meteorologist n. we have a weather alert day around here today and a high threat for severe weather later this morning. >> developing right now, a neighborhood shocked. i'm pat lawson. >> new details and video as we come on the air this morning and get more answers about what led to the deadly smoke incident inside a metro tunnel. >> and the fight over the confederate flag hits home. news 4 midday starts right now. >> first things first. today severe weather possible

this morning. already if you haven't outside yet. dangerously hot and humid. severe storms are getting more and more likely looking for later on this afternoon. stay very weather alert informal we'll have frequent weather alerts and push alerts on our washington app and on our website. heat advisor from 1:00 until 7:00. heat indices could run up to nearly 105 degrees. current temperatures upper 80s to near 90 degrees. current heat index is 100 in frederick. at 11:00 a.m. in the morning. severe thunderstorm watches for pennsylvania, new jersey new york and new england. we will be under a severe weather watch box later on this afternoon. we'll let you know the minute it comes out. >> thank you. a developing story right now. the visitor center at the u.s. capital building back open after a brief scare. the center was evacuated a short time ago.

take a look at the people leaving the center. we know an alarm went off inside that center. we're working to find out exactly what sparked the evacuation. there was no bomb threat and no one was hurt. >> live at the live desk right now. a major hearing underway at the national transportation safety board. it is about the underboard metro incident that killed a woman earlier this year. constant water leaks in the tunnels are to blame for causing an arcing insulator on that day. check out this video just released at the hearing. it shows the tunnel at the station filling up with smoke back in january. that train operator just testified that he repeatedly asked for permission to return the train to the platform but was told he could not. one woman died. d.c. transit police will be questioned about their emergency response that day. the hearing will run through

today and tomorrow. we will be tweeting throughout the day about the meeting. developing right now have. all eyes on south carolina. lawmakers could vote on using next week on debating whether the confederate flag should stay on state grounds. question of it was brought about after the killings in south carolina last week. here's the former governor responding of mississippi. >> i am not offended at all by our flag or the confederate flag, for that matter, but some people are. >> now, in just the past hour virginia governor ordered be removed from some virginia specialty license plates. retailer walmart will no longer sell merchandise with the confederate flag. it remains to be seen whether other retailers will do the same

thing. merchandise for the flag is still for sale on some sites. >> senators in congress are demanding answers about the massive government data breach right now. take a look. a hearing about the information hack started less than an hour ago. the office of personnel management says hackers stole the information of millions of current and former government employees. . >> larry hogan has a difficult road ahead in the next few months. by now you've heard he has snaensed aggressivenonhodgkin's limb foe ma limb foe ma. he will stay in office buff undergo treatment. >> new developments this morning in the search for two convicted killers in new york. state police say they found dna evidence from the maximum

security they found the dna in a hunting cabin. they escaped earlier this week with the help of a prison worker. we heard the joyce mitchel's husband this morning on the today show. that's coming up in about 30 minutes. zblnchs a developing story in the district a burned body found in an alley in northeast washington. news 4 is at the scene right now. and we're going to check in with zachary to find out what police are saying about this from right now. >> news from the body has been removed. the body is no longer here but for a quick minute put yourself in the position of these homeowners here right here. these people woke up this morning as the fire truck pulls up behind us here, they woke up this morning with a burning body behind their home and they later learned that that's exactly what it was. it's burnt beyond recognition. it's still an active scene.

the fire department is here as well as the medical examiner. that body is now gone. i talked to a woman resident who lives around the corner who said she woke up this morning about 5:30. she was going to take out the trash and she realized the trash can was on fire. the focus is right behind an abandoned house. she decided to call the fire department, and this is what she learned. let's hear it from here. >> i moved my truck and someone said that the body back there that's really spooky. that's scare question. >> i knew this was coming. that's the same thing i said a minute ago. this goes on practically every evening. >> reporter: talking to mr. gilbert who's lived in this neighborhood for a long time. he said things are better than they've been in the past but he says some of the youngsters in this community are a bit of a concern. it's a changing community. a lot of questions here. burning body in the alley.

we'll have more details as they gone here. reporting in northeast d.c. back to you in the studio. >> well, right now we've got a weather alert. it's going to be a day of intense heat with a chance of severe weather.

