who says we want them to? welcome to "news4 this week." >> hi, i'm veronica johnson. we are going to show you some of the more interesting local stories making news this week. among them, he fathered 70 children. how one man in a local sperm bank are in a debate. >> they are probably the best type of exercise for weight loss. >> that looks cool. what is your work out. the routine and equipment that could help you swing your way to a slimmer figure. >> read all about it! the most intriguing work from the king of pop art. first, it was a sight that made headlines around the world. engineers assessed earthquake

damage to the washington monument. workers were suspended from the very top of the 555 foot structure, which was the world's tallest building. we have more on the dangerous work that has people fascinated. >> reporter: structural engineers inspect outside the tip of the washington monument. more than 555 feet aboveground after surveillance cameras captured stone and debris falling inside after the earthquake shook the capital. what is your reaction when you see that? >> it's high up there. it looks like it would be fun, though, if you are a climber. >> reporter: the 20-year veteran has repelled down a mountain. >> it's dangerous. >> reporter: he's fascinated with the engineers. >> i would love to be able to legally do that. repel off the washington

monument. >> reporter: crews will repel all four sides and check for cracks from top to bottom. right now, i climbed approximately 15 feet. at the top, it's around 25 feet. imagine the guys at the top of the monument are going up 20 times this height. >> be sure of your safety system. you have 555 feet up in the air. it's a long way. >> reporter: today, they constructed a barrier around the lightning rod system. the historic sight is stable and not in danger of falling. >> we are checking to see if there's potentially portions of stone that could fall and potentially injure somebody. we can't let that happen. >> reporter: tourists snap photos of the dangerous work. >> i would not do that. >> no, i don't like heights. >> sounds to me like most people were saying i don't think i would be doing that.

sounds cool to me. repelling and assessing at the same time. as of now, it's not clear when the monument is going to reopen. in addition to the monument, washington is now the home to the worst commute in the nation. a new study shows the d.c. area drivers spend an average of 74 hours a year sitting in traffic. chicago comes in at number two with 71 hours lost behind the wheel a year. los angeles comes in at three with 64 hours. houston, new york and baltimore round out the top six. the climbing condition of roads and bridges is a big factor. >> the problem with the traffic congestion is we haven't built enough system whether it's roads or transit to handle the population and employment growth we have seen over the past decade or so. >> one possible solution is to let some corkers come in earlier or later than usual to help ease

the rush hour traffic. going for two wheels instead of four is a good way to beat all traffic for the newest crime fighting system in our area. you could be hitting the brakes while on your bicycle. a new way to crack down on bike theft. >> reporter: people who live in and visit the area have a 14% increase in robberies since last year. most involve the snatching of cell phones by folks riding bicycles. they ordered increased enforcement in high robbery areas. they are urged to conduct bicycle stops. d.c. law used to require all residents to register their bicycles, a program that was abolished in 2008. >> i don't know how people would prove they own their bike. i don't have proof i own my bike, but i've had it since i

was 12. >> it is kind of difficult, yes. kind of difficult. >> reporter: bicycle theft is a growing problem for d.c. residents. they have urged all bike owners to join the bike registry to help them recover their bike if it's stolen. >> i don't have a license on my bike. no, i don't see how i could do that. >> reporter: you can obtain register forms at a bicycle shop. >> hang on to that bike. a new documentary airing on style network. sperm donors are fining out they have dozens and dozens of offspring. one of the men was a donor at the sperm bank. >> reporter: this 33-year-old is a boston attorney. for three years he donated sperm at the fairfax bank while a student at law school. at the time, he planned to stay

anonymous. then he heard about and joined the website that connects offspring and siblings to each other. >> to date, i know of 70 kids. >> it is uncommon. most donors do not donate long enough or produce enough specimens to produce large sibling groups of that size. >> this ph.d. is the director of operations at the bank. >> that does seem like a high number. most sperm banks have internal limitations that they created. fairfax, for example, has a limitation of 25 to 30 family units per donor. >> reporter: it's 25 to 30 births per a population of 800,000 people. they follow guidelines set by the american society for reproductive medicine. >> the way we track it is twofold. we track the number of units or sperm specimens as well as

