providers are bounds by an outdated law, the electronics communications privacy act. it was passed in 19 # 6 before most americans even had internet. e-mail that is stored on a server for more than six months is considered abandoned so it loses privacy protection. some charge that google has passively accepted most of the law enforcement's search requests. at the same time, it has been a major supporter and contributor to the obama 2012 campaign even helping create project norwall, the most successful voter outreach system in history. in washington, doug mcelway, fox news. fox news. ate massive winter storm causing some problems for many parts of the country this morning. the national guard has been mobilized to help rescue stranded drivers in the hardest hit area of the texas panhandle where some saw a foot of snow. more heavy snow was expected in

kansas overnight. >> tough times in the midwest. >> live look outside right now at 5:00 this morning over washington, d.c. thirchgs are calm right now. but they will change a little bit later on today. it is tuesday, february 26th. good morning to you. i'm wisdom martin. >> i'm sarah simmons. welcome to fox 5 morning news. -- things are calm right now. >> let's get the latest on our weather today. >> expecting a lot of rain today. we have a floodwatch. we have to be ready for potentially here some urban flooding. your morning commute will be fine the later today, we haven't picked up a whole lot of rain or anything here the last couple of months. could be a pretty good soaking rain around here later today. out to the west, could be more of an issue with a wintry mix. we have a little bit of everything on tap. you will see the rain and/or snow. the blizzard conditions out in texas now snowing heavily in kansas city and pushing up towards milwaukee and chicago. and on the eastern side of things, all the green and yellow you see, all the rain

falling. that will be pushing into the morning here late morning, early afternoon. it will be a good soaking rain around here during the afternoon hours. temperature right now at reagan national, 33 degrees. cold enough to support some wintry mix. dulles, 27 and bwi marshall, 28. the timing on the rain as it moves in on the winter precip is favorable for us. it will get in here late morning, early afternoon so that will warm temperatures up just a bit. a floodwatch for the 95 corridor here, baltimore and washington as we are expecting 1 to 2 inches of rain. we haven't seen that much in the entire month. we could have a few flooding conditions. showers developing, just lain old rain for your evening commute. rain is pretty much a guarantee. >> we are going to get busy in the weather department. let's check in with julie wright who is already busy in the traffic department. >> absolutely. as tucker was warning you guys

about the flooding that could occur, like we saw not even a month ago, do not make an attempt to drive through standing water. so heed the warnings. if you see standing water, turn around, do not drown. on the roads right now, the dry pavement but the crash involving the overturned tractor-trailer covents to block the two right lanes on the inner loop of the beltway just past the bw parkway. this is where we have the two right lanes closed. -- continues to block the two right lanes. not too much of a backup here but as our rush hour continues to build, we will see this delay forming on the inner loop of the beltway. so plan your trip accordingly. 295 to the north and south a good app alternative route for you. in southeast washington, this is where i have yet another crash involving yet another overturned truck. this accident has closeed a

portion of the suitland parkway between first sterling and stanton road so no one is able to get by on first sterling at this point. 295 still open for business. that's a check of your fox 5 on-time traffic. traffic. new this morning, a sight- seeing trip on a hot air balloon in egypt turned deadly with 18 foreign tourists killed. the balloon caught fire and exploded before crashing from the sky. it happened in luxor. the victims are from france, britain, japan and hong kong. just delays before billions of dollars in spending cuts kick in because of sequestration. >> still, there are not many signs that lawmakers are ready to negotiate. melanie alnwick is live on capitol hill with the latest. >> reporter: good morning. yes, later today, president obama will be meeting with some key republicans on capitol hill. now, this meeting is supposed to be about immigration reform

but there is perhaps maybe a small opening for some conversation about the coming cuts. even so, the white house is definitely escalating its campaign warning of dire consequencess for the sequester isn't stopped. among the first impact to be felt, a reduction in benefits for the long-term unemployed, about $30 a week and furlough notices for federal employees though the cuts to the work hours wouldn't begin until april. there is no real indication of serious negotiations between the two sides. $le 5 billion in budget cuts this fiscal year republicans pointed out is less than 3% of the federal budget but because entitlement protections are included, deeper spending cuts are there. republicans say it could all be averted if the president would just decide how to apply the cuts which were voted in by both parties differently. >> compromise is something that

