>> for that we go to melissa mollet with first 4 traffic. what's happening? >> big problems here. this is chillum in prince george's county this morning, guys. a big, big issue for a lot of people that use that route into town and out of town this morning. east-west highway between new hampshire avenue and riggs road. this crash investigation sounds like we have a pole and wires down which could take longer. all lanes blocked. alternate university boulevard of the also want to show you something else happening here. chopper 4 over laurel, northbound bw parkway after 197, crash just got out of the way. thank goodness. 95 north of prince william parkway, crash on the ramp causing delays. southbound 270 before buck i's town pike crash blocking the left lane. justin finch is out in prince george's county showing us what's happening with that crash investigation. justin, what are you seeing on the ground there? >> reporter: hey there,

towed away a suburban a few moments ago. behind us, it appears to have skbroos crashed into the power pole behind us. two cherry pickers trying to repair the pole. they have to stabilize it and remove. it does not appear any power is jeopardized to the area here. you can see why traffic is closed in the area of east-west highway between riggs and also new hampshire and why both lanes are congested at this time with this crash response. that is the latest live. justin finch. back to you, melissa. >> good to see what's happening there from the ground. eastbound 70, 85 e street. two right lanes blocked by a crash. inbound east capitol, near rfk, truck blocking the center of the road as well. this is what chopper was over a short time ago in the sunoco gas station parking lot and the outside area there. northbound

road. no major problems. as far as your travel times, 66 inboubd is fine. 95 north is also looking good. top of the beltway rolling along. listen to wtop 103.5 fm when you hop in your car. >> good morning, melissa. what do you need to know about the weather? the next couple of days, it's going to start feeling like winter. welcome to winter. colder weather, especially towards the weekend. cloudy skies for some. but everybody is dry. will stay dry for your thursday. watching for a chance of a stray snowflake. the real issue will be a serious shot of cold air coming on sunday. right now, windchills are down into the 20s and 30s. not going to be that cold. but enough of a breeze where you'll need your winter coat and a heavy sweater later on in the day with afternoon temperatures peaking in the mid to upper 40s. mid to upper

in fredericksburg, only 43 in hagerstown. we'll look at the snow chances in a few. a stunning new twist after almost nine years of questions. finally answers for the family of pamela butler. her ex-boyfriend recently pleaded guilty to killing her in 2009. police now have the information they need to hopefully find her remains. megan mcgrath is live at d.c. police headquarters this morning. when and where will police begin the search for butler's remains? >> reporter: well, there's apparently going to be a search friday afternoon. a stretch along i-95 in stafford county. we'll keep a close eye on that. this has been a difficult time for the family of pamela butler. they've been grappling with her loss and haven't been able to hold a proper burial. theype

butler's one-time boyfriend, rodriguez cruz admitted to strangling her in her home in 2009 and aes agreed to lead police to her body in exchange for a lighter sentence. as you heard first on 4, police will search a stretch of area on friday afternoon. cruz told police that's where he buried her body years ago. her brother says it won't bring absolute closure but it will help them find peace. >> i don't think you ever get closure with this. it's different if somebody dies of natural death. but for somebody to be snatched away and somebody to be killed, i don't think you get closure for that. >> reporter: that closure -- the closures along 95 could impact traffic a little bit.

in stafford county. as many as two lanes could be taken up for that closure. of course, we'll have to see how it plays out. a lot of time has passed while cruz cooperates with investigators. memories fade. the landscape has changed. we'll have to see how it all pans out. back to you. >> megan mcgrath live at d.c. police headquarters. thank you. d.c. police investigating a fatal shooting. we're told it happened around 11:00 along forester street southwest not far from the bridgeport hospital. we'll update you as we learn more information. we're hearing from the family of an 11-year-old boy in critical condition after a terrible accident tuesday in suitland. the boy was at a neighbor's house when the man watching him accidentally shot him. the 33-year-old former military -- he was putting away

