saturday. nut gingrich finished fourth last night and is also looking to gain some momentum from the southern states. >> i think we have a very, very good chance to win a lot of delegates here in louisiana. >> reporter: ron paul spent primary night in california and joked with jay leno on the tonight show. >> i think the other three should just get out of the race. >> reporter: paul finished third yesterday and is in last place in the race for delegates but he insists his campaign will go all the way to the convention. susan mcginnis, cbs news, washington. >> later today mitt romney will be in the mid-atlantic region stopping at the american legion in maryland and the district of columbia. then on to wisconsin, the first week of april. then a ten-day break before the next round of contests. house republicans unveiled their budget proposal for next year. they say the plan would reduce the deficit by 3.3 -- $3.3 trillion over the next decade. it would do that by cutting 5 trillion from medicaid, food

stamps and other programs. the proposal also calls for a repeal of president obama's health care overall. -- overhaul. >> if we allow entitlement politics, fear that your adversaries will return and we cower to that, america is going to have a debt crisis. >> we need to make sure the effort to get our fiscal house in order, that the burden of that effort is not borne solely by senior citizens and families with disabled children or the poor. >> the congressional budget office has not released analysis of the g.o.p. proposal. the associated press is offering a new scenario in the afghan shooting massacre which left 16 people dead. several afghans who witnessed those shootings say several u.s. troops lined them up against the wall after a roadside bombing. they were told that both they and their children would pay the price for that attack.

similar accounts were reported needly after the news of the shooting spread. in those accounts witnesses reported several soldiers took part in that massacre, not just one. the lawyer for staff sergeant robert bales, the lone soldier accused in the shootings at this point says he will travel to afghanistan. john henry brown says the evidence the government has against his client, he'll question it, and gain his own information. bales has not confessed and does not remember the massacre. he is expected to be charged before the end of the week. dozens of people marched last night in northwest washington in support of three recent victims of possible hate crimes. >> this kind of turnout is what we need. we have to show solidarity in our city. >> the march began at the ihop at 14th and irving where a gay man was shot last week. a few days earlier a gay man was beaten and robbed at

georgia avenue and irving street and a transgender woman was assaulted in northeast washington. >> i do think there is a -- more certain people -- certain people are more vulnerable. >> no arrests have been made. none of the victims' injurieses were life threatening. an attorney for the family of a teenage shot and killed says he has proof trayvon was not a threat. >> reporter: a neighborhood watch volunteer shot the black teenager dead after a confrontation in a gated community in central florida. >> it is our expectation, our hope, our belief, our prayer and whatever we can come up

with that they will arrest george zimmerman for the murder of trayvon martin. >> reporter: 28-year-old george zimmerman claims it was self- defense. florida state allows a person the right to stand their ground and use deadly force if threatened. but the attorney for the martin family says the boy was not the aggressor. >> he had a 9 millimeter gun. trayvon martin had a bag of scitles. where is the scfl defense in that? >> reporter: attorney benjamin crump played a video of a young girl who was on the phone moments before trayvon was shot and killed. the girl told the attorney that martin was being followed. >> she tells him, be careful. just run home. >> reporter: he will turn over the witnesses' information to thjustice department because the family does not trust the local authorities. terrell brown, cbs news. >> grand jury will convene on

april 10 in this case. just about 4:35. here's a look at some of the other things making news. police in paris france are investigating a car bombing that went off around 1:15 our time. at this point there's no word if this bombing is connected to the shooting monday at a french school. meanwhile police in the city of toulouse are in the middle of a standoff with a gunman wanted in connection with the attack on that school. a rabbi and three children were killed in that shooting and the same gunman is suspected in the deaths of three french soldiers last week. there are no reports of deaths from a 7.4 magnitude earthquake which hit southern mexico tuesday. officials estimate about 800 homes near the epicenter were damaged. the tremor caused tall buildings 200 miles away in mexico city to sway. a less powerful 5.15 after shock was felt in the capital city. there were several other after shocks near the epicenter in a mountainous rural region. a judge in the penn state

