out what their new snow policy will be. that comes after this gridlock nightmare played out last january. thousands of people got stranded on the roadways as a powerful snowstorm blew through town just as thousands of federal workers were leaving for work. it will require the government to announce much earlier whether it will be opened, closed, or opened with unscheduled leave and -- >> some of those people were stuck on the roads for over 12 hours. remember that? >> yes. it was terrible. >> a nightmare. someone left the freezer door open. we've had only about a 5 to 10-mile-an-hour wind this morning. it's blowing about 30 to 40 miles per hour. the chill has penetrated the area and it's been coming in since yesterday afternoon. although the wind has diminished a bit, it's up around 10, 12 miles an hour at reagan

national. the windchills are into the 20s now. as we look at what's been happening over the last 12 hours, the clouds cleared out last evening and now off to a clear start. no travel problems weatherwise up and down the atlantic seaboard or in and out of the midwest. however, there are some snow warnings out for the rockies. there could be flight delays there. for us, we'll have high pressure over us today, giving us plenty of sunshine. we'll have this cold start. already it's near freezing throughout much of virginia. fredericksburg is down to 32. in the shennendoah valley out in the mountains, most locations are below freezing right now. southern locations in the northern bay, temperatures are upper 30s to near 40. here is your day planner. sunny throughout the day, but a

chill in the air. sunrise is at 7:07. we'll stay in the 30s through much of the morning. about 9:00, 10:00, we'll be climbing into the 40s. by the middle of the afternoon, low, maybe briefly mid 50s with a diminished wind. then it will get cold again tonight. we'll look at your evening planner coming up in ten minutes. how is traffic? >> good morning. let's start with an early look at bridges in our area. so far, volume is very light. here is a live look at the american legion bridge. no problems on the outer loop or the inner loop as you make your way across. if you're traveling in the southeast, here is a look at the douglas bridge. no issues there at all. very quiet and no accidents to report as you're making your way across. traveling on the 14th bridge heading into the city, you're clear. coming out of the city to the bridge, overnight, there was construction. it looks to be gone now and traffic is moving normally. now back to you both.

>> thank you. today, the fairfax county schoolboard could vote to allow security cameras inside their high schools. the issues on the school board's agenda for today and could be voted upon by december 15th. the cameras could be placed in cafeterias, lobbies and other large gathering places but ultimately would be left up to each school's principal. those pushing for the cameras cite safety issues while opponents say it's an invasion of privacy. neighboring school systems in prince williams county already use school cameras. hinkley's attorneys are arguing that the man who attempted to assassinate president ronald reagan should be alled longer visits with his mother in virginia and ultimately be able to live outside the hospital. but yesterday, federal lawyers said hinkley is still too dangerous is and on a recent

trip outside the hospital instead of going to a movie, he was seen at a bookstore. police say if you can help them catch a band of robbers targeting stores in northeast d.c. they believe the men have hit three stores in a 28-hour period from sunday to monday. police say they robbed one of those stores twice. police video captured the terrifying ordeals. one of those employees says he feared for his life. >> i don't know how you can explain it. it's like moving. it's coming and -- >> police have only a vague description of the suspect. this morning, the woman wanted for bank robberies and car jackings from northern virginia to baltimore is behind bars. police arrested 26-year-old stephanie schwab yesterday after

she allegedly tried to rob a bank in mcclain, virginia. officers caught her after a chase on the beltway that ended with a crash in bethesda. today, prince georges county police and firefighters will be collecting donations for a family who lost three loved ones in a fire over the weekend. it was sparked by an overloaded power strip. then on tuesday, omari's mother and his aunt, who were rescued from the home, died of smoke inhalation and injuries they suffered. tonight from 6:00 until 8:00 p.m., first responders will be at the lewis daily school to collect household goods for the surviving family members. right now, secretary of state hillary clinton is in myanmar.

she sat down in a meeting the u.s. hopes will boost myanmar's reform movement. the trip is seen as a test to see if the new civilian led government is, in fact, more democratic. clinton is also meeting with nobel peace laureate ang sang sue chee. yesterday, pat robertson said cain should end his bid for president, saying the multiple allegations of sexual misconduct as well as a long time affair are too much for cain to overcome. he also took a swipe at the former pizza ceo says he was good at making pizzas, but was in over his head. cain said he will make a decision after he meets with his wife and discusses the affair accusation. perry told reporters earlier

this week that he would look to reassign federal workers who did not share his beliefs. he said he would, quote, reassign them to some really god awful place. federal worker labor unions are furious with the texas governor saying federal employees help out his state in many ways including border patrol and workers in veterans hospitals. according to a new poll out this morning, gingerich now leads former governor mitt romney in iowa by a wide margin, 32% to 19%. he also now leads the president amongst likely voters with 45% compared to 43% for president obama. just last week, the president led gingerich by 6%. romney, however, still holds an advantage in new hampshire, 10 points ahead of gingerich. a heads up if you work downtown.

