for our area, here's what you can expect. your wake-up forecast will go from rain to sleet to snow as temperatures drop. but even for tomorrow morning, temperatures, most neighborhoods will be hovering around the freezing mark. just light snow, sleet, and just some wet roads with little or no accumulation. we head into the first part of spring. meteorological spring, that likelihood of seeing snowfall become less and less. so we'll take a look at your extended forecast, which is looking really, really good, coming up in just a few minutes. back to you. >> all right. let's get the big picture on the roads. ashley linder has the word on conditions. ashley? >> hey, jim. well, things are starting to get congested out there. let's take a spin around the capitol beltway. look at this. both inner and outer loop, overwhelmed with volume between the dulles toll road and college

park. this is going to be the pace. the headlights right here at river road, those are coming down towards the american legion. that slow pace just follows you through bethesda. slow and steady headed toward college park. it's a combination of sheer volume and a lot of people trying to get home before the pace -- or before the weather becomes a bigger factor. as far as virginia is concerned, this is what you're looking at on 95. it's getting congested. main line going to be heavy in towards woodbridge, but the hov is still a good bet. there are no accidents to report there. elsewhere around the area, we do have some good spots. the district, no big problems to report. this is the 14th street corridor. volume at a manageable pace there. let's take a trip back towards the capitol beltway. this is down towards greenbelt on the inner loop. heavy there. no problems headed across the wilson bridge. you'll find your lanes open. jim, back to you. >> ash, thank you.

for the very latest on weather and traffic conditions during the morning commute, tune in to "news4 today" early beginning at 4:30 tomorrow morning. we have an update on a developing story. fire investigators have just cleared the scene where there was a suspicious letter. it was sent to a building in the 700 block of 1st street that houses the american psychological association. all offices were evacuated there. authorities say they've turned the substance and the envelope over to the fbi. they say it does not appear to be hazardous. three people drove themselves to the hospital, but there are no reports of anyone feeling sick. well, tonight we have new details about a human trafficking crackdown. montgomery county police believe young women were offered up for sex and each case was linked to the internet. pat collins joins us live from rockville. pat? >> wendy, three men, three separate cases of sex

trafficking. one thing in common. the internet. suspect number one, rodney hubert, 34 years old, brooklyn, new york. the comfort inn, silver spring. it's alleged that hubert used three female associates to bring a 15-year-old girl to this hotel. there they took provocative pictures of the girl and advertised her services on craigslist. last day in town for cherry, the ad said. and police say sex clients beat a path to the hotel room door. how did police learn about the prug prostitution activity? >> by hotel employees. >> reporter: what did they say? >> they saw a lot of foot traffic going in a out of one particular room. police find a 15-year-old engaged in a sex act with a male. >> reporter: case closed? >> yes. >> reporter: by the way, rodney

hubert said he couldn't be at the comfort inn that day. he said he couldn't leave his wife. suspect number two, deangelo bynum, 24 years old, washington, d.c. according to court documents, he used facebook to try and recruit a minor into adult work. he second for pictures in sexy outfits, saide usually tries out the girls first. but when he showed up to meet his recruit, that teenage girl turned out to be an undercover cop. big surprise. >> he met the police department. and he was placed under arrest. >> reporter: case closed? >> yes. >> reporter: suspect number three, araj abbas, 32 years old, said to be the son of an afghan government official. police said he would set up prostitutes in the homestead suites and other hotels around the area,ed av ed a vadvertisin sexual services on the internet.

