textwise, our high temperatures in the rear-view mirror. it happened just after midnight last night. the temperatures have been doing a steady downhill slide ever since. that's going to continue here through the remainder of the afternoon and into the evening. chills down near 10 by 5:00 and chills at or below

temperatures dropping into the mid teens by later on this evening. an update on the snow chances in a few more minutes with a very cold forecast between now and the weekend. we can't say it enough, it is dangerously cold out there today. with that in mind, some people are making the effort to help those who need it the most. news4's justin finch joins us live where they're collecting coats in northwest d.c. >> good morning, we're watching kids from thompson elementary get their free coats courtesy of the children's foundation coats for kids drive. these are kindergartners and first graders, getting their free coats here courtesy of this effort. now they're all presized so they're all walking out with perfect fits. i want to take to you the entire experience, we have georgetown's john thompson to read stories to the kids and volunteers from walmart to help them find their i

kids get to choose their coats they like most and walk out with them. we did meet a first grader named logan who found one she likes. it's in pink, her favorite color. >> how does it feel to get your new jacket today? >> good. >> are you excited? >> yes. >> what do you want to say to the people who helped you get your new jacket today? >> thank you. >> and as you heard there, logan, very excited with her pink coat to match her pink hat. the founder says by the end of the day they will hand out some 3500 coats. some 2,000 will go to kids in need in d.c.-area shelters and over the past five years they've handed out some 13,000 coats and have raised some $10 million. a great cause, back in to you. >> sweet little girl, thanks for that, justin. right now as the bitter cold weather sets in people living in the warwick participants in lv

conventional heat theext been without it for a week. the property management has passed out space heaters to the 400 units and that's causing concern. >> there are lots of children in this building, toddlers and babies. and i'm concerned. >> i'm concerned about hundreds of space heaters being used all over this building with no instructions or precautionary measures taken as far as i know. people can be draping clothing over it. >> all right so with that, keep space heaters three feet away from anything that's flammable like the clothing in your room. curtains, bedding, keep it away. management tells news4 they are working on this issue. >> if you open the nbc washington app you'll find six ways to stay warm in a cold apartment. just search heat. >> developing, two overnight police investigations in temple hills, an officer found a man murdered. prince george's county police are looking for the killer now. you're looking at the big police response on

temple hills. police say it looks like a man had been shot to death. in aspen hill, two people are recovering, they were shot inside a car early today. montgomery county police say someone in his late teens or early 20s shot those people on palmyra lane and then ran away. one victim is a 22-year-old man, the other, is a 36-year-old woman. today we'll hear more from d.c. mayor muriel bowser about the district's body camera program for police, she'll be joined bit interim police chief. the district is in the process of outfitting all patrol officers with the cameras to make sure cameras are activated properly and being used, city dispatchers are reminding officers to turn them on when officers are dispatched. breaking news, from the live desk, metro fires six employees for falsifying track inspection records. now we're just learning about this new disciplinary action following a july

that's when investigators found tracks in severe disrepair. and point to problems right in the inspection department. we first heard about this from our transportation reporter adam tuss. and he says more terminations are expected. dozens facing some sort of disciplinary action here. look for updates inside our app and of course later today on news4. and speaking of metro today, the metro board is set to vote on plans to cut back service hours every day of the week. the proposed cuts would end service at 11:30 on week nights, 1:00 a.m. fridays and saturdays and 11:00 p.m. sundays. and the system would also open an hour later on sundays with trains starting after 8:00 a.m. the changes would start in the summer. be sure to follow adam tuss on twitter, he'll be tweeting out the results of the vote. something we'll be keeping our eyes on. aaa releasedit

they say we could be in for a record-breaker. aaa predicts 43% of the more than six million people living in the d.c. area will be traveling. that's about four out of every ten residents. the majority of them will be driving to their destinations. overall, travel is expected to increase by 2.2% this year. now one week after they opened their doors, it's another first for mgm national harbor. >> it will open or i should say it will welcome the first musical guests, boys ii men. the sold out show is happening tonight at the resort and casino's 3,000-seat theater. the tickets are sold out through the mgm website. other big acts will follow this month, including bruno mars. president-elect donald trump again questioning hacking allegations made against russia. >> he was back on twitter this morning, why he thinks the charges of hacking are just coming forward. and closing arguments this morning in the trial of

church shooter dylann roof. it's been an emotional trial and coulcome to a quick end tod da

stronger is blasting without risking her bones. stronger is less pain, new hope, more fight. it's doing everything in your power, and everything in ours. because we don't just want kids to grow up. we want them to grow up stronger.

