i would say that in that article, i -- >> right now on midday, supreme court nominee, neil gorsuch being grilled on capitol hill for his second day of confirmation hearings. his thoughts on guns and abortion. we're going to take you there, live. we're also looking at the specific screening changes put in place by nine airlines for flights coming into the u.s. a live report, next. and temperatures are slowly warming up. already 50 degrees in the district. or close to 50. but as rego through the afternoon, you will not need the warm jacket, but you will tomorrow. i'll show you the colder changes, coming up. "news4 midday" starts now.

11:00 on the dot in the nation's capital. a pretty nice day. thanks for joining us for "news4 midday." good morning to you. i'm adam tuss. >> and i'm molette green. meteorologist sheena parveen joining us with a closer look at the forecast. hey, sheena. >>ing hey, guys. this morning mild to start the day. temperatures closer to 50 degrees out there. and as we go into the afternoon, those 60s will start to move in. 49 currently in the district. but look at all this cloud cover. the clouds are really locked in. so temperatures are a little bit slow to rise right now. and i think these are going to be pretty stubborn clouds today. you can see them all across the area. a little bit of clearing towards the higher elevations near the shenandoah valley. some of the clearing later on today. we'll start to see signs of a few breaks later on. if you are dining out today, if you're heading out for lunch or happy hour or dinner, it's going to be a nice dry day. regardless of the clouds, we're done with the rain. we saw them very

be in the low 60s later on. colder temperatures tomorrow, though. i'll show you how cold, coming up in just a bit. at the live desk, breaking news. we're learning more about two men arrested for killing a woman back in december 2015. heath heather ciccone, in december of 2015. the sheriff's office says 29-year-old joshua christopher williams and 28-year-old jonathan julian vejarano, have been charged with first degree murder and conspiracy. no word on any potential bond. adam? >> thank you, melissa. also developing this morning, a new increase in airport security. devices like laptops and tablets printed in your carry-on. the change only applies to certain airlines and certain

dulles international. this is in relation to a new terror threat, right? >> reporter: adam, that's right. homeland security being very tight-lipped about that threat. as you mentioned, it will be impacting your carry-on devices on specific flights and countries overseas to the u.s. change is in the air at this emirates departure county. one these passengers may not notice until their return flights to dulles international. some waiting in departures already heard. >> it's sad that only mobiles allowed. because mobile is small text. >> reporter: just announced from homeland security, a new flight policy only permitting mobiles or smartphones and other cell-phone sized devices on direct tips to the u.s. from specific overseas nations. some medical devices are okay. but now banned in carry ons, large electronics,

tablets and laptops. it flies to north african nations. nine airlines affected, half of which serve the washington areas. the measures are to counter aviation threats and will change as the threat changes. nbc news' pete williams explains on the "today" show this morning. >> this is apparently based on a combination of concern about terrorists refining plans to hide explosives in electronics and assessment of security at specific airports. >> reporter: for some travelers who log long hours flying overseas. it's an inconvenience but others are skeptical. >> every nation has every right to upgrade. >> when it comes to devices, i don't think that is really a problem. >> reporter: and nevertheless, this policy will move forward. those ten airports

days to comply with this policy. but, again, this will not apply to u.s. carriers, and, again, only from specific flights from specific airlines from north africa into the united states. we are live at dulles international. justin finch, news4. >> thank you very much. two huge construction projects will revamp reagan national airport. take a look. this is what the north end of the airport will look like. a brand-new concourse will be built so passengers will no longer have to take buses to board commuter planes. another big change, new security check points. early stages of construction will start this year, and we're expecting more details at a board meeting tomorrow. meanwhile, it's a busy day on capitol hill. take a live look at two day of the confirmation hearings for judge neil gorsuch, president trump's pick to become the next supreme court justice. this has all been under way for about an hour now and has hit on several topics, including roe vs. wade. >> it is a precedent of the united states' supreme

