the 82nd airborne and qualified to become a ranger, he never served in a ranger me. he explained what he was thinking when he made that claim. >> with veterans, my common ground is my veteran experience. i was trying to find a way to connect with that veteran. as i said i made a misstatement, i apologi for that, i have no excuse for it. you'll never find anywhere in

any of my biographies i claimed to be part of special forces. i've never claimed that. >> so far no one is calling for him to resign, but the slip is a setback for the veterans administration becait's attempting to rebuild trust after that recent scandal after all of those long wait times that were occurring at the veteran hospital,s, va hospitals. a story we broke with a push alert today. george zimmerman will not face federal civil rights charges in the death of trayvon martin. the u.s. justice deme announced its decision late this afternoon say inging there was not enough evidence. civil rights charges would have required proof that the shooting was racially motivated. in the summer of 2013 a jury found zimmerman not guilty of second-degree murder. he was working as a neighborhood watch volunteer in sanford florida and he said he shot the unarmed teen in self-defense. a virginia state trooper and

three others rushed to the hospital after a crash during a traffic stop. chopper 4 just flew over the area. this is along west bound i-66 just inside the beltway in arlington. police tell ushe trooper had just stopped a veh anghe shoulder and was standing next to the car when another vehicle ran off the road and hit the cars stopped on the side of the road. the trooper's injuries are considered serious. well, here's the second time today a virginia state police officer was hurt in an accident involving an out-of-control driver. take a look at this. trooper i.j. dalum was in his vehicle along i-95 in prince william county early this morning. officials tell us corey sazin of quantico lost control of his vehicle, it flipped and crashed into the trooper. he refused treatment and faces a reckless driving charge. with these low temperatures we could be seeing more water main breaks and other problems over the next few days. >> but the cold isn't the only thing we're watching folks.

storm team 4 meteorogt veronica johnson in the storm center. v.j.? >> our temperatures will be getting a little better over the next 24 hour but after that another chance of sw, little system that will graze our area. some of you getting the snow. everybody got it cold this morning but look at this. dulles airport, minus 4. shattering that old record of 14 degrees. of course cold rat everywhere, even for the afternoon. we're running well above -- well below the average. the average now 49 degrees currently at 29. cold conditions, you bet. if you're going to be out walking the dog here's what you can expect. temperatures come down to about 23 degrees pi 10:00 p.m. 11:00 p.m. it won't be a rapid drop. meanwhile, tomorro yes, we'll start out cold, the day milder, chance of snow for sure. in fact, this is a snapshot of early thursday morning at 6:00 a.m. this will be impacting the morning rush on thursday. isle have a time line for you coming up. right now, the clock is ticking in the homeland security

funding fight. the department runs out of money on friday. funding is stalled on capitol hill but there may be a deal in the works. if it falls through, nearly 200,000 homeland sty employees may have to work without pay. that includes tsa officers at our local airports checking bags for weapons and secret service agents and uniformed officers protecting the present and the white house. steve handelsman isive th the latest on the effort to break the stalemate in our next half hour. police in ryay shooting near arundel mills mall appears to have come out of nowhere and it doesn't look like the victim and shooter knew each other. this happened just before 8:00 a.m. outside the costco. we're overhead at arundel mills boulevard. a police spokesman says the victim had just filled up his tank with gas when another car pulled up and shots ranged out. the victim was either gratzed by a bullet or hurt by shattered glass. no one has been arrested.

we're following that developing story out of southern california where authorities are questioning a truck driver involved in a crash with a commuter train early this morning that injured 28 people. for reasons still unclear, the truck was sitting on the tracks at a marked crossing. now, the metro link train tried to slow down but then slammed into it. three train cars overturned and the truck burst into flames. the truck driver ran off but was found several mimes away and taken into custody. federal investigato a n headed to the scene. we are learning new details about the crash that killed a pedestrian in downtown d.c. we now know the victim is 27-year-old phillip sngrs. he worked as assistant general counsel for the national federation of federal workers. he was walking on the sidewalk at 4th and 8th streets yesterday when an suv flipped and hit him. two others were injured. coming up on news 4 at 5:00, what we're learning about the person driving the suv. kristin wright will join us outside d.c. court.

