erupts at a homan upscale neighborhood in loudoun county. what police believe may have led to his outbreak of violence. >> soldier seized. an american man believed to have been captured by the taliban in afghanistan. his upclose and pefrnl, emotional plea to family and friends. >> the moon walk, one small step for man, a giant leap for mankind. the unforgettable moment in nasa history that surprised the world. good morning. welcome to "news 4 today." i'm joe krebs. >> and i'm eun yang in for barbara harrison. monday, july 20th, 2009. we're going to take a look outside right now. it is 70 degrees. feels like the humidity is back with us this morning as we start our workweek. >> meteorologist tom kierein has joined us here in the studio to take a look at theay, see whether that humidity will creep back in all day long. >> sure was a wonderful weekend. >> sure was. >> low humidity and terrific sunshine. but this morning it has turned a little more humid. on radar, nopi ponretitaci .here ow 71n i wagt nshinon. s i memontgory,ir fafax,

co geoese's tiun. tia ttle farther to the west, upper 50s to near 60. southern aar ma td ndou the bay, nohend rn neas, etern s ehore, n the mid-70s. salisbury, there's some fog th steamy 73. out in the ta a cmounins,loo 50 listhorniis. in the mid-5. tnghere sineskl u paround virginia heading toward richmond. we mightee some light showers here by this afternoon between now and then. we'll have a mostly cloudy sky, maybe a little peek of sunshine in and out this morning. highs the low 80s by mid-afternoon. from late afternoon into this evening, a chance of a passing shower, maybe a little bit of thunder. by this time tomorrow morning, could be a little wet, passing showers possible, in the 60s. a look at the forecast for tomorrow. that will be in ten minutes. >> see you then. thank you, tom. >> let's go to jerry edwards and the news 4 traffic network. jerry? >> good morning. pretty good shape. there's one little incident, that is the continuing construction 270 southbound as you head from germantown toward montgomery village. still have a lane closed there, a little sluggish. other than that, 50 is fine, b-w

parkway and traffic through northeast starting off quietly. let's go over to virginia, take a live look along 95, north out of hour done, to newington and beyond, so far, so good. >> back to you. >> thank you so much. >> we're expected to learn more today involving a probe involving several local police officers. "the washington post" reports that officers are being investigated for allegedly taking money to protect a gambling ring run by drug alers. five officers are in prince george's county, one is with d.c. police, and another is a former d.c. housing authority officer. according to the report, phone records and surveillance connect most of the officers directly to the game operators who are known drug dealers. authorities are also investigating whether any of the officers are linked to several slayings connected to ring. no charges have been filed. >> new today, after serving almost two years in prison on federal dogfighting charges, michael vick will become a free man today. the suspended nfl star scheduled to be released from home

confinement. that means he can shed the electric monitor he has been wearing. this new did you found freedom will allow vick to step upis efforts to continue his football career. goodell said he would review his at status. >> a party in an upscale loudoun county neighborhood came to an end after one man was shot to death and two more arrested for murder. it happened early yesterday morning in thes lowes island community. gee mayor alvarado and rasheed nurse are chrnlged with second degree murder. sheriff's depp says say the two were attending a party when alvarado got into a fight with another man. the fight spilled outside. nurse allegedly pulled a gun and killed the 19-year-old victim. the man who was hosting the party says it happened just minutes after he started telling people to go home. >> i put it on his wound. we prayed. we did our best. our condolences go out to his

family. >> the party host says he did not know the victim or the suspects. police have not yet released the victim's name. >> this morning, friends and family of an idaho soldier being held captive in afghanistan are praying for his safe return. private first class bowe bergdahl has been seen in a taliban video posted online, expressing fears he won't be going home. brooke hart is following the overseas developments live from capitol hill. go morning, brooke. >> reporter: good morning to you, joe. the u.s. military is calling the release of this video, quote, propaganda. it is a reminder of the tense state of the u.s.-led war effort in afghanistan. as president obama today hits his six-month mark in office. >> to my fellow americans -- >> reporter: 23-year-old bowe bergdahl appears in the hostage tape, head shaven, no uniform, sounding distressed. >> well, i am scared. scared i won't be able to go home. >> reporter: his taliban captors repeatedly prompt bergdahl in english. miss them, one says, about his family in idaho. >> and i miss them every day

that i'm gone. i miss them, and i'm afraid that i might never see them again. >> reporter: family friends are worried, too. >> as long as he's alive, of course, i certainly hope. so, that's what we're holding out for, is that he will -- he will be released. >> please, please bring us home. >> reporter: in the video, bergdahl tells americans to pressure president obama to bring u.s. troops home from afghanistan. the u.s. military condemned the video and rejected the plea. >> we're here to support the afghan government. >> reporter: the top senate republican said he backs the president's war plan. >> happy to say something nice about him, something supportive. he's done the right thing in both iraq and afghanistan. >> reporter: bergdahl mysteriously went missing from s base three weeks ago. he walked away without his weapon and was quickly captured. >> from the taliban's perspective, this is a minor

victory in the battle for hearts and minds. >> reporter: as fighting escalates in afghanistan, u.s. commanders warn of more casualties ahead. even this summer, as clashes intensify for the foreign troops that are in afghanistan, july has already been the bloodiest month of the eight-year-old war. live on capitol hill, i'm brooke hart. back to you. >> thanks very much. >> today we are celebrating apollo 11's historic landing on the moon. >> one mall step for man. one giant leap for mankind. >> 40 years ago today, those were words heard around the world. an estimated 500 million peoe back on earth watched as neil armstrong and buzz aldrin set foot on the moon on july 20th, 1969. what they did years ago is still making an impact. four days ago at apollo's launch anniversary, aldrin was among those honored at the kennedy center. today president barack obama will welcome the crew of apollo 11 to the white house. >> no rest for the weary.

rest stops in virginia are closing down. tomorrow, 19 rest stops around the state will close to help shrink a budget gap. the rest area on eastbound i-66 in manassas will close to cars and trucks. the rest area on i-95 in dale city will close to cars but will remain open to trucks. it costs the state $500,000 each year to operate each rest stop. right now virginia is struggling with a $2.6 billion budget hole and closing down nearly half the state's rest stops will save the commonwealth $9 million a year. >> it's sad. i mean, most people use it, hence, to rest. if you're tired, you need to rest. if you need to use the rest room, you need to do that. kids need to get out of the car occasionally so they stop screaming. >> virginia leaders want to commercialize rest stops. they're asking krs to help pay the way for private businesses to operate them. right now, federal law prohibits commercial activities at interstate rest stops. >> new today, struggling lender

c.i.t. group is getting a bailout. this time it's not coming from the federal government. the board has approved a $3 million rescue loan from bond holders to keep the company from going under. "the new york times" says it will give the company time to restructureome of the billions of debt payments that are due in his year. under the reported deal, the bond holders would give the company $3 billion to keep it out of bankruptcy. >> our time is 5:08. 70 degrees. what investigators are saying about a disturbing discovery made in the potomac river. >> plus, a remarkable rescue when some good samaritans take matters in their own hands. >> the clock's ticking a president obama urges approval of his health care reform bill. if we don't act,

medical bills will wipe out their savings. if we don't act, she'll be denied coverage because of a pre-existing condition. and he won't get the chemotherapy he needs. if we don't act, health care costs will rise 70%. and he'll have to cut benefits for his employees. but we can act. the president and congress have a plan to lower your costs and stop denials for pre-existing conditions. it's time to act.

well, let's take a look at toda 4s wsne bargain blast. ws ribr f tadeninocaounr lobel be ndrsu. ae ty'retooday and get ae >> every monday this summer, sundaes are buy one, get one free. only one deal per customer. >> if a person is not a friend when you bring them, they will be after you give them a free sundae. let's go to tom kierein now. >> it's mostly cloudy as we get going on this monday morning, temperature now near 70 in washington, in the suburbs 60s, rural areas north and west, the 509s. over the last six hours, had a few showers rolling out of north carolina into southern virginia. and elsewhere, we have just

clouds around and mostly cloudy this morning, maybe a little sunshine in and out. highs near 80 during the afternoon. there's an increased chance of maybe a passing shower or thundershower mid-afternoon and into this evening. and then by dawn tomorrow, could be a passing shower, temperatures in the 60s. now here's the forecast for next couple of days. tuesday should be partly sunny, highs near 80 degrees, maybe a passing shower in the morning or afternoon thundershower, perhaps a passing afternoon shower or thundershower wednesday and thursday. greater chance in the afternoon. look at friday and the weekend, that will be in ten minutes. jerry, good morning. how's the traffic? >> good morning. let's see how we're doing. quite slow this morning, backed up early along i-270 from 118 in germanwn, headed through the construction zone between middle brook road and montgomery village. hopefully those characters are going to get out of there because that's backing up rapidly. hello, it's rush hour. let's go. 95 and 395. >>, no worries to the wilson

bridge, looking good. southeast corridors very quiet to all the anacostia bridges. >> thank you very much. time now 5:12, 71 degrees. what will happen to those 13 disabled children of that murdered florida couple. >> plus, the economic downturn is create ago boom for con artists. the urgent warning for jobñ?ñów

