it is 9:00. d.c. streetcars are finally ready to roll. this comes after years of controversy and delays. the grand opening kicks off in an hour or so. we will hear more in adam tuss on eighth street. the democrats facing off today in south carolina. hillary clinton's advantage is cutting into bernie sanders's lead. he may be a no show in that state today. prosecutors say that sarah hopkins transferred a

ak-47 to sell rid ford through a pawnshop. just 90 minutes after he was served with that order. as you get ready to kick off the new hour, it is still chilly out there. we're looking for a nice climb in the temperatures. >> we're hoping so, yeah. >> outside live to meteorologist tom kierein on the storm team 4 weather deck. how does it feel out there? >> i got sunshine. i can track the temperature at 32 with the nbc washington app. cue the song birds. there is a song bird here. he stopped. no. okay. we've got a digital one for you. they are singing the song of, hey, the spring time is on the way.

we'll have sunshine in and out. a gorgeous day to get out. layer up a little bit. we have signs of spring. scott took a picture of daffodils at his house. and look at these snowdrop flowers. they are up as well. you are probably seeing signs of spring in your own yard. back to you. >> thank you so much, tom. new, police just released video of a brutal attack in the district. you might find this video disturbing. it happened 11:00 tuesday night in front of the el nuevo restaurant and bar in columbia road in northwest. we're working to find out more about the victim who was violently kicked over and over again there as you can tell and hit and punched. he was taken to the hospital.

attacker, who appears to be looking like what appears to be a football jersey, police would like to hear from you. just four days before super tuesday is once again putting its focus on virginia, 11 states along with the commonwealth will cast ballots. the heated back and forth is a turnoff for some of you in the common health. i caught up with a few of you in haymarket, virginia. >> what is everyone's hometown, or so the sign says. >> i'm not interested in name-calling or insults. >> they see today's rhetoric as backwards and divisive. still, she has her pick. >> i was leaning towards bernie sanders. however, i don't think he is going to be able to accomplish his agenda. i don't think it's realistic. so i will vote for hillary. >> the name-calling, i just don't like

>> kasich and hillary. >> in the neighboring cupcake heaven and cafe, this will be caitlyn's first time voting for president. >> bernie sanders is my plan at the moment. >> roanoke college poll gives hillary clinton a 16% lead. the same poll puts donald trump at 38%. ted cruz and marco rubio 15% and 13%. >> i'm not discounting mr. trump. i think he has brought a very interesting element that was needed to be brought. it is bringing out what people thought. >> we met mom of three stephanie taylor. she favors more conservative values>> i think from what i have heard, ted cruz is probably in the top of that category. i know marco rubio as well is very conservative. >> and sitting inside giuseppi's italian

words of wisdom. >> my mother told me if you don't vote you can't complain. >> four minutes after the 9:00 hour. a developing story we are following just in. alpine ski racer lindsey vonn taken off the slopes in andorra after crashing in a super g. the u.s. ski team tweeted that she was taken off the mountain on a sled by ski patrol for evaluation. no immediate word on any injuries. we are work to go get more information. we will pass it along as soon as we do. >> we do want to pass along a traffic alert that involves actress natalie portman. she's stopping traffic. portman and her crew will be taking a portion of downtown. they are taping a movie about the life of jackie kennedy. it is happening near 17th street between e street

constitution avenue from 9:00 this morning until 4:00 this afternoon. coming up on 9:06. a heated merger that affects how many of you pay your power bill. pepco and exelon move forward. we are broadcasting live on facebook. a 97-year-old threatened to be kicked out of her own home. why she was told she has to be out in 60 days. the g

