toll prices climb to more than $30 on the new express lanes on 66. we've been driving the lanes all morning. a look at what commuters can expect. and an early morning tweet. president trump endorses roy moore for the alabama senate seat. why he's coming out for the embattled republican now. >> and although we have clouds around we are already warming up pretty quickly. wait until you see how mild it will be over the next couple of days before rain and colder weather. >> news 4 midday starts now. good morning, everybody. i'm melissa molette. >> i'm

people in several buildings at montgomery county college in germantown are being evacuated because of a broken gas line. fear fighters and crews are on the scene. montgomery county fire says one of the evacuated buildings includes a child care center. it looks like work is being dug into the ground there. a bus shelter has to be e vas evacuated, as well. roads are closed around observation drive. look for updates on the situation in the nbc washington app. and now to an unwelcome surprise for a lot of commuters this monday morning as they tried to ride the new tolls on i-66. >> the tolls are now closed until the afternoon, but earlier prices soared above $30 just to ride between the beltway and rosalynn. >> news 4's jessica finch has been riding it all morning and joins us

area. >> reporter: the i-66 lanes and now solo drivers have rush hour access to route 29, a privilege that comes with a price determined by dynamic tolling or pricing based on traffic flow. for example, 66 west to d.c. at about 6:00 a.m. was an estimated $11 based on vdot's express lane's app. two hours later, same trip, $25.50, more than twice the price. waiting to collect from driver's easy passes. what we saw throughout the morning rush hour is what we saw right now. traffic moving smoothly on 66 east even as the toll rates rose into the tens of dollars. >> i just bought a motor bike, and got a motorcycle license and i'm riding it for free. that's an option. another way to ride free, carpooling with your easy pass flex, just make sure you're set to the

are in the car. >> it's beneficent for the persons going alone. >> reporter: difficult as the morning ride marched on. back to the app here, riding to the beltway north, a solo driver could have paid $30 just after 8:30 a.m. tolls run weekdays from 5:30 to 9:30 a.m. going east. on day one. vdot is bracing for the rollout to be an adjustment. >> we encourage people to take the time to understand what's happening, get their easy pass and prepare and to please be patient. >> the patience is really going to be key here because as we saw this morning those tolls began to build and build and build, and it really jumped by peak rush hour after 8:30 or so. i'm told that's kind of how it's planned out as demand increases on '66. the price for the tolls is going to rise. it is very important if you want to avoid

metro, find another way or plan your route early. starting earlier was less in the end when you cross those tolls. we are live in 66. i'm justin finch, back in to you. >> people aren't going to be happy about paying those tolls. >> it is bad. >> justin finch, thank you. now to our weather, today is expected to be the nicest day of the week. meteorologist sheena parveen joins us with a look at today's forecast and when conditions will start going downhill. >> downhill in the form of rain tomorrow and those will be dropping off by the end of the week and we'll talk about that, but for now, we have hazy sunshine out there. we have these low clouds around. they're causing a bit of a cloudiness right now, but the temperatures are still rising, 49 degrees currently and as we go through the afternoon, the suburbs will be in the mid-50s and some spots in the mid to upper 50s and today we do stay dry. tomorrow, however, we're

watching rain approach the area and i'll show you the timing of that in just a bit and the cold blast will follow and stake around for the weekend straight ahead. >> thank you, sheena. we're following a developing story in laurel. a woman hit by this car in critical condition according to prince georges county police and this happened on conte road. if you're familiar with the area that's near deerfield run elementary school. officers found the victim in the middle of the road. the motorist did stay at the scene. a fourth man will go before the judge in the murder of two high school students. police arrested rohny galicia. according to police new dna evidence links him to the murder of shadi najjar and artem ziberov. back in june the teens were shot to death in montgomery village. i

