apparently, that he attacked three more victims here in prince george's county. most victims were men in their 60s and 70s. one was 37. this video shows sanders in a redskins jacket with his victim at an atm machine demanding he withdrawal money. >> he pulled out his knife and said do you want it? give me your money. i want to kill you. >> reporter: after the three carjackings of older men made news, police received tips pointing to sanders. they had an arrest warrant out for sanders. they searched his home in land over, finding a yellow box cutt and other evidence that ties him to the wetten attacks.

>> reporter: sanders faces the possibility of spending decades in prison if convicted of the charges he now faces. that's the latest from prince george's county. back to you. >> chris gordon, thank you. the gaithersburg man suspected of the death in his travel companion to aruba tells his side of the story. he spoke on good morning america this morning. it's his first interview. he was locked up for four months as the prime suspect in robyn gardner's presumed death. he was never charged with a crime. he claims she was swept out to sea while they were snorkling. he tried to flee the island. >> we are not keeping you here. you are free to go. they were announcing on the p.a. system, this plane is leaving. i'm running. i go through customs, check in my bag and the gate is open.

then the head detective walks up to me and says we are arresting you for the murder of robyn gardner. he regrets the trip. they can still press charges against them for three years. >> won't be business as usual for federal employees the next time we have a major snowstorm. they updated the policy for dismissals. derrick ward is here with more on what they can expect. >> we can all wish and hope this winter won't hold massive snowstorms that require the policies to be triggered. inevitably, there will be a need for the federal workers to leave early or in extreme conditions to stay put. federal workers recall their horror stories about their commute when the snowstorm moved through our area and commuters could ntd. >> oh, yes. it took me seven hours to get home. >> reporter: policies that

emptied them to the mass that became known as commute a geden. >> many d.c. commuters experienced this during last year's snow season as well as the issues that occurred during the earthquake. >> reporter: they feature the fixtures of past policies like staggered dismissal. >> we have had a release based upon leaving two hours earlier than your normal work time, but not with an end time frame. it's a new option we have, a leave no later than time frame. >> reporter: immediate departure applies to all non-emergency employees. she was only trying to get to clinton. >> i didn't leave when they said we could leave. i stayed and worked. that was a mistake. >> reporter: the option of last resort would be not leaving at all, particularly when events come without the warning most snowstorms get.

>> they can occur at anytime. we need the capability for a shelter in place. >> reporter: workers will get a survival kit with water and food. >> flashlight, whistle and other things that might be needed in a dire emergency. >> policies will be based on a 3:00 a.m. conference call with a decision made and posted by 5:00 a.m. earlier when possible. >> the best thing for us to do, we need an early dismissal situation. >> opm is hoping to get more employees to sign agreements where they can work from home. it's helped a lot already. the new policies are not only responding to weather events, it's to respond to any adversity, manmade or natural. back to you. >> derrick ward, thank you. >> turning now to politics. former republican front-runner

herman cain says he'll decide when to withdrawal. his faltering campaign ran into trouble when a woman says she has a 13-year affair with them. cain says they were just friends. the day after the story broke, he would reassess his campaign. he won't make a decision until he speaks to his wife. >> after the complete reassessme reassessment, i will say something formal. okay? there's nothing new here. no new questions. no new answers. all right? >> herman cain's campaign has been steadily losing momentum for five weeks when sexual harassment allegations came to light. ken cuccinelli confirmed he has his eyes on the governor's mansion.

