good evening. fo eraudry barn sli st is off nit. h our p tostory. in thorl vaatfrom nae l imcralganvim uesveartit e ti looking into the death of a female sailor found today on ft. myer. andrew stack is live on the scene with the latest develops. andrew? >> well, audry they found her body -- this is the annex attached to ft. myer on ft. myer. ncis is in the process of investigating this death. we should tell you, though, we spoke with one of the mps here earlier. from what we understand, there is no sign that this is a murder case. but it -- that is irrelevant to

ncis because they need to move forward with this as part of their stand operating procedure. we should know more tomorrow but what i have been hearing is we won't know much more today other than that as they try to get to the bottom of this and so far we do not have an id on this female sailor because they are notifying next of kin. as soon as we know that we will get that to you. in arlington, andrew stack 9 news now, wusa9.com. thank you, andrew. ft. myer has been part of the area's land scape since the civil war. it is now home to over 14,000 assignment military and civilian personnel with 108,000 family members and retirees. it currently serves as headquarters to personnel working throughout the national capital region. the old guard and the 1100 first signal brigade and u.s. army criminal investigation command all operate out of ft. myer. the execution of a virginia man has been put on hold by the u.s. supreme court. the court wants to consider whether paul warner powell was unconstitutionally tried twice

in the killing of stacy reed in menassas in 1999. dave statter has the story. >> reporter: the only reason paul warner powell was tried a second time was because of a letter he wrote to prosecutors after his original conviction. in it he bragged that he tried to rape stacy reed. powell's original capital conviction was overturned because prosecutors couldn't prove rape or robbery. armed with a letter the capital conviction held up the second time around. but now the supreme court wants to decide whether to hear arguments that this was double jeopardy. >> it is like a bad dream. >> the crime shook the community in 1999. stacy reed murdered and her sister was raped, and had her throat slashed. >> christy reed survived and identified powell. county attorney paul ebert was scheduled to witness the execution tomorrow. now it is on hold. dave statter 9 news now and wusa9.com. prosecutor ebert was to be joined at the execution by

members of stacy reed's family. a las vegas man is set to be sentenced for sending threatening e-mails to two virginia tech alumni. it happened on the eve of the one-year anniversary of the deadly campus shooting. john marlo belasco said he sent the e-mails -- because he wanted to draw attention to violent internet postings. the women who received it say the virginia tech shooter -- >> metro is continually monitoring its computer train system following last month's crash. metro said the system was tested each month before the june 22 crash that killed find people. reviews are now being performed daily. metro has already been named in six lawsuits, stemming from that accident. with her confirmation virtually assured supreme court nominee sonia sotomayor sought to ease concerns among senate republicans today. a veteran of 17 years on the

federal bench, sotomayor pledged to be an impartial justice, if she becomes the first hispanic on the supreme court. sandra endoe has more. >> i do. >> under oath a self introduction by supreme court nominee sonia sotomayor. >> throughout my 17 years on the bench, i have witnessed the human consequences of my decisions. those decisions have not been made to serve the interest of any one litigant, but always to serve the larger interest of impartial justice. >> reporter: on her irs -- first day in the hot seat she highlighted her personal story, from humble beginnings growing up in a bronx housing project to becoming an ivy league educated lawyer and federal district court have. but republicans want to question how her personal views will shape her professional decisions on the bench. >> do i want a judge that allows her social, political or

religious views to change the outcome, or do i want a judge that impartially applys if law to the facts -- >> reporter: she is already being criticized for siding against a groom of predominantly white firefighters in a reverse discrimination case which later the supreme court overturned. and her off the bench remark that a latina woman could make a better decision than a might -- white man. while republicans will pose some challenges, democrats do have enough votes to confirm her nomination. >> i'm not sure how any member of this panel can sit here today and seriously suggest, that she compls to the bench with a personal agenda. >> with all the for malts and open -- for a moments -- for malts and opening -- formalities and opening statements out of the way, questioning begins tomorrow. and four protesters were arrested during the hearing on capitol hill today. and "the new york times" once described her as an angel in a white coat.

