fields on the riverside. we are told that there has, indeed, been one person shot, one person taken away. we don't know the circumstances of this. there are reports that the victim is a male. now, there has been no indication that there is any sort of search or lookout for any sort of suspect here, so we don't -- the circumstances around the shooting are still up in the air at this point. an ambulance did arrive shortly after 8:00 and took someone away. police remain on the scene now. there are several cars parked in the middle of the crime scene. this is actually abraham lincoln's birthday, and there was a small delegation of folks here who were here for an annual wreath-laying ceremony at the lincoln memorial. they had parked here and walked over to the memorial. now they are awaiting the clearance from police to get their cars, because those cars are in the heart of the crime scene. wherever this seems to have happened, it looks like it was down that hill slightly, right

on the banks of the river. we are still awaiting more information about the circumstances of this incident, but we, again, are told that there has been a shooting here near independence and ohio drive. one person, a male, no identity beyond that, has been pronounced dead here on the scene. we'll have more information as it becomes available later in the newscast. live on the mall, derrick ward news 4. >> and you mentioned there is still no real word on whether there is a search for somebody or a possible shooter, so is it fair to say that police don't believe there is a threat to the public right now? >> reporter: there is no visual indication that i can see. the park police helicopter was up for a while and has sort of left the scene now. there are fewer police here than were here at the very beginning of this incident, so it is now about crime scene investigation. we haven't been given any information from our sources about a lookout for anyone. so, what that means would be speculation at this point, but the only thing that we have

solid is that there has indeed been a shooting here. >> all right. >> derrick ward thank you very much for that from the mall. and now to this morning's other big story, the death of whitney houston. her fans are in shock a day after the pop diva was found dead. >> tributes are going up across the country for the singer and actress who died at the beverly hilton hotel in california yesterday afternoon. >> everybody was just shocked when they heard about it. they just couldn't believe it. >> the apollo theater in new york city changed their marquee last night to honor houston. she filmed the music video for her song "the greatest love of all" at the apollo in 1986. right now, the singer's body is in a morgue pending an autopsy. investigators are trying to determine the cause of death. jinah kim has more on the investigation and her career. ♪ heaven, hear me now ♪

♪ and i will always love you >> reporter: she was the undisputed queen of the charts through the '80s and '90s. she then reigned over the big screen in blockbuster hits like "the bodyguard." on saturday afternoon, it was her bodyguard who found whitney houston dead in her beverly hills hotel room. >> they found ms. houston unresponsive in her hotel room. they attempted to start resuscitation measures. they were not successful, unfortunately. >> reporter: detectives who continued their investigation through the night say there are no indications it was a crime and say there are no obvious signs of drugs. it was drugs, alcohol and a turbulent relationship with former husband bobby brown that turned her skyrocketing career into a downward spiral. but recently, she was attempting to revive her stardom with a new movie and album. >> it did seem like whitney houston was trying to make a comeback of sorts. she had a very big movie role in "sparkle," and she was

campaigning actively to get a seat on "the x-factor" judges table. >> reporter: but in photos taken earlier this week, houston again appeared disheveled and drowsy. overnight, tributes sprang up across the country in her honor. >> there will never be another whitney. >> reporter: and at the beverly hilton, where houston was to attend a star-studded, pre grammy gala hosted by her mentor, clive davis, fellow artists mourned her loss. >> that voice, oh, my god. no one has ever come close to that voice. >> the voice, you know, her voice. it just, it's, it's -- we're very sad. >> i am personally devastated by the loss of someone who has meant so much to me through so many years. >> reporter: now, the grammiwards, which gets dearway later today in los angeles, is already the music industry's biggest night, but now it's expected to prove even more popular as millions around the world tune in to see how whitney houston is memorialized.

