>> announcer: and now, from washington's leading news station, this is news 4 midday. good morning, everyone, and welcome to "news 4 midday." i'm barbara harrison. it's thursday, august 16th, 2012. and we begin with breaking news in afghanistan. seven american soldiers were among those killed in a helicopter crash in kandahar today. u.s. officials tell nbc news the helicopter was on a special operations mission when it crashed. three afghan soldiers and an afghan interpreter were also killed in the crash. it's unclear if enemy fire or a mechanical problem caused the crash. however, the taliban claims it shot down the helicopter. an investigation is underway. today, the man charged with

shooting a security guard at a conservative political organization's office is due in court. police say floyd corkins of herndon opened fire yesterday at the headquarters of the family research council. today we've also learned more about corkins and some unusual items authorities say he had with him when they arrested him. news 4's melissa mollet has the latest. >> reporter: the front doors of the family research council locked this morning. only employees allowed in. as some who work nearby slow down, wonder why, and talk that the security guard shot in the arm is doing okay. teresa brooks has worked across the street from the family research council for 11 years. she says she would see the guard almost every day. >> we exchanged words in the morning, really friendly, how you doing? he would make sure that i'm okay when i walked past and we may go get a cup of coffee. >> reporter: floyd corkins is

accused of walking in wednesday morning and shooting that security guard. he said he was an intern and then started yelling about the group's policy. when he was questioned about what was inside his backpack, he pulled out a 9-millimeter gun and shot the unarmed guard in the arm. corkins reportedly said something to the guard like, i don't have a problem with you, i have a problem with the people upstairs. >> i'm just feeling a little nervous and, you know, threatened by people could just come and just come into your building, and you're not protected. >> reporter: the guard and others were able to wrestle corkins to the ground. >> well, i think it was a heroic act. >> reporter: aziz watched from  his snack cart down the block. >> i heard the bullet shoot, but after a couple minutes, the d.c. police, the security guard, he hit the bullet in the arm. >> reporter: extra ammunition was found inside corkins's car,

found at the east falls church metro station, and it was also found in corkins' backpack, along with chick-fil-a flyers and 11 sandwiches. the family research council's supports the fast food chain's stand against same-sex marriage. corkins volunteered at a gay community center. many hope to see the security guard back here soon. >> i feel really sad and i hope he's okay and i hope he recovers so we can go back and have a cup of coffee, because he's a nice guy. >> that was melissa mollet reporting. the director of the d.c. center where corkins volunteered posted this on facebook. "no matter the circumstances, we condemn such violence in the strongest terms possible. we hope for a full and speedy recovery for the victim and our thoughts are with him and his family." and new today, one person is dead and three others in the hospital after a violent crash in alexandria. it happened on the exit ramp from 395 to westbound duke street. take a look at this video. the crash was so violent, the

car split in two. state police say the car drove off the ramp and hit a tree. that's when it split in half. part of the car went over the guardrail on to another ramp. the driver of the car, 25-year-old haved husseini was charged with dui manslaughter. the person who died, a 25-year-old of shchantilly, was sitti ting in the backseat of t car. the two other people in the car are expected to be okay. now a check of our midday traffic. here's danella sealock. >> if you're thinking of taking the outer loop of the beltway, crossing the american legion bridge, you're seeing some delays as you make your way across, because of roadwork at george combs pike. you are seeing delays from the american legion bridge, very slow all the way past georgetown pike. let's head over to the 14th street bridge. bridgework continues again

today. takes away the right side of the roadway. you have to stick to the left to get by. and it's just a bit slow as you make your way into the city. barbara, back over to you. >> thank you. see you in a little bit. turning to the weather and a nearly picture-perfect day out there, look at that sky. storm 4 meteorologist veronica johnson is here. tom kierein off today. we're glad to see you. tell us what you've got to tell us. >> barbara, it's the little things in life that do it for me, and you know, a day like today, i am happy. one happy camper. it's sunshine throughout the area right now. we're at 83 degrees. we've really see that temperature move up, and the dew point temperature, down from yesterday. just at 60 degrees. this time yesterday, it was around 68, 70 throughout the area. look at some of the temperatures now. 83 there around d.c. and those spots like anacostia and benning. 83 over in stafford. and vienna coming in at 82 degrees. so a nice warm-up today. you can see on the satellite and

