are seeing wet and windy weather as the first tropical storm moves inland. good afternoon, everybody. >> hurricane season is here, and there is even a third storm brewing this afternoon. the question is, will it be a triple threat? >> that's the big question. veronica johnson is tracking the storms for us, and she joins us now with the latest. >> thanks a lot, pat and jim. yeah, for the last 2 1/2 months, the atlantic season has been awfully, awfully quiet. now we've got three. hurricane bill, of course, the first hurricane for 2009. could become a major hurricane by the end of the week. we'll keep our eyes on it. it's way out in the atlantic in the open waters and it is expected to intensify. not until saturday. bill might move closer to bermuda. then you've bought tropical depression anna. it's in the caribbean there. expected to make its move just south of hispaniola in cuba. and then finally we've got claudette.

it made landfall this morning in the gulf of mexico, around ft. walton beach florida with gusty winds and rain. there you can see on the radar where most of the heaviest rains -- it's rather disjointed and disorganized now. the heaviest rains sitting off the coast. spots like alabama and western georgia getting lots of rain. meanwhile, kristen dahlgren has more. >> reporter: as claudette came ashore on the florida panhandle overnight, the storm left a wet wake-up call. >> uh-oh. here we go again. >> reporter: spreading rain and stirring up the surf. >> we had 55, 60, 65-mile-an-hour gusts. so trees blowing down. not blowing down, but bending over quite a bit. a lot of sand blasting. >> reporter: the biggest damage, perhaps, from a suspected twister near ft. myers. and some poradic power outages. but the biggest impact may be the reminder that it is hurricane season and tropical storms are nothing to take

lightly. claudette gave less than a day's warning. >> no signs of bad weather. and then all of a sudden, we get up yesterday morning and they're talking tropical storm. we were really surprised. >> reporter: and it was one of three systems that popped up over the weekend. the first of the season. >> we're just now getting into the time frame where we -- on average we see our first storm reach hurricane intensy. >> reporter: bill a now a hurricane, and forecast to become a major hurricane. and while forecasts keep it away from the u.s. for now, those cleaning up from claudette know not to take anything for granted. >> panama city beach got lucky. we got lucky. >> reporter: with 14 weeks still to go in this hurricane season, that kind of luck may not hold out all year. and one more reminder from claudette that even small storms can prove deadly. a man in his 20s died after being pulled from the rough surf here. rescuers look for another man whose boat ran aground. they were hopeful that he may have made it to shore safely.

kristen dahlgren, nbc news, panama city, florida. >> we'll have more on the track of anna and bill coming up. first, a look at our weather around here. it's been hot. it's been hazy across the area. there's a look at your city cam. we've had only a few isolated storms west of i-81. just a few clouds to take you through 5:00 and 7:00 p.m. temperatures cooling into the upper 80s by 7:00. call it a very warm and humid evening for us. down to about 80 degrees by 11:00 p.m. hot and humid. summer evening coming our way. a stretch of 90s continues. and finally, some cooling storms this week. i'll talk more about that in a few minutes. back to you. >> thanks, veronica. a wildfire continues to burn out of control in northern california. the blaze has already burned more than 3,000 acres north of sacramento. fire investigators say the fast-moving blaze has jumped the river and is moving away from

the sierra nevada foothills. the fire is threatening 600 homes and people have been asked to evacuate. firefighters say their job today is complicated by high temperatures, low humidity, and winds from the southwest. the american man released from a myanmar prison thanks to the efforts of jim webb is now in a thailand hospital. john yettaw's family says he's undergoing medical tests today. he is not in good health after spending three months in a myanmar prison. he had been jailed after sneaking into the home of aung san suu kyi, an opposition leader who was under house arrest in myanmar for supporting democracy in the military-ruled country. senator webb traveled to myanmar over the weekend and managed to win yettaw's release. the two arrived in thailand yesterday. the senator held talks with thailand's foreign minister today. after that meeting, webb said it may be time for the u.s. to

