in the past three years pepco holdings, pepco's parent company, received $817 million in tax refunds and earned $882 million in profits. members of the activist group our d.c. allege that this was all happening as pepco cut its workforce. they say these are just some of the reasons for the commission to deny pepco's request for a higher rate. pepco officials say the windfall of money was the result of the u.s. government changing the tax code in an effort to stimulate economic growth. in a statement released to news4, they explained that pepco is significantly upgrading its infrastructure in the district of columbia to improve reliability and is installing advanced technology that will allow customers to better manage their energy usage and allow pepco to better manage outages. the company is also improving customer service. the rate adjustment will help pay for the costs of these upgrades. a pepco spokesperson tells us that while they do receive some of the money that their parent company has earned, it is still not enough for them to make all of the upgrades that they would like to

pepco's d.c. adamantly protested the utility both inside and outside of the hearings. >>> pepco was the only d.c. headquarter company featured in a report put out by the u.s. public interest group and citizens for tax justice. it claims pepco is 1 of 30 fortune 500 companies paying more for lobbyists than it does in federal taxes. in the past three years pepco holdings, pepco's parent company, received 817 million in tax refunds and earned 882 million in profits. members of the activist group our d.c. alleged that this was all happening as pepco cut its work force. they say these are just some of the reasons for the commission to deny pepco's request for a higher rate. pepco officials say it was a result of the u.s. government changing the tax code in an effort to stimulate economic growth. in a statement released to news 4 they explained that pepco is significantly upgrading its infrastructure in the district of columbia to improve reliability and is installing advanced technology that will allow

jovenes una manifestacion en las afuera de las instalaciones del edifico de la compania electrica pepcoarte de la calle 9 en el noroeste del distrito.. silvana quiroz nos cuenta cual fue el motivo... usuarios de la compaÑÍa ele Éctrica pepco estÁn molestos y es que segÚn un comunicado de prensa del grupo que los representa, entre el 2008 y el 2010 la compaÑÍa ha cobrado $882 millones de do Ólares, el gerente general joe rigby a ganado $ 8.8 millones de dÓlares mucho dinero y un servicio que da mucho que desear segÚn algunos una protesta que se llevo a cabo hoy por la tarde en las instalaciones de la compaÑÍa elÉctrica pepco deja al descubierto la molestia de algunos clientes con el servicio que ofrece transeÚnte "siempre la parte pobre es la que sufrimos ellos no ellos hacen lo que ellos quieren las facturas suben y llegan lo que ellos quieren y uno no puede reclamar ni pagar" silvana quiroz estas viniendo a reclamar algo ahora? "estoy tratando de hacer un acuerdo de pagos haber si me dejan hacer un acuerdo de pagos" y esta fue la razÓn que trajo a cientos de personas de la organizaciÓn

. >> angry customers ripped into pepco. >> hundreds of people gathered outside the headquarters of pepcoproposed rate hike. >> there was some doubt among folks i talk to about how many people would actually show up. they filled the sidewalks outside the pepco headquarters. the wrangling about the desire to raise everybody's bill. a couple hundred people organized and vented their anger at pepco for about an hour. >> we are here to talk about the issues. we are here to talk about the rate increase. >> pepco's desire to raise rates between $5.60 dollars average per month per customer is not all these protesters are angry about. >> we are just wondering why. >> it is really messed up that corporations like pepco are not paying their fair share of taxes. >> they expressed anger at a recent raise given to the pepco ceo. as they expected, they were rejected. as for pepco, company reps would not go on camera, but they said in a statement they want the rate increase to become more reliable and to improve technology and customer service. they said they will spend $100 million this year to accompl

pepco says it needs more than $42 million to make ends meet. the protesters say pepco executives should take a pay cut to help their bottom line. in a statement, pepco calls the rate hikes necessary to fund an ongoing reliability improvement project. pepco will meet with the washington public service commission for an evidentiary hearing defending its rate hike request. >>> after a nice weekend, we have temperatures down near freezing. looks like the roller coaster ride continues, rights, tom? >> it does, fasten your safety belts. we'll be up and down. this morning we're down. below freezing in many locations. we had a quick moving snow squall last night, 10:00 to midnight. that put down some moisture on some roads. that has frozen up. watch out for black ice this morning. patchy ice on some roadways just to the north and west of washington. right now reagan national, a little above freezing at 34 there. a light west/southwesterly wind under a clear sky this monday morning. elsewhere, our temperatures are below freezing. much of the region incl

