tonight. it took all of about 15 seconds to light newt gingrich's fuse while the other candidates gang up on washington. fierce winds fuel a daung russ fire tonight that forced vice president biden offstage and the entire audience out of the area. plus, news 4 tracks down two metro employees charged with stealing your fare money and turning it into lottery winnings. first to that debate in charleston as many are calling the next 48 hours the most important of the entire primary process. >> with rick perry dropping out of the race, the final four hope to sway voters tonight and pick up a pivotal win this saturday. steve handelsman has our report. >> reporter: just four are left and newt gingrich had the hot hand. the endorsement of rick perry and surging polls in south carolina so gingrich blew up when the first question in the cnn debate. >> the story has now gone viral on the internet. >> reporter: was about his ex-wife and infidelity. >> she says you asked her, sir, to interview an open marriage.

>> the story is false. to take an ex-wife and make it two days before the primary a significant question of a presidential campaign is as close to despicable as anything i can imagine. >> reporter: mitt romney had learned he lost the january 3rd caucuses to rick santorum. >> i had to work to get 25 more votes in iowa, that's for sure. >> reporter: now rivals are slamming his business takeovers that led to firings. >> i find it kind of strange on a stage like this with republicans having to describe how private equity and venture capital work and how they're successful and how they create jobs. >> reporter: he paid a 15% income tax rate but hasn't released his returns. gingrich did tonight. $3 million in income in 2010 and a tax rate of 32%. but santorum wants a race against romney. newt's in the way. >> grand yosity has never been a problem with newt gingrich. he hands it very, very well. >> you're right.

i think grandiose thoughts. this is a grandiose country of big people doing big things. >> reporter: congressman paul is indicating he might limit his campaigning in the next state. florida. but the other three are all in. and they all figure they need a slingshot out of this state on saturday. from columbia, south carolina, i'm steve handelsman, news 4. now to a developing story tonight in nevada where a wildfire is burning out of control. take a look just south of reno. more than 10,000 people have been evacuated. firefighters are having a tough time because of the 80-mile-an-hour wind gusts there. among those told to get out of harm's way, vice president joe biden who had to cut short an appearance at a high school. >> you apparently have a fire in the nearby hills.

and they have just told me if i don't let you guys get out of here relatively soon, they're going to make you get out of here. >> at this point this fire is 0% contained. at least a dozen homes have been scorched, but so far no injuries. it's not yet clear how the blaze began. here in our area, temperatures are freezing cold. the flurries are flying to the north. but that's the beginning of the wild weather ahead. veronica, what's next? >> we could see a lot more coming our way this weekend, doreen and jim. to the west, some snow. a little bit of light snow around western maryland, potomac highlands. i'm wuching flurries around thurmornt, around middleburg and hagerstown. this is going to last a few more hours, but we're talking about a bigger system that's going to be moving in for friday night and saturday morning. already concerns of icing and some problems on area roads so there's a winter storm watch for right now. washington county, areas of

jefferson and morgan in west virginia. and we could have more concerns saturday morning. more details on that coming up. back to you. >> tlanhanks. neighbors in d.c.'s ward 5 came together to remember an infant who died after being abandoned in the cold. the baby girl was found sunday night on the steps of a home on channing street wrapped only in a thin towel. tonight's vigil was aimed at preventing another tragedy. some say they empathize with the mother. >> i don't know why. i don't know what they're going through. i don't know what made them do that. but i imagine they have to go through something that's realtorible. >> you know, folks, this is something that has shocked us to the core. and folks do have a heart. this is a community. we are a close-knit community and we do support each other. this is an opportunity for us to come together and show support for this baby and for this cause. >> d.c. does have a safe haven law which allows babies to be dropped off at hospitals and fire stations. no penalties. fairfax county police tonight confirm a suspicious truck has been spotted again

near an elementary school. more than 100 parents met tonight at clairement elementary to talk about what to do. jackie bensen was there. >> now try and pull the other way. see how you got out? >> reporter: 11-year-old katie shows off her self-defense skills. she and her sister have been hearing the message from their parents since they were old enough to understand. >> started doing scenarios and talking about strangers and different scenarios since they were itty bitty little kids. >> reporter: the family was part of the crowd that filled the cafeteria at claremont elementary school to hear the latest from police about a troubling situation. a suspicious truck now seen five times near the school since december. >> i can guarantee that a red pickup truck has been consistent in every incident that we have received a report on. >> reporter: officers stressed to the assembled parents that no actual crime has been committed. but all agree that a stranger staring at kids or waving at

