in just a few hours mitt romney will take the podium to accept the nomination for his party. aaron gilchrist is at the convention with more on what we can expect tonight. >> vance, mitt romney wrote this speech himself, we're told, thinks his chance, his opportunity to really tell the american people who he is, try to introduce himself and connect with millions of americans watching at home. he was here earlier -- this is the space where he'll have to tell husband personal story, and he'll have to meet -- greatest challenge is connecting and empathizing, and romney's team says that is exactly what he plans to do when he's on the stage tonight in front of the millions at home who are going to be watches. julie carey is with us in tampa as well. you got a chance to talk to some

virginia leaders and one of mitt romney's sons about what's at stake. >> as you know he hayes a virtual small campaign army. his five sons have been making the rounds. today i talked to josh romney, the middle son about what we can expect tonight. in just hours his father would give the most important speech of his life, so josh romney dropped by the virginia delegation to give them a preview and make a connection. >> if you elect my dad next november, it will continue to be the shining city on the hill. >> reporter: he said he hadn't read his dad's speech, but knows what he wants his dad to accomplish. >> i think he really wants to allow people to understand he ''s the guy to get the making sure we don't continue in this economic recession. delegates and leaders have high expectations for the man at the

top of the ticket t delegate david says he. >> if he connects with people on a personal level tonight, his policy doesn't have to be set tonight. we all know what his's going to do. >> but romney supporters reject the notion that their presidential candidate need to somehow close the likability gap. >> he's a business guy. he's had success in the private and public sector. he needs to lay out his plan, and these are very different times. he said come january, i don't know if i can do this, but i

want to invite you all to the inauguration. >> and he might have to give up his own seat. julie carey, thank you we should also note there's been talk of a mystery guest here. and we've confirmed the guest is clirchlt eastwood. his speech is slated to start about 10:20 this evening. vance, back to you. >> we invite you to stay with news4. in our next half hour, we'll hear from a d.c. delegate attending her last convention after nearly 50 years. isaac is now a tropical depressi depression. the threat is far from over. one the last hour, officials breached a dam on the louisiana/mississippi border, releasing the pressure from the water that came with isaac.

a leaking levee is forcing more to flee on the south side of new orleans. nbc's jay gray is following the isaac aftermath from the shores of lake pontchartrain. >> as the winds and rain fiblly best gin to ease. it's the first to see what isaac left behind. >> for gentlemenie shaffer and his wife suzanne, the only way back to their home is by boat. the wake pushing away remnants, water flashing against rooftops in a neighborhood swallowed by the storm. >> just hard to fathom. i think i'm just still numb. it hasn't hit me yet.

>> but no question in areas like this one and others across the gulf coast that isaac made a direct hit. hundreds of thousands are without electricity, and it will be a week or more for some before the lights are back on. the family quickly gathers what he can for the time being. they have to get comfort and strength, finding clothes on keepsakes, because the big picture is an image just too difficult to -- suzanne says this time thins are. >> reporter: the house took a year and a day to rebuild is now under water again.

reappears as they start to deal with what isaac has left good. >> we'll be good, right? >> yeah. got to be. >> reporter: unfortunately survival is a fight they've become used to here, though it still doesn't get any easier. jay gray, nbc news, new orleans. we have team coverage tonight on isaac and new storms that are out there. kim martucci is tracking the tropics. >> good even. two additional named storms, mostly expected to stay out there, but all eyes still on what is now tropical depression isaac really hammering northwestern mississippi, southeastern arkansas, another 4 to 8 inches from this storm now winds are 35, that's really not the factor. it's the rain we have to talk about, and all that moisture will be wrapping you through st. louis cincinnati, and it will

eventually get here, but i think it will not be until the end of the weekend. we will be looking at rain chances, but i don't think it will -- veronica, of course, will have the latest when she sees you in just a little while. a former lacrosse player murdered his one-time girlfriend yeardley love. jack jill benson has more. >> reporter: jurors had recommended 26 years, but in a fairly rare immune, the judge reduced the surge to 23 years, noting that the former uva

