at airports like seattle, houston and atlanta. >> if you are a gun owner, make sure to check your bags before checking in at the airport. federal law prohibits passengers from carrying guns past check points. the fine could be as high as $11,000. i'm joel grover. right now at 5:00, a cruise ship trapped in ice off the coast of antarctica. >> a maryland man in pakistan pleads to be rescued. good evening, i'm richard jordan. >> i'm pat lawson muse. developing story in northwest washington right now where a body is turned up on the scene of a fire. the blaze broke out this afternoon in the basement of a home in the 1600 block of beakman place. it took 20 minutes to put the flames out. inside they found someone. the victim has not been identified. we have a crew working on the

scene. we'll have a live update for you in a few minutes. no word on what sparked this fire at a home on m street in southeast d.c. it began on the second floor and spread through the attic. one man managed to get out. christmas chaos at two of the nation's biggest shippers. >> tonight, u.p.s. and fedex are scrambling to get service back on schedule. fedex calls the incidents isolated. they made deliveries on christmas. some say their packages were declared delivered, but they weren't. amazon is offering shipping refunds and $20 gift cards whose shipments were delayed. >> david culver joins us live with the latest on this in virginia. >> reporter: the question on social media, who did not receive their package in time christmas? i read through several facebook posts and tweets and e-mails.

we met up with some of those still waiting for their gifts. around midday, lynn sat at her counter. she checked the tracking number. where is the package? >> out for delivery, december 26 at 9:50 a.m. we are still waiting. >> reporter: waiting for the christmas gifts, one for her son, another for her husband. she admits -- >> they were last minute. it's not like us. because they were guaranteed delivery, why not? >> reporter: she was supposed to get it before christmas eve, but it never showed up, until today. right on queue, we saw u.p.s. make it to her home. her husband answered the door. all right. >> reporter: why so late? nationwide fedex and u.p.s. admit the overload and bad weather delay their deliveries. they won't say how many customers were affected. outside this fedex shipping center, we met nick.

he had big hopes for his mom's christmas gift. >> personalized, non-materialistic as it gets, figured it would be perfect. opens it up and oh, a happy family. today is, of course, the day after christmas. so, didn't happen. >> reporter: he says he got the run around. fedex told them they tried to deliver it monday. he headed to the shipping center tuesday, still, no book. they watched him check again today. all right, all new at 6:00 tonight, we'll let you know, did nick finally walk out of the shipping center with his mom's gift or walk out empty handed? also, fedex and u.p.s. saying they are staffing up ahead of this issue and are hoping to get all the items, finally, delivered. we are live in burke, virginia, i'm david culver, news 4. >> it's not just christmas presents, other deliveries got caught up in the mayhem. there are reports of medicines

not making it to their destinations and patients doing without their medications. right now, it's clear and cool outside. >> storm team 4 meteorologist veronica johnson is tracking warmer temperatures and rain coming over the weekend. hey, v.j. >> hey, guys. a lot of folks are going to like the warm up. today was an interesting day. we have winter and we have a little bit of, not winter. temperatures got into the mid-40s today. look at what came through the area later this morning. watch the radar loop here on storm team 4 radar. storm showers came through. it was enough to witen the ground and some of the neighborhood roads up across northern montgomery county, howard county, frederick, baltimore and up to the north and east. yesterday's high temperature was 33 degrees. today, we have gotten into the low and mid-40s in many neighborhoods. that trend now, oh, it's going to feel better. cold, yeah. mild, that's what we are going to see as we climb into and

through the weekend. then, it's a big dive again as we head right into 2014. i have the details on that in a couple minutes. a massive ice storm that caused hundreds of thousands of power outages from michigan to maine. thousands are still in the dark. it could be several days before folks get their lights back on. southeastern maine is expecting seven inches of snowfall today cause zing setbacks and efforts to restore power. utilities in michigan say there are 100,000 homes and business zs without power. >> tonight, 70 explorers are weathering a blizzard and 45-mile-per-hour winds. they are waiting for a rescue ship to free them from the frozen water. they are stuck in the ice near antarctica south of australia. 78 explorers and crew members are aboard the ship. an ice breaking vessel is headed their way. it's expected to reach them

tomorrow evening. they are believed to have enough food and water to last for at least several days. a rockville man kidnapped in pakistan and believed to be held prison by al qaeda. this video shows him pleading with president obama to bring him home. mark segraves has more on this. >> he was working as government contractor in pakistan in 2011 when gunmen took him hostage from home. today, his family members are getting a first look at him in more than a year. this new video shows him alone, talking to a camera for nearly 13 minutes. >> my name is warren. >> reporter: the video suz sent to several news outlets by a group claiming to represent al qaeda. the new images are the first proof of life in more than a year. in the latest video, he is noticeably more frail than in a 2012 video. i'm not in good health.

