just search liz crenshaw. and on facebook by searching liz crenshaw's consumer watch.liz on news 4 at 5:00 tonight how do you keep the super bowl parties safe? why does michael's require you to show a photo i.d. when you're making a return? and can you use energy efficient light bulbs in your electric oven? >> wow. >> find out at 5:00. >> my goodness. >> it is a good question, right? didn't know the answer to that one. >> thanks, liz. jim? >> thank you both. >>> coming up on news 4 at 4:00 the super bowl of eating. a chicken wing competition. plus why queen elizabeth began a long process of planting trees today. >>> and i'm wenldy rieger. coming up on news 4 at 5:00 school officials are warning about a game that sent several students to the hospital. this game is so dangerous it could have killed them. before the super bowl there is the puppy bowl. we'll tell you the puppy's predictions about the big game on sunday. tonight at 6:00 a new twist in that mystery illness that's left dozens of teenage girls suffering from symptoms of what seem to be like >>> does this happe

just search liz crenshaw and on facebook by searching liz crenshaw's consumer watch. on news 4 at 5:00 tonight what happens to the sports gear made for the sports team that loses the championship? do child safety seats every expire? how do you get liquid paper whiteout out of your clothes? find out at 5:00 tonight. >>> that could be ugly. >> let's hope we don't get too much of that. >> thanks. >>> jim? >>> up next why firefighters turn their hoses on police. plus, an investigation under way after a >>> instead of flowers maybe cup cakes are your valentine's day choice. >> they would work for me. wendy rieger joins us now with her app of the day. >> this is such a beautiful app from the crumbs bake shop. there are three crumbs locations here in the washington area. one in arlington, one over in trinidad and one in pin quarter. oh, my oh, my. wouldn't you rather have this than flowers? this cupcake will be on your stomach and hips and thighs for a long, long time. you can actually send these cupcakes. you go to the -- you want to send a card with some cupcake greetings

just search liz crenshaw. on facebook by searching liz crenshaw's consumer watch. coming up at 5:00 tonight what are the rules for taxes on those restaurant to go bags in montgomery county? do you pay that five cent tax? where does that whole leap year thing come from? what is the best way to wash your blue jeans? we have the answers at 5:00. >> 30 rock had a whole episode about it. >> leap year, leap year. >> thank you, liz. pat, back over to you. >> thank you both. >>> coming up on news 4, a car hit by a freight train and it's all caught on tape. if you suffer from arachno phobia you're probably seeing bigger spiders than everyone else. >>> coming up at 5:00 a 19-year-old working for papa john's pizza gunned down on the job. police say it's what the gunman did to him that has them surprised. >>> hundreds of people waited in long lines for the midnight release of the popular sneaker but there were plenty of people [ male announcer ] are you paying more and more for cable and enjoying it less and less? stop paying for second best. upgrade to verizon fios and get tv

it's friday and liz crenshaw joins us with ask liz. hi there. >> hi there. nice to see you. >> i didn't know -- >> you know how when you play automatically the guys have the hat that says they're the winner? what about the other guy? >> what happens -- i mean, they have created all of this gear. >> right. for both teams. >> then they lose. what happened to all the patriots gear? >> what happened to all that stuff -- okay. so the humanitarian organization world vision helped us with this answer. it says that for more than 15 years the nfl has donated its preprinted championship merchandise bearing the name of the team that does not win the title to world vision. world vision identifies countries in need overseas that will benefit from the gear and the clothing is shipped to those communities in need. is that not the best? >> okay. william sent that question. thanks, william. >>> the next comes from janet in fairfax station. she has heard you should not hand down child safety seats because they have an expiration date. is that true? >> we talked to the nationa

liz crenshaw, news 4. >> all those little things that add up all the time. so we just heard those ways to save some money, now some parents are in danger of losing money because their kids were late for school. school officials have charged mark and his wife with a misdemeanor under state truancy laws. they say their three kids have disrupted the learning process for fellow students because they've been late for class 30 times this year alone. mark says rounding up those three kids can take a whole lot of time, and he encourages his children to get ready on their own, so kind of slow in the morning. but they face a possible $500 fine for the misdemeanor. >>> for an 11-year-old, winning the science fair is a big, big deal, but getting to show off the invention to the president at the white house, it doesn't get much cooler than that. erica gonzalez met some very smart kids who did just that. >> top science fair winners of all ages from across the country were invited to the white house to showcase their inventions. >> if we are recognizing athletic achievemen

