right now at midday, the charges are dropped but the investigation into marion barry's professional relationship with his former girlfriend is now heating up. the latest in a live report. breaking news from metro as it cracks down after a train operator is caught texting on the job. and it's a panda party at the national zoo. we're there as one of the most famous residents celebrates a birthday. "news4 midday" starts right now. good morning, evyone. and welcome. we gin about new details about the arrest of d.c. council member marion barry this past weekend. the stalking charges were formally dropped in court this morning. his one-time girlfriend accuser

is speaking out about what happened. >> stacy wilkins is live at d.c. superior court with the latest on this still-unfolding case. >> reporter: good morning. more is still happening. in fact at noon council member marion barry will hold a press conference. but this morning in court, it was all very quick, took less than three seconds. judge read his case number and said that the u.s. state's attorney had no paperwork on the case, meaning that it was dismissed. marion barry and his attorney weren't even there for this process. they didn't have to be. but in the meantime, the woman at the center of all of what happened over the last few days spoke out. >> he's slippery. >> reporter: donna watts says she a learned a lot. she's the woman at the center of marion barry's latest run-in with the law. after almost a week of press conferences in which marion barry's spokesperson denied allegations of stalking watts and at times aired the couple's

dirty laundry, prosecutors have decided to drop the stalking charges brought against the ward 8 count member. >> the arrest of mr. barry should have never taken place. the false allegations against mr. barry should have never been made. >> reporter: barry had awarded watts a $60,000 contract to head a leadership program in ward 8, a decision that the d.c. attorney general tells "the washington post" he wants investigated. but barry defends. >> miss watts at the time was qualified for the position and went through the proper channels in order to be awarded for that contract. >> reporter: the "post" reports on july 4th, watts and barry got into a disagreement at her home and he thenollowed her and her ex-husband when they went to watch fireworks. >> i said he's bothering me, make sure he goes home. you know? i thought it was d.c. police because he gets away. they just let him go.

i wasn't thinking that i was going to settle. that's my fault. i was thinking the worst. >> reporter: now this is far from over because that $60,000 contract that council member barry awarded to watts is what's now got a lot of attention. tracee wilkins outside of the d.c. courthouse. back to you. as tracy ju tracee just men barry hired watts to do the work after the two started dating. the project was worth $60,000. watts was paid through barry's taxpayer funded budget. >> we have investigatory bodies that look at things like this. i think the council and the mayor would say we welcome any investigations from those bodies, not just in this case, but any other case. >> mayor fenty responding to a question about this case earlier today. a barry spokesperson has said

that the contract was given to watts because she met the criteria and the qualifications for the job. break news now from metro, the transit agency has just announced a new zero tolerance policy that cracks down on distracted train drivers. those caught using any mobile device during the operation after train or bus will be fired. this comes after grong concerns for metro to fire a train operator caught texting on the job. more than 17,000 people have seen this video on youtube. taken june 5th on the blue line. it shows the train operator texting while the train barrels ahead. metro says this operator will not be fired because these new rules did not apply when he was caught texting. in addictioning with metro says there is no evidence that the operator killed intas l month's

red line crash haasn been textin we just got these new ictures from a viewer that apparently show another train operator texting on hejob. the viewer says that hekoo them during rush hkrourn i september 2007. metro tells us they are "handling thisnmatters." news4 wantso t know y tour opinn on this new policy for metro operators using a mobile phone on tydu.du midday@nbcwashington.com. to a developing story out of south korea. several of the country's websites have come under attack again by cyber terrorists. south korean officials say seven websites were struck early this morning. one the affected sites belongs to the government. the other six are private. soh koa's intelligence agency has identified north korea as a possible suspect in the attacks. u.s. officials have traced the internet address to north korea. but they caution that doesn't mean kim jong-il's government is

actually responsible. the cyber attacks started in the united states over the july 4th weekend before spreading to south korea earlier this week. here in the u.s., the websites that came under attack include the white house, pentagon and nasdaq stock exchange. day two of the g-8 summit is under way in italy. today president obama is expected to take a leadership role on a conversation about climate change. here at home though he faces growing criticism about the condition of the economy. brooke hart has our report from capitol hill. >> reporter: president obama puts climate change front and center at the g-8 today leading a meeting of the world's top polluters. yesterday g-8ations pledged to limit global warming to 3.6 degrees with little talk of how. the president's challenge as he toured damage from l'aquila's earthquake in april is diplomatic. now that house lawmakers have

