this is not about joel really for you guys.l is one of probably millions of people doing this on line. in a way it's a way to exchange music and he wouldn't have bought a pink floyd album had his friend not given him or shar shared, how do you stop this given the way so many people view it? >> we can limit it and manage it and what i find interesting about joel's point, he believes artists and record companies and all those involved should get paid but he doesn't believe he should be the one to pay them. it comes down to making sure artists, music creators, everyone in the chain down from the sound engineers to the backup singers, all of those real working-class individuals are paid for their work. they rely on the sale of music. >> let me go back to joel and give you a chance to respond to some of the issues cara has raised here. >> i've always said i don't think i can compete with the riaa on spin. i'm not a professional spokesperson. but the artists have spoken out on this. the majority don't see file sharing as a trent. res

i'm joel d smith, fox 45 morning news. early edition. >>> an independent inma indianad to four years after trying to fake his own death. he plead guilty for causing the coast guard to respond when no help was needed. a judge sentenced him yesterday. he must also pay the coast guard $30,000. he also has ties to baltimore. harris welt management, the company he managed. he tried to fake his own death because of financial trouble. >>> a man threatening to blowup a casino plead charge. he was dressed as a 9 gentleman when he took over the bus and demanded $3 million in cash and claimed to have planted bombs. hundreds of guests andies from nearby casinos were evacuated. the 5 hour standoff ended without incident. he also plead guilty to extortion charges in federal court yesterday. he will be sentenced october 19th the. his lawyer says a combination of mental illness and stresses led his client to action. >>> dixon's lawyer have filed a motion saying the prosecutor's office is not cooperating and claimed the grand jury system b

i'm joel d smith.ws, a former member of destiny's child is releasing a brand new cd. what fans can expect from >>> welcome back. heading into the weekend, it's 7:44 and it was an active weather night last night with the storms that went through. right now things are better for the time being, but we still have the flash-flood in the central counties until 2:00 a.m. tonight. take a look at the hd radar. that is where we're seeing the most active weather right now. it has moved further north and earlier this morning when we were seeing toward frederick county. it's taking a northerly tilt as the frontal boundary sits in that direction. we may have more thunderstorms to talk about as the front sits over us for today. you can see all of the shower activity indicated on the future scan model. meanwhile we're keeping our eye on tropical storm danny whose influence will be felt as we move into the overnight period tonight and tomorrow. all of this sits on the frontal and it doesn't have to do with danny. it d

joining us is that same joel, joel sawyer.night the former communications director for governor sanford. thank you for joining us. we appreciate it. >> thank you, appreciate having you me on. that is a real trip down memory lane there. >> let me start by asking you if you think that is a fair summary of the way things happened? >> that's the facts. that is what happened. that is the way i remember it. >> in listing your statements there sort of on the time line, i couldn't help but think that, you know, close friends of the governor knew about this affair. his wife knew. his spiritual adviser knew. members of a religious group in d.c. called c street knew. but you were responsible for communicating the truth about the governor to the people of south carolina and you did not know. and you say things that were not true. how does it make you feel when you hear those statements again knowing that to be the case? >> well, look, i was disappointed like everyone else. but on a staff level, our job was to disseminate information after

joel d smith is live with a preview. good morning, joel. >> reporter: good morning, patrice.e is accused of stabbing markel williams at school. stab wounds he would never recover from. as endine comes in here as a 15-year-old boy. once he enters the courtroom, he will be treated as an adult. in may a judge refused to send oxendine case to juvenile court. his family was disappointed yet realistic. >> it wasn't fear fair but got o with what they say. >> reporter: court documents say that oxendine who was 14 at the time, had an ongoing dispute with 15-year-old markel williams. it's there that police say oxendine stabbed williams three times. williams left school grounds and was found in the 2800 block of north di duplan street before dg from his injuries. >> if he can take adult action, he can be tried as an adult. that is all. >> reporter: the defense claimed that oxendine feared for his life saying he was being bullied by williams and williams had threatened to kill his mother and father. >> do you believe that his son believed him. >> reporter: oxendine had a history of fight

joel, is the governor going to resign?ree governor going to resign gave his own resignation, and today was his last day on the job as communications director for mark sanford. joining us on the phone is the same joel, joil sawyer, former communications director for the governor. mr. sawyer, thank you very much for joining us. i appreciate it. >> thank you, rachel. i appreciate you having me on. that was a real trip down memory lane there. >> let me start by asking you if you think that was a fair summary of the way things happened over that very difficult time. >> that was the facts. that is what happened. that is why we reported it. that is the way i remember it. >> in listing your statements there, sort of on the time line, i couldn't help but think that, you know, close friends of the governor knew about this affair. his wife knew. his spiritual add adviser knew. he said members of a group in d.c. called c street knew. but you were responsible for communicating the truth about the governor to the people of south carolin

