there is a major shake-up at the pentagon. chuck hagel is being forced to step down. news 4's angie growth is at the live desk. >> we are just minutes away from president obama officially announcing that defense secretary chuck hagel will resign. we are hearing confirmation to nbc news that, that hagel is being forced out. sources saying the white house has lost confidence in hagel to do the job when it comes to addressing big global issues. one of them being the threat of

isis. also hearing the combat veteran has been in talks about leaving the post for weeks. as for a successor, the decision we hear will be made quickly but hagel will stay on the job until a replacement is confirmed. the president is expected to speak in less than ten. we will bring it to you. >> there is more news. just as angie mentioned, the president is going to speak about this announcement, and we'll bring it to you live. this morning, the district is remembering marion barry. flags are flying at half-staff. d.c. leaders are preparing a memorial service for the former mayor. we've not learned yet when bar y ba will be. the medical examiner says he died of complications from kidney's deceaisease and proble with his heart. the d.c. council is returning to work without one of its longest serving members. he served in ward eight for 40 years.

news 4's megan mcgrath. >> reporter: certainly a difficult day for people to work here at the wilson building, especially his staff. they're not offering the ward 8 office at its normal time this morning. they're going to open up a little bit later. for a lot of people, it's going to be just strange not to see marion barry walking the halls of the wilson building. the flags fly at half-staff. and black bunting framed the entrance, as well as the door above marion bare yry's office. the staff is taking time to grieve and gather up his personal belongings so they can be delivered to his family. >> i told the staff they needed to take a moment, to take a moment. it's going to be a difficult day. because he was the people's mayor and we have to open the office up to everyone. >> reporter: marion barry spent much of his life inside the

wilson building as both councilman and mayor. his presence through the years documented in the many pictures that hang outside the council chamber. >> that's when we were really young, over there. >> reporter: barry is in many photos that hang in councilman jack evan's office. they worked together for more e in many respects is like the heart and soul of the city. losing marion is like a nationwide like losing an abraham lincoln type of figure. >> reporter: barry dominated d.c. politics for more than 40 years. whether you liked him or not, his popularity and influence cannot be ignored. his death leaves a hole in the d.c. council and means the loss of decades of institutional knowledge. >> what i think a lot of people don't know is marion knows more about d.c. government than a lot of us will ever hope to know. he knew the budgets. he knew the people. and he knew how all the pieces played together and played off of each other.

>> reporter: and just a moment ago, barry's spokesperson walked by, going into the building. i asked her whether there was any word on funeral arrangements. she said not yet but they would be releasing that information as soon as they nailed so things down here. but in term, of the ward eight office, it is going to be open. they have constituent serviceses they know they have to get back to despite the sadness in the office. they planned to do that. they told me they hope to open between 11:00 and noon today. reporting like, megan mcgrath, news 4. >> dozens of people honored barry at a can't the light vigil in southeast. people used music and chanted mayor for life as they marched down martin luther king jr. avenue to the big chair at the heart of ward eight. former d.c. council member frank smith was among the marchers. he compared barry to another high-profile politician. >> bill clinton was a masterful

politician. he was effective because he knew what he was doing. and he had his warts too, just like barry did. >> this picture may be one of the last taken of barry. he ran into the former mayor just hours before he died. he said the mayor told him to stay strong, be positive, and gave him a hug. the d.c. council is now ready to begin to fulfill the process of filling his seat. first the office has to officially declare the vacancy. then they will establish the time line for a special election. candidates will be running to fill the remainder of bare yes's term which ends in 2017. well, barry touched countless people during his service as mayor of the district of colu columb columbia. we invite you to go to nbc washington's facebook panel where hundreds of people have already expressed their sympathy to the barry family. what kind of weather do we have? or will we have? it was so warm this morning, it

