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tv   ABC 7 News at 400  ABC  January 30, 2015 4:00pm-5:01pm EST

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bundle up. average overnight temperature with 16 degrees. tomorrow sunny but very cold. there's sunday super bowl sunday with snow and sleet and rain all a possibility. details and timing of that coming up. >> several sources are reporting this morning that mitt romney was on the verge of announcing a third run for president today. abc 7's senior political reporter said he thought romney was going to step away from the field for 2016. scott is here now with more on that developing story. scott. >> mitt romney broke this news during a conference call with supporters about five hours ago and he said despite leading in those polls and having a good chance of winning, he believes he should stay out of the race. now, pundits will tell you it's because some of his supporters some of his donors and strategists felt it was time to "turn the page". they wanted someone new, many of
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them with jeb bush and chris christie. so the tea leaves didn't look as good for him suddenly and, perhaps, that is why he bowed out. >> conservative leader could become the next president, you know i wanted to be that president. but i do not want to make it more difficult for someone else to emerge who may have a better chance of becoming that president. but we believe it's for the best of the party and the nation. >> i spoke with a member of the romney family today and say they obviously believe he should be president but they're happy the family won't be going through another difficult and very taxing campaign. so coming up tonight at 6:00, we're going to talk more about
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who benefits from this and which politician mitt romney is reportedly having dinner with tonight. it could be a very interesting move. alison? >> ok scott, we'll see you then. thank you. >> meanwhile, a huge multimillion dollar lawsuit is now filed against metro by carol glover's two surviving children. her sons are suing for $50 million. they say they want to help make the system safer. suzanne kennedy live at the l'enfant plaza metro station with more on the negligence they say lead to their mother's death. suzanne? >> alison marcus and anthony glover were quite composed today as they sat and took questions and outlined xk edd exactly why they're filing this lawsuit today. the failure of metro to properly maintain the third rail ventilation system and to quickly remove train 302 from the tunnel continued -- contributed, rather to carol glover's death.
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it says glover was trapped and helpless as he breathed in smoke that ultimately took her life. her sons say this is not about money. >> we're not bitter. we want to do what's right. we want to make sure that we're approaching this not from the spirit of vindictiveness, we're not seeking vengeance. we're seeking justice. >> the ntsb is still investigating this incident and its report isn't due out for at least several months and it could take years before the final judgment is reached in this lawsuited. reporting live in southwest washington, suzanne kennedy, abc 7 news. >> thank you suzanne. a montgomery county man is in critical condition after his townhouse went up in flames overnight. the fire started in a home on brewer house road in north bethesda north of georgetown prep. brianne carter reports now on what started that fire and what the man did to try to fight it himself. >> i think everybody is shocked. >> right now, a 73-year-old man
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is fighting for his life after his home went up in flames early this morning. montgomery county fire officials say the man who lives alone in the home heard the smoke alarm just before 1:30 officials say he saw the fire grabbed the fire extinguisher and tried to put out the flames but couldn't. he then ran to a neighbor's suffering from second and third degree burns. >> burn unit as a priority one burn patient, second and third degree burns. pretty serious. critical condition. >> fire investigators believe the fire started here in this front room in an electrical outlet. if you take a look inside you can see the fire spread. not only here to the first floor but to the second floor as well. >> i'm just puzzled by it. >> neighbors say the man is a long time resident of the townhouse community. neighbors describe him as a father, a man who is quiet but friendly. >> people would know him to wave at him.
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>> fire officials say they haven't been able to find two cats who were in the house at the time of the fire. firefighters' plans return to the neighborhood this afternoon to talk to residents and check smoke alarms. in north bethesda brianne carter abc 7 news. >> we have an update now on that massive water main break and sink hole in prince george's county. crews continue the repairs there and the cleanup. but as john gonzalez reports, several families are still dealing with the aftermath. >> it's been three days since that massive sink hole opened up here in this bladensburg neighborhood and what an ordeal this has been for many of the families. at least five families directly affected and the remnants remains. take a look. this is from all the flooding. look at all the dirt that is still on this one driveway. that is easily six inches of dirt so it is quite a mess out here still today. now, if we spin the camera around, you can see what the road looks like this afternoon. you can see the sink hole is now patched up and the road has been repaved.
