settle for much less than the $14 million he would have gotten had he stayed in washington. and we are also following breaking news on the legal troubles facing marion barry's son. christopher barry pled guilty this morning to possession of marijuana and liquid pcp. police were called to christopher barry's southwest d.c. home in late may because of a fight. officers forced their way into the home and found five bags of marijuana, as well as a vial of pcp in plain sight. sentencing is set for september 27th. and happening today, a mt. rainier police officer facing a long list of charges. we'll find out if he can get out of jail. officer gene gillette is accused of sexually assaulting a man and trying to kill him. a bond hearing is set for this afternoon in prince george's county. news 4's elaine reyes is there now ahead of this hearing with more on this case. i la elaine, good morning. >> reporter: officer gillette will be transferred from the jail to the courthouse to make this court appearance in person. that bond hearing will get underway at 1:30 this afternoon. this is mt. rainier police officer gene gillette turning himself into police after a prince george's county grand jury indicted him on several serious charges. he's accused of luring a 20-year-old man to his capitol heights home with the promise of a party. the former two-time officer of the year allegedly tried to sexually assault his victim, and when he got resistance, pistol-whipped and shot the young man twice. gillette told authorities he was the one being carjacked. here's what the victim's father had to say. >> threw him on the ground and dragged him. his whole arm was messed up. and then he shot him in the back. >> the police deserve credit, they returned to the scene, didn't take the first story, and continued to investigate. they did a very thorough job in investigating the case and trying to bring out the truth in what occurred. >> reporter: officer gillette has been suspended without pay. his police powers revoked. we also are told that he joined the mt. rainier police department three years ago. we're live in prince george's county. barbara, back to you. >> thanks, elaine. walter reed army medical center is closing after serving wounded warriors for more than a century. this morning, the u.s. army held a ceremonial farewell retiring the facility's flags as it prepares to shut down. the hospital first opened in 1909. it's been slated to close since 2005 when a commission decided to merge the hospital with national naval medical center in bethesda. walter reed will officially close its doors for good on september 15th. a little girl may have a loudoun county sheriff's deputy to thank for saving her life. police say the deputy was responding to a report of a 5-year-old that had fallen from a balcony. when he spotted the 4-year-old girl hanging on to the outside of a railing three floors up. he sprinted up three flights of stairs, ran into the apartment where that railing was and pulled the little girl back to safety. she was not hurt. as for the 5-year-old boy, who had apparently fallen in the first place, he was taken to the hospital with nonlife-threatening injuries. let's turn to the weather now, find out about this great day we have and some unwelcome changes that may be on the way. here's tom kierein. tom? >> but let us revel in what we have now. a gorgeous day underway, low humidity in place. temperatures are getting a little warm, though. we are hitting the low and mid-80s throughout most of the region. right now it's 86 at reagan national and we are near 80 at the chesapeake bay, a little bit of a breeze off the bay there. a gorgeous day, if you happen to have the day off, congratulations. low humidity in place, all throughout the day today, and into this evening. thanks to high pressure that over the last 12 continued to roll our way. they're getting some showers and storms up around chicago in the upper midwest, and we'll see perhaps a few high clouds from those storms as we do get into the afternoon hours. but overall, lots of sunshine over washington and throughout the entire region, into the afternoon with that low humidity, though. it's going to get hot. it will be a dry heat. we should be reaching the low to mid-90s by midafternoon. and we'll have a northwest wind around 5 to 10. a look at changes on the way, though. the heat returns and the humidity builds. we'll look at that coming up. >> thank you, tom. new today, police are investigating a double shooting that injured two women in the district. it happened on the 2300 block of minnesota avenue southeast. police say they were called to the area around 3:00 this morning. they found the two women suffering from gunshot wounds. the injuries are not considered life threatening, but police have not said what condition the women are in. police do not have a suspect in custody and have not identified a motive as of yet. fairfax county police need you to take a good look at a new grainy photo, a couple of photos, actually, to help crack the case of a serial slasher. moments ago, investigators released these new surveillance pictures of the man they're looking for. police say he's cut five young women, all in their backsides, and all in retail stores. these pictures were from monday's attack at fair oaks mall. police say there have been three attacks in the fair oaks area, one at tyson's corner, a fifth at greenbrier shopping center. each victim has been in her teens or 20s. well, traffic is moving smoothly again in northeast d.c., hours after an accident knocked down the traffic light at a busy intersection. the morning commute was particularly brutal after this accident on east capitol street in benning road northeast. police wound up directing traffic there. there's no word on any injuries, though, or what may have led to that crash. our time now is 6 minutes after 11:00. coming up, the latest on the group claiming responsibility for a suicide