handly. >> i'm pat lawson muse. two southwest jets, two emergency landings in two days mp. >> the most recent happened this morning when this southwest airlines jet from st. louis was forced to make an emergency landing at orlando international in florida. >> according to southwestern indicating light tre was a fire. the mechanics checked it out and found no fire, smoke or damage. the 129 passengers onboard were bussed to the timor natural as a precaution and no one was injure. >> another southwest flight bound for baltimore was forced to make an emergency landing in west virginia when a large hole suddenly appeared in the cabin in mid flight. a hole so wide that passengers could see the sky above. >> no one was injured in this incident. it made for a frightening situation for passengers onboard. megan mcgrath has that story rope things are back to normal at southwest airlines following overnint respectses at the carri

carrier's entire flight of the aircraft. a spokesperson says there were no problems found, no delays, or cancellations. good news for passengers leaving bwi thurgood marshall airport this morning. >> get back, 1:00. >> reporter: investigators are still trying to figure out what caused a one-foot by one-foot hole to open up in the fuselage of a plane. traveling from nashville to bwi airport last night and flight made an emergency landing in charleston, west virginia. startleled passengers and snapped these photos of the hole. at bwi, passengers found the incident somewhat disturbing but not scary enough to change their travel plans. >> take your life in your hands every time you go. that's the way i feel. but i'm willing to take the chance. >> little scary especially i have the kids with me. >> reporter: still flying. >> still flying. i have to go home. >> reporter: the 737 300 makes

up about a third of southwest's fleet. the carrier says that they have never had a problem like this before. from bwi airport, megan mcgrath, news4. michael cunningham was sleeping in the seat just above the spot where the hole in that plane opened up. he says a loud noise woke him up and opened his eyes and said sun line was streaming through the ceiling. that's when the plane lost cabin pressure. >> it was a lot calmer inthought it would be. i was expect kagsaway-like decompression of the plane but everybody just calmly looked up and figured out what was going and about ten seconds at most after the hello kurred, the masks dropped down and everybody put their masks on. >> according to cunningham, when the plane landed in charleston, the pilot went into the cane and looked at the hole and passengers greeted him with applau

applause. >> as you may imagine many sharing thoughts and concerns of the nightmare in the air. one person writes i'm glad all is well. kudos to the pilots and all flight crew. does if incident with southwest make you more concerned about flights? if you would like to offer your opinion, go to our homepage and nbcwashington.com. so far, so far, folks say yes, 57% or more are concerned. 43% say no.

metro general manager john kato says metro will follow ntsb recommendatis and put new systems into place to improve track safety. he made the announcement at a hearing before a house subcommittee this afternoon. delegate eleanor holmes norton called the hearing to determine what caused last month's deadly crash and what's being done to fix the problem. nine people were killed when one train slammed into another near fort totten. it appears sensors supposed to detect trains stopped on the track were not working and today union officials say that this is not the first time that has happened. here is what they have to say. >> we had received information from different operators that there had been other instances where even though a crash had not taken place that their train did not respond to some of the equipment did not command the train as it should have.

>> chris gordon will have more on today's hearings coming up in a live report on "news4 at 5:00". >> we are following a story people have been arrested in connection with the murder. one is a juvenile. 16 years old. investigators are also looking at the men in connection to other crimes outside of the state of florida. byrd and melanie bill wrgs killed last week while nine of their 16 children were in the house. authorities believe the primary moat sieve robbery. prosecutors say a safe and other items were taken from the billings' home. >> we have information that indicates that there was an amount of practice that was involved and there are a couple of individuals that have military background in this group. and so, again, as we stated early on in this investigate, one element it was a very well-planned and well executed

operation. >> investigators believe that one more person may be involved in the murders. they will not say what was in the safe or if any of that stuff has been recovered. >> a popular staff member on the d.c. council is dead today after a sunday boat outing in baltimore's harbor. desi deschaine, press secretary to ward two council member jack evans, was reported missing to police after he failed to show up for work yesterday. baltimore police recovered a body from the harbor today and evans' office confirmed the identification. deschaine was in baltimore with social outings on a private boat saturday. the owner boston told news4 that deshaine wandered off a day-long outing on the bay. he assumed he visited other friends on other boats. deschaine was a well-known and well-liked member on the council member and community worker for then mayor anthony williams. baltimore police told wbal radio

