they have lost a champion. kevin tibbles, nbc news, chicago. >> stay with us, everyone. "news 4 today" continues now at 5:00. salute to the senator. the long and remarkable carr of edward kennedy. this morning a public memorial planned in honor of the powerful patriarch of america's most well-known political family. how family members, friends, colleagues and supporters will pay tribute to his life. well, good morning and welcome to "news 4 tod." i'm joe krebs. >> and i'm eun yang in for barbara harrison. today thursday, august 27th, 2009. we're going to take a live look outside at 5:00 this morning. 75 degrees it looks like. the capitol dome lit up today in the dark sky but we know that the sun will be coming up eventually. we want to know what the forecast will be like, tom. >> sunrise in about an hour and a haar ,ound 6:30. tof'rof a ar do have a few clouds we dhave a few clouds tr o ou h rtnonoo our noh ra dar. radar. temperatures, 75 iwashingt. a littlend nort h,es andtnorth, morning. slo morning. low 70s in southern maryland, near the bay. dese are the current that'ss. r that's rather humid. a weak front is along the mason-dixon line, pennsylvania border and drifting to the e bns wile b increasing clouds this afternoon. ghhishould reach the mid and upghr 80s before that. it will be a rather steamy day, d quitmihubut cooler on friday and saturday ami likelihood of passinghowe on friday, mainly in the afternoon and perhaps on saturday a smaller chance. a small chance of maybe an afternoon thundershower on a sunday. as we look into next ek l,erow humityov mes in with some very delightful temperatures, in the 70s to near 80, in the comfort zone as we start off next week. the latest on tropical storm danny coming up in ten minutes. >> okay. thank you, tom. >> now let's go to jerry edwards and take another look at the roadways. any problems right now? >> not yet. so far, so good. nice and quiet as we get going here. interstate 66 eastbound headed out of fair oaks en route to the capital beltway moving along quite nicely. no early hang-ups. headed to points west, that looks good. new york avenue, kenilworth avenue, everything is moving well. top side of the beltway, no early issues. back to you. >> thank you, jerry. >> thank you, jerry. funeral plans are set for ted kennedy. a man known as the liberal lion of the senate and one of the most influential lawmakers of our time. >> today the kennedy family will travel from hyannisport to boston with senator kennedy's body. he will lie in repose today and tomorrow at the john f. kennedy presidential library and museum. kennedy's body will then be flown to virginia for his burial at arlington national cemetery saturday afternoon. >> michelle franzen joins us live from hyannisport, massachusetts. she has more on this story. good morning. >> reporter: good morning. course, here in hyannisport, the kennedy compound as served as a retreat in both happy times and hard times. the family, of course, circling around and gathering since the death of senator kennedy, but now as they get to move his body to boston for the public they'll now have a chance to embrace the man and his life. this morning, the inevitable fare well begins. the body of senator ted kennedy leaves the family compound in hyannisport, bound for boston where he will be honored in a ceremony fitting for the iconic senator. along the route, the motorcade will mark significant moments in kennedy's life. his body will lie in repose at the jfk library and museum over the next two days, offering the public a chance to say good-bye to the influential senator. on saturday, funeral services will be held at our lady of p perpetual help, a grand catholic cathedral in a blue collar section of boston. dignitaries, past presidents and president obama will be there to pay tribute. kennedy will be buried at arlington cemetery next to brothers jack and robert. last night in hyannisport, the family gathered for a vigil at kennedy's home, a private place to mourn and celebrate his life. senator john kerry called it a perfect and private moment. >> it's very spiritual and about as beautiful as it could be. i think it's everything that senator kennedy would have wanted. >> and the dream shall never die. >> reporter: private and public tributes kennedy would have loved. just offshore, a light on a navigational hazar ship flashed and served as a symbol of hope for the family, and a reminder of kennedy's love of the water and sailing. at fenway park, taps played in his honor at the red sox game. and flags flew at half staff near his home all the way to the nation's capital. and back here in hyannisport, the focus, of course, this morning will remain here on this home that senator nnedy found solace in, especially in the final months. the public viewing of the jfk presidential library and museum will get under way later this afternoon. joe, eun? >> michelle, thanks very much. on saturday, president obama will speak