the nation. this morning his rise to political power and h his influential beliefs will go down in history. good morning. welcome to "news4 today." i'm joe krebs. >> i'm eun yang in for barbara harrison. we'll have much more on the death of senator ted kennedy throughout the morning, but first we'll look outside live this morning at 72 degrees at 5:00. one more day of a pleasant morning. >> we'll find out if the day will be pleasant as well with tom keirein in the studio. good morning. we are startin off with low humidity in place and a clear rt y.sk we have the summey.r ions overhead and note itonipn io radar this morning. and temperatures i nn s s e region.0 degrees allthe we will see, except now the mountains, 5n the0s. temperatures will climb today with the bright sunshine and a mostly clear sky to the low 90s. then tomorrow we'll heorav0e m clouds around with an easterly wind. it should be cooler as well with highs in the mid-80s. then on fridand a saturday, we could get passing swers as a

tropical system could be passing just to the ea.st the front could come through sunday afternoon with passing thundershowers with highs near 80. aaysdrndle aoos oeturns a nd cooler as well with highs in the to near 80. i'm back with frequent updates throughout the morning. the next one is at 5:11. thank you, tom. >> now to jerry ed fwhards the news4 traffic network. >> northern virginia, this is a live look at interstate 66 inen bound as you are headed east to vienna, everything is moving nicely with all lanes open. at the wilson bridge, no issues to report. you should find travel lanes open there. near the american legion bridge, all the overnight road work has been wrapped up. thank you. now back to breaking news we have been following. the death of edward kennedy after a year-long struggle with brain cancer. >> these are live pictures from

the kennedy compound in hyannis port, massachusetts, where he passed away last night. his name was synonymous with politics and he made a name for himself throughout a long life on capitol hill. kimberly, good morning. >> reporter: good morning. edward kennedy better known as ted was in his eighth full term in the senate when he died. the third longest serving senator of all time. he said pursuit of the presidency was not his life, but public service was. we understand that senator kennedy lost his battle with brain cancer last night a little bit after midnight. a special election to replace senator kennedy will happen in 2010. i want to share with you my family's favorite memory of a young senator kennedy, my mom was an intern up on capitol hill, and she got to have one cocktail with the senator. she said besides admiring his

bright mind, he was the most handsome man in the country. our family often talks that and smiles about that. senator kennedy lionized on the left and pillarized on the right. no doubt, he had passion for both sides. no doubt, he made a difference as he pursued public service. the kennedy family released a ayatement to nbc news early this morning. it reads in weav he,e we have lost the irrabeprrlalaceable cer ource our d an rve li bs,ut our lives, b inspiration leivn owie ncllve live on resr venk tery e wonhoav ha nk everyone who gave him we nd areup oport aver this lasttoh rt s w wodto with him for so manyrsea yod in his tireless march for progress towards justic e,rn f aesainds unrty for all. hent c aunou thiryntou cry and oudte hdeis life to servingit . he always believed our best dsay were still ahead, but it is hard to imagine any of them without

him. eun, back to you. >> kimberly, thank you. in addition to senator kennedy's family, his countless friends and colleagues are also mourning his death this morning. news4's megan mcgrath is joining us live from capitol hill with reaction. good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, eun. the death of senator edward kennedy having a huge impact here on capitol hill. only two other u.s. senators have served longer than kennedy. he was a man with tremendous influence. he was also very well liked and respected by his colleagues, all of his colleagues, although he was known as the liberal lion of the senate, senator kennedy had no problem reaching across the aisle. he worked with conservatives, moderates and liberals alike. we are getting reaction this morning regarding his death. senate majority leader harry reid says, quote, it was the thrill of my work with ted kennedy. he was a friend, the model of publ servin a amendncari a

icon. as we mourn his loss, with rededicate himself to theau cses to which cifut dlyul dutifully feiflis . senate kennedy stands wlihit th most patriotic men and wichl women t erve ser in these lls. s nancyi posil says he had a grand orvi fs america and an inparalleled work for change. he had deep concern for the least among us. no one has done more than setor konese tdy educate our children, care for our seniors and tsure the for all americans. of course, senator kennedy's death comes at a critical time of the health care debate. health care was a lifelong issue for senator kennedy. president barack obama is facing a very, very difficult fight for his health care reform plan. he is going to need all of the votes that he can get. the vacancy being left by the death of senator kennedy, of course, not great timing for the

obama administration. actually, senator kennedy and in his final days was trying to change the succession law in massachusetts so that in the tenth of his death they would not go unrepresented, that should the health care vote come up after his death that hay would have a vote in that. the way the law stand right now, there would be a special election within five months of the vacancy and all of that, of course, now has to be sorted out. certainly, health care was a very, very important issue to him. we are going to have to see how it all plays out. back to you. >> megan, thank you. edward kennedy entered the world of politics back in 1962 when he won a special election to complete his brother john f. kennedy's senate term. john kennedy was elected president two years r.eaierl ted won his irenst seer s tm in .4 ke tedy was elected to eight

full terms and was the secdon mostrio senator behind robert bir wofest virginia. eshe o snehef oix senators iryi 40 years. deonresid cdesired last year's electsinio whene hr's election when edrsdo lsasoded senatork aramoba. baraw aaslsoor hheedon taled m ofed frhido tm,s country's highe honor. >>tay with news4 for live team coverage throughout the morning. 5:07 is the time now. 72 degrees. much more ahead on "news4 today." >> our live team coverage of the death of senator ted kennedy continues. the 77-year-old politician lost his battle with brain cancer. >> stay with us. we'll be bac

good morning. welcome back to "news4 today." we are following the death of

senator edward m. kennedy who died last night. a victim of brain cancer. a live picture of the capitol dome where there will be great, great sadness today from his coworkers and fellow senators who served with him for more than 40 years, 47 year i believe. >> we'll have continuing coverage on news4 and at nbcwashington.com. stay with us today. right now we'll go to tom keirein up in storm center4 for the latest on the forecast. >> good morning. it is 5:11. the temperature is 72 in washington. we have a clear sky turned a little more humid overnight. 70 in montgomery, fairfax and prince george's county. these are the current dew points in the mid-60s. it is a little more humid. off to a clear start with plenty of sunshine today. and it is going to be a hot afternoon with highs reaching brieffully the low 90s. it will be cooler tomorrow. friday and saturday will see

both days in the 70s. sunday, a few showers in the day with highs near 806789 low humidity returns monday and tuesday with highs in the 70s to near 80. now with traffic, how is it looking, jerry? it is looking good so far. we'll check out interstate 66 inside the capital beltway near falls church. so far so good. light volume both directions on 66. westbound 50 on the bay bridge, we understand police and authorities are degree with this from the eastern shore. add a couple extra minutes, we'll keep you updated on this. the beltway is looking good so far. back to you. it is 5:12, 72 degrees. our continuing coverage of the death of senator ted kennedy. next at 5:15 this morning, the accomplishments of the legendary politician and how he's being remembered by colleagues and friend here in the nation's capital.av

good morning. we continue to follow breaking news this morning. senator ted kennedy has died. the democrat from massachusetts lost his battle with brain cancer late last night. he served more than 40 years in the u.s. senate and was the second most senior senator after robert bird of west virginia. he was diagnosed with brain cancer last may. ted kennedy was 77 years old. senator kennedy served the people of massachusetts in the senate, but he also made a significant impact right here in washington. news4 ease tracee wilkins is joining us live outside the holy trinity catholic church in northwest washington.

