shadows in the health care reform. the tension between the united states and israel is deepening. how new construction in jerusalem is creating a diplomatic road block. and new charges notice road rage incident in the rush hour. and it's very nice outside, march 25th, 2010 and temperatures not bad out there as we see blue sky. it's thursday, march 25th. thanks for being here. >> i'm allison seymour and that's gurvir dhindsa in for steve. and first a look at what is coming up. in a few minutes we'll be joined by d.c. mayor adrian fenty and talking about d.c. schools under fire for the budget. plus the heated words that

the head of soccer had to say about the stadium at d.c. united. a also star mario joins us as he takes on a special school today. that's coming up in the 8:00 hour. the person who is going home tonight unless the judges save them after the nationwide vote is ... paige miles. >> so it was paige who was sent home last night. she'll join us live in the 9:00 hour. >> i think she was ready to go home. >> you do? >> uh-huh. >> we'll see. we'll talk to her in the 9:00 hour. and now we want to talk with -- i believe tucker is in. >> forgive me for not knowing who is doing weather right now. there you go. >> good morning, ladies. temperatures are cool. highs in the upper 60s to about

70 and the rain should hold off until tonight. so this is another good news forecast until thursday. 49 at reagan national. look at frederick, 37. harrisburg is 39 and 44 in winchester and 45 in fredericksberg. we're looking at t satellite radar and what we can see is an moving in from the south and west. and i think the showers will hold off until the nighttime hours until after the rush hour tonight. and our temperatures tomorrow behind this cold front will be cooler than today. but up ahead of it we'll have nice breezes out of the south and southwest. and that will help push the temperatures into the upper 60s to about 70. here is a quick look at your planner. clouding up during the course of the day with highs about 70. that's a brief look at forecast and more details and a look at the weekend in a minute. let's get to julie wright with our traffic. good morning, tucker

barnes. i think the chopper is over an accident on the beltway between annandale and merrifield. so let's go live. this is affecting the inner loop according to callers between 236 headed up toward 66. now here we have live with the inner loop of the beltway. once they pan out we can give you a better location but traffic is able to squeeze by using the left shoulder and left lane. so on the inner loop from springfield in the direction of 66 that is affecting the drive up the west side of town. and again this is on the beltway at south 66, clear of incidents between manassas and the exit in vienna. so inner loop north of braddock up toward 236 it is the left shoulder and left lane squeezing by the accident scene and delays will begin before braddock road headed from the springfield interchange and continuing up towards the capital beltway and toward tysons. on the outer loop all lanes are open. and back inside, as you continue to make the drive

along 66 itself, we do have volume delays out of vienna toward nutley street and the beltway. no problems on 66. toll road in good shape, 28 to the beltway and 270 on the brakes past mva. no accidents to report all the way out to the split. that's a check of your fox 5 on- time traffic. our big story this morning, new drama over health care reform. this comes in the way of a small but symbolic hitch in the senate that will force the house to vote again. the senate worked well past midnight and that's when we found that the republicans found two violations that violate budget rules. they deal with pell grants for low income college students and will have to be removed from the bill. and once that's done the legislation must go back to the house for approval before going back to the president's desk.

and this comes from vandalism and death threats. >> some democrats are afraid for themselves and their families and want republicans to denounce at tacks. sarah simmons is live. >> reporter: lawmakers say the debate is turning very dangerous outside of the capitol. some are receiving threatening voice males and e-mails and other phone calls and issues they are experiencing. four democrats out of ten lawmakers are asking for increased security, citing concerns over their offices being vandalized and families being threatened. tuesday a propane gas line is cut at the home of the brother of virginia congressman tom perry ello after tea party activists post the address on

line. monday a brick thrower smashed the windows of gabriel gibson's office. >> i this it's a dreadful thing that we're going through. the blog that we read was really quite devastating. basically shape up or we're going to have a civil war. >> reporter: the fbi is investigating. but the incidents are believed to be tied to the passage of the health care reform bill. democratic leaders are calling on republicans to condemn the violence and threats. >> when people start talking in the rhetoric of putting people on firing lines, if they don't do something they will have physical harm done to them, that other rhetoric of that type, or they put a target on their faces with cross airs, that activity ought to be unacceptable in our democracy. >> there are a lot of angry americans over this health care bill and angry about the fact that the democrats here in washington aren't listening to them.

but i have to tell you that violce and threats are unacceptable. that is not the american way. >> reporter: democratseceived a closed door security briefing with capitol police, assuring them that every measure is taken to keep them safe. >> there have been specific threats and beyond that i won't go into specific things we do because i don't want to tip our mit. but we're well prepared to defend our members. >> reporter: and congressman bart stupak, a democrat from michigan who was against the health care reform but flipped on it, he is considered to be a very crucial vote that helped push health care through. and in the meantime capitol hill police want all of the members of congress to contact them if they have any other issues of vandalism or any other threats made against

them. live on capitol hill, sarah simmons, fox 5 news. back to you. well virginia has become the first stoit to approve a law that bucks the major part of the health care overhaul. the requirement for all americans to buy health insurance. bob mcdonnell igned it yesterday. virginia is one of 14 states suing the federal government claiming health care reform is unconstitutional. one state not suing, iowa. the president will take his reform pitch there today. and now to a major diplomatic dilemma that has taken a backseat to the health care debate. the biggest debate between jerusalem and the united states. njamin netanyahu ended his meeting with the president and the enjoy fomiddle east peace. the big sticking point is the insist anson beating housing in east jerusalem and there is word for the second time in a month that israel has approved

more construction there. it's an area palestinians claim for a future capitol. we'll look at this at 7:30 this morning. meantime the united states and russia is looking brighter and should cut the long ange missiles for each country to 1500. they are expected to sign the new pact in prog in two weeks and it could need to be ratified by the senate and russian legislature. a look at the morning other top storie another arrest in a violent case of road rage in virginia. on tuesday virginia state police say a man fired shots at a dump truck on 95 after the dump truck bumped him twice. this happened on 95 south near route 123. the man's 2-year-old daughter was in the car at the time. that man is gabriel poventud.

he is charged with attempt murder and child endangerment. and the driver of the dump truck is now charged with attempted murder. a teen gang raped inside a vacant apartment. this happened on saturday in dunster court in alexandria. the gang members repeatedly raped the 16-year-old girl. three suspects were arrested. one was picked up where jewelry was found belonging to the victim. someone shot and killed a woman in mount vernon. someone opened fire on her. the person that pulled the trigger killed himself several hours later. he was the victim's boyfriend and had recently gotten out of jail. d.c. school chancellor michelle rhee on the hot seat facing tough questions about the school budget and her

decision to hire an image consultant. reaction from the mayor. and plus the outspoking reaction about the d.c. united soccer stadium situation. and a live look outside over our gorgeous area. we'll get the latest weather and traffic updates just ahead. time now is 7:10 on a thursday morning, 48 degrees. here's to the believers.

