we'll look at whether victory is possible in afghanistan. fox 5 morning news at 7:00 starts right now. and we're glad you're with us on this wednesday morning as we look at traffic near the pentagon this morning. it is wednesday morning, july 22nd. off to a muggy start this morning. i'm steve chenevey. >> and i'm allison seymour. we're happy you're with us. let's check in with tony perkins and look at the forecast. the heat and humidity back with us again. >> it sure is. it is humid outside and quite muggy. and we'll havmof ree ohetf sa throughout the secour of the day today. sorry to bring coyou the bad news. good morning. our temperature is not bad. 70 degrees. but the humidity is 90%. the winds light at 3 miles per hour and the barometic presre is slightly on the rise. here is the radar in the area. thunderstorm activity near fredericksberg and that's dissipated and nothing else to see.

a couple of spotty thunderstorms later in the day as the daytime heating gets ore your forecast for today, partly cloudy. i believe during the last -- one e thlast weather casts i said mostly cloudy by mistake. partly cloudy today. , hud and high about 87 downtown, 86 inartinsberg. waldorf topping out at 80 degrees. let's find out what is happening with traffic. julie wright on vacation so let's go to lauren demarco. >> good morning, tony. things stacking up on 66 from manassas past the 123. then again as you head in toward the beltway. you can see right here leaving nutley street inbound, you are on the brakes. once you get on to the beltway, the inner loop and outer loop running fine. 95 in virginia, slow traffic through woodbridge and again through newington and through springfield. you can see at the mixing bowl, looking good heading in

northbound. 395 slowing at the pentagon mang your trip across the 14th street bridge. then on the beltway leaving the springfield interchange on the outer loop, on the brakes past telegraph. no delay crossing the wilson bridge. that's a check of your fox 5 on- time traffic. our top story this wednesday morning, should you be concerned for your safety when you get on metro today? that question was raised after this washington post headline grabbed attention. it says the track circuit problems may be extensive officials say. they have uncovered track circuit anomalies. the rail chief told the paper loloe se of the problems are s the e o a the malfunction at the site of the last month's deadly crash. but it ng ais ptimprng a respo

from metro, and calling the post's suggestion that the problem is widespread a, quote, gross falsification. he is joining us live. john catoe, thank you for joining us. >> good morning. >> when this story broke last night, you held a news conference to announce your dileasure with the wording of this article. you can explain what you meant. >> yes. first of all, i would like to communicate that this system is safe. the article implied that we are having situations similar to what occurred at fort totten a month ago today and that is very far from the truth. what we have done, prior to the accident we would inspect our system with a computerized tool on a month. we're now doing that twice a day, after every rush hour. and when we do that, we look at

every circuit within the system, which is done by normal inspection process. but this new computerized system or the one we're using every day has allowed us to look deeper into the system. we're analyzing the system to levels we're not done before. so if we see anything, no matter how small it might be, we're going out and we're making adjustments to the circuits and in some cases we're taking those circuits out and replacing them. this is a process that we feel is absolutely necessary. i have the responsibility to ensure that this system is safe. potional ratransrtation safety board has recommended that we install a realtime system in order to make these type of detections do make adjustments or replacements way before any problems can occur in the system. to imply that the system is having the same problem that

occurred a month ago is not true. >> so i want to make sure we're clear here, mr.cato. yourr rail chief saying there isroblems on several of the lines, you're saying because you're doing more stringent testing than fast and you're see -- in the past. >> well when you look deeper, you find adjustments before they become a problem. every day, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, our maintenance staff are out there on the rails looking for issues and making adjustments and making repairs. that's the normal maintenance of a rail system. no different than the orange -- the other type of rail system. we have not taken it further.

like if you need to change your oil every 3,000 miles, we're making adjustments every 1500 miles. we want to make sure there is no question about the integrity of the system and how safe it is. and in many inspections, the national transportation safety board has been with us, doing the inspections themselves. they, nor i, would allow this system to operate in an unsafe manner. >> let's talk about the bigger picture as the investigation continues into the fatal crash. the work continues to make sure that the system remains safe. back on july 13th, the ntsb recommended you do put a backup system in place. how are things progressing there? is that a possibility. >> absolutely. we've met with various vendors and they're in the process of laying out groundwork to determine how they will develop the system. d this is not the system you can buy off of a shelf.

this is a systemst nscuom made for metro. we have moved ahead. i have notified my staff that this is an emergency process, that they do not have to go through the normal procurement process. we don't want to delay this because of bureaucratic processes but we are moving ahead with that. >> and back to the article into the post today and the post editor said they are standing behind their article today. and you said last night that it was a disservice to the community. do you stand by those words today? >> i do stand by those words, absolutely. when you take the maintenance you're doing on your system and trying to be proactive to make sure you do not have problems and to take that mean the service is unsafe is a

disservice. >> before we let you go, any updates. >> the ntsb is expected to issue some information tomorrow, however i do not expect any information to get into the actual cause or the details that occurred with that circuit at the accident site. but again, i await their direction and whatever direction they give us to put in any new systems or to take new actions, we'll take them. >> thank you for joining us. we do appreciate it. john catoe, general manager of metro. still ahead, standardized test scores for metro is back. are the schools making the grade. plus the district spending millions of dollars on the upkeep of vacant buildings. and violent attacks by terror groups on the rise in afghanistan as u.s. and british

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health care reform will take center stage during the president's prime time news conference tonight. he wants legislation by the end of the year for coverage for the tens of millions that don't have it. he wants a neutral plan to cover as many people as possible that doesn't affect existing health care plans. he said an august deadline but it appears that may spill over. the president had these words of encouragement. >> you won't lose your health care if you change jobs, if you lose your job or start a business or if you get sick. and each of these bills will provide incentives so that

patients get the best care, not just the most expensive care. >> i've got a lot of folks in my district that are uninsured so i think what we need to do is take our time on this. if it means going into the fall, it means going into the fall. >> a house committee has postponed reviewing a proposed reform bill so the public can learn more details including cost and tax increases. again the president's prime time news conference set for 8:00 tonight and you can watch it live online as we stream it on our website, myfoxdc.com. there are no takers for a d.c. landmark. the watergate hotel did not attract any outside bids when it hit the auction block yesterday so the lender took back the property for the opening bid of $25 million. monument realty, which defaulted on the original $40 million loan, hopes it can put together a deal to reopen the complex. the district is coming under fire for spending nearly $13 million a year on vacant

buildings throughout the city. officials say the empty buildings still require security, some utilities and maintenance work. councilman kwame brown says they don't want to under sell the properties if they try to unload them now. there are concerns that anybody who bought them now would not make market price because of the bad economy. the upkeep on the vacant buildings one of the topics for mayor fenty tomorrow. if you have any questions, send it to fentyonfox@wttg.com. >> just like the residential market. that's interesting. and he'll be here tomorrow. i'm here now and i can answer some questions for you. first of all, it is going to be a muggy day again today. could see a couple showers and thunderstorms hoar and there

