. welcome to news 4 today. i'm angie goff. >> i'm chris gordon. it is sunday, december 18th. a developing story now as the final u.s. troops are leaving iraq. as the iraq war comes to a close, troops are getting ready to come back home. but not without one more layover. they're crossing the border and going into kuwait. iraq's official outprocessing center. soldiers turn in their gear, fill out paperwork and wait as long as five days before they can get on a plane to bring them back to the states. after nine years in iraq, five

days seems like nothing. not everyone is heading back to the u.s., however. about $220 billion worth of equipment is staying, officially transferred over to the iraqi government. the coast guard is continuing its search for a man who is missing after a sailboat capsized off the coast of maryland. it sank 2:30 saturday afternoon near sandiy point state park in the chesapeake bay. rescue teams spent all night on the water searching for the missing person. they were able to rescue 25eu-year-old woman suffering from hypothermia. and a 40-year-old man was rushed to the hospital with life-threatening injuries. police in maryland are looking for one of the drivers involved in a deadly pedestrian accident. it happened 10:30 last night at the intersection of veirs mill

and gridley roads in wheaton near the randolph shopping center. the man was crossing viers mill when he was hit by a car heading west. he landed in the road and was struck by a dark-colored suv which didn't stop. he was taken to holy cross where he later died. he's not been identified at that time. all right. turning to the weather, i think we saw some flurries in restin last night. >> you absolutely positively did. we saw a few snowflakes right here in town. just before 6:00 last night, it's ground truth. it looks like snow on the radar. there are snowflakes flying around out there. didn't add up to. . not of a snow accumulation. >> it was actually very nice. >> until you have to start shoveling it, snow is wonderful. or driving in it sometimes can be a little bit tricky also.

right now we have a mix of clouds and clear skies over washington. there are more clouds up to the north and west of the city. clearer skies to the south. waldorf and la plata, cold start for you. 27 degrees. 33 in annapolis. even some chilly stuff in gaithersburg at 25 degrees. here's a look at live doppler. one or two lonesome snowflakes, winchester, toms brook and luray. not going to add up to anything. a few more upstream from us in far western maryland. we'll be keeping an eye on those. as a result we'll call it clouds around for the front half of the day. afternoon clearing. a bit breezy again today. high temperatures in the upper 30s in the hot spots down into parts of virginia. all in all, a good sunday afternoon with the sunshine coming back, but it won't last for long. >> thank you, chuck.

>> all right. see you later. starting today, drivers coming into d.c., you're now going to have another option. the new 11th street bridge is now open. it brings drivers from 295 into the downtown area. it's just one section of a three-part construction project. the second part will be the outbound part of the bridge that is set up to be opened next week opinion and the third span will open in about a year. when it's completely finished, the bridge will allow drivers on the southeast-southwest freeway to access northbound i-295 without having to get off on pennsylvania avenue. well, in other news this morning, the senate delivered two holiday gifts to the american people this weekend. not only did they avoid a government shutdown by agreeing to a budget, but they also extended the payroll tax cut. nbc's brian moahr has this

report from capitol hill. >> your vote is going to go okay? >> oh, yeah. get it done. >> reporter: they approved a 60-day extension of the payroll tax cut. >> on this vote, the ayes are 89, ney are 10. >> reporter: 160 million americans won't see paychecks shrink january 1st but it sets the stage for another showdown early next year. >> it would be inexcusable for congress not to further extend this middleclass tax cut for the rest of the year. >> reporter: democrats had to give up on tax increases for millionaires but they got an extension of unemployment benefits. >> it was true legislation because it was compromise. >> reporter: republicans succeeded in pushing the president to say yes or no with the keystone oil pipeline project within the next 60 days. >> everybody in washington says they want more american jobs

right now. here's the single most shovel-ready project in america. >> reporter: they voted to pay for last year's natural disasters and approved a big spending bill to keep the government run through fiscal year 2012. >> 15 minutes to consider a document, 1,221 pages long. >> reporter: but they close the book on a con tense year in congressment brian moahr, nbc, washington. while sit good news for working americans, it comes with a bit of bad news for those looking to buy a home. starting january 1st, homebuyers will have to pay roughly $17 more a month for the mortgage. fannie mae and freddie mac are increasing the price they charge to insure home mortgages. the slight rise in costs does not apply to those who already have a mortgage but would apply to those looking to refinance next year. be sure to tune in 10:30

today for "meet the press". david gregory will have house speaker john boehner to discuss congress's recent deals. and michele bachmann will talk about her campaign as the iowa caucus us come closer. be sure to tune in to "meet the press", 10:30 today, right here on nbc 4. lawyers for bradley manning said he suffers from gender identity disorder, and that may have played a role in his leaking of information to wikileak. they revealed he created a twitter account under the alter ego brianna and sent a picture of himself dressed as a woman saying his issues were hurti his ability to do his job. he faces life in prison on charges of aiding the enemy. former pow jessica lynch can now say she achieved a lifelong dream. the private first class graduated from west virginia

university at parkersburg yesterday with a teaching degree. lynch has said she's wanted to be a teacher her whole life. in 2003, lynch was hold hostage after being captured by saddam hussein's forces. video of her rescue was seen around the world. she enrolled in the army to help pay for college. good for her. >> absolutely. >> well, we had a little frost on the windshield. no problem with ice on the roads. >> no. we didn't have enough moisture to welcome in any problems. the cold air isn't necessarily going to stick around so much longer. >> good. a bit of a warmup. >> very little. a warmup is a warmup nonetheless. we'll give you all the details on that as we look at the seven-day forecast coming up after the break.

well, you know it feels like winter when you're inside a

building and people are walking in going brrr. >> a lot of that going on yesterday. but advice well taken. we mentioned yesterday on the show if you were planning on going outside you needed that extra layer of warmth to be outside yesterday afternoon. boy, did you ever need it yesterday. only made it up to 43 degrees for a high temperature yesterday, but windchills stayed down in the mid-30s most of the afternoon. with the cloud cover it sure felt awfully chilly. today is going to be a bit of improvement from a sky cover standpoint. more sunshine today than yesterday. but the cold air is entrenched for the next 24 to 36 hours. another day with a bit of bundle-up factor on your sunday afternoon. nonetheless, we'll have a little bit more sunshine. even though it will be breezy today i don't think it will be quite as breezy as it was yesterday. >> a mostly clear sky across southern maryland. a few clouds over the city. 33 the temperature at reagan

national airport. winds are light out of the west at 6 miles per hour. we'll have the west-northwesterly breeze today. 8 to 18 miles per hour where yesterday it was more in the 18 to 25-mile-per-hour raeupbg. 25, gaithersburg. 30 in leesburg early this morning. 32, martinsburg and winchester. 30 in culpepper. a nice-looking day on the whole. we have clouds to deal with in the morning hours. the sunshine will win out and we'll end up with a pretty nice afternoon. it will stay on the chilly side with highs into the low 40s around town. not much going on on doppler. a few lonesome snowflakes in the shenandoah valley. frostburg, hagerstown, frederick, don't be surprised to see one or two random snowflakes

