right now, on news 4 midday, the mad dash to get out of town. >> whether you're staying around or hitting the road, we've got you covered for this fourth of july. and if you're headed to the beach or sticking around here, we've got you covered in terms of weather. we're seeing a few storms out there right now. nothing in the immediate washington area. but that's going to change later on. timing of today's storms coming up. plus a success story for a local veteran that you will only see on news 4. >> never too late. never too late. news 4 midday starts now. good friday morning. folks are rushing to get out of town before the fourth

>> the traffic is about to get much, much worse. news 4's meegan fitzgerald, how bad is it going to get? >> reporter: well, you know, i've got to tell you, aaa said now is the time to pack your patience because it's going to get bad. around 2:00 is the hour folks can expect gridlock up until around 9:00 this evening. they tell us some 917,000 people are expected to take a road trip to where they're going to go. i'll step out of the way and show you the good news. right now, it's pretty smooth sailing on the beltway. but experts say this is not going to last long. there's no secret about it. holiday travel is usually a bit of a pain for most folks. >> yes, i'm going to avoid the roads. >> reporter: unless you have good strategy in place and luck is on your side.

rush by leaving early, early sunday morning. >> reporter: leaving early -- >> just staying at home. family's coming into town. >> reporter: -- and staying off the roads are good ways to avoid traffic for some. but that's not always feasible for others. aaa says 917,000 people from the washington area will be driving over the fourth of july weekend. >> we're going to see the cousins and auntie and uncle and grandma. >> reporter: because after all, spending time with the ones we love is priceless, which is why they're willing to deal with the traffic. >> it's kind of a necessary evil. >> reporter: now, aaa said if you are going to be taking a road trip, make sure you check your car before you leave. ensure that the tires are fully inflated and that you've topped off the fluids if you're going to be doing it yourself. and make sure that your cell phone is fully charged in case of emergency. back to you. >> meagan fitzgerald, thank

morning, take a look at this. the sedan crashed into a guardrail near the germantown road exit right in the middle of the morning rush. the accident backed up southbound traffic for hours. to your local forecast now. is rain still a possibility for the fourth? your storm team 4 meteorologist lauren, say it ain't so. >> i know, unfortunately it looks like there's going to be scattered showers throughout the day on monday. not just your typical afternoon thunderstorm, but we will have showers on your fourth of july. more on that in a few minutes. right now, more on this haze. look at that haze, it's so hazy and humid out there. and warm. temperatures climb to around 80 right now. we're headed to near 90. you can see a few showers going as the warm front hanging to the south. not only do we have to worry for that for today, a cold front will also bring showers and thunderstorms. nnl

area beaches. so your beach forecast and the timing on these storms, so you can plan out your evening, all coming up. most roads near the national mall will be closed monday for the fourth of july parade and fireworks. the parade on constitution avenue started at 11:45 on monday. the fireworks show actually starts around 9:00 p.m. most road closures start at 6:00 in the morning. and close around midnight. we want you to see the fourth of july celebrations, and we want to see your pictures. use the #howwe4th in your instagram picks and follow the nbc washington instagram account to see if your photos made our spotlights. send them in. we're getting you ready for the busy holiday weekend. coming up, we'll look at the best places to see the fireworks. what to expect if you're riding metro, and how security is being stepped up for the holiday.

good morning. a former high-ranking and longtime d.c. government official has been charged with trying to cheat the irs. there he is. warren graves, former chief of staff to administrator allen liu. graves was also a figure in former mayor anthony williams' and marion barry's administrations. they say he underreported his 2009 income to the irs, and did so to the tune of nearly a quarter of a million dollars. if convicted, graves would face up to three years in prison and likely have to make financial restitution as well. no comment from graves' attorney just yet. we expect a hearing in his case in d.c. federal court in the coming weeks. again, warren graves, former high-ranking city official for the washington, d.c., government charged by the feds with scheming to try to cheat the irs. back to you. >> thank you, scott.

