we begin today with breaking news in silver springs. >> shomari stone is on the scene of a huge fire on terrace drive. shomari? >> reporter: that's right. let's get right to it. this is an active scene right now. that fire is actually burning right now as we speak right up that hill right over there. there are 125 firefighters who are trying to put this thing out. let's roll some video right now. there are still hot spots that are flaring up. firefighters will attack this thing. all of a sudden it will start sparking up again. they're battling -- this is a three-alarm apartment fire. on a scale of 1 to 10 the chief says he would rate this at an 8. 2100 block of terrace drive. called at 2:15. coming from a second floor garden style apartment. it quickly spread to other units. there are 20 different crews out here. many firefighters are trying to put this thing out. at one particular point the firefighters were evacuated from

the building. then they had to do what's called a defensive attack and actually really battle the fire from the circumference. the good news is that there were no reported injuries. however, there are 20 units that are damaged. firefighters are in the process of trying to locate and talk to these residents who have been displaced. back out here live, we'll have another live update for you coming up at 5:00. you'll also hear from the fire chief, scott graham. live here in silver spring, i'm shomari stone, news 4. today president obama made a surprise trip to afghanistan. he plans to address the nation tonight at 7:30. >> meanwhile, today marks exactly one year since osama bin laden was killed. steve handelsman has the latest now from the white house. >> reporter: president obama flew to afghanistan overnight in secret to enhance security. to be with u.s. forces in this still war torn nation. once the base of osama bin laden. on this first anniversary of the raid that killed the terror master mind.

to some, this is a pat on the back to troops still in harm's way. to others, it's the president patting himself on the back. making the bin laden raid part of his re-election effort. and republicans object. >> the president undertaking this victory lap and using this somehow to say that he's better than romney is really mistaken. >> reporter: mitt romney was in new york taking pizza to 9/11 first responders, firefighters, with former new york mayor rudy giuliani. giving credit today to barack obama. to everyone involved in the bin laden raid. >> from the president who authorized that attack to the intelligence community that worked on it for so many years. >> reporter: romney did complain about the obama campaign ad that questions if romney would have okayed the raid. >> i think politicizing it was -- and trying to draw a distinction between himself and

myself was an inappropriate use of the very important event that brought america together. >> half a world away, just by being where bin laden ordered the 9/11 attacks, president obama drove home to america. but he's the one who ordered the counterattack. the world is celebrating today. election analysts agree osama bin laden is not likely to be a big issue in november. republicans hope that's true. i'm steve handelsman, nbc news, at the white house. five men are now in custody in ohio accused of plotting to blow up a bridge near cleveland. they were arrested late last night when they allegedly tried to remotely detonate some fake devices they had bought from undercover fbi agents. the suspects range in age from 20 to 35. authorities say at least three of them are self-described anarchists. they have been plotting the bombing for many months. but authorities say there's no evidence they are tied to any international terror group or

that the scheme had anything to do with the anniversary of osama bin laden's death. nbc's pete williams will join us at news 4. two men are dead today after two separate stabbings in the district overnight. the first happened here about 1:30 in the 4500 block of coral street northeast. police tell us 34-year-old lamont da vor of northeast was found unconscious and not breathing from a stab wound to his stomach. less than an hour later officers found another man stabbed near the intersection of fifth and florida avenue in northwest. 32-year-old dwayne brisban of upper marlboro was behind the wheel of a car that had been involved in the flash. witnesses say he had been in an argument just prior to the crash. the thousands taking part in may day protests across the country. in new york city they marched

against corporate america. organizers planned to block bridges and tunnels leading into and out of manhattan. in san francisco ferry workers rallied against rising health care costs and for higher pay. here in washington, occupy protesters and labor groups will be marching to the white house at 6:30 this evening. they're calling for a strike against commerce. dominique strauss-kahn has lost a round in a new york courtroom today. the housekeeper who accused him of sexual assault can move forward with her civil lawsuit. strauss-kahn tried to use a claim of diplomatic immunity to get the claim dismissed. the judge rejected that argument. the hus keeper says he tried to rape her when she cleaned his hotel room last year. it led to criminal charges that end ended strauss-kahn's political career. those charges were later dropped amid questions about the accuser's credibility. now to decision 2012 and the latest on the republican presidential race. after finishing poorly in five