it hit the boy in the upper body. the family thanked everyone for well wishes and asked for privacy and prayers for their son. if you are just waking up, we want to get you caught up on the breaking news in california. >> chris lawrence has the latest. a terrible situation there, chris >> boy, that's an understatement, eun. five wildfires are burning through southern california. i want to put this into perspective. you're waking up now. about to hop on the beltway and start your morning commute. imagine driving past ptysons or silver springs and seeing this. this is off the 405, one of the main highways in l.a. they've upped the threat level event to near hurricane-force winds this morning. this monstrous fire burned more

forced more than 60,000 people to leave. everything they own behind. only 5% contained. i lived in l.a. for years. covered a lot of wildfires as a reporter. even couple times i helped buddies clear brush around the property. i've never seen anything burn quite like this. aaron, thank you. >> chris lawrence at the live desk. thank you. 6 dl:07. maryland reported the first cold weather death. officials say hypothermia can happen even when the temperatures are in the 40s and 50s outside. this hypothermia death was in garrett county. the victim was a woman who was about 65 years old. chuck and sheena have been telling us about the cold weather moving in right now. we'll have more on the local forecast and the impact in just a few minutes. >> right now a frederick county bridge is

could shea that way for days. a garbage truck hit the bridge causing some damages. crews are wornging on it, there's no timetable kwh the work date of birth complete. in the meantime, troosk affic i being rerouted in both directions. the clock ticks closer to a potential government shutdown. 41 hours left for congress to reach a deal to prevent it. the government runs out of money friday at midnight. president trump has suggested that democrats could force a federal closure over the issue of immigration. the plan, however, is to pass a continuing resolution to extend the deadline to december 222. the holidays are almost here and that means the kids will be out of school soon. >> volunteers from all over the area are making sure that kids keep up with schoolwork during the holiday break.

>> hey, eun, you asked about the fun. we have a little puppet, finger puppet fight going on. those finger puppets going inseed these kits. these take-ohm kits and other tools that help keep students engaged and motor vaded over the break. >> we're going to tack up things. more about that coming up. thank you, molette. >> have fun out there this morning. >> a story we love to hate. rats running rampant in the city. >> heart store a possible solution to the problem. tensions rising. the new call to action after president trump declares jerusalem the capital of israel. it's a cold

it feels like 47 degrees out there. you want a warm coat. after the break, i have your bus stop forecast. i'll tell you the temperatures

(bell rings) - so, what are you in for? - well, according to this discipline slip, i was allegedly talking during quiet time again. but, there were no witnesses except the teacher's pet. - oh, really? - her testimony shouldn't be admissible. so, i'm here to appeal the decision. (door opens) - [tuition monster] oh. (whistling) - [narrator] tame the tuition monster. - well, i'll see you in law school, kid. (laughs) - [narrator] contribute by december 31st and receive a virginia state tax deduction.

we are following breaking news overseas. live out of west bank. israeli soldiers are fighting back against the palestinian protesters. we've seen clashes in bethlehem and other parts of the country following president trump's decision to recognize jerusalem as the capital of israel. obviously, israelis and palestinians recognize that city as their capital. several entities, such as france, china, the pope, even nato have expressed concern over the president's move. again, we see the defense forces deploying more soldiers in the arearo

we'll stay on top of this and give you the latest developments. for now, back to you. breaking news in first 4 traffic. take a look at this east-west highway between new hampshire avenue and riggs road. investigation under way with lanes blocked. the alternate there. university boulevard. a live picture from above coming up. sheena? >> good morning, melissa. it's cold outside. as far as traffic is concerned, at least we don't have anything falling from the sky. we're looking at nice dry roads this morning. temperaturewise for the kids heading to the bus stop, bundle them up this morning. we're looking at 39 degrees. cooler with the wind. by the afternoon, dry and chilly. we'll show with the warm coat on. temperatures the mid to upper 40s this afternoon. coming up in a bit, chuck is talking about the potential rain and snow shower chances. we'll show you the timing and how cold the weekend will be coming u

