the storms proved most deadly in arkansas. and and and nearby was not hurt. in crystal springs ark., powerful winds through a tree into a mobile home, killing a father and his 18-month-old daughter. >> it is not something you think that will ever happen to your family. we're standing here talking about it. >> the extreme weather also affected the northern plains. in north dakota, they are coping with a spring blizzard, while the already swollen river consent even more ground. >> in mississippi, authorities are going through the damage. the storm injured several people and the death toll could still climb. >> we will continue to bring new updates on the national weather. in other day and another price increase at the gas pump. the district's average hit a $4 today. the national average is now $3.82. the high numbers are affecting the way people go about their daily lives. we are live in arlington and have more on the story. >> the cost of doing business from by ian dass to groceries to plane tickets everything just keeps on soaring. it is having a fundamental affect on the choices we are making. >> another strain on the economy. >> gas prices are at their highest levels in 30 months. >> you have to pay the prices. >> the numbers continue to inch up and up and up. >> a lot of people have stopped driving. >> something is going to have to give. >> i drive an suv. >> instead of driving he now takes the bus as often as possible. >> i have to do the bus right now because i have to save the money. >> 96 cents in maryland and a $2 since in the district. >> the big news today is over $4 a gallon in d.c. >> that figure is precariously close to the all-time record. >> people have to make some major decisions. >> 70% across the country aaa officials say drivers are changing their habits, carpooling more. boarding mass transit. >> that is our reality right now. it is a sad reality. though can afford to continue to live like this? >> comprises also shot up nearly 1% in the last month. that is the biggest increase in almost three years. aaa officials tell us that the price of gas will continue to climb into the summer months. the district is not the only place where gas is now averaging $4 or more. drivers in connecticut illinois california, hawaii, and alaska are all paying more than $4 for a gallon of gas. the last time we saw prices this high was the summer of 2008. more political protest lead to more arrests. d.c. bureau chief sam's board is like in capitol hill with what went down today. >> to date is emancipation date in d.c. a city holiday that marks the day when the slaves were freed in d.c. in the 1800's. the protesters picked up on the theme as the city is a slave to the federal government and got themselves arrested for the second time this week. >> no taxation without representation. >> protests continued over the federal budget babar's d.c. from spending its own money on abortion. it was not as dramatic as monday where the mayor was arrested. today, the mayor played a role of rallying. >> it is my money and i want to be able to make my decisions about how my money is spent. >> this protests directed by the group d.c. vote attracted people. >> i did not know whether they would arrest us today. >> we are not a plaything. >> protesters converged on the senate building from different directions throwing bags over their mousebird. the protesters sat in the middle of the street to block traffic. >> it is time for us to be full- fledged american. >> also wearing a george washington mask an antiwar protester. >> we are being treated like we do not have a say. i will sit here all day if i have to. >> u.s. capitol police showed up in force and began to make arrests. the mayor was not with them today, nor any of the six council members arrested on monday. the number of arrests now rises to 44. >> the protests have been good for the mayor it has people talking about things other than scandal. the organization d.c. vote has gotten some attention. they're very happy. reporting from capitol hill, sam afford. as the budget battles goes on cutting $6.20 trillion from president obama's budget. they promised an overhaul of medicare. president made some comments that were not supposed to go public. what the republicans 2012 budget plan sailed the the house but it is headed for an iceberg in the senate. >> this is the most predictable economic crisis we've ever had. yet we have a president who is unwilling to lead. >> the budget passed without a single democratic vote, enough to kill it and the senate. >> is the same old ideological agenda. this time, on steroids. >> this setup a colossal clash between paul bunyan and the president, which will love lost between them. -- paul ryan and the president. >> this is the same guy who voted for it to wars, it voted for the bush tax cuts, voted for the prescription drug bill that cost as much as my health care bill but was not paid for. it is not on the level. >> the president was more charitable. >> they are entirely sincere in believing that is the kind of society that we should want. i find -- i disagree with it. >> a disagreement that will not be resolved anytime soon. >> democrats are already thinking of ways to use the republican budget plan to their advantage. brian's budget will be a cornerstone of the party's strategy in 2012. pepco is hard at work trying to prevent another season of power outages. the company says it has trimmed trees along 1,600 miles of power lines since last fall. they had added a new automated systems and it is adding customer service representatives and upgraded their underground cables. customers are hopeful that these changes will mean fewer outages. some are still skeptical. >> they promised us better service in the past. i have not seen it. >> i hope they will