was hard to believe we'd just had the freezing temperatures last week. chuck bell join us with his first midday forecast. >> good morning, barbara. good morning, everyone. it was a one-day reprieve before old man winter on wednesday. for now, the view from our tower camera, skies, mostly cloudy here in washington. a lot more sunshine in northern maryland and the shenandoah valley where temperatures are even warmer. a big southwest push of warm air has really changed the air mass quite dramatically across t area. temperatures were in the mid-60s before the sun was even up this morning. and now with even just a mostly cloudy sky, we're at 67 downtown, sunshine and 72 in frederick, maryland. hour by hour through the rest of your day, low to mid-70s around here this afternoon. plenty of clouds around, especially in and out of the metro. but no real rain threat. tracking a big possibility of a wednesday storm. rain likely. and snow possible. more about all that and the

timing and the impact on your travel weather. >> we'll see you in here in just a few minutes. we have some breaking news in gaithersburg. >> as you mentioned, this breaking scene coming to us from gaithersburg, maryland, where someone on a bike was just hit and killed by a driver. chopper 4, you're looking at live pictures over the scene of the fatal accident. this involved one cyclist, a male, we're told. eastbound route 28. also known as darrenstown road. a lot of investigators still on the scene. still unclear what happened to the driver and if anybody has been charged in this fatal accident. barbara. >> all right, thanks, angie. today, two people will be in d.c. court for illegally carrying guns near the white house. 23-year-old april dueboys from michigan was arrested on thursday. secret service agents spotted her along the white house north

fence line. he was arrested wednesday after agents found a rifle, ammunition and a knife in his car on alexander hamilton place northwest. he told agents someone told him to drive from iowa to d.c. for a meeting with president obama. lawyers for dozens of convicted criminals will be in court today, where a judge could drop their cases. an fbi agent is accused of tampering with evidence connected to as many as 28 of those cases. in some of those cases, the defendants pleaded guilty. the agent's name was matthew lowery and he is under investigation now. a substitute teacher will be in court. jose has a bond hearing. he's being held on $150,000 bond. he's charged with third degree sex offend. four female students have come forward saying he touched them inappropriate between 2004 -- that is, 2004 and 2014, over a

ten-year period. today, you can find out if the rockville city council plans to raise your water bill. an outside consultant recently told the council in order to address budget deficits, they should consider raising water and sewer rates. we're going to go to a special report right now from the white house. >> this is an nbc news special report. here's savannah guthrie. >> good morning. president obama is about to speak at the white house where he will announce officially the resignation of defense secretary chuck hagel. hagel was brought in to oversee the troop drawdown in afghanistan as well as military budget cuts. less than two years into the job, in the wake of new threats like isis, administration officials have told nbc news that hagel is, quote, no longer up to the job. let's go to chris jansing, on duty at the white house. good morning to you. what can you tell us about this? >> i know this conversation has been going on for the last several weeks between chuck hagel and the president that started last month. he offered his resignation.

it was accepted this morning. he becomes the first casualty after that disastrous election for the democrats and the senate now being taken over by republicans. there were a lot of questions raised from the very beginning. he had what was widely considered to be a bad confirmation process. he never seeped to quite recover. never made his way into the president's inner circle, in spite of the fact they had been friendly during the time they both served on the foreign relations committee when they were both in the senate. hagel being the only republican on the foreign policy, on the national security team here at the white house. so the decision was made that they needed new leadership at the pentagon. chuck hagel -- >> i'll interrupt, we've got the president. >> about a year ago, secretary of defense chuck hagel was visiting our troops in the republic of korea thanking them for their service and answering their questions and they asked

about the usual topics, about our national security, the future of our military, and then one soldier, a sergeant from ohio, asked him what was the most pertinent question of the day, which was, what was your favorite college football team. to which chuck replied, boornd raised in nebraska, i don't have a choice, i am a strong cornhusker's fan. now, there was a time when an enlisted soldier might have been reluctant to ask that question of the secretary of defense. but chuck hagel has been no ordinary secretary of defense. the first enlisted combat veteran to serve in that position. he understands our men and women like few others. because he stood where they stood. he's been in the dirt and he's been in the mud. and that's established a special bond. he sees himself in them. they see themselves in him.

