i'm pat lawson muse. >> and i'm jim handly.t 4:35, people were found dead in an oxen hill home this morning. all apparent victims of carbon monoxide poisoning. a woman, her sister, her husband, and two renters. the exhaust pipe from the furnace had holes in it which allowed that deadly gas to escape into the home. we'll have more in a live report and team coverage at the top of the hour. >>> a former aide to john edwards says the former presidential candidate knew he was using campaign funds illegally. in court today, andrew young describes how edwards' allegedly directed him to get money from rich donors and give it to edwards' pregnant mistress. edwards is charged with six criminal counts relating to campaign finance violations. he pleaded not guilty. >>> singer and actress jennifer hudson is attending the trial of her former brother-in-law who is accused of killing three members of her family. today hudson bowed her head and closed her eyes when a police officer on the stand described finding the victims. she testified at th

i'm jim handly. >> i'm barbara harrison in for pat lawson muse. two days ago we marvelled as discovery arrived at dulles airport on the back of a jumbo jet. today another tremendous sight. >> "discovery" and its sister shuttle "the enterprise" sitting nose to nose on the tarmac part of the four-day celebration to welcome "discovery" to the smithsonian museum there. as megan mcgrath reports now, because "enterprise" has to move out to make room for discovery it's also made for an emotional farewell. >> the shuttle enterprise all shiny and pristine was towed out of the museum early this morning. a piece of the hangar wall had to be removed to make room for its tail. enterprise has been on display at the center for nine years so it's with sadness the museum staff said a final good-bye. >> i came down about 10:00 and  spent 15 minutes with "enterprise" saying good-bye. we've had a wonderful time being the care taker and steward of this orbiter and it will be sad to see her go. >> reporter: enterprise was a prototype and never flew into space and is h

i'm jim handly. >> i'm barbara harrison in for pat lawson muse. the apology was a surprise twist in the bond hearing for george zimmerman. however, he maintains the shooting was self-defense. >> after hearing from zimmerman, his wife, and parents, the judge set a $150,000 bail, but he is not out of jail just yet. as jay gray reports now several conditions have to be met first. >> my client wants to make a statement your honor. >> reporter: the surprise move stunned the courtroom. george zimmerman reaching out to the parents of the teenager he shot and killed two months ago. >> i wanted to say i am sorry for the loss of your son. i did not know how old he was. i thought he was a little younger than i am and i did not know if he was armed or not. >> reporter: the apology came during a long and contentious bond hearing. >> wouldn't you agree a lot of his statement can be contradicted by the evidence either witnesses or just based on what he says himself? >> reporter: which ended with judge lester agreeing to the defense request to allow zimmerman to

. >> i'm jim handly. first up at 4:00 we start with the terror heard on tape from jennifer hudson's sister right after their family members were murdered. a judge released a 911 audio of the call made by the oscar winner's sister julia in october of '08. julia's estranged husband william balfour is now on trial for the murder of the hudson sisters's brother, mother and 7-year-old son. the jury heard the recording last week. a warning. some may find the audio disturbing. >> i don't understand what you're saying. you've got to stop screaming. >> somebody's killed my mama. somebody's killed my mama. >> do you know what happened? did she fall? >> i don't know. i just got home from work and there is a bullet hole in my front door. >> the trial judge decided that releasing the tapes would not compromise balfour's due process in the trial. he has pled not guilty in the murders. >>> a monumental moment in manhattan today. one world trade center became the tallest building in new york. the moment came this afterno

. >>> a busy day unfolding this afternoon i'm jim handly. i'm pat lawson muse. someone is beating people at random in the city. >>> one of the victim is the tourist killed tuesday night in the petworth neighborhood. a man was found on georgia avenue, last night another victim, a woman on longfellow street. all three attacked under a ten-block radius. police chief cathy lanier wrapped up a news conference. pat collins will have a story on the warning for the chief for everyone who lives in the district. >>> to the drama in the john edwards trial. andrew young testified money from edwards wealthy friends was to cover up the pregnancy of edwards mistress. >> but today, defense attorneys pushed the points the first big check came more than a month before young was even aware of the child. nbc's jay gray spent the day in court in greens boro, north carolina. >> reporter: andrew young return to the hot seat as john edwards defense team continued their aggressive cross-examination of the state's star witness. >> the main goal of questioning andrew young for the defense