they will. make a gift today at childrensnational.org/givenow we're getting new details in last month's school bus crash in chattanooga, tennessee, that killed six children. police estimate the driver, 24-year-old jonthany walker

going about 25 miles per hour over the speed limit. police reviewed the information in walker's court hearing that happened this morning. they say he was using his cell phone, but didn't specify at what point. walker has been charged with five counts of vehicular homicide. a sixth charge is expected to be added. a verdict could come today for the man accused of killing nine people inside a church last year. but his time in court isn't close to over yet. nbc's sarah rosario is following dylann roof's trial in charleston, south carolina. >> we're expecting a verdict at some point this afternoon after closing arguments the jury will begin deliberations sometime around noon, which is where they'll have to decide if dylann roof deserves the death penalty. the 22-year-old has admitted to the shootings, he is charged in the killings of nine people who welcomed him into their prayer service at mother emanuel a.m.e. last june. his confession is part of the reason why we're expecting things to happen fairly quickly

are 33 counts to go through, which is why this could take some time. it has been an emotional trial so far to say the least. especially tough for victims' families. yesterday, prosecutors released chilling 911 calls from the survivor, dylann roof spared, 72-year-old polly shep prd. she said he told her i'm going to let you live so you can tell the story. roof roo is seen laughing in confession videos. but in court he's been quiet and emotionless. investigators say he planned the attack and staked out the church before the shootings. regardless of what happens today with the jury and if they decide on the death penalty, dylann roof will have to go through this whole process all over again with the state trial that is set to begin early next month. reporting in charleston, sarah rosario, nbc news. and new today, russian president vladimir putin is in japan. he's meeting with prime minister

it marks his first official visit to a g-7 country. sis russia innovated crimea. u.s. presidential election. trump tweeting quote, if russia or some other entity was hacking, why did the white house wait so long to act? why did they only complain after hillary lost? news4's tracie potts has the latest on that. intelligence sources tell nbc there's evidence, including from spies of u.s. allies,hat russian president vladimir putin was personally involved in directing the use of hacked material. >> he has had a vendetta against hillary clinton, that has been known for a long time. he wants to discredit american democracy and make us weaker. >> u.s. authorities disagree whether russian hacking was aimed at getting donald trump elected. leaders in both parties of ces

especially now, with exxonmobil ceo rex tillerson nominated as secretary of state. tillerson has had a close business relationship with putin for nearly 15 years. >> it's very hard to see the ceo of a big oil conglomerate as secretary of state. but we'll see. he may surprise us all. >> separately, they're also now questions about president-elect trump's conflicts of interest. once he takes office, as president, government rules prevent him from owning the hotel he just opened blocks from the white house. in a building leased from the federal government. >> every one of those dollars that hits the hotel come january 20th will be in violation of the united states constitution. >> mr. trump postponed a news conference until january explaining how he plans to separate himself from his busine. the government agency that leased that location to the trump organization says they're not taking a position now, because until p'

until he's explained how he'll separate himself from his business, there's really no violation of regulations at this point. at this time. today the president-elect is in pennsylvania on his thank you tour. tracie potts, nbc news, washington. meanwhile, a group of millennials are calling for a delay on monday's vote by the electoral college. that's when electors will actually choose the president. last night the protesters marched to the u.s. capitol. they want a full investigation of russia's involvement in the presidential election. virginia congressman don booir is calling for a delay in monday's vote. a couple of speed cameras to watch out when you're driving around town. news4's kristen wright shows us where you could get a ticket in the southeast. >> consider yourself warned -- starting today if you're caught speeding past this new speed camera in southeast d.c., you'll probably get a fat ticket. d.c. police have been giving out warnings for the past 30

