mainly to the north here, we've had some south. heavier stuff along the mason dixon line. some of this will be coming through over the next few hours with the spotty showers. readings in the low 50s, culpepper, fredericksburg, tappahannock airport above 50. it is the low 40s in hagerstown, gaithersburg, baltimore. while we sit at 47 here in washington. going to the upper 50s to near 60 with showers and thunderstorms returning later on after midday lulls. angie? >> thank you, howard. right now, we're going to kick things off with the green light. really, we're only tracking one tie-up out there. we're going to use the yellow light. we turn that one on. prosperity avenue at leroy place, that's where we have the crash activity. it is blocking all lanes in both directions. we checked on alternates and folks really, there's no good way to get around it. take note, prosperity ave closed at leroy. gallows road, we have lingering construction taking away the right lane. the inner loop is checking out ok. 66 drivers tracking that eastbound trip. it remains incident-free out of centreville. moving things over to maryland, we see a camera switch. 270 headed southbound, it looks like drivers dealing with a little bit of spray already. construction is set up southbound at 117 clopper road. good past this point at 121. finally back to the maps, 95 and the bw parkway, so far, so good out of laurel. still ahead, a look at 15 traveling westbound at 4:40. >> thank you, angie. here is a look at stories we've been following for you while you slept. just after 1:30 this morning, a 33-year-old woman missing since monday was found by d.c. police. emily hirschenson was last seen that morning in the 1800 block of bitmore street in northwest. hirschson and her husband have a 19-month-old daughter. she's a social worker at the nih and a former capitol hill press secretary. her family originally told police her doctors believe she could be suffering from a psychiatric problem. montgomery county police say they have no motive or suspects in the case of a murdered 81-year-old olney man. naz ear ahmed was shot and killed inside his split level home on olney mill road. friends officially became concerned because ahmed did not show up as he normally did at the muslim community center in silver spring. his death was initially classified as suspicious but has now been ruled a murder. libyan leader moammar gadhafi made a first appearance in more than a week in tripoli. >> this as powers launch missiles at more libyan targets. as susan mcinnis reports, the president says they can hand over control to other nations in a matter of days. >> despite a fourth night of allied air strikes pounding libya, moammar gadhafi refuses to back down. appearing for the first time since the attacks began, he delivered a defiant speech tuesday calling his enemies "crazed fascists" who will go down in the dust bin of history. the libyans are laughing at these rockets, gadhafi told cheering supporters. we will defeat them by any method. overnight, government forces reportedly used snipers and tanks to terrorize civilians in the last major center still in rebel hands, misrata. >> attacks there earlier this week left dozens dead. >> president obama cut his latin america trip a few hours short to deal with the crisis. he'll meet with his national security team at his hotel before returning to the white house tonight. >> we'll continue to support the efforts to protect the libyan people. but we will not be in the lead. >> tuesday, he promised the u.s. would hand over control of the mission within days. he also called the leaders of britain and france and agreed nato would play a key role. >> it is not going to be our planes that are maintaining the no-fly zone. that's precisely what the other coalition partners are going to do. >> it is not just western countries. warplanes from quarter landed in greece. they'll begin patrolling the you skies over the nation this weekend. susan mcinnis, washington. three children and their uncle were killed and 13 other family members, mostly children, were wounded during an israeli missile strike in gaza. the family was playing soccer in their backyard during the attack. israel says the mortar strike was launched against militants but that the missiles went off- course and exploded in an open field. israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu issued a statement expressing regret civilians were hurt. the attack was escalated a recent round of tension between palestinians and other groups. yet another earthquake has rattled northeastern japan. >> it happened where crews are trying to regain of the control of the fukushima power plant. the magnitude 6 quake didn't appear to cause anymore damage to the facility. power lines are now hooked up to all six reactors but crews working to get cooling systems running again have been evacuated from the entire fukushima if you can sheem dai- ichi plant. >> this latest quake comes as the japanese government releases a new estimate on how much the damage from the earthquake will cost. the new figure is more than $309 billion. here are other headlines from japan. the utility company which runs the fukushima plant says it is considering offering monetary compensation to the 800 evacuees affected by the radiation leaks. some of the deceased are now being buried in mass graves. the death toll from the disaster is quickly approaching 10,000. nearly 14,000 people are still missing. >> students at the rochester institute of technology in new york held a vigil. for a missing classmate from frederick, maryland. 