you're watching nbc4, washington's news leader. now live in hd, this is news4 at 5:00. >> tonight on news4 at 5:00, a 4-year-old still recovering in a hospital after being shot on a playground. so how did the gun get into the hands of that 5-year-old? and a major twist in the sexual assault case against former imf chief dominique strauss-kahn. the prosecutor's case appears to be unraveling. and tens of thousands have already hit the road this holiday weekend, whether you're staying or going. we'll have all you need to know for independence day. >> good evening. i'm aaron gilchrist in for jim

handly. >> we have breaking news at 5:00. it's in northwest washington. two row houses on fire. in the 900 block of decatur street off georgia avenue, d.c. firefighters were just called in a few minutes ago. and just seconds ago, this fire went to two alarms. these pictures are from our tower camera. you can see some smoke there in the distance. this is the best shot we have for you for now. but we do have a news crew that just arrived on the scene. we'll get those pictures in as soon as we can and update this for you shortly. and breaking news in annandale. firefighters just put out a fire in the 6300 block of hum erode. chopper 4 was over the scene just a while ago. firefighters say they had to stop one woman from running back into the house to try to save her belongings. so far there are no reports of any injuries. the cause of that fire still under investigation. now to the latest on a disturbing act of violence in a prince georges county playground.

a 4-year-old still in the hospital tonight. another child shot him at close range. a community still trying to figure out how that handgun got into the hands of a child. pat collins is in prince georges county tonight at the police headquarters with the latest. pat? >> reporter: aaron, it's a shooting case that has people here shaking their heads. >> i mean, i don't know what else to say. the only thing is it's hideous. >> reporter: the scene a playground. >> i'm wondering where were the parents. >> reporter: the victim a 4-year-old boy. >> i was just flabbergasted. it was terrible. >> reporter: the gunman, he is a boy too. five years old. >> a 5-year-old looks and he sees what he sees. and he works with that. and what he sees doesn't always make it right. >> reporter: no kids on that playground today. after what happened, that's not too surprising. it's called the parkway

apartments. it's in temple hills. the 5-year-old lives in this building. across if way in this apartment, the home of the 4-year-old boy. in the middle this playground, a playground familiar to both of these young children. yesterday the 4-year-old was on the slide. as he came down, the 5-year-old discharged a gun and struck and wounded that 4-year-old boy. >> reporter: prince georges police now focusing on the gun, who owns it, where the 5-year-old found it, and the history of the weapon. >> as of now, the important thing is the gun, the gunowner, and where this little boy obtained the gun. >> reporter: are you going to check the ballistics to see if it's linked to any other incidents? >> absolutely. that's normal procedure every time we recover a weapon. we do ballistic tests on the weapon, and hopefully we can find out if this gun has been involved in any other crimes in the area. >> you got to find out where you

got that gun from, and hold those people accountable, for sure. >> reporter: a 5-year-old boy. >> i know. a baby shot another baby, yeah. that's why i don't agree with guns in the home, period. >> reporter: the 5-year-old faces no charges. the 4-year-old victim is in the hospital. they say he'll be okay. aaron, back to you. >> just a sad story. pat collins live for us in prince georges county. thank you, pat. well, the holiday getaway is well underway for drivers getting the head start on the long holiday weekend. chopper 4 is over the bay bridge. it's not pretty, as you can imagine. it is just bumper-to-bumper trying to get over to the eastern shore and out to our maryland and delaware beaches. hundreds of thousands of travelers expected to eventually end up there. a live look at the beltway at tysons where traffic appears to be moving along quite nicely. here is a look at traffic south near woodbridge. extra troopers will be patrolling to try to cut down on your speeding and accidents. so don't get a ticket this

weekend. hug that old double nickel, as we used to say. turn to the weather now. we've had a really nice start to the holiday weekend. but i don't want to ruin it. >> well, it's not going to be ruined. doug is out in potomac where he is having a good time barbecuing. all kinds of stuff. >> not ruined at all. a little bit of heat, yes. but i think the humidity is actually going to stay down during the day. >> we're going to go out the live truck. >> that always happens to him. and he always wants to know how goofy he looked when his picture froze on tv. we'll have to show him. yes. >> we'll get back to him. the fourth of july weekend, as we've been saying, is here. hundreds of thousands of people expected to converge here in the nation's capital over the next few days. and big crowds, well, that also means big security concerns. tom sherwood is live for us along the national mall with the latest on all that. hey, tom.

