instruction company and a friend were heading home to frederick after an even to help troubled kids the ntsb has the task of sifting through the debris to determine what caused the chopper to go down. >> reporter: investigators will focus on whether weather played a part since heavy rain and fog may have been a factor in the crash. >> the wires that were struck were 70 feet off the ground. so that gives you a sense of what height the helicopter was flying. we also know once of the witnesses reported that weather was. >> this pilot took off at 10:15 and was on a visual flight pattern. >> the p.a. an hour ago we saw the flat bed truck that will be carrying the wreckage to delaware.

that's where investigators will begin the bulk of the investigation. the control tower was closed at the time of the accident there is no communication back and forth and no flight data recorder. the ntsb says this is a tragic loose and they were doing something good for the community when they died. >> thank you. maryland state police have tentatively identified those on board. among the victims a well- known pta mom. digital correspondent scott broom is following the developing information. >> she led the girl scout troop since my daughter was the first

grade and pta president last year and it is heart breaking. >> stunned friends, mourned the loss of 48-year-old kim felix. >> gave so much to people. >> reporter: nearby the family of neil booth gathered to remember an adventure with a commitment to helping others. he was the director of the advance helicopter youth foundation, a charitable enterprise found by the owner of advanced helicopter concepts in frederick which operated the chopper that crashed. booth and the company were working to organize a flight of helicopters to raise money to assist families of at-risk youth. kim felix was a well-known community leader here. she was married with three daughters. >> president of the pta. did things for the children. >> booth was married with two sons a management consultant pouring heart and soul in to the new foundation and aviation. also killed 24-year-old flight instructor and pilot jeffrey

noordis and george tutor junior. >> the director of advance helicopter consents calls what happened to them a huge loss. scott broom, 9 news now and wusa9.com. >> here's a helicopter with the same tail number as the one that crashed. it is a robinson r-844 a piston engine helicopter that seats four people. you can learn more about the victims of the crash and the ongoing investigation on our website at wusa9.com. now we will take you live to breaking news in annandale, virginia. right now sky 9 is on the scene of what police are calling a homicide at 4119 hummer road. you are looking at that particular area. at this hour, all we know is that a person was found stabbed to death inside of the home. police are on the scene investigating. we will bring you more information as it comes in. there was major delays for passengers riding the red line today but not because of the ongoing metro crash investigation. a man was struck by a metro

train at the van ness station. digital correspondent lindsey mastis has the story. >> reporter: this man is lucky to be alive. that's what dc's fire chief says about a man struck by a metro train. >> under the train in between the track the victim was located under the second car. >> reporter: he says the man in his 40s what life-threatening injuries but was conscious in the ambulance. >> his injuries were compatible with being struck. she being transported to gw highway. >> reporter: police don't know how the man got on the tracks. witnesses say the man intentionally placed himself on the track. >> linda monroe was on the outbound train. >> they shut the whole train down. everything went black and the doors were locked and we couldn't get out and then they told everybody to get out. >> police are working to find out if it is one of the older

students. >> our hearts and thoughts are with this family. >> reporter: lindsey mastis, 9 news now and wusa9.com. >> the trains were sharing a single track between the cleveland park and friendship heights metro station between 12:30 and 2:20 this amp. today the defense attorney's turn to lay out their case in the banita jacks trial. the mother is charged in the death of her four daughters. bruce leshan is live with more. >> yeah, anita, eight days, 25 witnesses for the prosecution. 20 minutes, two witnesses for the defense, the prosecution just rested the banita jacks trial two hours ago. the defense immediately moved for a dismissal saying that prosecutors had failed to prove the deaths of jacks ' four daughters were premeditated murder and aggravated cruelty to children. this has been a tough case because the bodies were so

badly decomposed. they had been there for about seven months that some of the medical examiners testified they could only be 50% certain that it was murder, but the judge ruled today that a reasonable juror in the light most favorable to the prosecution could find banita jacks guilty. the defense did it best to poke holes in the final witness. witness. who said he was certain the girls were murdered. they admitted the stab wounds may not have been fatal but he was certain they were there. there was a perry mason moment as the defense started to put on its case. one of the witnesses, an investigator a defense investigator said he had gone to the scene of the crime, the defense attorney jumped up a and said, the crime and the judge said, you are fired. now there was much made of the sky light and this investigator