good morning. >> reporter: good morning. when the senator attended services in washington, this is the church he would visit. in 1963 when he first became a senator, this was the church that he and his wife belonged to when they lived here in georgetown. senator kennedypent most o his former years with his mother who taught him the family's catholic faith among the death of his two other brothers. he was a father to three children and surrogate father to more than two dozen nieces and nephews. governor schwarne'sggzeerze wif was eshaslere ted easreleed this st. heno wre kaswn t k t woldor as e lion of ldthnasete,e a champio iaofteus soc jltind a j a.icon stca .lonicti most importantly, he was the o ov lamiging husband, father, brother and uncle. he was a m of great faith and character. now, the first service here will be held at 7:00 a.m. this

morning. we are hoping to speak with parishioners to get their reaction to the news of senator ted kennedy'sassing earlier this morning. i'm tracee wilkins, live this morning in northwest. back to you in the studio. as you might imagine, senator kennedy's death is drawing reaction from every corpser in the political world. david gregory spoke on msnbc arly this morning. >> thea de i of the last otheder, the last kennedy brother to be living and to be carrying on the family name, it is just such a powerful image for so many people, whether you are steeped r,ano to be an american, to be anybody anywhere in the world, frankly, is to know about the kennedy mystique and the kennedy impact on this country. he was just a major force. >> senator ted kennedy made frequent appearances on "meet the press" throughout his career. he first appeared on the program back in 1962. ted kennedy's public life, of

course, didn't come without controversy. inck in 1969, he had an accident chhi w he drove off the bridge in massachusettshi killing a gncampaiet coworker mary joe copekni. itatmp laser released that he terswamo safety and left her behind. kennedy pleaded guilt to leaving the scene and received two months suspended sentence. the kennedy ne will forever be part of washington. the kennedy center is named after president john f. kennedy who helped raise money for a national cultural center two months after he was assassinated in 1963, congress authorized $23 million to build the performing arts center known as the kennedy center for the performing arts. it opened to the public in 1971 as a livg memorial to president kennedy. the kennedy family also made an impact in the washington sports world. r.f.k. stadium is home to the d.c. united and have been home

to the n lationals and the centers. it was renamed after ted's brother robert kennedy, the presidential candidate, who was assassinated in 1969. robert kennedy played a role in integrated the redskins when he was attorney general. he threatened to revoke the team's lease at the stadium if it didn't agree to sign african-american players. and senator ted kennedy paid a visit to fenway park just a few months ago. he threw out the first pitch at the red sox home opener in april. his family was also on hand to watch his home team defeat the tampa bay rays. we'll get another check on the weather and traffic together. we'll take a look outside to see what kind of day we have. we have lowish humidity right now, which is very nice. we have 72 degrees. lit get warmer, though, i suspect. we'll check in with meteorologist tom keirein. >> good morning. as we get going this morning, it turned humid overnight. off to a clear start this morning with temperatures around the region in the 60s and low to

mid-70s. that is right near the bay. near washington, we are near 70 degrees this morning. the weather watchers checking in near the blue ridge and shenandoah valley reporting temperatures in the mid to upper 60s. all around the region, it has turned more humid as we have seen the winds shift into the southwest, but off to a clear start. we have a large area of high pressure beginning to move in from the midwest and it is tracking just to the south this morning. meanwhile, here's what's happening with the tropical wave, which is about 350 miles north of the dominican republican. still showing some signs of circulation. here's washington, here's the outer banks, here's florida. in the latest indications, it is going to continue o a track off to the west/northwest and take a turn to the north similar to what bill did. it will beassing between those two here late on friday into saturday morning. and because it is forming so far north, it is probably not going to be nearly as strong as bill if it does get going and does become a tropical storm. it would then become danny.

that could happen later today. if you are traveling today, could have flight delays from florida through the georgia/south carolina region as well as from new england to the great lakes and the central plains and the desert southwest. for us, for today, lots of sunshine. it will be a little more humid with afternoon highs around 90 degrees. perhaps briefly touching the low 90s by mid-afternoon. then overnight tonight, we'll have a clear evening with temperatures in the 70s by midnight. then the upper 60s by dawn tomorrow. paly to mostly cloudy on thursday with highs in the low to mid-80s. friday and saturday, as the tropical storm passes to our east, we may get a few passing showers both days with highs in the upper 70s. sunday, a front coming through could trigger afternoon thunderstorms to be followed by low humidity and pleasant temperatures in the first part of next week. we'll check on traffic now on this wednesday morning. jerry, how is it looking? we are doing pretty well. good morning, everyone. clear roads and dry this morning. as you tral from university

boulevard past route 29 over towards silver springs and all the way to the american legion bridge, all lanes are open now. both directions to the approach to the legion bridge, watch the guy next to you. authorities are now on the scene westbound 50 on the bay bridge. we are told three carsre involved in that. does not appear to be a serious accident. nevertheless, coming in from the eastern shore, heads-up for that. we'll keep you updated. back to you. thank you, jerry. our time right now is 5:22, 72 degrees. another no-go for space shuttle "discovery." and we'll continue to follow our big story this morning. massachusetts senator ted kennedy dead at th

the shuttle launch is a no-go.

tuesday afternoon nasa officials scrubbed the launch "discovery" after a broken valve was found in ten the engine compartment. this is the second time it has been called off. weather issues scrubbed the launch on monday. the next time to launch will be friday. today the nationals have a new teammate joining them on the pitching field. pitcher hernandez was signed yesterday. the team will have another performance like last night, hopefully. they scored the most runs of their entire season against the chicago cubs. josh willingham hit two home runs. elijah dukes also hit his first career grand slam home run. the nats beat the cubs 15-6. breaking news in the world of politics. >> the third longest-serving member of the senate has died. ted kennedy has lost his battle with brain cancer.

we have live team coverage. we are also watching weather and traffic on the 1s. we continue at 5:30.

massachusetts senator ted kennedy has died. the politician, a member of one of america's most political families, lost his battle with cancer. this morning colleagues, family and friends are remembering his legendary career here on capitol hill. good morning. welcome the "news4 today." i'm joe krebs. >> i'm eun yang in for barbara harrison on this august 26, 2009. much more on the death of ted kennedy coming up throughout the morning. first, we'll take a live look outside at 5:30. 72 degrees. the capitol is lit up in the night sky. john tom keiin is here to talk about the day we are going to have. >> off to a crtarta s this

tamointuumreg id h humid overniha warvee no re have no e .gtinsh 72 in e60s teao n60s to theea t suburbs rheting wchers are reporting ond iut the eastern shore andch southern virginia, the norther i neck, temperatures are in the upper 60s. in the mountains, a cool start there in the 50s under a clear sky with plenty of sunshine today and aftnoonhs hig climbing to around 90 degreesr . sunset will be at 7:47. through the evening we'e b near 80 and the 70s by midnight and it should be clear. by this time tomorrow morning, we'll have a few clouds around 70.he upper 60s to nrea during the day on ursd,ay partly to mostly cloudy with highs in the low to mid-80s with passing showers friday and saturday. a look at sunday and next week coming up in ten minutes after 5:41. thank you, tom. >> now to jerry edwards in the news4 traffic network. >> head south to take a live look at the approach to the

woodrow wilson bridge, both the inner loop and outer loop are moving along pretty well. picking up a little volume, but that's the worst of it right now. good news there. be careful coming in from the eastern shore westbound on route 50 on the bay bridge where police are dealing with an accident. one lane will get you by. look out for that eastbound if you are headed that direction with the lanes open. back to you. thank you, jerry. >> breaking news right now. he have he was the last kennedy brother, a lion in the senate. a major source of bipartisan bills. >> word came just after midnight that the senator had suck comed to brain cancer. kimberly is here with a look at his remarkable life. >> reporter: joe and eun, edward moore kennedy, better known as ted or teddy was in his eighth full term in the senate when he died. the third longest serving senator of all time. he once said pursuit of the presidency was not his life.