them to come closer to a vehicle is suspicious and creepy. mike phyllis says it means his family now has some unbreakable rules. >> they know whether if we're not coming, that their grandmother is coming to get them. and there are no exceptions. >> reporter: despite the fact that no crime has been committed, fairfax county police have added extra patrols and other public safety resources in the area. jackie bensen, news 4. a fairfax county couple criticized police today for the handling of their daughter's death investigation. the parents of 16-year-old annie mccann publicly voiced their frustrations about the course of the investigation. the mccanns are from fairfax county. the victim's body was found in baltimore in 2008. maryland's medical examiner ruled the teenager died from lidocaine intoxication, and the cause of her death is undetermined. police say there is no evidence to suggest murder, but the mccann family is attacking the efforts of investigators. >> baltimore police never

honestly investigated annie's death. claims of a 1200-hour investigation are preposterous. and completely undermined by the fact that four months after annie's death, the lead detective didn't even have a photograph of annie. >> baltimore police say they're keeping this case open, and they're looking for any credible information that could prompt the medical examiner to change the findings. two metro employees took your fare money and bought lottery tickets that won them more than $30,000. that's what prosecutors charge. and tonight we sent shamari stone to track the men down. >> reporter: metro employees horace mcday, john hale are allegedly on the wrong side of the tracks, pocketing thousands of dollars in coins from fare card machines. tonight, we tried to get answers at their homes. first stop, hale's house. did you steal thousands of dollars in coins from malfunctioning fare machines? a man tapes up cardboard and then a woman walks to the front

of the window and says -- >> please get off our property. >> reporter: no problem, ma'am. they're charged with conspiring to commit theft from programs receiving federal funds. mcdade was a technician who worked on the machines. hale was a transit police officer guarding money while it was in transit to the revenue collection facility. prosecutors say as recently as two weeks ago, surveillance video and a gps tracking device caught the pair taking bags of money from machines, leaving them athis underpass, and picking them up after work. >> it's ignorant. >> reporter: metro's gm says the allegations are troubling. investigators say they were tipped off when a store owner in wood bridge told them that john hale walked in and allegedly bought scratch-off lottery tickets with $500 bags of coins. and prosecutors say hale won at least $32,000 from the tickets he bought last year alone. >> it's a betrayal of the trust of our customers. >> reporter: in court today hale said he needed a court-appointed attorney. both suspects are scheduled to appear next monday afternoon.

in woodbridge, virginia, i'm shamari stone, news 4. a 32-year-old mother of three is in jail tonight charged with sexually assaulting a 13-year-old boy. the victim was invited to the suspect's home in southeast d.c. for a sleepover with her 9-year-old son last saturday. according to court documents, zakaia gaskins made the boy perform sexual acts. the woman is being held without bond pending further court action. should virginia liquor stores get into the marijuana business? at least one local lawmaker thinks the idea is worth exploring. delegate david englin is calling for a study to look at the potential cost benefits. if the measure is approved, the public would be able to purchase pot at liquor stores operated by the commonwealth. those so-called abc stores. he says the government has been able to manage liquor store sales. the same could apply to marijuana. maryland is worried about a potential influx of rats from d.c.

a state delegate from baltimore county is planning to introduce a bill that would make it illegal for d.c. residents to dispose of their unwanted rats in maryland, according to a patch report. the legislation is in response to a d.c. law that prevents the killing of wildlife including rats. instead the animals have to be treated humanely and relocated to another area. virginia officials have also expressed concern that the rats will end up there. tonight, carnival corporation says it's reviewing its safety procedures after the costa cruise disaster in italy. carnival is the parent company of costa and nine other cruise lines all over the world. the company says it's launched a comprehensive audit of all safety and emergency procedures on all of its boats. the ceo of carnival says the review is necessary to make sure this type of tragedy never happens again. in italy today, authorities are trying to decide when to call off rescue efforts on the sinking ship. crews worked into the evening

using explosives to enter parts of the boat that haven't been searched yet. also today, an audio recording appears to show the captain trying to downplay the crash to the coast guard. he remains under house arrest tonight accused of abandoning ship. still ahead on a busy night, will d.c.'s former mayor be saying so long to the city and setting sail for the caribbean instead? the idea to have drivers take the shoulder on one of the area's busiest interstates. ♪ so in love with you the president shows off his singing skills at harlem's famous apollo theater tonight. plus, the super reason dan hellie agreed to we