1992 and several other cases. so a good judge will consider it as precedent of the united states supreme court worthy of treatment and precedent like any other. >> just minutes before that hearing started, president trump arrived on the hill. he spoke to house republicans about several issues, including the plan to replace the affordable care act. news4's tracie potts has details on their latest plan. >> reporter: president trump is back this morning from kentucky. >> i am thrilled to be here. >> reporter: where he assured americans the republican health plan moves forward when the house votes on thursday. >> this is our long-awaited chance to finally get rid of obamacare. >> reporter: the revised plan would end obamacare taxes this year, require most medicaid recipients to work and delay action on baby boomers who can see premiums jump 700%. >> we're going to negotiate and it's

and back and forth. the end result is going to be wonderful. >> reporter: not so wonderful, evidence. supporting president trump's tweet, that president obama tapped his phone. >> the department has no information that supports those tweets. >> reporter: the white house says it's not over. >> we are still at the beginning phase of a look into what kind of surveillance occurred and why. >> reporter: the fbi director also publicly confirmed for the first time they are investigating ties between russians trying to influence the election and the trump campaign. >> it would not only be a serious crime, it would also represent one of the most shocking betrayals of democracy in history. >> reporter: the investigation could take years. tracie potts, nbc news, washington. something a lot of you have been sharing on social media this morning. new details about first daughter ivanka trump's new job at the white house. it doesn't have an official title, and she won't get a salary, but she will get an office in the west wing. security clearance, and have

information. her attorney told politico, she will serve as the president's eyes and ears and give broad-ranging advice. even though she is not a federal employee, she will follow the restrictions that would apply if she were. right now people are gathering to support those publicly funded stations like pbs and mpr that could lose funding in the president's new budget. a rally was supposed to start on capitol hill at 11:00, but we found out it was delayed. parents, kids and mascots all part of the rally. they plan to deliver a petition with more than 600,000 signatures rejecting the plan to eliminate the funding there. and meanwhile, a tennessee man who caused a scare inside the u.s. capitol visitor center will spend a year in prison. a judge sentenced him to 11 months. he aimed what officers thought was a gun at them at a secure check point. when dawson refused to drop it, an officer shot him. it resembled a

time now, almost nine minutes after the hour. montgomery county executive ike leg get says one or both students accused of raping a 14-year-old classmate will be deported after serving his sentence. he says this is consistent with the county's long-standing policy. the victim says 17-year-old jose montano and 18-year-old henry sanchez took turns sexually assaulting her last week in a boy's bathroom at the high school. right now there is an immigration detainer on sanchez. detainers are issued on individuals arrested on local criminal charges and who could be deported. there's no information on the 17-year-old. meanwhile, a popular loudoun county principal fired may get his job back soon. john brewer was forced out of dominion high school in september. it stems from him writing a recommendation for a former band instructor, later accused of inappropriate conduct. parents, students and teachers rallied for months for brewer's

upheld his firing, but also decided to offer brewer his old job back on a probationary basis. he would have to agree to special training on child abuse and neglect reporting, among other conditions. he has ten days to decide whether or not to accept those terms. this morning police in northern virginia are trying to track down dozens of stolen guns that could now be on the street. >> that's right. meanwhile, we're learning two of the men arrested for allegedly stealing those weapons in a series of gunshot burglaries are also suspected in a d.c. burglary. over the weekend, police arrested three men for burglarizing three gun stores in three days. they used surveillance video to connect all the crimes. police say this same white u-haul van that showed up in all three surveillance tapes was the key. atf agents tracked down the van, followed the men and arrested them. >> we're impressed that in only a week's time frame they have apprehended the three people that broke into our store