. >>> pepco under fire once again. angry customers demonstrated in northwest today in front of headquarters on the one year anniversary of a winter storm that left thousands huddled in the dark, fox 5's beth parker with details. reporter: they wanted to start at the top with pepco president joe rigby. rigby did not make an appearance, but provide testers from the group our d.c. -- protesters from the group our d.c. certainly let pepco know they are unhappy about the proposed $42 million rate increase. what did you think when you heard they wanted to do a rate increase? >> i thought it was preposterous because they made $800 million in profits and we think that's too much. we want them to take that $42 million off the table. >> it was disrespectful and it's unfair. i have to choose whether i want to keep my lights on for my children or buy food for them. reporter: the original plan is for the protesters to go right inside, but if you look over here, you can see what stopped them, a rove mpd officers. they -- a row of mp

pepco started removing some of the county-owned trees here this week. this one clearly diseased but abruptly quit before the job was done. when some residents objected. outraging neighbor billy bao. >> it is probably controversial to the psycho environmentalist but to us people who lose power, it is a great idea. >> are you an environmental wacko? >> not the last time i checked. >> he objected when pepco tried to take down this county-owned tree in front of his house without warning or discussion. brawn called it totalitarian tactics. >> i think pepco got so much political heat. they decided that they would rather take heat for doing too much rather than doing too little. >> now, i mean hopefully he'll lose power and we won't. he'll see what it is like. >> it is a fine line to walk. >> there are lots of points of view here. >> i would rather go without power myself for a couple of hours rather than have a whole tree that's been growing for 100 years knocked down. >> i've been waiting for them to cut it down for years. it is dangerous. >> for now, there

un grupo de indignados por los precios del servicio llevan sus protestas a pepco..etalles al regresar... el derrumbe de tres edificios en el centro historico de rio de janeiro deja varios muertos y heridos.... las imagenes y detalles cuando volvamos de la pausa... y prepare su paraguas porque tenemos un sistema de baja presion en nuestra area desde esta noche hasta maÑana temprano... el pronostico completo despues de la pausa... si quiere estar en contacto con noticias washington, solo debe acceder nuestra pagina en el internet... noticiasdc. com.. tambien puede buscarnos en facebook y twitter como noticiasdc... ya volvemos!!! clientes insatisfechos realizaron una protesta frente a las instalaciones de la compania electrica pepco, por el alto costo del servicio... silvana quiroz nos cuenta mas desde el lugar de las protestas... silvana quiroz muchas gracias compaÑeros en este momento me encuentro haciendo un seguimiento de lo que fue la marcha que se llevo a cabo hoy por la tarde desde las 2 de la tarde estuvieron organizado la marcha organizaciÓn sin fines de lucro

pepco says it needs more than $42 million to make ends meet.say pepco executives should take a pay cut to help their bottom line. in a statement, pepco called the rate hikes necessary to fund an ongoing reliability improvement project. >>> today the d.c. council upon hear testimony about a bill that could bring some major changes to the district's taxi cabs. the bill introduced by council member mary chay would require better training and regulate what color the cabs would be. it would require all cabs to accept credit cards. right now most drivers accept only cash. >>> and two other d.c. council members say that they have found evidence of corruption by the district's housing agency. michael brown and jim graham believe house agency employees are making deals concerning the sale and renovation of district properties that favored certain contractors. the council members specifically cite $4 million given to peaceholics. that's an anti-gang organization with little housing experience. graham and brown with the d.c. inspector general and attorney

. >>> pepco receives a bad review yet its ceo gets nice perks, robert mccartney from the washington postjoins us to talk about this situation. >> a mother frustrated with her fighting teens decides to get police involved, hear her 911 call next  >>> a massachusetts mother called police to break up a fight in her home it started while she was runninger rends her 15-year-old son punched his 8-year-old sister in the arm their 16-year-old sister stepped in and the situation between the older siblings then escalated when the mother called 911. >>> i have two teenage children who will not stop beating each other up, one is in dcs custody. >> weapons or anything? >> well, there is i guess things that could be used as weapons they are throwing things at each other toys games. >> the son is charged with domestic assault, police say they haven't had to respond to the home prior to this incident neighbors maintain they consistently hear the kids yelling and fighting. >>> thing that mom did what she had to do. >> yeah, could have been dangerous. >> you know, from the sound of i

pepco says it needs more than $42 million to make ends meet. the protesters say pepco executives should take a pay cut to help their bottom line. in a statement, pepco called the rate hikes necessary to fund an ongoing reliability improvement project. >>> the florida primary just one day away this morning. mitt romney has a double-digit lead over newt gingrich. angie goff has the new numbers. >> reporter: good morning, florida is looking like a two-man fight for 50 delegates, winner takes all. the latest nbc news poll shows mitt romney with a 15-point lead over newt gingrich. 42% to 27%. then we have rick santorum in third place with 16%, followed by ron paul with 11%. 4% of people say they are still undecided. florida will once again be a key swing state come november. many voters are heading to the polls, asking themselves which candidate can beat president obama. in the latest "usa today" gallup poll, it's a head-to-head race in the country's key 12 battleground states. romney now is leading the president by 1% point, 48-47%. check this out

so for pepco it's damned if they do, damned if they don't.rimming operations are suspended in this neighborhood while it all gets worked out and meanwhile you've got to wonder how much more this conflict would get ramped up between neighbors if the power went out. in bethesda, scott broom, 9 news now. >> pepco responded today by reminding scott they're under a public service commission legal order to remove at least four years of overgrowth from the entire system. the budget for that this year alone is $7.5 million. >>> there is word tonight of a settlement in the phone hacking case involving rupert murdoch's now closed news of the world tabloid. the media company agreed to pay damages to 36 high profile victims. among them actor jude law. the company now faces about 60 hacking lawsuits. the victims claim the tabloid invaded their privacy by intercepting voicemail messages. some settlements involve hundreds of thousands of dollars. >>> there are some concerns that britain's best known river the thames could pose a security threat to the summe

