good morning and welcome to news 4 midday. i'm jim handly. we begin with breaking news. overnight police are investigating the shoots at montgomery county in the 8500 block of victory lane. news 4's megan mcgrath is live on the scene. megan? >> police are still trying to piece together exactly what happened here. they are not releasing a lot of information at this point. late last night a little before

midnight, that's when police say somebody rang the doorbell at this home on victory lane. one of the residents, a 21-year-old answered the door, and there was some kind of exchange and the resident was shot. police are trying to figure out what the intent of the suspect was. if the residents knew the man and were targeted or if was some sort of random robbery attempt. families who live here say this is all very surprising for this quiet neighborhood. >> the police were very cautious and very quiet. and they seemed very concerned. they were gathered around the front of of the house. there was no noise. there was quite as by of plit cars, fire trucks, two ambulances. >> just make sure we keep our house locked at night. and hope for the best. >> now the man who was shot is

still in the hospital but his wounds are not considered like threatening. >> a developing story out of philadelphia today where a five alarm warehouse fire has left at least two firefighters dead. this was the scene around 4:00 as flames tore through the warehouse. two firefighters were killed. two others were seriously injured when a wall came crashing down. strong winds also blew embers onto the surrounding neighborhood, forcing at least 300 homes to be evacuated while firefighters doused them with water. at this time it's unclear what started the fire. a red flag warning remains in effect for all of maryland and virginia. firefighters say strong winds and dry conditions kept them busier than normal this holiday weekend. however, there were no massive fires. up to 100 firefighters battled a

five alarm five north of baltimore. 60 homes had to be evacuated. and a grill ignited a tree near a family's home. taking a look outside right now. still no rain. lots of blue skies. tom kierein joins us now with your first forecast. any change for that, tom? >> well, we still have the high fair danger, jim. and we have winds that are gusting around 30 miles an hour. it's very dry. humidity is very low. we have a small chance of summer maybe in the form of a passing shower. that will be arriving maybe this evening. we are just now beginning to see clouds move towards the metro area. coming in from the west, the sky watch camera bouncing around a bit and the blustery wind is looking to the west/northwest. that's the wind direction bringing clouds in from a disturbance that's out in ohio now. a little bit of light rain there. columbus is now 49 and raining while washington is at 63. richmond up to 66.

in the nearby suburbs, we are up around 60 in arlington, fairfax and montgomery. there's the area of space. that is a little bit of light rain. that's later this afternoon should give us increasing clouds and we'll have those winds gusting to around 35 miles an ho hour. temperatures climb maybe to around 07. >> let's check on midday traffic now. >> hi, jim. right now i'm watching i-66. if you're traveling eastbound anow seeing delays closer to the beltway. travel speed 37 miles per hour. 17 minutes to get from fairfax parkway to the beltway. here's a nice story to tell. northbound and southbound as

well, you're in the clear. only 11 minutes to get to the beltway. if you're traveling along i-270 in maryland, no issues to report. you're clear traveling north and zsh. jim, back over to you. >> a pro poes rate hike may not be as steep as first thought for metro riders next year. metro says they're lowering the 2013 operating budget by $16 million. the ceo says cutting costs helped trim the budget. he also expects higher revenue due to the improving economy. the full board takes it up on april 26th. today is the final day of maryland general assembly's annual session. lawmakers still have to agree on a state budget and a handful of other issues.

that includes the future of gambling. they will vote on a bill that calls for a sixth ka see though. it also allows table games. they will look at doubling the flush tax, helps to fine out ssewer treatment. they will develop offshore wind power plants near ocean city. right now thousands of children are at the white house for the 130th annual easter egg roll. the first family is all decked out in bright colors. the president is there. a lot of fun activities drawing thousands of families from here and across the country. i heard the first lady a bit earlier. she says it's all about moving today. and being fit. >> it is all about moving. they had hula hoops.

