>> ledecky's a gold medalist. >> look at her face. that was priceless. good morning. welcome to this very early edition of "news 4 today" on this saturday morning, august 4, 2012. >> angie is off this weekend but there is so much excitement

about katie ledecky. if you hadn't heard it before, you definitely know it now. i was at her highs school, sacred heart -- >> say that again, you were at her high school. >> she's going to be a sophomore. she just finished her freshman year. all the girls are wearing these shirts. >> everybody is asking where did this girl come from? >> well, she came from right here in bethesda! maybe her story will inspire many others to start swimming. let's find out if today will be a good day to hit the pool. >> good morning. a good day to be getting out to the local ponds and streams and river on the whole. up need to keep an ear to the sky. we'll have rumbles of thunder later on this afternoon.

the minute you hear thunder, that is your first and best time to move to safety off of the field of play. still 80 degrees in washington. believe it or not we've actually seen a few random little sprinkles during the overnight hours. a couple of rain drops here just to the west of i-95 near fredericksburg. another day in the steamer. high today, mid to upper 90s. a far greater risk of thunderstorms on your sunday. kind of hit and miss over the weekend. get your pool time in before 2:00 or 3:00.

>> it's been a week of dominance at the pool for team usa. but this morning will is a new golden girl. >> that's right. and we have a new hometown hero. we're talking about 15-year-old katie ledecky. >> she is the new american record holder. dan has more on her incredible story from london. >> garcia is the closest to her. forget about it. ledecky 15 years old is going to win the olympic gold. ledecky is a gold medalist with a new american record. >> i felt great. i knew i had to calm down and just -- i knew that the crowd would be there for rebecca ad

li -- adlington. >> it goes down as the second fastest time in history. >> were you aware of how fast you were swimming? >> i thought it was pretty fast since i was that far ahead. i actually thought at one point if this is close to the world record and i mitt it, i don't care, i just want to get my hand on the wall first. >> team usa's younge esest olym was remarkably composed. but suddenly the moment hit her. >> honestly i remembered and it was a dream come true. >> the entire family who to wait nearly three hours after the race to see their baby girl.

>> we just can't believe it. then i found out later that she broke the american record by two seconds. one and a half seconds. i mean, wow! couldn't believe it. >> and what's next for the soon to be high school sophomore at stone ridge? >> i'm really excited to go back home. >> when do you think coach will put you back to work? >> pretty soon. i'm excited to get back to work, though. >> we have much more coverage coming up. can you get the latest news any

timeline. >> it's another hammer blow to the struggling middle-class families of america because the president has not had policies that put american families back to work. >> we still have too many folks out there looking for work. we've got more work to do on their behalf. >> analysts say the unemployment rate is causing businesses and consumers to become more and more pessimistic about a possible recovery. >> one of hollywood's popular actors backed romney as a nominee. the "dirty harry "start attended a romney fund raiser in ohio. >> president obama has taken a day off of campaigning today because it's his birthday today. the president's birthday wish might be to stop all of his

opponents' political ad. romneynd the super pacs that support him outspent the president by more than $14 million last week. romney has dominated the president over the past two months. richmond and norfolk are two are of the markets receiving the most ads from residents and candidates. >> residents in neighborhoods will try to get some answers on what they're doing to keep their neighborhood from flooding. bloomingdale residents are angry their homes have flooded repeatedly in storms. d.c. water blames the problem on an outdated sewer system and says it will take more than a decade to complete improvements. >> new this morning, university of maryland police are looking for a person who they say fired a gun near campus. officers arrested two other people just before 1:00 this

morning but the third person got away. police haven't said what led to the shots fired or whether anyone was hurt. they also haven't released a description of the gunman, who is still on the loose. >> three people are in the hospital after a vicious collision in prince georges county. three people were pulled unconscious from the cars and police say that they're still working to get the cars out of the wooded area. all of the injuries are serious but not life threatening. still no word on what led to that crash. >> one is dead and two others injured after a support beam at a mall of america parking garage crushed a u-hall truck. the driver was killed. two other passengers got out of the truck. police say the driver most likely misjudged the height of

the truck when he tried to get into the garage. >> you may need extra time if you're taking the metro this weekend. crews are going to be doing work on the orange and red lines. service should be back to normal in times for monday morning's commute. >> the time right now, 5:09. next, why law enforcement from all across maryland will be rounding up young children this morning. >> plus predator on the prowl. the warning in northern virginia about wild coyotes. >> and hail to the redskins. why you may want to get

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good morning. today is child victim awareness day. the family of a teen murdered ten years ago will spend the day helping other parents learn how to better protect their own children. we have more on how erika smith's parents are keeping her memory alive. >> it's been nothing but stress, hurt and pain. >> reporter: the parents have waited ten long years for their daughter's killer to be found. >> every day is a struggle. >> reporter: the rising high school freshman disappeared july

29th, 2002. she was on her way to visit a friend, her body discovered 11 days later. >> this is an animal. i feel that this is a monster. what he's done is very, very cold blooded. >> reporter: a vigil was held friday night at crossroads united methodist church in ash burn. >> erika was basically a good spirited person. she loved everybody, loved everything. >> reporter: friends and relatives lit candles and had a moment of silence. per best friend was among the speakers. >> there's not a day that goes by i don't think about erika. >> reporter: erika's parents have not given up hope that her killer one day will be captured. >> we believe law enforcement will get this individual. we believe they're going to bring him in. >> i just pray to god that whoever is responsible for doing

this to our daughter is caught and put in jail for a long, long time. >> reporter: darcy spencer, news 4. >> people in fairfax are being told to keep an eye out for coyotes in the area. the warning comes after three coyotes attacked a dog after it was playing a trail yesterday. coyote attacks are not common. >> we don't want people to think it's unsafe due to the coyotes. it's probably more than likely just an isolated incident where maybe the dog came across them when they were going from point a to point b. >> police say coyotes are most likely roaming around at night so residents should bring in pets when it gets dark. homeowners should make sure there's no food outside as the coyotes are simply looking for an easy meal. >> today is already a good day to start thinking about heading back to school. this weekend is virginia's

tax-free shopping weekend for school supplies. most items under $20 is included. you will not pay tax and clothes and shoes under $100. >> does it make a difference? especially when you're buying $100 worth of clothes? >> it does. because they both wear uniforms. it does make a difference to save money on tax-free weekend. >> anything to get people out into the stores. maryland's tax-free holiday is just around the corner also. that will run from august 12th to august 18th. >> today kids will be picked up, go bowling and buy school supplies and clothing for school at walmart. the students were selected to take part by their school's

counselors. crazy, it's already time to go back to school. >> can we talk about the steak lunch they're going to get? we are counting down to an historic moment in space. one of nasa's most anticipated landings that should happen this weekend. >> and chuck will have your forecast next. >> and a bit of olympic trivia as we head to break. how many sporting events are featured in this year's summer games? the answer straight ahead.

