streets. the resident chased the suspects off. just a few blocks away, another home invasion, this one even more disturbing. jackie benson is live now in northeast with details. >> reporter: pat, at the home here on 2nd street northeast, two suspects confronted a couple in their bedroom. they robbed them and then one of the suspects tried to rape the female victim. police tell us that detectives have gone door to door in the edgewood neighborhood here this afternoon where an unnerving crime happened around 4:00 this morning. the police report says the couple awoke to find two men in their bedroom, one armed with a knife, the other had a gun. they took the couple's money, iphones and laptops. >> the second case they attempted to sexually assault the woman, so this is a very serious case. we domt t want the public's hel they know anything about this or saw anything out there this morning, we would like to hear

from them. >> reporter: what we're told is a struggle ensued. a shot was fired in the that house by the suspect. it went into the wall into an adjoining row house. coming up we'll talk to a woman who was sleeping when that bullet whizzed by her head. jackie benson, news4. right now a suspect is under arrest in connection with a sex assault outside a silver spring post office. 47-year-old dennis carpenter was arrested yesterday in washington. he's charged with first-degree rape. police say carpenter attacked a 21-year-old postal worker outside the woodmore post office in four corners while she was on her lunch break. dna evidence links him to the crime. in a news4 exclusive, the victim tells pat collins how the attack has traumatized her. we'll hear from her at 5:00. a frantic search is under way at this hour in philadelphia to see if anyone is still trapped under the rubble of a four-story building in center city. that building came crashing down

onto a two-story building around 10:30 this morning. so far one person has died, at least a dozen others have been rescued, most with minor injuries, nbc's marc barger has the latest search efforts. >> reporter: dozens of firefighters frantically search for victims as part of a four-story building came crashing down on a salvation army store. >> we did not know and we do not know how many people were actually in the thrift store this morning when the wall collapsed on the building. >> reporter: at least one person is thought to still be trapped under the collapsed wreckage. >> we're going to continue until we have searched the entire area. it is an active search and rescue right now. >> when it happened i was like, you know, this can't be right. >> reporter: witnesses say they heard two loud explosions before the collapse. a truck driver waiting at a red light described the moment the building fell. >> bricks started falling on me first. there's smoke and dust.

the next thing you know the pole came flying down right over top of my truck. i laid down on the seat and made it out alive. >> reporter: so did more than a dozen others pulled from the rubble by good samaritans who rushed to the scene. >> none of them were able to walk. they were bruised, maybe some broken bones. >> reporter: all were taken to nearby hospitals where they're being treated for minor injuries. >> we've seen superficial lacerations, abrasions, contusions, but they're still in the process of being evaluated. >> reporter: the building that collapsed was in the process of being demolished. >> no existing violations on the property. it was permitted and the contractor did have a license. >> reporter: an investigation into what caused the collapse is already under way. marc barger, nbc news. some changes are headed our way in the forecast. >> storm team 4 meteorologist veronica johnson is in the weather center with more now. >> that's right. you might say that we're going to be going into a transition

period during the overnight period. let's take a look right now outside. you can see some high clouds already moving in. we talked about that yesterday, how today would be a mostly sunny day. our cloud cover right now as you take a look at satellite and radar here over the last couple of hours, you can see where those high clouds have been moving in. frederick, front royal, fredericksburg, charlottesville. the white is cloud cover that's advancing eastward. it's going to thicken up and lower and by tomorrow morning a change to the sky. a change in our temperatures today. we're up two to seven degrees higher and humidity also creeping upward, where tomorrow you will definitely start to notice it again. temperaturewise we're in the upper 70s to even though 80s. look at that, 81 degrees in leesburg, 82 fredericksburg, so here's your good night forecast. your temperature, 76 at 7:00 p.m., 79 by 11:00 p.m. but with a lot of clouds coming late, in a couple of minutes i'll tell

