station. >> as we got into the tunnel, there were two explosions. shortly apart. very loud, very violent. they shook the train. the train began to fill with smoke. >> of course we all think about september 11. you think about your family. you think about kids and you just know god is with you. >> there was another boom and this time i could see a bright light, flames coming from underneath the next to the last car, like a fire ball, and as the car went by, there was a visible trail of smoke. >> cars filled with smoke, passengers say they prayed with strangers. >> smoke everywhere. >> that i was going to die. >> firefighters raced into the station to evacuate about 300 passengers. leading them along the tracks and out at the smithsonian station. on to shuttle buses and into the arms of loved ones. >> he's the one that i wanted to see. i want to hold my babies tonight and be grateful.

>> late this afternoon, metro promised a thorough investigation. >> looking at materials, design, examining maintenance records and conditions. >> now not only did passengers complain about a profound lack of communication by metro employees, some said they actually had to pay fares upon exiting the smithsonian station. we are live at metro headquarters. andrea mccarren, 9news now. >> what a journey, thank you for that. we were only allowed to film outside the metro station, but we did get a sense of what it was like to be on stranded trains from the very passengers who were stuck on them. kristin fisher joins us with more on that part of the story and andrea says some scary moments. you are seeing those in 140 characters or less. >> as you know, cell phone signals in those metro tunnels are hit or miss. two people stranded on those trains had signal and they were able to document their entire

ordeal on twitter. >> around 9:30 tuesday morning, andrew tweeted something wrong. loud bang, smoke, and debris on the track. minutes later and a few train cars down, torres posted video of what he called the first moment of panic. he had been stopped for five minutes and still no word from the train operator. you can hear people wondering what happened, what should we do? almost an hour later, andrew tried the emergency intercom, nothing. some people pulled the injector and left. others stayed. six passengers got off on their own and walked back to the station. andrew stayed, as did this rider who passed the time reading a book. over an hour into the incident, the stranded passengers finally learned how they were going to get out. andrew said the instructions came from a d.c. police officer. it would be a car by car evacuation, narrow walkways,

careful on the small ladder and oh yeah, they have to do it in complete darkness. the only lights are from d.c. firefighter flashlights. this video says final moments. the air is fresher, no more smoke. they were out of the train. have to walk out from here on the tracks which were illuminated by dc fire department lamps and glow sticks. those were just two of about 100 tweets from andrew during that 2 1/2 hour ordeal. lesli, the number one thing that he tweeted about was just the fact that the complete lack of communication, he said st was really scary being down there hearing an explosion and having no idea or having to wait an hour before they learned what had happened and if they were going to be okay. >> sounds like andrew was really talk people through what was going on. >> he was. he said he was trying to keep people calm. >> wow.

all right kristen, thanks for sharing his story and the others. back into the studio, derek. >> the end of the war in iraq is resulting in a flood of troops coming home this week. many are first setting foot on u.s. soil where today the very last 300 air force troops to leave iraq finally got home. scott broom is at bwi tonight to report on this historic homecoming. >> this is what the end of a nine year war looks like here on the home front. that's emily walton from woodbridge and there's her dad. air force major, thomas walton, finally clearing customs. >> what did you think of that? >> that was incredible. totally surprised. i didn't expect to see everybody here. very exciting. >> i'm happy it's over and everyone can come home. >> walton was one of 300 returning airmen who seemed stunned by this greeting at bwi. >> we are thanking them and

they are thanking us and we don't know why they are thanking us when they're doing all the work. >> this year i get to help put up the tree and do the decorating. >> good to come home to a homecoming like this, and a beautiful girlfriend and country that cares. >> some grabbed a taste of home right away. others called family and friends two phones at a time. and staff sergeant alexis johnson had this. what is that? >> the key to the door to my office in baghdad. >> as the last to go, they literally turned out the lights and turned the key on nine years of war in iraq. >> i was the last one out of the building. walked basically went from my office to the c130 and flew out. that's it. >> everyone coming home today is acutely aware it's one war done, but one more to go. yes, the end of the war in iraq is a moment in history. but many of those coming home today expect that afghanistan

is in their future. at bwi airport, scott broom, 9news now. >> welcome home, guys. so glad to have you here safe. at one time, the air force operated 24 air bases in iraq. and president barack obama attended a ceremony today to mark the end of the iraqi war. the commander in chief was on the runway at andrews air force base where he welcomed the returning troops. he was accompanied by the vice president, joe biden, and the president watched the u.s. flag that flown in baghdad return home to american soil. >> it's a time to recall what we have achieved, what we learned, and how we made a difference. and it's a time to remember those who served and those we lost. >> nearly nine years of war concluded when the final u.s. convoy rolled out of iraq into neighboring kuwait last sunday. >> well, first it was the crucified skeleton santa. now it's the church of the flying spaghetti monster.

