winds and maybe heavy tropical downpours. as it does pass further to the east, we'll escape the main effects of the storm. beautiful summer morning underway. it's meteorology cal fall. upper 60 in arlington and fairfaxmontgomery. eastern shore, they are in the 60s and as i mentioned, the atlantic beaches could have very heavy surf and tropical storm force winds and heavy rain on friday as earl moves east of the atlantic seaboard. most of the effects of earl will be out to sea thankfully. there's the view from space on this wednesday morning starting off september with a clear sky, no travel problems weatherwise up and down the atlantic seaboard and we'll have highs into the low 90s. a code orange for unhealthy air quality. tomorrow near 90 and a few clouds coming in. cloudy to moatly cloudy as earl pushes by. ashley, how's the traffic? >> good morning, we are starting you off just as you love every morning, quietly, no big issues to report around the region. let's dive into the capitol beltway. the pace is manageable. the headlights are leaving the college park area heading for bethesda. no major trouble spots to speak of. overnight road construction around the capitol beltway is wrapping up, you have all of your lanes given back to you. eun and joe, back to you. >> right now the defense secretary robert gates is in iraq meeting with u.s. troops as they formally end their combat mission there. gates's plan touched down hours after president obama told americans it was time to turn the page on iraq. fewer than 50 nourks troops rema remain. president obama did not declare victory in iraq but did say the u.s. gave the iraqi people a chance to shape their future. tracie potts has the latest from washington. >> reporter: now with the military operation in iraq over, president obama says our next big mission is right here at home. >> the american combat mission in iraq has ended. >> reporter: with dwcombat troo out of iraq, he announced a new mission. >> restore our economy and put the millions of americans back to work. >> reporter: he blamed massive deficits of financing a decade of war with borrowed money. his focus now, jobs and afghanistan. >> open-ended war serves neither our interests nor the afghan peoples. >> reporter: republicans criticize the president for opposing the bush surge that turned it around in iraq. >> some leaders who fought tooth and nail to stop the surge strategy now proudly claim credit for the results. >> reporter: today's focus, the middle east. >> we pledge to do all we can always to protect and defend the state of israel. >> reporter: today president obama meets with israeli prime minister benk anyobenjamin netanyahu. the talks have been on hold now for almost two years. i'm tracie potts, news 4. those with loved ones overseas had a vested interest in what the president was saying. we watched with two women. while they were pleased with what he said, they also this some concerns. darcy spencer reports. >> i'd like to talk to you about the end of our commission mission in iraq. >> reporter: as president obama delivers a speech acknowledging the recent pullout of american troops from iraq, the loved ones still serving and in harm's way were watching and listening closely. >> we heard all day, all week leading up to this, it won't be a victory lap and it felt like a victory lap. >> reporter: the speech raised a lot of concerns for stacy simon. >> especially the ending, felt like he was ready to close the book, we've ended combat operations we're done and moving on, next page. >> she watched the speed with her co-worker, whose husband is also serving in afghanistan. >> i appreciate his acknowledgement of the service and sacrifice of the troops and their families. >> reporter: both women found it troubling the president brought the troubled economy and war debt into the speech. >> is he indicating it's a problem to fund our soldiers? because i very much -- i want to be sure they have all of the funding they need. >> as a military spouse, it unnerved me to hear that america is more interested in domestic issues right now than national security issues. >> reporter: both women say they wanted to hear more about the men and women still serving in iraq. >> there are 50,000 guys still there. there are families and there are soldier that's are going to wake up tomorrow and nothing changed. >> reporter: darcy spencer, news 4 today. both women agreed on one point, the president's plan to pull out troops should have nothing to do with fulfilling campaign promises. the soldiers should complete their mission before being sent ho home. the imam in charge of building a mosque near ground zero after a trip to the persian gulf that is supposed to promote tolerance. he spoke to a think tank about the plan. he says the issue could shape the issue of muslim relations in america. it is final in alaska, lisa murkowski has lost her job. she has now conceded to joe miller in the republican primary. she trailed miller by 1600 votes and could not make up the difference when absentee ballots were counted. sarah palin also endorsed him. murkowski is the third incumbent to lose a re-election bid. you'll have to wait another day to get your driver's license renewed. they can't handle transactions with photos because of a computer glitch. it's not clear when it is going to be resolved. you will not be ticketed if you get pulled over by a police officer. ahead on "news 4 today," if you're not getting enough sleep, a study out probably will not help you rest any easier. metro unveils a new feature to help you keep track of your travel plans. entire east coast watching earl. around here we'll see th good morning, time for weather and traffic. we have a clear sky, no travel problems weatherwise off to work and school on this wednesday morning. 77 in washington and upper 60s to near 70 in the suburbs and low to mid 60s in the rural areas and unhealthy air quality, code orange for poor air quality. near 90 on friday as earl passes east of the atlantic beaches. we'll have clouds here and a bit cooler on saturday. a look at sunday and labor day coming up in ten minutes as well as detailed look at the latest track for earl. ashley, how's the traffic? >> as a result of yesterday's accident that we had in the evening hours on 95 heading southbound that resulted in a brush fire, we still have brush fire activity going on down that way. 95 heading southbound, while it's open, you'll see fire equipment along the right and don't be surprised if you keep a couple of blazes burning around the area. as you travel closer to the c capitol beltway, no real trouble spots and lanes are open. still to come, crowd control at gallery place. how one business is using a bothersome buzz to keep people away. strange items spark suspicions and land two men in custody. it may be one big misunderstanding. a new sleep study our time is 4:45. time to check the stop stories, bob mcdonnell plans to declare an emergency as hurricane earl barrels towards the coast. it could hit the carolinas by late tonight before heading north. no deaths or injured were reporting in the caribbean yesterday. in an address to the nation, president obama formally ended the u.s. combat role in iraq. he says the "u.s. paid a huge price to give iraqis a chance to shape their future" and said america's number one priority is fixing the broken economy. lisa murkowski has conceded to joe miller in the alaskan primary. she trailed miller by 1600 votes. miller was the tea party favorite and endorsed by sarah palin. the third incumbent to lose ary election bid. we are one of the most educated jurisdictions in the nation. we should have a school system at least at the middle of the pack. >> there is a global economy around us. if we don't recognize the urgency of turning around education, believe me, we will continue to fall behind. we utilize our tool as guinea pigs because we couldn't decide and keep a superintendent longer than two years. >> the five candidates vying for the position squared off last night in a debate in oxon hill middle school. baker and dean and michael jackson and henry turner shared ideas on a number of issues, including school. the race for d.c. mayor, nbc 4 is joining with the "washington post" and wmau to bring you a debate between the two leading candidates, fenty and vincent gray will answer questions from panelists, including tom sherwood. maryland will not a new immigration law similar to the one in arizona. they rejected the plan by a 3-2 vote. it would have required police to request criminal suspects about their immigration status and would have prohibited hiring illegal immigrants for day labor. legislature would have had to approve that plan. anyone with information on a violent criminal who sexually assaulted an elderdy woman at the senior living facility. they are knocking on doors, passing out flyers with the description of the man. police say the 86-year-old was asleep in her bed when a man climbed through the window and assaulted her. just two months ago, another woman was assaulted inside her ground floor apartment right across the street. police are not saying if the two cases are related. two yemeni men arrested because of concern about suspicious luggage remain in dutch custody this morning even as u.s. officials cast doubt on the ties to terrorism. al soofi and al murisi were detained. al soofi had a box cutter and three knives. al murisi had nothing suspicious but you thought to be flying with al soofi. they say the two men did not know each other and were probably not doing a dry run for a terrorist attack. if you are looking for a healthy place to shop, the first organic grocery store east of the anacostia river opens this morning. it's located on the 2300 block of pennsylvania avenue in southeast washington. people living nearby say they have waited a long time for a store like this one. >> waiting on this for a long time. this is great. going to be a good thing. >> i'm always looking for this type of store for her to buy for the food. it's walking distance from my house. >> doors open at 8:00. while you were sleeping, three new sleep studies came out overnight. >> erika edwards reports, they link sleep deficits to major health problems and also death. >> reporter: life is a little burier when you don't get enough sleep, making focus and concentration difficult during the day. >> needs to get enough sleep so it can do the things it needs to do. >> reporter: new research finds depression and anxiety are more likely in young adults who get fewer than eight hours of sleep per night. the risk increases for every hour lost. teens who lack sleep will eat more fatty food than snacks. >> there are changes in hormones that control your appetite. >> reporter: even small changes in eating patterns can lead to weight gain, sleep experts recommend teens get nine hours of sleep each night. grown-ups require a little less but too little shut-eye in adult men can signal major problems. chronic inso many knee i can't with an increased risk of death in men during the 14-year follow-up period. the risk scored higher for men who had diabetes or high blood pressure. it's alarming news that experts hope prompts many to wake up to the health benefits of sleep. erika edwards, nbc news. sleep experts suggest getting into a bedtime routine to give your body a cut it's time for sleeping. they also recommend limiting use the internet and video game before bedtime. >> maybe a cue. >> a cue, right. it's nice knowing you, joe. >> it does make a big difference. starting off with a clear sky, no travel problems as you head off on this wednesday morning, work and school travel, no difficulties weatherwise. 