>> reporter: rick santorum and newt gingrich embarking on bus tours. ron paul has a slightly more relaxed schedule. >> there seems to be a rule going on right now, which is the fewer cities you are trying to hit, the better you are doing in the polls. >> reporter: gingrich didn't get the required signatures. now he wants to be a write-in candidate. the state rules don't allow it. >> i think it's time for them to change it. if something is wrong, they ought to fix it. >> reporter: ron paul seems to have the strongest organization in iowa. he's likely to get out in the top three. some experts have their doubts about newt. >> he thinks he's the man for the time. he was the man for a few weeks ago. it's not a big enough wave to carry him forward. >> they are notorious for waiting until the 11th hour. they are working hard to

persuade the hold outs. the numbers of undecided are 12% or higher. iowans are going to see a lot of tv ads and get a lot of calls from the campaigns. live on capitol hill, i'm jennifer johnson. back to you. >> thank you. police in virginia arrested a man. he's wanted for a double murder and abduction that sparked an amber alert. his name is jamal clemens, 27 years old. they picked him up around 4:30 in richmond. he has been on the run since christmas eve. he shot and killed two people and stole an suv to make his get away. there was a 2-year-old boy inside the vehicle. the toddler was found just after midnight on christmas day. he was returned to his family unharmed. police say the motive for the shootings appear to have been robbery. he'll be charged for robbery, kidnapping and murder. the men accused of killing two people in new york is being

held in prince george's county now. over the weekend, police in suffolk county say 24-year-old jerry lewis was arrested in maryland. he killed a woman and her 2-year-old son. their bodies found inside a basement apartment in long island on friday. lewis will be extradited back to new york in the next few days. prince william county police are looking for two men who broke into a house and assaulted a woman in the 600 block of popes creek place in haymarket. >> reporter: investigators collected evidence from the home, interviewed the victim and dusted for fingerprints. two men broke into the townhouse after the victim's husband left. they assaulted her, grabbing the necklace she was wearing. after robbing her of the jewelry, they fled. her husband returned from a nearby service station and called police. officers set out on a man hupt

looking for the suspect. >> when the police officer came knocking on my door and asked me if i have seen two suspects, i didn't know what to say. really? you know? i said real? around here? yeah, you're neighbors have been assaulted. >> reporter: this is a quiet neighborhood, built about five years ago where kids play outdoors and residents walk their dogs. this home invasion, assault and robbery took the neighborhood by surprise. will you do anything differently as a result? >> well, i'll already -- i'm really a pair noud person. i'm always locking my doors and double checking. >> keep my doors locked. i know my neighbors. i keep my house protected, yeah. >> we talk to them all the time. they are great neighbors. they are the kind of neighbors you want to have. for this to happen, i can't

believe it. >> reporter: police tell us, people in this neighborhood should not fear for their safety. police do not believe this was a random robbery. they think the victim was targeted by someone she knows. in haymarket, virginia, i'm chris gordon, news 4. it's chilly out there now but it's been unusually warm for christmas. at least it seems that way to me, chuck. there's cold weather coming, huh? >> you are correct. temperatures were well above average for the christmas holiday. we are on pace to all-time warmest december on record here in washington. temperatures have just never really been able to get cold and stay cold for a long period of time. 44 degrees in washington with a very light breeze out of the north at 3 miles per hour. if you spend time outside today in the sunshine, you had to face a stiff northwesterly breeze. there's more wind coming our way as we get close to wednesday and wednesday afternoon. be ready for that.

