good morning, everyone. welcome to "news4 midday." i am barbara harrison. it's thursday, january 5th, 2012. right now, president obama is about to speak at the pentagon, at a press briefing there. he will talk about the effort to absorb hundreds of billions in defense budget cuts after a decade of war. he's an outline of the plan. it will include $54 billion in duts over the next decade, and

removing over 4,000 troops from europe, and if congress deadlocks on spending, there could soon be an additional $500 billion in cuts. we will continue to follow this and bring you the president. actually, he is moving into the press briefing room right now. let's go there live. good morning, everybody. the united states of america is the greatest force for freedom and security that the world has ever known. in no small measure, it's because we build the best trained, best led and best

equipped military in history, and as commander in chief i am going to keep it that way. indeed, all of us on this stage, every single one of us have a profound to every soldier, marine and coast guardsman that puts his life on the line for america. we want to give them the equipment and support that they need to get the job done and to care for them and their families when they come home. that is our solemn obligation. in the past three years, that's what we have done. we have continued to make historic investments in our military and our troops in their capabilities and military families and veterans, and thanks to their extraordinary service we have ended our war in iraq, we have decimated al qaeda's leadership, and

delivered justice to bin laden, and put that terrorists network on the path to defeat. we have made important progress in afghanistan and began to transition so afghans can assume more responsibility for their own security, and we joined allies and partner to protect the libyan people after the regime of gadhafi. we have had troops in iraq and of afghanistan, and as the transition continues, more of our troops will continue to come home. more broadly around the globe, we strengthened alliances and forged new partnerships and served as a force for university rights and human dignity. in short we succeeded in defending our nation, and taking the fight to our enemies and reducing the number of americans

in harm's way and restored america's global leadership. that makes us safer and stronger. that's an achievement that every american, especially those americans who are proud to wear the uniform of the united states armed forces should take great pride in. this success has brought our nation once more to a moment of transition. the troops continue to fight in afghanistan, and the tide of war is receding, even as our forces prevail in today's missions. we have the opportunity and responsibility to look ahead to the force that we are going to need in the future. and we have to renew our economic strength at home -- >> we are listening to the president from the pentagon talking about cuts to defense spending and even as the cuts

are being announced, two d.c. national guard units are preparing to deploy. megan mcgrath joins us from that ceremony in southeast washington. megan? >> reporter: well, barbara, the two units will undertake special training and then take off for afghanistan where they expect to be for the next year. a difficult good-bye. two units from the d.c. national guard, the 273rd mp and cid are leaving for afghanistan. >> it will be a difficult time, and we're proud of them and they are in tiptop shape, and we're looking forward to them coming home, really. >> lieutenant matthew wilson can't wait to be home. he's not leaving just his wife, but his baby daughter, kennedy,

as well, but with the technology like skype, he plans to keep in touch. >> yeah, we'll be in touch. >> i have kennedy to keep me busy. she's my new boss, really. >> friends and family gathered for a sendoff ceremony wr, and some it's a new separation. >> i am prepared and i hope my family can stay strong. it's a while, but i think i will be able to pull through, and if i can, i am sure they can. >> his first tour, he will not be alone. his cousin is serving with him. and another set of cousins, too. >> it helps to be with somebody you know? >> yeah, it does a whole lot. mentally and emotionally. you know your family, you have something to look forward to coming back home to. >> i have known my cousins for

years now, so we have a closer bond than other soldiers. >> reporter: some folks are nervous about the mission ahead but there's a sense of solidarity and a real "let's do this" job. talking to the soldiers, they say they are trained and ready and ready to go, but also they will be very happy when they come home, and about a year from now, they have a long haul ahead. still no deal this morning. sources tell news4 that lawyers for d.c. councilman, harry thomas jr. and prosecutors are nearing a plea agreement in the thomas corruption case, and they say thomas is weighing an option to voluntarily resign from the council and plead guilty and serve time in prison. he is accused of misspending $300,000 of city funds on his

own personal lifestyle. we started out with a nice day out there. a little warmer than it was yesterday morning, and it seems to be warming up a little bit out there. tom, tell us what we can expect today? >> what a difference a day makes. yesterday morning we were in the single digits throughout much of the region, and yesterday afternoon only barely got above breezing, but now we're well above freezing after a start in the 20s to near 30 degrees, and now climb into the mid-40s. culpepper, near 45. reagan national, 43. and montgomery, and fairfax and principles georges, 43. so it has not warmed up as much as virginia has. right now all sunny across virginia, and the district of