21-year-old george delaney was last seen with his car 11 days ago in a nearby town of whalen, new york. his classmates are now using social media sites like facebook to look for clues, trying to find him. on tuesday, more than 70 police and trained volunteers combed a one mile area for any trace of delaney. today, maryland lawmakers will debate whether to increase the tax on alcohol. a state senator from baltimore has introduced a bill that would phase in a higher tax on alcohol sales. over three years, the tax would climb from the current 6% to 9%. ahead of the state -- the head of the state senate predicts his chamber will pass this bill. coming up, the world's largest retailer is going to open a new store right next to one of the more popular malls in the region. at 4:49, move over, ipad. make way for the blackberry playbook. >> a quick check of the forecast to get you out the door. we're back with your weather in two minutes. 3q with the money you invest in clothes, why risk they'll end up faded or stretched ? try woolite. woolite isn't just for your delicates. it's for all your clothes. with woolite complete you can wash everything because it has the right balance of cleaning and care. and say goodbye to fading, shrinking and stretching. woolite complete keeps all your clothes looking like new, longer. visit woolite.us to print your high value woolite coupon. coming up on 4:40, we've got some showers around mainly north of town right now. spotty drizzle. light showers through 9:00. 47. midday, little brighter. just a spotty shower. 50. then more rain returns this afternoon. temperatures up 50s to near 60. some of the rain will include thunderstorms. the evening commute potentially wetter than this morning's commute. we'll have the seven-day forecast in just a few. right now, here's angie with a look at timesaver traffic. >> thank you, howard. right now, we're seeing some wet roads along 50. use caution out of annapolis through bowie this morning. still ahead, the latest on that fairfax accident in virginia. mike, andrea, i'll have that at 4:48. >> it is 4:40. time for the first your money report of the morning. >> good morning to jessica here with headlines. >> the three-day rally has come to an end. at least the dow still holding above the 12,000 level this morning and today, traders, of course, will continue to monitor japan, libya and oil prices above $100 a barrel. checking the numbers, the dow stands at 12,018, it dropped almost 18 points in trading yesterday. the nasdaq was off by 8 and the s&p 500 was down by 4 points. the district is cracking down on a lot of uncollected bills. a billion dollars worth of fees. "the washington examiner" reports last year, these agencies were owed millions. the department of public works close to $4 million. more than $2 million to the department of consumer and regulatory affairs and a half a million dollars to the d.c. department of transportation. a d.c. council committee is working on a bill that would allow the hiring of third party debt collectors to track down those who owe the city and live in other jurisdictions. make them pay up. >> and another major retailer is coming to tysons corner. "the washington post" reports that walmart plans to open a store there. it would be on the side of the former moore cadillac dealership. the developer and walmart are in final negotiations about the lease with construction set to begin this summer finishing in 201s 3 when the tysons west moat restation is set to open. it would be smaller and more focused on groceries than the traditional supercenters. of course, we already have traffic problems in tysons corner. >> my first thought. >> you can only imagine what it is going to be like if there is a walmart there. >> especially if food price continue to go up, people will be look for the bargains. >> new numbers on the amount of nuclear waste inside the united states. starting to raise some concern now. >> a popular yet highly addictive cigarette could soon be banned in the u.s. we'll be right back. you're watching 9news now. 3q looking to add a little smile to your chili ? try french's. mac and cheese need a boost ? french's helps that, too. chicken in need of cheering up? add french's to your marinade. it's a surprising way to add a little fun to your food and a whole lot of happy to your family. for recipes and valuable coupons, go to frenchs.com to add a little happy to almost any meal. french's. happy starts here. [ female announcer ] important events can sneak up on you. oh, i am not ready. [ female announcer ] but in two weeks, you could feel ready. introducing yoplait light's two week tune up diet plan. you could lose 5 pounds in 2 weeks when you replace breakfast and lunch with a fruit, grain, and yoplait light. betsy bets. you haven't changed a bit. oh...neither have you... sean. well, yeah. [ female announcer ] go to yoplait.com to start your two week tune up. this week yoplait light yogurt is only 20 for $10 at giant. >> howard bernstein is here getting us over the hump and making sure we have our rain gear with us. >> it is going downhill if we get over the hump as well temperaturewise. it will be chilly around here. some areas of pennsylvania, new jersey, new york, new england dealing with snow still over the next few days. around here, just some rain, some cool rains this morning. you know, we may get a couple of flakes here before the weekend is out. that will keep things interesting for you. here is a look though this morning at the allergy update because the rain is going to help here. yesterday, the tree pollen came in high. the cedar, the cypress, the juneer in. loving the early spring -- the juniper. mold spores are low. some of the grass is starting to grow. i expect that pretty soon. your momslikeme.com bus stop forecast, we've got some spotty showers and drizzle out there this morning. best chance of that looks like it will be north of washington. temperatures though, they're in the 40s. definitely chilly with sunrise at 7:07. it sets now at about 7:20, 7:22. 