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we understand they reopened last night. now, earlier, we spoke with the inspector here at the scene and our cameras were actually rolling as they condemned at least one of the homes here. most of the families tell me that they will be staying in a hotel for at least another week. and you can see many of the belongings trashed out here in the backyard. we're talking bags of clothing appliances, furniture, some workout equipment. this right here a piece of a tub from one of the bathrooms that was ripped out and this is not their only problem. we understand as inspectors came through at least one home owner today was found in violation. his rental not up to code. so he may not only face major fines in the coming days but all of this stuff will not be covered by the county. john gonzalez abc 7 news. >> 7 is on your side with the health matter at the district of columbia. the school is warning staff, faculty and students about a case of tuberculosis that was
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diagnosed on campus. in a letter this past tuesday, the vice president for student affairs wrote students and faculty in close contact with the ill student have been notified and tested. tuberculosis, rather, symptoms include a cough lasting for three weeks or more. lost of appetite fever and fatigue and coughing up blood. >> the clock is ticking on the tenure for a montgomery superintendent. dr. josh starr has until sunday to see if he wants to stay with the system. montgomery county reporter kevin lewis is live in rockville to tell us why things may not go his way. kevin? >> you talk of superintendent joshua starr's uncertain future has been swirling for months now. joshua starr he is a harvard grad. he's a father of three and he has been here in montgomery county since july of 2011. he is credited for his social media prowess and assessing student health and well being. now, that said there has been a number of wonders. parents have spoken to stay high
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on that list. poor communication of student sexual assaults weak leadership on controversial issues like bell times and muslim holiday recognition and that is just naming a few. and still as it stands here superintendent starr has until this sunday, february 1st to say whether he wants his contract renewed for another four years. if his answer is yes, the board of ed must make its decision by sunday, march 1st. >> this uncertainty regarding the contract come as a surprise? >> no. not at all. i think that over time his unresponsiveness to constituents, it adds up. >> now, earlier today, the board of education went public on this issue for the first time saying in part a superintendent's appointment and contract are among the most important responsibility that the board of education has. actions that must be taken publicly will, of course be
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conducted in an open session. coming up at 5:00 we talk to the montgomery county council president and he had a one-on-one session with superintendent starr. we'll tell you what leventhal gleaned from that conversation. i'm kevin lewis, abc 7. >> ok, kevin. as you mentioned, dr. starr has been the montgomery county superintendent since 2011. in comparison dr. kevin maxwell has led prince george's county schools since july 2013. that's also when karen garza started her tenure in fairfax county. dr. erik williams just started in loudoun county last july. well the commissioner of the national football league isn't having a particularly good year you could say. >> you can say that. and many people are saying that. today, roger goodell gave a state of the league address ahead of this sunday's super bowl. and robert burton here now with a look at what the comish had to say. >> let's say he had a lot of explaining to do. probably needed more than one press conference to talk about all this stuff. roger goodell touched on a number of things in his state of
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the nfl address. one of those the most recent scandal, deflate gate. he told the media the nfl is conducting a thorough and objective investigation into whether the patriots deliberately let air out of the footballs in the afc title game. but also stressed they haven't reached a judgment that anyone did anything wrong and that's the final verdict on that will be made public. there was also an emphasis on domestic violence. he spoke of visiting a domestic violence shelter saying it was compelling. overall, it's been a long year for goodell in the nfl. >> it's been a year of what i would say humility and learning. we obviously as an organization have gone through adversity but more importantly, it's been adversity for me. it's an opportunity for us for our organization to get better. so we all have done a lot of soul searching start with yours truly. >> crazy year. lot of legal stuff. talk about domestic vie violence. even the redskins name.
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deflate gate. >> ray rice dominated the entire year for the nfl. >> we saw it all year. >> see you a little later. >> yep. >> still ahead on abc 7 news at 4:00, we'll take to you glendale arizona, speaking of the nfl and get a preview of the super bowl. >> and then a little later, living comfortably. find out what it costs to reach that level here in our area. >> plus the rabbi accused of videotaping members of his congregation while naked is taking a stand. find out what he's refusing to do. >> first the case that started a wave of pedestrian safety in college park comes to an end.
