on campus, and i'm not actually concerned at all. >> reporter: d.c. police and the campus department of public safety searched the area, but no suspect was found. there's a church, some georgetown buildings, and townhouses on the block. the area's heavily traveled by students. >> it does concern me because i saw it was at 2:15 a.m. on sunday, and i could see people coming back from a bar or something. i don't know what the state of the person was. but it's kind of unsettling. it's a good reminder to walk with friends and make sure you never have a friend leaving on their own. >> reporter: the school is reminding students of the importance of walking in pairs or groups and that safety escorts are available 24 hours a day. >> obviously, it's terrible and it's kind of like you don't want to think that something like that could happen here, especially since it's such a nice school and it's a nice student body. >> reporter: back out live here in georgetown. you're looking at a camera that's mounted on a building right here where this incident happened. there's also a camera on another building near here. it's unclear what, if any, video

may have been captured here. whether this person may have been captured on video. we're still waiting to find out that information. police are still searching for witnesses. if anyone has any information about what apd out here early this morning, they're asked to call georgetown university or metropolitan police department. at this point it's very sketchy details in terms of the description of the man responsible for this attack. reporting live from georgetown, darcy spencer, news 4. >> darcy, thank you. also tonight, a warning from the university of maryland as well. early this morning a female student woke up to a man in her dorm room touching her thigh. campus police say her door was unlocked. the suspect left after telling the student and her roommate he walked in by mistake. police, though, believe he was trying to steal the student's laptop. a 14-year-old was stabbed at a metro station in the district tonight. this happened at metro center. police say two juveniles were arguing when one of them pulled a knife. police say the victim is expected to be okay. and should be released from the

hospital tonight. the suspect has been arrested. the families of two firefighters recovering at washington hospital center talked for the first time about their sons' conditions today. 21-year-old ethan sorrel and 24-year-old kevin o'toole were among the seven firefighters injured in a riverdale home on friday when a gust of winds created a wall of fire. sorrel suffered burns to his airway. he's communicating with a pen and notepad. o'toole has second and third-degree burns over 40% of his body. >> took the longest ride in the world. 4 1/2 hours from new york. not knowing what to expect. and it was worse than we really expected. >> we just pray every day that the lord will bless him and strengthen him and see him through this. >> both firefighters remain in critical but stable condition. the other five firefighters have been released from the hospital. the cause of that fire is still under investigation. well, turning to the weather

now, after this weekend's big chill, is will there be another february warm-up around the corner? chuck bell is in storm center 4. are you going to tell us, chuck? >> i can give you a pretty good hint. a shot of warm air. the problem this time is it isn't going to stick around as long as we have had in the earlier days of february. a beautiful evening out there. but temperatures have really plummeted more than ten degrees across most locations now. colder than it was for the high temperature earlier in the day. already a lot of spots. western fairfax county, northern prince william county, down to culpepper, all now below the freezing mark. luckily nothing to show up on doppler right now. that's welcome news. the clear sky will allow for a cold start on your monday. but a big warm-up under way just as soon as we can get the sun up tomorrow morning and a chance for rain, maybe a little thunder in the middle of the week. we'll talk about that with the seven-day coming up. >> all right. thank you, chuck. in decision 2012 tonight, gop candidates gearing up for

big primaries in michigan and arizona this week. we've learned tomorrow rick santorum will join mitt romney in having secret service protection. meanwhile, candidates hope the showing at the daytona 500 would play well with voters in michigan, where the auto industry means everything. nbc's brian mooar has our report. >> reporter: michigan and arizona are on the line on tuesday, but mitt romney spent sunday with his eyes on another race. the daytona 500. >> a couple of things i like best. cars and sport. >> reporter: even as he mingled with nascar fans, romney was trying to outrun the image of a rich guy whose wife -- >> drives a couple of cadillacs, actually. >> if people think there's something wrong with being successful in america, then they'd better vote for the other guy. >> reporter: romney's leading in arizona, and his campaign got a boost with the endorsement of governor jan brewer. >> i think he's the man that can carry the day. >> reporter: but romney is in danger of losing michigan. his native state. to rick santorum. both attacked each other. and each slammed president

