breaking year for rain and this morning, a new system aears poised to soak our region yet again. it is 4:00 a.m. now. >> we are in weather alert this morning. how muchre water we talking about here? >>ncaybe another of rain. you look at that stream of moisture here all the way down to atlanta and birmingham. o is is going t an all day soaker for sure. the heaviest of the rain will be between now and 2:00 or 3:00 in the afternoon but we may notur have last rain drops until well after the sun goes down. all of the d.c. metro area covered in rain this morning. temperatures,wow, way above average. low to mid 40s now even with the

rain today temperatures will be irting with 60 degrees. a very unusual weather pattern for sure. >> the next rain moves in for a few. >> certainly watching your speed as well. work zone as well, washington interstate5, there's only one right lane getting better. take your time-out there. a couple of spin up crashes around the gion. one of them actually happened recently moments ago on the interloop and beltway. fire rescue is heading that way. this e, up and only, just

clear. >> it's 4:02 now. armed robbery, first degree iosault, and the use of a firearm in commi of a felony. those are just some of the charges facing a d.c. firefighter this rning. police say he met up with someonend he wanted to buy a pair of designer shoes that were for >> right but police say things went very wrong. it all happened las thursday around noon. police say moore met with the seller around georgia avenue in silver springs. he was selling a pair of shoes valued at 00. police say moore revealed the gun. ordered the victim out of his car. took the shoe from him. he took a photo of moore's car away drove >> moore has been a firefighter for d.c. for four years now. he's now on leave pending the outcome of an investigation.

ews 4 is working for you on tips on how to keep things safe. never invite someone you don know into your hom i and your meeting up with them in public, call your local police and ask if there's a police exchange though. those are set up so people can know tha officers are close by. >> developing in europe, police found five monks tied u in a church after an apparent robbery. two people went into the church in the middle of the afternoon yesterday demanding money and valuables.>> flights resumed following an explosion from a power plant. it caused the skyline to glow neon blue. those flits were expected to

reach their finalio destin the power is back on at laguardia this morning and no one was hurt. >> some federal workers will not be getting paid monday because of the partial government shutdown. >> the republican controlled congress adjourned without a plan to reopen the government. nearly 800,000 federal workers will not be paid. some of those members of the coast >> what do we do after that if the pay doesn't come throug w thathat most families are feeling rig now is just the uncertainty of what do we do? nextursday, democrats take control of the house. it could set the sge for bitter battle between democrats and president trump with federal workers caught in the middle without a paycheck. the president is addiment the government will remain shutdown until he gets $5 billion for a wall at the u.s.-mexico border. >> you'll be able to see the effects o the shutdown next week.

theni smithsoan museum system including the national zoo may be forcedclo e. for the past week, the smithsonian used nearly all the funding left from previous years. if congress doesn't pass the funding bill by wednesday january 2nd, the museum will be closed. >> it's 5 minutes after the houw and now know the name of the little b that died in custody after crossing into the u.s. illegay with his father. he grew up poor in a remote part of guatemala. he was healthy when he and his father left for america. the child passed a health examine when agents picked him up at the border on december 18th. on christmas eve he guard noticed the point of impact was coughing and his eyes were glossy. he died from the flu about 14 hours later. >> happey,ng toda kirste kirsten nielson will head to the border. e is expected to visit e

el paso, texas today. she developed a series of protective measures incding new medical screenings. she is urging migrants not to put their children at risk by bringing them across the border illegally. >> before you settle on buying the new outfit, you try it on in the dressing room, just you and a mirror. we su. >> a man breached that intimate setting by recording them while they were undressing. how oneen quick action lead to an arrest. >> the young girl was in the forever 21 dressing room and she was getting undressed when she noticed that something was looking at her. she looked up, it was what she thought might be a camera. she immediately reported it to a store employee. >> police arresting this 39-year-old. they found him inside the nearby h&m fitting room.

they say he used this bluetooth camera device to record people g undepres >> unfortunately in these cases, somebody that is that commi ded tooing something like this is not just settling for one person. >> police believe there may be more victims. they say if you thi you may have been recorded while in the mall or one of the stores inside, they want to hear from you. a deadly crash that killed two tourists near the national mall. the tour bus driver charged with hitting and killing the women may have been driving ct dist. he hid his face yesterday. court documents say surveillance vio inside t bus shows james switching his cell phone between hands at the exact moment the bus struck the women. monica carlson and her mother were in the crosswalk. he pleaded not guilty to manslaughter. a strange incident on 395

caught on camera yesterday afternoon. video shows a shirtless man walking down the highway. the person that posted this clip says this happened in the northbound lane of 395. this is just after king the man was taken into cusdy andhe hospital for a mental evaluation. >> the child sex abuse scandal in the catholic chuh is prompting d.c. and virginia to continue changing the law. will require clergy to report child abuse. in most states, tchers and doctors must report abuse but religious leaders are often exempt. the d.c. attorney general's office i talking to faith based groups about changes to so-called mandatory reporting laws. th could send a proposal early next year. in virginia it may be more limited. it would exempt priests that learn about abuse duringhe

catholic sack rangersmerament. the oldest synagogue in the district will move for the third time. they'll move it to 3rd and f downtown. this is t third time that it's been moved. first for metro headquaters. the synagogue will become part of the capit jewish museum. it's expected to open in 2021. >> how does the mcdonald's metro system sound?ri they're consi selling naming rights to everything. we're talking about the rail lines, t parking lot, the entire system. they're working with a consul tanlt -- consultant to figure out how much the sponsorships could raise. meanwhile, good news if you're planning on taking metro home for new year's eve.