>> he is the master of internet escort sites. >> reporter: but you got him? >> that's correct. >> reporter: case closed? >> yes, sir. >> reporter: the internet has taken the business of prostitution off the streets and put it behind closed doors. but the cops say it's making it easier for them to track what's going on. >> with the blatant advertisement of prostitution, you're just fish in a barrel now to us. >> upon conviction, human sex trafficking is punishable by up to ten years in jail. if a minor is involved, 25 years. wendy, back to you. >> thank you, pat. crime appears to be on the rise near george washington university. according to the school's newspaper, six robberies were reported near the foggy bottom gw mro station last month. that's up from january when just one incident was reported. in almost all the cases, students had their phones stolen by teenagers.

police tell us the high-transit area is often used by robbers to flee. university police say short of having an officer at every block, there is little they can do. d.c. councilman marion barry today was censured by the city council for his role in a contract scandal. he was also reved as the chair of the housing committee. and this all may end up in the hands of the u.s. attorney's office now. news4's jane watrel joins us with details. jane? >> this all happened, jim, at a special meeting of the d.c. city council. 12 council members voted one by one to, as you said, censure marion barry and to strip him of his committee chairmanship of the housing and workforce development committee. barry, on the other hand, did not sit by silently, even though he recused himself from the vote. his peers voted one by one, 12 in all, to impose the sanctions on him. this all stems from an

investigation that concludes that barry benefits financially from a $15,000 contract that he secured for a girlfriend. barry apologized again today during the special meeting for what he called poor judgment, but he said the investigation in his opinion was against barry's wo and he said that the punishment was heavy-handed. >> it's not justice. that's not due process. that's utalitarianism. you expect that in russia, iran or someplace. not in america. and so i'm being singled out unfairly for something i did not do. i maintain very clearly that i violated no law. >> under the council's resolution, they define censure as a punitive action which

serves as a penalty imposed for wrong-doing, but it carries no fine or suspension of the rights of the member as an elected official. censure should be used for cases in which the council determines that the violation of law or policy is a serious offense. in this case, the council determined that council member barry was in gross violation of council policy. the council also -- the council's action also means that this investigation, which took about eight months, will be going to the u.s. attorney's office, where they'll look into possle criminal wrong-doing against marion barry. live in freedom plaza, i'm jane watrel. back to you, jim. >> jane, thank you. tomorrow is a historic day in the nation's capitol. for the first time, same-sex couples will begin applying for marriage licenses in d.c. tomorrow morning. there are plenty of businesses ready to capitalize on those nuptia nuptials. john schriffen is live outside d.c. superior court tonight. john? >> that's right.

we're here outside of superior court. tomorrow morning it looks like gay and lesbian couples will be allowed to apply for a marriage certificate. now, regardless of where the rest of the country stands on this issue, local businesses here in the district see this moment as a chance to make some money. aaron and chris have been together for 14 years. they've been waiting for this day most of their lives. w that it's almost here, it's time to decide how to celebrate it. >> i think we want to do something that's pretty traditional, but with our own little twist. definitely have aeal ceremony with all of our closest friends and family there. >> reporter: as couples descend upon the nation's capitol, this decision could mean a boom for localbl businesses. >> it looks like there's going to be $52 million in revenue generated in tourism and retail. >> reporter: one local jeweller has come up with special wedding banld

bands for the occasion. >> i think it was more symbolic than anything. there's nothing overtly different about these rings. they're platinum, they're gold, there's diamonds. it was really a symbol to say, you know, we're open, we're here for the community. any couple that needs to get married, we have the rings for you. >> reporter: over at the ritz carlston, the staff is preparing for events. the hotel's goal is to make it easier for couples by providing photographer, caterer and venue all in one. >> we really want to work with people's budget. i would say probably realistically you'd be looking at the 150 range to 250 per person person, all-inclusive for the event. >> it's great to feel like a mainstream part of everyday life. knowing that there are businesses that want to support you makes you want to support them, too. >> now, obviously tomorrow is a big day for couples. if you're planning on coming over to superior court, the

office opens at 8:30 in the morning, but the courthouse building opens at 7:00 a.m. for couples to start lining up. if you plan on being that first couple in line and getting her before 7:00 a.m., the office is asking everyone to line up calmly on the indiana avenue side. reporting here live from superior court, john schriffen. back to you. >> thank you, john. if you work for the catholic church, your benefits could be affected by the same-sex marriage law. the arch diocese of washington is changing its health care policy. the church will no longer aplow employees of catholic charities to add spouses to their coverage. policies in place before today will continue as-is, but new and current employees will no longer be able to add spouses to their health care coverage. church officials say they want to remain faithful to their catholic identity. coming up, a major victory for gun rights in virginia. >> "news4 at 5" is just getting started. also coming up on "news4 at