okayed emission caps at home -- >> we all have some skin in this game. i think that is -- i know it was important to the president to have that step through the house of represents before he got here in order, i think, to show a strengthened hand in dealing with developing nations. >> reporter: on the global economy, g-8 leaders called stimulus plans still necessary. on capitol hill republicans called the president's a failure. >> every american has the right to ask, where are the jobs that were promised? >> democratic governors testified it is working. >> the increase in taxes, the cuts in services would be infinitely grater were if t not for the aid the stimulus program has given to the states. >> reporter: a congressman mark randy says it has fully yet to

kick in. >> we'll see benefits i think later this year. >> reporter: despite the signs, no one predicts the stimulus world will revive the number of jobs lost by the recession. worries about jobs are costing the president support. in ohio where vice president joe biden travels today, unemployment has topped 10%. as of this week, more people there disapprove than approve of the president's handling of the economy. in washington, brooke hart, nbc news. while president obama and the other world leaders discuss climate change and trade, their spouses toured parts of the earthquake ravaged l'aquila, italy. the quake struck that town back in april and claimed nearly 300 lives and left about 65,000 people homeless. piles of rubble can be seen throughout the city. president obama toured the damage yesterday and promised that the u.s. would help in the rebuilding efforts. now to a couple of developing stories we're following this morning from the war zones. first to afghanistan. that's where rescue crews are still searching for several students after a massive bomb

went off outside a school. at least 25 people were killed, including 13 students. officials there say it was caused by explosives hidden beneath a pile of firewood in the back of a truck. this is the latest incident since the u.s. marines launched an offensive several weeks axe. in iraq, a suicide bomber killed at least 34 people and 70 others. in baghdad, two roadside bombs left six dead. attack came one day after two other deadly bombings. u.s. combat forces just pulled back out of city last month signaling confidence in recent security improvements and the ability of iraqi forces to keep order. here at home right now, police in manassas, virginia are searching for a man accused of trying to o abduct blonde teenage girls. flyers are passed out near wellington community center.

the latest incident was tuesday just before 2:00 in the afternoon. a 16-year-old was walking along clover hill road when a navy blue minivan pulled up next to her. driver tried to grab her arm and told her to get into a car. the teen got away. the same thing happened last month when a teen was walking in the same area. . the calendar may read july but it doesn't feel like it out there with 74 degrees, it is cool and dry. >> good morning, tom. >> unjuly-like. that is for sure. temperatures this morning down into the 40s and 50s out of the mountains. our nearby suburbs just west and north of washington bottom out in the mid 50s this morning. it's warmed up 20 degrees there. mid and upper 70s now. now in washington, d.c., 77. on the eastern shore, a wonderful summer day under way. in the upper 70s there. out of the mountains, a cool 71 at elkins. this morning they were flute 40s

in many areas around spruce nob and seneca rocks. this afternoon a low humidity and light breeze out of the east. a very pleasant summer day. afternoon highs a good five degrees or so the average high. forecast for friday, the weekend and a look at next week will be in a few minutes. let's go to jerry edwards and the news4 traffic network. >> good morning. nice day if you have to be stuck in traffic, you want to be stuck on a day like today. hopefully cars won't overheat. there is road work and backups at this hour. inner loop of the beltway in montgomery county, takes away the right lane from coalsville road to university boulevard. just off rockville pike off and

on the backup begins. police are on the scene southbound below the beltway between springfield and newington. they'll stop everybody right now and presumably move a vehicle -- they say they're going to stop everybody and move the vehicle to the shoulder here. looks like we have the lanes open. the accident's cleared but the road work down at the prince william parkway remains in the left lane. it's tough going from at least the capital beltway to points south. we'll keep you updated. 11:12, 74 degrees. the amazing pandamonium at the national zoo. also ahead, a brabattle bre over what will exactly happen with the body of michael jackson. where will. king of pop be buried? plus, you won't believe what one man with a fiery temper is accused of doing after his wife asked him for a divorce. it is the video of the morning.

babies on skates! look at that. you won't want to miss this one. sflits's all real! >> oh, yeah! look at that.