flying by. you can see on the wider view, not much going on. we'll see very little in the way of travel problems. that is welcomed news. high pressure will be winning today. we get more and on more sunshine. skies will be clear. winds light. as a result, a cold start for your monday morning. temperatures generally in the 20s. it's not going to stick around long. another weather front slides tuesday bringing clouds back and rain chances along with it. here's your forecast for today. becoming mostly sunny this afternoon. a little bit of a windchill to worry about. upper 30s to low and mid-40s. monday, mostly sunny. milder with highs back into the upper 40s and low 50s. but that will be the pick of the litter today i suspect as clouds come back for tuesday. a little chance on tuesday. a much better chance on wednesday. thursday looks good. unsettled weather towards friday

and saturday. saturday would be christmas eve. you don't want to have cloud cover on christmas eve because then santa can't find all the right houses. sometimes santa has to occur tal the list. so kids on the fans, then santa has to skip the not-so-good kids. >> he's a very motivated guy. >> we have to clear the clouds out of the way. >> we'll see what we can do. >> i'm following your forecast on my smartphone which says it's 33 degrees but feels like 28. >> that's correct. >> and it has the 10-day forecast. this is the new application or the app on the iphone that you can have news 4 weather and news wherever you go. >> that's pretty much true. news 4 launched its new and improved iphone app. it has an easy-to-navigate top stories list.

all of our stories will a play out on your phone. you can find the latest weather forecast, as we mentioned, to help you prepare for your day. you'll also be able to receive breaking news alerts. check us out on the itunes story. we have a link on nbcwashington.com. and you also have access to pictures there as well as local events going on around town. really you can do pretty much anything with that app. >> it says angie looks marvelous. you wrote that. >> don't believe that. don't believe that at all. it doesn't talk to you. >> it downloads in five seconds. and it's free. >> yeah. >> if you didn't mention that, it's free. >> everything you need to know right in your pocket. >> all right. next up is reporter's notebook, a look at stories affecting our community. >> we'll be back in 15 minutes with this morning's top stories and your sunday forecast. for now, here's pat lawson phaous. >> good morning. welcome to reporter's notebook.

i'm pat lawson muse. after years and years of lobbying, tax drivers may get a fare hike and a credit card payment option. the rate would jump to $2.16. and the wait time $15 to 25 bucks. cabbies say it's about time. what are critics saying? >> they've been fighting for quite some time. this was a big, big controversy with the cabs. they wanted to push ahead. but fenty, not to say he ignored it, but his administration didn't take it up. vince gray's administration is different. that's the reason why we're seeing this now. vince gray has been more or less -- has aligned himself with the struggles of the taxicab people. but i would say if you're going to have a raise, it's fine. but i think they need to put a lot of emphasis on bettering the

cab's service. because we still find pockets around washington where cabs won't go, especially in the black communities. we also find people in the cabs who can hardly speak english and they hardly know the streets of washington. so all of this goes into the pot if we're talking about more money for cab drivers. >> i would just ask, there was an effort to put meters in the taxicabs and fare hikes were proposed as a twin to that. they were saying this is going to be an exorbitant cost and the recent gas prices over the last few years. a number of things are now available to justify an increase. as some have noted, it's better to have a smaller increase than a larger one that the taxicab drivers actually wanted. >> right. >> this is a bit of compromise and hopefully it won't make it more difficult for people to afford cab rides. >> i think the doctor hit it

right on the head. it could have been much larger. so somewhere they compromised. there's going to have to be an increase. i don't know how you get around it. and i hate to say this, that it's reasonable but once again, i always come down on the side of poor working people who really depend on these cabs. and here they are stagnant incomes. but we keep seeing fees on top of fees rising and it takes more and more of our dollars. >> what about, though, those other issues. cab inspections have been an issue. and public complaints about, you know, newer cabs and cabs with more amenities, more bells and whistles. >> what i would love to see is what i've seen in many cities. now, i do like the fact that you can use your debit card or your credit card. i go to new york a lot. >> exactly. >> and that certainly is a convenience.

number two is fuel-efficient cabs. that could cut down on the operating costs. and i think that's something that has to be part of our future. >> and it has to be balanced. because with more amenities may well come more costs. so one of the things that our taxicab system here in d.c. has been able to afford is have someone be able to sort of literally start their own business. if they want to put their name on the side of the cab, they been do it. you can start with an older cab and not have to expend great resources on a newer one that may make it more difficult to get into the business. >> if you have been around washington, the fact is -- >> you enjoy this. >> but anyway, at one time it was a dig filed thing for cab drivers. d.c. cabs were clean. there were drivers who could at least let you know where you

were going. they would get you there. the inspections you bring up, pat, can we deal with inspections and i hate to say watch dog but really have a watch dog for the consumers's point of view, i don't mind these raises. >> let's talk about winter, because it's coming. mayor gray last week, along with other leaders of the area, were announcing their plans to give up for this winter and the coming blizzards. he showed off new plows and unveiled plans for 33,000 city work stories telecommute or shuttle in their offices when the snow begins to fall. talk about some of the other plans here. early notification of school closures. and this plan comes in conjunction with the federal governments. >> right. the one thing that mayor gray is talking about here is we must coordinate with the federal governments, which is the largest employee in town.

so if you have a flex-time that federal workers can be let out, say, 3:00 in the afternoon to beat that rush hour snow problem, that will work. he's talking about new snowplowers. this is very important too. if the plan works that the neighborhood streets -- not just the major thorough ways, but the neighborhood streets are also plowed, i think it will work. >> there's another point here. this is also about politics. >> oh, yeah. >> because a man who can't get the street plows is a man losing a lot of support. what the mayor is doing here is pretty smart. in addition for parents who have small school-aged children who need to go to after-school or after-care or something like that, all of these have political implications. anything the mayor can do to signal to parents that we're

serious about making your day less worrisome when the snow falls. >> it's only smart if it works. >> that's what i said. it's great. does the plan work? >> you're right, if it works. >> as i'm sitting here with all this sand me i wonder has the city and all the people responsible, have they coordinated with your meteorologist? the guys and women who do your tv, weather, the equipment that you now have, the computers that you now have can forecast. the biggest problem was they knew the storm was coming but people would wait until the first flakes fall. >> then all of a sudden you get caught in the traffic. >> i would love to see a summit. let me just make a suggestion. a summit meeting. bring all the tv and meet rolls together with the people who do this planning and say, okay,

guys, let us work out a deal. we'll be your -- like we warned people about tornados. maybe they already do that. i don't know. >> let me say quickly, there are a lot of of people like my wife who don't believe what they is see on tv and will not move until the first snow falls. >> and she will be the one spending the night. >> and asking me to come get her. >> local homeland security. they do have what you say. they do bring people together. and the problem here, again, is management. it's not the logistics and the equipment. it's the management making sure that this plan works. >> so who makes the call? >> management of public works. they have got to be serious about plowing the major thoroughways that more importantly get into the neighborhoods.

that's where the a little bit similar comes. similar comes. >> and even though you do what you can to take care of it, sometimes you want to give your immune system some support. try new airborne chewable tablets. each serving contains 14 vitamins, minerals and herbs... including zinc, echinacea, ginger, and a blast of vitamin c. it's the easy, great-tasting way to help support your immune system.