columbia. montgomery and prince georges counties, and to the north, cloudiness. for the rest of the afternoon, we'll have lots of sunshine aroundarea, and more clouds contin mountains, and highs reaching the mid and upper 40s for a brief time here over the next couple hours, and this mild pattern comparatively is going to be continuing as we get into the weekend. we will look at that in detail and a look at next week coming up in a few minutes, barbara. >> tom, thanks. we will go out to the roads with danella sealock. good morning, danella. >> good morning. checking travel speeds in the area for you, route 50 making your way from 301 to the beltway, you are at 65 miles per hour. and outer loop from i-95 to i-270, you are at 58 miles per hour. and i-95 in virginia from prince william parkway to the beltway, 60 miles per hour. a live look right now at i-66 at fairfax county parkway, and 66 east and west, no issues to report at this time.

if you are making your way towards the beltway from fairfax county parkway, you are traveling at 59 miles per hour. no accidents to report at this time. back to you. >> thank you. off the judge is sentencing uti jpole(bh. lon routewas twi[j. in"f)q aughter, suspecte"od beingh facesvoi ma into

man had a notable southern accent. he was in the car at -- or she was when the man jumped into the vehicle, and they drove to another vehicarea where he sexu assaulted her while her son was in the backseat. and inspectors will be checking everything from the kichens to the bathrooms. demonstrators vince kitchen on tuesday when health to the increased rat population in the area. mayor vincent gray expect to receive a report about the condition of the camps. and then the battle moves to new hampshire.

attacks leastw with us. peo. overnight.é% it;a=73 new today, a series of coordinated attacks in baghdad are7k on labors were gathering. and iraqi leaders warned there

could be an increase of violence since u.s. combat troops left iraq in december. the presidential candidates are moving on to new hampshire. mitt romney ro beat. and ben 43% of the support. ron paul trails by double digits at 17%, and newt gingrich has slipped to 7%. romney is not only benefiting from his win in iowa, but also from the endorsement from mccain. and santorum got a boost of $1 million. >> mary to other than jon u.s.a=fñ! than an eight-vote margin?

i have to try. >> maryland state senator is scheduled to announce his candidacy for the u.s. senate today. the democrat from prince georges county will make the theñ->x %t x su las a look at our forecast for today. we will to to the rest of the week and the weekend. >> feels spring-like after the last couple days of super cold weather in the last 48 hours, but now we're finally above freezing. we will continue to stay on the mild pattern. right now at reagan national and right now at reagan national and sunshine, it's humidity is are i little bit, most of more comfortable and we have a light wind nort and out of the north to nnd

the 40s across most of virginia, mid-40s from fredericksburg to culpepper and further to the north it's in the upper 30s to mid-40s, and fairfax and arlington. around the bay, low 40s there. and then to the west, cloud cover. we may to and but overall, quite a bit of sunshine on tap for the rest of the afternoon. all thanks to a weak area of high pressure moving in, and we will have a few clouds drifting in perhaps later this afternoon. for the rest of this afternoon, we will have a mostly sunny sky with a chill in the air, though, but it's a lot better than it has been in the last few days. and then after sunset, which today is at 5:00, we'll get chilly again down into the 30s through the evening, and by midnight we will be in the low 30s, and we will have winds shifting into the southwest as well by later this evening, and then that will bring us milder weather on friday. we will be in the upper 20s in the morning, and afternoon highs climbing into the low 50s.

we will have just a few clouds in and out during the day on friday. dayfk@ then some much m weather arrives on saturday. we should be in the mid-30s in the morning, afternoon highs climbing into the mid-50s, and we will have a partly cloudy day on saturday. and then there's going to be an area of low pressure, a weak passing to our south on sunday into monday and maybe just close enough to us to bring clouds in and that will give us cooler weather, and near 30 on sunday morning. and that's into the mid-40s, and then that system going by us on monday, bringing clouds in, and just a small chance of a sprinkle on monday, but should be a bit cooler, highs near 40s, and mornings near freezing, and then sunshine back near tuesday afternoon, near 50, and then throughout the day, you can follow me on twitter. i have all the latest weather, science technology and nature news. that's the way it looks.

