>> storms went through late friday morning, and in the wake of the big storm, as that area of low pressure zipped up into the canadian maritimes, that deep low pressure there and high pressure coming in from the ohio valley is what made the winds so strong yesterday. and boy, we're happy to see those winds blow on out of town today. no severe wind to concern yourself with on your sunday afternoon. temperatures are steadily on their way up now. mid-30s around most of the area to close to 40 degrees now in annapolis and downtown washington. 38 st. mary's county, 37 fredericksburg. still a hint of a breeze out there has windchills in the upper 20s and low 30s, but nowhere near as much wind as we had to deal with yesterday. radar shows the last of the snowflakes slowly fading away now across parts of central pennsylvania. our forecast is 100% dry and sunny and pleasant for your sunday. mostly sunny this afternoon. temperatures will climb into the upper 40s to near 50 degrees today, and even milder southwesterly breezes come back tomorrow. that will put temperatures near 60 degrees. we're wasting a 60-degree day on

a monday, but it's 60 in february and we'll take it. >> and on the bright side, it's a great start to the workweek. >> absolutely. >> what you have to look forward to. thanks, chuck. >> okay. well, we are following two breaking news stories right now. the first is out of south africa, where former president nelson mandela is out of the hospital. the nobel laureate was released today. he had been receiving treatment for a stomach ailment. the 93-year-old mandela underwent a minor procedure but is said to be doing just fine. our other breaking news is right here in the district. the washington nationals have signed all-star third baseman ryan zimmerman to a long-term contract extension. "the washington post" reports the nats will announce the deal later today. zimmerman came to spring training without a long-term deal and was set to become a free agent after this season. espn's buster olney is reporting that the deal is six years with a club option for the seventh. zimmerman hit 12 home runs and 49 rbis after missing 60 games

because of abdominal surgery last year. right now, two states are focusing their efforts on "decision 2012." both arizona and michigan both hold primaries this tuesday. mitt romney spent saturday campaigning in troy, michigan, not far from where he grew up. the republican presidential candidate spoke at the americans for prosperity forum, reminding the crowds of his hometown roots. romney also criticized his rival, rick santorum's record, saying that it was time for a washington outsider to become president. >> when the senator mentioned that sometimes you have to take one for the team, what he was describing was the circumstances where he disagreed with something on principle but he had to vote for it because that was taking one for the team. we can't do that anymore. we can't continue to take one for the team. my team is the people of the united states of america, and i'm going to fight for that team, not for the partisans in

washington! >> the latest nbc/marist poll shows romney regaining a slight edge in michigan. angie? gop candidate rick santorum is taking political jabs at president obama while campaigning in michigan. >> some people have incredible gifts and use and want to work, out there making things. president obama said he wants everybody in america to go to college. what a snob. [ laughter and cheers ] well, i understand why he wants you to go to college. he wants to remake you in his image. >> santorum made the comments while at the same forum as romney saturday in michigan. he was talking about the need to revive the economy's manufacturing sector and why he's the best candidate for the working class. now, as romney fights to win his home state of michigan, he's

still well off clinching the gop presidential bid. we discussed that earlier this morning with "meet the press" moderator david gregory. >> i think if he wins, it's going to be a good story for him. he will have come from behind. he'll still have to face, you know, the analysis that it should have never been that close for him, and it will still reveal a picture of this campaign where he's got a lot of room to travel. it's still going to be a long fight. you can pick up reports today, romney's team telling donors and other supporters it could be may before this nomination is wrapped up. so, he's going to have a lot of work to do. >> the other current gop front-runner, rick santorum, will be a guest on "meet the press" this morning. you can see that right here on nbc 4 at 10:30. chris? maryland governor martin o'malley says that he will sign a bill legalizing same-sex marriage this thursday. now, the maryland general assembly passed that legislation last week, but the debate over

same-sex marriage in maryland is far from over. joining us now is delegate heather miziere from montgomery county. welcome to "news4 today." >> thank you, chris. >> you are not only an advocate, but have had a commitment ceremony with your partner in 2005. what's at stake and why marriage? >> well, in 2005, with 100 of our closest family and friends and god as our witness, my wife and i pledged a commitment to forever. we said we would love each other conditionally and that we would be with each other in the toughest of times. we took on all the responsibilities of marriage, but we didn't get any of the protections, and this law is critically important for all lgbt families, if we get into a tough situation, a car accident. would deborah be able to ride with me to the hospital in an ambulance? could she make medical decision-making for me when we're there? could she claim the body for burial? would she be protected in inheritance rights? these are the protections with a marriage license. >> you know the clergy in montgomery county are probably