lacrosse player will still be a young plan. >> we see that the jurors here got it right. bayed on an appropriate factor. >> during three hours of presentencing testimony, defense witnesses painted george prosecution witnesses outside three prior cases of violence, including one when he grabbed a classmate around the neck. finally before the judge imposed sentence, he spoke directly to yeardley love's mother and sister in the courtroom. saying i am sorry for your loss. i hope you find peace. >> but we fundamentally disagree that the convention in this case was at all appropriate, and we

basically disagree with the sentence imposed today. we think that george was convicted of a crime inconsistent with the facts, and he received a penalty inconsistent with what the evidence would require. >> reporter: her sister swept in the courtroom when the prosecutor talked about the upcoming wedding, and noting that her sister would not be there to be maid of honest honor. a tanker overturned about 5:30 in the morning near claiborne parkway. crews spent hours cleaning up the future. the greenway finally reopened. the driver of that truck was injured, he's expected to be okay. >> along the potomac river, news4 got an exclusive preview into the new nick's riverside

grill at the georgetown waterfront. the restaurants underwent a $7 million renovation, repairing the flood damage that was caused. 12 feet of water from the potomac rushed in covering the iconic fountain in the mud. tony & joe's and nick's have a new. coming up, a catholic university student is afraid to show her beaten and bruised way. >> my forehead was smashed, it broke the mirror and i fell to the ground. >> she never saw her attacker coming. now police are looking for them. do you think you have a problem with a leak in your roof? the u.s. capitol dome has 1,300 leaks. i'll have the story coming up. some people are complaining that a church is turning their

neighborhood into a vegas strip and the space mission has launched into orbit.

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the man fromnaryland accused of threatening show hoot up hi former workplace is now going to be monitored by a gps tracking device. neal prescott is on a mental health plan and will remain in the custody of his parents. back in july, police raided hi -- investigators say prescott called in a threat to his former office. this was just a few days after the batman movie massacre. the cap top dome itself is

suffering from a thousand leaks. as news4's tom sherwood records, so far there's no money for it. fencing could come down as early as this weekend. >> what do you think of it when you look at it? >> it takes my breath away. >> i'm have i pleased with it. >> on the mall itself, millions of new grass, sidewalks drainage and paths are going in. it should be completed for the inaugural festivities, but the iconic dome is another story. >> how bat is it? >> 1300 cracks is very bad.

they threaten, and arm work that draws millions of visitors are year. why isn't it fix centered disputes -- >> norton is hope -- it's due to be voted on in late september. >> just think about the dome. the dome more than any other piece of architecture is identified with the country in which we live. >> let's head's outside where there's kind of a block party going on. you're rocking some shades there.

>> yeah, well, you know, i'm keeping the sun out and back with the o'connells who helped to put this block party on. and now nate and little ben. say hi, guys. >> hi. >> say hi. >> hi. >> reporter: all right. there's always one shy one in the bunch, right? so you guys have been doing this for a number of years. there's a lot of kids behind us in the moon bounce, some even on the moon bounce and the teenagers too. a lot of the kids have grown up. you've watched them grow up in the neighborhood. >> we have. last year i felt like some were 5 and now all of a sudden are 10. i don't know how it happened. >> reporter: what does it mean to get together each year and do this? >> it's a nice way to touch base, because we all in the summer have been out in our own direction, and all the kids are going to school, so it's nice to be part of a community.