liz crenshaw got some expert help to do the math. >> now, get 0% apr financing. >> reporter: commercialsng low or even zero percent financing is aimed at luring in customers. it begs the question, which is the better deal, leasing or buying new. so we turned to jack with the consumer federation of america for the answer. >> great news for car buyers. the car companies are still recovering, dealers are still desperate to sell, and they need you more than you need them. >> reporter: let's start with buying. no money deal is better than 0%. but most of us won't qualify for 0%. >> beware, 0% financing, which is currently advertised, is only available to about 10% of us who have credit ratings high enough to get the 0% rate. >> reporter: leasing always looks attractive. >> one thing about leasing is it has very low monthly payments. >> reporter: but he says at the end of the lease there are costs to add in, from mileage to wear and tear. >> the dealer will go over the car with a fine-toothed comb and hand you a bill for $1,000 to $2,000. >> reporter: consumer federation did math for us. let's

liz crenshaw tells us what you need to know. >> this is a great time to get your finances in order. there's no better way to do that than getting your free credit report. >> reporter: but free often comes with a price tag when you look at different websites and ads for getting your credit report. >> the law says you're entitled to a free credit report. however, there are lots of imposter websites out there. >> reporter: that's why david butler with consumers union, the policy division of "consumer report reports", warns against trial memberships, package deals and refundable processing fees. as ways websites try to make money. your credit report is a history of you. it shows your credit history, how much you owe on loans, mortgages, credit cards, and whether you pay your bills on time. and there is one legitimate website that offers your free credit report from all three credit bureaus. annual credit report.com. each bureau is obligated by law to send you a free credit report when requested every 12 months. >> you can get all three of them at the same time. some people suggest actua

liz crenshaw? >> it was so annoying. >>> an iowa woman is hoping this chicken nugget shaped like george washington, you see it, wendy? >> no. >> will bring her big bucks. >> looks like a chicken nugget. >> rebecca spike found the piece of chicken at a mcdonald's three years ago. >> what? >> there is the nose. now i see it. over the weekend she put it up for sale on ebay to raise money for her church. bids exceeded $10,000. however, ebay shut down the auction saying the company couldn't authorize the sale of expired food. three years is a long time. she says she is still interested in selling the nugget so she is looking at other ways to make money off it. i think she needs to let that go. >> it looks like grandpa on "the simps simpsons." >> that could fetch 20,000. >> our director said it does. okay. >> that's all we need. >>> is it friday or what? a new restaurant in woodly park doesn't have the most exotic sounding menu but "the washington post" food critic tom sietsema says you should check it o

. >>> i'm liz crenshaw. buying insurance? how much do you need and what can you live without? >>> a prescription weight loss drug has moved one step closer to hitting your pharmacy shelves. >> federal advisers gave the green light today and recommended quenexa. nbc's erica edwards has more. >> reporter: losing weight is hard work requiring exercise, healthy eating, often major lifestyle changes. >> how is your diet going? >> reporter: while there is no magic weight loss pill, a drug called quenexa now has the potential to help millions of overweight americans shed pounds. >> the average person who takes quenexa can lose about 10% body weight and maintain that weight loss for up to two years. >> reporter: an advisory panel to the food and drug administration has voted to recommend approval for quenexa, the first new prescription weight loss drug in more than a decade. it's a combination of two appetite suppressants including one called phentermine. it is considered safe but was part of notorious fen-phen taken off the market years ago after it was linked to heart valve problems