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good morning, everyone. we are less than 48 hours less than one of nasa's most anticipated landings in year. >> the rover curiosity will be keep to determining if and when men can land on the red planet. >> reporter: it's being called the most important nasa mission of the decade. to search for the basic building blocks of life on mars. >> it's our best chance so far of going to mars and finding possible environments that in the past could have been habitable. >> reporter: these scientists

and engineers at the godard space might have center are doing experiments to take place of the $2.5 billion mission. >> we never had this tool set to examine mars. >> inside this chamber is a model of the instrument on board the rover curiosity. it will analyze the martian atmosphere, environment and soil samples. >> we want to understand what is mars, what is it made of and is the soil and the add moss fear a potentially habitable spot for life. >> but first the rover has to land. it's huge. ten feet long and one metric ton, the size of an suv. the cap actual will have only seven minutes to slow down when it enters the martian atmosphere traveling at more than 13,000 miles per hour. nasa calls the landing seven

minutes of terror. >> part of the seven minutes of terror is simply not knowing until the rover has landed whether it's landed or not. >> curiosity's destination, a deep crater with a three mile high mountain and rich layers of martian soil. landing here will be tricking. >> imagine launching from florida and landing in pasadena at the rose bowl on the 50 yard line on something the size of a frisbee. >> reporter: nasa will wait 14 minutes to see the very first pictures after the landing. >> after the landing it will take 14 minutes to see the first pictures back here on earth. it is one of the many instruments conducting tests on the rover. >> we were in bed by then by it rained and it's muggy. >> i only live four miles from

the station but by the time i left the roads were wet. i thought it rained overnight? >> you should know these things, doug. >> i was sleeping. i can't those these things whilst sleeping. don't turn your back on rain drop chances for the remainder of your saturday and unfortunately your sunday as well as rain chances will be back. plenty of humidity this morning. stick your head outside and you'll notice exactly what i'm talking about. le 0 degree at the airport. typically our highest dew points of the whole summer, only around 74, 75 degrees. most of your weekend is going to be very hot and very humid. 80 in town, 72 in annapolis, bristo virginia, hagerstown.

there's a little rain shower west and north of fredericksburg. be on the lookout, might get a little three-minute-long burst of rain drops this morning. way down across southwest and virginia, that's all part of the lift that's coming in our direction for later on today. that extra bit of lift will generate shower and thunderstorm chances this afternoon. not looking for a a big chance of severe weather but any thunderstorms that bubble up, take them seriously and get inside. highs today mid 90s across the area. perfect weather for getting in a beaucoup body of water. a front will take some of the

edge off of the heat as we get into monday. ahead of that, watch for severe thunderstorms on sunday. if you're making the drive over the bridge and down to the beach, low to mid 90s at the coastline. if you're watching the olympics for today, there's your london forecast. partly to mostly cloudy, risk of showers around second part of the day for london. around here, partly sunny, really hot and quite humid once again. thunderstorms likely around by later on this afternoon into this evening. 96 today and 95 tomorrow but heat index values will be over 100 from about 1:00 this afternoon till about 5:00 or 6:00 this evening. a real ugly, hot day on the outside. and since we've got different news hours, you should stay

ahead of the forecast by following me on twitter. >> get the umbrellas out today. big question, how many olympic sports are there in the 2012 games? >> no need to google. the answer is 26. there were 28 sports in the 2008 beijing games but baseball and softball were eliminated as events for 2012. >> womp womp. miss the baseball and soft ball. >> we have baseball around here, though. >> you know you've made it when you make the cereal box. gabby douglas will be on box of corn flakes cereal. the special edition corn flakes box hits grocery store shelves this fall. >> these teen-age girls, they are just tearing it up at the

olympics. >> they are. they are smoking folks out there. >> zachary joins us this morning. what's up next? what's on tap for today? >> i like that cereal box. what happened to the wheaties box? >> corn flakes is a little brand for me. >> i don't want to say it's second level but i grew up with the wheaties, i grew up with the whe wheaties. >> i get that but kelloggs is a big sponsor, come on. >> track and field is going to take center stage today. >> and felix takes command of the race and starts to pull away as they come to the finish. >>s u.s. got off to a slow start but still cruised to a win in

the qualifying ouround. felix is competing after tying for third in the u.s. trials were jennifer tarmo. so here's felix. she has never medaled in the 100. >> here locally the nationals will look to bounce back tonight after a tough loss last night to the marlins. but it wasn't all bad. miami won game two of a day-night doubleheader 5-2. carlos lee drove in two runs for the marlins with a single in the sixth and gonzalez picked up the loss. the nats were victorious in the opener yesterday. the nationals now hold a two-game lead over the braves in the nl east. today the redskins are celebrating you the fan. they are holding their annual

fan appreciation day. fans will get a chance to pose with the team, super bowl trophies and also get a chance to get together with some of the cheerleaders. that might be worth your trip right there. there will be ralphs for autographed helmet, jerseys and football to go along with it and all players and coaches will be available for autographs and pictures after practice. they're telling you to get there early. parking lots open at 8:00al with gates opening at 9:00. practice will get started about noon. admission and parking is going to be free for. >>. the team is advising fans to come early. last year 29,000 people showed up to the fan appreciation day. it's a pretty big event out there. >> 29,000, i'd say so. >> so how many are there for the players, how many are there for the cheerleaders? >> i don't know. typically they're probably 50/50. >> stay focused, guys, stay focused. >> this year i'm sure there's

moore there for rg3 and all the other guys. coming up, we're going to see what's going to kick off tomorrow. tomorrow kicking off with a preseason game. in the next half hour, we're going to put together a spotlight feature story on equestrian jumping. i had a chance to catch up with riders locally and see what the judges are looking for in a gold medal event. >> thank you. >> and demolition day at a maryland prison. >> and also ahead, the turn of vants after actor cuba gooding, vants i hate getting less.ding, but i love getting more.

