demand for a ransom in this case. a close friend and neighbor who was with cal ripken and the rest of the family as they were reunited said he got the sense from her this morning that this hostage taker had no idea who she was. >> she was shook up. >> gus, himself shaken up by what happened to his close friend, the widow next door. >> he was lighting cigarettes for her, because she still smokes and stuff like that. and they were just talking in general. >> he demand money or threatened her? >> i don't think he threatened her. she said he was very nice, actually. but of course ted bundy was nice, too. >> we don't know what, if any relationship there was between the perpetrator of this crime and the ripken family. >> aberdeen, maryland, police said ripken was surprised at gunpoint as she walked to the garage tuesday morning for her routine trip out to mcdonald's.

she was forced into the lincoln, a car like this one. and police said he drove apparently randomly throughout central maryland. her wrists were duct taped and she sat in the back for hours according to her neighbor. then a break at this baltimore county farm store when a caller told police about a woman apparently restrained in a car. police matched the license plate to ripken and started a search. the kidnapper then abandoned the car with mrs. ripken still restrained inside here on her street just before 6:00 this morning. >> i don't think from what she was saying that he knew much about her. >> i doubt if that person knows her. >> police say mrs. ripken was uninjured, she is resting quietly with her family and they are looking for a suspect. a tall, thin, white man, who was wearing eyeglasses, a light colored shirt, and camo pants. the man hunt is still on here in aberdeen. scott broom, 9news now. >> now the ripken family

released a statement on the abduction. this has been a very trying time for our family, but we are grateful and relieved that mom is back with us safe and healthy. we want to thank everyone for their tremendous support, especially all of the law enforcement agencies that work so hard and quickly. we hope everyone understands we cannot comment further at this time. more than half a dozen people and their pets are alive tonight. all thanks to two prince georges county police officers. those men rushed into a burning apartment building in district heights and they pulled those folks to safety. today, they were commended for it. >> i'm bruce leshan in district heights from blocks away, a police lieutenant sees a column of smoke rising. he and a corporal rush in to this burning building to rescue a half dozen people who have no idea their lives are in danger. >> i think it's human instinct. >> the lieutenant and corporal say they will never forget what

they found. >> this is the area right here behind us where the dogs were out on the balcony. >> flames roaring across the back of the building from the first floor up through the roof. >> when i got here, i could hear screams of people, then i heard these blood curdling screams and yelps. i wasn't sure what it was. >> nobody could do anything, oh my gosh, that dog was screaming and hollering. >> to get more people out. investigators know that the fire started here on the outside on the first floor, but they are not sure what sparked it. dozens of people are homeless, just trying to salvage what they can. in district heights, bruce leshan, 9news now. >> and new information out tonight on the man accused of shooting dozens in a colorado movie theater. police sources say he mailed a notebook full of details of his plans. it was sent to a psychiatrist at the university of colorado,

but it sat in the mail room unopened until two days ago. police are expected to wrap up their investigation on the theater today and they'll return its control to its owner. meantime, holmes neighbors were hoping to get back into their homes, but investigators are still collecting evidence in his apartment. and today was the beginning of the memorial services for the victims who died in the shooting. families and friends of gordon said their good-byes at a church service in denver today. the 51-year-old father of four was the oldest of the 12 killed. he was at the movie with his two teenage daughters. luckily they were not hurt. he will be layed to rest later this week. and we are now learning more about james holmes' childhood. a classmate and teacher from his castroville elementary school say they were shocked to learn that holmes was behind this. they describe him as friendly, clean cut, and a top student. >> he was pretty normal. he wasn't a loaner, like i heard him depicted later. he was always with kids.