advierten como clientes hispanos de pepco estan siendo victimas de estafa..o evitar caer en la trampa... quedan pocos dias para para que pueda favorecerse de una amnistia decretada en washington a los que deben multas de trafico..mas adelante les brindaremos los detalles.. ahora puedes hacer de noticias washington tu pagina de inicio.. solo tienes que ir a noticias dc. com.. tambien puedes seguirnos en facebook y twitter, como noticias dc... ya regresamos!!! latinos estan siendo victimas de una estafa que se extiende a varios estados de la costa este, incluyendo la region metropolitana de washington... maria rosa lucchini nos dice de que trata... llaman por telefono... les advierten que su servicio de electricidad o gas sera suspendido... y les obligan a cancelar su suspuesta deuda con un tarjeta prepagada... sus victimas: familias latinas... "cualquier persona que haga lo pedido va a perder su dinero y claro no le van a pagar el servicio y se va a quedar sin dinero y con la misma cuenta que tenia anteriormente" aparentemente se trata de una banda que esta ac

. >>> pepco is under fire again. the utility company wants to raise their rates; meanwhile, angry customers demonstrated in front of pepco's headquarters in northwest. this comes one year after the winter storms from last year left thousands huddled in the dark. fox 5s beth parker has the details. >> they wanted to start at the top with pepco president joe rigby. >> i just want to talk to you. >> reporter: he did not make an appearance, but the group our d >> our d.c., our d.c -- . >> -- certainly made sure pepco knows they unhappy about the proposed $42 million rate increase. what did you think when you heard they wanted to do a rate increase? >> i thought it was preposterous. they made $800 million in profits and, you know, we think that is too much. we want them to take that $42 million off of the table. >> this is disrespectful and unfair. i have to choose whether i want to keep my lights on for my children or whether i want to buy food for them. >> reporter: the original plan is for protestors to go in the side.

el numero de pepco es el 202-833-7500...ambien puede llamar a la comision de servicio publico del distrito para denunciar su queja al 202-626-5120... las compaÑias de electricidad y gas tambien estan trabajando con el fbi y departamentos de policia locales para desarticular estas actividades ilicitas.... norma... si usted tiene multas de estacionamiento o trafico en washington, preste atencion que un programa que le perdona las moras esta por acabar... claudia uceda, nos trae los detalles, claudia cuentanos que es lo que se tiene que hacer?... gracias norma.... pues les cuento que es muy facil, solo tiene que visitar la pagina web del departamento de vehiculos motorizados, llenar un formulario electronico y en 5 dias le diran cuanto es lo que debe de pagar.... "mil dolares tu sabes que recaudarlos hoy en dia es muy dificil..." este conductor tiene la pesadilla que muchos tienen....el debe de pagar multas de estacionamiento y trafico y no tiene el dinero suficiente... "fue como mil pesos eso era como practicamente 6 tickets p

why he's apologizing to residents in his town. >>> a lot of people get angry at pepco. are man enough to stand out of -- outside of our headquarters and shout about it. >>> plus, what can make arizona's governor point her finger in the president's face? and why she said that he needs the tough enough. stay with us.  [ male announcer ] this was how my day began. a little bird told me about a band... ♪ an old man shared some fish stories... ♪ oooh, my turn. ♪ she was in paris, but we talked for hours... everyone else buzzed about the band. there's a wireless mind inside all of us. so, where to next? ♪ . >> angry protestors gave the prime minister of australia a real scare. the riot police surrounded the prime minister as hundreds of demonstrators interrupted a ceremony by banging on windows and demanding more support for indigenous people. he stum -- show stumbled losing the shoe and one of the security guards was able to catch her. >>> thank you very much for joining us at 5. the the news edge at 6 starts now. . >>> main you were -- maybe you were mad a

. >> pepco customers protesting against a proposed rate hike today. they showed up outside of the northwest meeting today. they are asking the service commission for a 4% rate hike $6 more per month for more house calls. we will tell you what customers had to say about their request. >> normal january weather today but things are about to change. >> get ready for some unseasonably warm weather. bob ryan is in the weather center with what is in store for us tomorrow. >> and no record but some might define whether. first, on the doppler, you can see there's nothing going on around us. clear skies here in the belfort furniture weather center. the temperatures are still a little clout there 47, still above average. this is the hands of the edge of warm weather coming our way. if you were wondering where the cold is, it has been unbelievably cold in alaska, - 38 right now. clouds to the south. the dew point a touch of a real spring fever. some spots tomorrow will be in the mid 60's. some rain showers but you snow lovers will have to be patient. no sign of

las companias que deberan cumplir con esta nueva norma son: pepco smeco delmarva en un comunicado pepco dijo no oponerse al cambio pero aclaro que la nueva regla no se aplicaria en apagones que duren mas de 24 horas..." "se descompone la comida es una de las cosas mas importantes y luego pues como le digo no puede uno banarse, no puede hacer nada...." hace poco pepco le pidio a la comision de maryland que apruebe un aumento de 24 millones de dolares en su servicio, lo que significaria de entre 5 - 6 dolares al mes.... para asi poder mejorar el servicio... estas son buenas noticias pero la pregunta es, que pasa se tiene electricidad por mas de 24 horas? pues ahi si tendra que pagar... norma gracias claudia... las pequeÑas compaÑias que contraten a empleados y aumenten los salarios podrian recibir un alivio en los impuestos.. fernando pizarro nos dice sobre esta iniciativa del presidente obama y como tambien podria expandir el numero de visas para profesionales.... reunido con su gabinete en la casa blanca, el presidente volvio a llamar al congreso a aprobar recortes tributarios para pequ