on the pulpit right now saying they object on religious grounds and that marriage is for children, to have children. how do you answer that? >> well, there are many families that get married that don't necessarily have children. marriage is about love and commitment to forever. lbgt families have children and they deserve to be protected under the law the same way that every other family is. >> and we want to show some of the video of the maryland legislature this week. we know that after it passed in the senate, after the house had passed it this year, senator richard matelino was hugged by colleagues. he has been a sponsor of the bill, and he has two children with his partner. so, there are children involved. there he is now, hugging senator brian frosh. let me ask you this, is it a civil rights issue? >> there's a difference between a civil rights issue and the civil rights movement. civil rights issues are human rights. there's no greater human right

than the dignity afforded to a loving couple to be protected in the toughest of times. >> now, you tweeted out, and i followed you on twitter, so you tweeted out, "maryland will be the first state to win the ballot measure mdss," maryland same-sex, "if it goes to referendum," and it looks like it will. trying to gather signatures to put this on the ballot in november. >> they are, and if that happens, we will win. unlike many other states where the question has come up as a decision for the voters, we started with the decision from the general assembly, an elected public body, saying that we will make sure that every marylander is treated equally under the law, and i believe the good, fair-minded citizens of maryland, are going to ratify that decision. >> we do want to say that we invited on friday maryland family alliance. they are in opposition to this. many of the clergy who are probably very busy right now on the pulpit, possibly pontificating or giving sermons against this. >> you know, it's worth pointing

out, there are just as many faiths that are supportive of same-sex marriage. there are religious supporters that rallied to our side throughout this debate, and religion is about love. >> okay. and the polls show it's about 50/50, so there's going to be a debate. we at news4 will cover it all. having you hear doesn't mean we're on either side asking you these tough questions about the clergy opposing doesn't mean we're on any side. we're certainly going to be covering this and we look forward to it in the days and months ahead. >> yes, it's going to be an epic battle and we need everyone to be engaged. >> heather, thanks for being with us. >> thank you so much. >> thank you, chris. victims of virginia tech's campus shooting hope they convinced virginia governor bob mcdonnell not to sign a new gun bill. they held a conference call with him urging the governor not to repeal a one gun a month law. virginia's house and senate already voted to repeal it. the law has been in place since the 1990s, when federal investigators traced guns used

in new york city crimes back to virginia. parents of survivors and victims from the 2007 campus shooting said the governor respected their opinions and said he'd have a response to them by next week. a spokesman for mcdonnell said the governor appreciated hearing directly from the families on this issue. well, the wind is partly to blame for spreading a fire inside a maryland home that burned seven firefighters. they were hurt while responding to a call on 57th avenue in riverdale friday night. two firefighters are still in critical condition. two other firefighters released from the hospital are now back at their fire house. in an exclusive interview with news4, michael mcclary said that this was not his first time getting hurt on the job. >> a year ago, i was shocked in a house fire, put in the same floor. so, hopefully, i don't go back. >> reporter: you just got

released from the hospital today. tell us how you're feeling. how are you doing? >> still a little sore. just glad to be out. thoughts and prayers with kevin and ethan. >> one of the two firefighters in the hospital include ethan sorrell. two years ago, he received an award for his role in saving a 4-year-old girl in a house fire in hyattsville. well, it is 9:10 right now, and we are just days away from learning when the cherry blossoms will bloom this year. how this warm weather may impact this year's historic cherry blossom festival. and a record-setting year for adam sandler, and that's not necessarily a good thing. why the actor may not want to celebrate his latest award nominations.

welcome back, everyone. the stars, they'll be out tonight for the 84th annual

academy awards, and as nbc's mark barger tells us, the oscars share some similarities to the political landscape this year. >> looking forward to seeing you on the trail! >> reporter: presidential candidates have primary season. oscar nominees have awards season. >> you have to deliver a great performance thaend you have to work it, too. >> big smile, everyone. >> reporter: the oscar campaign trail's more glamorous than the political one. instead of candidates hopping primaries, its nominees traveling the road of awards shows on the way to tonight's big finale. >> us media types are fatigued. for the majority of americans, when they get that popcorn and turn on to watch on sunday night, it's new for them. ♪ >> reporter: a silent film homage comes in as tonight's big favorite, ten nominations overall. >> "the artist" is by far and away the movie in front. it's won almost all of the major guild awards leading up to the oscars. >> reporter: but there is suspense about best actor.