in beverly hills, jinah kim, nbc news. >> houston's ex-husband performed last night in mississippi. on stage, he said, "first of all, i want to tell you that i love you all. second, i would like to say, i love you, whitney. the hardest thing for me to do is to come on this stage." singer lionel ritchie says, "i am devastated by the loss of whitney. we have lost a true angel. my prayers, my heart goes out to her family. we have lost an extraordinary voice to the world." >> stay with news 4 and nbcwashington.com for continuing coverage on the death of whitney houston. we'll have a live report from los angeles on the passing of the 48-year-old music icon coming up later in this hour. and tune in for a special edition of "dateline nbc" tonight, looking back at whitney houston's life and career. it airs tonight at 7:00 p.m. right here on nbc 4. and our other big story of

the morning, we're following a lot this morning, folks, and the weather, it is what some people call stupid cold. >> stupid cold! >> i think i stole that from tom kierein. >> that's all right. it's sort of an unusual switch this winter because we've been so mild. february, up through yesterday, was seven degrees warmer than average following a january that was plus five and a december that was plus five. so, we really have not had any seriously cold weather this winter. that's not the case today. so, as you step out the door this morning, be ready for it. you're definitely going to need your heaviest winter jacket, earmuffs, your gloves, your scarfs. and for, as we always note, kids under 40 pounds, rocks in the pockets. it's a windy one out there as well. temperatures are in the mid-20s around town. 26 here in washington but 21 in montgomery county, 25 in fairfax, 25 ma nasa, 27 fredericksburg. these are your current wind gusts across the area, mostly between 25 and 35 miles per hour. you factor that in with the temperatures and check out your

windchill, 14 in downtown. 14 the windchill at manassas. martinsburg, shivering up there in the panhandle this morning. 6 the current windchill in martinsbur martinsburg, west virginia, 5 in hagerstown. wind advisories are dropped, but still, we could see winds gusting 30 miles per hour or more during the day. good news is the snow has ended and the sun's out. snow streamers across ohio and pennsylvania are not coming our way, so we'll be dry for your sunday. dry but windy and cold. high temperatures today only in the upper 20s in the high spots to low 30s around town. windchills will stay in the teens for much of the day, turning a little milder tomorrow. we'll talk about our next chance of precipitation, which for now, anyway, looks like it's going to be mostly rain. >> all right, we'll take it. >> for now. >> i like how you act like that sun's going to help us out today. >> well, if you're sitting inside looking out, it won't be so bad. >> stay on the sunny side of the street. >> that may not help too much today. i think you'll need to be on the other side of the window. >> let's be honest.

thank you, chuck. 9:07 right now. a big win for mitt romney this weekend, and we're not just talking about the maine caucus. why his victory in a virginia college's mock election is so important. and you've heard about tebowing, but what about zaching? how one local college student is inspiring complete strangers around the world.

more intrigue in the republican race for president. mitt romney won the maine caucus last night, taking home 39% of the vote. ron paul was a close second at 36%. romney's win helps him take back a bit of the momentum after losing in colorado, minnesota and missouri. next up for the gop candidates are primaries in arizona and michigan at the end of the month. >> with the win, romney has a big lead right now -- >> i'll take. >> okay, why don't you take it?

>> with the win, romney has a big lead in the delegate count at 124. newt gingrich, rick santorum and ron paul are all bunched up together, far behind romney. gingrich currently has 38 delegates, santorum has 37, paul has 27. now, to win the nomination outright, one of the candidates needs to secure 1,144 delegates. >> it's about one country united under god. we aren't red americans. we're not blue americans. we're red, white and blue, and president obama, we are through with you! [ cheers and applause ] >> now, romney won an important symbolic competition, the cpac straw poll. romney took home 38% of the poll among conservative activists. rick santorum came in second at 31%. most of the attention, as you see, went to sarah palin, the former vice presidential candidate who fired up the crowd, saying republicans need

to band together to defeat president obama. angie, let's send it back over to you. >> okay. well, with mitt romney's win in maine, it tightens up an already neck-and-neck race. "meet the press" moderator david gregory joined us earlier today. he says don't expect the end any time soon in the republican battle for president. >> we're in a situation here where this is a hunt for delegates. there's not going to be a coronation. this is going to go on for a while. romney is still viewed as the favorite to get this nomination, has every path available to him to secure it. and gingrich and santorum are much, much longer shots. but as long as mitt romney has a hard time connecting with conservatives -- and he does -- there are going to be questions about him in the party. >> gregory added that while there still is a possibility that there could be a brokered convention in august, the upcoming super tuesday primary should help clear things up when it comes to a nominee. romney also had a big win yesterday that did not bring him any delegates but does bode well for his chances for the

