now trying to prevent another collision on the tracks. good morning and well on come to "news 4 today." >> today thursday july 23rd, 2009. we'll take a look outside right now. it is 73 degrees, a lovely look at the capital. >> looks like we have clouds above us. we'll go to tom who has joined us in the studio. we do, and they are approach mg mesouc meuceded inin sths isetht driese july on orin co in washinon omom s n ne e oo ago'vtt pt ooyrean gd later on today, but nothing nd ouarlaon toda but nothi baround whingtondno ng th you lng aoutradar, folks waking up in st. mary's may be . a aerre fewew tndershower hu rumbngoslicr as the lers chapeake bay justng heacheao t o eth belackwar national wide e.th refuge er d they're drift t driftgohe t north up toward kt island. onssing east of wa.inongt and to r t o oest in the shenandoah ur vall,he tre are ondhu ter n t

.ri ho. aght now,rit' as iug gy m at73 wa onin, hud, southeastern spart of manarpadyl andgi vniar pa rt th,norehey'ot north, they're not quite as hu i dmid in, the 60s there. near 70 inmoheme montgomery, fa and prince george's un mountain6 ai w.w. and over tht leas sixth hours, we hofsofusho, re offshore, too. it's a wet morning at the beaches and it will stay that way for the next several showers. this front will be coming hrough from the west day, a ay, cool front triggering likely showers and thundershowers this afternoon and into this evening. highs before that into the mid-80s. and then after igdnmiht, remaining cloudy and turning a little less humid tomorrow. the friday forecast coming up at 5:11. stay tuned. let's go back to jerry edwards and the news 4 traffic network. any early problems? >> one accident just reported. i'll show you on the map downtown on the east bound freeway or southbound 395, police are there dealing with that. other than that looking okay at

the wilson bridge. no early hangups. the drive on the beltway north of town from i-95 over to 355 is okay. toll road and 66 so far so good. back to you. well, seeking to rally support for sweeping health care legislation, president obama goes prime time. at a news conference, mr. obama defended his mid summer deadline for the house and senate action. he says he's in a rush because he gets letters every day from families clobbered by health care costs. >> let's begin with that news conference. brooke hart is live up on on capitol hill. >> reporter: good morning. no mention of a specific august deadline to get votes here in the house and the senate. but it is clear in these daily appearances, ga he goes to ohio, last night in his prime time television appearance, the president wants to be the spur to congress to get them to move. >> a lot of americans may be wondering what's in this for me? >> reporter: president obama tried to rita control of the health care debate. he focused on what americans

have to gain and lose from reform. what will they sacrifice, he was asked? >> they're going to have to give up paying for things that don't make them healthier. and speaking as an american, i think that's the kind of change you want. >> reporter: critics spent the day raising questions on cost and timing. >> mostmericans don't even like this health care bill. they don't want it. it's going to raise taxes. so what's the rush? >> reporter: the president says the rush is for relief. >> i get letters every day from families that are being clobbered by health care costs. >> reporter: to help them, the president said he'd back a house proposal to raise taxes on on millionaires. it would be the first tax hike in 16 years. >> it's time for the president to scrap the plan that they've been working on in the house. >> reporter: but the president did not bunch on insisting the cost not drive up the deficit. >> health care reform is not going to add to that deficit. it's designed to lower it.

that's part of the reason why it's so important to do and to do now. >> reporter: he hinted a window of opportunity will close. >> the stars are aligned and we need to take advantage of that. >> reporter: another call to a dwilded ngress. and dat president will point to the cleveland clinic as a model of efficient and quality care. the big question is whether these daily appearances will rally house democrats, conservative democrats and first term democrats here who were wary of going on record for these controversial measures that may not even materialize in a final bill. live on capitol hill, i'm brooke hart. back to you. the investigation into that deadly crash continues, deadly metro crash, that is this morning the transit agency is working to design a backup system for the train control system that's supposed to prevent crashes. the move comes after thentsb said metro train protection system is in-adequate and urged metro to add a continuous backup system.

metro's general manager admits the system did uncover faulty circuits and irregularities on four line, however, he said it is not a widespread problem. those circuits are being either fixed or replaced. for the first time since that accident, the tacoma station will remain open past 10:00 p.m. it's been closing regularly to accommodate investigators working on the track. yesterday metro announced the tacoma staegs will now remain open on thursday and friday nights. passengers should still, however, expect continuing delays. a brazen attack as park police issuing a warning for jog ersz. a woman was sexually assaulted while she was running in rock creek park about. this happened about 7:00 yesterday morning in the area of bingham and beach drives. news 4's megan mcgrath is live in northwest washington with more on this story. good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, joe. this attack happened at 7:00 in the morning on wednesday, but as you know, many of the bike paths that run through rock creek parkway go through heavily wooded areas and they can be quite isolated.

now, police say the female jogger was on a path near beach drive south of bingham road when a man grabbed her, pulled her into the woods and sexually assaulted her. police say the victim had seen her attacker actually earlier on her jog. she said that he smelled of alcohol and was talking to himself in spanish. she then encountered him just a short time later and that's when he attacked her and pulled her into the woods. suspect is described as a hispanic male in his 30s, 5'7" to 5'10" tall with a stocky build, black, wave have i, shoulder lengthair. he was wearing a t-shirt and blue jeans at the time of the attack. anyone with information, you are asked to call u.s. park place and, of course, anyone jogging through the area, jogging through rock creek park, you're asked to be extremely careful and if at all possible, jog with bajor people, not alone. o ckyou. >> thanks very much, peg an mcgrath reporting live. new today, six people injured during a drive-by shooting during a rally at texas

southern university. a student was among those seriously injured on the houston campus. everyone is expected to survive 37 witnesses say a car drove by and opened fire on a parking lot. police believe the shooting was gang related. 5:06, 73 degrees out there with the feds were rooking for when they raided the doctor's office of pop star michael jackson. plus, a rough ride for passengers on board a light rail train. and the warning about electronic cigarettes so many smokers have turned to as an alternative to lighting up. #co 'say n'sod news 4

rgain blast. you can printll ar y souumr vacation photos for absolutely o stnp ufor u a aartcow.com acop to 1200 prints free of charge nap's a good deal. >> very good deal. almost 5:11. time to get the traffic and weather. >> let's check in with tom up in storm center4 with our forecast. the humidity swept in yesterday and it's still in place this morning. on radar, we're getting a little light rain out on the potomac highlands of west virginia. and in southern maryland, we're get something showers and a little bit of shun der, too. just to the south of cambridge, very heavy rain, too, heading off to the north up toward ox ford, getting another few showers in northern st. mary's

county at this hour. and elsewhere, we'll continue to see the clouds in and out here this morning and temperatures around the region now are in the low 70s, 73 in washington and it's humid here points south and east. west and north, not quite as humid around the bay and eastern shore. right at the beach, they're getting rain and it's going to be a west morning there. and as the day progresses, maybe a little sunshine in and out, highs mid-80s this afternoon. it will stay humid and pretty good chance of passing needed showers and maybe some thunder. that may linger all the way until late this evening. tomorrow morning, cloudy, near 70, and the forecast for friday, not as humid, light breezes, highs mid-80s. a look at the week nend ten minutes. clear dry road surfaces so far this morning. we'll start south of town taking a live look on the approach to the wilson bridge. and right on the bridge span, so far so good, travel lanes open, no early hangups to report. now, downtown, we did have an accident eastbound at south

capital street. northeast corridors all seem it ob doing okay on far. 5:11. 73 degrees. d.c. council member marian barry's legal troubles are getting worse. >> plus, new details in michael jack

updating the top stories in the news for today, president obama says he support as tax on families making more than $1 million a year to help pay for his sweeping health care overhaul. in a prime time news conference last night, he added that he will reject any measure primarily fded by taxing middle class families. a warning for joggers in the district this morning. that's of a taker woman was dragged off a path in rock creek park and sexually assaulted. this happened about 7:00 yesterday morning near bingham and breaeach drives. the woman was able it to get away. hundreds of people attended a vigil in haley, idaho for bowe bergdahl, the soldier captured by the taliban in afghanistan. bring bowe home signs are posted all over town. the military is doing everything it can to try to find the missing soldier. there are new details in the investigation into michael jackson's death.