you why the end of the week looking a little ugly. we'll talk about rainfall totals coming up. we are tracking a developing story from l.a. where paris jackson, the only daughter of michael jackson, was rushed to the hospital today. it happened just before 2:00 this morning. police say the 15-year-old was rushed from the family home in southern california to a local medical center. it's still unclear what she's being treated for or how serious she is. paris and her two other siblings are scheduled to testify in her father's wrongful death trial next month. to mark segraves at the live desk with a change in policy from the tsa. mark? >> reporter: that's right. this just into the news4 live desk. the tsa is dropping its effort to allow small knives and sporting equipment in plane carry-on luggage. you may remember they announced a plan to loosen the restrictions back in march. the head of the agency said luggage screeners should spend more time focusing on explosives rather than small knives, but the plan was met with fierce

opposition from flight attendants of airlines and some members of the flying public. a group of airline workers and travelers even filed a legal challenge last month to keep the knives off planes. again today, the tsa officially deciding to drop plans to loosen any of those carry-on restrictions. the prohibited items list remains unchanged. from the live desk, i'm mark segraves. we're learning more today about the country's newest multimillionaire, the woman who won that almost $600 million jackpot comes forth. we'll have details. also what washington is saying following the first lady's run-in with a heckler. and the new trial that's part of a ground-breaking study into autism.

coming up, an online marketplace plans a major move into the grocery business.

purple and black. there it is. at the white house today, president obama met with the baltimore ravens to congratulate the team on their super bowl win. they came out on top back in february, you may remember, despite a half hour power outage and a major comeback attempt by the san francisco 49ers. the president wished them luck next season and told them they'd need it when they played his chicago bears. we now know who bought the one and only winning ticket for last month's $590 million powerball jackpot. 84-year-old gloria mckenzie of zephyr hills, florida, claimed her prize. she's opted for the lump sum payout. that will give her about $370 million before taxes.

she's not talking to the media but she did issue a statement through a lottery representative. >> we bought the winning ticket as a single ticket, even though we bought four other tickets before the drawing. while in line at publix, another lottery player was kind enough to let me go ahead of them in line to purchase the winning quick pick ticket. >> mckenzie is now the largest single lottery winner in u.s. history. last year's $656 million mega millions prize was a bigger jackpot, but three winning tickets were sold for that one so the pot was split three ways. imagine that kind person. still ahead, a new venture for one of the world's biggest online marketplaces. where it plans to expand a grocery business. also a surprising way to get an early jump on fighting allergies and other health problems in your newborn. plus some changes ahead in the forecast. how long will this nice weather stick around?

have you ever put your baby's pacifier in your mouth?

if you have, you may have helped kick start the baby's immune system. in news4 your health this afternoon, ways to make your baby healthy right at the outset. dr. jackie, family allergy and asthma care, is here to explain. dr. jackie, i think most mothers have probably stuck that pacifier in their mouths to clean it off after the baby drops it on the floor. tell us about new research that shows that's exactly the right thing to do. >> you sometimes wonder who dreams this stuff up. they took 184 infants and they figured out who of them were using pacifiers. then they check back in with them a few months later. what they found was the parents who took the pacifier and pop it in their mouth to clean it off, that those kids ended up having less eczema compared to those who boil it, sterilize it. >> does this apply to mommy and daddy's mouth? >> this is an employment opportunity employer here.

what really makes a difference is that you get those oral microbes and they end up in the gut of the baby. it stimulates the baby's immune system. what's interesting is that it stays. even after the baby used a pacifier, that kid has less chance of getting allergy. >> this can help protect against asthma and eczema. what about other health problems. >> eczema is the first sign of allergy. if you have a child with eczema, look for other signs of allergy, whether it's food allergy or asthma. you can actually help the immune system overall so it can ratchet up and help you fight colds. those babies had less colds just because mommy or daddy put the pacifier in their mouth and wiped it off. >> this was real interesting. there's also evidence that vaginal delivery reduces the baby's risk of developing allergies. explain that. >> it's sort of twofold. ones you're going down the birth canal, you will pick up more of those microbes compared to if you're just plucked straight out

of the uterus, which is what happens with the c-section. you don't pick up nearly as many microbes. but the interesting part of this study is what they found is mothers who delivered vaginally are the mothers who pick up the pacifier and clean it off in their mouth. now why that happens, i don't know. it seems to be women that end up with a c-section end up hypercleaning those pacifiers. >> and many new mothers think breastfeeding is the way to fight allergies. that's not necessarily the case. >> right. the same story with those deliveries. in the united states, who breast feeds, they are predominantly college educated women that are germophobes and hence they have got kids around all sorts of cleanliness and that baby doesn't get as many germs, hence we see more allergy. >> generally, if you're trying to prevent allergies in your kids, you might tend to keep the pets away but you say two pets are actually better than one pet. >> yes. here's a study done specifically in the united states because the