5," after a record-shattering earthquake, aftershocks continue to rattle chile. but why the quake may have shortened our days on planet earth. and a budget crisis may stop the postal service from delivering to your home six days a week. while we're getting showers tonight, we also have spring break deals. find out how to get away from it all for next to nothing. tomorrow morning, more winter weather is headed to the washington region. we'll have any delays and an updated forecast with weather and traffic on the 1's. hello, i'm eun yang. >> and i'm joe krebs, we're also giving away a free trip to new york city and a trip to rockefeller center. to enter, go to nbcwashington.com and search 30 rock. we'll announce the winner in the 6:00 a.m. hour. >> start your day with "news4 today," we'll see you in the

as aftershocks continue to rattle chile, almost 800 people are confirmed dead from that massive earthquake. this is amateur video shot during the aftershock this morning. so far there have been 130 aftershocks after saturday's 8.8 earthquake. secretary of state hillary clinton arrived in santiago today. she brought 25 satellite phones and said more help is on the

way. >> i first come with the great sympathy and support from president obama and the people of the united states. >> the earthquake in chile may have changed the earth's rotation. a nasa scientist says it shortens the length of days on our planet. it's 1.26 miliseconds shorter. go to nbcwashington.com and search "chile." let's get the wd on our weather. we've got an interesting right and morning ahead of us. veronica? >> we'll be making the transition, at least the precip is, from a little bit of light rain which we have falling out there right now to a little bit of light snow, sleet at times will try mixing in. for the morning rush tomorrow, too, here's a look outside. by the morning rush, we could have a half inch of snow in the grassy areas. just wet roads. so current temperature is at 39 degrees right now. the winds aren't that strong but

tomorrow with this storm system, we are going to see the winds pick up out of the north and northeast. here's a look at where the advisories are. they are not over our area, but national weather service probably is going to be monitoring that during the overnight period to see if this system is going to make more northern progress up the coast. as fars the advisories across southern virginia, danville, roanoke, lynchburg, that's where there's light snow falling right now. this whole zoneown here is where there could be light accumulation of snowfall. mountains of north carolina and anywhere in the pink, even around raleigh, north carolina, durham, fayetteville, winter storm warning. that small pocket there. there could be two to four inches of owfall. there's the moisture, even some thunderstorms. the coast of north carolina. as we expand it out a little bit, temperature in the 30s, mid-30s just south of the area. a few cooler pockets, too, around our area. damascus reporting light snow already mixing in with the rain.

redrocksburg, your temperature is warm enough at 37 degrees. we've got mid-30s further north and south. georgia, peach tree city, light snow for the last couple of hours. so they're saying some light accumulation. here's a look at our radar from maryland down through northern virginia. light rain showers, but there have been some spots like dave baker in west virginia, he's got an inch on the ground right now with his deer in the backyard. it's been snowing steadily there. and then spotswest, the central shenandoah valley. light accumulation already of snowfall. open it up, you'll see the white. that's the snow. west virginia, too, some of the high spots will see more accumulation. so this is a system that's down south off the coast of really georgia, eastern georgia right now. it's not going to make much progress up the coast. we'll monitor that closely. it's moving more east-northeastward off the

coast. nonetheless, we'll go from light rain to light snow. a little bit of sleet mixing in overnight. a half inch in some of the grassy areas. wet roads and then that system mov moves out. light rain for the evening here with temperatures dropping from the low 40s to the mid-30s. by tomorrow morning, i think just some wet roads around. so this will be a system really a low-impact storm for us. little accumulation. 29 to 34 to start. working inur favor is the fact that this system will have temperatures hovering around the freezing mark. tomorrow, 38 to 41. good afternoon where as it falls, you'll see the snow. a little bit of snow, maybe a little sleet. then it should be melting once it hits the roads. 43 thursday. 50 for saturday. and what a weekend we've got coming up. right now, mid-50s expected on sunday with lots of sunshine. back to you. >> thanks, veronica. the major supreme court decision that abolished d.c.'s gun ban in 2008 is now weighing

