the number of people who were injured and unfortunately already dead and the pure panic on the face of those individuals. >> reporter: survivors also recounted their stories. >> i laid on the floor and put my feet against the door. and i had the other gentleman beside me dot same. he wasn't going to be able to get in. i guess if he did it would have been over our dead bodies.

>> reporter: more than anything the community here wants to know why and how a quiet hard-working man who recently became a father could be capable of such hate. in san bernardino, gina kim, nbc news. >> the flag on top of the white house is flying at half staff tonight to honor the victims of the shooting. president obama signed a proclamation today calling for flags to remain lowered till monday. it reflects flags at public buildings, military installations and the navy ships and embassies too. the u.s. attorney general says the department justice will not tolerate hate crimes against muslims in the aftermath of the san bernardino shooting. loretta lynch spoke at the muslim advocates dinner in arlington tonight. the american muslim community says there has been an uptick in anti-islam rhetoric since the paris attacks. >> as we again talk about the importance of free speech, we make it clear that actions predicated on violent talk are not america. they are not who we are.

they're not what we do. and they will be prosecuted. >> lynch says since 9/11 there have been more than 1,000 investigations into hate crimes against muslims. it's been just 36 hours since the shooting rampage and the senate has already voted tonight against expanding background checks for guns bought online and at gun shows. it underscores the gridlock on capitol hill over gun control. in this case it indicates the country needs to be tougher on terror. while democrats say the issue remains guns getting into the hands of the wrong people. >> this horrific murder underscores that we are at a time of war. >> right now it's just too easy. we can take basic steps that would make it harder. not impossible but harder for individuals to get access to weapons. >> republican senators also helped lead votes against a measure that would ban people on the terror watch list from

buying guns. and against increased funding for mental health. back here at the live desk, we've been following a busy night on capitol hill. senate republicans passed legislation that would repeal key pieces of obama care and defund planned parenthood. the bill narrowly passed the senate with 52 votes to 47. it was introduced with a procedure referred to as reconciliati reconciliation. it means democrats would not be able to filibuster. senator rand paul also tried to add an amendment that would establish concealed carry of handguns here in d.c. but that failed. the bill heads to the white house, or the house, rather, where it's expected to pass before going to the white house. president obama is expected to veto that legislation. shortly after passing that bill the house and senate voted to approve a five-year, $305 billion transportation bill. it boosts highway and transit spending. it's also the first long-term transportation deal in nearly

eight years. it's not as long of a deal as president obama wanted but he is expected to sign it. back to you. >> megan, thank you. one thing that was not in that transportation bill passed by congress tonight was an amendment benefiting 9/11 first responders. a lifetime extension of the so-called zadroga act was stripped from the bill, but it could still pass on its own. former "daily show" host jon stewart was among those pushing congress to extend the program that provides health care and compensation for first responders. some who came up to capitol hill today are battling cancer and other chronic diseases. they went office to office to lobby lawmakers. the program expired this year, and officials predict it will run out of money early next year. proponents hope it will be part of the year-end spending bill that could be voted on as early as next week. a historic move by the u.s. military today. defense secretary ashton carter

ruled that women would be allowed to serve in all combat jobs in all the country's elite military forces. he says it will make the military stronger. secretary carter said commanders of all branches agreed except for the marines, which asked that some positions still be designated for men only. carter denied that request and decided there will be no exceptions. >> reporter: new reaction tonight from the parents of reeva steenkamp after a south african appeals court decision to convict oscar pistorius of murder in the shooting death of their daughter back in 2013. barry steenkamp said he was relieved. june steenkamp said she felt justice was done. the murder conviction means pistorius will almost certainly go back to jail. he spent one year behind bars before being put under house arrest at his uncle's mansion in october. if you were getting ready to deck the halls for the holidays, you may be surprised to learn that a popular new outdoor decoration might cause some unexpected problems. news 4's jackie bentsen tells us that if use theed incorrectly

they can create the same problem as shining a laser pointer at the clock pilt of a plane. >> star shower laser lights the easiest way to light up your entire home. >> reporter: the most popular version is as seen on tv star shower p but they are all essentially lower wattage hole versions of a rock concert laser light show. the laser part is the potential problem. the manufacturer's instruction manual notes "if your intend surface is within 10 nautical miles of an airport, lower the angle of the star shower so that no lasers point into the squie." helicopter pilot bobby ratliff brings a view from the sky to nbc 4 viewers. >> with the news helicopter i've been hit with a red lays their manassas. red i think is better than green. and it was a nuisance. it was distracting. but it was good weather conditions and we were up high. i just pedal turned the helicopter away. so i put my back to whoever it was and it was over with.

