worked 14 years of his life. >> a lot of my life. >> reporter: michael flynn. >> nathan's is also known for its weekly q and a cafe, of course, where joint interviewed politicians and washington insiders. she plans to take that show on the road at a new location. >> stay with us, everyone. "news 4 today" continues now at 5:00 a.m. breaking news. major development in sports. manny acta has been fired. >> zero tolerance. shocking images of a train operator caught on camera. how metro wants your help to prevent drivers from breaking the law. >> history on the hill. sonia sotomayor takes the national spotlight here in washington. the tough questions expected for the first hispanic woman to be nominated to the u.s. supreme court. good morning and welcome to "news 4 today." i'm joe krebs. >> and i'm kimberly suiters. it's monday, july 13th, 2009.

>> let's take a quick look outside this morning. there it is. we have some light already on this early monday morning, the 13th of july. this is monday the 13th. i hope that's a lucky day. >> this is my favorite part of the morning, when the sun just starts to rise. i envision it being so dark outside, but our cameras pick up that early light. >> yeah, now the sunrises are getting later and later now that we've passed the summer unlstice. sunrise about an hayr aw . aw hwee some high clouds coming over. good aor hnings warstfe oft pth moay. cionre tita othratidar is . orur gtcotane mf 72 iin, wash lonhurned esdmis ert.ovnigh it i'she t uer0sppn i megoprnt , ryine' grgdeoans , tiirfacoun.es slo60ouw .he tndardglue ri e he shenandoah valley. and southern marylan near the bay, norther neck, eastern shore near 70. out in the mountains, u 5pper.0s we have some high clouds coming through. that will be with us throughout much of the day but they'll be zipping away by later on this afternoon, increasing sunshine, but high clouds in and out throughout the day, highs reaching the upper 80s with low

huld it. sunrise is 5:54. sunset at 8:34. a look at tonight and tomorrow, that will be in ten minutes. stay tuned. >> thank you, tom. >> thanks very much. now let's go to jerry edwards and the news 4 traffic network. jerry? >> good morning. we do have some road work going on that's causing a pretty good sized delay early this morning. emergency road work on the beltway, prince george's county, inner loop at route 50. we're told three right lanes are closed off. coming down from at least the b-w parkway on the inner loop. expect to be in heavy traffic for the time being. elsewhere, check things out. the opposite direction, outer loop of the beltway from i-95 to 355, doing fine. back to you. >> all right. thanks, jerry. >> thanks, jerry. >> we begin with breaking news now in the world of sports. manny acta says he has been fired as the nats manager. he says he learned the news last ght after the team lost to houston 5-0. that pushed the nats' record to 26-61, the worst in the league.

acta spent three seasons as the nats manager, compiling a record of 158-252. espn deportest.com quotes acta as saying, i thank the nationals for giving me this opportunity and i'm sorry that things didn' work out as expected. it's normal for the manager to pay the price when the team is not doing well. the nats are expected to make the announcement today and to name bench coach jim riggleman as acta's replacement. >> well, the trial of a woman accused of murdering her children begins today. banita jacks is accused of killing her four daughters. >> the gruesome discovery was madeack in january of 2008. the bodies were found inside a southwest row home. investigators believe the girls had been dead for several months. jacks told police the girls died in their sleep. >> news 4's megan mcgrath is working our top story this morning. she's live right now in front of d.c. superior court. good morning. >> reporter: well, good morning. it was certainly a grisly

discovery. it was january 9th, 2008, when u.s. marshals entered the home of banita jacks in southeast washington to serve an eviction notice. once inside, that's when they found the decaying bodies of jacks' four daughters, age 17, 11, 6 and 5. the medical examiner concluded that the girls had been dead since the summer of 2007. jacks had been living in the house with the decomposing bodies for about seven months. now, jacks' trial is set to begin today. the first order of business, judge frederick weissberg will decide on a defense motion to postpone the case, that defense made by the defense so they can contest some of the physical evidence. attorneys for banita jacks have encouraged her to use an insanity defense but jacks has refused. she's been found competent to stand trial. jacks has waived her right to a jury trial so her innocence or her guilt will be decided by the judge in this case. now, jacks is expected in court at 9:30 this morning. we'll have more coming up in the

next half hour. back to you. >> thanks very much. >> thanks, megan. starting today, metro operators will have to adhere to a new zero tolerance policy involving their cell phones. andriver now caught using a mobile device will be fired. the zero tolerance policy comes just days after video was posted online that showed a metro train operator texting while the train sped ahead on the tracks. the operator was suspended for five days with pay, but returned to work last week. metro is now asking passengers to report any irresponsible behavior. the house will hold its first hearing on last month's deadly metro crash tomorrow. according to the office of congresswoman eleanor holmes norton, the hearing will focus on the progress of the investigations and safety measures implemented since the crash. the accident on metro's red line killed 9 people and injured. nearly 80 others. >> up on capitol hill today, confirmation hearings begin for the first hispanic ever nominated to serve on the u.s.

supreme court. judge sonia sotomayor will answer questions before the senate judiciary committee thi morning. she's expected to win easily, thanks to her overwhelming democric support. she also has the support of the hispanic community, of course. >> she has impeccable credentials. she was nominated because of those impeccable credentials. the fact that she happens to be the first latina for us is an incredible point of pride. >> republicans say they will continue to ask tough questions, though they want to be certain about her views on race, justice and abortion. if confirmed, sotomayor would beco the third woman to sit on the nation's highest court. >> north korean leader kim jong-il reportedly has life-threatening pancreatic cancer. that's the word from a south korean media. they say that the leader was diagnosed last summer around the same time he had a stroke. south korea's government says it cannot confirm the report, but kim jong-il's health has been the source of speculation.

>> space shuttle "endeavour" is still on the launch pad, but today nasa will get things one more try. enginee engineers are hoping for a launch at 6:51 this evening. >> it will be busy, and there will be a lot of coordination, a lot of active and patience. >> "endeavour" has already faced a month of delays. back in june, two launches were scrubbed because of hydrogen leaks. on friday there was another delay, this time because of lightning. nasa scrubbed saturday's attempt while trying to inspect the shuttle. yesterday there were even more thunderstorms. >> the time is now 5:07. new details in the investigation of those mother/daughter murders in prince george's county. >> plus, what a member of michael jackson's family is now saying about the investigation into his death. >> and why the wife of vice

president joe biden is going under the knife. ñ?ñ?ñ/ñ/ñ/ñ/t/

here iow ns aws "neow 4 tod" as "ain ag in fendg to your local ben & rrjestoy' sre sod tnd aay aet . tndsu e ryve monday this summer, sundaes are buy one, get one free. one per customer. >> time for traffic and weather on the 1s. >> let's check in with tom kierein, see how warm it's going to get today, tom.

>> hey, good morning, kimberly and joe. here's a look at our sky. live picture from the city camera showing capitol hill with a few lavender clouds passi through a salmon-colored sky at this hour. now pleasant 72 in washington and it's in the upper 60s in the nearby suburbs. near 70 near the bay, near 60 in the blue ridge, shenandoah valley and out of the mountains. by 9:00, it will be in the mid-70s. we'll have the high clouds in and out throughout the day. a terrific summer day with lower humidity, highs reaching the upper 80s by mid-afternoon. partly cloudy tonight, just a slight chance of a passing shower, perhaps late evening, then clear by dawn. we'll be down into the low 60s and tomorrow mostly sunny, warm again. another delightful summer day with low humidity, highs in the mid-80s. i'll show you the forecast for the rest of the week and the weekend. that will be coming up in ten minutes. jey, good morning. how's the traffic? >> tom, good morning to you. good morning, everyone. 95 northbound, so far, so good, no early hangups from dale city past knew newington.

do have some early road work in maryland, southbound belt ways inner loop, near the interchange with 50. three rig lanes are closed coming out of college park toward landover. be prepared for delays. back to you. >> thank you. >> delays alread thanks. >> thanks, jerry. our time now is 5:12, 72 degrees. the surveillance video that helped lead to a break in the case of a wealthy florida couple who was brutally murdered. >> ever considered taking your resume high tech? next, some helpful tips wr ry

5:14 is our time now. updating the top store this the "news 4 today," a district woman accused of murdering her four children is expected to go on trial today. the bodies of banita jacks' four daughters were discovered in their southeast row house last january. investigators believe the girls had been dead for seven months. jacks told police the girls had died in their sleep. beginning today, any metro operator caught using a cell phone on the job will be fired. the zero tolerance policy comes just days after video was posted online that showed a metro train operator texting while the train sped ahead. metro's asking passengers to

report any irresponsible behavior. a south korean tv report says north korean leader kim jong-il has life-threatening pancreatic cancer. according to a report, the 67-year-old was diagnosed with the cancer around the time he reportedly suffered a stroke last summer. the news comes just days after new images of kim, looking gaunt, appeared, spurring speculation that his health might be worsening. >> in this tough job market, competition is fierce, and standing out is crucial. some job seekers are doing so by going high tech. they're posting video resumes, hoping potential employers will tune in and give them a second look. >> michael tannenbaum got his mba last year and he's still trying to get his marketing career off the ground. ten even balm knows that to find the perfect job in these competitive times, his resume needs to stand out. >> a resume is one-dimeional.

