going to be very beneficial to republicans. >> reporter: president obama says the health care law is good for america and that it's time for congress to move on. susan mcginnis, cbs news, washington. >> the white house says repealing the health care law would cost $100 billion added to the deficit over the next ten years. president obama is scheduled to make a campaign stop in iowa today. he'll discuss his new effort to extend the bush era tax cuts for the middle class and smaller businesses which earn less than $250,000 a year. the president wants tax cuts to expire for individual americans and businesses which earn more than $250,000. republicans say the move amounts to a tax increase. you like to shop online? it may be costing you more very soon. state governments are earning congress to make it easier for them to collect sales taxes on anything that's shipped into the state. >> gary nurenberg tells us congress is beginning to listen. >> reporter: buy it in a store,

they collect the sales tax. buy it online, they mostly don't collect the sales tax. in the early 1990's, the supreme court said essentially if you don't have a physical presence in a state, you don't have to collect sales tax for that state. >> all we're asking for is for the government to close this loophole, level the playing field and let everybody compete on price in a free market. >> reporter: state governments say they need the money. >> that could mean more teachers. it could mean more police, more firemen. >> reporter: his group estimated an additional revenue of $423 million for virginia last year, 376 million for maryland and $72 million for the district had those taxes been collected. but the online industry says if you include local and county tax, the real unfairness could be ahead. >> nothing could be less fair to america's small businesses than forcing them to collect and remit and file sales taxes for nearly 10,000 different jurisdictions across the country. >> reporter: congress is considering a bill that could encourage uniformity among the states. it is holding hearings later

this month. >> i don't see any problem with it considering the fact people would have to pay a sales tax if they bought something in a regular store. >> reporter: virginia has already passed a law not yet in effect requiring residents to pay. >> whoever is making the decision about this just needs to make sure that the taxes is proportional to what would be reasonable for each person getting taxed. >> i believe it's fair to people who are avoiding a store but still making the purchase. >> reporter: the states want the money. the trend is clear. gary nurenberg, 9news now. today a d.c. public relations executive is due in court to answer charges of felony campaign finance fraud. gene clark harris who also goes by the name of ugena harris was an associate of jeffrey thompson, the prominent businessman and contractor who is already being investigated for his ties and contributions to several local politicians, including mayor vincent gray.

police in gaithersburg are sevenning for a man accused of sexually assaulting a woman near a public pool. this was around 5:00 last night. the woman was grabbed at green farm park. she told police the man dragged her behind the pool and sexually assaulted her. police have not released a description of the suspect. they would only say he was wearing something green. if you have any information, police call montgomery county police. montgomery county leaders are taking steps to try and fix its problem with pepco. the county council actually plans to ask the state for permission to get electricity from some place else. county council president discussed the plan during a meeting with reporters on his assessment of pepco's response to the power outages. >> pepco's performance on every level was unacceptable. the length of the outages, the appalling communications, the computer glitches and data distortions.

>> he also says pepco must hire more linemen. you'll soon have your chance to discuss pepco's performance. public hearings will be held next thursday, july 19. the district is taking a different approach dealing with the power outages. ward 3 council member mary cheh is expected to introduce a bill which would force pepco to begin installing some of its power lines understand ground. she says now is the time to seriously consider underground wires in some areas that pepco services. pepco routinely blames the weather for the outages. they say the downed trees take down the above power lines. >> es should there be a minimum fare when you use a car service? the companies say as you might imagine the charges would hurt their bottom line and limit choices for consumers. >> this is another bill introduced by councilwoman cheh. she says it is a matter of

fairness. >> when cars are arriving, they would receive a text message. >> reporter: a san francisco based company entered the market a few months ago. the high-tech firm uber makes a smartphone application that matches high end services with customers. >> this is a real time view of where our cars right now. >> reporter: uber says the technology is a win-win. uber get as cut of every ride and customers get easy access to the car services. the company's d.c. general manager says everything was going great till the city council propose add bill that establishes a minimum price $15 for every ride. >> having a floor isn't the right thing for the customers. >> reporter: even though uber already has a $15 minimum, the company says the mandated minimum could affect their ability to charge lower prices in the future and offer the service to less affluent customers. >> having artificial minimums didn't create open competition. >> reporter: d.c. council woman