studies that were done worldwide really showed that if you had a pet around, the kid was less allergic. the thought is they would get tolerant. it seems that american pets are pretty clean too, so you need to get two pets in the household in order to get enough germs from the cat and the dog or two dogs or a giraffe and a rhino, all depending on your bent, but you have to have enough germs around in order to make that baby pick up that type of immune response. realize that once you've tilted the immune response into that direction, it stays that way forever. >> double the germs, double the immunity. >> eat some dirt. eat some dirt. >> it sounds counter intuitive. doctors are hoping a new study will help them to diagnose autism earlier. the study is being done in 20 cities across the country. researchers say they're trying to find out if rna, which conveys genetic information to

the body, provides clues as to whether or not children are autistic. all that is required is a simple blood test. >> if they can give the doctors a test that can help them rule in or out a possibility of autism early on, it will be able to better guide doctors on to which path to take in making that diagnosis. >> most children are diagnosed with autism between the ages of 4 and 5. if the study is successful, it can help them get treatment when they're as young as 18 months old. turning now to the weather, veronica, i guess we should enjoy this day? >> that's right, because it's going to be very ugly at the end of the week, something that we've been talking about from yesterday, from a system that isn't your typical type weather system for us. as you know, hurricane season started june 1st. what we are watching right now is a system that is a little tropical in nature down to the south, which we are going to visit in just a moment. right now as we take a look outdoors, it's high clouds for us today and those will continue

moving in. in fact we'll see cloud cover thicken up during the overnight period, so there will be a change in the sky. what it looks like today, not what it's going to look like tomorrow. let's check on those temperatures right now from sandy spring to silver spring, the temperature right now 82 degrees. get over to green belt, temperature 79. then on the other side, fairfax, reston, manassas, right now 80 to 79 degrees. not a bad day what it feels like outside right now. let me step over to the side and we'll talk temperatures throughout the area today, and of course the humidity. it's starting to climb. cloud cover again will continue moving into our area. let's go ahead and see what the glitch is here on the weather system, as i step on over. as far as the evening those goes, folks, we'll see your evening start to drop off. we drop to 69 by 11:00 p.m. again, those clouds will be coming into the area. meanwhile, it's downto t to the

south where we're watching the gulf of mexico. there's an area of low pressure here that could develop, it could strengthen. this will be the primary system that brings us rain at the end of the week. the secondary system, the rain that you see in areas around st. louis, so here's what i'm expecting right now throughout the day tomorrow. again, cloud cover will be moving in. some late-day showers for us. about 4:00 to 5:00 p.m. we're going to see rain continue during the overnight period thursday. friday morning looking wet. friday afternoon looking wet. maybe a break for friday night, but right now even saturday is looking wet with some showers that will be lingering down here across southern maryland and we could have a chance for more showers and storms back saturday afternoon. so we drop to the 50s, low 60s by morning. 80 degrees the high temperature tomorrow, again with late-day showers and storms probably after 4:00. your storm team 4 four-day forecast, 82 degrees for friday. friday really the umbrella day

for us. could catch a break on saturday, 84 degrees. 85 degrees on sunday right now but friday a day that will be very tropical as we watch a tropical system make its way north. when i return in a couple of minutes a little later in the newscast, we'll talk about exactly how much rain we could get on friday. >> thanks, veronica. a new twist in a high profile battle over a child that needs a lung transplant. coming up, how the parents of a 10-year-old are fighting a denial of a waiver that could save her life. and the first lady takes on a heckler who interrupted her during a fund-raiser in the distri

february 22nd. a landmark transportation bill is up for consideration in the virginia legislature. even though it's backed by republican governor mcdonnell, tea party republicans refuse to support the plan. but terry mcauliffe thinks this is too important a time for partisan politics. mcauliffe reaches out to democrats and urges them to support the bill. and the bill passes. terry mcauliffe. putting virginia first.