said he saw sky light, several sky lights in the home. apparently and it is really not clear but that is apparently because the u.s. marshals had gone and said the house was dark and also there is a suggestion that perhaps somebody might have come in through the sky lights. closing arguments on monday an then it will be up to a judge to decide whether banita jacks murdered her four daughters in january of 2008. that's when the bodies were found. they murdered sometimes before that. tonight a man will serve a 2 a year sentence for his role in a heroin overdose. the man supplied the heroin that killed his girlfriend at that time. 20-year-old alicia listennen last year. court documents show the defendant attempted three times to have a witness lie to the grand jury investigating his case. sky nine over the scene of a deadly crash involving a police cruiser in calvert county this morning. it happened at route 4 and

apple way near dunkirk. the civilian involved in the crash was killed. the officer rushed to the hospital. investigators say the officer was responding to a call with lights and sirens going when the crash happened. a 45-year-old man is -- woman is behind bars charged with bank robbery. police say the held up a sun trust bank branch in woodbridge. she was caught within an hour of the crime thanks to police work and the daily traffic jam. here's peggy fox with the story. >> reporter: she stood in handcuffs on the shoulder of i- 95 and edsall road. curious commuters looked on at a dozen police officers. it was an alert state trooper who spotted the license tag. >> really amazing he could scan all of the lanes of traffic, hov and three lanes in rush hour and still pick out this car. it was really good police work. >> reporter: her alleged crime bank robbery. >> it was a woman. >> really? >> normally guys are the dumb ones that go ahead and make these dumb choices. >> well, i guess it takes all

kinds to make the world go round. >> reporter: she is suspected of robbing a sun trust on route 1. >> police is everywhere around here. i figured someone would have them. they drove that way and that way and real deep right here. >> reporter: frustrated customers were turned away by a closed sign for the rest of the day as detectives collected evidence and interviewed employees. only the u.p.s. man was allowed in. >> good she got caught. now she is putting me in a spot that i can't get my hard-earned money out of bank but i'm glad they caught her and nobody was hurt. >> reporter: the heist happened at 9:10, not the best time for a getaway, especially if you don't factor in rush hour traffic. >> traffic all over the place. >> why would go in to traffic? that don't make no sense. >> reporter: as for a motive one source said it appeared she was on heroin. she's been transported to the prince william county jail. peggy fox, 9 news now and wusa9.com. a woman maybe responsible for other bank robberies this

area. fairfax county police are looking at two robberies in the lorton and alexandria area, both were committed by a woman who appears to look like the suspect in today's robbery. in each case the woman implied she had a gun. the washington nationals teaming up with habitat for humanity. today some of the nats took part in a build day. they were working on one of 53 homes habitat is building. they will host habitat for humanity night on august 8th at nationals stadium. we may have to adjust the thermostat after a day like this. tony pann is in with the forecast first. >> things will get warm as we head to in to the weekend but we have been spoiled most of the summer. hasn't had any summer heat for a while. tomorrow i think the humidity will go up and it will feel a sittle veprsies. noerov you have outdoor 90 u mbe outdoor plans take

uanrella just in case but most uofthofactivity is to so anut sodeunwethhors r inthundershowe spotsylvania right honow and stronger stormins stronger storms in southern pennsylvania moving across the maryatnd st e line. but most of atthacty stviti i think will be rth viof us a nd us'l nd we'lwendwi ndl up with dry conditions this evening. switch it over and look at the weekend. warm and humid conditions expected on saturday and sunday. better chance for thunderstorms on sunday then saturday. if i was going to pick one of the two weekend days i'd pick saturday at this. back with the seven-day forecast in a few minutes. for now back inside. talk about a courageous canine. coming up meet the four-legged hero from last month's metro crash. and the cash for clunkers program starts howyou uptoday. we'll tell you how you could cash in. we'll be right back.

