well, it has been eight years now since the 9/11 terror attacks, and for many the pain still runs very deep. today we visit the memorials taking place here and around the country. >> also this morning, how you can honor the victims of those attacks by volunteering your time to those in need. >> good morning, everyone, and welcome to "news 4 today." i'm joe krebs. >> and i'm eun yang in for barbara harrison today, friday, september 11th, 2009. >> let's take a live look outside right now. we have 63 degrees here in t nation's capital and we have some rain as well. let's get the forecast now from meteorologist tom kierein. he's joined us here in the studio. >> yeah, good morning. we do have improving news for ethekened, but we are goingngni al elouwxtfrs e time. largefre oa o low pressure spinning like a giantow merry-go-round ofnai r right near ocean city and it is

pushing that rain farther to the west. right now we're getting light rain in washington but some more moderate to heavier rainr iaiou eastern suburbs and around the ouy and on the eastern shore. cd this area of rain is going ononuto tepin taway here as get into theerft anoonft hours. t's going g, , ctfawno d , factnnow down to just 60 in washington. we're in the upper 50s tor nea 60 all around the region with this area of low pressure finally lifting out by later on today. we'll have improving news. but prepare for a wet morning bus stop for the children. definitely need umbrellas. passing showers through the morning and cool, in the 60s. later on today, a lower chance of any rain by this a eronno thwiighs upper 60s to near 70. improving news for the weekend. a small chance of a shower saturday, into sunday and monday. increasing sunshine, may hit the mid-80s by monday. >> thank you so much, tom. >> now let's go back to jerry edwards and the news 4 traffic network. jerry, going to have your hands full today, i suspect. >> yes, going to be a busy morning. a reminder when the rain first comes down, the first 30 minutes or so, particularly during a light rain, that can be the most

dangerous. that's when it brings up all the oil to the surface. makes it very, very slick. these please be careful. now we're okay as we get going at the wilson bridge with no early issues. the drive out of southern maryland on 301, routes 4 and 5 are okay. virginia quiet on 395 at the 14th street bridge, as a matter of fact. let's take a live look and see how we are doing on the wet pavement this morning. be very careful. a lot of road spray as well. the good news is no accidents tc joe and eun, back to you. >> jerry, thank you. >> thanks very much. > well, it has been eight years now since the 9/11 attacks, a day no american certainly will ever forget, especially those who live here in washington or who work at the pentagon. >> today will not only be marked by a day of remembrance, it has also been named a day of service in honor of those who lost their lives. >> right now final preparations are being made for a somber ceremony in arlington. >> president obama will attend that ceremony with families of those killed in the attack on the pentagon. megan mcgrath joins us now live near the pentagon with a preview.

megan, good morning. >> reporter: well, good morning. that ceremony to take place in a few hours, and it's going to be very different than what we've seen in years past. if you take a look behind me here at the pentagon, you can see that it's dimly lit this morning. there really are no outward signs that today is the eighth anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks here. again the building just dimly lit. we aren't seeing any of the special lighting effects that we've seen in years past. we're told that no special fla will be flown today. this will be a much smaller remembrance ceremony than we have seen in the past. it is closed to the public, open only to the families of the victims. we're told it will last less than one hour. now, the remembrance service will be held at the memorial here at the pentagon. that memorial, of course, dedicated this day last year. family members are expected to sit on the benches dedicated to their loved ones who died in this terrorist attack. again, we're expecting a very personal, very short remembranc tas ke a look at the he a oduscfle esvent .rehe

it beg this morni9:ng his t mor athethlio nnahe ant m and a f fschf.st oaf a t chiefs of staff.jo at aenom mt a moment at t ithshe that is the momen wtenhen fght t 77 hit tbuilding. thenbuding. bth dseyenef remks b dseen secrys,tega fwelod gates, flowe. bl arack obama. tghis linakpe em rcebremanhien rembrance ceremonyil wlcl conanude less tc an r h hour after it begins with "america the beautiful." you can imagine a very difficult day for the families of the victims here, a very emotional day, and a lot of people will be sitting on those benches, as you would imagine, the benches that are at the memorial honoring those who died and we're expecting to see people just reflecting, remembering their loved ones, perhaps taking some rubbings. we saw quite a bit of that last year, rubbings of the names that are engraved in those benches. but certainly a very personal and private moment for the family members. again, a much smaller ceremony than what we have seen in years

past. back to you, joe, eun. >> that's very powerful memorial and if folks have not had the opportunity to go by to see it, if not today, certainly ought to go by and see it. it's remarkable. thanks very much, megan. >> reporter: i recommend it at night, too. the way its lit is truly beautiful. >> thanks, megan. >> many people in our area are going to serve their community today. about 50 volunteers will be in southeast washington to take part in president obama's united we serve effort, a day of service to commemorate 9/11. 74-year-old isabel bra shears has lived in the same house for more than 50 years. two of her sons died serving in vietnam. she is excited about the work being done to spruce up her home. >> haven't stopped crying yet because it's -- as old as i am, i never thought that no one but the lord would help me get my house like this. and every time someone says something to me about it, tears

come up in my eyes. >> volunteers say giving bouk is great way to remember and honor those lost on september th. stay with news 4 throughout the morning for continuing coverage of the 9/11 memorials taking place here and around the country. weve'lhal more on today's day of service and aha live report from groun zero. that's coming up at 5:45 a.m. >> new today, police in prince george's county are hoping you can help them find a driver involved in a deadly hit-and-run accident. investigators say the 36-year-old jose perez sim an tall of riverdale was hit around 8:00 last night in the 7900 block of annapolisoad. police say they're looking for a chrysler with its front spoiler torn off. they say the vehicle should also be missing its left front hub cap. >> president obama is pushing his health care reform forward despite opposition for his plan for public option. democratic leaders in congress say they have not seen a better idea and are optimistic they will pass health care legislation in the coming

months. today president obama will speak at a cabinet meeting. tomorrow he will travel to minnesota for a rally and he has another speech scheduled for tuesday. >> well, weather forced nasa to wave off a second landing attempt for space shuttle "discovery" last night. nasa decided conditions were too poor to bring the shuttle home and ordered the seven astronauts to stay in orbit for a 14th day. "discovery" will try to land at kennedy space center this evening at 5:45. if that is unsuccessful, the shuttle will wait for a second window to open at 7:29 p.m. 5:07 is our time, 63 degrees out there. still ahead, a scare on capitol hill. new details about the man caught outside with a shotgun on the night of the president's health care speech. >> plus, the srch for a woman who went missing just days before her wedding. the new surveillance videoha tt

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tom, a little bit wet in some locations as you just mentioned. heads-up. here we are at the american legion bridge. outer loop, inner loop, it is getting a little wet. on the slick side. what's going to make it potentially more dangerous is the uneven pavement. hang on tight to your steering wheel both directions of the beltway. elsewhere northeast corridor looking pretty good. new york avenue, kenilworth avenue, both are quiet. right now quiet start at the wilson bridge. there had been an accident quickly moved to the shoulder outer loop at marlboro road. travel lanes are open. back to you. >> thank you very much, jerry. it is now 5:12. the push for health care

reform is full speed ahead. more on the president's latest . ders and when we could see asi p>> h owmpcos,semi >> plus, how a a

president obama continues his push for health care reform. he's also pushing past a south carolina congressman's outburst. during the president's health care addresso congress.