no foul play is suspect a that desch ane apparently slipped tv boat dock and drowned. a manhole explosion leaves hundreds of residents powerless. >> await the midnight premiere of the new "harry potter" movie. a d.c. mother of accused of killing her four daughters and living with their bodies for months spent her second day in court. a judge continued to review the case interrogation of banita jacks. he will decide if the tape will be allowed as evidence during the trial. in the video jacks claims her girls were possessed by demons. she also says her daughters died in their sleep. at jacks' request the case will be decide bid a judge instead of jury. an explosion in a manhole caused power outages for 1400 customers in northeast d.c. a device that transmits powers to the different lines to power lines went dead. d.c. fire crews say there was no

fire safety issues and pepco plans to have electric tris restored by early evening. a water main break caused big traffic headaches for d.c. come irts. eight-inch break 457ed at the intersection of 23rd and i-streets northwest. and it shut down parts of those streets which runs through the gw hospital and foggy bottom metro areas. no customers lost water and crews were working to fix the problem before this evening's rush. "harry potter" fans are anxiously awaiting the release of the latest film. "half blood prince." many theetlers hold midnight screenings of the sixth movie inallment and based on the popular series. it follows a boy wizard while thooe he battled evil. last night there was a special advanced screening. lines just wrapped around the corner. >> stay up all night just to watch that movie. >> "harry potter" are loyal, pat lawson muse. loyal. >> he is a popular guy. it has been another perfect summer day in the washington area. we know that this cannot last.

>> bob ryan standing by with the fast forecast in storm center 4. >> why not? sure it can last. one more day, at least. outside now, we have -- this sort of a summer with the half humid prince. maybe a wizard has gotten into our weather. what a wonderful sky. look at the temperature in northwest washington. 83 degrees but with a dew point in the 40s, early this morning, there was records set. look at pittsburgh now. 77 degrees. and it is hard to even see any clouds. just a few high thin clouds. clouds to our west and down to the south. but we are going to -- in for another spectacular, really wonderful, wonderful mid summer evening and we are in mid summer. humidity vacation, that's about over. i think some will be coming before the week is out. still no sign of a surge of real heat and there may be a little bit of rain coming our way. tell you about that, too. we have been dry now this month of july. we could use some. we are super dry now.

i will tell you all the details when i join new a few minutes thanks, bob. when "news4 at 4:00" continues, the late nest the fight over who will control michael jackson's estate. as the reports that will shed light on hi death are completed. >> also back-to-school shopping. the economy is changing the rules on getting the best deals. >> also, saving money on fresh produce and how some area residents are earning sweat equity for their dinner tables.

pressed hard today to explain her controversial wise latina remark. sonia sot meyer said she was -- it was a play on words that fell flat. republicans didn't buy that. it is the second day now of her

supreme court confirmation hearings. steve handelsman has the latest from capitol hill. >> reporter: the first hispanic to be nominated to the supreme court and on the second day of sonia sotomayor's confirmation hearing, most senators would agree she is smart bunt it is what sot meyer said about wise latinas that's her problem. >> no words i have ever spoken or written received so much intention. attention. >> reporter: eight years ago a sees of spches, sotomayor id a wise latina would more often than not reach a better conclusion than a white male. today calling that a play on words, she backtrack. >> my play was -- fell flat. it was bad. >> reporter: and earlier -- >> i do not believe that any ethnic racial or gender group has an advantage in sound judging. >> reporter: jeff sessions was skeptical. >> so i guess i'm asking today what do you really believe?

>> life experiences have to influence you. we are not robots to listen tow evidence and don't have feelings. we have to recognize those feelings. and put them aside. >> reporter: sotomayor said in her speeches judges' similar path eys could be appropriate. >> that's exactly opposite of what you are saying, is it not? >> i don't believe so, senator. i do not permit my sympathies, personal views, or prejudices to influence the outcome of my case. >> reporter: sotomayor has not ruled on abortion cases but anti-abortion rights activists protested her hearing. that could grind on through thursday. senate judiciary committee chairman democrat patrick lahey predicted today that sotomayor will be confirmed and predicted that she will get republican votes. steve handelsman, news4, capitol hill. the multicolored national security terror alert system put

