this year, appeared to be a top democratic contender in the 2020 presidential race. >> well, now three weeks later his career in congress is over, cut short by the politics of misconduct and pressure from his own party. >> a couple months ago i felt that we had entered an important moment in the history of this country. we were finally beginning to listen to women about the ways in which men's actions affect them. then the conversation turned to me. i was shocked. i was upset. >> the only republican who attended senator franken's emotional speech, arizona senator jeff flake. tonight we've got team coverage of a potentially pivotal moment in a year filled with political turbulence. >> amee cho is gathering local reaction to senator franken's resignation. but let's start with blayne alexander.

overview of what happened today. blayne? >> reporter: well, doreen, you know in the end all of this real really unravelled quickly so far senator franken. he said he's not stepping down, not leaving his seat. now he said the past 24 hours made it clear he cannot stay on capitol hill. with almost no support left in the united states senate, senator al franken announcing he will be resigning his seat. >> there is some irony in the fact that i am leaving while a man who has bragged on tape about his history of sexual assault sits in the oval office. and a man who has repeatedly preyed on young girls campaigns for the senate with the full support of his party. >> reporter: franken taking a swipe at president trump and alabama senate candidate roy moore. but not

any of his alleged behavior. >> some of the allegations against me are simply not true. others i remember very differently. >> reporter: one of his accusers calling that appalling. >> he just keeps passing the buck and making it out to be something that we took his behavior the wrong way. >> reporter: the pressure started mounting after a seventh woman came forward publicly alleging sexually inappropriate behavior. today's announcement coming after a 24-hour domino effect of colleagues pushing him to step aside. >> it is a very tough situation, but he did the right thing and i think we're at a very important moment in our history. >> reporter: now with his days as a senator numbered, al franken leaving the capital walking into an uncertain future. a lot of mixed reactions tonight in the streets of d.c. many people telling us they were happy to hear about franken stepping down. they felt a sense of solidarity with the accusers. others told uth

disappointed to hear the news. they liked his work as a senator and still others told us they were happy simply for the possibility of an open seat. >> many other people accused of that are stepping down, so should he. >> i think that's good. i don't think he deserves to have a right to be in congress or to even have that position to make rules on behalf of his constituents. >> glad to hear it. i'm a republican. and i think it will open up a seat for the republicans. let's get moving. >> despite all the, i guess good stuff he's done, support of him, he's in fault and made him step down. >> i'm disappointed because i thought he was a great senator. you know, i hate to see him step down. >> reporter: now, al franken continues to deny all the allegations against him in that speech today, he called it ironic that he is stepping down while other politicians facing similar accusations are not. at capitol hill, amee cho, news4. >> so, we ask you, did senator franken make the right decision. take a look

our survey that we did online. most of you said yes, but that other politicians should also be held accountable. as for what's next, franken is expected to serve out the rest of this year, then the governor who is a democrat will appoint another democrat to fill his seat. that temporary appointee will serve until next year's midterm election. in november voters will choose an interim senator who will serve out the remainder of franken's term which ends in 2021. so initially it will not have an impact on the balance of power, but that could change in minnesota voters choose a republican next year. >> news4 has learned two bodies found buried in a fairfax county park this year are those of teenagers. one victim was just 14. the grizzly discovery came during a spike in gang-related murders. julie carey joins us near holmes run park. she joins us on why the teens became target. julie? >> reporter:

county detectives and the fbi ramped up their investigation in this park. at the time they offered few details about the victims, but did confirm their belief that the homicides were gang-related. news4 has now obtained these recently unsealed court documents. they provide a lot more information about the victims and why they might have been killed. we now know the two victims found buried last spring were not even adults yet. just 14 and 17 years old. this was the scene in late february and march as fairfax county police and the fbi joined in days of digging in holmes run park. this mother whose son had been missing cents september told news4 at the time she feared the worst. her son had gone to the dumpster one night and never came back. >> translator: very much sadness. waiting to know something about my son. >> reporter: now news4 has learned those fears were confirmed. authorities had notified her that her son,

