good evening. tonight in your only local news at 7:00, fallen hero, a local man among the dead after this week's chopper crash in afghanistan. dna defense, lawyers plan out the defense of a murder of a state trooper. and first firefighters said they did everything they could but in the end there was no way to save the life of a mother and her two children. >> reporter: i'm peggy fox in lorton, where fire takes the

life of a mother and two of her children. but the mother is being called a hero tonight for saving two of her kids. >> there was just red, black smoke. you couldn't see anything in the house. >> reporter: huge flames and thick smoke poured from their neighbor's home. a home with five small children, including a 2-month- old baby. neighbors say the mother sacrificed herself by saving three of her children, dropping her infant out a two-story window into waiting arms and telling her 6 and 8 years old to jump. >> she turned back to get the other two kids but it was too late. >> reporter: a medic raced the baby for a flight to the burn center. >> i knew the kids were still in there. >> i asked them where they were at and they said they were still in the house and we couldn't do anything. i'm scott broom in prince george's county where prosecutors revealed in court today that dna is linked to the murder weapon used to kill

trooper wesley brown in june. 27-year-old cyril cornelius williams is the man investigators believe killed wesley brian june 11th outside of an applebys where brown was working security. today prosecutors revealed they have dna evidence recovered from the handgun they believe was used to gun down the trooper. >> dna was recovered. we haven't publicly released the results of that yet. >> reporter: dna is important because it's among the short list of requirements to bring a death penalty case in maryland. prosecutor glenn ivey says the death penalty has not been ruled out in the trooper brown murder. the suspect, cyril williams, is the man seen in security video being ejected from the restaurant by brown, according to investigators. william as allegedly returned with an acquaintance to the restaurant with a pistol and gun downed the moonlighting trooper outside. i'm armando trull in riverdale, maryland. 11 years ago brend on loony without been out here playing football with his other

teammates but tonight he's being remembered as a hero. in 1999 brend on loony was a stand out athlete on the football and baseball teams. but those who knew him back then say he was a lot more. >> he was a gentleman and a scholar. if you could point to an alumnis and say that's the kind of person you want to become, that would be brandon loony. >> reporter: he became a navy officer in 2004 and joined the seals. something that doesn't surprise his former coach. >> more than a hero, just a real great human being. everything that you would want your son to be, that's what he encompassed, that's who he is and that's the brandon loony that we know here at the high school. >> reporter: he was among the nine u.s. troops killed in tuesday's helicopter crash in southern afghanistan. a new book claims bickering among some of the president's top advisors are what led president obama to set his own strategy in afghanistan.

obama's wars chronicles an internal debate in crafting the war plan and president obama and several of his top advisors spoke with bob woodward for the book. if you're feeling place ant about the -- case ant on the terrorist threat, don't be. that would be a big mistake. they told the senate homeland security the threat from al- qaeda and affiliates has grown over the past three years. >> the threat from al-qaeda affiliates has also evolved as other terror groups have developed greater in tent and capability to strike at the homeland. >> it is diversifying in terms of sources, it is diversifying in terms of tactics, it is diversifying in terms of the targets being considered. >> u.s. terror officials are worried about threats from afghanistan, and iraq. the first day of fall.

>> we're not going to shake the old summer weather. a thunderstorm watch is live until 11:00. there is no warnings in maryland. two in pennsylvania. adams county and also franklin county until 8:00 because of the storms here. so that's why those have been prompted for some warnings. around the immediate metro area it is relatively quiet, although with that said we have been watching a couple of storms. this has dissipated since it moved across the river but still heavy rain in darnstown and 28 and heavy rain around rockville. this will cross 270 and head toward wheaton and cross georgia avenue. but that storm is much, much weaker than it was 45 minutes ago, had is good. heaviest storm we could find right now on the montgomery county-howard county border. ant this is moved through highland toward 29 and eventually toward 95 as it pushes of off -- off to the south and east. we'll come back with a full

forecast in just a bit. and if the weather does cooperate, you might want to get ready for construction along i-270 in gaithersburg tonight. all four of the southbound lanes will close twice between midnight and 4:00 a.m. south of exit number 10, that's clopper road. this is so crews can put up a new overhead sign in connection with the intercounty connector. each closure is expected to last 15 minutes. let's talk about the rush hour. patranya in the 9 news now traffic center. and has the weather made a difference? >> slowing things down for a few hours during rush hour but now into the later hour of the commute, we're seeing just a cluster on the northwest side of 495. so let's zoom in with a live camera over seven locks as you can see stop-and-go traffic. the pace moving much bet fresh