>> reporter: hey, aaron. the first thing, somebody just walked by and said why don't you take off that tie? so don't expect to see this tie in the 6:00 show. as usual, these days people coming down this weekend monday night for the fireworks will have some light security to go through to get on to the mall. but the big no-no of course is no alcohol. lots of people already here, and this holiday weekend has begun. ♪ >> reporter: the rhythm and blues tent was a featured attraction at the folk life festival which opened on the mall today. ♪ the beginning of the july 4th weekend which will climax with monday night's fireworks spectacular. >> we came to town with about 14,000 pounds of explosives packaged into more than 2500 deluxe aerial bombs with some of those containing as many as 30 individual munitions. >> reporter: and the good thing about this year's folk life

festival, it's in the shade under the trees. all this shade around. you're sitting in the sun. >> well, i rotate around the table. and then when there is no place left to rotate, i put my visor on. >> reporter: it's hard to final anything cold to drink. it's free. >> oh, yes, this is free. how much did it cost the government to give us this water today. >> reporter: what are you drinking? you look so cool and that white dress and the nice drink. what is that? >> this is juice from west africa. it's hibiscus juice, slightly sweet, but not too sweet. >> reporter: despite the heat, public health officials say the mall will be ready. >> keep in mind that heat stress can kill. we've been fortunate on the mall to keep everybody safe. we have had incidents of heat stress, and we've got them taken care of. and we want to keep it that way. >> reporter: again, the folk life festival is this holiday weekend, and then next weekend the big fireworks a about 9:20

monday night. and as usual, people are saying don't drive. all the streets there won't be any parking here. they're asking you to take metro or bike or walk for the fourth of july. tom sherwood on the national mall. back to you. >> can't wait to see you without that tie. our website has a complete list of independence day events, including parades and where you can see fireworks. and you can check out which personal fireworks are legal where you live. it's all on our home page. that's nbc washington.com. we have the latest now on that stunning twist to the sexual assault case of dominique strauss-kahn. today a judge in new york did free him from house arrest, releasing him on his own recognizance. at this point it is possible that the charges against him could be dropped. this all came about after prosecutors admitted they have uncovered some troubling questions about the credibility of his accuser. the hotel maid who insisted he raped her in his luxury suite.

michelle franzen joins us from new york with the latest. the first question, what happened to this case? how could something that seemed to big and sensational become apparently falling apart? >> yeah, wendy, it unravelled in the last 24 hours, and prosecutors say over time and during their investigation with the accuser, the hotel maid who accuses dominique strauss-kahn of attacking her in that hotel back in may, that they said her story just wasn't adding up in certain parts, that accounts of the attack had some holes in it. and they also said that they found out and that she admitted, prosecutors say that the accuser admitted to lying on an application for asylum here in the u.s. going so far as to make claims that she was raped in her native guinea. prosecutors say she admitted that that did not happen, that she falsified that. her attorney today says he stands by his client, saying that she certainly was attacked,

and he said that there is additional evidence there is dna evidence. and there is also independent evidence taken from the scene that would support an attack. however, strauss-kahn's attorney say they are confident, especially at this point that this case, he will be exonerated. in the meantime, prosecutors certainly have a lot to work out in the next few weeks. july 18th is the next court appearance. they have to decide whether or not they're going to withdraw any of the charges, change them, or drop this case all together. as of now, strauss-kahn is facing attempted rape charges as well as other sexual assault charges in this case. and certainly he is a free man now. you might remember, wendy, he was under strict house arrest here in new york city. he had to post $1 million bail. he is free to move about not only here in new york city, but all across the united states. however, his passport still

remains in the custody of the court. and he cannot return to his home in france at this time. but this former chief of the imf of course had to give up his position. now it looks like he is in a very good position to battle this case. >> and another thing, michelle, about the accuser. i read today that she -- after this alleged assault, that she went and cleaned another room and came back and even cleaned his room before she went and reported it. so what could ultimately happen to her if it turns out this case is truly built on lies? >> reporter: well, of course we have to find out, you know, if she in fact perjured herself in the grand jury testimony, she could face additional charges or at the very least, their whole case could fall apart. of course, it hinges on her credibility. she is the witness. she would be their star witness in this case. and if her testimony and if her account of this attack is not

