koran has been found guilty. >> there is even a facebook page allowing people to vote on his method of execution. today's killings are being condemned along with jones who denies any responsibility. >> they are using that as an excuse. they will use any excuse to promote their violent activities. we are not responsible. >> president obama pleaded for calm on the streets and dialogue. the white house is careful not to directly blame jones. >> we are still assessing the cause of the protests and the motivation behind them particularly in the protest that led to this horrific action. >> the pastor did issue this additional statement, calling what happened tragic. he said this is proof that islam is not a religion of peace. afghan officials said they have

arrested the mastermind behind the attack today. abc 7 is at a prayer service being held. we will have local reaction to the story at 6:00. we turn now to another big story -- the weather. an abc 7 crew captured this video of the cherry blossoms that are nearing the end of their peak. doug hill is here with what we can expect. >> of the wind is still gusty. that is the biggest enemy of the cherry blooms. the wind will diminish tonight. the weekend looks brighter and better. sunday will be the better of the weekend days. we have some patchy sprinkles and showers for the next few hours. the big storm in new england has developed as expected. we are and settled with one more

disturbance tomorrow. the main thing is the cold temperatures. we will make some improvement on the thermometer tomorrow. most notable improvements will be on sunday. when will it feel like spring? that is part of our forecast coming up. >> we are not the only ones asking that question. we're monitoring the snowy situation to the north. parts of massachusetts are digging out from an april fool's day snow. rich has the latest. >> this is the heavy wet snow that even hearty new englanders hate. there a winter storm warnings in six new england states. it hardly seems like spring. >> this is no april fool's joke. from new england to pennsylvania the sounds and sights of winter are back. >> it is not fair.

we have had so much snow already. it does not seem right. >> up to a foot of snow in parts of massachusetts connecticut and rhode island. >> it is more like a nightmare. >> the road crews are putting the plows back on trucks. >> what are you going to do? >> this main ski area closed before the snowfall. now is too late. >> if we had this earlier, we could really use it. >> it is clgging traffic and obliterating roadsidesghns. i cannot wait until it is over. >> it will melt and then we can grow things. >> some towns in western

massachusetts are thousands of dollars in the red. new england is not alone. the new england plane could see a foot of snow sunday into monday. there is breaking news on the health of the former governor. a longtime aide can confirmed he is being treated for a slight case of pneumonia. he was admitted to the hospital last night and is reportedly feeling much better. he was said to term governor in maryland from 1987 until 1985. he also served two terms as comptroller. the person was seriously hurt after a car drove through a shop. the helicopter was over the scene soon after it happened. the car crashed into the of ozone -- auto zone. the the

the most taken by helicopter to a nearby hospital. -- the victim was taken by helicopter to a nearby hospital. we must continue to be vigilant about safety on the roadways. that is the only way we will get the numbers to decline. >> more than 30,000 people died last year in the oppression. that is the fewest number of deaths since 1949. seat belts better safety equipment, and the recession are some reasons for the decline. experts say traffic deaths typically decline during an economic downturn because many drivers cut back on discretionary travel. we're counting down to the start of the new traffic nightmare for drivers in virginia and this area. a different pattern will confront drivers on the 14th street bridge. that is just one project on the way. >> preparations are already under way here on constitution

avenue between 15th and 23rd street to give the road a facelift. there is more. >> it is awful. >> those who travelled these roads speak of gridlock congestingon. the coming weeks, it will only get worse. >> it will take forever. >> the reconstruction project injures a new phase on monday. it moves the construction zone to the left center lane. >> that will create more of a tricky situation for commuters. they will have to stay in left or right. >> less than a week later the park service will start work on constitution avenue. they will be replacing sidewalks and fire hydrants. >> avoid it whenever possible. >> at the end of the month the crews will cut down new york avenue by 1/3. >> i tried to avoid this area.

i am coming this way because i have to go to the bank. >> they are offering drivers $50 a month to use other modes of transportation. >> we're offering the program to 2000 people. if we can get 2000 cars off the streets, that will have an impact. >> the good news about the projects is that they impact folks on different routes for the most part. the work on the 14th street bridge will probably this summer. the work on constitution avenue will wrap up in december. the redskins owner is at the center of the new controversy. >> this centers on a report claiming that snyder did not follow through on environmental guidelines near his home. he may be the innocent party this time around. >> innocent because dan snyder claims the latest article in the