we've learned the l.a. county coroner's office has subpoenaed records related to the pop star's treatment by a nurse practitionership cherilyn lee has said she refused to help jackson obtain the sedative diprivan while she worked for him. meanwhile authorities are also taking closer look at his personal doctor. jay greg reports. >> reporter: the investigation into michael jackson's death has now stretched all the way to texas. >> we searched the armstrong medical clinic this morning. >> reporter: federal drug enforcement agents along with detectives from the los angeles police department searched dr. conrad murray's north houston clinic. murray was jackson's personal fish and was reportedly with the pop star when he died. >> no drugs, sir. this is just records. >> reporter: the search for evidence in houston comes just a day after investigators in california pushed dr. murray for additional medical records and talked about interviewing him

for a third time. responding to that request, murray eye attorney released a statement which said in part "the coroner wants to clear up the cause of death. we share that goal. based on dr. murray's minute by minute and item by item description of michael jackson's last days, she not be a target of criminal charges." police and federal agents have yet to classify their work as a criminal investigation. and if there are any charges in the case, they wouldn't likely come until toxicology results and a full autopsy are released. and those reports aren't expected for at least another week. jay gray, nbc news, dallas. we've also learned six workers at the coroner's office looked at michael jackson's death certificate when they weren't supposed to temperature some staff members appear to have printed copies before the certificate became a public record and that's a violation of internal rules, but not any law. in bethesda doctor convicted of drug charges is talking about his problems. doctor eric greenberg tells news

4 he hopes to treat his patients again. greenberg says he's saddened by the guilty verdict handed down on tuesday. he was convicted of cocaine possession and given 18 months probation. while he won't serve prison time, greenberg's medical license has been suspended, meaning he complaint trekpcomplt his pictures. >> i love my patients. i hope they are knee good hands right now. i hope in the near future i'll take care of them again. >> greenberg's attorney says they will appeal the drug conviction. the doctor also faces would pending charges of assault on a police officer stemming from his arrest in june. after that, they will work on getting greenberg's medical license stored. marian barry's legal counsel has resigned, that's the word from the paug post. she worked in barry's d.c. counsel office where she dealt with legal issue, however, she did not represent him personally. barry is under scrutiny for how he awarded contracts but barry's office says her resignation is because she is starting a law firm, not because of the

investigation. electronic cigarettes are billed as a safer alternative to smoking, but now the government says the devices pose a danger of their own. so-called e-cigarettes produce a tick teen mist that is absorbed directly into the lungs, but the fda says initial test results show dangerous levels of nicotine. the government also found several carcinogens and other toxic chemicals. >> how they're being marketed, what's in ther them, and we certainly didn't think people should be using them. >> the fda is also concerned that the e-cigarettes have become an alternative to those who are too young to buy tobacco products, houfrt industry is it rebuing the fda's findings saying the tests were too narrow to reach any reliable conclusions. this morning there's a new reason for adults to roll up their sleeves. the cdc says thousands of americans die every year because their vaccinccines aren't up-to-date. they include shots for things like shingle, hepatitis b,

meningitis. and whooping cough. adults are also supposed to get vaccinated against the flu, but many people don't do it. the government says it is a deadly problem. vaccine preventable disease killed more american adults eachier than breast cancer, aids or traffic accidents. finally news for nats fans to cheer about. the team has now won the bear minimum to constitute a winning streak, two games in a row. >> your sports minute now. >> reporter: good morning, everybody. your sports minute starts with a two game winning streak for your nationals. last night craig pitched another gem. went seven plus innings and gave up just one run. josh willingham had a career night, went four for four including the game winning home run. the nationals beat the mets 3-1. they have now won two in a row. the nats start a series with the cards tonight. as for the orioles, the os just can't beat the yankees.

who are say pa sad today hit a solo home run and the yankees down 6-had 4 to complete the sweep. world team tennis. your washington castles are placeoff bound. they beat the laser to clinch the final playoff spot. and how about wizard center? mcgee after imprettying some of the higher ups at usa basketball during summer league, he was invited to the team usa mini camp. mcgee will be there along with local guys jeff green and kevin durant. that's your sports minute. everybody have a great thursday. just about 5:21 now. time again for traffic and weather. >> let's check in with tom up in storm center4 now. it's a muggy summer morning. we're getting shower, a little bit of thunder in southern maryland, lower part of the bay and eastern shore, get something sprinkles in the shenandoah valley and out in the highlands of west virginia, but where you see that orange that eat heavy rain shower with a little bit of thunder now just to the south of cambridge. it will be moving right through

came brnlg up toward ox ford and saint michael's over the next half hour to hour and there are other moderate down tour you are pours from st. my's county into the northern getting a shower and maybe a little bit of lightning flashing in the sky there on this thursday morning. and all around the rest of the region, we have some low clouds and we have it rather humid from franconia and al there. ey, 70, 73 in washington and in the 60s a little farther west and north where it's not quite as humid this morning. we have some rain, as well frrks the outer banks up toward the atlantic beaches of tell wear and maryland this morning and for the rest of the day, partly sunny and humid, highs mid-80s. and a likelihood of some really much needed rain. we did need the rain. this is the driest july on record so far in washington. and then later on tonight, any showers and thundershowers dissip pagt by late evening. partly cloudy, a little lit humid on friday, highs mid-80s. and it will be hot, a little more humid on saturday, then steamy sunday on tap and some

afternoon and eeching thundershowers possible. and remaining humid in through next week. highs in the 80s to near 90s, small chance of afternoon thundershowers. and now let's check traffic. jerry, good morning. doing okay, picking up a little volume along 270 approaching high ats town, but nothing to worry about there. had somover night road work on the northbound cite of 270, but, again, very light volume on the northbound side at this hour. elsewhere, headed north along i-95, looks like we're okay, fredericksburg all the way on up. out to the west, route 15, no worries. and we're doing okay way up there at the wilson bridge. joe, back to you. >> that's good news. even if we can't see it it's good news. >> it's still there, trust me. what we're now learning about how soon those local students quarn teamed in china will be released. and a terrifying video of a light rail train colliding on the track. plus, how you can find the location of speed cameras before

you even get behind the wheel. and here's your liz on the money money saving tip on the day. >> college students need to know as much about money as their parents. here are a couple of tips. don't hang out with the big spenders. you're probably competing with their parents' deep pockets. and take advantage of campus activities. your student i.d. can save you lots of cash. i'm liz crensha

take a look at this individual why out of san francisco. shows last week's light rail crash that injured more than 60 passengers. watch it again. you can see the fst train sitting on the platform when the second traen slams right into about. two people remain in the hospital including the operator of the striking train. investigators are focusing on human error as the cause of this crash after finding in indications of any mechanical or systems failure. today family and friends will say good-bye to the most trusted man in america. walter cronkite will be remembered during a private funeral in new york. he died at the age of 92 last week at his home in manhattan. cronkite's final resting place will be in missouri next to his late wife, betsy. next month there will be a memorial for the legend dear news man at the lincoln center for the performing arts. our time is 5:26. 73 degrees. president obama's prime time

news conference and his plea to the american people on health care. also, what went down in one of our region's most notable parks that has police on high alert? then car dealerships giving away cash. why now is the rightbuy. wetjet cleans so completelyr you'll never go back to your old mop again. ♪ don't you want me baby? ♪ don't you want me ohhhh! [ female announcer ] why go part of the way clean?