the years have taken their toll he says on the video. he makes a direct plea to president obama, questioning whether his country is still trying to get him released. now, when i need my government, it seems i have been totally abandoned. nobody answered the door at his rockville home today. since he was taken in 2011, his family has not spoken publicly. in this video, he calls on his family and the media to speak out about his ordeal. a spokesperson says authorities are still reviewing the video. we are working hard to authenticate the report. we reiterate the call that he be released and returned to his family, particularly during this holiday season. another one, away from his family. our hopes and prayers are with him and those who love and miss him. in the past, the obama administration is firm, they won't negotiate with al qaeda.

>> we condemn his kidnapping in the strongest terms and call for his immediate release. the government will continue to make every effort to see him released but we cannot and will not negotiate with al qaeda. >> reporter: he is now 72 years old and has a heart condition and asthma. his wife did not return our calls. a spokesperson told news outlets, the family is considering making statement. letters littered parts of i-270 after a mail truck overturned. chopper 4 was over the scene around 7:30 this morning. this is a u.s. postal service truck that flipped over near shady grove road. workers cleaned up the mess. traffic was backed up about a mile. the driver managed to get out with no injuries. a live look at the capitol where a major repair project got under way.

crews are building scaffolding over the dome as part of a two year, $60 million republican novation. workers will strip the paint and repair the iron. there are more than 1,000 cracks and broken cast-iron crates in the dome. it will remain illuminated at night, but it may be dimmed by the scaffolding and paint capturing clothes. the scaffolding is going up as crews are about done taking down the scaffolding at the washington monument. repairs should be finished and the monument reopened sometime in the spring. a photo just in showing president obama signing a budget deal to prevent a government shut down for two years. this is an official white house photo while the first family is on vacation in hawaii. it reduces the automatic across the board cuts. it saves more money than with other cuts and funding changes. this is one of seven bills the

president signed today. for the 15th time this year, the dow closed at a record high today. 122 points higher. investers were encouraged by a drop in people applying for unemployment benefits. >> twitter's stock surged. shares rose 6% to an all-time high of $75. twitter stock is now up more than 30% over the last year with an estimated value of $40 billion. that now makes the company more valuable than a huge chunk of the s&p 500. analysts aren't sure what is driving the spike and believe a correction could be coming at the start of the new year. speaking of big bucks, an anonymous donor dropped a coin worth more than $1300 into a salvation army kettle. the website said leaders found the coin sorting through the donations at the walmart in

leesburg. amazing video showing two islands fusing together. police chase down a suspected copper thief. he refuses to pull over. how police nabbed him. is target to blame for the data breach? plus this. >> looking for the days after christmas to make up todays leading up to it. i'll

[ male announcer ] for every late night, every weekend worked, every idea sold... ♪ ...you deserve a cadillac, the fastest growing full-line luxury brand in the united states. including the all new 2014 cadillac cts, motor trend's 2014 car of the year. get the best offers of the season on our award winning products.

like a 2014 ats and srx. hurry in, offers end january 2nd. investigators are trying to determine who is behind the target credit card breach. tonight, the blogger who first revealed the massive payment problem believes a ukrainian man is linked to the ring. that blogger thinks the man is getting information from the hackers and selling credit and debit card details. as many as 40 million target customers may be affected. >> a u.s. senator wants to hold target and other companies responsible when data is stolen. they are asking whether they

have the authority to fine company that is don't protect that information. >> you have to question they are unwilling to make the investments necessary. because they are driven by the bottom line than a system to secure their consumers. >> if they can't issue steep fines, he says he will introduce legislation allowing the penalties. for the latest information head to our website, www.nbcwashington.com. if you are heading to the mall tonight to take back those unwanted gifts, you may find yourself battling day after christmas crowds. >> derrick ward is at the pentagon city mall where the parking lot is full and the store shelves are pretty empty. hi, there. >> reporter: how are you? we are in pentagon city. it's usually not until february we get the figures for the christmas holiday shopping season. so, we have awhile before the actual numbers come out. they are expecting it to be lackluster because of bad weather elsewhere in the country. i tell you what, if the crowds here are any indication, things