tremenio was one of the two victims. the other man killed, edwin escobar. court documents reveal why the teens may have been targeted. he disappeared in late august, his family reported him missing days later. in september facebook information led his brother to seek out a friend, sergio tremenio. he gave him bad news, saying mendez had been abducted or killed because ms-13 members thought he was a spy for a rival gang. just two days later, on september 27th, tremenio also disappeared. his worried mom contacted police to report him missing. then in december, new information. detectives learned the teens had been killed and buried by ms-13 members. but it wasn't until february they got the tip that led them to this wooded burial ground. now, another interesting finding in this court document, the 1-y

probation last fall and was wearing a court ordered electronic monitor when he turned up missing. it disconnected the day after that. now, this case is being handled by the fbi so when charges do come it will be handled in federal court. doreen, back to you in the studio. >> julie carey reporting from fairfax county. thank you, julie. it is an investigation so big it is affecting traffic. virginia state police will shut down a portion of the i-95 express lanes in stafford county tomorrow to search for the body of pamela butler. we broke this story yesterday. police believe that butler's body is buried in the median of i-95. she disappeared from the district in 2009. earlier this year, jose rodriguez cruz confessed to the crime. he told police he buried her body along this highway. the garrisonville road access point to the express lanes will be closed at 10:00 a.m. tomorrow so that police can start the search or

>> northern virginia democrats are calling it highway robbery. they are pushing back against $40 trips on i-66 during rush hour. now some say it's time to put the brakes on the tolls until vdot can get the prices down under control. news4's derrick ward has more on the calls for change. >> reporter: state senator jack peterson said he expected infrastructure improvements, commuter lots and more commuter buses to be in place, and then toing. that's not the way things worked out. >> i was disappoint today see we started with the toelg before we actually made the improvements and that goes back on what every other speaker said that you can't start charging people for lanes that were previously free. >> reporter: he was among a group of lawmakers asking the state secretary of transportation to let the prime idle because it's just not ready for the road yet. others who gaggered at vdot's headquarters were a little more blunt. >> and let's call this plan what it is the way that it's been rolled out. it's highway robbery. >> reporter: commuters we spoke are mixed about the new system. >> sur

tolling system. i understand it's expensive to go from the beltway into d.c. however, we couldn't do it anyway beforehand. now it gives us the option if we want to pay, we can still have the option to use it without being ticketed it. it works wonderfully. >> reporter: the closer you get the less popular the tolls are. >> i don't think people in arlington should have to pay any of the toeltz. route 66 is our internal highway. >> reporter: vdot put out numbers on the first few days of the toll lanes. they say the average round trip price was $14.50, lower than the $17 estimate at the toll lanes' inception. now, the state secretary of transportation auberry lane has characterized this criticism as political rhetoric and says this is all based on sound planning. that is the soles and those infrastructure improvements that are down the line. he says the goal here is to make a better commute for folks inside the beltway on i-66. that's what you're looking at back there. we are live. derrick ward, news4.

>> i'm erika gonzalez. we are following two breaking stories from the live desk. first in manhattan where a car jumped a sidewalk and plowed into pedestrians. six people had to be taken to the hospital. they are all expected to survive. the driver believed to be in his 60s crashed into at least two other vehicles before hitting the pedestrians. police are questioning him, but this does not appear to be terrorism related. want to switch to another story now. in new mexico where the governor has called a deadly school shooting a heinous and horrific act, a student opened fire killing two classmates. the shooter also died. investigators are not releasing a lot of details in this story and we are still working to learn more about the circumstances surrounding that shooting. doreen, we'll send things back to you. >> erika, thank you. fire fighters in california are losing ground relentless winds and dry air fueling at least four wildfires that are still out of control. homeowners are running for their lives. the conditions

california's burning index at 296. that's a number that's calculated daily. it measures fire danger. and today it was at an all-time record high. the fires are growing at an astonishing rate to the thomas fire has expanded to more than 90,000 acres. that is twice the size of washington, d.c. 2017 already set a record for wildfire damage before these fires started. more than $10 billion have gone up in flames. crews can't slow down yet to tally the damage from this latest round. nbc's miguel almaguer is near the front lines of one of these fires. he'll join us at 6:45 with a live report. >> hot and dry out there. cool and dry here. and about to get cold, as a matter of fact. >> yeah, doug is in burke, virginia, for the start of his holiday lights extravaganza. he's going to update us, too, and our chances for snow this weekend. doug, what's going on?

