sxz right now at 4:00, red mud caking streets in northwest d.c. after a water main breaks near dupont circle. >> that's a full brick there. it's a significant rock.

it's a not a pebble. a gruesome discovery on the shoulder of the beltway. a surprise announcement from frank wolf. today is the day to become richer. it is gloomy and about to become soggy for some of you. i'm jim handly. >> i'm barbara harrison. get the umbrellas out. cloudy skies and rain for parts of our area. how long will it last? >> storm team 4 meteorologist chuck bell joins us. how about it, chuck? >> good afternoon, everybody. almost nothing in the way of sunshine. we have seen bits of drizzle and flurries coming in. this is the way it looks from the tower camera. northwest washington, all cloud cover over downtown and temperatures are cold. we just now made 40 degrees in

downtown. most locations are in the middle and upper 30s. here is storm team 4 radar. sprinkles in southern montgomery county. gaithersburg and wheaton, a steadier light rain in st. mary's and southern calvert county. 38 by 6:00. by 8:00, 9:00, 10:00, string >> caller:s mixing in with flurries. we are following developments on the water main break. it snarled traffic for hours today and forced nearby businesses to close. crews spent the day making repairs and things are now slowly going back to normal. chris gordon joins us live from connecticut avenue with the latest. chris? >> reporter: good evening, the sidewalk has been closed all day. crew members from d.c. water are putting the finishing touches on what has been a giant hole they

had to dig up to get to the 12-inch water main that broke. this has been the problem all day. traffic. the southbound connecticut lanes, there are three of them. earlier this morning, they were completely blocked, drivers detoured. now, only one lane is open. going south into d.c. is a slow go. the commute out is not so bad. let's take a look at what we have been dealing with all day. water, water everywhere. it began just after midnight. a 12-inch water main break, basically it split its sides and water started gushing out over the sidewalk, down connecticut avenue, 18th street, taking heavy debris and mud into the m street section, clogging intersection. members who helped businesses in the area helped keep the area beautiful and passable and

helped the businesses had to shovel and dig out and they are working all day long. what we have is the d.c. water crew basically came down to the water pipe. they replaced that section of it. they are putting a temporary repair on the sidewalk. they will make a permanent fix at a later date. that's the latest live along connecticut avenue, chris gordon, news 4. right now, police in montgomery county are investigating the discovery of a body along the beltway in silver springs. on the inner loop after 9:00 a.m. investigators say it's the body of a male. it was taken to the medical examiner to determine the cause of death. no other details have been released. traffic on the beltway was backed up in both directions because of the police activity. trying to figure what sparked a fire. chopper 4 was over the scene this afternoon.

this is along east ridge drive in landover. we are told it began and spread into the home. one person made it out safely, but needs to find another place to stay. no one was hurt. new details coming in on the shooting of a colorado school. scott macfarlane is at the live desk. >> the arapahoe county sheriff's office discovered several things written in marker on the shooter's arm, including a latin phrase meaning the die has been cast. there were letters and numbers written. they say they correspond with classrooms. a 17-year-old girl injured in the shooting, she is still in the hospital. police believe the gunman was going after a teacher that kicked him off the school debate team. at the live desk, i'm scott macfarlane. a political shocker,

congressman frank wolf is not going to seek re-election. he represented the tenth district since 1981. he thanked voters for letting him represent them for the past years. he says his future is on rights and religion. northern virginia reporter, david culver is looking into the political repercussions of wolf's retirement. more on that coming up at 5:00. tonight's mega millions is up to a whopping $636 million. that's just $20 million shy of the record set in march of 2012. if no one picks the winning numbers before christmas eve, the pot could swell to $1 billion. jay gray is live in dallas with the latest on the frenzy. hey, jay. >> reporter: hey, there, barbara. good to talk to you. crowds and sales have been brisk as you talked about.