airborne. in fast-acting effervescent formula, and new super-convenient chewable tablets! welcome back. on the protest front this past week we saw demonstrations for voting rights or demonstrators for voting rights camped outside the office of house speaker john boehner on capitol hill. and african-american clergy from baltimore joining the occupy movement here in d.c. your thoughts about these? >> well, i'm -- my politics lead me to be happy during a protest where people are using their rights to petition the government for whatever redress they feel necessary. with respect to the boehner protest, you know, i do not believe that enough attention has been brought to this issue. before the members of congress and to the country at large, i think that's actually more important. so i'm happy about that.

with regard to the clergy protest i believe we need a much more diversified occupy movement. if you want it to be seen as more legitimate and sustainable. so i get that. i am a little concerned there appear to be this clergy leadership that doesn't include enough for any of that matter d.c. clergy to make a sustained effort here in d.c. >> what are the ties between baltimore and clergy in maryland? and that's a very good point there. the thing about it, what do they call it? occupy -- the dream. connecting it to the martin luther king birthday that's coming up. that could carry over good. but, you know, i don't know. i'm on defense now. i really support the protesters all the way. but i'm skill looking for this theme, this platform. >> there is a platform, jerry.

you name it. it's foreclosures. it's student loans. it's messing with medicare. it's veterans not able to get housing. see, this is the thing. this is exactly what dr. king proposed with resurrection city. how soon we forget. they were going to shut down 14 street bridge. they were going to shut down hud. they were going to transform the government because the government was not dealing with the needs of the average -- what we now call 999. and the focus is really quite unfair. >> do you think this city is growing weary of the protesters? we've seen business owners concerned about the impediments on k street a couple of weeks ago. >> j he e -- >> and around the country.

>> gee. what -- protest or not for the purpose of making folks feel comfortable. the purpose of the protest is just that, to make you feel uncomfortable. what did we used to say? >> comfort the afflicted. >> that's right. it's not a purpose of making folks feel uncomfortable until they change. >> if you can't live with that then you can't live here. there's just a part of life in this area. >> i don't think the city is growing weary. the fact is, they are used to protest. we discussed this several weeks ago on this very show. is unlike other cities when it comes to putting up the protest. >> here's where your point does come into play. those who are businesses are

going to put the pressure on mayor gray. >> right now the congress. yeah. but i guess it's going to be gray. what are you going to do? are you going to allow what bloomberg does? when are you going to say enough is enough. there's where the pressure comes because that's where the campaign funds come from. >> right. >> let's talk about virginia politics. there's been much to do about president obama's sagging poll numbers. a new poll shows he isn't doing as badly as some thought. the public policy survey of 600 virginians shows 48% of them are holding, approving of the president. 47% disapprove, that his numbers aren't declining. >> you go out on a limb. you always wonder who is doing the polling and who are they talking to? it carries a different song, especially in virginia. we're talking about a split

state. >> i think be careful. they may be soft numbers. but the reality is i were the president's team advising him, i wouldn't get comfortable with this. >> oh, no. >> and i certainly wouldn't underestimate allen running against kaine. if i were the president of the united states, i'll tell you what i would be doing, calling african-americans together, former governor wilder, and certainly get their input to excite as much of my base as i could in virginia based on these numbers. >> michael? >> real quick, a couple of things are going on here. none of virginia is hyper educated. low employment areas. the numbers are still below 50% which is never a good thing. so there's still a lot of work to be done. >> thanks, guys. thank you for being with us.

that's reporter's network. stay with us now. news 4 today continues. good morning. i'm chris gordon. >> i'm angie goff. welcome to news 4 today on this sunday, december 18th. nine plus years after entering the country, the final u.s. troops are leaving iraq. troops are crossing the border into kuwait to officially be processed. some will have to wait up to five days before they can fly back to the united states. more than $220 billion worth of equipment is staying in iraq as it is transferred to the iraqi government. >> well, after coming down to the wire once again, the senate approved a federal budget that goes until next september. they agreed to a short-term extension of the payroll tax

cut. it will stay for another two months which keeps unemployment benefits at 99. rescue teams were able to pull two people to safety but spent the night searching for a 25-year-old man. so overnight we were below freezing, huh? >> yes. many spots below freezing. many spots hovering in the mid-30s. anywhere away from the water and the immediate downtown area. and another cold day coming our way today. but there's a little bit of a warming trend and the return of a little bit more sunshine as well. so there is good news in the forecast. but it's a cold start a sunday morning. we're just a tick above the freezing mark in washington. down into charles county, maryland. mid to urpl 20s with a clear sky. low 30s towards the blue ridge

where there are plenty of clouds to be around. lie snow across # 1 and southern pennsylvania. not going to impact travel in any way or shape or form. sunshine returns this afternoon. it will stay on the cold stayed with today's highs upper 30s, low 40s. 50 degrees on your monday. a little bit of a bundle up for you. but redskins and raiders are on the road so there won't be 180 million people. the death toll continues to climb in egypt as protesters continue to clash with the military there. they set fire to buildings and threw rocks as they set up barricades to keep them from reaching the parliament building. the death toll at 10 and 400

injured in the clashes. theur demanding an end of a transfer of power to a civilian government. the search for the missing in the philippines as a flash flood takes a toll. more than 500 people center died in the flooding, a number will likely rise. the strong winds and pounding rain in the philippines. mitt romney is getting two big endorsements as the iowa caucus us draw closer. the republican presidential hopeful picked up endorsement from former senator bob dole. the des moines register said romney stands out from the current republicans. they published a letter from dole romney was the right man

for the job. meanwhile, the gop front-runner newt gingrich is trying to hold on to his lead in the polls. >> newt was the originator of earmarks in the '9 0s. >> he said he plans to correct what he said were his rival's eup accurate claims about him. opponents redoubled in an effort to attack. gingrich told voters that the mailers sreuf been receiving, they're all junk and dishonest. we will break down the race for the republican nomination in just a few minutes when david gregory joins us live in our studio. chris? a young man may soon have a date with the first lady. how he asked mrs. owe ma and

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welcome back. the race for the presidential nomination is getting even nastier with the candidates launching personal attacks on each other. joining us to discuss this week's other political stories is the moderator of "meet the press", david gregory. thank you for joining us. >> good morning. >> you know congress has passed this paycut tax deal this weekend. but is this truly just setting the stage for another faceoff. >> great line in the "washington post" said december's battles becomes february's roar. we're not even past the battle yet.