6:15 your time right now. in news for your health, birth control pills could increase the risk for the most common cancer in women, breast cancer. doctors had hoped new forms of birth control, using fewer hormones -- research following women found the risk jumped. women shouldn't automatically stop taking birth control, especially those taking it for other medical conditions. even if you don't live in d.c., you probably know about the district's rat problem. you see them in metro stations or running past as you shop or visits restaurants. the d.c. council is considering a crackdown to rid the city of rodents. it would stargt restaurants to clean up grease and food waste, if not the city could issue big fines. one woman calls her

rat warrior told the city council the crackdown is necessary. >> driving in my alley about 9:30 and rats were in the restaurant garbage store areas. >> she added it's only a start to really fighting the rat problem. right now there are only four health and rat inspectors to cover the entire city. i don't know. with the number of rats, i don't know how you can win this bat. h honestly. >> you got to fight it for sure. kids will have plenty of toys to play with this holiday season. what about schoolwork? >> they don't want to think about it, but this he should. there is a group in the area making sure your little ones keep up with homework. molette green has more on this special collection. what's going on? >> these volunteers are backing up these winter kits. the idea is to keep the learning

going when the kids are out of school on their winter break. about 165 students in preschool at two d.c. schools will get all of this. some fun stuff and, of course, the educational stuff. keith gordon is the ceo of fight for children. this nonprofit doing this. we haven't heard a lot about nonprofits doing these sort of kits. tell me about the impact. how do parents and students react to this. >> the reaction has been great so far. over the holidays when kids are not as school, when the kid don't have access to resource that is they need to continue learning again, what we wanted to focus on is providing them access to books and activities. to continue the progress they've made. >> tell me about the two schools. they are schools where there are some kids who really don't have the resources. they need this kind of extra boost. >> right. these are two great

they -- at risk communities. one of them is d.c. bilinguals. it is a dual language school, spanish and english. it's an environment with spanish, french and english. >> the impact. can you tell? i know it's been two years of doing this. can you see a big difference? >> you can see a big difference. it's not in terms of what the kids get out of it. but the parental engagement. but when the kid show up after the break. they remain ready to learn. it's as if they've had no time off at all. this is a starting point for them to continue. what they've learned. >> the idea is to keep it going and make it bigger and bigger. about 200 of the kids being packed up and going out next week to these students who will take their breaks for the holiday season. i'm molette green live in northwest with fight for children as this campaign roars on. where are the finger

picture. we're palatable for kids. do a little studying. >> it's 6:19 right now. busy morning in first 4 traffic. >> let's check in with melissa mollet. >> breaking news in chillum. take a look at this problem. this is a big issue for a lot of people headed across prince george's county of course. it's a major route in the morning. east-west highway between new hampshire avenue and riggs road. that entire section shut down. crash investigation. we have lanes blocked and wires down there this morning. your all the mat, let's talk about that up above in chopper 4. >> good morning, melissa. you're right. this is already a suggested area in chillum. as i spin the camera around, i want to show you your all the mat. it's new hampshire avenue. as i come around to the right, it's university boulevard. you'll see the roadways completelymm

melissa, back to you. >> brad, thanks for showing us. on the ramp, you can see how slow things are as you head out of town. 70 at 85, two right lanes are blocked at 70. inbound new york avenue near bladensburg road -- northbound 197 at muir kirk, still all northbound lanes blocked. southbound is open. beltway looking okay overall. thank you, melissa. turning now to the weather. want to invite everybody who lives in prince william county or the nearby neighborhoods. i'll be in manassas county tomorrow. i'll be giving away these free storm team 4 ice scrapers. you can comb your hair with it, scratch your back with it. you can even point at weather maps with

old manassas there. where the vre train leaves. i'll hand out ice scrapers and free selfies for all. 43 degrees with a northwest wind blowing. just enough of a breeze to shave 4 or 5 degrees off the windchill. 35 in lorton. a windchill below the freezing mark. 30 degrees down in warren ton. as you plan out the day, it will be a chilly day today. there will be a mix of clouds and sunshine. more sun towards the shenandoah valley. more cloud cover into southern maryland and into the eastern -- you can stay ahead of the weather. free and downloadable. nbc washington app. that's your exclusive access of the storm team 4 access. we put it in there by ourselves. you can find and follow me on social immediate yachlt chuck bell 4 and i put a new dog picture at forecast 4 you. here's the story of the clouds. the jet stream is well down to