they had soccer balls, obstacle courses. kids are having a blast. the president finished his easter egg roll. he didn't look too bad doing that. let me tell you, this is going to be going on for much of the day. the 134th annual easter egg roll on the south lawn on the white house. >> i just kept hitting the egg with the spoon. >> there were many bunny ears, squeaks and screams. this year's theme is let's go, let's play. let's move and focuses on health and wellness, with hula hoop dance party on the south lawn. >> there's not much like hula hooping in front of the white house. >> there's an obstacle course. live musical performances on the rock in egg roll stage. storytime with celebrity readers and very serious easter egg

hunters. this is the family's first time at the roll. >> there's so many people. they all fit in one lawn. >> but that's not for lack of trying. >> i've tried for seven years to get the lottery tickets. this is our first time getting them. we were excited. >> this is also a celebration. it's her ninth birthday. they came all the way from atlanta to roll eggs in front of the white house. >> have you seen the white house before? >> no. >> what do you think about it? >> incredible. she and her brothers a part of history between giggles and photos, children big and small using these woodens to guide eggs across the perfectly manicured grass. >> loving it. it's very fun to be here. >> also on hand, a huge cast of characters from mr. potato head. how you doing? you want to say anything?

>> to peter rabbit and what would an event be like without this big white furry guy? the easter bunny and his bunny wife. it started back in 1878. before that it was first done on the lawn of the u.s. capitol. >> it's just so wonderful the white house is so accessible so everybody can enjoy it. >> i would like to do this again. actually t there are a lot of areas like that. the obstacle course. the stage. there's a food tasting area. a face painting area. if you can look right here, here's the much loved wooden egg. they're going to hand 13,000 of these out by the end of the day. there are five or six different

styles. on the back the paw print, bo has signed this egg for us here at channel 4. jim, i have to ask, have you ever been? >> i have. i did not take away one of those. those were at a premium. you hold onto that egg. >> this was good. i didn't have to ask. they were very nice to give it to us to show everybody. >> we were admiring your hula hoop form. how long did you keep it going? >> probably about 40 seconds or so. we had it going for a while. i was impressed. i haven't done it since about second grade. >> we're impressed. melissa, thanks so much. have fun out there. >> okay. >> the time is 11:10. still to come on news 4 midday. a long time neighbor is now a lifesaver. he doesn't want to be called a hero. hear how his quick actions saved a man's life. republican presidential

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during our white sale, receive $400 in free bedding. only at the sleep number store, where queen mattresses start at just $699. you're looking at video of a building fire in northeast washington. crews quickly put out the blaze in the 600 block. a brush fire nearby spread and

caught commercial buildings on fire. this happened right now to greater mount calvary holy church. no word on what caused the brush fire. a prince william county man is being called a hero for his quick thinking alaska. he ran into the house and found two women and a child and a dog inside. they got out just in time as the roof caved in minutes after they left. homeowner says he's eternally grateful while kim says he was simply doing the right thing. >> he's our hero. he's my neighbor for ten years. i see him every day. i didn't realize one day he's going to save my family. >> i don't feel that i'm a hero. it's something that you do and you don't think about. and i would want the same thing from somebody if that was happening to me. >> it took more than 60

firefighters to eventually contain the blaze. a candle on the front porch is to blame for the fire. the navy says it will begin providing compensation today for those affected by friday's horrible jet crash in virginia beach. they slammed into this apartment complex just minutes after takeoff. five buildings were destroyed. fortunately no one was seriously injured. the navy is still cleaning up the wreckage looking for the flight recorder. they're hoping it will give them clues into why the plane crash. ed. in decision 2012 he's not ready to drop out yet. he's now admitting the race for the republican nomination will end with mitt romney out front. during an appearance on fox news sunday yesterday gingrich said romney is far and away the most likely republican nominee. romney has twice as many delegates as rick santorum and five times as many as gingrich. gingrich says he's not giving up

and hopes to influence them this election. family matters will keep santorum after the campaign trail today. the republican presidential hopeful canceled all planned events to focus on his young daughter's health. 3-year-old bella was hospitalized for the second time this year. she suffers for a rare genetic condition, which typically proves to be fatal. for his part ron paul is focusing on his home state of texas as he tries to shore up support and funding for his campaign. the republican will hold three town hall style meetings along with several fund raising events. paul's town hall meetings will take place in college station, ft. worth and san antonio. so far paul has picked up 71 delegates in the race for the nomination but has yet to win any state primary or caucus. new information today about record breaking temperatures. march scorched national records. temperatures were about 9 degrees above normal for the