77 in washingtonle. low and mid-70s near the bay. elsewhere we're the in 60s, arlington and fairfax and montgomery counties mid and upper 60s there. weather watchers reporting temperatures in the mid and low 60s around the shenandoah valley. and eastern shore away from the waters in the upper 60s. we have the large area of high pressure still locked in place trying to give us another sunny day and hot afternoon. in the atlantic, it is still t acti active, it is earl. the latest is that earl is a category 3 storm and winds are down about 10 miles per hour. moving west, northwest at about 14 miles an hour. it's picking up speed and does appear it will be right near cape hatteras by perhaps 4:00 in the morning on friday. and then the track goes farther out so the east and fortunately it does appear that the track is going to be farther to the east now. that's the trend and this will put it farther off the coast. but there still could be bands of rain right along the atlantic beaches from the outer banks to the jersey coastline. there also could be tropical storm force winds, about 70 miles an hour. but fortunately most of the storm appears it will be farther to the east. however, it does appear it may be scooting just to the east of long island, maybe even near cape cod or new england could have strong winds. for the children for the school buses, should be good weather and 60s and low 70s for the next several hours. by mid afternoon the mid-90s with unhealthy air quality. another clear night, near 80 by midnight and 60s by dawn tomorrow. during the day on thursday, a few high clouds coming in in advance of earl. we may have clouds here. then saturday, we cool down near 80, a beautiful day, beautiful day for sunday and for labor day as well with sunshine and low humidity. ashley, how's the traffic? >> good morning, we are still dealing with an issue that was plaguing drivers yesterday during their rides home. 95 heading southbound as you approach thornburg, we still have brush fires. no major lane closures right now, just a little right lane from drivers and against the flow of traffic. that certainly helps from fredericksburg to thornburg. our time is 4:54. grab your phone, we have a number you'll want to save if you ride metro. d.c. police chief cathy lanier opens up about animals and how one in particular has stolen her heart. >> that noise is driving me crazy and some people can't hear it, that's the point. where a tone is being used can you hear that? if you're over the age of 25 the answer might be no. can be heard between the ages of 13 and 25. one has been installed by a local business near the gallery place chinatown metro station. the owners say the area is so busy, they hope it discourages people from loitering. >> d.c. police chief cathy lanier has a secret passion many don't know about. she's an avid dog lover, there is one dog in particular that has earned a special spot in her heart. john schriffen introduces us to the chief's new friend. >> come here, buddy. that's what he wants. this is all watson wants, wants to lay down and be petted. >> reporter: cathy lanier has a soft spot for animals most criminals will never see. she has a history of rescuing shelter dogs and currently has five of them, including a blind deaf white auscy, the latest one to enter her heart, watson. an 8-year-old border collie with a rare birth defect. >> when they told me he was 8 years old and somebody decided to put him out or surrender him after eight years, it is heartbreaking. >> his condition is called spondylosis, barely has a neck because of missing vertebrae and the ones he does have are fused together causing him to be half the size of a normal dog. >> i've never seen anything like this. you wouldn't think he could live like this but already 7 or 8 years old and doing great. we don't have any reason he won't continue to be that way. >> reporter: for the past three weeks, chief lanier has come in to play with watson but can't take him in because the other dogs might hurt him. >> i come up and visit him and keep him company. i have a picture of him on my computer and show it to everybody i see. the dogs with the special needs make the best pets. they realize they need you as much as you need them. >> reporter: at any time there are 60 dogs here in the shelter available for adoption, chief lanier is hoping watson won't be one of them. she checks in on the website to see if anyone has taken watson home. head over to warl.org and there you can start the adoption process. >> adorable dog. >> softer side of chief lanier. we love it. "news 4 today" continues right now at 0500. bracing for herl, the powerful hurricane is about to turn towards the east coast. whose being told to get out of their homes. operation iraqi freedom is over. >> and addressing iraq, the president delivers a historic message on what the future holds abroad and here at home. i'm joe krebs. >> and i'm eun yang, welcome on this wednesday, september 1st, 2010. clear skies and the first day of mete meteorological fall. it is certainly feeling like fall in the mountains where it's in the 50s, but shen do wa valley, most locations are in the 60s. arlington and fair max, mid-60s in montgomery county. many locations only in the mid-50s there and the eastern shore away from the waters in the mid-60s, right at the atlantic beaches they have temperatures under a clear sky at 70. highs reaching low to mid-90s a. a code orange by mid afternoon. tomorrow morning we should be in the 50s again with a clear start and high clouds coming in tomorrow afternoon ahead of earl as it does approach the atlantic seaboard. but it does appear earl is going to be east off the atlantic seaboard over the open waters of the atlantic. perhaps close enough for the beaches to get some heavy surf, some tropical storm force winds and maybe even a few bands of tropical heavy downpours on friday. here locally around the metro area and points west, it will be partly cloudy and temperatures near 90. cooler starting off the weekend. let's check traffic now. ashley, how is it looking? >> we're starting off with an issue that never really completely unrapped itself yesterday evening. 95 southbound a major accident near thornberg, that tractor-trailer issue is resolved but we still have brush fires as a result. those are along the right side of the roadway and don't be surprised if you see emergency vehicles heading down that way. this is footage from yesterday. most of the issue has been resolved and no big delays right now. northbound 95 drivers are finding wide open spaces towards the capitol beltway. volume is on the increase for both hov drivers. a disabled vehicle blocking the right lane. eun, back to you. hurricane earl is taking aim at the east coast, the category 3 hurricane is heading towards north carolina this morning and could make landfall tomorrow night. earl's path has already taken over the caribbean where the cleanup is under way this morning. huge waves crashed on the beaches in puerto rico, surfers didn't seem to mind. nearly 200,000 people there are without power, no deaths or injuries are reported. bob mcdonnell plans on declaring an emergency today ahead of earl's arrival. but north carolina could be hit harder than virginia. jay gray has the latest on storm preparations from kill devil hills on the outer banks. >> reporter: calm seas can't hide the concern as hurricane earl, a major storm continues to close in on the east coast. >> from north carolina, to maine, any of these areas could be impacted and getting people to record they need recognize they need to get ready now. >> the current forecast track shows earl brushing the coast in the next couple of days. >> it doesn't have to make landfall to have very significant impact. >> reporter: north carolina's outer banks will likely be the first to feel the effects of earl. >> i think everybody is concerned. the locals are saying it is teasing us. so we're going to hang out and see what happens until they run us off the island, i guess we'll be all right. >> reporter: evacuations orders are already in effect on okracoke island. more are expected later today. as far north as massachusetts, many aren't waiting for orders, already pulling boats from the water and preparing to ride out the storm. >> i'll hunker down in the basement if need be. we have plenty of supplies. >> reporter: the entire east coast now anxiously awaiting an unwelcome guest, hurricane earl. here in their county, emergency officials will meet later this morning to discuss the possibility of evacuations and to continue preparing for earl. jay gray, nbc news, kill devil hills, north carolina. now press secretary robert gates is in iraq meeting with u.s. troops as they formally end their combat mission. this comes hours after president obama told the american public it was time to turn the page on iraq. this morning gates said that while the combat operations are over, his tri will judge whether the fight was worth it. after closing the book on iraq, president obama said it's time to focus on problems here at home. first up, fixing america's crumbling economy. tracy potts has more from capitol hill. >> president obama announced a new mission. >> restore our economy and put the millions of americans back to work. >> reporter: he blamed massive deficits of financing a decade of war with borrowed money. his focus now, jobs and afghanistan. the promise to pull out there will begin next september. >> open-ended war serves neither our interests nor the afghan peoples. >> reporter: republicans criticize the president for opposing the bush surge that turned things around in iraq. >> some leaders who fought tooth and nail to stop the surge strategy now proudly claim credit for the results. >> reporter: today's focus, the middle east. >> we pledge to do all we can always to protect and defend the state of israel. >> reporter: today president obama meets with israeli prime minister, benjamin netanyahu and ma abbas before talks begin. the talks have been on hold now for almost two years. tracie potts. the state department says imam arrived from a trip to the persian gulf that was supposed to row moat repromote religious tolerance. he spoke to a think tank about the controversial community center