the cold air is here to stay all weekend. today, a little more sunshine for places like hagerstown and frederick. into tomorrow, the clouds come back in on us tomorrow. notice a little chance for rain here across the lower parts of the bay. it could mix in with a wet snowflake or two. not looking for any accumulations. but occasional snowflake. about the next five days, 49 today. colder tomorrow. down right blustery and cold on sunday. sunday's highs only in the mid to upper 30s. chuck, thank you. it is 6:22 right now. a change for virginia drivers. the safety concerns for people behind the wheel that could be sitting in front of you. plus, surviving holiday travel. how you can get paid for a flight delay and find out how long the security line is at your gate. we're

feels like we just had thanksgiving. already another busy holiday travel period that's almost here. news 4 is working for to you take some of the stress out of what could be a crazy time. consumer reporter susan hogan has the four best apps to make your life easier this time of year. >> awe of us aren't as lucky. we have to endure all of the airports. all 42.5 million of our closest friends will be traveling during

let's get paid for flight delays and cancellations. service is an app that gets you money back when the flight is delayed or canceled. it scans your e-mail for delays or cancellations in the past year and files for compensation on your behalf. don't pay a penny more than you have to on airfare. copper analyzes billions of flights to help you find the best deal and the best times to fly and buy. the app notifies you when you book your flights. i love this one. find out how long the security line is. mi flight gives you an estimate on how long the tsa line is. you should still give yourself plenty of time, it still lets you know if the line is one hour or two. >> mobile passport, it lets you see through customs at 24 airports instead of filling out customs forms with paper and pen. you actually fill them out in the app and then

through shorter lines designated for local passport users. safe travels. back to you. roadside rescue. caught on camera. one man tries to escape wildfires, he stops to save another life. the breaking developments out of southern california and the growing threat this morning. pepco crews hard at work after anover night crash. an suv crashing into a power pole along east-west highway. i'm justin

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this is breaking news we've been following out of prince george's county this morning. >> we have a live look from chopper 4 and on the ground there on east-west highway. it's shut down near the busy intersection with riggs road. >> justin finch is on the scene. we begin with melissa mollet. melissa tell us about this. >> no doubt, a major problem for a lot of people. as you know, east-west highway,

a big area shut down in the morning. it's why it's a big deal. it took down a pole and some wires there. east-west highway between new hampshire avenue and riggs. northbound 95 at prince william parkway. still the crash on the ramp. right lane blocked by the crash as you head into the district. in laurel, northbound 197 at muir kirk road. all lanes blocked there at the crash. travel times not bad either right now. hi, sheena. >> melissa, thanks. there's justin. hey, justin. >> reporter: i want to point out. behind us right now, pepco crews are hard at work. we had two cherry pickers up tending to the pole behind us. first on the scene, we saw an suv that crashed into that pohl

you're watching crews work here. this the go-to route for many in the area. between new hampshire and riggs, it's now shut down for this crash investigation and now response. if you're in this area, looking to get around, you have to reroute as a result of this crash. it appears that this will be here for some time as they work to restore the power pole there and continue their investigation. back to the studio to sheena. >> thank you, justin. you see he's bundled up. he has the hat and gloves on and puffy coat on. that's what you need this morning as you stand outside for a while. it is a chilly one to start your day. little bit of a breeze. not windy like yesterday was. it is making temperatures feel colder. feels like the 30s in the district. actual temperature is 43 degrees. 31 dulles. 42

38 degrees in quantico. 36 winchester. we do have some clouds around. where i'm standing outside the studio, i can look up at the moon, it's pretty good. as we go through the day, mix of sun and clouds. that's what part of the area will see. the wake-up weather mostly in the 30s to low 40s by 9:00 a.m. we're tracking a storm offshore. part of the area could see a snowflake falling. we'll show you who to expect it. a much colder forecast. that's coming up in a bit. here at the live desk, we're following breaking news overseas. want to bring you the latest live pictures out of west bank right now. take a look. you can see some of the clashes in bethlehem following president trump's decision to recognize jerusalem as the capital of israel. israel has deployed additional soldiers to the west bank.