there is party going on out there. ps a panda party at the national zoo. one of the zoo's most popular residents turning 4 years old today. a lot of people are turning out to help tai shon celebrate his

big day. >> they rolled out the birthday treats.çó megan? it was quite a kick. >> it seems like yesterday when tai shon was born. but today the adorable giant panda celebrates a milestone birthday. at 4 years old, tai is a teenager! he's spending theay chowing down on sweet treats and sleeping. you know, he's basically a typical teen. it looked like a giant pink wedding cake. tai shon didn't know quite what to think at first. but as the crowd offered encouragement, the giant panda got into the spirit of things and began eating his cake of frozen bamboo and beet juice. >> he didn't really know what it was. he was kind of like hitting at it, smelling it and stuff like that. after a while he started eating it. >> reporter: look out, mom and dad, tai shon is 4 years ode.

that means in teen years, he's a teenager. though judging from the reaction of his adoring fans, this teen can do no wrong. >> i've been coming here since he was born and love him to pieces. he's brilliant. he's handsome, he's beautiful. he's cuddly. he's beautiful. >> yeah, he's perfect. >> reporter: now he's a teenager. >> i know. >> reporter: he's growing up. it was 2005 that tai shon came to the national zoo. like his parents, he's on loan from china. it's unclear how long he will stay in washington though. his term is about to expire. >> the adults are here on a ten-year loan. tai shon had a two-year extension which expires this year. we're in discussions with our chinese colleagues about what's going to hapn next year. we don't know yet. >> now tai shon's term expires in december of this year. he's going to be of mating age soon, so given the fact that giant pandas are an endangered species, he may have to move on

at some point to find a lady friend and have cubs of his own. we'll just have to wait and see. we hope he sticks around for a while. >> hope he doesn't get his driver's license! could be scary. >> that was a beautiful cake! thanks very much. we will see you a little later, megan. tom has the weather. beautiful day for a birthday party. >> even if you're dressed like a panda, it's not too hot -- yet. that may be coming though over the weekend. we certainly have been benefitting from this wonderful break from hue humidity we usually get this time of year. look at that wonderful just past full moon we had in the sky this morning. some clouds passing in front of the moon, rather dramatic picture there. it was a very cool morning as well, right around this time. this was the moon in the western sky. it was down in the 50s in many suburbs just to our west and north. right in washington, it bottomed out this morning right down into the mid 60s.

over the last couple of hours, we can put the sky in time lapse, looking off to the west from our vantage point in upper northwest washington. cloud shadows racing over the landscape there. in the distance is virginia. we've had these clouds passing from the north to south, but they've broken up quite a bit over the last hour or so. live view, sky watcher camera showing a generally sunny sky, just a few clouds around at this hour. looking at the city camera, just a few clouds as well floating over washington in downtown on capitol hill where just down river at reagan national it is at 77. last 12 days in a row have been cooler than average. looks like ilda wyl be w,too, as well as rrtomoowto we'll have a full two weeks of co ternve tge wra aereath for mid-july. nothing on radar now. temperatures around the region, low 70s. shenandoah valley from the blue ridge to western suburbs, mid 70s.

70s fairfax, montgomery, prince george's county. around our neighborhood network at this hour, bethesda, southern montgomery county, 76. comfortablyry opportunity of 57. gentle breeze out of the east-southeast. on the eastern shore, a beautiful day at the beaches, temperatures there in the upper 70s. out of the mountains, it bottomed out in the 40sn many locations this morning, but it is now near 70. over the last six hours we've seen this cloud cover generally breaking up quite a bit. quite a bit of sunshine across pennsylvania. high pressure to the north is cleepg it clear there and also giving us an easterly flow off of the cooler waters of the atlantic and chesapeake bay. again as a result it is going to keep us cooper than average for today. eventually a this high drifts farther to the east we'll see our wind shifting by late tomorrow and into the weekend. that's when we'll likely see the humidity increasing as well as our chances for maybe some afternoon and evening thundershowers over the weekend.

but going forward over the next 36 hours, just a few clouds in and out from time to time. that high pressure will eventually recede farther to the east, then open up the gates for the humidity to move in by late tomorrow and into saturday. for this thursday, the 9th day of july, afternoon highs climbing into the low 80s. partly cloudy, a gentle breeze and low humidity in place. great beach and pool weather. for this evening, should and lovely evening, temperatures in the 70s with partly cloudy sky. we'll have that just past fool moon just after 9:00 tonight. by dawn tomorrow, down into the low 60s. another cool start as we get going on friday. during the day tomorrow, should cool, too.loudynd again afternoon highs near 80. we call that cool in july. normally our ara hvehig is around 90 degrees this team of year. it will be a lite warmer over ee wnd but with clouds around on saturday and sunday, probably not going to hit 90 but certainly more humid both days, an increased chance perhaps of a late afternoon or early evening