what would you say is the best part? >> i say hanging out with these fine kids is fun. what i enjoy the most are the animals. we have a lot of dogs in this neighborhood. short story -- this home was the last one built in the neighborhood. for years everybody let their dogs go to the bathroom on our lot. so, you know, now we live here in that lot on top of that dog heap. >> reporter: how charming, greg. and you are just squeezing your way into the shot. is there anything you want to say? >> yes. >> reporter: what would that be? >> um, when i was playing on the moon bounce -- >> reporter: watch out. >> -- we were just trying to get somebody who was mean and -- >> reporter: see, i told you. kids will be honest, okay. okay, nate, we're going to find out who that was. let's look at your weather right

now. there's only one figure left, and i'm saving that one for you. it's been toasty warm, but you know what? we've got some heat that's going to come our way tomorrow. heat, then humidity for the weekend. at least be then we'll be cooling down. 80 degrees to the north, through as we zoom on down, so you can see exactly where i am through your evening planner, into tomorrow morning, 83 to 78 degrees, 73 degrees your temperature, and a full moon too tomorrow morning. you really have to look hard to count the clouds and the sky, and naturally down across the gulf coast, because that is where we're still looking at a lot of rain from isaac.

it will be hitting a lot of areas that really need the rain. it's going to take some time. a lot of folks worried about the weekend. i'm hearing a lot of cheers behind me. i think it will be afternoon, and monday is looking wet right now. you can see the cloud cover coming in, but tomorrow is countriy, tomorrow sunshine, and it will be a weather front up to the north of under the circumstances. it's that front that will help to squeeze that moisture. so for your overnight, our temperatures will be down into the 70s expect them to be bottoming out 64 to 73. then by tomorrow afternoon 96 degrees for a high 86 on sunday,

there's your showers coming in. it's a small chance, only a 30% chance. then for the mid part, highs back in the low 80s. that's it from out here for right now. we've got to look for more good food and hopefully finish this plate off. erin and greg, back to you folks. coming up our coverage of the convention continues. we'll look ahead to a big night for mitt romney and why a delegate is getting nostalgic. >> someone left the gun in the bathroom of the plane carrying mitt romney. coming up in sports, why bryce harper was sent home early after a couple home runs. zach britain and some oriole magic against the white sox, and the redskins ready for du

president clinton: this election to me is about which... candidate is more likely to return us to full employment. this is a clear choice. the republican plan is to cut more taxes on upper-income... people and go back to deregulation. that's what got us in trouble in the first place. president obama has a plan to rebuild america from...

the ground up, investing in innovation, education... and job training. it only works if there is a strong middle class. that's what happened when i was president. we need to keep going with his plan. president obama: i'm barack obama and... i approve this message.

police are investigating the brutal beating of a college student outside her car in northeast d.c. it happened in the brookland neighborhood monday night. >> reporter: this happened in the brookland section of northeast. it's a college town. folks live there, this short block is a microco. of the city. the new homes and development and crime. the victim doesn't want her identity shown. he says she was getting out of

her car. >> someone grabbed the back of my neck. my forehelped was smashed against the mirror. i felt to the ground. >> reporter: her concern was getting through the violent ambush alive, as her attacker rifled through her belongings. the first month i was here, so i try to take precaution when i can. >> i don't know this happen. >> i guess i think they're trying to take over the neighborhood we're just trying to go to school, live our lives.

>> if they have to walk alone, we would prefer them noting to using a sale phone. still, the incident has her shaken. >> you live and you learn. >> now, every semester catholic university offers self-defense courses. those courses happen next month we're told this semester, and university officials tell us, as news of this has -- >> thanks, derek. right now, thousands of people along the gulf coast are threatened by the aftermath of hurricanes isaac. the national -- in southeast louisiana. crews rescued nearly 200 people already. late this afternoon official breached a dam and levee to help

prevent more flooding. maryland has reported 13 cases so far of west nile. a judge has sentenced george huguely to 23 years in jail for the murder of his one time girlfriend. love was beaten to death in her offcampus apartment two years ago. mitt romney's night to shine. he'll be accepting his party's nomination on the last day of the republican national convention. news4's aaron gilchrist is live in tampa with more on what he's expected to say to the crowd. erin? >> wendy, tonight the theme is we believe in america, and mitt romney is going to be tasked

