and trying to change the culture where asking for mental help is seen as a weakness. the new numbers demonstrate with deadly force that those efforts have not stopped military members from committing suicide at record setting rates. >> pentagon officials say one possible reason for this unexpected spike in suicides is the poor economy which is also caused an increase in civilian suicides. >> reporter: it's not the military's only problem this year. it is also seeing more sexual assaults, alcohol abuse, and domestic violence. the new study has some conflicting indices. while it shows those who have endured multiple deployments to war zones have a greater risk of committing suicide, makes sense, nearly half of this year's suicides are among men and women who has david martin reports have never seen combat. gary nurenberg, 9news now. the republican controlled house has passed a $46 billion

bill to fund the homeland security department, but this bill is expected to be dead on arrival in the senate. that's because the bill calls for budget cuts which are supported by republicans but far exceeds last summer's budget and debt deal. the bill also includes wording which would prevent the immigration and customs enforcement agency from using federal money to provide abortion services for detained illegal immigrants. an agency official says ice hasn't provided any such service in its ten-year history. the antiabortion section of the bill is believed to be nothing more than a political statement during an election year. the violence in syria continues this morning. human rights activists claim more than 80 people including women and children were massacred by a pro-government militia yesterday. >> the international community is expressing outrage. the obama administration is calling for syrian president bashir assad to be removed. >> reporter: cell phone video

captures what appears to be a successful rebel attack on a syrian government tank, but there are few victories for the uprising which is far outmatched by president assad's military. people ran for their lives as the town came under attack and on wednesday opposition leaders say about 80 people, including women and children, were executed by for-government militia. representatives from the united nations tried to reach the site of the massacre but were reportedly turned away by gunfire. the latest violence is sparking global outrage and u.n. leaders believe the country is on the verge of civil war. >> syria is not libya. it will not implode. it will explode and explode beyond its borders. >> reporter: today secretary of state hillary clinton is scheduled to meet with u.n. special enjoy kofi annan as world leaders look for a way to end the violence. clinton says there cannot be peace in syria until president

al-assad leaves. >> time has come for post-assad syria. >> reporter: making that happen will be difficult. for months the u.s. and european countries have tried to implement sanctions against assad but syria's main ally russia and china vetoed those attempts. those countries say they are opposed to military intervention in syria. susan mcginns in, cbs news, washington. members of the u.s. state department are meeting with leaders in russia today. moscow believes u.n. negotiators -- rather negotiations over syria should include the nation's neighbors turkey and iran. the world of standup comedy is mourning the death of a well known comedy pioneer and promoter. the body of d.c. improv owner mark anderson was found outside a hotel room in phoenix, arizona. he was found dead as a result

of a gunshot wound. >> he came up with an idea to take those improvs and franchise them and make them comedy clubs in big cities across the country. that's exactly what he did. >> that was anderson's brother- in-law greg saks. he says anderson had been battling depression for years. the family was not prepared for his death but he said they're not surprised either. here's a look at some other things making news now. parts of the west dealing with powerful storms. yesterday a tornado touched down briefly in wyoming. you can see it right there on your screen just north of cheyenne. wednesday five tornadoes touched down in colorado. parts of wife wipe and colorado -- parts of wyoming and colorado were also pummeled by hail, heavy rain and

thunderstorms. the university of pennsylvania now requires all employees to report suspected child abuse directly to state officials. the new policy also requires annual training for any staff member who is in a position to report abuse. the announcement comes just days before opening statements in the sexual abuse trial of former penn state assistant football coach jerry sandusky. he's accused of molesting ten boys over a 15-year period. he denies the allegations. kevin costner expected to be back on the stand in a new orleans courtroom today. he's being sued by fellow actor steven baldwin who invested in a company made by costner which made cleanup devices for the gulf of mexico oil spill. relatives of minors killed in west virginia's upper big branch disaster met with members of congress yesterday. they're calling on lawmakers to

pass new mine safety legislation by july 4. the national mining association opposes the legislation. the bill has been stalled in congress. 29 miners lost their lives in that west virginia mine explosion in 2010. the time right now is 4:36. after a week of mild days, things are expected to heat up this weekend. at 4:38, howard will let us know just how warm it will be this afternoon. the economy is not heating up but it's growing. at 4:39, we'll hear from fed chairman ben bernanke. >> at 4:48, an upgrade to streets and sidewalks could create a traffic nightmare along a popular d.c. corridor. >> we're back in two minutes with your weather first. you're watching 9news now.

