and metro mourns another loss.tails from an accident that killed a transit worker. plus, getting ready for swine flu. a local school starts testing a vaccine. "good morning washington" continues right now. captioned by the national captioning institute --www.ncicap.org-- >> and welcome back to "good morning washington." thank you so much for joining us at 6:00 on this monday, august 10. i'm alison starling. >> and i pamela brown in for doug mckelway. time for traffic and weather every 150 minutes. we'll check in with jim in just a moment, but we start with meteorologist brian van de graaff. and brian, the merks are you is rising. it's already feeling pretty hot out there. >> been outside a few times, and we're heading out there in 10 mines to let you know what it's like on the street level. it is a warm day definitely, almost unbearable, because the heat and humidity will make it feel like 100 to 105 deges. not a lot of rf,elie maybeben.t satto. 77, you ca

loring and vienna metro stations. that man was part of a crew doing scheduled maintenance when he was hit by a piece of traffic equipment. his name has not been releapsed, but we are told he worked with the transit agency for 25 years. the general manager offered condolences to the family and is promising a thorough investigation. meanwhile, new questions are being raised about the safety of metro trains. "the washington post" reports metro's track avoidance system may have malfunctioned on march 2 when two trains nearly collided at the potomac avenue station. the operator used the emergency brake to avoid hitting another train. a failure of that system is also suspected of contributing to the june 22 crash that killed nine people. these glitches have riders concerned. >> yeah, one episode already, so they need to let us know. that way we have a right to choose if we want to get on the next train or not. >> this is part of our daily life, going to and from work, and we should be able to make those decisions on how to

>> reporter: metro trouble. it seems every week something bad happens to metro. at the silver spring home of michael nash, someoneeft a card of cdolence in the front door. 63-year-old michael nash, a track repairman, for metro killed bay piece of equipment while he was working on the orange line sunday. mr. nash worked for metro 21 years and he lived in the silver spring neighborhood for a long time. >> every time he saw me he says hello, how are you, how is everything going. he is a good guy. didn't hear anything bad. >> reporter: today more bad news for metro. word that on july 31, a green line train left a greenbelt station with two too many cars. a passenger alerted the operator

now to a developing story out of metro, a metro worker was killed on the tracks. the accident happened last night between the did you know laurg, merry field and vienna metrorail station. that's to western end of the orange line in fairfax county. the repairman was struck and killed by a piece of track equipment. he was part of the crew that had been working to replace cross ties near vienna. metro stopped all orange line service between west falls church and vienna after that accident. an investigation is under way. >>> and we are learning more about a close call on metro. a train operator narrowly avoided a similar crash months before the deadly metro collision backn june. according to documents obtained by "the washington post," a blue line train overran the potomac avenue station, coming within 500 feet of another train already in the tunnel. the driver hit the emergency brake. metro says equipment onboard that train was to blame. >> today president obama has begun his second trip to mexico as president with a 45-minute meeting with his mexican counterpart. th

with the latest news, an awful lot of metro customers are asking who is watching metro. >> the ntsb has oversight power? >> no, that is only after an accident. >> the ntsb only make recommendations. who else? >> i don't know, the watches? >> it is the tri-state oversight committee, six members. the committee was informed about the march incident but according to the news, whether it was a widespread issue has been limited. metro says an on-train warning system failed. the june crash was caused by a faulty track circuit. both are part of metrobus pollution prevention system. >> i am more than concern. >> concerned enough to give up on metro? >> i can't. how can i get to work? >> they are asking if the oversight committee is not giving answers, who can make sure that metro is on track? >>> three firefighters were overcome by the heat while battling a house fire in the district. food cooking on the stove sparked the planes produced in the 700 block of third street in northeast last night. fire gutted the home, displacing two families. one person escaped but three firefighters -- firefighte

the metro denies that. it is interesting because apparently there was no collusion, no injuries in march. we are told the metro is not required to report to the ntsb or any outside agency about what happened. >> very interesting. >>> you do want to be prepared for delays if you plan on riding the metro blue or yellow line. noble line trains will run -- note blue lines will run as they are replacing a switching station. >>> president obama arrives in mexico tonight for a summit among mexican -- among leaders. he will be joined by canadian prime minister stephen harper in guadalajara. they will discuss strategies for handling a second wave of the swine flu. the university of maryland plans to discuss swine flu vaccines beginning tomorrow. senior citizen volunteers will be screened. that will test the effectiveness of the experimental vaccine. >>> coming up at 6.30, new details about the cyber attack on twitter and facebook. and driver stealing more pain at the pump. services are held at that church attended b