with convincing the country he's best suited to lead through challenging times. a long list of olympians will talk about his leadership. several members of the mormon church will shed some light on that part of his life, and then of course the man himself will take the podium, and he will have to close the deal. >> he needs to lake out a clear plan. i think our past speakers have laid out the differences this ticked has with the white house, but i think this is a time for the american people to look at this turnaround artist and have them lay out the plan. >> reporter: that from a member of the virginia delegation. when this is all done tonight, romney and ryan will return to that all-important swing state virginia on a brand-new customized campaign jet. it landed here. it's being prepped to land in richmond tomorrow afternoon for a campaign event at the airport there. there's one person in the crowd, one woman who will be watching

the events tonight particularly closely. that is because she, as a member of the d.c. republican delegation is here for the last time. >> dixie is all smiles. tonight she will see the end of hellr her last convention. >> i've done everything, running the party, which is really important. there's a fun aspect to it all, but to be here and to be nominating is a big deal. >> as a college intern working to get barry gold water elected, and has seen almost every gop convention since. >> so i've always had -- that's always been part of my she

marvels at what a production conventions have become. this time so far the highlight is ann romney. >> it's the moms of this nation that really hold this country together. it was about how important it is, helping people, and you don't do it for the glory. >> as warren leaving this gop gathering, she looks toward the future. >> i am a big believer in turning things over to another generation and not just staying on and on and on. >> betsy warren's future includes a retirm of sorts. she'll not only leave the party, but also leave the d.c. area. and. we're told that clint eastwood,

the actor/director will be here to warm the crowd up with a speech before mitt romney speaks close to 10:30 tonight. >> aaron gilchrist, news4. thanks, aaron. george allen skipped the convention to focus on his campaign. he campaigned in southwest virginia today. meanwhile, his opponent tim kaine met with small business owners in alexandria. >> we're doing a business walking tour. but this is a really vibrant and thriving small business community. >> hosted an economic round table discussion the latest poll suggests that the. >> karla smith was sworn in today as a district court judge, the first african-american woman

to have that position. before this new job, smith was a prosecutor in montgomery county state attorney's office. she talked about his mission as a judge. >> i think the most important thing for a judge is to strive to make sure that every person who walks through the doors of the courtroom has a fair day in court, that they feel that they've been heard, whether or not their outcome is good or not, but that they feel i got to say my peace, what i had to say was heard, i was respected, i was treated fairly. so for me that's the most important piece. governor o'malley chose smith for that position. a battle brewing over an electronic sign outside a church. as tony tull records, it's the

way. >> electronic theirs was a sign of trouble. >> we were served by the sheriff of fairfax county regarding or sign and multiple messages. >> reporter: the three messages on the $36,000 sign that were displayed within that 24 her hour people, welcome, come in and beat the ahead, visit us, and practices the presence, thursday july 5th, 1:00 p.m. >> we're very active, but we have a lot of things we want to convey. >> what do you mean. >> one woman even told you this is no play for a sign that belongs on the vegas strip. it's large and this moving sign with different messages throughout the day. it kind of feels like it should be in las vegas and not in a residential neighborhood.

good shepherd filed suit citing the religious land use and institutionalized person act of 200, basically saying the county can't discriminate against the church. >> the judge will have to look at the facts and make a determination first if it doesn't apply, then he will look at it under the existing court tests, which is whether or not the statute is a neutral law of general applicability. >> reporter: good shepherd falls within the hunter mill district of fairfax county, which is supervised by board member kathy hudgens. we contacted her office to get her side of the story, and shy decline to make a statement. when we come back, d.c. united is being sued. a soccer player wants justice after he claims his career was cut short. something interesting found in hong kong. and veronica is in bethesda, who is your friend?

