as bruce johnson explains, mayor vince gray says a name change would have to be part of that conversation. >> reporter: mayor gray says there has been no commitment from skins owner dan snyder but there has been talk. >> reporter: have you had a discussion with dan snyder about bringing the redskins back to d.c.? >> i've talked to the team. we've had very preliminary discussions. >> reporter: mayor suggested the team would have to undergo a name change. >> there's no doubt there's going to have to be a discussion about. that. >> reporter: native americans and others consider it a racial slur. >> do you think the name ought to be changed to drop redskins? >> i think hat become a lightning rod, and i would love to be able to sit down with the team, bruce, and i'm happy to do th, to sit down with the team and others concerned and see if a change should be made. >> reporter: d.c. councilman jack evans recently told 9news he would like to see the redskins playing in the district again within the next five years. the feeling being that they would tear down the existing rfk stadium which is home

this is bruce johnson reporting from northwest washington for 9 news. >> anita bonds was appointed to fill mendelson's council seat until special election. she is a candidate as well in the april contest. >>> today is the first day courthouses in maryland were officially open for business since the state's same sex marriage law took effect and in montgomery county six couples officially tied the knot at the judicial center. the first was jeff averly and joe rue. they've been together nearly 14 years and are in the process of adopting their 2-month-old niece. >> the first day they said i could get the license i ran over here. i work across the street. they're asking me when do you want to get married and i'm like as soon as possible and this was the first time and we took. it >> maryland is one of nine states in the u.s. now where same sex marriage is legal. they're also performed in the district. >>> welcome back. >> thank you. >> gang is all together again for 2013. >> yes, it is. >> ready for a great new year. >> and a cool start. >>> i was tweeting when i was on vacation how nervou

. >> bruce johnson is live at the historic landmark. >> reporter: hey guys, first off congratulationsans inside there and a lot of people glued to their smart phones watching the game as they were partying for barack obama and paying tribute to the late dr. martin luther king. a lot of people inside old enough to remember martin luther king and the 1963 march year of the washington. you want to start an interesting conversation. ask this well-educated well- connected crowd. what was more important, the first time barack obama was elected. first african american president or the fact that he was just real. let's go inside. i want to tell you some of what they had to say. >> reporter: the historic theater was jumping on stage with the kind of jazz they want to improve. >> i want them to leave the president alone. >> reporter: but outside the upscale gathering waited. >> they have a little more power. >> they have supported president barack obama a second time. and their money, their campaign, and their votes. >> mitch mcconnell said he would be a one-term president. four years ago a lin

bruce johnson, wusa9. >> stonecipher is very wealthy. the washington post reports she piled up tens of millns of dollars in microsoft stock years ago. >>> education was one of the big topics during maryland's state of the state address. governor martin o'malley proposed a $336 million bill to help improve the public school system. the money would be used to build new schools, create new jobs and hold down the cost of local colleges. o'malley says the school system is one of the best in america and showed his excitement lebron james style. >> and this is where you can clap for not one, not two, not three, not four but five years in a row the no. 1 best public schools in america! >> jobs were also the focus of the governor's speech. he proposed a number of bills including one to help develop offshore wind energy to create more maryland jobs. >>> when maryland health officials learned of a potential link between a spinal steroid injection in cases of fungal meningitis late last year, they waited nearly a week before telling the public. stat

and now bruce johnson reports that d.c. mayor vincent gray wants a name change to be a part of any future relocation discussion. >> reporter: mayor gray says there's been no commitment from skins owner dan snyder but there have been talks. have you had a discussion with dan snyder about bringing the redskins back to d.c. say in five years? >> i've talked to the team. we have had very preliminary discussions. >> reporter: the mayor suggested the team would have to undergo a name change. >> there's no doubt there's going to have to be a discussion about that. >> reporter: native americans and others consider it a racial slur but team owner dan snyder has won court battles to keep it. mr. mayor, you think the name ought to be changed? need to drop the redskins? >> i think it has become a lightning rod. i would love to be able to sit down with the team, bruce. i'm happy to do that to sit down with the team and others who are concerned with this and see if a change should be made. >> reporter: d.c. councilman jack evans recently

