we begin with a severe weather alert. good afternoon, i'm andrea roane in for j.c. hayward. most of our viewing area is under a flood watch right now. so, let's get right to meteorologist anny hong with a quick look at the forecast. anny? >> hey, andrea. we've declared a severe weather

alert day because the potential for severe weather is happening and we'll see it happening later today. out to the far west of us, it will slowly make its way here. let's take a look at the tower cam where you can see outside, it looks hazy. this is the calm before the storm. you look outside, you might see some cloudy conditions. it is muggy. where are the storms happening? don't let that fool you. later this afternoon, it can get pretty tough for a lot of folks, especially during the evening commute. let's take a look at our day planner for today. temperatures around mid-80s by 6:00 with scattered showers and thunderstorms. and then that threat does continue through this evening until 9:00, 10:00 or so. currently, cloudy conditions. 83 degrees. here is a look at the flood watch. the flash flood watch has started now, will go through late tonight, the areas you see shaded in green. we're worried about a lot of rain in a short amount of time which can cause some flooding of the streets. here is a look at the system coming out through the west. it is slowly coming here.

we have a frontal system which is slowly coming from the mason- dixon line, creeping this way. which is why we'll have that weak cold front clashing with the warm, humid air. you can see right now on live doppler 9000 hd, around the beltway, we don't have any rain yet. this stuff right here, we're watching. eventually heading through our direction. we'll talk more about this storm threat a little bit later. first, back to you, andrea. >> thank you, anny. a short while ago, the nation paused to witness the final launch of the space shuttle "atlantis." this is the craft's 135th mission. the launch also turns the page on nasa's 30-year shuttle program. manuel gallegus was there as at lan 'tis and her crew embarked on its final voyage. >> all three engines up and burning. two, one, zero and liftoff, the final liftoff of atlantis. >> reporter: shuttle "atlantis" blasted off for the very last time, the end of an era for the u.s. space program. >> houston, now controlling the flight of atlantis, space

shuttle spreading its wings for the start of a sentimental journey into history. >> atlantis quickly disappeared into the clouds, not exactly the picture perfect launch spectators hoped for but a remarkable achievement for nasa. >> the 135th and final shuttle mission. >> engines revving up. >> the crew of four snapped photos this morning before suiting up and getting on board. usually six or seven astronauts fly but since this is the last mission, there's no back-up shuttle for an emergency rescue. russia will lend its soyuz rocket if the astronauts run into trouble. >> up to a million spectators gathered along coastal florida to witness the launch and be a part of u.s. space history. >> i think this is so sad that this is the last one. >> atlantis will deliver a year's worth of supply to the u.s. space station. for more than 50 years, the u.s. has been in the forefront of manned space exploration. >> it is beautiful, mike.

>> reporter: at least for now, that time has come to an end as nasa works an ways to keep us deeper into space. manuel gallegus, cbs news, at the kennedy space center. >> our colleague, kristin fisher was there at cape canaveral. her mother flew in space, the first mom in space, in fact. we hope to hear from her. her father, also was an astronaut. from now on, the space agency will rely on the russians to carry astronauts to the international space station. eventually, private companies will take over while nasa takes aim at the asteroids and mars. the woman charged with killing a coworker at an upscale yoga clothing shop in bethesda is going to trial. brittany norwood is accused of killing jayna murphy inside the lululemon athletica store in march. norwood was caught stealing and killed murray when victim confronted her. >> reporter: andrea, norwood's trial is set for october 24th.

it is expected to last eight days. in a somewhat surprising statement this morning, her attorney, douglas wood said his client is facing possible competency issues. >> i think in a serious case like this, you have to explore every possibility because you know, as you go along, you discover certain things in a case. and our investigation is still continuing. we're looking into our client's background. we're trying to keep that as an option. >> reporter: in court today, norwood wore a tan prison jumpsuit. her hair pulled back in tight cornrows. when the judge said good morning, ma'am to her, she responded very quietly. police say norwood killed jayna murray during a violent argument after murray found stolen merchandise in norwood's bag. investigators say norwood then tried to cover up the crime by tying herself up and concocting a story about two masked men entering the store after closing time.

norwood has pleaded not guilty. in the courtroom today, montgomery county state's attorney john mccarthy outlined the evidence that will be brought to trial in october. apparently there are more than 1100 pages of discovery in this case, including crime scene photographs. there will also be an abundance of dna evidence presented including expert testimony. on blood splatter, fingerprints and shoe print analysis. again, the trial is set to begin on october 24th. we're live in rockville, andrea mccarren, 9news now. the suspected arsonist charged with setting a house fire that hurt four d.c. firefighters is due in court today. investigators arrested 26-year- old maurice dues of northeast, washington on wednesday. he's charged with setting fire to a vacant home on 48th place in northeast in april. four firefighters were hospitalized. authorities believe dues also set other fires around the district and maryland. d.c. fire investigators are

trying to determine what caused a popular liquor store to go up in flames this morning. a passerby saw fire shooting from the u wine and beer shop on 13th and u streets. the two story building houses a martial arts dance studio. most of the damage was concentrated on the first floor business. pretty significant fire. called for a precautionary second alarm. it was somewhat laborrence tensive for the -- labor- intensive for the firefighters to get to the structure. it took about 15 to 20 minutes. >> fire investigators say this is an older building that sustained significant damage. the owners believe it could have been electrical. still to come when the news continues, a bill signed by maryland's governor martin o'malley granting tuition breaks for illegal immigrants is on the verge of defeat. democrats and republicans will meet with the president this weekend but say they're

still far apart on a debt limit agreement i'm randall pinkston in washington. i'll have that story.

