"the washington post" reports that last week pam northam handed cotton to two african-american sdentsshe told them to imagine being slaves and having to pick batten. more on this story. >>> the man accused of killing five people at"the capital gazette" newspaper will be in open court. chris gordon will be at the hearing. follow him on twitter for the latest. >>> michael cohen will be testifying before the house intelligence committee in a closed-door hearing for lawmakers only. the "today" showav will the revelations from yesterday's seven-hour public hearing. >>> president trump on his way to d.c., after negotiations to denuclearize north korea failed. north korea wanted all t of sanctions without them dropped without giving the u.s. everything it wanted. more on this o"today." >>> a chance for snow on your ng friday mor commute. it's not the amounts. it's the timing. expect delays and cancellations tomorrow. on average, 1 to 3 inches around the metroea go to our nbc washington app nor for the latest. it's all about the cold for the first week of march. >> really cold. >> real coldnk

. >>> virginia's first lady pam northam defending ciming she tour.a racially insensitive she handed out cotton to the people on the tour. some lawmakers are questioning "the washington post's" report and coming to the first lady's defense. >> ls than a month after a racial photo emerged in governor northam's yarbook today it's his wife accused of giving an insensitive tour.l the young g detailing the episode in a separate letter saying the first lady asked the girl and another african-american child to hold cotton and quote imagine being an enslavedperson. >> it's probably an overreaction. there's a lot of peoe with a lot of hurt feelings. >> reporter: his daughter was part of the group taking part in that tour. he said that the cotton and tobacco were passed around to everywhere. >> we've been hearing it for the last two t decadest people want to see virginia's history acrately portrayed, which is why they've been changing the exhibits to make people more aware of what life was like. >> in atatement mrs. northam telling us i have provided the same tour to executive mansion visitors ove

all this as pam northam's husband governor ralph northam continues to ignore calls h.r. fizz resignation over that racist photo on his medical school yearbook page. he did admit he once darkened his skin to dress up like michael jackson for a dance contest. it was the first lady who stopped him from showing off his skills during a free wheeling press conference. >> are you still able to move like that? >> my wife says inappropriate circumstances. >> reporter: just the latest controversy confronted virginia's taupe elected liters. the state's attorney general trying to bounce back from h his -- a spokesperson denies she singled out black students during the tour. and a -- cotton was handed out to everyone in the group. the governors office tells me that pam northam reached out to lee what yauk walker and her daughter to apologize in person but has not heard back yet. hoda, saf savannah. >> another story we're watching. >> wide spread flooding forces thousands in northern california to vacuate after record rains from a parade of storms there. and officials say the worst is

"the washington post" reports that last week, pam northam handed cotton to two african-american students. she ask them to imagine being slaves and having to pick cotton. a state employee complained thad her eighth graghter was upset about it. pam northam released a statement, saying she used ar facts and agriculture crops to illustrate virginia's painful past. she says she regrets upsetting anyone. you'll recall, her husband, goe,rnor northam, is under f when he admitted he used blackface and a racist picture was discovered in his school yearbook. northam reses to resign over that incident. >>> happening today in d.c., the years long metro maintenance plan could be coming to an end today. >> the metro board is set to possibly restore the old schedule. justin fin joins us live this morning. justin, good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning. we do know that safety and extending service are two of the bigger sticking points that will factor in today's metro board vote. within hours, we should know ths results, well, as what's next for the service. one big question, could there be a com

the first lady, pam northam is issuing an apology after handing out cotton at the governor's mansionce worked. ellison barber has more. >> the first lady says she regrets upsetting anyone. she said she didn't single anyone out and giving an educational tour of the governor's mansion. in a statement provided to fox news, pam northam said -- >> according to a report in "the washington post," a virginia state employee sent a letter to the governor's office concerned over an interaction her daughter had while touring the governor's mansion. the woman said her daughter, an eighth grader left the tour up southwest after the first lady handed her and two others cotton, if they could imagine what it must have been like to pick cotton all day. the governor has spent weeks under fire for racist year book photo that appeared on his name on his senior med school year book page. that's why the incident was so troubling and the governor's office didn't take that incident and the harm it caused seriously. for the first lady a spokesperson said her office received a letter and she reached out to the