he will run in 2013. it will set up a clash with lieutenant governor, bill bowling who is planning on running. he was elected attorney general two years ago. he gained a high profile nationally. he challenged president obama's health care reform plan and became a favorite among virginia's tea party voters. julie carey will have reaction from republicans coming up on news 4 at 6:00. here we go, folks. tonight is the night. a holiday tradition kicks off this evening in the nation's capital. there she is, the national tree lighting ceremony is getting under way down on the ellipse. >> we'll have coverage throughout the newscast. it's a star studded event with performances. president obama and his family flipping the switch. let's get out to chief meteorologist, doug kammerer who

is in the middle of it all. it's nicer this year than last year, right? >> it's about 20 degrees warmer. am i able to get really excited for this because i am. it's really awesome down here. we are in front of the white house. we are on the ellipse. the presidential motorcade came up. the president is going to step up to the stage in a couple minutes. there's the tree. this year, the tree a lot smaller than last year. why is that? well, it's been a live tree since 1973. just in february, the old tree was blown down by a big storm that came through with 40 and 50-mile-an-hour winds. that's a new tree they just planted. they just planted that a couple months ago. it's a new tree that will start growing in the next couple years and continue to get bigger. it's a colorado blue spruce. it's a nice night. for december 1, you cannot go wrong here. numbers at the airport, we are looking at clear skies right

now. gorgeous with a half-moon up there. current temperatures, upper 40s. windchill of 47. not much in the way of wind. that breeze does blow through you a little bit. around the rest of the region, 45 degrees in winchester. toward the eastern shore toward cam bridge. i mentioned clear skies and that means storm 4 doppler radar is clear. we are not going to see anything in regards to rain across the area. no need to worry about rain over the next couple days. the next couple days or hours, right here at the national christmas tree lighting looking good as we come down toward the ellipse. there's the tree. i tell you what, it's going to be a beautiful sight when they light that. i believe it will be in the next ten to 15 minutes. temperatures around 46 degrees. chilly, but not too bad. as long as you bundle up, you should be okay. a lot of people bundled up here. a lot of other people are waiting and watching the

performances going on here. i'll be back in a couple minutes to talk more about that. >> my favorite group is one republic. yours is -- >> i love one republic, it's big time rush, those guys. >> you are earning points at home. all right doug. >> the kids are excited. >> hasn't been the same for me since barbara eden quit singing. >> the tree lighting could make the commute a mess. >> 17th street is closed between constitution and new york avenue. all roads should reopen about 7:00 tonight. there's a caps game that is going to create more tie ups. a lot of people going to the caps games use the subway. coming up next on news 4 at 5:00, students suing howard

university. they claim the school didn't protect them from an employee. violence left a man dead. tonight, the new rules to t[ woman ] i was pretty confused by everything

i'd been hearing about high fructose corn syrup. so, i did a little research and learned from experts, whether it's corn sugar or cane sugar, your body can't tell the difference. sugar is sugar. [ female announcer ] learn more at cornsugar.com.

oh, looking live at the national christmas tree lighting ceremony. it is just getting under way. the president is going to flip the switch any minute. this year's tree will come to life. it is a 26 foot tall colorado blue spruce from a new jersey tree nursery. >> it was planted back in march. the previous tree stood since 1968. the first president to start this was -- >> president calvin coolidge. in 1923. >> very good memory. it was toppled over in february with the winds we had. we are a little behind schedule, but we'll bring it to you live. >> it is festive and they have singers and military bands down there. >> half the fun is the anticipation. >> yeah.

also being down there kicks off the season. we'll keep you posted on that. we'll dip in and out of it. last year, police in fairfax county busted holiday scammers with $200,000 worth of stolen merchandise. this year is no different. the money is starting to rack up. erica gonzalez is live where authorities are looking for con artists. erica. >> reporter: jim, fairfax county police have recovered $30,000 worth of stolen merchandise from the mall and the thieves aren't just local. a $10,000 rolex watch. it's what one man tried to get away with using fraudulent credit card last week. the store clerk called them after they said the suspect's behavior was off. r.a.t. is hitting the streets. >> what we are looking for now in tyson's corner, the out of

state crime rings coming into the area. fair oaks and fairfax county in general are known for a wealthy population. >> perhaps i'm too lax about it. i hope not. >> reporter: he admits he hasn't had a problem with credit card scammers but the extra police gives him peace of mind. >> oh, yeah. definitely. you would rather have more protection at the mall when you are coming to give away your money. >> reporter: the typical shoplifter evolved. they are working their hot items into the black market in states as far away as florida, north carolina, pennsylvania and new york. >> even if you have a 30% return on stolen merchandise, if you steal $100,000 worth of merchandise over the course of the season, somebody is making a good return. >> reporter: what do the professional con artists look like? >> they are always seeing who is