send battalions and forces in there. we have seen those in the west bank. the united states ordered government staffers in israel to avoid jerusalem and the west bank for right now and asked americans here to avoid traveling there for at least the next couple weeks. the problem here, both israelis and palestinians recognize jerusalem as their capital. that's what makes this a controversial issue and so important to people all over the world. a lot of people there on the palestinian side feel that it's disenfranchised the palestinian people. again, you can see the soldiers moving through the streets. we have learned that schools and shops in the west bank are closed right now. we're going to keep an eye on this and try to bring you the latest to keep you informed of what's going on over there in israel right now. here at

lawrence, news 4. back to you. >> your time is 6:35. after nearly nine years of questions, finally some answers for the family of pamela butler. butler's boyfriend recently pled guilty to killing her back in 2009. last week her boyfriend, jose rodriguez cruz told them where he buried her. police will begin searching in stafford county tomorrow. officials in montgomery county are investigating a fire. police arrested one person and say this could be a case of arson. the fire started overnight in a town house on cedarwood drive in north bethesda. you can see what's left of it now. this fire did not spread to any other units in that block. today, we should learn senator al franken's plans for the future. he will make his announcement on the floor of the senate later this morning. many speculate he may be resigning over sexual

allegations. we're closing in on a government shutdown. at midnight tomorrow the government will run out of money and that will impact thousands of federal workers in our area. president trump will meet with congressional workers to try to reach a deal to prevent it. california is burning. take a look at this incredible video. thousands of people forced to evacuate. the growing threat this morning and a report from the hardt hit aesre

starting next year. stickers on the windshield. a lot of new vehicles have crash avoidance technology. they're in the dashboard. to avoid blocking the technology, the inspection sticker will be on the bottom left side of the steering wheel. that change will take effect january 1st for inspections that expire in 2019. in case you haven't been paying attention, a lot of drivers complaining about high

there could be a solution that's in the works. breaking news in first 4 traffic. how to get around a major mess and closure in prince george's county. chopper 4 over the scene right now. you want to hear where this is and what exactly it's blocking. chuck? >> good morning, melissa. temperatures in the 30s to 40 degrees now. certainly a chilly start to the day. you'll need your winter coat and heavy sweater for afternoon activities. the daily grade is satisfactory. highs in the mid to upper 40s way mix of clouds and sunshine. we'll look at the ten-day forecast. here's a little hint. it's going to be cold. molette green -- >> it started with fight night so many years ago. remember fight night in the district so many years ago? it's evolved into this huge campaign to fight for d.c. schoolchildren. take a look at this table full of supplies.

to the nonprofit next. fight for children. about what they'll do with all what do you think? hey, think ben will like it? yeah, was i the only one hearing the angelic music? i'm serious, i never know what to get him. just tell me you got him fios too. sigh. mrs. layne, fios is a 100% fiber-optic network. that, plus this sick console, he'll be like whaaaaaattt. your new tech is best on the 100% fiber optic network. so get fios. now just $79.99 per month with a 2-year price guarantee with a 2-year agreement.

even oprah's home is in harmwa

breaking news on the devastating southern california wildfires. why things could get worse before they get better. >> devastating. it's overwhelming. closer to closure. a guilty plea from a woman's boyfriend. the new steps that could give her family relief nearly a decade later. >> you don't know who you meet. you could have met him at the white house. you wouldn't know this guy as sick as he was. >> taking a toll. the new pricey commute on i-66 three days in. now there's new action that could help drivers busting their budgets. brace yourselves. the bitter cold blast is at your doorstep. storm team 4 is working for you to breaks down where and when could be the best chance to see snow. 16 before the hour. we begin with that explosive situation in southern california. the scenes are almost

community in los angeles as brushfire rages in the hills above. here are the headlines right now. the biggest of the wildfires burning has stretched 140 square miles. >> winds have returned. those powerful santa ana winds are fueling the flames rapidly spreading through the ridges and canyons to the sea. >> the worst is yet to come with 90 nouz acres scorched in ventura county. that's where we find jinah kim live with a look at conditions now. jinah, good morning. >> reporter: hi there, eun and aaron. this is one of the worst fire seasons record north dakota california history. we got more bad news. the national weather service predicting, quote, extremely critical fire weather conditions to make a comeback today. monday, we had 80 mile an hour gusts. we had a little bit of a break yesterday. now, today, we'll hve