there had been talk of an official reprimand for representative joe wilson but that has not occurred. kimberly suiters now joins us live with the very latest. good morning. >> good morning. it was reported that the democratic leadership would discuss a punishment with the republican leadership, but the democrats backed off. the house speaker wanting to refocus the issue on health care. the president even saying he accepted the congressman's apology for this interruption. >> you lie. >> south carolina congressman joe wilson has become well-known in the last couple of hours for the two words, you lie. so many people flooded his website that it crashed. we'rgoing to take a look at the website coming up at 6:00. conservatives have rallied behind him. liberals and people who are outraged have posted articles like, "republicans behaving badly," on their facebook pages. congressman wilson admitted he was told to apologize. >> they wanted me to contact the white house and state that my

statements were inappropriate. i did. >> we all make mistakes. he apologized quickly and without equivocation, and i'm appreciative of that. >> the congressman's shouting was a response to how the health care reform proposal addresses undocumented immigrants. republicans argue the house version of the bill does not make proof of citizenship a requirement to get health insurance. now, the president has also suggested that the media can be helpful, and this is a quote, by not giving all the attention to the loudest or shrillest voices and try to stay focused on the issues at hand. the president hits the road to garner support for those issues in minnesota on saturday, and then has another speech scheduled tuesday. joe, back to you. >> kimberly, thanks very much. >> a falls church man is charged with bringing a gun onto capitol hill during the president's wednesday night address to congress. police say 28-year-old joshua bowman tried to drive through a security checkpoint near the cannon house office building

with a shotgun and 500 rounds of ammunition stored in his trunk. investigators are still trying to figure out what he intended to do with the gun. bowman is charged with having an unregistered firearm and ammunition. >> well, the nfl season started with a defensive thriller that went into overtime last night. >> and the redskins are all ready and rested for the giants. here's dan hellie with your sports minute. >> good morning, everybody. your sports minute starts with the redskins. the guys, of course, getting ready for the giants on sunday. and the good news for the redskins, they don't have a single player on the injury list today. no excuses for the skins. they are 6 1/2 point underdogs to the g-menn the season opener on sunday in new york. the regular season kicked off in earnest last night in pittsburgh. the defending champs hose particular the titans. it was a defensive struggle that went to overtime. i would like to personally thank jeff reed for ending it early in o.t. with a 33-yard field goal.

the steelers win the opener 13-10. on the diamond, it'she nats and the phillies. ian desmond made his major league debut last night and what a night it was. desmond hit his first major league home run and finished 2 for 4 with 4 rbi. the nationals hang on to win 8-7. that's your sports minute. i'm dan hellie. everybody have a great friday. >> well, strong winds last night caused some damage in woodley park. a huge tree fell on top of several cars parked on 29th street between woodley road and cleveland avenue. the tree ended up on an apartment building. that section of 29th street was closed while the crews worked to remove the tree. >> well, it's about time now to check your traffic and weather. >> let's go to tom kierein. he's in storm center 4. tom, strong winds today?

good morning to you. let's head south to the wilson bridge. getting report of a broken down tractor-trailer on the wilson bridge, about midspan, reported to be in the roadway. the camera will be fuzzy because of the raindrops out there. on the inner loop as you come through oxon hill headed for virginia, heads-up for the broken down tractor-trailer. elsewhere, check and see what's going on with your speeds this morning on the beltway inner loop from springfield to 66. just 8 minutes. 66 to the american legion bridge, 7 minutes. keep in mind uneven pavement up there. hang onto your steering wheel. pay close attention to the signs on the shoulder. off the american legion bridge, college park right now just 23 minutes presently. lanes are open but be very

careful. joe and eun, back to you. >> thanks very much, jerry. our time is 5:21, 60 degrees. still ahead, remembering the vick 9/11 by helping others. a new call asking people to volunteer on this anniversary. >> plus, the warning about the flu and we're not talking about virus. why the feds issued a new health dt. nd dnd fon't forget, you can alwayson find us. we're connected to you on nd twitter for up to numiree bgteinak news, weather and trafftsinalerts..er find us oither side by rd

the serve for a missing yale student and bride to be is intensifying. 24-year-d annie le has not been seen or heard from in nearly three days. le's supposed to get married sunday in new york. the graduate pharmacology student was last seen on a surveillance camera outside the

building where she worked at a lab. it's where police say she left her purse, cell phone and wallet. le's fiancee is reportedly in town and working with police. >> very close call for a driver filling up at a gasoline station in british columbia this week. take a look at this. a car plowed into one of the pumps, causing a huge fireball. somehow, the man pumping the gas was able to jump out of the way just in time. the driver and the passenger in the striking car also got out of the car before the flames engulfed it. the driver says he lost control when another car cut him off. well, i'd say he certainly did. >> nasa says it's taking an important step toward building a new rocket that could take astronauts into space. >> fire. >> the space agency tested the powerful new rocket yesterday in utah. nasa and its contractor, ally ant tech systems, say the rocket may eventually help shoot a crew of astronauts more than 30 miles

into space in just two minutes. it's part of nasa's plans to put a man on the moon again by 2020. >> might want to suggest they aim it in another direction if they want to go into space. well, maybe they will. 5:26 is the time. >> still ahead, you may notice some changes the next time you fly. the security upgrades happening at dulles international airport. >> plus, we'll ride with the busiest fire engine in the country. that happens to be right here in washington. why emergency care is now becoming primary care.

it has been eight years since the 9/11 terror attacks. the memorials taking place today to remember the victims here at the pentagon and around the country. >> a new warning about the flu. why it's not just the swine flu you need to be watching out for right now. >> and changes coming to dulles airport. why going through security is going to look a lot different starting next week. >> well, good morning and

welcome to "news 4 today." i'm joe krebs. >> and i'm eun yang in for barbara harrison today friday, september 11th, 2009. we're going to take a live look outside at 5:30, 60 degrees, cloudy skies once again. i think wre seeing a pattern. meteorologist tom kierein is here to tell us what this means for today. good morning. >> pitter patter pattern that continues. yes, the rain continuing to fall this morning. good morning. coming in from the east and northeast, where you see the blue it's light rain in fairfax, montgomery, the district. s hterevi rean in prince george's county, calvert, le archs, st. mary's and anne arndarun al howardounty a and around baltimore they're getting some heavy downpours. also som d hyvyeaownpours on the eastn vy it omo'sg.ininnly it's only in theer upp0s 5 to near 60 degrees with a blustery northeast wind. kind of a raw andhi cy slltart to thi er storeashn te,vehe eastern shore, t vede tramooteea hdemo ttevyo heavy rain. around ocean city, they've had mountains, inhemountains, in upper upper 40s reeyt tl m aleyos ct ar tth is. are mostly clear at frm hefrom t shenandoah valley to

the beaches it's cloudy. that rain, you can see there in color, is really coming down hard. for the bus stop this morning, yes, it's going to be wet and cool. only in the lowom0s. and for the rest of the day, highs just near 70. but less of a chance of rain by late afternoon. a look at the weekend, that will be coming up in ten minutes. >> thank you, tom. >> let's go to jerry edwards. he's looking at the roadways out there. any early problems? >> getting busy, unfortunately. good morning. hard to tell from this shot, but the outer loop of the beltway just off the american legion bridge, the initial reports of an accident, apparently car possibly hit some water, spun out, left side of the roadway. the rescue crews are headed there. outer loop at the american legion bridge. elsewhere, let you know that things are moving along pretty well at the wilson bridge except on the outer loop it's okay. the inner loop, the tractor-trailer, last check still in the right lane of the local lanes. outer loop of richie marlboro road, that accident gathering some attention so it will be a bit slow. the through lanes should be open. 66 and the toll road are quiet

so far. back to you. >> thank you, jerry. >> jerry, thanks a lot. president obama will be at the pentagon later this morning for a memorial service for those who lost their lives there eight years ago today. >> just one of many ceremonies happening nationwide on this september 11th, 2009. megan mcgrath is live at the pentagon this morning with more on the story. good morning. >> reporter: well, good morning. the remembrance ceremony gets under way in a couple of hours, but driving by the pentagon this morning, there really are no outward signs that today is the eighth anniversary of the 9/11 terror attack here at the pentagon. the remembrance ceremony that we're going to see today is very different than what we have seen in years st. it's going to be very intimate, just the families. it will be held at the memorial to the victims. the pentagon dimly lit this morning. gone are the special lighting effects that have illuminated the building in years past. it's a physical sign of a subtle shift.