president obama has selected regina benjamin to be the next surgeon general. me is known along alabama's gulf coast as a country doctor who doesn't turn away patients. even those who can't pay. are. >> it should not be this hard for doctors and other health care providers to care for their patients. it shouldn't be this expensive. for americans to get health care in this country. >> dr. benjamin is also the first black woman and the youngest doctor elected to the american medical association's board. her nomination requires senate confirmation. a d.c. judge today turned down a defense request for a delay in the trial of a southeast washington woman charged with killing her four young daughters. her nape is bonita jacques and u.s. marshals found her daughters' decom posing daughters inside the home while serving an eviction notice. bruce leshan has the story. >> reporter: bonita jackson

lived with -- bonita jacques lived with her children's mummifying bodies and the smell of death for nearly seven months. today the defense asked for time for dna analysis on small patches of skin. the judge turned them down. now they are arguing over the admissibility of a long videotaped statement that bonita jacques gave to police. police brought out boxes and boxes of evidence that -- the tape may be the single most important piece of evidence. the defense is trying desperately to keep it out. >> i have a gag order -- i'm not allowed to speak to you guys. >> reporter: the statement from an enter -- interrogation room goes on and on for six hours. jacques in a soft slow raspy voice tiptoes up to the edge of explaining what happened to her girls. and then backs away. saying the detectives wouldn't understand. at one point she says her oldest daughter was possessed. she says she went to sleep with

her youngest girl, 4-year-old asia and woke to find her dead. she says the others just, quote, passed out and never got back up. one after the other. the family's rowhouse was cold and dark. the gas, water, and electricity had been shut off. and bonita jacques says no one in the family had eaten in a long, long time. police found a knife next to the oldest girl. after a long analysis, forensic investigators determined she had been stabbed to death. the three other girls allegedly were strangled or strangled and beaten to death. her lawyers had urged her to accept an insanity plea but she refused. and today jacques interrupted her lawyer to ask the judge to clear the courtroom. a request that was denied. one of the biggest mystery in this case is how the entire social safety net designed to help children to protect children, failed these girls, despite the warnings of a social worker at brittany jacques' school. that is a question that is unlikely to be answered at this

trial. audry? >> bruce, thank you very much. the reston resident with controversial views on the holocaust has been soundly defeated. ken myercord received 23 votes in a bid to win a seat on the reston citizens association. the write-in candidate collin mills received over 1500 votes. observers say myercord's candidacy brought a lost attention to the election where turnout is usually much lighter. there will be hearing this evening on a proposal to expand the islamic saudi academy in fairfax virginia. opponents of the proaferld say they have concerns about the -- of the proposal say they have concerns about the school's teachings. the academy receives much of its funding from the saudi government and there are charges that its religious curriculum fosters intolerance. but the county commission is recommending the approval of the planned expansion. virginia will offer state employees loans of up to $500 in an effort to keep them from turning to payday, or car title

lenders. governor tim kaine announced the details today. bore -- borrowers must be a credit union member with five dollars in a savings or checking account. participants need to complete an online financial course and a 10 question financial literacy exam. a new airline for pets only, starts flying tomorrow. called pet airways. pawsengers get to fly in the pain cabin. no cargo, no humans except for a flight attendant. virges will be offered out of bwi thurgood marshall international airport. flights out of new york, los angeles, denver and chicago, also. for more information on pet airways and their special introductory fares go to usaa9.com and look on our pets page.

still to come on 9 news now, pedicab. the death of a passenger in san diego is raising questions about the safety of those vehicles. we will tell you about regulations regarding pedicabs when we come back. plus, a texting teenager fall downs a new york manhole. those stories and more are just ahead. i am tony pann. it is a beautiful monday evening but we have a little rain in the seven-day forecast. a miill yhashowou tt in ju st fis.fetenu th tyou to ie e k e eabrwi eaokata thloe nu thp of e thth durho rewnegurdo town. stay tuned, weather is coming up next. do

9 news now has learned there are no specific rules or regulations for the growing number of pedicabs that are operating on the streets of the nation's capital. the pedaled carriers are doing a brisk business transporting tourists and downtown workers

in between monuments and government office buildings. but there are no set fares, no required seatbelts and no consensus on whether those pedicabs should be treated as taxis or a bike for hire. >> i mean do you follow bike rules or do you follow taxi cab rules. >> that is a good question. does -- there are rules -- we're -- basically we're a taxi cab so we're supposed to follow all the highway rules -- and -- you know lights and everything like that. >> you look more like a bike than a cab. >> yeah, exactly. >> so where is your helmet. >> i don't wear one. >> there is a business license and a fee to operate a pedicabs. but the city's taxi cab commission is consumer affairs office. the mayor's office and d.c. council could not produce any rules or regulations. we raised questions because in san diego on july 4, a retired school teacher died from injuries she received while being thrown from a pedicab. shes with not wearing a seatbelt. keep your fridge and wallet