joel d. smith is live at the park with examples. good morning joel. >> hello there patrice. already ten deaths on maryland water ways this year. that's more than all of last year. we have a good chunk of 2009 to go. we have members hereof the maryland natural restores help us out with the things that everyone knows about but you have to remind people to use them and use them screctly. we were talking about. the life preserve ver is the simplist thing but people aren't using them. they aren't using them. they make so many models today this is a sus spen der time. very comfortable. it inflates when wet our can man you ri inflate it by fulg or a jacket. that is called a float coat. that is alive jacket and in her right hand is a wearable life jacket for a child that is mandatory under maryland law if they are under four years of age or less than 50 pounds. the life jacket must have a grab strap, an inflatable collar and a crutche strap. you said earlier, eight of the ten deaths folks weren't wea

joel d smith.> news. >>> dive teams have finally recovered all nine of the victims killed during a mid-air collision along the hudson river. yesterday crews pulled the airplane from the water and found the last two bodies pinned inside of the wreckage. with both the plane and the helicopter it collided now on dry land. the ntsb officials can focus on what may have caused the accident. the other victims include the chopper's pilot, the airplane's pilot and the three other passengers. >>> three people are recovering after high levels of carbon monoxide were found in ocean city hotel room. the victims staying on the americana hotel on the boardwalk were hospitalized yesterday with symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning. fire officials say there were no cacarbon monoxide detectors even though the law requires them. >>> up load photos or videos or written stories to neighborhood news. go to foxbaltimore.com/your take. you can also send us photos and videos directly from your cell phone through pics at fo

joel d. smith. >> fox 45 morning news. still head american idol is coming to battle more. we're give waig free tickets for the show. stay tuned for your chance to wiefnlt and curtis arrived on a accident that will cause a hectic rief ride on 70 in h ♪ there's the other stuff. ♪ and then there's kraft macaroni & cheese. ♪ kraft has more cheese than those other guys. no wonder they call it the cheesiest! wednesday morning. a chance of strong storms this afternoon. late in the afternoon in western stvment we'll talk more about the central fart part of the state in just a seefnlgtd sky watch radar dating we have dry conditions right now and we expect that to change later in the day with the storm pli weather coming our way. right now showers and new york and pennsylvania. also in tennessee valley, very strong storms moving into mississippi, lower mississippi valley now and that will be definitely hurting that area today it looks like with strong storms having to damage and results to some of the

. >>> afghanistan chooses a president today, but the taliban, doing all it can to joel brot wn athe el brown at t house coming up. >>> it could be edward kennedy's last stand. he wants a change in the law allowing the massachusetts governor to appoint an interim u.s. senator immediately. it is for -- if the post becomes vacant. >> reporter: senator edward kennedy maybe ailing but in a poignant letter last month the continues to fight for change as well as his passion, health care. while suffering from terminal cancer he is asking the governor to change state law so menanamed quickly. kennedy writes, it itis val fors this commonwealth to have two voices speaking the nes s citizens and o in initizens and two votes the senate during the five months between a vacant seat and the election. the senior senator is concerned if his seat is open for months it could hurt president obama's chances to overhaul health care. there's been speculation kennedy's wife vicki wants to succeed her husband in washington but family aides say she's not interested. the letter once again has many wondering if th

live in owings mills, joel d smith, fox 45 morning news. >>> it must be nice to judge joel's job. >>> find out where you can get all of immunizations your kids need coming up next in the hometown hot spot. >>> and the humidity is back >>> make sure your child is healthy and ready for the school year. lexington market and the baltimore city health department are hosting a fre a freey immunn fair. good morning darlene. >> good morning. >> tell me about the immunizations, what are you providing. >> today from 11 to 3:00 at the a avenue and tomorrow at lexington market, from 11 to 1:00, we will have the children's immunization from the health department. there's going to be lead tasting, blood pressure screening and free and affordable insurance. there's a lot of helpful people coming out to help the community. >> what do parents need to bring with them in order to get their children umin umiewn iced? n they have to bring their children's shot records. that's a must. whether you're a parent or a guardian, you must bring had a child's immunization shot records. >> you got a band playing th

i'm joel d smith.op on the train and stop there. >>> he is the first ravens inducted to the hall of fame. >>> rob woodson prediction for tonight's preseason opener against the redskins. >> reporter: i'm here at the hometown hot spot. i'm going >>it's the middle of august and it's hot. but you can show off how cool you are and contribute to the education of inner city students by going to the hot august blues and roots festival. >> meteorologist jessica starr is live with the details at this morning's hometown hot spot. >> reporter: good morning, yes this is a great festival going on this weekend. a lot of jazz and jamming as well. it's all for a great cause. to get more information on the festival that is going on this saturday. i'm joined this morning by brett. good morning. >> how are you. >> it's the 17th annual hot august blues. the portion of proceeds benefit common ground on the hill which brings at risk inner city children to the summer camp at mcdaniel college. and one of the bands is old man b