public service was. edward kennedy grew up in the shadow of two brothers who became american icons, but his decades in the senate established him as his own right. thoughlessed with family wealth and fame, he was devoted, to helping thoseless fortunate. massachusetts voters sent him to the senate in 1962, two years after brother john f. kennedy won the white house. >> that the torch has been passed. >> reporter: the head did days of camelot cut short by tragedy. jfk's assassination in 1963. >> on to chicago to win this. >> reporter: followed by robert kennedy's assassination in 1968. >> he was a good and decent man who saw wrong and tried to right it, saw suffering and tried to heal it, saw war and tried to

stop it. >> reporter: then seemed teddy's destiny and burdened to run for president. he did in 1980 against president jimmy carter. kennedy lost the nomination and delivered a stirring convention speech many considered his finest. >> the cause endures, the hope still lives and the dream hall never die. >> repter: his political star was eclipsed by a tumultuous life. he drove off this bridge when a coworker died. his 24-year marriage to joan ended in divorce in 1982. a decade later he married victoria reggie bringing balance to his life and a renewed sense for purpose in washington. at age 75 he appeared to be at the top of his game when he endorsed barack obama. in fact, handing the kennedy torch to a new generation.

>> i believe that our country's best days are still to come. >> reporter: edward kennedy, lionizedy liberals, demonized by er rbeemem but remembered by all as a passional passionate lawmaker. he died the way he lived with incredible courage and he knew exactly what was going on at his death. kennedy was 77 years old. now, in january 2010, a special election to fill senator kennedy's seat if not his larger-than-life shoes. eun and joe, back to you. >> it will be hard to do. thank you so much. thre knedy family releed a sameta stement this morning, it read i, rtpaha se wve lost the bs,nshe t instipi ionra ofur t hi ifaith, optimm aisnd perseverance will live on o ur he t ehaweonvenk weryho nkhaveryone who gavehir os tasti ndarry eoneve wodhoto s with him for so many i his

tireless mar for progress towards mjustice, fairness and opportunity for alal he loved this country a a devoted his life to serving it he always believed that our bes days were still ahead, but it hard to imagine any of ou thwitmhe without m.hi the presidenartobac bamk a astaed snt atemet on pa rentead passing ing, micheadeellll and hieatdef o our dear frie ennn edke y.fo fi edy. for five legislationkeo o t ncad legislation to advancehe , ghts rights, health and eillf ng o well-being of thecocno e mi op economic people bore his name and lt sureed from his efforts. eln i thedueis wiseel in thednsu senate whereou regardless of th time for aeco orguealle. i cherished his confincend a e r theorry the enevd a valiant liant struggle with aal mortal firo pd h fr isomencouragement and wisdom. the presidents.ue mporinhas.uent an important chapter in our come to an end.

y cououryntry has lost a great leader t whokeic pd up the tomorrow of his ual fnle brothe and becamehe t greatest united states sor of time. the kennedyilam fy has lost their ampatriarch, a tower of up srt through good timesr rt houndsea aup rourtras aea praye oout p t tut them today, tois h wonderful wi ,fe ck,.,jr pat riblg and kara, his grandchildren and extended family. senator kennedy's family in politics spans decades and this morning his countless friends and colleagues are remembering the impact he had on the country, especially here in washington. megan mcgrath is joining us from capitol hill with reaction. good morning. >> reporter: well, good morning, eun. the death of edward senator kennedy doesn't come to a shock to his colleagues here on capitol hill. he had been ill for some time. they knew the gravity of the situation, but certainly a tremendous loss being keenly felt here on capitol hill today. only two other u.s. senators have served longer than kennedy.

he was a man with tremendous influence. he was also very well liked and respected by all of his colleagues, although known as a liberal, senator kennedy had no problem reaching across the aisle. he worked with conservatives, moderates and liberals alike. and we are getting quite a reaction to his death this morning. the elder president bush released this statement, barbara and i were deeply saddened to learn ted kennedy lost his valiant battle with cancer. while we didn't see eye to eye on many political issues through the years, i have always respected his steadfast public service. ted kennedy was a seminole figure in the united states senate, a lear who answered the call to duty for some 47 years and whose death closes a remarkable chapter in that oors. senate majority leader harry reid says, quote, it was the ehrill of my lifthimwi ted kennd thwiy. ted kennedy. he was a friend, the model of public service and an american icon. of course, senator ted kennedy's death comes at a critical time

in the health care debate. health care was a lifelong passionate issue for the senator who felt very strongly about president barack obama's health care reform plan and wanted to make sure his home state would have a voice in that debate in case of his death. i'll have more on that coming up next half hour. eun, back to you. >> megan mcgrath, thank you. 5:39 is the time, 72 degrees. much more ahead here on "news4 today." >> our live team coverage of the death of senator ted kennedy continues. the 77-year-old politician lost his battle with brain cancer. >> "news4 today" continues after this break.

weather and traffic. good morning. now 72 in washington. off to a clear start. it turned more humid overnight. around the region today, we'll have the heat turned up a bit from yesterday up in the low 90s with lots of sunshine.

mostly cloudy tomorrow, the mid-80s. a passing shower friday and saturday with highs in the upper 70 am front coming through could trigger showers. monday and tuesday will dry out. still pleasant with highs in the 70s to near 80. i'm back in ten minutes with another update. jerry, how is traffic? take a live look along 270. we are picking up volume heading down through germantown and rockville, good news, no accidents. northbound, light volume. police are dealing with the accident on westbound route 50 on the bay bridge. one lane will get you by. joe and eun, back to you. it is 5:43, 72 degrees. continuing coverage of the death of senator ted kennedy. >> next at 5:45, we'll look back at his life and legacy and how the legendary politician is being remembered this morning.ex

we are following breaking news thismorning. senator ted kennedy has died.