on whether the court will also force other cities to get rid of their gun bans. today, justices are hearing arguments about a challenge to a handgun ban in chicago. pete williams joins us live from the supreme court with the latest. pete, tell us more about this chicago gun ban and what lawyers are saying for and against it today. >> sure, jim. two things. first of all, we heard this gun case today. secondly, the court has just handed down its decision from chief justice roberts, declining to take up the case of gay marriage. first on the gun ban, you're right. two years ago, the u.s. supreme court struck down the handgun ban here in washington, d.c. saying that people in the district had a right under the second amendment to have a handgun at home for self-defense. but the court said this decision is limited just to the district because it's a federal city. we're not saying whether it applies nationwide. that was the question today. does the second amendment apply

to the state? the bill of rights don't automatica states. that's the case. after listening to the arguments today, it does seem safe to conclude that the justices will say yes, the second amendment does apply to the states. that will undoubtedly st down chicago's handgun ban that was almost identical to the district's. it will launch a whole new series of challenges to gun laws that restrict carrying guns in public or concealed carrying or carrying a gone into a bar or a restaurant or a church or a school. there will be challenges to laws that require people to keep their guns locked up at home. >> all right. pete williams downt the supreme court today with a breaking news item, too, on gay marriage here in the district. coming um, wep, a dramatic e in the way brakes work for just about any vehicle.

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well, a deal that would end this ongoing stand-off about extending unemployment benefits, that deal broke down this afternoon. once again today, republican center jim bunning has broked an extension of the jobless benefits and health insurance subsi subsidies. he wants to make it clear his move is not a filibuster. >> a filibuster is when you stand on this floor and you talk and talk and talk. i have not done that. >> but he's made his stand. i think it's wrong, as does the american people, as does, i'm sure, the people of kentucky. >> senator bunning's office says his phones are ringing off the

hook in washington and in kentucky. aides say constitch wuents are frustrated. bunning said the extension will add $10 billion to the federal debt and he wants it paid for. montgory county executive ike leggett sports an increase in maryland's alcohol tax. on wednesday, leggett plans to join a board coalition of maryland citizenso push for an increase. maryland has not raised the tax on beer and wine since 1972 and the liquor on spirits hasn't gone up since 1965. president obama is calling on congress to pass instant rebates for people who take steps to make their homes more energy efficient. he announced the new plan in savannah today. it would reward people who buy insulation, wanter heaters or other energy-saving equipment. consumers would get a rebate of up do $1,500 or more.

the white house is hoping the program will be as popular as last year's cash for clunkers money-back program for cars. still ahead, it is sentencing day in a deadly street racing trial. it night, we learn the fate of the driver who is convicted of running over eight spectators. and potential changes to the mail delivery that will likely affect every american.

welcome back. i'm wendy rieger. >> i'm jim handley. coming up in this half hour

of "news4 at 5," power steering problems for gm. roadwork could shut down a major route in our region. and o.j. is offering a piece of history to the smithsonian. but we begin this half hour with our top story, a driver who pled guilty in a deadly street racing ce learns his fate. it was sentencing day for darren bullock. he was behind the wheel of a car that was involved in a deadly crash in maryland. chris gordon is live with the details. chris? >> this has been a tragedy for an entire community. today there were tears from the families of the victims and tears from the family of the young man who was taking responsibility for causing the eight deaths. this is onef the last pictures taken of -year-old darren bullock as a free man. now he's in custody beginning a 15-year prison sentence. his family and friends cried and tried to comfort each other outside the prince george's county court husband.

