doesn't go according to plan. what caused buses full of students on their first day of clash to crash? >> speaking out against the chief of police. i'll break down the numbers as d.c. police officers say they have no confidence in their boss. >> and this last day of august, certainly feeling like summer. we have a little bit of humidity coming in from the remnants of tro tropical storm erika. a look at how much it may affect us. >> and the red skins made a game-changing announcement about their first game of the season. news 4 midday starts right now. at the live desk, we start with a deloping story about d.c. police.

the d.c. police union says more than 1,000 d.c. police officers have no confidence in the chief. that's about a third of the officers represented by the union who took the vote. the vote took place over the weekend. the union says it's a symbolic gesture but the status quo is not working. the vote came directly after an all hands on deck weekend. she pulled officers from desk du duty and vacation due to a spike in crime. she said her decision may have influenced the votes and when officers are fighting violent crime, they have to take the vow they took for the job seriously. after 25 years of policing d.c. streets, destroying officers and strategies and building a force of highly qualified officers and leaders in good times and tough times too, i have every confidence in chief lanie r.

be sure to have our app and we'll follow this story all day on news 4. developing right now, a rough start to the day. two school buses collided. one rear ended the other on falls road in potomac. two students were hurt but refused treatment. 17 total were evacuated by first responders. both buses were on their way to winston churchill hospital. a man accused of robbing a dozen banks in virginia and then got away on a bike triggered a nine-hour man hunt after his arrest. he's pleaded guilty to charges connected to the man hunt. moments ago, president obama left for alaska from joint base andrews. he'll land in anchorage later today. he'll become the first sitting president to visit the alaskan

arctic. he changed the name of mt. mckinley, the tallest mountain in north america will now be called by denaully. it means high one. good morning. right now clouds. sun trying to breakthrough but the clouds coming from tropical storm erika passing to the south and east. the northern extent is producing a few scattered light showers. here's one near winchester and closer to washington. the blips of green here just a few light sprinkles in montgomery county. this is moving north and east. he's another sprinkle south of waldorf and a couple sprinkles west of wood bridge and south into central fauquier county. live capital camera showing a lot of clouds on this last day of august. i'm derek ward in virginia.

we're outside prince will ym's county newest elementary school. students are well into the process of the new school year and getting to know one another, and by all accounts, it looks like it's going to be an exciting school year. >> the first in line for first grade. >> reporter: the new school year in a new school. the first of the students made their way into chris young elementary. parents and students were up for it. >> our daughter is starting kindergarten. she's the first class of the cool. >> reporter: they'll join a principle every bit as excited as they are. i had jitters last night and this morning. i'm so excited. >> reporter: the new school has a new staff, facility and a new twist on the emphasis of science, technology, engineering and math. here they take the stem curriculum and give it steam by adding a for arts. >> the arts will allow us to tap into a creative mind set and

make sure that we're teaching and supporting the whole child. >> reporter: and a whole lot of children and their parents cue up to enter the new building through a foyer that welcomes them in several months, reflecting the diversity in growth. growth that made the school necessary. >> i'm starting my 11th year. we've grown over 25,000 in my time here. we anticipate about 87,000 students coming to school today. >> reporter: this school is named after chris young, the county police officer killed in the line of duty. officials think the name and his portrait in the lobby will be a fitting example and role model for students for years to come as they enter the school. we are live, derek ward, news 4. >> thanks so much. also in virginia, more than 70,000 students are back in class in loudoun county this morning. some of them will walk the hallways in this brand new

school. this is river side high. we were there this morning as contractors put the final shine on the school can, something different for all high schoolers in the county this year, mid terms and final exams will be optional. kids are also back in the class in montgomery county and some of them got a few extra minutes to sleep in this morning. kristin wright joins us live with how the school day is going in about 25 minutes. and we want you to show us your scholars. if you've been taking photos of your children going off to school, maybe kavpi catching th bus, send them to us. send them over twitter or facebook or e-mail us. we'll show some of your scholars later this hour. at the live desk, a game changer here. the red skins have named dirk cousins as the starting quarterback for week one. that's according to espn. they say he'll start

september 14th against miami. this comes after the team played without lg 3 on saturday. they won that game 31-13. griffin was pulled from the game late friday after the team said an independent neurologist said he hadn't sufficiently recovered from concussion-like symptoms. he sustained a concussion in the second preseason game. some alarming sights and sounds on capitol hill. why you could see a lot more emergency vehicles than normal. >> plus we are just a week away from labor day.

