point in their lives. 99%. and yet more than half of all women between the ages of 18 and 34 have struggled to afford it. >> in the face of mounting pressure about birth control today president obama changed his policy toward the matter. good afternoon. i'm pat lawson muse. >> i'm jim handly. it's our top story. we begin with the birth control controversy. today president obama abruptly compromised on a newly announced regulation on contraceptive coverage. >> employers with religious affiliations will not have to provide free birth control to employees. instead their insurance companies will be required to provide contraception free of charge. steve handelsman explains. >> reporter: president obama himself announced his new rule on birth control. >> religious organizations won't have to pay for these services and no religious institution will have to provide these

services directly but women who work at these institutions will have access to free contraceptives like other women. >> barack obama blinked after protests even from his own party over the regulation he insisted on requiring church-affiliated schools and hospitals to include free birth control in their health care coverage. now the insurance companies must provide contraception and pay for it. catholic bishops called it a first step in the right direction and women's groups are pleased. >> now birth control is going to be covered because of this administration for no copay. >> reporter: at the cpac conference in washington conservatives see a winning issue. >> this is something that definitely motivates this part of our base, the base we have here. >> reporter: at cpac catholic rick santorum who is gaining conservative converts after his triple win on tuesday said it's not about contraception. >> it's about freedom of

religion. it's about government control of your lives and it's got to stop. >> reporter: mitt romney came to cpac. >> i will reverse every single obama regulation that attacks our religious liberty and threatens innocent life in this country. >> reporter: president obama says government rules on birth control should not be a political issue. now they are and it's not clear which politicians that might help or hurt. i'm steve handelsman, news 4, capitol hill. more compelling testimony in the trial of the university of virginia la crosse player accused of murdering his ex-girlfriend and uva classmate. the testimony came from the defendant himself. today prosecutors played a videotaped police interview of george huguely that was taken just a few hours after yardly love was found dead in 2010. huguely told the officer he went to her house to talk with her and said he, quote, shook her a little bit and she started

freaking out, uncroaquote. later he seemed shocked in the video when police told him yardly was dead. even a few jurors got emotional today as the interview was played. prosecutors believe huguely beat yardly to death during a jealous rage. we'll have more coming up in a live report from charlottesville on news 4 at 5:00. the trial against former penn state coach jerry sandusky is set to begin in may. a judge set the tentative date today during a pretrial hearing in pennsylvania. it is still not clear where the trial will be held and how much freedom sandusky will have until the trial begins. >> reporter: jerry sandusky arrived at the courthouse wanting to tackle conditions of his house arrest, conditions that may be partly behind why dottie's open hostility toward the media. here is what dottie did to wpxi reporter courtney brennan outside the sandusky home

thursday. >> police have gotten several complaints. >> reporter: the complaints courtney brennan was reporting on were from sandusky's neighbors, who say he's frequently seen outside on his porch peering toward children on a school playground nearby. that's why prosecutors asked at the hearing that the conditions be tightened to force him to stay inside. but sandusky said the neighbors are wrong. >> now all of a sudden these people turn on me when they've been in my home with their kids. >> reporter: sandusky asked that his house arrest be relaxed so that he can have the same freedom to visit grandchildren that his wife has. >> who came home after visiting with grandchildren or who is sitting there when grandchildren call on my birthday and they ask to talk to me and she has to tell them that they can't. >> reporter: sandusky can't have contact with anyone under 18

after being charged with 52 counts of sexually abusing ten boys. the judge says he'll rule soon on the conditions of house arrest as well as whether an outside jury will be brought to state college for sandusky's trial. >> do you have anything to say? >> reporter: that is now tentatively set to start in mid may. nbc news. federal safety regulators are investigating reports of fires involving some of toyota's top selling vehicles. the national highway traffic safety administration says it's gotten reports of fires in the doors of 2007 toyotas, camrys, solaras and rav 4 crossover suvs. investigators say the problem could involve more than 800,000 vehicles. the safety agency says the fires appear to start in the door power window switch on the driver's side. there have been six reported incidents so far but no injuries. there is no recall for the time being. there is a recall of the

