temperatures again below normal today and lower than normal humidity. take a look. right now reagan national is reporting a temperature of 66 degrees. relative humidity is at 73%. your winds out of the northeast at 8 miles per hour. yesterday morning, during the mid morning hours, the humidity was at 38%. you can't get much lower thn that in the middle of the summertime. now tak aoo lat satellite radar, one thing different this morning than yesterday morning, more clouds out there. you cansee that osn the satellite radar image. no precipitation. don't worry about that. but there are clouds out there this morning and most of the areas are reporting mostly cloudy skies. your forecast for today, mostly sunny. although partly sunny in most of the area. lower than normal humidity. let's get an update on traffic with julie wright. no, we don't have julie.

we'll go back to the desk. steve and allison, back to you. we start off with an exclusive metro operator apparently asleep at the wheel. the passenger says the praiser -- the passenger says the operator was sleeping at the wheel. >> sarah simmons joins us live from metro headquarters with the latest on this mess. sarah. >> reporter: allison and steve, we got that video from 14-year- old gregory thoma he was a passenger on that train. and he says he normally rides in the front car to watch what is going on. last month he was watching as the train operator fell asleep. he pulled out his digital camera and showed us the video to prove it. >> i'm thinking that he needs to wake up before an emergency occurs. >> reporter: a maryland

teenager with a digital camera caught stunning footage of a train speeding along between the college park and greenbelt stop of a train operator. >> he starts to doze off and then he is in a full sleep. >> reporter: gregory thomas says he shot this video june 18th but waited until june 23rd to notify metro, the day after the crash on the red line in which nine people died. he says it was a wakeup call. even though the driver who lost her life was not at fault. >> they need to review their operators and give them better training. >> it's hard to say with a he's doing. we're not sure if he was texting or maybe asleep. we don't know at this point. it will be following up on immediately and if necessary, action will be taken. >> reporter: we shared gregory's video with metro officials and they say he did the right thing by bringing it to light. >> we want to know what is going on. if people see something they don't feel is safe, let us

know. >> reporter: the metro spokesman says the train operator will be identified and possibly disciplined. another metro operator caught by another passenger june 5th just paid the price for breaking the rules. this operator admitted to texting while on the job. his train moving full speed ahead on the blue line. >> he was given a five-day suspension which he served last week and reported back to work on monday, july 6th. >> reporter: and those are the rules that metro train operator follow if they have a phone or are texting or using a dece that will distract them. a five-day suspension for the first offense is usually what they experience. a third offense where they could be dismissed. but metro are looking at making those rules even tougher in light of what happened in the recent months. back to you. >> sarah simmons, thank you. let's check in with julie wright and look at the roads. hi, julie.

>> good morning, steve and allison. we have problems for those traveling northbound, 395 right here in virginia. it's the accident on 395 north of the capital beltway. dump truck involved in this crash. v-dot is on the scene with state police and there are two lanes blocked 395 north of the capital beltway but before the exit for edsel road. out of springfield, it's heavy and slow from 644 to the accident scene. and this is just north of the capital beltway on 395 where we have the two left lanes blocked with this crash. v-dot is on the scene. they have a message sign warning to move to the right. state police out there as well. 395 north of the capital beltway. the outer loop in montgomery county, below speed through springfield interchanges. we mentioned an accident before you reach 212 and that is now on the shoulder. that's a check of your fox 5 on- time traffic. d.c. councilman marion

barry cleared. prosecutors deciding not to pursue stalking charges against the former mayor. park police arrested him on july 4th after his former girlfriend accused him of following her. >> i said he's bothering me, make sure he goes home. >> from the very beginning mr. barry has spoken truthfully and has been consistent in his accounts of the events that took place. and we are thankful to the u.s. attorney's office for seeing through it and making the right decision. >> the statement from the u.s. attorney's office says, following a review of the evidence relating to the stalking allegations against marion barry and a careful analysis of the relevant factors, including the elements of the offense and the strengths and weaknesseses of the evidence, the u.s. attorneys for the district of columbia has decided not to pursue stalking charges in this matter. barry's spokesperson says the former mayor will take up the

issue of his arrest where park police. any controversy surrounding the taxpayer contract to the girlfriend, follow the break ups. the d.c. county attorney said they will look into it. maryland state police say that kelly loss struck the back of a nissan frontier near the ramp causing it to crash into a ravine killing two men inside yesterday. the woman later crashed her own jeep in virginia. she was arrested, charged with dui and sent to fairfax county jail where she faced possible extradition back to maryland. a massive explosion in central afghanistan has killed 25 people, including 21 civilians and four police officers. the police chief there says it happened as a truck filled with

timber tipped over on the main road, connecting logar province with kabul. and officials believe it was detonated by eme.ot in iraq, several bombings have killed nearly 100 people. a suicide bomber struck near a judge's house killing 34 people. in bagdad two bombs exposed within a minute of one another, killing six people and injuring dozens more. and in bagdad, a rode side bomb killed a civilian. and the pesident is in italy for the g-8 summit. the group of industrialations welcomed leaders of china,

egypt and other countries. they are expected to discuss the global economy. many questions lingering over how los angeles will pay for michael jackson's memorial at the staples center. it cost the city $1.4 million to put it together. so far l.a. has only received $17,000 in donations from the public. it's not because jackson fans are cheap. it turns out the donation website was having technical problems due to the traffic. the mayor of l.a. is urging fans to go back to that site and to chip in if they can. 7:08 right now. calls for action after another walkoff at the new beginning youth facility. and questions that the summer youth program might be in trouble financially and could be out of money. lots to talk about with mayor fenty and he'll join us next. and new details in the murder of steve mcnair. what police happened n the moments leading up to the shooting and how his girlfriend tried to stage the scene. and also ahead this

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7:12 on this thursday morning. we are joined as we are every thursday morning with mayor adrian fenty. >> good morning. >> we want to start with what is going on with new beginnings. new facility, state-of-the-art and recent escapes. and we had the letter from john leopold urging members of congress to get involved. since opening in june, new beginnings has seen two

successful escapes, involving multiple offenders with recent escapes. i'm wondering what the next move is with the mayor's office. >> the next movement is to take the management measures to make sure this doesn't happen again. >> have you been out there since the escape? >> i was out there the day it opened. and either one time right after. i've been out there twice. i know what the facility looks like. we have cameras, we have guards. it shouldn't be happening. so this person, mr. leopold. >> the county executive. >> anybody who is criticizing our administration, they have every right to do so and we're going to get to the bottom of it quick. >> what do you think it was that led to these -- >> that's a good question. i have an internal review. i think you have heard of the caps desk, they spent an hour asking questions and getting the answers today. but i've toured the facility.

