right now on news 4 this week, we're working to protect your money as you file your taxes. a lot of people have beenua caut off by what's new this year. a dating app shares secrets 'r success. the one thing you doing that could keep you from finding a match. and after 70 years, a long lost book turnsp at a local public library. we'll hear from the person who finally returned it. from canada. >> announcer: welcome to news 4 this week. >> hello, everyone. i'm leon harris. i always ask the question, have you done your taxes yet? big t, you may be in for a surprise this year thanks to changes in the tax code. we've seen complaints popping up on social media from people who normally a g fund but owe the

irs. susan hogan has what you need to know about these changes. >> refunds this filing season have dropped more than 8%. r wasverage refund last y just over $2,000. this year, the average is coming in to about $1865. so we went to a tax expert to find out why. >> people are saying, well, what happened to my tax cut? i thought i was supposed to pay less in taxes. >> jay is a certified public accountant in arlington. he says there are two main reasons people may not see a big refund check this year. >> they weren't having enough tax withheld. >> if you didn't change your withholdings ago year when the ew tax law went into effect, chances are the irs started taking out fewer taxes. meaning your take home pay went up, even if you didn't even notice it. the othereasoneeou may s a smaller refund, a cap in the

deduction for state and local taxes also known as s.a.l.t. it is now limitedo $10,000. >> and in high-tax states, even around here,ou arlingtony where you have people who are paying 10, 12, 15 plus thonand dollars real estate tax, alone, you're limited to 10,000, not only for theeal estate tax, but the state income tax also. >> while it's too late to make changes for your 2018 taxes -- >> what is done is done. >> there are some ways to make sure you don't wet hith a big tax bill come next year. >> look at 2018 numbers. if they have aalance due, then potentially they needo have more tax withheld from their paychecks in 2019. ma out on yr 401(k) to the extent that you can take it out of current cash flow and not miss it. if you have pretax flexible spending accounts for medic purposes, pretax health savings accounts, try to mimize your income to maximize your dee suctions. ortant to 's i

remember just because you are getting a smaller refund this year, doesn't necessarily meani you are p more taxes. everyone has their own unique set of circumstances, and your tax preparer should be able to answer any questions you may have and getou on track for 2019. back to you. >> thank you, susan. your smartphone just may be a lot safer in thedistrict. the d.c. 911 center is able tor pinpoint y location when you call for help in a brand-new way. news 4's mark segraves tells us about technology that can save lives. orter: when you need police, fire or paramedics, you probably need them as fast possible. that's why the work here at the 911 call center is so important. it's the dist tchers here t tell first responders where to go. but sometimes figuring out where the emergency is is t hardern you'd think. karema holmes ho runs 911 center ys people calling for help

just don't know where they are. >> i would say probably a quarter of the tims and i usually from visitors, sometimes we have children that call, sometimes we have elderly individuals that call and just don't know where they are. and sometimes you just have people that are going through an emergency. you callan 911 something is going on, you forget. >> reporter: pinpointing the11 9 callt wasn't hardl years ago when most calls came in from a land line. today 80% of emergency calls are made from cell phones. and until now, dispatchers were only able toalet a g location of where you were calling from, typically the closest cell tower. but now d.c. is joining the growing ranks ofl 911 c centers across the country usina pid s.o.s., software that pin points the exact location a call is coming from. in t district, mark segraves, news 4. >> when is theast time you hailed a cab? new calculations show ride sharing apps are leading to dramatic drop in taxi rides in d.c.

aaa tells wtop in the last three years the number of taxis hailed in the district has dropped 33%. tople in d.c. are expected take some 10 millionisaxi rides year, but compare that to 50 million trips with rideshares. whether you're in a taxi, an ub uber or your own car, traffic is bad aroundhere. traffic confirms that. the trafficny tracking compa says we have the second worst congestion in the country. only boston isworse. on average locally, people waste about 155 hou a yearitting in traffic and that costs each driver in our area over $2100 a year in lost time, and most importantly, inso ne. when it comes to trafficking in fake news, teenagers are some of the worst offenders. in fact, this year, so much on socime a, they often don't stop to think about what's real and what's not. now nbc news and the pointere institre teaming up to help eens separate fact from

fiction. our wendy rieger was therehis week with lester holt unveiled this new project to local teens. it?who is behind >> reporter: the auditorium in northwest filled with students admit they have been duped by fake news. >> it's embarrassing sometimes. you post something and someone sa, like, this is fake. and then you're like oh, my god. >> as a journalist, weho ask questions every day. >> reporter: nbc's lester holt came to wilson t to tell students about a new teaching tool, media wise it's a free program easily downloaded, teaching student how t fact-check stories so they don't keep spreading fake news. >> there is so much information flying at them, flying at all of us. from the moment we get up in the morning and turn on our phones to turn itgh off at telling you what to think, what's trending, what's true what's >> reporter: the pointer institute is a nonprofit focusing on excellence in dejounte murryism it's using this media wise programo fulfill a missi of