on a new law passed because of a school shooting in connecticut, mark. >> yeah, the new bill protects the privacy of victims at the shooting of sandy hook elementary school that has now

become law. connecticut governor dan malloy just tweeted this picture showing him signing the bill. it prevents the release of photos, videos and any other images of crime scenes showing a homicide victim. if those images are expect eed constitute an invasion of privacy. the governor said the goal was to provide a measure of protection for the families. ♪ >> the fun for new jersey senator frank lautenberg has ended and the body is on the way to washington. he will lie in state in the senate chamber tomorrow. several u.s. senators and former new jersey governors were at today's funeral along with current governor chris christie. vice president joe biden and former secretary of state hillary clinton spoke. amazon.com is planning to expand its marketplace to

include groceries. the company has been developing amazon fresh for years now. amazon has been delivering groceries in seattle for five years and this week they're expanding to los angeles and san francisco. the site offers fresh produce, meats and other groceries that can all be delivered to your front door. amazon plans to offer groceries in 20 other cities by the year 2014. up next, it's one of the biggest pushes to legalize marijuana and it's being taken right here on capitol hill. and a changeup in the president's cabinet. the reaction to susan rice's appointment as national se

a news4 exclusive. a postal worker speaks out after being sexually assaulted at knife point. what the suspect said just before he let her go.

welcome back to news4 at 4:00. i'm barbara harrison in for jim handly. >> i'm pat lawson muse. an investigation into two violent home invasions in northeast. police say two suspects broke into a house on 2nd and channing street and stole money and personal items before trying to sexually assault the female homeowner. police are investigating to try to determine if this incident is connected to an attempted home invasion an hour earlier a few blocks away. rescue teams say they will work through the night until

they know that everyone has been pulled out of the rubble of a four-story building in philadelphia. that building collapsed onto another building around 10:30 this morning. one person has died, 13 others have been rescued, most with minor injuries. the building was under construction but they still don't know what caused it to collapse. and some good news for people who are suffering from allergies, but many may not like the reason why. >> storm team 4 meteorologist veronica johnson explains that. >> that's right. it's really still terrific outdoors. yeah, we've had some clouds move in but really nice weather outside. we're going to be probably having some travel troubles on friday with that nasty weather moving in so it looks like this now, it's going to be gray at the end of the week and it's going to be wet so you need to start getting the umbrella ready. 80 degrees college park, gra grant -- 80 degrees, northern

montgomery county 77 degrees in olney right now so it is quite comfortable still, the humidity is low. but that humidity will start creeping upward. we'll see more clouds start to move into the area. forecast here for mt. rainier, maryland, we drop to the low 70s by 9:00. yes, even though we're talking about rain moving in, a lot of folks liking the fact it's going to bring down the pollen count. the grass pollen today once again high but look how low it's going to be at the end of the week and first part of the weekend. when i return in a couple of minutes, rainfall amounts for the area coming up. big changes at the white house. just a couple of hours ago, president obama named susan rice as his new national security adviser. her career was almost derailed following the benghazi attacks. now she's taking on a new role. nbc's steve handelsman is on capitol hill with more on the shakeup of the president's security team. steve. >> reporter: hi, barbara, thanks. susan rice is a washington insider, and she's a washington

native. here on capitol hill a lot of republicans aren't happy about her appointment, but they can't stop it. susan rice becomes president obama's top foreign policy adviser. >> susan is the consummate public servant. she is fearless, she is tough. >> she will coordinate input from the cia, the pentagon and the state department. >> i look forward to serving on your national security team to keep our nation strong and safe. >> reporter: rice succeeded tom don lan who was national security adviser during the takedown of bin laden. she looked on track to succeed hillary clinton as secretary of state until benghazi. five days after four americans were killed, on the sunday talk shows rice blamed a demonstration that turned violent, using talking points scrubbed clean of what proved to be true, a planned attack by al

qaeda. republicans blamed rice for protecting the president before the election. some questioned her appointment today. >> well, it's curious that they would choose ambassador rice as the national security adviser, only because she's such a political lightning rod now. >> president obama's credibility has suffered. in the new nbc poll, 58% said benghazi raised doubts. 66% support the obama use of drones against terrorist targets. but just 15% support u.s. military action in syria. 11% back arming syrian rebels. all to be susan rice's issues at the white house. the u.n. ambassador's nomination goes to samantha power, a former white house adviser. unlike rice, power does need senate confirmation. it's possible that republicans up here, upset that president obama gave susan rice such a top job, might take it out on power. i'm steve handelsman, news4.