and their safety and their lives have always been at the center of chuck's service. when i asked chuck to serve as secretary of defense, we were entering a significant period of transition. the drawdown in afghanistan. the need to prepare our forces for future missions and tough fiscal choices to keep our military strong and ready. over nearly two years, chuck has been an exemplary defense secretary, providing a steady hand as we modernized our strategy and budget to meet long-term threats while still responding to immediate challenges like isil and ebola. thanks to chuck, our military is on a firmer footing and looking ahead to the future. now, last month, chuck came to me to discuss the final quarter of my presidency and determined

that having guided the department through this transition, it was an appropriate time for him to complete his service. let me just say that chuck is and has been a great friend of mine. i've known him and admired him and trusted him for a decade since i was a green behind the ears freshman senator and we were both on the senate foreign relations committee. if there's one thing i know about chuck, it's that he does not make this or any decision lightly. this decision does not come easily to him. i consider myself extraordinarily lucky to have had him by my side for two years. i am grateful chuck has agreed to stay on until i nominate a successor. that successor is confirm by the senate. which means he'll continue to guide our troops at this challenging time. i'll have more opportunity to pay tribute to chuck's life of service in the days ahead. for now, let me just say this -- chuck hagel is devoted to our

national security and our men and women in uniform across six decades. he volunteers for vietnam and still carries the scars and shrapnel from the battles that he fought. at the v.a., he fought to give our veterans the benefits that they had earned. as head of the uso, he makes sure america always honors our troops. he helped lead the fight for the post-9/11 gi bill which is helping so many newest veterans realize their dreams of a college education. as secretary chuck has helped transitioned our military and bolstered america's leadership around the world. during his tenure, u.s. forces took the lead in afghanistan. our forces have drawn down. our combat mission there ends next month. and we'll partner with of an begans to preserve the gains we have made. the nato alliance is as strong as it has ever been.

we have reassured our allies with our increased presence in central and eastern europe. we've modernized our alliances in the asia pacific and agreed to improve communications between the u.s. and the chinese militaries. chuck has been critical to all these accomplishments. meanwhile, chuck's ensured that our military is ready for new missions. today, our men and women in uniform are take the fight against isil in iraq and syria and chuck helped build an international coalition to make sure the world is facing this threat together. today, leading the forces against ebola in west africa. as chuck likes to say, america's military is the greatest force for good in the world. finally, in a very difficult budgetary environment, chuck has never lost sight of key priorities. the readiness of our force and

the quality of our life of our troops and their families. he's launched new reforms to ensure even as our military is leaner, it remains the strongest in the world. the troops continue to get the pay, the housing, the health care, the child care, that they and their families need. reforms that we need congress to now support. at the same time, after the tragedies we've seen, chuck has helped lead the effort to improve security at our military installations and stamp out the scourge of sexual assault from the ranks. i want to thank you on a personal level. we come from different parties but in accepting this position, you send a powerful message, especially to folks in this city, that when it comes to our national security and caring for our troops and families, we are all americans first. when i nominate you for this

position, you said you always give me your advice and informed counsel. you have, when it's mattered most behind closed tours in the oval office, you've always given it to me straight. for that, i will always be grateful. i recall, when i was a nominee in 2008 and i traveled to afghanistan and iraq, chuck hagel accompanied me on that trip along with jack reid. it's pretty rare at a time when sometimes this town is so politicized, to have a friend who was willing to accompany a nominee from another party because he understood that whoever ended up being president, what was most important was we were unified when we confronted the challenges we see overseas. and that's the kind of class and integrity that chuck hagel's always represented.

you said a life's only as good as the family you have and the friends you surround yourself with. in that, we were blessed. i want to thank your family for the sacrifices they've made as well. i know as rue luckettant as we are to see you go, they're equally excited to get their husband and father back. i'mhuskers are happy a fan will be there to cheer them on. today, the united states of america can claim the strongest military the world has ever known. that's the result made over many decades. that's the result of the character and wisdom of those who lead them as well. including a young army sergeant in vietnam who served as our nation's 24 tth secretary of defense. on behalf of a grateful nation, thank you, chuck.