they are wearing the lottery machines out entering numbers. the lines are expected to grow as we get closer to the drawing tonight with millions of people around the nation waiting and watching to see if they have to go to work tomorrow. the anticipation and jackpot is growing. over $600 million and pushing toward a world record lotto total. >> the excitement of it all. >> reporter: excitement that has tens of thousands of people across the country taking a chance on a ticket to paradise. >> jamaica would be great. >> reporter: at the very least, early retirement. >> it's hard, you know. i'm working three jobs. i just want to be able to relax a bit. >> reporter: the mega millions game is on 21 consecutive drawings without anyone winning the jackpot. lottery officials say there are two factors to change the trend. >> it's going to take pure luck

in buying a ticket to have a chance to win. >> reporter: in october they set a lottery of $15 million, added a broader range of numbers and new prize levels. that means you have a better chance of winning something, one in 15. the odds to win the whole thing are 1 in 259 million. >> tough believe. >> reporter: that belief combined with a few bucks could be the winning combination. >> why not? a couple extra dollars, look at the money you could win. >> reporter: a chance at millions, that millions are excited to take. >> reporter: as you talked about it, there's no winner. the mega millions could go to a billion or more for the next drawing. no need to buy a ticket when you get off work, i think i have the winning one. >> i was going to go right after work. the drawing is at 11:00 tonight.

as soon as we have the winning numbers, we'll let you know. >> if we happen to be here. if not -- more money in maryland. minimum wage in prince george's county. was the british military involved in the death of princess diana? what were the most popular news stories on www.nbcwashington.com.

a lay awacey credit santa has struck again.

this time at the toys "r" us store. a man called news 4 and said he paid off all the items that were in the lay away at that store. the balance was around $2,000. the store confirmed it actually happened. the man didn't want to be identified. he described himself as a big guy with a beard and he did it to hopefully inspire others to do the same thing. other stores saw similar things, nearly all of them anonymous. minimum wage is going up. they signed a bill to raise the wage to $11.50 an hour. the first increase will take effect next october, when it will go up to $8.40. it will increase each year until it reaches $11.50 by 2017. there was a bill to raise the city's wage by 2016.

the vote was basically a formality since the entire council endorsed the bill earlier this month. the minimum wage in d.c. is $8.25. it will increase to $9.50 next summer and continue to go up every year. montgomery county approved similar legislation as they work toward creating a regional minimum wage. have you noticed more trucks on the road? it's u.p.s.s busiest week. government spy. the nsa fallout hits the white house. we have a live report ahead.

thousands of girls and boys in the washington region will have gifts under the tree this year thanks to the salvation army's angel tree this year. 40,000 toys were collected. they are being handed out to families that need extra help this holiday season. richard jordan helped this morning. parents will be picking up toys and taking them home so their kids will have gifts in time for christmas. are you seeing a lot of delivery trucks on the road? christmas is a week away and on-line sales are booming. >> today is expected to go down

as the busiest day of the year for u.p.s. >> reporter: at this early hours the rush is on. today could be record setting. u.p.s. expected to deliver 29 million packages worldwide. 300 every second. >> it's giving consumers the opportunity to shop later. it's compressing the shopping season. >> reporter: online holiday shopping created a tidal wave of holiday shipping. up 8% over last year. >> 95% of our christmas shopping was done online. >> reporter: half of those surveyed say they will finish shopping from their laptop, tablet or smartphone. >> i like to buy online to save myself. >> reporter: that is why retailers are using shipping as a competitive weapon. big stores have become more than a place to buy. there are also fulfillment

centers able to ship anywhere. >> you want to pick it up at the store or ship to your home. which ever way, we have it available here. >> reporter: online, the store never closes and shoppers know it. millions will push it to the limit. >> if you pick it up on the 23rd, the next day air service gets it to you by christmas. >> reporter: promise? >> promise. >> that looks like a weather permitting. >> you promise it's going to snow on christmas? >> yeah. >> what do you tell the 2-year-old, right? >> what are you thinking? no snow this christmas? >> i think our chances are getting slimmer with a passing day. the big warm upcoming our way this weekend won't help anything to help our white christmas chances. it's cold, cloudy, damp and miserable today. this would have given us a chance for white around the holiday, but i don't think it's going to be a strong chance. this is the view today.

a cloudy start for sure. mostly cloudy for now. temperatures remain on the chilly side. we have inched our way up to 40 degrees now at national airport. the cloud cover is going to keep temperatures fairly uniform for awhile. below freezing in northern maryland. 31 in hagerstown. 36 in gaithersburg. 36 in baltimore. warmer to the south, low to mid-40s from fredericksburg to southern maryland. there are a couple random rain drops. as temperatures drop, turn it into a snow flake or two. warmer weather is coming. i'm concerned about rain drops on the weekend. upper marlboro, sprinkle chances through 8:00. temperatures getting close mixed in. down to 29 degrees for a low temperature in prince george's county by morning time. tomorrow's highs, upper 30s to around 40. it's all we can muster.