9:00 a.m., still spotty light rain or showers. we get to the middle of the day. we'll have mostly cloudy skies. even a couple of breaks can't be ruled out. with just an isolated shower. temperatures by 1:00, only in the lower 50s with east- southeast winds about 10, 11 miles per hour. then this afternoon, showers start to pick up again mid to late afternoon out west first. mid 50s at 3:00. by 5:00, upper 50s to near 60 with showers and even some thunderstorms. so, the afternoon commute, i think, it could be worse than this morning. because this morning, while we're watching the rain, it is up north, the heavier stuff is scooting east of us here north of baltimore. and south of town, it is relatively quiet. there could be some patchy drizzle here or there. looking at live doppler 9000 hd, again, looks fairly quiet out toward the south, the west of town not looking all that bad. but you go north and northeast, right now, into howard, montgomery county, north of route 50 in anne arundel and prince george's county, light rains here. some light rain and drizzle. as you get back into west virginia and western maryland, we have a little bit more in the way of lighter rains going on. temperatures this morning in the low 40s in cumberland. mid 40s in winchester. the low 50s down in fredericksburg and culpepper, it is 41 in dover delaware. 43 in salisbury. southern maryland in the mid- 40s along with reagan national airport at 46 degrees with light rain being reported and an east wind at 7 miles per hour. we're watching this big storm system right on the northern part of the country here. look at the snows from montana stretched out all the way into pennsylvania and new york. with some heavier showers and thunderstorms moving through. areas in illinois into southwestern michigan, this is this afternoon's weather while this morning, we're dealing with the showers and yes, moderate snowfall across parts of pennsylvania. generally, along and north of i- 80. this is going to get to northern jersey, parts of new york state. spotty showers through 9:00. midday here, we've got clouds with some breaks here and there and then look at this afternoon, 5:15 showers and then more thunderstorms that will be rolling through during the evening hours. tomorrow morning, an isolated shower and then clearing conditions but chilly. a struggle to get to 50 tomorrow. today, upper 50s to near 60 with a shower or two this morning. showers and storms later on this afternoon and this evening. tomorrow and friday, only near 50. saturday looks dry in the morning now for the national marathon. rain and or wet snow late saturday into sunday morning. angie? >> unbelievable. thank you, howard. 12 minutes away from the 5:00 hour. good morning, everyone. the yellow light stays on because we have problems out in fairfax, virginia. prosperity avenue right now remains closed in both directions. this is at leroy place and really, there is not a good way to get around it. let's move it over to the outer loop in virginia. construction is set up here. should be clearing gallows road, probably in the next 15 minutes or so. 395 heading northbound, no problems to report as we take a look past the g street exit all the way to the 14th street bridge. keeping things moving, hello, d.c. inbound new york avenue. pretty much all is a go here. drivers stuck at a light. moving toward bladensburg and the third street tunnel, you're doing just fine. maryland on the outer loop, it looks like we still have a little construction at route 50 taking away two right lanes. a look at the dulles toll road, andrea and mike coming up at 4:56. >> the earthquake and tsunami in japan are raising new concerns about nuclear plants here in the united states. specifically, what we're doing with the nuclear waste. according to associated press study, the u.s. has nearly 72,000 tons of radioactive waste that is still hot. and that waste is sitting in commercial reactors in 30 states and apparently there's no efficient way to store the material. which stays dangerous for tens of thousands of years! an fda panel is expected to deliver its final report today on whether menthol cigarettes should be removed from the market. experts for the food and drug administration have said the minty flavoring leads to more smokers and makes it harder to quit. however, they stopped short of recommending a ban saying there's no evidence menthol cigarettes aren't more harmful. eating cereal can significantly reduce the risk of high blood pressure. that's according to a new study presented at an american heart association meeting. researchers followed more than 13,000 men for more than 16 years and found those who ate cereal once a day were 25% less likely to have high blood pressure. even eating cereal once a week lowered the risk of developing hypertension by 8%. whole-grain cereal was the best. researchers at tufts university say sex could lead to a heart attack and even death. a new study published in the journal of the american medical association found that people who experience sudden physical exertion were three and a half times more likely to suffer a heart attack. sexual activity was associated with almost a three-fold heart attack risk. the study's author say while the overall risk is relatively low, people who exercise regularly can dramatically decrease their chances of having a heart attack. >> are you debating getting one of the tablet computers? you're going to have a new choice soon. blackberry playbook hits store shelves april 19th. preorders are being taken through best buy. it will sell for $499 which is basically the same as the apple ipad. the playbook can connect to your phone and it has a seven inch screen which is a little bit smaller than the ipad. >> 9news now is giving you the chance to win your very own ipad 2 if you're not interested in blackberry. go to our facebook page and hit the like button and enter our give away. refer your friends for an even better chance at winning. if you're already a fan, click the sweepstakes link to enter. we'll announce the winner on our friday morning show april 1st. and wusa is proud to be the home of the 2011 suntrust national marathon. join the 9news now team this saturday. our live coverage begins at 7:00 a.m. on air and on wusa9.com. everybody needs to warm up. so, on friday, come on out and attend the national health and fitness expo at the d.c. armory. you can shop for discounted fitness gear, sample products and learn nutrition, fitness and training tips and you may meet some of us in the channel 9 booth. 