d.c. said earlier today, d.c. told us that at 1:00 tomorrow, they would start inspecting both of the camp sites, both mcpherson square and freedom plaza. now, they say there are no scheduled inspections tomorrow, but there are ongoing assessments. what does this mean and why? it may have to do with the fact that d.c.'s health department doesn't have authority, the kitchen closed voluntarily and d.c. health can close a restaurant. they're not restaurants but beam camping out on federal land. ultimately, the natural park service would make a decision and earlier, they said we'll get the reports and they can decide what to do and my guess is that that will happen bah but may not starting tomorrow. >> thank you. >>> meantime, we're monitoring metro during the extreme change in temperature and metro is blaming the cold for a crack in the yellow line on the bridge between pentagon city and the plaza. that caused single tracking on the yellow line and delays on the blue and green line this morning. everything was running

♪ stand up for d.c., stand up ♪ stand up for d.c., stand up ♪ come on, d.c. ♪ get on up ♪ stand up for your rights ♪ ♪ you just wanna be free ♪ it is time for us to join the revolution ♪ stand up for d.c., stand up ♪ stand up for d.c., stand up ♪ come on, d.c., get on up ♪ stand up for your rights ♪ it is time for our nation ♪ to show participation ♪ in a thing called democracy ♪ i just had it with cable. it just got more frustrating and frustrating. a lot of times, the picture would break up. for the amount of money that i am paying, my cable company should take care of me. [ male announcer ] stop paying for second best. move up to verizon fios tv, internet and phone for our best price online -- just $89.99 a month guaranteed for two years. first time we saw tv on fios was amazing! i was just in a trance watching it. i'm discovering new channels every day. [ male announcer ] and here's a special bonus: sign up now and get $300 back with a two-year contract. fios internet -- the speed, you can't compare. i'm able to take care of things much faster now. [ male anno

. >> d.c. council member harry thomas could be on the way out, a potential deal with prosecutors and his possible resignation. >>> ticket trouble, parking tickets issued to at least 1 driver who has proof she paid the meter. >>> plus these protesters may not be the only ones occupying d.c. a rash of rodent sightings now has the health department on alert. >>> but we begin tonight with new developments in the harry thomas investigation. which investigation. thanks forgivenning us. i'm laura evans. >> -- for joining us. i'm laura evans. >> i'm brian bolter. fox 5's bob barnard is working this one down in the newsroom now. >> will he oar won't he resign is the question of the night, perhaps more -- or won't he resign is the question of the night. perhaps more a matter of when not whether made it all too clear within city hall say council member harry thomas last week told his staff to start looking for new jobs. harry thomas seen here at a d.c. council meeting in early december told fox 5 news las

one is when the d.c. authority, attorney general or the court denies pre clearance it denies pre clearance. the plan is not free cleared. there is no such thing as free clearance in part or personal free clearance. it is a line-item veto. the second point is not to save the court doesn't provide reasoning for its decision or the attorney general. that is why the court -- this court knew the objections were to particular district even though the effect was to not pre clear the old plan. that seems to be the mistake of the district court that effectively treats the non pre cleared plan. that is the exact word judge johnson used in the lower court in oppa and this court reversed. you don't ignore that. but on the other hand you take into account the judgment of the attorney general in that case. other than that you take the plan into account not withstanding the fact that it hasn't been free cleared. >> we said over and over that it is the attorney general and the district court in d.c. that has exclusive ju

baltimore-d.c., d.c.-bat more. at the end of the day when your team is out rchtion i think when they do finally settle in, they'll probably be cheering for the ravens before they cheer for outsiders. we'll probably have some extra fans cheering for us. >> reporter: the vibe at the ravens training facility this week was that of, well, business as usual. sadly for the redskins, this time of the year they're usually out of work. and the quarterback of the ravens would like to extend an offer to any fan who might be looking for a playoff team to root for. >> we're looking for anybody that wants to be a ravens fan to come up and cheer us on. as many redskins fans as we can steal, that would be huge because they have a great following. people love the redskins. if we could steal some of their fans, i think we will be doing a pretty good job. >> reporter: while the ravens prepare for yet another weekend of playoff football, the redskins begin another quiet off-season with the hopes of filling up fed ex field this time nex