conditions today. if that happens and it looks like it is, there's not much they can do. as mentioned, it is affecting pretty much everyone in southern california because it's affecting traffic. it's affecting landmark and schools. parents have to take time off of work. also, we're supposed to have single digit humidity and 80-degree summer-like temperatures today. so everyone, unfortunately, is bracing once again for the worst. >> jinah kim live for us this morning in ventura county, california. jin ah, thank you. answers for the family of pamela butler. he pled guilty to killing her in 2009. >> police now have the information they need to find her remains. news 4's megan mcgrath is live at d.c. police headquarters. megan, tell us more about this

>> reporter: well, they're acting on information that was given to them by the man who has admitted to killing pamela butler. that search is going to be happening tomorrow afternoon in stafford county. of course, a very difficult time for the family of pamela butler. they've not been able to give her a proper burial. but they hope that will soon change with this new information. now, butler's one-time boyfriend, jose rodriguez cruz admit today strangling her to death in 2009. he's agreed to lead police to her body. in exchange for a lighter sentence. police will search a stretch in stafford county beginning friday afternoon. cruz telling police that's r buried her body. butler's brother says recovering her body will not bring total closure but will help the family find peace. >> i don't think you get closure with this. it

of a natural death, but for somebody to be snatched away from you. somebody to be killed, i don't think you get closure from that. >> reporter: so tomorrow afternoon could see some lane closures on i-95 in the stretch of stafford county along that median strip as the search gets under way. back to you guys. >> megan mcgrath live for us. 6:48 now. we're hearing from the family of an 11-year-old boy in critical condition after what police are calling a terrible accident. the boy was at a neighbor's house when the man watching him accidentally shot him. the 33-year-old former military member told police he was putting away his legally owned handgun when it went off. the bullet hit the boy in the upper body. the boy's family released a statement thanking everyone for their well wishes and asking for privacy and prayers for their

6:49 now. we're working for you this morning with a possible solution to those high tolls on i-66 inside the beltway. tonight, loudoun county supervisor ron meyer will introduce a bill to the transportation commission. it will immediately put a cap on the tolls and go back to the old rush hour period starting at 6:30 and ending at 9:00. capping the tolls will lead to more gridlock v-dot says. army, air force and navy exchange stores offer tax-free shopping for local military families. they're packed this time of the year. >> as the news 4 i-team scott macfarlane reports, much like traditional retailers, they're also targeted by thieves. >> reporter: military exchanges are popular with military members and retirees. including this one. the navy exchange here in bethesda. you get popular items for discount prices. it's a deserved service for those who serve. but a news

the military exchanges are not off limits to criminals. crooks sold more than a million dollars in merchandise from military exchanges just last year. in nearly 800 cases, we found thieves in maryland and virginia, including this brazen heist from a navy exchange in norfolk. security managers say thefts happened nationwide, sometimes by the military members, by their kids and by the employees. >> mostly shoplifters shoplift once or twice. if we don't get them the first time, we'll get them the second time. >> part of the news 4 i-team report, what are the popular items at the exchanges and what pun ibishment, criminal and military do you face? scott macfarlane, news 4 i-team. it's time to check on our commute? >> melissa mollet is in first 4 traffic. what's going on? >>

the beginning almost. east-west highway, we do have a section still shut down in chillum. take a holook at what we're talking about. because of that investigation, the poles and wires down. lanes are blocked. inner loop and outer loop of the beltway, looking typical. i don't have any big complaints there. i don't love this. crash on the ramp. we still are slow in the main lanes headed inbound. right lane blocked by a crash there and northbound 197 there on laurel. we're still shut down northbound. chopper 4 was over there for you just before 6:00 this morning. showing you that crash at that gas station there. westbound 50 diverted still at cape st. claire road. tractor-trailer crash, those lanes are blocked. you have to get off on to cape st. claire. eastbound, we have one lane open. this a