you may have seen unusual activity around the u.s. capital this morning.

it's going to start again this evening. it's a drill. they are conducting evacuation exercises. the drill will get back underway about 6:30 this evening. the choppers will land on the east and west fronts of the capitol building. police at newark international hospital are ordering a psychiatric order for a man who breached security. police say the man entered an exit door yesterday and then ran from tsa agents. according to police he was upset when officers arrested him. they also say he didn't know why he was being detained. triple a releasing the labor day forecast and hundreds of thousands of you are planning on hitting the road. more than 850,000 people just from our area alone will travel for the holiday. with 87% of you driving

somewhere, only 7% of people plan to fly to their holiday destination. 5% of people will use buses or trains and overall 35 million americans are expected to travel for the holiday. diecision day. the big development

good morning. the humidity you feel are the remnants of tropical storm erika. getting a few scattered sprinkles, the patch of green is west of wood bridge. this is tracking north and east and coming into fairfax county shortly. montgomery county, a few sprinkles in charles county. temperatures are mild now near

80 in washington where the sun has been shining longer this morning. the clouds have been hanging in in the mid 70s farther south and to the south and east around the bay, right around 80 degrees. chance of a passing shower. humid into the evening hours. temperatures in the 80s through the afternoon. >> right now new england patriots quarter back tom brady is in court in the final hearing in the deflategate case. this is him entering court this morning. he is appealing a four-game suspension that would start less than two weeks from now. he says the commissioner made a biassed decision. he could find out today if the judge agrees. we'll send you a breaking news alert when the decision comes out. happening in southeast washington, crews are blocking lanes around 11th and m street southeast right now. they're working on the virginia avenue railroad tunnel.

it's rebuilding and expanding the tunnel. they say today's work could slow you down over the next ten weeks. another traffic alert for you right now on news 4 midday, a busy stretch of road forcing drivers to slow it down.

at the live desk, question

have a traffic alert to tell you about on a third street tunnel in southeast washington. a missing metal grate has closed southbound at second street. you can see howithout the grate there is a gaping hole in the road. one driver said he blew out a tire on a car. another driver's air bag deployed and two other drivers have broken axles. ouch. this could also affect traffic on 395. watch out own check your nbc washington app. let you you know when it's mixed. today family and friends remember the life of one of the victims of last week's on air ambush. adam ward's family says he loved virginia tech. it asks that you wear origin and maroon to support him. the focus in the story may

shift to mental health issues and how we care for those struggling with them. we first told you the man who shot ward and parker admitted that he wrestled with his mental health. he even called himself a powder keg ready to go boom. at a service yesterday, the station manager said he's r((qáter identify how to approa the mental health care issue. people from all over roanoke came to remember ward and parker on the job together, happy, and having fun. we are working to learn the cause of death after a man was attacked in wheaton. montgomery county police say the man got into a fight in a parking lot last night. he was beat up by three men and died at the hospital. police also say the victim may have also been shot or stabbed but they're not sure. the medical examiner's report will determine the cause of death. right now, the man accused of gunning down a sheriff's department in texas is being arranged on capital murder

charges. department shannon miles shot darren goforth multiple times as the department was pumping gas outside of houston texas. the sheriff's office is calling the attack unprovoked. miles has a lengthy criminal record but has never spent more than a couple of days in jail. we're following a developing story this morning. what's left of tropical storm erika is dumping rain in the carolinas. hard-hit dominica is beginning to clean up. at least 50 people are missing and 20 are dead. the prime minister there says hundreds of homes, bridges and roads were destroyed. storm team 4 meteorologist is tracking where the storm is headed next. let's ask him. what's it going to look like around here? >> we're feeling some of the humidity from erika, the remnants of the tropical storm dumping a lot of rain in eastern north carolina, the areas in the