sex abuse case issued a ruling ordering prosecutors to give jerry sandusky's lawyers the phone numbers and addresses of his accusers. the judge is also requiring prosecutors to turn over any juvenile records which might help sandusky's lawyers attack the credibility of his accusers. sandusky, a former penn state assistant coach is accused of sxually abuse -- sexually abusing ten boys over a 15-year period. he denies the charges. a new eisenhower memorial will be located just at the base of capitol hill. during a house hearing, susan eisenhower, the granddaughter of the 34th president, testified the design she says focuses too much on eisenhower's humble roots instead of his accomplishments. the prominent architect frank gary designed the memorial. he says he's open to design changes. our time is 4:36.

at 4:40, lin-sanity is now the brand ambassador for a certain car make near asia. metro plays the name game. why the stuff that you use regularly may have a new name soon. you're watching 9news now.

4:39 on this wednesday morning. once again we've got low clouds and fog in most areas. temperatures will be slow to climb to the mid-60s as we head toward lunch. sunshine breaks up this afternoon. we'll get into the lower, possibly mid-70s depending how much son we see with -- sun we see. we'll talk about shower chances and what we can expect for the upcoming weekend when i see you in about five minutes. over to monika santami with a

look at fog in the traffic cameras. >> here's an example of the fog howard has been talking about. this is georgia avenue in olney. here's 270 coming down from route 109 to the point where the lanes divide. fog is a factor for your commute this morning so do be careful. coming up in my next report, we'll take another look at virginia roads this time at 4:47. >> monika, thank you. time for your first your money segment of the morning. >> it is. that's why jessica doyle is here. we keep saying greece is the word. greece is the world. not anymore. >> no, china. it's one of those situations where we'd like to manifest our own destiny in terms of wall street. investors hoping to take back some of what they lost yesterday. wall street suffering only the second decline in two weeks. stocks falling after data from china pointed to a slowdown there. it is a global economy. checking the numbers, the dow stands this morning at 13,170 after dropping almost 69 points

in trading yesterday. the nasdaq and s&p both lost about 4. "the new york times" will offer fewer articles for free online. starting next month readers will be able to access ten stories for free each month instead of the current 20. the times is trying to push more of its readers to sign up for digital subscriptions which of course they pay for. "the new york times" has about half a million paid subscribers since offering the online service a year ago. nba star jeremy lin has signed a two-year contract with volvo to promote the company's cars around the world. the chinese-owned company is calling lin its brand ambassador. the tie wease american point guard -- tie taiwanese american point guard -- [ inaudible ] >> cool. >> and many more endorsements. >> as long as he continues his great play. there's a backyard danger we have every year and this year for some reason it's greater. we'll tell you why.

>> we're back with that story and more. plus, your weather first in two minutes.

good morning. welcome back to 9news now. it's 4:44 this wednesday morning. what's next? anything new in weather? >> late spring weather going o. the allergy count came in with high tree pollen. >> do we have less of the dipping? hot, cold? >> a little bit. we will cool down some but we can't hold on to 15, 20 degrees

above average. >> we're talking 70s the next few days. >> if we hold on to this, we'll be in the 100s. nobody wants that. weather wise, let's talk about this morning's bus stop forecast. it's on the cool side but nothing horrible. we've got 50s and 60s this morning. cloudy skies. we've got fog in areas as well. 352 to 62. sunrise 7:09. so we still have a few more hours to get this fog to get denser and denser and that's going to be the case this morning. 8:00 foggy, 59. by noon still lots of clouds, upper 60s. sunny breaks especially west of town by then. this afternoon i think we get into sunshine, low 70s by 4:00. highs 73, maybe 74 degrees and by 8:00 upper 60s. there's just an outside chance that we're going to see a shower or thunderstorm here. this morning we watched the activity well to our south and west yesterday afternoon. this morning we're seeing just a couple of showers holding on toward the northern neck. this is all that's left around colonial beach this morning drifting in toward maryland

across the river here. down toward point lookout, just a lone shower there. radar thankfully far quieter than it was yesterday morning. fog, though, still a problem. gaithersburg quarter mile. we just dropped to a quarter- mile at national. they've been holding at one and a half. that's a new number coming in. half mile in cambridge. got a quarter mile in tap tappahannock and little at the -- and also at the pax river naval air station. lots of reports of fog. as of yet no advisories from the weather service. your temps are in the 50s and low 60s fredricksburg our warm spot at 63. here's a look outside on our michael & son weather camera. that is the u.s. capitol dome shrouded by some fog right now. we'll see if this thing completely disappears in the next hour or so. 61 with the fog around. east, northeast wind at 7 and dew pointses upper 50s. they're not much of a spread between the temp and the dew point and light winds.