>> reporter: finally some good news for metro. they are getting millions for security and counterterrorism. it's money they will put to use for new programs immediately. in an effort to keep trains and passengers safe in the nation's capital, the department of homeland security has given metro $9.5 million in grant money for counterterrorism. >> by having more visibility out there, higher visibility in the system, it's very important to us. to get 20 new people out into the system, it is a significant budgetary issue for us. >> reporter: that's not all they will use the money for. metro will equip and train five antiterrorism teams. the four officers on each team will be responsible for random patrols of metro facilities and vehicles and a quicker response to suspicious packages and other threats good so we can collect more data as to what's going on in that system. some will be uniform. some will be casual flows out in the system. >> reporter: in addition to gathering intelligence and sharing information with federal and local la

more problems for metro. you what a train operator did while apparently on drugs. >>> well, good morning to you. welcome back to "news 4 today." i'm joe krebs. >> and i'm barbara harrison. let's take a look outside, see what it's looking like out there. some sun getting through and a lot o clouds, too. let's talk to tomierein about our day's forecast. >> what a beautiful sky, though, at sunrise. are we at sunrise? it's coming up, i guess. >> at 6:19, but we're seeing the reflection of the sun, which is now below the horizon on some of those high clouds. as we get going today, off to a mostly cloudy start. re have temperatures around the gion gennally i i the mi70s. and as we look at the radar now, no precipitation here, but there is still littlelofb o blue o enft on thlusc.ree th newe.ho sho drifting off about tmo about to move juso hef harrisonburg in t caltren tr shenandoah valley. elsewhere, no precipitation around. here's the forecast for today. by midmorning we'll beea n 8r 8 and a little sun eou t. over

"yo siempre que me monto en el metro digo: que dios me ampare!ue no pase nada.. .jajaja" zzzen el mes de junio el numero de pasajeros utilizando el tren subterraneo y los autobuses aumento 1.7 %, pero en el mes de julio disminuyo 2.3 % en comparacion al ano pasado... se desconoce si el fatal accidente del 22 de junio que le quito la vida a 9 personas e hirio a mas de 70, a motivado a que muchos dejen de usar este transporte publico... mientras muchos analizan el porque de las cifras, el metro se defiende.... "hay factores, economia, hay factores de gasolina que ahora las personas sienten que pueden manejar mas otra vez, acuerdense que agosto es un mes donde mucha gente toma vacaciones fuera de la ciudad , no para las personas se sienten que pueden manejar mas pero una organizacion que promueve el turismo , destino dc, dijo que en el mes de julio se vio una alza en el numero de turistas que visitaron el area capitalina "los hoteles en washington hay estado copados un julio 85%, un increment

metro is going to continue to run trains manually. the shift from computer to manual operation came after the june crash when nine people were killed. when operators control the trains, they spend more time at the station platforms and take mo time to accelerate. >>> investigators are looking for clues into a murder of a pizza shop owner in northeast washington. police discovered the body of the 44-year-old man inside his pizza mart on fourth street yesterday. the restaurant was not open at the time. the autopsy has been scheduled to determine theseau c of the ath. >>> hurricane bill is strength t i mes ntthor of the caribbean and isth now a go te ca 4ryhurricane. it is already 4 packing winds o 5 miles an hour and could gain even more strength. later in the week it could pose a threat toos bermuda or move directly between bermuda and the eastern u.s. without making landfall. >>> across this country millions of americans are seeing their credit card rates sore. companies are trying to beat a thursday deadline to crack down on unfair r

what is metro saying about this incident? >> metro is going back and forth. there's been public reports but basically that happened in march. and boy, it seems awful similar to the accident three months later in june. that operator was going through the station the potomac avenue station. the automatickic system somehow fouled up again. she had to hit the emergency brake and she was able to stop 500 feet from another train that was in front of her. today, many people -- passenger we talked to say they believe they should have made this public. the passengers should have been made aware of this and possibly the public outcry may have prevented the june 22nd accident. metro said, though, the two incidents really do not relate because during the march incident it was something on the train. it was a relay counsel point that caused the system to go down. and you might remember, june 22nd. , it had to do with a signal on the tracks, at least that's what investigators believe at this point. although they found similar, metro is saying they are different. they say i

organization. >> reporter: metro spokeswoman said metro general manager john cato serves at the pleasure of the metro board and the petition isn't worth a response from john cato. reporting several obviously false names among the initial 80 petition signatures from hulk hogan and i am nuts. it is unclear who added these names but it is clear the poster of at least one was deliberately trying to undermine the petition. as for john cato, they may be saying it is not worth their time to comment on this petition but they do say he cares deeply for the metro riders and personally road trains over the past week to see what they are going there. andrew stack, 9news now and wusa9.com. >> thank you, andrew. >>> we have got a deal for you. all you can supply for $599. you'll want to stick around for that one. nasa and things that go bump in the night. are we sitting ducks? you won't want to miss this story. we will be back in two minutes. f karl, don't you have friends coming over? yeah, so? it stinks in here! have you smelled this chair? or these curtains? you've gotta wash this whole room! are y