>> reporter: ratliff says pilots are acutely aware of the dangers of being distracted by a laser light. >> the two crucial phases of flight, takeoff and landing. you're near the ground. more things are happening, not less things. that's the worst time to get hit by a laser. >> reporter: just two weeks ago in sacramento a coast guard pilot reported being distracted by a laser light that turned out to be star shower christmas lights. the homeowner was unaware the lights were causing a problem. >> there have been no incidents of anyone deliberately using the laser christmas lights to cause trouble. but a reminder that can cost you an $11,000 fine. jackie bensen, news 4. new video tonight. d.c. police want to know if you recognize the man in this surveillance video. he's a person of interest in reference to a first-degree sexual abuse incident. it happened inside the park at 14th nightclub northwest. the friday after thanksgiving. at 2:30 in the morning. this video shows the man walking

away with a woman and holding her hand. police want to hear from you if you might have any information. the first full day of testimony in the freddie gray trial focused on that police transport van. the van was towed to the baltimore courthouse. so jurors could see it in person. gray died in april, you'll recall, after being injured in the back of the van. prosecutors say officer william porter violated policy by not buckling gray in. porter's attorneys say gray was intentionally banging his head against the wall of the van. we just got done watching nbc's latest live stage production. "the wiz" live is the top trend on twitter right now and we're sorting through some of the best reaction. also to come, motown legend berry gordy. he's executive producer of the wiz movie in the '70s. gordies with in town for another show playing in d.c. and sat down with our barbara harrison. we saw plenty of sunshine across the area today.

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invest with confidence. ♪ ♪ come on world ♪ such a different way of living now ♪ ♪ thank you, world ♪ we knew we'd be free somehow we're still humming a lot of those songs tonight. it was the talk of many of your living rooms this evening and a big hit all over social media. "the wiz live" gave a modern spin on the classic moef. and from the looks of it you guys loved it. check out some of the tweets we've been following tonight out there from celebrities who spent the night watching the show. missy elliott tweeted just 30 minutes in that the show made her go dig out her old "the wiz" cd. and styler perry for his part has been a big, one of the most

vocal supporters out there tonight. he tweeted out tonight he felt like he was 7 all over again and thanked nbc for airing the show. what a show it was. when "the wiz" hit broadway back in 1975 with its pop sound and all-black cast it seemed like a natural fit for motown founder berry gordy jr. to snap up the movie rights to the show. barbara harrison sat down for a one-on-one with gordy and asked him how they came up with the cast for the movie and especially who would fill dorothy's ruby slippers. ♪ somewhere over the rainbow >> reporter: this was the first dorothy. 17-year-old judy garland, who some thought was already too old to play the young lead character in the 1939 film version of l. frank baum's tale "the wizard of oz." but she wouldn't be the last to gain fame in that role nor the oldest. this playbill from new york's majestic theater in 1975 introduced 17-year-old stephanie

mills as the sweet-faced ingenue, who would ease on down the yellow brick road in a soulful recreation of the '30s hit. renamed "the wiz," the tony award winner would feature an all-black cast. >> come on, dorothy. come on. >> reporter: then in 1978 a film version of "the wiz" from motown studios and universal pictures would adjust the role of dorothy. instead of a young girl she became a young schoolteacher. to accommodate the age of this star. ♪ when i think of home i think of a place ♪ diana ross was thought by some to be too old at 33 for the role of dorothy. motown founder berry gordy says the producers knew who they wanted. >> michael jackson and diana ross were in it. she wanted to play. and diana ross at that time was my super, superstar. and i think i was in love with