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i bet they can't wait to bite my chocolaty ears off. whoa. wait a minute where'd you guys come from? edible arrangements bouquets beautiful like flowers, but unforgettably delicious. pineapple bunnies? visit, call, or go to ediblearrangements.com it i14 minutes after 7:00, we're joined as we are every thursday morning by d.c. mayor adrian fenty. good morning. >> thanks for having me. >> and i want to talk about the school chancellor appearing before the council. and it's a three-prong question. they talked about the schools that were supposed to be

rebuilt, being postponed because of the budget. and also parents showed up still upset about the harding principal being reassigned and also this business about mrs. rhe hiring an image consultant. and the first question is the postponing of the schools and how big of an impact was that and were you satisfied with the counselor's response to that. >> i think you're notes are confusing. there is two different hearings. the chancellor is in charge of the academic performance and she had one hearing and alan lou has a separate hearing talking about school construction. >> but chancellor rhee was taken to task about schools closing and getting a polishing up and rebuilding of some of the parts so she was asked about it. >> so the answer to your question about any school

facility is that when we took office there was a plan that would have schools rebuilt in about 15-20 years. and of course parents looked at that plan and said that's bananas because my kid won't be in school in 15-20 years. and what alan lou, the director of the facilities, said he would redo the plan and we announced that all of the schools we will start construction for rebuilds or rehabs within five years and we're in the process of doing that. some we already started when we took over like diehl and sousa. and some we've started on our watch like wilson or anacostia or hdwood son. but what i think is clear there is there is more construction under lou or chancellor rhee than anywhere in the last four

decades. >> and the principal over at hardy, principal pope being reassigned. is this just what is going to happen regardless of the parent input on wanting him to stay there? >> again. we've talked about this one a good number of times now. it's my understanding that the principal harding is being moved into another position and that there is going to be a new middle school for the arts set up and it's going to feed into duke ellington and other schools. so kudos for him on that. and then of course there will be a new principal at hardy. and as we've mentioned on the show, we do turn over principals pretty often. we have 120 schools and the chancellor is always looking to make sure we have the best people in place. >> and finally the hiring of the image consultant. they are probono now and then she will take over the hiring.

>> this is geared around the collective bargaining negotiation and all being paid r with private funds. >> why would you need an image consultant. >> it's not. >> what is it? >> it's a communications person handling the collective bargaining agreement. >> and i know at hardy school, parents are not happy about that one. on a different subject. benjamin netanyahu was just here for a two-day visit. >> sure. >> and some folks noticed a lot of d.c. police cars around the mayflower hotel where he was staying. so the question came in about who paid for security for the prime minister? >> well going back to the beginning of this city really, this has always been handled. we always get prime ministers and important people, during my administration the pope, the dalai lama and the queen came in. sect service is completely in

charge of security for these visiting dignitaries and the metropolitan police department has been in charge of just transport, the motorcades. >> the motorcades. >> that go back and forth. >> do you know off the top of your head how much money might have been spent on that visit? how many police officers might have been involved and did it involve over time and did you have to bring special people in because we're on a tight budget right now. >> two things. one, i don't have the exact number. but two, all of this is completely reimbursed by the federal government. >> okay. good. >> the major league soccer commissioner don garver, some tough words in the post coming out and this is his quote, he says with regards to building a new stadium for the d.c. united. i'm tired of going down to wash for meetings and getting back slashed and attending press conferences with mayor city

officials and have them backtrack because they can't get out of their own way. it's frustrating. we're going to have to do something about it. what is your response about it. he's saying nothing is being done because the leaders can't come to a decision or try to work out terms to get soccer in d.c. or near d.c. >> well i didn't read these comments. this is the first i've heard of them. i know he said something becau i read it on some news report. to be honest with you, everyone appreciates and is a big fan d.c. united. they've been a fantastic team. there hasn't been a lot of communication recently and you can certainly blame me, you can blame a lot of people to be honest with you. i haven't talked to this particular gentleman. i'm sure he's very sincere in what he wants for major league soccer and i'm sure that owners f the team are very sincere. i'm not sure if the best way to

come to some deal is to make these types of pronouncements if we want to work and negotiate, let's do it like all professional negotiations, let's try and make it happen. if we can come to an agreement, we will. i can tell you as the mayor of the district of columbia, we'll try and make a responsible deal for the people in the district of columbia. if we see one, we'll send it to the council. if we don't think it's a responsible deal, then we won't. >> okay. we did hava couple of e-mails we want to get to. >> fantastic. >> and this woman -- we have an after picture. this was about ward 7 neville thomas elementary and the person wrote in and said there was though crossing guard there, that the cars constantly go through stop signs and now there is a picture of someone who was placed there so i'm sure this concern -- the participant -- the parent is

happy to see that. >we apologize to the person that it wasn't going as it should have been. but the communication between fenty on fox is working because they got us the information and we made a change. and neville thomas is a great school over in ward 7 so glad to make that change. >> and maybe we can help this fella out too. this is from harold proctor and want to put this picture up. he says i recently received and paid for a parking ticket in a no parking zone and he said i don't have any trouble paying the fine. but i do have an issue with the signs along the stretch of road, that's the 1300 block of 23rd street near the p. street bridge in georgetown. he said the street has parking signs on one post in zone parking, street cleaning hours and at the very bottom it says no parking. if this is truly a no parking zone why can't the city move the least restricted signs which cause confusion. are you confused? >> well i think the gentleman

makes a great point and it's my understanding that this has been changed now. do you have the after shot? >> we should have an after picture too. >> so this is much better. just one way you don't park and one way you do park. so if anyone else has any signs in their neighborhood that are as confusing as that one, please e-mail us to fenty on fox or at dr.gov. and we apologize. we'll check and make sure we got the rest of them. >> thank you, mayor. put down that cell phone on the road. the new step maryland is taking to go hands-free behind the wheel. plus get well wishes with happy birthday wishes for a civil rights icon in the district. why dr. dorothy height is in the hospital this morning. and holly is live with the

ringling brothers and barnum and bailey circus. coming up it's 7:23 and it's 48 degrees. we'll be right back.  [ howard ] natalie is the last one to leave home.

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maryland may join d.c. and several states in going hands- free to talk behind the wheel. the state senate has narrowly passed a bill requiring drivers to use hands free devices. drivers could only use their hands to turn a cell phone on and off. it could not hold a cell phone during the conversation. the fine would be $40. the measure goes to the maryland house. civil righ icon dr. dorothy hight remains at howard university hospital. her friends took her to the hospital last week saying she appeared tired. still a party to celebrate her 98th birthday yesterday. dr. height is in serious but stable condition and she's been sedated so she can rest. diplomatic tensions between the united states and israel

are deepening and that is clear following a less than harolded visit by benjamin netanyahu. just ahead this morning, we'll take a closer look at the dispute over housing construction in jerusalem. plus spring is in bloom and so are millions of allergies. why they sprung up so early this year. and as we head to a break, we'll give you a live look outside. traffic looking pretty good there. 395 at route 27. at least on one section of the road there. other areas look like morning rush hour is in full bloom so to speak. we'll be right back. 

