good morning. welcome to news 4 today. i'm richard jordan. >> i'm erika gonzalez. we begin with breaking weather news from the midwest. severe weather killed five people in oklahoma overnight. authorities say a tornado hit the town of woodward in northwest oklahoma around midnight after a string of reported twisters in that region this weekend. check out these images out of kansas. a woman in a car caught one likely tornado and what appears to be a funnel cloud forming right next to it.

news photographers captured others wooping up debris as they moved through towns. we're also getting a look at storm damage left behind. emergency officials believe a tornado hit this small town in iowa, damaging about 75% of it. some of the 250 people who live there spent the night at city hall, which was the only building that had power. storms also damaged part of a hospital in iowa. no deaths or injuries were reported there. it wasn't just tornadoed causing panic. that's all hail. tore sidings off houses in parts of nebraska. some looked more like snow. accumulations measured up to about an inch high and fell the size of baseballs, as a matter of fact, in some places. >> meteorologists chuck bell is with us. you saw this coming, chuck. >> boy, not only did we see it coming yesterday morning. i started tweeting and facebooking about it on

thursday. when the setup classic for that severe and that threshold, you can see those coming a couple days away. unfortunately, our worst fears were realized when more than 100 reported tornadoes yesterday alone across the midwest. unfortunately, the fatalities in oklahoma and damage really extends from the western great lakes all the way down to the texas/mexico border. an unbelievable out break of is he veer weather yesterday. around here, all quiet for now. today, more severe weather threats, not quite as much of a punch as yesterday. today the greatest threat in northern iowa, minnesota and wisconsin. what's left of yesterday is in michigan, headed up into attorney ontario. look at that line of thunderstorms with the actual cold front that extends from omaha, nebraska, all the way to the big bend of texas. an unbelievable stretch. that's more than 1,000 mile of thunderstorms there in a row. again, for today, the moderate

risk, not a high risk like we had yesterday, those are fairly rare, but a moderate risk which is serious enough for much of southern minnesota, northern and northeastern iowa, and the northern half of the state of illinois for tough weather. for us, not much more than a few fading sprinkles. i'll be back to talk about our weather and the all-important seven-day forecast. the investigation now involves five u.s. service members. 11 secret service personnel are on administrative leave and the five service members had been isolated in their hotel room in colombia. several are accused of bringing prostitutes back to their hotel rooms where there was reported a dispute over payment. while none of the men were part of the president's personal protection unit, some were high-ranking officers.

>> all i know is 2 of the 11 were supervise. i did not ask if they were measured or not. >> what the agency needs is an outside director who can come in and clean house, change the standards. >> the misconduct is alleged to have happened before president obama arrived in colum bee kra for the summit of the americas. prostitution is legal in some parts of that country. thousands of people marched outside the summit of americas in anti-american protests. demonstrators criticized the u.s. and canada for excluding cuba from the summit. some burned and stomped on american flags while others dressed as prisoners from guantanamo bay. some others have criticized u.s. for excluding cuba. president obama is urging

americans to support the buffett rule ahead of a key vote this week. the buffett rule is named after warren buffett who says he pays a lower tax rate than his secretary. it would require those earning $1 million a yore pay 30% of their income in taxes. president obama says the country cannot afford to keep giving tax cuts to the wealthy. >> this is not just about fairness. this is also about growth. it's about being able to make the investments we need to strengthen our economy and create jobs. and it's about whether we as a country are willing to pay for those investments. >> the senate will take up a vote on the issue tomorrow. many republicans argue the buffett rule would not generate much to help the deficit, though. president obama is calling on republican mitt romney to release his past tax returns. he says it's important for candidates to be as transparent as possible. the president's 2011 tax returns

released friday show that he made almost $790,000 last year and paid more than $160,000 in federal taxes. romney's campaign projects he made $45 million in the last two years and will pay more than $6 million in taxes. former vice president dick cheney is back out in public for the first time since his heart transplant speaking at wyoming republican party campaign in cheyenne yesterday for over an hour. cheney had the transplant three weeks ago. today marks 100 years since the sinking of the titanic. the massive ship hit an iceberg overnight on april 15, 191. it sank less than three hours later. a cruise retracing titanic's doomed voyage reached pier last

night. those on board held a memorial for disaster victims. a group in d.c. also held a memorial. a crowd gathered along the southwest waterfront for a late night tribute. >> reporter: at titanic memorial, a brass ensemble plays that fateful song, the song last heard by many of those who perished as unsinkable ship did just that 100 years ago. >> this is a compilation of music actually played on the ship in 1912 when the ship went down. >> reporter: the event called "titanic 100" featured more than 100 luminaries, each with the name of a passenger or crew member who died in that historic tragedy. >> it's great. it's honoring all the people. i love all the candles and the bags with with the names on them to honor the people. i consistent know it was over

1,000 people that lost their lives. >> i knew about it but i didn't know about -- i didn't know most of the information that i just learned today, like how many people died and everything like that. >> reporter: hundreds of titanic images were projected 50 feet high on a waterfront condo building. >> it was such a a great disaster and had so much human interest, how cue not want to be here? >> reporter: the maiden voyage proved disaster yous when they struck an iceberg in the north atlantic ocean. within hours the ship broke apart and sunk. it remains on the ocean floor until this day. >> i can only imagine the pain, the suffering and knowing that they are going to drown, all those poor children and all the women and everyone on board. >> reporter: darcy spencer, news 4. a great opportunity for a lot of people to learn more. there's a lot of exhibits going on to commemorate the anniversary. >> i tweeted out from the wall

street journal on what was really the root disaster. 16 or -- 20 life boats on board. the british government when asked by the white star line are we required to put more life boats on the boat they said, no, you're not required to. so they didn't. back in the day, life boats were not meant to keep everybody on board, they were meant to ferry people. had titanic not gone down so fast, it would have worked but it went down faster than help could are been there. but i think it's a good idea to have a seat for everybody. >> chuck bell, ladies and yes. >> that's a good rule change. anyway, this is a big aside. you'll like your sunday forecast.

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let's talk about the weather around here today because a lot of people have been looking forward to this day. >> yes, they have. a lot of people have been waiting for a little more warm weather. we haven't been above 80 degrees since march. holy cow. we made it. almost a month since we've been 80 degree around here. average high temperature don't reach 80 until june. >> yesterday was absolutely gorgeous. lots of people out and about, running, walking, and today's going to be warmer? >> yes. >> yesterday afternoon, clouds were on the increase. we have seen a little light rain overnight and into the wee hours of this morning. still a few lonely raindrops left. i'll show you those on the radar here. take a look from our city camera view you can see skies are still illuminated. with the cloud out there, we're

off to a mild start. 61 degrees at national airport right now. we're probably going to drop down just below 60 for an official low temperature. we're off to a mild start today. once these clouds clear out mid to late morning into the early afternoon hours, we'll be left with plenty of sunshine. plenty of sun coming our way. looks like a toasty warm afternoon around here. expect generally low to mid-80s areawide. 55 right now in leesburg. 54 in frederick, maryland. null here's your sunday planner. temperature, mid to upper 60s this morning. low to mid-80s this afternoon with increasing amounts of sunshine. sun does not go down until 7:46 this evening. here's a look at live radar. just a few lonely sprinkles here. southern carroll, western howard counties in maryland, a few sprinkles over the inner harbor. that's about it. these are trending to move out to the eastern shore and they're drying up as they go eastbound. our rain chances are fading

away. if it's not raining where you are, you won't have to worry for another drop. big severe weather expected across parts of the upper midwest into the western great lakes. strong thunderstorms still in a line from kansas city, missouri, down to the dallas/ft. worth area. if you have flight plans, change plains in dallas/ft. worth, call ahead, there could be delays. for us, plenty of clouds around early this morning with the warm front up to our north as it lifts away we turn morning clouds into afternoon sun behind and a beautiful day coming up for today. a few fair weather clouds overnight tonight, no big deal at all. tomorrow, plenty of sunshine and a little taste of summer coming our way. somewhere in virginia tomorrow, i think is going to make it to 90 degrees. unbelievable for early april. morning clouds giving way to afternoon sun behind. a much warmer day than yesterday. yesterday we topped out at 75. today, probably about a 10-degree jump over that.

