let's all breathe together and hope we get a good deal. back to you guys. >> thank you, adam, we're trying. a developing story from d.c. to across the country. this black friday is about more than shopping for a whole lot of people. demonstrators outside this walmart store in d.c. said they stand in solidarity with the parents of michael brown who continue to fight the decision not to charge the officer who shot their son in ferguson, missouri. but this protest here in d.c. was mainly about wages and hours. activists say d.c., walmart employees don't make enough money to support their families in an area getting more and more expensive. >> we are relying on government assistance, along with working full-time hours, which shouldn't be. we should be able to live comfortably and without, you know, relying on other sources of income. >> reporter: news4's molette green was at the rally and will have more on what happened and

what's next for these workers coming up in our second half hour. protests over the ferguson decision continued in new york city. look at the crowd here. that march through times square a couple hours ago. it was a smaller group than the one that margined in times square tuesday. the night after a missouri prosecutor announced no charges against officer darren wilson. there were enough protesters out today to briefly block traffic. and this protest in oakland, california, enough to shut down train service in the bay area this afternoon. protesters bearing the message, "black lives matter" chained themselves together and blocked the doors to the b.a.r.t. trains in oakland. they say their goal is to stop b.a.r.t. service for four hours, the same amount of time michael brown's body lay in the street after he was killed. b.a.r.t. says limited service has resumed. and despite all of the bargains out there today, some local shops are planning special offers to get you in their stores tomorrow.

northern virginia bureau reporter david culver is live at alexandria with more on what we can expect for small business saturday. hi, david. >> reporter: hi there, erika. yeah, for those who want to shop local, alexandria is a pretty good option, considering that more than 85% of the stores here are small businesses. lolley owned. and, of course, this black friday, they're getting some good business. but they're focused on tomorrow. small business saturday. we checked in with a few stores off king street here to see how they're gearing up. inside elizabeth pod's shoe hive size really does matter. but this time each year, this business owner wants you to think small. and local. >> i think it's a great alternative to waiting in the lines and people stampeding. >> reporter: for 11 years, elizabeth has been working to keep her store buzzing and she says small business saturday is a key part of her holiday sales. >> and it really falls over into the whole holiday season. i think that kind of gets the

message across to make sure you don't forget about your independent retailers and small businesses. >> reporter: along busy king street, plenty of bags already in hand. this year, alexandria's oldtown and delray districts are getting national attention. one of three cities recognized by american express as a shop small destination. they've got the signs and door mats to prove it allie has hit some of her favorite stores. >> i'm a shop owner so i know it's better to shop with them than the big stores. >> reporter: your personal hours, monday through friday, 9:00 to 5:00? >> no, no. of. >> reporter: so susie's work schedule is a little more complicated. >> this is 10% off. >> reporter: this is her store, coc cocoa blanco's. she started overjoyed. folks waiting outside before she could open up. >> they were lined up at the door ready to come in. >> reporter: shopping small is intentional for mary randalls. the whole reason she drove in from silver spring. >> we have shopped other small

stores, frederick, and thought it would be fun to come here. >> reporter: and saturday she is planning for more local shopping. and that's what these small businesses are also hoping for. that american express promotion we mentioned, a pretty big deal, given the other two cities listed, new york city and san francisco. so alexandria in some pretty good company. american express also giving away these canvas bags down here and parking around the streets here in old town and delray as well as in the garages, free. so you're not going to have to pay anything if you come out to shop. behind me, you can see the alexandria christmas tree. it's dark right now, but if you join us again at 6:30, we're hoping to show you an illuminated christmas tree right here in old town. live in alexandria, i'm david culver, news4. >> looking forward to it. it thank you, david. and we're also in montgomery county on this black friday. zachary kiesch is at montgomery mall. coming up later in this half hour, he'll have more on how the new stores are stealing the show. and store team 4 monitoring

the temperatures. it was a pretty bitter cold day for black friday shoppers who have been out all day. chief meteorologist doug kammerer is here with what we can expect as the night goes on. >> a chilly day across the region and even a couple snow showers earlier today. just to throw a little topping on it all. take a look right now. storm team 4 radar on the clear side. nothing to talk about, other than the fact it's just plain cold. take a look at these numbers around the area. right now those current wind chills, they're down into the 20s across much of the region. those 20s coming in around gaithersburg. 26 degrees. 31 degrees in d.c. 29 in camp springs. 27 back towards dulles. so a very cold evening. it's going to continue to be cold through the rest of the night if you're going towards alexandria, going into the city, this is what you can expect this evening. temperatures falling through the 30s and we will be down close to the freezing mark by around 11:00 tonight. it's breezy early, winds 10 to 15 miles per hour. that does give us a little wind chill. over the next couple days, though, we're going straight up.

