mayor vincent gray praised him today saying he helped the district achieve extraordinary financial turnaround. >>> the white house calls it a terror attack. today a suicide bombing outside the u.s. embassy in ankara, turkey. that explosion ripped a door off the embassy, threw debris all over the street. turkey's prime minister says this is the work of a domestic militant group. >>> a changing of the guard of sorts at the state department. this was hillary clinton's last day as secretary of state. hundreds of her colleagues stood in the hallways as she gave her good-bye speech. president obama says he thinks clinton will go down as one of the finest secretaries of state ever. former senator john kerry took over the post after taking the oath of office in a private ceremony. >>> the jury which found a former culpeper police officer guilty of manslaughter recommended a sentence today and he's looking at spending

mayor vincent gray unveiled his sustainable d.c. plan, and some are asking did the mayor declared war on cars? what he did do was set commuting trips by car to 25% in a decade's time. >> we have to get people out of automobiles. we cannot have a similar number of cars. >> the plan includes building more bike lanes expanding mass transit, and building on the ride share program. >> it is exercised. it is held a. >> if i had public transit, i would definitely use that option instead of driving. >> i love it ride share. >> 1 pc doctor is all about expanding mass transit, but did not like one of the proposals implementing a congested and feed or driving during peak times. >> i see this as another tax. we are being taxed pretty hard right now. >> that does not sound very good. >> there are other factors that may not be so popular -- the mayor talked about expanding so- called performance parking. that is a variable price for parking based on demand. which put the whole plan online at wjla.com. if you want to check it out log onto our webs

mayor, vincent gray, invited reporters. mayor gray is beginning to look like a candidate for reelection and a man no longer worried about a federal grand jury probe. >> what a difference a year or two can make. mayor gray decided a will lot of people are saying he could actually be the favorite. >> d.c. mayor no longer looks the part of a big city mayor under siege. >> how about a vest? no vest? >> do i have to wear that? >> you're the mayor. >> i don't want to wear it. >> with $1.5 billion added to the city's reserves, a record low homicide rate and unemployment rate just above the national average, mayor gray is anxious to talk about the job he's done in two full years in office. should you decide to seek reelection? is it the kind of record you feel quite confident throwing out there in a campaign? >> it is, bruce. you know, what i look at is, what do we promise to do in the first place? >> he looked like an incumbent. even if he hasn't declared. there was a crowded tour of the 1175 room convention hotel it's a private p

mayor, vincent gray, might be running again. he is looking and sounding more and more like a candidate. what do you think the chances are of that? >> why not. if youook at the city right now and exclude the problems that he has had with his campaign, and the investigations and all, a lot of people on the streets will say he's not a bad mayor. d.c. has really come along. development is up. he is talking about new plans for healthy d.c., and one city, one nation, and one city is his theme, so a lot of people in the community -- i went to an event last week where pretty much his constituency out of ward five, ward seven and ward eight actually participated in the event. and it showed the stronghold that vince gray still has in the city. >> joe, he makes a good point. we have the tremendous surplus, and he is taking new initiatives with like lines, and gardens on roof tops -- >> i am not that excited about roof top gardens. >> nor is marion barry on that one. >> but if he can get past the legal issue that is overshadowing this whole

mayor vincent gray plans to speak with the attorney general to see if a change needs to be made. u.s. attorney's office says it has pursued hate crime enhancements, but cannot comment on this case because it is still pending. >> a former inmate of the d.c. jail is suing the city for alleged mistreatment. the district man is deaf and the lawsuit claims he was unable to effectively communicate while he was jailed. fox 5's john hanrahan has the latest details. >> 44-year-old william pierce is profoundly deaf. he wound up with a 60 day altercation after a conviction for simple assault. at the order of the judge, pierce wound up in the correctional treatment facility to get help. >> and there was no interpreter there for him at intake or medical appointments. he had some medical problems, or at any of his classes. he was taking an anger management class. he didn't know what people were saying. he didn't participate in the group discussion. that's part of that. >> the lawsuit says under the americans with disabilities act, accommodations for the deaf must be made so inmates can communi

. >> vincent gray an hour away his state of the district address. he is expected to line his agenda in the coming year. speaking at the synagogue in northwest washington. have liveel 8 will starting tonight at 7:00. more signs of traffic region. in our >> if you think traffic is the you might be onto something. how it compares the rest of the country. >> conditions are calm, but what expect for the rest of the week? the ice.talk about the caps are in action tonight. the party continues in baltimore. the ravens are still flying high. will take to there. look, every daye're using more and more energy. the world needs more energy. where's it going to come from? ♪ that's why right here, in australia, chevron is building one of the biggest natural gas projects in the world. enough power for a city the size of singapore for 50 years. what's it going to do to the planet? natural gas is the cleanest conventional fuel there is. we've got to be smart about this. it's a smart way to go. ♪ >> new numbers show how much spending onans are gasoline. the energy dep