right now we're working to find out more details about a homicide involving a 95-year-old maryland man. sources tell news4 the victim is dan longbell vin, a former flight instructor. officers found him dead yesterday afternoon at the randolph village apartment complex, a complex for senior citizens in colesville. police have not said how he may have died. tonight we are just a few days away from marijuana becoming legal in the district. the new law, which was approved by voters last fall will permit possession of small amounts of marijuana if you're 21 or older. it takes effect on thursday, but you can only use marijuana in the privacy of your home and pot will still be illegal on all federal land within the district. >> above all, i want to stress that initiative 71 will allow for home use and home growth of marijuana. the purchase and sale of

marijuana, the use of marijuana in public space and the use of marijuana by juveniles remains illegal. >> news4's tom sherwood joins us now in the studio with a closer look at what all this means. tom how are police prepping for this big day thursday? >> chief cathy lanier told reporters today that the city is ready. she says all the officer, all 4,000 of the officers have been briefed on what theaws,nd she said -- i've got a little card here. they passed out this little card with all these dae death tails. looks like it would take you an hour to read them, but it's important for the police to know exactly what the law is because there's some confusion about the federal land and city land pat mentioned. it's really important. we put on our nbc washington app a big q&a session that tells you all you need to know. >> did you -- >> i'm sorry. the mayor and the chief say the stay city is ready. >> do you expect congress to intervene here or will lawmakers allow the will of the voters to prevail?

>> well, last year the congress tried to block this law by passing a last-minute part of the budget saying it couldn't enact the law. the city took the legal position that the law was already enacted by the voters in november so it's gone ahead. so far as of this moment looking at my watch every minute, there's been no indication yet that congress is going to do some kind of last-minute step-in to block this. don't get caught on federal property. don't do something stupid. you can't smoke in public. >> that fine print. all right. >> good advice. well, a bad report card, a t-shirt, and ayn rest. why some say a mother went too far with oneishing her daughter. plus, the redskins in court over their name. the new development that moves this dispute down t fld. rolling out the orange barrels and impacting your commute. a traffic alert as a months-long project gets under way. what to avoid first at 4.

if you ever use the 3rd street tunnel in d.c., you know how it congested it can get. construction starts tonight on the massive new tunnel project. there will be lane and ramp closures between d street. it's all part of the capitol crossing developmenthat will put a deck over the freeway and new buildings on top. our transportation reporter adam tuss will join us live on news4 at 5:00 with a look at how all of this will affect drivers and pedestrians and for how long. a may hearing is set this afternoon in the redskins trademark case. lawyers for the franchise say the team's free-speech rights have been violated by the federal government' decision to cancel the trademark. they say the government has no

business deciding that the redskins is disparaging, but the braves is not. the skins are trying to overturn the decision. in similar cases the government has argued it's not banning the speech, just not giving a trademark for it. a mother in hand cutchs. why a t-shirt that she made her daughter wear has so many people talking on the nbc washington facebook page. into the crime scene. what we're hearing for the first time about the shooting involving the man owashe american ner. plus more snow on the way folks.

thank you, cable for the slower internet upload speeds. for making me wait longer to share my photo albums. thank you cable, because if we never had you we wouldn't know the incredible difference verizon fios makes. in customer satisfaction studies, fios is rated #1 in internet speed and reliability - 8 years running. plus, fios has the fastest wi-fi available from any provider. period. see the difference for yourself.