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>> back with a look at some of the newest pedestrian safety measures under way now in college park. a new median fence and pedestrian signals were installed on route 1 after a series of deadly accidents there last year. maryland bureau chief brad bell was in the courtroom today when the man accused in that first accident learned about his fate. >> one of the most emotional moments i've ever seen in the courtroom played out at this sentencing hearing today. the parents of 22-year-old university of maryland student cory hubbard stood up in court and spoke directly to the man who killed their son. they looked at liam adepo and
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said "we forgive you" and "we hope after prison, you find new meaning in your life." adepo burst out into tears. he was sobbing. the collision happened in january of 2014. it was very early in the morning in the bar district of route 1 next to the university of maryland. adepo was in his car. himself having been at a bar. when hubbard stepped into route 1. he was struck by adepo's vehicle. he was sent flying. he was pronounced dead. adepo drove on and it wasn't until some days later that he came forward to police and admitted that he was the driver of the vehicle. today, he was sentenced to two years in prison for the crime of leaving the scene of a collision resulting in death. state's attorney angela alsabrooks says it was the right sentence but more importantly
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something needs to be done about the culture of drinking. >> i think we have to do a better job as a community to protect young people from these results. >> for his part in court today, adepo himself spoke to hubbard's parents. he said that he is deeply deeply sorry for what happened. he takes full responsibility and he said only that he hoped one day they can truly forgive him. in upper marlboro brad bell, abc 7 news. >> an update now on that hit and run in arlington earlier this week. abc 7 news checked with police today and 40-year-old noormustafa shaikh we've learned is still listed in critical condition. police say the popular owner of the car dealership along columbia pike was hit by a car driven by alexandria mendez of fairfax. she's been charged with several counts in the case. alison? >> leon nationals outfielder jason werth has just three hours to report to prison. werth pleaded guilty to reckless
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driving after he was caught going 105 miles an hour on the beltway over the summer. so as part of his guilty plea he was sentenced to five days in jail. he's expected to begin that sentence tonight. werth will serve his sentence on the weekends and that's to minimize disruptions to his rehab following shoulder surgery. >> good news for him is he gets to keep his beard. anyhow, time for a check on the traffic situation now. bob emler in the wtop traffic center with the details for us. what do you have your eye on now, bob? >> i'll tell you what the sunshine is certainly a factor for people going west on 66 on this busy friday afternoon leon headed west of the beltway most of the way to centreville. very slow ride. inner loop delays started before the dulles toll road headed for 270. there's a crash out of the way right now quite slow. 95 heaviest over the occoquan and as you head south from about quantico into stafford, no incidents along the way and showing the cameras there, a lot of very slow traffic as you
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travel south on 95 getting over the occoquan from route 1 and it's going to slow down quite a bit. that's 95 there. on 66 very heavy out to the west and traffic on 270 no worse than usual for a friday afternoon. i'm bob emler with 103.5 wtop radio. >> thank you very much. this next one is interesting. a virginia lawmaker wants to let all the air out of balloons. state senator jeff mcwaters is sponsoring a bill that would make it illegal to release a balloon that's lighter than air into the atmosphere. the republican from virginia beach says those balloons can be deadly to wildlife and can litter beaches. it's already illegal to release more than 50 balloons in an hour in virginia. that's our question of the day. we want to know what do you think about this proposed ban? log on to the wjla facebook page and let us know. we'll share some of your responses coming up in about a half-hour. >> you know, i hadn't thought about it until now. that's almost about taking 50 of those grocery bags and just dumping them somewhere.
