>> first at 4:00, heart break less than a week before christmas. more than two dozen people now looking for a new place to live after an apartment inferno in prince george's county. >> some folks had to jump from the three story building to get away. the fire broke out early this morning on curtis drive in hillcrest heights. >> news4's chris gordon spoke with residents trying to figure out where they're going to spend the holidays. chr chr chris? >> reporter: well, leon, the cause of this fire remains under investigation. it was so intense that it totally destroyed one apartment building and seriously damaged another one nearby. fire engulfs the top two floors of this apartment building. flames shooting through the roof. confusion caused by smoke and noise. one resident escapes thinking his family is right behind him. >> he gets to the door.

i get low, ready to go out the door. i get out the building, no one is behind me. they're jumping off the balcony. we had to go catch them. >> reporter: by 7:00 a.m., the first of the firefighters arrive. it is already a well advanced fire. >> two residents were found in windows and firefighters took them down by ground ladder. >> reporter: five residents injured, three taken to a local hospital for smoke inhalation and minor injuries. one firefighter is treated on the scene, but returns to duty. the fire leaves at least 12 families homeless just days before christmas. the american red cross is working with 21 adults and 11 children displaced by the fire. >> we're providing funds for food, clothing, lodging, and we are also connecting them with other agencies out there. we've made arrangements with prince george's county fire, police, and toys for tots so that the children who lost their

something for the holiday. >> reporter: some local churches are also gathering donations so that these homeless families don't miss out on the holiday spirit. that's the latest live from prince george's county. leon, back to you. >> thank you, chris. what a terrible, terrible incident. pat? >> investigators are looking at speed as a possible cause of the deadly train crash outside tacoma, washington. the black box showed the train was going 80 in a 30 mile per hour stretch when part of it derailed and fell onto the interstate. nbc's jennifer joins us from due pobt. what else have we learned, jennifer? >> reporter: so much, and so much more in the coming days we suspect. the rails were loaded onto a first la flatbed truck where it will be investigating by the ntsb. it's the beginning w

investigation. piece by piece, the slow, delicate process of clearing the wreckage continues today. as train cars are hauled away for further investigation. >> once we get them removed from the scene, ntsb who has taken over the primary for the investigation of this will be able to document everything that occurred in those cars in a safe environmentment >> reporter: the national transportation safety board continues its search for answers. >> track 501, emergency, emergency, emergency. we are on the ground. >> reporter: one day after the inaugural run of what was to be the fastest train from portland to seattle ended in a deadly derailment. >> oh, my god, that train is derailed over the freeway. >> reporter: data from the train's rear black box shows it was going nearly three times the speed limit as it headed into a curve. before sending nearly the entire train off the tracks. one train car crashing down to the highway below, hitting

semi, and other passenger vehicles. others dangling precariously from the overpass. >> everything was fine, then suddenly [ chuckling ] out of the clear blue, there was no warning of any kind. >> reporter: top questions for investigators, did the engineer ever apply brakes or did distraction play a role? and would positive train control technology, the federally mandated safety measures set to be activated on the line next year, have prevented the wreck and saved lives? that is a big question because train experts say speed should be looked at as a factor and possibly even a symptom, not necessarily a primary cause on a massive train derailment like this one. i'm jennifer, live in dupont, washington. pat, back to you. >> jennifer, thanks so much. >> new details in the murder of a teenager and possible motive for why someone killed him. james smith shot and killed last night on a basketball court at the douglas community center

southeast d.c., his mother says james had new jordan smeekers on at the time. sneakers she gave him as an early christmas present. we're told someone tried to take them and after some kind of argument they shot him. >> reporter: when you heard what happened to your son, what was it like in your heart in >> disbelief. i still haven't taken it today, i still don't believe it. it's untrue, it's unreal. >> at this point police may have a theory for the crime about they do not have any suspects in the case. >> breaking news now, the gop is a step closer to a big victory. the house just passed its major tax reform package. the measure now moves on to the senate. the house voted along party lines with 12 republicans voting no, and no democrats voting for the measure. the 1 1/2 trillion dollar package provides steep tax cuts for businesses and wealthy individuals, and more modest cuts for middle to low income families. if the president signs the measure before the end of the year, the cuts would start