high school graduation. police believe the killings were retaliation for a robbery. najjar was rumored to be involved in. new this morning president trump tweeted his support for alabama senate candidate roy moore. he said republicans need moore's vote to pass things like tax reform. moore is accused of sexual misconduct with teenage girls and this was trump's biggest endorsement of moore so far. moore thanked the president for his support on twitter. meanwhile today, house republicans are beginning the next step on reconciling the plan with the senate. >> they hope to have a compromised bill to president trump by the end of the week. tracie potts explains how different the two bills are and why it will make compromising difficult. >> reporter: this week the first step to merge two tax plans into one, selecting which lawmakers go behind closed doors to hash out a compromise. >> we'll be able to g

conference. i'm very optimistic about it. >> reporter: there are differences. the house version has four tax break eshths t brackets and the senate has seven and it eliminates deducting any medical expenses. the senate gets rid of the mandate to buy health insurance. >> we're not that far apart. >> plus there are special projects that got jammed in last minute. >> we'll find stinky stuff in here that we didn't know. >> the public didn't know that one of president trump's latest tweets on the russia investigation was actually written by his lawyer. it claimed the president knew former national security adviser mike flynn lied to the fbi before flynn resigned. it could have a major impact on congressional investigations. >> i think what we're beginning to see is the putting together of a case of obstruction of justice. >> was this directed by the president? if so, what are the consequences of that. >> president trump playing defense all weekend on ter

denying he ever asked former fbi director james comey to back off the flynn investigation as lawmakers wonder whether there's more to come and when. >> this fbi investigation shaking things up here in washington. so far, four people connected to the trump campaign are charged. tracie potts, nbc news, washington. and the former host of "access hollywood" is firing back at donald trump over the infamous tape where the president can be heard bragging about inappropriately grabbing women. there are reports president trump has privately questioned whether the voice on the tape is really his. in a "new york times" op ed article billy bush said of course, he said it and he laughed along and there were every other guy were laugh. bush was fired because of that tape. new york's

conductor james levine while it investigates allegations of three men. the opera company told nbc news it first became aware of the allegations when police opened an investigation in october 2016. he's been the met's conductor for more than 40 years. he's not commented publicly on these accusations. the short list is out. a look at the top contenders for "time's" person of the year. president trump is on his way to utah. he is expected to make an announcement about land currently protected. several native american tribes onsider the areac

court is taking on some big cases. >> the biggest issues has to do with gambling and weddings. this morning the court heard a case that could legalize sports betting nationwide. it's possible a ruling could break nevada's decades-long monopoly on legal sports betting. new jersey governor chris christie argues the state should be able to decide the issue and not the federal government. >> tomorrow the high court will take on a case involving a colorado baker who says he could not make a wedding cake for a same-sex couple because of his religious beliefs. the civil rights lawyer says the case similar to a discrimination of the 1960

barbecue spot in north carolina which would not serve african-americans citing rell ij us beliefs. the first medical marijuana dispensary will be closed after they try to restock after a big opening weekend. we saw those long lines when the crews went to the grand opening on friday. the facility is only allowed to sell five pounds at a time from one of maryland's 15 licensed growers. the store says they expect to receive more supply by mid-week. other candidates in november's elections in virginia now requesting a recount. it's in a race that could determine control of richmond's lower chamber. democrat joshua cole has filed for a recount in the 28th district for the virginia house of delegates. that includes sanford county. he lost to bob thomas by two votes. candidates in two other tight races have also filed for recount. >> the fight over the

travel ban is back in court this week. the court heads to two federal appeals courts. arguments will be heard in seattle on wednesday and in richmond on friday. the ban targets $150 million potential travelers from some muslim majority countries. critics say the ban is discriminatory. the administration says it is necessary for national security. and it is decision time in a land battle that could result in huge pieces of federal land losing their protected status. despite it centered in utah and president trump is on his way there now. >> nbc's steve patterson has the latest. >> reporter: in utah, a show of force. this weekend, thousands descended on the state capital protesting an expected announcement from president trump in salt lake city monday to dramatically shrink the federally protected lands of two national monuments. >> this is truly a monumental mistake. >> reporter: this comes just m