>> that's why he decided to do something new. a hollywood production house is producing his video resume. when it's complete, ris resume and profile will be posted on a new website called resbuzz.com. >> everything now with recruitment is done online. this is just taking it to the next level. >> katherine gray is chief operating officer for resbuzz.com. it's a partnership. together, they've created a site where job seekers and companies looking to hire can find each other. >> the power of video networking. >> a person especially in this marketplace needs an extra option, needs an advantage, needs a way they can show who am i really? i'm more than just a piece of paper. >> resbuzz charges $495 to produce a two-minute resume focusing on four maj areas. college, major accomplishments, future career goals, and qualities that make you unique.

you can also produce your own video resume and upload it to the site, paying a small monthly membership fee to access all the site's job search tools. >> then it's not confined to just the site. we have buttons that you can send it to your facebook, you're linked in, any social media site, and you can also e-mail it directly to people. directly to jobs. >> resbuzz just launched on june 10th so it doesn't have a track record yet. michael ten even balm isn't ncerned wrshg. >> a video resume is one of the most popular ways to sell yourself. >> you can do it without a phone call or an appointment with just the click of a mouse. >> resbuzz.com also offers busine networking forums and chatrooms. joe? >> new details involving the desecration of hundreds of graves in suburban chicago. the reverend jesse jackson has now called for an expanded investigation of the case. four former employees at the burr oak cemetery are accused of digging up and dumping bodies in

the scheme to resell burial plots. yesterday, hundreds of distraught families gathered for a vigil led by jackson. the company that owns burr oak cemetery has not commented, but authorities say it is cooperating with the investigation. well, police have now arrested these three men in connection with the slayings of a wealthy florida couple known for adopting children with developmental disabilities. bird and melanie billings were shot to death inside their home last thursday, while eight of their 12 children were asleep. police have since arrested two men on murder charges and the other for tampering with evidence. officers say one of the men tried to paint over and hide damage on a red van seen leaving the home after the murders. >> today bob dole will undergo surgery on his leg. he has been hospitalized since last week when he experienced an elevated heart rate. dole's law firm says his heart is fine. however, doctors at walter reed operated on dole's left leg which had open sores.

they've planned a skin graft for today. dole was the gop presidential nominee in 1996. he says he hopes to leave the hospital in time for his 86th birthday on july 22nd. the vice president's wife will also be going under the knife today. jill biden will have orthopedic surgery to relieve shoulder pain. the outpatient procedure will be performed at a hospital in philadelphia. the white house says the vice president will accompany his wife. the pair will spend today and tuesday at their home in delaware before mr. biden returns to washington tomorrow evening. >> we have breaking news for you right now. the washington nationals have fired manny acta. acta learned of the decision after arriving back in town last night from houston for the all-star break. bench coach jim riggleman is expected to replace him. >> the team finished the first half of the season with the worst record in the league, and the team lost 5-0 in acta's last game as manager. hakem dermish has your sports minute now.

>> good morning, everyone. your sports minute begins with baseball. nationals taking on the astros in the final game before the all-star break and the nats' bats went silent. houston had no problem. kaz matsui hit his third home run of the season and the astros shut out the nationals 5-0. the nationals end the first half with the worst record in baseball at 26-61. in baltimore. os and blue jays, brian roberts went 2 for 4 in the game with two rbis. the os beat the blue jays 4-2. they go into the break with a 40-48 record. that's good for last place in the a.l. east. in golf, 23-year-old south korean eun hee ji won the u.s. open with her final putt. she sunk a 20-foot birdie to win the first major of her career. on the pga tour, steve stricker selected his second victory of the season. stricker won the tournament at

20 under par. that's your sports minute. i'm hakem dermish. have a great day. >> 5:21 now. time for traffic and weather on those pesky little ones. >> let's check in with tom kierein. a good looking forecast ahead. >> a nice sunrise under way as well. lavender clouds in a pink sky at this hour. we'll have that sun up at 5:54. sunrises are getting later. right now on radar, no rain around washington. there's a little shower just to the west of charlottesville drifting to the east. temperatures in the suburbs are now in the 60s, in the rural areas in the low 60s as well as in southern maryland. but right near the bay in the low 70s. for today, the high clouds in and out, highs reaching the upper 80s. but the big story is lower humidity has returned and it will be in place again tonight and tomorrow. then on wednesday, getting a little more humid and quite steamy thursday. might get an afternoon thunderstorm, highs near 90. then for friday, saturday and sunday, looks partly cloudy, highs in the 80s, morning lows in the 60s.

and there's a small chance of maybe some showers and thundershowers on saturday and sunday, but right now it's looking partly cloudy with really a nice summer weather for the most part. now let's check traffic for this monday. jerry, how's it looking? >> tom, good morning to you. doing okay in virgin, nothing too dramatic. a little bit of volume here along interstate 66 eastbound and westbound through vienna, but no incidents, no road work there. let's check speeds, see how we are doing this morning. on 66 eastbound between the two 29s, only ten minutes there. from centreville to the beltway, 15 minutes. inside the beltway, zipping along, 17 minutes from the beltway to the inbound side of the roosevelt bridge. joe and kimberly, back to you. >> very good, jerry. thanks. >> our time 5:22, 72 degrees. how you can get your hands on a ticket for the jonas brothers concert tonight at the verizon center. >> and what the sister of michael jackson is now saying about the investigation into his death. >> plus, the chief of police in

one northern virginia community is speaking out about what need to be done to keep the streets safe. >> here's your liz "on the money," money saving tip of the day. >> consumer reports magazine says now is a great time to look for bargains at restaurants. it says register your birthday to get a bargain. use buy one, get one free offers, try offpeak dining specials and half price appetizers. and don't forget higher-priced restaurants are offering deals as well. i'm liz crenshaw, "on the a real onion...there's a real onion in my onion strip.

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♪ well, the verizon center will be packed with thousands of screaming preteens tonight because the nas brothers are in town. it's all part of their 2009 world tour. the show is just about sold out so if you want to go, you have to act fast. in fact, we found only 11 tickets available on tick ticketmast ticketmaster.com as of this morning. who knows whether they're still there. tonight's show begins at 7:30. >> now to the latest on the death of michael jackson. two british tabloids have quoted la toya jackson as saying she believes her brother michael was murdered and it was part of a conspiracy to steal his fortune. she reportedlyays her brother's assets of more than $1 billion made him a tempting target and that cash and jewelry

worth roughly $2 million were taken from his home after his death. the news of the world quotes la toya jackson as saying she knows who is to blame and is derld to see them brought to justice. >> 5:2 is our time right now. we're following breaking news in the world of sports. while you were sleeping, the leader of a local team announced he has been fired. >> also, the trial for the woman accused of killing her four children is expected to happen today. >> and the new zero tolerance policy by metro that is set to go into effect today.

breaking news. a major development in sports. manny acta says he has been fired as manager of the washington nationals. >> judging sotomayor. the tough questions for president obama's historic nominee to the u.s. supreme court. >> friendly skies. the threat of more storms as naset g ready to launch space shuttle "endeavour." good morning to you. welcome to "news 4 today." i'm joe krebs on this monday, the 13th day of july, 2009. >> and i'm kimberly suiters in for barbara harrison this morning. some of the other top stories we're following today are coming up in a moment. but first a look outside, a beautiful sunrise on this monday morning. >> beautiful, beautiful picture right now. 72 degrees here in the nation's capital. let's get more on the forecast by going to meteorologist tom

kierein in storm center 4. tom? >> it is a nice sunrise. the big story is it's turned less humid overnight. we got a little taste of that summertime heat and humidity we're used to over the weekend, but now that's gone away on a fresh northwest breeze. turned less humid on this monday morning. temperatures are comfortable, near 70 in washington, upper 60s in montgomery, fairfax and prince george's counties. weather watchers checking in from areas to the west of washington where it's in the low 60s and even 50s out in the mountains. weather watchers south and east of washington reportin temperatures in t upper 60s there. and we have some high clouds drifting through the region on this monday morning. we will see those high clouds in and out throughout the day. by 9:00, mid-70s. by noon, near 80. mid and upper 80s by mid-afternoon with low humidity and sunrise is at 5:54. sunset at 8:34. overnight tonight, partly cloudy. might have a passing shower late evening, a small chance. then clearing out after that. sunny, tomorrow morning we'll be down in the low 60s. looks like another terrific day tomorrow. details on the tuesday forecast in ten minutes.