we have cameras and guards. and from what i know, maybe the facility wasn't strong enough or the equipment used. but again, if we're minding the store, if the people out there are really doing everything they need to do to monitor the kids and to sound an alarm when someone starts to try to escape, i don't think these things happen. i'll know more after the review today and we'll make announcements after. >> you look at the weak spots and tighten that up and reports that there are busted out windows. >> i would be surprised if some of this wasn't the actual facility, the strength of maybe a door or window or the barbed wire fence or something. but i wouldn't be surprised if it wasn't mistakes in how it is supposed it be managed and run and over seen and those need to

be managed very quickly. >> and will this announcement be on-site? >> we review the agencies a couple of times a week. >> and the county executive brought up, if there was any system to alert residents. he's complaining some of the nearby residents weren't made of the escapes and if there was a plan to put some type of warning system in so people in the community knows what is going on. >> i certainly agree we should call him immediately if something like this happens. the point is we don't like it to happen again, but if it did, we should call the county executive immediately. i know we're in touch with the local authorities, law enforcement, but we should go that one extra step. >> and you would hope this facility could be under district rule as this letter is so senators mccul ski and carden. would you prefer to see it then in the district's jurisdiction as opposed to -- he's reaching

out to congress. >> i think he's reaching out to congress probably because of the unfortunate situation where congress is still involved in d.c. affairs. but he raises the right point. and if -- we're going to reach out to his office and we'll deal with him directly. but no, this is a 100% local facility, that is district owned ands, it's our kids from d.c. it's always been like that out there in laurel. and let's move on to marion barry now. this whole situation has come up since july 4th and a lot of it is a he-said, she-said type of situation. and still a lot of talk out there and there is an underlying issue as to whether or not the contract between the council member and his former girlfriend is valid, legit and even legal. you have talked with the councilman at all in the last week about this? >> i have not. >> and what are your thoughts

or knowledge as to this potential contract of city funds going to this woman? >> i don't know. i was on the city council. there is a large amount of flexibility and autonomy for a city council member to do his own contracting. whether that should be the case or not, is a very good question. but it's something that the lawyers and the investigators are going to have to figure the answer as we sit here today. but i do know that there were consultants hired and contracts given out when i was on the council and for various different reasons. i don't know if they follow a different process. >> peter nichols will look into it? >> and i think i'm sure the city council will look into it. and again, i think the criminal charges look like they've been dropped, which you guys are reporting. so hopefully between that and the investigation that everybody works together on, it will quickly be behind the

barry team. >> just one question, are there discretionary funds for council people as far as the contracts? >> it works like congress. so the council members get a pot of money -- there is a recommended staff hiring that you can do, but you don't have to follow it at all. you're completely autonomous and independent. so if you want to hire five or ten people, it depends on how much you pay them. and like i said, i'm pretty sure there is a -- some leeway and flexibility to do consulting and contracts within that budget. i can't remember what rules you're supposed to follow, if any. >> and i want to touch briefly on the summer jobs program. thing have been changed year to year to stream line this operation. now an article comes out in the examiner that the city may be running out of funding and may have to end the program early. your thoughts there? >> again, we have identified the money needed to run the program the entire ten weeks. we have a submission to the

council. that does have to be approved by the council but that's true of any other budget submission as well. so once the council approves the additional funds, no problem in paying the kids for the rest of the summer. >> and you think that will happen? it will go the full term of the summer jobs program this year? >> absolutely. we have i think -- we have about 18,000 kids that will be part of our first payroll. that's a lot of kids who -- if we don't keep them in the summer youth employment program they would have too much idol times on their hand. we were talking about kids staying busy for summer before we came on the air. >> and i know you were going to talk more today, big dealings with the tennis world and the capitals bringing in people and i know you're going to talk about ways the kids can get involved in the district. >> it's a big announcement with leg mason and world tennis. i think we're bringing tennis

up to where basketball and other sport have been in the city. >> thank you very much, mayor. >> thank you. >> you can email your question for the mayor. we be enbeusy with city business we haven't been able to get to those, but we urge you to sent them to fentyonfox@wttg.com. the mayor will be back next week. and let's check in with julie wright and get a look at fox 5 on-time traffic. >> trouble on 395 north of the capital beltway. again 395 north of the beltway but before you reach edsel road, we have the accident activity. v-dot on the scene and the message sign moving everybody over to the right. so northbound on 395, north of the capital beltway, only the two right lanes will squeeze you by. 95 is now jamm northbound out of newington north of the ssp and 644 up to the accident scene on 395 just north of the capital beltway. southbound 270 out of rockville, below speed in the main line south of 28 toward

the split. that's a check of your fox 5 on- time traffic. it is now 7:20. in nashville they are preparing for a public memorial service to remember steve mcnair as there are new details on the death of the former quarterback. another swine flu related death reported in maryland. and the news comes as the white house puts states on notice. swine flu could create a mess in the fall. how they're preparing for that coming up next. and coming up later, happy birthday, girl. barbie turns 50. holly is live at a big event in fen tolling all bars ean atcelebr e this ageless, timeless beauty. le

health officials in maryland announce the second swine flu related death in the state. the person of -- of the

baltimore area was dealing with other health conditions. the swine flu back in the news now as the virus, the topic of a white house sponsored summit at the national institute of health in bethesda today. the feds meeting with health officials from every state to get an update on preparations being taken in the fall. state health officials say the person that died had serious underlying medical conditions. the real life alpha dog facing a death sentence. jeffy james hollywood accused of ordering a crime back in august of 2000. because of a drug debt. the penalty phase of the case is set to begin monday. police confirm former nfl star steve mcnair was the victim of a murder-suicide.

investigators say girlfriend is a -- kazemi killed him. she suspected mcnair was seeing another woman. a viewing is being held near where mcnair once played. we told you about the metro driving who was texting and now we have another investigation. how long metro says the wait and the crowds will go on. and also coming up, the charges against marion barry dropped. why he is no longer facing stalking accusations. and more on the g-8 summit in italy where world leaders are tackling everything from global recession to climate control. we'll look at this meeting an what could affect you coming out of it. that's next. 7:26 now.

call on camera -- caught on camera, a metro operator that appears to be asleep at the control. this was shot by a maryland teener. gregory thomas shot it while riding in the front car of a green line train. metro is looking to identify the operator, talk to him and

possibly discipline him. meantime, metro warning ridings that de -- riders that delays could still occur. trains are traveling slower and with longer times in between trains and that means platforms are more crowded. marion barry in the clear after reviewing the evidence, the u.s. attorney's office dropped the stalking charges. he was due to appear in court today. but that won't happen. his spokesperson says that barry will take the issue of his arrest up with park police. he was taken into custody july 4th in anacostia park after his former girlfriend donna watts accused him of following her. 7:30 right now. what a great start to the day today. we saw that early in the 5:00 hour, we saw the first views of the sun coming up. it's all of the makings of a nice day. >> we do have more clouds than the last couple of morns, but still very comfortable temperatures and it will be a

