just in from the saep of the huge fire at a mansion near annapolis. heavy equipment being moved in to find six missing people. we're also watching a developing storm. snow could be falling by this time tomorrow. and demands $200 million from isis to spare the life of two hostages. good morning, you're watching news 4 midday, i'm barbara harrison. a fire destroyed a multimillion dollar home and six family members unaccounted for. chopper 4 is above the home right now. as you can see, the house is in shambles shambles. megan mcgrath has new information on the

investigation, good morning. >> reporter: barbara, there isn't much left. if you look down the driveway, you can see from time to time we actually have some smoke rising from what's left of the mansion. we're told there's still fire in the basement area, but that it's covered by the roof and upper floors, which collapsed down into the basement. six family members were believed to be inside the home at the time of the the fire broke out. investigators are still looking for them. a family drops off a teddy bear and some notes at the front gate. down the driveway, fire investigators gather to prepare their strategy. they must shore up what's left of the structure so they can go inside and look for six family members missing since the blaze out. >> the reasonable assumption at this point is they are inside the home. it's an active investigation so we're going to pursue every lead. >> the dwelling is a 16,000 square foot mansion on the south river. it's owned by an i.t. executive

and is nicknamed the castle because of its ak techture. neighbors who live here are stunned that the state of the art home would go up in flames the way it it did. >> it leaves a big hole, not just in the scenery. i keep hoping that maybe a phone message got dropped or something and they will show up. they are really nice people. >> reporter: it will likely take time before neighbors and investigators have the answers they are looking for. much needs to be done before it's safe to even venture in. >> the roof the second floor, the first floor, all the contents are now in the basement. the basement is full of water from all the fire suppression activities yesterday. we're dealing with some structure instabilities. we have i-beams that are in precarious places that have bent and broken. so it's probably going to be a day-long process just to get the

building safe enough to get people inside. >> reporter: you're taking a live look from our chopper. you can see just the complete destructi here. we're being told the investigation will take days, not hours. nothing appears to be suspicious with this fire, however a fire marshal says because there were no witnesses, this is being treated as a crime scene. they will collect evidence in that way because they have no this fire. that is simply standard. we are also expecting some very heavy equipment to arrive here on the scene. cranes and other things as they try to stabilize what's left of the home. megan mcgrath, news 4. breaking news, two fires in the district this morning. adrian gonzalez is aaron gilchrist is at the news desk. >> a report of a fire in downtown d.c. we have seen reports they have called two alarms on this fire

meaning a larger fire response. we have not seen any images of flames, but there are reports from people who work in that area about smoke being seen coming from the gather more information. we'll update you as soon as we know more. the other big story happened in northeast d.c. we have photos from d.c. fire officials of the scene there. you can see intense flames coming out of this home on oats street northeast. lots of black smoke as we understand that this was a row house that may have been converted into apartments. there was one firefighter and one civilian who were hurt. serious injuries we understand, but they were not life threat nng this fire. we believe the fire department is still on the scene there. d.c. police have blocked off some of the roads in that area as well. again pat collins is headed to the scene. we'll bring you more information when it comes in. >> thank you aaron. temperatures could reach 50 degrees today. that's the good news. the bad news snow is in the

forecast. meteorologist chuck bell joins us with his first midday forecast. >> good morning, everybody. cloudy skies for now. we have seen some snow flakes and rain drops this morning. i can't rule that out. but this is not the snow threat we're worried about. this is a little ripple in the atmosphere ahead of it. the bulk of the moisture will stay north of the mason dixon line. we might get a stray sprinkle or rain drop or even an isolated snow flake or two. this is not going to have any exact on your day today. cloudy skies temperatures in the upper 30s to right around 40 degrees. right now. hour by hour through the rest of the day, 43 at noon. upper 40s. if we get any sunshine, we might touch 50 degrees, plenty of clouds out there for now. weather headlines, near 50 today, snow chance tomorrow. snow totals and timing coming up as well. for now, it looks like most of the area could get about an inch