radar, no clouds, no rain. that includes then on your storm 4 radar. you could see some sprinkles later in the higher elevations of virginia, but that is it. it's rain for tomorrow, though. so, again, enjoy today. chicago getting some big-time storms today. thunderstorms coming into western michigan and northwestern indiana right now. today's high, 88 in frederic to 91 in d.c., 91 in culpepper. a beautiful day for us. coming up, we'll take a look at the next couple of days. it's going to roll a little downhill in more ways than one. a new storm right near bermuda. i'll tell you where it's headed too. >> i hope not coming our way. thanks a lot. >> you bet. today, the naacp is holding a meeting with the laurel community over alleged excessive force by police. it stems from this incident, caught on cell phone video outside the laurel station bar and grill earlier this month. it appears to show a police officer punching or slapping

27-year-old dante williams three times while he's in handcuffs. the city now faces a $3 million lawsuit over that incident. tonight's meeting will be at 7:00 p.m. at the laurel boys' and girls' club. a reminder for drivers as students head back to school. obey school bus signs or face a ticket. all school buses in frederic county, maryland, that will have cameras that record or ticket drivers who go past them illegally. violators face up to a $125 fine. frederic county is the first in the state to install cameras on school buses to record moving violations. national's outfielder, bryce harper, is helping young kids become great ballplayers. he's hosting a free baseball camp at fairfax high school today. news 4's megan mcgrath is live there and tell us what's going on. how many kids showed up for that? >> reporter: well, good morning. you can just imagine how excited the kids are here. i'll step out of the way. you can see that they've gathered to hear some words of wisdom from their hero, bryce

harper. a little while ago, he was actually working one on one with some of the kids. we saw him throwing balls, helping the kids out with the bat, and just giving them some advice. a lot of these kids, they have dreams to play in high school, to go on to college, maybe even make it all the way to the majors. and they're hoping to get some pointers here this morning. the bryce harper jerseys were everywhere, and these budding baseball stars are hoping that one day their name will be on a nats' uniform. >> what are you hoping to learn? >> just how to play in the major leagues, i guess. how to get there. >> i really want to meet him. he's my hero player on the nationals and he's really good. >> reporter: 150 lucky kids got a chance to hone their skills at the bryce harper baseball pro camp can at fairfax high school this morning. coaches from around the area led the kids in stations and practice games. the kids are hoping to pick up

pointers from the 19-year-old phenom, inside moves that will help them rise to the top, just like harper has. >> i want to learn how to play hard like bryce harper. >> yeah, i think he's pretty cool, that we can meet bryce harper and like go out there and just play the camp and meet bryce harper. i think it's going to be pretty cool. >> it's pretty incredible that he can look up to a major leaguer who's just five years older than him. how often does that happen? the work ethic he demonstrates, as a parent, i couldn't be happier to see a player out there running every play down with every ounce of energy he has. >> bryce harper! >> reporter: after about an hour of practice, the big moment came. bryce harper, just home from wednesday's game in san francisco, took to the field and gave the kids some insider's advice. >> just work as hard as you can. hustle, that's the biggest thing. that's one thing you can control, and that's hustling.

>> reporter: and another great piece of advice that bryce harper gave the kids is to remember to have fun. every time you're out there, yes, you should hustle, but the most important thing is to also remember to just take a moment and have a good time. reporting live from fairfax high school, megan mcgrath, news 4. barbara, back to you. >> thank you, megan. well, it looks like you won't able to quit your job, after all. one person just won last night's powerball jackpot and he or she is in michigan. someone in our area does have reason to celebrate, though. the winning numbers were 6, 27, 46, 51, and 56. the powerball number was 21. the jackpot was worth $337 million. eight people won a $1 million prize for matching the winning numbers, except the powerball number. one of those tickets with was sold at a 7-eleven in falls church, virginia. that winner has not come forward yet. our time right now, ten

minutes after 11:00. and coming up, an international fight over julian assange, the founder of wikileaks. plus, allegations of discrimination at the homeland security department. what's being done about that. and the latest poll numbers from the presidential race. a look at how paul ryan is changing the competition. stay with us.