he washington post" reports that last week pam northam handed cotton to two african-american students during an historical tour. she then asked them to imagine being slaves and having to pick cotton. a state employee complained that her eighth grade daughter was upset about it. pam northam leased a statement in part saying she use a artifact agriculture crops to illustrate virginia's painful past. she says she regret she upset anyone. you'll recall her husband governor northam has been under fire after admitting hekf used ble decades ago. he has refused to resign. >>> this morning maryland's governor joins the growing list of leaders calling for delegate mary ann lesanti to resign. >> she used a racial slur in prince georges county. governor larry hogan tweeting, quote, any public official who engages in this conduct should i do the right t and step down. lisanti apologized for her words earlier this week. in juary lisanti referred to a candidate as having campaigned in an "n" word district. prince georges county executive also says her words requiren moe than apology. >> we think she

. >>> virginia's first lady i apologizing tonight, pam northam says she handed out cotton to students at the governor's mansion earlier thi month. "the washington post" first reported the incident. northern vginia bureau reporter david culver finds some lawmakers now comin to her defense. >> reporter: less than a month after a racist photo emerged from ralph northam's school yearbook tonight it's his wife defending allegations that she led sdents on a racially insensitive tour through the executive nsion. according to a letter sent to certain lawmakers, leigh walker, s virginiate employee said mrs. northam upset her eighth grade daughter, the young girl detailing the episode in a separate lett saying the first lady asked the girl and another african-ameran child to hold cotton and, quote, imagine being an enslaved person. >> think the first lady had wonderful intentions but obviously the timing was not good at all. >> scott's daughter was among the students taking part of the tour. he believes the first lady wast ng to convey a partth o past. >> there's a tour that goes through the ho

pam northam released a statement, saying she used artifacts and agriculture crops to illustrate virginia's painful past. you'll recall, her husband, governor northam, is underfire, when he admitted he used blackface and a racist picture was discovered in his school yearbook. >>> developing this morning,he t fbi is investigating a shooting inside the v.a. medical center inivra beach, florida, only a few miles from palm beach. the shooter, who is a double-amputee, shot two people. a doctor was shot in the neck when ting to subdue the shooter. >>> here's a look at our oer top stories. the man accused of shooting five employees "the capital gazette" newspaper will go to court. ramos faces several counts of murder and has pleaded not guilty. >>> a man was killed in a shooting near a d.c. elementary school. a fight escalated into a shooting on northwest street yesterday afternoon. >>> calls are growing for marry ann lisanti to resign. she used a racial slur. and she apologized, saying she hawas asd for using the insensitive and hurtful word. larry hogan and angela brooks say she should step down

. >>> "the richmond times dispatch" reports virginia first lady pam northam is under fire for handing pieces of cotton during a tour of the executive mansion's former slave quarters. a state legislative page said northam tried to hand her and another black page a piece of cotton during a tour last week. she says the first lady asked them to imagine being an enslaved person. the governor's office says artifacts like cotton and tobacco are part of northam's efforts to incorporate the story of african-americans into the mansion tour. virginia governor ralph northam is facing calls to resign over a racist photo that appeared on his 1984 medical school yearbook page. >>> "the san diego union-tribune" reports prototypes of president trump's border wall were torn down. four concrete and four steel panels were destroyed yesterday at the u.s.-mexico border in san diego. they were built in 2017. government officials say elements of the prototypes have been melded into current border fence designs, and they were no longer needed. they each cost between $300,000 and $500,000. >>> and the "washing