he got along well with everybody. >> he was articulate. he was a top student. he caused no trouble. very positive. very happy. >> prosecutors are expecting to file the formal charges on monday. right now, he is being held in prison without bond. >> today is the day a lot of redskin fans have been waiting for, ever since january. it is the start of the 2012 preseason. players reported the redskins park for the beginning of their training camp. that gets started tomorrow and our brand-new franchise quarterback, robert griffin, iii, is ready to get this party started. >> i'm dave owens at redskins park as players report for training camp. all eyes on one man, rg3. he spoke to the media for about 25 minutes. a lot of subjects on the table. most notably, is he ready for all of the burgundy and gold hoopla? >> more anxious, maybe a little nervous for minicamps

and ota's. now that we have been through the offense and had a trial at it, got a taste of how fast the game is and just what i need to do as a quarterback to help this team win, i feel more comfortable. so it is more relaxing and you know, there's nothing else going on outside of football anymore, you know, we are in training camp. we are on lockdown. but for a guy like me, that's a good thing. >> first practices begin tomorrow, 1:00 in the morning, then 1:00 in the afternoon. we'll bring you all of the updates. >> let's talk more playing. i'm sure the players are wishing the practices started today because the weather very nice and tomorrow, tomorrow anny, it's going to be just a little warmer, right? >> it's going to be a lot warmer, derek. we are talking the heat and the humidity are both going to be back in full force tomorrow. so you have to enjoy tonight. the official high, the unofficial high today, 89. the low was 72. boy it felt really nice today. now we do have a heat advisory

in effect. this is for tomorrow. starting at noon, going until 8:00. basically west of interstate 81. it includes the entire d.c. metro area. so, doppler right now is very quiet. we have lots of sunshine out there. and temperatures are in the 80s. 85 in arlington. 81 bethesda. reston, you have cooled down to 79 degrees. so, tonight what can you expect? get out if you can. partly cloudy and pleasant. really enjoy it. have dinner on the patio or the terrace. lows will be around mid 60s to lower 70s. when i come back, we'll talk about tomorrow's heat, also the chance for strong storms a little bit later. derek, back to you. >> proposals to expand gambling in the free state may have hit a new hurdle. the raceway. its owner is now threatening to fight any plan that does not include the raceway. obtained a letter from penn national ceo to the governor, martin o'malley and it says,

the company would fight furiously to add a casino at national harbor. rose croft will be in the mix. now he is expected to announce in the next few days if he will call a special session to consider the whole gaming idea. still to come, maryland governor joins the fight to keep extended power outages from ever happening again. what does he have in mind? but first, mayor gray detailing his plans for the rest of his time in office. but how long will he be around? his latest answer to that question is up next. somebody else made that happen. my father's hands didn't build this company. my hands didn't build this company. through hard work and a little bit of luck, we built this business. why are you demonizing us for it? it's time we had somebody who believes in us. someone who believes that achievement should be rewarded not punished. we need somebody who believes in america.

[ romney ] i'm mitt romney and i approve this message.

president obama's proposal to extend tax cuts for families earning less than $250,000 has cleared the u.s. senate. 51-48. that plan would also allow cuts for high earners to expire. that vote came after republican proposal failed. that one would have extended the cuts for everybody. the democratic plan is expected to die when it gets to the house. now down to the local level where d.c. mayor, vince gray, today released an outline of the further goals he has for his administration. he calls it the one city plan. it covers everything from jobs to housing to high school graduation rates. but at his weekly news conference, one driving question remains, will the mayor be around long enough to see that plan through? with that on going investigation into his 2010

campaign. >> i would love to be able to come back in a year and say you know what? we have done everything and now we have a new plan. >> tomorrow, the mayor meets with the democratic leaders. they have concerns about whether the mayor will survive this federal investigation. >> we hope you enjoyed the nearly perfect weather today because tomorrow, mother nature is firing up the sauna. ann has a toasty forecast in just minutes. but first, union station upgrade. amtrak proposes a $7 billion project to modernize the historic station. details of the changes that may happen up next. ♪

i've never felt this way before, but it's a scary time to be a woman. mitt romney is just so out of touch. [ female announcer ] mitt romney opposes requiring insurance coverage for contraception. and romney supports overturning roe versus wade. romney backed a bill that outlaws all abortion, even in cases of rape and incest. there's so much we need to do. we need to attack our problems -- not a woman's choice. [ obama ] i'm barack obama, and i approve this message.