5:15 is our time. updating the top store this the news for today, the u.s. military is denouncing video that surfaced on the internet which shows an american soldier captured in afghanistan. it's the first sign of private bowe bergdahl since he disappeared three weeks ago. the u.s. military says the video is taliban propaganda that violates international law. a murder investigation is under way after a 19-year-old man was shot to death at a party in sterling, virginia. this happened early yesterday morning outside a home in the lowes island community. police have arrested two men in the case. the victim's name has not been released. president obama will welcome the crew of apollo 11 athe white house today. apollo 11 landed on the moon exactly 40 years ago.

armstrong -- astronauts neil armstrong, buzz aldrin and michael collins will re-unite for this occasion. >> in this tough economy, there are many people looking for work and, unfortunately, some con artists and scammers are taking advantage of that. how can you be sure you found a legitimate opportunity? brian moore has some tips. >> reporter: the economic downturn is creating a boom for con artists, and the federal trade commission says it's working to put them out of business. >> their scams promise jobs, access to free government grant money, or the chance to make a living by working at home. but these promises deliver nothing. they raise people's hopes and then they drive them deeper into a hole. >> reporter: the fdc and 14 states have joined forces in a crockdown dubbed operation short change. they're going after scammers who use everything from print ads and automated phone calls to the internet and tv. >> it's called easy link.

>> every feature could earn money for you. >> these schemes target men and women alike, urban and rural communities, people of all backgrounds. >> complaints to my office are up 27% compared to a year ago, and many other state attorneys general can tell you the same thing. >> reporter: beverly stewart is one of the victims. >> i was really hopeful. i really thought sending them that last $89 will get me a job. because they told me i'd amake anywhere from 13 to $15 an hour. when that didn't happen, i mean, i was devastated. >> reporter: convicted scammer jim vital appeared in a video produced by the fdc. >> the best advice i can give to anybody who's looking to purchase a business opportunity or purchase any investment over the phone is fast nos, slow yess, period at the end. >> reporter: the fdc's advice, think twice if it sounds too good to be true. brian moore, news 4. >> if you are looking for work,

we have a list of available job openings on our website. just visit nbcwashington.com and search jobs 4 you. joe? >> well, time is running down for president obama's health care reform efforts. the president is hoping to have a plan before -- approved before lawmakers go on vacation in august. republicans are okay with the delay. they're betting that the plan will fall apart if democrats go home and hear from their constituents. >> there's a really good reason why the president wants to do it. he knows he can't sell it if the debate lasts very long because it is so expensive and costly. what we hope to do is to have enough time here for people to truly understand what's going on. >> the congressional budget office said this past week that health care reform might not contain costs even after spending a trillion dollars. however, the white house is playing down those reports. >> news icon walter cronkite will be laid to rest this thursday. his private funeral service will be held at st. bartholomew's church in new york city. the former cbs anchor died

friday at his manhattan home. he was 92 years old. a public memorial service will take place within the month at new york's lincoln center for the performing arts. his final resting place will be next to his late wife betsy in a family plot in missouri. irish-american author frank mccourt also passed away over the weekend. he died yesterday after a long battle with cancer. he was 78 years old. best known for his memoir "angela's ashes" he came to fame as an author late in life after working as a school teacher. his book became a best seller and earned mccourt a pulitzer prize. great book. >> wonderful book. 59-year-old tom watson was just eight feet away from the british open championship and one of the most improbable victories of all time. >>ut his nerves got the best of him. lindsay czarniak has more now in your sports minute. >> hey there. good morning, everybody. your sports minute on this monday begins with the british

open, and after leading all weekend, it looked as though 59-year-old tom watson would make history as the oldest golfer ever to win a major, but yesterday the magic ran out. watson missed an eight-foot par putt to win the championship in regulation, and then lost in a four-hole playoff to stewart cink. cink won by 6, earning his first win in a major. to nationals news. the nats of placed pitcher scott olsen on the 15-day disabled list with an injured back. the team remains winless under interim manager jim riggleman. yesterday, the nationals were clobbered by another alfonso soriano two-run home run. the nationals fall to the cubs 11-3. the orioles were on the other side of the equation yesterday, and largely because of this guy, greg zahn was 3 for 4, including his three-run home run as the orioles beat the white sox 10-2. the os improve to 15-29 on the road. the road home was good to washington freedom's abbie wham back, playing for the united

states against canada in an international-friendly whamback notched her 100th goal of her career in front of her hometown crowd, including her parents in upstate new york. i'm lindsay czarniak. have a great day. >> time for traffic and weather on the 1s. >> let's check in with meteorologist tom kierein. >> good morning. starting off with a cloudy sky on this monday morning, temperatures around the region are pleasant at 71 in washington, from foggy bottom to new carrollton, vienna, potomac, turned a little more humid this morning. montgomery, fairfax and prince george's counties in the mid-60s. 50s farther to our west and north. it's in the 60s to near 70 near the bay. we have a few sprinkles just south of richmond now tracking to the north that may make it up into the shenandoah valley perhaps this morning, but we have a greater chance of an afternoon shower or thundershower, but still not that big of a chance. otherwise, mostly cloudy today, highs in the low 80s. tomorrow, near 80. might be a morning shower, greater chance of afternoon

showers and thunder. small chance of an afternoon thundershower wednesday. and a greater chance of showers and thundershowers on thursday. friday into the weekend looks like we'll dry out again. highs near 90 by sunday. jerry, good morning. how's the monday commute? >> not doing too well, i'm sorry to say. late-clearing construction, 270 through middle brook road, only one lane getting by to the far right. we're looking at delays beginning before route 27 starting to reach back toward clarksburg so i don't know what the deal is. but they need to get out of there very, very quickly. 355 seems to be doing well as an alternate. prince george's beltway, outer loop northbound and route 50, word of an accident. we do have a couple lanes closed. fire/rescue crews over there right now. getting busy. >> it is. thank you. >> thank you. >> 5:22 now. why the issue of separating church and state is causing controversy up on the hill. >> a daring rescue of a family trapped inside a burning car. >> plus, what we've learned will happen to the disabled children

of that florida couple murdered. >> and here's your liz "on the money," money-saving tip of the day. >> college students need to know as much about money as their parents. here are a couple of tips. don't fall for the free t-shirt or frisbee the bank is offering. join a credit union instead. don't sign up for a credit card unless you absolutely need one. i'm liz crenshaw, "on the money."

take a look at this amazing video out of milwaukee. it shows people trying to rescue a 4-year-old boy from a burning car. a woman and another child had already escaped at the time of the video. several people, including two off-duty firefighters, eventually were able to help pull everyone to safety. the 4-year-old suffered burns to at least 30% of his body, though. it's still not clear what caused that car to catch fire. >> the florida couple murdered earlier this month devoted their lives to caring for 13 special needs children. now bird and melanie billings' daughter is promising to raise the children as her own. the billings' 26-year-old biological daughter says she and her husband plan to raise the children, as was her mother's wish. the markhams will move back into the house where the murders took place.

>> 5:26 is the time, 71 degrees. an american soldier has been captured in afghanistan. the emotional plea for his release caught on camera now. >> also, what went down at a house party in northern virginia that ended with two arrests and one person dead. >> reporter: it was 40 years ago today that man first walked on the moon. all three members of the apollo 11 crew are here in washington. i'm megan mcgrath. a live report comi u p.