here on alabama avenue. and at another new speed camera on hillcrest drive in southeast. well that warning period is over today. of course you won't get pulled over, it is automated speed enforcement. you'll just get the ticket in the mail. now police do tell us that speeding and pedestrian safety are problems at these two new camera locations. these are 25-mile-per-hour zones. fines start at $50. in southeast d.c., kristen wright, news4. >> thanks, kristen. working for you today is your last chance to sign up for the affordable care act and get coverage january 1st. so far, four million people have signed up on federal exchange for health care. uncertainty surrounds the affordable care act since republicans vow to repeal it soon after congress returns in january. the country's annual health rankings are out this morning and more people are insured than ever before. for the first time ever

uninsured rate fell 35%. >> now the study also ranks the healthiest states in the country. and our area did pretty well. maryland came in as the 18th healthiest state. virginia was right after that at number 19. not such good news for west virginia, it came in 43. hawaii was the healthiest state in the country for the fifth straight year, d.c. was not ranked as a state. now testing the claims of mattress makers. a look at the features that can really make a difference in how well you sleep. >> and more on today's weather alert. just take a look at the flag outside union station, flapping in the wind. chuck is back after the break with how cold that wind is really going to make it feel the next 24, 36 hou rs

look out. look out! >> a portland, oregon school bus lost control on a snow-covered hill yesterday. the woman who recorded that video says she saw another school bus also lose control. but it was able to avoid cars. this one clearly was not able to do that. they weren't so lucky. she said there were no chains or snow tires on the buses. thankfully, no injuries have been reported. well this is a time-lapse video now, let's look at this, of a winter storm that rolled into buffalo, new york yesterday afternoon. you

then whiteout conditions quickly enveloped the city. and to make matters wse, temperatures are not supposed to climb out of the teens today in buffalo. it's hard to believe that we aren't even officially in winter yet. the official winter starts this wednesday, though. right, chuck? >> but we're in the middle of meteorological winter. >> i stand by my claim that december is a winter month. >> i think we all think it ought to be. >> the winter solstice, the shortest day of the year is coming up next week. that's when people assume the beginning of winter. that's how astronomers measure it, meteorologist, four seasons, 12 months, three months to a season, december, i swear, you don't think december is a winter month, go outside. don't forget to put your bathing suit on. it's not winter yet, you'll be fine. >> out there, dangerously cold weather for us for the remainder of the afternoon. temperatures have fallenck

into the 20s. winds gusting well over 40 miles per hour. at times, have wind chills close down to close to 10. the most dangerous time actually life-threatening levels of cold will come this evening into the overnight hours tonight. best to stay indoors as wind chills will be driven well below zero for most of the area. from about sundown tonight until sunrise tomorrow. tomorrow, during the day, the wind most important of all will lay down, and as a result without the driving cold wind out there will be a bundle-up factor. temperatures will stay below freezing. without a 40-mile-per-hour wind it won't be as bad. there's a blast of cold air in buffalo, look at the streamers of snowshowers coming off the lakes. for us, we're just under a mostly clear sky. a couple of fair-weather clouds racing by parts of northern maryland. the wind advisory for winds could exceed 40 to 50 miles per hour. that goes into 6:00 a.m. tomorrow morning and the light blue shading out here is

chill advisory for temperatures, wind chills that could be 10 to 20 below zero. it won't be that cold around the city, but it sure will be dangerously cold. these are the winds gusting to near 40 miles per hour across the area. future weather starting early tomorrow. to be clear, it will be not much of a wind. by 7:00 tomorrow night. skies will be mostly cloudy, the wind will have come back around to the south. then we watch for a chance for snow. 11:00 tomorrow night. it doesn't look like a big presentation here on our forecast model. but any time you have moisture running over the top of the cold air, that could lead to a little sleet/snow/freezing rain combination. most dangerous time to watch for winter weather will be around sunrise on saturday morning. could see a period of sleet, snow or freezing rain. i'm losing confidence that we'll be able to get a full inch at national airport. but wintry weather and slipperiness is certainly the way the weekend will start. it will end with rain. more about next week's cold coming up. the holiday season can get stressful and we all just want a