live. >> joel smith. fox 45 morning news. >> still ahead a contractor accused of milking people out of money. >> going into homes and taking money. why the judge says the victims won't get their money back. and i'm just r-. i'm going to show you creepy (announcer) it's time to raise the bar and replace your old mayo with the full flavor of kraft mayo with olive oil. with half the fat and calories of hellmann's real mayo, kraft mayo with olive oil is the new standard in mayo. it's insectmania day at port discovery and your little one can learn all about bugs without getting the creepy crawl ease, meteorologist jessica is here with details for the hotspot. just look at the bugs is giving me the creep ti pi crawl leez jess. >> i'm really... i get so creeped out this morning. very educational. the kids here this morning aren't even worried about it. they have been diveing in and touching the bugs. insect media is going on this week at port discovery. very educational. joining me is nora ra to tell us about. >

joel d smith is live with that story. it must have been scary for the coaches out there. >> reporter: absolute she and it's all about the weather. it won't as hot as it was yesterday. what a scary scene. coaches looking around as players start to feel dizzy and go to the ground just after 35 minutes of practice. during the football practice the temperatures reached the 90s but with humidity it feels closer to triple digits. first one by one players started to hit the ground. >> some of them started to get sick to their stomach. issues like that, a lot of perspiring, and there's been a lot of reports of chemical problems and issues. that is not true. >> reporter: ambulances are brought in and more than a dozen players are taken away to local hospitals. the diagnosis is heat exhaustion, a condition that comes on gradually and will get worse if not treated. it's a condition the school thought it was prepared for. >> we tell our athletes if you're feeling ill, you are feeling you are getting dehydrated, you need to stop and t

joel d smith is live with an update.d morning, joel. >> reporter: become, patrice when the shops open in a half an hour, shop owners will be curious if the tourists will follow. officials are trying to make the people around here feel okay about coming in hereafter the shooting. police say they were working on the tip and already looking for a potential shooter when shots were fired and two men are hit. a 17-year-old was shot in the forearm, a 20-year-old in the leg. both are expected to recover and police say the shooter probable flee knew the victim. police are hoping the surveillance video inside of the pavilion, will help them pinpoint the shooter. >> moments before the shooting, we had an individual approach the officers by the ampe amphitr and say that there was a shooter who was armed. >> reporter: mayor sheila dixon said that we won't tolerate or the inner harbor to be a hang out for shootings. >> reporter: there was a spike back in may and seemingly a large number of random acts of violence per traited by youth

evangelical megachurch pastor joel hunter from florida is part of that council. hunter is becoming an increasingly influential leader for those he calls "a new kind of conservative." i visited him at his church near orlando. it's sunday morning and people are heading to church. one might expect them to be bringing along a bible; maybe their tithes and offerings. but at northland church, just outside orlando, they're also bringing obsolete computers and printers, old stereos and other hard-to-recycle items. the evangelical megachurch has made a commitment to the environment-- what members here call "creation care." it's part of a wide-ranging social agenda championed by northland senior pastor joel hunter. he says that agenda signals a maturing of the evangelical movement. >> we like to call it "growing up." i think especially in the political realm, we went through a phase more recently when we were known for what we were against rather than what we were for. we were pretty narrow in what we were paying attention to rather than very broad. now, that wasn't true i

and joel and ethan had just written "raising arizona."s just a part of l.a. that's, you know, very eclectic. >> jimmy: yeah, cool. >> and this was the early '80s. it was -- >> jimmy: a good music scene out there. >> and a good music scene. >> jimmy: yeah, yeah, i like silver lake. but now you're here in new york. >> and there were some, you know, there were some comedy clubs out there at the time. i don't know if they're still there. >> jimmy: i used to work the improv on melrose. that's not in silver lake. >> that's not in silver lake. [ laughter ] >> jimmy: where i used to work. comedy magic club? >> like, nobody knows where silver lake is really, unless you're, you know, a los angelean. >> jimmy: by the way, i love hearing your voice. you have a great voice. >> so, i understand that, like, you don't have me. >> jimmy: i don't really do that many female impressions because my voice is too masculine. [ laughter ] i'll save everyone from saying that. >> i doubt that. [ laughter ] i'm sure you could figure a way. >> jimmy: well, you kind o