the 77-year-old senator from massachusetts passed away late last night from brain cancer. he was a political giant, the third longest serving senator in u.s. history what else as well as the brother of former john f. kennedy and senator robert f. kennedy. senator kennedy was often referred to as the lion of the senate. >> he had a truly amazes career that spanned four decades. joining us now to talk about the life and legacy of him is mark witaker. thank you for joining us. >> thank you for having me. >> the dynasty part of it, the impact on the senate, the last of an era, what is your immediate reaction to the passing of senator ted kennedy? >> it was an epic life. the youngest of the kennedy children overshadowed at first by his brothers and then steps in after the assassination of jfk and robert kennedy, both as the patriarch of the kennedy

clan, but also to carry on their political legacy. overcome so many setbacks and tragedies. people thought he was going to be the next democratic nominee for president. that, for the moment, put that aside, but then in 1980 he takes on jimmy carter really fighting for the soul of the democratic party. loses that race. a number of times when people thought his political career would be over, and then he had the last chapter, which is to go to the senate and become through the labor committee, now the health pensions committee, the chairman ranking member over the last few decades. really, a giant of the senate who leaves a tremendous legislative legacy. >> talk about that legislative legacy. you just mentioned his passion of health care, education, labor, what will that be? >> well, when you look back, there are pieces of legislation, like the american disabilities

act, the family and medical leave act, the ryan white aids act, where a lot of times people can't really see the visibility effect of bills that come out of congress, bu everybody knows the effect that that has on our society and our life. that is really thanks to ted kennedy. >> not only what he established, but it was the way he established, the way he did his business, seems not to be there anymore, the contentiousness in politics is different from the way he conducted politics. >> everybody knows he defied the old fashioned liberal itch. he was an idealogue to fight in the senate, but in the evening he could put that aside and share a drink and a life with his republican counterparts and reach across the aisle. that's one of the reans he was so effective over the years in getting legislation passed, because he knew how to work congress. he new knew how tow be bipartisan in getting the work

done. as you say, that has really gone away in our political life, perhaps forever. >> before he died he urged massachusetts leaders to try to get the law changed to reappoint somebody to his seat before it became vacant. that didn't happen. what will happen now with the special election and how does that affect the health care debate? >> this is the legacy of john kerry running for president in 2004. and the democrats in massachusetts didn't want mitt romney, who was then the republican governor, to be able to appoint a senator if kerry left the senate, so they passed this new act that basically said there would be no fill-in and you had to have a special election. kennedy wrote a letter to the governor of massachusetts asking to put that aside. we don't think that's going to happen, so it mean that is the democrats are going to short one senator until the end of the year at a crucial time when they are pushing health care and other legislation. >> well, mark witaker, thank you

soft for joining us. senator kennedy was diagnosed with brain cancer back in may of 2008. he underwent surgery two weeks later. he surgeon was allen friedman, considered to be one of the best at a special teak sneak technique used to remove the tumor. this would prolong his life for 8 months to a year-and-a-half to allow him to continue his work in the senate. >>o i would say success would be removing the tumor, as much as possible, if not all of it, and having him maintain normal neurological function going in. >> and that surgery was, in fact, deemed to be a success. he did, in fact, serve in the senate for quite some time afterward, but senator edward kennedy died last night at the age of 77. 5:51 is your time. we'll check weather and traffic. tom keirein is joining us with the latest on the forecast. >> good morning. off to a clear start this

morning. it has turned more humid overnight with temperatures around the region near 60 and 70 at this hour. the sunrise is in about 40 minutes. there is the washington monument. you can see capitol hill there under this clear sky on this wednesday morning. and as we take a loot a radahe m at this hour. temperatures are pleasant in the 6 to near 70 degrees. the weather watchers are reporting clear skies near blue ridge. it is cooler there, but right around montgomery, prince george's county, arlington, 73 degrees. st. mary's is reporting near 70. weather watchers in northern the northern neck are reporting upper 70s. upper 60s on the eastern shore. a chilly start on the mountains for the third morning in a low with temperatures in the 40s and 50s. we have high pressure just passing to our south now giving us our clear sky. meanwhile, way out here in the atlant, here are the bahamas

and here is puerto rico and here is the dominican republican, haiti and cuba. there's washington. this is a tropical wave that could turn into a tropical cyclone later today if it does get going. it may track just to the east of the outer banks by perhaps saturday morning. very slow moving with a cluster of thundershowers right now and may become a tropical storm perhaps over the next few days. it does not like to be as strong as bill was last week. now, if you are traveling today, could have thunderstorms causing flight delays in florida and georgia and north carolina as well as from new england and the great lakes region. the central plains and desert southwest shouldn't have any prlems. for us, whave an area of high pressure just to our south. there's a front now triggered the thundershowers around northern michigan and northern illinois ahead of the front. we still have quite a bit of dry air across the eastern half of the country, but it has turned more humid overnight. as we go through the next 36 hours, we'll have a few clouds

this afternoon. overall, quite a bit of sunshine. then tonight with an eterly flow as the front begins to approach us from the northern, by dawn, we'll have a shower in the mountains. there's the zone of precipitation now. during the day on thursday into friday morning, steering wheel have this dryer air to our north. the circulation will give us the easterly flow. there's the first of the rains, perhaps from this tropical system moving into the carolinas friday morning that could move up friday afternoon. were's the forecast for today. 'll have the temperatus reaching near 90 by mid-afternoon. sunrise, 6:32. sunset, .477: plenty of sunshine toy.47da just a little more humid. overnight tonight, we'll have a ea r sky with temperatures near 80 by mid-evening and the 70s by midnight. tomorrow morning, the upper 60s. as we get goi ongcl thursday, should be mostly c wloyudhit afternoon highs reaching the h mid-80s. turning a little more humid as wellowtorrmo . into friday and saturday,s t ahe tropical system passe right

along the atlantic sea sbood,d, dpengd how close it comes to our regional, we could get showers on friday and saturday with highs reaching the upper 7 7s. on sunday a front could come by to trigger showers near 70. that's the way it looks. let's go to jerry edwards now in the news4 traffic network. any problems out there? >> yes, good morning. we have reports of a broken down vehicle on the inner loop of the beltway on the wilson bridge. heads-up for that. right now it doesn't appear to have a major impact, but traveling out of the area near alexandria, keep that in mind. we'll see how you are making the drive around town. 270 southbound between i-70 and route 21, 15 minutes. that's a little bit of volu. two minutes between clarksburg and germantown. we are beginning to load up along 270 southbound from route 27 headed on down to the split.

all lanes are open. back to you. thank you, jerry. he was a pillar of the democratic party for sure and a washington institution. senator ted kennedy dead at the age of 77. >> if you care about our future, if you care about massachusetts, if you care about our nation, you are going to go out and vote for barack obama! >> yes, ted kennedy has left a lasting impression on the democratic party. he helped to give eedg o ethver edge over for the democratic presintde for the democratic presidenttion the president relefo anamias.ond dyrepresident released a kennedt s,ad michelle ands,rtokaro ene o tenarlen the death of our arri nnedde foreke fy.ediv oreryveiece p of legislation to the w icheram he american well beif the e othf americ aneo bpl p horeamisee n pesandd rteul from his alhite v dlarsed his wisensou c iel vn t

snt always had always had ew n cogueallewwa n cogu n ev as hehone cncde minriheyone wenev hs waged vntal aia ru ted as presih a m agurt coen emdannt encouragement and sdomwi. t obama contbains,nue a po oueimpthan iuristoryur omes nend. ourou leader whoreat tch r who picked up thehe of his fallenthorro bs aernd esatatsten sor of our time.ur t. the kenneen family has lost ei rth trpatrpah,iarch, a tower ofa re a upng s tndrtghpohrouth good times andear art hndshr is asrtnd h prayers goemthdatood today, to hison wulrfthde wife vicky, his chdren, ted jr., patrick and kara, his grandchildren and extended family. well, coming up at 6:00, much more on the life of massachusetts senator ted kennedy. and we'll take a look back at the impact he left on this country and here in washington,