bruce johnson reports a few council members may have their sights on higher office. >> i, marion barry, jr.... >> reporter: lots of questions surrounding the new d.c. council including this could be ward 8 councilman marion barry's last four years in public office. >> i'm so proud to be serving a third term. >> i, david gross sow. -- grosso... >> reporter: david grosso is the lone face sworn in today. >> i'm looking forward to working with chairman mendelson to make it thriving so we can create jobs in d.c. >> reporter: it was a small gathering. maybe 200 people conspicuously absent, former council chairman kwame brown and ward 5 councilman harry thomas. both were forced out of office last year by federal investigations. >> there's not a dramatic move, a single bill we can pass or code of conduct that all of sawedden makes everything right, no. it's going to take time to rebuild the trust that we lost over the last couple years. >> reporter: jack evans and muriel bowser were also sworn in today. in a ceremony where i had the honor of serving emcee, bowser made no secret she wants to be

. >>> this is bruce johnson. had you been able to save any money lately, the d.c. government now has a staggering $1.5 billion in a savings account. account. coming up, we'll tell you what . where would we even start? get the car. hi howard. get in. hi, good to see you. start with an actual written offer when selling your car, no strings attached. carmax. start here. >>> okay, how much money are you saving these days? guess what, the d.c. government has $1.5 billion in its bank account and bruce johnson is here to tell us why the city leaders think they need so much cash. $1.5billion sounds like a lot, but it's not as much as you think. >> well, $200 million, no, $1.5 billion, they say that's not enough. they need another $200 million to go with that amount for a rainy day. after today, nobody can dispute the fact that the district of columbia is on a roll. there is commercial development, 1100 new residents every month. and today, city leader revealed the district's fund balance or savings account has climbed to a staggering $1.5 billion. >> none has been able to

. >>> this is bruce johnson.mayor vince gray talks about rgiii and efforts to get the redskins back to d.c. and talks about a possible name change for the team. >>> but up next, we'll go back live to the national rehabilitation center to talk with a patient about what it is like to recover from a similar >>> d.c. mayor vince gray revealed he's had some conversations with the redskins organization about bringing the team back to the city. >> if that wasn't enough the mayor went on to say that a name change would have to be part of those discussions. this of course came during his weekly press conference, and a lot of those answers came because of our questions from bruce johnson. >> reporter: mayor gray says there's been no commitment from skins owner dan snyder. but there has been talk. >> reporter: have you had a discussion about bricking the team back? >> i've talked to the teen. we have had very preliminary discussions. >> reporter: mayor suggested the team would have to undergo a name change. >> there's no do

hello, i'm bruce johnson. it is the first major demonstration since the sandy hook shooting. the demonstrators are calling on congress to ban assault- style weapons and magazines and they want more background checks. surae chin reports, dozens of residents from newtown, connecticut, joined that march. >> because we have to start somewhere. >> emotions for newtown residents. >> i can't say much for. >> still wrong. >> we have to start somewhere. >> katie says these children have not died in vain, but they must act. >> we have to do something. we have to write our congressman. we have to do something. >> people need to stand up for what they believe. also, i just had a baby, he is two months old and it kills me that i brought him into a world that is so violent. >> their stepbrother was shot in his car on capitol hill. and died christmas eve. >> it's just a horrible thing that happened, didn't need to happen. senseless acts of violence happen every day. >> a passionate speech by delegate, eleanor holmes norton. >> we are all comfortable if we do nothing now. >> education secret

hello everybody, i'm bruce johnson. thank you for joining us. the team tonight is in a hotel following a walk through today. in preparation for the first playoff game since 1999. dave owens begins the redskins coverage tonight. >> it's big. i mean we know this one is big. it's wild card weekend. we haven't had this like you say since 19990. no doubt about. bruce you've been in the community for a long time and you know as well as anybody tomorrow sets up to be a signature sporting event. like you say, last time nfl playoff game here? you got to go all the way back to 1999. unexpected. heck yeah. that makes its all the more special. fedex field getting all decked out for wild card weekend. this is a shot right here from above. the big old stadium as they put the special playoff logos on the field. now as for the game redskins have been preparing this week. like the previous seven with a winner go home mentality. big stage, postseason. winner advances and loser goes to the golf course. >> the ball game you know most of the time you're doing way to