her at that time. >> reporter: which she laughingly says didn't play a role in the decision. >> she said i wanted to play dorothy and i said, well, i don't know how that would work. i don't know if you could fit it. but she proved to me she could do it. and i basically encouraged people to reach for the moon. i said the sky is not the limit. it's just the first step. >> reporter: another big star of the film version of "the wiz," 20-year-old michael jackson, who by then had left motown for epic records. berry gordy says he encouraged all of his young talent to spread their wings but tried to take care of them at the same time as a father would. >> unfortunately, i didn't have a lot of control. michael, when he left the company, because he made millions of dollars, when they were with me i was very strict on certain things. but totally free on other things. i was free within restrictions is what i used to call it. >> reporter: but young stars grow up eventually, and like

cares in a fairy tale they are ready to spread their wings and try new things. it's a theme that forever repeats itself. that's why it's not surprising that with the new nbc version of "the wiz," the story of dorothy never grows old. at 86 now berry gordy remembers fondly all the talented youth who came through the doors of mo motown. he sees his role as surreal in some ways, his life like a fairy tale, like the tale of "the wizard of oz." in the end he says what matters is love. barbara harrison, news 4, washington. >> berry gordy was in town for the opening of "motown: the musical" based on his autobiography at d.c.'s national theater nap show is playing now through january 3rd. five, four, three, two, one.

>> wow. more big dogs in town tonight. it's been a holiday tradition for more than 90 years. this evening the first family lit our national christmas tree outside the white house and sang and danced through the evening, thanks to performances from trombone shorty and crosby stills & nash. reese witherspoon hosted the event. the tree's been lit every year since 1923. so tonight we are sporting our wiz swag. you get the mug. i get the hat. >> are you going to need it tomorrow? >> that's the question. >> kind of cold out here. >> there's a mug for you somewhere. >> i don't think we can share that. >> well, you're so germy. >> you don't want anything. you might need the hat when you step out the door early tomorrow morning. we are talking about a fairly chilly start, especially if you're take the kids tthe bus stop, you're going to be walk in to work. temperatures cool but not frigid. we haven't seen any extreme cold. we're at 42 right now.

wind chill at 38. so yeah, we're on the cold side. but this time of year that's exactly what we expect. 39 currently in mansate. culpepper already down to 29. we are cooling much faster down to the southwest. warrenton also around the freezing numbers. we may see some of you in the upper 20s to around 30 degrees when you wake up tomorrow morning. sunrise at 7:10. i expect between 7:00 and 8:00 a.m. will be in the mid 30s here. it's going to be a chilly start to the day. but tomorrow afternoon not too bad. i think we get a little warmer than we were today. still a little i of a breeze but not quite as much wind. temperatures around 54. we'll call is it koom. but still a pretty nice afternoon. on the radar nothing to show. no rain out there. and once again on the dry side. four days of rain. but we really needed it. we've been very dry in the past three months. about three inches below average. and we continue on that track. satellite radar making the clouds on their way in from the northwest. not really getting here. trying to but not really getting

here. northwestern air coming courtesy of that storm that brought us all that rain. way up to the northeast exiting finally the u.s. look behind it. no storms till you get back to washington state. that is it. that's why we're going to see so much sun over the next couple of days. it will be on the low side. breezy and cool but with lots of sunshine your friday afternoon looking great. what to wear? maybe the hat tomorrow morning. maybe the coat early. maybe even the scarf when you step out the front door. but by the afternoon a lot of that stuff gets to come in. 45. martinsburg tomorrow. 52 d.c., 42 fredricksburg. 51 manassas. mid-40s most of the day, maybe upper 40s with some of that wind but with the sunshine as i mentioned we're looking at a very nice friday. gets better. on saturday high temperature 53 degrees. less sun. friday afternoon will be great. sunday even better. high temperature 55 degrees. monday high temperature of 52 degrees.

monday a nice day. we'll see plenty of cloud cover during the day. monday evening going to be a little bit on the cool side. if by chance purchase heading down to fedex field. we've got a little game going on. the dallas cow biz coming to town to toik on the redskins. 46 degrees at 10:00. 44 by midnight. it will be cool but again not frigid this time of year. 49 by tuesday. wednesday and thursday not bad. a high temperature of 54 degrees on your wednesday. thursday the next chance for rain and can't go without mentioning tuesday, there's a slight chance of a shower. i didn't put it on. some of the computer models trying to give us a storm on tuesday. i don't think it's going happen. i think that one should stay out to sea. >> you keep thinking positive. >> i'm thinking that way. >> thanks. >> coming up, big night for our caps taking on the best in the nhl and coming away with their six win in a row. >> jason's coming up next. but first, here's jimmy fallon. >> thank you, doreen and jim and everyone in washington, d.c. daisy ridley is here from "flip top."