month, at 51 degrees. that's closer to the national average for april. tom kierein joins us once again. april has proven to be cooler, huh? >> you know what, it may be cooler than march, if we continue on this trend. that's only happened one time before in our washington weather history, going way back to 1907. >> whoa. >> we have an april that was colder than a march. 105 years ago. so, it's really highly unusual. and we have a possibility that will happen this year. it all depends on what happens the last half of april, but the rest of this week, it looks like it's going to be cooler than average. right now around the region we have wind to deal with, and as we've heard in is a fire danger. we've had brush fire popping up. we have winds that are rather blustery right now. that's a live view from the city camera showing how green everything has gotten over the last few weeks.

right now reagan international is at a mild 63. they've set a wind gust there to 33 miles an hour. now as we look at temperatures around the region, it's into the low 60s to mid-60s across most of virginia, and in maryland, upper 50s to near 60 degrees. further west and north, only in the mid 50s. but closer to washington in arlington and fairfax, it's right around 60 degrees. these are the latest wind gusts. the gusts have been around 30 to 35 miles per hour around washington. quite a chop on the potomac river as well as the bay. wind gusts to 40 miles an hour. so the blustery winds are beginning to pick up in strength. and over the last 12 hours we've had a few clouds coming in from the west. they're coming in ahead of a disturbance that's produce hag little bit of rain out here in west virginia and in western maryland. that's going be drifting our way here, but it's tending to dry as it moves in. as we see the area in green, a

potential sour hower activity cg through. by tuesday midday we'll have plenty of sunshine. as we get into tuesday night some chillier air moves in. maybe a few sprinkles on wednesday and otherwise the week is looking dry for the rest of the afternoon. we'll have temperatures near 70 degrees with the winds gusting to around 30 to 35 miles an hour. we'll fall to the 50s by midnight. sunset is at 7:40. by tomorrow morning, a chilly start. afternoon highs on tuesday in the mid to upper 50s. that's more than the average. usually mid 60s. we'll have a gusty wind tomorrow, too. but lighter winds moving in on wednesday. we'll have temperatures chilly again. wednesday, highs only in the mid-50s. morning lows in the mid 30s. and then we'll have a

possibility of a passing shower wednesday afternoon and evening. and after that, another chilly morning on wednesday. sunny friday into the mid 60s. but just in time for the weekend. i'm to be congratlated on my sense of timing. >> you are. in the 70s. >> it looks like we're taking two steps back. >> let's get the word on traffic now. >> thanks, jim. well crossing over the wilson bridge heading to virginia. no problems at all. you make your way to doren. only 7 minutes for that trip. once you get up there, you are pretty slow. here's a live look at 50. you can see the cars are jammed past arlington boulevard. your under speed at 29 miles per hour from the interchange to the toll road. taking the beltway, smooth sailing on the outer loop and

inner loop. nice and clear. 10 minutes to get from i-95 to i-70. over to you. >> the journalism world today is remembering the life of a man known for his no-holds bar interview style that often left politicians, suspected criminals and celebrities in a cold sweat. >> why would brian want to betray you? >> mike wallace died saturday night in connecticut at the age of 93. for 38 seasons wallace faced down a who's who of news makers as he corresponded on cbs' "60 minutes." he wanted to be tough be fair. the time now is 11:21. coming up after the short break, procrastinators have two extra days to file taxes. we have last-minute tips for you. plus where you can go for help. [ female announcer ] with xfinity,

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well, it is that time of year to start crunching the numbers. if you haven't filed your taxes yet, time is running out.

