>> we should negotiate an agreement as quickly as possible. to extend the payroll tax cut and unemployment insurance for the rest of 2012. the negotiations could set the stage for another showdown between democrats and republicans and may have an impact on the 2012 election. danielle nottingham, cbs news, washington. now, the house is expected to hold a simple voice vote which requires only a few members to approve the deal. if speaker boehner does not get unanimous consent, he's vowed to bring members back next week. the gridlock on capitol hill is leaving a major construction project in limbo. according to our sister publication federal times, construction on the new department of homeland security campus will be delayed by at least five years. the project is being built on the grounds of st. elizabeth hospital in southeast d.c. the delay will also push up the price tag by $500 million and push back relocation of an estimated 10,000 federal

workers. thousands of grave americas at arlington national cemetery may need to be replaced or added to accurately account for the dead. in a report to congress, the army found potential discrepancies between headstones and cemetery paperwork on about 64,000 grave markers. congress ordered the review last year following charges of misidentify and misplaced graves which led to the ouster of the secretary's top executive. this latest report found no further evidence of misplaced graves but there were potentially thousands of minor errors. a family in virginia is preparing for christmas without their son. >> shane donahue was 23 when he disappeared in march of last year and his family now believes he's probably dead. but they're reaching out for help from anyone who can help solve the mystery. gary nurenberg has their story. >> reporter: the sign changes every day. missing 637 days thursday, 638 friday. >> he came in and he said love you, mom.

leaving. i said you don't want dinner? >> no, we gotta go. >> got into the truck with a coworker from an earlier project, timmy hickerson and disappeared from the face of the earth. he dropped shane donahue at shane's nearby apartment but family members went there, find the lights on, his new contact lenses on the count errand no shane. no word since. shane had just been paid. had about $4,000 on him. >> i think the money was the whole primary reason to just ghat money. bubba carried his money with him. >> you think someone took it from him? >> yes, i think the money is what they wanted. >> hickerson is serving a prison sentence for gun theft and police call him a person of interest in the case. >> do you think your son is still out there? do you have any hope at all?

>> i wish i had hope but it wouldn't be -- bubba wouldn't do this to me. >> you seem resigned to the fact that he's gone. >> mm-hmm. because he wouldn't torture me like this. >> the family has established a facebook page looking for help. police have started the investigation over again, reinterviewing all of the witnesses but no answers so far. >> whoever knows anything, what happened to shane, to have a heart and come forward, please. because it is just horrific that we have to live through this. >> reporter: gary nurenberg, 9news now. >> officially, this is still a missing persons case but police are treating it as a death investigation. officers say they have no good leads meaning the case is approaching cold case status which is why the family and police want anyone with information to call prince william county police crime solvers. the father accused of

leaving his own 2-year-old daughter home alone in filthy conditions could be facing up to five years in prison now. a judge ordered anthony vincent's bond to be increased to $100,000. he's charged with reckless endangerment an child neglect. investigators say the toddler's mother has been in the hospital for several days. she became concerned and called police about the little girl. officers found the child malnourished, dehydrated, in filthy conditions in a capitol heights apartment. a piece of at advice from the virginia state police, if you see emergency cars in the shoulder, move over. if not, this could happen. take a look. this is video from a crash in virginia last april. a trooper was pulled over on the side of the road when a car slammed into it. thankfully, he was not hurt but master trooper lynn parker wasn't so lucky. last october, she was working a traffic stop when she saw a car come barreling toward her along i-95. i was standing here and i actually saw the vehicle coming

across the interstate at my police car and in a split second, i had to make a decision. i jumped over the guardrail and landed right here in this dirt area. in fact, this broken glass is the back window of my police car. >> if i had been the process of getting in my car, most likely, i would have been killed. >> six state trooper were hurt and injured. three happened along i-95 in dale city. this is the rules of the road that is nationwide. here is a look at other things making news now. the white house is condemning a wave of violence which swept across iraq thursday. as many as 63 people were killed in the first major violence in iraq since american troops left the country. at least 194 others are hurt. so far, no claim of responsibility but shiite leaders believe the attack looked like the works of al- qaeda sunni insurgents. the city of christ church, new zealand is bracing for more aftershocks after an earthquake. a quake rattled the city sending people running into the