do everything they can to make it better. >> newly passed legislation allows the commission to find utility companies for poor performance. investigators say bethany decker could be alive and in hiding. a pregnant mother disappeared in january, leaving behind a young child, and has been in afghanistan, and a boyfriend. investigators say it is possible that she could be with someone else. police said her boyfriend is a person of interest in the case and believe he is the father of decker's unborn child. firefighters are investigating a powerful fired that tore through a maryland apartment building. you can see the building's top floor engulfed in flames and smoke. six apartments were involved and the fire and we have no injuries reported. coming up, free local middle school students suspended for allegedly selling marijuana in class. this is not the first problem for the school. >> $1 for lunch in d.c., that became a reality today banks to social media. >> the royal wedding is is a few weeks away. we are learning new details about the big day. >> i certainly miss my son every day. >> and other convicted of -- not giving her son life-saving medicine. a massachusetts mother has been sentenced because she withheld life-saving medicine from her cancer stricken nine- year-old son. >> the details of the trial shocked the judge. >> and jeremy frazier was diagnosed with a treatable case of non hodgkin's lymphoma in october of 2006, just after turning 7. less than three years later, the boy died of leukemia. >> he had an 85% chance of a cure. she took that from him. >> his mother was accused of withholding life-saving medication and chemotherapy. the 38-year-old claims she was overwhelmed, this crowd -- the drugs are making her son's condition worse. but i wish i would have done things differently. i wish i would of saw out other avenues. >> she faced a maximum of 37 years in prison. the judge sentenced a quarter of that. >> her actions were extended, a secretive, and calculated. the rocks that really do children souls. >> in recent years parents whose seat -- they have been put on notice. two years ago, in central wisconsin couple. instead of getting medical help for their 11-year-old daughter who died after suffering diabetes. then there was the case of a 13- year-old in minnesota. he went to california with his mother to avoid court ordered chemotherapy. they eventually returned and he received treatment. virginia gov. will remember the 32 victims of the virginia tech try to be tomorrow. 33 people died on april 16, a 2007 when they stood at one on a shooting rampage. then he turned the gun on himself. the score reached an $11 million settlement with those of the victims' families. major repair work is going to shut down a five station stretch of metro this weekend. the orange line will be shut down. shuttle buses will carry customers through that work zones. crews will prepare 70,000 feet of mail with 19 escalators and 14 elevators. network is not the only thing that will come across delays this weekend. coming up at 6:00, why a number of roads will be closed this weekend. >> quite a mess. there will be a possibility of rain in the morning, and those chances increase as we get into the afternoon, evening. let's give into it. so far, so good. some sunshine, comfortable temperatures. you might notice a little ripple on the day out there. this whole area on the western shore of maryland under a cloak -- under a coastal flood advisory. the winds are going to pick up. 5:00 is the kickoff of the rockfish season. 67 degrees in burke. a comparable afternoon. -- a comfortable afternoon. coastal flood advisories have nothing to do with brain. -- rain. but this has everything to do would be arraigned. a flash flood watch matt -- west of the matter tomorrow. there could be some problems there. look at the yellow -- those are torn metal watches and a fact. this whole region is going to swing up in our direction. heavy rain is a good bet. for the moment, it is fine. 60's for the temperatures, and little bit below average grade 64 in frederick 71 in fredericksburg. it seems like spring is never going to arise. boston is only 41 right now. it is a pretty powerful system. you can see at the bottom left of your screen, the heaviest showers and storms are breaking out in the deep south. those are going to moved eastward. the best chance of heavy rain, sustained rain will happen much later in the afternoon. depending on location, you might get lucky and have some ok weather outside for a while. but this line of storms is going to hit you one way or another. severe weather is possible as well. it will open the door for a pretty good looking sunday. here it is to look at the next seven days. i wonder person sent -- one under% chance of rain tomorrow. look at the warming trend. scattered showers. a nice stretch of the warm temperatures. check out tbd.com. check out our new whether feature tomorrow, and interactive greater. -- an interactive radar. it will be a significant whether afternoon and evening tomorrow. >> good deal. we are talking been to all the playoff series. you are seeing a live shot from the verizon center. in a couple of hours, this will be a sea of red. the cabbles one of wednesday night in a thrilling overtime game. -- the capital's one of wednesday night in a thrilling overtime game. we have a look at what is coming up tonight. on 20/20, the ballerina who was not a report in's dance double. she says moviemakers were not honest about her role in the movie. she is speaking out. >> i am speaking because not because i did not get credit, but because they are lying. about the amount of dancing. >> the directors said they counted the dance shot and a thump and 80% art natalie portman. that is at 10:00. followed by abc 7 news at 