full in tonight's living smart focus. consumer reports offers tips toe epfruits and veie s esfr g h place yovesa on groceri. an e bur, ts yourlibroc cod celery in a crisper. esore unwash er, chapries ped s anerppingrina c pltiasg bn idfr. ke id r ins peachean d pl natom ro ec n--tarine ted heans plums anm atoo r at oounmperurl thtie eyrin pe then refridge rate them. more tips on www.wusa9.com. just lick on living smart. -- click on living smart. this could come from the not living smart fire. a new york teenager is nursing bruises after falling down a manhole. how did she do it? she was texting! alexa was sending a message when snl sdeudy fell down a staten island manhole that was left uncovered. >> it was no warning of a big open hole. it -- >> it could have been worse. it could have been a lot worse. i could have lost my baby if she would have fell an inch

over -- >> alexa lost a shoe in the incident. and she does want it -- she says she doesn't want it ba gh. mor she ths aye shery sue the city of new york's department of environmental protection. coming up on 9 news now, lights at the end of a gun barrel. we will hear from the couple held hostage in their leesburg home. plus, arlington cemete ry ce re aesn gree amakeover. that story when we return. we all have confidence

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it's not just one thing it's everything. tylenol and advil don't do as much as pamprin. it's the everything in one pill. pamprin multi-symptom bob and frances beloit of leesburg found themselves staring down the barrel of a gun. for seven hours they were at the mercy of the man holding the gun. bob beloit is speaking with 9 news now about the man who broke into his house on friday da y.eldf ofpoli f all poliay sit all started when the gunman tried to rob a nearby jewelry store. he ran from police and took cover in the beloit's home. for hours police negotiated with the the gunman. as the day wore on he agreed to let one of the beloits go free. >> when he said, well, one of

can you go. i said go, frances. go! and she didn't want to go. she wanted me to go. and she stay treay. idsano idway. not going to happen. >> the gunman later surrendered. 49-year-old william spencer is in custody tonight. police have arrest -- also arrested 44-year-old donald blount, charged only with the initial jewelry store robbery. from our hero central file, a green thumb show of patriotism today. hundreds of land scapers from across the nation donated their time and expertise to spruce up arlington national cemetery. it is part of the 13th annual renewal and rememberance project hosted by the professional land care network. children also pitched in by planting flowers and laying a wreath at the tomb of the unknown. if you know a hero doing good for our community let us know about it by going to wusa9.com. just click on hero central. the little button there. you could get some kipe kind of award for this weather we have had this scroll.

this has been phenomenal for anything you want to do outside. >> outstanding so far this summer. no 90s with heat index over 100. and i don't see any in the foreseeable future. i think for the next couple of weeks this pattern will pretty much hold. it will get warmer later this week but nothing you wouldn't go you know what it is july. exactly. >> let's start with the three- day trend. it will get closer to 90 by wednesday and thursday. but that's normal. the low-to-mid 80s is not. and we're going to get that again tomorrow. so good stuff coming up here over the next 24 hours. and tonight, outstanding sleeping weather for this time of year. clear to partly cloudy skies. as soon as the sun goes down open the windows and turn the air up. it will drop in the 50s by tomorrow morning, especially away from the city, downtown. it will be in the low-to-mid 60s. during the day tomorrow, another great one. partly to mostcy sunny. humidity in check and high temperatures in the mid 80s. let's switch over to live doppler 9,000. we're picking up activity over on the eastern shore. and that's just where the atmosphere is a little more unstable than over on our side

of the bay. but so -- if you're watching near the coast line there around annapolis down towards calvert county you're looking eastbound you will see some of those storm tops there but there is nothing around the metro area and it should stay dry for the rest of tonight. let's switch it over, take a wider view on the radar. you will see a more significant system moving off the carolina coast. this is the one i thought perhaps would clip us during the day today. and keep the temperatures down a little bit. but it stayed far enough south that we didn't get in on the main activity, with this storm. so behind it the air will be coming out of the north and that is usually a dry wind for us. and i think that will be the case during the day tomorrow and tonight. 86 degrees downtown. 84 in hagers town. 82 in winchester. the air is really dry. relative humidity is only 29%. so as soon as the sun goes down, the temperatures will fall very quickly. so that is why i think it will drop into the 50s in the suburbs by tomorrow morning. and during the day tomorrow, high pressure will be in control. and that means quiet conditions