we're back. time now is 7:30 and tucker barnes said today should be a decent day. >> near 70 today. clouds will increase and yesterday was beautiful with bright sunshine. we won't see that again. it will be cloudy. >> just get rid of the wind. >> okay. saturday. it will be breezy today but the winds are out of the south so that will pump in the warmer air. so let's look at our current

temperatures. here in washington 48. 44 in quantico. but 30s still in places like manassas 39 and culpeper 39. and the temperatures will jump quickly. and by noon we'll be around 60 and upper 60s and near 70 later in afternoon as we get a nice push of warm air up in front of the cold front moving in from the north and west. and there you can see a mix of clouds and a little bit of sun to start the day. the clouds will win out as the day progresses and eventually the rain will move in. the good news is i think most of the rain holds off until the nighttime hours. for the morning commute tomorrow it will rain and moving fairly quickly so out of here by tomorrow afternoon. but behind the front it will be much colder. i want to emphasize. tomorrow afternoon it will be chilly around here with temperatures in the 40s and some pretty good winds out of the north and west. here is your future cast. and this is tomorrow morning at 8:00 a.m. so you can see the cd front is on top of us at that hour so i think the morning commute it will be raining and then the frontal system pushes ff to the south and east and we

should get some clearing by late in the day on friday and on the weekend it looks dry with partial sunshine. cool around here with highs only in the 50s. last weekend we were in the 70s and this weekend only in the 50s. so cooler into saturday and sunday. forecast for today, temperature wise it looks great. increasing clouds, high about 70 with winds out of the south at 10-15 miles per hour and then tonight the rain arrives. showers overnight and 47 for an overnight low. winds shifting out of the north at 5 miles per hour and here comes the cold stuff. by tomorrow afternoon temperatures are in the 40s with the wind out of the north and west and 20-30 miles per hour. it willfeel colder than that. and notice that overnight low. if you have tender vegetation, get it out of the cold. and let's get to julie wright. and she's still celebrating the capitals victory last night. >> heck yeah. that was a nail biter to the end. >> only team to cheer for here

in town. >> i cheer for you and tony. weather guys unite. >> when we get it right. >> okay. right now on the roads we're trying to get it right for you. this is all wrong though. this is a commute inbound on 66 approaching 29 and centreville. so coming from business 234, the crash here clearly blocking the far right lane. ambulance, fire and rescue there. and behind this ambulance there is a car facing the wrong way. it's across the lane. there is another accident vehicle involved in this as well. so v-dot still on the scene. out of manassas, 66 into the centreville. trouble on the dulles toll road. heads up, accident near the exit for 7100. traveling the top stretch of outer loop below speed, 95 past new hampshire avenue and toward silver spring. traveling georgia avenue at van buren, an incident there slowing down the roll and that should be out of the roadway. that's a check of your fox 5 on-

time traffic. one of the big stories we're following this morning is the tension between the united states and israel which could be deepening. benjamin netanyahu's two-day visit to washington failed to end one of the fieriest disputes between the two nations in decades and there is word that israel has approved more construction in east jerusalem. lauren green reports. >> reporter: approving 20 new apartments for jews in an arab neighborhood of east jerusalem. this is the second time this month that israel has okayed new construction in the holy city. a situation that cod stir a diplomatic crisis with the united states. the obama administration isn't saying much. >> i asked specifically our team on this and they are seeking clarification on that announcement and i will withhold comment until we have clarification based on some questions they have for the israelis.

>> reporter: all of this follows tuesday's visit of benjamin netanyahu to the white house and george mitchell. those events were closed to the press but it is clear the two sides are still not seeing eye to eye. >> the people i represent are not embarrassed by the actions of israel. >> reporter: but according to the u.n. secretary general, the israelis are violating international law and he's demanding they stop. >> another 20 dwellings to be constructioned in east jerusalem, this time in the heart of an arab neighborhood. i say again here that what have i been repeatedly saying, that that is illegal. >> reporter: despite the benjamin netanyahu reception, he was widely scoured on capitol hill. and saying israel remains a strong ally of the united

states. lauren green, fox news. >> and for more on this situation, we're joined by mark gopen from george mason university. doctor, thank you for being here. >> thank you very much. >> so benjamin netanyahu who was here leaves but not a whole lot accomplished. does that surprise you? >> no. this is a long time coming and the headlines today are that he comes back ashamed and isolated. >> and that seems to be part of the israel problem, is isolation internationally. >> they have been increasingly isolated over the years but now they are losing a significant portion of the united states public opinion as well. >> tell me what i think the president and benjamin netanyahu had hoped to accomplish during this two-day visit? anything. >> i'm not sure there was an agenda. i think they wanted a stop of the settlements in order to get to the proximity talks between

palestinians and israel and it's clear they can't control the coalition, the ultra orthodox shots being built in north jerusalem or he doesn't want to and ready to go it alone to keep his coalition alive and keep his power. >> and we heard there is disagreement too among members of the u.s. congress about the united states' stance on israel. so what does that do in terms of u.s.-israeli relations. >> going back 20 years congress has always been advocating for whatever the so-called prolobby white house is in charge of relations. and also now the military

security establishment considers this a threat to the troops. >> general petraeus says this hurtful to the troops. >> and this is a weak link in obama's popularity if there is a rift with israel. but 70% of the jewish population in the united states even believes that both sides should be pressured into a deal. and so we are seeing some real shifts here in american jewish opinion as well, wanting and believing it's in israel's strategic interest to compromise and have a west jerusalem, which is huge, and the holy city, and then at the same time preserve the east jerusalem arab neighborhoods for future palestinian state. >> and if you find that here in the united states and yet benjamin netanyahu seems to not be able to control what is going on there with his own people, what do you see happening? it's funny because we talk about what is going on in the middle east and this is years and years and years in the making. is there a real chance for

peace? >> i've worked at this for 27 years and i can say that systematically the governments really need more people to people relations in order for it to be constituency on both sides for a nonviolent compromise and co existence. and this high level work with which mitchell is part of but it cannot go on unless there is a constituent on the israeli size that wants to rell ate in order to make the groundwork for a compromise. >> and so what does the united states need to do? >> they need to continue to try and create the proximity talks but bring all factors into the coalition and all people at the table and they need to build a far greater confidence-building process where more israeli jews see it in their interest to pressure their government to make a deal with the

palestinians. that's not the case right now or at least not sufficiently the case in order to create this paradigm shift. >> and what role do you think secretary clinton can play in that effort? >> well i think secretary clinton has a huge budget of the state department and that budget should be redirected to the kind of investments in israel and palestine that would really shift the populations towards a commitment to peace. and there isn't enough of that right now. >> we said that this is the worst that u.s.-israeli relations have been in several decades. politically, fancially, economically, what does that mean for the united states? >> i think the united states will stay an ally for the foreseeable future but be making more overtures to the region to create stability and

to have serious concerns in iraq and afghanistan and those will overtake some of the priorities of constantly defending israel and the united nations in other places. so we may see a slippage of the solid defense of israel and that's unfortunate for israel and it really requires some shifts in thinking in the israeli elect or at. >> we'll see what happens. thank you very much dr. mark gopin. we have much more ahead on fox 5 morning news. the capitals look to set a franchise record and beat their archrivals. coming up after the break. and also coming up mario will join us live to talk about the special role he's taking on at a special school in the next hour.

