welcome to "news4 this week." >> hello, everyone. we're going to show you some of the most interesting local stories making news this week. among them, a losing battle. fighting weight gain with exercise may actually make you pack on the pounds. is decorum in our society declining? what some washingtonians have to say about recent outbreaks. flying to protect our skies. an insider's look at keeping the nation's capital safe. first, get ready for tons of mystery seekers to head to the capital. dan brown, the author of the whilely popular da vinci code has said his latest novel here

in the washington area. that's music to the ears of the industry. why the lost symbol is expected to have a bunch of tourists finding themselves in d.c. >> reporter: it is a dream come true for tourism officials in d.c. one of the hottest novel of the year is set in the nation's capital. already copies of dan brown's the lost symbol are flying off shelves. >> definitely love dan brown. i think he has some very interesting stories. >> i like reading books set in d.c. >> reporter: the thriller stars robert langdon who finds clues. it starts in the row opportunity a under a painting of george washington as godlish. the founding father was also a mason, the world's largest fraternity. in the past, masons have been characterized as steeped in secrecy. local masonic leaders say that's a myth but they'll take their 15 minutes of fame. >> every one that i've been talking to has been finding it

to be interesting and there are some chuckles going on. and the flavor of the day, at least for this week. and then by next week, people will move on and go someplace else. >> reporter: d.c. tourism ficial hope the people will become visitor to the city. they've set up a website telling fans of the lost symbol, where they can find the local sites written about in the book. a way to cash in on a new wave of tourists. >> at the end of the day, we'll have folks internationally and domestically wanting to come to washington, d.c. and experience the thing they saw or read in the book about washington. >> reporter: news 4 washington. >> the lost symbol is on the store shelves now. d.c. tourism official are hoping peop will snatch up every copy. it has been required for years and there is a penalty for those who don't do it. and now the city says those safety inspections for your car, not necessary. it is a cost saving measure but it comes as a surprise to some drivers. tracy wilkins has more on what

some say is safety versus savings. >> reporter: a trip to the safety inspection station can be a long and drawn out wait. many drivers say they don't mind in it mean making the road safer. >> many people are kill by cars each year. the safety part, i have no problems with. >> reporter: but come october, safety inspections for passenger vehicles in d.c. will end. only commercial vehicleses will face the safety inspections. but emiions tests for all vehicles will continue. >> we're starting to question, why are we doing some of the thing we're doing? >> reporter: d.c. government official say cutting the inspections will save the city some $400,000 as they work to balance the budget. >> there is no clear evidence that shows safety inspection has a reduction in accidents. and i can certainly understand that people believe they do. they believe that they serve some purpose. without hard evidence saying they do, the government needs to question, why are we doing something in which there is no evidence that shows us it really has a did i have ini have the impact. >> unfortunately for government

and d.c., sackirificing safety the name of saving money is what's happening here. >> reporter: he said in hard economic time, some drivers aren't going to take care of their car unless there is a really reason to. >> it is really easy to have a set of bald tires and say a couple months from now, i'll replace the tires. if you have an inspection coming, and you know that you're going to have to replace the tires or get a ticket and replace the tires, you're going to replace the tires. >> reporter: drivers we talked to at the inspection station had mixed reaction about cutting safety inspections. >> i don't like that at all. what is the reasoning behind it? >> they want to balance the budget. >> please. the budget will never be balanced in d.c. so you know, why take awayhe safety element of other cars? >> you should always know every six months,ou go? get your oil changed, and i don't think they should have to do that. you have to take responsibility for your car. >> reporter: the director at the

dmv is saying that $400,000 they're expecting to save will come from the fact that they don't have to fill some vacant jobs at the dmv. she also sd there will be some additional jobs cuts. as for drivers no, savings for you. you'll still be expected to pay $they've for your emissions inspection. in southwest, i'm tracy wilkins, news4. so is decorum on the decline in our country? public figures from representative joe wilson to serena to kanye west. all of these tie raised have people in our area have people talking. is civility on the down side? >> beyonce had one of the best videos of all time. >> reporter: from kanye west interrupting at the mtv music awards last night -- to serena williams' tirade at the u.s. open. and of course, the heckling of president obama. >> you lie!

>> reporter: are we witnessing a decline of decorum in america? some washingtonians think so. >> everybody wants to be seen. everybody wants to be heard but they don't know how to do it with respect. >> i think people are overstepping their bounds and people aren't putting themn their place. >> that's not what we want. especially children to see as the example. >> we can't react with while temper. we have to control ourselves. >> reporter: chuck is a public relations adviser at former personalities reporter for the "washington post." he criticizes the media for what he sees as a crumbling of civility. >> i think a great part of it i blame on the 24-hour cable television and talk radio. and it has become so that nothing is too outrageous to say or accuse. >> reporter: he said it is up to our public figures to start behaving better and setting better examples. he fathers as others do, that decorum will only keep dropping. >> people have no respect for