he was d.c. mayor beginning in 1979 and ending in 1999 for four terms. >>> it is 32 degrees in alexandria this morning. >> still ahead, peering from the mother who got back when intruders tried to get into her home. what she says about killing one of the men. >>> there's a new honor for actor david russell off. it could make him a little crabby. david with the "name your price" tool you tell us what you want to pay, and we give you a range of coverages to choose from. who is she? that's flobot. she's this new robot we're trying out mostly for, like small stuff. wow! look at her go! she's pretty good. she's pretty good. hey, flobot, great job. oops. [ powers down ] uh-oh, flobot is broken. the "name your price" tool onon from progressive. call or click today. >>> i am at the reptile discovery center at washington national zoo with my buddy, a giant tortoise. we hope that your day is moving at a faster pace than mine is. good morning, washington. >>> thursday morning, 5:40, much warmer than this ti

my pleasure. >>> and the d.c. firefighter's union is calling on the fire chief to back down from the threat to discipline members over a uniform change. this is after a veteran firefighter spoke exclusively with fox 5 last night. tonight, the union president ed smith said that any uniform change is wasteful and if the chief wants members to comply, he should pay for it. the fire chief for reasons not clear, chased -- changeed the department's logo and ordered everyone to make the switch on their own dime. paul wagner has a followup to the story. paul? >> reporter: the d.c. fire department changeed logos four times the last 20 years. the last time, just three years ago. the decision that would go go unnoticed if it was not so costly to the city and firefighters who were expected to purchase most of the cold weather gear. the firefighter's union is calling for the fire chief to unify the department and paying for the change. here are the logos used by the department since the early '90s. the one in the middle was in

he was d.c. mayor for four terms. >>> prince george's county officials are grappling with a $125 million budget deficit. they are being forced to make tough cuts and consider controversial proposals that increased revenue. the red light cameras are expected to generate money. they will consider the possibility of slot machines in the county as another way to generate cash. >>> the time is 6:36 and 29 degrees in bowie this morning. >> still i had -- hoping for better luck on the metro blue and yellow line and how the weather made a mess of the morning rush. >> plus, a pair of killers off the coast of california. >> we will check on traffic and weather every 10 ♪ i'm feelin', feelin' a sunny day ♪ ♪ sunny day ♪ ♪ i'm feelin', feelin' the taste i crave ♪ ♪ subway ♪ ♪ i'm makin' it, makin' it how i like ♪ ♪ it's meant to be ♪ ♪ i'm feelin' subway ♪ ♪ i'm feelin' subway today ♪ [ male announcer ] hey, capital area! are you feelin' subway®? then heat up your day with th

. >>> the news edge on d.c. an old problem rearing its head in the new year for d.c. council harry thomas who is due to make the second $50,000 payment to the d.c. attorney general. he agreed to pay back the city 3$00,000 is accused of taking from an account for youth sports. the second payment do you today so far, thomas hasn't paid it. also today, thomas and the federal government have worked out a plan for him to pay back $5,000 in unpaid student loans he took out in the '80s. thomas will have to pay back more than $17,000. >>> and snow fall all over the region today. you're sending this picture to www.myfoxdc.com and there you are to meyersville, maryland. sue palka is in the weather center now any. snow on the way? >> reporter: there is still one last snow shower that i am seeing around the winchester virginia area. not everyone saw those today. they were definitely confined more to the north and west. can you see them here on our sentinel radar, starting to dry up as i show you, the last several hours and we had a few bursts and that was enough to whiten the gro

why d.c.'s chinatown is not the only one that is changing. >>> and first, kids think everyone is old, right? and especially teachers. can't argue with them this time. olivia from chicago is getting ready to turn 100 years young. she's been teaching since 1935 and has no plans to quit. her mother lyes to be 100 two of her cousins made it to 101.  . >> we're just a few days away from the chinese new year's celebration in northwest d.c. the now census numbers show a real decline in the traditional chinatown. he's more. >> reporter: they show 62% of americans live in the suburbs, up from 54% a year ago. the fastest racial loop in the u.s. is more likely than any other minority group to live in the suburbs. that means a decline in traditional urban neighborhoods. david lee crew up in san francisco's chinatown and later moved to the city's richmond district as so-called satellite chinatown. >> the chinese community in chinatown now is heavily senior and elderly. and this is a dramatic change from th

every $1 will go toward pets in need of homes in the d.c. area. a very good cause. >> sunshine this afternoon, tomorrow rain. chilly temperatures in the 40's. always stay updated on the ever- changing weather wjla.com. in our blogs, "why are you a snow lover?' everyone giving us the reason why they love the snow with yesterday's pictures. bauble more for you at 11. -- bob will have more. ♪ i'm feelin', feelin' a sunny day ♪ ♪ sunny day ♪ ♪ i'm feelin', feelin' the taste i crave ♪ ♪ subway ♪ ♪ i'm makin' it, makin' it how i like ♪ ♪ it's meant to be ♪ ♪ i'm feelin' subway ♪ ♪ i'm feelin' subway today ♪ [ male announcer ] hey, capital area! are you feelin' subway®? then heat up your day with the big hot pastrami melt! it's fresh toasted and piled-high with pastrami then topped with pickles mustd, and cheese. head into a subway® restaurant today for this melty mouthwatering sub! ♪ i'm feelin' subway ♪ ♪ let's go ♪