-- here and there. reagan national, back up to 71. dulles is at 67 and bwi marshall is at 70 degrees. let's take a trip across the country. ci 65tiin mea htmperature in et ditro ig. row n in omaha, owit is 59. some relatively cool air te h plains. south dakota, 54. denver, colorado, 57. still hot down in texas, but not as hot last week and the week before. 73 is the current temperature in dallas. looking for a high in the 90s as opposed 00 tov1 degrees. here is a look at the national satellite rada g veryood image of where the rnas front is in the vetee un . es te will gradually makes it way here and y oun acsee t i extendi from canada, into kentucky and tennessee and bacaa d that cold front wll move through here tomorrow and bringing a better chance of showers and thunderstorms and then somewhat drier air.

i don't think it will be as humid after the front comes through. high today of 87. chance of a scattered shower or thunderstorm or two. and partly cloudy skies. tomorrow better chance of showers and thunderstorms, 86 degrees and the rest of the week in the upper 80s. there you go. more on the forecast coming up shortly. let's check in with lauren demarco and get a look at traffic. >> good morning, guys. we're looking better on northbound 95 in virginia making your trip up toward the occuquan. this is at the prince william parkway. minutes ago this was stacked up and now everyone is moving closer to speed. youl be on the brakes passing 7100. then again from the mixing bowl up toward king street on 395. and then the delay for the 14th street bridge begins at the pentagon. you're outer loop delays begin in springfield and telegraph road. inner loop slowing toward 66. on the beltway here, in

montgomery county, we do have some delays off and on 95. at new hampshire the pace is picking up somewhat. 270 sothbound slows passing 109 and 124 and again through rockville. no problems on 95 or the bwi parkway in maryland. slowing toward kenilworth avenue. that's a check of your fox 5 on- time traffic. renewed aggression by taliban forces continues in apparent retaliation for stepped up defenses by american and british troops in afghanistan. the u.s. is committed to sending thousand more troops over the next several months and taliban fighters seem just as committed to driving out western forces. is america facing an unwinnable situatn in a country that has a gift for outlasting other

conquers. and joining us walter seas. professor, good morning. just a quick review of where we are this morning. after 9/11 american forces and the u.s. coalition went into these two countries, iraq and afghanistan and then the shift changed to iraq. what is left in afghanistan and what is left today. >> when the united states shifted the attention to iraq there were two jobs left in afghan stab. one was to capture bin laden and the other was to in stall a government to replace the taliban, a government that could rule the country and promise not to support terrorism. neither of these jobs is completed as of today. >> was that an unrealistic goal. even just the terrain. >> afghanistan is a country divided into tribes ruled by

war lords. no one really controls the country. it's very unrealist. and it's unrealistic to expect that the united states could install a well functiong government that control the whole territory and do it in a few years. >> the taliban was broken at a certain point and then left alone, as we talked about, the focus shifted to iraq. what happened in that time? has it regrouped to the numbers and the power that was pre- 9/11. >> i think it would be more accurate that the taliban was ousted but not broken. they did retreat to the country side which they know much better than we do and plus they had the option of crossing into pakistan where there are lots of people that can support them and gather new recruits. so they have some advantages and it's a difficult fight for us. >> we're talking geography and cultural understanding as you said. is this a winnable situation? is that too broad of a question? >> it's not winnable in the

next couple of years. the war will continue up to and through the american presidential election in 2012. and one of the reasons why it's going to go on for so long is that the taliban lives there. and people who live in a country all of their lives feel they can outlast foreign occupiers which is what they think we are. they think they're going to win this war and because they believe they're going to win, they don't have much incentive to cut a deal with us. >> 68,000 troops in country by the fall, that's what the president wants as it draws down forces in iraq. is that a plan that is on the right course for action? >> afghanistan is a very big country for 68,000 soldiers to try to conquer. it's very unlikely we'll be able to establish control overall of the territory of afghanistan in the next couple of years. >> did we underestimate, in your opinion, the taliban. we've seen reporting on multiple attacks happening

simultaneously in country. did we underestimate the power and organization of this terrorist group? >> i think we underestimated their resilience and to continually draw recruits and be in the country side and not only from afghanistan but from pakistan. this is a very determined opponent. and they think they are winning and they think they can outlast us. >> and there was a poi in time where taking bin laden was more realistic back in 2003 and what has happened to that and is this man able to be caught? >> this is one of the most inexplicable decisions one president has made. why transfer the attention to iraq when the job wasn't done in afghanistan. and it was a crucial job. to destroy al-qaeda and put a friendlier government in afghanistan were urgent priorities and in 2003 we

walked away from the project while it was undone. >> has hamad carji been affective. >> no more than any other have tried to control afghanistan. during the nighttime, the government controls some buildings here and there and that's it. >> final word in your opinion, history speaking, is this the right course of action to be in this country, afghanistan? >> it's probably going to look a lot less right as this war drags on which is why i think the obama administration has been looking for way to cut a deal with the taliban. >> i know some heavy questions. we appreciate your time. >> okay. >> steve over to you. one of the candidates for governor makes his pitch on how to tackle transportation and it includes a change in the way you buy hard liquor. we'll explain the connection. and if you dream of starring on broadway, your first step might be to spend

time in rockville. holly is taking us to show tunes cmp. stick around for entertainment. the time is 7:23 right now. we'll be right back. [ singing ] 

the race for virginia governor hits the road as bob mcdonald attacks the transportation needs. he plems to widen inside and outside the beltway of route 66. his project calls for the state to sell off the abc liquor stores to private operators. he also suggested putting tolls up on 95 and 85 at the north carolina border. and reserving a portion of sales tax collections in northern virginia to pay for projects in the area. creigh deeds has not yet released a detailed transportation plan. maryland students are maybing the grade. results of standardized tests

in reading and math show gains across the state. close to home reading scores were up in montgomery and prince george's counties. only elementary school students did better in math. coming up next, more serious questions for metro after public reports say several circuits have recently failed. plus lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have doubts about the president's health care reform. we'll find out what is holding them back when we talk to our political team, peter and jim, coming up next. 7:27 now. in the 1930s, farmers planted nutrient-rich soybeans... to replenish the barren soil of the american dust bowl.