between now and then, clear skies for monday evening. clouds are headed back in. no rain in the immediate vicinity. the rain drops are inching into eastern tennessee and northern georgia. more than 12 hours away from us. we could have a few rain drops on your morning commute tomorrow. a lot of rain coming tomorrow afternoon. temperatures in the 30s. highs tomorrow in the 40s. seven day forecast looks relatively pleasant through new year's is coming up. day after christmas, all over the area, shoppers packing the malls. people are cashing in on gift cards and post holiday sales. jane watrel is fairfax now at the mall. jane? >> reporter: retailers want to keep the people returning gifts in the mall. they are slashing prices here and all other malls around the metro area. they are slashing prices on items that no one seems to be

buying. that's winter clothing, creating a shopping frenzy. the after christmas sales are heating up with shoppers zeroing in on the hottest items. >> winter coats. >> why? >> because the weather has been so beautiful this year, winter clothing has not been moving at normal levels. there are tremendous deals on winter coats and clothing. you can get terrific deals right now. >> reporter: it's what's luring savvy shoppers to the mall. cold weather comfort. >> we got flannel shirts. >> reporter: experts say the incentive to shop is gift cards and returning unwanted presents. >> we returned a shirt that was too small for my body. we replaced it with a sweater for my wife. >> reporter: a win-win for shoppers and retailers expecting a strong recovery from 2008.

if this apple store is any indication, 2011 could end on a high note. >> it's crazy. there's a lot of people. it's great. it's great for the economy. i'm glad to see all these people here. >> reporter: to illustrate how prevalent gift cards are, they say eight in ten americans will receive a gift card this holiday season. reporting live in fairfax, i'm jane watrel. back to you. >> did you get a gift card, jane? >> reporter: i did. i got several. how about you? >> no. thank you. >> two out of ten. >> thanks, jane. i didn't get one, either. president obama has been keeping a low profile during his christmas vacation in hawaii. he arrived friday night. no public events are planned. public advisers are there to brief him on international development. they changed presents and exchanged carols are friends

before going to church. how about this, a candid moment caught on tape. an 8-month-old decided to put his hand in the president's mouth. the president showed experience as a dad and played it off. wait until the kid takes his hand out. before picking up the little boy, he told reporters the room was too quiet. >> that's always cool unless they have nails. oh, boy, that can hurt. he can handle it. coming up, cuba planning to release thousands of inmates. a maryland man in jail after two years is not among them. a health care for a member of britain's royal family. somebody hit the jackpot in maryland. details behind the weekend winning power ball ticket. $25 million. what's going on in sports? >> a lot happening. the wizards get ready to tip off the season. the redskins rushing

replacements impress the head coach. making headl

more violence in iraq. that increases fears about the country's future now that the u.s. troops have left. a suicide bomber blew up a car.

seven people killed, dozens of others injured. it happened during the height of rush hour today. five police officers were killed. also today, a roadside bomb in a passing army patrol west of baghdad, two soldiers killed in that incident. they follow a series of deadly bombings last week. north korea's new leader, kim jong un. he met with a private delegation from south korea. they crossed into north korea to pay their respects. the group includes the widow of a former south korean president. one analyst says the meeting could be aimed at cooperative projects between the north and south. it's been a busy year for the royal family in great britain. celebrations this weekend were muted by a medical emergency.

stephanie gosk has the report from london. >> reporter: every christmas, they come to catch a glimpse of the royal family. this year, the crowd broke a record. 3,000 people. the day was not all festive. the royal entranlg was minus one. the queen's hband, prince phillip is still in the hospital after emergency treatment from a clogged artery. he went to emergency after suffering chest pains. the family, including all the grandchildren paid him a visit. prance charles says his father is resilient and determined to make a full recovery. >> he's a fit individual. he's 90 years old so he's going to have some medical complaints. >> reporter: in her christmas address days before he was rushed to the hospital, she

emphasized the importance of family during challenging times. >> the importance of family has hit home for prince pill lip and me with the marriages of two of our grandchildren. each in their own way, a celebration of the god-given love that bind as family together. >> reporter: today is the day of the annual pheasant hunt. normally prince phillip leads the hunt but he's not going to be able to take part. he has a good night in the hospital. he should be released soon. no release date has been set. stephanie gosk, nbc news, london. a spokesperson says prince phillip is still in the hospital, under observation in good spirits. his wife of 64 years will continue to be briefed on the situation there. today marks the start of kwanzaa, the seven day celebration is rooted in culture. followers focus on one of seven

pillars of the african-american community. they include family, community and faith. the word kwanzaa means first fruits in swahili. how are we looking out there, chuck? >> mild. another mild day. in the last 40 years, i looked at the eight warmest decembers in the last 40 years to see what the next january is going to be like. seven out of eight times january is two degrees above average when december is this warm. >> we should not complain. >> we don't complain when the heating bill shows up. >> no doubt. >> mild december doesn't always guarantee a mild january but i wouldn't turn your back on it just yet. it's going to last through the end of the month. we may finish up with the warmest december on record here in washington. no snow for us. where did you have to go to get a white christmas this year?