joel d smith. 45 morning news. >>> as school year begins healthoffs are stepping up their efforts to contain swine flu. this year there's new policies and protocols to be taken. megan gilliland joins us with more on that. >> reporter: milford academy was one of the schools forced to class last spring after one of the students was diagnosed with swine flu. there's a new policy that will keep the schools open. that means that school officials are going to treat swine flu-like the seasonal flu but they still plan to be vigilant with the virus, especially as frightening new predictions surface. a white house panel says that swine flu could kill 30 to 90,000 people, and send 2 million people to the hospital. 1 million people have gotten sick with swine flu. infections may rise as kids head to school. to fight the statistics, a vaccine is being created right now. the maryland university of medicine is taking part in the trials, but it still may be until october when the vaccine is available. >> we know t

i'm joel d. smith. fox 45 morning news. >> stale head the chef who made cooking a small screen hit is coming to the big screen. >> i'm julia childs. bon appetit. we have a sneak peak at julie and julia coming up in the low down. >> and it's not even 7 o'clock this on this friday morning but we are already seeing quite a few cars he filling up the lanes on the roadways. here's 695 at lish ti road. i'll show you what the other this looks like a good spot. you kin' do it. america runs on dunkin'. treat yourself today with an authentic caramel swirl iced latte. news. 6:35 is the time. it's time to check in with meteorologist steve and see what we can expect as we head into the weekend. happy weekend steve. happy weekend patrice. absolutely. happy weekend of course. take a look at radar. very dry out there. nothing falling from the skies this day. that may change tomorrow but not so today. we're looking at a pretty day with low humidity too. that's what we're talking about. makeing for a comfortable and gene

joel d smith is live at towson university with the latest on the healthcare debate, good morning, joelrice. passionate but peaceful, that's right. both lines of the street lined with folks, they had their chants ready and signs ready. they yelled and debated a little bit as well. when they were not talking about the merits of obama's healthcare plans. they were talking about whether or not the protests were unamerican. there was a limited amount of folks folks that could get inside of the meeting. some complained about that as well. you had to register in advance. u.s. senator ben cardin presided over the meeting and defended the healthcare plan saying it would provide more choice. others disagreed and shouted at the senator numerous times during the meeting. it's actions like those which some are now calling unamerican. including the house speaker nancy pelosi. she was the first to go public with that description. last night we gave congressman elijah cummings a chance to respond. >> drowning out people who want to hear discussions and people who want to talk about their issues and th

joel d smith is live in fells point this morning with more, good morning, joel. >> reporter: good morning start where things are right now. this is one of the traditional parking meters you're seeing at places like fells point. a dollar an hour, you can park for four hours, you're here for a long time, get your food and do what you got to do. in some spots, a dollar fee could change to $2 and here all the way to $3 for just one hour of parking. >> the problem is cheat street parking. the practice of feeding the meter. so an increased rate is to force the drivers off the street or pay a much heftier price. baltimore parking authorities propose a rate increase would cover most of the downtown including the inner harbor. it would go from $1 to $2 an hour to with the approval to go to 3 in the mount vernon area. >> it could kill businesses if people don't find a convenient place to park in front of businesses. those people who are parking all day long, should be parking in off street garages. >> reporter: now some drivers agree it's a good idea. others think the high amount is unfair because

i'm talking about rick warren, joel osteen, frankly graham, and mr. dobson. mr. dobson, you're in retirement, you can come out of retimplt for this one. people will listen to you. these christians leaders need to get engaged and support a christian president on the public option in providing health care for all americans. isn't it the christian thing to do? their silence is deafening. when jesus walked the face of the earth, he was feeding the hungry, clothing the poor and healing the sick. he didn't ask anybody for their health insurance card, and he didn't heal anybody for profit. yet we hear nothing from the christian leadership in this country on health care reform and the moral obligation we face as a nation to address this issue. this piece of audio from the arlen specter town hall meeting really struck me earlier this week. >> one day god's going to stand before you, and he's going to judge you, and the rest of your damn cronies up on the hill. and then you will get your just desserts. >> so what's the makeup of these crowds? well, trust christian leaders

. >>> billy joel has millions of reasons not to feel too bad over the breakup of his third marriage. your early morning entertainment headlines are straight ahead. >>> plus, it's as american as apple pie. well, sort of anyway. >>> it's one woman's celebration of food on a stick. you're watching "early today." >>> welcome back to "early today." another day with pretty good chance of showers and thunderstorms across much of the east, especially west of the appalachians. chicago, good chance of thunderstorms. a very good chance actually. pretty much likely. upwards 83 degree high temperature. good opportunity for pretty potent thunderstorms through the ohio valley. the trough will help sweep hurricane bill off the coastline. if you're watching tv 2 in charleston, south carolina, get ready to rock and support a good cause when your admission is donated to charity at the battles of the bands. that is your eastern event of the day. >> thanks so much, todd. >>> now here's a look at this morning's headlines in entertainment. >>> a&e network is moving forward with a reality series starring mi

