good morning, everyone. welcome to "news4 midday." i'm barbara harrison. thursday, february 23, 2012. we begin this morning with the weather because interest isn't often in washington that we get to talk about 70-degree temperatures in february. storm 4 meat meet tom kierein joins us with the first forecast. tom? >> springtime in february. indeed. we have got flowers blooming now. daffodils are up. crocuses are up. the temperatures are up as well. right now reagan national at 61 degrees. look at culpeper, they are up to 63, fredericksburg 62.

farther west and north we are in the mid and upper 50s now. baltimore now is at 60. it is near 60 right by the chesapeake bay. we have a southwesterly breeze bringing in the warmer weather and we have just a few clouds coming through. we have a delightful blue sky with puff write white clouds coming over us now. and for the rest of the afternoon, you will just revel in this springlike weather. we will have it into the upper 60s to near 70 by mid afternoon. under a partly cloudy sky. light breezes. changing direction from time to time. and does look like another mild day tomorrow. but we will have big changes on the way beginning tomorrow and into the weekend as well. i will have all the latest on that coming right up, barbara. >> thank you, tom. we will see you here shortly. this surprisingly warm weather has everyone enjoying it while it lasts. news4's megan mcgrath is live outside, of course, on a die like this, who wouldn't want to be? she is enjoying it, too.

>> reporter: absolutely. i'm enjoying it. i love these stories when you get unexpected weather and get to be out in it. take a look behind me. i'm not the only one. we have folks enjoying their coffee here at the starbucks. few minutes ago the workers were setting up the outdoor seating, getting ready for the lunch rush. no doubt a lot of people will choose to eat their fajitas outside today. it is going to be absolutely gorgeous. now we have been out and about. we have seen all the flowers that are in bloom. we have been talking to folks. people are just happy to see this little piece of spring and are hoping it lasts. flowering trees and small snow drops on one street. purple cr purple crocuses and daffodils. squirms are frolicking. all signs point to pring. but it is only february 23rd. >> really crazy. i feel like mother mate is on drugs. >> it is so nice. i'm ready for spring, ready for it to be warm again. >> reporter: do you think it will last? >> i hope so. >> reporter: punxsutawney phil

may have predicted another suction weeks of winter but mother nature has other plans with temperatures near 70 today, cafes are opening hair patios and people are losing layers. >> it is amazing. i'm loving it. >> reporter: what does all of this warm weather mean for blooming plants? mitch baker with american plants says this is one of the earliest spring blooms he has ever seen. >> we have had snow drops in bloom since december and crocus and daffodils and they are early, very early. they are fine. the cold weather will not bother them. you can't reverse it. it is all -- based on soil temperature and very warm daytime air temperatures. the process once it begins there is no way to really stop it unless it gets cold again. >> reporter: enjoy. >> it enjoy it. early spring, enjoy it. >> reporter: and another big question is what does the warm weather mean for the cherry trees and cherry blossom festival? are the trees going to bloom before the festival begins on march 20? well, i tried to put that question to the experts at the

national park service. and they are just not going to talk about it yet. they say they won't announce the peak bloom prediction until the press conference march 1. reporting live in tenleytown, megan mcgrath, news4. >> i like the lady that says it is mother nature on drugs. that's funny. >> reporter: it is. true, too. >> have a great day and enjoy it. a check on the midday traffic now. danella sealock joins us. hi, danella. >> hi, barbara. if you are planning to travel in northwest making your way around logan circle, expect delays, working on the traffic signals will. so traffic control is there directing traffic and you may see some delays. also if you are traveling on -- camera is black. we will just keep moving past this. delays past the inner loop of the beltway. if you are traveling the inner loop you are slow at little river turnpike. my travel speed still works. you are at 42 miles per hour. just be aware of that. barbara, back to you. >> it is moving again behind. >> did you we are back. we are back. i will come back with this in a

minute. things are back to normaal at laurel high school. it lasted less than an hour. the police were called to a school when one student threatened another student. d.c. police are investigating a double shooting in the 600 block of forester street southeast. that's near the prince george's county line. around 1:30 this morning police found would men shot and one in the stomach and the other in the back. right now they are not really seeing any information on a suspect or the condition of the victims. former uva lacrosse prayer george huguely is now convicted murderer. charlottesville jury found him guilty of killing yeardley love. today he sits in a jail cell awaiting his sentence. >> george huguely will spend at least 22 years behind bars based on sentencing guidelines. yesterday that jury convicted him of second-degree murder and lars my and recommended a