into place after 9/11 may be getting a makeover. the homeland security department says it will review the chart. it ranges from the red colored severe threat of an attack to the green colored low threat. a task force will spend up to 60 days determining how effective the system is or if it is even needed atall. there was a quiet trading day on wall the. near the final closing numbers, the dow gained 27 points and nasdaq closed six points higher. the new york stock exchange is up 44. the unemployment numbers are also up but according to president obama, it is not all bad news. after meeting with the prime minister of the netherlands today, president obama said that there is some positive and negative news about the economy and unemployment. he said while unemployment keeps rising, the financial markets seem to be turning a corner. >> we have seen some stabilization in the financial markets. and that's good. because that men's the companies can borrow and banks are

starting to lend again. small businesses that might have worried just a couple months ago about closing doors, they are not able to -- now able to get more financing. >> president obama said it will still take at least a few months before the unemployment numbers to stop going up. meanwhile, some new numbers out today show that higher energy prices had a ripple effect on the economy in june. retail sales made their biggest jump since january but, unfortunately, much of that came from higher gas prices. the khmer department says retail sales climbed .6%, wholesale prices also rose far higher than expected due partly to high energy prices as well. the producer price index which track it is cost of goods before they reached their store shelves jumped 1.8%. there's also some promising news from the banking is sector today. goldman sachs says the second quarter profit was much higher than expected. new york based company says it earned $2.7 billion for the quarter. that's $4.93 a share and

analysts forecasted earnings of $3.54 a share. and goldman sachs long been has been considered one of the pillars of the banking industry. the economy may be partly behind the growing movement across the country. family owned farms that let consumers eat greens and save green and go green all at the same time. nbc's ann thompson has more in today's insider report. >> reporter: it is morning. the washington, d.c., area families are creating sleep for hard work. 70-acre west virginia farm. they are part of a growing movement called community supported agriculture. >> i like picking the strawberries. >> reporter: here is how it works. for about $30 a week, you purchase a share of the harvest before the seeds are even planted. some share owners i volunteer to pick eggs or crops.

some harvest time all members get a bag stuffed with just picked produce once a week. dropped off near their home. at a time when family owned farms struggle to survive community supported farms are multiplying. in 2007, there were 1800 csa farms nationwide. that number has grown by a thousand in just two years. they have been running the farm for more than ten years. >> we are working to produce the highest nutritional quality food possible while at the same time building top soil. >> reporter: among the weekend farmers at the farm, city dwellers who dream of a michelle obama-style garden but don't have the space or the time. >> we are like committed urbanites and don't have a lot of room to do growing on our own. >> reporter: growing green movement making family owned farms more profitable and members more helpful. ann thompson, nbc news. tonight at 7:00 on "nightly

news," tough for farmers in the american southwest, how the hot and dry weather there impacts the entire country. coming up here on "news4 at 4:00," we now know where bernie madoff will do his time. >> many of us belong to a gym or health club but there's some exercise that we could be doing to benefit our health that few people take adofntag.e

walking or biking to work is a great way totay fit. but it turns out very few americans do it. according to a new study only about 17% of workers walk or bike to work. researchers found that the small percentage of active commuters did better on treadmill tests of fitness and men in the study also had a healthier body mass index. blood pressure and insulin numbers and experts say that safety concerns and distance were among the reasons other commuters stuck to their cars. talk about a perfect day to walk or bike to work. >> anything. >> look at that. >> ever since you joined us, we had -- it has been like this every zbla correlation? >> outside -- wonderful blue sky again. look at our beautiful blue sky.

few high thin clouds. sparkling low humidity outside right now. our current temperature here in washington, 83. the dew point, real measure of humidity, it is 40 and in phoenix, arizona. phoenix, arizona, now in the middle of summer, more humid than we are here in washington. stay close to home. 50 degrees is the dew point right now in phoenix. early this morning 64 degrees. heres in pittsburgh, record 51 degrees. parkersburg, west virginia, was 50. buffalo, 52. rochester, tied their record low temperature at 48 degrees. we have the 80s but -- around the lakes, caribou, maine, 67 degrees right now. it has been a very, very cold summer. parts of new york state and new england, look at the dew point. we have the driest air right now in and around us. and we mentioned what's the point the dew point temperature, when it is below 60, it is dry. it is almost dry as a bone. drier than the desert right now in washington. later on in the week, we are going to be seeing some up into the 60s. you will notice that the