pretty day today. i want to start about the weekend. we'll get some changes as we'll see summer like conditions -- a return of summer like conditions saturday and sunday. it will be hot and humid. highs right where they should be for this time of year. about 89 degrees on saturday, 88 on sunday. some late storms are possible on saturday. by late we mean in the evening and nighttime hours. i think during the day, saturday, you won't get any rain. then sunday some scattered storms and showers during the day and evening on sunday. so your better chance of rain on sunday but saturday fight you could see some storm activity. now let's look at the current temperatures around the region. we're at 66 here in washington. 63 out at dulles. 60 in baltimore. patuxent naval air station is 62. your temperatures are still in the 50s off to the north and west in hagerstown and winchester. take a look at the jet stream. first of all, this heat that is locked in place in the plains,

man, brutally hot. portions of texas under a heat advisory for today. temperatures at or above 100 degrees in some of he big cities like dallas and houston. for us, the mild air stays in place as the jet stream is down across our region. it has sunk to the south and has not -- we haven't had anything to push it back up into the north where it would normally be for this time of year. here is a look at the satellite radar picture for the eastern united states. we are dry. we do have the clouds in over us this morning. in fact, reagan national reports mostly cloudy skies at this hour. but there is still some sunshine out there and there will be during the course of the day today. let's look at what the forecast is for washington for today. we are looking for a high temperature in the low 80s. about 82 degrees. more sunshine. another pleasant day with low humidity levels. then your five-day forecast, for tomorrow 84. with a good amount of sunshine. again, saturday and sunday, chance of some showers and

thunderstorms. hot and humid. same on monday with ray high of about 86 degrees. let's get more on the morning rush hour traffic from julie wright. >> big things happening in virginia because of the crash involving a motorcyclist. this accident occurred on northbound 395 north of the capital beltway, north of the beltway but before you reach edsel road and that activity is still there on the left side of the highway. two lanes blocked. north of 495, the fire and rescue have left the scene. the rollback is in position to retrieve the accident vehicle, v-dot there as well. but northbound off of 95 and 395, big delays. traffic is jammed north of 7100 past the franconia springfield parkway and 644 up on to 395. top side of the beltway remains slow leaving 95age to georgia avenue. accokeek road only the left lane getting by. six vehicles involved in this crash. delays beginning back at 228. that's a check of your fox 5 on- time traffic. back to you.

we want to share this information just coming into our news room. u.s. park police are asking the public for help in finding a 13- year-old boy who was last seen on the national mall. his name is trey von thomas richardson. he was seen on the jefferson street side of the american indian museum last night. he's 6'2" weighs 150 and he's still a teenager. he has corn rows. last seen wearing a black t- shirt, black shorts, red sneakers. contact police if you think you have seen this young man. world leaders in italy continue to tackle issues not only today's world but future generations. president obama participating in his first g-8 summit where topics have ranged from global warming to the global economy. joining us with what is on the table there and why it's important here at home is tony

aberjamb. thank you for being with us. >> thank you. >> one of the most recent development involved this attempted global warming to make shoo changes over the next -- make some changes over the long term but we're having some argument from india and china. >> they argued that the united states developed by burning fossil fuels and why should they be denied the same opportunity while they are developing. but it's probably more appropriate to be taken up in the g-20 next month. >> whi we'll see coming up in pittsburgh. the goal was to slash thsions b next 40 years or so. is that too aggressive of a goal to place. >> well it's a serious crisis and it's not too aggressive. europe is in favor of that and the united states is a late comer but coming along. so it's important to set high goals for a rious crisis. >> and it seems like everything is more of a crisis these days

because of the almighty dollar which has been dropping in a ridiculousate, what it means for jobs and other nations. we may be -- feel like we're in a bubble here in the u.s., dealing with that economic data, but this is truly a global issue. >> it is. and the core issue is jobs. the latest report from the international labor organization predicts that there will be 51 million jobs lost globally before this crisis is over. so this is really an international global problem and it's a shame that the president's meeting in italy didn't address this more directly. >> it's staggering when you think of the numbers being that high. and if we're looking at a 9.5% unemployment rate and in other areas it could be higher. how do you get recovering because it seems just as parallel for the stock market, it didn't take long to drop but it takes a long time to build back up again.

>> other economic indicators improve before the labor market improves. the unemployment lags behind. and we did a recent prediction of projections saying if the crisis would end today, the -- to make p for all of the jobs lost in this crisis, it would be 2015. so it's a real serious problem. and the answer to it is -- well it's not an answer to solve the problem completely, but to slow the bleeding -- is to take an active labor market policy, like germany. they have a policy to try to preserve jobs and they pay employers the equivalent amount of what unemployment would be if those workers were laid off, but they pay the employers to keep the people employed. and germany, although gdp has dropped just as much as every country, it's unemployment hasn't rich and they haven't lost a single job in the auto industry.

>> and the productivity is good. >> people are paying taxes and spending and it's cheaper than letting people become unemployed. it's generally depressing of the people. they might not spend as much and makes the crisis much more complicated and harder to solve. >> fiscally speaking from a global standpoint, where does the united states stand? are we in better shape than some other nations or is it on a equal level globally. >> well we had the gdp drop to what other industrialized countries are. we spent more on stimulus as a percentage of gdp than any of the other industrialized countries with the exception of china. and they seem to be recovering. there is not much indication that the u.s. is recovering yet, especially in the jobs area. >> when we look at the g-8 summit and what is happening or not happening over the last two

days, a lot of people might think, big economic news, this doesn't affect me, does this affect our wallets, our pocket books individually? >> sure it does. because unemployment is a terrible cancer. people that are unemployed stop spending, stop paying taxes, they go into a deep repression. but it also affects the rest of us. people are fearful of unemployment. they see neighbors unemployed, houses going up for foreclosure sales and that really depressed the entire economy and makes recovery so much harder. >> well the talks will continue in italy in a region that needs the help after the earthquake. so some stimulus needed there as well. thank you for joining us this morning. more insight into the g-8 summit. we'll continue to follow that as well. 7:39 here on fox 5 morning news. how much do you know what is in your bottled water?

do you know where it comes from. answers consumers are not told. on the u.s. men's soccer th, e e s i noplace like home. highlights of a gold cup win over honduras is next. america, whattaya say to big cheesy-steaky-ness!