relying on the patients to report their pregnancies and births. >> they are not my kids. they are not part of my life. >> they will stop selling the donor samples if they reach a limit. donors are supposed to disclose if they have supplied other sperm banks. >> we do ask that question. we have always asked that question. have you applied to be a sperm donor. we ask the question multiple times. it has happened in the past there have been serial donations made at multiple banks. >> when he was donating in fairfax ten years ago, the current limitations weren't in place then. he doesn't hold a record. there are reports of a donor who fathered 150 children. still ahead on "news4 this week," if your allergies are worst than usual, you are not

alone. we are sniffing out what is making so many of us sick. sweet potatoes, greens and tofu and more. the surprising place that is getting a healthy menu make the surprising place that is getting a healthy menu make over.ture, you're always looking ahead... to what's next... to what's possible confident... that taking action now, is the way to create... a better tomorrow. that's why we're announcing, that with the planned merger with t-mobile, at&t will begin bringing five thousand jobs to america from overseas. we will invest eight billion dollars more... and deploy the next generation of wireless broadband to nearly everyone in america. this investment will create as many as ninety-six thousand american jobs. here at at&t, we believe in the future. we're not hesitating. we're investing in america now.

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star studded crown at the washington convention center. recently got the first look at a new film about the airmen. the movie is called "red tails" produced by george lucas. the cast includes terence howard and cuba gooding downyoor. they tell the story of the first group of african-american pilots and their service in world war ii. >> half of the war wouldn't have been won without black america and their participation, not just the men in the air, the men on the ground. red tails changed my life not only as an actor, baa man and a father to know the

accomplishments and the hurdles that these men had to overcome. >> give them a round of applause. >> the original airmen attended the event. original airmen were on the set of the movie almost every day. red tails hits theaters january, 2012. one definitely to see. meanwhile, adorable four-legged friends hit capitol hill. this was the scene at the annual celebrity pet night. members of congress, their staff and pets mixed and mingled with some of the biggest animals in showbiz. this year included frenchy the dog from the movie "due date" and the cat who plays israel in the "smurfs." it's put on by the health institute to shine the light on issues that affect human health and pet health. a former restaurant tour is now in d.c. and doing a makeover

on an unlikely menu. he's helping out his d.c. revamps the school lunch program. here is liz crenshaw with the big changes he's bringing to the cafeteria. >> when i think the students are excited about the choices this year. >> reporter: jeff mills director of food and nutrition for d.c. public schools and former new york restaurant is hardly serving up just pizza and burgers. instead, he's making the school cafeteria experience healthy and tasty. he's added things like fish, garbonzo beans, tofu and arugala to the menu. he spent the summer tasting all of it. >> arugala for the first time. i want to make sure it's good. when it gets to high school, you want more choices and be creative. >> reporter: for the first time d.c. public schools offer salad bars in ten of its high school cafeterias. by the looks of the crowd, students are eating it up. >> today our specialty salad is

a mexican cesar salad. >> reporter: the salad bars are made with local produce. d.c. public schools get reimbursements for meeting the d.c. health in schools act. the new men knew does not break the bank. >> i don't believe it's not about checking a box in order for the kids to eat it, it needs to taste good. >> this is a great time of year to study the butternut squash. >> reporter: elementary students in southeast d.c. are raising an urban garden in their schoolyard. fresh farm markets that run farmer's markets in d.c. in maryland chose them to do the garden. they learn how to plant to how different foods affect their body. >> i like everything in the garden. if you grow it yourself, it's a lot healthier than stuff you buy at the grocery store. >> i like the basil.

i like how it smells. >> reporter: then, there are the sweet potatoes. >> we started with this. look where they got us. >> reporter: once it's ready for harvest, students use it for ingredients in cooking later in the year and contribute it to the salad bar. >> they are going home and telling families what to throw out in their cabinets. >> what do you think? >> reporter: liz crenshaw, news 4. >> good and yummy. this is so important because 74% of d.c. public school students receive free lunch and reduced rate lunches last year. a lot of kids rely on school lunch for healthy meals. it looks awkward. gym goers scorch tons of calories. where to find the work out that combines cardio and strength training. it is something to sneeze

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in news for your health, if you have been sniffling and sneezing lot lately, you are not alone. doctors say all the rain we have had caused ragweed and mold spores to grow. doreen gentzler explains how it can affect a child's ability to learn and our ability to perform at our job. >> my ears are stopped up. my hearing goes down. i'm congested all the time, tired. >> reporter: she's been suffering from fall allergy symptoms as long as she can remember. the last few weeks felt bad. >> probably the worst ever. the rain has done it. lots of rain. >> reporter: the medical center internist says the rain makes ragweed grow faster.

