good morning and welcome to "news 4 midday." i'm eun yang. barbara harrison is off. it is friday, july 1st, 2011. the holiday weekend is just a few hours away, but many are already hitting the roads to celebrate. a lot of people are heading in the same direction, though, which is a recipe for some nasty traffic. news 4's megan mcgrath is at the bay bridge now with more. meg megan, is the traffic picking up now? >> reporter: absolutely. if you were watching and with us early this morning, you can see the difference we are taking a look at here. look at the steady column of traffic coming across the

bridge. you can see that they're still moving. we don't see standstill traffic, but it is definitely a much slower go for folks going across the bridge. and that's going to continue to get worse and worse as the day progresses. things were really starting to slow down, so they've opened a third lane to eastbound traffic. so they're now running two-way traffic on one of the spans. they took away a lane from the westbound direction, gave it to the folks heading toward the beach, so that's helped out a little bit, but the bottom line is, if you were looking to avoid traffic, it's probably too late at this point. to do that, you really needed to get out there early. 8:00 a.m. at the toll plaza, and no delays for easy pass cars and only a short wait for the cash lanes. getting across the bay bridge early is the name of the game. >> knock on wood, so far, we've traveled from new market outside of frederick, no traffic, and here we are, 9:00, as predicted. >> reporter: bay bridge traffic can be a vacation killer, and it isn't hard to find people who left too late in the day and

found themselves -- >> just sitting still, stop and go, and not knowing how long you're going to be. so that was probably the worst part. can you blow kisses? >> reporter: bridget kelsey has gotten stuck before, but this year, with a baby in the car, she left early. >> actually, it was great. i was a little worried with her, but it was good. no traffic at all. >> reporter: congestion is expected to be bad the entire day, as hundreds of thousands of people head to the beach for the long holiday weekend. this family from ohio decided to leave in the middle of the night to beat the traffic. >> we left about 2:00, from canton, ohio, and it's been pretty -- we drove through the night, so the traffic was pretty good coming throughout the night. it picked up a little bit when we got right in front of the bridge and everything, but it's going pretty well right now. >> reporter: and if you haven't left yet and you're one of those people who can just not stand to sit in traffic, here's the advice. hold off, don't leave now, go some time after 10:00 p.m.

tonight. that's when they expect things to settle down a bit. if you're leaving tomorrow, the advice is to leave before 7:00 in the morning, because things are going to really get going early tomorrow. eun, back to you. >> it's the mad rush to beat the rush, megan mcgrath live at the bay bridge, megan, thank you. here's a live look at i-95 near the fairfax county parkway. drivers trying to get a head start on the long weekend may be heading to some of the beaches down south. for those heading there later, watch your speeds. virginia state police will have extra troopers patrolling the highways to try to cut down on accidents during the holiday weekend. it should be a little easier for drivers heading through delaware's newark toll plaza this holiday weekend, which is always jam-packed on busy travel days. that's because high-speed easy pass toll lanes will be open for testing. in those lanes, drivers with e-z pass can go through the toll at highway speed. more than 140,000 cars a day are expected to pass through that toll plaza this weekend. delaware state officials say 55%

of drivers use easy pass and that should significantly reduce congestion. coming up later, aaa joins us live in studio with what you need to know to make your trip easier. now, the big question, what will the weather do as thousands head to the beach? here's a live look outside, where the sun is shining. it's 85 degrees and low humidity, just a beautiful summer day. tom, we wish we could keep it going through the whole weekend. >> yeah, we've got great weather for traveling. for those who are heading off east to the beaches, bright and sunny there too. if you're heading south, bright and sunny there. the beach forecast, the water temperatures are terrific, great for swimming, low and mid-70s now, and from cape henlopen, the high will reach the low 80s, anytime you get a breeze off the ocean, it will drop back down into the 70s during the day. a very, very small chance of any storms around. then on sunday and on the fourth of july, both days we should have hotter weather at the beach with a west-southwesterly wind coming in off the land, probably

into the upper 80s at the beaches during the afternoon, but there's also a greater chance of some storms on sunday afternoon and sunday evening, as well as on the fourth of july as well, there's a possibility of some scattered afternoon storms at the beaches, and we'll have a wind out of the southwest at around 5 to 15, but overall, great weather at the beaches for the holiday weekend. and right now, around our region, we have climbed into the 80s. right now, reagan national is at 84 degrees. and we've got plenty of sunshine on tap for the rest of the afternoon. low humidity with highs around 90. a look at the weekend around the region as well as into next week in just a few minutes. eun? >> all right. we'll see you then. thank you, tom. well, expect stepped up security including bag searches and extra checkpoint ifs you are headed to the area fourth of july celebrations this weekend. a homeland security report obtained by news 4 says that large groups of people could be specific targets for terror attacks on symbolic dates like independence day. there is no credible threat, however, right now.