shower or thundershower saturday. a greater chance on sunday, maybe a morning shower or afternoon thundershower. into next week it is going to feel like july. rather humid each day with highs in the upper 80s to near 90, which is about the average for this time of year. quite a bit of sunshine, too, monday and tuesday, maybe clouds building by midweek. >> thanks, tom. who dishes out the best frozen yogurt? that was for you to decide in our latest competition for aee award. al >> ts competition pitted setwe green and tangy sweet yogurts wbu itt as a tight race, but tayit sweet wonith 51%f ethe vo s.ay tuned for our next competition coming up soon on nbcwashington.com. >> which one did you vote for? >> i did not vote. i did not vote. i'm ashamed to say. 11:22. 77 degrees. up next, a man caught on tape

pulling off quite a heist. wait until you hear what he was able to steal in less than a minute. plus, the incredible ending to a wild police chase through some very business streets. and the controversy party favor. what was given out at a fourth of july parade that has a lot of parents upset. as we goo a brief break, a look at seom of the totoe sries right now on nbcwashington.com. s

the so-called beer bandit is still on the loose in ohio. on the fourth of july he was caught in action on surveillance video. police say he walked over to the beer refridge rate r, walked right out of the store. employees were in the middle of a rush and just did not notice. i guess i go to the wrong beer stores. consider it a lesson learned for a west virginia pharmacy. this year during the independence day parade the pharmacy gave out pill bottled filled with candy. the pharmacy says it won't be handing out anything that could be mistaken for pills in the near future. well, any time in the future. some south florida residents caught a rare glimpse of the

international space station this morning. that bright light you see on your screen is the space station shooting across the early morning sky in west palm beach. nasa says the space station orbit is just right for residents in south florida to get extended views all week. there is goes. >> lot of bright lights up there. >> the space station is about the size of two boeing 747s and circles the planet every 90 minutes actually. 11:27. 77 degrees. ahead, the battle over what will happen with michael jackson's body. this as we learn about what one thing he may be buried with. a man goes on a rampage after his wife asked him for a d-i-v-o-r-c-e and it's caught on tape. plus, what do you know about the bottled water you're drinking?

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crackdown on any bus driver or train operator found to be using a mobile device while on the job. the transit agency says it will no longer tolerate distracted train drivers. zero tolerance policy takes effect on monday. train operators who use their mobile devices on the job will be fired. the national zoo celebrating tai shon's birthday. he turns 4 day, celebrating with a special frozen treat that looked like a wedding cake. it was made of water, bamboo, shredded beets and beet juice. another cool and dry day. >> tom, how long is this weather to stick around? the rest of the week? >> not much longer so enjoy it while you can. temperatures around the region in the comfort stone nozone now. little bit cooler in the mountains, near 70. eastern shore and around the bay and at the beaches, a terrific

summer day underway with temperatures in the upper 70s. just a few, high clouds coming in. onlittle sprinkle in central west virginia. those should stay far away from our metro area. part cloudy this afternoon with low humidity, light breezes ow of the east, highs reaching the low 80s. average high this time of year upper 80s. low humidity in place overnight tonight. we'll have our temperatures in the 70s through the evening. low to mid 60s by dawn on friday. during the day tomorrow, should be partly cloudy. another day a lot like today. still low humidity. highs around 80. looks like we'll get more humid late friday night and over the weekend, highs mid 80s saturday and sunday. will is a chance of a late afrnoon or early evening thundershower or saturday. sunday perhaps a morning thundershower or afternoon thundershower, otherwise mostly cloudy in the mid 80s. july acting like a summer month as we get into next week, highs upper 80s to near 90 monday,

tuesday an wednesday. still rather humid. that's the way it looks. >> thanks, tom. let's check on the roadways now. here's jerry. >> good morning again. star stafford county, slow traffic 95 southbound. there was an accident approaching route 3 below fredericksburg. authorities trying to get that out of the roadway. southbound delays on 95 in this two-lane stretch will begin at route 17 down to a point where the near the accident. woodrow wilson bridge, both the inner and outer loop between alexandria and oxford hill look good at this hour. now to the latest on the investigation surround michael jackson's death. investigators have narrowed in on drugs used by the musician to fight his insomnia. several physicians who previbed those medications will now reportedly be questioned. michael jackson's family has yet