pepco. maryland steam displayed its home called water shed on the national mall last fall. the home includes water saving as well as energy-saving techniques. the university said pepco will install the home at one of the montgomery county facilities to help demonstrate clean energy options. there is no word on how much pepco is actually paying for this home. >>> well the district is doing well financially. they took in $240 million more than it projected last year. d.c. mayor gray tells bruce johnson he wants the city to keep it and create a rainy-day fund. >> and remember, bruce, this is one time-money, it isn't as if the surplus represents money that we'll get every year going forward. >> the mayor said the money came from spending cuts and the hiring freeze, along with higher city fees and an increase in business taxes. some lawmakers want those taxes and fees reevaluated to see if they should be lowered. >>> do you try to buy more foods that are grown locally? coming up, we'll tell but a program to get more local produce and meat into the hospital. >>> howard? >> jc, a

. >>> still ahead in this half hour, hundreds descend on the pepco area to give them a piece of their mind, top? >> well, i was keeping the umbrella handy for the next 12 hours. we'll take you live to doppler radar. everything is light, especially when you go up 270, off the connecticut avenue and towards leesburg, but we'll come pack and talk about the prospects of the thunderstorms and a look ahead to your weekend. >>> today is a day of remembrance at nasa. 45 years ago, they died in a fire on board the apollo 1 spacecraft. now next wednesday marks nine years since the space shuttle columbia integrated. today, they laid a wreath at arlington national cemetery honoring all the astronauts who had lost their lives as a part of the space program. the astronaut took this iconic photo of earth back in 1972. but now check out nasa's new image of earth taken in high definition. they will be there about 512 miles above the earth's surface. >>> still to come what might seem like a major problem will turn into a major headache for the me troy commuters this morning. but tonight, a preview of t

it's sure to get pepco customers riled up.st the company is near the top of. >> i keep looking around thinking they have been watching me, and that they will follow me home. >>> and an elderly woman scammed and robbed. but it's how the crook pulled it off that has police particularly people! look at you! texting...blogging... all this technology, but you're still banking like pilgrims! get high yield free checking at capital one bank. why earn bupkis, when your checking could earn five times the national average!! and free atms anywhere. five times the national average!!! that's new school banking. sign up for high yield free checking at a capital one bank. what's in your wallet? somebody help me down. what's in your wallet? "no messages." but if you're looking for the one place that makes it easy, look no further than carmax. ♪"ta daaaaaaaaaa!" our appraisals are fast and they're free. we'll make you a written offer to buy, good for seven days. and we'll buy your car even if you don't buy one of ours. carmax...the way car buy

nearly 200 pepco customers are calling on the company's coe -- ceo to come on outside. they will go in and get him if it weren't for the dozen d.c. police officers that are blocking every entrance. >> we want him to take the $42 million rate increase off the table to address the fact that they have made over $800 million in profits and now they need more money. they think that's a bit much. but they did release a statement. saying that they need the rate hike to keep up with that and the investments and the liability and the advanced technology. >> and the rain, they made it a little more gloomy than some would like. yes, the good news and the silver lining here so far is the low heating bill, which is good. 55 in fredericksburg. here is a look at live doppler radar. everything is light. most of the showers are pulling away from us. and up along the line into northwestern counties, pointing north here for them and out towards winchester off of i-81, which is all moving away from now. however for tonight though, mostly cloudy, windy, mild. showers will be back. maybe som

they say considering the long outages after the big storms, pepco has a lot of nerve. >> pepco has the worst customer service in america and that is what we hear about. >> and that is -- to commence. >> no! >> reporter: any company that pays more to lobbyists than they do in process is doing something wrong. >> we are -- >> we're investing approximately a half billion dollars over five years to improve reliability and our focus right now is achieving that goal for our customers. they won't give up. in washington, beth parker, fox 5 news. >>> happening on the redline in the morning rush hour. the workers discovered the crack near the tenleytown station. i tried the single track service from should end help -- friendship heights to van ness and caused delays. >> we apologize for the delays. trained control systems and everything else. >> that crack was in the older section of the rail and it was replaced around noon. right now, the service is back to normal. >>> while the agencies deal with customer frustrations, it's considering raising rates. the agency has 50 possible fare changes on

more protests are planned for next week when pepco executive also attend a hearing to defend its rate hike request. >>> and today d.c. council members will look at another plan to allow online gambling in the district. today's informational hearing will focus on how the gambling law was improved. the bill will allow people to play online poker, blackjack and slot machines at certain spots. >>> tonight the republican presidential hopeful also have their last chance to square off face to face before next tuesday's key florida primary. the candidates will be in jacksonville for a pivotal debate. it comes as recent polls show newt gingrich and mitt romney in a virtual tie in the sunshine state. many consider florida's primary to be crucial not only because of the number of delegates it carries but because it's a winner take all contest. >>> one campaign ad may have gone too far. newt gingrich pulled a spanish language ad accusing romn. rubio is one of the nation's most prominent latino republicans. >>> newt gingrich is aiming high in his effort to win in florida. he told voters near the k

