right now at midday -- a major headache for metro riders. what's happening today that could make it difficult to ride the rails through the area. it's perhaps the most tked about incident in michael jackson's life, and for the first time we're seeing it happen right on camera. "news4 midday" starts right now. good morning and welcome to "news4 midday." >> we begin atid w mydaith what could prove to be ayea big hdace hroforet m deriet.rs rhtow n the rowede ls l i i d utshown inot buth directions thn t.eebe fetu fnte and sver rings station, all partf othe o asg invontitiogantt ionas l smoh'nt deayet m row rail

cr h.as smeh.titro'es tng theestiec sonf ec >> w trahe csh happened. ic melnnha fly c is like at the tacoma metro station with more on this story. michael, good morning. >> reporter: good morning. the but the shuttle service right now is running smootly, no long lines. as can you imagine though, some rail riders wonder when all the disruptions on the red line will end. the search for answers into last month's deadly metrorail crash means yet another disruption on the red line. metro shut down the tacoma station starting at 10:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. so investigators can conduct tests on the tracks at the crash site. >> well, i understand why they would have to in order to investigate the accident properly, but it is a big inconvenience to the commuters and users of the system. >>'m glad they're actually closing it down. investigators see it won't happen again. i appreciate it. >> reporter: the ntsb conducting what it calls site disconnects.

the bus bridge linked the ft. to t the. just before 10:00 a.m. complaints that the wait for the shuttle was too long. >> we are are still waiting. i'm trying to make it all the way back out the gate. >> this is ridiculous. >> the june 22nd rail wreck killed nine people and injured 80 others. investigators say a falulty circuit on the tracks could be to blame. many rail riders say they don't mind this latest disruption if it helps determine what caused the crash. >> safety obviously is a real concern and it would be nice to see the delays stop and anything that they can do to make that happen faster i think i'm in support of. >> there was even more drama out heret the tacoma station around 10:00 when metro says someone actually jumped on to the tracks. they had to turn off the power. but thenhe man just fled after

that. the tacoma station here again roux will remain closed until 3:00 this afternoon. it will also close this coming saturday from 7:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m. again all connected to that crash investigation. joe, back to you. >> michael, thanks very much. a traffic alert for drivers in fairfax county. an overnight water main break is causing traffic out in aenen dale. it created a sinkhole along little river turnpike between conwell dre. the break is fixed but crews are still on the scene cleaning up the mess. jerry edwards is keeping an eye on traffic all around the region. he has the latest. >> good morning. good news with this water main break, it happened in the overnight hours, early morning hours. folks had a good head start. we got the word out early this morning. didn't have a huge traffic problem. hopefully we'll have all the lanes open for the afternoon rush hour but crews are just finishing up the work on 236 right now. elsewhere to the american legion

bridge, road work on the outer loop. for the most part it is not in the traveled portion of the roadway. outer loop moving along nicely. inner loop of the beltway across the bridge, no late issues to report. keep in mind we have the lane split on outer loop of the beltway in virginia from springfield to van dorn street. lice fay s aayou rtine trafi , op tstenriwh dhever spet dway after he was pulled over, then struck two officers with his car and crashed into a police cruiser as he continued to go the wrong way on louisiana avenue. police say the man then pulled out a gun and began firing at officers. >> absolutely in regard for any human life whatsoever. remember, by the time he'd come down the wrong way on louisiana avenue he'd already struck one officer. he was on his way to strike another officer. >> after the man pulled out a gun and began firing at

officers, the police shot bk and he was killed. his name has not been released. now this is not the only encounter capitol police have had with gunmen in recent years. in january 2008 michael gorby was arrested and charged with making and having weapons of mass destruction. last september christopher timmons was arrested when capitol police say they found an ak-47 and homemade grenade in his car. then five months ago, police say alfred brock drove on to the hill with a rifle in his pickup. he drove to the capitol entrance and told officers that he had a delivery for president obama. a mother is fighting for her life this morning following a shooting that triggered a 24-hour standoff with police. it began tuesday eveninghen a man shot the mother of his 8-year-old son in an apparent argument. police say he then took the boy and another woman hostage inside a home in the 7700 block of fisher drive. hostage negotiators tried to get the noon give up, but when they lost communications they moved in. >> they were trying to end it peacefully without anybody

