picture-perfect >> announcer: news4 at 4:00 starts now. >> is america's front yard ready for a holiday steeped in tradition? >> the 95th annual christmas tree lighting now just about an hour away. >> and you're going to see the switch get flipped live on news4. doug kammerer is on the elipse and adam tuss is covering the traffic impact. >> first we begin with breaking news out of prince george's county this afternoon where police say a man dressed as a police officer sexually assaulted another man earlier r this week. >> a police just wrapped up a news conference where they say they arrested and charged 36-year-old michael bell of upper marlboro with first degree rain, second degree assault, and impersonating a police officer. police say he approached the man, offered him a ride. >> he is wearing a badge. he's got a flashlight out, much like a police officer would, and a badge that looks like a police officer badge. >> bell demands the victim give him the i.d. and he do a

down. >> police say the victim then accepted a ride, climbed bought sbak seat and forced him to perform sex acts. he took a picture of the license plate before calling 911. police believe there could be other victims. please give them a call if you know anything. >> new details now and new fallout from multiple ongoing stories surrounding sexual misconduct. >> tv, politics, now the music world all coming to terms with this new reality. we want to get you up to speed on this now. two lawmakers from both parties are dealing with this in two very different ways. michigan congressman john conyers from the hospital, vowing not to resign despite allegations from ex-staffers or texas congressman joe barton says he'll retire in life as a nude photo scandal. >> russell simmons stepped away from business venture after sexual allegations surfaced

today show host matt lauer. >> reporter: a day after viewers and coworkers learn the 20-year-long host matt lauer has been fired, he has broken his silence. he expressed sorrow for the pain he's caused writing, to the people i have hurt i am truly sorry. while he says some of what's being said about him is untrue, lauer admits there is some truth to leave him feeling embarrassed and a shamtd. he writes, repairing the damage will take a lot of time and soul searching and i'm committed to beginning that effort. it is now my full-time job. >> this is a sad morning here at today. >> reporter: nbc news fired lauer 24 hours after a female employee made an allegation of inappropriate behavior against him. two more women have come forward to the company also accusing lauer of inappropriate sexual behavior. "the new york times" reports a former employee alleges the anchor sexually assaulted her in his office

the two-month investigation variety magazine published a report describing a pattern of alleged sexual misconduct by lauer with three women telling the magazine lauer sexually harassed them. that report also says several women say they complained to nbc executives about lauer. they allege those complaints were ignored. nbc news responded in a statement, we can say unequivocally that prior to monday night, current nbc news management was never made aware of any complaints about matt lauer's conduct. one of lauer's former colleagues offered support to his accuser. >> the story today is the courage of a colleague who did come forward. >> reporter: nbc news confirms the alleged inappropriate behavior which led to lauer's dismissal began at the 2014 olympics in russia and continued after that. chris palone, nbc news, new york. >> now the developing news from the music world. award winning music mogul russell simmons is stepping down from the company he founded.

he forced her to have sex with him in 1981. allegations were made earlier this month. the co-founder apologized saying he had a different recollection of the encounter. but he said that it's clear she felt fear and intimidation. simmons says his companies will now be run by a new group of executives. >> top ranking lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are now calling on congressman john conyers to resign amid allegations of sexual misconduct. today house minority leader nancy pelosi and house speaker paul ryan both said they think he should resign immediately. meanwhile, conyers's office has confirmed the michigan democrat is in a detroit area hospital. aides says it's due to all the stress related to this. conyers is facing increasing bipartisan calls to step down after several former aides accuse him of inappropriate sexual behavior. conyers' attorney says he is innocent

resign. >> it looks like secretary of state rex tillerson still has a job at the state department. but president trump gave a rather vague answer today when asked about tillerson's future. the topic came up during media coverage of trump meeting with the crown prince of bahrain in the oval office. several administration officials have told nbc news that the white house is considering a plan to replace tillerson with cia director mike pompeo. president trump would only say, quote, he's here. >> mr. president, should rex tillerson on the job? >> he's here, rex is here. >> today white house press secretary sarah sanders said there are no personnel announcements to make at this time and that tillerson continues to lead the state department. >> only on news4, video that will make any parent cringe. punching, strangling, hair pulling. we first told you about big fights breaking out at g