at the private funeral mass in boston. kennedy served as mr. obama's mentor in the senate. he also delivered what was perhaps the key endorsement of the obama campae es during the presidential primary. you can learn more about senator kennedy's legacy by visiting our website, nbcwashington.com. you'll find slide shows, videos and tributes from those who knew him. you can also send us your thoughts on his passing by e-mailing nbc 4 connected@nbcwashington.com. >> in other news now, today the government will release its latest employment report and economists predict weekly jobless claims will finally be on the decline. other economic predictors also show the economy may finally be on the rebound. big ticket spending in july soared by the largest in years. sales of new homes were up 9.6% in july, that's the fourth monthly increase in a roechlt row. >> the recession is going to stay but the financial crisis will not end until foreclosures peak, banks begin lending again. there's still a good amount of risk in front of us. >> economists say severale incentives have also helped the economy, those like cash for clunkers program and the first time home buyers federal tax credit that expires in november. >> news 4 connected to your commute. a heads-up for drivers in northern virginia who take i-95. vdot will be closing a number of lanes between route 1 and lorton over the next couple of months. crews will be replacing overhead signs. those closures include plans to build steel at the furnace road overpass tonight. the right lane of the northbound side of the highway will be closed all night. furnace road will also be closed periodically. >> preservationists are taking their battle against a walmart store near a virginia civil war battlefield to bentonville, arkansas. the wilderness battlefield coalition is appealing directly to walmart president and ceo michael duke. in the letter the group said they're gravely concerned about the retailer's plan to build near the battlefield. the store was approved by orange county leaders this week. >> our time right now is 5:07, 75 degrees. activists' latest plans to rally people around legalizing gay marriage in the district. >> plus, a warning for parents about a major product recall and its threat to small children. >> a terrifying scene on the beltway when a dump truck loses a wheel that went airborne into traffic. our time right now is 5:10, approaching 5:11. time again for a look at traffic and weather on the 1s. >> let's check in with meteorologist tom kierein. he's up in storm center 4 with our forecast. good morning, tom. >> hi, eun and joe. off to a clear start. rather humid this morning. temperatures 75 in washington, near 0 in the suburbs. southern maryland, around the bay near 70. we have a weak front to our north that will be drifting in, bringing in some clouds today. highs should be reaching the 80s. tomorrow, about a 50% chance of a passing shower, mainly in the afternoon. saturday, 30% chance of a shower. could get a passing shower on sunday. monday, tuesday, wednesday we dry out with lower humidity and some very pleasant temperatures. here's a look at the latest with tropical storm danny, which may become a hurricane tomorrow. right now danny's getting a little better organized. it has winds sustained at near 60 with gusts near 70. continuing on a west/northwesterly track today and then just off our atlantic seaboard on saturday and heading through new england, perhaps the eastern part of new england on late saturday, sunday. now let's check traffic. jerry, how's it oking? >> doing pretty well so far on this thursday morning. good morning, everyone. the drive over the capital beltway just off the spripg field interchange, springfield right around there, both loops moving along nicely under a light volume of traffic with travel lanes open. no weather-related travel concerns so good news there. no hang-ups on route 50 out at the bay bridge. trip in on the dulles toll road out to the west route 15, everything seems to be nice and quiet. joe and eun, back to you. >> let's keep it that way. thank you, jerry. >> now 5:12, 75 degrees. a new study reveals startling statistics about how much influence parents have over their kids' use of alcohol and drugs. >> plus, the death of senator edward kennedy. next at 5:15, a look back at how the politician is being remembered by his colleagues on capitol hill. our time is 5:15. some of the top stories we're following today in the news for today, senator edward kennedy's family will accompany his body on a trip from his hometown to cape cod of boston this morning. a family spokesman says the hearse will pass several family sites along the way that were significant to the lawmakers. his body will lie in repose for two days before his funeral on saturday. a new round of lane closures on interstate 95 in northern virginia begins tonight. crews will be conducting brief shutdowns of all lanes on the interstate between