changing lanes. an effort to ease traffic congestion along a major commute route. what this means and how it will affect drivers during rush hour. eye on speeding. the camera controversy continues across parts of montgomery county. what's going on in area school zones that have some drivers outraged. dangerous dose. major developments in the death investigation of pop star michael jackson. the drug investigators say was in his system when he died. good morning. welcome. we're glad you're up with us this morning. i'm barbara harrison. >> i'm joe krebs. it's the 28th day of july, 2009. warm and muggy even at this hour. 73 degrees on this 28th day of july. >> and meteorologist chuck bell is with us right now to tell us what to expect from our weather today. >> did monday treat you well?

>> pretty well. wasn't bad. >> a little on t tidarm se outet he same fntatmrohe mrot treatment from mother one daysdu get ready tohey no sumthr day summer ek enwed. ere wnashington right now. 73 in now. 73 in nas.poanliannapolis. 71 in baltimore. 71 in prince orna'sge's unco.tya generallrlaai f nicai eda y. lots of haze and humidityut there. the slightest chance for an isolated shower but most of us will stay dry today. >> you must be from baltimore. >> i'm not from baltimore but i speak baltimore. >> thanks a lot. >> no problem. >> let's go to jerry edwards and the news4 traffic network. >> good morning. it's balmer.

t 95 northbound picking up some volume so far as you make the trip out of prince william parkway toward the capital beltway with lanes open. 270 nothing blocking frederick to rockville. i-70 between frederick and that charm city to theortheast of washington looking good no matter how you pronounce it. nsp breaking news out of prince george's county. overnight a famous go-go bar burned to the ground. the brian manner at the knights of columbus hall went up in flames in the 1500 block of southern avenue. no one was injured in the fire. we do have a crew headed to the scene. we'll bring you details and a live report later in the newscast. big changes to a major commuter route in our region and it's expected that changes will ease traffic congestion. >> workers create a new lane on the chain bridge for drivers leaving the district. >> tracee wilkins can tell us

what that means for drivers this morning. >> reporter: good morning. they began work here a month ago. you see way down the road there that turn lane, that is supposed to make the difference for drivers heading from the district to arlington. barriers have been repositioned creating a separate lane for drivers turning right on 123. before all traffic heading to 123 shared a single lane leaving cars trying to make a right turn stuck and a long line. now you have a bit of a right turn lane there. it doesn't take the entire bridge but toward the end you will be able to move over to the right there. this is the chain bridge's first rehab since the early 1980s which is why they're doing this work. they're repainting and repairing and most work happening under the bridge. we're told the project is on schedule and that means that it

should be done by january. i'm tracee wilkins live this morning. barbara and joe, back to you in the studio. >> thank you. in other news, a maryland man brutally beating in a church parking on on christmas eve is speaking out for the first time since that attack. wayne williams had just dropped off his wife for choir practice in college park when 28-year-old shannon washington attacked him with a baseball bat. he was left severely beaten and his wallet and car was stolen. >> i can't see out of my right ey eye. i have seven plates in my face. >> washington was arrested two weeks later and faces up to 28 years in prison. police are looking for clues after a body was discovered in a burned out car in downtown bethesda yesterday found early yesterday morning in the 4900

block of bradley boulevard. inside police discovered a woman's body in the driver's seat. she was later identified as a 45-year-old from takoma park. the cause of death has not been determined. alexandria's police chief will find out if he keeps his job after his drunk driving arrest. he was arrested on saturday night after an accident with another car. according to court documents, police smelled a strong odor of alcohol on baker. according to the same documents, baker admitted to drinking two beers. the document says he failed four field sobriety tests and had a blood alcohol level of .19. more than double the legal limit. today president obama is continuing his efforts to health care reform at the aarp headquarters in washington for an electronic town meeting. up on capitol hill the negotiations continue. republicans say they need a plan that cuts costs before anyone

gets a tax hike. >> the american people expect us to squeeze every dime of savings we can out of the current system. >> however, it appears a bipartisan group of senators is edging closer to a deal. their plan would abandon at least one key democratic priority that large businesses offer coverage to their workers. and today the senate judiciary committee is expected to vote on president obama's first supreme court pick. if confirmed, sonia sotomayor would be the first hispanic justice on the high court and the third woman. two top republicans say they'll vote against her but democrats have enough votes to get her through and almost a certainty that the full senate will confirm sotomayor when she goes before the full senate next week. today space shuttle "endeavour" is getting ready to head back to earth. it's scheduled to undock later this afternoon. "endeavour" is supposed to land at kennedy space center on friday. the weather is too bad for that to happen, the shuttle will have chances on saturday and on

sunday as well. our time is now 5:06. 73 degrees. we've learned now what happened to the king of pop the same day he died. new details are emerging about the health of the co-pilot of that commuter plane that crashed in new york killing everyone on board. why you may want to take extra catch with you if you're looking to park at bwi soon. xx ak

73 degrees out there. a lovely look at the washington monument this morning. good morning. welcome back to "news4 today." let's take a look at "news4 today" bargain blast for you. looking to stock up on school supplies? office max is offering its penny deals now. >> now you can buy packs of crayons for one cent limit three packs per customer. >> give me 100 packs of crayons for $1. >> a penny a package is worth checking out. >> you can only get the same 24 colors each time. >> or eight. >> depending on how many are in the box. i like the big 128 count crayon things. fuchsia yellow. outside this morning, good morning. off to a quiet start across the area. no umbrellas needed for the

morning commute. most of us won't need it later today as only the slightest chance of a shower. getting out the door this morning, rtinsburg, west virginia, 63 degrees. front royal down to 64. gaithersburg, germantown, rockville, around 70 this morning. 70 in ashburn and leesburg down toward falls church. your forecast for today, it's going to be a warm one for sure. highs up near 90 degrees under a mix of clouds and sunshine and then our forecast for tomorrow generally cloudier weather coming back our way with our best chance for rain this week coming up on wednesday. that means that today is looking pretty darn good and we're all happy about that. dry weather for the roadways. hopefully that will keep the traffic at a minimum. down to you. >> we'll keep ouringers crossed for that those heading into northeast washington, no worries. this is new york avenue. everything is moving along very nicely so far. elsewhere we'll check things out making the trip through

northeast by way of kettleworth avenue. traffic moving nicely. dulles toll road both directions between the airport and beltway doing fine as is i-66. lanes are open and dry pavement. back to you. >> thank you, jerry. our time is now 5:12. 73 degrees this morning. we're learning new details about what happened to michael jackson just hours before he died. plus, the camera controversy continues across parts of montgomery county. next at 5:15, what's going on in area school zonme

our time is 5:14. drivers use the chain bridge will get some relief today. work crews have created a separate lane for drivers turning right on route 123 as they leave the city. that way drivers who need to turn won't get stuck waiting to go straight. president obamwill participate in a town hall meeting on health care reform at the aarp in washington today. at the same time a bipartisan group of senators is close to reaching ing ing a compromise so hold down costs but abandons a democratic priority which is large businesses will have to offer coverage to their workers. shuttle "endeavour" and its