you see those lines? lines like that could one day be a thing of the past. amtrak is proposing a revitalization project and planners say it will improve the historic train station by increasing capacity, increasing passenger service and jump starting the economy. details from union station. >> reporter: it's a $7 billion plan. the feds, amtrak, say the money still isn't here. they believe that by presenting this plan and they they will build it, the money will come. union station was built in 1907, the latest renovation decades ago. but this is what the second busiest train station will look

like by 2030 if amtrak gets its way. >> it is part of the vision for moving the united states northeast forward. >> platforms will give way to an underground blast enclosed terminal. >> this is the place where we should make no small plans. >> amtrak projects new capacity could exceed 100,000 passenger trips per day. >> on the south of that corridor. >> private developers will turn this eyesore into vernon place, a neighborhood built on a platform over the tracks. >> the project will transform an overpass, which exists into a plaza, with a trollly stop and a grand entrance to amtrak's magnificent new train haul. >> the place would link capitol hill with the up and coming noma neighborhood. >> our biggest concern right now is that there's not enough input from the community

itself. >> transforming union station and this neighborhood will take more than twenty years and as we said, $7 billion for the amtrak portion, a billion and a half for this neighborhood, and they say they will see community input as that process moves forward. union station, armando trull, 9news now. >> all right, sure looks nice. but what do you think? is your first thought, wow, i can't wait, or are you thinking, keep dreaming? who has $7 billion for this? amtrak, by the way, was on the verge of bankruptcy not that long ago. you might want to weigh in. mcginty's mail bag is the place to do that. mailbag@wusa9.com. transportation is a big deal around these parts and today, it was the topic at a first of its kind meeting, bringing together elected leaders from both sides of potomac. specifically, montgomery and fairfax counties. >> this is the first time that we have had the chance for us to sit down and share

transportation issues, what we're doing in our respective counties, what we want to do in our respective counties, where we are running into difficulties, and what some of our challenges are. >> wow, that's going to be one long meeting. by the way, they talked about the american legion bridge, metro, express bus service, all topics right for a conversation. maryland's governor wants to know how long to keep power outages or long power outages like the ones from last month from happening again. today, issued an executive order to figure out how to strengthen the state's utility infrastructure. that would include how feasible and effective it might be to bury all the power lines. state agencies have 60 days to come up with ideas. >> we have about 5 or 8 hours before it gets hotter. >> yeah, looks like we have the heat and humidity coming back in full force tomorrow,

derek. i have been saying, you have to get out and enjoy today. it's really nice weather and the lower humidity. we do see the heat and humidity on the rise for tomorrow. so we do have a heat advisory that has been issued for tomorrow. starting at noon until 8:00. that is the time period you want to avoid being outside, because it's going to feel like 105 once you factor in the humidity. right now, a live look at our weather camera. beautiful blue sky, doesn't that look nice? mostly sunny, 87. dew points wow, look at that. in the 50s. haven't seen that in a long time. usually they are close to 70. currently, temperatures are 84. 82 in bethesda. 90 in rockville. reston, you cooled down to upper 70s at this hour. all right, so the heat and humidity are going to be rising, but tonight enjoy the pleasant conditions. thursday, triple digit heat is on tap. heat advisory from noon until 8:00. then friday, we are still hot and we have a better chance for storms. all right, i want to show you

what the storm prediction center thinks is going to be happening tomorrow. you can see parts of the midwest, ohio valley, and the northeast under a moderate risk for severe weather. they even mentioned possibly. the good news is d.c. is just south of that and we are looking at maybe just a slight risk for some stray thunderstorms. the main threat being damaging winds. so, tomorrow we'll have to see if the storm prediction center updates this and also includes us in the moderate risk. for now, it's just a slight risk for a stray storm that could be strong or severe. 9 future cast, tomorrow morning, lots of sunshine. really nice start to the day and then by the afternoon, things look pretty good. now late afternoon, early evening, again, slight chance for some stray storms, better chances will be north of town toward the mason dixon line and into pennsylvania. see those storms that go through, that's what we are concerned about. now friday morning, looking at partly cloudy conditions and a better chance for showers and