streets. there were no reports of casualties or widespread damage. christchurch, one of new zealand's largest cities, it is still recovering from a large quake which hilled 182 people in february. thousands are waking up without power in georgia after strong storms rolled through the northwestern part of the state. high winds damaged several homes and left behind shattered glass and downed trees in a lot of places. utility crews are expected to have most of the outages restored by the end of the day though. >> at 4:41, online shoppers, if you purchased any of your holiday gifts from this particular store, don't expect them to be under the tree come christmas morning. >> at 4:49, time to put more quarters in the car. why parking downtown silver spring is about to cost you a bit more. >> you're watching 9news now.

i'm olga breese in for howard bernstein this morning. we're starting to clear out on satellite and radar. morning rain moves off to the east. day planner will be on the cool side. we won't see any 60s today but most should make it into the lower to mid-50s. >> good news on the beltway. take a look at the american legion bridge. an accident here has been cleared. another one near connecticut avenue cleared as well.

beltway, north and west side of town. coming up, we'll go into virginia. back to you, andrea. >> thank you, monika. >> it is time for the first your money segment of the morning. jessica doyle is on assignment but here are today's headlines. encouraging economic reports sent stocks higher. the number of people applying for unemployment benefits dropped to a 3 and a half year low. it is the third straight weekly drop in jobless claims, a sign the job market is slowly improving. looking at the markets, the dow was up 61 points, nasdaq up 21. the s&p 500 rose 10. >> it could be a rosy new year for hundreds of people in the richmond area. amazon.com is opening two new distribution centers which will employ over 1300 people. one of the distribution centers will be around chesterfield, the other will be around dimwitty. bob mcdonnell approved be grants to assist counties with the project.

west buy is having trouble keeping up with overwhelming demand for. best buy didn't say how many orders are affected or which products are out of stock. still don't have gifts for everyone on your list? according to "consumer reports," 14% of shoppers tell a fib such as it is in the mail or mike, i forgot it at home. when confronted about not buying a gift for the special someone. 12% are grabbing an item off their own shelf and regifting. remember, it is the thought that counts. >> even if it is a retread. every family has their own national way to help fight off a cold. we'll show you some of the most popular versions. >> we'll have more on that story and your weather first in less than two minutes.

howard bernstein is enjoying a long holiday weekend. olga breeze is here. we had heavy rain showers as we were driving in. is it over yet? >> it has moved on out. it did get steady by 11:00 and 2:00 a.m., right now, things are looking pretty good. at least we still have some cloud cover. we have our winds out of the northwest. behind that front, the temperatures are on the chilly side. you do want that jacket. your day planner for today is going to shape up to be pretty good. just a little bit of patience as we head through the 8:00 and 9:00 hours, we'll start to improve things with a little more sunshine peeking through. we'll see the temperatures push out of the 40s and into the lower range, even some of the middle 50s by later on this afternoon. reagan national airport should top out around 52 degrees with lots of sunshine. into the afternoon, there could be a passing cloud from time to time. still quite nice for your friday evening plan. this is a get away day for folks who want to travel and

get to their destinations by christmas eve. at least the pavement will be dry. you can see how far to the east the moisture has moved then again with the sunshine popping on through, things should be nice later on today. colder air is on our doorstep. right now, southern portions of maryland and southern virginia into the upper 50s to near 60 degrees. things will be cooler back to more normal standards in toward the weekend. right now, we're not so bad. 50 at reagan national. about 49 toward la plata. you factor in the winds and it does feel a couple of degrees cooler. you won't need your umbrella today but will you need a jacket as you step out the door. our future cast forecast model starting at 7:00 this morning, keeps all of the wintry precipitation off to our north and west. a little bit of clearing in the cloud cover. the afternoon looks to be pretty good for us. overnight tonight though with mainly clear skies and just a few passing clouds, temperatures tonight are going to drop. we'll be close to freezing. inside the beltway, below