gotten from the atf is they feel they're going to be able to recover the firearms stolen. >> two of the men arrested are matthew jones and daniel quarterlies. at the time of the gun store burglaries, they were out on bond. they are expected to appear in court today on those charges. watch out. major work that could slow down your commute in the district. d.c. water crews are replacing a valve starting april 3. eastbound lanes from canal road northwest will be closed from 7:00 at night until 5:00 a.m. the next day and traffic will be detoured and delays are expected. the work is expected to wrap-up at the end of may. melissa molette at the live desk. another problem that is actually involving what is happening right now. is northwest washington. take a look at the pictures here from d.c. police. water right now gushing out of the roadway there

block of v street in northwest. d-dot is out there on the scene. might want to find an alternate to work your way around. we have water in the roadway there. v street and northwest. adam? >> melissa, thank you very much. if you're looking for an extra boost with your cocktail, health experts want you to think twice. >> yeah, how the combination of energy drinks and alcohol could hurtou. when " yne careful joe, they've got you outnumbered. the dinosaurs' extinction... don't listen to them. not appropriate.

why don't you sit over here. something for everyone is awesome. find your awesome with the xfinity stream app. more to stream to every screen.

i'm melissa molette at the live desk. new this morning, apple coming out with a new ipad and much lower price. this is basically an update to the ipad 2. now it's just called ipad. it went down $70 from $399 to $329. it still has the same-size screen but they say the display is brighter. the tablet market has been in decline after several years of growth. molette? >> thank you, melissa. in news4 your health this morning, there is a new warning for people who mix energy drinks with alcohol. researchers found the combination actually increases the risk of falls, car accidents and other injuries. that's compared to drinking alcohol alone. experts say caffeine and energy drinks masks the effects of alcohol and so people tend to drink even more. young children who live in homes with little oro

likely to struggle in kindergarten. researchers looked at the amount and quality of foods available toin facts and toddlers living in low-income households. children considered to be food insecure had lower academic and social emotional abilities when starting school. most of us know what acupuncture is, right? but have you ever heard of dry needling? >> no. >> it's pain-relieving technique that physical therapists use involving an empty, thin needle. empty and thin. nbc's michelle showning explains how the needles are bringing more comfort than pain. >> i was, like, no way. needles? no way. but honestly, it doesn't -- it's not at all. >> reporter: she has been receiving dry needling treatments for two years in sioux city. she suffered from shoulder pain for years, but found relief with dry needling.

i went that whole route. and that didn't last any longer than this lasts. and i liked the idea of not putting medications in my body if i didn't have to. >> reporter: dry needling focuses on the musk skeletal system. they use thin, solid needles to target muscle spasms and trigger points that cause pain. >> the needle is inserted into that trigger point or into that tight knot. a twitch response is often elicited, which causes the muscle to contract, which helps to break up that muscle spasm. break up that trigger point. >> reporter: wagner also uses electrical stimulation to help break up the stiffness of the muscle. reaves goes once a month to maintain her chronic shoulder pain. she admits, she was skeptical at officials, but says if you're in pain, give it a try. >> it's hard to explain how it -- you know, what it actually feels like. but it's definitelwo

>> all right. fewer babies are dying in our area, according to the cdc. infant mortality rates fell 20%. leading cause of death is birth defects, premature births. sudden infant death syndrome had the largest decline. that's good news. a transgender volleyball player says she plans to try out for the olympics. back in january, usa volleyball gavetia thompson approval to compete. before that, she was required to play in the men's division. according to the rules, transgender women are required to undergo hormone replacement therapy consistent for at least one year. >> it took me three years to finally get approved. with all the transitioning and all the hormone therapy and sending all my paperwork to the gender committee. >>

tryout will give a platform to support other trans athletes. fafsa. >> thousands may have their financial reward packages delayed or even worse, not get any aid at all. consumer reporter hogan shares a warning for students and parents. >> reporter: let's start with the irs. without informing anyone, we learned it removed a vital link within the federal student aid application, also known as fafsa. that link enabled you to automatically retrieve your w2s from the irs and import them right into your application. but since march 3, the irs disabled it. however, never bothered to remove the link. so applicants are thinking it's working only to be kicked out of the application and forced to start all over again. as a result of this data retrieval tool not working, scammers are taking advantage of you. so do not respond t