to decide on a final resting spot. jeff rossen has more. >> reporter: now we've confirmed the l.a. county coroner's office has jackson's brain. at least a part of it. investigators are analyzing his brain tissue. it's uncommon but could help determine wh killed him. >> they'll be looking to see whether there is any evidence of prior brain damage, whether from drugs or trauma or post viral infection. >> on his official death certificate latoya provides all the information -- cause of death, deferred. she lists forest lawn cemetery as a temporary location. that doesn't mean he'll be laid to rest there. to be buried at neverland, the family would have to apply for special permits. nbc news has learned they haven't yet. as jermaine jackson told çómatt neverland would be the ideal

resting place. >> this is his home. he created this. why wouldn't he be here? i feel his presence. >> reporter: it remains unclear where he will be buried or when. the enigma that was michael jackson continues even in death. >> michael jackson's life was a great story but ultimately a great tragedy. if you knew him you would know it was full of agony and ecstasy. >> reporter: did jackson's doctors prescribe pills for cash and did they kill him? i spoke with los angeles police chief -- >> we're certainly interviewing doctors, we're certainly interviewing friends, certainly trying to get an understanding of what role drugs may have played in the life of mr. jackson. >> reporter: are you confident there will be criminal charges in this case? >> no, not at all. >> reporter: as detectives probe jackson's final daysñr racking officer overtime, the city of los angeles is on the hoo being for more than $1 million providing security and other services at the memorial. there is outrage that the city had to pay the bill at all.

more than 10,000 jackson fans have logged in to the city's website to donate money. officials say that's not good enough. they want all of it back. >> it would be wonderful if the jackson family would consider assisting the city in defraying some of the costs of this. it would also be tremendous if aeg would help in deferring the cost on this. >> reporter: it's not over yet. there is still the high-profile battle over jackson's estate, and of course the kids. >> i just want to say i love him so much. >> reporter: mega stars, by default. >> that was jeff rossen reporting. jackson will reportedly be taking one of the trademarks with him to the grave. tmz.com is reporting that jackson will be buried with one white glove. happening today, a memorial service will be held in nashville for former tennessee titans and rachbts quarterback steve mcnair. police say he was the victim of a murder-suicide. investigators say mcnair's

20-year-old girlfriend so the him four times while he was sleeping. evidence shows she then took her own life. ka zee me and mcnair were dating even though mcnair was married with four children. police say kazemi had also learned mcnair was also involved with another woman. just days before their deaths, kazemi was pulled over for speeding and dui. mcnair was in the passenger seat. you see her getting out, talking to a officer and trying to walk a white line. mcnair was not charged and according to police, he left the scene in a cab. mcnair later bailed her out of jail. there are reports that that very same day she bought the gun she used to kill mcnair and herself. former nfl star bruce smith will be in court in virginia beach to answer drunk driving charges. last month he was charged with dui after being pulled over for i-26ing on police charged him with refusing

to take an alcohol breath test. this is the third time he's been charged with drunk driving in 12 years. last year he was elected to the pro football hall of fame and will be formally inducted next month. a connecticut man is facing attempted murder and kidnapping charges this morning for alleged lir holding his ex-wife hostage, then setting their house on fire. police say 60-year-old richard shankman handcuffed and bolted his wife to a wall inside their south windsor home. they say he then held her hostage for 12 hours and gave her a list of demands that included having a judge remarry them. his wife finally managed to loosen the bolts and escaped unharmed. shankman had set the house on fire and surrendered. a stunni inning admission. four mons ago laura ling and l t wthginergeesrr ate wlehirr henra tkiicffng o f women. they were sentenced to2 years of laci peterson camp last

month. report lisa ling says her sister laura told her by phone she and euna violated north korean law. ling says they are deeply sorry for what they did and need the help of the u.s. government. >> break news right now from capitol hill. take a look at this video that's just in to news4. it shows the arrest of more than two dozen aids activists who were holding a demonstration in the capitol rotunda. we understand they traveled across the northeast to participate in the rally. no word on what, if any, charges those arrested will face. this morning we are getting a first-hand look at major security breaches that took place inside federal governments here in washington. government investigators shot this video as they carried bomb making materials through security at a federal building. it happened ten times in ten different buildings. the investigators hid in rest rooms and put together even more powerful explosive devices. >> i'm in one of those buildings. there's hundreds of people in