humidity. friends on vacation, out in ocean city, beautiful day out there. temperatures in the 80s. as it is over in the eastern shore, st. michaels, 80 degrees. overnight tonight, more of the same. high pressure will be in on us. and as we go through the nighttime hours, and then tomorrow, as that drifts off we will begin to see hot -- the humidity beginning to come in and as our winds turn more into the south and southwest. and there are some showers. we have beenretty dry. i think as we enter thursday morning especially the chance of a few showers, we may see a few more pop up during the afternoon, too. then we will be back to sunshine. little bit more humid sunshine. as we get on into friday. meantime, for the remainder of the evening, it is just wonderful. clear skies. delightful. our sunset, losing a little bit of sunlight each and every day. temperatures only around 80 degrees into the 70s. once again, another great evening for a little outdoor barbecue or dining al fresco.

tomorrow 50s to mid 60s tomorrow morning. another fine day. more in the way of cloudiness. uv index high. it will be code orange tomorrow. there may be a bit of light winds with a bit of pollution building up. temperatures in the high 80s to 90 degrees. tell you more about the week ahead later. back to you. >> bob, thanks for the good news. the results are in. and the closest golden local debate yet voters on nbcwashington.com have decided that tangy sweet makes the best frozen yogurt in town. what makes tangy sweet so good? customers say it is because they can create their favorite taste with the assortment of fresh fruits and sweet toppings. the owner says that it is a good product that's good for you. >> tastes like yogurt, not filled with sugar. low calorie. fantastic product. >> i got pomegranate. this is the flavor i love, blackberries and coconut. >> tangy sweet has two locations

in d.c. new revelations in the death of michael jackson and the fight over his estate. also, a woman who spent years on dialysis wait for a kid if i transplant finds an angel in the most unlikely of places. wait until you hear what olympic -- one olympic wannabe is doing to raise money to pay for his training. if you know someone that's special we would love to hear about it. e-mail us the story. or you can end us a video. that person could be feature order the 6:00 a.m. newscast 0z

welcome back at 4:30. here are some of the top stories we are working on now. investigators are trying to figure out what caused a football-sized hole in the cabin of the southwest airlines jet last night during a flight from nashville to baltimore. the plane was forced to make an emergency landing in charleston, west virginia. southwest inspected nearly 200 similar anes overnight and continued its normal flight schedule today. metro general manager john kato says metro will follow ntsb recommendations and put those new systems in place to improve track safety. he made the announcement at a hearing before a subcommittee this afternoon.

eleanor holmes norton called the hearing to figure out what caused last month's deadly crash and what's being done to fix the problem. nine people were killed and 80 were injured when one train slammed into another. supreme court nominee sonia sotomayor continues to get a grilling from senate republicans on capitol hill. over the comments she made in a 2001 speech. a series of speech necessary what she said was a wise la teen may be able to make better decisions an white man. sotomayor maintains that does not mean she issued rulings based on life experiences and she says her decisions are based on the rule of law. now to the mystery surrounding the death of michael jackson and the battle over his estate. some rather explosive new information emerged describing what his ex-wife, debbie rowe, thinks about the custody of their children. and there are developments in the criminal investigation of this case as well. nbc news learned that partial autopsy results are in and the full toxicology report could come as early as later this week. jay gray has the latest.

♪ we are the world >> reporter: amid continuing question about who will raise michael jackson's three young children, friends of debbie rowe released what she says are personal e-mails by roe written by roe just days after her arrest. here is what she said. these ks are not mine. never were mine. then just three days later, she reportedly said do i want the kids? hell no. does it look good for me t ask them? absolutely. the e-mails were apparently sent to rebecca white who told "extra" -- >> motivation is money. i really have to be honest. >> reporter: lawye huddled inside of a los angeles courtroom where a judge clearly spelled out who is now in control of the pop star's estate. court documents show the two men named in jackson's will, a lawyer and longtime friend have complete authority over everything he left behind.