kick in in january. the senate vote is expected in a matter of hours, so keep it right here. >> the leader of prince george's county public schools says that he wants the diplomas from his schools to mean something. a state audit says more than 5,000 students graduated last year without proof they met requirements. a whistle blower says the registrar, guidance chair, and three guidance counselors changed student records. now the school ceo will present his correction plan, and today he sat down with bureau chief tracee wilkins to discuss what's next. tracee? >> reporter: we have obtained documents that show the prince george's county school system was examining its own procedures back in 2016. there was some serious concern about their record keeping process and how that could impact something like what's happened here. a state investigation into graduation rates. now, when we talked with the ceo today, he said that he wanted the graduation rates to be improved, but did not expect a state investigation.

no district in this country that isn't setting metrics and saying we're going to seek these goals. but nobody said cheat to get there. >> reporter: dr. kevin maximum wel -- kevin maxwell is hoping to demonstrate he has control of the school system. the audit found more than 5,000 students graduated without proof they met graduation requirements. were people purposely doing the wrong thing? did you find that? >> i would say that work is not complete yet. it is in what i would say is in progress. >> reporter: according to the audit the school system monitoring does not adhere to graduation policies, has poor record keeping and grade change irregularities. tonight maxwell presents solutions to parents and the school board. >> we have limited the number of grade change managers that we have and we have instituted some visits by central office staff and others to go into schools and sort of spot-check records and make sure the kids are

are being done properly. >> reporter: for the past two years the county has boasted the highest improvement in state graduation rates. i asked dr. maxwell if these improvements to the system will change that. >> i don't think that we're going to see a big decline when they say an a university judgement, but i don't think we're going to see a big decline. i'm hoping we won't see any, quite honestly. >> reporter: a lot of what dr. maxwell said that he's going to be presenting to parents tonight in this board of education meeting was recommended that that be done back in 2016. we are waiting on the prince george's county school system to explain to us why these changes weren't made a year ago. reporting live in upper marlboro, i'm tracee wilkins, news4. >> scott macfarlane at the live desk. breaking news, some rather remarkable landmark political news. the balance of power in virginia government has just swung. the house of delegates has gone from republican control to a 50/50 split. that's because the balance of power and the vote in a recount in the

flipped from republican to democrat. they were doing a recount in newport news. the democrat shelley simons was down 10 votes this morning. she just took the lead by one vote in the final return to the recount. moving to house of delegates from a 51/49 republican balance to a 50/50 split. shelley simons winning by one vote, virginia democrats say, which means virginia's government has swung in power by a measure of just one vote. at the live desk, i'm scott macfarlane. >> boy, you heard the term razor thin margin before. that's a razor thin margin. >> yes, thinner than that. >> that's amazing. thank you, scott. all right. let's go back into the way back machine. where were you eight years ago today? >> frankly i don't remember, but i am told shoveling snow. do you remember snow pocalypse? 16.4 inches of snow fell that day, shutting down retailers days before

holiday shipments were held up and travelers were stranded, some churches even had to cancel services the next day. >> i can't believe you can't remember that. unbelievable. >> i don't remember the day. just the snow. so far no sign of any snow like that, though, but we all want to know what to expect for the holidays. >> hard to think about that when it's almost 60 degrees outside and it doesn't matter because doug is getting us into the spirit. he's at zoo light at the national zoo night. hey, man. >> guys, i don't even need the jacket right now or the coat. it's a little cool but not bad out here. as a matter of fact, everybody enjoying the great weather they have for zoo lights going all night long. if you want to see us we're at the zoo between now and 7:00 tonight. a beautiful night for sure. we hit 61 a little bit earlier this afternoon with plenty of sun shiep. doesn't get much better than that in december. take a look at the numbers right now. first off you can see where we are in the mass camera. looking down across the area of the zoo, temperature wise we're in the upper 50s to around 60 degrees, an incredibly warm day today. as we moh

