with these storms. tonight we're going to see lightning when these storms come through. also some large hail a possibility. your fireworks forecast, i think around dc, it should be okay. we have a chance for isolated storms in the immediate dc metro area. temperatures will be 83 degrees, a chance for an isolated storm and it will be warm. again, that severe thunderstorm watch is in effect until 10:00 p.m. no severe thunderstorm warnings in effect. we are updating those real time. check out the bottom of our screen. back to you. >> all right annie, thanks. forget about the barbecues, people in two arlington communities are cleaning up this july. >> that's right, wind gusts up to 70 miles an hour ripped through their neighborhoods taking down trees and power lines. right now 4900 people in northern virginia are still without power. delia has a look at the damage both outside and inside. >> i was in here washing the

dishes. >> thankfully mack's wife is fine. >> yes, we're alive. so that's a blessing. >> they're living room took quite a hit. a gaping hole in the roof, collapsed beams, and insulation covering just about everything. and in the dining room -- >> there's a disaster. >> a massive tree crashed down on the dining room table, demolishing nearly everything in its path. >> when this tree fell into the dining room and didn't touch the china cabinet and all of its contents of china. >> remarkable when you look at the size of the tree in their front yard now split in two. >> the tree went up in two pieces. >> the weight baring down on the roof. >> that's crazy. i'd hate to charge anybody for that. they have had enough trouble as it is. >> but there is plenty of money to be made as crews clean up the mess left behind that

left many residents out of power and trapped. actually the tree across down here and power lines around there and this way there's that great big tree. >> this is one of the most beautiful trees on our block. >> you hate to see the tree go though, right? >> it was not going. it's just getting a haircut. in a way, it will open up the sunshine in the yard. that's looking at it positively. >> as for mac, he is trying to look at it positively, too. >> what could i think? it's a done deed. >> delia tells us that everyone worked together to clear the road. neighbors have offered mcdore manets a place to stay until their repairs are made. residents in arlington county were told power would be back by 6:00 tonight. meanwhile down on the national mall, thousands are gathering for tonight's fourth of july festivities, hoping the only thing lighting up the sky

will be fireworks. armando. >> reporter: right now the good news is that it is not raining and it is hot and humid. however it's also overcast. all those folks you see out there are being protected from the sun. they are not broiling like lobsters. so far, everybody seems to be having a good time. there were marching bands from all over america. a tribute to our armed forces. >> my stepson is a marine. he's over in afghanistan, so we're just waiting for him to get home. >> floats and vehicles of all kinds. >> i'm driving around on the fourth of july in the middle of dc. life couldn't be better. >> many options to cool off.

including some unusual ice cream from dallas. >> a chilly flavored ice cream bar. oh my gosh. after the parade, people headed over to the smithsonian folk festival. ♪ [ music ] where columbia was showcased. ♪ [ music ] the music was hot. the food was spicey. and throughout the celebration, folks did not forget the true meaning of a fourth of july. >> freedom. >> what is that?

>> as simple as that. >> right now folks are taking a break. in about an hour, we'll have a concert beginning on the other side of the monument. it will feature military bands, of course at 8:00 we're going to have more information. we're also going to have another concert. that's on the west lawn of the u.s. capital and the fireworks around 9:15 or so. we'll be here and bringing you all the action. reporting live, i'm armando trull. >> let's get a check on the traffic heading down to those fourth of july celebrations on the mall. monica, how is it looking? >> it's not looking bad. given the yellow light not because the beltway or major thorough fairs are getting bad, it's getting into downtown. here are some reminders. basically your road closures are east of the capital down the national mall and they are going to be closed until 11:00 tonight. what do you do? the best bet is to take metro. they are expecting 500,000 people this evening on metro so after 6:00 p.m., trains will be

operating every four minutes into downtown, nonpeek fares in effect all day. parking is free at all metro stations. the most popular one will open after the fireworks. you might want to consider other downtown metro stations. no bicycles allowed. put enough on your trip and metro will close after midnight. the busiest time on metro will be between 7:00 and 8:00 this evening and after the fireworks. back to you, lesli. >> you don't have to go downtown to celebrate the fourth of july. there are festivities and fireworks displays taking place all across our region tonight. at george mason high school in falls church, the celebration gets underway with a concert at 7:00 and fireworks go up at 9:20. in bowie, the party takes place at allen park. food and music begin at 5:30 and fire washings startworks