mild pattern continuing. >> except yesterday. i don't think winter got very serious around here, huh? >> >> lasted a couple days. >> i will take that. any problems out there, danella? >> so far the roadways look nice. green everywhere. let's go up i-270 together. if this is your commute this morning i am not seeing any issues as you make your way towards germantown and toward the spur. andyqg a live look at van dorn. no issues to report at this time on the inner or outer loop. back to you. >> sounds good. danella, thank you. 11:19, and still ahead, how to get a 24-course meal cooked by a celebrity

to boost your metabolism. steve hayes checks it out. in th a co what is hot on á a popular d.c. chef is getting help in the coming months as he battles a serious health issue.

the chef is r.j. cooper. and we are talking about how ten of america's top chefs are landing a hand. good to know things are looking up hear what interi heart7 wall soxavt us? zú >>t it's a enlarged heart. so the interior septum of the heart wall has grown so thick, because it worked so hard they have to go and clean it out. they are putting the new fuel pump in there, so -- >> glad you will be able to get that done. while you are out, you have a brand-new restaurant and it has not been around that long, and folks are not going to want you to go away, but you have good friends that will step out and help out, right? >> i do. at one point i decided to do

rogue sessions, a chef every month, and when i learned i had to be gone for ten weeks, i called my friends around the country and they jumped to the opportunity. and jen carroll, and it goes down the line. >> wow, that's fantastic. >> g z?d:da, a cool pla pla coming everybody he r.j.'s restaurant is a cool place. chefs literally from coast-to-coast are coming to prop him up while he is out. he has nancy oaks from san francisco, all the way from our local guys.

it's nice to see the chefs rally to support a buddy while he's out. >> will there be a list of the chefs coming so folks can kind of decide when they want to go? >> there's a list out now. it's on guilt city, which is the major sponsor for the whole event. and it's not listed in order as when the chefs are going to be here. that's the surprise. >> you don't goak to be gui will%h f on@ 10:00$r] >> chef the will announce the chef of the week, the monday the sale goes live. on guiltcity.com, you will find out on monday at 10:00 a.m. who the chef for the coming week will >> exclu food can we expect? ? >> it's a collaboration. ofç

next @4jzas, meets exclusive food -- >> that's an exclusive one. >> we're taking tim's idea of what that cool kind of smoky flavor that he is doing down there and intertwining it with our food, 24 courses, 12 that he designed and 12 of the specific courses we have been doing for the last five months. it's put together, and you know we have a bevage and a party. >> how will you stay away? i know how much you like food. >> i have no choice. >> well, we will put some in the freezer for you. so good to see you. >> thank you. >> good luck, and 0everything.q you i am sure you will be writing about all of these wonderful chefs in the next ten weeks. >> absolutely. >> she gets to eat everything. that's the best part. >> vide oferb the mother onc

coming up, a local family heartbroken. what happened to their 7-month-old updat i just had it with cable. it just got more frustrating and frustrating. a lot of times, the picture would break up. for the amount of money that i am paying, my cable company should take care of me. [ male announcer ] stop paying for second best. move up to verizon fios tv, internet and phone for our best price online -- just $89.99 a month guaranteed for two years. first time we saw tv on fios was amazing! i was just in a trance watching it. i'm discovering new channels every day. [ male announcer ] and here's a special bonus: sign up now and get $300 back with a two-year contract. fios internet -- the speed, you can't compare. i'm able to take care of things much faster now. [ male announcer ] start saving now.

move up to fios for our best price online -- $89.99 a month guaranteed for two years and get $300 back with a two-year contract. or ask us about the option of no annual contract. is change good? in this case, change is very good. [ male announcer ] visit verizon.com/greatprice. contact the verizon center for customers with disabilities that's verizon.com/greatprice. at 800-974-6006 tty/v. fios. a network ahead.

stay with us and we'll be right back that new right now on news4 midday, new defense cuts.

president obama and leon pennetta outlined the strategy prepari prepari and it will impact the weapon systems programs. there could be an additional $500 billion in cuts. some local army national guardsmen are preparing to deploy despite that. dyñnow. a.pg 3sy the ?wg axo%h/ngqufuion. ser wa4i aty were serving a search warrant at a house in ogden, utah. the alleged gunman was shot but is expected to survive.

