Tonight

Forecasters are watching an expected outbreak of severe weather from Illinois to Maryland that some are likening to last June's derecho; one meteorologist predicted it would be a "multi billion dollar storm" causing massive power outages. Storms were developing in Illinois and Wisconsin early Wednesday evening, bringing tornado threats from there through Indiana and into Ohio. Meteorologists say conditions could be conducive for those storms to strengthen into a massive squall line packing up to 70 mph winds, large hail and heavy rain.

J. Cole, the North Carolina-based rapper whose sophomore album, "Born Sinner," drops Tuesday, will perform at Baltimore Soundstage tonight, according to Soundstage's Twitter page . It was not announced before this morning. Tickets cost $1, and can be purchased on a first-come, first-serve basis at the Soundstage box office starting at 4 p.m. There's a limit of one ticket per person. The show is 18+ and you must have a state-issued ID, according to Soundstage's Twitter page.

The true value of wilderness is simply that it's there, wrote the late Edward Abby. You do not have to go, but knowing you could provides comfort.Knowing that others have done it can also be uplifting, which describes the appeal of "Braving Alaska," tonight's "National Geographic Special" on PBS, (at 8 o'clock on Maryland Public Television and Washington's WETA-Channel 26, the originating station).The final show of the series' season focuses upon four families living in the vast bush country of the 49th state, whose entire population is smaller than that of many cities in the lower 48. In many places, notes narrator Martin Sheen, "there is virtually no one."

Anne Arundel County's Office of Planning and Zoning will hold a meeting at 6:30 p.m. tonight to discuss new "growth tiers" for the county. The growth tiers are being established to comply with a state law popularly called the "septic bill. " The state law requires local governments to establish tiers describing where new subdivisions will be required to connect to the public sewer system and where new subdivisions must use septic systems. Officials from the Office and Planning and Zoning will present a map they've developed showing the tiers.

J. Cole, the North Carolina-based rapper whose sophomore album, "Born Sinner," drops Tuesday, will perform at Baltimore Soundstage tonight, according to Soundstage's Twitter page . It was not announced before this morning. Tickets cost $1, and can be purchased on a first-come, first-serve basis at the Soundstage box office starting at 4 p.m. There's a limit of one ticket per person. The show is 18+ and you must have a state-issued ID, according to Soundstage's Twitter page.

The Baltimore City Council's executive nominations committee will hold a confirmation hearing tonight for Anthony W. Batts, Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake's pick to be the city's next police commissioner. Tonight's hearing begins at 5 p.m. and will air on the city's public access cable channel, TV 25.  Batts' contract has been signed, and he's been on the job for a few weeks. He spent 27 years with the Long Beach Police Department, before leading the Oakland Police Department for two years.

The Maryland Crab Bowl, a senior football all-star game that was snowed out Saturday, is scheduled for 7 tonight at Towson's Johnny Unitas Stadium. The Baltimore regional team will consist of players from Baltimore City, Anne Arundel, Baltimore Howard, Frederick, Washington, Allegany, Cecil, Harford, Carroll and Garrett counties and the Eastern Shore. The Washington regional team will consist of players from Montgomery, Prince George's, Calvert, St. Mary's and Charles counties. A youth game will be played at 5:30 p.m. For information, call 301-346-4035.

Tonight, people in neighborhoods throughout Baltimore will be marching against crime. Citizens on Patrol walks have become a staple of the city Police Department's community outreach, but the idea tonight is to have a simultaneous showing from Brooklyn to Homeland. It's part of a weeklong nationwide mayors' initiative called Volunteers in Action, and Police Commissioner Frederick H. Bealefeld III has made his signature COP walks his contribution to the effort. At least two dozen community groups around the city are asking for people to come out about 6:30 p.m. Mayor Sheila Dixon plans to walk in her neighborhood, Hunting Ridge.

After a three-week hiatus during the Olympic games, or as I like to call them, "Planet Earth's Got Talent," the seventh season of "America's Got Talent" returns tonight. From here on out, I will be your recapper. And who am I? Well, I'm a Baltimore-based writer who mostly writes about rap music for SPIN , and I've also contributed to places like Pitchfork, The Village Voice , as well as b and City Paper . I'm also a pretty big Howard Stern fan and Howard joining judges Sharon Osbourne and Howie Mandel, is what got me watching.

