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tv   News 4 at 4  NBC  April 1, 2011 4:00pm-5:00pm EDT

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afternoon, i'm barbara harrison. jim handly is off today. i'm. pat lawson muse. new developments in that story that we have been following all day today. an american airlines flight that left reagan national this morning bound for chicago was diverted to ohio. an airline official says there was a possible problem with the air pressure on flight 547. the incident began as the plane was passing through. an altitude of 28,000 feet. some of the flight attendants felt light-headed and asked the pilot to drop the oxygen masks. the plane landed safely in dayton. american flew another plane out to pick up the peaassengers and they landed safely in chicago about two hours ago. the latest unemployment figures are, and the jobless rate has fallen again, although the numbers do not include people who have simply stopped looking for work. still, the labor department says private employers added more than 200,000 jobs last month. as kristen dahlgren reports, the president and some job-seekers hail the new report as a positive sign.
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>> reporter: for carlos reyes, now looking for work, the jump in jobs means a boost to his confidence. >> in california, they said that we raised more than 100,000 jobs last month, so my hopes are going up. >> reporter: nationwide, the government reports a net 216,000 jobs added in march. unemployment fell to 8.8%. at a visit to a u.p.s. facility outside washington, president obama packaged it this way. >> that makes 1.8 million private sector jobs created in the last 13 months. and the unemployment rate has now fallen a full point in the last four months. >> reporter: he acknowledged a lot of work to be done. and while the private sector grew jobs, it was a tough month for the government, and some fear just the start. >> we have not seen the real job cuts that are going to happen in state and local government. this will be the worst year ever. >> reporter: house speaker john boehner blamed democrats for
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creating economic uncertainty, and laid out his plan for growth. >> we need to cut spending. we need to stop unnecessary regulations. end the threat of tax hikes. >> reporter: while still looming over the numbers, fears a government shutdown could have fallout for employment. but for many, any positive economic news -- >> oh, i'm very confident that in six months i'm going to have something, even sooner. >> reporter: -- is giving reason for hope. now, many economists do believe the pace of job creation should continue throughout the year. about 2.5 million jobs created. but it's estimated that 13.5 million americans are currently out of work. kristen dahlgren, nbc news, washington. and some people who want to become their own bosses are attending the international franchise expo this weekend. john schriffen has that story, in our next hour. d.c. mayor vincent gray wants to close the city's $222
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million budget gap with a combination of tax hikes and spending cuts. he presented his first budget proposal to the d.c. council today. it includes $187 million in cuts to a variety of human services. like welfare and summer job programs, as well as cuts in education and economic development. to help raise money, taxes would go up for residents who earn more than $200,000. parking garage fees would increase, and the sales tax would be expanded to include movie tickets and live theater. d.c. officials are required by law to produce a balanced budget, which then has to win congressional approval. you can feel a little more comfortable riding metro today. police nabbed a man suspected of rubbing himself up against women. the women posted a description of the man on the popular blog
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unsuckmetro. she says she saw him do the 15i78 thing to other women between the lafont plaza and pentagon stops. an investigator saw the posting and arrested the suspect. the man has been charged with assault and battery. folks in new england may feel a little like the joke's on them on this april fool's day. a strong spring storm is dumping heavy snow across the region. forecasters are expecting up to 14 inches in around new hampshire and maine today. thousands of residents are without power. new jersey and massachusetts also get hit with snow and rain. kids all over the northeast woke up to a day off from school. likely thanking mother nature for all of her hard work. clouds covered the washington area, but will we see any sun this weekend? meteorologist veronica johnson is live in our storm center to tell us what kind of weekend it's shaping up today to be. veronica. >> around here, yes, we are going to see some clearing.