a lot of you are talking act a new trend in baby names. a new survey said these names are among the top 100 for 2014. easton, blake avery, they're all jengender neutral. more and more people are picking names that can count far boy or a girl. and you have to see this bit tonight from jimmy fallon. >> i have a very particular set of channels. if you'd like to purchase these channels, i'll come to your house and install your cable,

and that'll be the end of it. if you don't, i will look for you. i will find you. and i will kill you. >> that is good. everyone saying seth mcfarland had a spot on imadministration of liam niecen there.

good morning once again. it is going to be one of those ugly days to be outside around here. ahead of the severe weather threat, it's very hot and humidity. severe thunderstorm watch north until 7:00 this evening. we will be put under a severe weather watch box this afternoon. the minute it comes out, we'll let you know. quiet through 3:00 this

afternoon but after 3:00 between picture and 4:00 a rapid development of strong to severe thunderstorms likely to be inside the capital beltway by about 6:00 this afternoon and eventually going to southern maryland by 5:00 this evening. we'll get an update all day long. >> repairs begin today on a retaining wall that collapsed allowing flood water to rush into a cemetery and unearth a coffin. this is what some family's faced at a cemetery. investigators say severe flooding caused the wall to give way. the cemetery manager said only one family that was affected by this, and it has been corrected. the affected families will have plots moved at in cost. >> right now a group of native americans and the right skins are making cases about the team's trade marc in court. the native american group

challenged the team's name and the u.s. patent office cancelled the trademark protection. they said it violated the team's free speech rights. now a judge will decide already the lawsuit should be dismissed. >> an outlook at the sever weather. a look at how people are beating the heat.

right now search teams are looking for teams who may be trapped under debris. illinois governor deployed a task force one. quite a mess. strong winds ripped a roof off a sports store and a tornado tore through a town near chicago. several mobile homes were also damaged. >> to michigan where investigators are trying to determine if a tornado touched down. 70 miles per hour and large hail damaged an rv campground. one camper rolled over. two people taken to the hospital with minor injuries. closer to home, dealing with extreme heat and a chance for storms. >> first, it's already a tough day to be outdoors, especially for people who have to be outside. news 4 is live now at the georgetown water front with a

look at how people are going to try to stay cool today. meghan? >> reporter: well, good morning. take a look behind me and you can see a terrific way to stay cool. how about tiptoeing through a water fountain like these kids are doing? i just checked my storm team 4 weather app just a moment ago. it is 88 degrees right now here in georgetown, but you throw in the humidity and everything else, and it feels like 98 degrees. this is only 11:15 in the morning. you can bet it's going to be a hot one. waiting in line to get into the washington monument. there's no shade so some people made their own. a good sun hat isn't a bad idea either. this family from australia knows the deal. what's the key to staying cool? >> keep yourself hydrated and stay in the shade. >> reporter: extreme heat is in the forecast today.

people are advised to be careful when outside. >> drink a lot of water. it's very important. >> reporter: staying hydrated is important and stay indoors if you can, and fortunately, that's not an option for dale koskyi. he'll be working outside all day long. >> all day in this heat. it's a hundred or something? it's too much. >> reporter: if you need a place to high there are cooling centers in libraries and reck centers. people are reminded to drink plenty of water. that's pretty much the case for all the area jurisdictions. they're opening up public spaces for cooling centers so people who don't have air-conditioning can come in and get a break from the heat. everyone out here, can i tell you, is wondering just how hot it's going to get today and whether or not we're going to get these terrible storms that are predicted. chuck bell is tracking all of that. what do you think? >> i think we're under the gun

for severe weather as we get into the second half of the afternoon hours and ahead of the storms it's going to be sweltering hot outside. this is a view of dulles international airport. look how thick and hazy and moisture-filled the atmosphere is right now. this is all going to make it go from uncomfortable levels of humidity here late morning into the oppressive category by later this afternoon. heat index values are flirting with 100 degrees. we could be 105 later. timing out the chances for thunderstorms today. one or two could be going in fornorthern part part of our viewer area later. hour by hour today, 95 at 1:00. 98 by 4:00. that will tie the record high temperature at national today. the record at bwi is 97. the record at dulles is 96. all three records are in jeopardy today.