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you wouldn't want to see someone do that. >> going to wind up somewhere. a lot of companies, ours included, has take your kids to work day. well today is take your groundhog to work day. >> your friend. >> talk about phil and groundhog's day. he was here. >> use that for target practice? >> no no no no. i'm keeping him with me. it's fun. >> that's hilarious. >> punxsutawney pennsylvania monday morning when they take phil out, it might be snowing to beat the band up there. >> they don't care. they are having a party every time that happens! >> they are and i think they're all well equipped with some personal antifreeze if you know what i mean. let's get you started here and we'll talk about groundhog's day. what we'll start with a visitor, our meteorologist ryan miller you've seen sometimes on newschannel 8 he visited with our storm chaser the kids at mckinley elementary school in arlington to talk about the weather and groundhog day and snow and all that. all the kids out there at mckinley hope you guys have a great weekend. you have your shoutout on air, dudes. let's talk with what's happening weatherwise here. we're dealing with very strong winds and that really is the
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headline today. we have those snow squalls, too. those temperatures are ok. i mean, it's you know, in the 30's in most spots. somewhere like wintergreen where it's 15 degrees at the resort right now. wind gusts at 49 miles an hour. that's bitterly cold. the rest of the snow dealing with strong wind gusts over 40 miles an hour in frederick and martinsburg and manassas 42-mile-an-hour gust. that's why the wind advisory that was posted this morning will be in effect until midnight tonight. so far, so good because we're in the 30's. later tonight, temperatures will fall for the 20's and into the teens and then when you add up the strong winds, it will be very, very uncomfortable late tonight. you don't want to be outside too long unprotected. trust me. let's talk about what's coming. everything changes super bowl sunday, a storm system will approach from the west. this direction means we'll have mixed precipitation, the big snowstorms come from the south. this one will give us snow and sleet to begin with. mostly rain. may end with snow and sleet on
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monday. more significant snows will be the maryland and pennsylvania border and points to the north and then we'll clear back out. we won't get a big storm. that will be that. all right, here are the next seven days for you. we have a 90% chance of snow sleet to rain developing late sunday afternoon or evening continuing into monday and then clearing skies monday evening. tuesday, cold and then a little bit of a brief warmup on wednesday. next chance of rain or snow comes on thursday. >> did you ask phil if he approves of your forecast? >> always. we're tight. we are tight. >> there you go. >> all right. we'll see both of you later. >> we'll be back. >> all right. >> coming up on abc 7 news at 4:00 -- take a seat. why a pilot was forced to sit in the cabin while his plane landed. >> and then a little later, how the president wants congress to give you some precision health care. >> but first getting ready to play. we'll take you to arizona as the teams do their last minute preps for the super bowl!
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>> oh the football, the ads, excitement is building for this year's super bowl. >> uh-huh. the new england patriots and the seattle seahawks will be hitting the field sunday in glendale, arizona. here's a preview. >> in phoenix today, the lines are drawn for the battle in the arizona desert to determine this year's nfl champs. on one side defending champions
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the seattle seahawks. >> it's really getting close. we can feel it. ready for game time. >> on the other, the new england patriots with a game plan of their own. to bring back the trophy to boston. >> our team is excited. they worked very hard to get to this point. >> patriots quarterback tom brady has already won three super bowls and on sunday, he will make his record sixth super bowl start. but off the field, the game has been engulfed in scandal with a deflate gate investigation in progress all eyes are still on those footballs. in his annual state of the league today, nfl commissioner roger goodell said that the league's rule will be enforced. >> that's the integrity of our game. and when those rules are violated, we will take that seriously. >> the nfl also saying the balls used during sunday's game will be tested three hours before kickoff. and after that, neither team having access to them until game time. >> katy perry, the halftime show's headliner poked fun at the patriots yesterday.
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>> i can assure everyone in here that nothing in my performance will be deflated. >> ok. thanks for that! >> there you have it. >> there's your prognostication already. thanks. we've heard about daredevils going over it in a barrel. >> still ahead, meet the man who wents up niagara falls when it was frozen over. >> a music mogul behind bars. we'll take a look at the charges that suge knight is facing. >> a stand-off between a rabbi and his synagogue
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>> you better bundle up if you're heading out tonight. >> yes, strong winds will make it feel close to zero. chief meteorologist doug hill in the storm watch weather center with more on this winter weather alert. hi there doug. >> hi. it's one thing right outside of the belfort furniture weather center to have 30-mile-an-hour gusts and it's a different thing to have 30-mile-an-hour gusts and temperatures in the teens. that's what's going to happen later tonight. let's get you started. we have a wind advisory in effect until midnight for the entire region. that's because winds will continue to gust at times especially at higher elevations. 34 in frederick and 32 at washington dulles with colder temperatures in the mountains already and these persistent northwesterly winds will
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progressively bring colder and colder air overhead tonight. right now, we have wind gusts recorded at 39 andrews, dulles, gaiters erzhersburg and the winds are strong. that trend will continue for several more hours. forecast for tonight, it will be clear. windy and cold with bitter wind chill. the range of overnight air temperatures 8 to 19. many times tonight, wind chills will drop to near zero or a bit below. sunshine tomorrow and a winter storm to keep track of for sunday. we'll do that for you in a few minutes. >> see you then doug. thank you. in other news now the rabbi accused of videotaping members of his congregation at a ritual bath is refusing to leave his home. horace holmes is in the satellite center with more information on where it stands tonight. horace? >> they've been communicating with members of the synagogue, they tell us that bottom line is they want rabbi freundel out of the synagogue.