credible, this many legal analysts say that the prosecution will have a tough time fighting this case in court. >> meanwhile, strauss-kahn was essentially sort of ruined by all of this. and i know the french were critical that america rushed to judgment. anything coming out of the french press today in light of the new developments? >> reporter: yeah, certainly france was stunned by the turn of events here in america. of course there was always criticism that there was a rush to judgment, even in the public realm here in the united states, that strauss-kahn was guilty. and it looks like certainly they are also taking a good look at this case. and as you mentioned, strauss-kahn was a front-runner, considering a run for presidency in france. we don't know exactly if he has missed the deadlines for that, or if he even has an interest and a possibility that he could even run for office now. but certainly a lot has turned on a dime for one of the most

powerful men and bankers in the world. >> all right, michelle franzen, thank you so much. well, we will keep watching this one to see what happens next. thank you so much. the nation has a new secretary of defense. former cia director leon panetta was sworn in today in his new office at the pentagon. his first order of business was to send a message to all troops and pentagon civilian workers. he promised his devotion to the members of the armed forces and their families. this morning's swearing in ceremony took platuous the media present, but the defense department did release this still photo. army general david petraeus will take panetta's place at the cia. petraeus was confirmed by the senate yesterday. and one year after the -- and we're going back to our breaking news, that fire in northwest. darcy spencer there with the latest. what is the situation there now, darcy? >> reporter: wendy, we were able to see black smoke billowing into the sky several blocks from the scene as we were on our way

here. we basically followed the smoke to the 900 block of decatur street here in northwest washington. this is a block of row houses. the main fire is happening in the middle of this block. and from what i can tell from my personal view here on the scene is that it is involving at least three units. and there is a lot of heavy smoke in this area. once in a while it comes back and blows towards us. very difficult to breathe. earlier the smoke was black. now it's more of a gray smoke. but it's blowing throughout the block here there is a lot of people gathered around to see what happened. again, at least three houses from what i could tell were involved with a lot of heavy smoke. and you can see the firefighters going up on ladders, breaking windows in several units, making sure that the smoke and fire is able to get out of the building, they're able to put it out, and make sure that no one is trapped inside these buildings, making sure no one is hurt. we've not received any reports of anyone being trapped or injured at this point. but firefighters obviously still here on the scene. it's an extremely active

investigation. it looks to me that the fire is out, or at least the bulk of it is out at this point. certainly there can be hot spots inside these row houses. i still see a lot of smoke here in the area. they've been battling this for several minutes now. i was able to speak to a firefighter -- excuse me, a police officer, who said he was on his way back to his district station and happened to see the fire and the thick smoke, and he was able to call that in. he says there was a man in this area who rescued a child out of a building. but again, no reports of any injuries. firefighters are here still battling the blaze with heavy smoke. reporting live from northwest, darcy spencer, news4. wendy, back to you. >> that smoke is heavy out there. thank you, darcy. well, one year after the death of their father, two sisters are begging for answers. >> he deserved to diane old age surrounded by his family and friends, not to be shot and killed on the street for less than $100. >> still ahead, an update on the july 4th killing that has

investigators stumped.

so we tried to get a look at

the weather a little while ago. >> but he was frozen in a satellite mess. so let's see how he looks now. >> shake it off, doug. >> he is moving. how is it out in potomac? better now? you look a lot better. it was a bad one, honey. you don't want to look at the tape. >> oh, okay. i hate those bad freezes. hey, guys. we are in potomac, maryland. a beautiful afternoon. we've got a great backyard as well. what a great day it is to be outside. plenty of blue skies, temperatures around 90 degrees. but it's not bad at all out here. take a look. this is the family and the friends. say hello, everybody. we're going to come over to the flow family. this is their house. they've live heard for six years. peg, you're the one that has been designated as the talker. first off, introduce everybody in your family. >> this is my husband ben, ben flow. >> hi, ben. >> and sammy, daniel, james, andy, ashley. >> and we're going to get to everybody else too. let's start a line. i want to show you the backyard. guys, take a look at this house.