this morning, four flight attendants are suing boeing. they same boeing knows about an effect that allows fumes that can cause serious illness to leak into a cabin. we have new details in this investigation. >> reporter: july 12th, 20022, a flight makes an emergency landing in chicago with four flight attendants seriously ill after complaining about fumes in the cabin. two of them passed out. >> the next thing i knew i was on the galley floor and the other flight attendant was on the pa system just mumbling incoherently. >> paramedics rushed all four of the hospital six disoriented and struggling to concentrate. two years later three of them say tremors and memory problems prevent them from returning to

work. now all four are suing boeing accusing the plane manufacturing of exposing them and the passengers to toxic fumes that seep into the plane's ventilation system. >> i got on that flight. i was healthy. i got off the flight and i have never been the same since. >> reporter: most modern aircraft are ventilated by bleeding outside here but experts say if a seal leaks burning oil can mix with the cabin air. the flight attendant's attorney says it happens once a day around the world. and documents suggest they have been aware of the problem for decades. include include. >> we know that boeing has known this problem exists since the early 1950s. they've known there's a problem. they know there's fume events and the con tam innocents come in through the air.

>> reporter: emergency landings for this are not unusual but there's no good data on how many passengers might have suffered ill effects. a pilot died in 2012 who had been on medical leave for 15 months after claiming he'd been poisoned by toxic cabin fumes. a coroner found proof -- the faa tells us they are concerned if certain mechanical failures occur, the cabin environment macon tan con tam innocent innocents. >> they may not realize they're sick or that it was caused from this contaminated air so they're not getting properly treated for the fumes in their system. >> boeing has been sued before and settled. it's declining to comment on today's suit but has found cabin

air is safe to breathe. research has consistently shown that cabin air meets health and safety stands and that levels are generally low. >> boeing says it is looking for ways to improve planes and the air in the cabins. the flight attendant's lawsuit calls on boeing to stop using the bleed system and to put air quality sensors to warn pilots if fumes are leaking into the cabins. boeing's newest plane does not use the engine bleed system to ventilate the cabin. >> can what you wear hurt you? literal

if you had contact with a stray orange tabby health workers want to hear from you. >> around orange tabby has tested positive for lay rabies.

they know a boy between 15 12 and 15 years old, and a woman driving an suv helped rescue the cat. the boy and the woman together were together. they may need to seek medical treatment. if you have any information about the cat, you're asked to call the health district offices. the d.c. public school system has come a long way but there is more work to be done to narrow the achievement gap. "the washington post" reports she says there's been improvement when it comes to paying teachers on time and prepares for the first day of school. many parents and teachers and advocates were frustrated at the slow pace of progress. research found students still are not meeting standards despite major changes made back in 200 p. >> here's something you wouldn't have thought you had to be warned about. beware of skinny jeans. >> there was a woman who ended

up in the hospital after squatting for several hours in ore tight pants. her feet went numb and her feet started to swell and her pants had to be cut off. she damaged her muscles and nerve fibers in her lower legs. you don't have to throw away your skinny jeans but make sure they're not too tight. >> a little room for breathing. >> literally. changes coming to a popular children's toy for the sake of the environment.

welcome back to news 4 midday on what is already a very uncomfortfully warm day to be outside. not even lunchtime and it's 91 in annapolis. 88 downtown. 89 in rockville. temperatures getting close to 90. we'll be here 98 today tieing

the record at international airport. 70% of thunderstorms today. some of those will be strong to severe. be ready for that. sun shine, lower humidity back for tomorrow and into thursday. unfortunately rain chances and cooler weather just on time for your weekend. >> lego wants your kids to continue having fun with building blocks but not at the expense of the environment. the lego group announced a plan to find sustainable bricks. it will invest more than $150 million to get a lego stainable material center. it wants to inspire the future buildings of tomorrow and leave a positive impact on the planet. lego goes more than 6,000 tons of plastic every year to make all those sets of toys they sell. >> it's not what you want to hear when it's this hot out. some of your bottled water could be contaminated. news 4 midday back in a minute.