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the liberal lion of the senate has passed away. edward kennedy died late last night 7as 7nccaer. he was 77 years old. this morning we'll take a look back at his life and legacy on capitol hill. a man who dedicated his life to serving this country. we are looking at a live picture of the capitol dome out there. good morning, welcome back to "news4 today." i'm joe krebs. >> i'm eun yang in for barbara harrison, august 26, 2009. we'll take a look at weather and

traffic with tom keirein. he is joining us in the studio with an update oethn a ty>>eras vth plean a very pleasantin .nunmo aygrwde inrnclg underway. rncl it humid neitedor m hdumid over but the radar is showing no precipitation heading off to work or school. temperatures are in the 60s to near 70s, but we'll sore to near 70 later this afternoon with quite a bit of sunshine. tomorrow, an easterly wind will s down, highs in thecoow l to mite a bit ofui q ateitf b o cloudiness. ay a ndsaturday, a tropical system to our east off the atlantic seaboard to gives friday passing showe afternoon and into friday night and perhaps part of saturday igth hhs in the 70s both of th eth days. i'll show you my forecast for sunday and a look at next week coming up in ten minutes at 6:11. now to jerry edwards and the news4 traffic network. we have problems, right? >> we do, indeed. 395 northbound, we have what appears to be a broken down vehicle just moved to the

shoulder. three lanes are open, but you are going to have to keep a watch on that to make sure nothing else develops with that situation. elsewhere, we'll let you know police are wrapping up the earlier accident on westbound 50 on the bay bridge. we had a broken down vehicle inner loop on the wilson bridge. watch for police on the scene dealing with that. back to you. jerry, thanks very much. breaking news. he was the last kennedy brother. a lion in the senate, a major force for liberalism as well as bipartisan bills to improve the lives of theless fortunate. word came just after midnight that the senator had died of brain cancer. >> one long time kennedy staffer said he died just as he lived, with courage. kimberly southers is here with the latest. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, eun. what a remarkable le it was. the senator once saying that the pursuit of the presidency was not what defined his life, public service was. edward kennedy grew up in the

shadow of two brothers who became american icons, but his decades in the u.s. senate established him as a political legend in his own right. >> i'm saying you don't want to undermine the medicare system and the next will be social security. >> reporter: though blessed with family wealth and fame, he was devoted to helpie thoseless fortunate. massachusetts voters sent him to the senate in 1962, two years after brother john f. kennedy won the white house. >> that the torch has been passed. >> reporter: the heady days of camelot cut short by tragedy. jfk's assassination in 1963 -- >> on to chicago to win this. >> reporter: followed by robert kennedy's assassination in 1968. >> he was a good and decent man who saw wrong and tried to right it, saw suffering and tried to heal it, saw war and tried to stop it.

>> reporter: then seemed teddy's destiny and burdened to run for president. he did in 1980 against president jimmy carter. kennedy lost the nominatn then delivered a stirring convention speech many considered his finest. >> the cause endures, the hope still lives, and the dreamel shl never die. >> reporter: his political star was eclipsed bay tumultuous private life. in 1969 he dro ovehiff bs tdg on the island. mary jo kopechne died. his 24-year marriage to joan ended in divorce in 1992. a decade later he married victoria reggie who brought a renewed sense for purpose in washington. at age 75 he appeared at the top of his game when he endorsed barack obama handing the kennedy torch to a new generation. >> i believe that our country's best days are still to come.

>> reporter: edward kennedy, lionized by liberals, often demonized by coervatives, but remembered by all as a passionate lawmaker who made a difference. senator kennedy caused universal health care the cause of his life. he first introduced the bill back in 1970 and said he has the support of president richard nixon. this past july kennedy wrote, quoting now, i'm resolved to see this year that we create a system to ensure some day when there's a cure for the disease i now have, no american who needs it will be denied it. ted kennedy was 77 years old. back to you. >> thank you, kimberly. >> the kennedy fil teastaeded a statement to nbc news early part,qu part, quote, we've stlohe irreplaceable center of family andoyshtououig lf ig o our lives, but thepinson itira nd his faith, optimis perseverance will live on in our hearts forever.rye who gave and

year andhe everyonwhear s many tireless proess y towards ju fe,icairnes ae,nd opportunity for all. he loved the country and dedtevo tes life for serving it. he believed our best days were still ahead, but it is hard to imagine any of them without him. well, in addition to senator kennedy's family, his countless friends and colleagues are also mourning his death this morning. >> news4's megan mcgrath is on capitol hill with the latest on reaction. megan, good morning. >> reporter: well, good morning. senator edward keptly kennedy had been ill for quite some time, but when he couldn't attend the funeral of his sister, many realized how ill he had become. he was very well respected here on capitol hill. his loss is being keenly felt by many. heas a huge force on capitol hill. a man of influence, a senator respected by liberals, conservatives and moderates

alike. only two other u.s. senators have served longer than edward kennedy. he was known as a staunch life-long liberal, but senator kennedy had no trouble reaching across the aisle working with colleagues whose views were often at odds with his own in order to effect change. senator kennedy was a champion of civil rights, labor, education, and he was passionate on the issue of health care. in fact, in the week before his death, the massachusetts senator wrote a letter to the governor and lawmakers in his home state asking for a change in the succession law s that in the event of his death the state would not lose a voice should president barack obama's health care reform plan come up for a vote. and it does not look like the law will be changed, so it seat will be filled in a special election, something that could take months to happen. now, we are getting lots of reaction about the death of rto nnkesenator nnkeededy. cyuse speaker ny.cyan pilosi releed this statement, senator

kennedy had a grand vision forh america and an unparalleled vision to effect change. rooted in deep patry teio thpsm and the least concern foro amo us, nobody has doneth more an senator kennedy to educauror o children, care for seniors and ensure quality f oor all americans. we have also heardroea nancy reagan who writes, given our pollicatica differences, people are sometimes surprised y b how close ronnie and iav h beee bn the kennedy family, b b ronnie and ted could always find common ground andheyad h gat respect for one another. in recent i fndndou i found oucoromm gond in g stem cell reseveral, research, and i considered him a dear friend. i will miss him. many here on capitol hill will missenator edward kennedy. we'll have more reactions to his death coming up in the next half hour. back to you in the studio. >> thank you, nmegan. edward moore kennedy entered the world of politics in 1962

when he won the special election to complehe the term ofis brother john f. kennedy. ted won his first senemer tner 1964. y ke nnedwas elected to eight ifullmsern thee smsaten and was the thirdat longest serving na utoinr ..sir history. he was also one of only six rstona in history to serve mo thato40n years. credesid40s ou cofrse, i las cas onecarn wte on tiechene htihennd se serto barack obama, then kennedy was awarded the presidential medal of freedom, which is this country's highest civilian honor. throughout the newscast, we'll have more on the passing of senator ted kennedy. >> we'll look at the impact he had here in washington and on capitol hill. >> i am a candidate for president of the united states.

tr ac.affi weather and traffic. good morning. temperatures are now near 70 degrees in washington.