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it doesn't take a whole lot for the capitols and fans, ie julie wright, to get excited for a game against the

penguins. >> but add in a chance to set a franchise record for points in the season at the verizon center and the feeling was electric. this one would go to a shootout and mike knuble would score the game winner. and he had never scored a shootout goal in his career before this. the caps beat the penguins 4-3. >> all right. very good. i love it. it's nice to be able to root for a winning team. >> and they are a good team. >> soon we'll be 3 for 3 in this town. no 4 for 4. >> or maybe the stanley cup this year. >> and bring it in here. and right to the weather. we'll be mild today with temperatures and changes in the form of more cloudiness today, rain tonight and then much cooler weather for the start of the weekend. in fact most of the weekend looks high and dry. 48 right now in washington. 42 in baltimore. harrisberg 37 degrees. so a cool start off to the west and the north. look at frederick, 37 as well. probably a jacket here for the next couple of hours and then the temperatures are really

going to get a chance to warm up. ahead of this cold front, we'll watch the temperatures really surge. i think a good 10-20 degrees later this afternoon as our highs should be in the upper 60s to about 70. but cloud cover and rain a definite during the overnight tonight and into the morning commute tomorrow. and behind this we'll be a lot colder. team afternoon our temperatures are going to be falling to the 40s and we'll have a brisk wind out of the north and northwest. maybe a little snow on the back side of this for mountain communities in western maryland and west virginia late tomorrow morning and tomorrow afternoon. here is your five-day forecast. 70 today, 51 tomorrow. and then cool but dry, but sunny for saturday and most of sunday. maybe some more rain sunday night and monday. >> could you he punched a wrong key stroke on hat 51 and it should be 61? >> no. >> and julie wright you'll want

to weigh in on this but we don't have the time. >> no we don't. we'll just beat tucker up later after the show. on the roads right now, it is busy eastbound along 66. we're still struggling to get past this crash which occurred eastbound before you reach 29, centeille. right side of the road still blocked off. tow truck still retrieving the vehicle and big delays through manassas and eastbound toward centreville. slow traffic from 50 fair oaks to the beltway. crash at 7100 and now southbound 270 still on the brakes to the split. that's a check of your fox 5 on- time traffic. >> julie, thanks so much. justin defer's manager has been arrested. how twitter got him arrested. and first we'll check in with holly who is at the circus this morning. >> reporter: i have run away and joined the circus. wait i can't run away. i'm already part of a circus. and we have clowns too.

we are live at the patriot nter this moing. >> can i see your license? >> reporter: we are they are geared up for the 139th edition of the circus. and it's called zing dang doom and we'll show you why you'll want to be part of the fun. [ female announcer ] pillsbury grands! biscuits,

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welcome back. it is now 7:51. the ringles brothers and barnum and bailey circus kicks off its show at the patriot center tonight. >> and this morning holly is there to get a sneak peek at the show. >> hi, holly. >> reporter: hello. i think it's pretty fun that we're covering the greatest show on earth on the greatest show on earth. isn't that so cool. this is how we roll here at fox 5 and how they roll at ringles brothers is always promising to be a night of fun for you and your family. and this is something special. if you've been to this before you'll going to see something totally different including alex ramon. now you might think he is a ring master, but no. in this show he is a zing master. >> that's right. because zing zand zoom is built

around illusion and circus acts with grand illusion and you won't want to miss the greatest show on earth and it is something new this year. >> reporter: and ringles brothers going into the magic world and kicking it up a notch. >> prior to this i toured with disney all around the world and performing with many people and then they asked me to be a part of ringling brothers and we toured around the country last year and now we're here in fairfax for two weeks at the patriot center. and the best way i can describe it is that it combines the thrills of the circus with the thrills o -- of the magic. so come on out and we're here for two weeks and then we leave the town. >> reporter: how do you keep the animals under control? >> the honest answer is you don't. you just hope for the best. >> reporter: and with us, i know a couple of years back they wept to the story format, so there is one big theme

throughout the show and it's not act after act. i mean it is but its all linked. >> well basically the story line here is i'm the magical zing master and mr. gravity, my bumbling nemesis is is trying to bring everybody here down. and it's the story line that goes through throughout the entire show. and at the end i turn hiinto a tiger. >> reporter: really? >> i turn him into a tiger, because who wouldn't want to be a tiger. and that's what we do here. and everybody, including the audience and the performers, we're all together saying zing zam doom to help mr. gravity lighten up a little bit. >> reporter: we all need to lightenp. i know you're an award winning magician and you have all of these aco laids. >> well thank you. >> reporter: and now you can add ring master. but i used to do some magic back in my day. but it's still my day, what am

i talking about. but in a earlier day. >> like at 6:00 a.m. >> reporter: and everybody does the card tricks, quarter behind the ear but i had one special trick. >> something spectacular. >> reporter: something that made the crowd go oh and ah. would you be game? i know you look for an assistant, but maybe you can do it this time. >> i'm game. >> reporter: this is something that i built sometime ago. so here is what you need to do. hop in there and we'll lock you in there. will you help me lock him in there. and we're going to lock you in there. don't worry. no one has ever been hurt during this trick as far as you know. >> and you've done this before? >> reporter: a time or two. >> did you hear that? >> reporter: it's been a little while. i might be rusty, but i think i can pull it out.

>> do you have the keys to these? >> reporter: no. do you? those might be back at the station. so i'll lock you up here. and put that on and put this on. and what we'll do is we are going to make you disappear. >> i'm going to disappear? >> reporter: you don't have a show today do you? >> we have one at 7:00 p.m. tonight. as long as i'm back for that. >> reporter: we'll find you by 7:00 p.m. i'm sure. i'll be able to bring you back. and here we go. i'm going to cover you up. don't be afraid. and if my memory serves me orrectly, the magic words are abra cad abra and you go away. >> holly, the magic words are zing, zand, zoom. that's a great trick. don't tell me how you did it. i don't want to know. >> reporter: i don't know how we did it either. >> we're at the patriot zand zo

magic. don't miss this. and again what a great magic trick. try to get her wallet. >> reporter: look for those keys back at the station. >> that is so funny. >> we need her back though. >> we do need her back for 8:00 and 9:00. >> they'll release her. it's the best-selling book come to life on the big screen. it is one of the books that your children for sure know about. >> a whole series. and we'll talk with the author of diary of a wimpy kid. from the transformation from the pages to the screen. and star mario will join us live. stay with us. here's to the believers.