>> thank you. thank you very much. [ applause ] thank you. thank you. >> and we will leave that press conference. makingate nouncement that hagel will be stepping down as soon as a successor is named and confirmed. let's turn to our white house correspondent chris jansing. what are you hearing about potential replacements? >> there's a short list. michelle folonoi who was the highest ranking civilian at the pentagon and also the highest woman to ever hold such a position in that male dominated organization, she is kbed to be somebody who has a lot respect for the pentagon and the hill.

also jack reid, the senator, he was an officer in the 82nd airborne in the army. and ash carter. a former harvard professor. his time at the defense department goes back many administrations. i am told we should not expect that that new person will be named today. in fact, it would be very difficult for them to get the bowl rolling in such a way they could have confirmation hearings before the end of the year and the republicans take other the senate so that pressure is not on. of course with the thanksgiving holiday, this is a short week. >> we will watch as you will too. of course, we'll have more on nbcnews.com. tonight on nbc news with brian williams. for those of you on the west coast, we have much more of "today" straight ahead. >> and we will be right back. stay wit

there's still time for you to help a needy family this thanksgiving. nbc 4 is collecting donations as part of our annual food for families campaign. news 4's pat lawson is live at the verizon center. >> reporter: we are setting the table and let me show you the spread. get a look at this. these are donations that have come from all over the region. from our friends and partners and members the community.

from our viewers. just awesome. the response has been overwhelming. we're not done yet. we will still take your donations. we could not do this, nbc 4 couldn't do it without our partners like the magnate nurses of georgetown university hospital who collected cans late week. how many did you do? >> our goal is 7,200 cans in 72 hours and we met our goal. >> that's wonderful. >> yes, yes. >> you're making a presentation today? >> we also -- our focus was on monetary donations. so we were able to collect over $2,000. and we're going to present to nbc for food for families so we can neck a healthy meal for thanksgiving. >> all right, barbara and elijah and melanie, thank you so much. she will take the check. i think they've got another check from washington first bank. which has also collected just about half of that food over there. joseph is the chair of the

board. >> we've collected three vans full of food at our 17 branches of washington first bank around the metro area and we also have partners at tyson's corner and adler's jewelers at great falls who also collected food and donations. we're pleased to be able to make our contribution and work with nbc 4. >> he's got a $10,000 check to present. thank you, thank you, thank you. thank you all so much. call our phone bank or make your secure online donation at nbcwashington.com. it's food for families. barbara, back to you. >> all right, thank you. we have some breaking news happening right now. let's check in at the live desk to find out what's going on. >> university of virginia students just wrapped up a news conference addressing their concerns following those rape allegations at their school. these allegationings has have sn all fraternities and sororities

for now. greek life leaders talked about their concerns. >> we recognize that sexual violence is a problem in our fraternities and we recognize that we, the students, can be catalysts for the solution. the temporary suspension of fraternities gives our community a time to breathe and to develop more substantive and actionable changes that confront this complicated problem in the long term. >> uva's president says the board will meet on tuesday, tomorrow, to discuss the rape allegations that were first featured in a "rolling stone" article. that's the latest, barbara. >> thank you, angie. our time right now is 11:26. still ahead on news 4 midday, we are remembering former d.c. mayor marion barry. what he told oprah in one of his last interviews. taking a look outside right now. shares with us a bill change heading in for thanksgiving.

have a great thanksgiving. you can call 202-885-4949 to donate to food for families. you can also donate online. we posted all of this information on our nbc washington facebook page. check it out

this just in to the live desk. the dennis avenue health center in silver spring is closed right now because of a water main break.