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but you're going to have to wait a little bit. as a matter of fact, for the evening, we're going to see a little bit of clearing. there's still some sprinkles around the area right now. you can see on digital doppler off to the west around cumberland and front royal, most to the west, but there are some sprinkles, too, all around the metro area. foggy bottom now, you're at 48 degrees. georgetown, too. over in prince george's county, clinton and andover, 46 degrees. 47 just to the north up in gaitherburg, maryland. and aspen hill. so at least the temperatures are okay. you can see to the north, the white. that's the snow, and even some pink there. snow and rain mix as that storm system moves away. but there is a we can system that will move through tonight and for the day tomorrow. and so that's why i've got clouds for at least part of our weekend. our temperature will drop to 43 degrees by 11:00 p.m. so chilly, sprinkly kind of evening for us. some spritzes and even light showers are expected saturday.
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and sunday is looking much better. we'll talk about how warm sunday is going to be, and really how, well, i dare to use the word "hot." it could be hot next week, compared to how the last couple of weeks have been. barbara? >> i don't mind you using the word "hot." i'm ready for that. thanks, veronica. we'll talk to you again. today's clearing weather may be a good thing for the cherry blossom festival. the national park service predicts the peak bloom will end today. that's when 70% of the trees around the tidal basin have blossomed. also ahead this weekend, catch the free fireworks tomorrow night at 8:30. then sunday, it's the credit union cherry blossom ten-mile run. 15,000 people are expected to participate in that. and to accommodate the crowd, metro will open at 5:00 a.m. on sunday morning. and if you can't make it down to see the cherry blossoms this weekend, how about taking a stroll along d.c.'s river walk trail? the newest section behind the navy yard opened today. it had been closed to the public
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for ten years, because of security concerns after 9/11. the 2,300 foot walkway along the river has been described by city officials as a transportation alternative, as well as a tourist attraction. >> something new. your children and grand children, you can show them, have an outing for the kids. >> the navy yard portion of river walk is open monday through friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. visitors can also see the display ship and the navy museum. it's expected to be completed by 2014. right now, it's only open from benefitting road to the navy yard. a traffic heads-up, if you live or drive the beltway in alexandria. at 8:00 tonight, the outer loop of the beltway will be narrowed down to one lane between the eisenhower connecter and telegraph road inner change. the outer loops will also be closed. the closure will remain in effect until tomorrow morning.
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let's see how the traffic is rolling along on this afternoon. >> let's say hi to vinny bruce. how is it looking? >> reports of a new accident on the westbound lanes of 66. got reports of an accident on westbound lanes of 66 as you make your way over towards nuttily street. it's in the center, and so anticipate delays there. on the american legion bridge, let me take you there. you can see we're in fairly good shape on that part of down after an earlier accident took us -- well, gave us a lot of delays off the american legion bridge on the inner loop headed over towards new hampshire avenue, where we had an earlier truck fire. and very heavy on southbound 95 after you leave the capital beltway. back to you. >> okay. thanks, vinny. when news4 at 4:00 continues this afternoon, prince william gives a firsthand tour of the air base where he is stationed to a very special visitor. what's at spake as metro looks for a way to balance its budget? i'm liz crenshaw.