week. well, now we are seeing more video. and it is tough to watch. chris gordon has new reaction today, and some say school officials aren't doing enough to stop this. chris? >> reporter: erika, we were sent nine videos from a source who is employed here at gaithersburg high school, saying that they show students fighting inside the school and on school grounds. now, we have been told that the videos were shot by students on their cell phones and posted by students on social media. there is an instagram page dedicated exclusively to gaithersburg high fights on which students share the videos. now, we have not independently verified when these videos were taken, but our source who works here at the school says they are recent and show current students fighting. our source doesn't want to be identified, fearing violence, saying the school administration isn't doing enough to stop it.

>> i think the excess of the amount of fights that are going on, the fact the kids are videotaping the fights instead of trying to break it up, the level of violence the videos contain and the most important the teachers at the school knowing that these fights are happening or if our students are the ones involved in the fights. >> reporter: now, within the past hour, i asked a spokesman for the montgomery county public school system if the school board is aware of these videos. and if so, what they are doing to try to stop the fighting here at gaithersburg high school. >> like any school across the country, our school including gaithersburg is not immune from student conflict and student altercations. we are aware of these issues and our administrative team at gaithersburg high school is addressing each and every one of them to ensure that our schools are safe and they're safe places to learn and that our staff is safe. >> reporter: he tells me that the principal here is

them that all fights have to be reported immediately for disciplinary action to be taken. that's the latest live from gaithersburg high school. erika, back to you. >> chris gordon, thank you. >> it's been a record day on wall street. the dow and s&p 500 both hit all-time highs. the markets have just closed. preliminary numbers show the dow closing about 330 points higher. the s&p 500 gained 22. that's the best day since march. and the nasdaq is up 50. analysts credit the rally today to growing confidence that the senate will pass that republican tax reform bill. >> the annual national christmas tree will be lit live here on news4 in an hour. >> here's a live look coming up at the tree on the elipse. the president and first lady are expected to attend the ceremony this afternoon. >> and

for us. we want to start with chief meteorologist doug kammerer. hey, doug. >> what a great day. i believe this is the seventh time i've done this event and this is the warm est by far. you can tell i don't have a coat on right now. a lot of people walking around without coats. it is going to get cold once the sun goes down. the coats will be coming on. years past we've seen rain, we've seen temperatures in the 20s. i remember one year where we had long lines for hot chocolate that they were giving out for free. so, that's not necessary this year. we're looking at a very nice night. you can see the tree right there, a 32-foot colorado blue spruce. that tree going to be lit just after the 5:00 hour. you also see the stage there. a lot of great acts are going to be there including wynonna is going to be there, the beach boys, i'm excited to see the beach boys, i've seen them a few times. you can see the white house including the motorcade. the president will be getting into that motorcade right around the 5:00 hour. we'll track the motorcade coming down then we'll be ready for the lights to come on. be

we'll be with you throughout the three hours. performances go all the way through 6:00 to make sure you stay with us the next couple hours. the forecast now temperature wise, hey, on the mild side. temperatures sblot mid to upper 50s. and we're going stie there the next one to two hours before temperatures start to drop into the 40s. we're also tracking a chance for some rain. some shower activity back to the west, this is something we're going to watch tonight. but i don't think it's going to affect any activities the next couple of hours. you can take a look at the tree lighting forecast as temperatures will be dropping the next few hours. yes, the jackets will be necessary. i've got the gloves as well, but i don't think i'll need the hats tonight as we move on throughout the rest of the night tonight. much cooler air. cooler air coming in over the next couple of days, and a big-time pattern change. we are talking frigid air over the next few days as well. we'll talk more about that coming up a little bit more in weather. but right now weather and traffic, we don't get to be together very often. weather and traffic. adam tuss talking about the traffic around this area. what's up, adam?