missing. d.c. police are asking for your help to find her. her name is miracle watt. she's 17. she was last seen on monday in southeast washington in the 1900 block of trenton place. d.c. police say miracle is a critical missing person. the police division of youth and family services is investigating. we learned this morning that an 8-year-old boy who nearly drowned on a cruise ship is from maryland. he's now in critical condition. we're working to learn more about him. nbc's shanel jones tells us about what appears to have been a terrible accident. >> reporter: this morning, more trouble for royal caribbean's phantom of the seas. the cruise ship forced to head back to port in new jersey after an unidentified 8-year-old boy fell into one of the ship's pools. according to the coast guard, the child was underwater for 8 to 10 minutes before he was pulled out. the cruise ship left new jersey thursday afternoon, bound for bermuda. >> medical emergency on the ship

the ship performed cpr on the boy. an nypd helicopter ler landed on the ship to whisk the child away to the hospital where he is now in critical condition. the cruise ship turning around to bring the child's large family back to a waiting bus. early this morning, royal caribbean tweeting, we are assisteding a family of an 8-year-old boy who had ab accident. our care team is providing support to his family. please join us in keeping them in our thoughts and prayers. the phantom of the seas made headlines in february after the ship sailed into a storm with high winds and 30-foot waves. frightened passengers and damaging the ship. later that same month, another cruise was cut short due to an outbreak of the noro virus. >> that was chanel jones reporting there. here in d.c., police say lisa vaughn is the day care worker accused of pulling a chunk of hair from a toddler's scalp. the 1-year-old's parents noticed the missi

the kids are us learning center. the parents were told another child did it. but surveillance video showed a different story. vaughn was arrested wednesday and charged with child cruelty. some major developments this morning. police forces in turkey are now naming the man they believe was the mastermind behind the terror attack at the airport. he's from chechnya, a part of russia. the bombers blew themselves up at istanbul airport on tuesday. 44 people were killed. no one has claimed responsibility for the attack, but government officials have said it looks like the work of isis. chatia served as a top lieutenant in the past. we should learn how many civilians were killed in u.s. military and cia drone strikes. president obama is set to release the number of those killed by drone strikes in pakistan,

he took office. he's also expected to issue an executive order that makes protecting civilians a bigger part of the planning in u.s. military ongss. if you want to stay up late tonight, why not do it at the smithsonian. the air and space museum is staying open all night tonight in honor of its 40th anniversary. it has several special events on the program starting with the reopening of the newly renovated boeing milestone flight hall. that takes place at 8:30. after that, you can enjoy a little stargazing, a film festival and scavenger hunt. that's after midnight. breaking news to report now. a serious crash in montgomery county. you are looking at live pictures from chopper 4 over sandy spring road in silver spring. it appears a car and a pickup truck crashed. at least one person is trapped in

east of columbia pike. we're working to learn more about this and keep you updated as soon as we get more information.

headed out of town right now? take a look. we're back with you at 11:12 this morning with a look at your drive down i-95 south. looking pretty good in this camera ri

then we're going to switch over to maryland, looking now along 495 the beltway at colesville road. the conditions not too bad right now. i know between 2:00 and 9:00 p.m., not the best time to take to the roads. so get out and get going if you have plans. we do expect crowded roads as the day goes on, like i just said. and the gags prices are low this holiday weekend. d.c. drivers will pay about $2.54 to gas up. maryland drivers will cost $2.26. if you're headed out of the area, the national average is $2.28. starting today you'll save money at metro, if delays hamper your commute. you'll get 15 minutes to enter and exit a station and not charged on your smart trip card. the goal is to make it easier for you if you have a long wait. if you plan

over the weekend, be aware that the second safe track surge in part of the orange, blue and silver lines is still under way on sunday. on monday metro will halt all work and have regular service on all lines for the fourth of july. metro's next phase of safe track work is set to start on tuesday. authorities want you to stay vigilant for this weekend's celebrations. expect more security on the national mall. the crowds will be so large, there will be eight access points with security checkpoints. police telling parents to keep your children close. >> if you have small children under the age of 5, please, write down two adults' names in the group with telephone numbers. this way we're able to call those family members to unite them with their parents much more quickly. >> with the potential for storms, the national park service said fireworks could be moved to tuesday. they've never been postponed for weather. right

fitzgerald is looking for trouble spots. as you make plans to rush out of town. we'll check back in with her live in just a few minutes. in about 15 minutes. right now, all eyes are on atlantic city. that's where about 1,000 casino workers are striking. this is the casino industry's busiest weekend of the year. workers at the trump taj mahal casino walked och the job this morning after they failed to get a deal. the workers include cooks, servers, and bell hops, but not dealers. the taj mahal is one of five casinos that the union is targeting. attorney general loretta lynch will support recommendations from prosecutors and the fbi on the hillary clinton e-mail case. the decision comes after a controversial meeting between lynch and former president bill clinton raised concerns. the two met for 30 minutes on a plane in phoenix. lynch said the meeting was unplanned andur