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is there a law that mandates a start time on noisy construction? that's the question. the answer is coming up on
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new jersey's largest university is taking some heat for spending big bucks on one popular bad girl. reality star snooki is receiving a $32,000 paycheck to speak at rutgers university today, $2,000 more than toni morrison. snooki is giving a commencement speech. some students say the price is a
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bargain. others think it's a waste of money. snooki reportedly advised all students to, quote, study hard, but party harder. the royal wedding has less than one month away now, and prince william is admit to go a few nervous jitters. >> i guess that's to be expected. today his grandmother paid a visit to the town where prince william and kate middleton will begin their married life together. for the first time, queen elizabeth got a look at the search and rescue unit, where william is a pilot. here is michelle kosinski. >> reporter: it has been prince william's year to emerge from what has largely been his private life, as his own man. >> over every single surface in the world. we'll be watching this when it goes out. >> yeah, thanks. do you want me to fly it? >> no, i'd like to do it. >> william pilots a search and rescue helicopter along this rugged coastline. these are the guys who rush out
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in the worst to save lives. >> it gets very hairy, especially when you have someone like me at the controls, 40 mile an hour winds, clouds, trying to get through to someone who has broken a leg or lost in the hill. >> reporter: and here, the future king is almost like any other flight attendant lieutenant. >> at rehearsal, my knee started tapping quite nervously. i'm looking forward to it, but still a lot of planning to be done in the last four weeks. >> reporter: he did manage to get that bachelor party out of the way last weekend, without any press finding it. >> it's quite amuse to go outfox the media. >> reporter: the palace did say he won't be wearing a wedding band. but kate's, according to royal tradition, will be made from a nugget of the queen's rare welch gold. the duke of he haddin bory also doesn't wear a wedding ring,
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though prince charles does under the cigna of his left pinky. that's how many aristocratic men do it. the palace says it's his preference not to start now. it's not as if anyone won't know he's taken. and today he gets to show around his grandparents, the queen and prince phillip. william's other job will be to shape the monarchy for the 21st century, to keep it not only relevant, but an example to the people of modern britain. a few of whom just may find themselves saved by prince william. prince william has invited his entire search and rescue team to the wedding. and also, the widow of his training commander, who was killed in afghanistan. the work that william and his brother have done really has touched the british public. sometimes you'll go to a pub and you'll hear people very passionately talking about how impressed they are by the kind of public service they have chosen, really risking their
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lives to do so. back to you. >> and finally, when the couple does their vous or takes their vows, our wendy rieger is going to be in london for that event. be sure to watch news4. live reports are going to come from london leading up to the wedding on april 29th. pretty exciting. >> it is exciting. the clock is ticking. well, he's helped a lot of people make their homes more liveable. especially those facing life's biggest challenges. and now he's back for season two. >> george oliphant joins from us lindenhurst, new jersey, where he's fixing up another house now. so george, give us a sense of what it takes to successfully pull off one of these projects. >> it takes a lot of effort. it takes a huge community effort. and that's what we've got going on right now. we are actually in lindenhurst, new york. although there is a lindenhurst, new jersey. we're here on long island. and right now, we're rescuing a
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left-hand turn lieutenant's house, a mr. fix-it, taking care of his family and then his father got sick, had a baby, life threw him a number of curve balls, and his wife wrote in, listen, he's never going to ask for help. and that's what we're here to do. the family does not have a living room, they will in a short week. that's what we're doing now, knocking down walls, opening up a space, putting in a bathroom over here for them. whoa! watch the sawhorse. yeah, so -- as you can see, we've got lots of people working around us right now. and that's just what it's about on the rescue, having contractors, having spaklers, having painters, tile guys all here at the same time, working on top of each other, but everybody working for a common goal, and that's to help people who can't do the job themselves. >> obviously, it takes a whole army. give us highlights from the season to come. what are we going to see? >> great stuff coming up this season. first, we go down to north
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carolina, we help out this beautiful couple. they're about to get married. rachel and chris. she got, unfortunately, paralyzed during her bachelorette party. but you wouldn't know it, because she is like the most positive person you've ever met. we made her house totally handicap accessible. another family, they're doubling the size of their family. they're having triplets. so we're doubling the size of their house. we also are going out and we're reconnecting with a lot of people rerescued from season one, seeing how they're doing, what we did for them has changed their lives. we're here in lindenhurst, new york, helping out this fireman. we're going to sea side heights, new jersey, helping a barber build his house, an iron worker working on the world trade center, got hit in the head with an iron beam. we're going to help do some landscaping. we've got a lot of great projects under way. and it's wonderful to get the whole community involved. >> tell us quickly, george, about the one you're doing in our area, in the washington, d.c. area. >> we've got to get down there. we don't have a d.c. rescue, and we're looking for one. we -- >> come to my house.