getting hurt. unfortunately, you know, he did, self-inflicted wound. he's not dead so there is a chance that he may survive. but it is over now. it was about 24 hours. >> the standoff ended with police helping the woman and child out of the home. they're both okay. however, the 36-year-old woman who was shot deutuesday remains grave condition. more to the confirmation hearings for supreme court nominee sonia sotomayor. she's taking some of the final questions from the senators on the committee. then the senators will hear testimony from a number of key witnesses on a number of key issues, including some of those involved in the case that led to one of sotomayor's most scrutinized decisions. brooke hart has the latest now from capitol hill. >> reporter: today two firefighters from new haven, connecticut step from the audience to the witness table. they'll testify against sonia sotomayor.

lieutenant benjamin vargas is one of them >> we feel that everybody should know our story and why it was wrong. >> reporter: judge sotomayor was on the court panel that flew out a promotions test, white firefighters passed but their black counterparts failed. late last month supreme court reversed that ruling. >> you're under a lot of pressure here. >> reporter: republicans pushed on it tuesday. >> these are cases where people are discriminated against. >> reporter: judge sotomayor has said on that case, and in another upholding a weapons ban on nunchakus in new york, she was following high-court precedent at the time. >> did the state have a rational basis for prohibiting the possession of this kind of instrument? >> reporter: and the judge said she saw no litmus test for her nomination on any issue, including abortion. >> i was asked no question by anyone, including the president, about my views on any specific legal issue. >> reporter: judge sotomayor has never ruled on abortion. gop senator and dr. tom coburn

ask what if technology some day let babies born dangerously prematurely be saved who could not be now? would that change abortion law? >> all i'm asking is, should it have any bearing? >> i can't answer that in the abstract. >>ome republicans called her answers frustratingly vague, but one said she'd performed "well enough." also testifying today, four confirmation new york mayor michael bloomberg and ex-yankee pitcher david cohen. he was part of the baseball strike that judge sotomayor helped resolve more than a decade ago. in washington, brooke hart, nbc news. new concern this morning that the country's job market isn't getting a better. the federal reserve is now predicting that the unemployment rate could pass 10% by the end of the year. in fact, the forecast by the fed is actually worsened in the past couple of months. it expects the unemployment rate to hit its peak in the last quarter of 2009. now boeing says it plans to cut about 1,000 jobs.

the defense division of the aircraft manufacturer says layoffs are due to cuts in defense spending. boeing is a major contractor for the department of defense. this is the second major round of layoffs for boeing. back in january it announced it was eliminating 10,000 jobs. it is hard to find a zblob just about any field right now. today job seekers in the area are getting a little help. >> megan mcgrath is live at a job fair kicking off right now at d.c. convention center. >> reporter: good morning. isn't the first time congresswoman eleanor holmes norton has sponsored a job fair but this year turnout was absolutely tremendous. behind me here is the end of the line at the convention center. that line goes all the way in and around and down to one of the lower levels exhibit halls. just a tremendous turnout here today. probably not too surprising considering that unemployment in the district is about 10.7%. looks like we're going to have thousands turning out for this event today. they're hoping to meet with employers and secure jobs.

the line started at exhibit hall c. then it went on, and on, all the way to the other end of the building, and then it kept going, right on out of the convention center and on to the sidewalk. >> what do you think of this line? >> it's something else. i feel like i'm in line for "american idol" or something. >> i'm not bringing such a big project to the city without being a d.c. resident. >> reporter: congresswoman eleanor holmes norton has held this job fair before but the turnout today was huge. more than 80 businesses and agencies with jobs came to meet prospective employees. despite the long line, there is a lot of hope. >> something like material handling, something like that. maybe government, you know, civil service, something along those lines. >> right now i'm looking for something in the hospitality area or construction. those are tw fields i've been working at. >> reporter: and there are jobs, thanks to large-scale construction projects and