and grandchildren. the attorney general says she did not discuss benghazi or hillary clinton's e-mails. the fbi is expected to make recommendations to the justice department later this month. that controversy comes as hillary clinton tries to get an advantage in virginia. the "washington post" reports governor terry mcauliffe and senators mark warner and tim cain are lending staffers to her campaign. cain is one of the top candidates reportedly on clinton's short list for vice president. beginning today, if you pass a stopped school bus in arlington and you get caught on one of the district's safety cameras, you can expect to get a ticket. more than 20 buses have the mounted cameras. the fine, $250 in virginia. there are also some state laws that take effect, marriage at age 18.

smoking in a car with a child younger than 8 is now illegal. and among several new gun laws, virginia will now recognize out-of-state's concealed gun permits. maryland also has several new laws taking effect today in maryland, the minimum wage goes up to $8.75 per hour, but montgomery county will see that increase to $10.75 per hour. and drivers will pay more for gas with an increase in the state gas tax. it jumps to 33.5 cents per gallon. this weekend nearly 50,000 american veterans will be sleeping on the streets. but a local effort to end that has been finding some success. only on news 4, mark seagraves has the story of a vet who spent decades on the street and is now a homeowner. >> reporter: alfred never thought this day would come. at age 68, he's a homeowner. for the very first

never too late. >> reporter: back in 1971, he was serving in the u.s. army in vietnam. like many soldiers, he came home addicted to heroin. >> that's when my life changed for the worse. >> reporter: he spent the next 30 years either sleeping on the streets, or in jails. >> all you want to do is get drugs and alcohol. you didn't really care where you lived at. >> reporter: eight years ago he found help. first at this shelter where he entered a substance abuse program, and then he got a housing voucher. >> thank god i had a voucher where i could go after being on the streets. go and get myself together. >> reporter: he said getting that stable home was key to his staying sober. and he said it's paid off. last month he qualified for a va loan to buy his first house here in capital heights. today he's clean and sober, and married. and for the first time, he's looking forward to his future.

>> god really brought me a long ways. you know? i look at those pictures, see where my life was then. it wasn't worth two nickels. but today now, he didn't save me for me, he saved me for somebody else. >> reporter: he said he wants to help other vets get off the street and find the help that he found. mark seagraves, news 4. >> what an inspiration. >> truly living the american dream now. >> he turned his life around. and now he set the path for a lot of others to follow. >> it's nice to see a story like that this holiday waekd, you know. puts it all in perspective. >> it sure does. there is about to be a new way to stay cool in the city this summer. we've got a sneak preview of a new exhibit at the national building museum. coming your way. but first, is your sunscreen really doing as much as it says it is. what you need to know beforeou y

woman: i have a masurprise for you.are you? man: you have a surprise for me? narrator: at dominion, 1 in 5 new hires is a veteran.

but they won't miss out on financial support. because we cover any difference between their military pay and their dominion salary, and continue benefits for them and their families. why do we do it? because our vets sacrifice enough. "dominion. depend on us for more than energy." ♪ stand by me.

the sunscreen you use may not be protecting your skin as much as you think. "consumer reports" tested 65 sunscreens and found more than 40% didn't do what they claimed they were doing. the fda said there are misleading terms like sun block and waterproof was used back in 2012. the magazine recommends using spf 40 or 50 to increase your chances of

30. if you're grilling this weekend, i certainly plan to, and need some help. you can call the grill master. longhorn steakhouse set up a grill us hotline. the number to call, 1-855-lh-grill. you can also text grill to 55702 for some advice. i guess the question is, timing your grilling? >> yes. i would say this weekend, if you are grilling out this weekend, looking fabulous. sunday, fourth of july, different story. >> bring it on inside. >> and we'll see what will happen on monday. hopefully the storms stay north of the area. but it looks like they're going to roll right through d.c. unfortunately, right during the time people may be out grilling and possibly getting ready to watch some fireworks. look how hazy it is out there. my goodness. current temperature up to 80