time to look at the numbers from wall street and it's not all bad. the dow gained nearly 24 points to close at 9093. the nasdaq took a hit dipping eight points to close at 1965 and some change and the s&p gained close to three points closing at 979. today the federal government raises its minimum wage by 70 cents to $7.25 an hour. white it means more money for lower paid workers, it also spells higher costs for struggling small business homeowners. some economists think it may force some to cut staff making recession worse. visitors are flocking to dc despite the economic downturn. the neigh's capital brought in 3.4% visitors for 2008 and 16.6

million guests. domestic travel was up 2%. but the latest data available from tourism tracker destination dc also saw international visits up 22%. total spending came in at $5.64 billion. that's a 1% increase. a new service for the airline that flies the greatest number of passengers out of reagan national. u.s. airways is the latest carrier to add in-flight wi-fi for some domestic flights. customers are probably going to pay between 6 and $13 depending on the length of the flite and the type of device using the wi- fi service. the cash for clunkers program begins today. the auto industry calls it a win-win but figuring out if you qualify is the first step. alexis christoforous walks us through the program. >> the government hopes the cash for clunkers program will get drivers to trade in gas guzzlers for fuel efficient models and offering $4,500 off the purchase. car shoppers in new york say,

what's not to like? >> try to go green a little bit and save everyone a little money. >> anytime you can get money off of a car that's always excellent, right. >> reporter: make sure to read the fine print. there's lots of it. your trade in has to be between 1984 and 2001. it has to have a fuel efficiency of 18 miles a gallon or less. and you need paperwork to prove it's been insured and registered to you for at least the past year. >> the deals are shot at people who have historically held older cars longer. now, all of a sudden, there is incentive for them to come in. >> reporter: the auto industry is banking on it. dealers say july has been slow. they hope it is because shoppers were waiting to cash in their clunkers. chrysler is sweetening the deal with its own incentive offering $4,500 off of the twine chrysler, dodge or jeep models. you get that deal even if you don't qualify for the cash for clunkers trade. if you do qualify you could get

up to $9,000 off the sticker price. dealers say it's worth it. >> we are excited about the fact that it will bring traffic to the dealerships today. >> reporter: the government has a website cars.gov which lays out the rules and while consumers are doing their home work dealers are dusting off the inventory. alexis christoforous, cbs news, new york. >> toyota appears to be moving closer to shutting down california's last auto plant. they plan to start talks next week that could dissolve new united motor manufacturing or nummi. hit had been a joint venture with general motors but they said they would abandon the partnership as part of the bankruptcy proceedings. it is possible toyota or another bidder could make an offer for gm's stake in the plant. visitors of yosemite national park can enview views from touring vehicles that are green in more ways than one. each year 70,000 people pay for a tour of the national park in

a vehicle that is green colored and looks like a semi flat bed with chairs. the ribbon cutting ceremony marked the arrival of diesel hybrids that will replace the current propane powered fleets. >> these reduce emissions compared to clean diesel by 70%. the fuel economy is great rom compare to that. it is 800% improvement in fuel economy compared to the other vehicles we used. the tour company expects to recrew the cost through lower fuel costs. safe to say the heat is back on. >> oh, yeah. >> this summer you can't complain when you get a couple of hot days. that has been a good summer for dc and we will tump up the heat tomorrow in the 90s. big whoop, right, it is the end of july. the three day trend first and see what to expect in to the weekend. 91 tomorrow and the humidity will go up a little bit. it will feel warmer than 91 to

start the weekend an a good chance of thunderstorms on sunday. like i said at the top of the show if you are going to pick one of the two weekend days pick saturday. that's the way it looks light right now. partly cloudy skies a chance of a shower or thunderstorm. 30 or 40% park on that. take an umbrella just in case. most of you will see dry weather this evening and the humidity has come down a little bit. show you the dew point in a in moment. partly cloudy to mostly sunny skies to start the weekend on saturday. the winds to the south. the humidity goes up along with the temperatures. the highs will range between 88 and 93 degrees. switch over and look at live doppler 9000. a lot of activity to the north across the pennsylvania line. york county, pennsylvania getting hit hard. a couple of storms near hagerstown. activity south of fredericksburg and spotsylvania but nothing really happening in the metro area and i expect it to stay that way for the most part. if you are watching us up north a better chance of getting wet and same to the south.