primaries last week newt gingrich plans to suspend his campaign effective tomorrow. today he thanked supporters in a video message on his website. >> but i wanted to thank you personally and let you know that when we do announce officially on wednesday that we're suspending the campaign, it'll be with great thoughts of those who were with us side by side all these months and want you to know that without you, none of this would have been possible. thank you, and i look forward to working with you for a better future for america. >> gingrich does not mention his republican challenger, mitt romney, in that video message. but he does say he will continue working to defeat president obama. the motives of two key witnesses in the john edwards trial are being called into question today. edwards' attorneys say they're cashing in on the scandal. and that gives them incentive to lie about it. jay gray reports now from north carolina. >> reporter: sherry young returned to the federal courthouse and the witness stand today. sharing with jurors what she

described as her family's hardships, heart ache and unwavers loyal to john edwards. >> when she broke down, that showed a new dimension to this human element drama. she showed that the young family was very much affected by what happened. >> reporter: at times angry and aggressive in her testimony, young outlined an intricate plan to collect money from wealthy donors and cover up edwards' affair with reyeel hunter. >> i think sherry young has become the government's star witness. >> reporter: painting a pick dhur of the former presidential candidate and his mistress as manipulative, greedy liars. >> sherry young was able to take this case, take the focus off of her husband and put it back on the defendant, john edwards. that's just what the government needed. >> reporter: looking to shift that focus this afternoon during cross-examination, the defense pointed to inconsistencies between young's deposition and testimony in the case and questioned her motivation and memory. but young pushed back, telling the court any issues in this case center on her claim that, quote, mr. edwards did not come forward and tell the truth. >> she's turned into a

counterpuncher. it's hard to know what the defense can do with that. >> reporter: what the defense will try to do is highlight the fact that the youngs have admitted they kept a majority of the money intended to hide the affair. but sherry young has an answer for that as well. >> her reason in essence is there was no amount of money that could have made up for what john edwards put her and her family through. >> reporter: a series of events that have been described like a soap opera and that continue to play out in the courtroom here. and while the focus here has been on the salacious details of an affair and alleged cover-up, most legal analysts agree it must soon give way to the question at the heart of this case. whether john edwards knowingly broke any campaign finance laws. in greensboro, north carolina, jay gray, news 4. in texas storm chasers with the weather channel drove their tracking truck straight into a massive hailstorm. and then they began recording. this video was taken yesterday when meteorologist mike bettes and his team monitored dark

clouds. a violent storm propelled huge hailstones at their truck, shattered glass and damaged a side view mirror. aside from some tense moments, the team did make it out okay. plenty of damage, even some evacuations after tornadoes hit a northern oklahoma neighborhood last night. the twisters knocked out power to hundreds of residents in grant county. they're also blamed for an ammonia leak there that forced the evacuation of a small town. the leak has been capped and the crews are now working to clear debris and restore power to that area today. there were no serious injuries. after a wet start to our day, temps are taking off now. >> this day is getting better with age. meteorologist veronica johnson is here with the latest. >> hey there, guys. yeah. maybe the first of may here. but sure does feel like june. yeah. hi temperatures today in the 80s with also a touch of humidity. take a look outside, though. we've got some clouds that have come back into the area after a break with all that sunshine. 82, it is the warmest, the

highest temperatures we've seen around the area since april 21st. as far as what we're doing right now with other locations, 81 degrees up in frederick. cleveland park and shaw coming in at 82. 84 in la play ta, vienna and maryfield in fairfax county also at 82 degrees. close to 90 in char l charlottesville, virginia. it's down to the south where most of that cloud cover is. we've got a wind out of the south and southwest. we're seeing some real thunderstorms just south of charlottesville. they're under a severe thunderstorm watch for southern portions, extreme southern portions of the state of virginia right now. areas of north carolina. until 9:00 p.m. those storms should stay well out of our area. it is going to be mild. a touch humid, too. 81 by 7:00. 72 by 11:00 p.m. on your fast forecast, a mild and humid evening for us. a few showers tomorrow morning. we're going to continue to watch those storms. i'll tell you what our chances of getting thunderstorms in here