bullock pleaded guilty to causing eight deaths at the street races just over two years ago. it's estimated that 200 people or more were standing in the street after watching a previous race when bullock's car plowed into a crowd. after bullock was sentenced, his family spoke. >> we are sorry for the families that have lost loved ones. but we also have lost. he's never been in trouble like this before. >> reporter: gregory was seriously injured in the accident and still suffers. >> i have talked to mrs. bullock. >> what did you tell him? >> i know in his heart everything is going to be okay. >> reporter: before being sentenced to 15 years, bullock read a statement, taking responsibility and expressing regret. >> he was not racing. he was exceeding the posted speed limit. which by itself was wrong and

that's what he took responsibility for. i am legally not his father, but i've been the only person he's known as a dad. i'm going to tell you -- >> reporter: the state's attorney says bullock was racing. >> i think his plea reflects that he was involved in a race and that he took responsibility for the manslaughter of eight people. >> reporter: in the case of 20-year-old tavon taylor, monday night the jury found taylor guilty of two traffic offenses, reckless driving and street racing. the jury was unable to reach a verdict on the eight counts of vehicular manslaughter. taylor will face a second trial on those charges. the retrail of tavon taylor is scheduled for october 18th. tonight, darren bullock begins his first night in custody. his family is wondering why no one else has stepped forward to take any responsibility.

neither the drivers of the prior street race or any of the 200 adults who were standing in the street and by being there contributed to this tragedy. that's the latest. back to you. >> thank you, chris. well, general motors is recalling some of its cars for safety reasons. they're recalling 1.3 million cars because of a power steering issue. the problem models include the 2005 through 2010 chevy cobalt and the '07 through 2010 pontiac g-5. gm says the cars are safe to drive but that they may become harder to steer when traveling under 15 miles an hour. general motors is working on a fix. meanwhile, the secretary of transportation says his agency may recommend that new vehicles sold in this country be required to have brakes that can override the gas pedal. ray lahoud's idea comes as federal safety officials testified before congress

telling members that 52 deaths are linked to the sudden acceleration in toyota vehicles. lahoud told congress to expect changes in the way companies do business. well, you may have to do without saturday deliveries. it's just one of the services that could go away if the postmaster general succeeds with his cost-cutting plan. julie carey is live to tell us more about what customers might have to give up. julie? >> here's the problem. the postal service faces a $7 billion loss this year alone, which is why its managers are pushing hard to make some major changes. postal carrier john has been delivering mail for 34 years. 32 of them on the same route in north arlington. >> i love seeing the people every day and, you know, i get feedback. and it's -- it's rewarding. >> reporter: but people may soon be seeing less of their mail carrier. the postal service is drowning

in debt, and the postmaster general renewed his campaign to drop saturday deliveries. the problem, with more customers using e-mail and electronic bill payment, the postal service is losing business. down from 213 billion pieces of mail in 2006 to fewer than 170 billion now. while the 44-cent stamp price is fixed for now, the postmaster wants to raise rates. joan kelly says she's willing to give up saturday delivery if it helps the postal service stay afloat. >> a couple of years ago y spent $700 mailing things, so i really adore the post office. >> reporter: this student says she needs to get to the post office on weekends. >> we work during the week or have school. right now we're already fighting to make the 5:00 deadline. so taking saturday away from us would be -- wow, that's a huge loss. well, to me. >> reporter: other customers dread even more the prospect of

more expensive postage. >> i'm a small business owner. and we mail out 150,000 pieces a year. and, you know, we really feel the impact. i probably would give up saturday delivery to hold the postage. >> reporter: the postal service is trying to use new technology to improve efficiency. an automated sorting system puts letters and flat mail in sequence, which means postal carriers spend me time on deliveries. and while retirement isn't far off for this carrier, john hopes the postal service will find a way to survive. >> i think we need to do a better job of -- of managing it. but i think it's still viable for another 20 to 50 years. >> the question now is whether congress will sign off on the proposed changes that it has blocked in the past, like cutting a delivery day. >> all right thank you. if you're looking to take a