on top of security preparations, crews are getting ready to light up the sky over the national mall. thousands are expected for the annual fireworks spectacular. and news 4's tracee wilkins has everything you need to know to have a fun and safe holiday on the national mall. >> reporter: this promises to be an action-packed fourth of july weekend. in addition to amazing fireworks, folks are also going to be treated to a concert. they're expecting hundreds of thousands of people to be down here this weekend. and the name of the game is going to be family fun. they're moving fences, setting up stages, and making other necessary preparations for the hundreds of thousands of people expected to come down to the national mall for this fourth of july. and it all kicks off with an all-star concert. have you seen our fireworks presentation before the concert and all of that? >> yes, yes. >> reporter: the u.s. park service is preparing the stage for steve martin, josh groban,

matthew morrison, jordyn sparks and a host of other entertainers. then the icing on the cake. >> something about the fireworks, even when you grow up, no matter how old you are, still brings out the kid in you. >> there's so much to do here, and the fourth of july fire works are just kind of the finale for the weekend for us. >> reporter: it's important that everyone remember, no grills, alcohol, glass bottles, or personal fireworks are permitted on any of the national parks service property. and if you're bringing a cooler and bags, prepare to have them checked. it's also important that you be prepared for this heat that we're expecting with lots of water on hand. and if you're planning on taking metro, you should plan around using the smithsonian station. it won't be open until 10:30 p.m. on the fourth of july. now, if you're thinking, i've been there, done that, and heading down to the mall isn't worth the hassle, then consider this thought. when you think fourth of july, washington, d.c., what comes to mind? >> i think of freedom, i think

of gratitude, i think of memories, childhood memories and fun times we had growing up. >> reporter: so if you had to choose between being down here and seeing it in person or watching it on television, what would you prefer? >> i like spending time with family. >> and that was tracee wilkins reporting from the national mall. a 4-year-old maryland boy is recovering this morning after police say a 5-year-old shot him on a playground. it happened in the 4400 block of 23rd parkway in a temple hills apartment complex. around 4:30 yesterday afternoon, police say the two kids were playing with others on the playground. the 5-year-old somehow had a gun and it went off. the 4-year-old was hit in the shoulder with a bullet narrowly missing his heart. a neighbor knows both children and is shocked by this incident. >> he's a nice little boy. i never would have thought anything. he's not a trouble kid or nothing. i used to see him go to school, come back, play. i take him to the swimming pool

a lot. it's just crazy. >> in maryland, police can charge an adult who allows an unsecured gun to find its way into a child's hands. one man is dead and four others are injured after a big fight at the university town center in hyattsville in prince george's county. police were called to the 6500 block of amerika boulevard around 6:30 last night. when officers arrived, they found a man with stab wounds. he was transported to a nearby hospital where he later died. four others are also being treated for nonlife-threatening injuries. police have not identified a suspect or a motive. despite a guilty plea and calls fr calls from prince george's county member, johnson is refusing to resign this morning. she entered a guilty plea yesterday. she and her husband, former county executive, jack johnson, were arrested in november as part of a federal corruption probe. johnson says she intends to stay in office until her sentencing in october. she faces up to 18 months in

prison. 11:09 is your time now, 85 degrees. still ahead on "news 4 midday," reasonable doubt. why the case against the former imf chief dominique strauss-kahn could be in jeopardy and why his time under house arrest could be over within hours. and those headed to the beach better mind your

welcome back. new information on charges against former imf head dominiq dominique strauss-kahn. the new york district attorney will agree to release strauss-kahn without bail. his attorneys are arguing he should be released. now more on how the case could soon dissolve completely. >> reporter: experts say dominique strauss-kahn could be released from house arrest as early as today. he was one of the most powerful men in the world, head of the international monetary fund, and possible candidate for french president. until a maid in this luxury manhattan hotel told police strauss-kahn sexually assaulted her twice in his room. but now "the new york times" reports she repeatedly lied to investigators and prosecutors don't fully believe her. >> several people who we've talked to have said the case is