temperature wise, that is. we'll talk about just how far we go, and what part of the weekend is the warmest in my forecast. >> thanks, doug. a developing story now in the last 30 minutes. former baltimore raven ray rice released a statement since winning his nfl appeal. it reads, quote, i would like to thank judge barbara jones, the nfl players association, my attorneys, agents, advisers, family, friends and fans. but most importantly, my wife janay. i made an inexcusable mistake and accept full responsibility for my actions. i am thankful there was a proper appeals process in place to address this issue. i will continue working hard to improve myself and be the best usband, father and friend, community and helping others to learn from my mistakes. rice won his appeal of his indefinite suspension today. that means he is now eligible to sign with any team in the league. the nfl suspended rice after video surfaced of him knocking out his then fiancee at an

atlantic city hotel. but rice argued that the nfl punished him twice for the misconduct. how more on a story on news4 at 4:00. the kidnapping and brutal assault in northwest. two men attacked a woman early yesterday morning. mark segraves has more on the investigation and why this is far from an isolated incident in that neighborhood 679. >> are you serious? that's terrible. >> reporter: the kidnapping and sexual assaults of a woman happened on this street by kelly miller middle school. >> you know, it's not like it used to be. you know, it's just a lot of fear going on right now. >> reporter: according to police, just after 3:00, thursday morning. two men with a stun gun attacked a woman, took her away, and sexual assaulted and robbed her. within hours, one man was in custody. >> it makes me nervous. i get up very early in the morning to go to work. >> reporter: this isn't the only violent crime to happen near this school that stands as a source of pride for this

community just off east capital street. >> this is one of the heartbeats, one of our main arteries. >> reporter: dozens of violent crimes in this neighborhood over the past year on this block alone, two sexual assaults and several robberies. now take a look at police data for crime within a thousand-foot radius of this school. five sexual assaults. 13 robberies. ten more robberies using a gun. in the past year, a total of 42 violent crimes. and if you add nonviolent crimes like burglaries and stolen cars, the numbers almost double. 82 total crimes within a few blocks of this school. >> no. doesn't surprise me at all. i'm sorry to say that, but no, i'm not surprised. >> reporter: while some crime like burglaries and stolen cars are counsdown for the year, ove crime and violent crime is up in this neighborhood. coming up at 6:00, we'll tell you what we have learned about the two suspects in this latest attack.

. >> that's mark segraves reporting. we learned the cause of this house fire in gaithersburg overnight. investigators say it was an accidental electrical fire. the fire on suffolk terrace caused $25,000 of damage. it started in the basement and spread to the rest of the house. nobody was hurt. a man accused of forcing women to drive around northern virginia is now in jail. police arrested darren robinson in baltimore county. investigators say he carjacked a woman at the vienna metro station two weeks ago and forced her to withdraw cash from several atms before he finally let her go at the new car relyton station. >> some drivers will do anything to avoid paying tolls. we'll show what happens when they're caught and confronted on camera. gifts stolen right off your doorstep. you don't have to be the next victim. an important warning for those of you getting lots of delive deliveri

deliveries. 100 td at police and federal courthouse. new details on the motivation behind this attack.

whether you like them or not, you're probably one of the many drivers that go through tolls every day. >> now some people are going to extreme measures to avoid paying tolls. but police in south florida are taking new steps to catch them. >> investigative reporter dan krause has more on these top evaders. >> reporter: caught on camera. using duct tape. >> creativity point it in the

wrong direction. >> reporter: using their own hands. >> it's a dumb risk and not one worth taking. >> reporter: even using the hands of others to block their plates while passing plate cameras. >> my loord, really? really? >> reporter: then often run from the state cameras, because they're long gun once the picture snaps. >> they're so reckless out there. >> you can see somebody is up to no good. >> reporter: they couldn't run from our cameras. >> sir, we want to know what's wrong with your tag. are you trying to evade tolls? he's not talking to us. >> reporter: we went along with troopers who work with sun pass, doing special patrols to keep an eye out for toll-blockers. and it didn't take us long to find one. after another. after another. troopers say this driver not only had a plastic shield on his plate, which is against the law -- >> that's a zero, and it kind of makes you think it's a number 8. >> reporter: they say someone also used grease to change the

