you know, accident reconstruction team is stil on location doing som work and they haven't even got to that course of the investigation yet. >> mark brady with the prince george's county fire ems. thanks for joining us this morning. we know it's early. 4:31 is our time. that means it's time for weather and traic on the 1s. here's tom. >> another dry morning under way. we do have a time for some rain by this time tomorrow morning. we may have wet streets and roads and sidewalks. looking at temperatures around the region it's in the 60s from the shenandoah valley to the atlantic beaches. now 69 at national airport. the mountains of western maryland, west virginia, many locations in the 50s there. it's in the low0s on the eastern shore away from the waters and around virginia's tide water region up near upper 60s. over the last 12 hours we've seen som increase in the cloud cover coming from a low essure system that's spreading some rain from michigan down through ohio, indiana, kentucky, southern illinois. that's heading to theeast. and it may arrive here this evening. before then, increasing clouds, highs, mid 80s. then there is that chance of a passing shower this evening. maybe some thunder, small chance of that. d then tomorrow we'll get increasing sunshine with highs in the low 80s. and looks like a nice weekend to follow. saturday and sunday both days with some sunshine. we should make it into the low 80s. morning lows, low 60s. let's check traffic for this thursday morning. >> tom, god morning, we get under way, the investigation continues for that horrible accident in district heights. we'll keep you updated on that. other than that, quiet morning. a lot of overnight road work along the 95 corridor as you make your way both directions. northbound you should find lanes open. you may find crews taking away the right lane southbound. right now looks like pretty smooth trip. elsewhere the drive south along interstate 270. all e travel lanes open and dry this morning. >> jerry, thanks. >> today, lawyers for the soldiers suspected in the ft. hood shooting spree will ask a judge to move his trial after the texas army post and close it off to the media. lawyers for major madeal hasan say he cannot get a fair trial if the media is allowed to attend next month's hearing. the hearing will determine if there is enoughevidence to move forward with the trial. hasan, an army psychiatrist is charged with 13 counts of premeditatedurder in the november 5th shooting spree. a former high school football star will spend the next three decades in prison. he was convicted in a murder scheme. the prosecutors say arted on an adult chat line. jackie bensen has more. >> reporter: these grainy security camera images from october 2008 show theprelude to a cold-blooded murder. prosecutors claim the person in the lighter gray coat is a young man named tommy west. hey say he was using a cell phone belonging to his cousin, also seen here, to lure a man to his death in a dark, lonely spot behind a landover middle school. other cameras show the same two men leaving the area a short time later. investigators learned suspect and victim had met on an adult phone chat line. they wouldn't say which one. >> ostensibly the arrangement was for some kind of, apparently sexual liaison to take place in the victim's vehicle. >> reporter: investigators learned that tommy west, just 19 at the time, had posted a series of picture online, which showed him holding a gun, semiautomatic with an extended clip. it was later termed to hav been the weapon used to shoot the victim behind the scho. 40-year-old george white jr. of fort washington, who was also robbed. >> ran back, pulled back. >> reporter: during the trial, defense council argued that he was out of character, that he was a talented athlete, a football standout, someone with a future. the judge noted whack's criminal history and sentenced him to the maxim penalty, 30 years in prison. >> whe you kill somebody, i think athletics become secondary from the standpoint of what's going to happen to you for the rest of your life. he clearly killed this man in cold blood, left him for dead and took his cell phone so he couldn't even call 911 to get help. >> reporter: in april a popular d.c. school principal w murdered by suspects police say he met on a phone chat line. jackie bensen, "news 4 today." four fbi agts areccused of lying on their medical records to cover up steroid use. according to arrest afrds, they never reportedrescription steroids and human growth hormone on medical forms used to assess their fitness for duty. the fbi responded, saying quote, employs must be held to the highest standards ofethical conduct. the agents cannot use their weapons while the investigation proceeds. the man who held plice at bay in a nine-hour standoff in prince george's county is in critical condition this morning. the standoff started late tuesday night on richboro road in capital heights and ended yesterday morning when the suspect shot himself. at o point, eight people were held hostage. all of them are okay. one of the hostages told news 4 thathe gunman s upset over a breakup with his girlfriend. >> it could be a weekend of dangerous rip currents along the east coast, thanks to hurrane igor. the category 4storm is far out to sea, but large swells and high surf are expected to affect