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the rabbi when he was fired last october after being caught allegedly secretly videotaping women performing a ritual bath the board says the rabbi lost all privileges to the house the synagogue owns. the board says freundel was asked to vacate the house on january 1st. but he has not. he's still there. freundel's attorney says lawyers told his client they were willing to allow the rabbi to stay in the home until march to give him enough time to pack up his belongings and move. he would have to lose back wages and his $100000 pension if he chose to stay. those are demands harris says his client ln accept. freundel remains in the house and the matter will be taken up by a religious court first. freundel has denied all criminal charges against him. he is due in criminal court on february 19th. reporting live from the satellite center horace holmes abc 7 news. >> thanks horace. former rap mogul suge knight is behind bars. the co-founder of death row
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records turned himself in overnight after a hit and run. ted rollins has more on this developing story. >> he turned himself in before midnight friday morning wanted on suspicion of murder for killing his friend 55-year-old terry carter, one of two men that knight is accused of running over with a truck in a restaurant parking lot. >> go to his car and ran them over. >> knight was reportedly arguing with at least one of the men earlier on a film set in compton and may have followed them to the nearby restaurant. >> no comment. >> knight's attorney meanwhile, is telling abc news that knight was being assaulted by a group of at least four men and was simply trying to get away having no idea he'd hit anybody. >> so far people we talk so say it looks like it was an intentional act. for knight it's the latest in a long string of violence last august he was the victim shot six times inside a packed west hollywood nightclub. suge knight's attorney says
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surveillance video if there is any will back up his client's story. knight remains in custody unable to make bail which has been set at $2 million. ted rollins, abc 7 news. >> delta airlines crews are checking the cockpit door of a plane after an unusual landing in las vegas. a co-pilot had to land the plane alone yesterday afternoon. the plane was traveling from minnesota to las vegas when the door jammed shortly before final approach and it locked the pilot out. the 168 people on board were informed about the situation from the pilot himself. >> the pilot got on the intercom system and said you know, unfortunately i have some bad news. i had to go to the bathroom and when i came back out, i got locked out of the cockpit. >> the co-pilot called ahead so ground crews were prepared for any mishaps. the only snag really was that the ground steering controls are on the captain's side so the jet had to be towed to the gate. delta airlines said the landing was without incident since co-pilots are fully trained to land planes. >> that's a good thing.
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>> it is a good thing. >> ok. learn how to drive the thing huh? all right. we're away from taxes being due. scammers may be working faster to steal your identity and take your refund. but there's help. consumer investigative kimberly suters is live in our newsroom with more. >> things are buzzing down here and people are complaining to the f.t.c. about their social security numbers being stolen and taxes being fraudulently filed in record numbers. more than 100,000 complaints in 2014 alone. 100,000 reasons the commissioner focused in the past five days talking about tax i.d. theft awareness week. all right. coming up, you will hear from the f.t.c. commissioner about what they're doing to protect the consumer. also tonight, "7 on your side" is hosting an ask the tax expert phone bank. our experts come from the f.t.c.
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and come from the national consumers league and the virginia society of c.p.a.s want only for your general tax questions but for specific questions if you think you've been targeted by a tax fraud. we'll see you back here a little bit later in 20 minutes from now. leon, back to you in the studio. >> all right kimberly. see you in a bit. now, a tax refund may help serve as a cushion this time of year for you but what do you need to make in order to live comfortably in the nation's capital? according to a new study by the cheat sheet, you need to make at least $108,092 a year. that's well over the $75,000 the group estimates that you need to live comfortably just about any place else. the group does not define living comfortably in the study but does talk about the price of housing per square foot grocery bills and things like going to the movies. if you're wondering, of course manhattan was at the top of the list. >> of course. yeah, we're probably close. >> not far. not far behind. >> all right. well, the president has a plan to make your medical care more personal. >> we'll give you the details of precision medicine coming up.