overnight, partly cloudy and mild, lows in the upper 50s and 60s. back to work and school tomorrow, a day more suited for summer vacation than spring break. temperatures climbing well into the 80s tomorrow. still flirting with 80 degrees on tuesday. with increasing clouds and a chance of a few showers very late in the day, probably not until after sun down tuesday and lingering off and on by wednesday, leaves us with more april-like weather by thursday, friday. >> sounds good. we'll look forward to a few more sprinkles because the flowers are looking -- they're still looking gorgeous. >> mine are okay because i'm watering them. >> i've never seen flowers the way i've seen them here in d.c. they're spectacular. >> we have good dirt. >> thanks, chuck. >> after an embarrassing mistrial, the justice department is bulking up on lawyers as they retry a baseball giant. the prosecution in perjury trial against former pitcher roger clemens has more than doubled from two lawyers to five. prosecutors slipped up last july

when they showed jurors evidence that wasn't allowed in court, forcing that mistrial. clemens is charged with perjury and objestruction of congress. he could face up to 30 years in jail if convicted. here's something you don't get to say too often. it was a good day for d.c. sports fans. >> i'm not saying it, you are. we have more on the capitals and nationals big wins in this morning's "sports minute." good morning, we begin with playoff hockey. capitals and bruins. came two, holtby makes a career high 43 saves and nick liklas backstrom comes through with the double overtime winner. the series even one game apiece. game three is in d.c. on monday night. nats and reds, game three of

four-game set. nine innings, two hits, one run, nine strikeouts for edwin jackson. 4-1. fifth career complete game for jackson. to the hardwood, wizards hosting cavaliers. john wall led with 19 points and 9 assists but cavaliers used a 13-5 run early in the fourth quarter to pull away. cleveland takes down washington 98-89. the wizards dropped to 14-46 this season. elsewhere, d.c. united beats new england 2-1. and in their 108th meeting, maryland lacrosse downs john hopkins 9-6. that's your morning sports. next up, "reporters notebook" a look at stories affecting our community. we'll be back in 15 minute with the morning top stories but for now, here's jim hanley. >> good morning and welcome to "reporters net book," i'm jim handly. we start off in maryland. general assembly frustrated, no

decision on casinos, no decision on taxes. they failed to come up up with revenue bill. this could lead to big cuts in services in counties. >> that's not the way you want to end your general assembly session. they'll have to have another one before june to settle things. they couldn't agree on gambling in prince georges county. they have to move on and find -- either find other ways, cut other programs, which going to be really tough or they have to find other revenue source. the gambling does run into opposition from certain amount of legislators in both parties. they don't like the kind of people it attracts. they think it's a tax on the poor. those are the usual arguments against gambling, but some people say it doesn't raise as much revenue as it should. gasoline prices are going up, so that took the -- that took the wind out of that one.

they've got tough problems. >> what does this mean for governor o'malley? he has to be extremely frustrated. >> yeah, because it's not only the cut in services but cuts in personnel. >> yeah. >> so, again, we're talking unions, that type of thing. you know, the cornerstone of the democratic party has always been money for higher education, money for education on the secondary and primary level. and also, and i'm certain they're going to play to this, is money for safety because you're going to be having to cut the police departments, the sheriff's departments. so, i can see the governor appealing to the constituents that, look, we talk about higher education, the need for more. we talk about education for our children and public schools. lord knows we want safe streets. that's going to be the kind of

pressure that will be put on the legislators to come up with some kind of revenue. >> well, i think the governor -- governor o'malley is a little upset. he said this is, quote/unquote, i can't use the word, a shame. because, you know -- you look at prince george's county. there was a lot of expectation, a lot of hope that the part about the casinos would go through because here rashaun baker is saying i'm looking at $69 million to come into my county. that's not going to come in right away right now. in covering stories like this, when you talk to the local legislators, they plan for budgets to pass almost because they need that money. this is going to put a hurting on counties, yes, in education. that's the one big area that's going to suffer. >> and people would feel it. let's move into virginia. governor bob mcdonald, on the

long list, perhaps a short list, to be vp on a republican ticket. is that looking less likely or more likely this week, would you say? >> i remember when we talked about that before on this program. there was soon after mcdonald had gone overseas, he went to japan and many countries in asia, bringing back economic development or trying to make some deal with economic development, but this had been talked about before. at that time, it was a good likelihood. my conversation with dave changes my mind a little bit. >> well, that's because for all of the good things, as supporters would say, he hasn't proved everything legislature has sent him, vetoed a lot of bills. he's very good about getting more money from foreign ports as well as places at home. the fact is, he was saddled with a bill passed by the general assembly that insist the women have sonograms before abortions. it was more invasive in the beginning and he got them to

back down on that but he still signed the bill on sonograms in the, quote, war on women atmosphere democrats are using against republicans, that's been taken as an anti-women and anti-feminist kind of thing so he has to answer for that. the question is, does romney want to get into that program, does he want that to overshadow him or one that's a good vice president to fulfill the office? >> i think mcdonald is too moderate. let's be honest. romney is not the darling of the republican party. part of the problem that republicans are having nationally is that the tea party element, the folks to the extreme right, are holding the republicans hostage. so i suspect that mcdonald, for all the reasons you just said, dave, it's funny hearing us say

it -- or hearing me say it, he can't speak for you two guys, but he's just too moderate. so, you're going to see him look for probably someone far to the right of romney. >> you took the words out of my mouth. the fact is that he is known as a moderate governor on the republican side in virginia. and we know from the past, with, primaries and everything else we've heard about the gop, romney can't afford another moderate on his ticket. he's got to do something about pulling in that extreme right. >> critics will say he's not moderate enough. the swing voters and independents, many republicans based on today's number will say he's not -- he's too moderate, that you need to go some other direction. some people think -- as. as they trashed each other in the campaign, some people think santorum with a strong support among evangelical and conservative base would be the person to counterbalance romney's alleged moderation.

>> or representative ryan. >> or paul ryan. >> let's move into fairfax county specifically and an encouraging vote on metro and this silver line, phase two, endorsing with more money. to the tune of about $489 million. that's good news. >> remember, i think we discussed this, at the time the debate started. we said it was too far down the track. forgive the pun, but it was too far down the track. and that this -- it was going to happen. i mean, what are you going to do, dig up -- you know, they have been constantly working on this silver line. and it was just a matter of time before they let the pressure go by. and it had to be done. it had to be completed. >> they're putting up the money. people who are always worried about money and funding for these projects probably are breathing a lot easier now. the hope is between federal and

funning mechanisms that are already in law, that that will go through, too, and this will finally get done. >> all right. we're going to take a break right there and we're going to move into the district and talk d.c. politics after the break. stay with us on "reporters notebo notebook."

welcome back to "reporters notebook." we want to move into the district now in a premarry race, some think a polarizing vote that divided the te. we have a race that was for a long time too close to call between two people. your thoughts on that. well, the vote count seemed to go the upper northwest, very heavy for bittle, largely white,

upper class. the african-american districts in the city went more for vincent orange. a variety of reason. it could be somewhat professional upper class -- not upper class but more higher earners in one part of the city go for a mayor candidate and more working class, midlevel professional or government worker or so-called blue collar workers go for another one. people vote who they feel comfortable with, who they're like, they're used to. that's a reflection not only on the district of columbia. >> it was a low turnout election. so, that to me, in my coverage, really hurt orange more than anybody. but when it comes to bittle, you have to look at why, what voters went for bittle, a teacher out of teach america program, the

program that michelle reed was closely associated with. i think the word change plays an important part here, too. you have a lot of white voters coming to the city, young white kids coming into the city, voters and they see the district government as needing much change. and i think that's -- this plays a big important part. but it does fall into lines, again. number one, bittle and teach america ormitchell reeve, fire men's yuns and other associations closely related to the african-american community. so, there is a divide. >>. >> we should mention both candidates are african-american. >> that's right. >> which leads me to believe, two things, more of a class divide than there is probably a race divide. not saying race doesn't play a

factor, but i think jerry is right. it's this dismal, low turnout. and so people who are -- when you talk about class divide, people who are economically better off, tend to vote, tend to be more knowledgeable of the issues. they have the time to go vote. so, i think that's where bittle probably capitalized on. but, remember, this is a city that does not have a problem. quite honestly, voting for a candidate, whether they're white or black. >> exactly. i mean, it's really not. it's, like you said, who you're familiar with. it's who they campaign. now, vincent orange is, to his credit, he's run for office, he's held office. you see him everywhere. i will say this.