11:00. coming not comment budget cuts have led to more rigid what is being done to fix the problem. >> it is hard to believe that he is going to be gone. >> the drama and deception, some faithful fans look back fondly on "all my children." >> we're counting down the days until the royal wedding. new details on the dress rehearsal. in just two weeks, prince william and kate middleton will walk down the aisle. >> the final preparations are being made for the big day. new details are starting to leak out. rebecca cooper is here to tell us about it. >> no cameras were allowed but the princess to be and print practiced walking down the aisle. but it was not william with kate. instead, it was harry. this was just one practice session and they have given us a timeline. days cybele and will be involved in many of the practices. -- they say that william will be involved in many of the practices. the trumpeters were busy today practicing for their role in the royal wedding. for the 144th cavalry that day they admit they are a bit nervous about their responsibilities. >> we get to the bride and groom from the body back to the palace safely. if they are happy, we are happy. >> the pressure is on at the british bakery. >> i feel privileged and excited. all of the same time. >> she is famous for her fruitcakes. with release stuck -- serve fruitcake at the royal wedding? while the british get the attention this week, the canadians unveiled new stamps to mark the occasion. for anyone who thinks the royals may be getting too much attention, prince william try to get a table at a restaurant this past weekend, but was turned away. they could not handle sitting at the party of 20, but did help them find another restaurant nearby. >> a prince has to have his entourage. thank you so much. what is in a name? if you are kate middleton and you are not about to marry a prince, the next few weeks could get very annoying. kate middleton from new hampshire decided to stop printing her business cards because of the jokes people made about her famous name. facebook even shut down her account. >> i had an e-mail from them saying they had deactivated their account and i had to e- mail them and say, i am kate middleton. i have nothing to do with the lady in england. >> facebook eventually reopened her accounts. she says she cannot wait for all the hype about the royal wedding to die down so she can get her privacy back. as for the broom to be, she says prince william is not her type. >> i bet his bank account is retired. >> abating not. -- maybe not. >> oscar. -- ask her. white a children's event is protest in virginia today. >> federal judge has ruled on whether or not a special election can go forward. >> it could be an early springtime getaway or just a friday get out of town, for some reason, traffic is jammed up. you are watching abc 7 news at 5:00. this is abc 7 news at 5:00, on your side. if you are trying to go somewhere or waiting for someone to get home, be prepared to wait for a while because traffic is an absolute nightmare. >> horrendous. brian bell is live along interstate 95. >> we are starting to see it slow down a little more. this is just one of these days in our area that we get. you do not expect it and you do not see any reasons in advance but the roads are absolutely backup. this is i-95 north close to me. i-95 southbound, we are north of laurel, it is backed up to almost a parking lot all the way to the beltway. we can go to some live traffic cameras. for '95 at connecticut avenue is what you are looking at right now cars are just creeping along. the problem on the topside of the beltway, which is normally not great, but not as bad was some accident. there were accident blocking planes. people were just slowing down. 270 saleh account is also backed up -- southbound is also backed up. when you are considering what we're talking about in maryland, that means but i-95 is backed up all the way from here to virginia. looking at 395 in virginia, you can see there is a terrible traffic jam there. we heard some reports of people trying to get to rosslyn to fredericksburg taking three hours. just a horrible traffic jam. there a been some accident, some glitches but you can see a lot of it a tremendous amount of volume. it could be that people are trying to get out on this beautiful spring friday. it could be that people are getting a jump on spring break which for many is next week. either way, if you are still in the office, you might want to wait a little while. if you are waiting for someone to get home, keep waiting. a special election in d.c. is sparking political controversy and it is sparking a religious legal fight. the election date falls on passover. we are live from northwest washington with the details. >> that is right. d.c. law requires that any special election be held on the first tuesday of 114 days after that vacancy has been declared. that happens to be april 25 and it happens to be the last day of passover. a local rabbi sued the district to try to get that change. a federal judge just ruled that the district does not have to change the date and does not have to extend voting hours. early voting began on april 11, but only in one location. the rabbi decided to sue the district after he was unable to convince the board of elections to keep polling places opened at sundown on the 26. polls closed at 8:00 p.m.. observant jews would not be able to vote until 8:40 that evening. >> everybody should be able to participate. >> even if the election day was christmas day, they would not be able to change the date. >> i think it is reasonable. we're supposed to be a country based on religious non biased. >> the u.s. district judge disagrees. he ruled that while he is sympathetic with the rabbi since there was early voting