coming up in a couple of minutes. andy pet i.t. took the stand today in the roger clemens perjury trial at the federal courthouse in northwest. clemens is accused of lying to congress in 2008 when he testified that he never took steroids or human growth hormone. pettitte and clemens were cloes friends and former teammates. pettitte is now one of the government's key witnesses. he's expected to testify that clemens told him he used human growth hormone. clemens says pettitte, quote, misremembers the conversation. the cavs are back home after surviving that close game up at madison square garden last night. alex ovechkin put the cavs up 3-2. that was the winning goal. best of seven series is now tied at one. game three and four at the verizon center. game three tomorrow at 7:30. when news 4 continues, deejay pauly d. shows off his

abs to complain weight game rumors are wrong. it didn't take long for jessica simpson to give birth. her quick pregnancy and the name she picked for her new daughter. do you double dip your chips? cane joins us from hot 99.5 with all the hot talk and the scoop on double dippers. ♪ >> erin willette rocked the house in hollywood last night. did you hear? we caught up with her after her live performance on "the voice." we'll go live on the set coming up at 4:30.

never in my lifetime did i think i could walk 60 miles in 3 days. if my mom can fight and beat breast cancer, i can walk 60 miles. (woman) the fund-raising was the easiest part. people were very giving. complete strangers wanting to help. i knew someday i was gonna do this walk. if i can do this, you definitely can do this. we can do this. we can all do this together. (man) register today for the... and receive $25 off your registration fee. because everyone deserves a lifetime.

the wait's over. singer and fashion mogul jessica simpson gave birth today to a baby girl. simpson and fiance eric johnson named their daughter maxwell drew. she weighed 9 pounds and 13 ounces. simpson gave birth not long after arriving at a los angeles hospital today. on her website she wrote, this has been the greatest experience of our lives. >> good for them. deejay pauly d. is proving to fans he isn't giving up on the gym and his gtl which stands for gym, tan, laundry. the "jersey shore" store tweeted yesterday to hush up rumors he's been gaining weight. he posted these shirtless photos just to prove he's still in

shape. the rumors started last week after he made an appearance at a party in las vegas looking a little bigger than usual. "us weekly" reports pauly d. did put on about 20 pounds. a source tells the magazine that's all muscle. >> seven abs if you're counting. ♪ two music powerhouses are joining forces on stage. jennifer lopez just announced that she will be touring this summer with enrique iglesias. the concert tour includes stops in 20 cities. here at the verizon july 28th. tickets go on sale this friday. in lopez's words, quote, we are gonna give you everything we got. meanwhile singer mariah carey is having a sound of music moment. she performed a concert on top of a mountain in austria. the concert was part of an annual event marking the end of ski season.

carey admitted performing at such a high altitude caused problems for her voice. she said the beautiful venue was worth it. she and her husband, nick cannon, are celebrating their twins' first birthday. carey said after a year of being a mother she's still learning how to balance it all. >> it's very difficult for me to balance it all. but, you know, i'm working on a couple songs right now with -- with certain people. and i want to keep certain things a secret. but really excited. like, i couldn't be more excited about what i'm doing. >> on saturday, carey and cannon celebrated their fourth wedding anniversary in paris. they renewed their vows at the eiffel tower. they like height. >> yeah. thinking while driving can cause an accident. are you okay with people double dipping in the salsa bowl? you okay with that, pat? >> no.