the risk-takers. the visionaries. the entrepreneurs... who put it all on the line to build and run their own businesses. at at&t, we know something about that. our company started out in a small lab, with not much more than a dream. and today, we know it's small businesses that can create the jobs america needs. that's why at&t is investing billions to upgrade and build out our wired and wireless networks. making them faster, smarter, and more secure. connecting small businesses to markets across the country, a around the world. we invest now, because we know it will pay off... with new jobs, new growth, from a new generation,

putting their belief in the future on the line. now is the time for investment and innovation. the future is waiting. and the future has always the future is waiting. and the future has always been our business. at&t. ahead this morning, a new turn in the health reform fight. what happened early this morning in the senate that will force the debate back to the house. and also a consumer alert for parents. a baby sling is to blame for three deadly accidents. we'll break down the massive recall coming up. plus spring is finally here

but along with the warmer weather and beautiful plants comes misery for millions of people in the form of allergies. and this year the suffering has started even sooner. we'll tell you why just ahead. good morning, i'm tony perkins in for steve chenevey. >> and i'm allison seymour. it is march 25th, 2010. come on more of spring weather. i'm happy about that but not happy about what tucker is about to tell us right now. >> well it's not bad. >> but tomorrow it 20 degrees cooler. >> more than 20 degrees cooler. >> it could be worse. denver got two feet of snow and their current temperature is 21 degrees. so it's all relative. that will cheer you up. let's go right to the temperatures. it's mild and getting milder. our temperatures are now pushing the upper 40s in washington. 48 in downtown washington. patuxent naval air station are waking up to a temperature of

49. and hagerstown is 46. so generally mid-40s with the exception of frederick that is 37. and we should be 60 by the noontime hour and near 70 this afternoon as we get a nice surge of warm air up ahead of the cold front. and up ahead a ot of cloud cover. and the green and yellow is the rain on your map and that will move in tonight and during the morning hours tomorrow. and tomorrow the winds will shift out of the north and the cooler temperatures will move in in a big way by tomorrow afternoon and that's going to set the stage for a cool weekend. i'll have more details on that coming up. but for today, a lot of cloud cover, high temperatures in the upper 60s to about 70. the temperatures are going to be nice but the clouds will increase and the rain showers should hold off generally until the nighttime hours. >> a little breezy too. >> breezy as well. >> thank yo tucker. and let's turn our attention to traffic with julie wright. >> wait a minute. i don't understand this. maybe can you explain it to me because they say it's not nice to tease mother nature but yet we have 70s today and 50s

tomorrow. >> she can tease us. >> that's not right. >> that's the rule. >> i'm calling a flag on the play. >> take it up with her. >> she doesn't like that either. >> no teasing and no taunting. >> that's the rule between you and me. [ laughter ] all right. here we are on the roads. and better news for you traveling eastbound on 66. for about the last i would say 45 minutes we've been talking about this crash eastbound on 66 before you reach 29 centerville. it's now off the road to the shoulder so the lanes are open but delays on 66 are jammed up out of gainesville toward centreville. slow traffic from 50, 123 to nutley street to the beltway. and slow up to 66. southbound 270 better commute out of rockville toward the split. local lanes below speed towards montrose. that's a check of your fox 5 on- time traffic. we are following some baking news of a carjacking with a child inside the stolen vehicle.

d.c. police tell us around 7:15 this morning a white honda pilot was stolen near north capital and p. streets northwest. a child possibly as young as 1- year-old was still in the backseat. the vehicle remained missing about 20 minutes but turned up not too far away on n. street northwest. the child was not hurt. our sarah simmons is on the way to the scene. we hope to hear from her shortly. and breaks news overnight from capitol hill. senate republicans who have been trying to derail health care reform can claim a small success. this comes as the president is set to travel to iowa today to drum up public support for the reform law. the senate g.o.p. found two provisions unt the reconciliation bill being considered that violate budget rules. the provisions concern pell grants for college students. they must be removed and that means it has to go back to the house before it can go to the

president. senate republicans are introducing numerous amendments to stall the bill which includes many changes to convince the house democrats to support the overall reform law. it's the controversial of support that has some threaten -- threatens to lawmakers. listen to this one to stupak. >> congressman stupak you are one big piece of human [ bleep ] and there are millions of people across the country who wish you ill. >> now the fbi is involved saying that agents believe some lawmakers are indeed at risk. so they'll step up security as they head to work today and democrats are calling on republicans t denounce at tacks. more than ten lawmakers have received threats. congressional offices have been vandalized and some windows shattered by bricks and other

receiving threatening e-mails. some lawmakers are afraid for the safety of their families. >> when people start talking in the rhetoric of putting people on firing lines, that if they don't do something they will have physical harm done to them, that other rhetoric of that type or they put a target on their faces with cross hairs, that activity ought to be unacceptable in our democracy. >> well there are a lot of angry americans over this health care bill and they are angry about the fact that the democrats here in washington aren't listening to them. but i've got to tell you that violence and threats are unacceptable. that is not the american way. >> some republicans are telling protestors to channel their anger into positive change by registering voters or working on a campaign. in other news this morning, kicking someone out of the military because they are gay

will soon be more difficult. defense secretary robert gates is about to set new guidelines under the current don't ask, don't tell policy. they will receive testimony from third parties under oath and a discharge must be approved by an officer that holds the equivalent of a one star general or above. the secretary gates is planning to repeal the bab on gays serving openly in the military. 100 million households haven't sent back the census forms. 20% of the country has responded. that is ncouraging for government officials because it puts the nation on target to surpass rates from 2000. a dump truck driver is now charges with attempted moore. it all started tuesday on 95 in dumfries. a driver said a truck hit him

twice and then he shot at the truck. he's also charged with attempted murder his stepfather thinks he was acting in self-defense. >> that's something we pass on for generations and generations on both sides of this family. you defend your own at all costs. we can't let this gentleman with a big truck push him off the road. i knew was on the road. you can hear the road noise. i wrote down the license plate and i said this guy is trying to kill me. >> the dump truck driver is james bringham of woodbridge. he is charged with attempted murder because he did hit the car. during this wild scene the 2- year-old daughter was in the backseat. and an arrest in connection to a gang street rape. this happened in alexandria. the victim was with two friends inside a vacant apartment. now according to court documents, three gang members burst in and threatened the girls with a baseball bat and then repeatedly raped the 16- year-old. one of the suspects was picked up at his home where police

found jewelry stolen from the victim. investigators may never know why a woman was shot and killed in fairfax county yesterday. she was killed as she sat in a car on orinda court. the person that killed her, killed himself later. he had recently gotten out of jail. as police closed in on him, he drove to his family's apartment and killed himself. someone beat a teenager to death with a baseball bat in a park and his killer is still on the loose. well it's a type of baby carrier that has grown in popularity but now 1 million baby slings have been recall after three infants died in them. with so many slings in the market we'll tell you what to look out for. plus spring is in bloom and so are allergies of millions. in the next hour, we'll find out why the allergies have sprung up so early this year.

and also the latest weather with tucker and julie has traffic updates ahead. here is our job of the day. at bottom dollar food. they're looking for a part-time sale associate. for more on this job and many others go to myfoxdc.com and click on the job shop tab on the top of the home page. right now it's 8:09. 