nissan versaille small cars. about 39,000 versailles are being recalled because the transmissions can be shifted out of park without the driver's foot being on the brake. this is against federal safety regulations. the cars in question are the 2012 model cars made from june 9th of 2011 through january 13th of this year. they were sold in the u.s. and in canada. today nissan said there have been no crashes or injuries reported. the auto maker also says it will replace the shifter knob for free and make sure the car works properly. a hit-and-run suspect is in police custody today after posting a message on a social media website. police arrested the 14-year-old boy on wednesday at his school in gresham, oregon. detectives say he crashed a stolen van then took off earlier in the week. the teen posted on his facebook pa page, somehow the police haven't caught me yet. investigators quickly then caught him. the boy faces several charges

now. get ready for the big chill and possibly some icy roads. >> what about that "s" word though? storm 4 meteorologist veronica johnson joins us with a busy weekend on tap. veronica? >> that's right. it will be saturday and even sunday. take a look at the national weather service. they've put up some advisories. a little snowfall for some counties but cold and arctic air for everyone this weekend. in the purple is where the winter weather advisories are up right now for carroll county, frederick county, areas off to the west including frederick county, virginia. then in the pink a winter storm warning on the lee side of the mountains 4 to 8 inches of snow but where the winter weather advisory is just to the north and west of us 1 to 3 inches of snowfall. any of those counties there bordering that winter weather advisory you're likely to see some snowfall, too. a little bit not much. not enough to even shovel. but one thing is for sure. it will be a very cold weekend. 46 degrees with a southwest wind now at 8 miles per hour.

we've got the cloud cover across the area and that rain not far away. in fact, it's showing up on radar now. but i'm only seeing reports of drizzle in la ray far to the west and around wise, virginia a little bit of light snowfall. i think by 7:00 we'll probably see the first drops of rain and then it'll quickly start mixing in with a little bit of light snow as we pull toward the evening and midnight. we're in the 40s right now. here is a look at your good night forecast with light rain for 9:00. a mixture of rain and snow by 11:00 p.m. we'll take a look at the morning forecast in what could be a troublesome sunday morning. pat? >> thanks, veronica. parents, students, and police are on alert in fairfax county. a 15-year-old girl says a man sexually assaulted her as she was walking to her bus stop. it happened wednesday morning near the intersection of fair lakes, parkway, and monument drive in the fair oaks area. >> reporter: this sexual assault happened near this intersection, fairfax county police were back

out here this morning patrolling and making sure that the kids made it to school without any issue. they are warning parents to tell their children there is a possible sexual predator in the area. >> the young woman was very frightened and she did report it to police. >> reporter: on wednesday around 6:20 a.m. while it was still dark a 15-year-old girl who was on her way to the school bus stop says she was sexually assaulted. >> the person said something of a sexual nature and they were uncomfortable with that. they continued to walk. then they were touched by the man. so in this particular case, it escalated. the person said something and then they did something else and so certainly that is a concern and we do take it very seriously. >> reporter: it happened near the intersection of fair lakes parkway and monument drive near the fair oaks mall. the girl told police she had seen the man before in the bushes near her bus stop. >> this person had been seen or someone fitting this description had been seen in that area in

the past. that may be something that since the person didn't do anything nobody called police about. >> reporter: police say they don't have much to go on but have stepped up patrols in the area and they need the public's help. if they see anything suspicious, or hear of anything, don't hesitate to contact police and we'll be there. >> reporter: the fairfax county police only have a vague description here so this is really more of a warning for parents at this point to make sure they're telling their kids about what happened and that they're on alert until they're able to get this man into custody. in the meantime, if anyone maybe saw something on wednesday morning that can help in this investigation, call fairfax county police at 1-866-411-tips. in fairfax county i'm tracee wilkins, news 4. >> we have breaking news right now. chopper 4 is at duval high school in prince george's county. these are live pictures. an officer was in the school parking lot and heard what may have been gunshots behind the