crew are unscheduled to undock from the international space station later this afternoon. they'll spend three days in orbit before returning to earth on friday. speed cameras in montgomery have drivers outraged snapping pictures and issues tickets in school zones even though classes aren't in session because it's summertime. there may be relief for drivers. >> reporter: that flash is the sign of someone getting a speeding ticket in the 25-mile-per-hour school zone in front of bethesda chevy chase high school. but at 9:00 p.m. in the summer, students are not here. >> it says i was going 36 miles an hour. >> reporter: michelle got a speed camera ticket on a recent saturday. she plans to appeal. she believes the reduced speed zone is not well marked and questions the need for the lower speed limit when school is not in session. >> i know that it's important

not to speed and they were trying to find ways to keep people driving responsibly but i felt i was driving responsibly. >> reporter: montgomery county police say the speed camera that gave rosen a ticket was installed at the request of the surrounding community and an advisory panel made up of citizens from across the county gave it a thumb's up but now some changes are in order. >> the laws for speed cameras will change as of october 1st and speed cameras will no longer be operational in school zones when school is not in session. >> reporter: jackie benson, "news4 today." >> t speed camera ticket is $40 and no points. no more free parking at bwi. the airport used to allow people to park for free for 30 minutes. now that first half hour cost two bucks. an airport spokesperson says

there's a cell phone lot waiting for someone to arrive but you have to stay with your car there. the change was made to raise revenue during the tough economic times. vdot notified 600 employees they're out of a job. it's the first of more than 1,400 layoffs currently in the works to close a $2.6 million budget gap. construction projects have been slashed by more than a third over the next six years. now to the latest on the controversial that sparked a national debate. the arrest of a black scholar in his own home. it all began with a 911 call. this morning we get a chance to hear the tapes. harvard professor henry lewis gates says his front door was jammed and he was trying to force his way into his own house. a passerby mistook it for a burglary. >> i noticed two gentlemen

trying to get into a house and they had to barge in and they broke the screen door and they finally got in. i noticed two suitcases. one looked kind of hispanic but i'm not really sure. >> gates was originally charged with disorderly conduct but that charge has been dropped. he's accepted an invitation from president obama to meet with the officer who arrested him at the white house. new details into the investigation of michael jackson's death. the pop star's personal doctor administered a drug that may have killed him. a law enforcement source says dr. conrad murray gave jackson a drug the morning he died which is a powerful anesthetic that jackson used to sleep. according to the associated press, police tnk that's what killed jackson. the coroner waiting for

toxicology results to determine the final cause of death. josh willingham hit a grand slam. the nats appr tbe turning a corner. >> good morning. you're sports minute on this tuesday begins with a three-game winning streak by the nationals. last night in milwaukee the nationals scored the most runs they put on the board all season but get this. josh became the 13th player in major league history to hit two grand slams in one game. the nationals beat up on the brewers 14-6. to baltimore, orioles continue to slide in the second half of the season. the kansas city royals came to town. billy butler went 5 for 5nd had three rbis. the royals beat the orioles 5-3. michael vick can return to the nfl.

commissioner roger goodell partially reinstated the former falcons quarterback but he won't be able to play until at least week six of the season if a team signs him. he's eligible to participate in practi practice. >> we'll look at traffic and weather as we approach 5:21. >> let's go to chuck bell. he's in for tom kierein this morning. >> beautiful day outside already. that's as long as you like summer humidity. i know lots of folks do. some people wait all year for mornings just like this one. it temperatures already in the low to mid 70s around town. 73 here in washington. prince george's county waking up to 69 degrees. in annapolis, 73. 71 in baltimore. 66 in frederick, maryland. mid 60s now from winchester and

front royal. here's the extended forecast for the next seven days. today, partly to mostly cloudy skies with a slight little chance for a shower today but by in large most of us will stay dry with a high near 91. our best chance for rain this week comes tomorrow. wednesday's high near 86. passing shower in the morning on thursday. another good chance for scattered thunderstorms back into the area for friday. it's already time to start thinking about the weekend and i remain very optimistic about the upcoming weekend. a lot more dry hours than wet ones. so confident about this upcoming weekend i put mostly sunny for saturday. clouds back into the area on sunday and then next monday we need more rain and we can always have rain on a monday. wouldn't you agree? >> if we're going to have rain, it might as well be on monday. clear, drive pavement. road work approaching wilson bridge both directions pic .p

up. both lanes are open coming and going. good news. check speeds this morning. not to worry whatsoever. all green right now on the inner loop of the beltway from springfield to 66. eight minutes. from 66 up toward american legion bridge, seven minutes. and a mere 19 minutes from american legion bridge over to college park. good time to get going. back to you. >> thank you very much. >> thank you. our time is 5:22. 73 degrees. what texas millionaire r. allen stanford is demanding from inside his prison cell. >> what we learn about the health of a co-pilot involved in a fiery plane crash. a popular networking site is banned from the white house. >> here's liz on the money. >> allowance is an important strategy in teaching your child about money. charge interest that it's better to spend what you have than to

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your world... delivered. security cameras in this kentucky neighborhood captured a house exploding. you can see here at the top of the screen. it sent debris flying up in the air. the cameras was outside a nearby business. the home was for sale and vacant at the time of the explosio investigators are initially blaming a gas leak. the co-pilot of a plane that

crashed near buffalo in february told the flight's captain she felt ill and would have skipped the flight but she didn't wan to pay for a hotel room. first officer rebecca shaw who commuted from seattle told the pilot she would have called in sick had she been closer to home. all 49 people aboard the plane died in that crash. an official cause is still not been determined. 5:26 now is our time. 73 degrees. chance of more storms in our forecast. meteorologist chuck bell is going to tell us what to expect today. major changes along a popular commuter route and how it will affect rush hour. what's distracting drivers behind the wheel that a new

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commuter changes and an effort to ease traffic congestion. health care reform. what president obama is doing to keep up the drum beat for an overhaul. deadly dose. new questions surrounding the prescription drugs given to michael jackson the day he died. good morning at you. welcome back to "news4 today." i'm joe krebs on this tuesday, the 28th day of july, 2009. >> i'm barbara harrison.

t's take a look outside. clouds out there. we're moving toward sunrise. it will warm things up. already kind of muggy. >> meteorologist chuck bell is checking out the clouds and bugs in the sky. >> did you see the big scary spider on the city cam? look at there. >> yikes. >> i'm glad it's on the outside of the lens and not in the weather office. the odds of it being a deadly spider are small. beautiful looking sky to the east. sunrise still 36 minutes away. so the spider better get busy. 64 in culpeper. rockville, 72. our forecast for today will be a good one. sunshine and we'll have clouds and a slight chance of a shower today but by in large if you can't find the umbrella, you won't need it today. you'll need it tomorrow.