meanwhile one metro driver is telling his side of the story. >> metro is making critical chain changes to its infrastructure for he lowing the train collision in june. track circuit repairs had continue through this weekend. red line trains will not serve the fort totten station, also, and there will be a single track between the vienna and west falls church stations. met he troe is making changes to its personnel. two employees were fired. one talked to us and he said hes was just doing his job. >> michael robinson is now speaking out after being let go from metro. the transit agency fired the driver after hes was charged last month with kidnapping a passenger. robinson says hes was, in fact, the victim. >> it's not safe. i'm a professional driver of 20 years. >> what's not safe? >> the way its was done. >> on july 25, robins said a passenger on his bus became eye ate during an argument, and he was waiting for the authorities to step in. >> he took pictures, and then she called central communications and it took an hour for them to show up. >> just days after this incident, perletta d

there is likely a metro train in your future. and is metro ready? >> metro will have extra trains available after the sporting events because we know a lot of people leave at the same time and we will have them available on the green line and with the baseball games and orange line for the soccer game and blue line for football game. >> reporter: the horrific train crash in june is still affecting the trains. especially there red line. >> we are doing prep work this weekend. there's work on the red line p in the area of the june incident. and if people are trying to go to and from work, we are asking them to build an extra 30 minutes into your travel plans for saturday night. another fort totten station will be closed for red line. >> reporter: traffic can be tough ain't round any sports venues. many passengers believe metro is the best bet. around nationals stadium friday, some fans were already using metro to show up for the friday nature game with most say metro is the way to go. >> do you think metro will be ready? >> it is hard to say. a lot of

and if metro is not going to look out for it, i don't want to work for metro. >> reporter: the other bus driver who lost her job is 37- year-old carletta douglas. she worked for metro since the year 2000. she was arrested last month for driving with a suspended license. >> stacey cohan live in the newsroom. >>> alexandria's former police chief is sitting behind bars right now. dave baker pleaded guilty to driving drunk today. three weeks ago an officer gave him five sobriety tests after a car accident in arlington. his blood alcohol level was 1.9, more than twice the legal limit. he began serving his five-day sentence this afternoon. >> i think the way dave sees this is that he is supposed to be a role model. he's supposed to be an example. he made a mistake. and epe should pay the appropriate price for it disbl. baker has been ordered to pay a $300 fine. he must also attend an alcohol safety program and give up his license for a year. >>> a local loss in the war in afghanistan. sergeant william cater of d.c. died yesterday after being shot in combat. it happened with u.s. forces jus

metro is moving forward and you will see changes when you ride the rails. fox 5's wisdom martin has the news edge on this one tonight. >> reporter: more than a month after the worst metro accident in history that left several dead and several more injured, ntsb is done testing the tracks and now metro is moving ahead with their plans to make the necessary repairs. the ntsb has concluded its on scene testing of the tracks and control room so starting next week metro will start repairing at the site of the june 22 accident. >> replacing the circuit, replacing the cables and any other repairs and upgrades. >> reporter: metro general manager john catoe says the good news is metro will start replacing track circuitry, including several thousand feet of cable and track and circuit- related hardware. that process is expected to take 30 days. the bad news? passengers will continue to experience delays on the redline. >> the trains reach that point in either direction, they have to slow up and slowly proceed through that segment. once we do these repairs, they will

we have a lot of investigators that ride the metro every day an we want metro to be as safe as it can possibly be [ horns honking ] >> reporter: here at the scene of the metro crash in june, hersman was quick to complain that metro had more than a decade been ignoring the safety board's recommendation that it replace the oldest, least crash worthy rail cars. >> do you think about the fact it is going to cost $800 million to he place those cars? >> we are aware of the costs, but that is not our guiding principle. >> eleanor holmes complained that hersman knew metro couldn't afford it. >> if we con distantly negotiate ourselves down to recommendations only that people can do then i think the safety board is irrelevant. >> reporter: as she looks out her window at reagan national airport to the traffic below you get the sense that he last thing her tenure at the ntsb chair will be is irrelevant. 9 news now and wusa9.com. >>> hersman serves a two year term as chair and can be reappointed by the president for a second term. >>> former homeland security chief tom ridge said he was pressured

it did prompt metro to take action. megan mcgrath has the story. >> reporter: at first glance, it looks like the metro train operator is sleeping. but he's actually writing a text message as the train speeds along the tracks. the cell phone video taken by a passenger was posted on youtube. the operator was suspended. >> there is no excuse for it. and it's very dispinting. especially given the fact that our train operators and really all of our operations personnel, for that matter, every single person of the transit agency knows what the rules are. >> reporter: the video was taken june 5th before the recent train collision that killed nine people. but metro officials say they only became aware of the incident after the crash. the operator captured in the video has already served the five-day suspension and is driving once again. a fact that some metro riders find disappointing. >> too short. too short a time to be suspended. i mean people get -- that is a smack on the hand. maybe a month. but it could be better. >> when