might be looking up. here at the fashion center at pentagon city, a busy day for shoppers. you don't find the frenzy you would have found on the day before christmas. it's more laid back. >> after christmas, the best time. >> it's slow today. so, i'm surprised and happy. >> reporter: it didn't stay slow for long. the people moving about drown out the christmas. retailers use it inside the mall. shoppers have their own indicators. >> for most riss, good for retailers. >> this is the day shoppers are coming in with gift cards and they are going to be doing the normal exchanges and returns and that sort of thing. >> there's a downside to waiting until after the holiday, if you have something specific in mind. >> there are a lot of things that are not here. everything sold out, already. >> what was there was being scooped up. the number of people with multiple bags is testament to that.

>> i came here to buy the iphone 5s because i was thinking about it for a long time. finally, i get it. >> reporter: it wasn't necessarily any deep discount that brought him out today, it's a matter of the calendar and his payday. >> i waited for my salary, to get my salary. >> for others, reasons are more complex. >> i'm not going to tell you that. >> reporter: whatever the reason, mall operators are seeing to it that even the late shoppers don't miss out on the christmas spirit. >> we are going keep our decorations up until after the first of the year to continue with the holiday season. so, yeah, we are going to keep them up. >> reporter: coming up on news 4 at 6:30, what retailers are doing to entice shoppers in here and level out the dip they may be seeing in the retail sector. that's coming up on news 4 at 6:30. derrick ward, news 4. here are some of the best after christmas sales we spotted

out there. with a sears card, you can get 40% off appliances that sell for $500 or more. at macy's when you buy one designer suit, you can get a second suit free. target, toys and clothing for 50% off. >> nothing like a deal. >> a good time to get a deal on an umbrella. >> or, you know, having a deal on the weather in general. itis going to be nice. everybody get as chance to win, if you like milder conditions. that's exactly what we are going to see. more averages like early december as opposed to late december. all right, out there right now, gorgeous evening. it's getting a little chilly. let's talk temperatures across the area now with the clear sky. clear sky with light winds. it is going to get cold. subfreezing night for us, temperature out there right now, folks, we were in the mid-40s earlier today. the temperatures will be dropping down. let me show you the hourly forecast from 43 to 35 at 9:00

p.m. it's going to be quiet and cold. getting close to freezing by 11:00 p.m. again, a warm up for us. then turning cold and wet again. good thing is, we get the wet then we get the cold. the wet will come from this area of low pressure that i'll be tracking in the gulf of mexico. the cold is dropping down out of canada, once again. we got a lot going on. first tonight, with some quiet weather. temperatures into the teens. 19 around gaithersburg. folks around manassas and warrenton 19 as well. 21 around greenbelt. clinton, maryland, 21 degrees by tomorrow morning. on satellite and radar, look at this. a few flurries earlier and clouds hanging up around the maryland/pennsylvania border. they continued to lift northward and high pressure moving in. around this area of high pressure, a southwesterly wind. that will take the temperatures up into the upper 40s by

afternoon tomorrow with just a few clouds. lots of sunshine. then again, weather for the second half of the weekend. we tell you about downloading the storm team 4 weather app. you can do that, go to www.nbcwashington.com and click on unwrap our app. itis easy as ever. send it as an e-card. rain that is going to be moving in early. as early as 6:00 or 7:00 a.m. sunday morning. looking at wet conditions. by the afternoon, guys, that rain is going to pick up and become heavier. likely right now, best day out of the weekend then, saturday as temperatures take to 52 and 55, 56 degrees to the south and west. then, new year's eve, it gets cold. the high temperature 36 degrees. by the stroke of midnight, we are looking at a temperature of 30 degrees. cold conditions and then for the start of 2014, it's another weather system that's going to be moving in.