planned. he said the issue could shape the issue of muslim relations in america. now to decision 2010. voters send another incumbent packing. lisa murkowski conceded to joe miller, she trailed by 1500 votes and unable to make up the difference with the absentee votes. miller was endorsed by former vice presidential nominee sarah palin she is the third incumbent to lose re-election. metro riders can find out when the next train is arriving by dialing your phone. >> this new feature is so simple, dial 202-637-7,000, this is new train arrival service, call metro's customer information, 202-637-7000 and say next train. then you'll be prompted to name a station and a voice on the other end will tell you the number of minutes until the next fr fran arrives. metro bus riders can call the number and simply say next bus. >> i hope i don't end up looking like that when i have a teenager. tony blair's controversial new book. what he says made him cry. a critical showdown in the race for mayor. a former postmaster facing time in jail because of what he did with a lot of stamps. next, a check of the morning weather and traffic coming up. good morning, it's 5:11 on this wednesday morning, a clear sky. i'm tom kierein. temperatures around the region are pleasant. we're in the 60s in the suburbs and mid-70s in washington. near the bay, 70 at the atlantic beaches. poor air quality this afternoon. tomorrow it will be mostly sunny with highs near 90. clouds around from earl as it passes east of the atlantic beaches however they could get tropical storm force winds and heavy downpours. saturday sunday and cooler. a look at sunday and into labor day in ten minutes. how's the traffic? >> we are starting you off problem free. you're picking up company right now the pace past city grove is manageable towards the capitol beltway. no big problems to report on 95 heading northbound. volume on the increase towards the capitol beltway, southbound drivers out of thornburg you use the right lane due to inactivity. ahead on "news 4 today," we'll show you the newest addition to the national zoo. a maryland man suing over a medical mix-up and what he describes as brutal treatment that he says still gives him nightmares. john mccain's daughter with st good morning, i'm kimberly suiters, live in the newsroom. the skies over hatteras looking scary. the ominous swim at your own risk signs are up and surf is up too, all indications that earl is on the way. today virginia governor bob mcdonnell will declare a state of emergency giving the national guard and police time to mobilize. president obama formally ended the u.s. combat role in iraq. from the oval office, the president said the u.s. has quote, paid a huge price to give iraqis a chance to shape their future and said open-ended war does not serve our country's interest but fixing the economy does. lisa murkowski conceded to joe miller in the alaska primary. miller was the tea party favorite and endorsed by sarah palin. joe, now back to you. a former british prime minister is set to release a memoir. tony blair says in his new book the journey that he cried for soldiers and civilians killed in iraq ks that still thinks invading the country was the right thing to do. supporting the u.s.-led war still remains his most controversial opinion. blair is expected to make $7.5 million from the book, all of which he says he will donate to injured veterans. sarah palin is the object of criticism in another new book by john income mccain's daughter. it brought drama and stress and uncertainty to her father's presidential bid and called palin the time bomb and that she could explode at any moment. she however, does not blame palin for the 2008 loss and describes the palin family as nice and down to earth. mccain urged republicans to be more inclusive. today mayor fenty will debate vincent gray. it is the first debate since the latest poll shows the mayor trailing gray. tracee wilkins is live at the museum with details. >> reporter: good morning, the democratic primary are two weeks away. according to the "washington post" poll that came out on sunday, the mayor is trailing by double digits, making this debate critical. >> this afternoon, mayor adrian fenty and vincent gray scare off in a closely contested race. >> it becomes the most important part of the campaign. it's critically important that we not be kplasant, we're doing a full-court press, leaving no voter unturned. >> reporter: the two candidates will have a chance to present their views on the issues and also to take questions from the audience. both candidates are in the midst of an expensive and all-out get out the vote campaign. polls pick gray as the front-runner and mayor fenty has called himself the underdog, making this fight more competitive for his campaign. >> adrian has been a believer in retail politics for a long time. people working on the get out the vote effort are experienced. >> reporter: the debate happens here at noon at the newseum. >> you can watch that debate tomorrow at noon right here on nbc 4. it appears that maryland will not adopt a new immigration law similar to the one recently passed in arizona. frederick county commissioners rejected a proposal by a 3-2 vote. it would have required police to question criminal suspects about the immigration status. it also would have prohibited hiring new illegal immigrants for day labor. the maryland state legislature would also would have had to approve that plan. a former post master in prince george's county has pled guilty to pocketing tens of millions of dollars in stolen stamps. he told police that armed men came in and stole $50,000 in stamps. now he admits he made all of that up. he will be sentenced in september and agreed to pay back the money from his federal retirement account. a maryland man is suing prince george's county for $13 million this morning for trying to perform a surgery he didn't need. joseph wheeler was taken to the hospital to be treated for minor injuries after a car accident. doctors decided to keep him overnight to be safe. when wheeler awoke the next day, he was told he needed surgery to remove a potentially cancerous mass from his chest. it turns out he was given the wrong i.d. bracelet. he tried to leave then says he was attacked by security guards in the elevator. it is something that he says still causes nightmares. >> i've dreamt about being chased down the hallway. i've been -- i still see it in my head, being kicked and beaten in the elevator. >> he's taken to a hospital, which really should be a house of healing and he got there and turned into house of horrors for him. >> and an attorney for the house said they do not comment on pending litigation but they look forward to defending their case in court. there are four new and adorable additions at the national zoo. an african lion is a proud mom. she gave birth to four new cubs. her first litter. let's look at video of shara and the new cubs from the national zoo's website. you can see them rolling around there on the ground. very cute. zoo officials say this is the symbol of hope for the lion conservation program. in the wild lions may wait up to six weeks before introducing their cubs to the rest of the pride. zoo keepers predict visitors won't see them in the yard until late fall. >> so new, they can't even stand up, they have to roll around to get around. very cute. >> sort of like me this hour. that's how you roll out of bed. >> we've got some storms out in the atlantic. >> perhaps at the atlantic beaches on friday but shouldn't have difficulties elsewhere as earl passes. right now though, we're starting off with a clear sky on this wednesday morning. good morning, i'm tom kierein, 76 in washington and low to mid 70s. most rural areas, in the mountains in the 50s. and poor air quality developing with stagnant air this afternoon. tomorrow mostly sunny up near 90. near 90 on friday and most areas from the bay west just in clouds from earl on friday. however, at the atlantic beaches on friday there could be heavy surf as well as maybe some tropical storm-force winds up to 70 miles per hour and heavy downpours as earl passes east of the atlantic beaches on friday. labor day, low humidity with highs in the low 80s. ashley, how's the traffic? >> this early morning, we are starting you off with no big issues around the region. 66 headed in the eastbound direction approaching the capitol beltway. we had a disabled vehicle prior to route 50. no problems there. as we travel along 95, we do have more company leaving newington but there's still the posted speed limit and the hov to continue towards 395. dulles toll road, it's a little dark out there but no problems to report. eun and joe back to you. our time is 5:22. coming up, a brand-new study you need to hear about. how much sleep you really need to stay healthy. it's the glitch that won't go away, an update on the commuter problem that derailed work at local dmv. we now know when stephen strasburg will go under th rnlgs stephen strasburg will finally undergo elbow surgery this friday. the national pitching prospect will have the operation in los angeles. it is better known as tommy johns surgery and will keep him out of action for 12 to 18 months. he hurt himself back on august 21st pitching against the phillies. nats manager rizzo says he is dealing with the injury like a professional. make sure you get your zs or you could have life threatening consequences. the researchers at penn state found men with chronic insomnia were at greater risk to death. the risk soared for men who had diabetes or high blood pressure. researchers found not enough sleep makes focus and concentration difficult during the day and young adults have a higher chance of depression and anxiety. teens who lack sleep also tend to eat more fatty foods and snacks. got to sleep. 