>> and i'm jessica doyle in for mike hydeck. we have fancy grass for the 4 4th of july? >> we will whip them out here and there. >> looking good. >> we try. the big flag tie on because it's the 4th of july. happy 255th. that's if i'm doing my math right. >> freedom from great britain, that a lot of people don't know. >> you're right. that's stunning. reputation on back on the day. >> let's go to weather before we really get in trouble. talking about temperatures in the 70s. 81 by 9:00. 89 by noon. code orange alert day. unhealthy for sensitive groups. any respiratory ailments, young and old, limit your outside time. yes, a thunderstorm symbol. we could see a few more thunderstorms this afternoon. potentially a couple of strong ones. big ones yesterday moving away.

overnight a few showers out of west virginia. they have pretty much fizzled. 60s in new york state. pennsylvania, in the 70s. 80 in raleigh. warm across the eastern u.s., even into places like des moines and chicago and the great lakes. they are still in the 60s. check it out. holding below the 90-degree mark around the bay. most of us 90 to 91 and 92. kris is checking out the roads. >> reporter: 395 northbound into the district, no problems. construction on the 14th street bridge taking over the center street lane. 66 eastbound to the beltway, no problems in. everything is looking good. into maryland, 270, coming out of the frederick to gaithersburg, down to rockville, no cars on the road, all lanes wide open. 95 to the vw parkway, all green

there. to the beltway, clear. finally in the district. right now, all district roads looking good. expect that to change as the day goes on and people are headed downtown to the fireworks show. andrea and jessica, over to you. two people including a police officer have been shot and killed in memphis, tennessee, the shooting appears to be a domestic incident. >> it was at a hotel in the middle of the downtown tourist district packed for the 4th of july holiday. one perp is in custody. jury deliberations will begin today in the murder trial of casey anthony. he's accuse -- she's accused of killing her 3-year-old daughter. prosecutors insist she killed her because she got in the way of her love life. defense attorneys say the prosecution's case is weak and offered no proof on how the

toddler died. in new mexico, crews fighting wild fires got much- needed relief in the form of rain. the blaze continues to burn near a nuclear lab, but there's no sign of unusual radiation levels. the war in afghanistan continues to be a source of debate from the white house toe the republican lawmakers. during a trip to afghanistan to meet with troops on the 4th of july, john mccain and lindsey graham questioned the decision to move troops from the war stone. >> some supporters are now on the possession. >> reporter: key senators are raising doubts. >> it's an unnecessary risk. >> i worry it may have undercut the momentum. i hope i'm wrong. >> reporter: john mccain and

lindsey graham said it was risky saying it could put the american troops in jeopardy. the plan calls for pulling out 10,000 troops by the end of this year with another 23,000 gone by next summer. >> i hope it will work out. it is certainly depriving us of the necessary troops we need for the second fighting season. >> reporter: the obama administration is standing by the plan saying success is on the ground, especially with the stilling of osama bin laden. >> al qaeda is under more pressure than at any time since 9/11. >> reporter: still this raid shows insurgents will not go quietly. >> if we don't succeed here and the taliban comes back into power, we will be attacked again. >> reporter: while the debate continues, american troops are going on with their mission, preparing to hand over security to the american people. the drawdown will begin this

month. joel brown, cbs news, washington. in the district, the annual 4th of july celebration on the national mall. the concert has stars like matthew morrison and chelsea hightower. . >> it is the big 20th anniversary. we are doing a rumba to jordan sparks singing a song from beauty and the beast. >> the show will be at 9:00 tonight. here's a few other things to know. no alcohol is allowed. leave the grills, pets, and glass bottles at home. as far as getting there, the best way is public transportation, and if you're going to the mall, leave this

morning if you want a good seat. we have a full list of activities including all of those dos and don'ts for the mall on wusa9.com. german town man is charged with murdering. police say brandon dashiell and justin carter got into a fight on the back deck of carter's home during a family gathering. carter was taken to the hospital where he later died. dashiell is charged with second- degree murder. police in georgia believe the dismembered remains they found on thursday are those of laurel giddings from maryland. steven mcdaniel is in custody as a person of interest in the case. he was detained after saying he was in her apartment shortly after she disappeared. a fight is underway for the