i've never laid eyes on bittle and i'm all over the place. you know what i'ming a? >> could it be a function of old school and new school? >> it could be. >> we're in a very big political transition period in the district of columbia, old verse new. change, that's what i meant. >> and council urn a big cloud with scandals, misuse of funds, personnel issues -- i should say campaign contributions, that's at the heart of the scandal. therefore, being part of that, whether he -- and i in no way am saying he's part of it, but he was there and we were wondering if that will have an effect on the election. >> i remember back in the early '90s the book that came out

"throw the bums out" and it seems that's resonating in the district of columbia. >> but it does not. >> you raised the word scandal. we want to move on to another topic, the district is tapping a former city administrative, robert bob, bob bob to many that covered us, to lead a scandal-plagued agency. turns out he has connections to another scandal in d.c., which has many people wondering, is it tough to find somebody that's not connected to some type of cloud in d.c. to lead an agency or take a leadership role? >> that story came out about a week ago when the fbi started getting into all this -- well, actually, a month ago when they started all of these investigations. one particular figure they investigated, in this man's house. lo and behold, find out, everything seems like an octopus. everything seems to be connected. >> you know, this is interesting. again, i do have a detroit

connection. the newspapers in detroit went after him, robert bob, because of contract i guess regular lrr perks. washington, d.c. is an attractive city, a national city, why do we keep going back to the same characters when we have a whole country that we can look for people? why do we seem -- >> because, birds of a feather flock together. >> also who are the people making the choice. we should examine more closely, who are the people making the decision to get robert bob? you know, are they old friends of his? are they people that, you know, have had associations with him in the past and will argue, we know this man, we know him to be good and, therefore, we're bringing him in, or is it the old -- the old character network? >> you don't -- when you're under a cloud of suspicion, you know, you would think -- the best thing to do is let's avoid

this cloud. let's avoid the potential storm and stay away from it and see if we can start fresh. >> we have to leave it there. >> i said it. and he underlined it, birds of a feather flock together, what did you call, it character networking? >> there you have it. gentlemen, we appreciate you coming if. good to see on you this sunday morning. good to see you. now back to "news 4 midday." good morning, everyone. i'm erika gonzalez. >> i'm richard jordan. we're going to get started with breaking news from the midwest this morning. severe weather overnight turned deadly in oklahoma. emergency officials there say a tornado is blamed for killing five people. it struck the town of woodward after midnight. the mayor there says sirening were not sounding when the tornado touch down but they did

go off during earlier storms on saturday. police and rescue units are sevening the area for anyone who may be trapped. certainly a frightening situation there, especially when you hear those alarms weren't sounding. people knew it was coming. >> the path of devastation to me that spans so great from texas, the texas/mexico boder up to illinois. >> it's a huge swath. it's also bringing snow to the western suburbs of denner are now and bringing us no severe weather. on the front side of that, we'll be well into the 80s today. plus 20 degrees from average here. minus 20 degrees on the other side of that in denver. as that clash between the plus and the minus where all the action is again today, yesterday's round of thunderstorms that went roaring through parts of eastern nebraska and southern iowa, that complex of storms is moving to the north sides of detroit, michigan. that's headed up into southern ontario and western new york and not bothering us at all. we have a few sprinkles but

that's about it. meanwhile, stronger thunderstorms associated with the actual cold front. yesterday, daytime tornados across oklahoma, kansas, that wasn't was with the cold front. these thunderstorms are right with the boundary itself. thunderstorms now from omaha, nebraska, all the way down to the rio grande valley. biggest risk for severe weather today, not as high as yesterday but i guarantee you, there will still be more tornadoes today. essenti especially minneapolis down to chicago. if you have flight plans to bring you to minneapolis, chicago, slt lose, be on the look out. there could be big flight delays in and around those midwestern hubs. for us, the last of the sprinkles are pulling out. we're in store for a dry day today. we'll talk about that, talk about going back to work and school. >> thank you, meteorologist chuck bell. new this morning, police in prince george's county are investigating a stabbing that

injured six people in brandy wine. placecy the suspects came to a party uninvited and a argument started. two people aren critical condition. four others suffered minor injuries. all the victims and suspects are teenagers. if you have any information about the stabbing, contact police. tomorrow is the fifth anniversary of the mass shooting at virginia tech. relatives and friends of the 32 victims are gathering in blacksburg today. the tragedy changed the course of many lives, especially for the brother of one victim. news 4 reports the shooting led him to a new cause and a new career. >> this is omar klein with campaign to stop gun violence. >> reporter: when he graduated from virginia tech in 2006, omar never saw himself here, working in the office of the coalition to stop gun violence. a tech soccer player, he was focused on trying to go pro abroad and working in real estate. >> if anyone asked me, would you ever see yourself working as

advocate for gun violence, no. >> reporter: then his little sister was killed in norris hall and everything changed for omar and the family. >> she was my younger sister but i looked up to her in many different ways. >> reporter: he was one of the first family members to speak publicly after the mass shooting just to talk about rema and how he still loved virginia tech. then he says he began to learn more about the fact that gunman cho with his mental health history shouldn't have been able to get the guns he used to kill 32. >> we found out april 16th was actually preventable, so i started to say to myself, you know, this is something that needs to be fixed. i really hope we do. >> reporter: the loophole that allowed joe to buy guns was fixed but he says there are bigger loopholes to close. his primary focus, pushing for universal background checks on gun buyers. >> we allow dangerous individuals to purchase guns on a daily basis in this country.

>> reporter: he became one of the leading figures in a fixed gun check national tour last year. these youtube videos chronicling the campaign. >> every stop with every new friend, i know my sister's with us. >> reporter: he says he now sees himself working long term on the issue of gun violence prevention. he'll also continue to make regular trips to blacksburg for tech football games and to remember april 16th, to remember rema. >> i feel closer every day, but which i go down to tech, it's like a special thing for me. when i go to norris hall and go to the classroom where she was killed, i feel something that i don't usually feel. it's just -- it's almost as if she's there with me. >> in arlington, news 4. a candlelight vigil will be held tomorrow night in blacksburg at a memorial dedicated to the shooting victims. it's incredible it's already been five years. >> just chilling to hear that from him. time is 6:40. good morning, everyone. david gregory, moderator of "meet the press" will join us

live to break down the week in politics when we return. later, a grave warning about the graveyard shift. the disease you could be more susceptible to getting by working odd hours. [ dog barking ] mom!

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it appears we finally know who will face president obama is november's general election, rick santorum dropped out of the race this past week clearing the way for mitt romney to be the republican presidential nominee. >> where do we go from here? moderator of "meet the press" david gregory meets us. so the primaries are over? >> in effect they are. it seems like santorforever tha santorum got out of the race. you got president obama and mitt

romney positioning themselves for the general election and a big fight over how to get women voters this week really heated up. so you see the opening pages now of the general election campaign. >> speaking on that, the so-called mommy wars, hilary rosen making some brash remarks and what, you know, everyone thought was a sure thing for the democratic party was the female vote. now it seems like the white house is doing everything they can to back away from hilary rosen. >> and i think -- this was the problem. you have a gender gap right now. and you have a tangible effect of the primaries on mitt romney that because of some of the positions he was taking, because of some of the issues like contraception and defunning planned parenthood, that gender gap was widening for president obama, you have an institute that sets the clock back that talks about seemingly not respecting women's choices which was a fight that women were fighting 20 years ago to, you know, be if the forefront. that got things off-kilter.

it was, in essence, a political gift for the romney campaign, but the issue's not going to go away. i think if you're mitt romney, you're still trying to find a way to talk about issues about the economy, kitchen table issues rather than the cultural issues to try to appeal to all voters, including women. and we're going to have more on that conversation this morning. we have michele bachmann and kristin gillibrand talking about the damage done this week and how to keep a reasonable conversation going because we know women in swing states are most likely going to decide this election. >> who else is on the show? >> we're talking to tim geithner about the economy, tax day coming up, this debate over tax fairness this week, which is a big issue. so, he'll talk about why the recovery still feels sluggish despite some good news out there. >> and then you've got a fun "press pass," a real legend. >> yes, bill cosby. he's so interesting, talking about one howard theater we've been talking about here this week, reopening, what it means

to the community. but also about the trayvon martin case, about president obama and his performance. wide-ranging discussion with him. >> all right, moderator with "meet the press," david gregory. thanks for joining us. the weather has been absolutely gorgeous. i don't think we could ask for better. >> if you like to sweat a little bit. what's up? >> well, we have a little cloud cover outside this morning but i assure you, you're going to find sunday afternoon a most pleasurable experience. be back with the details next. [ male announcer ] a car is either luxury or it isn't.