storms in our area will be friday afternoon and early friday evening. it is still going to be hot, maybe those storms on friday could become strong or severe. for tonight, no storms, partly cloudy and pleasant. great for a walk, lows 65 to 74 degrees. all right, check out your next three days. tomorrow's high 100. i think a couple records will be challenged. stray storm friday, still hot, 96. better chance for showers and storms. we do have code yellow alert days because the unsettled weather. the weekend, temperatures in the lower 90s. still unsettled potentially for saturday. sunday looks a little better. only a stray storm possible. temperatures in the lower 90s. so, tomorrow, keep tuned into the forecast as we'll see heavy models update. right now, derek, again strongest storms will really be well north of us into pennsylvania. but things can change. we'll keep you posted. >> we know it will be hot. >> let's get to our weird news file tonight. triple digit temperatures and

the rising cost of corn. but not necessarily for the cows themselves. to central kansas where the cows at one dairy farm are feasting on chocolates and tacos. one dairy farmer figured out that feeding dairy cows the scraps from the local chocolate factory can stretch out their precious corn supply. plus, the cows really dig it. they find the cows like the similar taco leftovers. what's more, the high energy mix is good for the animals and no, no truth to rumors that these cows are giving chocolate milk. i will concede, it's a nice idea. >> i like it. we want to hear what you think. send your e-mails to mcginty's mail bag. the address, mailbag@wusa9.com. 9news now will be right back. [ male announcer ] where did all the obama stimulus money go?

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where did the obama stimulus money go? solyndra: 500 million taxpayer dollars. bankrupt. so where did the obama stimulus money go? windmills from china. electric cars from finland 79% of the 2.1 billion in stimulus grants awarded through it went to overseas companies. [ romney ] i'm mitt romney and i approve this message. in the mail bag tonight, more comments regarding the atrocity in aurora, colorado. but now, some of you are zeroing in on the movie showing where it all happened. she hears people that -- one of the dozens people massacres. first of all, school is out. the child was with her family under the circumstances, her age is not the issue. this little girl lost her life, her mom is now shot and paralyzed. this woman is dealing with so

much, she doesn't need to be scolded. i hear you, but i don't think it was the time frame that was the problem so much as the nature of the r rated dark knight movie. little kids just don't need to see that in any time of day. and devon says perhaps the rest of us aught to think twice as well. i would say we should return to the x rating for violent movies because of the film industry and television. i believe we have become anest sized to violence. many people can have it not affect them, but however, those with a weak mind or mental condition can't process the difference between fantasy and reality. we do need to watch out for such people, and our children. well you know, i think the x rating has become nc17, but i get your point. keep in mind, we already have a movie rating system that does take into account the violence and curse words and everything else. obviously you think that's not doing the job, so how would you change it keeping in mind that other thing we have going called the first amendment?

mailbag@wusa9.com is where mcginty's mail bag honors your right to free speech. i'll be back here tonight at 11:00. don't forget, log on any time to wusa9.com. have a great night. we'll see you a bit later. bye bye.

now, "entertainment tonight," the most watched entertainment newsmagazine in the world. kristen stewart caught in the act of cheating. her rare public apology to r-patt today. the evidence. who's the man she's kissing? >> it was stunning when i first met her. >> is her "twilight" romance over. and why did katherine jackson lose custody of michael's kids? did janet slap her niece, paris, in the face? new bombshells in the jackson family feud. >> i'm not going to let you take the kids. plus, why is paris tweeting her dad's lyrics. ♪ i'm so confused batman star christian bale's emotional visit to the movie theater massacre memorial. as new reports surface about the shooter. plus the baby just born after his mother survived the attack. ♪ well we're moving on up what you never knew about the man the world knew as george jefferson. >> i absolutely refuse to leave this apartment!