now today the d.c. council is set to take up an ethics bill that stems from all these allegations of political corruption. that meeting starts at 10:00 this morning. reporting live from the wilson building, darcy spencer, news 4. joe, back to you. >> darcy, thanks very much. >>> while snow storms could bring some headaches for district property owners and businesses, council members will vote on a new bill today allowing city inspectors to issue tickets to property owners who don't clear snow from adjacent public sidewalks. homeowners could face $25 fines. businesses could face fines ten times that amount. $250 or more. the proposal says sidewalks would have to be cleared within eight daylight hours after the snowfall has stopped. if the bill passes, it wouldn't take effect, though, until after this winter. >>> it may be more than just protesters inhabiting the occupy d.c. camps. the washington examiner is reporting that inspectors from the d.c. department of health came to mcpherson square to investiga

a d.c. council committee is scheduled to hold during debate on a bill to overhaul the city's taxicab industry. the legislation calls for sweeping reforms including requiring dps devices, credit card readers more fuel- efficient vehicles, and more extensive driver training. drivers say those changes would be costly. >> new metrobus service to the mark center and alexandria begins today. metro is expanding its about 28 leesburg pike limited service in an effort to ease traffic congestion. the buses will leave every 25-30 minutes during rush hour. that's between tysons corner and the mark center. stops will include the west falls church metro station and seven corners shopping center. >> d.c. residents have a chance to speak out today about pepco's proposed a tax. hundreds are expected to pack a d.c. public service commission hearing. others will be outside protesting against the utilicorp. under the people held a demonstration outside the northwest d.c. headquarters last week. politico wants t

movement d.c. of course as we know has been one of the longest standing occupations in all of this i mean i don't want to get too for one thing. i'm not privy to everything that's being discussed as next steps the way that it's going to proceed from now on i think you're going to see a lot of sort of smaller groups planning longer campaigns with a particular actions that are to be branded with the sort of messaging of occupy. and assuming we lose the camp you know we will still take some collective actions but i think there also just be a sort of mushroom ing of lots of different limited limited style occupations but i think what you've seen in what has happened in oakland and in other cities isn't a typical that you know after losing a park people try to move on take an abandoned building and use that as a staging ground for sort of spring campaign let me just ask you about i guess what could be seen as a sort of housekeeping matters and that is i'm sure you've seen this over the last couple weeks

d.c. protesters are making it clear they have no plans to move out of mcpherson square. the hard-line stance comes after d.c. mayor gray sent a strongly worded letter to the national park service asking them to evict the demonstrators. news4's tracee wilkins reports from northwest washington. >> reporter: the mayor is citing everything from an increased rat population to living conditions as reasons for why protesters of occupy d.c. should leave mcpherson square. he's saying that their being there is not only jeopardizing their own health and safety but the folks that live in d.c. since october protesters with occupy d.c. have called mcpherson square on prominent k street their home. it is one of two camp it is group has created in d.c. but it is also the one drawing the most criticism. >> we are here, we are the 99%. just like you. and we are your representatives. capitol hill won't represent you. so we, the people, are representing ourselves. that's our whole reason for being here. >> re

d.c. mayor vincent gray is calling for the eviction of the occupy d.c. protesters at mcpherson square but the occupiers say, nah, they're not budging. today mayor gray sent a strongly worded letter to the national park service citing poor living conditions and the growing rat population. he wants everyone out of mcpherson square and moved to freedom plaza. gray also says there is a health risk to those occupiers and to d.c. residents because of improper disposal of trash and human waste. the protesters say they're not going anywhere. >> our response to the mayor is, hey. we are here to stay. we are doing the best we can with the way the federal government and park service is laying things on us. >> the national park service police department says there are no plans to remove the protesters. >> well it's a news 4 exclusive. we're hearing now from the mother of a baby found alone at the occupy encampment in mcpherson square. police arrested samuel mack on wednesday saying he left the 13-month-old girl inside a tent in the cold and rain. now the child is ba

d.c. and that created a chaotic commute for thousands of riders. the cracked rail was at the tenley town station and forced train to single track between friendship heights and van ness for hours. >> reporter: another nightmarish morning for metro commuters on the red line. this one caused by a cracked rail just outside the tenley station. >> it is among the oldest. it's in a difficult area and it's where we've been concentrating our focus for the past year. not only dealing with the tracks but the fasteners and signal system. >> reporter: it didn't take long for the commuter pileup on the platform and the trains. >> didn't give too many details. it was hard to hear the train operator when he was making the announcements over the intercom. >> reporter: as the red line problems were wrapping up, metro was finalizing its proposals to increase fares. they've got to fill the $124 million budget shortfall expected for the upcoming fiscal year. it would seem that the stars just aren't lining up

the chamber of commerce for a d.c. win, for sure and you can golf tomorrow at 55 degrees and the weekends looking cooler for sunday. >> thank you, sue. >>> back here at 10. the news edge at 11. so you. 