mayor vincent gray delivering his state of the district address. he will report on the status of the city and his administration and will outline his agenda for the coming year. news channel 8 at 7:00 p.m. for that. for information on any of these stories, go to our website, wjla.com. look for the tuesday express. adam caskey is live at ihop in alexandria. >> a deluge of syrup. blueberry is my favorite. any participating ihop. you have the opportunity to donate to the leukemia and lymphoma society after eating a free short stack of pancakes. >> the goal is to hundred $20,000. >> back to you. >> thank you. >> temperatures in the 40's today. cloudy. a few sticks of sunshine. we will be warming up for the rest of the week. another clipper with a few snow flurries. >> all right. let's wrap things up. we will a check on traffic and weather jamee. >> the baltimore-washington parkway, traveling seven open from an earlier crash. southbound near the airport. now there's a crash in virginia 95, expect delays in lorton. >> enjoys some pancakes with us. get yo

mayor vincent gray delivering his state of the district address tonight. status ofport on the the city and his administration and he will outline his agenda year.e you can watch the speech on news at 7:00 p.m. later this morning, you can watch the the ravens fans streets, getting ready for the parade. >> it's time to celebrate the win here at bowl home. be gathered around that includes john gonzalez, was at the superbowl. now he's back in baltimore >> . good morning. the city of baltimore is not time.g any the ravens won the super bowl on sunday. today is celebration time. who is ready for a parade? city hall in downtown baltimore in party mode, as you can see. is little or purple lights, like many of the buildings baltimore. today a banner will be congratulate in the team on its big super bowl against the san francisco 49ers. since the baltimore ravens in the city in 1996, have 1 two super bowl titles. the first was in 2000/2001. they arrived at bwi marshall somerday afternoon to fanfare, but nothing compared to what we will see today. thousands will be l

. >> mayor vincent gray is renewing his push for a sustainable d.c.t sets a goal of reducing by car to 25% in two decades. they recommend building business , andd transit hubsm building more bike lanes. >> i jump on my bike in go to work. healthy. if i had access to public would use that option. >> i love trouble by a share. -- i love capital bike share . >> the mayor is looking at a congested feet hoursivers during peak which many say is just another burden. need to get your pinball fixed, the national museum is closing its doors again. honors as a cannot afford to keep the museum opened at its location and because of a initiations. cannotsays he afford to keep the museum opened .t its location and because >> a look ahead at the academy awards. >> a look ahead at the academy aw[ woman ] my boyfriend and i were going on vacation, so i used my citi thankyou card to pick up some accessories. a new belt. some nylons. and what girl wouldn't need new shoes? and with all the points i've been earning, i was able to get us a flight to our favorite climbing sp

mayor vincent gray among the 850 members of mayors against illegal guns. according to the group, 82% of gun owners including 74% of national rifle association members, support requiring background checks for anyone purchasing a gun. its 30 second super bowl ad airing in the d.c. market features claim of nra president wayne lapierre testifying before congress in 1999. >> we think it's reasonable to have manner to background checks for of sale at every gun show, no loopholes -- for every sale at every gun show, no loopholes. >> reporter: he says background checks for all gun originals as recommended by president obama -- owners as recommended by president obama would only lead to a gun registry. >> the criminals aren't going to comply with it. they could care less. you've already seen you won't computerize the mental health records. we ought to quit calling it right now a universal check. the real title ought to be the check on law abiding people all over this country. >> how do we know? let's start the effort and then we'll see. >> reporter: mayors against

mayor vincent gray says the of columbia is a and the future is more promising. he gave a district address this evening. unemployment and crime are down. business is booming. .he population is growing he wants to create 100,000 more and more tax revenue over the next five years. mpeaking of revenues, bill er is being sued. each of contract. he was making fun of the hair.naires's maher said he would pay money to .harity he is only human. he has not paid out. voters have spoken tonight .nd that clydesdale budweiser got many responses facebook andn twitter. that the winning hope.s the foal was born three weeks ago. -- she became a big star in the super bowl ads. nice name. hope. weatherwise, it is still cold out. ready for some sunshine? i got it for you. snow lovers, wait until i tell you where it has been snowing. our temperature, cloudy skies. i think we will get above average before the week is up. in four weeks, our average high 82 degrees. here is the doppler. middle the last of the clippers that come through. there might be a sprinkle or around winchester and

mayor vincent gray announced. laura demarco has the details. >> an outpouring of community support for the family of jones. jones was stabbed and killed while waiting for a bus along east capital street on february 2, 2012. >> she had love for everyone. she cared about everything and was a giving person. >> jones was transgender and lived as a woman. police say she was stabbed after some sort of altercation. they released this video of the suspect and shortly after, with help from the community, gary niles montgomery was taken into custody. jones' family is expressing gratitude to police and the public. >> the words alone cannot express how thankful we all are for all of the courageous, humanitarian acts of assistance. >> as loved ones gathered to remember jones, they express concern that while gary montgomery is facing second- degree murder charges, he has not been charged with a hate crime. >> they have a responsibility of prostituting these cases with the tenacity that we deserve. instead, they are offering per