5:26 is your time. coming up, the president announces the end of combat in iraq and refocuses on the problems here at home. misunderstandings that may be what led to detaining two men who had rather unusual luggage tracking earl, it's kicking up surf and forcing evacuations but this morning there are good news on the hurricane churning in the atlantic. good morning, i'm eun yang. >> good morning, i'm joe krebs, it's wednesday, the 1st of september 2010. seems pretty calm. 75 degrees right now and going to have another hot summer like day today. >> first day of september and first day of meteorological autumn. big changes on the way. right now it's at 76 in washington. good morning, i'm tom kierein, upper 60s in prince georges. arlington and mare fax, mid-60s. and around the bay it's in the mid-70s. atlantic beaches mid 60s and out in the mountains of west virginia, only in the mid-50s, a quite a cool start there this morning. the high pressure is still locked in place giving us another day with lots of sunshine and a hot afternoon with stagnant air. we'll have poor air quality developing by mid afternoon. tomorrow near 90 and mostly sunny near 90 on sunday. could get storminess at the beaches and cooler on the weekend. latest on earl coming up in just a minute. how is it looking? >> we're looking pretty good around the region. capitol beltway, no big problems to report. overnight construction a thing of the past. as you leave university boulevard, the head lights are traveling towards silver spring, accident free as we travel elsewhere around the region, 95 northbound, definitely got more volume concerns out of newington. still at the posted speed limit just more company with you. after thornburg, the accident has long since been cleared but we still have police and fire department activity along the right side of the road. joe and eun, back to you. this morning that nasa is providing a powerful image, showing how large earl really is. this is from the international space station as massive as it appears here, there is good news about earl this weekend. let's check in with tom kierein. there's been a change in the projected track. he is turning away here and lost a little bit of strength. this is the satellite over the last 12 hours, continues to the move to the west-northwest and behind this is this disorganized tropical storm fiona. there's another disturbance to the east of that. here's the latest with earl's track and the latest conditions. it has been down to a category 3 from a 4. that's still a powerful storm. the pressure is holding steady. the latest track takes it a little bit farther to the east. a category 3 storm near cape hat russ, maybe 100 miles off the coast there. during the day friday, passing east of our atlantic beaches but may be affecting eastern new england by saturday. the likely effects for us here locally around our region will likely have just some clouds moving in from the west. we'll have clouds then further to the east maybe wet at the beaches and there certainly could be tropical storm force winds at the beaches as well as very heavy surf on friday and very heavy downpours. looks like the track will be further to the east. >> thanks very much. kimberly suiters is live in the newsroom and been monitoring the storm's path as well. >> all of the video that accompanies that. we'll look at it in a second. even though it had been downgraded to a category 3 hurricane, its track could barely side swipe the east coast. in the caribbean, the cleanup is under way this morning. huge waves crashed on the beacs in puerto rico. nearly 200,000 people there without power. no deaths or injuries reported. the hurricane watch has been in effect for the north carolina coast and particular the outer banks has been extended to the virginia coast. right now earl is located southeast of cape hatteras along the outer banks where evacuation orders went into effect 30 minutes ago. from north carolina income to maine, many areas could be impacted and getting people to recognize they need to get ready now. >> i think everybody is concerned. locals are saying it's winking at us, teasing us. we're going to hang out and see what happens until they run us off the island, i guess we'll be all right. even if earl does not come ashore, it's expected to bring drenching wind and gusting wind to the atlantic coach. that includes beaches like ocean city and bethany. the whole holiday weekend will not be a washout, thank goodness for that. >> thanks very much, kimberly. seven years after started the u.s. combat mission in iraq is officially over. president obama made the announcement from the oval office last night and says the u.s. has paid a huge price to give iraqis a chance to shape their future. 50,000 troops remain but will eventually leave as well. >> u.s. troops remain in iraq with a different mission, advising and assisting iraq security forces and sporing iraqi troops and counterterrorism measures. xinlt with our agreement with the iraqi government, all u.s. troops will leave by the end of next year. the president said his most urgent priority now is fixing the american economy. he wants to put millions back to work and strengthen the middle class and improve education. investigators are still trying to determine what led to the death of a man who's body was found in a virginia army installation. it was found monday in a wooded area. officials believe the man was a soldier but still working to identify him. no word so far on what caused his death. happening today, president obama will meet with leaders from israel and palestine privately. the former talks begin tomorrow at the state department. these meetings come a day after a deadly attack in the west bank over the past 20 years there have been several attempts between the two sides leading to partial agreement, but never a comprehensive deal. the imam in charge of plans to build an islamic center near ground zero returns to the u.s. today. he will arrive in new york from a trip to the persian gulf that was supposed to promote religious tolerance. the state department funded that troop. he spent yesterday in dubai speaking to a think tank about the plan. he says the issue could shape the future the muslim relations in america. if you live in virginia, you'll have to wait another day before getting your driver's license renewed in person. none of the commonwealth's 74 dmvs can handle transactions involving photos because a a computer glitch. it's not clear when it will be resolved. if your license expires, you will not be ticketed if you get pulled over by a police officer on certain dates. members of the tea party movement celebrating a major victory. plus, grab your phone, if you ride metro, there is a number you'll want to save because it could save you some time. a heat wave continues. when will it break? weather and traffic are next. so i told the guy i wanted yeah. a convertible. and this is what he had in my budget. aw! well, the top is down. the top is gone! lots of head room... tons of head room! --careful! that's sharp. jeez! yeah...sorry. narrator: settling for less is 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 cars. so you can get more car for less money by shopping at carmax. now more than ever, the smart choice is carmax. the way car buying should be. i could wear hats, if i partook in hat type things (birds chirping) like strolling in an orchard ♪ is this my husband? awesome cool hat, mom oh my perfect kids alright fourteen ninety nine i totally wear hats ♪ our time is 5:40. that's a pretty picture. beautiful picture of the capitol dome on this first day of september, first day of meteoro logical fall in the nation's capitol but it's going to be a hot one again. >> when will it start feeling like fall? >> maybe for saturday. >> there we go. we knew you would have the answer. >> between now and then, big changes on the way. 76 in washington, 60s in prince george's and montgomery counties. low to mid-70s near the bay and atlantic beaches. and out in the mountains this morning, only in the 50s, later today the low to mid-90s and poor air quality by mid afternoon. it's a code orange day. tomorrow should be sunny and a bit cooler. friday clouds here from earl. at the atlantic beaches could be tropical storm force winds and heavy surf. saturday beginning to feel like fall. may be in the 50s in many areas and low to mid-60s closer to washington. a look at labor day into next week as well as the latest on earl's track in ten minutes. good morning, we are rolling accident free along 270. let's hop on there and you can see volume is on the increase. that is where you'll hit the brake lights but the pace does open up further south. no problems on the capitol beltway. they are flying on the capitol beltway, the tail lights we see are heading down into virginia. no problems to report to start you off this early morning. eun and joe back to you. 74 degrees, the secret passion of d.c.'s to crime fighter, how a dog with a rare disorder has stolen her heart. a rather irritating sound that you may or may not hear. where a bothersome buzz is being used to control crowds in the city. mayor fenty calls himself the good morning, welcome back. the race for d.c.'s next mayor is heating up now. adrian fenty will debate vincent gray. the first debate since the poll shows him trailing gray by a sizable margin. he called himself in the underdog in the race to keep his job. good morning, tracee. >> reporter: good morning. that poll showed that the mayor is trailing by double digits, making this debate even more critical. fenty and chairman vincent gray square off in a debate over what has become a closely contested race. >> now comes the most important part of the campaign. it's important we not be come placeant, we're doing a full-court press leaving no voter unturned. >> reporter: the two candidates have a chance to xa each other direct questions and take questions from the audience. both candidates are in the mid the of an expensive all-out get out the vote campaign. polls pick gray as the front-runner and fenty has called himself the underdog in the race. >> adrian has been a believer in retail politics for a long time. people working our get out the vote effort are experienced. his mayor's race has worked for the race. the democratic primary is in two weeks. today's fate happens at noon here at the museum. back to you in the studio. nbc 4 is joining with "washington post" and wmau 8 8.5 radio to bring you the debate. they will answer questions from three panelists, among them, news 4's tom sherwood. you can watch tomorrow at noon on nbc 4. the candidates debated last night in prince george's county and all echoed similar concerns. >> we are one of the most educated in the nation. we should have a school system at least at the middle of the pack, resident at the bottom. >> there's a global economy around us and if we don't recognize the urgency of turning around education, believe me, we will continue to fall behind. we utilize our children as guinea pigs to five different types of programs for educational sake because we couldn't decide and keep a superintendent longer than two years. >> the five candidates squared off at oxon hill middle school in fort washington. samuel dean, michael jackson and henry turner shared ideas on a number of issues, including school. baker received a boost with an endorsement from state's attorney glenn ivy. it appears maryland will not adopt an immigration law similar to the one passed in arizona. the frederick county commissioners rejected the plan. it would have required police to question suspects about their immigration status and the maryland state legislature also would have had to approve this plan. now to decision 2010 it's final in alaska, incumbent lisa murkowski has conceded to joe miller. they trailed by 1500 votes and could not make up the difference when absentee ballots were counted. sarah palin endorsed him. a neighborhood blitz aimed at catching a violent criminal who sexually assaulted a elderly woman at a senior living facility. montgomery county police are passing you don't