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think and wonder about the safety of bottled water -- water we drink. many people choose bottled water because they believe it's better for them. melanie alnwick has the latest studies on the quality of the bottled water. >> reporter: it costs almost 2,000 times more than tap, but people continue to buy it. >> i'm not a big fan of tap so i would probably choose it over tap, yes. >> i thought it was really cleaner. >> reporter: but is it? two studies released at congressional hearing on tuesday, suggest consumers may never know. >> and here is the reason. they enjoy a regulatory holiday under the federal food drug and cosmetic act. >> reporter: bottled water is regulated by the fda which does not require companies to disclose sources or report failures of water quality tests. the epa mandates that public

water systems do all of those and more. >> we test for dozens of things. it's elements, it's chemicals, even radiological materials. and also bacteria. so we test a whole realm of things and we do it every month. >> reporter: two notable contaminants are not tested for in bottling plants. e-coli and dehp, a chemical which softens plastic. members meet all of the safety requirements for food products and consumers who have questions should call the companies. >> bottle water companies does not provide them with the information they want, they can choose a different brand. >> reporter: people are paying attention to the bottles. >> i don't think there is a difference. >> reporter: and making choices they feel comfortable with. >> and we are one of the few countries that has perfectly safe tap water, so there is no

reason not to drink it. >> reporter: the fda has just passed a rule that requires testing of bottled water for ecoli. but it doesn't go into affect until december of this year. now if you would like to learn more, we have all of the reports and statements on our website, myfoxdc.com. melanie alnwick, fox 5 news. >> i drink the tap water. >> you do? >> that's one of the great things about our country, as one of the people said there, it's one of the few countries on the earth where the tap water is really safe. and in some places really good. >> free is good. >> i like to have tony do this. i wonder who has the best tap water in the country. >> you're not going to believe this. new york city. i don't know if it's technically -- >> you have told us this before. >> i remember the survey. >> i'm being distracted. what is it tucker? >> he wants us to say keep vimo. here are vitt hemseaoscrams

the region. >>ing it -- tucker is the time now. e new y>>rk p oatte r aisodgo. o in roanoke. 65 in new york. when i was on vacation? a week ago? it's time for heotanr one. 58 in pittsburgh. 72 in norfolk, virginia. here is a look at the satellite radar composite, we have clouds across us. sunshine to the north and we'll see a decent amount of sun today. not cloudy all day. your surface map. there is that stationary front. high pressure is still in control for our part of the world. but it's gradually pushing off to east. it will be replaced by hot air, more humid air that will makes it way in here for the weekend. your five-day forecast, high today of about 82 degrees. with a good amount of sunshine. tomorrow 84. saturday and sunday hot and humid, chance of showers and thunderstorms. that's the weather. >> i kid you because i love you. >> i know. i forgot i said that though. julie wright has a look at the weather. sometimes i like to be an instigator up here, julie.

>> just sometimes. i get him because i can. i'll put it out there. and then when i see people on the street they're like get tony. that's just his mom, but other people like it too, i think. out on the roads right now. we're talking about 395. that's where we had the crash involving the motorcyclist north of the capital beltway. the accident activity now cleared. lanes open on 395 before you reach edsel rad. delay is beginning in dale city. 15-mile backup on northbound 95 leaving dale city, potomac, and on to 395. so again, 15 miles worth of slow traffic up to the accident scene which has cleared, northbound 395 north of the capital beltway. outer loop still well below speed here. a parking lot for those leaving college park toward georgia avenue. northbound 210, six car pile up at accokeek road now cleared. that's a check of your fox 5 on- time traffic. quick look at sports this

morning. the u.s. men's soccer team taking on honduras at rfk. a big match last night. scoreless until the 75th minute. watch the passing. keep it going. and right there. >> wow! >> sweet goal. that is d.c. united. they easily put this one away. usa goes on to blank honduras. tony perkins now the biggest soccer fan. and michael phelpss won both the 200-meter free style and butterfly last night. stl ahead. i enjoyed that goal. still ahead, he walked from georgia to d.c. and guess what, folks, he's only 11 years d. he'll join us live to tell us

his motivation. and plus a special birthday being celebrated at the national zoo. little tie shawn a teenager. in panda years. gurvir headed down to the zoo for the celebration. but first here is holly morris. you look just like barbie. >> oh, thank you very much. i will take that as a compliment. i'm at a birthday party too. barbie is turning 50. i have to get her beauty secrets. i can get them and say whole lot more as we're live at the marriott wardman hotel where they are geared up for the 50th anniversary of the fashional barbie collect -- national barbie collectors convention. we'll tell you how to come down and be a part of all of the doll fun. that's up next on fox 5 morning news. stay with us.

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barbie turned 50 this year. >> hasn't lost her look. that makes this year's national barbie collectors convention even more significant. holly of course is right in the middle of the action. hi, holly. >> reporter: i'm not only in the middle of the action, i am among one of barbie's biggest

fans. you said i looked like barbie, but that's what my sister told people growing up, my sister looks like barbie. and when i got married it was a barbie shower. and to this day, one of my most prized collections or possessions that sit on my desk at home is my duke cheerleader barbie. so barbie is very close to my heart. and i am not the only fan. because this convention sold out in two days. it's a record. and there are some 1200 collectors that are coming out here and that doesn't include the public day. but right now, i want to introduce you to robert best, because he is the principal barbie designer for this convention. and also you might recognize him, because he was on project runway. it's good to see you. >> it's good to be here. >> reporter: and this is a good commison it's pretty awesome. not every lifetimebut i'm lucky. >> reporter: so here we are and here it is. tell me what is so special about this dress. >> what is special about the dress is that it was inspired

by a dollin stead of the other way around. but this is inspired by the generation of dreams barbie doll. and it really just sort of encompassed all of the images of barbie throughout the years. and it's really interesting, when you talk to collectors, everyone has a story based on the doll they remember. and this dress really sort of symbolized that and symbolizes the generations of women who grew up with very distinct special memories of playing with barbie. its with a great way to commemorate that and hanker the barbies -- and to commemorate that and the barbies throughout the years. >> reporter: and you're going to rock it with the shoe -- the shoes right here. >> i don't know you i could wear those. my hats off to you woman.

>> reporter: you can alter it. those are christian lubeitine shoes. they debuted other special dresses. those are going to be available, allison, just in time for the holiday season. but it's just another part of how spectacular and specia they're making this convention. thank you very much. >> thank you. >> reporter: we're following you. liz grant is the director of collections. and good morning. and as we head downstairs, give me an over view of what will happen here at the convention, who are barbie collectors and what will go on here? >> this convention is the largest of it's kind and we have people visiting us from all over the world, brazil, japan, london, and canada. we travel to a different city every year. so we're thrilled to be in washington, d.c. for the very first time. and heard you can come down and learn about collecting. it's all about fun and fashion and friendship. we see all of our friends that we haven't seen for a whole

year. >> reporter: and you can reminisce about your wonderful barbie times. but this is like barbie to the max, over the top, everywhere you look its something special and we're making our way to the most special vw bug. >> this is every girl's dream car. this is barbie's vw in celebration of barbie's 50th anniversary. look at the awesome details. she is her very own custom piping on the seats. she's got a picture of ken. she's got ryan stones. >> reporter: they're still police up, but they are very good friends. >> she never strayed far from ken. and this is full of eye candy. it's every girl's dream. and the best thing, my favorite part, is the trunk. you have to see the trunk. you need makeup in your trunk. >> reporter: and it's a pop-out vanity. and this is going to be

auctioned off. we have a link to the barbie convention site. there is a public day on saturday. they have a whole area where stuff is for sale. we're going to go in there and show you a barbie doll worth like $45,000 so stay tuned. >> still so popular after 50 years. holly, tank you very much. and coming up after 8:00, we'll introduce you to an 11- year-old boy who is walking hundreds of miles to help the homeless. and today tai shan turns 4. we're live at the national zoo as the celebration gets underway. and one of the stars of the color purple, american idol's own la toya loon his with us and going to perform in the next hour. so stay with us. what are you doing for lunch?