nomination. washington and lee university selected romney as the winner in its mock republican convention. this is the lexington, virginia's 25th mock presidential election, which always selects the nominee of the party out of power, and they've done a pretty good job with their track record. students have only been wrong twice in selecting the nominee. and another interesting selection the vp candidate. students picked virginia governor bob mcdonell as romney's running mate. well, clint eastwood's super bowl commercial got a lot of attention a week ago, as some felt that it was a campaign ad for president obama. well, "saturday night live" tackled the issue head on. >> guess what? halftime's over. we're in the third quarter now, america, and we're way behind. so, i don't care if obama runs the ball or romney throws a touchdown or ron paul kicks a field goal with his tiny little

chicken legs. i'll tell you right now, though, i ain't putting santorum in the game. he can stand on the sideline doing cheers in his little sweater vests. >> well, bill hadar played the iconic actor, mocking the "halftime in america" ad from last week. throughout the show, hadar's rants became more and more absurd, at one point saying the commercial was actually for a pizza chain. >> and who would that be in reference to? >> i don't know, herman cain? godfather pizza? >> 9-9-9. >> order a pizza or what? a little, a nice, hot slice of pizza might not be such a bad thing. you know, what problem can't hot cheese and bread and stuff fix? >> no problem. >> every problem can be cured with pizza! anyway, we'll talk about your sunday forecast, coming up. as you can see, i'm in a tricky situation here.

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♪ heaven, hear me now this morning, the music world is mourning the loss of whitney houston. she died at a hotel in beverly hills yesterday. singer barbra streisand sent this message on twitter -- "she had everything, beauty, a magnificent voice. how sad her gifts could not bring her the same happiness they brought us." stay with news 4 for continuing coverage online at nbcwashington.com. well, today, fairfax county families can get some free tax help wi help. with tax day fast approaching, a local tax company is looking to help you with your filings. deloitte is sponsoring its fifth annual community tax assistance day, which helps families making less than $49,000 a year. it will take place at the falls church skills source center on

leesburg pike from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. be sure to bring your photo i.d., social security card and any important tax information. there will also be free onsite child care available. for more information, visit ndacash.org. well, it's become the symbol in the fight against cancer for a young man in our area, who angie had the good fortunate to meet. zach lederer is the basketball manager at the university of maryland, and he is battling brain cancer. >> very inspirational kid. on a recent trip to the hospital, he did his best strongman pose, and now "zaching" is everywhere. at the university of maryland, zach lederer is a big man on campus, not for his size, but his heart. the 18-year-old student from ellicott city first beat cancer at age 11. seven years later, it returned. >> when you hear cancer, obviously, first thing that runs through your mind is, you know, death, you know, chemo,

obviously hospitals, terrible things, but dr. carson, you know, put it in a good way. he said "another opportunity," and i thought, you know, what a great way to put it. >> reporter: two weeks ago, surgeons at johns hopkins removed a cancerous tumor from zach's brain. >> i'm drugged up. i don't remember too well. i make the muscles and i say, "dad, take a picture." my main thought was i don't want anybody worrying about me. you have your problems, he has his problems, don't worry about me. >> reporter: his father posted the picture on facebook. his cousins saw, struck the same pose and declared tebowing out and zaching in. before they knew it, zach's strongman pose went viral. online, everyone from marines in california to police in howard county were zaching. then there were sushi chefs, fraternity guys, animals, zach's grandma, coach turgeon, darryl from "the office" and even the naked cowboy in times square. governor martin o'malley got word and made a call. did you get the governor to do