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[ female announcer ] free breakfast. more room. complimentary drinks. embassy suites. get more. good morning. you are looking at some live pictures of london. what a nice days over there. >> i know. it looks absolutely gorgeous. >> they really haven't been living up to their reputation of being dreary and gloomy the past week or so. looks like a nice day for some

olympic games. the u.s. is in the lead now with 43 medals, one more than china. russia is in third place with 23 tota medals and host company great britain is now in the top five with 22. >> and one of those medals is the first for a three-time olympian. look at this guy go. the georgia native launched a throw of 69' 8". >> michael phelps will swim in his last event today. he already has five medals in

these games, including two individual gold. he is the most decorated olympian in history. he goes for medal number 22 later this afternoon. you can watch his final race live online at 3:27 this afternoon and catch it in primetime right here on nbc4 starting at 8:00. >> enough bragging rights to have some swag to last a lifetime. 22. man. >> what more is there to say? >> yeah. great guy. >> meanwhile, back here at home, we have some showers in a few spots. >> i didn't realize till i woke up this morning and saw the ground was wet and said, oh, i guess it rained. >> we desperately need the rainfall around here. a lot of yards and gardens are shriveling up under the withering heat. we need the rain. but mostly temperatures are in the 70s around town. once you get into the urban

centers, temperatures are in the low 80s in these spots. one or two lonesome little rain drops out there, primarily out to the south and west of washington right now, inching their way up the west side of i of 9 -- i-95. you folks in manassis, don't surprised if you don't get a little rain shower today. one or two of them could be severe. expect high heat and humidity today. high about 96. that will make three days in a row 95 or higher here in washington, you guys. >> thanks so much, chuck. the former uva lacrosse player convicted of tilling his ex-girl friend wants his sentencing delayed until october. a jury convicted huguely earlier

this year of murdering love. he's scheduled to be sentenced later this month. >> and baseball legend call ripken says he is still rattled about his mother being kidnapped two weeks ago. police are still searching for the man who kidnapped her, tied her up and drove her around for around 24 hours. he eventually released her and she wasn't hurt in the incident. >> mom is doing pretty good. it's a traumatic situation that she was involved in, traumatic for all of us in the family and we're trying really hard to come together and support each other in this, but mom by and large is a tough, strong woman, was able to endure this. but she's doing pretty good. >> a bill board has since gone up of the possible suspect. anyone with any information is asked to call police

immediately. >> kubina gocuba gooding, jr. w face charges. last week a bar employee accused gooding of shoving her. she claimed she's trying to calm him down after other patrons wanted him to pose for pictures. earlier in the week she said she didn't want to press charges in the case. >> one of maryland's oldest prison will soon be no more. inmates are tearing down the maryland house of corrections in jessup. it was ordered shut down after two correctional officers were stabbed. one of them died. prison officials say inmates taking apart the facility are learning valuable skills, like asbestos abatement, saving taxpayers millions of dollars. >> and today hundreds if not thousands of moms are expected to gather at the mall to raise

awareness to breast feeding in public. moms and their little ones will take part in the great nurse-in. organizers say they hope this will help remove the social stigma of nursing in public. the event goes from 9:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. and it's part of world breast feeding week. >> chik-fil-a continues to be a lightning rod of controversy after the ceo's comments against same-sex marriage. this is days after thousands packed stores in support of the fast food restaurant. protestors gathered to stage their own demonstration. jackie bensen was there for the chik-fil-a kiss-in. >> it is unlikely that when the framers of the u.s. constitution crafted the first amendment they were envisioning this summer's chick-fil-a flap. but the right to freedom of

speech got a good airing. these women participated in a national same-sex kiss-in. they chose not to kiss. it was organized by gay rights groups to protest comments made by chik-fil-a's president suggesting gay marriage is against god's will. >> it affects our equality and affects our rights that we can't get married as everybody else does. >> reporter: free speech was also on the minds of these chik-fil-a patrons. >> this is america. you can be whoever you want to be, say whatever you want to say. these people, all they do is give money to a church and they're a successful business. same with walmart. there's no hate here. >> franchise owner came out and told the demonstrators they were welcome to stay. >> we serve you with honor,

dignity and respect every day. >> tonight's protest comes just two days after a nationwide chick-fil-a support day. franchise owners say the overall effect has been to increase business. >> the time this morning is 5:40. how you can relive a childhood pastime in northern virginia today. >> and police have a pretty good idea of what sparked a devastating wildfire in oklahoma city. >> and an inside look at the skill, the thrill and even the danger of

many visitors come to washington from out of town during the summer. most of them, though, don't bike here. today more than a dozen cyclists will compete in a cross country trip from washington state to washington d.c. they left with two goals in mind, make it to the capital and raise as much money as possible for the american lung association. they've each raised at least $6,000. pretty nice. >> if you want to give your kids some ideas for what they can do with their legos, go to the dulles expo center this weekend. it features more than 100,000 square feet of lego creations. can you vote for your favorite design and win prizes. >> did you used to play with lego is? >> little bit. nothing as elaborate as what is

over there. >> and today a look at what's inside this week's edition of "kidspost." >> it's almost time for bag to school. joining suss traity gran-- us i grant. >> you have cool transitions for kids. >> absolutely. we have some great back-to-school gear to get them back to school. >> it's a great back pack. >> this is a great back pack from pottery barn. it's got lots of compartments and it's well padded. it's $45. for older kids with more books, you'll want to go more with an

l.l. bean backpack. >> we have two lunch boxes we're featuring. moms will love this, not to be sexist, but this is really easy to wipe out. it has no seams in it. girls will love the colors. as a really cool accessory, you can fill this with carrot sticks and pretzels and when you're done, it collapses down to this nice size. this lunch box from land'snd e was designed by five kids from wisconsin. this cold pack can wrap around whatever it needs to keep cold. >> and for the locker, tracy. >> okay. decorating lockers has long been a favorite of girls. >> i remember that. >> it's gone to a whole new scale. this is a locker chandelier. it lights up. you hang it from the top of your