(elephant sound) there's a big difference between making noise, (tapping sound) and making sense. (elephant sound) (donkey sound) when it comes to social security, we need more than lip service. our next president needs a real plan to keep social security strong. (elephant noise) hey candidates. enough talk. give us a plan. - there are times when it's nice that things go up, and it's sometimes even better when things go down. novec, a not-for-profit electric cooperative, provides wholesale power to its customers at cost. any changes in that cost are passed along through an annual power cost adjustment on bills. in 2016, the average home's power bill

by an estimated $15 a month, making down a very good direction for power bills. back at 9:08. new developments in the fight against the zee is qaa virus. the cdc openly recommending pregnant women planning to travel to rio for the summer olympics consider not going. the fda gave emergency approval to a laboratory to test for the

statewide task force to give ahead of the mosquito season which begins may 1st imagine being asked to leave a house you have lived in for more than 60 years. she has lived in the same cottage in california more than 60 years with her roommate of 32. the cottage was owned by a friend who promised her she could live in that house for life. a distant relative owns the house and says hatch must be out in 60 days. they have filed a suit, along with breach of contract. they say the eviction is elder abuse. there is no word of the new home owner. the sun slowly starting to come out, making an appearance on this saturday. you will see a lot of it this weekend. how warm you can expect it to get. when we will see rain and, yeah, snow return.

a historic day for the region. i'm adam

right now we are watching the clock this morning. it is a big day when it comes to d.c. streetcars. they are starting to co

a lot of controversy as well. let's get right over to news 4's adam tuss. he's live in northeast this morning with details. hey there, adam. >> reporter: hey, david. they pulled the streetcar up for me right on cue. they are rolling through here on h street in northeast. these streetcars have been tested here on h street for a while. really about a year now. at 10:00 a.m., that is what you can ride on the street car for the first time. this is where service will be. mayor bowser holding a memorial at 10:00. everyone will be able to get on right here. 10:00 this morning is when you are going to be able to start riding the street car finally. the streetcars goes from oklahoma avenue near rfk to union station. on a good day you can make it end to end in 20 to 30 minutes. one of the

been just keeping clear of all the tracks. see how cars are driving here. you have to share the road with the actual streetcars. that is something everyone will have to get used to here. pedestrians also. you'll want to be aware when you're crossing the street in this area. this is a new transit system coming online. it will take a little time for everybody to get used to. the last time the streetcars rolled in the district, 1962. here we are. a historic day. the streetcars are coming back. potential extension. we can talk about that down the line. but first we get this line up and running and we see how it goes, guys. back to you. >> a big day in northeast. thanks. appreciate it. >> today, the george washington masonic national memorial will be listed as a historic landmark. national historic landmarks are places designated

secretary of interior because they have exceptional value or quality in illustrating or interpreting the heritage of the u.s. that kicks off this morning at 10:00. so about 45 minutes. after two years of discussion, pepco and exelon can go ahead and merge. first, conditions have to be met. they voted 2-1 yesterday for the $7 billion merger once the conditions are met. both have agreed to several changes, including solar power and final accounting methods. the county company says it will help improve their operations. it holds no lasting benefits for customers. >> well, you can now have is your say on what d.c. officials should spend money on next year. a public budget meeting will kick off in the district today. it happens between 1:00 and 3:00 in southeast. this is the second of three scheduled meetings. the next one take place on monday night between 6:30 and 30

an irs data breach we told you about last year just got a lot bigger. irs investigators say 400,000 additional counts may have been breached. the irs work to go notify those affected by mail. the names are levi kauffman, harriet tubman. >> all activists who became genuine heroes of the underground railroad. our special for black history month right after news 4 today. we have a preview for you. many whose names aren't as well-known. their actions are in no way less important. the pearl affair gave life to a movement. >> it is

and on a morning early in the month, slave owners will get up. they won't smell any biscuits, bacon, no bacon frying. it's still cold. this is the largest mass escape attempt bywater in the history of the underground railroad. more than 70 people, women, men and children were able to sail out and make it 150 miles down the potomac. and just almost as they began to make that left turn to freedom, their sails slagged. they have to pull into a place called cornfield harbor. but it was the organization that put this together. they had to make sure that all the escapees, if you will,

in particular places. not too many had the same place at the same time because people had to be constantly on guard lest they be betrayed. >> and the people were not able to make it to freedom. but did that become a moment or a story that tran accepted that moment and became encouraging to other groups of people who would try to get away to freedom later on? >> folks needed examples of assistance. you couldn't be guaranteed. douglas once wrote in "my bondage and my freedom," everything you had was at stake. once you decided to make that run. you might make it and you might not. but such was the desire for freedom that you took the ultimate risk for the ultimate prize, freedom.