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the sleep number bed. with the sleep number bed, it's not about soft or firm. it's about support where you find it most comfortable. the magic of this bed is that you're sleeping on something that conforms to your individual shape. this is your body there. you can see a little more pressure in the shoulders and in the hips. now you can feel what happens as we raise your sleep number setting and allow the bed to fill in to the contours of your body. oh, yeah. wow! that feels really good. it's hugging my body. with our bed, you change the setting to something you like. in less than a minute i can get more support. if you change your mind once you get home you can adjust it. your body changes over time. the bed can adapt with you. not only does it work for you today, but it's going to work for you 20 years from now. so whatever you feel like, the sleep number bed's going to provide it for you. now, sleep number redefines memory foam,

combining coolfit gel foam with sleep number adjustability. during our white sale, receive $400 in free bedding. only at the sleep number store, where queen mattresses start at just $699. thanksi'll take the usual. got it. if you're open to choosing your own batter, mix-ins and toppings, come in today and build a stack you'll be proud of. only at denny's. the space shuttle "discovery" is preparing for last flight here to washington. they rolled out the shuttle from

kennedy hangar yesterday morning and placed on top of a modified boeing 747 jetliner. "discovery" will fly over potomac tomorrow morning from 10:00 to 11:00. you can see that from national harbor, old down alexandria. the shuttle will land at dulles international before it's docked near the airport. take a look at that. absolutely amazing. >> when you covered the shuttle launches you always have to worry about the weather. but it looks like for the last flight -- >> seems it won't be a bad day. a sure you, this runner will be out running the length of the potomac waiting for the 747 to fly overhead. that is going to be an amazing sight. if you've never seen it before -- you've been to shuttle launches. >> i haven't, not in person. >> why live in florida if you don't go to the shuttle

launches? >> i know. too late. >> i'm sad to see the shuttle program came to an en. all good things come to an end. for us, our good weather will eventually come to an end but not any time too soon. if you're planning to enjoy your sunday afternoon, mother nature will take it easy on you today. just don't forget your sunblock and your plan outside today because it's going to be a very sun-filled afternoon. outside this morning, though, plenty of clouds to get through early on your sunday morning. that's all right. nothing wrong with a cloudy start as long as it's a sunny fin ir. people will enjoy that. a good looking day today. sun is already up in our eastern sky now. temperature will begin to climb very, very quickly. 61 degrees at national airport. and i don't know if you can see it on your screen at home all that well, but there's a bunch of gnats buzzing around the camera. that's the kind of humidity we have this morning. it's employing to feel like

summertime out there today. 55 in gaithersburg, 61 degrees at capital heights this morning. 64 for stafford and frederiksberg. on the whole, you're going to like it today. plenty of clouds this morning but becoming mostly sunny and toasty warm this afternoon. temperature will climb into the low and mid-80s today. so, be ready for it. haven't been above 80 degrees since way back on march 23rd. right now, though, the last of the morning spring. s are up across northeastern maryland. they're going southeast-bound into the northeast parts of delaware. they won't be bothering us. these sprinkles in southern pennsylvania will dry up. any rain chance we have between now and 8:00 in the morning, that will be it. showers and thunderstorms, another busy weather day today. if your flight plans take you to detroit, chicago, minneapolis, kansas city, be on the look out. could be big flight delays again today. powerhouse thunderstorms now roaring into parts of eastern

oklahoma and just about ready to come into the dallas/ft. worth area. flights into dfw could be delayed. for us, as long as you're staying here today, no problem at all. clouds around this morning, sure, no problem. afternoon sunshine will make for a very warm day today. partly cloudy skies overnight tonight. out ahead of the weather front, which will eventually arrive here, but out ahead of it, a taste of summer tomorrow. plenty of sunshine. i think somewhere in virginia might touch 90 degrees on monday. not around here but it might not be far away. so, for today, clouds this morning, sunshine this afternoon, highs up into the low and mid-80s. overnight tonight, partly cloudy, mild start this morning. upper 50s and low 60s. and the all-important seven-day forecast, warm to bordering on hot around here for tomorrow. our nice little stretch of early summer weather comes to an end on tuesday night with the weather front going by. so, there will be a slight chance for showers late tuesday, probably after sunset and

scattered shower chances on wednesday. unfortunately, not the amount of rain we need. a great finish to the work and school week. thursday and friday look great. turning more unsettled into next weekend the way things look. that might be a nice chance to get a soaking rain in here. any time you need to stay out of the weather, chuck4bell on twitter. >> can you make that gnat sound on twitter? >> have you ever inhaled a gnat -- >> it's the worst thing in the world. >> thank you, chuck. also this morning, two people are looking for a new place to live. after their home was destroyed by a fire. the blaze spark around 3:00 yesterday on pinafore court in herndon. one bern was home but managed to get out safely. his three cats, however, are still missing. the cause of the fire still under investigation. the red cross is assisting the people who lived in that home. alexandria city attorney will now weigh in on the waterfront debate. the city council held a closed door session yesterday to discuss legal options in a

flight over development plans. they ruled the council wrongly denied a protest petition when it approved the plan for new parks, hotels and stores. some home and business owners worry the redevelopment would bring congestion and too much traffic to old town alexandria. the city has about a month to appeal the zoning's decision in court. north koreans are celebrating is weekend. tens of thousands of soldiers and spectators line the streets of pyongyang to mark the 100th birthday of the country's founder, kim il-sung. the current leader kim jung-unaddressed the crowd. it came two days after north korea's failed launch of a communication satellite. others believe the satellite was a cover for intercontinental ballistic missile. syrian government and opposition leaders seem to be ignoring cease-fire.

both sides continued with heavy shelling as military observers come to monitor a brokered peace dole. the u.n. security council voted unanimously to dispatch a first team of monitors to maintain the shaky truce. the peace plan is aimed at ending more than a year of violence that has killed more than 9,000 people. the u.n. observers should arrive in syria some time today. in "news 4 your health" disturbing news for those that work the night shift. new evidence shows working overnight can actually make you sick. grave yard workers are at higher risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease and other health problems. this study out of boston is one of the first to show exactly how the body reacts. scientists put 21 healthy volunteers in a sleep lab for three weeks. within just a few days their bodies responded differently to food. >> glucose levels went much higher and stayed that way for several hours because of decreased insulin release from

the pancreas. together, these reflect an increased risk of diabetes. >> researchers advise that when possible, shift workers try to eat when their body clocks are not out of whack. >> so, get us off this shift! no, i'm just kidding. just kidding. >> how do i manage that? you know, i get home at midnight saturday night and get at 3:30 sunday morning and my body clock is a mess until wednesday. >> oh, no. >> such is life, i guess. >> well, that's going to do it. we'll go to "news 4 today" after this break. this break. >> ait was like a red rash... very sore looking kinda blistery. like somebody had set a bag of hot charcoal on my neck. i was a firefighter for 24 years. but, i have never encountered such a burning sensation until i had the shingles. i remember it well. i was in the back yard doing yard work.

i had this irritation going on in my lower neck. i changed shirts because i thought there was something in the collar of the shirt irritating my neck. and i couldn't figure out what was going on. i had no idea it came from chickenpox. i always thought shingles was associated with people... a lot older than myself. i can tell you from experience, it is bad. it's something you never want to encounter. for more of the inside story, visit shinglesinfo.com

good morning, everyone. i'm erika gonzalez. >> i'm richard jordan. welcome to "news 4 today" on april 15th. they are sevening a town in oklahoma after deadly storms swept through overnight. five people were killed in apparent tornadoes. the same system was in iowa yesterday, destroying parts of a hospital there. five service members are investigated in a broadening secret service scandal. 11 agents have been sent home and put on leave following accusations they brought prostitutes back to their hotel while preparing for the

president's avbal in colombia. at least two of the agents are reportedly supervisors. today events around the world will mark centennial of the titanic disaster. exactly 100 years ago, the massive ship left england bound for new york and hit an iceberg overnight and sank three hours later. a lot of good museums and exhibits about the titanic today. >> and great weather to go out and see them, right, chuck? >> exactly right. old town alexandria, titanic related or not, i think you're going to enjoy it. off to a mild start. temperatures 50s and 60s this morning. just based on this picture alone, i can start to see the first rays of morning sunshine bouncing off the south sides of the 14th street bridges. yes, indeed, cloudy for now but sunshine will be back and quickly. temperature now, 61 degrees in washington. 50, though, in men as ses. 55 in bethesda this morning.