the virgin islands, the bahamas and parts of the east coast by later today. hurricane julia, a category 3 storm, is also churning far from land out in atlantic. meanwhile tropical storm karl has pushed across the yucatan peninsula. mexico's government has now issued hurricane watch for its central coast. >> well, that broken oil well in the gulf of mexico may be fixed for good by the beginning of next week. former coast guard admiral thad allen says the work on the relief well should be finished by tonight. after that work will start on the bottom kill. that involves pumping thick mud and cement into the well, and that could be completed by this weekend. that would take care of sealing the well, but cleaning up from the mess, of course, it created will like take much, much longer. meanwhile, the seafood industry insists shrimp, fish andysters from the gulf are safe to eat. 66 degrees right now. ahead on "news 4 today," a popul diet drug gets a closer look. >> why the fda is so concerned this morning. plus the november elections are finally set after the primaries. we'll get a preview of the new political landscape, including the tea pty movement. plus we're going to get another look at your weather and traffic headlines coming up. stay with us. so i told the guy i wanted yeah. a convertible. and this is what he d in my budget. aw! well, the top is down. the top is ge! lots of head room... tons of head room! --careful! that's sharp. jeez! yeah...sorry. narrator: settling for less not smart. what is smart is getting more car for your money at carmax. guaranteed-quality used cars can cost a lot less than new car so you can get more cafor less money by shopping at carmax. now more than ever, the smart choice is carmax. the way car buying should be. 4:40 is your time now, 66 degrees. lovely look outside right now and another cool, refreshing autumn morning. tom is here with the latest on our forecast. yesterday was beautiful. >> we're going to have more clouds today and a chance for some much-needed rain that will be coming in after sunset tonight. between now and then we'll have increasing clouds. right now partly cloudy starng off this thursday morning. our temperatures are pleasant. we're in the low to mid 60s in much of the region. upper 60s in washington, and right near the bay waters and the tide water region as well as the atlantic beaches. elsewhere out in the mountains, temperatures there are just in the 40s to near 50 degrees. eastern shore away there the waters now, the low 60s. we've had some of these increasing clouds coming in ahead of a weak cool front that's triggering some showers in the midwest. that will be approaching us tis evening after sunset. between now and then increasing clouds. should make it into the m 80s. then after any chance of showers this evening, maybe some thunder, we'll clear out again. tomorrow, afternoon highs low 80s on friday, saturday and sunday looking very nic for outdoor recreation, for all the college and high school games. we'll have afternoon highs on saturday in the low 80s, and for the 'skins game sunday afternoon looks like it wil be partly cloudy and low 80s. the next week and the latest with the tropics in ten minutes. how is the traffic now? >> ptty quiet morning all in all. on th interstates to the wilson bridge, right side the inner loop, left side the outer loop, oxon hill and alexandra looking good so far. the trip in through northeast, new york avenue, smooth sailing. that is very good news. inbound toll road, inbound 66 no early concerns on the beltways. springfield up to tysons corner, pretty light volume so far. >> all right. >> 4:42 is your time now. still to come, the university of virginia wl soon restore a popular landmark to its original beauty. >> plus the fda takes a vote on a popular diet drug. the concerns that could affect your health. >> and president barack obama's democratic party could have a major setback in the november elections. we'll take a look at the final push. 4:44 is your time now. time for a check of this morning's top stories. three people are dead after their suv collided with an ambulance in prince george's county. investigators say the suv was headedhe wrong way down marlboro pike in district heights when it side-swiped the ambulance. all three men in the suv were killed. three two ambulance workers were taken to the hospital but are expected to be all right. prince george's county police say they're investigating a string of robberies in the college park area. officers arrested two men and are searching for two others. police say 19-year-old chernor job was one person who robbed a student near e university of maryland campus on august 8th. he mains in custody this morning. and the damaged oil well in the gulf of mexico could be fixed for good within days. the coast guard says a relief well should be finished tonight. work on the so-called bottom kill will begin after that and could be completed this weekend. a virginia man is behind bars this morning accused of sexually assaulting a woman he met on the online dating site eharmny. according to the loudoun county sheriff's office, 34ear-old john evans met the 37-year-old victim on the site back in june. in july she went to his home where officials say he held her against her will, and sexually assaulted her. sheriff's investigators are now concerned