tv News4 This Week NBC May 25, 2019 5:30am-6:01am EDT
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right now on "news4 this aek," a new beginning. washington's newchbishop promises transparency. news4's david culver explains the challenges ahe for wilton gregory. breaking the bottleneck but at what price? adam tuss explains the plan to add more express tollways on the belt in virginia. and raising the red flag. a new law in maryland already paying dividends, keeping guns out of the hands of potentially dangerous individuals. >> announcer: welcome to "news4 this week." hello, everyone. i'm leon harris. we start this week with a new beginning for the catholic church in n.washingto this week washington's half billion plus catholics were introduced to the new shepherd,
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archbishop wilton d. gregory, most recently from atlanta,ll offic the first-ever african-american archbishop of washington. as news4's david culver reports, it's a leadership rolehat gregory says must start with healing. >> i resolve to serve faithfulle t spiritual needs of this local church. >> reporngr: a new beginnior catholics in our nation's cap capital. archbishop wilton d. gregory accepting his position lead the local church, holding high the manda fromope francis himself and acknowledging the recent pain caused by church leaders. >> we clerics and hierarchs have been the source of this current tempest. >> reporter: gregory steps in following a devastating church scandal. most recently the defrocking of now ex-cardinal theodore mccarrick accused of sexually a asing minorsnd the outgoing archbishop, cardinal donald wuerl, accused of not doing enough to punish predator
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priests when he served in pittsburgh. >> cardinal wuerl has been and remains a cherished friend, an episcopal colleague now for many years. >> reporter: but some have criticized wuerl for his lack of transyrency, something gregor has promised to do better at. >> archbishop gregory has said very much it's my job to tell you the truth.a i will tell you what i know. if he follows through on that, that will go a lon way repairing the breach of trust. >> reporter: a trust that he needs to establish amongst his s priests well. >> a great number of young priests, dedicated priests, who i think are going to be frank with him, but at the sa time will give him the information that he needs to make the best decisions possible. >> i want to be a welcoming shepherd, who laughs with you whenever we can, whoes cri with you whenever we must, and who honestly confesses his faults and feelings be wre youhen i commit them, t when they are evealed.
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>> that was david culver reporting. now, let's talkbout our traffic. that inspires a lot of folks to pray every day. but how about the idea of paying a toll to get around the traffic? that's now a part of everyday life in northern virginia. this week we got word that even mo l expresses could be coming to the beltway. vdot now looking at extending the lanes from tyson's to the allegiant bridge. transportation reporter adam tuss has more. >> reporter: let's start here. why do some say that thexpress lanes are needed? take a look at them in action tonight. you see the regular lanes here closer to us. they're going slower. the express lanes in the back, they are rolling much faster at rush hour. but of course there's a price to pay. take a look how this section of the beltway crawls day after day, and you can understand why drivers can't stand it. >> it's very bad. >> reporter: victor lee is the kind of commuter these new lanes are targeting. he has to go across the legion bridge to get back to maryland.