kimberly and joe? >> looking good. thank you, tom. >> let's go to jerry edwards now and the news 4 traffic network. >> where it's not looking so good. >> a couple of spots, kind of a tough morning. good morning. some emergency road work we're told, doing some repaving on the beltway at this hour inner loop as you travel down toward route 50 in maryland, only one left lane currently getting by. we've just been informed that they're in the process of picking all that up so hopefully they'll be out of there before too long. but college park south through greenbelt toward new carrollton, landover, be prepared forery heavy traffic early on until they're completely gone. elsewhere 270 southbound looks pretty good. also told the's a bit of a lane shift just north of this camera between 80 and 109. lanes are maintained but don't get caught by surprise. on 270 headed south from route 85. back to you. >> thank you, jerry. >> jerry, thanks a lot. we begin with breaking news in the world of sports. manny acta says he has been fired as the nats' manager. he says he learned the news last night after the team lost to houston 5-0.

that's pushed the nats' record to 26-61, the worst in major league baseball. acta spent three seasons as the nats manager, compiling a record of 158-252. espndeportes.com quotes acta as sig, "i thank the national force giving me this opportunity and i'm sorry that things didn't work out as expected. it's normal for the manager to pay the price when the team is not doing well." the nats are expected to make the announcement today and to name bench coach jim riggleman as's replacement. >> the trial of a woman accused of murdering her four daughters will begin today. >> the gruesome discovery was made back in january of 2008. the bies were found inside a southwest washington row home investigators believe the girls had been dead for several months. jacks told police that the girls had died in their sleep. >> news 4's megan mcgrath is working our top story this morning live from district superior court. good morning, megan. >> reporter: well, good morning.

that's right. banita jacks has said that her children died in their sleep, but the medical examiner concluded that all four of the girls were murdered. now, banita jacks is due in court at 9:30 this morning. she has opted for a bench trl, meaning she's waived her right to a jury and has placed her fate in the hands of the judge. jacks is accused of killing her four children over a period of time in the summer of 2007. she then apparently lived with the decomposing bodies for seven months. attorneys for banita jacks have urged her to pursue an insanity defense, but jacks has refused. she has also waived her right to a jury trial so the case will be decided by the judge, frederick weisberg. it was january of 2008. u.s. marshals came to jacks' home in southeast to serve an eviction notice. once inside, marshals found the decaying bodies of jacks' four daughters, aged 17, 11, 6 and 5.

medical examiners concluded that the girls had been murdered in the summer of 2007. jacks had been living in the home with the decomposing bodies for seven months. now, the defense has filed a motion to postpone so they contest some of the physical evidence in this case. the judge is expected to rule on that request later on this morning. if it's denied, the trial will then go forward. ck to you, kimberly, joe. >> megan, thank you. >> thanks, megan. new details in the mother/daughter slayings earlier this year in prince orge's county. an fbi profiler hasow concluded those cases are not related. that's despite earlier theories that the murders might be the work of a serial killer. the profiler says the similarities in the cases were simply weird coincidences. one mother/daughter pair was found shot to death i inside their home in january. another couple was found in a burning car in march. prince george's county investigators have already collected about 200 pieces of evidence. police tell "the washington

post" that they are making progress. >> judge sonia sotomayor will appear on capitol hill this morning to begin her highl anticipated confirmation hearings. the nation's first hispanic nominee to the supreme court will face some tough questions when she meets with the senate judiciary committee, although she has the support she needs from democrats, republicans want to talk to her about her views on race and religion. brian moore reports. >> reporter: after weeks of courtesy calls on capitol hill, judge sonia sotomayor is ready to fight for a seat on the supreme court. president obama called to give her a private pep talk from the oval office, and some democrats are predicting a slam dunk confirmation. >> i think there's a very good chance she's going to get as many, if not more votes than judge roberts got, which was 78. she has wowed people. >> i'm not going to be playing for the hispanic team, the democratic team, the republican team. i'm going to be playing for the constitution team. i don't know what more you could

ask of a judge. >> reporter: some republicans want to know more about her 2001 comment that a wise latina judge might make better decisions than a white one. >> i think that's a fair area to question her about because certainly the rule of law depends on the same rules applying to each one of us no matter our color, sex or ethnicity. >> reporter: critics also point to her ruling in a connecticut racial discrimination case where white firefighters were denied promotions because no african-american candidates were qualified. last month, the supreme court overturned her ruling, but supporters say she was following the law, not making it. today, judge sonia sotomayor has a chance to defend herself. today has been reserved for opening statements and the actual questions are scheduled to begin tomorrow. the hearings are expected to last most of the week. brian moore, nbc news, washington. >> it's unlikely that republicans could slow the nomination process or even stop it altogether. that's because the democrats

have a filibuster proof majority. >> well, already faced a month of scrubbed launches, but space shuttle "endeavour" hopes today will be its lucky day, the 13th. nasa is pushing for a launch at 6:51 this evening. the shuttle was supposed to lift off this weekend, but bad weather prevented that. in june two launches were scrubbed because of hydrogen leaks. if today's launch does occur, "endeavour" will take seven astronauts to the six now living on the internatial space station. that will make it the largest group ever assembled in space. >> 5:38 right now. last call. a local pub brings its four decade run to an end. >> plus, an armed robbery and ten-hour hostage standoff highlight what's some say is a major problem in leesburg. >> and what alaska governor sarah palin is saying about her future in politics now. there are moments in time

when the paths we take do determine our future. today we are communicating with each other as never before - and that requires a seamless network that is constantly growing better, smarter, and more secure. that's why our scientists and engineers in our labs, are taking the fastest technology in the world and making it mobile, better and faster - to keep pushing the internet further than anyone dreamed. last year alone we invested more in building america's future than any other company - improving and expanding our network, to keep you in control. and behind the scenes, that takes work by our employees,

who pride themselves knowing, that because they do it right, you might not even notice. if all of that, makes your connections, faster and more secure... well, that's our business. at&t... your world... delivered. here's today's news 4 bargain blast. ohear tkffee wtht righ wita free mocha fmro mcd als. m' doo chainsd i iofring a f seofeplamplf o ice th hot mocha every monday gustroguau t. 3rd the free mochas will be offered today from 7:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m. >> only 7:00 a.m. that's kind of late for us. >> exactly. >> tom kierein's upstairs with a look at today's forecast. >> hey, 5:41, it's a pleasant morning as we take a look at the sky off to the east. we've got a few high clouds drifting gracefully over the potomac river. live picture from the city camera.

right now on radar, a little shower just to the west of charlottesville, that's drifting east. temperatures that way are in the mid-60s. upper 60s montgomery, fairfax, prince george's counties. near 0 in washington and near the bay. highs reaching the upper 80s today with low humidity. those high clouds in and out, partly cloudy this evening, slight chance of an evening shower. clearing out by dawn tomorrow for tuesday, mostly sunny, warm, low humidity, highs mid-80s. i'll show you the forecast for the rest of the week and the weekend. that will be in ten minutes. now let's check traffic, jerry. how's it looking? >> doing pretty well over in virginia, 95 northbound and southbound, no worries so far. one more stop, we'll see how things are progressing along new york avenue, a few traffic light delays as is typical for this time of morning all the way to the 3rd street tunnel. back to you. >> thank you very much. >> thanks. 5:42. where west nile virus is already turning up in the district. >> plus, metro under scrutiny. next at 5:45, how the transit agency wants you to help prevent drivers from bthakg w.inlae la

it's 5:44. updating our top stories of the morning, today the banita jacks trial gets under way. jacks is the mother accused of killing her four daughters and leaving their bodies to decompose inside her d.c. row house. the bodies were discovered last january but investigators believe the girls had been dead for seven months. nasa's hoping today will be the day space shuttle "endeavour" finally lifts off. engineers have scheduled a 6:51 launch for this evening. the shuttle has already faced a month of delays because of problems ranging from fuel leaks to bad weather. sonia sotomayor's confirmation hearing begins on capitol hill today. she is president obama's first pick for the u.s. supreme court. if confirmed, she would be the high court's first hispanic justice. she would also be the third female supreme court justice. >> well, it was the shocking video that caught the eye of commuters region wide and perhaps youtube viewers worldwide. a metro train operator texting

on the job while therain was barreling full speed ahead. as a result, metro's instituted new rules for metro operators. news 4's tracee wilkins joins us live from the shady grove metro station with details of the new policy that goes into effect today. good morning. >> reporter: good morning. yes, the video was shocking because we've seen how those incidents can go. luckily, there wasn't an accident involved in that accident, but that driver was punished for his actions. today, metro begins its zero tolerance policy when it comes to its drivers and cell phones. as you just said, this policy is in response to that video that was taken by a passenger. that operator was suspended for five days without pay for texting while driving, but now this new zero tolerance policy goes into effect. they're hoping that both passengers and also metro supervisors will be paying closer attention to what their drivers are doing. we asked metro passengers what did they tnk of the new policy. >> i think it's good. less accidents and more cars.