freezing. at least it is going to be dry as we head into saturday. saturday temperatures should be quite nice with sunshine both saturday and sunday for that holiday weekend. we are looking pretty good over the next stretch. next three days, it will take us to the 50s today. tomorrow, we'll be a little bit cooler. only about 46 degrees but with plenty of sunshine i think it is going to be a pleasant weekend overall. heading out to the game, it shouldn't be too bad. you will need to bundle up if you will be outside. for sunday, we're looking pretty good back into the 50s. seven-day forecast will feature a return to the 50s eventually. the overnight lows should stay fairly steady into the 30s. middle 50s by tuesday and into wednesday. monika? >> well, if you are planning to head around town, you're going to find that i think early on, traffic is going to be probably a little bit lighter than normal around town. i think a lot of people have already headed out the door and on to their christmas plans for the weekend. heading on the inbound side of i-66, there has been an

accident just outside the beltway after nutley street. that was cleared. you can see everything is green here. no problems on the dulles toll road from leesburg between 66 and springfield. let's take a live look at 66 inside the pike. no problems as you head for the roosevelt bridge. back over to 95 live on the northbound side of springfield, all lanes are open heading up toward 395 area and up to the 14th street bridge. here's 95 on the northbound side in springfield. volumes very, very light for 4:47 in the morning. we'll take you through alexandria. no problems to report at route one between the wilson bridge and i-95, you will be ok. route 5, route 301 all doing well this morning. coming up, aerat the big picture at 4:55. >> the cost of parking in downtown silver spring is about to go up. grab the quarters. the plan is to raise rates for long-term parking by 10 cents

an hour starting january 1st. the increase is part of a series of parking fee hikes approved by montgomery county council. the fees went up back in august. tissue handy because coughs, colds and stuffy noses, all of that as well as the holidays. >> you practice coughing into your elbow. holistic experts shares some of the favorite natural remedies that can help your body heal. anita brikman has more. >> first of all, get enough rest. that's one of the main things. >> who among us is doing that right now. as we hustle and bustle during the holidays, we tend to sleep less and don't always eat foods rich in vitamins and antioxidants to replenish our body. we head to shopping centers full of people and germs. dr. williams is a naturopathic physician. she recommends certain herbs and minerals to help make the immune system stronger.

>> garlic is almost like a wonder kind of herb. it is antimicrobial which means antibacterial, antiviral. >> williams says most people take garlic supplements containing the ingredient instead of eating the odoriferous herb itself. >> it heats up the body. it increases circulation. you can cut it up and boil it in some water and make a nice tea out of it. and it helps with digestion. >> recent studies also conclude that products containing zinc can shorten the duration and severity of a cold by several days. and williams recommends herbal products with echinacea, goldenseal to cut down inflammation in the respiratory tract and not to be gross but clearing out the muke us so what you really need to feel better and few things can flush out the sinuses like a nettie pot. >> really helps with allergies,

with colds. it clears out the mucous. >> natural way to decongest yourself. >> absolutely. yes. >> anita brikman, 9news now. >> vitamin c is another thing dr. tillie recommends to keep your immune system humming along. 500 milligrams per day with a supplement or better yet, just have some citrus. doctors ma i have discovered how people who never touch a cigarette get lung cancer. about 25% of lung cancer patients have never smoked in their lives. researchers in south korea say the reason is a previously unknown genetic mutation that triggers the disease in nonsmokers. it is hoped the discover will lead to new treatment. scientists have found how to literally mend a broken heart possibly. chinese researchers were able to use stem cell therapy to grow new heart muscles in tiny fish. the new therapy may point the way for doctors to regenerate a damaged muscle in humans which

is difficult to repair. about 27 million americans have heart disease and it is the number one cause of death in the united states. >> follow the food we're eat,tist the season for acid reflux. doctors say you shouldn't worry about a little bit of holiday- induced heartburn but be careful if it becomes frequent. it could lead to cancer of the esophagus. the rate of esophageal cancer has quadrupled. the rise is directly related to obesity. before we head to break, time to check on the question of the morning. >> 19% of people said this is the worst christmas gift they've ever received. a, socks. b, ornaments or knickknacks. c, a homemade sweater. >> i'm going with b. log on to facebook.com/wusa9 page and leave your response. we would love to your hear comments. we'll reveal your answer at 6:00 this morning.