Opponent:Duquesne Site:Comcast Center, College Park Time:8 TV/Radio:Ch. 54/WBAL (1090 AM)

One of the delights of summer is the HBO documentary series executive producer Sheila Nevins delivers. I have only seen the first two films this year, but I like them both. I love "Pussy Riot: A Punk Prayer," which launches the series at 9 tonight. It's a look inside the feminist Russian art collective, its "Punk Prayer" protest in a Moscow cathedral and the trial that followed. The film reminded me as nothing else has in the last 40 some years what it felt like to be 18 years old in 1968 and hear the siren call of a cultural revolution.

UPDATE: The tarp came off the field at 7:50 p.m. Estimated start time is 8:25. WASHINGTON -- The start of tonight's Orioles game against the Nationals at Nationals Park has been delayed by rain. Heavy rain is still coming down at Nationals Park and the tarp is on the infield. We've also heard some thunder in the area. Stay tuned for more information as we get it.

TORONTO - Right-hander Jake Arrieta , who hasn't pitched in 16 days, was optioned to Triple-A Norfolk before Thursday's game to make space on the 25-man roster for starter Kevin Gausman . Orioles manager Buck Showalter said the team was deciding between "two or three" possible moves but decided it was most important to get Arrieta back on the mound. While disappointed, Arrieta agreed. "I need to get innings," Arrieta said Thursday. "I need to pitch in games, whether it's here or there.

Parts of Australia and Pacific islands are in for what some call a "ring of fire" eclipse on Friday, though it won't be visible on this side of the world. The moon will pass between Earth and the sun, blocking all but the outer ring of the sun's rays for those in the center of the eclipse's path. Further north or south, the moon will obscure less of the sun. Because the moon is relatively far away from Earth in its orbit, it won't block the sun entirely, what is known as a total solar eclipse.

In a life dedicated to overcoming -- or, better yet, ignoring -- the obstacles presented by being born without arms or hands, Tom Willis will be adding another milestone tonight. He'll be throwing out the first pitch at Oriole Park at Camden Yards, with his feet. "Who says you need hands to pitch?" Willis asks. "Every little boy who picks up a baseball dreams of some day playing on a professional team in a professional stadium. As a child I shared that same dream. My disability, however, made that dream impossible.

Right-hander Zach Clark, the former UMBC player who was added to the club's 40-man roster this offseason, will be activated by the Orioles tonight in Seattle, an organizational source said. He will provide some bullpen insurance as the Orioles are in the middle of an 11-game road trip on the West Coast. Clark is a pretty incredible story. A non-drafted free agent out of UMBC in 2006, the Newark, Del., native was signed by the club's local baseball guru, Dean Albany. Clark, who turns 30 in July, is in his eighth year in the minors without ever getting a big-league sniff until now. He may be returning soon to the minors -- the Orioles under Dan Duquette are known for shuffling players back and forth.

49ers (5-8) @ Seahawks (8-5) Time, TV -- 8, NFL Network Line -- Seahawks by 9 1/2 Last meeting -- 49ers won, 20-14, at San Francisco on Nov. 19, 2006. Key stat -- The Seahawks are 5-1 at home, losing only to the Vikings. The buzz -- The Seahawks' Matt Hasselbeck missed the teams' first meeting, and it was RB Shaun Alexander's first game back from injury. The Seahawks are still fighting injuries and will go without WR Darrell Jackson (toe), but they have enough to wrap up their third straight NFC West title.

Actress Brittany Snow -- known for her roles in "Pitch Perfect" (2012) and "Hairspray" (2007) -- will speak at 7 p.m. April 23 at Towson University. The event is sold out. Snow will be discussing Love Is Louder, an anti-bullying organization that she co-founded. According to the organization's website, the Baltimore event is part of the Love Is Louder Road Trip . Get more information about the Love Is Louder campaign at loveislouder.com .

The NFL will release its regular-schedule tonight at 8 p.m. during an NFL Network special which is expected to confirm what the Ravens have suspected for weeks: They'll open the season on Sept. 5 against the Denver Broncos. The league is holding off on the announcement until tonight and the Ravens haven't been told definitively where they'll begin defense of the Super Bowl XLVII title. However, CBS Sports reported today that there will be no surprises for the NFL's Sept.