of snow. we'll get more into the details when i see you in a few minutes. >> we'll see you here shortly. a man accused of shooting his ex-wife's husband is in court today. moments before cory madison was shot he led the shooter outside from his family. the man is accused in the deadly shooting of madison. he broke into his ex-wife's home and started shooting. two children were at home at the time. family members say madison may have saved their lives. >> he not only saved this family that night by his actions, but they saved him too. >> wen is charged with first-degree murder. we're working to find out more information about an early morning stabbing in alexandria. . our cameras were there as police arrived on the scene and started their investigation. a man was stabbed inside an apartment just after 3:00 a.m. this morning on south 28th street just off king street. at last check, the victim is in

critical condition. no suspect information has been released. police have now released a picture of a second person wanted in connection with for shooting on a metro bus. take a look at this. police are looking for the woman and man seen here. metro police say they are both people of interest in a shooting on this bus around 10:30 last night on h street northwest. police say one person was shot in the hand, the other in the thigh. both were taken to the hospital and expected to be okay. there were 40 or more people on the bus during that shooting. three men boarded the bus at gallery place and rode about seven blocks before getting into an argument that apparently led to the shooting. new today a report that law enforcement has the technology available to see through walls. plus a real opportunity for change. a look at president obama's state of the union proposals and the

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right now isis militants are demanding a $200 million ransom to save two japanese hostages. in a video the militants seen here says he will kill the hostages if the the group does not receive the ransom within 72 hours. japan just pledged this weekend

$200 million in the fight against isis. japanese officials have not said whether they will pay the ransom, but saving their lives is the top priority. breaking news in france, aaron gilchrist is following the latest on terror takedown there in the live desk. >> good morning we are working to get more information about this and whether this was a terror-related series of arrests, but five people arrested today in southern france apparently in two different towns as part of a raid of sorts. we understand that there may have been some weapons and explosives found near a stadium as well as in one of those towns. at this point the prosecutor in that area says that they don't have confirmation that there was a terror attack planned in that area, but we understand there's a news conference set to happen in the next few minutes prebl near the bottom of the hour where we should get more answers. paris and all parts of that country, there's been great tension after some 20 people died in terror-related attacks includeing three gunmen in the

assault there in towns near paris and inside paris. as we get more information on that, the news conference at 11:30, we'll try to get that to you. a new report says dozens of law enforcemagencies are using radar that can see into your home. according to "usa today" the equipment uses radio waves to see movements on the other side of walls. it was designed to use in iraq and afghanistan. the report says agencies including the fbi and the u.s. marshal service have been used it in the u.s. for years. one person is dead and a section of interstate will be closed for the next two days after a bridge collapse in cincinnati. crews were trying to take down the overpass when it collapsed around 10:30 last night bringing 100 tons of concrete with it. a construction worker died. crews will spend the next 48 hours cleaning up the debris. and we have an update on the health ofcal i have after an overseas trip.

good morning, i'm meteorologist chuck bell. outside on the storm team 4 weather deck, breaks of sunshine out here for now. this will not be the case 24 hours from now when there's at least the threat of snow moving into the area. how much should you expect and

a costly crime that could be committed in seconds virtually right under your nose. police are trying to teach people how to protect themselves. richard jordan joins us live from maryland. what are police telling people to do? >> reporter: barbara, this is the safeway gas station on fairwood parkway. one of three gas stations that police officers visited today distributing fg that theft from autos is the number one crime in the county and it's also the most preventable. prince georges county police officers are spreading the word, gas prices are down but filling up could still cost you more than you expected if you leave your valuables behind. >> i actually lock my doors and just kept the driver door open. >> i do try to prepare and carry my wallet in my pocket when i pump gas. it can happen anywhere, not just