mary cheh who introduced the resolution calling for a $15 minimum says uber is trying to have it both ways. >> this is not supposed to absneaky way for them to take -- to be a sneaky way for them to take over the taxi industry. >> reporter: they want to reserve the right to compete with taxis. >> i will be going forward with the legislation tomorrow. i think it's sensible. >> reporter: she says that's simply not fair. >> they can't have less resolution and a preferred position and claim you're a premium service and then want to undercut the taxis that are out there. >> reporter: despite uber's opposition and the e-mail campaign they started, cheh is almost certain the legislation will be approved sometime later today. matt jablow, 9news now. at 4:36, here's a look at some other things making news now. united nations special envoy kofi annan is in iran this morning trying to enlist their help to salvage his plans for

peace in syria. iran is an ally with syria in this conflict. president assad siz he has no plans -- says he has no plans to step down but opposition forces want assad removed from power. they claim he's responsible for the violence that's claimed 17,000 lives. seven time tour de france winner lance armstrong may refile to block charges. a judge yesterday threw out the lawsuit which was filed by his lawyers. the judge called it a publicity stunt than an actual lawsuit. he says armstrong is trying to use the courts to get the antidoping investigation to drop the -- antidoping agency to drop the investigation against him. our time is 4:37. more cool weather headed our way. at 4:40, howard will let us know what kind of day we can expect. european leaders are trying to work out a preliminary deal

to help save spain's economy. >> repairs to the washington monument related to last summer's earthquake may take a little longer than expected. keep is right here. we're back with your weather first in two minutes.

we are looking all right this morning. a few showers in southern maryland and st. mary's county and down toward the northern neck. otherwise a mix of sun and clouds with temperatures which will be starting mainly in the 70s. highs in the mid- to upper 80s. don't rule out a spotty shower this afternoon but very comfortable temperatures for this time of year. seven-day forecast coming up in five. right now monika with time saver traffic. on the northbound side of 395 no problems here at duke street as you head for the 14th street bridge and into downtown. all of your quadrants look good as well no problems at the potomac and anacostia river

crossings. i'll have more at 4:47. >> thanks, monika. it's time for the first your money segment of the morning. >> good morning to jessica doyle. >> good morning to both of you. something wall street will be watching looking across the pond, developments in the european financial crisis. euro's leaders have agreed on terms for a bailout. they announced they will spend up to $30 billion euros on this bailout. the exact amount of money won't be known till examination of spanish banks is complete and that will happen in september. the euro zone has already bailed out greece, ireland, and portugal. the spanish economy is larger than all of those countries combined. wall street will likely react to that news today as well as the official start of earnings season. investors had been edgy ahead of corporate earnings beginning and it began with reporting of better than expected results after the closing bell.

the dow stands at 12,736. it dropped 36 points in trading yesterday. the nasdaq was down by five points and the s&p 500 was down by more than to. the investment research firm at ubs has downgraded the credit card company's visa and mastercard from neutral to a sell rating. the change sent both stocks lower. americans are putting more in their credit cards. in may than in any month since 2007, consumer borrowing in may was up by more than $17 billion over april. overall credit card use remains well below where it stood before the recession. i will say i've been charging a little bit more recently. i've got to get that under control. >> may was a good or bad month for me depending on how you look at it. thanks, jess. >> you got it. artificial sweeteners are supposed to help you keep off the extra pounds, right? well, it might not be the case. we'll tell you why. the findings of a new study

will surprise you. we'll have that and your weather first when we return in two minutes.

good morning. welcome back to 9news now. it's 4:45 tuesday morning. you were just telling us about the rain gauge at your house. >> from last night -- sunday night, monday morning, over three inches. in fact, some of the thunderstorms in richmond have produced over three inches. >> like a month of rain. >> yeah. we'll take it. we'll take whatever we can get. it's been awful dry. we're still almost seven inches below normal since january 1 here in the washington region. we have areas across maryland and the eastern shore and virginia where we're in a moderate drought so we'll take whatever rain we can get. we got a little bit this morning. that's down well south of us. we're going to have a mix of sun and clouds. temperatures will still be seasonably warm, in the mid- to upper 80s. 85 by noon. there could be a spotty shower