and absentee voting, nobody's constitutional rights are being violated. officials at the board election said they will make a change to help more people vote. >> we do not look at it as a win or loss. we're letting the judge's ruling stand. we offered an extra day for early voting on sunday, the 24th. >> district residents, but now any time between now and april 26 at one early voting center. or by absentee ballots, which have to be received no later than 10 days after election day april 26. in addition to the open d.c. council seat, there are two seats on the state board of education that are up for grabs. student at the university of virginia will have to dig deeper for tuition next fall. the university is raising prices. undergraduate students will pay 8.9% more next year. cost for housing and real plans are also going to increase. blood animal at the met -- at the md. issue has died. officials say a 16-year-old draft died thursday. the draft was put under anesthesia for a hoof trimming. the metal became -- animal came be -- became unresponsive. some local teachers are making good on a promise. can you see them down there? they spent the night camping on the school roof. this happened at montgomery middle school. the students came up with $637. last night, the teachers camped out under the stars. let's get the word on the traffic situation that we were talking about earlier today. >> it is a mess out there. the weather is fantastic and people are trying to get out for the weekend. on the outer loop of the beltway, it is solid right now. 66 to gallows that accident is on the right shoulder. let's take a look at 270. it is not looking very good. there is a solid delight in maryland. there is some slow traffic on southbound 95. let's take a look at the springfield camera. in virginia, we are dealing with some very heavy delayed on southbound 95 from the belt way all the way to try and go. good one, the southbound lane, at some very heavy delays approaching the scene. coming up, there are some long lunch lines in d.c. today. >> thousands of soap opera viewers are saying goodbye to two of their favorite stories. we take a look back of 40 years with fans. >> looks can be deceiving. one person noticed a major mistake in a recently issued stamps. can you spot the airport? we wil the landscape of daytime tv is undergoing a major facelift. "all my children" and "one life to live" will soon be a part of television history. we caught up with some loyal fans today. >> there used to be dozens of daytime soaps on all the major networks. now there are only a handful. it is the drama surrounding daytime drama, the end of the 40 year run of "all my children." the soap opera star and the character erica kane signed on in 1968. it revolves around the lives of the people in the fictional town of pine valley. she has watched the soap's four of these 20 years. >> i do not know -- i think i'm going to cry. >> over time, it has been part of her daily routine. >> i am always curious to see who is going to get pregnant by whom. i always try to figure it out. >> midday at the sunrise retirement community finds the classic soap. she remembers watching it with her father. >> "all my children" is a friend. there will be a tremendous amount of people that will feel something they felt before, but more acutely. >> many stay at home mothers watched for years, but with some money now working of viewership has dropped 9% since last year. she started to watch the show with her grandmother. >> it is like an icon that is ending to be. i remember when erica kane was 16 years old. >> offense has started several and petitions in an attempt to prevent the show from going up the air. abc network officials say that the end date has been set and new shows are established. that is a pretty good indication that the final show will air in january. >> first oak brook now the story. i do not know what people are going to do. cognex why the graffiti problem is growing in the district. -- up next, why the graffiti problem is gone in the district. >> we have a drug deal in a classroom. i'm a curious seeker. i am a chemistry aficionado. diphenhydramine. magnesium hydroxide. atheletes foot. yes. i'm a people pleaser. if elected, i promise flu shots for all. i am a walking medical dictionary. congratulations virginia. inflamed uvula. i'm virginia. i'm a target pharmacist and i'mmhere to answez your questions. 3 middle school students were suspended after officials said they bought and sold marijuana in class. >> the students at the center of the controversy are just 13 years old. we are live at the school with the latest. >> pretty surprising, we have learned about another incident involving more students and more drugs. the science as drug-free zone, but this big the middle school in fredericksburg has been anything but. cops catching kids would pot once -- twice in three days. >> it is unfortunate that it is starting younger and younger. >> wednesday a 13-year-old girl was busted with a bag of marijuana she allegedly bought from a 13-year-old boy during class. she paid less than $10. >> it is uncommon for a student to be conducting a drug transaction in a classroom. i never heard of that happening. >> police locked up a third it greater for selling the same bag of dope to a boil a few weeks earlier. he is still in judy and detectives have the week. >> once in the back of marijuana that what from one city to another student. >> on monday, for boys ages 13 to 15, busted for bong hits in the boys' bathroom. >> we are concerned about the level of use that appears to be in the school. >> despite to drug bust this week, the school did not send a letter home to parents. >> i was not aware of that. it sounds pretty serious. >> they were caught and that was stopped. >> keep