nutley over to 123. no accidents or incidents there. same story on the toll road and route 7 heading west. back to you. this just in, the judge in the chandra levy murder trial said prosecutors can not use certain statements made by ingmar guandeke in his up coming trial. the judge ruled his comments to court officials would be too inflammatory. back then he said he sometimes cannot control himself when he sees someone in a secluded area with something of value. he has plead not guilty. and one day before the health care overhaul is taking effect, president obama is trying to sell it to the voters who don't like it or don't understand the law. president obama head over to falls church where he spoke to a group of about 20 people, in the backyard of a private home he explained why it was important for the economy. >> anybody who is out there, who is concerned about the deficit, the single biggest

driver of our deficit is the ever escalating costs of health care. so it was bankrupting families, companies and our government. so we said we had to take this on. >> now some of the changes taking effect tomorrow, a bab on lifetime coverage limits and precoverage for preventive care. that's part of the new patient bill of rights. welcome the 2012 presidential election the person d.c. voters pick for the white house may not necessarily be the same one the district's electors vote for. the d.c. council approved a bill yesterday to have the city join the national popular vote pacts. that means that the d.c. three electionors would go with whoever -- electors who would win statewide. d.c. would join maryland and five other states in the pact if it's approved. so if you are a voter in d.c. or in maryland, how do you feel if your state went for one

candidate but chose another? would you feel disin franchised or is it just a process needed to get rid of the elect oral college? if every state were to sign up, the presidency would be decided by the popular vote. tell us your vote at wusa9.com. still to come, joining the fight. an annual summit surges d.c. neighbors to clean up our local rivers. but first, overlooked savings. you may not know you have the ability to save big right in the palm of your hand. chevy chase bank is becoming capital one bank.

with the most locations in the dc area, we figured they could use our help. ♪ down a bit. too much. [ crowd cheering ] [ grunts ] [ garth ] capital one bank. now with the most branches and atms in the dc area. what's in your wallet? well these days we are all trying to save some money and tonight jessica doyle shows us how you could already have hundreds of dollars in coupons from your favorite retailer and not even know it. >> reporter: put down the scissors and pick up your mobile phone. when it comes to discounts and deals, retailers next hot spot is in the palm of your hand.

>> so i could be walking by my favorite apparel store, check my iphone and in comes a coupon, i'm going in and making a purchase. >> reporter: gadget gurus have already embraced mobile coupons delivered to a smart phone, directly from a retailer or via a third party app likeoffa. >> you have apps used by over 5 million people and it's available at 20,000 retail locations across the country and a ton more coming on all of the time. >> reporter: now retailers are making a big push to bring mobile discounts to the masses whether through apps or on their own. some stepped up mobile incentives for back-to-school shopping and a test run for consumers to drive back into the malls. >> when you combine mobile devices with gps and a retailer is anxious to get consumers into the stores. it's a win fall for reterrells

and consumers. >> reporter: based on where you are and when you shop have raised privacy concerns but consumers have a choice to opt in only from the stores they choose. jessica doyle, 9 news now. and we still have rough weather hanging around out there tonight. top will be back in a minute with your full forecast. and we know about energy efficient appliances but this house is energy efficient all the way around. i'm lindsey mastis. coming up, the cost and what you'll be required to do in the future. right here in this neighborhood,

i grew up learning strong families and hard work means opportunity. and that starts with good schools. it's a tradition here in maryland-- and why in these tough times i've put education first. we've made record investments in our classrooms... doubled the number of charter schools... and we've frozen college tuition for four years in a row. and it's working. experts say we now have the number one schools in the nation. when it comes to expanding opportunity in every neighborhood, i know that we must do even better. four years ago, bob ehrlich got fired as governor of maryland. for good reason. first, he protected tax loopholes for giant cable cable companies. then, he let utilities jack up our rates 72%. and for the last four years, he worked as a hired gun for big corporations, even a bank that took billions from a taxpayer funded bailout. ehrlich sides with corporate executives again and again and again tell bob ehrlich big banks and billionares don't need help. middle class marylanders do. words alone aren't enough.