top lawmakers will cut their weekend short for a sunday meeting at the white house. president obama called both sides back to the table, hoping to bridge the deep divide between them on a deal to increase the nation's debt limit and cut spending.

randall pinkston reports from capitol hill. leading lawmakers will work through the weekend, getting ready for a rare sunday meeting at the white house. president obama told both parties to show up with their bottom line demands in hand. >> the american people sent us here to do the right thing, not for party but for country. so, we're going to work together to get things done on their behalf. >> reporter: he's trying to take control of the debate over the debt limit. by pushing for a plan that raises that ceiling, slashes about $4 trillion in federal spending and closes some tax loopholes. republicans like the spending cuts but they argue closing those loopholes is the same as raising taxes. >> we are this far apart. it is not like there's some eminent deal about to happen. there are serious disagreements. >> reporter: part of the president's plan is upsetting some of his fellow democrats. he wants to cut entitlement

programs such as medicare, medicaid and social security. the top democrat in the house, nancy pelosi met with the president this morning and was expected to ask him to leave those cuts out of the final deal. the two sides are running out of time to reach middle ground. they need to find a plan they can all live with by july 22nd, otherwise, there won't be enough time to get a bill passed to raise the debt ceiling by early august. if that happens, the nation could default on its loans for the first time in history. randall pinkston, cbs news, washington. in a 90-minute closed door meeting at the white house thursday, the president told lawmakers he won't sign off on a short-term increase in the debt ceiling. he wants a solution that covers the issue past election day 2012. anny is up next with the weekend forecast. >> it is hot and muggy out here. we have dangerous weather headed this way for of some you. we've declared it a severe weather alert day. you can see the storms are heading from the west marching their way toward us.

we have your full forecast after the break.

welcome back to 9news now. d.c.'s government could soon be getting into the gun business, becoming legalized handgun dealers. maybe? councilman phil mendelssohn is sponsoring emergency

legislation which would make the city a licensed firearms dealer. the bill would require anyone wanting to bring handguns into the city to have their guns shipped to government offices to get the approval to carry them within d.c. borders. the council is expected to take up mendelssohn's proposal on tuesday. next year, marylanders get to vote themselves on whether to grant instate tuition to residents not u.s. citizens. a petition drive by opponents of the plan was successful in getting the issue placed on the ballot in a statewide referendum. gary nurenberg has more. >> reporter: it has been a fight all year. the legislature passing and the governor signing a bill allowing instate tuition for students who are not united states citizens. >> no one is getting a free ride. no one is getting free tuition. you have to show that you've been paying taxes. you have to show you live in maryland. you have to show that you want to become a u.s. citizen, that you're committed to the united states. >> reporter: the legislation was meant to become law july 1st but a successful petition drive by opponents puts it on

hold until a statewide referendum next year. >> there should be an issue that shouldn't just be rammed through the legislature by three votes. it should be something that the taxpayers and the citizens are allowed to have a stay in maryland about. >> she sees it as an issue of fairness. >> we'll be subsidizing the college tuition for someone who has no legal presence in the united states while there are 25,000 to 26,000 students that are put on the wait list or told there's no room at the inn at the university of maryland. they can't get in. but they're going to allow illegal aliens to come in and then foot the bill for that. >> appropriates describe -- proponents describe the beneficiaries differently. >> this is about the kids who live in our neighborhoods, who go to church with us, who have ties to maryland who are marylanders. and who are paying taxes. >> reporter: the declaration thursday that the issue will be on the ballot next year means a 15-month campaign for and against that will likely not be

genteal. >> the other side there will be outside agitation. >> in a campaign that's already begun. gary nurenberg, 9news now. more than 150 d.c. high school students are in florida for their first and final shuttle launch. they left national airport yesterday morning for the flight to florida. the students are winners of a nasa contest created specifically for d.c. public and charter high schools. for many of the students, it is the biggest trip of their young lives. >> i think the farthest place i've been is maybe new york. >> i've never been to nasa and i've never seen a shuttle launch live. so, it is going to be a great experience. >> nasa's involvement with the d.c. school system won't end with a conclusion. the shuttle program. it will continue to hold interactive activities such as days at the national air and space museum. and the worries about the weather, 70% no go, turns out it was perfect. >> i'm glad for them. howard is down there.