couple days, we're going to start to see some changes. first off, tomorrow much cooler. temperatures back into the 40s for the most part as we move into the day on wednesday and thursday. we're going to be tracking that. tracking a rain chance as we head into the weekend. we mentioned yesterday it's a tough christmas forecast. oh, it just keeps getting tougher. a huge change from what we had yesterday. we told you it would change and we're seeing that change now. we'll exum back to the zoo a little later on. we have a lot of people ready for zoo lights. ready for the sun to go down, right, guys? so we can see all the lights they have going on. much more from zoo lights. see you back here in a few minutes. >> thank you, doug. >> thanks, doug. >> they are breaking their silence about a music mogul. why two women are coming forward and speaking publicly about allegations against russell simmons. >> a big step forward for a months long traffic project. the news will give you something to look forward to after the holidays >> gift cards make a perfect gift until you go spend them and then you find out someone already did. 'r

how you can avoid gift car fraud thid s

would you swipe left on m & m? i'm tommy mcfly with your [ inaudible ] today. john legend will play the character in jesus christ superstar live on nbc4 coming up on easter night april 1st. the much

trailer is out. >> 20 people. >> why do you need to do this? >> because it's what i'm good at. >> an all-star cast, an dra bullock, rhianna and more plan to rob the met gala. he is coming to d.c. through wolf trap in late july. haley stein feld will be his opening act. and would you swipe left on eminem? he's making a round on his new album. since he's been divorced dating has been tough so he joined tender. actually he's gone a few tinder dates. none of them have quite panned out. if you're single and on the app, you never know who you might meet. i'm tommy mcfly with your celebrity 60 on nbc4. >> music mogul russell simmons is in the middle of a growing sexual allegation claim case across the country. >> and in an emotional exclusive

hip-hop artist sherri heinz sat down to discuss the sexuction misconduct allegations against simmons. >> if i could see that 18-year-old girl today, of course i would reassure her it was not her fault. but i think this culture is, up until this point now, we were talking about timing, so much encourages this behavior and it's transactional and it has to do with women sometimes anticipating things to a point where if it happens, oh, it's still horrible, but i was the pink bikini girl in the movie. >> simmons has denied their allegations. >> the new year will bring a welcome change for commuters who take a major road through the district. the second segment of beach drive is set to reopen january 8. this is the segment between park road and till den streets to

avenue. it is the second parliament of a major three-year construction project. crews have been busy completely resurfacing the roadways. they have also fixed drainage systems. they have added trees and added new sidewalks and walking paths. the entire project is set to be done in 2019. >> that is going to make a lot of people happy. >> sure will. >> especially folks who are visiting the zoo. you know down at the rock creek park area, that by the way is where we find our doug kammerer tonight checking out the zoo lights. >> hey, doug! >> hey, guys! this is one of my favorite events every single year. i love to bring the kids here to zoo lights between now and january 1st. 500,000 lights they have strewn throughout the park throughout the zoo. as always, it's free, which is great, which is why everybody here is so excited about zoo lights, including mrs. lancaster and she is the principal -- was the principal of fair view elementary school. what is the significance of fair view e

school over in burke. thank you very much. you were there for seven years? >> yes, seven years. >> great school, wasn't it? >> oh, golly, the best. >> see, i went to the best school. well, thank you very much. thank you for doing that. so good to see you. they came over from crownsville. how long are you sticking around? >> we came here for the night so we could see the lights. yeah. >> you got a great night. i took off the coat. i'm not going to need that for another 20, 30 minutes until the sun goes down. let's look at the forecast for you. it's pretty nice out here now. temperature wise as we look across the area, tower cam, you see the lights. now, just right with the last couple of lights. you see them on, bwait until th sun goes down. it's going to look different. temperature wise 61 degrees, winds out of the west at 10 miles per hour. so, a very nice afternoon out here on our tuesday. as you look at the numbers around the rest of the region, temperatures in the low 60s to the south, upper 50s up toward