not at all. and the concept of flipping goes from houses to the dogs. >> yeah. >> here with details is cane of hot 99.5. "flipping out" is a tv show many of us know involving houses. you've got a story about flipping dogs? >> most of us are dog lovers. we have dogs. see pictures on twitter. here's the thing. is now because of the economy, some people are flipping dogs like you'd flip a house. listen to this. this woman put an ad on craigslist for her chihuahua named munchy. for free to a good home. two days later, she sees the same ad for a chihuahua named munchy for $250. the humane society says this is happening. people are grabbing dogs for free from homes. then grooming them, getting them cuter, if that's possible, and then trying to sell them online. they suggest taking a pet that maybe you don't have room for either to pat's house, because she always has room for them --

>> you got to be doggone desperate to do something like that. >> or a no-kill shelter. absolutely. >> the dog's confused. they're being used. >> they have no idea. this happens all the time. especially with breeds that are in demand where you can get a pretty penny for some dogs. apparently double dipping, cane, is now okay when it comes to chips and salsa when shared by a group. >> who says? >> it's never okay. they asked young people, they said, if we had a big thing of salsa in the middle of the table, is it acceptable if you're on a date, if you're out with friends or you're with family? those under 35, 71% said it's perfectly fine. here's the thing. things, you know, salsa, queso come with germs normally. double dipping doesn't add that much. myth busters actually did an episode on it. they found it really isn't exponentially more. the worst thing you could do is stick your face in it. no.

it's true. they said putting your tongue or mouth in it is bad. only 28% of people said it would be acceptable on a first date. after the second date that dips back down. >> bets are off. >> okay. all right. >> strap it on the face, kibbles and bits style. >> we should know this. we shouldn't text or talk on the cell phone. we all know that. and drive. now researchers are saying that even waiting for that phone to ring is a distraction. >> yeah. university of washington did this story. they found that even thinking about your cell phone ringing could lead to an accident. they devised some sort of cell phone overuse scale. they found for every one point increase in the scale, there was a 1% increase in possible accidents because of distracted driving. university of washington did this study. if you use your phone compulsively, you're much more inclined to get into an accident. even if you're thinking about pulling over to use your cell phone.

no talking. no texting. no cell phone. only thing you can do is listen to the cane show tomorrow morning. safety first. >> safety first. >> safety first. >> what you got coming up tomorrow? >> imagine a private jet. your own security. all this to fly you down to miami to hang out with maroon 5, flo-rida and gym class heroes. we already have 22 winners going. we'd like to put you on this private plan. you get a chance to win tomorrow. >> doesn't get any bigger. >> no. y'all are coming, right? >> we'll be listening. we can't win. >> you're coming with me. you're guests of me. i know you. >> thank you. >> you're all famous and on tv and stuff. >> first class, private trip. >> sounds like a trip. coming up next, facebook makes it easier to donate one of your organs. you don't owe these people anymore. >> the new dark knight rises trailer debuts

♪ ♪ ♪ [ male announcer ] virtual wallet can help you be that person who's good with money. see what's free to spend. move money with a slide. save with a shake. feel good about your decisions.

hey, big day here at news 4. was that our third or fourth piece there for me? this afternoon we celebrated veronica johnson's birthday. she had a cake. doug cammer surprised her with

some big balloons. toe don't you love the way these meteorologists can order up 80-degree days on their birthday, the timing? >> i said we should have had one huge party. in just a period of a few days it's doug's birthday coming up with, it's chuck's birthday coming up. the party is going to continue. i hope we do have some nice weather, too. we're talking about temperatures going way up by the end of the week. close to 90 degrees. hope you liked the 80s today. only thing about the 80-degree heat, a few folks were complaining about the touch of humidity. did you notice it? >> already. >> a little sticky. 82 degrees right now. dewpoint temperature at 59. it's been right above 60. that's one of the things we're not used to because we've had that cold air around us for so long. west wind at eight miles per hour. a little breeze coming through. winds even tomorrow are going to be rather light. check out the temperatures to the north of us.