>> we'll take a look at the northbound side of i-95, nice and light on to 395 and the 14th street bridge up from fredericksburg, all of the

lanes are open this morning. another look at area roadways coming up at 5:00. back to you, andrea. >> thank you, monika. like the phoenix rising from the ashes, students at takoma education center will return to their former school after the holidays. >> a fire destroyed their school a year ago and now that damage is repaired and what is old is very much new again. lindsey mastis reports. >> i'm lindsey mastis in northwest washington. this school was destroyed by fire exactly one year ago. but now, the takoma education campus is ready for students. construction crews are finishing up sweeping the halls and painting. they've completed a nearly $27 million renovation in record time! it has been exactly one year since the school caught fire. >> the building was destroyed. i mean flames were just pouring out of the windows. >> classrooms are being furnished with new desks and computers. caya henderson, chancellor of d.c. public schools says they

still need the community's help. >> instead of making donations of new and gently-used books for the library -- >> in northwest washington, i'm lindsey mastis, 9news now. >> parents are encouraged to bring their children to the school for an open house in january. so they can get familiar with their new surroundings and the new layout. the morning show on wpgc 95.5 will soon have a new host. yesterday, a popular host big tigger was fired. darien morgan was fired from his pgc morning drive job on his 39th birthday. dcr tv said ratings could be the real issue and his contract was set to expire this spring. a judge has tacked on an extra four and a half years to a prison sentence for michael douglas' son. cameron douglas was doing a five year stint and the lawyer was caught smuggling narcotics into the prison for her client.

come on, man. an -- angelina jolie's new film in blood and honey starts today. she wrote and directed the story about a man and woman whose lives are torn apart by the war in bosnia. >> if you're a man ever fan of musical theatre, you've probably heard of elaine paige. >> the first lady of the london stage is back on broadway playing a baudy character that is not such a stretch from her own life. manuel gallegus reports. >> reporter: broadway's beautiful girls are back in a star-studded revival about heartbreak and hard knocks. elaine bank plays carlotta, an aging movie star who has weathered tough times. >> she knows, she's a survivor. she survived it all. she can genuinely stand there and say i'm still here.

>> reporter: the veteran actress says she identifies with carlotta. all you have great highs and great lows. >> it means a lot to me because in my own way, i've been through some of that. >> it is a small part use for performer used to carrying the whole show but she doesn't pass up a chance to do what she loves. >> it changes the sense of priorities. you are never, ever going to be quite the same again. >> at first paige admits she had reservations about sharing the broad light with big names like bernadette peters. >> i thought all of those divas together, this could be a bit tricky. let's put it that way. >> the 63-year-old says folly's is turning out to be one of the happiest experiences of her theatrical life. manuel gallegus, cbs news, new york. fans of follies will be

happy to know for the fist time ever, the entire musical score will be recorded and in its entirety with the current broadway cast. >> very good. i like musicals. >> so does howard. >> good morning and thank you for watching 9news now at 5:00 a.m. glad you like us and are watching. >> i was in one but i'm all set with them. thanks for joining us. happy friday. i'm monika samtani. >> i was curly in oklahoma. >> it was in sixth grade. >> and dancing, too. >> good morning, olga brees. how are you? >> no dancing in the rain. >> singing in the rain. we had enough rain overnight. right now, we're look pretty good. things are starting to clear out. we still have a little moisture off to the eastern sphwhroans but that's going to be history in a few short hours. right now though on satellite and radar, we're waiting for the cloud cover to clear out. until that happens, we won't be too