the report adds that pepco made $508 million in profits from federal tax rebates.t year pepco was named one of the most hated companies in the united states by the american customer satisfaction index group. >>> metro's new silver line may not make a stop at dulles after all. according to "the washington examiner" the airport authority is thinking about eliminating the stop altogether. instead riders would have to get along route 28 in fairfax county and then take a bus or light rail train another mile and a half to the airport. that move could save about $70 million. >>> a surveillance camera may eventually be keeping an eye on you when you ride metro. "the washington examiner" is reporting that metro is planning on putting cameras in about a half dozen railcars. they will eventually place cameras on all the trains. the first camera should be in place by the end of 2013. there are also cameras overseeing some station entrances and station platforms. they also monitor bus drivers and passengers. >>> a d.c. police sergeant is on administrative leave accused of beati

. >> pepco warning customers about a new scam. nearly two dozen customers have received a phone calls saying they need to buy a credit card in order to pay their utility bill. they're then told to pay with in a new card but pepco doesn't get the money. pepco has notified law enforcement official and it's asking customers to be vigilant. >> mayor vincent gray wants to move occupy d.c. protesters out of mcpherson square and con sell date them in freedom plaza. he sent a letter today requesting that move. gray said the health department found deplorable conditions at mcpherson square recently, including a rat infestation. the mayor also requested reimbursement for keeping the camps on federal land safe. >> new tonight a baby found alone in the mcpherson square occupy camp is back with her mother now. police arrested samuel mack yesterday after he left the 13-month-old girl alone in a tent. news 4 spoke with the baby's mother tonight who said mack is is a friend who occasionally watches the little girl but she said she had no idea he

frustrated pepco customers.e upset over the proposed rate hike and they took their fight to a hearing at the commission. anny hong joins us live from the satellite center with more on how that meeting went. >> crowded into that meeting to get their message across about the proposed rate hike that could impact everyone here in d.c. >> if there are any other outbursts, we will have you removed. >> dozens of protesters with the group, our d.c. challenge, supports the rate increase. that translates to a 5% increase for a typical resident or just over $5 per month. customers protested today inside and outside the hearing holding signs that read, pay your fair, tax fare to create jobs and make shareholders pay the $42 million. >> we want pepco to pay their fair share in taxes and to create jobs by using their tax refund, to use that money to create jobs. >> in a company's statement release today, pepco says they want to raise the rates to continue improving service and to its upgrades and to its infrastructure. the pu

he received it weeks after pepco was fined $1 million for poor management. barb where ramccartney with the "washington post" joined us this morning. you said he passed up his raise last year, which may have earned him points. >> and he gave up $900,000 roughly in compensation last year. he's agreed to make up for that under the next few years under the next package. >> pepco released a statement praising rigby for improving system reliability and restoration times. the contract offers incentives if they're improved more. >>> a young man is sentenced to 20 years in prison. john montgomery has more. >> reporter: a emotional day in the courthouse. more than 150 people crowded in one of the biggest courtrooms here to listen to the arguments as to whether or not he should bit a stiff sentence and he d. the crash occurred on may 15 th in maryland. the car was traveling at a high rate of speed and four people were in it. the driver got out and left the scene. one of the people probably died instantly and two probably survived the crash that died later and three dea

pepco says it needs more than $42 million more to make ends meet. the protesters say pepco executives should take a pay cut to help the company's bottom line. in a statement pepco called the rate hikes necessary to fund an ongoing reliability improvement project. >> you know, it's almost like spring time. >> it really is. >> kind of spooky. >> end of january. yeah. >> it wouldn't be, you say 's not right. it wouldn't be right if this was, you know, happening once or twice during the winter then you'd say i don't expect that. >> we've had a bunch of it. >> i think by tomorrow morning the temperatures could rise another 5 to 10 degrees. so you could walk out to 60 degrees at 7:00 or 8:00 tomorrow morning. how about that? a lot of people, though, enjoying it. why? well, because they don't want to have to deal with this. >> yeah. >> this was carmageddon. one year ago today. thousands of people stuck on the roadways all across our area. this was a storm that really was not a huge snowstorm. only about 5 inches of snow out at the airport. some areas did g

. >> there will be a pepco commission hearing. pepco needs to improve reliability and customer service. mark center employees have a new way to get to work as of today. metro is extending its leesburg pike limited service to the military compound in an effort to appease traffic congestion. buses will leave every 25-30 minutes during rush hour if between tysons corner and the mark center. stops will include the west falls church metro station and seven corners shopping center. >> opponents of same-sex marriage plan to rally tonight outside the state house in annapolis. a hearing on the same-sex marriage bill is scheduled for tomorrow. protest scheduled for 6:00 tonight. same-sex marriage legislation stalled in maryland but the house of delegates last year. >> gas prices have stabilized, but they could soon rise. analysts expect record high prices during the first half of the year. the national average price of a gallon of regular is $3.42. in d.c. the average price of a gallon of regular if it is $3.63. $3.47 in maryland. in virgin