start at 9:15. for a complete list, log on to metromix.com and you'll find a link on the front page. matt. >> the fate of the florida woman accused of killing her young daughter is in the hands of the jury. casey anthony is facing seven charges, including of course first-degree murder. cameron brown joins us live from outside the courthouse in orlando, florida with the very latest. karen. >> reporter: the jurors have been deliberating for another five hours and this case comes down to is whether the jurors will actually believe that casey anthony killed her daughter because she didn't want the responsibility of being a mom. jurors are now deciding if casey anthony murdered her two- year-old daughter, caylee. prosecutors got the last word. >> the defendant was lying about everything. >> they wrapped up their case by showing these photos of anthony after her daughter was missing, partying, and

displaying her new tattoo. they argued anthony didn't want to be a mom anymore, so she suffocated caylee with duct tape. >> that had to have been on that skull before she decomposed. >> to get a guilty verdict, prosecutors must convince jurors beyond a reasonable doubt and the defense offered the seven women and five men an entirely different explanation of caylee's death. the defense claims caylee accidentally drowned in her parent's pool. >> that is the proof that she could easily get outside. >> and her grandfather tried to cover it up. >> these photographs tell the truth. >> in their final rebuttal, prosecutors pounced. >> people don't make accidents look like murder. that's absurd. >> jurors are weighing it all now. >> first day of a jury deliberation process is the most intense. that's when you get all the

different people talking about the different possibilities. >> they wanted to talk about it for six weeks. >> if convicted of first- degree murder, anthony could face the death penalty. >> and the prosecution has said it will seek the death penalty if there is a first- degree murder conviction, but the jurors have the choice of deciding on lesser charges, including second-degree murder, which does not require premeditation. reporting live in orlando, i'm karen brown, back to you. >> karen, thanks very much. lesli. a six-year-old boy died this morning during what was supposed to be a day at fun at sandy point state park. a state employee pulled the boy from the south beach swimming area and began performing cpr. first responders took over and rushed the child to the hospital, but he died a short while later. all southbound lanes of the george washington parkway have been reopened after an rv caught fire. everybody got out safely, but that rv is a total loss. >> this fourth of july,

there's not one, but two nathan's hot dog eating contests. we'll show you the first ever women's competition on coney island. >> i wish i could say everyone is going to have a picture perfect fireworks display. here's a look at live doppler 9,000hd. severe thunderstorm is in effect until 7:00 p.m. details coming up a little later. on this fourth of july, a former u.s. president takes permanent residence in london. i'm charlie dagata in london. we'll tell you who, what, and why coming up.

. president obama and the first family opened the white house today to a few special guests. several military families are joining the family. they will be treated to a concert and watch tonight's fireworks from the south lawn. speaking of the military. independence day is a great time to acknowledge the men and women who protect our country every single day. >> a new generation of veterans is returning home from conflicts overseas. some with visible wounds and others not as apparent. the homecoming and recovery for these wounded warriors are successful. >> master sergeant knows what it's like to shift from combat back to the home front. >> you're checking out

everything and everyone. so when you get into that mind set of a period of six or seven months and come back, it's hard to down shift it very quickly. >> the two decade marine corps veteran has done it a number of times, like so many members of the new generation of wounded warriors. > this is one of the wounded warrior complex barracks. >> this cluster at virginia's fort belvoir features a new hospital that will start seeing patients in august. >> there's more of physical recovery that will take place. socially with their families. >> and here, the uso has broken ground on a wounded warrior and family center. the first of its kind in the u.s. with the second to follow at the walter reid medical center in maryland. the lighting, the floor material, the layout, the art of bringing the outside in. all based on a premise of an architecture of healing. >> we consulted with leading medical professionals on what colors, even what smells are

the kinds of smells that are going to be most conducive to the broad process of healing. >> focusing on wounds that aren't always apparent to the eye, but need care. a process they won't have to face alone. >> all these families may know, we, the older ones are going to make sure they're taken care of. >> in virginia, i'm karen. >> and as america celebrates its independence from england, london is pausing to honor an american president. charlie takes us to the unveiling of a permanent tribute to the 40th u.s. president. >> reporter: he stood shoulder to shoulder with britain. now president reagan's statue will stand in the streets of london in honor of that relationship. >> it celebrates the life of an exceptional president. the truest friend that britain has ever had. >> unveiling ceremony in front of the u.s. embassy marked 100