you need to keep the search going but won't need it today. back down to you. >> thanks very much, chuck. >> let's check the traffic now. let's go to jerry edwards. any problems we should know about? >> it's pretty quiet so far. picking up volume but nothing too much to worry about as evidenced by the leave vdot camera pictures along 95 northbound en route to capital beltway. looking good heading south very light volume of traffic so far. elsewhere we'll take a peek and see what's shaking around town. 270 is doing fine. you folks coming in from the west, 66 no hang ups. reported to be incident free. back to you. >> thank you, jerry. breaking news out of prince george's county this hour. overnight a famous go-go bar burned to the ground. the brian manner at the knights of columbus hall went up in flames just after 2:00 this morning. the hall is located in the 1500

block of southern avenue. no one was hurt in the fire. we have a crew headed to the scene and will bring you details in a live report later in the show. big changes to a major commuter route in our region and it's expected that changes will ease traffic congestion. >> work crews created a new lane on the chain bridges for drivers leaving the city. >> tracee wilkins is connected to your commute and what it means for drivers. >> reporter: good morning. there have been lots of complaints from drivers since the construction began on the chain bridge a month ago. you take a look over here and you can see after this car moves that they have come up with a plan that they hope will help to make this a little better for people heading from district to arlington. you should see a difference starting today and the difference will be in that new turn lane there. construction barriers on your side of the potomac have been repositioned and lane lines repainted creating a separate lane for vehicles turning right on 123. before all traffic heading

toward 123 shared a single lane leaving cars trying to make a right stuck in a long line of traffic. now you have a bit of a right turn lane. you have to come down the bridge and you can go to your right that will help with traffic congestion. this is the chain bridge's first rehab since the early 1980s. most of the work is actually happening under the bridge. we're told by vdot spokesmen that the project is on track and it should be complete by january. i'm tracee wilkins live this morning. back to you in the studio. >> thank you, tracee. a verdict could be handed down on wednesday for jacks. she's accused of killing her four daughters. prosecutors say that she lived in the home for several months after the children died. jacks said her daughters were possessed by demons and that they died in their sleep. the case as i said is being

decided by a judge instead of by a jury. we are following breaking news out of prince george's county right now. early this morning a famous go-go bar burned to the ground. the manner at the knights of columbus hall went up in flames after 2:00 a.m. megan mcgrath is on the scene now. what can you tell us? >> this is actual lay knights of columbus hall. you can see the sign behind me here. the building itself is up that driveway back behind this wooded area. we're told that there is heavy damage to the building itself. this hall is rented out for a variety of purposes including some nights when it is operated as a go-go club. now you can see that it's on southern avenue. we have southern avenue closed in both directions as firefighters continue their work. it looks like they're wrapping it up trying to get hoses off southern avenue. as soon as they do that they'll

reopen the roadway. southern avenue closed in both directions in the 1500 block. around 2:15 this morning a fire broke out here at the knights of columbus hall on southern avenue. apparently there is extensive damage to the structure itself as described by a firefighter here on the scene. one section of it was destroyed. the other section of it has heavy water and smoke damage. apparently extensive damage to the structure. a little early to say exactly what happened and what started this blaze but firefighters are here on the scene. there are a number of trucks that are up there behind that row of trees there but the folks down on southern avenue at this point are done with their job trying to wrap up their hoses so reopen the roadway in time for the brunt of rush hour. right now detours at southern metro station and the hospital down the street. they'll turn you around hopefully not the case a lot longer. back to you. >> thanks, megan.

state officials in hawaii are trying to put to rest rumors that president obama does not fit the constitutional requirements to be in office. they say they have checked and confirmed that mr. obama was in fact born in hawaii making him a natural born american citizen. some critics have been complaining that mr.bama is ineligible to be president because they say he was born outside of the united states. they claim the president's birthday certificate is a fake and many say he was born in kenya, his father's homeland. our time is now 5:36. what we're now learning happened to the king of pop the same day he died. plus, what is being said about the nfl's reinstating of michael vick. why a popular networking site is bannedhouse.e house.

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. anhe 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.

here's today's news for bargain blast. look at this gorgeous morning we have out there. a little cloudy. a nice temperature right now. 73 degrees. the bargain blast looking for an inexpensive night out? 2 for 20 deal at chile's. >> no coupon necessary. your basic cheap date i guess. >> let's find out about what the day is like havinook l a look outside. we have clouds in the sky. good morning, chuck. >> absolutely, barbara and joe.

a moment ago i punched up the city camera. remember the scary spider, there's buzzing gnats out there. the spider has a beat on breakfast at that point in time. i don't know that i would eat gnats for breakfast but i'm not a spider. 69 degrees in prince george's county. 68 in montgomery county, maryland. 70 in fairfax county, virginia. 64 degrees in culpeper. forecast for today hazy sunshine will be warm and humid. the uv index is in the high range at 9 today. if you're going to spend time outside, don't forget your sunblock today. air quality index is code yellow today. highs today upper 80s in the mountains to low and perhaps even a few spots into the mid 90s today. 91 or 92 in downtown washington. southwest wind at 5 to 15 miles an hour. hot and humid today.

next good chance of rain is tomorrow. detail that and give you the seven day in ten minutes. >> let's head on up to clarksburg, maryland. along 270 southbound no worries. reports of a load spilled in the roadway on the northbound side near 121. we're checking with state police to find out what's up with that. let's check things out elsewhere. that picture we love to see every once in a while. the woodrow wilson bridge where traffic continues to move nicely. inner loop and outer loop and the travel lanes are open. just kind of gives you a bit of calm this morning. barbara and joe, back to you. >> very pretty. thanks, jerry. our time now is 5:41. what texas billionaire r. allen stanford is demanding from inside his prison cell. major developments in the death investigation of pop star michael jackson. the drug investigators say was in his system when he died.

updating our top stories of the morning. commuters are getting used to a major change on the chain bridge. crews created a separate lane for drivers turning right on route 123 as they leave the district. that way drivers who need to turn won't get stuck behind people waiting to go straight. space shuttle "endeavour" and crew scheduled to undock from the international space station this afternoon. the seven astronauts will then spend three more days in orbit before returning to earth on friday. today the senate judiciary committee is set to weigh in on president obama's nominee for the supreme court. sonia sotomayor is expected to clear the committee despite opposition of two top republicans. she's expected to win easy confirmation when her nomination goes before the full senate next week. who or what killed michael jackson?

the questions remain a mystery but a source telling nbc news that dr. conrad murray gave jackson a powerful drug in the early morning hours on the day he died. >> reporter: that law enforcement source puts the blame squarely on the shoulders of jackson's physician, dr. murray, saying the doctor personally administered the drug propofol that killed jackson. as jackson prepared for his comeback tour he rehearsed into the early morning hours and had trouble sleeping. a nurse told authorities that jackson asked for the drug propofol but she claims she refused. now law enforcement sources say investigators have learned jackson's live-in doctor gave him propofol in the hours before he stopped breathing and they believe that's what called him. investigators say three hours before the 911 call, two women who say they work for dr. murray removed items from his personal

storage unit near his houston office. search warrants revealed investigat investigator's suspicions that jackson's death was murder. they say it's a waste of time responding to the timed leaks from unanimous sources. i feel like a horse swatting flies. everyone needs to take a breath and wait for these lg delayed toxicology results. chernoff says he doesn't doubt that investigators want to make a case but things shake out when things are made known. family and fans of michael jackson look for shaking out and shakedown. joe, back to you. >> thank you, kimberly. michael vick is getting a chance to play again. he was conditionally reinstated into the nfl by commissioner

roger goodell. he just wrapped up nearly two years in federal prison. >> we all want to recognize that the conduct that michael engaged in was not only horrific but it was cruel. >> according to goodell, vick can take part in preseason practices as soon as he finds a team that wants him. once the season begins, he can take part in all team activities except games. the commissioner said vick could be considered for full reinstatement by octor. vick said he's had time to mature as an individual and fully understand the terrible mistakes i have made in the past. peta weighed in on the nfl decision about vick. it released a statement saying in part for the sake of all of the young football fans and all of the dogs he electrocuted, drowned, slammed to the ground and hanged, we'll watch him like a hawk.