bruce johnson, wusa9. >> now, as far as that d.c. budget surplus is concerned, mayor gray will talk about that tomorrow, staff says he will want to devote some of that money to affordable housing. jack evans says that money should be saved for a rainy day or used to cut taxes. >>> icy roadways canceled or delayed classes for a lot of folks today. topper is out on the weather terrace. top, that was ugly this morning. i'm hoping the rest of our night is better. >> the rest of our night will be better. temperatures will remain steady, maybe rise a little to the south. let's start with current temperatures. 43 downtown. still 37 in gaithersburg and 36 up in frederick. 39 in leesburg and already 45 in manassas and 53 in fredericksburg. radar, got a couple showers pushing through fairfax county and loudoun county not far from great falls. other than that, we are in pretty good shape. the commute, what's left of it will be wet on the way home, but again, no icy problems and no worries about anything in terms of heavy rain. we'll come back a

hello, i'm bruce johnson. thanks for joining us. we'll have the latest on that tragedy in brazil in a moment. >>> first, freezing rain and sleet headed this way for the morning commute. there are already school closings and delays. the federal government will now open at noon. let's go to meteorologist erica grow. >> it's good idea to delay that opening, because the worst of it will be over by noon. let's take a look at that advisory in effect for the entire metro area. all the counties highlighted in purple are under that advisory. the expiration times are at staggered times but everyone will be out of the advisory by 150bg a.m. so this is over and done with by midmorning. you can see on satellite and radar the wintry mix approaching from the north, starting to skirt the mason dixon line and move into the panhandle of maryland. rain basically all south of there. however, as temperatures continue to fall close to freezing we will see that rain falling and freezing on any untreated surfaces. we're already below freezing in places lik

our own bruce johnson served as a master of ceremony. >>> we know you want some tickets to sunday's playoff game, but buyer beware. we'll show you why some scam artists could be the big winners this weekend. >> one of the our colder nights ahead, many areas below freezing. we'll come back, see how low it's going to go, already 28 in gaithersburg. >>> i'm anita brikman with this health alarm the fda has approved a -- alert. the fda has approved a new flu vaccine for adults that's manufactured using animal cells. that processes faster taking weeks instead of months. health experts say this type of vaccine could be a rapidly produced weapon if a new strain emerged and we face a flu pandemic. >> this health alert is sponsored by cancer treatment centers of america, care that never quits. to learn more visit cancercenter.com. >>> if you haven't done it yet, be sure to download the 9 news ipad app. it offers you news at your fingertips. there's hd video plus live interactive weather maps just like the weather team used. it's all for free right in the app store right now also available for the kin

hello, i'm bruce johnson. thousands of people are arriving in town for a weekend of events leading up to the inauguration of president barack obama to a second term. the official private oath of office will take place at noon tomorrow. the public swearing in comes on monday, followed by the inaugural parade. today, thousands joined the first family in a day of service honoring dr. martin luther king. tonight, thousands hit the inaugural concerts. ♪ nothing's ever going to take a bow ♪ oh, no, because nothing can keep me from loving you ♪ ♪ that's a house of cards caving in ♪ do you ever feel everything ♪ >> a lot of big stars are in town with more on the way for the inaugural. some of the parties are well underway tonight. our ken molestina is outside the generation now party in northwest, where will i am, common and t. payne put on a show. how was it? >> reporter: it's still going on strong right now. this is the weekend to be in washington, d.c. the glitz and glamour, celebrities walking around our street. y

>>> hello, i'm bruce johnson. join john. the national day of -- thank you for joining us. the national day of service kicks off a weekend of inaugural events in the nation's capital. today the president and first lady painted bookcases and helped with repairs inside a d.c. elementary school in northeast. thousands of volunteers in our area and across the country. they also volunteered for community service. it's all to honor the late martin luther king jr.. >> more importantly, everybody here, adults to children, understands the importance of his impact. >> tomorrow president obama takes the oath after office at noon to begin his -- of office at noon to begin his second term of office. it will be a private ceremony at the white house and the public swearing in takes place monday at the capitol followed by the inaugural parade. the service project today was at the d.c. armory. our surae chinn reports people who came out today were volunteering on behalf of the military men and women. >> reporter: navy commander rodney blevins is paying it forward and showing his son -- >> v