get a fios triple play online at an amazing price, guaranteed for two full years! plus, get a $300 bonus with a two-year agreement. call the verizon center for customers with disabilities at 800.974.6006 tty/v

president obama ju vetoed the bill proposing the xl pipeline. in response, senate majority leader mitch mb connell said the senate will try to override the veto by next week. the army veteran accused of jumping the white house fence is expected to take a plea deal. attorneys for omar gonzalez were in court today for a status hearing. they said they are ready to close the case next month by entering a plea. back in september, gonzalez reached the east room of the white house and was taken into custody. secret service agents said he had a knife.

the so-called american sniper trial resumed after a delay due to bad weather. the crime scene was front and center in the courtroom. >> this court case could go to the jury in the next couple of days. nbc's jay gray has been following this triafor us. he's live outside the courthouse in stevenville, texas, with today's developments. jay? >> reporter: hey there, jim pat. good to talk to you. today the jury and those inside the courtroom saw images from the crime scene pictures too graphic to show on television but evidence prosecutors say that eddie ray routh knew exactly what he w doing when he pulled the trigger. testimony continued today with crime scene specialists for the prosecution saying that chris kyle and chad littlefield were shot by eddie ray routh at what he called a time of opportunity. >> no issue about whether ralph murdered these two young men or not. it's whether he was insane or not at the time of the offense. >> reporter: this which means the jury will likely rely heavily on the testimony of

doctors and experts in the case. doctors for both the prosecution and defense have down played the role eddie ray routh's posttraumatic stressl in the attack but seemed to agree on little else. a forensic psychiatrist called by the defense says he suffers from a range of mental illnesses including schizophrenia rambling about pigs taking over the world and calling kyle and littlefield pig assassins sent to kill people. a doctor for the prosecution told jurors ralph wasn't insane but intoxicated when he gunned down the men, saying he drank whiskey and smoked marijuana before the murders and suggesting he was frustrated with his life and angry because the men weren't talking to him. that's been the only real mention of a motive in this case as it begins to wind down now after a week and a half of testimony. the jury expected to begin deliberation sometime they are week. that's the latest live in stephenville texas, i'm jay gray news4. proper punishment or going

too far? that's what a lot of people are talking about today for a mother, how she handled her daughter's bad grades. police tell us the florida woman beat her middle school-aged daughter and sent her to school wearing this t-shirt which publicly shamed her for grades. the shirt says she got, quote, a good whipping for having "fx" grade in all her classes. police arrested the mother. they say her daughter was covered in bruises. this story has almost 700 likes on the nbc washington facebook page. and it's our nbc washington flash survey ofheday. cast your vote by texting or calling the number on your screen. you can also vote on the nbc washington facebook and twitter pages. when your car spins out like this one, there's very little you can do except hope for the best. scary moments for this driver after a sheet of ice and snow covered the highway. this happened near atlanta. police and tow trucks were already there working another

crash. sleet and snow fellth northern parof the state this morning. some folks woke up to find their cars covered with ice. >> they're definitely not used to it. >> we're going to get more? >> getting more, another one of those southern sliders that makes its way from the carolinas, just clips us. some areas will see more snow not tomorrow mor thursday morn 29 degrees right now. high clouds, still enough of a wind out there where it's providing us with a windchill. yes it's at 19 degrees right now. what it feels like today, cold. our temperatures won't drop very much or very fast throughout the overnight period. it will be cold but not as cold -- you know i'll take the not as cold. instead of temperatures in the single digits, look at this 23 degrees at 11:00 23 with a very light wind. there will be some clouds across the area.

not a big range. 17 degrees, mt. airy, leesburg, virginia, dropping to 17. 21 in d.c. 21 la plata, waldorf, and 25 degrees in fredericksburg just down to our south. the impact forecast for tomorrow, because we're talking act, yes, it's going to be mild, temperatures up a then they'll continue to rise throughout the day. and we'll be above freezing, in fact. milder sunshine, above freezing. so a low impact weather day for tomorrow. but not for thursday. so let me start you with wednesday late here on our future weather. we'll track that weather system coming right on into the area, cloud cover by 11:00 p.m. i know you'll be watching doug kammerer at 11:00. cloud cover and just down to our south, nasty weather starts making its way in. you can see snow sinu our future weather at 5:00 a.m. manassas, warrenton, arias like leesburg, and it will continue pushing east and to the southeast right on roh r area. spots like d.c. will be getting the snow around 8:00 a.m., 9:00 a.m. in the morning probably