bombing in afghanistan that kailled the mayor of kandahar. plus, why a vote on john [ male announcer ] are you watching cable? here's what you should be watching: your cable bill. because you could be paying way too much. stop spending more for second best. upgrade to verizon fios and get tv, internet and phone for our best price -- just $84.99 a month for a year -- only available online. go to verizon.com/greatprice to sign up, and save $360 in the first year. fios is a 100% fiber-optic network that delivers superior picture quality, more hd, plus america's fastest, most consistent, and most reliable internet. there's no annual contract required. why keep paying for cable? get fios tv, internet and phone for just $84.99 a month for a year -- our best price -- only available online. ordering online is easy. have questions? you can even chat live with a fios agent. so don't wait. visit verizon.com/great price. call the verizon center for customers with disabilities that's verizon.com/greatprice. at 800-974-6006 tty/v. fios. a network ahead. u.s. counterterrorism officials say al qaeda is losing its grip as a major terrorist network. authorities told "the washington post" the death of osama bin laden along with cia drone attacks have weakened al qaeda considerably. earlier this month, defense secretary leon panetta also said he felt the u.s. is within reach of defeating al qaeda. that said, however, officials warn that just because al qaeda is crippled doesn't mean that the terror group and its affiliates are not capable of an attack. a developing story this morning in afghanistan. the taliban now says it is responsible for a suicide attack that killed the mayor of kandahar. afghan officials say the assassination happened at the mayor's office just after he arrived for work this morning. the attacker hid the explosives in his turban. the mayor had been mentioned as a person who might replace afghani president hamid karzai's half brother within karzai's inner circle. at least 32 people are dead after heavy rains caused massive landslides in south korea. many of those killed were college students doing volunteer work there. take a look at this video of rescue crews teaming up to save people trapped in the rushing water. the heavy rain also destroyed several buildings. the already time-crunched debt showdown has hit an unexpected snag over a math problem. now just six days left until the nation's first default, republicans are headed back to the drawing board to find more cuts for a bill democrats and the president say they will not support. nbc's kelly o'donnell reports. [ phone ringing ] >> reporter: that ringing heard across the capitol -- >> good afternoon, speaker boehner's office, how may i help you? >> reporter: is the sound of frustration. >> good afternoon, senator durbin's office, how can i help you? >> reporter: constituents stuck on hold. >> right now the average wait time is about 60 minutes. >> reporter: while congress is just stuck. unable to forge a deal to prevent the country's first-ever default. a defining issue for republicans has been this promise -- >> there's more cuts in spending than you have an increase in the debt limit. >> reporter: but then a big setback tuesday night. the congressional budget office did the math and found the boehner plan came up short on spending cuts. $150 billion less than expected. speaker boehner responded, "this is what can happen when you have an actual plan and submit it for independent review -- which the democrats who run washington have refused to do." a real hurdle. house republicans stayed late and top aides went in search of deeper cuts. the vote delayed. more trouble came from an agency that rates the country's credit. appearing on cnbc tuesday night, standard & poor's was critical of the boehner plan's two stages for raising the debt limit. >> we would be concerned if we thought that the debt ceiling debate would come back and be opened and we'd have to go through all of this again and again and again. >> and that would be a negative in your view? >> that would be a negative in our view. >> reporter: the white house urged congress to take the deadline seriously. >> but it is whistling past the graveyard to suggest that this is some sort of game and that we're not serious and that the risks aren't enormous, because they are. >> reporter: senate democrats have their own plan in the wings, predicting boehner's will fail. >> it's dead on arrival in the senate, if they get it out of the house. >> reporter: boehner is backed by senate republican leader mitch mcconnell, who also said he'd give some more to get a deal that can pass. >> so i'm prepared to accept something less than perfect because perfect is not achievable. >> the "today" show's matt lauer spoke to assistant senate majority leader dick durbin earlier this morning. and besides discussing if a deal could even get done, the senator addressed just how frustrated the public has become over this bitter feud. >> don't the american people deserve better than this? >> they do. >> than the process that we're unfortunately seeing exposed right now? >> absolutely, matt. they look at congress and they say, this is so dysfunctional. if you can't get it together and reach an agreement like grown-ups, for goodness sakes, we may need another team on the field. >> reporter: boehner hopes to introduce his bill on the house floor and vote on it some time tomorrow. well, once the debt ceiling crisis is resolved, congressman david wu says he will leave office. the oregon democrat's resignation comes after an 18-year-old woman claimed she had unwanted sexual encounter with wu. the congressman's hometown newspaper reports that the woman didn't press charges when it happened because there were no witnesses. wu had already said he would not seek re-election, but is stepping down earlier now because of the political pressure that he's been facing. illinois congressman louis gutierrez is