in a couple minutes when i return, i'll tell you what we get from that tuesday and wednesday of next week. back to you. >> thanks, veronica. today marks nine years since the earthquake and tsunami off indonesia killing 230,000 people. more than a dozen countries were hit with massive waves. most of them have agencies set up to warn citizens in advance. now, nine years later, new technology is in place to help detect tsunamis and warn communities. live video over two islands in the seas south of tokyo where lava from a volcano made two islands one. a japanese coast guard took this video. because the islands are now physically one. japan's survey institute is considering whether to put the new island on the map of japan. the island is uninhabited. it's part of the pacific ring of fire. fires destroy several homes

throughout the d.c. metro area today. a live report on that in minutes. it was classified a hate crime. now a resolution to the case of the stolen menorah. >> jason is here with sports and why the military bowl has a special meaning for a maryland football player that goes well beyond the field. hi, i'm captain ruth. i would like to

sgsz a malg ever ever. a man faces charges. a southwest airlines plane just landed and a man got up close to a jet and started hitting one of the engines. the pilot called for help. no one was hurt. the man appeared to be drunk or on drugs. college football's military bowl takes place tomorrow afternoon in annapolis. >> not a long trip for them, right jason? >> it's right richard and pat. college football players are excited to play in bowl games because they get to go to fun, exotic locations. the maryland terps went to the military bowl. carol tells us, there's one terps player for whom it shows a

special occasion. >> reporter: he is a 23-year-old for the maryland terrapins. it's not his age that makes him stand out. it's where he's been. after high school, miles joined the army, served four years, survived one year in afghanistan. >> it was rough. of course there's some, you know, down time and fun times. a lot of times, it is rough. know the schedule and everything, patrols and guard. you know, just different missions dwryou do every day. >> he says the experience changed him. ten soldiers from his unit did not make it home. when he came home, he wanted to start anew. there are very few military veterans playing division one football, miles knew he wanted to go for it. >> i felt like i was still athletic enough and in shape enough to do.

it's what i wanted to do. if you put your mind, body and heart into it, you can do anything. >> reporter: it's a different flag on his uniform now. the pride is the same. he may only be on the terps scout team, but the best part is being on the field anyway. >> i like going out there to practice. i like being out there with the team and working every day. >> reporter: he's a man on a mission, to help get his new band of brothers ready for the military bowl. as as veteran himself, he is honored to be there in person. >> just to see, like, you know, like all the military servicemen be there and everything. i'm sure it's like how the nfl does it, like, the flag in the middle of the field and the jets going over. >> we'll get a chance to see miles and his teammates in the military bowl. maryland faces marshall at 2:30. richard?

pat? >> thanks. from christmas to kwanzaa, families are celebrating. the celebration started today and ends january 1st. >> each night, a different principle is introduced. there's an emphasis on family, history and community. it started nearly 50 years ago. a copper thief strikes in waldorf. how cops track him down. >> reporter: i'm kristen wright in northwest washington. police and fire trucks in and out of this condo complex all afternoon. one of the residents is dead. i'll tell you what happened, coming up. >> reporter: this is where an outdoor electronic menorah stood before it was stolen. i'm chris gordon. was it an act

developing right now at 5:30, a woman is dead after a fire destroyed her basement in northwest. a menorah suddenly reappears. the enrollment deadline approaches. investigators are trying to figure out what sparked fires at two homes last night. the houses were destroyed. one of them is in capital heights. the other is on rolling meadows road in upper marlboro. it took an hour to get the flames under control. two people were displaced by the fire, but no one was hurt.

fire crews were battling flames in capital heights. 911 calls indicated someone may have been trapped inside. firefighters didn't find anyone. no cause has been determined in either fire. they are not believed to be connected. a developing story, investigators are looking into a deadly fire. firefighters were called to a gated community this afternoon. there, they found a fire in the basement of a home and found someone inside, dead. kristen wright joins us from the scene with details. what have you learned, kristen? >> reporter: it's usually very quiet. people here are surprised, surprised at the flurry of police and fire activity all afternoon and also sad to hear one of their neighbors died here today. we know it was a fire. we told you that. we know the fire started just before 2:00 this afternoon. fire truck after fire truck came out to investigate and try to put the fire out. we are told the fire started in