mayor vincent gray is optimistic about the future of the city.gave his annual state of the district address tuesday night. he says be unemployed rate and crime are down. businesses are booming and the city's population is growing. over the next five years, he hopes to create 100,000 more jobs and $1 billion of new tax opinion. here is hoping the baltimore ravens are getting some much needed rest of this morning after fans packed the streets tuesday morning out celebrating a big super bowl win. >> that it off with a parade and ended at m&t bank stadium. a capacity of 71,000. but 80,000 people showed up. many had to be turned away from the stadium. ravens lawyers said that glove was overwhelming -- love. >> i'm from new orleans and we have mardi gras and operates but that right there is just time ten. i don't think anybody went to work. >> i'm really nervous right now that it will get taken away from us. it's a really weird feeling just unbelievable. >> joe flacco is already talking about a repeat super bowl victory. >> i like where he's going with

that done mean you'll run in -- meanwhile, current mayor vincent gray has not said whether he'll run reelection. >>> if you're getting your kids ready for school, listen to this one. millions of bottles of common cough syrup are being recalled this morning because of a possible poisoning risk. the child going down in france and italy. more foreign producers are aiming for the u.s. market. >>> i just started drinking wine about three years. most of that increase is me. >> all you. >> if you're curious. >> they have you to thank then. 5:21. time for weather and traffic on the 1s. >> tom kierein is here with the forecast. snow coming, om in. >> a few flurries in washington, you can barely see them at all it's so light. south of us, the bright white zone getting heavier snow but not very heavy from southern fauquier county, southern fairfax into prince george's and anne arundel. farther north and west, a few bright bans of light snow reaching the ground now in -- right along the blue ridge from near leesburg and towards hagerstown and frederick in maryland. the storm team radar, this bri

. >>> mayor vincent gray says city leaders should have more control of its finances. the congressional control board disbanded in 2001 and the city's budgets have been balanced ever since. >>> harris teeter will headline a new major development in bethesda. the grocery store will be part of a project which includes 395 apartments and underground parking. at the corner of woodmont and wisconsin avenues. groundbreaking scheduled for april and it is supposed to be ready by spring 2015. always nice to get a new place to shop. >> nice. but adding more people in that area will be more congested. >> reporter: yeah, there is a lot of traffic. >>> okay. coming up, raising an autistic child can really take a toll on your family's finances. the new legislation scheduled for a vote in maryland could improve that. >>> of course your weather first in two minutes. stay with us. ♪[ music ] >>> good morningment welcome back to wusa9. it is 4:44. we had a great weekend here. can't say the same for our friends up the east coast and into new england. >> for those folks who still have sno

mayor vincent gray delivering his state of the district address tonight. he will report on the status of the city and his administration while outlining his agenda for the coming year. you can watch the speech on news channel 8 beginning at 7:00 p.m. >> expectancy a sea of purple in the streets of baltimore this morning because the city is holding a parade for the superbowl champion ravens. >> it has been an exhausting few days for the team. sports director tim brant has a preview crack. hello, everybody. the entire baltimore organization has been so accommodating to us all week in new orleans and again last night when they arrived home. from the owner to the coach to the players, incredible access. pat-down after 5:00 yesterday afternoon. although you could tell the ravens or tired, there were all smiling. they drove directly to the team's facility in the owings mills, pulled in at 6:15. the magical trip to the super bowl journey was coming to an end. we asked terrell suggs if everything had sunk in yet. >> i don't pick there's a way to describe it. i tho

. >> and mayor vincent gray outlined his planned for the district last night.what is on the table. plus the caps just can't seem to get it together. so is it time to panic? dave ross will join me for the morning line after the break.  >>> welcome back to fox 5 morning news. it is 6:29 right now. live look outside over the washington, d.c. region on wednesday, february 6th. is that right? i can't see. i've been saying it all morning. i should know it by now. i do know it is 2013 and it is cold outside and that february is normally the coldest time of the year. and we usually get snow. this is the snowiest month of the year. >> yeah, we'll see what happens. maybe we will get a little bit late thursday and early friday. let's get to the forecast for this morning. was that reagan national? >> i think so. >> i couldn't tell. >> it is hard to see. our monitors are right here under the camera. it is hard to see from this distance. >> i could see the river. sometimes all you can see are the lights. >> the camera catches us, and wear like t a live look outside. >> 37

. >> mayor vincent gray says he wants to spend some $100 million on affordable housing. guess what? people in position to know, say it's not enough. i'll have that we gotta sell the car. where would we even start? get the car. hi howard. get in. hi, good to see you. start with an actual written offer when selling your car, no strings attached. carmax. start here. >>> d.c. mayor says he is going to spend $100 million to build more affordable housing. and while that certainly sounds like a lot of money, housing advocates say the need is a whole lot bigger than that. >> $100 million in building and preserving 10,000 units of affordable housing. >> it may have been the biggest ovation since he took office. and maryland phillips were there in the audience when the mayor announced that he'll spend $100 million on affordable housing. >> actually jumped up and i said yes, yes. >> we are getting the help we need and as hard working individuals to do homeownership in the district. >> she works for the d.c. government, maryland is on disability. both live in southeast d.c., and each qualifies