here. >> reporter: it only took 7 seconds. a woman never realized a thief opened her car's passenger door and snatched her purse. that's how fast it could happen. you are at the pump and focused on the gas gauge. your back is to the vehicle. someone is on the other side already grabbed your bag, everything inside is gone just like that. the proof is in the pictures. now police don't want anyone else to become an unsuspecting victim. >> i saw some of the footage of the news reports last year where there was stuff going on at the bp. i always make it a good practice. >> reporter: the police fliers telling drivers to hide their belongings and lock their doors when they are at the gas pump. police saying thefts are down, but they want to seat numbers go down even further. reporting live richard jordan, news 4. today 16 and 17-year-olds could receive the right to vote. the city council already approved lowering the voting age

earlier this month. today is the final vote. if it passes, the change would take affect in may. they would be the only districts in the entire country to lower the voting age so far. virginia governor terry mcauliffe is hoping for a speedy recovery. they had to drain fluid from around his lungs. it was a complication from a fall he suffered while vacationing in africa. he was thrown from a horse and broke seven ribs. he tweeted yesterday that he hopes to be back at work soon. the lowest paid workers in virginia won't be getting a raise. a senate panel killed the effort to raise the minimum wage from $had 7.25 to $10.20. d.c.'s is now $9.50 an hour. the minimum is $8 an hour in maryland on its way up to $10.10 an hour in 2018. a u.s. delegation is back

from a trip to cuba. this is the first visit by congress since the u.s. announced its policy changes. senator dick durbin was among the returning delegates. he says the trip was very productive. the changes to the cuban policy will mean real benefits for people across the country. . the u.s. and cuba haven't had diplomat i guess relations since 1961. a lot of you will be tuned into the state of the union address at 9:00. we'll be airing it live with analysis from chuck todd here on nbc 4. for our coverage this morning, we turn to nbc's tracie potts. >> the president goes into tonight's state of the union address with a much better approval rating than he's had in awhile. our new poll puts him at 46%. that's better than he's seen in more than a year. and almost half the country now says they are satisfied with the economy, although a lot of people still say their own

personal situation either isn't getting better or moving at all. so there is some work to do. that's part of what the president wants to talk about tonight, helping the middle class. he's been going around the country pitching easier mortgages, more affordable mortgages, free community colleges, more manufacturing jobs faster internet and tax reform. the president wants to raise taxes on the wealthiest americans and lower taxes for the middle class. the way he's going about it republicans say will not work. they are focused on other job creators like the keystone pipeline, which they will be debating today before the president speaks tonight. >> thank you. for more on approved rating, we're joined by mike murray. >> happy state of the union day. >> big plans? >> i'm going to be watching. >> we have seen economic improvement for some time. why are we seeing the

president's ratings getting better just now? >> i think as our culture, america is starting to break out from the great recession mind set. yes economic numbers have been better and certainly for a sustained period of time, but the first thing in our poll since last 11 years, 45% of americans say they are satisfied with the economy. that's a huge change. if things continue in that current trajectory, that's very good news for president obama and his political party. >> matt lauer asked the chief of staff about his tax proposal this morning. let's listen to what he asked him. >> it can't pass and nobody says it can pass. people say it's dead on arrival. it's a political maneuver some kind of a trap to simply get republicans in a bad spot as the 2016 election approaches? >> matt the president's run his last campaign. what the president is saying any tax reform ought to make sure it

benefits the middle class. >> any surprise with that answer? >> it is politics it is political maneuvering. i'm not shocked that politics goes on in the presidential speech. but we do see that what's going on here right now is president obama is trying to position his party for 2016 and afterwards. basically as republicans are starting to say hey, it's time for us to tackle poverty. it's time to address income inequality and say republicans like mitt romney, step up to the plate. what would you do with tax breaks for the wealthiest of americans. and i think that's a trap he seems to be setting. >> your new poll shows that many americans do support the immigration policy of the president and also the new cuba policy. >> that's good news for the president. 52% support the immigration action. 60% support having diplomatic relations with cuba. on the downside some of president obama's priorities like climate change trade, even some of the other things he wants to do with immigration aren't viewed as big priorities