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@@ t 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. presidential prescription, what president obama said in rhyme time to try to calm fears about health care reform. joggers beware, the warning from police about the danger lurking on popular trails in the

strict. cash for clungers. the deep discounts on car lots being offered by one major automaker today. good morning and welcome back to "news 4 today." it is thursday, 23rd of july. >> today we'll take a live look outside right now at 5:30 and it is 73 degrees. cloudy skies overhead. more humid and we've been feeling the heat. >> we can certainly see the daylight headed our way, but sunrise not until after 6:00, right, tom? >> yeah, just a little after 6:00. now the sunrise is getti later and later and on radar again this morning, have some showers in southern maryland like yesterday morning where you see these little areas of orange is where it's coming down a little bit harder. right now in northern st. mary's, southern st. mary's and right there just to the south in northern calvert county.

this is one very heavy downpour this is all heading off to the north this morning and will be continuing to produce a little bit of lightning and perhaps you'll be hearing a little thunder as you're waking up this morning. and elsewhere on radar, farther to our west, we're getting a few sprinkles in the shenandoah valley. and it's a mild and muggy morning from the blue ridge to the bay. temperatures near 70. 73 in washington. eastn shore is muggy this morning and warm in the low 70s. a little less humid out in the mountains. dew points in the 60s. but look at theew point, washington at 70, the dew point eastern shore 72. that is sweltering humidity. so throughout the day today, we'll have a little sun in and out, highs reaching mid-80s, but a likelihood of much needed rain, maybe some thunderous shower, as well, midafternoon into the evening. we'll look at the friday forecast in ten minutes. let's check in with jerry to see if there are any problems on the roadways. so far so good. at least close in.

66, everything moving along pretty well hey market on in with the lanes reported open for you. so that's good to go. elsewhere, traveling south of town to the wilson bridge, no worries there. okay to silver spring and picking up a little volume inner loop leaving springfield up toward 66 in tyson's corner, but no major accidents on the interstates thus far. president obama has spent weeks urging lawmakers to embrace his health care agenda, now he's shifting his focus to a broader and more distant audience. >> that would be the american people whose qualms about his plan seem to be growing. mr. obama defends his mid august deadline for the house and senate action in a prime time news conference last night. >> kimberly joins us now in our studio with the latest. >> you know, change is scary for a lot of people and the president said this is not about him, he admits to having great health insurance, as does every member of congress. he says it's about the 47

million americans who are not as fortunate. one of president obama's overriding goals here, to provide universal coverage so that 98% of our population has access to health care. >> if we do not control these costs, we will not be able to control our deficit. if we do not reform health care, your premiums and out of pocket costs will continue to sky rocket. if we don't act, 14,000 americans will continue to lose their health insurance every single day. these are the consequences of inaction. if you don't set deadlines in this town, things don't happen. the default position is inertia because doing something always creates some people who are unhappy. there's always going to be some interests out there that decides, you know what, the status quo is working for me a little bit better. and the fact that we have made

so much progress where we've got doctors, nurses, hospitals, even the pharmaceutical industry, aarp, saying that this makes sense to do, i think means that the stars are align and we need to take advantage of that. >> in the first part of that could you tell the president was reading a prepared statement. in the second, answering questions, president obama also spent time talking about how to pay for the plan saying 2/3 of the costs would be deficit neutral, paid for by tax money already spent. some democrats and many republicans stilltand in opposition to this plan because of the price tag, $1 trillion. and the potential it raise taxes even if just on upper income wage eshers. j earners. the missing mental health records for the virginia tech gunman have found. seung-hui cho's files turned up. dr. miller allegedly removed the

records more than a year before cho killed 22 people and himself in april of 2007. tim kaine says it's unclear why the former clinic director took the files home. >> obviously the panel that did the review at my direction of the circumstances did not have that file, family members of those who re injured or killed have not had access to able to see that information. seung-hui cho's parents have not been able to see the information. so it's important that that information be shared. >> some victims' families say the discovery raises questions about the thoroughness of the criminal investigation. u.s. park police have a warning for early morning run r runners after a woman was sexually assaulted. it happened at 3w th far in the area of bingham and beach drives. megan mcgrath is live in northwest washington with more on this story. >> reporter: between morning the sun was up, it was 7:00 in the morning, but some of these bik paths go through some pretty isolated heavy wooded areas of rock creek park.

police say the female jogger was on a path near beach drive south of bingham road when a man grabbedler and sexually assaultsed her. police say the victim had seen the attacker earlier on the jog. she encountered him again a short time later and that's when he pulled her into the wood. >> he shaved of alcohol and prior to the assault, either the ngctim or a witness observed thi re looking for talking to himself in spanish. >> reporter: the suspect is described as a hispanic male in his 30s, he's 5'7" to 5'10", has a stocky build, black wavy shoulder length hair and was wearing a t-shirt and blue jeans at the time of this attack. anyone with information, are you asked to call u.s. park police and, of course, joggers who run on these paths in rock creek, you're asked to be extra careful and jog with other people, not alone.

back to you. . >> megan, thank you. and new today, some students from our area might soon be released from quarantine in china. the teens were hospitalized after several in their group came down with the swine flu. the students come from several different schools as part of a cultural exchange program at the university of maryland. now a trip organizer tells the "washington post" that the students could be released from qua quarantine tomorrow. they'll be free to finish their trip this china. it's 5:37. a six-foot long shark found laying in the middle of the street. plus a local man ticketed for driving too slowly on a local highway. >> and how your cell phone can be used to prevent from you getting a speeding ticket.@( odr

blast. >> sign up te reivilcemae-s from the melting pot and you'll receive a could you on for a free fondue. it is just about 5:41. that means we'll check traffic and weather. it's a steamy summer morning. we have low gray clouds passing over the potomac river. about 20 minutes away from sunrise. and right now on radar off to the east and southeast, we have some showers and a little bit of thunder where you see those

areas of orange getting heavy down pours right near chesapeake beach, northern st. mary's, coming into eastern charles county heading up in to southern prince george's. elsewhere, really heavy down pours just south of cambridge. these are all heading off to the north this morning. a little bit of thunder and lightning, but no severe storms. and far to our west, we have a few sprinkles shenandoah valley. a muggy morning. temperatures in the low to mid-70s. mid to upper 60s points west and north. some rain as well from the outer banks up to the delaware bay. and for today, partly sunny, highs mid-80s and a likelihood some of needed showers and maybe some thundershowers this afternoon into the evening hours. and that should be dissipating by midnight. and then a cloudy start this morning. partly cloudy, not as humid, light breezes out of the ma highs reaching thesouthwest. highs reaching the mid-80s. a look at the weekend in ten

minutes. jerry, good morning. how is the thursday traffic? top side of the beltway no worries so far. very good news. inner loop, outer loop, right at the interchange at connecticut avenue, outer loop typical for this time of the morning picking up some volume respect but the travel lanes are open. do have a little problem in northern virginia with an accident just reported. northbound lanes of i-95 just above triangle before you get to dumfries, police are on the scene. i believe it will be the left side of the roadway tied up, so you folks coming up from fredericksburg and continuing on up 95, look out for that. a serious crash. nevertheless, it is reported to be in the roadway. it is now 5:42. how about your cell phone? could it help and you void a traffic ticket? plus, the cash for clunkers is revving up. next at 5:45, why some think the program

it is now 5:44. updating our top stories, president obama is continuing his push for health care reform with a visit to the cleveland clinic today. the president said his trip is aimed at highlighting a system that works well and is a role model for the type of change americans want. police have a warning for joggers in rock creek park after a woman was ripped off a path and sexually assaulted. the attack happened yesterday morning in the area of bingham and beach drives. the woman was eventually able to get away. and met stroe planning to work with a maryland based company to design a backup for their train control system. according to the "washington post," that system is supposed to prevent crashes. ntsb investigators have still not pinpointed the cause of last month's deadly crash that killed nine people. the so-called cash for clunkers incentive program starts its engine soon. today chrysler's program to get older cars off the road and simulate new car sales kicks off, but not everyone thinks the car allowance rebate system is