numbers. >> so there's no doubt about it, he's hiding this and not paying tolls. >> reporter: then there are some plates you can't see at all. >> he's up to something. >> reporter: in this case, this is where the license plate is supposed to be and as you can see has been moved to the bottom of the truck and bent under so it can't be photographed by sun pass cameras. >> probably does four or five trips a day. >> reporter: we spotted another driver. same thing on both ends of the truck. >> reporter: sir, we're with team 6. what happened to your license plate? >> i don't speak english [ speaking in spanish ]. >> so watch, i'll grab it and straighten it out. and now you can see what that tag is. >> reporter: so he did that on purpose. >> oh, yes. >> reporter: state officials say drivers owe more than $36 million on unpaid tolls. and that upsets those who do pay. >> they're cheating and it's passed on to me and you and everybody else. >> reporter: according to

troopers, truck drivers are the worst offenders. >> they're constantly looking for methods of getting away. >> reporter: in most cases, troopers found the drivers had their transponders where this guy did, under his seat. so it wouldn't get charged for tolls. and with their license plates unreadable, they're off the toll grid. >> it is stolen. it's a theft. >> reporter: depending on where you're caught, a ticket can cost between 135 to 150 bucks. but troopers say most commercial truck drivers in the states, those who actually pay, spend about 500 bucks a month on tolls. >> so imagine if you have hundreds of truck drivers doing this. how much of a theft is going on. millions. >> reporter: but eventually, it will catch up with you. one way or another. >> once you get caught enough times, you'll lose your license. don't do it. we're out there and we're looking for you. >> ends up being your neighbors who have to pay for those wrongfully avoided tolls. it's easier and safer to just

pay what you owe. here at home, there is a push to drop the toll prices on the intercounty connect or the icc. they're the stress-free stretch of road because fewer cars travel on it. since there is so little traffic on it, some drivers want the toll price lowered to help ease the congestion on other roads in the area. the nearly 19-mile highway costs $4.40 during rush hour each way. most of the power for more than 300,000 people in new england is back today. it was lights out, though, on thanksgiving morning, thanks to the winter storm that slammed the region this holiday. heavy snow up to 20 inches in some states, brought down trees, branches and power lines across the region. the heavy snow wasn't the only problem, either. cars filled with last-minute travelers also brought down power lines. >> it was a big night for travel. people were trying to either, you know, get home or get some place for the holiday. and a lot of people slid into

poles. >> photos posted on social media showed people using gas stoves and outdoor grills to cook their thanksgiving feast and dine by candlelight. it might be another day or two before some of the lights come on in northern maine. you thought you had a tough time on thanksgiving. >> no kidding. >> so exciting to look out the window and see more snow showers this morning. didn't last long, though. . >> didn't last long, but kind of pretty for a while. >> for a hot second, yeah. >> that's it. a quick hot second. that was about it. hold on. i'm talking through your mic now, doreen. and now my mic is on. let's show what's happening with those snow showers that we saw come through parts of the region. not everybody saw them. here we are around northwest along wisconsin avenue. those showers coming through the area. yep, that's right, coming down pretty good for a time. mostly right down 270 through parts of the bethesda area. rockville and portions of loudoun county, snow showers and some flurries today.

right now, nothing but clear skies around the region. look at that. very nice shot out towards the woodrow wilson bridge. 38 degrees now. notice the wind chill, down to 31. a very chilly evening for sure. high temperatures only in the upper 30s to around 40. and now below freezing. martinsburg at 31. 31 in hagerstown. 32 at the freezing mark in gaithersburg and fredericksburg, 38 degrees. the wind chills even colder. in the 20s, 23 in hagerstown. 27 in the gaithersburg area and feels like 30 in manassas. so if you're going out to get anymore of those holiday deals, yeah, it's going to be on the cold side for sure. make sure you bundle up. storm team 4 radar. clear, no more snow showers. there they were earlier from the great lakes. and that's the northwesterly direction. speaking of that direction, look towards minneapolis, more snow here and notice that's on a trajectory right towards our region. you say oh, no, more snow. no, that's not what we're