ordered a review of 27 national monuments approved over the last two decadeses. something the president has characterized as a massive federal land grab. last month a staffer for utah senator orrin hatch said they expect the administration will shrink the grand staircas escalante. the plans of united opposition groups from environmentalists to native-american tribes who consider the land sacred. it can open rich areas that can compare with plateau in grand staircase escalante to monument. >> by lifting those protections those lands and all of those treasures within them and wonders and sacred sites will now be open to private game. >> reporter: but the monument designation limits mining, timber cutting and some are

decisions. >> reporter: in utah, hundreds rallied in support of the reduction. >> it's about control, and overreach of the federal government. we want that access to remain open and people be able to enjoy the scenery and area like they do right now. >> reporter: with battle lines drawn the administration is sure to face challenges in court, a fight now brewing for the heart of utah's beauty. steve patterson, nbc news. "time" magazine has revealed its short list during the person of the year. the winner will be named during the "today" show on wednesday. jeff bezos and the d.r.e.a.m.ers who could face deportation, wonder woman, beth jenkins, and colin kaepernick. the social media me too movement to uncover sexual harassment and assault, robert

muhammad bin salman, president trump and the chinese president. well, the australia house of representatives is holding its final two-week session of the year. the session is giving priority to lifting the ban on same-sex marriage. >> they want it passed this week after a majority of australians endorsed the change on the ballot last month. >> the message today to every gay person in this nation is clear. we love you. we respect you. your relationship is recognized by the commonwealth as legitimate and honorable, as anyone else's. you belong. >> lawmaker tim wilson is part of the group that wants this legislation passed while making his speech to the house he popped the question to his partner of seven years ryan bulger. he, of course, said yes. all smiles there. facebook is launching a messaging app for children and the protection for social media site for children and did you

2017? that looks fake. we have the overnight images that will wow you and we'll let you know when you can see the nt super moon coming uexp.

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raise some eyebrows, the social app called messenger is kids and setting up accounts and approving contacts before children start chatting. >> the latest tragic case, a 12-year-old girl who took her own life. >> in recent years we've seen the dark side of social media in young hands, bullying taken to the extreme which is why nicky will be glad to monitor her 10-year-old's daughter amelia's activity. jack won't have his account yet. >> it's very important that parents know who their kids are talking to and that they know their conversations are appropriate. >> good job. >> reporter: the family lives in raleigh, north carolina, one of many places where facebook held roundtables and they were given a chance to test the app and offer inputs. >> it is really fun and it helps me stay in contact with my friends and family. >> we also got a sneak peek. >> an old man and then if you

>> the video chat feature puts an interactive face filter and sound effects. >> now you're an opera singer if you sing with your mouth wide open like an opera singer would do and you crack glass. kids look at communication as play and we wanted to make it as playful as possible. >> tell grandma about your day so she's seeing you, too. >> for the kids still too young for smartphones the app gives them an amusing way to talk with their grandmother who lives in another state. >> what i like about it is it's not a profile. so it's not like anyone else can look up your child. >> facebook says safety is a primary concern which is why parents must okay the contacts using their own facebook accounts. >> the parent is really helping to establish that social community. >> reporter: children can block or report anything that makes them uncomfortable and patients are immediately notified and parents cannot delete the conversation so

the devices. as for worries the quikids will glued to the screens they can control how much time is spent on the app. >> at some point we need to be realistic that social media isn't going away. >> it's interesting to see how grown-ups communicate effectively online and you have a chance to model it for them. >> some may wonder if messenger kids is a way for facebook to attract concern at a younger age, but the company says that's not the goal. >> this is to facilitate among families. >> you may have seen it early this morning, but if you missed the super moon, not to worry. take a look at great shots from all rararound the world. the moon is the closest distance to earth which is why we're seeing the spectacular site and the moon is 7% larger and 15% brighter than normal right now. this was the only super moon of 2017. the next two will happen on new