headed in the right direction. tracy wilkins joins us live with more on this. >> reporter: good morning. the program definitely has some critic, but this is a federal voucher program that's as good as cash back. and the idea was to jump-start some greener car sales and chrysler is taking it one step further. and why not? since you may be able to make some money if you decide to get rid of your old car and buy a new more fuel efficient one. sgl people are really excited about this because it seems like found money to the upper. >>eporr: under a new government program beginning today, if your old car gets 18 miles per gallon or less and is in drivable condition, and you you've owned it at least a year, you can qualify for a new car that's more fuel efficient. four miles per gallon for the cars, two for suvs. the cash back with be $3500 to $4500 depending on the gas you save in the trade in. >> in the environment we're in, a program like this is heaven

sent. >> reporter: chysler taking the program one step further by offering up to $4500 cash back for trade-ins in addition to the government money. how much cash back you get depends on the new vehicle you purchase. and as for your trade-in. >> those cars are be scrapped. >> reporter: some critics say the limited $1 million whom pra system not a good use of taxpayer dollars and won't really do enough for the environment. consumers could still buy hummers and suvs understand the law. >> what began as a reasonable idea to get clunkers off the road and try to move some more efficient vehicles in their said has been hijacked by the auto industry and some of its friends in congress. >> reporter: you can take advantage of the government voucher program at any dealership and it will run through november 1st or until the money runs out. chrysler's matching that government voucher will be happening until the end of august. tracy wilkins live in alexand a alexandria. and for more information on the cash if clunkers program,

visited federal government's website at cars.gov. prosecution witnesses took the stand once again in the trial of bow knee that jacks. s d.c. money has pled not guilty in the death of her four daughters. their bodies were found in january of 2008. a social worker and police officer who went to check on the welfare of the children testified yesterday. th said they were not even aware there were four daughters in the home. the girls' bodies were so badly decomposed medical examiners could not determine the cause of their death. police in prince george's county areracking down on pawn shops. they say they're targeting stores that sell stolen goods. yesterday they showned up about $75,000 worth of merchandise recovered in the initiative. police are also putting officers with desks jobs out on the streets one day a week. the chief says that's working. although burglaries are up 3% in prince george's county, police say the crime overall is down 14%. forget speeding tickets.

a man in our area is upset for police turned him own for driving too slowly. tuesday eaves driving on route 50 east of the beltway in prince george's county. that's when something unexpected happened to him. >> on route 50rks the speed limit is 55, and i was pulled over by a maryland state trooper and when i asked him why i was pulled over, he said that i was going too low and he issued me an $80 ticket for going 58 in a 65. >> what's more, he says he was pulled over just yards before a 65-mile-an-hour sign. he thinks he was stopped in an area where the speed limit was actually 55. he says he will fight his ticket in court. police say they're looking in to the matter p. "the real world" is filming and that's causing a real headache for some neighbors in the area. the reality show taping at a mansion bringing in lights and cameras and television magic. adam rosenburg lives across the street and is so frustrated he's

taking his complaints for twitter. >> people hanging out outside and they're drinking, watching "the real world" and then someone shoves somebody and people get into a fight. >> but not everyone has a problem with all the extra attention. chris wiggins, for instance, runs pages on twitter that follow every move of "the real world" cast. he says he has sources who tell him exactly where the cast members will be and when. >> i think some people think it's fun to follow them, but i can imagine why the thabs in that area -- >> maybe you wouldn't appreciate it. >> too much commotion. >> the real sky we have is clogged with clouds this morning and the air is filled with humidity. it's a typical delay morning. steamy start to this thursday. good morning. there are the low gray clouds over pat toe mac. 73 this washington. and as we take a look atr,soe hn ve go have some showers andleli o t t and the temperatures around a n d the temperatures around the region are in the low 70s, near

07 in montgomery, fairfax and prince george's, upper 60s farther to our west and north. and around the neighborhood network, princebo william counta steamy 69, dew pointevwhheeren m whenever the dew point and he temperature are very close that's near 100% humidity. and we've fwt a very light south easterly breeze .on the eastern shore, low 70s, upper 60s out in the mountains. not qui as humid there. look at the steamy dew point of 07 in washington, 72 in salisbury, very humid down around the outer banks as well as at the atlantic beaches where they have rain. getting a little bit of thunder and lightning right near cam bridge and a few sprinkles in st. mary's as well as maybe some brief moderate down pours northern neck of virginia into st. mary's. this is all heading off to the north. and a few sprinkles the potomac highlands. if you're traveling today, could be flight delays from florida all the way up to the carolina

and new england and throughout much of the midwest an the west, though shoorks not have any travel problems. maybe some storms west texas, southern new mexico and arizona. our part of the world, we've got the humidity that is really building. in fact, there is a semitropical system circulating away here off the southeast coast of the carolinas. it does not appear that it will turn into a tropical system, but it that as lot of moisture with it. heading off to the north. so likely fly delays later on this afternoon. this is all associated with an area of low pressure to our west as well as the tropical moisture off the coast. and we've got a hot of humidity out ahead of this cool front. behind that, it is less humid and some of that lower humidity will be moving in as we get into tomorrow. now, going forward over the next 36 hours, this area of green and blue, this is a zone of potential, showers and down pours that may be moving in here by late this afternoon and then overnight tonight, we certainly do need the rain. this is the driest july on record as reagan national, so this ought to help us out.

and tomorrow morning, things will begin to settle down, only a small chance of an isolated shower tomorrow afternoon. otherwise partly cloudy and less humid for friday and into saturday. but then as we get into late saturday and sunday,umidity returns. so for today, for this thursday, maybe always sun in and out tsi morning. by noon, near s80. our sunrise is in about eight rerates and sunset will be at nt inins hi s t ay the be nd maybe some and be nd a thundershowers nationals andde cdi tar httionals and cardinals tonight at nationals park. game time temperature first pitchone im t7:05 ought to be about 80 degrees. and then after thathim ie0s 7n and maybe some passing showers and thundershowers all the way into around midnight or so, so there could be some rain delays in tonight's game. and then tomorrow morning near 70 and mostly cloudy. then on friday, it looksik l itl will be a little less mid, i highs in to the mid-80s. and it will be a bit breezy, too. good weather forliai sngthn ee bay on saturday. looks like it will be rather blustery day and sunny and hot,

up around 90. gegeing a little more humid by saturday night. thenteamy weather moves in on sunday, highs in the upper 80s. and a chance for some afternoon and evening thunderstorms. st tirt f tar p of next we,ar remaining summer li. t and humid, hig the0s 8n t0s 8 to near 90. i antd looks like it wi be partly cloudy. there falha cesias p passing thundershowers monday, tuesday, and wednesday. tht looking depend at the radar is morning, we do have som of these heavy downpours right now in the lower part ofmary'sry tystern charles county, no rnhe an aun r undell. o f o drifting f hetoofth n tor and f ofto the nth andor unloading quite a bit of needed rain there and some thunder and lightning this morning. i-95 north bound, report of

an accident just above the triangle. i've not been able to find it in any of the traffic cameras. doesn't necessarily mean it's not there, but right new, it loobs like the traffic flow is pretty decent along i-95 authority bound. so we're hopeful that maybe authorities moved it out of the roadway. coming in from queens town to the bay bridge, looking pretty good. 13 minutes from the bay bridge to i 97. after that, from 301 to the beltway just accept minutes. all travel lanes reported open. back to to you. time now for the jaws of the street. investigators in south florida are trying to figure out how a shark ended up in the middle of the street. this six foot along nurse shark was found on a road in overtown this week. police suspect it may have been dumped there by two people who tried unsuccessfully to sell the protected species to local restaurants.

