, we now know the name of the suspect and the victim from yesterday afternoon's deadly shooting in the bridesburg section of philadelphia. chopper 6hd over the scene in the 2800 block of orthodox street. that is where police found 21-year-old daniel santiago of frankford on the sidewalk shot multiple times. he later died at the hospital. and chopper six was there as 18-year-old robert diluzio was arrested two blocks away later identified by witnesses as the shooter. diluzio faces several charges including murder. >> philadelphia police want your help finding four men who

robbed a td bank in the city's chestnut hill section. it happened tuesday around 7:00 p.m. surveillance video from inside shows one of the men approaching a teller with his hand in his pocket as if there was a weapon inside it. he told a teller to put money in the bag without without dye packs. one of the bags was a white plastic bag when reads usa kicks. the suspects were last seen splitting up outside of the bank. authorities are looking for the man who robbed a jim's stakes in the city's cobbs creek section. tuesday evening the suspect pulled a gun at the counter and demanded money from the cash register. the suspect ran off with $30 and a drink from the refrigerator. if you have any information about either of these incidents, you're asked to give philadelphia police a call. >> of course the big weekend for travelers. more than 500,000 people in our area are expected to hit the road and the skies over this holiday. >> matt pelman has been

counting all of the cars that have been going by in the "action news" traffic center. how many did you get up to. >> just a few squeezing by tatter on 95 southbound because of this vehicle fire rick and monica. the kiss of death on the traffic furnace whenever i say things are going great because right after there they go south and that's what happened after our last report here on 95 southbound approaching academy. this car burst into flames. we showed you the picture of it in flames a little bit ago. fires extinguished the fire. now you have the two right lanes getting by coming down from woodhaven but there is a very slow go with a lot of cars waiting to get by this earlier vehicle fire scene. elsewhere on the big picture not bad this afternoon on the schuylkill. you want to use that or the mlk instead of the kelly drive. that's closed for the independence day regatta and we have restrictions on the ben franklin parkway because of the preparations there as well as the liberty block party that walter was telling us about giving us restrictions in olde city along chestnut, fifth and sixth. watching a crash this afternoon by the cheltenham

mall along commencement cheltenham avenue at ogontz avenue one by the oaks italian deli at egypt mill road. if you're heading down the shore on the a.c. expressway speeds in the 60's so no major complaints there. rick and monica have a great weekend. >> a barbecue in marm ton. a free event to help out operation yellow ribbon. folks could stop by grab a burger or dog and donate to the organization which supports service men and women. iron hill brewery was there creating a special beer for the event called patriotic pilsner. >> in sports a familiar face made an appearance on the sixers practice court today. what the team had to say about joel embiid. he also had a boot on his foot. that's probably the big story as well. >> 50 iron man triathlons in 50 states in 50 days. this is one guy. the endurance athlete pushing his body to the limit for a good cause. cecily. >> the clouds are increasing tonight and i am track

something showers on the way tomorrow. i'll have details on the timing plus the shore and the poconos coming up in the full accuweather forecast. >> all right, cecily, those stories and much more when "action news" continues in just a moment.

i'm whoopi goldberg and new york

is my home. there's no place like it in the world and no better place to lean about the people who shaped who we are today. hear about the lives of slaves in colonial new york and about the fight to abolish slavery. pick a stop on the underground railroad and visit the home and grave of one of new york's most controversial citizens. a journey in new york is a journey through history. plan you next trip at iloveny.com/summer. there's something for everyone.

>> millions of folks headed to the shore this weekend but some beachgoers on the east coast are worried about possible shark attacks. this year so far there have been 11 attacks off the carolina coast. experts say the increased sightings of sharks could be because of a coastal drought. it creates saltier water that prompts a surge in fish and sea turtles which sharks love. >> we have lots of people in the water. we've got lots of sharks, lots of food. and that's a bad mix. >> close encounters with sharks have not just happened off the carolina coast. a fisherman off the florida coast hooking a shark. the shark pulled away so forcefully the fisherman capsized. he was able to make it safely onto another boat. >> wow. one man is trying to complete a major feat of endurance for a good cause. james lawrence also known as the iron cowboy is trying to finish 50 iron man triathlons in 50 days in 50 states.

the action cam was in camden delaware today for lawrence's 28th iron man. that's a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bike ride and a 26.2-mile run. lawrence is raising money to fight childhood obesity. >> we have been picking up people since the beginning. it's growing. it's awesome people have become more aware of it. it's what we wanted. >> lawrence who is a father of five will do it all over again tomorrow in sea bright new jersey. he's expected to finish on july 25th in utah. >> wow. >> hard to even wrap your head around that. good for him. good news for the sixers. the team saw a familiar face at practice today. >> jeff skversky is live at the "action news" sports center with more. hey, jeff. >> hey, guys, we're hoping it's good news. sixers rookie jahlil okafor has always been to joel embiid's house a few times hanging out playing video games together. the big question is when will the big guys play basketball together.