if you live in the d.c. area, if you have a leg up on the competition. >> the daily beast recently compiled a list of the 25 best cities to find a date in 2012. washington d.c., came intense. alexandria came in 21st. not a single city from maryland made the list. they ranked them according to an available number of singles cost of dating, and the mental and physical health of the city. if you are wondering what city topped the list, it was atlanta. >> they are not hotlanta for nothing. >> i wonder how they just the mental fitness in the area. >> as long as they are not crazy. >> how does one judge that? >>> justin timberlake does not pass to worry about dating anymore. there's a report he is engaged to deshabille -- to , his longtime girlfriend. >> they broke up in march of last year only to reunite a short time later. >>> more trauma for kim kardashian. amber rosre setbacks kim kardashian was one of the reasons for her breakup with rapper kanye west. after they split, rowse se admitted basketthat that she d

right now, drivers in the d.c. metro are paying $3.40 a gallon and that's up almost 30 cents from a year ago. and it is the highest prices have ever been at the start of the year. aaa says that is not a good time for the rest of 2012. >> unfortunately, it looks like it will be this way for a while. usually we see prices low at the beginning of the year and inch up during the spring. with them starting off high at the beginning of the year, they'll continue to inch up during the spring. >> the price of crude oil sure hasn't helped. it risen by almost $24 since october. experts say that is from increased global demand and the optimism about the u.s. economic recovery. >> we are trading into cold for rain. top, tell us when the showers will roll in. that's coming up, but first, d.c.'s parade honoring dr. martin luther king. the sight and sounds of the tributes are up next. stay with us. >>> hundreds of people filled the pews at the ebenezer church honoring dr. martin luther king, jr. as well as religious and business

the d.c. council will meet at 10:00 this morning for its first legislative meeting of the year. >>> snowstorms could bring more headaches for property owners and businesses in the district. council members will vote on a bill today that would allow districts to issue tickets to property owners who don't clear snow from adjacent sidewalks. homeowners could face $25 fines. businesses could face fines of $250 or more. the proposal says that sidewalks would have to be cleared within eight daylight hours after a snowfall has stopped. if the bill passes, it won't take effect until after this winter. >>> this morning d.c. police are trying to figure out who shot and killed a man inside his home. the deadly shooting happened last night in the 1500 block of 45th street northeast near the d.c. and maryland now. investigators have not released any details about a possible suspect or motive in the murder. this is the second murder in d.c. this year. and montgomery county police found opened and closed bee

the popular d.c. chef is leading a campaign to warn drivers about one of those red light traffic cameras. thanks for joining me. >> glad to be here. >> tell us about this campaign that you are spearheading on foxhall. i got $425 worth of speeding tickets in three days >> three tickets? >> 125 and $150 apiece >> let's show fox what you have done. you have hired a guy with a sign to warn drivers. what does the sign say and what's the point? >> sign says, please, slow down. new speed camera, 500 feet ahead. $150 fines sort of courtesy of your restaurant chef jeff >> reporter: three tickets out there police would say if you don't speed, then you don't have to worry about these speed cameras. what do you say to that? >> through, through i have actually talked to the police department and they are supporting this process. we are trying to get the word out that the speed is 25 miles per hour on foxhall road which seems slow to me but that's what it is and we want to get everybody to sort of slow down and sor

d.c.'s police chief praised citizens for helping get guns and gunmen off the streets. >> this past year because the community had come together and decided enough is enough the residents in washington d.c. have said we've had it with the gun violence. we end the year with 108 homicides and 95% closure rate, the highest in the nation. [ applause ] reporter: but d.c.'s mayor told the crowd the city needs more. >> bring democracy to our nation's capital. bring the opportunity hire for us to be able to control guns in the way we know they need to be controlled. >> obviously their pitch for statehood based on gun control of the the mayor says a d.c. delegation will travel to new hampshire this week asking the legislature there to support a resolution for d.c. to become the 51st state so it can control its own guns. so stay tuned. >>> d.c. police want your help tracking down whoever shot a man in death in northeast overnight. 19-year-old david lee robinson was found at 58 and foot streets just af