millions in stimulus money. the department of homeland security, for example, is building a $1 billion headquarters on the grounds of st. elizabeth's hospital. and millions more will be spent on the renovation of federal buildings. >> first building of course we got $1 billion for. three buildings, all three buildings, mean 38,000 jobs over about seven or eight years. >> reporter: robert arthur came prepared and he's hoping to score one of those jobs. >> i got my resumes. i've been doing a lot of job searching lately. i got skills in construction, demolition work. i'm hoping i can get a job. >> reporter: and the job fair ends at 3:00 this afternoon. keep in mind, you need to be a d.c. resident in order to participate. they're going to check i.d.s before you go in to the exhibit hall where the employers are. they only want to include d.c. residents in all of this. but a tremendous turnout. if you're familiar with the convention center and how big it is, it's amazing to see a le

this long. back to you all. joe? >> megan, thanks very much. midday new, another swine flu death in maryland. state house officials say the patient was an adult from the eastern shore who had a serious underlying medical condition in addition to the h1n1 virus. that person died last month. it is the third death in maryland related to swine flu. nationwide, 211 people have died from complications associated with the virus. let's head outside now, take a look. looks like our streak of comfortable days have come to an end. >> yes, because humidity sms to be on the increase now. tom has the forecast. >> some like it sticky. they're happy now. humidity did return overnight on a southwesterly breeze that continues this morning. right now it is a steamy 87 in washington. it's steamy all around the region after our run of terrific, wonderful, dry weather. low humidity is gone, at least

for a couple of days. all around the region, now we are hitting the 80s, accept out of the mountains, upper 70s there. dew points now into the mid and upper 60s, near 70 dew point through southern virginia and into the carolinas. that's really very humid. over the last six hours we had a few showers at the beaches. those have headed off to the east. we have a weak cool front drifting in to the ohio valley. now it will be arriving later an this afternoon. that may bring in somewhat lower humidity for a brief time tonight and also maybe trigger an isolated thundershower. highs into the low 90s. as we get over 92, it will be our hottest day of the year so far. i'll show you the forecast for tonight's cubs/nats game as well as a look at the rest of the weekend, first part of next week, that's coming up. >> that will be real baseball weather. thanks, tom. 11:13. 83 degrees out there. incredible sight of the night sky. next on midday we'll show you what sparked this massive fire

that destroyed part of a commuter bridge. plus a pilot arrested at a virginia airport. find outhat police say he did. also, the incident involving michael jackson that people have been talking about for years but have never really seen. a little later, looking for a bargain? things you can get a good deal on right now.

amazing video this morning of a gasoline tanker explosion

that shut down an interstate outside of detroit last night. the tanker was carrying about 9,000 gallons of gas when it crashed. a bridge partially collapsed in the midst of the heat and flames. the driver of that tanker, another track tractor-trailer a another car were taken to the hospital with minor injuries. two marine sergeants from maryland have become the latest casualties of the war in afghanistan. david spicer was killed monday in a roadside attack. defense department said he joined the marine corps in 1994 and was an explosives expert. he was married with a 1-year-old daughter. also killed in the attack, 22-year-old michael heed of edgewood, a combat engineer on his third tour of duty overseas. their bodies were flown back to the states yesterday. nasa says it is not concerned about what happened during the launch of space shuttle "endeavour" last night. >> three, two, one -- booster ignition and lift-off of "endeavour." >> nasa officials say that eight or nine pieces of foam

insulation came off off the shuttle's external fuel tank during lift-off. the shult was apparently hit two or three times by the foam. tomorrow "endeavour" docks with the international space station. today marks a major anniversary in space explorat n exploration. >> one giant leap for mankind. >> yep. it was on july 16th, 1969, 40 years ago that the apollo 11 blasted off destined for the moon and history books. apollo 11 carried astronauts neil armstrong, buzz aldrin and michael collins. four days later armstrong and aldrin became the first men to walk on the moon. >> i remember i was holding myself on to the railing of my crib and looked out under the railing. joe, you held me up to the tv. isn't that what it was? >> probably. >> i wasn't born. >> i can't believe it's been 40 years. i saw the moon this morning and

