hello and welcome to 9 news now at noon. i'm j.c. hayward. today the president hits the road to continue pressing his case for health care reform.

some republicans actually like president obama's proposal. however, they say it is a big departure from what's in the democrat's bill. susan roberts has more. >> reporter: president obama is taking his health care reform message on the are on the road. his goal, making his voice heard above the political fighting in congress and convincing worried americans that he has a plan that will work. the president is touring the cleveland clinic, where doctors ' salaries are not linked to the number of patients they see and then will hold a town hall meeting. the president has his work cut out for him. one poll shows 43% of americans disapprove of his health care reform plan. the trip comes one day after a primetime news conference designed to put the president front and center in the debate. >> if we do not reform health care, your premium and outof pocket costs will continue to skyrocket. if we don't act, 14,000 americans will continue to lose their health insurance every

single day. >> reporter: leading republicans like what the president had to say but they argue there's a big difference between the president's words an the plan that congressional democrats are pushing. >> the problem is that's not within the house democratic bill. the house democratic bill decreases -- increases the deficit by a quarter trillion dollars. increases taxes on employers. >> but top white house advisers disagree. >> this would reform the system and put consumers in control and that's what we need. >> reporter: president obama has told congress he wants the final health care reform bill on his desk before they leave town for recess in august. but at this point they -- few believe lawmakers will be able to move that fast. we spoke with a doctor in bethesda to get his thoughts on the president's reform plan. the doctor supports the plan but is worried about what congress may impose. >> definitely do not need

someone telling where to send the patient and overseeing the care. that's a concern. >> reporter: the doctor adds any reform will take sacrifices by everyone. we want to hear what you think. join the discussion at wusa9.com wusa9.com. leave your comments on what the president said and leave get indepth coverage. the arrest of the harvard professor henry lewis gates has made headlines for decades but he claims racism. he was arrested outside of his cambridge, massachusetts home while trying to get in he says he forgot his keys in the door jam. police officers, who were white, thought he was eabr ngki in. there we srdomwoe ngs and gates was arrested on disorderly conduct charges.

well, president obama weighed in last night. >> i think it is fair to say, number one, any of us would be pretty angry. number two, that the cambridge police acted stupidly. in arresting somebody when there was proof they were in their own home. and number three, what i think we know separate and apart from this incident is that there's a long history in the country of african-americans and latinos being stopped bylaw enforcement disproportionately. >> reporter: the prosecutors in massachusetts have dropped disorderly charges against professor gates. the officer, who arrested him, is also speaking out. >> it is comforting. i have gotten a lot of calls of support and i'm very grateful for my friend and colleagues. >> reporter: what if it means discipline or your job? >> i have the support of my

organization and have been grateful for it and it's not a consideration. it is not going to happen. >> reporter: sergeant crawley says he is not a racist. and he says he will not apologize to professor gates for what happened. metro says that the tacoma station will remain open through the week. but expect delays through the area last month's deadly crash. metro general manager john catoe was on wamu radio to talk about metro's problems and he faced the question about problems with the circuit days before the crash. he says that it showed up o'trnimemongs ritetoysm sbuon t metro's monitoring system but it would have been hard to see. >> unless you were staring right at that point of the screen you would not see that it was blinking.

>> a backup system would issue an alert anytime a fault in the system is detected. well, you can expect a larger police presence in rock creek park following yesterday's attack on a female jogger. our 9 news now digital correspondent, armando trull has more on the search for the suspect. >> don't run alone. >> yeah, nobody. >> reporter: that's the advice this morning from joggers after learning about tuesday's assault. >> we would never run here by ourselves. >> reporter: many enjoying the same stretch of bike path today where the attack happened two days ago are shocked. >> we don't go alone and if there is any announcement or a problem we go elsewhere. >> bad luck. it can happen anywhere. i run here every single day, in the woods and the street never giving it a second thought. >> police say the assault rapid

near beach drive and bingham road. >> i'm not sure about the specifics of the assault given the fact that a woman was assaulted robbed? >> i don't think so. >> reporter: police are looking for the suspect still. >> we are looking for a hispanic male, about 5'7" to 5'8", stocky or large build with shoulder will have lenette black wavey hair and apparently smelled of alcohol at 7:00 in the morning. >> reporter: in the wake of the assault, police have stepped up patrols in the area. in rock creek park, armando trull for 9 news now and wusa9.com. he health record med.foun they were fo the home. the records vanished a year be cre killed 32 people and committed suicide. his mental health treatment has been part of the investigation in to she shooting. they were revealed by an attorney involved in the