obama's apology for a koran burning that set off violence in afghanistan. >> we have a president who is uniquely weak in the face of evil. >> reporter: while santorum was in michigan, he was also in the daytona 500, sponsoring one of the cars. and he compared that race to his own. >> let all the other cars in front of you wreck and then run hard in the last few laps and win the race. all right? >> reporter: meanwhile, newt gingrich and ron paul are focusing on another race that is fast approaching. super tuesday. brian mooar, nbc news, washington. gas prices continue their rapid rise to $4 a gallon. the national average right now is at $3.69. that's up 37 cents since the beginning of the year. now, some parts of the metro area actually seeing prices higher than that, though. in virginia you'll find the average for regular is at $3.61 right now. that's actually the lowest in the metro area.

a different story, though, if you head over into maryland. right now the average for regular unleaded there, a little bit higher at $3.67 a gallon. the highest price, though, in the metro area is in the district. probably no surprise there. people in washington paying upwards of 3.86 -- 83 cents a gallon, that is. aaa says we can see prices here rising even faster than in other parts of the country. that's because two philadelphia area refineries have been taken off line, shut down for the year. prices are higher despite lower demand than we had last year at this same time. and the gulf oil spill trial will not start tomorrow after all. both sides of the multibillion-dollar suit trying to keep it out of court nbc's jay gray has details. >> reporter: with high-stakes settlement talks continuing in the 11th hour, a legal battle over the deepwater horizon oil spill initially set to begin tomorrow morning has now been delayed for at least a week. in a joint statement released this afternoon, bp and the

plaintiffs' steering committee confirmed the adjournment to "allow bp and the psc more time to continue settlement discussions and attempt to reach an agreement." the trial, rescheduled for march 5th now in a new orleans federal courtroom, is to determine the civil liability for the worst oil spill in u.s. history. the defendants include bp, rig owner transocean, and the construction firm halliburton. there are thousands of plaintiffs in the case, including fishermen, restaurant and hotel owners, and other residents along the gulf coast. in 2010 bp set aside $20 billion to be distributed to victims of the disaster. but to this point the gulf coast claims facility has paid out just $6 billion, with many holding out for the trial. if it does reach a courtroom, the final payout is still unknown. the oil giant could pay close to $17 billion in fines alone, along with tens of billions of dollars to those affected by the spill. experts believe the trial could take up the better part of a

year. and then there are sure to be appeals. and that does not include the possibility of criminal charges at some point in this case. jay gray, nbc news. 11 workers died following the explosion on the deepwater horizon oil rig. it's estimated that more than 200 million gallons of oil spewed into the gulf. there is much more ahead here tonight. with a click of the mouse, thieves could steal your tax refund without you even knowing it. we'll tell you how to protect yourself. plus, which of your habits could be getting on your co-workers' last nerve? and coming up on "sports final" -- zim is in. we'll hear what made brian zimmerman nervous as the nationals announced his new contract.

we're following some breaking news right now out of afghanistan. nine people are dead after a suicide bombing there. the taliban is claiming responsibility for this attack. it happened early this morning in the eastern part of the country at an airport in jalalabad. nbc news reporting that u.s. soldiers and members of the afghan interior ministry are among the victims. the taliban claimed the attack was revenge for reports of u.s. forces burning copies of the koran last week. in canada investigators trying to figure out why a train went off the tracks, killing three people. it happened this afternoon in burlington, ontario. about 40 miles west of toronto.