the holiday display battle is heating up again. peggy fox is live from leesburg with the latest round. peg. >> there's no question about it. the new display makes a mockery of christianity. if you're a christian, you might be offended by the new display put up by a church that has nothing to do with religion. >> i'm very disgusted. >> church of the flying spaghetti monster distorts a nativity scene replacing the baby jesus with yes, a baby spaghetti monster. the caption reads, touched by an angel hair. pasta, that is. >> if you want to put an atheist poster here that says i don't believe, that's fine. you have the right to do that. but don't go to the extent of making fun of my religion. >> some say signs like this and the crucified skeleton santa are proof of a war on christmas. >> i'm a director with american atheists and if there were a war on christmas, i would have gotten a memo.

my point is, there is no war on christmas. >> rick was raised a baptist and celebrates the season with decorations, a tree, and angel ornaments. he became an atheist when he was a teenager. >> we're a family. we are your cops, lawyers, your salesmen, your it guy. >> he's an atheist guy professing his nonbelief everywhere he goes. >> i believe separation of church and state is a vital issue. it's important. >> as long as loudoun county lets the nativity scene on the courthouse lawn, his groups will keep on coming with their displays. since santa skeleton went up last week, people haven't been able to keep their hands off of him. he has been vandalized and stolen. now, there are parts missing again. >> take it all down. if you want to put a nativity scene up, put it in front of your front yard, do it at your home. >> you can see the christmas

tree lit up brightly there. the loudoun county board of supervisors wants to take up this in january. he wants to get rid of all the distasteful displays and just have that christmas tree. reporting live in leesburg, back to you, anita. >> certainly is contention. >> rejecting legislation to extend the popular payroll tax cut. the senate voted to extend the tax break that helped 160 million americans, then adjourn for the holidays. republicans voted down the measure today saying they want a yearlong deal. if congress does not break the stalemate by january 1, workers will receive about $20 less in their weekly paycheck. >> a two month extension is nothing more than kicking the can down the road. >> this is not a game. this shouldn't be politics as usual. right now, the recovery is fragile, but moving in the

right direction. our failure to do this could have effects not just on families, but the economy as a whole. >> and again, failure to reach an agreement on that legislation could also mean that nearly 2 million americans will lose their unemployment benefits and doctors would see big cuts in medicare payments. >> well, looks like a white christmas is almost a done deal. that is if you live in parts of the midwest. almost a foot of snow already on the ground and even more is in the forecast. not us, right? >> no, i'm out here with my short sleeves. we'll show you temperatures that are mild. temperatures in the 50s everywhere. 54 in fredericksburg. some upper 40s in hagerstown. if wait a up next, police on the hunt for an armed man caught on tape robbing two 7-eleven's. state farm. this is jessica.

hey, jessica, jerry neumann with a policy question. jerry, how are you doing? fine, i just got a little fender bender.

oh, jerry, i'm so sorry. i would love to help but remember, you dropped us last month. yeah, you know it's funny. it only took 15 minutes to sign up for that new auto insurance company but it's taken a lot longer to hear back. is your car up a pole again? [ crying ] i miss you, jessica! jerry, are you crying? no, i just, i bit my tongue. [ male announcer ] get to a better state. text save to 7-8836.

melwood and wusa9 serve all

who serve at home and abroad this holiday season. >> i'm samuel schmidt from steven city, virginia, i'm currently deployed in afghanistan. i want to say happy holidays to my wife, michelle. i love you, baby, i'll be home soon. two armed robberies in d.c. caught on tape. both of them at 7-eleven's and now police are investigating whether or not the two robberies may be connected. now the first holdup happened in the 1900 block of rhode island avenue. a half hour later, another 7- eleven, this one in the 2800 block also robbed. metropolitan police are offering a $10,000 reward for any information leading to these suspects. >> police will be watching next time criminals strike around a popular park in frederick. cameras have been installed in linear park. patrols are also being beefed