it's one of the biggest pushes to legitimize the cannabis industry. more than 30 medical marijuana business leaders traveled to meet with lawmakers on the hill. they say conflicts between state and federal laws make it nearly impossible for them to operate. now some lawmakers are proposing changes that would allow medical marijuana dispensaries to get small business tax breaks and to operate without fear of a federal shutdown. >> we think this is an issue whose time has come. it's only going to grow more complex and important. >> anti-drug reps say lawmakers supporting those types of businesses is a move in the wrong direction and they point out marijuana is still illegal under federal law. still to come on news4, first lady michelle obama in a confrontation with a heckler. and students and adults injured. the investigation into what led to this school bus crash.

the blisters were oozing, and painful to touch. i woke up to a blistering on my shoulder. i spent 23 years as a deputy united states marshal and i've been pretty well banged up but the worst pain i've experienced was when i had shingles. when i went to the clinic, the nurse told me that it was a result of having had chickenpox.

i wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy.

first lady michelle obama was heckled during a private fund-raiser here in washington last night. the white house hasn't commented about the incident yet, but it is the talk around town today. whur's molette grown is here to talk about it. >> molette, hi, good to see you. >> nice to be here. >> great to see you. it's not so unusual for public figures to get heckled. what people are talking about is how the first lady handled this. she told the woman heckler -- was it a woman or a man? >> a female. >> listen to me or you can take the mic, but i'm leaving. you all decide. you have one choice. what do you think about how she handled it. >> the people at that fund-raiser chose the first lady, obviously. our listeners said the first lady was right. she was on point. she handled the situation with grace and class. she commanded respect. our listeners say they're disturbed by this culture of

disrespect and the way in which people choose to voice their concerns. hey, we've got to get back to some decorum and proper behavior. obviously the first lady is popular on so many levels, barbara and pat. this is a woman from the south side of chicago, but ivy league educated. a woman who will get down on her hands and knees in the dirt at the white house garden and then the next day hold a state dinner and travel abroad to visit with the queen of england. so she took herself away from the lectern, went one on one with this heckler and said it's either you or me, baby, and i'm going to leave. i can do that. and so our listeners said overwhelmingly that was her shining moment of commanding the respect that she deserved. >> and they escorted that heckler out. >> and it wasn't the only heckler at that event. >> it was a private home. they let people come in. >> they pay their way in. >> oh, i see.

i see. voting for steve harvey's neighborhood awards is winding down because it's become a big annual event for whur. tell us about that. >> this is a chance for people all over the country to have a shining spotlight on them. washington, d.c., does wig at the steve harvey awards. people are voting on every day mom-and-pop businesses, community leaders, community heroes, nail salons, best churches in the area. we do well. we have 13 nominees in eight categories. and even we're sponsoring a contest to send just regular listeners out to vegas for the big awards gala that's going to be held in august. so log on, everybody. >> now, quickly, do more 24. >> we're supporting this united way of the national capital area campaign. basically you go online tomorrow, domore24.org.

donate $24 to your favorite local charity. again, community focus is what we're pushing here. sometimes we've got to pay attention to the organizations that help out right in our backyard. that's what it's all about. >> molette green. >> thank you. nice to talk to you both. >> you got us both. >> we'll see you next week. a civil rights activist is remembered as the 50th anniversary of his death approaches. >> how a former president honored today. and a former teacher recognized. we'll meet the newest teacher of the year. and outside right now it still looks good, it feels good, but here's a snapshot of tomorrow morning. clouds already in on us, so how far is the rain going to be away, and we're going to talk when it's going to move in and how much we're going to get, when news4 at 4:00 returns.