the sixers still don't have an update on embiid's slowly healing right foot t a good sign seeing embiid hanging with okafor at sixers mini camp. embiid did not practice but he's not in a walking boot. while the sixers refuse to make him available for interviews embiid's teammates are definitely excited to see him with a ball in his hands. >> he's in good spirits. that's all i could ask for. he's in good spirits. i'm excited to be here. >> do you think you'll play with him this season. >> i'm not sure. i'm not sure what the verdict is on him. i'm here supporting him. >> when you see okafor and embiid together out here looking at them do you envision like oh my goodness this could be ridiculous here. >> i would be lying to you if i said no. i think everyone does 'cause when you see those to two guys you remember how young they are and how bright our future could be. >> while hall the focus on that sixers trade with sacramento has been on nick,. he grew up a big sixers fan in mount laurel and played his

high school basketball over at lenape. >> definitely a good opportunity for me. a new chapter and just try to kind of find a way in this system where i could be comfortable and see myself here for the long term. >> baseball now the phillies are at the halfway point of the season and all signs point to this finishing as one of the worst seasons in team history. the phils are on pace for 18 losses, 108. pete mccann none and the phils in atlanta after losing the last four to milwaukee. last night's game wasn't settled until the 11th inning. rookie adam morgan on the mound tonight as they try to end this skid. could this go down as the worst season in team history? the phils on pace for 108 losses, three shy of the shameful franchise record set in 1941. the phils have not lost more than 100 games in a very, very long time. hey, remember that alex rodriguez ball being held for ransom.

the yankees star is getting back the baseball if his 3,000th career hit after all. two weeks after his milestone hit a-rod gets that ball back after rounds of negotiations with this fan. zach hampel has agreed to give it what tock a-rod today in exchange for $150,000 donation to his charity. the fan will also get autographs jerseys bats, tickets from a-rod and the yankees may have to go out and catch a foul ball or something. tiger playing much better at the greenbrier classic than he was at the u.s. open with the exception of this on 11. don't throw the club. on 13 for eagle this just rims out. tyinger is five under, four shots behind the leaders. he is still on the course. swinging over to tennis, top seeded serena williams avoids being upset by heather watson today in the third round of wimbledon. serena comes from behind to win setting up a date with her sister serena will face venus

next. the sisters have any other played in a grand slam in six years. and defending men's champ novak djokovic advances as well at wimbledon. that is sports. let's go back to you in the studio. >> thank you. battle boats back for the summer right here on 6abc after two weeks of rough and tumble fighting between robots we're down to the final 16. that is chomp one of the robots competing for the championship much its a special weapon with a powerful jaw so it can latch onto opponents. both chomp and her driver zoey are women. zoey says she hopes their team can inspire girls across the country to get involved in engineering. >> there are so many people, people of color and females builders who sort of are the complements to the people who are already there. i think we would have a much richer sport and much better technology in america in general if we sorter of have those missing people in the

sport. >> one of the shows color commentators is a former ufc fighter. he says battle bothers may sound violent but part of the fun is that nobody gets hurt. >> this sport, you know, they go at it and you end up not looking as handsome as you do today. there's blood and all sort of stuff. there's the human side. although you get excited about the sport you feel bad because somebody got injured. here you can root and cheer and you want to seat thing get destroyed. >> egos get bruised. >> it's kind of cool. >> and it's free. >> check it out. battle bots knock out round starts this sunday at 9 p.m. right here on 6abc. >> much more still to come. another check of the holiday forecast. >> very important. also going live right now sky6 hd in cape may new jersey with one of the great spots to check out for your fourth. meteorologist cecily tynan with that holiday accuweather word coming up.

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>> not the best weekend, not the worst fourth. let's get the details from cecily. >> the good news remember last saturday with all that heavy rain, more than an inch of rain in philadelphia, nothing like that but it's not going to be bright and sunny tomorrow. sunday will be nice. >> i was going wear shorts too. >> wearing some long pants. >> on sky6 taking a look -- storm tracker six rather showing we do have dry conditions out there right now. but not going the stay that way tomorrow. but today a great day to head out on the golf course. the action cam taking a look at the bala golf club and a