paper is untrue. there is a fund-raiser tonight being held for the city papers defense of a lawsuit against them. that pinata is evidence of how ugly the fight is getting. >> he is a bully. that is why the owner of this restaurant says he made this and handed up today outside for the fund-raiser for the papers legal defense. they have had a lawsuit and slapped on them by dan snyder. >> he should focus on getting a winning football team instead of fighting local media outlets. it seems like a waste of his money that could be better spent elsewhere. >> it seems the battle is escalating. a battle in the online edition claims he has failed to satisfy complaints from the u.s. park service over trees to cut down a six years ago on his property. he was ordered to pay fines and

replace the trees. the article says he has not replaced any. a spokesperson says the city paper article is untrue and so does the park service. a spokesperson for the park service to list the article was not factual that he has paid all fines and is in negotiations over the number of trees to be replaced. the people we talked with say this war with dan snyder and the city paper is tiresome. >> he is involved in this fight that no one is really concerned about. >> we tried repeatedly to talk with the publisher of the city paper. she refused to return our calls. she will be here tonight. she will be here for the fund- raiser. coming up, the power of plastics on your food and health.

we test one family to see what happens. >> the elephant and the ceo. this video is gaining unwanted attention. >> a new toy is making parents cringe. >> a thrown away cell phone leads to the arrest of

cabin pressure problems triggered an emergency landing out of reagan international airport. the flight left bound for chicago. the pilots diverted to dayton ohio when passengers fainted and flight attendants reported feeling dizzy. when the airplane landed paramedics took to the passengers to the hospital. one reportedly suffered an asthma attack. the plane has been taken out of service by airline investigators. the d.c. school's acting chancellor has reinstated a principal accused of doctrine graves. he was put on paid administrative leave last week. the school officials later determined an investigator admitted to giving false information. he is scheduled to go back to work on monday. a pair of high school

seniors are accused of breaking into lockers. this happened at freedom high school yesterday. officers say they've broken to the lockers for ipods, cell phone, and money. they are facing felony charges. we have disturbing new information about the three men accused of killing a man over pizza and wings. they remain behind bars. >> the prince george's county attorney and has more on the intermission leading up to their arrest. >> this is 38-year-old paul bennett. his parents say all he wanted to do was earning of money to take care of his son. >> he is a hard worker. he is very hard working. >> on sunday night, he was gunned down as he delivered domino's pizza and chicken wings.

now, these three men are charged with the murder. is alleged they killed him for food that was on sale at domino's for less than $6. >> that is ridiculous. they do not care about life. >> the police believe after they shot and killed him, they ate what they stole and then tried to sell slices of pizza to friends. >> they say the suspects are heartless and not right. they used in disposable cell phone to order the pizza and wings. when they were done, they threw the cell phone and the empty boxes into a dumpster. the police were able to track the phone and found the evidence covered with fingerprints. >> this was fabulous detective work. >> the state attorney said the only solution is to make sure the men are convicted and locked up. >> this sort of violence is

inexplicable. we do not understand it. we cannot tolerate it. >> his domino's store has reopened. nervous delivery drivers tell the callers they will have to come to the car to get the pizza. brad bell for abc 7 news. and reptiles became a star on twitter. he is now back where he belongs. zoo officials caught the egyptian cobra who escaped from his cage. shortly after he escaped, a twitter pop up that was supposedly his tweets about his adventures. the snake gets around. it turns out the baby cobra never made it out of the zoon.

. >> she never escape the the zoo. she is resting comfortably. >> there were able to lure her out of hiding with the smell of food. another mystery is who was behind those status updates. >> whoever it was was very creative. there were some great alliance in there. >> it was very clever. -- there were some great lines in there. >> it was very clever. >> it was only 22 inches long. i thought it was a huge snake. >> i do not like any kind of snake. the museum was the location of the geography bee. it was a great competition.

it got down to one. i lost my note of names. i remember a young man named nathaniel was the champion. michael came in second place. it was a great time. i hope to do it again. alex trebek does it better. let's talk about what is happening outside. the showers are diminishing. we may have more tomorrow. things are looking better for the next few days. things look good from the rooftop camera. we have more sunshine than we have seen before. look at these numbers. our average height is 61 degrees. that is way below the mark. it is 48 in frederick.

it is 48 in lexington park. the temperatures are going to go down into the 30's. we will lose the gusty wind. temperatures to the north are cold. they got snow. there are snow showers across western pennsylvania coming across the great lakes. we will keep a close eye on it. it looks like the cold air will move north. we will get a slow push. we will be in the 50's tomorrow. we will have great outdoor weather on sunday. on monday, we may see a brief shower with a warm front. enjoy monday because a cold front will move in on tuesday with showers and thunderstorms likely. look at the snow showers breaking out to the northwest. this should diminish.

you can see these showers coming across indiana. that will be overnight. that is the next one coming down the pike. that could give us some sprinkles in the morning. this is one of the computer models. sometimes it has it right. sometimes it has it wrong. if we get it wrong, my policy is simple. the computer had it wrong. we could see a sprinkle them will come and go by midday. then there will be sunshine and more coming our way on sunday. it will be 55 in the afternoon. check out these numbers. we will get close to 60 with more sunshine on sunday. we will be into the 70's on monday. notice the highs will stay in the 60's. can we stick a fork in winter yet and say it is over?