getting. that's a warm front coming through. and look what's behind that warm front. much warmer air. 50s and 60s. 61 in wichita. 70 in dallas. that's the kind of air we've got coming our way the next couple days. so tonight another cold night. down to 30 in d.c. 23 in leesburg. 21 in winchester. we start a very cold day on our saturday, but it's going to warm up very nicely. high temperatures tomorrow back into the 40s for a change. 43 to about 48 degrees. so partly sunny and not nearly as cold. still chilly, and yes, still a little below average. but over the next few days, we're going to warm up very, very, very nicely. tomorrow's temperature nice. not as cold with sunshine. your impact forecast for tomorrow, the weather will have a low impact on your day. today is higher. we needed the gloves, hats, coats. by sunday, take it all off. 60 degrees, beautiful afternoon with warmer winds. 61 monday ahead of a frontal boundary. that gives a chance for showers late in the day monday. right now, though, i think it's going to be a dry afternoon.

those showers move in the evening and notice what happens. we go from 61 right back down to 42 with some showers there too. and looking at the latest information here, i mentioned earlier, 4:00, maybe not dealing with snow over the next seven days. they may actually mix in with snow on tuesday. so doreen was happy about that. she liked the snow today. maybe we get more of that coming up during the day on tuesday. but for now, at least enjoy the little warmup we've got coming before we crash again. >> thanks, doug. just about 20 minutes ago, the annual holiday tradition kicked off at the national zoo. it's the first night of zoo life. this is video of last year's display. this year more than 500,000 l.e.d. lights are transforming the zoo into a winter wonderland after dark. the zoo will be illuminated from 5:00 until 9:00 every night until christmas. check out pictures of past displays on nbcwashington.com. our black friday coverage continues. we'll take you live inside montgomery mall where the marathon shoppers are still in

there hunting for the big deals. and demanding answers. those businesses that burned to the ground after the decision not to indict a ferguson police officer, want to know who was supposed to protect them.

so have we mentioned it's black friday? malls are buzzing with crowds and deals today.

>> that's right. news4's zachary kiesch is live at montgomery mall with more on the new stores opening there, and all of that buzz that doreen was just mentioning. hi, zachary, great to see you. >> reporter: good to see you too, erika. i thought holiday shopping was supposed to be getting stuff for other people. a lot of folks today taking advantage of all of the sales and buying stuff for themselves. i have talked to a few people who are doing shopping for others, and hot tickets this year, not all that different from years past. technology and clothes. >> hi! >> reporter: the lines were long, the bags were packed. seemed like everybody had the holiday buzz. tannen was one of them. >> this really cute sweater from zahra that i impulsively picked up in line. >> reporter: so you did a bunch of shopping today all for yourself. >> yes. >> reporter: there was a lot of that going on. the hottest items i'm told this year, clothes and technology. >> this is my favorite feature. >> reporter: and the buzz around

the new microsoft store just opened last week in full effect. big deals on phones and tablets like the surface. lewis gomez liked the feature of this new laptop for his dad. >> the fact it has all of the features of a bigger one but larger battery life. >> reporter: some danced, some ate. others actually shopped. oh, those poor guys who had to come along for the ride. >> my daughter really wanted to go so she has a way of just saying i would like to go so an opportunity to make her happy. >> reporter: so i had to ask. what's this black friday about anyway? tradition or actual deals? patty green with montgomery mall. >> there are a lot of great deals with the retailers here and i think people are looking for that. and i think some is a little bit of family tradition, as well. >> reporter: a lot of good shopping going on today. a lot of folks having a great time. coming up tonight at 6:00, we'll take a look at the number. it's going to blow your mind. a lot of people out here across the country and they're spending a lot of money. reporting live in montgomery

mall, zachary kiesch, news4. >> thanks, zachary. you tell those guys to hang in there. almost over. holiday crime fighters. >> neighbors are helping police. we'll show how some people are taking matters into their own hands as holiday gifts disappear off door steps. >> this is what democracy looks like! not everyone is happy about stores being open through the thanksgiving holiday. we'll explain what some local walmart employees decided not to show up at work. a black friday bust. a popular website shut down for hours on one of the busiest shopping d

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.