we're always together in our hearts. let me show you what's going on where you are on 14th and pennsylvania avenue. the traffic control officers are working hard out here. this is my man from vdot. he's actually on the job a couple weeks and keeping things moving out here. i've got to tell you, i've seen it worse down here for the tree lighting than it is right now. of course it's pretty heavy right now. we're getting into the rush hour period. you're looking at the traffic that is coming southbound on 14th street and right here at pennsylvania avenue. and then swinging around and we'll see the traffic that is moving outbound out of the city. it's moving pretty well right now. vdot put new tactics this year. they're putting in turn lanes to keep things moving. take a look at the map. we'll show you how the closures are affecting the toll area around the elipse. we're talking 15th street, 17th street, constitution avenue, those are places you definitely want to avoid. as the traffic starts to pickup we get into 5:00 and 6:00. this is an area to avoid. be aware if you're taking any metro buses that

issue because they'll get stuck in traffic. i've seen it worse. i have seen it worse. so, that is a good thing. erika and pat, back to you in the studio. >> so you're saying things are good. we're in good shape. thank you, adam. >> thank you, adam. >> we invite you to stay with us throughout the evening as we share the festivities and performances with you live. we'll show you the second the lights flip. >> meanwhile from lights to your holiday cards, we know you want toes to be picture-perfect. consumer reporter susan hogan is looking at the best companies for your holiday photo printing. >> the porch pirates are ready to pounce. the bizarre video of thieves moving in on not one, but two homes with some unusual tactics. >> and scammers targeting your parents and your grandparents over the phone. we're working for you. how to avoid falling victim to

one celebrity made off like a bandit in her pre-pre-nup agreement. i'm tommy mcfly with your celebrity 60. matt sherzer and wife erica welcomed their daughter erica may. she's most definitely a nats fan. jay z. opened up to the "the new york times" about being unfaithful to beyonce. e

emotionally. and the hardest thing is to see the pain on someone else's face that you caused. cover story comes out in early december. and call it a pre-pre-nup, mariah carey making off with 5 to $10 million from her former fiance james packer. she wanted 50 million as an inconvenience fee. not sure if it's brilliant or terrible, but it's mariah carey's world and we're all just loving it. i'm tommy mcfly with your celebrity 60 on nbc4. >> quietly rolled my eyes. okay. >> if social media is any indication, a lot of you took photos over the thanksgiving holiday and you plan to turn those into holiday cards. >> not all are picture-perfect. susan hogan is working for you to help you find the best quality prints. >> that's right. consumer reports checked out 10 online photo printing

ordering experience to editing options to cost and, of course, quality. which of these photos is worthy of your family holiday card? >> the big take away is price doesn't determine quality. >> walgreens and add-a-rama have the best prints. but wal-mart and amazon had excellent quality for only 9 cents each. at the bottom of consumer reports' ratings were photos from m picks. >> we found that the lower quality prints were less saturated, were less clear and a little bit muddy. >> but all photos examined were still better and cheaper than using most home printers. consumer reports also looked at online editing options like auto cropping, a feature that should enhance a photo, but -- >> some photos were actually cropped so severely that it cut off people's heads. >> some good advice to follow, review your order closely before

so, we reached out to m picks the company at the bottom of consumer reports ratings. they sent a lengthy statement saying in part, we sfrongly refute the findings of this report. we exclusively print on professional grade papers and employ a highly experienced team that individually color corrects every image that comes through our doors. our culture is built upon a commitment to quality and we hold ourselves to an extremely high standard. one more thing to keep in mind when you're ordering photos. shipping costs, look for free shipping or in-store pickup. you will definitely save some money on that. if it doesn't say free shipping, so many do. >> great tips. i haven't done mine. she's ahead of the game. >> i did them on black friday when they offered free shipping. they had 20% off and the first thing you do is check everybody's heads there and are there any typos. we're good to go. >> thanks, susan >> time to get busy. >> thank you. >> back to another favorite holiday tradition. w