anything. no respect for anyone. i think things will get worse before they get better. >> reporter: michael flynn, news4. >> you probably heard all the public figures, including joe wilson moo yell at the president, have by now apologized. on an encouraging note, taylor swift did ask beyonce back on stage so. there are shining examples of civility out there. still to come on "news4 this week," liz shows us some tricks of the trade for healthy lunch that's both kids and adults can enjoy. and i'll show you how you can

youth is wasted on the young, isn't it? when you hear this story, a fairfax county teenager may be a new world record holder in text messaging. stephen kapler post this home video on youtube. the high school student said he managed to send more than 662,000 messages in just one month. that breaks what is believed to be the previous record. he took pictures of his phone bill. all 13,000 pages of it. to accomplish his record, he spent an average of 9 hours a day texting friends. and in addition to all that texting and going to school, kapler also works at a restaurant. as the summer begins to fade, time to gather the best of the harvest and preserve it for winter. canning. summer's fruits and vegetables. a great way to capture the warmth of the season. if you haven't done it before,

it can appear to be daunting. the process i just tried for the first time, and trust me, you follow these basic step and before you know it, you'll be saying, yes i can. >> reporter: start with the produce you love. i've got local peaches from swan's orchard. they're amazing. get yourself some good canning jars. i'm using the classic ball jars. they come in a lot of sizes. and you're going to need a big canning pot. because that's where all the imagine happens. >> if you're a beginner like me, get the whole kit. it come everything you need in one big pan. fill the pot half full of water and get it heating on the stove. throw your lids into a smaller pot and heat them to a low simmer. the jars need to be cleaned and heated so they don't crack when you process them. just run them through a dishwasher cycle and let them hot dry. now, on to the fruit. you have to skin the peaches.

there is actually a really easy way to get the skin off peaches. dip them into boiling water for about 30 seconds and the skin comes right off. once you've appealed and 1/2ed them, put them into vitamin c. i use a tablespoon and it keep them from discoloring. you need a little liquid with the peaches and it can be anything you want. i'm going to try a little ginger ale will a splash of bourbon. okay. now you're ready to start canning. load the peaches into the jar using the funnel and then heat the bourbon and ginger in a pot and label it into the jars. leave at least an inch from the top so the fluid doesn't overflow in its processing. then you take this nonmetallic implement. you can even use a wooden spoon and run it around the sides a few time to get the air bubbles out. clean the jar opening, position the lids, and tighten them with

the bands. set the timer for whatever is required for whatever fruit or produce you're heating for peaches, it is 25 minutes. when the time is up, let the jars sitor a few minutes. with the heat off, using the tongs, place them on a towel where they have to set for a while. you have to leave them be for 12 to 24 hours so that vacuum seal can set. the lids, they have to not bounce up when you press the top of them. and that's it. you've just canned peaches. just like generations before you, you've captured sunlight. and think how good you're going to feel when you open that jar in february. >> there are tons of websites to guide you through the canning process and give you all the little particuls. go to nbcwashington.com and search for going green for all those links. coming up, why you might be sabotaging your weight loss efforts with too

school is back in session and one of the best lessons for kids could be eating well. scientists say healthy eating patterns promote optimal well being, growth and intellectual development. you don't have to sacrifice health for what tastes good. here are some tricks of the trade for preparing nutritious lunches that kids will think are quite cool. >> reporter: we' here at stratford university. we're doing healthy back to school brown bag lunches. where do we start? >> we'll start with peanut butter and jelly. >> let's make a sandwich. >> not with that. the trick is to use graham crack sxeshz fresh fruit. we have an all fruit spread. this is a few berries. this will increase your children's fruit intake and fiber intake for the day. smash it all together. >> and they can carry it to school. that's great. peanut butter is great protein.

>> it is great protein. hears a way to add water and fiber to it. the trick is celery. >> celery. >> celery. just add a little fruit to the top. >> i've got craisins. you've got -- >> raisins. >> it is ladybugs on a log. >> and you can wrap them up and take them to school. >> absolutely. kids love that. >> kids love raw vegetables and ranch dip. >> they do. the trick is small containers for portion control. >> precut veggies and it is the perfect snack. we can send it in a -- >> insulated lunch box. >> kids love these. >> the trick is whole wheat crust. and i cut up the vegetables really small on this and hid it under the cheese. >> you have it hiding under the cheese. and you say wrap the leftovers for back to school. >> it makes the perfect lunch. >> you're not crazy about white bread sandwiches. >> i'm not. the trick is to use these whole

wheat wraps with a low fat cream cheese. >> it has calcium. >> add the dried fruit. >> you've got fiber. >> and roll it up. >> i think it looks cute, they'll eat it, right? >> they will. >> kids love corn chips as snacks. >> they're loaded with sodium and fat. the trick is bake your own using corn cotortillas. cut them into triangles. spray them with low fat spray. watch the sodium. bake them for how long? >> 350 degrees about ten minutes. >> they come out beautifully golden brown. package them for school. a good snack. >> kids love cookies in their lunch boxes. the trick is, bake a healthy one at home. mix your dough up and roll it up in parchment. this dough is lower in sugar, fat and salt. >> you slice off and bake what you need on a daily basis? >> could you or do it once a week and freeze it. >> send it off to school. perfect. thank you so much for the healthy ideas.