58 in annapolis. 64 in stanford, virginia. live radar shows no more than a passing rain drop or two. primarily north and northeastern most maryland. nothing near the capital beltway. heavier thunderstorms related to that big outbreak of severe weather yesterday, bringing heavy rain now to detroit, michigan, tmuch of the state of kansas, texas, under the gun today. for us, no concerns. your sunday planner. mostly to partly cloudy, temps into the upper 60s by late morning. hopping up into the low to mid-80s by later on this afternoon. we're going to do about 85 degrees for a high temperature today. that is a ten-degree jump over yesterday. back to work and school tomorrow. more sunshine, more heat coming our way for tomorrow. i continue to use the word hot because when you start talking about near 90 degrees in april, that, my friends, is hot. >> yeah, that is. >> i think that's hot. 10 degrees different from yesterday. i mean, that is a huge, huge

difference. >> a big jump. >> you'll feel that one. >> yeah, you will. >> next is nbc 4's "viewpoint" and we'll be back with an update. good morning, everyone. welcome to "viewpoint," i'm jim handly. we're focusing on improving the lives of teenage girls and the wonderful work done in our region by services in washington. and our guests, a former teen participant and director of external relations and pam joan, president and ceo. welcome to you both to "viewpoint" great to see you. >> thanks for having us. >> we have a beautiful backdrop. we'll talk about what's going on behind us with the talk of the teen girl program doing a big launch in may. let's start out, if we can, and talk about the history and the mission, pam. >> thank you so much for this opportunity. but before i tell you about

crittenton, i want to shout out for nbc 4. you have been such great community, caring people, the health expo was fabulous for our girls. it's fabulous for the community. and we really are grateful for everything you're doing. >> we're proud to be part of it because of all you do. and it's been decades upon decades and really touching thousands of lives in our community. how so? >> well, you know, you've been doing this for all these decades. we started off in the 1800s. the history is quite fascinating. i mean, we are 124 years old -- not me personally, but, you know. the organization started by charles and dr. kate waler barrett, who is my heroine, who saw the vision of what was needed. for that time it was girls and young women who were unmarried and were having children and had no place to go.

so, there were literally 67 homes across the nation. and one -- the one in washington on reservoir road was kind of the mothership. dr. wallard built a whole movement of supporting girls and their families way back then. she was campaigning against child trafficking in china. i can't even figure out how she knew about it. >> yeah. >> it's amazing some of the same issues we are going on in america today were actually started back in the beginning of america. so, as time evolved and society changed in 1983 we sold the residential home, there was no longer a need for it here and we started delivering programs in schools. so, we kind of switched from after you have a child how to support your mom and the baby, to let's talk about preventing having a child and let's help young ladies who are having a

child stay in school. so, two programs started in 1983, one is sneakers and one is pearls. both of those programs are girl-centered. it's all about what do young ladies need. as opposed to what are the negatives, what are the stereotypes, what are the labels, our approach is, every girl deserves respect. every girl has strength and resiliency and skills. they just need a little guidance to help bring those skills out. >> and you mentioned two of the programs, but they're really touching every facet of their lives. the s i want to bring you in here because you're a success story. back at the age of 15 you became connected with them crittenton, how so? >> i joined the pearls program, i was a teen mother in high school. it's hard enough to be a teenager and now you're becoming

a mother. there's a lot of stereotypical judgment, a lot of negativity from society. there's a lot of changes that are happening emotionally for a teen mother. and when i was -- when i joined the pearls program, i all of a sudden was accepted and i was taught how to accept my new role in society and all the skills i still needed to be successful in life and to be a successful parent. so, there was goal-setting, determination, healthy relationships, communication, all these things i needed in order to be successful. >> did you have mentors or work with volunteers? this was at your school or where did it all happened? >> this happened in my high school. i was referred by my school nurse when she found out that i was a teen mother, that i was parenting in high school. and the program leader was phenomenal. it's tough to trust someone as a teenager, and build that trust with somebody. as a teen mother you feel no one

is getting that respect you're in so much need of. these program leaders, they make a connections and make you feel valued and they really want to hear what you have to say. the other girls who create this bond and this new friendship. you really want to open up and say, you know what, these are all the ideas that i have. and i want to be successful. i want to be accepted. most importantly, i want to be a good mom. and it was by building that and learning all those new skills is really where you begin to flourish and blossom and bring out all the -- bring out the potential you always had but people forgot that was in there. >> pam, how do you get in touch with the girls? mainly through schools or do they come to you in. >> no, it is through schools. our partners are the school administration, school guidance counselor, school nurses. so, it's a very close relationship with that school. they know the girls that are there. and it's -- it starts off as a fun, let's have an orientation. it's all voluntary. girls are invited to come hear about what these programs are.

they self-select. and once they self-select and their parents approve, with parental permission, they start having these once a week, very safe space -- you could call it a workshop, you could call it a group session, it's a little like vegas, you know, what we talk about stays in here. where we follow a curriculum and we certainly have key messages that we're trying to get across over the course of the year. on, this is a long-term program. so, it's 26 weeks throughout the year. and in sneakers, it can go from ninth grade to 12th grade so the lady may be in the program for four years. imagine the bonds among girls in safe spates and also that relationship with a carrying and trust-worthy adult. they typically form groups about the size of 15 and they stick together. as they work each week on issues, it could be what is a

healthy relationship, do you know had what that healthy relationship is, what are your values, what are your goals for the future. if you know what your goal is, do you know how you're going to get there? because all girls have goals. all have dreams. but knowing how you actually have to make a specific plan. so, it's setting and achooeing the goals are two very different thing. that just evolves throughout the entire program. it's one of the umbrella of making sure that when you leave this program, no matter where you go in life, you know how to do smart goal-setting. you know how to be specific about it. you know how to make it measurable. you know how to make it action-oriented. you've asked yourself, is it realistic? and you've set some time frames. those are smart goals. >> these are formative years and they can take these lessons with them the rest of their lives, throughout their lives. as you've done. we've got to take a quick break. as we go to break, we'll pick up the conversation on the other side. we want to bring up a phone

number and web address, too. if you would like to learn more about crittenton services, go to the website and find out about their high tea coming up on may 9th and find out how you can contribute. perhaps you'd like to register for that. we'll be right back. [ male announcer ] a car is either luxury or it isn't. if you want a luxury car with a standard power moonroof, your options are going to be limited. ♪ if you want standard leather-trimmed seats, you're going to have even fewer. ♪ and if you want standard keyless access, then your choice is obvious. the lexus es. it's complete luxury in a class full of compromises. see your lexus dealer.

welcome back to "viewpoint", teenage girls changing, transforming their lives from the help of cri it. tenton services of greater washington. you talked about a program, one of the many. did you go through sneakers programs for those many weeks? >> i did not. i joined pearl program for pregnant and parenting teens. >> tell us about sneakers and what that is all about? it's involving small groups again. >> sneakers is a phenomenal program. it's for girls who are not pregnant or parenting and it does start in the eighth grade. we are in some middle schools.

we build safe space for girls, self-efficacy. that's what the "s" stands for something. each letter stands for go. the girls learn to be advocates, confident, leaders, and they meet once a week for 26 week. they start building relationship with girls that maybe who not have been their friend outside of the sneaker circumstancele and they talk about topics you wouldn't address in other places. they begin to realize what their goal are, their dreams are and how to make them realistic. you learn skills about life, relationships and academics. we do prepare them for life in general in every single aspect of it. >> you mentioned confidence, pam. talk about how important self-esteem is. is that one of the first things you have to get your arms around if. >> the self-esteem word is odd. it used to be that that is the watch word. everyone was looking to build self-es team. and the research now says it's not just about feeling good.

if you feel good and you don't have the tools to where you want to go, you've probably done more harm. so it really isn't self-esteem for us at all. it's self-respect. when they learn how to advocate, our program leaders are truly phenomenal. they are highly skilled and experienced in working one-on-one and in small group settings, specifically with teen girls. and they work on making sure that young lady knows how to advocate for herself in practical ways. if you can't get the math course you need, and you're planning on going to college and you know you need algebra ii but no one told you about that in the eighth grade, you've got to go in and advocate in order to get the class that you want. it starts with very practical skills so that you're building your own self-advocacy. >> specific applications.

you mentioned tools. that's a big takeaway here. >> very specific. >> is it tougher, do you think, being a teenage girl today than it was five years ago, 10, 20 years ago, with social media, for one, out there, movies and tv, what we're seeing every day? >> whether it's tougher now or not for me isn't really the question. the question is, it is tough for teen girls. they tell us they feel undervalued, that people don't respect them, people don't listen to them. they have solutions to the problems they face and most adults have no ideas the challenges teen girls are facing in their everyday life. i know it's very difficult now. it seems to me at my age that it's more complicated than it used to be. but the real point is, the girls really are facing some tough challenges. >> you have come back to give back, which is so wonderful.