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>> come down to the nation's capital and rescue somebody down there. and so please, anyone, if you're watching, if you know somebody who could use a helping hand, and they're too proud to ask, send me an e-mail at george@nbc.com. i'll go knock on their door. i'll tell them what to do. i'll tell them i'm going to take care of their projects. whatever it is, i've got great people around me. i work with a great team. and we love to help. >> all right. so that's george@nbc.com. >> that's george@nbc.com. pretty easy. great e-mail address. >> george oliphant, george to the rescue premiers saturday night at 7:30 here on nbc 4. >> okay. his in box will probably be flooded. coming up, some slimming clothing comes under f
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it's friday. on friday'ses we talk love with ellen mccarthy at the washington post. always nice to hear about these couples. i'm a big-time dog lover. >> are you? >> i understand that dogs brought your wedding couple together. >> isn't that so fun? yeah, this is a dog park love
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story, and the dogs kind of got introduced first, as they often do. you know this, this is my dog, and then they introduce themselves to each other. so this is dana and dennis. what's funny, she used to see him jogging around their alexandria neighborhood and would jokingly say to herself, there goes my boyfriend. right? and then they sort of finally met. and he happens to be a chef in alexandria. and so he said oh come in sometime for a snack. and so she showed up for a snack and it turned out to be this 13-course tasting menu with wine pairings. and she cleaned her plate. and he thought oh, she's a good eater. so that was his first sign, aside from the dogs, and they had similar taste in music. so they finally sort of kind of tied the nknot a few weeks ago. and the dogs were there. >> he liked a woman with a healthy healthy appetite. that's interesting. >> of course, he's a chef.
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>> so our brave guy this week is jim, and he works at a gym. he's 24, originally from maine, so this outdoorsy guy, a little bit shy, but then, you know, has this great sense of humor once you warm him up. and he told us he was looking for somebody who was really smart and not pretentious. so we set him up with elizabeth, also 24, a congressional staffer. she is a big athlete. she still is a competitive swimmer, somebody who wants to make a difference in the world. really wants to do good things, and told us she is looking for a guy with a sense of adventure and somebody with a silly side to him. so we sent them to the melting pot in dupont circle. and he thought she was gorgeous immediately. and she thought he was really cute, too. she could sense his shyness. but once they warmed up, they figured out they had all these things in common. they both were big swimmers, had sort of similar sense of humor, made each other laugh a lot.
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he felt like he had known her for a long time. so for us, we'll take it. you have to read on sunday to figure out how it ended. >> sounds like a hint to me. thank you, ellen. to read about dating and love, log on to washingtonpost.com/onlove. and you can always find more on nbc washington.com. and a good date would be to stroll under the cherry blossoms, because you only have a few more days to do it. >> exactly. one day this weekend will be great, one day not so great. so we're kind of inching our way, barbara, towards some better weather around here. let's take a look outside, and see what's going on. you can see this little bit of sunshine, clouds, and temperatures today have been about 5 degrees higher than where they were yesterday at this same time. the fact is, we still have clouds, we still have sprinkles around the area. 48 degrees is the temperature. the humidity at 47%. and some wind today, too. it's out of the west-northwest at 15 miles per hour, so a little chill. as far as rain goes, sprinkles
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coming through our area, you can see more in the way of precipitation in the form of a little bit of wet but light snow off to the west of i-81. and the high spots of west virginia, more snow coming through pennsylvania, but a lot more around new england. areas of massachusetts like f s fitsberg picked up 8 inches of snow, and around grandby, 3 inches. there will be locations that get 12 inches of snow. so they are not laughing on this april fool's day. let's take a look and see what's going on with our temperatures. we're in the mid and upper 40s across the area. but look at the chill. buffalo at 30. we are at 42. chicago at 30 degrees. so it is going to be a bit of a cold night with the rest of the system swinging through for the overnight. and for tomorrow, watch it on the future cast. so throughout the day tomorrow, we'll have a mostly cloudy type of day, with a possibility of some light showers and sprinkles from i think mid morning until about late afternoon. so that's the case for saturday.