drawing attention to an ongoing immigration debate with his arrest in front of the white house. u.s. park police charged the democrat and others with disobeying an official order. gutierrez told demonstrators president obama can't entirely be to blame -- or can't entirely blame republicans, the democrat said, for blocking immigration reform. and the president, he says, has the power to stop immigrant deportation. after the arrest, gutierrez paid a $100 fine and was released. and tom joins us now with a look at our forecast. a lovely day out there right now, no now, but some changes are on the way. but we'll enjoy what we've got. >> i had to do a double take and look at the calendar. it is july 27th. it certainly doesn't feel like that. normally, we have our high humidity this time of year, and we've certainly had our share of it so far this summer of 2011, but we'll take any break we can get. and we have certainly had a wonderful break here over the last 36 hours. it's going to continue today. there's the sky over the jefferson memorial. you can see the pale blue waters of the potomac reflecting that sky right now. just downriver is reagan national airport, where it's at 86 degrees. the dew point, a comfortably dry 54. humidity, only 33%. and we have a calm wind, now. just a terrific day underway. temperatures out of the mountains are in the 70s to near 80. low humidity there as well. shenandoah valley, a beautiful day there. a great day for hiking up along skyline drive and the shenandoah national park. and closer to washington, a great day for sailing around the bay or paddling the potomac. we've got temperatures there in the mid-80s. and right around our nearby suburbs, we're generally in the 80s to upper 70s in parts of montgomery county and the eastern shore as well. some locations right near the waters, upper 70s. look at the dew points, whenever they're in the 50s, it's comfortably dry. a little more dry, dew points in the 60s from charlottesville. but farther north and west, dew points are in the 50s. this is certainly a welcome break. and over the last 12 hours, the view from space as showing this high pressure that has moved on in with the dry air that is in place here, giving us lots of sunshine and the dry weather. however, off to our west, though, we do have some thunderstorms that are rumbling over the northern part of the great lakes, and they're just now coming into the chicago area. these will be heading to our north, but we may see just a few high clouds coming from those as we do get into the afternoon hours. so as we go forward here over the next 24 hours, we'll have a clear afternoon, temperatures by midafternoon with the clear sunshine should make it into the mid-90s. and then as we get into the evening hours, we'll have a few clouds coming in. otherwise, a beautiful evening coming up. and we'll have the beautiful summer constellations up and jupiter in the sky overnight tonight. then during the day tomorrow, we'll have some clouds moving through. winds shifting into the south. and yes, the humidity will begin to build. but for the rest of this afternoon, enjoy this gorgeous sky and the low humidity. temperatures reaching the low and mid-90s, so it will be hot, certainly, by midafternoon. in fact, we'll be near 90 likely here in another hour and a half or two hours. and then by late this afternoon and early this evening, we'll have our temperatures under a mostly clear sky early evening, in the mid- and upper 80s. then we'll fall down into the upper 70s by late evening. and going partly cloudy by then and a light northwesterly breeze. and then as we get into tomorrow morning, we'll be down near 70 and then tomorrow afternoon, into the mid-90s. and it should be mostly sunny, perhaps, from time to time, during the day on thursday. a few clouds in and out too. and then it's really going to get hot and humid on friday. temperatures soaring to near 100 degrees on friday afternoon, and it will be accompanied by sweltering humidity. but it does not look like the big heat is going to last a long time. thankfully, still hot on saturday, and still rather humid. afternoon highs intohe mid-90s. you do have outdoor plans on saturday, be prepared to head indoors if you hear thunder. we could get some isolated thunderstorms on saturday afternoon. perhaps into saturday evening. otherwise, most of the weekend's looking dry. sunday, too, we also have a possibility of a morning shower or maybe an afternoon thundershower, but just passing by, not wet all day. partly sunny and a bit cooler sunday, up near 90. and first part of next week, still not too humid, but a little bit hotter than average, perhaps around 90 or so monday and tuesday. >> okay. thanks, tom. >> okey-doke. it is now 18 minutes after 11:00. still ahead on "news 4 midday," we take a closer look at the growing problem of addiction and accidental overdoses after the death of singer amy winehouse. plus, a look at how the washington tennis and education foundation is helping young people in our area. but first, here's a look at what's hot on nbcwashington.com. we're following breaking news from montgomery county. firefighters are responding to a damaged gas main line in the tulip poplar terrace area, that's in germantown. contractors are working in the area where the gas line was struck. since it's a single-family home area, montgomery fire asking for precaution there, and they're going door to door, evacuates residents to make sure everyone's okay. residents on tulip poplar terrace, tulip poplar way and tall forest drive are evacuated there. no injuries have been reported so far. we'll continue to follow this story for you. well, tennis is getting a lot of attention in our area. the washington kastles clinched the title. a portion of the proceeds from the legg mason tennis classic benefits the washington foundation. we're joined by executive director lainy, and two of their students, who we're very happy to