60s elsewhere under a clear sk mid-80s tomorrow, mostly cloudy. passing showers friday and saturday with highs in the 70s. for sunday, mainly a passing shower with a high near 80. as we get to the next week, low humidity returns monday and tuesday with highs in the 70s to near 80 degrees. now we'll check traffic on this wednesday morning. jerry, how are we doing at this hour? pretty well for most regions. we'll take a live look along new york avenue, north capitol state street, everything is looking good. all the lights are functionening. police are still dealing with the accident on route 50 westbound on the bay bridge. it has been going on an hour now. only one lane getting by westbound 50. we'll keep you updated. 6:13 is you time, 71 degrees. if you are j a jngnioius joing senator eard kennedy has died. h pa'llimpact he le on e countr

re good morning. welcome back. the los of a political giant. senator edward kennedy died last night at his home in hyannis port, massachusetts. he was the youngest of nine children from joseph p. wendy and rose fitzgerald kennedy. he was elected to the united states senate in 1962 and was the third longest serving senator in u.s. history. he was 77 years old. senator kennedy is being remembered for more than just his contributions as senator. tracee wilkins is joining us live from outside northwest washington with more on ted kennedy, the man.

good morning. >> reporter: good morning. we are standing here outside of the holy trinity catholic church here in georgetown. when the senator attended mass, this was the church that he would visit. now, in 1963, when he first became a senator here in washington, he and his wife lived in georgetown. senator ted kennedy spent most of his former years with his mother who taught him the core values of the catholic faith. we all know that was the corner stone of the kennedy family. upon his death, or upon the death of his two older brothers, senator kennedy assumed the role of patriarch for his family serving as father to his own three children and also stepchildren and surrogate father to more than two dozen nieces and nephews. now, governor arnold schwarzenegger of california is the husband of the senator's ece, maria shriver, and he eleased this statement re immensely passing ofnc passe ki d.nc f e th known as theion seiote of socialha cniof o soc justice and political icon.

most poy,rtantl he was the lyck of our fa lgovin heuncld uncle. he was the man of great faith and character. now, at 7:00 a.m., a mass begins here at the church. we are looking forward to speaking with parishioners and finding out how they remember ted kennedy. i'm tracee wilkins live this morning in northwest. quick facts autboed t kennedy's life. ed whehe w last of nine children of jeph p kennedy and rose fitzaler gd khlenic h dte was elected in 1962 to fill the remainder of his brother john's unexrmreted . at the time he was 30 years. ol, he minimum age trvseo e in then htigha not u y have known. n kennedy was aunser o edff apot s o on the green bay professional football tea m bk ac professional football teamk bac in 1955. he said heurnet id down for the otuppty to go into another contact sport, politics.

just last week senator kennedy urged massachusetts leaders to change the state law so someby could be appointed to his seat should ava cancy occur. massachusetts leaders did not act on kennedy's plea. under current law it could take up to five months to hold a special election to decide on his replacement. senator kennedy was a champon for universal health care and called it the cause of his life. the debate over health care is more intense now than ever before. one-time presidential candidate howard dean talked about health care reform at south lake high school and emotions rang high. >> yes we can! >> no you can't! no you can't! >> nonstray or thes gathered outside the school last night opposing groups. one side for reform, the other side against. inside the meeting, the atmosphere was charged.

dean, a former doctor, had a hard time being heard over all the chanting. >> the reason -- the cost for health care -- >> congressman miran interrupted dean at one point to ask the protestors to settle down so everyone could hear the speech. the crowd was more low key in germantown last night. maryland congress woman donna edwards held a meeting at the community center. 300 people listened to edwards speak before asking questions. the crowd seemed to be split, but heckling and chanting were kept to a minimum. we are approaching 6:21. we'll get a check on the weather and traffic. tom keirein is in storm center4. >> we are starting off this morning with a clear sky at this hour and temperatures around the region are pleasant. it has turned moum hid overnight. right now it is near 70 in

washington and the in suburbs of montgomery and prince george's county. from laytonsville, we have a clear sky and we'll have temperatures soaring to near 90 today with lots of sunshine. then tomorrow, it looks like it will be a little more cloudy with an easterly breeze, a northeast wind is keeping us a bit cooler, too. then on friday, a tropical system will be drifting, perhaps, just east of the shore to give us a couple tropical showers in the afternoon and evening as well as perhaps on and off on saturday with highs reaching the upper 70s both of the days. now we'll look at the end of the weekend and the first part of next week, sunday could be showers with low humidity returning on monday and tuesday. highs 70 to near 80. we'll look along interstate 66 in the predawn darkness here coming out of manassas, it won't be long before the sun comes out to slow everybody down. the good thing is no accidents to report all the way to the

roosevelt bridge. authorities are still out with the long-standing accident westbound route 50 on the bay bridge. only one lane at last report was getting by. good news, the broken down vehicle on the wilson bridge has been cleared. lanes are open in both ways. it is now 6:22, 71 degrees. we continue to follow the big story this morning, the life and legacy of senator edward kennedy. >> he died late last night at the age of 77.

it is 6:25, 71 degrees. a live report from hyannis port, massachusetts. the kennedy compound. a scene of so many happy times. the family gathering there now following the death of edward kennedy at the age of 77. in other news now, the

shuttle launch is a no-go. tuesday afternoon nasa officials scrubbed today's planned launch of discovery after a broken valve was found in the shuttle's engine compartment. this is the second launch window called off for the space shuttle. weather issues scrubbed yesterday's launch. the next launch for "discovery" will be friday. the washington nationals have a new teammate. joining them tonight, ivan hernandez is not wasting any time getting started. the nats scored their most runs of the entire season last night against the chicago cubs. josh willingham hit two home runs. elijah dukes also had a great night hitting his first career grand slam. the nats ended up beating the cubs, 15-6. 6:26 is your time, 71 degrees. coming up at 6:30 live team coverage on the life and legacy of massachusetts t senator ted

kennedy. >> he pass aid way overnight from brain cancer at the age of 77.

