number three is union station in washington, d.c. >> that makes no sense to me though it's a beautiful facility. it's gorgeous. >> getting on the train at union station in d.c. is a real treat. >> you feel like you're in a time warp. like you're in a bag, lavish movie. it's just so glorious. >> and it's like a little mall. you can go shopping. there are stores. >> yes, hodi. >> number two? >> central park. not the empire state building, not the statue of liberty, but central park. >> and the number one world's most visited tourist attraction is -- >> times square. >> go figure. it's thursday. you know what that means? >> oy. >> i get to have fun. this guy in front is going to play along with us. i picked a song i enjoy a lot. >> who is this? >> this is called my keepon. he is just going to dance with us to this song i'm about to play. this is called "tight rope" by a woman named janelle monet. you know how i like sweaty dance songs. think of this like "dream girls" but like now. it's hip "dream girls." that's what this is. ready? >> i'm feeling stress. ♪ ♪ some people talk about ya ♪ t

mitchell smith left union station in d.c. december 16th headed on a train to birmingham, alabama but he never made it. his family says amtrak told them smith ended up taking a train to newark, new jersey where he checked into a hotel on the 17th and checked out on the 18th. no word why he went to the hospital. as of now, smith is still missing. >>> d.c.'s homicide rate on track to be the latest it has been in decades. >>> a win for a man who fade headlines for challenging the -- who made headline for challenging the district's gun laws but he says it is not enough. we're back in a minute.  >>> a judge has ordered the district of columbia to pay more than a million dollars in attorney's fees and spents to dick heller. he is the man who sued the city back in 2003 over the ban on handgun ownership. that was ultimately overturned by the u.s. supreme court, overturned in 2008. heller said he was surprised by the amount he had been asking for over $3 million. >>> the district is on track to end 2011 with its lowest homicide

on friday, he's going to be at a newsstand in union station in washington, d.c. a book. >> he was at staten island yesterday doing another book signing and iowa is weeks away. >> i get it's an unconventional campaign -- and to research the greek debt crisis. i get those two things. >> all important stuff by the way. >> at some point doesn't he have to say okay, i have a chance to win and i should probably meet some voters. >> to your point, yes, and i think -- >> michael, at some point doesn't he have to get somebody in the party with kind of -- not somebody, several somebodies in the party coming out and saying, you're our guy. >> why? why do i need someone from capitol hill to pont tif indicate to say i'm agood guy -- >> you need a chris christie type figure coming out. >> only to the extent he wants to counteract what they are saying against him. he doesn't need to say i'm the candidate who has all of these washington endorsements. >> speak gs of -- >> you could do with a couple of governors around the country. >> speaking of washington endoers. s in capitol h

in d.c. signing books at union station and his rival campaign in iowa one day ahead of another debate. >> president obama wants congress to stay in session until lawmakers approved an extension of the payroll tax cut and benefits for the long-term unemployed. the president says he will delay his vacation until it is done. republicans are ready to move forward on an extension but it includes provision on a controversial oil pipeline from canada. the president says he will veto that. >>> april tests aimed at congress is scheduled to wrap up -- a protest aimed at congress's scheduled to wrap up today. they want to pressure congress to remember people who are struggling during these tough economic times. >>> 3 occupy d.c. protesters have gone on a hunger strike >>> the best kept secret in coca- cola is on the move and why the european debt crisis is no closer to a solution. >>> good morning mixed success that the european summit -- after a late night talks most but not all of the european union members are agreeing to surrender some of their independence. the european chief banker says it is a good sta

there is one near here at union station in washington, d.c., that has a bunch about what's, and then there are some over at the capitol -- that has outlets, and then there are some over at the capitol. host: we have maps of charging stations or infrastructure. are these that we would find here in d.c., similar to what we would find nationwide? guest: right now, there are more stations. it has been a successful push in terms of energy supply, but a big part is making sure they are in the right places. one of the challenges it is a few live in an apartment, where a city and park on the street. that is one of the things proponents are looking at, because they are good for short range commuting. some have a range of as little as 40 miles. this might not be a car you take on a road trip, but if you live in a crowded area where you live in a -- do not of a parking spot, it is a challenge and challenge. -- challenge. host: republican line. kentucky. caller: you did not say how many have been sold, or the average monthly sales. guest: the go for gm is 10,000, not 100,000. so far, for novembe