including any movie or pay-per-view deal that may result from the more than 100 hours of video of jackson's final rehearsal. michael's mom, katherine jackson, has no authority over the estate. though outlined in his will, jackson's estate will ultimately be split three ways with his mother getting 40%, his children getting 40%, and the final 20% going to several chities. the city of los angeles doesn't need orp want any charity according to the mayor. >> this is a world class city. we provide fire andolice protection. >> reporter: the mayor insists that the city will foot the bill important the public memorial and the ongoing investigation into jackson's death. an investigation that now seems hinge on evidence uncovered by the l.a. county coroner and there are indication it is complete autopsy results including the toxicology report could be released by the end of this week. >> most agree that those results are key to whether the current

search for evidence shifts to a full criminal investigation. in los angeles, jay gray, news4. a texas woman had no idea when she stepped into a taxi cab that the driver would one day end up saving herlife. carrie evans has been type one diabetes and her kidneys failed forcing her to go on dialysis. carol is the taxi driver that has been taking evans to her treatments. somewhere along the way the two became very good friends. she went from cab driver to lifesaver. >> she told me you don't have to worry about picking me up tomorrow for dialysis. why? she goes, i quit. i said, excuse me? she goes, i'm not going to be able to make it. i'm not going to be able to do it. i can't get the kids. you can have one of mine. we never figured it out. >> opposites attract good that's what it is. >> how about that? the two will go through more tes to make sure that they are a

match before they have the surgery. still ahead, what you need to know about back-to-school buying in this economy. with wifi on airlines one carrier is taking steps to make sure it does not bring trouble with it. i'm julie carey at bwi. southwest airlines found no explanation yet for the hole in the fuselage that forced the 737 to an emergency landing last night. you will hear from the passgers coming up in myiv e report. oqñer

bob ryan, storm center 4. this is over at tillman island and beautiful day out in the bay. 78 degrees there. st. michaels, 79. chantilly, 81 degrees. the great weather continues. here's where there are rain showers down in florida. they had a wet month while ours has been very dry. as a matter of fact, some showers right now. once again, down around cape canaveral and remember yesterday, delayed the launch of the shuttle. so ovnight tonight and tomorrow, once again, another beautiful day. temperatures near 90 degrees. our average now is getting up to 88, 89 degrees. next few weeks is the hottest time of the year. could be an afternoon shower but

also something in the morning thursday. we have been a bit dry and saturday, there's a chance for some showers. after that, temperatures in the 80s but low to mid 80s and the below average pattern continues. as you can see, next week, average high is 89 degrees. that's the highest average high that we have. back to you. >> thanks, bob. well, it is hard to believe many people are already thinking about going back to school. >> yes, yes. but shoppers aren't expected tobias many supplies this year. >> according to the national retail federation, four out of five americans say the economy will likely affect their back-to-school plans. the averageamily with students in grades kindergarten through 12 is expected to spend $548, 7.7 perz less than last year. the website saving advice has tips for smart spending and it says plan your budget now and start shopping early and whenever you see a good sale and look at what you can reuse from last year. >> when "news4 at 4:00" continues, the safety of energy

shots. the drinks that are growinging in popularity. especially among kids. and it was a big night for entertainment here in washington. when the jonas brothers performed at the verizon center. >> i see you in that crowd. you are there. no? no?

oh, what's this? breakfast. it's kind of early, buddy.

you've got to need to take some cholesterol off you. honey, have you been reading the cheerios box again? he got that off the box. (announcer) cheerios is made with 100% natural whole grain oats to help lower your cholesterol. that was very thoughtful of you. very early, but very thoughtful. (announcer) cheerios. good for the heart.

it was a huge night for teenagers in washington. the jonas brothers took over the verizon center last night. kevin, joe, and nick performed for thousands of howling fans. most of them young girls. elaborate setup including the fancy stage pass. >> what a night. the first so-called energy shot to hit shell of was the five-hour energy drink in 2004. since then, nearly 100 other brands emerged and sales of energy shots went through the roof. are they safe? nbc's chief medical editor dr. nancy snyderman takes a look. >> reporter: the new energy fix on college campuses and even in the workplace is no longer just a cup of strong black coffee. it is jazzier and sweeter and a two-ounce shot does the trick. >> it is good. >> i think a lot of college students are gravitating towards