and d.c. suffering right now. what happened -- >> sounds like this already under-served at risk population is even more at risk because of this. >> exactly. the funds that were intended weren't delivered the way they were. it's like with unfortunate henry thomas situation we had funds that were supposed to go for youth sports. instead went to something completely different. here where did the money intended to go for providing affordable housing go? contractors and loans and liens and nobody knows. get into accounting and the city needs to change its womennage. -- image. we need the ethical oversight and until we clear these clouds the city is in a rough spot. >> i would love to talk with you longer but we were running out of time. real quick, any updates on the northwest robbery situation? >> i believe the police have detained a couple of men and one woman who had been had suspicious behavior. had a gun in their car. nobody been arrested yet but it behooves everyone to pay attention. when they go home at night or

d.c. will hold a kickoff party and they've invited two american athletes hoping to make team u.s.a. this year. >>> a helicopter will replace this tower on the jetty in ocean city, maryland today. this is a picture of the old one. it was damaged by hurricane irene last summer. the chopper will pick up the new tower at the ocean city airport around 10:30 this morning. >> also today, harry thomas jr. heads to court to enter into a plea deal. he's now a former d.c. city councilman handing in his resignation amid allegations he stole money from a children's charity. 9news now was the first to bring you this story. delia gonsalves is live outside district court to tell us what's going on today. delia? >> good morning, andrea. though harry thomas jr. denied the accusation at first, later today, harry thomas jr. will step into the federal courthouse behind me, stand before a judge and accept the charges against him of embezzlement and tax fraud. thomas is charged with taking more than $350,000 in

that is something the d.c. taxicab commissioner takes issue with. >> you get a receipt in the e- mail shortly thereafter but you never see the meter recording. you have nothing that tells you what the meter recorded. or that the meter is calibrated properly. >> reporter: he recently took uber for a test drive and ended up slapping the driver with several fines. he says uber ignores the reciprocity agreements between d.c., maryland and virginia. he has referred the matter to the d.c. attorney general. reps from uber and linton have a meeting scheduled for february to hammer things out. d.c. council member mary cheh has thrown her support around the app. app. for now, the app is up and running and apparently doing well. >> our revenue here is what we were in san francisco after 9 months and wave been launched for about a month in d.c. >> it is free for iphone and android users but you can also use uber with any cell phone. can actually use text messaging back and forth to order your car. i had a question for them

this will continue to push, ending from west to east so d.c.'s western burbs, howard county will clear faster, and will continue towards 10:00 as you go into the d.c. area. take a look across the east. you can see basically this boundary will continue to kind of fuel a few more disturbances but those might track to the north. the warm air is going to surge basically into our area, bringing us up into the 50s, so any icy spots will be quickly out of here. light snow. sunshine tomorrow, 52 will be a great looking day after we get through the overnight. finding basically. back to the 50s thursday. looks like chilly and mostly to partly cloudy skies for the ravens game. for anyone out there tonight, drive with care. we're at that freezing mark. as we go later in the night, it could be icy airs. >> waiting for the commuters. >>> a colorado woman is hospitalized with severe burns tonight after a bag left for her and her husband exploded in their car. police say alley son -- allison found the bag labored with their name and drove about a block before t

. >>> neighbors in d.c.'s ward 5 came together to remember an infant who died after being abandoned in the cold. the baby girl was found sunday night on the steps of a home on channing street wrapped only in a thin towel. tonight's vigil was aimed at preventing another tragedy. some say they empathize with the mother. >> i don't know why. i don't know what they're going through. i don't know what made them do that. but i imagine they have to go through something that's realtorible. >> you know, folks, this is something that has shocked us to the core. and folks do have a heart. this is a community. we are a close-knit community and we do support each other. this is an opportunity for us to come together and show support for this baby and for this cause. >> d.c. does have a safe haven law which allows babies to be dropped off at hospitals and fire stations. no penalties. >>> fairfax county police tonight confirm a suspicious truck has been spotted again near an elementary school. more than 100 parents met toni

that starts at 8:00. >>> d.c. mayor vince gray along with congresswoman eleanor holmes norton and others will help mobilize 1,000 volunteers for day of service projects starting at 8:30 this morning at dunbar high school. the reverend al sharpton's national action network will held its king day breakfast in northwest. >>> the national cathedral will host king in our midst today at 2:00. these are just a few events going on today to honor dr. king. >>> a look at the morning's other top stories now. montgomery county police are expected to release more details today about an arrest in a spring of violent home invasions. kevin ray was arrested in north carolina saturday morning. he is accused of three attacks. latest one being in temple hills on friday. ray is now behind bars in montgomery county on charges including rape and assault. >>> police are also investigating an accident that killed an 8-year-old boy. this happened yesterday afternoon around 2 charleston 30 on a business question westbound stretch. duke stre