if you or someone you know has an appointment, you will be contacted about rescheduling that appointment. at this point, we're not sure if it's going to be closed tomorrow because crews as you can tell still out there, working this, trying to fix this. this is in the 2000 block of dennis avenue near georgia avenue, hearing roads may be cloe closed down intermittently. >> we're following breaking news in gaithersburg right now where a bicyclist was struck and killed. we just heard that news 4's chris gordon just got to the scene. >> reporter: behind me, you see the collision reconstruction team from montgomery county. the truck that appears to have been involved in this accident on the side says wsse washington suburban sanitary commission news 4 has called them. they do not have a comment at this point. there is a screened off area. the bicycle right at the entrance to the shopping center. the shops at potomac valley. we are joined now live by corporal rebecca from the

montgomery county police department. if you'll tell us how this happened. >> sure, at this time we believe the truck was attempting to make a left-hand turn westbound into that shopping center. the cyclist who was traveling eastbound in a lane of travel, they collided in that intersection near the shopping center. >> now, what did police and fire ems do? >> officers attempted cpr and fire and rescue personnel continued with life saving measures. unfortunately, the adult male cyclist did succumb to his injuries. >> the people from the truck stayed on the scene. reporting live from the fatal accident. >> thank you, chris. this morning, we're learning more about marion barry's final moments. the medical xener says barry died by heart problems from high blood pressure. we're waiting to hear when the

memorial service is going to be. >> barry's annual turkey give away will go ahead as planned in ward 8. volunteers will hand out more than 3,000 free turkeys to needy family tomorrow. the event will be at 1:00 p.m. at union baptist church. oprah winfrey did one of the last extensive interviews with marion barry. that interviewed aired last night on own network. talked to barry about his new book "mayor for life" and what it took to gain that title. >> if you don't have the courage to carry out your vision. god gave me a lot of gifts. the president of more house college said you shoot for the moon. if you miss that, you'll be ammon the stars. >> barry called his 16-year tenure as d.c.'s mayor incredible and said he thought voters elected him for his

service, not his name. our coverage of marion barry continues on nbcwashington.com. we have more reaction ton his death and an interview with the former mayor where he responds to his critics. >> chuck bell joins us now with a look at some changes heading our way. >> the down is just around the corner. temperatures will be back down to average levels in the 50s tomorrow but then winter weather is a threat as we get into the day on wednesday. that's important because it's the because yet travel day of the year. in many locations up to and including here. right now in washington, it's a cloudy start. but it's a warm one out there. 67 degrees now with a south wind averaging 18. gusting to almost 30 miles an hour. so blustery but warm out there. 72, frederick. 70 in southern maryland. low 70s on the eastern shore. mid-60s in the shenandoah

valley. temperatures right now are 15 to 25 degrees warmer than we were at the same time yesterday. hometown forecast, rockville, maryland, for the remainder of your monday, warm, temperatures near 70 at lunchtime. 68 at 4:00. back down into the 50s by 8:00 p.m. this evening. the bigget away wednesday, cold and wet. rain likely going to be mixing with some snow. accumulations will be possible in our viewing area in metro d.c. we'll see. there's still a lot of factors into play here. whenever you have a bill weather event like this, go to our storm team 4 facebook page and download our weather app. we have a zone by zone. customized forecast all across our viewing area. there's the cold air. it's already snowing in chicago. that's the cold air that will change our rain to snow. today's highs near 70s. tomorrow, back down to the 50s.