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and it's that love/hate relationship, too, for the weekend, because sunday we are going to love sunday. we've got high pressure down to the south, our wind will be out of the west and southwest. and with this warm front that's going to come with the next weather system, our temperatures will get near 60 degrees on sunday. and then down the line, we do have some showers in the forecast for next week. but a lot of that -- this next system will be much different than the system we have been dealing with this week. from 47 degrees, a chilly evening and a cold start to the day tomorrow. so it is going to be a little damp throughout portions of the area tomorrow. again, a sprinkle, maybe a flake off to the west, 32 to 36 degrees. for your afternoon tomorrow, 49 to 54. just a 30% chance. so we're talking about just occasional sprinkles here and there. it's not going to be very wet at all. but still some clouds around the area. lots of sunshine. and then monday and tuesday, again, showers and storms. next week will be wet, but a
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different type of system next week than this week. we'll talk more about that coming up later. >> all right. thanks, veronica. >> thank you. still to come on news4 at 4:00, why the nation's highways are safer than they have ever been. and nobody likes the idea of bedbugs. but not everyone agrees on the best way to get rid
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welcome back to news4 at 4:00, i'm pat lawson muse. >> and i'm barbara harrison. the unemployment rate fell to a two-year low in march. the rate is now 8 8/10 of a percent. the labor department says private employers added 230,000 jobs last month on top of 240,000 in february. some of those gains were offset by layoffs. but this is the first time
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private employers added more than 200,000 jobs in back-to-back months since 2006. one year before the recession started. stocks ended the day higher after a stronger than expected unemployment report. the dow climbed 58 points to close near its highest point in a year. the s&p 500 added 7 and the nasdaq closed up 9. there's some surprisingly good news about safety on the roads. while americans are driving more than ever, the number of deaths from traffic accidents has plunged. as nbc's tom costello explains, safer cars and tougher dui enforcement the are among the things making a difference. >> reporter: it was the kind of car accident that medics with denver's flight for life known could have had a tragic ending. pat reardon lost control of her subaru, flipped it four times and went off the road. once at the hospital, they found she had just a concussion, cuts and bruises, thanks to air bags and seat belts. >> the trooper that came to
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interview me after the accident said i was undoubtedly alive because of being in that particular car, with that kind of protection. >> reporter: she's not alone. the government says in 2010 traffic fatalities dropped 3% in just one year. and an impressive 25% in 5 years. for more than 43,000 fat amounts in 2005 to under 33,000 last year. at denver health, the chief surgeon says he sees far fewer head and chest injuries now than at any time during his 35-year career. >> thoracic aorta, for example, the most common cause of death at the scene has been reduced with air bags. experts agree, cars have never been safer. now built to cocoon occupants with air bags that protect everyone inside. >> it's packaging 101. if the box doesn't collapse, the
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cargo is better protected. >> reporter: control systems help keep cars on the road while collision avoidance systems keep spacing between cars. >> sir, have you been drinking tonight? >> reporter: dui enforcement has never been tougher with a .08el alcohol level the law nationwide. >> police now do not allow drunk drivers to walk away from their car, drive away from their car. they arrest them people lose their driving privileges. >> reporter: and 85% of drivers wear their seat belts while ems response times and techniques have also improved. distracted driving, especially texting while driving, remains a very big and growing concern. but this stat is amazing. in 1972, 54,000 people died on the nation's roads. since then, the population has grown by 100 million, and yet 20,000 fewer people have lost their lives. i'm tom costello, just off i-270 here in potomac, news4.
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experts also say traffic deaths typically decline during an economic downturn, because many motorists cut back on leisure travel. to you to the crisis in libya. rebels say they would accept a cease fire from moammar gadhafi under certain conditions. the head of the oppositions governing counsel met with the envoy today. they said they would be open to a cease fire if gadhafi allows peaceful protests. meantime, gadhafi is vowing to stay in power, even as members of his inner circle continue to defect. and there's also unrest in syria. this video posted on a social media website shows people in a mosque chanting in support of demonstrators. anti-government protests in syria began about two weeks ago, and they're starting to spread across the country. the protesters are calling for more freedom and less corruption. the u.s. military is hoping
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to find any remaining survivors of japan's devastating tsunami. they'll be scouring the coastline by land, air and sea through the weekend. it's been nearly three weeks since the disaster in japan. about 16,000 people are still missing. meanwhile, radioactive material has been discovered in water beneath the damaged nuclear persistent. japanese officials say it has not contaminated the drinking water. still to come on news4, open your wallets. plan to pay more if you're in the market for certain new or used cars. we'll tell you why prices are going up. thanks, but no spanx. why one doctor says the clothing is not healthy for young women. i am a sneeze whisperer. i am an allergy analyst. bermuda grass. ragweed. willow. i am a dander decoder.