any zaching? >> no, maybe i will. maybe i'll get him to zach. but yeah, we just talked about how the hospital stay went, how i'm feeling. i told him i'm feeling as good as ever. >> reporter: offline, the support just as strong. with fund-raisers like this one at a restaurant in ellicott city to support zach and others with cancer. >> everybody coming together to show their support just makes this ordeal a little bit more palatable. >> reporter: after surgery, zach, a student manager for the basketball team, is back on court but knows chemo is just a few weeks away. this time, he's more motivated than ever with constant reminders to stay tough. >> it means the world to me. the zaching, in my mind, represents is that, you know, we're strong, we're together and we're going to make it through. >> and you saw a couple celebrities in there, and dane cook also started zaching. >> nice. >> he got a nice, big hat that actually says "zach." so, it's spreading. and if you want to share your pictures, use the #zaching on twitter and we're collecting them. >> you know, the governor's on

the phone for you. i wonder, do you think there's someone playing a joke on you? >> and we want to call out for governor o'malley asking for a zaching picture, and we have yet to receive one, if you're watching, governor. >> well, i know the governor is a big worker-outer, so i have the feeling he has the guns to go zaching if he needs to. >> if there's time to show your gun show, it'd be now. >> exactly. for us, we need to do the bundle. >> the bundle. >> if you're going outside. the bundle is this. >> what is it? okay. >> this is what you'll be doing if you're going outside. >> like you have a stomach ache. >> you don't have to necessarily bend over, but anything to conserve body heat, that's what you need to do. an extra layer of winter clothing is highly recommended if you're going outside today. earmuffs and scarves and hats and gloves, all the stuff that you've got in winter closet that you really haven't had a chance to wear all winter. outside, the sunshine is streaming through, but don't be fooled by the sight of the sun. it's plenty cold out there. you can see on our picture from the city camera view a little bit of ice forming there on the

potomac. don't go out on the ice, kids. the ice, no matter where you are around here this winter, that ice is way too thin. so, be real careful. a lot of little small lakes and ponds around the area have plenty of ice out there. that ice is just oh, so very, very thin, so be careful. don't go out on it. 26 right now at national airport. winds are starting to pick up just a bit again, out of the northwest at 15, gusting to 24 miles per hour. and winds are going to gust mainly between 25 and 35 miles an hour for much of the remainder of your sunday. air temperatures in the low to mid-20s across the region this morning. and windchills are in the single digits and teens. so, it is definitely a real feel of winter out there. that's going to be the case for the remainder of the day. it even looks like the lincoln memorial is shivering out there. that's just the wind blowing our camera. 27 by 10:00 a.m., 34 for a brief, fleeting moment this afternoon, we'll get above the freezing mark. don't expect it to last long. most everybody will be back below freezing 6:00 p.m. or

shortly thereafter. wind gusts today 25 to 35, maybe as much as 40 miles per hour, especially for you folks in the higher terrain towards front royal, winchester, martinsburg, charlestown. good news is for snow haters, all the snow showers are gone. we had three little squalls of snow yesterday, not any today. these snow showers here in pittsburgh will not be making it over the mountains. you folks in southern-most pennsylvania might get a flake, but nothing around the washington area. dry down to the texas coast. that is actually our next chance for rain around here, but it doesn't look to be arriving until the second half of the day on tuesday. so, cold and windy, those are the two words for tuned for the overnight hours tonight. winds will start to lay down just a bit during the course of the day tomorrow and late in the day high clouds start coming. in and by 9:00 a.m. tuesday morning, skies going from partly to mostly cloudy. may have a little snow in the beginning out in western maryland, but i think here it will be rain. today, partly sunny, windy and cold, temperatures struggling to

get into the upper 20s and low 30s. the all-important forecast tomorrow, the warming trend continues, highs near 42. 45 wednesday, but with the clouds and a chance for rain around, that will feel an awful lot like a wintry day. mostly cloudy wednesday, another chance for rain, maybe a little snow late thursday night into friday. you can always follow me on twitter. and see, look at this. i give out good advice and it is taken just like that. >> what are you talking about? >> you took to this advice like ducks take to water. >> what are you talking about? >> aims not talking about anything, apparently. i like it, though. >> it's so cold outside, we have to bundle up inside. >> we could call an engineer and have them turn the ac down -- >> can't hear you. >> i said it looks great! >> thank you. >> all right, thank you, chuck. the time right now, 9:26. >> if you enjoy watching the redskins game on tv, you may have to thank richard nixon for that. we'll explain why, ahead. and a giant sign falls on to i-66 during broad daylight.