in mind, the school is supposed to be a drug-free zone. all seven students have been suspended as this investigation continues. police say there could be additional students charged. we are live in fredericksburg tonight. you may have noticed that graffiti is on the rise in the district especially gang graffiti. officials said they think they know why. >> from houses of worship to storefronts to alleyways gangs in d.c. are making their presence known. >> graffiti like this is how they calling their turf. this restaurant manager has to repaint the spent after was vandalized. >> they want to rule the block. this is their block. this block is for everybody. >> official says there has been an explosion of a graffiti since january. the 33-member group that claimed graffiti -- that clean graffiti within 24 hours this former member worries the trend will lead to violent retaliation. >> you have problems already throughout the city anyway. >> the writing is on the wall, more needs to be done. >> what we found is that the tagging came up repeatedly and all over the place. >> tagging paves the way for recruitment, children in local neighborhoods. ward 1 resident showed as parts of her neighborhood that had been targets of graffiti. she hopes the city will do a better job combating the problem. right now the department of public works is in charge of cleaning graffiti. he is working on finding funding in the 2012 budget for a less expensive task force. a fishing event sparked protests in virginia. they stopped the tall oaks pool would 750 rainbow trout in the hopes of a fish out this morning. the protesters showed up as well. peta been kurds to demonstrators to boycott the fish-out. the protest the -- they want to -- they wanted to come up with a more humane way to celebrate. we have some really heavy weather coming this way tomorrow. >> let's jump into it. it is beautiful out there now but here is so we have tomorrow. coastal flood advisories from increasing southeasterly winds. last flood watches west of the metro area. all because of this line. we may see a few showers in the morning tomorrow, but the best chance of organized rain later tomorrow afternoon. he may get lucky tomorrow to the morning at midday. but for clock showers and thunderstorms may move in. a much better day on sunday. tenders will be in the upper 60's would sunshine. and the 70's on tuesday and wednesday. stay in touch with us tomorrow during the day. that is the latest. let's take an -- let's check in at the verizon center. >> that is all we -- that is what we want. the capitals, they have been known as the white collar hockey team with virtuoso talent, back- to-back eastern conference top seeds. in game 1 they showed they can play with. and earn goes to work particles. the capt. helped his team get an edge in the series. here is a preview of tonight's game. >> look for the capitals' captain to come out and collision of tonight. just as he did in game 1. >> it is important to. >> he was a one-man wrecking crew on wednesday and that was not lost on the opponent or his coach. >> that is what he does. when you are watching and you are scouting, he is going to hit you. >> the biggest story line, hobbled goaltenders all of their performances? the rangers rock star dennis with 31 saves. >> if you were going to win your goal tender will have to be your best player. >> we know that we could do it. we have all the confidence in the world. but they saved their best for last and rallied to win the opener, conventional wisdom says all they did was hold court at home. a better be wary of the rangers tonight. >> it was only one game. every player is always up for the first playoff game. >> it is all about winning. >> the rangers struggled with possession in game 1. they made a lineup change. john avery will be in the game tonight. watch out for him. hear what jason things of avery. can you believe a dollar deal for lunch in the district today? >> it was a social phenomenon. it caught like wildfire. courtney robinson is in the newsroom now with more on this story. that is quite a deal. >> it was sternly a deal. 26,000 signed up for a special deal from living social, all by using iphone. it was a deal that caused many to bust their diets but not their budgets. >> 25 minutes to open up. >> there you go. >> just what can you get with a dollar? >> fries and a drink. >> 120 d.c. restaurant offered an entire bonds with at least $10 for $1. all plans to live in social -- livinsocial.com. this is a way for merchants to reach out to customers and for customers to take advantage. >> when you are ready to buy it, you must cook by now. >> instant gratification. >> for a dollar? >> it is pretty good. >> he is no stranger to the website. she is always finding savings. she said her family of five for $4. >> i checked it every day to see what is going on. in some deals are the best bread -- the daily deals are the best. >> finding an instant deal in the district is as simple as walking out your front door. >> that -- it knows exactly where you are. >> they did subsidized today's dollar deal. and a teacher they plan to work with shops on instant savings. you do not have to have an iphone or an android to save. we are live in the newsroom tonight. that is going to do it for 5:00. here is what is coming up at 6:00. >> do you think we're stupid? >> the budget battle heats up. president obama caught on tape talking about his negotiations with top republican lawmakers. another contentious vote today on capitol overspending. getting around the area this weekend will be a challenge. that is because of multiple street closures, parking restrictions metro station closures. it may be beautiful right now but we are on storm watch. heavy rain is expected this weekend. what you need to know.