bit cooler today. it is going to be a lot cooler tomorrow. then we're really going to start to get into the winter feel as we get our chances for snow creeping up. we've got houses here, here in the burke area, seven houses on this street, all lit up. you can actually see those houses from our mass cam. again, guys, just a great view. you can see the merry christmas sign there as well. we've got all seven houses lit up. they go wall to wall with the lights and they do more and more every single year. we're going to talk to them in just a second. first let's take a look at the graphics. temperature wise we're in the 40s in our area, but in the 30s well back to the north and west. those temperatures, 30s weather coming in the next couple days, colder tomorrow. let's show you the headlines here. much colder during the day tomorrow as the cold air moves in. a much better chance of snow. that snow chance on the increase and winter, well, winter wants to stick around for the next couple of weeks. and maybe for the rest of the month. we'll talk more about that, too. we'll say hi to everybody out here, too. they were ready for me. we will be back in just a couple

we'll talk to some of them all about the lights and, yes, that increased chance for snow as well which everybody seems to be excited about, at least here. >> okay. well, we're all excited about the chance for snow. doug making a lot of new friends in burke, virginia. we'll see you in a few minutes, doug. still ahead, shutdown a burden for now. >> lawmakers hammer out a last-minute deal but it's not the end. why we could be back in the same situation two weeks from today. >> a notorious murder case on bethesda row. now a big move for lululemon as we look at what will happen to the

anger is boiling over on the west bank tonight in response to president trump's controversial decision to recognize jerusalem as the capital of israel. palestinians also lay claim to the city and hope that jerusalem will some day become the capital of a palestinian state. protesters battled israeli security forces all day and this may not be the end of it. the militant group hamas is urging palestinians to abandon the peace process and launch a new uprising against israel. >> back here in washington, both the house and the senate are working to avoid a government shut down while investigation into russian meddling enters a new phase. this one closer to the president himself. nbc's edward lawrence has the developments. >> reporter: from the white

phone call between president trump and his son donald trump, jr., about russia and dirt on hillary clinton. spokeswoman sarah sanders backing trump junior's claim of attorney/client privilege. on wednesday during a marathon grilling by congressional investigators. >> we believe that his lawyers had a legitimate reason and basis for not answering those questions. >> reporter: they want to know what the son told the future president about his meeting with a lawyer who has russian government ties. all of this plays out as congressional leaders met in the oval office to avoid a government shutdown. >> we hope we're going to make some great progress for our country. we think that will happen. >> reporter: the house passed a short term deal to fund the government until december 22nd. >> the joint resolution is passed. >> reporter: paving the way for the senate to do the same. >> we hope we can come to an agreement. funding the government is extremely important, helping our soldiers is important and helping average citizens is important. so, we're here in the

>> reporter: a long-term budget may be more difficult to agree upon. rub cans and democrats remain fara part on three big issues. immigration reforms, military spending, and overall government spending. edward lawrence, nbc news, washington. >> it's been a month now since election day in virginia, and four house of delegates races are still not resolved. two of them from our area. in stafford county, a recount in the 28th district race is set for december 21st. voters also filed a lawsuit yesterday asking a judge to order a do-over on that election because hundreds of voters were assigned to the wrong district. and there is a recount in the 40th district covering parts of fairfax and prince william countys. that recount starts next wednesday at the fairfax county courthouse. it was a sneak attack on america by japan. pearl harbor, it was december 7th, 1941. >> that day in history drew the united states into world war ii. news4's tom sherwood was on the national mall wre

the community remembered. >> reporter: an attack at dawn, it killed more than 2000 americans. it both stunned and rallied america. president franklin roosevelt called the nation to arms. >> december 7th, 1941, a date which will live in infamy. ♪ ♪ >> reporter: today the national anthem played at the world war ii memorial as veterans of many wars honored the country's response and sacrifice that led to victories in both the pacific and the atlantic theaters of war. >> pearl harbor should mean that if we all get together, it's nothing we can't do. ♪ ♪ >> reporter: the traditional taps were played. veterans of war laid wreaths in front of 400 gold stars that represent the 400,000 who died in world war ii. mb

goldstein flew 25 missions over germany, lou perron flew 32. >> what is the message of pearl harbor to america today? >> the kids growing up, they have to start learning about world war ii. i was just telling them they're calling -- one kid asked me what was world war 11. >> reporter: world war ii memorial began holding the ceremony just last year, the 75th anniversary of pearl harbor. many people here today hope it becomes an annual event. in the district, tom sherwood, news4. >> it's a crime many of us won't soon forget. now several years later, the lululemon store on bethesda row is on the move, and so is the tribute for the young murder victim. we have the story you'll see only on news4. >> plus, a blast of cold air moves in. some of us could even see some snow this weekend. doug is tracking our chances

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.