speaking of temps, we still have wintry weather in the west. chicago at this hour 66 degrees. unbelievable warmth there for the last week as well with lots of 80s. the other thing going on, look at this moisture just flowing in from the gulf of mexico. upper storm parked in west texas like a firehouse. there's go -- there goes all the rain from the gulf. it's flooding many areas of western louisiana and arkansas. around here just these weaker disturbances which produced indicational showers and storms. -- occasional showers and storms. it will get here by the weekend. today a slight chance of the afternoon shower or storm. 74. we have the 70s tomorrow. upper 70s on friday. as we go out toward the weekend, looks like saturday, sunday time frame, it's going to be cooler here into the 60s by then with a better chance of some showers and storms. let's go to monika santami now. she has your latest time saver traffic. thank you so much, howard.

good morning, everybody. it's just the fog the big factor this morning. most of the construction has been cleared up around town. they figured if you can't see what you're doing, you might as well pack it up. that's what they did. in annandale on the beltway, springfield at the inner loop at i-95 everything is cleared up so at least that's not going to affect your drive this morning. out west we're still looking good out in manassas and centreville. i want to give you an example of the fog coming in in gaithersburg which is one of the big spots howard has been talking about. this is 270 at clopper road. it's the visibility that's going to affect your drive and slow you down a bit this morning. let's go back over to the maps on the northbound side of i-95. things are looking fine out of lorton, newington and springfield. we'll take a live look at 395 and the 14th street bridge. no problems on the anacostia river crossings. metro's subway maps are getting a makeover. the transit agency is showing

off the new map featuring updated station names. new names include king street old town and navy yard ballpark. all the new names will be rolled out in the coming months. the d.c. department of transportation is delaying full enforcement of the new red top meters. currently drivers with disabled tags or temporary disabled permits can park for free at any meter for double the posted time period. but beginning may 1, people with disabilities must park at and pay for one of the 1500 red top meters in order to receive double the time. violators will be ticketed and fined $250. anyone parking at a red top meter without a valid disability placard or license plate will also face possible fines. back to you. >> thanks, monika. 4:50 now. the virginia school system hardest hit by last august's earthquake is getting a boost from the federal government. money in fact. the federal emergency management agency is giving the

louisa county school board $3.8 million. it will be used for school construction and other costs related to the earthquake damage. fema has already contributed funds to rebuild both the high school and elementary school. we've been talking about the warm weather and enjoying it because we're going to pay a price. our unusual warm weather means bugs will be around in greater numbers. >> the new report warns this could lead to a record surge in lyme disease. >> there is nothing worse than being sick and people not being able to find what it is that is wrong with you. >> reporter: monty was bitten right here in her front yard in mclean 20 years ago when lyme disease was far more of a mystery. it took seven years and more than $300,000 in medical expenses to finally get the right diagnosis. since then she's made it her mission to inform the public

about tick borne illnesses. >> education is key. >> reporter: that education will be especially key this year according to findings by researchers at the kerry institute of ecosystems studies. they warn we'll see fewer white footed mice do to acorn shortages and that may lead to more ticks seeking out humans to find a blood meal. be especially careful in grassy areas from the backyard to the gulf course. >> check yourself for ticks after you've been outdoors and done outdoor activities and to seek the proper medical treatment if you do have a tick attachment. >> reporter: dr. samuel shore says a tick bite may or may not produce a telltale bull's eye rash but there are other symptoms to watch out for. >> anywhere from five days to 14 days aft tick -- after the tick bite there could be flu- like illness. >> reporter: lyme disease is easily treated if caught early. >> i wouldn't be here, even having this discussion with you if it had been recognized and