up and new brighter lights have been installed throughout the area. a deadly plane crash on a new jersey interstate. the small aircraft bound for georgia went down on interstate 287 and harding. five people on board were killed. witnesses say the planes spiraled out of control and broke apart before hitting the ground and exploding. interstate 287 is a heavily used route that wraps around the edges of new york city. it's not clear yet what caused the crash. a powerful blizzard is hammering the nation's heart land. closing roads and leaving drivers stranded in five states. terrell brown has more on this early blast of winter. >> stranded vehicles were piling up as fast as the falling snow in parts of kansas and oklahoma. nearly a foot of snow closed highways and strong winds added to the dangerous conditions. at least six deaths are blamed on the storm, which struck the southwest on monday. closing highways from new mexico to texas. >> they told us that it's

whiteout conditions. >> it was really crazy. i slid off in the media. was there for several hours waiting for help and took me three hours to get 30 miles. >> four people died in an accident along the new mexico, texas border where blizzard conditions are rare. and authorities say the storm may have been a factor in the crash of a single engine plane which killed five people. plows worked to clear major roadways including 25, 54, and 70. with snowfalling at 1 to 2 inches an hour, it was hard to keep up. drivers are being advised to stay put. >> go real, real slow. they can't hurry with the visibility like it is. just find some place where they can get to a shelter is the best thing and stay off the road. >> the storm is expected to wind down later today. winter doesn't officially arrive until just before dawn on thursday. terrell brown, cbs news. >> glad that's not us. there is one bright spot, however.

the storm is providing a big boost to hotel owners along those closed highways who are reporting sellout crowds of stranded travelers. that does not sound like a bright spot, does it? >> no. no. >> well, you know what? there's not much cold air anywhere and it's going to be rain for us. and i do have more video. i like the snow. we'll take you out to garden city, kansas. >> look at it. >> not looking out the window. >> that's all we got right now. the storm actually started as rain in garden city and ended up as snow. it snowed as far south as the texas panhandle and i had reports to western kansas of anywhere from 9 to 26 inches of snow. that would be nice, wouldn't it? all right, well let's talk about reality, because here's what we are left with. we'll zoom into this storm. there's very little left in terms of winter precipitation with this storm. most of it now is in the form

of rain. it is headed towards kansas city, a little bit of mixed precipitation in northwest missouri. as we move eastward, it is just rain in through the great lakes, tennessee valley. we have a little cold front that is bisecting it. not super cold north of us, but a little cold. most of the rain showers kind of sticking right along the maryland p.a. border and that will be the case tonight. temperatures, we understand where the front is. it's further north, but they are in the upper 40s. everybody else south of that. 52 in rockville. 53 in arlington. 53 toward ft. belvoir. mild, but turning wet. you'll need your umbrella tomorrow. even milder on thursday and yes, another system comes at us thursday night into early friday morning. we are in a fast moving, you know, systems one after another. here's the deal. here's our future cast. you don't see any green blobs,

just clouds. you can walk the dog tonight and enjoy the mild air. showers primarily north of town right along the maryland, pa border. most of us will have a dry commute to work. lunchtime, i would bring the umbrella. showers north into hagertown and showers down into southern maryland. by evening, showers will move through the metro area. nothing crazy heavy, but we could hear a rumble of thunder tomorrow afternoon. probably a wet commute going home. then we are in good shape. we dry out as we get into thursday and clouds come back at us very quickly on thursday afternoon. so for tonight, mostly cloudy and mild. we'll keep the chance of a shower in, but primarily north of town. lows in the 40s. for tomorrow morning, mostly cloudy, breezy and mild. maybe a shower. grab the umbrella. and by afternoon, we got it all tomorrow. mostly cloudy, mild, breezy, rain showers. maybe a thunderstorm. highs 55 to 60.

winds southwest 10 to 20 and gusty. it's going to feel more like early fall. next seven days. 60 on thursday. winter comes in at 12:30. another system comes at us thursday night and friday. we have rain thursday night into friday morning. right now we'll keep saturday dry. and we have another storm system coming in christmas night into monday. still looks like rain. not that much colder next week with temperatures back into the low 50s next week. i have to tell you, the christmas storm is a low confidence in the forecast. here's your best shot for today. this is beautiful. this is more of a temple. they did the light show and it's a beautiful show. 600,000 lights and liz did a nice job. this is from maryland. drive around and look at it. it's pretty special. >> that's gorgeous. >> there will be more christmas shots. go to our website and click on the weather tab and then give us the christmas shots. >> all right. well let the last minute holiday shopping marathon