this year's memorial service will be much smaller, open only to the families of the victims. it will take place in the memorial to the victims that was dedicated a year ago today. relatives will sit on the benches honoring their loved ones. at 9:37, the moment flight 77 hit the building, those lost will be remembered in a moment of silence. the memorial and the ceremony will not be open to the general public this morning so many people came last night to pay their respects and remember those who died. >> kind of solemn, but you feel the love and attention given to the ones who have past. >> it's hard to see it because you think about how many people died that day, not just here but in the towers andn93.93 day.ndhe service gets under way w at or m wisngnihit this morning with tathe nl io t airman of the joint chiefs of an of.rme jof t chiefs of staff.jo at at wbe al en t mil wombe at mom

ofle sie.nce. that's the e fl 7htig flight 77 hit the pentagon. then there will be remarks by nsfee e etaroby rarert ers,ga te followed by remarks by si predent se eicrv service willonwicle thud "america the beautiful." so, the whole service very intimate, very small gathering here at the memorial itself. we're expecting family members to mingle and to linger in the memorial after the service concludes. actually, the service itself is expected to last less than an hour. that's really how this memorial was designed. there are benches, one for each of the victims who died in the attack. and the whole idea behind the design of the memorial was that the loved ones, the family members, the iends, could actually sit on the bench of their loved one and just remember and honor them. we're expecting to see a lot of that later today. back to you, >> thanks very much >> thanks very much, megan. >> stay with news 4 throughout the morning for continuing coverage of the 9/11 memorials

taking place here not around the country. we'll also have a live report from ground zero coming up at 5:45 a.m. >> breaking news this morning. hazmat crews are on the scene of a late-night explosion in capitol heights. tracee wilkins is live this morning at a warehouse where the explosion occurred. tracee, what happened there? >> reporter: well, they're still trying to figure out exactly what happened. at this point, they don't know what caused the explosion, but they do believe that they have a hazardous material situation on their hands here. you can see here that this is, of course, a very active scene. fire officials and hazmat crews are still working here. they have some assistance from montgomery county helping prince george's county fire out here. about 11:15 last night, they had an explosion that went off here at a building here, the water works building in the warehouse district of capitol heights off central avenue. the alarm is what alerted them to that. they got down here, and some of the windows and the doors of that building had been blown out. the good news is no one was inside at the time of this explosion so no injuries inside

the building. there are buildings that are nearby that warehouse. they asked the folks inside those buildings to close their doors and windows and stay inside until they were able to contain the hazardous material here. they found some hazardous material outside of that warehouse. that's part of their concern. but at this point, they don't know exactly what caused that explosion. they're still investigating it and still making sure that this scene is contained. i'm tracee wilkins, live this morning in capitol heights. back to you. >> thanks very much. our time is 5:37. we have 60 degrees. still ahead, we're going to take you to the busiest fire engine company in the country. it's right here in this district. it's a place where responding to emergencies is just part of the job. >> plus, helping you beat the flu. what metro is doing to its rides.

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awgieve starteds at 9:00 a.m. and supplies are limid. >> a big delivery cost to get them from mars. let's go to tom kierein now to find out about the weather. tom? >> we are off to a wet start on this friday morning. look at the radar. we've got this area of green, moderate rain from annapolis to silver spring to clinton and arlington. moderate rain is falling. where you see the blue some lighter rain in fairfax county and into charles county, but the wider view of the radar showing some heavier rain farther to our east and north. and some very light rain in loudoun county and through the blue ridge and points west. it's dry and chillier. 40s in the mountains but 50s to near 60 around the metro area. all this coming from an area of low pressure spinning just off the atlantic seaboard. going to keep us wet this morning. but then a smaller chance of a passing shower this afternoon with highs only near 70. just a small chance of a shower tonight and saturday but then improving news for sunday and monday. highs into the low and mid-80s with more sunshine back. should stay dry tuesday and

wednesday. maybe a passing shower thursday. i'm back in ten minute was the national travel forecast and the bus stop forecast as well. how's the traffic, jerry? >> tom, i will check out the top side of the capital beltway where there's a lot of road spray this morning, nop around new hampshire halve. no incidents here. however, outer loop at the american legion bridge, word of an accident. car spun out on the left side of the roadway. so heads-up for that. out at the wilson bridge, no big shockers to report. that is very good news. the tractor-trailer on the inner loop in the local lanes the only thing right now but there's a lot of other lanes getting by. minimal delays. southern maryland, look out for the potential of ponding of water coming up 301, routes 4 and 5. joe and eun, back to you. >> thanks very much, jerry. >> 5:42 is your time, now 60 degrees. remembering 9/11 in new york city. we're live at ground zero with more ontoday's tribute. >> plus, news for all of you frequent flyers out there. hanging mio security cu

september 11th is being remembered around the country, including in shanksville, pennsylvania. that's where united flight 93 wept down after passengers fought hijackers eight years ago today. former secretary of state colin powell will be the keynote speaker at a memorial service there in shanksville later today. >> new york city will also pay tribute to the more than 2,700 lives lost eight years ago when terrorists flew two planes into the world trade center. michelle franzen is live in manhattan now with more on what's planned there today. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, eun. certainly in the eight years since the 9/11 attacks, much has changed here in new york city and around the nation. but for those who lost loved ones on that day, the pain is never far away. it has become a national day of remembrance and renewal. memorial services at all three crash sites mark the moments of

the september 11th attacks eight years ago and honor the 2,752 victims who died. in new york city, families will gather at a park adjacent to the world trade center site for a ceremony of music and the reading of victims' names. >> david joseph. >> reporter: vice president biden yb and his wife will also attend. the families will once again walk to the base of ground zero to lay flowers, a sacred makeshift memorial that also shares space with an active construction site. progress of the proposed skyscrapers and memorial has been slowed by years of legal battles between the developer, larry silverstein, and the site's owners, the new york/new jersey port authority, a delay in a continues to frustrate the developer. >> it's a national disgrace. it didn't have to be like this. it doesn't have to be like this. >> reporter: at the pentagon, a private wreath-laying ceremony will honor victims and families. president obama and pentagon

officials will speak at this at the service. in pennsylvania, former secretary of state colin powell will lead the memorial service for victims of flight 93. passengers are credited for bringing the pla down in a remote field, soon to become a permanent national memorial. at the u.s. capitol wednesday, lawmakers unveiled a bronze plaque honoring flight 93 victims from preventing terrorists from crashing the plane into the u.s. capitol. >> those 40 were the first line of defense against terror. >> reporter: back in lower manhattan, workers have been testing the tribute and light memorial which will once again light up the night sky and symbolize where the twin towers once stood. the ground zero memorial and museum is not slated to open until 2012, but until then, organizers have created an interactive website, complete with amateur videos and public accounts from that day. eun? >> michelle franzen in new york city. michelle, thank you. joe? >> with all the talk about swine

flu, health officials don't want you to lose sight of the traditional flu season. doctors at the centers for disease control and department of health and human services are encouraging you to get a seasonal flu shot in addition to the wine flu vaccine. they emphasize that the seasonal flu can be very dangerous. >> every year approximately 200,000 americans are hospitalized with seasonal flu. every year, about 36,000 americans die so this is a serious disease. >> seasonal flu shots are available right now, but you'll have to wait for the h1n1 flu vaccine. that's the swine flu vaccine. it's not it's not expted to e be o untilometime next month. now on to the swine flu. health officials say that swine flu can survive on surfacese anywhere from two to eight hours. that's why local officials say they will clean more frequently. metro officials tell u they will now clean buses and train twice a week.

