national transportation safety board indicates weather may have played a factor. based on early details, the four men who managed to survive the plane crash were on the ground at least 12 hours in tough conditions before being air lifted to safety. craig melvin, "news 4 today." the "today" show will broadcast live in alaska this morning coming up at 7:00 a.m. right after news 4 today. there's no escaping this extreme heat we've been dealing with 90 degree temperatures all summer long and today is no different, even the high heat didn't keep these people off the national wall yesterday. people were looking for any way possible to keep cool. it is a little easier for these kids who found a fountain to run through. they might want to try the same thing again today. tom joins us now live with how hot it's going to get today and yesterday was hot enough. >> our 50th day to getting 90 or higher. today will be day 51. it's going to be in the mid-90s by mid afternoon. it's in the upper 70s in prince george's county, arlington and fairfax in the mid and upper 70s. we have high humidity in place, except in the mountains, it's cooler there than usual. west virginia now 70 degrees. eastern shore right around 80 degrees, we have a partly cloudy sky, did have a few passing light showers overnight that had dissipated. at this hour we have clouds coming through and it's partly cloudy around the region on this wednesday morning. for today we'll have afternoon highs into the mid-90s. it will be quite humid, a small chance of an isolated thunderstorm. a greater chance, likelihood of needed rain on thursday, thursday night into friday. perhaps some thunder and lightning, highs near 90 tomorrow. upper 80s on friday. saturday should be humid with highs in the upper 80s, only a small chance of an isolated afternoon thunderstorm. how's traffic this morning? >> looking good as we get going along the i-95 corridor on the northbound side from dale city to the capitol beltway. should find the lanes open. the road work should be wrapped up. let's check elsewhere, the top side of the capitol beltway, inner loop and outer loop looking pretty good. eun and kimberly. >> a teenage girl is dead this morning after she was hit by a car in prince george's county. police say she was struck just before 10:00 last night in district heights. the 16-year-old was rushed to the hospital where she died early this morning. police say the vehicle that struck her did stay on the scene and the driver has not been charged with anything at this point. people from here to michigan are on high alert while a serial killer linked to 20 attacks is on the run. five died and three other attacks happened in leesburg virginia. investigators have little to go on except for most of the victims are black men. jackie bensen spoke to a family member of one of those victims in virginia. >> the sooner he gets stopped the better. >> reporter: strong words from the brother of the 67-year-old man stabbed in front of his leesburg apartment last week. stabbed in the back by surprise, it cost him a kidney and sent his family into shock. >> a lot of crying and grief, a lot of pain and a lot of praying. >> reporter: spr virginia to ohio, that's where investigators believe the serial killing suspect went after three crimes, two stabbings and a hammer attack in leesburg. >> we wouldn't be doing our job if we assume this person left our community. i don't think any of us in the law enforcement community are going to do that. >> this is an individual, regardless of what his motivation his and i truly it is pure hatred. this is an individual that is very dangerous. >> reporter: investigators believe less than 24 hours after security camera recorded these images of a green older model chevrolet blazer fleeing the scene where a 19-year-old leesburg man was attacked with a hammer, the suspect was in to lead dough. a 59-year-old black male exited a church to grab a quick smoke. he was stabbed several times by a suspect. another vehicle has come forward in flint, michigan. stabbed on july 27th, but a possible connection to the serial killings and connections was not made until his family saw news coverage of the crimes. people on leesburg remain on alert, very, very concerned about this suspect. jackie bensen, news 4 today. starting this farm, students he university of virginia will have to say whether they were arrested or convicted of any crimes after the death of yeardley love in may. love's ex-boyfriend, george huguely, was later charged with her murder. he had been arrested in 2008 after a drunken confrontation with a police officer. mcmahon won the endorsement for the steet. she faces richard blumen thal in november. in colorado, michael bennet won the senate nomination and now faces tea party favorite ken buck who won the republican nomination for the u.s. senate. in georgia, the republican