out of control gunfire erupts at a home in loudoun county. what police believe may have led to this outbreak of violence. >> held hostage. an american man believed to have been captured by the taliban in afghanistan. his upclose and personal emotional plea to family and friends. >> history. 40 years ago today, one small step, one giant leap. the unforgettable words of neil armstrong. the unforgettable moment in history. good morning and welcome back to "news 4 today." i'm joe krebs o this monday, the 20th of july, 2009. >> i'm eun yang in for barbara harrison this morning. we're going to take a look live outside at 5:30, 71 degrees out there. lots of clouds overhead. a little bit of a change for the weather this week. >> let's go to meteorologist tom kierein in storm center 4. tom? >> after a dry pattern we're kind of going to be going into a bit of a wet pattern for the next few days but it's not wet now. we do have the clouds around,

temperatures are pleasant. near 70 in washington, 60s in the suburbs. rural areas farther to our west and north in the 50s. southern maryland checking in with temperatures in the 50s. out of the mountains it's in the 50this morning. still not very humid there, but it's rather steamy in southeastern virginia, down to the carolinas. some of that's going to be arriving here later on today, turning more humid. also a few sprinkles just to the south of richmond right now. for the morning, maybe a little sun in and out. overall, mostly cloudy. by noon near 80. afternoon, low 80s, cloudy. there's a chance of a passing shower or maybe a thundershower late afternoon or into this evening. and then tomorrow could get some more. details on tuesday's forecast in ten minutes. >> thank you, tom. >> thank you very much. let's go to jerry edwards now and the news 4 traffic network. jerry? >> good morning. kind of shaking my head over what's turning out to be a nasty trip along i-270 southbound. road work remains in place. if you look very carefully, you

can see the construction barrels are still out approaching 118 toward middle brook road with on one travel lane getting by. this is progress. 355 to montgomery village is better alternate for the time being. we're trying to figure out why they're still in the roadway here at 5:31 in the morning. outer loop of the beltway, good news there, the accident moved to the shoulder. prince william police say spruce lane, word of an accident. police should be on the scene. >> thank you very much. >> before you head out the door, travel alert for metro riders. expect delays on the red line through at least thursday morning. there are four rush hour trains to red line, and it's operating slower than usual. the ongoing investigation into last month's accident is the reason why. passengers are being advised to add 30 minutes to their rush hour commute. >> we should learn more today about a probe involving several local police officers. "the washington post" reports that the officers are being investigated for allegedly taking money to protect a gambling ring run by drug

dealers. five officers are with the prce george's county department, one with d.c., another is a former d.c. housing authority police officer. according to "the washington post," phone records and surveillance connect most of the officers directly to the game operators who are also known drug dealers. authorities are also investigating whether any of the officers are linked to several killings connected to the ring. no charges have been filed. >> new today, after serving nearly two years in prison on federal dogfighting charges, michael vick will become a free man. the suspended nfl star is scheduled to be released from home confinement. that means he can shed the electronic monitor he's been wearing inside his hampton, virginia, home for the last two months. this also allows vick to step up his efforts to resume his football career. nfl commissioner roger goodell said he would review vick's status after vick completes his sentence. >> well, today the apollo 11 astronauts are re-uniting to mark the 40th anniversary of the

first manned moon landing. an estimated 500 million people around the world tuned in to watch the historic event unfold. >> one small step for man. one giant leap for mankind. >> neil armstrong, buzz aldrin and michael collins made history on july 20th, 1969. today they're saying the nex giant leap for mankind should be mars. news 4's megan mcgrath is live with more on what's happening today. good morning. >> reporter: well, good morning. it was 40 years ago that neil armstrong took that famous first step on the moon and those images, who can forget them? they were seen around the world. and it was quite a historic moment. well, armstrong, buzz aldrin and michael collins, all three members of the apollo 11 mission are here in washington to mark the anniversary. it's very rare, actually, for all three of the astronauts to be at the same place at the same time. last night, armstrong, aldrin and collins attended an event

here at the air and space museum. buzz aldrin, the pilot of the lunar module, talked about the mission and its importance. >> apollo 11 was about exploration, about taking risks for great rewards in science and engineering, about setting an ambitious goal before the world. and then finding the political will and the national means to achieve it. >> reporter: all three of the astronauts, though, at this event last night spent really little time talking about the apollo 11 mission and the walk on the moon they actually had a much more forward-looking approach, and they were urging nasa not to return to the moon but to g and explore mars. now, they are all going to be at the white house late today and are expected to make the same pitch to the president. back to you in the studio. >> megan mcgrath reporting live. thank you very much. big day there. >> the u.s. military is denouncing video that surfaced on the internet which shows an

american soldier captured in afghanistan. it's the first sign of private bowe bergdahl since he disappeared three weeks ago. it shows the 23-year-old sounding distressed and being prompted to talk about missing his family in idaho. >> i meiss them every day that i'm gone. i miss them. and i'm afraid that i might never see them again. >> in the video, bergdahl also tells americans to pressure president obama to bring u.s. troops home from afghanistan. the u.s. military says the video is taliban propaganda that violates international law. a murder investigation is under way this morning after a summer house party in sterling ended with a shooting of a 19-year-old man. it happened early yesterday morning outside a home on tappahannock place in the low island community. ge guillermo alvarado and rasheed nurse are charged with second degree murder. deputies say the two were

attending a party when alvarado got into a fight with man. nurse allegedly pulled a gun and killed the victim. the manho hosted the party says it happened just minutes after he started telling people to go home. >> i took off my shirt, i put it on his wound. we prayed. we did our best. our condolences go out to his family. >> the party host says he did not know the victim or the suspects. police have not yet released the victim's name. >> authorities believe they have now found the body of a swimmer who disappeared in the potomac river. the 32-year-old silver spring man was last seen tuesday near the old angler's inn in potomac. fishermen found a body on some rocks yesterday morning, about a half mile from there. investigators say the body does match the description of the missing swimmer. >> it's now 5:37, 71 degrees. a new battleground in the separation of church and state. why the capitol visitor center is at the center of a lawsuit. >> plus, where thieves have made a rub on bicycles here in our area whether they're locked up

or not. >> why you may be able to afford your dream vacation depending on when you book your flight. 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. la year alone we invested more in building america's future than any other company - improving and expanding our network, to keep you in control.

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here is today's news 4 bargain blast. tomorrows i i pastry day a t starbuck chain isitnv iing younv to try a fere pee tray >> the dea is good until tomorrow morning. you do nee a coupon.

go to starbucks.com. >> what did you pick? >> what did i pick? >> what would you get? >> you mean at starbucks? >> yeah. >> i would get a grande half calf, i think. >> and a free dessert. all right. let's check in with meteorologist tom kierein to find out what the weather's going to be like today. >> good morning. off to a cloudy start this morning and it's not still too humid but it will be later on today. right now we're in the 60s, low 70s. it will reach the upper 70s, near 80 by noon. a little sun in and out. cloudy this afternoon, high, low 80s. a small chance of an afternoon shower or thundershower. a greater chance of a shower after midnight, around dawn tomorrow. during the day on tuesday, mostly cloudy,aybe a passing shower in the morning or an afternoon thundershower with highs near 80. a look at the rest of the week and the weekend coming up in ten minutes. how's the traffic? >> painfully slow this morning along i-270 from clarksburg through germantown. we're told now they're beginning to pick up the construction barrels on 270 southbound approaching 118 but it's a

lengthy process right now. only one travel lane is getting by. 355 south to montgomery village and you'll be okay. elsewhere, the trip to the wilson bridge uncomplicated. out north of manassas park, 28 northbound at spruce street, police continue to work on an accident out there. joe and eun, back to you. >> thank you very much. >> it is now 5:42, 71 degrees. if you need a vacation you just might be able to afford your dream trip. why experts say now is the time to book that trip. >> plus, area rest stops along two major interstate highways are being shut down. next what this means for many drivers who travel through ñó

updating our top stories of the hour, today is the 40th anniversary of apollo 11's landing on the moon. 40 years ago today, an estimated 500 million people back o earth watched as neil armstrong and buzz aldrin set foot to moon. today president barack obama

will welcome the crew of apollo 11 to the white house. the u.s. military is denouncing video that surfaced on the internet which shows an american shoulder captured in afghanistan. it's the first sign of private bowe bergdahl since he disappeared. the u.s. military says the video is propaganda which violates law. today, michael vick is a free m. he's finished serving his sentence on federal dogfighting charges. that means he can shed the electronic monitor he's been wearing inside his home for the last two months. >> today is the last day several rest stops in northern virginia will be in operation. 18 rest stops around the state will close to help shrink a buapdg get. tomoeow gth, rest athare on ai in dale city wl also close flo cars, but remain open to trucks. changes will soon come to the rest area on the eastbound i-66 in manassas. news 4's tracee wilkins is live in dale city right now with how drivers are reacting to this

news. tracee? >> reporter: good morning. people are not happy about it. they don't want to see these rest stops closed, but indeed, this one here on 95 in dale city will close tomorrow. they already have the sign posted up on 95 and the one on i-66 in manassas will be closing in september. all of this is happening as the governor is working to try and commercialize these stops. 19 rest areas throughout the commonwealth will close, most starting tomorrow. the virginia department of transportation officials say it costs $500,000 a year to keep the rest areas open and virginia is looking to save money. the closings should save $9 million a year, helping to close the $2.6 billion shortfall in the transportation budget. meanwhile, the governor is asking for federal permission to allow the rest stops to be commercialized in an effort to keep them running. but in the meantime, travelers who come through virginia will have to find somewhere else to take a break. now, the manassas welcome center on i-66 is going to close in september. they're saying september 16th. this is because there were some

local attractions worried about the fact that people who come to that rest area get brochures and come by and come to their attractions. they're worrying about that slowing down. the state has decided to go ahead and give them a bit of delay in manassas. tracee wilkins, live this morning in dale city. back to you in the studio. >> thanks very much. if you walk or ride a bicycle to your metro stop, the transit agency wants to hear from you. metro's holding a public workshop this wednesday at 5:30 p.m. at its headquarters in northwest washington. it's trying to evaluate the needs of pedestrians and cyclists between 2002 and 2007, the number of cyclists biking to rail stations during the morning rush hour increased about 60%. the agency has already identified $45 million in bicycle and pedestrian improvements it would like to make before 2020. >> police in the district and northern virginia are warning bicycle owners to be on guard after a rash of thefts. those familiar with t problem say bike-stealing is similar to