this is an agreement the to extend the payroll tax cut holiday. even house republicans are revolting about that. it's not clear that this is a done deal. even if it is, if there's a two-month extension you have a fight over how you pay for such a thing. republicans are attacking this extension of an oil pipeline out west. they claim it would create more jobs. the president didn't want to decide until after the election. white house officials say they're forcing him to, in fact, not issue a permit because you need a certain amount of time to get it done. this is all still sort of a mess. after a year of so much acrimony in washington we're going to start the new year with another big fight on our hands. >> one week ago when you were here it looked like newt gingrich had such a substantial lead in iowa that he went ahead and said he was confident he was going to get the nomination,

which is strange for a politician to say. and a little superstitious usually. with all thiessen tkorsmentes mitt romney is picking up, can he win iowa or come so strong that he wins in. >> i think it's harder for romney to win iowa. i think the smart money and republican politics is gingrich wins iowa. depending how well ron paul does, michelle back monday, rick santorum and others, they can make that a smaller victory for gingrich than it might otherwise be. and some of the attacks you have seen in the debates, on the air in iowa are having some impact. i think the whole question of debating newt gingrich and weather, you know, the establishment is really comfortable with him within the republican party. our poll, the washington journal/nbc news poll says he has a lot of electability problems with woman. swing voters don't look at him very favorably. >> romney landed one of the most

sought after endorsements in south carolina. he got the endorsement but can he win south carolina? >> a number of supporters among the tee party not so happy with endorsing romney. maybe she would like to be on the ticket at some point. but it was important for him to get that nomination. it does raise that endorsement. south carolina could still be very difficult for him. >> let's talk about who you have on the show. >> three big interviews for all the latest on the washington drama and payroll tax cut. michele bachmann tries to win iowa and governor haley from south carolina will join me to talk about why she has endorsed mitt romney at this point. >> and you have "press pass" that follows. >> yes, we are. holland taylor joins me. she's great. you're in washington or the

area, you know she's a very interesting play about ann richards, the former texas governor. holland taylor -- who remembers the great series she was in? "bosom buddies." you can imagine a democratic party that still had ann richards here and dolling out criticism could be very interesting. >> "meet the press" here at 10:30. thank you. >> okay. how did you not know that, "bosom buddies"? >> donna dixon as well on "bosom buddies"? >> it was not a show i watched. >> tom hanks! the answer came to everyone at the same time in our ear. >> for those of us waking up

right now, a lot of people want to know what's going on with the weather. >> cold stuff outside. another day with a bit of a bundle up in it. don't stray too far from your winter jacket. a check of your sunday for

well, this is not the hollywood ending that he would hoped for. the former notre dame football walk-on who inspired the movie "rudy" is now the focus of a government investigation. he is charged with deceiving investors into buying stock into his company. the securities and exchange commission claims he gave false and misleading press release and the scheme generated $11 million in illicit profits before the company shut down.

well, we are nearing the end of 2011 and looking back at some of the biggest local stories of the year. >> in fact, we're picking the 10 local stories -- i have written some down i think might qualify. but we need your help picking number one. go to facebook and tell us your pick for 2011. we'll present the results on air, online as well on new year's. look. i just put weather, earthquake, hurricane irene, and flooding. >> just do it by the week. that was the week around here. >> i think, you know, on a more national level we have like the royal wedding. >> the royal wedng. >> impacted the area as well. amanda knox was a big sorry. >> political corruption investigations. so we have a lot. >> a whole list of them right there. >> wow. >> between here and the counsel and everything else going on. >> head over to our facebook

page. >> i'm going to go with irene. it was a good name for a hurricane too, irene. when i get somebody named a reason at you, it's going to be trouble. it's a good mad-at-you names. i'm saying if you're going to be mad have a good mad-sounding names. irene goes both ways. >> no one is afraid of chuck. wouldn't scare anyone into action. milder weather is just one more day away, but it's a very active pattern. so not a lot of sunshine in your seven-day for the benefit. you have to enjoy the sunshine that you get. a beautiful picture outside.

clouds hanging over washington this morning. as you can see, as we look to the east, yes, indeed, clearing skies will be the trend as we go through the remainder of your sunday afternoon. it's a cold one. 33 in washington. light breeze at 6 miles per hour. 28, rockville. 25 in huntingtown. and the the further out west you go, temperatures not all that cold because of the extra cloud cover. 30 in hagerstown. as you make your plans to get outside and enjoy your day, increasing amounts of sunshine through the afternoon. highs in the low 40s around town. as far as snowfall, there are some lonesome snowflakes west of haguers down and winchester and another column of snow showers moving into frostburg in far western maryland. that's really about it. this is a moisture-starved alberta clipper coming on by. it's not going to have a big impact. there's the clear skies out to

our east. there's the cloud cover across central virginia. that will be burning away as we go through the day. sunshine is coming back, although it will be a fairly cold afternoon to be outside. another cold night with most everybody well below freezing. tomorrow, the sunshine comes back out. milder tomorrow. that won't last long. chilly and damp weather returns for tuesday night and wednesday. so for today, clouds this morning. sunshine this afternoon. back to work and school on your monday. mostly sunny. a little bit milder tomorrow. breezy at times. tomorrow's highs up close to 50 degrees. the clouds will be back on tuesday with a chance for light showers probably tuesday afternoon. tuesday night, wednesday, the bulk of the moisture gets here. it will be a rainstorm not a snowstorm. and cooler weather heading into christmas weekend of all things. who knew it was coming so fast.

stay ahead of the weather on nbcwashington.com/weather. or follow me on twitter @chuckbell4. >> i feel like it was just disease 1st and all of a sudden it's christmas. >> you blink your eyes and miss the whole thing. >> wow. just like that. thank you, chuck. there was plenty of jolly to go around at the national mall yesterday. it was st. arky. they showed up for a nonprofit, nonpolitical, nonreligious and nonsensical celebration. they rode the carousel and participated in ho, ho, ho chants. they are not protesters but they were complaining about bad holiday parties. >> okay. now a preview of what's coming up in this week's kidspost. >> this week on kidspost on tv,

a quiz to prove that you're very bright, some facts about the festival of lights, and non-christmas acts that bring santa to light. joining us once again is tracy grant of "washington post" kidspost. high, tracy. >> great to be with you, danela. >> let's start off with something i'm hopefully going to be good at, your annual news quiz. >> we have today our annual news quiz. there's a great prize package. and careful listeners will maybe get one of the answers right. >> okay. >> what washington landmark was destroyed by a february wind storm? the washington monument, the national cathedral, the national christmas tree, or the panda habitat at the zoo? >> i'm lucky because i know this one. we were just talking about this. i'm going to go with the christmas tree. >> that's right. the national christmas tree was toppled in that awful february wind storm.

there are 20 questions. they all were covered in kidspost this year. so careful kidspost readers can enter. it's a good activity to do over the holiday break. >> fun for the whole family. >> absolutely. teamwork. >> up next, an enlightening conversation about holidays this time of year are synonymous with lights. >> well, you know, in tuesday's kidspost and tuesday is the start of hanukkah. wednesday is the start of winter, winter solstice. we explain why there is such a need tore lights. whether it's kwanzaa, christmas, hanukkah, they all dwell on light. that's because the days are at the shortest at this time of year because of winter solstice. so we explore some of the seasonal holidays in tuesday's kidspost. >> nice. i love holiday lights. >> finally, a look at what santa likes to do when he's not

preparing for christmas. >> santa is so busy this time of year. somehow he has time to go bungee jumping. this is a picture from indonesia. santa went bungee jumping. in monday's kidspost we have pictures of santa doing all sorts of crazy things. here he is riding a harley in front of a school in illinois. >> look at the kids. >> and santa swims with the fishes. this was taken in thailand. >> wow. >> so just lots of fun pictures of santa doing wild and crazy things on his busiest week of the year. >> that's always fun. thanks as always, tracy. visit nbcwashington.com or washingtonpost.com and click on kidspost. >> okay. . thank you danela. a young marine may soon get a shot at his dream date. >> it's not just anyone. he is looking to take out the

first lady, michelle obama. he approached the first lady while she was sorting toys at toys for tots at an event in southeast d.c. this week. the 20-year-old politely asked if mrs. obama would attend next year's marine corps. ball with him. she said she would love to go but the marine would have to ask her husband first. she had her assistant take down the information. >> still got a hug, nonetheless. >> the hug is in the bank. all right. there is still more news 4 after the break. >> and also news 4's "viewpoint". stay with us.