primary is too close to call. nathan deal leads karen handle by less than 3,000 votes, the ultimate winner will face roy barnes in libertarian john motts in november. a decision to shut down one school, clifton was cited as having building problems. even after parents organized a protest. this lawsuit accuses the school board of abusing its discretion, the school board has not commented on the suit. ahead on "news 4 today." no, vincent gray is not prank calling your home. why he is having phone trouble. early results from the sudden acceleration problem. one possible cause has been crossed off the list. it is going to be another scorcher today. your weather and traffic coming we're never gonna catch anything. patience, son. ah! 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[ female announcer ] charmin ultra soft. enjoy the go. but you wouldn't want an antique computer. or an antique tv. ♪ or an antique remote control. so why are you still using an antique cable network created in 1948 for your 2010 tv? it's time to hook your tv up to 100% fiber optics. it's time for fios. visit verizon.com/fios. call the verizon center for customers with disabilities at 800-974-6006 tty/v. visit verizon.com/fios. ♪ welcome to ultimate rewards from chase. no blackouts, no restrictions on airfare and hotels, no limits to what you can get with ultimate rewards. no wonder it's called ultimate. available on chase credit, debit, and business cards. chase what matters. good morning, time for weather and traffic. i'm tom kierein on this wednesday morning. we have the humidity with us and it's going to stay with us throughout the rest of the day. 82 in washington, upper 70s in the suburbs, rural areas mid-70s. mid 80s near the bay. high today though climbing to the mid-90s, partly cloudy and small chance of an isolated storm this afternoon. tomorrow and friday, needed rain likely both days passing showers are possible with thunder and lightning, highs near 90 tomorrow. then perhaps thursday night into friday midday, we could get showers, perhaps thunder early friday afternoon. highs in the upper 80s then. friday partly cloudy and a small chance of an isolated storm. a look at sunday and into next week coming up in ten minutes. how's the traffic? >> pretty quiet into town this morning. new york avenue pat bladensburg road doing fine. kenilworth avenue, no hang-ups to report thus far. pretty decent shape all the way in. wilson bridge, okay, bunch of overnight road work on the virnginia beltway. we'll keep a close watch on it and we will let you know. 4:42 right now. still to come, vincent gray's telephone problem. overnight internet sensation, what the flight attendant says about the support he's receiving. trouble brewing in the gulf, what it means for crews hoping to p time for a check on this morning's top storiestories, fi people are dead, including former alaskan governor ted stevens. the plane went down monday during a fishing trip, a local man bill phillips senior was also killed in the crash. his teenage son survived and three others survived including sean o'keefe and his son. investigators in leesburg are trying to figure if the attacks of three men are linked to 16 other attacks, including five murders in michigan. the suspect is also being linked to another attack in ohio, almost everyone of the victims has been a black man. a 16-year-old girl was hit and killed by a car in prince george's county in district heights last night. the driver that struck her remained on the scene and not been charged at this point. right now here are the winners in tuesday's primaries. in minnesota, mark dayton won the nomination for governor. former wrestling executive linda mcmahon, in colorado, incumbent senator michael bennet won the domestic nomination. the federal reserve is leaving interest rates at a record low. is it a good time to buy? one in four home sellers cut their price from last year. in d.c. the price dropped 9%. kristen dahlgren is live on capitol hill with the details. good morning. >> reporter: good morning. what a difference a few months make. at the beginning of this summer the fad was optimistic saying the recovery was progressing, now not so much seeing that it is more modest than anticipated, meantime, the price of homes continues to go south. as the long hot summer continues, it seems home sellers are having to sweat it out. one in four has dropped their price making this the fourth straight month with more price reductions, cities in the southwest seem to be leading the way. las vegas seeing 66% more price cuts, what happens in vegas is by no means staying there. >> people feel like their wealth is evaporating and they can't spend money. that will hurt the recovery and hurt the economy going forward. >> reporter: on that note, the fed downgraded its outlook on the economy. and took measures to drive interest