midday on a weather alert day here at nbc four. that means you should expect frequent updates on air and online and frequent pushes from your weather app. our nbc washington app as well. go ahead and have that down loaded onto your smart phone. there's no severe weather out there just yet.

expecting it this afternoon and interfering with the afternoon commute home. that's the worst of the weather most likely between 4:00 and 8:00 today. current temperatures. already 90 in leesburg. 88 in winchester. here's the way the heat indexes are going to continue to climb. by 4:00 this afternoon, 100 to 105 heat indexes across the metro. they'll stay that way until 4:00 or 5:00. they'll lower then the rainstorm rainstorms come in. any time after 3:00 or 4:00 could have a very large impact on travel around the area. air, rail, or roads. >> chuck thank you. a developing story out of baltimore. police say a 2-year-old girl found locked in a hot car has died. the girl was there for at least a full 4 hours. the father is the one who found here yesterday afternoon. he's also the one who put her in the car. he was taken in for questioning. so far no charges have been

filed. >> we know as chuck told us we are dealing with extreme heat. >> but before you reach fshd bottled water there's a recall. 14 brands of bottled water are under a recall because they may be con top nated with e. coli. wegmans 7 eleven. nighing a gra bottling says you should boil the water before you drink it and you want to know if your water was affected, take a look at the bottle. the recalled water bottles have codes that begin with the letter f or a. >> at the live desk, right now senators asking for answers. they say they want to know how hackers stole information from the federal government. the office says hackers stole information from current and federal workers including some people who applied for mu never got a job. the director just spoke.

>> these adversaries are sophisticated, well-funded, and focussed. unfortunately these attacks will not stop. if anything, they will increase. >> the director says op is doing its best to battle the hackers and secure personal data. new today on news four midday, a done deal between verizon and aol. an acquisition for $50 per share in skash supposed to help verizon's plans to help grow the mobile video and advertising presence. the whole deal is worth 4.4 billion. >> friends and supporters and politicians took to social media after the governor of maryland announced he has cancer. the d.c. mayor tweeted we stand with you in your fight against

cancer. and the prince george's county attorney showed its support in saying they're praying for a speedy recovery. baltimore's mayor also sent her support through twitter and hogan made that announcement just five months after taking office. >> for the first time, we are hearing from the husband of that prison employee accused of helping two convicted killers escape from a prison in new york. lyle mitchel says his wife said the prisoners threatened to harm her news. >> she said i love my husband. i am not hurting him. she said then i knew i was in over my head. then he started threatening her that someone inside was going to do something to harm me or kill me or somebody outside the jail if she didn't stay with us.

>> she is now facing charges for providing tools for helping the men escape the correctional facilities. she planned to run off with the inmates after picking them off. >> it's likely that had you been in the pack of the car and had she shown up, that boitth of you would be dead right now. >> absolutely. >> and if she had gone in the car without you? >> she could have been dead within a half hour, i figure. >> the husband says he's not necessarily standing by his wife but he still loves her. joyce mitchel has pleaded not guilty. >> police want your help to find a man who inappropriately touched a girl inside a cvs girl. he touched the girl on river dale road earlier this month. they released a different photo last week of a man they no longer believe is connected to this case. >> no nbc news poll numbers spell trouble for some

republican candidates. that's because daebltds areebates are just around the corner. starting with the democrats, hillary clinton is crushing her competition competition. she is 60 points ahead of bernie sanders. on the republican side, jeb bush is ahead with growing support among conservatives. remember, only the top ten republicans will be on that stage for the party's first debate in august. that means senator lindsey graham, the ohio governor, and a couple of others have just two weeks to make headway. >> the unexpected guest on a small plane and the reaction is priceless.

severe weather the big story of the day today. preparing for severe storms following this hot morning. here's news four social media

editor with how we're working for you on this weather alert day. >> you could be affected by severe weather today in our area. we have a liftst of cooling centers. sometimes you have it and don't even realize it. make sure you stay hydrated. and download our apps to trek the storms which will be in our area after the afternoon rush hour. and all the information the on our website as well. >> next you have to see this video from france. you can see the weather is a little nicer there but what's making all the noise? this cat on plane's wings. the cat made it on board. the best is the pilot's reaction when he finally realizes it. it managed to stay on the plane all the way until it landed safely and sound. wow. >> that cat was hanging in there. thanks. as you said we are in weather alert mode today.