picking up some of that heat and humidity and bringing it right here into the mid-atlantic, right into the d.c. area. temperatures 81 in d.c., 81 in manassas, and 82 in fredericksburg. right around the 80-degree mark. we're headed to 90 degrees. here's a look at your time line. you can see the camera shaking behind this graphic, it's going to be breezy and quite warm. storms popping up west of d.c. right now they're south along the frontal system, but we have a cold front back to the midwest. that will be bringing strong storms with it. by the time we head on home, you're getting out of work, 5:00, 6:00, heading to the beach, we'll see storms up to about 8:00 tonight. the threat being high winds and even some hail. here's the storms right now. that's all along a boundary from richmond out to the eastern shore. widen out this picture a bit and

storms. that will be headed into this moist atmosphere we have and there will be pretty strong storms, a lot of lightning mainly west of d.c. watch as they roll to about 5:00. again, could have strong to severe storms rolling through. and then 8:00 tonight, they start to dissipate. we'll get rapid clearing overnight. saturday looks spectacular. sunday looks great as well. maybe a few more clouds on sunday. you may head into showers especially south of d.c., but other than that, you're looking good as we go into sunday. at the beach, maryland beach, rain chances on monday as well. here we go, look at monday. temperatures in the low 80s. 40% chance we're still unsure of the track whether it's going to go north or to the sth. right now we're calling for scattered showers and storms mainly through the afternoon and evening. we could see a few showers lingering into tuesday. but we really warm up towards the end of next week. next chance of showers after that on thuda

>> thank you, lauren. thousands in d.c. could soon be paying more for power. pepco has requested the largest increase in decades. $85.5 million, roughly a 5% bump in your power bill. but pepco said that's stretched out over three years. 1.5% increase per year. it's crediting customers $50 when the merger took place. a major change happening in the military that could affect about 12,000 members who are transgender. defense secretary ash carter said the transgender ban will be lifted. and changes will be phased in over the next year. this means that these troops can get medical care. they also be able to change their gender identifications in the pentagon's personnel system. a transgender soldier from austin is speaking out after the pentagon's announcement

the ban. leo transitioned from female to male. he said he did not know the military had a ban until he joined the reserves. carpenter told his female commander who was supportive of him. this recent pentagon decision comes with mixed emotions. >> because we're already here, we're already serving. and we always have been. it's just now that it's been put on paper that they have to show dignity and respect like other human beings. >> carpenter doesn't expect much change on the ground because he said transgender people are already serving, fighting, and dying for the country. she spent decades of her life protecting nature's treasures. now someone has attacked her. what the president is now doing to help this veteran park ranger. also, some tips before you break the bank this holiday weekend. shelling out tips. and we talk live with the commander of the u.s. air force

this fourth of july. we'rback in just a few.e thank you so much. did you say honey? hey, try some? mmm that is tasty. is it real? of course... are you? nope animated you know i'm always looking for real honey for honey nut cheerios well you've come to the right place. great, mind if i have another taste? not at all mmm you're all right bud? never better i don't know if he likes that. yeah part of the complete breakfast

your home can be perfect.re, even when life isn't. the neighbor's back.

, no. this is my husband, gibby! i wanted to show him your furniture! i like it! you wanna come in? oh no. that would be weird! the 4th of july sale is happening now. havertys. right now, traffic isn't too bad out there. but you know we're expecting that to change later today with some major backups. >> you're looking live at the bay bridge. and along i-95. the i-95 corridor. things rolling right

well, you don't have much time left if you want to beat the gridlock. it's coming. >> we know it's coming. >> aaa said the worst time to leave is 2:00 this afternoon. >> that's when they're saying it's really going to start picking up. meagan fitzgerald, what type of numbers are they talking about? >> reporter: well, aaa tells us this is the busiest time of the summer season to travel. they're talking 43 million people nationwide expected to travel. here in our area, they said 917,000 people are expected to hit the roads. which kind of explains why that gridlock is coming in just a couple of hours. take a look here now. you can see the beltway, traffic is moving pretty steadily. but again, they said 2:00, around that time frame, is when things are going to get a little stressful on the roads. definitely prepare for some gridlock. they say it will last all the way up until around 9:00 this en