union station. his name is mitchell smith. he was visiting family in d.c. earlier this month. he hasn't been seen since getting on an amtrak train to dirming ham, alabama 11 days ago. he is 33 years old and got off in charlotte. somehow he ended up on a train to newark, new jersey. police are checking to see if he paid for that ticket to newark. >>> rick perry filed a lawsuit against virginia in a last-ditch effort to get on the primary blot. he is challenging requirements for candidates to get on the ballot. newt bring rich trying to get on the ballot. virginia is holding a primary or caucus on supertuesday march 6th. >>> mitt romney with an endorsement from the boston herald. the paper says that he is the only candidate with the, quote, integrity and intelligence to beat president obama. romney is now in a dead heat with ron paul and newt gingrich among iowa republicans. the attack ads are picking up. though sometimes the negative can backfire with voters. >> it doesn't always benefit the person doing the spending. one of the things we have seen is that if one candidate atta

last friday he was at a book signing in washington, d.c.'s union station. asping it. that's why mitt romney may end up buying the default candidate simply because newt isn't taking advantage of the opportunity he has. >> let me ask this to dan seymour. you worked for mitt romney. >> joe wants to be jon huntsman. >> i'm good where i am. i don't want to be anybody. >> dan seymour, usually it's a help for a republican if he's run before historically. it seems or has he and we're missing it in some ways has he evolved as a candidate? >> sure. >> to sam's point it seems he hasn't. >> he's evolved as a candidate. >> how? >> i think he certainly is -- look at joe. >> his position has evolved. >> can i get a shot of t.j. i'm trying to have a bite of oatmeal. i'll smiling at the camera going when are you going to go away from this. they zoom in on oatmeal. >> wait until we do steak and eggs when i win my bet. >> let me just -- john mccain in 2008, we went through these moments months before the race. conservatives are not in love with them. conservatives openly revol

union station. the last of three escalators are operating. refurbished escalators are there. it includes some malfunctions that left some injured in foggy bottom. a lot of folks are happy about that. >>> it's no secret, the d.c. commute is one of the worst in the country. still ahead on news 4 this week, what leadsers are doing for a particularly congested area. >>> a big name drops out of plans for the national harbor. why the area is expected to bring in [ woman ] hmm...game day party idea pillsbury crescent bacon cheddar pinwheels just unroll, add ingredients, roll and bake. and the crowd goes wild. crescent bacon cheddar pinwheels. game day ideas made easy. in 15 minutes, [ female announcer ] you call that bread? you can serve some warmth with your bread. and some flavor with your bread. and some layers with your bread. if you're serving bread honey, then serve it. grands! dinner ideas made easy. >>> a big disappointment for development in prince george's county. disney decided they will not build a hotel on the land they bought two years ago. as chris gordon reports, without disney, it is still attracting record crowds. >> reporter: it's becoming a holiday tradition. it attracted more than a quarter mil

union station. the last of three escalators are operating. refurbished escalators are there. it includes some malfunctions that left some injured in foggy bottom. a lot of folks are happy about that. >>> it's no secret, the d.c. commute is one of the worst in the country. still ahead on news 4 this week, what leadsers are doing for a particularly congested area. >>> a big name drops out of plans for the national harbor. why the area is expected to bring in >>> a big disappointment for development in prince george's county. disney decided they will not build a hotel on the land they bought two years ago. as chris gordon reports, without disney, it is still attracting record crowds. >> reporter: it's becoming a holiday tradition. it attracted more than a quarter million visitors last year. gaylord's national ice. this year's them is merry madagascar. >> coming out and seeing the artist's work. >> being kids again. >> yeah. >> getting in touch with your inner child is a good thing. >> reporter: it's a mixed use development, retail, restaurants and a world class conference center. it's located on 350 acres. in 2009, when the walt disney company bought 11 acres for $11 million, it was hoped disney would build a 5

union station. the last of three escalators are operating. refurbished escalators are there. it includes some malfunctions that left some injured in foggy bottom. a lot of folks are happy about that. >>> it's no secret, the d.c. commute is one of the worst in the country. still ahead on news 4 this week, what leadsers are doing for a particularly congested area. >>> a big name drops out of plans for the national harbor. why the area is expected to bring in laces? really? slip-on's the way to go. more people do that, security would be like -- there's no charge for the bag. thanks. i know a quiet little place where we can getome work done. there's a three-prong plug. i have club passes. [ male announcer ] now there's a mileage card that offers special perks on united, like a free checked bag, united club passes, and priority boarding. thanks. ♪ okay. what's your secret? ♪ [ male announcer ] the new united mileageplus explorer card. get it and you're in. >>> a big disappointment for development in prince george's county. disney decided they will not build a hotel on the land they bought two years ago. as chris gordon reports, without disney, it is still attracting record crowds. >> reporter: it's becoming a hol