on the verge of collapse. >> reporter: the maid is from guinea. a source familiar with the case told nbc news she lied on her asylum application, claiming she was raped in the past, and now admits it was all made up. according to "the times," she may have ties to drug dealing and money laundering. the paper reports, within a day of her alleged assault, she spoke with an accused drug dealer and discussed the possible benefits of pursuing charges against strauss-kahn. that conversation was recorded. and "the times" says that man was among several people who deposited $100,000 cash in her bank account. >> the blows to her credibility now make her or may make her an untenable witness, according to many of the people that we've talked to. >> reporter: the lawyer who represented the the maid appeared last month here on "today." >> she has been in a whirlwind since this has taken place. this is a woman who is a rape victim, the victim of a physical assault, who since this has

taken place and since she reported it to security at the hotel, has not had a moment of peace. >> reporter: police did find dna evidence in the hotel room, and last month in court, prosecutors seemed confident. but from the start, strauss-kahn's defense team called the sex consensual. >> the forensic evidence, we believe, will not be consistent with a forcible encounter. >> reporter: a source familiar with the case tells nbc news, while the maid admits she lied about her past, she still stands behind her story about this attack, sin cyinsisting strauss-kahn sexually assaulted her. >> and that was nbc's jeff rossen reporting. despite the possibility the case is falling apart, the district attorney is reluctant to drop charges against strauss-kahn altogether, but sources say that could happen down the line. federal aviation officials are looking into how a man evaded airport security and flew cross-country without a valid boarding pass. investigators say nigerian

national and u.s. resident flew from new york's kennedy airport to los angeles on a virginia america flight last week. he displayed an old university of michigan student i.d. as well as an expired boarding pass with someone else's name. a flight attend noticed he was in a seat that should have been empty. law enforcement officials questioned him after the flight, then let him go, saying he posed no immediate threat. he was later arrested, though, after trying to board another flight without a boarding pass. well, if you are one of the thousands planning to hit the beach or pool this holiday weekend, there is a brand-new survey out. in it, people in our area give their biggest pet peeves. according to a new survey by the website, tripadviser, 32% of people say the most annoying beach violation is blasting loud music, followed by littering and shaking sand on to other towels and other people. at the pool, 20% say loud music is the biggest violation, followed by smoking and talking too loudly on your cell phone.

and an overwhelmingly 74% of people say it's creepy to ask a stranger to help put sunscreen on you. i want to know what the other 26% are thinking, you know what i mean? now, that is very strange. >> another one, too, is throwing a frisbee and having you get it in the side of the head. >> there you go. got to watch out. >> got a lot of that going on. >> but nice beach weather, huh? >> if you're not in the holiday mood yet, you're going to be after you see my forecast. here we, day three on our wonderful break from high humidity. there's washington under a sunny sky now. live picture from the sky watcher camera towering 300 feet above northwest washington, off in the distance on the horizon is prince george's county. and you can see the potomac river there. just downriver is reagan national airport, where the temperature now is 84 degrees. and it is comfortably dry. humidity only about 30%. wind out of the north at about 5 to 15 and we will have our temperatures that are right now in the upper 70s and low and

mid-80s climb to around 90 by midafternoon. but right now, just a gorgeous day from the mountains all the way to the atlantic beaches. not everyone's going to the beach, a lot of people going to the mountains too. temperatures in the mountains of west virginia are in the mid-70s. and there today the highs will reach the low 80s, while elsewhere, south and east around the bay, with all this sunshine and on the eastern shore, should be up around 90 degrees. there is the view from space, over the last 12 hours, and we've got this huge area of high pressure that has pushed in from the north, and will be with us here throughout the day today, tonight, and much of tomorrow. however, by tomorrow afternoon, that high pressure will be gradually diminishing and weakening. and as a result, our winds will begin to shift into the south. and when that happens, we will have increased eat and humidity by the time we get into sunday. but much of the day tomorrow, though, still very comfortable. going forward over the next 48 hours, futurecast showing a dry pattern. we'll have a mostly clear night tonight. during the day on saturday, lots of sunshine. during the afternoon hours, in