mayor, vincent gray, no longer looks the part of a big- time mayor. >> how about this? >> do i have to wear that? >> you're the mayor. >> i don't want to wear it. >> with $1.5 billion added to the city's reserves, a record low homicide rate, and an unemployment rate just above the national average, may your gray is anxious to talk about the job he's done in two full years in office. >> should you decide to seek reelection at some point, is it the kind of record you feel confident throwing out there? a campaign? >> it is, bruce. you know, what i look at is, what do we promise to do in the first place? >> today he looked like an incumbent, poised to run again next year, even if he hasn't declared. there was a crowded tour of the convention center hotel. >> it's a public, private partnership. the price tag, $520 million. we're talking over a thousand jobs, approximately 51% of them going to d.c. residents. >> it will be the largest in the city when completed next year. >> are we going to be able to have more groups, larger groups that will host their conventions here in th

mayor vincent gray is getting ready to deliver his state of the district address tonight. he is expected to report on the status of the city, as well as his administration, an outline his agenda. the speech will be given at the sixth and i street synagogue in northwest and sister station news channel 8 will have live coverage beginning tonight at 7:00 p.m.. >> the president john f. kennedy eternal flame at arlington cemetery is getting an upgrade. a maryland company has been awarded a contract to replace parts which are malfunctioning and making it more energy- efficient and easier to maintain. the current plan has been in place since 1967. it is the skull seen around the world. coming up an abc 7 news at noon -- now a more human side to king richard iii. scientists went one step further and released a sculptor of exactly what the king look like. >> ihop giving away free pancakes and only asking for one small thing in return, that in turn can help so many. we are going to explain. >> after long tours of duty, soldiers coming home now have a place to call their own. inside

. >>> mayor vincent gray says he's making schools in the district a priority. he plans to increase the funding in public education by 2% next year. gray says an investment in our children is investment in the future of d.c.'s economy. >>> the death of an elderly man in alexandria is now a murder investigation. 94-year-old elmer joe roehrs was found dead in his delray home last night. now the neighbors can't understand why anyone would want to kill such a kindly man everybody knew as joe. he lived with his 87-year-old wife. their home was broken into last november and in a bizarre twist police arrested 45-year-old marie maybell johnson thursday morning in connection to that home burglary. she's not been charged with any other crimes related to the murder. >>> and a mystery soon to be resolved, finally sometime next week we may learn what the problems are in the chandra levy murder case. today a d.c. superior courtup promised to release redacted transcripts sometime next week of hearings that have gone on for months. all we know so far is there is some issue with

mayor vincent gray said that money is required to go into the city's rainy day fund. however, mayor gray added that the same factors that led to the surplus will lead to other revenue gains. >> we will see a prosperity dividend materialize, a dividend that i intend to invest into some strategic initiatives that advance important goals for our city. >> mayor gray also touted the district's expanding population, booming real estate market, and a huge drop in the murder rate. >>> still to come on wusa9news, a battle over beer is brewing pitting one brewing powerhouse against scores of smaller operations around the country. >> and you know you are having a bad day when this happens the we'll show you how rescuers were able to reach two people trapped in this truck dangling from an overpass. we'll >>> if you want to talk about a rough day at work, look at this. the driver of a bread truck and passenger were nearly killed when their truck went over a railing. it hammed this morning on interstate 95 near ft. lauderdale, florida. first responders parked their ladder truck on

mayor vincent gray, natwar gandhi says he's retiring. he served as the c.e.o. folts past 15 years -- for the past 15 years. he plans to retire on june 1. >>> a judge has denied a motion for a mistrial in the case against a former culpeper cop daniel harmon-wright. the jury used a dictionary to look up the meaning of malice. the jurors convicted the officer on tuesday for the february 2012 shooting death of patricia ann cook. >>> one of new york city's most colorful mayors ed koch has died. we learned this morning that koch died of congestive heart failure. current mayor michael bloomberg called him, quote, annual irrepressible icon, our most charismatic cheerleader and champion. he helped rescue new york from near financial ruin during his three terms in office. ed koch was >>> start your engines. the washington auto show opens today at the d.c. convention center. so what are the hottest cars and trends this year? joining me now, the man who knows, kevin riley, the show's vice chair. thanks so much for coming in this afternoon to talk about this fantastic and m

lieutenant brown, governor hughes, attorney general gensler, colleagues and city colleagues, mayor vincent gray from our neighbors and new columbia. [laughter] ambassadors, members of fema of these united states. [applause] katie o'malley and the men and women of the maryland general assembly, there is more that unites us than divides us. this year, one of those things is the mighty, mighty baltimore ravens. [cheers and applause] my goodness. also bipartisan agreement. look, all of us are familiar with the ravens story, but their are also a number of remarkable people who are with us. i want to share a few of their stories with all of you. first, one of our nation's leading minds and most prominent advocates of science, technology, and engineering, math and education, some of you know them as a member of the school state board. later this week president obama will be awarding him the national medal of science for his achievement in physics. dr. james gates. [applause] two years ago, and that just two years ago, this woman has turned around a workplace into a full-time job. please welcome janice