route 1 and lorton road while they widen the highway and replace overhead signs. commuters opof t0 3 u ofmi minutes. tropicalrman dny is gaining strength. it's on tr dk to o ipcl t eipas coast of the united states this weekend. meteorologist tom kierein says danny has top winds near 60 miles an hour. e eun? >> reaction to senator kennedy's death is pouring in from far and wide. presidents, colleagues and friends are sharing their memories of the liberal lion of the senate and celebrating the life and legacy of ted kennedy. news 4's megan mcgrath joins us now with some of those emotional tributes. good morning. >> good morning. senator edward kennedy was so many things to so many people. he was one of the most influential political figures of our time, a kennedy, a husband and father, and to so many, a dear friend. and those friendships crossed political lines. although known as a fierce liberal, he was liked and respected by the conservatives and moderate as well as the left-leaning members of congress. vice president joe biden, who spent a great deal of time with kennedy in the senate, was nearly brought to tears remembering his dear friend and the way he could put aside partisan politics to get the job done. his colleagues and fellow sailing enthusiast chris dodd spoke of kennedy's passion for causes close to his heart. >> so many of his -- so many of his foes embrace him because they know he made them bigger. he made them more graceful. by the way in which he conducted himself. >> be out in the middle of the oeb an, i'd be his only audience. he'd be banging his fist on the side of the boat about health care, mental health, about what was happening to people being unemployed. i would say, i'm the only audience. you don't have to scream at me. >> the tributes will continue in the coming days. president barack obama is giving the eulogy at saturday's funeral mass in boston. back to you, joe. >> thanks very much, megan mcgrath reporting live. senator kennedy's personal life was filled with many triumphs but also with many downfalls. through it all there were several women who were by his side. the first major player was his mother rose. the second was first wife and mother of his children, joan. she stood beside him through his brothers' deaths and his personal tragedies. for the last 17 years o his life, though, it was his second wife, now his widow vicki. >> she took control of his life both mentally and physically and gave him a form of stability that he had been lacking. >> friends say victoria was kennedy's soul mate and the one who ultimately helped him anchor his life. >> a local couple is grateful to be alive this morning after a near-death expernc traveling on the inner loop of the beltway near connecticut avenue when it hit some debris and lost two of its tires. one of them headed toward the couple's lexus suv on the inner loop. the driver didn't have time to stop. he swerved and thought about his family. >> when you know you're going to die, what are you scared about? there's nothing to be scared about. i thought i should have called my son and daughter. >> the tire struck on the driver's side and besides cuts from flying glass, the couple, who was returningrom taking the oath of citizenship, emerged unscathed. a similar accident on the beltway last year had deadly consequences. a pregnant woman died when a loose truck wheel hit her car. >> after a big loss, the chicago cubs are coming to nats park looking for revenge and, unfortunately for the nats they got it. >> dan hellie has more in your sports minute. >> good morning, everybody, your sports minute starts with the nationals, liven hernandez made his first start for the nats and pitched well. went six innings, gave up two runs. the cubs exploded for six runs in the eighth off the nats bull pen and they get revenge after that 15-6 loss. the cubbies beat the nats 9-4. the orioles got good pitching and enough offense to beat the twins last night on the ro. felix be ahit a so low home run. the o's beat the twins 5-1. to soccer where d.c. united hosted at that luke a. at that luke a opened the scoring in the fifth minute of the game and beat the black and red 3-1. to the other football, american-style. redskins have the day off from practice as they get ready for the patriots tomorrow night at fedex field. that's your sports minute. i'm dan hellie. everybody have a great day. >> 5:21 is our time now. time again for traffic and weather on the 1s. >> let's check in with meteorologist tom kierein up in storm center 4. good morning, tom. >> hi, eun and joe. we've got a jewel gleaming in the eastern sky, a live picture from our city camera. that bright spot is venus, super bright this morning. jupiter is in the western sky. temperatures now in the mid-70s. i'm going to show you a dramatic view of jupiter taken by a local astronomer showing the moons of jupiter and their shadows on the surface of jupiter. that will be coming up in the next half