years since president reagan's birth. former secretary of state, condoleezza rice joined other dignitaries at the tribute. margaret thatcher, london's greatest ally was too frail to come. in a statement read during the ceremony. thatcher called ronald reagan a great president and a great man. through his strength and convictions, he brought millions of people to freedom as the iron curtain finally came down. the 10-foot tall bronze figure stands alongside presidents franklin d. roosevelt and eisenhower. >> this statue is quite clearly a memorial and commemoration of a glorious past, but more importantly it is a call to an even more deplore yows future. >> as far as the future of the u.s. embassy, it will be moving from its home in central london next year. but the statues will remain here on a little patch of

london that will always pay tribute to america. charlie dagata, cbs news, london. when reagan died in 2004 after contracting pneumonia. thatcher was among the thousands who attended his funeral service at the national cathedral in washington. the words of the decloration of independence came to life. >> and destroyed the lives of our people. >> today marks the 235th anniversary of the document that freed the colonies from british rule. john adams and beaning lin franklin lead the annual reading. there was also a performance by revolutionary fight and drum corps. lots to celebrate weather wise. most importantly no rain. >> i was going to say, it's not a bad day today. tonight it gets a little more interesting. >> yeah, we have some storms coming in from the west and generally south of dc, the

further south you go, towards fredericksburg, a better chance you'll see thunderstorms developing that could impact some of those firework shows and some of them could be strong and severe. here's a look at that risk of where the best chances are for severe storms. basically to the south, you see the areas in yellow until 10:00 p.m. tonight. all right, here's a look at live doppler 9,000hd. cloudy conditions, but look out to the west, you see greens and yellows, those are the showers and there are thunderstorms coming in through here. now we'll head up first through the cumberland area where we have a flood warning. and head south where we also see some bigger massive showers and thunderstorms going through. just basically east of 81. so we saw some around harrissonburg now heading toward warnton. this could be going the next hour or so. the thing is, maybe some light

rain. not showing any thunderstorm activity. but through warnton, up through 66. and around dc in the next hour or so. we're going to watch this system here come through and this point, no severe thunderstorm warnings are in effect. you can see basically by in the next hour or so, dc could be getting some light rain and showers as well. all right, let's take a look at our forecast. we're expecting basically temperatures to still be very warm outside. 89 in downtown. 84 in manassas. 90 in frederick. 82 in winchester. dew points, it's humid. manassas dew point at 70. further south around 75. in downtown 63. now the satellite radar picture is showing us, we have this frontal system coming through, kind of stalling, which is why we're going to see some active weather for tonight. so what we're expecting is unsettled weather. the severe thunderstorm watch until 10:00 p.m., mainly to the south. damaging wind, lightning a

possibility. tuesday also hot again. so for tonight, what can we expect? mostly cloudy and mild conditions. heavy, severe further to the south of us, including parts of calvert, st. maries and charles counties. lows will be 66 to 74 degrees. to overnight, not cooling down a whole lot. near mid 70s and 69 degrees in culpeper. tomorrow morning as you are heading back to work, mostly cloudy and mild. a few peeks of sunshine. temperatures in the 60s and 70s. partly to mostly sunny and hot. maybe a stray storm. to the south of us, highs around 90 degrees. generally around average, maybe a little bit above. downtown 90 degrees, 89 for leesburg. and 87 degrees in winchester. here's your seven-day outlook. temperature wise, we aren't heating up a whole lot. cooling down into the mid 80s by friday. but this frontal system, we have a lot of fronts flirting with us the next several days,

keeping with us a chance of scattered showers and thunderstorms. the next several days. tomorrow though, again we are thinking isolated and to the south of us. so keep your eyes to the sky tonight as you are waiting for those fireworks and bring an umbrella just in case. >> let's hope it is more calm than last night. >> absolutely. >> we should get the fireworks in. >> i think so. maybe some delays in some cities. we'll have to watch for that. coming up next on 9news now. >> it's a fourth of july tradition and coney island, brooklyn. the annual hot dog eating contest. i'm randall pinkston, i'll have that story. we didn't notice anything that was suspicious. >> rigged card readers. crooks at the top of their game. >> our account was at zero. >> 9news now reveals the tell tail science of super skimming. tonight at 11:00.