a bomb threat grounds a plane headed for new york- from new york to moscow. a spokesperson from the russian airline aeroflock says someone called new york city police, claiming there were explosives aboard the passenger flight. the plane was already in the air at the time. the pilot made an emergency landing in iceland. nbc news is reporting all 246 passengers on board were safely evacuated from the plane. police are searching the aircraft now and cargo for

explosives. so far, nothing has been found. in a controversial move, ecuador has now granted wikileaks founder julian assange political asylum. assange was taking refuge inside the embassy for nearly two months. he's wanted in sweden to face charges for rape. ecuador says he faces the threat of extradition to the u.s. if he is released into british hands. britain's foreign ministry says that they are disappointed by the decision and will still work to extradite assange to sweden. one of homeland security secretary's janet napolitano's top aides is stepping down, at least for the time being. susan barr has placed herself on leave after the department received complaints that she'd made inappropriate comments to some dhs employees. barr is the chief of staff of the department's bureau of immigration and customs enforcement, or i.c.e., as it's called. coworkers say she sexually

harassed them. one even filed a discrimination lawsuit. a republican congressman says he's going to launch his own investigation into this matter. >> we're going to conduct our own investigation into these allegations. i think they are so egregious and so disturbing that if accurate, i think that poses some serious problems for the department. >> i.c.e. is calling the lawsuit unfounded. and we're looking at a great day out there right now. and storm 4 meteorologist veronica johnson, taking some credit for it. oh, look. got your shades on already, huh? >> this is how ready i am to get outside. what do you think? i can keep it on -- >> i say you look good. i want to join you. >> you know, i might not be able to see the weather -- >> you get to go out there -- >> i do. >> after this weather hit, i'm outside. and it is fantastic. you are going to need your sunglasses today. it's bright and shiny. today, all cleaned up from yesterday. temperatures out there, we are running right now in the 70s. here's where we're going to go

up to today. a high of around 90 degrees. these are the national highs for your mid-atlantic. not that hot today, really, considering that we've had temperatures that have been up around 95 to 100 degrees, with high humidity. so not too bad, but still running above average here. down to the southeast, even atlanta, a high of 90 degrees. but check out minneapolis, minnesota. close to 70. and it's all that cool air in the northern plains now, that's coming in behind our next front. and that's what we're going to be feeling this weekend. a little cooler around the area. in fact, below average. average right now is 87 degrees. jessup, maryland, now at 80. college park, maryland, at 82. bethesda at 76, and it's 82 right now in manassas, virginia. on your radar, not a drop to be found throughout the area. off to the west, we could see some, maybe some sprinkles in the higher terrain, but that's about it. pleasant conditions for your evening. 9:00, 10:00, 11:00 p.m., nice and starry too for the overnight period. and a cooler start for the day

tomorrow. so about 80 degrees. 79 or so around around midnight. we'll start the day tomorrow, 72 to 71 in town. a cooler start with temperatures in perhaps the upper 50s in the outlying suburbs. there's our next front, with wig storms coming through areas of western michigan, down around chicago, northwestern indiana right now. that front will take some time to arrive here. so we could squeak through most of tomorrow okay, and mainly dry. sunshine, though, today. all through philadelphia, pittsburgh, and down south, raleigh, north carolina. even lynchberg, petersburg looking at a fine day today. early tomorrow morning, there's your 6:00, the top banner. we're dry, even bright and sunny. clouds increase. we get the high clouds first, though lower. and then by the time we get to about 5:00, 6:00, some showers, maybe even a few isolated storms. not looking at any widpread severe weather event. the other thing we've got gordon out there. it's more than 600 miles east of bermuda. there's your track. it will continue to move out to

sea, in the eastern atlantic. it becomes a hurricane and then a tropical storm again, but no threat for this area right now. we've got a little system around the gulf of mexico we're watching closely as well. now, the less the tropics are expected to wake up, around here, i hope you get out and enjoy the day. 86 to 91 degrees. take a look at the next four days, barbara. look at that. for today, 91 with full sunshine. 93 to 95 tomorrow, so really feeling like summer again, and then maybe a little bit of a touch or taste of fall this weekend with a high of 82 degrees. see, barbara's got the spirit. it's catching on. it's catching on. >> let's get out there and enjoy that sunshine. >> i'm going. i'm heading outside. >> danella, how's it looking on the roads out there? >> it looks like i'm catching on to this whole sun thing too. you girls can't have all the fun. all right, if you're traveling on the beltway, i've got to take the shades off, because not great news. if you're traveling on the outer loop towards central avenue, have a crash there, it is blocking the left side of the roadway. also, let's head back over to