>> you're surely going to want to stick around and watch that. be sure to join aaron a little bit later as we celebrate black history month on journey to freedom, this morning, 9:30, here on nbc 4. tom kierein just giving our facebook live chatters a little preview of what they can go out and do today. >> with the sun climbing high in the sky, it lifts your mood up. yeah, it is starting to feel like spring. the temperatures are just in the low 30s right now. still a see your breath kind of morning. when i was on the deck, i definitely needed a hat, warm coat, and gloves. you won't need your rain boots. it will dry today. but you will need your sunglasses. if you plan to getting exercise, layer up a little bit. just a chill in the air. by 1:00, low 40s.

mid 40s by 2:00. around 4:00 in the upper 40s. mid-40s by 6:00 p.m. still a bit of a chill in the air. lots of sunshine. great day to get out and get some exercise, hiking and biking around the region. no rain or snow anywhere in the vicinity. a few flurries in western pennsylvania. throws have disa pated. i love this of moon rise over the jefferson memorial. love seeing your photos. share as well on facebook and instagram. going out to dinner, a clear sky. 40 degrees by late this afternoon. under a clear skies. still a light wind in the evening hours. four-day forecast, by dawn

sunday, another cold start. not as cold as this morning. the average high 51 in washington. much of the region will be 10 degrees warmer than that. about 60 degrees tomorrow afternoon with bright sunshine. a gorgeous day to get out and enjoy. then on monday, getting back to work and school, low 40s. afternoon highs, again, around 60 degrees on monday. lots of sunshine. still mild on tuesday. partly sunny. afternoon highs on tuesday, low to mid 6 0s again, way above the average high. seven-day outlook, wednesday, still mild, up around 60. a lot of clouds around. rain showers on wednesday. just enough for a bit of a soaking rain. partly sunny thursday with afternoon highs into the upper 40s. colder air friday. highs in the 30s. it might end as a

snow. we might get just a little bit of accumulation of that on friday. by friday night, it should be over. next weekend, going forward, next saturday, a week from today, sunshine back. highs in the mid-40s. rather chilly next sunday. upper 30s next sunday afternoon. that's a week from tomorrow. overall, it's going to be feeling like spring time the next several days. chillier by the end of the week. that's the way it looks. >> tom, thanks so much. 9:22. 4 things you need to know. d.c. streetcars are rolling already. grand opening kicks off in 30 minutes. passengers will be able to ride for free friends and supporters will remember a woman who devoted decades of her life to fight against war and nuclear proliferation. she died in late jab at 80 years old.

in south carolina. hillary clinton seems to be ahead in the polls, while bernie sanders may be a no show in the state tonight. >> check out this video right here. some residents in hyattsville may be under water. several cars were stuck and had to be towed. 9:23, the big question of the morning, after a high school group put the challenge to one of our own. a prom proposal to angie goff. will it be? you only have a few minutes to

all right. looking for something a little different to do this weekend? how about a new art display in southeast d.c. it is called light yards. it's on display to the beat of a live deejay. pretty cool. the family event from 3:00 to 6:00. the admission is free. it closes next sunday. all right. you may remember a few weekends ago angie mentioned she was never asked to prom. >> do i have to read this? >> i'll read it. >> we heard you never went to your prom. >> so april 23rd

prom. so, will you and your husband come to prom with us? >> a group of students from freedom high school inviting her and husband robert to attend their prom in april. it will benefit pediatric cancer research. >> my husband still has not texted me back. but the flowers are so sweet. so, yes, i have to go to prom. if my husband doesn't go with me, one of you guys will. >> i will. >> get the corsage ready. we have to start coordinating our outfits. >> thanks

♪ hello and thanks for joining us today. i'm aaron gilchrist. over the next 30 minutes we hope to take you for a journey along the underground railroad. the secret network of people and places that helped escaped slaves find their way to freedom. as you're about to learn, the path to liberty sometimes ran right through washington, d.c. and the surrounding area. where there was slavery there was a profound desire to be free, for the roughly 4 million slaves in 19th century america, mainly two options -- fight or flight. the underground railroad repr