firefighters are turning into primary care providers. tom costello reports. >> local engine 8, local 10 and 2, trouble breathing. >> reporter: 6:00 p.m. in washington and paramedic engine ten is again running to a call for help. a 12-year-old showing all the signs of a concussion. >> you landed on your back, right? you understand? >> reporter: this is already the 11th call of the day for engine ten, the busiest single fire engine in america. last year running 6,500 calls and earning the station nickname "the house of pain" in one of

d.c.'s poorest neighborhoods. >> we have the medic on board that gives us an advantage. >> reporter: more than ever, the nation's poorest are turning to firefighters not just for emergency care but for primary health care, too. 911 calls for chest pains, trouble breathing, strokes and seizures compete with nosebleeds, sore throats and confusion over which medicine to take. >> a lot of stubbed toesnd stomach pains, headaches. >> reporter: in a 24-hour shift, engine ten will run 18 to 20 calls. like firefighters in cities across the country, 80% are medical. here in d.c., the fire department realized that just 30 callers -- 30 -- were responsible for almost 2,000 calls in one year so they've come up with a way here to offer targeted care to the most regular callers. >> one minute. we want to check your blood pressure. >> reporter: fire department street calls medics are now cold-calling the most at-risk citizens. >> when was the last time you saw him, you saw your primary

doctor? >> reporter: to help them maintain their health. >> feeling okay today, right? >> yep. >> reporter: before they call 911. >> we feel like we're intervening early. we're given the right medical care at the right place at the right time. >> reporter: with d.c. fire getting a call every four minutes, it's about making a difference -- >> later on, okay? >> thank you very much. >> i'll talk to you later, okay? >> yes, ma'am. >> reporter: before it's too late. for engine ten, there's always another call. tom costello, news 4. >> very, very busy engine company. 5:51 w. time again for traffic and weather on the 1s. >> we may have some high water to deal with later on this morning. we've had some light to moderate rain that was poised to come in yesterday afternoon and evening. well, it waited until about a couple of hours ago. now it is moving through the metro area, coming in from the east from that pesky low pressure system. look at those low, dark clouds now passing over washington. they are producing light to moderate rain right in washington now. as we look at the radar, where you city area of blue on the

screen is light rain but that area of green is some more moderate rain now. it is falling right in northeast washington and across much of montgomery county and much of prince george's county. even heavier rain now in calvert and southeastern charles and southern prince george's county, into northern st. mary's. here's a band of some very heavy rain now just crossing the bay, coming in right near sef earn. it's going to be passing right on over toward greenbelt and laurel over the next few minutes. a moderate band to heavy band of very -- some gusty winds, too, associated with this coming through. winds gusting 30 to 35 miles an hour crossing the bay and coming our way here as this low pressure continues to spin just off the atlantic seaboard. it certainly is a cool morning. only near 60 in washington, princeeorge's county, montgomery, fairfax, arlington as well as the shenandoah valley. there's no rain in the shenandoah valley or the mountains this morning. down into the upper 40s out there and a clear sky but it's cloudy from the shenandoah valley to the atlantic beaches. a wind-driven rain now in the

eastern shore and only near 60. all this coming from this giant merry-go-round of rain that's spinning away. low pressure system. it's not a tropical system but it sort of has tropical characteristics in that it has quite a spin to it and lots of moisture coming in. likely flight delays this morning from washington to philadelphia, new york, hartford and boston as this system will be affecting the entire northeast corridor. so flight delays there, as well as down into florida and perhaps later on today through the tennessee valley, the gulf coast and texas. perhaps the northern plains as well. some rain for the far northern plains. for us, we've got this coastal low that's going to be our weather maker here for today into tonight but iwill finally lift and pull away by tomorrow allowing this area of dry air to move in just in time for the weekend. so as we go forward over the next 48 hours, where you see the color's where we could get some rain that may linger into saturday, maybe a passing shower saturday, just a small chance of that. but then finally drying out for sunday. so, here's the bus stop

forecast. we'll have our temperatures only in the low 60s through the morning. definitely you'll need an umbrella if you're going to be at the bus stop for a length of time. toess for some chilly weather, 6 o,it ah blustery wind. a it's going to feel quite cool d a looikihelofih this rain throh menoontion a lower chance this afternoon. otherwise, cloudy, highs only near 70. nrise6:46. sunset 7:22. and thelonyud c tonight. a cool eveninin oy 6nl l 0s owthrough the evening. a small chance of additional passing shower tonight as well as on saturday and mostly cloudy tomorrow, highs in the upper 70 s. for nd,ay partly cloudy, improving news, warmer, up into the low 80s. believe it or not, that's our average high this time of year is around 80. we haven't seen that in awhile. highs may get above average on shine , quite a bit of s fs we get back to work and o olhon monday. tuesday and wednesdaykioloo lngo dry now, partly cloudy,hsig h in the 70s to near 80. then cloinapg rhowpe tsd the t end of the week, another chance of se ovra mining in.

but allow yourself extra time this morning as this rain and moderate to heavy at times is going to be snaing traffic quite likely here over the next couple of hours. >> that's right. thank you very much, tom. we know who knows more about that. >> who better to snarl at traffic than jerry edwards. >> i am the traffic-snarler or unsnarler maybe. good morning. let's head out, take a live look. a little hard to tell the details from this camera, but follow me. this is northbound gw parkway. that's the inner loop of the beltway. that is that nasty sharp curve that we hate so much. car went off the roadway right there. fire department's on the scene. it is passable, but again another example of how slick conditions are so be careful if you're headed that direction. also had an accident reported outer loop at the american legion bridge. that's in addition to the outer loop at ritchie marlboro road. that accident should be on the shoulder. rails, so far, so good. metrora metrorail, vre and marc telli us everything is on time this

morning. back to you. >> thanks very much, jerry. if you plan to fly out of dulles international airport you can expect some new security measures to be in place beginning next week. security screening will now take place at a new facility. keith garvin explains. >> this has been an improvement that has been long in the making. >> reporter: it is considered state of the art and starting next tuesday, it is awaiting your arrival when you take your next flight outf dulles international. today the washington airport authority, along with the transportation security administration, unveiled its new passenger screening area to the media. a 122,000 square foot mezzanine designed to get passengers through security lines faster. >> it's new, it's bright, it's airy. we've deconflicted the experience for the traveling public, so no longer will you be in the confusing, chaotic experience of people movers. >> reporter: the new location actual will house two security areas, replacing the existing

tsa checkpoints on the ticketing level. one of the hopes is to smooth the screening process for both passengers and tsa security. >> that's one of ts a's primary objectives, to calm the experience down both for the passenger and, more importantly, for our workforce. we think we can do a better job focusing on security. >> reporter: workers are placing the last-minute touches on the new area, including a terminal for the airport's soon to be revealed shuttle train known as the arrow. that's just for starters. >> expanded international arrivals building. >> reporter: more changes to help passengers deal with the new realities of travel. keith garvin, news 4. >> we are live on the scene right now of breaking news. a building explosion overnight in prince george's county. and from new york to the pentagon to pennsylvania and your community, how the nation is remembering the 9/11 terrorist attacks eight years later. >> wakin up to moderate to heavy rain showers across the

area. meteorologist tom kierein will let you know if the clouds will clear out time for the weekend. we'll have your weather and traffic together on the 1s.

today is september 11th. solemn memorials will take place today at the pentagon, in new york and shanksville, pennsylvania, to honor those who were killed eight years ago today in a terrorist attack. now a day of remembrance is also a national day of service. >> well, good morning and welcome back to "news 4 today." i'm joe krebs. >> and i'm eun yang in for barbara harrison today. >> let's take a liv look outside right now, see what the weather looks like. it is rainy. kind of a dreary day, a lot of clouds and rain.