as for metro, she vows this investigation will get to the bottom of metro's problems, no matter how long it takes. >> we know there is a very high level of vigilance right now on the system. and i think the safety board is going to be very focused on what we can find in this accident, not only for metro, but nationwide. >> chairman david hersman believes it is important to have firsthand knowledge of what she is making recommendations about. she is licensed to drive large trucks, motorcycles, and even school buses. her next role is a pilot's license. >> -- americans, still losing their homes at an astounding rate. what does it really mean for the recession recovery? and an airline buffet, all you can fly. and it does look like storm clouds are moving into the area. for bacteria to grow on your dentures? you are if you use toothpaste instead of soaking them in polident. toothpaste is abrasive on dentures look, scratches where bacteria can collect and grow and bacteria can cause bad breath that's why i recommend replacing toothpaste with polident. only polident is proven to clean without s

metro has ordered a safety standdown. all routine maintenance work has been stoppeuntil all workers are retrained. the deadly accident happened here near the vienna metro station. a veteran track repairman was killed on the job along the above ground stretch of the orange line. tonight 63-year-old michael nash's wife is demanding answers. cleo nash said her husband wasn't supposed to be at work but decided to work overtime. his wife said, quote, "he loved his job and worked constantly and was a hard worker. he was working overtime sunday and went to work early. he was supposed to start at 10:00 p.m. the accident happened at 9:50. i am saddened and devastated." metro says the accident is still in the beginning stages of the investigation. the general manager explaine that nash was hit by a machine that rides the rails. he was working with a crew of 10 to 15 people. as a result metro has ordered a safety stand down forcing employees to stop work and go through mandatory retraining. all the alarms and equipment apparently wo

live here at metro headquarter, sarah simmons, fox 5 news.k to you. >> thank you. >>> plans to metro's purple line will press on. maryland governor martin o'malley says above ground light rail line will run along the capital crescent trail linking montgomery and prince george's counties. the projects would need $1.5 billion from the federal government. >>> buy are and seller beware. another internet scam still ahead. >> this is high house for sure. i mean and when i saw it, i was in shock. what is going on here? >> a local home owner targeted in an on-line scheme and the warning from police so that you don't become a victim as well. >>> a big decision in the virginia tech deadly mass shooting case. it is not what some victims' families wanted to hear though. we are watching fox 5 morning news -- you are watching fox 5 morning news. ♪ for fresh deli taste, ( scanner beeping, music ) why pay for the ole deli? ♪ ( laughs, beeping ) price check on deli man. oscar mayer deli fresh shaved meats. great, fresh-from-the-deli taste... without the deli

metro is out. traffic is being diverted. let's take you to the video to give you better look at what it looks like. 51 people were without power this afternoon when it first happened including several small apartment complexes in the area which are now without air conditioning. three poles are on the ground down. they tumbled down and two are leaning into the roadway on minnesota avenue. crews continue trying to replace them. this is happening near minnesota and polk avenue near the dean wood metro station. a cement truck hit a pole this week but there were no problems then. but today the poles came tumbling down. one resident went running as a pole came crashing down. as a result, traffic is being rerouted and the entrance to the metro is blocked so you may expect delays there. one resident came home after a hard day's work and was shocked at the scene that he found. >> it looked like a battle zone, you know. all the poles were down, transformers in the middle of the street. looked like a domino effect, one pole after anoth

of bad news for metro and now there is an online effort to oust metro's general manager. an online petition is circulating on facebook, calling for metro's board of directors to fire kato. at last check, 75 people signed it, kato's three-year contract expires in the beginning of 2010. we'll have more at 11:00. >>> you'd expect a judge to be a model citizen. but when a woman parked, he decided to flatten her tires. she spoke with lindsey about the ordeal. >> i was really upset. i was almost in tears. >> gene washington says because of construction, she has been parking along this street for a few weeks. but when she parked there monday -- >> one of the security guards said to me, he said someone from holding called over and said judge nellie flattened your tire. >> she worked for nearly 13 years. she thought the restricted parking signs were meant for visitors. >> the only warning that i got was that my tire was flattened. >> the judge has not apologized and he wouldn't go on camera, but he talked with me before. he said when other cars are parked in his spot, he left note

sin embargo metro sostiene que ha adoptado medidas de seguridad extremas...cuadra 100 de la calle plaza, en leesburg.. aparentemente habria sido dejaron a un pit bull mal herido tirado en un basurero..el animal fue dejado desdeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep jueza sonia sotomayor ya es magistrada..juramento a esa alta embestidura, en presencia de su madre y hermano... en un hecho tambien historico en esta oportunidad se permitio el ingreso de camaras de television a uno de los dos actos... en el otro unicamenta la magistrada, ?p?p?p?p?p?p?p?p han sido recuperados de las aguas del rio hudson..esos cuerpos son de las victimas del fatal accidente que se produjo el sabado cuando un helicopero cargado de turistas y una avioneta chocaron en el aire.. el resultado 9- muertos... las labores de rescate fueron suspendidas por el dia, ante las inclemencias del tiempo.. ecuador celebra el bicentenario de la ll5zza revolucion de quito, que dio inicio al proceso de independencia de ese pais hermano..pero los expertos dicen que aun hay mucho por hacer para llegar a una verdadera