school. officers have searched that area but so far they have not found anything. no one has been hurt. again, this is happening near duval high school in prince george's county. pressure today for president obama to offer military support to the opposition in syria. a bipartisan senate resolution introduced today calls on syrian president assad to step down. it also calls on the u.s. to speed the delivery of humanitarian aid to the syrian people. and it condemns russia and iran for providing military equipment to syria. today marks a full week since the syrian government began bombing civilians in the city. amateur video purportedly shows explosions in the city and has been posted on the internet. it is impossible for us to verify the authenticity of the video. when news 4 continues the man with the golden voice is back in the voiceover game. also, billy bush goes one-on-one with first lady michelle obama about her valentine's day plans with the president.

speaking of plans local dating coaches join us next here in the studio to offer some advice for single women. plus, celebrities strut their stuff on the catwalk to kick

♪ >> adele could have it all when it comes to the grammys on sunday night. the british singer is up for six awards including record of the year for her album, "21." billboards magazine's editorial

editor expects adele to win the night's biggest awards. all eyes will also be on her live performance, her first since undergoing vocal cord surgery in november. meanwhile, oscar has arrived in hollywood. 42 academy award statuettes were aboard this united flight from chicago where the statues were made. it was a commercial flight so passengers were surprised and a little excited to travel with such a celebrity. they got mini golden guys as gifts. trophies are usually shipped to los angeles with little fanfare but the company president who rode along last night said this was more fun. the pilot even allowed oscar into the cockpit. the trophies will be handed out at the academies ceremonier this month. air listening to nothing but the best of oldies, magic 98.9. >> a viral video launched him into fame and now the once homeless ted williams is back in the advertising world. the man with the golden voice struggled with drug addiction

last year but after two stints in rehab kraft foods has tapped ted williams again for a special valentines campaign. next week williams will record video messages from 100 selected tweets that have the hash tag voice of love and kraft plans to donate up to $100,000 to the feeding america program to fight hunger. a lot of folks are celebrating valentine's day this weekend. instead of celebrating on tuesday. if you are the president of the united states, what do you plan for the first lady? access hollywood's billy bush asked michelle obama about the plans. >> do you have something planned for the president or does he need to plan it for you? >> he always has to plan valentines. that's his job. so i think we -- there may be a date night but, you know, sometimes -- >> don't get your hopes up. we'll see. >> well, there is something scheduled. >> maybe just a little note that says --

♪ i am so in love with you >> that's pretty good. >> a big note coming down the pipeline. can you hit that big one? >> oh, yeah. he's smooth. don't miss the rest of billy bush's interview tonight on "access hollywood" at 7:30 right here on nbc 4. as we head toward the holiday some are looking to find that special someone. today we're talking the dating dos and don'ts and how some people in the dating scene are actually sabotaging their chances of finding love. our guests are consultants and coaches, women -- men and women both when it comes to putting their best feet forward. they are the experts at the one consulting.com. allison silverman and lisa goldberg welcome to you both. >> thank you. >> we heard the first lady say smooth. that the president is. everybody wishes we could be. you say that there are ways both men and women are hurting their own chances four or five big ways. number one tmi.

we're sharing a little bit too much too soon? >> yes. unfortunately, what people are doing, which is getting in the way of them finding a relationship, is divulging too much information on that critical first date. for example, you don't want to talk about past addictions or if you just lost your job or a past illness. you want to talk about things that light you up, that make you happy, like your interests f you started salsa dance org if you saw a great movie. those are things that light you up and make you smile. and there's nothing more attractive than a smile. >> than a smile. we've heard that before. some people do a little over talking on that first date. >> yes. we do have a few clients who have had past addictions and they'll mention them. but it is something you want to stay off of. you want to talk about something positive and fun. nothing that is negative. >> and you want a little back and forth. a little give and take, too. listening and i think guys are maybe more guilty of that than the women. we're not the best listeners