the latest testing on lipstick shows popular brands can contain traces of lead. >> liz crenshaw is here with what this means for consumers, a lot of people talking about this today, liz. >> both got it on. >> both have our lipstick. you don't have your lipstick. >> not today. >> reports about leaded lipstick are not new and the food and drug administration still does not set limits for lead in cosmetic bus what the agency did this time around is taken a expanded look at lipsticks. the fda tested 400 lipsticks. it found traces of lead at an average of 1.1 part per million. close to an average recorded during the fda's previous testing in years past. the top five worst offenders on the list are mabel lean's color sensational pink petal, lore yale's color rich volcanic, nars semimatte red lizard. ruby remix from hughes and rounding up the top five, nars semimatte funny face. lead in lipstick is not new. the campaign for safe cosmetics has long asked the fda to set lead limits for lipstick. the fda says it does not consider the lead levels found in lipsticks to be a safety concern. for a li

our liz crenshaw has a way that struggling homeowners can find free help and avoid scams that could costif not thousands, of dollars. >> i just could not rest. there was no peace. >> reporter: cheryl spann made mortgage payments on this house in northeast washington for ten years. then she lost her job. she asked help from her lender, thought she was enrolled in a program to save her house, but then -- >> i'm making payments, i have statements. they don't have the records. they're telling me my house is in foreclosure. >> reporter: a horrible situation, making payments, house values dropping, fears of foreclosure. it's happening to millions of americans, and every day, it seems there's another program announced to help distressed homeowners. but how do homeowners know which program will really help them and how to apply? >> there is several programs out there that could potentially help people. it's very specific in terms of their situations. >> reporter: ronald clarkson is the program director for housing counseling services in washington, d.c. >> you are a homeowner currently behind on

plus -- >>> i'm liz crenshaw. behind on mortgage payments? wa ways to get free foreclosure prevention help. and how to avoid scams. >>> the number of foreclosed homes jumped in january. new estimates predict 1 million homes will be in foreclosure by the end of 2012. >> home owners struggling to stay above water often feel confused about how to save their homes. liz crenshaw is here with ways those home owners can find help and has a warning against paying for it. >> wendy and jim, the foreclosure rate in the u.s. rose 8% in january compared to december. when you're dealing with modifying a mortgage or a risk of falling behind on payments it is nothing short of overwhelming. americans face it every day. but there are local people to help you sort it out and their help is free. >> i just could not rest. >> reporter: sheryl worked at payments on this house in northeast washington for ten years then lost her job. she asked for help from the lender and thought she was enrolled in a program to save the house. >> i made the payments and they don't h

how to slash your monthly bills tonight with liz crenshaw at 11:00. >> really good tips there.up on news 4 at 5:00 parents facing charges for their kids being late to school. after the break a dad talks to news 4 about the day a deputy came knocking at his door. >>> coming up in sports vance and hellie look back on a thrilling super bowl xlv from indy. >>> you've heard of kids spending time in detention for being chronically late but how about parents being dragged to court? that is happening to some parents in loudoun county. they aren't happy about it. >> the late arivals disrupt class, schools tell us. erika gonzalez talked to one father about what is going on here. >> loudoun county public schools says it is about the welfare of children. but one parent says that he thinks the district is trying to criminalize something that isn't a crime. mark and his wife had to make a court appearance this morning in loudoun county. they were summoned with these papers charging them with not getting their three kids to school on time. >> we're not perfect and our kids are not perfect. bu

. >>> i'm liz crenshaw. fast bright says it takes only 30 seconds to bring your headlights back to show room new. >>> it can be difficult to see when you're driving at night and dangerous if your headlights are not as bright as they should be. >> well, one product says it has the fix, folks. liz crenshaw is here with her latest. does it really do that? fast bright. >> fast bright promises to restore your headlights in seconds. a do it yourself product that promises to remove the hazy, dull film and says it brings your headlights back to showroom new. does it really do that? >> cars with hazy, dull headlights. now you can't see at night. get fast bright lens restore. the lens restore kit that brings your headlights back to show room new in as little as 30 conds. >> i give everything its fair shake. however, i've seen a lot of snake oil in the automotive business. >> reporter: jeff boon of triple-a mid-atlantic says every older car has the problem. cloudy headlights after years on the road. >> the plastic lens