"the washington post" reports that pam northam handed out cotton to two african-american studentsto during a hcal tour and asked them to imagine being slaves and having to pick cotton. pam north am released a staple saying in part that she use artifacts and aicultural crops tollustrate rginia's painful past. she says she regrets she upset anyone. her husband governor ralph northam refused to resign after admitting he wore blackface years ago and racist photos appeared in his medical school yearbook page. ho >>> a deadlying in broad daylight just blocks from an elementary school. a fight escalating to guire today near harriet tubman elementary. 4's jackie bensen standing by live with new information about the gunman. jackie? wereporter: well, jim, fir want to show you where the shooting happened. this alleyas the giant supermarket on one side. condominiums on the other side. buts you said, the investigation area for this took up several blocks. d.c. police searched the bushes around a building for evidence, possibly a discarded gun, after a broad daylight shoing left a man described as bein

. >> reporter: virginia's first lady, pam northam, under fire tonight, after handing out raw cotton to a group of students, some of them black, during a tour of the governor's mansion, telling them to imagine what it was like to be a slave. but the mother of one of those eighth grade students outraged, in etr that black students were singled out, writing, "why would anyone ask children to imagine something like that, let alone african-american children?" mrs. northam's office denies singling anyone out. in a statement, the first lady says it was intended illustrate "a painful period of virginia history." this comes as her embattled husband, democratic governor ralph northam, tries to reconcile with the black community after admitting to wearing blackface at a dance contest. mrs. northam standing by her husband's side, stepping in when it appeared he considered demonstrating the moonwalk. >> my wife says that's inappropriate. >> reporter: a spokesperson for first lady offered to convey her apology in person to the young girl and her mother, but she has not received a response. david? >>

that may have turned out to be wise council from pam northam if northam had given in to the political mob there could be a far deeper crisis in virginia. the governorship would have gone to lieutenant governor justin fairfax. he is now embroiled in a charge of sexual assault he denies.ro next in line would be democratic state attorney general mark herring.er he has now admitted he, too, appeared in blackface in college. in the wake of the push to believe all women during the justice brett kavanaugh controversy it's notable that a senior democratic congressman has now been drawn. congressman bobby scott says roughly a year ago he heard thele allegations of sexual assault from the alleged victim herself, dr. vanessa tyson, though he just heard there was a me too problem but did not hear the graphic details tyson has noww claimed about being forced into oral sex. fairfax has hired the same attorney who represented justice kavanaugh. the lieutenant governor's team has fired off a letter two nbc commanding correction to a report that l charged in a private meeting, the lieutenant governor

a virginia state employee said during aour of the governor's mention, pam northam gave her daughter and another student balls of cotton and asked them to imagine being enslaved. a new allegation of racial insensitivity. this time it's first lady pam rtham who is under fire over an incident that allegedly took place at the mansion's old slave quarters. leah walker, a virginia state employee says mrs. northam upset her eighth gre daughter. the young girl also detailing the episode saying the first ody handed cotton her and another african-american child while asking them to, quote, nimagine being enslaved person. walker's daughter described it as beyond inappropriate. the letters were first reported by "the washington post." mrs.th n telling nbc news, i provided theame executive tour to visitors over the last few months and used artifacts and agricultural drops with the intention of illustrating a painful period of virginia history. av regret i upset anyone. walker telling nbc news she's extrely disappointed and official responses that are as tone deaf andnsensitive as the initial bad act

complained tt her eight grade daughter was upset during a tour of the governor empsis residence when pam northam handed her a ball of cotton. in a statement today she said she regrets if she upse anyone. a gop state senator said he had a daughter at tha tour. he says her intent was to show the horrors of slarynd make sure everybody understood the pain slaves felt inome small measure. governor northam has resisted calls ton resig after admitting he wore blackface decades ago. >>> north carolina will set a date next week for a new congressional election after results of a 2018 race wereut thrown over evidence of fraud. republican mark harris appeared to narrowly beat democrat dan mccreedyn a house race in november. but today one of harris' campaign operatives was officially charged with illegal ndllot possession obstruction. harris says he will not run in the new election. his ys it's because of health. mccreedy does not plan to run again -- mccreedy doe plan t run again, rather. >>> michael cohen challengingde the pre in public. why republicans take on his krefbl credibptity. people sn and made a