you're watching news4 at 5:00. so you never want this to happen to you. you are eagerly awaiting for a gift to arrive only to have it not arrive. >> we're working with you for this safe and secure crime alert. darcy spencer reports now, some are caught taking pages right off porches. >> reporter: brandi looks at the video of a man walking on to her porch and stealing her package. >> i had ordered a set of m & m ceramic mugs, similar to this right here. >> reporter: but she never got them. the man in the hellie hanson jacket did. he put it into his car and drove away. it was all caught on her home surveillance system. >> when i looked on my camera and saw someone had taken the

mugs from my doorstep, i was basically just surprised. and then i was disappointed and then i was angry. and i kind of felt invaded. >> reporter:terrel turned the video over to police and is hoping someone will recognize him. >> it's good i have the cameras. otherwise i would have thought my package wasn't delivered and it would have been a battle with the post office over you really didn't deliver it. >> reporter: this is video from a home surveillance camera in northwest d.c. another package stolen. charles matthews lives nearby. he has an agreement with his neighbor. they look out for one another. >> my neighbor and i have a system where if i'm not home and they see something on my porch, they'll get it and i'll do the same for them. >> reporter: nationally, there has been a rise in these types of crimes, as more people buy holiday gifts online. >> they could very well be following delivery vehicles or they could just be in the neighborhood. hoping there is a package on somebody's doorstep. >> chances are, this guy was hoping for something more than a set of m & m mugs.

coming up at 6:00, why this homeowner is frustrated with police and what she thinks they should do to combat the problem. in upper marlboro, darcy spencer, news4. during the holiday season, that's a scene we could see play out again and again and again. and we're working for you to help you be safe and secure. so here are some things you can do to avoid becoming a victim. if you are shopping and you want to have things delivered to your office or neighborhood, grab your packages or -- i should say, rather, you don't have to just wait for them to arrive on your doorstep as an option. you've got other things here. you can always have items delivered to the post office. that's a good way. most locations have p.o. boxes you can relent rent out. and target will let you know which stores have items in stock, and then when you check out online, you can select pickup. amazon also has a service called amazon locker. that allows you to go to secure delivery locations like a

7-eleven. when it's delivered, you'll get a text or e-mail with a code or pickup. most participating local stores appear to be in northern virginia for that. if you went shopping at walmart today, you may have seen big crowds of protesters. here's what it looked like at the walmart on h street in the district. news4's molette green was there in the middle of it all. >> this is what democracy looks like! >> reporter: walmart workers and their supporters shut down part of h street right in front of the entrance. >> reporter: this is where associate charlette has worked for eight months. she joined the call for higher wages. $15 minimum wage, and full-time work. >> i mean, you will have to get better pay in order to make a difference. it's not really about the full time. it's about the pay you make. i feel support through kids. so it will be better if i can

make more money. >> this is what democracy looks like! >> reporter: and the mood changed quickly when some protesters went inside. security shut the doors and escorted them out. >> so sergeant in there, i had to remind him they're reacting like in ferguson, missouri. >> reporter: walmart released a statement saying the crowds are made up of paid union demonstrators and are not representative of our 1.3 million associates across the country. it goes on to say, it's unfortunate that this group attempts to disrupt the holiday spirit to push their agenda. after today's strike, workers go back on the job, and charlette fears retaliation. >> after this protest, i'll make sure i carry my pen and paper. so if anything -- if i'm treated differently in any type of way, then i was treated before i went on strike, i'm going to make sure i jot everything down. >> reporter: this protest lasted

about an hour and part of a nationwide strike at 1600 walmart stores. designed to hit on black friday, one of the busiest shopping days of the year for the retailer. in northwest, mowlette green, news4. we're learning new details about a shooting that interrupted a family's thanksgiving dinner. police have identified the victim who was shot several times in columbia, maryland. it happened at an apartment on stevens forest road. investigators say a masked man walked up to the apartment, blanged on the door when like like i can't jackson opened the door, he was shot several times. in just an hour from now, a vigil will be held for a woman killed in a crash in prince george's county. brittney queen died nearly one year ago. she would have turned 22 today. this is video from another crash victim, 23-year-old britly

everett. the crash happened at the intersection of hill road and central avenue. queens loved ones plan on sprinkling her ashes at the site. the cleanup is under way after a thanksgiving day fire in temple hills. but when we return to the scene, a here oemerged. find out who came to the rescue. and ray rice is one step closer to returning to the nfl. we'll break down the time line on the controversial decision after a domestic violence attack was caught on camera. and a lot of us are using credit cards right now. we'll explain what you need to know to protect your personal information and your money. it's been on the cold side for the last couple days. not just cold here, but across most of the east. however, we've got a changing pattern. a much-needed change in the pattern, taking us to some nice warm numbers. i've got that forecast for you,

welcome back to news4 at 5:00, everyone. i'm jason pugh. former baltimore ravens running back ray rice has won his appeal against the nfl. he's now eligible to play immediately, and he can sign with any team in the league. this all started on february 15th when rice and then fiancee janae palmer were arrested for an incident in atlantic city. video was released four days later. march 27th, rice was indicted on aggravated assault charges.