the american legion bridge. that outer loop very slow as you head towards georgetown pike. that's where you're going to find roadwork, blocking the left lanes. the cones are up. you'll have to stick to the right to get yourself by, but it is a slow commute. barbara, stay co. back over to you. >> you're looking pretty cool out there. i like those. >> thanks. >> thanks a lot. 11:20 the time. still ahead on "news 4 midday," from ereaders to gps, some great back-to-school gadgets for you. the author of "gadget nation" joins us with his picks. and great ways to keep kids active, even during the busy school year. but first, here's a look at what's hot on nbcwashington.com.

technology is a part of classrooms all over the country now, and as we continue our back-to-school week on news 4 midday, we take a look at some gadgets that could give your student an edge. steve greenberg, the author of "gadget nation" joins us with a look at a few of the things that are just out. and welcome back. always good to see you. >> thank you very much. always a pleasure to be here. >> we get excited. >> there's so much cool stuff. >> there is so much stuff. how can people keep up with

what's out there? >> they can follow me. my blog at stevegreenberg.tv. i'm always talking about the latest, greatest products. this is pretty cool for back to school. this is called a boogie board. this is an ewriter. you write on it, push the button, it erases. >> it doesn't save anything? >> the lower end doesn't. but the higher end one, which is called the rip, that can actually save 200 pages that you can download to your mac and pc, and it replaces your notebook. >> you can take notes on pinpoint. >> boogieboards from a company called improv electronics. next, you want to keep track of your kids. this is pretty cool. this is called the pocket finder. it's this little piece right here. it's about the size of a malamar, put it in your kid's backpack or lunch pail and it tracks them 24/7. you can see where they're going,

you can keep track of it on any smartphone or tablet. and you can create safe zones. if they leave a safe zone, you get a text message. or if the carpool goes too fast, you can get that. >> you might want that on your teenager too. >> and for an older kid in college, this is an app on a phone. you can go on a smartphone or camera. this is called my force. it's an app, if you're in a worried position, push the app, takes up the whole screen, if something happens where you're a little concerned, you hit the button and it immediately connects you to a safety escort, who then listens to what's going on, records what's going on, gets your gps, has your profile. if things don't sound good, they send it to authorities, so if someone is alerted. >> this is manned by someone -- >> this is like your own personal panic button. if there's a problem, you're crossing the campus and going to a library -- >> that's not just for kids.

>> a fantastic, safety product. >> and talk about routers, most of us have wi-fi "n." this is called wi-fi ac. this is the ac-1200 from bellkin. it has something called a telestream. it can see who needs more bandwidth in the home and give them more. if someone's downloading video, someone else is on facebook, it knows to allocate more bandwidth. >> do you have to bring in a professional to install? >> a couple of snap-ins and you're ready to go. very easy to do. and this is really the top of the line kind of router you want to get. next, printers, very, very big. this is coming out later this month. this is from hp, their photo smart 6520e all-in-one wireless print. you can e-mail stuff directly to it. you can print out loose leaf paper. you can actually schedule deliveries, have your news and weather. >> and it's really lightweight. >> and finally, kids collect clutter. this is brand-new from dyson

coming up next month. this is their digital slim. this is the most powerful -- >> oh, wow! and that's on a battery? >> on a battery. and it has this big attachment, so it can act like an upright. kids are all about clutter, this is designed to get around clutter. >> who makes that? >> from dyson. >> can't get it yet? >> next month. >> more of a power tool more than anything else. >> i don't know how many kids are going to use that. >> i'm going to use it. >> clean up behind the kids. >> great to see you. >> my pleasure. >> cleaning up the whole set. thank you for coming. coming up in the next half hour of news 4 midday, did the announcement of paul ryan as the running mate help mitt romney in the polls? and why money is a factor in playing in the olympics. and it's thursday, so we're looking ahead to the weekend.