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>> and then a little later, what you can do today to save yourself some money on valentine's day flowers. >> but first -- getting in the game. how they're getting serious at a local dodge ball facility. that's coming up next.
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>> if you can dodge a wrench, you can dodge a ball. >> what? >> well you may actually think it's a movie if we talk about the word "dodgeball." >> that's right. you know in fairfax county eileen shows us how they really play the game. >> all right, do you remember back in the day playing a little bit of dodge ball. we are dodging balls in fairfax today. and you can do it as well. adult sport social week how fun is that sf especially on a friday. jeremy purcell is the director and founder of the sports. tell us about your program. >> yeah, so it started back in 2007, we're the largest coed men's and women's and also a sports league. we offer eight different sports and all skill levels from social, casual competitive, all the way to elite for the college and pro player. we do it at affordable pricing. like $35 to $50 a player. and we have registration open
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right now so come sign up. >> how fun is it you know, to be going out with your friends after a lodge, hard day at the office, you just want to get out. throw around some balls. have a little bit of fun. and we hope that you'll be out here and signing up. back inside to you. >> let me guess, it has kooties? >> interesting. very aggressive actually. >> this next thing isn't very aggressive at all. a puppy from virginia is taking part in this year's popular puppy bowl during halftime of the super bowl. >> still to come, why you don't have to wait until sunday to see some of them play. >> why some are concerned an outbreak that started at disneyland could spread to the super bowl.
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>> "7 on your side" health matters is taking a look at president obama's latest proposal on personalized medicine. 'precision medical initiative that will move away from a one sized fits all approach to
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medicine and instead, tailor the treatment. >> the most important investment can't be measured in dollars. if we have an opportunity to prevent hurt and heartbreak from more families. if we have the opportunity to help people live longer happier, healthier lives. >> the president's proposal includes plans to collect genetic data on one million americans. scientists could then develop drugs and treatment tailored to individual patients' specific characteristics. >> another health note here. 90 measles cases have been confirmed in 14 states. many of those cases are linked to disneyland out in california including in washington state, california utah and mexico. they believe it began last month after an unvaccinated family was infected at the theme park. they are urging americans to get that vaccine because it is easily spread through the air. >> big thing with measles is it's extremely contagious.
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>> what they're being told is watch for signs and symptoms of measles. >> concern is especially high in arizona where thousands are getting ready to gather for the super bowl in phoenix. they'll be looking out for anyone with measles like symptoms that include fever, cough, runny nose, pink eye and rash. >> hey, virginia lawmaker has a deflating proposition. >> one way to put it. he wants to ban the release of balloons in the commonwealth because of the litter they cause when they come back to earth. so our question of the day is asking what do you think of this plan? tim echoed most of our responses on the wjla facebook page writing fantastic. it's called littering and ends up somewhere eventually. we don't need it in our environment or in the mouths of children, pets or wildlife. it should be banned everywhere like tossing cigarette butts on the ground. but ray was less enthusiastic posting "i'm going to guess it's a liberal proposing a new law that ultimately revolves in
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revenue generating under the premise of saving the environment." however, we should point out that state lawmaker is a republican. >> tamara adds "i think that's silly. people who spend their days looking for new things to do when there's no balloons to spot. "jeremy thinks he has the whole thing solved. he said he must be from massachusetts. #deflate gate. whatever. all right. coming up on abc 7 news at 5:00 tonight -- a fire truck slides on the ice sideswiping a row of cars. county says they're not responsible for thousands of dollars in damage for those vehicles. >> foods at super bowl parties that can make or break your diet and why pizza may a key role in the number of calories you consume. that's new on abc 7 news at 5:00. >> thanks to the winter deep freeze, a daredevil went up niagara falls. that's right. he is now in the history books
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as the first person to climb up the frozen section of niagara falls. people thought they were watching him slowly and deliberately calculated move of this 15 story climb. he says he was hypothermic by the end of the climb but it was worth it. >> there's nothing that feels better than climbing a blue icicle up into the sky. you know i feel like jack and the beanstalk. one of the highlights of my life and not just climbing career but life. you don't get many of those. >> and live to tell about it. dan is national geographic's adventurer of the year and x-games ice climbing gold medalist and red bull athlete. he made it to the top of the falls in an hour. >> maybe he was inspired by the guys at el capitan. >> could be. >> that's amazing. we have an interesting day today. felt like we were at a snow globe for a while there. >> heavy snow for 30 seconds or a minute.