welcome to news 4 today. i'm angie goff. >> i'm chris gordon. it is sunday, december 18th. the final troops are leaving iraq more than nine years after invading that country. troops right now are crossing the border into kuwait to officially be processed. some will have to wait up to five days before they can fly back to the states. more than $220 billion worth of equipment is staying in iraq as it is transferred to the iraqi government. after coming down to the wire again, the senate approved a federal budget that goes until next september. the senate also agreed to a

short-term extension of the payroll tax cut. the cut will stay for another two months, which also keeps unemployment benefits at 99 weeks. >> and the search continues this morning for ape man missing in the chesapeake bay after the boat he was on capsized. the boat with three people on board sank. coast guard rescued two of the victims but spent the night looking for the third >> frigid and flurry. two things we could hear in the forecast. >> there are a few snowflakes out there. but these are barely even conversational level snowflakes. just a passing fleury or two. primarily up to the north of washington. i'll show you that here on the radar in, oh, about 15 seconds or so. outside right now, partly cloudy sky overhead in washington where the temperature sits at 33 degrees. 30 in leesburg. 30 in frederick.

27, gaithersburg and germantown. lowly snay flakes into the panhandle of west virginia. you folks will get to see a passing snow shower or two. these are not going to be adding up. it might barely be enough to whiten the ground on some of the western facing slopes. no concerns at all. for those of us that like snow, that's not good news. staying chilly today. sunshine and milder comes back for your monday with highs near 50 degrees. the bundle up factor we had yesterday will be returning. >> if you want snow nor christmas, head north. pennsylvania possibly. >> a chance for a presip on christmas eve. does it look like snow yet? keep hope alive. >> all right. thank you, chuck. >> all righty. those are some of the stories making news today. next is nbc 4's "viewpoint". >> we are going to be back in a few minutes with another news update.

good morning. welcome to "viewpoint". i'm pat lawson muse. for many it's a celebration of faith. for others it's a celebration of family. for most it's a festive celebration. this morning we're going to talk about the christmas traditions and the christmas evolution. joining us to participate in our discussion is reverend ronald braxton. >> good morning. >> welcome back. karen brow, luther place memorial church pastor. >> good morning. >> and charles pope, pastor of holy comfort catholic church. good to see all of you. it seems no matter what's going on in the world around us and in our communities no matter how bad the world is, christmastime is always a happy time for the majority of people. people get happy and they get friendly and merry and generous. do you think this is going to be a merry christmas for most

americans this year? >> i believe so. one, i think it has everything to do with the real meaning of christmas. this christ child that was born into the world brings a certain level of hope and expectation. even in the darkest hours you can find this hope in christ. and every christmas. it doesn't matter how bleak things are, people find a way to have some hope and some joy. it sparks life. >> of course everyone isn't christian. and even nonchristians find this a happy time. pastor brown? >> i think for people who are hungry, as all of us are for things to be about joy and promise i think christmas gives

a good time for that. for people of faith, it's that time we trust and believe that god has broken into the world in a new kind of way. and i think we allow ourselves just to imagine even more deeply that the promise of new life and hope can come a reality even in our days today. >> monsignor? >> i would add there's a connectedness. others begin to feel the same spirit. >> it's sort of contagious? >> yes. >> whether or not it's religious? >> yes. a joy and openness. and i would also say for christians, there's always something deep tore look for in terms of joy. too often we equate joy with sort of an emotional happy feeling. for the true traou christian tradition if you look in the scriptures, it is a deep and abiding joy that becomes independent of the things external to, you know, outside

of us. just a deep and abiding joy. that's the real gift to seek at christmas for everyone. a joy that can withstand even difficult moments in life. >> because i had a wonderful experience some years ago. i took the children with when they were little to disney world. and it was amazing to me to see all nationalities, people walking through disney world, all nationalities, all religions. and the christmas music was playing, the hymns were playing. and the people were just one. and aim saying to myself, this is amazing that it's christmas in disney world and everybody is celebrating this event. >> do you agree with those who say christmas has been hijacked by commercialism? retailers are practically putting up the christmas displays right alongside the halloween pumpkins now. and the national retail

federation projects we will spend some $469 billion this holiday season. what do you say about that? >> it's been hijacked. and you're late. you actually now see the first signs of christmas at labor day. >> before the pumpkins? >> yes, before the pumpkins. and it is very difficult but it is the mission of the church to really stress this whole christ event. and i think most of us find ourselves not in competition but constantly driving christians to this real center that christ is born into the world. he breaks into our lives once again. >> of course this year you've got a sagging economy and the more retailers can sell the happier, the merrier this christmas will be for the country. >> well, i think that reverend

braxton, you know, has said it. it has a depth to it, what we're looking for. we're looking for that way to trust and believe there's something more than ourselves, something more than what's material. at the same time i think we're all influenced by what we see around us, all these ads and all these opportunities to buy, buy, buy. and i think when you talk about hijacking, what the church gets to do is to provide that counterbalance to it. and lutherans and catholics, we do it with advent. we have it altogether on advent. so we're sort of holding back the commercial horses at that point and say, whoa, there's something before then. because i think what we also discover in this faith journey is we've got to prepare ourselves for the coming of christ. and maybe it is about getting a few gifts for people we love. but the preparation is more inside ourselves and spending time with that. >> monsignor, what are your thoughts about the trees and the

lights and the presents? >> well, in the catholic tradition we don't decorate until the 24th, in the church anyway. we have purple. we're in pentatential mode. we look at our struggles. and we spend time collecting food for the poor and preparing to reach out for them during the advent season. so that's where we sort of hold back a little bit, at least within the church environment. certainly clicks decorate their homes probably as early as anybody else. about in the actual church we do hold back. >> all right. we've got to take a break. we'll talk more about christmas when we come back.

welcome back. we're talking about christmas this morning.