. >> reporter: the house is directly behind the home of mayor vincent gray. police say it was his security detail that first called in the fire. >> obviously they contacted the fire department. they arrive on the scene then an argument takes place in front while the police are here. they take action and make an arrest. >> reporter: the on near of the -- owner of the home who lived in the basement is charged with simple assault and making felony threats. the other adults included the mother of the children, her boyfriend, sister and her mother. according to charging documents, the owner threatened to kill one of the women then attempted to kick her before officers stepped in. all of the adults were at some point taken to the hospital, each suffering from minor injuries, burns or smoke inhalation. the 2-year-old boy was treated at children's hospital but has been released. fire investigators are working to determine what caused the fire, whether it was accidental or suspicious. >> we don't have enough to say right now that it was arson. >> reporter: fire offici

she resigned in 2010 after mayor adrian fenty was defeated by vincent gray. along with her book titled "radical" she's the head of students first, an organization pushing for education reform. >>> lawmakers in virginia looking at tougher texting and driving laws. coming up a look at the changes they could try to push through in the commonwealth this week. >>> in alabama police still negotiating with a man who has had a 5-year-old hostage for nearly a week now. >>> and new information tonight about an american tourist killed overseas. >>> developing news on a new york city tourist found dead in turkey tonight. the u.s. state department is confirming that the woman found was sarai sierra. she traveled to istanbul last month and she was found dead in a working class part of the city yesterday. officials say she died from at least one blow to the head. several people are being held for questioning in her death. the state department says it's staying in contact with turkish officials as they investigate. >>> police are still trying to free a child held hostage for

mayor vincent gray outside his state of the district address tonight. their parents and children angry over plans to close schools because of low enrollment. during his speech inside the historic synagogue, the mayor pra pra pra praised the city. he said the city is tackling the problem of cell phone thefts and the mayor pro posed spending $100 million to build affordable housing. >> a crash is leading to a law in virginia. takes aim at people who text while driving. shomari stone live with a closer look at possible changes. sto shomari stone? >> we see it on intersection, interstate. suvs, cars, people texting while driving. the commonwealth is one step closer to toughening the law. tonight one northern virginia family is happy, closer to making texting while driving a primary defense. authorities believe a man texting and driving hit and killed their son on the side of road in herndon in 2011. >> it's nexting. not looking at the road while you are driving a car. which turns into a weapon. >> the senate and house passed identical bills that would allow

that house sits just across the alley from may jor vincent gray's home. >>> two firefighters were hurt in another fire in buoy. this from the 8500 block of shelly court. you can see that fire ripped right through the home causing about $200,000 in damage. no word yet exactly how it started. the two injured firefighters were not seriously hurt. >>> well, we had some blue skies out there today but with a strong really cold wind. best to enjoy that from inside. here is storm team 4 meteorologist chuck bell. is the wind going to die down soon, chuck? >> yes, it is. fou th now that the sun is going down the winds will start to lay down as well. current temperatures all below freezing already and with what's left of a strong northwest wind, windchills remain in the teens which is pretty much where they've been all day long. the last of the snow showers is now starting to fade away. we won't need to worry about that in your sunday evening planner. flurries ending in the next hour or two. staying windy to breezy and cold. temperatures mid to upper 20s now. low to mid-20s by 11:00. your monday

mayor vincent gray has not jet announ -- yet announced whether he will run for re-election. >> mistaken identity tonight. a family takes legal action after their 7-year-old was pulled out of school and arrested. >> tell you why a popular d.c. bar is shutting down for good. >> beyonce >> new video tonight shows a daring smash and grab in florida. police say a man rammed his car into a ft. myers jewelry store yesterday. once inside, the man smashed open display cases and made off with some pricey items before speeding off. >>> a fight over lunch money ended with a $250 million lawsuit against the city of new york and the police department there. the cops there arrested a 7-year-old boy at his public school in the bronx. it happened back in december. the kid was accused of taking another student's lunch money. now that boy's family is suing. they claim the boy was wrongly accused, humiliated anticipate interrogated for hours. his lawyer argues that it never would have happened in a more affluent neighborhood. >> do you think he would be arrest the. do you think he would be chained like an

she resigned in 2010 after the mayor was defeated by vincent gray in the democratic primary. after she left, there was an investigation over cheating on test scores. her new book is titled "radical." >>> well, for some people, they're more important than the game. we're talking about super bowl commercials and we're going to run down some of the most talked about ads on social media tonight. >>> plus, looking ahead to next year, leaders in new orleans passed the torch to the hosts of super bowl xlviii. >>> an emotional beginning to the action with a performance from jennifer hudson and students from sandy hook elementary. >>> i have a lot of love for this community because they invested so much in me. ♪ o, beautiful for spacious skies ♪ ♪ for amber waves of grain >> jennifer hudson, of course, performing "america the beautiful" to kick off the super bowl. 27 students there with her from sandy hook elementary school. they sang the first verse of the song. they wore green ribbons in honor of the 20 first graders and 6 adults killed last december. hudson's mother, brother and ne

our guest this sunday morning, mayor vincent gray from the district. you have been very, as i mentioned, visible and vocal in recent weeks in response to the massacre in connecticut. >> absolutely. >> i think in the post they mentioned you see that as a real affirmation, we are doing what works. >> yeah, and you look at what is being called by the president and vice president and they are talking about a task force that produced that vice president biden chaired, and those are the things we are already doing, a ban on the assault weapons and background checks, and we have waiting periods if you purchase a gun in the district of columbia, you have to wait ten days to get the gun to make sure you are somebody who is responsible. and also looking at people having some degree of training on how to use a gun. we are going to create a new department in the city, and the department of mental health will be merged with the administration on the substance abuse administration, and the purpose of that is to put together the services that we have because a lot of