another cold evening to be outside tomorrow. then, the warm up arrives as we get toward thursday. here is storm team 4 radar. a couple sprinkles on interstate 270 in gaithersburg. rockville, a little bit better chance of rain drops mixing with snow flakes. the southern end of the shenandoah valley. this is going to come to the south of the immediate metro area. southern maryland, fredericksburg, you have a better chance of seeing drops and flakes here over the next couple hours. future weather forecast, sprinkles and flurries through 8:00 or 9:00 this evening. here we are at midnight. there's the little chance for light snow and snow flurries coming through washington southbound into southern maryland. won't be much. it won't be around by the time you get up tomorrow morning. the sunshine returns tomorrow. that's good news. however, it's going to stay cold for one day. then the warmer weather moves

in. here is the four-day forecast. 40 with a breezy day tomorrow. winds out of the west, 10 to 15. a ten degree improvement wednesday, ten more on friday. 60s for the weekend. rain chances coming in. more details on the weekend coming up in a few minutes. d.c. is lighting the way when it comes to saving energy and money. the district hired a company to upgrade 71,000 street lights to a state of the art sustainable system. a key part is the insulation of l.e.d. lights. it will save the city money on electricity. another part of the plan includes improving lighting for public safety. why a children's advocate group is blasting norad santa tracking. jeff rossen is throwing a bash with an open bar and police on hand to put drinkers to the

test. a social experiment that may make you think twice before getting behind the wheel. trending online, what stories were clicked on the most this year on our website, www.nbcwashington.com.

pope francis turned 77 years

old today. he marked his birthday with hugh mi millty. it's his trademark. afterwards, they ate breakfast together at the hotel. the pope has already blown out his candles on his cake presented to him by children at the vatican saturday. death, devices and celebrity fueled the top request from google. the deaths of famous men, number one, nelson mandela, second paul walker who died in the car crash. the iphone 5s finished third. then the death of cori monteith. he died of a drug overdose over the summer. searches for the harlem shake rounded out the top five. they are the top searches for google internationally.

walker took the top spot and the boston marathon bombing was second. here is the list of the topmost clicks on www.nbcwashington.com. the top was the shooting at the navy yard. next was the bikers rally on 9/11. third was the story of the al x alexandria mother charged in the death of her 8-month-old son she forgot in her vehicle in july. next, what you can and can't do during the government shutdown. the fifth story, about the shutdown, a congressman confronting a park ranger about the closing of the world war ii memorial. inductees for the rock and roll hall of fame. nirvana, kiss, peter gabriel, hall and oates, linda ronstadt.

20 years ago, the front man, curt cobain committed suicide. the television hall of fame is adding jay leno and actress julia dreyfuss. they made the announcement saying all six honor rees made a profound impact on the tv landscape. rupert murdock, david e. kelly, network executive and sound pioneer. they will be honored during an enduction ceremony in march. conspiracy theories. should police reopen the investigation into the death of princess diana? what color is santa claus, black or white? it's a top subject. still ahead, we hit the mall in baltimore where we found one

good afternoon, i'm barbara harrison. >> i'm jim handly. at 4:30, we have new details on a high profile virginia murder case. scott macfarlane working the story at the live desk. scott? >> we just learned about a reward fund being set up to solve the iran kirby murder case. kirby was found shot dead in his home. the award is several thousand dollars. the goal, to get more tips. he was the planning expert. investigators try to widen the scope of the search and get the

extra tips. tonight at 5:00, we'll hear from his widow. at the live desk, i'm scott macfarlane. crews replaced a section of a 12-inch water main that broke along connecticut avenue. traffic is moving again. only one lane is open. there's still delays through that area. the sidewalk remains closed to pedestrians. frank wolf, the long-time republican congressman from virginia is not seeking re-election. he represented the tenth district for 34 years now. he says future focus is human rights and religious freedom domestic and international as well as matters of the culture and the american family. have you gotten your mega millions ticket yet? the jackpot soared to $636 million. it's the second largest in u.s. history. if no one picks the winning numbers, the jackpot could swell to $1 billion. now, to new fallout from the nsa spying.

leaker,edward snowden wants to move to brazil after russia. he's already getting more of what he wanted. today, titans of the tech industry told president obama he has to reign in domestic spying programs. steve handelsman has the latest. >> reporter: thanks, good evening. it's not just big satellite dishes and the fiberoptic that are pulling in the private data of american citizens. internet companies are doing it, too. a lot of what they are collecting ends up at the nsa. the leaders of those companies demanding it will reduced. apple ceo, tim cook at the white house today. >> great meeting. >> reporter: president obama called in the heads of high-tech companies for help with healthcare.gov. they urged him to reform nsa surveillance. the white house said the pot will consider that input.