sentence of 26 years. he crossed himself before the verdict and cried after as the love family testified during the sentencing hearing last might. the commonwealth's attorney asked the jury to consider a first-degree murder conviction that could have put huguely in jail for up to 40 years. prosecutors built their case on the idea that huguely beat yeardley love to death in a fru drunken rage. huguely went to talk to love and things quickly turned physical. the is second-degree murder conviction means huguely did not intend to kill love but he did intend to cause injury which he knew or should have known could cause death. >> we are, of course, disappointed with the verdict. but we have been proud to represent george in his fight for fairness over the last couple of years. >> there are no winners in this case. there's nothing but loss everywhere. our hearts go out to the love family. they suffered enormously.

>> yeardley love's mother and sister released a statement after the verdict reading in part yeardley's contagious smile, kind spirit and gentle touch have left the world. but we know that heaven has an angel like no other. we would like to thank the commonwealth and particularly dave chapman for his tireless efforts on our behalf. now the judge in this case will make his sentencing decision on april 16 and that sentence has to be at least 22 years. the judge cannot go above the jury's 26-year recommendation. bash remarks back to you. >> thank you, aaron, for that report. university of virginia president theresa sullivan offered her condolences after learning of the verdict. in statement she says, quote, the conclusion of a trial like this may bring a momentary sense of justice or retribution but our judicial system can never restore to a family what it has lost. yeardley's family, teammates, sorority sisters, friends, indeed all of us at the university goes on to say continue to fill the loss of

this promising young woman. a former d.c. police comm d commander is planning on filing a whistle blower lawsuit against the district. he say he was demoted after he testified to the d.c. council that celebrity escorts were commonplace. that contradicted the testimony of chief cathy lanier who said the escort violated the department policy. burton was demoted in august. will ear says the demotion was not connected to the escort or to burton's testimony. righ now president obama's on his way to miami to promote his strategy for conserving energy. he left from andrews air force base just a short time ago. the president will speak at the university of miami and tour a facility where students learn to be industrial energy efficiency experts. the trip comes as gas prices nationwide reached $3.61 a gallon on average. it is a record for this time of

year. the white house believes the spike in gas prices is just cyclical. gas prices could be major issue this election year. the republican candidates discussed them during their debate last night in arizona. and some political analysts think the pain at the pump could impact the billion on the box. news4's tracee wilkins spoke to voters in alexandria about this. >> reporter: consumers have been dealing with gas prices going down and then up and up and up. now this issue is becoming a political one. the republicans have already taken it on and now president obama is joining in. president barack obama's playing a little offense in what is becoming a political argument over rising gas prices. candidates for republican presidential no, ma'am inauguration have taken turns blaming president obama for soaring gas prices and are hoping the criticism will give them leverage. particularly in some key battleground states where drivers are feeling the pinch. gas prices rose overnight according to aaa. some analysts are predicting prices hovering around $4 by

spring. those same analysts say the higher prices are due to international demand and market fears. and not less con uppings especially since u.s. gas use is down on average. still republican candidates are pushing for domes particular the trance cans-canada pipeline important earlier this year. >> anything out there other than taking this pipeline across the country. i just don't get that. >> reporter: we talked with voters in virginia and another battleground state. some told us they agree with the president's push important developing alternative fuel sources. others say that the country should quickly move beyond foreign oil. but in the -- by any means necessary. >> i don't know that it is necessarily under president obama's control. his direct control. but yeah, i mean, i definitely think that -- i'm a proponent for drilling and trying to be

self-reliant as opposed to looking overseas. >> hypocritical of driving big gas guzzling truck now but i think it would be great to explore alternative resources. we have been a lead mother some of the areas over history, i think it, a great one for us to take the lead and take charge. >> i don't think d.c. -- i think it is more of an international issue. >> at the end of the day, virginians we spoke with say gas prices aren't an issue that will affect how they vote come november. >> i don't think i will base it joust gas prices. some people feel it more than i do. but personally i think there are more important issues. >> reporter: analysts say even if the keystone pipeline is approved, even if we do research and then use alternative fuel resources, we still won't see any changes at the pump for years to come. alexandria, i'm tracee wilkins, news4. >> our time now is 11:11. coming up after days of protests in afghanistan, a new effort by