almost anywhere this afternoon. this morning the shower activity is off to our south. here's the big picture. front is actually down in the carolinas but you see some of the shower activity southern western virginia sneaking into virginia now generally south and along i-64. fredricksburg, you may get a few showers headed your way. in st. mary's county south of leonardtown, we're starting to pick up some activity as well. here's a different look at the doppler radar in motion. i just want to zoom in. you see some of the sprinkles trying to move toward fredricksburg here but it's down in the richmond area where we're really seeing the big thunderstorms that have been falling for hours. they extend from the south side of richmond east, northeast. lightning is now east of richmond, south of newland. that's that little shower south of leonardtown. scattered showers now in st. mary's county. so we'll watch that. i don't think it's going to creep much farther north. might sneak into southern calvert at this point but the rest of us are going to stay dry till maybe this afternoon with a spotty shower. temperatures are in the 70s and some upper 60s like baltimore

is 69. it's 68 in winchester. low 60s in cumberland this morning. very comfortable at 63 while here in d.c. good visibility, a little dark at the white house. it's back there on our michael & son weather camera. 77 degrees under partly cloudy skies, northeast wind at 6 miles an hour and our humidity 78%. so it's muggy. not much of a front, maybe a wind direction but a lot of low level humidity around and a lot of showers and storms from texas all the way back through the deep south, the tennessee valley extending into the carolinas. with this front here, better chance down closer to i-40, better chance we'll see showers and storms across southern virginia, north carolina once again. yesterday they had some rough weather down there. but a little piece of energy -- see these storms here? these will be sweeping across the northeast today and parts of the mid-atlantic. that's why we have a spotty shower popping during the afternoon. not much but maybe a 30% chance or less that we'll see something across the region. so as we look the at forecast,

pretty decent here the next few days. 88 or so, 88 tomorrow. spotty shower today. a couple of thunderstorms tomorrow mainly west of town. i think closer to the blue ridge. a little elevation will help. thursday looking warm with a few clouds, 87. as we get toward the weekend, temperatures are going to sneak up. a couple of storms possible friday, 89. saturday and sunday can't rule out the afternoon thunderstorm, highs in the low 90s. perhaps more heat, deeper heat mid-89s on for monday with a -- mid-90s for monday with a couple of storms. let's go to monika. looking smart this morning with traffic. tank you. no problems to report coming in from the west. all of your overnight construction pretty much in its clearing stages on the beltway. no issues on the dulles toll road coming in from the airport or 66. now, let's take a live look at 95. closer in in springfield here, everything is fine coming up from route 644 to the beltway. but southbound in richmond, south of chamberlain road,

crews have been dealing with an overnight accident. it's blocked there. then northbound near 64 in richmond, it is also closed. 95 is closed northbound as well near 64 because of high standing water. so a lot of problems down in richmond. if you were planning to head there early this morning for business or whatever your needs were, you want to be aware of that both north and southbound 95 in richmond closed because of the two separate incidents. let's go back over to the maps this time to southern maryland where there are no issue to report. route 5, 301, everything is fine through the beltway and through oxon hill. new hampshire avenue at adelphi road, nice and quiet. all mate major corridors in from the north look pretty much like this. i'll update you on the situation on 95 at 4:55. back to you. >> thanks, monika. 2014, that could be next time anyone is allowed to go to the top of the washington monument. structural damage from the 2011 earthquake is the reason why. this is video from inside the

monument on that day. the national park service is in the process of taking bids for repairs now. the monument may not be fixed for a year or even a year and a half. >> we're hoping to get it done sooner but i think we have to be honest and say it could be 12 to 18 months. if it is the 18 months, that would take us to 2014. >> crews have to build scaffolding around the monument to get the job done. it's expected to cost $15 million. millions of americans use artificial sweeteners to lose weight but do they work? >> the american heart association is weighing in now on that discussion. >> reporter: colby starts his day with an ice coffee, a splash of cream and a couple packets of splenda. >> it will taste the same, be just as flavorful and yet a fraction of the calories. so why not do it? >> reporter: the american heart association says substituting artificial sweeteners for sugar added to food and drinks may help people reach a healthy

weight and maintain it. it can also help diabetics control their blood sugar levels. >> it can be a way of cutting calories. for every can of diet soda somebody consumes they save 150 calories. >> reporter: but the heart association acknowledges the jury is still out on whether sweeteners are an effective long term way to keep calories and sugars in check. >> somebody thinks i can have that piece of cream pie because i put artificial sweetener in my coffee. >> reporter: in colby's case, artificial sweeteners have helped him cut down on calories. >> every single day i have sweetener in my coffee and probably once a week i'm making something or baking something with artificial sweetener. >> reporter: he's also cut down on carbohydrates and butter and he's getting more exercise. a lifestyle change that has helped him drop 114 pounds. >> that was anita brikman reporting. the american heart association recommends women eat no more than 100 calories per day and men 150 calories per day of