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metro and the washington post both standing by their stories this morning over metro's safety. the post reported that metro found more circuit problems. john catoe said that is a gross misstatement of the facts. metro did find problems but none measure up to the june 22nd crash. the president is expected to address health care reform tonight at 8:00. the president wants a neutral plan that covers as many people as possible in an affordable way and doesn't affect existing health care. his august deadline may spill over as lawmakers continue to debate details lost cost, tax

increases and whether or not to devote federal funds for abortion. the prime time news conference set for 8:00 tonight. we're streaming it on myfoxdc.com. about 71-degrees to start off our 7:00 hour. is that okay? that's okay. 70. >> the temperature is fine. it's the humidity that is the problem. it's up there. if it were just the temperature and a comfortable humidity, it would be fine and great. but it's sticky oute.ert anit will be a sticky day today. we get started on anthe -- graphics here. the temperature is 71 degrees. that's cool. but the humidity, 87%. decidedly uncool. we have no breezy conditions either to help us feel better. barometic pressure is sck at 30.11. here is a look at the temperatures around the region. we have 74 in ocean city. detuxent naval air station 70

grees. up in frederick, maryland, 66. winchester, virginia, coming in at 71 degrees. you're satellite radar composite for the nation, take a look. we have some clouds and fog and mist being reported as well. i want to mention that. visibility at reagan national down to 5 miles right now. so some fog and mist. we also have some rain showers out across the eastern portions of the eastern united states. that will makes it way in here tomorrow. it won't impact us but we are between two systems that could cause us to see a few rain showers here and there later today and i mean here and there, widely scattered. partly cloudy skies today. hot and humid. temperature below normal. 87 degrees. and the scattered showers and thunderstorms, 20% chance that. then for tonight, a warm night and muggy night with mostly cloudy skies. downtown our low will be 72 degrees, which is rather high, and in the suburbs in the upper 60s. five-day forecast, tomorrow another warm one with the best

chance of rain showers for the workweek. 60% chance during the day. friday we'll be dry as far as precipitation goes, 88 degrees. saturday and sunday, increasing humidity, chance of showers and thunderstorms both days but especially on sunday. that's a look at the weather. more is coming up in a little bit. right now the lovely and talented lauren demarco tells us what is happening with traffic. >> that's very sweet, tony. thank you for the compliment. >> i am as far as julie wright isn't here. >> i'm going to tell on you. >> oh, please don't. things looking good. 270 at falls road, getting past 109 and 24 and again here through rockville. in virginia, we are working some incidents, northboun95 slows across the occuquan and then just before the mixing bowl in springfield. once you're here on 395, the delays off and on from

springfield toward king street. then we have a bit of a problem. getting across the 14th street bridge, you're going to be on the brakes because of an accident on the freeway. so it's eastbound between the third street tunnel and south capitol street, on the brakes up 395 across the 14th street bridge on to the freeway, once you get past that you're back up to speed. westbound does slow as well past the scene. that's a check of your fox 5 on- time traffic. hopes are dimming for a completed health care package before the august congressional recess. the president is insisting on it, but more democratic lawmakers believe it just can't happen in the few short weeks before the break. joining us with that and other top stories, peter fenn and jim innocenzi. and we said earlier, something

along the lines of the president looking for a deficit neutral plan that will help americans. it's a very tough sell and one of the tougher sells is selling it to some members of the -- of his own party. and peter i'll start with you. if this can't be done by august, what plan do we have? >> we have a couple of plans in the house and the season at, and you won't get things passed by both bodies to reconcile after the recess. you'll probably get these things passed in the fall. clearly what you have is a serious concern in -- with this current economy and not going further into debt. the president has said, look, i'm not going to add to the deficit. we have to make this revenue neutral and get the savings from other places. obviously the plan is designed to cover the 46 million people who are chronically uninsured, plus the 87 million that over

the past couple of years have been uninsured. and what my sense is, that there will be a compromise but a moderate compromise. this may have to happen in steps. but the cost for americans now, it's $7,900 for every man, woman and child inhis country for health care. that is 52% more than our next highest country, which is norway. that's unacceptable. we have got to change this system and i think the american people know it. so he's going to campaign. this is going to be an august campaign, like he's running for office again out there. >> jim, you're take. >> he's pulling out all stops. this news conference tonight, clearly he's in trouble with it. a lot of polls are showing that a majority of americans don't like his plan and so now he's going to try to do a littltap dance to see if he can get the process moving. but that's not going to have any affect because the blue dog democrats, as peter alluded to, are digging their heels in on

this thing and they're in bush and mccain districts and they have a problem and their constituent have a problem and it's not nav -- revenue routeal -- neutral and i believe something will pass but it wot be as large as it is right now and certainly won't happen before august. >> that was my question. does it get done before august? >> no. >> and sonia sotomayor, by all allegations she will get confirmed. squim, republicans putting the delay button in affect here. how come? >> i don't think there is any reason for it. it's pretty much a foregone conclusion she will get the confirmation. whether they do it now or whether they do it next week, i think it's just -- maybe the guys decided to take a vacation or maybe they're focused on health care. >> the republicans have thrown in the towel. she did a great job in the hearing and she's solid and i think that one will get

confirmed before the august recess, no question. >> sarah palin making headlines once again as she continues to do. this time though some ethical questions about some of the money that was raised from some private contributors and whether or not she's using this to pay off some debts. this is her last week in office, jim. she can't go out without some more people putting her the public spotlight. does this tarnish what she has done to this point? >> no. because this is more of the same. this is not the first time this has happened. and this is her last week so this is the last time for them to take a shot after her one more time and all of her opponents and th's what they're doing. after that, when she's gone, she's a private citizen, they'll back off a little bit. but she's acknowledged she has enemies that are beating her up and this is another group of them. >> is that what this is? >> this is a woman that is ethically challenged, steve. she got reimbursed for 156 nights staying in their own bed

for per diem expenses. she took her family and kids around the world and paid for it with state funds and then had to reimburse them. i think she has trouble. and let's forget about the clothes. i won't go there. but i am one of those people who gave her a lot of chances to recoup. >> you did? >> i did. patrick cannon and my buddies would say she's smart and she can learn ut i think it's over. >> but she'll raise a lot of money for your candidates. >> that's good. >> that's good for you. and she'll get a big crowd. and if she does get anywhere, i'll be sitting here eating my tie. >> i'll bring my mustard. and your bone head picks of the week. >> the bone head michael steel. speaking of health care, he

takes the alex castellano and reads it for everybody. and john mill bank killed him yesterday in a column because it's plagiarism and calls it health care for dummies. but the main thing about the memo was alex's phrase which he used, killing health care. that's not what the american people want. they don't want to kill it. they want to see a system that will work in legislation that will work. so i don't think the republicans want to be out there, the chairman of the party saying we're going to kill health care. >> and jim, your pick. let's wrap t's tup senate voti> yestery a 60-38 to kill the f- 22. we have 175 plus of the of these things. we're saving billions of dollars and let's go. >> and the bone head.