last week came the revelation that nsa is tracking where people surf the web by piggy backing on googles detailed tracking. and the nsa is piggy backing on phone companies location tracking to chart where americans go and whose paths they may cross. phone logging is unconstitutional has critics mocking the spy agency. >> we are going to get into your e-mails and the websites you do. it makes us a safer country. yeah, it does, but it doesn't make us a free country. >> reporter: government phone logging predict higher courts will find it constitutional. >> it is a tool in faring out a potential terrorist attack. edward snowden gloated from russia today that the culture is dying. he offered to help brazilians

how nsa is spying on him. if he gets asylum in that south american nation. president obama plans to announce in january any changes he might order in nsa surveillance. i'm steve handelsman, news 4. a long time d.c. pediatrician that pleaded guilty to child pornography charges. he admitted he downloaded and viewed graphic sexual images of young children in his office. he treated children more than 40 years. prosecutors say there is no evidence he abused any of his patients. amanda knox is not attending her murder trial. she found a way to declare her innocence. in a rare move, she said she did not kilmer dith kircher.

her defense attorneys read it today. knox wrote she was not in court in person because she was afraid of being wrongly convicted again. knox and her former boyfriend were convicted in the death in 2009. she spent four years behind bars. the case is being retried again after italy's supreme court found inconsistencies in the case. london says they will not reopen the investigation into the death of princess diana and her boyfriend. back in august, they agreed to look into claims that an elite british forces had a hand in the crash that killed diana. they were given access to military records and they say the claim is nots0#@w credible. a wildfire in california's big sur area is only 5% contained. so far, it's destroyed 15 homes including the home of the fire chief. 100 residents have been evacu e

evacuated. the blaze burned through 500 acres. some investigators think the fire started from an illegal campfire. the fire caught many by surprise because a wildfire this time of year is unusual. more wintry weather, heavy snow fell in the midwest overnight in grand forks. in central illinois, another twist on cold weather, freezing fog. that's when fog forms at temperatures below freezing. the fog leads a thin layer of ice on everything. it makes for extremely poor visibility. >> let's check out our forecast. here is chuck. >> thanks. we are watching an area of moisture down to the south and southwest. it is coming inbound. the bulk of the moisture is going to be the south side of the metro than the north side. almost everyone has a chance of seeing a sprinkle. mostly sprinkles the next little wile. by later on this evening, we might be cold enough to mix in

snow flakes. the leading edge of the moisture from fredericksburg to staff ford, i-95 to quantico, this could get damp on the highways here toward the tail end of the rush hour. current temperatures upper 30s to around 40. anything on the front end will be the form of rain drops. later on this evening, it could mix in snow flakes with that. as far as tomorrow, stay on the chilly side tomorrow with temperatures in the upper 30s to 40. after that, the warm up returns. the seven day forecast coming up. >> thank you, chuck. he's the most popular guy at a mall right now. we are talking about santa claus. up next, he talks about the christmas kerfuffle. norad tracking santa's flight around the world on christmas. why a children's advocate group says they should ditch the tracking tradition. wake-up call before you hit the holiday party.

think you know your drinking limits? before you get behind the wheel, think again. jeff

with christmas right around the corner, a major retailer wanlts to make it easier for last minute shoppers. toys "r" us will be open for 87 continuous hours starting at 6:00 a.m. saturday through 9:00 p.m. on christmas eve. it gives customers a chance to

shop all day and all night. they promise around the clock savings and deals. well, we know he's jolly and he delivers toys. some folks are asking, what color is santa claus. >> it's a hot topic on blogs. we caught up with a reporter. >> chocolate chip cookies and milk on the table. >> reporter: he faithfully came to the mall for 28 years. before that, he was at la fayette market. he knows about the black versus white santa talk going on. after 30 years in the business, he's heard it all. >> you're not dark enough or you are too light. you need good people to do the job. it takes a lot. it's a big responsibility. i take it serious. people will bring their families and their children to see me. >> cheese.