lubbock, texas. there's something wrong in the world when lubbock,texas is getting snow. more there than in syracuse. a beautiful day around our area. we didn't have to worry about the snow showers here. those of us that like a little snow in our winter are disheartened by the warm weather. 50 degrees today. 37 to start out this morning. the other warm statistic to bury you with, if we finish out the month of december and i think we will, that will be the first time ever in the month of december since we have been keeping records. that only goes back to 1870. right now, 44 degrees with a few fair weather clouds drifting in. a light breeze out of the north at 3 miles per hour. the gusty winds from earlier this afternoon are laid down. it will be gone for most of the evening.

36 in gaithersburg. 39 degrees in brandy wine. a pleasant evening to be outside. temperatures in the mid-30s in the shenandoah valley. get out and enjoy the last day of your christmas weekend. no complaints from the weather department. not much in the way of a rain threat just yet. the rain drops are moving our way. it will rain tomorrow. it's a 100% guarantee to rain tomorrow. heavy in georgia, alabama and mississippi. kentucky and tennessee getting in on the rain. heaviest of showers and thunderstorms with embedded severe weather in southern arkansas, northern parts of louisiana. rough going there. those heavy showers and storms are headed toward the atlanta airport. couldn't slow down flights on the flights. could be delays there. heavy rain toward st. louis, missouri. mostly clear sky for the day after christmas.

the clear skies won't last long, though. the leading edge of the clouds is all the way into far southwestern virginia. clear skies for the early parts of the evening. the clouds are in place. the rain racing north, could be in the southwestern neighborhoods as early as 8:00. the heaviest of the rain comes in during the afternoon tomorrow and the cold front blows it out of here late tomorrow night and a blustery day into wednesday. on the future weather, zoomed in nice and tight, no problems overnight. early tomorrow morning, rain drops sneaking in. frozen presip in the shenandoah valley. heaviest of the rain lunchtime to dinner time tomorrow. then the back end of the rain comes in shortly after sunset. clouds increasing after midnight. overnight lows in the 30s. cloudy and wet. rain likely from lunchtime to dinner time.

the seven day forecast, tomorrow is the wet one. wednesday is the windy one. thursday and friday, quiet. temperatures 40s to 50s. new year's eve, 52. extra clouds around. as of now, it looks like new year's rebelers will not have to deal with rain drops of snow flakes. >> they will have to contend with the cops. >> shouldn't be drinking and drifing. >> we know that. a warning for facebook users. why pictures from your past could reappear on the site. a guy dressed as santa claus

police in north texas trying to figure out what drove a man dressed as claus to go on a deadly shooting rage. he shot six family members before turning the gun on himself. it happened in the ft. worth suburb of grapevine. it's rattled the community to the core. >> i feel very, very sorry for i don't know who was involved. i can't -- i can't even fathom that. >> the seven victims range in age from 15 to 58. a mansion up in stanford,

connecticut has been torn down after a devastating fire killed three children and their grandparents christmas morning. the homeowner is a well-known new york advertising. she managed to escape along with a family friend. the the woman's 10-year-old daughter and 7-year-old twin girls were killed. also, the woman's parents who were in town for the holiday. the mayor of stanford says it mother tried to rescue her daughters but the flames were too intense. >> probably has not been a worse christmas day in stonford. >> it's never easy, that's for sure. i have been on the job 38 years. not an easy day. >> investigators are trying to figure out if the house had working smoking detectors. republic renovations were under way at the time. still to come on the