often times. >> yes. that is true. a lot of the guys will just talk throughout the date and over power the whole date but what you need to do's feed on to what they're saying. if they say i like to travel say oh, where do you like to go and actually listen. don't just keep talking. so that's an important thing that men need to learn. >> number two, technology. too much texting. we're not courting enough or wooing like we used to. is that hurting our chances early on in relationships? >> yes. well, a lot of people rely on texting and e-mailing to run their whole dating life. but there is no emotion involved in that so you're not forming a bond with somebody. so it is really important to pick up the phone, call the person, set up the date that way. that way you can laugh. you can't hear somebody laugh over e-mail or text. so pick up the phone, call them, form that bond so then you'll have a great date and you'll get to know them a little better even before the date. >> we do understand that, you know, people are busy. that's why we hear that a lot of

people are texting. if you're busy during the day do a quick text. are you available friday night? she might text back, sure. that sounds great. >> thank you. i'll call you later then call her that evening. it doesn't have to be an hour-long talk. maybe 15 minutes. just how was your day, to connect. but then you have something that's connecting you. you're talking and getting to know one another. >> serial dating. you see a lot of that. men and women. three or four dates a week. they all get mixed up. who's who? >> that is the biggest problem with this technology and online dating is that people are having three dates in one week and are not able to focus on a person sitting across from them because they're already thinking about the date they have the next night. so we recommend date one person in a week. i know that might sound like not too much but go on one date and if you like that person don't go

out with someone else. i'm not saying oh, we're exclusive. we're just saying give it a little more time. >> right. >> to get to know, you might like this person. >> pace yourself. >> space them and pace yourself. >> finally you are image consultants. you work with both men and women as we said. you do behavioral as we're talking about now and also appearance, too. best foot forward. that is so critical. >> yes. well, allison and i like to say, this is one analogy, that even the best cake in the world needs the right frosting. so no matter where you are, whether it's just at work or going to grab a sandwich at your local sandwich shop, make sure you look good. we've noticed a lot of people in the metropolitan area like to wear gray or black with the black shirt. >> at work. >> yeah, at work. then they go out and they may meet somebody. the problem is that they're not looking approachable. make sure you put on a splash of color. a little pop. some cool earrings or red shirt or a green shirt like i'm wearing. just something that will make you look more interesting. another thing we like to say is if you're going on a date after work, put a little shirt in your back so you can transition from

that day time look to a fun night time look. >> you never know when you'll run into that special someone. >> that's right. >> that's all the time we have, ladies. thank you so much. >> thank you. we like your pop of color. >> thanks. i knew you were coming. we have a busy weekend of dating for a lot of people and valentines, too. back over to you. >> all right. thank you all. coming up on news 4 at 4:00 a man hospitalized for stalking madonna has gotten loose. police are looking for him. a week ago we had temperatures in the 70s. this weekend they're going to take the plunge. storm 4 meteorologist veronica storm 4 meteorologist veronica jo

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we better bundle up. >> you better prepare for winter because it's coming this weekend. might not stick around for very long but it is coming this weekend. >> i know. took mine off today. you said it was too hot in here. >> we're talking about respectable cold this weekend for everybody not the kind of cold that is going to get laughed out of wint birr it is going to be mighty cold and windy and, yes, we're talking about a little snow this weekend, too. let's head on out and see what's going on. clouds have been increasing today but our temperatures are not too bad. mid and upper 40s across the

area. so 46 for right now. but a dramatic change coming this upcoming weekend. let's talk about it then. southwest wind at 8 miles per hour. we'll see a wind shift later tonight to more of a north-northeasterly direction. a little more moisture coming into the area showing up on radar. 48 degrees currently in fredericksburg. if it rains throughout the area, you can see the clouds advancing through. you can see where there is some precip and it has been falling for a while but right now we're seeing reports just to the west around la ray, a little bit of drizzle and way down to the southern part of west virginia a little light snow. this is showing up but is going to take a while to saturate the atmosphere. by 7:00 we'll see light rain and then for 11:00 p.m., 5:00 a.m., 7:00 a.m. a mixture of rain and snow as temperatures fall down to the low and mid 30s tonight. cold air will be on us. snow for most of us. rain south and east for the early part of the day tomorrow. then as we advance it through