locker. it's $16.99. it's a splurge but it's so much fun. and of course every locker needs its own shag rug. >> and this is the latest version of a trapper keeper that i used to have. >> absolutely. this is from american products. it's really nicely done. it's only $12.99. it includes things like little pockets for flash drives. and for keeping yourself organized, this great pencil case, lots of compartments. it's only $2.97. >> tracy, thanks so much as always. for fun family activities, visit washingtonpost.com. >> thinking about going back to school. seems like the summer has passed us by. >> some kids have already started school. a couple others are dreading the

last couple weeks of summer. >> summer vacation, kids, is ticking away like sands through the hour glass. yes, indeed. what about your weekend forecast? i'll talk about the heat and humidity next. >> and how old is the oldest u.s. olympian in these games? 44, 49 or 54? the answer i

release me, momigus! that's mom to you. and you should eat something that's good for you before you go outside. never!

come on james. it's a new fiber one chewy bar. chocolatey and delicious. fiber one chewy bar, huh? mmm. refueled space captain james. [ male announcer ] new fiber one chewy bars. great taste kids love plus calcium and fiber kids need. more wildfire woes out west. in oklahoma city, flames have destroyed 25 buildings. police believe someone intentionally set these wildfires. witnesses report seeing people throwing burning newspapers out of the window of a truck. police have yet to find the driver.

incredible video. >> tough going for them. and blazing hot. that's 110 without anything to do with the flames or the heat index or anything like that. and as is so often the case having lived out there for many years. when it's really hot out there, the wind is a-howling out of the south. hopefully they'll be able to get a little break from the heat. i don't see where that's going to happen for the folks out west. for us, another day in e steam bath. temperatures will soar well into the 90s on your saturday afternoon. we topped out at 96 yesterday and 96 on thursday as well. and i have a feeling that about 95, 96 degrees is pretty much where we're going to end up today as well. might even be 97 because of the heat building day after day. it's still 80 degrees. that's the 5 a.m. temperature here in washington. dew points are in the extremely uncomfortable range, up in the

mid 80s now. 74 in hagerstown, 70 for martinsburg, 68 in winchester, virginia. a chance for random sprinkles this morning. these little rain drops here are northbound. you folks out towards briscoe, if it lives long enough, you'll have a little five-minute rain shower this morning. steady rains to the west of us and that's coming our way. thunderstorms will be brewing by about 1:00 or 2:00 in the afternoon. not everybody is going to get wet. we'll call them hit-or-miss storms today. whether you're hit or not, it's going to be hot.

plenty of steaminess for today. a real muggy stretch. tomorrow afternoon this humid air mass will spark possibly severe weather coming up on your sunday afternoon. making the trip down to the beaches today, temperatures low to mid 90s in ocean city with an isolated shower. most of your beach time will be dry and across the pond in london partly cloudy,. for us hot and humid today. there's your extended forecast, 96 today, 95 tomorrow with scattered rain showers through the afternoon hours and staying generally through the 90s next week. back to the news. >> now we have the answer to our olympic trivia. the question we asked you earlier, how old is the oldest u.s. olympian in these games?

44, 49 or 54? >> that answer 54. karen o'connor is an equestrian competitor. she's not the oldest olympian in 2012. that title goes to hiroshi hoketsu. 71 and she's an olympian. >> she's an equestrian, too. >> that's incredible. i can barely make it out of bed in the morning. to be 71 competing in the olympics, amazing. >> this weekend we'll see qualifying for the equestrian jumping in london but what exactly are the judges looking for? >> i don't know. zachary has the answers. >> we wanted to get a better idea of what it takes to compete at the olympic level so i visited the pros at the great meadows foundation in plains, virginia. it takes a special communication between the rider and the horse.

>> this is called cross country. the water jump is the most dramatic one to watch because it makes a big splash. you have your horse going several miles, you jump ditches and it tests the bravery of the horse and your ability to seasoned them at these high speeds and bring them back and doing very technical jumps. >> you don't start at this level. for those competing today, the confidence and command they have comes after years and years in the saddle and finding the right horse. >> not every horse can come out and do this. you can't force them. you find the ones that absolutely love to. we could do dressage. >> despite all the practice, don't think even the pros are immune from the butterflies.

>> they can sense it, yeah. but a little bit of nerves is good. you don't want to go out there riding with no fear because then you're going to do something stupid. you want to respect the course going out there. it's good to have a little adrenaline and nerves out there. >> show jumping requires a different type of horse. this one, icon, loves nothing more than to get out there and go. >> smoothness is key. you want to look at the horse ears technique, if they're lifting their legs high, if their body is getting high over the fence. . if it looks like it's easy, it's probably easy for that animal. if a horse looks like he's just getting over it, it's probably a little above their level. >> it still comes down to communication. >> it's about the animal. there's nobody that's a bigger horse fan than us riders. when we find a horse that can

jump big jumps we find ourselves very blessed. >> you can check out the qualifying around at 3:30. look out for the show jumping team going for their third consecutive gold medal. there's dressage, show jumping and eventing. and the ability to communicate with your horse like that is pretty amazing. >> it's like who's the real athlete, the horse or the rider? maybe it's a team sport. >> i this it is. >> and beautiful animals to look at, they're amazing. >> and not cheap either. >> i know, i doubt that. >> you've been watching a special hour of "news4 today." we'll be back at the top of the hour. stay with us. [ crows cawing ] [ male announcer ] strange things happen

in the black forest. [ metallic bell toll ] [ car speeding down the road, lightning strikes ] where things aren't always what they seem. [ wolves howling ] because thrills hide in the shadows just waiting at every turn. [ coaster whoosh ] brave the black forest on verbolten. the all-new multi-launch coaster. only at busch gardens.