broadcast, a government contractor from maryland detained in cuba, now two years later, a new push for his release as dozens gather to fight for his freedom. a bike program might be expanding. 125 million reasons to celebrate. details behind the winning power ball ticket sold in our area. while the cast hit the road, the wizards open their season at home seat home. a couple

eight days now until the iowa caucuses. republican presidential candidates out on the campaign trail today. they are looking for votes. mitt romney launched a set of tv ads. gingrich and paul launching bus tours. two men broke into a house and assaulted a woman in haymarket. investigators say this does not appear to be random and the victim may have known her attackers. all over the area and the rest of the country, people flocking to malls. many looking for big post holiday discounts, others looking to cash in on gift cards or to return an item that wasn't right for them. by the end of the holiday shopping season, americans will have spent $469 billion. that's a 4% increase over last year.

a setback for a maryland man detained in cuba for two years after officials announce plans to release thousands of prisoners. >> that decision gave the family some hope that he would be home by the end of the year. that's not the case. derrick ward has the report. >> we want alan home. >> reporter: the 52-year-old was only supposed to spend ten days in cuba to set up internet access to the small jewish community. he's now been there over two years in prison on charges of espionage. his wife spoke to him and she was not encouraged by the call. they provided a spark of home now dashed. >> he's not doing very well. he's very depressed and getting very, very hopeless. >> that's -- >> reporter: this writer spent 15 years in cuba. he showed up an 16th street to

show solidarity with the family and supporters and to relay his experiences as a cuban prisoner. the answer is short, but descriptive. his friends and family say he's done humanitarian work in pakistan and gaza and the nations of africa. it's only his work in cuba that got him jailed. he's there to help a small community get on to the web. he was arrested for col vert activities, not helping the jews there. >> it's ludicrous to think he could have taken a small community like the jewish community and fermented anything against the government. >> reporter: others say while there are warming relations between the u.s. and cuba, change as was hoped for hasn't happened, yet. >> explain the reality, you know? >> reporter: while there are

weekly protests here for this cause, folk who is were here regularly say the crowd is larger now. one protester put it, not large enough. in northwest, derrick ward, news 4. there's a search under way. it continues tonight for a blind man in our area who has been missing. mitchell smith was last seen two weeks ago getting on an amtrak train heading for birmingham, alabama. he got off the train in north carolina and he hasn't been seen since. jackie bensen spoke to the man's family and joins us now with more on this. jackie? >> reporter: he is originally from that area. he moved to birmingham and took the train back here in early december to see family. when the visit was done, he headed back to birmingham. that's where the trouble came in. according to the police in charlotte, he was on route to

washington, d.c., when he exited the train in charlotte and did not get on the train when it returned to birmingham. he is legally blind in both eyes, carries a cane. his grandmother is very worried. >> we are all concerned because it's not normal, you know? even if he landed somewhere where he doesn't know where he is, his way is pick up a phone or find a phone or get a phone and he will call me. >> reporter: now police in charlotte have put out a missing person's poster. there's an active investigation down in charlotte for mitchell smith. there's a possibility that he may have gotten on a train to come back to the d.c. area. that's why the family wants those in the area to be on the lookout for smith. he's 33 years old, 5' 11." he's legally blind.

carries a cane, wears dark sunglasses. anyone who sees him should call the police. back to you. >> thanks. leaders looking for ways to plug an estimated $100 million budget gap. that short fall could widen. they have a $2.7 billion budget and can't raise property taxes without voter approval. they told washington post the gas tax could go up and slot machine gambling could be used to raise revenue. a popular program could be coming to southern montgomery county. they have applied for $1 million grant from the state's transportation department. if they get it, 29 stations would open in bethesda, tacoma park and other areas. the maryland department of transportation is expected to announce the granting of awards in 2012. it's set to open next year in rockville and shady grove.

talk about a very merry christmas. a trip to a liquor store in maryland made one lucky power ballplayer a millionaire. just who bought the ticket remains a mystery. darcy spencer has more. >> reporter: someone is $125 million richer after buying a winning power ball ticket from this machine on saturday. >> everybody i know wishes it was them. >> reporter: how about you? >> it would have been nice. hey, i hope the person that won it, they need it. >> reporter: this ticket was sold here at wesley's liquor store at 3:13 p.m. on christmas eve. >> people do believe if you sell one winning ticket, it's a hot store. we expect sales to take off. >> reporter: i had to try my luck. christmas eve, i bought this power ball ticket.