>> barbara boxer and carolyn maloney. they're part of the democratic party that throw race into conversations back and forth for no specific reason. barbara boxer had the black chamber of commerce head there and she decided to discredit him and bring race up when it was an issue and argument about energy and why she brought the race in is because this man didn't agree with her. i think that's reprehensible. it doesn't matter what political party, i think it's a bad thing. so that's a stupid thing and they keep bringing it up but they're supposed to byen -- enlight ensed butlightened and i don't think they are. >> and your good pick. >> and tom watson, his caddy had known each other for many

years, tom is a very big republican and neal is a democrat and they put aside differences and they almost won the british open. >> it shows what can happen when you work together. a lot of people behind tom watson. he had a famous caddy and if you get a chance to read the book called caddy for life, it's a great book. we'll see you next week and find the most edible clothing. a harvard professor arrested. the allegations of racial profiling. what it has inspired him to do. plus a once in a century event. people in asia witnesses the

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charges are dropped against an african-american scholar who claimed he was a victim of social profiling.

cambridge police arrested professor gates. he was trying to get into his own home. he showed proof that it was his home but he was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct after a verbal exchange with a white officer. the charges were later dropped. gates is now seeking an apology and plans to use the experience for a documentary on racial profiling. it is 7:46 on this wednesday morning. -- off a muggy start. >> we have some haze and fog being reported as well. reduced visibility in some area airports. you know what we ihan veorhave ler today. s atlook regional temperatus.isth ooisth hour as we look at temperatures across the thmiaad-. nttl ic in new york city. 71 in forfolk. 73 cape hatteras. pittsburgh is 59 degrees.

here is a look at the satellite radar. nori it ownt's pretty -- a good amount of sunshine breaking through parts of the viewing area and more sunshine down to the south so that's great if you're driving down towards ckedowg,erisb richmond. you'll be driving in the sunshine. we have more clouds working their way in but it will be a partly cloudy day, not a mostly cloudy day. here is a look at surface map, frontal system, hanging around with -- and with the front hanging around we have a chance of showers popping up, but in particular tomorrow. here is the forecast for washington for today and the next five days. today 87. our high normally would be 89. about a 20% chance of showers and thunderstorms. tomorrow a 60% chance. and 86 for the high tomorrow. friday looks okay. saturday and sunday warm, chance of showers and thunderstorms on sunday. there you have it. more coming up shortly. >> thank you, tony. and i am listening to your every word. >> i know you are.

>> and i pay attention to lauren demarco. >> thanks. i pay attention to all of you guys. >> we're just full of compliments. we do have a serious accident with delays on 395 before the pentagon as you head up across the 14th street bridge. you can see that you're on the brakes there. this is all because of this accident just after the bridge. so as cross 395 across the 14th street bridge heading in, just past the 3rd street tunnel before south capitol street, eastbound on the freeway you'll find this accident is there. you want to stay to the right to get past that. taking a look at our delays on the beltway, here we are as you head in from springfield toward the wilson bridge. pretty slow right now on the inner loop. once you get toward telegraph road you're back up to speed and no problems crossing the wilson bridge. over in montgomery county, checking out the roads there, a little too fast for me there, but we are on the brakes

heading in from route 1 towards bw parkway. that's a check of your fox 5 on- time traffic. >> lauren, thank you so much. time now is just about 7:49. and we join holly. what a great live shot today. i love it. >> reporter: there is no businesslike showbiz. [ singing ] you know i love this because we have signed up for summer show tunes camp in rockville. coming up, we'll tell you how your child can also be broadway bound. you dared me to sing. i told you i would do it. they're just warming up and dancing. but tail sing, dance and act all cominup next on fox 5 morning news. stay with us. there are moments in time

when the paths we take do determine our future. today we are communicating with each other as never before - and that requires a seamless network that is constantly growing better, smarter, and more secure. that's why our scientists and engineers in our labs,

are taking the fastest technology in the world and making it mobile, better and faster - to keep pushing the internet further than anyone dreamed. la year alone we invested more in building america's future than any other company - improving and expanding our network, to keep you in control. and behind the scenes, that takes work by our employees, who pride themselves knowing, that because they do it right, you might not even notice. if all of that, makes your connections, faster and more secure... well, that's our business. at&t... your world... delivered.

whether on stage or on screen, we can admit that life seems better sometimes in musical. >> escaping to song is possible at the musical theater center and this morning holly is getting a lesson at a special camp. you holly, you might just take over that camp. >> reporter: if they could see me now. [ singing ] the musical center

theater here in rockville, they have wonderful opportunities like summer show tunes camp. and you don't have to have any experience. they start with the very beginner and they have the more advanced. the opportunities are unlimited. lisa carrier is the up beat director for one of the groups they have here. good morning to you. >> good morning. >> reporter: and i know we're focusing on summer camp this morning, but a lot of kids that are here did summer camp but now in the audition group. >> yes. they start with summer camp and then they want to go further and take the classes, think want to join the ensembled and audition for the productions. so a lot started with summer camp and coming and having fun and then they get more serious and want to go further. >> reporter: and let's talk about what goods on at summer camp. the camps are full for this year. but there is always next year. so what happens in a di at summer camp? >> they begin with singing, dancing and acting classes. these kids are working on a scene from beauty and the beast

that was part of our recent production. and the theme study and building a character and they work on skills in that area. and they have that for an hour every morning. and we rotate the groups around. >> reporter: and then they dance and sing. it seems like these days, it's that triple threat, you have to sing, dance and act. >> they must do all three. so we have dance classes and they put together different combinations and they do warmups and work on that and then in the afternoons when they put their shows together, they can show the combinations they've learned in the morning for the classes in the afternoon. >> reporter: and then they spend time doing vocal training as well. >> yes, they did. absolutely. and i'm the director of of that and we have the kids warm up and go through stretching exercises and we have a mini recital and they learn a song and do solo work. >> reporter: i want to check in

with a couple of the kids here. i'm going to pull out two boys because people might think show tune camp might be all girls, but what do you like about show tune camp. >> you get to learn numbers and it's fun to put on a show. it's a lot of fun because every day you learn something new also. and you never come out saying you didn't have fun because you always have fun and learn something. >> reporter: very good. well you heard her say, everybody gets together and get in position and work on a production in the afternoon. it's a two-week camp, right. >> yes. >> reporter: and there is a show-stopping number. >> yes. this is the number that we just presented in our camp from the new jason rort brown musical "13". >> reporter: very good. take it away.

[ singing ] ♪ >> reporter: if only i were 13 again to sign up for summer show tunes camp. myfoxdc.com is our website. we have a link to the musical theater website. they are enrolling for fall classes. they have a lot of opportunities as well. we'll talk more about summer camp and the other musical theater opportunities in our next hour. back to you. >> great. thank you, holly. >> how my girls would love that camp. >> they're getting right into the number. get home and make a call. it is now 7:56 on this morning. time to start packing your bags

things are some great bargains if you are looking to get away. details in the next half an hour. and a lot of people work from home but could you imagine living where you work. hundreds of people are doing that at los angeles internatiol airport. it sounds bizarre and it is. that story and much more when we come back. vo: since 2006, walmart has sold over 260 million compact fluorescent light bulbs. saving our customers over 7 billion dollars on their electric bills. save money. live better. walmart.