an amazing house, a beautiful backyard in potomac, maryland, and could not be better. you have the potomac river down the way a bit. they say you can see it during the winter. but right now all the leaves on the trees, can't see anything at all. as far as the weather is concerned, a pretty good day for a backyard barbecue. let's take a look outside and show you how things are sitting throughout. temperatures around the 90-degree mark. dew point at 40 degrees. that humidity only 17% right now. it is spectacular across the area. as far as temperatures go around the rest of the region, we are currently sitting in the upper 80s in most locations to around that 90-degree mark. and we're going to continue to see those temperatures on the warm side, right on through the night tonight. and then as we move into the day tomorrow, i think that's when we'll start to see the humidity begin to creep up across the area. watch out for that. as far as the satellite and radar goes, we're not seeing too much out there at all. and we're going to continue to see clear skies across the area tonight. and once again, during the day tomorrow, before we start to see things change a little bit during the day on sunday.

let's take you through the next couple of days on the future weather. you can see a frontal boundary well up toward the north. nice weather tomorrow. a little more humid tomorrow, and a little warmer. but then on sunday, we see that frontal boundary move close enough to the area that i think it's going to do a couple of things. it's really going to increase the humidity. it's going to be on the hot side tomorrow. and again, or on sunday we are talking about a chance for some thunderstorm activity. although i think most of those will be late in the afternoon or into the evening hours. so i'm calling for a dry sunday for the most part. so if you've got some activities outside this weekend, i think you're looking okay. overnight tonight or through this evening, you're looking at clear skies. temperatures are going to be on the warm side. temperatures between 80 and 86 degrees. tomorrow morning clear skies. another great start, 56 in some of the cooler suburbs to about 67 degrees inside the beltway. and as we move on through the day tomorrow, sunny and hot. a little bit more humid. 87 to 91 degrees. the heat index could get up there around 95. but i don't think heat index is going to be too big of a problem tomorrow. as we look toward the next

couple of days, sunday is the hot day with about a 30% chance of storms late in the day. temperatures around 94. 92 degrees on the fourth of july. right now we're continuing to keep it on the dry side. however, the farther south you are, the better chance you have for some storms. and then 90 degrees as we move to the day on tuesday. so coming up a little bit later on, guys, we're going to meet the family. again, we're going to talk a little bit more about them. we're going to have some fun out there too, right, guys? [ cheering ] >> and the toad. i didn't step on it. we were hoping i wouldn't step on this toad right here. we're going to send it back in to you guys in a second. you got it. nice job, gabby. >> you're surrounded by nature out there. that's great. >> surrounded by nature. >> thank you, doug. still ahead on news4 at 5:00 -- >> a woman drowns in a public pool and no one notices for two days. still to come, what the investigation is revealing about how this could have happened. and how investigators say a thief has managed to steal wallets from employees at several businesses in northern virginia. plus will and kate's north

american holiday continues with a special treat for canada's newest citizens.

it is time for parades, cookouts and celebrations. but what are the rules when it comes to fireworks? we're kick off this fourth of july holiday weekend with liz

crenshaw, and this week's "ask liz." >> hey there, aaron. nice to see you. >> nice to see you too. our first question comes from several viewers, actually. they want to know are any fireworks legal for consumers to right in the metro area? >> we did check on the state laws. d.c., maryland, and virginia, all three jurisdictions allow what is called consumer fireworks, which actually don't blow up or leave the ground. however, there are serious stipulations in some places. for example, prince georges county, montgomery county, and the city of falls church and the city of alexandria ban all consumer fireworks, even sparklers. so forget it there. howard and frederick counties ban most or all ground-based fireworks but allow for sparklers. and penalties for possession or use of illegal fireworks can range from $250 fine to up to a year in jail depending on your location. so the jurisdictions are serious about this, folks. >> so along the same lines, how do you know what fireworks are approved where you are? >> well, you have to check with your local jurisdictions for this answer.