begin. coming up, we're going to tell you about the stores that are going to stay open through christmas eve. >> but up next, new research on police officers find sleep disorders could be putting the public safety at risk. we're going to talk about it in our health alert. >> but just in time for the busy holiday travel week, dietitians named the country's healthiest airports. number one, detroit metropolitan. who knew? followed by san francisco international, washington dulles came in number three on the list with 92% of its restaurants deemed helpful. marshal finished 9th on the list of 76%. reagan national number 10 at 75%. but who cares because they have a cinnebon. >> you're going down. fix your feet. for millions, the solution to pain or even odor can come from an unlikely source. cosmetic treatments are finding amazing new uses. the foot fixer tonight at

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sleep disorders affect millions of people in the u.s. and often go undiagnosed and untreated. that a really big deal, especially for shift workers

including police. and here we are in the holiday season when more officers are on the roads late cracking down on dui. in tonight's health alert, how sleep disorders can add to the fatigue when safety is at stake. >> sleep disorders are associated with poor health as well as poor performance and increased safety risks. >> not good when your job is keeping the public safe. 5,000 police officers in the u.s. and canada. >> 40% of police officers in north america screen positive for a sleep disorder. that's really quite an astonishingly high number. >> study is out in this week's journal of the american association or jama. >> the most common sleep disorder that we found was ab instructive sleep apnia which affected one out of three police officers. >> offices showed symptoms consistent with at least one sleep disorder. we're at high risk of being

diagnosed for depression, anxiety disorders, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and a number of conditions. >> they also followed these participanting police for an additional two years, tracking performance and safety records. >> officers were at much greater risk, making an error, having a potential lapse and greater rates of absenteeism. >> state police had a lower prevalence of obstructive sleep apnia. >> their body mass index was on average lower and they in fact had a smaller percentage of officers who were overweight and obese. >> here's the take home message. obesity, having too much weight is the biggest known risk factor for this obstructive sleep apnia. and workout facilities, even pay time for exercise. this is actually a win/win for

the employer and employee no matter what the job. so again, stay slim and help reduce your risk of sleep disorders. >> thanks anita. still to come, d.c.'s famous lincoln theater gets a new lease on life. >> why this guy may well be the worst fedex delivery guy ever of all time. what he did wrong when we come back. a young cancer survivor who beat the odds. i'm anny hong with that story. and procrastinators wake up the holidays are right around the corner and most likely that means a trip to the mall. i'll tell you what you need to know before you come out here for your next shopping trip. coming up.

ready, set, shop. if you are scrambling to finish up your holiday gift list, toys r us is giving you around the clock shopping. stores will stay open for 112 hours straight from today right through 10:00 p.m. on christmas eve. here in our area, those stores include crossroads, gaithersburg and frederick and this is the second year in a row the retailer remained open for 24 hour shopping in the days before christmas. 14 macy's stores including the one at tyson's corner will also stay open continuously for 83 hours straight from tomorrow until christmas eve and if you need to make the grocery store run, safeway says most of its stores are going to stay open

from tomorrow at 5:00 a.m. straight through saturday as well. >> and next year starts labor day 24 hours until next labor day. so now, countdown to christmas fully underway as you can see. area shopping malls are getting more and more crowded. >> we have less than a week to finish up that holiday shopping and find that perfect gift for that hard to please loved one. >> delia is live at tyson's corner center and i knew i was supposed to give you my list before you headed out the door. >> i didn't get my own shopping done. i don't know why. i get crippled when i come to malls. i really need a psychiatrist about it. but let's get to the story. listen. when you're at the mall and you're outside the mall, you take a lock around at the parking lot. that's usually a good indication as to how busy it is inside. take a look out here. we see a cop is here. we see plenty of parking cones and parking attendents. this picture tells you it is

controlled chaos as folks inside are rushing to check off their holiday wish list. >> doing terrific. >> you can't have a holiday shopping story without the mall santa who is busy here while his elf -- >> i'll be back in 15 minutes. >> keeps kids entertained in line. >> i can't do it. >> but there's no time for childs play for the hundreds of shoppers working to wide l down that christmas list. especially for those hard to please. >> who is the hardest person on your list to shop for? >> the oldest. >> the oldest, yeah. >> i would say my mom, because she is the most expensive. >> my wife. the explanation is easy. we've been married for 42 years. and after 42 christmases, it is difficult to get something unique. >> sharon agrees. >> books. and more books. >> jessica and little allison