>> reporter: this is little henry. there's a lot of furry little friends running around out here. they're so cute and adorable, and of course a lot of kids, too. hey, guys. they're having a good time. we're going to have a lot more we're going to have a lot more with i'm barack obama and i approve this message now mitt romney's attacking the with president on medicare? the nonpartisan a-a-r-p says obamacare "cracks down on medicare fraud, waste, and abuse and strengthens guaranteed benefits."

and the ryan plan? a-a-r-p says it would undermine medicare and could lead to higher costs for seniors... and experts say ryan's voucher plan could raise future retirees costs more than six thousand dollars. get the facts.

the man who used to play soccer for d.c. united and whose career was cut short by a consuggestion is suing the team for $12 million. he said he did not get a proper exam after he suffered a concussion in a game in 2009. he said the team rushed him back on the field too early. he played three days later in a game he suffers from permanent headaches memory loss and sleep and vision problems. dc united is not coming on the

case. a mistake on board a plane carrying mitt romney. a secret service agent left his gun in the bathroom. a reporter found it on the flood to indianapolis, turned it over to another agent. secret service said it is aware of the incident, handling it internally. that agent was not on the return flight to tampa on wednesday evening. what you got, man? >> breaking news. >> what's that? >> a big-name tennis player has decided to retire. i'm not going to -- this is the t segment -- don't do it. we're going to tell you something about stephen strasburg. when will he get shut down? we finally have new news, and the nationals off the schneid after a wild night in miami. the kid getting it done and the kid getting it done and gettinhe's made his choice.

but what choices will women be left with? just like mitt romney, paul ryan would get rid of planned parenthood funding. in congress, ryan voted to ban all federal funding for planned parenthood and allow employers to deny women access to cancer screenings and birth control. and both romney and ryan backed proposals to outlaw abortion even in cases of rape and incest. for women... for president... the choice is ours. i'm barack obama, and i approve this message.

it's backyard weather. the smoke, aromas are still wafting off the grill. this parties gog until 8:30. i'm joined with the villa brothers. hey, you grew up in this neighborhood. what's the best part about getting together every year? >> one of my favorite memory by far is we usually get a couple drinks, and we would have karaoke, and every year father and daughter would sing barbie girl. we wait for that every time. >> reporter: that sounds priceless. no karaoke this year? >> i think i have to go with the food on this one, the burgers, hot dogs, beef, everything. it's the highlight of my day. >> reporter: the crew out here say the same thing. we've got the little ones out, too. >> hi! we'll be talking to them in a couple minutes. take a look at what we can

expect through the overnight. 73 the low, 96 for a high tomorrow. saturday 92, and don't fret, it doesn't look like the rain will start until sunday afternoon. i they are we're okay. so we finally got a win. >> they finally got a win, and somebody finally talk to stephen strasburg, you remember for months we sat down him and said what's going on? it's been the talk of baseball all over the country. finally we do know something, because somebody has talked to strasburg about the innings limit. it's on the low end. dave jill johnson told strasburg on the flight back from miami, he only had two to three starts left before he's going to be shut down for the season.

his next scheduled start sunday against the cardinals at nationals park. the guys start a four-game set. last night the nationals did put a stop to the five-game losing streak, thanks to bryce harper. he's had a couple krummy months at the plate, but maybe last night going to get things going a bit. this the first home run for harper in the game. i say the first, because he would have another. that was lucky number 13. in the top of the fifth, how about lucky number 14? he just got all into this one, too. 425 feet, an upper-deck home run, the first multihome run game of his major league career. top of the ninth, trouble for harper, he thinks he beats out the throw. he's called out, tosses his helmet. it's really close. you know what they say, tie goes to the runner. the nationals, most important thing is they get the win 8-4, but harper gets his first

multihome run game and then gets ejected. here's davey this afternoon on the kid. >> it's just part of his personality. everything he does is kind of full bore. you know, i mean, he's not going to lay the helmet down, just like he's not going to jog to first. but, you know, i think -- i look at things happen for the best. you can -- that needs to be nipped in the bud, because it could cost us a ball game. >> we would rather have full bore rather than half you know what. zach britain looking good on the mound. how about a career high ten strikeouts, gets adam dunn, but adam dunn strikes out all the time. bottom three, adam jones likes to crush a lot. he'sing doing that all season long, 26th home run of the year,

o's one 5-3. they start a three will have game series with the yankees in new york tomorrow night. talking football now, the final preseason game lacked starters and it lacked drama, but iffed redskins can put the same product on the field during the regular season, we would be in business. last night the skins looked good on both sides of the ball. jim hazlett has to be pleased with the way this unit is playing. bucs near midfield, golston with the sack. the skins had five in the game. pretty good dansby old number 64 there. on the ensuing possession, kirk cousins, the first start of his nfl career, going deep for aaa, anthony armstrong, 46-yard gain, and three plays later. skins take a 16-0 lead.