9news now wants to take you out to the ball game. >> you can win a pair of tickets to the nationals opening day. just watch 9news now before 4:25 and 7:00 a.m. for the daily nationals trivia question. daily winners will receive a 9news now prize pack. >> you'll be entered into a drawing to win the grand prize. a pair of diamond club tickets to opening day with us, members of the 9 nuts -- the 9news now morning team. opening day is march 31st. >> we had our first winner from yesterday's question. it was kathy glen. she knew livan hernandez was on the mound for the home opener in 2005. >> the nationals have had six opening days here in washington since they moved here. which team did they play the most in those home openers? >> just a bit of a hint, it is a fellow n. l. east team. send us your answer at wusa9.com and we'll announce the winner tomorrow morning. >> more questions for you. we have our question of the morning before we take a break. >> according to a new study, men are nine times more likely to lie about this than women are. is it age? b, their height. or c, how much money they make? put your answer on our facebook page. we'll also read your comments, too. we'll be right back after this. blue diamond almonds! more bold flavor! more variety! more of what you want... not what you don't. blue diamond almonds... more than a snack. hundreds more in your wallet year after year. feed me! saving you money -- now, that's progressive. call or click today. >> we'll see breaks from time to time. as we head toward mid afternoon, we'll have a better chance of showers and storms here around for the afternoon and evening rush hour. some of these are going to be heavy. look at this, by 8:00, still heavy rains around. angie? >> we're traveling to go, we're finding our way wide open from the greenway to the beltway. in fairfax, in prosperity avenue, it is back open. still ahead, a check on your maryland roads. i'll have that at 5:01. mike, andrea, back to you. >> first full day of testimony in the barry bonds perjury trial expected to begin today. bonds is accused of lying to federal grand jury seven years ago about his use of performance-enhancing drugs. in opening statements, prosecutors called bonds' denial ridiculous and unbelievable. bonds attorneys say their client never knowingly took steroids. that would make him innocent according to them. if convicted, bonds could face ten years in prison. nfl hall of famer and former new york giant lawrence taylor avoided jail time for his role in an alleged rape case. the former new york giants star pleaded guilty in january to sexual misconduct and having sex with an underage prostitute. the judge sentenced taylor to six years probation and also he has to declare himself as a sex offender. the attorney for the now 17- year-old girl says the teenager would have objected to a plea agreement had she been consulted on it. >> do you want to be the new voice of aflac? today, the insurance company will begin accepting submissions in its search for a unique voice to replace gilbert gottfried's signature squawk. he was fired after he made insensitive remarks about the earthquake and tsunami in japan on twitter. if you're interested, submit a 30 second audio or video file belting your best version of the aflac squawk at quackaflac.com. the submission deadline is midnight on april 1st. will troubled starlet lindsay lohan accept a plea deal? >> the rise of a teen singer breaks a record once held by the king of pop. >> is that acceptable to you? >> yes, your honor. >> the clock is ticking on lindsay lohan's legal decision. she has until the end of the today to tell a los angeles job whether she'll take a plea deal on charges she stole a $2500 necklace while on probation. the deal will come with some jail time according to the judge. if lohan doesn't contact the court, the case will go to trial with the hearing set for april. >> is charlie sheen winning back custody of his twin sons? his soon to be ex-wife had the boys removed from his home here with a restraining order. apparently brooke mueller will not extend the order. the case has been taken off the court docket. mueller wants sheen to take a psychological exam. he didn't have to take an exam to be awarded an honorary degree from the university of pennsylvania. denzel washington will give the commencement speech there and receive a special degree. washington son, malcolm, is a sophomore at the school. >> never say never when it comes to holding on to records. >> never say never! >> justin bieber's movie of the same name has eclipsed the national record for the biggest concert movie making about $72 million. the king of pop held that honor up until now for his movie, this is it. which is still the highest grossing concert movie worldwide. that's your eye on entertainment. sandra hughes, hollywood. good morning and thank you for watching 9news now at 5:00 a.m. i'm andrea roane. >> wednesday is here and so are we. i'm mike