immediate metro area should be okay in the short term. a wider view on the radar and you can see the activity is moving west to east across pennsylvania. this is a disturbance in the upper levels of the atmosphere. most of the energy will be north of us in pennsylvania. that's why i said that's the best chance to see any precipitation. temperatures not too bad right now. 84 degrees at the top of the hour at national airport. the dew point down to 61. actually fairly comfortable with a relative humidity of 45%. over temperatures upper 70s and low 80s. 75 winchester. 82 in the patuxent naval air station and 85 at bwi. everybody will settle back to the 60s by tomorrow morning. we have hotter conditions off to the west. southern plains, temperatures in the low 90s. 92 kansas city. that's where the weather will be coming from to start the weekend. that's why we forecasted the lee 90s on saturday. we will see a flip in the weather pattern here. for middle east of the summer, this dip in the jet stream has been across the east coast.

it will shift to the west and take the cooler or mild conditions back in the northern plains and let a little bit of summer heat come up the east coast. so for the next seven days the temperatures will be closer to normal for this time of the year. low 90s on saturday, upper 80s on sunday. a better chance of thunderstorms once again on sunday than at saturday and each day next week we will see a chance of hit and miss summer thunderstorms on monday, tuesday, wednesday, thursday, friday. this is a typical summer forecast with maybe a thunderstorm in the afternoon and you know near 90 every day. >> we are hoping for more misses. >> me, too. we salute one of the many heros called to action in the deadly metro train crash. this time it was a dog. and in "living $mart" how to cool your home and keep your the y from going out window. (announcer) for many with arthritis pain,

not treating is not an option. all prescription nsaid pain relievers, like celebrex, ibuprofen and naproxen, help treat arthritis pain and have some of the same warnings. but since individual results may vary, having options is important. prescription celebrex has been the option for millions of patients for 10 straight years. just one 200-mg celebrex (once a day,) can provide dependable, 24-hour relief for many with arthritis pain, stiffness and inflammation. based on the available data, the fda stated that for certain patients celebrex's benefits outweigh the risks.

if you are worried about stomach upset, you should know, in clinical studies, a lower percentage of patients taking celebrex reported stomach discomfort versus prescription ibuprofen and naproxen. and if you are taking low-dose aspirin for your heart and need an nsaid pain reliever, celebrex can be used because it doesn't interfere with the effects of low-dose aspirin. but when it comes to relieving your arthritis pain, you and your doctor need to balance the benefits with the risks. the fda requires all prescription nsaids, including celebrex, ibuprofen, naproxen and meloxicam, to have the same cardiovascular warning. they all may increase the chance of heart attack or stroke, which can lead to death. this chance increases if you have heart disease or risk factors for it such as high blood pressure or when nsaids are taken for long periods. all prescription nsaids, including celebrex, also increase the chance of serious skin reactions or stomach and intestine problems, such as bleeding and ulcers,

which can occur without warning and may cause death. patients also taking aspirin and the elderly are at increased risk for stomach bleeding and ulcers. do not take celebrex if you're allergic to aspirin or sulfonamides. ask your doctor if you could benefit from celebrex. understand the risks. feel the benefits. i'm howard bernstein with the living green tip of the day. are you having trouble finding time hitting the gym. try to workout another way, hop on a bike to get to work or run your errands and if it is too

far take a bike ride to the metro and most metro buss have a bike rack on the front. you can get more at wusa9.com. click on living green. it is time for an update on our hero central project. a group in need of a hero, a local organization helps students with needs inside and out of the classroom because of a lack of money it will shut down in october. on our website at wusa9.com, learn more about this group and how to help it. the story is on our hero central page. our hero today displayed her courage during last month's deadly metro train crash. kristin fisher introduces us to kazo, a search and rescue dog with dc's fire department. >> reporter: it's the deadliest crash in dc metro's history. nine people dead and nearly 80 others injured. >> it was quite a dramatic event. >> reporter: sergeant christopher hole and his

partner kazo were on the scene. the is a live victim search dog and trained to find people buried in debris and can tell the difference between the ones already dead and the ones still alive. >> we go for the live victims first. we want to help the viable victims and be able to find those victims as fast as we can, extricate them and get them to the hospital and come back and look for the deceased victims. >> reporter: the day of the metro crash, kazo was the only search and rescue dog on the scene and helped to find the nine victims but kazo is only one of four with the dc fire department. >> go up there. get a cookie. >> wilson and his partner have been a team for two years. >> working with rue was a life changing experience like having kids. basically where every i go he goes. >> he can smell if an accelerant has been used in a fire. it is a job that would take firefighters days or weeks.