>> jean desjardins is the guy to beat? i think it's been neck and neck between him and george clooney. >> viola davis and meryl streep are also seen separate from their competition. >> best actress seems to be viola davis's to win, but you can't count out an upset by meryl streep. >> reporter: not that it would be a surprise. streep has earned two academy awards. >> but it's been almost 30 years since she's won an oscar. >> reporter: the final vote just adds some drama to hollywood's version of election night. mark barger, nbc news. >> now, actor adam sandler has set a film record, but it is not one he is particularly proud of. you see, sandler snagged a record 11 razzie nominations, including two worst movie of the year nominations, "jack and jill" and "just go with it." he also has two worst actor nominations. normally, the razzies are announced just before the oscars, but this year, the winners will appropriately be named on april fools' day.

what about "happy gilmour"? that was his oscar turn. >> that's when he was good. >> that was his oscar. >> could have been. >> okay, let's pick best movie, okay? right now, i am changing my vote and going with "the help." >> really? i think "the artist" is going to take it. >> that was my pick. >> okay. >> it's probably going to be "the artist," but boy, i wouldn't mind seeing meryl streep win, that margaret thatcher -- like "king's speech." >> you sound like julia child. >> i thought she sounded like julia child. >> she was nominated for playing julia -- >> "julie & julia." >> thank you. producer andy in our ear can list every oscar winner or every best picture winner for the last 30 years. >> knows them all, from the latest to the first. >> "the help" could be an interesting rait race to see whether it's "the help" or "the artist" or one of the other great films. we have to get out and see all those more. why don't i see all these movies? >> you need a day off. >> exactly! that's exactly what i need. >> meanwhile, you need to work.

>> i need a day off later, i need to work now. yes, sunshine is out there. how is it going to be later today? what about the rest of the week? the forecast is ah [ 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?

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that show, "the voice," it is back, and you can watch the next episode of season two tomorrow night at 8:00 p.m. right here on nbc 4, and you can watch it with your computer in hand because i, along with big tigger, we are going to be live chatting throughout the entire show. you just have to go to nbcwashington.com. a whole lot of fun. >> you need to log in early, because apparently, sometimes there isn't enough room in the chat room for everybody. >> there you go. nbcwashington.com. as you mentioned, chuck, yeah, it gets filled up pretty fast there. a lot of interesting conversation going on. and what's really going to be a treat monday night is that we have someone from the d.c. area that is going to be performing and auditioning before

christina, blake, adam and c-loe. >> and on "news4 at 4:30," you do something, too, right? >> yes, me and big tigger. >> you have your own chairs that turn around. you thought i was kidding. >> yes, we do, and we pick out who we think will make it far. so, it's really fun and we preview what's coming up and take a look back. it's great. >> i do the same thing at home with the mute button. either they can or can't sing. i hit the mute button for two notes. >> i always like hearing the feedback. >> if i can't stand hearing someone who can't sing, i sing, because i can't sing at all. >> what tune are you singing today when it comes to the forecast? >> "here comes the sun," no doubt about it. who doesn't like the beatles? they could sing, no doubt about it. beautiful weather and unlike yesterday, you will not be fighting a strong northwest wind all afternoon. so it will feel much more pleasant outside today, perfect frisbee throwing weather, if nothing else. outside we go on your sunday morning. sunny now and staying sunny for

the rest of the day. and we've got a nice little shot of warm air coming our way. it arrives here as early as tomorrow. the question is, how long will it stick around? outside we go on our sunday morning. sunny out there now. there's sunshine bouncing off the top of the jefferson memorial alongside the tidal basin. cherry trees, they're already thinking about springtime. i was down there the other day, and there's actually a cherry tree on the southwest corner of the ronald reagan building not too far from there. already little cherry buds and cherry flowers are out. so, some of the cherry trees are getting an early start this season. 39 in washington, winds out of the north at 7, gusting to 16 miles per hour. so, there's a little bit of a breeze left this morning, but it's nothing compared to yesterday. current temperatures climbing into the upper 30s pretty much areawide. the little hint of a breeze has windchills in the upper 20s and low 30s, but unlike yesterday, where the windchills stayed in the 30s and 20s all day, today we won't need to worry about that. so, high temperature today up near 50, and we'll actually feel like 50 degrees, as opposed to 25 or 30.