watching them and observing them. they are looking for the corners of the stores and trying not to be noticed by the average shopper. >> reporter: police say last year the big ticket item was iphones, surprise, surprise. this year, there's no particular trend but electronics are up there on the list as well as costly clothing. live in tyson's corner. >> thank you so much. let's go back to doug kammerer and the tree lighting ceremony. what's happening? >> what's happening? they are playing. the guys are on the stage. it's the guys from big time rush. the crowd went wild. i don't know a single song they sing. i tell you, i was at a school earlier today in loudoun county. when i mentioned that big time rush was going to be down here today, all of the school went wild. excited about that.

as far as what the weather is going to be -- let's listen to big time rush and see what they are singing tonight. snepd ♪ ♪ >> yes, the reason that i do know who they are a little bit is because my kids watch nickelodeon from time-to-time. they are on nickelodeon quite often. making a name for themselves. here they are at the national christmas tree lighting. the first family just sat down. they are in front of the stage right there watching as we speak. we are going to continue to watch them and then the president is going to get up and we are going to turn on the lights. let's talk about the weather. right now, it is a gorgeous evening. a perfect night tonight. let's show you what's happening across the area. clear skies. temperature around 49 degrees. the capital looking gorgeous tonight, too. north-northwest winds at 6 miles per hour. not that bad tonight. current temperatures around the

rest of the region, 48 in manassas. 43 in winchester. 39 toward petersburg near west virginia. clear skies over the area, once again because of the storm system that came in. it helped to clear us out. we are dominated by high pressure right now. it leads to a cool night tonight, a cold start tomorrow and with plenty of sunshine, we are going to warm up beautifully tomorrow. a fantastic friday with abundant sunshine. more sunshine during the day on saturday. you know it's going to be warm friday. saturday, we have a cold front that moves through. temperatures will fall back down to the upper 40s for most of us to 50 degrees on your saturday afternoon. still, a nice afternoon. a cold night, though, saturday night leading into sunday morning. this evening, clear and chilly. 42 to 47 degrees. as we move through the day tomorrow, we start off on a cold note with many areas dipping

down into the 30 degree range to around 36 degrees inside the city. some areas could be in the upper 20s tonight to the north and west. it's going to be clear and on the cool side. tomorrow, clear skies. a gorgeous afternoon. sunny and pleasant for december. 52 to 56 degrees, winds out of the northwest at five to ten miles an hour. the next couple days gets better. temperatures 49 on saturday. back to 54 on sunday. mostly cloudy skies on monday. we get back to around 60 degrees. we could get warmer after monday. we'll talk more about that coming up. this is our first holiday lights of the season. here, we are at the national christmas tree lighting. between now and christmas, every thursday, we are going to be live in somebody's front yard looking at the lights they have across the area. we want to come to your house. e-mail the pictures at nbcwashington.com. >> it's going to be tough to top

tonight. this is a big start for you. with these tree lightings. >> it's a huge start. we have a couple thousand people here right now and i tell you what, next thursday i think we are going to have quite a few less. >> and you are not going to have a popular boy band behind you, yeah. >> did you know doug was going to wear his white suit and decided not to because they are wearing them. >> that's exactly right, jim. >> see you in a bit. >> the first family arrived. soon, other big acts will, too. >> big time rush. i'm going to drop that name. >> we have a lot more to come on news 4 at 5:00. the suspected blond bandit goes before a judge. >> more backlash over a move to transer defense workers to northern virginia. [ female announcer ] more people are using wireless devices...

in more ways than ever. and our networks are getting crowded. but if congress frees up more wireless spectrum... we can empower more people to innovate... putting momentum behind our economy. and we can reduce the deficit... with more than thirty billion dollars paid by america's wireless companies. it's simple -- more spectrum means more freedom. for everyone.