new radar technology is being consider that helps prevent bird strikes. back in january, a flock of geese took out both engines forcing it to land on the hudson river and about two weeks ago, 40 birds forced an emergency landing in baltimore. now boston is testing a new technology. it's a radar system originally built for the military known as merlin. >> we have horizontal radar tracking bird movements four to six miles around the airport and then avert dal coveraging the approach in the departure errorky door. >> each of these green dots are birds moving on or arounds air field. it would trigger an alert in the tower where controllers could give pilots the warping they need. new software for your cell phone could help you avoid an expensive traffic ticket with the data from trapster.com, your cell phone alerts you blocking in advance about red light cameras and speed traps. it collects the information from motorists, volunteers and stach

members. then it's added to a very detailed map viewable on your computer or smart phone. some police chiefs don't like the software because their cities make so many money from red light cameras and from speeding tickets. we're fining jobs for you, the wdc medical training snsh in landover is looking for a dialysis coordinator. candidates should have ten years of die at sis and five years nursing experience. if you are interested, go to nbcwashington.com and search jobs for you for more information. and new at 6:00 this morning, the first lady's mother visit as group of children in d.c. and talks about what it's like to live in the white house. the senate deal as major blow to the nra. >> tom says get ready for some showers later today. >> and we'll have the latest on your weather and traffic on the 1s coming up. stay with us. "news 4 today" continues.

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the president goes prime time to explain why a health care reform plan needs to get done now and how it will also benefit the economy. a woman on an early morning jog dragged into the bushes and sexually assaultsed in rock creek park. good morng an welcome back to news 4 today. i'mebkrs. joe krebs. >> this is thursday, july 23rd, 2009. we'll take a look outside now at 6:00. 73 degrees out there. lots of clouds overhead. >> looks like a down comforter above us. those clouds are a little bit lower and producing some

rain right now in southern maryland. you see the yellows and geanorsn the moderate to heavy in .ra no nt rihe tthecern nhek ofou tn rginia through southern saints mary's county, across the bay to dorchester county rightear n came bridge, you'cam eaet vydgetiyou'et gng rain. t huofbi and tnderht l ttig nit binghunder tnd lightning waldorfn i fas eaerlen ar ich countyve cve c ad he anne ardel county. that will be moving right through anim annapolis over the next hour or so. the'srehetor's ecory. ftodaas it's mild and muggy now. the low 70s around washington. by 9:00,to aid mnd upper 70s. by nn,r neaid 80 and a lot of clouds around this afternoon. the mid-80s, it will be humid and a neld likihooof needed showers and maybe some thunder and lightning, only a slight chance of an isolated storm that madat produce some wind ge ontinue as lll chance of that. y e that may continue a

bit into tonight, as well. a look at friday, that will be coming up in ten minutes. let's look at thursday, though. here's jerry edwards in the news 4 traffiat network. let's take a drive up and down 95 in virginia. the exit for route 17, so far so good as the northbound flow. a lot of folks headed south. maybe headed on vacation. right now the good news is no hangups to report around the tread rifredericksburg area. we do have an exit at the exit for south capital street. southeast corridors are fine. in worry so is far. so far he he's optimistically on i-270. back to you. in the new, president obama takes his push for health care reform on the road to ohio today. he used his fourth prime time news conference last night to say the refor is essential to the nation's economic recovery. he also cald af ait a role mode for the type of change americans want. brooke hart has more now from

capitol hill. >> a lot of americans may be wondering what's in this for me. >> reporter: president obama tried to rita control of the health care debate. he focused on what americans have to gain an lod lose from reform. what will they sacrifice he was asked? >> they'll have to gef up pive paying for things that don't make them healthier. and i think that's the kind of change you want. >> reporter: critics spent the day raising questions on on cost and timing. >> most americans don't even like this health care bill. they don't want it, it will raise taxes. so what's the rush? >> reporter: the president said the rush is for reef. >> i letters every day from families that are being clobbered by health care costs. >> reporter: to help them, the president said he'd back a house proposal to raise taxes on millionaires. it would be the first tax hike in 16 years. >> time for the president to scrap the plan they've been

working on in the house. >> reporter: but the president did not bunch on insisting the cost not drive up the deficit. >> health care reform is not going to add to that deficit. it's designed to lower it. that's part of the reason why it's so important to do. and to do now. >> reporter: he hinted a window of opportunity will close. >> the stars are align ped and we need to take advantage of that. >> reporter: another call to a divided congress. as for bipartisan critics, the president praised most of them saying they've improved measures now before congress. today he will point to the cleveland clinic in ohio as proof americans can get the best health care for less money. in washington, brooke hart, nbc news. and the number of americans who disapprove of the president's health care plan has jumped to 43% according to the latest ap poll. that's compared with 28% back in april. investigators have not officially rule order what cause that had deadly metro cash, but metro says it's working on a backup system for the train control system that was supposed

to prevent such collision. that's according to the "washiton post." the move comes after the ntsb said the system is inadequate and urged met tro he to add a continuous backup system. metro's general manager admits the system did not uncover faulty circuits -- or did, rather, uncover fault si circuits on four lines, however, he says it is not a widespread problem. those circuits are being fixed or replaced. a warn to go anyone planning to take a morning jog. police in the district are asking you to be on alert after a woman was sexually assaulted while running in rock creek park. it happened around 7:00 yesterday morning in the area of bingham and beach drives. megan mcgraph joins us with more. >> reporter: well, good morning. on rock creek park is very popular with joggers and police say the victim here was out for her morning run at 7:00 yesterday morning. she was on a bike path in the park near beach drive -- the

suspect kribed as a hispanic man in his 30s, 5'7" to 5'10". stocky build. black, wavy, shoulder length hair, was wearing a t-shirt and blue jeans at the time of the attack. anyone with information onhe suspect, you are asked to call u.s. park police and also police are reminding people who jog or bicycle or use the path here in rock creek to be extremely careful and if at all possible don't go alone, go out on your morning jog or your evening jog in groups. back to you. >> good advice. thank you. new today, sixeople are injured in a drive by shooting during a community rally at texas southern university. a student was among those seriously injured on the houston

campus. everyone is expected to survive. witnesses say a car drove by and opened fire on a parking lot. police think the shooting was gang-related. more than between years after the virginia tech shootings, the gunman's mental health records have now been found. seung-hui cho's missing files turned up up at the home of the former director of the campus clinic. authorities say that dr. robt miller removed those records more than a year before cho killed 32 people and himself in april of 2007. virginia governor tim kaine says it's unclear why the former clinic director took files home. some victims' families say that this discovery raises new questions now about the thoroughness of the criminal investigation. time is 6:07. why the michael jackson death investigation now stretches from southern california to houston, texas. new cases of lyme disease are popping up across the area. what you need to know to protect yourself. the senate should sign a new gun bill and hands the nra a fluorescent light bulbs.