hitting the roads, of course, there's the potential of breaking down. aaa tells us that they are estimating having to assist or help on the side of the road some 25,000 people. so they are encouraging drivers to make sure to get your car checked or bring it in to the mechanic to check for things like making sure you have good tire pressure, topping off your fluids, to make sure you're not one of. numbers breaking down on the side of the road. if you are going to be flying, tsa tells us that you should arrive to the airport about two hours ahead of a domestic flight. if you're traveling internationally, they say three hours early is what is expected. back to you. >> meagan, thanks so much. a brand-new block party at a museum. icebergs opens tomorrow. >> reporter: icebergs have invaded the national building museum. the

sit on. the exhibit opens on saturday. the whole center of the building museum is being transformed by the icebergs. you can walk around and even walk inside. the exhibit runs saturday through labor day. it's this year's successor to the wildly popular beach that filled the floor last summer and drew 183,000 visitors. >> tough to top that. but this is pretty spectacular. it's bigger. it was harder to build. >> reporter: some of the icebergs are nearly 60 feet tall, and there's even a 20-foot slide down one iceberg. tom sherwood, news 4. well, are you celebrating the fourth of july weekend on a budget? if so, we have a list of options for you at prices ranging from free to less than 40 bucks. just check out the nbc washington app and search budget. >> there are lots of freebies around tow

weekend brings out our most patriotic spirit, right? local airmen, they're going to be celebrating the weekend with a star spangled spectacular going on at the u.s. air force memorial. here to tell us more about all of the festivities, colonel larry lange, commander of the u.s. air force band at joint base in the district. thank you so much for joining us. >> it's my pleasure to be here. thank you for having us. >> how exciting, this is your 75th anniversary of the band. >> it is. >> tell us more about the performers, and what we're going to see this holiday weekend. >> you know, we're always so excited to represent all of those who serve our nation. you know, especially during these holiday events like the fourth of july. it's a great time to remember our veterans, and all those who are paying, you know, that sacrifice and their families. but this monday night we're at the air force memorial, the airmen of note are going to be there with great jazz and

it will be a lot of funs. of course, the fireworks are right at the end and there's no better place to watch them. >> some of the band members, they've been doing it, and dreaming of becoming part of this prestigious band. how do you, you know, keep their excitement contained to do this? especially the holiday weekend, you know? >> this is easy. because these guys are pros. as you've said, we attract the very finest. not only to the band, but to the air force in general. we're always so proud to represent all of those who serve. and they'll see that excellence. that excellence you'll find across the air force and across the military, will come right out in the performance that evening. so i hope people will come out. that's at the air force memorial at 8:00 p.m. we're also playing up in new york city. we have several groups going up there. it will be a lot of fun. we'll be on nbc television on monday night as well, doing the big -- it will be great. the fireworks show that night. >> quickly

the performances will be locally. >> tomorrow, on saturday, 7:00 p.m., national harbor, the airmen will give a little preview concert of the star spangled spectacular. then again on monday night, at 8:00 p.m. at the air force memorial. the folks want to dvr us, so we'll be at the macy's fireworks show in new york city. >> we'll be watching. love it. colonel lange, commander of the u.s. air force band, thank you so much for coming in. >> it's a pleasure. thank you for having us. >> thank you both. the country's oldest working park ranger is recovering today from a brutal attack. 94-year-old betty gives tours at the rosy and riveter museum in california. she works just about every day of the week. but police say on monday night someone broke into her home and attacked her and began to punch her repeatedly. >> the suspect continued the assault and dragged her out of

and managed to straddle her and punch her several more times in her face. >> and they stole a presidential coin given to her. >> the president said he will get it replaced. she's coming back to work in just a couple of weeks. happy to see her on the mend after such a brutal attack. >> an awful story. but with a better ending. still ahead, an exclusive interview with the new superintendent of one of the biggest school districts in our area. his hope for a montgomery county this fall. and here's a live look for you over reagan international airport. we're keeping an eye on all things travel as we kick off this exciting holiday weekend. so far, no major issues in the skies, that's good