>> saves on resources and time. >> there's no price for these animals it is invaluable. >> every day i feel fortunate to have this job. it has to be the best job and not only in this city but probably in united states. >> reporter: kristin fisher, 9 news now and wusa9.com. >> glad they feel that way. all four of the dc fire department dog and their handlers were honored last night during the mystics game at the verizon center. the fund-raiser was sponsored by equinox restaurant and the website city shop girl. all the money raised goes to fire enemies personnel who train and maintain those rescue k-9s. still to come, the president, the professor and the police department. we will have the lathe on the henry lewis gates controversy. the casting call is out and dancers audition for the role ch m e i'liatarag d'ata atthe o audition. the story is coming up. b@b@b@f@

if we don't act, medical bills will wipe out their savings. if we don't act, she'll be denied coverage because of a pre-existing condition. and he won't get the chemotherapy he needs. if we don't act, health care costs will rise 70%. and he'll have to cut benefits for his employees. but we can act. the president and congress have a plan to lower your costs and stop denials for pre-existing conditions. it's time to act.

welcome back. investigators are trying to figure out what caused a helicopter to crash in maryland last night. the choper went down on i-70 near hagerstown. four people were killed in the crash. the breckage is being taken to a facility in delaware for further examination. expect delays on portions of the red line this evening while metro investigates an incident at the van ness station. a man had to be rescued from under a train there this afternoon. he's being treated at an area hospital. metro is trying to determine how he got on the tracks. and the defense ends its case in the banita jacks trial. he is the dc woman accused of killing four of her daughter and living with their remains in her southeast home. the bodies were found by federal marshalls when they went to the home to evict jacks. defense attorneys say that jacks is innocent. cambridge, massachusetts police are demanding an apology

from president obama calling his comments about the arrest of an african-american harvard professor insulting. joel brown shows us that officers of every race are standing behind the arresting sergeant. >> president obama says his choice of words added to the frenzy surrounding a white police officer's arrest of a black harvard scholar. >> i unfortunately gave the impression that i was aligning the cambridge police department and i could have calibrated those words differently. >> he called the police department's actions stupid when asked about henry gates arrest in his own home. today the president called the arresting officer. >> my impression of him was that he was an outstanding police officer and a good man. and that was confirmed in the phone conversation. >> reporter: the president said he still feels both sides overreacted and that the

incident is testament that race is a sensitive issue in the country. the law enforcement community made a show of force behind seattle crawley on friday asking for an apology from the president. >> i think the president should make an apoll joy to all law enforcement personnel throughout the entire country that took offense to this. >> reporter: now the president, along with gates ' daughter and others hope there can be a positive outcome that improves race relations. >> if you have watched these two people come together and create a resolution that doesn't end in a bitter lawsuit i think it will signify progress. >> reporter: the president spoke to professor gates hone the phone and invited both men to the white house for a face- to-face meeting. joel brown, cbs news, washington. >> reporter: meantime the president is challenging public educators to improve schools and he's offering federal stimulus money as an incentive. he announced the program called race to the top. the president said upgrading america's schools is critical.

he says traditional grants are not doing the job as they should and now he's turning to competition. states that accomplish the goal will get billions in federal money. >> if you set and enforce rigorous and challenging standards and assessments. if you put outstanding teachers at the front of the classroom, if you turn around failing schools, your state can win a race to the top grant that will not only help students outcompete workers around the world but let them fulfill their god-given potential. >> reporter: the president is making $4 billion available to the competitive program. in the president says he wants health care reform legislation from congress by the fall but looks like the house could vote on its version as soon as next week. they may take their bill directly to the house floor for a vote. maryland's congressman says if a vote is not held next week the house may stay in washington in august to complete work on their reform