he was a 21-year veteran of metro and well known in his silver spring neighborhood. >> metro is reevaluatingr safety following that accident and metro has suspended some may not nance to conduct inspection, retrain workers and also divers searching the hudson river have located another victim from saturday's collision between a small plane and tourist helicopter. that body is trapped in the plane and there is talk of trying to raise the aircraft later today. nine people were killed in that crash and one victim remains missing. and 250 people have been rescued in taiwan after their village was consumed by a monsoon triggered mudslide. several are unaccounted for burried by that mudslide. unbelievable. >> all right. 6:49 is the time. back here at home we're coping with some of theottest weather of the year. >> matt brock is outside live with more on how people are coping. good morning. >> i talked to a few people today. they expect it to be very hot. a lot crossing their fingers to have the storms coming give a brief cooldown. >> one of the mark trains was canceled not heat-related but it is g

and that's why metro's top man was on captiol hill yesterday singing that old depression era song "pro brother can you spare a dime." >>> metro is seeking $7 billion to make the movements needed to remain tape safe reliable service. the general manager is hoping a big chunk of change will come from uncle sam. he ask the senate to follow the house's lead an approve $150 million for capital improvements next year. that amount, cato said will be matched by maryland, virginia and the district. the meeting lasted 75 minutes and a good deal of the discussion centered on june 22nd fatal crash and what steps could be taken to prevent similar accidents in the future. now, andrea, it is very likely the senate will move quickly tie prove the $150 million because they are very aware of how many federal workers and tourists are using the system on a daily basis. as far as the cause of the crash, catoe admitted if there had been enough money perhaps the damage would have been less because they would have been able to replace the series 1,000 cars that were involved in the crash. reporting live arman

there is likely a metro train in your future. and is metro ready? >> going to have extra trains available after the sporting events because we know a lot of people leave at the same time for these so we will have them ailable to the green line with a baseball game, orange line for soccer game blue line for the football game. >> horrific metro train crash in june is still seriously affecting metro train service throughout the system. but especially on the red line. >> we are doing track work this weekend and there's some work on the red line in the area of the june incident and if people are transferring to the red line we are asking them to build an extra 30 minutes into your travel plans for saturday night. fort totten station will be closed for red line riders. >> reporter: around national stadium friday some fans were already using metro to show up for the friday night game. with most saying metro is the way to go. do you think metro will be ready? >> it is hard to say. there will be a lot of people coming in. the way the economy is, there are a

stay with us. >>> metro problems. all the recent problems with metro have some people calling on the general manager to step down. >>> hotel deal. d.c.'s mayor announces a new deal for a major new hotel in the city. >> and free care. people around the country are taking advantage of free health care, something -- sometimes waiting in line for days. >>> well, good morning and welcome back to "news 4 today." i'm joe krebs. and i'm barbara harrison on this 13th day of august 2009. let's take a look outside, see what it's looking like now. still about the same as it was about a half hour ago, still dark. we're waiting for the sun to rise. tom tells us we've had in clearing out there, which i guess we'll see when the sun comes up. tom, good morning. >> hi. yeah, seeing the predawn glow. sunrise is at 6:20. we did have some overnight thundershowers. those have dissipated. in their wake, it's cleared out. temperatures now low to mid-70s in washington and near the bay. near 70 in montgomery, fairfax, prince george's county an

local governments that do fund metro already.eneral manager john catoe spoke before the senate subcommittee yesterday. >> the funding provided by the federal government is critical to our ability to keep our systems running safely and reliable. if we to not receive sufficient funding now, service as well as safety will decline. >> reporter: catoe went on to say, enforcing fact that metro is already 3 # years old and comparing it to a house, he said it doesn't just need a spring cleaning. it needs a major overhaul at this point. the chairman of the subcommittee was making it known and saying that the june 2 #nd crash was a wake-up call for the nation's transportation needs. back to you. >> thank you. >>> in the meantime being awe train on metro's orange line out of service now after a report that a door came open in the middle of of a run. self riders say just after 5:00 on monday, a middle door on a train opened as the drain moved between the federal center southwest and l'enfant plaza stops. nobody was hurt and it is not clear h

what's next on metro? >> there will be some point where it just won't be worth it. >> metro will only say this operator is on rehab and not drawing a salary. does not say whether or not he's actually been fired or she's been fired and lost the job. so a lot of commuters looking at that. meanwhile there's a white house protest scheduled today from a group who says metro's problems really are based in its finances and that it needs to be better funded and that the federal government shouldontribute $13 billion immediately to the metro system to repair its aging problem. we're live at the greenbelt station this morning. >> thank you. keep us posted. it has been a violent 24 hours in the district. d.c. police are investigating several shootings all in southeast. the latest happened at 12:30 this morning at the 3,000 block of 24th street. police found two men shot there. one in the head. he is dead and another in the leg who is recovering. >> police hope surveillance video will help them stolve murder of an ann