we don't have to wait too long, but we put together a photo gallery in the nbc washington app of all of the super moon pictures. i cannot take a good picture with my cell phone. >> neither can i. >> it's only 222,000 miles away. >> only. >> it looks like it's right there. >> it is. it's the closest and the when it's on the horizon is when it looks the biggest just so you know. >> beautiful moon this morning and hopefully you're able to see it because tonight we'll have more clouds around and tomorrow night we'll have rain around so, yeah, this is what it looks like outside right now and it looks pretty hazy out there. we have low cloud cover in place and a little bit of filtered sunshine here and there and the temperatures are still warming up. 49 degrees right now in washington and we'll issue in the low 50s here pretty soon. we are nice and dry outside. many areas still in the mid-40s. frederick struggling to warm up at 39 degrees and clinton is 50 already and

degrees and this is the warmer air ahead of a cold front that we have that's going to swing through as we get to the middle of the week. if you're walking the dog today or if you need a dog to adopt and walk, john snow available through lucky dog animal rescue and find out how to adopt him. otherwise, by this afternoon we'll see the clouds around 57 for the high temperature today and the normal high is 50 degrees and by 7:00 p.m. after the sun has been down for a while we'll be around 50 degrees by then and staying fairly milder as we go into the day tomorrow, there you see the clouds moving through and the rain is far away and it will not move it believe tomorrow afternoon. we'll stay dry today, but those clouds move in early tomorrow morning, as well and cloudy from here on out and we could see breaks of sun, but by tomorrow, we could start with sprinkles and there's 4:00 p.m. and

mild temperatures and the rain starts to move through, tomorrow evening and you'll see more rain tomorrow night and quickly clearing up as we go through your wednesday, and we go from 57 today and wednesday after the rain leaves and we get colder throughout the day, and thursday we're at a high of 45 and look at that, high temperature near 40 degrees and there's a chance for a couple of rain and snow showers and more details as we get closer and more details coming up in just a bit. >> thank you, sheena. a lot of people like cheese with their wine, right? a nice pairing. >> it looks like a lot of people like merlot, and they have the edible wine glasses and beer mugs made entirely out of cheese. they actually make me cringe. each is paired nicely with the beverages. the 100th anniversary and you can only buy the limited edition

they will cost you $5,000. explain to me why. this is what i don't understand. is there gold at the bottom? you're eating the cheese with your wine and so then it's gone. >> i guess there are cheeses worth $5,000, but that's crazy. >> i'll stick to my brie and glass. >> my blocks from the grocery store is fine. d.c. leaders are appealing to congress and why they're worried the bill could hurt the district. a south carolina police officer convicted of shooting an unarmed black motorist following a traffic stop. how long he will spend in prison. break out the presents and the boxes. the time is ticking to get your gifts delivered in time for christmas day. i'm justin finch

you're watching news 4 midday. there are fears this morning about how the gop tax bill will impact the district. >> d.c. leaders are concerned tax reform target programs will design to keep roofs over people's head. >> news 4's megan fitzgerald explains how to keep the government programs going. megan? >> reporter: yeah, eun mayor bowser just held a meeting and she said the current tax bill will cutpr

city to fund and build affordable housing units like the one here at delta tower. she also says the bill eliminates the private activity bond which helps the city finance affordable housing. to give you an idea of the significance here. the mayor says that particular bond has been used to fund more than 9,000 affordable housing units in the city since 2010. new affordable housing projects that are in the pipeline like the new delta tower here on florida avenue will be in jeopardy. she also says that the current tax bill in congress will hurt homeowners and potential buyers by eliminating and reducing incentives for developers who receive tax breaks to build those types of properties. so mayor bowser says she's acting now by securing hundreds of millions of dollars that will be used to help finance affordable housing in a city moving forward. >> i have invested more than $300 million into our housing production trust fund which

yielded 3,000 units in production. we have enhanced our employer-assisted housing programs to make it easier for our d.c. government employees including police and teachers and firefighters to get the resources they need to buy their first home. >> now mayor bowser says even if congress doesn't eliminate the tax break she still plans on moving forward with their plan. back to you. >> meghan fitzgerald, thank you. famous women are being honored in richmond with their very own monument and this morning a ground breaking was held for voices from the garden. it will recognize the legacy of a dozen women of virginia. martha washington will be among the women featured and there will be a wall of honor that will name several hundred other ladies. a former south carolina police officer is being sentenced today after shooting and killing an unarmed man.