the mountains we'll begin to see the increased humidity. when that happens, there might be the chance of a passing shower or thundershower. generally northern maryland, northern west virginia. that would be saturday evening. elsewhere, just a few clouds around saturday evening. and then during the day on sunday, looks to be partly cloudy, and yes, the humidity will be there by then. by sunday afternoon, really quite with hot and uncomfortable. and for the rest of this day, during the afternoon, we'll have plenty of sunshine with temperatures reaching around 90 degrees. the low humidity still in place, and that north wind around 5 to 15 from time to time. overnight tonight, should be clear, a beautiful summer evening coming up. sunset at 8:37. we'll be near 80 early evening, and then the low 70s by midnight. then by dawn on saturday, we'll have temperatures in the mid-60s, starting off tomorrow morning. another beautiful day tomorrow with low humidity, afternoon highs into the low 90s. and again, out of the mountains, might have a passing thundershower on saturday evening. then sunday, partly cloudy, hot

and humid, up into the mid-90s. and late afternoon and evening is when we do have an increased chance of some passing thunderstorms. that would be due to a weak front that will be pushing through and bringing in somewhat less humid weather for monday, for the fourth of july, and for the day, for the parades and picnics and festivities and fireworks on the 4th, looks like great weather with afternoon highs in the low 90s, although there may be an isolated thundershower at the beaches on monday. otherwise, looks great there too. and into next week, tuesday, wednesday, thursday, each day, high near 90 degrees and just a small chance of a scattered afternoon storm each one of those days. that's the way it looks right now. eun? >> tom kierein, thanks so much. well, millions of drivers are expected to hit the road this weekend, there are a few things you can do to make the trip easier on the family and the pocketbook. joining us is aaa's lon anderson.

so we're finally seeing some of the gas prices coming down, but usually it's the summertime when the demand is high and prices go back up. what do you think will happen to gas prices? >> we think they'll continue to trend back down, only because they started so, so high. the economics weren't supporting $4 gallon gas, and they should be coming down, and now they are. last week we had the authorized release of petroleum from the fuel reserves, that ought to help continue the trend. they dropped another penny overnight. right now the average is $3.60 a gallon. i was in richmond yesterday, filled up for $3.30 a gallon. they've come down 8 cents in the last week, and come down 26 cents in the last month. so they really are falling. so put a smile on your face. true, they're about 80 cents higher than they were last year, but nobody's asking, are we going to hit $5? >> and those pennies add up, especially for families on a

budget. do you think we'll see these prices continue to stay low through august, as we approach labor day? >> we think they should. but there's a couple of ifs, hurricane season, as tom will probably remind, is in, and you never know what's going to happen there. but if everything stays as it is right now, things should continue to trend down. >> what about families? always tough when you have a car full of kids and trying to make a long road trip. >> and you should know! >> oh, i know. so many bags. how do you get through this long road trip? >> snacks and games are really important, or reading material, or dvds or whatever, but keeping the kids occupied. if the kids are bored, hungry, not occupied, thirsty, you're not going to have a good trip. let's remember what it takes to keep the kids happy and address that first. second, one thing i'll tell you too, make sure your car's going to be ready. you just heard tom say, it's going to be a very hot weekend and a lot of traffic backups, huge numbers traveling.

we're projecting some #913,000 headed out of town so it's going to be stop and go traffic. make sure your car's ready. nothing will spoil a trip faster than being broken down in very high heat on the side of a dangerous road with your family and even your pets. >> why do you attribute the rise in people flying this year when airfares are still up? >> when we did our surveys, gas prices were still very high, and that is primarily the result. >> all right, thanks so much. aaa's lon anderson, thanks for joining us. 11:23. coming up, a sneak peek at the three new movies to hit the big screen. first, here's a look at what's hot on nbcwashington.com.

i can't promise anyone a ride home, but if you're with me, the world needs you now. >> new in theaters this holiday weekend, josh duhammel and shia labeouf return to "transformers: dark of the moon." the transformers alone will not be able to save us. "transformers: dark of the moon" is rated pg-13. >> you ready to go to work?

>> tom hanks goes back to school in "larry crowne." he's a middle-aged guy who's lost his job, so he decides to enroll in community college, where he meets a frustrated teacher plaid by julia roberts. "larry crowne" is rated pg-13. >> a 26-pound lobster. >> i shall take it in my room. >> and in "monte carlo," a girl, her best friend, and her future stepsister travel to paris when one of the girls is mistaken for a spoiled rich heiress. they're then caught up in a whirlwind of attention and are caught up in a dream vacation. sounds like fun! coming up, new laws go into effect today. we break down the changes. then debt showdown at the capitol. what senate republicans are doing after president obama tells them to get the job done. plus, tom has your fourth of july weekend forecast.