tell us what your hearing from the girls out there today. >> well, i hear -- when i talk to them, it takes me back ten years ago. the issues are still the same. we're still struggling with with girls who feel they're not hurt. we have so much to say. it's hard to establish that relationship. i hear that a lot. i hear girls who want to be successful. i know there's a lot of stereotyping. i know there's a lot of struggles within our communities and there's a lot of miscommunication. and what -- that's what we do in our programs. we teach our girls, well, if they're not communicating with you, you can communicate with them. and you can teach others to communicate. you can advocate. advocate is such a strong word. when we go into our programs we say, what does advocacy mean? it's so important. really, you're already doing it and knowing them and giving that empowerment to each and every girl is amazing to see them grow and flourish from when they first come up up until the end. when we talk and making that relationship with peer mentors or with someone that's closer to their age, really makes it click

for them and seeing themselves into that path that i can get there, too. >> all right. when we come back, we're going to go over what's on this card. how we can all get involved and take really an active role in helping young women in our community. we'll be right back. as we go to break again, we to want put up the web address and phone number if you would like to learn more about crittenton services of greater

here are some stories we're following this morning. emergency officials are searching a town in oklahoma after deadly storms swept through overnight. five people were killed in apparent tornadoes. the same storm destroyed this town in iowa along with parts of a hospital. five service members are being inrest gated in a broadening secret service scandal. 11 agents have been sent home

and put on leave following accusations they brought prostitutes back to their hotel while preparing for the president's avbal in columbia. today, events around the world will mark the centennial of the titanic disaster 100 years ago, the massive ship left england bound for new york and hit an iceberg overnight. we'll have more news and weather in about 15 minutes. first, back to "viewpoint." welcome back. ware tawe're talking about the topic of improving lives of teenage girls in our region. we were talking about this program on may 9th, the high tea. it's on the sign behind us. talk with a teen girl today. tell us about how we can all help in this and how easy it is for anybody out there who's looking to make that connection and help improve the life of a teen girl.

>> it's an idea our girls came up with, going back to the advocacy. everything we do is girl-centered. we say, what do you want us to do? what do you want to see so we can help you all? our girls said, it's very easy. we want adults to talk with us. we came up -- they came up with talk with a teen girl today. it's four easy steps. basically, just be nice. nice stands for notice her, ininteract with her, connect with her, and do it every day. what our girls did is they went out and said, we want to idea what the issue is affecting girls our ables in montgomery county. they developed a survey and we brought back the results. when we talked with a teen girl today they campaign launch. in february they shared the statistics of what they found out, shared their results. they made the first call to action of talk with a teen girl today. what we'll be doing in may, our

124th anniversary high tea, girls will be making that hard call to action. talk with a teen girl. you can make a difference. we want to you talk to us. >> it is easy. the results of your survey and surveys you've been doing and noticing and hearing from the girls is that they feel -- you mentioned undervalued but also ignored in some way. >> they do. and they are advocating for more programs to support more girls because it's been so helpful to them. they know this is real. when we do a rigorous evaluation of our core programs, it's an outside evaluator, we know we have proven track record of making significant changes. you can't change. you can't measure everything you do. but we know our girls are going to school, that they are graduati graduating, they're going to college. we know that they're learning about conflict resolution and they're reducing the -- their

arguments, their conflicts, with their families and within their schools. and we know that 97 to 100% of our girls are not pregnant. that's been going on for three decades. >> impressive results you have. >> impressive. it's really about that approach of positive youth development. it's the whole girl. we do include comprehensive sexual health in our programs but it's one part. it's really about, if you have a future, if you know how you're going to get there, if you believe in yourself and you have your skills and you can communicate with your teachers and with your families to help you get into college, you're going to want to make plans where you will delay having your family until you're ready. so, we've really changed. we used to be known as pregnancy prevention. and that's because that outcome is so strong. but we're really much more than that. it really is this comprehensive

whole girl, positive youth development approach. and it works. it's common sense. always comes back to that, right? >> sure. >> you go to research, find out best practices. guess what? common sense, what all girls need. we are serving primarily girls of color. but all girls need this same kind of support. just that some girls have access, some don't. >> very diverse group of girls. tell us about where they're coming from. many are in at-risk communities. do they have one parent at home? >> at-risk communities is one way to put it because we're serving girls in ward 7 and 8. those of us that are citizens know those communities struggle to get the resources that all the citizens need there. we're also in gaithersburg and silver spring. though the world may think montgomery county is a wealthy

county with no problems, the reality is, is that there are very -- they're a large number of low income families, parents working two jobs, who don't have time to do additional support the girls need. and these young ladies really need these kind of programs. so, it's tough out there for them. their communities are not able to provide for their needs and their families want to. and often simply cannot. they're just making a living. >> we're going to take another break and put up on our screen again the website. if you would like to learn more or register for this high tea coming up on may 9th, learn more on the crittentonservices.org [ dog barking ] mom! breakfast? in this house? in the morning i can use all the help i can get. that's why i love nutella, a delicious hazelnut spread

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welcome back. we're here with our friend from crittenton services of greater washington. we were talking about the high tea coming up on may 9th. what's involved with that. >> we're all excited about the 14th anniversary high tea, our group leadership program to highlight leadership skills our girls have learned. the way we do that, we have three honorees we'll be honoring this may 9th. one of them is soledad o'brien, broadcast journalist from cnn and co-founder of the soledad o'brien and brad raymond foundation. our girls will honor -- will interview each of the honorees. they'll be face to face with them asking questions about how they got to where they are, how they became leaders, their work, their careers, how they did it and they'll be presenting awards, introducing them and presenting awards at high tea. they're very involved. very hands-on. again, we're letting them show off their skills they've learned

because they are very important. they'll be calling to action teen girls today touching up on advoca advocacy. our honorees are great. they're role models for our girls and for everybody who attends them. >> linda gooden, my goodness -- >> from lockheed martin and elana. sparga olympic-bound athlete. our girls are ecstatic to meet women in such high places who have done so much. >> a big day to see those role models. what do you look for, pam n a volunteer or mentor and these experts that really work one-on-one or in small groups with the girls? >> you certainly have to have a passion and a respect for teen girls. one of our honorees, linda gooden, look heckheed martin, h

much will one of our girls be abe to interview a top ceo in the nation, saying, you can do it, you can do it. that kind of one-on-one role modeling, which anyone who comes to the high tea is able to do, because our guests will be sitting at the table with our young ladies. we're hoping just having the role model, that kind of volunteer, is going to make a tremendous difference because it's real. it's not somebody you're reading about. we would love to have people come out and join us at the high tea so that during that time they can interact with our young ladies. >> we don't have time. so many powerful stories. all you have to do is meet one girl and see how their lives have been transformed. you being one. a beautiful young woman now and all you've done in your life. the stories are powerful. if you get involved with crittenton you'll see yourself. go to their website or give them a call if you would like to learn more about the high tea, how you can get involved, volunteering or donate as well.