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you're going through a lot right now and i know you're scared. but you're stronger than you know. but look, we'll get through this together. and remember... we at the imaginary friends society always have your back! time to check on our weather now. and tonight's installment of holiday lights, doug is in burke, virginia, bringing us the sights and sounds of the holiday season. they've got some serious lights. >> they've got i

there. i bet they can see that from the space station. that's incredible what they're doing out there. but this could be augmented by some snow moving into the area over the weekend. is that right, doug? >> yeah, guys, wouldn't that make this so much better? we've got the holiday lights. it was really great. we were out here at 4:00. it looked good, you had some of the lights up but you really couldn't see. once the sun went down, you ream i s -- really saw what this is all about. of the seven homes how many live here who have done the homes? we have another mom over there. yep, yep, they have really spent a lot of time and they say they start this -- is it right after thanksgiving, guys? okay, and it keeps getting sooner and sooner, you say. yeah, they keep going sooner and sooner. and outdoing each other. that's the cool est thing. i love that camera. that's the mass camera from one of our live trucks. take a look at that. how cool is that? now, doreen, can you hear me? >> yes, i can hear you, doug. >> i know you can because we tal

now, you know this is one of my hometowns, right? >> yes, right. >> i know you hate -- this right here, i told you i grew up right here in burke. i live two houses away from heather who now teaches a lot of these kids at terra center right behind us. [cheering and applauding] >> wow. >> small world. >> her mom is watching. hi, pat. >> hi, ma'am! >> i love it. all right. i have to do the weather now. i could stay here all day and keep talking to you guys. this is so much fun. i have to do weather because we have to talk about snow. take a look at what is going on outside right now. like i said, remember wear shorts, it's too cold for shorts. we talked about this. 45 degrees, that's the current number now. temperatures going to be cool tonight, but with the cloud cover, temperatures not going down all that much tonight, but it will feel a lot colder by tomorrow morning. look at the numbers in the rest of the area.

[000:25:58;00] if we're already 34 you know we're getting below freezing in some spots by early tomorrow morning. it is definitely going to be a cold start tomorrow. no rain to talk about, no snow right now f. it were to fall now, it would fall as rain. we're not cold enough yet. we have the cold air coming in. take a look at the wider picture here. what we're going to be watching is two systems. one down to the south. we're talking about areas down to the southeast, down around the new orleans area. we could see a lot of moisture there. now, the cold air and another storm from canada to come down, meet up along the mid-atlantic coast, and that is going to help to bring some of that moisture in. here it is on future weather. timing it out, and notice here by saturday morning some of that moisture moving back in along the i-95 corridor and down to the south. best chance of snow is i-95 south and eastward. that does include fairfax county where we are right now, into portions of montgomery county, too, but if you live to the west we're not going to see a whole lot. temperatures tomorrow, 42

degre temperatures tomorrow, upper 30s in most of the suburbs to around 42 in the city. the next couple of days, 38 on saturday, we are now calling saturday a weather alert day as a result of the chance for snow early. could mix with rain, depending on how long it lasts. 39 on sunday and a very cold sunday. and then we get to tuesday with a chance for some snow possible, 32 degrees on wednesday. wednesday is going to be one cold day and it's going to continue to be on the cold side right on through the next couple of days. now, as we move on through the next couple of days, guys, how much would you like to see some snow on your lights? [cheering and applauding] >> are we excited for that? all right. they're excited for that. they're excited -- they're hoping -- everybody here wants at least 6 inches or more. here, i think we'll wake up to snow on saturday, but i don't think it's going to amount to much. at 6:45 we're going to have. of much more on what you can expect in your area. >> okay. we'll stay tuned. everybody is excited. he's talking about snow. thank you, doug. >> thanks, doug.