82 in mt. airy. 82 in leaesburg. close to 90 around charlottes v charlottesville, virginia. hefty thunderstorms making their way east and southeastern around farmville, south boston, martinsville. a severe thunderstorm watch for the whole area. southern virginia down through north carolina until 9:00 p.m. aa lot of light wng that as well. storms should stay south of our area. we're going to be mild. some cloud cover for the evening hours. 72 by 9:00. look at how we start tomorrow. awfully mild, too. 60 to about 65 degrees. just like this morning we had some showers around. there's a chance for some more showers tomorrow morning. i don't think it's going to be as heavy as what we saw south of the area. the fact is, again, still another weather front kind of

b bowing back and forth through our area. storms firing up for tomorrow. we'll watch this front make its way a little bit more to the north. we'll have some cloud cover around once again. partly cloudy to mostly cloudy. best chance of showers and storms will be during the afternoon. there's 5:00 tomorrow. right along that front. we do it all over again for thursday. but with the heat really rising by the end of the week. 70 to 76 degrees for your evening with the sun setting at 8:02. a warm start to the day tomorrow. again, humid. some showers around. 56 to 62. here's a look at tomorrow afternoon, folks. up to 82 degrees. again, just like today, keep a watchful eye on the sky for any showers. maybe the potential for some thunderstorms. i really think that we will increase the chance for some storms around here tomorrow. so a little higher, close to 87 on friday. >> all right. >> going to feel like june. >> thanks. coming up next on news 4 at 4:00, it was an emotional conversation. ryan o'neal talks about farrah

fawcett. and we're going live to the set of "the voice" as erin willett finds out if she's made it to the [ mosquitoes buzzing ] ♪ [ female announcer ] repel mosquitoes without spraying your skin. try off! clip-on repellant. in minutes, its fan surrounds you,

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welcome back to "news 4" at

4:00. i'm pat lawson hughes. >> d.c. police are looking for a suspect in the stabbing death in northwest last night. 32-year-old dwayne brisbon was found behind the wheel of his crashed vehicle. witnesses say he had just been involved in a street altercation. family members say he'd been out celebrating a work promotion. pat collins will have more in a live report at 5:00. president obama made a surprise trip to afghanistan today to sign an agreement detailing u.s. commitment after the war ends. he also plans to address the nation tonight. his trip comes as the nation marks the death of the world's most wanted terrorist. it's been a year since the daring raid that killed osama bin laden in pakistan. on wall street, the dow ended the day with its best showing in four years. at the closing bell, the dow was up 66 points to close at 13,279. the nasdaq also up about four. the s&p was up about eight points. today's trading was fueled by a

better than expected manufacturing report. some big performances on last night's semifinal round of "the voice." >> tonight the top eight will be reduced to four. among those hoping for a spot on the big finale is erin willett of gaitersburg. >> she was on fire. stephanie stanton is live in hollywood with a recap of last night's big show. stephanie? >> reporter: hey, jim and pat. indeed she was on fire. in just a few hours we're going to learn which of the top eight will make it -- excuse me. which of the top eight will make it to the final four and compete for the finals to make it to "the voice." ea erin willett did a fantastic job last night. she sang the classic ballad "without you." let's take a listen. ♪ i will never be the same without you ♪ >> reporter: erin has had so many strong performances throughout the course of this

show. after last night's show i had the opportunity to speak with her on the red carpet to talk about the emotional reaction she had after singing this song. >> i -- i connected to the song through that vein of just, you know, missing my father and not having him here pipt also was one of those moments that i just kind of took everything in. i was trying to just keep it all together and i kind of -- you know, my emotions kind of came like a whirlwind. i was like, no, please! >> reporter: as you know, erin has had a challenging time here dealing with the death of her father during the blind auditions. and so, you know, she just is such an incredible person. she talked about just the emotions of being here. she said she's so happy to be a member of the top eight. she says they're all like family. they're all so different. and she's excited to see who moves forward to the finals. >> she is facing some stiff

competition, stephanie. including that former backup singer who belted it out last night. >> indeed. you know, that's the thing about this show. all eight performances last night were incredible. there was not a weak link in the house. and that's what's so amazing about the show. the styles are so different. i mean, it's not really going to boil down to who's a better singer, who's a better performer, but really what style america is going to lean towards. just to give you an idea of who is the favorites from last night, we took a look at the itunes top 100. juliette sims made it all the way to number five. lindsay paveo at 14. katrina parker at 24. ja mar rogers at 26. unfortunately last i checked erin was not on the itunes top 100 download. again, she's got so many fans. we'll wait to see if she moves forward. >> tough competition and great entertainment. thanks a lot, stephanie. another big night on nbc.