>> the d.c. district court is scheduled to begin january 17th and closing arguments on february feared pity if you look what happened at the judgment justice breyer they have a summary judgment arguments. >> i have read in the opinion and what you said on the phone and so forth. it seems to me that it's a complicated case but suppose you are completely right of your time schedule then you will decide something how can any human being a regional the maps in five days or ten days or do have six different positions? i mean i think it's impossible. how can you -- i don't see how you can. >> pre-clearances granted we won't have an issue. spinnaker would seem to me from reading it i didn't think that the judge is ready to grand prix clearance. the other thing and sending it back i read the brief and then i read the opinions. i don't think i have -- i am not being too generous but i thought that they were saying it throughout is they didn't try to draw extra collection or opportunity districts. they eme

the question swill it help d.c. schools? d.c. -- will it help d.c. schools? d.c. council chair kwame brown wants to offer incentives to get highly effective teachers to move to lower performing schools. i sent actives include a $10,000 bonus -- incentives include a $10,000 bonus, tax cuts and even housing assistance. reporter: it's called the highly effective teacher incentive act. its main goal? >> to go after the worst performing schools and fix them. reporter: the proposed legislation would encourage some of d.c.'s best teachers already in high performing schools to pack up their classrooms and move to schools where their talents are needed most. >> the bill's broad package of incentives has the potential to bring even more great teachers to our communities of. reporter: school chancellor kaya henderson offered her support at a public hearing monday but also addressed concerns from parents with students already at high performing schools. >> let me also say that our focus on our low performing schools does not mean ignoring our higher performing schools. in fac

then there's d.c. council chair kwame brown. the d.c. attorney's office is looking at how he raise and spent 300 grand during his campaign for his at-large seat in 2008. as you recall, he also came under fire and public scrutiny for ordering a fully loaded suv for his official car. add second suv ordered because the first one was the wrong color, leaving the district on the hook for both lease. finally there is d.c. mayor slip sent gray. he is under a federal investigation of his own. prosecutors are tracking the large amount of money that flowed through his mayoral campaign. wendy? >> to date, voters who say they are disgusted by the actions of gray and brown filed formal pagers to try to recall those two elected leaders. tom sherwood is here with that. is that going to get anywhere? >> no city wide recall has been successful in the district but this is more trouble for mayor gray and chairman brown. ♪ america >> reporter: mayor graves celebrating environmental issues wednesday at an elementary school in southeast washington. while do

d.c. we are joined live in northwest white this is an issue made worse by the arctic blast. >> the left think you want to have happen when you are coping with a cold is to lose your power. it has been crazy. mother nature is such a schizophrenic. a nap in the air continues to nag d.c. area residents. >> it is so cold. they are talking about the 50's in a couple of days. i do not know what to make of that. >> the power went out for thousands of residents living in reservoir and foxhall. >> i was looking to a hot meal and got home. i hope the gas will work. >> while some are willing to cope, others are dining out. >> we are heading out to the family. hopefully it will be fixed in the morning. >> power was restored after bad cable was found and replaced. quite the a equilibrium is off. trying to figure out what to do, what to wear. >> the weather pendulum will swing once again on friday. the temperature could be 20 degrees higher. we will certainly take that. >>> we are following some breakin

and why do occupy d.c. need an entire congressional hearing to talk about it i mean it's pretty civil right it's politics they're all i says been on a tirade since december to figure out what all is happening in mr macpherson square he's requested all communications from the white house from the interior department and the park service so that he can decide for himself is the president is allowing protesters to stay in unsanitary conditions for political reasons and according to the washington examiner committee members will analyze the effects of the occupy movement with what they fact that they've had on the economy on security and on the environment so is the real concern here unsanitary conditions due to rats well d.c. residents don't seem to think so it's not too bad i mean you go anywhere in the city anywhere in the city there's roads everywhere you go out you know everywhere they can be you know what i was i never knew would be seen that many ways you could tell me and. now i'm sure the mayor knows b

so, my d.c. cap adviser was really that counselor and that mentor and that friend that helped me to make the right selection to choose that college of my choice. >> and now you're back, giving back -- >> giving back, yes. >> helping others. >> absolutely. >> i want to talk more about that, but is that one of the goals, too, that students will come back to our region and help strengthen the economy? >> you know, absolutely. the corporations or the foundations have supported this, particularly local ones. their hope is really to enable the population in d.c. to get employment. and so, we're hopeful that our college students come back and contribute not just to the economy but to the community as well. so, folks like tiffany and many of our other -- actually, we have several d.c. cap students who are now advisers. and folks who are out in the community with jobs who are giving back in different ways. it's really one of the -- it's the icing on the cake. it's the icing on the cake. >> l.d., let's tal