peta also asked that a clause against animal cruelty be added to their policy. a health care compromise. president obama is doing another town hall meeting on health care today as he keeps up the drum beat for an overhaul. the president can expect questions on how the plan might affect seniors. >> i know they'll have -- >> reporter: today president obama tries to reenergized his health care push. he'll look to aarp as a reform ally. >> they are putting the squeeze on employers. we think there's an urgency in health care reform. >> reporter: also demanding action are drug makers big lobby known as pharma and the u.s. chamber of commerce in sync with a liberal group calling for democrats to slow down. >> it's easy to kill it dead in its tracks. >> reporter: half a dozen

senators on finance committee, republicans and democrats, sound determined. >> the group of six want to get it. >> reporter: the latest compmise would drop a requirement that employers offer health coverage. it would tax insurers for top plans and take government out making it a nonprofit co-op. that wins critical gop support. >> safe to say that it is probably one that will remain in final documents. >> reporter: negotiators predict the plan's final cost would be under $1 trillion but house critics worry. >> what really concerns me about this plan is washington's history of underestimating costs of expensive plans like this. >> and filled no agreement and no vote planned. >> that was brooke hart reporting. a senate vote on health care reform has been postponed until september. fire officials in virginia

are pushing for tougher sprinkler requirements in new homes. a hearing was held on whether to adopt a general regulation requiring sprinklers in new homes by 2011. they say it would put home ownership out of reach of many people. another public hearing on the proposal will be held next spring before taking a vote. work will begin next month on a water tunnel in montgomery county. the five-mile tunnel will be built just outside of the beltway between i-270 and the mormon temple in kensington. without the new pipe, some residents in wheaton could notice a drop in water pressure during prolonged droughts. we're approaching 5:51. time again for traffic and weather on the 1s. >> we could use some rain. >> second driest july on record.

less than an inch of rain so far for the entire month of july and last time we had more than an inch of rain was way back on june 18th. it's been a long time coming and some rain is in the forecast. but not necessarily for today. so don't need to find the umbrella just yet. you're probably going to need it tomorrow. keep the search on if you can't find the umbrella. outside right now we do have clouds hanging over washington. first thing this morning plenty of humidity hanging out there as well. temperature right now 73 degrees here in town. our dew point is at 68. so it feels like summer. it's been a relatively tolerable summer from a heat standpoint. only eight days this summer have been 90 degrees or higher. in an average year by now we would have had 25. we're getting away with a little something there. temperatures around the rest of the area on your tuesday morning 73 here. 71 in baltimore. frederick, maryland, 66. martinsburg at 63 this morning.

72 in leonard town and st. mary city. the dew point with a measure of moisture in the atmosphere the closer the number to 70 degrees the more you start to feel it. it feels very summery out there for today. hot and humid afternoon coming up. be ready for that here's a check of regional doppler. no rainfall near us just yet. can't rule out one or two lonely little showers this afternoon. by in large the overwhelming majority of us should stay dry today. tomorrow things start to pick up once again. the weather front that came through did spark off isolated strong thunderstorms late yesterday afternoon and evening. that front has now gone off the virginia tidewater and will hang out there for the next couple of days. classic three h weather. hazy, hot and humid. that's what we're stuck for today and not much in the change over the overall pattern coming our way for the next five days. you can see storms across texas, arkansas and louisiana. that little system will run in

our general direction getting here tomorrow so tomorrow we will have our best chance for rain this week. and another chance for rain coming up on friday. i remain optimistic about the upcoming weekend. that's good news for everybody stuck going to work on a tuesday morning. here's our future cast model. generally dry weather around the area for today. one or two lonesome showers can't be completely ruled out but by in large dry today. a better chance of showers and thunderstorms coming in for tomorrow. by 8:00 tomorrow evening you can see that band of green and yellow best chance for showers. that will fade away by thursday morning. i think thursday afternoon is looking dry. for today, hy sunshine. hot and humid. uv index at 9 today. don't forget sunblock spending time outside. air quality index is code yellow for today. here's your important seven-day forecast. 91 today with hazy sunshine and clouds out there. 50% chance of rain coming up tomorrow with a high of 86. only a 30% chance of rain on thursday. i think most of that chance comes in the morning.

i think thursday afternoon should be dry. friday afternoon another risk of showers and thunderstorms coming back our way. yes. there it is. the weekend with two dry days still posted. i remain fairly optimistic that the weekend coming up can't rule out isolated shower but by in large a dry weekend coming our way. that's good news on a tuesday morning for you. >> okay. thank you. >> you enjoyed yesterday's weather? it was nice and hot. >> a lot of folks like the hot days. >> it felt like july. >>t sure did. >> thanks a lot. >> let's go to jerry edwards to see what traffic looks like at this hour. >> good morning. i'm afraid i jinxed the wilson bridge a couple minutes ago. i said everything is beautiful. well, unfortunately we have an accident inner loop of the beltway on the wilson bridge in the right lane. i should zip it when it comes to traffic but then i would be out of work. that wouldn't work either. look for the accident southeast corridor 295 to 11th street

bridge all doing fine. let's look at how we're doing making the drive around town so far so good. i-95, 395, 66, nothing too much to worry about. inbound lanes of the 14th street bridge as you continue on up 395 is moving along nicely. outbound on 14th street bridge from the district into virginia moving along okay and the gw parkway all well so far. we'll keep you updated on the incident at the wilson bridge. back to you. >> thanks, jerry. odds are you heard about the dangers of texting while driving but now we're hearing shocking new statistics. get this. when truck drivers are texting, they're 23 times more likely to get into a crash. that's the word from the virginia tech tnsportation institute. researchers used cameras to observe drivers in real life and found car drivers are six times more likely to get into a wreck when they're texting. >> drivers of heavy trucks not

necessarily heavy truck drivers. >> 18-wheelers perhaps. the white house is a no tweet zone. press secretary robert gibbs says the staff can't twitter because the popular networking site is blocked on all white house computers. gibbs says he does not tweet himself. he says he's on camera enough and that people should have a good sense of what he's doing most of his days. president obama uses his blackberry but it's unclear if he ever tweets himself or has tweeted. >> or tweeted anybody else. texas billionaire used to finer things in life is one reason why r. allen stanford is not enjoying his time in prison. he's complaining that his prison cell is too hot. stanford says he doesn't have air conditioning and he shares his space with up to ten other inmates. he wants to be moved from a private prison to a federal detention center. to the money crisis now and

a look at how foreign markets are doing today. asian markets remain mostly unchanged. japan lost 0.01%. to wall street now where the dow futures point to a slight positive opening. dow gained 16 points yesterday. the nasdaq gained one point. we are now finding jobs for you. the d.c. department of human resources is looking for a program manager. the manager will work with department heads with human resources. the s if you're interested in learning more, go to nbcwashington.com and search jobs for you for more information. and still ahead this morning on "news4 today," we're live on breaking news. an early morning fire burns down a knights of columbus hall.