third quarter following a turnover, cousins back to work, this time to brandon banks, 47-yard gain there. cousins 15 of 27 for 222 yards, and an interception. on the very next play, roy playing in his first game, squeaks into the end zone from 15 yards, that 90 rushing yards in the game. bucs driving, how about this? bryan kehl, remember he can run, too. he said he got a cramp in that leg. it didn't look like it there. redskins win 30-3. final cuts on friday, guys battling for their jobs. >> it's been crazy, honestly. it's this talent from top to the bottom. everybody can place. and i feel like whoever doesn't make the roster here will moth

definitely be on somebody else's team. >> i still have a job somewhere, if not here. >> are you confident you'll stick around? >> i have no idea. >> if it's meant to be. it's usually kind of a no news is good news kind of thing. >> they will know tomorrow by 9:00 perm. nfl announced earlier this week they are prepared to start the regular season with replacement officials. the problem is a lot of these guys just don't have the experience to operate on this level. they're really learning on the job. take a listen during the giants/patriots game last night. >> referee: we have fouls by both teams during the kick. we have illegal shift by the kicking team. after the kick -- >> the other rev is yelling both on the kicking team. >> referee: >> referee: correction on the

reporting. both fouls were on the kicking team. five-yard penalty. >> i mean, you really do, you feel bad for the guys. >> you really do. >> it took them five minutes to get the call right. it's not these guys' fault, but they did pick a couple referees up from the lingerie league, seriously, that might not have been the best -- it is a shame, and they need to get the regular guys back out there. you just saw it on the prompter. you're such a cheater. did you just write it down? >> no, i wrote it down an hour ago. >> he spoiled it andy roddick will retire after the u.s. open, the last american man to win a grand slam title. he made the announcement today on his 30th birthday. take a listen. >> i've never done anything halfway, you know, and probably the first time in my career that i can sit here and say i'm not

sure i can put everything into it physically and emotionally, and i don't know that i want to disrespect the game by coasting home. that's not something i -- i had plans to play a smaller schedule next year, but the more i thought about it, i think you have to be either all in or not. >> roddick playing tomorrow at 7:00. you know, for the last decade the best american tennis player. i covered him in florida, took serves from him in the backyard when he was 16 years old, and then at the olympics, i saw him just get waxed by djokovic. so i have seen the kid come full circle. if he feels good about it, it's time. >> no one ever questioned his heart. >> thanks, dan. >> you're welcome. >> you're welcome.

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two new satellites are orbiting the earth tonight. they were sent into space this afternoon -- or this morning, rather. they'll be studying the earth's charged radiation belt.

scientists hope it will help improve forecasting weather from space. let's forecast it from bethesda now with veronica. >> reporter: that's right. hey, i've had a great time out here with all of the bethesda family. guys, thank you for having me out, thank you for having news4 out. [ cheers and applause ] >> reporter: and if you listen really hard, you can see the dogs are barking too. our temperature for tomorrow, 95 to 96, and we'll see the temperatures cool down a bit in the second half, but that's going to be when the showers move in. bye for now, guys. >> thanks veronica. geologists are excited about a brand new find, concerning something that happened about 140 million years ago. they say downtown hong kong is on the remnants of an old extinct super volcano.

the term "super volcano" is not scientific. experts use it when they're talking to the rest of us. it means a volcano capable of producing an eruption that's so huge it can change the weather and threaten a species with extinction. so back to the one under hong kong. scientists say the remnants are more visible in an island change located in eastern hong con. they became rocks and slowly cracked into patterns. >> that's super. nightly news is