by the american public. >> we'll have a lot to talk about tomorrow. we'll look forward to seeing you, thank you. you can watch the state of the union on nbc 4 at 9:00 and online at nbcwashington.com. the pope has advice for married catholics and family planning. the animal he does not want you to imitate. and the oreo i

pope francis says while the catholic church doesn't approve the use of contraception, catholics shouldn't breed like rabbits. on a return trip from asia, he criticized the philippines recent legislation to make contraceptives more. easily available to the the public. he says there are church-approved methods to prevent from having too many children. he also confirmed he will visit the united states later this year. he plans to visit the white house while he's here in the district. tax season is now officially underway. the irs is now accepting your paper and electronic 2014 tax returns. that's 11 days earlier than last year. they say most refunds will be delivered in 21 days if filed electronically. due to budget cuts, the irs warned the delays in paper

filings one week. the average return is expected to be about $2800. you might be. one of the lucky facebook users getting a preview of a new feature. the social media giant's messenger app lets people send voice messages, but starting today a small group will be able to tap a button and messenger will tribe their voice messages into text. a tiny group are able to test this feature. a noticeable change in the district because of the state of the union. what you need to know. plus new information on snow totals from meteorologist chuck bell. we'll also look at the criticism against the movie "american

right now, it is warming up. temperatures could hit 50 today, but snow is in the forecast for tomorrow. meteorologist chuck bell joins us now with the latest on that snow. are you thinking why is she smiling? >> i smile every time i think about snow, so why shouldn't you? >> i like it when it's coming down. i don't like dealing with it once it's on the ground. >> you and me both. those of us in the weather department shs the lead up to the first flake can be stressful as well. we're trying to narrow down as accurately we can the timing and the amount of snow that's in all likelihood headed our way tomorrow. an 80% chance it's going to snow

at your house tomorrow. mother nature doesn't like 100 o% chances being thrown in her face. mostly dry across the area. we have seen one or two lonesome sprinkles and snow pellets as well. these are not going to be impactful in any way shape or form. it's a cloudy day but enough sunlight is getting through where you can see your shadow. cloudy skies and 40 degrees at reagan national. light wind out of the southeast averaging 5 miles per hour. temperatures still in the mid-and upper 30s out to the north and west, but the clouds are a little thicker. a few breaks of sunshine in southern maryland. now moving into the mid-40s. hourly temperatures in the metro we should be close to 50 degrees. it's going to take a little more sunshine and we should be able to warm up a couple more degrees. the trailing off of temperatures begins by mid-to late afternoon and the 30s by 10:00 this evening.

. here it is on storm team 4. there's a couple sprinkles. it's on the southern end of this little ripple in the atmosphere that for the most part is going to pass us by without much of an impact. it's the one behind it we're watching. that little spin west of the minnesota state line, that's the area of rotation that's going to be dropping in our direction and the exact track of that will determine who gets how much snow around here. the timing of the event tomorrow 9:00 in the morning until 6:00 in the evening. snow but there will be a rain mix in. so the rain/snow. line will come right through the heart of the viewing area. some accumulations are likely now in and around metro washington. how much we can get to stick on the roads may be very different than what could stick on the grass. the roads will be warm and treated. clouds rolling in late tonight. dry for the morning rush tomorrow. that's not when the problems start. they start around lunchtime

through 5:00 in the afternoon. that's when the curly q comes racing on by and we could see a chance for accumulating snow. here's differing amounts. the american computer model says an inch around here. the european model says one to two or two and a half inches of snow. and the local model here cranks out half an inch to maybe an inch. with all those different guidances in mind here's what i think is going to happen. erybody has a chance to see a coating to maybe an inch. there are some models that bring a little more snow to southern maryland. in and around the metro widespread one to maybe two inches primarily on the grass coming during the daytime. it can keep the pavement warm and have the chemicals down as well. may not be as impactful. another chance for a mix on saturday and another one on monday. back to you. >> thank you, chuck. breaking news in boston, aaron gilchrist is at the live desk for us.