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breaking news this morning. a knights of columbus building caught fire overnight and burned to the ground. we're live on the scene. >> easing the commute. what work crews completed overnight to make the ride home easier for frustrated drivers in northern virginia. michael jackson was give an powerful drug the day he died. hiwhat ts means for a possible criminal investigation into his death. good morning. welcome back to "news4 today." i'm joe krebs. >> i'm barbara harrison. it's tuesday, july 28th, 2009. outside we've got some clouds

above us and a temperature of about 73 degrees right now. on the muggy side. humidity must be up there. let's find out what it's going to be like today. >> muggy buggies out there. >> sunrise six minutes away. i was peering at that city cam shot to see if we could see the early signs of sunriseat stx sitel numis away. won't see thatnuunin tpot. that int.po w bilitelpo mnd agy sticky y. downtown washington.ntwashinn . egrees at andrews for es r aseor orse.ba inna reegn d iess.li 68 degrees ind th68urg er .rme i fairfax. mid 60s to our.stwe high temperatures later ons afternoon it will benoer a hot and humid y. ghs pretty much within a oee two of average for this time of year. downwn. degrees be ready for another warm one today and only the slightest chance. if i say it won't rain, it will

increase chances. the slightest chance, i think we'll stay mostly dry. >> all right. thank you very much. let's check on traffic now. what are you going to say about the traffic out there? >> what are you predicting? >> stay away from bridges. >> unfortunately that's exactly the case. good morning, everyone. two problems on the bridges. first accident just happened moments ago. live pictures of the outer loop of the beltway on the american legion bridge. a couple vehicles tangled up there. left side of the roadway. we see maryland state on the scene. fire department and ambulance headed over there right now. make it the two left lanes now closed. took away another lane. traffic already beginning to backup as rescue equipment right there beginning to arrive. we'll keep you updated on that south of town accident remains inner loop on the wilson bridge. that takes away the right lane. backup to 295 back toward route 210. we'll keep you updated on both incidents. barbara and joe, back to you. >> thank you, jerry.

breaking news out of prince george's county. the byrne manor went up in flames. it's located in the 1500 block of southern avenue. megan mcgrath joins us from the scene with the latest. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, barbara. the damage here is extensive. it's actually a brick structure that's been completely gutted it appears looking at it from the street. i should mention that earlier when i spoke to you, southern avenue was closed in both directions. just a short time ago all of the fire trucks were able to get their hoses up and get out of the area so they have reopened southern avenue and should not impact rush hour this morning. of course the byrne manor knights of columbus center serves the community. i'm joined with michael moore with the knights of columbus. talk about the damage here. how extensive? it looks pretty bad. >> it's totally burned down. nothing salvageable that i can see. haven't been let in yet. i'll wait for the fire marshal to let me in. >> reporter: impact on the community.

this center serves the community. >> reporte community work. churches. retirement homes. a lot of work with youth. we're sad right now. >> reporter: any idea what happened? were there any events here last night? >> there were no events scheduled last night to my understanding. >> reporter: has the fire department given you an idea where it might have started? >> they haven't given me clues as to how it started, no. >> reporter: this is located way up a driveway on the other side of the trees. what's access like to the building? can you drive a car up there? >> the gates are locked during the week. when i got here the chains were cut off. the fire department did that. the doors are locked. it's very secure. >> reporter: you have no idea what might have happened? >> no. >> reporter: thanks for joining

us. obviously a blow to the community here. this is a popular center. rented out for a variety of different venues and events. one that's long standing venue here is sometimes used as a go-go club. a lot of people have attended events there. as just heard they do a lot of community service and outreach to the community as well. and this building looks like a complete loss. back to you. >> thank you very much, megan. we are yr your commute and today we have a heads-up for drivers who use the chain bridge. that's a scene of major changes signed to give drivers relief. tracee wilkins joins us live from the chain bridge this morning on what to expect. good morning. >> reporter: there have been plenty of complaints since they started construction on the chain bridge a month ago. if you look down the road there, you see a car is taking advantage of what they hope will ease some of the complaining that's been happening here for drivers coming from the district into arlington. you should see a difference starting today.

construction barriers on your side of the potomac have been repositioned and lane lines repainted for lanes turning right on 123 before all traffic heading toward 123 shared a single lane leaving cars trying to make a right stuck in a long line of traffic. now you have a bit of a right turn lane now. this work is being done on the chain bridge to help rehab it. it hasn't been done since the 1980s. they're repairing and repaving. most work happening under the bridge. we've seen plenty of cars already taking advantage of that new turn lane having no problem making the right on 123. vdot says it looks like construction is on target at the chain bridge and expect it to be wrapped up by january. this may not end all issues and stop all traffic congestion but should make it better. tracee wilkins, live this morning in arlington. back to you in the studio. >> thank you very much. nice to give drivers good news for once. thanks. police are still searching for clues after a body was

discovered in a burned out car in bethesda. the car was found early yesterday morning in the 4900 block of bradley boulevard near arlington road. inside police discovered a woman's body in the driver's seat later identified as a 45-year-old woman of takoma park. the cause of death has not been determined. shocking details in the michael jackson death investigation this morning. there's now word that his personal physicianed administer a drug that may have killed him. dr. conrad murray gave jackson propofol on the day he died. rray's attorneys released a statement saying we won't comment on rumors or unnamed sources. new today, defense secretary robert gates is in iraq this morning to get a firsthand look at the future of the u.s. military mission in that country. while in iraq, gates will meet

with political leaders including the country's prime minister. he's also expected to visit iraq's kurdish region why challenges made a strong showing in regional elections over the weekend. today the space shuttle "endeavour" is heading back to earth scheduled to undock from the international space station later this afternoon and is supposed to land at kennedy space center on friday. if the weather is too bad for that to happen the shuttle will have chances on saturday and sunday as well. the nfl commissioner decides to conditionally reinstate michael vick. when you may see him play again. the change coming to speed cameras in montgomery county. the times cameras won't give out tickets. why the co-pilot of a deadly airplane crash near buffalo didn't want to show up for work

re> 'stoday's as t.bl fi inceof o i ms ffasblert. office max is offerin al .de deal. right now youanuy b p oksuyfne . limit is three packs per customers. 6:11 is our time. time for traffic and weather on the 1s. >> what can we find out from the weather today and the rest of the week? >> beautiful sunrise right now coming up over the city of washington. sunrise was at 6:06 this morning. five minutes later we're just up over the horizon. you know it's one of the lazy,

hazy days of summer when you get up and that's what the sun looks like first thing in the morning. nice and sort of that salmony pink color out there. temperatures out there in the low 70s. 70 in fairfax county. 72 downtown. high today up close to 90 degrees with that hazy sunshine out there. not much of a threat for rain today. better chances for rain come back into the forecast for tomorrow. jerry edwards, not as big of a sunshine delay thanks to that dim sun. >> unfortunately we have troubles on capital beltway this morning. outer loop at the american legion bridge. three lanes are now blocked. you'll get back to the right. there was emergency equipment here in the far right lane. they moved on. traffic beginning to jam up on the outer loop making the trip down from river road. a good chunk of the outer loop is blocked. south of town wilson bridge accident remains in the local lanes inner loop right lane that backup reaching back to 210

crawling across the wilson bridge. we'll keep you updated. back to you. >> that's what my dad used to call me. his dim son. >> he had a few. you were the dim one. >> yeah. i was the only dim one. >> 6:12 right now. temperature is 72 degrees. a nats player accomplishes an amazing feet. drivers find changes in montgomery county.