the next day, he and palmer were married. on june 16th, rice had a hearing with commissioner roger goodell. he claims he was truthful and that the league didn't learn of any new information after this meeting occurred. july 24th, rice gets suspended for two games by commissioner roger goodell. but on septemberth 8th more video surfaces. the organization released him from the team and nfl suspended him indefinitely. today that suspension has been overturned. he is eligible to play immediately. now rice did release a statement, saying he will continue to work hard to improve himself and help others to learn from his mistakes. erika, doreen? >> thanks, jason. in the last couple hours, the nfl released this statement. intimate partner violence is a societal issue and bigger than ray rice. this specific incident continues to shine a light on violence against women. we're getting some new information about a shooting spree in austin, texas.

chris lawrence it at the live desk with the latest. >> reporter: police have identified the man they say shot up a police headquarters and a federal courthouse in austin. his name is larry mcwilliams. he's also accused of trying to set mexico's consulate on fire. calls started coming in early this morning about someone attacking government buildings. the shooter fired more than 100 rounds and austin's police chief says its headquarters was extensively damaged. he also shot into the guard house at the federal courthouse there and opened fire on the mexican consulate. police say he was wearing a bullet proof vest. one officer did return fire and mcwilliams was killed, although it's not clear if it was the officer's shot or if he killed himself. police are still trying to figure out why he did this. at the live desk, chris lawrence. >> thank you, chris. protesters shut down walmart on black friday. >> and it had nothing to do with the deals. new fallout in ferguson. we're going to tell you how the tension is still high after the

shooting death of an unarmed black teen. and chaos during an apartment fire thanksgiving day. one day later, we're back in one community, spending the holiday away from home.

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the day after a fire raged through a temple hills apartment building, residents are trying to save what they can. during that fire that displaced more than 70 people, one resident was a lot more than just a good neighbor. news4's derrick ward has the story. >> reporter: the day after.

it's all about the cleanup now. salvaging what can be salvaged after this thanksgiving fire raged through this apartment building in temple hill. >> i'm -- we're actually about to go and get some of his dad's old records. >> reporter: she like a number of other residents were away for the holiday and we're seeing the damage close-up for the first time. others were at home. >> we were eating, you know, our turkey. that's when my daughter said i feel like something is burning. >> reporter: the fire started in the apartment just across the hall. it was already remainiaging. david gomez had gotten his family out and could have stayed out but didn't. >> i started knocking on all of the doors saying let's go, let's go. there was a lady with a child and she couldn't get out so i took the child and she took the lady and we came out. >> reporter: and he would go back in again. >> there was a guy inside the apartment. and i said, hey, can you come out and he said no, i'm okay, i'm okay. we tried to get in the apartment, but, i mean, we couldn't. >> reporter: he left again, but things were far from hoover.

residents were getting out on their own as the fire department was arriving. >> they were swinging themselves down to the fourth floor and watched them swing themselves down to the third floor. >> that's when i told my dad, bring the truck, park over here and he jumped in the truck and went in the balcony and he gave me the guy, and i just grabbed him, and we brought him down. >> reporter: so as crews try to restore this part of the building and the gomez family christmas tree awaits lights and gifts that may or may not be coming, they already have a gift that won't fit nicely under the tree but will be treasured for years to come. the gift of life for his family and neighbors, as well. derrick ward, news 4. >> that fire has been ruled an accident. and the exact cause is under investigation. although we're told that cooking was not involved. the shopping madness is still going on at the newly renovated springfield town center. this is the first time in three years this you can do holiday shopping. what used to be desolate, known for crime, was filled with eager

customers as early as 6:00 p.m. last night. and the crowds are going strong. springfield town center is open until 10:00 tonight. and when you are out shopping, there's a really good chance you're going to be tempted to sign up for yet another credit card. major credit card companies offer rewards and zero percent interest. but before you add another card to your wallet, consider what it's really going to cost you. >> i'm looking forward to doing some holiday shopping. >> reporter: it's that time of year and it often amounts to heavy spending, unless you have a plan. >> usually i set like a per-person limit. >> reporter: but there is nothing easier than just reaching for the plastic, and this time of year, credit card companies like to solicit consumers. >> you might get a zero percent offer in the mail to transfer a balance or get a new card. the most important thing to know, when is that rate up. >> reporter: jessica anderson warns zero percent introductory periods don't last forever.