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jason had one eye on the wiz tonight and the other on football and the cavs. >> the cavs have been playing great. this is an early season eastern conference finals preview as far as i'm concerned. two of the best teams in the entire league. doesn't matter if they're playing at home or on the road. the capitals have been outstanding lately. six straight wins has this team

in second place in the eastern conference. tonight they took on the best team in the nhl in montreal. the caps, they became the first squad this season from the east to beat the canadiens in regulation. the habs have had the canadiens' numbers. in montreal winners of eight of their last nine up there. the good guys struck first. less than three minutes into the game off the turnover it's tom wilson lighting the lamp after a 37-game goal drought. he scored in back-to-back contests. the caps up for a goal. second period, taid time for braden holtby to show off the cat-like reflexes there. one of 33 saves on the night for mr. holtby. now in the third still tied at 2. the caps have the puck. karl alzner. deflected. t.j. oshie with the deflection. caps win their sixth straight. 6-2 the final. all six victories coming with holtby in net. >> holt is unbelievable.

it's crazy what he does every night for us. he's amazing. it's really something special as a player to have a guy back there that's going to bail you out like he does. >> tonight we don't win that hockey game or even get close to that without his performance. he was the best player on the ice for both teams. he was outstanding. >> the caps' final game on their three-game road trip will take place this saturday against win pelle pegg. we're going to move on to football. the redskins got back to practicing gearing up for their big-time primetime match-up with the cowboys. before the season started dallas were picked to win the division while the skins were projected to be bottom feeders. as we sit in week 13 of the season the roles have been reversed now. >> they can really -- if they get going. i know they're 3 and whatever but the record don't speak of how good a football team they are. >> going to be a really great atmosphere. both teams have a lot to play for. the cowboys are still in it.

we're in the driver's seat in the division now but we have to stay there. >> there's an energy not so much hunter hunted. i think there's energy of what we have to play for. the fact it's a meaningful game in september december and we will be ready. >> reporter: the terrapins int you deuced their new head coach. d.j. durkin will lead the way in college park. only 37 years old and described as a high not ji guy. defensive coordinator in michigan. also worked under ohio state head coach urban meyer when he was at florida and bowling green. eager to put his imprints on this program. >> i always thought it was a sleeping giant. the landscape where we are recruitingwise, the landscape where we are in terms of our conference, our division, i just look at it as a place kind of sleeping, with the right energy, right formula you get it going very high level. >> maryland 3a final. 13-0 damascus facing 12-1

dunndauk. huge night for one of durkin's future players. 271 yards on the ground. 31 carries. he had seven touchdowns in this game. he finishes the season with a maryland record 57 touchdowns on the year. damascus wins the 3a final 55-14. eighth title in school history. first since 2007. congratulations damascus. jake funk -- >> is he committed to maryland? >> hopefully he

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on select vehicles. see your local ford dealer. ♪ got that song in my head now. can't wait to see this, folks. coldplay releases a new album tomorrow and the band's getting ready to trek across the world on their next big tour. along the way the british rockers will stop at levi's stadium in california for super bowl 50. nfl sources tell nbc news that the group will headline the halftime show. they may have a few friends join them on stage. past halftime headliners bruno mars and beyonce are also expected to make guest appearances. >> wow. the latest move by facebook to stay relevant in the social media wars is adding a live video streaming feature. it's similar to periscope and meerkat but it lives in the facebook app. this summer some celebrities were testing it out. now everyone can do it. you can see who's watching, how

many people are watching, and real-time comments as they're written. the videos are saved to your timeline and stay there unless you choose to delete them. you put enough on facebook -- >> i'm signing you up right now, doreen gentzler. that's going to do it for us. "the tonight show requ

♪ >> steve: from studio 6b in rockefeller center in the heart of new york city, it's "the tonight show starring jimmy fallon." tonight, join jimmy and his guests -- mindy kaling. daisy ridley. mu