asi es mario, mas de tres mil doscientos clientes de pepco en las zonas de hyattsville, college park, y mount rainier se vieron afectados.. los apagones tambien se registraron en oxon hill y el sureste de washington...pepco i noventa por ciento de los afectados ya tienen el servicio restablecido... surgen preocupantes videos de choferes de metro que conducen agresivamente.. alfredo miranda nos trae las escalofriantes imagenes... bienvenido.. efectivamente norma, buenas noches, xxxx xxxx son imagenes impactantes las que se lograron a traves del sistema de camaras instaladas en los buses de metro y que gracias a la politica de acceso a los archivos, un medio de comunicacion las hizo publicas. atropello a peatones, nat choques por no respetar las lineas amarillas, nat colisiones en cruces peatonales . estos son algunos de los videos publicados el dia de hoy. nat . me alegra que esta información se haya hecho publica , es lo que necesitamos en el directorio para asegurarnos de que la cultura de seguridad esta siendo promovida en metro. todos los buses de metro estan equipados con camaras

. >>> coming up, pepco protests.ustomers say the utility company has some nerve looking to raise rates. >>> and it would make facebook founder mark zuckerburg one of the richest men in the world. we're breaking down the ipo that everyone's been waiting for. t t t t t t t with cable. it just got more frustrating and frustrating. a lot of times, the picture would break up. for the amount of money that i am paying, my cable company should take care of me. [ male announcer ] stop paying for second best. move up to verizon fios tv, internet and phone for our best price online -- just $89.99 a month guaranteed for two years. first time we saw tv on fios was amazing! i was just in a trance watching it. i'm discovering new channels every day. [ male announcer ] and here's a special bonus: sign up now and get $300 back with a two-year contract. fios internet -- the speed, you can't compare. i'm able to take care of things much faster now. [ male announcer ] start saving now. move up to fios for our best price online -- $89.99

pepco is defending its service in front of a tough crowd. dozens of on satisfied customers are sitting in the on a rate hike hearing in northwest for it last week, hundreds protested outside the pepco headquarters. they argue the fare hike will help customers better. a d.c. council committee will hear him put on a plan to overhaul the city's taxi industry. the proposal would require all cab companies to be a in the same color and they would have to install credit card readers and provide more extensive training for drivers. d.c. cabdrivers are largely self-employed individual licensees. president obama is going on line later today when he joins a live chat on google +. the video chat last 45 minutes and it starts at 5:30 in the chat room known as "the hang out. " still to come -- >> it's like being in something you see in the movies and never think it can happen. >> are on the highway, blinded by smoke and fog, a massive pileup in florida. that haunting images of the bottom of this heat, signs of life moments before the deadly cruise ship wr

the problems have been corrected but there were problems yesterday for many pepco customers.deal with when coping with the cold. >> we don't see any lights on the street that that is what happened to many people living in northwest washington. pepco crews found a bed cables and restored power to the never but that was after several hours. some residents had already given up. >> we are heading out to stay with family. hopefully it will be fixed by the morning. >> from power lines to train lines, metro was battling the cold. cracks on the rail on the yellow and red lines suspended service during yesterday's morning commute. >> we were literally like sardines and you cannot get on the metro because it is already full. >> metro officials say the extreme fluctuations and temperature were to blame and the problem was fixed by the afternoon. the weather has left some residents wondering what else could be coming. >> it is so called. it will be in the 50's and a couple of days. i don't know what to make of it. >> this morning, many people feel the same way. metro and pepco were not t

. >>> days after marching outside pepco offices downtown, customers delivered another message to theompany. the group hour d.c. took their fight to a hearing at the d.c. public service commission. they're outraged over the proposed $42 million rate increase for d.c. customers. that translates to a 5% increase for a typical resident or slightly more than $5 per month. >> we want pepco to pay their fair share in taxes and to create jobs by using their tax refunds which is $800 million, to use that money to create jobs. >> in a company statement pepco says the request to raise rates will allow them to continue improving service and upgrades to its infrastructure. the public service commission is expected to make a final decision in late april. until then the record is open for comments till mid march. >>> seems d.c. is doing pretty well financially. mayor vincent gray announced the city has a $240 million surplus from fiscal year 2011. gray says the hiring and spending freeze and underspending by city agencies are part of the reasons for that surplus. the city plans to keep it as part o

they say pepco executives should take a pay cut to help the company with its bottom line. >>> next on4 a new push to make riding a cab in the district more convenient and why some are fighting the plans. >>> what would you give up to go to the super bowl? to th[ male announcer ] this was how my day began. a little bird told me about a band... ♪ an old man shared some fish stories... ♪ oooh, my turn. ♪ she was in paris, but we talked for hours... everyone else buzzed about the band. there's a wireless mind inside all of us. so, where to next? ♪ il, any luck finding a car? so, where to next? not yet. i want to buy used but how do you know what you're really getting. check out carmax. all their used cars are guaranteed. that's where henderson found the one for him. way to go, henderson. finding the perfect car is easy at carmax because each car is carefully selected, inspected, thoroughly reconditioned and backed with a five-day money back guarantee so come find the one for you today, at carmax. way to go, neil. okay... is this where we're at now, we just eat whatever tastes good? like t