. >> i'm jim handly. here is what is making news at 4:30.ocrats and republicans battling for women's vote. the war of words got personal. >>> cnn commentator hillary rosen slammed mitt romney for saying he gets economic advice from his wife, ann. a stay at home mother who raised five kids. rosen said ann romney, in her words, never worked a day in her life. the white house noted that rosen does not work for president obama or his campaign. >>> george zimmerman made his first court appearance today in sanford, florida after being charged in the shooting death of 17-year-old trayvon martin. he's due back in court may 29th for arraignment when he will likely enter a plea. bond will be set at a later date. he will remain in protective custody until then. >>> a building at the world financial center in new york city was evacuated as security guard reported a suspicious package at one of the buildings, which is very close to ground zero. the bomb squad was called in and police found a toy grenade. the scene was cleared in 90 minutes and people wer

i'm angie goff in for pat lawson muse. >> i'm jim handly.4:30 we want to update our breaking story right now. dick clark, a giant in the entertainment world, has died. he had a heart attack at a hospital in santa monica, california today. just yesterday he had been admitted for an out patient procedure. >> dick clark was 82 years old. nbc's bruce hall looked back at his life and successful career. >> reporter: whether he was spinning a new record or ringing in the new year, america's oldest teenager was a beloved figure of music in television. in fact, dick clark was just a teen when he began his long career, first in radio, then tv. in 1956, clark hosted a variety show called "band stand" where young people would dance along with rock 'n roll records. when the show went national, clark changed the name to "american band stand" and broke new ground by introducing not only white artists but african-american musicians as well. soon teenagers all over the country were listening to the latest music while practicing new dance moves like the strol

i'm wendy rieger i'm jim handly.op story tonight the megamillions mystery surrounding a potential ticket holder here in maryland. more than $600 million up for grabs and it all came down to friday night's big drawing. we now know three winning tickets were sold in maryland, kansas, and illinois. but the actual winners are still a secret tonight. pat collins is live in baltimore with more on the speculation there. pat? >> reporter: so let's start with some facts. so far we know no one has com

i'm jim handly. >> i'm wendy rieger.gin with breaking news that involves howard university. there is a report tonight from the washington city paper that howard has temporarily suspended its athletics program. the paper published a statement from a howard university spokesperson saying the suspension is self-imposed and the university is conducting a review of the alleged violations. news 4 talked to the spokesperson who tells us an official release is coming as soon as we get that or learn more about this reported suspension we will bring it to you. >>> there is a new twist in the megamillions mystery. today the mcdonald's worker from baltimore who claims to hold one of the three winning lotto tickets calls a press conference with her lawyer and then refuses to talk. news 4's richard jordan is in the newsroom with more on her calls now for privacy. hey, richard. >> hi, wendy. she didn't talk and didn't show the ticket. the woman bringing in legal counsel because she says she is afraid someone will come after her money.

. >> i'm jim handly. today the scandal is widening. nbc news is learning that more secret service members are under investigation for misconduct than first thought. misconduct that allegedly includes soliciting prostitutes in colombia. >> those agents are now on administrative leave but as brian mohr reports the white house and congress are demanding answers. >> reporter: as many as 20 members of the secret service are now under investigation for what they did when they were not preparing for president obama's weekend summit trip to colombia. the allegations include alcohol, hookers, and a wild party in a five-star hotel. >> unbelievable. anybody who's watched a spy movie knows you go in with the girls. you plant the bugs. you compromise the agents. what were these guys thinking? >> reporter: members of congress are demanding answers and so is the president, whose summit agenda was over shadowed by the reports of the secret service shenanigans. the agents involved were not part of the elite presidential protective division but some rep

i'm jim handly. >> i'm pat lawson muse. the special prosecutor investigating the death of florida teen trayvon martin will not send the case to a grand jury. >> as jay gray reports now prosecutor angela cory says she will be the one to decide if george zimmerman faces charges for shooting and killing the unarmed teenager. >> reporter: a handful of protesters, most of them students, marched to the sanford police department today, blocking the front doors and for a short time actually closing the office down. as the protest over the trayvon martin shooting continues, special prosecutor angela cory announced she, alone, would determine if charges would be filed in the controversial case. she spoke briefly today by phone with the protesters. >> whether a grand jury or special prosecutor we just want justice for trayvon martin and his family. >> reporter: in a brief, written statement cory said she would not present evidence to a grand jury set to convene tomorrow and that, quote, at this time, the investigation continues and th