it comes after first lady pam northam led students whoas serv enate pages on a tour last week. according to a cetter, leigh walker says mrs. northam upset her eighth grade daughter the young girl detailing the episode in a separate letter saying the first lady asked her totoold c and imagine being an enslaved person. >> i think the first lady had wonderfultions but the timing was not very good at all. >> reporter: the incident comes mless than ath after a racist pho emerged from governor ralph northam's medical school yebook page. in a statement mrs. northam telling news4 quote i haveed provhe same educational tour to executive mansion visitors over the last few months and used a variety of artifacts and agricultural crops with the intention of illustrating a painful period of virginiay. hist i regret i have upset anyone. tonight some democratic lawmakers taking to her defense. >> it fee like ifeou t people on tours and don't mention slavery that's being insensitive but if you do mention it, that's being inseoritive. >> rr: pastor michelle thomas feels someone else should have

i agree with pam northam, that was totally inappropriate.nd i think, jake, he's sitting there and you just can't imagine what's going on in his mind today with everybody and calling for his resignation and i just go back to the point, he has done so many great things for virginia through the years. it doesn't matter what -- whether he was in the photo or not at this point. we have to close that chapter. we have to move virginia forward. justin fairfax, african-american lieutenant governor, will do a great job of bringing folks back together. this is a part of the chapter of ralph's life, and as i say, he'll be remembered for so many great things but he'll also be remembered in a time of need that he chose the right moral course for virginia and he resigned and moved forward. >> i have to ask you, sir. he was your lieutenant governor. it's not just the photograph on his yearbook page. he also, in his virginia military institute high school yearbook page, he's identified one of his nicknames is coon man which he has yet to explain. there is al

and let's all be grateful to the governor's wife, pam northam, for stopping him when he looked like he was considering demonstrating his moonwalking skills, his moonwalking prowess for reporters and the tv audience. watch this. >> are you still able to moonwalk? >> oh -- >> inappropriate circumstances. >> my wife says inappropriate circumstances. >> inappropriate. wow, that is the least of it. so the governor does remember putting on blackface as michael jackson, but he doesn't remember putting on blackface or kkk robes in his med school yearbook. and what about his picture in the virginia military institute yearbook, the one captioned with the racial slur coonman, an ugly word? and i hate that we have to use it. but you need to know the facts. >> there were two individuals, as best i can recollect, at vmi. they were a year ahead of me. they called me coonman. i don't know their motives or intent. >> and as governor northam battles for his political life now, lieutenant governor justin fairfax, the man who would replace him if he were to resign, is calling a sexual assault allegation a

(pam)(pam) that was eric perry reporting tonight. sources say, northamfusing to resign and maintains his position to stay in office. coming up tonight at 6:45 ... time is slipping away for congressional efforts to avoid another threatened government shutdown .. the latest on the the bi-partisan meetings today .. and next... state lawmakers try to kick- start a new drive toward gun control legislation, and their efforts get a boost from a high - profile gun violence victim and advocate - gabby giffords... there is a renewed push underway in the state capitol to create stricter gun control laws. capitol bureau ashley za-val-a tells us... why some lawmakers believe the opportunity to make a real difference is greater now - than in years past. ((sen. hannah beth-jackson (d) santa barbara)) "america's love affair with firearms has got to end."democratic state lawmakers unveiled their newest effort monday to stop gun violence.it's a group of senators and assemblymembers tasked with creating news laws to help prevent a future mass shooting.(nats)the announcemen

today northam with his wife pam by his side offering no resignation. >> if we get to the point that wereeel wot effective,er with not efficient, not only for our caucuses but the commonwealth of virginia, then we will re-visit this and make decisions. >> it comes as their own party echo those calls for resignation. >> how do you bri them back over? >> it really starts today i think to correct the record and to let them know that i am not the person in thathoto that caused this stir yesterday. >> reporter: outside the mansion, a few supporters of the governor. >> he made a mistakes take, clearly. however, he deserves the right to be forgen as you and i deserve the right to be for given. >> reporter: they say virginiaians should focus on what he believes to be northam's policies. >> tt's what we need toook closer and how we can benefit from having a family man, apedia tricks, a vetnuan contie to lead this state to be a great state. >> reporter: others saying it is time for lt. gov. to take the seat. >> a black man stand behind you, step back, step away so he can step forward. >> reporter: you