yellows and oranges getting heavy downpours there. that's getting closer to the outer banks. that's going to be trekking right across. most of this rain is going to stay in south eastern virginia and south of the metro area. right now the storm team 4 radar, blips of green and southern maryland north and west of washington, might encounter a sprinkle between now and the afternoon, highs in the mid to upper 80s. tomorrow hazy, hot and humid. chance of a thundershower. wednesday highs in the low 90s. >> thank you, tom. gas prices are falling around our area according to triple a prices are eight to nine cents cheaper this week. in d.c. you're paying $2.69 for a gallon of gas on average and maryland about 2.40. in virginia, a gallon of gas is $2.20, and pbt $2.46 in west

virginia. we found gas for $1.97 in one county. to a heart breaking case of animal cruelty. we learned a humane society charged the owners with 15 counts of cruelty. this video we're about to show is disturbing. animal welfare workers found three horses earlier this month emaciating with hovers so overgrown they curled. a vet put down one of the animals and the two other horses are in critical condition. they are between frederick and baltimore, maryland today. the welfare worker said the animals had likely not seen a vet in 15 years. take a look at this. it's a small plane that was supposed to be on its way to lynchberg, virginia.

the plane went down. the two people on boardwalked away. our affiliate in south florida has the amazing story of survival. >> reporter: the rubble you're looking at was once an airplane and the people that were inside survived the crash. no one can believe that's. >> it's destroyed. the fact anybody got out is amazing. >> reporter: they got out of this thing under their own power. >> there was two people standing on the levy inside the plane. >> reporter: husband and wife, they took off from fort lauderdale, heading up to lynchburg, virginia. >> she said she said they had a drop in the engine oil pressure. >> reporter: the husband was the pilot and did a heck of a job landing the plane. some people fishing didn't hear it land. >> i didn't hear no crash at all. >> reporter: the plane landed near a canal a few 00 yards off

a road and went up into flames. >> after you seen smoke, then i heard a pop and a little bit later i heard another cop. >> reporter: the couple was air lifted and their injuries are nonlife threatening. >> he like any good pilot was looking for a place to put this plane down and chose an access road. they had a hard hit. the plane burst into flames, but they were able to both get out. they were both walking around and talking when our flight medics got there. that is amazing. >> it is. >> a true story of escaping in the nick of time, and smart for him to land it there on the access road. >> everybody on social media at work, at school, talking about the vmas this morning. >> we'll show you the moments, the performances, and the on air quarrels that you've got to see. coming up.

the show everybody is talking about, the mtv video music awards. a night of redemption for some. justin bieber broke down last night, basically making a comeback after he's been out of the spotlight for quite a while. a little bit later on, this moment could have been a lot more intense if nobody cut her microphone. she was calling out miley cyrus where she insulted the other star for picking fights, and the other big moment of the night, one with kanye west. >> yeah. as you probably could have guessed by this moment, i have decided in 2020 to run for president. >> that was kanye west

acceptance speech for the lifetime achievement award for the vmas. we'll let what he said speak for itself but it is worth noting taylor swift handed him award. a bit more redemption after west stole the

>> when you step outside, have an umbrella handy. getting some downpours here in south eastern virginia and eastern north carolina. remnants of tropical storm erika now passing south southeast of the metro. around the northern extent. getting a few scattered sprinkles. panhandle of west virginia, shenandoah valley, maybe just a few passing sprinkles. going knnorth and east.

hot and humid tomorrow. looking nice on thursday, highs in the 90s each day. >> all right. thanks, tom. an update for you now on our baby panda at the national zoo. >> this is always the best video to look at. they're starting to see the baby's black spots develop so it's starting to look more like a panda. it's hard to get a glimpse because the mom isn't putting him down very often. he is a boy. this is the parent's second successful birth. >> the mom holding on tight. one of our viewers sent me screen shots from overnight. she's not letting him go. >> that little stick of butter getting bigger every day. it's that time again, thousands of kids are heading back to school. >> the school buses are back in full force but the first day did not go off without a hitch for some students.