ledecky is a gold medalist! >> i just focused on my own lane and it really paid off. >> can you say that again. this morning cheering on the hometown girl as katie ledecky swims her way to an olympic gold medal. >> plus it's all about the fans today at training camp. >> thanks for joining us on "news4 today." >> it's probably not a bad weekend to be off because even

though it seems like there were a few showers earlier this morning, you may be in the clear. >> but it's going to be another warm one, right? >> chuck bell, fill us in. >> you're going to find this afternoon to be very hot again. just like the last few days, temperatures will once again reach well into the 90s this afternoon. and there will just like the last few days be opportunities for cooling showers and thunderstorms. but not everybody is going to get wet. just like the last couple days, your chances are a little better closer to chesapeake bay and skyline drive. there's a few lonesome rain drops moving just to the east, southeast of the town of remington, virginia, first thing this morning. don't be surprised to get a few

little sprinkles around this morning. then sunshine around 1:00, 2:00 and then thunderstorms will bubble up. upper 90s today. scattered thunderstorms likely for your saturday and for your sunday as well. tomorrow storms are a little bit more likely on your sunday and they're more likely to be strong to severe as well. just keep a weather eye to the sky as you make your plans but you'll have plenty of dry hours to enjoy your weekend. >> thanks. it's been a year for the youth at the olympics. this morning team usa has a new poster girl. >> and we've got a new hometown hero. >> ledecky is a gold medalist with a new american record! >> 15-year-old katie ledecky of bethesda is coming home with the gold in women's 800 meter freestyle. she blew away her competition beating the silver medalist by not one, not two, 4 seconds, folks. she set the new american record

for the distance and became the youngest person ever to win the race. the entire aquatics centre went nuts. >> we were at ledecky's high school as she earned her first gold. >> katie, katie, katie! >> the students at bethesda's stone ridge school of the sacred heart have watched their classmate swim laps around the competition before, but not in the olympics with a gold medal at stake. >> usa! >> 15-year-old katie ledecky performing in her best event. the 800 meter freestyle event streamed live. 200 of her friends and classmates gathered to see team usa's youngest swimmer. >> she can't even drive yet and

she's already at the olympics. >> the students wearing ledecky t-shirts. but the pride is not just on their clothes, it's on their faces. >> pretty much all that anybody talks about. >> reporter: the stone ridge switch coach who had her compete for the school is proud of her performance. >> she's a fabulous kid who also happens to be a world class athlete. >> she's the most modest person you'll ever meet. you wouldn't even know if you talked to her personally that she was an amazing swimmer because she never really talks about it. but she's such a sweet girl and she really deserves it. >> there are already plans in the works for a home coming party when ledecky returns from london with her gold medal. here's what some people are saying on twitter. one person says, "wow, this 15-year-old kid just blew them

out of the water, good job ledec ledecky." another said "this 15-year-old girl is amazing." >> and finally, "forget michael phelps and lochte. missy franklin and katie ledecky are the future of swimming. holy cow, you are some fast ladies." >> we have highlights of all of today's action and get a preview at nbcwashington.com any time. >> and the latest jobs report is on everybody's mind. it's a mixed bag of results. employers added 163,000 jobs last month. more than expected but unemployment ticked up about to 8.3%. president obama and mitt romney both commented on the numbers offering their take on the economy. >> it continues a pattern of

american families really struggling, having a hard time and the president's policies are to blame for not having gotten the economy back on track. >> you still have too many folks out there looking for work. we've got more work to do on their behalf. >> reporter: analysts say part of the problem is the unstable economy that's causing businesses and consumers alike to be more pessimistic about a possible recovery. >> and president obama has gotten support from most of hollywood but romney picked up the endorsement of dirty harry. clint eastwood announced he backing the republican nominee. he said that the country needs a boost and that romney is the man to do it. the actor and director attended a romney fund-raiser last night in idaho. >> the commander in chief turns 51 today and will enjoy a late birthday celebration next weekend in chicago. he might use some his birthday money to step up a number of his

political ads. romney and the super pacs that support him outspent the president by nearly $14 million in the past week. the majority of ads for both sides are in battle ground states. richmond and norfolk are it would have the markets receiving the most ads from both candidates. >> and university of maryland police are looking for a person who they say fired a gun near campus. officers arrested two other people just before 1:00 this morning but the third person got away. police haven't said what led to the shots being fired or whether anyone was hurt. they also haven't released a description of the gunman, who is still on the loose. >> three people are in the hospital this morning after a bad crash in prince georges county. three people were pulled unconscious from the cars and police say they are still working to get the cars out of a wooded area.

all of the injuries are serious but not life threatening. still no word on what led to that crash. >> one person is dead and at least two others injured at a support beam at a mall of america parking garage crushed a u-haul truck. police say it was trying to drive in the garage when it hit the beam and the beam then fell on the truck. the driver was killed. two other passengers were able to get out of the truck and are in the hospital. police say the driver likely misjudged the height of the truck when he decided to drive into the garage. that parking area is closed until it can be checked out by structural engineers. >> crews will be doing track work on the red and orange line. buses will replace trains on the red line. over the the orange line you'll have to take a bus between vienia to east falls church. the time right now, 6:08.

next, a family's mission today to prevent you from feeling their heart ache. >> plus, predator on the prowl. the warning about wild kicoyote. >> and coming up, we'd love to

release me, momigus! that's mom to you. and you should eat something that's good for you before you go outside. never! come on james. it's a new fiber one chewy bar. chocolatey and delicious. fiber one chewy bar, huh?

mmm. refueled space captain james. [ male announcer ] new fiber one chewy bars. great taste kids love plus calcium and fiber kids need. today is child victim awareness day. the family of a teen murdered ten years ago will spend the day helping other parents learn how to protect their own children. erika smith was found murdered in 2002. her killer has never been found. erika's parents say they haven't given up hope their daughter's killer will someday be caught. >> i just pray to god that whoever is responsible for doing this to our daughter is caught and put in jail for a long, long time. >> this is an animal. i feel that this is a monster.

what he's done is very, very cold blooded. >> police announced last year that they had identified a potential suspect in the case but they haven't made an arrest yet. >> fairfax residents are being warned about coyotes in the area after a pack attacked a dog. three coyotes attacked a dog while it was playing with its owner on a trail. the owner chased the coyotes off and the dog is expected to be okay. police say while people should be safe while in the parks, coyote attacks are not common. >> we don't want people to think it unsafe due to the coyotes. it's probably more than likely just an isolated incident where maybe the dog came across them when they were going from point a to point b. that could have caused this particular incident to occur. >> police say residents should bring if their pets when it gets dark as coyotes are more likely to come out at night.