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passing over the potomac river. that's the live picture from our city camera. now producing any rain here, but we do have clouds producing some moderate to heavy down pours in eastern charles county, northern calvert and southern anne arundel county as well as southern st. mary's county. a little bit of thunder and lightning. elsewhere, no precipitation. a few sprinkles this morning in the shenandoah valley, but those have it dissipated. near 380 by noon, but quite a b of cloudiness. midafternoon, mid-80s and a likelihood of needed showers. and then by dawn on on friday, cloudy, near 70, but a little less humid tomorrow and turning partly cloudy. highs reaching the mid-80s. how is the thursday commute? boring. i guess that's a between thing.

on the beltway south of town headed for van duran street, no hangups getting through the lane 134ri9. all lanes appear to be moving along pretty well. so good news there. let's see what else is happening if anything at all. headed for downtown, had an accident earlier we told you about east bound on the freeway south capital street, but 395 to the 14th street bridge, a few brake lights, but not too bad. good time to get going if you're headed on in this morning. back to you. a home invasion in northern virginia ends with police arresting a naked man. the attorney for michael jackson's did dr. is now yoopg the word manslaughter as the star's death stro etthch pesop st's death stretch in to i

president obama says he supports a tax on families making more than $1 million a year to help pay for his sweeping health care overhaul. in a prime time news conference last night, he added that he'll reject any measure primarily funded by taxing middle class families. warping joggers ins district after a woman was dragged off a path in rock creek park and sexually assaulted. this happened around 7:00

yesterday morning near bingham and beach drives. and six people are injured in a drive-by shooting at texas southern university, all victims expected to survive. the shooting happened during a community rally billed as a family block party. police think the violence was gang-related. today we've learned new details in the investigation into michael jackson's death. the l.a. county coroner's office has subpoenaed records related to the pop star's treatment by nurse track teschner. cherilyn lee has said that she refused to help jackson obtain the said tedative diprivan. yesterday they searched dr. murray's clinic. >> searching for drugs or just records? >> no drugs, sir. this is just records. >> investigators have also said they want to interview murder froi a third time. the coroner is waiting for a toxicology report to determine how jackson died. a powerful anesthetic was found

inside the singer's home. murray's attorney says investigators were seeking evidence for possible manslaughter charges. a plan that would have allowed anyone with a concealed weapons permit in one state to carry a gun into another state was shot down in the senate. opponents say the bill would have created a national requirement that would have forced states with tough gun restrictions to let in gun carriers with from states with looser standards. 48 states had concealed weapons permits laws with various restrictions. illinois and wisconsin are the only two states that do not have any concealed weapons laws. in news for your health, they look like cigarettes, but they're supposed to be a safer alternatives. many smokers are turning to e-cigarettes, but the fda call it is a dangerous habit, as well. jay gray reports. >> reporter: for years now, phyllis like millions of americans have been sneaking outside for a smoke. she has cut back recently, though frrks two pack as day to one every three or four day,

switching instead to an he can tronnic or e-cigarette that manufacturers claim is it a healthier alternative. >> my dtor is thrilled. i'm thrilled. >> reporter: the fda is not. their preliminary tests show e-cigarettes contain several carcinogens and other toxic chemicals, including a key ingredient found in antifreeze. >> we're concerneded about how they're being marketed, what's in there, and we certainly don't think people should be using them. >> reporter: but thousands are. in just three year, e-cigarettes have become a $100 million business. >> what i'll tell people is to reload with 10 to 15 drops. >> reporter: now several shipments from chinese manufacturers to distributors like steve in chicago have been seized p by authorities. along with those who had hoped the battery operated cigarettes were a safer way to smoke. jay gray, nbc news. >> the fda is also concerned that e-cigarettes have been an

alternative for those too young to buy tobacco products. the industry says the study ways too narrow to reach any valid conclusions. from the woods to downtown d.c., new cases of lyme disease are popping up all across our area. the disease is carried by small ticks which can then pass it on to humans help fairfax county have seen the numbers of cases double in the past year. and that's why county leaders held a public forum last night to alert people about the t debilitating disease. >> our daughter has gone from think a singer and dancer to being wheelchair bound and really paralyzed from the waste down and no use of her hands and lower extremities and and all related to lyme disease. >> to avoid ticks, experts say you should stay out of tall grass where they often lie or cover up your skin. should you also watch out for any rash that looks suspicious. now to a fairly bizarre situation in know that is satisfies. police say they had to use a stun gun on a naked home

invader. police say a man was dozing on the sofa when suddenly he woke up to find a man standing over him screaming. and naked. the intruder eventually went out to the porch and the victim locked him out. good krd. the naked man was still making a ruckus when police arrived. they say they tasered him after he refused to obey their commands. police arrested 22-year-old zack ray catlin of dumfries. he's fays several charges, including public drunkenness and indecent exposure. >> just another danger of drinking too much, i guess. >> absolutely. don't look now, but the nats are on a bear minimum winning streak. here's your sports minute. good morning. your sports minute starts with a two game winning streak for your nationals. last night craig pitched another gem. he went seven plus innings and gave up just one run.

josh womening ham had a career night, went 4-4, including the game winning home run. the nationals beat the mets 3-1, they have won two in a row. the nats star a series with the cards tonight. as for the orioles, they can't beat the yankees. who are say posada hit a home run a and they complete the sweep. world teen ten nirks your washington castles are playoff bound. they beat the lasers to climpg the final playoff spot. and how about wizard center? mcgee after imprettying some of the higher ups at usa basketball during summer league, he was invited to the team usa mini camp. mcgee will be there along with local guys jeff green and kevin durant. that's your sports minute. everybody have a great thursday. we'll check traffic and weather on the 1s. tom? >> between morning. it's a muggy thursday morning.

clouds clog our sky and on radar, we have some rmoderate downpours. eastern charles, southern southeastern prince george's county, these are heading off to the north. temperatures are muggy this morning. it's 37 in washington, near 70 in montgomery, fairfax and prince george's county. partly sunny today, near 08 by noon, and a likelihood of needed rain, maybe some showers and thunderstorms from midafternoon all the way into this evening, which might interrupt the cardinals game at nationals park tonight. first pitch 7:05. should be around 80 degrees. do have some raindelays. and then tomorrow, mid-80s, less humid, partly cloudy, hot and not quite as humid again on saturday. but turning more humid saturday night into sunday. could get some late day thundershowers on sunday, highs in the upper 80s. a look at next week remaining steamy and hot. and a slight chance of a afternoon thundershowers monday, tuesday and wednesday. how is the thursday traffic?

270 southbound doing fine so far this morning. a little bit of volume that's about it. no accidents or incidents. between new there is. northbound, smooth sailing, extremely light volume of traffic if you're headed on up toward frederick on the northbound side. elsewhere, things looking pretty good route 50 over the bay bridge. no worries yet, but, again, this time those rain showers move up there certainly will slow traffic. wilson bridge, lanes are open. 66 and the it toll road still moving along quite nice. back to you. it is now 6:22. the rare speeding ticket one maryland man received when he was pulled over for driving 58 miles an hour. and how a smashing ends up in the middle of a street. >> but first here's your liz on the money, money tip of the day. college students need to know as much about money as their parents. here are a couple of tips. don't hang out with the big spenders. you're probably competing with their parents' deep pockets.

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gó 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. cannot watch tv, they can

only wooch an a day. but they are at age now where they'd rather read books or play games with themselves. so grandma is beginning to feel left out. >> well, a taste of life inside the white house for the first grandmother, michelle obama's mother marian robinson took questions yesterday while read to go students in southwest washington. mrs. robinson says it's an overwhelming feel to go have a daughter married to the president. sharks are not particularly rare in southern florida ups, of course, they're in the streets. investigators are trying to figure out how this six foot along nurse shark ended up on a road invertown this week. police suspect it may have been dumped there by two people who tried unsuccessfully to sell the protected species to local restaurants. wild life officials say the suspect could face clarnls for killing the shark and for trying to sell it without a license. get toward shop. stores are already rolling out big back to school sales. health care reform and the economy are t the only topics

president obama addressed in his prime time news conference. what he had to say about race relations in the wake of the recent arrest of a prominent black scholar. a crime alert this morning, a woman on an early morning jog is drag fld to the bushes and sexually assaulted in rock creek ññ?

the president's prescription. president obama outlines his health care reform plan in a prime time press conference. how he plans to pay for it all and does he have the support of congress. a woman on an early morning jog is pulled off a path and sexually assaulted in croc creek park. welcome back to news 4 today. >> today thursday, july 23rd, 2009. one more look outside on this thursday morning.

