citizens where the president took part in a naturalization ceremony for members of the military, and homeland secretary janet napolitano swore them in, and tonight there will be a celebration on the north lawn at the white house. and no power. that is the extremely uncomfortable position that people find themselves in after weekend storms knocked out power from il toile the nation's capital, and the most outages five days after the storms hit, west virginia. 5,000 homes are without air conditioning in the middle of a brutal heat wave. cnn's brian todd is there. >> fredricka, temperatures are spiking here in west virginia where it is to get up to 95, and well on the way to that right now. power is out for roughly one quarter to a third of the customers in west virginia, but some people in the more rural areas won't get it until the weekend and a key reason for that is right behind me, and this scene played out all throughout west virginia and downed trees are a huge problem for the power crews. this one came down and this oak tree snapped in half and came down on a power line here, and you can see the line it tripped here, and this line right here that it is still sitting on and the power officials told us that because this particular line has not hit the ground yet, it may be energized and that a real hazard for us and the power crews who come upon the scene here, and this tree, when it came down pretty much snapped this cable clean off and it disabled the power pole up there, and of course, that has a domino effect for power poles throughout this neighborhood. this is one of many neighborhoods in west virginia that are out of power right now, and also in west virginia, a real food crisis with so many grocery stores out of power, they had to throw away food, because no electricity and running out of the nonperishables and the warehouse where the statehouse s nonperishable food are bare. they are starting a food drive to try to help people. and they have water to get around, because some of the water pumps that are fueled by electricity are out or booted up slowly. that of course, takes care of the, you know, the pressure in the sink or your shower. so that's a big problem here with the water out or pressure not there. these are some of the logistical challenges that officials were going through in trying to get people booted up or functional, and it is tough going here in virgini virginia. >> thank you, brian todd. i appreciate that. and a tough fourth of july, but despite the power outages, one holiday tradition in the nation's capital will go on and the fourth of july fireworks show for the national mall are under way. you can see that sandra endo is live in arlington, virginia, who will have a great view of the fireworks. sandra, it is extremely hot, but people figure if it is hot without power, then mike as well be hot outside and take in the show. what what is going to happen with the onslaught of people in the sweltering heat? >> well, fred ree car, it is sweltering out here, and officials are urging if you are going to come outside to brave the soaring temperatures, come prepared. there are plenty of tents selling cool water and first aid stations around the perimeter, and at the nation's national mall they are gearing up for a big day of fun, fredricka, starting off with a parade and a couple of concerts at the national mall, and of course tonight's big fireworks celebration, but surrounding areas, fredricka, are not going to be so lucky, because they are canceling the fourth of july plans and we are talking about area hard hit by the storm and talking about kensington and gaithersbu gaithersburg, and sterlington, virginia, have all cancelled the fourth of july festivities, so clearly on the nation's birthday, it is a mixed bag here, and a lot of people are coming out to celebrate. organizers here at the nation's capitol sand despite the storm damages, they were never going to cancel the festivities, but there were challenges. >> we had quite a bit of tree damage here in the park, and we have had the crews out doing a terrific job of cleaning up. we have work to do, but the park is pretty much open and ready for visitors. >> a great day for visitors, because we spoke to people who have come from all over the world to celebrate america's birthday on the national mall, a and they say that they are ready for a good show. >> and they are going to get one. >> we came early, and plan on spending the day and be here to celebrate. >> reporter: regardless of the he heat? >> regardless of the heat. this is what it is about, hot, cold, wet, dry. >> why come here for the fourth of july and stay home and barbeque or do something else? >> it is the best. city best. you can't be lazy. it is the best. >> reporter: can't be lazy on this fourth of july. if you get out there, stay hydrated and cool and drink plenty of water. fredrick fredricka. >> i know the folks who overlook the fireworks display over the brooklyn bridge will argue theirs is the best, but it is the nation's capital that has the best fireworks display and no wonder people would go there and let's talk about the white house and there is a type of celebration taking place on the south lawn later, and what else might be happening? >> well, the first family always celebrates fourth of july in the traditional fashion. they are going to have a barbeque and they have invited military families and we have seen the preps under way at the white house. they are firing up the grill and going to grill out to enjoy america's birthday.fantastic. thank you, sandra endo. there is no fourth of july holiday for the firefighters in five western states. crews are battling the fires in colorado, new mexico, montana, utah, wyoming and south dakota, and in colorado, two people were killed and almost 350 homes destroyed. four national guard members killed while fighting a fire over to the weekend are being honored today. their c-130 tanker crashed in the black hills of south dakota, and flags are in half-staff in their home state of north carolina. it will be a fourth of july without fireworks in three states across the u.s. in colorado, the private use of fireworks is banned as well as p public displays at some mountain resorts. parts of arizona and idaho have cancelled firework demonstrations. karen mcginnes is in the cnn weather center with more of the fire dangers over the holiday week, and it is too dry and dangerous in so many