top of skyscrapers, the mall. it was pretty special. >> as it taxied in, it choked me up unexpectedly. i didn't expect to feel that emotional about it but it really got to me. kind of hit home that this is it. >> it hit me after we landed and you were talking about the young child wearing the discovery outfit. turned on the news and saw a kid wearing a space outfit and the people waving the fig. it hits you how cool it really was. >> i started with nasa a year and a half before the first shuttle launch and work add year and a half after the last landing and i'm going to retire. >> reporter: what are you going to do when you retire? >> whatever my wife tells me to do. >> smart man. >> the stories they have. right now wusa9.com, check out our photo gallery of the shuttle's arrival. if you were going to see discovery in person today, please post your pictures on our facebook page.

we'd love to share them with our viewers. it's 4:30. a big shake-up at one of the region's biggest churches. the head pastor of the cherokee city of praise is out of a job. he was abruptly fired last night. people going to bible study class found themselves instead locked out. he's been in a bitter feud with other church leaders in the last two years since his mother died. in a statement the church said the firing was needed to protect itself and, quote, move forward. a plan to keep virginia in business is now before governor bob mcdonnell. the virginia state senate wednesday approved a $285 -- a two-year $85 billion. it passed by a two-vote margin. without it the state would have faced a partial shutdown coming up on july 1. well, is it time to start over in silver spring at the transit center? $101 million project supposed to link metro, buses and

commuter rail in downtown silver spring but cracks in the concrete and other faulty work by a contractor have halted the progress. the washington examiner reports that the easiest fix may actually be to tear it all down and start over. the decision on what to do could be reached by county leaders today. the good news is employees at the general services administration are heeding the call to come forward and report any financial wrongdoing. the bad news? there seems to be a lot of whistle blowing to do. the inspector general of the gsa told congress wednesday he set up a hot lining -- hot line for people to give tips. he wants to know what's gone on beyond the $823,000 conference in las vegas that's wasted taxpayer money. >> while some suggested the investigation took too long to produce the final report, anyone familiar with law enforcement vexes understands that when you turn over -- investigations understands that when you turn over one stone,

you often find more stones that need to be turned over as well. most people understand they need to be careful and certain before making public allegations, such as those contained in the report because careers and reputations are on the line and my office does not take that lightly. >> the acting director of the gsa has stressed no employees will be punished for whistle blowing. now to the problems at the secret service. three members of the agency allegedly involved in the prostitution scandal have been forced out. as susan mcginnis explains, the investigation isn't over yet. >> reporter: the secret service says three agents involved in a prostitution scandal in colombia will no longer work at the agency. one supervisor is being fired but can appeal the decision. another supervisor retired and an agent resigned. the secret service is investigating reports that 11 members hired prostitutes and brought them back to their

hotel rooms in cartagena last week. they were in colombia preparing security for president owe bam pa's trip to the summit of the -- president obama's trip to the summit of the americas. >> reporter: a former secret service director says agents are constantly warned that prostitution can lead to espionage and blackmail. >> there's no doubt everybody going on that trip representing our government in that presidential contingent is aware of that and aware you can't do that. >> reporter: the secret service says all of the agents involved were debriefed at its offices here in washington. investigators are also interviewing the women involved and witnesses in colombia. >> you have to let no stone be unturned to make sure you get to the truth of what happened down there. >> reporter: the agents were pulled out of cartagena last week after an agent allegedly got into an argument with one of the prostitutes about payment and colombian police were called. eight agents are still on

administrative leave and have had their security clearances suspended pending results of the investigation. in washington, susan mcginnis, 9news now. let's get a quick check of some of the other stories making news. the white house strongly condemning newly released photos showing american forces posing with the bodies of insurgents in afghanistan. the photos were taken in 2010 and recently given to "the los angeles times" by a soldier who wanted to expose the breakdown of leadership and discipline. there will be a moment of silence today in oklahoma city. this day marks 17 years since the worst domestic terrorist attack in our nation's history. 168 people died in the bombing of the purr a federal -- murrah federal building in 1995. >> that bombing was a terrorist revenge for the siege in waco, texas that took place on tv. 51-day standoff ended on this date in 1993.