snowing the hardest by that time. already by 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m., it will be making its way out of here. fast system, but it could cause trouble during the morning rush. we'll look at the impact roads later in the newscast. this is how much i'm expecting a trace to an inch. d.c. arias like leesburg, winchester, warrenn, a trace to an inch. you get down in southern maryland, st. mary's, calvert county, fredericksburg, areas close to quantico may have an inch to two inches and then north it's nothing but flurries. just a reminder to download our nbc washington app beusit's there that you'll be able to look at an interactive radar. we're constantly updating that information on the app. 1 to 2 inches on colonial beach and calvert beach are we'll look at the snowfall totals and the impact to roads coming up. that's thursday. kauai ert as we head into the weekend, but not necessarily for the entire weekend. these little systems will continue to come through.

more on our thursdasn ler. the voice that everybody's talking about on this day after and she's from rig he o area. why tca teenager's audition struck an emotional chord with people all over the country. >> we love it. testing everything from food to exercise equipment, even your car. now we're going behind the scenes and showing you where the big decisions are made about what works and what doesn't in your lives.

♪ lots of amazing performances last night. this one was a keeper. i've got to tell you. struck everybody. >> she's just a teenager. one of the contestants who wowed the judges. and she's from this area. she is making us all proud and hot 99.5's caine is back with us today. today's "hot talk" was all about her. a memorable audit her voice is unbelievable. >> and her age, too. 16. at 16 i was playing with transformers. i wasn't thinking about singing on live television. there's a lot more that goes along with this. she's a local girl, and she's

incredible. and you have to hear what happened here when only t o the judgetuedro. ♪ >> my parents are dech so i don't really have any sort of musical influence from them. >> your parents are deaf? >> yes. >> both parents. >> yes. >> wow. i feel like i just heard something they've never heard before. >> how incredible is that. both of her parents are deaf. pharrell majorly regrets not turning his chair around. and i would too. i mean you saw last night when i was watching live. i saw blake watching christina aguilera and she was kind of like zoned in on the music and blake was wahi her. as soon as christina hit her button, spun her chair around, blake did the exact same thing. pharrell, man you hissed out. here's the sweet part. she wanted to sign using sign language, becausoth her parents were backstage, but she

wanted to sign which team she picked. who do you the picked? blake or christina aguilera? >> christienachristina. >> yeah of course. wonderful last night. incredible. >> it good to see christina back too. >> oh my gosh, yes. i love her. >> you got a big giveaway tomorrow on the show. >> yes. how about a trip to our iheartradio music awards? it's happening in las vegas. we've done our own awards show and we'll fly you into los angeles and give you $1000 cash at 9:05 tomorrow on the show on hot 99.5. >> when does the plane sflooef whenever you're ready to go. it's warmer in l.a. than it is here. >> all right. thanks. >> great to see you both. >> thank you. remember yon watch the voice every monday and tuesday. catch it tonight a o'clock on nbc 4. many say one of the biggest snubs on oscar night wasn't an award. now the academy talks about why there was no mentif hollywoodegd.

>> just kind of knew iwa coming. still shocking. >> an unimaginable loss. a local father loses his wyche and two young children. for the first time he's talking about that tragic y.