tonight "the biggest loser" is crowned. three contestants are finalist. kim kneelson and brother and sister team jeremy and conda. the person who has lost the most since they left the ranch weeks ago will be named the winner. tonight that winner will take home $250,000. the live finale starts at 8:00 right here on nbc 4. it's down to the wire there. you don't owe these people any more. you've given them everything. >> not everything. not yet. >> we're getting a first look at what's expected to be one of the summer's biggest blockbusters. the third trailer for ""the dark knight" rises" was released last night. to tease the final installment of the critically acclaimed "batman" trilogy. that hits theaters july 20th. >> after ryan o'neal appeared

the "today" show this morning, he's battling prostate cancer. >> in an emotional interview today o'neal spoke to matt lauer about the book which details his tumultuous 30-year relationship with the late farrah fawcett. >> cancer is a disease that also claimed the life of farrah fawcett. >> yeah. >> back in 2009. now you have written this memoir. a lot of it focuses on this relationship. often turbulent relationship between the two of you. why did you write the book? >> well, i wrote it because i missed her. and it was a way to keep -- keep the line between us going. i still felt she was nearby when i wrote this. she was close. >> o'neal was supposed to appear on the "today" show yesterday but he canceled at the last minute because he believes he had a panic attack. there is more to come on "news 4" at 4:00.

"news 4" at 4:00. facebook makes a new addition to never in my lifetime did i think i could walk 60 miles in 3 days. 60 miles in 3 days is-- is huge. if my mom can fight and beat breast cancer, i can walk 60 miles. you just put one foot in front of the other, and you know that you're walking for such a great cause that you just keep going. (man) that you have all these people coming together for one common goal. (woman) the goal is to bring an end to breast cancer. (woman) the fund-raising was the easiest part. people were very giving. complete strangers wanting to help. if i can do this, you definitely can do this. (woman) i'll never stop walking, not till we find a cure. (woman) and it has to end, but it starts with us. i knew someday i was gonna do this walk. it is the most rewarding experience i have ever had in my entire life. we can do this. you can do this. we can all do this together. (man) register today for the... and receive $25 off your registration fee. because everyone deserves a lifetime.

the world's largest social network is now connecting people in a unique way. today facebook unveiled an organ donor initiative. ceo mark zuckerberg says it will allow users to instantly enroll as organ donors via a series of links on the site.

facebook users who are already organ donors can add that information to their timelines. zuckerberg says his friendship with apple co-founder steve jobs helped spur the program. jobs' life was extended by a liver transplant before he died last year. time to check out today's daily deals. >> today there are -- there a couple -- there are a couple of live entertainment options, rather. >> first up on groupon, pay 23 bucks for a ticket to see lupe fiasco. the chicago born rapper is performing this thursday night at the patriot center in fairfax. you may recognize his most recent hit "the show goes on" which was the first single off his latest album, "lasers." >> save on an upcoming d.c. united game. pay 17 bucks. see our team take on the colorado rapids. the game is may 16th. more than 600 fans have picked up on that deal so far. >> still a couple of days, too. don't forget, you can download our own nbc 4 iphone

app for free to stay up to date on the latest news and weather on the go. search nbcwashington on itunes. when "news 4" at 4:00 comes right back, an update on conjoined twins who are now separated. also ahead, serious jury questions in the guilty verdict or about the verdict involving a millionaire on trial. [ mosquitoes buzzing ]