right now in afghanistan, seven american soldiers were among those killed in a helicopter crash today in kandahar. u.s. officials tell nbc news the helicopter was on a special operations mission when it crashed. it's unclear if enemy fire or a mechanical problem caused that crash. the taliban claims responsibility. an investigation is underway. the man charged with shooting a security guard downtown is preparing to appear in court. police say floyd corkins of herndon shot the guard yesterday at the family research center downtown. the guard, who was shot in the arm, is expected to be okay. corkins is charged with assault with intent to kill while armed. and new today, in decision 2012, virginia governor bob mcdonnell will speak at the republican national convention later this month. they just announced mcdonnell's speaking role today. however, the exact date and time of his speech has not been released. the convention begins august

27th and runs through the 30th in tampa, florida. mitt romney's running mate may not be having much of an impact on this election, after all. a new poll suggests paul ryan is not giving the presumptive republican nominee much of a bounce. the gallup daily tracking poll shows romney leading president obama by two percentage points right now. that's just a one-point increase since ryan was introduced over the weekend. the obama campaign is dealing with some backlash of its own regarding vice president joe biden. >> romney wants to let -- he said in the first hundred days, he's going to let the big banks once again write their own rules. unchain wall street! they're going to put y'all back in chains. >> former virginia governor doug wilder says biden brought racism back into the election with that comment on tuesday. wilder is the first african-american governor ever elected in this country. he says he thinks hillary clinton would have made a better

running mate for president obama. and right now, hundreds of thousands of undocumented immigrants are anxiously awaiting word from the government as to whether they can work in this country without fear of being deported. this was the scene yesterday in langley park, where thousands of people lined up for hours to sign up for the deferred action for childhood arrivals. the program grants a two-year temporary visa to immigrant who is meet a strict set of standards. it could be months before they find out if their applications were actually approved. there are scammers out there, looking to make a quick buck from this program. immigration officials warn that some people are promising work permits to immigrants in exchange for large sums of money. there is a $465 application fee associated with the program, but giving anyone anything on top of that will not guarantee a work permit. we have a developing story in the fight against wildfires in washington state.

firefighters say the wind shifted overnight, allowing them to get a better handle on the taylor bridge fire. that's the one outside seattle. it's now about 25% contained, but has burned at least 70 homes already. meanwhile, mixed results in california where at least a dozen fires are burning. one in northern california is now nearly contained and hundreds were allowed back into their homes in that area. while another fire called the chips fire is now threatening more than 900 homes. and in idaho, a fire that's been burning for two weeks is now pressing in on the summer vacation towns of featherville and pine. both of those towns are being evacuated at this time. pepco customers may be receiving more than just a bill in the mail from the utility company. they may be also getting a thank you note. pepco is thanking its customers for their patience during the june storms. nearly a half million of its customers lost power. some didn't get it back for a week or longer.

pepco boasted in the letter that it restored power to 90% of its customers by the fourth of july, more than 48 hours before its original estimate. and we're going to check in again with veronica johnson to find out a little bit more about our forecast. she's outside in storm center 4's weather center. patio center it is now. >> barbara, somebody took my sunglasses. >> you didn't leave them here. >> can you believe that? i lay them down for a second, and as nice as it is out here, i guess somebody thinks they need them. >> we'll take a look for them. >> oh, wait, they weren't my sunglasses to begin with. thanks a lot, though! you've got to let me keep them for a little while longer. you're going to need the sunglasses today, the shades, because it's bright out here. i'm standing in a little bit of shade under our canopy of trees on the deck of our weather patio outside now. you can see that sunshine throughout the area. temperatures throughout, adams morgan now coming in at 83 degrees. even up north, not too bad

there, 79. 78 through montgomery county, around colesville and germantown and kensington. 84 down south, alexandria, arlington, and ft. bellfor. at the beach, today, 87. gorgeous there too. friday we're going to see some clouds here, and even some rain, i think it's just clouds at the beach for tomorrow. the high, 87. maybe 88. then 80 on saturday. it is looking like on saturday, we're talking showers. maybe even a few isolated storms with a high of 80 degrees. the water temperature, 77 right now at the beach. so today, 91. watch as the mercury changes, 95 for tomorrow. we warm things up. and then we cool things down for saturday. so up, then down. and with that down, some rain. we'll talk more about that with the seven-day forecast and what the weekend holds, coming up. >> thanks, veronica. we'll see you again shortly. and we're going to check on