it is 73 degrees. >> it looks like a wet day morning with those clouds above us. >> yeah, we have tho low grade clouds that are plowing rain. this is the driest .rde record. g fawi ininra lowth n fallinwitnoogh tg,,n i l lid ghtng, too, inint. s ryma county. ryere this modat reain there id drifting north into annapolis in the next few minutes. on theastern shore, he srey' getting moderate to heavy rainr there and that is a batch of continuing to track off to the north, as llwe elsewhere, just a few sprinkles tout in western maryland and southern shenandh vy.le an and the temperatures are muggy montgomery, fairfax. and easternore. an otutd idumutn i in the 60s there. quite a bit of rain from the outer ban rloig aht the a atlantic beaches now. mg inovthrough. for us later on y,datoin highs

mid-80s. ke olihood f needed rain fromho midafternoon all the way into this evening. a look at the friday forecast in ten minutes. let's take a look at the thursday traffic. here's jerry edwards in the news 4 traffic network. we'll start this time around over on the dulles toll road as you make the trip out of herndon to rest ton, continuing toward the beltway looking pretty good on the westbound toll road out there for the dulles green way. we had i-95 doing fine. southeast corridor, 295 to the 11th street bridge, pennsylvania avenue to the sousa, all a-okay so far. back to you. president obama heads to ohio today to campaign for his health care reform plan. the president used his fourth prime time news conference last night to explain why the plan needs to get done now. and he urged congress not to time. anymore news 4's kimberly sutter joins

us with more republican. >> reporter: president obama slaining how to pay for it. 2/369 plan would be by cutting wasteful spending.other third by higher taxes. the president vows to reject any measure that's primarily funded through taxing middle class families propose to go tax families making more than $1 million a year. but he tried to speak directly to you whether you have health insurance or you don't. >> if you have health insurance, the reform we're proposing will provide you with more security and more stability. it will keep government out of health care decisions giving ultimate option to keep your insurance if you're happy with it. it will prevent insurance companies from dropping your coverage if you get too sick. it will give you the security of knowing that if you lose your job, if you move, or if you change your job, you'll still be able to have coverage.

it will limit the amount your insurance company can force you to pay for your medical costs out of your own pocket and it will cover preventive care like checkups and mammograms that save lives and money. if you don't have health insurance or you're a small business looking to cover your employees, you'll be able to choose a quality, affordable health plan through a health insurance exchange, a marketplace that promotes choice and competition. finally, no insurance company will be allowed to deny you coverage because of a pre-existing medical condition. >> the president says this is not about him. he admits to having great health insurance as does every member of congress. he says it's about the 47 million americans who are not as fortunate and about his commitment to universal health care. some republicans have urged the president to scrap the plan and start over citing major concerns about the 1 trltd price tag. joe, back to you to you. president obama also used the occasion to say that police acted, quote, stupidly for

arresting a prominent black scholar who was forcing his way into his own home. a disorderly conduct charge was later dropped against henry lewis gates jr. arc world famous professor at harvard. his front door was stuck, so he tried to pull it open. a bystander called police thinking there might have been a burglary going on. police say gates refused to show i.d. at first and accused of officer at racism. gates says he did show his i.d. and was arrested in his own home. >> i don't know not having been there and not seeing all the facts what role race played in that, but i think it' fair to say, number one, any of us would be pretty angry. number two, that the cambridge police acted stupidly in arresting somebody when there was already proof that they were in their own home. >> mr. obama add that had america has a long history of racial profiling and that police need to improve their techniques to eliminate potential bias. meanwhile, the officer who

arrested gates says he was following procedure and that he will not apologize. police in the district are asking joggers to be on alert of a taker woman was sexually assaulted while running in rock creek park. it happened around 7:00 yesterday morning in the area of bingham and beach drives. news 4 megan mcgraff joins us with more. good morning. >> reporter: good morning. rock creek park of course very popular with jogger, but people who use these trails are being urged to take caution after a woman was attacked here yesterday morning. she was on a bike path near beach drive south of bingham road. police say they saw a man in the area, but continued on. when she encountered him again a short time later, he pulled her into the woods and sexually assaulted her. >> he was unshaven and apparently smelled of alcohol and prior to the assault, either the victim or a witness observed the same subject that we're looking for talking to himself in spanish.

>> reporter: the suspect is still on the loose. people who use the park are being so n so in groups, not alone. >>nd a thend suspect is describ as a hispanic man in his,0s 3 to s5'10" ck sy yil build. he has black,, wavy,vy shoulder length hair and was wearing a t-shirt and blue jeans at the time. list are still trying to catch up with this individual. he has not been arrested. people are being urged to, again, use the park in groups if you're jogging. don't do it alone. go out with other people. if at all possible. and, of course, if you have any information, contact u.s. park police. back to you. >> megan, thank you. now to developing story in southeast washington. police are investigating a deadly shooting. it happened in the 1200 block of eaton street. when police arrived, they found one person dead. officers found a second person also shot, that person was taken to the hospital with nonlife

threatening injuries. the identity of the victims are unknown at this time. new today, students from our area might soon be released from an quartine in china. the teens were hospitalized when several in their group came down with the swine flu. the students came from several different schools as part of a exchange program at the university of maryland. now a trip organizer tells the "washington post" that the students could be release from quarantine tomorrow as long as they show no symptoms. they will then be freeo extend their stay and finish their trip in china. 6:37 is the time now. metro makes a new announcement about service on e red line today and tomorrow. a local man is furious about a ticket he was recently given. he was going seven miles an hour under the speed limit. and beginning this week, you can get thousands of dollars in cash for turning in an old gas guzzler when you buy a new car. why some say this is not qua.de

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means we'll check traffic and weather. >> it is a muggy thursday morning. there's a view of the potomac river this morning and some low gray clouds hanging over capitol ll. and from fort washington and great falls, a steamy morning under way. and on radar, we have some showers, some moderate showers where you see the yellow in st. mary's, southern prince george's, central anne arundel county as well as on the eastern shore. that's drifting to the north into talbot county and heading on up toward queen anne's county, too, over the next half hour or so. off to our west getting one shower there, the western shenandoah valley in frederick county, virginia that's drifting to the north. another one just to the south of harrisonburg. temperatures around the region are in the low 70s all around washington and southern maryland near the bay. a little bit cooler west where it's not quite as humid.

a likelihood of needed rain, main thunder and lightning into all the wae late evening and then cloudy tomorrow morning. here's the friday stfocare. not as humid, highs in the mid-80s. a look at the weekend in ten minutes. we came across an accident montgomery village area. fire trucks are just right down the streets, so they should be arriving on the scene. a couple vehicles, two vans maybe rear ended each other there. so we'll keep you updated on that. headed for downtown, 395 northbound, pretty heavy and slow noun across the 14th street bridge. keep in mind we had the accident on the eastbound freeway at the exit for south capital street. police are getting that out of the roadway. the government cash for clunkers plan start this is week, but some say it's not a good deal as car dealerships

also look into cash in. the rare speeding ticket one maryland man received when he was pulled orcave

usually at this time every thursday, adrian fenty join us live, but the mayor was able to make it today. he will be back with us next thursday, though, at 6:45 a.m until then, if you do have a question for him, you can send us an e-mail. fenty at nbc oig and we'll pass it on to the mayor. starting today, drivers will be getting cash for clunkers because a new incentive program is making its debut. but not everyone thinks it's a good idea. tracy has administer on this story. good morning. >> reporter: good morning. who would have thought that your the government is willing to pay for you aen effort to get the economy jumping again when it comes to cars. some folks are saying this is not a good idea. and why not since you may be able to make some money if you sdoi get rid of your old car and

buy a new more fuel-efficient one. >> >> people are really excited about it because it seems like found money to the consumer. >> reporter: under new government programs beginning today, if your old car gets 18 miles an hour per gallon or less, is in drivable condition and proof that you've owned it for one year, you can qualify for a new car about that but if must be more fuel efficient by at least four miles an hour for car, two for suvs. the cash back will be $3500 to $4500 depends on the gas you'll save on the trade-in. chrysler is taking the program one step further by offering up to $4500 cash back for trade-ins in addition to the government money. how much cash back you get depends on the new vehicle you purchase. and as for your trade-in -->> we'll have to send them to a salvage yard. >> reporter: some critics say the estimated $1 billion program is not a good use of taxpayer's dollars and won't do enough for the environment since consumers

could still buy hum hadders and suvs under the law. >> what began as a reasonable idea to get clunkers off the roads and try to move some more efficient vehicles in their stead has bean hijacked by the auto industry and some of its friends in congress. >> reporter: in government program will last until november 1st or until the money runs out. chrysler's incentive will be going on until the end of august. tracy wilkins live in alexandria. well, speeding tickets can make anyone upset, but a man in our area is upset that police pulled him over for driving too slowly. tuesday night he was driving on on route 50 east of the beltway in prince george's county when something unexpected happened. >> coming back on on on route 50, the speed limit is 55. and i was pled over by a maryland state trooper and when i asked him why i was pulled over, he said that i was going too slow and he issued me an $80 ticket if going 58 in a 65.