let's see if i won anything. you haven you haven'tly, i didn't win a dime. the man holding the ticket called the store christmas day. he will cash it in after the media frenzy quiets down. >> reporter: what would you like to say to him? >> congratulations, good luck, don't throw it all away. >> reporter: this is a family yoned store that's been in business since 1961. what do you think the person that won should do with all that money? >> have a good time. enjoy yourself. >> reporter: if the winner chooses the lump sum, $9 million or $53 million after taxes. what kind of person are you hoping won the money? >> someone that needed it. someone facing foreclosure or someone who really needed it. >> reporter: i didn't win the big one. i'm going to try my luck for the

next drawing. make it random. >> good luck to you. >> reporter: thank you very much. wish me luck. in maryland, darcy spencer, news 4. >> that store will get $25,000 for selling the ticket. store employees checked security camera video but couldn't make out the faces to see who purchased the tickets. >> if darcy doesn't show up for work in a couple days, we'll know why? s coming up, what to do to improve your chances of getting some money back. he's called a saint in sin city. the great lengths one man went the great lengths one man went to to return $10,000 ne found

from the bedroom you could see the fire and that work me right up. and it was absolutely terrifying. we got out of there as quickly as we could. i'm watching the house burn up and i'm sitting there saying, there goes everything. these days you don't have to lose your house in a fire to know what it's like to be left on the edge in the cold. the shelter gave us a place to stay. and citizens energy helped the shelter with heat. i'm excited to finally have a place of my own. citizens energy is helping us with the oil. citizens energy was created to help the forgotten

ones keep warm. we asked the big oil companies and oil producing nations to help. only citgo and the people of venezuela said yes. and this year, in spite of soaring fuel prices, congress cut home heating assistance nearly in half. while people need help more than ever. for the last seven years, citgo has helped families and homeless shelters in good times and in bad. thanks joe and thanks citgo. so if you need help staying warm this winter give me a call because no one should be left out in the cold.

welcome back to news 4 at 6:00. i'm chuck bell. we certainly had a beautiful day outside. in fact the completion to an outdoor weekend of sunshine and temperatures above average. 50 degrees in washington. another day with temperatures more than five degrees above average. this has been one very mild december for certain. 44 right now at national airport. 42 in calvert county and st. mary's county. 39 in waldorf. cooling off now that the sun has gone down. central virginia, 36 in culpe r

culpeper. 37 degrees in winchester -- martinsburg, west virginia. on doppler, there are rainshowers inching into eastern tennessee. they are going to continue to march north up to the appalachians during the next 12 to 24 hours. rain is more and more likely. it's 12 hours away at the pace it is moving. first rain drops could be on the beltway in time for your tuesday morning commute back to work after a holiday weekend. overnight, skies go from partly cloudy to clear. tomorrow afternoon, all clouds, all rain, all the time. temperatures in the mid-40s. that's the best we can do with the rainshowers tomorrow. i'd say three quarters of an inch to an inch of rain with the next system. wednesday, a very strong westerly breeze blows the clouds out of here. temperatures in the mid-40s wednesday afternoon. it will feel colder with the

gusty wind around. a nice day on thursday. friday looks good. new year's eve and saturday looks good. extra clouds around. so far, no rain or snow on tap for new year's weekend. back to you. >> we like it like that. thanks, chuck. there's a family in bountiful, utah that got a surprise visitor on christmas eve. would you look at the rack on that dude. whoa! that's a lot of meat in the freezer. i can't count the points on that thing. anyway, that's a big dude. the deer came into the house, went into the bedroom. family spent two hours hiding in a closet, peeking through the door, taking pictures waiting for the wildlife officers to arrive. it was a happy ending for all. that deer was lucky. there was not a shotgun or anything else in that closet. the wildlife people did not have to take him down in order to get him out.