from fafsa.com. it's asking you to give information and provide copies of their parents' w2s. there is another issue. students who are asked to fax the irs a tax return transform, we learned those fax numbers, some of them, are incorrect. bottom line, if you have applied for fafsa, you need to check your version, and all of the colleges you apply to. what does the irs say about this? we'll tell you coming up on "news4 at 5:00." >> thank you, susan. asking someone to the prom is awkward for many. >> oh, yeah. >> remember that? that was a little bit awkward. one school thinks they found a fix. it could have been the other way around. >> we are talking about unconventional match-making. yeah. and you have to see this one to believe it. you are watching "news4 midday."

welcome back. this is a story you're likely to hear quite a bit about today. >> yeah, we can't stop talking about it. an illinois high school taking a different approach to the much-anticipated prom season. the students determine their prom date via a random drawing. here's how it works. the boys draw the names of girls at random in the library -- in the library -- >> okay. >> while the girls wait for them in the gym. and then the boys, they comeut

and they perform a skit before they reveal who their date is. >> i think most people are in disbelief. and a lot of people think they would hate it. i've had that a lot where people would say, "oh, i would hate that." but then after they hear the rest of the story and realize, you know, what really goes into it, i think a lot of are people are actually intrigued by it when they wrap their minds around it's less than a date and more of something fun to do with your classmates. >> okay. this is the 91st so-called prom draw. now it started back in 1926 to make sure all of the students had a date to the prom. the students cast their votes every year to determine whether or not they want to keep this thing going. this drawradition. you've got to make sure everybody is in. >> i like it for that fact. it would totally get awkward. no way it wouldn't get awkward, but as long as everyone is having a good time. i remember when i had to call and ask for a prom. that's a hard thing to do. >> and you onlyot

one time. >> i did get disinvited once. and i'll always hold it against you. >> what does disinvited mean? meaning i asked you and then take it back? >> yeah. he wasn't acting right. >> there's a whole story. we'll get into the story after this. let's move on to the weather, shall we? >> and then we'll put it on social media. well, today is great. today is pretty nice, i would say. you didn't need the warm winter jacket. the clouds are going to be really stubborn to leave the area, i think. these clouds will hang around most of the day, regardless. no rain out of these clouds. you don't need your umbrella. it will be mild, though. so get outside if you can today. tomorrow, though, that's where we're going to see a change. 30s in the morning. tomorrow afternoon, cold and windy. into the weekend, milder. we do have some rain in the forecast. temperatures right now are slowly warming up. 49 in the district. 50 degrees now. 48 gaithersburg, 50 leesburg. so they're trying to climb. just a little bit hard with all of t c

though, we do expect to get into the low 60s. then we drop quickly. look what happens tomorrow morning. the 30s return when you step outside. and it's going to be windy. so it's going to feel even colder. some areas could feel like the 20s. right now we have all of the clouds around. but again, you don't need the umbrella. these clouds are not providing any rain. they're just being a little bit stubborn. so maybe some breaks in the clouds later on today. here's your weather. once the clouds start to clear later this afternoon, temperatures in the low 60s. so a nice afternoon. early tomorrow, we could have a few sprinkles sneak in. otherwise, mostly dry. 8:00, look at the temperatures. in the 30s. but again, it's going to be windy. so it's going to feel colder, even through the entire day. today and tomorrow, different days. today, 63, mostly cloudy. mild. tomorrow, look at the morning temperature. afternoon high, 46. sunny and dry. then thursday, look at the morning temperature there, in the 20s. and finally, we rebound going