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he's in support of new lanes with one addition. >> they need to build another bridge. >> you think they need another bridge? >> yeah, exactly. i think it took them too long to build the second bridge. >> reporter: vdot isn't specifying anything about another bridge in this area, but they do agree the lanes would likely need to continue into maryland. have a big impact on trafficco estion in this area, we need to have a system that continues across the river. >> what it really does is puts a lot of pressure on maryland to step up to the plate and figure rit out. >>orter: express lanes can offer an alternative to regular lanes when there are bad accidents. remember that tanker crash on the legibridge? right now it calls for two new express laneses between thees dulloll road and the legion bridge. some property could be lost. >> i think it's a terrible idea. >> reporter: some say there are other ideas we haven't fully ef
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thought ofe adding more lanes. >> i think mass transportation working with local businesses to work out maybe better ways o staggering traffic in the area, i just think there are a number of options that they haven't explored. >> reporter: no construction happening yet, but the planning continues. in northern virginia, adam tuss, news4. it's a law aimed at getting guns out of the hands of high-risk people o could do harm to themselves or to others. and in maryland, the so-called ed flag law is already paying dividends. hundreds of guns have been confiscated and likely lives have been saved. as cory smith reports, it's also getting some people the help they need, before it's too late. >> this reallut is abo helping people in need and preventing violence. >> reporter: behind this door sits hundreds ofo firearms, takn of the hands of prince george's county residents deemed by a judge to be a harm to themselv or others. to the inspector general, it's
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evidence that the state's red flag law prevents domestic violence. >> i think this is one of the unique situations where the law is very closely doing what the legislators intended. >> reporter: last week sheriff's deputies seized 78 firearms an nearly 25,0 rounds of ammunition from just one .person it was the 56th extreme risk protection order related to v domesticlence served in the county. that's the second highest in maryland. and has resulted in more than 130 firearms being surrendered. montgomery county there have been nearly 40 protective orders filed. spencer says there is no doubt lives have been saved. >> this is a way to, as you said, be protive and intervene early so we're not dealingi tragedy. >> reporter: preventing violence is just one of the benefits n thew's short existence. >> as people become more aware, they see this as a tool to help them address an issue of someone who's struggling with mental health. >> reporter: and with guns being the number one cause of domestic violence fatalities, spencer
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hopes the public continues t speak up. >> we think the numbers right now of trending in that right way to say this is really an intervention tool and a prevention tool. >> reporter: in prince george's county, cory smith, news4. it's a story tat got everybody's attention this wek. a billionaire philanthropist paying off the student loans of an entire graduating class. still to come, one of those graduates is a young man who tells news4 what it means to him. d a pho that went viral this week. the story behind this harriet tubman high five.
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last years' ad campaign was a success for choicehotels.com badda book. badda boom. this year, we're taking it up a notch. so in this comerrcial we see two trav at a comfort inn with a glow around them, so people watching will like, "wow, maybe i'll glow too if i book direct at choicehotels.com". who glows? just say, badda book. badda boom. nobody glows. he gets it always the lowest price, guaranteed. book now at choicehotels.com greg. traffic anymore.'t handy i gotta get in the express lane. you're kind of freaking us out.o u know what? just try waze carpool.
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it matches drivers and riders who are headed in the same direction - that way you can say hi to the express lane, and share the cost of theommute. but what about davide? and victoria? seriously. download waze carpool. you could end up riding with coworkers... or neighbors. it's that easy. ride together with waze carpool. somcan make you feel likeder you have no limits. but mania, such as unusual changein your mood, activity or energy levels, can leave you on shaky ground. ak help tcontrol by asking aur healthcare providerut vraylar. vraylar treats acute mania of bipolar 1 disorder. vraylar significantly reduces overall manic symptoms,
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and was proven in adults with mixed episodes who have both mania and depression. vraylar should not be used in elderly patients with dementia, due to increased risk of death or stroke. call your doctor about fevernf stiff muscles, or coion, which may mean a life-threatening reaction or uncontrollable muscle movements, which may be permanent. side effects mra not appear for seveweeks. high cholesterol and weight gain; high blood sugar, which can lead to coma or death; decreased white blood cells, which can be fatal; dizziness upon standing; falls; seizures; impaired judgement; heat sensitivity; and trouble swallowing may occur. you're more than just your bipolar 1. ask about vraylar. a local entrepreneur wants to ease gridlock in the d.c. area, and he thinks a monorail would do the trick. here's some video of the developer. he said this would belaced on the i-270 corridor and a trip between shady gro and frederick would take less than 30 minutes. the monorail would be fully a
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automatednd completely driverless. he has not said who's going to pay for this, though. now tthe viral picture of the week and this one comes from our area. take a look at this. you see this really cute little merl. her nais lovy hope duncan, she's 3 years old and she was out walking with her grandmother who she decided walk up and then high five a new harriet n tubmamural in cambridge, maryland. the mural was actually just finished recently. the artist says what he was trying to doas show tubman reaching her hand out to slaves making the tough decision on whether to escape their owners. it looks like that inspired this little one as well. when we come back, we are workinfor your health. reen gentsler on how the party drug is giving help to people suffering from depression. >> plus the student debt of a graduating class all paid off by a philanthropist billionaire. we spoke with a local student m benefiting froat gift.