. >> i'm jim handly. that fighter jet hit an apartment building head on. the two pilots onboard ejected from the plane before impact. they are right now at virginia beach general hospital with nonlife threatening injuries. we know of four other people taken to the hospital also with minor injuries. so far officials say amazingly there have been no deaths associated with this crash. >> reporter: at least five apartment buildings were gutted by the crash or the fire that followed the crash of a navy fighter jet in virginia beach, virginia. it went down just blocks from the atlantic ocean, moments after take off from nearby naval air station oceania. >> it was an fa-18 d which is a two seat strike fighter. >> i looked up and could see the plane going straight up with no sound of engines and then i seen it pitch over and go down. >> reporter: wreckage of the jet was scattered in the courtyard area of the complex. >> we have not had any reports from family members that say, hey, my loved one is missing or anything, so that's a good thing. >> reporter: both pilo

jim handly with more on this. >> despite the damage and destruction, community spirit remains strong in north texas. today hundreds of volunteers entered the disaster zones to help pick up the pieces and clear out the debris. texas governor rick perry got his first survey of the damage from the sky in the hard-hit community of lancaster. he noted a path of destruction that stretched seven miles long with the width of two football fields. according to the national weather service, most communities had a 28-minute warning before tornadoes touched down. governor perry praised emergency responders for being ready. >> they played out a scenario. real-time. at the emergency operations center. almost identical to what happened. and having that ability to practice and to put in place, i will suggest to you saved lives in this community. >> reporter: while no one is putting a price tag on the damage, federal and state officials estimate it could be in the hundreds of millions of dollars. jim and dorene? >> thanks, jim. >>> four people are under arrest tonight accused of prostitution at a mass

. >> i'm jim handly in tonight for jim vance.ark is considered by many the man who brought rock 'n roll into the main stream. his wildly successful television career spanned more than six decades. nbc's bruce hall has a look back at his life and his legacy. >> reporter: whether he was spinning a new record or ringing in the new year, america's oldest teenager was a beloved figure of music and television. in fact, dick clark was just a teen when he began his long career first

i'm jim handly in tonight for jim vance. >> and i'm doreen gentzler. the attacks in the petworth area and for the first time a victim is speaking only to news 4. here's what we know. d.c. police announced the arrest of 19-year-old michael davis today. he was caught after a fourth attack in the northwest neighborhood. one of those victims died. pat collins is live with the exclusive interview with the latest victim who was attacked at random. pat? >> reporter: doreen something, fast policework. they find a suspect. they recove

. >> i'm jim handly. breaking news out of montgomery county where a massive fire destroyed a barn in poolesville. >> this is off of whites ferry road. the fire started around 1:00. fire officials said when they started to put watt other the fire the straw and hay inside the barney rupt erupted. >>> looking up, did you see it? the historic flight began down in florida on the back of a 747 jet. wound up at dulles international airport where the shuttle will be moved to its retirement home at the smithsonian. >> before making its final landing it took a few laps around the area. soaring above the washington monument and the white house in a salute to the nation's capital. >> as chris clackum reports, it was an emotional moment for those of -- those of you and us who witnessed it today. >> reporter: retired space shuttle "discovery" took off at day break tuesday leaving the kennedy space center for a final time. people lined beaches nearby. but "discovery" dazzled when it aarrived mid morning over d.c. >> it

i'm jim handly. >> i'm pat lawson. here's what's happening in the news at this hour.'s breaking news from the campaign trail. rick santorum has just suspended his campaign for the republican presidential nomination. the announcement came late this afternoon in gettysburg, pennsylvania. his exit from the race leaves mitt romney as the likely nominee. but newt gingrich is still in the race. >>> a mystery over who hit the mega millions in maryland is over today. three baltimore public school workers who wish to remain anonymous claimed their share of the $656 million prize. each will take home about $35 million after taxes. despite their winnings, all plan on keeping their day jobs. >>> any minute now, there'll be a news conference in the trayvon martin case. earlier today, george zimmerman's attorney confirmed a defense fund website setup is for real. zimmerman shot and killed the florida teen in february. he's not been charged yet with any crime. >>> more concerns today about europe's debt woes sparked a huge selloff for stocks up on wall street. the dow sliding about