outside on the radar, nothing for us to worry about around here today. fading snowflakes in central pennsylvania. this is a very big storm up here across the northern plains. that's going to stay just to our north, but it will throw a very weak cool front in our direction late tomorrow afternoon into early tuesday. and this, a lot of folks, the daytona 500's going to be run today. they may need treaded tires and wiper blades on the cars. they'll have a lot of trouble getting that race in without at least some rain delays or rain problems down there. so, daytona watchers, be on the lookout for that. slippery going on the track, if they ever get it going. our chilly start has now faded away. plenty of sunshine coming up for the rest of the day. a pleasant enough evening. clear skies, a little on the chilly side but not anywhere near cold by february standards. then tomorrow, mild for your monday. out ahead of that weather front, we get a southwesterly breeze. temperatures tomorrow back up near 60 degrees, in february! that's a good thing. so, for today, mostly sunny, just a light breeze today, nothing to worry about. seasonably cool. highs today upper 40s to near

50. and then tomorrow, much nicer indeed. plenty of sunshine, temperatures up close to 60 degrees on your monday. we will pick up some mid and high-level cloudiness late in the day tomorrow and into tomorrow night and tuesday, but i think rain drops probably hold off until we get into wednesday morning. wednesday could be kind of a rainy day around here. can't completely rule out a chance for a thunderstorm as well. that will linger into the front half of thursday. thursday afternoon, friday look good. next weekend, well, we've got time to take those rain drops out of next weekend. you can always stay ahead of the forecast by following me on twitter @chuckbell4. >> all right, we will. thanks, chuck. >> okay. later this week we will find out the peak bloom for this year's national cherry blossom festival. 2012 marks the centennial of the celebration, but our recent bouts of warm weather raise the question if the trees will be blooming early. that's not easy to say. news4's derrick ward is along the tidal basin with more. arduous reporter derrick ward.

>> reporter: yeah, how are you, chris? good morning. of course, this is also an election year, and we go to the polls and ponder that question. yoshino quaus yam or autumn flowering. yes, and that race probably won't get ugly. whatever the outcome, it promises to be beautiful. that's one of the features of the cherry blossom festival, will be a poll for america to decide its favorite flowering tree. talk about easy to say. of course, as you said, the national parks service later this week will announce the blooming predictions for this year's cherry blossom festival, and the festival actually begins on march 20th. and as said, this will mark the centennial of the blossoms' first bloom here on the tidal basin. it was a gift from japan back in 1912. and you know, preparation has already begun. some of the trees have been replaced and some new ones have been planted around the mlk memorial. this is going to be the first festival with that memorial completed.

now, the question, again, is has the recent warm weather affected the trees? well, as you said, some have actually begun to bud, but not in any sort of big way that is actually going to threaten things. this festival runs from march 20th to april 27th, and ironically, there will likely be blossoms in bloom around the mlk memorial on april 4th. and of course, that is the day that martin luther king was assassinated. so, a bit of irony and some beauty added to a date that is otherwise not as celebrated in this area, but at least commemorated. so, come on down. and later this week, we'll know when you can get the most of it. live on the tidal basin, back to you. >> derrick ward thank you. and a warning to anybody going down there, traffic gets tough if you're not going for the cherry blossoms. >> yeah, but at least metro's going to be lifting their restrictions and construction during that big tourist time. so, they're taking their own little spring break is what they like to say. >> good to know. >> the time right now, four minutes away from the half hour. he's notorious for shooting president reagan, but now john

hinckley wants to be remembered for something else. the new image this would-be assassin wants to portray. and he is a war hero who also is proving to be a hero to dogs in baghdad. meet the local man helping find homes for abused dogs.