final resting place for many americans. >> ever the alleged mismanagement at arlington cemetery in the wake of revelations last fall that the burial map didn't match grave sites. one site had remains of eight people instead of one. >> our time is 4:37. at 4:41, the possibility of tax revenue has some states reconsidering their bans on fireworks. a local police union filing a suit against lawmakers. >> we are back with weather in 2 minutes. you're watching 9 news now. -dad, why are you getting that? -that's my cereal.

is there a prize in there? oh, there's a prize, all right. is it a robot? no. is it a jet plane? nope. is it a dinosaur? [ laughs ] [ male announcer ] inside every box of heart healthy cheerios are those great tasting little o's made from carefully selected oats that can help lower cholesterol.

stickers? uh-uh. a superhero? ♪ kinda. [ male announcer ] and we think that's the best prize of all. ♪ it's 49:00. looking warm this -- it's 4:39.

looking warm this morning. going out to the parade today? grab sunscreen, drink water, and stay hydrated. the high temperature this afternoon should be in the lower 90s. we will be back with the fireworks forecast but for now here's kris sneed. >> we will look at the toll road out of herndon. everything looking good out of tyson. a couple of downed trees in the district at 4:48. >> thank you, kris, it's 4:40, and i'm watching your money. the market mace be closed for the -- the markets may be closed for the 4th of july holiday, but it's a big week for wall street. investors will get an update on how the factories are doing, news that manufacturing is heating up, giving the markets a major boost on friday. the dow finished the day up 168 points to close at 12,582.

the nasdaq climbing by 42 points, and the s&p was up by 19. fireworks will light up the skies tonight, and they are also going to bring in big bucks. taxes on the sale of fireworks generates just under $1 billion nationwide. some states that currently ban the sales are reconsidering. massachusetts and maine are looking into the legalization or legislation for legalizing the sale of fireworks. an online video provider, hulu could be going up for sale. they are expected to talk to potential buyers this week. they offer free access for watching prime time shows online. it's been in discussion with google, microsoft, and yahoo. >> interesting. maybe we should look into investing. who knows. what would be in the 4th of july in the mid-atlantic

without crabs? >> it's a good crab season for you lovers. 48-degrees with clouds at dallas. light winds and good visibility. we have a nice start out there if anyone is traveling on this monday morning. pittsburgh, 84. , chicago, sunny, looking good. 83 degrees, and more heat out west. 95, that's a mile up at madison. ground level, warmer than that. pheonix and vegas, 100 to 105. cooler for them. los angeles, gorgeous today, 76 degrees on this july 4th. san francisco, sunny and 73. seattle sunny and 75.

good morning and welcome back to 9 news now. happy 4th. if you have to be up this morning or maybe as jessica suggested, you're getting ready to go down to the mall to be

prepared for the concert and fireworks this evening. mother nature providing fireworks last night. >> inch and a half hail. a bicyclist was killed as a tree fell on them on the toll path. all sorts of trees down on the g.w. parkway. this afternoon, we could see a few thunderstorms and even a slight chance we will see one for the fireworks tonight, but the better possibility will be south of washington. going down to the mall, and keep in mind something is possible this afternoon. we should be decent for tonight's 9:00 fireworks. here's a look at the day planner on this july 4th. upper 70s at 8:00. noon, upper 80s with a mix of sunshine and clouds. 90 degrees at 4:00. look for the high, 91, 92. north westerly winds. at 8:00 p.m., thinking for the fireworks tonight that we will see a temperature around 83 degrees with just that isolated chance of a thunderstorm. it will be warm a little muggy, and all in all, i think decent