vacati vacation, some of the best deals. and we continue to keep an eye on the skies. veronica returns with the latest on a wintry mix and a march

two big road projects are going to make things difficult for drivers trying to get around the beltway at night this week. both projects are in the tyson's corner area. the southbound beltway will be

shut down near route 7 so crews can install steel beams for a new bridge. that work takes place from 11:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. each night. vdot will also close route 123 northbound at the dulles connector road at 7:00 p.m. friday until 10:00 a.m. saturday. that's to install a water line that's part of the dulles metro rail project. both projects are weather permitting. let's see what kind of weather we'll get tomorrow, veronica. >> light snow and light sleet to start the day. then rain switching over and already we're seeing that transition to a little bit of snow in spots like this. damasc damascus, maryland, where the temperature is at 33 degrees right now. there's that easterly light wind. 35 in arliton. still mainly rain there. 34 in ellicott city. a few neighborhoods just north. montgomery county, howard county and west fairfax and prince william, light snow trying to mix in. so it's snow that will overtake the area during the overnight

period, but light snow. could have anywhere from a half in to an inch in the morning. area roads should be wet as we drop to around the freezing mark. throughout the day tomorrow, we'll see that transition in the morning going from a little bit of light snow back to rain with a high of 40 degrees. that really is what's going to be helping us out quite a bit. temperatures in the upper 30s to around 40. back to you. >> thanks, veronica. "news4 today" will be on at 4:30 tomorrow. a grammy winner facing jail time. we'll tell you about what happened to rapper lil wayne in the courtroom today. and coming up in sports tonight, lindsay sits down for lunch with brenda freeze to talk about basketball and motherhood. host: could switching to geico really save you

15% or more on car insurance? host: did the waltons take way too long to say goodnight? mom: g'night john boy. g'night mary ellen. mary ellen: g'night mama. g'night erin. elizabeth: g'night john boy. jim bob: g'night grandpa. elizabeth: g'night ben. jim bob: elizabeth: g'night jim bob. jim bob: g'night everybody, grandpa: g'night everybody. jim bob: g'night daddy. vo: geico. 15 minutes could save you 15% or more.

plastics are everywhere, including your kitchen. >> you may think nothing of grabbing one of those plastic containers and heating food in the microwave. well, liz crenshaw is here to remind you to think twice about that. >> twice, three times, four times. many plastic containers look the same, but they're really all very different. when it comes to heating food, it can become a problem for you and your family. diane showed us the dos and don'ts when it comes to heating food in plastic bags and containers. >> plastics have different intended uses. different containers are made to withstand various temperatures.

>> what happens if i use that low-temperature plastic in the microwave or i pour boiling soup into it? >> if it can't withstand high temperatures, it could melt or change form when you're cooking in it. >> reporter: rule of thumb, check the label on the packaging. >> mine says safe for freezer, microwave and dishwasher. >> reporter: and it's not labld, don't heat it up. how hot can they get in the microwave? very hot? >> it depends on what the food is. water will go up to 212. but fat in a product can get hotter than 212. can get to 240, it can get may even higher than that. >> reporter: and those temperatures could cause plastic to melt. here's one example. we heated chill in a used plastic dip container. >> it's changed shape. that could be an indication that

the container is changing, is melting. >> reporter: you're worried about the plastics from here ending up in the food i eat? >> correct. >> reporter: styrofoam container, a no-no. >> you should not reheat food in styrofoam containers. >> reporter: let's see what happens. >> it's very hot. >> reporter: very hot. oh, and it looks kind of -- oh, dear. >> it's melted. the sides are sinking in. >> reporter:hat about plastic wrap? again, read the box. it says the plastic should be one inch away from the food and vented so excess steam escapes. otherwise the hot plastic will stick to the food. and watch out for the plastic containers you buy. this container was not supposed to be in the microwave. >> there. see? it has changed texture. now, this cup is designed for cold liquids, not heat.