thought it's still amazing. i had the pleasure of meeting buzz aldrin, the second man to walk on the moon after that apollo 11 trip. what an incredible feat that was. this morning we've had the incredible humidity sweeping in. we've seen a few of these murky clouds coming through the haze. look at that thick haze. you can hardly see the horizon. the last number of days we had that sharp visibility where it was just spectacularly clear. but now today visibilities are down to only around five, six miles in the haze. there is a live picture of ow sky watcher camera showing cumulous clouds beginning to build. some of the haze has lifted and created some of those clouds as the heat has created quite a bit of lift in the atmosphere at this hour. as we look at the view along the potomac river, it is a great morning to be a turtle and sun yourself on a log. eight or nine turtles there

sunning themselves on this warm july morning. right now at reagan national, 87 degrees. this morning the low there was 73. that's the warmest morning we've sed since way back last ptember 15th. it's been about ten months since e 'vwehad a morning as warm as'v we had this morning. no precipitation on radar now. it is in the mid-80s, fairfax county, prince george's county, chesapeake bay mid-80s as well. quite steamy across central virginia. cu culpepper 88 now. there is not much relief when you get off to the west. manassas, virginia, in prince william county, 87. their dew point now 70. whenever the dew point's around 70, that is really humid. their morning low was 68 degrees. right now in the mountains, it is in the 70s. eastern shore, mid-80s. upper 60s there, near 70 dew point through central virginia, down through the carolinas.

a southerly and southwesterly breeze, only around 5 to 10 miles an hour. as a cool front drifts our way -- right now it is just coming into the ohio valley, it is going to be drifting through this afternoon. as it does move on in, we'll have increased humidity. we'll have also a small chance of a passing isolated thundershower by later on this afrnoon. don't anticipate any severe storms as that front comes through. now as we take a look at future cast going over the next 36 urs, maybe some of these showers up through new england, showers later on today may cause flight delays. overnight tonight, it will be partly cloudy. as we get into tomorrow morning, just clouds around. by tomorrow evening we may have a surge of moisture coming up from the south giving us some showers an thundershowers that will move up toward new england by saturday morning. during the day saturday we ought to turn a little less humid. for today, we'll have humidity in place and a small chance of an isolated afternoon thundershower with highs reaching the low 90s. if it gets over92, that will be

our warmest day of the year so far. if you're going to the cubs game with the natioial gs,ng to ate samy night. should be in the 80s. game time first pitch at 7:05 under a partly cloudy sky. upper 70s by midnight, by dawn tomorrow in the low 70s. another steamy day on friday, maybe a little less humid tonight after that front goes bymore humidity returning smotoow, highs near 90. perhaps a late afternoon or evening thundershower or friday, an increased chance. saturday looks like a smaller chance now ofmo snyrs ahower o thundershowers. otherwise, should be partly sunny. highs around 80 and lower humidity in place as well as on sunday. a pleasant weekendomr cing up after a couple of days of steamy heat. looks lis t ct'ha going to linger into monday as well.t' tuesday, wednesday, another chance of showers, small chance the way it looks right now. >> thank you, tom. 11:22. still ahead on "midday," on the lookout for the person who attacked a jogger on a local trail. also ahead -- why aaa is asking virginia governor tim

ca caine to give it a rest. find out if your favorite show could win an award this year. daytime emmyomioatrein n ans out. xçd ñ ñañ

nbc is proud as a peacock this morning. the sitcom "30 rock" has earned 22 prime time emmy award nominations, more than any other show. list was revealed this morning in los angeles. made for tv movie gray gardens. among the comedies nominated, entourage, family guy, flight of the concord, how i metour cother, the office, weeds anf o 3urse0 rock. best drama,igur b love, breakin bad, dexter, house, lost and madmen. the full list is on nbcwashington.com. the winners will be announced sunday, september 13th. already the new harry potter film is shattering records. fans stood in long lines at midnight yesterday to be among the firsto see "harry potter and the half-blood prince." the film made $22 million in midnight showings alone.

that breaks the midnight opening record set by ""the dark knight"" last year. 11:27. still ahead at 11:30, why the pilot after major airline was arrested at an airport in virgia video has new surfaced of one of the most talked-about incidents in michael ckson's life. patients at one hospital are told they may have contracted a deadly disease. how muggy is it going to get? tom has the forecast next.