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today, in the worst housing market most of us have ever seen, that experience is more important than ever. find out what re/max can do for you. nobody sells more real estate than re/max. updating top stories. commuters are in for traffic relief on the chain bridge. crews created a separate lane for drivers turning right on route 3 as they leave the district. that way drivers that need to turn will not get stuck behind people waiting to go straight. there are reports that michael jackson's personal doctor gave him a drug that may have killed him. nbc news has learned that dr. conrad murray gave jackson propofol on the day he died. the drug can depress breathing

and lower heart rates and is only supposed to be given in medical settings. today the senate committee will weigh in on the nomination of sonia sotomayor. there will be two top republicans that will object. she's expected to win easy confirmation before the full senate next week. president obama is pushing hard for health care reform. he takes his appeal to the aarp. on capitol hill lawmakers appear to inch toward a compromise. brooke hart reports live from capitol hill. >> reporter: today president obama tries to reenergized his health care push. he'll point to aarp, americans 50 and over, as a reform ally. >> health care costs are putting the squeeze on employers. we think there's an urgency in health care reform. >> reporter: also demanding action are drug makers big lobby known as pharma and the u.s. chamber of commerce.

they're now in sync with a liberal group that in this ad slams critics call to slow down. >> when something goes slow enough, it's easy to kill it dead in its tracks. >> reporter: half a dozen senators on the finance committee, republicans and democrats, sound determined. >> the group of six wants to get to yes. >> reporter: the latest compromise would drop a requirementhat employers offer health coverage. it would tax insurers for top of the line plans. and take the government out of the so-called public plan making it a nonprofit co-op. that wins critical gop support. >> safe to say that it is probably one that will remain in final documents. >> reporter: negotiators e erort the cost will be under $1 trillion but house critics worry. >> what concerns me about this plan is washington's history of underestimating cost of expensive plans like this. >> reporter: and still no agreement and no vote planned. the latest from the cost referee

here is the public option would not drive public insurers out of business as some warned. look for president obama to highlight that today andt health care events tomorrow in north carolina and virginia. in washington, brooke hart, nbc news. >> a senate vote has been postponed until september on holt care reform. several cameras have drivers upset this morning. the cameras are set up inside school zones and snapping pictures and issuing tickets even though school is not in session. some drivers say it's not fair and in response the county says changes are on the way. >> the laws for speed cameras will change as of october 1st. and speed cameras will no longer be operational in school zones when school is not in session. >> the speed camera ticket is $40 and no points. you will no longer be able to park for free when dropping off or picking someone up at

bwi. you used to park for free for 30 minutes but now the first half hour will cost $2. an airport spokesperson says there's still a cell phone lot for drivers who are waiting for someone to arrive but you have to stay with your vehicle. he says the change was made to raise additional revenue during tight economic times. transcripts have been released from the cockpit recorder of a continental flight that went down near buffalo. the co-pilot said she felt ill and would have skipped the flight but didn't want to pay the hotel room or for one. first officer rebecca shaw said she would have called in sick if she had been closer to home. all 49 people aboard the plane died in the crash. an official cause has not been determined. josh willingham beginning the 13th player in baseball

history and only the third national leaguer to hit two grand slams in a single game. lindsay czarniak has your sports minute. >> good morning. your sports minute on this tuesday begins with a three-game winning streak by the nationals. last night in milwaukee the nationals scored the most runs they put on the board all season but get this. josh willingham tied a franchise record becoming the 13th player in major league history to hit two grand slams in one game. the nationals beat up on the brewers, 14-6. to baltimore, orioles continue to slide in the second half of the season. kansas city royals came to town. billy butler went 5 for 5 and had three rbis as royals beat the orioles 5-3. to football news. michael vick can return to the nfl. commissioner roger goodell partially reinstated the former

falcons quarterback but vick won't be able to play until at least week six of the season if a team signs him. vick is eligible to participate in practice and play in the two preseason games. i'm lindsay czarniak. have a great day. >> there you go. wrestling fans in the washington area cheered on an unlikely competitor last night. shaquille o'neal showed up to host "monday night raw" at the verizon center after being cheered by the crowd he jumped into the ring himself and took on "the big show." i don't know if you want to do that. amazing. wonder how that ended up. >> that's not shaquille o'neal. >> yes, it is. >> wow. he's a big guy. >> he's a big guy. seven feet tall. 300 pounds. >> i knew he was tall. i didn't realize he was built like that. >> he's also signed up to swim

against michael phelps. michael phelps says he can't wait to get in the pool with someone seven feet tall weighing 300 pounds. >> he's almost as long as the pool. let's check on the weather now and see what to expect from the weather. good morning, chuck bell. >> good morning, barbara and joe. you have to love how wwf settles problems. bangs them over the head with a chair. just like contract negotiations. we have a partly to mostly cloudy sky out there for you first thing this morning. a little bit of sunshine getting through the clouds but on the whole going to have more clouds than sun for the first part of the day. 72 here in town right now. 72 in annapolis. 70 in prince george's county. 69 degrees in poolsville, maland 68 in ashburn, virginia. the seven-day forecast, high today with that hazy sunshine 91 degrees later this afternoon. outside chance of a possibility of a shower today but far and away better chances for rain come back for tomorrow into early thursday. and then again by friday

afternoon. remain optimistic that the weekend is looking like a good one. two days off in a row. >> every weekend is great. let's see how we're doing. dealing with accident live pictures of outer loop of the american legion bridge. improvement now but just single left lane is blocked off. a couple additional lanes were closed earlier. emergency equipment on the exit ramp and gw parkway. left lane blocked. backup at the 270. let's check speeds. ugly trying to get to the wilson bridge from college park to 50 only eight minutes. possibility of up to 24 minutes from 50 to wilson bridge but earlier accident there is cleared and after that looks good to springfield. back to you. >> okay. thank you very much. texas billionaire r. allen stanfordays he's uncomfortable in prison and why he wants to move cells and why the state of move cells and why the state of hawaii is

a blow to conspiracy theoryist. hawaii officials say they have seen president obama's original

birth certificate proving he was born in the state of hawaii. he's natural born eligible to be president. some claim that president obama's birthday certificate is a fake and he was born in kenya. billionaire r. allen stanford isn't happy with his time in prison. stanford facing charges of operating a $7 billion ponzi scheme complaining that his prison cell is too hot. stanford says he doesn't have air conditioning and he shares his space with up to ten other inmates. he wants to be moved from a private prison to a federal detention center. breaking news in maryland. an early morning fire burns down a knights of columbus hall. we all know texting and driving is dangerous. a new study suggests texting while driving much more dangerous than previous studies have concluded. we'll tell you what exactly that means. we're learning more about the dui of the alexandria police chief.

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. withhe full flavor of aft mayo with olive oil. with half the fat and calories of hellmann's real mayo, kraft mayo with olive oil

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breaking news. a popular knights of columbus hall caught fire overnight and burned to the ndgr.ou wee 'rve on then scene. lethal injection. new reports say michael jackson was given a powerful drug the day he died. what this means for the criminal investigation into his death. good morning. welcome back to "news4 today." i'm joe krebs. >> iba barra harrison. i'm barbara harrison. it's tuesday, july 28th, 2009. taking a look outside, the sun is up. don't see much of it right now. cloudy a,zyha a hazy, hot and humid day as chuck has been describing. we'll let him tell what you to expect for the rest of the day.