it will stay open t late aft ball drops until 2:00 a.m. on new ye's day it will run onch a sundayule with trains running 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 a.m. keephat in mind. instagram had a major instafail. >> it tried to rl out a new layout and people hated it. big time.f instead scrolling up or down, users had to tap the left or right side of the screen scroll through images. can't. >> this is 12 kinds of stupid right here. scrolling up and down would only show you tomments on the image. instagram update started trending and the backlash was intense. the head of instagram tweeted a series of apologies saying it was supposed to be a small test that went broader than anticipated. >> if it ain't broke, don't fix

it. >> i saw people comment about how awful it was. glad they cleaned that up fast. 4:11 our time right now. still ahead, how to give your upgrade. h >> plus a potentially ground breaking new treatmentop for living with anxiety and depression. a look at the muscles method that doesn't involve medicatiav. >> we another storm team 4 weather alert for you. look at that.n rain every corner of the news 4 nation this morning. how long and how much

i'm alex trebek here to tell you about the colonial penn program. if you're age 50-85 here to tell you and looking to buy life insurance on a fixed budget, remember the three p's.at the three the three p's? what are the three p's? the three p's of life insurance on a fixed budget are price, price, and price. a price you can afford, a price that can't increase, and a price that fits your budget. i'm 54 and i was a smoker but quit. alex, what's my price? you can get coverage for $9.95 a month. i'm 65, retired, and take medications. what's my price? ialso $9.95 a month. and take medications. i just turned 80 and i'm on a fixed income. what my price? $9if you're age 50 to 85,o. call now about the number one most popula whole life insurance plan available through the colonial penn program. it has an affordable rate starng at $9.95 a month.

that's less than 35 cents a day. you cannot be turned down because of your health. m ical exam, no health questions. your acceptance is guaranteed, and this plan has a guaranteed lifetime rate lock, so yfor rate can never go up any reason. and with this plan, you can pick your paymt date, so you can time your premium due date to work with your budget. options start at $9.95 a month, plus, you get a 30-d money back guarantee so call now for free information. and you'll also get this free beneficiary planner, and 's yours just for callin so call now.

his treatment called transcranial magnet stimulation is for people that don't respond to traditional therapy. it stimulates parts of the brain that usually has creased activity in depression. >> i was actually engaging i life again. not only am i more positive, but i have a lot more energy. >> it's very encouraging when we see patients telling us how they are improved. >> patients may need to have several 20 minute sessions a week. mild to moderate side effints ude headaches and scalp discomfort where the device is placed. >> the cost of medical u care i nited states is rapidly increasing. data from the university of waington shows the average visit to the doctor in the united states now costs nearly $500. the price of a hospital stay

topped more than $22,000 in 2016. experts say these findings are additional proof that the u.s. exceeds every other country in total health care costs. starting janry 1st, hospitals will be required to post online the price ofal med services. >> out with the old and in with the new might mean a good deal if you're looking for a new vehicle. carears are eager to get rid of this year's inventory and are offering good prices to go with it. the besteals on the lot will be for the 2018 model. experts say it's important to compare the offers among leaderships dueo difference i pricing or incentives but definitely good deals to be had. howard county residents are hoping tha a new initiative will protect their homes and their businesses from flooding. >> you may recall they were hit by two major floods in two

years. howard county's new initiative called safe and sound includes new infrastructure for storm water retention and $150,000 in grants. most of the -- one of the most important impacts, most important aspects is the new alert system. >> i am directing our office of emergency management to develop a comprehensive plan to bolster the s alerttem with new technology to enhance capabilities during extreme weather conditions. >> county officials say they will also bet looking ways to improve lower main street without demolhing historic buildings there. the next phase of the flood betigation plan wil introduced early next year. >> speaking of rain, in this aerks it's be area, it's bee the year of in. we'll see another shot of heavy

rain. >> another washedid out . it seems like every friday in the month of december has taken it on the chin. this one will be no different. there are signs thatven new year's eve will be raining. i will be so glad to say good-bye to 2018 from a rain perspective. there's storm team 4 radar this morning. vered up in rain. every spot in the d.c. metro is wet at this point in time. frederick con a frederi frederick county and maryland. out near t plains in gainsville, virginia this morning. look at how far down to the south this moisture stream stretches allhe way down to new orleans, louisiana this morning. heavy rain comingptraight the i-85 and 95 corridors here. if you'rti g on a plane today, look out. significant airlinesda toy. not only at our three local airports but any time it rains