auto theft. there are chop shops. one bike rider we spoke to says he caught someone cutting the lock off his wheels two weeks ago. >> i was actually at a friend's house and was swimming. and just peeked over the wall to make sure everything was okay. i saw them going at e bike lock with a big grinder. >> there's a whole bicycle racket that goes up and down the east coast. someone will steal a bike here in d.c. and ship it up to philadelphia or baltimore or new york city. the same thing will happen. it will go to a chop shop. people will take it apart, put it back together in a new bike and sell it. >> while there's no foolproof way to protect against thieves, bike shop employees say using a u-lock is a good start. >> police in maryland are looking for possible victims in a possible pornography case. high yachts ville police have charged 22-year-old aza hrnjic with the abuse of boys and girls ages 5, to and 12. she worked for several area families as a nanny. police say hrnjic showed the

children pornographic pictures, then sent pornographic images of the children over the internet using a live web cam. police are asking anyone who ever hired hrnjic to call poce. an oak hill teenager who took a bad fall is in critical condition this morning. the incident happened yesterday on done i gallon drive near man deville drive in. they say the man was riding in a bed of a pickup truck. he ayartlen fell from the moving vehicle. authorities are trying to figure out what caused that accident. >> a man who got into a shootout with an off-duty u.s. capitol police officer is now facing attempted murder charges. police say bedara sam was randomly firing a gun on thursday night. th capitol police officer saw the shooting and exchanged gunfire with sam. the suspect is in serious condition. a 12-year-old girl in a nearby apartment was grazed by a stray bullet. a bullet also struck the police officer but he has been released from the hospital. >> well, an atheist group is

taking legal action to try to separate church and state. it says last week the house voted overwhelmingly to engrave the words "in god we trust" at the capitol visitors center. a group called, quote, freedom from religion sued to block that effort. the group argues the lawmakers are trying to force their religious beliefs on the 50% of united states adults who do not believe in any kind of god. >> just about 5:51. that means time to check traffic and weather on the 1s. >> good morning. after a fabulous weekend, we're starting off with some clouds on this monday morning but still not too humid. so far we've escaped sweltering heat and humidity this summer. another day, it won't be too hot. it is mostly cloudy. sun up in about ten minutes. there's cloud cover over the potomac river. just to the right is reagan national where the temperature is 71 degrees. as we look at e radar, no precipitation here. that little area of color just to the south of fredericksburg, little area of light rain that's slowly moving off to the north

and it may begin to move into our far western suburbs later on this morning, but right now mid-60s there and cloudy as well as in montgomery and fairfax, prince george's counties. in the low 70s right near the waters. but elsewhere we' in the 60s. weather watchers reporting from southern maryland and the northern neck. farther to our west in loudoun county, frederick county, low 60s. near 60 as well in parts of rappahannock and fauquier counties. culpepper's at 63. on the other side of the blue ridge, cooler there. around the winchester, down to harrisonbu, temperatures are in the upper 50s. now as we look around the neighborhood network in rockville, montgomery county, it's at 65. the dew point a kchcomfortable . whenever the dew point is near 70 is when we notice high humidity. the monthly rain there only about 1/3 of an inch. that's been the story around this dry july. we could use some more rain and we do have an increased chance as we go forward this week. now looking at the regional temperatures, low 70s in southeastern virginia and it's quite steamy there.

mid-50s out in the mountains. in the low 60s on the eastern shore. a little bit of fog away from the waters on the eastern shore. these are the dew points. only near 60 around washington, 50s west and north. but it is steamy. right now dew point in norfolk's at 70. some of that increased humidity will begin to move up our way here as we've got a southerly flow aloft. we've got a stalled front here just to our south. those few sprinkles south of fredericksburg, toward richmond and danville this morning. other showers just off the atlantic beaches. if you're traveling today, there may be some flight delays in florida as well as perhaps the carolinas and into the central appalachians. maybe some storms from the northern through central plains and down into texas and oklahoma. could be flight delays there. no travel problems heading off to theestl wt coast w or in bet washington, new york and boston. over the last 12 hours, been watching this stalled front, just sort have been hanging out here from cape hat raus through the carolinas, down across

georgia this morning. a weak area of low pressure that's formed along this front will slowly track along. as it does it will give us an increased easterly wind. increase the humidity around for today, tonight and into tomorrow as well. this front will eventually slowly creep up our way here by the end of the week so we're going to have sort of an increased chance of showers and thundershowers throughout the week as a result. now as we look at the future cast going forward over the next 36 hours, there's a greater chance of some showers later on today in the mountains and through southern virginia, but then perhaps later on this afternoon just to our east and into this evening we might have a passing shower as well as at the beaches. not a great day for the atlantic beaches as well as tomorrow. always we get into tuesday, perhaps in the morning might have a shower. then during the rest of the day partly sunny. into wednesday as well. so here's how we're looking for this nd.ay mostly cloudy this morning. by 9:00 in the mid-70s. by noon, nr. 80. during the afternoon, the low 80s. sunrise at 5:59, sunset 8:29. there's a small chance of a

passing shower or thundershower this afternoon. otherwise, mostly cloudy. tonight looks like a little increased chance of some showers, maybe a little thunder througmid-evening. perhaps a passing shower between midnight and dawn tomorrow. highs by dawn -- rather, lows by dawn in the 60s. highs tomorrow into the just upper 70 ns,ea s,.80. another cooler than average day. our average high this year is . not going to be anywhere near that tomorrow. quite a bit of cloudiness on tuesday as well, perhaps a morning shower. some greater chae of afternoon showers, maybe passing thundershowers. that will help to improve our lawns as they'reoo lki l rather parched now around the region. then on wednesday, partly cloudy, a small chance of a mainly afternoon thundershower. highs in the mid-80s. on thursday, looks like it's going to be a damp day. could get showers and thundershowers from the morning and into the afternoon and evening. again, cooler than average. friday, into the enweekd, ooweks e' wll start traffic and weather on the 1s warm up a bit, perhaps getting rather steamy, too.

not much rain at all, probably much decreased chance of rain for the weekend, highs near 90 by sunday. >> all right. thank you, tom. >> let's go to jerry edwards now and the news 4 traffic network. jerry? >> there is a glimmer of hope out there this morning. good morning, everyone. the trip along interstate 270 southbound looks a little bit better. this is southbound coming out of clarksburg. still backed up for a stretch headed toward germantown but the road work finally has been cleared so the lanes are open, althou bee veraryareful if reyou're h wd through thatar. catching a few folks by surprise along i-270. elsewhere making the trip to the wilson bridge, no worries there. 66 still pretty quiet. inbound on the toll ad, nothing to fear so far this morning. joe and eun, back to you. >> thank you very much. >> good news for drivers this morning. gas prices are continuing to fall. right now the national average for a gallon of gas is $2.46. here in our area, d.c. drivers are paying around $2.55. in maryland, $2.42. in virginia a gallon is avaging about $2.33.

>> if you have been putting off your summer vacation thus far, you could be in for some great deals. hoping to drum of late-summer business, many hotels, resorts and airlines are offering some of the deepest discounts in 13 years. according to bestfares.com you can fly to many cities for less than $100 but you will have to wait until mid-august. >> that's when everybody has to go back to work, kids are going back to school, family travel's over. the only folks out there who are going to be out there may be some retirees. >> many hotels are already offering deep discounts like $49 a night at the m resort in las vegas and $109 a night at the waikiki sheraton in honolulu. >> to the money crisis now and a look at how foreign markets are doing today. asian markets started the week on the positive note. hong kong's hang seng gained 3.7% and china's shanghai gained

2.42%. japan's nikkei was closed for a holiday. to wall street where the dow futures are pointing to a positive opening. the dow finished last week by gaining 32 points, closing at 8743. the nasdaq gained just one point, closing at 1886. >> right now news 4 is finding jobs 4 you. the d.c. department of human resources is looking for a program manager. the manager will work with department heads, with human resources. salary range is $98,000 to $137,000. if you're interested in learning more, go to nbcwashington.com and search jobs 4 you. >> still ahead this morning on "news 4 today," the chilling new video from the taliban showing a u.s. soldier who was captured three weeks ago in afghanistan. >> another warning from metro this morning. what red line riders need to know before they head out the door. >> meteorologist tom kierein says get ready for what could be a wet week. >> you're -- we're going to have your weather and traffic together on the 1s coming up.

stay with us. we will be right back. i)