hour. stay tuned for that. mid-70s in washington, near 70 in the suburbs, rural areas west and north in the 60s. weather watchers checking in from southern maryland, northern neck reporting temperatures near 70. we have some clouds just to our north along a weak front that will drift to our south today, bringing in clouds, highs in the 80s. it's going to be rather humid. humid into the weekend. pretty good chance of passing showers on friday, a smaller chance saturday and sunday. that's the way it looks right now with weather. how's the traffic, jerry? >> doing well so far. can check out southeast washington, up pennsylvania avenue toward southern avenue, up to the sousa bridge. very much on the light side with no early hang-ups. the freeway is fine. other anacostia bridges looking good. on the capital beltway as you travel from college park to route 50 on the inner loop, 8 minutes. from route 50 across the wilson bridge, only 16 minutes so far so that's good news. off the wilson bridge over toward i-95 springfield, tack on another 7 minutes. so far, so good out there. joe and eun, back to you. >> thank you, jerry. >> thank you, jerry. time, 5:22, 75 degrees. a best-selling and well-known journalist and author loses his life. >> also, the surprising statistics that show just how much influence parents' bad habits might have on their kids. >> plus, the products being pulled off store shelves at some of the nation's largest retailer because of its threat to small just how much influence do you have over whether your kids drink or use drugs? you may be surprised. a new study find that's more than 1/3 of teens have seen one ore more of their parents drunk. that makes them twice as likely to get drunk themselves. researchers say one out of five teens can get theirands on prescription drugs. they say beware of your kids' school as well. 2/3 of high school students say drugs are readily available there. >> we have a warning to tell you about this morning if your home has venetian blinds. millions of emei are bng recalled. the consumer products safety commission says the blinds and winds sdehare which are being sold at some of the country's biggest retailers pe a risk to small children. the commission says children co d strangle in the blinds' cords. the 5.5 million blinders being sold under various names at stores that include ikea, pottery barn kids and target. >> parents need to understand that these are hidden dangers, that a child can get entangled on these cords very quickly. >> manufacturers are already designing childproof blinds and shades but retailers say the items already out there should be returned right away. >> 5:27 is your time now, 75 degrees. a major road project set to get under way. how the construction is going to impact yr commute. >> remembering the life of senator edward kennedy, the maerls, his funeral and where he will be laid to rest. >> also, a major airline once again adding more fees. a legendary life. senator edward kennedy, his legacy being remembered from massachusetts to washington and beyond. the preparations now under way for the final farewell to a man who steered his family and the nation through tragedy and t trium triumph. good morning to you. welcome to "news 4 today." i'm joe krebs. >> i'm eun yang in for barbara harrison today. thursday, august 27th, 2009. we're going to start by taking a live look outside at 5:31. 75 degrees. meteorologist tom kierein is in the studio with us. he's going to tell us how the weather will shape up to be today. >> a little more humid this morning. a bright s ern stern skyky we just saw is venus. we have ale car c sky morning, not shing hongwimog, nothing showing up o radar. a few clouds, though, uonpennsyo pennlvania border. 6sy0s,te esre i t the 0s, near 70 in the suburbs and the dew points are in the mid and upper 60s. that's rather humid. temperures in theow 7tes. sh le,in0 750s.s 50s in the mountains. clouds just to o north odaucg in tew few sprinkles in pennsylvania but won't have any of that today. just increasing clouds. highs should be reaching the upper 80s by mid-afternoon. and then overnight night, cloudy. by this time tomorrow morning might have a few sprinkles around, near 70. friday, audlo cy day, 50% chance ang psias erowsh, mainly in the after foon with highs near 80. more of the same on saturday al aghouimow dinished chance of showers. d could get some thundershowers on sunday. a look into next week coming up in ten minutes at 5:41. stay tuned. >> thank you, tom. >> let's go to jerry edwards and the news 4 traffic network. >> good news continues to roll on as we take a look here, washington boulevard near the pentagon, there's the washington monument in the background. right now everything's moving along nicely. elsewhere 270 southbound no early concerns. on briggs cheney road near good hope road, montgomery county police heade for an accident. look out up there. >> thanks very much. >> preparations for senator