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vacations. but be careful. if you leave at the wrong time, you could get stuck in hours' worth of traffic. traffic experts suggest leaving early in the morning or later in the evening to avoid running into any heavy traffic. and take a look at this traffic on i-95 south at lorton road and fairfax. for those heading down later, watch your speeds, as you'll have plenty of eyes watching you. virginia state police will have extra troopers patrolling the highways to try and cut down on accidents during the holiday. and it should be a little easier for drivers heading through delaware's newark toll plaza this holiday weekend. that's because easy pass toll lanes will be opened for testing. delaware state officials say 55% of drivers use e-z pass, and that should significantly reduce congestion. metro riders traveling on parts of the red, orange, and blue lines should expect delays today and tomorrow because of track work. also, the smithsonian metro station will be closed for most of the day monday. it will reopen after the fireworks are over. let's check in again with tom kierein for the latest on our forecast.

looking good so far, tom, good morning. >> yeah, great getaway and stay at home weather. we have temperatures around the region now beginning to climb into the 80s under this gorgeous blue sky. a live picture from the sky watcher camera, a royal blue sky over montgomery county there in the distance. and the temperatures are now hitting the mid-80s throughout much of the region. now 84 at reagan national. a little bit of a breeze off the bay is bringing in somewhat cooler weather there in annapolis. but at the beaches, near 80 degrees. today, near 90 around much of the region. low humidity in place. a clear night tonight, we'll be down into the 60s by dawn saturday. tomorrow, another gorgeous day. afternoon highs up around 90. a little bit more humid by late afternoon. might have a o thundershower out in the mountains, otherwise, a few clouds around. sunday, partly cloudy, hot and humid, into the mid-90s. sunday afternoon, there is a possibility of a few scattered thunderstorms coming through, and then for the fourth of july, most of the region should be dry, except at the beaches,

maybe a thundershower. otherwise, partly cloudy, up around 90, and not quite as humid. and great weather for all the festivities on the 4th. tuesday, wednesday, thursday, each day, partly cloudy, near 90, only a small chance of an afternoon storm. eun? >> tom, thanks again. it's not what you want on a holiday weekend. 16 people got stuck in the elevator of the washington monoyou memon monument last night, way up there, 400 feet into the monument. firefighters had the to manually lower the elevator to the ground. that process took about 20 minutes, but everyone got out safely. the people waiting at the top of the monument for a ride down had to take the stairs. today, keep your eye on stoplights in fairfax city. red light cameras are back and activated and snapping pictures this morning. one is on university drive at north street and the other is at fairfax circle. for the next 30 days, you will just get a warning if you run a red light. after that the fine is $50 and

the cameras will also capture video in addition to still photo that violators can watch online. alexandria is also restarting their red light camera program today. the cameras are set up at three intersections, south patrick street and franklin street, south patrick and gibbons street, and duke street and south walker street. the 30-day warning period also applies to those cameras. a new law goes into effect today to try to crack down on underage drinking in virginia. under the new law, teens caught driving with a blood alcohol level of 0.02 or higher will lose their licenses for a year. that's twice as long as before. they also face a $500 fine or 50 hours of community service. >> i'm hoping that they'll see it being as onerous as they will receive, and hopefully make the decision to not drink and then get behind the wheel of a car. >> the new rule also says if a teen is caught drinking and driving, it becomes a misdemeanor on their record. and another new law in virginia, emergency vehicles now

have to stop or use their sirens before going through an intersection. this stems from an accident in 2008 in which a police cruiser killed a fairfax woman. the cruiser had its emergency lights operating, but was not using its siren when it crashed into the woman's car. some other note-worthy laws which go into effect today in virginia, you can bring your own bottle of wine into astronauts. a law to combat childhood obesity, all children in elementary and middle schools must participate in at least 2 1/2 hours of physical activity a week. and with the backing of the tea party, drivers can now opt for a "don't tread on me" license plate. in maryland, you'll have to pay more to get your favorite six-pack of beer or cocktail at the bar. starting today, the sales tax on alcohol goes from 6% to 9%. they believe the tax hike will bring in more than $80 million next year. but local bars and liquor stores are worried the higher prices will mean less business. president obama has joined the rest of the america in relaxing this holiday weekend.