reaching 1 million teenagers, half of them in struggling communities, by the year 2020. that just happens to be the next election year, a time when fake news will be coming fast and furious. >> we want t get in early, educate them early because these are skills they' be using hopefully forever. >> the danger is if you don't learn to understand fact and fiction, you accept whatevernf ms your world view. it narrows your world around you. for all of us to be functiomeng ers of this society and this democracy, we need to come on with the information. >> reporter: media wise isn't just protecting them from russian bs and other sinister sources. it's also teaching them what'sha advertising,s real, so they can be better consumers all around. >> like the keyword search, especially witthe ads, knowing which one is an ad, where it's coming from, if it's paid

content what the source is. reporter: once these students become armed with these tools to fight fake news, it's hoped they will be spreading that around. >> because you can also spread it to other people our age our siblings. >> reporter: you can find out more about this program on the nbc washington stapp. earch media wise. >> thank you, wenti. ahead, mt. vernon make over. long-lost documents reveal the desi of the first president's parlor. we take you inside t andl you when you can see this in person yourself. plus, dating app dangers, what to know before goingn that first date with someone you met online. reynold's kitchens™ has eliminated plastic wrap

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pay no interest for 72 months on most buick models. a birthday t celebratis week honored a man many historians call the greatest president in u.s. history. abraham lincoln was born 210 years ago this past tuesday. crowds gathered at the lincoln memorial in his honor. speakers reflected on the 16th president's legacy.

theresident of gettysburg college red lincoln's famous gettysbu address. a two-year long restoration just wrapped up at george washington's mt. vernon estate. historiansnd class men worked together and spent two years remodeling the parlor of the st ucture. theyd 18th century documents to recreate the room and now they're convinced it looked the me way when the washingtons hosted politician ands dignitaries. >> this is very stysh high-end furniture. i think because the parlor was the lady of the house's room, d many of the portraits were commissioned by martha washington gives us a little more of a sen of her role in establishing the character ofno mt. v >> if you want to check it out for yourself, the restored parlor opens u to the public this weekend. coming up next, it's a record year for love. w research shows that we're spending more than ever on

valentine'say. plus, the surprising trend about couples who have been married for a long time. and if you're looking for love online, consumer reporter susan hogan is going to share the do's and don'ts of putting the do's and don'ts of putting together that perfect profil this is you shopping. and this is you maximizing at t.j.maxx. you shopping, you maximizing. you shopping, you maximizing. find the brands you love and get more you for your money, every time. it's not shopping, it's maximizing. start maximizing today! maxx life at t.j.maxx

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it's a holiday that celebrates love, but plenty of ople hate it. despite fewer people celebrating valentine's day this year, the ones who do are spending a a recomount of money. according to the natiol retail federation, the p averageerson drops just over 160 bucks. bank rate says men outspend women --se surp surprise -- and millennials actually spend the most on valentine's gifts. w, this may surprise you. experts say the longer people are married, the more they spend. s they just don if one causes the other or which came first. you> decide. well, if your valentine's day turns out to be a bust, you

maybe thinking aboutrying line dating. 40 million americans do it. consumer reporter susan hogan working for you with adviche fo making most out of your profile. >> for every online dating sale -- >> it has been that good. >> there is an online dating success story. gettingrohere to here takes a lot of time unless you've got a little help. >> i help people with all aspects of online dating from t first clifirst date. >> when it comes to apps orer first datea edwards says it's not one size fits all. >> the biggest online dating sites are the apps. tinder, bumble, hinge, coffee meets bagel and the list goes on. >> for those of you older than 30, try a site that requires a little skin in the game. >> if they're looking for something more serious, go to a paid site where you know people have at least put a credit card in. >> as for your profile picture, clean up your act. no selfies in the mirror

because, one, it's corny. two,e're all looking at the see your messy kitchen. we see the unmade bed. >> and when writing your profile, be,pecific. >> i would avoid anything i call empty adjectives. adventurous, spontaneous, attractive. anything you can't prove that's subjective, it means nothing. >> c andsider an online dating diet. it's good for your heah. i only recommend using twosi tes at a time because people have a tendency to get over whelms orhe open up t file and see 10 apps on there. get frustrated and close it all and do nothing. i'd rather you do one or two well than ten not at all. >> all right, thank you, now, once you find that potential match and schedule a date, there are even more things to er. news 4's justin finch is working for you with expert advice on staying safe on that first date. >> reporter: when all you have a a profile, a picture, maybe