products to give them energy because they are often tired. they are really searching for something to give them energy and caffeine is a stimulant and will provide them with a boost of energy in a short amount of time. >> used energy shots during football practice. generally when they are early. >> reporter: sales for these energy shots are expected to almost double this year to $700 million. at about $3 for two ounces, they cost at least ten times more per ounce than coca cola. even our own "today's show" interns have used them. >> long all-nighters, i have taken a few of them. >> reporter:ut what is the nutritional value? >> no clue. i never looked. >> reporter: drinks vary. common ingredient includes amin on acids, vitamins, b-12, caffeine. one thing you won't find is sugar. >> these drinks are providing a stimant in the form of caffeine. that are giving people the ability to feel focused and feel like they have more energy. they are not giving them calories which is a form of

energy that enables people to do work. >> reporter: with some caffeine products, side effects can include dehydration, heart palpitations, insomnia, headaches. five-hour energy told us it works by helping people feel bright and alert when they can't afford a letdown. it is a focus drink. one that has people willing to pay a premium for a jolt. >> on the "today" show, dr. snyderman and joy baugher talked about another safety concern, whether the energy shots are addicte. >> i think it is more of a psychological addiction. now clearly, like coffee if you drink them day after day after day, when you stop drinking them, you are going to get withdrawal symptoms. >> massive headaches. >> uncomfortable, fatigue, headaches, crankyness. >> you are better off getting your amino acids and vitams in food. some labels have specifics. some don't have much.

and i am always, always, always skeptical about adding amino acids. i'm not sure it makes a hill of beans with the difference other than marketing. >> dr. snyderman also warned drinking too many energy shots can lead to sleep deprivation. coming up, a pop star from the hit series "e.r." is in the midst of a real-life personal medical crisis. coming up tonight on "news4 at 5:00" -- and. >> good afternoon. eni'm dyri weg. ft a the questerns body of a beloved d.c. council staffer was found in baltimore's inner harbor. the controversial proposal that some area lawmakers are considering that could change how you live. and lunch with lindsay. lindsay sits down with tiger woods' caddie to find out what goes through the minds of the world's best golfer. we will see new just a few minutes on "news4 at 5:00." h7

(bell ringing)

woo-hoo!!!! woo-hoo!!!! woo-hoo!!!! woo-hoo!!!! kobak. mr. miller (announcer) everyone's heading to arby's for the offialci5 combo of summer. featuring arby's new bbq bacon cheddar roastburger with curly fries and a drink for only $5. big on bbq taste, it's the $5 combo done better.

former "e.r." star kearney is facing a real-life medical challenge and will soon have surgery to remove a tumor in her breast. tierner rease this statement --

>> the exact size of the tomb on held a tumor grade, aggressive or not. it will tell the surgeon whether or not the tumor has removed it. >> tierney is 44 years old and is best known for dr. abby lockhart on "e.r." she is starring in "parenthood" scheduled to premiere in the fall. production has been delayed due to her diagnosis. several celebrities battled breast cancer, including sheryl crow and actresses christina applegate and cynthia nixon and edie falco to name a few. it is so nice outside. chief meteorologist bob ryan decided to go outside. hey, bob. >> hey, craig. indeed i'm outside. outside and a wonderful day. i wanted to point out something to you. even now and -- i forgot my sunglasses. i should have left in the car. even now, my shadow is just about as tall or as long as i am. it is a little over six feet. th's what i am. remember the shadow rule. when your shadow is shorter than

you are, be very careful because that means the sun is 45 degrees or higher in the ski. boy, we had a lot of sun. great skoois sky today. our temperature is outside now, still holding into the 70s and there you can see the spectacular blue sky. overnight tonight, with the dry air that we have in on us, our temperatures are going to be falling from the 80s where we are right now. 83 degrees and with things moving right along it will still be clear. later on tonight, temperatures will dip once again, i think, probably into the 50s for you folks in the shenandoah valley. a lot of sts in the throw mid 50s. tomorrow another fine day. a lot of shine. low humidity. with temperatures into the 80s and after that, we will get some humidity and watch out, youngsters going out tomorrow and measure each of the shadow about noontime. you will be surprised how short your shadow is. even if you are tall. back to you. >> thanks, bob. here's today's bargain blast. how about dessert for free? just sign up toecveei e-mails ouheti tveel mng pelotnd y

will receive a n cpoou f free chocolate upon the due. meltingpot.com. coming up, find out about a treatment local doctors are using to eliminate neck pain. >> some trouble for this poor little squirrel that sticks his head in the wrong place.