reporter: d.c. council chairman kwame brown seemed to stop just short of demanding a resignation. >> i have not yet received his resignation but i expect to. reporter: are you demanding or asking for his resignation? >> i expect to receive it. reporter: the fbi and irs agents raided thomas' northeast home late last year. allegations were that thomas used the stolen money to buy an suv, a motorcycle and take lavish vacations and spending sprees. federal authorities say beginning of the year 2007 after he was elected to the d.c. council thomas failed to report some $25,000 in income. it jumped to an astounding 278,000 in unreported and untaxed income in 2008. then $43,000 in 2009. d.c. councilman harry thomas was just reelected to office last year. he's got three years left on his term as representative from ward 5. if and when he resigns, there will be a special election in just over 140 days to fill out the remainder of his term. washed 5 residents. >> i met him -- ward 5 residents. >> i met him. he

why members of occupy d.c. are taking their movement indoors. >>> details about a honeymoon mystery. how did a newlywed disappear from this cruise ship? >> reporter: i'm julie carey where a grandmother gets a sentence from t >>> in news for your health, a study finds no evidence that routine psa testing for men helps them live longer. psa testing is for prostate cancer. some call it life saving. erica edwards reports. >> reporter: he felt strongly he wanted to rid his body of prostate cancer when he was diagnosed. >> i didn't want it to grow and get worse. >>reporter: he was treated in houston, giving credit to the psa blood test that spotted the cancer. >> i had no symptoms. the psa test, i think, saved my life. >> reporter: while it may be true, research from washington university in st. louis goes against many pay she wants gut reactions. it doesn't always translate into longer lives. >> after screening these men for up to 13 years we can find no reduction in their chance of dying of prostate cancer. >> repo

d.c. council member harry thomas jr. is in court where he is expected to enter a guilty plea for stealing more than $350,000 in government funds and filing false tax returns. we now go to delia gonsalves, she's been following the saga. she's at u.s. district court with more information. delia? >> reporter: j.c., good afternoon. you know, it is pretty amazing, despite the several crews we have covering each of the three doors here at federal court, harry thomas jr. still managed to slip through without being noticed. he is inside. he has been inside for about 45 minutes by now. he is just moments away from receiving his judgment. we know that harry thomas jr. is charged with taking more than $350,000 in government funds, using it to allegedly buy fancy suv and a motorcycle. he's also charged with filing false tax returns for three years in a row. apparently wasting very little time after his 2006 election to office, only getting more bold by not reporting more than $270,000 in 2008. thomas

the d.c. government oversight committee, their free ride should be over. darrell issa chairs the committee. he has sent letters to the office of interior demanding answers as to why processers are still here. though park rules ban camping. the hearing comes week after the d.c. health inspector found a rat infestation and other violations. i've asked the national park service myself numerous times why they're calling this an on- going 24-hour vigil and not what it appears which is camping. they've never provided a good answer, telling me they're protecting the protestors' first amendment rights. for many, that's an answer that's good enough to allow the protestors to be here. congressman isa released a statement at the time saying "the city is trying its best to protect the health, welfare and safety of people in and around the camp site. in this situation, the national park service has so far been more interested in making excuses than protecting the public." this comes of course just a short

and why do occupy d.c. need an entire congressional hearing to talk about it i mean it's pretty simple right it's politics they're all i says been on a tirade since december to figure out what all is happening in mr macpherson square he's requested all communications from the white house from the interior department and the park service so that he can decide for himself is the president is allowing protesters to stay in unsanitary conditions for political reasons and according to the washington examiner committee members will analyze the effects of the occupy movement with what they fact that they've had on the economy on security and on the environment so is the real concern here unsanitary conditions due to rats well d.c. residents don't seem to think so it's not too bad i mean you go anywhere in the city anywhere in the city there's rats everywhere you go out you know everywhere they can be you know what i was i never knew i'd be seen that many ways you could turn to me and. now i'm sure the mayor knows

d.c.. i think later this hour, maybe 6:30, 7:00, this is going to be on top of the washington metro. out to the west though, this is where we're going. by the way very warm this morning. we've got low 60s in spots and this is helping to fuel the heavy showers from warrenton to the west of culpeper now. all moving northeast at about 60 miles an hour: so we've been watching this as it's now sneaking in toward western fairfax, southern loudoun counties. hay market, gainesville, this is headed your way. and another line of some very heavy rains pushing through areas from hagerstown now. look at this stuff just east of winchester, headed toward charlestown and harpers ferry and maybe frederick in the next hour. watch out for that this morning. we turn colder this afternoon. beverly farmer? >>> yes and we've already got problems headed to downtown. still dealing with the closures downtown of 26 -- rather 22nd street north of s. street. the ongoing repairs after the water main break and the sinkh