text exchange, the knot thought first date is the owner of d.c. match making recommends going off line. >> what is theou one thing y were telling clients to do before they commit to that in-person meeting? >> you know what, i have my clients doing something that's a little i like people to talk on the phone first because i think that there is so much that gets lost in messaging. and when you hear the tone of someone's voice, if they say something inappropria or they sound a littlee , then you can decline adate. >> reporter: say your mind is made up and you and your match are planning a date. then take full advantage of your smartphone. >> do a screen shot so you have all the information and a picture and then send that along with all the information for your date to someone that you care about and who cares abo you. have a friend or a family member know where you're going and maybe tell them a time that you're going to cal you get home. >> reporter: if you want to know a bit more details that perhaps e been up may not h

front about, there is a work around. michelle says all you need is their name, approximate age,er d they live and let the internet do the rest. >> you can go to a site like been verified.com and for a small fee you can get unlimited background checks and nobody knows if you're checking thechlt. you can find out if they had a bankruptcy, a criminal record, check out their crazy driving record. >> reporter: may sound extreme to some singles, but to others it could give a sense of w calm. >>t do you do to make sure this goes smoothly, also safe? >> yeah, well, i think it's important to meet in a location where you feel comfortable. you want torive aroun looking for parking in a place that's dark and you don't know whe way around. >> reporter: michelle prefers your s first date beeplace public so you can arrive and leave directly and safely. and during that date do gut checks. >> if you feel uncomfortable, listen t that feel in your body. if you want to get up from the

table or the bar, say, i feel like this date needs to endinf some inappropriate is happening. >> reporter: overall michelle encourages online daters to be hope saying mostki s love only are good people looking for good people. but be smart. there are things apps andal rithms can't tell you about your date yet. justin finch, news 4. >> all right. so, if you feel like it's hard to find that special someone out ere for you, online or not, you're right. and it may have to do with where you live. wallet hub looked at what it called the best l states fore and it turns out florida is number one in the nation. the worst, wesvirginia ranking at number 50. virginia and maryland were more toward the middle of the pack, 19 and 28 respectively. and by the way, maryland rankedn best for o dating. the district not included in the listing. comin up, a long-lost overdue book turns upt a public library after more than 70 years. find out where it's been and who

turned it in and how much e fine is. reynold's kitchens™ has eliminated plastic wrap

frustration for good. to celebrate, award winner jeff russo composed the world's shortest victory song. [sfx: victory song plays] yes! this is the good stuff™

the silver spring library got a book that was overe more than 70 years. montgomerie county public library said it's the oldest book ever returned to em. news 4's amee cho had this returned to them from canada. >> reporter: if you ever worried it waso 0 too late right a wrong, take a page from this book. the year was 1946 at the silver spring library. a 2-year-old laura greg fell in called the e book post man. >> i've had this book all myrl life or n all my life. i just loved the book. i loved the pictures. >> reporter: picture how postal workers did their jobs in the 1920s. horses and all. and so when laura's family moved to canada, the book went with them. >> i hung onto it. at my age, you know, you give things back. >> reporter: over at the rockville library, imagine her

surprise when she found a long-lost book and a letter saying, sorry. t s is the strangest thing i've ever seen. you don't always getf an plan how it was lost to us from so long. >> reporter: we did the math on the fine she could be facing. for most books, montgomerie county fines 30 cents a day. 73 years, you're looking at over $9,0 t. luckil county caps the fine at $15 and doesn't charge a late fee for children's books. were you worried at all about any possible fines? >> no. wi would have talked m out of it anyway. lookingter: if you'r through the shelves hoping to find the post man book, sadly you're out of luck. the library said the book is too fragile to check the book but they'll show it to anybody who wants to see it. >> we want people to use our stuff. want them out in people's hands. >> reporter: proving no matter how old something may be, continuance' never too late for a new beginning. in rockville, amee cho, news 4.

>> that's for news 4

>> announcer: "news 4 today" begins with breaking news. good morning to youlv i'm david . breaking news coming in overnight from rome. he vatican releasing this but tin. it dismisses ex-cardinal mccarrick from the priesthood. he was once among the most powerful leaderscn the catho church. this morning, he carries no religious title. sccarrick can no longer celebrate mass a priest, not even in private. a tribunal found him guilty of sexual misconduct withinors and adults, along with abusing his power. and solicitation within the act of confession, th csacrament. we've been all over this