>> still are still being felt as senator al franken gets ready to resign amid scandal. gathering ri yong ho action from the live desk on what's happening next. >> big changes are coming to bethesda row after a gruesome

crime. see holiday tradition in a whole new light. join in the joy of christmas town at busch gardens. with over 8 million twinkling lights. more than anywhere else in america. enjoy coasters and thrills. and celebrate with holiday shopping and shows. bring your family to busch gardens and you would even say it glows. christmas town.

where christmas shines brightest. back now to the breaking political news, minnesota senator al franken is resigning amid allegations of sexual misconduct. >> news4's erika gonzalez is at the live desk with more on the decision and what happens next. erika? >> a lot of interesting dynamics at play here and a lot of those dynamics were displayed in the senator's speech. franken was emotional yet he never really apologized for his conduct. this speech, unlike his past remarks, was more defiant. he said some of the stories were untrue and others he says he remembers differently. but in a lot of ways, this may preview the way that democrats move forward, positioning

themselves as the party which will not tolerate miscct tee with his remarks about the president and alabama senate candidate roy moore. >> there is some irony in the fact that i am leaving while a man who has bragged on tape about his history of sexual assault sits in the oval office, and a man who has repeatedly preyed on young girls campaigns for the senate with the full support of his party. >> franken is expected to formally resign in a few weeks. minnesota's governor will then take a democratic interim senator until voters choose a new senator that will be next november. leon? >> thank you, erika. we have more coverage on the nbc washington app including response from democratic senators and a look at how republicans have responded to sex assault allegations. as this story veltz, you're going to want to keep it right here for the latest on nbc nightly news come your way here at 7:00. now to a crime that haunted people in this area. for a week police searched for the man who brutally murdered a lululemon coworker. investigators learned the killer was in front of them the entire time.

brittany nor wood killed her coworker after murray caught her wood remains behind bars serving life in prison without parole. >> when lululemon reopened, the store installed a stained glass memorial to honor the young victim. but now lululemon is getting ready to open up shop in a different location on bethesda row, but that tribute to jana murray will not be coming along. chris gordon has the story about what will happen to it. you'll only see this on news4. >> reporter: well, doreen, i'm standing outside the old lululemon store that is now closed and i want to show you the sign that has become a landmark here in bethesda. above me, you will see colored glass lit from behind with a single word "love." now, i can tell you it's going away, but we can also report tonight that it's going to a good home. the stained glass window above this lululemon store is a memorial to jana marie, the

employee killed by a who murray suspected was stealing from the store. the "love" window has become part of bethesda. >> bethesda is a place where there is a lot of love, bethesda and the area, and we understand what the sign means. we understand it is a show of support for one another, a show of respect for everyone and every life. >> reporter: lululemon is closing this location, moving just a few doors away on bethesda row. a month ago, lululemon told jana marie's family it won't be taking the love window to its new location. it offered to send it to jana's brother hugh murray in richmond, virginia. i spoke to him today by facetime. >> obviously it means a lot to us as it represents jana, and that's kind of the memorial that lululemon initially dedicated to jana when the store reopened after the murder. and, so, we definitely wanted to preserve that and have that in our home.

>> reporter: but those da shoppers seeing the love window, but they are happy to hear it is going to jana marie's family. >> i love that. i love that. we need more of that, don't we? >> what a wonderful gesture, love never stops. it is contagious. >> reporter: lululemon is also asking the murray family for its ideas as to how they want jana remembered in the new store that they are opening tomorrow just up the block. that is the latest live in bethesda, doreen. back to you. >> chris, i know a lot of people in bethesda have noticed that the store is moving and have wondered what was going to happen with that. thanks for answering that question for us. >> a fitting resolution. >> it is. it sure is. >> coming up, the desperate fire fight in california as the situation goes from bad to worse. >> and it started in a basement apartment and grew from there. two decades later now, a look inside a local school designed

to help young girls rch dreams. doug? >> a beautiful night out here for our first holiday lights of the season and boy did we pick the right street here. a beautiful night here in the burke center area. we're going to talk much more about what to expect for snow over the next couple of days here. 24 hours from now, some of us could see the first flakes of the how's it going down there? that's good. lica misses you. i'm over it though. (laughter)