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teen killed. police arrest two men wanted for killing a 19-year-old at a house party in an upscale northern virginia neighborhood. >> scared soldier. the taliban releases video of a u.s. soldier held hostage in afghanistan. his chilling and emotional message. >> out of this world. today the country will remember one of the greatest achvements of the last century. the apollo 11 moon landing. now the astronauts of that historic mission will be asking the president to help make another giant leap for mankind. good morning and welcome back to "news 4 today."

i'm joe krebs. >> i'm eun yang in for barbara harrison today. monday, july 20th, 2009. we're going to take a look outside as the sun is coming up over the nation's capitol. look at that gorgeous sky. >> beautiful sunrise out there. the clouds are going to make it very colorful, i suspect, as the sunrise continues. that's a wonderful picture. >> tom, so does that mean it looks good for today? >> so far, yeah. i'd have to say. >> we're just starting, though. >> that's my forecast for the next five minutes. but for the rest of the day, quite a bit of cloudiness and an increased chance maybe of some showers this afternoon. right now on radar we are seeing that little blob of green and blue there at the bottom of your screen, that's a little shower that is moving south to north, and that's just about to come into orange county, maybe up to culpepper and around rappahannock county in a couple of hours heading west of washington. elsewhere don't have any precipitation at this hour, just cloud cover. for today, mostly cloudy this morning. by 9:00 should be in the mid-70s. right now in the 60s and 50s. by noon, near 80. cloudy this afternoon, small chance of a passing shower,

maybe a thundershower. highs low 80s. a look at tonight and tomorrow. that will be in ten minutes at 6 oovpt 11. >> thanks, tom. >> let's go to juniors now and the news 4 traffic network. looks like we got problems out of the road on i-270, is that right? >> yes, the construction was cleared a couple minutes ago on 270. still heavy for a stretch but if everybody behaves things will begin to settle down. my fear is people will be running late because of the late-clearing construction, put the pedal to the metal and you know the rest. go to virginia along 95 loading up quickly north, headed up from the prince william parkway. no incidents to report there. elsewhere headed toward northeast, new york avenue, kenilworth avenue looking good. out on the rails, marc tells us brunswick train 890 ten minutes late. leaving here in about three minutes. back to you. >> all right, jerry, thanks very much. >> thank you, jerry. we are connecting you to your commute. metro riders can expect more delays this morning. there are fewer trains on the red line and trains are running

slower than usual. delays are expected to last until at least thursday morning as the ongoing investigation into last month's deadly accident continues. riders are being advised t add 30 minutes to their commute. >> we're expected to learn more today about an investigation involving several local police officers. "the washington post" reports that authorities are investigating whether the officers took money to protect a gambling ring run by drug dealers. the targets are five prince george's county police officers, one d.c. police officer and another a former d.c. housing authority officer. according to newspaper, phone records and surveillance connect most of the officers directly to the game operators who are known drug dealers. authorities are also investigating whether any of the officers are linked to several murders connected to that ring. no charges have been filed so far. >> today, suspended nfl star michael vick will be a free man. he's finished serving his 23-month sentence on federal dogfighting charges. the federal bureau of prisons lists vick's release date as

today. that means vick can shed the electronic monitor he's been wearing while on home confinement in hampton, virginia. vick has been wearing it for the last two months. the nfl has said it will review vick's status after the former atlanta falcons quarterback completes his sentence. >> one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind. >> well, it was 40 years ago today that millions of americans heard those famous words. neil armstrong and buzz aldrin became the first human beings ever to set foot on the surface of the moon on july 20th, 1969. what they did years ago still having an impact today. news 4's megan mcgrath joins from us the smithsonian air and space museum with more. good morning, megan. >> reporter: well, good morning, joe. it was 40 years ago today that neil armstrong climbed down that ladder and took the famous first step on the moon, and all three members of the apollo 11 crew are here in washington to mark the anniversary. neil armstrong, buzz aldrin and

michael collins, they all came here to the air and space museum last night, and actually they posed in fro of the lunar moud uhl here at this exhibit and had their picture taken. this is not a replica. this is a real backup to the a bol low 11 mission. had something gone wrong with eagle this would have gone in its place. there's been a lot of interest here. they're expecting a busy day today as people mark the anniversary. now, last night all three astronauts spoke as well, and strangely, though, they didn't talk so much about the moon mission itself. they had auch more forward-looking kind of attitude. they actually are encouraging nasa not to return to the moon, but, rather, to go to mars instead. in fact, they're going to be meeting with the president also today and they're expected to make that very same pitch as well. now coming up in the next half hour we're going to hear from buzz aldrin. we'll have that coming up in a little bit. back to you. >> look forward to it. thanks very much, megan mcgrath reporting live in the air and

space museum. thanks. >> friend also and family of american soldier being held captive in afghanistan are praying for his safe return this morning. this comes after new video was released which shows him being held hostage. it is the first sign of private bowe bergdahl since he disappeared three weeks ago. it shows the 23-year-old sounding distressed and being prompted to talk about missing his family. >> and i miss them every day that i'm gone, i miss them, and i'm afraid that i might never see them again. >> in the video, bergdahl also tells americans to pressure president obama to bring u.s. troops home from afghanistan. the u.s. military is denouncing the video, calling it taliban propaganda which violates international law. >> a party at an upscale loudoun county neighborhood came to a deadly end when a teenager was shot to death. this happened early yesterday morning outside a home on tappahannock place in the lowes island community.

guillermo alvarado and rasheed nurse are charged with second degree murder. sheriff's depp says say the two were attending a party when al var add oh got into a argument with another man. nurse allegedly pulled a gun and killed the 19-year-old victim. >> drivers are paying the price for the virginia budget problems. tomorrow, 18 rest stops around the state are shutting down. the rest stops on interstate 95 in dale city will close for cars but will remain open to trucks. another local rest stop that will close is on eastbound i-66 in manassas, but that won't close until september. it costs the state $500,000 a year to operate each rest stop. right now, virginia is struggling with a $2.6 billion budget hole. closing down nearly half the state's rest stops will save the commonwealth $9 million a year. >> 6:07 is the time right now, 71 degrees. president obama tries to revive his health care reform plan. what he will be doing today at

the children's national medical center. and more trouble out on the tracks. what investigators believe caused this commuter train accident. >> a growing crime trend in our area. thieves are targeting bikes whether they're locked up or not. ñ?ñów

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our time is 6:10, 70 degrees out there. rehe retoy'ss newar b inga blast. g a friendbr to youraloc ben b jerry store today and get a fr ee ituaend

is monday ndsuaes. evndmohiy su tays summer, andsuyae tre b one, get one free. one deal per customer, though. >> that makes sense. everyone would be getting in line. it's 6:11 now. time for traffic and weather on the 1s. let's check in with meteorologist tom kierein. >> hey, tom. >> after that fabulous weekend, it's turned cloudy overnight. it's a little more humid this morning. good morning. now 70 degrees in washington and around the region, generally in the 60s in prince george's, montgomery and fairfax counties. from the blue ridge into the mountains in the 50s. eastern shore now in the 60s. from georgetown to brandywine, montgomery village, we have quite a bit of cloudiness. there's a little shower to the -- about 15, 20 miles southwest of fredericksburg that's heading to the north. for the morning, mostly cloudy. by this afternoon, cloudy, highs low 80s. a small chance of a passing shower or thundershower late afternoon and this evening. then by dawn in the 60s. might have a passing shower tomorrow morning. otherwise, mostly cloudy tuesday, maybe an afternoon thundershower, greater chance

tomorrow. highs only near 80, though. that's about ten degrees cooler than average for this time of year. a look at the rest of the week and the weekend, that will be at 6:21, ten minutes. how's the traffic? >> head out, take a live look attorney the american legion bridge and so far, so good. outer loop of the beltway headed across the bridge span, no early worries. coming up on the interloop, lanes are open there as well. see how we're doing on the roads this morning, check your speeds. the inner loop of the beltway from college park to route 50, 8 minutes. a little slow between route 50 and the wilson bridge, particularly getting past 202. late-clearing construction there, but the lanes just re-opened. off the wilson bridge over to i-95 springfield, seven minutes. back to you. >> thank you, jerry. >> it is now 6:12. why president obama's approval rating is dropping fast. a warning for anyone looking for a new job. the job offers that sound too good to be true be uscathey usually are.