it's 9:30. welcome to "news4 today." i'm chris gordon. >> and i'm angie goff. taking a look at some of the top stories this morning, two of seven prince george's county firefighters hurt while battling a fire remain in critical but stable condition. fire investigators say the strong wind helped fuel the fire at a house on 57th avenue in riverdale friday night. there's still no word what sparked that fire. in syria, voters have the

chance to create a multiparty system, giving them a voice against president bashar al assad. assad's opponents say this is simply a ploy to quiet critics, and they demand he resign. the united nations says his government forces have killed more than 5,000 people since last march. moments ago, former south african president nelson mandela got out of the hospital. the 93-year-old had a minor surgery to determine the source of a stomach ailment. the procedure involves using a thin tube to look at abdominal organs. a government statement said the procedure did not show a serious problem. montgomery county police need your help finding the driver responsible for a deadly hit-and-run. we first told you about the pedestrian accident yesterday morning. police identified the victim as 24-year-old alonzo rodriguez from bethesda. a driver on norbeck road spotted his body near westbury road in rockville around 3:30 a.m. two friends told police they

were out with rodriguez late friday night. they said rodriguez got out of their car when it stopped on norbeck road. another vehicle later hit and killed him. police are now looking for that driver. so, if you saw anything that might help with this case, you're being asked to call montgomery county police. alexandria is another step closer to redeveloping its waterfront. the city council voted in favor of incorporating a previously approved plan into its master plan. it calls for new parks, hotels and shops along the historic waterfront. the ordinance is one of two that must be passed before any construction can happen. the other would implement waterfront zoning changes. it can't move forward, though, until an appeal is heard. critics say waterfront development will cause traffic problems and take away from the city's unique character. a bald eagle is resting comfortably this morning after being found injured near a metro station. crews found the american icon

trapped inside a fence near the van doran street station on the blue line. it was taken to the raptor conservancy of virginia in falls church with a broken wing. no word on how the bird was injured in the first place, but it's expected to be okay. an official toxicology report on an american tv producer confirms he had cocaine in his system when he died. jeff rice was found dead in his hotel room in uganda about a week ago. he was the producer for the show "the amazing race." tests reveal he died from asphyxiation. a private investigator says rice died from contaminated cocaine and that police arrested a man who admitted to selling him the drugs. rice and hist his assistant, katherine fuller were in uganda working on a documentary. she was found unconscious in the room but has recovered. well, the man who tried to kill president reagan says he'd rather be known for his artistic talents. john hinckley says he is frustrated he's only known as a

would-be assassin. according to court documents, he regrets not being able to show or sell his paintings or play his music for others. in 1981, hinckley opened fire on president reagan, wounding him in an attempt to impress actress jodie foster. he says he's angry that he can't change the public's perception of him. a phone hacking scandal led to the shutdown of murdoch's old sunday edition newspaper. he watched this morning as the first copies of "sun on sunday" rolled off the press. last year, "news of the world" stopped production after reports that it hacked into voicemails of crime victims and celebrities to score leads on stories. the new paper is expected to be less salacious and feature more family-friendly stories. news4 hopes to sell more than 2 million copies of its "sun" on

sunday. jobs fairs don't usually offer jobs right on the spot, but veterans and their spouses got to take place in a unique event that for some of them led to getting hired immediately. it wasn't a job fair, but a hiring event at a naval base, part of the first lady's joining forces initiative to reduce veteran and military spouse unemployment. president obama's challenge to the private sector is to employ 100,000 of them by the end of 2013. veterans had a chance to preregister for the event to learn about the 29 different companies taking part and the jobs being offered. >> the preprospect, our soldiers, sailors and marines. if they're not a good fit for our company, we exchange that talent with another company. >> we appreciate the sacrifice, the training and the experience that they bring. we know they're very motivated. >> more than 1,000 veterans and military families attended the event, and so far, the companies involved have hired more than

6,600 veterans as part of the initiative. well, thousands of dogs in iraq have been abandoned or neglected their entire lives. well, now some are finding a new life here in the washington area. >> and it's all thanks to one maryland man known to some as the dog whisperer of baghdad. news4's melissa malay has his story. >> life is good, isn't it? >> reporter: for andrew, it was love at first sight. >> she's a total sweetheart, and we've really bonded very closely. >> reporter: he fell in love with two-face. she's a mutt he found living on a firing range in iraq. he was working as a security contractor. >> as a form of therapy, i reach out to the stray animals and care for them and they care for me. >> reporter: during his seven years overseas, andrew became a foster parent to hundreds of dogs living on the streets. >> it's kind of known that i was like dog whisperer of baghdad. >> reporter: there are thousands roaming the city. they spend their lives