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yeah, was i the only one hearing the angelic music? . 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. it started in an apartment basement in southeast with 30 students and 20 years later the washington school for girls has 130 students with a waiting list of applicants. >> barbara harrison spoke to the founders of the school who say it's a place the community desperately needed and a place for girls to gain the confidence they need to pursue their dreams. ♪ ♪ >> reporter: this happy group of

singers are third graders at the washington school for girls in anacostia. they are what you might call the freshmen at this school that was started 20 years ago by a group of women who joined forces to fill what they saw as a need. >> that was my vision, to start a school for girls in an under served community here in washington. >> reporter: after working as a teacher and then principal at d.c. schools for 25 years, jennifer gibbs phillips wanted to do something about what she saw as a vulnerable group. junior high school girls in ward 8 of the city. >> okay, good job. >> reporter: and then, a match made in heaven. after a school closed in maryland. >> i was the principal who had to close the school. it was the sad est day of my life. >> reporter: sister janet and the nuns of the religious of jesus and mary were suddenly educators without a school. >> there weren't enough girls for the number of catholic girls schools that existed in the city at the time. >> reporter: then someone

facilitated an introduction. >> we met started a tutoring program. >> reporter: tutoring turned into teaching middle school girls. >> what we found in doing our research that when girls are separated from boys, they do better in mathematics. they do better in science. they do better in all of the subject areas. >> reporter: some here agree that boys can be distracting. >> girls can't focus because they're thinking about boys and i feel like we focus more. >> they challenge us to do better and more things and help us to achieve our goals and to make it in life. >> reporter: while religion is part of the curriculum here, it has never been the basis for admission. >> we hope to be totally ecumenical and accepting everyone. >> the education is phenomenal and i would have to say i do think there was a school that presided over education, especially in middle school.

>> reporter: this year the washington school for girls got who moved here because she believes in the school's mission. >> i did attend an all-girls high school when i grew up so i feel like i saw the benefit that you can really have of single gender education and really like the idea of empowering girls to find their voice early and just feel strong in themselves and take that forward in their lives. ♪ ♪ >> everyone. ♪ ♪ >> i love that song. i put it on my facebook page. girls attend that school tuition free through eighth grade, 3 through 8. the school is supported by grants and donations, generous donors. the washington school for girls continues to provide mentoring for its graduates through high school. they boast an impressive 98% high school graduation rate.

>> that is phenomenal. >> plus a great know i've been interested in the school since the early days. >> i know. >> and the concept of reaching girls in middle school while, you know, before things start to change for them. >> right. >> it's so important. >> a very important time. there are schools out there for boys, now at least one for girls, tuition free which is great. >> thanks for sharing that story. >> absolutely. i enjoyed doing it. >> getting rid of the boys makes the girls better scientists. love that. thank you, barbara. dangerous wildfires burn out of control in southern california and they show no signs of letting up. a live report near the front lines coming up in minutes. >> a major headache for local drivers as crews shut down a bridge after a serious accident. why it could be monthsefore

bc we've got some breaking news just coming in. it looks like we have two more weeks before we have to worry about a government shutdown. >> the senate just passed a short-term funding bill that will fund the government through december 22nd. the house passed the bill just about an hour earlier. it is now headed for the president's desk. fire fighters on the ground in california believe things will get worse before they get better. relentless santa ana winds are fanning flames out of control. schools are closed. evacuations are spreading. smoke and flames are shutting down roads. >> there is just a point where you have to pack up and go. >> you can see the flames coming up and that was, that was it. we were out of here. we didn't take anything. >> and conditions on the ground are changing by the minute. >> nbc news miguel almaguer is in ventura, california tonight monitoring the fire fight near the front lines. miguel, tell us what you're

seeing out there this evening. >> reporter: well, leon and doreen, good evening. the fire fighters certainly moved into the hills. we are with the line crew here that is going literally hot spot to hot spot. the problem with small fires like this is they can easily travel several miles. it only takes a little ember to shoot into the air through these smokey skies. it can ignite an entire neighborhood on fire. that's what happened earlier in the week when the winds were near 60, 70 miles an hour. we are expecting similar winds, notorious santa ana winds you talked about that we get off the coast in california to hit later on tonight. actually into friday and even parts of saturday. so the conditions here are certainly not ideal. as a matter of fact, they say they're worse this coming weekend than they were when this fire first started. as you guys know, the fire has torched about 125,000 acres, some 200,000 people forced from their homes. the situation here still very fluid. it could be a very dangerous night, guys. >> and, miguel, you've been covering a lot of wildfires in california this year.