between michael flaiger and walter scott. he shot and killed scott as he fled a traffic stop. he pled guilty in may of violating his civil rights for shooting him without reason. they called the shooting calculated and deliberate. they are seeking life in prison. >> a massive search for a 3-year-old girl has ended in tragedy. authorities found remains they believe belonged to mariah woods. police did not say how she died. her mother's boyfriend, 32-year-old earl kimney has been charmed with her death. william and mary officials suspended the sigma iota sorority after they v

hazing policy. they isolated members socially and forced them to eat. sorority could be suspended until the end of the 2018 semester. prince georges county police are looking for two people who held up a t-mobile store at gun point sunday afternoon. the men ordered everyone to the back of the store on silver hill road in district heights. the gunman made off with $1100 in merchandise. no one was hurt. military leaders honored captain jonathan morgan yesterday, during the annual d.c. national guard ceremony and morgan was the f-16 pilot who was ejected from his plane over prince georges county and morgan had engine problems during exercises last april and landing the plane somewhere safe was one issue and the other was what to do with the external fuel tanks. >> i came over old town alexandria, my engine gives out on me and i decided not to drop

them over old town and instead dropped them over the potomac. he found a field where he could eject, and amazingly, no one was hurt. you might want to take some steps to prevent the flu. that is because flu season is earlier and more widespread than this time last year. across the country, there have been 7,000 confirmed cases so far. that is double the number than this time last year, and this season it looks like you can still get the flu even after getting the vaccine. doctors say there is no better way to prevent the flu. if anything, that will be the only way to protect yourself especially with the holidays and the congregation of people and family get togethers and things like that, that's how it easily gets spread. if you are over 65 there are two vaccine options that can boost immune response and that's important because there is an

heart attack for older adults after getting the flu. many of us are carrying less and less cash. a look at whether the trend is pushing businesses to go cash-free. and enjoying the show, a look inside the kennedy center honors. new this year the youngest recipient, the first hip-hop o noree and n

center. a star-studded show that honored a legendary producer. ♪ ♪ last night marked the 40th anniversary for the annual celebration of the arts. it was also the first time in the history of the event that a hip-hop artist was recognized. he's also the youngest honoree. >> we communicate through our art. we connect through our art. we teach

know? we irritate through our art. >> you know what it is? i'm sitting here tonight, i'm not performing. i don't have any speech. i don't know what i'm doing, and of course, they said just go in and enjoy it. i've never been this way before. there was always something i had to do or remember. >> you go there or gets the honor or sometimes you have to sing or perform and give a speech, and you say i want to say something memorable and i don't want to forget anybody, but this has been an event that is for me, pressure-pre. >> in addition to ll cool j, lionel richie and gloria estefan the center honored carmen de lavallade and norman lear. president trump and the first lady did not attend the event as is customary. the white house made the announcement after lear and delde lavallade would boycott the meet and greet. today is the only day we can enjoy ec

>> it's kind of downhill after today. we'll stay mild tomorrow and we have the rain moving in and it will get really cold. >> i mean, really, really. >> we're talking about highs in the 30s. >> that's cold. >> that's cold. >> that's winter. >> we have winter weather coming. >> so if you've not gotten in the holiday spirit yet and you're blaming the weather for it you won't have excuses later on this week. it will feel like the holidays are literally here and you can have the winter weather to remind you of it. mild temperatures for now. so if you like the mild temperatures enjoy them today and tomorrow because in the extended forecast they don't come back. we just get colder after tomorrow. we have rain moving in tomorrow as well and much colder to end out the week and it's 49 now in the district and clinton and fredericksburg is up to 52 and 46 leesburg, and gaithersburg will be around 57 this afternoon and a mix of sun and clouds and we do stay dry. the rain is still up to the north and west and around the