our area. some of them from crownsville, 58 degrees toward annapolis, looking good there, too. as we move on through the next couple of days, one thing we're not going to see much in the way of rain, we have no moisture at all across our region. there is a chance for some showers well south tomorrow as we see here. some clouds and moisture well to our south. these are going to most likely pass to our south. areas like fredericksburg and south of richmond has a best chance to see moisture out of that, that's t. temperature wise we're at 61 d.c., 59 in hagerstown, even 50 in state college. so, everybody in the mid-atlantic is on the mild side. we are going to see cooler weather move in tomorrow, but all in all, not bad out there at all. as a matter of fact, temperatures still around or above average. 43 degrees when we start off today, 47 degrees with cloud cover tomorrow. the system passes to the south. 48 by 4:00, and 7:00 tomorrow night sitting at 42 degrees. let's talk about the ten-day forecast. because, guys,

ten-day forecast. and we've been talking about this for the last couple of days here. 48 tomorrow. 46 on thursday. and, yeah, thursday is going to be on the cooler side for sure. but still right around average for this time of year. 52 degrees on friday. as we get to the day on saturday, high temperature of 65 degrees, rather breezy with a chance for some showers. it is not a big rain event. we have taken rain out of sunday, christmas eve. look at monday. we had a high temperature on christmas of 66 degrees. we told you that cold air is so close to the region -- well, now it looks like we are going to get that cold air. temperatures will be falling all day. and we could see some rain early, actually mixed with some snow on christmas day before it's all said and done. once again, this forecast, we're going to have to watch it. it's going to change again because this is such a pivotal forecast for us. as we look to tuesday, wednesday, thursday of next week, much, much colder temperatures. if you're coming to zoo lights next week, bundle up. but today you reallyn'

to. anybody got gloves on? >> no. >> no. anybody got a hat on? no. you don't need them until a little later on. like i said, in 20 minutes i'm putting on a jacket. i'm a tough guy. >> at least it's beginning to look more like christmas. eventually. thanks, doug. >> thanks, doug. >> well, speaking of big holiday lights, zoo lights isn't the only place to see some breath taking light displays. >> that's right. going to tell you about five of the best places in the region that really light up the night. >> how 10,000 free mo bike rides will help opportunity youth in the district get on track. i'm tommy mfly. wec

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if you like to eat out, you know that washington is a great place to do it these days. del mar restaurant being mentioned as the city gets national recognition for being a stand out place here. joining us to talk about that is vic jagger from 102.3. good to see you as always. >> good to see you. >> that recognition comes from the latest survey of diners, right? >> the most exciting food cities in america, d.c. came in at number 6. i was very surprised. >> that's high. >> listen, we were number

>> i didn't realize that. >> i love eating at different places around the city. i was very surprised -- well, baltimore came in at number 29. you have new york city at number 15. i thought it would be higher on the list. and of course l.a., of course, came in at number one. so, i mean, i'm hoping that we can go ahead and take that number one spot again. >> but new york city is number 15? most folks -- i would guess new york would be near the top. >> right. >> interesting. >> that dollar pizza. [ laughter ] >> there you go, take that, new york. all right. you saw doug a little while ago with the zoo lights. >> yes. >> places people can go to see lights. what is this bull run festival? >> bull run, if you don't want to get out in the cold and experience the light show, you can do a drive-through. 40,000 an mated lights, 2.5 miles, just music -- yes, look, it's so fun. you can take the whole family. i love it. and they also have, of course, zoo lights at the

georgetown glow, which if you're a fan of just local artists, national artists are there, too. they display their work. and you can head to the winter wonder land where you can ice skate. you know how to ice skate? >> no. >> not really? okay, the symphony lights is another drive-through spot if you don't want to get out and walk. of course the garden of lights at brook side in wheaton, maryland is another good one. they have a giant-like caterpillar that you can walk through. it's pretty. >> real quick, where is that bull run festival at? >> bull run festival is centerville. if you want to drive to centerville -- >> that's cool. >> that's number one on my list. >> this last one on our list, dole teaming up with "star wars" may the fruit be with you, is that it? >> that's a good one. this "star wars" mania is just crazy, and now dole is going to have bananas and veggies,