bill. the verdict is guilty for a man charged in a gang-related shooting at wheaton plaza. 20-year-old anthony taylor was convicted on 16 counts including attempted voluntary manslaughter. the shooting happened last december before christmas. one bullet hit an alleged ms-13 gang member and another hit a car of bystanders. a manhunt under way i long the u.s.-mexican border near san diego. that's where a border patrol agent was shot and killed last night. we know few details about this but investigators say there are signs that a struggle took place before the shooting. h1n1 flu fears led to changes for the pilgrimage to saudi arabia. health ministers in the middle east have banned kids under 12, elderly over 65 and those with chronic illnesses from going to the hajj over fears a mass gathering could spread the flu. it attracts people every year to the holy centers of mecca

and medina. >> the u.s. government will own 195 million doses of the h1n1 virus. they have paid 2 billion to purchase vaccines from people working on it. two astronauts made an extended space walk today outside of the international space station. >> don't let you go quite yet. >> take your time. >> astronauts christopher cassidy and thomas marshburg spent 7 1/2 hours in space replacing batteries in the space station's array. there was a problem with one of the astronauts space suits yesterday and the sidewalk had to be cut short. a russian soyuz rocket blasted off today from kazakhstan. the russian space freighter will deliver more than two tons of cargo to the international space station including fuel,

water and various equipment. okay. here's a question. can you dance like michael jackson? that was the casting call producers in london put out an they got a huge response. hundreds showed up to auditioner the world stage show thriller live celebrating the life of the late singer. charlie d'agata was there. >> michael jackson topped the charts with thriller before these dancers were even born. >> they had one shot to make his legendary moves come a0 live. in auditions for the world tour of the london stage show thriller live. >> practicing my moon walk. >> i can't do the moon walk, no way. >> reporter: some were thrillers. some off the wall. and some were just plain bad. daniel says he's been dancing like michael jackson since he was a kid. this is the chance of a lifetime. >> words can't explain it.

words can't explain it. >> reporter: judges say they are looking for that jacksonesque style. >> we have a responsibility to show the work of michael jackson as authentic as possible so these kids need to be really good. >> as aspiring dancers they audition for any major world production for many making the cut here pays tribute to the man himself. >> because he is michael jackson the best that ever lived. he's my hero. >> reporter: as for daniel he made it through for now. >> my heart is beating. i'm quite restless. >> a hint of what he will feel if he is lucky enough to join the cast once thriller live goes global later this year. charlie d'agata, cbs news, london. >> producers say the world tour of thriller live will come to the u.s. sometime within the next 12 months. well, probably won't be dancing like the story we are going to tell you about now. here's how it usually goes,

first the wedding and then dancing at the reception. one -- reception but one couple couldn't wait. that's definitely different. they did their thing and danced down the aisle. it is their wedding they can do what they want. it is all on tape and is an internet reception. the newlyweds love to dance and it is their wedding after all. >> whatever works for you. >> what do they say, different strokes for different folks. >> that's right. see how a simple test to tip off pregnant women if they are going to deliver their baby too soon. but first, if this hot weather has you thinking of air conditioning i our "living $mart" team can help you find some savings. it may not be the fall classic but baseball playoffs are underway in arlington. we look at the stars of the babe ruth regional championship. fo> hey guys, a little rain in you e dathven y r the weekend.y in a buvet fibut first a 00ledo90r . atgot ppdoler 9000.

got w dethfermrsuns into90 few northern suburbs. we will talk about that and check the seven day shortly. stay with us. th

so far we have been spare the constant brutal heat and humidity of the season but when they return we will seek the shelter of an air conditioned room but if your ac unit drains your pocket dry and no longer keeps you cool we have you tips to save energy and money. >> reporter: when it comes to summer sweltering heat, some of us have no choice but to sweat it out ♪ [ music ] and there are those warriors that choose to take the temperatures

head on. when you want to cool down, make sure your air conditioners stand up to the energy star seal of approval. two most important things are the energy star label and the btus. the energy star label lets you know you are buying an energy efficient unit off the bat and btus make sure you are buying the right size unit. >> reporter: she says size really matters. >> most people buy a unit that is too big for the space they are cooling so you are spending more than you need to. >> reporter: the smaller the space, the smaller the number of btus. that's the unit's capacity to cool a room. >> this cools sever rooms, though. >> a 12,000 btus this would be large enough to cool an entire one-bedroom apartment or several large rooms. >> reporter: look for the energy efficient rate or eer. the higher the nuermbthe more efficient the unit, the more money in your pocket. >> if you are buying an energy