have, desire johnson and monet graves. welcome to all of you. >> thank you for having us. >> let's start with you, lainy, very good to see you. we've been hearing about the washington tennis and education foundation for a long time now. how long has it been around and tell us about some of the work it does. >> the foundation's actually been around for over 55 years. and we're an organization that provides tennis and academic programs for the underserved kids of washington dx d.c. the jar we are in 25 schools and we also have a center for excellence program as well. >> and willis, it must be great to have had this available to students here, but to have such great tennis in our area too. >> no doubt about it. washington has become kind of a tennis mecca with all these new good teams around. but i would like to introduce a couple of kids we brought today. miss monet graves, who is an outstanding student. been a good student for quite a while, and she's -- she was "the washington post" all-metro women's tennis team. >> fantastic. how old are you, monet? >> i'm 16. >> and how long have you been playing tennis? >> around 6 years. >> would you have gotten into tennis had it not been for the foundation and the facility that's in southeast, isn't it? >> or new facility will be in southeast and our existing facility where we're busing kidsikids i up is in northwest. >> how'd you find out about it? >> it started because i live like five minutes away, and i just wanted to start something different, so my parents took me up there and i started practicing with the coaches there. >> do either of your parent place tennis? >> no. >> do you have any tennis heroes? >> serena's my tennis -- >> i thought you might say that. >> well, congratulations, you are doing quite with well from what we're hearing. and we have desire with us too. how did you get involved in the tennis? >> my dad's a coach at the tennis center, so i play up there, because he -- well, i play thereupon because he coaches up there, so i get to play with him too. >> willis, do you want to tell us a little bit about how desire's doing? >> desire is also a great student and he's been there since he was a baby, but he just recently won a united states tennis association award. he won the 12 and under division. >> that's for writing an essay, not just playing tennis. >> that brings up the whole question of the education portion of the foundation. kids don't just go there to learn to play ten in inis, but have to have good grades and keep your academic standards. >> that's really the focus for us. tennis is the hook and we utilize that to get kids on the court, but utilize the kids you learn on the court to succeed in the classroom. for 14 straight years, our center for excellence has graduated our seniors and they've all gone on to college with either an academic, athletic, or financial aid package. we feel really good about that. monet's on her way there as well. >> do they actually attend classes a to the center or -- >> right. every day we're doing tennis, tennis 90 minutes and academics 90 minutes, four days a week. >> every day. >> so what time do the students arrive there? >> from 4:00 to 7:00, every day after school. and our big future plans, with a you alluded to earlier, are to build a new tennis and education community center in ward seven in southeast d.c. we've raised $9 million of the $10 million we need, and our plans are to break ground this fall and have it available for the community in southeast next fall. >> so you're pretty optimistic that you're going to raise that -- >> we are almost there. we need $1 million more worth of help, but we believe we'll get there soon. >> willis, is this something that's really unusual in this country? this tennis and education foundation? >> well, it started here in washington, d.c. our late director of the tennis foundation, dwight mosely, came up with that concept of tennis and education. and i think it's an individual sport and in the classroom, they also have to think on their own and make good decisions. so it goes hand in hand. >> well, congratulations for what you're doing and congratulations to you guys for doing so well in both your academics and in education. >> thanks. >> for more information on the washington tennis and education foundation, people can go to your website, it's wtef.org. thanks again for coming. >> thanks. >> look forward to watching you on the courts and expect you to be the next serena williams some day? it is now 11:27. coming up in the next half hour of "news 4 midday," traffic relief. we'll tell you about metro's new bus service created to get people to and from the new mark center in alexandria. plus, tom kierein tells us about what could be record heat headed in our direction next week, or at the end of this week, as a matter of fact. we'll tell you about that. and we're following developments from redskins park and a trade deal for donovan and a trade deal for donovan if you've tried to lose weight, you know it's hard to find a diet you can stick to. try jenny craig, and enjoy options that fit your lifestyle. choose to get motivating support at your local centre- and pick up the delicious food while you're there. or, have the food delivered... and get the same support on the phone. it's about choice: stephanie lost forty pounds on jenny craig. so try a weight- loss program that combines results with flexibility: call jenny craig at 1-800-94jenny today. helping you buy better. news 4 midday, a bond hearing is set for 1:30 this afternoon for a mt. rainier police officer. officer gene gillette turned himself in yesterday on a dozen charges, including sexual assault and attempted murder stemming from a shooting outside his home when he was off-duty. walter reed army medical center is closing after serving wounded warriors for more than a century. this morning, the u.s. army held a ceremonial farewell retiring the facility's flags as it prepares to shut