. >> and there are more problems for metro. we're going to check out some more scrutiny to agency's employees. good morning, washington begins right now. captioned by the national captioning institute -- www.ncicap.org -- >> and good morning, washington, and thank you, so much for joining us i'm alison starling. >> and pamela brown. doug mckelway has the morning off. those stories and more in a minute but first we begin with your traffic and weather. here's brian with the cooler forecast we hope, brian? >> yes. not quite as toasty, 97 on monday, 90's yesterday but the front is working its way through. outside right now 63 in frederick. 71 in centerville. winds light out of the northwest. still kind of thick out there. here's your forecast today. in and out of the clouds. we'll call it variable clouds. all in all a little bit better of a day, but we do have a shower chance. yesterday some people got rain and others got nothing. here's jim russ in for lisa baden. >> thank you, the pace is food at the outer loop away from us and w

>>> two metro drivers were fired, and now, one is talking. new at 11:00, hear what he is saying about the incident that cost him his job. and a marina loses his life while at war. how a journalist was inspired to talk about it -- and a marine loses his life. it got so bad, the police were called. captioned by the national captioning institute --www.ncicap.org-- >>> we begin tonight with the outrage of a metro driver, hours after learning he was five years. police charged him with kidnapping a writer while on duty, but he paints a very different picture while there -- kidnapping a rider. >> michael robinson says and admits to us tonight, the fighter metro employee, and that he did keep a woman against her will inside his boss last month, but he said he only did it because he was waiting toile a police report, and tonight, he is out of a job, and he says metro let him down. three weeks after being arrested and kidnapping and metro rider, michael robinson has been fired. he claims he was the victim on july 25 during an argument with a female pas

most saying metro is the way to go. >> do you think metro will be ready? >> it's hard to say. with the way the economy is, a lot of people take it that normally wouldn't. >> three games going on with it being saturday. i don't think they are ready for it. >> you have the cats and wizards. all the sporting events going on at the same time. they usually do a good job providing transportation. >> tom sherwood, news 4, today. >>> you can watch tonight's game -- redskins home game against the pittsburgh steelers. we'll be live at fedex field. it starts at 7:30 p.m. >>> nearly a third of the world's population could become affected with the swine flu. it predicts $2 billion people could infected over the years. it's a pandemic and is urging governments to prepare for a swift response. it's killed 1800 people worldwide. students head back to school and they have to get their shots before it begins. kids need six vaccinations. the department of health opened clinics. kelly miller middle school, blue high school, kramerin middle school and coolidge school from 8:00 this morning to 4:00

a metro worker is instruct by a vehicle used to perform maintenance. it happened just over an hour ago on the orange line between the west fall search and the metro station. the spokesperson tells nine news now tonight that the worker, they were air lifted to the hospital. the service between i have yen that and the church -- vienna and the church have been spotted. they are arranging that for passengers at those stations. >>> meanwhile, metro told the national transportation safety board just last week about a march of two metro trains due to a failure of the automatic train control system. and the story in the washington post today, they paint a picture of the close call saved by the quick thinking of the train operator. but they are telling us that tonight, metro believes that the incident has no connection to june's crash on the redline. >>> in a story the washington post said that the day was saved by a train operator who hit the emergency stop session when they overran the platform at the avenue. and an internal report called the march 2 incident

. >>> two metro bus drivers are out of a job tonight. john gonzales is live with all the details. >> is no secret that metro is neck deep in controversy with issue after issue. two employees are gone, another will keep her job. at a time where it seems metro can't catch a break, two employees have been fired after being arrested. the other for allegedly refusing to allow a writer of of his bus after a dispute. last month, he was arrested and charged with kidnapping a passenger after an argument. five days later, and nine year veteran bus operator was arrested for driving with a suspended drivers -- with a suspended license. both drivers were placed on administrative leave after an internal investigation. the agency announces that both have been dismissed. >> [unintelligible] >> he believes it is a bit harsh. >> they will get a second -- and they need a second chance. >> several amateur photos surfaced appearing to show drivers distracted behind the wheel. metro implemented a zero tolerance policy. >> i think it should be investigated to

a scare on metro, and the agency's response. >>> and new fallout from this baseball fight. a pitcher said he fried tried to stop it. but what he did next could land him in prison for years. there's something big happening at pizza hut. - woooh, nice! - that's a lot of food! now get big mes like our stuffed pizza rolls, pizza mia, the p'zone... and our personal panormous pizza starting at just $5. the big eat tiny price menu. only at pizza hut. it's quiet on the home front-- not a lot of activity. you read the news. and yet, some people need to sell and other people want to buy. this is a moment of challenge d opportunity. fortunately, rmax agents have the experience to help you meet thene and recognize the other. thanks. because the future's counting on us. nobody sells more real estate thane/max. - woooh, nice! - th's a lot of food now get big meals like our stuffed pizza rolls, pizza mia, the p'zone... and our personal panormous pizza starting at just $5. the big eat tiny price menu. only at pizza hut. . >>> blame airport problems, equipment problem and bad weather for th