i'm bruce johnson. thanks for joining us tonight. the players, coaching staff tucked away in a local hotel. there was a final walk through earlier today. dave owens, you've been talking with someone in seattle. >> they're all excited in seattle. some of those guys have come here. the nats took us to the brink of the ncls and now the redskins are attempting their own magic carpet ride, i guess you can say. what would the hoopla be like if washington wins tomorrow? wow. wild card weekend. this is a shot from above as the crews get the stadium ready with the special play logos on the field. we've heard from the players on both sides. a lot of chirping going on, trash talk. just a few minutes away, i spoke with sports anchor chris fan sees to covers -- frances who covers the seahawks out in seattle. business trash talk anchor on anchor style. check it out. >> all right, chris, here we go. big game tomorrow. redskins, seahawks. i like to call it the real washington versus the fake washington. and you know who i think is fake. what do you

and now bruce johnson reports the mayor wants a name change to be a part of any future relocation discussion> reporter: he says there's been no commitment from the skin's owner, but there have been talks. have you had a discussion about bringing the head skins back to dc? >> i have talked to the team. we have had very preliminary discussions. >> reporter: the mayor suggested that the team would have to undergo a name change. >> there's going to have to be a discussion about that. >> reporter: native americans and others consider it a racial slur. but the team owner has won court battles to keep it. >> i think it has become a lightning rod. and i would love to be able to talk with the team, and others who are concerned with this and see if a change should be made. >> reporter: the dc councilman evans recently told 9 news he would like to see the redskins playing in the district again within the next five years. the feeling being that they would tear down the existing stadium which is home to dc united and a few concerts and build a new facility here with a dome top. since the 1990s, the skins

this is bruce johnson reporting from northwest washington for 9news. >> bruce tells us this time aroundichael brown will run for phil mendelson's vacant seat as a democrat. anita bonds was appointed to mendelson's seat under the special election. she will be a candidate in the april contest as well. >>> so you're all excited about the chance to see the redskins' first playoff game in five years? >> what that means if you're trying to buy tickets for sunday's game at fed ex field. make sure you do not get scammed because that's going o. that story coming up -- going on. that story is coming up. >>> your taxes are going up for 2013. congress did stop the big tax hike everybody has been talking about for months but there are a couple of other taxes you need to know about. i'm going to tell you about them coming up at 6:07. you're watching 9news. >>> redskins fans beware. ticket scammers are out to get you. if you aren't careful, you could end up a victim. >> this game against the seahawks is already sold out. chances are there are plenty of phony tickets out there. ken molestina is going t

>> reporter: this is bruce johnson. six members of the d.c. were sworn in today and going into 2013 you know there are a lot of serious questions surrounding the city's legislators. i'll have that story coming up. >> but first looking forward to the new year with a special goal in mind, meet the man pledging to better the lives of others. that story is up next. >>> many of you are ringing in the new year with some resolutions on how to better yourself or your high of. i know i am. >> but one man -- life. i know i am. >> but one man's pledge is focused on making the lives of others better and lee cowen brings us his story. >> reporter: for most parents when a child leaves the nest, it's usually for good, but at age 51 tony tolbert has come home again. >> thank you for the love that we share. amen. >> reporter: tony grew up in a home that always seemed to have a spare bed thanks to his father jimmy tolbert. an entertainment lawyer in los angeles, tony's dad extended a hand to almost anyone down on their luck. in fact, tony can't remember a time

johnson, abc2 news. >>> in the past 40 years texas has executed three women and today kimberly mccarthy will be the fourth. she was found guilty of murder of dorothy bruce in 1997. she forced her way into her home and stabbed her multiple times and took her wedding ring and sold it to buy drugs. >> my mother was an advocate of the death penalty and heinous crimes and i feel this is what my mother would have wanted. >> the lawyers tried to appeal the case and even took it to the supreme court but they declined to review it. the last time a woman was executed in the united states was 2010. >>> the search for missing children is going on road. children and pictures of them disappeared are put on the side of tractor trailers. it's new initiative out of washington state. photos of 7-year-old will be seen by drivers. he went missing after his stepmother claims she dropped him off at school. >>> a major claim change could be coming to the boy scouts. they are considering a change to the policy that schools -- that exclues gays as members. the high court upheld the rights of the cots as a private organization. the scouts may now have to -- scouts as a private o