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spring is finally here. remember it began last saturday. but along with the blooming plants and gr dreadedal -- dreaded allergy season. >> and pollen is the number one problem. >> that's followed by ragweed. and will thomas explains why the allergies are coming sooner this year. >> reporter: mother nature delivered just the right

weather combination that adds up to early problem this is season. >> my head hurts as soon as i stand up in the morning. >> reporter: dr. martha white from the institute for as paw and allergy has an answer. most of it is as a result of pollen. >> i thi the pollen count is higher becausef the moisture from the snow. we had a hard winter but then it went away quickly and the plants have been well watered unfortunately. >> reporter: the airborne allergens have some people thinking they have a cold whether they realize it or not. >> i usually realize it as allergies. >> sometimes. >> i blame it on a cold for a bit. >> but then you give in. >> are you a couple? >> how did you get? >> and i was at work the other day somebody asked me if i

wanted to say something because i can't going -- [ clearing throat ] >> and a headache or other family members are getting sith it may be a cold. >> thanks, will. you can check out the latest pollen count on myfoxdc.com. just click on the weather tab. >> it isigh today, i believe. >> yes, it is. in fact, for confirmation, we go to tucker barnes. >> well he's an allergist >> no i'm not. i only play one on tv. and you know what time of day it is. it's the cute factor of the day. time now for the my first 5 photo of the day. this is laden out shopping for a new pair of shades. >> i like that. didn't we have a baby with

shades yesterday or the day before. it's like the elton john trend. >> it's that time of year. well parents are realizing now the importance of wearing sunglasses at an early age. >> that's so true. >> is that important? >> he's an opthalmologist too. >> i've had enough of you two. tsend us your child's picture go to myfoxdc.com and click on mornings. and you look great in those glasses. and let's get to the satellite radar. and you'll probably need sunglasses for a few hours this morning. the clouds will roll in and it will be a mostly cloudy afternoon. you can see out to the south and west we have some rain showers and that's in the form of a cold front which will move in here during the nighttime and partularly tomorrow. you're going to notice the cooler temperatures as we get into the daytime hours tomorrow. currently we're getting milder out there. 50 at reagan national, 46 now at dulles and 42 -- excuse me 44 at bwi marshall. our highs later today will be near 70. so get out and enjoy today because it will be much cooler

starting tomorrow, right through the weekend. here is your five-day forecast. and again, clouds increase today, showers arrive tonight and they will linger into the first half of tomorrow. maybe a little sunshine late tomorrow afternoon but it will get windy and cold by tomorrow. notice the overnight low into saturday morning. 34 in town. below freezing off to the north and west. if you have tender vegetation, you might want to bring it in. weekend looks sunny but dry on saturday and some increasing clouds on sunday. so all in all, not a bad forecast. we're going up and down. typical march weather. let's get to julie wright and she'll have the latest with our traffic. julie, you look cool. >> i thought it was the w trend. this is my theme song. [ music ] >> what kind of glasses are these. >> their black eyes peas. this is my future is so bright i've gotta wear shades.

i can see tucker is not amused. [ laughter ] 395 here at duke street. we do have the lanes open but the pace is still slow toward sinary and toward the 14th street bridge. traveling in on 66, better news. the crash before 29 centreville has cleared so the lanes are open but still slow out of gainesville and delays on the toll road inbound from 7100 ward wolf trap. southbound 270 on the brakes out of rockdale leaving shady grove toward the split. that's a check of your fox 5 on- time traffic. we have more on the breaking news about the carjacking with a child possibly as young as 1-year-old in the backseat. the vehic remained missing for about 20 minutes but turned up not too far away, found on n street northwest and sarah simons is now on the scene with the latest. sarah. >> reporter: well the good news is police were able to find the car and also find the 1-year- old boy that police are telling me that was inside the car. everyone is fine. we just saw an ambulance pull

away that police tell me the 1- year-old child was inside. just going to the hospital as a precaution. now as you said, this happened at about 7:15 and it was a car jacking report that came in at north capitol and p. street. an officer on the scene just told me a moment ago that the mother was inside her home, had taken the baby and put the baby in her car, a white honda pilot, it was in her driveway. she was back inside and heard somebody take off with her car and called 1. and then 15-20 minutes later police were able to discover her white honda pilot here on the 200 block of n. street here in northwest with the 1-year- old boy inside. he was completely fine and inside a car seat and was safe when they arrived here. again taken to the hospital as just a precaution. at this point, police are telling me they are still looking for a suspect. they don't have any description on him. they don't know at this point

if he was even -- even armed but we'll continue to follow this story. back to you, allison. >> thank goodness the baby is okay. >> and you hear it time and again, obviously the guy breaking the law but you can not leave your kids in the car each for -- for even a minute. don't do it. and it might not look like much but a new way to rescue passengers in case of an emergency. and also ahead, voters in california will soon get to decide whether to legalize marijuana for recreational use. and holly is live at the greatest show on earth. a look at something new at the circus. 

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a texas man convicted of a triple murder came within minutes of being put to death. the u.s. supreme court stepped in and delayed the execution of

hank skinner. he claims dna testing will clear him. he was convicted of killing his girl friend and two adult sons in 1993. the execution is delayed until the justices decide whether to review the case. voters in california will decide whether to make marijuana legal for recreational use. an initiative was just certificated for the november ballot. the state has already legalized medical marijuana. california would be the first state to legalize pot for recreational use if it passes. people 25 years or older would be able to possess up to one ounce. and job cuts are likely coming for the prince william county school district. the school board last night approved the budget for next year. it calls for eliminating more than 200 positions. that's down from more than 700 originally proposed. salaries will freeze and class sizes will likely increase. budget officials were able to keep the number of layoffs down after the state budgetprovided more funding than expected. today we'll see what a new

memorial to former president and world war ii general dwight eisenhower will look like. it will be unveiled today by mark gary. it is planned for a 4-acre site near capitol hill. metro has a newy to respond to emergencies. yesterday it unveiled it's mobile emergency response vehicle. it just takes a few minutes fo rescue crews to put the battery operated carts together and can carry equipment along the tracks and transport passengers away from an emergency scene. very cool. and it is the best-selling book that has come to live on the big screen and it's probably one of your kids favorites. we'll talk with the author of diary of a wimpy kid about the transformation from the page to live action. and we'll get the latest weather update just ahead. time now is 8:25. it's 50 degrees now on a thursday morning. stay with us.

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the risk-takers. the visionaries. the entrepreneurs... who put it all on the ne to build and run their own businesses. at at&t, we know something about that. our company started out in a small lab, with not much more than a dream. and today, we know it's small businesses that can create the jobs america needs. that's why at&t is investing billions to upgrade and build out our wired and wireless networks. making them faster, smarter, and more secure. connecting small businesses to markets across the country, and around the world. we invest now, because we know it will pay off... with new jobs, new growth, from a new generation, putting their belief in the future on the line. now is the time for investment and innovation. the future is waiting. and the future has always the future is waiting. and the future has always been our business.

