always washington. >> that was matt jablow reporting. >>> guess what?s is the reds skins first home play -- redskins first home playoff game since the 1999 season. the last time we were nfc east division champs. we do know who the better team is. we do. i don't know about matt but i know it's the redskins. and even though some people grew up-- >> west coast. >> some people grew up -- i'm not saying any names but olga in washington. she loves the redskins now. >> but the redskins need this. >> yes, we do. >> and i want the redskins to win. let me be on the record. the forecast includes a look at that sunday game because it is a very, very important one for us and, you know, the game conditions do play a factor in the outcome of that game. for us today, we've really changed things up since this morning. we started out with overcast skies and chilly temperatures. we're still in a chill. it's become a little more breezy but our weather cam shows that the sunshine has broken out. into the afternoon we'll be mostly sunny. you'll want the sunglasses, especiall

>> no question, always washington. >> reporter: matt jablow, 9news now. >>> good morning. thank now watching 9news now at 5:00 a.m. i'm andrea roane. >> starbucks coffee, ben's chili bowl, not even close. i'm mike hydeck, thanks for joining us. good morning, monika. >> no contest. >> you grew up in

i'm matt jablow. that story is straight ahead. >>> employees are working 24/7 trying to meet a critical deadline. >> yes, absolutely. nothing new for the company that has played a vital role in the inaugural parade for more than 60 years. >> it's not a lot of time. >> reporter: he's been counting down the days until president obama's second inaugural parade. >> we do count, not just by days, but by hours. >> reporter: coming as no surprise because fred and a few hundred of his colleagues will largely determine the parade's success. >> they are exciting. they define the company every four years. >> reporter: you see, fred stricland is the executive -- strickland is the executive director here, making floats for the past 17 inaugural parades. going all the way back to the truman administration. this year the company is also named the general contractor for the presidential inaugural committee. and they added at least 70 parts of the employees to their full-time staff. i mean, higher operations, they are

matt jablow joins us with the story. you interviewed a father and daughter from olney who learned the hard way about some fake tickets that nobody would have suspected. >> they sure did, derek. they were kicked out of their seats right in the middle of the game. >> never realized this could even happen. >> reporter: jeff loewenthal and his 15-year-old daughter samantha were among the 80,000 people at fedex field for sunday's redskins/cowboys game. samantha and jeff, both of whom are avid redskins fans had been looking forward to the game for a while and having a great time until two young women came up to them with about five minutes left in the 2nd quarter and fold the father and daughter they were in their -- told the father and daughter they were in their seats. when an usher came to sort out the confusion, he explained while leading jeff and his daughter from their seats that the two hard copy tickets jeff bought on craigslist that morning for $550 were not valid. >> disgusted. >> reporter: because the original owner

. >> reporter: i'm matt jablow in annapolis where top lawmakers made it very clear that banning assault weapons would be at the top of their legislative agenda this year. four weeks after the shooting at sandy hook elementary, an incident that he revived the national conversation about gun violence, annapolis lawmakers are now preparing for a debate on the merits of adding stricter gun control laws. >> are you prepared to say this will be a priority of yours this year? >> sure, it will be one of many priorities. >> governor martin o'malley -- >> there's no responsibility more fundamental than public safety. >> reporter: o'malley said he believes the majority of lawmakers will support the legislation. in annapolis, matt jab loss, 9news now. >>> tonight investigators are trying to figure out what caused a commuter ferry to area in new york city. >> completely rocked me. people were like human projectiles flying into the law. five crew members have already passed breath alliesers. a judge is expected to announce this friday if there is enough evidence to bring colorado theater shting suspe

matt jablow has more. >> reporter: derek, in case there was any doubt remaining, top lawmakers here at the maryland ate house made it perfectly clear that bang assault weapons will be at the very top of this year's legislative agenda. during his remarks opening the 433rd session of the maryland general assembly, house speaker michael bush referred to the legislature as a laboratory for democracy. >> something that this chamber is all about. >> reporter: in the coming weeks, lawmakers in that laboratory will concoct legislation addressing one of the nation's hottest political topics. gun control. >> a lot of people were sickened and enraged at what took place at newtown and said somebody has to do something about it, and those people are those elected to office. >> reporter: the tragedy at sandy hook elementary revived the debate on gun control and the merits of adding stricter gun control laws. >> would you care to say this will be a priority? >> sure, it will be one of many priorities. >> reporter: governor martin o'malley said intends to submit a bill early on in the legislative sess

headline from a news conference held today by mayor vince gray and police chief cathy lanier and matt jablow joins us now from mpd headquarters. lanier is saying they're not satisfied yet. >> reporter: last time there were this few murders john f. kennedy was president and police chief cathy lanier wasn't even alive. a lot has been accomplished, but a lot of work remains. that was the message today from d.c. mayor vincent gray and police chief cathy lanier. >> every corner matters. >> reporter: who proudly announced a 19% decline in homicides last year from 108 in 2011 to 88 in 2012. >> our goal is to get that down to zero. >> reporter: the fewest number of homicide says since 1961 and 391 murders less than 1991 when there were 479 murder victims in the city. >> most places homicide numbers are about 87 to 95% fire apartment related and we've kind of been -- firearm related and we've kind of been able to drive that down by targeting illegal firearms here. >> reporter: in addition to focusing on illegal guns and breaking up gangs, the chief says the steady decline could largely be contributed

before that matt jablow decided he was going to size up the two cities.seattle, washington and right here in washington, d.c. >> reporter: let's start with the sound tracks of the two cities. d.c. has go go and chuck brown. seattle has grunge and a complicated kirk cobain. washington has the wonderful wharf, a seafood lover's delight. >> everything is just more natural. >> reporter: while seattle for some reason the lights and throwing their fish around, the pike place fish market. >> there's is a little more entertaining but we have really good fish here. >> reporter: washington has the monument. seattle has the needle. they make planes. we make legislation... slowly. >> so far we like it. >> reporter: washington has tourists. >> actually this is our first time to washington and it's lovely. >> reporter: seattle has techies. seattle actually has the wealthiest techy of all bill gates. while washington has one of the most notorious gates of all, watergate. and at the end of the day, seattle has the nice hot cup of starbucks coffee. >> 54-year history, one