it is truly the end of an era in american politics. massachusetts senator edward m. kennedy died late last night at the age of 77. the youngest brother and last surviving member of an american political dynasty. this morning we'll take a look at his life and remarkable career spending more than 40 years in the u.s. senate. taking a live look at the u.s. capitol there, you can see the flag flying at half-mast. thank you for waking up with this morning on "news4 today." more is coming up on the passing of senator kennedy in a moment. i'm joe krebs. >> i'm eun yang in for barbara

harrison on this august 26, 2009. before we go to the top ory, we'll check wheo tdiittu g.hetudio with us.itne tdurormiu nenined more humid overnight s i sky.s ar sk u c ay.ar nor.datan r.a it is near 70 at wa suburbs in the s. the eastern shore, the uerpp 60s. the mountains in the upper 50s. th pe ghurhissree is passing to the south toiv uesss ather sunny day, but it shod be hotter near 9: s00 at 80. degrees.rnoon, near 90 the sunrise is just a minute away et at 7:47. th a mostly clear evening, we'll be near upper 70s by midnight. then by dawn, the clouds are old lling in. the northeast breeze will keep us cooler in the mid-80s. maybe a passing shower on friday urdat s yda with highs in the 70s. a look at sunday and into next week is coming up in ten minutes after 6:41. thank you very much. now back to jerry edwards in the

news4 traffic network. >> good morning. we'll take a drive up 395. we'll let you know we are loading up and slowing down on 395 northbound headed northbound on landmark to shirlington. no accidents. just volume. all three lanes are open and available. elsewhere, the trip in around town from 66 and the toll road, incident-free. prince william police are dealing with an accident out to the west on north voces road. back to you. breaking news right now. he was the last kennedy brother. a lion of the u.s. senate. a majors for for liberalism as well as bipartisan bills to improve the lives of theless fortunate. word came just after midnight last night that they senator ha umccsud intora bcc cancer. o >>long-time kennedy staffer said he died just how he lived, with courage.

kimberly souters is here with a look back at his life. good morning. >> reporter: good morning. edward moore kennedy, better known as ted or teddy, is survived by his wife, five children, and a sister. he is being remembered for his passion, his kindness and devotion to the cause of universal health care, a cause he chan championed since 1970 and a cause he believes to become a reality this year. he said the pursuit of presidency is not my life, public service is. edward kennedy grew up in the shadow of two brothers who became american icons, but his decades in the u.s. senate established him a a political legend in his own right. >> i'm saying they want to undermine the medicare system and the next is going to be social security. >> reporter: though blessed with fami wealth and fame, he was devoted to helping those less fortunate. massachusetts voters sent him to the senate in 1962. two years after brother john f. kennedy won the white house. >> that the torch has been

passed. >> reporter: the heady days of camelot cut short by tragedy. jfk's assassination in 1963. >> on to chicago and let's win there. >> reporter: followed by robert kennedy's assassination in 1968. >> he was a good and decent man who saw wrong and tried to right it, who saw suffering and tried to heal it, who saw war and tried to stop it. >> reporter: then seemed teddy's destiny and burdened to run for president. he did in 1980 against president jimmy carter. kennedy lost the nomination and delivered a stirring convention speech many considered his finest. >> the cause endures, the hope still lives and there dam d sha ner die. >> reporter: his political star was eclipsed bay tumultuous private life. in 1969 he drove off this bridg

atchappaquiddick island where mary jo kopechne died. 1982.fe to joan ended in a decade later he married victoria. at age 75 he appeared at the top of his game when he endorsed barack obama and handed the kennedy torch to a new generation. >> i believe our country's best days are still to come. >> reporter: edward kennedy, lionized by liberals, often demonized by conservatives, but remembered as a passionate lawmaker who made a difference. senator kennedy was 77 years old. his successor will likely be decided in a special election of january 2010. on a personal note, the highlight of my mother's internship on capitol hill back in 1962 was getting the chance to have a drink with senator

kennedy, then his first term. she always said, yes, he was passionate about his beliefs, but she also said he was the most handsome man she ever had the honor to meet. back to you. >> kimberly, thank you very much. and this was the scene last night at the kennedy compound in hyannis port, massachusetts. that is where senator kennedy was when he passed away. his body was removed from the tf t>>yhe kennedy family st nt emewbctoam ns statement to nbc new mo inrn morning, t s re iinadpart he the t ur ourn i our souhtign mim and o ismimnd iur o ur warts fore thank ha tnkeav ghoe hi veso with ym so many years for the progress towards stjuice, fairness and opportunity for al lheed this country and l er s ngviit.life viongit. he always believed atng our best days were still ahead, but iis

t rdhao inemaginy a of thm. i without him. president oma hba as also released a statement on es,edy's michelle and i weretbarnheroke to leahi of throef oeth de drea e dearednnkey. ter e fivkennedy. for five decadesy. ealtulyallyie piece of legislation to adnce cy e ceiliv rights, health and il omic well willing iseicpleeoorec b n h american people bore his nd edlp red suedlt efs.rtfo efforts. f ifns w ciseifens cousehe wegtc tevehete wnare regardless o he a elways had iea c i cherishis int y race forppsu e .r thenescyid ev en a he waged a leruit ah w en rustle with aru mlorta iles mroisfited n ipident continues, our history urs history hr countryryas our countryatas ad lere gho w wer ader w picked upor tnal flen br became utd este es atatstenf s o oratre u gestnite states senator of and thees hed t kennedyd family hasilparctrh,i suthppt horowugroooesd timug ant d. ba tsaryendra prs go out t

tothem day, to hisem wonderful wi vicky, his children, edward jr., patrick and kara. throughout the newscast, we'll ve much more on the passing of senator ted kennedy. and we'll look at the impact he had here in washington and on capitol hill. >> and this is the cause of my life. new hope that we will break the old gridlock and guarantee that every american, north, south, east, west, young, old will have decent quality health care as a fundamental right and not a privilege.

weather and traffic on the 1s now.

6:the 1. 6:41. temperatures are in the 50s for the mountains. near 60 for the bay. a high near 90 today with more humidity. could get passing showers friday and saturday with highs in the upper 70s. maybe a passing thundershower sunday afternoon. then dry for the first part of xt week. i'm back in ten minutes with another update. now how is the traffic, jerry? time to check reports of a motorcycle accident just in. report of an accident outer loop of the beltway on the virginia side of the american legion bridge. rescue from montgomery county center there had as well as fairfax county. both directions approaching and passing over the american legion bridge, heads-up. we are watching that and will keep you updated on that. elsewhere, looking good in the southeast corners. they all seem to be doing all right. thank you very much. if you are just waking up, the news overnight, of couror tenne died. >> we'll take a look back at the impact he left on this count d re iann washington.n

our top story this morning. the end of a political era. massachusetts senator edward kennedy has lost his battle with brain cancer. he died late last night at his home in hyannis port, massachusetts, with his family by his side. he was the youngest of nine children of joseph p. kennedy and rose fitzgerald kennedy. kennedy was elected to the senate in 1926 and was the third longest serving senator in u.s. history. he was 77 years old. and senator kennedy's political career spans decades. this morning many are

remembering the impact he had on washington and the entire country. >> megan mcgrath is joining us from capitol hill with reaction. >> reporter: good morning. you can see the dome of th u.s. capitol behind me here. they have not yet put up the flag on this corner of the building, but when they do later on this morning, we'll expect it to be placed at half-staff in honor of the senator. of course, senator edward kennedy has been ill for some time, so his death doesn't come as a great shock to his colleagues, but, of course, they are very, very saddened by his los. he was a huge force on capitol hill. a man of influence, a senator respected by liberals, conservatives and moderates alike. only two other u.s. senators have served longer than edward kennedy. he was known as a staunch lifelong liberal, but senator kennedy had no difficulty reaching across the aisle. working with colleagues whose views were often at odds with his own in order to affect