70 saturday. we'll take a look at the rain chance coming up in a bit. >> thanks, sheena. ride-sharing companies investing more in their drivers. we're going to show you how th're keeping uber and eyly

i'm melissa molette at the live desk. police in montgomery county looking into a suspicious death there. they say they found a teen boy inside a residence. this is in the 1000 blaock in silver spring. somebody called 911 from this home, reporting a suspicious situation. when police got there, they found this unresponsive teenage boy in the basement of the home. that victim transported to the hospital where he later died. right now we understand an autopsy is under way. melissa, thank you. most people who get into an uber are well-behaved. most of the time. but you never know when that bad rider might climb into the back seat. so many lyft and uber drivers are signing up for specialized training workshops to be ready just in case. gayle giardoas

>> if i come and i'm smacking you, you bring this hand here, you're giving me that ability to grab on to your arm, pull you back and hit you some more. >> reporter: this security expert is traveling the country, teaching uber and lyft drivers how to stay safe. >> you don't know what's going to happen. more often than not, you're going to be okay. in those situations or circumstances, where something does happen, do you have the skills and the knowledge to stay safe? and not just for yourself, but being able to protect those who are around you. >> reporter: he doesn't teach drivers how to fight back. instead, they learn how to get away. this man signed up for a workshop after he says a rider attacked him. >> i had to tell him several times, please sit back in the seat while the car is in motion. i get he got tired and lunged forward and punched me in the face. >> reporter: now he knows exactly what to do if a situation escalates and feels safe doing a job he loves. >> as serious as that is, of all of the fares i've taken in the past

the majority of people that are in my car are just like, we love uber. this is a great thing. it's so nice. and you guys are out making money and helping us out. so it's wonderful. so it's definitely a good thing. new details on that deadly house explosion in rockville. an autopsy revealed the man whose body was found inside shot and killed himself before that blast. authorities say 61-year-old steven beck also killed his dog. still unclear what triggered the explosion early friday morning. ten nearby homes were damaged. we learned the home was illegally hooked up to gas since december. meanwhile, a warning about a new phone scam. if you get a voicemail asking you to call a 1-844 number about money you supposedly owe on an outstanding court matter, you should ignore it. here's where you have to be careful. the caller i.d. system has been manipulated for these calls and shows the d.c. court-issued telephone number on

i.d. display. it is processed through the u.s. postal service and not by phone. an update to an ongoing push to find dozens of missing teenagers in our area. we told you about the social media push to bring them home last week. now we have added an interactive map into our nbc washington app. it shows where teens were last seen. and information about each case. community leaders point out there is a common theme that many are young black girls. d.c. police say there is not an increase in cases, but they're being publicized more. activists disagree about the bigger community issues. >> because of economic times, pimping has resurged, and these men are not getting jobs. and so they're weak and what they're doing is they're preying on these young women in order to pay their bills. >> you can find more details information about each of the missing girls on the nbc washington app. this morning we're

to stay in the classroom after he was accused of kissing a student. that teacher is now missing with that same 15-year-old girl. elizabeth d elizabeth thomas' parents say they were not told another student saw him kissing her. the incident reportedly happened back in january. the two have now been missing for over a week. police have charged cummins with kidnapping and other charges. it was an amazing rescue caught on camera. the icy recovery that you can't miss. and we have it for you, coming up. you know how in gymnastics when you do a one-handed cartwheel and you have to spread the weight evenly between your fingers? i had two glasses of wine and fell into a door. >> that is ellen degeneres' story about how she broke a finger. tune in and set the dvr for 3:00 this afternoon right here onbc n

welcome back. the cost of living in our area is pretty high. we know this. but be glad you don't live in new york. >> well, yeah. a new report out this morning titled "worldwide cost of living 2017" puts it as one of the most expensive places to live. half are in asia, with singapore coming in as the number one spot there in new york city, ranked ninth most expensive. the report compares consumer prices of 160 products and services to come up with these rankings. at the bottom of the list, al maddie and kazakhstan. >> so you put in for transfer to kazakhstan. and you're good to go. >> right after the show. >> right after the show. virginia farmers keeping a close eye on their crops after