flyers with a description of the man. it happened a week and a half ago in germantown. the 86-year-old victim was asleep in her bed when a man climbed through the window and assaulted her. two months ago another woman was assaulted inside her ground floor apartment. two yemeni men arrested because of suspicious luggage remain in dutch custody. al soofi and al murisi were put on a flight to amsterdam after missing a connection to dulles. al soofi had a bag containing a cell phone taped to a pepto-bismol bottle al murisi was thought to be flying with al soofi. actually the two men did not know each other and were probably not performing a dry run for a terrorist attack. the men had not been charged so far with anything. a man visiting the district has landed in jail on charges of animal cruelty. the suspect is kenneth reese of michigan. he left his two dogs in his car, one of them in a plastic bin while he and his daughter went the holocaust museum. one died and the other needed medical attention. officers say they have seen more dogs left in hot cars this year than in years past. and that many of the offenders are people visiting from out of town. d.c. police chief cathy lanier is known for the tough stance on crime. what many people don't know about is her fondness for dogs, especially dogs without a home. she currently has five, one of which is a blind and deaf white aussi. she has been visiting the washington area rescue league to visit a dog named watson, an 8-year-old border kolly, half the size because of a rare birth defect. >> i try to keep him company and have a picture of him on my computer an show it to everybody i see and don't you need a dog? i think the dogs with the special needs make the best pets, they realize they need you as much as you need them. the chief says she would take watson home but is not sure how the dog would get along with her bigger dogs. if you're interested in adopting watson or any of the other dogs from the washington area rescue league, visit warl.org to start the application process. great looking dog. >> i'll belt you he finds a home soon. it is the first day of fall meteor lodgeally speaking but doesn't feel like fall at all. >> starting off this wednesday morning with a clear sky, 76 in washington. in the upper 6 0e's in prince george's county and weather watchers are reporting temperatures in the low 60s around the blue ridge and much of maryland. near the bay it's in the mid-70s this morning. atlantic beaches as well, they could have the effects of earl. their temperatures are in the low 70s. out in the mountains of western maryland, the cool morning there again, in the 50s this morning but away from the waters on the eastern shore it's in the 60s. and over the last 12 hours, we still have this large area of high pressure that's locked in place over the mid-atlantic states and it's going to slowly sort of dissipate as earl approaches late thursday into friday. here is the latest on hurricane earl. it has been downgratded this morning to a category 3 storm. it is still a powerful hurricane. you can see a fairly well formed eye there. and behind that is this disorganized tropical storm fiona. there's another disturbance farther to the east. we'll keep an eye on that. with earl, the latest track thankfully is taking it a little farther to the east. the winds from earl are down 125. but that's still a powerful hurricane. does look like around midnight friday morning, it could be near the outer banks but out to sea. however close enough for the outer banks to get tropical storm force winds. then as it does pass farther to the north and east, many of the heavier effects and strongest effects the storm will be off our atlantic seaboard from the delaware bay down to chincoteague and southeastern virginia. it could hit eastern new england and cape cod and massachusetts could get hurricane-force winds on saturday. the effects for us are going to be minimal thankfully for our region. it does appear that for us we'll stay dry in the washington area, but at the atlantic beaches and maybe a little further inland, there could be tropical storm force winds and some heavy downpours as earl passes to the east. so that's good news this morning as we look at the bus stop forecast, sunny, in the 60s and low 70s. good weather for the children waiting for the school buses and by noon it will be near 90. a clear night tonight, we'll be down into the 60s by dawn tomorrow. then during the day on thursday, near 90 with sunshine. near 90 on friday, clouds here from earl. saturday sunny and school highs near 80 with low humidity. low humidity in place sunday and monday too. i come bearing good news this early morning. 66, the dulles toll road, all of them are doing just fine. you can see 28, the headlights cutting across the center of your screen there are along 28. as you can see volume is not a factor for drivers. 95 headed northbound, we most certainly do have volume concerns, but you're doing the posted speed limit as you leave springfield. it's around lorton you'll be on the brakes. as we travel elsewhere, the pace along the capitol beltway. the headlights are leaving maryland -- leaving virginia heading for maryland. back to you. is there a little ringing in your ears? if you're over the age of 25 the answer might be no. it is called the mosquito and creating a buzz near the chinatown metro station. elaine reyes joins us live with more on the purpose of this very annoying device. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, eun. i'm either too old to hear it or it's just too loud out here. it is just behind me here at the metro stop. and this thing is creating good buzz for some, bad for others as you probably heard it's not actually a buzz. it's like an annoying alarm. take a look. there's a buzz in chinatown and it has nothing to do with a new restaurant or business. meet the mosquito, a box placed near the gallery place metro to keep young people moving. business owners and customers have long complained about unruly crowds, especially at night. >> it is sort of piercing and really annoying, obnoxious. >> reporter: does it make you want to leave? >> doesn't make me want to hang around here. >> it's aggravating. >> reporter: the box was paid for by the developer of gallery place. it emits a high pitched beeping noiz aimed at the hearing rage of 13 to 25-year-olds. it's purpose is to drive stagnant crowds away from hanging out, potentially helping a long-time issue in chinatown. >> you need to be home, reading a book, doing something constructive. i hope it works because lots of teenagers here on a regular basis. >> overrun with teenagers. >> you can barely make it to the escalator sometimes, kids are everywhere. >> reporter: d.c. police nor metro, neither agency recommended this device nor endorsed it. again, this was put together by the developer of gallery place. there's also been some complaints that this is discriminatory against teens. this thing was just put up not very long ago. we'll have to see if it works, eun? >> elaine reyes in the chinatown area, thank you. if you ever wished you could find out exactly when a metro train would arrive even before you got to the station, now you can simply by dialing your phone. mom, this new feature is so simple, you pick up the phone dial 202-637-7000 and say next train. >> the actors seemed a little stiff. the announcement for the new train arrival service, call metro's customer information number and say, next train. then you'll be prompted to name a station and a voice on the other end will tell you the number of minutes until the bus arrives. metro riders can do the same by saying next bus. apple is getting ready to introduce a new ipod today. it's not yeah, but... what.. happened to the back there? well, here's the thing: this was the only "sporty two-seater" they had on my budget. uh-huh. and the seats go all the way back. (announcer) settling for less is not smart. what is smart is getting more car for your money at carmax. for the money you'd spend on a stripped down new car, you could get a fully loaded, guaranteed-quality used car at carmax. now more than ever, the smart choice is carmax. the way car buying should be. evacuations and emergencies, hurricane earl is barreling towards the east coast from north carolina to maine, everyone is watching this storm and this morning we have new information about just how powerful the storm is and what its track it likely to be. operation iraqi freedom is over. and the iraqi people now -- >> president obama's oval office about the end of combat operations in iraq and talks about what's next for america. thanks for joining us for "news 4 today." >> i'm joe krebs on this wednesday, the first day of september 2010. beautiful colors on the horizon as the sun gets ready to climb out of bed with the rest of us, 75 degrees. >> we welcome september first, the first day of meteorological fall. >> we're embracing september the we want it to give us autumn weather but it's going to feel like summertime today. pleasant morning, sunrise is in 38 minutes, 37 minutes now at 6:01. it's at 71 at andrews air force base in prince george's county. upper 60s in arlington and fairfax counties. near the bay, southern maryland northern neck of virginia in the 70s. atlantic beaches in the low 70s. mountains of west virginia, many locations are in the 50s this morning. we've got this big area of high pressure locked in place going to give us a sunny hot day with highs in the mid-90s. near 90 tomorrow and near 90 on friday with clouds around from earl. the latest earl track coming up in a couple of minutes. ashley, how's the traffic? >> we do have volume on the increase around the region. no big delays to speak of but you are going to be picking up volume out of lorton on your approach to newington. here's the case out of springfield. hovs continuing towards 395. elsewhere around the region, capitol beltway, those headlights are traveling on the outer loop of the beltway with a little bit of delay, no problem as you continue over towards connecticut avenue. the trip along 270 hiding south, we do have delays as you leave clarks burg, no problem down to the beltway. hurricane several barreling towards the east coast. bob mcdonnell plans on declaring an emergency today. tourists along the outer banks have been evacuated. more evacuation orders along the eastern seaboard is possible as earl approaches. it is downgraded to a category 3 storm. kimberly suiters has the latest on earl. good morning, eun. in virginia the state of emergency will mobilize the national guard and state police and in maryland, the state director does not believe in evacuation will be needed and down in north carolina, vacationers along part of the outer banks are being evacuated as we speak as of 5:00 this morning. let's look at earl's impact so far. in the caribbean, the cleanup is underway. huge waves crashed on the beaches in puerto rico, there were strong wind gusts 200,000 