this year taxpayers have two extra days to file. a lot of you may need every hour of that. joining us now is spokesman for the irs with some last minute filing tips for us. thanks for coming in. >> good morning. >> you've come armed with your weapons. why is this year's filing april 17th and not the 15th here? >> well, there's always an exception in terms of the deadline. if the deadline falls on a saturday, a sunday, a federal holiday, or a holiday in the district of columbia, it moves to the next business day. so this year april 15th was on a sunday. normally move to the 16th, but the 16th is emancipation day in the district of columbia, so the filie ining deadline is april 1 this year. >> if people need more of an extension of that, how can they go about filing an extension? >> if you can't get all your paperwork together, you file an extension by filing form 4868. you can get that on the irs

website at www.irs.gov. you can do it electronically, too. if you go onto our website, you can find electronic filing on there. irs e-file and free file. you can file an extension for free through irs free file. >> what does that give you in terms of putting off payment, or does it? >> very good point, jim. an extension of time is an extension of time to file. it's an extension of time to get your paperwork in. it's not an extension of time to pay. the payment is due by april 17th. but the important thing is the penalty for filing late is actually greater than the penalty for paying late. so it's important to file. if you can't file the return, file the extension. if you get the extension, you've got until october 15th to file the tax return. >> what if people can't pay the taxes they owe at the same time. what do they do? >> if you go to our website, we have a lot of options for people who are making payments. you can pay with a credit card. if you don't have the money to

pay and you don't want to do that or you're unable to do that, you can file for an installment agreement. now this is a payment plan through the irs, and you can actually qualify for it online at the irs website. as long as the debt is less than $50,000. >> options, that's good to hear. we understand there are a number of assistance centers out in. we'll put some on the screen now. what services can taxpayers expect? >> if you go to the irs website, there are a bunch of tabs across the top and get the drop down menu. you can choose contact my local office. that will show the offices that you're showing on the screen. and they will actually list what services they provide. generally they provide taxpayers to come in with questions, they'll show you how to fill out the form. >> great to hear. lots of great information. we appreciate you coming in. >> thank you. >> busy season it is for a lot of people. thanks so much. time now is 11:27. coming up next in the next half

hour of news 4 midday, the presidential candidates are watching how the stock market is reacting today to the lower than expected jobs report from friday. how the candidates are spinning the numbers to their advantage. and then thieves are targeting unsuspecting victims. while they are away from home, how you can protect yourself from would-be burglars. plus, cooler weather is in the forecast for the week.

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want whole grain oats that can help lower cholesterol? honey nut cheerios. it's a win win. good? [ crunching, sipping ] be happy. be healthy. can i try yours? 6r789s right now month gom right now montgomery county police are investigating a shooting. around midnight the suspect rang the doorbell and then shot one of the people living for the house. the victim is expected to be oik. they're still looking for the suspect. today is the last day of the

session. they still have to agree on the budget, doubling the flush tax and developing a wind power plant in ocean city. they join thousands of kids and their own families for the 134th easter egg roll. this year's theme encourages physical activity, a big part of michelle obama's initiative against childhood obesity. the president is holding a meeting in the l oval office. the two will discuss energy issues that are affecting both countries. as well as education and innovation. president obama will talk about trade between the two countries which totalled $74 billion last year. we're getting the first reaction today from wall street on that

disappointing jobs report from last week. stocks opened lower. the markets were closed when the labor department reported a slowdown in job growth last month. nbc's tracie potts has more now from capitol hill. >> friday's unemployment report, half as many jobs created in march as tennessee month before drove asian markets down this morning. the nikkea lost 1%. will wall street follow suit today? republicans blame president obama. >> he's ruter less on the economy. he doesn't know what to do. it's a wake up on monday and try to figure it out. >> democrats came to his defense sunday, claiming this one report must be put in perspective. >> we've had 26 months of economic growth. we're on the right track. the do we really want to go back to the economy shrinking at a rate of 9%? losing 800,000 private sector jobs? >> there are other signs that the economy is still on the mends. pay is up, so are housing prices in some cities.