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breaking news right now. a police chase has led officers from alexandria into the district tonight. we're told a driver took off from a routine traffic stop near telegraph road and north kings highway. that driver fled into the city, and the car was abandoned here on the 1,000 block southeast. police are still looking for him. driving on i-270 can be a difficult thing, but now there's a new proposal from frederick alderman carroll krim to ease it. the plan similar to an hov lane which is a less expensive way to go than spending billions of dollars to reconstruct 270.

the plan involves a 13-mile stretch between frederick and clarksburg. mayors will study the plan to see if it's feasible. they want to impose a 20 cent tax at checkout. that's four times higher than the district and montgomery county. supporters say it would encourage more shoppers to use recyclable bags which would cut down on litter and also help fund the chesapeake bay cleanup. but there is stiff opposition among lawmakers and consumers. >> i wouldn't want to spend 20 cents a bag. >> well, for 20 cents a bag, i'll go back to reusable. >> virginia lawmakers will be remor reviewing that tax. he and his family may be moving according to "the washington post." the district's former first lady michelle fenti just got a new job in the caribbean. she'll still be working for the interamerican developmental bank, but "the post" reports her new position will be based in

trinidad and tobago. no initial word on the fentis on whether the entire family will move there. the ravens are getting busy getting set. joe flacco and torre smith took time out tonight to meet fans at jimmy's seafood. 200 fans paid 65 bucks to pack the restaurant. there was dinner, autographs, even a birthday cake for flacco who turned 27 earlier this week. we're getting pumped up for the super bowl around here. it airs a week from sunday right here on nbc 4. and we have our own super surprise to get fans excited leading up to the big game. check it out. >> oh, yeah. >> we're going. >> that is too cool. are you taking that sidecar all the way to indianapolis? >> of course they are. >> i asked vance if i could

drive. needless to say, he just kind of looks at me. are you kidding? >> sit right there. >> you were nervous in that sidecar. >> well, he said the balance was different than his regular harley. if it was going to tip, it was actually going to tip on him. so i knew it was going to be okay. but then i'd be in really big trouble. >> it's exciting that both of you are going. >> it's going to be a fun trip. we're taking about five people. our executive producer, a couple photographers. we're going to have a ball. >> what, are you all pulling behind the motorcycle? >> they have those u-hauls. >> that's the picture i want to see. love the goggles. >> yeah, we love the goggles and the leather hat. >> the promotional team did a good job. >> you need to wear more than that if you're going out tonight. >> i want to make sure that he wears those goggles when he reports from the super bowl. >> i'm not doing any black-eye reporting. >> all right. it's going to be a cold one. coats for tomorrow morning. and these flurries we're talking

about, only going to last for a few more hours. let's take a look outside and see what's going on because that system, the next one that's going to move in, a couple changes with it. could be lasting a little longer with snow, and freezing rain could be lasting a little longer. we're hanging on to 40. 33, the winter windchill reading. again, with just flurries for two or three more hours. that is it. 36 to the north in frederick and mount airy, 38 and 43 degrees in fredericksburg, virginia. the flurries hanging on around frederick just north of i-70, then a few more around hagerstown and cumberland. for tomorrow morning, early sunshine for us. clouds on the increase already with that next weather system. it's going to start out as a little snow around, i think now could be as early as 9:00 or 10:00 p.m. tomorrow. and then with warmer air moving into the system, we are going to see a switchover to freezing rain. and that's what could be more problematic with this system. where it could lay down a little

bit of icy conditions just to the counties north of d.c. so there it is. a snapshot of 12:00 a.m. the blue, the white, that's the snow. the pink, that's the freezing rain. so we'll continue to see that southerly flow come up through the area. and that means warmer air gets entrenched or entrained into the system. gaithersburg, d.c., manassas, all by 3:00 a.m. saturday morning looking at some freezing rain that could hang on a little longer instead of just till sunrise, it could hang on till about 9:00 or 9:30 on saturday. the green, that's the rain. and i don't think we're going to see much of that when we get the changeover. the rain probably ending around here about 2:00 or 3:00 on saturday afternoon. but could be definitely a messy for saturday morning. let's look at your forecast for tomorrow morning. we're mostly sunny. we're cold and quite breezy. 24 to 29 degrees. some windchill temperatures that will be starting out right around 20. and our northern suburbs. tomorrow afternoon, the clouds come quick. it's definitely going to be

chilly. light snow starting right around 8:00 or 9:00. and then changing over to some freezing rain. 35 to 39d degrees with temperatures falling and falling very quickly. let's take a look at your four-day forecast. the high for tomorrow, 38 degrees. and then both saturday and sunday will be right up around 40 degrees. seasonable temperatures for us. quite a few clouds around on both days. after the changeover saturday, could be more rain moving in for sunday afternoon. sunday afternoon right into sunday night and monday, too, is looking wet right now. we get a spike in the temperatures, back up again to 57 degrees. and then most of -- i know. it's almost comical. the up and down that we've had this winter. by wednesday and thursday of next week, we're back around 50. but some concerns again for really saturday morning. >> we're planning on that sleeping in thing, right? >> oh, yeah. definitely. >> thanks. still to come tonight -- ♪ so in love with you

