the sixth to involve a student at prince george's county high schools this year. there will be extra security at suitland high the rest of the week and counselors remain on campus. they pledge to work with lawmakers and the director of school security. this is not a crime spree but a social issue that needs to change immediately they say. a group of lawmakers visiting cuba will be given 5:00 tess to a man being held there. they're pushing for the release of 63-year-old alan gross who has been held since 2009 and is serving a 15-year sentence for bringing internet equipment to the island. they want to exchange for five of their spies held in the u.s. coming up on 4:31. want to get a look at the weather headlines. here's storm team 4 meteorologist tom kierein.

>> the pavement dried out after the rain yesterday. now we've got a partly cloudy sky starting off this wednesday morning. the 20th day of february. temperatures are near freezing now. much of maryland and virginia, that includes prince george's county, montgomery, arlington and fairfax. shenandoah valley into the mountains. southern maryland near the bay waters, a little bit above freezing. we have winds gusting around 20, 25 miles an hour. so our windchills are down to the teens and low 20s now much of the region. we're going to have our windchills hovering in the 20s and teens throughout much of the morning. 6:00 to 7:00 a.m. around the freezing mark. those winds will increase maybe by noontime to 30 mile an hour wind gusts. by then, temperatures into the mid-30s. sunrise is at 6:53. waldorf in charles county, our hometown forecast by noontime there. it will be in the upper 30s and partly cloudy with a blustery wind. a look at the rest of the afternoon and evening in ten minutes. now a look at traffic on this

wednesday morning. here's danella, good morning. >> good morning. first i-95 in virginia. as you make your way southbound at prince william parkway, there's a crash there. in your southbound lanes just in your south right shoulder lane, a car ran off into the ditch in that area. right now, travel lanes are open but in a little bit tow truck waiting to get out there to check on the problem. also, as you travel northbound, no issues as you make your way from fredericksburg i-95 to the beltway. you're clear. continuing on to 395 in the southbound lanes, at king street, construction just off to your right shoulder lane. travel lanes, are open 395 north and southbound. i'm back in ten minutes, aaron and eun over to you. >> danella, thank you. > angie goff has breaking news. >> oscar pistorius is back in court. prosecutors again detailing their case against the track star accused of premeditated murder his girlfriend.

this is video of him arriving earlier this morning. they say that they do have a witness. the prosecutors say. who said she heard nonstop fighting between the couple leegd up to reeva steenkamp's death. pistorius may face more charges for possessing an unlicensed handgun and ammunition. investigators believe he may be a flight risk because he has off shore accounts. we'll follow the hearing all morning long. the white house will lay out the new strategy to punish countries who steal government information online. the strategy could include fines, trade restrictions and other penalties. this comes as cyber security firm in virginia says it has proof that china's military is behind years of cyber attacks against u.s. companies. according to the virginia firm, a secret military unit headquartered in the building in shanghai stole data from more than 140 companies and organizations. china is denying the allegationsment.

4:33 now. this could be a tense day for pentagon employees. the defense department will tell congress about its plan to furlough civilian workers if the cuts take effect. more than 700,000 defensivelyian employees could be forced to take one day a week off without pay. that's the equivalent of a 20% pay cut. the notices would likely be sent out late next month. the furloughs would begin in late april. it isn't just government workers feeling the effects of the billions of dollars in cuts. private businesses like catering companies will had also be hurt. conferences and meetings with agencies and firms could be can semd or scaled back. many of the business owners are taking a wait and see approach. >> it's unknown. this is something new to us. we've seen it all in washington. but this would be new to us. i really couldn't tell you the impact until it actually happens. >> congress and the white house have until next friday to get a deal done.