>> same as when you're in a car. really shouldn't be something that the driver should be doing at all. they should be paying attention to what it is, the safety of the passengers. that's their job. >> reporter: the only excuse for using a cell phone if you're operating a metrobus or train will be in there's an issue with metro communication system and some kind of an emergency and, therefore, having to use that cell phone for that. other than that, zero tolerance. they're saying that people who are caught are going to have to find someplace else to work. i'm tracee wilkins, live this morning at shady grove metro. back to you. >> thanks very much. >> six lawsuits have already been filed concerning last month's deadly metro crash. nine people were killed, 80 others injured. one of the plaintiffs is now seeking up to $25 million in damages. legal experts expect the number of claims to rise. they also predict the damages could run into the tens of millions of dollars. >> well, police in leesburg say that they are drastically understaffed and they're calling for more officers out on the

streets. authorities say friday's hostage standoff underscores that need. there was a ten-hour crime spree in leesburg. police say a man robbed a pawn shop, stole a car and then held an elderly couple hostage for eight hours. authorities say it demanded a massive police response. >> it was really eye-opening that we were short about 20 police officers from where we should be up to the norm for other communities. if you have more police and the criminal element knows about it and you're going to definitely enforce the crimes, try to do everything you can to prevent them from happening, they're going to think twice before they come into your community. >> there are 77 sworn officers covering a population of 36,000 in leesburg. the police chief says the city has fewer officers per capita than oth towns and cities in northern virginia. >> a rockville restaurant might be closed today because of a lunchtime fire. flames broke out yesterday afternoon in the kitchen of the bombay bistro. that's on west montgomery avenue. firefighters say grease buildup

in the ductwork sparked the fire. no juan was hurt. the fire caused $175,000 in damage. fire officials say an overloaded extension cord sparked a fire at a high-rise condominium building in silver spring. it broke out saturday night at pineway towers on piney branch road. fire officials say the flames started in a bedroom where too many items were plugged into the extension cord. about a dozen people had to be rescued. the fire forced 80 residents out of their homes. >> well, a popular georgetown bar has had its final last call. nathan's closed its doors last night after 40ears of business. owner carol joint inherited the pub when her husbandied 12 years ago, but since then she's found herself with huge debt. in the bar's final weekend, customers and nearby business owners came by to drop off donations and say good-bye. >> have you ever seen "it's a wonderful life" at the end, where the neighborhood is bringing in checks? well, that's a small business bailout. >> like closing cheer's.

it really is. it's like closing cheer's. i'll miss it. it's good to come in, say good-bye to everybody. >> nathan's is also known for its weekly q and a cafe, where joint would interview politicians and washington insiders. she says she plans to find a new location, though, for that show. >> virginia may be getting nearly $9 million to prepare for the swine flu and the fall flu season. the department of health and human services says the money was included in legislation signed by president obama. that measure included $350 million for fighting the flu across the nation. the grants in virginia include more than $6.5 million for state public health departments and more than $2.2 million for hospitals and health care says teps. three mosquito pools in the district have tested positive for the west nile virus. health department officials say the mosquito pools were collected from an area of southwest washington near ft. mcnair. no one in d.c. has been infected by west nile virus this year.

back in 2008, six residents tested positive for the virus. the health department recommends that residents eliminate mosquito breeding areas around their homes by removing all standing water. >> just about 5:51. it is, actually, right now. timeor traffic and weather on the 1s. >> it's a beautiful morning out there. >> speaking of flying insects notice in the evening we have many more fire flies out now. >> why is that? >> it was so wet in the spring we had an abundance in the population of what we used to callightning bugs. the fire flies out again in the predawn, but now they're fading as the predawn light is now lighting up the eastern sky. look at that sunrise. that's a life picture from our city camera over the potomac river. right now 72 under those clouds at reagan national airport. sun is up in about three minutes. athis hour, lower humidity has returned. as we look at radar, though, there's one shower here, this unlittle blue area just to the west of charlottesville, that will be tracking off to the east

and be tracking way to the south of the washington area this morning. our temperatures around the region now are comfortable. it's in the upper 60s in fairfax, montgomery and prince george's counties. and off to our east and south, temperatures there in the low 70s right near the bay. around the blue ridge, shenandoah valley, weather watchers reporting low 60s around the neighborhood network in calvert county, prince fed rick at 68. dew point a comfortable 62. the humidity has dropped overnight on a fresh northwest breeze. out of the mountains, in the mid-50s this morning. over the last six hours, we have had some of the high clouds drifting over to region. we'll see them drifting off to the east. increasing sunshine as we get into the afternoon. if you're traveling today, could have some storms in the carolinas into tennessee and thughout much of the south land, into northern florida. some other storms perhaps in the central plains, into the northern plains and some rain for the northern rockies. otherwise, shouldn't have any travel delays. temperatures are fresh and cool in the upper midwest, only in the low 50s there.

and the last 12 hours showing that this area of rain riding along a stalled front will stay to our south here for today. but to the north we've got this northwest breeze tapping some of that cool, dry air. that will be with us. it will be dry but not cool. we'll have that sunshine really cooking us later on today but not as humtd. as we get into the overnight hours, slight chance of a passing shower perhaps in the late evening. by dawn tomorrow, should be clear. during the day tuesday, lots of sunshine. this is the future cast as we go forward or the next 36 hours, shows we'll stay dry into wednesday as well. here's the forecast for today, this monday, the 13that day of july. by 9:00, mid-70s. a nd have high clouds out, probably more sunshine by the afternoon. highngre hiac thi upper 80s. a great beach and pool day. definitely need the sun block. our sunset at 8:34. andhe tn tonight, partly cloudy, just a small chance of a passing shower, perhaps late this evening. then clearing out t by dawn on tuesday. tomorrow morning we'll be down into the low 60s. then low humidity in place again

tomorrow and through most of wednesday, lots of sunshine tomorrow. another great day for outdoor work and recreation. afternoon highs in the-8id m0s.d upper 80s to near 90 on wednesday, turning a little more humid but not quite the sweltering humidity we're used to. looks like that mayne i place, though, on thursday as we have a front approaching. we'll have an increased flow out of the southwest, pump in some heat and humidity, highs near 90. as that front comes through on thursday evening, perhaps late afternoon and evening, maybe some passing thundershowers. then after that front goes by, looks like it won't be too humid after that. pleasant pattern io eth weekend for friday, saturday and sunday. just a slight chance of some thundershowers over the weekend, highs in the 80s. morning lows in the 60s. that's the way it looks this morning. >> just in time. thank you, tom. >> some kind of an award-winning summer we're having so far. >> so far. maybe we're going to get payback, though, in august. >> no-hitter. we won't talk about it. let's go to jerry edwards. >> how's it looking? >> i'll have what he's having.

take a look. good morning. the commute not bad at all for the most part. take a live look along interstate 66 eastbound as you head toward the capital beltway. still a little early for any sunshine delays. a bit of traffic at the merging out there in manassas, centreville and fair oaks. one more stop, see how things are improving. beltway, inner loop at route 50, all the overnight road work has been picked up. so the delays associated with that starting to ease very quickly. joe, kimberly, back to you. >> thanks, jerry. >> thanks. >> more injuries at the famous running of the bulls festival in pamplona, spain. four runners were gored yesterday. two of the men were siously injured. the injuries come two days after a 27-year-old man was gored to death while running with the bulls. that was the festal's first fatality in almost 15 years. experts say the bulls are at their most dangerous when they break away from the pack. that's usually when they become disoriented and irritated by the crowds.

>> despite rumors to the contrary, alaska governor sarah palin says she is staying involved in national politics. she hopes to build a right of center coalition in her words. palin told the washington times that she's eager to campaign for republicans, independence and even democrats who share her views on limited government, national defense and energy independence. the republican says americans are tired of partisan politics and that both her husband and her 20-year-old son are registered as non-partisan. >> well, some pentagon officials are considering prohibiting soldiers from smoking them if they got them. "usa today" reports that health experts at the department of defense want to ban tobacco use by all service members. the study found one in three servicemen and women use tobacco. that's compared with one in five americans. the study also found that members of the military use cigarettes to relieve stress. tobacco use increased after the start of the wars in afghanistan and iraq.