he's banting to go and kristin. we've got our own worries about the storms. i'm concerned they'll be dangerous. especially around the area late this afternoon and into the evening hours. definitely a day you want to keep your eyes to the sky to watch for that threat in your area. here is a look at the conditions outside where we're look at by this afternoon, scattered showers and storms. by 6:00, temperatures only in the mid-80s because of the cloud cover and then 9:00, the showers and storms continue. temperatures around 80 degrees. all right, the flood advisory is in effect on this severe weather alert day. the flood watch continues through late tonight. the areas you see in green. pretty much, the entire d.c. metro area. so, flooding safety, keep that in mind as you're driving in case you encounter a flooded street. never cross that by car or foot. also check the sump pump in the basement. make sure you have your flashlights and batteries. damaging wind gusts are a possibility.

the soil will get loosened, maybe we'll have downed trees and power lines. here's a look at the doppler radar. right now, around the beltway, we're seeing cloudy conditions out there. some peeks of sun. it is this mess here. look at that out to the west. slowly coming in this way. i think by late afternoon, we'll start to see some of that. right now, doppler 9000 showing you it is quiet in the district. out to the west, we're seeing the showers coming from the mountains. we'll see the activity increase closer to the beltway. late this afternoon and yes, during the evening commute. right now, temperatures around downtown, 83 degrees. annapolis, 84. winchester 81. hagerstown in the upper 70s. cumberland, 73 degrees. clouds limiting how much daytime heating we're going to get. storms are more numerous compared to last night or yesterday. the flash flood watch continues through late tonight. we're expecting heavy severe thunderstorms possible in the

area. now, the heaviest, the critical time here is 4:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. you'll notice that does include the evening commute. if you have a chance to maybe leave home early and do some work at home, not a bad idea. our main threat, you can see the risk for severe weather is in the areas in yellow including the mid-atlantic and here in d.c. the main threats are damaging wind gusts and the heavy rain. boy, will youst will you notice the rain if you get hit by these storms. where the storms could be going according to this model. late afternoon, 4:00, winchester, martinsburg, frederick, gaithersburg, baltimore, we'll see the showers and thunderstorms really start to act up. and then look at this! at 6:30 tonight, yep. right including the district and look at some of the oranges and yellows. those are rainfall rates of more than two inches an hour. we'll get a lot of rain in a short amount of time. that's why we're worried about the flash flooding in our area. we'll have to watch that and watch those roads. this will start to pull away

overnight. and then by tomorrow, it will leave behind drier air. it will still be hot but not as muggy so we get a break from the humid conditions this weekend. the rain potential, some of the numbers are really impressive. this is through tonight. more than two inches in baltimore by 11:00 d.c., maybe 3/4. winchester more than an inch and a half of rain. so, that could cause a lot of problems potentially. highs today, 86 degrees in downtown. 82 in winchester. lower 80s in hagerstown. a lot of us will be below the average high. overnight lows, still mild. lower 70s for downtown. 68 in martinsburg and fredericksburg, you're down to 69 degrees. here's your seven-day outlook. the critical time is 4:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. tomorrow, lower 90s, up to near 90s. maybe a morning shower or so. mostly sunny conditions.

on sunday, we're dry and 91 degrees. get ready for the heat on monday and tuesday with more showers possible. be back with andrea cooking in the kitchen.

welcome back to 9news now. we're in the 9news kitchen where local creative and innovative, those are some of the key ingredients in the grill and seafood restaurant on pennsylvania avenue in northwest. we welcome executive chef back to our kitchen, rodney scruggs. good to have you here with us. >> thank you. >> what are you preparing today? >> we'll do a little tara chip crusted alaskan halibut. very fresh. a little beef puree. a little wilted le, ks with

saffron butter sauce. >> you chose halibut because it is so fresh. >> it is unbelievable. the fish come in less than 24, 36 hours out of the water. out of alaska. beautiful, snow white. really flakes up. a great summer dish to have. >> talk about the beets. >> this is the beets coming from seminole farm. they're like gumdrops. you just plop them in. have fun with them. so, we've got the halibut. we're going to flip it. with television, we'll speed it up a little bit. share the final product. we've got a little wilted leeks right here. we'll add a little butter and salt. >> again, this recipe, you can find it on our web site. look under recipes.

rodney, while you're plating there, i think if anyone has been in washington for a long, long time or even just getting here, this is a name that everyone knows. but you're not mired in the past. you have new things going on. >> we have a lot of new and exciting things. we have a brand new wine room with a chef's tasting. menu going on. which is ten courses right under $100 and we've got grill night going on. >> really? >> we have a garden outside. we kind of like to think we're the grande but at the same time we're staying up with everybody else. there are a lot of great and exciting restaurants in d.c. >> you've seen the changes in how the palate has been more sophisticated. >> we're about 20 seconds away from saying good-bye. i want you to see the finished product. the occidental grill and seafood restaurant on pennsylvania avenue in the northwest. chef rodney scruggs plating our halibut with the terra-cotta

chips. saf on drizzle. it looks beautiful! we get to taste and we'll give you a thumbs up, i can tell you right now. it looks good and smells good. thank you for being with us. the next news is at 5:00 p.m. i'll see you again on monday at 4:25 a.m. of course, you can get news anytime at wusa9.com.