so we would not want to heat anything up in this. >> reporter: okay. except for our experiment. >> experiment of water. >> reporter: after boiling the water, the cup changed shape. the heated cup is the one on the left. it's shorter and bulging at the bottom compared to the cup on the right. remember our ham we reheated in a zipper bag? >> see how it's changed shape and the liquid is coming out? that means that it's melted and there's holes in it. do not eat this ham. >> you can find more information on plastics from the usda and the american chemistry council. go to nbcwashington.com and search "plastics." don't presume they're all the same. they're all different. read the box. >> got to be on the label. >> yep. >> glass, glass, glass. >> that's another option. >> thank you, liz. the smithsonian institution is saying thanks but no thanks to an offer to put o.j.

simpson's suit on display. simpson wore it in 1995 when he was acquitted of murdering his ex-wife and her friend. the smithsonian says the suit is not appropriate for the museum's collection. thdecision comes a day after the judge approved the donation to settle a long court battle over the clothing. it's not clear if the suit will be offered to another museum. the courthouse caught fire and that postponed the sentencing for wrapper lil wayne in a gun case. the blaze broke out this morning in the basement of a lower manhattan courthouse. lil wayne was due for the sentencing this afternoon. his sentencing was already delayed two weeks ago but he needed dental surgery. lil wayne pled guilty to criminal weapons charges. the cause of today's fire is under investigation. a bill that allows concealed handguns to be brought into bars is on its way to the governor's desk in virginia. the concealed handgun bill passed by a vote of 72-27 today.

it allows people to carry guns into bars but forbids them from drinking. opponents argue that bringing firearms into places where varying degrees of sobriety will come to a tragicend. supporters say it allows law-abiding people to defend themselves. the bill heads to governor bob mcdonnell's desk. he's expected to sign it. it's time to look that stories we're working on for "news4 at 6" tonight. doreen gentzler joins us now with a preview. >> coming up on "news4 at 6," we'll continue to follow news regarding the d.c. council's decision to censure marion barry. also, a nasa scientist says the massive earthquake over the weekend could result in shorter days here on earth. we'll explain that. also, a guy in australia climbed on to a cliff and then found he was stuck up there while rescuers worked to free him. he took a little nap. those stories and more, coming up in just a few minutes on "news4 at 6." i'll see you then.

>> thanks. you can see that brenda's schedule has changed a lot in the last two years. maryland women's basketball coach brenda freeze really brings the phrase working mother to an entirely new level. she's made such an impact on the university's program, guiding the terps to a championship in 2006. but brenda freeze is also juggling a much smaller team of her own, her twins. they're now two years old. she shared her secrets for making it all work over lunch in her office at comcast center. i saw you on twitter and you said that i was coming to your office and you didn't know what was on the menu, so i felt pressure. i hope that you like this. how do you balance what you do with now being the mother of

twins? >> well, i mean, i think first and foremost, you know, i have a team, a great team here at maryland, tremendous staff, a tremendous support staff. so makes my job obviously easier here. but i also feel like you have to have a team at home. you know, i think women are used to obviously just, you know, always having the ability to -- to multitask and kind of your hair on fire, so to speak. you know, just -- i wouldn't have it any other way. being sleep deprived it worth every second. >> you don't look it. >> i joke now that i have to go on the road, you know, for road trips or recruiting and that's when i get my best sleep. so i think that kind of tells you just, you know, how intense it is. >> your husband, who was a producer for the terps' tv show, is now playing mr. mom, right? how did that come about? what is that like for you guys? >> well, i think, you know, first and foremost, you know, in

a relationship and in a marriage, i mean, when you're trying to have a family and how does this work the best and how does it fit, we just knew it wasn't going to be feasible. obviously, he made the biggest sacrifice. >> he's mr. mom at home. what is that like for you? >> it's wonderful. you know, because he, you know, is so good with them. you know, he just -- you know, he makes it about them. their day. and he -- you know, he thinks he doesn't do as great of a job as he does. >> so everyone can look back and see the success that this organization obviously has had and with a championship in 2006. now the team is a lot younger. how do you have to change what you do and the way that you coach and you approach coaching to, you know, to get the most from this group? >> you know, i think just you break it down and simplify. i think even just smaller steps, especially with such a young