there. h h >> how do you explain to yourself how these things were allowed to happen in. >> it is purely a lack of oversight on our part. 13,000 guards who work at federal buildings nationwide are contractors hired from outside companies. investigators say they found that many had expired certifications and some had no record of training. bottled water companies make up a huge industry, but is the water really worth the money you pay for it? >> new questions are being raised about safety and its value. tom costello has more. >> reporter: it's a sizzling hot summer day in july. so you grab a bottle of water. but, do you know what's in it? >> my kids love to drink bottled water. they love having it around. >> i can take it to hockey, just drink it on the bench or whatever. >> i prefer it. it tastes better than tap water. >> reporter: if you think bottled water is cleaner than tap water, some

environmentalists say you may be in for a surprise. >> norman half of people who drink bottled water drink it because they think it is healthier, safer, purer than tap water. by law it is not not requireded to be any of those things. >> reporter:ed a s ed it was fo less than 2% disclosed their water source. from 13 gallons per important in 1997 to more than 28 gallons per person last year, bottled water is now an $11 billion industry. but the fda doesn't require bottled water suppliers to tell consumers where their water iginates or what's in it. instead, congress heard of bottlers who brahpromise unique health benefits. >> like they can change the molecular makeup of water and make it healthy. or they play music while they bottle the water because it makes greater purification. >> the fda found that

intriguing. >> i would express skepticism about that one. >> reporter: municipal water providers are required to tell cuomers what's in the water, including the trait amounts of contaminants found through daily tests. 0% 20% of bottled water comes from the tap. consumers have a choice. >> consumers have many optionsñ% when choosing which bottled water brand to drink. if a bottled water company does not provide them with the information they want, you can choose another brand of bottled water. >> reporter: or drink from your own tap. >> according to most experts, tap water across this country is very safe and very clean. that congressional subcommittee is now asking a dozen bottled water companies to say where their water comes from and what's in it as congress and the fda consider requiring stricter labels on bottled water. 11:42. 77 degrees. the battle over bottled water takes on a new look. it involves baby on roller

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welcome back. this high-speed police chase ended in a crash. the driver refused to pull over

after weaving in and out of traffic. the suspect was hit by a truck at that intersection. the driver was hospitalized, still in the hospital. investigators are now trying to figure out whether police followed proper procedures. another hollywood star could be coming to washington. funny man alec baldwin may some day run for office. the ""30 rock" star told "playboy" magazine he is seriously considering a run for congress. baldwin is very involved politically and raises money for several organizations. he says he's already thinking about running for office in several different states, including new york. some good news about the country's job market. but retail sales take a hit and so are blaming the weather. >> cnbc's courtney reagan joins us live with more on those stories and the rest of the morning's business news. good morning to you both. stocks right now relatively flat. looks like the dow is posting

about 12 pois as far as gains go but we've moved back and forth from the flat line. we are now officially in earnings season. alcoa reported last night better than expected results and word of improving demand. crude oil right now trading around $60 a barrel. furors continue to swirl that we aren't quite out of the recession yet and we are seeing it in oil demand. asian markets were split overnight, and europe is relatively higher. we did get first-time claims for unemployment benefits. they fell last week to 565,000, much lower than anticipated. that reading was the lowest we've had since january. the nation's retailers are reported their june sales today. overall, it's not a rosie picture. blame it on the weather or blame it on the fact that consumers just didn't have those stimulus checks to spend this year, were a little tighter on the purse strings. gap, and others were higher than

expected. jcpenney, kohl's and sachs were still down for the month. it is the second day of the g-8 summit in italy. president obama will take part in talks on the globe economy and climate change. many developing countries have refused to go along with the standards. you can literally eat your heart out this baseball season. not really literally. that would be terrible. both baseball teams have all you can eat seats on the field. it helps to pump up profit during these tough times. baltimore orioles, texas rangers and pittsburgh pirates are among the teams who have jumped on the all-you-can-eat bandwagon.