lawsuit. two families filed in connection with the shootings. virginia governor tim kaine says the records will be made public as soon as possible. >> we are right now. we are pursuing the release co e materials. i do not thveha the ability ha unilaterally to release emwe are reaching out to the family and they expect they will be released. >> dr. miller declined to comment. virginia state police say removing records from the center is illegal. north korea is refusing to give up its nuclear weapons triggering a heated exchange with secretary of state hillary clinton. north korean officials call the secretary of state stupid after mrs. clinton accused north korean leaders of acting like spoiled children, demanding global attention. charlie d'agata has our story. u.s. secretary of state hillary clinton is warning north korea it has no friends left to

protect it from punishing sanctions. >> the united states and its allies and partners cannot accept a north korea that tries to maintain nuclear weapons. >> reporter: the secretary of state fell in to a war of words during a summit in thailand after north korea refused again to give up its nuclear program. clinton likened north korean leaders to small children demanding attention. the communist nation ridiculed clinton as a funny lady and a schoolgirl with no understanding of international etiquette. >> this north korean delegate asks how can you have a dialogue with a knife at your back? thailand's foreign minister is urging north korea to return to nuclear negotiations. >> look beyond the past and join others in finding the way forward. >> reporter: clinton insists north korea must return to talks to avoid international isolation. >> the events no willingness to pursue the path of

denuclearization. and that was troubling. not only to the united states, but to the region and the international community. >> reporter: the secretary of state hillary clinton now returns to washington after a week-long trip to india and thailand aimed at strengthening u.s. ties in the region. charlie d'agata, cbs news. still to come when 9 news now continues, a who's who in journalism and politics. paying their final respects to the most trusted man in am wera,icalter cronkite. we'll be right back. r

funeral services will be this afternoon for walter cronkite at saint par bartholomews church. what can you tell us about the service. >> reporter: i spoke to the director, who will be doing the service and he tells me this will be a traditional private service for the family and close friends and colleagues of walter cronkite. his three children, along with his four grandchildren will be here. many of them will be doing readings and we are learning that some of the music choices are very close to walter cronkite's heart. there will be the navy hymn because of his love of sailing

and also a rendition of when the saints go marching in but a new orleans-style jazz band. and that's because walter cronkite will haved new orleans jazz. in fact the director tells me that the band will be following out the final procession, sort of in new orleans style and he tells me this is really going to be a celebration of a life well lived and a life honorably lived. so a very traditional funeral here today and very private. j.c.? >> and where will mr. cronkite be buried? >> reporter: what we are learning his final resting place will be in his home state of missouri. he is from kansas city and he will be laid to rest next to his wife betsy of 65 years. he died in 2005. -- she died in 2005. she had her funeral here also. the director is the same priest that did her service. he tells me that's really when he got to know walter cronkite so well and so the service, it

will be personal from all aspects from the priest that will be given the service as well as family members and his colleagues that go back to so many decades. we are expecting big names in the world of journalism, barbara walters as well as diane sawyer are expected here to be here but today it is about a family affair. >> reporter: karen brown, thank you so much for reporting live om new york. walter cronkite died at his new york city home at the age of 92 and you can watch live coofra geth e funeral by going to our website at wusa9.com. and it begins at 2:00 this afternoon. coming up next, kim and the forecast. oh, j.c., i have found a cutie pie up for adoption. yep, the weather segment is next and then we will introduce you to this little bunny rabbit that needs a loving home. don't change that dial. you are watching 9 news now. toa @

the university of maryland school of medicine will be a leader in fighting the h1n1

flu. the baltimore school is among several selected for human trials of a possible vaccine. up to 1,000 people will take part nationwide. the trial will evaluate two different strength of the vaccine. that's a good thing. >> got to find a way to combat that. how are you doing? i'm well. counting down the days until i'm not a sing woman anymore. >> i know. >> nervous. i'm hoping the weather cooperates. and also for today a lot of you have rung me up on the weather office, facebook and twitted me and gone to my chat room to y sa wey ave rain here and weha ve them donerplopon oppler 9000. they are lion b ttletyitshowers pp. typo u p okloclose there is a shower okmo tngvio chantilly right now anngd another on the a n y rside of town to bae d anbest toal the bay and beale, rylandmaand ese are the size oeyth arare really small l popcorn ows er inthe