great day to get your tee time in because tomorrow the greens are going to be wet but sunday is definitely looking g ran note youlooking good.bit of a sea breeze. avalon ocean city margate and surf city 74 degrees and cape may currently 75 and inlands philadelphia 82. wilmington 78. allentown 80. trenton 79 and reading currently 78 degrees. satellite6 along with action radar showing we started the day with bright sunshine but the clouds are increasing from the south. all ahead of low pressure that will be skirting to the south and you can see that low pressure does contain some moisture. so, future tracker is showing by 10 o'clock tomorrow morning, the clouds are thick and showers developing. the steadiest will be west of philadelphia in the morning. as we head into the afternoon this is when early in the afternoon we have some steady heavy rain along the coast but the good news is for the fireworks, everything should be drying out and even for

evening barbecues, i think for the most part we'll be okay. midday is when i expect the heaviest rain. so, the fireworks forecast for tomorrow won't be too warm. partly cloudy, could have some patchy fog. limiting the visibility at 7 o'clock, 73 degrees and by 11 o'clock, down to 68 degrees. so, a little bit on the cool side tomorrow night. if you're heading to the poconos tomorrow, cool with occasional showers especially in the day, the high only 65 degrees. but the sunshine is back on sunday. it will be a lot warmer as well with a high of 77. down the shore tomorrow a moderate risk of rip currents. i don't think a lot of people will be on the beach tomorrow because it will be showery with lots of clouds, 74 degrees. sunday a high of 78. the exclusive seven-day forecast, certainly not a perfect fourth of july with clouds, cool conditions and occasional showers, a high of 75 degrees. but sunday looking really nice, mostly sunny skies and

warmer, 85 degrees. on monday we bump it up to 86, clouds roll in in the afternoon and we could have a couple pop-up showers and thunderstorms. i don't expect anything widespread on monday. a better chance of thunderstorms on tuesday. it will be muggy 89 degrees and wednesday the heat is on. the afternoon high spiking up to 90 before a cold front rolls through brings us a rounds of showers and thunderstorms and behind that front temperatures drop a bit on thursday, partly sunny, 86 and friday seasonably warm with a high of 86 degrees. so if you are hoping to do some barbecuing tomorrow, i suggest an evening barbecue. >> evening,. >> okay instead of lunchtime because by the evening it should be drier. >> okay. >> thank you cecily. >> thanks, cecily. >> all right. >> quick break. we'll be right back with more news. stay with us.

>> finally tonight a 93-year-old woman in north carolina finally has a library card more than 70 years after she was denied one. pearl thompson was that turned down in 1942 because she's african-american. she was a college student and

was forced to read any book she wanted in the basement and then return it. librarians heard about that story and said they wanted to right a wrong they held this special ceremony today to finally give thompson her library card. how about that. >> that's great. >> right now jim gardner and the "action news" team standing by with these stories and much more next at 6 o'clock. the holiday weekend in full swing at the jersey shore. we'll take you live to the ocean city boardwalk. >> the stage is set for the fourth of july jam in philadelphia this year. there is a new system to help folks navigate the crowd. >> independence day marks the anniversary of another important moment in philadelphia. we speak to a pioneer of the very first gay rights protest on independence mall. >> those stories and more coming up for adam joseph cecily tynan sharrie williams, rick williams the entire "action news" team i'm monica malpass. have a good day. happy holidays. >> happy holidays.

>> ♪♪ >> "action news." delaware valley's leading news program. with ducis rodgers meteorologist cecily tynan and jim gardner. >> ♪♪ >> friday night the big story on "action news" tonight is the start of the holiday weekend. we are celebrating the 239th birthday of these united states and many of you do so by claiming a section of beach like here in cape may where it's a chance to take part in all kinds of holiday activities like today's liberty block party on independence mall. it's all about family, food and fun. "action news" reporter john rawlins is at independence mall. trish hartman is in ocean city. first let's get the latest information from accuweather and cecily tynan. cecily. >> jim, certainly a very

comfortable start to the holiday weekend. right now philadelphia 81 degrees down from a high of 83 which is 4 degrees below normal. allentown 79. wilmington 77. on the beaches temperatures pretty uniform around 74 degrees. and we did have early sunshine but the clouds are beginning to roll in and the clouds will continue to thicken this evening. what this means is temperatures will be pretty slow to drop. 7 o'clock still 80 degrees, 8 o'clock 78, 9 o'clock 76 and by 10 o'clock, 74. so a pretty nice evening out on the town. the problem for tomorrow is that the low pressure that will ride along the stalled frontal boundary, that low pressure right now over northern kentucky and what this will do is interact with an upper level feature so that will allow some of that moisture to be drawn up to the north so it will be cloudy, it is will be cool with temperatures only in the 70's with occasional showers. so, future tracker really timing out the showers showing around 9 o'clock most of the activity will be west of philadelphia. but that shower