okay. we want to show you the moment the president walked on stage a few minutes ago with daughters and the first lady there, too. and her mother as well. no bo sighting. we'll hear from the president in just a few minutes as the ceremony at the christmas tree lighting continues down on the ellipse. a new report is claiming the army used traffic data from holidays when it proposed moving more than 6,000 workers in alexandria. they say army traffic surveys they were calculated around national holidays like memorial day, fourth of july and days school was not in session. they are 35% less than a normal traffic day.

the report found peak travel times were underestimated by 100%. today the fairfax county school board could be one step closer to allowing security cameras inside their high schools. the issue is on the school board's agenda today and could be voted on by december 15th. the cameras would be in cafeterias, lobbies and other large gathering spots. the principals would have the final say. those pushing for the cameras cite safety issues. others say it's an invasion of privacy. the president is there and the first family and doug kammerer is down there now. let's check in with doug. what is happening now? >> well, i tell you, the coolest thing about what's happening now, obviously, we are getting things done before the president steps up there. he will be up in two to three

min ups, maybe four minutes. a ton of people got tickets online and a ton of people who did not get the tickets and are outside the fence waiting for the national christmas tree to be lit here on the ellipse in front of the white house. what a gorgeous shot that is. we are looking at fantastic stuff. right now, they are introducing president barack obama, making his way to the stage right now. we are going to listen to a few things he has to say as he makes his way up there. ♪ >> it's nice having your own band. please have a seat, everyone.

merry christmas. merry christmas. thank you secretary salazar for that introduction and for your hard work to preserve and protect our land and our water and our wildlife. i also want to thank minister rogers for the beautiful invocation and everyone at the national park foundation and the national park service who helped put this outstanding event together. i would like to thank carson daily and big time rush and all the performers who helped kick off this celebration at the white house. for 89 years, presidents and americans come together to light the national christmas tree. this year is a special one. this year we have a brand-new tree. the last one stood here for more than 30 years.

until we lost it in a storm earlier this year. but we all know that this tradition is much larger than any single tree. tonight, once again, we gather here not simply to light some decorations, but to honor a story that lights the world. more than 2,000 years ago, a child was born to two faithful travelers who could find rest only in a stable among the cattle and the sheep. this was not just any child. christ's birth made the angels rejoice and attracted shepherds and kings from afar. he was a manifestation of god's love for us. he grew up to become a leader with a servants heart who taught us a message as simple as it is powerful that we should love god

and love our neighbor as ourselves. that teaching has come to encircle the globe. it is endured for generations. today, it lies at the heart of my christian faith and that of millions of americans. no matter who we are,

and this holiday season, let us reaffirm our commitment to each other as family members, neighbors, as americans regardless of our color or creed or faith. let us remember that we are one. we are family. on behalf of malia, sasha, michelle and our grandmother-in-chief marian, i wish you all the happiest holiday season, the merriest of christmas, god bless you all and god bless the united states of

america. [ applause ] >> with that, i'm going to invite the entire obama clan up here to light the christmas tree. i need some help. there's a lot of technical aspects to this. come on, guys. [ cheers and applause ] >> all right. okay, we are going to start counting down here. we have the switch right here. everybody ready? and this is -- this is the new tree. i know it's not quite as big as the old tree, but it's going to take time to grow. we are going to fill it up with spirit and start a new tradition right now. all right, everybody ready? we are going to start counting down. five, four, three, two, one -- [ applause ]

♪ >> that's a good looking tree. ♪ have yourself a merry little christmas ♪ ♪ let your heart be light ♪ from now on our troubles will be out of sight ♪ ♪ have yourself a merry little christmas ♪ ♪ make the yuletide gay ♪ from now on our troubles will

be miles away ♪ ♪ here we are as in olden days ♪ happy golden days of yore ♪ faithful friends who are dear to us ♪ ♪ gather near to us, once more ♪ ♪ >> yes. there it is right there. take a look at that. the national christmas tree all lit up. a beautiful tree. they used color this year.