a fourth of july tradition, there was not one, but two champions at the annual nathan's hot dog eating contest. >> the day was not without controversy, believe it or not. a former champion states his own contest to rival the big event. >> it's a fourth of july tradition. who can eat the most hot dogs and buns in ten minutes at the

annual nathan's hot dog eating contest. >> it's joey chestnut. >> joey chestnut downed 62 hot dogs, chewing his way to the top for the fifth time in a row. for the first time ever, nathan's held a separate man's and women's event. 100 pound sonya thomas stuffed down 40 hot dogs and buns to win the women's competition. thomas is known as a competitive world as a black widow. she took part when it was coed. >> usually i compete with a man, that's not fair. >> one of the greatest all- time hot dog eating champions did not compete this year. she has a contract dispute with the echt's organizers, but some spectators suspect something else was keeping him away. >> i think he is scared. >> i think he's afraid to lose. i think he thinks chestnut has his number right now. >> he held his own contest in

a rooftop in manhattan. >> he could have signed the same contract he signed for years. this is competitive eating, it's supposed to be fun. >> he ate 69 dogs at the unofficial event. >> less than one minute. >> organizers say this competition is evolving and they will continue to have a men's and women's event so the female eaters get the attention they deserve. randall pinkston, new york. >> everyone's favorite story of the year. joey chestnut will share the $20,000 grand prize. >> they eat all those hot dogs, but do they keep them down? a new report out today suggests a very popular antismoking medication, maybe doing more harm than good. plus --

new at 5:30, a followup to a weather related death. a bicyclist caught in a storm was killed by a falling tree. >> this happened near mile marker 33 on the toe path near whites ferry, maryland. scott broom reports on the struggle to rescue the man and who you should do if you get caught in a similar situation. >> abandoned camping equipment, bicycle parts, and

discarded first aid supplies, mark where 56-year-old neil of forest hills, new york, was hit and killed by a falling tree during storms early sunday evening. >> that's too bad, because everybody out here is having a good time. >> for fellow cyclists, it's a shocking reminder of the dangers of summer weather, even on a relatively tame outdoor adventure. >> i feel sorry for the man. >> we were there and we were lucky to stay in the building and have shelter and kind of rode out the storm. >> like a lot of people you meet, he was on a long distance overnight trip with a buddy when they were caught in the weather. he was putting on rain gear, his friend pedaled a long distance away. >> from this sight, it's a long way to get help. and that direction, about 3 1/2 miles to find shelter. and in this direction, just about the same distance down to

edwards ferry. rescuers from the western montgomery station used an atv and needed chain saws to clear a path to get reich. he died at the scene. the safest place in the storm is indoors or secondly in a vehicle. but online resources such as windernesssurvival.net say those caught in a forest should seek low ground under a thick canopy of small trees that might protect you from larger trees if they fall. it's an imperfect solution that comes with no guarantees when violent weather strikes. in whites ferry, scott broom, 9news now. >> and rescuers say this incident is a reminder to check the weather frequently when storms are in the forecast and to be prepared to modify your plans accordingly. in political news, the senate returned to washington tomorrow as the debt ceiling deadline fast approaches. negotiations between democrats and republicans have been deadlocked over the issue of raising taxes. president obama wants billions of dollars of tax increases to lower the debt.

the gop says no way. >> republicans are opposed to any tax hikes, particularly during a fragile economic recovery. i'm confident the democrats and republicans in congress can find a way to give some ground, make some tough choices and put their shoulders to the wheel to get this done. >> some key senate republicans have signaled that they may be willing to compromise on tax loopholes. both sides seem far apart on a deal and no talks are scheduled. the deadline is august 2, but many believe a deal needs to be reached by july 22 in order to get it through congress in time. fox news is apologizing for any distress caused by tweets. the cable news network says a hacker is to blame for a series of tweets reporting that the president had been shot to death in iowa and that the shooter was unknown. in a statement released on its website, fox news called tweets malicious and false and said that the hacking is being