the white house today to stop the violence turned deadly. plus, if you are one of the thousands that would like to take part in the marine corps marathon this fall we have some important information on h [ male announcer ] are you paying more and more for cable and enjoying it less and less? stop paying for second best. upgrade to verizon fios and get tv, internet and phone for an incredible price: just $89.99 a month for two years with a two-year agreement. it's an amazing deal, but it's for a limited time only. so don't wait. want to save even more? call right now and we'll add a special bonus: $300 back. unlike cable, fios delivers a 100% fiber-optic network to your home. get america's fastest, most consistent, most reliable internet,

plus the best tv picture quality, and more hd. why keep paying so much for cable? switch to fios for just $89.99 a month for two years with a two-year agreement. save $600 in your first two years. and don't forget your special bonus: $300 back. hurry, offer ends march 3rd. call 1.877.827.fios. call the verizon center for customers with disabilities that's 1.877.827.3467. at 800-974-6006 tty/v. fios. a network ahead.

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burning of the muslim holy books. afghan official said a frustrated afghan soldier turned his weapon on the and blamed them for violent protests sparked by the burning of the koran at bagram air force base on tuesday. president obama has sent a letter to afghan president karzai formally apologizing for the incident that sparked three days of deadly protests. the letter expresses deep regret to karzai and afghan people. mr. obama also writes that the mishandling of the religious materials was an error and not intentional. he promises a full investigation and says those responsible will be held accountable. at least 50 people are dead and another 225 injured from multiple coordinated bombings and shootings across iraq. the worst attack was a car bomb near a security checkpoint in baghdad. killing nine and injuring at least 26 more. at least eight more bombings happened after that spread across baghdad and no group claimed responsibility but officials believe that al qaeda was behind the attacks.

today the man accused of helping release classified information will be in court. private first class bradley manning will be court-martialed at ft. meade in maryland. it will happen this afternoon. manning accused of passing confidential military information to wikileaks. he was charged with aiding the enemy, transmitting defense information, and fraud. manning faces life if he's convicted. new version of the bill requiring women to undergo an invasive ultrasound before having abortion. it is on its way to the virginia senate now. the state house revised the measure after governor balk mcdonnell reversed his support and spoke out against it. mcdonnell said requiring an invasive procedure as a precondition for another is not the state's role. the new version requires an external ultrasound instead. well, maryland state senate begins debating a bill today to legalize same-sex marriage. lawmakers were supposed to

discuss the legislation yesterday but opponents had asked that the debate be moved to a base -- day so that -- moved up a day so that they could have more time to draft amendments and look at changes made by the house of delegates. same-sex marriage supporters still expect the bill to pass this week and head to governor martin o'malley's desk. he vowed to sign that bill into law if it makes it to his desk. storm meteorologist tom kierein is here and has great news. i was just telling him the bad thing about having such a great day is it makes us red write for spring right now. >> lull flood a false sense of spring. that's important sure. and we have certainly all the signs of spring up. lot of flowers in bloom now. the temperatures are certainly up. and the clouds up into the sky there. sort of an uplifting view. and a beautiful shot there of the potomac river, live from our city camera. right now 61 at reagan national. we have a westerly breeze. gentle around 5 to 10 miles an hour. and the record for the day,

record high for february 23rd is 78. set on this date way back. 1874. so it can get toasty in february. in fact, 24 of the 28 days in february the record high is 70 degrees or higher. all-time high temperature for february is 84. we are not going to be anywhere near that. but it is certainly feeling like springtime now. in the upper 50s to near 60 throughout most of virginia, west virginia, maryland and right now in fairfax county it is near 60 degrees. upper 50s in montgomery county and it is near 60 now in prince george's county. as well as right near the chesapeake bay. and much of southern maryland, northern neck. and we are on the sthan dough a valley and farther to the west it is in the upper 50s. we do have a few clouds coming in across the mountains now but elsewhere east of the blue ridge, lots of sunshine. we have a few sprinkles of rain showing up in the patch of green kentucky into indiana. and that may be approaching us perhaps by later tonight and into tomorrow morning.

between now and then we will have plenty of sunshine. and as we go forward over the next 48 hours, we will have those clouds coming in, perhaps a few sprinkles this evening. this is around midnight or so. then around dawn on friday and into friday midday, we may have a few sprinkles of rain coming through. that will be ahead of some much colder air that will clear out the clouds by the afternoon and as well as spring and -- bring in much colder air into the mountains. this whole area in lav dar, zone of potential snow that could get a fresh coating of snow in western maryland, much of west virginia. that would be friday night and into saturday. east of the mountains only a small chance, maybe of a scattered flurry coming through on saturday, remind us yes, it is still february. and certainly going to be feeling like it for the weekend. not today. partly cloudy and mild and light breezes. right up near 70 degrees by mid afternoon. we will have a variable wind 5 to 15. overnight tonight this evening, our sunset at 5:54. it will be cloudy and rather cool, be near 60 near sunset. low 50s by dawn on friday.