places. >> it is too dry and on top of that, it is windy especially across the great plains, but the temperatures have burned everything up. there are plenty of fuels that a spark could ignite a fire that could quickly get out of hand. well, essentially from the midwest to the ohio river valley where we have the heat advisories as well as red flag warnings, and the red flag warnings means that the humidity is low, and we are seeing the wind gusts and the temperatures are dry, and the low humidity, and that is going to make it ripe for perhaps some dangerous fire activity. all right. the highs expected in kansas city, 101. and chicago, 98. and these temperatures are hot, but you may remember that back about thursday of last week in kansas, a place called norton dam they soared to 118 degrees. now, the temperatures are faring better, but as we go towards monday, we will start to see the temperature temperatures come down a few more degrees. now, that does not mean it is going to be cool, but it is still going to be exceptionally hot as you would typically expect for the month of july, but looking at some of the showers as we go about the 9:00 hour, across the southeast, even in the nation's capital, new york city, we have a lesser chance to see some of the showers as we go towards the evening hours and the monsoon moisture has started to pick up across the dessert southwest and it is the return flow and the much needed moisture and across the dessert regions, and that is when we see the bulk of the moisture through the year which is only nine inches for the entire year. all right. for st. louis, they could tie a record high today, 102 and chicago, you will come close, so a lot of areas are not going the reach record high temperatures, but certainly come within a few degrees. so even though they are not excessively hot, they are still going to be rather oppressive. over the next several days, look at atlanta, and the temperatures that had been over 100 degrees going to back down the 92 as we go towards sunday. and monday is better. chicago, fredricka, i want to point this out, thursday, we are looking at 101, and by sunday, this is nice in july, right around 81. but fredricka for the folks without power and water and all kinds of, just the basic necessities, it has been misery for the better pat of the week. >> yes, including a good number of my family members without power and all of the food has gone bad in the refrigerators and they talk about the stories in order to get gas you need cash and if you can get to the stores to be open, because the perish good s s in the stores h been detroyed, too, so it is a real mess. we have the fingers cross ed fo all of the folks there with power and hopefully cut on sooner rather than later. thank you, karen. here is what we are working on in this hour. it is a traffic jam out there and a record number of fourth of july drivers on the highway today, and it is all about the prices of gas. the government says that there are no specific terrorist threats to worry about this holiday, but cyber warfare against the u.s. is going strong. our power plants and banking systems are at risk. put down the hot dogs, because we have a new champ at coney island. how does such skinny competitors choke down dozens of dogs? we go inside of the world of competitive eating. nd so too is. now get an incredible offer on the powerful c250 sport sedan. but hurry before this opportunity...disappears. the mercedes-benz 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[ male announcer ] the spark business card from capital one. choose unlimited rewards with 2% cash back or double miles on every purchase, every day! what's in your wallet? we take it on ours. this summer put your family in an exceptionally engineered mercedes-benz now for an exceptional price during the summer event. but hurry, this offer ends july 31st. i tell mike what i can spend. i do my best to make that work. we're driving safely. and sue saved money on brakes. now that's personal pricing. on this fourth of july holiday, americans are hitting the road like never before. aaa estimates 42 million motorists are gassing up to go and that is the most in five years. lower prices at the pump are to credit for the surge. david mattingly has the report. >> reporter: more americans are traveling more miles this fourth of july holiday. lower gas prices is one of the big reasons why. aaa estimates more than 42 americans are on the move during their time off, the most since 2007. 8 of 10 are hitting the highway. >> this year, we have seen the highest volume of vehicle travel for the fourth of july holiday period in over a decade. >> reporter: nationally prices for regular fell earlier this week to $3 a gallon in alabama and $3.74 in california. there is a feeling of get it while you can, and the prices average 24 cents a gallon less than last year, but 60 cents more than 2010. there are signs that the roller coaster is on the climb again and maybe up 10 or 15 cents more on average. >> a range of $3.25 through $3.50 through the summer until september. >> reporter: and yesterday the price of oil jumped more than 4%, the highest since may. >> all right. david, right now is at a gas station where it seems a little busy back there, and so, this surge in driving, you know, is this rather unusual even though gas prices have been, you know, relatively modest, or a sign that there is an overall economic big picture look at this? >> well, there hasn't been a real drastic change in gas prices lately, but what we have seen is a very slow decline, and 70-something days, and 78 days of straight declines of gas prices leading into this holiday. so you add that to the fact of the fourth of the july holiday happen happens in the middle of the week instead of a monday and now people are making plan s ths th normally in other years they may not have made, and so you are seeing more people on the road and traveling more miles and burning more gas. >> it is a feature that if you want to save money rather than hopping on a big plane. thank you, david mattingly, for that report. get used to the name, sonia the black widow thomas has defended her women's title at the hot dog eating contest in coney island, and she is so slight, only 100 pounds. we will talk about it. and i'm here in afghanistan wishing you a happy july fourth. i would like to say hello the my family back in wily, pennsylvania. happy birthday, america, and