but basically, say when you're looking to see if a firework is legal, that it shouldn't explode or it shouldn't move from its position. it shouldn't emit a spark or a flame higher than 12 feet. so that's a good example. you should also only buy your fireworks at approved fireworks stands. and stands are approved by the fire marshall's office. they'll have an operational permit displayed inside the stand. so again, some counties and cities don't allow them at all. and some that do say just these very specific ones that don't make too much noise or go too high. be careful out there. >> back to you. still to come on news4 at 5:00, first on 4, the daughters of a community leader killed last fourth of july are pleading for help. they still have not found their father's killer. i'm julia carey in mclean where the july 4th getaway is underway. gas prices won't slow them down, the traffic might. the story coming up. and another comeback for

michael vi

fast 4 to the headlines. a 4-year-old child recovering in the hospital after a 5-year-old shot him with a handgun on a playground yesterday. now police are trying to figure out where that handgun came from and tracing it to possibly other crimes. this happened in temple hills. a swift and sudden reversal of fortune for the former imf leader accused of sexual assault

in new york city. dominique strauss-kahn was freed from house arrest today and released on his own recognizance. now there are questions about whether he will face any criminal charges. prosecutors say they now have major questions about the credibility of the hotel maid who accused him. security preps underway on the national mall for the upcoming fourth weekend. hundreds of thousands of people expected to converge over the next couple days. health officials are also warning locals and tourists to be prepared for this potentially dangerous heat. now let's head out to the potomac and doug. >> oh, and what a beautiful day it is out here. i'm really not too concerned about that heat tomorrow. but i do think on sunday and monday, we are going to be talking about the little bit more in the way of humid conditions with the heat index above 95 degrees. out there right now, we are seeing a temperature of 90. but with 17% humidity, it's really not that bad at all outside. i do expect to see a beautiful evening tonight. pretty good to get out there on the roadways. maybe a little early with the top down. whatever you want to do this evening, it's looking spectacular. i'll be back to tell you what

it's going to be like at the bay and at the beach this weekend. it's a forecast you don't want to miss. >> all right. thanks, doug. one year ago, the residents of nelson place in southeast d.c., they were waiting their annual july 4th barbecue. but the celebration never happened. a community leader was gunned down for less than 10 bucks. and now his daughters are pressing for answers one year later. john schriffen talked to the sisters about the case that now has no suspects. john? >> reporter: one of the victim's daughters are furious tonight. but the anger is not directed towards police, instead at the gunman who they say senselessly killed their father, a man many called the mayor because he was always there to help a neighbor in need. >> every day, you know, you hear something on tv, and it's wow, i wonder if those were the guys. >> reporter: for the past year, twins ayana and yolanda vogel son have been desperately searching for closure after their father was gunned down

preparing for july 4th barbecue. d.c. police say 6-year-old john pernell was killed during a robbery gone wrong. >> just to know my michigan dad's life was worth less than $100 is extremely frustrating. it really makes me angry. >> reporter: last july 3rd around four income the afternoon, neighbors were preparing for the annual community cookout. suddenly police say five men with guns ambushed the barbecue area, demanding money. pernell, who spent much of his life as a protective services officer at the wilson building, stepped in trying to defend his neighbors. that's when witnesses say he was shot in the neck and stomach and died on the scene. >> yes, i appreciate that, you know, my dad was being heroic and, you know, trying to save his other neighbors who were outside. but it just didn't have to happen. his heroic efforts shouldn't have been necessary at all. >> reporter: the gunmen weren't wearing masks, and several people are believed to have seen

their faces. now with one-year anniversary approaching on seasoned, pernell's daughters are hoping anyone who knows something will come forward, even if they're scared of retaliation. >> the scariest thing here is an innocent man lost his life. and a murderer and a thief are able to walk free. that's what people should be afraid of. >> reporter: now d.c. police say this is still a very active investigation. they were able to track down the getaway car that was set on fire not long after the shooting. police believe that some of the gunmen live in the bet heights area of d.c. which is not far from the murder scene. if you have information you are urged to call the police anonymous tip line, 1-888-919-2746. now stay with us. coming up at 6:00, we'll have more on what that southeast neighborhood is doing this weekend to remember their fallen hero. aaron, wendy, back to you. >> john, thanks. we have more breaking news