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yesterday we showed you video of a metro operator texting while driving. today exclusive video of a metrdriver sleeping while driving. >> and prosecutors say they are dropping stalking charges against d.c. councilman marion barry, but the story is not going away. today we talked to the mayor about the drama. and we're live at the

national zoo where tai shan's 4th birthday party is about to get under way. a lot of folks with camera in hand waiting to see the little guy. good morning, i'm steve chenevey. >> i'm allison seymour. tai shan is 4 years old and a teenager according to bear years. we'll talk with zookeepers to keep him out of teenager type trouble. >> i hope he's not in rebellion stage where he doesn't want to come out. >> and may young is like, you call me mom. >> and tony is here with the weather. >> if you want to be outside, checking tai shan out, it's a fine day to do it. it's a great morning and beautiful day. wish tai shan a happy birthday. in the 60s. reagan national, 66. 63 at dulles and 63 atibwbw rshall. not bad out there. got some clouds. look at sat-rad. reagan national is reporting mostly cloudy skies and youcan eythe clouds are.

e 'r from washington to poin. sthou thnonoprciepitation associated with the clouds. but we will continue to see a fine forecast for the day. take a look. temperatures today below normal. into the low, maybe mid-80s in some places. but in town we're looking for a high of about 82, 83 degrees really in washington. 83 in warrenton. columbia, maryland, 81 for your high. and humidity levels will be comfortable as well. enjoy it. >> it looks like a great day. >> thanks. let's check in with julie wright and look at traffic out there. >> no accidents to report if you are traveling along the top stretch of the beltway leaving college park toward the exit for 270. remember, it's a 15-mile backup on 95 from those making the trip from dale city to 395 north of the beltway and out toward edsel road. accident activity involving a motorcyclist has cleared. this is a live shot of 66

eastbound. and inbound, not only do you slow in manassas but again between 50 and 123. the beltway in virginia slowed if separate stretches leaving annandale to merrifield. out of rockville, no incidents to report, lanes are open, leaving 28 toward the split. that's a check of your fox 5 on- time traffic. a deadly day if iraq. at least 41 people were killed, nearbily 100 more injured in bombings around the country. one happened near a judge's house in northern iraq. an hour later twin bombs went off in bagdad. and also a roadside bomb targeting the convey of the central bank governor exploded. the governor was not hurt. 13 school children were hurt when a truck that carried

a bomb was found more than a mile away. metro promising to take action after a train operator was caught texting and sleeping behind the wheel. >> reporter: the video came to us from a 14-year-old who was riding on the green line. he said he normally rides upfront to watch out the front window. and he saw this train traitor asleep behind the control and he whipped out the camera and tarted to video it because he was worried for his safety and everyone else. gregory thomas told us he shot this video on june 18th. he describes the driver as nodding off as the train was speeding down the tracks between college park and greenbelt. he notified metro on june 23rd, the day after the crash on the red line in which 9 people were killed. he says it was a wakeup call during the crash, even though the driver who lost her life was not at fault.

gregory feels that metro needs to review their drivers and give them better training. >> i see him start to doze off. his head is falling. and then i decided to get out my camera, because i think it's very important about how metro is constantly getting reviewed for safety. i think it's important not to sleep while driving a train. >> reporter: now metro says gregory did the right thing by bringing this to light. and right now metro is still in the process of identifying the driver, talking with that person. that there could be possible disciplinary action that would come out of this. and this is following just after we saw video of a driver texting while driving. one of those metro train operators have sense serve the a five-day suspension and are back on the job. but we understand that metro is looking at everything that has happened in the recent weeks, that they might possibly make the restrictions even tougher. back to you. >> which you can understand.

sarah simmons, thank you very much. and metro warning rider that's delays on the red line could continue for another ten days with longer times between trains and platforms and trains are continuing to be more crowded. the takoma station will continue to close every night at 10:00 for ntsb testing. marion barry cleared. prosecutors decided not to pursue stalking charges again the former mayor. this morning, however, many questions do remain regarding e city contract that he gave to his accuser and former girlfriend donna watts. their payments go hand in hand with breakups and makeups. this morning we talked with mayor fenty about contracts with the council. >> there is a lottage of flexibility and autonomy for a city council member to do his own contracting. whether that should be the case or not is a very good question. >> now if the council does not

look into it, d.c. attorney general peter nichols has said he will. steve. serious accusations from house democrats as members of the intelligence committee say c.i.a. director leon pinetta told congress senior c.i.a. officials have misled law enforcements since 2001. what he disclosed last month is still not known but the committee chair claims that c.i.a. lied in one case and he is now considering opening a full investigation. south korea officials say another wave of cyber attacks is underway in the country today and this follows the cyber assault that began on july 4th targeting government websites in south korea and the united states. south korea blames north korea. the attacks denied public access to the white house, secret service and the pentagon. >> i'm comfortable that we are alert, we recognize the probes

and we are responding. but again, it's an area of growing concern for all of us in leadership positions. a white house spokesperson says the cyber attacks had no affect on its day-to-day operations. and that all federal websites were back up and running as of tuesday night. a busy day for president obama. he is in italy for a new round of g-8 summit meetings at this hour. today the group of leading industrial nations welcome leaders of the five fastest developing economies. they are brazil, china, india, mexico and south africa. egypt was invited. the summit talks center around climate change and the ways to stimulate the economy. the president will meet with pope benedict xvi tomorrow. michelle obama and her entourage attended a museum and had tea with the wife of the

italian president. sasha malia and their grand mother eating through italy. yesterday they made their own jill ato at the best known ice cream spot. they chose blackberry and banana flavors to make the new flavor. and the time now is 9 minutes past the hour on this thursday morning. we'll meet an 11-year-old helping the homeless. and we are live at the national zoo as the celebration for tai shan's 4th birthday gets under way. and one of the stars of the color purple and from american idol, la toya london is here d e e oxfosherer p h frmon 5 morning news. mommy, what does v-e-g-e-

t-a-b-l- e-s spell? well, honey, that spells... ( thinking )vegetables! oh wait, i want her to eat it... but i can't lie. lying's bad. mommies don't lie. you get grounded for lying. and how am i going to drive the carpool if i'm grounded? announcer: there's a full serving of vegetables in every bowl of chef boyardee. and that's no lie. it's obviously delicious, secretly nutritious.

d.c. police investigating a murder mystery this morning. witnesses say a group of men walked up to a man standing on the 3300 block of adams street northeast and shot him. no word on the victim's identity or suspect description.