last year it was all white. all l.e.d. lights. look at the trees around it, too. 56 other trees representing the 52 states as well as the territories and the district of columbia as well. a beautiful tree, a beautiful night. everybody enjoyed the holiday spirit. we were talking the other day about how warm it's been and how tough it's been to get into the holiday spirit. the cold air came just in time. >> i noticed that with the lights. it may be smaller, the tree is going to have a complex. i like the fact the lights are blinking. >> i think you gave a gift to puerto rico and guam. there's only 50 states and the territori territories. >> that's right. did i say 52 states? >> that's okay. 50 states and our lovely territories. >> this is still 2011, right? i was going to 2023.

>> i wanted to correct that before you got e-mails. >> i appreciate that, wendy. 50 states. i don't know why i did that. when you are down here like that, a lot of things escape your memory. >> i know. it's good to forget those kinds of stuff. >> we are going to check back in a bit. we can't see that ♪ [ jerry ] attention shoppers. your groceries are the size of idaho but the interest rate on your checking is small potatoes. earn more at capital one bank. get new high yield free checking. your interest rate will be 5 times the national average. that's huge. and free atms at any bank. free is good. sign up at capital one bank.

what's in your wallet? what is he, a clydesdale.

five howard university students filed a sexual

harassment suit against the school. >> they claim the university did not do enough to stop sexual harassment by a school employee. >> tom sherwood has the report. >> reporter: thousands of students attend howard university coming from all over the world to study at the famous school on georgia avenue northwest. now five female students say the school failed to react quickly enough. >> he said inappropriate things to me. he came on to me. was aroused, rubbed up against me, trying to kiss me in his office. >> he asked me to come into his office. he came pretty close to me and touched my chest area. which i was not expecting. i did say something and i rushed out. >> reporter: the lawsuit filed this week in federal court alleged george bright engaged in overt sexual harass mat going back to 2010.

one said she was verbally, sexually and physically attacked. the employee was convicted in court on misdemeanor of sexual abuse. the suit is asking the court to instruct howard to publicize and support a strong sexual harassment policy. they ask for monetary damages for the students. >> they had a duty to protect the students. these students come from all over the world. >> reporter: in a statement to the media, the university said when the university administration became aware of the allegations we reported the case to the metropolitan police department. the individual was charged and terminated from the university. we take the safety of our students very seriously. tom sherwood, news 4, washington. >> one of the attorneys for the students said they filed the suit after unsuccessful efforts

to meet with the school to resolve the issues. there was a cart hearing for a woman suspected in bank robberies and carjackings. stephanie appeared in a court. she confessed to one of the crimes, a carjacking last month in tyson's corner. she was arrested yesterday after trying to rob a bank in mcclain. she told the judge today she could not afford to pay for an attorney. the court will provide one for her. she will remain behind bars until her bond hearing on monday. d.c. will work with the council on issues of nightclub security after a deadly fight that happened outside dupont circle. in response to the violence, d.c. councilmember jack evans will propose a legislation

requiring nightclubs to hire off duty police officers for security. >> whether the right balance is having those establishments having their own security inside or hiring police officers for the outside, you know, we'll work with the councilmember and see what is the right ball lansz. >> no arrest in this case. heritage india remains shutdown while the investigation continues. >> here is what's coming up. need to get your pots, pans and glassware ready for the holidays? we share tricks to make your holidays sparkle. the party continues on the ellipse. the tree is lit. it is beautiful and we'll be checking back in. ♪

to make a commitment is to see things through. confident that no matter what the obstacles we can build something better, together. with the planned combination of at&t and t-mobile, we're making a commitment, to create a stronger network for all our customers. we will invest an additional eight billion dollars and build out the next generation of mobile broadband to nearly everyone in america. that'll mean better coverage and call quality and faster downloads. but it will also create as many as ninety-six thousand american jobs.