right now at 4:30, interim secretary robert mcdonald makes a public apology for exaggerating his military experience speakio a veteran. two virginia strait troopers are recovering today after

separate crashes. and the man accused of killing an unarmed florida teen will not face extra charges. the justice department decided a short time ago that george zimmerman will not face federal civil rights charges. we are tracking new developments in the last-minute effort to prevent a partial shutdown of the department of homeland securit >> there is still some distance to go but there may be a deal in the works now to end the standoff on homeland security. senate republicans have just agreed to separate the budget issue from the immigration battle. news4's steve handelsman live on capitol hill with the latest on this development. steve? >> hi, jim, thanks. democrats up here on the hill still say there is no final deal, but republ leaders say this is a national issue solution. that's what they call it. in the nick of time. >> reporter: the possible breakthrough comes four days before 2,000 tsa officers and border guard and secret service officers and so-called coasties

would stop getting paid but still have to work. with democrats pounding republicans -- >> one of these senators goes out way. >> reporter: mitch mcconnell back down. >> i'm ready to try another way. >> reporter: he ad on two votes, one, to fund dhs, and a separate vote to block president obama's immigration order allowing millions without proper papers to stay in the u.s. >> the bill isn't tied to dhs funding. there's no excuse for our friends on the other side to pose it. >> reporter: one dr jumped the board. >> i agree that the person overstepped. i'm willing to vote to rebuild that, but i want them separate. >> reporter: so republicans demand dhs funding stay linked to the obama immigration order. >> the president should not be allowed to rewrite law. >> reporter: demos demand that dhs vote first. >> to to make sure that homeland security is funded. isis is funded. you see that every day on tv.

>> not to send a message to al shabab that we're going to shut down homeland security. >> reporter: democrats charge the crisis continues. democrats are demanding before any vote john boehner agree to separate dhs from immigration and schedule a homeland security vote first. stay tuned. steve handelsman, news4. >> thank you. a bill to facilitate lethal injections in virginia was just defeated today. governor terry mcauliffe's administration wanted a contract with certain pharmacies to acquire the three drug combination used in executions. the house of delegates said no. supporters say the state is running out of the drugs and their european manufacturers won't sell them foexutns. a maryland father and his daughter are opening up about the death of their loved ones. marie cole and devin gemmell died when a plane crashed into their montgomery y he just before christmas. for the first time ken gemmell

shares what his li is like without his wife and two sons. news4's angie goffaei story of rser. >> we're always out and about. a lot of our friends didn't know how we did it with two or three did kids getting out as much as we did. >> reporter: th a time a short time, when ken gemmell had it all, a beautiful family of five, a wife, marie, his college sweetheart, a daughter, arabell. she loved being a big sister to 3-year-old cole. >> used me for ladders, seattles, whatever you c do. >> reporter: and baby devin just 7 weeks old. there was so much to look forward to. then monday december 8th 2014, ken was at work, his daughter arabell at school. around 11:00 in the morning he started getting calls about a plane crash in his neighborhood. >> they didn't know where it was. i called my wife but tlchsz no

answer. >> reporter: a plane had pierced their home, setting it on fire. his wife marie and their two sons trapped inside. >> i think we knew that they were probably in there, but we didn't know for sure so we were holding out hope that maybe they got out and were somewhere else. >> reporter: afte agonizing hours his fears were confirmed. most of his family was gone. >> they found them in the upstairs bathroom and i think by the first couple words i knew what it was and was probably overwhelmed with grief. >> reporter: poli say marie was cradling her sons, 3-year-old cole and her month and a half old baby devin. she used her body to try to shield them from the smoke and fire. were you surprised by that? >> no not at all. i knew she was trying to do everything she cou to keep them calm and try to save them if it was possible but make sure that they -- it wasn't painful for them. >> reporter: in hi eyes, his wife was a hero. her actions touched hearts here and across the nation.

a go fund me site raised nearly $500,000 in just days. >> this was before the game. >> reporter: the denver broncos, the gemmell's favorite team also reached out, flying ken and arabell in for a playoff game. things like that have been good. >> for me it sometimes can be difficult becaus it's overwhelming, you bau i think more of we're only here because what happeneand to me that hurts a little bit. but to see my daughter smile at those events, that's really cool. >> reporter: toge ken and his second-grader are doing the best they can to rebuild in a new home. their old one torn down with no plans to go back. amid the score of donations, some things they manage to salvage picture frames, a teacup a family tree made by cole with a little help from marie. >> reporter: whadoant people to kn about her? >> just how great of a mother she was. she really did love the kids so much. >> reporter: lo so strong.