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si> it's the first new treatment for depr in years, and doctors say it works quickly to save lives. news4's doreen againgenzler sho how it's giving hope to people suffering from depression and thoughts of suicide. >> reporter: if someone goes to the emergency room because they're feeling suicidal, aat th not unusual, there really haven't been many options to help them quickly. but now the fda has approvedan old drug called ketamine for a new use. it's already helping patients who haven't responded to other anti-depressants or treaents. >> just a shell of a person showing up. >> and it's scary. you can feel like you're in a fog, like a zombie. >> reporter: two young women, both struggling with treatment-resistant depression and thoughts of suicide.
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i felt so trapped. trapped in my mind. >> reporter: katie bathersfald is stay-at-homemother of two me utiful little girls but days she couldn't get out of bed, crippled by her feengs of hopelessness. katie said she and her doctors tried 30 different medications over the years. nothing helped, until her psychiatrist recommended that she try ketamine. she says th improvement was immediate. >> i felt happy, i felt so lildt. i coun't believe that i ever thought that suicide was something that was -- >> i tried everything. nothing worked until i got the ketamiinfusions. >> reporter: kelly mason was diagnosed with posttraumatic stress disorder, ptsd,fter several deployments with the army. she was haunted by her past and went to walter reed national milorary medical center f help. >> as soon as i received an ju
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infusion, i felt happy. i immediately noticed that the intrusive thoughts that i was having dissipated. >> reporter: clinical trials found that ketamine administered in corolled doses in a doctor office might help many others th severe hopeless depression. in march, the fda approved a ketamine nasal spray called s-ketamine. >> it depose to a different area of the brain. >> reporter: dr. erica richards is the medical director at sibley memorial hospital and took part in the trials. she calls this treatment a game-changer because ketamine is the first depression drug that can work quickly, within hours. all of the other antidepressants available take six ht eig weeks to take effect. >> not only is there relief or improvement from depression happening, it's actually ta sused. it's lasting for longer as well.
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>> reporter: for katie and kelly, the drug has given them both hope, and they say it's helping them apply the tools they have learned in therapy to deal wh life's highs and lows. >> it was almost like two different people, night and day, and i was able to remember how i had been prior to the ketamine andjust be grateful for how i am now. >> i feel free. i look forward to waking up every day. i look forward to life. i look forward to the future. >> reporter: ketamine has been around for years. it's been used safely as an anesthetic in the operating room since the '60sbut it's also been abused as a party drug known as special k. doctors say when it's given in low dosagesin aontrolled medical setting, it's safe. the treatment islso supposed to be used in conjunction with an antidepressantm ication, although it may not be fully covered by insurance, at least
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not yet. >> thank you, doreen. if y or someone you know is suffering from depression or thoughts of suicide, there is help out there. we posted a link of local resources on our website, so just go there and srch changing minds. morehouse college grads are still beaming after the surprisc announent that their student loan debt is going to be completely paid off. this week news4's cory smith spoke with a local morehouse grad about that again russ gift from that billionaire investor. >> reporter: he returns to his anacostia neighborhood a college graduate. he left morehouse with a bachelor of arts in english, lifelong friends, and -- >> no debt. what more can i ask for? >> reporter: it's all courtesy ofillionaire investor robert smith, who after speaking with students the day before turned his sunday commencement speech into the surprisef a lifetime. >> and my faly is making a grant to eliminate their student loans. >> in the matter of like five
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seconds it went from everybody just sitting there to shouting. i was sitting in the fifth row, so as far as we were concerned, iwas, oh, my gosh, it was huge. >> reporter: as for the proud parents in the audience? >> what did he just say? and then we go ahhh! to see another parent or family be absolved of this financial debt was just so gratifying. >> reporter: in an instant, the debt of nearly 400 students was set to be paidin full. to quentin, though, while the money matters, a you can't put price on inspiration. >> the same way you say education is meant to inspire, he inspired all of those people to do that, even the os that aren't in that class. >> reporter: the money does come with one condition. pay it forward. quentin is well on its way. he'll be back in the classroom in a few weeks, teaching middle school. >> it really just allows us to live the missi that morehousege
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colle has preached into us so dearly, to develop men with disciplined minds. >> reporter: and for graduates, this ending could not have been a better start to the rest of their lives. cory smith, news4. when we come back, how prince george's county is paying it forward themselves to one of their top teachers. r hillshire farm craftsmen start the day slow-roasting turkey for incredible flavor. then, they double seal every slice for freshness. the results, well, they speak for themselves.