>> you don't want to be caught going from zero to 20%. >> reporter: and look out for transfer fees if you decide to switch cards. credit cards with free rewards can be tempting. but they aren't really free. >> it typically, any reward is going to be about 1% of what you spend. so to get about $100 in rewards, you're going to have to spend $10,000. >> reporter: what about credit limits? just because you can spend more with credit doesn't always mean it's a good idea. kiplinger says don't spend more than 30% of your overall available credit. maximuming out your cards could negatively affect your credit score. >> when you start racking up more of your debt to credit debt ratio, it's really important for your credit score, because it says, okay, this person is spending all the way up to their limit. they might not be able to pay it back. >> reporter: when it comes to paying your bill, consider paying more than the minimum payment. if you have a balance of, say, $5,000, with aapr of 14%, and

you only pay the minimum of $100, it's going to take you 22 years to pay that off. plus, you'll end up paying more than $6,000 in interest alone. and whatever you do, don't put off paying your bills. >> the absolute worst thing you can do for your credit, for your score, for everything, you know, in general for your financial well-being is paying your credit cardses late or not paying them at all. you just want to have an easy january, not have that, you know, new year's regret. >> on a side note, this time of year especially make sure you check your credit card and bank accounts regularly. monitor them closely to make sure there are no unauthorized charges, and if there are, make sure you call your bank as soon as possible. >> good advice. a recent cyber attack targeted the website's tiny prints and paper divas. the company says it has no evidence credit or debit card

information was compromised. the company is encouraging customers to change their passwords. best buy's website is back up and running right now. it was down for a few hours earlier today. bad timing, right? you may have seen this error message this morning while trying to get ahead on some of those black friday deals. a best buy spokesperson told nbc news, a concentrated spike in mobile traffic triggered some issues. and that forced the company to shut down the website temporarily. the best deal you'll get this black friday might be at the gas station. the average price for a gallon of gas in our region dropped to $2.79 today. according to aaa. that's about 61 cents lower than this time last year. the price of gas hasn't been this low since december of 2010. prices are expected to stay at these record lows, at least until the end of the year. nasa says that if you're over black friday, check out black hole friday. this is the second year the space agency is using the day

after thanksgiving to inform the public about black holes. these are pictures from nasa's twitter feed. nasa saz a black hole is a region in space where the polling force of graffiti is so strong, light is not able to escape. the strong gravity occurs because matter has been pressed into a tiny space. some black holes are a result of dying stars. learn something new every day. >> some people would say the pole at the shopping mall is stronger this time of year. doug, what do you think? >> i think there is a lot of black holes and a lot of those businesses right now -- credit cards going right on in there. as far as our night tonight, hey, i'll tell you, it's going to be a cool night, but this is what we come to expect as we get closer and closer to the winter months. sunset tonight at 4:47. 38 degrees now. 37 by 7:00. dropping to freezing around 11:00. so yeah, it's going to be a cold night. and we're already there. 30 degrees in gaithersburg in some areas already down below freezing.

32 at dulles, freezing inialliburg. huntingtown at 33 degrees. nothing on the radar. earlier today, we saw a couple snow showers in and around town. parts of the region did pick up a little in the way of snow. but no accumulation out there. what are we going to see tomorrow? warmer temperatures. temperatures no the mid 40s and instead of the mid 30s. 46 in leesburg. 48 in fredericksburg. that coming in with a mixture of sun and clouds during the day to. tomorrow it's going to be chilly early. 34 degrees at 8:00 p.m. 40 degrees at 11:00. 45 degrees around 1:00. so you might want to wait until 11:00, 12:00, before you get out on the bike, but going to be a good morning to get out and take off some of these calories from thanksgiving. four-day forecast. 47 degrees on your saturday. up to 60 on sunday. sunday really looking like a great day here. we're going to see warmer air return. winds gusting upwards of 25 miles per hour. but they'll be warmer winds out of the southwest. so a great afternoon sunday.