tomorrow the big story will be wind. we could have winds gusting to around 40 to 50 miles an hour. later in the morning and during the afternoon. and as a cold front approaches, before then, though, we ought to climb into the 60s and passing shower in the morning or midday is possible. then those gusty winds shifting into the northwest will bring in much colder air friday night. we will be down near 30 degrees by dawn on saturday. saturday partly cloudy and breezy and chilly in the 40s. cold sunday morning, mid 20s. sunday afternoon mid 40s. then getting a bit milder the first part of next week. shine saturday, sunday, monday, tuesday. rain wednesday. that's the way it looks now. >> what are you going to do with this day? >> probably sneezing with the allergies. also we have pollen now build. >> that's right. all right. thank you, tom. let's get tout the roads and see if folks are out there moving around. here is danella. >> hello. they are moving around but if you are crossing the 14th street bridge you have to watch out. working on the bridge here, blocking the right lane. stick to the left and you will be able to continue with no

problems at all. just a little bit under speed on 395. 43 miles per hour. taking 15 minutes to get from the beltway right here to the 14th street bridge. crossing over the american legion bridge, i'm not seeing new problems there. taking the outer loop or the inner loop both are clear and no problems at this time. bash are, i will be back in just a little bit with a look at your traffic. back to you. >> we will see new a little bit. thanks. what killed a tv producer who worked on shows like "the amazing race" and "whale wars." steve hayes shows us a great workout that will help battle that belly

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gives us the most nutritious of gifts. but only when they are ready to be given. that's why green giant picks vegetables at their peak. ...and freezes them fast, locking in nutrients ...for you to unwrap. ♪ ho, ho, ho. green giant we are focusing on the abs. he's here to tell us about a core class called wash board abs. that sounds pretty nice to me. i would like to have some. i guess you both have them under those shirts. i don't ask you to expose yourself. first introduce yourself. >> gerald. he teach's class at crunch fitness. the hayes way. maximum toning, maximum results, maximum fun. >> it sounds fantastic. >> yes.

>> gets rid of the belly fat. >> oh, yes. that sounds great. tell us what you liked most about it. >> everything. i mean, you are talking about even from the warmup, everything is core. it started here and -- >> is this the warmup? >> this is just the warmup. >> this is a class both men and women take. >> yes, yes. >> describe what you are doing there. >> hip rotations. just warmup hip rotations. loosening up the hip, lower back. doing a few squats here because a lot of the exercises we do in the class involves from the torso all the way down. it is not just your standard situp. >> that was part of the warmup. >> part of the warmup. >> tell us about the format of the class. >> so dash the -- format of the class is lower back abdominals. you definitely p want to work both of them. right now we are doing what's called a jackknife. you are going to bring the legs up, arms up, and shoulder blades off the floor each time you come up what are you using there?

>> kettle bell which is a training tool. looks like a cannonball with a handle on it. iron ball. it has a handle on it. right here we are doing planks. planks are great for your lower back and your core. right here we are going back to the jackknifes with the kettle bells. >> plank ball, what it does, on your elbows but use your abs to keep you off the floor. >> can anyone of any fitness level participate in this kind of class? >> absolutely. whenever people are around the gym ask me what kind of condition do i need to be in to join the clark i tell them to come in. if it is possible to modify an exercise we will give a modification to it. everybody is welcome. all fitness level. >> how long will it take you to go from a tummy to a -- wash board ab? how long? >> tense book answer is that for most women, it is about 11 to 14 weeks. guys are about two weeks short of it because they carry more muscle mass. that's the textbook answer to he a change in the strength and tone. >> all right. thank you so much for coming.

