justice. >> stay for same sex couples of virginia. how the actions of the supreme court is effecting people who intended to get married tomorrow. >> the former governor just finished his first dayton stand. >> bob mcdonnell was cool calm and collected in front of a packed courtroom. people have waited nearly a month to hear his side of the story. northern virginia chief anchor julie carey. >> reporter: it was a moment observers have waited for three and a half weeks. bob mcdonnell was called to the witness stand tioday. there is going to be much more to come this week. bob mcdonnell convinced voters to believe in him nine times. on the witness stand he must now convince jurors he is telling the truth and not johnny williams,nx3 the star prosecut

witness. afterk(klñ accounting his famil history and political resume today defense attorneys turned pretty quickly to the issue of star scientific. asked defense attorney henry azbell, was there anything you did that was unusual for star scientific. >> my administration did nothing for them other than give them access to government. prosecutors see it differently of course. they have charged the mcdonnellss with corruption charges for accepting gifts and loans in exchange for helping him with its company and new product. another thing we heard from the defense early on in testimony today, the fact that the first couple's marriage was so troubled that they could not have plotted together. the former governor recalled had moment the day after he was first elected governor he woke up ready to return phone calls but he said the first lady was

not happy. he said quote she was yelling at me about something. i clearly exhibited some of the stress of what lay ahead for her in her new role as first lady. we expect to hear much more about that. we did speak to the governor as he left the courthouse moments ago with two of his closest friends who also testified on his behalf today. >> talking about marriage and finances are hard for anybody. >> what do you think of tomorrow? >> another day on the stand. >> governor, how much of a relief is it to finally get up there and tell your story? how did you feel about that moment. >> i've known about it for about 18 months so it's good to be able to testify. >> and you were talking about bob mcdonnell and what kind of man you know him to be. could you repeat some of that testimony for us. >> if i can. i simply told the truth, which is bob mcdonnell is one of the kindest, most honest people of integrity i've ever met in my

life. >> that other gentlemen you heard from there reverend timothy scully was his roommate at notre dame. one of his lifelong friend and one of the character wn witnesses that laid the groundwork today for his testimony. we expect mcdonnell will be back on the stand tomorrow possibly all day thursday and friday as well. and we'll be here. reporting live from richmond, julie carey news4. same sex marriage on hold again. the courts step in just at the last minute as same sex couples were planning to marry tomorrow. the weddings were supposed to begin at 8:00 a.m. among those looking forward to tomorrow a an alexandria couple with three children. news4 has their reaction to the court's decision in our next half hour. >> a look at the weather now. a line of storms moving over parts of our area. >> we have a strong line of storms right now, jim. some actually severe and some

increasing in intensity as well. moving through the district down through i-95. this is some light to moderate rain that continues in this area. but to the south is where i'm watching the heaviest rain. fairfax, wood bridge, all moving into prince george's county and clinton area. and towards alexandria. farther south and west is where he've seen this line develop. and there's lot of lightning and thunder with this. a big thunderstorm here around cull pe culpeper. a new warning was issued until 6:15. including fredericksburg and stafford and stafford county under the gun again for the storms to move through. on the track they are moving about 10 to 20 miles per hour. quantity quo you have been hit. and port tobacco village.

these storms mean business. we'll continue to track them for you from the storm center. >> president obama says he will not let up on the islamist radical group isis despite their threat to kill a second american journalist. one day after the militants released video of the grizzly reporter of murder of james foley. our team coverage begins with the steve handelsman on capitol hill. >> that is the message here in washington and from the president up on martha's vineyard. the u.s. pressure on isis may now increase after the sickening ritual murder of an american journalist on behalf of isis by a jihad fanatic who literally speaks our language. >> bring some awareness -- >> jim foley's family got confirmation from the fbi, that the video is authentic. and more disturbing to some because the isis executioner speaks english.

>> james wright foley an american citizen of your country. >> 21 months of hope end in tragedy. >> he was a great(od] american. >> foleys hold out hope for another u.s. journalist held in syria. steven sotlof kidnapped last year. his life depends on what the u.s. now does in iraq. where u.s. air strikes are driving isis forces back. president obama said today no god would stand for what isis is doing and the u.s. will remain relentless. >> when people harm americans anywhere, we do what is necessary to see that just sis done. >> images of the journalists killed on the job cover a wall at the museum in washington and at the museum in washington and the risk may be %

brother, sister balling. >> but the next year foley was in syria. his family is weeping but praising jim's character and commitment. >> to fight isis senior u.s. officials say as many as 400 u.s. forces could be sent to iraq soon where today u.s. pilots and drones struck isis targets at least 18 times. jim and doreen, u.s. intelligence agents tonight are looking at the video. they want to know who that english speaking jihad killer. back to you. >> thanks steve. british prime minister cameron cut his vacation short and went back to london when he

learned that the isil militants who killed james foley might be but president obama went back to his vacation in martha's vineyard. and this is not the first time the critics have questioned whether he should be taking a break right now. nbc's kristen walker continue ours team coverage from martha's vineyard. and kristen, thank you. it seems there has not been a president in modern times who did not receive criticism for going on or being on vacation at a given time. is this one any different from the others? >> well that is right, i've been on a lot of vacations with this president it is difficult for people to criticize republicans particularly saying that he's gone on vacation at a time when his focus needs to be in washington. the white house always pushes back against that saying look the office of the presidency travels with the president wherever he goes. this vacation has been unique though. there is no doubt about that. the president has addressed the nation three separate times