there are without power this morning. the hurricane watch in effect for the north carolina coast, in particular the outer banks has been extended to the virginia coast. right now earl is located southeast of cape hatteras along the outer banks where evacuation orders for tourists are in effect. >> from north carolina, to maine, any of these areas could be impacted and really getting people to recognize they need to get ready now. >> i think everybody is concerned. the locals are saying it's winking at us, it's teasing us. we're going to hang out and see what happens. >> this morning's maryland's emergency management director ocean city could get a tropical storm but not hurricane force winds, he admits it wouldn't take much to bring the storm a bit west. ocean city's mayor says there are about 200,000 enjoying the beach or at least hoping to this morning. let's check with tom kierein for the latest on earl's track. >> thankfully the track has changed and it does look like it will be farther east than the last couple of days. however it is still a powerful hurricane and continues to churn away. this is the satellite movie over the last 12 hours. to the east of earl is fiona, a disorganized tropical storm and farther east of there is another disturbance we'll keep an eye on that. for earl's latest track now, a category three storm with winds at 125 miles an hour, moving northwest at 14. just past midnight it will be near the outer banks as a category 3 hurricane. then take a turn to the northeast thankfully pulling it much farther from the coast but it could impact eastern new england and cape cod and marsha's vineyard and nantucket and perhaps all the way up into the maine coast. for us, it does look like the effects are going to be right at the atlantic beaches. the outer bands could whip the beaches with tropical storm force winds. heavy downpours and very heavy surf. farther to the west on friday, it should be dry. that's the way it looks, eun? >> thank you. >> and this morning, that is is -- nasa is providing a powerful image. an astronaut captured this storm from aboard the international space station. >> more than seven years after the start of the war in iraq, the combat mission there now is officially over. in an address to the nation, president obama said it is time to turn the page on iraq. now he says it's time to work on our problems closer to hope, including the struggling economy here. he also mentioned a few words about his predecessor, president george w. bush. it's well known that he and i agreed about the war from the outset. no one can doubt president bush's support for the troops over the last decade. we have not done what's necessary to shore up the foundations of our own pr prosperity. we spent a trillion dollars on war. this has shortchanged investments in our own people. >> those with loved ones serving overseas had a vested interest. we watched with two women who's husband and boyfriend are in the middle east. while they were pleased with some of what the president said, they also some concerns. >> by bringing the economy into it, is he indicating it's a problem to fund our soldiers? because i very much -- i want to be sure they have all of the funding they need. >> as a military spouse, it unnerved me a little bit to hear that america is more interested in domestic issues right now than national security issues. both women also agreed that the president's plan to pull out troops should have nothing to do with fulfilling campaign promises. they said they believed that soldiers should complete their mission before they are sent home. investigators are trying to determine what led to the death of a man whose body was found in a virginia army installation. the body was found monday in a wooded area in fairfax county. officials believe the man was a soldier but they are still working to identify him. there's no word on what caused his death. police need your help catching the man who sexually assaulted an 86-year-old woman inside a senior living facility. montgomery county police went door to door passing out flyers last night. the attack happened a year and a half ago at the churchhill senior living center in germantown. the woman was asleep in her bed when a man climbed through the window and assaulted her. two months ago another woman was assaulted inside her ground floor apartment. police are not saying if the two cases are related. 6:08 is our time. the controversy over the proposed mosque near ground zero could reach new heights today. who is now coming to new york city? >> three new studies are out highlighting the health risk of not getting enough sleep. the startling results will make you wake up. >> 75 degrees under a beautiful sky. we'll have weather and traffic together on the ones next. time for weather and track on ones early on this wednesday morning. i'm tom kierein. at 6:11, 76 in washington, near 70 prince george's county, in the 6 0e's in arlington and fairfax, farther to the west low 60s and 50s in the mountains, highs today in the mid 90s. near 90 again on friday. some clouds from earl here but some storminess at the atlantic beaches but cooler as we start off the labordy weekend on saturday with a high near 80. a look at the rest of the labor day weekend in ten minutes and live report coming up in a couple minutes on hurricane earl. how's the traffic? we're starting you off with a problem on 95 heading northbound prior to lorton. a disabled vehicle is blocking the left shoulder. you're swequeezes to the right get by. as you leave the capitol beltway and continue along 395, taking a trip along the bw parkway, chopper 4 live over top of the bw parkway around 198. no major accidents to report but you do have company heading down towards the beltway. back to you. thanks very much. ashley. >> 75 degrees, it's important day in the d.c. mayor's race, they get ready to debate one on one. was it a dry run for terrorism or just odd. we'll tell you what the feds think. we're tracking hurricane earl. we'll be talking to the weather channel about where the storm is headed nex good morning, i'm tom kierein, hurricane earl continues to churn to the northwest at 15 miles an hour. now east of the bahamas, remains a major hurricane on this wednesday morning. it is a category 3 hurricane. coming close to us on friday. it may even be affecting new england and long island after that. that's where the weather channel's mike seidel is located. located there on long island it could be headed there on friday. what's the latest there, mike? >> reporter: it's sunshine out here at montauk, this area expected to get a brush by hurricane earl. it's going to be a friday storm. today and tomorrow, sunny skies and beautiful weather and nobody is packing up and heading back inland. temperatures in the 8 0e's. in the city we have a heat advisory. surf today, not too bad but the rip current will pull you over, 2 to 3 foot waves will be ramming up late thursday into friday. we're expecting 10 foot waves with a brush by. more dangerous rip current will continue. the whole beach will be under water. in fact at high tide yesterday, a lot of the beach was already under water. we'll have moderate, if not significant beach erosion and there may be overwash. hurricane earl making its closest approach late friday on eastern long island. as far as new york city goes, little if any impact from the hurricane. i'm weather channel meteorologist, mike seidel for news 4 today. weather channel is one of our sister networks and happenty to have them on board for hurricane earl. as earl gets closer to us, we'll have updates. voters will have another chance to hear from the candidates from the primary race for d.c.'s mayor. adrian fenty will debate vincent gray in the democratic primary. this is the first debate since the latest poll shows the mayor trailing gray by a sizable margin. tracee wilkins is live with details. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, joe. we have two weeks until the democratic primary. and as you said, that poll show the a sizable margin actually a double digit lead for vincent gray making this debate even more critical. this afternoon mayor adrian fenty and vincent gray scare off in a closely contested mayoral race. >> it's critically important we not be complacent, leaving no voter unturned and of course on election day. >> reporter: two candidates will ask each other questions and take questions from the audience. they are in the midst of an extensive all-out get out the vote campaign. mayor fenty has called himself the underdog in the race making the fight more competitive for his campaign. he has been a believer in retail politics for a long time. people working on the get out of vote effort are experienced. his mayor's race -- >> reporter: this debate kicks off at noon here. i'm tracee wilkins, joe, back to you in the studio. nbc 4 is joining with the "washington post" and wmau to bring you today's debate. they will answer questions from three panelists including tom sherwood. you can watch the entire debate at noon on nbc 4. we have a better sense of direction the next prince george's county executive wants to take the county. >> we are one of the most educated jurisdictions in the nation. we should have a school system at least at the middle of the pack. resident at the bottom. >> there is a globalist economy around us. if we don't recognize the urgency of turning around education, believe me, we till continue to fall behind. >> we can utilize our children as guinea pigs because we couldn't decide and keep a superintendent longer than two years. >> the five candidates vying for the position squared off last night in debate in oxon hill middle school, samuel dean, michael jackson, levi and turner shared their ideas on a number of issues, including schools. now to decision 2010, voters sent another incumbent packing. lisa murkowski conceded to joe miller in the primary. she trailed miller by 1600 votes and unable to make up the difference with absentee votes. miller was the tea party favorite and endorsed by sarah palin. murkowski is the third incumbent to lose re-election. the imam in charge of plans to build an islamic center will return to the united states. he will arrive in new york city from a trip to the persian gulf that was supposed to promote religious tolerance. he spent yesterday in dubai speaking to a think tank about the controversial plan. he said it could shape the future of muslim relations in america. two men arrested because of suspicious luggage remain in dutch custody this morning. they were put on a flight after missing a connection to dulles. al soofi had a bag containing a cell phone taped to a pepto-bismol bottle and box cutter and three knives. al murisi had nothing suspicious but felt to be flying with al soofi. they did not know each other and probably were not performing a dry run for a terrorist attack. they have not been charged with anything. it appears maryland will not be adopting a new immigration law similar to the one in arizona. the commissioners rejected the plan by a vote of 3-2. it would have required police to question criminal suspects about the immigration status and also would have prohibited hiring illegal immigrants for day labor. legislature would have had to avoid that plan. 6:21 is our time now. busy tracking earl and fiona possibly. >> now here locally on this wednesday morning, starting off september with beautiful weather. a clear sky, we're about 15 minutes away from sunrise. 