inflation is creeping up, too. which signals a healthier economy. and the once ailing auto industry is experiencing a comeback. >> we're seeing more people that are comfortable on their jobs, not as worried about losing their jobs. so they're more likely to spend. >> and later this week we get more indications of where the economy may be headed. the labor department is putting out the producer an consumer price indexes. tracie potts, nbc news, washington. >> let's get the latest on the weather. tom kierein is in your storm center. >> beautiful day. great weather for the big easter egg roll going on at the white house right now. we have a blue sky. just a few clouds are drifting over the region. now looking off to the west. we have lots of sunshine and the temperatures are now climbing into the 60s throughout much of the metro area. it's in the 50s further north and west of washington. further south and east, we're in the mid 60s through central virginia to parts of lower maryland, easter shore. there's the wide view shows

clouds closing in on the mountains and speckles of green are areas of rain getting a few light rain showers in northern, northwest virginia. that disturbance is coming our way later today may give us a passing shower. e then cooler weather moves in tomorrow with a blustery wind, too. maybe a shower, then. highs only in the 50s tomorrow. near 60 on thursday with sunshine. sunny on friday into the mid 60s and warmer weather just in time for the weekend. ought to be climbing into the 70s during the afternoon saturday and sunday. that's the way it looks right now, jim. >> thank you, tom. >> we've had problems on 60. >> thanks, jim. well, there's two situations. the first one is we had an accident. and this is 66 eastbound at the beltway. luckily that accident is moved to the left shoulder lane. you notice as you get closer to cedar you see the right lane

taking back on the roadwork. we are seeing a bit of a delay. look at this on the beltway. very, very slow. your travel speed is about 34 miles per hour as you make your way from fairfax county to the beltway. you're looking at an 18-minute trip so far. crossing over the the bridge, nice and clear trip to the city if this is your commute. you're looking really good on 395. your travel speed is 65 miles an hour. that trip is taking 12 minutes. jim, over to you. >> a developing story out of north korea. military officials invited jurnlists to tour the area where they're expected to launch a rocket in the next few days. the country says it's an o observation satellite to gather environmental information. u.s. military officials believe it's a ballistics missile that had the ability to reach the united states. north korea plans to launch within the next week. the u.s. is sending a team today of experts to pakistan to help search for 139 soldiers buried

by a massive avalanche. the snow cascaded down near the indian border early saturday morning. the troops from both countries have fought in the region for decades. pac stan knee soldiers have been digging through 80 feet of snow and boulders. so far no victims have been found. charges could come as early as this morning for two men accused of gunning down five people over the easter weekend. 32-year-old alvin watts and 19-year-old jake england will make their first court appearances today. they were arrested early sunday, accused of shooting five black people on good friday, killing three of them. police say messages on his facebook page hinted he wanted to avenge the shooting death of his father two years earlier. they stopped short of calling the attacks racially motivated.

it's very premature to talk about hate crimes. we have yet to analyze all the information. >> police say the shootings happened around the same time within a three-mile radius. the five victims did not know each other or the men accused of shooting them. right now students are holding a town hall to discuss the trayvon martin case. george zimmerman maintains he shot the 17-year-old in self defense this past february in sanford. martin was an you remembered. critics believe his decision to shoot martin was racially motivated. the murder trial begins for the man accused of killing three of jennifer hudson's family members. he is accused of shooting the brother, mother and nephew. the deaths happened back in 2008

in her hometown of chicago. balfour was married to hudson's sister but separated. hudson is one of 300 people on a witness list who could be called to testify. you may be turning yourself into a sitting duck without even realizing it. there's a warning out about how crooks are picking out potential targets. they look for cars parked at movie theaters. they know where you live and you won't be home for a while. it happened to one couple in washington sthat and they say the intruders ransacked their house. they took mostly jewelry. the police knew right away. as soon as they asked us for our registration and as soon as they said it was gone. they said we're sending people to your house.

>> police say you can help protect yourself by locking the glove box. right now the howard theater are reopening its doors. the legendary theater has been closed for more than 30 years. the ribbon cutting begins at noon today. it's undergone a $29 million ren nation. the mayor and d.c. con vegsal represe representative and others who helped restore the theater will be on hand today for that ribbon cutting. it's part of a week long celebration ending with the grand opening gala and benefit concert that happens on thursday. right now you can get a look at designs that could be in store for the national mall. the nonprofit trust for the national mall is holding a design competition. and unveiling finalists designs this week. their plans include adding lakeside gardens, underground

pavilions and grassy amphitheaters to the mall. you can see models now through sunday at the smithsonian castle and national museum of american history. a panel of design experts will select the winner and announce their selection next month. time is 11:41. coming up on news 4 midday. have high gas prices taken a chunk out of your pocketbook? drivers may soon see relief. you may want to take extra you may want to take extra prec