we're following right now. chopper 4 over the scene of yet another house fire, this time in silver spring, maryland. this is the third big fire that has broken out in our area this afternoon. all of them unrelated at this point. we do want to stay on top of these for you. fire crews converging on the scene. this is off of new hampshire avenue in silver spring. no injuries reported when fire crews were dispatched just a few minutes ago. it looks like the fire at this point has been knocked down. we're going to continue to gather information for you and bring it to you as soon as we're able to. police in alexandria are looking for a suspect in a series of wallet thefts at businesses along king street. authorities say the man stops and shops in old town, politely asks employees to retrieve an item and steals wallets or money from the become room or the front counter. the suspect has used stolen credit cards at various gas stations in alexandria. in massachusetts, official there's say the public pool where a woman's body went unnoticed for two days was

operating on an expired permit. inspectors and lifeguards failed to notice the body of 36-year-old marie joseph as it was resting at the bottom of the pool. sunday was the last time anyone saw her alive as she went into the pool on a slide. people were swimming in the water until tuesday when her remains were discovered. investigators still pouring over the surveillance tapes, trying to figure out exactly how that happened. nike is taking back its decision to cut michael vick from its roster. cnbc has learned that nike has resigned an endorsement deal with the nfl quarterback nearly four years after the company terminated the contract over vick's involvement in a virginia dogfighting ring. he served 21 months in jail for that. nike says it still does not condone those actions, but the company supports, quote, the positive changes vick has made since then. no word on the financial terms of that new deal. as of today, the nfl is not the only professional sports league that is embroiled in a lockout.

a minute after midnight, the nba lockout its players. league commissioner david stern and league owners are proposing a salary cap. some owners say they have lost millions in the past few seasons because of the current agreement, and that a new deal must be made to assure that teams can profit. the last lockout in 1998 shortened the season by 50 games. getting a driver's license in d.c. got a little more expensive today. the new dmv fees are going to take effect. so tests are no longer free. all the tests are going to cost $10. the fee for a duplicate id card has gone from $7 to 20. and the price of a duplicate commercial drivers license, it's going from 13 to $20. another rebuttal witness takes the stand in the casey anthony trial. after the break, what cindy anthony's boss had to say that could strike down one of the

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you're watching news4 at 5:00. >> look at all that. >> is that a winner? >> sore loser. sore loser. >> that's what you did! you don't do that. that's cheating, man. >> oh my god, drama at the eating contest at zburger in tinley town.

oh, my gosh. pete accused dale boone, the one in the overalls of leaving uneaten food in the cup. he was declared the winner eating 17 burgers in ten minutes. and that means he wins nearly $3,000 in cash and food vouchers. because gosh knows after you have eaten 17 burgers you want to go eat more. this was the tinleytown location's third year for this event. >> talented bunch. >> yikes. >> it's a hamburger, though. calm down. all right. on to something a little more classy. the duke and duchess of cambridge are in the second day of their visit to north america. today they helped celebrate canada day. this morning, they took part in a citizenship ceremony in quebec. 25 new canadian citizens were sworn in. prince william and his wife handed out flags to each of them. later the couple went to ottawa for a canada day celebration. the duchess wearing canada's colors, a red fascinator and the

same dress she wore for her official engagement photos. the only trip in the united states will be los angeles where they'll be arriving july 8th. prince albert ii of monaco got married today. the long-time bachelor exchanged vows with charlene whittstock. they met 11 years ago. celebrations of the royal couple are underway right now in monaco. its first wedding of a ruling prince there since albert's father married grace kelly back in 1956. >> she looks a little like his mom. she is very pretty. >> she is. still to come, the holiday weekend is in full swing. after the break, a live report on what you can expect on the roads, including the stretch of road you should avoid. and coming up in sports,

well, the holiday weekend is finally here, and thousands have already hit the road to get out of town. >> there is some good news for this fourth of july. gas prices are at some of the lowest levels in months. julie carey is live with a look at how the roads are handling the weekend traffic. >> finally breathing room out on the beltway that is the best it's looked all day. i-95 southbound slow going all afternoon, and remains so this evening. as you said, gas prices have dipped, and that brings some relief to some travelers. others say they're entirely too high, so they'll be sticking

close to home this independence day. it wasn't a quick fourth of july getaway for anyone headed out i-95 south in northern virginia. by noon, several accidents in prince william county started the backup, and it stayed jammed all afternoon. this d.c. mom headed to virginia beach for an annual july 4th trip, only made to it dale city before her first pit stop. michelle stover says higher gas prices didn't concern her because she downsized this year. >> i had a truck at first. i traded it in and got something with a little better gas mileage that helps. >> reporter: so your trip will be a little cheaper this year. >> a little cheaper than usually. >> reporter: this family is actually wrapping up a preholiday trip from myrtle beach to long island and back. they watched gas prices change as they drove. >> they go up. you go up, they go up. $3.25 in myrtle beach. and as you go up, it goes constantly up, until you net new