allows us to make progress as a people and all of the governors i think it is fair to say of both parties agree that congress should not allow these arbitrary sequester cuts to go through and hurt our economy, slow our recovery. there has got be for a better way. >> if the president was serious, he would sit down with harry reid and begin to address our problems. the house has acted twice. we shouldn't have to act a third time before the senate begins to do their work. >> reporter: later this morning, president obama will continue his public campaign against the sequester. he will be going to the newport news shipyard which is expected to be heavily impacted by the sequester and some of those budget cuts. virginia as we know is heavily dependent on defense spending and it will be one of the hardest hit from these budget

cutbacks. >> thank you. in other news this morning, the search continues in the murder of a couple. police are looking for john wesley jeffries. they believe he beat nelson slack and his wife ethel to death in their home on saturday. also in this morning's top stories, d.c. police are asking everyone to take a close look at some newly released surveillance video in the hopes that this will help them solve a deadly harp case. it shows the vehicle police say was involved in the incident. it happened just after 10:30:00 p.m. on saturday, february 16th in the 100 block of m street northeast. 20-year-old darnell christopher ross was killed. if you have any information in this case, please call d.c. police. >> a d.c. council controversy also making headlines this morning. details on the harsh word for one high profile member that have only been handed out once before. >> a rule change at the vatican. we'll tell you how it will speed up the process of picking the next pope.

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affecting everyone's 401(k) this morning. there is no clear winner. worries grow about the worst recession in europe's third biggest economy. the leftists appear to have won in the lower house of parliament but the conservatives are ahead in the senate. hung parliament neo-nazi new elections could be called soon. pope benedict xvi changes the rules on succession just days before he is due to step down. the pope signed a special legal document that clears the way for cardinals to move up the start of the date of the conclave. normally the process for choosing a new pope starts after a 15-day transition period. meanwhile, brit i'm's top catholic lead are says he is not attending the conclave for the first time in history. cardinal keith o'brien is accused of inappropriate behavior with priests back in the 1980s. -- britain's top catholic leader says he is not attending the cop leaf for the first time in history. the council voted to disapprove of graham contract

in warding a lottery contract in 2008 that sparked several investigates. it was only the second time that i councilmember has been publicly rebuked. keeping up with the bills can be challenging. we all know that. and there is one in particular that a lot of people are having a hard time handling right now. more on that is next. >> first, tucker is talking about some rain heading our way today. >> yeah, definitely umbrella weather. we have plenty of afternoon rain in the forecast and maybe a little mix here out to the west as well. i'll have the details on your rainy tuesday and julie wright will have a look at your traffic too coming up in just a minute.

welcome back. a live look outside right now at 5:15 in the morning. we've got some very interesting weather heading our way. everything is calm right now. just a little bit on the cold side. but later on today, we are talking umbrellas. we are talking rain hats. >> what else are we talking if. >> we're talking windshield wipers. >> rain boots. >> rain boots. >> pretty much guaranteed by the time everybody is coming

home, we could have some heavy rain. some areas could be dealing with sleet and freezing rain. by evening return hour, most of us should be primarily having rain. >> still, you know how that goes at rush hour. >> yeah. it is cold. particularly out to the west where temperatures have fallen into the 20s and that is setting the statement for the possibility here of a wasn'tery mix as the storm moves in from the south and west. 30 in leonardtown. off to the north and west, i mentioned you're 20. 26 out in martinsburg. winchester is 2 degrees. so again, very cold temperatures. they will be slow to warm up although we are forecasting highs to reach the low to mid- 40s later today so we should gradually warm it up enough that we'll sort of clear that barrier there and we should primarily be rain here along the 59 corridor.