stay with news 4 for continuing coverage of the sequestration showdown as the march 1st deadline approaches. when you can't watch, you can get the latest information at nbcwashington.com. president obama needs a new candidate to lead u.s. and allied forces. his first choice john allen is retiring. allen wants to focusing on helping his wife with health issues. he spent 19 months leading forces in afghanistan. last fall the pentagon put his nomination on hold during an investigation into his e-mails with a florida socialite. he was later cleared of any wrongdoing. former congressman jesse jackson jr. and his wife are due in a d.c. courtroom on criminal charges. both made deals with federal prosecutors for a scheme to spend $750,000 of campaign money on personal items. jackson is charged with conspiracy, his wife accused of filing false federal tax returns to 2006 to 2011. the same judge will hear their

cases in two separate hearings set for today. angie goff at the live desk with breaking news. good morning. >> crews are working around the clock to search for any survivors in a massive gas explosion in downtown kansas city. more than a dozen people were hurt in the blast. take a look at this video right now. cadaver dogs are searching through the rubble to make sure no one is buried underneath it all. towering flames shot out of the popular restaurant leaving debris and brick strewn up and down an entire block. hundreds were are forced from their homes. police say the blast may have been started by a utility crew accident. but no official cause just yet. at the live desk, angie goff, news 4. today, montgomery county executive mike leggett will discuss his -- he'll deliver the state of the county address in silver spring. it's set to begin at 7:30 at the civic building. it's free if you'd like to attend. costco will make its case to residents that it should be allowed to build a controversial

gas station in wheaton. the popular store will hold an open house at newport middle school in kensington from 7:00 to 9:00. they have invited all community members. costco has been fighting to put in a 16-pump station for more than a year. residents there say the station raises major health and environmental concerns. this morning a gallon of gas in d.c. will cost $3.95 a gallon. the fifth highest price in the country. it trails hawaii, california, new york and connecticut for the most expensive gas in the u.s. drivers this d.c. are paying 40 cents more than a month ago. they say it's due to higher oil prices plus gas prices are typically higher the closer you get to summer. the nats star pitcher, gio gonzalez tries to clear his names. >> redskins fans response to

rg3's ad. as you step out the door, windchills are in the 20s. when we'll see a warmup, next with weather and traffic on the

burger king has company. jeep's official twitter account back to normal after a similar hacking event. a hacker replaced it with

cadillac saying cadillac had bought yeep. that hack is -- it only lasted ten minutes compared to burger king's which lasted more than an hour. after gaining control, jeep tweeted out, thanks bk. let us know if you want to grab a burger and swap stories. we'll drive. >> this is going to continue to happen. all the rivalries. >> i think b.e.t. and nbc had the same thing. that was a marketing thi. >> that's what's happening. you're getting attention. now they'll do to to themselves. storm team 4 meteorologist tom kierein is here with the forecast. >> it's a cold morning. layer up. temperatures near freezing. most of northern virginia and northern maryland includes prince george's county, arlington fairfax. winds are blowing at 15, 20, 25 miles per hour. windchills in the 20s. we'll have the blustery winds through the day. temperatures reaching the 30s. that's by mid-afternoon. winds gusting over 30 miles an hour. clearing out tonight.

i'm back in ten minutes with your seven-day outlook. a look at first 4 traffic with danella on this wednesday morning. good morning. >> good morning. a live look at the earlier accident we were talking about. this is i-95 just past prince william parkway southbound so you can see shoulder lane, right shoulder lane is blocked. car is into a ditch waiting on a tow truck to get that car out of a ditch. right now your travel lanes are open. back in ten minutes. >> danella, thank you. violence on the roads after a deadly string of carjackings in california. the suspect's message to one of its victims. a brutal beating nearly cost him his life. now t.c. maslin talking about his road to recovery. gio

police in orange county, california, trying to piece together what led a young college student to kill three people. that rampage started at 20-year-old syed's home where he killed a woman who was not a relative. then he carjacked two people firing his weapon at cars as he drove by. syed told them quote, i don't want to hurt you, today is my last day. at least three people were injured by stray bullets and debris. the rampage ended when he killed himself before police pulled him over. now to a news 4 exclusive. we're hearing from a 29-year-old father who is learning to walk and talk after a brutal beating. he was beaten a few blocks from his home. he suffered a severe traumatic brain injury leaving him unable to talk, read or use the right side of his body. he and his wife abby moved to the district to a place where they can heal physically and