to the national christmas tree lighting. >> chief meteorologist doug kammerer is there again this year near the white house, and doug, you mentioned earlier the mercury is going to dip a little for us tonight. >> yeah, a little bit. i'll tell you, this is fantastic out here right now. temperatures today into the mid 50s, upper 50s in many areas, even near 60 degrees. watching everybody still coming in. you can see the crowds here continuing to come in. they are expecting 12 to 15,000 people. many of the people here that are in the seats out in front of the stage here, but also all around the outside barriers here, a lot of people there as well. we're going to continue to watch that. as you look also, you see the media up here, but you also see all the people that are continuing to make their way in here as this starts to get going right around the 5:00 hour. it all depends on that guy up there, mr. president, who will be coming out of the white house right around 5:00 in the motorcade making his way down here to the stage and then flipping on the lights right around 5:05 is what we're told. a lot of times that happens a litt

be tracking. you can see a look at the stage there, the navy band, they're here just about every single year. they do a great job. a lot of acts will be here as well. this is all hosted by kathie lee gifford and dean kaine. kathie lee gifford from the today show, the 4th hour of today show. and dean kaine, superman, baby, superman. love that guy. all right, let's show you what's happening weather wise across our area. it has been a nice afternoon with the temperatures into the 50s. as we move on through the rest of the night, graphics, we're looking at the temperatures that will be going down the next few hours but not all that bad. into the 40s by 9:00, 10:00, 11:00, as we move tlhrough the day tomorrow, temperatures will be on the cooler side. first let's talk about the current temperatures. sitting at 55 degrees in leesburg, 57 fort belvoir. radar will be an issue. we're clear, no problems tonight. but notice the rain making its way in from the west. that rain making its way in from west virginia. something else we'll be watching herwe

tonight, most likely those showers coming in the 10:00, 11:00 hour into the district, it's not going to be a lot of rain. afrm this we'll see cooler pattern shaping up. next week a major pattern change. temperatures on the mild side with temperatures 52 or higher through the weekend. next weekend or next week, that cold air comes down and by the end of next week we are talking about frigid conditions, turning much colder. we are going to see not just a pattern change but we're looking at more frequent storms and that could mean a chance for some rain or snow. and of course we'll continue to track that. 55 on your friday. 52 on saturdays. sunday coming in at 56 degrees. a very nice weekend. a little cool on saturday but not bad. and then there is the ten-day forecast. notice the warm up. monday, tuesday, wednesday not bad. and then the cold air coming in next thursday, friday and saturday. and, yes, tracking the storm system. right now not too worried about it but it is something we're going to continue to watch here. the colder air definitelyak

fortunately it is not here tonight. although after this hit the sun is going down. the coats coming on, gloves probably coming on, too. i'm not a wimp, but the gloves are coming on, too. >> it will feel a little like the holidays, a little like christmas. >> yeah, we need it to be a little bit cooler for this, don't we? >> yes, absolutely. we won't call you a wimp until we see you with a cup of coco. >> that's right. >> thank you, doug. born and reared in prince george's county, now he's working for the nfl and his star is on the rise. meet the local man forbes magazine singled out for its annual 30 under 30 list. >> the best way to beat the flu, finding the right remedy can be confusing we'll help. y

it's a big honor for a young man from this area. he's just been named to forbes 30 under 30. >> that's right. shomari stone caught up with a prince george's county native accomplishing a lot at a young age. >> reporter: the man on the move. as he arrives on an amtrak train from y

>> new york is awesome. >> reporter: after appearing at the nasdaq closing bell. what was going through your mind at that moment? >> what an honor, surprised, giddy. i never thought i'd be in times square ringing the nasdaq closing bell. >> reporter: the 29-year-old was invited because he made the forbes 30 under 30 list in the sports category. he contacted me on social media. >> i thought you would do a good job telling my story. >> reporter: he was raised by his mother in prince george's county. he graduated from high point high school and bowie state university. forbes honored him for his work with the nfl players association. he manages athletes off the field, placing them in internships at companies, and helping them to return to school to finish their education. >> a number of guys, the redskins you may know, jameson crowder, frances. >> that's my daddy, yea. >> reporter: his mother is