just turning 4:39. we have another pleasant morning out there. 50s and 60s. refreshing now but we have some warming headed our way. today by noon we'll be in the upper 70s to near 80 with highs low to mid-80s. we'll be turning hot this weekend. the full seven-day forecast in the next five minutes. right now over to monika with time saver traffic. quiet now on route 355 in bethesda at bradley but inside the beltway it is closed down southbound it woodmont avenue and old georgetown road with construction. a closer look at maryland roads at 4:47. it's time for the first your money segment of the morning. and we're going to start with the u.s. economy. it's growing but it's still in danger. that's according to federal reserve chairman ben bernanke. he testified on capitol hill yesterday sharing his economic

forecast. he says he expects moderate growth but added the threats to the recovery still exist. he outlined three: debt in europe and here in the u.s. plus, what he calls the fiscal cliff. that would be allowing the bush era tax cuts expiring combined with major spending cuts. >> if we allow nothing to happen and we see all of these taxes increase, there is going to be a direct impact on economic growth and job creation. >> i'm looking at not just the taxes but the end of the payroll tax and everything else, yes. >> bernanke says the fed is ready to act to stimulate the economy but gave no clues about any immediate plans. the fed will hold its next meeting in less than two weeks. wall street wanted a little more reassurance than that. we did see the dow up 46 points but the nasdaq closed off by 13 and s&p 500 was down by less than a point. stocks were also pulled

lower after the ratings agency fitch warned it may downgrade the u.s. aaa grading. and london's underground is now wired for the olympics. the subway network began launching wi-fi this week. it rolled out the service to a handful of stations as part of a buildup before the summer games set to begin in late july. >> big stuff for london. it's been a big banner year for them. every year distracted drivers kill about 3,000 people. now the federal government is calling for a crackdown. >> we'll have details of the plan and your weather first when we return in two minutes.

good morning. welcome back to 9news now. it's friday. we're so happy it's friday. mike's off enjoying his friday but you'll get to see mike later on if you tune in tonight at 8:00. he has a really cool "cool

schools" special. tell us about the warm to hot weather. >> it's going to be a great weekend. if you like it dry, want to be outside in the heat, get some work done or play or just grill on the deck in the afternoon or evening, going to be a great weekend for that. this morning, though, still pleasantly cool out there. 50s and 60s. and we start with the bus stop forecast. oh, the waning days of the bus stop forecast for the school year. temperatures this morning under mainly clear skies. 50s and 60s. it's still a little bit on the chilly side. sunrise at 5:43. but it's looking good today. in fact all day we're going to have sunny skies. by lunch time upper 70s. northwesterly winds 5 to 10. one of the keys about today, still not humid. so those levels, the uncomfortable levels if you will, the heat index not going to be a factor. going to get to a high of 84,

85. the nats are on the road up in boston but, boy, it would be a great night for a ballgame, wouldn't it? yesterday afternoon and evening we had these showers and thunderstorms that popped across the rmg. they have all since moved southeast and dissipated. some temps in the low 50s in gaithersburg. cumberland down to 50. winchester a lovely 52 along with culpeper. 59 in southern maryland. locally the coolest areas up north. low to mid-50s in lovettsville. reston also 52. down south i stand corrected fort belvoir, baden both at 53 degrees. andrews 62. and here in washington as we look outside on our michael & son weather camera, clear skies, great visibility. 63 degrees at national. winds are calm and humidity at 63%. the air is nice and dry. when you have dry air, it cools off quickly at night. it heats up nicely during the day. nothing coming at us today as

