u.s. airways commuter planes were taking off from reagan national at the same time and same general direction as a third u.s. airways commuter plane that was about to land. >> the controller has just told 3329 to turn south. you see something developing there. >> reporter: according to the head of the federal aviation administration, when an air traffic controller at reagan national saw one of the departmenting planes was within a mile of a plane about to land, she immediately directed the landing plane to change course and head due south and all the planes continued on their way without incident. >> 3395 continue holding on the runway. >> reporter: the faa said today a preliminary investigation revealed the serious breakdown in communication. apparently the potomac radar approach facility or tracon changed the flow of air traffic at reagan national because of a storm on the way. >> there was unclear communication. >> reporter: not everybody at reagan air traffic control was aware of the change. as a result, the two departing planes were cleared to take off right towards the plane that was about to land.

>> the faa has launched a full investigation and we are interviewing the people involved. we will get to the bottom of this. >> reporter: lahood said one of the things they want to figure out is why the faa found out about the incident for the very first time from a news reporter. matt jablow, 9 news now. >> that's just one of the questions we've got. what we really want to know is how dangerous was the situation and is there an intrinsic problem with our air traffic control system? mark weiss is here with us to give us insight, a retired american ail pilot and aviation and homeland security -- airlines pilot and an aviation and homeland security consultant. this was a serious miscommunication. was it a serious impending disaster? >> absolutely. any time you have the distance between the planes closing at that speed it becomes the potential hazard and certainly the situation could have gotten to be disastrous.

so this never should have occurred. it should have been caught before it happened. fortunately it was stopped before it became something else. >> are we right to call that air traffic controller a hero for noticing it in time and calling the planes and saying hey, turn aside? >> i'm glad they did their job, but you shouldn't be a hero for doing your job. it should never have happened to begin with. >> is there something wrong with our air traffic control system? i say that in the context of they were telling us before the system is overwhelmed, there's too many planes. there's not as many planes as there used to be. still we have some problems. >> absolutely. i think this was probably an individual issue and not something that is really systemic, but i think we'll find that out once the investigation is complete, but certainly the overhaul of the industry where fewer aircraft, it still requires that the air traffic controllers maintain a high level of vigilance

vigilance that's required by the flight crews. >> i think we wonder does this thing happen all the time and we just don't hear about it? >> for the naturally not. its a three dimensional world aircraft operate in and we're always aware of our situation and most of the time, almost all the time, air traffic controllers be as professional as they are, pilots are as professional as they are. everybody realizes that and so it never really gets to that point. >> but sometimes we all know mistakes do happen. people aren't perfect. could this be one of those things that just happened and isn't likely to happen again? >> likely not to happen again, i'm not sure about that, but i think the reality becomes the more emphasis we put on the training, the more awareness we put out for something like this for training programs for the controllers and for the pilots, it reduces the opportunity for this to occur at another time. >> i just want to ask one quick one. all three planes happened to be

operated by u.s. air. just coincidence? >> absolutely a coincidence. >> thank you so much, mark weiss. moving on, president obama taking his reelection campaign to yet another swing state tonight. it's right in our own backyard, leesburg, virginia, and in the next half hour he will address supporters at loudoun county high. this evening's events will wrap up a two-day push through three states considered critical for his reelection, virginia, ohio and florida. the president spent the afternoon in florida speaking to voters outside orlando. he kept his message straight on the economy and how his plan to boost it is better than mitt romney's. >> mr. romney claims that he's going to get this tax cut and bring down the deficit. so then the question is who do you think gets the bill for these $250,000 tax cuts? you do. >> well, mitt romney had some counters to that attack. he spoke to voters in colorado

where the unemployment rate sits now at 8.2% and the republican presidential hopeful told them the president's past four years has done nothing to lower that. >> you look at the results and it's been a disappointment. his policies have not worked. they have not got america back to work again. >> both campaigns will look for that important economic news coming out today. that is when the labor department will announce july's unemployment numbers. turning now to the battle for virginia senate seat, republican george allen and democrat tim kaine both held events in northern virginia today. allen addressed the hispanic community and business leaders while kaine held an employee town hall at a smart energy company in arlington. both candidates talked about how energy production affects virginia's economy. >> cheapest unit of energy and the one that you don't use because you want to be more efficient. so the more successful you are, the better for people's

pocketbooks, business' pocketbooks. >> any other country would be thanking god we're blessed with these resources. unfortunately the federal government seems to look at our resources as a curse. >> the latest polls this month show the rates between kaine and allen where it's been the last several months, a dead heat. close to another 100 d.c. schoolteachers are out of a job because of poor performance. washington post reports d.c. public schools fired 98 teachers this week because of low evaluation scores. those evaluationses look at student performance compared -- evaluations look at student performance compared to teacher pay. maryland lawmakers may have to move to -- should we say have more to discuss than a casino at national harbor and table games next week at special session. a memo from the house speaker michael busch to state delegates say they may also consider adding internet gambling. bush says one part of the session is to ensure maryland's