this grieving father knows he can't give up now, not ever. there will be people who wonder how someone who's gone through such loss and tragedy how you wake up every day. >> as i told my daughter we don't want this to completely defeat us become what defines our lives or ruins the rest of our lives going forward. for the most part, we need to persevere and do what we can to honor marie, cole and devin. >> he will never leave you. >> the overwhelming support of the community is helping him heal. we'll have that on news 4 at 6:00. everyone dreads them this time of year. why your chances of being at the receiving end of it are

higher this year. and something you do in your kitchen could make a big difference to your children's health. and storm team 4 is tracking a change. v.j.? >> the cold still impacting us. sp

. something you didn't see during the oscars, a tribute to joan rivers. river's daughter melissa offered no comment. your chances of being audited by the irs fell to 0.86% in 2014, the lowest level in at least a decade. audits of individual taxpayers have fallen more than 21% over the past five years. that's according to data obtained by "usa today." the declined size coincides with cuts in irs funding and the shrinking number of revenue agents. but irs' xhiser wrcommissioner warns fewer audits could lead people to lose confidence in the system. hand versus machine.

researchers discovered children in homes where dishes were hand washed were less likely to have asthma eczema, or seasonal allergies. they believe dishwashers kill more bacteria than hand washing and that exposing kids to a variety of bacteria may boost the immune system. the study involves 1,000 families and is punished in the "journal of pedia" he was a con artist and good at it, so good that his story inspired the film and broadway musical entitled "catch me if you can." he was eventually caught and convicted but later became a consultant for the fbi. he's an expert on forgery and identity theft. today he sharedexpertise and his personal story with some of the nastion's top law enforcer enrs washington. >> i think they would also like to see someone who did something wrong but who has turned their life around. it reminds mem they live in a great country and there are people who make mistakes who

deserve a second chance. >> abhe is 66. a controvers confrontation allg on camera. we'll show you theid a explain why so much outrage is building this afn. i'm erika gonzalez in yonkers new york, where "consumer repors its chamber where they test sound and everything else for that matter. i'm about to give you a behind-the-scenesk.

[ female announcer ] business travel isn't just about the going. it's also about the going home.

and being connected all along the way. whether you're working or recharging do business travel on your terms. acela. take off.

a busy afternoon on news4 from snow in the forecast to saving you time and money. >> we have reporters and meerms stand -- meteolost b letta whetr verocho >>llmptrero i like that we have sunshine today, our temperatures below freezing. tomorrow a chae to warm those roads and of course we all want to warm up too right? >> get a little relief from the cold. >> let's take a look and see what's going on across the area right now, what you can expect for the morning rush. our temperatures currently in the upper 20s. but by morning, early sun glare yep, sun still going to be around, early part of the day through the morning and through the afternoon from 21 degrees how we will start your day, to 39 close to 40 degrees. it's going to be an easy ride i think, for the afternoon. again, sunshine throughout the day, and temperatures above

freezing, which will help road conditions. a lot of folks on the road today with cleaner cars. should you wash o i say no with another snow chance coming up and more salt on area roads for thursday morning. we jump by 10 degrees from 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. and above the freezing mark by 1:00. a good day tomorrow to get out, some cool sunshine across the area. but still below the average. our average now 50 degrees. so tomorrow 40 manassas, leesburg, 39, around sterling 2, 41 in pepculpeper behind me the future weather, the snow coming into the area. this is a southern slider. an area of low pressure that will be tracking once again from areas of north carolina right off the coast, southeast of virginia, providing this area with snowfall at a critical time