hard in atlanta and charlotte, that tends to snarl travel forf lot people. moderate rain here going to be impacting us here through the morning hours. i think the heaviest of the rain will be between now and 2:00 or 3:00 in the afternoon. wave number one moving in and out. wave number 2 com in betwe 8:00 and noon today. then between noon and 4 or 5:00, that's the beginning of the end of the rain there but that batci of between 2:00 and 5:00 this afternoon, that could be heavy rain a times. flood watches are up for the entire -md.ro here this morning but a little bit of good news. by 8:00 or 00 tonight, the rain should be quickly coming toen aend and blo -- to an end e dry for your saturday. most of the next rain chance after this one is new year's e into tirst half of new year's day. it will be rain and not snow t withperatures way up into the 50s for your new year's eve

celebrations the ten day outlook is coming up in the next half hour. driving on a sloppy track this morning and it turned out to be much more than just an little sut on the inner loop of the beltway near bethesda. it's a truck and it may be jackknifed. it's getting by only on a single file to the left. we'll probably see more of this action today on rain slick roadways. those hea gines areng to stay on right but sunrise. washington, baday to break down but outbound on new york avenue action right sid is coned off. there's some help on the scene. in verge virginia, this one i a smaller vehicle. 95 northbound, exit 150.th car t guard rail on the left side. stay safe out there. wtop traffic. >> dave, thank you, sir. it's 4:20 now and still ahead, art home chnology. there's dozens of tech upgrades you can make to your home right

>> we're giving you a crash course in them. also remember to catch ellen todaynbc 4. show starts at 3:00 and stick around for

the possi lities are endless. >> this morning, news 4 consumer reporter susan hogan is working chr you with a crash course on those high- devices. >> alexa, turn off the likes.

>> dan doesn't just write about smart home products, he uses them to his one must have device, a smart speaker. >> alexa, lock the front door. >> smart speakers make it very easy toonnect all the different products. >> to use a smart speaker as a hub or control center of sorts, you'll find three main options. amazon's alexa.

the $120 amazon cloud cam is a consumereports best buy and if you want surveillance inside and outside of yourhome, consider the net gear arlo o2 art camera for $220. >> susan hogan reporting there. consumer repts also looked into another smart device. smart smoke detectors. if you're considering those be careful.va they areilable but they're only able to detec one type of re. not everything. >> all right. storm team 4 weather alt.

more rain chances coming up. >> who the thieves appear to be targeting and when they are striking. >> and it was once the biggest store in the country. now sears may only have hours left. deils on the deadline that could mean the end of the store i'm alex trebek here to tell you about the colonial penn program. if you're age 50-85to

and looking uy life insurance on a fixed budget, remember the three p's. the three what? the three p's?ee what are the t's? the three p's of life insurance on a fixed budget are price, price, and price. a price you can afford, a price that can't increase, and a price that fits your budget. i'm 54 and i was a smoker but quit. alex, what's my price? yo.9can get coverage for a month. i'm 65, retired, and take medications. what's my price? so $9.95 a month. i just turned 80 and i'm on a fixed income. what's my price? $9.95 a month for you, too. if you're age 50 to 85, call now about the number one most popular whole life insurance plan available through the colonial penn program. it has an affordable rate starting at $9.95 a month. that's less than 35 cents a day.

you cannot be turned down because of your health. no medicals.xam, no health questi your acceptance is guaranteed, and this plan has a guaranteed lifetime rate lock, so your rate can never go up for any reason. and with this plan, you can pick your payment date, so you can time your pmium due date to work with your budget. options start at $9.95 a month, plus, you get a 30-day money back guarantee. so call now for free information. and you'll also get this free beneficiary planner, and it's yours just for calling. so call now.

>> friday is here and with it comes a whole lot of rain. it's going to be coming down for awhile. maybe a different story when it comes to theeekend weather. good morning, erevybody. >> let's head right over to storm team 4 meteorologi chuck bell. he'll have a look at the forecast. >> another 4torm team weather alert for you. look at this moisture here that comes off the gulf of mexico and stight up through the southeast and into the mid-atlantic. it's raining everywhere and some of it is even coming down pretty hard at the moment. heaviest of the rain right now is partsf monmont and howard counts. more steady rain across northern

virginia. right through the heart of the d.c. metro area here. not included are northern and southern lomaryland. at the rainfall potential here. another inch to an inch and a half of rain just for today. this record rainfall, all we're doing now is padding the r ord and mild. temperatures are ithe mid 40s this morning. our average low temperature is 30. temperatures running 15 degrees warmer than average today and most areas with moderate rain off and on throughout the afternoon will get us to 60 hegrees today. more about weekend coming up in a few, dave. >> it's weather like this when rds.ee our worst re it's a big truck wreck. eitherackknifedr separated to some extent. it's only one left lane getting by on wet pavement. the only good news here today is traffic is fairly light with the