review its policy toward myanmar, especially regarding sanctions. >> the question came up is the united states and the eu, should they put more sanctions on myanmar after the situation with aung san suu kyi's conviction? my view is that we don't have any more sanctions to put on myanmar. i think we need a new approach. >> webb says he plans to meet with secretary of state hillary clinton to talk about his myanmar visit. >> the question came up is the united states and the eu -- should they put more sanctions on myanmar after the situation with aung san suu kyi's conviction, and my view is that we don't have any more sanctions to put on -- on myanmar. i think we need a new approach. >> again, he hopes to be meeting with secretary of state clinton in the coming weeks. now the latest in the political battle over health care reform.

is the so-called public option dead? the white house is sending mixed signals today. conservatives are pleased and many democrats are concerned. what does it mean to your health care? steve handelsman has the latest now from capitol hill. >> reporter: president obama did not mention the public option today as he talked health care to veterans. >> no one is going to take away your benefits. that is the plain and simple truth. >> reporter: but to get benefits for the uninsured, the president had fout for government insurance until he seemed to give up on saturday. >> the public option whether we have it or we don't have it is not the entirety of health care reform. this is just one sliver of it. >> reporter: one sliver? whether we have it or not? conservatives are celebrating. >> the administration's hearing loud and clear that people in this country don't want a government takeover of their health care. >> reporter: but many democrats insist on a government plan. >> the trouble is you can't

really have reform without a public option. what a public option is is what veterans have and what people over 65 have. it's medicare. and it works really well and it's much more efficient. >> reporter: insurance companies claim new government rules could meet the main goals. >> getting everybody in, insurance market reform, subsidizin subsidizing, helping working families to afford it. >> reporter: but the public option is still the hot topic today at town halls. >> you said people could call it what they choose to. well, i will call it social iiz medicine because that's exactly what it is. >> it's better than nothing. >> well, you said i could call it -- >> reporter: is government coverage dead? the white house says no. but in the president's own article out today, barack obama doesn't even mention the public option. i'm steve handelsman, news4, capitol hill. traffic headaches for some virginia co uts.er and opera is coming to the

ballpark. police in fkings.elor hn is asking for hel in findi a bank robber. the suspect seen here coming up in suinrvrvllance ptosd robbece the bank on diggs road. he then left o footob heading toward theoo crboppingnt cellagr ngoppi center.m,hiopecog him, urged to call police. a ramp closure on the beltway caused headaches for motorists near tyson corner today. exit 46-b will remain closed for more than a month while construction is done. workers will be putting bridge piers in from westpark to the beltway. drivers should follow the detour signs. job-seekers in our area got a chance to meet with prospective employees today. more than 25 companies attended a job fair at the holiday inn near national airport this morning. prospective workers got three reme scranning and a chance to interview for jobs in the washington area. by hdte by a nr

of career websites and the fairfax county skill source center. they'll be singing in the outfield, but not "take me out to the ball game." the washington national opera will offer free screenings. concert-goers can watch for free while getting that ballpark atmosphere complete with concessions, games and prizes. the event is meant opera more accessible to everyone in the washington community. we've got much more ahead on "news4 at 4." michael jackson merchandise is flying off shelves. now he might get his own clothing line. what is your child's height saying about his or her populari popularity? and we'll show you how college students can save some big bucks this semester by renting their books. and an unexpected visitor shows up in a couple's vacation photo. today, they're explaining how this squiral ended u

after 49 launches, a final mission for the delta 2 rocket,

launching for the last time here at cape canaveral. it's carrying a satellite into orbit. after 20 years, the air force is switching to different rockets to haul bigger satellites. the military depends on gps technology as do many of us to get to our destinations on earth. well, as the kids head back to school, there is plenty for a parent to do with schools and health authorities preparing for swine flu. parents should do a little preparation at home. today, we focus on back-to-school health and to help us, jackie has stopped by. nice to see you, doctor. it's hard to believe the summer is gone already. >> i know. >> but it is. so the thing is there are several health issues relating to swine flu. let's start there. what do parents need to do and what do they need to tell their kids? >> that's right. this is the first year we've