he's in a hospital under guard right now. the fallen officer was married with two young br( a@f15 videoã hearing from casey anthony for the first time since her acquittal of murder charges.qb: posted by herself on youtube. diary, and she claims it was recorded in october. isten. startin just a little su much things have anthony since july and how many things haven't changed. the good thing is that things are starting to look up and things are starting to a good way. >> anthony does not discuss her daughter, caylee on this video, nor trial. frederick county police is =

>>ó totalóand,u in middleton. wounds. herunders fosters abandoned golden retrievers. >> just disbelief and shock. understanding sh ani forensic analysis from the bullet's removed from the nhal' f

the woods. her family says she wants to find her remains so she can be given a proper resting place. >> i don't want to come out here to memorialize her, i wanted to bring her to a final resting place a. correct place, and this is not it. >> this is not the first time the police searched this area. in 2009 they found a piece of clothing and a shoe but did not find her body. >> s deputies father is charged orning, uties father is charged accused of leaving his young two children inside a car in the cold while outsid shopping. the sheriff deputies say he left his 4-year-old and 5-month-old children in the car for 20 minutes while he was shopping at walmart. it was é@ we at the time. ofk the wve spray+çer.fjw s

wedding gowns they%ç donating them to charity. they were videotaped publi issuedup feelsr(&/rstand bal pu frustration and will donate dresses whenever possible in the future. >> we will check in with tom with the weather updates. >> it's warmer and feels balmy compared to what we had in the last couple days.d:o we had cloudy start. we had the sun break out, but may have a few more clouds rolling back in later this afternoon. we're in the mid and upper 40s. points west to north, just near 40 degrees where the cloud cover still lingers as well as out into the mountains. we will see this general pattern giving way from time to time,

the clouds and sun and we'll have that in and out through the afternoon. highs reaching the mid and upper 40s. we will hold steady where we are temperature wise for another couple hours and then down into the 30s this evening and upper 20s by friday. andu so bri out th highs reachings, the low 50 milder on saturday into the mid-50s and partly cloudy. and then on sunday, a little pressure passing to the south may bring clouds with highs in the 40s, and then monday highs near low 40s. and then tuesday, sun back, highs near 50, and then next weekend, highs in the 50s with maybe some rain. we midday traffic and see if there are any problems out there that developed. >> so far the comin really good right now traveling along i-95. nothing green in both

directions. northbound speeds look good as you connect on to 395. no issues to report. taking the beltway in montgomery county, this is a live look at connecticut avenue. inner loop and outer loop is éh. miles per popu focusedh! on9'ñ,s best@overal4 report diet. on wat d.a.s.h. diet. it focused on whole grains. it was best m and ranked as the best diet for people with second. taking87 local crime fighters note

that being the biggest winner means you have to be the biggest loser, too. teams of capital police officers and civilian employees are taking part in a weight loss challenge over the next several weeks. the contest began yesterday with a weigh in. teams are four will be competine percentage on march 30 h our winning team doesn't get a prize, but they do get bragging rights. as you know exercise always makes losing weight a little easier, and with the help of our fitness expert, steve hayes, we have been trying to show you different fit classes around our area that are being offered. today steve joins us with metabolic effect your kç --

>> it was awesome. >> must have been tough for you, then? >> oh, yes. bu you brought your instructor -- >> my name is je) faster you ca burn more calories. is that true? >> absolutely. and and does help fromf4bolism.+ from class? ages? people? women? >> men, women, all ages from teenager up to senior citizen, because -- as a matter of fact, the instructor, the way she teaches the class, she allows you to train but don't strain. >> you are doing push-ups here. is it mostly some of the old standard exercises you do in the class? >> yes, but we can modify all the exercises so that any person could do them. i have many people taking the class that modify doing a

push-up from their knees or a chess press instead. it's very accommodating to all types. >> you will show us, but before we have you do that, i want to show your shoes. i have not litt look at these. they look likea new say these are barefoot running shoes. shoes. es. >> your toes are divided up and this makes exercising a little ? >> hose?" somef importantm to i >> hose?" somef importantm to i >> are there some particular things that are important to do to your metabolism roaring? >> we do a bunch of xr exercises. jumpat i am lunging side to side. >> she is working quads, abs and