in. it is a popular time to return on wanted -- unewanted gifts. >>> the search continues for a 33-year-old blind man from d.c.. mitchell smith bordered an amtrak train to alabama from union station, but police say he never made it there. >>> a van full of care packages for the troops that was stolen last week has been found. detectives call be under this morning saying the van was in an accident in d.c. witnesses told police they saw several people running from the scene. >>> and afghanistan war veteran it remains on my support after being shot at his own party. christopher sullivan returned home to california on friday. at his party, to amend began arguing about football. -- two men began arguing about football. he was shot twice. police are searching for that gunmen. >> he got a purple heart. >> he had just returned from kentucky, where he was being treated for a brain injury. >>> a connecticut home has been torn down. officials ordered the home to be demolished. officials are still investigating what triggered the fire that killed a 10-year-old girl and her sisters, along with her grandparents. >>> you will want to see this surveillance video from a holdup in north carolina.

in maryland and the rest of the family spent christmas worrying. back on december 16th relatives dropped mitchell off at d.c.'s union station for a trip home to alabama, a route he'd taken many times. >> there seemed to be a little bit of a problem. the woman who was from amtrak was talking to him. it seemed that he wanted to go to alabama, but the train we were on didn't go there. reporter: jane campbell lives in woodbridge, virginia. she was on that train headed to atlanta. she said an amtrak employee told mitchell that he could get off at the train station in charlotte, north carolina, and wait five hours for a different train to alabama. >> i thought it was too bad that it had happened that way, that it was not the right train and wondered how that could have happened and i also thought to have to get off there at night like that was kind of hard. reporter: campbell says mitchell sat across from her as they headed to charlotte. she said an amtrak employee assisted him. >> they made sure they came to let him know when it was time to get off. reporter: campbell went on to atlanta for a holiday visit with family and didn't

in maryland and the rest of the family spent christmas worrying. you see back on december 16th, relatives dropped mitchell off at d.c.'s union station for a trip home to alabama. a route he took many times. >> there seems to be a bit of a problem of the woman who was from amtrak was talking to him and seemed he wanted to go is to alabama but the train we were on didn't go there. >> reporter: jane campbell lives in woodbridge, virginia, and she was on the train headed to atlanta. she said an a.m. track employee told mitchell he could get off at the train station in charlotte, north carolina, and wait five hours for a different train to alabama. >> i thought it was too bad it happened that way. that it was not the right train and wonders how that could have happened and to have to get off there at night like that was kind of hard. >> reporter: campbell said mitchell sat across from her as they headed to charlotte and an amtrak employee assisted him. >> and they made sure that they came to let him know when it was time to get off. >> reporter: campbell went on to atlanta for a holiday visit with family and didn't think much of it until

union station first opened back in 1907, about 100,000 visitors pass through the doors every day! >>> our time is 5:42. let's see who's celebrating a birthday today. actress ellen bursten turns 79. larry bird is 55. >> d.c. native and actor jeffrey wright is 46. steve howell turns 45 today. if it your birthday, happy birthday to you! >>> welcome back to 9news now. severe weather alert day. here's howard to tell us what that means. >> we're dernd about and we issue that whenever the weather will be threatening in a sense. we're not talking severe thunderstorms today. the problem with the severe weather day will be the flooding potential. the flood watches in effect. tonight we have a little bit of a snow potential. it is the flood concern that prompts that severe weather alert day. we show you the flood watch in and across the entire region up through baltimore and philadelphia, much of new jersey. the one locally until 3:00, out to the west of us in the shenandoah valley and parts of west virginia, that goes until 7:00 p.m. because by then, we'll be raining as much as it will be probably snowing up there. we'll talk about the snow in just a moment. first thing's first, your bus stop forecast, rainy and

in d.c., maryland and virginia neighborhoods. they appear to be handmate collections of anti-jewish messages and similar to ones that were posted two years ago. >>> union station's face lift now. ceiling was damaged in the earthquake back in august and has to be restored so crews gave our cameras the look at restoration techniques moving scaffold tailored made for the big job. >>> and bad news here. a skunk gone wrong by the discovery channel's myth busters. they were attempting to fire camera from a bomb range in california but misfired and it bounced and went through a house and down a street and into a mini van. people living in the house were sleeping. they didn't even wake up. that's the good news. >> serious sleeping. >> and no one was hurt. when stunt goes wrong. >> how off the don you go out to the mini van and find a canon ball. >> or see a canon ball period. >> here is a question, what did you give the kids for breakfast this morning if you fed them they are probably off to school by now. did you give them dessert for breakfast because that's a no- no. >> if it's a good chance it was cereal it could be like giving them dessert with all of that sugar. h