stay strong. you know what's exciting? graduation. when i look up into my students faces, i see pride. you know, i have done something worthwhile. when i earned my doctorate through university of phoenix, that pride, that was on my face. i am jocelyn taylor. i'm committed to making a difference in people's lives, and i am a phoenix. visit phoenix.edu to find the program that's right for you. enroll now. our independence day and it is doubtful that the founding fathers had this particular tradition in mind when they signed the declaration of independence. every fourth of july at coney island, and that is the super bowl in the world of competitive eating, nathan's famous hot dogs hosts the international hot dog eating contest and the results are in. this lady right here, sonia thomas, 100 pounds soaking wet, and they call her the black wid doeshgs and she is a super star in the world of competitive eating. this picture was taken actually yesterday as she was warming up. she easily won the women's division today, and even broke the women's world record. she ate 45 hot dogs. let me get kat kinsman in here, our eatocracy editor, and you have been writing about this come ppetitive eating for many years now, and how in the world can anyone ingest 45 hot dogs in ten minutes when you are 100 pounds? >> well, the world of competitive eating has changed so much from the time i have been covering it. it used to be a big man's game, and you had strapping titans and you had ed "cookie" jarvis and so many others, but now the body overseeing the competitive eating submitted a article to the "new england journal of medicine" said that a smaller person can expand greater, and so you are seeing a leaner person. and some people don't eat, but others gorge on something water filled like grapes or something like that or chug down the water, and there are tricks of the trade, but they are all d disturbing. >> i think we have -- well, it is nasty to watch them wiggle the bodies to get the hot dogs in and we have the black widow who is the female winner, champion, and the male champion joey chestnut says he did not eat for three days to pro pair for this, and there are a lot of methods to the madness and roman method and solomon or something or another -- what do these things mean? oh, gosh. turn it. >> and the roman method, you don't want to be in the splash zone for this, and i have seen it happen in a multiple eating competition, because it is grounds for immediate disqualification for rules and to put it euphemistically, it is the succumbing to the urges of swallowing and it is not pretty and it used to be allowed in competition, but not now. there is a term that is hot dog and buns and in order to get full credit for a hot dog, you have to down both parts of that, and further from that is the sullivan method which is a sucker's game, because you separately put down the hot dog and the bun. so if you have downed a whole bunch of dogs and you don't eat the buns, you don't get credit for the hot dog. that is the solomon method, and also the kobayashi method, andm s some of the japanese competitors made it famous, and it is to wet the buns with the hot dog. >> nobody is enjoying this as it goes down? >> oh, no. >> and you talked about in terms of fitness smaller people do better at this, so are they considering themselves athletes that they have to prepare the bodies for this competition? >> well, the marketers of the event would surely like to kirt. they used to call them gurnlg a tas or the and fun fact, but when it was a more prevalent event, people started to train more and they consider themselves athletes, and the governing body of major league eating which used to be in the international federation of come p pettive -- competitive eating tried to get it an olympic sport. >> oh, no. that is an insult. i'm sorry. >> i would not go athlete, but they are definitely entertainers. >> oh, god, it is something about watching them, because it makes you suddenly not want to eat a hot dog. >> it is so much worse in person. and the matzah ball eating contest is the worst one. >>ly take your word for it. thank you so much. >> have a happy fourth. >> will do. another big tradition here in atlanta is to run in the peach tree road race and guess who did it this year? suzanne malveaux, and that is why she is not in this seat today, she pounded the pavement in the largest 10k this morning. >> we are running for team cnn. lisa and clark and -- we are going to try to do this in less than three hours, right. we are not going out like that, tanj tanju? >> well, i am praying to finish. >> well, not survive, but suzanne and the whole cnn team were among 60,000 runners today, and they crossed the finish line in a speedy 70 minutes is all it took for them to cross the line. there they are of the happy faces, and everybody has a broad smile when they cross that finish line and congrats to them and all of the other racers. it is the fourth of july and according to the orc poll released today the two best parts of the holiday are food and fireworks. 38% of americans say that cookouts and picnics are the most enjoyable part of independence day with 32% choosing fireworks and having a day off finished third well ahead of the 5% who said that the parades were the best things about today's holiday. and a tale of two auto workers in indiana, and one who thanks the president for the bailout, and the other who supports romney. don't forget that you can watch cnn live on your computer while you are at work. head to cnn.com/tv. in an old f. purina one discovered that by blending enhanced botanical oils into our food, we can help brighten an old dog's mind so he's up to his old tricks. with this kind of thinking going into our food, imagine all the goodness that can come out of it. just one way we're making the world a better place... one pet at a time. vibrant maturity. from purina one smartblend. tdd#: 1-800-345-2550 let's talk about that 401(k) you picked up back in the '80s. tdd#: 1-800-345-2550 like a lot of things, the market has changed, tdd#: 1-800-345-2550 and your plans probably have too. tdd#: 1-800-345-2550 so those old investments might not sound so hot today. tdd#: 1-800-345-2550 at charles schwab, we'll give you personalized recommendations tdd#: 1-800-345-2550 on how to reinvest that old 401(k) tdd#: 1-800-345-2550 and help you handle all of the rollover details. tdd#: 1-800-345-2550 so talk to chuc