happy for him because i know how hard this road has been for him. >> reporter: he wasn't always happy. he grew up without a father. >> it was encouragement, using that, as a chip on my shoulder in a positive way. >> reporter: he cares for his son carter. he'll teach him and others to focus on education. to stay on the right track. >> i can use this honor, this opportunity that i've been blessed with to encourage another kid. >> reporter: the forbes 30 under 30 edition will be sold at magazine stands and book stores in about three weeks. congratulations, dior. i'm shomari stone, news4. >> wonderful story. >> absolutely. congratulations to him. >> first at 4:00, your first look at a fun new holiday hot spot. >> anything but hot actually. we're going to take you inside the l

>> they are about to flip

if you're just joining us, the big day is here. live pictures from the elipse where they are about to flip the switch on the national christmas tree. >> they're going to be lighting up the night with lights and music and doug kammerer is there to bring us all the

that all of us will be paying next year. >> republicans appear poised to pass the massive tax overhaul. the plan is to have it on president trump's desk before christmas. blayne alexander is tracking developments on the hill for us today. blayne? >> reporter: well, erika, pat, no word on the exact timing of that vote just yet, but republicans are optimistic and that's so much so that the house has changed its schedule next week to come back a day early. so confident this will pass the senate and once again be in their hands to come up with a halftime version. -- with a final version. republicans starting the day on a high note. >> we're going down the homestretch headed toward the finish line. >> that deal was cutback there in senator mcconnell's office. >> reporter: and tax reform is debated on the senate floor. senator john mccain previously a hold out. >> we'll let you know. >> reporter: today announcing the plan is not perfect but he supports it. the nonpartisan congressional

the republican plan middle class and poor americans will fare worse paying more taxes over a decade while the wealthy will pay less. despite president trump insisting that's not the case. >> believe me, belief. this is not good for me. >> reporter: the senate focused on tax reform today, but lawmakers reacting to new reports of a possible cabinet shake up. the secretary of state rex tillerson could be fired as early as next month and replaced by the cia director mike pompeo who would then be replaced by senator tom cotton. >> i don't think secretary tillerson is getting ready to be youfted. >> i would support mike pompeo over rex tillerson. >> reporter: asked today about tillerson's future? >> chief of staff kelly called our department this morning and said that the rumors are not true. >> do you want rex tillerson on the job, mr. president? >> rex is here. >> reporter: president trump stopping short of praising him. >> thank you, everybody. thank you. >> reporter: and then, of

government shut down. that deadline is next friday. lawmakers are currently working out a deal to give themselves an additional two weeks to pass the budget. pat, erika? >> blayne alexander on the hill for us today. blayne, thank you. want to show you some new video now. thieves caught stealing packages. they're called porch pirates. this thief wasn't shy. he breaks this box, steals the diapers inside. this happened on halloween the 1400 block of 13th street. that look-out guy dashed next door where he stole packages from that front porch, too. police hope somebody recognizes these guys and calls them. >> all right. so, here's what you can do to protect your presents. sign up for alerts. some carriers offer text or even e-mail alerts to let you know when a delivery is going to be made. require

especially when you have a big ticket item. consider sending your packages to your work address. maybe something to think about. >> we are counting down to a tradition that is sure to get you into the holiday spirit. in less than an hour now, the president will set the national christmas tree a glow. but the ceremony just started. >> and getting in on the festive fun, chief meteorologist doug kammerer. doug joining us. now he has the coat on. so, the folks behind you, they have their coats tonight as well? >> yeah, everybody has their coats on. the coats are on, the gloves for sure. once that sun goes down, it definitely cools. feels like it's ten degrees cooler than it was 15, 20 minutes ago. we had the sun making its way down. temperatures today got into the mid to upper 50s. it was really quite nice. it's going to get a lot cooler as we move through the next couple days. they're starting to show now, right now they're starting to show. they have the u.s. navy band. the