tested for and treated early. i will probably have this disease the rest of my life. >> reporter: anita brikman, 9news now. >> the peak of tick season is also longer this year because of the mild weather. a daily regiment may help prevent heart disease. three separate studies found aspirin can reduce the risk of cancer deaths by 15%. that number rises to 37% when taking a low dose aspirin daily for more than five years. if you get your blood pressure taken in both arms the next time you get a physical, it could save your life. studies show some people don't know they have high blood pressure because they only get one arm tested. medical experts now say people who have different blood pressure readings in each arm have a life expectancy of ten years less than the people with the same pressure for each arm. they believe taking the pressure from both arms will

help properly diagnose and help properly treat high blood pressure. scientists have found a simple way to make a ski trip or mountain hike more enjoyable. taking ibuprofen can reduce your chances of getting accuse mountain sickness otherwise known as altitude illness. it can also reduce the impact of the symptoms which include headache, fatigue, dizziness, nausea, vomiting and poor appetite. 4:53. time for the question of the morning. right now at least 15% of men in america are suffering from one of these things. is it a, insomnia, b, mismatched socks, and c, their zipper is down. >> log on to the wusa9 facebook fan page. leave your response. we'll reveal the answer during the 6:00 hour.

welcome back. your weather first. coming up on 4:56 on this foggy wednesday morning. some spots quite foggy. we'll have the low clouds and fog with us much of the morning. slowly climbing into the upper 60s by noon. 72 at 5:00. look for a high about 73. 74 degrees. just a slight chance of a shower. full seven-day forecast coming up during 9news now at 5:00 a.m. monika is in with a look at time saver traffic. here's an example of the fog you've been talking b. up in frederick on 70 east of 270 the camera is high up but it is affecting the roadway as you head from 270 to frederick to the point where the lanes divide. take it easy this morning. coming up in my next report, we'll take another look at maryland roads at 5:01. the national cherry blossom festival is officially under way. it began yesterday morning on the tidal basin with the cherry

blossoms in peak bloom. about a million people are expected to visit the district over the course of the festival meaning lots of scenic photos and lots of parking tickets for the city. aaa says last year there were more parking tickets issued in the district during this festival than any other time of the year. >> just a warning. 68,000 -- 68,000 parking tickets issued over the last cherry blossom festival. please, tourists, beware, be warned. >> the event of the nation's greatest springtime celebration lasts for the next five weeks. festivities get under way this sunday with the opening ceremony. peak bloom is set to end on friday. >> that's a lot of money. >> i know. and they're raking it in and loving it. we still need more money. the muppets take hollywood. >> they do. that's what we hear. and a fight for a big screen

bully. we have those stories and more in this look at entertainment. >> thank you all. >> reporter: she's a pig and he eats flies. but the muppets now have a star on hollywood's walk of fame. more than 50 years after kermit first appeared on television, miss piggy named some of her favorite fellow stars. [indiscernible] [ inaudible ] >> reporter: the muppet star is here just off hollywood boulevard. it's now the 2,466th star on the walk of fame. ashton kutcher is going to be a real space cadet. the star of cbs's "two and a half men" signed up to fly aboard richard branson's space flight. virgin galactic plans to begin operations next year.

>> punched me, strangle me, take things from me, sit on me. >> reporter: hollywood heavyweights want a lower parental rating for bully. a new documentary about teen bullying. stars like meryl streep joined the call to change the film's rating from r to pg-13 so teenagers can see it without being accompanied by an adult. >> if kids see this movie without mom and dad, they'll take their own action. if i was 15 years old and my mom said come on, harvey, let's see the movie, i would run out of the theater. >> reporter: bully opens in limited release on march 30. that's your eye on entertainment, cbs news, hollywood. good morning. thank you for watching 9news now at 5:00 a.m. i'm andrea roane. you're halfway there. it's wednesday. good morning. i'm mike hydeck. hi, monika santami. >> good morning. >> she does the traffic and howard with weather. the radar is a lot