your commute home could be rough this evening because of the national christmas tree lighting ceremony. thousands of spectators are expected to watch as president obama lights the tree of the ellipse. now, if you have tickets for today's event, the gates open at 3:00 this afternoon. you must be in your seat or in the standing room area by 4:30. the lighting does mean several road closures. 15th street will be closed to traffic between east street and pennsylvania avenue and constitution avenue starting@around 4:15 this afternoon. there will be no traffic allowed on 17th street between constitution and new york avenue. all roads, though, should be reopened again around 7:00. >> everybody is excited about that one. >> absolutely. ahead on news 4 today, he was not unemployed for very long. the new jobs former capitals coach landed just days after being fired. bouncing back in a big way, what we can expect on wall street today after a huge day for the stock market yesterday. plus, it certainly feels

like december outside. what you can expect when you head out the door with weather head [ male announcer ]weather citibank's new app for ipad makes it easy for anne to view her finances from anywhere. like gate d12 for the next three hours. citibank for ipad. easier banking. standard at citibank.

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virginia. right now, southern maryland near the bay and the eastern shore is in the upper 30s. but the nearby neighborhoods in washington, prince georges county is only in the mid 30s now. by 9:00, bright and sunny near noon time. and a sunny afternoon to follow. highs reaching low to mid 50s. sunset at 4:. and this evening under a clear sky we'll be back down to mid 40 by midnight. another cold start tomorrow. we'll look into that on the weekend. danella, how is traffic sfp. >> still looking very good. i-95, not seeing any issues for you at all. loose really good if you're heading north towards 395. in fact, you're looking clear in both directions even as you pass lorton and continue near i-95. you're clear traveling northbound and southbound on i-95. continuing on to 395, here is a live look. if you're taking edsel to the 14th street bridge, not seeing

any issues for you. travel speed in that area, 60 miles per hour. angie and joe, back to you. time is now 4:43. still to come, keeping the happy meal on the menu. the loophole mcdonald's found to get around one city's ban on its happy meal. plus, the accident that had

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asian stock markets today. euro finance ministers will meet next friday to find a lasting solution to the debt crisis. some economists believe without deep spending cuts, tax hikes and bailouts, the european economy could collapse and spark a new financial crisis. investors here in the u.s. are hoping for a second major day of

gains on wall street. right now, u.s. futures are down. yesterday, the dow jumped 490 points, pushing it back above the 12,000 mark. the s&p closed 51 points higher. new from overnight, former caps coach bruce woodrow has a new gig just two days after being fired here in washington. he will take over as head coach of the anaheim ducks who fired coach randy carlisle last night. the ducks have won 3 of their last 19 games. carlisle did lead anaheim to their only stanley cup title back in 2007, but like woodrow, had trouble leading his talented team last year. he talked yet about what led to his firing from the caps. >> i wasn't getting the effect that i think that i usually get with the teams that i've coached. so that was bugging me more than it was probably bugging anybody else. so that's -- you know, for the good for the -- what we had

built, you know, we have to preserve the great tradition of hockey here. >> his first game behind the bench for anaheim will be tomorrow against the philadelphia flyers. the caps and the ducks played their only game against each other this year in early november. meanwhile, new caps coach dale hunter will look to get his first win tonight. the pittsburgh penguins come to town for the first time this season. the penguins have lost two of their last three. it will be the first time the caps have faced sydney crosby in more than a year after his return to the ice from a concussion. face-off is at 7:00 tonight at the ver rise yonl center. today, nba players can officially start preparing for the upcoming season. players can take part in voluntary workouts.

training camps will open a week from tomorrow with the season beginning christmas day. the players and owners reached a tentative deal last week that ended the month-long work stoppage. the upcoming season had to be shortened to 66 games instead of the usual 82. a cheerleader is in stable condition this morning after a scary scene in michigan last night. during a tightout at the michigan state/florida state game, check it out. junior taylor junk fell during that routine. medical personnel placed her on a backboard as a precaution. michigan state's athletic director says young is doing okay. she did give that thumbs up and a smile when she was wheeled off the court. travelers in los angeles are dealing with some early morning delays right now after the airport lost power overnight. public works officials say wind caused damage at a power station knocking out power to a large area in los angeles last night, including l.a.x.

the airport lost power and a ground stop was ordered for all arriving flights. it was finally lifted shortly before midnight. about 25 planes had to be diverted to other airports. and the airlines say they're still working to try to clear up the backup this morning. tsa authorities stopped a woman traveling from los angeles to reagan national airport when they discovered a stun gun in her bag. officers stopped the woman at the security checkpoint. she told them that she had forgotten that it was in her bag. look at it. the stun gun was disguised to look just like a pink cell phone. after turning the device over to the tsa, she was allowed to board her flight. traffic should be flowing as normal this morning on the bw parkway hours after police say the man stole the tractor-trailer of the roadway. officers say he led them on a chase. police are saying very little about the suspect.

they do say he was wanted in mississippi. one of the most vocal supporters for medical marijuana supporters in d.c. says the centuries will help the community. former tv host montel williams was at baptist east church last night. he spoke to residents about the benefits of medical marijuana. he's applied for two licenses on queens chapel road. residents say they're worried about crime in the area, but williams says these dispensaries will help out the neighborhood. >> was burned out, that could be a flagship facility to actually bring some revenue into the area. >> williams is applying for a license to dispense medical marijuana at another site in the city. he became a vocal advocate for the drug saying it gives him relief from his multiple sclerosis. 4:51 is the time again. tom is here. it is cold out there, tom.