right now at 11:30, more than a dozen students are in class now after a rough ride to school. two buses crashed on the way to winston churchill school this afternoon. >> one bus rear ended the other. two students were hurt. they were all released to their parents or put on another bus to get to school.

besides that yacrash, it was a smooth back to school day. >> and some students even got a little extra sleep. kristin wright can tell us about what's going on in bethesda. >> reporter: hey. students here at wheaton woods got about so extra minutes of sleep. we were greeted by three student ambassadors who had that first day of school gleam in their eyes. >> good morning. >> reporter: a new year, new beginning, in montgomery county. >> it's good to be back. i'm going to miss summer but it's nice to get back in the swing of things and start junior year. >> reporter: the students in bethesda are ready. >> see my friends again, having new teachers. it's going to be awesome. >> reporter: they have big plans for the new year. this junior is focussed on what comes next. >> i did a one-week full college

tour up in the northeast area. so it's got me in the mind sets of thinking about where i want to go, what i want to do, things like that. >> reporter: high school and middle school students are starting the day 20 minutes later. elementary, 10 minutes later. >> we've had positive feedback from the high school and middle school parents. it's a big of a struggle for the elementary. change is hard. we hope it'll work out. >> top school and county officials held a conference to talk about the road ahead, including this promise to parents. >> student safety is our top priority. our staff is understanding about the expectations, and they're going to be making sure they report any type of incidents. >> that's a big deal for us. we're excited, but i'm nervous at the same time. >> reporter: remember that feeling? well, right now the school district has an interim superintendent in place. we're told by school officials just a little while ago that they're going to be relaunching their search for a new superintendent this fall and

they hope to have that person in place by july. >> all right. kristin wright, thanks to much. and vacation over for students in charleston county, maryland. the district has been putting out photos like these all morning long. we learned students there have a longer spring break because there are more snow days built into the calendar. there's also a back to school free breakfast for students next week. >> and students in washington are back in the classroom. they twaeted out these pictures. we have about 95 catholic schools. they serve nearly 27,000 students. we asked you to show us our scholars. these are the few of the photos we received of your students this morning, even if it's not your child's first day of school, we'd love to see how they're getting ready for school this year. send us the pictures.

there are more photos on nbc washington app too. and you can send us your e-mail, facebook, or twitter right now. use a hash tag send us your scholars in a post to nbc washington or e-mail ic at nbcwashington.com. >> there's a new poll that shows widespread support to pay for college. a poll found that 61% of americans support major new spending by the government to help students pay tuition. support was highest among democrats and voters between the ages of 18 and 34. a majority of republicans oppose this idea, and this is interesting. both voters with and without a college degree supported the idea equally. >> a lot of clouds are out now and it's humid as well. getting a few breaks in the clouds north an east but it's cloudy in washington with a storm team 4 radar.

a few scattered sprinkles moving east. north and west, a few scattered sprinkles. temperatures hovering near 80 in the metro. 70s south, and it's in the low to mid 80s farther north and east, because a little more sun. the clouds are moving in there as well. during the afternoon, cloudy, might have a sprinkle or a passing shower. then the clouds break up a bit this evening. staying humid and in the 80s throughout the day. >> there is trouble for the democratic and republican front runners. a new poll may change the game for hillary clinton and donald trump. >> reporter: in iowa, hillary clinton is only 7 points ahead of bernie sanders in the latest des moines register poll. in may she had a 41 point lead. >> the gains we're seeing and the crowds, this is not anti-hillary clinton.

this is pro bernie sanders. >> reporter: the vice president hasn't announced and is polling double digits. donald trump still leads but he's only 5 pounds ahead of ben carson. trump says he may still run as an independent. >> we're going to make a decision soon, and i think a lot of people are going to be very happy. >> now it's donald. in three weeks it could be somebody else. >> people are fed up with washington. they're looking for someone who will stand up to washington. >> reporter: could that someone be hillary clinton? her numbers are slipping but two-thirds of iowa democrats said they could support her if she became the nominee. tracie potts, nbc news, washington. >> having the talk with your kids about a sensitive topic. plus, you might have to