>> hazy, hot and humid. very well t, barbara.t h. utmogh mouth. no doubt about it. martinsburg and charlestown in thanle pndha of west virginia, low 60s the.nd a hot and humid one fore sur today. highs close to 90 degree nshine in the late morning and afrnoon hours.af from never say never department to mother nature the b c oulde an isolated shower or two today. i would say that abo 95% of us will stay y on our tuesday. better rain chances back to tomorrow. >> thank you, chuck. >> if you like good rain chances. thanks very much. let's go to jerry edwards to look at the roadways out there. some problems? >> yes, indeed. good morning. the beltway in maryland tough to get into virginia. outer loop of the beltway coming in. a big curve as you come around from old georgetown road right at the beginning of the exit for the i-270 spur to outer loop of

the belt way. the accident at the american legion bridge remains in the left lane. police remain on the scene. progress is being made. they should are it out of there before too long but in the meantime be prepared as traffic as you can see is very, very slow indeed. we'll see how we're doing elsewhere. trip to the beltway getting back to college springs okay through northeast quiet so far. barbara and joe, back to you. >> thank you, jerry. >> we're continuing to follow breaking nouew news oujor r the joebyrn m he byrne manor knights of us hall went up i fncoslame uran bndneo t the ground. it's located on southern avenue. megan mcgrath joins us from the scene with the latest. megan, good morning. >> reporter: good morning. the damage to the building extensive. the fire department puts it at a complete loss with damage set at $1 million.

the fire started at 2:15. it's early in the investigation. they're not sure what started the blaze and whether there's foul play here or whether it was electrical or something else. all of that still under investigation. they're not even sure exactly sure where in the building the fire began at this point. this is an extensively damaged building. a complete loss according to folks at the knights of columbus. they don't think they'll salvage anything. the brick walls are standing but the interior has been gutted. this hall is known to many people in the area. the knights of columbus rent it out for a variety of different events including a long standing go-go event that's happened here for many generations. a number of other events of community service type things. we've been talked to people who live in the area and they say it's a great loss for the community. >> they have a lot of special

events. family orientated. it was a nice place to have events. big loss. big loss. it's been here forever it seems like. >> reporter: the hall is located on a long driveway off southern avenue. you can't see the building from the roadway. southern avenue was closed in both directions for a period of time but all of the trucks are off of the main road so they reopened southern avenue so that shouldn't be a problem for rush hour commuters this morning. they're trying to figure out exactly what happened and what started the fire. joe? back to you. >> thanks, megan mcgrath reporting live. thank you very much. a dangerous and deadly problem. distracted driving. motorists doing everything from sightseeing from behind the wheel to texting and we're learning shocking statistics about how big the problem really is. researchers from virginia tech

used cameras to observe drivers in real life. they found drivers of heavy trucks are 23 more times likely to get into a crash while texting. car drivers were six times more likely to get into a wreck while texting and that's not all. >> those people that admitted to texting or e-mailing while they drive, 8 out of 10 said they knew it was dangous. that's outrageous to me. >> it's illegal to text while driving in d.c. and virginia. maryland's ban takes effect in october. t> we're connected to your rseill get some relief from a major hcfieadaea ache and there are h g changes along chain bridge during construction there. tracee wilkins joins us with more on what they are and what commuters need to know. >> reporter: since construction began in june, chain bridge went from three lanes down to two. commuters were complaining.

this is the solution. a new turn lane to help traffic move in from the district into arlington. you should see a difference starting today. construction barriers on your side of the potomac have been repositioned and lane lines repainted creating a separate lanes for vehicle turning right on 123. before all traffic heading toward 123 shared a single lane leaving cars trying to make a right-hand turn struck in a long line of traffic. now you have a bit of a right-hand turn lane. you come down the bridge and you go to the right. people adjusting easily. this construction on the chain bridge is the first rehab since the early 1980s. they are repairing and repainting it. most of the work happening under the bridge they're saying that they know this is not going to be a cure all. there will be backups here on the chain bridge but what they're saying is it should help for the time being. they say construction is moving right on time. they expect to be done by

january. tracee wilkins, live this morning in arlington. back to you in the studio. >> thanks very much. alexandria's police chief should find out next week if he keeps his job following a drunk driving arrest. police arrested david baker in arlington on saturday night following an accident with another car. he was driving a city issued vehicle at the time. according to court documents police smelled a strong odor of alcohol on baker. according to those same documents, baker admitted to bri drinksing two beers. he failed four field sobriety test and had a blood alcohol level of .19 more than double the legal limit. the senate judiciary committee is set to vote on president obama's first supreme court nominee. if confirmed would be the first hispanic on the high court and the third man. the top two republicans will vote against her. democrats have enough votes to get her through. almost a certainty that the full

senate will confirm her when she goes before it next week. the senate is closed to health care plan and peta announces plans for michael vick after the nfl's plan to reinstate them. reinstate them. a sand castle?oñoñdad, could yd sure, pal. let's just find a good spot. [ dramatic music plays ] a big day at the beach with the legendary taste of dunkin' donuts coffee on ice. this looks like a good spot.

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oking for an g for in expensive nightnspe net t? out? si'il chili's ot a a deal two 0.$2 t noinm shar 0.$2 i'm not sharing mysees0. ditrt yo d no coupon necessary. >> we may have a date. what time do they open? >> you get appetizer. i'll take the dessert. >> let's find out about the well with others, you two. you have to give him at least a bite. we have cloud cover out there for us this morning. not much of a threat for rainfall today. that's welcome news. here's a check of doppler around the region. you can see no rain owers in

either maryland, virginia or the district as well as west virginia at this point in time. temperatures upper 60s in western suburbs to near 70 around town. forecast for today hazy sunshine. hot and humid. uv index very high range. don't forget sunblock. high near 90 degrees. feels like summer. >> let's see how the progress is. it's slow. come on. get out of there. the accident outer loop of the american legion bridge out there for a while now. looks like theyay wait on one more tow truck that's maryland state highway authorities there getting everyone out of the far right lane. the damage is done for this morning. 270 backup begins solidly on the outer loop very slow coming down from old georgetown road. elsewhere along interstate 66 no worries as you make the check in. wilson bridge starting to recover. earlier accident on the inner loop is gone all lanes are open once again.