hips, and holding your abdominals and working your shoulders. >> and a jump in between. and you can do it without the weights if you want, i suppose. >> correct. >> anything show us? >> absolutely. >> i will >> i will this is we go from a squat to a shoulder press, and jennifer had me doing these. this one is going, squat, and curl. >> this is a hybrid exercise where we work both things at one time, which saves time and brings us to the point where the metabolic affect is a rest-based exercise, and we want to get to the point where we work so hard we deserve a rest. >> you call it hybrid. what does that mean snoor two different things going on. a squat, where you just might do that, and a biceps curl, we put them together. >> show the one -- >> oh, yes. you have to call it a super hybrid, right. extend, curl, and press. >> a lot of folks, i am sure,

will want to know more about this exercise class. we have seen a lot of them, but this is the one this is the one you the most so far. >> incredibly challenging. >> we have metabolic affect at 15 locations at sport and health.comb for us? >> do not over eat or starve -- i guess what i want to say, do not starve yourself, because the gland starts to store the foot, and you will get twice as big. >> don't starve if you are dieting for your new year's i just had it with cable. it just got more frustrating and frustrating.

a lot of times, the picture would break up. for the amount of money that i am paying, my cable company should take care of me. [ male announcer ] stop paying for second best. move up to verizon fios tv, internet and phone for our best price online -- just $89.99 a month guaranteed for two years. first time we saw tv on fios was amazing! i was just in a trance watching it. i'm discovering new channels every day. [ male announcer ] and here's a special bonus: sign up now and get $300 back with a two-year contract. fios internet -- the speed, you can't compare. i'm able to take care of things much faster now. [ male announcer ] start saving now. move up to fios for our best price online -- $89.99 a month guaranteed for two years and get $300 back with a two-year contract. or ask us about the option of no annual contract. is change good? in this case, change is very good. [ male announcer ] visit verizon.com/greatprice. contact the verizon center for customers with disabilities that's verizon.com/greatprice. at 800-974-6006 tty/v. fios. a network ahead.

x a concerty".á plus, ven rev ecis on v÷bú popularwf venue. 11:41 is the time. a concert venue reversed an unpopular decision. you will be able to tailgate before the show. you and look music in the parking lot before the concert. however, you will not be able to drink in m or have an open container of alcohol. some local macy's employees

may soonsw salesiif at closing this weeks.0ae jd0 bevhej'st@ lk to 7ed store performing. clearance sales at both and)0áz and j krchljc pennies will be l to open a store in the mall in march. it's looking for part-time and full-time employees. today's career fair is going on as we speak. ifcfair thre mo ifcfair thre mo a.m. until 8:00 p.m. tomorrow, and from 8:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. on saturday. the number of people seeking unemployment benefits fell last

week, ending on three months of declines. >> despite the upbeat data on jobs, the dow is up and the nasdaq up slightly and the s&p 500 down, just about 2.5 points today. a report from adp showing a surge in private sector jobs in theo green comesfoods.f therem2et

down sharply. today. kraft multi$ñ soda by rapii especially with crushed lemons. have a twins may seem like a rare occurrence. but it's multiplying by a rapid rate. the twin birthrate is up 76%. the twin birthrate is up 76%. about one born lo 2009 was a twin compared to 1 in every 53 babies to 1 in every 53 babies 1980.moms.-qe likely due to the increased use of fertility drugs.5yjlonger to have children. studies likely in older moms. but older twins is not necessarily c good thing. >> the unintended consequences

of increasing multiple birth is not a good thing, and one needs to find a way of controlling that. >> intro consequences include chi birth weight and premature s dec revisitr fewx[ success ratein to many children looking for loving homes. we decided to revisit a few of the special friends in case you missed them. you may remember these faces. each has a different story. m. has>;e given having o forev family. like 16-year-old michelle who we featured last may but is still waiting. she was first featured when sher up the hope of having a real family one day.