>> we're getting confirmation from the boston police department and the hospital that there has been a shooting inside brigham and williams hospital. we are looking at live pictures from our affiliate. there was a shooting within the last half hour inside the hospital. police say they have one suspect in custody and that one person was shot in this incident at the hospital. obviously, they have closed off an area surrounding the hospital. the hospital itself tweeting that it's had its entire staff remain shelter in place stay in whatever area of the hospital they are in. the police department says this is under control. we don't know what condition the suspect may be in. we don't know the condition of the person who was shot there and whether that person was a patient at the hospital or a part of the hospital staff there. our affiliate in boston working to gather more information. we'll be in touch with them as we learn new details we'll bring

them to you. >> thank you, aaron. security will be tight for tonight's state of the union address. that means road closures around the capital. melissa mollet has what you need to know. >> for those planning to drive in the district tonight, you might want to stay away from the the streets around the capital. take a look at your screen. everything in red will be shut down starting at 7:00 p.m. parking on those streets and elsewhere downtown will also be restricted so read all the signs before walking away from your car tonight. we put all this information on the nbc washington app so you have them in your hand when trying to get around tonight. the attorney general is urging the general assembly to adopt a bill to prevent drug overdose deaths. he abused prescription opiates and was among the 150% increase

in overdoses in two years. we spoke to his father in fairfax county. >> i would like the public to understand that this recent surge in prescription drug abuse and heroin abuse is something that can affect all of us. >> the bill would allow you to call police without fear of arrest if you're with someone who is overdosing. the retrial for a virginia fbi agent accused of murdering his wife begins today. arthur gonzales is accused of killing his wife at their home in stafford county back in april of 2013. gonzales says he shot his wife in self-defense after she attacked him during an argument. but prosecutors say he staged the crime scene and faked his grief. jurors in his first trial were unable to reach a verdict. 12 jurors will decide the fate of the man who shot and killed 12 people and injured 70 at a colorado movie theater in 2012.

today the court begins screening thousands of potential jurors, but as leann greg reports, it's going to be difficult. >> reporter: james holmes shot and killed 12 people and injured 70 others in a colorado movie theater, jury selection for his trial is set to begin this morning. the first of 9,000 perspective jurors, wub of the largest pools ever, will report to the justice center. if selected, jurors must decide whether holmes was legally sane at the time of the attack. if they find he was, then they will decide if he should be executed. >> these jurors have to be qualified. you have to be open to both a potential sentence of life in prison or a sentence of execution. >> reporter: the process of seating 12 jurors and 12 alternates is expected to take until may or june. >> the first stage is weeding out those who have no chance of

sit sitting on the jury. the second stage is bringing those jurors in for individual questioning over several months time. >> reporter: holmes pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity. leann greg, nbc news colorado. a message of hate left for a family new to a neighborhood. how police are handling this crime. and an nfl player being described as a hero, what he did a short time after a winning webuyanycar.com has helped thousands of people let go of all the hassle that comes with selling or trading

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right now police in montgomery county are searching for the person who spray painted a racist message on a home there. this is what the african-american family woke up to yesterday. the message uses the "n" word and says go home. it was spray painted on their garage door. the family has only been living in this community for the last five days. a neighbor who helped the victims clean up the message said the timing of the act was sickening. >> we have never seen anything like this in this neighborhood. to have it happen on martin luther king's birthday is gross. >> montgomery county police are treating this as a hate crime. the super bowl is coming up soon and one of the team's playing in the big. game is apologizing. this came out yesterday when many of you were kmemcommemorating

martin luter king day. it says we shall overcome. the tweet was deleted and the seahawks posted this apology saying we apologize for poor judgment. ke did not intend to compare football to the legacy of dr. king. a new england patriot can now call himself a hero after winning the afc championship. vince wilfork helped rescue a woman from an overturned suv. he says it was no big deal. >> that was it. i don't want anything from it. no matter what the situation may be. >> wilfork was on his way home from the game when he saw the crash. it seems a modest hero as he didn't even tell his