>> can you believe it, this weekend is virginia's tax-free shopping weekend for school supplies. most items under $20 like paper, opinions, binders, all that's included. the discount is drawing people from d.c. and maryland to virginia. >> does it make a difference, especially when you're buying $100 worth of clothes? >> it does because they both wear uniforms. >> maryland's tax-free holiday is just around the corner. it will run a full week through august 12th through august 18th. like you need another excuse to go shopping, right? >> the olympic games may inspire to you work out. >> but hold off. before you go all in, expert advice so you don't overdo it. >> note to self, all right, i'll sit at home and watch then. and an early morning rain laid the groundwork for a steamy

saturday ahead. >> but first, a piece of olympic trivia to share with your friends. do you know there are 350 miles of temporary cables for broadcasting the 2012 games? i didn't know that. we'll te [ crows cawing ] [ male announcer ] strange things happen in the black forest. [ metallic bell toll ] [ car speeding down the road, lightning strikes ] where things aren't always what they seem. [ wolves howling ] because thrills hide in the shadows just waiting at every turn. [ coaster whoosh ] brave the black forest on verbolten. the all-new multi-launch coaster. only at busch gardens.

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. wow! that feels really good. you can adjust it to whatever your needs are. take it up one notch. my sleep number is 50. i'm a 45. and now, for those interested in trying memory foam, sleep number introduces our new memory foam series the only beds that combine cradling memory foam with the amazing dual-air adjustability of the sleep number bed. the memory foam bed that's perfect for couples. so whatever you feel like, sleep number's going to provide it for you. memory foam just found its better half. sleep number. hurry in now and enjoy introductory savings of $500

on our most luxurious memory foam bed set... and two free coolfit pillows! plus, a special financing offer. final days! ends august 15th. only at one of our 400 sleep number stores, where queen mattresses start at just $699. so we all know that working out has plentsy of positive

benefits to your mind, to your body and to your soul. but is there something like overexercising. >> my goal was to come under 25 minutes for a 5 k. >> chris admits he was never a runner before but when he decided to join a racing series last year, the thrill of competition became addictive. >> once you started winning, it's very contagious. >> so he started training harder, running longer distances and adding boot camp classes. but it was all starting to take a toll on his body. >> i just hit a point where i couldn't walk anymore. >> reporter: georgetown hospital physical therapist scott eply says he's seeing more and more patients like leer, who are

overexercising and taking their activities to extremes. >> there seems to be that psychological, that type of a personality. >> reporter: in the last 12 years, the number of people finishing marathons as completed by 50%. the number of yoga practicers have exploded in the last decade. new boutiques are opening up. >> the fear of getting fat, losing structure in their life, not being desirable. >> reporter: people with eating disorders often use exercise as way to control their lives or escape. it becomes a problem when it gets in the way of social

activities or relationships and when it starts to affect their body physically. >> unfortunately the way people know is they start to get pain. >> it comes from overuse injuries usually, bone stress, shin splints. >> chris suffered a stress fracture and had to take a break from running. after a few months on rest, he's back running now. >> for me it's an internal drive to keep going. >> physical therapists tell us it's not how much exercise you're doing but how fast you ramp up when training and don't wait to see a doctor if an injury comes out and does corsen. earlier in the week on one of my

runs i was still out at 7:30 notice morning. i was all be overheated at 7:30. temperatures today way up into the 90s again. pu are gring to go out on your morning jog or bike ride, go on out there now and get it done before 8 or 8:30 in the morning. temperatures could be above 90 as early as 10:30 or 11:00 this morning. that is pretty much the time at which you need to be stopping all of your activity. temperatures this afternoon well up into the 90s, as i've mentioned. we've seen a couple of sprinkles in the area first thing this morning. most of us will have to wait until later on this afternoon until we get much in the way of rain chances in the area. temperatures early on your saturday morning, already 80 degrees in washington. dew points are in the mid 70s and only a light little wind now, generally out of the south at 5 to 10 miles per hour. southerly winds will help to increase the high temperatures

and high levels of humid testify that we have outside. already 81 in nn andless, 75 in fredericksburg and there are rain drops toward this southern county. as you can see, the coverage area of this hour is nominal at best. with all the daytime heating that's going to take place, we will be able to bubble them and that being said, just about anybody could be later on today. temperatures into the upper 80s near 90 by 10:00 and low 90s by 6 p.m. only about a 30 to 50 chance of hours here july.

then tomorrow i really area late sunday into monday. good news because we desperately need the rain. most of your time on the sand will be spent complaining about how sunny and hot it is. if you're watching the olympics today, sitting in the comfy air conditioning, cool and showery weather in england today. our forecast, hot and steamy, the complete opposite of london around here today, mid to low 90s. tomorrow we'll actually have a severe weather. over the next couple of days just about everybody should be rained on at least once. some lucky folks will get rained on three times in the next two days. >> if you consider yourself lucky. >> have you seen hough brown the grass is? that's luck.

>> thanks, chuck. meanwhile hooters is spreading its wing and targeting female customers. >> that's what she said. >> since when are you funny? >> you know what? i think she likes you. >> really? >> no. >> the chain is rolling out new ads and new men up items to appeal to a broader, younger audience, including women. that's according to advertising age. hooters restaurants will also be remodelled. >> nice. >> yeah, sure. i like chicken wings. i like chicken wings. absolutely. good hot wings. can we go for some olympics today? >> we, we can. >> you guys familiar with michael phelps? >> he must be amateur. >> i've heard of him once or

twice. >> today he's america's greatest swimmer, will get into the olympic pool for the last time and he's still not making his mark. >> he gets it done! phelps over le clos. >> last night he won his specialty, the 100 meet butterfly. he was in seventh place after the term but hustled back to win his 17th gold medal. one more is up for grabs later on tonight. he's also the first swimmer to win the 100 meter fly in three consecutive lick pim games. >> on the home front the nationals split with the florida marlins. excuse me, the miami marlins. the nats pulled out the which