team. you know, we talk a lot about the staff inhe sense of, you know, every single day just the amount of teaching that's going on. most recent i guess you could say with the duke game, you know, we knew that, you know, our five freshmen had never played down in cameron, in that environment, so the two days leading up to it, we piped in the duke crowd noise and their pep band into the speaker systems of the locker rooms so they when they walked in the locker room and changed for practice, they'd hear the music. >> does it require more patience from you knowing that the goal is to win but knowing that it is a much younger team and that maybe those goals are altered a little bit? >> yeah. you know, i think the one thing i've always tried to do with every team that i've had is have perspective. where we are right now as a team. we're really young. probably one of the youngest teams in the country. so, you know, my most important job is to keep that delicate balance for our players.

you know, at the end of the day, these guys are students and they're student athletes. you know, my job as a coach, as a mentor, as a mother is to be here for them and to help guide them through, you know, just their challenges of every single day. >> keeping with the parental theme, brenda told me that the one thing she does is always remember that you are coaing someone's daughter. she said as long as she can go home at night and know that she really did the best she could to impact these lives of these women that she's coaching on the court, she feels like she's done her job. they truly respect her. it is a very young team. 18-11 overall. it's been a season of building. >> she's bringing them up just like her kids. i love that she gets all of her best sleep when she's on the road. >> i know, isn't that great? so many people can relate to that. coming up, vacations on a dime. last-minute big deals. pack your bags.

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several aviation firms in hawaii want the federal government to compensation them for lost revenue during president obama's visit. a no-fly zone was in effect over oahu. it put a crimp on tours and other operations in the area. the oahu initiative wants $200,000 for lost business. well, the snow is finally melting just in time for spring

break. if you're looking to get away, experts say spring travel deals are the best in years. nbc's deborah boxer shows you the places and prices that may be too good to pass up. >> reporter: it's not too late to book your break. here's an inside look at last-minute getaways. >> i procrastinate and we wait until the last minute. >> reporter: it was three weeks ago when jim and his wife decided to try booking a trip for spring vacation. the destination, aruba. >> we weren't sure whether we could get our package put together. >> reporter: the teacher called his travel agent and discovered there were deals available. they'll stay at a resort and can't wait to get there. >> i love my students dearly but it's nice to get away and have time to yourself and relax. >> reporter: graham herd says people used to book april vacations one year in advance but now they're doing it just two weeks to two months ahead.

>> people are really doing last-minute things. e economy is part of it. i think part of it is it's hard to get time off from those that are working. they're being worked hard these days. >> reporter: not only can you book last-minute but you can save big. for example, at disneyland in california, you can pay for three nights and get two free. >> that's a heck of a bargain. that hasn't gone on in years in the industry. >> reporter: and don't forget last-minute cruise deals. there are plenty out there. you'll find freebies in some places. in jamaica, you can score free golf. >> those things don't happen on a regular basis. >> reporter: if you're looking to stay closer to home, some cape cod hotels are offering midweek specials. pay for one or two nights and get one free. and consider a day trip to new york city where you can get broadway tickets on sale.

booking a trip last-minute is not ideal, but it is doable. >> start dreaming early. spring is upon us. that does it for "news4 at 5." coming up next, the postal service calls for drastic cuts. jim vance and doreen gentzler are next with "news4 at 6." aftershocks are keeping the people of chile on edge as they continue to try to recover from that massive earthquake on saturday. the u.s. postal service announced today they want to cut mail delivery service one day a week. a bill allowing same-sex couples to get married in the district is scheduled to become law tomorrow. good evening. i'm jim vance. >> i'm doreen gentzler. the d.c. council formally censured marion barry today