efficient model you can save up to 30% on your bill. >> save more if you purchase one with a timer. >> so that when you run out the door and forget to turn off your unit you are not wasting energy and money and not cooling a room no one is using. >> reporter: they say with millions of insennives now is a great time to cash in on the cool savings. here's some tips to stay cool, saonand and ke epyour urac unit nning efficiently. change g e thonce once nth, lubricate and mo h, lubricate and clean h,the cools regularly. windows and doors sealed and if the weather is nice use a fan and keep the room shaded. noted black gay author harris has died. his publicist says the writer died in l.a. overnight. the cause of death hasn't been released. harris gained critical acclaim for several book but it was the invisible life and love of my own that got him national

attention. he was touring to promote his new book. he is dead at the age of 54. new york city prosecutors have dropped gun charges against cat williams. this is video from youtube of williams on an l.a. morning news show. the actor was arrested in november after police found two guns in his vehicle registered to williams. turns out they are legally owned by two men with him at the time of the traffic stop. 9 news now learned that prince georges county wants to completely close two fire houses at the end of the month. plus, new evidence of a stronger link between exposure to agent orange and two serious health problems and brett haber sits down with coach zorn with training camp a less than a week away. >> how about that, training camp a week away. >> it zooms by. >> always so hot.

>> usually. >> usually it is. it is their fault for picking training camp in the hottest part of the year. you have to come to expect that. i would wait until september. >> i guess they are trying to get ready. >> i know. weather wise we will turn up the heat for the beginning of the weekend, nothing unusual for this time of the year. nothing you will look at and go other oh my goodness but it will get warmer. warmer than today anyhow. in the low 90s on saturday. should be dry. the humidity will go up a little bit but a dry start to the weekend. a good chance of thunderstorms on sunday, though. so keep that in mind. looks like a 50/50 weekend coming up as far as the rain goes. partly cloudy skies. a chance of a shower or thunderstorm tonight. especially in the northern suburbs. i will show you the radar in a moment. lows in the 60s. sunset 8:26. during the day tomorrow, partly sunny to mostly sunny we will call it warm and more humid with highs in the upper 80s and low 90s. south wind at 10 to 15. look at live doppler 9000. a lot of activity in the

northern suburbs for most of the evening. got a good thunderstorm across the southern part of washington county south of hagerstown. this will track in to frederick county, maryland. south of fredericksburg, as well. in the immediate metro area things are quiet. i expect it to stay that way this the short term but if you are watching us in the northern suburbs you have a chance of a thunderstorm this evening. switch over to the weather computer and see what is going on. a disturbance in the upper levels of the atmosphere across pennsylvania. this is where most of the energy is. that's why more thunderstorms are to the north. that will pass by this evening and the chance of rain will go down as we head overnight. the best chance of rain is probably before 10:00 tonight. 84 degrees at the top of the hour at national airport. the dew point is 61. it has come down and fairly comfortable as far as the humidity goes this evening and the temperatures aren't too bad either. upper 70s and low 80s.

79 winchester and 85 at bwi but only 82 at the patuxent naval air station. heat in the southern plains and it will visit us briefly for the start of the weekend and make a shift in the overall pattern. over the last couple of weeks this trough and the jet stream has been over the east coast. that's why it has been cool and comfortable. this will shift to the west allowing a little summer heat to visit us in the seven-day forecast. again, nothing unusual. 91 tomorrow. upper 80s on sunday. a better chance of thunderstorms on sunday and saturday and then just about every day next week typical summer forecast with hit and miss thunderstorms in the afternoon and the temperatures in the upper 80s to around 90 degrees. the average high this time of the year is 89. we will be pretty close to that mark all the way through next week. no major heat waves or cool downs. like right in the middle. >> now to a team that's not very average and tell you what, you remember the first time you traveled when you were kids.