down. walter reed will officially close its doors for good on september 15th. and espn is reporting that donovan mcnabb has agreed to be traded to the minnesota vikings. the redskins will get two sixth round draft picks in return. the contract details aren't public yet, but mcnabb likely will have to settle for less than $14 million -- the $14 million he would have been paid as a redskins this year. metro is unveiling a new bus line in hopes of easing the dreaded traffic anticipated with the opening of the new mark center. the new metro bus route called the 7-m line will run between the mark center and the pentagon starting on august 8th. buses will run every 10 minutes during rush hour and every 15 minutes during offpeak hours. metro says they will also upgrade nearby lines to handle the increased ridership and that riders will be able to ride some of the lines for free by showing their mark center i.d. cards. even if you have a smart trip card, there's one metro ticket you may want to buy this month. metro is selling one-day passes commemorating the dedication of martin luther king jr. memorial. the pass is $9. you can buy one now at metro sales facilities and stores as well as on the transit agency's website. the martin luther king memorial will open to the public on august 22nd. the chairman of the fairfax county board of supervisors says the stalling debt talks could hurt one of the biggest transportation projects in our area. sharon bullva says the dulles rail project is in jeopardy if congress doesn't act quickly on the debt limit. that's according to the "washington examiner." bullva wrote a letter to congressman jim moran, arguing that no debt deal is threatening the county's aaa bond rating, and a downgrade in the county's credit would jeopardize all improvement projects, including the dulles rail project. let me check in again with tom kierein right now for the latest on our forecast. tom? >> a gorgeous day underway. here's the sky over washington right now. we've got the bright sun pouring down. you can see the national cathedral there in the middle distance, and off in the far distance is the horizon of prince george's county and anacostia. right now we're looking into arlington. a beautiful day across northern virginia. camera now panning into fairfax county, gorgeous day. there's tyson's corner there on the horizon. and way off in the distance, you can just make out bull run mountain there on the horizon. and now we're panning into montgomery county, and there is sugar loaf mountain off in the distance behind that tower. and excellent visibility. sugar loaf is about 30 miles away from the camera's position, so we've got great visibility today with this low humidity in place. temperatures right now are in the low and mid-80s throughout most of the region. 86 at reagan national. and later today we'll climb into the low and mid-90s. so a hot afternoon, even though it's going to be dry, it's going to be uncomfortably hot. as we get into the evening hours, we'll cool down. near 70 by dawn tomorrow. a little more humid on thursday, the mid-90s. a really hot and humid day on friday. then on saturday, partly sunny. might get an afternoon storm into the mid-90s. the possibility of a passing shower or storm on sunday, mainly in the afternoon, and around 90 degrees then. and first part of next week, a little less humid. highs mid-90s monday and tuesday. barbara? >> all right, tom. thank you. and thanks, but no thanks. that's what some fairfax county employees are saying about plans to give them a raise. they claim they should be getting more money. there are about 11,000 fairfax county employees who haven't received a pay increase in years because of budget shortfalls. now the county has a projected budget surplus and county leaders want to give the workers a 1.52% raise. county unions, though, say that won't cover the cost of an increase in health insurance. they want a raise of at least 3.5%, the same as their colleagues in other local counties. >> loudoun county awarded their employees a 3% raise. arlington is award withi in4%. and the fairfax county school employees will receive an average of 3.5%. we feel we need to receive a 3.5% raise, just to stay, keep up with the surrounding jurisdictions. >> fairfax county's board of supervisors expects to make a final decision on what to do with the surplus by september. a city official responsible for making the district more bicycle friendly was hit while riding her bike to work. harriette was crossing seventh street near the convention center when a driver ran a red light and sideswiped her. as the city's director of planning, she plays a major role in making the streets safe for everyone who uses them. her bike wasn't rideable after that crash, but she was not injured. another bear has been sighted in loudoun county in neighborhood there. the latest happened just off route 15 in leesburg. michelle vainy took these pictures of the bear wandering through her front yard. it was something she says she didn't expect to see. >> i'm talking to my husband on the phone, and what do you know -- i go, hi, honey, in the middle of the conversation, i go, there's a bear -- there's a bear in the yard! >> several bear sightings have been reported in the leesburg area. animal control says it's the time of year 2-year-old cubs leave the den. here are some bear precautions for you. they say, leave the bear alone and don't leave any food outside either. thousands of visitors have made their way to the eastern shore to see the annual pony swim. right now firefighters known as saltwater cowboys are preparing to escort wild ponies across the channel. the animals make the three-minute swim and then the animals are auctioned to raise money for the volunteer fire company, which cares for the virginia herd. ponies that are not sold will roam free for another year on the national wildlife refuge. the animal swim has taken place since 1925. the west nile