and chuck is tracking the scorching heat and high

we've been warning you all morning about today's dangerous heat. it is a weather alert day around here. it's important to know the warning ian signs of heat exhaustion. >> it includes everything from heavy sweating to faintness. heat stroke is more seriousness. it includes high temperature, lack of breathing and confusion. we have a list of cooling centers in our area. find that list in our app and on our facebook page. need to know that. zblnchs the the temperatures are well into the 90s. >> and climbing all morning long. and it could be a rocky day. the warning is out. >> and you guys are so right about the heat exhaustion and

stroke. it is a completely normal to be sweating and if you stop sweating on a day like this, this is your fist sign that something is going wrong. what to expect. dangerous levels of heat. heat indexes up near 105. the weather alert day means push alerts on all of our social media platforms and our app. severe thunderstorm watch posted for much of the state of pennsylvania and new jersey. that goes until 7:00. those thunderstorms here near state college, pennsylvania, those aren't bothering us. we're watching this tail end of the line across eastern ohio and western west virginia. that's the part of the line we're coping this. question have an enhanced risk for severe weather around here. that means on saturday we're only into the slight risk we're one category higher than that. high-end severe weather later today. we'll be where w you all afternoon. >> get ready to see bryce harper like you've never seen him

before. >> this music, okay. >> don't you love it? >> yeah. goes with this perfectly. >> he's going to pose nude in this year's edition of espn's body issue. he said, i want to put baseball out there. that issue comes out on july sixth. we know he has a lot of fans around here and the magazine will sell well. this morning word of a new reality show may be coming to our area. .

life's morning multitasking. it's multiple ideas for growing families and drawers with many layers to show exactly what you need. life's the food that brings us together. and kitchens where every meal is the most important of the day.

soaring temps dangerous heat and the chance of serious storms before the day ends. we are tracking the weather today. we have team coverage. >> but first, thousands are expected to rally in south carolina today. they are demanding the confederate flag be taken off the state house grounds. we are joined live from south carolina where the legislature is under a lot of pressure. >> reporter: they are, indeed, in fact the state lugtture is planning to meet today to deal with state budget issues but the governor and these demonstrators want them to also deal with taking down the confederate flag from the state capital grounds. >> it looks like the people in south carolina who protested for

decades the confederate flag are about to get their way. >> it's time to move the flag from the capital grounds. >> in light of last week's deadly shooting in charleston, the governor reversed herself and called for the removal admitting many people still see it as a memorial to honor ancestors to came to the rescue of the -- >> it is not hate or racism. at the same time, more for many others, it is a deeply offensive cymbal of. >> the governor's move is getting recognition from people like lindsey graham. >> we try to take it down ourselves. that's it for us. you have to get this right. >> defenders of the flag aren't happy and plan to fight the removal. >> one more step in the

direction of killing the southern culture. >> south carolina's house and senate who go back into session today must approve the removal of the flag. >> reporter: those who want the flag removed from the grounds hope to have it done by august at the latest. live in columbia south carolina, news 4. at the live desk, brand new video into the news room shows smoke billowing into the station last january. take a look in the the video is just released during a hearing happening right now at the national transportation safety board. the train operator that day testified that he repeatedly asked for permission to return the train to the platform but was told no. the hearing is about the incident that killed a woman and sickened eighty others. right now we're tweeting from

the hearing. they say metro is admitting it doesn't have a tracking system to monitor when leaks in the system are repaired. the hearing will wrap up sometime tomorrow afternoon. >> well, this is a weather alert day. take a look at this video showing tornado damage in parts of illinois. a search and rescue team the looking for people who may be trapped under the debris. in t national weather service confirmed the tornado couched down in coal city illinois. the twister ripped through the neighborhoods. at least five people were injured. >> and we're under our own severe weather threat for later this afternoon. the team is on its way in. we're expecting a busy day. >> you saw the footage that came through overnight. the big threat is that of some