tell me, do you have a fitness tip for zblus yes, belly fat. one thing about belly fat, water storage. great piece of fruit that you can eat that can burn body fat would be the grapefruit. grapefruit burns body fat. then also, it stops from you storing water. that's all it is, storing of the salt and that -- makes the swelling and bloating come in. >> back to the grapefruit. dieting on grapefruits for years now. all right. thank you both for coming. very interesting workout. something we should all try. a lot of us need it. it is 11:27. coming up in the next half hour, mid air collision involving u.s. military helicopters. that was one of the few jabs ron paul was able to get in during the latest gop debate. who he was talking about and who dominated the debate. and it is one of the most popular marathons in the country. who can start signing up for that marathon today? we will tell you. tom kierein is also back with a

look at today's weather and a look beyond today. [ male announcer ] are you paying more and more for cable and enjoying it less and less? stop paying for second best. upgrade to verizon fios and get tv, internet and phone for an incredible price: just $89.99 a month for two years with a two-year agreement. it's an amazing deal, but it's for a limited time only. so don't wait. want to save even more? call right now and we'll add a special bonus: $300 back. unlike cable, fios delivers a 100% fiber-optic network to your home. get america's fastest, most consistent, most reliable internet, plus the best tv picture quality, and more hd. why keep paying so much for cable? switch to fios for just $89.99 a month for two years with a two-year agreement. save $600 in your first two years.

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right now "news4 midday," president obama is on his way to florida where he will discuss energy efficiency. he will promote energy strategy at the university of miami and talk about the rising gas prices. the president will also tour a facility at the school where students learned to be industrial energy efficiency experts. we have new information this morning about a deadly helicopter accident involving u.s. marines. the defense officials tell nbc news seven u.s. marines were killed when two helicopters collided last night near yuma, arizona. the marines based in myanmar, san diego, were conducting a training exercise when their cobra helicopters collided in mid air. no one survived the crash. the cause is still under investigation this morning and the identities of the seven

marines killed have not been released. new reports say the american tv producer found dead in a hotel in uganda had large amounts of cocaine in his stomach. 39-year-old jeffries was found friday night. his assistant was found in the same room unconscious. originally police thought that they had been poisoned. now rice's family members are speculating that the pair was forced to ingest the drug. rice original sly from oklahoma and he once worked for shows including "the amazing race" and "whale wars." an 8-year-old girl shot in an elementary school is in critical condition today. police say a boy in the third grade shot the female classmate at a school near seattle. the police say the student brought gun to school at the end of the school day the firearm discharged while in his backpack. a bullet went through the backpack hitting the 8-year-old girl. a prince george's county woman is appealing to the public for answers about her daughter's death. the medical examiner has confirmed that remains found in

charles county in a ravine there are those of crystal anderson. the 29ier old woman was last seen in july when someone dropped her off at a gas station in forestville. her mother now hopes someone can help police determine what happened that night. >> whoever knows what happened to her, be a human being and give me what i need, give the detectives what they need. a lead, a conviction, and justice. >> anderson's mother says her daughter had good news to share that night that she disappeared. that conversation never happened. one person who went missing overnight in montgomery county has been found. the search is on for another missing person. 19-year-old alexis alston was found around 7:30 morning after disappearing last nature from her home in wheaton. police, however are still looking for 21-year-old daryl xavier brown, also he went

missing last night. he was last seen at his home on kitchen house court in germantown. his family is concerned because brown functions at the level after 10-year-old. have you any information about brown's whereabouts you are asked to call montgomery county police. the republican white house hopefuls are turning their attention to michigan and arizona now. both states hold their pivotal primaries next tuesday. the candidates held their final debate before those primaries last night in mesa, arizona. nbc news' tracie potts. >> voted on the committee and -- >> reporter: mitt romney and rick santorum overtalking each other at times with the fiercest exchanges over health care, earmarks and taxes. >> governor romney raised $700 million in taxes and fees in massachusetts. i never voted to raise taxes. >> you voted to raise the debt ceiling five times without

compensating cuts in spending. >> reporter: santorum admitted he voted for things he didn't support like no child left behind and family planning. >> politics is a team sport, folks. and sometimes you have to rally together and do something. >> while i was fighting to save the olympics you were fighting to save the bridge to nowhere. >> reporter: santorum accused romney of backing big banks but abandoning auto workers. >> he supported the folks on wall street. and bailed out wall street, all for it. and then when it came to the autoworkers, the folks in detroit, he said no. >> i don't want to save any wall street bank. i just don't want to make sure we lose all of our banks. >> reporter: who is the most conservative? not santorum, ron paul said. >> because he is a fake. >> reporter: newt gingrich struggled to get a word in. here is what he said about immigration. >> it is utterly stupid to say that the united states government can't control the border. >> reporter: the candidates trying to draw clear differences as we get closer to critical votes. turns out this may end up being