virus is back in washington. the d.c. department of health says mosquitos tested positive for west nile in woodly park, adams morgan, and north cleveland park as well. the virus can spread from mosquitos to humans and can cause fever, fatigue, headaches and rash. in rare cases, west nile can also cause serious neurological problems and even death. the sports world is mourning the loss of an olympic champion. silver medalist skier jarrett peterson was found dead. police have rule d it a suicide and said he called 911 before he shot himself. peterson won the silver medal in freestyle skiing at the winter games in vancouver last year. he also admitted to struggling with alcohol and depression. the death of amy winehouse has put the singer's music back on the charts. ♪ make me go to rehab ♪ i say, no, no, no >> her "back to black" album is listed as number nine this week on billboard. it sold 37,000 copies since winehouse was found dead this past saturday. and according to nielson's sound scan, the most downloaded song has been "rehab," which was the single that helped make her an international star. authorities are conducting toxicology tests to determine how winehouse died. she was known to struggle with drug and alcohol addiction for years. well, the death of singer amy winehouse has put added tension on the problem of drug addiction and overdoses. over the last 15 years, there's been a 500% increase in the number of annual accidental overdose deaths in the u.s. dr. joshua weiner joins us this morning to talk about this problem, which seems to be getting bigger and really disturbing, especially as we see someone like amy winehouse, who so many people have followed and considered a rising star, although we know she had problems. tell us, what do you -- how do you account for this? not just her -- >> well, in general. it really has become an epidemic. let me first just say what is meant by accidental overdose. essentially, an accidental overdose is when somebody is abusing either prescription medication or elicit drugs. oftentimes in conjunction with alcohol, and they take too much in an attempt to get high. but instead of getting high, they die. >> so it is an accident? >> it is an accident. so when we talk about the increase in the numbers, we're not talking about suicides. that's determined to be something different. so these are people who when the coroner goes back and does a review of everything, they determine that this was actually accidental and not a suicide. >> but most of these people have come to a point in their addiction that they can't really make a good judgment about whether this is going to hurt them and lead to death, is that right? >> well, i think that what you have to look at is the intent behind what they're doing. so when somebody's having an accidental overdose, they may have a drug problem, but they're going out to use the drugs, not for the purpose of harming themselves in any way, they're just really trying to get high. which is what may have happened in amy winehouse's case. so they're taking a bunch of prescription medications, elicit drugs, often in combination with alcohol, and that results oftentimes in suppression of your ability to breathe and you end up dying because you're not breathing. >> a lot of people have said that they were not surprised. sad, but not surprised that she died. was her behavior something that could have led authorities to go and take over and say, we've got to do something about this? >> to be honest, barbara, i just don't really know specifics about how amy winehouse had been conducting herself prior to this event. one thing from the reading that i've done, that i think may have contributed potentially, is that it sounds like for a while there, she actually was clean, from alcohol and drugs. and what can happen to some people is that they go for a period of time remaining clean from alcohol and drugs, they lose their tolerance to the alcohol and drugs, so maybe before they could drink a bottle of vodka and do a bunch of heroin or pills, and they would be just high, but survive. they go a period of time without using, they lose that tolerance, then they decide to use again and they use at the same amount, and now that same level of drug and alcohol use kills them. >> so what are the most common drugs involved in these kinds of deaths? >> generally, the most common medications or drugs is actually the prescription opiates. these are the painkillers, things like oxycontin or hydro codone or vicodin. when you look at the sharp increase in deaths that are accidental, you see it's tied to the increase in the amount of prescription opiates that are prescribed. so the number one prescription medication in this country bay long shot is vicodin, which is a mixture of hydrocodone plus tylenol. so that's an opiate, it's a painkiller. there were 134 million prescriptions written last year for vicodin. the second most commonly prescribed medication is zocor, the cholesterol lowering medication, that had 90 million prescriptions. so this is just an unbelievably popular medication. it's out there all over the place, and people are sharing these with friends and they're using them recreational with deadly consequences. >> and not just to suppress depression. we've got to move on, but that's not what leads to it? a depressed person doesn't reach for something like this to kind of make themselves feel better? >> well, that's one of the common reasons why someone will start using drugs. they're using drugs because they want to sort of dampen their feelings, they want to numb themselves, they're really feeling sad or angry. in the case of amy winehouse, apparently she was having some issues in her relationship and had contacted her ex-husband and that may have contributed to her feeling like, i can't handle these emotions, i'm going to go get high so i can just numb myself, and then it has a deadly consequence. >> wow, well, we'll miss her