what caused the accident and what vdot is doing. can rick santorum keep up the momentum? president obama hosts an important meeting with china and the administration's 2013 budget plan is released. i'm andrew gross substituting for dominico montanaro and this is "the week ahead." on monday, the gop campaigns stay out west. mitt romney will hold a raleigh eye in mesa, arizona, while santorum will be in washington state. and it's budget day in washington as the president's 2013 budget starts rolling off the printing presses and into the hands of congress. on tuesday, president obama will host the vice president of china, xi jingping at the white house. the relationship has been rocky of late with differences on syria and iran. and on friday, newt gingrich will campaign in his home state of georgia while romney attends a fund-raiser in boise, idaho. that's it for me. i'm andrew gross and that's your

look at "the week ahead."

welcome to "news 4 today."

i'm chris gordon. >> and i'm angie goff. our big story this morning, the death of whitney houston. >> the pop icon was found dead in her los angeles hotel room last night. nbc's jinah kim is live in hollywood this morning. what's the mood out there, jinah? >> reporter: well, chris, we're in beverly hills, actually, at the beverly hilton, and whitney houston was staying at the beverly hilton. by now, the crowds have really dissipated, but even as of 2:00 this morning, about four hours ago, there was still a throng of people, fans, celebrity, police, and it was really interesting because they were silence tansly mourning and celebrating her while investigating her. in fact, police wrapped up a ten-hour investigation before they took off earlier this morning without saying a word to reporters. there still remains a little memorial and a candlelight vigil with flowers over there on the corner of wilshire and santa

monica. that is growing, obviously, this morning, but we don't expect too much more police activity today. at this point, it's going to be up to the toxicology and autopsy reports to try to determine exactly how whitney houston died. >> do you know how long that might take? and we do not want to pursue any rumors, only what has been confirmed. how long are they saying it might take to determine a cause of death? >> reporter: you know, if michael jackson and other celebrities that have passed away here in los angeles is any indication, it could be days, but most likely, it will be weeks. those toxicology reports are done and then they're done again to verify the findings, and then the da's office gets involved to see if there was anything criminal that they might be able to find out, and then the police department has to make sure everything's good before it's released to the public. i suspect we probably won't know for at least a week, if not longer. >> a story that's so hard to believe. thank you. jinah kim reporting live from

beverly hills. >> reporter: thank you. well, vdot announced that it will inspect highway signs that are similar to the one that fell and landed on a pickup truck. it happened yesterday afternoon along i-66 and monument drive in fairfax county. the sign was more than 30 feet tall with a 28-foot arm that extended over the interstate. the driver of the truck was not injured. vdot is still trying to determine what went wrong. police arrested a man accused of opening fire after a high school basketball game. one of those bullets grazed a woman in the head. police say johnnie kamara was part of a large fight at gar-field high school in woodbridge friday night. police say he began shooting at people in the old triangle and sigel court area. the woman who was hit is expected to survive. a prince william county elementary school is hoping to reopen tomorrow after a norovirus outbreak. right now, crews are disinfecting henderson elementary school in montclair. on friday, the health department

confirmed the presence of the virus after several students and teachers were suffering from severe vomiting and diarrhea. school officials sent out a letter to parents asking that anyone with symptoms stay home for at least a day. recently unearthed tapes reveal president richard nixon was a big fan of football but not a big fan of then commissioner pete rozelle. nixon was recorded in 1972 saying he was furious with the nfl's blackout policy which blocked any game from being televised in the city it was played. nixon told his attorney general he would do whatever it took to make sure games were televised. eventually, congress passed a law in 1973 banning the league from blacking out any game that was sold out three days before kickoff. all right, i get to do sports here. it is one of the best rivalries in college basketball, maryland versus duke. unfortunately, the last few games haven't been so kind to