pepco restore power after several hours.e residents had already given. >> we're trying to find a place to stay the night. we are headed out to family. police it will be fixed by the morning. >> metro was also badly -- battling a cold. cracks on the yellow and red lines suspended service during yesterday's morning commute. >> people were like there like sardines. you cannot get on the metro because it's already full. >> extreme fluctuations in temperature were to blame and the problem was picked by the afternoon. the wild weather has left some residents wondering what else could be coming. >> it is so cold. i don't know what to make of it. >> it is much warmer out here this morning. much warmer than this time yesterday. it is also important to note that pepco and metro were not the only ones dealing with this. several power companies and railway companies across the northeast and dealt with similar problems extra because of the winter weather. reporting live in dupont circle, jummy olabanji, abc 7 news. >> thank you. you can

we also drove around and basically there are pepco crews, what they are going to do is monitor the snow, people are really concerned about the sleet and freezing rain. they are not worried about the snow but that sleet and freezing rain, sliding, that what is pepco crews are out here to make sure you have power. now joined by my colleague jackie benson joining us from alexandria, jackie? >> hello shomari and my friends, yes, it is snowing here. you can see i'm going to show you the secret to shooting light snow, that is what we call it when you take pictures of it television pictures, you have to get a light there to show it the camera can't see the way your eye does. we promised we would tell you that. we also want to give you information about cancellations for tomorrow. we're told all fairfax county public schools activities are cancel tomorrow. all charles county schools activities are cancelled, prince georges county school activities are delayed until noon. i'm sure people who may be driving tonight want to know we're at duke street in alexandria, the roads look fine, lots of snow

. >> just days after this protest in dc, frustrated customers sent another message to pepco.y took their fight to the dc public commission. they are outraged over the $42 million raise increase for dc customers. that translates to 5% increase for a typical resident or just over $5 a month. >> we want them to fairly pay their fair share in taxes and create jobs by using their tax refund which is $800 million. use that money to create jobs. >> pepco says the request to raise their rates will allow them to continue improving service. the public service commission is expected to make a final service sometime in late april. until then, the record is still open for comments, at least until mid march. >>> well, dc mayor vince gray has responded to an effort to recall him from office. he calls the move ill advised. leading the effort is a political activist called frederick butler and he'll have 180 days to collect more than 45,000 signatures. for the record, nearly every single mayor of dc has been the target of a recall, and none of those tries has ever succeeded. >>> and there is

my friends are preposting this on facebook saying that pepco is hiring. i think it's a scam. well, scott, we contacted pepco today and they tell us that they are, in fact, hiring, and that the info going around in that post is legit. but thank you for being alert and thank you for asking that question. >>> all right, what happens when you take your dog to a kennel and it escapes, never to be seen again? who is at fault? that is the question that was put before a district court judge in annapolis this afternoon. kristin fisher caught up with the plaintiffs just hours before their big day in court. >> come on, frank, don't be shy. >> reporter: he is more than just a pet for them. with no children of their own, frank is family. which is why the loss of frank's brother, dino four years ago is something they still think about every day. >> it is just very painful to not really know what happened to our dog. >> reporter: in november 2008, they boarded him at the dogwood acres pet retrieve before flying out of town. the next evening, they called to check in. >> it was kind of like a

. >>> a scam warning from pepco. the utility company says nearly two dozen customers have received calls about a so-called green dot visa credit card to make payments. the call also advises customers to call another number and wire money. pepco says you should call its customer service number immediately if you're contacted. it has notified federal officials about the scam. >>> and d.c. police are trying to stop a rash of robberies in northwest washington. officers held a public meeting last night to discuss their efforts. investigators received as many as seven cases in a 24-hour period in neighborhoods near western and connecticut avenues. most happened during evening hours. investigators say the thieves have stolen cell phones to keep victims from calling for help. >>> today marks 30 years since the tragic air florida plane crash in the washington area. this happened during a snowstorm, january 13, 1982, near what was then national airport. the runway had recently reopened, but the pilot had never flown in snow be

pepco says nearly two dozen customers have received a call. they're told their electricity will be shut off unless they pay using a green dot visa card. customers are told to call another number where personal information is obtained and money take fran the card. pepco says you need to remember this, its agents will always be able to give you the name on the account, the address and the past due balance. the fbi and secret service are investigating this scam. >>> now here's a deal that is real. thousands of dollars worth of help to bring down the heating bill. prince george's county department of housing and community development is offering free assistance to eligible households. an energy autoforwill come to your house and fix the problems. this is up to $6,500. to be eligible, you must meet income requirements, be elderly disabled or have a family with children less than 5 years old. call -- for the help. >>> 4:34, here's a look at other stories this morning. a fallen soldier was remembered yesterday. in his hometown of woodsboro, maryland.