our job is to listen and find ways to help workers who lost their jobs to the spill. i'm iris cross. we'll keep restoring the jobs, tourist beaches, and businesses impacted by the spill. we've paid over $400 million in claims and set up a $20 billion independently-run claims fund. i was born in new orleans. my family still lives here. i'm gonna be here until we make this right.

back now with an environmental alert that just might have had an effect on your morning commute. if the traffic seemed a tad lighter it was not all in your head. today is world car-free day. it's an annual event that asks drivers to leave their car in park and opt for public transit. more than 6800 people did sign up to save money and cut down on stress and pollution. well people in arlington may have to shell out extra cash if they want to renovate or build a new home. county is looking at recommendations to improve energy efficiency and lindsey mastis opened the book on a brand new home where folks have paid a lot of green to stay green. >> reporter: this 5,000 square foot house is the home of the future. at least in arlington. it's 45% more energy efficient. but it comes with a price. >> we spent about $40,000 on

windows and doors. >> reporter: andrew moore of arlington designer homes said standard windows could have cast $15,000. he spent another $6,000 on this silver water heater, versus $1,000. and $8,000 on water fixtures. about $6,000 more. >> there will be less than four cups of water that need to come from the hot water heater to get to the fixture. >> reporter: in arlington, a community energy plan recommends new homes and remodels be 30% more energy efficient starting in 2015. the plan has not been approved, but county board chairman jay fizzette said he hopes building codes change to match those recommendations. >> and there is a effort nationally to improve the building code energy efficiency end tv by 30%. >> 30% is a hard number to get to. >> reporter: moore said he spent $60,000 for top of the line energy efficient products in the new house. >> there will be tough numbers to hit for remodels. there is no doubt about it.

it will be more expensive. and i'm talking significantly more expensive. >> reporter: moore said in some cases he would save money, like on this recycled carpet. he said it's $500 less than standard carpet. as standards change and energy efficient becomes the norm, moore said prices will get more reasonable. in arlington, i'm lindsey mastis, 9 news now. >> now the asking price for that house is $1.2 million. this is a piece of the spray foam insulation that moore used in the house. he said it's twice as expensive as fiberglass but in the long run it is supposed to help reduce energy bills. i guess the question is by how much. well that 5-cent tax on plastic bags in d.c. appears to be doing its job. the measure took effect this year and it is designed to keep bags out of local rivers and to fund an anacostia river clean- up plan and apparently it's having a big impact. last year d.c. shoppers used 270 million of those disposal bags. this year the number is down by 60%. and d.c. council member tommy

wells said the tax is making a big difference. >> historically anacostia river has been one of the ten dirtiest rivers in america. and so by working together to make a difference, i think we can make a big impact. we know the bag fee has had a huge impact. washington, d.c. has adopted it seamlessly and now it's time for our neighbors to step up as well. >> and just to point out, 85% of the anacostia river is in maryland. he spoke at the 5th annual potomac trash summit and said the point of the bag trash is not to pick people's pocket, but to make a choice. the state board of education ruled that schools have to include classes for students beginning in pre-k and stretching all the way through the senior year of high school. just one of the stories making news where you live tonight. and for more stories from where you live, just go to wusa9.com, find your community in our where you live section and then keep up with what is happening

in your neighborhood. if you have a news story or a tip for us, we want to hear from you. so contact us and be a part of the wusa 9 team. you know, i guess we could say that thunderstorms are sort of a taste of summer, right? >> yes. and not unusual to have them in the fall. like we'll have tomorrow. exactly. but we are looking at a severe thunderstorm watch until 10:00. i think the threat is deem diminishing as we speak but the watch is in effect. its next three days will feel like summer. 90 tomorrow, 92 on friday. isolated storm possible tomorrow. not as much as today and maybe a shower on friday. should not effect high school football. cooler on saturday and back into the low 80s. which by the way is still a little bit above average and a slight chance of shower but the kids will get their little league games in no doubt. 7:00, mild to muggy. low 70s. partly cloudy, and the commute will be dry. and then 80 degrees by

lunchtime and 90 by evening. a slight chance of an isolated storm tomorrow. temperatures, 87 downtown. after a high of 95 at national, 94 at dulles tieing the old record high. 89 in martinsberg and 90 in winchester. 86 down in fredericksberg. for tonight, we're looking at a severe thunderstorm watch until 10:00. early storms, some could be heavy and partly cloudy and mild. 64-72. winds become northwest at 10. let me show you live doppler 9000. you can access this on our website at wusa9.com. and this is a good time to down load our weather app for your iphone. we have the warnings to the north up in pennsylvania. no warnings in the immediate metro area but everybody is covered by the watch. we do find some thunderstorms in montgomery county. some are hefty. this is around rockville pike, and headed toward wheaton, going to cross georgia avenue. nothing severe but 1-2 inches of rain per hour and also