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look at this. aren't you glad we're not dealing with this. a snowy day in denver turned into a bright sunny afternoon. but we'll stick with the snow. the partial meltdown came a day after a spring storm dumped close to 2 feet of snow in parts of the area. the city closed schools and thousands of stranded passengers were stuck in airports. residents say they're used to it. everything is melting away now. >> i just looked and it's 21 degrees in denver and they have avalanche warnings all over the front range of the mountain ranges, west of denver. >> i don't envy those folks right now. >> well they're used to it. we've had our 2 feet of snow. we know what it's like. >> but we're done. >> we are done. today no problems with the snow. in fact it will be nice and mild out there this afternoon. 70 for an afternoonhigh. but don't get used to. it because the winter-like weather will return tomorrow. 50 now at reagan national.

we'll starting the process of gradual warm-up. 52 in annapolis. leonardtown is 52 at this hour. cooler here to the west, manassas is 41. and dulles is 46. so again, afternoon highs will jump a good 20 degrees or so so we'll go with 70 in washington. upper 60s for many of us off to the west and north and west. a lot of clouds in the forecast today. and the reason why is we have a cold front off to the north and west and this will be our weather maker later tonight and first part of tomorrow and tomorrow afternoon we'll start to clear up but we'll cool down behind the frontal system. for today a mix of sun and clouds to start the day but the clouds will have a tendency to win out during the afternoon so we'll be mostly cloudy by later this afternoon. the od news is the rain will hold off until later tonight and winds out of the south today so we'll allow the temperatures to jump up ahead of the frontal system. and behind it we'll cool down and tomorrow afternoon temperatures will fall back into the 40s and we'll have winds out of the north and west at 20 miles per hour. so it's going to feel more like winter, more like early march than late march by tomorrow

afternoon. today increasing clouds and nice and mild. today is spring like and breezy and winds out of the south at 10-15. showers overnight and 47 for an overnight low. winds shifting out of the north at 5 miles per hour. down right cold by tomorrow afternoon but we do clear out behind the rain. then cold. saturday morning's low is 34 in town. upper 20s and low 30s off to the north and west. and if you want to be outdoors this weekend, sunshine but cool with highs in the mid-50s both saturday and sunday. that's a look at the forecast. allison, back to you the desk. it is an amazingly popular series of books. just about every child i know is into the diary of a wimpy kid. and we're excited to be joined by the author, jeff kinny. good morning. >> good morning to you. >> and it's pleasure to talk to you. when i asked my girls, they are 9 and 8 and i told them about these interviews and they had

questions. when is the next book coming out? >> this fall. and if you have 8 and 9-year- old girls then i have them in my clutches. >> and i heard the books weren't intentionally marketed to kids in the beginning, or they weren't supposed to be? >> i wrote the books for adults. i never intended for them to be for kids. but my publisher had the great idea to market them toward kids and that's how it got started. >> how do you feel about that? you're an author and coming out with this series of a middle school kid who is coming out and the battles of a wimpy kid and it turns into a series, what did you think about it? >> i felt good. at first i thought, wow, i didn't write these books for kids but then when i looked over my mauscripts i realized there wasn't anything objectionable in them. i think greg is a flawed

character but i think kids under that so i'm a g-rated kind of person any way so i have those kind of senseibibilities. >> and everybody has a little bit of greg in you. and now this hugely popular movie. congratulations. >> well thank you very much. >> and what is the feedback? has the characters lived up, as fafeedback from your audience, the kids? >> yeah, i think people are really connecting to greg and rowley. the movie actually packs an emotional punch. and i think that is the biggt surprise for me. >> how did you come up with the character? is it any of your experiences? how did you come up with the idea of the wimpy kid. >> i wanted to write about a kid who was really flawed and

not a perfect protag onist, not the chosen one. not of divine lineage and i wanted to write about an ordinary kid and someone like me as a kid and maybe a little bit more flawed and imperfect than i was. but i was just trying to write about somebody that kids could re late or people could relate to. >> this is terrible and nobody even cares. my family, my best friend. well i'm sick of it. somebody needs to pay. >> and now the lead character, a young man named zachary gordon plays greg. you have to be happy with his performance in the movie. >> i am happy. he does a good job of preserving the voice of the character and i'm happy with rowley who is a really pure kid and i envy him that. i wish i was like that as a kid. both kids do a great job in the movie. >> and everybody around my house, we were doing the little

line from the trailer, it's got a hair in it. so when the movie came out i was like we can put this to rest and it lived up to that. and you must be the only author who has a book made into a movie and then a movie that has a book. >> that's right. there's a book out called the wimpy kid movie diary which is about the making of the film. when i was on the set, i said there are so many interesting things going on that i thought i have to write about this because my audience needs to know about it. >> and you're a local guy. done good. say hi to your family in prince george's county. >> that's right. i grew up in prince george's county. a lot of my family is in ashburn and virginia and sterling and i wanto say hi to them. it's been a lot of fun sharing all of this with my family. >> and we've enjoying sharing time with you today. and diary of a wimpy kid books

and now in movies across the country. thank you so much. >> thank you. coming up on fox 5 morning news, pop star justin beiber's manager arrested. and now tiger woods will once again break his silence. this time the media has full rein. we'll tell you when that is happening. 8:35.

hollywood is morning the death of actor robert culp. he's best remembered for i spy. it aired from 1965 to 1968. ground breaking with bill cosby. he fell outside of his home in los angeles yesterday. now he hit his head on the sidewalk and later died at a local hospital. co-star bill cosby called him the older brother he never had. robert culp was 79 years old. >> and they were a great team. and tiger woods will hold a press conference before he plays in the masters, scheduled for april 5th, the first day of the practice rounds. it will be the first time in five months that he will take questions from reporters and it will be the first time since he admitted to having several affairs. did you know that being a

slow tweeter could land you in jail. well that's what handed to justin beiber's manager. before a show at a mall back in november he sent a tweet saying he was on the way. so the new york crowd kept growing. police told his manager scott brown to send a tweet saying the show was canceled for safety reasons. police say it took him two hours to do it and that resulted in a stampede. he was arrested yesterday and charged with reckless endangerment. i've never heard that before, but i've heard of the charge but not based on a missed tweet. coming up on fox 5 morning news, one million baby slings have been recalled after three infants died in them. with so many slings in the market we'll tell you what to look out next. and we'll talk with the booted idol in the 9:00 hour. but first let's check back in with holly. >> reporter: he's are my idols. take a look at that. that's pretty impressive. i think i can do it.

come on. here we go. i am live at the patriot center this morning where they are gearing up for the 139th ringling brothers barnum and bailey circus. how you can come out and have a whole lot of fun yourself. live next. oh, wait, i hear there is an elephant coming, a pachyderm party? ahhhh. here's to the believers.