done a back-to-school already knowing what is going to happen, that this swine flu, the h1n1, may hit. make sure to keep your hands clean and wash them. make sure not to share all those peon alitems. that's stuff you need to walk tntre kne need to know what the o are.toms you keep your kid home fro school.and then most nsen mosth impokisemaho tla p ngkiseho plans now. what happens if school does close? what about child care? what if your kid gets sick? >> and a lesson plan so they can keep studying at home. >> that's right. >> when should parents start thinking about getting their kids vaccinated against the seasonal flu? >> so many people have forgotten about the seasonal flu. that starts vaccinating around the middle of october. if your physician has it now, go get it now. there's no problem with that. we're expecting that the h1n1 virus is going to be ready for a vaccination around the middle of october as well. get both. they're two separate vaccines. one does not replace the other.

>> okay. kids are bound to catch more than the flu. that's right. >> what kinds of health-related issues do parents need to pay attention to? >> so the usual things we worry about are the things that are related to school like asthma and food allergy. those are the two biggies that happen at the school. the other ones are chronic infections that your child can get. think about that now. plan ahead for those things. >> if your child regularly takes medication, there are procedures that a parent should follow. >> it's a very simple thing. go to your school's website, print out the form for the medication so you can bring it itt. it out.c, have the thseot dloal c nn odae verybols eis .e is calling your doctor on that day make sure it gets filled t. get it filled out and bring in the medication. it has to be properly labeled with the child's name from the pharmacy. >> should you take all the meds to school? >> no. only bring the ones that need to be taken at school, which primarily revolve around those

two diseases of food allergy and asthma. they only happen because of emergencies. most schools do not have a nurse anymore. these are health techses. they're untrained lay people. you have to give them strikt instructions how to give the medications. >> okay. you say parents need to take extra steps when it comes to kindergartners and 1st graders with food allergies. >> this is the first time they're riding a school bus, but it's the first time they're eating away from home. let's walk them through a dress rehearsal of how to get through this so that they know where they should sit, what they should eat, who they can eat with and who is going to help them out if they get into trouble and have an allergic reaction at school. >> and make sure the treatment plan is up to date? >> make sure you're not relating on some treatment plan that you got four or five years ago. that you're not doing some outdated mode of giving that medication like every time before recess or every time

before jgym class. get to your doctor now. don't wait until school starts. >> dr. jackie, thanks so much.ha t >>nkyou. >> thank you. sd aor for me on how mids tur ky o ta ckba to o l tn ogheto sl, ochoe websi website, nbcwashington.com, and search "as seen as news4." meanwhile, moms are getting mixed messages when it comes to how their babies should sleep. to reduce the risk of sids, the american academy of pediatrics recommends babies be put on their backs to sleep in their own beds. without any type of soft bedding, blankets or stuffed animals. but a new study from children's national medical center finds more than a third of photographs in women's magazines show babies in unsafe sleep positions. most of those sleep environments were also deemed unsafe. babies who attend a home day care center are more likely to be heavy toddlers, according to

new research out. a harvard study found that babies cared for in someone else's home were about 5% higher on the growth charts than babies cared for at home or at a day care center. in addition, the more time the child spent at the home day care, the heavier that child was. children who are on the short end of the height scale are no different from their taller peers in terms of popularity and are no more likely to be depressed, according to a new study. parentsre often concerned that having a short child will subject them to ridicule. while the study showed shorter children reported higher rates of teasing, it did not affect their mental well-being. the researchers surveyed more than 700 children in 6th grade for this study. when we come back on "news4 at 4," pilots crash as they prepare for an air show. find out how two of them survived this midair collision. and we'll tell you how you could be handling illegal drugs

every day without even realizing it. and if you're thinking about heading out to dinner tonight, we'll take a look at where your kids can eat for free.