four a.t.f. agents died at the start of the raid on the branch of the davidian compound. 86 people died. this morning the world is mourning the loss of a true american icon. dick clark died wednesday. he was 82. >> he'll be best remembered as the pioneering host of "american band stand." gary nurenberg talked to a local musician who has some pretty fond memories. >> reporter: from the jackson five to stevie wonder and james brown. >> there was no color when it came to dick clark. it was music. >> reporter: anacostia born herb rose to fame in peaches and herb. breaking into white television was tough for african-american acts. >> i don't think dick had that kind of mentality. if the music was good, he would play it. >> reporter: one american bandstand appearance was memorable. >> we became closer when once i was doing a show and i fell

through this rise he had. from then on we always joked about it every time we saw each other. >> reporter: it became a national hit from 1957 to 1989. clark branched out into television productions, game shows, the golden globes, the academy of country music awards. didn't mind the description america's oldest teenager. >> the minute you grow up, the minute you mentally atrophy and freeze in time you're old. >> reporter: he hosted new year's rock 'n eve until a stroke and then returned. but it was american bandstand and what it did for music that may be his biggest legacy. >> he looked out for us. >> reporter: he said this at the end of every show. >> for now, dick clark, so long. >> reporter: herb fame said dick clark was a warm man and a

great guy. i had a friend who fell on hard times once dying of cancer and broke. with great dignity behind the scenes to no fanfare, dick clark paid for nursing care to make my friend's last days more comfortable. it's that that i will remember him for. and with great respect, let me borrow the line, "for now, dick clark, so long." >> very good, gary. our time right now 4:38. here's a look at what's coming your way on 9news now. in about four minutes, bad news for your travel plans. learn which airlines are expected to hike their fares and by how much. >> at 4:56, your butt and pollution. we're talking about cigarette butts. find out the impact of using the world as your ashtray. >> up next, another check of your thursday forecast and traffic, too. keep it right here on 9news now.

4:41 on this thursday morning. we've got some clouds now. the showers have left us. a little bit of fog here and there. we'll see the sunshine return later this morning. going to be a fine afternoon. winds northeast to southeast. only about 5 miles an hour with highs around 70. monika santami, happy thursday. >> happy thursday, howard. on the inner loop of the beltway before kenilworth avenue, overnight construction has been cleared up. your lanes are open. you're good to go southbound on the beltway in prince george's county. coming up in my next report, another look at maryland roads at 4:48. 4:41. time for the first your money segment of the morning. here's jessica doyle. good morning. >> good morning. wish i had better news. wall street on track for its first losing month since september but we'll see if we can turn things around.

stocks sold off after disappointing news from companies like intel and i.b.m. here's the good news, though. after the bell american express and e-bay reported better than expected quarterly profits so we're going to have to see if those companies helped undo this damage. checking the numbers the dow stands at 13,032, dropped about 83 points in trading yesterday. nasdaq was off by 11 and the s&p 500 was down by about five and a half points. want to get away in the next week or so? a flight out of town is going to cost you a bit more. delta, united and american all announced fare hikes yesterday of $10 to $20 n. is for round trip tickets bought seven days or fewer before you travel and it's the third hike this year. not everybody is necessarily joining. southwest, jet blue, u.s. airways and alaska all say they're not matching the hike, at least not yet. so are you ready to make a 20-year commitment to a light bulb? this sunday is earth day and

that's when the everlasting light goes on sale from philips. it will cost you 50 bucks for that bulb but it's expected to last 20 years or about 30,000 hours and save you 20% in the long run. i wonder if you keep your receipt and it comes in at 19 years. >> that's exactly what i was thinking. >> the five-year bull:s have gone out. we did keep the receipt. >> i want a guarantee for that 20 years. >> thank you, jess. she'll be back in 30 minutes. 4:43. a way to make d.c. schools better and getting more schools to graduate. we'll tell you about a new plan. >> howard says it's going to be warmer today with a mix of sun and clouds. next a look ahead at your weekend and we thank you for starting your day with 9news now.