clouds moved in overnight. we've had that full moon out there. you can't see a whole lot of it. off to the south and west, here come the rain showers and notice the yellow and oranges in there. that has embedded some pretty good rain rates and we are expecting some pretty good rain rates around here today. a flash floodwatch has been,ed for washington and baltimore and the counties in close here later today -- has been issued for washington and baltimore and the counties in close here later today. we could be dealing with a mix of sleet and some freezing rain as that whole system moves in. then, as things gradually warm up later today, we should transition for most of region with the exception of extreme western maryland and parts of west virginia. if you are traveling out to kansas city, st. louis, i would call ahead because they are dealing with blizzard

conditions. a good soaking rain expected across the region here. futurecast, the rain is just moving on in and out to the west, the pink and white you see, that is that possibility for the wintry mix out to the west and then most of the region here transitions over to rain. here we are at 6:00. notice the yellows and oranges. those are pretty good rain ratesen maybe even a rumble of thunder for parts of the year as you get down to southern maryland, central virginia. we'll get it out of here by early tomorrow morning. things will improve as we get into the overnight hours. even here in washington, you might hear a few sleet pellets at the onset but i promise it will quickly transition over to rain. there is your accu-weather seven-day forecast. a few showers around both wednesday and thursday. maybe a few snow showers out to the west and then looks like the weekend is just plain old cool with sunshine saturday and sunday. got to watch for the potential for a coastal storm there on sunday. that is weather.

let's do some traffic with julie wright today. >> clean-up continues from a crash that occurred last night in the 11:00 hour. this is on the inner loop of the beltway just south of the baltimore-washington parkway but before you reach 450. this involves an overturned tractor-trailer. it took out some of the barrier wall. two left lanes getting by with very little delay but as our rush hour continue to build in volume, we will most likely see the delays building as you travel south out of greenbelt headed for landover. better news downtown. crash we mentioned earlier involving an overturned box truck, that activity has cleared. lanes are open right now for those traveling southbound along 270. traveling eastbound along 66, your lanes are open as well leaving manassas headed inbound towards centreville and no problems to report on 95 and 395 as you travel from

springfield continuing past duke street headed out to the 14th street bridge. having a car payment can be a pain as you know and it turns out more people are having a hard time keeping up with it. credit reporting agency trans- union says the number of people behind on their car payments climbed in the last quarter of 2012. analysts say spending on holiday shopping tends to take priority that time year. sometimes the tiniest inconveniences can spark the biggest ideas. >> from a new way to experience food and new friends, to a quick way to make sure you never run out of razors. we have more on what could be the next great thing. 

every great ideas that has to start somewhere and often it starts small. >> laura evans is looking at simple solutions to tiny inconveniences that could be the next great thing. reat thin >> reporter: almost every man does it almost every day. now, a company that takes the sting out of shaving. >> hi, i'm mike founderle dollar shave club.com. for a dollar a month, we send high quality razors right to your door. >> take your pick. the pump bell twin, a two-blade for a buck. the four x, four blades for six

bucks a month, shipping included and the executive, a six-blade razor, shipping included. the founder told me via skype the idea came to him when he was fed up with the hassle of buying razors. >> i took my life savings and put it into starting a business that would solve the problem. >> reporter: a serious business he is selling with humor. each razor has stainless steel blades. it is owe jolie-pittle a toddler could use it. do you like spending $20 a month on razors. $19 goes to roger federer. the company launch near will you a year ago and it has taken off. >> can you upgrade, downgrade seam littlely. our satisfaction is guaranteed. >> we are dollar shave club.com and the party is on. >> reporter: less hassle, save money and a business model that entertains. that is why we think dollar

shave club could be the next great thing. every gal knows the difficult lemma. what shoes to wear on a rainy day especially when you need to dress nicely. >> some people are wearing cute or big bulky rain boots that didn't match their outfits at all some people were ruining their shoes. >> reporter: the light bulb went on for cassandra one day. she create pisces to protect your shoes in style. she says she solve so many problems for women who love to wear their nice shoes and don't want the hassle of lugging around the clunky rubber rain boots. >> you can take them off and put them in their little carry bag and check them in a coat check. put them on the arm of a chair, carry them on your shoulder. >> the boots go right over the shoes you are wearing. they are style issue and comfortable providing even more stability than wearing your heels alone.