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breaking news at reagan national airport. flight 1075 from houston to d.c. blew tires while managing right now the airplane is taxing to the gate. the runway has just been

reopened. so far no injuries have been reported. gas prices may have levelled off. that's the smallest increase for a two-week period since january. researchers say even though we're heading into a season of higher command, unused supplies should help keep gas prices lower. steady crude oil prices are also keeping gas prices from rising. new numbers for aaa show the average dropped a penny in d.c. to 4:17 for a gallon of regular. pay about $3.99 in maryland, which hasn't changed all weekend. virginia drivers pay about 392. down jux a fraction of a scent. and same story in west virginia. higher gas prices are playing a role in driving up in new car sales. dealerships saw a 13% jump in march compared to this time last year. many customers put off buying a new car in the past because of the recession. now many are looking for a new

car with good gas mileage. and that's likely what they'll get. 22 different models are on the market right now. and they get at least the stock market is open for the first time since the labor department released the monthly jobs report on friday. job creation was lower than expected. and now it's affecting the blue chips. cnbc's bertha coombs joins us live with all on that and the latest business news. >> as predicted the market is lower. it's the first time investors are getting a chance to react to the disappointing jobs report from friday. we were closed on friday. the economy creating only 120,000 jobs in march. well below the expectations. one silver lining that you were talking about, crude oil prices are 2% lower on that news as well. and as a result prices at the

pump are flat with last week according to, aaa. union workers continue after a strike deadline passed over the weekend. communication workers of america represents 40,000 at&t employees. the phone giant trying to see if they can get cuts when it comes to health care and pension plans. and sony is cutting 10,000 jobs, about 6% of the global workforce. several top executives being asked to return bonuses. the new ceo is under pressure to get back to profitability after four years of being in the red. but those of us who eat out are helping feed the job market. the national restaurant association says restauranteurs saw record hiring in the last six months hiring 100,000 workers in each of the last quarters. industry staffing is higher than it was prior to the recession. so tip well and keep eating out. certainly helping the job market. back to you. >> i'm doing my part on the eating anyway.

thanks so much. good to see you. marriot is celebrating a huge milestone for one of their own. bill turned 80 on march 25th. this afternoon will there be a big birthday bash at the headquarters in bethesda. arne sorensen is the first nonfamily member in the role since the founding of the company. still to come on news 4 midday. we have a health alert for pregnant women. the new reason why mothers to be may want to keep a handle on their weight during pregnancy. plus, it's been a century since the titanic sank. now how some people are honoring the tragic voyage. plus meteorologist tom kierein

[ male announcer ] are you paying more and more for cable and enjoying it less and less? stop paying for second best. upgrade to verizon fios and get tv, internet and phone for just $89.99 a month guaranteed for two years with a two-year agreement. act now and we'll add a special bonus: $250 back. but hurry, this offer ends april 21st. unlike cable, fios is a 100% fiber-optic network that delivers america's fastest, most consistent, most reliable internet plus the best tv picture quality. why keep paying so much for cable? switch to fios for just $89.99 a month guaranteed for two years with a two-year agreement -- plus your special bonus: $250 back. save $600 in your first two years. hurry. this incredible offer ends april 21st. call 1.877.827.fios. call the verizon center for customers with disabilities that's 1.877.827.3467. at 800-974-6006 tty/v. or visit us online to save even more. fios. a network ahead.

have you ever had a dream and the moment you wake up you just can't remember it. a new study says taking vitamin b-6.