. >> i'm liz crenshaw. winning recipes for your super bowl sunday. my tricks of the trade are coming up. >>> plus it's groundhog day. we'll tell you whether punxsutawney phil saw his shadow and why d.c.'s own groundhog was a little stiff during the festivities here. >>> and a provocative idea in a scientific journal. should processed foods be regulated like alcohol and tobacco? >> stay right there. news 4 at 5:00. we're just getting started. hi. welcome to carmax. hi. i was on carmax dot com and i think i found the one. great car. and i think, it's right over there... (sighes)... finding your perfect car is easy at carmax because we carry only the highest quality used vehicles. and at carmax dot com, you can choose from nearly 30 thousand cars with most available for transfer to the store nearest you. so come find the one for you today... at carmax. busy day! yes it is! >>> he did it. you saw it. those cheers are for punxsutawney phil the world's most famous groundhog. this morning he emerged from his lair on gobbler's nknob in pennsylvania and did s

. >> i'm liz crenshaw. have a drafty house?ind out how home owners are getting free help in making their homes energy efficient. my story is coming up. >>> coming up at 5:30 a 17-year-old girl murdered in a neighborhood park and almost seven years later her family waits for justice in a prince george's county courtr flooe reducing your energy bills never seemed so easy. there is a program that makes homes more energy efficient at no cost to the home owner. >> liz crenshaw is here to explain how it can work for you. >> older homes with open air drafts eat your money when it comes to heating and cooling your home. if you can't afford to fix the leaks you pay the higher utility bills. that's why prince george's county's department of housing and community development partnered with the state of maryland to offer a free weatherization assistance program. >> i would love to save money. >> aida austin of prince george's county has lived in her home for 20 years. the cost of cooling and heating it has become a financial strain. >> tha

. >>> i'm liz crenshaw. consumers charged a fee to pay their bill. it happens everyday.w to avoid paying to pay, coming up. >>> this is the take on the week that was. the final weekxtg0ngá before >> crucial republican presidential primary in michigan as well as another primary in arizona, mark. >> a new nbc poll showed the race in a virtual tie with mitt romney at 37%, rick santorum at 35%. we also saw mitt romney delivering a very important economic speech in detroit at ford field. >> we also saw a debate in arizona, the 20th of the cycle, where romney and ron paul but santorum on the defensive. >> the stakes are so high in this michigan contest. a win for mitt romney would be good news but a loss could be devastating. >> he really needs to win there candidates and president obama addressing those in. >>> welcome back. a sovereign the late senator, robert f. kennedy, is facing misdemeanor charges for allegedly fighting with nurses at a new york hospital where his son was born. surveillance videotaped by our sister station in new york shows douglas kennedy attempting to

liz crenshaw put out the view. >> parents in trouble with the law because their kids were late to class. >> plus, how nbc smash is helping high school stunts in our ar look! here she comes! ♪ she'll be comin' 'round the mountain when she comes... ♪ ♪hen she comes. ♪ it'll be spinning new chrome wheels when it comes. ♪ ♪ when it comes. ♪ custom spoiler, race grade pistons, ♪ ♪ gt35 turbo charger. ♪ and they'll all know that it's kevin's awesome car. ♪ bought em! ( clears throat ) sorry. when it's on your mind, it's on ebay. >>> so your kids are tardy, by you get called into court. that's what's happened to a couple in loudon county. those kids have been late at least 30 times just this year. that's once every three days. school officials say that tardiness is disrupting the learning process of other kids and they had a summons issued for the parents. >> we're the first to admit that we're not perfect. but we're doing our very best. and we just don't think, in this case, it should be criminally -- you know, criminal charges. >> well, they're due in court march 14th. this is a class iii mi

liz crenshaw checked it out. ♪ >> cars are hazy, dull, oxidized head lights, now you can't see at nightget fast bright lens restore, the lens restore kit that brings your headlights back to show room new in as little as 30 seconds. >> i give everything its fair shake, however i have seen a lot of snake oil in the auto business. >> reporter: every car has the problem, cloudy headlights on the road, says jeff boone from aaa. >> cannot withstand the chemical abrasion from driving and the sunlight beating down to it and natural oxidation. >> reporter: car headlights measured in candle power. new headlights shine with as much as 20,000 candle power, but older cars, like this mitsubishi, measure as low as 7,000 candle power. professional treatments to clean lenses sold at auto repair shops, including shops run by aaa, take about an hour and cost about $100. so, can fast bright do it faster and cheaper? to find out, we brought fast bright and its infomercial to aaa. it cost us about $26 for two fast bright kits, including procession and handling fees. >> just wipe it on and wipe it off and wat