welcome to "viewpoint," i'm jim handly.ing on improving the lives of teenage girls and the wonderful work done in our region by services in washington. and our guests, a former teen participant and director of external relations and pam joan, president and ceo. welcome to you both to "viewpoint" great to see you. >> thanks for having us. >> we have a beautiful backdrop. we'll talk about what's going on behind us with the talk of the teen girl program doing a big launch in may. let's start out, if we can, and talk about the history and the mission, pam. >> thank you so much for this opportunity. but before i tell you about crittenton, i want to shout out for nbc 4. you have been such great community, caring people, the health expo was fabulous for our girls. it's fabulous for the community. and we really are grateful for everything you're doing. >> we're proud to be part of it because of all you do. and it's been decades upon decades and really touching thousands of lives in our community. how so? >> well, you know, you've b

i'm jim handly. >> i'm pat lawson muse. here's what's happening in the news that the hour.nal trial of former presidential candidate john edwards is now under way in north carolina. edwards is accused of using campaign funds to cover up an extra marital affair during his presidential campaign. his late wife elizabeth edwards was battling cancer at the time. john edwards is charged with six criminal counts. >> george zimmerman out on bail today, back in hiding. he walked out of a jail in sanford, florida overnight and is still charged with second-degree murder in the shooting death of 17-year-old trayvon martin. sanford's police chief today meanwhile bill lee has tendered his resignation in the wake of the controversy. >> new developments today in the secret service sex scandal. white house lawyers wrapped up their investigation saying no white house staff members engaged in improper activity in colombia. the prostitution scandal has already cost six secret service agents their jobs. the chairman of the homeland security committee predicts the number will increase. >>> tonig

i'm jim handly. we begin with breaking news. overnight police are investigating the shoots at montgomery county in the 8500 block of victory lane. news 4's megan mcgrath is live on the scene. megan? >> police are still trying to piece together exactly what happened here. they are not releasing a lot of information at this point. late last night a little before midnight, that's when police say somebody rang the doorbell at this home on victory lane. one of the residents, a 21-year-old answered the door, and there was some kind of exchange and the resident was shot. police are trying to figure out what the intent of the suspect was. if the residents knew the man and were targeted or if was some sort of random robbery attempt. families who live here say this is all very surprising for this quiet neighborhood. >> the police were very cautious and very quiet. and they seemed very concerned. they were gathered around the front of of the house. there was no noise. there was quite as by of plit cars, fire trucks, two ambulances. >> just

. >> i'm jim handly. it's been more than six weeks now but this afternoon we have a decision. nbc news has confirmed that a florida special prosecutor will hold a news conference in just about two hours to make her announcement. >> it is expected the charges will be filed against george zimmerman the neighborhood watch volunteer who shot the teen 44 days ago. this is a serious development in the case. jay gray is live now in sanford, florida. >> reporter: hey there, pat and jim. no question this is a very important day. after more than a month of twists and turns it is unfolding as the most important day in this case since trayvon martin was killed. law enforcement forces tell nbc news community watch volunteer george zimmerman will be charged today in the shooting death of trayvon martin. >> for the last 44 days it has been a nightmare. but i know beyond a shadow of a doubt that justice will be served. >> reporter: special prosecutor angela cory has announced a news conference at 6:00 eastern this evening to, quote, release new information regarding the trayvon martin shootin

jim handly, whatever you want to do. >> you look like you need help, doug.ough assignment. >> yes. >> doug and company. nice gig, huh? >>> let's turn to doreen with what is in store for 6:00. >>> the criminal trial for former presidential candidate john edwards got underway accused of using campaign cash as hush money to hide his pregnant mistress. >>> also a person report about the howard theater and impact on the revival, jim vance will have the story. somebody thought they could get away with stealing a french masterpiece worth more than $100 million. guess it didn't work out. >> coming up on news4 at 6:00. >>> see you then. >>> >>> she made headlines for being a ground breaker. >> a former miss usa is back in the news, but it hasn't been so positive. >> eun yang has details on a plea deal in a drunk driving case. >> reporter: remah walked a pageant runway. now walking the aisle of a courtroom. she avoided trial by pleading no contest to misdemeanor drunk driving charges. >> i feel it was fair, i'm going do make sure i learned from my lesson. >> she was s