rates on mortgages and corporate borrowing even lower. >> reporter: the fed sees the recovery slowing, therefore they are trying to lower mortgage rates and long-term interest rates so they can borrow more. if you're looking for a silver lining, it's the fact interest rates will stay low. if you're buying a house, now is the time to do it. >> reporter: there are plenty of sellers hoping that happens before they have to slash their price again. in our area, d.c. ranks 36th nationwide in the top 50 cities, 25% of homes have been reduced in price, an average of 9% down. that is a total of about $56 million. >> kristen dahlgren, thank you. president obama signed emergency legislation that democrats say saved 300,000 teachers and police and others from layoffs. the washington examiner reports school districts in maryland and virginia and district of columbia will receive $450 million in federal funds to save jobs. have you gotten a prank call from vincent gray's mayoral campaign? if so, you're not alone. it wasn't the campaign placing the call. someone has hacked into the campaign's phone numbers and made a number of hang-up calls. police as well as verizon are investigating. the charles councy sheriff's office is getting over a million in private grants to boost the ma reen program. since charles county is survived by water on three sides, the sheriff's office received aid for three new high-speed boats equipped with top of the line training equipment. >> this is a straight shot from here to washington d.c. where our most important structures are. we also have the station responsible for making the explosives were use in our wars. >> water patrols will cover 200 miles in charles county and 17 miles across the state of maryland. former president george w. bush is visited haiti as the people pin to rebuild their lives. relief efforts are continuing to come into the island nation. special correspondent jenna hager asked her own father about the charity he founded with former president bill clinton. >> to let the people who committee know the money is being spent wisely on individuals. we're focused on entrepreneurship and jobs and good health care and education. >> do you think she has the inside scoop? thanks, dad. you can watch more on the "today" show at 7:00 this morning right here on news 4. a preliminary federal investigation found no problems with the electronic systems in recalled toyotas. while looking into sudden acceleration, investigators found evidence of floor maps trapping the gas pedal and sticking accelerators. safety experts suggested that problems with the electronics systems could be to blame for toyota's sudden acceleration problems. this morning a tropical storm warning has been issued for most of the gulf affected by the oil spill. it's expected to become a tropical storm before this afternoon. meanwhile, drilling on the final 30 feet of a relief well remains temporarily suspended. crews plan to install a temporary plug to save guard what they've drilled so far. also near the florida panhandle, federal authorities have reopened 5 thurks square miles of the gulf for commercial and recreational fishing. storms heading our way? >> that is a depression, not a tropical storm and it will probably stay a depression as it does drift across the gulf and head towards the louisiana coast. there will be gusts to 30 to 40 miles an hour. right now around the region, we have humidity back and it's going to be in place here all the way into next week. on this wednesday morning, there's a live view from our city camera, the washington monument and the haze. 82 steamy degrees at national airport. we need rain. the deficit at national airport is about 4.5 inches for this year, richmond is about 6 3/4 and 7 2/3 below average. in the 70s throughout most of the region. right now in prince george's county in the upper 70s, montgomery and arlington and fairfax in the mid-70s on this wednesday morning. in the mountains it's cooler, eastern shore around 80 degrees. over the last 12 hours, we've seen this upper level flow tracking clouds from the mid wet, a few showers in the ohio valley. there's a small chance of an isolated storm this afternoon. otherwise partly cloudy, hot and humid, highs mid-90s. sunset, 8:0. overnight, partly cloudy in the 80s through the evening. on thursday, mostly cloudy day, highs around 90. likelihood of afternoon showers and maybe thunder and lightning. off and on and much of friday. saturday just a slight chance of a storm as well as on sunday. maybe a greater chance on sunday through the week. we're doing pretty well this morning along 270 southbound frederick to germantown near route 27. no worries down to the capital beltway. northbound very light up to frederick. let's update you along 66. unlike yesterday, all lanes are open as you head towards the capitol beltway and all of the construction