joe, back to you. >> thanks very much. the nfl commissioner decides to reinstate michael vick conditionally. find out when you may see him play again. >> jawan ivso gsenor a phael jackson was given a powerful t fuugdrhe dug he died. whathiheigs mht mean m

who or what killed michael jackson? this morning those questions remain a mystery. but a source is telling nbc news that dr. conrad murray gave jackson a powerful drug in the early morning hours on the day he died. >> reporter: as jackson prepared for his comeback tour, he rehearsed into the early morning hours and had trouble sleeping. nurse sherylen lee told authorities jackson asked her for the powerful anesthetic diprivan or propofol found in jackson's bel air residence but claims she refused. investigators learned that jackson's live-in doctor gave jackson propofol in hours before

he died and investigators believe that's what killed him. two women that worked for dr. murray removed items from his personal storage unit near his houston office. it revealed investigator's theories that jackson death was manslaughter. murray's attorney says a ikesela akeg horse swatting everyone needs to take ai wyo one needs to takedant d waitan for these long delayed toxicology results. chernoff adds he has no doubt investigators want to make a case in his words for goodness sakes it's michael jackson. but things tend to shake out when all of the facts are made known according to chernoff. family and friends of michael jackson continue to watch for a shaking out and a shakedown. joe, back to you. >> kimberly, thanks very much. the source that we just

ard from that kimberly described also described conditions inside jackson's rented mansion saying jackson's bedroom was outfitted with oxygen tanks and iv drips and the room temperature was hot. gas fireplaces and heating system were on high because jackson always complained of feeling cold. michael vick will get his chance to play football once again. he was conditionally r ly reins by roger goodell. >> we all want to recognize that the conduct that michael engaged in was not only horrific but it was cruel. >> according to goodell, vick can take part in preseason practices as soon as he finds a team that wants him once the season begins he can te part in all teamacestiviep exctiac v games. si cdtondere considered for full reinstatement by mid

october. peta is weighing in ohen t decision this morning. itea reldse a snttatemed saying in part f takhete se o all young footballansnd a all of the dogs he electrocuted, ne drowd,dr slammed to the ground and hanged, we'll watch him like nd a asked that they add a clause to stop animal cruelty to the policy. president obama will have a beer with a black scholar and the white police officer who arrested him. it started in cambridge, massachusetts. gates says his front door was jammed and he had to force it open. a witness mistook it for a burglary and called 911 and now we hear the tapes. >> they had to barge in and broke the screen door and got in. when i looked closer to the nd were in the house i noticed two suitcases. i don't know if the individuals actually live there.

>> gates was charged with disorderly conduct but the charges were dropped. he called it a case of racial r profiling. the woman said one man looked hispanic but she was not sure. president obama is making another push for health care reform. he's visiting with the aarp for an electronic town meeting. the president will face questions about his health care plan and it's a similar story on capitol hill. republicans say the price tag is too big but a bipartisan group in the senate mighting clo inbe a compromise dropping a key priority requiring large businesses to offer workers coverage and there wouldn't be a government insurance option either. positive news for home sales spurred modest gains on wall street. courtney reagan joins us live. >> reporter: right now futures are slightly lower on wall street following mild trading that resulted in mild gains

yesterday. a mixed bag of economic and earnings report that kept gains in check. asian markets did close higher overnight. there are unfortunately red arrows in europe this morning. investors will get a double dose of economic data this morning for trading, consumer confidence and the home index which measures prices in major 20 metro areas coming out today. e dow is at 9108. older americans are rack up credit card more than any one else. they carried more than $10,000 of credit card debt last year. debt rose just 3% over that same period. consumers are using credit cards for necessities with more than medical expenses contributed to their debt load.

united airlines is waving last-minute booking fees for the frequent flyer program removing a major problem for business travelers especially small companies that have to take the last-minute trips. it's nice to hear about airnes giving us a break, right? back to you. >> it's a great change. thank you very much. >> thank you. >> have a great day. we're finding jobs. the d.c. department of human resources is looking for a program manager. the manager will work with department heads in human resources. the salary range is 98,000 to $137,000. if you're interested in learning more, search jobs for you for more information. 6:51 is our time now. time for traffic and weather on the 1s. >> hazy sunshine for you first thing on a tuesday morning. temperatures around 70 degrees. there's a look up from our city camera for a mostly cloudy sky. we'll get sunshine in late

morning and early afternoon hours. a slight chance of a shower today. much better rain chances return for tomorrow. 72 in washington. our dew point is at 68 degrees. so far this summer we've only had eight days, 90 degrees or higher. by this time of the summer on average we would have had nearly 25 days 90 or higher. we've got an inway with something there. 72 in washington. 70 in prince george's county. 72 in springfield, virginia. culpeper, 74. dew points are still closed to the 70-degree mark across the area and as a result that touch of summertime humidity is in place. it's going to stay in place for much of the next five to seven days so that's either very good or very bad news depending on how much you like summer humidity. bubble of high pressure trying to move in for now. the weather front moved through yesterday sparked off isolated thunderstorms off the virginia capes and we'll be left with a

westerly flow today meaning classic three h weather, hazy, hot and humid out there for today. here's a look at future cast model. the most small chance -- smallest chance of a shower coming up for today. i mention better chances for rain coming up during the day tomorrow. here's 8:00 tomorrow morning. the rain showers pressing on in. our best chance for rain tomorrow is from about lunchtime to about 9:00 in the evening. we dry out by about sunrise on thursday morng. and another chance of scattered thunrstorms returns on friday. so here's our forecast for today. hazy sunshine. clouds out there. temperatures now 88 to 93 for highs in the area today. about 91 downtown. 86 tomorrow. tomorrow will be our best chance for rain this week lingering into early thursday. thursday afternoon dry. friday maybe another passing shower or a thunderstorm. i remain optimistic that the ek dry than wet. don't even have a chance mentioned for either saturday or sunday. >> looks nice. thanks. >> thank you, chuck. let's see if traffic looks nice.

i doubt it. jerry is shaking his head. what's happening, jerry? >> the accident remains out there. it's more than annoying now. the outer loop of the beltway at the american legion bridge with the accident going on for an hour. not serious but several vehicles involved. hopefully they'll get it out of the roadway. 270 is jammed. outer loop comes to a grinding halt trying to get to the american legion bridge. elsewhere downtown inbound or outbound 395 and 14th street bridge has everything moving well just now beginning to load up a little bit on the main line down here headed across the bridge. barbara and joe, back to you. >> thanks, jerry. reminder that drivers will notice a change on the chain brge. crews created a separate lane for drivers turning right onto route 123 as they leave the district. that way drivers who need to turn right won't get stuck behind people waiting to go

straight. breaking news in prince george's county. the byrne manor knights of columbus hall went up in flames and burned to the ground. the popular hall is located in the 1500 block of southern avenue. megan mcgrath joins us from the scene and has the latest for us now. >> rorter: goomorning. the damage is extensive. put out a million dollars and we have a live picture of the building to show you to see for yourself that the instruct sewer made out of brick. the walls are still standing. the interior was completely gutted. we spoke to a member of this knights of columbus hall. he says he doesn't think they'll be able to save much inside. the fire was too extensive. there was a lot of water and smoke damage. they think it was a comete loss. knights of columbus hall did community outreach and it was rented out for a number of different events including a long standing go-go event that was held here. the cause of the fire is under investigation.

barbara, back to you. >> today's news4 morning person is nlor.ved lover. kathy cared for animals at the national zoo for 22 years. every minute of her tenure has been spent caring for the birds at the zoo's bird house. in this photo she's olding a kiwi bird that are honorary mammals of newaland.aland. she enjoys reading and gardening and bird watching. that person's story was e-mailed to us at morningperson@nbcwashington.com. college students are notorious for partying. penn state university came out on top of the annual review survey of the nation's top party schools. at the other end of the spectrum, several local schools

made lists. university of maryland came in first for best athletic facilities. george washington university ranked first for politically active >> congratulationses to all of them. thank you for joining us at "news4 today." >> stay connected with us. we're on facebook and twitter. wake up with us in the morning. we'll be here at 4:55 a.m. have a great day. try e new subway big chipotle cheesesteak.

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