liz crenshaw is here with a look at extra charges you may be paying when you pay your bills. >> we call it paying to pay, your phone bill, your cable bill, your power bill. there are dozens of way to pay for free but many consumers pay a fee to pay their bill. >> shame on them. that's all i have to say. >> reporter: verizon wireless's plan to impose a $2 fee back in december did not go over well with consumers. >> it's crazy. i don't want to pay $2 for that. >> reporter: verizon wireless's fee would have charged consumer 2s if they chose to make a single payment online or over the phone using a debit or credit card. the company said the fee was designed to improve the efficiency of those transactions. >> you shouldn't have to pay a fee to pay your bill. it doesn't make any sense. >> reporter: in fact, verizon wireless said back in december it reversed its new fee in response to customer feedback. the uproar prompted us to look at utility bills to see if other companies make you pay to pay. here's what we found. when making a single payment online or over the phone, with pepco, you'll pa

. >> liz crenshaw is here with a look at extra charges you could be paying when you sit down to pay yourills. >> we call it paying to pay. your phone bill, your cable bill, your power bill. there are dozens of ways to pay for free. but many con sirms pay a fee to pay their bill. >> shame on them. that's all i have to say. verizon wireless' plan to impose a $2 fee back in december did not go over well with consumers. >> it's crazy. verizon wireless' fee would have charged consumers $2 if they chose to make a single payment online or over the phone. the fee was designed to improve the efficiency of those transactions. >> you shouldn't have to pay a fee to pay your bill. >> verizon wireless said back in december it reversed its new fee in response to customer feedback. the uproar prompted us to look at utility bills to see if other companies make you pay to pay. here's what we found. when making a single payment online or over the phone. with pepco, you'll pay a fee of 495 if you two it with a credit card. and 195 with your debit card. washington gas, you'll pay $4.55 extra if you use your

. >> i'm liz crenshaw, tricks of the trade for valentine's day.o it yourself delicious sweets for your sweetheart coming up. >>> one family's frightening ordeal, tossed off their sailboat hundreds of miles off brad, where we going? just a second. just, just one second. ♪ what are you looking at? don't look up there. why are you looking up? ♪ get outta the car. get outta the car. ♪ are you ok? the... get in the car. get in the car! [ male announcer ] the epa estimated 42 mpg highway chevy cruze eco. from spending time together, to spending your lives together, chevy runs deep. alexandria has now died after a freak accident. >>> welcome back everybody. i'm meteorologist doug kammerer, watching what is a nice evening. sun going down. in about ten minutes from now. sitting at 46 degrees with sunshine left over. the sun making its way down behind the mountains. winds out of the west-northwest at about 7 miles per hour. we'll see a lot colder air. winter is moving in. the colder air having stuck in alaska and canada all winter long. most of the country

liz crenshaw has all the details. >> we begin with a new icon walmart is adding to some of its store brand foods. today the retail giant unveiled great for you. the logo is part of walmart's healthier initiative. walmart says food with too much fat or too many artificial additives won't make the cut. the fda is developing standards for what health claims can be made on food packages. but walmart says its customers want the information now. >>> you may want to take advantage of maryland's tax free weekend. next weekend february 18th through the 20th a handful of energy star products will be sold tax free in maryland stores. the list includes everything from refrigeratorefrigerators, dehumidifiers, clothes washers and heat pumps to compact fluorescent light bulbs. you can save the 6% maryland sales tax if you buy any of these energy star items and more. >>> paying for a college education is expensive. today, however, the princeton review released its ranking list for the best value colleges for 2012. here are the top five best value public colleges. topping the list, university of nort