gambling program is competitive and dellingly just approved online betting in june -- delaware just approved online betting in june. >> it's not any cooler out there. top, it was rather toasty today. >> it was. we hit 96 today, derek, and most of the thunderstorms today were south and east of town. yesterday they were north and west of town. let me start with live doppler 9000. there's still just one storm down to the south and north umberland county and st. mary's county. this prompted a warning earlier today. now it's just heavy rain located in southern st. mary's county headed over toward the bay. that's really just about it. i think we're pretty much in the clear west of town president of 91 in manassas -- west of town. 901 in manassas, 85 -- 91 manassas, 85 in baltimore. tonight isolated thunderstorm possible south and east, otherwise clear to partly cloudy, muggy, lows in the 70s. we'll come back, talk about the

heat continuing through the weekend perhaps and we have tropical storm ernesto on the map. coming up it's a 100-year- old plus olympic tradition and it's got nothing to do with sports at all, a look at the frenzy of olympic pin collecting. >> but first he was murdered while working at his own jewelry store. now police have a man in custody who just may have been the one who done it, the latest on the investigation 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.

new reports say psychiatrists for the colorado theater shooting suspect was worried about that young man's state of mind. kmgh reports the psychiatrist at university of colorado told her colleagues james holmes could be a danger to others. in fact, she wanted to meet with the school's behavioral and security committee about him, but it never happened because he'd already started dropping out of the university. now the school itself won't comment on the report. they say they are barred from

releasing any information about holmes. arlington county police say they have a suspect in the case of that murdered jewelry store owner and it comes on the same day his family is saying their final good-byes. >> reporter: surae chinn in arlington county where a herndon family say they are relieved. police have in custody 52-year- old james sylvester caroline of washington d.c. in custody on a probation violation. he has not been channeled with the hop side, but he -- charged with the homicide, but he is being held without bondful alton county police say charges are -- bond. arlington county police say charges are expected to be brought forward. 52-year-old wong was killed in his arlington jewelry store on columbia pike last week. surveillance pictures showed a man with a neon reflective traffic vest inside the store. a similar description was given in june where ken stein of benson jewelers in northwest d.c. was robbed at gunpoint.

>> i'm thankful for the family for me that they did get this guy off the street. he needs to be busted and put in jail. you want somebody like that that's carrying a gun off the street. >> reporter: the courts say he has six pending probation violence all regarding credit card thefts, forgeries and identity fraud. he was picked up yesterday afternoon. the hot weather is making a comeback, but will it head out before the weekend? our hopes are in topper's forecast coming up. >> but first congress takes action to limit protests like this one. what they're proposing to do to demonstrator at those military funerals, that story 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.

a new bill headed for the desk of president obama could soon limit protests at military funerals. it recently passed both houses of congress and it would ban any demonstration two hours before or after a military funeral. it would also force protesters to stay at least 300 feet away from the people at the service. this bill is in response to a 2011 supreme court ruling. last year the nation's highest court sided with the westboro baptist church saying the church's explicit and intense protests are protected under the first amendment. president obama is expected to sign the measure. isn't congress throwing this in the face of the supreme court? westboro's protests are heinous and disruptive, but a lot of people say they have the right to have their message out as well, especially when you look

at the first amendment. what do you think? mcginty's mailbag is the place to weigh. in the address is mailbag@wusa9.com. a very successful day for team usa across the pond in london. we won't spoil the surprise for any of tonight's events, but we want to show you the medal count. the u.s. has 37 medals overall. china, japan, germany and russia round out the top five. the medals are the only sought after -- or should i say they are not the only sought after item in london. more than 100 years fans, athletes and events workers have bartered, traded and collected olympic pins. bigad shaban takes a look at that tradition. >> reporter: of olympics some fans -- every olympics some fans come not just for the games, but for these pins. 73-year-old al falco has 35,000 of the shiny collectibles.

>> pins are a mean as to an end. >> reporter: falco has trade -- means to an end. >> reporter: falco has traded at 12 olympic games and has learned to be picky. rejects 10 times more pins than he accepts. 8-year-old alex hampton walked away empty handed. what did it make you feel? >> a bit disappointed. >> reporter: pins and collectors come from around the world and falco knows how to make a deal. he refuses to buy or sell pins like most die hard collectors. the only thing he's spent is time, 10 hours a day during the games. >> trading pins is like being at boot camp because it's hectic. it's from morning till night. >> reporter: tracy martin is an author on collectibles and says the most popular pins this olympics celebrate british landmarks. >> big ben, piccadilly circus sells for 8 pounds. >> reporter: falco says it's