this woman was not evans' first victim. >> a situation like this, it's the same as someone who's been scammed. they don't want the embarrassment of someone knowing they've bn scammed so they don't say anything. that's how these perpetrators continue to get by with their crimes. if anybody is familiar with this person we'd certainly like to hear from them. >> eharmony released a statement saying it's, quote, deeply saddened to hear about this terrible incident. the website also said it immediately closed eva' account and notified all of his matches not to commucate with him. the company that hires metro access drivers is taking a closer look at howhose drivers are trained. mv tansportation has authorized an independent investigation into the hiring and training of drivers. it comes in the wake of fur complaints of sexual assault against metro access drivers. the company subcontracts with metro to operate the door-to-door service for disabledho are unable to use buses or rail service. md already conducts background checks and operates a 110-hour training program for new employees. president obama will fly to connecticut today and spend some of his political capital in an effort to help democrat candates ahead of november's elections. the once blue state is now a battleground in the partisan fight over taxes. nbc's tracee potts has the debate. >> reporter: how to win a tax fight and an election. first solidify the base. >> don't forget who is standing with you, and who is standing against you. >> reporter: then put pressure on your opponents. >> we simply don't have time in order to play games. >> reporter: extending tax cuts to americans over $250,000 has become the lightning rod for a nasty partisan fig headed into november. more than 2,000 democrats now disagree with president obama. republicans aren't wavering. >> republicans are united. no tax increases on nobody. >> reporter: even house leader john boehner, who suggested sunday he might support the president, is now backing off. >> what if it's your only option as you said sunday-- >> i want to extend all of the current tax rates. >> reporter: tuesday's primary appears to have spooked both sides. analysts think tea party wins could backfiren republicans. >> seemed like it was a sense of voter nullification. like we're not listening to you. we, the republican party, we're not listening. that's inherently the problem. >> it could be problem for democrats, too. a new cbs/"new york times" poll put thr disapproval at 58%. it's 68% for republicans. bottom line, most americans said they want most of washington out. tracie potts, nbc news, washington. heads up if you take the diet drug meridia. an advisory panel to the fda is trying to get it pulled from the market, or at least restricted. a group warns that the risks of meridia outweigh the benefits. in a study of 9,000 people who took it, patients lt an average of 5 to pounds, but a 16% increase in heart attack and strokes. for eight pounds of weight loss, that's quite a high risk to take. >> i understand that people have concerns about the health risks. but at the same time, the are lots of drugs that people have concerns about. >> the fda is now considering an experimental weight loss drug that has fewer side effects in clinical trials and patients lost an average of 17 pounds a year well, lawmakers from both parties are expected to put asi their different views on health care today and join together for a good cause. msnbc' "morning joe" program will host a bipartisan health challenge down on the national mall. the event will beginat 8:30 this morning with mika's walk, which will raise awareness about obesity. in addition to morning joe's mika brzezinski, the democratic senator evan bye, and white ouse press secretary robert gibbs will all attend. renovation work starts as early as next smer for an iconic landmark at the univsity of virginia. its famous rotunda will be restored. school officials approved a $22 million project toix the leaking ceiling and lumns. uva hopes the state will pay for the $13 million of work. private funds and donations would take care of the rest. uva's founder thomas jefferson, designed the rotunda after rome's pantheon. the original construction wrapped up in 1826. overdue for a makeover. >> just a little bit, yes. >> you and i. >> yes. >> jefferson called monticello just as magnificent. it's well worth the trip. we've got a beautiful morning under way once again. temperatures around the region that are pleasant. no weather causing any problems as you head off to work and school. all the roads are dry this morning. and the streets and sidewalks, as well. as we take a look at the temperatures now around the region. 