snowstorm. it could have an impact on popular blueberries. nbc's colleen quigley has a closer look. >> these would be multiple flowers, multiple blueberries and that causes the cluster. >> reporter: david and his family have been tended to these blueberry shrubs for 31 years. nearly 15 acres that make up swiss creek berry farm and greenhouse is a popular spot to pick your own blueberries. >> i like them fresh. >> reporter: before they're berries, they're buds. and with weather that's gone from 70 and sunny to whipping wind and sleet, he is taking stock of his crop. >> we see people wearing shorts out in february. that's not good for us. >> reporter: you see, the flowers typically bud in april, and peak season is early july. >> you can see some up top are starting to flower. >> but he says the warm weather caused the flowers to bud well ahead of schedule, which would have been fine, but this week's bi

risk and could even kill flowers that have already blossomed. >> the cold nights now in march can affect the blossoms. and if there is nothing to pollinate for the bees, we won't have any fruit. >> reporter: the farm loses some crop depending on the weather, but he says we won't know more until these flowers open up. >> you can cut them up and the inside of the flowers are brown. >> reporter: he is hoping overnight lows don't dip below the 20s. so for now, he and his family are watching and waiting. >> we're farmers. that's what we have to do. you know, it's mother nature. there is nothing we can do about it. >> and the dramatic swings in temperature also have an impact on area farmers. they're worried about their spring crops of peaches and cherries, like the cherry blossoms in d.c. some of their crops got confused and bloomed too soon. for farmers, this is where some of them the impact is costing them tens of thousands of dollars. >> the early varieties were actually

and they got blasted. >> and the local farmers say the apple and strawberry crops are holding up. but some fruit varieties may be harder to find. despite the setback, you shouldn't see higher prices at the fruit stand or farmer's market. >> are we in store for more sunshine today? we're definitely on the roller coaster. who would have thought we wanted february back? >> when it was 74 degrees. >> and december, why not? yeah, it was actually -- we have seen so much of a dramatic swing this month. we have had the coldest days or mild days. and, you know, the cherry blossoms they might need to watch out again thursday morning. we're going to be in the 20s thursday morning. tomorrow morning, it's going to feel like the 20s with the wind. so we have another dramatic swing in temperatures coming over the next couple days. today we're actually going to be right around the low 60s. and now if these clouds start to break, which right now they're a

we expect mostly cloudy days for -- mostly cloudy skies for most of the day today. once the clouds break, later this afternoon, that's when we'll start to warm up a bit. right now at 49 degrees. still fairly mild. but if you're exercising today, by noon, we should be in the 50s. by 5:00 p.m., low 60s with peaks of sunshine possible. and later on this evening, 60 degrees if you're exercising, dry and mild. no rain out of these clouds you see on satellite. they're kind of locked in for the moment. temperature wise, though, i mentioned the swing. normal high, 58 degrees. today woo we'll be a little bit above that. tomorrow, 46, 49. thursday, a windy day with temperatures in the 40s tomorrow. by friday, we start to rebound going into the weekend. take a look at our future feels-like temperatures this afternoon. feeling like the low 60s. tomorrow morning, feeling like the 20s. tomorrow afternoon, feeling like the 30s. and thursday morning, some areas could feel like the teens. so, yes,

today, though, around 63. mostly cloudy, mild. we go through the next several days. look at this swing in temperatures. 30s tomorrow morning. 20s thursday morning. then we're in the 70s on saturday. rain comes on sunday. >> all right. thank you very much, sheena. new video of an icy rescue. take a look at here in central park. a teenager who fell through thin ice has two nypd officers to thank for saving his ice. they slid him a ladder as the ice cracked. everyone's worst nightmare. the 16-year-old pulled out and rushed to a hospital. he's going to be okay. on sunday, two other teenagers also fell through the ice but were able to get out of the water on their own. do not go on to thin ice. >> oh, my goodness. earlier in the show, we told you about that rally for publicly funded broadcasting like pbs. we now have some video. after the rally started late. several families are there, so is the cat in the hat, the group says public broadcasting is very important, especially for k

president trump's proposed budget which would cut funding. baseball season almost here. you wouldn't know it by the weather. but you want to get ready for some unusual treats at the ballpark. >> it's making me hungry. i hear your stomach growling. we're going to explain it all wh "news4 midday" returnens.