we've got two systems actually affecting the area. a cold front coming through in an area of low pressure up the coast so really two rounds of snow for us. the first round most of the snow overnight, early tomorrow morning. we'll get a little bit of a break and then more for the afternoon and evening. then very windy conditions for sunday with that cold talking about wind chills in the single digits to start the day on sunday in the 20s and at best during the afternoon. so right there is your coating to an inch. waldorf, charles county, 1 to 2 with the low developing around the coast for lexington park, st. mary's, calvert county, southern most end 1 to 3. hagerstown just north of winchester, virginia. for the evening rain and snow develops. most of it after midnight. 38 to 43 degrees. then for tomorrow morning we're cloudy, cold. that rain is south and east. snow for most of us. 31 to 36. and then i think by tomorrow afternoon we can see gusts of 40 miles per hour with again a mixture of rain and snow. so it looks as though i think

our problem areas may come on area roads saturday. late afternoon and saturday evening. i don't think we'll have any trouble getting around tonight and early sunday morning with black ice. the high for tomorrow 42. that'll be early with falling temperatures after about lunch time when that cold air really starts to come in. >> okay. >> haven't seen black ice in a while. >> right. but sunday morning could be very problematic. >> thanks. still to come on news 4,

tloo welcome back to news 4 at 4:00. i'm pat lawson muse. >> i'm jim handly. here is what is happening at 4:30. now to the birth control debate. today president obama backed off the requirement for religious employers to provide free birth control coverage. now insurance companies will be required to provide the benefit. >> jerry sandusky's trial date has been set. it'll be may 14th. the former penn state coach is charged with 52 counts of child sexual abuse. a judge still has to decide whether the trial -- when the trial will be rather and whether sandusky will be allowed to leave home until his trial begins. >> a videotape of george huguely's first conversation

with detectives was played in open court today. the former uva la crosse player told police he shook jaredley love in her apartment but did not strangle her. he seemed surprised when police told him love was dead. huguely of chevy chase, maryland is standing trial for murdering love, a fellow la crosse player. stocks tumbled on this friday over concern about the debt crisis in greece. the dow logged the worst day of the year falling 89 points at the closing bell. the nasdaq and s&p snapped five-week winning streaks. the nasdaq closed down 23 points and the s&p 500 was off nine. the first trend in fashion week in new york this week is to recognize heart health awareness. >> christie brinkley and mika kelly headlined the event. >> reporter: it was a sea of red at the tenth annual heart truth red dress collection show.

new york fashion week kicked off with 18 celebs strutting their stuff down the catwalk for one cause, to raise awareness about heart health. >> heart disease is the number one killer of wichl and this was an opportunity couldn't pass up to raise awareness. >> a silent killer people don't know is the number one killer of women. >> women need to go to the doctor, get cholesterol tested, keep an eye on your blood pressure, and enjoy life. destress a little bit. because all of that will make a difference in your heart. >> reporter: hoping to make a difference by walking in this show many famous ladies, among them shacka kahn, linda evans, and gloria estefan who was having a little fun before she hit the runway. ♪ i know that you want to get your thing on ♪ you know the rest of it? ♪ i made up my mind about it there is no doubt about the power of the crimson clad

celebs. what a better way to get a woman's attention than with an event like this. there were some men on hand. michael phelps came out to support his mom debby who stopped on the runway to give him a kiss. >> she is having fun. it's what she does. >> reporter: whether a mom, model, or designer the message is the same. taking care of your heart never goes out of style. nbc news, new york. >> that is a lot of red there. coming up next on news 4 at 4:00 all week long we'll have special reports from fashion week up in the big apple. a man who served time in prison for stalking and threatening to kill madonna is back in police custody at this hour. police say robert dewey hoskins walked away from a state mental hospital last friday. they finally caught him earlier today. he served ten years in prison for stalking and threatening to kill madonna. the material girl even testified at the trial. he was sent to a state mental hospital and classified as