especially on this, this show and early all early risers. we've all been there, the person that you're sleeping next to is just moving around and twisting and turning and keeping you awake. what about the mattress companies that claim you won't feel your partner move? nbc's jeff rossen puts them and other bedroom products to the test. >> just in time for the holidays, temper-paidic making bold new promises, undisturbed life-changing sleep. watch this ad on their youtube channel. you can back-flip, body-slam, do yoga, even take a sledgehammer to their mattress and this glass of wine won't spill a drop. this can't possibly work, can it? >> we're going to try this out. doing all the same things they do in the commercial. and it all starts with as you know, a glass of red wine. unfortunately this is not for drinking, this is for our test. so here we go. i'm going to put the

just like in the commercial. let's start with the sledgehammer, shall we? the old sledgehammer test. >> it's shaking a little bit, but it's not -- i'm putting some muscle to it no. sledgehammer test passed. now let me jump up here. this is so crazy. jumping on the bed. my god, the glass isn't really moving. this is insane. this is going to come over here a little. no. nothing. now in the commercial they show like falling on to the bed. let me try that here we go. it doesn't move. lindsay, in the commercial they have a second person jumping on and this is my producer, lindsay. go for it, lindsay, jump. >> it's not moving. >> this is nuts, it works. >> and the perfect night of sleep won't come cheap. mattresses cost thousands of dollars. so you want to protect it. this mattress protector from sky bedding says it can

pricey purchase from all kinds of spills. just watch the ad. >> here to help me find out is a bottle of blue juice. the cotton terry helps absorb the spill to prevent it from getting into the mattress. >> and when he pulls the mattress cover back -- >> no damage. >> okay, let's try it out. i put the mattress cover on top of this bed. i have blue juice. and we're going to see if it soaks through the mattress or not. here goes nothing. pouring it out. bls our blue juice, pick the mattress cover up. that's incredible, look at this. it is completely dry. look at my hands, completely dry. that's incredible. still not coming through, nothing, it works. >> let's be honest, you can't always avoid a spill. holiday parties, guests staying over. there's bound to be a mess. >> this is whip it. >> this stain remover called whip it claims it can blast away old stains, new stains, even

watch whip it blast the stain away. >> okay. time to bring the wine back. >> i'm going to do something that i didn't think i would ever do. i'm going to pour this wine on this carpet. and then okay, it says to blot it you blot it first. get as much of it up as you can. okay. done that. >> then, i'm going to spray the stain remover on it. okay. now -- i'm going to rub -- this is incredible. it's actually coming up. the red wine is completely out. the stain remover worked. it got it out and it's red wine. it doesn't get worse than red wine on your carpet. >> they all work. so you can rest easy. >> that's pretty good. i'm impressed, right? a nice little stocking stuff. that's jeff rossen reporting.

mattress, you've got to test it out for 30 to 90 days before returning them. companies say you need to let your body adjust and get used to the new mattress. three holiday scams that can be costly and easy to fall for. we're going to tell you what you need to be looking out for. and i was lucky enough to be a part of the washington ballet's "the nutcracker" last night. coming up, the ballet's new rtistic director joians

it's so cold that i cracked an egg this morning, in less than ten minutes later this is what i have -- frozen egg. next to my face. not on my face. >> that was the weather channel's mike seidel in st. paul, minnesota, where it was 7 below zero this morning and is expected to drop to 20, 20 below by sunday. >> it's so cold out there. nbc's ron mott has more on this blast of cold racing across much of the country right now. >> a wintry pounding from coast to coast. in oregon, this school bus lost control on a hill with slick ice. crashing into other vehicles with students on board. no one was seriously injured. in

michigan bluster. bone-rattling cold this morning in the windy city. >> brutal. it's brutal. >> i have like six layers on. i'm good. >> not so good? chicago's dangerous wind chills. dipping overnight between 15 and 30 degrees below zero in places, ramping up frostbite fears throughout the cold zone, making outside work an ordeal. >> just dress warm, insulated gloves. everything just keep moving. >> in upstate new york, an unspeakable tragedy. a 12-year-old boy died after becoming trapped while playing in the snow with a friend. >> i watch grown men when they unearthed these two boys cry tonight. and as the weather gets into northeast new england -- please don't use your stove to stay warm. it's a dangerous time of year. it's a time to step back and insure that your home is fire-safe. >> and we complain