and the music world certainly has lost a very talented young woman. >> right. >> thanks so much for talking about this. hopefully it's a word of warning for people out there who might be considering using some of those drugs. >> right. thank you, barbara. >> thanks, dr. weiner. still ahead on "news 4 midday," when you can see the redskins in action at training camp. we'll tell you. we have some more on that breaking news from montgomery county, maryland. chopper 4 is over tulip poplar terrace where a damaged gas line is forcing the evacuation of some homes. contractors were working in the area at the time of the leak. firefighters are taking precautions now evacuating people living on tulip poplar terrace, tulip polar way, and sections of tall forest drive. there are no reports of injuries or exactly how many people are being evacuated there right now. no word on when those people will be allowed back into their homes, but we'll keep an eye on this story and bring you more when it comes into us. well, how's this for putting a damper on the spirit of national hot dog month? the physicians committee for responsible medicine, a group based if d.c., has unveiled a new billboard in indiana comparing hot dogs to cigarettes! the group says eating one hot dog per day increases the risk of cancer. but other health experts disagree with that, saying hot dogs are certainly not health food, but they should not be considered toxic. stocks are falling again today as lawmakers remain at odds over how to avoid a debt default. cnbc's seema maudi joins us live with more on that and the rest of the day's business headlines. >> hi, barbara. thanks so much for that. the u.s. stocks today have opened lower as signs of economic softness and a deepening impasse on the u.s. debt crisis seem to be discouraging wall street traders today. u.s. markets look to washington for direction overall, though, house republicans and senate democrats fine-tuned their competing plans for resolving the looming fiscal crisis as congressional leaders alternatively voice optimism, determinism, and hagered frustration. experts say borrowing costs, business confidence, and job creation could all be affected. we'll keep an eye out on that. on another note, though, mortgage applications are down 5%. applications for u.s. home mortgages slipp eped last week after a sharp jump the week before and as interest rates edged up and industry groups said this today this morning. and i know we have a new kid on the block. dunkin brands debuted on the nasdaq. they have raised $422 million after pricing its ipo at $19 per share, well above the range set by underwriters, signaling strong demand for the weakest biggest deal. that's some news for you, but some global market updates here today as well. italy may need more budget cuts. italy may need to adopt further austerity measures to balance its budget if its economic growth disappoints rating agency fitch told italian daily courier this morning. so overall, a watch out what's happening on the debt situation in europe and all eyes on what's happening in the u.s. but overall, a very cautious tone that our markets are taking right now. the dow and the nasdaq all down. barbara, that's what i have for you from the cnbc newsroom. back to you. our next guest is working to give women a voice and give women the chance to connect with other female leaders across the country that are making a difference. pat lynch, the founder of women's radio joins us this morning to talk about the role of radio broadcasting that's targeted to women in this country. good morning. >> good morning, barbara. >> so how long ago did you found women's radio? >> 15 years ago. >> and why? why did you feel that we need women's radio as opposed to the media that is available to women all around? >> well, i got to see at a very early time that women really didn't have access, either on-air, with such as you have this wonderful opportunity, but also in being a guest. because there weren't a lot of women who were with inviting women to be on. so women really did not, were not invited by broadcast media. and as i moved along, i saw that it just didn't increase. and in order to make the big changes in our country and in our world, women have to participate. and they have to have that bigger voice. so we did this to create that platform to give them a voice. >> so what do you think are the big issues that are facing women right now, that you can address on women's radio across the country? >> it's interesting, you know, the issues women have are the issues that we all have. jobs, for instance. women very much care about if their businesses are moving along, if they're able to get new jobs, if they've got jobs to take care of their families. because women, whether it's in america or around the world, are the people who really do take care of the family unit and the community. so jobs are really at the top of the food chain right now. and i'm hoping even politicians will hear that message. >> do you think women bring another perspective or a new perspective or a better perspective to everything, even as we look at the problems with trying to tackle this whole debt ceiling issue. do you think women might see it differently from men? >> i think that women absolutely see it differently than men. i think you probably interview a lot of congresswomen here, and i think that their voting records show that they see things differently. they present different bills. they support different issues. and they will try to compromise. they will try to find the way for everyone to be able to benefit from something. where i think men do take sides. they like to battle. >> what do you think if we just brought all the women together in congress, that we might be able to get this thing settled? >> well, you know, it's interesting you bring this point up, because i think if we could double the number of women who are in congress, it might look