starting at 8:00 tomorrow night, getting into the day on wednesday, 8:00 wednesday morning, there's rain. this is our local computer model that keeps everything all rain. one of the other models we look at, same exact time frame, has the rain, but also has the chance for a rain/snow mix. gradually i think mixing over to snow and then changing completely to snow before it companies y comes to a total end. the ground is very warm. it's going to start as rain. so the ability to accumulate snow may be a little bit more difficult than the ability to just get snow started. there's your seven-day forecast. 70s today. 50s tomorrow. a cold rain to snow mix on wednesday. blustery and chilly from there on out, barbara. black friday chshopping will be cold. we're working to learn the names of three people killed in a crash in silver spring. police say a combination of alcohol, speed and no seat belts contributed to this deadly

crash. this chevy suburban drove off the road on east-west highway. three passengers died. the five other people in the suburb including the driver were taken to the hospital. prince georges county police are looking for a driver who hit and killed a bicyclist and then took off. that deadly accident happened in lanham early yesterday morning. the cyclist was riding along the curb when he was hit by the car. police are looking for a black sedan with heavy front end damage and a piece of its bumper is apparently missing as well. you know you're getting ready for thanksgiving. and double-check your grocery list. the grocery stores are doing the same thing. news 4's richard jordan shows you how grocers are preparing. >> reporter: all hands on deck. there is no time to waste. the biggest meal of the year means one of the busiest weeks of the year for many grocery stores. >> thanksgiving and christmas

are the busy times of the year. >> reporter: today, maryland congressman chris von holland. and small business administrator maria sweet did some early shopping. but the real rush is still to come. >> this time of year, a lot of people coming to the meat counter, making sure they pick out that perfect bird. grocery chains will see the largest crowds. but for locally owned stores, it's the difficult cultural takes on an american tradition that's led to success. >> that's the reason we succeed at the beginning. we basically cater to anyone who wanted anything. you want it, we'll get it. >> the pricing is better, spices to local meats, you know, they're fresh as i said and they're really good quality and they're great value. >> reporter: a tip to save as the shopping season begins. in silver spring, richard jordan, news 4. still ahead on news 4 midday, we get a look at the

women and men who will sketch the nation's highest civilian honor. it's a who's who in this year's medal of freedom winners. right now, there's still time to help families in need enjoy a great thanksgiving too. you can call the number on your screen. that's 202885-4949 to donate to food for news. volunteers are standing by to

in just a few hours, the

president well give several artists and act visits the medal of freedom. some very well known celebrities to receive it, including meryl streep and stevie wonder. we'll have a news 4 crew there to talk to some of the recipients. today, prince georges community college and the county crisis center are sponsoring an event to bring attention to teen homelessness. people participating in one night without a home will sleep outside tonight in card board box shelters with nothing more than a few blankets. it begins at the novak field house parking lot on campus and it will last until 6:00 a.m. tomorrow morning. there's time to help local families in need have a happier thanksgiving. part of our food for families campaign. news 4's pat lawson is at the verizon center and has more for us. >> i'm sandwiched between checks here. to buy food for families. the first check is from donna

with comcast. thank you so much for coming. >> thank you for having us. we're so excited to be here today and be bea part of this really important community effort. there's still so much need and so we're really excited to be here and take part of it and contribute in this small way. >> we're going to let you make that contribution. and debby with pepco holdings. you're a familiar face to washington and to news 4 viewers and you brought a check from pepco. >> absolutely, on behalf of all of us at pepco, we want to make this contribution to food for families. we've been big supporters of the community and this is just a small token. we're just so happy you guys continue to be out here every year and we're happy to support you all too. yeah, pepco. >> all right, thank you. it is such an important thing to us. thousands of families will be able to have a hot thanksgiving meal because of donations like these.

because of all this food, look at this, that has been piling up. we're now having to send it to the warehouse where all of this will be paired with turkeys and fresh veggies and packed up and sent to needy news. we still need your donation. you can also make a secure online donation at nbcwashington.com. or send us a check. either way, your donation will be needed and appreciated. our type right now is 11:43. we take a look at the damage following an apartment building collapse. just in time for the holiday season, a christmas tradition. we'll see a preview of "the nutcracker." how does he fit down the chimney? wait, how does he fit up the chimney? how does he keep down all that milk? how much does 7 billion presents weigh? i just don't get it.