added sugars. that trap to avoid thinking since i used splenda or nutrasweet i could use something else in my diet, never. a new plan calls for drug makers which market powerful painkillers to pick up the tab for training programs for doctors and other health professionals. the medications are blamed for thousands of overdoses each year. researchers in germany and sweden conducted sleep experiments and found sleep deprivation increased how hungry patients felt and also raised the amount of the so- called hunger hormone in the blood. in addition staying awake reduced the amount of energy the body used when resting meaning when we are sleeped deprive, we also burn off fewer calories. >> that's all i'm saying.

>> here's the other thing. get off your duff. cutting your sitting time can boost your life expect attention. a study in the brit -- expectancy. a study in the british medical journal says it could add two more years to your life and watching less than two hours of tv a day may add a year to your live. previous studies have linked a sedentary lifestyle to increased health problems, including diabetes and heart disease. and research shows government funded community health centers provide better care than private practices. researchers had stanford university looked at 18 common conditions seen in primary care. they found community doctors who serve low income and uninsured patients performed as well as private practice doctors in 13 of those areas. they also did better in the other five areas. researchers say one reason for the superior care is community doctors are not as profit driven. >> so we have to according to that story, we have to stand up

doing the news and only do an hour and a half. >> that's right. you do the first hour and a half. i'll dot last hour and a half. >> question of the more than, as we stand here before you. >> a recent study subjects attractive people get more of this. is it a, job offers, b, money, c, sleep? >> oh, wowp. i'll pick any of them -- oh, wow. i'll pick any of them. log on to our facebook page. it's up and running again. yay. we'll have the answer in our 6:00 hour.

welcome back. your weather first on this tuesday morning. we have showers in southern maryland, down in the northern neck in richmond as women. around here a mix of sun -- as well. around here a mix of sun and clouds with a shower possible this afternoon. highs mid- to upper 80s. not too shabby at all.

let's go to monika samtani to find out how the commute is so far. not too shabby on the roads either. things look great at the wilson bridge. no problems through oxon hill or alexandria crossing the bridge span all of your lanes are open. >> thanks, monika. we have just endured the warmest 12-month period since 1895. that's according to the national oceanic and atmospheric association. that record does not include last week's heat wave. according to noaa, the average temperature in june 71.2 degrees for the lower 48 states which is 2 degrees higher than the 20th century average. a speedy settlement in the tom cruise-katie holmes case. >> academy award winner joins the "the hunger games" franchise. we have those stories and more in this week's look at entertainment. >> reporter: katie holmes and tom cruise have reach add divorce settlement. the speedy resolution comes less than two weeks after holmes filed papers to divorce the mission impossible star. in a joint statement the stars

asked for privacy and said they would work together to raise their 6-year-old daughter suri. philip hoffman is the latest actor to sign on to the "the hunger games" sequel catching fire. the oscar winner will play the new head game maker. the "the hunger games" made more than $400 million at the box office. the next movie is expected to hit theaters in the fall of 2013. >> d.n.a. can be very helpful. >> reporter: actress keira said rick is wrapping up her season on the closer. the 46-year-old actress has played la deputy police life linda johnson. >> i felt let's leave when we're on top, when people want us around. let's not stick around to the point where they're begging you to leave and you start stinking up the joint. >> reporter: she wraps up her final homicide case when the last episode of the closer airs next month. diane krueger walked the red carpet in new york city for a special screening of her movie "farewell my queen."

>> this is -- [ inaudible ] it is more an intimate portrayal behind closed doors seen from the service point of view. >> reporter: the movie opens in limited release this friday. that's your eye on entertainment. teresa garcia, cbs news, hollywood. good morning. thank you for turning your eyes on us on 9news now at 5:00 a.m. i'm andrea roane. >> my 2-year-old likes to do this all the time. i'm not sure. i'm mike hydeck. thanks for joining us this morning. good morning, monika. >> a closer look. good morning, mr. bernstein. how are you? >> does she kiss the tv when you're on? >> i'm not there so i don't know. i haven't heard. i don't think so i don't think they care very much. weather wise we've got a couple of showers around in southern maryland this morning. st. mary's county, southern st. mary's county seeing that. this goes down to the northern neck. want to start with the day planner, though. got a lot of darkness outside at this hour. no