charles street, closed down. cooksey road, all lanes blocked for that crash investigation. travel times, 66, 95, 270 and beltway, inner loop and outer loop looking normal. listen to wtop, 103.5 fm when you hop in your car. hi, sheena. >> good morning, melissa. 43 degrees in the district. it feels more like 37 with that bit of a breeze. rest of the area coming in pretty cold this morning. cold enough for a warm coat. 35 gaithersburg. 36 right now leesburg. dulles is 31 degrees. 42 clinton. 37 in fredericksburg. 35 in martinsburg. so locally, we are dry this morning with some of the clouds still a little bit stubborn to clear out. rain to our south. it's going to stay there. we'll see a developing storm system. that stays offshore tomorrow and saturday. i'll show you that in one second. if you're walking the dog. arena needs a home. if

you can thoed their website. noon today, 46 degrees. by 4:00 p.m., pretty chilly still. seasonable for this time of the year. 49 for a high. here's the cold air in place. it's going to stick around for quite a while. now we go friday into saturday. there's that storm system staying off the coastline. really that's your most moisture is going to stay. best chance of rain or snow shower would be south and east of d.c. friday night into saturday morning. here's a breakdown of your weekend. saturday we have the small chances around. afternoon highs 43. afternoon high saturday -- we drop well below normal going into the weekend and next week looks pretty cold too. take a look at the ten-day forecast. we have more highs. heaviest coat into next week. >> sheena, thank you. 6:53. the holidays are almost here. that means the kids are going to be out of school for a little while. >> while they're looking forward to a little fun and relaxation,

up with what they learn in class so far. we don't want that back sliding. molette green is live with details on this unique fight for children. molette, what's this all about? >> it's all about making sure the kids stay engaged and motivated over their break. we have about 200 kits in all that we're making sure the kids get. our leader here from this long-time advocacy group, keith gord gordon, fight for kids. tell me what's going inside the kits with respect to learning, making sure that goes on. >> sure. we have two different books. these books are in spanish. great reading material for parental engagement. >> preschool -- >> we have two schools. 3 and 4-year-olds will be receiving these books. they're learning in the dual emerging language

this reinforces what they're learning in school and bridges the gap between time off. >> it's not all you do for fight for children. tell me about this organization. long reach. you do stuff where you're hands-on with children in school. >> sure. we do a number of programs throughout the year. we happen to run early childhood programming. what you see here is representative of some of the other community-based activities that we do throughout the year. we volunteer in school, read to children. classroom refurbishments. anything we can do to give the teachers and the schools that are our partners a little bit of an extra hand to help the students in their classrooms. >> it goes a long way. students will get these kits. they'll go out to them next week. as soon as they get packed up. we're live in northwest d.c. at the offices for fight for children. fight for children, right? >> yes. >> all right. back to you guys inside. >> great idea, molette. thank you. it

here are four things to know. we're closing in on a government shutdown. at midnight tomorrow, the government will run out of money. president trump will meet with congressional leaders today. more on that on the "today" show. after nearly nine years of questions, finally answers for the family of pamela butler. butler's boyfriend recently pled guilty to killing her in 2009. last week he told investigators where he buried her in exchange for a lighter sentence. police will begin searching along 95 in stafford county. we'll have updates on the nbc washington app. at least five brush fires, wildfires as a matter of fact are destroying southern california right now. fueled by powerful winds. a state of emergency has been declared for three of the fires. a live report on the "today" show. we're also following breaking news out of west bank right now. hundreds of palestinian demonstrators are burni f

and israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu. they're protesting the decision to recognize jerusalem as the capital of israel. more on the "today" show next. breaking news in prince george's county. chopper 4 over this closure on east-west highway between new hampshire and riggs road. chuck? i'll hand out ice scrapers tomorrow just in time for the -- in manassas. thanks for joining us this morning. ho "today" s

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good morning. breaking overnight, inferno in southern california. ferocious, wind-whipped wind fires destroying more homes. >> i've run out of tears. there's no more. >> scorching more than 100,000 acres in and around los angeles. more gusts expected today. officials warning things are about to go from bad to worse. will he or won't he? senator al franken set to make an announcement this morning after a seventh woman accuses him of sexual misconduct. fellow democrats calling on him to step down. >> enough is enough. >> but support from an unlikely republican defender. >> i'm going to be very politically incorrect. >> we're live on capitol hill. day of rage. fresh oi