>> thank you. tonight they are looking for a backer for an idea. at 9:00, do not miss a special edition of "20/20." before he watched the newscast, he can become a follower of our new twitter page. you will get a special preview of stories. >> it would be great to hear from whoever was tweeting for the snake. an elephant hunt has an american ceo involved. this video is only part of the story. >> what happens to children with autism when they grow up?

a heartbreaking answer for some. >> some parents are upset over a vivid reminder left [ male announcer ] this year get the most out of your lawn with the fertilizer that gives you the most for your money. scotts turf builder. unlike bargain brands, which have up to 40% sand, sawdust, even gravel turf builder has no filler. it's 100% food, for a deep feeding you can see, feel, and enjoy. for a lawn that can't be beat, get a fertilizer that can't be copied. scotts turf builder. now is the time to feed and prevent crabgrass. use scotts turf builder with halts.

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we have a story that parents will definitely want to see. >> it is a toy that can cause

big problems for local families. it has to do with bubbles. >> if a mess is a problem for you, you will have the mess on your hands. criollayolla has colored bubbles. if you do not read the back of it, you may be left with a permanent reminder of the fun your kids have. they burst your bubble with the latest product -- colored bubbles. >> they would get stuck in their hair and shoes. it was hard to get out. >> we heard similar complaints and decided to check it out for ourselves. in no time flat, we have a mess on our hands. the colors were a brilliant as they got on just about everything. she was concerned that the kids would do to the neighbors' kids

what i did to my photographer when the wind shifted. crayola told us that cleanup is part of the fund. >> it was in her hair. she looked like a leprechaun. >> it washed off my hands. did stay my nails. mothers are reporting it takes several washings to get out of clothes. read the fine print on the back. there are 18 line's telling you how to use the product and what to stay away from like vinyl would, carpets drapes. you get the idea. melissa would also like to add her deck to the list. >> crayola recognizes these are not ordinary bubbles. the spokesperson said if you do not like a mess, this product

may not be for you. >> i think a lot of parents appreciate the heads up. coming up new at 5:00, see what happens when we take plastic away from a local families food supply. a result you need to see. >> the leader of the free world was in landover today. a push to go green is coming up. >> it is going to get more

you are watching abc 7 news at 5:00. this is abc 7 news at 5:00 -- on your side. we are monitoring late developments from the district. mayor gray has just outlined his plan to close the budget shortfall. he wants to make $187 million in cuts. the majority will come for services. the present -- proposal includes tax increases. we are live to break down the tax hikes. >> it is the tax increases that have a lot of people upset. district residents in the top

income bracket have the lowest in the nation. the mayor wants to change all of that. >> the district is facing a $322 million budget gap. raising taxes on the wealthiest residents will save the city $35 million a year. the residents we spoke with said there has to be a better way. >> i do not like the idea. >> under the mayor's proposal, income above $200,000 would be taxed at 8.9% instead of the current 8.5%. a person making $300,000 a year would pay an extra $400 a year in taxes. the reaction across the city was the same. mayor gray says these are tough choices. >> if there are better ideas, we would welcome those. >> he acknowledge the recent ethics investigation will not

help himself tax increases to the public. >> a credible plan from the administration about the corruption problem before entertaining tax increase issues. >> the d.c. council has 56 days to make any changes and hold public hearings on the changes. mayor great knows he has a tough battle to get the votes he needs to approve it. he says he hopes the council does not make changes that impact social services education, or public safety. police in prince william county arrest a man after the alleged sex assault of a 14- year-old girl. the police believe huffman repeatedly assaulted a known acquaintance. he is being held without bond. a school employee faces serious allegations, accused of

spending federal grant money on herself. investigators say thomas took funds intended for low income students and used them to buy $100,000 worth of electronics. officials say she is no longer an employee. we are on your side of encouraging news about the economy. we learned the unemployment rate fell to a two-year low. the current unemployment rate stands at 8.8%. the labor department says the economy added 216,000 jobs last month. the president talked about jobs and clean energy during a public appearance today. jennifer is live with the president's words and a story on local workers. >> fedex pepsi verizon, and ups are among the big companies with the largest fleets. they are partnering with the government to replace 20,000