most people have four to six dreams a night. they will not only help you remember your dreams but also enhance them. the vitamin is found in beans, vegetables and bananas. don't overdo it on the bananas. the fruit can cause insomnia. good news for your health. recent stats revealed more children are living we autism in the u.s. than researchers originally thought. experts say there could be environmental factors at play. now a new study suggests a factor could be a mother's weight during pregnancy. michelle fran zzen explains. >> the risk for autism can be elevated before a child is born. not because of genetics but the birth mother's weight. >> her biochemistry has a profound impact on development, including brain development. >> a new study of 1,000 mothers and their children finds obese

women during pregnancy are 60% more likely to have a child with autism and two times more likely to have a child with a developmental delay. having type ii diabetes, a condition often links to obese fi increases the risk. >> diabetes in particular was associated with poorer scores in terms of language. >> the researchers say conditions that cause a spike in insulin can starve a mother's tissues of oxygen, lowering the oxygen supply to the unborn child and potentially affecting the brain development. right now more than 60% of childbearing aged women are overweight. >> if you're planning a pregnancy. you may want to lose weight and get your exercise routine in order and making sure you're controlling your blood sugar. >> factors that could help the next generation's physical and mental health. michelle franzen, nbc news. >> the study found children

without autism whose mother were obese or diabetic during pregnancy also add deficits in problem solving and language skills. vet narns say the mild winter we have will prevent serious problems for dogs and cats. warmer temps trigger certain parasites like fleas and ticks to die off. since this winter was mild, vets worried ha the early arrival of ticks and mosquitos will cause outbreaks of heart work and pet disease. >> we anticipate more mosquitos. since heartworm moved from an infected dog to noninfected by i the mosquito, the mosquito plays a pivotal role. most veterinarians recommend year round flick tick and flea prooesks. savannah gaut rehad breakfast with theduggars on the

"today show." his old job helped him design a layout for the family's big kitchen. >> i see labels on the shelves. it's impressive. were you organized like this always? >> i used to work at a grocery store. so when we built the house, i wanted like a pantry that we could load stuff in house directly from the vehicles. so it worked out great. >> a lot of people imagine that you're in the process of doing laundry at all times. >> usually it is, yes. that and dishes. between laundry and dishes it's nonstop. i think everybody can identify with that. >> that's a restaurant there. the duggars go through five dozen eggs a month and 4 boxes of cereal. mom michelle says she spends $3,000 on groceries every month. wow. let's take a look at stories on news 4 this afternoon at 4:00 and 5:00. the naacp is holding a town hall right now in the district for

the trayvon martin case. we'll have the latest at 4:00. then tonight at 5:00, stepping on the scale can be daunting, we all know. what if the numbers you see could turn into cold hard cash? details behind the new weight loss trend. time now for another check on our forecast. tom joins us once again. you know what. you have people telling me you need rain now. you have dogs and cats on your case. huh? >> well, we're running about four inches below average for the year so far for 2010. and as we get into mid-april, not much rain in the foreseeable future. there's another dry sky over washington. live view from our sky camera. we have a few clouds just now drifting over the potomac. temperatures approaching the noon hour are beginning to hit the mid-60s in washington. now 65 at reagan international. and mid-60s to the south and further north it's near 60 degrees. and the winds are also rather blustery.

reagan national had a wind gust to 40 miles an hour. and we have winds that are going to be this strong for the afternoon. that's going to be increasing our also fire danger, unfortunately. we do have a disturbance, though, with a few clouds and some rain now beginning to move to west virginia. they may come through this evening. perhaps a passing shower. but overall a dry pattern. the winds will diminish near 70 this afternoon. the cooler weather moves in with blustery winds tomorrow. and remain cool for the balance of the end of the week. warmer weather moves in for the weekend. we'll see you tomorrow morning. >> you too. thank you, tom. a cruise ship has set sail honoring the 100th anniversary of the titanic by recreating the voyage. they left south hampton, england, yesterday. the cruise will include lectures. similar food to the cruise swell a shop where the titanic sank. many of the passengers are descendents of survivors.

one man's grandfather helped row people to safety. >> i'm looking forward to seeing the statue of liberty. i would imagine something when he was on titanic he probably thought he would never see again. >> recreating the voyage didn't come cheap. tickets cost up to $9500. and that does it for news 4 m midday. be sure to tune in at 4:00, 5:00, and 6:00 for all the day's news. i'll see you then. have a great one. [ male announcer ] are you paying more and more for cable and enjoying it less and less? stop paying for second best. upgrade to verizon fios and get tv, internet and phone for just $89.99 a month guaranteed for two years with a two-year agreement. act now and we'll add a special bonus: $250 back. but hurry, this offer ends april 21st.

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