. >> reporter: liz crenshaw, news4. >> the customers who had problems with delivery on valentine's daye not heard from the teleflora should contact the company for a refund. >>> coming up at 11:00, a warning about a common medication that would be in your medicine cabinet, xanax. it's one of the most prescribed drugs in the u.s. doctors say it's being abused and sit addictive. in fact, it's one of the most abused sedatives among people over the age of 12. we have a report on why xanax is so hard to kick. that's coming up tonight on news4 at 11:00. >> final check, doug. >> right now, looking at the next couple of days, tonight, beautiful. tomorrow gorgeous. and still watching sunday. there's the storm right there in towards texas. but there it goes. going to make its way towards the east. maybe it's not. maybe it's going to stay in texas, because that's what my computer is telling me. snow potential for sunday will move to the east and this is what we're thinking. a few flakes from washington to the north. you could see some accumulation here. but a coating to two inches down to the sou

liz crenshaw is here with the way real people save real money. >> we need these tips.urn to an expert. we asked viewers, your neighbors to share ways they already slash their monthly bills. pam wrote on our facebook page, invest in a good coffee maker. pam used to buy a cup of coffee every day and she says by making your own cup of joe she can save $200 every eight weeks. here's a new twist. serena saves all of her $5 bills. she tux it away in an envelope every day and stores the karen her sock drawer. end up with a bunch of cash. sue says she and her husband love to eat out but they know it's expensive so, when the meal comes they immediately, not later, they immediately split it and put half each in a carry out container. time to renew your car or homeowners insurance. john says he always shops around. he says by comparing prices in the last year he's saved more than $450 which is really kind of cool. we're going passing along these money saving tips at midday and throughout the afternoon and tonight at 11:00 we visit foufrt folks who show us how they save real money

liz crenshaw is here now with ways real people are saving real money. >> pat, we didn't turn to an expert for this one. we asked our viewers, your neighbors, to share the ways that they have already slashed their monthly bills. we got an overwhelming response so here's a peek. you know about cutting coupons and buying on sale. one woman, barbara, took it a step further. she wrote on our facebook page she makes a menu for dinners every month. she saves at the grocery store because she only buys what she needs for her planned meals. another way to save, yvonne wrote, she only buys meat when it's on sale then freezes the meat in portions according to her recipes. a lot of people wrote in about hiding their credit and debit cards to avoid racking up debt but sabrina went beyond that. she wrote us and said she spent a whole week in disney world for christmas and paid cash only. she saved the money over ten months and then went to disney, paid for the resort and the activities in cash. and they drove to disney instead of flying. charlita is a mother of six from maryland and decided to get rid o

liz crenshaw joins us with the dos and don'ts. also --. >> i'm julie carey in charlottesville, virginia where uva students and residents are still absorbing news of the sentence in the george huguely murder case that came down last night. i'll get their reaction and a comment from one of the jurors who delivered the verdict. the story coming up on news 4 at 5:00 and 6:00. >> also at 6:00 a local county rapidly growing has led to a disturbing trend -- too many pets, not enough people to care for them. tonight the i-team takes a look at the problem and what is being done to fix it. doug's outside. >> you had to be outside on a beautiful day like today. temperatures near 70 degrees in some locations. we'll update you on what to expect over the next couple days. [ male announcer ] are you paying more and more for cable and enjoying it less and less? stop paying for second best. upgrade to verizon fios and get tv, internet and phone for an incredible price: just $89.99 a month for two years with a two-year agreement. it's an amazing de

liz crenshaw is here with ways real people made big cuts to save big bucks. she's at the nbc 4 super screen to show us. liz? >> we asked our viewers, your neighbors, what's the best way to slash your bills. and, boy, did we get an overwhelming response. nearly 100 people posted on our facebook page and twitter with ways that they'd save. pay with only dollar pays and pocket the change. she says in one month she saved $30 in change just paying with bills only. we also heard from cheryl. she's got a great idea at the grocery store. grocery shopping can be expensive. while a lot of people post about clipping coupons and shopping sale items, cheryl took it a step farther. one week every month cheryl buys only fruits and vegetables at the grocery store. she says it forces her to eat from the stock in her house and so then she cooks the frozen meats and stuff that she had in the freezer all that time. now rob wrote us and he says that since he was unemployed he couldn't afford his cable and internet bill. get this -- he called his cable and internet provider and exp