a lower level unit here. a lot of police activity as well. we saw a number of crime scene vehicles pulling in with police trying to figure out exactly how a person ended up dead. now, a police source on scene tells me the victim appeared to be elderly. we talked to a neighbor leaving home and here is what she had to say. >> well, i was going out to the post office and saw a fire truck come into the community. hardly anything ever happens here. it's a very safe place. one truck came in and several other firemen came in bringing ladders and hoses. there were probably eight or ten all together. >> reporter: we want you to take a look at the gate here. it's really tight. it's a small, tight area. that neighbor you just heard from there told us because of that, the firefighters that she saw had to carry some of their equipment in to the unit, which is back a little ways. you can't really see it from

here. that's kind of interesting, but they were able to put the fire out in about 25 minutes. sadly, one person did lose their life. now that police source on scene also told us that it appear that is a candle may have started this accidentally. live in northwest washington, kristen wright, news 4. a copper thief caught. waldorf police arrested him this morning for stealing copper tubing. police say they chased him out of st. charlestown center after spotting him in a parking lot. when they pulled him over, they found a pile of stolen copper tubing in his truck bed. this isn't the first copper theft this season. thieves are selling the copper for scrap where it can fetch thousands and thousands of dollars. a giant menorah is not missing anymore. investigators don't know who is behind the theft. someone returned it in pieces.

chris gordon shows us the owner received a surprise along with the stolen property. >> reporter: the computerized menorah has been on display of the front yard of this home to celebrate hanukkah for the past five years. tuesday, it was stolen. computer engineer nelson robin designed it for his daughter who was 7 at the time. >> i took the opportunity to help my daughter understand how computer alga rhythms work. >> reporter: in front of the home were signs saying smile, you are on camera. the security cameras were not on when the menorah was taken and when it was discarded on the neighbor's lawn. before he could get the menorah, he says it disappeared a second time. this morning, it was returned, broken into pieces with a note of apology and some cash. >> i don't know what to make of it. i don't know whether it's just a prank, whether it's religiously

motivated, i don't know. people have different opinions on it. >> reporter: montgomery county police are investigating. first, he thought it was a hate crime. as we talk to neighbors in this germantown area, we found there have been a number of acts of vandalism regarding holiday displays. >> we had another e-mail this year about two reindeer taken off somebody else's lawn in the area. >> reporter: your reaction? >> terrible. it's terrible people think to do this at christmas time. >> reporter: another neighbor was the victim of vandalism last christmas. >> last year, we had our lights cut twice, first one of the bushes, then we replaced that and a week later or so, they cut the rain deer that i had in the front yard. i decided to just not do anything this year and scale back. >> reporter: he says it makes him sad to see the menorah destroyed and would like to see the thieves caught. can it be rebuilt?

>> yes, i'll definitely rebuild it. >> reporter: chris gordon, news 4. is he or isn't he? pop superstar justin bieber shocks fans with a tweet. technology for tots. are bouncy seats installed with an ipad going too far? a surgeon suspended over claims he branded his own initials on a patient's liver. veronica? a surge in temperatures, a nice warm up we are going to see for the next couple days. some subfreezing temperatures first as our mercury drops way down under the freezing mark tonight and why you might not like the warm up that

[ male announcer ] for every late night, every weekend worked, every idea sold...

♪ ...you deserve a cadillac, the fastest growing full-line luxury brand in the united states. including the all new 2014 cadillac cts, motor trend's 2014 car of the year. get the best offers of the season on our award winning products. like a 2014 ats and srx. hurry in, offers end january 2nd.

two major highways in pennsylvania are back open after slippery roads caused chain reaction pile ups this morning. on the turnpike west of philadelphia, westbound lanes were closed after 35 vehicles collided with each other. about ten people were taken to the hospital. not far from it on interstate 78, eastbound lanes were closed and traffic rerouted after a 25 to 30 car pile up there. police say 25 people were taken to hospitals and 44 were treated at the scene.

there's a 162,000 reward being offered for helping police capture a bank robber that shot and killed a mississippi police officer and wounded another. businesses and government agencies posted the reward. the deceased officer is 38 years old. a second officer is hospitalized. the man shot the officers at point-blank range. one is dead and sever injured after someone opened fire outside a bar in louisiana. a fight initially broke out inside the bar as it was closing around 1:30 a.m. according to witnesses, bar employees made those involved in the fight leave the establishment. several shots were fired into the crowd after they got in the street. one person died at the scene. police believe they are looking for one shooter. new details about a cemetery controversy in prince george's county. the school board apologized and agreed to rebury remains dug up during construction of a new

school. the remains at the small cemetery at the corner of 234 were exhumed last month. they fought to have the remains reburied. the school board will build a new cemetery at the edge of the school property. we'll show you the bogus e-mail meant to steal money from your bank account. how early is too early? teens and toddlers addicted to technology. >> reporter: the county is cracking down on businesses they consider strip clubs and some aren't happy about it. i'm zachary kiesch. i'll have the story coming up.