i still can't count the points on that deer. that is quite -- look at this, he's a thick dude. he's a ten pointer? is that what he is? something like that. my, my, my, right in the bedroom. you have to wonder, why did he go up in there? we are going to leave the story there. you go to vegas, get your hands on $10,000, then give it back. mitch may have become a saint in sin city. he found two unmarked envelopes at the airport. they each had $5,000 cash inside. he could have kept it for himself. instead, he spent two full weeks trying to track down the owner. >> i wanted to show my kids what the right thing was to do. >> the casino gave him the name of a texas man who reported losing the same amount of gash. gilbert found him and returned the cash.

>> i want to have a drink with that man. that's my kind of man. a stand-up guy. >> where is he when i lose money in vegas? where's he been? all right. coming up in sports, the packers send the bears into hibernation. the capitals look to make the road less rocky. the nba is back. we'll hear from the wizards as

we are going to try it again. they had 60, whatever the

abbreviated season is. a lot of people are happy this is happening again. i don't know there's that much more optimism than last year. >> there's some optimism at least across the league. a lot of people watching the nba. granted it was sunday and everyone was at home. all right, the wizards shortened season is finally upon us. 66 games is better than none. it appears fans are ready and willing to embrace the nba, once again, after a 149 day lockout. the nba returned to the hardwood yesterday. there were five games played around the league. tv ratings up across the board. looks like maybe a little deprivation sparked interest. maybe non-nba fans watching. new jersey nets at the verizon center tonight. they will open the season without their first round draft

pick. he's feeling pain in his hip. show goes on with or without him. tip-offset for 7:00. the wizards bring one of the youngest teams to the league this year. they rely on the talent of budding stars like second year guard john wall who is red dou step it up. >> we lost 15 to 20 games. either up by three or down by three. basically, a lot of what's happening. learn how to close our games, me being a better leader and knowing what to play down the stretch and who to go to. we could be a surprise team. >> we have to change the atmosphere to who is losing. the only way it's going to happen, when you lose, you can't keep the taste in your mouth. have to keep you up. you know, that's what's going to happen. i just want to get back to having fun and winning. we have the right pieces and a

lot of young guys. no problem with way our schedule is set up we shouldn't come out on fire and get things rolling. >> you have been waiting for the beginning of the season. nick young he wanted to see. but, everybody is expecting a lot from john wall. reebok has been filming commercials and they are expecting him to be a big star. they are waiting for a break-out season. >> you know what i worry about with wall? whether or not he'll be here next year. i don't know his contract situation. i would like wall to be around for awhile. i'm not so sure he wants to stay in d.c. i have a problem with andre. i wish he would play like the game. i'm not knocking him. he's got a tremendous upside, but you know, he's so inconsistent. i love nick young and roger mason and the fact they are so young. with a season like they have, they have going to play back-to-back and back-to-back-to-back. some of those old dudes, kobe

and those ancient men. >> even lebron is getting older now. he's been around for awhile. >> it might work in our favor. i'm hopeful. >> the wizards kicking off at verizon center. saturday, 33-20, sixth loss to the vikings. ashburn, head coach mike shanahan said the plans to turned around the franchise is taking longer than expected. among the disappointment, he marked one off the wish list for next year. the rookie has been making a come back. roy helu passed 100 yards on the ground. the next man up, evan royster. 132 yards.

what a game that was. the most yards posted by a rookie. it's the first they have posted two 100 yard gains. shanahan knows the future looks bright. >> we have some doubt. you know, i think roy has done a fantastic job. taking advantage of an opportunity. tim did a great job before he got hurt. so, we have some depth to that position. that's what you are looking for. guys get opportunity to show us what they can do. they play national football league and they are here for a reason. they are one play away from being the starter. so, if you are on the team, you are on the team for a reason. we expect you to produce. i think they gained valuable experience along the way we have gotten better. you know, collectively.