and we will begin bringing five thousand jobs to america from overseas. we're committed to investing in america now. why? well, we know it's good business. because america has always been and always will be a smart investment. at&t there's nothing like a beautifully set table for the holidays and bringing out the silver. >> tell me about it. have no fear, liz crenshaw is here with her latest tricks of the trade to help make your china and dinner ware sparking. hi, liz. >> scrubbing the bottles of the pots and pans and the stress of making your glasses sparkle.

the ritz carlton shared their tricks. here at 22nd and m streets in washington, d.c., every day is a holiday. the man who needs to make it all shine, the director of stewarding. he and his team make sure every piece to a place setting sparkles. for a recent event, they cleaned 7,000 glasses, 5,000 dishes and 4500 pieces of glassware. >> we want to make sure our guests walk in the door, everything is sparkling clean. >> a huge undertaking. he says there are tricks to making it all shine. dig out your old tarnished silver. he has simple remedy. line the bottom of a glass or plastic tub with aluminum foil. fill it with hot water and let

the silver soak. >> this is environmentally safe? >> you don't need to use a chemical. >> no rubbing? >> no. >> it's been ten minutes. let's look. >> oh my goodness. wow! >> sparkling. >> you have a second trick for cleaning silver, what is it? >> toothpaste. >> yes, he said toothpaste. for a quick, last minute fix, a squirt of toothpaste. >> rub it slowly. look at the difference. >> look at that. okay, some of us have copper in the kitchen. we never use it because it always looks horrible. you have a trick to cleaning it? >> yes. copper is a material you have to clean manually. >> the trick, salt, baking soda, lime juice, flour. >> you don't have to measure all

of it, form a paste. >> it smells good, too. >> give it a good scrub. >> wow! two big challenges he sees every day, lib stick stained glasses and coffee and tea stained mugs. a half cup of white vinegar in hot water. >> soak it for ten minutes. >> wow. lib stick is gone, huh? >> gone. >> gone. pots and pans get black from the stove. do you have a trick for me? >> we deal with this every day. >> okay. >> it's as simple as pepsi. >> no soap? >> no soap. >> just coke or pepsi? >> presoak it overnight and that's the result. >> this is amazing. thanks to the folks at the ritz carlton. no one has any excuses about not getting their stuff sparkling.

it's that simple and environmentally safe. now you can do it all right. real pepsi, salt and baking soda and lime juice. it's fun. >> he's fabulous. elegant and adorable. >> dan hellie joins us. >> speaking of elegant and adorable. it's the holidays. >> you felt like it was necessary to say that. >> we just lit the tree up. i'm in the spirit. >> elegant and adorable is probably how bruce boudreaux is feeling today. >> really? explain that one. >> he is back on the saddle less than three days after being fired by the capitals, he's been hired as the head coach of the anaheim ducks. >> good for him. >> he felt he had to make this move. >> i don't think opportunities like this come around every day. with the talent that we have here and so i talked to my wife

about it. i said i think we should jump at this. i know it's only been a day, basically, since i got let go. it was something i thought was a chance that i wouldn't get again. so, i jumped at it and here i am. it's a new start. i'm looking forward to it. can't wait to play. let's get going. >> wow. weird seeing him in that uniform. boudreaux is in california getting ready for his friday night debut. his old team hoping santa brings wins in december. capitals at home looking for their first win under dale hunter to add more intrigue to tonight's game is the opponent, the pittsburgh penguins. we have more on the reaction to boudreaux's new job. hakeem? >> reporter: the capitals do not

play the ducks again. if you were hoping to see them play, you will have to wait until the stanley cup finals. they played once during the regular season. that's it. maybe the stanley cup finals. players not surprised bruce got a job so quickly, including the forward. >> i thought he'd get a job pretty quick. you never know when a job opens. with his track record, not just winning here, but creating a team and an environment the fans really responded to. it was a hell of a product to watch on the ice. >> with dale hunter, what makes you believe he can turn things around right now? >> one thing i have taken away so far is his ability on the bench during a game. i thought it was just one game. he's a tremendous bench coach with a great feel for the game as it's going, you know, and has