>> netflix is out and movies will move to hulu in october. netflix will focus on the original programming and exclusive streaming rights to movies from disney, pixar and marvel. that's your morning business report. it's a tough discussion but doctors say you need to start talking to your kids about alcohol long before they take their first sip. the american academy of pediatrics says nearly a quarter of kids try alcohol before their 13th birthday. that means you need to start talking to them about drinking by the age of nine. the report also encouragings pediatricians to question preteens about alcohol use. >> now to an incredible story of survival deep in the mountains of california. a hiker was on her own for nine days. she's 62 years old. search crews say she somehow fell on her hike and broke

several bones. they say a nearby wildfire made their search that much more complicated. pretty extraordinary. well, it is your chance to weigh in on whose face could soon appear on the new $10 bill.

d.c. police asking you to find a man who assaulted a woman. officers say the suspect was driving a red and black taxicab. this was on early sunday morning. they say he attacked the woman inside the cab when they got to highland place sometime between 1:15 and 2:00 in the morning. this is a reward if you can help police. and now your storm team 4 forecast. right now on the storm team 4 radar, a few scattered sprinkles. mostly a few sprinkles in south eastern fair fax.

this is moving through. a few of these scattered around the northern neck of maryland. later today we'll have highs reaching the upper 80s. a lot of clouds around. might have an isolated sprinkle or shower. there's a small chance, and then hazy, hot and humid on tuesday. highs reaching low to mid 90s. again on wednesday, and there's an increased chance of an afternoon thundershower on wednesday. certainly feeling like summer as we start off september. and a couple of hours, debate over who should be the new face of the $10 bill. there's a town hall at the hall of fame which was also the site of the first women's convention back in 14848. the agency is choosing a woman to be on the face of the $10 bill. wait until you see how close one

surfer came to the jaws of a shark.

we have breaking news coming into the live desk. george washington university says a student studying abroad in south africa is missing. they say the student was last seen swimming sunday night. police in cape town are now searching for him. the university says the program was in the middle of a break

from classes when he went missing. we'll continue to follow updates and bring you updating on our app. developing right now, the man accused of gunning down a texas sheriff's department is in court. the department was shot 15 times and the casings match a gun from the suspect's home. thousands of people turned out in houston to honor the department's life. we have more. >> reporter: today the suspect charged in the ambush killing of a houston department will be in court. but authorities say shannon miles' motive is a mystery. he was wearing an officers uniform. witnesses say the shots kept coming as the department lay dying on the ground. >> the downed officer, and keep shooting five, six times. >> reporter: a community steeped in heart break.

sunday night more than 1,000 people walked in quiet solidarity. showing support for law enforcement and the slain officer's family. >> it breaks my heart to know that they're going to be without a father. the senseless crime has drawn crowds to the gas station. now a flower-filled memorial. this family drive 50 miles. >> as a police officer, how does this touch you? >> it's awesome. i mean -- it's something we do every day. >> reporter: traffic at a standstill nearby as drivers open their wallets for the family. >> thank you. every penny is going to the family. >> reporter: almost 70,000 so forth. the department had another title, daddy so a five-year-old and 12-year-old and husband to a wife who in a statement called him a blend of toughness and

gentility. >> his funeral is set for this friday. >> right now the d.c. mayor is standing behind her police chief after a vote of no confidence by officers. about a third of officers participated in a vote this weekend of those officers, 97% they had no confidence in the chief. she believes the timing of the vote during an all hands on deck weekend may have influenced the outcome. the mayor responded by saying she has every confidence in the chief. new numbers from d.c. police about the all hands on deck campaign this past weekend. the police department sent officers out in full force to fight the spike in crime. they seized 21 illegal guns in the district. they also arrested 16 people for possession of the guns and earlier this month, the chief blamed illegal guns in part for the city's increase in crime. >> police will keep looking through missing persons report

after finding a body in a park. montgomery county officers say the public should not be concerned for their own safety. they say a group of people were on a controlled deer hunt when they spotted the body at the park over the weekend. right now mostly cloudy. metro areas, temperatures around 80 and getting showers, the remnants of tropical storm erika in south eastern virginia, eastern north carolina. all of this, most of the rain passing well to the south of washington. thavrs going to be heading out over the atlantic beaches over the next several hours. just in the northern extent, getting a few scattered showers in southern prince george's passing east of downtown washington over the next hour. grab an umbrella before you head out. a lot of clouds around. and tomorrow sun shine, haze zi j not, humid. might get an afternoon thunderstorm on wednesday. a small chance and then after