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...making good jobs even better. save money. live better. walmart. trouble on the tracks. published reports say several circuits on metro have failed. we'll talk to the man in charge. president obama has a big press conference tonight targeting health care reform. can he get it done? i'm doug lose aid -- luzader in washington, we'll have more on that coming up. they might be the hottest couple in wasashington. you'll meet closey and kit-cat coming up. good morning. thanks for joining us. i'm steve chenevey. >> and i'm allison seymour. and i'm excited about that interview later. and over the skies in asia, a solar eclipse turned morning into nights. it was the longest solar

eclipse of the 21st century. millions gathered in the opens to watch. but many millions stayed inside. hindus believe that eclipse occurs when a dragon swallows the sun. >> that's what they tell you so as not to alarm you. >> we don't really know. what do we know. >> it's a drag on. but we don't tell them. >> right. don't pay attention to us. awesome sight. >> absolutely beautiful. and let's talk about what is happening here. we saw no eclipse. we're seeing a haze. hazy conditions across the region, including at reagan national where the temperature is 71 degrees. dulles international reporting a temperature of 67 degrees. a temperature of 67 degrees. m at this eshour. t,al'srighet l l k etatthe satellite radar composite.

systems. eee ono t systs. on the right side of the screen he t he distrith distri is a cold front that came through yesterday. it's well ouelt toseawright oo and the rain ndud caslo e se sea. with it are also out to the westoua. can see cl aour clouds and beginning of some precipitation. that's the next system making its way here. so today a little bit of a lull. it will be warm and humid. here is your today. upper 80nnd thunderstorm popping up here or there. we saw one this morning near fredericksberg. haven't seen anything since then. don't expect anything more until the afternoon hours. high today of about 87 downtown. more on the forecast coming up in just a little bit. let's say good morning to lauren demarco who is handling traffic duties today. >> hi, guys. in maryland on the beltway, on the brakes on the inner loop from route 1 toward the bw parkway. the outer loop slows from 95 in college park to georgia avenue. we're dealing with a traffic

signal malfunction or several in montgomery county along randolph road. the -- the most newsable is at new hampshire road. the big problem in virginia is the delay for the 14th street bridge. you're on the brakes here and beginning before the pentagon because of an accident eastbound on the freeway after the 3rd street tunnel. the right lane is blocked. stay to the left to the get by. that's a check of your fox 5 on- time traffic. the wadsshington yssa yssa you should be rceond neabod the rails. it reported widespread circuit trails at a half dozen locations. metro says the post is grossly exaggerating this. we talked with general manager john catoe about an an in our ago. >> reporter: john catoe is pretty heated up over this argument that came out on the online edition yesterday

evening but it's on the front of the washington post today saying metro found additional problems and that the metro circuit fillures are widespread nd having problems in six different locantiae ons thd th ar s ont detecting trains. now the article says that problem have been detected since july 11th. but that metro hadn't mentioned the failures. when john catoe w ohnte e hill last week there was no talk of the issues but he did admit there was issues with diagnostic test runs. he explained the problems are nothing like they sawuring the june 22nd crash. >> this new computerized system or th one that we're using every day has a loued us to look deeper into the system. we're analyzing the system to levels that we're not done before. so if we see anything, no matter how small it might be, we're going out and making

adjustments to the circuits and in some cases we're taking those circuits out and replacing them. >> reporter: this hajohn catoe irritated at this point. he's saying that the system is still safe. he says the post article that is out there this morning is a gross exaggeration. l's listen to what he said. >> i do stand by those words. when you do take some main yens that -- maintenance on your system and trying to be proactive and to ensure you don't have the problems and to take that to mean the system is unsafe i think is a disservice. >> reporter: the washington post says it does stanbehind the reporting in this story. minute meantime, metro officials are still full speed ahead trying to find somebody to development a backup system for them, something that is expected to prevent additional crashes in the future. allison. >> sarah simmons live for us. thank you. in the meantime, you can

brace for more delays on the red line and early closure too. metro says you need to add 30 minutes to the commute the rest of the week because the trains are running slower between takoma and fort totten stations and tomorrow the takoma station will close at 10:00 p.m. for more safety testing. another health care blitz for the president as he has a prime time news conference to s could be in serious trouble. we get the details from doug lu >> reporter: the white house says the president will remind people what is at stake with health care reform but he'll have to talk about how much it will cost. and right now that is his biggest obstacle. another day, another appearance by the president -- talking health care reform. >> i know there are those in this town that openly declare

blocking health care reform. the familiar washington script we've seen more and more. >> but the president is talking about members of his own party. several conservative democrats who aren't buying into the health care plan were summoned to the white use for a talking to. but they've made it clear while the plan may extend health care coverage to millions of americans, the funding doesn't add up and deficits will sky rocket. >> so we're committed to health care reform, we just want to slow it down and get it right and want to have time to read the bills we're voting on. >> reporter: and republicans are happy to point out that the opposition to health care reform is now bipartisan. >> well we are at a cross roads. this administration and this president has no one else to blame. they have no straw men, they have no press conferences left. >> reporter: the president does have a press conference left -- tonight. >> we are closer than ever before to the reform that the american people need and we'r oing to get the job done. >> reporter: close only goes so far. and the white house is worried that there could be

protracted debate over health care reform and that could spell trouble. in washington, doug luzader, fox news. >> doug, thank you very much. and a reminder, you can catch the news conference tonight at 8:00. we'll air it live on our website, myfoxdc.com. we'll stream it on the home page. now ethics trouble for sarah palin. as an independent investigator says she used private donations to pay for her legal debts. that would be a violation of ethics law. sailin is resigning this week and citing ethics allegations as a reason. she still owes half a million dollars in legal fees defending herself. 8:08. coming up next. we'll check out other headlines, including the investigation into the criminal wrongdoing at the memorial for michael jackson.

then some swindling gypsies off the streets thanks to an 89- year-old virginia man. and start packing those bags, there are some great bargains out there if you're looking to get away. details when we come back. o fios guy! where ya headed?

