welcome to news 4 this week. >> hi, everyone. i'm veronica johnson. we're going to show you interesting local stories making news this week. among them, coffee talk, becoming the talk of town. the news team reveals how federal workers have been able to spend your tax dollars at starbucks and keep it under the radar until now. what sounds like a student's dream, no homework ever. why a local school decided to loss the work sheets and papers most kids have to turn in. a business born out of sorrow and hope. how two sisters are helping fellow breast cancer survivors find something to brag about. we start with a story that's generated a lot of buzz online nationwide. thousands of your tax dollars

spent at starbucks by one federal agency. they're make ro puicropurchases. they're able to use government-funded credit cards, but our iteam member found out the purchases are a small sample of nearly $20 billion in federal government purchases made but kept secret each year. >> reporter: they hit one of the starbucks here in d.c., another in associatiocean city, too. and nearly a dozen others nationwide, including $10,000 purchases in a starbucks in california. all told, the employees of one agency, the department of homeland security, using government taxpayer purchase cards bought starbucks last year.

they won't tell us what they bought, why they bought it, nor are they required to release the information to the public. the public wouldn't have known if the team hadn't dug up the reports. we showed it to the man overseeing the committee. >> when you have this money being spent in six months, someone is abusing the purchasing permission that we have given them. >> reporter: it took us months and intervention by the congressman for us to find even some details. more on that in a moment. first, we wanted to know how much taxpayer money the government spends on these mysterious purchases. we found out. about $20 billion in just about the course of a year. we asked all of these other major federal agencies based in d.c. for their micro-purchase shopping lists. in all, they all refused. >> we're spending public money.

public money, taxpayer dollars, and ought to account for it. >> reporter: the former inspector general said the government credit cards and purchases are supposed to be used for emergencies, for the unforeseen. he says they've been abused in the past. our review found cards used for purchases of clothes at j.c. penney, by a card holder at the labor department, for a gym membership. >> we've had a case where a high-ranking official used the card to purchase hotel rooms and spas. >> reporter: miller says they shouldn't be used for $5 coffee drinks. if the government wants to buy coffee, it should go through the procurement process and find the company with the best price. the government had the credit checks given to card holders so those with poor history don't misuse the card. >> inspite of changing the law in 2012, it's been misused.

if we need to tighten the screws, we'll do it. >> reporter: what about the coffee shop swipes? the congressman called the homeland security auditor before his committee. >> we're absolutely startled. >> reporter: and held up a cup and asked about some of theclui0 spent in california. >> are you aware those purchases took place on the government credit cards? >> a majority of the purchases were to furnish coffee for the dining pantries on board cutters. >> coast guard cutter vessels, but she couldn't say how and why the rest of the money was spent. >> government watchdogs say potential misuse and waste would be difficult to mask if federal agencies released the micro-purchase shopping lists to the public. we checked with federal agencies, and all but one, the department of interior, declined

to provide us their shopping list. here's one way to make cash, by grabbing it as it reiains over highway. this happened when a armor truck hit a dump truck in maryland. a door lock malfunctioned, sending cash into the roadway. drivers got out of their cars to run after the money. police say those who don't return the money could face charges. hope you heard me. we are already seeing moves by lawmakers to reign in a d.c. newly passed marijuana law. andy harris says he'll introduce an amendment to bar the district from spending money on legalized weed. >> it's harmful to teenagers and young adults. it's probably the last thing d.c. needs in a high unemployment, problems with the education system already. last thing you need is legalized marijuana. >> the measure will undergo a

60-day congressional review period before it becomes law. now to one of the most debated issues of kids' education, homework or no homework. at one montgomery county school, no homework has been the rule for years. >> reporter: anywhere you look inside this elementary school, you'll probably find kids curled up with a good book. every class had time set aside for individual and group reading. this 4th grader just read a book called the way back home. >> she was left behind, so she wanted to run with somebody. so she made her brother come. >> reporter: like her schoolmates, she read the book at home. no work sheets or diagrams for the students afterschool. homework went away three years ago. >> we saw a disconnect between what we were having them do during the day and sending home. they were sending home a will the of repetition and a lot of the skill practice. >> reporter: her team spent a year researching and talking to

parc parents and decided on a different way to create critical thinkers. >> my community is open to reading at home. >> reporter: students are expected to read for at least 30 minutes every day, anything they want. >> like the old paper work and stuff, you finish the math equations and you were done. now, you can read book after book and you'll just go on a journey as long as you want. i read chapter books. >> reporter: ricardo didn't mind the homework of younger days, but the emphasis on reading will have a better impact on his overall education. >> better for myself to do something that would take me somewhere far in life. >> reporter: with all the reading the kids are doing, when they get to middle school, they'll have to do more traditional homework. will they be ready? her conversations with her middle school colleagues revolve around how hard her kids are working and being held accountable for progress in the

classrooms. >> the students are blogging about the books and making recommendations to each other. it's cool. i think that will translate into the writing piece in middle school. >> news 4. >> she doesn't have the hard numbers that show the no-homework method is enhancing student achievement, but with a 75% hispanic population, reading as a top priority works. there's new challenge for young athletes, and it's not on the field or the court. parents are being blamed for bullying kids on the sidelines. plus, gone in 45 seconds, a house up in flames with a common appliance to blame. how to stay safe if you're using a certain device to stay warm a certain device to stay warm this winter.