we had a dry spell. we are coming along. >> a little sunday night football. packer fans hoping santa would deliver a gift whether the cheese heads have been naughty or nice. the short touchdown. the team record for most passing yards in a season. third quarter. the goal line. picked up by maryland. williams for a touchdown. the deficit, 14-10. they are pumped up. rogers rolls out and he goes up top. i mean up top to nelson. 55 yards. the first of nelson's first. packers up 21-10. later in the quarter, more pack for the touchdown. rogers finished with 283 yards

and five touchdowns. he had 45 touchdowns this season. packers beat the bears, 35-21 clinching the number one seat in the nfc playoff. the capitals play tonight against buffalo. they need a win on the road bad. do you know if aaron rodgers wanted to take a ham sandwich back with him -- >> he could have had a cup of coffee. 45 touchdowns this year. >> end of lousy chicago defensive line. coming up, love it or hate

as we close out 2011, most are focused on the holiday season. if you are looking to save money, start thinking about tax season. to reduce your income tax bill next april, you can donate to a charity by the end of the week. it can include your local food bank or good will, which put 300 million americans to work this year. you might have noticed changes on your facebook page recently. whether you love or hate the time line format, charlie has why you need to pay attention to what you posted. >> reporter: with more than 1,000 facebook fans, she's been

answering birthday greetings today. >> i always watch it. i'm a teacher so i know a lot of students and other colleagues are on there. >> reporter: in addition to the pictures the biggest change is the time line. it's everything you posted on facebook. they have been testing the layout for a few months. >> i think it's a positive experience. if you use it properly, it can be set up as a visual calendar of your life. >> reporter: it's a chicago firm that helps companies manage it. they have been playing with the layout. it requires you to do some work. >> it's important to go through and take a look at what you have on there. do you want it to be indexed and searched? do you want to delete the college party pictures? >> reporter: it's up to you to determine if it's improved.

>> i think it's pretty cool. it shows you from the start. you know, like to tell the story. >> i think it's annoying and doesn't make sense to me. it was fine the way it was. >> i agree, totally. >> it takes a little bit of effort to get used to it. we'll see after a month if i like it or not. right now, it's a pain. >> reporter: pain or not, users have seven days to make the transition to the new facebook. >> the new time line feature becomes the default layout for all users. once you activated the time line, you can't go back. tonight, on rock center with brian williams, we'll hear a story about a sleeping pill waking up a man from a vegetative state. we have a woman's quest to help her fiance after suffering a series of brain damaging strokes. >> reporter: this 23-year-old was full of life. >> oh, that was sweet. >> reporter: suddenly, and

without warning, sam suffered catastrophic strokes. his parents, john and leslie. how many strokes? >> eight strokes. >> reporter: eight strokes? >> two of those were massive. >> he explained the the strokes happened and were as severe as it could have been. >> reporter: doctors said the brain damage was so extensive he would no longer recover. his fiance, sally. >> they had no hope for him. >> reporter: did they use the words being a vegetable? >> they did. >> reporter: she refused to believe there was no help. she read ambien might wake him up from a vegetative state. when she gave it to him, everything changed. suddenly, sam could talk again. his speech is slurred. hi sam, it's great to hear you

talk. it was remarkable. awakened from a vegetative state by a sleeping pill. sarah james, nbc news. >> you can see that story tonight on "rock center" on nbc 4 beginning at 10:00. at 11:00, much more on a pliszing blind man that got on a train two weeks ago and hasn't been heard from since. the fallout after joe paterno's firing. we'll have that for you at 11:00. final check, chuck? >> the rain is on the way for tuesday. if you got an umbrella for christmas, you will need it tomorrow. it won't stick around that long. the pattern we are in will take the rain out before wednesday morning gets here. it's blustery and windy outside.

a mild start to 2012. >> thanks. there's a wee little polar bear in denmark that's become an internet sensation. he recently hit a big milestone. new pictures out today that show the 3-month-old cub with his eyes open for the first time, getting his first look at the world. he might look around and decide to close them and go back to sleep. he's at the skandinavian wildlife park in denmark. he's being raised by humans because his mom didn't produce enough milk to feed him. there's a team working around the clock to keep him healthy. it appears to be working. he is more than double his birth weight from three pounds to now, there you go, seven pounds