the terps. terrell stoegland struggled, scoring only 13 points. duke's tandem of miles and mason plumley dominated maryland, combining for 29 points and 32 rebounds. the blue devils dominated maryland, the final 73-55. 20th-ranked virginia had a tough task against 5th-ranked north carolina. the game was tied at 37 early in the second half, but the tar heels were just too much for the cavs, going on a 33-12 run at the end of the game. north carolina downs virginia 70-52. and george mason university stays atop the caa standings with a win over unc wilmington. ryan pearson led them with 15 points as they defeated the seahawks 75-69. the patriots are now 23-6 on the season. angie? all right, we've got to show the george mason mug. got to show the george mason

mug. way to go, patriots. >> props. all right, the biggest superstar in new york sports right now is not derek jeter or eli manning, but a 23-year-old point guard from harvard. jeremy lin once again shined for the knicks, helping new york defeat minnesota 100-98. lin was all over the place, chipping in 20 points, six rebounds and eight assists. the knicks have won five straight and hope to keep the streak alive on tuesday night when they take to the court against toronto. meanwhile, it seems like lin-sanity has reached a fever pitch. his jersey is sold out at madison square garden, and he set a record for points in his first three games as a starter. all this from an undrafted 23-year-old who only played in 29 games last season. but it appears lin-sanity, it's here to stay. >> this guy's electric, and the team's playing with excitement. >> it's kind of like the disney story, because he wasn't even given a chance. >> the garden is rocking.

every time he touches the ball, you feel the energy because he's going to do something exciting with the basketball. >> lin has also made history in another way. he's the first chinese-american player to ever play in the nba. >> you know, there have been stories that because he's trying to live in new york, he can't afford it, he is sleeping on the couch of his brother's apartment. >> really? >> yeah. >> makes it even that much more sweeter. >> his rookie card just went for $1,900 on ebay, so i think he'll be able to afford a place soon. >> and even though they're sold out at madison square garden, the jerseys are available online. it's 9:37. somebody is $325 million richer this morning. it's not us. we'll have the winning numbers from the powerball drawing and where the winning ticket was sold. also ahead, a real dogfight. the westminster kennel club cuts ties with one of its biggest sponsors, and it's all because of a commercial. details straight ahead.

welcome back. our "wednesday's child" this morning is a 14-year-old who has a lot of aspirations for his future. >> tyrell loves karate. he says it's helped him gain the confidence to pursue many of his dreams, including finding a adoptive forever family. here's news 4's barbara harrison. >> when i first started, i started with no belt and then i started with white and then i started with gold. >> reporter: 14-year-old tyrell says when he discovered martial arts it changed his life. >> all right, nice to meet you. i'm master smith. this is master wilson. >> reporter: the team of on the mat in bethesda welcomed tyrell for his first visit there. they invited him to show a little of what he's learned and started with a student pledge, the tenants of tae kwon do. >> courtesy. >> courtesy. >> integrity.

>> integrity. >> self-control. >> self-control. >> perseverance. >> perseverance. >> reporter: these are the qualities tyrell says he's tried to incorporate in his entire life. he's been in foster care almost his entire life and says the practice of karate and tae kwon do got his life going in a positive direction. the discipline he learned in his first classes got him interested in doing well in everything he does. >> he loves to do chores and he loves school and he's also very shy in the beginning, then he warms up to you and he'll talk to you. >> give me one more. let's reset. >> what's your favorite subject at school? >> math. >> are you good at math? >> yes. >> what kind of grades are you making? >> i'm making "a"s. >> reporter: not all as, he says, but he's hoping to one day be on the honor roll, a goal inspired by his first teacher who introduced him to the art of karate. >> two and one and open. >> hello, sir. how are you? [ applause ] >> what's going on?