mentally disturbed after another run-in with police last year. maryland teenagers might soon be banned from using a tanning bed. a maryland senate committee is considering a bill that would prohibit anyone under 18 from using an electronic tanning bed. right now minors can use tanning beds with permission from their parents. but some lawmakers say teens don't have enough experience to consider the risks associated with artificial tanning. swedish scientists say they finally answered the question, why do zebras have stripes? the stripes are there to keep horse flies away. researchers studied card board cutouts of horses painted black and white. they also looked at models pa t painted all white or black. flies preferred the darker coats to the white coat but they stayed away from the striped models even more. the study can be found in the journal of experimental biology. >> interesting. >> here we thought nature was just being creative there. >> all random. coming up on news 4 at 4:00

kids onboard a school bus when all of a sudden the bus burst into flames. plus for the fifth time this cruise season a trip ends early because of

i've got extra blankets, extra logs. >> good. >> we're ready. >> yeah. >> we're ready. it's going to be a little storm in terms of snowfall so another

one of these nuisance storm systems. but it's going to be mighty cold. this cold that's coming in for the weekend is going to rival any of the coldest air we've had so far this winter. >> wow. >> you ready? it's going to stick around. i guess the fact that it comes the weekend means we can have a good book or movie right? let's head outside to see what's going on. some of the temperatures we're talking about for the overnight, early part of the day, in the mid 40s now but by the time we get to 9:00 around 41 degrees. i think there will be light rain falling. 39 by 11:00 p.m. with a mixture of rain and snow and then by the time we get to early tomorrow morning a mixture of rain and snow, 37 degrees the temperature. same thing at 7:00 a.m. so there is not going to be a lot going on during the day tomorrow. it's going to be overnight and then again tomorrow afternoon. here's a look at tomorrow afternoon's temperatures. 37 up in frederick. 42 in d.c. 44 in fredericksburg but the high temperatures will come pretty early in the day, about noon time.

then we'll see falling temperatures with one system coming through. the cold air rushing in. here is 9:00 p.m. there is your rain in green, in white. that's your snow to the north. frederick and up around hagerstown. by the time we get to midnight, and after midnight, there it comes. the snow so we could get a light coating by morning in many locations, waldorf, fredericksburg, lexington park. that is all rain. but a burst of snow for the overnight up until about 7:00, 8:00 a.m. tomorrow morning. then we'll get a bit of a break. watch what happens tomorrow afternoon around 2:00, around 4:00, around 6:00. we'll see that area of low pressure develop on the coast and we're going to get some more snow and that means for late afternoon, it means for sunday morning roads could be a little slick. coating to an inch for most locations. down around ocean city, they may get a little more than what we get here and certainly out in western maryland some of the high spots. leeward side of the mountains 5 to 10 inches of snow. what to expect? black ice and wind chills in the single digits early sunday morning. but again, just a nuisance storm for us.

let's check your four-day forecast. 42 on saturday. 34 on sunday. cold weekend. we bounce back into the mid 40s. valentine's day still looks like we could but a few flurries around the area. so the coldest air for a weekend and then we're right back up. >> okay. >> all right. thanks. >> i know we can handle it. when news 4 at 4:00 continues why firefighters took their frustrations out on police officers. i'm liz crenshaw. can you get reimbursed if a pothole causes damage to your car? that's the question. the answer is coming up on "ask liz" on news 4 at 4:00. and join us tonight on nbc washington nonstop at 9:00. catch nonstop foodies. doug kammerer takes us inside a belgian gastro pub known for its musse mussels. >> we'll head to a local favorite along celebrity designers. a furniture store with a one of a kind look. and lots of house wares with history. 9:30 tonight on nbc washington nonstop.

is it safe to freeze milk for later use? will jurisdictions reimburse you for pothole damage to your car? why do liquid hand soaps have an expiration date? liz crenshaw is here to answer these questions in this friday's edition of "ask liz." >> if you have extra milk a lot of times you wonder if you can freeze it. i like this question.