summer is over. can you believe it? it's time to get back to the books for kids. tomorrow we'll be collecting the tools to help them get started on their school year. all day long, we'll be collecting backpacks for kids. here's a look at one of the backpacks. >> pretty snazzy. >> beautiful, red backpack stuffed with all of the basics. we've got pencils and paper and rulers. you know, all the stuff they need. even tissues. every year, news4 partners wit backpacks for pac backpacks for ney .kids you te namdohe t tt aheki donate them at the e 'rm they're o992.ls. goo you can also go toan make a cred d make a credit card c youanan u r c oanouring your ownfed backpn a5 wisconsin avenue 5545 wisco ure a neyo >> i love the. themlove the way theyil fl up. this has a lot more than when we were growing up. i'll tell you, we've bought antibacterial moist wipes, the glue stick, bottled water, cheese and crackers. >> yeah, yeah.

in case they're hungry. >> it's a great deal because there are so many needy kids out there all over our area who are expecting and counting on this. >> that's right. they're already identified through social service agencies. we'll be down there from 6:00 in the morning until 6:00 tomorrow. we hope to see or hear from you. >> it's at tenleytown cvs. >> that's right. but you can donate online. >> let's keep it going. veronica, how is that weather looking out there? you've been busy this afternoon. >> indeed. but let's just say, jim and pat, you'll need the water if you'll be out there tomorrow. we continue with the 90s. those 90-degree highs across the area today. we got up 25to 90 degrees. humidity in the air today. the heat index now at 90 degrees as well. our wind is out of the south-southeast at 5 miles per hour take a look at the temperatures elsewhere throughout the area. that humidity at 33%.

not the case in the nation's midsection. it's getting awfully steamy there. 90 here. 86 degrees in cincinnati. 90 degrees in memphis, tennessee. and 85 degrees in new orleans. here's a look at those dew point temperatures, an indication of how much moisture is in the air. get it over 70 degrees or around 70 and it's awfully sticky. all the way north to cincinnati now. ibst. lou in st. louis, missouri, and new orleans is at 72 dri degrees. that the claudette that moved ashore early this morning. that's the reason why it's plenty steamy. here's a look at the -- what it feels like. 96 degrees, over 100. dallas, texas, with that moisture driving northward. hot weather still, again, across the nation's midsection. easy to see claudette there spinning, moving ashore. again, that was early this morning. the next storm system we've got to talk about, again, is anna. that one moving through the caribbean. right now, our radar, quiet across the area. we've got a cold front that's

going to be making its way eastward. not until wednesday could we see, i think, some thunderstorms across the area. some widely scattered storms. might be some isolated ones tomorrow. look at the rainfall. crest view, florida, close to four inches. same thing in other areas, close to an inch and a half on the western -- the panhandle of florida today. well, here's a look at anna. it's expected to track west-northwestward. it's not until wednesday, thursday time period that it could be grazing western sections of southern florida. and then making its way up into the gulf of mexico once again. hurricane bill, not until saturday as it moves west-northwestward could it get very close to bermuda. not until saturday, staying far enough away from, again, the east coast. so let's talk about your futurecast. hazy conditions out there right now. i think during the overnight period, we' have a few clouds. more clouds building tomorrow and maybe some isolated storms. there's a 20%, 30% chance for tomorrow.

and then a better chance for seeing wet weather move through on wednesday. and then, i think, even possibly thursday as well. so this evening, high clouds. we're warm and humid. 84 to 87 degrees. meanwhile, by tomorrow morning, temperatures are going to be cooling off, but only to the upper 0 -- 60s. we will have hazy conditions across the area once again. look for a high temperature tomorrow, again, into the 90s. we've got three more days coming to us with highs in the 90s. jim, pat? >> thanks, veronica. stay right there. we've got a lot more to come. sales of michael jackson merchandise has soared since his death. now there could be a new line of clothing by the king of pop. and a photographer covering the storms in taiwan is swept away by raging flood waters. and he's speaking up. the baollywood star detained ths ekwed tells hi