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we're going to get rain this afternoon? >> it will start 2:00, 3:00, and start moving on over. we've seen a few storms bubble up to the south of us. if you're traveling, maybe headed to the eastern shore, we'll also see a little bit of rain there as well. you've already noticed the heat and humidity back. that's a one-day special. if you think it's special to have the heat and humidity together. by the weekend, we're looking good. as the heat sticks around but the humidity dropsoff. we do have the storms likely today. could have some strong to severe storms later on this afternoon after about 3:00 or 8:00 tonight. 3:00 to 8:00. but the fourth still looks wet unfortunately. temperatures are coming up. leesburg, already up to 84 degrees right now. we're headed to right around 90. here are the storms we're talking about, off to the east, down through richmond. that's where the warm front is

through later on tonight. putting those storms out in front of it. some of those could be strong to severe as they run into the warm air mass. on the east side of the blue ridge mountains then they pop off by 5:00 right along i-95. then they kind of dissipate a little bit, maybe a few storms lingering after about 9:00. as that front moves on through. but look at that, saturday we're looking good. plenty of sunshine out there. maybe a few more clouds on sunday. and there also could be a few rain showers south of 66 on sunday. again, a small chance for that. what we're looking at, storms possible after 2:00. temperatures around 90 degrees. we'll have rapid clearing later on tonight. the weekend looks fabulous. more on the fourth forecast coming up in a few minutes. >> get it in, get it out. new controversy after changes to sex ed in one of our school systems. the debate that's splitting parents and students this mo

known for driving itself. but now tesla ex

and they're off. here's a live look out at national airport, reagan national airport where some of the tens of millions of people expected to travel for the fourth of july, already starting their holiday weekend. and whether you're flying, hundreds of

driving across town to celebrate, safety likely a top concern. nbc's edward lawrence explains what to look out for. >> good morning. 65% of americans will barbecue at some point over the holiday period. they'll get there by a car or plane. security is a top priority. a record number of people will travel in the united states over the next four days. >> we are predicting 43 million americans are going to be traveling this holiday season. >> big plan of going to the beach. having a cookout, spending time with family. >> reporter: a big reason for the boom, gas prices are at the lowest levels in a decade. the extra traffic means more police patrols. the secretary of homeland security said it's not just the roads with a visible police presence. >> the american public should expect to see this july 4th weekend enhanced security presence at airports, train stations and other transit centers across the country, by

tsa and state and local law enforcement as well as security personnel. >> reporter: what you shouldn't see around fireworks celebrations, drones. there are strict new rules. in addition, national park service said no drones will be allowed at the national mall in washington, d.c. still, there will be plenty of security at all of the independence day celebrations. >> visitor safety and resource protection, our number one priority. >> reporter: police say be aware of your surroundings and don't let security concerns ruin your travel or parties. a fun fact for the fourth. 150 million hotdogs will be eaten over the holiday period. that could stretch from washington to los angeles five times. edward lawrence, nbc news, washington. if you're having a good time on vacation, there's something you should never forget about.3 thanking the people who are helping to make it happen. we talked to kiplinger's personal finance about tipping while you're away. if you're helped by someone who doesn't get a

tip them. if you get bad service, it's okay to give a smaller tip. there's also something even more important that you should remember. >> even more important is to talk to the manager or the supervisor and explain what went wrong, so you don't want to look like a cheapskate and they know for next time. >> among the people who should get a tip, house keeping, pool attendants, valets and bellhops. >> kiplinger's put up a quiz about it online and we've linked to it through the nbc washington app. just search vacation tipping. i always want to know more about tipping. you have lots of chances to see the best part of july 4th. the fireworks this weekend. fireworks displays, setting up all over the dmv. find one close to you in the nbc washington app. search firework finder. a number of fairfax county parents are upset today over the direction of the school system's sex ed courses.

to light at last night's school board meeting was recent graduates asking the school board to include an even more diverse program that includes lessons on transgender issues. those parents are saying sex ed is already pushing the limit. >> they have put forward the idea that they're going to include a lot of new material in the curriculum, things about different sexual practices, transgender students, and yet as parents, we haven't seen any of the lesson plans. >> some parents also told news 4 there just wasn't enough time for them to have a say-so or make suggestions about the new course material. fairfax county's school board will be voting later this month on whether to create a work group at renaming jeb stewart high school. the school is named after a confederate army general. according to our news partners at wtop, the group would be made up of students,