washington, d.c. area. the deadline in maryland is fast approaching. there are just 24 hours left for you to sign up for health insurance. come january 1st through the state's health exchange. >> scott macfarlane reports the systems, statewide system is stumbling. >> maryland's health exchange website is suffering glitches one day before a crucial registration deadline. paula said it took weeks longer than expected. frustrated by the website, she

drove to get help in person. she needs expensive medication and recently, finally completed her enrollment through maryland's exchange. >> it was ridiculous. we go to the moon, we can do other things, but a website is a very basic thing to do. >> reporter: one look at the maryland health connection facebook page and you can see the anxiety saying the website is not working, nothing is working. this is instanity. they did not give our cameras access to the phone call center in baltimore, instead giving these photos. they shared enrollment data. 7,000 people are enrolled in private health plans. here at the family services clinic, leah says she's helping people navigate. family services is one of a dozen groups brought in to help enroll. >> people don't just come to the

knave gators because they are having a problem online. it's because family dynamics are unique, there's plenty of questions. they don't feel like they can go through it on their own online whether it's working or not. >> reporter: reports of bugs and glitches were reported. it's the subject of harsh criticism. maryland posted their deadline for new year's day three days longer. >> the state's health officials said they made nine critical fixes and brought in a company to improve the overall performance at the site. we are asking if they will postpone again because of the glitches. that part of the story at 6:00. for now, scott macfarlane, news 4. let's take a look at the weather. >> here is veronica johnson. >> the next couple days, we are going to see a warming trend and a chance for us to get outside before the next cold wave moves in, which is going to be right around the turn of the year. take a look around the area now.

what you can't see is the clear sky and i like the fact that the wind isn't blowing that strong out there because as temperatures start to drop fast under the clear sky the next couple hours, we are not going to have to contend with windchill readings. we'll zoom in and show you the temperatures over the next couple hours or hourly forecast. for 7:00, 9:00 and 11:00 p.m., we keep it clear. it is going to be chilly. 37 degrees around 7:00 p.m. and closer to freezing by 11:00 p.m. and midnight. the high pressure is moving in. the weather is going to be quiet for two days. tomorrow is looking like day one of a really nice, warm stretch for us. 19 degrees for us. 19 around culpeper. 19 in leesburg to germantown. yes, we are going start out cold. storm team 4 radar, it's

scanning the area. the flurries from this morning, the snow showers gone. of course, it was a bigger deal up to the north, up in pennsylvania and areas of west virginia this morning. now, again, quiet weather for us. snow showers tomorrow, sunshine. 47 is the high in d.c. to 42 around germantown and gaithersburg. camp springs to bowie, 46 to 45 degrees. feeling better today after yesterday's high of 33. mild tomorrow. it's going to be looking pretty and saturday is going to be looking just like that, too with sunshine throughout the area. what happens by sunday, early, clouds roll in. there's the first rain hitting us around 7:00 to 8:00 a.m. on the time line. warrenton to leonardtown, rain continues to spread over the area sunday afternoon. it could get heavy during the afternoon and evening hours sunday. we go from a high temperature of

52 on saturday to 47 on sunday with cloud cover. folks, for this time of year, that still is mild. your new year's eve forecast, dry but cold. the temperature 30 degrees. as promised, more with the cold air moving in for the start of 2014. wednesday, thursday right now, cold enough where i think we will see some snow showers around the area. so, we are going to be monitoring that system very closely over the next couple days as it starts to develop. back to you. in news 4 your health, tonight, a warning from the cdc that is flu is on the rise. flu season typically peaks in january and february. if you haven't gotten your shot, it's not too late to get that. the cdc is urging anyone over the age of 6 to get the shot. if you are coming down with the flu ask for antiviral drugs. it makes the illness less severe. >> we know the health risks that come with obesity.

carrying too much weight is linked to hearing loss. researchers followed more than 68,000 women over a ten-year period. those with a higher body mass index had an increased risk. more research is needed to determine why the two conditions are related. woman who use drugs during pregnancy may increase the risk of a stillbirth. researchers studied thousands of women who gave birt to stillborn infan infants. those who smoked or took prescription painkillers were likely to give birth to stillborns. exposure to secondhand smoke was just as harmful. if you have a child under the age of 9, chances are they have asked for an iphone, ipad or other gadget.