welcome back to "news4 at er a look at some of the stories ming headlines this hour. it's a late start, but huiceaan seson is under way s in the atlanticodh ay wita tropical triple thread. claudette made landfall overnight with less than a day's warning, causing heavy flooding and wind damage in some spots. the stormas weakened to a tropical depression now. so has anna. hurricane bill, meanwhile, is gaining strength. firefighters in california are trying to contain a wildfire near sacramento. it's already burned more than 3,000 acres. the blaze is threatening some 600 homes. some areas are under mandatory evacuaon orders. while voluntary evacuations are advised in other neighborhoods. sales of michael jackson merchandise have been soaring since the musician's death back

in june. attorneys in the case are in court today hashing out more merchandising deals for his estate, including a line of clothing that may be hitting shelves soon. >> we have more on that, plus new video of jackson hanging out with his children shortly before he died. >> reporter: michael jackson, just weeks before his death. his bizarre behavior on full display in this exclusive video obtained by nbc news. michael and his kids were shopping in a boutique clothing store owned by world-famous fashion designer christian autigier. >> the king of fashion. >> reporter: michael jackson wants in. >> he said, i want to do a line. i want you walking on the -- [ inaudible ] he was very excited. >> reporter: so excited michael approved every design himself just before he died. >> so we have t-shirts.

>> yeah, we have t-shirts, jackets, gloves, accessories, we have umbrellas. >> reporter: no one but the designer's team have seen the images until now. the jackson jacket would have retailed for $250. it could sell for double or triple that. of course, a rhinestone glove is part of the collection. so are rhinestone socks. there are t-shirts and a belt. and you know michael jackson and his umbrellas. >> michael was insistent that you cdesi an umbrella. >> absolutely. >> reporter: any idea why? >> no. but absolutely, that's what i was doing. >> reporter: michael's sudden death didn't kill his vision. the designer is hoping to work with jackson's estate to release the clothing line. >> you want this to still come out? >> absolutely. >> reporter: you think it will happen? >> maybe. why not? >> reporter: he's confident it will happen, and if he's right, there's money to be made. in fact, megastars often bring

in more dead than alive. since jackson died, his estate has already earned $100 million and could double that by the end of the year. >> that was jeff rossen reporting. the designer says the jackson line includes about 100 different designs. pat? in iraq, the government is banning internet sites that it believes incite violence or carry pornography. the plan requires internet cafes and service providers to be licensed. opponents say these new rules violate iraq's constitution which guarantees freedom of electronic communications. hundreds of people are missing today and more than 1,000 are stranded in the aftermath of last week's typhoon in taiwan. more u.s. aid is arriving on the island now. china and four other countries are also offering help. some of the searching for

survivors is being done on foot because roads and bridges are washed out. the u.s. aid is coming iny helicopter from a nearby ship. a cameraman in taiwan caught a very lucky break today. he covered the aftermath of the typhoon. he tried to cross a flooded creek with his camera, but he was caught up by the powerful currents. luckily, some locals were able to catch him and get him back on his feet. wow. bollywood is speak iing out after one of its superstar actors was detained at newark international airport. >> it's unfortunate. it's shocking and very disgraceful. >> they were asking me to give them telephone numbers of people in america that could vouch for my entry. now, that's a little strange. it's never been asked of me anywhere. i have a visa. >> fans of shah rukh hkan are outraged after the star was

detained friday by immigration officials. his detainment was due to his name apeapearing on a computer alert list. he was headed to chicago to promote his new movie about ci profiling. the u.s. ambassador said saturday the embassy was looking into the matter. >> some irony there. >> a lot of it. when we come back on "news4 at 4," much more. a collision in midday at a rehearsal for an air show. two pilots amazingly walk away from the crash scene. and as many college students head back to school this week, how they might be able to save big onex tks.