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chihuahua. i am a target pharmacist. ask me about allergy relief.
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those spanx that smooth out and suck in so many women are coming under fire by a neurologist who says they might cause nerve damage. the doctor says she's concerned about a teen trend to wear the body slimmers under high school sports uniforms. dr. orli writes a health column for "consumer reports". she says she treated a soccer player who has a compressed nerve in her leg, a problem probably caused by wearing spanx. the doctor warns wearing tight clothing has been shown to cause everything from yeast infections to abdominal injury. nbc news contacted spanx which says in ten years of selling we have not had this issue. get ready to shell out more cash if you plan to buy a toe
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toyota. you can blame unfavorable exchan exchange rates, not the earthquake or tsunami. officials say the price hike was decided before those hit. sticker prices will go up on toyota, scion and lexus brands. buyers turning to the used car market are also feeling the pinch. the national automobile association says wholesale prices of three to five-year-old compacts jumped 11% in the last couple of weeks. analysts say higher gas prices are a driving demand for fuel-efficient cars. mid-size cars rose 8.5%. when news4 at 4:00 returns, why is there no j street in d.c.? and what happens to recycled items in washington once they leave the curb? two questions we'll ask liz coming up. also, hats off to the army. does the service's future image lie in its past? we'll answer that question. nnk
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so we're in for a 50/50 weekend. >> half and half. so as you said earlier, we're inching there, it's going to get better for sunday, just plan accordingly. the outside stuff sunday. maybe yard work, since the flowers are popping up in the garden. >> sounds good. >> right. and rain is coming back next week. 48 at reagan national airport with a 15 mile an hour wind through the area. you can see the rain, 45 in sterling and mclean, fairfax county. 50 degrees around stafford county. it's 50 degrees right now in fredricksburg, virginia. and as i said, we do have some
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sprinkles out there around frederick, walkersville, damascus, and gaitherburg, all wet, but some sprinkles coming through the area. and then more snow again to the north. here's a look at where we're going to be through the evening. we're going to be mostly dry again with just sprinkles here and there. but then the rain, the light rain showers return early tomorrow. you can see down south, around culpepper, around fredricksburg, and there could be even a few flakes off to the west around winchester and martinsburg. and then this is noontime tomorrow. scattered line rain showers. again, most of our rain just to the south of us, d.c. toward the northern neck around stafford county, fauquier and prince william county. and after that, we're okay. and doing much better for sunday. 36 to 35 degrees right inside the beltway tomorrow. around freezing frederick to winchester. and leesburg, as well. 53 the high electricity for tomorrow. and like i said earlier, this is going to be a system next week, different than the system this
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week. this week it was cool, showery, an easterly wind. next week, a west-southwest wind, and that means plenty warm. 70 to 75 degrees monday and tuesday. and with that kind of mild air, that means the possibility of not only thunderstorms, but severe weather. and i do think that on tuesday, we could have some severe thunderstorms around the area. in the 60s. >> at least it's going to warm up some. >> correct. >> thanks, veronica. have a good weekend. >> too. barbara? ♪ is there a law for start times on construction projects? what really happens to items that you recycle? and why is there no j street in washington, d.c.? it's friday, which means time to "ask liz." >> nice to see you. >> this question comes from jeff in washington, d.c. he wants to know, is there a law regarding a start time for noisy construction projects. >> somebody must be waking him
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up in the morning. we checked with jurisdictions for this answer. since noise ordinances vary by location. the department of consumer regulatory affairs in d.c. restricts construction from the hours of 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. monday through saturday. permits may be issued that allow construction on sunday are illegal. holidays, however, strict noise regulations still in effect during these times. in arlington, folks, construction is restricted to the hours of 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. monday through friday with the exception of county holidays. montgomery county construction projects can only occur between 7:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. on weekdays. so check your specific county or city for your noise ordinance law. they all have them, and if somebody is not following the rules, complain, so you can get some sleep. >> i know, a lot of folks have complained. our next question comes from julie ann nelson through e-mail. both viewers want to know what really happens to recycled items in d.c. once they leave those