he was a 21-year veteran of metro. he was hit by a ballast regulator which was laying gravel along the tracks in vienna. metro officials say the equipment was working fine at the time. he was well-known in his silver spring ever where neighbors considered him a friend. >> he was very gentle, kind, neighborly. >> his children called me. when i found that it was him, i was devastated. >> metro says he had been working as a spotter, who job is to remove gravel from circuits or boards in the track bed. officials are investigating what may have led to this accident. >>> metro is also trying to figure elway 10-car train was allowed to leave a rail yard. the extra long train left the greenbelt station on july 31. a passenger later told a train operator about the extra cars. workers who prepared the train were tested for drugs and alcohol. one tested positive for drugs. that worker is now on unpaid leave. >>> still to come, what did the mayor for life think about the new documentary on his life? he sits down with sam ford. >>

metro says that means some noticeable changes for riders.jackie vincent's live at the tacoma station tonight. jackie? >> reporter: wendy, what this means is metro can now make repairs on those tracks. it means trains will be able to run faster when the repairs are completed. there will be fewer delays. but we have learned tonight that investigators have now removed some train control modules fm metro's downtown command center. the ntsb's move clears the way for work to begin on the section of tracks between the stations where june's deadly crash happened. nine people died when two red line trains collided. metro general manager john kato said the repair work will take 30 days. >> once we complete these repairs, we will be able to operate on service at normal speed. and keeping a normal schedule. >> reporter: currently metro trains are required to run at a greatly reduced speed, about 15 miles per hour through the affected area. riders have been patient, well aware of the reason for the delays. >> very slow sometimes. not very reliable gettin

metro will need $7 billion over the next ten years and that's why metro's top man was on captiol hill yesterday singing the old, depression era song, brother can you spare a dime? gust ." >> he said the system is in desperate need of cash in order to pay for capital projects that will keep the training running safely and on time. next year alone, metro plans to spend $700 million on infrastructure improvements and new equipment. the house has already approved 15 -- $150 million. he wants the senate to follow suit. maryland, virginia and the district have agreed to match the federal funds. it is likely the senate will act quickly. the fatal train crash is still fresh on the minds of many in washington. lawmakers responsible for transportation issues want to ensure the future safety of a metro system that moves so many federal workers and tourists to the nation's capital. andrea, catoe told lawmakers yesterday that lack of money was not the cause of the fatal crash but did admit that less damage would have happened had there been newer cars instead of older ones they could not replace b

a metro worker has been struck seriously and injured at the vienna metro station. that worker was doing track maintenance when he was hurt. it happened just over an hour ago. right now, there's no orange line service between vienna and west falls church. shuttle bus service is being set up right now. we'll have more information on this breaking news as soon as it becomes available. >> now returning to our top story, people who braved the sweltering temperatures today are getting ready for the mercury tolimb even higher. jay korff is in northwest washington with more on how people are trying to beat the heat. jay? >> well, with all of the warnings out about monday's heat advisory, i don't think anybody's going to be real surprised that it's going to be a pretty miserable monday. but today i think a lot of folks were surprised about how hot it got. >> i didn't know it was going to be this hot. >> once outside, it didn't take long to realize that this would be a summer scorer.fo >> it's a thick heat. >> sunday went down with one of the hottest days in the years with t

why didn't metro know about it until the accident on thursday?hat is just one of the questions being asked by our digital correspondent who is following this still developing story. >> reporter: at a busy intersection at 25th and southeast -- >> like a fender-bender. >> reporter: witnesses said a metro bus hit a car pulling into traffic from the curb, a minor incident that's turned into a big deal. >> shouldn't have been driving in the first place. >> reporter: because the bus driver's license was suspended and she was arrested. >> it is up to the bus operators to share that information with that supervisors. >> reporter: spokesman explained today there was no way for the agency to know its driver was on the road without a license, because the transit agency relies on drivers to report themselves when they're in trouble with the law. and in this case, it didn't happen. >> she was unaware that her license had expired at the end of may. >> seems to be if they would have checked that out--. >> reporter: metro riders said there has to be a better way

it was the worst in metro's 33- year history. today his family filed a $25 million lawsuit claiming metro was negligent and didn't take reasonable precautions to prevent the accident. jack olander is the attorney representing the williams family. >> we need to get it filed because the judge has scheduled a conference that will both determine how the cases are handled right now there are nine cases filed rising out of this tragedy. >> reporter: metro is not the only target of the suit. the signaling company in new york was also named. the attorney says they're responsible for the circuit that did not stop or slow the train before the crash. >> that's one of the major causes of the brakes not working working. >> reporter: he says this is only the beginning. once the n.t.s.b. investigation is double, there could be -- done, there could be other companies added to the lawsuit. >> we wanted to be part of the input given on what the scheduling should be and how the discovery should be done because they're going to have to be a lot of d