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8:12 right now at 73 degrees. looking at stories -- making headlines. four men from romaineyo face assault and abduction charges after they tried to scam a stafford county man. they are accused of conning the 89-year-old out of ,000 and assaulting him and trying to steal his safe. he was able to scare them away from a handgun. he described their truck to authorities and their arrests were later made. police dropped charges against henry lewis gates, jr. police arrested gates after getting a call about two black men trying to break into a cambridge house. it turns out gates was trying to get into his own house because the door was jammed. authorities in los angeles are questioning whether

millions of dollars in taxpayer money should have been used for costs for the michael jackson memorial. the city spent $4 million. the tax bill including $48,000 for sandwiches brought in from 70 miles away. the l.a. city council is looking into whether there was any criminal wrongdoing. 8:13 right now. we want to check in with a look at the forecast right now. >> and the cuteness factor of the day. about we get to the forecast, which is not all that pretty, let's good to the my first 5 photo of the day. it's a two-fer today. look at them posing. [ music ] >> 5-year-old anna stacia and layla. they are bff's, best friends forever. they are love playing outside,

wearing high heel shoes and eating rice crispy treats. they look like their ready for the modeling runway. for more go to myfoxdc.com and click on morning. we've gone up, 73 degrees at reagan national. relative humidity, 81%. continues nu calm and the it's let's gsutole'sto to h hd o rad and we'll show you a picture of stat is d oing n . we at th iswest. thatsrshowe f orssweo ho associated with a cold front. it's -- when it gets here, it's otngoing to bring cold will bri sohould sll it a dry front. but there is rain with it, so we can't. scattered l bring showers and thunderstorms the region as well. back to the national satellite radar. out in the nation's mid section, we s ees clouds across the ouplains. rain showers moving into western portions of texas, out of new mexico and we see the

clouds to the east and west. high today of about 87 degrees. 20% chance of some scattered showers and thunderstorms. tomorrow, 86. a 60% chance of some showers and thunderstorms. friday should be dry. saturday and sunday, in the upper 80s with a chance of some showers and thunderstorms each day. that's a look at what is happening with the weather. now let's get an update on the rush hour traffic. for that we go to lauren demarco who is in for julie wright today. >> and ana stacia and layla, i'm with us on the rice crispy treats. >> i like them too. i haven't had one in a long time. >> i haven't had any in a while. maybe i'll make some. >> oh, bring them in. >> okay. we're dieseling with an accident that has 395 stacked up eastbound on the freeway after the 3rd street tunnel before south capitol street. the right lane is blocked. delays 395 northbound begin at the beltway past the pentagon across the 14th street bridge. so getting past the accident

scene, westbound freeway slowing across the -- 11th street bridge. delays on 66, beginning from fair oaks, route 50 toward 123 and slow from nutley street toward the beltway. in maryland, the inner loop delays through college park, passing route 1. the outer loop slows from 95 in college park toward georgia avenue. that's a check of your fox 5 on- time traffic. if you saw that video of the traffic on 395, maybe you're thinking, i just need to get away. well, good news. because prices of just about everything is going up and with incomes going down a lot of people are turning vacations into staycations but it doesn't have to be that way. and we're talking about ideas on where we can look and we have the top five travel deals plus a bonus deal today. beth, good to talk to you. where are some places that we can head for someone like me

that says point me toward a beach. >> let me start with myrtle beach. it is the tourism authority for the city. it is highlighting resorts, 20 different great deals on resorts. anything from 50% off to four nights, get a 5th night free and they're giving in extras like free passes to mini golf. >> and that can make it a family vacation and a good spot. plus only a few things to do down there if you don't want to spend all day on the beach. a good place to be. now if we want to go some where else and get out of the car and get on the plane. is it a good time. >> it is. the airfare wars are on. i would highlight american and southwest are highlighting teaser rates for one way. that's like pittsburgh to chicago, baltimore or washington to other areas. >> how much in advance do you get the details. >> these days you have to be on it.

>> you don't have to book a month in advance. >> it's a lot of research upfront to keep track of the prices. >> if we really want to get away, how about going overseas. you have a good one picked out. >> you might not have thought about this, but ireland is a great time to go. and starting at $1,499 you can get a great vacaonand see st. patrick's cathedral and tour the guinness storehouse. >> that's a perfect way to spend a vacation. and a lot of people might not think about that. but getting to ireland from d.c. is almost comparable to flying to california. >> it's true. flight is not bad. it's an easy flight. >> now if we want to skip the car and airplane and get on ship, where should we look. >> a great option for families is disney cruises and they're offering real savings. kids have to pay full price and so disney is offering 50% off for kids 12 and under which

starts adding up. and this covers the 3, 4 and 7 nights sailings to the caribbean. so st. thomas, grand cayman. places like that. >> and they have a great place for kids and the family. >> and sometimes you want to say just give me a break from being in my house for a couple of days. some good places to look locally things is so much to do in washingto d.c. but you can never accomplish it. so stay at a place like the washington marriott which is offering rates from $139. and this is thursday through sunday, through november. and kids eat free. so it's a great way to enjoy the city. >> and id is -- and i said i wanted to do, this because we don't get a chance to go to the monuments and if you'rehere, you feel like you're on vacation, you get to explore everything and not have to wait until someone comes to visit you to check out the site. >> those are the top five. now a bonus deal and this is a

staycation for a lot of people in the area of dulles airport. >> lands down resort, about an hour west of the city and they have a shark bite package. so this is beginning at $279 a night and you get a ton of value. it includes $100 resort credit, 4 people round of golf on the shark bite course a breakfast buffet and other things. >> and allison, we have you covered. we'll put these on our website at myfoxdc.com. we'll ling you to the aol website. >> beth always has the great ideas. thank you so much. well the life of a pilot or flight attendant might seem glamorous until you meet the crew living at l.a.x. and holly is at summer camp

but they're not tting around making smores. they are singing show tunes. the time now is 7:20 and we'll be right back.  cash in on style at the jcpenney bonus sale. with an instant money bonus coupon from jcpenney, get $10 off instantly... ...when you spend $50. plus get night and day doorbusters like junior's city streets shorts and bermudas for $9.99. save 60% on men's shorts our entire stock of arizona tops for boys and girls are 50% off. also athletic shoes are $29.99 check your newspaper or go to jcp.com... ...to get instant money bonus coupons... ...when you spend $50. style, quality, and price matter. jcpenney. ♪ the art of getting dirty. the art of getting clean. new powerfully formulated wisk®... is better on tough mud stains than tide total care.

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the district feeling the heat for spending nearly $13 million a year on vacant buildings throughout the city. many of them empty. simply because school consolidation and homeless shelter closures left the buildings empty. the mayor says the city is holding on to the bill -- building. there were no takers for a d.c. landmark -- yesterday. the watergate did not have a bid. the bank took back the bank for $25 million. they hope to reopen the complex. it's sounding more like christmas as this year's tree will be from arizona mountains. it's the fierce time the -- the

first time the tree will come from the grand canyon state. the president will more country last night. >> more doming up -- coming up in the next half an hour. and many people work from home. but could you imagine living at work. hundreds people are doing it at los angeles internatiol airport. that and more when we come back. it's 8:25 now. fiber one. i'm looking for some fiber.