we're here inside, i can't imagine what it is for the folks who have to be outside working. that was ron mott reporting. fans attending the bear/packers game on sunday night could be part of the coldest game ever played. forecast is for 1 below zero. meanwhile, yahoo says more than one billion accounts may have been exposed after hackers stole personal information in a breach back in 2013. among wthe type of data stolen, names, email addresses and in some cases encrypted or unencrypted security questions and answers. experts are warning if you use the same password for any other account, that account could also be vulnerable. yahoo will notify affected users, and require them to change their passwords. a warning for all the last-minute christmas shoppers out there. here are the top three financial scams of the holiday season. first up, gift cards grinchs, delete any email that says you

you pay a small delivery fee. all right. number two, charity scrooges. make sure the charity that you are giving to actually exists. and last but not least, bad santa. if you get an unexpected package and are asked to verify using your credit or debit card, please don't do this. ♪ ♪ >> look closely that was my moment in the footlights playing the walk-on part of the merry widow in the washington ballet's "nutcracker." joining me with a critique of my performance is none other than former prima ballerina of the american ballet theater julie kent, who is now artistic director of the washington ballet welcome. >> thank you, barbara. >> we're so glad to have you in washington. this had to be a pretty big undertaking to step into the job and immediately have to go into this big production of the nutcracker. >> yes, it's been quite a whirlwind since our arrival at the end of august. and --

and let me ask you about the "nutcracker." have any changes been made to the septime weber production? >> no, just from the experience that victor and i bring from our years of dancing "nutcracker" productions in our professional careers. >> we're looking at a little of the performance last night. that's the snow queen, isn't it? >> the sugar plum fairy. >> beautiful, beautiful. now i understand that your plan is to bring some of the old classics to washington on the ballet stage? >> well, i would say rather than old classics, i would say master works. masterpieces. things that really define, create a standard of measure and will help the audience, the dancers the entire washington ballet community, recognize what sts that creates a masterwork. so we can then take that going forward

contemporary work and really enable the dancers to dance anything. the full spectrum of work. you have to start at the beginning, though, and move forward. >> understand you're looking to hire more dancers? >> i would love to expand the company. with the goal being to then expand the range of repertoire that we can dance. >> now with the american ballet theater, you were the longest-serving balance reasonia in the 75-year history of the company. >> yes. >> was it hard to leave that role? >> yes, it was very hard. i would say one of the most difficult, but wonderful experiences that i've had in my professional career. >> well the nice thing is that you were able to bring along your husband, or he brought you along. he's the associate director now of the ballet here in washington. and you brought your two children, too. >> yes, i have a real family adventure. >> well that's fantastic. and we are excited to see the things that you're going to do. i want to you take a look at my performance.

>> i did. >> you have to tell me how i did. there i am, center stage. >> you are innately glamorous. >> and just absolutely natural. how beautiful. we were so pleased that you could join us. >> i was very happy to do it and i learned how to drop the handkerchief. >> very good. >> i went on a ride because i didn't think they knew i wasn't supposed to dance. i got a chance to do it. >> they were so thrilled to welcome you in the entire performance. >> sign me up, if you're looking for new dancers. >> please come. >> you want me to sign you up, too? >> there's no end to your talents, thank you, ma'am, i leave the dancing to you. up next, how long the extreme cold will last. and how long the

right now people are braving the bitter cold. to be first in line to see the latest "star wars" movie. we stopped

theater this morning in northwest d.c. and found six campers, "star wars'" "rogue one squgs is the first of the "star wars'" stand-alone theaters. if you are able to premiere it even earlier. i mean -- it's going to be the same movie if you wait a few more days, right? >> the movie is going to be out the whole rest of your life. >> would you be willing to sit out there? >> very few things. i mean if i was actually in the line to like get in, right then, 24 hours in advance. no thanks. i can go on saturday and catch the matinee. maybe save a little money. >> we keep talking about the polar vortex. when is it, where is it. here we are in washington, and where is the polar vortex? there's one over the north and the south pole. it's the vortex is not a surface feature. we live at the ground, the vortex is band of