opposed to the last couple of days when the disturbances have been riding down toward us. as you look back toward ohio and kentucky andeanian and michigan -- and indiana and michigan and illinois, there's nothing here except high pressure. we'll have a southwesterly flow today and tonight and won't warm up too quickly but when the winds turn more to the south and southwest as we get into tomorrow and sunday, we're going off to the races temperature wise. the futurecast fairly quiet. a passing cloud or two. going up into pennsylvania you may run into an isolated shower. going to the beaches, that also looks pretty good and around here for team again looking nice. some showers and storms well to our northeast in pennsylvania. so looking at the forecast, today looking foe a high of about 85 -- for a high of about 85. a warm and dry day. tomorrow 89 after starting. more 50s and 60s. for sundays that looks good. just hot. 92 degrees. going to the beach this weekend, over toward ocean city, inlet water temperature

mid-60s. mid-80s tomorrow. could be 90, 91 on sunday. maybe a little cooler right on the beach itself and monday 84. and not that much different up toward dewey and rehoboth. upper 80s saturday and sunday. monday the middle 80s should do it for you. plenty of sunshine. please, don't forget the sunscreen. our seven-day forecast after the hot sunday, very warm monday. could be an afternoon storm monday and tuesday as temperatures start to fall down into the middle 80s. by wednesday and thursday, here comes the next front. better chance of showers and storms into flag day. highs thursday about 80. happy friday. >> happy friday. volumes are light. we call it friday morning light. that's a good thing if you're headed out early. no issues to report out of 270 coming from frederick to clarksburg. we'll take a live look outside and tell what you it looks like at shady grove road. if you're headed to the

american legion bridge, should be good to go all the way into the tysons this morning. back to the maps. this time all the way to southern maryland. route 4, route 5, 301, everything is fine at andrews air force base as well, heading to the wilson bridge and a quick live look outside once again. here's what it looks like in oxon hill whether you're headed down to the wilson bridge or through alexandria. the beltway is going to be fine. also want to let you know in the district the streets and sidewalks along popular u street corridor are getting an upgrade but traffic could be a mess in the meantime. construction will take place on u street between 9th and 14th streets beginning next monday. traffic could be limited to one lane in each direction and curbside parking will be restricted. i'll have more coming up in my next report. back to you. >> thank you, monika. the federal government has unveiled a long-term plan to curb texting while driving. >> it's dolling out nearly $2.5 million to two states to help

fight the problem. >> reporter: she used to pass the time in los angeles traffic by sending text messages. she says she cut down after getting in an accident. >> it led me to be much more careful. >> reporter: distracted drivers killed about 3,000 people last year. ray lahood calls distracted driving a national especial dependic and is pushing -- especial dependic and is pushing for a crackdown, especially among younger drivers. >> there are 660,000 drivers talking on their phone while behind the wheel on our nation's roadways. >> reporter: more than half of high school seniors admit they text or e-mail while driving according to a new survey. this massachusetts teenager who was texting while driving was sentenced to a year behind bars wednesday for killing a man. >> americans have gotten into very dangerous behavior with their cell phones and texting devices gldz under the new

initiative california receives about $1.5 million. that money would be qood to put more -- used to put more police on the roads and to launch an ad campaign. only ten states and d.c. forbid all hand held cell phone use while driving. casey says she is lucky no one was injured in her accident. the transportation department now wants automakers to back voluntary guidelines and make sure new dashboard technology won't distract drivers either. >> delaware is the only other state receiving federal funds to launch pilot programs this fall. in health news this morning, people with pre- diabetes may be at a higher risk of stroke. researchers at the university of california studied patients with high glucose levels. most patients are 21 times more likely to have a stroke. doctors say a healthy lifestyle and a healthy weight can lower

the risk. scientists say they have an idea why some h.i.v. becomes resistant to drugs. researchers at harvard university have discovered that some h.i.v. patients have a virus with pre- existing mutations which can cause them to develop resistance to aids fighting drugs. scientists hope the finding will lead to new and more effective treatments. and new research finds hispanics who need a heart transplant are 50% more likely to die before they get one compared to white patients. doctors at boston's children's hospital say one possible explanation? hispanic patients tend to be sicker by the time they're placed on the waiting list. health experts say medical insurance, education levels and income may also have an impact. montgomery county once again tops in the country when it comes to graduating students. education week diplomas reports shows montgomery county public schools has the highest