in just a few hours, he'll head over with the first family to camp david to celebrate july 4th, and it's a very special weekend for the elder obama daughter. malia officially becomes a teenager with her 13th birthday on monday. and while the president will enjoy this holiday weekend, congress will be getting right back to work after july 4th. senators announced yesterday they will return to work tuesday, july 5th, canceling its week-long recess to try to hammer out a deal to avoid a government default. republicans are upset with president obama after his harsh words for lawmakers in tuesday's press conference. they refused to accept any higher taxes while democrats are insisting that in addition to spending cuts, a raise on tacks has to happen for the wealthiest americans. today could be the beginning of the end for the casey anthony trial. prosecutors are delivering their final rebuttals this afternoon after a recess. closing arguments are expected this weekend before the case is handed to jurors, but they'll

have to deliver a verdict without having heard from anthony herself. kerry sanders reports. >> reporter: the defense case wrapped up. >> your honor, the defense rests. >> reporter: but not before the judge asked casey anthony if she planned to testify herself. >> you understand that your decision to testify or not testify is solely your decision and your decision alone? >> yes, sir. >> and it is your decision not to testify? >> yes, sir. >> reporter: in all, the judge asked casey six different ways if she wanted to testify. and while she won't take the stand, there were still several final witnesses on this, the 32nd and last day of testimony. among the witnesses, crystal holloway, a volunteer who once searched for 2-year-old caylee. holloway testified she and casey's father, george, became intimate. and during a romantic moment once, he shared a deep secret about caylee's death. >> he told me -- he had said

that it was an accident that snowballed out of control, but i was in shock, and by the time i looked up, his eyes were filled, like, with tears, and i didn't elaborate, i didn't ask him anything further. >> reporter: a powerful suggestion of reasonable doubt? the state argues casey murdered her daughter, caylee, so she could live the carefree life of a party girl. but here at the end of trial, was someone telling the jury that george had a secret? remember, the defense claims that caylee accidentally drowned in the backyard pool. >> they need to know right now, that statement is no proof of how this child died. >> reporter: the jury also saw his eight-page suicide note, the failed attempt to kill himself a month after caylee's remains were found. and in that note, there was no mention of a drowning or a cover-up, but it did say, "i am sorry, i love you cynthia,

marie, caylee, here i come, lee, i'm sorry. casey --" and it ends there, with no comment to his daughter. a case ready for closing arguments. but at this moment, a prosecutor that gave the prosecutor what the judge called his middle finger of affection. >> that was kerry sarpnders reporting. the judge says though antics could have affected the jury's impartiality and accused matthew bartlett in contempt of court. he'll spend the next six days in jail. today the nfl is not only professional sports team that's embroiled in a lockout. at a minute after midnight, the nba locked out its player. they're proposing a salary cap, which players have said is a nonstarter. some owners say they've lost millions in the past few seasons because of the current agreement and that a new deal must be made to ensure teams can profit.

the last nba lockout in 1998 shortened the season to 50 games. 11:39 now, 82 degrees. coming up, we have your business report, plus, looking younger and ageless. many are turning to the off-label drugs instead of going under the knife.

having a barbecue this weekend to celebrate the fourth may take the place of gas as a

pain in your wallet. the cost of cooking out is up 12% from last year, and it's not just the food. charcoal, lighter fluid, and even beer prices are all higher. that's in part because of fuel prices and bad weather in germany that's causing a worldwide shortage of hops. as for fireworks, prices of the pyrotechnics have also gone up so much that dozens of cities have either cut back or canceled shows altogether. investors are hoping to begin a new quarter today with new gains. cnbc's julia boorstin joins us this morning with all your business news. good morning. >> stocks are trading higher and a report that manufacturing rebounded in june, putting the dow jones industrial average on track for its best week in a year. right now, the dow jones industrial average is trading up almost 120 points. the nasdaq is up nearly 30 and the s&p 500 is up about 11.25 points. the institute for supply and management's manufacturing index rose in may, rebounding from its

sharpest one-month drop since 1984. the shortage of auto parts from japan and high gas prices cut into spending last month. we are now seeing a rebound. and dominique strauss-kahn released on his own reconnaissance today. there were some new questions about the credibility of his accuser. investigators now believe that the hotel housekeeper lied about some of her activities in the hours around an alleged sex tack by the former imf leader. and if you're heading on the roads this holiday weekend, aaa says the national average for regular gas has increased to $3.55 a gallon. eun, back over to you. >> all right. julia boorstin, thanks so much. have a great weekend. well, many people want to look younger without going under the knife, and some of those are turning to doctors who recommend injections for off-label procedures, meaning they are using the drugs for reasons other than what the fda approved them for, but is that practice safe?