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metro is closing part of the red line today as part of the ongoing investigation into last month's deadly crash. the stretch of track between the fort totten and silver springs stations will be closed until 3:00 this afternoon so additional tests can be done on that portion of the track. shuttle buses will help riders get around. today is the third and last dayr supreme court nominee soni sotomayor will be questioned by the senate judiciary committee. after her testimony the committee will hear from witnesses on the hill to testify for an against her. senate is expected to vote on her confirmation early next month. a job fair's under way right now at d.c. convention center. more than 80 companies will be there talking with job seekers. the fair will last until 3:00

this afternoon. a look outside now, another warm day but it won't be as comfortable. too bad! >> humidity seems to be on the increase right now. tom? >> now we know what we've been missing. all summer long we really haven't had this kind of steam heat. it is here now. as we look off to the west we have had some cumulous clouds beginning to build. there is a small chance some of them may turn into thundershowers later on today. right now on radar, we have no precipitation around the region. it's 87 in washington. a hot midday is under way. we're in the upper 80s for the most part all around the region except right near the bay. wind off the bay feels nice. bay water temperatures are in the 70s. around the neighborhood network, gaithersburg, montgomery county, 84. morning low was 70, dew point of 66. mid-80s on the eastern shore. 70s out in the mountains where dew points are a little drier.

dew point at salisbury, 68. steamy on the eastern shore as well. over the last six hours we've seen clouds coming in from the west to east ahead of a cool front that will drift in later on this afternoon and perhaps trigger an isolated thundershower. low 90s and a west-southwesterly breeze. tonight the nationals take on the cubs at nationals park. by game time it should be in the low to mid-80s. steamy through the game. good baseball weather though. by dawn tomorrow, low 70s, another steamy day tomorrow. maybe a little more comfortable tonight, lower humidity but it will probably jump back up again tomorrow. highs near 90. there is a greater chance of some afternoon and evening thunderstorms tomorrow, only a slight risk of an isolated severe storm. sat lie, small chance of a passing shower. otherwise, partly sunny, lower humidity, highs near 80. partly cloudy sunday with low humidity and a high around 80 as well. looks like that's going to continue on monday. maybe tuesday and wednesday, small chance of a passing shower.

that's the way it looks right now. >> thanks very much, tom. let's go to jerry edwards now and news4 traffic network. any midday problems? >> we have a couple of them. le biggest one causing prey significant delays. again rodwoad work. universi boulevard and new hampshire avenue, construction in the left lane. backup extends back at rockville pike. it is going to cost you some time. outer loop, no worries from i-95 over to the 355. elsewhere, not bad at all along i-95 and 395. across the 14th bridge looks okay. outbound side also not much to worry about at this hour. back to you. we are following a developing story in prince george's county this morning. investigators are trying to figure out how a man wound up dead in capitol heights. he was found on cindy lane early this morning. a resident told police she heard gunshots, then saw the man lying on the ground.

police have not released the victim's name yet or any further details. new a midday, a pilot ran into some trouble before his flight out of an airport. the captainf an air tran flight was removed from the cockpit and arrested yesterday shortly before scheduled takeoff from newport news williams airport. the captain was involved at a confrontation at a security checkpoint. no further details have been released though. a woman from loudoun county lls been indicted in a $50 n geio e rt femudch shsbu nowhere to be found. investigators say the 42-year-old woman took advantage of more than 100 home buyers in northern virginia. they say she inflated her client's income and fraudulently fixed their credit in order to sell them homes. >> a lot of theeople who bought homes from her literally didn't have the ability or money to pay. the sad part about it is their credit's ruined, they're bankrupt, they're fo are forecl

and that's the way the scheme .d >>he mvesiassis losseosuf sdrefe by homeowners will be passed on in insurance rates. police in indiana are looking for a man who attacked a jogger on a popular trail on the wnod ernoon hiking-biking trail near air javueenust west of route 123. the 25-year-old woman told police that a man rode up on a bicycle, exposed himself, threw her to the ground, and then assaulted her. the woman was able to manage to break free and call theue polic. prosecution in the bonita jacks trial will presentts case today. yesterday th prosecution and defense presented opening statements to the judge who will weigh the evidence in the trial. jacks who is accused of killing her four daughters waived her right to a trial by jury. the judge is also allowed into evidence a six-hour video interview of jacks made by police investigators. the bodies of jax' four daughters were found inside her