a teenager goes missing from the national mall and u.s. park police are asking for your help. he is 13 years old over. tray von thomas was seen at the american indian museum last night. he is 6'2", 150 pounds with corn rows and last seen wearing red sneakers. and we turn our attention to tony perkins. >> with our forecast and the cute factor of the day. >> we'll start with the my first 5 photo of the day. this is 2-year-old rachel from maryland. she's very cute. i love the little outfit. we're told she loves to play dress up anhere she's a ferry. we want to thank you for sending that in. if you want to send us your child's picture, go to myfoxdc.com and click on mornings. hereoks loa at what is happening withloe thweather it ndcoions. ndt wearstar hte hthtemperature ac ross the egn.io n. ne ue re68 just stepped outside because

we're talking about the clouds. yes, there are clouds out e,er t e,itis still very brighthiors m ngniat ng68 degrees. down to the south, temperatures in the 70s. 73 in norfolk and in raleigh. 70 in roanoke. to the north cooler, new york ty 5. 6 and satellite radar for the nation, first of all if you're looking for rain, 5.head out to t. se some rainfall in south dakota, some areas of heavier rain and portions s the central plains. storm activity developing in portions of oklahoma and in kansas as well. your five-day forecast looks like this. high today of about 82 degrees. not bad. good amount of sunshine and pleasant humidity nditions. tomorrow more of the same really. this whole week just extraordinary weather. by saturday and sunday, we'll get the summery weather bac in here with highs in the upper 80s to near 90. could see a chance of showers and thunderstorms on saturday and sunday. particularly late saturday and then through the day on sunday. monday also brings with it a

chance of showers and thunderstorms with a high of out 86 degrees. that's a look at what is happening with the weather. we'll have more coming up in just a little bit. right now we go to steve. tony, thank you very much. a 2-year journey to the nation's capital ends today with aup boy heading to te white house and capital hill. in 200711-year-old zack bonner began a walk to raise awareness for child homelessness. its first leg was tampa to tallahassee. last year it was tala haasy to atlanta and then he went from atlanta to washington. thanks for ing here. tell me about yourself. you're a 5th grader now? >> i'm going into 6th grade. >> you're moving on. you live down in tampa, but you've been trying to help people for a long time now. >> i started when i was 6 doing community service, collecting food and water and supplies after hurricane charlie. >> and what led you to try to

good out there and help other people? >> well i just heard about it on the radio and i just wanted to donate water and stated thinking about it and thought maybe some of our neighbors would want to donate their water and i sent out flyers and went out the next day and collected it up. >> and then you moved on to other projects. tell us what you've done over the next couple of years. >> right. well we've done the talk. we did tampa to tallahassee. and then to atlanta. but we've done holiday parties for victims of hurricane katrina. we've done all kinds of stuff. we do a continuous ro pgram where we get backpacks and fill them with food and personal hygiene and sewing kit and first aid kit and a candy pack or small toy in it. so we do all sorts of things. >> it's such a great thing and especially to see someone your

age to get involved in doing these projects. i think a lot of people your age might not put this much fort into it. why do you want to spend so much time trying to help other people. >> i have a lot of fun doing community service work. some kids play baseball and soccer, but this is my baseball and this is my soccer. i just have fun with it and it's helping people so it's a good combination. >> are you able to convince other kids to do the same thing in. >> well yeah. there are some kids in college and high school that help me out on different projects. we do a project called 24 hours where we stimulate being homeless for 24 hours down in tampa and we get a group of teenagers to come out and so, yeah. >> let's talk about the latest journey. your walk from atlanta, almost 700 miles. you said on the website, this is one of the hardest things but its best things you've done. tell us about the walk and the trip you made so far.

>> it's definitely been hard, both physically and mentally. but it is. it's a lot of fun. but it is a lot of hard work. i mean, physically it was very hard. because it's painful at times. and you just have to keep on walking, whether your sick, tired, no matter what, you just have to keep going. but it's also really great whenever you get to do the little projects along the way and get to see the kids that you're helping. >> and what is the goal? who are you trying to help and what are you trying to accomplish? >> we're trying to raise awareness of homelessness, that's the main thing we're trying to do with the walk. >> and you'll meet with some senators today up on capitol hill. that's exciting. what message will you take to them? >> well, you know, we've -- the message we're trying to get across to everyone is that there are 1.3 million kids and

they need all of our -- all of us to help them. and it's going to take all of us working together and each of us doing our own little part to solve this crisis. >> now the president is in italy today so you won't be able to see him. but you're going to be down by the white house in lafayette park and you're inviting people to come down and see you. >> if anyone wants to come out and join me, we're walking in the lafayette park at 10:00. >> do you have any messages -- i know it's not just the kids that are your age you're trying to target, you're targeting anybody out there to reach out and help the communities and orange people, which is a great inspiration because you are so young, but what do you tell people to try to get more involved in doing the things like you are? >> well, everybody has been really great about getting involved and people have been coming out and walking with us in atlanta and richmond.

and some of the stops along the way. and so everybody has been getting involved and doing great things. and restaurants donated meals and all kinds of stuff. so people are getting involve and helping out. >> a little bit of involvement goes a long way. >> yeah. >> zack, i would say after this 700-mile walk to take it easy, but it sounds like you won't take it easy. zack bonner will be down on capitol hill today. allison, you get a little inspiration out of that. >> great work. congratulations on your efforts. we applaud you. let's head over to julie wright and see what is going on on the roadways right now. good morning. >> good morningch and we're taking a peek at eastbound along 66. and past 123, that's where we have a new accident to report and this time around it's two left lanes that are blocked. so for those continuing inbound toward capital beltway, we have

fire and rescue here. delays on 66 stacking up before 50 fair owns toward vienna and toward the capital beltway. the beltway will slow in separate stretches between annandale and merrifield. and slow out toward telegraph road. delays from 95 at the prince william parkway. top side of the beltway slow toward the exits there at georgia avenue. inner loop of the beltway also on the brakes leaving 95 college park past route 1 and the ikea over towards the vw parkway. that's a check of your fox 5 on- time traffic. today we have new details about the drugs that michael jackson was taking before he died and how he will be buried. that's coming up next. th from the little girl who loves playing with her barbie dolls who the avid collector who has hundreds still in the boxes. there are something for everyone at the national barbie

doll collection. holly will have the insight scoop later here on fox 5 morning news. thursday, finally! dinner with the girls tonight. mmm... mexican, or italian? i really want dessert tonight. i better skip breakfast. yep, this is all i need. ( stomach growls ) skipping breakfast to get ahead? research shows that women that eat breakfast, like the special k® breakfast, actually weigh less. the special k® breakfast, now in blueberry. so why skip? when you can eat all this... and still weigh less. victory is... sweet.