they'll ask if we're ready for a great show. then we yell, yes! the motorcade starting to move now. i don't know if that means they're coming down here. normally when that starts to move, we know we're getting a lot closer. it is just after the 4:30 hour. the motorcade now starting to make its way down here. maybe we'll get this thing on time. supposed to be the around the 5:05 hour. much more on the weather, the performances coming up. we'll send it back to you. >> we'll see you, doug. >> thanks, doug. >> the cowboy rivals on the road. >> there is a lot on the line. news4's sheree burruss joins us from texas to tell us what to expect tonight. sheree? >> reporter: pat, we are expecting to see two teams come out here and play for their postseason lives. for the redskins this is not going to be an easy place to play. they are entering a hostile environment herein

redskins team before, they proved they can win in some of the toughest stadiums. the redskins are playing on a thursday night for a second straight week. they are coming off a thanksgiving win against the giants and they'll try and knock off another division rival. this time on the road at at&t stadium which makes this challenge even more difficult. >> any time you go on the road you want to go into whoever's place, you know, try to turn that place into your home. try to silence the crowd. >> we have to make sure we answer their momentum with momentum of our on and try to maintain that level of consistency throughout the course of the game. >> reporter: and if the redskins strike early taking the temperature of these dallas cowboy fans, if the redskins get that lead early, they will have no problem taking the crowd out of this game. live from at&t stadium, sheree burruss, news4 sports. >> all right, going to be an exciting night. thank you, sheree. >> thanks, sheree. you can watch right here

thursday night. football coverage starts at 7:30 with kickoff an hour later, 8:25. >> a frantic phone call, a desperate plea. but the person on the phone may not be who they say they are. a consumer alert about a scam that could target one of your older loved ones. >> what's the igloo doing in the middle

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breaking right now, massage envy just sent a letter to its customers apologizing for a nationwide scandal. at least 180 people have filed sex assault civil lawsuits against the company. moments ago massage envy ceo sent an e-mail saying they are comb pleating a comprehensive review of every one of its therapists. they are going to share plans about changes they are making early next week. >> now an important consumer

elderly in a scam. in at least two occasions in the past two weeks a scammer pretended to be the victim's grandchild who was in jail in another state and needed money from the grandparent to secure a bond. in both cases the victim then followed instructions from a fake attorney to buy $5,000 worth of gift cards. the victims then gave the card numbers to that fake attorney. these kinds of phone scams are not unique to montgomery county. for tips on ways to protect yourself, search scam in the nbc washington app. when you catch a cold, you want medicine that will get you back on track fast. >> that's easier said than done. no two flu remedies are the same, but we're going to help you clear up the confusion. >> and right now on storm team4 radar, doug and i keeping a close eye on this rain push into west virginia. when it arrives tonight coming up at 4:45.

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there are four things to know this afternoon. former today show host matt lauer apologized today for inappropriate sexual conduct that led to his termination. this as several more women come forward saying lauer behaved inappropriately around them. lauer says some of the claims are mischaracterized. prince george's county police say a man was assaulted by another man who was pretending to be a police officer. they say the victim was forced to perform sex acts in the back of his fake police cruiser. police now have the suspect in custody, but they think there may be other victims. >> primetime rivalry, the redskins are in dallas. they're getting ready to take on the cowboys. coverage starts at 7:30 right after nbc nightly news. and we are minutes away from from the -- wait, that's it? is the

not yet. it looks it. the national christmas tree lighting. pretty soon here, minutes away. you're looking at these live pictures. it will be president trump and the first lady's first time leading the tradition. we're going to bring it all to you live right here on news4. don't go anywhere. >> we are also getting the first sneak peek at another unique and special holiday display in downtown d.c. >> 94.7 fresh fm tommy mcfly is here to take us inside a life size igloo. you're at the cool bars. now you're at an igloo. what's the deal, man? >> hey, erika, pat, this is the only all-ice igloo in the d.c. area. it is totally free to come and enjoy. over 35,000 pounds of ice made this all happen, and oh, my goodness, it's right in the middle of city center d.c., all weekend long tomorrow and saturday and sunday you can make