good morning. 4:45. welcome back to nine fine now. we've -- to nine fine now. we have the -- to 9news now. we have the gentle rain. >> it was a teaser rain. some areas had a third of an inch or so. hopefully it will give us a relief from the allergens today. >> it did help. >> the number comes in. we get them just before noon from the folks at the allergen extact lab. this is where they came in for you on wednesday. we get them about noontime today. high in the tree pollen. the numbers were better than the day before. we have clouds now. even a touch of fog, light winds. we will see sunshine return later this morning. it's going to be a nice afternoon. low 60s at noon. highs around 70, if not into the low 70s with light winds becoming southeast at 5 miles an hour. an 8:00 temperature of 65. in fact if you're going out to

see the first place natascha nat -- place nats tonight, we start in the 60s. drop to the low 60s. a light jacket or sweat shirt is probably all you'll need. should be a comfortable night at the ballpark. there's the rain we had last night pulling away from us. you can see behind it now we have the cloud cover left over. a touch of fog in spots like manassas. that's more than a touch. their visibility is down to zero. a mile and a quarter in regard renton. three -- in warrenton. three-quarters here. the temps are in the 40s and low 50s. 53 one of the warm spots at reagan national but 46 in leesburg. 48 sterling and centreville. it's 50 degrees in great falls and fort belvoir. off to the east this morning columbia and college park at 51. outside on our michael & son weather camera, a little bit of haze out there. don't really want to call it fog outside the capital with cloudy skies, calm winds and the humidity high at 74%. while we're seeing the storm

system that pushed through us yesterday pulling away, it's the activity in the middle of the country, the central and northern plains will be approaching us as we head into saturday. that will be our next best chance of showers and storms. between that and this, we've got a good day today. a good day tomorrow. and then more rain returns over the weekend. the models are differing a little bit whether or not we get a good soaking rain on sunday or that may stay more east of us. but we will get some rain and a cooldown for sunday, monday and tuesday. today around 70. becoming sunny, very nice. tonight's temperatures will dip into the 40s and 50s. 75 tomorrow. we stay in the 50s friday night with these showers and storms returning saturday. maybe even before the noon hour, 74 on saturday. sunday only around 60 with more rain and showers. could be a lingering shower monday and tuesday, look at that, in the upper 50s to low 60s on wednesday. it's 4:48. monika santami stepping in. we must be pretty quiet out there at this hour. we are pretty quiet at this hour. with the wet road conditions if

you want to head out early, it might be a good idea. it might get a little tougher later if we have these road conditions during the height of the rush hour. the beltway looks great right now. if you're planning to head south on frederick on i-270 you're going to be fine. volumes are light heading from clarksburg to where the lanes divide. this is still pretty quiet across the river here between tysons and bethesda as you travel on the west side of the beltway. let's go back over to the maps, this time all the way to southern maryland. route 4, route 5, route 301 and route 210 out of accokeek no problems heading for oxon hill and heading south on the beltway. you're going to be fine as well leaving andrews air force base. we'll take a live look outside and this time to the north side of town. southbound 95 and northbound 95 looking great here at route 32 between baltimore and our beltway. coming up in my next report, we'll take a look at 66 at 4:56. mike? >> see you then, monika. thank you. just about 4:50 now. d.c. public school system is

unveiling a new five-year plan. it includes a longer school year, a longer school day, and possibly closing a few buildings. bruce john sofn reports on the -- johnson reports on the plan that's aimed at getting more students to graduate. >> i'm not satisfied with where we are on test scores. >> reporter: that's d.c. schools chancellor. >> we really had to get dcps just functioning. >> reporter: she says only 43% of public school students are proficient in reading and math. under a five-year plan unveiled with mayor gray, they want to increase math and read proceeding efficiency to 70% city wide. in the 40 lowest performing schools, the goal is to increase proficiency by 40 points. longer school hours and longer school year will be tried in some schools where principals are asking for it. >> i think we could do a lot more if we had an extended day and extended school year.

in order to move kids who are behind, we need more time with them. >> i think it would be chaotic to just go out and say well, 123 schools will now go to school till 5:00 every day. i think that's not responsible. what we're going to focus on is working with a few schools initially. >> reporter: the mayor and school chancellor say many school buildings will be closed. no specific numbers, no time frame. >> yeah, we will be closing some schools, yes. there will are some pain but i think we'll also open some new programs. we'll figure out how reporter: gets high marks from herb tillry. >> what's been missing in the past is understanding where we are trying to go as a school system. at least now she's laid out some goals that we can now measure on the ground. >> reporter: bruce johnson, nine 9news now. >> the plan seeks to improve the high school graduation