and i want to ask you, our guests this morning, about this. someone stole baby jesus again this year from a nativity scene in fredericksburg, virginia outside the loudon county courthouse somebody nailed a skeleton santa to a cross. what do you make of incidents like these? pastor brown? >> well, i think that people are clearly trying to figure out what christmas means or what it doesn't mean. and it seems to me stealing baby jesus is about maybe a person having a hard time with what does baby jesus mean to them and mean to our world today. and nailing a big santa to a cross, i think it just shows that things are out of whack. whether that's the best way to express it, it just seems that things are askew with a lot of

people and what these holidays really are about. >> you know, some would say it's obscene, sack religious. others say it's freedom of expression and it sends a message. the person who nailed the skeleton to the cross i believe interpreted it as meaning the traditions, the true meaning of christmas is dead. >> well, you know, my own thought of this whole cultural battle we're having about christmas i'm feeling there should be no religious expression at least in public settings and so on. we're having this big mega discussion in our society. at some level, though, i do wish those who have perhaps legitimate concerns about how far we should go would be a little more considerate. i find some of the anti christmas stuff that goes on rude, inconsiderate and just impolite. whatever his intention of putting skeleton christ on a

cross, aside from the religion aspects, there are a lot of children who have a place in their heart for santa. this is crude and rude and impolite type of speech do? everyone has a right to free speech. so let's just stipulate that. but in the end how about a little sensitivity. >> i approach it from a different aspect. people are suffering emotionally, spiritually. and i agree with you, but i'm seeing this and all of these things as en expression of pain, of suffering, of hurt. people are trying to find answers to deep spiritual emotional and psychological questions. and they want someone to help them with this. so i steal baby jesus.

and one time it's a little toy. next time it's a cement baby jesus. you hang santa claus to a cross. the other day you go to a nativity scene and you just tear it all up. people are really hurting. and it it is the mission and the role of the church to begin to try and speak to these needs, to this hurt, to this pain that our community all across are suffering from. and it is wrong, bad, illegal. but it is also a cry for help. >> what about black friday? normally you see a lot of, you know, what i interpret to be sort of insanity, you know, the

rushing to the stores, and the standing in lines for, you know, all night or a week. this year people were shot, trampled, pepper sprayed. one shopper pepper sprayed the folks around her to keep them from getting the items she wanted. is that a display of greed or desperation? >> that's what you started out with. that's part of the hijack. the commercial community hijacked this whole concept were. so it brings out our rawness. >> so you would say greed. >> yeah. >> greed or desperation? >> in some ways, about connecting to the pain and suffering, i think people are looking for the meaning in their lives. the ones who are getting the attention is the advertisers saying we're almost five minutes after 12:00 on thanksgiving, i'm going to do whatever it takes to get online.

>> meaning or -- >> right. if the meaning comes to us we think through having some of these things that we really are hijacked into thinking we really need in order to be real human beings and really alive in this world we will do whatever it takes to get that meaning. so i think it's right on what the church has to offer and also our mission and where we have fallen short and able to communicate a meaning. a lot of other medium are doing that to get the word out. >> if you really think about it our desires are infinite. we're never completely satisfied. and we keep thinking we can go back to the well of the world. a new ipad, big screen tv. the thrill lasts 20 minutes max and we're back to needing something more. somewhere we have to finally discover this is about an infinite longing and for christians we turn to the lord

and say you are the only source who will ever fully satisfy us one day. >> that's the real message of christmas. to satisfy that meaning. >> we'll talk more about whas when w

i'm angie goff. the final troops are leaving iraq more than nine years after invading the country. troops right now are crossing the border into kuwait to officially be processed. some will have to wait five days before they can fly back to the u.s. after coming down to the wire again, the senate approved a federal budget that goes until next september. the senate also agreed to a short-term extension of the payroll tax cut. it will stay another two months, which keeps unemployment benefits at 99 weeks. the search continues for a

hand missing in chesapeake bay after the boat he was on capsized. it sank saturday afternoon near sandy point state park in maryland. the coast guard rescued two victims but spent the night looking for the third. we'll have more news and your forecast in about 15 minutes. welcome back. we're talking about christmas. and of course to christians christmas is about the birth of jesus christ. let me ask you this. does jesus christ mean the same in the world today as he used to mean? even to believers? >> to me jesus about love. and love does mean the same thing. whether we're able to receive it. whether we think love is relevant in the world today. i think that's what shifts. but that love made real in jesus is the same past, present, and will be in the future. and that's part of i think the

struggle that we have as people of faith to communicate that in a world that has lots of different ways of receiving that or putting other things in its place. but love is a really big deal. in fact, that maybe is the only thing that we have to really consider at christmas. >> what's missing in the ex prescription of love? many of those who are most troubled and most disturbed now are sitting in your pews every sunday morning and they believe in jesus christ and they embrace the principals of christianity. >> well, i think what is important when we speak of love, it's not just love is a warmth or an emotion but a healing love. you're right. we're in hospitals. people don't come to church because they're so good. they come because they need help. we're in this together. so this love is a transform active and healing love. and through the regular celebration of god's word and

the sacraments we come to experience the medicine, haeulg love for our soul, which is really, again, at the heart of jesus coming as savior. he comes to give us love but a saving love that heals, makes us whole and brings us back to, again, the wholeness that god intends for us. >> when we think about first christmas, whatever that was, whenever it was, you see culture probably at a height, homelessness, hunger. you see all of these things >> translator: same problems we have today. >> so the answer to your question may be yes jesus can mean the same today as he did then. it is also to be said that those

who received him back then were filled with a different light, a different hope, joy, faith, love. all of these things came about the same as for the person today who receives him. >> christians refer to christ as the prince of peace. yet we're witnessing anything but peace in parts of the world. what should christians do about bringing about peace and relieve some of the suffering in the world? >> i think there's a whole long list of what we can be doing. it starts really locally where we are in our city of d.c. what's going on with people who are hungry and people who are homeless. i think having a real live active faith means we're engaging and ministry and work of service wherever we are and figuring out where that is, where people are vulnerable and moving into those spaces. jesus is present with these

people. it's not as if we're going anywhere that in some ways is not familiar to us. we're called into those spaces of suffering. then i think the whole thing of the war in iraq coming to an end and people coming home and people soon to come home from afghanistan i think pressing in our public world to have those things happen really and concretely is also acting out of peace. >> okay. we've got to take a break but we'll continue our discussion [ terri ] my husband, hank, was always fun. never took life too seriously. 'til our son was born...

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>> yeah, it's a vision. and it begins in the person himself or herself. and there's push for, first, inward peace. and when you begin with this inward peace that christ gives to your life you are able to trace that to the broader society around you. and the moral influence you have the greater that peace spreads. >> do people really need faith to build strong families and communities? >> absolutely. >> there are people who don't embrace any particular faith or religion but who have stronger, happier, morally grounded families than a lot of families who claim to be grounded in

their faith. pastor brown? >> well, i think that particularly because my experience is as a person of faith and i work with a faith community i see the real importance of having that connection to something that's bigger than all of us. you know, i did a wedding yesterday for a couple. and just having that sense of not just going down to the courthouse but inviting god into that relationship. and bringing them a sense of i think what we've talked about healing wholeness but also forgiveness and what we need as we try to put together lives that sometimes can be very complicated today with our stresses and our jobs and families and children. and what our children face. so i know from my own experience i call upon the name of the holy to help me through lots of situations. and i think what reverend braxton says is there is a sense of peace in that relationship that does come first off in my own being and i'm able to share

with others. so i think it makes a big difference. >> you're going through a crisis in your life, over the last few weeks now my wife has been on dialysis. and we just began the process of home dialysis. and i wrote a piece in our advent bulletin. and peace was around the name emmanuel. "god with us." and i'm convinced that were it not for the element of faith in my personal life and the life of my wife, in the life of our family, and the life of our worshipping community, when she made it public, if it were not for this energy that comes strictly purely from faith we wouldn't survive. >> monsignor? >> you're referring to a basic natural goodness in the human person.