we'll be right back with "news 4 today." thank you for joining us. good morning. welcome to "news 4 today" on this sunday, april 15th. right now in the midwest, emergency crews are searching for survivors after severe storms hit overnight. an apparent tornado in woodward, oklahoma, killed five people. the mayor of that town says sirens were not sounding when the tornado touched down. earlier saturday, a string of twisters were reported in that region. a kansas woman captured one while driving in her car. a funnel cloud appears to be

forming right next to it. news photographers captured other tornadoes, picking up debris as they moved through towns. people in this small town in iowa will begin a massive clean-up project this morning. emergency officials believe a tornado hit, damaging about 75% of homes and businesses, including a hospital. some of the town's 250 people spent the night at city hall, which was the only building that had power. no deaths or injuries were reported there. and it wasn't just tornadoes that caused damage in the midwest this weekend. hail shattered car windows and tore siding off houses in parts of nebraska. some of it looked more like snow. accumulations measured up to an inch high and fell the size of baseballs in some places. baseballs, that's -- that can do a lot of damage. >> incredible video. >> they were not alone. in the lincoln/omaha area with baseball size hair, western kansas they are reports of hail to 4 1/2 inches in diameter. that's bigger than a softball by

comparison. so, definitely a big problem. you saw in the parking lot there from that video in nebraska, so much hail plugs up the street drains, then you end up with flooding in parking lots. it's a whole other set of problems. luckily, they'll be enjoying a quieter weather day out there. for us, wow, what a nice weekend it's turning out to be. yesterday, sunshine turned into cloud cover. we had a few pringles during the overnight hour but today cloud cover turns back into sunshine. as a result, a huge warm-up on the way this afternoon. temperature right now, 52 degrees in new market, maryland. 55 degrees in rockfield. 61 in downtown washington. old dough minimum yan, falls church, fairfax set on you to vienna and burg, 59 in winchester and front royal. a look at live doppler. nothing to worry about here today. a couple of dying showers in northeastern maryland and far northern parts of delaware. big severe weather problem for today will be from basically

chicago northwest bound to the twin cities and also a line of thunderstorms with the cold front itself, moving through places like st. louis, missouri, dallas/ft. worth, little rock, and late today down the houston, texas area. long distance flights to the midwestern hubs could be delayed. our planner, if you're staying at home, beautiful weather, sunshine near 85 degrees this afternoon. >> absolutely beautiful. >> who needs south beach when you've got that. >> thanks, chuck. meanwhile, five u.s. service members are now being investigated as a secret service scandal deepens. 11 personnel are been placed on administrative leave and five service members have been isolated in their hotel room in colombia. several are accused of bringing prostitutes back to their hotel rooms where there was a dispute over payment. while none of the men were part of the president's personal protection unit, some were high-ranking officers. >> all i know is that 2 of the

11 were supervisors. i did not ask if they were married or not. >> what the agency needs is an outside director who can come in and clean house, change the standards. >> the misconduct is alleged to have happened before president obama arrived in colombia for summit of americas. prostitution is legal in parts of the country and is a booming business in cartegana. thousands of people marched outside the summit of americas and anti-american proceed tesses. demonstrators criticized the u.s. and canada for excluding cuba from the summit. some burned and stomped on an american flag while others dressed as prisoners from gone tan notice bay. some leaders at the summit, including colombia's president, have also criticized the u.s. for excluding cuba. president obama is urging americans to support the buffett rule ahead of a key vote this

week, named after warren buffett who says he pays a lower tax rate than his secretary. the plan would require people earning at least $1 million a year, pay at least 30% of their income in taxes. president obama says the country can't afford to keep giving tax cuts to the wealthy. >> this is not just about fairness, it's also about growth. it's about being able to make the investments we need to strengthen our economy and create jobs. and it's about whether we as a country are willing to pay for those investments. >> the senate will take up a vote on the issue tomorrow. many republicans argue the buffett rule would not generate much help for the deficit. president obama is calling on republican mitt romney to release his past tax returns. he says it's important for candidates to be as transparent as possible. the president's 2011 tax returns showed he made $790,000 last year and paid more than $160,000 in federal taxes.

romney's campaign projects he made $45 million in the last two years and will pay more than $6 million in taxes. former vice president dick cheney made his first public appearance since his heart transplant, speaking with wyoming republican party convention in cheyenne for well over an hour yesterday. people say he seemed strong. he walked on stage without any assistance. cheney had the transplant three weeks at inova fairfax hospital. 100 years ago the world was waking up to learn of one of the biggest tragedies at sea. today marks 100 years since the sinking of the titanic. the massive ship left england bound for new york and hit an iceberg overnight on april 15, 1912. it sank less than three hours later. a cruise retracing titanic's doomed voyage reached its destination overnight. they sailed to the site where the titanic went down. those on bothered held a

memorial for disaster victims. a group in d.c. held a memorial for titanic victims. a crowd gathered long the southwest waterfront for a late night tribute to titanic's first and last voyage. as darcy spencer reports, the event also served as a teaching moment for many. >> reporter: at the titanic memorial along the southwest water front in d.c., a brass ensemble plays that fateful song, the song last heard by many who perished as unsinkable ship just did that 100 years ago. >> this is a compilation of music that was actually played on the ship in 1912 when the ship went down. >> reporter: the event called "titanic 100" featured more than 1500 luminaries along the promise nad, each with a name of a passenger or crew member who died in that historic tragedy. >> it's great. it's honoring all the people. i love all the candles and bags with the names on them, to honor the people. i didn't know it was over 1,000 people that lost their lives. >> i knew about it but i didn't know, like, about -- i didn't

know most of the information that i just learned today, like how many people died and everything like that. >> reporter: hundreds of titanic images were projected 50 feet high on a waterfront condo building. >> it was such a great disaster and it had so much human interests that how could you not want to be here if. >> the titanic's maiden voyage proved disastrous when they struck an iceberg. within hours the ship had broken apart and sunk. it remains on the ocean floor to this day. >> i can only imagine the pain, the suffering and know that they are going to drown, all those poor children and all the women and everyone on board. >> reporter: darcy spencer, news 4. the time right now is 7:39. what do you get the guy who seems to have everything? a rather unusual gift offered to president obama this weekend. and a grave warning about

the graveyard shift. the disease that you, me, chuck bell -- >> what? >> too many of us, really. >> we could all be susceptible >> we could all be susceptible it was like a red rash... very sore looking kinda blistery. like somebody had set a bag of hot charcoal on my neck. i was a firefighter for 24 years. but, i have never encountered such a burning sensation

until i had the shingles. i remember it well. i was in the back yard doing yard work. i had this irritation going on in my lower neck. i changed shirts because i thought there was something in the collar of the shirt irritating my neck. and i couldn't figure out what was going on. i had no idea it came from chickenpox. i always thought shingles was associated with people... a lot older than myself. i can tell you from experience, it is bad. it's something you never want to encounter. for more of the inside story, visit shinglesinfo.com

north koreas are celebrating this weeken. tens of thousands of sole doers and spectators lined the streets

of yopyongyang. kim jong-un honored has late farther. the celebration came two days after north korea's fail launch of a communication satellite. others believe it was a kov for intercontinental ballistic missile. syrian government and opposition forces seem to be ignoring a cease-fire. both sides continued with heavy shelling as observers from united nations come to monitor a brokered peace deal. the u.n. security council voted unanimously to dispatch a first team of monitors to maintain the shaky truce. the peace plan is aimed at ending more than a year of violence that has killed more than 9,000 people. the u.n. observers should arrive in siree some time today. in "news 4 your health" disturbing news that work the night shift. it shows working overnight can actually make you sick. past studies shown grave yard workers are at a higher risk of type ii diabetes, hard disease and other health problems. this study is the first to show how the body reacts.

scientists put 21 healthy voluntaries in a sleep lab for 20 weeks. within a few days their body responded differently to food. >> glucose levels went higher and stayed that way for several hours because of decreased insulin release from the pancreas. together these reflect an increased risk of diabetes. researchers advise when possible, shift workers try to eat when their body clocks are not out of whack. easier said than done. >> no kidding. the "today" hoe starts here at 8:00. >> let's get a preview from lester holt joining us live from new york. good morning. >> coming up on "today," the deadly storms have pounded the plains. more than 120 tornadoes reported. at least five people are dead. kansas has been declared a state of emergency. and officials in one small iowa town say 75% is steroid. we'll have reports from each hard hit area. a deepening scandal involving

prostitutes and secret service personnel overshadowing the president's visit to cloolombia. natalie morales was surprised by the results of a stranger dangerer test. george stands 4 lthfeet long an feet tall but a gentle gipt. more on that "today." >> lester, george is, i guess, just a little bit larger thbee n say, the little pup. >> yeah, now a giant of a bed that sleeps on a queen size mattress. >> queen? he needs a king. he's huge. >> probably does. >> thanks, lester snoop. president obama has had plenty of gifts given to him. >> none quite like this one, we bet. a small group of barack obama fans tried to give the president a donkey when he arrived in colombia friday. apparently this donkey is named demo, the donkey was all decked

out in red, white and blue. the group cheered and held up demo as the motorcade drove past. doesn't seem as though the president's dog will be getting a new friend to play with any time soon. >> i don't think so. where do you put that? the man that has -- for the man that has everything -- >> now he has everything after donkey. >> donkey is democratic -- >> sure but i don't know if it would be nice to see that on the front lawn of the white house. >> could turn it into a petting zoo. a sure you, if they put the donkey on the front lawn, he would be a massive star. no doubt about it. he would be the most photographed donkey ever. >> well, your forecasts are becoming, you know, pretty -- >> a thing of legend. people think, how does he keep his job? no, they're

we've got a warm one on tap. >> no doubt. yesterday would be a beautiful day to be outside, had the car out, top down, driving around, everything was great. today also going to be a good day. but, if you have one of those convertibles with air conditioning, crank that up. which i'm completely opposed to

on many philosophical levels. nonetheless f you have one, today is a good day, top down, air conditioner on because it's going to be a very warm day outside. >> how warm exactly is it going to get? >> well into the 80s today. no doubt about it. we've only made 80 degrees four times this year. the last time we did it was march 23rd and it's been bone chillingly cold since then so we need more warm weather, don't we? indeed. sunshine is beginning to break through. overcast deck first thing this morning. look, the very tippy top of your screen. there's blue skies starting to appear out there as well. good looking day today. temperatures are mild to get your sunday started. in the upper 50s and low 60s in many spots. here in washington, at ronald reagan national airport, our current temperature sits at odd 61 degrees. winds are light, averaging 5 miles per pour. 59 now in winchester, virginia. 59 in culpepper. 57 degrees down at uva. 55 now up in the panhandle of west virginia. hagerstown, smith burg, 56.