mostly late in the day tomorrow. here's future weather and 7:00 a.m. tomorrow morning we could see a few sprinkles at best and most of the rain doesn't get here until the afternoon and there's 4:00 p.m. and tomorrow night we expected to be more widespread and could see moderate rain in there, too and by early wednesday morning a lot of that rain starts to clear out. as far as those air masses are concerned, we still stay mild tomorrow and the cold air waiting to move in and it does as we go through the day. wednesday, thursday, friday, the cold air sit heerg ating here at the system offshore. if it runs into the cold air we could be looking at rain and snow showers friday and into saturday so definitely something we will be watching very closely and it depends on the track of the storm the temperatures will be cold enough to support that. look at sunday, high of 37 degrees, guys. that's a high. >> see, that's too cold for my blood, sheena. >> look at --

gloves. >> not acceptable! redo this. sending a tesla to mars. where the idea is coming from and how far fetched it really is. >> and we have some great gift ideas that will have you shopping local.

for many of us out there we tend to pay for things for the car or a car loaded on the smartphones.

soaring in this country, but nbc business correspondent jolene kent explains why many think that's unfair. >> reporter: when rhian kimmel gets to go, cash is not in the equation. >> i think the last time i went to an atm is three years ago. cash, she feels, is inconvenient and dangerous. >> there are a lot of times that i think if i had a lot of cash on me i'd be a little bit anxious. >> reporter: while cash is still the number one method of payment between 2000 and 2015, non-cash pages in the u.s. grew by 400%. >> i haven't really needed cash, to be honest. it's either my credit card or if i'm out with cash, i'll use vemmo. venmo now processes $2 million a month. apple has similar capabilities and these free services are so popular 30 major banks recently launched competing products. doing away

been a big boom for small businesses, too, like the restaurant sunday in brooklyn. >> the transaction at the table is quicker and guests are looking for the cleaner, safer, easier transaction and having a wad of cash in your pocket just isn't convenient. >> but, 7% of americans do not have access to banking or credit cards. that adds up to 9 million households that operate with cash only. >> when a business says we will not be accepting cash here it also is saying we will not be accepting people who don't have smartphones here or can't afford them and people who don't have bank accounts here. you need a line of credit. you need some technology to be able to live in a cashless society and that leaves out a large portion of our population. >> reporter: the brooklyn restaurant says it will not discriminate. >> if it did become a concern i think we would pivot and figure out a solution and maybe take it for select people. >> reporter: cashing out on convenience while accepting the cost of

jolene kent, san francisco. christmas is exactly three weeks away from today. can you believe it? holiday shopping is in full swing and a lot of people are looking for the special gift to put under the tree. there is a unique shop in d.c. that is putting the spotlight on local vendors with a wide variety of gift ideas and joining us today is virginia who created steadfast supply last year as a pop-up and you were so successful you kept it as a storefront. that's great. thanks for joining us. >> thank you. >> tell us about some of the favorite artis ans that you are featuring at steadfast supply. >> we carry about a hundred different brands from across the u.s. so it was really hard for me to pick and bring some of the brands here because i love them all. we carry something for everyone. look at this display. >> we have home goods and accessories and jewelry and packaged foods, pet stuff, kid stuff. something that is wonderful for obviously family, loved

also for those like your bosses and coworkers and hostess. >> and teachers. >> and you're a craft person yourself. tell us about your items. >> i'm the designer behind denada and we focus on alpaca knits for women, men and kids. >> they're so beautiful. >> thank you. >> all of them are hand done. i design them here using our knitting machines in d.c. and all of them are made in south which is where my family is from, and they're made from alpaca, super warm with the weather coming through and obviously not itchy and it's hype on allergenic. >> why is it so important to shop local? we know there are a lot of options. >> it's all about supporting the local economy and there are sea many you onsome businesses in washington, d.c. and a lot of them have some awesome stories and it's really cool it find something that's unique and different.