joel brown reports, americans are getting caught up in mix- ups and misinformation. >> president obama is counting on his supporters to help him take back control of the debate over healthcare reform. they're trying to counter the vocal critics of the healthcare plan. [ inaudible ] >> better than a private sector job can. >> reporter: now the white house is taking the fight for reform online. a top aide to the president sent this. it lists reasons to the obama administration's agenda. >> it is important to address misconceptions or misimpressions that have been left out there about the bills. >> reporter: the president will make its case in person in who conservative areas of the country. he'll hold a town hall meeting in montana on friday. and another in colorado on saturday. >> he'll have his work cut out for him. opponents show no sign of backing down. >> reporter: some are being escorted out of town halls. one brought a photo of the president, altered to make him look like adolph adolf hitler. >> the lawmakers are trying their best to keep the dialogue going. >> reporter: but the w

, joel. >> now, now, wait a second. steve, i -- >> if you spend money and take the savings out of the private sector. >> steve, i had the second quarter positive and i had the second quarter -- >> the economists in general is what i'm saying. >> i had the second quarter positive back at the end of last year because i expected the stimulus to kick in. and indeed, i wouldn't be surprised if we wind up getting it pretty close to positive. so i think some people were looking for the stimulus to work. the question is how fast and the timing of it.. and i'm still saying that, yes, they're going to internalize, take the profits internally, but the question is how much can they really get out? >> in a way, did we really need it? mike, look at the recovery in this economy thus far and only 20% of the stimulus has gotten to the people. >> i think what we're going to find, just on the board you guys just posted, i think what we're going to find at the end of the year is we have a good second half, an absolutely terrible first half

joel d smith is live with the latest. good morning, joel. >> reporter: good morning, megan.been a tough month for america's royal political family. eunice kennedy died on august 11th and now the youngest nine children is dead at the age of 77. from the assassinations of john ask robert to the election of the first african-american president he has seen it all. john f kennedy won, but was assassinated in 1963. his brother roberta sass nateed in 1968 during his run for president. ted had his own presidential aspirations but gave his way to the jimmy carter. a liberal champion for five decades. among many bills he passed the 1997, the children's health program and 1990 the american disabilities act. >> the reason he has accomplished more than any of the others that were there. the reason he has helped to deliver voting rights and immigration rights and helped people who are vulnerable is because he fights. >> reporter: kennedy's personal life often over sad hoeshadowed his successful political career. he received a 2 month suspended sentence and a year's probation. in 1991 he w

joel d smith.5 morning news. >> still to come, get into the imroovment we're live with a preview of the baltimore music festival. coming up next in the >> it's all that jazz and more. at center stage this weekend. the baltimore music fes ta fal evaluate is filled with the sounds of jarksz r&b and gospel. roger is here to tell us more about the event. good morning roger. >>> good morning patrice. how are you? i'm great. tell me what we're in store for this weekend. >> we're here at center stage and getting ready for the baltimore music fes evaluate this saturday. it's the finest musicians in maryland coming together for one night to give you the best in jazz, r&b and soul. and here with us... >> i'm sorry how go head. >> how many different musician ooze. about 12 different musicians there that night. and have you one with you this morning. we want a sneak peak. >> absolutely. here is sax fo nift eye disik performing. >>> >> well, the introductions gave us a pair of free vip tickets to the august 8th

i'm joel d smith. fox 45 morning news. >>> the university of maryland school of medicine is the lead center for the nationwide vaccine trials. nearly 70 healthy adults were selected to get the swine vaccine. today they were given a shot and will have to keep track for their heath for the next week. hoant ithe hope is that the tril lead to distribution to the general country as early as october. >>> it happened at 10:30 last night. a man was shot in the chest. police are questioning two people in connection with the shooting. >>> the investigation into a deadly plane crash in carroll county continues it morning. the federal aviation admnistration says the 2 seater plane went down on saturday morning shortly after taking avenue from taneytown. the pilot 61-year-old robert and his friend lety williams were pronounced dead on the scene. those who know the pilot say he was an experienced pilot. >> it's also certificated generally aviation pilot. i think he was a member of the flying club at the naval academ

joel brown reports, however, that other gop senators insist she's the wrong choice. >> reporter: senators are poised to make history. this afternoon they are expected to confirm sonia sotomayor as the next supreme court justice, the first hispanic woman to serve on the bench. >> i have the upmost faith in sonia sotomayor. the president made an excellent nomination. >> barring a surprise turn of evens, sonia sotomayor's place on the high court is assured. democrats hold the majority in the senate and she managed to pick up the support of several republicans as well. >> i have concluded that judge sonia sotomayor should be confirmed as the next associate justice of the supreme court. three-quarters of the gop senators say they cannot support her saying she would bring personal sympathies and like really bias to the bench. >> i believe her viewpoint is something other than what i see in the constitution. >> reporter: some are concerned about her views on gun rights. >> i respectfully oppose her nomination, because she's given no assurances that the second amendment is an individual, fundamen