are shopping for big brother. >> i checked toys r us, target, k mart, wal-mart, nobody had it. >> they searched high and low and finally found the right lego train set. >> with the long lines and the parking and you know, the hustle and bustle, i finally got it. >> if it is wearing you down, how about a pick me up? the little ones can play football. the more brave and coordinated, some dance moves at microsoft. the manager is getting in some serious ot. holiday shopping, not so much. >> i'm a little behind. i have a lot to do. >> a lit until. >> a lot. >> once the distractions are over, it's time to get down to business. scoring that perfect gift for the picky resip recipient on your list. >> if you are still stumped, don't sweat it. the mall is open until 11:00 p.m. christmas eve they are open from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. lesli. >> thank goodness they are open so late, delia.

thank you. see ya. >> the government wrapped up its side of the case against bradley manning tonight. that is that army intelligence analyst blamed for the biggest leak in u.s. history. the hearing is taking place and the key question, should manning be court marshaled? the defense will begin presenting its case tomorrow. and then there will be closing arguments. the leaked information caused little or no damage to national security. the army intelligence analyst could get life in prison. >> cnn's pierce morgan is refusing to disclose details about the phone hacking scandal. morgan headed two tabloids before he was forced to steel down because of a controversy over a fake photograph he acknowledged listening to a phone message he left for mccarthy. morgan refused to tell a media ethics inquiry when he played it, because he says it would compromise his sources. >> the historic lincoln

theater is getting a new lease on life. there had been concerns it would have to close down. but a new management team is taking over. the mayor announced the dc commission on the arts will replace an independent foundation. the commission plans to hire a new executive director and that person's mission will be to make the theater self- sustaining. mayor gray announced plans to bring the movie with the dragon tattoo to the lincoln. that movie opens nationwide tomorrow. >> a local survivor, he beat cancer and sharing his story with children's book. it's how he dealt with the disease himself. anny hong has that story. >> it's been several years since julian beat cancer. but it wasn't until after he returned to georgetown university hospital as a volunteer that he became inspired to write this book for children. >> come here to the art. >> going through what i went through allowed me to help other people. >> there once was a kid who

loved to play every day. >> he is now a healthy high school senior, but remembers his fight to beat a rare form of cancer. it's an aggressive cancer that usually starts in the stomach area and grows rapidly. >> i was diagnosed when i was seven. i was -- my first round of chemo was six months. in the hospital for six months. >> from the beginning, julian was a trooper. he went through bone density scans, all kinds of machines. >> julian's book details how he went to his parents after having a nightmare and stomach aches. 18-year-old read his book to kids who are also fighting cancer or other serious illnesses. >> even though you have cancer, you're still a kid. >> he would slide on the pole that holds your iv and they would slide through the hallways. you know, they found some way within limits that it was how they could play. >> julian wants other families

to use his book to bring comfort and hope to other kids who may also be fighting a terrible disease. in georgetown, anny hong, 9news now. >> and julian is donating all of the profits to the pediatric oncology clinic and the tracy's kids art therapy program. if you want to buy his book, we have a link on our website, wusa9.com. great to see him looking so healthy. all right, are you looking for a new smart phone but you don't want an iphone? we're going to tell you which ones rate just as good, if not better coming up. but up next, two people find themselves behind bars after police say they videotaped themselves beating up a homeless man. and don't forget, we are always on at wusa9.com. stay with us. we'll be right back.

caught on tape, a 20-year- old new jersey man and a teen accomplice. >> they posted it on youtube. >> we have to warn you about this. the video is pretty graphic. >> we did not mean to do that. we didn't mean to do that. i'm sorry. i'm so sorry. we were joking. >> you'll get if trouble for that. >> indeed. the video shows the attacker coming back to hug the man before kneeing him in the groin. the suspect finishes off with some kind of weird jump kick to knock the poor man down. taylor of belmont, new jersey, and the teenager are charged

with aggravated assault. okay, one homeowner, he is fed up with fedex and showing the world why. a fedex worker was caught on camera delivering the computer monitor, but look what he did, throws it over the fence. come on, man. the homeowner couldn't believe this happened. he was home at the time. his front door was wide open. all the delivery man had to do was ring the bell on the gate, but instead, he just was feeling lazy or had a bad cup of coffee or something. >> something. >> hope you don't get that one at your doorstep. >> i think you're right. coming up, we'll tell you which smart phones consumer report says are even better than the new iphone. top. >> a lot of clouds across the metro area. mostly showers. we'll show you live doppler and look at showers out towards martinsburg. but nothing in the immediate metro area. we'll come back and let you know if you'll need your umbrella for tomorrow. as students show their

appreciation, one little boy's hero was thousands of miles away, or so he thought. the reunion is up next.