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updating the top stories in the news for today, how kloudou county police are investigating a murder in sterling, virginia. it happened early yesterday morning outside a home in the lowes island community. police have arrested two men in the case. the taliban posted a new video which shows an american soldier captured in afghanistan. this is the first sign of private bowe bergdahl since he disappeared three weeks ago. in the video, bergdahl tells americans to pressure president obama to bring u.s. troops home

from afghanistan. suspended nfl star michael vick will become a free man today. he has completed a nearly two-year prison sentence on federal dogfighting charges. that means he can shed the electronic monitor he's been wearing inside his hampton, virginia, home for the last two months. eun? >> in this tough economy, many people are looking for work, but unfortunately some con artists and scammers are taking advantage of that. brian moore tells us about some wa you can protect yourself in this jobs 4 you report. >> reporter: the economic downturn is creating a boom for con artists, and the federal trade commission says it's working to put them out of business. >> their scams promise jobs, access to free government grant money, or the chance to make a living by working at home. but these promises deliver nothing. they raise people's hopes and then they drive them deeper into a hole. >> reporter: the fdc in 14 states have joined forces in a

crack down dubbed operation short change. they're going after scammers who use everything from print ads and automated phone calls to the internet and tv. >> it's called easy link. >> every feature could earn money for you. >> these schemes target men and women alike, urban and rural communities, people of all backgrounds. >> complaints to my office are up 27% compared to a year ago, and many other state attorneys general can tell you the same thing. >> reporter: beverly stewart is one of the victims. >> i was really hopeful. i reall thought sending them that last $89 would get me a job. because they told me i'd make anywhere from 13 to $15 an hour. when that didn't happen, i mean, i was devastated. >> reporter: convicted scammer jim vital appeared in a video produced by the ftc. >> the best advice i can give to anybody who's looking to purchase a business opportunity or purchase any investment over the phone is fast nos and slow

yess, period at the end. >> reporter: the ftc's advice, think swis if it sounds too good to be true. brian moore, news 4. >> if you're looking for work, we have a list of available jobs on our website. just visit nbcwashington.com and search jobs 4 you. joe? >> thanks, eun. president barack obama is continuing to push for health care reform. today he's going to give another speech on his proposed plan and hold a round table discussion with health care providers at the children's national medical center. but many americans are not happy with how things are going. according to a new "washington post"/abc news poll, for the first time since april, mr. obama's handling of health care has dropped to 49%, the approval of it. at the same time, his disapproval rating rose to 44%. it is not good news for the president, hoping to fast track health care reform. republicans have hammered the president and congressional democrats over its cost and potential impact on the federal

deficit. here's some of the things some of the republicans had to say about it. >> there's a really good reason why the president wants to do it. he knows he can't sell it if it lasts -- if the debate lasts very long because it is so expensive and costly. >> what we hope to do is to have enough time here for people to truly understand what's going on. >> president obama told the nation on saturday that his health care overhaul is financially sound, but a new analysis by congressional budget experts said it would increase deficits by $239 billion over a decade. >> we are learning more information about a light rail crash in san francisco. federal investigators say the operator of a light rain train turned off the automated controls moments before saturday's crash. they're trying to figure out why he did that. the light rail slammed into a parked train, injuring 48 people. investigators say if the operator had kept the autopilot on, the accident could have been

avoided. the train did not have any mechanical problems. buy psychists beware, police in the district and northern virginia say thieves are on the rise. those familiar with the problem say bike stealing is similar to auto theft. parts can be stolen and shipped around the country to be resold. bicycle shop employees tell us the best thing to do is make sure your bike is completely secured. >> you want to make sure that your wheels, as well as your frame, are secure. because we do have people coming in who have their whole bike stolen but we also have people coming in who have lost some wheels. >> while there is no proof -- foolproof way to protect yourself against thieves, bike shop employees say use a u-lock. that's a good sart. >> 59-year-old tom watson was just eight ftaway from the british open champnship, one of the most improbable victories of all time. but he blew the putt. lindsey czarniak has your sports minute. >> hey there.

good morning, everybody. your sports minute on this monday begins with the british open, and after leading all weekend, it looked as though 59-year-old tom watson would make history as the oldest golfer ever to win a major, but yesterday the magic ran out. watson missed an eight-foot par putt to win the championship in regulation, and then lost in a four-hole playoff to stewart cink. cink won by 6, earning his first win in a major. to nationals news. the nats have placed pitcher scott olsen on the 15-day disabled list with an injured back. the team remains winless under interim manager jim riggleman. yesterday, the nationals were clobbered by another alfonso soriano two-run home run. the nationals fall to the cubs 11-3. the orioles were on the other side of the equation yesterday, and largely because of this guy, greg zahn was 3 for 4, including his three-run home run as the orioles beat the white sox 10-2. the os improve to 15-29 on the road. the road home was good to

washington freedom's abby wambach, playing for the united states against canada in an inn international-friendly. wambach notched her 100th goal of her career in front of her hometown crowd, including her parents, in upstate new york. that's your sports minute on this monday morning. i'm lindsay czarniak. have a great day. >> 6:21 is the time. time for traffic and weather on the 1s. >> let's check in with meteorologist tom kierein now up in storm center 4. good morning, tom. >> hi, eun and joe. good morning. the air is soft and cool this morning. there's a picture of the potomac on the banks of the potomac river. there's east potomac park, washington skyline in the distance and sun just now coming up. it's in a mostly cloudy sky now. 70 in washington. from the main avenue water front to hillcrest heights, arlington and bethesda, it's still not very humid and the mid to upper 60s. later on today, highs in the low 80s, mostly cloudy, a small chance of an afternoon shower or thundershower. this evening a greater chance of a passing shower as well as tomorrow morning. could get an afternoon thundershower tomorrow.

otherwise, mostly cloudy again, cooler than average, only near 80. mid-80s on wednesday, small chance of an afternoon shower or thundershower. mostly cloudy thursday, an increased chance of showers and thunder with highs in the low 80s. back into the mid-80s on friday, a small chance of a thundershower. the weekend is looking dry, but hotter. jerry, good morning. how's the traffic? >> good morning, everyone. let's take to the air. chopper 4's out in manassas. show you live pictures of interstate 66 where it's pretty quiet so far this morning. no intense sunshine as of yet as you make the trip out of manassas headed into toward centreville. you should find the travel lanes open all the way to the capital beltway. good news. elsewhere, see how we're doing south of town to the wilson bridge, no concerns either direction. 295, south capital street, towa the anacostia, all looking good at this hour. back to you. >> thank you very much. >> a legendary author passes away over the weekend. houston, we've got a

problem. the toilet troubles on the international space station. >> oh, dear. first, here's your liz "on the money," money-saving tip of the day. >> college students need to know as much about money as their parents. here are a couple of tips. don't fall for the free t-srt or frisbee the bank is offering. join a credit union instead. and don't sign up for a credit card unless you absolutely need one. i'm liz cr"osh, e awth n "oy.

if we don't act, medical bills will wipe out their savings. if we don't act, she'll be denied coverage because of a pre-existing condition. and he won't get the chemotherapy he needs. if we don't act, health care costs will rise 70%. and he'll have to cut benefits for his employees. but we can act. the president and congress have a plan to lower your costs and stop denials for pre-existing conditions. it's time to act.

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could the next season of "american i'd ol" be without paula abdul? her manager tells the los angeles times he doesn't have a proposal for a new contract for abdul and he says it doesn't appear she'll be back. abdul has said herself she was optimistic about reaching a new contract. auditions begin next month. >> pulitzer prize winning author frank mccourt died yesterday after a long battle with cancer. he was 78 years old, best known for his memoir "angela's? s." he came to fame as an author late in life after work ags a public school teacher in new york. "angela's ashes" became a best seller and earned mccourt the pulitzer prize. >> a new report says local

police officers took bribes to cover up criminal activity. the chi the chilling new video from the taliban showing a captured soldier. >> want to get away? the new vacation deals that just vo: since 2006, walmart has sold over 260 million compact fluorescent light bulbs. saving our customers over 7 billion dollars on their electric bills. save money. live better. walmart. an updated all-time favorite: juicy steak layered with zesty chipotle sauce, melted cheese, piled high with only... the toppings you love on freshly baked bread. only at subway. subway. eat fresh. so it's no surprise that we're now serving up... iced tea that's fresh-brewed. thirst-quenching fuze fresh-brewed iced tea. the newest fresh idea at subway.