that, out of thursday. looking nice into the weekend after a chance of a thunderstorm on thursday. high saturday and sunday in the mid 80s. >> a traffic alert now. you should know about this. look out for road work en route 210. it started on parts of indian head highway. workers are clearing trees and vegetati vegetation. crews are getting ready to start a big improvement project at the intersection of indian head highway and kirby hill road. >> we are one week away from the pope's visit to d.c. when the pope steps off that plane, it will be his first time on u.s. soil. he will also become the first pontiff to address a joint meeting of congress. the pope arrives september 22nd. down load our app for our visit coverage. all you have to do is search

pope. you may have noticed shark attacks are getting to be more common on the west coast but the results aren't any less terrifying. check this out. a great white tore a chunk out of this board as this woman was surfing in monroe bay. it put her into survival mode but she's ready to get back into the water now. >> people probably don't understand getting back in the water but the love of the water. experts say water is warmed by el niño are drawing sharks north and closer to shore. in some areas drones are being used to keep on eye on what's under the water. >> she thought it was a dolphin at first. and then she saw the chompers. >> and they chomped into her board. >> got a good piece. >> car thieves potentially eyeing your set of wheel hs. >> the one that's most targeted might not be the kind of car you'd expect. that story coming up in 60 seconds.

new numbers about cars you might want to be protective of in our area. the list of the most stolen cars, they broke the numbers down state by state and d.c. too. the 2002 dodge caravan is the number one most stolen car in the district. that's followed by the honda accord and the jeep grand cherokee. in maryland, it looks pretty similar. the 2002 dodge caravan also the most stolen car there and the honda accord takes the second spot here a second time. thieves stole nearly 1500 of those cars combined last year. to virginia, there's the accord again, this time in the number one spot. ford pickups a hot spot in virginia. the 2014 camry was the 30 most

taken and the newest car on the list as well. in fact, the camry and the honda civic were in the top five for stolen cars in all three places. we'll have the full list online for you. search stolen cars. from keeping your car from your driveway to keeping it safe on the road. >> we're going to tell you which part of our area is pretty high up there on a new list of worst states for driving. can you guess?

>> if you're having trouble getting a good wifi signal in a your house, keep your router away from lep pipes, glass and mirror. don't put it near a microwave or bathroom or war ware wireless printer. you can change the attenin aings

as well. >> if you commute in maryland, you know it can be rough on the roads. maryland is the fourth worst state for drivers. the state made a list for a long commute and high insurance costs. the good news is known as very low deadly car crash rate. louisiana was the worst state in the country for drivers. >> next week, you could see apple's updated apple tv, but if you want it, be ready to pay up. industry experts saying the new box is going to cost you $149 or $199. that's more than double the price of the current version. what makes it so special? reporters say it comes with siri, access to the app store and a new remote control and reworked user interface. >> it's cloudy. we're getting clouds, remnants of tropical storm erika. it's into south eastern

virginia. south across eastern north carolina, moderate to heavy downpours. the bulk of the rain is going to pass south and east. in the northern extent, getting a few scattered sprinkles. one area, light rain. that's going to be passing quickly into northern calvert and anna rujds. a live view from the tower camera looking north and east. as we look at our forecast for the afternoon, highs in the upper 80s. chance of a passing shower. a lot of clouds around. hazy, hot, and humid on tuesday. highs mid 90s. chance of a thundershower on wednesday. in september, it's feeling like summertime. >> yes. hard to believe. september tomorrow. ? i know. and mother nature doesn't want to let the summer heat go. thank you for joining us. we'll be back on the air this morning first at 4:00.

♪ ♪ ♪ makes you feel real good! feeling real good. (applause) >> meredith: hi, everyone. we have a great show today from dancing with the stars and my buddy tom bergeron is here. we love tom. and next week's season finale and the eye roll heard around the world. and we love our husbands and that was pathetic. we l