but more from the west that should roll through here during the day on wednesday and usher in that slightly warmer and more humid air mass tore the middle of the week. so 89, maybe 90, wednesday and thursday. there is a chance for scattered showers and thunderstorms in the afternoon, each day. through the beginning of the weekend. but these are just going to be the hit-and-miss type variety. not washout days, by any means. so if you have outdoor plans certainly don't cancel anything. i don -- i would only put about a 30 or 40% mark that you will run into some rain wednesday, thursday, or friday. so all in all, another good forecast. >> all right. thank you very much, tony. moving on to sports. got a little more on manny. >> yeah i think more than anything, nats brass was just trying to send a message to the fans saying, hey, we care. we want to do something. we don't know what to do so we will fire a guy and at least let you know we're trying -- unfortunately, i think we fired a quality guy today. the nats have plenty of blame to go around. tonight it is manny's turn to shoulder it. more on why the nats decided to cut bait with their young skipper. plus the maryland native

takes his place. 9 sports introduced you to him right after this.

it is time for 9 sports with brett haber, the best sports in town. >> manny acta didn't steer the ship into the iceberg. he just had to stand in the wheel house while it was sinking. given the flaws in the nationals roster and humorous play of the team on the field it is doubtful anybody could have guided them to success this year. but somebody had to take the fall and as you know it is usually the manager.

he was fired early this morning when the team returned home from houston. apparently it caught him off guard a bit because as he left houston last night he told reporters he was looking forward to a better second half. so much for that. nats 26-61 mark is the worst in the majors. while acta was respected for patience and even temperament, the owners decided the young nats needed a firmer hand and different voice. >> this is a sad day for me personally. i talked many times about the quality that manny possesses and that are the hallmarks of a manager with long term success. we put off a decision not with standing our poor record as long as we did because we didn't want this day to happen. >> acta not present at today's press conference but issuing this statement through the team, quote, i want to thank the nationals forgiving me the opportunity to be a major league manager. it was a great learning experience. i have no regrets. i would like to extend a special thank you, to the fans for being so faisht and supportive over -- so patient and supportive over the last few years. he goes out with class yet

again. now the nationals become somebody else's headache. that man is a seasoned baseball veteran, and a local guy. nats bench coach jim riggleman takes over as interim skimmer. he has nine seasons as a major league manager with the cub, padres and mariners. and is a maryland boy through and through. grew up in rockville. went to richard montgomery high school, and attended frostburg state university. and now, the nats are counting on him to relight the fire on this snuffed out team. >> i think jim will give them a different -- a different voice, a different approach. and -- and, hopefully,, hopefully, we can perform a little better. >> additionally, team management today wrote an elaborate two-page letter to nationals fans in part explaining what has gone wrong this season and in part asking for your patience while they try to work the whole thing out. you can read the letter and hear my interview with the team president on www.wusa9.com. and we move on to the wizards or at least a version of the wizards who are on plane

to las vegas tonight because somebody with a sense of humor decided to put the summer league for sport where you sweat a lot in the middle of the desert in july. regardless, the wiz held their final practice at verizon center today in advance of summer league. they will open play tomorrow against the summer cavs, no lebron there. only four regular roster players allowed on the summer league team. the wizards have chosen javell, mcgee. they try to impress flip saunders and earn a spot on the rotation. >> this summer, all 12 guys are important. it is important for every player to respect the guys they are playing with because everyone of then wants an opportunity. >> meanwhile, a surprise announcement out of baltimore today. ravens receiver derek mason announcing his retirement. the 35-year-old former pro bowler had sought a pay raise from the ravens this year. didn't get it. but also has been devastated by the death of his good friend and former teammate in both tennessee and baltimore, steve mcnair. mason's 23rd on the all time

receptions list with 790. finally tonight from the "people" magazine bureau, just in, just a week after they were smooching up at tigers tournament in bethesda, tony romo and jessica simpson, caput. the cowboys quarterback breaking up with the pop star, how about this, on the eve of her 29th birthday. that is cold. and scuttling her plans for a ken and barbie-themed birthday party. apparent -- i thought it was her 16th, not her 29th. bazing! >> can i say that i think the dress -- the golf tournament dress did not help her cause with tony. she has a stylist, sarah walsh pointed out opinion she has a stylist that said to her jess you look great in that dress. >> no, fire that person. but the ken and barbie themed party that might have pushed him over the edge. >> you can't be a football player and be part of the ken and barbie party. it is not tough. well, thank you very much for joining us. that is it for 9 news