particularly the one how does what you're seeing here compare with what you covered earlier this year? >> reporter: you know, doreen, we usually do see wildfires in december, though rarely this big, this explosive. that's what's so different about this one. it's being driven by those santa ana winds that are notorious typically during october, but during december when we see our first winter rains, we rarely deal with wildfires this big, this explosive and of course this devastating. and the bad news tonight, we may just be in the middle of it. >> all right. miguel almaguer reporting from ventura, california, on those wildfires. thanks, miguel. stay safe. much more on nbc nightly news with lester holt. he is reporting live from southern california tonight. that's right after this broadcast. >> now to a warning for drivers in our area. it could be two months before bridge in frederick county reopens. we brought you the story as breaking news yesterday.

chopper4 was out over the river bridge after a garbage crashed there damaging part of the bridge 355 over the river. all traffic now being detoured onto i-270 while critical repairs are being made there. >> back to our weather forecast now. doug is in burke, virginia, with some holiday lights and some -- maybe some holiday-like weather. doug? >> yeah, exactly right, doreen. you even said it the last couple of days. it hasn't felt like the holidays. winter definitely making its presence felt the next couple days. one with colder air, two with a chance for snow. we met a lot of families today. so far we met some families that have been in this neighborhood 3 1/2 years, 4 1/2 years, 5 1/2 years. these guys, they kind of started it all. the krcosgroves have been here years. they've been here 16 years. give them a round of applause. [ applause ] >> mark, this is something great for you guys, not just great for you in your house, but great for

the whole neighborhood. >> absolutely. together, community thing, we all get out, music playing, we help each other out. rasp nice to see the kids come down the street and look at it, awe and do that magical twinkle in their eyes. that's what it's all about. >> what year? >> 22. >> what grade are you? >> oh, eighth grade. >> 2022, that's cool, too. i was this close to going to robinson. i did the tour and everything and i moved out to herndon. i want to show you what's going on weather wise, guys. we do have some snow coming up over the next couple of days. everybody here is hoping for a lot, but it's not looking like we're going to get a lot of snow, but we are going to get i think some accumulating snow in parts of the area. there is that great shot we have there from our tower cam. 45 degrees right now, winds out of the southwest at 45 miles per hour. as we move on through the next couple of hours here, those temperatures will continue to fall, but they're not going to fall all that fast. some of the suburbs dealing with

more in the way of clear skies are seeing the numbers drop. 45 in d.c. rain will be on the dry side. we won't see rain or snow any time soon. by tomorrow night let's show you what i'm talking about here. as we move through the next couple of hours, one, a system to the south, another system to the north. those are going to come together. as i told you yesterday, this is normally a perfect scenario for us to get a big storm along the covert. now, they're not going to phase exactly to give us that big monster snow, but i think now they're going to phase enough that we're going to get some of that moisture coming right up the i-95 corridor and that means for us we are going to see some snow fall out of this. now, what are we expecting as far as that goes? well, first off, let's show you 42 degrees tomorrow. under mostly cloudy skies and cooler conditions. i think we're going to see a lot more clouds and colder conditions. i want to show you the four zone forecast. two zones, d.c. metro, let's show you that first. this is prince george's county, fairfax county, d.c., arlington and montgomery county. a chance for rain or snow. you're going to wake up i think to snow early on saturday.

some accumulation is we're talking about grassy surfaces, the rooftops of your cars and maybe the roof of your house as well. on the trees, too. down to the south, though, a much better chance for snow if it mixes, however. the accumulations will not be much but we will see a good chance for accumulation early before any kind of mix happens. now let's talk about that ten-day forecast and show you what i'm talking about here as we move on through. it's cold. saturday we're calling that a weather alert day as temperatures are in the 30s, 38 degrees on your saturday, cold on sunday, wind chills only in the 20s. so, make sure you bundle up. you will not need the snow shovels, but listen up. there they are, the walshes. i appreciate you, thank you for coming in. thank you for putting your community in. thank you for having us.