atmosphere and we will be in and out of them thhoheroug tut tbiy. er look at the bigg picture they ctare hard to see these little tiny popup showers. all eyes are on the big mess in the atlantic ocean that will be slamming in to new york and new england. they will have torrential rain today. if you are going there plan ahead. the netherlands carillon camera, we are in the clouds. it is murky outside. the temperature 83. despite the clouds a decent warmup. southeast winds at three miles an hour. baltimore with rain and 77 along with the folks at annapolis. manassas is 82. 81 winchester. in cumberland, maryland looking good with that 77 and hi to you in fredericksburg as we stop by main street you will be in a steamy 82-degree air mass. yes, it is muggy outside. we will take you to the middle 80s today with scattered showers. a little bit of thunder here and there. tomorrow not as widespread but a chance to get wet, 86. notice as we head too the weekend, highs return to 90.

and saturday is looking better than sunday. let's widen out the picture and take you to the middle of the country. all quiet through the great plains out to california. and then really the big weather maker is the storm in the atlantic pulling in to new england and a residual low toward toronto, western new york where things will be wet to cleveland. if you have some travel plans, with the rain it will be cooler across chicago 77. only 70 today in boston. across the deep south is where you find 90s new orleans. 93 in dallas and looking toward the desert southwest, phoenix, 106. triple-digits as far as boise and not even 70 in san francisco today. we're in this warm steamy conveyer belt of red arrows coming up from the gulf of mexico. importing the humidity here and with the front nearby it is allowing plenty of opportunity for showers today. we will take you to 84 for the high. later tonight lows ease back to 69 degrees and as we look to

the west pittsburgh working on a low of 60. tomorrow, 87. scattered thunderstorms and hottest day looking to be as we to the eyweektoenthe weekend. on saturday we are talking around 91. all right. here's the seven day. we are going to keep it hot here through the weekend. like i said low 90s. saturday is looking dry. sunday we have some scattered thunderstorms back in the weather forecast. it will be touch and go as we head in to next week. well, my buddy mary ellen is here and you brought a little buddy with you. so sweet and he's got some sort of lop with the ears all floppy, right. >> she's a mini lop, a little under a year old. she was left at a shelter. a product of someone that got bunnies last year an they were both male and female and there was a litter and patty is one of the litter. she is a sweet girl and looking for a home. >> she's so cute.

i grew up having rabbits. i wasn't allowed to have cats and dogs. they are good pets. you petlet them hop around and they sit there and don't cause much trouble. >> they can cause a lot of trouble. they can eat a lot of baseboards and cords. >> they can chew your alarm clock cord which happened to me. >> they are sweet. we like them running throughout the house. they get a lot of freedom. going everywhere. >> that's good. they tend to, you can train them to be litter box trained. >> they are litter boxed trained, spayed and neutered. >> hopefully we will have a link to this little bunny on our website at wusa9.com. let your fingers do the walking there if you would like to adopt this little bunny. the show isn't over. it is 12:22. back with more 9 news now. stay d.with us. when i get my period

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 >> for the week, juanita has left me some things that are very exciting. she says this is the season for movie buffs and transafrica's washington african film series is being held at the national geographic auditorium from today through sunday. you can go down and see some great movies there and if you go to the maiden memorial you can see screen on the green. that's monday until august 10th at dawn at 8 p.m. and this week they are featuring dog day afternoon

with al pacino and how about staying cool in a taxi. it will be so hot this weekend. we are talking about a water taxi. take it from the national harbor. and of course this is a hot political season so why not go to the capitol steps a musical. regardless of your political affiliation she says it will have you cracking your sides. it is playing at the ronald reagan build and international trade center so there are a lot of things to do this weekend. make plans right now and stay cool. take a lot of water with you okay. let's get the forecast again. >> especially when you see the weekend forecast. it will be hot. on saturday we will be around 90. that's the drier of the two days, okay. sunday some scattered thunderstorms are possible. 90 degrees and in to next week we are in the 90s for the most part on tuesday and wednesday. for today you want to have the umbrella on stand by. pop up showers but when they

are over you they seem big. that's my scoop and you heard it here first. >> all right. one more day with my girlfriend. she says she is going to leave me for two weeks so we have her until tomorrow. >> thanks for joining us. come back and join us at 5:00. have a great day. stay cool. bye-bye. qqx qqx