change. senator kennedy was a champion of civil rights, labor, education, and he was passionate on the issue of health care. in fact, in the week before his death, the massachusetts senator wrote a letter to the governor and lawmakers in his home state asking for a change in the succession law so that in the event of his death a state would not lose the voice should president barack obama's health care reform plans come up for a vote. and it does not appear that the law will be changed, so his successor will be chosen in a special election, something that could take months. now, we are getting more reaction from senator kennedy's friends and colleagues. recently from senator john kerry. he sent this messe,ag quote, he taught us how to fight, how to laugh, how to treat eachther wan hod to turn idehom into action. and in these last 1 1 months, h htuc us mh more on how to live life failing or sailing into the wind one last time. senator kennedy was a huge

fixture here in washington, not just on capitol hill, but in the city at large. we have been talking to folks here on the hill, people who work in the area, getting their reaction. >> it is a very sad news for all the people in america. he did a lot for t people of massachusetts and the other people in the u.s. >> it is really very sad. you know, it sort of brings the end of a legacy of a pretty significant family in this country and politically and so forth. so i'm very sad to hear that this morning. >> it is sad, you know, but he was a good man. >> reporter: so a very sad day for the senator's friends and family and for people who have followed his political career as well. back to you in the studio. >> megan mcgrath, thank you. senator kennedy was often referred to as the lion of the senate. >> he had an amazing career that spanned decades. joining us now to talk about the

life and ligcy of the senator, mark witacher, thank you for being here. leme ask you about the enormous burden he muld have felt. here we was with two brothers assassinated, then all of this is on him, not to mention the burden of the family looking to him for leadership. >> their father, joe, groomed them all for greatness and talked early on about how he wanted one of them to become president. joe, originally, even before john. then eventually ted would be a senator, which is what he eventually became, but then he saw joe, who was supposed to be the president die in world war ii. then his brother, jfq, john kennedy, assassinated in dallas, bobby kennedy assassinated in california. and he, at that point, has to become both the patriarch of the family, really, the surrogate father to all of their children and also inherit the mantle of the legacy and carry it on and

hope to become president himself, partly, that went down with that car in chappaquiddick, but then he took on jimmy carter in 1980 and came close. having failed to that and going into the senate and assembled an amazing legacy. >> right. you were saying, even without the pressure, once he got into the senate, he embraced politics and his legacy in the senate will be remembered. tell us more about that. >> well, first of all, he had a great perch. the senate labor committee, the health and labor committee and pensions committee where he passes legislation, the american disabilities act, the legislation on student loans, the ryan white aids act, the things that have an intangible impact on the lives of americans, but he also did it as reaching across the aisle. as much as a political fighter

he was in the liberal, he knew how to make friends with the republicans and that helped him to get that accomplished. >> they used to say the politics was the art of the possible and he really seemed to do that. i wonder if the attitude even exists anymore here. >> i think that has changed and we have seen it with the administration coming in and hoping to be more bipartisan and really failing so far, by and large, in that effort, but i think teddy kennedy was able to do it. partly by the fighter and irreplaceable spirit that allowed him to get up over and over again after tragedy and setbacks, but also because he really was a more gregarious outgoing person. even then, his brothers, who were talented but a little more aloof and reserved, he just had that ability to slap you on the shoulder and to talk about your kids and to do favors for people. that was very effective in his legislative career. >> he really brought joy to the battle. mark, thank you so much for joining us. good to have you with us. we'l forast osneast one

more time with tom keirein up in storm center4. >> good morning. the sun is up now with a clear sky on this wednesday morning. temperatures are near 70 degrees around the metro area and in the s.ou hein r s.ur al rea the thera ry,heea t w a clear sky, the weather atner iesep r or tngti temperaturat hth tasdurne i at hasth turned more humid this morning. as ter fmpeserurth taro t hhe temperatures farther to the ou, stt in the mountains right now, it is in the 50s. the dew points right now at this hour are in the 60s. it has come up a little bit in the upper 60s. over the last six hours or so, we have had high pressure drifting in on top of the region, and that's why we have the clear skies. as this slowly drifts off to the south and the east, we'll have the winds begin to shift a bit later on today, it will turn more humid as the afternoon progresses. we'll see our t, rasemperetu arebing to around 90 dreess we get into the mid-afternoon hours. then the high pressure is moving erft antftro f goes by early rrroortomo mowning to give us t easterly wind. clouds in the morning and a aftly cloudy to partlyudlo c my

ternoon wi highs reaching the low to mid-80s on thursday. then on friday and saturday, we may ha aca tpirol system just off thepi atlantic seaboard and depending how close it comes to us, it may gives u passing erow fshris on adadapsndndhaer again on saturday. however, if it pulls farther out to sea, the chances for itfriphan ioiday and saturday will be greatly diminished. a lot happens on what the forecast is for the next few da into sunday, we may have a passing shower as another front comes in ushergn pleasant temperatures as we start off the first part of next week. that's the way it looks right now. i'm back with frequent updates throughout the "today" show. see you at 11:00. now to jerry edward to look at the traffic. >> a live picture of the beltway in virginia. the utter loop near the exit for the gw rkway. we have reports of a motorcycle accide. it does look like the right side of the outer loop will be blocked for the time being. elsewhere, 270 northbound in

germantown, an accident causing some rubber necking southbound delays. at the wilson bridge, both directions are doing okay. back to you. thank you very much. and now to talk more about the legacy of senator edward kennedy is representative elijah cummings of maryland. thank you so much for joining us and coming in this morning. >> good to be with you. >> first of all, what are your first impressions and thoughts on the passing of senator kennedy? >> we have definitely lost a giant and one who had the ability to reach across the aisle to establish a lot of things. senator kennedy was one that worked very closely with the congressional black caucus on issues such as health care and the hispanic caucus with regard to immigration and thing os of that nature. he was a person who spoke for those who were voiceless, folks with disabilities, children, and i often say not only did he speak for those voiceless, but he amplified the voices of those

who were too soft to be heard. we are going to miss him tremendously. >> what will be your fondest memories? how did he influence your career? >> as a young person, he gave us hope. before barack obama began talking about hope as a teenager, i can tell you i was inspired by the kennedys and the entire family. i can tell you that he inspired a lot of us. his work on voting rights act and the efforts to push back reagan's efforts to weaken it, all those things are very inspiring to me as a young man and have affected me tremendously. >> you talk about the effort to get things done. debting things done was what he did on capitol hill. what we see today is not about gettin things done, it is about everybody taking positions and never moving. >> that's right. i think what ted kennedy was able to do was not only was he able to get things done by

reaching across the aisle because everybody thought he was sincere. this guy was rich, bus he was, at the same time, the guy to care about those who were speechless. that sinner thety, i think, took him a long ways, but he also had something else, a personality. the ability to make people laugh and say, for some, to put his arm and the shoulder and to do better than this. you have to say you have a good point. we are going to miss him tremendously. i don't know how it is going to be on the health care debate. i just hope people stop to try and make it happen. >> thank you so much for joining us on this sad day in washington. >> thank you. once again, senator edward kennedy dead at the age of 77. he died last night suck coming to brain cancer. and that is "news4 today." we thank you for starting your day with us. >> the "today" show is next. stay with news4 all day today at nbcwashington.com for more on

the passing of massachusetts senator ted kennedy, his life and legacy. until then, have a great day.