. >>> mayor vincent gray wants the city to be more green. one idea he has? charge you for moisture trahow you create. >>> plus fighting cybertheft. china reacts to accusations its mili >>> a guy driving a suspected stolen suv took police on a high-speed chase. the chase along the 405 lasted about a half hour with top speeds of about 85 miles an hour. one of the highway patrol officers used what's called a p.i.t. maneuver. >>> there's new video of the massive explosion in kansas city. it was taken from across the street. officials say construction crews hit a gas line last night. that's what caused the explosion. this morning crews found a body buried in the rubble. they think it is the body of a female employees who's been missing since the accident. 15 people were injured in that explosion, three ofhem still in critical condition. >>> the cost of driving a car in the district could go up while the city makes it easier for bikes. homeowners could also pay fees based on how much trash they generate, part of the proposal to make the district more environmental

current mayor vincent gray has not said whether he'll run for reelection. >>> a scare at 30,000 feet. the actions taken after an airline pilot loses consciousness. >>> also ahead, working to free a 5-year-old boy. the latest developments on an ongoing hostage situation in alabama. >>> the item of winter clothing that could soon be illegal in a local community leader gets her way. >>> we're watching that winter weather moving our way. when you'll see snowfall. >>> welcome back at 4:41. live over the district. clouds obvious in this picture. for some folks, they're looking for snow to start falling. >> storm team 4 meteorologist tom kierein with when we'll see snow. tom, good morning to you. >> maybe a few flurries trying to reach the ground in the suburbs. they are seeing snow, the viewers in southern maryland right now. look out your window in charles county, anne arundel. and in calvert county, snowflakes there. areas in bright white farther knot north and west, a few scattered flurries and snow showers. we're maybe getting a light dusting of little light snow now. mainly on grassy a

mayor vincent gray will propose the agency relocate to an area known as poplar point on 295 in southeastf property already owned by the federal government and is accessible by metro. it is the future home of the u.s. coast guard headquarters. it would bring in relatively little tax revenue for the district. the fbi will had begin looking for proposals next month. >>> stay with us. "news4 today" continues right now at 5:00 a.m. >>> breaking news on whether or not oscar pistorius will be let out of jail. >>> we're tracking the impact this winter storm will have in the d.c. area starting in a few hours. good morning everyone. i'm aaron gilchrist. >>> i'm eun yang. welcome to "news4 today" for this friday febar

mayor vincent gray said he may ask the city council to raise the minimum wage in the district. >>> alsoaking headlines, two major carriers set to announce a merger today. we'll tell you how it will change the face of the airline industry and if passengers can expect changes any time soon. >> first, a crews turn into his a nightmare vacation for more than 4,000 travelers. today, some relief could finally be heading their way as the stranded ship prepares to pull back into port. we'll be right back.  >>> welcome back. american airlines and u.s. airways are merging. the boards of both companies met late last night and approved the terms of merger. if a judge passes off on the deal and the airlines gets the okay from unions and regulators, the deal will go through. we are expecting a formal announcement later on this morning. american airlines has been in bankruptcy for over a year now. the new company will keep the american airlines name. passengers are not expected to see any immediate changes but the merger will create the biggest airline in the world. >>> south korea is showi

mayor vincent gray has two big names to lead the search for the city's next chief financial officer. former d.c. mayor anthony williams and former presidential budget director rivlin. gray named them both today to head a committee to replace dr. gandhi. he is leaving the office in june. he announced the district has a $400 million surplus. >>> up next on news4 a new twist in a murder case in reston. new details about the vick dim. >>> we will tell you how students in fairfax county are honoring survivors of world war ii. >> coming up in sports, rg3 says he's ready for week one. sort of. we will explain. fresh off their win against duke, the terps hit the road as they march to march madness. plus, bryce harper receive as new honor. what he has >>> neighbors are being credited with helping a man escape a fire in bowie, maryland, this morning. it happened just before 5:00 in the morning. neighbors bang order the man's door so he could get out. he was not hurt. >>> an emotional start for the trial after accused of killing a mother and daughter in prince george's county. police found their

mayor vincent gray is leading a push to change things. he wants to spend nearly $100 million to bring more affordable housing developments to the city over the next few years. in the next hour, wusa9 is going to talk to some people who say this isn't enough to make sure that everyone can afford to live here in the nation's capital. >>> it is 4:52. time for the question of the morning. >> according to "u.s.a. today," two out of ten americans, 20 % of us have never done this. is it a, flown on a plane, b, been to a concert, or c, traveled outside of their home state? >> log on to the wusa9 facebook fan page and leave your response. we'll reveal the answer in the 6:00 hour. >>> welcome back. 4:55. your weather first. not as pretty clouds around. perhaps a peek of sun and a colder day. highs upper 30s to low 40s. expecting a high of 41 in d.c. a few showers tonight with a better chance of rain overnight into friday. we'll have the full weekend forecast a little later during wusa 9news at 5:00 a.m. right now we check in with monika and timesav