graduation rate, 87.6%. the county has topped the list the last four years. other area school systems did well, too. fairfax county ranking at number two and prince william county was 13. be sure to tune in tonight for mike hydeck's prime time special "cool schools: the future is now." you'll see both students and teachers taking education to the next level. mike will highlight technology and great teaching techniques and interview some of the region's key decision makers. it airs tonight from 8:00 to 9:00 p.m. right here on wusa9 so set your dvr if you're not going to be home. 4:52. time for the question of the morning. >> it is 66% of adults use these, even though they were originally marketed for kids. is it a, video games, b, piggy banks, or c, gummy vitamins. >> 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. another pleasant morning. 50s and 60s. nice and dry. we're looking great today. we're going to warm up into the upper 70s for lunch time but low humidity levels and this afternoon with sunny skies, highs in the low to mid-8s on. it's going to get hot over the weekend. more coming up during 9news now at 5:00. here's monika samtani. here is the beltway south of town at route 1 in alexandria. by the way telegraph road, a water main break closes at franconia road between wilton and sharon chapel road. in my next report, we'll take a look at 95 in virginia at 5:01. we're 24 hours away from

possibly witnessing horse racing's first triple crown winner since affirm in 1978. 12 horses are scheduled to run in saturday's belmont stakes but all the attention will be on i'll have another, the kentucky derby and preakness winner is a 4-5 favorite to become the horse racing's next triple crown winner. win or lose, i'll have another will make history. he will either become the 12th horse to win the triple crown or the 12th horse to try and fail since affirm. thousands of people have been flocking to the new maryland live casino at anne arundel mills. capacity about 15,000 people. maryland live features thousands of slots along with electronic table games and restaurants.

musician bob welch is being remembered this morning. he was found dead inside his nashville home from a self- inflicted gunshot wound. he gained fame in 1971 as the guitarist and vocalist with fleetwood mac. welch's hits include "sentimental" and "ebony eyes." during an interview, 14- year-old paris was asked why michael jackson required her and her siblings to wear masks when the two went out in public. >> i was really confused. i didn't get why i was wearing a mask but i understand it now why my dad would want our face to be covered. like when we went out without him, we wouldn't be recognized and would have a normal childhood. >> paris jackson also said she and her father loved to go to

chuck e cheese and toys 'r' us. the interview airs sunday night at 9:00 on the oprah network. >> a lovely girl. shirley mclean is honored in los angeles. >> the stars of madagascar 3 party in new york. teresa garcia has more in this look at entertainment. >> reporter: ben stiller, chris rock and jada pink cet smith were among the stars at the premier of mad gar car 3's -- madagascar 3. >> you always get to act. when our a owe screen, you want to make sure to be as natural as possible. with animation it's like. >> reporter: the movie opens today. oscar winning actress shirley mclean was honored with the american film institute's lifetime achievement award. mclean has appeared in more than 50 movies and currently stars in the film "bernie." mclean's ceremony airs june 24 on tv land. five-time grammy winner lauren

hill has been hit with federal tax charges. she's accused of willfully failing to file income tax returns. investigators say she earned more than $1.6 million during the years she didn't file her taxes. hill is due in court on june 29. >> we're going to roll it. here we go. >> reporter: paramount pictures released the trailer to the upcoming drama "flight." it stars denzel washington as a moody pilot who makes a crash landing and struggles with overnight celebrity and personal demons. it's expected to land in teeters on november -- theaters on november 2. that's your eye on entertainment. >> we're going to talk more -- [ inaudible ] we thank you to tuning into 9news now at 5:00 a.m. good morning. i'm andrea roane. a.e.p. friday. >> the best words we -- happy friday. >> the best words we hear all week. i'm jess come yl