>> it sure is. find your winter gear before you head out the door this morning. dig in the closet for your mittens and your hat as we've had the cold air coming in on a blustery wind overnight. thankfully, the wind has diminished a bit. right now, reagan national, 39. we've got that wind out of the north-northwest gusting to around 10 to 15 miles per hour. that brings the windchill down into the 20s. and it's very dry now, too. you'll need skin lotion today. right now as we look at what's been happening over the last 12 hours, the sky has cleared out. a large area of high pressure has moved in over the area here today, tomorrow and into the weekend and a bit of a warming trend as we start next week. right now, it is below freezing in many location from the blue ridge west, blue ridge east it's just a little bit above freezing in many areas. the freezing mark now in frederick and fredericksburg and culpepper. closer to washington and prince

georges county, it's in the mid 30s. right now in arlington, fairfax and montgomery counties, it's in the low to mid 30s there. near the bay, it's near 40. and on the eastern shore. let's take a look at what will be happening today. day planner, sunrise at 7:07. by 9:00, it will be cold. just in the 30s to around 40. by noon time, near auto 50. a bright and sunny day with a blue sky and sparkling sunshine climbing briefly into the low to mid 30s. then another cold night tonight. here is your evening planner. down to near 40 by midnight. then another sunny day tomorrow and still cold in the morning, near 30. afternoon highs, low to mid 50s and sunny on saturday, too. but a bit chillier. afternoon highs only in the 40s to near 50. front coming through tuesday into wednesday may trigger some showers.

danella, good morning. how is traffic? >> good morning. looking really good, especially if you're going to grab a cup of coffee and hit the roadways. traveling on i-95 from baltimore towards laurel, in both directions, not seeing any issues for you. in virginia, i-66, no problems, as well. here is a look at wafold's mill, you can see nice and clear in both directions traveling east and west. inside the beltway, not seeing any issues, either. this is a look at lee highway. travel scenes for you making your way inside the beltway on i-66 from the beltway to gw parkway. that commute will only take you 11 minutes. now back to you both. >> thank you, danella. the virginia attorney general has his eyes set on the governor's mansion. the republican has decided to run for governor in 2013. he served two terms in the state senate until he was elected attorney general two years ago.

he's become a favorite among tea party voters. he's one of the first to file a lawsuit against president obama's health care law. he's been one of the most aggressive on immigration checks. virginia has a one-term limit for governors, so the current governor cannot run for re-election. reverend billy graham is reportedly in stable condition after being hospitalized for the second time in three months. he's being treated at a hospital for possible pneumonia. the 93-year-old evangelist was admitted yesterday for a cough and a slight fever. he has served as the spiritual adviser for several presidents making his message of faith for people around the world. country singer mindy mccrady is in trouble again. a fight between her and the florida court system could send her back to jail. the singer's parents has custody over her 5-year-old son. she disappeared with her son

yesterday. mccraydy issued a statement saying she probably will not make it because she's nearly 7 months pregnant with twins. if she does not return with her son, she could be arrested. mccraydy was previously arrested and served 30 days in jail in 2007 after having a fight with her mother. 4:55 is our time right now. coming up, people lined up for hours trying to get the latest iphone. why that eagerness had many of them spending hundreds of dollars more after they bought it. and kids will still get their happy meals. [ male announcer ] for andy, tracking his spending with citibank

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[ male announcer ] online bill pay. easier banking. standard at citibank. a new survey says a large chunk of americans were willing to praek their contracts and pay fines just to get their hands on an iphone 4. they say 45% of iphone 4 owners broke a contract with their current or previous carrier to buy the device. of those, more than 70% paid an early termination fee greater than $100. mcdonald's finds a way around san francisco's new happy meal ban. starting today, the ordinance prohibits fast food restaurants from selling children's toys

with meals that don't meet requirements. >> by march, they're going to have apple slices and smaller portions of fries in every meal. news 4 continues today at 5:00 a.m. you're watching nbc 4, washington's news leader. now live in hd. this is news 4 today. tough choices for metro today as the agency weighs another big fare hike for its riders. >> you could run into roadblocks in you're driving downtown tonight because of an annual holiday tradition. good morning. welcome to news 4 today. i'm joe krebs. >> and i'm angie goff in for eun yang. it is the first day of december and it does feel like it. >> dress