>> reporter: were you surprised to see him? >> yes. >> reporter: how long has it been? >> about a year. >> reporter: did you see a lot of changes over the period that you were working with him? >> yes. head up. a lot of accountability. he's a great receptive to structure, very resentive to discipline and setting goals, right? >> yes, sir. >> reporter: he showed off some of his skills to master andrew, who rewarded him with a black stripe on his gold belt. >> congratulations, sir. [ applause ] >> reporter: the team from on the mat has some gifts, too, for tyrell. congratulations! >> thank you. >> reporter: barbara harrison, news 4, for "wednesday's child." >> if you have room in your home and your heart for tyrell or another child who is waiting, please call our special adoption hotline. the number is 1-888-2-adopt-me, or visit our home page, nbcwashington.com. now, if anybody is expecting to spend some time outdoors this afternoon, your advice would be?

>> i would say dress very, very warmly and keep moving. that's always the key. the faster and more you move, the warmer you feel and get, so that's my advice to you. what about the rest of the next seven days? are you going to need to keep moving for the next seven days continuously? we'll give you that forecast, coming up. ♪ [ male announcer ] no success is overnight. ♪ it's about working harder. ♪ and smarter. ♪ it's the culmination of a million decisions. it's where you see yourself going and how you choose to get there. the all-new 2013 gs. our boldest response ever. there's no going back. ♪

there's no going back. today my journey continues across the golden state, where everyone has been unbelievably nice. mornin'. i guess i'm helping them save hundreds on car insurance. it probably also doesn't hurt that i'm a world-famous advertising icon. cheers! i mean, who wouldn't want a piece of that? geico. ah... fifteen minutes could save you fifteen percent oh dear... or more on car insurance.

okay, so, the good news is, we're going to get sunshine, but -- >> well, now, we do need some cold in the winter. we really do. >> yeah? >> you know, the flowers and trees depend on a little chill time, you know, and i've been joking about it. i have not actually spoken to an entomologist in person to find out if the mosquitos will literally come out of the ground the size of birds -- >> you are scared of these mosquitos. >> have you lived in washington for any length of time? >> yes, i have my anti-itch

cream i carry. >> be very afraid. if we don't get any cold, it's going to be bad, you'll see. >> i'm afraid of the stink bugs. >> we have finally a little cold air around here for your sunday. perfect day for sitting inside with your friends and family. how about a nice, big pot of homemade onyou know soup? yes, indeed, that would good-bye, wouldn't it? outside we go, bright sunshine, but don't be fooled. look at our camera shaking and shivering in the wind early this morning. as you look down there on to the waters of the potomac, ah, look at that, white caps on the potomac this morning. that's one of our truest indications of how strong the winds are getting out there. 26 degrees the current temperature here in washington. winds out of the northwest 15 to 25 miles per hour, but the winds are gusting much higher than that in some places not too far from downtown. it's 25 in leesburg and herndon right now, 25 in manassas, 28 degrees in fredericksburg, dale city 27, waldorf, la plata,

charlotte hall 24 degrees this morning. you factor in, see how strong the winds are blowing. look at the wind gusts now, 25 to 35 miles per hour pretty much areawide. that's lowering the windchills down into the single digits and teens. so, it's really going to feel like winter outside today. high temperatures will inch above the freezing mark but only for a couple of hours between about 3:00 and 5:00 today. then we'll be back down well below freezing overnight tonight. the wind advisories have been allowed to be dropped across the area, but we'll still see the gusts between 30 and 40 miles per hour for much of the day, so be on the lookout for that. doppler radar shows not much going on around us. there are a few flakes around central pennsylvania. you folks right along the mason-dixon line might see a snowflake or two, but once you get east of the blue ridge, that's not going to be much of a problem. our next chance for any precipitation, which looks like it's going to be mostly rain, is way down here across the southern part of texas. it will be rolling in our direction as we get towards the second half of the day on tuesday. so, here's our future weather

forecast. high pressure sitting back across the midwest. that's what's funneling the cold air in. so, we'll get a mix of clouds and sunshine today. the snows continue for snow lovers. the ski resorts out towards wisp in far western maryland. the snows will continue to pile up there. they have had between 6 and 12 inches of snow across western maryland, where we didn't get that much. high clouds race back tomorrow and maybe a flake or two early tuesday out across the mountains of west virginia, but by the time it gets to us, i think it will be rain. today, partly sunny, windy and cold, highs only into the low to mid-30s at best, and there's the rest of your seven-day forecast. a chilly one again tomorrow. mostly a rain chance it looks like late in the day tuesday and maybe a rain, sort of snow chance thursday night and friday. stay ahead of the forecast by following me on twitte twitter, @chuckbell4. >> nothing to get too excited about. thanks, chuck. animal lovers, we joyce, the westminster kennel club dog show begins this week, but one thing will be missing, according to "the new york times."