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we all love the summertime weather. but summer comes with storms. >> exactly. not really an issue for us today with a little bit of humidity and a little bit of warmth. it will be, i think, tomorrow a bigger issue during the afternoon hours. here's a snapshot. you can get an idea. some storms down to the south. even some storms up to the north and west with highs tomorrow that will be about what they are today. right around 80 degrees. 77 in leesburg for tomorrow. 80 in fredericksburg. 78 hitting a high around pax

river. again with a good chance for afternoon storms. here's a snapshot taking it through the next two days for you. today, 7:00 p.m., those storms down to the south. early tomorrow morning, a few showers coming through the area. it really could be anywhere from hagerstown toward frederick. a better chance tomorrow afternoon. that'll be any time after about 2:00. with tomorrow's showers and storms, with those thunderstorms, we could see some high wind. we could see a lot of lightning. we could have some moderate to perhaps even heavy rain coming through. maybe even a little bit of hail. those storms up until about 7:00 or 8:00 p.m. thursday more showers coming through the area. here's a look at 5:00 p.m. both days we're going to be in and out of the clouds. you'll want to keep a watchful eye on the sky. later tonight, your temperatures will be heading down into the 50s. upper 50s to low 60s. high tomorrow again right around 80. 78 for thursday with a 40% chance of showers. then a 30% chance, more showers

and storms on friday. friday's the day we could get that real, real warm air in here. 87 to about 90 degrees for a high temperature on friday. i know. you're going to go, woo! at least the weekend's coming up, right? we are going to be cooling down a little bit for the weekend. 82 degrees for a high on saturday. right now a 30% chance of showers and storms. over the next couple of days we are going to be a little unsettled. i think finally we get a break from it all on sunday. high 76. early part of next week we're back to the low 70s around the area. some brief warmth for us. >> all right. a preview of summer. coming up, together and apart. twin girls from san jose, california, continue to captivate their community and the medical world. >> the 2-year-old girls were born conjoined. but underwent separation surgery about six months ago. mary ann favro has their story. >> reporter: when they were born, they shared more than most

siblings. they were connected at the chest and abdomen. known as ica and ina, the girls struggled to walk. until they underwent a ten-hour separation surgery at lucille pack card children's hospital. now the girls are thriving. and for the first time running. >> my first reaction, i'm so very happy and i'm very thankful to god. because i see them now playing like other normal baby, kids, like that. and when i saw them running and jumping, oh, i'm so -- i'm so happy for them. >> reporter: doctors say the girls' recovery is progressing well. >> this is what we live for. we want it to be inapparent that they've been through what they've been through. >> reporter: since the surgery the twins have been more outgoing. enjoyed separate play dates. and embraced big dreams. >> you just ask them who will be the next "american idol" and

they will say, me, i will be the next "american idol." and they will say their name. and they will sing and dance. >> reporter: the girls may not fit together the same way. but they're not complaining. because now if ina wants to sleep, ica has the freedom to keep on playing. >> the twins will turn 3 in august. it'll be their first birthday celebration since they were separated. >> they look so happy. >> isn't that a wonderful story? >> what babies take for granted. we just don't know. coming up next on "news 4" at 4:00, actor sacha baron cohen is at it gain. the week leading up to the kentucky derby. coming up on "news 4" at 5:00, ethics training for the secret service. professors from johns hopkins helping the agency in light of that recent scandal in colombia. holding pet owners accountable for attacks. you know, owning a pit bull or

even renting a home to someone with a pit bull can make you vulnerable to a lawsuit in maryland. coming up on "news 4" at 6:00, mcdonald's at the center of an olympics controversy. find out why some people are

this crazy event has become an annual prelude to the kentucky derby. welcome to the annual derby

festival great bed races where people make go-cart contraptions out of their mattresses and race them around a track. it took place yesterday in louisville. more than 40 teams took part. an award went to the bed that finished first along with prizes for best decorated bed, most entertaining bed and people's choice. watch the kentucky derby saturday here on "nbc 4." comedian sacha baron cohen is at it again in australia promoting "the dictator." as you might expect, the jokester arrived in character wearing medals over his quantus pajamas. he was accompanied by female bodyguards. he said he wanted to gelt drunk with the embattled speaker of the house who's battling allegations of sex harassment and misuse of funds. "the dictator" opens may 16th here. still ahead on "news 4," dog food sold in the dmv on the recall list. concerns today over how

toothpaste is not formulated for cleaning dentures,

the abrasives in the toothpaste actually create those micro fine scratches in the denture, and that's where bacteria can grow and thrive. these are the very bacteria that can cause bad breath. dentists do recommend that you soak your denture in polident. polident doesn't scratch the denture surface, and it kills 99.9% of bacteria that are responsible for causing bad breath. by using polident and soaking your denture every day you can feel confident your dentures fresh and clean.