and members of the community. they've had until june of 2017 to make recommendations to the board. starting today, montgomery county public schools has a brand-new superintendent, dr. jack smith was named to the position back in february. he was serving at the time as the maryland interim state school superintendent. he stopped by news 4 this morning for an exclusive interview. he told us about what's first up on his agenda. >> obviously you've spent some time in the interim state superintendent role, so you've had to work with school districts across the state. you're coming into the largest school district now in maryland. what do you see as challenges that you think you have to address right out of the gate? >> montgomery county has a history, strong history and tradition of learning an opportunity for students. a great many students in the school system do very, very well. not everyone does very well, however. and so anytime anyone in any

role, they have to immediately pay attention to what's going very well for students, and areas for improvement. so i'll immediately begin looking for areas in improvement and student learning. many of the students don't have the opportunities and choices they need when they walk off the stage with a diploma. >> is there new vision going forward? and do you start making those changes right away, or do you give some time for parents, for teachers, for students to get to know you before some things start moving around? >> i think we do both. i don't have any plans to make any wholesale changes to the district in any way. i plan to work with the staff that's there. they're there for a reason, they know a lot about the system. but i think we immediately begin building relationships and coalitions on behalf of student learning and student success. and those have been in place in the system. i just want to continue to build those and strengthen them so that more and more students have opportunities as they finish ac

to middle, middle to high, high, to life. >> dr. jack smith, the in you superintendent for montgomery county. we appreciate you joining us today. a break-through game is about to happen in professional baseball. two women just signed with the team. kelsey whitmore will be playing the outfield and stacy will be pitching for the sonoma stompers in northern california tonight. the stompers are an independent league team. they're not associated with any mlb teams. they say they're the first co-ed team with two women on this roster in about 60 years. both women will also be playing for the united states this fall in the women's baseball world cup. athletes with olympic hopes from all over the country are in oregon right now. they are competing in the track and field trials today, and all of next week. the trials will start with a big opening ceremony honoring u.s. track stars from the

years. tonight's highlights include the shot put and long jump competitions and the 10,000 meter race. you can watch the trials happen at 9:00 tonight right here on nbc 4. before that, you'll want to check out the swimming trials with michael phelps and ryan all competing. ledecky will be trying out. >> it's exciting.

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it's considered the first of its kind, a deadly crash involving a self-driving tesla vehicle. now the company is facing new scrutiny and regulators are taking notice. here's the story. >> reporter: in april, josh brown posted this video of his 2015 tesla model s in self-driving mode. watch as it narrowly avoids a truck that tries to enter his lane on the highway. just one month later the 40-year-old brown was dead. according to police, when a tractor-trailer turned left in front of him at an intersection in will iston, florida, the tesla engaged in autopilot mode did not stop. tesla declined our request for an interview about the incident, but in a statement said in part, neither autopilot nor the driver noticed the white side of the tractor-trailer against a brightly lit sky. the brake was not appli

tesla said it immediately reported the accident to the national highway traffic safety administration, adding that this is the first known fatality in just over 130 million miles where autopilot was activated. among all vehicles in the u.s., there's a fatality every 94 million miles. elon musk, the founder and ceo of tesla tweeted, our condolences for the tragic loss. brown's death raises questions about the safety of driverless car technology. other companies like general motors and google are also racing to make it happen. automakers will be watching this investigation closely. >> what investigators are looking for is the data leading up to the accident. did the autopilot system tell the driver, there's a truck up ahead or did it not see the truck. >> that was joe kent reporting there. federal regulators say they're launching a preliminary evaluation of 25,000 tesla vehicles across the

let's get a final check of the forecast. >> still to the south of us, and also to the west. a warm front to the south. a cold front to the west. we're going to see some rain most likely in the afternoon. after about 2:00, around i-81. then we'll clear for the weekend. see this clearing on the plains, northern plains? that's coming our way just in time for the weekend. we've got to deal with strong to severe weather possibly later this afternoon. it could last until 9:00. low humidity. a little bit of humidity back on monday. yes, we do have a chance for some showers and thunderstorms on monday. temperatures are going to be in the low 80s. again, with just a touch of humidity. so we'll continue to watch the track of that system coming out of the midwest. so keep it here. we'll keep you updated all through the weekend on your fourth of july forecast. >> thanks, lauryn. that's it for news 4 midday. thank you so much for joining us. we're back at 4:00 with first at 4. you can get all of your

♪ stand by, everyone. we are live in five, four, three, two, one. ♪ oh, i love those moves. >> i am really slick. ♪ >> what a move right there! >> welcome to