lettuce, r 2 d 2 lettuce. they're putting stickers and packaging on it. it's really cool. what they're going to do is partner with disney to launch a unite for a healthy galaxy campaign which encourages families to eat better and of course it's inspired by "star wars". the recipes, okay. so, they say it will give you the energy you need to save the galaxy. and they have the recipes on the site. i think it's so cute, though. >> all right. >> if you're a fan. are you a fan? >> load up the car with the fruit and head out to the bull run festival. >> exactly, there you go. you have the idea. >> thank you. pat, over to you. >> thank you both. count down to a shut down. what it will take to lock in a deal and avoid a government shut down just days before christmas. and imagine christmas morning with a gift card with no balance on it, zero. we're working for you to avoid a

first at 4:30, breaking news, check this scene out. a plane crashes right into a residential area. this is just outside of knoxville, tennessee. this video coming onto our newsroom just moments ago. >> you can see there is a car beneath the wreckage of the small plane. three people we are told have been injured. we are waiting to get more information about this and we'll bring that to you as soon as it comes in. again, these pictures just in a few moments ago, taken just outside of knoxville. well, we hate to do it, b

again on a possible government shut down. >> here we go again. right now lawmakers have little more than three days to make a deal to keep the government running through the holidays. >> at the moment republicans appear focused elsewhere. the house just passed the tax bill. the senate is voting tonight. >> the result will affect all of us, and blayne alexander is tracking it for us. blayne? >> reporter: and, leon, pat, that bill itself, that gop tax reform bill, is hundreds of pages long, but essentially it boils down to this. most americans will receive a tax cut. the question is just how much of a cut and how long it would last. the vote historic. >> without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid upon the table. >> reporter: house republicans passing the biggest tax overhaul in a generation. >> today we are giving the people of this country their money back. this is their money, after all. >> reporter: under the plan, most americans will receive a tax cut.

look at your paychecks, because you'll see the tax relief we delivered today. >> reporter: but for most in the middle class, it's only temporary, unlike the corporate tax cut that will not expire. democrats saying the real winners, the wealthy. >> it's jrue holidcruel and it' hearted. it steals from the checks of low and middle income families and lines the pockets of wealthy corporations. >> reporter: senate republican under pressure to secure the party's only legislative victory this year. >> congress is standing at the doorstep of an historic opportunity. >> reporter: but also a political gamble. polls show the bill is opposed by more than half of the american people. >> this tax bill will be an anchor around the ankles of every republican. if they haven't learned it yet, they're going to learn it next november. >> reporter: the senate vote, the final hurdle before getting the bi t

and about that possible government shutdown, today senate minority leader chuck schumer said he is hopeful, he is optimistic democrats and republicans can reach a come premiez and avoid the friday deadline for a shut down. pat, he said they are also holding out hope they will be able to protect dreamers in the process. back to you. >> clock is tick being. thank you, blayne. immigration activists are using art to showcase the contributions of dreamers to american society. a pop-up art exhibit made its way to capitol hill today. the exhibit has traveled to more than 30 cities across the country so far. it features black and white portraits of young undocumented immigrants. the art display is aimed at getting congress to pass the dream act which would provide protections for undocumented immigrants who came to the u.s. as children. >> republicans and democrats need to agree on a spending bill by friday if they want to keep the government open. and one of the main negotiating

recipients. now, president trump said that he would end daca in march if congress didn't act. democrats would include new legislation and a spending bill to keep the government open while the gop wants to handle the issue separately. but the big question is what happens to the dreamers? and both parties have different ideas about the path forward. now, democrats, they want all daca recipients to become legal permanent residents who can apply for citizenship after five years. republicans, though, they want to be less lenient and they are floating a few options of their own. they want dreamers to have to wait 10 or 15 years before they become citizens. and one plan just extends daca without providing any path to citizenship. now, in order to strike a deal, the gop is demanding funding to curb illegal immigration. the white house wants a border wall and all republicans are calling for more judges, jails and i.c.e. agents to deal with undocumented immigrants. now, if congress does nothing, by march daca recipients lose their protections a