the show cut ties with longtime sponsor pedigree after 24 years. according to the report, it's because of pedigree's commercials featuring sad-eyed dogs up for adoption. the westminster kennel club issued a statement saying "the show is a celebration of the dogs in our lives." the westminster kennel club dog show starts tomorrow. and the time right now just nine minutes away from the 10:00 hour. he has become one of the faces of hurricane katrina. this morning, we're learning that former new orleans mayor ray nagin is the focus of a federal investigation. the allegations against the

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to help fund the payroll tax cut. it's simple. more spectrum means more freedom. for everyone. the music world is mourning the loss of an iconic singer, superstar and pop diva whitney houston died at a hotel in beverly hills yesterday. her fans are reacting on social media. sue francis writes on our facebook page, "her poor daughter, my thoughts and prayers are with her." donna mcpherson writes, "when she sang the star spangled banner in 1991, so moving and inspirational in so many ways." >> and remember to stay with news 4 and nbcwashington.com for continuing coverage on the death of whitney houston. we're going to have a live report from los angeles on the passing of the 48-year-old music

icon coming up later today. >> and tune in for a special edition of "dateline" looking back at whitney houston's life and career, tonight at 7:00 p.m. right here on nbc 4. federal investigators are looking into former new orleans mayor ray nagin, as there are claims he accepted free tips and other gifts. this stems from a city hall bribery investigation of some former nagin administration officials who pleaded guilty over the years. nagin said he hasn't been contacted by investigators but federal officials believe that the former mayor took bribes and kickbacks in exchange for helping out certain people and companies. "the chris matthews show" follows us this morning, and then it is "meet the press" with david gregory. let's check in with chris and david to see what they're working on. >> good morning, washington! coming up at 10:00 on "the chris matthews show," two huge

political explosions this week. first, rick santorum womping mitt romney in the three primary states. if this week didn't sink mitt romney, he at least hit an iceberg. how can republicans get excited about him? and also, the revolt of the catholics over the white house's decision on contraceptives. did the president himself misread the politics of his ruling? plus, the new hbo movie about john mccain's risky choice of sarah palin. it's amazing how they captured the behind-the-scenes drama here. join me and john howman, clarence page, gloria borger and kathleen parker for a great roundtable today. now for what's coming up on "meet the press," here's david gregory. david? >> thanks, chris. good morning. coming up, the return of the culture wars sparked by the white house's controversial decision on birth control. this morning i'll talk to the president's new chief of staff, jack lew, about that and other issues. then, live from the campaign trail, presidential candidate rick santorum, he's got the ht t hand as he vies for the nomination. we'll talk about the birth

control decision and other issues and how he's trying to energize conservatives, plus other political news, the conference last night, the cpac gathering of conservatives and how republicans are sizing up obama. that's on the "political roundtable" coming up on "meet the press" and stay tuned for my "press pack" conversation with tony perkins, head of the research council, only here on nbc 4. >> thank you very much. this morning, at least one person is waking up nearly $300 million richer. >> the winning powerball ticket was sold in rhode island. the winning numbers are 1, 10, 37, 52, 57 and the powerball

♪ pierre! your fashion is so "right now," but your banking is so last season! earn more with high yield free checking at capital one bank. instead of some unfashionable rate, your checking could be earning five times the national average. and free atms anywhere. five times the interest? that's hot.

oooooo! let's catwalk! you want more interest? open an account at a capital one bank. what's in your wallet? does this make my tuches look big? in more ways than ever. and our networks are getting crowded. but if congress frees up more wireless spectrum, we can empower more people to innovate, create jobs, and put momentum behind our economy. and a spectrum auction could raise as much as 30 billion dollars