welcome back. veronica johnson here in storm center4. there's a look outside. just a few clouds, but nothing showing up on radar. look at the temperatures. 90 in d.c. 92 degrees in hagerstown, maryland. 91 in manassas. a little cooler near the water. 86 in annapolis. pax river at 87 degrees. raleigh cooler at 80. roanoke at 77 degrees. it's points west of us that have had a few cooling showers. we'll have a few, i think,

isolated showers come our way tomorrow. better chance of rain comes wednesday with thunderstorms. thunderstorms even in the forecast, too, for thursday. as these 90s continue. first thing tomorrow morning, 71 to 73 degrees. sky should be clear. sun is upor tomrow at 6:25. expect temperatures to start from the mid-60s to the low 70s. again, another hot day. we'll look at the four-day forecast in just a few minutes. you can rent cars and apartments. now college students are about to get the option to save some big bucks by renting their textbooks. every year, students spend hundreds of goods buying their books for classes. now one company is planning to rent the titles directly to students for 40% to 80% off retail. publishers have been undercut by sales and rentals of usedversion .

mcgraw-hill will also lend out textbooks. publishers can collect money on books over several years. i always had used books. >> still have a lot of old books. still to come on "news4 at 4," did you know you could be handling drugs every single day without even knowing it? it all has to do with the money in your wallet. how social networking sites like twitter and facebook could help you land a new job. t

it's no secret. a lot of companies are going high-tech these days. do you know how to tweet? blog? what about logging on to facebook? if you want to get a job or keep the one you have, you might want to consider learning now.

kimberly suiters explained why in this "jobs 4 you" report. >> reporter: if you read her first morning tweet, you knew amy had arrived before we did. >> we follow the changes in technology and the trends and we provide people with hands-on learning immediately. >> reporter: that's how fast technology is evolving. blink at your own peril. >> for everybody who is trying to get digital skills to either further or save as the case has become their careers. >> reporter: for 129 bucks a month, you can keep pace with we webinares. >> i was sitting in a meeting with my managers, and everybody decided that we needed to have a twitter strategy. i shook my head, yes, we need to have a twitter strategy. i have no idea what twitter is. >> reporter: webb tweets a lot, everything from where she's working to what she's drinking. >> i'm hankering for some

coffee, dark roast, non-commercial. you should treat social media as if you're on a constant first date. let it know what you like to eat, but not all the time. >> reporter: be honest, but not too honest. you are your own brand. manager of your digital identity. it could be the reason you land or lose your next job according to an hr director webb knows. >> one of their current resume requirements is listing how many twitter followers that you have. >>eporter: that might seem silly, but not to these students. back in the classroom to master it. they kw social networking is changing business communications. >> i grab my iphone and go, oh, comcast is down again. where is my internet? they'll reply and say there's a service outage in your area. >> reporter: julie tweets on the job. >> we're a member-driven organization, so anywhere where we can create meaningful conversation with your members is valuable to us.

>> reporter: if you're still a twitter-phobe, you don't have to know how to use it. >> but you better darn sure understand what twitter is, why it works, and why we're all talking about it. >> reporter: kimberly suiters, news4. still ahead, making dinner plans for tonight? find out where your kids can eat free.

well, we bet you sweated a little today. veronica johnson is outside

sweating right now. hey, veronica. >> that, i am. thanks a lot, pat. there's very littl bit of a breeze blowing out here. i wish there was more. but, you know, meanwhile in the night sky, at least we can count on a lot of the cloud cover that we have overhead moving out of here. a few clouds rlly g ing t be breaking up later. should be good viewing for the international space station. look at this. that's what mark brown was doing this morning, capturing these images for us. he's in springfield, virginia, and the international space station will make another pass from west-southwest at 5:36 to the northeastern sky early tomorrow morning. there's the heat, pat. 90 degrees out here. it is hot. we'll be picking up more humidity over the next couple of days. 90s continue through wednesday at least of this week. on the radar, not much showing up. there might be isolated showers and storms coming our way tomorrow. and then more for wednesday. 71 to 73 is how we start the day tomorrow. look for a high of 93 degrees.