it out. get a bunch of incredible selfies. a igloo in such a nice neighborhood of city center, it had to be porsche ash and swank inside. check it out. >> everything in the igloo has to be basically waterproof because it will drip during the day. the carpet is totally indoor/outdoor carpet. it's an easy -- it won't get dirty easy. it won't fall apart easy. >> did you want to hang anything on the walls or were you given restrictions you couldn't do? >> we can't hang anything on the walls. everything leans in. we couldn't place furniture close to the walls because you can't get up without hitting the ceiling. so, it's a tight space, but it makes for an awesome little hang out. i think what

city center has put this together for the community and i think that that's what's -- that's what a that that's what's great. that's why we wanted to partner with them on this. >> it's totally free all weekend long. 25 feet reindeer here at city center d.c. we were looking around and saying, isn't it 60 degrees this weekend? we have the science behind it. coming up on news4 at 5:00. >> all right, tommy. it would be really cool if they could figure out a way to heat that thing. i know that won't work. we're talking about an igloo. but i'm just saying it would be cool. >> tommy mcfly, thank you. >> thank you. >> a local doctor busted by the feds for writing fake prescriptions. >> jim handly in the newsroom now with a look at that and what's coming up at 5:00. hey, jim. >> hi, pat and erika. this is a widespread case involving employees at two hooters restaurants and a doctor at an urgent care facility.

ahead at 5:00 tonight, what we're learning about this case from our mark segraves who was in the courtroom today with the suspect. plus, new developments in a consumer investigation you'll see only on news4 this evening. a local mover accused of ripping off customers. today he faced a judge. the outrageous claim he made to our susan hogan after that hearing today. we'll see you for those stories plus a good deal more and we are counting down with the one and only doug kammerer at the national christmas tree at the white house on the elipse. >> all right, thank you, jim. first at 4:00, as the sun goes down, it's almost time to light up the national christmas tree. >> and we're live with team coverage for all the fun. amelia joins us in just a minute with your forecast. >> first let's get to doug and find out how things are going down there. doug? >> yeah, guys, things are going great down here. jim handly just said the one and only doug kammerer. i am a second. my father is doug kammerer. there is a guy, water management guy in minneapolis,mi

anyway, let's take a look and show you what's going on right now. they are starting the program. this is the pre-show program. the actual program gets started at about 5:00 when kathie lee gifford comes out and dean kaine. now, they have moved the president from the white house. he is now right behind the stage right now. so, that's something that we're watching to see when he's going to come up because once he comes up that's when we know very quickly it's going to happen where he comes up and turns on the light, flips the switches. you can see the lie -- the tree rather lit up in blue. later on all those lights go on. thousands and thousands of lights. these are all l.e.d. lights which is fantastic for the environment they say. i think 7,000 tons, they save, as far as carbon dioxide going into the atmosphere. good news there at least from a weather perspective. we're at the white house for lights. if you want me to come to your house and show your lights, we're starting next thursday, a week from today. i'm going to be out in people's front yards talking about the lights they have. if you have a great house or you know of a great house you want me to come to, go ahead

#dougsholidaylights on the nbc washington facebook page. go to facebook.com/doug kammerer. let's go to amelia. one thing i notice here, the sun made its way down. the clouds are moving in now. we're starting to see the clouds move in. still mild, but the clouds eventually going to lead to some shower activity as we move through the rest of the evening hours. >> exactly, doug. we were talking about that this afternoon when we were putting together the forecast. the showers moving in once the christmas tree lighting is over. we will tell you what's happening in your neighborhood. notice light rain in parts of winchester, frederick and hagerstown. as we move towards 9:00 p.m., that rain moves toward the east. very light in nature. i think barely enough to even wet the ground or cause any impressive or even moderate delays on area roads. but we are tracking right at 9:00 p.m. parts of montgomery, fauquier and prince william