authorities say 75 people were on that train when it derailed. the three who died were employees. nearly four dozen passengers were also hurt. that crash also caused minor damage to some nearby buildings. nelson mandela back at home tonight. the former south african president was released from the hospital after being treated for long-standing abdominal pains. doctors ran several tests, found nothing seriously wrong with him. mandela is 93 years old. he hasn't made a significant public appearance in about two years. he was hospitalized a year ago for a respiratory condition. well, here's a reason to get those taxes filed earlier this year. the longer you wait, the more likely it is that a tech-savvy thief will steal your refund. it's become common practice to steal people's identities to get their tax refund. that crime has exploded from about 49,000 cases in 2010 to more than 260,000 cases this year. in florida it's almost like a drug epidemic there. they recently busted a whole room full of people armed with

tax software and stolen social security numbers. experts say file early so you get your refund before the crooks do. they also say keep that social security number safe. >> don't use it as a password. don't let companies use it as a log-in i.d. for you. never enter it on a website, no matter how many times a website asks you. protect that social security number like it's money because it is. >> the irs says it's hoping to slow the problem by matching w-2 forms to tax returns more quickly. right now that match doesn't happen until after refund checks go out. annoying co-workers. >> don't look at me. >> i didn't know you'd be there. dealing with them might seem like part of the job description. but there's a survey out apparently, and this reveals what gets on people's nerves the most in the workplace. >> this ought to be a good one. >> yeah. this comes out of fitness magazine. men's top complaint was a co-worker's body odor. i'm with that. women's biggest pet paef was

when other people steal credit for their ideas. the survey also found that co-workers hated hearing personal telephone conversations. i'm on board with that one. >> can you hear me now? >> also smelling other people's food. that fish was good, though. they also got annoyed when people stole food from the refrigerator. i've had that problem. here's my trick. french vanilla creamer, right? >> yeah. >> people use my creamer. >> okay. >> and will use it until it's gone. then i put water in there. so next time they come back for creamer they get water. >> that'll show them. >> that's right. >> that'll teach them. >> that's my solution. >> all right, chuck, let's talk about this forecast. maybe another warm-up. >> maybe. >> i like your chances. you want warmer weather. there are a lot of people who got enough cold air this winter. you're one of them. tomorrow a little shot of warm air. it's not going to last forever. so you have to make plans to go outside and enjoy your sunday

night and especially your monday afternoon as much as you possibly can because tomorrow looks like a winner. it may be the pick of the litter for the entire upcoming work and school week. that's how important it is to enjoy your monday afternoon. outside right now a clear sky overhead. a very pleasant evening in washington. but it's gotten a little chilly out there. temperature below the 40 degrees mark in washington. we're at 39 at reagan national airport. dew points in the mid up ander 20s right now. you folks in the western suburbs, manassas, prince william county out toward warrenton and the blue ridge mountains. temperatures there are going to be back down into the mid and upper 20s for you folks by morning time. because that's the cold dry air that's in place with the clear sky overhead. moderating influence wills keep temperatures closer to the freezing mark as opposed to the mid 20s. as we get your day planned for tomorrow, temperatures mid 30s at 8:00, mid to upper 50s by 1:00. i think a lot of spots are going to touch the 60s for at least an hour or two tomorrow afternoon. probably about 61 at national airport. nothing on doppler now.

no chance for rain around here for tomorrow. this storm system is going to stay way to our north. but it's got a little trailing cold front that's going to come through here about sundown time tomorrow. and we also have this moisture down around the gulf of mexico in play. a little area of disturbed weather racing up along the coastline. we're going to be caught in between those two systems. high pressure working its way off the eastern seaboard. so a cold start tomorrow morning, 20s and 30s. but a mild afternoon coming. here comes that cold front from the north, and there comes the moisture up from the south. the good news for us if you want the sunshine and the mild weather, the cold front is going to keep that moisture far enough down to the south where i think we get a very nice day monday. and tuesday looking good, too. a decent amount of sunshine. raindrops, though, and may be a chance for a thunderstorm showing up on wednesday. so tonight mostly clear in the morning. coldest out to the west. where wake-up temperatures will be in the 20s. mid 30s from washington right out to the western side of the chesapeake bay. then tomorrow afternoon not a bad day at all. mostly sunny. much warmer.