plastic surgery dr. hopping joins us this morning. first of all, is off-label use legal in the u.s.? >> absolutely. off-label use is very legal in the united states. in fact, some studies have shown that 60% of drug use is off-label. >> give us an example of what sorts of off-label drugs are used to enhance different features? >> well, in our last session, we talked about drugs like latisse, which are fda approved to grow eyelashes. men have been putting it in their hair. that's an off-label use. but with off-label, there has never been a study that actually shows that it works. so that's the tricky part of off-label. so it is legal, but it sometimes can be undocumented. >> right. so it is safe, though, if you're using a product that was not meant for a different part of your body, like you said, is it safe for your head? and maybe your head is not a bigger issue, but if you're injecting something into your face, your lips, for example. >> right, injections. the only thing that it's really legal -- or fda approved for lip

injection is fat or now restalin has been approved. but a lot of people, silicon, something we use to inject into eye sockets for people who have lost their eyes, it can be used off-label to inject into lips, into breasts, into the buttocks, and yes, that can be dangerous. people have died from unauthorized or improper injections of large volumes of this material into their breasts. >> and so there have been deaths reported with the use of silicon. >> with silicone. i don't know about the silicon product, but that's an example of an off-label use of a product designed for one way, but doctors can use it for other ways. that's why you have to put yourself into the hands of people who are unscrupulous and know what they're doing. >> that's the key. go to see your doctor first. >> exactly. >> what about liquid liposuction? how does that work and is that safe?

>> well, liquid liposuction is when lipodissolve, products within lipodissolve are fda approved. there are products that can melt fat, but it has been used in an off-label way. it can cause permanent scarring. it can cause different type of results. many times, doctors' malpractice companies are not even covering them. >> it's something you inject to dissolve fat? >> it's an injection of a soy extract mixed with other things that can shrink fat, yes. >> into the body, in different places. >> right. >> and you're saying, though, is that safe? >> again, it's -- there are no studies that have demonstrated that this is a safe product. and it is not fda approved for this use. and manufacturers cannot advertise that doctors can use it for this. but doctors can use to use things off-label any way they

want. so the doctor is the key. we are the -- it's your surgeon, your physician, who is the key to making sure that this off-label use is safe and appropriate. >> and having said that, what should patients ask their doctors when they're going in to have a consultation about any of these off-label products? >> first of all, ask the doctor, is this fda approved? if it's, no, it's not really fda approved for this use, then, what are the other alternatives? is there something that is approved that is just as useful? if it's -- a lot of chemotherapeutic agents are not fda approved for certain uses. find out if your medical insurance will even cover it. that may be a problem in those kind of cases. but by and large, most things we're using are safe. but the buyer and consumer has to be aware that this is a very gray area, this off-label thing. so don't go to internet people advertising, you know,

nonsurgical brazilian butt lifts or nonsurgical breast lifts or nonsurgical lip enhancements. that can be very dangerous. >> go to a reputable doctor, ask the right questions, and be sure you know what you're getting yourself into? >> right. >> all right, dr. stephen hopping, thanks so much for joining us today. still ahead, keeping up with the salahis, they respond to lindsay lohan's father after he accuses them of not paying to use his apartment. plus, meteorologist tom kierein is back wit

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welcome back. well, the salahis respond after michael lohan says they ripped him off. it all happened right here in washington. tommy la fly from 94.7 fresh f.m. is here with that and more entertainment news. tommy, nice to see you. >> good to see you too. we had michael lohan on talking about "celebrity rehab: season 5," and i just said, hey, you and i both have run into the salahis -- >> did he clear things off? >> he just went off about how the salahis apparently rented, according to him, had rented his condo when they were in l.a. and never paid him. so the male salahi allegedly talked him down on the rent, like $1,000 cheaper, they never paid, and michael was nervous that the salahis would actually steal some of lindsay's things and his jewelry that were in the

apartment. >> but the salahis are saying they have a note to prove that this is all rubbish. >> well, exactly. so in the "washington examiner," they sent nicki and katie the letter that would fix it all up, kind of the letter that said they were actually invited to the white house, and all the letter said was, here's where the keys are, here's how much the rent is. which didn't really say you get to go through for free. >> exactly, at this point, michael lohan sticks by his claim that the salahis stiffed him on the rent. >> i side with michael lohan. >> okay, count luan from "real housewives" has a music video. let's listen. ♪ gems, jets, silhouettes, champagne in the sky ♪ all right, you're popping your head? you like it? >> no. it's kind of like a bad ann lenx impersonator.