while this is -- i guess an example of what happens when you are careful about how you dispose of your trash, a photograph at our sister station in greenville, south carolina, shot this video. this squirrel spotted scampering around with, yes, a yogurt cup on its head. the squirrel was blinded by and it it eventually fell from a bush because it couldn't see. the photographer felt so bad for the poor critter he finally put the camera down and stopped taking pictures and took the cup off the squirrel's head. we are told after that, the squirrel ran off and was just fine. >> i didn't know squirrels liked yogurt. >> i didn't either. taets take a look at the other stories making news. >> from the new york city penthouse to prison, bernard madoff is behind bars in butner, north carolina. madoff arrived at the prison to begin his 150-year sentence. the 71-year-old pleaded guilty in march to running a massive

ponzi scheme which bilked $55 billion from investors. olympian from new zealand is taking a rather unusual approach towards helping him make it to the next olympics. 23-year-old logan campbell expected the tie kwan dough training to cost $200,000. so he's opened a high-class gentlemen's club to raise the money. the officials are a little worried that his involvement in prostitution just might sway the olympics selection committee even if prostitution is legal there. >> air tran passengers are getting training on doing 's and don'ts. the airline is putting a primer on web it wet in every seat pocket. the airline wants to prevent passengers from offending their seat mates. they are suggesting that passengers keep computer screens as private as possible to protect business and other information as well. a new airline letting your pet fly first class. pet airways made its big debut

at five airports, including bwi. the airline offered flights exclusively for dogs and cats and the pets will travel in carriers and main cabin of the plane instead of the cargo hold and will cost you $150 for a one-way ticket. in news 4 your health, local doctors are helping people that have pain in the neck. literally. it is a new treatment for common problem, herniated and degenerative disks in the upper part of the spine in the neck. eun yang has more on this new neck fix. >> reporter: just three months ago barry could barely walk across the field. >> weakness and quite a big weaker than my left. got to the point where it was almost difficult to walk along distance. >> reporter: a herniated disc pushing on nerves along his cervical spine and that's the

upper part of the neck and it was also causing him to lose feeling in his hands. >> the numbness is every day. constant numbness and you couldn't feel things and you couldn't type. very hard to type. getting to the point hard to pick up items. >> by the time he saw me again, things had worsened dramatically. >> reporter: the disk in his neck became so bad that his only option was surgery. but washington hospital center unusual row surgeon dr. levine said despite his worsening condition he was the perfect candidate for a new procedure. doctors could actually replace his damaged disk with new artificial one that would still allow movement in the neck. >> we are now able to achieve near normal motion in the neck because this thing, as you can see, like ball and socket joint. >> we are able to decompress the nerves of the spinal cord that's being injured. and also, preserve the motion. >> reporter: normally the only option would have been a spinal fusion where the disk is removed and a spacer is placed between the vertebrae. that can either leave patients

without any mobility in the neck or a different disk could become diseased. but the artificial disk is held together by a special joint that allows for movement. >> the patient's traditionally do very well and they -- very little residual pain and they actually get relief almost immediately. >> reporter: blum said he was surprised how well and fast the surgery worked and it has been three months and the pain is now 95% gone. >> going go back to my normal activities and everything i like do. bike and motorcycle and just have the ability to walk normally was just -- you know, it changes your life. it really does. >> reporter: eun yang, news4. >> doctors are only using this artificial disk in the part of the spine that is in the neck. because the treatment is so new, not all insurance will cover the procedure. that's "news4 at 4:00." "news4 at 5:00" starts right now.

right now on "news4 at 5:00," the body of a d.c. council staffer found in baltimore's inner harbor. more questions than answers. >> just hours after a hole was torn in through an airplane bod for ibwstouwethiir a lyons line passengers get another mid air scare. opening just a few hours. we will sit down with the cast of the new "harry potter" movie. good evening. welcome to "news4 at 5:00." i'm wendy rieger. >> i'm craig melvin in for jim handly. >> ain't credible story. a hole opens up on a southwest airlines plane in mid flight. everyone lives to talk about it. it is a story that has just about everyone that flies talking today. >> julie care kwlooif at bwi airport with more on what happened. some of the incredible survivor stories. >> reporter: hi there. an answer about what caused that hole to blow open in the southwest airlines 737 mid flight could still be months away. meantime, though, 126 passengers have some horrifying stories to