the midday traffic again. here's danella. she was cool in those shades. how's it looking out on the roads right now? >> barbara, still watching roadwork and it's slowing people down. i have to say, you look cool as well in your shades. let's head over to the roads. i-95 as you make your way southbound towards the rest area, left lane is blocked because of the roadwork that's happening in the left shoulder lane. and it is causing delays. take a look at this, as you head southbound. taillights to the right of your screen. that's where you're starting to hit the breaks at about route 123. it's slow as you make your way towards dale city. barbara, back over to you. >> thank you, danella. today marks 35 years since the death of elvis presley. thousands of people gathered for a candlelight vigil last night outside graceland in memphis, tennessee. elvis' ex-wife, priscilla, and their only daughter, lisa marie, thanked the crowd. it's the first time the women have appeared together at the annual event since 1980. the rock 'n' roll icon died of a heart attack in 1977.

he was just 42 years old. a tribute concert will be held later tonight. not every olympic athlete will make it on to a cereal box. while some athletes are coming home to fame and fortune, others find a pile of bills instead. "rock center's" willie geist reports on what some of the olympians are coming home to. >> have you heard from coaches, managers, agents, outside people telling you, john, i'm talking to these people. they're going to be very interested in you if you win gold? specifically, did they talk about companies that would come to you? >> i knew that the different price ranges that i would, i would be into if i had gotten gold or silver or bronze. and i guess knowing that for me wasn't a good thing. >> so they actually came to you with figures. >> yeah. >> here's what a gold medal would mean to you? >> yeah. >> can you share what the gold medal figure was?

>> i don't think i should. i'm not sure if i can or not. >> fair to say it was life-changing. >> yeah, it was definitely -- it would have been life changing. you know, if i did well, it would have changed my life and my family's life. it's just that pressure building up in the back of your mind that you know is there and you can't ignore it. and thinking about my family and thinking about my own future, i'm like, man, i've really got to make this happen and i can't just keep struggling like this. >> that's a lot of pressure to put on yourself. it's enough pressure to have to compete at the highest level against the best in the world. then to have in the back of your mind, the future of riding on this routine. seems to me that's not a great thing to have in your head when you're out there competing in front of the world? >> it's not. it's definitely not. >> you can see willie geist's full report, "after the gold," coming up on "rock center with brian williams," that starts at 10:00 tonight right here on nbc 4. well, as children head back to school, it's important to keep them moving. our fitness expert, steve hayes, is here this week to tell us how

a trip to the park can be more than just fun. and good morning, steve. >> good morning, barbara, how are you? >> you've brought some exercise help with you today. tell us who you've brought. >> this is ali, the camp director, and this is gabby and tristin. they are her workout partners. >> this is gabby here? gabby, is that you? >> yes. >> how old are you? >> 8. >> and do you like working out? >> yes. >> you do? why? makes you feel good? >> yes. >> got any answers other than yes? you looking forward to going to school? >> yes? >> really? that's good. that's fantastic. who is this over here? gabby? >> tristin. >> i'm sorry, you were gabby. tristin, how old are you? >> 6. >> oh, you'll be starting school, you'll be in the first grade this year. and are you excited about going back to school? >> yes. >> oh, great. so we've got some great yes girls here. let's see what you've brought.

>> first of all, we were -- when we went there, out to the park, spring hill lake, there were numerous exercises that were being done. for instance, they had a camp out there called a british camp. it's a british soccer camp -- well, no, this is the one where -- well, maybe -- why don't you explain this one. this is the one where the kids are -- >> they're playing sharks and minnows. there's two sharks that are it, and all the minnows have to get from one side to the other without being tagged. >> we understand sharks and minnows is actually a really good game for kids to get in shape. tell us why? >> it just keeps them moving the whole time. they have to run to one side, then run back. >> i watched it. it was fun. >> we've been playing sharks and minnows for a long time. >> we never realized it was exercise. we always thought it was just so much fun. >> did you have a good time doing that? >> yes. >> so tell us about some of the other thing the kids are doing in camp, to be ready to get back to school. >> we like to take the basic skills used in sports, and