southeast d.c. home in january of 2008. new details coming out this morning about that slaying of a florida couple. police in pensacola say that they have arrested an eighth person now in connection with the murders of melanie and byrd billgs. they were shot to death in their home a week ago today. another suspect is charged with an accessory after the fact to felony murder, arrested after being questioned by police. the billings had become well known for opening their home to care for disabled children in the panhandle area of florida. now to the latest on the death of michael jackson. for the first time, we are seeing video from one of the most talked-about incidents in michael jackson's life. that pepsi commercial where his hair caught on fire. many say that this accident sparked jackson's addiction to painkillers. jeff rossen explains. >> reporter: it was michael jackson's final take of the pepsi commercial that changed

everything. ♪ you're the pepsi generation >> reporter: the shoot had been going smo smoothly until take s. suddenly the king of pop was on fire. in this this never-before-seen video, you can see the flames shooting from his hair. >> my reaction when i saw this video is just the absolute shock. his hair is actually on fire for about eight seconds before anybody steps in to put it out. he continues dancing. oblivious to the fact that his hair is alight. >> reporter: jackson kept performing for the cameras and the 3,000 fans there to watch. he was still smoking as people rushed to help. >> when he suddenly realizes that there is a fire, he puts his sequined white glove on top of his head and tries to put it out. people crowd around him. >> reporter: he looks shocked. who wouldn't be? if you slow the video down, you can see his scalp, the hair singed off. it was january 1984. michael jackson was at the height of his career.

but this would become the watershed moment of his life. >> the fact that the pepsi commercial went wrong is almost -- it pin points really the beginning of the end when everything started to go wrong. this is when he first became addicted to painkillers. he was prescribed demerol to get over this injury. >> reporter: "us weekly" magazine obtained the video and posted it online. to this day, the jackson family blames the pepsi incident for many of michael's problems. jermaine jackson spoke with matt about it at neverland. >> i heard things about prescription drugs when he had the pepsi burn. >> reporter: 25 years later, prescription drugs are at the center of his death investigation. jackson's doctors have turned over medical records, including his dermatologist, arnold klein, and dr. conrad murray who was with jackson at the time of his death. dr. murray is now in virtual hiding, though his lawyer denies dr. murray did anything wrong. his spokesperson tells nbc news he met with investigators twice.

the final interview on june 27th, two days after jackson died, lasted three hours. they say he hasn't been served with subpoenas or search warrants, and that he's turned over all the documents requested. usc law professor gene rosenbloom says prosecutors have an opportunity here toend a message. >> when the whole world is watching, you've got a high-profile victim, you get more bang for your buck if you go after the people who are criminally responsible in a situation like that. >> that was jeff rossen reporting. nbc news has confirmed prosecutors are in touch with investigators, but they say even if there are criminal charges, they don't expect anything until we see the coroner's report next week. president obama will give a speech at the annual naacp convention in new york. white house says obama's speech will celebrate the organization's history and touch briefly on the debate about what the naacp's next century should bring. the president also plans to urge government, families and neighborhoods to work together

to improve their communities. meanwhile, vice president joe biden's pushing the president's agenda on health care reform in virginia today. he has task force meetings scheduled in alexandria and richmond. meetings will focus specifically on how seniors are affected by health care reform. the aaa is urging virginia governor tim cain to reconsider whether to close rest stops in virginia. officials say closing the rest stops will help save the commonwealth $9 million a year. 11:40 the time, 87 degrees out there. up next -- aw, rats. where and why these creepy creatures are on the loose. pland the things can you bu right now and save yourself some money. we'll be right back. fios guy! where ya headed?