winds five to 20 or 30 miles up in the atmosphere. it keeps the cold air locked in place there. every now and then usually a big storm going up into the pacific. bumps into it and dislodges things, once you get the wobble started, that cold air has the opportunity to go across the pole and right down, our friendly neighbors in canada don't do much to slow the cold air down, by the time they get into these patterns, the cold air locks into the eastern two-thirds of the u.s. >> you can find me at chuck bell 4, on twitter and our nbc washington app. we help keep you ahead of the frigid conditions here. feels like temperatures are now single numbers and teens across the area. feels like for the later on today, going down below zero. most of the areas will be below

there until well after the sun comes up tomorrow. by 2 to 3:00 tomorrow afternoon winds will be coming back to the south. to take the edge off the cold. it will be below freezing all day tomorrow. teens when you get started, cloudy skies by 6:00, 7:00 and after 8:00 tomorrow, there will be a chance for a couple of flurries. helping to pull back some is of my confidence, there's about a 40, 50% chance we could get up to an inch, maybe our first inch of snow in washington. don't count on it do count on rain, saturday afternoon and sunday. we're keeping a close eye on monday morning for early-morning ice. christmas on embassy row, we've been lucky enough to have access to some of the many beautiful residences of ambassadors in washington through the years at the holidays, we'll share some of our favorites today. starting with

a holiday

thu the years we've been lucky enough to look inside some really wonderful homes unique to washington. the ambassadors' residences are beautifully decorated for this time of year. >> with barbara as our tour guide we're going to take you for a holiday visit around the world. without it we're leaving d.c. and today we begin wth

to the residence of denmark. ♪ ♪ ♪ >> as the sun set over washington, d.c., even the rising moon and the darkening sky was no match for the glitter of sparkling christmas tree lights just outside the grounds of the royal danish embassy. the iron gates opened to reveal a large modern complex. its glass facade meant to impart a welcome feeling. and this danish modern design is as welcoming as the diplomat from denmark. >> hi. merry christmas. >> thank you for coming, so good to see you. >> come on in. >> ambassador lars losa and his wife,

recently made this their home. inside their family, lots of new friends and countrymen were enjoying the lows's hospitality in the kitchen. the ambassador's dad and mom are here from denmark for the holidays. she was teaching the children to make danish cookies for christmas. daughter ellen took some from the oven but wasn't yet sure what to call them in english. cookies, i don't know, like -- cookies. >> how do you say cookies in dane snish. >> so danish, we pronounce it smarkael. >> and how do you say merry christmas in danish? [ speaking foreign language ] >> most of the guest cooks have denmark in common with their hosts. >> can you say maerks for me in

danish? [ speaking foreign language ] >> glelli ule. >> say it again. >> gleli yule. >> not so easy to say, but so easy for a guest to feel at home here with the warm, inviting spirit. and the traditions for the danish at christmas start with having the family around. >> we got my parents over here, christmas in denmark is very much about the kids, about family, about friends. >> it's a vacation where you just spend time together. >> one thing always done together with the family and friends, is preparing the decorations. >> to make your own decorations for christmas. >> yeah. >> using what you have at hand. >> this candle is an

calendar burn ped through the holiday season. celebrations gear up on the 23rd. >> on the 23rd, you go out, the whole family into the woods, and you find your tree and you cut it down, you drag it home. >> the tree will then be decorated with the hand-made paper ornaments at most often lit with real candles. >> well before dinner will be serve, everybody enjoys making a candy. it's also time to enjoy a warm cup of something the danish call glug. >> you have this hot red wine, you put raisins, sugar, almonds inside. so you call it glug. >> and that can lead to singing. ♪ ♪ ♪ >> there's also

for many, is visiting the christmas light display at the tivoli gardens in copenhagen. >> this would be a good time to go to denmark. you probably see it's pretty dark this time of year. but there's light all over the place. you see copenhagen lit up. from i guess 3:00 in the afternoon because that's when it gets dark back home. and all evening is beautiful. especially tivoli gardens. >> it comes from greenland, we have a bit of an argument with the finnish there, they think it comes from finnland, but it's from denmark. >> and this elf they say he lives on the roof. >> they are active during christmas-time. >> it's tradition to make a treat to leave for the elf for christmas. >> if the elves are mad, you won't get any christmas gifts. >> hello,