. >> and i'm jim handly.as caught the tornadoes as they touched down, blowing transformers and tossing trucks like toys. this video shows the scene about two and a half hours ago. there is considerable damage reported in areas south of dallas. we are still waiting to hear the latest on injuries. but the danger hasn't passed for people there. tornado warnings are still in effect. storm 4 chief meteorologist doug kammerer here is with the latest. >> tornadoes still on the ground around the dallas-ft. worth area. showing where the most severe weather is, severe weather all across northeastern texas, but also to the east in through louisiana and arkansas. but this is the area that has the tornado threat. we'll zoom right on down towards dallas. this takes you through between 2:00 and 3:30. that's when dallas was really

. >> i'm jim handly.mployee in a botched robbery attempt at a rite-aid in the district. it unfolded in an area already on edge over recent crimes. pat collins is live for us in northeast washington with more on the chaotic search. >> reporter: the employee was shot in the back and is in the hospital tonight. police are trying to track down the gunman responsible, trying to see if he is linked to other robberies here in this neighborhood. it was an all out man hunt.

. >> i'm jim handly. here's what's happening at 4:30.orts under way across dallas/ft. worth today. crews are sifting through the damage left by the powerful series of tornadoes on tuesday. texas governor rick perry toured the devastation by air today. hundreds of volunteers are working to help those who have lost nearly everything. >>> a pennsylvania judge says he won't rule on a motion to dismiss child sexual abuse charges against former penn state assistant football coach jerry sandusky. there was a short pretrial hearing this morning. sandusky's lawyers say they hope the judge will allow them to refile a motion for dismissal after more evidence is disclosed by the prosecution. >> the group invisible children released a followup to its wildly popular kony 2012 video today. it continues to call for the arrest of ugandan war lord joseph kony. the new film addresses some of the critics who argue the group distorts facts and doesn't spend enough of its profits to help people. >>> stocks posted their biggest weekly decline of the year. the

. >> and i'm jim handly. it's our top story. the suspect is just 19 years old. us he tried to run off but he was caught with a bloody hammer in his book bag. now investigators want to know if he's linked to three other assaults nearby. pat collins joins us live with this news 4 exclusive. he spoke with the latest victim and her family about this attack. pat? >> reporter: jim, the suspect's house over there, a half block down there one of the crime scenes. a block up that way the murder scene. the attack last night, walking distance. police all over the house where the suspect lives on emerson street. searching for clues that may link him to a string of ambush assaults in petworth. the suspect identified as 19-year-old michael davis. he's said to be mentally ill. arrested last night after yet another attack. and today i spoke to the victim by phone. >> i had just crossed and i seen a shadow following me and it kind of scared me. so i turned around. and it was -- i didn't say nothing. you just turned around. after like a second he just struck me with something. >>

. >> for now, here is jim handly. >>> good morning, everybody. welcome to "reporter's notebook."rry drawing criticism over comments. last blast from a bigot. harsh words. tell us a little bit about the background on this. it had to do with nurses and filipino nurses. >> i think the washington post is pushing the card too far. i don't think marion barry is a bigot of any kind. he is talking about the quote unquote dirty asian restaurants in his community. with the filipinos, you go to the hospital and see nothing but filipino nurses, and if you have to recruit people from overseas, but we should be training people from our community. his points are good. the fact that the people have as a problem is he is singling out groups much people. that's when you run into a problem here. barry's point is trying to get people jobs here in the district, and he was speaking about the university, and he made a very legitimate point. >> first of all, what i take exception to is last blast. what makes them think that's the last -- >> you got that right. >> let's deal with that. let me piggy back

. >> for now, here is jim handly. >>> welcome, everybody. we have a lot to talk about.ut in d.c. and the topic of school reform. the chancellor calling for longer school days and extended school years. a five-year plan. is this going to be an uphill fight? >> well, that's a good question. i am glad you asked me that question. it could be. >> always a fight. >> could be. here is the reason. longer school days, people said they are doing better in charter schools and he wants kids to do better in the district schools, and extra hours and attention is the way to do it. you have to think about the teacher's union. initial responses from the teacher's union seems ton receptive they will try to work things out. if that holds this could be a major change in the district's school situation and many supporters of improved schools, a great improvement. >> parents have problems at 3:00, what do i do with my children? and then we have a lot of city presumes after 3:00. there is money that could be saved there because most of those programs are for children to occupy them until pare