although agents say that they are not targeting dreamers as their first priority. >> a local congressman will lead the investigation into a high-profile case of sex harassment on capitol hill. >> jim and wendy have a look at what is coming up at 5:00 on that. hey, guys. >> it's a big call today for changes as to how congress handles these accusations of misconduct. it comes as we learn of three additional sex harassment settlements totaling more than $100,000. >> our scott macfarlane taking a closer look tonight at the issue and the role a prince george's county democrat will play in the investigation into one of his colleagues. >> also, 92 years old and still very active, a man named bill mcdonald went for a hike and it didn't end as planned. when darkness came quicker than he expected, he had to spend the night in the woods. >> coming up at 5:00 tonight, he shares the story of his survival and the rescue that got him back home to his very worried wife.

you're going to want to hear what he laz to say. >> those stories plus doug out at the zoo. >> going to be pretty. >> this 92-year-old guy story, i have to see that. >> yeah. we can't wait to see it. thank you. a little boy terrified by a tv special called 911 on the grinch. >> he snitched on the grinch. >> he did. >> you've seen the headline. wait till you see how police handled this call for holiday help. >> doug is tracking the weather from the nation l zoo. >> we're at zoo lights. doug! >> a great night out here for zoo lights, guys. i am racing my friends here. push me, one, two, three. push me harder. you have to push me harder. i have to win this race. we're send ing it back to you guys. zoo lights for the 11th year, oh, my gosh!

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we are kicking off our holiday choir showcase with the largo high school choir. the group put on a show at the kennedy scenter sunday night singing "rejoice." take a look at this. ♪ ♪ >> fresh off that performance, news4's molette green went to the school in upper marlboro as the choir rehearsed for their next live concert. that takes place at 7:00 tonight at the reid temple north church in silver spring, and get this. these talented young students also have a cd that is rising on the bill board gospel music charts. >> no kidding. >> they're some singing young people a. mu people. >> must be good. >> oh, yeah. a little boy was so determined to stop the grinch from stealing christmas he called 911. >> and the police responded. tyler was watching vios

about the grinch. he told his mom that he dialed 911. she didn't quite believe him until the police officer from mississippi knocked on the door. keep in mind police figured the whole thing out. they knew it was just a kid but they decided to play along. >> come at my house and take a look. >> and the police continued to play along. they got hold of a grinch the next day and invited him to come down to the station and lock him up. finally says he wants to be a police officer one day. >> good for him. and good for them. >> and good for them. they have a friend for life. >> for not spoiling christmas for him. >> exactly. >> well, many of you are probably going to buy or get gift cards this holiday season. we all do. >> that's right. but you have to be careful for gift card gremlins out there. susan hogan is going to join us with what you need to know so you don't give

>> i'm tommy mcfly spreading holiday cheer. thousands of deserving local youth are getting a gift that will get the wheels of change rning. wetu h

four things to know this afternoon. breaking right now, that gop tax bill we thought was headed to the senate, well, now it has to have a revote in the house. our producers on capitol hill say the bill that passed today had three provisions in it that failed senate procedural rules. so, those will need to be removed and the house is going to have to revote on it. that is expected to happen tomorrow. at least 20 families are looking for a new place to live after an apartment fire in hillcrest heights. the fire there broke out this morning at the building on curtis drive. some people had to jump from the building to escape. >> we are following some big breaking news out of virginia. the balance of power has shifted in the house of delegates. ballots were recounted in the 94th district in

today, and the race flipped to democrat shelley stein man. that creates a 50/50 split in the general assembly, the first time in 17 years that republicans haven't held a majority in the house. the clock is ticking to get those gifts in the mail. the longer you wait the more you're going to pay at the post office. this is the final day to ship by first class mail. tomorrow is the priority mail service deadline. and friday is the deadline to get your packages mailed by priority mail express. >> speaking of those gifts that you're out there buying, chances are that a lot of you are planning on giving someone a gift card this holiday season. maybe you hope to even receive one. either way, a warning tonight, beware of gift card fraud. >> that's right. consumer reporter susan hogan is working for you and has what we all need to know. so we don't mistake a new gift card that has nothing on it. >> how embarrassing, right >> how does this happen? >> unfortunately it happens a lot. you get a gift card and there literally is no money on it. it happens. so, this is what happens. thies