. >> viewers wrote to liz crenshaw and now she is here with ways real people are making big cuts and saving big bucks. >> i love hearing from viewers when they've already done the stuff that works for them. we asked our viewers what is the best way to slash your bills? nearly 100 folks posted on our facebook and twitter pages with ways to save. we start with serena who pays with cash but never spends her coins. she says in one month she saved $30 in change. i love that. just paying with paper money. okay. grocery shopping is a big budget item. a lot of people posted about clipping coupons and shopping sale items. sheryl added another idea. one week every month sheryl says she buys only fruits and vegetables at the grocery store. she says it forces her to eat from the stock in her house, the frozen meats and food in her freezer, and keeps that week's bill low, which is great. rod wrote to us and said, since being unemployed he couldn't afford his cable and internet bill so get this. he called his cable internet provider and explained his hardship. rod says it lowered his monthly bill

liz crenshaw tells us how to avoid foreclosure scams going on and get free help. >>> it is time for a final check on the forecast. >> we have areas of moderate rain with b to move into metropolitan washing coming in out of the south and west. area in yellow you see advancing across northern virginia and that's a moderate rain coming into washington over the next hour or so. right now, raining moderately in fauquier county, culpeper county, just west of frederic fredericksburg and should be moving into the metro area. perhaps by about 1:00, right now we are in the mid and upper 40s throughout much of the region. cooler to the west and north. about 50, rain tapering off and ending by this evening. sun back tomorrow, increasing clouds on saturday. now looking more and more like it could be mostly snow for sunday. and maybe our biggest snowstorm of the season so far. stay tuned. we will keep you updated. monday, tuesday, clear out and it is going to be chilly. maybe some rain mid week next week. have a good afternoon. we will keep you posted on all of the information on this potential sno

make a date with liz crenshaw for her valentine's tricks of the trade and barbara, if you like chocolate you are going to love this piece. remember, your first news. only source at 4:00. starts right here. we will see you then. >> you know i'm a choc-a-holic. >> cold weather moving in on theked with -- this weekend. fairfax county, the left. off to the right on the horizon is southern loudoun county. in the foreground montgomery county. yets as we take a look at temperatures now as we approach the noon hour, 42 at reagan nation national. above freezing above the region. north and west where the snow is on the ground. it is in the mid 30s but south and east and through much of virginia, lower part of the eastern shore. and -- southern maryland, it is now into the low to mid 40s. we will hold steady for the rest of the afternoon and mid 40s. sunshine and then tonight getting cold again. down to the 20s near 30 by dawn tomorrow. then increasing clouds friday. highs near 50. then friday evening, into saturday morning we might get light snow and i don't see a lot of accumulation the way it lo

liz crenshaw discloses the fees consumers pay every day when paying their bills and the free ways aroundat 11:00. >>> one of the best players in the nba if not the best player right here in our own back yard. >> really. oh, the nba. kevin. >> yeah. kevin durant. career night for kevin durant. we'll show you what happened there. clinton portis talking nfl comeback plus some drama brewing between georgetown and maryland. this has been going on for a while. mark turgeon talks about it. >>> we were talking about -- he wants to come back and play. >> why? >> because, man, clinton at denver and for the first couple years here, a fine running back. you know? credible and wonderful. i just feel sorry when these guys can't let it go. >> he's only 30. right? >> he's a baby. >> a running back in the nfl at 30 is an ancient. he's like a tree that is about to fall down. >> you don't want to see -- it was very entertaining. >> but he can't play football anymore. not at the level he used to play. why should he come back at any level less than that? >> maybe he'll be a backup. first it was randy moss. n