we topped out at 49 today. i think we can do about 61 in washington tomorrow. a dozen degrees better. we'll take that. 54 on tuesday. that's not too bad. a couple degrees still warmer than average. rain looking more and more and more likely now for wednesday. good news for people who don't really like the thunderstorms. i think they're probably going to be staying south of the richmond area for now. but we'll have to watch that fairly closely. if we get the warmer air a little further north, might have to increase our thunderstorm chances. but rain is a surefire bet for wednesday, wednesday night. >> thank you, chuck. >> okay. metro is going to hold the first of its public forums tomorrow to discuss proposed fare hikes. the plan would raise the minimum train ride and bus fare by ten cents. passengers who use paper fare cards would pay flat rates depending on the time of day. tomorrow's meeting starts at 7:00 at the bethesda chfy chase regional services center. there will be five other meetings in d.c., maryland, and virginia over the next two weeks. a major traffic alert in du pont circle for you. the traffic lights there will be temporarily shut off at 10:00

tuesday morning. technicians will be upgrading the signal system. officers will help direct traffic at the circle throughout the day. the signals should be turned back on before the evening commute. but commuters are urged to come up with an alternate route to avoid possible delays. a group of military wives enjoyed a well-deserved day of pampering with the help of some local businesses. the women are getting ready for their husbands to return from afghanistan in a few weeks. so bang salon on u street northwest stepped up, provided about $2,000 worth of salon services for u.b. makeup and brow studio also contributed to the makeover. the women also took home a goodie bag full of hair and skin products. still ahead on the broadcast tonight, we're learning more about a top chef competitor's plan to open a new restaurant here in the district. and coming up in sports, the nba's best go head to head in the

hakem's here now. ryan zimmerman is the man. >> he is. he's d.c.'s newest $100 million man. nats fans happy to get this guy locked "up." the nationals signed third baseman ryan zimmerman to a six-year, $100 million contract extension. the deal could keep the all-star in a nats uniform through the 2020 season. zimmerman's contract also includes a no traid clause. last year zimmerman -- excuse me. missed 61 games because of injuries. but when he's healthy he's productive. zimmerman has hit at least 24 home runs in four of his major league seasons. zimmerman is the nats franchise leader in five offensive categories. he's also won a gold glove in 2009. the former first-round pick says he wants to play his entire career in washington. >> i've been here when the times were bad. they've done a great job of building this organization up. you know, from the ground up. we have young guys that are just now starting to get here. and we're going to be here for a long time.

i wanted to make sure i was here for that. and i'm excited to be part of this organization and excited to get to the ultimate goal of winning a world series. i'm happy to be part of this clubhouse with them. and i wouldn't have done this with any other team. so it's special. >> yes, it is. nba all-star game. chris paul, blake krichb representing lob city for the west. lebron james helping out the east. first quarter, kevin durant's pass broken up by carmelo anthony. then it's lebron james here taking flight with the windmill. see it again. he led the east with 36 points. later in the quarter derrick rose turns it over. chris paul. this is kind of a dunk contest. off the backboard kevin durant. suitland native led the west with 36 points. he was named all-star mvp. later third quarter durant with the steal ahead to kobe bryant. and with this dunk he passes michael jordan as the all-time leading scorer in all-star game history. the west beats the east 152-149.

at the nfl combine robert griffin iii decided not to throw, but he did run, and he ran fast. the heisman trophy winner posted a 4.38 40-yard dash. but his official time is 4.41. the fastest 40-yard dash by a quarterback at this year's combine. third fastest qb since 2000. and coming up on "sports final," dan hellie catches up with john wall during all-star weekend. the smallest member of the maryland women's hoop team has a huge impact. plus fans here remembering rory mcilroy from his win at congressional. and today he had a shot at the number one world ranking playing hunter mahan. we'll show you that on "sports final" coming up in a few minutes. >> looking forward to it. thanks. and coming up ever this