why don't you ask him yourself? santa! join us at busch gardens christmas town, where christmas shines brightest. celebrate beneath the glow of 8 million twinkling lights. get up-close to penguins, and experience spectacular shows, all at busch gardens. for the best ticket offers, visit christmastown.com today.

right now, firefighters in chicago are trying to figure out what caused this apartment building to collapse. take a look at the damage. neighbors say they heard a loud boom just before the building came tumbling down last night. crews pulled two women and a dog from the rubble. they are going to be okay, we hear. well, expect fireworks at the super bowl. 49 halftime show. katy perry is officially the headliner. it will be held at the university of phoenix stadium in

arizona on sunday february 1st. you can watch it right here on nbc 4. ♪ >> you must recognize that iconic music. this year, you can see the dance of the sugar plum fairies as washington ballet celebrates its tenth year of this nutcracker. joining us live in the studio is marshal whitley who plays the nutcracker, claire, who plays miss liberty and we're joined by the artistic director who we always love to welcome back because you always have great things to tell us. these characters are iconic. i said the music is. there's something different this year as you've brought a whole new look to the ballet the nutcracker. >> when we sought out to create a nutcracker years ago, we wanted this to be of washington and reflect who we are as washingtonians and americans. it's set in historic washington, d.c. in 1882 in a georgetown

mansion. little clara dreams through time so the nutcracker is based on george washington, the rat king is george iii and the cherry blossoms in full bloom on the banks of the potomac. >> the nutcracker is wearing a george washington hat. is he the swrorj washingtgeorge character? >> yes, based on george washington. he battles the evil rat king based on george iii. >> claire is the little girl who has the dream. >> claire is actually miss liberty, an agorical figure. she's a dancing doll. >> the other little girl wears a night gown. >> yes. >> tell us about your role. you can speak. >> not in the show, but i can speak. yes. >> how long have you danced with the washington ballet? >> this is my first season. >> exciting to have such an important role? >> very exciting, yes. the role is very -- you have to be in the party scene, in the

kids react to you, doll-like, it's very fun. >> claire right? the junior company, at the cusp of joining our company. >> when does it start? >> december 4th through december 27th. washingtonballet.org for tickets. >> this is not just for children. >> it's a great opportunity to bring young people to the ballet but there's a lot of really vigorous dancing. anyone who is excited about movement and dance and wants to feel like they're in the holiday spirit should come check out the "the nutcracker." >> thank you for being here. we always love it when the washington ballet visit us at news 4. thanks for coming. tonight, you can cheer on the northern virginia guy as he competes for "the voice." coming up, we meet ryan sills' biggest fans. his sister s as are in the hous.

plus, chuck will have your final forecast. you can help families in need have a great thanksgiving. call the number on your screen for food for families. a secure retirement. a new home. earning your diploma. providing for your family. real associates, using walmart's benefits to build better lives for their families. opportunity. that's the real walmart.

we're following several developing story, throughout the day on nbc 4. first, chuck hagel is stepping down. president obama made the

announcement earlier this newsca newscast. senior defense officials tell nbc news that hag el is being forced out. hagel will stay on the job until a replacement is concerned. this morning, the d.c. council is going back to work with a hole in its ward eight seat. marion barry served the city for 40 years before he died over the weekend. mary vincent gray says the city is planning a memorial service. and right now, we're taking your calls for food for family. you can help a needy family by making a donation any time between now and 7:00 tonight. call the number on your screen, 202-858-4949. ♪ more than words ♪ are all i ever needed >> tonight you can support virginia native ryan sill as he competes on nbc's show "the

voice." joining us are his biggest fans, his sister megan and sister melanie. welcome. >> hi. >> have you been wearing those shirts a lot lately? >> of course, of course we have, yeah. >> we're so glad to have you with us today to tell us a little bit about him. he's a graduate of dominion high school in sterling, right? >> uh-huh. >> are you students there now? >> melanie is a senior there now and i graduated there in '09. >> have you got all your friends and family members behind ryan trying to get people to vote for him, because that's how it worked, right? tell us about him, did he sing in high school? >> he's been singing his whole life. our mother is a profess either singer and voice teacher as well in the community. she's been around, singing. we've all been singing our whole lives. >> i know this is scary. i spoke with your mother on the phone. she was rushing out to l.a. because he's going to be on -- the finals are going on. he's going to be singing tonight. america saved him last week. for people who don't know what