a metro train operator tested positive for drugs and did not lose his job. metro tells us it fires employees who fail a drug test the second time or are in a probationry period. they can enter rehab the first time. >> the washington examiner reports only 30% say they would vote for fenty again. 13% said no and the rest would consider someone else. a hotel across the street from the washington convention center is a step closer to reality. the mayor signed a bill yesterday that provides financing for a future hotel. it will create more than 1,000 jobs. some people protested during the bill signing. they are concerned that not enough d.c. residents will get those jobs. a half-finished building is becoming an eye score. the building at 105 house street is supposed to be a shopping center. they are trying to figure out what to do with the prompt. >> a potential deal in the skies. we will give you more options to fly to and from reagan national airport. u.s.a. and delta plan to swap takeoffs and ldings. air tran and continental made a similar trade. this deal cou

metro says you can expect the same delays you may have been experiencing ever since the debt load metro -- ever since the deadly metro collision back in ne. they will make repairs to the track circuits. those circuits have been the focus of this investigation. for the next 30 days, the top priority will be prepares at the site of the summer's deadliest accident. testing on the red line is not over, making ways for crews to replace critical tracked circuitry. it may have failed to detect the other train. >> our system has found a blips. we're going in to find out what it was. >> vault changes were made after the collision. -- several changes were made after the collusion. this meant the latest and larger crowds. more of the same will continue for the next month. >> i just hope they find a resolution. we depend on the red line to get to work. >> because of the crash is still under investigation and it could take months until we get answers. metro will continue to keep the public informed about the repairs and the ongoing investigation. kathy park, abc 7 news. >> thank you. >>> 6:49 is you

esos equipos aumentaran su patrullaje en las estaciones y otras dependencias del metro...mbien seran contratados nuevos oficiales de policia... el metro tambien ha recibido casi dos millones de dolares para mejorar sus equipos de deteccion de agentes quimicos y para mejorar la comunicacion e tuneles y estaciones en prince george...mientras tanto en prin willam un reporte recientemente divulgado dice que solo un 3 por ciento de los arrestados por delitos serios son indocumentados esos delitos incluyen asesinato, violacion y asalto agravado... el 3.4 por ciento de casi dos mil arrestados entre marzo y diciembre del 2008 son inmigrantes sin domentos, de acuerdo al reporte preliminar de la policia presentado a la junta de supervisores... si usted ha recibido llamadas telefonicas para cobrarle presuntas deudas o para ofrecerle solucionar sus problemas de credito no esta solo... claudia uceda nos dice como protegernos de estafas telefonicas... el telefono suena pero no es una llamada comun , sino amenazadora.... ladrones por telefono fijen ser cobradores de deudas y ya han e

do you feel safe riding metro? >> i continue to ride metro. i ride metro regularly. i do several times a week. i ride metro to get around in town. and a number of people with the safety board ride metro. so we all would like to see metro be as safe a ist possibly can be. >> reporter: debbie hersman's car. >> i actually drive a honda hybrid, the civic. i got it in 2002, the first year that they came out with that model of hybrid. and it is a fantastic car. gets really good gas mileage. >> reporter: debbie hersman. she is licensed to drive an 18-wheeler. licensed to drive a motorcycle. and she soloed in an airplane before she got her driver's license and is a certified child safety seat installer. and a t riathlete. i rode my bike a couple blocks. she has three kids. she is a noted cook. mean -- she really has to figure out what to do with her spare time. >> cool, cool lady. >> she knows how to multitask. very good. >>> police are trying to figure out if a series of late-night shootings in the district are related. seven people were shot in a nine-hour span last night.

future, and is metro ready? >> metro is going to have extra trains available aer the sporting events because we know a lot of people leave at the same time, so we'll have them on the green line for the baseball game, blue/orange line for the soccer game and blue line for the football game. >> reporter: the horrific train crash in june is still seriously affecting train service throughout the system, but especially on the red line. the legions of sports fans using the train this weekend should take note. >> if people are transferring to or from the red line, we're asking them to build an extra 0 minutes into your travel plans for saturday night. as you know, the fort totten station is going to be closed for red line riders. >> reporter: traffic can be duff tough so many believe metro is the best bet. around national staying on friday some faps were already using the metro to show up for friday night games with most saying metro is the way to go. >> do you think metro is going to be ready? >> it's hard to say. wit

meanwhile, new details about an accident on the metro tracks that killed a worker. he was hit last night whe working between the vienna and dunn loring stations in virginia. julie parker is live with what metro says went wrong here. >> an internal investigation is under way but the g.m. says there was no equipment failure. on the end of metro's orange line this morning, trains rushed by. passengers bought smartrip cards. it appeared to be a typical monday. but it's not. late last night, a metro worker was killed while workington the tracks. >> it's a series of events with the metro system that makes you a little uneasy like you never know what's going to happen. >> officials say a 21-year veteran was doing maintenance on the track at about 10 last night. he was hit by what's called a ballast regulator, a large piece of equipment that lays gravel along the tracks. the general manager said the equipment was working properly. >> it gives off a loud sound when it's coming. all the investigation tells us that that occurred and then it struck the employee. >> his family f