the washington, d.c. veteran's affair center salute all who serve at home and abroad this holiday season. >> sending best wishes and happy christmas and all that good stuff to my family in maryland. my mom, my brother, my sister- in-law, all my other siblings. love you guys, see you soon. christmas has come early for many military families as we have been telling you. troops are coming home from iraq. one soldier made a grand entrance yesterday ahead of schedule surprising his young son at school, just in time for the holiday. >> the talking to your mother before the assembly and she told me that there's a good chance he's going to be home by christmas, did you know that? >> yes.

>> you know what? she also told me that actually, he's going to be home today. please welcome home from kuwait, gavin's dad, sergeant. [ applause ] >> hi. how are you? >> good. >> i missed you. >> that's gavin's father, brandon austin. gavin's mom was there, too. she was in on the surprise and couldn't wait, she said, hard to sit still waiting for her husband to come in and surprise their little boy. >> well tonight is the first night of the jewish festival of hanukkah. hundreds of people gathered for the lighting ceremony. it happened an hour ago. the president's own u.s. marine band along with the three canters performed and the office of management and budget director was the special guest. the eight-day festival of lights commemorates the miracle

of one day supply of oil lasting a full eight days in a lamp following the rededication of the holy temple. >> the iphone 4s is the most popular phone out there, but dozens of test show there are plenty of other phones that give this best seller some significant competition. >> your smart phone does more than just make and take calls. it can literally guide your life with a calendar, entertain you with music and movies, take photos, and shoot video. >> i miss you. >> iphone generated a lot of buzz and consumer reports agrees it is a great phone. the 4s is faster than the 4. it takes better pictures and a personal assistant has a sense of humor. >> what is the meaning of life? >> i can't answer this now, but give me some time to write a very long play in which nothing happens. >> there are other smart phones that testers found perform just as well or better than the iphone 4s. >> for example, several phones

we tested weigh less than the 4s and have larger screens. >> the samsung galexy is one of them. it has a bigger screen for web browsing and video. speed is another consideration. >> many of the phones we tested run on 4g network and are faster than iphones. that means content down loads more quickly. >> on verison, the bionic gets high marks. and if you're an at&t customer, the samsung top the ratings. >> one real selling point for the iphone 4s is its compatibility. you can get your pictures and music easily from one device to another. this is our last hot holiday toy feature of 2011. this is for these off the beaten path kind of gifts that you can get if you move fast. we see alex ovechkin on the

ice, but you can take him home. he sold for $21.99. these wind up toys with the redskins jersey and a ball. you know, they won this week. you might enjoy giving those away to folks. >> good stocking stuffer. >> all right, now let me tell you about these things called fire flies. you are supposed to spin them and pull it and see how you create your own light show? that's fun, fun, fun. you can find these on amazon.com for $4 to $7. lots of fun. for the patient child, these are called grow ems. you build a garden and this is for a garden that grows broccoli, carrots, and peas. >> healthy. >> anita would like that. >> you can get them online. >> different stuff. >> i like the bleacher creaturer. i like the fire fly thing. >> great holiday season.

thanks for bringing toys. you all work so well. >> thank you, especially when derek doesn't test them. >> no scooters to ride tonight. >> let's talk about what's going to happen in the next six hours or so. most of the showers are going to stay north of us. a lot of clouds. the clouds will be with us for a while, but all of the showers are staying north. do not leave home without the umbrella tomorrow. temperatures still nice. i mean, it's still in the 50s. low 50s downtown. 51 downtown. 50 in bethesda. 50 up in rockville. some 40s toward gaithersburg. but for the most part, low 50s. now here's the deal. milder, but turning wet. milder again tonight. you will need your umbrella tomorrow. even milder on thursday. and then more rain quickly moves in thursday night, but it does exit the area early on friday. for tonight then, mostly cloudy, mild, maybe a shower. primarily north of town. and winds out of the southwest at 10:00. by tomorrow, the winds pick up. the warm wind, mostly cloudy,