>> to the money crisis now and a look at how foreign markets are doing today. asian stock markets took a serious tumble japan's nikkei lost 2.55%. hong kong's hang seng lost 2.57%. china's shanghai lost 1.07%. to wall street now, where the dow futures are also pnting to a negative opening. the dow finished last week by losing 36 points, closing at 8146. the nasdaq gained three points, closing at 1756. >> well, good news for drivers headed out the door this morning. gasoline prices are down once again. nationwide it costs $2.53 a gallon, that's down about 8 cents from a week ago. in d.c., we're paying $2.63. maryland, $2.49. virginia, $2.41. >> still ahead this morning on "news 4 today," drivers beware of a wide load. why a tractor-trailer could slow down many drivers in virginia

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our gorgeous sunrise. we'll leave it to tom to be poetic with the colors. >> that's really beautiful. sun been up, what, just a few minutes, i guess, tom. >> sunrise at 5:54. sunrise getting later and later now this time of year. we had a little bit of a steam heat over the weekend, but that has now moved away from s u on a fresh no hwsesteebr.ze it's turned less humid overnight. on radar, the edge of that humidity's down to our south. there's a little shower right on the edge of that humidity right near charlottesville but that's going to pass to our south as the morning progresses. and throughout the day today we'll have lots of sunshine and highs in the 80s.. overnight tonight we'll see our temperatures in the 70s. by this time tomorrow morning, the low to mid-60s. so a delightful summer day on the way. highs low 80s with low humidity, a few high clouds coming through. enjoy. the forecast for tomorrow in ten minutes. >> thank you. >> let's go to jerry edwards and the news 4 traffic network. >> looks sunny behind you. >> it does, indeed. hey, sunshine all over the place because no early worries along i-270 this morning. this is right at the point where

the lanes divide. these folks headed down the spur. those folks headed toward the inner loop of the beltway. nothing to worry about frederick to rockville,anes are open. elsewhere, speak your speeds this morning. traveling the outer loop of the beltway, springfield across the wilson bridge, 7 minutes. tack on another 16 minutes off the wilson bridge up to route 50. after that, just 8 minutes headed on up toward college park. joe and kimberly, back to you. >> thank you, jerry. >> jerry, thanks. breaking news right now. manny acta says he has been fired as the manager of the washington nationals. he says he learned the news last night after the team lost to uston 5-0. that has pushed the nats' record to 26-61, the worst in the league. the nats arexpected to make the announcement today and to name bench coach jim riggleman as acta's replacement. acta spent three seasons as the nats manager, compiling record of 158-252. in an interview with espndeportes.com, acta said, "i

thank the nationals for giving me this opportunity and i'm sorry that things did not work out as expected. it's normal for the manager to pay the price when the team is not doing well." >> a district woman accused of murdering her four daughters is expected to go on trial today. the bodies of banita jacks' four children were found inside their southeast row house last january and police believe the children had been killed months before. news 4's megan mcgrath is live with more on what's expected to happen tot. do you think the trial will get under way today? >> reporter: they have to deal with a motion to postpone that's been put forward by the defense. if that motion is denied, then, yes, we are expecting this trial to go forward. now, banita jacks told police that her four daughters died in their sleep, but the medical examiner says it is a case of murder. the bodies were discovered by u.s. marshals who went to jacks' home to serve an eviction notice. police s that jacks stabbed and in some cases strangled her

daughters. now, she then lived with the decaying bodies for several months. attorneys for banita jacks have urged her to pursue an insanity defense, but jacks has refused. she has also waived her right to a jury trial so the case will be decided by the judge, frederick weisberg. it was january of 2008. u.s. marshals came to jacks' home in southeast to serve an eviction notice. once inside, marshals found the decaying bodies of jacks' four daughters, aged 17, 11, 6 and 5. medical examiners concluded that the girls had been murdered in the summer of 2007. jacks had been living in the home with the decomposing bodies for seven months. anthe defense wants to test some of the physical evidence in this case. that's why they've asked for a postponement, rather. the judge willule on that. if he denies that motion, then the case will go forward today.

kimberly? >> megan mcgrath for us. thank you. >> well, the battle for the u.s. supreme court takes center stage on capitol hill today. confirmation hearings are set to begin for court nominee sonia sotomayor. the nation's first hispanic nominee will likely receive tough questions from the senate judiciary committee. however, she is expected to win confirmation easily, thanks to her overwhelming democratic support, but republicans still want to know more about her views and her past, including more about a comment she made in 2001 about a latina judge being able to make better decisions than a white male judge. >> that's a fair area to question her about because certainly the rule of law depends on the same rules applying to each one of us no matter our color, our sex or ethnicity. >> to say i'm not going to be playing for the hispanic team, the democratic team, the republican team. i'm going to be playing for the constitution team. i don't know what more you could ask of a judge. >> now today has been reserved for opening statements. the actual questioning will begin tomorrow and the hearings are expected to last most of this week.

>> lawmakers on capitol hill will also focus on that deadly metro crash this week. tomorrow, the house will hold its first hearing into the matter. lawmakers will focus on the progress of the investigations and safety measures implemented since the crash. 9 people were killed, dozens were hurt when two red line trains collided last month. investigators say they found a problem with the track circuit and that the train operator was not on her cell phone at the time. today metro begins a new zero tolerance policy when it comes to operators and cell phones. any driver caught using a mobile device will be fired. the new policy came just days after a video was posted online that showed a metro train operator texting while the train sped ahead on the tracks. the operator was suspended for five days but returned to work last week. metro is asking passengers to report any irresponsible behavior. >> well, today nasa will once again try to send the shuttle "endeavour" into space. thunderstorms forced nasa to

scrub another attempted launch last night. now the seven crew members will prepare to leave again at 6:51 tonight. once they do make it to the international space station, they'll join six others, making it the largest group ever in space. >> there will be a lot of coordination, a lot of activity, a lot of patience. >> nasa has until tomorrow and possibly on wednesday to launch "endeavour." otherwise, it will have to wait until the end of july because of a russian supply ship that's waiting to take off. >> north korean leader kim jong-il reportedly has life-threatening pancreatic cancer. that's the word for south korean media reports. they say the leader was diagnosed last summer around the same time he had a stroke. south korea's government says it cannot confirm the report, but kim jong-il's health has been the focus of intense speculation. the 67-yeaold leader recently looked frail during a rare public appearance. >> why a tractor trailer is expected to cause all types of traffic problems in virginia

today. and how police made several arrests in the murders of wealthy parents with 16 children. >> spy secrets. leaders on capitol hill are outraged this morning after learning allegations former vic president dick cheney did not want them to know certain things about what the cia was ññ?ñ

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sundae. every monday this summer, mondays are buy one, get one free. one deal per customer. >> traffic and weather on the 1s on at 6:11. >> let's go to tom kierein. >> a half moon in the sky this morning. there's a live picture at this hour, that moon setting in a sky with some high clouds. you can see drifting over the moon. off to our east, the sun's up at this hour. there's a glitter path on the potomac river. sunrise was about 20 minutes ago, and at this hour it's near 70 in washington, low humidity has returned this morning. it's another fresh and cool start to this july morning. we're in the 60s around the region. by 9:00, 70s. by noon, low 80s. by mid-afternoon the upper 80s with low humidity and a few high clouds in and out. sunset at 8:34. partly cloudy tonight, just a slight chance of a late evening shower. tomorrow, mostly sunny and warm with low humidity. another terrific summer day. highs reaching the mid-80s on tuesday. a look at the rest of the week and the weekend at 6:21. jerry, good morning.

how's the traffic? >> tom, good morning. we are going to feel the effects of that sunshine pretty soon now along interstate 66. here's the interchange with route 123. so far, no accidents but the sunshine is going to be a factor as you come in from the west so bear that in mind. other than that, pretty quiet all in all. on the rails this morning, very quiet. metrorail reporting everything is off to a quiet start. no early delays on any of the vre trains. marc rail says all lines on time. back to you. >> thank you very much. >> thanks, jerry. zblshgts we're helping to find jobs for you. the new type of resume job seekers are making in the hopes of standing out from the competition. and why democrats on capitol hill are renewing their call for an investigation into the bush administration's torture and antiterrorism policies. the spy secrets members of congress want to know about.