you? >> here at the residence, the danish chef is preparing the traditional christmas meal. roasted meats were coming from the oven. >> what we're doing is making a traditional danish christmas. with the meat there will be cabbage. >> what are you about to make here. >> this is a danish specialty that i cannot believe is not popular in the united states. it's so easy to make. it's sugar-glazed potatoes. why don't you do it. i'll show you how simple it is. >> you brown the sugar, add butter and the potatoes are coated with the sweet sauce to make the sugar-glazed potatoes. >> at the appointed hour everyone comes to the table for dinner is always served family style. at christmas. >> let's say it in

gleli yule. merry christmas! >> and we're going to visit the italian embassy tomorrow. and join us on christmas morning next sunday morning. for this year's christmas on embassy row special, we'll look forward to having you us with for that. >> gleli yule. you're a good teacher. shoppers still on the hunt for a hatchi mos may be able to snag one. if you still come up empty-handed you may want to consider joining the toys 'r' us rewards program. its member who is shop through december 22nd will be entered in a hatchi-mo drawing. if you want your cards and gifts to reach their destinations in time for

the u.s. postal service deadline for the standard shipments standard is today. saturday will be the final deadline for fedex ground delivery shipments, if you're an amazon prime user, who isn't, you've got until december 22nd to make final purchases. look for the complete list of deadlines on our nbc washington app and happy shopping. >> after the break, taking the ugly sweater to a whole new level. >> all right. it is so blinged out it really is worth

just to see their faces in the morning when i wake them up. the first thing you think about is your wife and your kids and your family. so i had surgery locally, and it came back after my follow up that i needed a second surgery. and that's when i said i need a second opinion. everyone, from the moment i walked through the doors, they're smiling and i love the fact that included me in the whole process. the diagnosis of cancer is one of those things that you want an answer now. we can do now here. rod was great. i mean, he did everything that we asked him and more. the treatment plan was for him to have chemotherapy and radiation followed by surgery. i feel like this was the right way for me and the right treatment for me. at cancer treatment centers of america, we treat cancer, every stage, every day. call or go to cancercenter.com.

more breaking news from metro, a big vote just moments ago. from the board, voting to cut back service hours every day of the week. so here's how it will shake out. in july, when it all kicks in. service would end at 11:30 on week nights. 1:00 a.m. on fridays and saturdays. and 11:00 p.m. on sundays. the system will also open an hour later on sundays, with trains starting after 8:00 a.m. the changes set to kick in in july. the general manager argued for this. to be able to put in a robust maintenance plan. our adam tuss has been tweeting from the meeting. he'll give us more details throughout the day. later today a complete wrap-up on news4, back to you. ba

ugly christmas sweater day. if you have a few extra thousand to spare, we've got you covered. >> look at this video, tipsy elves teamed up with swarovski. we should end the story there, to bring you the world's most expensive ugly christmas sweater. the sweater is made with over 24,000 individually placed swarovski crystals, it took about 52 hours to create. how much? how much you ask? how about $30,000. for an ugly christmas sweater. >> let's see. chuck, you think you would wear one of those? >> no, and i would not recommend a sweater made out of crystals in this cold weather, either. i have a feeling the crystals don't keep the heat in very effectively. winds are howling up to 40 miles per hour at times. it's going to stay cold all day today, tonight and into the weekend. that's it for "news4 midday." thank you so much for joining us, we're back on the air, f

at 4:00 this afternoon. >> you can get your news and weather updates

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♪ >> stand by, everyone. we're live in five, four, three, two, one. ♪ ♪ the bosses got so drunk so drunk ♪ >> that is fantastic. neil diamond, "sweet caroline" a make-over with "sweet christmastime" breaking down the office party. >> what happened at that office party. the guy had no shirt on. >> we may know something about office party shenanigans. i may have photographic evidence you may or may not want to see, kit. >> what do you mean? >> where are the pictures? >> wait a minute. stop. there we go. >> what were we looking for? >> we were looking for fello