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only at jennifer. $299. jennifer: the only place to buy a sofa bed. nearly 3,000 patients who underwent surgery at a new york city are receiving letters telling them about possible exposure to hepatitis. the scare centers around a surgical technician who has hepatitis c and worked at a northern westchester hospital before moving to colorado in 2008. she was arrested in colorado on federal drug charges and accused of stealing narcotic-filled syringes. the hospital says so far no patient has tested positive for the virus. a strike by city workers in toronto is making for a messy an

very smelly situation. since city workers went on strike four weeks ago, the garbage is piling up everywhere. that's not the only thing multiplying. with people throwing their trash in the streets, there's been an explosion of rats and mice. toronto city officials say they've already issued more than 300 fines for illegal dumping. a pest control company's been called in to try to control the vermen population. the tallest building -- >> in the western hemisphere is undergoing a major change today. from now on the sears to youer in chicago will officially be known as the willis tower. the building has been named sears tower since it opened back in 1973. but back in march its owner said they were selling the naming rights. the willis group holdings company stepped forward and rchased them for an undisclosed amount of money. building's original tenant, sears roebuck and company for which the building was named moved out back in 1992. >> hasn't been called sears roebuck in a long, long time.

a major hotel chain takes a big hit. the worst may still be to come for the country's battered job market. >> cnbc's courtney reagan joins us for the latest business headlines. >> good morning to you both. right now stocks relatively flat. we've been in a narrow trading range so far today, though asian markets were higher overnight. europe as well. right now we are hearing from former treasury secretary hank paulson, testifying before a house panel on his role in the bank of america's takeover of merrill lynch last year. questions hot and heavy right now, basically his overall thing is he did what he thought was right. he wouldn't change his mind now in hindsight. jpmorgan reported earnings today, 28 cents per share, much higher than the 4 cents the street had expected. also heard from bethesda-based marriott who reported a drop in earnings, somewhat disappointing there for the hotel.

jobless claims fell to 5 22,000, the lowest number since january. continuing claims also fell so that's good news, though many people think that we -- the worst still could be yet to come for some in the job market. we'll have to wait and see like many of these other econdata points. another big financial firm could be on the brink of collapse. bailout talks between cit has broken off. treasury department says cit's finances have deteriorated too much and there are even limits to the government's ability to help out troubled companies. cit is one of the biggest commercial lenders with about 1 million customers in retail airlines and manufacturing. bernard may do have's former outside accountant takes a step toward pleading guilty to criminal charges. reports say davhe will waive indictment. prosecutors say he didn't

conduct proper audits of may do have's investment business but he hasn't been accused of actually knowing about may do have's ponzi scheme. still a guilty plea is kind of a big step forward for the accountant. >> courtney reagan, thanks so much. no matter how much money you have, finding a good bargain can really be satisfying. now's the time to get some pretty good deals. trina robinson takes a look at some of the bargain deals that are available this summer. >> reporter: get plugged in on computers. new models will be coming out in a month or two, so this may be a great time to purchase last year's models at great prices. get familiar with the available models and their costs. then as the prices start to drop, you'll recognize the good buys. after fourth of july, deals are sizzling on cookout supplies. whether you're looking for a new grill or accessories, you'll find plenty of bargains cooking in the aisles. here's a bargain to beep at -- you won't find better prices on

cars than the ones available in late july. the new year's models start showing up late in the summer. dealers need to start selling current models now. in addition, the current economic situation has made many dealers desperate to make a deal. plus, unof the economic stimulus packages passed by congress has made the sale tax paid on new cars tax deductible. now dig this -- the spring planting rush is over. leaving many hardware stores and home improvement centers left with the excess stock in their landscaping departments. and finally, swim suits. you can bet that swim apparel will be migrating to the clearance section of your favorite store. >> not only bathing suits but also other summer items are up for sale, including beach towels an toys. they are also marked down. burger king hopes to lure in some customers with a rather tasty deal. it will send out coupons in august and september that will let customers buy double cheeseburgers for just $1. the company is making that move

because franchisees reportedly turned down a proposal to offer the sandwich on their menu for that price. burger king says about 80 million homes will get a booklet of coupons that will include the double cheeseburger deal. 11:49. the newest classic car to make it into the museum. you won't believe it when you see what it is. plus, we'll have another check on our forecast. we're looking for people who make the day special in the early morning hours. if you know lomneeoike that, e-mail their story and a clear close-up picture or video to ne ñq

it was christmas in july in los angeles yesterday. some 200 city kids were treated to lunch, cotton candy and games. 20 tons of snow blanketed part of an area on to skid row, providing the perfect backdrop for santa who had toys for all of the kids. the day was sponsored by the union rescue mission, a group dedicated to helping those in need. today's "wednesday's child" has moved around several times over the past few years. his dream is to find a caring family with parents who love him. here's barbara harrison. >> hi, toni. how are you? >> i'm fine. >> so great to meet you. i hear that you're interested in canine policing. is that right? >> yes. >> reporter: at 13, toni was excited to get to meet real-life