almost -- well, all around the region. we'll find whether that's true or not. let's go to tom kierein. he's joined us here in the studio. >> all coming from an irascible rascal of a storm that's spinning off the atlantic seaboard. this low pressure systnem'see b lingering for the last couple oe days. as we look at the forector for today, it's going toe a wet moin g. urat holding steady in the low andur aid0s-6nd maybe moderate to hea aest0sim t whim a blustery .ndwi but it looks like the situati nd will improve by this of a .noono cloudy and a smaller chance of some showers. as we get int the eveni ars, we will likely he a lower chance. now looking at thead r r wre you see the green is where it' cong down harder. washington,in now in montgomery and prince george's co er sounn maryland and arght ough annapolis, o. some very heavy rain ere. that's just nowin dft tgrihrghg anne arundel county and about to move into prince george's county, that area of yellow. th's some very heavy rain. then some lighter rain farther west. where you see the area of blue across western fairfax county into louun outycoun, that's moving toward the westndcos i

heading into fauquier county and the sh vansahdole ty aherovhe er next several hours. so, stay with us here as this is going to be a wet m orning and lower chance of some rain this afternoon and overnight tonight and for the weekend. well, improving news. a small chance of a shower saturday and warmer sunday, partly cloudy. i'm back in ten minute was another update. >> okay. looking forward to it. >> problems on the roadways. let's go to jerry edwards now. >> slick morning. we've had a series of issues t deal with. we'll head south to check out the wilson bridge where there had been a broken down tractor-trailer earlier on the inner loop on the bridge span. that's over to the shoulder so right now the lanes are open but keep your speeds down. it is quite slick both directions, obviously, at the wilson bridge. not a lot of rain at the moment but we'll be watching that. elsewhere, top side of the beltway already heavy because of the wet pavement. colonel learning park to silver spring. earlier accident, police are still on the scene. the ramp is passable northbound gw parkway at the ramp to the inner loop of the beltway. be very cautious there.

joe, back to you. >> thank you very much, jerry. america is remembering those who lost their lives eight years ago today. memorial services and vigils are planned mags wide to commemorate 9/11. one of those services will be held later this morning at the pentagon. that's where news 4's megan mcgrath has filed this report from. >> reporter: good morning. this year's remembrance ceremony will be very different from what we've seen in years past. we've already seen the difference this morning. the pentagon itself is very dimly lit here today. there's no outward indication that this is the eighth anniversary of the 9/11 attack here. there are no special lighting effects, no special flags are going to be flown today, we're told. this is going to be a much smaller ceremony. it is closed to the public. only open to the families. it's expected to last less than one hour. now, the remembrance service will be held at the memorial here at the pentagon. that memorial, of course, was dedicated one year ago today,

and family members are expected to s on the benches that were dedicated to their loved ones who died here. now, as for the service itself, it gets under way at 9:30 this morning with the national anthem and a welcome by the chairman of the joint chiefs of st o at 9: t of le xa ectom mtenatth the t exact m peig 7th7 nthit pee agon. en there will be rksaremy b efens b enthd et ges and then presideacar bk obama arll address families. families. the entireerilfavice w wl concle less than an hroul later with "america the beautiful." we are expecting family members then to linger there in the memorial area. of course, the memorial itself dedicated last year, includes benches, one for each of the victims who died in this attack. their names are engraved in those benches and we're expecting family members to sit and to reflect and to remember their loved ones. back to you all in the studio. >> that was megan mcgrath reporting. the families of those killed in

the world trade center attack will gather at ground zero again later this morning. a park adjacent to ground zero will be the site for a memorial service. vice president joe biden will be on hand when the nes of the victims will be read out loud. tonight, the tribute in light memorial will light up the manhattan sky, shining beams of light where the twin towers once stood. former secretary of state colin powell will be in shanksville, pennsylvania today. that's where united flight 93 went down after passengers fought with hijackers for control of the plane. all passengers on board that flight died in the crash. powell will be the keynote speaker at that memorial service. >> while families remember loved ones lo, people all over the country will take part in a day of service. 50 volunteers in southeast washington will gather to help renovate isabel brashears' home. the 74-year-old lost both of her sons in vietnam. one served in the navy, the other in the marines.

she says she is grateful to have the help coming her way today. >> i haven't stopped crying yet because it's -- as old as i am, i never thought that no one but the lord would help me get my house like this. and every time somebody says something to me about it, tears come up in my eyes. >> volunteers have already started upgrades to her home. she has lived there for 53 years, and she says she's loving every bit of improvement to this house. >> we have breaking news this morning to report. anghovniert explosion in it it hampton overlookpeapond ptam and hazmat crews are still on the scene. tracee wilkins joins us now live with the latest. good morning. >> reporter: good morning. this happened about 11:15 last night. we're to there was an alarm that went off, alerting fire crews. they came here and found what they're calling a chemical explosion but they're still not exactly sure what caused it. let me show what you the

building looks like. this is a warehouse here right f central avenue in capitol heights and the warehouse district over here. it's called the tasko water works building. the two large overhead doors there were blown off. so were some windows. they found several drums of hazardous materials outside the building. they produce commercial water treatment products so, of course, finding these hazardous materials was a problem. >> we have a hazardous materials team that's working the problem. there are several chemicals involved in this particular facility. they rendered the chemicals which were released outside the building safe and we're in the process of rendering the chemicals which are inside the building safe. >> reporter: now, the good news is there were no injuries inside of that building because it was empty, but they did ask two of the nearby businesses that did have folks inside to close all doors and windows and stay inside until they were able to stabilize the situation there on the scene. but as you can see, officials

are still here working to try and make sure that every thing's going to be safe this morning. we're expecting in a few hours lots of folks to come into this area and begin the workday. fire officials are hoping that won't be a problem. i'm tracee wilkins live this morning in capitol heights. back to you. >> thank you. why south carolina congressman joe wilson heckled t other night, plus ramifications of his outburst. find out how long the clouds are sticking around and how this weather is impacting your commute. the steelers and titans start the football season with a thriller. a defensive battle that goes into overtime.

weather and traffic on the 1s. good morning. now at 6:11. we've got light to moderate rain in washington and in montgomery and prince george's county. some lighter rain in fairfax and loudoun but some heavier rain in anne arundel county and calvert, charles and st. mary's, as well as up around baltimore and

howard. coming in out ofhert noheast, be with us throughout the morning. it's certainly cool. we're only in the upper 50s to near 60 degrees. 59 in washington. cloudy day. and the chances of rain will diminish by this afternoon. highs reaching near 70. cloudy tonight and mostly cloudy tomorrow, just a small chance of a shower. highs upper 70s. then sun returns on sunday and monday and warmer. should stay dry tuesday and wednesday, too. how's the traffic now, jerry? >> tom, a live look along 95. we're heavy and slow in several significant stretches along the way. some debris and an accident near dale city. after that volume up. but a little bit of road spray. not that wet but just wet enough. the northbound gw parkway, ramp to the inner loop accident. 270 incident-free but plenty of backed up traffic now. sale thing at the wilson bridge with lanes open. back to you. >> thank you very much, jerry. >> ellen at the jenner is is riding high after being named judge of "american idol." now the ellen show is being sued for one of its most popular

> what made south

south carolina congressman joe wilson says that he will not be muzzled on the issue of health care. the congressman apologized to the president for shouting "you lie" during the president's recent address to a joint session of congress, and president obama accepted his apology. but that does not appear to be the end of it. kimberly suiters now joins us live in the studio. kimberly? >> joe, the south carolina congssman telling his constituents he's now under attack and he needs their support. the democrats did back off any kind of reprisal. the house speaker wanting to refocus the issue on health

care, and the president saying he does accept the congressman's apology for this interruption. >> you lie. >> congressman wilson has become very well-known in the last 24 hours for those two words, you lie. so many people flooded his website that it crashed. supporters have rallied behind him. members of the outraged public posted articles like "republicans behaving badly" on their facebook pages and blass tem him out. congressman wilson says he was told by the republican leadership to apologize and the president said he understands that everyone makes mistakes. >> we all make mistakes. he apologized quickly and without equivocation, and i'm appreciative of that. >> last evening i let my emotions get the best of me on the critical issue of health care. it was wrong. and i apologized to the esident shortly afterwards and he has acknowledged my sincerity.