transform them into fun games, add a twist and a name, and keep them outside moving all day. >> great. show us some of the exercises. >> let's start off with the jump rope. you have to watch tristin. let's step back. and tristin's going to show us her jump rope. >> 6-year-old tristin. go for it. wow! that's fantastic. you do get a lot of exercise. >> she does. >> for adults and kids. >> she's doing very well. >> tristin, thank you very much. how often do you do that, tristin? every day? >> every day. >> fantastic. >> here's one that i -- now, gabby's going to show us this one. this is the one where you're working the legs. she's just going to hop over it. and she -- no, that's enough. and what we do is that strengthens her legs, but as she keeps doing it, she just -- it's so much fun. they have so much fun when they're doing those. >> want to do that again? that's not easy, is it? wow, that's very good.

>> very good. >> and so we've seen a little jumping in both directions. this is wellness week for kids, too, is that right? >> yes, it is. >> tell us what that means? >> wellness means that the kids are getting all of their exercise in, not only from the standpoint of physical fitness, but eating correctly. eating your breakfast, getting your main meals in. >> fantastic. >> you guys doing that? you want to come back over here? >> come on back over, guys. >> we like being able to see you. we're so excited that you came to see us today. thank you for coming and showing us those exercises. you going to be well and all ready to start cool? what are you doing to get ready? >> um -- >> got your clothes all set? what you're going to wear the first day of school? what are you planning to wear? >> um -- >> can't remember. you know what you're wearing? >> i usually wear whatever i can find. >> whatever you can find. that's a good idea. that's what i do too in the morning. >> steve, thank you, and thank you all for coming in today. great to have you. >> thank you, barbara. and we are coming back in just a moment with more news, so

let's tell you what's coming up. still ahead on news 4"news 4 m, we're watching wall street after several new economic reports were released this morning. plus, the growing number of wineries in virginia. a guide in the weekend scene.

men, come on down. you can be the next models on "the price is right." the classic game show long known for its barker's beauties, as they've been called, will now have drew's dudes. they're holding a male model search on their website, and viewers will choose the winner in october. the lucky man will then get a week-long stint on the show, hosted by drew cary. it's the first time a man will be featured as a model on the show. the number of americans applying for unemployment benefits edged up slightly last week. we're going to check in with cnbc's hampton pearson. he joins us live with more on that and he has the rest of the day's business headlines too. hi, hampton.

>> hi, barbara. that jobs news and a lot of other economic news, sort of having stocks doing a mixed bag today. we started out with mixed news about housing, that led to a negative opening. but believe it or not, right now, stocks are actually moving higher. checking the major averages, we've got the dow up about 47 points, the nasdaq up 20, the s&p up 6. the commerce department is saying construction of single-family homes fell 1.1% in july, but the number of build permits jumped to 812,000. that's a sign of future growth, and it's the biggest monthly increase in four years. manufacturing activity here in the mid-atlantic region fell for a fourth straight month. that's according to a closely watched survey from the philadelphia federal reserve. the depth of the contraction is easing, however, but key indicators, including new orders are in negative territory. and as you mentioned, the number of americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits did edge higher last week, up 2,000 to 366,000, on a seasonally adjusted basis. that figure is, actually,

however, close to a four-year low. and walmart, the world's largest retailer, saw profits increase 2.2% in the second quarter, beating analysts' estimates, just barely, but it's also telling analysts and investors, it may miss its full-year profit targets because of slowing international sales. however, sales at u.s. stores are up for a fourth straight week. meanwhile, facebook stock hitting new lows, down about 7%, below $20 per share in trading today. a lockup period for insiders sending more than 270 million shares can be traded for the first time. facebook's stock is down now more than 48% from its initial ipo price of $38 a share. barbara, back to you. >> okay. thank you so much, hampton. >> good to be with you. in this week's, "wednesday's child," we have a double double for you. twins can make a very special edition to a family and imagine you could bring home not one set, but two, all at the same

time. i spent some time with the kids and it was four times the fun. it's not easy to catch these guys when they're not in motion. but when you do, you've captured the cutest foursome you could ever imagine. four brothers, two sets of twins, with the brightest eyes and biggest smiles. but getting them to pose is nearly impossible. >> the case came to the attention of child and family services agency in april of 2010 when it was determined that the family could no longer provide care for the boys. >> reporter: inside sullivan's toy store, pbefore the store wa officially opened for the day, ra ma invited all four to choose a gift they'd like to take home. >> i like that one. >> you like that ball? >> both sets of twins are fun-loving and very energetic. >> reporter: the two older twins are mylan in the white shirt and mall kai in navy. the two younger are macy on the left and makai on the right.