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the toppings you love. subway. eat fresh! updating the top stories in the news for today, confirmation hearings set to begin today for the first hispanic nominee to the u.s. supreme court. sonia sotomayor will issue an opening statement today before answering questions from the senate judiciary committee beginning tomorrow. she is expected to win confirmation easily because of her overwhelming drmt support. the district woman accused of murdering her four daughters is expected to go on trial today. the decomposing bodies of banita jacks' four children were discovered in their southeast row house last january. investigators believe the girls

had been dead for seven months. jacks told police the girls died in their sleep. beginning today, metro is beginning a new zero tolerance policy for train and bus operators. any operator caught using a mobile device on the job will be fired. the policy was enacted after an operator was videotaped texting while operating his train. kimberly? >> joe, in this tough job market, competition is fierce and standing out is crucial. some job-seekers are doing so by going high tech. now, reporters and anchors have done this for years. now regular busess people are posting video resumes, hoping potential employers will tune in and give them a second look and a job. michael tannenbaum got his mba last year. he's still trying to get his marketing career off the ground. he knows that to find the perfect job in these competitive times he needso stand out. >> a resume on its own for the kind of work i do is completely one-dimension

one-dimensional. >> that's why he decided to do something new. a hollywood production house is producing his video resume. when it's complete, his resume and profile will be posted on a new website called resbuzz.com. >> everything now with recruitment is done online. this is just taking it to the next level. >> katherine gray is chief operating officer for resbuzz.com. it's a partnership. it's between gray's video production company and an executive search firm. together, they've created a site where job seekers and companies looking to hire can find each other. >> the power of video networking. >> a person, especially in this marketplace, needs an extra option, needs an advantage, needs a way they can show who am i really? i'm more than just a piece of paper. >> resbuzz charges $495 to produce a two-minute resume focusing on four major areas. college, major accomplishments, future career goals, and qualities that make you unique.

you can also produce your own video resume and upload it to the site, paying a small monthly membership fee to access all the site's job search tools. >> then it's not confined to just the site. we have buttons that you can send it to your facebook, you're linked in, any social media site, and you can also e-mail it directly to people. directly to jobs. >> resbuzz just launched on june 10th so it doesn't have a track record yet. michael tannenbaum isn't concerned. >> a video resume is one of the most powerful ways to sell yourself. people want to see you and hear you. >> you can do it without a phone call or an appointment with just the click of a mouse. >> you can also do this by taping your own video and then posting it on youtube and sending that link out for free. although resbuzz.com does offer business and networking forums and chatrooms. >> thanks very much. we have a heads-up for drivers in virginia, especially southern virginia near the north carolina

border. a massive tractor-trailer could cause equally large delays if you're traveling near newport news or mar vinceville. the tractor-trailer is 225 feet long, almost as long as a football field. that's about 3 1/2 times longer than a normal tractor-trailer. it's 16 feet wide. v-dot says the tractor-trailer will be hauling equipment from newport news to martinsville. it will make several trips this week. like to see that thing. >> in florida, police have arrested three men in connection with the slayings of a couple known for adopting children with developmental disabilities. byrd and melanie billings were shot to death inside their home last thursday while 8 of their 16 children were asleep. police have since arrested two men on open murder charges and another for tampering with evidence. after the arrest, the local sheriff told reporters that this case is, quote, going to be a

humdinger but didn't elaborate anymore. police say one of the men tried to paint over and hide damage on a red van seen leaving the home after the murders. this morning, members of congress are reacting to news that for years they were completely shut out of a top secret cia program. it's because then vice president dick cheney did not want them to know about it, apparently. the counterterrorism unit was in place for eight years without congress ever knowing. new cia chief leon panetta reportedly found out about the program last month and immediately pulled the plug. now democrats are outraged, calling for an investigation. >> to have a massive program that is concealed from the leaders in congress is not only inappropriate, it could be illegal. >> there are also reports this morning that attorney general eric holder is considering an independent investigation into cia interrogation techniques during the bush administration. >> breaking news from the world of sports this morning. nationals manager manny acta

says he's been fired. acta learned of the decision after arriving back in town from houston for the all-star break. bench coach jim riggleman is expected to replace acta. the nationals will make a formal announcement later today. the team finished the first half of the season with just 26 wins, the worst record in the league. the team lost 5-0 in acta's final game as manager. hakem dermish has more in your sports minute. >> good morning, everyone. your sports minute begins with baseball. nationals taking on the astros in the final game before the all-star break and the nats' bats went silent. houston had no problem. kaz matsui hit his third home run of the season and the astros shut out the nationals 5-0. the nats end the first half with the worst record in baseball at 26-61. in baltimore. os and blue jays, brian roberts went 2 for 4 in the game with two rbis. the os beat the blue jays 4-2. baltimore ends the first half with two straight wins. they go into the break with a 40-48 record.

that's good for last place in the a.l. east. in golf, 23-year-old south korean eun hee ji won the u.s. women's open with her final putt. she sunk a 20-foot birdie to win the first major of her career. on the pga tour, steve stricker collected his second victory of the season, winning the john deere classic in illinois. stricker won the tournament at 20 und par. that's your sports minute. i'm hakem dermish. have a great day. >> more injuries now at the famous running of the bulls festival in pamplona, spain. four runners were gored yesterday. two of the men were seriously injured. the injuries came two days after a 27-year-old man was gored to death while running with the bulls. it was the festival's first fatality in almost 15 years. experts say the bulls are at their most dangerous when they split from the pack. that's usually when they become disoriented and irritated by the crowds. >> have you ever been tempted at all to do that? >> not inhe slightest.

not in the slightest. not even a whiff. >> i don't get the appeal. >> no, don't get it. >> no. >> be like -- might as well get on the beltway and run witthe traffic. >> might have better luck. >> equally stupid. let's go to tom aieinrend take a look at the weather. >> highway, got a wonderful sunrise over the potomac at this hour, some fleecy clouds in a blue sky. sun's been up since 5:54. sunrises are getting later and later. a live picture. right nown the low 70s in washington. mid-60s in montgomery, fairfax and prince george's counties. weather watchers in southern maryland reporting temperatures there in the mid-60s. weather watchers to the west and north of washington checking in this morning around the shenandoah valley and the panhandle of west virginia reporting some cool temperatures there in the low 60s. highs today in the 80s with low humidity. that's the big story. low humidity has returned today and it will be in place tonight and tomorrow as well. a little more humid on wednesday and then thursday a steamy day, high near 90, maybe an afternoon thundershower. partly cloudy friday, saturday

and sunday, highs in the 80s, not too humid again. now the traffic. jerry, how's it looking? >> sunglasses need to be at the ready this morning. here's the capital beltway north of town, inner loop and outer loop near university boulevard, no incidents but certainly the inner loop will succumb to the sunshine before too long. one more stop, let's see how things are progressing along 95. there's northbound, there's southbound. right now both directions were looking pretty good picking up northbound volume with the lanes open. joe, back to you. >> thank you vif, jerry. were the wife of vice president joe biden is going under the knife today. and sarah palin talks about what she will do when she steps down as governorinf okaalasal vo: last year... when companies were laying off hundreds of thousands of workers... walmart was creating 30 thousand new jobs... all right here in america. ve. sa bonver.liteet lmeywa art.wa

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politics and build a right of center coalition. she told the washington times she is eager to campaign for republicans, independence and even democrats who share her views on limited government, national defense and energy independence. >> breaking news now. the big announcement made overnight about the future of the nationals. the confirmation process for the supreme court nominee sonia sotomayor starts today. and why republicans say she will not have a free ride. >> and why jill biden, the wife of vice president joe biden is of vice president joe biden is sbuild a sand castle?uld you hee sure, pal, let's just find a good spot. a big day at the beach. with the legendary taste of dunkin' donuts coffee on ice... this looks like a good spot. you kin' do it. america runs on dunkin'.

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breaking news. a big announcement for d.c. sports fans made overnight. washington nationals manager manny acta says he has been fired. >> and her side of the story. in just a few hours, supreme court nominee sonia sotomayor will head to capitol hill to start her confirmation process. today sotomayor gets to tell her rise from the projects to the steps of the nation's highest court. >> good morning to you. welcome back to "news 4 today." i'm joe krebs. >> and i'm kimberly suiters in for barbara harrison. today, monday, july 13th, 2009. taking a live look outside. again, another beautiful july day shaping up for us. >> sure is. 72 degrees right now. let's get the latest on the forecast from meteorologist tom kierein who's joipd us here. >> have we actually hit 90? >> we did yesterday, only the fourth time this year. by this time we should have had about 15 90-degree days. we had a little taste of what we've been missing over the weekend, a littleidum aity hnd