vehicles with fuel efficient alternatives. at ups, the ground just got greener. >> we're trying to get a glimpse of the president. >> it is an afternoon many will not forget that the land over shipping facilities. >> you are the ones making innovation happen. >> ups has 1900 fuel efficient vehicles on the road with hundreds more on order. the company's goal is to put 3000 on highways and in neighborhoods. >> we want to make sure we do the right thing. but with rising gas prices and a tight economy president obama is pushing the company to decrease its dependence on oil. >> it is a national security issues and economic issue. >> he is pushing private companies to upgrade their shipping fleets to hybrids. >> we've been talking to the government for years saying we need their help. to see the president offered his

help those a long way. >> going agreement costs. ups says the harvard trucks cost twice as much -- ups says the hybrid vehicles cost twice as much. -- going engrained costs. >> it has been an awesome experience to see him up close and in person. >> the president did not announce new incentives regarding fuel alternatives. he said the government will offer technical assistance. surveillance cameras caught a good look of a man who held the bank last week. the police say this is the man robbed the bank on march 23. he is wearing a black hat and black sweatshirt. he has what appears to be a

tattoo or scar on his left cheekbone. the diocese tells us a new high school will be built outside of pittsburgh. the cardinal served in pittsburgh for 18 years. he was elevated to the status of cardinal last year. aghast giveaway turned into a three-way -- a gas giveaway turned into a three-ring circus. they are handing out 2,000 gallons worth of gas today. the free-for-all created a traffic jam with police officers having to step in. evening traffic can burn a lot of fuel. let's check in with mike to get the latest on the friday afternoon commute. >> it is pretty bad out there. we're getting word of an accident before the georgetown

pike with heavy delays. we're dealing with delays on the inner and outer loop. there are additional delays on georgetown ave. let's take a look at the cameras. this is the northbound side of 270. it is slow. and the delays began at 32. it is slow on northbound parkway. it is very heavy now on southbound 95 making the trip from the beltway to woodbridge. westbound 66 is solid -- slow. back to you in the studio. coming up, the head of a popular website and an elephant

are getting a lot of attention. the video is only part of the story. >> my husband and i for not going to live for ever. the natural progression is to live on your own. >> after college, most of us lead independent lives. that is not the case in families with children who have autism. >> a marine is prepared to start his new life [ dog barking, sirens

wailing ] [ alarm sounding ] ♪ ♪ [ woman ] please say "one" to speak to a representative. one. one. [ sneezes ] a little off the sides. [ scissors snipping razor buzzing ] ♪ ♪ no! [ male announcer ] these days it's hard to find good customer service. thankfully there's still one place that gets it right.

for families with autism, constant care for children is a nonstop flurry. it can become more stressful figuring out what is next. >> that is the case for one local family. maureen has their story. >> 81% of people diagnosed with autism each year are under the age of 22. as they grow up, families learn it is difficult to find care beyond the classroom. she will be 21 on monday. she is not your typical 21-year- old. she watches sesame street on tv before school.

she communicates with her mother by computer. she even uses it to tell her mother she would like a new ipod for her birthday. dana finishes school in june. her parents are among hundreds of thousands try to figure out who will care for their artistic children when they ate out of the school system. >> we knew this day would come. it is scary. >> for most students, a job comes after graduation. a survey shows for individuals with off to some, the employment rate is only 19%. 74% of them work less than 20 hours a week. there are plenty of programs for children with autism. there are fewer programs for adults. >> it is more a systemic

weakness in the system. >> they managed to find a day program in montgomery county. using the computer, she has told her mother what else she wants. >> she says she wants to be safe and have a job. it is scary. i want to make sure that her dreams come true. >> this sunday, she and her mother will be featured as the cover story of a "parade" magazine. the issue is about aging into autism. an elephant and a ceo. >> 7

i'm a curious seeker. i am a chemistry aficionado. diphenhydrame.e. magnesium hydroxide. atheletes foot. yes. i'm a people pleaser. if elected, i promise flu shots for all. i am a walking medical dictionary. congratulations virginia. inflamed uvula. i'm virginia.

i'm a target pharmacist and i'm here to answer your questions.

we have an alert about food packaging and chemicals found in them that could be linked to everything from cancer to obesity. >> scientists say chemicals and plastics are part of our daily lives and getting into our food.