everyone shares in that. we believe that god can take that basic goodness and grace, add grace to it and really magnificently magnify this work. and i will say to you because you say some people of faith don't manifest the even natural goodness. again, we're running a hospital in the church. not everyone is open to welcoming this full gift. but if they do, i'm a witness in my own life and the life of others, what a difference it makes. >> pastor, reverend and dr. ronald braxton, if i say happy holidays to you, does that offend you? >> my response is merry christmas. >> and merry christmas to all of you. thank you for joining us. and thank you for joining us this morning. news 4 today continues.

good morning. i'm chris gordon. >> and i'm angie goff. welcome to news 4 today on this sunday, december 18th. a developing story as the final u.s. troops are leaving iraq. as the iraq war comes to a close, troops are getting ready to come back home. not without one more layover. they're crossing the border and going into kuwait, iraq's official outprocessing center. soldiers turn in their gear, fill out paperwork and wait as long as five days before they can get on the plane to bring them back to the united states. but the troops say it's definitely worth the wait if it means getting home. >> there's definitely a great thing. i can't wait to go home. >> go back and spend some time with the family. >> i look forward to getting

home. six months a year from now and everyone will look back on it, wow, we were the last people there. >> not everything is heading back to the u.s. about $220 billion worth of equipment is staying. officially transferred over to the iraqi government. well, the search continues this morning for a man missing after the sail boat he was on capsized in the chesapeake bay. the boat, with three people on board, sank 2:30 saturday afternoon in a rundell county. rescue teams were able to rescue a 25-year-old woman and a 30-year-old man with life-threatening injuries. a driver involved in a deadly pedestrian accident in wheaton.

it happened 10:30 last night at the intersection of veirs mill and gridley roads in wheaton near the randolph shopping center. the man was crossing viers mill when he was hit by a car heading west. he landed in the road and was struck by a dark-colored suv which didn't stop. he was taken to holy cross where he later died. he's not been identified at that time. well, chuck bell, since we talked to you last, the sun has risen. >> it certainly has. these late sunrises now. we actually picked up two minutes of daylight at the end of the day. >> i will take it. >> our sunrises are still getting a little later but sunsets are getting later as well as the winter solstice approaches. look at our city camera view. the first rays of morning sunshine right on the top of the jefferson memorial way out on the distance. beautiful church out there in far northeast washington. great-looking day outside today. a little bit of a december chill in the air. if you're an outdoor runner, walker, dog walker, jog in place

a few minutes inside the house to get the blood flowing. temperatures hovering near the freezing mark in almost everybody's neighborhood. not much in the way of snow out there. a few flakes might be flying there. frederick county, maryland, haringers town. every now and then it's fun to see a snowflake fly by the window. december sun with highs in the low 40s. near 50 tomorrow before more rain chances come in mid week. we'll talk about that next week. >> itty-bitty warmup. >> just a bit. >> all right. thank you, chuck. well, starting today, a new bridge leading drivers into d.c. is open. the new 11th street bridge is now open. it brings drivers from 295 into the downtown area. the second part will be outbound part of the bridge. that is set to open next week. and the third span will open in about a year.

when it's completely finished, the bridge will allow drivers on the southeast-southwest freeway to access northbound i-295 without having to get off on pennsylvania avenue. well, it came down to the wire, but the senate passed two important bills this weekend. not only did they agree to a budget and avoid a government shutdown but they also approved a short-term extension of the payroll tax cut. but for democrats the deals come with a price. nbc aoeps bri nbc's brian moahr reports. >> your vote is going to go okay? >> oh, yeah. get it done. >> reporter: they approved a 60-day extension of the payroll tax cut. >> on this vote, the ayes are 89, ney are 10. >> reporter: the vote insurance 160 million americans won't see their paychecks shrink january 1st. but it also sets the stage for another showdown early next year.

>> it would be inexcusable for congress not to further extend this middleclass tax cut for the rest of the year. >> reporter: democrats had to give up on tax increases for millionaires but they got an extension of unemployment benefits. >> it was true legislation because it was compromise. >> reporter: republicans succeeded in pushing the president to say yes or no with the keystone oil pipeline project within the next 60 days. >> everybody in washington says they want more american jobs right now. here's the single most shovel-ready project in america. >> reporter: before heading home for the holidays, the senate voted to pay for last year's natural disasters and approved a big spending bill to keep the government run through fiscal year 2012. >> 15 minutes to consider a document, 1,221 pages long. >> reporter: but they close the book on a contentious year in congress. brian moahr, nbc, washington.

>> it will cost a little bit more for new homeowners. starting january 1st, home buyers will have to pay roughly $17 more a month for the mortgage. as part of the deal, fannie mae and freddie mac are increasing the price they charge to insure home mortgages. the slight rise in costs does not apply to those who already have a mortgage but would apply to those looking to refinance next year. the payroll tax plan may have easily passed the senate, but the fight is far from over. nbc's david gregory told us early this morning that the deal which extends the tax rates for another two months only kicks a can down the road. this is an agreement to extend the payroll tax cut holiday. even house republicans are revolting about that. with a conference call yesterday. it's not clear that this is a done deal. gregory said the issue of how to pay for the tax cut will

still be there in february if this extension plan makes it that far. officials told him the move will likely force the president not to issue a permit for the project. be sure to tune in at 10:30 for "meet the press". david gregory will have house speaker john boehner on the show to discuss congress's recent deals. and also michele bachmann will be on to talk about her campaign as iowa caucus nears closer. and be sure to tune in to "meet the press" at 10:30 on nbc 4, followed by "press pass". former p.o.w. jessica lynch is say she achieved a lifelong dream. the private first class graduated from west virginia university at parkersburg yesterday with a teaching degree.

lynch has said she's wanted to be a teacher her whole life. in 2003, lynch was hold hostage after being captured by saddam hussein's forces. video of her rescue was seen around the world. she enrolled in the army to help pay for college. well, we are ending -- or nearing the end i should say of 2011. we're looking bag at some of the biggest local stories we have seen this year. >> in fact, we're trying to pick the top 10 biggest stories of 2011. go to facebook page and tell us your pick for 2011. we'll tally the votes, present the results on air and online on new year's day. >> yeah. that address is facebook.com/nbcwashingtondc. don't forget the dc at the end. bizarre developments in the case against the army private accused of leaking information that wound up on wikileaks. why his sexual orientation may be a key factor in his trial. and legal troubles for the man who inspired "rudy."

man who inspired "rudy." the cha or creates another laptop bag, or hires another employee, it's not just good for business. it's good for the entire community. at bank of america, we know the impact that local businesses have on communities. that's why we extended $13.2 billion to small businesses across the country so far this year. because the more we help them, the more we help make opportunity possible.