>> i like them a lot. i wore them over high heeled boots and jeans and they were much more comfortable than my big clunky rubber boots. >> reporter: at $16 # a pair, this a bit pricy but those who like them say they are worth the splurge. protecting your uninvestment in your shoes, allowing you more choices. -- protecting your investment in your shoes. who doesn't love sharing a meal with friends. but this dipper is different. before tonight, these people have never met -- but this dinner is different. welcome to feastly. >> online marketplace connecting cooks and eaters. >> he was eating his best meal in a private home. >> that was this moment of it shouldn't be this hard to eat local organic authentic food wherever it is that you are. >> reporter: you go online to eat feastly.com and see what meals are available.

can you learn about the meal and the chef and zone up for the dinner right there. all the chefs have been vetted by a feastly panel. average cost identify meal $38.50. >> part of the person is doing a nice preparation. >> reporter: a former feastly diaper is hosting her third meal, an indian menu following a sabbatical four years ago that made her passionate about indian food. >> it brings people together for fabulous food. >> reporter: feastly meals are being served in new york and d.c. and soon in san francisco. harris says the goal is to be everywhere. he calls it the original and optimal social network. >> through the dinner teenage or culinary diplomacy, you are able to meet people, connect with others and taste local foods and flavors and learn about local traditions. >> reporter: creating community around food. traditional networking in an intimate setting. we think eat feastly.com could be the next great thing. eat th

>> s that fox 5's laura evans reporting. to found out more about the businesses we just showed you and how to tell laura about the next great thing you may know about, go to myfoxdc.com. still plenty ahead. the furlough notices are coming. businesses are bracing for the cuts. >> still no sign of negotiations to stop sequestration but something could be happening today to get things moving. >> also ahead, a community fights back. what is happening in prince george's county as neighborhoods are faced with the disturbing number of deadly crimes targeting teens. it is now 5:28. [ male announcer ] listen to this symphony of flavor:

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a live look at washington, d.c. you can see the monuments there in the distance. a cold start to the day. we'll see how the day will shake out for the rest of the day which we anticipate will be rain. >> pretty much a guarantee it will be wet. the morning commute will be fine. the next couple of hours, kids going to the bus stop, that kind of thick. cloudy and feeling like rain but it won't arrive until late morning early afternoon. >> we have all kinds of advisories this morning. let's get to the numbers. temperature right now at reagan national is 33.

but the rest of the region is below freezing. there is your radar. we'll be talking all day long about the white you see on tap that is blizzard conditions out towards kansas city pushing in towards st. louis, up towards chicago, milwaukee. we are on the eastern side of this storm just like the set-up last friday where we start wade little wintry mix and quickly transitioned over to rain. we'll do that again later today although that mix could be somewhat prolonged for our western viewers. so you can see it is still several hours away and i think the timing on this will get it in here around the noon hour. we have a few more hours. here are your temperatures, 33 at reagan national. 27 this morning. b wait a minute marshall, 28 degrees. it is cold enough for that wintry mix. -- bwi marshall, 28 degrees. 45 your daytime high with rain developing by the noon hour. could be heavy at times this affect. >> time now to check in with julie wright.

she has a lot to balk this morning as far as traffic goes. >> you want me to just confine it to traffic, is that what air saying. >>ener loop of the beltway, this crash occurred back in the 11:00 hour involve an overturned tractor-trailer. this flipped over taking out about 100 feet of the sound wall barrier. the driver has been extracted and we're told is in critical condition nearby. inner loop of the beltway, only the two left lanes are able to squeeze by as you travel south of the baltimore-washington parkway and continue out towards 450. plan your trip accordingly traveling between college park, greenbelt and andrews. eastbound 66, no issues reported out of manassasened you will find lanes are open on 395 between the beltway and 14th street bridge. that's a check of your fox 5 on-time traffic. e traffic. developing on capitol hill

this morning, the clock is sticking for lawmakers to strike a sequestration deal. >> wise, billions of dollars in spending cuts will kick in. millions of people across the country including many right here in our area will be affected. melanie alnwick is live on capitol hill with more. >> reporter: wisdom being president obama is continuing to warn americans about the effects of the coming sequestration cuts. he is traveling to newport news sip building in virginia today which is expected to be heavily impacted. still, republicans say the president needs to stop campaigning and start dealing. $85billion in budget cuts for this fiscal year. republicans point out it is less than 3% of the overall federal budget. but because entitlement programs are protected, deeper spending reductions are hitting almost everything else. the administration has warned of a slow job in global trade ache stalled fight against cancer, compromised border security and trouble for air travelers.