the last debate between all four candidates. paul and santorum already said they will not participate in a four-way debate that had been planned for atlanta. in washington, i'm tracie potts. back to you. we are enjoying a beautiful day here in the nation's capital. let's check in with tom kierein for the latest on the forecast. tom? >> winter lovers aren't happy about it. temperatures are climbing into the 60s now. around the region, we have plenty of shine. and there are the temperatures now. here just past 11:30, around 60 degrees across most of virginia, maryland, west virginia, and 61 now at reagan national. and later today, it will climb into the upper 60s to near 70. then cloudy this evening. might have a sprinkle this evening. greater chance tomorrow morning. through midday on friday. and we will have blustery winds tomorrow in the upper 60s and then friday evening turning colder. gusty winds and coming in out of the north and west. bringing temperatures down to below freezing by saturday morning. and breezy and chilly on saturday. clouds racing through maybe a flurry. highs climbing into the 40s.

cold sunday morning, 20s, afternoon highs into the 40s. sunshine. ask then a bit warmer on monday and tuesday. by mid week next week we will be maybe getting a little bit of rain. well, earlier this week i traveled to fairfax county and visited annandale's weather. we definitely need to find out, too, about whether or not we are going to get any snow. they all wanted to know that. i want to thank the pta president susan betts for the invitati invitation. canterbury woods elementary school. >> tom, thank you. welcomed relief for metro riders as spring break for weekend track work beginning saturday, march 24. metro will suspend the work to help accommodate the spike in ridership during the cherry blossom festival and spring tourist rush. weekend work will resume in late april. any work that needs to be done during the week will take place after 10:00 p.m.

that sounds like a good idea. >> the weather is so nice outside, barbara. people will want to drive their convertibles. nothing but green meaning no accidents and really good travel speed for you. as you make your way from the beltway to 14th street bridge, but at the 14th street bridge got to stick to the left because we have bridge work happening in the right lane and blocking your right lane. if you stick to the left you will be clear as you make your way into the city. barbara, back over to you. >> all right. thank you. the 37th marine corps marathon will be held sunday, october 28. you better be getting ready for it. hugely popular event sells out in just hours but today all active duty and reservists of every military service branch are getting a special opportunity. the director of the marine corps marathon and first lieutenant are here to explain. >> thanks for having us. >> we have been talking about belly fat. that's probably one of the best ways to get rid of it, train for a marathon. >> it is a on lot of people's

bucket list for 2012. today is special because, you know, we get to honor the active duty and reservist was a special opening. and the fact that february in 23rd is special to the marine corps with the flag raising at the battle of he withiwo jima. there is always a connection. >> are you expecting a big rush of military members? >> the phones were starting to ring at 8:00 this morning. so people are anxious at to register. >> is it unusual to have this early registration for them? >> well, we have always wanted to treat, you know, obviously the military special. and this is the first year that we have actually tied it to the significant date. >> let me ask you, this is a local race but it is very popular around the country. even people come from overseas. what makes it so popular, do you think? >> i think the energy of the crowd. you know, the fourth largest in

the country. ninth largest in the world. i think that, you know, the way that the spectators react, you know, to the runners, that relationship, i think it -- it is the fact that everybody who runs it feels like a star. i think that for your first marathon absolutely. >> the first one, this should be it. >> this should be. >> it vin done one. maybe i should see if i can't tune my body up to do it. let's talk about why it is so popular, too. it is a really beautiful course, isn't it? >> it is one of the special things about the marine corps marathon. you know, you have the backdrop of washington, d.c. and all of the monuments in the -- indian summer and then the marines and sailors who are supporting the runners. you put that mix together and you have absolutely a special race. >> how many people actually can participate? is there a limit to the number you take? >> 30,000. >> are you usually at your limit every year? >> last year we closed out in 28 hours.

i suspect that when we do -- general registration in a couple of weeks, we will close out probably in the 20-hour range. >> what's the furthest that someone has come to running this race? >> oh, my -- all 50 states are represented and over 50 countries. you know, it is -- it is always amazing, you know, to get the ones and woulds and how people find out about -- you know, special race. a lot of times it is connected to marines who work all over the globe, you know, with the embassies and so on. >> march 7 now is when the registration will be open to the public. that's coming up pretty soon. people can get more information about this. how? >> on our website. www.marinemarathon.com. >> all right. will this be your -- are you running? >> i ran last year. >> you did? >> amazing. >> coming fall? >> no. i don't plan to. i plan to work it. but -- i'm going to be there with the 2000-plus marines and sailors on the groundworking the event. you know. behind the scenes mainly.