7:00 a.m. on your friday -- friday finally here. it's going to be a nice start tomorrow. we keep it dry throughout the day. right now temperatures coming in in the 50s. 58 degrees in washington and again like doug said, the clouds have moved in. some rain for the evening, but no rain in the forecast tomorrow as we close out the workweek. it is cool at 7:00 a.m., 43 degrees, but still nice for the first day of december. it's dry at lunch. 52, a high tomorrow of 55. still nice a bit breezy throughout the day tomorrow. tomorrow night if you have dinner plans out, a heads up, it is going to become chilly, you'll want the warmer jacket as you make your way to dinner or party or friends house. saturday a temperature of 52 degrees. we have the girls on the run 5k in frederick. i'll be out there helping the kickoff the festivities. temperatures right around 40 for the 5k there. sunday a great difficult to get the tree, hang the holiday

lights. or if you're attending the tree lighting, comfortable and nice mid 50s. as you look to tuesday and wednesday there is the chance of rain. and then we're tracking a big change in the weather. next thursday a high around 41. next friday a high temperature, pat, of only 38 degrees. so, some cooler air finally moving in. >> sounds like weather that causes colds and flu, amelia. >> just what we want. >> really? we're working for you sorting through cold medicine confusion. >> the last thing you want is to be at the drugstore and have to make some sort of complicated decision. nbc's erica edwards has a look at your options. >> reporter: navigating a drugstore's cold and flu medicine aisle can be dizzying, especially when a virus already has you feeling blurry. >> there are hundreds of products on store shelves and an incredible amount of confusion. >> reporter: to clear things up, consumer reports has published a primer on

product labels. if you have a nasty cough, it will encourage you to cough more to get rid of extra phlegm and mucus. if your cough is more annoying, you may opt for a cough suppressant. that blocks the cough reflex. watch for the pain reliever acetaminophen. if you're looking at multi symptom products. >> acetaminophen shows up in all these different products. sometimes when you don't really need it, it's ease toy get too much -- easy to get too much of. that's what we're concerned about. >> reporter: acetaminophen can cause liver damage. anything labeled severe suggests the manufacturer added an extra ingredient. so, a detailed read of the labels is a good idea. also remember, the kitchen can be just as good as the drugstore at treating cold symptoms. >> we recommend highly chicken soup the research on it is terrific. >> reporter: hot chicken soup may reduce inflammation in the

body. erica edwards, nbc news. >> and right now we're going to take you live to the elipse where it is about to be lit up for the holidays. the first family just arriving. >> that's right. we are minutes away from it. we have live team coverage for you from downtown. stay with us.

only on news4 tonight, chaos on school grounds. >> they know that there's no consequence for what they do. >> from punching to hair pulling, the fears of a local high school after a series of big fights between students. >> plus, a local mover accused of ripping off customers, his surprising comments to our susan hogan after his day in court. >> were you just in court? >> no. >> you were not just in court? >> no. for what? >> plus the wrong side of the law, the man accused of posing a as police officer now under a

>> and matt lauer, breaking his silence. his first public comment about the allegations of inappropriate sexual behavior that led to his firing from nbc news >> plus news4 live at the lighting of the national christmas tree. the big count down expected in just a few minutes. >> and we've got it covered from the lighting ceremony to the traffic gridlock. >> and we'll get to all that in just a bit. but right now at 5:00, head locked in the hallways, new concerns tonight over an outbreak of fights at gaithersburg high school. >> tonight we got our hands on some new and disturbing video. countless brawls happening inside the school and outside the school. fists flying, hair pulling, and other students recording it all on their smartphones. news4's chris gordon is in gaithersburg with a story you'll see only on news4. >> reporter: erika and jim, our source here at gaithersburg high school says the students are

taking videos and doing nothing to break the fights up. we are told that teachers and staff are being kept in the dark about the fights and learning about them sometimes from students. we were sent nine videos from a source who is employed at gaithersburg high school, saying the videos show students fighting inside the school and on school grounds. we are told that the videos were shot on student's cell phones and posted by students on social media. we have not independently verified when these videos were taken, but our source who works in the school says they are recent and show current students fighting. our source doesn't want to be identified, fearing violence, saying some students are out of control. >> the kids, they know that there's no consequence for what they do or if there are, they're very minimal and they don't match the actual act that they did or the behavior they