this occurred after a month of town hall meetings and deeply emotional conversations i had with constituents who are as passionate as i am about this issue, who fear a government takeover of health care will reduce the quality of care and increase the cost of coverage. on these issues, i will not be muzzled. >> so, that is congressman joe wilson on his web page. on that website, congressman wilson admits he should not have disrespected the president, but claims he is now under attack by liberals who are using his outburst, he says, as an excuse not to focus on the ises. and the congressman also takes this opportunity to ask for your support. below that video box there are suggested donation amounts from $25 up to $2,400 or you can fill in the blank. again, wanting to move past all this, president obama has suggested that the media can be -- and this is a quote -- helpful by not giving all the attention to the loudest or shrillest voices and try to stay focused on the issues at hand.

e, back to you. >> kimberly, thanks very much. the president hits the road again to try to build support for this health care reform plans. in minnesota on saturday, and he has another speech scheduled for tuesday. eun? >> a 28-year-old man was arrested for bringing a shotgun onto capitol hill wednesday night during the president's d address to congress. police say 28-year-old joshua bowman of falls church tried to drive through a security checkpoint near cannon house office building with a shotgun and 500 rounds of ammunition stored in his trunk. authorities are still trying to figure out what he intended to do with that gun. bowman is charged with having unregistered firearm and ammunition. space shuttle "discovery" will mag another attempt at landing today. the shuttle and crew were supposed to land yesterday but weather delayed its arrival back home. the shuttle is scheduled to land at 5:45 this evening. if that's unsuccessful it will try again at :29 at the kennedy space center. >> the nfl season kicked off

with a defensive thriller that went into overtime last night. and the redskins appear to be ready, rested and, most important, healthy for the game with the giants on sunday. here's dan hellie now with your sports minute. >> good morning, everybody. your sports minute starts with the redskins. the guys, of course, getting ready for the giants on sunday. and the good news for the redskins, they don't have a single playeon the injury list today. no excuses for the skins. they are 6 1/2 point underdogs to the g-men in the season opener on sunday in new york. the regular season kicked off in earnest last night in pittsburgh. the defending champs hosting the titans. it was a defensive struggle that went to overtime. i would like to personally thank jeff reed for ending it early in o.t. with a 33-yard field goal. the steelers win the opener 130. on the diamond, it's the nats and the phillies. ian desmond made his major league debut last night and what a night it was.

desmond hit his first major league home run and finished 2 for 4 with 4 rbi. the nationals hang on to win 8-7. that's your sports minute. i'm dan hellie. everybody have a great friday. >> it is just about 6:19. a little early but let's find out what the traffic and weather are. we're going to start with tom kierein in storm center 4. >> a look at the latest observations. this rain is picking up in intensity. as we look at the live picture from our city camera, you can see the wet sky in washington and the roads and streets and sidewalks are soaked now with a driving rain. looking at the radar over the last hour it's moving in from the northwest heading southeast and this is some moderate rain that continues to fall, especially now just north and east of washington, getting some moderate showers there. meanwhile, the radar is showing here locally in our region, it is really coming down pretty hard just to our east in prince george's county and in anne

arundel county and parts of howard county. where you see the blue it's lighter rain in loudoun, western charles. some heavier rain eastern charles as well as calvert and st. mary's. near delaware, they are getting some very heavy rain there. right now temperatures are in the 50s. quite a cool morning. it's only in the upper 50s around washington and the nearby suburbs. here's the rainfall for the past 24 hours. baltimore has had 2/3 of an inch of rain. they'v h up to four inches on the eastern shore but it's just beginning here. had less than 0.1 of an inch so far this morning around washington. for the rest of the day, morning showers will taper off by this afternoon. a blustery wind will pick up a bit, gusting 20 to 25. highs reaching near 70. a smaller chance of rain this afternoon and tonight. there's a small chance on saturday. otherwise, mostly cloudy tomorrow but warmer. highs into the mid and upper 70s. sunday and monday we'll have increasing sunshine and warmer temperatures in the low and mid-80s both days. into next week, tuesday and wednesday, should stay dry.

80. maybe a shower by the end of the week. let's check traffic on this friday morning. how are we doing now? >> quite busy out there. good morning, everyone. south of town the approach to the wilson bridge, should find the lanes open. broken down tractor-trailer's been on the shoulder for a while. 95 out ofale city, quite slow. the flashing lights slowing things down. no specific hang-ups, just volume along 66. 270 southbound from frederick to rockville on the wet pavement running slowly in several stretches but the lanes are open. let's see how we're doing heading for downtown. that's all i can say. 395 -- that sounds fun -- southbound and northbound at the 14th street bridge. yuck. joe? >> well said. our time right now is 6:22, 59 degrees. the ongoing search for a college student who disappeared. she was supposed to get married this weekend. well, ellen degeneres may be dancing her way to court. find out why her show has been sued.

one of the largest recording companies are suing the ellen degeneres show for violating copy right laws. the company claims producers of the show played more than 1,000 copyrighted songs without permission. most of the songs played during the show's popular dance segment where ellen dances through the audience. warner brothers entertainment says it has been working with the record labels for months trying to resolve the issue. >> police at yale university are looking for a missing graduate student. 24-year-old annie le has not been seen or heard from in nearly three days. she was supposed to be married on sunday in new york. police say the pharmacology student wasast seen on a surveillance camera outside the building where she worked at a lab. police say she left her purse,

her cell phone and her wallet inside and has not been seen since. le's fiance is reportedly in town working with police. >> big developments in the fight against the swine flu. the one thing you can get to prevent you from getting the virus. from new york to the pentagon, pennsylvania and your community, how the natn is remembering the 9/11 terrorist attacks eight years later.

today is september 1th. solemn memorials will take place at the pentagon, new york and thanksville. now a day of remembrance is also a national day of service. >> good morning and welcome back to "news 4 today." i'm joe krebs. >> and i'm eun yang in for barbara harrison today. we're going to take a live look outside right now at 6:30, 59 degrees. we have cloudy skies and some rain overhead. meteorologist tom kierein joins us now in the studio to give us an update o thee forecasor f

today. >> we haveeom sden aiunderft oof el wasl. it opposite theds woa roand and s id salksidhis t inrnmog.rn we ae h cantankerousoast c al st t oum whipping us withpp nd r awi taind ninrnmog. lookg ratrnhe tadrehehe wou y e see those moving bandsf green, thaters th mat tooeaodvy in ra ose litt pocke of yellow. those arereas where a we're getting some even heavier rain. right now the local radar is showing some of the heaviest rain now is just to the east of washington in prince george's county and anne arundel and calvert counties. getting some moderate rain in fairfax, ine phegerincorge's county, montgomery as well as arlington and theisor dtrict rit desnorl shaw,ar and mt.y's county, too. m getting some rain there. thet the ke ak lootht ae y,dalle' see our temperatures right now that are near 60 degrees, holding steady this morning. so dress foror w s metning mt the bus stop. children certainly going to need an umbrella and a rain coat. breezy and wet. upper 50s, low 60s. for the rest of the day, ani

diminishing chance of rain by n, highs near 70. a small chancte of a shower tonight and saturday.ha otherwise, a warming trend and drying out for the weekend itt f st part of next week. i'm back in ten minutes with another update and stay tuned. >> thank you, tom. >> let's go to jerry edwards. he's keeping a look at the roadways out there. a lot of problems for commuters this morning, jerry. >> yes, indeed. we'll start over the american legion bridge in the stretch between the american legion bridge and river road. both directions authorities checking reports of an accident, maybe an overturned vehicle. again, the uneven pavement. we've already had a couple of issues over there. we'll keep you updated at the american legion bridge with word of an accident. wilson bridge, no hang-ups there, just volume. southeast corridor, so far, so good on the wet pavement. be careful. joe, back to you. >> thanks very much, jerry. president obama will pay tribute to those who died at the pentagon attack eight years ago today. he'll speak at a memorial service at the pentagon. this is one of a number of memorial services and vigils taking place nationwide to