heat. but this morning it'sit fresh na n or.olda ra ina fe sesklprun arod vie.lltt attee. ampesplurer reeasant, lo 70s in washington and near the y.ba seinely.e er the 60e s. ncmogofant, ryirfax,, ri georgeie cntidou ms 0-6s.0 upper 6as0s etern shore. but out of the mountains, it is uite cool, down into the e mi erd-50inyat moc lio e.octh hfew h cigsudloferi dg infterov weer toughout t tda y. hl'leav increasing sunshine into the afternoon. the forecast for today, afternoon highs mid-80s, low humidity, sunset at 8:34. partly cloudy this evening, slight chance of a late evening shower, then c arginout. by this time tomorrow morning, another fresh and cool start. a look at the tuesday forecast coming up at 6:41. >> thanks very much. let's go to jerry edwards now and the news 4 traffic network. >> how's it looking? >> looking pretty good. monday morning, easing into it. no big deals. inner loop of the capal beltway between telegraph road and springfield doing fine. we are checking reports of an accident outer loop near route 1

in alexandria. keep a watch on that. elsewhere, making the trip along interstate 70 between baltimore and frederick, moving along well. couple of slow spots on the commute south along i-270 but all the way down to the split, lanes are open. kimberly and joe, back to you. >> thanks, jerry. >> thanks. confirmation hearings begin today for the first hispanic ever nominated to serve on the u.s. supreme court. judge sonia sotomayor will appear on capitol hill to meet wi the senate judiciary committee. while there, she's expected to face tough questioning, although she has the supporthe needs from democrats, republicans want to know more about her views and her judicial philosophy. brian moore now joins us live from capitol hill with more on this. good morning. >> reporter: good morning. supporters believe that judge sotomayor has her confirmation all but locked up. however, republicans say they have some tough questions first. after weeks of courtesy calls on capitol hill, judge sown extra sotomayor is ready to fight for a seat on the supreme court.

president obama called tgive r a private pep talk from the oval office, and some democrats are predicting a slam dunk confirmation. >> i think there's a very good chance she's going to get as many, if not more votes than judge roberts got, which was 78. she has wowed people. >> i'm not going to be playing for the hispanic team, the democratic team, the republican team. i'm going to be playing for the constitution team. i don't know what more you could ask of a judge. >> reporter: some republicans want to know more about her 2001 comment that a wise latina judge might make better decisions than a white one. >> i think that's a fair area to question herbout because certainly the rule of law depends on the same rules applying to each one of us no matter our color, sex or ethnicity. >> reporter: critics also point to her ruling in a connecticut racial discrimination case where white firefighters were denied promotions because no african-american candidates were qualified. last month, the supreme court overturned her ruling, but supporters say she was following the law, not making it.

today, judge sonia sotomayor has a chance to defend herself. so, the way this plays out today, each of the 19 members of the judiciary committee will make an opening statement. we're expecting to hear from judge sotomayor herself this afternoon. and then, of course, the hearings will go on all week long. live on capitol hill, i'm brian moore, news 4. now back to you. >> brian, thanks very much. >> the trial of a district woman accused of murdering her four children begins today. banita jacks is accused in the death of her four daughters. their bodies were discovered inside their southeast row house in january 2008. but police believe the children had been killed months earlier. news 4's megan mcgrath joins us live from outside of court with more on what's expected to happen today. good morning, megan. >> reporter: well, good morning. the defense has asked for a postponement so that they can test some of the physical evidence in this case. so the first order of business will be for the judge to rule on that motion.

if it's denied, we're expecting the trial to go forward this morning. now, banita jacks is accused of killing her four daughters and then living with their decomposing bodies for months. attorneys for banita jacks have urged her to pursue an insanity defense but jacks has refused. she has also waived her right to a jury trial so the case will be decided by the judge, frederick weisberg. it was january of 2008. u.s. marshals came to jacks' home in southeast to serve an eviction notice. once inside, marshals found the decaying bodies of jacks' four daughters, aged 17, 11, 6 and 5. medical examiners concluded that the girls had been murdered in the summer of 2007. jacks had been living in the home with the decomposing bodies for seven months. and five d.c. agencies came in contact with the jacks family, but failed to adequately intervene in the situation.

now, banita jacks is due in court at 9:30 this morning. kimberly, back to you. >> all right, megan, thank you. an fbi profile are now says that two mother-daughter murders in prince george's county this year are not related. that's despite earlier theer thas the killings might be the work of a serial killer. the profiler says the similarities in the cases are simply weird coincidences. one mother-daughter pair was found shot to death inside their home in january. another was found in a burning car in march. >> breaking news right now. manny acta says he has been fired as the nationals manager. he says he learned the news last night after the team lost to houston 5-0. that pushed the nats' record to 26-61, the worst in the league. the nats are expected to make the announcement officially today and to name bench coach jim riggleman as acta's replacement. acta spent three seasons as the nationals manager.

in an interview with espndeportes.com, acta said, "i thank the nationals for giving mehis opportunity and i'm sorry that things didn't work out as expected. it's normal for the manager to pay the price when the team is not doing well." >> the "today" show is next at the top of the hour. let's go live now to matt lauer in new york for a look at what they're working on. good morning, matt. >> hey, kimberly, good morning to you. coming up on a monday here on "today," three arrests are made in the shocking murders o a florida couple who dedicated their lives to adopting kids with special needs. we'll get the latest and speak exclusively with one of the couple's 16 children. then startling new allegations tied to the death of michael jackson and they're comingrom his sister la toya. we'll tell what you she has to say. also ahead, levi johnston thinks sarah palin i resigning to cash in on her fame and the family's not happy about that. he ae join us for an exclusive interview. plus, a rare monday supper concert by the fray when we get started right here on "today." kip berly, back to you.

>> all right. rely looking forward to hearing whether someone can identify a motive in the murders down in florida. just hard to understand. >> yes. so far, a hung mystery. >> all right. thanks, matt. look forward to those reports. last call. a legendary i d.c. bar and restaurant serves its last drinks. the big def pts late last night in the shocking murder of a couple with 16 children. >> the new rule starting today for metrobus and train operators. what couldg

our time right now 6:41. here's a "news 4 today" bargain blast. start the we off right with a free mocha fm mcdonald's. the fast food chain is offering a free sample of iced or hot mocha every monday through the 3rd of august. three mochas will be offered today from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. >> i don't think you're going to want the hot mocha today. >> maybe not. >> meteorologist tom kierein upstairs with the warm weather coming our way. tom? >> yeah, we're going to have the heat cranking up as you head off to work and summer school. dress accordingly. but it won't be as humid as it was over the weekend, lower humidity's moved in overnight on e northwest breeze. in the 60s in the suburbs, near 70 in washington, near the bay, highs reaching the mid and upper 80s with low humidity and lots of sunshine. and then tomorrow, mostly sunny and warm with low humidity,

highs into the mid-80s. and i'll show you the forecast for the rest of the week and a look at the weekend. that will be at 6:51. jerry, good morning. how's our monday traffic? >> good morning, everyone. head over to the american legion bridge where traffic continues to move pretty well. here's the inner loop. outer loop toward river road, no worries. all laps are open for u downtown along 395 northbound still looks pretty good, to and across the 14th street bridge. there's the northbound side. outbound 14th onto outbound 395 also moving nicely. joe and kimberly, back to you. >> thank you. >> how police made several arrests in the murders of wethy parents with 16 children. and metro's new tough rule that goes into effect today to crac dknran st died ct n operators. ( rock music playing )

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the all-new 2010 it is video that left met low shocked and its riders outraged. this video here, the operator caught texting on the job while his train barreled ahead. the clip was downloaded from

youtube thousands of times and has spurred a new crackdown by metro that starts today. news 4's tracee wilkins joins us live from the shady grove metro station with more on th. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, joe. today is the day that metro begins its zero tolerance policy when it comes to its bus drivers and train operators using cell phones while operating the equipment. but in order to enforce this policy, they're goi to need some help from passengers. we asked them this morning, are you ready to step up? if you saw something like this, would you tell? >> sure. >> repter: really? >> yep. >> reporter: without question? >> without question. >> reporter: this video taken of a metro operator texting while operating a train in early june led to his suspension. it was taken by a passenger. and now metro has come up with a new policy, zero tolerance for train and bus operators who use cell phones or text while operating equipment. metro officials are looking to passengers to help them enforce the new rule. if you just happened to see something like that as you were

boarding, would you report the driver? >> of course. absolutely. >> reporter: commuters we talked to say it's a new policy way overdue. >> i think it's good. less accidents, more cars, everybody safe. >> it's not something the driver should be doing at all. they should be paying attention to what it is, the safety of the passengers. that's their job. >> they should fire them. don't give them three strikes. >> reporter: metro officials say that the only exception to this rule will be if there's a breakdown in the metro communications system and drivers have to use their cell phones to communicate. other than that, zero tolerance. folks will be fired. i'm tracee wilkins, live this morning at shady grove. pack to you in the studio, joe. >> tracee, thanks very much. metro says that investigators say that a train operator was not on her cell phone before last month's deadly metro crash. 9 people were killed and 80 others were injured in that crash. so far, six lawsuits have been filed. one of the plaintiffs is seeking up to $25 million in damages.