period with more on what the timing is and how long we'll stay in that window of snow, hetlet's go to meteorologist doug kammerer. >> that storm system wants to creep farther north. let's take a look at the road impacts. here's the area we think has the be chance of seeing impacts from the snow. southern portions of southern maryland all of the northern neck, then over tordth frederickurg area, around culpeper and orange, doesn't mean we won't see impacts around the i-95 corridor and 495 area but to the south we think this is the best chance to see some of those impacts right along 301 towards la plata, maybe route 2, route 4 in southern maryland, down towards fredericksburg. what we're thinking, possible delays, the morning rush, most likely between around 5:00 and 8:00 is when we could see some of that coming down the heaviest, maybe to a few inches, especiall south of the fredericksburg area. we'll be talking much more about that over the next couple days. as we have talked about it, that

area of storminess does look like it wants to come closer to the d.c. metro area. >> and that means of course we might be moving that line, too, a little bit. right now, waldorf you're at a trace to an inch with leonardtown areas around fredericksburg, down towards charlottesville, 1 2 inches of snowfall. just flurries up to the north this time. areas like hagerstown, frederick, marylanth traditionally get the higher amounts. right around the d.c. beltway could be as much of an inch of snow, which is one reason you want to always check back and of course download that nbc washington app. we're always updating the weather on it. 32 our high on friday behind the snow. 36 to 43 saturday to sunday. right now, sunday, we could get a little bit of rain in here late that may translate to a little touch of snow. that system very small. we're watching it closely. and rain chances too, next week with temperatures finally coming up a bit at least for a short period of time. but more on the thursday morning rush snow coming up on news 4 at 5:00. >> thanks v.j. questions remain today as to

what caused a police officer to push and slap a homeless man. it was all caught on camera yesterday. the florida homeless man was trying to use the bathroom. the officer pushed him to the ground and slapped him across the face. a nearby couple recorded the confrontation on theiphe here. the ft. lauderdale police hell a news conference toy addressing the actions they're taking against that officer. >> we are committed to doing the right thing, not only by the city but by the entire community. >> the officer has been suspended withouy. they test all kinds of things in your ho from the things you eat to the way you wash your clothes even the cars you drive. >> nbc 4 has partnered with consumer"um ror" and got a firsthand look inside its testing labs. consumer reporter erika gonzalez is in the studio. she was will there and joins was

a behind-the-scenes look. >> we count on "consumer reports'" findings and mention it quite often. we set out to show you what goes into testing the next thing you buy. can you run this fast? this is how treadmill durable is tested at consumer reports. this is its facility at yonkers, new york filled with hundreds of scientists and engineers. since the 1930s, though never this sophisticated, they've been testing everythin ellipticals to robotic vacuum s vacuums and freezers packed with box after box of -- spinach? why span after? why not corn or french fries? i can show you the science in the spinach on the consumer watch facebook page. like so many others at consumer reports, mark connolly lives and breathes his job. >> mostly the products that we test are big-ticket items that are important to people when

they don't buy them more frequently. >> reporter: based on what strikes a subscriber's curiosity, secret shoppers purchase big-ticket items at a store like you or me. they bring them back here and put them through rigorous testing. 20% of consumer reports' funding comes from donors. the rest, millions of millions of subscribers both through its magazine and online. that's why we have so much faith in it. no advertising. no corporate money. >> we're concerned about how they use our information. they can't take our information and use it in their advertising. >> reporter: nonf the corporations can we were a "consumer reports"t buy or our was rated numb one by "consumer report >> no. they say a leading consumer magazine. >> consumer reports tests anywhere from 3,000 to 4,000 products a yea a lot of stuff. where does it go? in this room. everything from ranges to refrigerator, strollers, tvs, even salad dressing is then

auctioned or sold quarterly to employees. now you know when we mention consumer reports this is the place we're talking about. these are the labs in which your next anything is tested, and these are the people that make it their mission to help you and me make a safe and informed decision before putting down a large chunk of cas now we move to the big-ticket item in your garage,ouca check thiou >> what do you think? >> reporter: oh msh! all right. now we're going to have a little fun. "consumer reports" just released its top auto picks of the year and we get behind the wheel for a test-drive. we're going to show you what it was like going speeding down a racetrack at more than 100 miles an hour in the number-one-rated car ever! >> i can not wfo this. >> ever. that's next on news 4 at 5:00. >> it's going to be big. know your seat belt was on but no helmet.