rate. he adds there are about 220 buildings that are under utilized but still have to be maintained. that leads probably to those closures. later on this morning, i'm going to introduce you to some high school students who are making a video game that could help man kind as we know it. it's later this morning at 6:15. of course you can catch it later on line at wusa9.com. the caps will try to even their playoff series hosting the bruins. >> d.c. trails 2-1 in the series. the caps will be out nicholas backstrom suspended for a vicious cross check following the end of monday night's game. he just returned after missing half the season with a concussion. the nationals became the first team in the majors to reach ten wins this season. in the 8th, based loaded sack fly. adam laroche came home to score. the nats go for the four-game

sweep tonight. they are on fire. >> first place, baby. the wizards winners four of the last six. what? yeah. they hosted the bucs last night. wizards win 121-112. d.c. visiting miami on saturday. on the pitch, the d.c. united paid its first ever game against the montreal impact. in the 72nd minute a long distance shot into the net ended in a 1-1 type. d.c. united hosts the red bulls on sunday. do you know today is national high five day? >> a group of friend at uva started this holiday in 2002. you can sign up at national high five project.org and have friends sponsor your doling out high fives today. the money goes toward cancer research. >> great idea. that leads us to today's question of the morning. high five is actually in the oxford english dictionary as

both a noun and a verb. when did the phrase first get listed. was it a, 1962, b, 1976 or c, c,1980? >> go to our facebook page and leave your answer and we'll share your comments later on this morning. we'll be back.

your weather first on this thursday morning. fog out there. the sun will return. it will turn into a nice day. by this afternoon we're looking at temperatures approaching the 70-degree mark with light winds becoming southeast at about 5. monika santami, it's thursday. we're looking good. we are looking good, howard. on the inbound side of i-66 at the fairfax county parkway in fair lakes coming in from centreville, no problems as you head for the beltway and inside to the roosevelt bridge. in my next report we'll take a closer look at virginia roads at 5:01. a tossed cigarette butt here or there may not seem like a big deal to some, but all those little butts add up. in fact, it's the most littered item in the country and those butts are very toxic.

in honor of earth day, one group is trying to raise awareness about the impact cigarette butts have on the environment. i'm joined by dr. cheryl hilton, president and c.e.o. of the legacy foundation. dr. hilton, thank you for joining us. again, why is this issue something everyone should be worried about? for example, how many butts are we talking about? >> well, in the u.s., across the whole country, it's 287 billion with a "b" cigarette butts going into the environment. many of them are going directly into the environment. they're being tossed out of cars on to roadways, dropped into streets, dropped on beaches and near lakes and the like. so those are particularly problematic. in d.c. alone, 229 million cigarette butts go into the d.c. environment every year. >> besides being an eyesore, your group is saying they're toxic. you're talking about they're dropping along the side of the roadway and it doesn't just stay on the roadway. that's the problem that make it is toxic. where does it go and how does it impact us in a way different

than secondhand smoke even? >> well, basically each one of those cigarette butts is a toxic capsule. in it is plastic that takes an extremely long time to biodegrade and is dangerous to animals and to anyone that ingests it, whether it's fish or an animal or a child. second of all, it's filled with classic carcinogens which are human carcinogens that cause cancer and finally, and maybe most importantly, it includes heavy metals that never biodegrade in the environment and so they bioaccumulate in the environment. so if those bupts are -- butts are ingested or in the water and the water then is eaten by the fish, that fish then has the heavy metal and it moves up the food chain and into the human food chain. >> what is legacy doing to stop smokers from littering and i know a study you found out said the spokers should be responsible for the cleanup. should we just leave it to them? >> well, the study found that the smokers and the tobacco

industry should be responsible. we know from the one secret tobacco companies, they are worried about being accountable. there is an individual responsibility and tobacco responsibility. >> thank you very much for speaking with us. >> thank you. >> for more green news on earth day or any day, just go to wusa9.com. visit our living green section. thank you for watching 9news now at 5:00 a.m. this thursday morning. i'm andrea roane. i'm mike hydeck. you can take a deep breath of air. the rain washed a lot of the pollen out, a little cooler this morning. thank you for joining us. here is monika santami. she'll have traffic momentarily. and mr. howard bernstein. >> we have rain this morning once we get rid of the clouds. the weekend will feature more rain opportunities for rain showers and storms saturday, maybe some rain, if we're lucky a soaking rain on sunday. the jury is still out on that whether