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maybe a little too early to start thinking about your christmas tree, but the ever green that will grace the u.s.

capitol is already on its way to d.c. this has a 2,000 mile journey. the lighting be take place december 2nd. it's also the time of year a lot of us are turning to space heaters to stay warm in the chilly room. portable heaters account for 80% of home heating fire deaths. erika gonzalez has the warning for all of us. >> reporter: kevin riley lost his restaurant when a fire started above. the blaze was sparked by a space heater. >> it was all of 45 seconds up there, and it's all it took. that hallway filled up with smoke very, very quickly. >> reporter: consumer reports checked a variety of space heaters to see how well they work and if they have the safety features. all the ones tested have a safety switch that turn them off if they overheat or tip over. they measure how hot this towel

gets and sees whether they catch fire. none did. >> we recommend placing space heaters three feet away from any flammable items, like curtains, bedding or newspapers. >> reporter: always plug directly into the socket. don't use an extension cord. in another test, this dummy is loaded with sensors to see how fast it warms you up or your desk area. >> some only raised the dummy's temperature four degrees, while the best ones raise them higher. >> reporter: this honeywell is excellent at spot heating and passed all of consumer reports's safety tests and costs $190. for less, the compact homes heater passed consumer report safety tests and is a best-buy for $40, heating a room quickly. it's not as fast as spot heating. >> bottom line, keep your space heater away from anything

flammable, and make sure it's on a flat surface. surviving, how two sisters hit hard by breast cancer are hitting back with a way to help women feel more confident. good news for ice cream lovers out there. we'll tell you why a frozen treat from ditradition is saved

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for your health, a local woman is turning her battle, her painful battle with breast cancer into something positive. something she hopes empowers women just like her. news 4's reporter tells us how. >> reporter: kara and her sister never thought of themselves as invent inventors. mothers, wives, sure, but inventor wasn't on the radar until cancer invaded their lives for a second time. >> it was history repeating themselves. >> reporter: they were little girls when their 39-year-old mother died from breast cancer.

>> it was probably the defining moment of my life. >> reporter: 30 years had gone by, but that loss still felt fresh, raw, when kara found a lump in her breast. it was cancer, the same type that had killed their mother. kara went on the attack, a hysterectomy and chemotherapy. kr kristin got tested and had the mutation and a 90% chance of getting cancer as well. like kara, she had reconstruction with implants. after a year of sickness and surgeries. >> we thought we could wear a regular bra. >> reporter: they couldn't. it makes breasts lighter and flatter. mastectomy bras work for some but not then. >> i didn't go through for implants to have to wear them on top. >> reporter: the sisters did research, surveys, and the brags bra was born. >> the insert is into in to fill

out the apex and provide coverage. >> reporter: it has side support and no uncomfortable wire. she also has a double mastectomy and a new baby. getting used to the implants was tough. >> these are my new breasts and require a different bra. >> reporter: as for the sisters, this is for their mom and all those out there who want to look good and feel good after a long and draining battle. >> our mission, really, in the scope of things is to empower women to dream again and to live again. we want them to be able to brag again. >> melissa mclay, news 4. >> we posted a link to brags online. it's not just online, it's not just coming from other kids. parents are bullying other kids on the field. we'll show you how some coaches are trying to crack down on this

are trying to crack down on this bad behavior, next.

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typically, when we talk about bullying, we focus on kids being mean to other kids. on this report, as sports get more competitive, it's the parents doing the bullying. now as part of our changing minds series, a look at bullying on the field. >> you're not shooting enough. you're not hustling enough. you should have dove for the ball. >> reporter: dwayne bryant hears this negativity on the field and on the court, not from the players or even coaches, but from parents. >> it's competitive sports in general. i've seen kids as young as 10, 9 years old that have these situations. >> reporter: bryant is the director of athletic and physical education for a school in maryland. bullying in youth sport it is a growing problem, especially with parents, likely because sports are becoming more competitive at younger ages.

>> it's at high stakes. you're talking about parents in soccer and other sports where they invest a lot of money. they want their kid to get a scholarship, and that's competition with other kids. >> come on, you can be better than the other team. you're better than them. >> it doesn't make me feel good. >> this 9-year-old plays soccer. both of these girls witnessed other players' parents behaving badly on the field. >> it makes me feel a little bad about myself, because i try really hard to do my best. >> i think it's a horrible message. the parents are supposed to be models for the kids. raise kids with good values, good judgment, good morals, and we're supposed to -- we want to cheer for our kids and be there for our kids. >> reporter: andrew ship is a counselor and volleyball coach at the school. for kids, being bullied by

parents can be devastating. >> their ego, sense of worth, sense of being goes downhill. >> reporter: the issue spurred them to start a special program in which every team appoints one parent to be in charge of good sportsmanship on the sidelines, something dubbed, the parent police. >> without programs like this in place, you'd like to think that the positive environment would just happen naturally. unfortunately, that's not the case. we've seen in so many leagues around the area. >> reporter: the executive director says the program has been successful so far, and it's having a positive impact on the whole league. >> it's just a game. it doesn't matter if you win or lose. it matters if you have fun. >> news 4. we have more information about bullying, including where to go to get help on our special changing minds page. on nbcwashington.com. good news for the ice cream

lovers. it's not the end for the frozen treat tradition in virginia. the freeze shop will not be closing for good. as it was feared. a few weeks ago, the property was sold and the future of the 49-year-old business was in doubt. the owners tell news 4 the new landlord is allowing them to operate there for at least another year. so even this winter, go get some ice cream. that's all for news for this week. i'm veronica johnson. thanks for joining us. we leave you with another look at the christmas tree making its journey to the u.s. capitol from minnesota. the christmas lighting will take place december 2nd. until next time, be safe, be happy. good-bye, everybody.

♪ welcome to "redskins chronicles." i'm larry michael. each week, we take an in-depth look at the team's legacy. today, we sit down with former redskins linebacker, andre collins. they have a by this week.