canine police officers at the montgomery county police academy. hi! >> hello. >> good to see you, paul. i want you to meet toni. >> toni, very nice to meet you. i'm glad you're here. we have a lot to show you today. >> reporter: two officers offered to give toni some lessons in training dogs here at the police academy. >> as a police working dog, sometimes they get a little bit mbunctious and they get a little more playful than others. can you pet him right here, right on his side. >> reporter: toni says he's never had a dog of his own but one of the foster homes he lived in had a dog that he still misses. do you like dogs? >> i love dogs. >> do you have any particular type of dog that you like? >> i like all dogs. sit. >> reporter: one of the difficult things for children in foster care is having to leave places, people and things, never having a permanent place to call home. >> it really is hard. >> tell me why.

>> because you have to pack up our stuff and move to different places, to place to place. packing, unpacking, packing, unpacking. tony is a very loving, adorable childs. he's very into computers. he loves sports, especially hockey. he loves to be outside, he's very outgoing and he has a great personality. >> reporter: tony proved he was a good dog handler when shown some of the commands. >> down. >> tony really knows what he wants. he is a very articulate child. >> i really want to be with a family that has pets, someone that i can play with. >> reporter: and he also knows he really wants to be a canine police officer some day. they'll be waiting for him. tony got a special plaque but he hopes he doesn't have to wait until he's grown up to have a dog and a family of his own. barbara harrison, news4 for "wednesday's child."

>> if have you room in your home your heart for tony or any of our "wednesday's children," please call our special adoption hotline. 1-888-to-adopt-me. or logon to our website. a california teenager is sailing his way to a world record literally. meet 17-year-old zach. with only a few miles to go, he's forced to become the youngest person to sail solo around the world. he left marina delray, california in june 14th last year when he was just 16. after more than a year he's ready to pull back into his home port some time this morning. >> i think of all these different places i've been to. i've have adventures, i have all these friends in different parts of the world now. it is kind of amazing it is coming to all the close. >> he says he's looking forward to his mother's cooking and catching up with his friends when he returns home. what an achievement.

>> really! coming up on news4 this afternoon, from the travel business to making soup, from insurance to photo booths, s how washingtonians have turned second jobs into profitable businesses. then at 5:00, kids are giving up swimming, softball and soccer this summer all for cooking. liz crenshaw will explain. those stories and all the day's news at news4 beginning at 4:00. quick traffic alert for you now. there's been an accident at the intersection of river road and goldsboro road in bethesda. it appears one car rear-ended another. you can get the latest on this accident and all the other traffic news by going to nbcwashington.com. one last check of the weather in storm center 4. >> this picture is from our city camera. turtles perched on a log along the banks of the potomac river sunning themselves on this summer morning, almost midday now. wonder if those are snapping turtles? as we look at radar, no

precipitation. we've had clouds building. it is a hot day under way. it is already around 90 degrees. we'll peak in the low 90s. slight chance of isolated afternoon thundershower. tomorrow a greater chance of late afternoon and evening thundershowers. humid tomorrow, here nye 90. cooler and less humid over the weekend. small chance of shower on saturday. sunday should be partly cloudy, 80, as well as on monday. tuesday an wednesday, a small chance of showers with highs in the 80s. we'll see you tomorrow morning. >> i noticed they all had cameras. i guess they are snapping turtles. >> thank you, tom. they are the best-selling car in america and now they're going into an auto museum in cleveland. these little tike cozy coupes are taking mr. place among classic cars at the museum. >> they're beauties. at the car's welcoming event yesterday, children got to hop in and take the coupes for a ride. the little toy cars have been around since 1985. the museum will house one of the first cozy coupes ever to come off the assembly line, along

with the most recent model. last year the 475,000 of those cars were sold. >> they've upgraded. they look better now. that's "news4 midday." thanks for joining us today. tune in later today for all the day's news. we'll be back tomorrow morning at 4:55. until then, have a wonderful day. ññ