the heat continues. wednesday, 92. thursday, storms at 90. then cooling off at the end of the week on friday. see you back here tomorrow. if you're a penny-pinching parent avoiding restaurants these days, there is good news now. one national chain is trying to boost business with a bold new kids eat free deal. ihop is offering free kids meals foa month. they're trying to lure more families out of the house during these tough times. other restaurants areerff ogff kids eat free deals, o.to tomorrow night is a good night ry it. on tuesday nights at the a benigan's, a child gets a free meal w ehdudu alt a bu athe t t.g.i. frays, it's the easallme d al day on tuesdays. l thilor nstnwe othein

ill inthorwest on the same day. a kid can also eat for free with one adult dinner purchased. there are lots of other kids eat free deals out there. go to the web t get a list of local restaurants that offer te freebies. go to nbcwashington.com and search for "as seen as news4." what about big kids? big hungry kids? >> well, i don't know. you could disguise yourself. up next, contestants on game shows used to play for the dream homes and cars.opin y're just f hoping for a bailout. plus, have you seen it? this squirrel takes center stage in a couple's vacation photograph. now they're speaking out to everyone who's doubting a

tragedy in the sky above russia. two air force jets collided

while rehearsal for an air show year moscow. three pilots ejected, but only two survived. one of the jets crashed into houses below. fighter pilots are part of the elite russian night flying group. first reports blame pilot error. more and more contestants are using game show winnings to get them out of a financial pinch in this tight economy. the show "millionaire" finds more and more people are playing to pay off debt instead of that dream vacation. "deal or no deal" producers say about 20% of their players are unemployed. last year, that number was only 5%. a vacation photo featuring a squirrel has the world talking and the couple defending themselves. they say the image is real, not altered in any way. >> we laughed all day about it. >> reporter: if a normal picture is really worth a thousand

words -- >> we laughed. >> reporter: there's no telling the value of this one. >> we knew it was big when google -- when you type in the world squirrel into google, we come up above wickpedea. >> reporter: melissa and jack brandts realized a classic photo opportunity. >> we'll sit down and use our remote. >> reporter: but drawn to the click of the camera, one little critter decided to make this a family shot. >> he must have thought it was like a foot dispensary. and so he short of was running around in the rocks and then ducks down and disappeared. all of a sudden, scampered over and shot up right in front of the camera. >> i was kind of clicking away. i was hoping we'd get it because melissa was kind of like, get it,th take e photo >> we even said to ourselves, it hardly even looks real. we were there. >> reporter: a picture now worth more than a,0 thousand words. the brandts decided to share

their adventure. >> we wanted to get it in a ak magazine. >> reporter: but a photo this rich, this rare, this in focus clrly had an audience that couldn't wait for the print copy. >> one of the guys says, well, you know, you're famous in korea. >> reporter: and so the brandts and their buddy have gone viral and even to the networks. >> squirrel on a morning program. >> reporter: melissa and jack don't expect to turn a profit from their priceless picture, but they do enjoy the thought ey're sharing their joy with others. >> it was so much fun for us, and now we just love that everyone else thinks it's so fun. >> probably a once in a lifetime shot that's "news4 at 4." "news4 at 5" starts right now. tonight on "news4 at 5," learning from tragedy. a child put in foster care is involved in a horrible hanging

on venetian blinds. tonight, a grave reminder for all families. phony american dream. the fate is set for a man convicted of stealing $1 million from home buyers left with nothing but swamp lands. and storms leak rain into the south as three systems stir up the hurricane season. good afternoon. welcome to "news4 at 5." >> we begin with our top story. a beltway exit shutdown. live tonit. as if traffic isn't bad enough, commuters had now add another headache to the list. that headache was for hundreds of drivers heading into tyson's corner today. a heavily-used ramp was closed to accommodate hot lane construction. julie carey is live near the beltway with the latest for us. julie? >> well, you might be able to see it back there behind me. that empty ramp leading off the beltway. it's exit 46-b. now features a road block on either end. and after a lot of