generally into the upper 50s across calvert counties. for us, nothing but a beautiful day coming. plenty of clouds around early this morning. but as each afternoon hour goes by, more and more sunshine will break out and temperatures are really going to hop today up into the low and mid-80s this afternoon. and if you need just a little warmer than that, tomorrow is going to be your day. on storm 4 radar, no rain yet for us. last of the raindrops, northernmost delaware, they're moving away from us, so no chance forward here in the washington area of getting in i rain today. if you live along the maryland/pennsylvania border, you might have a few more sprinkle chances for the next couple of hours. even your weather will improve later on. if you're doingfy traveling today to any of the midwestern airport hubs, detroit, chicago, minneapolis, st. paul, down toward st. louis and kansas city, be on the lookout. you may be encountering big flight delays today. still severe weather again today for southeastern kansas. that will be moving into the

great state of missouri and down into eastern oklahoma, western arkansas and much of north texas under the gun for severe weather today. and how cold is it on the other side of the front? snowing in the western suburbs of denver. a big clash of air masses. unfortunately for us by the time the whole system gets here, nothing more than a few light it is showers tuesday night and wednesday. and that will slightly cooler weather for the end of the week. today, no problem. morning clouds turn into afternoon sunshine. a great looking day today. quiet weather through much of the overnight hours. tonight another warm start tomorrow morning. tomorrow, a taste of summer, out ahead of the weather front. this is by 8:00 tomorrow afternoon. after a beautiful day tomorrow, a chance of a few lonely sprinkles getting in here late in the day tuesday. but that is just about it. so, today then, clouds turning into sunshine and warm. highs today, low to mid-80s. overnight, partly cloudy. another mild start, indeed. start off temperatures on your monday will be in the upper 50s and lower 60s. then tomorrow afternoon, upper

80s. you know, you get south of culpepper into central virginia, there may be be a spot or to to make 90 kgz tomorrow. i don't think we'll do that tomorrow. the record high in washington tomorrow is 92. i think that record is -- today's record is 9 and that's safe as well. we're not breaking records but we're still 20 degrees warmer than average. then we get closer to average as we get toward late tuesday and wednesday. thursday and friday look great. a chance for some needed rain showers as we get into next week. and that rain chance late tuesday/wednesday, scattered showers. not more than 0.1 of an inch. might get a little pollen count down but today 80s -- >> the headaches have been gruelling, gruelling, gruelling. you have really bad headaches with pollen or what do you get? >> it depends. my allergies come later into may. >> okay. i'm hurting. i'm hurting. >> sorry. >> so far. >> all right, chuck, thank you. after an embarrassing mistrial the justice department is bulking up on lawyers as they

retry a baseball great. the prosecution in the perjury trial of former pitcher roger clemens has more than doubled from two lawyers to five. prosecutors slipped up last july when they showed jurors evidence that wasn't allowed in court, forcing a mistrial. clemens is charged with perjury and object constructi and obstruction of congress. he could face up to 30 years in jail if convicted. here's something you don't hear too often. it's good to be a d.c. sports fan this morning. >> that's right. the caps won. and the first place nats won yesterday. we have more in this morning's "sports minute". >> good morning, everyone. the stanley cup playoff series is headed back to washington tied one game apiece. for the second game in a row, goals were in short supply on both sides while stellar goaltending was not. game two came down to a second overtime period and niklas backstrom came up big. the goalie, braden holtby, ready to rebound after a tough game

one loss. scoreless in the second, alex ovechkin to the net and troy brouwer puts the caps on the board. see it again. defender greg zanon blocking tim thomas and brouwer hooks through the five-hole and ends over 161 minutes of shutout hockey for thomas. caps up 1-0. same score, third period, brian rolston, and powell yet. in overtime, holtly coming up big, stops the shot from patrice bergeron. holtby with with a career high 43 saves. later in overtime, thomas' turn now. turns away a shot from jay beagle, 37 saves for the veteran netminder, headed to a second overtime. almost three minutes in off the face-off. marcus johansen to niklas

backstrom and that is your game-winner. caps win 2-1, even the series one game apiece. afterward, backstrom said, this was a battle. >> it's going to be like this every game, i think. i mean, not a lot of chances five-on-five, so you got to make sure when you get the chances, you have to put them in. and i think last game was a nice shot. tonight we'll get pore lucky. >> that's a huge game. as opposed to having to go home and having to at least take one and probably two if we would have lost tonight. we're not going to to get too high in this win but we're going to, you know, enjoy it for a bit and go into game three. >> plus, it's important to win this game. you know, get the series tied. go back home and have home advantage. we're pretty happy. it was a long game.

and i think everybody was tired and needs some rest. >> so, the caps have a little momentum. game three is set for monday night at the verizon center. to baseball now, the nationals go for the four-game sweep of the reds this afternoon. the first three games of the series have been a pitching clinic. edwin jackson's one run complete game on saturday, nat starters have now gone 34 innings giving up just two runs. jackson retired 16 batters in a row. and finally the nats' bats threw in a little run support. edwin jackson making his first start at nats park, top of the third, gets some help from zach co-zard. high chopper to ryan zimmerman, bare hands it, get him at first. have you to love that defense. after this phenomenal play, look at the stretch by adam laroche. speaking of laroche, bottom of the inning, up with two on. how good has he been this season? that one's in the gap.

danny espinoza and ryan zimmerman come in to score. ten rbis in nine games for laroche. nats take a 3-1 lead. top of the eighth, jackson gets scott rolen for the final out. jackson, nine strike outs on the day. top of the ninth, one out away from a complete game. and he gets it. joey votto flies out to center for the final out. jackson throws his fifth career complete game and the nats win 4-1. they remain in first place in the n.l. east althout 7-2. soccer, d.c. united on the road visiting the new england revolution. 82nd minute, 1-1. they bend into the far right corner. first goal of the season is the game winner. united wins 2-1. the team's first win against the revolution in seven games. vesely and the wizards hosting the cleveland cavaliers. late in the third quarter, wiz

down four. vesely slamming it down. wiz down two going into the fourth quarter. six minutes to go. luke walton outhustles james singleton for the loose ball. casspi on the other end and cleveland back up nine. cavaliers win 98-89. lacrosse action, 108th meeting between maryland and johns hop kin. terps debut in the new maryland pride jerseys. michael shakespeare, to be or not to be, that is the question and he answers it right there. i guess it's to be. game tied 6-6. same score in the fourth quarter. owen bly behind the net decides, i'm going to take this one myself, fires, puts the terps up 7-6. bly with four goals in the game as maryland beats john hopkins 9-6. that's your morning sports. enjoy your day. >> two out of throw ain't bad. nats and caps doing well --. >> and the wizard season, you know, basketball is almost over.

you know, there's a high draft choice coming somewhere in the near future for them. >> somewhere. that was an amazing play. to catch that bare handed. >> have now and then it just makes you sick so many people have such athletic ability, you kn know. if that would have happened to me, i would have gone, no. >> you know that had to leave some kind of a mark. >> no. >> i think he was fine. >> really? >> he knows what he's doing. i go to catch a ball and it breaks a knuckle. >> all right. >> i would like to see that. >> oh, yeah. >> that's it for "news 4 today" we'll be back in 25 minutes with more news. >> you can join us again at 9 whoever said that "less is more" is more or less mathematically challenged. less isn't more, it's less. and the only thing more than more is a lot more. which is exactly what i get at embassy suites. more space... more down time. more family time.