not about money or even pins but the thrill of the hunt. >> it's the joy of pursuit of a pin. it goes on like a piece of museum aren't. >> reporter: fall poe's collection is truly one of a kind. by -- falco's collection is truly one of a kind. >> it is believed pin trading dates back to the 1896 olympics in athens when the modern era olympics began. back then those pins were used to identify athletes and judges. there you go. >> top, we've got the same thing every day, sunny and hot and at the end of the day maybe some storms. when is over. >> you are correct, sir. good night, everybody. we had storms palace night north and west that were severe and today they were south and east and severe. let's start with live look at doppler. the storm across southern st. mary's county is diminishing headed over the waters, still kind of intense. there was a storm that tried to briefly fire up around clinton. you see it there really

quickly. it just goes away. watch this. we'll put this back into motion for you. it kind of goes away, doesn't quite get to clinton. that's just about. it there it is right there and boom, it's gone. if you are west of i-95, i couldn't see anything coming your way the rest of the evening. ernesto still east of the winward islands. tropical 1 storm as it reaches cancun and we'll keep you posted. live look outside, our live weather cam brought to you by michael and son. after a high of 96 it's 88, dew points low 70s, not good, pressure rising, 29.87 inches of mercury. right now temps still warm, 85 in great falls, 91 rockville, 86 fairfax, 88 springfield, 86 college park as well. so we're looking at really another hot day tomorrow, isolated storms tonight, hotter friday. the good news, i guess, it's a

dry commute. you'll need your sunglasses and more storms friday afternoon and evening. for tonight, then, early isolated storms south and east and clear and muggy, lows in the 70s, winds south, southwest 5 to 10. by morning hot by lunchtime, mostly sunny, 74 to 92, air quality code orange. that's unhealthy air if you are in a sensitive group or have respiratory problems. by afternoon partly cloudy, hot, thunderstorms, some could be severe, highs around 95 and not that much activity but those that do develop could be hefty. next three days we'll go code yellow because of the heat and storms. 95 friday, 93 saturday, and 95 on sunday. now the next seven days a little better chance of storms monday because of the front. cold front rolls through. that's good news. bad news it doesn't really do anything for temps. we go back to the low 90s tuesday, wednesday and thursday of next week with just isolated storms. >> thank you, sir. we'll be back in a minute. >> we want to hear what you

think. send your e-mails to mcginty's mailbag, the address mailbag@wusa9.com. 9 news now will be right back. i got the chance to start my own business. i know what it's like to hire people and to make ends meet. from those experiences, i had the chance of running the olympics. the games were in real trouble. there'd been way too much spending. and in massachusetts i found a budget that was badly out of balance. our legislature was 85% democrat. and every one of the four years i was governor, we balanced the budget. i want to use those experiences to help americans have a better future.

we believe in our future. we believe in ourselves. we believe the greatest days of america are ahead. i'm mitt romney and i approve this message.

in the mailbag tonight chick-fil-a, gay marriage and if we go one more day with this 1, it will be a whole week during which the subject of your e-mail has not wavered. here's patrick. same sex unions are infertile and if there are too many such unions in a given population, that population is on the road to extinction. we need to live in harmony with nature. if the helio if our species is going to have any chance of

survive. i recently attended the marriage of a man and woman in their 70s and i have to call them up and let them know that their marriage is working against the lon term survival of our species. -- long term survival of our species, oh, well. ann says gay right supporters planned a kiss more chicks counter protest for chick-fil-a tomorrow. people are totally missing the point. i went to cfa yesterday and most of the talk was supporting or rights as citizens to express our opinions without being persecuted, black listed, et cetera. i didn't hear one comment about gay marriage. i would hope the gay community would step up and support an american being able to voice their opinion since we've been inundated with their opinion since the incident in question. then there's this from our good friend deb in arlington who says she just wants a chicken sandwich. everyone told me how delicious it is, not just the chicken but everything and i just found out one opened near my house. i say this whole brouhaha is great for their business really. truly i just care about the food when i'm eating out.

as long as i don't get food poisoning, i'm down with it. i hope everybody is down with the mailbag. the address is mailbag@wusa9.com. that is our report. i'll be right back here at 11:00 along with topper and anita brikman. log on any time to www.wusa9.com. have a great evening. we'll talk to you just a little later. bye bye. [ female announcer ] safeway presents

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now, "entertainment tonight," the most watched entertainment newsmagazine in the world. is newly divorced katy perry dating john mayer? what the new photos of their night out together reveal. plus -- ♪ >> katy on life after russell brand. what she's looking for in a man. then, new clues about mila kunis and ashton kutcher's rumored romance. plus, justin bieber gets beat up. ♪ as long as you love me stars strike back. j. lo's lawsuit threats over reports of her boyfriend in a gay nightclub. tom cruise. janet jackson. all fighting the tabloids. can they win? >> the celebrity is definitely trying to make a statement. engaged jessica biel at the big "total recall" premiere. >> where is mr. timberlake?