$40 if you purchase tickets in advance. 11:48. temperature is 77 degrees. up next the video you've been waiting for -- babies on roller skates. meteorologist tom kanir will bacank. ñq

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hae he has coached all the super stars but today rick macy is putting his bets on a yu up and comer. mia at 4 is already a tennis prodigy. >> i've nevereen anybody with feet like this. very good hand-eye coordination. >> love that if she went professional. >> wow. look at that little kid. amazi amazing. she is young, she's already seeing her future in tennis. little mia says she sees her name on the trophies of wimbledon, the french open and u.s. open. i'd put some money on that. >> incredible sflimplt. every year our partners in "wednesday's child," freddie c

mac, today we meet the foster parent of the year from the district of columbia. >> i was so excited and so nervous. >> over 30 children have called her mama over the last 28 years. betty taylor says nothing in her life could have made her happier. >> i just love children. i just want them to be safe and have somewhere they can call home. >> reporter: ierwa hs otdmtoan hr he tghr tero t care will about homeless children. seen here at 98 with her family, her grandmother took in abandoned or foster children most of her life. >> they didn't call them foster parents back then, but that's what she did. children came from different places and lived with us. >> reporter: betty decided she wanted to do the same. >> at first i didn't know if i have the room for them, what i have to do, what consists of mafking a foster parent. then i found it was fairly easy. you just had to have the love in

your heart and room for the children. this is how i started out. >> reporter: most have come and gone, but three who stayed betty decided to adopt. >> you get ready to think about adoption, you say, oh. a lot of people don't want to apply to adopt because they don't feel like they have enough room, they ain't got no big house. but i just said, huh-uh. gois going to work out with this. i have a small apartment but it has really worked out. >> reporter: 16-year-old taylor is one of betty's adopted children. she says even the kids who leave think of this as home. >> like a lot of the kids my mom has, tllyti s come back. >> reporter: this is one of betty taylor's first foster children who now visits with her own children. theyti cl betty "grandma." etevena s agranots r,her,tyet b shsa ys se' still taking in babiesho need a home. they are still coming. for that reason, she was named

"foster parent of the year" for the district of columbia 2009. >> i just feel like this is what i was meant to do. this is just what is was born for. >> if you're interested in foster care or adoption, please call our special hotline. 1-888 1-888-2adopt-me. earlier in the newscast we said we wanted to know your thoughts on metro's new zero tolerance policy regarding cell phones for i a tinusrand b operators. >> one viewer said teshgstextin cell phone talking are all violations for road drivers. the same should apply for train drivers. the policy is good. i agree with the zer lerance policyut b how do they plan to enforce the rules. >> another viewer said i am not a fan of zero toleranceut polies in general but i do believe

metro drivers have to pay more attention. >> thank you to all of you who let us know what you thought today. now this afternoon coming up on news4, women who suffer migraines know that they are terrible. but new research is making a link between migraines and a woman's risk for breast cancer. we'll have the story. then at 5:00, the sonic scrubber, looks like an electric toothbrush but claims to clean like an electric dynamo. for these stories and all today's news, join us for news4 at 4:00. here's tom for a final look at the forecast. >> we've had a few clouds coming through this morning. another day on the way with cooler than average temperatures, partly cloudy with low humidity this afternoon, light breezes out of the east. highs should reach the low 80s. right now we're in the mid and upper 70s. overnight tonight, partly cloudy, low to mid 60s by dawn tomorrow. then on friday, partly cloudy another day with cooler than

average temperatures. low humidity, highs around 80, partly cloudy. over the weekend, partly sunny stat day, more humid and should and little hotter, mid 80s. on sunday, perhaps a morning shower and afternoon thundershower. as we get into next week, getting more like july. certainly mid summer type weather with highs in the 80s to ar 90, rather humid conditions monday, tuesday and wednesday. see you tomorrow morning, barbara and joe. thanks, tom. evian is hoping to replenish its brand name with a lively new commercial. take a look. ♪ >> this week the bottled water company launched its new "live young" global campaign. ads which appear online in the u.s. and on television overseas feature break-dancing babies. the goal of the ad do project a value of health, youth and purity and a more playful ad.

>> this doesn't mean if you brink water you ought to wear diapers? >> well -- we invite to you tune in for more news at 5:00, 6:00 and 11:00. until then, we hope you have a terrific day. fios guy! where ya headed? ah, just installed fios in the whole building. now everyone has the fastest upload speeds. and we're giving them a mini netbook. well, i'm sticking with cable. so's ted. (voice) no i'm not! he's just goofing. (voice) no i'm not! (sighing) ted has betrayed me. (announcer) unlike cable, fios brings 100% fiber optics straight to your home and when you switch now, you can get a free compaq mini netbook. just pay shipping, handling and taxes. with fios, you'll get razor-sharp tv,

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