when you take a bigger, thicker slice people notice. atoes, introducing alexia crunchy snacks. a giant leap for snack kind. swine flu moves back into the spotlight this morning, leaders from every state will gather at the national

institute of hell new jersey bethesda for a white house sponsored summit on the virus. in the meantime, we have learned a second person in maryland has died from this swine flu. state health officials say the person had serious underlying medical conditions and the swine flu only added to that problem. continuing to learn more about michael jackson's drug use before his death on june 25th. jackson's dermatologist dr. arnold klein told larry king live that he gave the pop star the pain kill demerol on occasion but doesn't know how he got diprivan. he said he warned jackson about the dangers of the drug when which is usually administered in hospitals. while the whereabouts of michael jackson's body, we do know that he'll be buried

wearing one glove. his sister chose a white leather glove with swarovski ystals. on this thursday morning, today there are new details in the death of steve mcnair. >> and activists arrested after president obama's face turned up on mt. rush more. and live at the national zoo. gurvir is there this morning where tai shan's 4th birthday party is about to get underway. fox 5 morning news will be right back. ♪

there's the other stuff. ♪ and then there's kraft macaroni & cheese. ♪ kraft has more cheese than those other guys. no wonder they call it the cheesiest! dinner with the girls tonight. mmm... mexican, or italian? i reallyant dessert tonight. i better skip breakfast. yep, this is all i need. ( stomach growls ) skipping breakfast to get ahead? research shows that women that eat breakfast, like the special k® breakfast, actually weigh less. the special k® breakfast, now in blueberry. so why skip? when you can eat all this...

and still weigh less. victory is... sweet. # 30:00 on this thursday morning and we look at stories making headlines. there are pictures of steve mcnair and his girlfriend. several memorials being held in nashville. police confirm his girlfriend shot and killed mcnair over the holiday weekend before turning the gun on herself. a warning for teens in manassas.

two abduction attempts near the wellington community center on clover hill road. tuesday a teenage girl was walking to the pool when a man tried to pull her into a blue van. another girl was targeted in a similar incident june 13th. 11 environmental activists pled not on mt. rush more. the banner placed next to the image of abraham lincoln with a picture of president obama's face on calling on world leaders to stop global warning. merriam webster adding new words. >> frenemy. somebody that acts like a friend but is an enemy. and locavore. it's a person that eats locally. like herba vor. >> and web-esode.

>> do you know any frenemys. >> you find out later. >> i've never heard of the locavore. >> i think they're good editions. so very good. let's take a look at the weather conditions around the region, boys and girls, ladies and gentlemen. 68 right now at reagan national. 68 as well up in baltimore. dulles is at 66 degrees. patuxent naval air station is 68 and in virginia it is 70 degrees. here is a look at the satellite radar composite for the eastern united states. put it in motion and you can see some clouds in over us. i don't remember if i said this on the air, but i stepped outside a short time ago, there are clouds out there but iis still very bright. lots of bright sunshine breaking there's the clouds. now let's take a look at the surface map for today. a couple of things to show you.

high pressure continues to be in control. it is pushing off to the north and east very slowly. so our winds today are out of the east northeast and that could lead to some showers and maybe some thunderstorms well out to the west later. not in the washington area. i think west of the mountains in portions of western maryland, west virginia, maybe a couple of showers and thunderstorms later today but not for us. here is the forecast for us for today. it's going to be great. a few more clouds but there will be plenty of sunshine around. more pleasant temperatures again today. 82 for a high and we'll see our humidity levels quite low as well. that's a look at the weather. we'll take one final look at the five-day forecast coming up shortly. steve and allison, back you to. we want to get right to the party down at the national zoo because it's already under way. >> here is a live look at panda cam. and gurvir dhindsa. that's not gurvir. she's down there. she was invited to party. gurvir, how cute.

he's a big guy now there. >> reporter: he is. and you do not need panda cam. look at this. how adorable is this. that is tai shan checking out his birthday cake and there was just a chorus of happy birthday sang to him. he turns 4 years old old today. you can believe it? i remember when he was born and we talked about he was the size of a stick of butter. no more. he is about 200 pounds and the cake that he is checking out right now, it took them two weeks to make it. it's made of water, bamboo, crust or shredded beets and beet juice. doesn't that sound yummy. and there is a crowd gathered of panda lovers to help him celebrate. they said last year he was scared of the cake and said what the heck is this thing. not this year. i bet you it's going to take him maybe an hour or so to gobble that thing down. lisa stevens is a curator here at the zoo. this is exciting.

>> it is a lot of fun. >> reporter: i don't know what -- well i do know what at traction is. he's adorable, but look at all of these people that are gathered here. >> he's been popular from the moment of his birth and he's given us four years of fun and happiness. and he is doing great this year. you can see he's a year older and wiser. he's not afraid of his cake and he's beginning to explore it and munch on it. >> reporter: so he is 4 years old. 4 years ago at 3:41 in the morning, the people keeping any eye on his mom heard a little squeal and said there it is. and that's exciting because sometimes a anda -- a panda birth isn't always successful. >> they are challenging to breed because we only have one chance a year to get a female panda pregnant. any cub is symbolizing our effort to save the species, and

the collaborate effort to work together between china and the u.s. to save the species. >> reporter: and is he full grown now? >> he's on the brink of adulthood. it's like saying he's 18 years old. he's almost there. and his next phase in life will involve joining the breeding program, the major breeding program and helping to keep this population self-sus -- self-sustaining. >> reporter: and we don't know how long he'll be with us. we did get an extension. >> all of that is under discussion. our adults loan come to an end. but what is for certain is we have a long term commitment to the species and we'll always have panda here at the national zoo. >> and you were hoping that he might have a little brother or sister. but not this year, unfortunately. >> not this year. may shong had a pseudo

pregnancy or false pregnancy and we have to wait for our chance next year. >> and you also have the smaer red panda hich looks like a fox. >> thanks for asking, because they're often forgotten. they're beautiful pandas. our female might be pregnant and that area is closed off to give her some privacy. >> reporter: in the meantime, we're here to celebrate his birthday. and he's chomping down. how long will it take him to eat that thing which took two weeks to make? >> the no -- no telling. the longer it took to make, the longer it will take him to eat, hopefully. >> reporter: it's a great day to check things out at the zoo. so thank tony and tucker for that. enjoy the pictures and come on out for yourself. back to you. >> i have to apologize, we didn't hear everything you had to say because we were focused

on tai shan. but if that was a chocolate cake, we would have had that gone. >> just let him have a regular cake. good pictures. thanks, gurvir. time now is 8:36 on this thursday morning. new unemployment numbers are just coming into the doctor our-- our news room next. and which bottled water is safest. the answer might surprise you. coming up after the break. it's 8:37. america, whattaya say to big cheesy-steaky-ness!