76 in washington, near 70 prince george's county, and fairfax county. further to the west, low to mid-60s. away from the waters it's in the 60s. sunny today and highs mid-90s and poor air quality by mid afternoon. near 90 and sunny tomorrow near 90 on friday, clouds from earl here but could have some strong winds, heavy surf and heavy downpours at the at lancastlant beaches. sunday and labor day monday looking like a terrific weather with low humidity, sunny with highs in the low 80s, near 90 on tuesday. how's the traffic now, ashley? >> let's take a live look on 95 heading northbound in the hov lanes prior to lorton. that's been cleared and everyone is doing just fine on the trip northbound heading away from us. as we travel around the capitol beltway, all is quiet through college park. the brake lights are traveling approaching route 1 in greenbelt and continuing towards the bw parkway where we are issue-free right now. 6:23 is your time. did you see it? what was difference about president obama's address from the oval office. the alarming new studies that show the importance of getting a good night sleep and bha what happens if you don't. the annoying device businesses in the area are us good morning, wake up and make sure you get your zs or you could have ligfe threatening consequences. men with chronic insomnia were at higher risk of death. four times more likely to die during the time frame of the study. the risk soared for men who also had diabetes or high blood pressure. researchers also said young adults who get fewer than eight hours of sleep exhibit higher rates of depression and anxiety. >> the white house has been busy doing a little redecorated. while the president was on vacation, the oval office got a makeover, the formal furniture has been replaced with casual light brown couches. the most notable change is the new rug in front of the president's desk. it has the white house seal in center and quotes from historical leaders around the border around the edge. what do you think? >> looks nice. of course, the oval office always looks pretty nice. >> at least they didn't make it a rectangle. now to the combat operations in iraq that they've ended. what president obama said his administration is focusing on now. we'll show you a side of d.c. police chief cathy lanier had to say. >> how coastal communities are getting ready for hurricane all eyes on earl, hurricane earl is barreling towards the east coast from north carolina to maine. everyone is watching the storm. we new information how powerful the storm is and what track it's likely to take. good morning, welcome back to "news 4 today," i'm joe krebs. >> and i'm eun yang. a live look outside right now. 6 :30. it is 74 degrees, a beautiful morning, clear skies and warm and things are heating up on this first day of fall. tom is here with the forecast. good morning to you. >> sunrise just about seven minutes away. getting later and later into september. it's off to a very pleasant start on this wednesday morning. 76 at national airport. right now near 70 in prince george's county and in montgomery in fairfax, low to mid 60s out in the mountains in the 50s this morning. at the atlantic beaches low 70s now in the mountains it's only in the low to mid 50s in many locations of western maryland and west virginia. under this area of high prush are that's been locked in place the last couple of days and slowly dissipating by late tomorrow. today another sunny hot day reaching low to mid 90s. near 90 tomorrow with high clouds coming in in advance of earl. earl does appear to be off the atlantic seaboard on friday. we could have clouds here but the beaches could have strong winds, heavy rain as well as heavy surf on friday. the latest on earl's track will be coming up in a couple of minutes. ashley, how's our traffic now? >> good morning, we're starting you off with problems on 95 headed northbound. you have company as you approach the prince william parkway, a disabled vehicle smack dab in the roadway. it will be heavy from potomac mills, other than that, main line is doing just fine headed up towards the capitol beltway. on 270 headed southbound, volume only slowing you down past montgomery village, no incidents to block your way but definitely going to be slow towards the capitol beltway. back to you. thank you, ashley. hurricane earl is barreling towards the east coast. virginia governor bob mcdonnell plans to declare an emergency later today. if you're headed to ocean city maryland for the holiday weekend, the state's emergency management director says you may have to deal with 45 to 55-mile-per-hour winds. he does not believe any evacuations are necessary. the same though cannot be said for north carolina where earl is headed first. jay gray has the latest from kill devil hills, north carolina. >> calm seas can't hide the concern as hurricane earl, a major storm continues to close in on the east coast. >> from north carolina, to maine, any of these areas could be impacted and getting people to recognize they need to get ready now. >> the current forecast track shows earl brushing the coast in the next couple of days. >> it doesn't have to make landfall to have very significant impact. >> reporter: north carolina's outer banks will likely be the first to feel the effects of earl. >> i think everybody is concerned. the locals are saying it is teasing us. so we're going to hang out and see what happens until they run us off the island, i guess we'll be all right. >> reporter: evacuations orders are already in effect on ocracoke island and more are expected today. as far north as massachusetts, they are already pulling boats from the water and preparing to ride out the storm. >> i'll hunker down in the basement if need be. we have plenty of supplies. >> reporter: the entire east coast now anxiously awaiting an unwelcome guest, hurricane earl. here in their county, emergency officials will meet later this morning to discuss the possibility of evacuations and to continue preparing for earl. jay gray, nbc news, kill devil hills, north carolina. let's check in with tom kierein. good morning, tom. >> good morning, thankfully earl has decreased in strength overnight it has weakened down to a category 3 hurricane. that's still a powerful hurricane with winds of 125 miles an hour. it is now located to the east of the bahamas and this is the sat light movie over the last 12 hours. behind it is a disorganized storm fee iona. this is category 3 moving northwest at 15 miles an hour. on this track, remaining a category 3 hurricane, which is good news, yesterday it looked like it might stay a 4. in the pre-dawn hours on friday it will be near the outer banks. thankfully it does appear it will take a right hand turn and state out to sea. now, it could track anywhere in the yellow zone and that would bring it at the worst case scenario, closer to the atlantic seaboard on the western side but it would still be out to sea. it does appear the bulk of the storm is going to be out to sea. it could be affecting eastern new england. that's for sure. the effects for us on friday would be -- should be dry here. at the atlantic beaches they could be getting whipped with tropical storm force winds and heavy downpours as well as heavy surf. farther to the west on friday, it should be dry. that's the way it looks right now. joe? >> and take a look at this. this morning nasa is providing a powerful image, showing how big earl really is. they captured this picture aboard the international space station. seven years after it began, the u.s. combat mission in iraq is officially over this morning. >> we have met our responsibilities. now it's time to turn the page. >> president obama made the announcement from the oval office last night. he said the u.s. has paid a huge price to give iraqis a chance to shape their future. 50,000 troops will remain right now but they will leave as well. >> a transitional force of u.s. troops remain in iraq with a different mission, supporting iraqi troops in counterterrorism measures and protecting our civilians. consistent with our agreement with the iraqi government, all u.s. troops will leave by the end of next year. the president said his most urgent priority now is fixing the american economy, he says he wants to put millions back to work. strengthen the middle class and improve education. those with loved ones still serving overseas were particularly vested in what the president had to say. we watched the president's speech with a woman whose boyfriend is currently in the middle east. she had many concerns. >> felt like he was ready to just close the book and say, we've ended combat, operations we're done and moving on, next page. there are 50,000 guys still there. there are families and soldiers that are going to wake up tomorrow and nothing changed. >> stacy simon told us she found it troubling that the president brought the economy and war debt into the speech. she says the country should be sure that the troops have whatever they need no matter the cost. >> 6:38 is your time now. you don't need an app or the internet. how you can figure out when the next metro train will arrive without being near the station. apple is getting ready to introduce a new ipod. the new features it will have. it's a beautiful morning, bright sunshine and clear skies. we'll have your forecast. there's the sun coming up right there. that little spek of orange. the stay with us. time for weather and traffic on this wednesday morning. sun is up and a clear sky now. 76 in washington, near 70 in prince george's county. it's in the 60s in montgomery county and points west. poor air quality by mid afternoon but lots of sunshine, should be sunny again tomorrow with high near 90. near 90 on friday. clouds from earl here but the atlantic beaches could be lashed by wind and rain and heavy surf. and then saturday near 80, cooler weather with lower humidity moving in starting off labor day weekend. look at the rest of the weekend and into labor day coming up in ten minutes and latest with earl. how's the traffic? >> we're starting you off with breaking news, accident activity going on out of frederick. chopper 4 is live over the scene. it occurred on 15 heading southbound as you approach 26. they do temporarily at least they did temporarily have all lanes blocked while they were renegotiating this equipment. as you can see, traffic is queeziquee squeezing by to the left. volume is going to slow