scrounging for scraps and hiding for survival. andrew would visit her and her siblings every day. >> at the time, we were like this, a rock or mortar would fly overhead. >> reporter: friend john shank also spent time there. >> it's like open hunting season on dogs. that was their way of controlling the population. >> reporter: while andrew was spending thousands on dog food, surgery for one dog hit by a car, even paying people to help protect the pups. with the help of the spca international's "operation baghdad pups" rescue program, he was able to send some to the u.s. sarah is now in bellaire, barden lives in finksburg and mr. bear in roslyn. last fall, andrew sent out an e-mail trying to find two-face a home. >> she was escorted with armed security. >> reporter: john saw this photo of her and was sold. >> she smiled. she's definitely got us wrapped around her paw. >> reporter: andrew says he considers saving these dogs one of his biggest accomplishments while he was overseas.

the issue, though, cost and security. there are hundreds of dogs that he wanted to help but only four have been able to make the trip. >> i had dozens lined up at different stages. >> reporter: so far, "operation baghdad pups" has sent more than 300 dogs stateside. eight are scheduled to arrive in the u.s. soon, five need homes. >> you made it, kid! you hit the lottery! >> reporter: in northeast washington, melissa malay, news4. >> what a great story. for more information on adopting the dogs that will an reviving in the states very soon or to donate to "operation baghdad pups," go to our website, nbcwashington.com. >> those are some lucky dogs. >> oh, they sure are. and he is quite the whisperer. >> he's a dog whisperer. cesar millan says i am the dog whisper. anyway, i never got that. 9:38. there is much more ahead. a controversial concoction. the ingredient in a new ice cream named for hoops hero jeremy lin that many people call insulting.

michigan and arizona hold their primaries, president obama heads to new hampshire, and new jobs numbers. on monday, it's on to the volunteer state gingrich in tennessee. on tuesday, michigan and arizona hold their republican primaries. michigan is the state everybody will be watching. also tuesday, president obama speaks before the united autoworkers union here in washington. on thursday, while the republican primary continues on, president obama heads to new york city for his first wall street fund-raiser of the year. he's also expected to hold an event in new hampshire, a key presidential swing state. on friday, the latest jobs report is released, though unemployment is still high, currently 8.3%, there have been five straight months of declining unemployment. does that trend continue?

that's it for me. i'm

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welcome back. our "wednesday's child" this morning is a shy 17-year-old who's still hoping to find a loving, adoptive family. >> well, as with many young men his age, maurice says he likes clothes that doesn't look like he cares about them. so, barbara harrison took him for a visit to the textile museum, where they're preparing for d.c. fashion week. >> reporter: 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 actually a favorite where designers show their new clothing to the fashion industry so that people can write about what some of the current trends are. >> reporter: maurice says he doesn't know what the trends are, but he knows what he likes. he had a summer job for the last

few years and used his money to buy clothes. >> last year i worked at the maryland food bank. >> reporter: oh. do you like working? >> yeah. it brings money in my pocket to get what i want. >> there are a lot of jobs in the fashion industry, from behind the scenes to designers -- >> reporter: maurice'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. >> scratch that? >> i don't know. >> i think we'll scratch it. >> reporter: maurice wasn't big on that veil, but he is big on his need for parents, and he knows what he'd like. >> energetic, young, love sports and just love to have fun. i'm really only looking for a dad because i never had a dad in my life. >> i think he feels like he's

missing out on having the father-son relationship. >> reporter: there were some surprises for maurice, including a gift certificate to do a little shopping and a fashion week t-shirt, too. you have such a nice smile. can i see it one more time, please? barbara harrison, news4 for "wednesday's child." >> if you have room in your home and your heart for maurice or another child who's waiting, please call our special adoption hotline. the number is 1-88-to-adopt-me. or you can logon to our home page at nbcwashington.com. well, we're talking about clothes today. yeah, that wind is behind us. you might not need, you know, a ski mask. >> right. >> but you're still going to want to bundle up. >> just a little hint of a bundle-up factor first thing this morning. there was a great show in the sky last night that will be repeated tonight.