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of every eligible associate's salary to their 401(k) andge profit sharing plan. ...even if the associate didn't contribute a dime... ...making good jobs even better. save money. live betr.lm waart. the next step. today the country will remember one of the greatest achievements of the last century, the apollo 11 moon landing. now the astronauts of that historic mission will be asking the president to make another giant leap. >> scared soldier. the taliban release video of a

u.s. soldier held hostage in afghanistan. his emotional and chilling message. >> closing time. more than a dozen rest stops in virginia will shut down tomorrow. what this means for you the next time you travelhrough the commonwealth. good morning and welcome back to "news 4 today." i'm joe krebs. >> and i'm eun yang in for barbara harrison. today monday, july 20th, 2009. we're going to take a look outside at the lovely sky over the nation's capitol. 70 degrees out there right now. there's a plane taking off. >> a lot of clouds out there right now. let's see if we'll get any rain today. here's tom. >> we could certainly use some and it's not a weekend so let's have it on a monday. maybe later on. right now on radar where you see the area of green and blue southwest of fredericks burg, that is a shower, raining there. coming into culpepper county lyprthobabex in oue n htrr h soo rtteissipat a isea h fa nher he tor 0 heit's7 in washinon. chmsroth fou srnern

stmaryrnndhekrt n t, n and he n rer rehoep itirengtn i 60e 60 n n n 70earhe bay. weather w chseraround ts blue ddgane sh naaneyndllovaoant i the mountainsntorep rting mid a 50r pes this morning. sa ol cor e.tarterther l not very humid here but it's rather sstte iyn fo tashern virginia,or is a .73 mihuerth erhe tt as l sixasur hos, bn g ftche i twhelohi tn t trtspouno so g rtinppsome tropical moisture off the atlantic and so it's going to be turning more humid as the day progresses. so we do have a chance of a passininsher, maybe a thundershower this afternoon but it's a small chance. otherwise, mostly cloudy today, much cooler than average. highs just in the low 80s. a look at tomorrow in ten minutes. >> see you then. thank you, tom. >> let's go to jerry edwards now and the news 4 traffic network. jerry? >> good morning. we'll update you on i-270. all the overght road work finally has picked up but there is an accident approaching route 27 on 270 southbound. over to the shoulder but it is going to be a little slow there. and then after that, picking up the volume as you begin the commute down toward the split.

elsewhere, see how we're doing, wilson bridge, no surprises. southeast corridors, 295, south capitol street, pennsylvania avenue, all doing fine. top side of the beltway, college park around to silver spring, lanes are open. no early accidents. joe and eun, back to you. >> thank you, jerry. >> thanks a lot. >> one small step for man. one giant leap for mankind. >> well, many of you may remember exactly where you were when you heard those famous words. 40 years ago today, neil armstrong and buzz aldrin became the first human beings to set foot on the sur mass of the moon. that ground-breaking mission is still having an impact today. news 4's megan mcgrath joins us live from the smithsonian's air and space museum this morning right in front of a lunar lander, right, megan? >> reporter: that's right. that historic moment happened because of a lunar module similar to this one here. this is actually a backup to eagle which was used by the apollo 11 crew. had something happened to that module frpgs this one would have

gone up in its place. last night, neil armstrong, buzz aldrin and michael collins were here at the air museum. they posed in front of that module. we have a copy of that photo. there was a large crowd at the museum last night. thousands of people. many were lucky enough to get a ticket to hear the three astronauts speak. now, strangely enough, they didn't focus on the lun landing. they talked more about the future of the space program. neil armstrong, for example, only talked about the lunar landing for about 11 seconds. instead, the three astronauts focused on going to mars. they're urging nasa not to go back to the moon but to go to mars instead. buzz aldrin, however, did talk about the apollo 11 mission a little bit more. talked about the importance of it. apollo 11 was about exploration, about taking risks for great rewards in science and engineering, about setting an ambitious goal before the world and then finding the political

will and the national means to achieve it. >> reporter: armstrong, aldrin and collins will be meeting with president barack obama in the oval office later on today at 2:00. they're expected toake that pitch to go to mars to the president directly. now, i don't know, joe. looking at this module, this is an actual backup, so this potentially could have gone up instead of eagle. it's pretty amazing to look at it here in person. doesn't look all that sturdy. looks like something you might have made in your garage, but i mean, it's interesting to be able to get up close and personal. so, they're expecting a big crowd here at the museum today. back to you, joe. >> sounds like you don't think you would have done that? >>eporter: i would have been terrified. apparently the metal that was used -- because it was operating in zero gravity condition -- it's not that thick. like aluminum in some ways. aluminum foil. i was talking to one of the folks that works here at the museum. he has to go in to change one of the light bbs inside. he says it's kind of scary being

in there because you don't want to lean too heavily on anything because you could literally damage the metal. so, kind of interesting. it was quite a leap of faith. >> certainly was that. leap of faith for machinkind. thank you very much. the astronauts currently in space have run into an unexpected and a particularly unpleasant problem. one of the two toilets on board the international space station have now flooded. the plumbing problem comes at a time when there are now 13 astronauts on board, more than ever before, with no plumber available, it fell to two of the astronauts to pull on goggles, gloves and a mask to try to fix the problem. they were unable to fix it last night so they will try it again. sounds like a family's problem over thanksgiving with all the visitors in your house. >> can you imagine? well, friends and families of an american soldier being held captive in afghanistan are praying for his safe return. private first class bowe bergdahl was recently seen in a taliban video expressing fears that he won't be coming home.

brooke hart is following the latest from capitol hill. >> to my fellow americans -- >> reporter: 23-year-old bowe bergdahl appears in the hostage tape, head shaven, no uniform, sounding distressed. >> well, i am scared, scared i won't be able to go home. >> reporter: his taliban captors repeatedly prompt bergdahl in english. miss them, one says, about his family in idaho. >> and i miss them every day that i'm gone, i miss them. and i'm afraid that i might never see them again. >> reporter: family friends are worried, too. >> as long as he's a live, of course, there's certainly hope. so that's, that's what we're holding out for, is that he will be released. >> please, please bring us home. >> reporter: in the video, bergdahl tells americans to pressure president obama to bring u.s. troops home from afghanistan. the u.s. military condemned the video and rejected the plea. >> we're here to support the

afghan government. >> reporter: the top senate republican said he backs the president's war plan. >> happy to say something nice about him here, something supportive. i think he's done the right thing in both iraq and afghanistan. >> reporter: bergdahl mysteriously went missing from his base three weeks ago. he walked away without his weapon and was quickly captured. >> from the taliban's perspective sthishgs a minor victory in the battle for hearts and minds. >> reporter: as fighting escalates in afghanistan, u.s. commanders warn of more casualties ahead. for foreign troops in afghanistan, july has been the deadliest month of the eight-year-old war. in washington, brooke hart, nbc news. >> a military spokesperson said this is the first time she can remember of a u.s. service member being held captive by th enemy in afghanistan. there were similar cases in the early stages of intense fighting in iraq. >> 6:37 is our time, 70 degrees. the scandal hitting two local police departments. the allegations that some

officers took money to protect a gambling ring run by drug dealers. why you'll want to act now if you've been putting off travel plains for late summer and fall. >> and the capitol's visitor center is now at the center of a new lawsuit. fat some want remm edro ngdiil. wrwrqx7

he is today's news 4 bargain blast. tomorrow is free pastry day at starbucks. the coffee chain is inviting you to try a pastry for free with the purchase of any beverage. the deal is good until 10:30 tomorrow morning and you do need a coupon, however, to get the deal. you can print one out on starbucks' website, starbucks.com. print it out. >> need that pastry. 6:41 is the time, time for traffic and weather on the 1s. >> here's meteorologist tom kierein at the storm center 4. good morning. >> good morning. a cloudy start to this monday. on radar getting a little shower in western spotsylvania county heading off to the north. may be moving through culpepper, perhaps fauquier over the next couple hours. elsewhere, no precipitation. temperatures in the low 70s near the bay. in washington near 70. elsewhere in the 60s. 50s in the shenandoah valley and the mountains. by this afternoon, low 80s. small chance of a passing afternoon or evening thundershower. then a greater chance maybe of a passing shower by midnight and

around dawn tomorrow when we'll be in the low to mid-60s. then on tuesday, mostly cloudy tomorrow, perhaps a passing shower in the morning or an afternoon thundershower. highs only near 80. at's about ten degrees cooler than the average for this time of year. i'll show you the forecast for the rest of the week and the weekend in ten minutes. jerry, how's the monday commute? >> start on the beltway south of town where it's another slow roll getting through the lane split on the beltway. outer loop after van dorn street will take a little while longer, i think, if we ever get used to it. one lane breaks to the right, two lanes to the left. beltway delays begin after springfield. out on the rails this morning. metrorail and vre doing well. marc has some issues this morning. brunswick train 872, 890 and 892 all running late this morning. 89 t 892 is up to 17 minutes late. >> thanks vy much. another warning from metro this morning. what red line riders need to know before heading out the door. and more than a dozen rest

stops in virginia will shut down tomorrow. what this means for you the next time yww?çw?çwñ