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blue cans on the curb? >> i think most people think they get thrown in the trash. they don't. the d.c. department of public works helped us. they said fleets of recycling trucks, they are taken to a transfer station where they are all consolidated. then they're hauled to a contractor, and the contractor sorts, processes and eventually reuses all of the materials that are recycled. and the department of public works wants to encourage residents to make sure to recycle cardboard like all kinds of tissue boxes and shoe boxes, et cetera. they're taking cardboard, as well, so yeah, it does not get thrown away. >> good for our ecology. and last question for you comes from yvonne. she wants to know, why there's no j street in washington, d.c. >> we took your question to the heritage programs from cultural tourism d.c. it says when d.c. streets were first planned in the 1790s, the written letters i, s, f and j all looked similar.
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the same is true for popular fonts for the typesettings. so leaders thought that having both an i and a j street would be confusing, so the letter j was simply left out. they didn't want people to get confused. too close together. if you've got a question you would like us to consider for "ask liz" send to to nbcwashington.com, and connect with me on twitter and facebook. search liz crenshaw's consumer watch. coming up on news4 at 5:00 tonight, what other local speed camera laws for the local jurisdictions, what's the best way to ripen an avocado, and what's the status of phosphates in laundry detergent? >> i want to know. >> stick around and we'll figure out. pat? thank you both. coming up on news4, metro's money mess. the transit agency is again running short of cash less than a year after raising fares. we'll tell you what's at stake. coming up on news4 at 5:00, a northern virginia teenager is
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arrested and facing serious charges. what he was accused of selling to undercover cops on craigslist. ever dream of being your own boss? how this event is giving people the tool to make it a reality. and it has the london feel and not far from home. wh wh i will take you ins welcome. and happy baconalia! baconalia? mm-hmm. why, it's the sacred festival of bacon. a celebration of baconian delight. come celebrate baconalia! we're open to 7 new ways to enjoy bacon. denny's. america's diner is always open.
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less than a year after hiking fares because of budget problems, metro is again having
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money problems. >> news4's tracy wilkins says more cuts could be on the way if the transit agency can't come up with more funding. >> reporter: here at metro center in one of their many broken escalators they have throughout the metro system. they have a lot of repairs they have to do, and this is all coming as metro's announcing they don't have enough money in their budget. money designated to repair things like escalators was moved to keep metro operating last year. and fares were also increased. now, this year, officials say they are dealing with another shortfall. this time, for $72 million. and if d.c., maryland and virginia can't find the money to close that gap, officials will consider scaling back some services. >> i really need the service, and i hope they find the money they need. >> reporter: metro's $1.47 billion operation budget takes effect in july. while metro officials have not released an exact list of
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possible cuts, they are reportedly considering hitting some of the services they reviewed cutting in the past. that could mean less trains on the tracks, rutting in longer wait times, and possibly eliminating some underused bus routes. >> getting rid of buses is really tough, because i have a bus line i use pretty frequently, and it's one of the rare ones that doesn't get a lot of ridership, and it's not going to be one that gets saved. what that means -- you know, taking a car to a bus lot or driving to another station. >> reporter: some board members are reportedly hoping there are other options to consider that won't mean taking more away from the customers. some riders we spoke with had a few ideas on how to do that. >> i think they have to cooperate and make their work more efficient. that's the way to do it. i think management really has to stay on top of all these issues. >> manage their budget much better. and i work in budget. budget. just manage it.