damaging gusts. looking at the storm reports in areas of western pennsylvania and even ohio. there's been a lot of trees down and power outages. that's exactly what we could see here. there's the threat across the area. >> that's right. enhanced risk for severe weather coming our way way this afternoon. we could have a few thunderstorms firing around the metro but more likely after 4 4:00 today. you need to be on guard between 4:00 and 8:00 this afternoon into early this evening. and we have more than just a single threat today. >> that's right. we told you about the damaging gusts. over 60 miles per hour. make sure you secure any items around your home. do it early in the day. and, of course, you know you want to do it with some limits too because of the high heat. the other threat we have today is that of large hail and downpours. even if you don't get the high winds and the hail, you're likely to get the downpours and maybe isolated flooding.

can't rule outen an icesolated tornado. we're here throughout the day and don't forget to down load the nbc washington app. you can follow us onall on twitter. we'll be pushing our social media pages today. near records upper 90s to near 100 degrees today. >> thank you. if you see some extra cameras around potomac maryland, you may be witnessing the filming of a new reality show. potomac ensemble reportedly stars six affluent african american women but other than that we don't know much right now. people started speculating about the show after somebody noticed the cameras at a workout facility in town.

just imagine you are preparing to pay your last respects to a loved one only to find out that another family already buried that person. this happened to a family in l.a. this past week. they were getting ready to hold services for their grandmother when they got the stunning news that another family had already held a funeral and buried her. the funeral home says the other family had a loved one who looked similar and had a similar name. >> now imagine the other family, that they were mourning our grandmother. you know? and for them to find out that oh my god we mourned the wrong person. i'm pretty sure that's upsetting for them too. >> wow. hard to believe. the funeral home said that it was very sorry and it notified families as fast as it could. both families now plan to hold services for their actual loved ones. >> in news 4 your health, the

backteria in your stomach may help you lose weight. in the study of overweight and obese people with microbes, those that has it had healthier insulin levels and smaller fat cells. their metabolism also increased when put on a calorie burning diet. the most facial hair friendly city? that's according to the national barber barbershop and trimmer shop waul. you can take advantage of a free trim if you spot the 30-foot mobile barbershop going around town. >> if wo is a couple and three is a crowd, what's four groups of three?

here's a story that will have you talking today. three mothers delivered three

sets of tip letsriplets and a fourth set is on the way at the same hospital. they were born in fresno, california. the mothers agree it was a blessing and a surprise. >> it was one of the things all i could do was laugh. >> i thought they were lying that i asked are you sure you're looking at the right screen. yeah. are you sure? they got someone else to double check. >> getting ready for the fourth set of triplets. they say it's amazing only one of the mothers was use a fertility drug. >> and actor bradley whit ford lab host. he's an advisor to the president in the west wing. barry manilow is headlining the big show. alabama is also in it. the capital fourth concert is

the prelude to the fireworks on the mall. it is broadcast each other on pbs. >> people always say it's not the heat. it's the humidity that makes the difference. here are your heat index values now. 10 3. 102 in leesburg. that's as of now. still a few more hours of daytime heating to go. first strike of lightning west of morgantown. that puts us right in the danger zone between 4:00 and 6:00. high today 98. sun shine and lower humidity tomorrow. >> thanks for joining us. back on the air tomorrow first at 4:00. >> get the latest news and weather with the nbc washington app. try to stay cool out there. .

>> paul: you don't think that i'm rushing things? >> john: hey, tate is almost three months old. he needs a baseball glove. >> paul: that's what i thought. >> john: so tell me about this job offer from kate roberts. are you going to take it? >> paul: i don't know. >> john: why, because you think justin's twisting her arm? >> paul: what, you think i'm wrong about that? >> john: no, it makes perfect sense. i'm just not sure that's any reason why you should turn it down. >> paul: i'm thinking things over. there's a lot of reasons to say yes. >> john: well, there's one really overwhelming reason. i want you to. >> paul: and that trumps everything. >> john: i want you to stay, paul. i really want you to get to know your new family. >> paul: i'd like that, too. but, uh... before i do that, i need to do something first.