york where it was 3.85. >> reporter: with gas prices almost $1 a gallon higher than july 4th 2010, aaa predicts a 2 1/2% decline in july 4th travel. this prince william county man says it takes 105 bucks to fill his suv. so he is staying home this fourth. >> hey, things too expensive, gas too expensive. two something, yeah. at four, no. and this vehicle is just a gas eater. >> reporter: and still others in our area who were out shopping for their backyard barbecue say they have no desire to travel over the fourth. this family says that's because the fireworks come right to them. >> we live on port bellvore. so we're going to stay home and watch the fireworks there. >> reporter: coming up at news at 6:00, i'll take you to a spot in fairfax county where a little extra pavement could make a bit of the drive easier.

reporting live from mclean, virginia, i'm julie carey. >> a good spot up there. at least she is above it all. that's always nice. let's head back to potomac where doug is in a gorgeous backyard out there, hanging out -- oh! okay, here we go. >> are we sleeping on the job now, doug? >> literally hanging out, guys. i tell you, a hammock is never a bad place to be on a friday night, especially when you have good friends like my man cameron here. how you doing, buddy? >> good. >> are you enjoying the hammock? >> yes, he is. and he is enjoying the weather too. let's take a look just how nice it is outside. you lure know. bright sunshine, blue skies, 90 degrees currently. the winds fairly calm. variable right now at three miles per hour. if you're thinking about heading out of town, maybe ocean city or louis, delaware, water temperature right now 75 degrees. so it's nice and warm. temperatures on saturday and sunday around 80 to 82 degrees both day. right now i think the beach is probably the best chance to see some shower activity during our fourth of july holiday.

temperatures around 84 degrees. it is going to get on the hot side. if you're thinking about staying closer to home, over closer to the bay, your chesapeake bay forecast, no traffic on the bridge right there, thank goodness. 85 degrees right now or for the day tomorrow. sunday temperature around 87 degrees. we'll see a chance of showers late in the day. but i do think it will be late. so i think your bodying activities will be okay. on the fourth, warm once again. a high temperature around 87 degrees. but it does look like we're going to be on the dry side on the fourth, even in the bay. the lower section of the bay may be a little on the warmer side. but we're looking okay. as far as temperatures go right now, 91 degrees on our savt. starting to heat up little bit. 94, a little more humid on sunday. this is for the d.c. area. late showers, maybe some thunderstorms. but i think we'll be okay. monday a high of 92. 90 degrees as we move into the day on tuesday. now one more time. take a look at this beautiful house right here. this is really just a great place here on potomac, maryland. plenty of sunshine out here today. and really a fantastic afternoon. and cameron, we got apparently, we're causing some trouble over here, my friend.

take a look, guys. we got a long line here waiting to get on the hammock. what can i tell you, guys. this is the most comfortable thing in the entire world. we'll be back a little bit later at 6:00. >> that's great. all right. having fun. well, mid season changes for the nationals. the new manager davy johnson started this week, and he is gearing up for his first home game tonight. >> hakeem dermish live tonight. you're talking to the man himself. >> yes, sir. good to see you, aaron and wendy. this is my favorite place to be, at a ballpark there is a buzz around the ballpark. the nats starting an 11-game home stand taking on the pirates. davy johnson trying to get his first win in a nationals uniform. i sat down with davy johnson to talk about his return to the big leagues. >> it's been kind of hectic, you know. there has ban lot of things that i have to do for the public relations department. but players have been great. you know, unfortunately, we

didn't win any games out in california. we played pretty good a couple of the games. and then i had the red-eye back here. and so i didn't get much sleep. but last night i got about ten hours sleep. so i'm more than ready to go. >> i want to ask you about jim riggleman and how he left. do you think that jim will ever manage the big leagues again? >> i think he will. i mean, he is a good baseball man. i've known him for a listening time. i was managing aa way back in, i don't know, ' 70 o80. he was in arkansas, little rock. i've known him forever. i like him a lot. he was doing a great job here. i hope i continue what he had going. but i think he'll manage again. >> what is your relationship been like with the players since you took over as manager. >> well, you know, you have to ask them. i have a lot of confidence in them. i know them pretty good.