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he was a former "top chef" contestant bringing a new restaurant to d.c. according to the "washington business journal," brian voltaggio, seen here on his youtube page, will open shop in the chevy chase pavilion. the journal reported his restaurant range should open in late fall. it's going to focus on l lesser-used cuts of meat and promote using the whole animal. he's co-owner of volt in frederick, maryland. he was also a finalist on the sixth season of bravo's "top chef." a new guinness world record to tell you about tonight. this one for the world's shortest person. you see him right there. 72-year-old chandra danji lives in nepal. he's just 21 1/2 inches tall. less than two feet. guinness book of world records

presented danji with a certificate for being the world's shortest person. he's also the shortest person ever recorded in the 57-year history of guinness. danji says he has never seen a doctor and has never been seriously ill. and he gets a lei for that. longer than he is, the lei is. next up tonight -- we're going to find out why anybody would volunteer to do this. the word is swapportunity.

can i have the definition? swapportunity: the opportunity to swap a higher calorie snack for a yoplait light. can you use it in a sentence? mmm. swapping a 300 calorie donut for this 110 calorie strawberry shortcake is a good swapportunity. that's not a real word. oh haha it's real. [ female announcer ] delicious, creamy, yoplait light. over 30 flavors each around 100 calories. do the swap today.

did you ever have a cutting pain in your stomach? probably not like these guys. welcome to the world sword swallowing day event. about a dozen deep throats gathered in los angeles yesterday. this was part of an international event where sword swallowers at 12 locations around the globe dropped the blade down the hatch. the day raised money for esophageal cancer research. it looks painful. the best part of this video was listening to our producer scream -- or squeal at my desk as she watched it. >> it should just be save your esophagus day. there's got to be an easier thing than that. >> the video's hard to swallow. >> yeah. >> how about a last look at the forecast? >> we can do that. seven-day forecast. tomorrow probably going to be the nicest day of the week. i know we're wasting it on a

monday. but that's just the way it's going to be this week. 61 and sunny tomorrow. back into the 50s tuesday. rain looking very likely now. wednesday, wednesday night. might linger into early thursday. i think thursday afternoon and friday look dry. and then next weekend may not be a pretty weekend. we've got five, six days to tweak the raindrops out of saturday and possibly sunday of next weekend. but for now i'm a little concerned that next weekend won't be quite so sunny. >> all right. thanks. >> you ready? >> i'm ready. >> you ready to do it? >> let's go. >> "sports final" coming up next. news 4 today starts at 4:30 in the morning. -dad, why are you getting that? -that's my cereal.

is there a prize in there? oh, there's a prize, all right. is it a robot? no. is it a jet plane? nope. is it a dinosaur?] [ male announcer ] inside every box of heart healthy cheerios are those great tasting little o's made from carefully selected oats that c help lower cholesterol. stickers? uh-uh. a superhero? ♪ kinda. [ male announcer ] and we think that's the best prize of all. ♪

tonight on "sports final" -- the stars soar as the nba all-star game takes flight in orlando. john wall has new instructions. >> my new coach told me that i need to be more aggressive. >> and a new outlook on the wizards' sluggish season. and ryan zimmerman locked in as a national. call network control. because we're going long too. "sports final" starts now. hello and welcome. i'm your host hakem dermish. the "sports final" oscar for biggest debbie downer at a sporting event goes to, the

envelope please, thank you very muc much,. mother nature! on sunday mother nature rained on nascar's parade. the daytona 500 has been postponed for the first time in its 54-year history. the race is now scheduled to start on monday at noon. meanwhile, the nba all-star game started on time. they play indoors. let's hit the highlights. lebron james and the east taking on prince george's county product kevin durant and the west. first quarter, blake griffin loses it. east on the break here. lebron behind the back pass to dwyane wade. back to lebron. you take it. lebron led the east squad with 36 points. later chris paul off the backboard to kevin durant. one-handed throwdown. then chris paul bounce pass