presidential election just two days away, many voters will fear for their lives on election day, as joel brown reports, taliban fighters are doing all they can to scare voters into staying home for the polls. >> the taliban says it set off the suicide car bomb in afghanistan's capital city that killed at least 7 people. the attacker was targeting a nato convoy along the road, linking kabul to a nearby air base. among the dead, two u.n. workers. just hours earlier and a short distance away, two mortar rounds struck near the presidential palace, no one was hurt. in eastern afghanistan, two u.s. soldiers were killed and three others injured when their convoy hit a roadside bomb. that brings the total number of u.s. forces killed in august to 26. the spike in violence comes as afghan officials hand out ballots and prepare for the country's second ever presidential election on thursday. taliban forces have condemned the election and warned people to stay away from the polls. president obama says the u.s. has a deep interest in a peaceful, stable afghanistan, he's ordered u.s. forces to help s

and joel brown is live on capitol hills with the latest on how the votes are coming along, joel? >> reporter: they leave for their august break on friday. they would like to leave a parting gift for president obama. and the confirmation of his supreme court choice. the senate is about to start debate on president obama's first supreme court nominee. despite some republican head winds they are expected to sore through the confirmation process. >> developing a 17-year record as a moderate mainstream judge. >> reporter: with democrats solidly behind her nomination. her confirmation by week's end is the high courts first hispanic justice, that's all but certain. six g.o.p. senators will cross party lines to vote for her. her nomination is forcing some republicans to walk the political tight rope. they are looking to please their conservative votes with a no vote. but they are back in the home state. >> dot republican senators face some kind of push back by voting against her? i think that many in our community, they will always remember this vote. >> but the senate's top republican,

host: let's hear from joel simon. her point about israel? guest: well, i am afraid i have to plead ignorance and uninformed because i am not aware of that. host: democrats like, you are online with joel simon. caller: i have a question. it depends on the representation of a particular company. a lot of companies -- those are the best people on the ground. let me ask you. would you think that more of the prominent government people would be going over, like president clinton, to negotiate on the release of the journalists throughout the country? guest: well, first of all, the hikers who were detained by the iranian authorities were not sure that -- it does not seem to be journalism related. that was unprecedented. that visit by former president clinton had to do with the nature of the north korean regime, and their desire for some sort of high-level attention from the u.s.. it is important to point out that this is not the first time something like this has happened. many times in american has been retained, and really what they demand is som

he stood a lot on the field tonight behind joel hanrahan when joel had a hard time throwing strikes. never too late to send guys back to the minor leagues. hear it season ends first week of september. can never be too comfortable at this level. you need to be paying attention all the time. >> bob: and nyjer cannot get picked off here. 90 feet duntd doesn't matter -- doesn't matter that much when you're down by three runs. >> rob: exactly. yet, his run is meaningful, but not that meaningful to get picked off for it. >> bob: the good thing about this situation is you're distracting a pitcher who already has control issues. hanrahan since coming to the pirates, 10 strikeouts, three walks in 10 innings. a visit from joe carrigan, fine pitching coach. >> rob: a lot like steve mccatty, i can see just by the expression and the back of joe kerrigan's head, he's not happy. he wants joe to focus -- joel to focus. one of the things he has trouble doing here. >> bob: and that's meek meerks the right-hander. >> rob: you can't be so worried -- be so worried. you've got to pick up the target and yo

joel brown has the story 37 >> reporter: with time and money running out, supporters pushed the senate to refuel the cash for clunkers program before l lawmake lawmakers' summer break. >> we think another $2 billion can take the program through september, and that's a good thing. >> reporter: the white house and auto dealers want the senate to follow their lead and extend the program which already burned through its $1 billion allowance. critics argue that just proves the program has been badly managed and does not deserve more attention. >> we were told the program would lost several months. as it turned out, it ran out in a week. >> reporter: lawmakers launched cash for clunkers with $1 billion in the bank. that money is pretty much gone. dealers nationwide report they've sold nearly 250,000 new cars. >> in a good month, we'll do 250 cars or so. 39 cars in a week. looking at what it could be, this could be 100 cars a month, 120 extra. >> reporter: fuel efficiency standards have improved some 60%, numbers the president hopes will sway lawmakers to keep cash for clunkers on the road. j