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time now is 8:28 on this wednesday morning. the economic meltdown having a huge impact on illegal immigration. new census data shows those crossing the border fell by 249,000 from march of 2008 to march of 2009. that's down 60% from the previous year. robert byrd returned to the

capitol and he returned from a serious infection. he cast his first vote yesterday from a wheelchair. two well-known political publications now coming together under the same corporate umbrella. the owner of roll call is buying congressional quarterly. cq puts down a weekly magazine, dailies in letter and online news. both news outlets are considered must-reads by lawmakers and lobbyists. the combined company will be called cq roll call group. the white house turned country last night as the president and the first family hosted two of country music's biggest superstars at the white house. ♪ >> brad paisley and allison krause and anon stations -- union station played for the

white house staff. it was part of a encouragement for artists. the president had this to say about country music. >> it touches lives, in onlined all genres of music and helps us make the american people more hopeful. it's captured our restlessness and told so much of our story. >> very true. the musical series featured jazz last month and will continue with classical music in the fall. let's check in with tony perkins and get a look at our mid week forecast. >> our midweek forecast. and we're seeing our temperatures in the 70s during the morning hours and humidity is up there as well. 73 degrees is the current temperature here in washington where it's 72 in baltimore. frederick, maryland is 70 as it dulles airport. and in fredericksberg, it is 72 at this hour. humidity is around 81%. so it's a warm one this morning. here is a look at the satellite

radar, or the radar, and you can see we had one little shower near fredericksberg. that dissipated a long time ago. we've seen no other activity since then and that's the way it will be today f. we see anything, it will be spotty, a shower maybe, a brief thunderstorm or two. your pop-up variety and then it will disappear. more steady rain to the west and that will makes it way in here perhaps for tomorrow. the surface map for the next 24 hours. a frontal system will stall out across our region, for all intents and purposes and that's will be the focal point for spotty afternoon showers and thunderstorms. your forecast for today, partly cloudy skies, warm humid, scattered showers and thunderstorms and about a 20- 30% chance of that. high of about 87 degrees. we'll look at the final forecast in just a bit. for right now we look at a

final look of traffic with lauren demarco. we have several incidents to report. 295 northbound before malcolm x, left lane blocked with a wreck. in prince george's county just after ena drive and in the second lane from the right you have a truck before ritchie marlboro road and in virginia just before 66, the right lane blocked with an accident. northbound 95 through dumfries, a tractor-trailer losing debris. and 95 northbound, delays looking good from woodbridge toward springfield. different story for 395. slow right after the mixing bowl. this is south of edsel road. the delays continue from the beltway across the 14th street bridge because of that accident that we've been talking about on the freeway. it's eastbound just after the 3rd street tunnel. look at it right here. so you're on the brakes here across the 14th street bridge making your way up to the freeway, just before -- just after the 3rd street tunnel, the right lane is blocked. so we'll get that out of the

way. a tow truck obscene. some rubbernecking across the 11th street bridge. that's a check of your fox 5 on- time traffic. new this morning, governor alley has outlined plans to make up more than $280 million of a shortfall. o'malley says the state will cut $3 million from stem cell research and $5.5 million from the lottery advertising budget and it will cut jobs and 18 vacant jobs will not be filled. the board is expected to vote on the reductions later today. some workers in prince george's county will get an unpaid vacation. the county council approved another round of furloughs for employees to save money. that means workers will be expected to take 10 days within the next year. the furloughs will save the county $18 million. >> the airline industry is one of the hardest hit in this economy. cutbacks are rampant along with

steeper fares for travelers. even some airline workers are finding new ways to save. william lodgeen es has the story. >> reporter: it smells of gasoline and burnt tires and every four minutes a jumbo jet roars overhead. welcome to parking lot b. at los angeles international airport. the newest symbol of the shaky economy. >> not that great living in the parking lot. a lot of noise and traffic. get the smell of the burnt rubber when the wind is blowing right. and it is never quiet. and it's hot. >> the people living in these trailers and motor homes, aren't unemployed, their pilots, mechanics and flight attendants who choose to live here who can walk to work over commuting or sharing an apartment with multiple roommates. >> the bed is mine and it's clear, versus what we refer to as hot racking. the first one in picks a bed and the next one and eventually

you end up either on the floor or in a chair. >> since 9/11, 13 airlines have filed for bankruptcy. now most emerged leaner. lower pay with fewer employe. but the remaining staff has been forced to commute or relocate. these license plates tell the story. alaska, nevada, montana, hawaii, mostly men chasing the job, as they call it, hoping for a temporary assignment here, eventually going closer to home. now for some, it has been temporary. for others have been here 7 years. >> my husband and i would have to live separately, and i would probably see him maybe on his days off, which is one or two days out of the week. >> sue young says she and her husband are lucky because l.a.x. is the only option for employees. a 24 hour community and a shuttle that picks you up at any hour of the day all for just $60 a month.

>> we have all the necessitates here in the rv. we have water, a stove. we just do everything do you in a home, except we live at the airport. >> in los angeles, fox news. >> i have to admit, i thought they were crazy until i heard $60 a month. >> that's why i live here. it's just cheaper. >> here at the station? >> yeah. >> all right. [ laughter ] >> and i'm still not on time to work. >> that's a bad thing. it takes a while to get ready. 24's keifer sutherland and baldwin in the headlines today. one with good news and the other not so good. we'll have the stories when we come back. they're adorable and they're up for adoption. some may call them the odd couple. we'll find out. kit-cat and cloe are a package deal. more on their special

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when you g the verizon single line business pak and data protection pak. one of the many tools in the verizon small business toolbox. good news for the star of 24. off the hook now. misdemeanor charges against keifer sutherland have been dropped. they stem from a head butting

between him and a fashion designer. the alleged victim would not cooperate with prosecutors. steven baldwin has filed for bankruptcy. according to court records he owes $1.2 million on his $1.1 million property if new york and owes more than a million dollars in taxes and has about $70,000 in credit card dead. a lawyer for baldwin had in comment. trying to get a parking spot in the district is hard enough but some undercover cameras got drivers ripped off, paying for spots that are supposed to be free. here is tisha thompson with an exclusionive to fox 5. >> reporter: hundreds are packing it in at the trendiest nightclub. >> all of the parking right here is $40. >> reporter: but before you get in, you need to park. >> the public streets are free, bro. >> reporter: police say what you are seeing is illegal.

aggressive panhandling. tonight on the news edge at 11:00, we're taking you undercover to show you why some clubbers claim it's more like extortion. >> they're waiting there for you to try to park there. >> reporter: watch as the clubs and the illegal panhandlers come face-to-face, a clash caught on camera. tisha thompson, fox 5 news. >> they used to block the spots for $40. but make sure you watch for that tonight. a manatee spotted in maryland. strange isn't it? it's in chesapeake bay and we have the video that prove it's there. and move over obama, there's a new hot couple in town. meet the sisters that are cloe and kit-cat. >> you want them, don't you. >> i kind of do. look at cloe. >> somebody will get them. >> not me, though. but you can. so check out our story coming

up. the washington humane society here with cloe and kit-cat.  cash in on style at the jcpenney bonus sale. with an instant money bonus coupon from jcpenney, get $10 off instantly... ...when you spend $50. plus get night and day doorbusters like junior's city streets shorts and bermudas for $9.99. save 60% on men's shorts our entire stock of arizona tops for boys and girls are 50% off. also athletic shoes are $29.99 check your newspaper or go to jcp.com... ...to get instant money bonus coupons... ...when you spend $50. style, quality, and price matter.