you down leaving the outer loop of the beltway behind and college park headed for silver spring you're on the brakes. back to you. 6:42 is your time. a new store is just hours away from opening that many people in the area have been waiting for for a long time. also ahead, the special connection d.c.'s police chief has a with dog up for adoption. you may be asking what's that sound, annoying new noiz in one busy neighborhood. why everyone might not hear it. your ears very start ringing, especially if you're a teen. a mosquito is causing a buzz near the metro station. elaine has more on all of the noise out there. >> reporter: good buzz for some, bad buzz for others. it is not actually buzz, it's more like an annoying alarm. >> there's a buzz in chinatown and it has nothing to do with a new restaurant or business. meet the mosquito, a small box placed strategically near the metro to keep young people moving. business owners and customers have long complained about unruly crowd s, especially at night. >> it's sort of piercing and really annoying and obnoxious. >> does it watt make you want to leave? doesn't make me juan r want hang around here. it's aggravating. >> reporter: the box was paid for by the developer of gallery place. it emits a high-pitched beeping noise aimed at the range of 15 to 25 years old. its purpose is to drive stagnant crowds away from hanging out, potentially help a long time issue in chinatown. >> they need to be home, reading a book doing something constructive. >> i hope it works, there are too many teenagers. >> lots of teenagers here on a regular basis. >> overrun with teenagers. you can barely make it to the escalators sometimes, kids are everywhere. >> now i walked over there a little while ago, didn't actually hear anything. i'm not sure if i'm too old or what. but i want to point out, d.c. police and metro did not recommend or endorse this product. eun, back to you. elaine, thank you. you pick up the phone, dial 202-637-7000 and say next train. >> you can now find out exactly when the next metro train is arriving just by dialing your phone. this is a public service announce the for a new train arrival service. all you have to do is call metro's customer information number at 202-637-7000. metro bus riders can use the service by calling the number and saying next bus. if you live in virginia, you have to wait another day before getting your driver's license renewed in person. none of commonwealth's 74 dmvs can handle transactions involving photos because of a computer glitch. if your license expired or will expire between august 25th and september 30th, you will not be ticketed if you get pulled over by a police officer. a deadly crash along i-95 in virginia could cause backups for drivers. a tire on a tractor-trailer blew out as it was traveling along the highway south of fredericksburg near route 606 yesterday. the tractor-trailer then ran into a guardrail and hit several trees before flipping over and bursting into flames. the driver was killed. this morning crews will still be out trying to clean up the scene if a lane closure is needed, they will wait until after rush hour to do that. we have a traffic alert for drivers who use the 11th street bridge. construction crews are working on the bridge and will be starting new road closures today. both lanes of o street southeast will be closed between 11th and 12th, as well as both lanes of n street southeast between 11th and 12th street, including the ramp from the 11th street bridge. detours will be provided for both streets. there will be no lane closures between september 3rd and september 7th for the labor day holiday. if you're looking for a healthy place to shop, the first organic grocery store east of the anacostia river opens this morning in the 2300 block of pennsylvania avenue in southeast washington. stores open at 8:00 this morning and everyone in that area is very excited about it. >> last year cash for clunkers had new car buyers flocking into car dealerships in august, this year is a different story. better make room for doom and gloom when the august auto sales numbers come out today. courtney reagan is live to tell us what is expected. good morning. >> good morning to you, joe. p the automakers are reporting the august sales, usually happens later in the afternoon around noon or so. research from j.d. power and associates says sales slowed in august partly due to weak signs on the economy. new car buyers may be holding off in anticipation of big interest se incentives over the labor day weekend. apple is expected to up veil an upgraded ipod. it will be equipped with wi-fi and apple is building a distribution center in north carolina and bought la la.com last year. there may be new features for apple tv, including a $99 set top box with a netflix subscription. i'm sure we'll know pretty soon. they are always highly anticipated. >> thank you, courtney. d.c. police chief cathy lanier is known for her tough stance on crime. >> people don't know about her fondness for dogs, especially those without a home. she currently has five rescue dogs, one is a blind and deaf white aussie. there is one dog in particular that has stolen her heart. she's been visiting the rescue league to advice the a dog named watson, half of the size of a regular border collie because of a rare birth defect. >> i do the best i can to come up and visit him and keep him company. i show it to everybody i see and don't you need a dog. >> i think the dogs with the special needs make the best pets, they realize they need you as much as you need them. >> the chief says she would take watson home but she's not sure how that dog, a small dog would get along with her larger dogs. if you're interested in adopting watson or any of the other dogs from the washington area rescue league, visit warl.org to start the application process. >> hope he finds a good home. looks like the chief might wear down and adopt him herself. >> maybe. look at the bright sun out there. great picture. >> sun is up now. that's a live picture behind us from the city camera. it's up in a clear sky, a soft and certificate reen summery start to september. it's 76 in washington. near 70 in prince george's, upper 60s in fairfax. may be patchy fog forming over the potomac river. many of the rural areas of maryland and virnginia in the lw 60s. radar not picking up any precipitation yet but it may be when earl gets close to us. inland on the eastern shore it's in the 60s and mountains of west virginia, many locations are in the 50s we've got the large area of high pressure locked in place here, not moving again. today another day a lot like yesterday with a hot afternoon and unhealthy air quality with the stagnant air. here's the latest with earl and fiona, fi own that is a disorganized tropical storm. right now, hurricane earl thankfully is weakened overnight. it's passing off to the northwest at about 15 miles an hour. the winds are down to 1255. still a major category 3 hurricane. the track for us is going to be better but by friday morning, just past midnight, early friday morning, it will be near the outer banks east of there. the outer banks will be close enough to it to be lashed by near hurricane force winds and very heavy surf. then it takes a turn to the northeast and pulls away from the atlantic seaboard. the threat zone here is east of the atlantic beaches for any major impact from the storm of the but likely the atlantic beaches will get heavy rain and heavy surf and maybe even up to tropical storm force winds on friday. for the school bus stop this morning, for students waiting for the bus, no problems this morning, a comfortable start near noontime. bright sunshine, clear tonight we'll be in the 60s by dawn tomorrow. thursday near 90 and sunny. and cloudy here, may be clouds from earl but rain and wind at the beaches. then sunny on saturday with lower humidity high near 80. same with labor day. ashley, how's the traffic? >> good morning, starting you off with delays, 66 heading eastbound, you're on the brakes. beyond that, the pace has improved. live over top of what was an earlier accident out of frederick -- along 15 at 26, that's been clear. no problems there. as you travel down to 70. we most certainly do have delays. it will be heavy from 109 to the truck scales and very mef heavy towards the beltway. the race for d.c.'s next mayor is heating up. adrian fenty will debate vincent gray. tracee wilkins is live in northwest with the details. good morning. >> good morning, that is a double digit margin according to the "washington post" poll. the primary is coming up in two weeks making this debate this afternoon that much more critical. this afternoon mayor an dree an fenty and vincent gray scare off in a closely contested mayoral race. they have a chance to present their views on the issues and ask each other direct questions and take questions from the audience. both candidates are in the midst of an expensive and all-out get out the vote campaign. mayor fenty has called himself the underdog in this election. this debate happens at noon today here at the newse uum. nbc is joining with "washington post" and wmau's radio to bring you a debate in the race for mayor. mayor fenty and council chair vincent gray will answer questions from three panelists, including nbc 4's tom sherwood. you can watch at noon on nbc 4. kimberly suiters has the top stories. >> let's kick off with earl right now. let's look at video first from north carolina, vacationers there along part of the outer banks being evacuated as we speak. in virginia the state of emergency will mobilize the national guard and state police in maryland, the state emergency manager director says a definitive direction about whether to evacuate will come down today. president obama formerly ending the u.s. combat role in iraq from the oval office the president said the u.s. has quote, paid a huge price to give iraqis the chance to shape their future and said open-ended war does not serve our country's interest, but fixing the economy does. today the president will meet with leaders from israel and palestine privately in hopes of making a lasting middle east peace agreement over the past 20 years, many partial agreements between the two but never a comprehensive deal. joe and eun, back to you in the studio. that is "news 4 today," thank you for starting your wednesday with us. >> the "today" show is next. we'll be back here tomorrow morning at 4:30. we hope you'll join us then. until then have a great day and we'll see you tomorrow. >> bye. the kincaids live here. across the street, the padillas. ben and his family live here, too. ben's a re/max agent, and he's a big part of this community. there are lots of reasons why re/max agents average more sales than other agents. experience, certainly. but maybe it's also because they care about the markets they serve and the neighbors who rely on them. nobody sells more real estate than re/max. visit remax.com today.