>> the president doing a little al green at the apollo tonight. >> hey, he sounded pretty good there. and in sports tonight, virginia tech tries to ease its a.c.c. frustrations against the tar heels. i want a baby. a baby? but we were gonna see the northern lights in alaska. and go spelunking with the guys. yeah, i said it-- spelunking. [ whirring ] and i still haven't built one of those fighting robots. come on. it's pretty awesome. okay. just a few things we need to do first. [ laughs ] [ announcer ] before you make your leap, make a list. then get going in the completely redesigned cr-v. all new, from honda.

tough start to the season for tech. >> yeah, they haven't played like they have the last couple of years, but they did expect something maybe a little different tonight against north carolina. they were hosting the tar heels, looking for not only their first signature win of the season but their first conference win of the year. the hokies 0-3 in the a.c.c. coming in, but north carolina

has proven to be just a little bit vulnerable this season. ha virginia tech, a dangerous team the last couple of years, and they did make it interesting. we pick it up in the first half, tied at 17-17. things looking up, tech on the break. hudson hits the three. and tech has a 20-17 lead. everybody's feeling good. later in the first half. eric green with the steal. gets it up to hudson. he lays it in. tech up by seven. hudson had 16 in the first half. final seconds of the half. a defensive lapse on the inbounds. you can't do that. take another look at this thing. john henson, wide open for the dunk. north carolina down by five at the half. roy williams apparently channeled his inner knute rockne at halftime because the second half, all heels. harrison barnes with the steal, drains the pullup jumper. he had 27. north carolina goes on a 19-0 run. and they win easily, 82-68. tony bennett's 17th ranked

virginia cavaliers taking on georgia tech. first half. evans beats the entire tech defense. take another look at this thing. evans not a big dude or big scorer but this is a nice move. puts virginia up 25-13. second half, virginia up by 19. the pass to mike scott who backs his man down. then a nice little fadeaway. textbook for scott. he's been their best player this season. he had 18. later in the second, atkins anticipates the pass. and finishes nicely. virginia runs all over georgia tech, 70-38 was the final. blowout city there. eli manning will be just fine for the nfc championship game. eli back on the practice field after a stomach bug kept him out of practice yesterday. in baltimore, the ravens have put the joe flacco/ed reed controversy behind them with the two players jokingly exchanging words during practice today. this weekend going to be no laughing matter for the ravens' defense, though. it never is when you face this

guy, tom brady coming off a record-tying performance with six touchdown passes against the broncos. it was a madden-like video game for brady, leading the patriots to the end zone almost at will. a very good denver defense couldn't do anything about it. ed reed has seen brady before and beaten brady before. the ravens do it again, and they're headed to the super bowl. >> it's definitely going to be a challenge, looking out for those guys. you know, we've for the to pay attention to every last one of them because you never know who brady's going to throw it to. as far as brady's concerned, a hell of a player. >> it's going to be a humongous challenge. we have to be on our a-plus game this week. all of y'all questions keep coming back to tom brady. the way tom prepared for a game and the way he has his team preparing for a game, it's going to be rough. all right. our pal washington post columnist mike wise has penned another column that is sure to stir up some controversy tomorrow morning.

this one about javail mcgee and his mom not doing him any favors. she said, quoted, he's the future of the nba. i don't want him to be a part of a losing culture forever. my guess is that the wizards' parent/teacher conference with the mcgees is going to be a little bit stressful. i wish -- i wish we could just talk about basketball and kind of marinate in the moment of that big win. but javail's mom was sitting there at the game. i sat down for a few minutes and made a couple out of it. >> marination period is

did you know that president obama is a big al green fan?

♪ i ♪ i'm so in love with you >> oh m , my goodness. yes, that was the president singing the al green tune "let's stay together." during a fund-raiser at the apollo theater in harlem. as you heard, the crowd went wild. the president told the audience he can't sing like the reverend al can. he just wanted to show his appreciation. >> i could have listened to more of that. >> i know. >> that was pretty darn good. >> you know his campaign people will be wanting to hear a lot more of that. >> check out itunes in a month or two. that's it for us. "the tonight show" is headed your way next. >> we hope we'll see you tomorrow night. good night.