differently. and it's one of the reasons why i'm joining the national board for the national women's political caucus. and they're having their national convention this weekend, one of the reasons it brings me to washington. >> and one of the things that women's radio does is to try to get behind women candidates and support them on both sides of the aisle. >> we absolutely do. and we have a tool called audio acrobat and it allows us to be able to give a recording method, using the telephone, to every woman in caucus. we want every woman on both sides to have a bigger voice. >> i know diversity is a big thing, you stand for that, and that's what you've been doing. congratulations on the success of women's road across the country. >> thank you, thank you. >> and we're happy to have you in washington. >> well, it's very, very nice to be here and thank you for having me as your guest. >> thank you, pat lynch. the time now, 11:51. who's coming and who's going for the redskins? what makes the sleep number store different? you walk into a conventional mattress store, it's really not about you. they say, "well, if you want a firm bed you can lay on one of those, if you want a soft bed you can lay on one of those." we provide the exact individualization that your body needs. this is your body there. you can see a little more pressure in the shoulders and in the hips. then they start telling us, "well yeah, i feel sore right there in the morning." my lower back. that's right where i've been experiencing pain. now you can feel what happens as we raise your sleep number setting and allow the bed to contour to your individual shape. oh yeah. it's really shaping to my body. when you find somebody's perfect level of comfort, that may be the first time they've ever felt a bed that feels exactly like they're hoping it would. you can adjust it however you want so you don't have to worry about buying the wrong mattress. once they get our bed, they're like, "why didn't i do this sooner?" and now the revolutionary sleep number bed is redefining sleep again. find your sleep number and join over 7 million people who love their bed. only at the sleep number store, where queen mattresses start at just $699. the mcnabb trade isn't the only move the redskins are making. espn is reporting that earlier this morning, the redskins agreed to a deal with the new york giants's defensive lineman, barry coalfield. he'll reportedly sign a six-year, $36 million contract. cofield is 26 years old and coming off one of the best years with the division rival giants. and fans will see number 89 back at fedex field for several more seasons. santana moss, the redskins' leading receiver, is the first free agent to get resigned. moss agreed to a three-year deal worth $15 million, $6 million of that is guaranteed. he had one of his most productive seasons last year, pulling in a career-high 93 catches for more than 1,100 yards and six touchdowns. well, his days in d.c. may be numbered, but albert haynesworth says he plans to show up at training camp tomorrow anyway. it's no secret that coaches think that haynesworth underperformed on the field last season, he also got into plenty of trouble off the field. the former pro bowler was suspended for the last four games of then a season. now some players are admitting that haynesworth is a major distraction. >> it wears you down. we try to say it don't, but we don't want -- albert don't want to talk about it, we don't want to talk about it, and we just want to focus on us as a team. i thought last year, man and the years previous, we talked too much about individuals that, you know, have problems with the organization and stuff like that, instead of trying to go out there and perform well. >> so far, there has been little interest by other teams in acquiring haynesworth. well, if you can't wait to see some football up close, redskins practices will soon be open to the public. standa starting this saturday, fans will be able to get into redskins park to watch the team work out. gates open at 8:30 in the morning. you'll need a training camp fan invitation to get in, but you can get one of these free through your e-mail by heading over to redskins.com and filling out a simple form there. fans can attend 11 practices this preseason. let's take a look now at some of the stories we're following for news 4 this afternoon. the struggling economy is even having an effect on organized crime. we'll take you inside the mob's businesses and the stakes that are so much higher now. and in tonight's "what's your workout" installment, an actor for the rock of ages musical reveals his secret to staying in shape. that's tonight on news 4 at 5:00. time for a final check on the forecast. tom is here with that. tom? >> well, great afternoon for outdoor recreation and fun. if you plan on getting some exercise outside, a wonderful afternoon for that. there's the blue sky over washington now. a live view from the sky watcher camera. temperatures now are into the mid- to upper 80s. now 88 at reagan national. but it's a dry heat. we'll see it climbing into the low and mid-90s by midafternoon. and then overnight tonight, under a mostly clear sky, we'll be down near 70 by dawn tomorrow. a little more humid on thursday, up into the mid-90s. hot on friday, as they'll be practicing in that steam heat. it's not going to be easy. we'll but near 100 friday afternoon. then on saturday, could get some passing thundershowers and a bit humid into the mid-90s. and near 90 sunday. might get a shower in the morning or an afternoon thunderstorm. and then monday and tuesday, a bit less humid, highs near 90. that's the way it looks. see you tomorrow morning. >> that's "news 4 midday." we thank you for being with us and invite you to tune in for more news at 4:00, 5:00, 6:00, and tonight at 11:00. and i'll be back tomorrow morning at 11:00 a.m. for "news 4 midday." hope to see you then. have a terrific day. see you in the morning.