commemorate september 11th. megan mcgrath now joins us live from the pentagon. good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, joe. a very emotional and difficult day for those who lost loved ones in the terrorist attacks that happened a there are remembrance ceremonies scheduled across the country, including, of course, here at the pentagon. now, last year the memorial to the victims was dedicated here at the pentagon. there was a very elaborate ceremony attended by hundreds of people that lasted several hours. the naps of the victims were read. bells were tolled. this year it's going to be a completely different situation. it's a much more intimate ceremony that is planned here. in fact, it's only open to the families. the pentagon dimly lit this morning. gone are the special lighting effects that have illuminated the building in years past. it's a physical sign of a subtle shift. this year's memorial service will be much smaller, open only

to the families of the victims. it will take place in a memorial to the victims that was dedicated a year ago today. relatives will sit on the benches honoring their loved ones. at 9:37, the moment flight 77 hit the building, those lost will be remembered in a moment of silence. the memorial and the ceremony will not be open to the general public this morning so many people came last night to pay their respects and remember those who died. >> kind of solemn, but you feel the love and attention given to the ones who past. >> it's hard because you think about how many people died that day, not just here but in the towers and on ud 93 and it way s 9arscday.ar >> reporter: the rememance service gets under way at 9:30 th m 30th a andco by the nd a welcome chaian of the joint chiefs of staff. then at il9:37, eil w we b a moment of esie.nc hat is the moment that flht tit pentagon. t

then there will be remks by thfense secretary r rterob gate enidaresem r from the presiden then the serviceill w conclude with "america the beautiful." and we are expecting family members to go into the memorial, be there for the ceremony, but to linger in the memorial, sit on the benches of their loved ones and reflect upon this day and the memories of those that they lost. and, joe, you've seen the memorial there. it's a terrific place to reflect. that's why it was built in the way that it was. it's a series of benches, each representing the lives lost in the attack. and you can literally just sit there and reflect. it's a very calm and soothing place in many ways. >> yes, kind of a perfect place for contemplation. it is a very nice, very peaceful place. thanks very much, megan. >> police are being told to be particularly vigilant today. the fbi and homeland security department sent law enforcement agencies nationwide a bulletin

ahead of 9/11. it's similar to other alerts issued on holidays and significant dates and doesn't give any indication of specific threats. the justice department says bulletins like this are routine. coming up in ten minutes at 6:45 we'll go live to ground zero to see how new york city will pay tribute to the more than 2,700 lives lost eight years ago today. >> we have breaking news right now this morning out ofol apol o scene. this happened on hampton overlook. tracee wilkins joins us now live from the scene. good morning. >> reporter: good morning. this is located right off central avenue. we're just behind where the home depot is in the warehouse district area of capitol heights. about 11:15 last night they had a major explosi here in the warehouse district and alerted fire officials. they got down here, started to go to work on it. let me show you the building where that explosion happened earlier. they have significantly scaled back their operations since when we first got here, meaning this

thing has been contained. it blew out the rolling overhead doors to the rear of the building where the explosion happened. it happened at the tasco water works warehouse. now, that is where they work on some chemical treatments for commercial water. it's a large business there and it has lots of chemicals inside and also has some chemica that were found on the outside. officials say that was part of their problem here. >> well, we have a hazardous materials team that's working the problem. several chemicals involved in this particular facility. they rendered the chemicals, which were released outside the building, safe. we're in the process of rendering the chemicals which are inside the building safe. >> reporter: they're saying this was a chemical explosion, but mao the investigation is under way to find out exactly what caused the explosion. at this point, they don't know. the good news is no one was injured inside of that warehouse, and there weren't any evacuations. but they did tell some folks nearby to actually stay inside of the businesses located near the warehouse and to close the

windows and doors until they had the situation under control. also inside of that warehouse, no one was working there at the time. that's why they didn't have to evacuate the warehouse itself. i'm tracee wilkins, live this morning in capitol heights. back to you in the studio. >> thanks very much. aeter slyusio seriously hit bye hit by aea-y13r astruck artsuctr 13et ver w nd a sonn ock road metrota o s the yellow and blue lines. in order to free the worker, rescue crews had to use an emergency escape hatch to get into the tunnel. after they were able to get him out, the victim was then medevac'd to the hospital. the track was shut down most of the day and created some significant delays on the blue and the yellow lines. metro officials are investigating what caused the accident. >> d.c. police chief cathy lanier says she plans to appeal an arbitrator's decision that would put an end to the all hands on deck program. the metropolitan police department has been ordered to stop the police initiative and distribute all payback -- or

back pay to its officers. an arbitrator ruled the all hands on deck violates d.c. law and the collective bargaining agreement between the fraternal order of police and the mpd. the program puts all the district's sworn officers on street patrol for three-day periods to deter crime. the big gamble by one car company. it is offering money back guarantees. the new security changes at dulles international. what you'll have to do the next time you fly. how volunteers in the area will be marking this 9/11 anniversary with a day of service. >> and you are waking up to soms mo thteo t heavyo rain herougut t. eaar next atea t,d fin, find out whn utll stop and find o f i will stop and find out about th this morning. oefct this morning.

good morning. weather and traffic on the 1s now at 6:41.

we've got bands of moderate to heavy rain moving in out of delaware, across maryland, into washington, virginia and west virginia this morning. this is going to continue for the next several hours. it's cool as well, highs will only reach near 70 from morning lows now in the upper 50s. chances for rain will diminish this afternoon and tonight. small chance on saturday. otherwise, mostly cloudy tomorrow, upper 70s. then the sun will show itself a lot more on sunday and monday and should be warmer as well. a look into next week, along with your national travel forecast. that will be in ten minutes. jerry, how's the traffic? >> tom, things pretty ugly in many locations. the outer loop of the capital beltway coming from river road toward the american legion bridge. that's the scene of the accident, possibly an overturned vehicle. fire rescue crews or the scene. there's a hefty inneroop delay coming off the american legion bridge to a point opposite the outer loop accident with some more emergency equipment headed over there. 395 loaded up through landmark and shirlington to downtown. northeast corridors heavy but steady headed in this morning.

joe, back to you. >> jerry, thanks very much. the new security changes about to go into effect at dulles international airport. and then next at 6:45 we're going to go live to new york city eight years after 9/11. tell you how people in the area are remembering this day by volunteering.

some of the families of those killed on september 11th are preparing to gather in lower manhattan not far from the site where their loved ones lost their lives. mielle franzen joins us live from new york city with more on this story. michelle, good morning.

>> reporter: well, good morning. certainly families will be greeted with whipping winds and rain today as they come to remember their loved ones. in the eight years since the 9/11 attacks, much has changed here at ground zero in terms of construction, in terms of security, but for those who lost loved ones on that day, the pain is never far awa it has become a national day of remembrance and renewal. memorial services at all three crash sites mark the moments of the september 11th attacks eight years ago and honor the 2,752 victims who died. in new york city, families will gather at a park adjacent to the world trade center site for a ceremony of music and the reading of victims' names. >> david joseph. >> reporter: vice president joe biden and his wife will also attend. the families will once again walk to the base of ground zero to lay flowers, a sacred makeshift memorial that also

shares space with an active construction site. progress of the proposed skyscrapers and memorial has been slowed by years of legal battles between the developer, larry silverstein, and the site's owners, the new york/new jersey port authority, a delay that will continues to frustrate the developer. >> it's a national disgrace. it didn't have to be like this. it doesn't have to be like this. >> reporter: at the pentagon, a private wreath-laying ceremony will honor victims and families. president obama and pentagon officials will speak at the service. in pennsylvania, former secretary of state colin powell will lead the memorial service for victims of united flight 93. passengers are credited for bringing the plane down in a remote field, soon to become a permanent national memorial. at the u.s. capitol wednesday, lawmakers unveiled a bronze plaque honoring flight 93 victims for preventing terrorists from crashing the plane into the u.s. capitol. >> those 40 were the first line of defense against terror.