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by finding the best als on paint and stain. we d, lowe's knows you do it right with big savings on top brands like valspar, cabot and hgtv home by sherwin williams. the time is right at lowe's. the big carriers are talking about their current 5g roll outs, but their efforts are limited to a few pockets in select cities or trying to convince consumers that 4g is actually 5g. they're neglecting small towns and rural communities, leaving them on the wrong side of the digital divide. if approved, only the combined availableresources of t-mobile and sprint can deliver on al the spectrum bands needed to quickly bring unprecedented 5g connectivity across the nation.
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here's a special chance for prince george's county to pay it love d and show a litt to a very deserving educator. this week a teacher received a new ride after bng this year's teacher of the year. news4's nicole jacobs talked to her about e special honor that set a new set of wheels in her hands. >> reporter: ring off into the sunset in a brand new car isme' soing every teacher gets. but angelica brooks does. she's the prince george's county public schools teacher of the
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year for 2019. ree's representing mo than 10,000 teachers in the school system, and that's something acknowledged. >> good education is the cornerstone of a healthy and vibrant community >> she has what you can't get in a formal education program and that is that s care for every last one of her children. >> reporter: brooks is a choral teach er at bowie high school. >> joyful, joyful, absolutely, by beethoven bse that is exactly how i feel. >> reporter: and it uly is something she says she needs. >> we were down to one car. it was kind of difficult. reporter: but for the next three years, this leased 2019 honda crv will alleviate that difficulty. also as part of the prize package for angelica books, clear channel outdoor has donated three digital billboards so now everyone can see
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ngelica's name and face as they ride up and down the beltway. angelica also says she hopes she is ainalist in the state teacher of the year recognition. nicole jacobs, news4. >> thank you, nicole. and thank you, angelica for all you do. that's all for "news4 this week." as we head into summer, we leave you now with pictures from the beach. thanks for veining us. ha a great week. nothing says summer like a beach trip,
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with new tums ioewy bites cooling sens more than 60 years agone inside an aban chicken coop. where our founder discovered a retired teacher living. no home. no healthcare. so she said "no" to this injustice, and "yes" to transforming lives. it's this drive, this compassion, that inspired aarp.we this compassion, today, we empo people to chooseiv how they le as they age.
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th we advocate for heal and financial security we strengthen communities everywhere. creating real possibilities. >> announcer: "news4 today" starts now. developing overnight. the maryland woman who wents mising in the hawaiian wilderness two weeks ago has been found alive. police say she was married to a foreign movie star and a baltimore drug lord at the same time when murderedow investigators are hoping you can help them catch a possible suspect. and a judge says president trump cannot use military money to build a wall on the southern border. even with theergency dirk krashgs. good morning. thank you for
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