61 degrees on monday. that's before another frontal bound tree moves in late the day. chance of showers late monday. and tuesday, high of 42 with shower activity early in the day. and some of this in some locations, especially north and west, may mix in with light snow early on tuesday. not a big deal whatsoever. but could be some conversational snow early tuesday morning. then 53 on wednesday. and we go up and then we go back down and then right back up. so looks like the roller coaster ride continues. the weather forecast and exercise forecast too. toy yet is set to launch the first commercial fuel cell vehicle powered by hide general. it will go on sale in japan in december and sometime mid 2015 in the u.s. and europe. unlike gasoline cars, it doesn't emit any carbon dioxide. all that comes out of the exhaust is water.

it will retail for $57,000 before taxes. yikes. >> looting and businesses set on fire. some stores near ferguson will not be able to recover in time for the holiday shopping season. and some leaders pointing the finger at who should be held responsible. and coming up tonight, all-new at 6:00 -- >> the folks who are actually scamming their fellow new yorkers and using their children as pawns, that's disgusting. >> outrage after an nbc new york investigation finds women using their babies to beg on the streets.

another major college is cutting ties with bill cosby. the university of massachusetts amhertz announced cosby has stepped down as co-chair of its fund raising. they say he no longer has any affiliation with them. it comes over allegations cosby drugged and raped women over decades. cosby and his wife have helped raise thousands for university berkeley college of music in boston. have also cut ties with cosby. temple university is sticking by him. cosby has yet to be charged. a new demand for answers tonight in missouri, but not over this week's explosive grand jury decision. the mayor of dellwood says while much of the attention has been

on the neighboring town of ferguson, it's his city that has seen the most damage from violent protests and looting in the wake, the move not to indict officer darren wilson for the death of mikel brown. >> our own business community was hurt. i am demanding answers as to why missouri national guard was not here to protect us when we had been assured they would be. >> the office of missouri governor jay nixon says it plans to help affected businesses rebuild. another relatively calm night in ferguson, missouri. protests have been small and peaceful around the thanksgiving holiday, but today some organizers are calling for a boycott of black friday shopping. the idea here is to harness the collective buying power of people who have been demanding justice for michael brown. news4's richard jordan has more.

>> reporter: around 75 protesters marched into a st. louis area target thursday night calling for shoppers to boycott black friday. just one of the several major retail stores visited as police stood watch. in ferguson, police and national guard troops took up positions outside walmart as calls for protest spread on social media with the #s blackout black friday. but michael brown's family gathered around their table, one chair left empty. the picture tweeted by advocates for families who lost loved ones. protesters tried to make their voices heard at new york's huge thanksgiving day parade. seven were arrested. >> hello, how are you? >> reporter: steve moore took down some of the boards protecting his ferguson restaurant, and hoped customers would come back. >> i'm barely making it. but i have to reach out and let

people know there is hope. >> reporter: business is up 80%, he says, but he's still offered free meals to guests from a nearby church. now protesters of the man at the center of the tension here, officer darren wilson, are also speaking out. >> people out there have offered bounties on his life. he believes in he if he went back to an department, he would put the department at risk. >> reporter: richard jordan, news4. right now at 6:00, the shopping frenzy in full swing. but did getting an early start on thanksgiving day pay off? protesters call on shoppers to get out of stores and into the streets. how the fallout from ferguson is impacting black friday. and mothers begging with babies. do they really need your help, or is it a scam? and what about the children? what you need to know before you reach into your pocket. >> reporter: good evening, i'm doreen gentzler. >> i'm chris lawrence. because all of the stores opened thanksgiving, we're now 24 hours

into the holiday shopping season. >> we've got team coverage across the d.c. region tonight. let's get started with adam tuss. he's in busy tyson's corner. hi, adam. >> reporter: just slightly busy, doreen. if brave, this is the place tonight. we have been watching here. every so often they have these orange cones set up. a couple hitting the cones out here. you want to be careful. and, of course, the traditional method of getting here to tyson's corner has always been driving. the silver line is open this year. that means a lot of people are taking metro to get here. in fact, metro ss ridership at the tyson's corner station is up 77% throughout the day today, compared to last friday. that is quite an increase. and you know what when you hear about how long some people have within been waiting to find a parking spot, you understand why metro may be the best option. >> you've been sitting for 40 minutes? >> 40 minutes. >> reporter: frustrated? >> yep, i'm about to see if i can go somewhere else and walk over. >> reporter: and back here now