>> thank you for coming out. >> you say back to you, and there was an old woman who lived in a shoe. she had so many children she had to buy lots of groceries. while she was shopping for organic fruits and veggies, burglars broke into her shoe. they stole her kids' mountain bikes and tablets along with her new juice press. luckily the geico insurance agency had helped her with homeowners insurance. she got full replacement on the stolen goods and started a mountain bike juice delivery service. call geico

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y2m7ey y16fy >> announcer: this is the xfinity sports desk.

>> carol is here on t that means somebody got injured in the last hour. is that what happened? >> that's number one on the wish list i'm putting together, by the way, stay healthy. tbd the whole list. give me a few weeks. the skins have lost three of four. teams trending in different directions. hoping to do battle in l.a. on sunday. and while football is the focus, the wildfires out west are concerned. sheree burruss has more. >> reporter: the redskins are playing for their third and final game. the redskins not focused on just football. the chargers' home in carson, california, is far enough south that the game shouldn't be affected, but the wildfires blazing through los angeles still have the attention of redskins coaches and players. >> the concern, i don't know to what extent, though i'm not really -- haven't really been checking out the news. i just heard little bits of it. i'm sure if it wouldn't be safe we wouldn't be going out there. i think it's, from what i hear it's going to be okay. >> our concern is for the people

ut with, you know, the wildfires that's out there for sure. that's my concern for them. hopefully everyone is safe and, you know, got to always remember materialistic things can be replaced. the people can't. >> reporter: the team flies out on friday, but as for the eagles/rams game also in l.a. on sunday, no official word yet if that game will be moved due to the fires. from redskins park, sheree burruss, news4 sports. >> thanks, sheree. ryan is recovering from spinal stabilization surgery days after suffering this injury on monday night football. the scene, a number of vicious hits that fall have many calling for changes and viktorer lulz on how the game is played. redskins josh norman, though. >> it's what you signed up for, it's the game. physical style of play. we understand that, we know that. and for the people, you know, who cringe at watching that type of stuff, it's not for you.

>> we have on pads, so another grown man, another grown man, something bound to happen. you know that risk you take when you step onto the field. >> all right. so, we're going to move on to the messy roommate story. you all have had one, right? take a look at this. kirk cousins tweeting about his main man trent williams earlier today. i nominate trent williams for an episode of hoarding, buried alive. it is time. we caught up with the left tackle today, an ambush interview for comment. >> i've been here for eight years. so, my goods have really started to pile up. but, you know, i've got somebody to come clean it out for me. every now and then it looks like that. >> so, there's a method to the madness? >> there's a method to the madness for sure. at least i get to pick from an abundance what i want to wear every day. kirk has to wear the same. i think he has the same sweats the last five years now. hey, kirk, you see you got me answering questions about hoarding and stuff.

that's a real condition. we sh situation. this guy right here, man. >> it's true. >> that's when you're a rapper. i'm about to have a garage sale, man. i do got a bunch of jerseys that's framed i need to hang up. it's my home. what you want me to do? >> it's spilling out. people are tripping over it. kirk is here and trent is right here. so, that's why -- >> if he's the quarterback, i don't think i'd be picking on my left tackle >> exactly right. >> they're talking about something other than injuries and playoff odds. >> that's a good thing. >> men should be allowed to have big piles. [ laughter ] >> there you go. there's your thought for the evening. >> so big, that's why it's piling up. >> auction it off. >> that's a good point. >> auction it off for the kids. >> he's thinking about an auction. stay tuned for that story. >> all right. thanks for bringing us all the news, carol. >> thanks for joining us, folks. nightly news starts in 60 seconds. >> and we'll see you for news4

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with a 2-year price guarantee with a 2-year agreement. tonight, inside this frantic firefight. a growing inferno here in southern california. hurricane force wind gusts fanning the flames. new fires exploding and new evacuations. a major freeway shut down. it's a race to save homes and animals. and we're with firefighters battling on the front lines while even their own homes burn. >> i asked him to go by and check my house. he text me back saying, sorry, you know, tommy, it's gone. >> an incredible display of duty and honor amidst this growing tragedy. it's happened again. another deadly school shooting in america. students killed as an attacker opens fire. al franken says he's resigning from the senate but not