emotionally. >> i think i really am doing better. >> the very first few weeks he was in and out of a coma and thrashing and there wasn't even a personality in there. >> maslin says he hopes to go back to work as a solar energy analyst next year. the 2-year-old son jack is going to daycare while his parents work full-time on rehabilitation. police arrested three people in connection with the attack. the first trial is expected to begin in the spring. police say the woman found dead after an apartment fire in reston was pregnant. 38-year-old jennifer pea son was found dead in the waterside apartments after a massive fire. sources close to the investigation tell news 4 police are looking into the possibility that someone killed pearson and set the fire on purpose. neighbors report hearing an argument before the fire started. a group of delegates and senators will try to reach a deal on legislation to fund much needed transportation projects. lawmakers could be close to an

agreement. senate negotiators are considering a new offer. this would cut virginia's gas tax and raise its sales tax. a portion of the revenue would be earmarked nor transportation projects. lawmakers would like to reach an agreement by the time the general assembly adjourns on saturday. a new set of road rules could help drivers share lanes with our growing bicyclist population. not yielding to cyclists could get you three points and your license or your license and a $250 fine. your license could be suspended, i think. an accident with someone on a bike could mean six points and a $500 fine. some say the bill could push drivers to be more cautious but argue cyclists should do the same. >> they come in front of you. cut you off. they follow the rule, i don't mind share the roads. >> it's going to help not just drivers more on board but make

more bicyclist -- >> not yielding could get you three points on your license. tommy wells proposing the bike safety bill. they hope to see it passed sometime this summer. gio extravaganza may not have received performance-enhancing drugs from a south florida clinic. two sources familiar with the clinic tell espn's outside the lines that the substances he obtained were legal and not banned by major league baseball. that supports his statement at the start of spring training last week that he never used peds and was confident his name would be cleared of the the substances he used are antioxidants and amino acids used in weight loss. the wizards may be doing better but didn't show in the second half of the season. the raptors came to town and beat the wiz. bradley bale led the game but

couldn't overcome seven turnovers by john wall alone. they go against the nuggets on friday. terps hopes for an ncaa tournament bid are suddenly fainter. maryland pell to boston college last night. this was a potentially devastating loss. it was the terrapins first defeat to a sub .500 team all season. it came three days after maryland's biggest win of the season. the upset victory over duke. the terps are 18-8 on the season. 6-7 in the acc. they will try to rebound on saturday at home against clemson. virginia fans are probably a little down this morning as well. the cavaliers lost a heartbreaker to miami. there was less than 15 seconds left and miami scored to take the lead. the hurricanes stole the inbounds pass to clinch the victory. the final score there 54-50. virginia has the same record as maryland. 18-8. but the cavs are 8-5 in conference play. they take on georgia tech next

sunday. robert griffin iii is downplaying the message behind his latest adidas commercial. check out the sound. >> blow he it all up. >> the commercial ends with the tag line all in for week one. that has many redskins fans worried that he's rushing back too quickly from his knee surgery. he's urging fans not to read too much into the commercial. feel like i need to say this. although my goal is to start week one, that doesn't mean i'll compromise my career to do so. >> smart guy. you have to wonder if that commercial was done even before the season ended. >> it's still nine months away. crossing all our fingers and toes and hair follicles. everything. >> coming up on 4:51 right now. time for weather and traffic on

the 1s. tom is here with the forecast. >> don't twist a knee doing it. as you step out the door, we've got dry pavement. we've dried out from yesterday's rain. that's a good thing. temperatures are cold, down to near or below freezing. 36 at reagan national. the wind is gusting around 15, 20 miles per hour. the windchill is down into the 20s. as we look at what's happening over the last 12 hours, we've dried out. there may be a few puddles freezing up. but elsewhere, it's all dry pavement. down near or below freezing most of maryland and virginia as well as west virginia. closer to washington, montgomery, arlington fairfax, prince george's county, the district of columbia in the low 30s. these are the latest windchills. the gusts of wind around 20, 25 miles per hour keeping our windchills mainly in the low to mid 20s. we're going to have this blustery wind with us throughout the day. sunrise at 6:53. by 6:00 a.m., it's going to be still near 30 degrees by 9:00. only a little above freezing.