>> that's a good way to put it. i guess when you're a d.c. housewife, you get to do all things you wouldn't normally get to do. >> i've heard that the other housewife of d.c., paul wharton, has a -- >> i love it. >> he's been called that. i didn't say that. that's not my title, but apparently he's got a song in the works as well. >> so every person who's on the "housewives" show can come up with their own version of pa music video? >> yeah. i think what it is, people, not in the cities where the shows are, but michaele salahi has gone to tampa, and they paid her to come and gyrate to her song in a club. >> we'll start calling our producer countess luan. all right, prince of monaco is set to get married. this is not just any old wedding. >> no, the dress and the suits are going to be so heavy. you can't really run in them. i can't imagine her getting away. >> they got married, but we heard that she got cold feet and

they had to talk her into sticking around this week. what would happen? what would you tell your guests? >> at that point, especially. i can't imagine someone would not want to be in the royal family? >> although, you know, well, it's a lot of pressure. >> that's true. >> so you had a very popular star on your show, matthew morrison from "glee." i'm a self-described gleek. >> everyone was freaking out about it. >> yeah, he can sing, he can dance, he's a triple threat. he first talked about what he normally does for the 4th. he's going to be in washington for the concert. let's listen in first. >> gosh, i usually just get a bunch of friends, you know, i grew up in california, so we would always go to mexico and get illegal fireworks and just light them up and stuff. i hope i don't go to jail for saying that. but kind of like a house party, pool party, and fireworks. >> just like that. >> he was the coolest guy,

talked about "glee," talked about the capitol 4th, which is going to be broadcast live on the fourth of july. and the same production company that has put on the capitol 4th for the last 30 years. it's capitol concert's 31st year doing this show. >> is he excited to be in d.c.? >> so excited. and he told us he performed at the capitol like eight times and played for the president six times. he even said a lot of what hollywood's always said, hollywood's fascinated by d.c. and think of politicians as their celebrities. >> tommy mcfly, great to see you. let's take a look at some of the stories we're following this afternoon. coming up at 5:00, the july 4th holiday weekend marks a sad anniversary for one d.c. community. last year the so-called mayor of the neighborhood was gunned down at a community barbecue. and traffic has started to build on the roads as the holiday weekend gets into full swing. we'll have what you need to know to navigate the roads and fun ideas if you're staying inside this weekend. that's coming up on news 4 at 5:00.

all right. final check of the forecast now with tom. >> another spectacular summer day underway. good morning. as we approach the noon hour, the temperatures are approaching mid-80s throughout much of the region. there's a gorgeous blue sky off in the distance, as fairfax county and temperatures all around the region, low to mid-80s now. and we will peak near 90 by midafternoon today, with low humidity. a gorgeous blue sky. great travel weather, or stay at home weather. and overnight tonight, should be clear, a mild evening, and then a cool start to saturday morning, down into the low 60s tomorrow morning. and on saturday, still not very humid. afternoon highs reaching low 90s. a few high clouds coming in late in the day. and by then, we'll begin to see some humidity moving in. and in the mountains on saturday night, might have a passing thundershower. otherwise, the region should stay dry all the way into sunday afternoon. that's when we could have some storms popping up as a weak front moves in from the north and northwest. and maybe some passing thundershowers into sunday night too. highs before then, though, on sunday with high heat and humidity into the mid-90s.

then on the fourth of july, a little more humid, less cooler. there may be a thundershower at the beaches. then tuesday, wednesday, thursday, looking typical for early july. highs around 90 and it's just a small chance of an afternoon storm. have a great weekend. we'll see you monday. >> thanks so much, tom. see you then. thanks so much for joining us "news 4 midday." be sure to tune in later today for all the day's news and hope you'll join us monday morning bright and early, start at 4:30. until then, have a great day and a fantastic weekend.