>> reporter: back in lower manhattan, workers have been testing the tribute and light memorial which will once again light up the night sky and symbolize where the twin towers once stood. now, the ground zero memorial and museum will not be finished until 2012. until then, organizers have launched an interactive website, complete with amateur videos and public accounts from that day. eun? >> michelle franzen at ground zero this morning. thank you. joe? >> thanks very much, eun. well, while families remember loved ones lost, people all over the country will participate in a day of service today. 50 volunteers in southeast washington will gather to help renovate isabel brashears' home. the 74-year-old lost both of her sons in vietnam. one served in the navy, the other the marines. and she says she is grateful to have the help cominher way today. >> i haven't stopped crying yet

because it's -- as old as i am, i never thought that no one but the lord would help me get my house like this. and i still -- every time somebody says something to me about it, i still -- tears come up in my eyes. >> volunteers have already started upgrades to her home. she's lived in the home for 53 years and she says she is loving every bit of improvement to the house. >> on monday, president obama will turn his attention to wall street and the economy. cnbc's rebecca jarvis joins us live with the latest. good morning. reporter: good morning. he's coming to the big apple. no surprise there on the timing. he's announced he's coming to new york on monday to deliver what's being called a major speech on the nation's financial crisis. monday marks the anniversary of the collapse of lehman brothers which led to the economy's freefall and the president plans to talk about the administration's efforts to bring an end to the recession. on the heels of the popular cash for clunkers program, general

motors in an effort to attract ne ctomelrsil wil be offering a 60-day money back guarantee. starting out monday, consumers will have the guarantee on any new 2009 or 2010 buick, cadillac, chevrolet or cgmgm ha vehicle between 31 and 60 days from the date of purchase with no more than 4,000 miles on the car if they want to return it, that is. and this program will initially run through the end of november. it's all part of gm's new marketing blitz. if you're not thinking about buying as an american you still have a vested interest in the story and in gm's success because, of course, taxpayers are on the hook for $50 billion. that's how we're keeping gm afloat these days. back over to you. >> rebecca jarvis, thanks so much for joining us this morning. >> folks flying out of dulles airport will have to go through new security now. there had been some changes there. airport officials unveiled a brand-new security screening area. they say it will get passengers through faster. the new location is in the main terminal of the airport and will

replace the current tsa checkpoints on the ticketing level. officials say this new area is larger and less confusing. well, the other one certainly was confusing. it will also include a terminal for the airport's soon to be revealed shuttle train. the new screening area will be open to the traveling public beginning on tuesday of next week. some good news this morning concerning the swine flu vaccine. it appears ha the h1n1 vaccine will be effective with just one shot rather than two. a preliminary study has found that a single injection of the h1n1 vaccine gives participants strong immunity against the virus and has minor side effects. it also seems to start working within about ten days. children, however, may still need to get two injections. >> that's right. flu season is very near. >> and the virus loves cool, damp weather. here we are with a cool and damp start to this friday morning. it's the thing that wouldn't leave and it certainly has

overstayed its welcome. this coastal low pressure system has now pushed farther to the west. i thought it was going to do it it overnigh w wreff o tsta ot wet on t this friday morning. look at the gr spo c.mato erovhe t potomac. eca camera. e ee s tweghis moving inro fm the northeast, heading to the southwest and where you see these areas of green is where it's coming down harder. right now in washington we're getting some lighter rain but there's a band of some more moderate rain right now in fairfax county, from right near mt. vernon and alexandria toward chantilly, in southern loudoun county. another band of even heavier rain now in calvert county. this is moving through prince george's county, coming out of anne arundel. this is going to be drifting into charles county in the next few minutes. this band also stretches toward baltimore into howard county. this is also on the eastern shore where they are getting some very heavy rains now in delaware. it's a cool morning. we're only in the 50s around the region now, 59 in washington.

look at the rainfall we've had in the past 24 hours. this has happened in about the last hour or so. about 0.2 in washington. about an inch in southern maryland, up to 4 inches of rain has fallen on the eastern shore where the temperatures are near 60 there. a cool and dry morning out in the poun tans. they have not had any precipitation there. in fact, it's partly cloudy, only near 50 there. this rain is going to continue to crank down around us here for tress t of the morning. traveling today, could be flight delays in florida, the south land, central plains. likely rain r delays from washington to new york city over the next few hours. for our region, this coastal low will be hanging around but eventually drifting away, allowing the dry air in the midwest to come in for the f weekend. here's the bus stop forecast this morning. for washington and the nearby suburbs, breezy and wet, only in the 50s, low 60s this morning. and then the rain chances diminish by this afternoon. we'll have a high onlyrea 70. only a small chance of a shower tonight. otherwise, cloudy, a low near 60

omorrow moing. just a slight chance of a shower saturday. otherwise, mostly oucldy,cl upp 70s. sunshine returns sunday, monday. increasing sunshine and warmer temperatures, low to mid-80s. that's the way it looks. have a great weekend. back with frequent updates throughout the morning. >> we'll check back in with you. thank you. >> now let's go to jerry edwards and check on the traffic out there. jerry -- >> yeah, yeah. >> frozen picture behind you. >> frozen because of an accident, it is jammed along interstate 66 outside massas. these folks were in the roadway. over to the shoulder. trust me, it is jammed as you head in from before manassas most of the way to the capital beltway. police are also checking an accident 395 northbound around shirlington with only one lane getting by. out to the rails and see if we have any better luck. so far, so good. metrorai reporting nothing out heof tor ofdinary. remember, some of.herainsin running below sedsec bsause of the accident uprehe n t orea ft totten. sth iatr pretty much poly for right now. vre and marc rail, no delays reported at this hour.

back to you. >> jerry, thank you. some of the families of those killed at the pentagon on 9/11 will gather on this rainy friday to remember their loved ones. president obama is expected to address them during a memorial service later this morning. megan mcgrath joins us live from the pentagon with more. megan, good morning. >> reporter: well, good morning, eun. certainly a very difficult and a very emotional day for people who lost loved ones in the terror attacks that happened eight years ago. about 2 1/2 hours, a remembrance ceremony will be held here at the pentagon. it will actually take place in the merle to the victims that was dedicated a year ago today. president barack obama will be speaking during that ceremony. there will also be a moment of silence at 9:37. that's moment that flight 77 hit the pentagon. we'll also hear from defense secretary robert gates. and then that will conclude the -- the ceremony will conclude with "america the beautiful." the whole thing is expected to last less than an hour, very

different from ceremonies we've seen that were more elaborate in years past. back to you. >> megan mcgrath at the pentagon this morning. thank you. >> well, today's news 4 morning shing is cerin st ar. oshua lieran ian a communityio cotureth court services andtef defender supervision agency in t ctstri. he also s ndiv tyerun t osiishefttr d oicstf swoo-s cer urkll hteseict of co-workers tell us he tr iv matotveor ery greeryveone with a smile.wa weia ls aeyo wao ont to thank him fo sntinghuc an important member of their team.h well, if you know someone like joshua lanier, e-mail that earson's story along with a clr, close-up picture or video clto morningperson@nbcwashington.com. >> let's get an out the door forecast with meteorologist tom wmu cittehe>>h om a s cwmute with the wet morning but improving news. a lower chancenfai c r tss aftern d saturday. a beautiful sunday into the first part of next week. that weather pattern setting up. >> let's see how slow the commute. >> very slow. 66 accident, outer loop,

american legion bridge. 395, accident. shirl ton, accident. there you go. that's the story. >> thanks very much, jerry. that is "news 4 today." thank you for starting your day with us. >> hope you have a safe and happy weekend. we'll see you tomorrow morning. have a great day. >> bye. sa