the ability to make adjustments and understand what's going on. i was, you know, i think from his years of coaching and also his years of playing, he's developed a great sense for the game and it showed at least for the one game we have had so far. >> you grew up here. you watched him as a kid. what do you remember about old number 32? >> he did anything it took to win. unfortunately, he's got a lot of fights under his belt and a lot of physical combat that he was known for. he was a hell of a player. he was able to put up great numbers. he was -- everybody wants to be like him, be a guy to put up points and fight and win those fights and stick up for your teammates. >> tonight against the penguins, what message would it send to get a victory? >> it doesn't matter who we play, we need a win. not just wins but to win the

right way. we need to respond. sometimes with emotional games like tonight should be, you can use it as a spring board if you want to have a good game and do a lot of things we have been talking about. again, most importantly, we need wins. >> yes, they do. going for their fifth straight win against the penguins. we'll have more coming up at 6:00. now, back to you. >> hakeem at verizon center. if the capitals get the win, they would blow the roof off that thing. it's going to be a fun environment. >> go boudreaux. we are happy for him. >> that was wonderful. >> it's a win/win. thank you. >> we are going to head back out to the national christmas tree lighting ceremony. it is lit out there. >> it is. doug, have we heard from one rebub lick yet? >> we have not. we have am bro shah coming up

and one republic is coming up in 15 minutes. right now, we have kermit the frog along with santa claus on the stage. take a look. santa is looking good. he's wearing everything he needs. kermit only wearing a scarf. he says he's warm enough as temperatures are not that bad. earlier, it was, of course, the tree lighting. the president was able to light it with his family. take a look. >> three, two, one -- >> the colored lights took a little while to come on. the ornaments came on, then the colored lights. that tree just over 20 feet. a new tree as the old tree was blown down in february. this tree was planted in march and will last a good number of years to come. weather wise, still on the chilly side. tomorrow, beautiful. 56, plenty of sunshine. a little cooler on our saturday.

guys? >> thank you,

the so-called santa ana winds are back in southern california. >> the winds are strong this year, they knocked down trees, power lines and delaying travel. stephanie stanton takes a look at the damage. >> reporter: wednesday night, the winds blasted through

southern california with hurricane force winds blowing down trees and power lines. first light revealed a trail of debris everywhere. >> it looked like a tornado hit, literally. >> reporter: the national weather service recorded wind gusts up to 97 miles per hour in los angeles county. >> we hear the wind howling. i go out. everything is being tossed in the backyard. >> reporter: it was enough to blow this giant tree down and this tree crashing through a house in nearby san marino. at one point, the winds left 300,000 los angeles area residents without power. the airport was dark for about an hour. >> once we landed we came in the airport, not even five minutes. everything went black. >> 20 flights were diverted to ontario airport due to dangerous cross winds. utah was much the same scene. wind gusts up to 102 miles per

hour were recorded. it topped ten big rigs on interstate 15. >> we were sitting there waiting. it sounded like an explosion. a rock went through the window and got me in the eye. >> reporter: the high wind warnings and advisories remain in effect for california, utah, nevada, arizona, new mexico and wyoming. a wild, windy west that's expected to continue through friday. stephanie stanton, nbc news, los angeles. wow, santa ana winds. >> stay there, news 4 at 6:00 starts right now. gary giordano refused to say what happened to robyn gardner in aruba but he had nothing to do with the disappearance. they kidnapped a maryland man in pakistan. >> two, one --

>> plus the stars are out as the national christmas tree is illuminated a short time ago. good evening, i'm doreen gentzler. >> i'm jim handly. we begin with the republican race for president. herman cain plans to talk to his wife, face-to-face tomorrow before deciding whether to stay in the race. he has not yet made a decision. >> after the reassessment, i will say something formal over the next several days. there's nothing new here. no new questions and no new answers. >> steve handelsman just now with how mitt romney plans to deal with the current republican front-runner. steve? >> reporter: thanks. good evening. mitt romney's campaign strategy was out there. don't attack your republican rivals, focus on president obama and pass or all but pass on the iowa caucuses january 3rd because back in