police cited a school bus driver today for speeding and negligent driving after a chain reaction crash in howard county. the driver was taking students to centennial lane elementary around 8:30 this morning. the school bus hit a van which then hit a car. the bus driver and five kids on board suffered minor injuries. the van driver and two passengers were also taken to the hospital. everyone is expected to be okay. an arlington student killed in a skateboard accident is being remembered today as a kind and caring young man. john malvar died yesterday. his high school graduation from washington & lee was just two weeks away. news4's tony tull reports on how this is friends are coping with this loss. >> reporter: less than a day after 18-year-old john malvar died, his classmates here at washington & lee high school deal with the loss knowing he won't be attending graduation.

carlos lopez was a friend of malvar's. he struggled to find the words this morning to express how he was feeling. >> it's really hard. that was my thing, you know. i can't really tell, you know. >> reporter: faculty and staff were on hand early this morning, standing out front, providing students with the necessary help while coping with the loss. >> people are taking it really bad. he's not going to be there today. >> reporter: it was just after noon yesterday when according to arlington police malvar was on a skateboard holding on to the side of a friend's truck. it's what folks call sketching. at some point he lost control, fell off his skateboard and hit his head. he was rushed to the hospital where he later died. >> he's a really nice guy. he was really gin, just like one of those kids -- he was always in a good mood. >> millions of kids suffer

sports-related injuries each year but according to the american academy of pediatrics, nearly half of from biking, skating and skateboarding. and nationwide, children's hospital says an estimated 110,000 kids wind up in the e.r. as a result of skateboarding. safety experts say the most important thing to do is stay safe, wear protective gear, especially a helmet. they say a helmet will definitely make a difference. they say you should avoid cars, ride with a friend and bring a phone in case of an emergency. well, we are in for some changing weather. veronica, you are using the term tropical. should we be worried about that? >> we should be worried about getting quite a bit of rain, so if you've got anything outside that you don't want to get soaked, because we're talking about some real downpours coming our way for the end of the week, some real drenchers. when you think tropical, you think of a lot of rain. there's a look outside.

here's a look at what our yearly rainfall deficit is. getting closer and closer to 3.5 inches of rainfall. what's possible coming up friday, somewhere between an inch and a half and almost 2 inches of rain is what we could be picking up. that's why, again, i'm talking about tropical drenchers, downpours. do whatever you can to prepare friday. it's going to be more and more like an inside day. outside today, 80 degrees, south wind. even some nice, warm, southerly breezes coming through. like this morning, by tomorrow morning we'll see the temperatures drop off again. the big difference is as they do, upper 50s right around areas like bethesda, mid-50s germantown, upper 50s fairfax, woodbridge. tomorrow morning there will be some clouds over the area. we'll make our move from a partly cloudy sky to a mostly cloudy sky by the afternoon. still mild at 80 to 81 degrees. those clouds that you see also delivering some showers and also some thunderstorms we could see

tomorrow, but i think it's late that it starts. probably after about 3:00 or 4:00 to the west of our area, so whatever rain we get tomorrow will come late. we'll make that move from the mid-60s, mid-70s. here's a look at your storm team 4 seven-day forecast, a couple of wet days coming your way. friday real tropical-type rains. warm and humid. doesn't look like we'll get a lot of wind. a little break for saturday, but back to rain for sunday and monday of next week. coming up at 5:00, meteorologist doug kammerer will have more on this wet weather headed our way. a local teacher is being rewarded for his work with students. zachary kiesch spoke with the prince george's county native about his role in the classroom and being named the county's teacher of the year. >> i was looking for a high level of engagement and, again, critical thinking. does everyone understand me?

>> reporter: it was once said that when you know better, you do better. it should come as no surprise that prince george's county teacher of the year and one of walker mills' own is rising to the top of the class. >> the journey didn't come without bumps or bruises, but to be at this point in the game, seven years teaching, and to have ascended to this point so quickly, it just speaks to the support system that i've had around me. >> reporter: albert lewis is a rare breed. in the youngsters around here, well, they need him and people like him more than ever. according to the department of education, black men represent just 2% of all teachers across the country. in prince george's county, it's 11%, but when mr. lewis walks in the class, he represents more than a teacher. >> i think that magnifies our role as far as what we bring to the classroom in terms of strength, in terms of stability, in terms of that male role model and how we can train and motivate other students to