cards right off the rack. they actually write down or take a picture of the number. they scratch off the code on the back and then they replace it with another liner so it looks brand-new to us. then it goes back on the rack for you and me to buy. >> so, essentially is sinsince fraudster knows right away when you activate it, they purchase with funds before you can use it yourself or before you can gift it to someone else. >> here are four things to do to prevent becoming a gift card fraud. buy cards directly from an online retailer or restaurant. and if you buy a gift card at a store, look for gift cards kept behind the counter or in the well sealed packages. and if possible, change the security code when you buy the card. you can do all of that by registering your card when you get home, and then change the pin immediately. and keep your receipt as proof of what you spent on that card just in case the money is stolen

fraud and prove to the person you gave it to, like really, i put some money on it for you. >> you can't take it for granted that you take it off the rack, those racks at the end of the store aisle. if it's any good. >> it's so tricky. >> you have to watch to see if anybody is looking at those cards and taking numbers down. thank you. >> sure. >> thanks, susan. let's get back to the national zoo. doug is having way too much fun. >> doug, we want to see the lights and hear this news again about christmas, the weather for christmas. >> the changing weather for christmas, yeah, it is changing again. such a tough forecast we've got for the christmas holiday. we have the lights back here which we're starting to see better now. as we come on live, they turned up -- they're back on. thank goodness. i thought we were going to have a problem here. we aren't having any problems with the lights. you know why? because they're provided by

since they started this. not only have you been here, you guys have helped with the inception. >> absolutely. this is my favorite time of the year. zoo lights and energy efficiency lights, more than half a million lights out there, l.e.d. lights. that's what we're all about. and just love it. >> and we're expecting 250,000 people. we had 20,000 people on saturday of last week. obviously with weather like this you can see a lot of people here tonight. this goes all the way through the park. >> absolutely. when you get down to the think tank, we actually have our pepco volunteers there breaking the glow sticks that we connect to the people's jackets and then they can get all types of information about what pepco has going on, energy efficiency and products for our customers. >> and a perfect night for it tonight. we're going to have a lot of people out here weather wise. looking great, you see what's going on from our mass camera right here. look at the numbers. certainly sitting in the upper 50s to around 60, 61 degrees right now at the airport. awe

see those numbers dropping just a little bit over the next couple of hours. down to 54 degrees by 7:00. 51 by about 9:00. by 11:00 we're down into the 40s, but it's still for this time of year very nice. the average high is 46. now, around the rest of the region, 56 right now up towards gaithersburg, we're at 62 degrees down towards fort belvoir. dulles airport coming in at 59. all in all looking like a beautiful night. nothing on the radar. that's how it will be through tomorrow. with the exception of southern zones, we may see shower. shower activity should stay south of the fredericksburg area. school day forecast, 43 degrees at the bus stop, recess around 47. kids will need the coats tomorrow. 48 degrees by the time you're picking up the kids. now, big travel day tomorrow and thursday especially as we head into the holiday. amelia is here to talk a little more about the travel forecast and, amelia, that extremely tricky, continues to be tricky christmas forecast as well. >> yeah, absolutely. exactly what you don't want is a

tricky forecast as meteorologists on a major holiday. that is exactly what we're getting. somebody is getting cold this year. it's the meteorologists. here's your travel outlook. traveli traveling locally wednesday, thursday, friday, you'll be fine. doug was just talking about south. thursday if you're flying out to the riockies you're going to be treated to snow. we elsewhere in the country, we're tracking rain in the midwest. we're looking at nice quiet weather. then we focus on the weekend. cold air filling in, coming down from canada. notice where it is in the midwest up through the great lakes area. we have very warm weather here. wait until you see the numbers on the ten-day forecast. but this cold weather pushes into our area and now it looks like it arrives. take a look here at the time stamp. monday, right on christmas. yesterday it was looking like we'd have a warm christmas. now it's looking like christmas is trending colder. for the snow