shape at 9:00 tonight for the fireworks. if you're going to the nats' game at 1:05 today, grab the sunscreen, it will be a warm one for sure with the cubs as the nats have an afternoon game today. 6:55 last night, one severe storm here. more in northern virginia. to the south and east, even at 10:00 they were pounding the areas to the northern neck and southern maryland. finally they pulled out on a few showers this morning. really fizzling as they came out of west virginia into virginia. 68 in gaithersburg right now. 64 in cumberland. everyone else in the lower 70s. 71 in maryland. 70 in fredericksburg, and here in washington, we sit at 74 with mostly cloudy skies, and your winds are calm. barometer, 29.88. and the due points in the upper 60s. sticky out there. a nice air mass in the great lakes trying to come down

behind the frontal boundary. the storms for oklahoma, missouri, and it's coming across the ohio river in southern illinois and southern indiana. for us, watching the activity, trying to redevelop this afternoon. it does appear the boundary will be setting up, mainly, mainly south of washington. we will look at the future cast, and we will show you what we are expecting for the afternoon. really midday, a few clouds and sunshine mix. 4:45. notice the showers and storms, especially south of washington. then as we go through tonight, 9:00, boy, you're going to be down in norfolk for the july 4 july 4th, a much better chance of seeing storms. around here a stray shower or storm left. through tonight, things quieting for tuesday. tuesday a good settledown. you may be close enough to the moisture to see a storm or two bubbling up in the afternoon, and we should be in good shape tuesday night into wednesday as well. although, wednesday, some of the returned moisture coming back in the afternoon, still

looking mainly dry, and we will watch if this afternoon, but tuesday and wednesday, of course, just in time for you to go back to work. we will have a couple of better days, and looking amount the forecast for the next 3 days, today, this 4th of july, 92. scattered afternoon storms with a better chance south of washington, i think decent shape for the parades this morning and the fireworks this evening. tonight, 60s and low 70s. today low 90s. wednesday, 91. stray storm in the mountains. as we head into the 2nd half of the week, lower 90s. thursday with scattered thunderstorms with friday at 93. over the weekend, cannot rule out the threat of the afternoon storms. 91 on saturday, and 93 on sunday. angie, enjoying the holiday off. kris is monitoring the traffic for you. >> in the district, green light. a report of earlier downed trees at canal and arizona.

canal and m. and k. and south capital in the district, but right now things are looking good. looking like the crews cleared most of that out of the way. virginia, 395, northbound, clear to the 14th street bridge where we lose it to the center lane of construction there. inner loop and outer loop, everything is looking good. no construction to worry about there. the outer loop of maryland, over to 270, all lanes are wide open. no slowdowns to worry about there. finally prince george's county, port washington, bowie, no i didn'ts to report. andre and jessica, more traffic at 4:56. the washington examiner reports that the police union has filed a lawsuit against the county for violating its contract. >> when it adopted the budget for 20912 fiscal year, the county council cut health and

retirement benefits a wage increase and a tuition assistance program was cut from the police department, all of which was agreed to by the union's negotiations with the county executive office. the union is asking the county to reissue it and pay legal fees. july 4th celebration and boating, they go hand-in-hand. it's one of the busiest times for marinas. >> the coast guard also increase their safety patrols. it's good time for the boaters to review their safety rules. >> a boat like this is capable of doing 50 miles an hour. >> reporter: a bolting fro for sure. -- a boating pro for sure. gary has been driving this since he was 16. >> it was not here 10 years ago. >> reporter: and he was happy to take the courses offered. >> when you buy a boat there's a maintenance class, safety class, and i have not taken the class to go under the woodrow

wilson bridge and you have to have a license. >> reporter: carlton says the water demo is designed specifically for the area. >> a lot of it is knowing the water. there's dangerous parts in the water, and you have to rechart the maps to know where the branches are and where things are sticking up. >> reporter: on the maps, -- on the holidays, like the 4th of july, the greater danger is alcohol. most deaths are drownings, and most of the victims are not wearing life jackets. >> ropes to tie up. >> i have 11 life preservers, inboard fire extinguisher system. >> that's week they had an event down the river where police were doing sobriety checks and checked every boat coming this way. >> reporter: something balinger never worries about. he never carries alcohol on board. >> i'm not against it i just personally don't drink that