the last two springs i've been in the dugout with them. you know, i don't necessarily consider myself a player's manager. but if i can make them feel good and feel good about themselves, they usually play good. and anything i can do, rest them or pat them oon the back or whatever, or kick them, they're used to me doing it. >> reporter: you've won three world series titles two, as player, one as a manager. what do you think the nats need as far as position players, pitching, bull pen help in terms of becoming a contender in the future? >> well, i think it's just establishing some guys. there is no question this spring. i think the last half of this year, englishing some everyday players there are two or three guys i would like to see stand up and do what they're capable of. ramos, he can play better. he and desmond, i'm counting on him. sv has come a long way. he has been outstanding. basically already the first year

playing the position. he is playing like an all star. morris is coming along really good. and actually another little wily veteran is nicks. i'd like to see them established. >> davy, what has been the most fun thing for you returning to the big leagues after 11 seasons? >> it's going on the field after the game and shaking everybody's hands after winning the ball game. that's the most fun. i love being in the dugout. i love being around the players. and i don't even mind talking to you or the press. that doesn't bother me either there are red eyes sometimes that aren't that fun, because i don't really sleep on planes. i'm always moving around and talking to people. but i want to shake hands at the end of the game out on the field. >> davy johnson. he doesn't like red-eye flights. can't blame him. but he got ten hours of sleep last night. so he is rearing and ready to

go. i know when i get ten hours of sleep, i'm ready to go. it's like red bull and excitement and all that adrenaline rush. a pretty cool nugget for davy johnson. as a player, he was the last guy to get a base hit off of hall of fame pitcher sandy koufax. pretty cool for davy johnson. a nice nugget for davy johnson. maybe tonight he'll get his first win as nats skipper. >> what time is the game, and is the stadium filling up? >> the stadium is filling up. just after 7:00 is the first pitch. the nats lost three out on the road in anaheim. so they want to get davy johnson a win. and also want to turn things around and get the bats going again. >> well, they got a good night for it. nice out there. >> see you back here at 6:00. >> a good baseball night. after the break, another abrupt interruption in the casey anthony case. we are heading back down to orlando. and for all your news, you can foul news4 online.

prosecutors getting their last turn with the jury in the casey anthony trial in florida. the final counter argument was delayed today because of more legal battles with the defense team. jay gray has the story from orlando. >> no, i am not. >> reporter: more legal bickering began friday's proceedings and clearly tested the patience of just perry.

>> i hope this is a real problem and not an imaginary problem. >> reporter: the debate centers on elements the prosecution plans to use during rebuttal to counter two key issues from the defense. elements the defense says should not be allowed in court. >> they can't decide to ambush the defense of the defense has rested their case with new opinions. >> reporter: the state wants to provide a scientist to challenge defense expert dr. warner spits, who questioned the autopsy on caylee anthony's remains. >> that tells me about a shoddy autopsy. excuse me the expression, but you provoked it. >> reporter: the second issue surrounds testimony from casey's mom, cindy anthony. >> i started looking up chloroform -- i mean chlorofill. and that prompted me to look up chloroform. >> reporter: the arguments and subsequent deposition of witnesses postponed the state's rebuttal until after lunch. the testimony began with the chief compliance officer from

the hospital where cindy anthony worked. >> there is activity throughout the account, or throughout this user idea, through the afternoon. >> reporter: prosecutors trying to show cindy was at work as her time sheets indicate instead of searching on a home computer as she testified. jay gray, nbc news, orlando. >> and that is news4 at 5:00. news4 at 6:00 starts right now. >> you're watching nbc4, washington's news leader. now live in hd, this is "news4 at 6":00. >> a house fire in the district quickly spreads to other homes this afternoon. shock and outrage tonight after a 4-year-old boy was shot by another young child. thousands hitting the roads for the weekend at the national mall. however, preps are underway for the fourth. we begin, though, with the fact that international monetary fund chief dominique strauss-kahn no longer is under house arrest. good evening. i'm jim bets.