what's it like to be a twin? is it fun? >> yes. >> what makes it fun? >> we get to -- we get to sleep in our own beds. >> oh, you do? everybody has their own bed? >> yes. >> reporter: but what they don't have is a real mom or dad at their house. someone who loves them and wants to watch them grow up and become the young men they aspire to be. >> police. >> reporter: a policeman? >> a doctor man! >> reporter: they each found something to take with them, and we tried once again to settle down for a photo. cheese! if you have room in your home and your heart for these adorable four boys, please call our special adoption hotline. the number is 1-88-to-adopt-me or logon to our home page at nbcwashington.com. and i've been trying to talk everybody here at nbc 4 into taking a look at these wonderful young men. you out there, consider them,

because they are so adorable. time right now is 11:51. coming up, virginia wine andow

in today's "weekend scene,"

a guide of virginia wine country. lavanya ramanathan is here with "the washington post". >> we're seeing a big boom and a lot of wine tourism. a lot of folks from the city going out there to see what's out there. >> and some are kind of unusual, like the one you're going to start with, which is also brewing beer. wine and brew at the same place. >> corcoran wineyards, quietly last year they opened a brewery on site. a husband and wife team. this is a great thing to visit. especially if you're going with folks that are a little tired of doing wine tastings and you want to mix it up and do a palate cleansing. >> do you remember the rule about wine before beer?

>> i had wine and beer that day and it was okay. >> moving on to our winery that has ties to the redskins. tell us about that. >> a lot of us might know the boxwood winery. this is a winery that has been doing tastings at bars called the tasting room around the area, in chevy chase and in national harbor. it's owned by john kencook, sun of jack kencook. this year they opened the winery to the public. it's a really cool space. you can see the barrel room there. it's a really, cool, intimate space. the tastings are $10. it's right outside of middleberg. >> and finally, a combination of great wine and great views, which is kind of nice. >> one of the best views in town, especially for fall leaf peepers. go ahead to barrel oak wineries. this has been around a few years, but new this summer, they added a special tasting. it's in the historic home of john marshall. it's a very cool, exclusive thing. great date night. and it can run you anywhere from $25 to $75 a person. it just depends on what wines you want to taste and what foods

you want to the eat. >> that sounds terrific. >> really cool event. >> i'm ready. ready to go? >> absolutely. especially in the fall. would be a great time. >> sounds like a great thing to do. and we thank you, lavanya, for doing that. of course, you can get more information by going to washingtonpost.com, their going out guide or our website at nbcwashington.com. we'll take a look now at some of the stories we're following for news 4 this afternoon. tonight at 4:00, a dog rescued after being abandoned on top of a mountain. now there could be a court battle over whether the pets should be returned to his owner. plus, a scrabble scandal. how one player is accused of cheating during a high-stakes tournament. plus, at 5:00 tonight, a mad rush to be first in line at a new target in northern virginia. all those stories coming up tonight. and it's time now for a final check on our forecast. here's veronica. >> still advertising that amazingly nice day, barbara. let's check out the temperatures for today. 86 to 91. and that's going to come with low humidity, so it will feel

nice, despite the fact that temperatures will be well above average. then we're clear, quite pleasant for the we think 77 to 83. a light wind for us. and then it's a warmer wind for tomorrow. the high, 93 to 95, showers in late. >> all right. well, thank you. nice to have you today. thanks for being with us. >> nice to be here. >> we'll see you later. and that's "news 4 midday" for today. thanks for being with us and we invite you to tune in for news at 4:00, 5:00, can ha6:00 and t tonight at 11:00. we'll be right back here tomorrow morning for news 4 midday at 11:00 a.m. have a terrific day. [ male announcer ] you paid in to medicare for years. every paycheck. now, when you need it obama has cut $716 billion dollars from medicare. why? to pay for obamacare. so now the money you paid for your guaranteed healthcare is going to a massive new government program that's not for you. the romney-ryan plan protects medicare benefits for today's seniors and strengthens the plan for the next generation.

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