by noontime, the mid-30s. those winds gusting around 30 miles an hour. a few clouds racing through. and then over the rest of the afternoon, only reaching upper 30s to near 40. the winds blustery. diminishing tonight. down to the low 20s in the morning. not quite as windy tomorrow but blustery. bright sunshine. friday, increasing clouds. we'll be all right for the morning commute in the 20s. by noontime and during the afternoon, might have a little snow, sleet, changing to some chilly rain like yesterday. with highs only around 40. then saturday, some chilly rain, 40s to near 50 during the afternoon. drying out on sunday. into monday with highs near 50 each day. could get more rain on tuesday. i'm back in ten minutes with another hometown forecast. a look at first 4 traffic with danella now. good morning. >> good morning. if you're making the commute along i-270 all the way past the clarksburg here, clarksburg road

continuing there. inner loop and outer loop nice. no incidents or con struck or accidents to warn you about. traveling along i-95 in virginia, southbound i-95, still a vehicle into a ditch. you can see here, good news, tow truck just arrived to the scene. this is southbound i-95 a the prince william parkway. travel lanes are open and hopefully this accident will be cleared soon. i'm back had ten. aaron and eun over to you. thank you. a company will release the effects of a gas tax on the middle class. it will happen at the house of delegates building. the americans for prosperity foundation in maryland commissioned that study. maryland governor martin o'malley proposed to phase in a 6% sales tax on gas over three years. other state lawmakers have proposed a 3% gas tax. right now shall the state tax on a 23.5 cent tax per gallon that hasn't gone up since 1992. bmw is announcing a second recall in a week.

the company is recalling more than a half a million cars sold in north america. federal regulators say there is an electrical problem with a fuse box that can cause the cars to suddenly loseower and stall. the recall includes three series models from 2007 through 2011. one series coupes and convertibles from 2008 through 2012 and z 4 road sters from 2009 to 201. bmw recalled certain cars because of a brake issue. they will send out notices that the repairs will be fixed free of charge. no reports of injuries. the revel hotel and casino is filing for bankruptcy. it will wipe away most of the $1.5 billion in debt. the bankruptcy restructuring will begin in late march. that casino which cost nearly $2.5 billion to build was never able to compete with other resort in the city. revel executives say guests need not worry. the bankruptcy will not affect their stays in any what i.

it's no secret the postal service is struggling financially. but its solution for getting back on track may surprise you a bit. coming up, why the plan could impact what you wear. >> you're running out of time if you'd like to be on one of the national famed mascots. >> the outer world idea to poe tekt earth from

[ anouncer ] ihop is in time square to compare new griddle-melts to your usual breakfast sandwich. it doesn't seem like fast food. there's a lot of substance, it just seems really fresh. there's like a lot more flavor. [ anouncer ] ihop is building our best breakfast sandwiches ever. new griddle-melts made fresh and hot. hand crafted just for you. it's like a sexy sandwich. i love this crispy bread... ...the roasted red peppers. it's awesome. [ anouncer ] compare new griddle melts yourself. just $4.99 at ihop. this is an epic breakfast sandwich. [ anouncer ] ihop. everything you love about breakfast. you want that don't you?

washington nationals are looking for a few good recruits to suit up with them. you can be one of the team's mascots seen here at mt. rushmore this week. william howard taft or billy will join the racing presidents. candidates must be able to run in 40 seconds while wearing a 45-pound head. today is the deadline to apply. >> yikes. >> auditions are on march 2nd. >> you going to try that, aaron. >> i'm already a little head heavy. i could pull it off. >> which one? >> i like the new one. i want to be billy. the smithsonian american art museum announced it will close the gallery for its first renovation in 40 years. the historic building will stay closed until 2016. the building dates back to 1858. rein wick housed the decorative arts since 1972. scientists in california are

using science fiction to keep earth safe from asteroids. they're suggesting a death star type creation could defend our planet from potential collisions like the one that almost happened last week. the star wars rip-off would use laser beams to destroy or evaporate asteroids or deflect them away from earth. the scientists call the program destar. they say the technology could be used tore deep space exploration. no word if chewbacca or han solo will be a part of it. >> sign me up. on the death star. you goat shoot laser beams into space. how cool is that? >> "news4 today" continues at 5:00 a.m. for the second time, in as many days, students at one prince george's county high school are mourning the loss of a classmate. a scene out of a war