>> she is not taking any chances when it comes to her family's health. >> we get as much fresh produce as weekend. >> she knows plastics are problematic for young children. the cdc says 93% of americans have detectable levels of hormone-disrupting chemicals in their bodies. >> we'd switched over to bottles not made out of plastic sippy cups of stainless steel, and got most of the plastic out of the kitchen. >> that is what scientists had five families do. they ate fresh food and did not use plastic containers. the result is bpa levels dropped. it is an amazing reduction. scientists say it is a frightening testament to our

daily exposure. one scientist says the lining of soda canns and canned foods are especially problematic. >> we're going to be a small dose of bpa with tomatoes as well. >> now that we know more, we're trying to switch to soaking beans overnight. >> she buys in bulk rather than plastic packaging. she transfers to glass jars when she gets home. >> if you have a big effect on your family's diet and health. >> the study was done by the massachusetts non-profit group and the breast cancer fund. the american chemistry council that represents plastic manufacturers says that bpa

levels are safe. go to our website for more information. a crash with a tractor- trailer happened around 3:00 this morning near sunset point. the trailer was left hanging over an embankment. they brought in a forklift to lift the trailer to a more stable location. the truck driver was not hurt. charlie sheen is taking his road on the -- his show on the road. he starts off in detroit tomorrow. he has released few details about the show itself. the live tour includes a stop at constitution hall in d.c. you cannot make some of these

things up. that is not an april fool's joke. gordon peterson is live in the newsroom with a look ahead. we will have the latest on and amin that survived a jet crashed in germany this afternoon. they're wrestling over the budget on capitol hill. the showdown continues. republicans and democrats debate the budget. the potential for a government shutdown is looming. let's check on the weather. >> will we have decent weather to enjoy the cherry blossoms? >> sunday will be sunnier. let's give you a look at the rooftop camera in arlington. we've seen a lot of cloudiness through the day. there is more blue sky coming

through now. we are getting there. there may be a sprinkle in some spots. we will see some clearing. it is 43 in gaithersburg. 48 degrees in downtown washington. we are picking up sprinkles locally. the next disturbance will get pulled along with the rest of the low pressure area. that may give us cloudiness and isolated showers tomorrow. we will have clearing skies tomorrow afternoon. we will have more sunshine and warmer temperatures on sunday. there may be a sprinkle or shower to begin with, but there will be sunshine for the law later innings of the game. look at monday. it will be in the 70's. there will be a strong cold

front on tuesday. that is the latest from here. back to you. you have some good news. >> the nationals have the date of before the weekend set with atlanta. i had a chance to catch up with him before they headed off. are you where you thought you would be? where are you with your recovery? >> i feel really good. it is my first surgery and rehab process. i did not know what to expect. all signs of look really good. i am going to keep plugging away and hoping i will be back sometime soon. from what i hear, it starts to come back fast. it is the process you have to take to get to the mountaintop and is a rapid progression.

i am working on getting in better shape and putting my body in the best shape to go out there for 200 innings every year. >> you look good. you look like he way less than last year. >> i am about 15 pounds lighter. my strength has improved from last year. i am working on building the strength in my core shoulders and legs. i am going to go from there. i am putting myself in the best position to succeed. >> stephen strasbourg will be back in august. young hockey players from the u.s. and russia came together to watch the caps practice and skate on the same ice as their heroes. they're calling it the first ever caught the exchange with russia. the guy who stole the show was this 5-year-old from west virginia. he was there with the make a

wish foundation. he has leukemia. he is in remission. he is a future star. he was my hero. it was fun. look at him go. [laughter] it was great. coming up next, a dead elephant, an american ceo, and the video creating outrage

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did it!" that works for me. more savings every time you shop, with your giant card. hunting expedition with a video released to the public has a ceo and hot water. >> it centers around the ceo of godaddy.com. the video may shock you. >> this is the image that has animal rights activists

screaming fowl. the ceo poses probably with a slain the elephant on a recent hunting trip to zimbabwe. he shows video of himself with the elephant. the video takes a person turn. local villagers wearing godaddy hats are seen cutting up the elephant and passing out the meat. he posted on twitter about his vacation video. the reaction was swift. activists are signing petitions and planning boycotts of parsons'company. he defends his actions and says that critics are missing the point. if they had an animal destroying their livelihood and were going to starve to death, they would look at it differently. i am helping people get access

to food and protect their crops. it turns out this is not the first time that godaddy.com has received negative attention. several commercials have been banned from the airwaves as too wishes for national television. coming up new at 6:00, adding up fees of the atm. some banks are charging more for access to your cash. we're keeping a close eye on the condition of the former governor. the controversial ceremony ties into violence overseas. live and in h.d., this is abc 7 news at 6:00 -- on your side. some say florida