>> some of us do that all the time. >> now you can find out if it's okay. >> first question comes from a viewer in stephens city, virginia. is it okay to freeze your milk for later use? >> the mid-atlantic dairy association says you can safely freeze milk and that's true for whole milk, 2%, 1%, skim milk, all of them. it will safely keep in your freezer for up to three months though the texture and taste may change a bit. but when you do thaw the milk out be sure to do it in the refrigerator so it stays safe for consumption. go ahead and freeze it up and use it later. >> just not longer than three months. next question is from bob in mclean, virginia. he wants to know if a jurisdiction will reimburse you for pothole damage to your car. >> we checked with several jurisdictions to get this answer. in d.c. you file a claim with the city's office of risk management. each claim is handled on a case by case basis. in maryland you file your claim with the state treasurer's

office. again, each claim handled on a case by case basis. in virginia, you file your claim with your local v dot office. once again case by case basis. if your car does suffer serious damage you may want to file an insurance claim in case you are denied reimbursement from the city or the state. we also have more information on how you can contact your local claim office on our website as always nbc washington.com. in this case search pothole. that will help. >> our last question comes from mike who wrote in on facebook. mike wants to know why soaps like liquid hand soap have expiration dates. >> i never noticed. we got two questions on this this week. the american cleaning institute gave us this answer. it says that consumers may notice expiration dates on some hand soaps especially the anti-bacterial ones. that is because the food and drug administration regulates over-the-counter drugs and cosmetics, including anti-bacterial soaps. that expiration date helps the

fda be sure the soap's germ killing ingredient won't expire before a certain amount of time. so now we're smarter on that one. if you have a question you'd like us to consider for ask liz send it to ask liz@nbc washington.com. also connect with me on twitter. just search liz crenshaw and on facebook by searching liz crenshaw's consumer watch. coming up on news 4 at 5:00 tonight what happens to the sports gear made for the sports team that loses the championship? do child safety seats every expire? how do you get liquid paper whiteout out of your clothes? find out at 5:00 tonight. that could be ugly. >> let's hope we don't get too much of that. >> thanks. jim? up next why firefighters turn their hoses on police. plus, an investigation under way after a

instead of flowers maybe cup cakes are your valentine's day choice. >> they would work for me. wendy rieger joins us now with her app of the day. >> this is such a beautiful app from the crumbs bake shop. there are three crumbs locations here in the washington area. one in arlington, one over in trinidad and one in pin quarter. oh, my oh, my. wouldn't you rather have this than flowers? this cupcake will be on your

stomach and hips and thighs for a long, long time. you can actually send these cupcakes. you go to the -- you want to send a card with some cupcake greetings it's valentine's day, you tap here and decide ooh what image do i want? this pink one looks pretty. it's done. there you. you can send this with a coupon so that your little friend, your loved one, it says would you like to buy a recipient a crumbs cupcake gift certificate. you say yes i would and it's filled out and off it goes and is e-mailed to them. you put their name and stuff in. let's get back to the good stuff. this is just a really cool, clever way to just kind of send someone something a little bit different. and crumbs cupcakes out of new york are big. we got a lot of cupcakes. people here saying they like them better than the cupcake that starts with a g. so it's just another way since you're looking for something creative on valentine's day. do this instead. or maybe this and flowers.