winning 7-4. the nationals now hold a two-game lead over the braves in the nl east. >> today's your chance to get a look at the new and improved washington redskins. the team is holding its fan appreciation day. autographed helmets and jerseys will all be up for grabs. all the players and coaches will be available for autographs and pictures after practice. parking lots own at 8:00 a.m. today and the gate open at 9 with practice slated to start at 12 noon. admission and parking is free for. >>. the team is advising fans to come out early. last year more than 29,000 people showed up for this vant. it -- event. >> and it's probably going to be

a more hype with rg3. soap, hey, it's here. >> i don't know if you guys realize this but i'm actually a hidden athlete. >> really? >> oh, yeah. i've got some olympic skills. >> i have skills. >> just watch. >> wait. >> well, that's not me. but i did actually try out some gymnastics retunes with the gymnasts there. >> on tape? >> it's on tape. some things had to be permanently erased from the archives. >> i can't wait to see that one. >> i don't buy it. >> you'll see it, you'll see it. >> dvret for that one.

good morning, folks. now that olympic events are winding down, we pick up the traction so far. >> and w

good morning, everyone.

welcome to "news4 today." fans are already packing olympic park around the calderon. today marks the second week of olympic competition. >> and the u.s. holds a slight lead in the medal count. team usa now has 43 total medals, one better than china. we also lead in the gold medal count with 21. russia is now in third place with 23 total medals and host country great britain is now in the top five with 22. today starts a very big week at olympic park for track and field. some of the most exciting competition is about to start. the tricky weather may also become a big factor. tracie potts has more from london. >> track and field resumes this morning on a soaked field after another downpour. we'll see the world's fastest

man, beaten at trial by fellow yohan blake. carlitta jeter. >> it feels so good. >> i'm feeling it right now. >> long jump, javelin and the 800 meter complete today's heptathlon. this is one of six track andfield and this is it. today the last time we'll see michael phelps in the water. he's expected to swim in the men's relay after winning his 21st career medal. what's next? >> relax. for the first time in my life be able to relax.

>> skeet shooter kiemm rhode ai for another medal. with a record five straight wins, she goes for more. >> two local rowers will return from london without any medals. they finished sixth in the double sculls. >> sara and i have been underdogs through most of our career. it's the people back home who have supported us. it's cool. >> shumway and trowbridge might have finished sixth out of tn teams but they weren't even expected to make the finals of the competition. what do you think about that?

>> i think it's amaze. just to be there. >> so you can say i'm an olympian. >> let check with what the weather is going to look like today. >> because if you hadn't noticed last night, it rained last night, right, chuck? >> no rain downtown. it was krief at the white house this morning but it is not completely dry everywhere. most locations gray color of early summer now or late summer. we finally made it below 80 degrees at the airport. now on annapolis remains above 80 degrees and all the western shore communities early this morning. had a few rabe drops a little while ago. they are drying up, though.

not much of a rain threat here this morning. we'll get breaking out into some sunsheen here in the next little while but storms will be brewing by 1:00 or 2:00 this afternoon. highs today 95 or better for the third day in a row. stormier weather for tomorrow. may have to worry about severe comi coming. >> george huguely's lawyers claim that prosecutors never told them yardley plans to u. >> former ball players cal ripken, jr. says his mother is still shaken up after being abducted since the suspect drive

her around for 24 hours. he then dropped her back off in her neighborhood unharmed. >> mama's doing pretty good. it's a traumatic situation that she was involved in, traumatic for all of us in the samly, and we're try really hard to come together and support each other in this. but mom by and large is a tough, strong woman, was able to endure this but she's doing pretty good. >> police have put up a bill board with a sketch of the potential suspect. they've asked anyone with information on the abduction to contact them immediately. >> cuba gooding, jr. will not face charges in connection with an alternate he had at a new orleans bars. misdemeanor battery charges were dropped against the award

kiddinge winner. >> inmates are tearing down the maryland house of correction in jess up. governor martin o'mali ordered it should down that year after two correction aufs were stabbed. one died. enmates are learning valuable skills like asbestos abatement. >> today mothers are taking part in the great nurse-in to help raise aware neness of breast feeding in public. the event goes from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and it's part of world breast feeding week.

>> the chik-fil-a debate raises on, days after thousands showed their support for the fast food restaurant. groups supporting gay rights packed store for what they're calling the chick flan. protesters say it's a sim issue civil rights. >> it kwaekts i can. >> it april pierce the controversy is actually helping the fast food restaurant. franchise owners say they've seen an increase in business since the president's comments. >> incredible. 2,700 miles and 45 hours. that's how long it takes to drive cross country. >> but what inspired one group to make that very,very long trip from washington state to washington, d.c. on their bikes. >> and a new health alert

[ crows cawing ] [ male announcer ] strange things happen in the black forest. [ metallic bell toll ] [ car speeding down the road, lightning strikes ] where things aren't always what they seem. [ wolves howling ] because thrills hide in the shadows just waiting at every turn. [ coaster whoosh ] brave the black forest on verbolten. the all-new multi-launch coaster. only at busch gardens.

many visitors come to

washington from out of town during the summer. most of them, though, don't bike here. >> i don't think so. today more than a dozen cyclists will complete a cross country trip from washington state to washington d.c. the riders left seattle in late june with two goals in mind, number one, make it to the nation's capital and, number two, raise as much money possible for the american lung association. they've each raised at least $6 fair there is a $7 parking fee per car. it runs from 9 a.m. todaynd 5 p.m. today. >> scientists confirmed a new strain of swine flu but researchers are quick to ount out there's no at lot of concern

for another potential pandemic. scientists found another strain of swine flu in indiana and hawaii. we're pe teng >> it's best to wash your hands before and after contact with animals. >> it isn't often that you hear a contest about fact hair and women are invited to participate. >> and the competition for wearing fake mustaches will be. i didn't know you carried a fake mustache with you. just pop it up just like that.

>> threw go. >> the "today" show is next. let's find out what they're working on. lester hold joins us live this morning. >> i used to have a mustache. it wasn't fake, it was the real deal. kind of mace it sometimes. another historic day for the u.s. swim team. this is team usa's youngist olympian, 15-year-old katie ledecky wins gold. she made it look so easy. she'll talk to us live this morning. and we'll hear from princes william and harry as they open up about their olympic experience so far. if you thought driving a cab was crazy, wait till you see the training a london cabbie has to go through. believe it or not, eight four-year process.