emulate. >> it just comes naturally in his demeanor as a male. as a male role model in this school. the kids are attracted to that. >> it's not only not make sure we understand things schoolwise but he also helps us with our problems like outside of school too. he understands us. >> reporter: he thought he'd pursue a career as a journalist after graduating from morgan state university, but less than a year after school he found himself in the classroom. seven years later, he's now become one of the best in the country. >> i'm really honored to be in this position and i'm honored to support them in any way that i can, whether that's as a teacher, as a surrogate father, big brother or counselor. the role of teacher today encompasses so many different things. so for anyone who pursues this profession, you have to be ready to fit what's needed at that time. >> reporter: zachary kiesch, news4.

slain civil rights leader was honored today at a wreath-laying ceremony took place. evers worked for the naacp registering blacks to vote in mississippi. he was shot and killed in his driveway after returning from a meeting. today's event commemorated the 50th anniversary of evers' 1963 assassination. his widow says her husband never really liked the spotlight. >> he was a man who saw a job that needed to be done, and he answered the call. in the fight for freedom, dignity and justice, not just for his people but all people. >> evers was buried at arlington cemetery with full military honors. former president bill clinton and attorney general eric holder

attended today's ceremony. up next, a new development in the case of a 10-year-old girl in need of a life-saving lung transplant. >> reporter: i'm tom sherwood. do too many d.c. taxicab drivers harass women and mistreat other passengers? some surprising testimony today. i'll have the story coming up.

an update now on a 10-year-old girl waiting for a lung transplant with just weeks to live. today the girl's parents filed a lawsuit against health and human services secretary kathleen sebelius. they want a judge to force health officials to change organ donation rules. nbc's tom costello reports on why sebelius says she won't make an exception. >> reporter: for sara monihan, every breath is a struggle. >> how long have we been here at the hospital? >> reporter: cystic fibrosis has filled her lung with mucous and

moved her to the top of the transplant list for children. but there are very few children's lungs available and national transplant rules created by surgeons don't allow a child under the age of 12 to receive surgically modified adult lungs even though sara could benefit. on tuesday, lawmakers urged the secretary of health and human services to override the rules. >> the study will take over a year. this young lady will be dead. >> reporter: but secretary sebelius declined to intervene. >> the worst of all worlds in my mind is to have some individual pick and choose who lives and who dies. >> reporter: sebelius says there are already 40 patients 12 and older in pennsylvania alone waiting for an adult lung donor, but sara's mother insists the sickest patients should be at the top of the list. >> the stakes don't get any higher for my child. she is 10 years old, she has weeks to live. she is struggling and fighting with each breath. and we have no greater chance of getting lungs today than we did

when she was fairly healthy six months ago because the severity of her illness doesn't matter. >> reporter: for three months sara has waited at children's hospital of philadelphia for a lung transplant. the ethical question, are strict guidelines standing in the way of sara and other children from getting a chance at life? >> of course parents want an exception made. we always have to remember that the statistic of the other couple hundred people on the wait list who are adults are parents of children, husbands, wives. >> reporter: tom costello, nbc news, washington. and right now at 5:00, a local couple wakes up to find gunmen in their home. it was a violent night. two men break in, take what they want but didn't end there. what happened after the bullets started flying? >> the window shattered. it was -- and there's a hole in our hole. >> the story continues to develop in philly, where a building collapsed on another. crews are still digging for survivors at this hour but not

everyone could be saved. and we just learned that the daughter of the late michael jackson is at a hospital but is physically fine. there is much more to this story. but first, a man takes on gunmen who decided to attack his friend during a home invasion. >> it was one of two home invasions within about an hour of each other in northeast washington. the first one happened just before dawn at north capitol and douglas streets. just a few blocks away, another home invasion. this time the suspects had a knife and a gun and they were after more than money. jackie benson is live in northeast with the disturbing details. >> reporter: at the home here on 2nd street, two suspects confronted a man and a woman in their bedroom. they robbed them and then one of them tried to rape the woman. d.c. detectives went door to door in the edgewood neighborhood of northeast where an unnerving crime happened around 4:00 this morning. the police report says a couple awoke to find two men in their