barrels are out of the way. right now we're good to go. >> 4:531 your time now. a show of force after a brawl on metro. plus a flight attendant who flew off the handle and landed behind bars now has a cult following. a housekeeper throwing dirt. you won't [ malantiques can be nice. but you wouldn't want an antique computer. or an antique tv. ♪ or an antique remote control. so why are you still using an antique cable network created in 1948 for your 2010 tv? it's time to hook your tv up to 100% fiber optics. it's time for fios. visit verizon.com/fios. call the verizon center for customers with disabilities at 800-974-6006 tty/v. visit verizon.com/fios. calls to increase security on metro are being answered by citizen safety watch dog group. gard y the move is in response to a fight that broke out amongst 70 people on a train last friday. they will report violent crimes to metro police. she was hired as a domestic worker but a local woman says she was berated and treated by a slave by a montgomery county family. pat lawson reports she's fighting back with a new law. >> >> reporter: janet gonzalez is thorsed to work in the u.s. last september from venezuela took a job with a montgomery county family that quickly turned into a nightmare. >> translator: i felt like i would never be able to leave that house and felt a lot of fear. >> reporter: gonzalez said she was promised $350 a week plus transportation from the home to the shady grove metro station. according to a federal lawsuit filed today in rockville, the family of james and belinda karen paid gonzalez nothing for four and a half months holding her captive, allowing her little contact with the outside world. >> she worked for these people four and a half months and paid nothing. that's a pretty clear case. >> reporter: a desperate gonzalez secretly telephoned the national human trafficking hot line after seeing the number on tv. they contacted casa of maryland that sent representatives to the home. >> she is not just here as a victim. she bravely stood up for her rights and came forward. and something that is very difficult. we want to encourage other women out there, other workers out in to do the same. >> reporter: in addition to the lawsuit, gonzalez filed a complaint with the office of consumer protection, under a new law that requires signed contracts for household workers. council member george leaventhal sponsored the law. >> to make sure that in every domestic worker arrangement, a contract is in place if the domestic worker is hired for 20 hours a week or more. >> reporter: gonzalez is seeking back pay and damages. news 4, rockville. gonzalez says she was given two days off during the entire four and a half months. the family's attorney has not returned our calls but denied allegations to the "washington post." by now, you've almost certainly heard about steven slater who snapped during a flight on monday. you won't see him serving you on a flight any time soon but doesn't mean you have seen the last. he have become a kind of cult hero. thousands have visited a facebook page and hundreds have read about his meltdown as well. >> he's sort of become a -- i guess they are calling him a folk hero on the web. a lot of people have dreamed of doing what he's done. >> slater may have to wait a little while before he can cash in on his new found fame, he's facing charge that's could land him in prison up to seven years. what do you think, a book, reality tv show? >> might as well ride the wave while it's high. "news 4 today" continues at 5:00 a.m. unbearable heat. can you not only feel it, you can actually see it. when relief will come. tragedy in the wilderness, we're learning about the alaskan plane crash that killed a former senator and well known people from the d.c. area. a clue caught on tape. investigators believe a camera captured the man who has multiple cities on edge fleeing the scene of the most recent crime. good morning, welcome to "news 4 today" for this wednesday, august 11th, 2010. it is 80 degrees, clear skies, looks nice and doesn't feel too bad right now. wait until the sun comes up and the day wears on. >> we'll cook again and you'll walk into a wall of humidity. i'm tom kierein starting off with the higher humidity in place. it's near 80 in prince george's county and along the eastern shore. low to mid 70s farther west and north. in the mountains, it's cooler there, western maryland and west virginia up to around 70. as we look at the view from space, we did have one little shower move across maryland and at this hour we have clouds coming through. we'll have temperatures today with a partly cloudy hazy sky, upper 80s to low and mid-90s throughout most of the day. on thursday, it's going to be partly sunny and still humid. highs around 90 and much needed rain during the afternoon maybe with thunder. bit cooler friday and saturday. ho