experts predict the damages could run into the tens of millions of dollars and if negligence is proven that number could stretch into the hundreds of millions. transit officials say most of the costs would probably be covered by insurance. >> police have arrested three men in connection with the slayings of a wealthy florida couple known for adopting children with developmental disabilities. byrd and melanie billings were shot to death inside their home last thursday while 8 of their 16 children were asleep. police have since arrested two men on murder charges and another for tampering with evidence. officers say one of the men tried to paint over and hide damage on a red van seen leaving the home after the murders. today the wife of the vice president will be undergoing surgery. jill biden will have orthopedic surgery to relieve shoulder pain. the outpatient procedure will be performed at a hospital in philadelphia. the white house says the vice president will accompany his wife. the pair will spend today and tuesday at their home in

delaware before mr. biden returns to washington tomorrow evening. after several failed attempts, nasa is going to once again try and get shuttle "endeavour" off the ground today. you are looking live at kennedy space center in florida where the shuttle and its crew are preparing to launch at 6:51 p.m. thunderstorms forced nasa to scrub another attempted launch last night t shuttle is waiting to carry seven crew members to the international space station. once they make it there, they'll join six others, making it the largest group ever in space. >> it will be busy and there will be a lot of coordination, activity and patience. >> nasa has until tomorrow, possibly wednesday to launch "endeavour." otherwise, it will have to wait until the end of july because of a russian supply ship that's awaiting liftoff. >> well, the markets appear to be in a bit of a middle of a mini slump out there. cnbc's courtney reagan joins us live with today's business headlines. courtney? >> reporter: hi. good morning, joe. futures are slightly lower this

morning as we do come off another down week for wall street. the fourth straight losing week. we saw last week. investors are growing a little bit more concerned about the overall health of the global economy and are awaiting a rush of company earnings this week. it will be a big one for techs and banks with numbers due from intel, ibm, google, goldman sachs, jpmorgan, citigroup and bank of america. also hear from johnson & johnson and general electric. asian markets did fall across the board overnight. euro is mixed right now. the dow will start off at 8146 after losing 36 points on friday. the nasdaq did edge up three points to 1756. well, as oil prices drop, so do the price at the pump. the national average for regular unleaded fell 10 cents in past two weeks to $2.56 a gallon. energy products has been hit by the poor economy and rising

unemployment. and many people are asking this question as teenage intern at the london office thinks it is. matthew robinson asked to describe his media and tech habits. morgan stanley liked the reports so much they published it. he said, bluntly, "teenagers do not use twitter." he said provides tweets or updates via cell phone costs valuable money and no one is viewing their profiles so twitter is, "point less." that's one person's opinion. >> thanks very much. a peep show is coming to oxen hill. that's right. those pastel-colored marshmallow candies are getting their own store. it will be called peeps and company, and the first one opens in november at the national harbor. the store won't just sell candy either. it's also going to offer peeps paraphernalia if you can believe it, like t-shirts, toys, pillows, pens and keychains.

it will even sell peeps china. perhaps even a book on the peeps' way of life. i wonder. >> wow. america's contribution to the world. a popular georgetown bar has had its final last call. nathan's closed its doors last night after 40 years of business. owner carol joint inherited the pub when her husband died 12 years ago, but since then she's found herself in debt. in the bar's final weekend, customers and nearby business owners came to drop off donations. >> ever seen "it's a wonderful life" at the end, where the neighborhood's bringing in checks? well, that's a small business bailout. >> it's like closing cheer's. it really is. it's like closing cheer's. i'll miss it. it's good to come in, say good-bye to everybody. >> thatnathan's is also known f its weekly q and a cafe, where joint interviews washington insiders. she says she plans to find a new location for her show. >> time for traffic and weather on the 1s. >> good morning, tom. >> a little summer hors d'oeuvre

have heat and humidity over the weekend, a little sampling. because it's gone again, low humidity that has retned on this monday morning so enjoy and dress accordingly. not going to be that uncomfortable today, although we'll have the summer heat building by the afternoon. a big glitter path on the potomac river as the sun is getting higher in this now earing sky after we had quite rnbit of high cloudines this ing. thos cloududs still lininger ov iaviinrg right now atn r gaea national, 72ga degrees. on radar, there are a few shows ulno sw pling oouthf hechtt bviare,llut rwe, ote, no precipitation around the region. it's in the mid-60s now in prince george's county. in montgomery county and fairfax county also in the mid-60s. weather watchers from southern maryland reporting mid-60s. right near the bay, though, near 70 degrees this morning. weather watchers to the west of interstate 95 and around the blue ridge, shenandoah valley reporting upper 50s and low 60s. around the neighborhood network in reston, fairfax county, 65. the dew point's droppedo a comfortable 59. over the weekend, the dew point was up around 70 so there w

as meso sweltering humidity we ha around for the weekend but that is now gone. in fact, out of the mountains it's even cooler. temperatures there just in the mid-50s now. in the upper 60s on the eastern shore. traveling today, we may have some thundershowers to our south from the carolinas, through the tennessee valley, down to north florida soome flight delays there are possible as well as around the central plains, northern plains, some rain perhaps for the northern rockies. but elsewhere, shouldn't have any flight delays around the nation. if you're going to be traveling today. for us, we've got a stalled front to our south that's keeping the humidity at bay so we're on the dry side of this front. the circulation around high pressure over the great lakes is pumping in some of this lower humidity that will be in place here for today, tonight and tomorrow. highs toyn i the upper 80s. lots of sunshine. and should be partly cloudy tonight. there's a slight chance of a shower this evening and then tomorrow mostly sunny, low humidity, mid-80s. a little more humid on nednesday, a little hotder, too. up around 90. hot and humid on thursday. maybe an afternoon thundershower.

as the front goes by, that should usher in more low humidity fo fr sr ,ayaturday and sunday ppw , iit aearsthobed ul s drying out again and highs in ows in the rning 60s. that's the way it looks on this monday morning, 13th of july. halfway through the month almost. >> joe says humidity doesn't bother him, but peeps gross him out. >> especially if they're humid. >> big yellow thing like that came into my life, i would -- i'd have a problem. let's find out about the traffic. here's jerry. >> what do you think of peeps, jerry? >> they scare me, too. >> they're cute. >> i'm not a big fan of people's. i like to look at them. i don't like to munch on them. >> fun to mash. >> this is true, too. >> going to get you some peeps china for christmas. >> peeps china? or peeps from china? >> no, the china. >> okay. well -- go ahead. bring it on. we'll try it. despite the sunshine, no big backups at the wilson bridge so far this morning. but it's only a matter of time. we did have that accident reported outer loop near rte

1. keep an eye out for that. elsewhere checking things route 50 coming and going, no worries there. out at the wilson bridge, travel lanes are open. and 270 we're doing just fine all the way down. peeps, peeps, peeps, peeps. all about the peeps. back to you. >> you're going to have nightmares tonight, aren't you? >> probably. >> thanks, jerry. checking the top store this the news for today. confirmation hearings are set to begin today for the first hispanic nominee to the u.s. supreme court. sonia sotomayor will deliver an opening statement today before answering questions from the senate judiciary committee beginning tomorrow. she's expected to win confirmation easily because of her overwhelming democratic support. >> the district woman acroused of murdering her four daughters is expected to go on trial today. the decomposing bodies of banita jacks' four children were discovered in their southeast row house in january 2008. investigators believe the girls had been dead for seven months. jacks told police the girls died in their sleep.

>> manny acta says he has been fired from his job as nationals manager. he says he learned the news last night after the team lost to houston 5-0. that pushed the nats' record to 26-61, the worst in the league. and the nats are expected to make the announcement today and to name bench coach jim regular el man as acta's replacement. >> today's news 4 morning person is someone who always greets people beaming with love and patience. kelly tire is a day care provider in leonardtown, and mtd. one of kelly's clients says there is no better feeling for a barnt than to know your children are in a loving environment. if you know someone like kelly tyler, e-mail their story and a clear, close-up picture or video to morningperson@nbcwashington.com. >> let's get a quick out the door forecast from tom. >> lower humidity's moved in overnight, we'll have it in place for today, tonight and tomorrow. some great summer weather for the beaches and pools, highs in the 80s. a little more humid wednesday, rather steyni thursday, could

get some afternoon and evening thunderstorms. that's the way it looks. >> jerry, any trouble spots right now? >> nothing too major. checking reports of an accident, outer loop near route 1, al alexandr alexandria. watch for that. >> that is "news 4oday." thanks for starting your monday with us. >> we'll see you later for "news 4 midday" at 110 a. throught the day, stay connected with us. we're on facebook and twit ten even if the teenagers aren't. >> bye.