you were pretty scared i hear. a little bit. >> i trust the driver. he's fantastic, the director of auto testing. they run those cars ragged, know exactly what it will do at every corner and turn. he said you want to drive that one? i said no no, because i can't drive it the way you can drive it. you do that. it was fun. see you at 5:00. >> bit of a nail-biter there. a story that's getting a lot of attention online. it's not the snow that people are talking act in one town. why a man behind some heavy-duty pushing when the snow falls is

thank you, cable for the slower internet upload speeds. for making me wait longer to share my photo albums. thank you cable, because if we never had you we wouldn't know the incredible difference verizon fios makes. in customer satisfaction studies, fios is rated #1 in internet speed and reliability - 8 years running. plus, fios has the fastest wi-fi available from any provider. period. see the difference for yourself. get a fios triple play online at an amazing price, guaranteed for two full years! plus, get a $300 bonus with a two-year agreement. call the verizon center for customers with disabilities at 800.974.6006 tty/v

a homeless man getting an outpouring of support from people who want to help him. >> reporter: shelby hudgens. >> if anybody gets stuck i'm happy to push their car. >> reporter: doesn't have much. >> in november our house caught on fire and we basically ended up living in the car for a while. >> reporter: h has his dog, blackjack. >> he's his own person. >> reporter: and a few belongings in his car. >> it could be worse. >> reporter: but one thing he does have is a big heart. >> it makes me feel really good just to be able to help. >> reporter: and h he did. saturday night while shelby was standing on the street corner he saw people in need, struggling to get up fillmore hill in the snow. >> i wouldn't want to just be

stuck there spinning my tires, so anytime anybody wants to lend a hand it's always good. it's just good to make the world a better place. >> reporter: for hours he ran out to offer a helping hand and the kindness was returned. people gave him food, donations, and an outpouring of thanks. >> i've never actually really had that kind of response for anything i've ever done, i guess. >> reporter: an wouldn't you know it the next day we caught him lending his blanket to other homeless. >> i think it's amazing. you know we're struggling, too, and, you know, wa got to look out for each other. >> i already told them if i had more room in the car i'd let them in too. >> reporter: on a harsh winter day it would be easy for someone in his place to have a hardened heart but instead shelby gives what he can of himself. >> i'd rather make the world a better place. it's not all about me and i've got enough to get by, so it's better than nothing. right now at 55:00, vandals

unleash an unholy mess in a mosque. windows smashed and prayer books tossed about. the local director says he will not prosecute. marijuana momentum. maryland's mayor says it goes into effect this week whether congress wants it or not. but first tonight an ellerly man killed in a senior living complex. new tonight montgomery county police tell us the circumstances surround the 95-year-old's death are suspicious. the apartment along randolph road near new hamreven in colesville is now a crime scene. we go there live no news4's pat collins. pat? >> reporter: jim there is the scene across the street. tights randolph village senior living complex. and that murder victim has been identified by police as daniel long bellvin. he's a retired navy officer. he was 95 years old.

the scene, the randolph village senior living center in colesville. the victim identified as 95-year-old daniel long bellvin, found dead inside his second-floor apartment. he was discovered yesterday but sources say he mayavbe dead fora. police investigati it as a homicide. they say he die from they they describe as trauma to the upper body. >> when i came in from work yesterday i noticed police officers just rushing, like there were no more police in the county. and they stayed here till maybe 9:00, 9:30 last night. >> reporter: janice hutton is a resident here. she remembers seeing the victim around the complex walking his dog. she said he was very popular. >> this gentleman has been here less than a year. >> reporter: really. >> less than a year. >> reporter: and 95