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more strong winds but colder temperatures. let's get you started with our coverage. first thing up give you a look at congressional country club in bethesda. the fairway covered with snow at sunrise. and if you notice during the day, if you look closely, a couple of the snow squalls went through bethesda and even though temperatures climb to the upper 30's, didn't see much snow melt on the fairway there. you can see more melting in the next few days here. temperatures will stay definitely on the cold side. we have the winds and the winds have been gusting close to 40 miles an hour and because of that, the wind advisory continues until midnight for everywhere shaded in tan. or is that sand? i don't know. i look at the paint chips and i can't see the subtle difference in colors but kind of an indication that it's a widespread wind advisory and for good reason. mentioned earlier it's one thing to deal with 40-mile-per-hour wind gusts and temperatures mid to upper 30's. a whole different story later tonight when the same wind gusts occur blowing wind around that's 15 or 20 degrees. please pay attention to what i'm telling you here because it's going to feel bitterly cold.
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the numbers will fall already dropping in the mountains and these wind speeds very impressive at 40-mile-per-hour gusts at quantico not long ago. 37 at washington dulles. always fun landing at reagan national. when we have winds like that. always fun. the winds will diminish for a while. temperatures much colder. computer model which this one performed pretty well this winter. snow line and it continues just to the east. they mentioned winter storm watches. pennsylvania and the western panhandle north of our area. so it looks like we'll get a little snow or mix in the beginning. maybe some at the end. but most of what we're going to see for the entire event late
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sunday into monday is going to be rain. here's the seven day. sunshine breezy. very cold tomorrow. 90% chance of wintry stuff. snow, sleet rain. could change back over to frozen stuff before it ends monday and then clearing late monday. tuesday, cold and sunny. increasing clouds wednesday and another system could bring a little light snow or sleet or rain to the area on thursday. but you're getting the feel now with these systems what this winter weather pattern will be like. i'll continue to say sooner or later, as long as we stay cold we'll get it substantial. just makes sense. >> ok. thank you. >> let's get a check on the traffic situation today with bob emler in the wtop traffic center. hi, bob. >> hi alison. lot of volume problems south on 95 from newington to the occoquan into woodbridge and then as you head south from dumfries and triangle it's heavy to stafford towards the end of the express lanes. headed out towards centreville and 270 does bog down in
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montgomery village headed through germantown. inner loop through tysons bit of a minor crash near the american legion bridge. that's what 270 looks like at 117. starts to bog down after this point headed north. 95 northbound heavy and slow really from prince george's county up to a crash in howard county after route 100 and 395 traveling south slows in several stretches towards duke street but with all lanes open. i'm bob emler with 103.5 wtop radio. >> coming up on abc 7 news at 4:00, we're not suggesting that you skimp on a gift for your valentine. >> never. never. up next, how you can save a bundle on that bou
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>> i'm consumer investigative kimberly suters in the "7 on your side" help center. we have an ask the tax expert phone bank. a little bit of a tongue twister. but it is a great group of folks here whether you have questions about identity theft, especially
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if someone steals your social security number to file taxes fraudulently or you've been contacted by an i.r.s. impostor. we have experts to guide you in the corner from the national consumers league, he says tax fraud is in the top 10 of scams to hear from. we have an army of c.p.a.s here to answer your general tax questions as well. and you can ask the tax expert your official question. number is 703-236-9220. they will all be here until 6:30 to answer your questions. back to you in the studio. >> ok. >> thank you. for something now a little more fun than taxes. >> lot more fun. >> a lot for fun. you know pet dominion's puppy bowl has predicted the winner of the super bowl 66% of the time. >> that's right. hold on don't place your bets just yet. as mike conneen reports tonight this is only the event's fourth year.