>> reporter: he has a huge following in the mall centered in a predominantly black neighborhood. the kids don't care what color he is, but parents do. the mall's general manager says the calls are non-stop with people asking if the black santa will be there this year. >> they want to see something they are familiar with. it plays a real important part here. >> it didn't matter to me whether we had a black or white santa. i wanted to get him in the spirit of christmas. >> this teacher brought them because he was close to the pool, but she wanted them to see someone familiar. >> african-american children need to know african-americans cover all perspectives of this country, including santa claus. >> you think it's time for santa to be multicultural? >> absolutely. >> reporter: he says he said that years ago.

>> i look forward to the day when you have hispanic, asian, all kind of santas. >> reporter: for now, this santa wants everyone to know the most important thing about santa is his part. >> santa has no color. santa is about love. he's about embracing people. when it comes to santa, he makes you feel better after you left him than you received him. >> on christmas eve, the u.s. and canadian military will entertain millions of children all over the world by providing second by second updates on santa's where abouts. this year, the beloved tracking animation is facing criticism. a five second segment of the trailer posted shows two fighter jets escorting santa's sleigh. they say the military theme is too violent for kids. norad creates the annual video. it defended the animation saying it's non-threatening and safe

for youngsters. are you a good judge of when you have had too much to drink? jeff rossen conducts a social experiment with a sober warning. how can security be improved for federal workers in the wake of the navy yard shooting? chuck? >> it may be cold or wet, but won't be for long. i'll tell you when, coming up.

z. we are learning about a frightening incident at a culpeper elementary school. scott macfarlane has what we know. >> ag richardson elementary school just as school was starting. a woman was going back to her car in the parking lot when a suspect hiding in the backseat of the car held her up with a knife and told her to drive. the womanaged to run from the car. she ran back to the school. the suspect chased her and staff managed to lock him in the school office until police arrived. detectives recovered more than one knife, zip ties and a cloth gag from the victim's car. the suspect and victim knew each other are the early reports. there's no reason to believe the suspect had a reason to harm students. at the live desk, i'm scott macfarlane. >> thank you, scott. here is a heads up if you are planning to attend holiday parties this week. a lot of people think they know

their limits. oftentimes, it's not the case. take a look at this. jeff rossen and his team set up a social experiment that could change your behavior. authorities say too often people lose track of how much they are drinking and don't know their limit. according to government data, during christmas and new year's, 40% of all traffic deaths involve drunk-driving. >> the misperception is people think they can have a few drinks. one drink can impair you. >> reporter: it makes the social experiment so important. >> martin's in an hour. >> we told one-half to drink as they would and the other half not to drink at all. we hired car services as a back up to make sure everyone got home safely. would they drive, if they could? >> i would wait longer.

>> reporter: how long would you wait? >> at least an hour, hour and a half. >> keep going. we waited that long, then gave her a breathalyzer test. the legal limit is .01. >> .10. >> reporter: are you surprised it took two drinks? >> i am. >> reporter: it's a common mistake. after you stop drinking your blood alcohol level continues to rise as the liquor seeps into your system. >> eight, nine, ten. >> you are good. >> reporter: he stopped drinking two hours ago and still can't walk straight. he blows a .12, well over the limit. >> good thing i didn't drive. >> reporter: most of our drinkers told us they wouldn't drive. there's ron, who is about to make a bold admission. would you drive home? >> two blocks, i'm good. >> you think you could do it

safely? watch what happens when the officer tells him to walk straight. >> one, two, three, four, five. >> reporter: he can't do it. and his blood alcohol level -- >> .13. >>.13? you are legally intoxicated. >> three drinks and i'm intoxicated. >> reporter: we watched him order, one, two, three, four drinks, plus a shot. >> i probably would have gotten into a car to drive home had i been at a local bar. >> reporter: what is that like to hear? >> it's disheartening. >> reporter: you would have gotten on the road. >> it's scary. >> what do you make of it now? >> i'm an idiot. you don't realize how much you drink until after the sobriety test comes. >> by then, it's too late. >> it's absolutely too late.

>> god forbid i hurt somebody or kill them. >> we want to thank the group for helping out and being honest. remember, they knew they weren't driving home. the message here is even when you have one drink, you can be physically impaired. as we have seen, so is your judgment. if you are driving, don't drink at all. police are setting up patrols, looking for drunk drivers. >> i just disinvited ron to my party. kicking a you have the winter holiday crackdown on drunk and drugged driving. a new guideline for ignition interlock programs. the programs use a device to measure a driver's breath before alcohol before the ignition is unlocked. convicted drunk drivers are 75% less likely to repeat the behavior if they have the inner lock compared to those who don't have the device. we are going to have a cold night like you have been having?