joel brown has more from the white house. >> reporter: the taliban said it set off a car bomb in a city that killed at least seven people. it was targeting a alternate convoy. mock the dead two u.n. workers 50 others were wounded in the blast. hours earlier and a short distance away, two mortar rounds struck near the presidential palace. no one was hurt and in eastern afghanistan, two soldiers were killed and three injured when their convoy hit a road side bomb. that brings the total number of u.s. forces killed in august to 26. the spike in violence comes as afghan officials prepare for the country's second ever presidential election on thursday. taliban forces condemned the election and warned people to stay away from the polls. president obama says the u.s. has a deep interest in a peaceful, stable afghanistan. and ordered u.s. forces to secure polling places so this week's elections can go forward. >> that may not be enough to calm some afghans. there's no security. >> this man says -- people are scared because the election is about to happen. the u.s. million and allies say they wi

joel brown has the historical moment for wjz news. >> i sonia sotomayor do swear... >> she is now the first hispanic justice on the high court. >> as an associate justice of the supreme court of the united states. >> reporter: she took two oaths from the chief justice. her left hand on a bible held by her mother. the first was a private ceremony, the second was televised for the first time in the court's history. >> congratulations, welcome to the court. [ applause ] >> reporter: she is only the 3rd woman to be granted the lifetime appointment out of 111 justices. the 55-year-old grew up in a new york city housing project her education propelled her to have different life. she served as a federal judge for 17 years but never forgot her roots serving as a mentor for inner city kids in her home town. >> and perform... >> some of the children watched the swearing in ceremony. [ applause ] >> it brought tears to my eyes that she i had interaction with her. >> and she will attend a white house reception hosted by the president on wednesday. she will hear her first case next month. pgh >> r

joel brown, cbs news, washington. >>> congress is setting its sights on big banking bonuses. the house has voted to restrict compensation packages. up to nine banks who took billions of dollars in federal bailout money pay thousands of employees millions dollars in bonuses. >>> which week we expect to get answers behind the fire that destroyed the home of peggy cooper. firefighters were helpless to do anything but watch as her house on chain bridge road burned to the ground. the reason, low water pressure meant less water from nearby fire hydrants. fire department investigators are trying to figure out why the pressure was so low and they should issue a report this week. >>> well, president obama is in northern virginia to mark the start of the new g.i. bill. it's the largest expansion of education benefits for veterans since world war ii. this morning, sara -- ceremony takes place at george washington university. the veterans affairs department began to distribute payments to schools participating in the program. $78billion is expected to be paid out. >>> the family of a mis

joel brown, cbs news, the white house. >> barack obama will hold a health care reform town hall meeting tomorrow in belgrade, montana and then another one over the weekend in grand junction, colorado. >>> u.s. marines are on the move in southern afghanistan staging an offensive in a taliban held area. the marines had to rescue families who were trapped in a compound near a village where they were fighting. they treated the wounded and moved the families to a safe area. the marines, alternate troops and afghan army forces are trying to reverse the taliban resurgence in southern afghanistan and make it safe for the civilians. >>> an iphone owner in france says his iphone exploded while he was using it. this is the second report of such an incident in france. the man says he suffered an eye injury when his phone popped and the glass face plate shattered. there's no word from apple about this report. >>> football goes in to high- tech in the name of good health. several pro and college teams, including virginia tech, are having players swallow vitamin sized pills that contain a battery, the

all represented by this man, joel siel.one of these guys will probably play too extensively in the prezone no, i think you are right. one of the guys that wants to be out there on thursday, of course, is devin thomas, wide receiver, who has been injured and today he was out there on the field. for the first time. feeling good. making a couple of really good catches. he will likely be out there on the field. i will tell you what, the redskins are starting to decide who will not be i that first preseason game on thursday. one of the guys we can tell you that will not be there, number 92, albert haynesworth. he was on the field, of course, this morning but the redskins say they are going to take it easy. their starters will have about nine to ten plays. haynesworth not included in the mix. he will be making his debut at home when the redskins play the steelers on august 27th. the defensive tackle has plenty left to share. as for the rookies, everything changes. stakes are raised. guys are fighting for spots. they are playing.

joel brown explains. some of president obama's top aides are signaling he may be willing to give up his fight for a controversial part of the health care reform plan. as he wraps up his sweep in the west, his deputies are opening the door to a proposal that does not include the government- run insurance plan. >> the bottom line for the president is we have to have choice and competition in the insurance market. >> reporter: the move to give up the public option has angered liberals. >> do a little insurance reform. the kind other states have done, including ours 15 years ago and tackle health care reform at another time. let's not pretend we will do it without a public option. the president has to convince conservative members of his own party as well as republican senators. >> i think a lot of the proposals that the president has talked about and some of the democrats have talked about are in deep trouble. the american people are figuring it out. >> one key conservative democrat is proposing a system par

joel brown has more. more than 80 people are dead and hundreds more hurt following a string of explosions across baghdad [ sirens ] >> the deadliest is a struck bomb near the foreign ministry outside of the green zone. that blast killed more than 50 and blew concrete slabs off the front of the ten-story building. the impact so strong it damaged buildings nearby. iraqi officials say at least five other explosions tore through parts of baghdad. hitting a police patrol, commercial district and other crowded areas. this is the deadliest day in baghdad since president obama ordered troops to largely withdrawal from iraqicy is cities at the end of june. that left iraqi forces in charge of their own security. this politician says today's attacks show iraqi troops aren't carrying out their duties. he is calling on par limb to hold an emergency session to examine what went wrong. the top u.s. commander in the country wants to send more american troops to northern iraq, an area hit hard by attacks in recent weeks.