much and i don't bring it making sure i'm sober. >> reporter: it doesn't change his caution level. he's not the only boat operator out here. >> in 2010 there were nearly 5,000 5,000 recreational boating accidents nationwide. 672 of them were fatal. the operator in most of them had never take an safety course. a number of horse riders in our area are at odds because access to a trail that has been used for decades has been closed. >> they said horse waste and sediment is landing up in the drinking water supply. it's around the rocky george reservoir. crab lovers are enjoying a plentiful season. crab prices are as low as $100

a bushel. they are higher in the washington area the chesapeake bay has rebounded since the limits were put in place in 2008. despite the cold winter, the catch has been good so far. the time 4:52. before we take a break, time to look at the question of the morning. >> every year we spend $111 million on two years during the 4th of july weekend. one of them is charcoal. what is the other? apop sick -- a. popcicle, or c. beer. [ mom ] can a little bowl of cereal change your life?

i think it can. one of the challenges for kayla being gluten-free is actually finding choices the whole family will love. then we discovered chex cereals.

five flavors of chex are gluten-free, including the honey nut flavor, and that's amazing to a mom like me. as a parent you don't want to have to tell your kids "no" all the time. it's nice for me to be able to say "yes" to something that they want to eat. [ male announcer ] chex cereal. five flavors. gluten free.

welcome back. 4:55 on this monday, july 4th, 2011. howard burnstein here. -- bernstein. a shower developing by loon noon in the mountains of west virginia. the scattered showers in virginia more so than maryland. the 6:00 temperature, 89 degrees. i will be back with the 7-day in a few but right now kris sneed with traffic. >> 50 in maryland, westbound through annapolis through bowie. no problems there, everything is wide open.

green, everyone is moving up to speed as well. more of a look around the area coming up at 5:01. jessica and andrea over to you. >> the duke and dutchess of cambridge visiting prince edward island today. the couple greeted hundreds of supporters to the delight of cheering fans. this is prince williams and kate's first official overseas trip as husband and wife. that i will head to california july 8th. the celebrations continue marking the marriage of prince marco roger moore was among the guests. in a prewedding interview, the bride said children are in the plans. >> i love children. i have always wanted to have children of my own some day. we will see in the next couple

of months or years. >> the palace is denying reports that the bride almost had cold feet. she was stopped with a one-way ticket to south africa. this is following reports that prince albert may have fathered a third love child. the transformer franchise can bring them into the theater including bringing in andrea rhone. it took in $97.4 million this weekend. it did not do as well as transformers in 2009 but it did break the 3-day 4th of july record in the u.s. previously held by spiderman 2. cars 2 slipping to number 2 with $21.5 million and bad feature was $14.1 million. >> they didn't have to learn a lot of dialogue for that movie.

it wasn't bad. it was entertaining. this weekend, millions of americans are celebrating independence day at the beach, the pool, and with friends. >> it can suppose its share of dangers. leslie foster has steps to ensure you have a safe gathering. >> reporter: fireworks and fun, a big part of the july '9holiday but with your celebration, take caution around the sparklers in the water, and around the grill. each year the consumer product safety commission reminds all of us of the dangers of fireworks. the commission says there are 00 injuries every day from sparklers and home made explosives. these small sticks are like dynamite. they carry a dangerous fuse that is often times deadly. for fireworks approved for consumer use, keep a bucket or a hose close, and keep children at a distance.

the loud blast can easily scare pets. before you let the kids take a flash into the water, have them swim with a buddy. make sure to assign a designated what to keep an eye on them, and a big safety plus a fence around the pool with a gate alarm, even for the kiddie pools and properly install the antientrapment drain covers. don't get burned by food poisoning. one out of six people get six from food-borne illnesses every year. don't keep the food out for more than an hour. experts say it's all part of making sure your 4th is happy and safe. leslie foster, 9 news now. >> good morning and thank you for watching 89 news now at 5:00 a.m. happy 4th of july. i'm andrea rhone. >> and i'm jessica yl