69 at national airport in washington. most areas are near 70, as well as nr the bay. and right near the waters at the atlantic beaches and around the tidewater region. elsewhere inland, it's just near 60 in many locations. inntgomery, arlington, fairfax and prince george's counties. right now temperatures are right nea60 derees. weather watchers checking in fr westrn maryland, and much of west virginia. it's down into the 50s there this morning. eastern shore away from the waters and the low 60s now. the view from space showing a few of these clouds that are beginning from the west. and th increase from an area of low pressure that's passingover the great lakes region. the trailing front from that is spreading some rain into the ohio valley. here's the latest now with the tropics. we have tropical srm karl that is now moving toward southern mexico and of course, powerful hurricane igor here out in the central atlantic, and east of there is hurricane julia. jul, the category 3 hurricane. igor still a category 4 hurricane. winds at 145 miles an hour, it's a monster hurricane. but thankfully, it's still taking a track that's going to probably take it east of bermuda, keeping it over the open waters of the atlantic. for the rest of this day, temperatures climbing to the mid 80s by midafternoon. and there is a chance for some needed rain after sunset tonight as that frontmoves in from the midwest. maybe with some thunder, too. that would be after sunset. should be ending just past midnight. then drying out on friday. we' have afternoon highs in the low 80s and partly cloudy. mostly sunny saturday. the low 80s again. sunday partly cloudy, low 80s. good weather for the 'skins game. warming up a bit next week. how is the traffic now? >> not so bad as we get under way at the american legion bridge. right side the outer loop, left side the inner loop. right now moving along very, very nicely. the drive into town this morning, new york avenue inbound, as you head on down toward florida avenue, the overnight roadwork continues as they continue to modify the roundabout, if you will, right here at new york and florida avenue. crews are out working. right now volume is very light so really not affecting traffic too much. we'll keep a watch. >> thank you, erry. phase two of the dulles metrorail project could end up costing $1.3 billion more than originally expected. the new metro line would eventually exfend from falls church to dulles airport in loudoun county. hase one whh is already 20% complete will cost aound $2.75 billion. now, according to the metropolitan washington airport authority, it looks like phe two will cost just as much and it's w looking into building the metrorail at dulles airport above ground rather than underground and that could save $640 million. well, there's a new cell phone app that makes it impossible to text while driving. it shuts down all texting and e-mails once you dri more than ten miles per hour. the app won't let you get anyincoming messages or send any out. the father of teenars in orlando, florida, invented it. he says it can help everyone put safety first. >> four or five years ago, we lived without texting on our phone and we drove safely. >> a built-in gps tells the app when to shut down the cell pne. once you stop driving the phone restores all missed messages. great idea, although at ten miles an hour you could still be driving down a parking lot or down the street. >> just engineon, text off. >> i think that's a good idea. >> 4:54 is our time. coming up a popular comedian gets aop honor for serving the navy. >> plus a family who lost his life in the war exhumes his body. they share their story. 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[ male announcer ] it's luxury witfire iits veins. bold. daring. capable of moving your soul. ♪ and that's even before you drop your foot on the pedal. ♪ the new 2011 cts coupe from cadillac. the new standard of the world. the family of an ohio marine killed in iraq in 2006 was at arlington natnal cemetery yesterday to exhume his body. >> scott warner says that he was concerned that his son might be buried in the wrong spot after he learned about the discovery that hundreds of graves were in unmarked or are mislabeled graves. jane watrel reports. >> reporter: in america's hallowed ground, section 60 of arlington national cemetery is the final resting place for those who died in iraq. private first class heath warner was buried here in 206. four years later his family is at arlington to make sure their son was in the right plot. >> he's so missed and our fam y family, even after going on four years, this transition from being a family o five to four, we still don't have our arms around it. >> reporter: the warners say they got worried in the wake of the arlington cemetery scandal that broke june. investigators found over 200 graves that were unmarked or mislabeled. arlington officials exhumed the marine's body. and the warners were able to identify their son by s distinct tattoos. >> it's a japanese kanji and it means kill evil instantly. heath was a freedom fighter. and it was in his heart. he had a greater love for everyone else than himself. >> reporter: this is the second time a service member has been exhumed at arlington during to a family request. the first one was a few weeks ago, when the widow of an army staff sergeant wanted to be sure her husband was buried in the correct gre. arlington officials discered the staff sergeant was buried in the wrong grave, and that two other plots were also mismarked. officials say up to 6,600 graves may be affected. >> we're going to continue to work with any family that calls arlington cemetery to make sure they're confident as we go in and fix these processes. >> reporter: thearners say no family should have to go through the pain of a second burial. >> we did this for him. we're so sorry that we d to do this. but hopefully we can brg the dignity and the honor back. >> reporter: jane watrel, news 4.