investigated. vice president joe biden is taking to twitter. the vice president sent his first ever tweet today. it was a fourth of july message from himself and his wife asking americans to take time to think of troops in battle. it's part of the white house's growing focus on social media. by the way, vice president biden's user name is atvp. the problems are not over for domonique strauss-kahn. a lawyer for a french novelist says she will file a criminal complaint accusing the chief of attempted rape. came forward with the claim after strauss-kahn's arrest in may on charges that he tried to rape a maid at a new york city hotel. just last friday, strauss-kahn was released without bail after questions emerged about the credibility. >> judges at the u.n.'s war tribunal entered not guilty

pleas on behalf of meladich today. they ordered the military chief out of his arraignment for repeatedly interrupting the hearing and refusing to enter pleaing arguing he should be allowed to choose his own lawyers. he faces 11 charges of master minding the worst atrocities of the bosnian war. chantix, sales run into the hundreds of millions of dollars, but went down after the drug was linked to serious psychiatric side effects a couple years ago. now as anita brickman reports, heart dangers are coming to light and taken way too long to get that information to the public. >> calvin is a sax phone player who has to have it that is interfering with his art. he's been a smoker for the past 30 years. >> blowing and smoking isn't good. >> he tried over and over again to quit and had the best

success with chantix. a drug that got a fast track approval from the food and drug administration in 2006. but calvin went back to his cigarettes once he went off the drug and thought about trying chantix again. people like calvin should think twice. the internal medicine doctor at johns hopkins led a team that looked at 14 different studies and found otherwise healthy middle-aged smokers had a 70% greater risk of landing in the hospital with a serious heart problem or heart attack. >> as a scientist and as a physician, i am really interested in why we didn't have that information in 2006? >> the doctor believes chantix was tested on too few people and given the green light too fast, even though fda reviewers noted a possible increase in cardiac events back then. >> still approved it and didn't inform physicians. >> now that did change just

last month. the fda announced its own followup research and covered more heart problems among chantix users with existing cardiovascular disease. the label will carry a new heart warning and the drug maker has been able to look at the safety data. anita brikman, 9news now. it believes in chantix and disagrees with the findings of the study. the cardiovascular events were infrequent, there was a small number of events, and they were similar in the two treatments. >> time now to check and see how the roads are looking tonight. monica is on the job. >> yup, i sure am, lesli. i changed it to green. therefore the roads are looking great. if you are planning to head downtown, use metro this evening for the fireworks. i think it's going to be your best bet. they do have extra stations and

nonpeak fares in effect all day today. this is what it looks like at the 14th street bridge. no problems within town parking will be a problem. give yourself extra time if you are planning to drive downtown. the american legion bridge, doesn't look like this very often, but today it does all around the beltway. back to you guys. >> monica, thanks very much. prince william wows the crowd in canada as he pushes military helicopter training to the test. >> don't forget, we are always on at wusa9.com. stay with us, we'll be right back.

the fire threats in new mexico community of los alamos. the nuclear laboratory seized tonight, but the biggest wild fire is threatening sites that are held sacred by american indian tribes. hundreds of firefighters are working to contain the tribes. thousands of residents were allowed to come home yesterday. the fire started back on june 26 when a tree fell on power lines. not surprisingly, new mexico's governor is urging them not to use fireworks because of the conditions. many cities and counties across

the nation's drought stricken areas are banning fireworks. dozens of cities in texas, including austin and san antonio have canceled their fireworks shows tonight as a precaution. meanwhile, a police officers and one other person were shot to death in the heart of memphis' entertainment district. the officer was responding to a call for a domestic dispute last night when he was shot. a woman in the hotel room was also killed. a suspect is now in custody. he's now hospitalized with injuries suffered during his arrest. police responded to a call involving that same suspect earlier in the night but let him go. >> britain's prince william showed off his skills as he and his wife kate continue their royal tour of canada. william co-piloted a helicopter making a water landing during a training mission in prince edward island. later in the day, the duke and duchess of cambridge competed in a dragon boat race. this is the fifth day on the

newlywed's nine day trip to canada and leave for a three- day trip to california on friday. > transformers 3 had the biggest opening so far. transformers dark of the moon took in $97.5 million in its first weekend. that beat the $90 million debut of disney's pirates of the caribbean on stranger tides. >> it's as much of a fourth of july tradition as fireworks here in d.c. >> coming up, we're going to take you to today's annual parade in the palisades neighborhood. we have showers and thunderstorms arriving. it could put a damper on some fireworks plans for tonight. here's a look at live doppler 9,000 hd. more details on that coming up after the break. but first, made in the

u.s.a. if you can't find products manufactured in america, you are not looking hard enough. we'll be back. [ female announcer ] keurig brews more than just hot coffee.