man, i've got to take hold of the

eat eggs and go to work! >> that's a special rehearsal video from "a raisin in the sun." it's opening up later this month. one of the stars, will cobbs, joins me this morning with more on what audiences can expect. good morning. thanks for joining us. >> thanks for having me. thanks for having me. my pleasure. >> all right. so everybody knows about "a raisin in the sun," but you've got to make it fresh and new. tell us what we can expect when we come down to arena stage? >> you can expect an amazing show. the cast around me is incredible. mitchell is a legend on earth. joy jones is going to be amazing. and me, of course. expect to see me. the show is going to be -- this is the first time the arena stage has done "a raisin in the sun." they premiered the musical that moved to broadway. but this is the first time the

the sun." so that's super special. >> so the audience is not familiar with the play, give us a brief overview. >> so the play follows the younger family. when we meet them, the patriarch of the family, walter lee senior -- i play junior -- has passed on. and we are receiving his life insurance payout. $10,000, which at that time -- >> that's a lot of money. >> yeah, more like $80,000. and we -- it offers us the opportunity to change the situation. to change our lives. i have -- the idea of how i think we should do that. >> and the rest of the family. >> the rest of the family has other ideas. so we kind of -- so the story is really about that struggle, and how

future. >> and that's so relatable, still. >> oh, yeah. >> many people trying to figure out, hey, if i strike it rich, if i hit the lottery, or, hey, if i get a new job opportunity, that raise, that promotion, or something great happens, what do we do to change our circumstances? >> yeah. and particularly, you know, the thing that i find striking, and i think a lot of families can relate to, is this idea that somebody has to die for us to have the potential to grow. >> right. >> you know? there's something really sad and wrong with that. you know? but, yeah. >> what did you want to bring to this role personally? you're a morehouse man, from detroit. what do you want to bring to this character? >> for me, you know, when i think about the things that the other characters in the play say about walter, they

crazy. they call him bitter. they call him a lot of negative things. and those things aren't untrue. but for me, like, walter is filled with so much love and hope that that's what's driving -- you know, he has this line where he says, like, "bitter? i'm a volcano." >> oh. >> and that just rings out to me. because there's times when that volcano is quiet and brooding and times when it explodes. but it's filled with love. >> that sounds like it's going to be impactful at arena stage. it's so intimate. it's just a wonderful place. a venue to have such an emotional connection with the audience and with the talent on the stage. >> yeah. it's going to be done in the round. so we'll have the audience on all four sides, which is my favorite way to do it, because you getha

>> all over the place. >> all right. so we want to say you can see arena -- this play, "a raisin in the sun" at arena stage, march 31st through may 7th. so you've got some time. will cobbs, thank you. much success to your timing here in washington and beyond. we didn't eastbouven talk about other stuff, but people can read about it when they come see you. >> absolutely. >> back to you guys. they are the best team from our area in the ncaa tournament. the maryland women basketball team headed to the sweet 16. the terps play oregon this saturday. the ducks. if maryland wins, they'll likely face u-conn, one of the last four national championships. i heard they won the last 109 games. u-conn is tough. the nats, they're their season begins in less than two weeks. is that right? they open against the marlins. >> i know. so it seems fitting the nats are selling a miami south

this year. >> okay. >> the 18-inch hot dog was picked for usa today's, craziest ballpark food for this coming season. the south beach dog comes with onion strings and pine apple on top. you lost me at the pineapple. >> i could eat it. others include the marlins taco dog for those of us who can't decide. >> taco tuesday. >> that will work. >> the arizona diamondbacks are selling a chicken funnel cake sandwich with strawberry jam and syrup. >> and a spam grilled cheese sandwich. i think i'll pass on that last one. everything else on the list, bring it on. final check of your storm te 4 famor

at ikea, we believe that everything you need should be within reach. that anything that matches your taste can match your budget. that green living doesn't have to cost much green.