more protests are planned for next week when pepco executives will[ a hearing to defend its rate hiket. >>> today d.c. council members will look at another plan to allow online gambling in the district. the district legalized online gambling in late 2010 as part of a budget bill but it has not been implemented here. today's informational hearing will focus on how the gambling law was improved. the bill would allow people to play online poker, blackjack ans in d.c. nling could be up >>> the maryland governor wants to charge a sales tax to online sales. under the proposal, the state would collect 6% sales tax when maryland residents buy music, apps and other online goods. >>> in virginia, a state senate committee introduced a bill that would repeal the one gun a month law. the bill now goes to the full senate for a vote next week. virginia governor bob mcdonald says he will sign the bill if it passes the general assembly. meanwhile, the senate committee postponed votes on two other gun bills that would stop colleges from banning firearms on campus and would start dealers from running ba

weeks ago maryland's public service commission fined pepco $1 million for its poor management. ironically rigby was offered his new contract that same week. >>> a story only seen on fox 5, the d.c. firefighters union is calling on the fire keefe to back down from his threat to -- chief to back down from his threat to discipline members over a uniform change, this after a firefighter spoke exclusively with fox 5 last night. fox 5's paul wagner. >> here are the logos used by the department since the early '90s. the one in the middle was introduced in 2009 and designed to unify the department by including ems or emergency medical services. but after chief kenneth ellerbe took office another change was introduced. the only clear difference? the addition of two flags, one from the district of columbia. >> any change that's at a cost to the taxpayer and it's not done through attrition is a waste of. reporter: that's the way the last logo change was being handled, through attrition. as new firefighters came in they were required to wear hats, coats, the interest shirts and t-shirts wi

a protest outside of pepco headquarters.ake a look. >> we just want to talk to you. >> they not happy. that group, rdc, gathered outside of the building yesterday on the one-year anniversary of a winter storm that left thousands without power. you can't forget that. the crowd called for a talk with the pepco president who did not make an appearance. they're angry about a proposed rate increase. now, in a statement, pepco said it continues to invest in projects to improve reliability. >>> you know, they're mad about that and we're talking about the winter storm. >> uh. >> and that is not the issue, lots of people without power but we're having the issues with the storm today. >> the potential for downed power lines, winds gusting over 60 miles an hour and have a history of this morning to culpeper and we have to watch these lines of rain bands as they move through and potential thunderstorms over the next few hours. >> okay. >> and once it clears, things should quiet down late today and this is, as i said earlier, going to be

demonstrators say pepco did not pay any state or federal income taxes last year, still received $817 million in tax refunds. pepco wants to raise rates to help improve service and infrastructure. >>> here's something many people are expected to like, facebook stock but not just anyone can get their hands on it. we'll explain coming up at 10:45. >>> also ahead caught on camera, a deer caught up in a tight spot. we'll show you how this one ends still ahead. >>> but first there is an app to help you change the channel on the tv in your hotel room. here's fox business network's neil cavuto. >> making more but not spending more, personal income rising in december by the biggest amount in nine months but consumer spending coming in flat during the end of the holiday shopping season as people were saving more cash. meantime they'll need some extra cash to bump up their cars because gas prices continue to climb in the new year. a gallon of regular unleaded now costing $3.43. that's up 15 cents this month. people chowing down at wendy's sales restaurants opened at least a year surging last qu

pepco says you should call its customer service immediately if you're contacted.s notified federal officials about the scam. >>> coming up on 6:46. a proposed spending spree could give teachers and staff members at fairfax county schools reason to celebrate. superintendent jack dale introduced next year's budget last night. it includes a 9% increase in spending. most of that is aimed at hiring 700 new employees, most of them teachers, to help accommodate nearly 4,000 new students expected to enter the system next year. it would also unfreeze pay for current teachers and raise custodian salaries. >>> you're used to checking your child's report card to make sure they're doing well. have you ever thought it checking your state's report card to see if school officials are doing well in educating your children? education week, the country's leading education journal, is sending out their grades for all 50 states. and good news -- some of the area schools are at the top of the class. maryland's public schools actually marked first in the nation with a grade of b-plus. t

pepco displayed the home called watershed on the national mall last fall. it includes water saving as well as energy saving technology in it. the university says pepco will install that home at one of its montgomery county facilities to help demonstrate clean energy options. no word on how much pepco is going to actually pay for that home, though. >>> coming up on 6:37, jessica doyle is here with a special your money report. >> keep that money in your pocket. five things you should not be spending it on when you pull it out of your wallet. >> you bet. if you're watching your budget very closely, there are a couple of things that may be zapping some extra cash that you might want to spend in other places. here's some ideas from savvysugar.com that i happen to personally agree with. let's start with the endless replacements of bottled water. we know you need to drink a lot of rt every day, more on the range of eight glasses but does it really have to come out of a plastic bottle? don't drain your wallet and instead fill up that water bottle over and over agai

kristin fisher has more. >> reporter: nearly 200 pepco customers are calling on the company's ceo joe rigby to come outside. >> we just want to talk to you man. >> reporter: they'd go in and get him if it weren't for the dozen d.c. police officers blocking every entrance. >> we want him to take his $42 million rate increase off the table. we want him to address the fact that they've made over $800 million in profits and now they want more money. we think that's a bit much. >> reporter: pepco declined to comment on camera but they did release a statement. they they say need the rate hike to keep up and advance technologies and improvements in our customer service. in washington, kristin fisher, 9news now. >>> today is the opening day of the 2012 washington auto show. it opens every day through sunday, february 5th. tickets for adults are $12, kids age 6 to 12 are $5 and $2 off for seniors and military personnel. on tuesday, all activity duty and -- active duty and retired military get in free if you have a valid id and thursday it is 50% off with any valid student id. that pays for its