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>> i mean, we hear it every year. it makes sense. i mean, you've got to do what you've got to do to make the budget. but it's a tough thing to swallow, especially in the economy we're having. >> reporter: before metro can implement any changes in service, they're going to have to have some public hearings, and give the pub an opportunity to voice what they think. if changes are approved, they'll happen in september. in northwest, i'm tracee wilkins, news4. and still ahead this afternoon, a fight over the best way to fight bedbugs. for all your news, be sure to follow news4 online. just search nbc washington on facebook and twitter. we're with you when you're saving for your dreams. [ woman ] when you want a bank that travels with you. with you when you're ready for the next move. [ male announcer ] now that wells fargo and wachovia have come together, what's in it for you? unprecedented strength, the stability of the leading community bank in the nation and with 12,000 atms and thousands of branches, we're with you in more ways and places than ever before.
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appeared on its website. a tongue in cheek article informs the service's 1 million plus soldiers that the head gear will change to a dark blue stetson as a nod to the army's frontier history. right now, soldiers wear berets. the article also says army officials refuse to address rumors they're considering replacing the traditional black boots with cowboy boots. it ends with a note saying that the uniform change will take place on april fool's day, 2012. this next story is no joke. from airlines to dorm rooms, bedbugs are still making people itch all around the country.
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everyone agrees, the tiny pests need to go. but as norah o'donnell reports now, there are different views on just how to do that. >> reporter: don't let the bedbugs bite. a bedtime adage has become an itchy reality. in fact, according to the national pest management association, who speaks for the pest industry, 1 out of 5 americans has encountered bedbugs at home or knows someone who has. a bedbug is a tiny, ma hag knee brown, six-legged insect. >> it looks like a thin apple seed. >> reporter: and they use your baggage, latching on to your gym bag, suitcase, laptop case, and even children's backpacks. new york city has the most reported infestations and ohio takes the title for mostin be fested state with four cities on the top 15 list. while the e.p.a. and the pest control industry both agree that the bedbug problem needs to be eradicated, they have differing views on how to do so.
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e.p.a. steve owens has this advice. >> 300 pesticide products. she has a different take. a few that are available are insecticides like delta dust, and pro bedbug. bedbugs in america date back to the 1700s, and natural remedies, such as spraying cedar oil with a fogger, are still used by many like helen edmond. >> it kills them in every stage. >> reporter: it may kill, but doesn't prevent them. here are some rules to follow. checking your hotel room for any sign of bedbugs. keep your luggage off the floor and any second bed that may be in your room. when you come home, watch your clothes in a hot temperature or drying in a hot cycle in the drier. >> reporter: the epa needs to have a strategy in the future with one place to go for reliable information. so americans can stop losing sleep over bedbugs.
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norah o'donnell, nbc news, washington. >> and tonight at 7:00 on "nbc nightly news," encouraging news for americans looking for work. what's behind those new job numbers. and that's news4 at 4:00. news4 at 5:00 starts right now. caught on craigslist. tonight, a teenager from northern virginia is arrested, accused of selling high-powered weapons to a man he thought was a convicted felon. the buyer really an undercover cop. and good evening, welcome to news4 at 5:00. i'm wendy rieger. >> i'm pat lawson muse. jim handly is off tonight. a 19-year-old from alexandria, virginia is in custody this evening, charged with selling handguns, assault weapons and body arrest more to police online. pat collins is live with this story this afternoon. pat? >> reporter: pat, most of us use
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craigslist to sell cars or furniture or clothing. but the virginia state police say an alexandria man was using craigslist to sell assault-style weapons to a guy he believed was an ex con. the suspect, 19-year-old austin birch. police say he was using craigslist to promote an illegal gun sale operation. virginia state police say bimp birch was selling weapons to a man he thought to be a convicted felon. >> we have an individual that was presented with information that the people he was dealing with were convicted felons. and he sold guns to them. >> reporter: anyway. >> that's correct. >> according to court documents, on three occasions, birch sold weapons to undercover officers. at each transaction, one of the undercover officers told birch he was a felon. birch sold

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