>> i loved it when my baseball team traveled. you remember you got to stay in a hotel for the first time. stayed up all night. watched tv you weren't supposed to watch. ate all the food out of the mini bar and ran up your parents ' bill. >> were you there? >> i lived that. that's why i played baseball. if you are around arlington and see people wearing baseball caps with logos you don't recognize, be nice to them. they have come to town for a massive babe ruth thunderstorm tournament. it is also giving the kids to do social networking the old- fashioned way by being social. >> it wasn't the major leagues, but that's not the point. the babe ruth southeast regional championships provided just about everything you would want in a day at the park. >> number 21. >> reporter: big name intros. balls and strikes, dugout chatter. and mom. >> it is very exciting. these players are a little

nervous and playing baseball at some of the best baseball they will play in the country for this level. >> reporter: the rebels are hosting didn't teams from as far as florida and though the home team took it on the chin early the kids are having a blast. >> it was amazing. you could see kids from all over the state. telling you they can see how good they can play. >> as for the parents. >> well, if you want to know how serious these folks are taking the game check out these, i'd say semi rowdy folks from mobile, alabama. a contingent of 30 and they are here in large numbers but believe it or not they sold watermelons in carts to rent this luxury liner and drove 18 hours to just get here. >> straight through, no rest which wasn't bad. it wasn't bad until we got sleepy. that was the tough part. >> reporter: at the late innings crept in parents on the edge of their seat, alabama couldn't hold the lead on this

day but that is okay. it is old-fashioned little league hand shake reminded us what the day and event is about. >> you measure success in terms of the fun you have had and that you tried hard not necessarily in wins and losses. >> reporter: dave owens, 9 news now and wusa9.com. >> i think that last message was a good message for the kids but with dave on the bus there reminded me of the other part of traveling in little league and they said they came 18 hours from alabama. remember the smell of the bus after 18 hours with the kids and the socks and the shoes off and sweating. >> never forget that smell. >> that smell stays with you for a long time. they say smell is the sense that stays with you most. i remember that smell. >> yeah. >> okay. >> it will -- it will scar a fella. >> okay. let's get ready to zumba in living well. fun alternatives thatbucan rkts rn that can burn boat loathe loads

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safe test could determine a pregnant woman will go in to premature labor. they discovered women going in to early labor had abnormally low pro-jest roan levels in their saliva. studies is underway to determine whether giving women more of this hormone cut the risk of a preterm birth. it is time for the healthy hour focus on fitness. a year ago we showed you a fast- paced dance aerobics craze called zumba be. now imagine getting your zumba on under water. >> your husband, your niece your grandma will come to this class. >> the dance aerobics phenomenon with the zippy name of zumba gained popularity all over the world. now the next challenge, aqua zumba. >> it is hotter in the water.

>> i step out of the pool feeling more winded. >> these pool workouts offered at bally's total fitness come byte wine the same workout as traditional zumba with the natural resistance of the water. >> it acts as a resistance to every movement you do. so it is like you have dumbbells when you move your legs you have water pushing you down. >> definitely more resistance when you try to lift your legs up. >> reporter: pool workouts are great for rehab because they take pressure and pounded off of the joints. >> i just had my knee and hip replaced and it seemed like it was presidentty good therapy. the stress is minimal in the pool. >> the impact on our knees and things is lessened but the upper body and the core is worked more. so you have to stay balanced. >> reporter: staying balanced is the key here. or you may float out of rhythm. >> you have to keep your body very tight which when you keep

your body tight you are burning more calorie and toning up more. your heart rate is higher which means you are burning more calories opposed to less. >> of course when the strucker is intense it is infectious plus, it helps you push yourself to burn more calories. >> her energy is unmatched. >> i was invigorated. >> you have to smile in my class and you have to scream when i scream. when you are screaming you are breathin. >> reporter: okay. she says you can burn between 700 and 1,000-calories each hour during aqua zumba. to see how this compares to other forms of exercise go to our living well page at wusa9.com. >> well, we just lost about 100- calories watching her. >> watching her is amazing. coming up a 6:00, some local fire stations could be closing we will hear what neighbors think of the plan up

next. don't forget we are always on at wusa9.com. stay with us. 9 news now continues on a friday night. b@fab@