success. i definitely -- definitely recommend running. something special. >> i ran -- when i first in 1991, you said thought about running. this is a marine corps challenge coin. i'm challenging youing in october to come for the marathon, the 10-k or just be in the vip tent and hang out with us. >> wow. i will take the challenge if it means i can stand there and watch, too. one or the other the. beautiful coin. isn't that pretty? thank you so much for coming. good luck again. 37th annual marine corps marathon. it is 11:42. still ahead why wawa is looking for space in d.c. jumping into shape. yes, jumping. a look at some in our area who are using

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a class action lawsuit claims a well-known company has hidden a dangerous product defect from the public. so is your dishwasher safe?

a news4 special report coming up tonight at 11:00. for many of us choosing a gas station is largely based on gas prices but some people just got to have wawa. now it coming to the district. the p. store known for its made-to-order sandwiches and large selection of coffee is looking to add more locations in the d.c. area. but finding space in the district could be difficult. wawa stores typically need at least 5,000 square feet of space. something that is in short supply in d.c. they want to add more stores in maryland and northern virginia. weekly unemployment benefit applications stay at a four-year low. let's check in with hampton pearson now and joins us with more on that and the rest of the day's business headlines. >> hi. >> hi, barbara. as a matter of fact, too, along with the jobless claims we have retailers reporting disappointing earnings offsetting good news on the jobs market. in spite of it all right now the major averages have, in fact,

moved into positive territory. dow of 50 and nasdaq up 20 points. s&p up three. department store owner kohl's reported an % drop in fourth quarter profits. that sent the stock price down more than 4% in trading so far today. and 6% drop in profits at sa safeway, 9% plunge on the s&p 500. the biggest tumble on the s&p in early trading. computer maker hewlett-packard, combination of a 7% decline in revenues and a disappointing outlook for future profits is pulling that company stock down today as well. however, as we said, good news on the economy, weekly jobless claims were unchanged last week. holding at their lowest levels since the early days of the recession. back in 2008. and labor department saying 351,000 first-time claims for unemployment benefits were filed last week. the last two weekly readings have been the lowest since march 2008. people it turns out are holding

on to their cars longer, six years on average. accord to the latest survey by the researcher, longest since polk started conducting the survey eight years ago. consumers keeping cars longer part of an overall trend as far as the lack of confidence in taking on more long-term debt. barbara, back to you. >> okay. hampton, thank you. enjoy this weather. >> yes, indeed. our "wednesday's child" today is a shy 17-year-old who is hoping to find a loving adoptive family. as with many young men his age, maurice says he likes clothes that he doesn't want to -- want to make him look like he likes clothes if you know what i mean. we visited a textile museum where they are preparing for d.c.'s fashion week. at the textile museum here in washington they were gearing up to show off some of the designs of ian williams during d.c. fashion week. >> fashion week is where designers show their new clothing to the fashion industry so people can write about it from the trends. >> reporter: maurice says he

does than know what the trends are but knows what he likes. he had a summer job for the last few years and used his money the buy clothes. >> last year i worked at the maryland food bank. >> reporter: do you like working? >> yes. raise money in my pocket. get what i want. >> lot of jobs in the fashion industry from behind the scenes to designers. >> reporter: maurice's's social worker describes him as pretty shy. >> he's looking at going to college. i think his interests at this point is going for business. >> reporter: before that, he would love to have a forever family. having been in foster care most of his life. >> maurice has been in care for about 11 years now. >> reporter: maurice wasn't big on that veil but he is big on his need for parents. he knows what he would like. >> energetic, young, love sports. and just love to have fun. looking for dad because i never

had a dad in my life. >> he's interested in having both of those relationships but more so on the side as a father just because i think that he feels like he's missing out on having the father/son relationship where he can go do something with the father like go fishing or go play basketball in the park. >> reporter: there was surprises for maurice including a gift certificate to do a little shopping. and a fashion week t-shirt, too. if you have room in your home and your heart for maurice or another child who is waiting, please call our special adoption hotline and the number is 1-88-to-adopt me. you can log on to our homepage, nbcwashington.com. our own pat lawson muse helped lead a discussion about issues affecting young women in our area. she joined 14 girls from the services of greater washington to launch the talk with a teen girl forum. pat and the girls discussed what is affecting young women these days and they also talked about

a survey the girls developed which reveal what issues and problems girls their age are facing and how to handle them. 11:50 is our time. coming up, weird workouts. plus meteorologist tom kierein will be back with another check of how long our warm weather is going to stay with us. stay with news4 all afternoon. 3:00, ellen welcomes jennifer

we are about two months into 2012 now. if you made a new year's resolution to get fit, probably about the time for some of you to get remotivated. these are pretty unconventional. let's talk about some that you found. one of them -- weird workouts as you call them is the kangoo jumping. it is not kangaroo but kangoo. >> the boots are created for athletes who are injured and absorb a lot of the shock. this is a gray workout for folks who maybe are had an injury or whose knees are shot at this point. this is a great way.