mayor vincent gray will deliver his state of the district tonight.to lay out the current status of the city and outline his plans for 2013. tonight's address comes just a few days after mayor gray announced the city has a more than $400 million budget surplus. he says that money will go into savings. also later today, d.c. council chair phil mendelsohn will introduce legislation meant to lighten the work load on nurses. >> monday, nurses gathered at the wilson building fighting for the council to pass a law that will mandate how many patients each nurse can care for. matt ackland has more. >> reporter: packing d.c. council chambers, a huge group of nurses rallied in support of legislation called the patient protection act. >> across the district, patient safety is regularly threatened because hospital corporations refuse to ensure that there are enough registered nurses working at the bedside. >> reporter: these nurses say something has to be done now. they are spread thin, overworked and face burnout. they worry patients aren't getting the attention

mayor vincent gray claimed the city a success during his third annual state of the district address. he rolled off a number of achievements that include a 3% drop in unemployment, the creation of 28,000 private sector job in the last two years, unprecedented development and a drop this crime. mayor gray says he hopes to add thousands of new affordable housing units and create new opportunities to start-up businesses and tech companies. >>> in virginia, a bush by governor bob mcdon told overhaul the state's transportation funding remains uncertain after the senate deadlocked on a deal. the $3.1 billion transportation proposal was approved yesterday by the state house. at the center of the bill, getting rid of the 17-cent gas tax and replacing it with an increased sales tax. the senate can now amend or kill the house version of the bill. >>> another battle is brewing on capitol hill. president obama has asked congress to come up with billions of dollars in limited spending cuts to avoid across the board cuts due to take effect in march. >> the president is hoping to avoid the major seq

. >> vincent gray has suggested a name change that avoided the word. >> for our washington football team commissioner is listening nobody wants to offend anybody. >> i could see where it could be offensive. >> the organization is not responding. while the redskins would not talk to us, the commissioner's office says the organization made it clear they are proud of that heritage. one activist claims she is hearing they could change the name to the washington warriors, but that not satisfied many native american people. >> thank you. coming up, it is becoming easier and easier to get marijuana without breaking the law. how safe is the drug? we compare pot and cigarettes. >> revealing how many people are paying to use one local toll road and how often they're getting away [indiscernible] >> trusties continue to try to run >> you are watching abc 7 news at 5:00, on your side. >> an emergency meeting on the future of university of d.c. >> this comes after another round of job cuts at the school. sam ford joins us from the college with what he has uncovered. >> you might recall back in decembe

. >> vincent gray is speaking out about allegations of sexual harassment within the d.c.st two female cadets have filed complaints. they say to come el instructors sexually harassed them. the fire chiefs say no employee has made an allegation of physical misconduct. mayor gray is looking into the dispute. >> frankly we are always going to be concerned enough to do the investigation and find out what is underneath. based on whether -- what is determined, we will take appropriate action. >> the fire department is a conch -- conducting an internal investigation. >> in the meantime, the act -- the ad run this city council has chosen a new county executive. they chose laura neuman to replace john leopold. she had the county's economic development council -- headed the county's economic development council. back to d.c. -- jim gramm is fighting back. phil mendelson asked the council to reprimand felt -- jim gramm. the ethics board suggested that the gramm violated ethics rules in 2008. the board concluded he improperly intervened in a contract dispute. he is challenging the eth

just a reminder a few weeks ago mayor vincent gray said if the redskins moved their home stadium back to d.c., he would want to discuss a possible name change. guys? >>> now back to powerball, someone in virginia woke up a multimillionaire. somebody bought a winning as richmond international airport. the prize $217 million, is the second largest ever won in the commonwealth. we're told the winner got a ticket from theself service machine in the airport. they have the option of a lump sum or pay out. >>> 5, 27, 36, 38, 41, with that powerball of 12. pat? >>> the man convicted of killing washington intern chandra levy was back in a d.c. superior courtroom today. the closed hearing is connected to possible new evidence that could potentially get the defendant a new trial. he's currently serving a 60-year sentence. news4's pat collins is at the courthouse. and will have a live report of the possible impossible of the court hours coming up on "news4 at 5." >>> a manhunt is under way for a former l.a. police officer suspected of going on a killing spree. authorities say christopher dorner i

." >>> in the week ahead, vincent gray will report on the outline of the district and outline his plans for the year. >>> this morning, d.c. public schools chancellor henderson sends her deepest sympathies to the family of the former superintendent. she died yesterday morning in new mexico after a battle with p cancer. she was 66 years old. >>> the growing concerns are cyber attacks and how the u.s. government is responding. now over to chuck. >>> good morning, everybody. once again we are under the gun for possibly up to -- well, it's snowing. let's put it that way. we will talk more about your sunday's snow chances >>> former first lady of massachusetts and romney could soon have a new title, senator romney. operatives are trying to woo mrs. romney to fill the vacant seat. scott brown was expected to throw his hat in the rink, but ae announced he will not run. the 63-year-old romney has never run for public office before, and there are also rumors the family's oldest son tagg is interested in the vacant seat. >>> and leon pennetta comes to the defense of hagel. he says, quote, the pol