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this morning many parents are taking a second look at how they movies their babies around after a massive recall of baby slings. children have been said to suffocate in them. melanie alnwick has this consumer alert. >> reporter: for centuries busy parents have carried their babies in slings and the practice has regained popularity today. >> i feel like the baby is always right with me, which i

think makes her happier and my life easier. >> reporter: and now dozens of companies make carriers. but two of them have a serious defect. >> with the sling rider and the wendy bellissimo, they can't be used safely. >> reporter: in 2009 three infants died in their bag sling style baby carriers. >> what we want parents to know if you have a child under four months of age and you have one of these slings, don't use it again. cps c says the design can cause suffocation. >> the infant is deep in the sling. as you can see, when you are wearing it, the fabric can close over the child and there is a problem with the bag design. it's very curved. it's almost c shaped and that puts the baby into a dangerous chin to chest position and this kinks their airway and makes it so they can't breathe. >> reporter: rogerson, a baby wearing educator, says there

are safe ways to use slings. >> your baby should be up nice and tight and close enough i can kiss her on the top of the head. >> reporter: she's concerned with so many products entering the market, there are no safety standards to keep this design off the shelf. >> in the baby wearing community we've been complaining about them for a while and asking would somebody pay attention to the design. >> we are working toward a mandatory standard for slings and working with a voluntary standard setting group to get a voluntary standard into place. >> reporter: so that babies can rest safe and sound. melanie alnwick, fox 5 news. >> infantino wants the sling to be shipped back and the company is offering a free baby carrier or shopping cart cover in exchange. for more information, go to

myfoxdc.com and click on web links. and illusions, clowns and elephants are some of the fun things you'll see at the zing zang zoom show at the patriot center starting tonight. this morning holly morris is there to learn about what it takes to be part of the ringles brothers and barnum and bailey circus. so far so good. you've been great. >> reporter: well, thank you. it takes a whole lot of energy to hang with these people that put on the circus. let me tell you, this is a show that is a notch above some of the ones in the past. they're always good but this one has something special but it has all of the elements you love about wringles brothers and that includes the elephants and libby morris. no relation, but i'll take you. thank you for getting up early with us. >> thank you. this morning we brought out asia. she's the diva of our show. >> reporter: that's good. because we only let divas put on our show. so she's perfect. and am i right, you're like a

fourth generation family. >> fourth generation circus performer. i've been with wringling brothers for six years now and it's a great job. >> reporter: and libby is also the first animal female animal presenter ever in the history of the circus. and this is a long history when we talk about wringles brothers. so what does that mean? >> it's a compliment. because in this industry it is mostly men. >> reporter: you are breaking the barrier. and you are also a mom. you have two kids. >> two kids. >> reporter: and you said the elephants listen to you better than the kids do. >> they do listen way better than my kid. i have an 11-year-old and a 2- year-old. >> reporter: and you said in order to be an elephant handler it has to be your life. so you spend a lot of time with asia. and so tell me about asia and the care and what you do to work with her. >> asia is 42 and a female

elephant and she weighs 8,000 pounds and stands 8 feet tall. do you want to come up and give her a pet. and she's one of ten elephants and they are all female. our youngest one is about 25 and our oldest ones are in the mid-50s. >> reporter: is there a reason they are all female? >> they just socialize better. when in a group. >> reporter: it's easier to gossip if a group. and what does she do in the show. >> she disappears ands back in the end. and she also paints. if you come early, you can win the picture. >> reporter: and i think we'll try to feed her a little bit. >> yes, we are. >> reporter: and i'm guessing she eats quite a bit. >> we go through 550 loafs of bread every day through the 10 elephants we have here. you can stick it right in

there. she's open up wide and take it. >> reporter: oh, my gosh. that's amazing. now what about -- do they have teeth. >> four teeth. one on top and on the bottom. you can break it down. >> reporter: and they have an amazing sense of small. she's not even looking at it. i think we should break it up and eat it smaller this time. let's give her this. how many times a day does she eat? >> all day long. and the main diet is hay and fruits and vegetables and bread. >> reporter: and do they sleep a lot? >> they sleep lying down and standing up. they lie down for 2-3 hours at one given time. >> reporter: and how do they community. >> they very social. we can't hear. but they are social. we can tell when they are socializing. >> reporter: do you hear them talking about you? >> and they're also very social with thhandrs. we spend all day with these guys caring for them.

>> reporter: so can you show us something that maybe asia would do, a behavior that you've trained her to do. >> that is her goodbye wave. and she's looking for the bread. >> reporter: and strike a pose. that was her -- okay, i'm giving you more. do they each have their own individual personalities. >> they are different. each and every one. and everybody asks how can i tell them apart, but we spend time with them. some are short, tall and they h pigmentation. >> reporter: she knowshow much i have. >> they ride in the smoothest place on the train. >> reporter: myfoxdc.com is our website. we have a link to wringlesling

brothers barnum and bailey circus. they are here through april 4th. on friday they have two shows, on saturdays three shows, on sunday two shows. so plenty of time to come on out and enjoy the greatest show on earth. i think we're moving on to dogs smaller than asia in the next hour. back to you. >> thank you holly. this is a great story. nine d.c. high school students got the surprise of their lives on wednesday. >> full ride scholarships to george washington university. the students received the gw steven joel tractenberg scholarship award. it's given to students who excel but can't afford the g.w. tuition. >> the sacrifices that you all are making, there are rewards on the other side of it. the first 17 years and 18 years of your live are short in comparison to the breadth of

opportunity that await you once you transition. if you remain steadfast in your focus and determination, there is no altitude to which you cannot ascend. >> one of the scholarship recipients in the third person in her family to receive the award. another recipient will be the first in her family to ever go to college. >> that's great. very good. a couple of weeks ago we told you about an artist's work that is turning heads and making me people call 911. he's put sculptures of naked men all over new york city. now we're hearing from the artist about his inspiration. carolyn gooseoff has the story. >> he's down here and up there. and just about everywhere you look in the flat iron district. and just about everyone has something to say. >> it's different. you don't usually see that in new york city. >> no you sure don't. or a naked man on a rooftop. >> no. >> it definitely gives me

pause. >> we're not alone. it sort of makes me think of being invaded by aliens. >> reporter: they're weighing in on the weighted cast iron nude sculptures. four of them on the ground and 27 fiberglass figures on manhattan rooftops and ledges. they are life-size and ana topically correct anthony gormley said he intended folks to examine pan's place in the world by placing this man in odd places. >> this is a copy of my body, but it's ten times the specific gravity. and you can -- it's very solidly here. up there, there is another one that is 6 stories up or whatever, and you can't touch. you can perceive it. and there are more that you can imagine that maybe you have to find. and i think that idea is encouraging curiosity, making people look again at the world they live in every day and

don't look at the imaginative experiment. >> you bump into one of these blocks and you lift your head and you say there is another one and then you turn and look and you're gazing at him and someone is watching you gaze. >> reporter: but not everybody sees bauty the same way. >> did they think somebody is about to jump? >> that's your first reaction. >> i thought those were snipers to protect the mayor this morning. >> reporter: some people called 911 but folks seem to be getting used to them. >> it's sort of playful and it helps you reconsider your surroundings and look at the rooftops and there is a whole sort of orchestra of different shapes and forms. >> reporter: the public art installation is called event horizon running through august 15th and we won't tell you where they are all located. part of the fun is finding them. >> i just wouldn't put them on the rooftops because people see them and get alarmed. >> and if your driving and you

see it ... sad news. unfortunately mario, we've been talking about him being on the show. we are now told he will not be able to join us because of some kind of snapu in his travel plans. >> today he will be able to take on the role of principal for the day. we sort of teased. he'll be the principal of the day at the duke ellington school of the arts. >> we apologize that he's not here. he should be here, but he's not. and coming up in the 9:00 hour. >> the person going home tonight unless the judges save them after the nationwide vote is ... paige miles. >> well it was paige who got sent home last night on american idol and she'll join us live. we'll be right back. it's the first time you're letting your daughter

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