>> what's more, he says he was pulled over just yds before a 65-mile-an-hour sign. he thinks he was stopped in an area where the speed limit was actually 55. he says he will fight his ticket in court. police say they're looking in to the matter. metro says it's working on a backup system for a train control system that is supposed to prevent collisions. investigators have not said what caused last month's deadly crash being but the mtsb says the current train protection system is inadequate. meanwhile, met stroe on the defensive after reports that a technical failure might be widespread. metro has discovered problems with the track circuit, but the general manager says the system is safe. >> there is no comparison between the two whatsoever. what occurred was that we had a circuit, and what we know today, that would not detect the train. what we're finding today is one

over a three day period of time for less than a second. >> metro says the faulty circuits are either being fixed or replaced. it's been operating the trains manually since the crash. now for the first type since the accident, the tacoma station will remain open later than 10:00 p.m. it has been closing regularly early to accommodate investigators working on the tracks. metro announced that the tacoma station will remain all day today and tomorrow. that means it will be open until midnight tonight and 3:00 a.m. tomorrow. passengers should still, however, expect continuing delays nap's 3:00 a.m. going into saturday. on wall street, the nasdaq is in the middle of a winning veek we haven't seen in more than a decade. courtney reagan joins us live with today's business headlines. good morning. >> futur are pushing higher this morning. the nasdaq will attempt to extend its win streak to 12 today.

if it does, it will be the longest stretch in more than 12 years. asian markets did advance overnight. europe is mixed so far. and investors will make their way up another mountain of earnings reports today. we'll get numbers from at&t, mcdonald's and 3 m, and also ford. we'll get reports on new filings for unemployment benefits as we do every thursday and existing home sales a bit later this morning. the dow will start us off at 8881 after falling 34 points on wednesday. the nasdaq added ten point it is to 1926. and walmart is ready for back to school shopping season. the retailer is about expanding its even tore of laptop computers by 40%. starting on sunday, walmart will begin selling an exclusive com pack police sar i don't for $298. it's already offering del life notebooks for $398. they're employing the same strategy it used to become a leading several of the flat screen tvvs. and you can they ever have enough shoes. at least that's what amazon

thinks. the online retailer is buying zappos.com for $847 million expanding further into the apparel business with a well-known name. after unsuccessfully trying to go it alone. zappos sells should you, hand bag zs, watches and other accessories. the company has a fiercely loyal customer base because zap poes is know for its customer service, free shipping and free return policy. i know lots of people that are very, very happy with that company. >> yeah, hard not to buy four or five at a time, reet? >> right. >> thank, have a great day. we're finding jobs for you now. the wdc medical training center is looking for a dialysis cord nature tore. candidate shoes have ten years of dialysis and five years nursing experience. go to nbcwashington.com and search jobs for you for more information. a check of the forecast once again with tom. >> it's front porch weather. good weather for hanging out on the front porch. the air is rather humid this

morning. but not too uncomfortable. the temperatures are in the comfort zone. now 73 in washington. we've got that summer hayes over the jefferson memorial. there's washington skyline in the distance. ud've got some low gray cs lo chauds anging over the potomac rer d as we take a look at radar, those clouds farer the t easro a earroducing some rain. getting sduometinget some passing showers if southern maryland and the eastern shore. temperatures around the region upper 60s thousand in the shenandoah valley, not quite as humid there, but from the blue original to the bay, all the way to to the atlantic beach, it is a steamy summer morning understand way. and as we take a look aund the neighborhood network, in silver spring and montgomery county, temperature 72, the due point almost matching the temperature, so t hitumhesyid iit nearly iani10s this is about the steamiest we've that had so far this summer. eastern shore, very humid this morning. the low 70s there. out in the mountains, it's in the mid-60s at this hour and the dew points are a little drier there compared to the eastern

shore where they're getting some rain now all the way down to near virginia beach. this is sort of an almost tropical system, but it probably won't turn into a tropical depress, but it does have a lot of rain with it heading to the north. probably flight delays later on today from new york, philadelphia, into boston. farther to our west, with very a cool front beginning to move into the ohio valley. that may trigger some storms. so if you're traveling today, flight delays from new england all the way down to florida. maybe some storms in west texas, new mexico and arizona, but the rest of the west is hid.selett here's howlee' wre looking affo w day. by 9:00, mid-70s. and by near 80, daonft ierthnoo nte evening, is cnceor fo needed rarecord s. and pas sicongre sfar. and passing showers are possibly, too, for the game tonit. s there.rain delays and then the rest of the evening, looking perhaps west all the way until midnight and

then by dawn tomorrow, near 70. d rtly cloudy, a little less mihufriday and saturday. hot saturday afternoon, though. then humid on sunday. mi could have some afternoon th .orsrs t part of next week, remaining hidfind and hot and typical mid summer weather. small chance of afternoon thundershowers each day. and that's the way it looks. we're back with frequent updates throughout the "today" show. let's go to jerry now and take another look at the traffic. getting words of a broken down vehicle 95 northbound near the prince william parkway. haven't been able to find it, but go see a lot of heavy traffic as you begin the trip north out of dale city. southbound moving along well. route 50, no accidents or incidents out at the bay bridge coming or going. 270, should find the lanes open. had an accident montgomery village avenue, authorities on the scene. does not appear to be very serious, though. back to you. checking the top stories in the news for today, president

obama will continue his push for health care reform with a visit to the cleveland clinic today. last night, he used a prime time news conference to rally support for the plan. he focused on what american have to gain and lose from reform. >> they'll have to give up paying for things that don't make them healthier. and speaking as an american, i think that's the kind of change you want. >> the president says he thinks 2/3 of the plan can be funded by cutting wasteful spending and redirecting federal funds. he says the other third must come from higher taxes. police are warning joggers in the district after a morning was dragged off a path at rock creek park and sexually assaulted. it happened around 7:00 yesterday morning near bingham and beach drives. it is national zoo keepers a week and every day we'll have a very special morning person, deloris reed, has worked as an animal keep are at the national zoo's conservation and research

senator 21 years. reed loves the elk -- i'm sorry, the eld's deer seen here. they they're an endangered species, so she occasionally works with other hoof animals including gazelles, and even bison. so if you know someone like deloris, e-mail that person's story and picture or even a video to morning person at nbcwashington.com. a florida man was able to rescue his dog from an alligator, but he nearly lost his hand in the process. david's dog was in the backyard and an al late tore appear out of nowhere and snatched him away in his mouth. that's when he grabbed the gator, pried his mouth open and pulled his dog to safety. >> as i'm poking and pulling and she got out pretty easy a i remember just thinking, well,

that was pretty easy. i think i tried to cut through this way, but evidently his head come back. i had my hand in his mouth anyway, so it was close. >> wow. brave. he was bit on the hand. the dog was not seriously injured. >> that dog will be telling that story for quite some time. time is 6:57 and that is news 4 today. thank you for starting your day with us. >> we'll see you later at 11:00. have a great day. xxxxóxoçgñcñc  ñ

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