dog food distributed in maryland and virginia has been recalled because of salmonella concerns. diamond pet foods announced today it's recalling dry dog food in 40, 20 and 8 pound bags.

it's kcalled diamond puppy formula. so far no dogs reported sick. it was made in the same south carolina plant linked to mold contaminated food that killed dozens of dogs back in 2005. a bomb shell admission during a hearing involving the manslaughter trial of a florida millionaire. in march jurors found john goodman guilty in the drunk driving accident that ended in a death. now a judge is trying to find out if juror misconduct led to the verdict. mark potter has details. >> reporter: multimillionaire polo club owner john goodman came to court in west palm beach wearing a jailhouse uniform and handcuffs. for a hearing about whether jurors in his trial may have deliberated unfairly. as suggested by the defense. goodman was convicted in march of dui manslaughter, found guilty of driving his bentley through a stop sign while intoxicated. then smashing into a car driven by 23-year-old scott wilson, flipping his car into a canal where wilson drowned.

the case drew national attention after goodman adopted his 42-year-old girlfriend to protect his fortune. >> sorry about dragging you back down here. >> reporter: one by one jurors were brought before the judge and were asked if they discussed their verdict before the trial ended and if they were influenced by knowing that goodman is rich. >> was that your decision at that time? >> reporter: seven jurors and alternates denied any misconduct. when the judge questioned juror michael st. john everything changed. >> did anybody ever say to you or in your presence or suggest that they'd heard enough evidence, they'd made their mind up and they were going to vote one way or the other? >> yes. quite a few comments like we know he's guilty. let's just sign the paperwork and go on. >> now, was that during the deliberations or was that -- >> that was prior to that. >> reporter: st. john then said he felt pressured by other jurors to render a guilty verdict. >> the verdict that you

rendered, was that an accurate reflection of your view of the case? >> no. >> so you think he was not guilty? >> yes. >> reporter: a legal expert suggests this could be grounds for a mistrial. >> it's not easy for a judge to accept the voice of a single juror when all the others dispute it. but if it's a close case, in the interest of justice, the judge could consider granting a new trial. >> reporter: outside the courtroom goodman's lawyer, roy black, said he'll fight for a fair verdict. >> if i am not assured of that, we're going to continue to seek to have a new trial. >> reporter: but the prosecutor said the trial and verdict were fair. as did the attorney for the victim's father. >> a verdict was rendered. they all agreed to it. a juror cannot have a change of heart after the verdict is rendered. >> the judge says he'll rule on friday or on monday about whether there will be a new trial. now at 5:00, a raging fire spreads through an entire apartment complex. >> we begin tonight with some breaking news in silver spring.

>> firefighters battling a three-alarm blaze at an apartment complex there. let's go live to news 4's shomari stone live on the scene. what's the latest? >> reporter: i just got an update from assistant fire chief scott graham. he says this fire is completely out. investigators have begun trying to figure out exactly what caused the fire. let's take a look from chopper 4 from up above. the fire has displaced at least 85 people on the 2800 block of terrace drive in silver springs. 125 firefighters battled the blaze and heavy smoke after they were called out around 2:00 this afternoon. the fire started in a second floor apartment. let's take a look at some of the ground video. it quickly spread into an attic and damaged at least 20 units. firefighters put it out a short time ago. it was really tough because it was really hot out here. at one point they had to retreat and actually battle the blaze from the circumference. that's called a defensive attack. one firefighter was hurt in the blaze. he's going to be okay. the fire did not hurt any residents.