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wednesday morning. as we look at stories making headline this is morning. some d.c. students quarantined in china could leave the hospital soon. about eight have tested positive for swine flu, including a student from walter johnson high school in bethesda. they are in hospitals in beijing. dozens more are stuck in hotel rooms. the students traveled to china for a cultural exchange program last week. test results cob firm that a batch found inside an apartment in gaithersburg was infected with rabies. animal control removed it from the apartment building. anybody who haany contact with a bat in the area should give the montgomery county health department a call. and a headez up that lyme disease is the focus of a town hall meeting at centreville high school in clifton. speakers will give presentations on how to detect and prevent the disease. it is transmitted to humans by infected ticks. that starts at seven p.m. now a rare citing in the chesapeake bay over the weekend of the a florida manatee came

north for some reason. there he is. he was spotted saturday afternoon at a marina. the local police officer captured it on camera. its u.s. geological survey in gainesville, florida identified it as a 15-year-old male that hangs out in the miami area. this is the first manatee citing this far north this year. >> it just hang around the area. it would come up and stand in the water and then come back up and get a breath and then go back down and hover in the area and then he decided he had enough of us and took off. >> marine biologists from the baltimore national aquarium say the creature did not appear to be injured or sick and they think it will makes it way back to florida. now, allison, pan manatees not known for being cute. >> no they are not. i have a truly special dog

and cat couple or sisters becoming local sell -- celebrity. closey is a 5-month-old chihuahua and kit-cat is a cat left at the washington humane society because the owner could not care for them. and they have been so kind to bring them to us in the studio and the adoption manager, natalie. i cannot keep my eyes off of these two. >> we can't either. they're just so cute. every second we have to be watching what they're doing. >> because every -- you want to say, well, they're babies so they just don't know any better but there is a special bond with these two. >> there is. they sleep together, they eat together, they play together. they're reallyin acceptorrable. >> they eat each other's food. >> they do. we have to separate them to feed them so they espn eat --

so they eat the appropriate food. >> and closey, can we turn them around to see. and now we're seeing this more with the down economy. >> a lot of owners just don't have the funds to take care of pets. they can be expensive with food and vet care and all kinds of things. so we are seeing more ab manals -- animals brought to us. >> and you are hoping to get them adopted together. i thoughthey would be gone yesterday when we saw them. >> i thought so. >> and most people are watching, what do they have to do to go through the process? how difficult is it? >> it's not difficult at all.

come to the shelt -- shelter when we are open and meet them and they fill out an application and the process is quickly. they could have them in a home within a couple of days. >> what is the personality like on each one of them? they're both sleepy. >> cloe, a lot of times they are curled up sleeping. but they love to play. cloe is tid buhaving that kit ep helps her come out of that shell. >> it's almost as if they're experiencing the same mood. they look very sort of calm and relaxed. but what jason our photographer put the camera out they both looked up at the same time. how are you sheltering them? >> they are housed together. a lot of times they're in an office running around playing and at night they have a big cage that they sleep in together. >> and it's important to note, you have the awe factor. but cloe will stay about the

same size. >> she might get a little bit bigger, but i suspect she'll stay small. and kit kat will be a regular cat. >> i wonder what will happen then? >> i don't know. it will be a really cute thing to watch them grow up together. >> that is really funny. so once again, the two of them are available for adoption. they are completely like chilled out together right now. and i just want cloe. what happens if i were to lift cloe out. would kit kat go crazy? >> no. i think that would be fine. >> well let's try to do this. natalie, from the washington humane society. we thank you so much for being here today. and girls, if i could, i would bring these two home. they are so cute. natalie, thank you so much. >> thank you. >> can we play them longer. i'm bringing them over, steve. >> better play with them now before they disappear because somebody will take them home. allison, thank you very much. that is adorable this morning. we have some big name

artists coming to down and today you can get tickets for their show at half price. and speaking of artists. , holly, you have that covering this morning. >> reporter: we are working on a big show. as i am live this morning at the musical theater center in rockville where we have enrolled in summer show tunes camp. coming up, i'll show you firsthand why if your child signs up for this, they jus might be broadway bound. it's all coming up next on fox 5 morning news. there are moments in time

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coming up like brad paysy, lil wayne, jimmy buffet. if you buy one you get one free. live nation is behind the offer. the deal is only good today though. and it's only good for lawn tickets. but it will get you out there. so if you would like the full list of shows you can get buy one get one free for today only go to myfoxdc.com and look under web links. we'll hook you up. it is music all day in rockville. >> at a show tunes camp this summer. and holly morris is there checking it out. >> nt year i'm taking my two week vacation and i'm going to try to disguise as a 14-year- old and sign up for this camp. it's show tunes camp, going on here at the musical theater center in rockville. and it really just is a wonderful experience. and crawford is one of the instructors and we're only two days into this two week session and only two days.

>> absolutely. the kids are excited and i love them. >> and you welcome all abilities. >> absolutely. all abilities, all ages, shapes, sizes, we love everybody. >> reporter: and they're good at working everybody in. so tell me the number we're doing. >> we're doing a song called "on a wonderful day," it's from way back when in the '60s. >> and what do i need to think about? >> being a flower child, having wonderful moments in your wonderful brain and beautiful bod. >> reporter: i got it. on a wonderful day like today. let's do it. [ singing ] ♪

>> reporter: i adore everybody. [ singing ] >> reporter: it is a wonderful day. and guess what, we have a special treat even more than just our big production number.

because i want to call over ms. cory ann sign. because she used to be a summer camper and tell everybody where you just got back from. >> i was on broadway at billy elliott. >> reporter: excuse me, superstar. how was it? was it what you expect? >> it was fun. i got to meet everybody. i got to meet the cast and everyone was wonderful. >> reporter: and did what you learn here help you. >> the training and the professionalism here and the wonderful people, it was a fantastic experience and it really helped me. >> reporter: well she'll be playing anne in the musical production under way right here at the musical theater center in rockville in august. you can sing a little bit for us? >> sure. >> reporter: all right.

ms. cory ann. ♪ the sun will come out tomorrow. bet your bottom dollar there will be sun. ♪ just thinking about tomorrow clears away the cob webs and the sorrow until there's none. ♪ when i'm stuck with a day that is gray and lonely. ♪ >> reporter: this is just an experience of what some of the musical theater center has to offer here in rockville. we have a link to theirs. they have one more summer camp, a broadway dance camp, they're signing up for fall classes and the production of annie will be august 14th through the 16th at the f. scott fitzgerald theater here in rockville. i love her. >> she sounds great. >> and the big question is, will the sun co out tomorrow, and today?