pam) virginia's álieutenant governor justin fairfax ... facing accusations of sexual assault from two women ... and we learned today... an impeachment vote has been delayed.(ken) governor ralph northamis also vowing to stay in office. both men are facing calls to resign.... (pam) our grant lodes explains ... i have called for an independent investigation and i am still very confident.the second allegation against justin fairfax surfaced on friday, a woman came forward to accuse him of raping her when they were students at duke university 19 years agoa statement from her attorney quotes her as saying that fairfax's assault was premediated and aggressive ... and came after she confided in him that she'd been raped by a basketball player. (ken) it's just (ken) -- but more than 100 cases of the measles have already been reported this year. washington state health officials confirm 58 cases linked to an outbreak that began last month. four of those cases are just over the state border in oregon. the c-d-c linked the washington state outbreak to a strain from eastern europe after travelers returned from ukraine with the illness. between january first and february 7th, patients in ten stat

northam: good afternoon. thank you all for being here. i am pleased to be joined by my wife, pam. pam, thank you for being here as well. there has been much public discussion about racist and offensive materials that appeared on my page of the 1984 eastern virginia medical school yearbook. i believe it is important for virginians to hear directly from me. and for me to answer as many questions as are necessary about these circumstances. with that in mind, i would like to read a statement about these events, and then i will be glad to take your questions. yesterday, i took responsibility for content that appeared on my page in the eastern virginia medical school yearbook that was clearly racist and offensive. i am not and will not excuse the content of the photo. it was offensive, racist, and despicable. when my staff showed me the photo in question yesterday, i was seeing it for the first time. i did not purchase the yearbook. i was unaware of what was on my page. when i was confronted with the images yesterday, i was appalled that they appeared on my page, but i believe then and

governor ralph northam is facing backlash after a photo with two people wearing blackface and a ku klux klan costume appeared in his medical school yearbook. (pamow the lieutenant governor is facing two sexual assualt allegations. our grant lodes is here with the latest. grant? (grant) that's right, governor northam is vowing to stay in office. tonight, while president trump was in el paso texas... he talked about northam.. drawing cheers from the crowds.

northam to make a statement. let's listen in from richmond. >> good afternoon. thank you all for being here. i'm pleased to be joined by my wife pam. pam, thank you for being here as well. there has been much public discussion about racist and offensive materials that appear on my page of the 1984 eastern virginia medical school yearbook. and i believe it is important for virginians to hear directly from me and to -- and for me to answer as many questions as are necessary about these circumstances. with that in mind, i would like to read a statement about these events and then i will be glad to take your questions. yesterday, i took responsibility for content that appeared on my page in the eastern virginia medical school yearbook that was clearly racist and offensive. i am not and will not excuse the content of the photo. it was offensive, racist, and despicable. when my staff showed me the photo in question yesterday, i was seeing it for the first time. i did not purchase the evms yearbook and i was unaware of what was on my page. when i was confronted with the images yesterday, i was appalled that they appeared on my page. but i

and reporters for the first time since a raci ply chargedto emerged from northam's medical school year book page. with his wife pam by his side, offering no resignation. >> if we get to the point that we feel that we're not effective, that n we' efficient, not only for our caucuses but the commonwealth of virginia, we wilevit this and make decisions. >> reporter: it comes as members of the governor's own p cty echo thls for resignation. >> i've been speaking to democrat d who say they't know if they can go forward with you. how do you bring them back er? it really starts to correct the record and to let them know that i am not the person in that photo that caused this yesterday. >> reporter: outside the mankts, a few supporters of the governor. >> he made a mistake hclearly, bu deserves the right to be forgiven as you and i deserve that right. >> reporter: reverend wilson says virginians should consider on hacnortham's policy policies. >> how we can benefit from having a family man, a pediatrician, a vet to continue to lead this state. >> reporter: others saying it is time forin fairfax to rise to t seat. >> a bla