. >> tonight at 11:00 liz crenshaw shares a consumer warning for you, paying to pay. >>> and lindsayan will be hosting "saturday night live" on march 3rd. she is hoping this role will jump-start her comeback attempt. for several years now lohan has been in the public eye because of her multiple arrests and her bouts with substance abuse. this is the fourth time she'll host "saturday night live." jessica biel was reportedly showing off her new engainment ring during an after party in new york. according to "people" magazine it is the first time the actress han been seen wearing it since she became engaged to her boyfriend justin timberlake over christmas. >>> coming up on news 4 at 5:00 tonight the last link in the world's largest kidney chain gets new life. >> 50 years ago john glenn made history. we are looking back as the nation remembers the space legend. >>> and coming up in sports tonight former redskins running back clinton portis wants back in the nfl. would he ever wear the burgundy and gold ♪ pierre! your fashion is so "right now," but your banking is so last season! earn mo

well it's friday and liz crenshaw is back with the answers. these are good ones. >> super bowl is, um, sunday night. >> right here on nbc 4. >> oh, is it here on nbc 4? oh, yes. >> our first question has to do with super bowl xlv. some of our viewers will be having large gatherings to watch the big game. what can they do to keep the party safe? >> a food safety issue. the u.s. department of agriculture has covered us with some of the super bowl safety tips. it says that large gatherings do tend to increase the chances of becoming sick from a food borne illness. yuk. the usda says always use separate cutting boards for the uncooked versus the ready-to-eat foods so there is no cross contamination. it reminds us, never leave foods for more -- out for more than two hours at room temperature. you want to refrigerate or freeze the leftovers as soon as possible to prevent bacteria from growing. so super bowl is a long event. take stuff out, you know, take out bits at a time and add stuff to it, etcetera, and don't leave it out for too long at the cre

then on "news4 at 5:00," winning recipes, liz crenshaw has tips on how to make party food that's worthy of the super bowl. you will want to taste that. those stories and all the day's latest news starting at 4:00. barbara? >> i want to their that. must be tax implications of that. >> i will bet. >> thank you, pat. >>> let's get a final check on your forecast now and here is tom kierein. >> good morning. as we approach the noon hour now the cloud cover broken up a little bit. still mostly cloudy over washington. that's a live view from the sky watcher camera and looking at the radar, getting us still a few sprinkles in washington. and areas in southern maryland and then the northern neck and eastern shore getting steadier rain but that's moving east. getting just a few sprinkles now, northeast washington, moving into prince george's county, that's the last of the rain. temperatures right now and -- as we approach noon, climbing into the mid 50s throughout much of the of the region and later today, upper 50s as we get the sunshine back. and we will have wind picking up overnight, too. bri

liz crenshaw joins us for the do's and don'ts when it comes to buying insurance.ng the most for your money. >> all right, pat. thank you. >>> time for a final check on your forecast. here is tom. >> look at this blue sky with happy white clouds floating over the landscape. cloud shadows, a live view from the high definition sky watcher camera and temperatures right now as we approach the noon hour 63 degrees at reagan national. it is now climbing into the low to mid 60s throughout much of virginia. southern maryland. right now most of the rest of maryland is in the mid and upper 50s. and probably only in the 60s there later today. parts of virginia near 70. maybe even near 70 in downtown washington this afternoon. then tomorrow strong, gusty winds into the 60s, maybe a morning or midday shower. and then those winds shifting into the northwest and bring in much colder weather. it will feel like february again. friday night into saturday morning. saturday and sunday, chilly morning lows, cold below freezing afternoon highs 40s. warming up first part of next week may

. >> that was liz crenshaw reporting. if you ever receive an unexpected check, be careful. bogus checks don't clear and if it ends up being fraudulent and a big check from someone you don't know, don't count on the check until your bank confirms the check is real and that usually takes more than 10 days. valuable information there. >>> the time now, 9:57. >> we will go back live straight ahead to our big story this morning. police descend on -dad, why are you getting that? -that's my cereal. is there a prize in there? oh, there's a prize, all right. is it a robot? no. is it a jet plane? nope. is it a dinosaur?] [ male announcer ] inside every box of heart healthy cheerios are those great tasting little o's made from carefully selected oats that c help lower cholesterol. stickers? uh-uh. a superhero? ♪ kinda. [ male announcer ] and we think that's the best prize of all. ♪ >>> welcome to "news4 today." i'm chris gordon. >> i'm angie goff. it's saturday, february 4th. we continue to follow breaking news out of d.c. earlier this morning, u.s. park police came into the occupy d.