all right? >> just ate vivicariously. >> i'm loving you just scroll your finger down the right-hand side. >> all righty. i'm not going to be able to do the 5:00 show now. and those are big ones. crumbs makes them big. >> that's what i hear. great. >> scrolling is lo-calorie. >> but burning calories. >> we'll see you in a few. hundreds of firefighters took to the streets in brussels today to send the prime minister there a very strong message. they're upset that the government plans to cut their retirement plans. those protesting sprayed police with water and with fire extinguishers. firefighters say they should be allowed to retire earlier than other workers because their jobs are more demanding. the government says everyone needs to work longer to help control the country's pension problem. investigators in north carolina are trying to determine what started this massive fire onboard a school bus in

charlotte. it happened wednesday afternoon when the bus was dropping kids off at home. the bus driver and all of the students onboard were able to get out without being injured. school officials believe the blaze began because of a problem with the heater. it's the same make and model as other school buses that have caught fire in north carolina over the past two years. when we come right back tonight on news 4 at 4:00 an outbreak on a cruise ship cuts outbreak on a cruise ship cuts the vacation short for

never in my lifetime did i think i could walk 60 miles in 3 days. 60 miles in 3 days is-- is huge. if my mom can fight and beat breast cancer, i can walk 60 miles. you just put one foot in front of the other, and you know that you're walking for such a great cause that you just keep going. (man) that you have all these people coming together for one common goal. (woman) the goal is to bring an end to breast cancer. (woman) the fund-raising was the easiest part. people were very giving. complete strangers wanting to help. if i can do this, you definitely can do this.

(woman) i'll never stop walking, not till we find a cure. (woman) and it has to end, but it starts with us. i knew someday i was gonna do this walk. it is the most rewarding experience i have ever had in my entire life. we can do this. you can do this. we can all do this together. (man) register today for the... and receive $25 off your registration fee. because everyone deserves a lifetime.

for the fifth time this year a cruise ship is forced back to port because a lot of passengers got terribly sick. health officials believe the norovirus is behind it. kerry sanders has the story. >> reporter: it was supposed to be an escape from the rat race but ill passengers say it was nothing close to paradise. >> it's ban nightmare. we lost two full days of our cruise. we spent thousands of dollars for this cruise to stay in my room, vomiting, diarrhea. >> reporter: the 951-foot long cruise ship crowned princess was sanitized six days ago after the cdc alerted what they call a code red. 289 passengers and crew members hit with the virus. but despite that cleanup, the

crown princess on its next voyage returned two days early with even more passengers getting sick. this as another ship, the ruby princess, was also hit. 105 passengers and crew, too ill to leave their cabins. >> i did get sick. i was confined to my room. i felt like i was in prison. >> reporter: princess says that the first sign of the spreading illness, we immediately initiated additional enhanced sanitation procedures to interrupt the person-to-person spread of this virus. norovirus as seen under the microscope lives in moisture like the natural oils in the palm of your hand. medical experts say it's easily passed in close quarters like a ship where people touch the same railings. the average person touches their face 16 times every waking hour making it very easy say doctors to infect through the mouth or eyes. nbc's dr. nancy schneiderman says noreau is a particularly

pesky virus to quarantine and eliminate. >> the really sort of frightening part in all of this is that even after you've had it and you're feeling better you can still share the virus and pass it on. the cruise line is refunding passengers and offering discounts on future trips. news 4 at 5:00 starts right now. now from washington's leading news station. this is news 4 at 5:00. today we've reached a decision on how to move forward. a contraceptive compromise. today the white house says workers must have access to free birth control but that religious organizations don't have to pay for it. >> george huguely weeps as prosecutors replay his police interview hours after his ex-girlfriend yardley love was found dead.

and good evening on this friday. i'm wendy rieger. >> i'm jim handly. it's the weather we're talking about this weekend, folks. that story in a moment. first we begin with the stuff that has blown in falling temperatures and some snow. >> parts of our area are now under a winter weather advisory. let's get the latest from doug. >> reporter: it is off to the north. we're talking about areas toward northern maryland and the panhandle of west virginia. yeah we do have winter weather coming in here. most of us though this is not going to be a snow event. it is going to be a cold event. some of the coldest air we've seen so far this season. winds out of the west-northwest at 6 miles per hour. temperature currently at 43 degrees under cloudy skies. take a look at the temperatures around the region. 37 back toward cumberland, maryland. 36 back to the west in petersburg, west virginia where they are seeing some snow right now. down to the south and east fredericksburg at 48. 42 degrees in patuxent river where we're going to be seeing rain. we'll see a m