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well, you know you've made it when ben and jerry turn you into an ice cream flavor, but their latest idea, a flavor honoring jeremy lin, has got them into some trouble. the ice cream company is preparing a new frozen yogurt called taste the linsanity. they wanted to use fortune cookie pieces in the flavor. some called that move racist. ben & jerry's apologized on its facebook page and said they're using waffle cone pieces in the flavor instead. well, weatherwise, we'll find out what the flavor of the day is. >> yes, indeed. you know, there's never such thing as a bad day to eat ice cream, first of all. >> i was going to say. get cold glatto. >> i like the mint chocolate chip cookie, but that's my favorite. i digress. no matter what you want to do on your sunday, sunshine today without that ferocious breeze and we'll have another great show coming up in the sky this evening that will be repeated somewhat compared to last night. this is a great viewer picture that was sent into me last night

from down in stafford, virginia. there is the crescent moon. just down to the left was venus and way up high in the sky, that's jupiter. tonight, the moon will be up closer to jupiter, but nonetheless, all three will be visible once again this evening. look at that great close-up shot there of the crescent moon and venus down to the lower left that was sent in by david in stafford, virginia. thanks for sending that picture. in you can see that all again tonight in the southwest sky after the sun goes down between about 7:00 and 9:00. take a peek. 39 right now in washington with the bright sunshine out there. a clear sky today, so bright and sunny. clear skies for your star or planet gazing for this evening. a little hint of a windchill left out there, but the winds won't be anywhere near a factor today as they were yesterday. windchills yesterday stayed in the 20s most of the day. that won't be the case today. snow across parts of the upper midwest, and where they're going to be trying to run the daytona 500 today, it's raining hard on the track right now. they're going to have some real weather challenges trying to get the daytona 500 run today.

no weather problems for us. mostly sunny outside for today. nowhere near as much wind, so it will feel about 20 to 25 degrees warmer than it felt yesterday afternoon. seasonably chilly overnight tonight with a mostly clear sky. tomorrow, ahead of this front, a southwesterly breeze will put temperatures up near 60 degrees tomorrow. so, enjoy it, everybody. mostly sunny on your sunday, seasonably cool. today's highs upper 40s to near 50. as we look on down the road through the seven-day forecast, near 60 tomorrow. mid-50s with some extra clouds moving back into the picture on tuesday, but i think rain drops hold off until probably about time for the wednesday morning commute to work and school. rain off and on, maybe even a rumble or two of thunder possible on wednesday. i think thursday afternoon and friday look dry. and nonetheless, a little chance for rain next weekend. i'm also going to post on my twitter, @chuckbell4, the sky and telescope guide about where to look for the planets tonight. >> you always have interesting

information. thank you, chuck. real quick, we want to give a shout out to the dulles chamber. we were at their stars over dulles gala last night at the hilton washington dulles airport. they were honoring local fairfax and loudoun county businesses and donated through a panel auction more than $17,000 to our area's uso. in purple right there, the chairwoman of the event, janet un. we want to give big kudos to you. thanks for having us out. >> so, when did you get to sleep? don't answer that. >> i didn't. >> all right, 9:52 right now. how much would you pay for a chicken mcnugget? >> well, there's one nugget that's selling for 3 245z00 that's selling for 3 245z00 bucks.

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it's one of the most exciting moments in sports, a high-flying slam dunk. well, last night in orlando,

some of the game's best showed off their moves. >> three times before. >> wow. >> i'm telling you, that's a tough dunk. >> oh! >> i know, but i swear, last year somebody did three balls. oh well. that was utah jazz's jeremy evans performing the double dunk. he ended up winning the slam dunk by fan vote. there were no shortage of high fliers in this competition, though. the most talked about dunk was the houston rockets' chase budinger, who slammed it home while blindfolded. chris? well, the wizards' john wall also took part in the skills competition. wall participated in the taco bell skills challenge, where he showed off his quick moves and smooth passing. unfortunately, he wasn't fast enough, getting eliminated in the first round of the competition. >> "a" for effort, right? well, you can find pretty much anything you want on ebay. >> and now that includes a chicken mcnugget that looks like george washington. here's the mcnugget compared to

washington. a woman found it and posted it to try to raise money for a church summer camp. ebay originally pulled it because the mcnugget was expired, but then it changed its mind, saying it would make an exception because of the charity case. there is eight days left. bidding is now at $3,500. i don't know. >> auctioneer right to my right. now, does it really look like something when you have to make a graphic that says, nose, ear, head, chin. >> no. it's a presidential mcnugget. >> thanks for joining us, everybody, for "news4 today." >> have a wonderful sunday afternoon. people! look at you!

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