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today's the last day many rest stops in virginia will be open. the rest stop on i-95 in dale city will be one of the 18 rest stops throughout the commonwealth to close and changes are coming to the rest area on eastbound i-66 in manassas. news 4's tracee wilkins is live in dale city now with how the drivers are taking this news. tracee? >> reporter: good morning, joe. drivers are not happy about it. there are lots of people who love to use rest stops, and particularly here in virginia they're looking at a long drive without it here. the one on 95 in dale city will be closing tomorrow. then manassas, that one's going to close in september. all of this is happening as the governor's working to try to commercialize these rest stops so he can keep them open. 19 rest areas throughout the commonwealth will close, most starting tomorrow. the virginia department of transportation officials say it costs about $500,000 a year to keep the rest areas open, and viinia is looking to save money. the closings should save $9

million a year, helping to close the $2.6 billion shortfall in the trance important take budget. meanwhile, the governor is asking for permission to commercialize the rest stops in an effort to keep them running. travelers who come through virginia will have to find somewhere else to take a break. >> it's sad. i mean, most people use it, hence, to rest. if you're tired, you need to rest. if you need to use the rest room, you need to do that. kids need to get out of the car occasionally so they stop screaming. >> i love governor kaine but i would like to see him do something different than to cut the rest stops. i think they are critical to the safety. >> reporter: there shouldn't be much confusion here, joe. they've got the sign up on 95, letting people know the rest area will be closed starting tomorrow to cars. now, up in manassas, there was some concern because folks who come through and pick up the brochures to find out about tourist attractions, those businesses were worried about losing some of that business. so, the governor has decided to

go ahead and allow that rest stop on i-66 in manassas to stay open. it will close on september 16th. i'm tracee wilkins, live this morning in dale city. back to you. >> okay, tracee, thanks very much. before you head out the door an alert for metro riders. you can expect delays on the red line through at least thursday morning. there are fewer rush hour trains on the red line and that's operating -- it's also operating slower than normal. the ongoing investigation into last month's accident near the ft. totten stop is the reason why. passengers are being advised to add at least 30 minutes to their rush hour commutes. and metro wants to hear from riders who walk or bike to their metro station. metro needs feedback for a new study. the goal is to make more stops more accsible to the growing number of pedestrians and buy sick lifts. metro is holding a workshop this wednesday at 5:30 in the evening at its headquarters in northwest washington. anyone who wants to share their input is encouraged to attend

that meading. >> we could lea more today about an investigation into local officers caught on the wrong side of the law. the group is being investigated for allegedly taking money to protect a gambling ring operated by drug dealers. "the washington post" reports five officers are in prince george's county, one is with d.c. police, another is a former d.c. housing authority officer. according to the report, phone records and surveillance connect most of the officers directly to the game operators who are known drug dealers. authorities are also investigating whether any of the officers are linked to several slayings connected to the ring. no charges have been filed. a fresh start today for suspected nfl quarterback michael vick. he has completed his nearly two-year sentence on federal doighting charges. for the last two months, he wore an electronic monitor under home confinement in hampton, virginia. this newfound freedom gives vick a chance to get back into pro football. the nfl said it would review vick's status after the former

atlanta falcons quarterback completed his sentence. >> wall street receives an encouraging news overnight when a deal was reached to save c.i.t. from bankruptcy. cnbc's courtney reagan joins us live with today's business headlines. good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning. futures are slightly higher this morning ahead of a big week of earnings reports. asian markets also closing mostly higher overnight and europe is seeing some green at this early hour of trading as well. in addition to earnings, the leading economic indicators are out today and existing home sales for june will be reported a bit later this week. well, small to mid-size business lender c.i.t. to announce they will receive $3 billion in rescue financing from a group of bond holders. details of the plan are expected to be announced this morning before the market opens. the bond holder group includes top c.i.t. holders. they will be expected to provide the financing with two and a half year term. the hogwart students are still making movie magic. "harry potter and the half blood

prince" opened to $397 million. in u.s. and canada, the sixth entry earned about $160 million alone. the old record was held by "spiderman 3" in 2007 which made abo $382 million opening weekend. good box office weekend for those movies. >> absolutely. okay. thank you, courtney. have a great day. >> reporter: you, too. >> an example of the separation of church and state in the 21st century. an atheist group is suing to keep god off the walls of washington's newest federal building. last week, the house voted overwhelmingly to engrave the words "in god we trust" at the capital visitors center. a group argues lawmakers are trying to force their religious beliefs on the 15% of u.s. adults who do not believe in any kind of god. >> if you have been putting off your summer vacation plans until now you might be in luck. many hotels, resorts and air

luns are now offering their deepest discounts in some 13 years hoping to drum up some late summer business. according to bestfares.com you can fly to many cities around the country for less than $100 round trip but you have to wait until mid-august to go. >> that's when everybody in america has to go either back to work, the kids are going back to school, family travel's over, and the only folks out there who are going to be out there may be some retirees. >> many hotels are already offering deep discounts like $49 a night at the m resort in las vegas and $109 a night at the waikiki sheraton in honolulu. >> be nice to get away right now. >> well, it's been a dry july. we could use some rain. does appear we have an increased chance later on today and through much of this week. we've had the clouds arrive this morning. there's a live picture from our city camera. clouds over the potomac river on this rather muggy monday morning. still not really humid but its going to increase in humidity by later on today. noright w 70 in washington.

as we look at radar, well, it is raining just to the south of fredericksburg where you see this area in blue. that's an area of some light rain coming up interstate 95. should be moving through the rest of spotsylvania county into stafford county, fauquier, culpepper, maybe into loudoun county and prince william over the next couple of hours. drifting slowly to the north. temperatures are mild this morning. weather watchers to the west of washington around the blue ridge, shenandoah valley reporting cooler in the upper 50s there. weather watchers in the southern counties reporting near 60 to 70. around the neighborhood network, look how dry this july has been. 1/3 of an inch of rain has fallen there this month. now 65 in fairfax city. on the eastern shore, mid-60s. quite a bit of cloudiness there. a cool start there. over the last six hours, the flow in the atmosphere south to

north tapping increased humidity that will begin to arrive here later on today. if you're traveling, could beebe flight delays in florida. maybe through the carolinas and central appalachians a few hounghrsdewers. elsewhere, no travel problems between here and the northeast corridor or the west coast. for us, a mostly cloudy day. highs reaching low 80s by mid-afternoon. small chance of a passing shower or thundershower, mainly this afternoon and overnight tonight, increased chance maybe of a passing shower. by dawn tomorrow in the 60s. during the day on tuesday, should be mostly cloudy again tomorrow, highs about ten degrees below the average this time of year, only around 80. i'm ceased chance maybe of a morning shower or afternoonrs thundershower but no severe storms. on wednesday, partly cloudy, highs mid-80s. could get an afternoon thundershower. friday into the weekend looks like we'll dry out and heat up. near 90 for highs by sunday that's the way it looks.

>> thanks, tom. >> let's go to jerry edwards again and check out the roads. >> good morning. head on out and see how we're doing. check out the capital beltway where it's still quiet this morning on the iter loop from i-95 to 355. inner loop moving along nicely. no worries on the top side of the beltway this hour. headed for downtown, beginning to bog down a bit now, 395 northbound headed for the 14th street inbound. outbound no worries off the freeway to the 14th street bridge 395 toward shirlington. back to you. >> thank you very much. >> checking the top store this the news for today, police have arrested two men in a loudoun county murder case. a 19-year-old man was shot to death at a party in sterling. it happened early yesterday morning at a home in the lowes island community. the victim's noim has not been released. >> the u.s. military is denouncing a video tt surface odd the internet which shows an american soldier captured in afghanistan. it is the first sign of private bowe bergdahl since he disappeared three weeks ago. the u.s. military says the video

is taliban propaganda that violates international law. >> president obama will welcome the crew of apollo 11 to the white house today. apollo 11 landed on the moon 40 years ago today. the crew of astronauts neil armstrong, buzz aldrin and michael collins are re-uniting for the occasion. >> this is national zoo keepers week. every day we're going to have a very special morning person. today's news 4 morning person is a lifelong animal keeper. this is greg peterson, along with the national zoo's conservation research center's newest pea horse. he takes care of all the mammals, many of which are endangered. he says he loves working with living organisms. he says working with animals is a fulfillment of a childhood dream. if you know someone like greg peterson, e-mail that person's story and a clear, close-up picture or video of that person to morningperson@nbcwashington.com. there was a dog and pony show of sorts in morocco this weekend.

it was totally unintentional. in the middle of this horse jumping competition, you see the little dog right there? he broke loose from the crowd and even though he's tiny, he did a pretty good job of chasing down the horse and its jockey. event staff members couldn't catch the little guy, even as his leash trailed behind him. the crowd, of course, broke into laughter and applause. look at him go. >> but he was disqualified. he didn't make any of the jumps. >> a jack russell terrier. he thinks he's really big. he doesn't kno he's a little guy. >> a good morning to walk the dog. no rain around here yet but we could get some later on today. good morning. temperatures around the region 60s and 70s now. still not very humid but a little more humid this afternoon. highs low 80s. maybe a passing afternoon or evening shower or thundershower. each day through thursday could get some passing showers. nice the low and mid-80s 6789 that's the way it looks on this monday morning. >> thank you very much. >> any traffic problems? >> outer loop of the beltway

slow getting through the van dorn work zone. couple extra minutes travel time. >> thank you very much. that is "news 4 today." thank you for starting your monday with us. >> we'll see you later today for "news 4 midday." stay connected with us. we're on facebook and twitter. be sure to join us tomorrow morning starting at 4:55 a.m. have a great day. >> bye. try the new subway big chipotle cheesesteak.

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