>> they are becoming glued to mobile devices, including those still in diapers. erika gonzalez takes a look at this. >> okay, you successfully synced. >> kids are drawn to the glog light of electronic devices. even parents reluctant to embrace the technology have given in to repeated requests to hand their phones over, even if it's just for a few moments. >> the devices are here to stay. >> reporter: this is ceo of common sense media. his group recently found a giant leap in the number of young children with access to mobile devices. within the past two years, the percentage of kids under 9 who used smartphones and tablets soared from 38% to more than 70%. this includes more than a third of kids under 2.

>> you have all sorts of toddlers and young kids from 0 to 5 walking up to tv screens trying to swipe them thinking they are a tablet or smartphone. >> reporter: some are designed for tiny hands. there's an infant bouncy seat outfitted for the ipad. the key is setting a good example. >> if you are glued to your phone, computer or ipad or not paying attention to your kids, they will do the same thing. they will watch your behavior. >> reporter: maybe they won't watch as much of what's on the screen if parents reinforce interaction with the 3-dimensional world. erica edwards, nbc news. >> children are spending less time on the computer playing video games and watching tv. breaking news, a massive fire is burning out of control in new york. let's go to jackie bensen. >> we are just getting live pictures in. they are aerials over the scene

of a massive four-alarm fire inside a commercial building in yonkers. we are told is store, a dollar k store. the big concern and reason for the major response is there is a concern the fire could spread to other buildings in the area. firefighters are on the scene right now. dozens of them, as you can see from that video. heavy smoke and flames can be seen. right now, no word of injuries. when we get more information, we'll bring it to you. a consumer alert, a scam could hit your in-box that claims to pay you cash for advertising a business on thundershower car. it came from someone claiming to work for monster energy drink. they would pay her $300 a week to advertise z. she responded and received a check in the mail. from there, the ordeal started sounding fishy. >> okay, what you need to do is deposit it into your checking

account. okay? once it clears, $1509 has to go to this person. >> the national consumers league says you should never send money from your own bank account to participate. they have heard of similar scams involving red bull energy drinks. why mcdonald's controversial employee website has been taken down. a crackdown on strip c

[ male announcer ] for every late night, every weekend worked, every idea sold... ♪ ...you deserve a cadillac, the fastest growing full-line luxury brand in the united states. including the all new 2014 cadillac cts, motor trend's 2014 car of the year. get the best offers of the season on our award winning products.

like a 2014 ats and srx. hurry in, offers end january 2nd. trending online, believers are in a panic after superstar justin bieber announced on twitter he's retiring. the 19-year-old told 47 million followers he was officially retiring, but said he would never leave his fans. itis not clear what the pop singer has planned. an instagram by the gov of south carolina posted a picture of her christmas present. the pistol was a present from her husband. she's been vocal about her view

on gun violence. a british surgeon has been suspended for branding his initials on a patient's liver. officials are investigating this. the letters were found by a colleague during routine operation. mcdonald's shut down a website following reports the site called their own food unhealthy. the sight, mcresource is shown to show a picture of a burger, fries and a drink with a caption that said unhealthy choice. a guide on how much one person should tip a pool cleaner, housekeeper and au pair. two strip clubs in prince george's county are shut down after operating without the proper permits. >> the clubs are now closed. they may be allowed to reopen. zachary kiesch has the story. >> are you saying this is not a strip club?

>> no, it's not. it's a studio. >> reporter: restaurants, bars and banquet halls. they all host dancing. recently, the department closed down two more establishments, rose cafe and puzzle events here in temple hills. the owner of puzzles says this is the third time. the county says he's in violation of the use and occupancy of permit laws. >> they were operating as adult entertainment business zs and those were one of the reasons they were shut down. >> reporter: he showed us two permits one to host birthdays and the other for video production. it caters to rap artists. >> if i have girls in there dancing, making video tapes of them dancing and selling them, how can you stop me? it's what i'm here for. >> reporter: i spoke to his attorney who told me the charges against his client are an