lways have room for the little things. and that your dream kitchen should work as hard as you do. save up to 20% at the ikea kitchen event.

. a new survey finds americans are more comfortable with their savings than in six years. but still not saving enough. while nearly half are saving, they're only putting aside 10% of their pay. a quarter are saving only 1 to 5%, while 21% aren't saving at all. the biggest reasons, lots of expensive in debt or haven't gotten around to it. ebay takes a shot at amazon, rolling out guaranteed delivery of three days or less. ebay will allow shoppers to search for products available for one or two-day delivery. that service comes at no additional cost.

you can cite this story the next time your boss says you're spending too much time talking at the water cooler. small talk is a good thing. a psychologist reported people who have more daily intersection with acquaintances were happier. small talk could even give you a brain boost. researchers at the university of michigan found that friendly social interaction can boost our ability to solveness pro. see that? >> yeah. i don't know. >> only with the right people. >> look at this. we're getting auto first look at one of the mascots for the winter olympics in south korea. this is a paralympic mascot. an asian black bear. the other is a white tiger. the winter games, less than a year away. >> very cool. while our cherry blossoms are still recovering from the frigid temperatures, japan, they're blooming. when five or

spring is declared. the country's meteorologists say blossoms are expected to be in full swing in a week to ten days. at least someone is getting to see the full bloom. it's kind of sad that we might not get them. >> i know. and sheena talked about the bad weather for the blossoms. >> let's check in with sheena, a final check of our forecast. >> you know, it doesn't look good tomorrow morning and especially on thursday morning. it's going to get windy and colder and we're looking at the 20s. so not good for the cherry blossoms. and i really feel bad for the people who are coming into town to see it. so we'll be watching it closely. for today, the clouds are going to hang around, mostly cloudy. sunshine this afternoon, jumping up to right around the low 60s. so tomorrow morning, much colder. today you don't need the winter jacket. but tomorrow morning, i think you might. 38 degrees in the morning. the wind will make it feel like the 20s. by the afternoon. mid 40s, windy and cold. but at least we'll stay nice and dry. thursday morning, look at that 28 degrees.

teens. not good for the cherry blossoms. we go into the weekend. look at that, on saturday, we rebound back to the mid 70s. quite the roller coaster ride in our ten-day forecast here. rain as we go into sunday. so if you are already making your weekend plans, it will be mild this weekend. but there is it rain the second half of your weekend. some could linger into early monday. we'll watch that closely. if you look at the next ten days, really the next couple of mornings are going to be our coldest, especially thursday morning. and like i mentioned, we'll be watching those cherry blossoms very closely. guys? >> all right, back and forth we go. thanks, sheena. that's it for "news4 midday." thank you so much for joining us. we are back on the air this afternoon first at 4:00. >> and you can get news and weather updates any time with the nbc washington app. have a great day. we'll see you in the morning.

y2ay1y y16fy

stand by, everyone. we're live in five, four, three, two, one. ♪ ♪ driving the edge of the night never let you go never let me down ♪ >> one week ago he was happeneding out his final rose. now he is showing off his moves in the ballroom. what did they think, kit? >> first of all, i think nick delivered. hello ballroom nick. take the shirt low and deep, tighten the pants. >> oh, yeah. >> he came out ready to party. >> isn't that the uniform that the shirt is -- the button is like down here o