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a mixed report on the nation's unemployment as the labor department shows jobless claims dropped last week to 565,000. the number of continuing unemployment claims continued to rise to a new record. the feds taking a hard new look at the quality of bottled water. the government accountability office and environmental working groups are now recommending that bottled water industries use the same standards mandated for public water system. currently companies are not required to disclose sources, used certified labs or report failures of water quality. plus ecoli and a chemical that is seen in plastic are not tested at bottling plants. the time now is 8:40 on

this july 9th. a first of its kind store coming to the national harbor. and all of you sugar addicts will be happy to hear this news. holly, good morning. >> reporter: all of you doll fanatics will be happy to hear barbie is celebrating her 50th birthday. and the national barbie collectors convention is going on live. we're live at the mayerat wardman hotel. the first barbie doll sold for $3 and coming up we'll show you a barbie doll worth $50,000. it's alliv o lx nefon xt morning news. stay with us. ♪

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peeps are an easter tradition, but soon you'll be able to buy the chicks year round. according to the washington post, the first peeps and company store is set to open in november at the national harbor in prince george's county. good news for you peeps fans

because not only can you buy the candy, you can get the peeps shirts and other materials. and here in town for the national barbie doll convention. >> this morning holly is live to find out about the birthday. >> reporter: barbee is one -- barbie is one impressive woman. do you know every second two barbie dolls are sold somhe in the world. it is still today a $1.5 billion industry each and every year. it's marketed to 150 nations. but the two things i like about barbie is that she's had more than 80 -- more than 80 different careers and about a billion outfits have been created for her. so her closet is the one i want to dive into. we are here at the convention that is going on at the marriott wardman convention. they're having it in the

nation's capital for the first time. and liz joins me once again. and we've come into the sales room so to speak. let's talk about the history of barbie and how this got started. >> our founder ruth hammer was observing her daughter barbara play with paper dolls and she thought girls need a way to smore the girl and learn what it's like to be a grown up girl and she created a doll named after her daughter. >> reporter: and if you have one of the first dolls it's worth more than $3. so let's talk about the vintage collection of barbie. >> this is so exciting. after 50 years, everyone has a doll that is either in their garage or somewhere. and take those out and find out more about barbie. here we have an amazing collection. and the sales room here at the convention is the largest of it's kind in the world. is whether you are a girl who played with a zebra striped bathing suit doll from 1959 or

who grew up with superstar barbie in 1977, you can find it here. >> reporter: and if you're collecting for value, what is one to look for and have. >> there is a holy grail for collectors and it's a mint condition early barbie doll. so we have one example of that here today. this right here is a number two edition barbie. so it's not a number one, it's a number two edition. on sale for $4,500. if you have one of these in your closet there is still investment value in barbie today. >> and we have this vintage one worth 4500. right next to the star-studded barbie, tell me about her? >> this is the diamond doll done by lana and freeman of barbie rock. it is worth $50,000 and is for sale. she has oar 34 karates of diamonds and she's created in the likeness of barbie. >> reporter: because if anybody can carry off hat kind of

karat weight it would be barbie. >> diamonds are a girl's best friend. >> reporter: so is barbie. and what was the most popular selling barbie of all time. >> the most popular of all time was totally care barbie. she had hair down to her ankles. >> and i did have that one. and she's so fun and so cute. we were just working with heidi klum and that's her favorite doll. >> reporter: and what are some of the people will find and when can they come and be part >> it's this saturday starting at 9:00 a.m. it's only $7 to come in. it gets you admission for the entire day. you can bring your family and mom and sister the best part of collecting is spending times with the girls you love. >> reporter: barbie has come under criticism because some people think she puts unfair expectations on what woman should look like. how has barbie changed over the years an addressed those kind of concerns. >> i think the thing most

amazing with barbie is she stays relevant with the times. whether it's 1959, she was relevant all the way to today where in fact just this year we did a one of a kind doll. so still representing women of all walks of life, everything that girls do and can be, barbie is there with them. >> reporter: i'm a huge barbie mille sent fan. that's her full name by the way. and just remember this today, when you look this good, nobody carries if your plastic. back to you. >> holly, thank you. good stuff. well let's get from one birthday to another and check in with tai shan. he's enjoying that birthday cake right now. he got through and he is going to be tasting that for some time now. >> look at the beet juice on his face. >> that is a smile of a very happy panda. happy birthday thigh shawn, 4

years old old down at the national zoo. and coming up. >> we have a special guest here in the studio. >> one ofthe stars of the color purple, la toya london will perform when fox 5 morning news returns. yeah, no it's great.

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and for a limited time, get an incredible compaq mini, to get the most out of your fios internet. get it all together with a great deal on fios tv, internet and phone plus get a free compaq mini netbook. just pay shipping, handling and taxes. call the verizon center for customers with disabilities at 800.974.6006 tty/v before time runs out on this astonishing offer. hello fox 5 morning news. this is fantasia. i hope to see all of you at the play the color purple and come see and my sister. you can't miss it. >> that's former american idol winner fantasia marino as she has the role of the d.c. run of the hit broadway musical the

color purple. it's through august 9th at the kennedy center and fantasia says it has something for everyone. >> it's for men, it's for women, it's for young people. everybody needs to see this play. there is a lot going on right now with the economy, with our young people, ad it's just a message that will make you feel like i could keep on keeping o >> another american idol alum plays her younger sister netty. you heard fant asia talk about it. it's la toya london. she joins us this morning. good morning. it's time to meet you. >> good morning. >> and you heard fant asia say come and see me and my sister. and i didn't see you in new york. and how has the experience been? >> it's been a wonderful experience. it's an honor first of all to be a part of this production. i mean this story is so close to my heart from growing up, knowing the story, knowing all

about it and so having an opportunity to be a part of it live on stage is such an honor. and then to be doing it with fantasia, who is my true sister. >> you all were together, season three, right there neck and neck and back together again. >> we knew each other before it all happened. and exactly. now we're together again and we're -- we were together in the rehearsal process as well and when we first joined and she went to new york, i stayed with the tour company and we wanted to do it then together. we were like why won't they just put us together. so it came back around full circle. >> that's excellent. and having seen the play, and i encourage you to go see it because it is truly inspiring. >> absolutely. >> and even if you don't have the exact issues that the sisters had or in that time, especially with the african- american experience, it's still touching. >> it still touches you. >> there's not a dry eye in the house. men, i didn't care how hard you are, if you don't feel

something, you're not human. this story is so touching. yeah, so it is something you can relate to it. whether you're going through it, you may know someone going through it or you may have not gone through something yet and you can reach back and remember about the story about how people triumph over their trials that they were going through. everyone has a story. and they came -- they got through something. they got through this issue that they had. and it's about love. >> it's about forgiveness too. and i don't want to give too much away. we do want to hear la toya sing. you're going to sing something from the play. >> i'm going to sing the color purple. >> all right. la toya london. we'll be right back with you. >> okay.

♪ god is in side you and everyone else. ♪ that was forever will be. ♪ we come into the world with. ♪ only then that look inside. ♪ god is a flower and everything else. ♪ that was, forever will be. ♪ and when you can feel the choice. ♪ you will, and when you love

the way it feels. ♪ just as sure as. ♪ [ singing ] [ applause ]

>> beautiful. that is so pretty. that's one of the parties where you're going to be crying if you go see the show. >> that sounds great. >> let me give you the information. you can see la toya and fantasia in the color purple through august 9th at the kennedy center. >> six weeks. we have five more left. you better get there. >> for information look under today's web links. welcome to d.c. >> i'm a resident. >> have fun while you're here. >> and you have some good weather too. >> here is your five-day forecast. another great day. highs today in the low 80s. same tomorrow. very comfortable humidity level so you're going to enjoy the day. e hot, summery weather here for the