>> i always wanted to be adopted by a family who cared for me. >> christopher was featured several times when he was younger, and he also continues are your hopes and dreams for your future? >> to be adopted. i want to goi?b them. e offamily could7ñz% >> make a dif in waiting wednesday's children can't speak for themselves, but those that ) encouragement of a loving family could make a difference in their lives. >> a family that has skill level in working with children like jorge. >> wow, that fits you perfectly. it'sç epn him' that1-vb could help paul with the security and confidence he needs. monte at 2 was having xun indication difficulties whenkid met go february, but

surgery is expected to give him that ability soon. >> tell me about monte? >> monte is -- he's a great kid. has a good personality. very smart and intelligent. understands exactly what you are saying to hea just a few of o wednesday's children who are dreaming that 2012 will be the year they finally go home for t. >> and if on have room in your home and your heart for one of hotline. or log on to the home page at nbcwashington.com. our time is stay with6onñn

with the "name your price" tool, you tell us what you want to pay, and we give you a range of coverages to choose from. who is she? that's flobot. she's this new robot we're trying out, mostly for, like, small stuff. wow! look at her go! she's pretty good. she's pretty good. hey, flobot, great job. oops. [ powers down ] uh-oh, flobot is broken. the "name your price" tool, only from progressive. call or click today.

vide "jersey shore." #n this is video from a dress rehearsal from last year's labor day concert. but the free concert will kickoff at 7:00 tomorrow as part of the in your neighborhood

series to bring classical music to the masses. will have to have a ticket, even though it's where you can get the ticket. just search free concert on nbcwashington.com. the start of the new year is bringing some fun new events, and joining us to talk about a few of the fun things coming up, uest.f the fun things coming up, you have happy things coming up all around our area. where a going to start? smithsonian? >> that'sk a gorgeouska laeb prettiest 20 n a whole other side of her.

she shoots landscapes. niagara falls. how gorgeous is this? probably prettiest photo i & it opens on january 20th and continuing through may 20th, and it's free so you have no excuse for missing it.flamenco how lon? >> may 20th. >> you >> you flamenco festival.pqz) if cele year. onekp flamenco festival.pqz) when purchasing your ticket, you can have a nice dinner and then celebrate the culture of spain. >> one final thing, which sounds

wonderful, a celebration for chocolate lovers. tell us about that? >> those of us that has resolutions, it's time to give them up on march 3rd and 4th. they will have the chocolate lovers festivals. it has been big over the last couple years. people have gotten to be bigger foodees. t 3ñbé sjj>endly d youyou. ideasforñm and 4th. thanks a lot, and always good to see you. for more ideas for your weekend, log on to nbcwashington.com. we'll take a willáog the an fast following on news4 this afternoon.

and which fast burger comes out on top. we will find out which burger is the best. a welcome warmup has returned here on this thursday. looking off to the west, there's a live view from the skywatcher camera. afternoon. temperature, reagan national, 46 degrees, and maybe warming up another degree or so for the high later today. and over the we and sun. a few more clouds rolling back in and we will get more sun later in the afternoon and we will stay in the 40s through the afternoon, and upper 20s by tomorrow. and then on friday, partly cloudy and a bit milder tomorrow should makes. tomorrow afternoon, and that may make it into the mid-50s on saturday afternoon w. a partly cloudy sky and morning lows in the 30s. and then chillier on sunday. sunday sp near 30.

and then we low pressure that will be passing south of us. looks like ona aefrning into monday, a small chance of sprinkles from the clouds, mainly south of washington on sunday night and monday. and then highs near 50 on sunday. and then a warmup into the mid-50s. looks like a chance of rain on wednesday. have a good afternoon and we'll see news4 mi >> we have longer days these days, now. >> yeah, sunsets getting late i just had it with cable. it just got more frustrating and frustrating. a lot of times, the picture would break up. for the amount of money that i am paying, my cable company should take care of me. [ male announcer ] stop paying for second best. move up to verizon fios tv, internet and phone for our best price online -- just $89.99 a month guaranteed for two years. first time we saw tv on fios was amazing!

i was just in a trance watching it. i'm discovering new channels every day. [ male announcer ] and here's a special bonus: sign up now and get $300 back with a two-year contract. fios internet -- the speed, you can't compare. i'm able to take care of things much faster now. [ male announcer ] start saving now. move up to fios for our best price online -- $89.99 a month guaranteed for two years and get $300 back with a two-year contract. or ask us about the option of no annual contract. is change good? in this case, change is very good. [ male announcer ] visit verizon.com/greatprice. contact the verizon center for customers with disabilities that's verizon.com/greatprice. at 800-974-6006 tty/v. fios. a network ahead.