although mayor vincent gray says the camera is unsure safety.the bill with the note texting while driving law is headed to the governor. >> it would become a primary offense meaning police officers could pull drivers over for that alone. it embraces the fine to $250 for the first offense, $500 for the second. a similar laws are in effect in the district and maryland. we have another half-hour of "good morning washington" ahead. >> it could have been much worse. despite these amazing images. when an explosion captioned by the national captioning institute --www.ncicap.org-- >> added pain for students at suitland high school. live in for a spell -- live in forestville with the details of the second shooting in 24 hours. >> and looking at whether hand sanitizer may have played a role with a girl was burned in a hospital. >> and you will need a horse who has a knack for escaping his stall without human help. clever. it is wednesday february 20. i'm scott thuman. >> and cynne simpson. we would check in with meteorologist jacqui jeras. bundle up this

. >> for two years mayor vincent gray has faced seral federal investigations by u.s.orney ronald machen, who a lucrative shadow campaign that helped propel him to victory in 2010. now gray won't say if he'll run again, other candidates are lining up. tommy wells from capitol hill was first to file formal papers monday to begin an exploratory committee. a decision comes in two months. i'm going to start in ward 8, to talk to residents about what do they want for their city. it's highly likely i will run, and we do need to see what happens with investigations that are going on. i think he -- >> if gray were forced from office by scandal. others are ready, too. jack evans says he'll run, no exploring necessary. >> i fully intend to run for mayor whenever there's the next mayor's election. >> reporter: no exploratory committee? >> no i don't believe in them. i don't see a need for them. either you want to run or you don't. >> reporter: and the -- >> i will do what's right for d.c. every time. >> i think what the electoral wants is a good mayor. >> reporter: they could fac

. >> reporter: vincent gray among the 850 members of mayors against illegal guns. according to the group, 82% of gun owners including 74% of national rifle association members support requiring background checks for anyone purchasing a gun. the 30 second super bowl ad airing in the d.c. market features a clip of nra vice president wayne lapeer another testifying before congress in 1999. >> we believe it's reasonable to provide criminal background checks for every sale at every gun show. no loopholes anywhere for any one. >> reporter: on fox news he was quick to point out that he was referencing gun shows only. he said background checks for all gun owners as recommended by president obama would lead to gun registry. >> it won't be universal. the criminals won't comply with it. they could careless. you won't computer rise rise the -- computer rise the mental health records. >> how do we know that. let's start the effort. >> reporter: mayors against illegal guns is calling for background checks and a ban on assault weapons. >> we historical had police officers in our

mayor vincent gray said he may ask the council to raise the minimum wage in the district. >>> presidentma will be in georgia later on today pushing a proposal he laid out in tuesday's state of the union address. he wants states to make preschool more accessible. preschool can be expensive and wait lists for programs like head start can be daunting. numbers show less than 30% of children nationwide either have access to or are enrolled in a pre-k or a head start program. the state of georgia is considered a success story when it comes to early childhood education. it is the first to offer voluntary pre-k for every four- year-old regardless of income. >>> bank of america are is helping home owners in the d.c. region who are having trouble with foreclosure t starts at 8:00 this morning and tomorrow. so far, 136 people are signed up but walk-s in are wake. customers with bank of america can all 855-201-7426 to register. >>> the softer side of former president. >> details on some love letters on display and all morning long, we are sharing your wishes on this valentine's day for that special

mayor vincent gray wants the city to be more green. one idea he has?harge you for how much trash >>> one of the most inspiring sports figure in town may be one of the least well known. who is it, dan? >> this is a really neat story. shaku sharoma. hits parents were told he might not walk, talk or play sports. right now had's proving them wrong. his sports choice -- bocce ball. >> reporter: a few nights a week during the long wind months, you can find shaku in the sherwood high school gym. this is practice, as far away from the mainstream sports spotlight as it gets. that's just fine since being here is against all odds. >> how far has he come? >> a long, long way. to see him like -- it's being. he never gives up. >> he's been fighting. with cerebral palsy. his parents were told he would probably never walk, but at 10:00 he taught himself. now at 18, he is plays sports. >> i'm real proud, because he gets involved. it's like he just watches other people. it's like motivation for a lot of kids and myself too. >> reporter: walk the has of sherwood high sch

. >> reporter: mayor vincent gray has said that he wants the washington football team to return to playa stadium here in the district, but not with the name redskins. so this debate continues. that's the latest live on the mall, chris gordon, news4. >>> tonight police are warning people in fairfax county, look out for this guy. it's a newly released sketch of the man accused of groping at least 18 women across the springfield area, this since last fall. the most recent incident happened last night. previous victims have said the groper wore a bandanna or red hat. he also has noticeable acne or shaving bumps on his fade. >>> ingmar guandique could be one step closer to a new trial. sources tell us that the hearing has to do with new evidence tacked taint the testimony in the original trial. >> an annapolis woman is being held without bond in connection with the death of her 2-year-old daughter. chelsea booth was charged with first-degree murder today. police plan to search a dump site for the body of her daughter cass sill. police say she confessed to smothering the toddler, then throwin