all the moisture causes mold to form in homes and on leaves which can trigger allergic reaction. >> usually, it starts in the middle of august. it started earlier this year. it generally ends the beginning of october with the first frost. it's probably going to be delayed because of climate effects. it may go on until the end of october. >> reporter: dealing with allergies is nothing to sneeze at. it can really have a big impact on your quality of life. >> itchy eyes, scratchy throat, stuffy heads, sneezing and feel tired. >> reporter: kids suffering from hay fever may have problems in school. adults will process information more slowly. that can affect their performance at work as well as dealing with family members. susan is all too familiar with

that. >> you feel like there's a fog in your head. >> reporter: this year she's not going suffer. >> go to the doctor and listen to the advice they give you. >> doreen gentzler, news 4. >> hard to be yourself. over the counter meds should help with sneezing. some of the drugs can make you groggy and sleepy. he recommends using a nasal rinse that can rinsale al elerg out of your sinuses. it can be hard enough to get to the gym, let alone doing cardioand strength thinging while you are there. kettle bells help you do it at the same time. we want to know what it is. we went to a kettle bell gym and we asked members, what's your work out. >> come on guys. keep those kettle bells moving. kettle bells is an iron ball

with a handle on it. you use them in dynamic movements to lean the body out and make you stronger and fitter. pull. push. great for weight loss. they are the best type of exercise for weight loss. >> really felt muscles developing in areas i hadn't been developing even through pilates and other forms of exercise. >> burns calories and works muscles. it's good for maintaining high heart rate. conventional weightlifting. >> they did a study and found that doing kettle bell training actually you burn twice the amount of calories in half the amount of time. the fundmental exercise is the swing. i start clients off with this exercise. it teaches them how to move the

bell. it's a swing where you integrate a rowing type movement. that integrates more of the other muscle groups. two-handed clings. it's a power lifting exercise, but done at higher repetitions. it's great for losing weight. you are going to notice your body becomes streamlined. unlike traditional lifting or body building. >> it's functional strength. that's what i find. i find i can move more. like i can lift more. i can be more -- i can be stronger when i am running. >> it's a body, mind spirit kind of exercise. your spirits are lifts, your muscles are lifted, your glutes are lifted. >> maybe not ffr for everyone but you can burn between 800 and 1200 calories in an hour.

go to our website, www.nbcwashington.com for more information. we have it there for you. next, the art of andy warhol ♪ ♪ oh, won't you be good to yourself? ♪ ♪ and don't you feel like coming home? ♪ ♪ ♪ it'll be like coming home [ male announcer ] some rooms feel like a fish bowl. but in our roomy suites, you can spread out and live a little. with breakfast, dinner, and drinks included, you'll feel right at home. ♪ la la-la-la-la la la la ♪

amazing. scientists say they have made a prehistoric find out in maryland. someone found a bone or claw in dinosaur park. the folks at the smithsonian came in to help dig it out. it may belong to a long-necked creature. once the bone is recovered scientists should be able to identify it in a couple weeks. there are two andy warhol exits. in strikingly different ways, they both capture the essence of

warhol who remains it reigning king of american pop art. wendy rieger has a look. >> reporter: welcome to the shadow. andy warhol's display of a play of light. in this monument at exhibit, he takes a shadow, which is nothing and makes it something. >> he says it was a shadow in his office. we are not sure of the origin but the idea that is brilliant. >> reporter: it's made of 102 panels, no two alike, aligned along the sweeping curve of the circular walls. it's stunning like a streak of light heading into infiniti. because of the sweeping walls, all 102 panels can be shown together. it is a powerful thing. >> take the experience to be in something that is 450 linear feet. that's the experience we hope

they take away. >> reporter: after you feel the shadow, head to the east wing and read the news warhol style. it shows the nexus between art and life. tabloids telling us stuff that doesn't matter. >> he's pointing our attention to the fact we are the consumers of the news. the headlines are a label on a package that we'll be enticed to buy. >> he found his life screaming from the newsstand and he loved it. >> absolutely. he wanted to be in the news. he wanted to be a star and he was. >> reporter: now warhol is headlining here in washington on the mall. revealing why his 15 minutes of fame will never be up. wendy rieger, news 4, washington. >> maybe you'll get a chance to visit. that's all for "news4 this week." i'm veronica johnson. thanks for joining us. have a great week.

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