now you can brew over ice for delicious iced coffee or tea. hot or cold, keurig is the way to brew everyone's favorite cup in under a minute. choose. brew. enjoy. keurig.

made in america. on this independence day, that slogan has historical meaning like harley davidson. there's a belief out there that the american manufacturing is dead, not so. the u.s. produces twice as many products right here on american soil as it did 50 years ago. americans may feel everything is made in china, but that's actually far from true. the u.s. remains the largest manufacturing country out pacing even china. companies that keep production state side have lower transportation costs, shorter supply chain, and fewer problems launching new products. they have an advantage over firms that export their manufacturing. >> they look at new opportunities and they say

there's some advantages to being in the u.s., too. i think you may see more manufacturing jobs in the u.s. in months and years ahead. >> ll bean's main hunting shoes are true to their name. continue production out of the recently upgraded new england factory for the next century. tesla motors is the first auto maker to go public. it hit 60 miles per hour in just 3 seconds, winning over the tree huggers and the speed addicts. it will roll out its sedan in 2012. for fly fishing enthusists, the florida based company holds a unique honor, more records have used its set. if you hosted a barbecue, chances are you grilled on a webber. this classic earns high marks from consumer reports and good

housekeeping. glernist sewn jeans are some of the home grown products that carry the made in america label. we have a link to other products, even cars that carry the u.s.a. label on our website, wusa9.com. matt. >> lesli, for decades thousands of people have celebrated independence day with a good old fashioned parade in dc's palisades neighborhood. the annual fourth of july event features dancers, homemade floats and politicians. as eric lee shows us, it's a truly washington tradition. >> it's the palisades parade and picnic. it's been going on since 1966. the best dang day for the city and the palisades. >> happy fourth of july. >> happy fourth.

>> is this such a patriotic holiday that you want to be out and be a part of the celebration of america's independence. >> happy fourth of july. >> happy fourth of july. >> happy fourth of july. >> i like the candy. >> pretty awesome. >> this is an iconic event in our city. you know, it's when we become a small town that everyone comes out. >> look right up there and see everybody lined up is fantastic. >> happy fourth of july.

>> absolutely good day. >> the sights and sounds of july 4 by photo journalist, eric lee. folks in takoma park lined the streets to celebrate this morning. this was the scene at today's parade that kicked off at eaton allen avenues. local leaders rode in vintage cars along the parade route. >> no doubt thinking mother nature and perhaps annny hong for the cooperative weather, because it's different. >> a lot of people have their fingers crossed for tonight though. >> tonight is going to be a different story. we see showers coming through the area. some could be strong to severe, especially south of us. we had the severe thunderstorm watch in effect until ten o'clock p.m. these areas you see highlighted, that includes stafford county, lower southern maryland, also talking calvert, charles, and st. maries, you can see we see the thunderstorm really being a possibility for those to be strong and severe. here's a look at live doppler

9,000hd. in the immediate dc metro area right now. cloudy skies, but look out to the west, around 66 warrenton. front royal, fredericksburg, you're going to see more showers and thunderstorms come through. also dc could be getting showers as well in the next hour. doppler radar showing most of the activity is to the south of us. you could see some showers coming through as well. probably this evening. i think that could impact some fireworks plans for tonight and those barbecues. so keep your eyes to the sky just in case. now right now temperatures around 84 in arlington. near 90 in dc. college park at 88 degrees. beltville at 86 degrees. now the future cast showing us this is what one model thinks could be happening the next 24 hours. tonight some showers around 7:00. around dc and just south of us, around near fredericksburg, also some storms going through those areas. by 9:00, that's when we are