"the voice" is. you should know what "the voice" is. america gets to vote, right? >> uh-huh. >> what do you want us to do? what can we do? >> well, there are a lot of different ways to vote including the voice app. you can vote up to ten times per e-mail address. and then sprint users can text. you can call. the number on the bottom of the screen when he sings. and there's a bunch of different ways. you can also go on facebook or thevoice.com to vote. >> your mother was telling me all across the country friends and family in their areas are behind them. she said washington and virginia and maryland, our area, hasn't gotten on the bandwagon so it's time for us to do it. >> absolutely, yeah, team ryan, for sure. >> so what is he singing tonight, to you know? >> oh, we don't know, we're excited. it's all live so we don't know either. we're excited to be surprised tonight. >> how many contestants are left? >> he's in the top ten. he'll be singing for top eight

tonight. cross your fingers. >> people have to call in as soon as they see him sing. they'll get the phone number and all those different ways to vote. >> the voting opens at 9:55 tonight and goes on until 12:00 noon tomorrow. >> i hear your house out in sterling is completely decorated. >> with banners and spotlights. >> he's become a real hero out there. >> oh, yeah. >> in your neighborhood and now you want the rest of the area -- >> absolutely. >> what time does it start tonight? >> 8:00. >> 8:00 on nbc 4. okay, good luck. we'll be waiting and watching. >> and voting. >> and voting. thank you. melanie and megan. thanks for coming. our time right now is 11:56. we're going to check your final forecast in just a minute. meteorologist chuck bell is going to join us. >> i'm right here. >> there he is, okay. >> snuck in when you weren't looking. all eyes are on wednesday. that's most concern for us here in the weather department. what should you expect on wednesday? likely going to be raining when

you get up wednesday morning. during the day, the rain will change over to snow gradually. the best chance for snow to stick and assuccumulate will be west of i-95 and probably not any further west than i-81. whether it's all rain or a rain/snow mix, because it's such a busy travel day, it will have a high impact on travel. so plan, if you're going to be driving, taking the train or flying, you should be pack your patience now as there can be some real slowdowns. even a heavy rain on i-95 and a busy travel day can really get things snarled up. snow could complicate the issues. there's your seven-day forecast. 70s today and blustery outside. tomorrow, cooler air starts to move back in, but still not too bad. again, this will start as rain on wednesday and likely end as snow some time around sundown wednesday evening. and then nothing more than an occasional flurry on thanksgiving day itself. all bets are on the transition

between the rain and over to the snow. the ability to make snow in the sky is one thing. the ability to accumulate it on the ground is another. that's where the trick is. >> do you think we are going to have some measurable snow on the ground? >> some measurable snow but the ground is going to be really warm and this is going to start as rain and rain eats up snowflakes so a cumulations are going to be tough to forecast. >> a lot more months to go. >> doug will have the update tonight. >> thanks a lot. that's news 4 midday. be sure to join us tomorrow monning.

>> kate: well, you know that we need to keep it under wraps until an official announcement's made. oh, no, no, i'm so pleased. mm-hmm. well, after all, it was my idea. i see great things in the future. bye. great things if you like working with an arrogant little brat. idea you were such a great liar. >> sonny: you're gonna be co-ceo of dimera, and it didn't occur to you to tell me about it? >> chad: no one was supposed to know yet. >> sonny: only the select few on the inside track, like t. >> chad: okay, i told you. t overheard it. and he obviously couldn't keep his mouth shut after i told him to. >> sonny: i didn't hear it from t, so this secret isn't as