i'm joel brown. it's coming up. >>> a group home here in annapolis has caught the attention of the county executive for all the wrong reasons. i'm derek valcourt. i'll explain coming up on eyewitness news. >>> this is mark viviano at the ballpark. we'll hear from pitcher jeremy guthrie. a fight breaks out at ravens camp. and we'll hear more. when eyewitness news continues. abrasive on dentures? look, scratches collect and grow cause bad breath instead clean without scratching causing bacteria every day >>> the time is close to 6:30. it is 87 degrees. and partly sunny in baltimore. good evening, everyone. and thanks for staying with eyewitness news. here are some of the stories people are talking about tonight. >>> opponents of the president's healthcare reform plan went straight to the top to voice their protest. hundreds marched outside president obama's town hall meeting in new hampshire. joel brown has both sides of this heated issue for wjz. >>> opponents and supporters of the president's plan to

joel brown has more. >> reporter: republican senators are lining up to criticize sonia sotomayor. president obama's choice for the supreme court. >> my fear is that she was unable to separate her personal belief system from that of the letter of the law. >> reporter: nearly three- quarters of gop senators will vote against sonia sotomayor. but that won't be enough to block her confirmation. a handful has joined the democratic majority in favor of confirming the judge to the high court. >> i'm perplexed by why the vote on her nomination won't be unanimous. >> reporter: barring any major surprises, sonia sotomayor will be the first hispanic woman on the supreme court. the 55-year-old from the bronx is not expected to shift the courts ideological balance, but republicans insist she is a judicial activist that will bring bias to the high court. they pointed where she ruled against gun rights, property rights and claims of discrimination for white employees. >> the judge gave me her assurances she would stick to the letter of the law. her judicial record indicates otherwise. >> reporte

joel brown, cbs news, the white house. >>> president obama had a more congenial conversation yesterdayyoung reporter, a very young reporter. 11-year-old damon weaver covered last year's presidential campaign and was promised an interview with president obama. most of his questions dealt with education, but basketball has its place too. >> everyone knows that you love basketball. i think it would be cool to have a president that can dunk. can you dunk? >> not anymore. i used to when i was young, but i'm almost 50 now, so your legs are the first thing to go. >> the interview damon asked the president if he'd be his homeboy. medium macchiato, light hot chocolate hold the whip, and two espressos. make one a double. she's fiber focused! i have two cappuccinos, oncoffee with room, one large mocha latte, a medium macchiato, a light hot chocolate, hold the whip, and two espressos, one with a double shot. gonna take more than coffee to stay this focused. stay full and focused through the morning... with a breakfast of kellogg's® frosted mini-wheats® cereal; an excellent source of fiber that hel

he was standing on the sidelines talking about agent joel segal.he visited with skins executive of football operations. he is still confident an opportunity will soon surface for the recently reinstated quarterback, but says his visit had nothing to do with that. he was simply to check up on his other clients. >> jason, diangelo, watch a couple of my guys practice, spend some time with vinnie and enjoy the day. talking to a host of clubs and confident he will be with the team. >> no chance. >> no chance, all right, on the field, of course, brennan always seems to be a popular player in camp. interestingly enough, the second year man out of hawaii hadn't thrown an intersection all camp. he would give the first guy who picked him $100. consider chris $100 richer today. he was the first to get a theft this morning. much more coming up. we'll tell you who won't be playing on thursday night. also tell you one of those second year wide receivers will be ready to go and introduce you to one of the redskins of the iron men, that's all coming up later in sp

. >> reporter: a jury fined joel tanne baum nearly $7,000 for illegal file-sharing on line. the 25-year-old, currently a graduate student at boston university admitted in court to downloading and distributing 30 songs. it's not immediately clear if he downloaded music while at goucher. the school currently bans anyone from downloading music while on campus. he plans to appeal but says he will file for bankruptcy if his appeals turn down. back to you. >> the case is only the nation's second music downloading case against an individual to go to trial. >>> concerns over internet security prompt the u.s. military to review social networking sites like facebook and myspace. the marine corps has already banned its troops from going to those web sites citing a possible security risk. marine officials say using social sites can expose information to adversaries. >>> a fredrick county town that loves its high school football team crushed tonight after the expensive turf is set on fire just before the start of the season. suzanne collins reports the feeling of loss in middletown goes