northam right now. let's listen. >> good afternoon. thank you all for being here. i'm pleased to be joined by my wife, pam., thank you for being here as well. there has been much public discussion about racist and offensive materials that appear on my page of the 1984 eastern virginia medical school yearbook and i believe it's important for virginnans to hear directly from me and for me to answer as many questions as are necessary about these circumstances. with that in mind, i would like to read a statement about these events and then i will be glad to take your questions. yesterday i took responsibility for content that appeared on my page in the eastern virginia medical school yea yearbook thas clearly racist and offensive. i am not and will not excuse the content of the photo. it was offensive, racist, and spikable. despicable. when my staff showed me the photo in question yesterday, i was seeing it for the first time. i did not purchase the yearbook and i was unaware of what was on my page. when i was confronted with the images yesterday, i was appalled that they appeared on my page but i believed the

pam) another big story tonight... the top two leaders in the state of virginia are both in the middle of controversies. the first one came ... when governor ralph northamhad to address a racist picture in a nearly 35- year old yearbook ... now, he is facing calls for his resignation.(ken) meanwhile -- virginia's lieutenant governor is fighting back against a sexual assault claim. sara sidner reports on both scandals. after multiple meetings with his closest advisers and staff virginia governor ralph northam says he needs more time to decide whether he'll stay in office or resign, according to a source.northam under fire all weekend after this picture surfaced from his personal page in his 1984 medical school yearbook.it shows a man dressed in blackface and another in ku klux klan regalia which northam now says is not a picture of him, after initially saying the photo was of him though he did not say which person he was.gov. ralph northam/d- virginia: "i was appalled that they appeared on my page. but i believed then and now that i am not either of the people in that photo." another picture also surfaced of northam in 1981 with the racist nickname, "coo

northam: i will tell you exactly what i did. i dressed up in in a -- what is his name -- michael jackson, excuse me. that is why i have pam with me. i had the shoes, a glove, and i used a little bit of shoe polish to put under, or on my cheeks. the reason i used a very little bit is because i do not know if anyone has ever tried it, but you cannot get shoe polish off. it was a dance contest. i had always liked michael jackson. i actually won the contest because i had learned how to do the moonwalk, but let me tell you what happened. i have a very close friend who was my assistant during the campaign. i don't think he would mind me telling you his name. his name is seth. during some of our long rides around the commonwealth, the very issue of blackfacing came up. he really did a good job communicating to me why that is so offensive. and it was actually during that conversation i said, you know, seth, i put some polish on my face. i competed in a dance contest dressed up as michael jackson. i said, i assume you probably think that is offensive. he said, i would. i said, you know, i appreciate for you being open with me. i a

northam was briefed on routine tasks yesterday like the state's budget. he reached out to lieutenant governor fairfax and attorney general herring to express concern for their families and their well being. his wife pam texted their wives inex support as well. the post reports north has hires a private investigator as well as a african-american owned crisis management firm as he continuesrm to prove his innocence. >>> democratsis have been caref not to rush to judgment over the sexual assault allegation against lieutenantal governor o virginia. justin fairfax denies that he forced dr. vanessa tyson to engaging oral sex inside a hotel room in 2004. he said the encounter was consensual. asked to respond, senator tim kaine said he's giving fairfax thegi same treatment he gave justice brett kavanaugh and his accuser telling reporters i got to watch both individuals testify and judge their credibility. we're not at that point yet. what we have is a compelling and detailed statement of a serious charge by a respected professional. we also have a very unequivocal deny all of that charge from somebody who we know real well. don beyer said i'm inclined to believe that herli statement is true,s she seems very

northam: good afternoon. thank you all for being here. i am pleased to be joined by my wife, pam. pam, thank you for being here as well. there has been much public discussion about racist and offensive materials that appeared on my page of the 1984 eastern virginia medical school yearbook. i bee

northam: good afternoon. thank you all for being here. i am pleased to be joined by my wife, pam. pam, thank you for being here as well. there has been much public discussion about racist and offensive materials that appeared on my page of the 1