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protesters and military police are clashing for a third deadly day as the struggle for power continues. protesters set fire to buildings and threw rocks at soldiers as they set up barricades to keep them from reaching the parliament building. egyptian state tv puts the death toll at 10. protesters are immediate transfer of power to a civilian

government. the the death toll continues to rise in the philippines after a flash flooding across the country. the red cross says 500 people have died in the flooding. a number that will likely continue to climb since hundreds of people still remain unaccounted for. it came after the tropical storm hit the country. strong winds and pounding rains. lawyers for bradley manning said he suffers from gender identity disorder, and that may have played a role in his leaking of information to wikileak. they revealed he created a twitter account under the alter ego brianna and sent a picture of himself dressed as a woman saying his issues were hurting his ability to do his job. he faces life in prison on charges of aiding the enemy. the "today" show is next at

8:00. >> lester holt joins us live from new york. hi, lester. >> hi, chris and angie. coming up td, the last american forces have crossed the border into kuwait. we'll get a live report from kuwait as the troops wait for their long journey back to the states. with two weeks to go before the iowa caucus, mitt romney picked up a couple key endorsements. we will discuss the importance of those. and the man who inspired the hit film "rudy" is now getting hit with fraud charges. we'll have more on that. plus, one of hollywood's most iconic actors. clint eastwood is adding reality tv to his resume and jenna soars to new heights with cathy rigby as the actress brings her signature role of peter pan back to life on stage. all that and more when we see you later on "today." right pwau back to chris and angie. >> thank you, lester. michelle obama could be hitting the town in style for the marine corps. ball. >> her date will not be the

president. aaron leaks approached the first lady while she was at a toys for tots event. he politely asked her if she would attend next year's ball with him. the first lady said she would love to go but he would have to ask her husband first. she had her assistant take down his information. we are going to keep you posted on what the president does say. mitt romney is getting more endorsements, two more as the countdown to the iowa caucuses continues. the presidential nomination and the whole process is gaining support, mitt romney got endorsements from bob dole and iowa's largest newspaper. the des moines register says romney stands out from the current field of republicans, including current front-runner newt gingrich. the paper published a letter saying romney was the right man for the job. the iowa caucus us set for january 3rd.

gop front-runner newt gingrich is trying to hold on to his lead in the polls as his opponents step up their attacks. newt was the originator of earmarks in the '90s. if there was a granddaddy of earmarks he would be it. >> gingrich says he plans to correct what he says are inaccurate claims about him as the caucus nears. gingrich told voters the mailers they have been receiving are junk and dishonest. >> chuck bell is here. you've been talking conversational snow. >> just a snowflake and you go, hey, look, it's snowing outside. before you know it, it's gone. >> not so far from the city of washington itself. i'll show you those on top tpher

and of course your sfpb-day forecast. don't go away. >> proudly serving with the afghanistan supreme court and headquarters here in kabul, afghanistan. warm holiday greet togs

well, here's determination on the football field became the story behind the great sports movie "rudy." but daniel's business deals landed him in trouble with the securities and exchange commission. the former neither dame football player is charged with deceiving investors into buying stock in his sports drink company called rudy nutrition. he gave false and misleading

press releases and the scheme generated more than $11 million in illicit profits before the company finally shut down. capitals look to get it going against the avalanche. here's hakim dermish with your sports minute. good morning, everyone. we start with hockey. cams on the road against colorado. michael neuvert can't corral the puck. 2-1. washington back at home on tuesday against nashville. former georgetown standout and boston celtics forward jeff green will miss the entire upcoming nba season. during a routine physical last week they detected an aortic aneurysm. they will completely repair his

heart condition and is expected to make a full recovery. georgetown hosting american. simms went for 17 points and 6 assists helping the hoyas defeat the eagles. improving to 9-1. elsewhere, virginia tech beats campbell university, 85-60. saturday night football in florida. cowboys against the buccaneers. tony romo for three touchdowns. romo also rushed for a td. 8-6 record. later today redskins play the giants on the road at 1:00. that's your sports minute. i'm hakim dermish. have a great day.

tphrs your seven-day forecast. 43 and chilly today. 50 tomorrow with sunshine to start, clouds to finish. as you get into tuesday, a chance of a few showers. the bulk of the rain on tuesday. christmas eve could be a little cloudy and wet as well. follow me on twitte twitter @chuckbell4. there i am getting the inside scoop with santa claus. as i told you, some of the kids, santa is having a hard time picking on who is on which list. >> did you tell them what you

wanted? >> well, i want a snowstorm for christmas every year. every year. >> you're the one. >> i rarely get it. >> well, that's a perfect segue into our next story. in case santa does get sick this holiday season, he has plenty of capable backups. this is st. arky. all shapes, sizes and species showed up for what organizers call the nonprofit, nonpolitical, nonreligious and nonsensical celebration. they rode the carousel and participated in ho, ho, ho chants. they are not protesters but they were complaining about one thing, bad holiday parties. >> well, all of those santas will need help from all you moms, dads and shoppers. you're running out of time to find the gifts. >> it is not only perfect for procrastinators but bargain

hunters. darcy spencer tells us how shoppers experienced super saturday. ♪ >> at tysons corner center, the rush is on. people taking advantage of the last full weekend of shopping before christmas. >> it's great. we've done a lot of shopping. >> are you hoping to get everything wrapped up tonight? >> absolutely. >> and did you wait until tonight? >> no. i did it little steps at a time. >> are you finding any deals out there? >> oh, yeah. it seems most of the retailers are cutting a little bit to kind of get people in here. >> what do you think of the atmosphere? do you think this is really crowded? >> it's pretty crowded. definitely busy. but like you said, with christmas eve i would imagine a lot of folks trying to get it done now. >> first, there was black friday. then cybermonday. now super saturday as retailers lured shoppers with deep discounts. >> what are you looking for today? >> north face boots, north face

jacket and macy's has a wonderful sale. then i'm looking for myself. >> are you trying to get everything done today? >> yes. >> why is that? >> i work for ups. >> you'll be busy in the next week. >> yes. >> this year's shopping season started strong but then spending slowed. shoppers are now against the clock. many don't want to spend their christmas eve in a shopping mall. >> you're trying to get everything done on super saturday? >> pretty much, yeah. and we have accomplished i think 95% of that. so yeah. i would say. >> super saturday deals usually happen on the last saturday before christmas. analysts say many retailers have slashed prices a weekend early. >> i don't think there's super good deals. i think that it's last week before christmas so everybody wants to shop today. >> tysons corner will stay open until 11:00 at night. but macy's will stay open later until midnight.

starting wednesday they will be open 24 hours a day heading into christmas eve. darcy spencer, news 4 today. >> all right. if you've got one of these, an iphone, you can have news 4 wherever you go. >> i have the weather right here. it's an easy app to navigate. and if you have an iphone you can -- it's a free app. easy to navigate top stories list. all the videos we have on your phone. users can find the latest weather forecast to help you prepare for the day. so check it out at itunes store and nbc washington.com. >> and we will be back at 9:00 with a full hour of news.