while javacations. that is more than we typically hear from him in washington, d.c. the first time in iraq and then ferguson and of course the tragic developments of jim foley and he talked about the fact that the country is heartbreaken and when he stood his ground saying they will continue air strikes in iraq. so this is certainly not your typical presidential vacation, given how busy he's been. and then income he traveled back to the washington, d.c. at begin f this week for previously scheduled meetings by the way. that return to d.c. was announced long before any of these recent breaking news developments. and he met with his senior staffers, his chief of staff and the vice president. the last time that we have seen a vacation that's been this busy during this administration was 2009. you will recall that's when the underwear bomber unsuccessfully tried to bring down an american jet liner. so this certainly not a typical vacation and today tragic for

all americans, president obama quite somber but defiant when he came out and addressed the nation. back to you. >> thanks. we invite you to tune into nightly news for the latest developments coming up at 7:00 after this broadcast. new developments in ferguson, missouri tonight. eric holder is thereó"q talkin about the -- saying change is coming. heels also going to meet with the parents the michael brown. with the night fall just a few hours away protesters have picked up and move to where the grand jury is talking about the case. leanne gregg has the latest from ferguson. >> reporter: u.s. attorney general eric holder meeting face to face with residents of ferguson, missouri and then sat down with federal investigators. he is promising a thorough independent civil rights investigation into the death of michael brown. the teenager was shot and killed by officer darren wilson earlier

this month. while in ferguson, holder met with captain ron johnston, the state trooper charged with restoring peace to the community. >> keep up the good work. >> all right. >> reporter: a small group of protesters gathered outside the building where a grand jury began hearing the evidence to determine whether the officer who callkilled brown should fac charges. >> everyone wants to know what and why and if there is something that can be done about it. >> it's a process that could take months. >> we are not going to rush anything but not going to delay it anymore that be has to be necessary. >> reporter: brown's shooting sparks days of violent nighttime protests including gunfire and molotov cocktails. authorities used tear gas and rubber bullets to clear streets but on tuesday night there was a shift. protests, but more subdued3uf

riots happened. mark segraves here with more on that. >> sharon pratt had only been r mayor a few months when a rookie officer shot the sopt and riots broke out. >> there's been a real significant implosion of new residents from central america. we had not made the accommodations and the leadership of the city in the -- with the police department, with people who could speak spanish.

people who respected and understood the changing culture of our. >> 23 years after the mount pleasant riots former mayor sharon pratt says that lack of engagement with the minority community set the stage for the riots. >> there was a simmering rage that existed that that's why that event could trigger that rage. >> pratt says the same tensions that led to the riots here are playing out in ferguson. pratt says she know what the leaders are going through and says she knew when they imposed a curfew that it wouldn't work because it didn't work here. >> when they imposed had curfew% it was a jolt to my memory and what happened here and how painful it was. and while we did create some calm cur few, the ultimate way we were able to address it is to let the community know we knew there was a problem that predated this eent. >> while -- e national's game.

there is still rain down there. i told you a couple of hours ago on twitter i think the game could be delayed a little be but i do think they will get the game in. someone called about the buoy bay socks game as well. that going delayed as well. right along route 50 and out there towards annapolis. we're not done quite yet. gaithersburg, you are done for the most part. this is one line. here is another line of showers and storms and what is we talked about the last few days with the area of low pressure spinning over the great lakes. it is going to continue to be unsettled the next few days and tomorrow and especially on the day on friday. because of the rain notice the temperatures. still 85 in fredericksburg. 89 earlier but now it is 75. 70 in gaithersburg. what are we going to see the next few cars. water up to the windows of some

cars parked in bwi. transportation reporter adam tuss talked to one guy whose car was in the mess and he says he hasn't had much help getting it cleaned up. >> reporter: more than a week after drenching rains flooded the long-term parking lots, some of the car owners are still trying to dry out and figure out what to do. >> i'll show you. -- smell it. smells like hell. this is the fifth day. >> oh. >> every day i come in i clean it up. >> this is ibraham. his green honda a victim of the flooding. towed back to his apartment here in alexandria. >> i have to take my shoes off first the get to the car. and then water gushes out and then i'm all wet. it's raining. that's it. >> he says he hasn't herd from the airport since that day about who she could contact. he passed on his story to the

not going to get into what who we believe is helping him. >> reporter: they are convincing someone knows not only where accused gunmen wallace is but someone is helping him to avoid police. >> there are persons that are synthetic with mr. wallace. >> reporter: this comes the day three-year-old is laid to rest. a small casket carried her body left the unity church surrounded by flowers and her loved ones. >> it's torn two communities apart. one in district of columbia and one in landover maryland. >> wallace sprayed this home with bullets striking and killing the little girl two weeks ago. they have searched for him ever sense and. >> there was a point in time when we thought we had him in custody. we had been in communication with his attorney but that has ll