colesville around new hampshire avenue. now we'll widen out a little bit and put this into motion. where is this complex of storms going to go. moving off to the south and east. and so if you are in beltsville north of college park and in bowie, you'll see the storms in the next hour move through. back to the commuter and we'll talk about the total equinox. here is the deal. the sun is directly overhead of the equator and that's equal day and night in both hemispheres but it will feel like summer tomorrow. partly cloudy and 60s and 70s and by afternoon. >> partly cloudy, hot, slight chance of a storm, high around 90. next seven days. 90s on friday and then getting cooler, unsettled on saturday and sunday. in fact more clouds on sunday. temperatures go back in the 70s. upper 70 toss near 80 on monday. and then warmer next week. derek, temperatures go back into the 80s with showers and more thunderstorms. >> like to cool off on the weekend and warm up during the week. >> exactly.

>> we'll be right back.

premier week continues on cbs with new episodes of survivor and criminal minds. then at 10:00 catch the brand new show the defenders with jerry o'connell and jim bell

awry. and 9 news now is here for you bright and early every morning before you head out the door. the news, weather and traffic you need starting week days, 4:25 a.m. in the mail bag tonight, bob woodward, the washington post journalist, back with another insider tell-all tomes. this one says that the president had to come up with his own idea to get out of afghanistan when his generals wouldn't or couldn't. john from chantilly said getting out is a good thing, half getting out is not so much. he is put at odds with the military warriors who knows what it is to win a war. they need to fully support what they started or preferably read the history book and get everybody out of this now. i think the president would love to take that advice but there is that matter of al- qaeda, launching pad for terrorism and remember that.

that's why we can't leave just yet. and then this from alfred in new carrollton that killed the rep he'll of the don't ask, don't tell policy. you and your colleagues on the various networks keep saying it was the republicans that prevented the repeal of don't ask, don't tell. that is an out right lie. vote was 56-43 which means that a minimum of two democrats voted nay because the republicans have a maximum of 41 votes. please return to grade school and learn how to add and subtract over again. while you are pretty much on target when you come to the mass schools, i'm thinking we did pass the reporting test on this one because even if a couple of democrats abandon ship, not one republican voted for the repeal. i'm comfortable giving the g.o.p. credit, or blame, for this one. i hope your comfortable putting your thoughts or comments into the mcginty's mail bag at wusa9.com. that is our report. i'll be back here tonight with anita brikman and tonight a

smelly problem plaguing several local neighborhoods. and what happens if you cosign a loan for your kid and they can't pay it back. that story tonight at 11:00. log on any time to wusa9.com and we'll see you later. bye-bye. hi. i'm jim perdue. in case of everyday emergencies... guys, go get changed! ...or soccer practice, it's important to be prepared for dinner. that's why i've prepared my perdue perfect portions fresh chicken breasts. they're individually wrapped, so you can cook what you need and store what you don't. we're not playing helicopter now. ready when you are, they're trimmed of fat and consistently sized to cook in just 10 minutes. life's not perfect. that's why there's perdue perfect portions. [ male announcer ] perdue perfect portions. ready when you are.

china, they're busy building wind farms and expanding clean energy manufacturing. but in america, gridlock has held us back. now, the senate can change that - by passing a renewable electricity standard. it will spur development of clean energy and boost manufacturing in america, creating hundreds of thousands of new jobs. so we can make our own energy future - not just buy it from china. call your senators and urge them to pass a renewable electricity standard today. >> now, "entertainment tonight," the most watched entertainment news magazine in the world. ashton and demi, can their

marriage survive the scandal. the story goes mainstream today. >> there's something going on. why the cheating claims couldn't be ignored. >> it's not just a tabloid story anymore. >> as we look back at the past loves of a couple now facing a crisis. >> in tonight's celebrity gps, join glee club. >> doing britney spears week? ♪ hit me baby one more time >> plus "american idol," the new judges and the hoff minutes after getting booted from dancing. >> then clooney's intimate evening with his girlfriend in the slide show. >> justin bieber. >> from pop superstar to domestic terrorist. >> i want to play a bad character.