you can't kick box anymore you may be able to kangoo judgment. >> i'm afraid i may fall over on my knee. >> the instructor we talked to said she never had anyone fall. >> no, not at all. workout that can burn about a thousand calories. you can find them -- a meetup at laurel community center that does this. also you can find it at places -- >> a one-hour workout. >> it is. >> a thousand calories in an hour. that's great. >> it is great. >> let's move on to next one. after all that jumping, you may want to calm down with some anti-gravity yoga. >> that's right. actually you have to be pretty fit to try anti-gravity yoga. we say it is probably best for folks who have done some yoga before. as you see here you do things like flip upside down and you are using your core and pilates-like moves to swing from the rafters of the gym. you can find this at crunch fitness. they are offering it. i think a lot more gyms are going to start to offer this. requires special equipment but a really cool, popular workout as you can see here. >> that looks actually kind of

nice. especially if you have back problems. >> great for hip flexors, too. >> back to bouncing. another exercise involving trampoline. >> a new place in sterling called rebounders. this is a trampoline gym that is a lot of fun for kids and just in january an instructor started offering a workout where you can actually work out on the trampoline if you are an adult. really fun workout. it was tough. let me tell you. i actually got to do this. and i --ies wloy have burned 600 calorie. >> looks like you can bounce off the walls, too. >> $12 to try it. >> okay. thanks a lot. for more ideas for your weekend you can log on to nbcwashington.com for the going out guide on washington dpoes.com. we are going to take a look at things we are working on for this afternoon. pat lawson muse joins with us a preview of things to come. >> coming up todaying on "news4 at 4:00," it is a deadly condition facing millions of women in this country. the doctors say that they are

seeing anorexia now in men more than ever before and they could be at particular risk. an interesting story. we will bring that to you at 4:00. ts you can bright insurance for just about anything these days. liz crenshaw joins us for the do's and don'ts when it comes to buying insurance. getting the most for your money. >> all right, pat. thank you. time for a final check on your forecast. here is tom. >> look at this blue sky with happy white clouds floating over the landscape. cloud shadows, a live view from the high definition sky watcher camera and temperatures right now as we approach the noon hour 63 degrees at reagan national. it is now climbing into the low to mid 60s throughout much of virginia. southern maryland. right now most of the rest of maryland is in the mid and upper 50s. and probably only in the 60s there later today. parts of virginia near 70. maybe even near 70 in downtown washington this afternoon. then tomorrow strong, gusty winds into the 60s, maybe a morning or midday shower. and then those winds shifting into the northwest and bring in

much colder weather. it will feel like february again. friday night into saturday morning. saturday and sunday, chilly morning lows, cold below freezing afternoon highs 40s. warming up first part of next week maybe rain mid week. enjoy the springlike weather this afternoon. >> taste of everything coming up. thank you, tom. that's "news4 midday." we thank you for being with us today. invite you to join us tomorrow. there's news at 4:00, 5:00, 6:00, 11:00. we will be back tomorrow morning at 11:00 [ male announcer ] are you paying more and more for cable and enjoying it less and less? stop paying for second best. upgrade to verizon fios and get tv, internet and phone for an incredible price: just $89.99 a month for two years with a two-year agreement. it's an amazing deal, but it's for a limited time only. so don't wait. want to save even more? call right now and we'll add a special bonus:

$300 back. unlike cable, fios delivers a 100% fiber-optic network to your home. get america's fastest, most consistent, most reliable internet, plus the best tv picture quality, and more hd. why keep paying so much for cable? switch to fios for just $89.99 a month for two years with a two-year agreement. save $600 in your first two years. and don't forget your special bonus: $300 back. hurry, offer ends march 3rd. call 1.877.827.fios. call the verizon center for customers with disabilities that's 1.877.827.3467. at 800-974-6006 tty/v. fios. a network ahead.