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>> at the fourth annual pet dominion puppy bowl. >> you get a little bit more competitive. >> the seattle sea dogs vs. the new england puptriots. funny names but the owners take it seriously. something to request their dogs play for a particular team. >> i didn't have to work until 12:00 today and i made sure my dog was here until 11:00 so he could be part of it. he's wearing his jersey that has pads in it. he's my line barker. >> the winner of this bowl game doesn't get a big trophy or trip to disney world, though. just lots of doggie treats. tongues were wagging at this year's canine competition over two dog themed super bowl commercials that have already gone viral. >> i'm glad you made it home! >> because i just sold you on this website i built with go daddy. >> go daddy was forced to pull this controversy spot because it seemed to encourage puppy mills. meanwhile, budweiser's latest ad featuring this pup is getting rave reviews. >> have tissues at the end, it's very cute. >> it's the action on the field
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that counts. despite many attempts the puptriots never deflated the ball. at times the refs did flag some unnecessary roughness and with a final score of 42-28, the sea dogs literally ran away with it. in rockville, mike conneen, abc 7 news. >> ok. >> all right. see if they pick the winner. >> they take the sea dogs. >> ok. see how it plays out on sunday. >> all right. valentine's day, you still have a few weeks, don't get nervous. but you can save a bundle on that bouquet if you act today or tomorrow. >> and john matteris says how you do it so you don't waste your money. >> everyone who orders flowers the week before valentine's day knows they're about to be hit with one of the worst deals of the year. high priced roses that sometimes look like they were thrown together. but the savings website says there are ways around it with some florists. brad says if you order from national sites like go flowers, you'll pay just $49 in january for a dozen roses.
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they suggest ordering now and scheduling scheduling delivery on valentine's day. but from doesn't that stink file what happens if you wait until close to the big day. brad's deals claim that same $49 arrangement will jump to $90 on february 1st based on last year's pricing. doesn't that stink? local florists which often have the best quality flowers may not give you a discount if you order ahead but you can certainly call them and try. brad's also suggests to save a few bucks, schedule delivery for friday, not saturday valentine's day. i'm john matteris, abc 7 news. >> we're devastated. we're not bitter. we're seeking justice. >> the children of the woman killed when smoke filled that metro train heads to court. the problems they say, put
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riders' lives in danger and what they say will do justice. the first, though is starting last weekend in january with a little bit of everything. >> absolutely. that little bit of everything includes sunshine those snow squalls that moved across the area before lunch time, our cameras actually caught the big fluffy flakes falling there at the marine corps war memorial in arlington but now the snow has cleared and the real story is the wind. doug hill in the stormwatch weather center with the weekend weather alert looking ahead. hi, doug. >> hi there. it looks like most of the sun is gone for now and nothing on the stormwatch 7 doppler radar. sunshine at the moment outside of the belfort furniture weather center. let's get you started with the coverage here. big story is the winds despite the snow squalls. those high wind gusts will continue tonight so the wind advisory is up until midnight for the entire region. that combined with falling temperatures tonight can make it very uncomfortable if you're headed out. it's kind of crisp out there now with temperatures in the 30's with the strong winds. as we drop into the 20's and teens tonight, it will be downright uncomfortable and
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downright dangerous if you spend any time outside and you're not protected. look at these light wind gusts. 39-mile-per-hour wind gusts at manassas and reagan national. gusty at 36 in winchester and 40-mile-per-hour gust down the river at quantico. for tonight, it will be windy. it will be clear, it will be cold. bitterly so as the winds continue to gust. range in temperatures 8 to 9 degrees. that means wind chills will be near zero. sunshine tomorrow. weekend storm late sunday to talk about. its impact its track, what you need to know coming up in a few minutes. alison? >> ok, doug. now to that major lawsuit taking aim at metro over the deadly incident where smoke filled a yellow line train. the sons of carol glover are suing the transit agency saying its negligence caused their mother's death. suzanne kennedy live at the l'enfant plaza metro station with what the family says metro did wrong. suzanne? >> alison this lawsuit filed just today outlines how everything that could have gone wrong on j

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