>> we're all excited to hear katie ledecky from bethesda. >> our hometown girl! >> great story, great story. >> thanks, lester. >> now how about the weather? >> well, let's just say that the weather won't finish as far ahead of the competition as mislead ekky did. >> well, i don't think nen --ús3

a family of four is in the hospital this morning after

being struck by lightning. two adults and two children were eating under a tree in wilmington, delaware friday when the strike occurred. the mother, who is pregnant had a red arm and complained of numbness. all four are expected to be okay but earlier this week a lightning strike on the jersey shore sent another pregnant woman and three of her family members to the hospital as well. >> out west raging fires are forcing dozens of people out of their homes near oklahoma city. the flame already destroyed about 25 buildings there.[g; the degree temperatures are fueling the fire. >> we desperately need the rain.

>> we're not going to be coping with anywhere near the weather they are yesterday. oklahoma city topped out at 113 degrees. that tied the all-time record high temperature in oklahoma city in 113. it was set back in the dust bowl years, 1936. it's only the second time they've ever made 113 in oklahoma city. they might do it again today. we won't be quite that bad. but it's going to be steamy and hot in the washington area today. you can tell by the early morning camera view, nothing but gunky haze all over the city. no blue sky for us, sort of that hazy gray shade of summertime out there. 79 at national airport but humidity is at 83% first thing this morning and dew points well up into the low and mid 70s will

make for a very humid day today. heat index values between about 1:00 and 5:00 this afternoon will be well over 100. 68 in winch and front royal, 72 in culpepper, manassis, leesburg, if you're headed out to redskins park for fan appreciation day today, pack some extra water and take your shade breaks. take your shade break, lightweight, light colored sta5 highest this afternoon up in the mid 90s with storms starting to brew after 1:00 or 2:00 this afternoon. and into the day tomorrow, a chance for thunderstorms coming in. this is at 11:30 tomorrow night.

that weather front luckily appears it's going to come here overnight into monday. see for today if you're headed on down to the beaches, low to mid 90s at the coastline for today and for tomorrow with only the slightest little chance of a cooling shower. for us temperatures right around 96 today. about a 50% chance of scattered showers or thundershowers today. same potential for showers tomorrow but tomorrow's chances will be a little bit stronger, stronger chances for severe thunderstorm tomorrow, lingering into the front half of your monday. a little break for the heat and humidity coming your way by the middle of the week. >> we're on weird hours for the news offer the course of the weekend. you can always stay ahead of the weather by following me on twitter. i'll twit out radar images and updates. >> we have certainly seen how

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the only beds that combine cradling memory foam with the amazing dual-air adjustability of the sleep number bed. the memory foam bed that's perfect for couples. so whatever you feel like, sleep number's going to provide it for you. memory foam just found its better half. sleep number. hurry in now and enjoy introductory savings of $500 on our most luxurious memory foam bed set... and two free coolfit pillows! plus, a special financing offer. final days! ends august 15th. only at one of our 400 sleep number stores, where queen mattresses start at just $699. the global ready one ? yeah, but you won't need... ♪ hajimemashite. hajimemashite. hajimemashite. you guys like football ? thank you so much. i'm stoked. you stoked ? totally. ... and he says, "under the mattress." souse le matelas. ( laughter ) why's the new guy sending me emails from paris ? paris, france ?

verizon's 4g lte devices are global-ready. plus, global data for just $25. only from verizon. all right. now to the science of the olympics. >> science. >> zachary is back to spotlight london. >> we talked about the olympians themselves but we haven't talked

too much about the venue. as the greatest swimmers battle it out in london, you may want to take a note of the pool itself. it's one of the most high-tech pools ever built. the nbc news teamed up to explore the science of the olympics. >> from its iconic wave-like roof to its majestic swimming pools, the london aquatics centre is a feat of design and engineering. this venue will not only showcase the top swimmers in the world, it will also feature one of the most technologically advanced pools ever built, something competitive swimmers call a fast pool. >> you kind of learn as you go along, you go to all these different pools, what you like and don't like.

>> what elite swimmers like missy franklin don't like is water turbulence. >> if we have a lot of kids in one lane, it's almost impossible to really go fast. >> to minimize the amount of waves at the olympic pools, engineers have used a combination of vietnam pools are designed in such a way to minimize waves, to dissipate energy. you see engineering everywhere when you build these pools. >> the bottom of the pools can be adjusted to different depths. long the sides and ends of the main pool, engineers have lined it with a special trough designed to swallow waves, preventing them and their energy from rebounding back into a player's line.

and the final 50 meters of the lane are designed to quell waves. >> when the wave hits the lane line, it begins to spin. >> with its a=phxé9@3 and engineering, the london aquatic centre will damage fans from around the world. >> it reminds me that back in the day we used to say identities i got to be the shoes, i got to be the shoes." >> what's so amazing, when i first saw the story is the depth of the pool actually changes. i mean, wow. >> that's amazing. i loved the trough that it had. that's cool. it just swallows up the wave so it doesn't create more motion for them to go against. that's incredible.

>> that could be why you see so many world records broken at the olympics. it's maybe because of the pool. >> it's not your community swimming pool. >> oh i think they're turning that -- >> that's the question, what happens to the aquatics center. >> the read telephone booths, which are now obsolete, are becoming broken down. so stu and his team take the old booths, turn them into showers, mini bars and even offices. >> i see myself as just having been elected to restore these things, if that makes sense. i've been privileged to restore over 400 kiosks. i'm going to keep doing it until i go to the big phone box in the

sky. >> 90% of docker's request come from people who want the phone booth to be restored complete with a working phone. >> sometimes you have to take a call when you're in the shower. if you tried to take your cell phone in, that's not a good idea. >> moving on. today marks the start of the second week of competition in london. >> there are plenty of big events to keep your eye on. of course there is michael phelps in his final race, the 4x100 medley. men's basketball versus virginia, misty may-treanor will bebeach volleyball. a lot of stuff going on. >> that is it for "news4 today."