breezy and mild. showers possible. 40s and 50s. winds now southwest 10 to 20 and by afternoon, well, breezy and mild with rain showers, maybe a thunderstorm south of town. highs 55 to 60. look at the winds now 10 to 20 and gusty. might hear a rumble of thunder in charles county, calvert county. all right, we'll break it down for you. start, maybe a sprinkle or shower. better chance of showers by noon and a better chance for showers, a bolt going there, 56 to 61 by tomorrow evening. next seven days. again, we get a break on thursday and the rain comes back thursday night into friday. 60 on thursday. still mid 50s on friday. we'll keep saturday dry for now. and there's another storm that will try to come in late christmas into monday. looks like rain, kind of a cold rain christmas night and temperatures generally in the 50 on monday and tuesday of next week. >> you sure it's december? >> doesn't feel like it. >> i'm telling you.

okay. and now, 9sports with dave owens, the best sports in town. >> well, the night was february 13, 2011. the wizards were facing the cavaliers and the game was dubbed the toilet bowl. in part because washington lost 25 straight road games. it was just one of the many indignities of last season. so, what does this year have in store? we are days away from finding out. >> last season in a nutshell, youth, inexperience, losing. a lot of it. so when camp opened this year, the wizards were hopeful of several. a, john wall would take the next step to super stardom. >> i have been working throughout the whole season. the whole summer to make sure i prepare for the season. >> >> he has been dunking on people, going to the basket. he has been a lot more

explosive. >> mcgee would evolve offensively into more than just a dunker. well, last friday his 25 point loss to philly in preseason game one. >> that is your ball game. >> wasn't a good indication. the wizards look scarily similar to last season's train wreck. not a settling sight. >> they got beat out there. >> i was disappointed because their emphasis was not turn the basketball over, defending and rebounding. two of those, we were especially bad and the other we were really bad. >> what can we honestly expect? ten players are under 25 years of age. the top pick still must learn how to play in this country. and thus far, doesn't seem to have his barings. a positive, nick young is back. he flourished last season post gilbert arenas. >> they expect more out of me. i have to bring more to the

table. >> it's a start. >> yeah, it's a start. how will they finish? the wizards have one more preseason opportunity to fine tune things, then open the regular season at home the day after christmas against the new jersey nets. thanks a lot, dave. still ahead on 9news now. >> this is bruce johnson where the d.c. council members today decided that they won't wait for allegations or convictions. they gave themselves the authority to expel members from misconduct. i'll have that story coming up. >> but first, we all want to show our thanks this time of year. how far should you be digging into your wallet? some advice on holiday tipping. we could all use this. it's coming up next.

you know they keep us looking good all yearlong or perhaps they take care of our kids or our pets. and every year we sort of scratch our heads trying to remember who gets what size tip. jessica doyle checked in with the etiquette experts and helps us out. >> it's the season of giving, but giving to everyone gets expensive. andrea is a graduate of the protocall school and managing your list by keeping it to those who you deal with directly. >> your babysitter, your hairdresser, your doorman, people who are taking care of

you on a daily basis that make a difference to your day throughout the year. >> guidelines for good tips from the emily post institute. your hair salon, the cost of one visit divided among those who take care of you. your babysitter, one evening's pay. your newspaper carrier, $10 to $30. housekeepers, up to one week's pay and or a gift. cash is perceived as a tip for a service, and as such isn't appropriate for child's teacher. you can, however, give them a gift card and to avoid getting caught empty handed when someone has a gift for you, keep some small wrapped items in your office and home. >> always good to have a couple bottles of wine with a bow in case someone shows up with something. you know, you can spend an evening baking cookies and it can cover a lot of materials for you and be very good on the budget. >> no matter what you're giving, include a handwritten note with your gift. it's a nice added gesture that won't cost you a thing.

>> times may be tough, but we are all still tipping. a recent survey found 70% of americans say they have not changed their tipping habits despite the current economy. but 16% did say they plan to tip less this year because money is tight. jessica doyle, 9news now. >> jessica, thank you so much. we could all use that advice. if the economy means you can't offer anything extra, you shouldn't worry about it. the great, great granddaughter suggests you should write a personal note letting them know how much you appreciate his or her service and you wish the economy better for everyone. this is 9news now. >> we have 11 days. 11 days before 160 million americans see their taxes go  up. 2.3million people seeking jobs get dropped from unemployment. >> ominous words indeed tonight from congressman after his colleagues opted not to

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