you are also supplying or offering the experiences as gift ideas. >> that's always cool, right? >> we're more than just like a store. we activate it with events and pop-ups that come up throughout the shop. so, like, we have shops. this weekend we have a wellness class that's awesome since the holiday season is so stressful and we have free classes for kids. so this weekend we have a gift wrapping work shop. >> init's hard for you to cure eight and you do have beautiful items and do you have favorites or a story behind it that you like? >> there are so many different brands here, but i definitely am so fond of the jewelry. we have mint lola which is gorgeous. >> and these are hair accessories. >> right? i love it because it has an edge to it and it's gold and it's glamorous, feminine and so, that's one of my favorites and obviously, you know, i

simplicity of the onesies from mix which is super cool. >> literally, we have tons and tons of stuff. >> tell me about the hours because it's not just a pop-up anymore, rooitight? >> you can go there on a daily basis, wednesday through friday. >> 11:00 to 6:00 and saturday and sunday, 10:00 to 6:00. >> and these are holiday hours throughout the rest of this year? >> yes. >> do you have any advice for people who are going there when you're trying to navigate these different items and picking up the best gift for a special someone? >> the great thing about the shop is we have an awesome staff. so whenever you come there we want to make you feel like you're at home and we're here to help and also with carrying a hundred brands and what's cool is that at each section of the brand we have the story and the printouts that tell you who they are and what their story is and also, you know, what products they have. >> that's wonderful. i love that each brand has a store because they're local artists and craftspeople like

virginia from denad a i love your products and thank you for sharing steadfast supply. it will be great. thank you. >> melissa? >> i'll take one of everything. >> i know, right? >> up, i next, wha t

cvs is buying etna for $69 billion. the deal is expected to close in the second half of 2018 and will create the first health care triple threat bybi

pharmacy and pharmacy benefit manager platform with etna's insurance business. this take over comes as insurers are already facing pressure to lower medical costs and amazon enters the drug industry. >> elon musk wants to send a tesla to mars. musk announcing the first massive new rocket will happen next month with his very own roadster onboard. the roadster will lift off from kennedy space center in florida and musk tweeted the launch is, quote, guaranteed to be exciting one way or another. his announcement comes two months after he outline his plan to put humans on mars and colonize the planet. i'm lan dondon dowdy. >> leave it to elon musk. he's trying to colonize musk. he'll send his tesla first and we'll see how that goes, right? we are talking weeks now from christmas, three week, exactly and it's time to start packing and shipping

the u.s. post office expects to handle 15 billion pieces of mail this holiday season. here's news 4's justin finch with a look at what you need to know. >> reporter: get ready, your local post office is set to get busier the week of december 11th. around the clock effort to move 850 million packages between thanksgiving and new year's day. so are you ready? >> i was thinking about that because christmas is hard to think that it's on a monday because normally on the on the weekend. >> do you have a plan to ship bockes this month yet? >> no. >> reporter: december 18th on track to be the busiest online day with customers printing labels, buying postage and readying parcels for shipping. >> when you're packing boxes, make sure you're using care and putting items inside with packing

don't move and reinforce the edges, as well and make sure you check with the postal service and make sure what you're shipping does not have special requirements. >> to get your packages delivered christmas day, have packages to the post office by december 16th, december 19th for first-class mail including greeting cards and december 20th is the cutoff for priority mail and december 22nd for priority mail express. >> don't forget the post office is offering some extra options here including christmas day and sunday delivery. in northwest, i'm justin finch, news 4. also keep in mind if you're sending packages to alaska, hawaii and overseas, you might want to check earlier. >> i made the mistake and waited and i went to the post office. lines out the door. >> nobody looks happy and everyone has boxes and

it's chaotic. so this year i'll try to be prepared and go early. >> time to check in with sheena parveen. good morning. >> i feel like eun should know better. >> i should know better! i should. >> you're absolutely right. >> whatever you're getting, get it shipped straight to their house and don't even stand in line or any of that. hopefully it's the day that the weather will cooperate and you don't want to be freezing outside and for today, 57. a mix of sun and clouds and the rain moves in later in the day tomorrow and tomorrow night very early wednesday and most of the wednesday looks dry. mid-40s on wednesday. we'll be watching that closely, but look at these temperatures. saturday a high of 41 and hopefully you're not standing in line at the post office on sunday, eun. >> all right, sheena, thanks so much. >> that's it for news 4

that for joining us. >> we'll see you tomorrow first at 4:00 a.m.

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