rule out rain mixing with snow. wednesday, thursday, friday we are completely quiet. temperatures in the mid 40s to low 50s. on saturday there is a chance of rain, but look at that mild air talking about 65, breezy degrees. on sunday christmas eve day, 48, and then, guys, here's christmas. 45 degrees for a high with a chance for some rain and snow showers. this forecast likely will continue to change so we're going to keep a close eye on it. but again for christmas we're looking at a chance for a mix of rain and snow. after that more cold air moves back into the area, pat and leon. >> yucky for christmas. >> it depends who you ask. >> that's okay, stay inside, light up the fireplace. >> exactly. enjoy it with your family. >> thanks, amelia. transportation is a big problem for opportunity youth here in our area who are trying to turn their lives around. >> today the mo bike share company stepped in to share in a

about holiday cheer you're only going to see here on news4. >> this will put a smile on your face. maybe you've seen those orange and silver mo bikes. they've been on the streets two months and today they helped out neighbors at the covenant house in southeast who could really use the wheels. >> and today we are very excited to be able to present to the covenant house 10,000 free rides for the youth here. [ applause ] >> austin trying to finish school, combat homelessness or turn a tough situation around, getting around can be a big challenge overcoming for the 10,000 youth who go to covenant house for assistance. these free wheels can bring a change. >> 30 minutes to an hour, either waiting or just trying to burn time. >> as you may know, the metro is really expensive for the youth

so, the opportunity that they can take these bikes and actually get to work, school or whatever extracurricular activity they have is excellent. we are so glad to be able to partner with mo bike. >> d.c. is the first city mo bike has set up shop. right now 400 bikes on the street for covenant house youth to use. the rest of us to buy the app and pay for, they hope at some point to have 4,000 bikes in our region. this has to get through some permitting with local municipalities. >> it's a wonderful program. >> it is. >> it's a great program. getting to meet the youth at covenant house, seeing their excitement because the bikes will get them to job interviews and get them to school, get them to places they have to walk to or wait forever for rides. it's going to bring them the independence and the flexibility they need to continue their progress. >> mo bikes, mo better. >> d.c. is first. >> first in the country with that. thanks, tommy. >> he is 92 years young and he's still at it. but this local man found

long. the incredible survival story that you have got to see. >> can't wait to see that. and the national zoo all lit up tonight, can't wait to see that after sundown tonight. doug kammerer is out there for zoo lights and it's come to some interesting changes speaking of the christ

this brand-new jordan shoe may have cost a young man his life. >> right now at 5:00, a tragic turn of events. >> somebody tried to take those shoes. and when he wouldn't give them up, they killed him. >> the search for a killer after a teenager is gunned down in d.c. because of the sneakers he was just given for christmas. forced out by fire, dramatic escapes as an apartment building goes up in flames. >> hopefully some way somehow we'll be able to help the families through this turmoil. >> new tonight, the effort to help families and comfort chi

the week before the holiday. and rewriting the code. >> the yeas are 227 and the nays are 203. it's on the table. >> a big vote on a plan to change what you pay in taxes. a look at what comes next, and what happens to your paycheck. >> first up at 5:00 tonight, a senseless crime, a teenager likely murdered for what we've learned was an early christmas gift. good evening, everybody. i'm jim handly. >> and i'm wendy rieger. we brought you this as breaking news last night at 11:00. a 17-year-old boy shot and killed on a basketball court at a community center in southeast d.c. this evening the teenager's mother is in shock. >> somebody trying to take those shoes. >> reporter: and when he wouldn't give them up, they killed him? >> they killed him. >> reporter: what do you make of something like

>> it's horrifying. >> let's get to news4's pat collins who was talking to the mother as you've just seen. pat? >> reporter: wendy, this is a playground. it's a playground. last night it was turned into a murder scene. it was supposed to be an early christmas gift. a mom buys some new jordan shoes for her son, but then last night, she says, on this basketball court someone killed her son to get those sneakers. december 11th, benita smith bought her son a pair of the much-sought-after red michael jordan contour shoes. her son james loved those shoes. he helped pick them out. he's wearing them in this picture. he was wearing them at this basketball court last night. last night, when