getting ready for the big fireworks show tonight. right now this model is saying showers out to the west. leesburg, manassas, maybe some thunderstorms as well in the mountains and then through manassas as well, as late as 11:00 tonight, culpeper too possibly could still see storms as well. overnight, the severe threat diminishing, but we could see some showers and storms to the south of us and stray ones tomorrow once again. tonight mostly cloudy and mild. showers and storms heavy and severe to the south. lows 66 to 74 degrees. around town, near mid 70s, but 69 in leesburg. 65 in frederick. here's a quick look at your seven-day forecast. temperature wise, around seasonal. we have a chance for showers and thunderstorms. this frontal system flirting with us and i think for tonight, you hear thunder and lightning. it could be dangerous. >> it's going to be touch and go for some fireworks. >> all right annie, thanks very much. >> brett is talking about old

school stuff. >> did you jump rope? >> absolutely. >> i jumped rope in gym class. i wanted to know how to jump class in the rocky movies. i thought that was the height of cool. i was never coordinated enough to do that. if someone asks you, can you jump rope? chances are yes. just like riding a bike, you never forget. then again, there's our definition of jumping rope and then the world class definition of jumping rope and as dave owens found out today, those are two very different things. >> remember how you skipped rope in the backyard as a kid? this isn't that. >> i trained, what, 10, 11:00 months for in this. >> they're serious, drew participants from 12 countries. multiple languages, different styles. one goal, bring your a game. >> it doesn't matter what background you come from, there's an event here for you.

>> from free style to double dutch. it isn't your typical backyard variety. everyone here has a gymnast in them. no leap, no vault, no move is off limits. >> we try to go out there and blow minds basically. >> so, how do you make it flawless out there? you prepare in here. each one of these is dotting the t's because in a few minutes, they have to go out there and do it for the judges. and you have about a minute to impress them with degrees of difficulty and a heavy dose of showmanship, which this team seems to have down pat. it's not all show, though, you better be in shape. go out on the street and sprint for a minute and a half and you might get a sense of what it's like. >> stamina and sportsmanship, got together to help the team get here. >> passports and visas were a mountain to climb. once we got those, it was a matter of training and getting ready. >> oh, they are ready.

as are all these teams. >> we come to show our double dutch. >> show? i'd say they did. dave owens. >> if you want to do jump rope as an exercise, we looked it up. if you jump rope for 15 to 20 minutes, you can burn off as much as a candy bar. >> we never jump rope. >> if that's jumping rope, we don't jump rope. >> thank you brett. up next, a pop quiz on our national bird on the fourth of july. how much do you know about the bald eagle? >> and coming up new at 6:00. >> coming up at 6:00, she served in the military and today she became a citizen. i'm brittany morehouse. i'll have that story. can i eat heart healthy without giving up taste?

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people who live in virginia may run into our national bird on this national holiday. >> that's right. many who live near the water say they have seen a bunch of bald eagles flying around. brittany morehouse takes a look at the growing population and little facts about our national bird. >> boaters passing this lake can't get enough of these birds and the sounds they make. they tell me they are bald eagles, only juvenile because they are a mixture of brown and white. but i zoom in and realize no,

these are offsprays, bummer. even still, nowadays you will hear all kinds of story frs virginiaens who spotted the national bird in their backyard. >> i have seen a bald eagle nest on our farm. >> we had one fly right over us as i was kayaking. >> we got to see it from the water. >> a sign of their successful comeback. by 1960, there were only 400 nesting pairs. now there are roughly 10,000. >> in arizona, they are still on the endangered list. >> many of the many random facts when i ask -- >> what do i know about the bald eagle? >> yes. >> it is the national symbol, but a predator. >> it's a good fisherman. >> right, right, and right. they are predators at the top of the food chain. they live by large bodies of water in 48 states and the strong swimmers are able to lift a 4-pound fish. they can fly up to 10,000 feet

and reach speeds of 35 miles per hour, which this woman has seen in person. >> i never dreamed. >> its wingspan measures up to 90 inches. my favorite fact of all. >> i think they mate for life. >> once paired, bald eagles stay together until one dies. fidelity our founding fathers would admire. >> the bald eagle protection act of 1940 outlawed the killing of bald eagles in all states but alaska. that's because at the time, alaska was not a state yet. it was a u.s. territory. thanks for joining us for 9news now at 5:00. 9news now at 6:00 starts right now. >> this is 9news now. >> star spangled day on constitution avenue as america celebrates its freedom and independence. good evening, i'm lesli foster. a lot of people are going to have their eyes on the sky, hoping the weather cooperates