>> the kids and parents will be thanking us as well. >> they will. >> eat up. >> those are good. >> for us adult who's exercise to stay healthy, there is some news that people might find a little unsettling. it is also a bit counter intuitive. some experts are saying if you work out too much, you can actually gain weight. explaining why working out to stay slim could be a losing battle. >> reporter: 27-year-old rebecca goldring startser day with a 30-minute walk. >> work it strong. >> reporter: then an exercise class during lunch. and maybe even a spin class in the evening. >> when i first started, i lost weight. >> reporter: when her doctor told her to lose another 16 pounds, she was devastated. >> it was really, really frustrating. when she told me that, i almost started crying. because i, if i tray to lose 16

pounds, i will have no energy. you have to eat to keep it off. >> reporter: doctors insist that exercise is one of the keys to losing weight, and with the number of gym memberships on the rise, americans should be skinnier. the trouble is, some say it is all that exercise that is keeping people from shedding the extra pounds. >> i stopped counseling my clients, my patient, the people i work with, to exercise for weight loss. >> reporter: wayne miller teaches exercise science at george washington university. he said most people overestimate the number of calories they burn during a workout, and then they tend to overeat afterwards. >> by restricting your date, you can easily cut out 1,500 calories. but to get that amount of exercise, to burn those calories, it takes much more. >> reporter: exercise boosts your metabolism. so after a vigorous workout, some might be starving and then lose track of how many calories

they're putting away when they eat. >> in the morning, i end up -- >> reporter: others say it is a matter of perception. a lot of people believe exercising giveshem the freedom to eat what they want. so spending an hour at the gym justifies eating pizza for lunch or a greasy burger for dinner. georgetown university hospitalent roll gist dr. says she sees it all the time. >> people who do feel a carte blanche. i exercise so i don't have to think about the calories. ? there are times when i think, i did this and this so i can have that piece of cake and not feel bad about it. that might happen more often than i would like. >> reporter: while exercise alone might not be the answer to losing weight, everyone agrees there are still plenty of health benefits. goldring said she is not ready to put the bar bells down any time san. >> keep working out. ultimately, you're better off heavy and fit than you are skinny and starving. >> reporter: news4.

>> she said losing weight is about math. there are 3500 calories in one pound. cut out 500 calories a day. to do that, combine date and exercise. nothing new here. that is the key to winning the weight loss battle. calories in, calories out. next, reporter keith garvin takes to the skies to show us how the

hackings and events of 9/11, protecting skies over washington has become even more critical. that fall to the job of the people at andrews. they are responsible for scrambling f-16s in the event of a threat. >> reporter: it was a 48 afternoon on the flight line at andrews air force base. for the men and women of the fighter wing, it could be any day or night of the week. it is the 113th also known as the capital guardians that is responsible for 24/7 protection over the air space of the

nation's capital. brigadier general jeff johnson is the wing's commander. >> we respond very often. this is some ofhe busiest air space in the nation here, in the nation's capital region. therefore, we are out there checking things out very often. >> reporter: the 113th has been part of the d.c. national guard for nearly 70 years. its role shifted dramatically after 9/11. since then, the wing has been on constant asa. air sovereignty alert. a number of f-16 fighter jets stay armed and loaded ready to respond at a moment's notice. that number is classified. we weren't on air sovereignty alert here at andrews prayer to 9/11. but obviously, since the attacks in the nation's capital region, the nation has seen fit to make sure we have aircraft on alert here defending the skies. >> reporter: to get a first has not look at the daily duties, i was given permission to play the on a training mission. may pilot, lieutenant colonel rick jane. call sang, bang.

the colonel was quick to point out how quickly he would have to responsible in a mission. >> we have to get there when we're told to get there. the consequences of not getting there are obvious. >> reporter: after strapping in and running through all the preflight checks, it was time to take to the skies. we rose from the runway just over 300 knots and then lifted into the gray skies above andrews. once we headed off, we went to the chesapeake near the naval air station. the colonel took me through some basic combat maneuvers, and although it was the flight of a lifetime for this journalist, i discovered being a fighter pilot is no joyride. it is tough, grueling work that requires constant attention to detail. those conditions are magnified when they respond to a potential

threat. after three hours, including a brief stop, we made it back to andrews. i returned with a better perspective of the job it takes to protect our nation's capital, and with greater respect for the men and women who perform that duty. as colonel jang and i returned from our flight, another 7th pilots and crew membe headed out for an afternoon missn. just another day for the capital guardians. a unit that does not rest, so the nation's capital can do so peacefully. at andrews air force base, news4. >> now we're going to take off. enjoy.