>> yeah, cold tonight and tomorrow night is chilly as well. the warmer air is coming, everybody. >> come on. >> it's in the 60s before you leave the great state of virginia. the warmer air is poised to move here. we have another 24, maybe 36 hours before we get all on involved and the warm air is coming our way. there it is outside. cloudy skies and still on the chilly side. you need your winter coat if you are headed out. you may need your umbrella as well. chances for rain drops and snow flakes increase for the remainder of the afternoon and evening. 40 degrees at reagan national airport. 43 culpeper. 51 in charlottesville. th south.r air is just down to it's 29 degrees in hagerstown. clouds are in place. take a check at the satellite. you can really see all the thick cloud cover in place. here is the next shot of moisture to the south and west that's coming in.

we are going to be cold tonight and tomorrow as well. highs tomorrow in the upper 30s to around 40 degrees. cloudy around in the morning. a little more sunshine as we get toward tomorrow afternoon and warmer by the weekend. how much warmer? 10 to 20 or 25 degrees warmer by the time we get to the weekend. high temperatures tomorrow will struggle to make it to 40 degrees. we'll be up to near 50 by thursday. then it's up, up and away for the weekend. temperatures this weekend could easily be in the 60s. that's going to feel warm. we have been cold for awhile now. in the meantime, it's cold and damp outside. rain drops in fredericksburg. they are eastbound in the northern neck and charles and prince george's county. a couple sprinkles. washington, virginia seeing light rain. mixes in with snow flakes across the higher terrain of the mountains of west virginia. a flurry chance coming our way. anytime we have active weather pattern, make sure you have our

storm team 4 weather app. we have all the forecast zones broken down. we can tailor them individually. i keep talking about a white christmas. all anybody wants is one day of christmas this time of year. tomorrow, mostly sunny, breezy and cold. highs near 40. the all important seven day forecast. 40 tomorrow, near 50 thursday. 57 on friday and yes, indeed, saturday and sunday both in the 60s. rain chances both days. it will not be a wash out for the weekend. enjoy the milder weather a little bit. >> all right, chuck. in news 4 your health, three studies show multivitamins don't do anything except waste your money. popping a daily multivitamin did not ward off heart problems or memory loss and wasn't tied to a longer life span, either. as a result, some experts are urging people not to waste their

money. instead, depend on fruits and vegetables to provide nutrients. improving security. do other buildings have the security they need to prevent a tragedy? some say no. there may not be an easy or

mystery surrounding the change of cells for former boston crime boss, james whitey

buller is being held at the federal transfer center in oklahoma city. he was convicted in boston earlier this year for the murder of roger wheeler and ten others. he was sentenced to two life terms. no word on why he was moved out of new york. new questions about the safety and security of federal buildings across thecountry. a sit-in hearing today. if other facilities are at risk. brian mooar reports, lawmakers demanding changes. >> reporter: the deadly shooting by a contractor in washington's navy yard back in september exposed a critical security flaw. government buildings are designed to keep intruders out, but not prevent an attack. >> we have thousands of buildings that i can't put law enforcement folks in.

>> reporter: they told a senate they'd protect buildings with 13,000 security guards. this is more than a money and manpower problem. >> screening every single employee would be disruptive to getting the work done. that's the balance. >> reporter: it's a balance the government struggled to find since the 1995 bombing of the federal building in oklahoma city. >> i think we have a long way to go. >> reporter: government security guards are not trained to hunt down active shooters and critics question their training in basic front line defenses like metal detectors. >> we are wokking on it or we are concerned about it doesn't cut it anymore when talking about safety. >> reporter: safety concerns that extends beyond the nation's capitol. one homeland security official said the government is managing risk, but can't guard against every threat.

brian mooar, nbc news, washington. homeland security says they are addressing the problems, but they are no easy, cheap solutions they are finding. right now at 5:00, raising the stakes in the search for a killer in alexandria. a push to solve the murder of ron kirby. new details coming out about the shooting at a colorado high school. what the gunman had written on his arm. crews working fast to repair a water main in d.c. during commute. we'll show you how things are progressing. good evening, i'm wendy rieger. >> i'm barbara harrison in for jim handly. tonight, storm team 4 is tracking rain in the area. >> let's go to chief meteorologist, doug kammerer. what's in store? >> we have showers across the area. they are going to fall in the form of rain and snow showers as we move through the rest of the area. tonight, storm team 4 radar talking about where the rain is.