and why do occupy d.c. need an entire congressional hearing to talk about it i mean it's pretty civil right it's politics there i said has been on a tirade since december to figure out what all is happening in mr macpherson square he's requested all communications from the white house from the interior department and the park service so that he can decide for himself is the president is allowing protesters to stay in unsanitary conditions for political reasons and according to the washington examiner committee members will analyze the effects of the occupy movement with what they fact that they've had on the economy on security and on the environment so is the real concern here unsanitary conditions due to rats well d.c. residents don't seem to think so it's not too bad i mean you go anywhere in the city anywhere in the city there's rats everywhere you go out you know everywhere they can be in the white house i never knew in d.c. mapping out ways you could turn to me and. now i'm sure the mayor knows but so

why do occupy d.c. need an entire congressional hearing to talk about it i mean it's pretty civil right it's politics they're all i said has been on a tirade since december to figure out what all is happening in mr macpherson square he's requested all communications from the white house from the interior department and the park service so that he can decide for himself is the president is allowing protesters to stay in unsanitary conditions for political reasons and according to the washington examiner committee members will analyze the effects of the occupy movement with what they fact that they've had on the economy on security and on the environment so is the real concern here unsanitary conditions due to rats well d.c. residents don't seem to think so it's not too bad i mean you go anywhere in the city anywhere in the city there's roads everywhere you go out. you know everywhere they can be in the white house i never knew a b.c. map anyway you could tell me and. now i'm sure the mayor knows but some

d.c. this morning. you can see the washington monument there on your white t will be a cold start to your day, everyone. good morning. i'm sarah simmons. welcome to fox 5 morning news. let's say hello to tucker barnes. get the latest on your weather now. i need the seat warmers today. >> yes, you do. cold weekend, sunshine, beautiful but on the chilly side. low 40s. this is back by where we should be and 50s around here tomorrow. >> that sounds great. >> yes, but rain on the way. >> oh! >> always something in there. if you are headed out the door in the next couple of hours to work, that kind of thing, most people have a day off, it is on the cold side. dulles, 18 degrees. 19 in hagerstown. 21 in ocean city. you get the idea here. this is one of our coldest morning so far this winter season. a slow rebound with high pressure parked directly overhead. that will keep things quiet today. there is your sentinel satellite. we've got nothing but clear skies. we have a chance to do what we call r

a top d.c. medical official -- about lidocaine. a top d.c. official says although it's past expiration, the drug is still safe. reporter: we received this picture from a concerned first responder. look at expiration date. we're told this is lidocaine, a life saving drug used almost every day in the district. >> right now lidocaine is one of those main anti-arrhythmic drugs we use on patients suffering anywhere from chest main to cardiac arrest. reporter: kenneth lyons is the president of the -- chest pain to cardiac arrest. reporter: kenneth lyons is the president of the first responders union in d.c. >> we can't assure the public the drugs we're using will be effective given that many have expired. reporter: but the medical director for d.c. fire and ems dr. david miramontes says there is no reason to be worried. >> lidocaine in question is supposed to expire in january of 2012. we have a 30 day wiggle room for that medication according to the fda labeling. in no way, shape or form is this lidocaine bad. reporter: dr. miramontes says it is n

reporter: d.c. council chairman kwame brown seemed to stop just short of demanding a resignation. >> i have not yet received his resignation, but i expect to receive it. reporter: the fbi and irs agents raided thomas' northeast home late last year, a signal to most charges would be forthcoming. allegations were thomas used the stolen money to guy an suv, a motorcycle and take many lavish vacations and spending sprees. federal authorities say beginning in the year 2007 after he was elected to the d.c. council thomas failed to report some $25,000 in income. it jumped to an astounding 278,000 in unreported and untaxed income in 2008. then $43,000 in 2009. d.c. councilman harry thomas was reelected last year. he's got three years left on his term as representative from ward 5. if and when he resigns, there will be a special election and just over 140 days to fill out the remainder of his term. >> i met him. he's a really good guy. power and greed probably and lost his head. >> he came on and he was goin

movement d.c. of course as we know has been one of the longest standing occupations in all of this i mean i don't want to get to the for one thing. i'm not privy to everything that's being discussed as next steps the way that it's going to proceed from now on i think you're going to see a lot of sort of smaller groups planning longer campaigns with a particular actions that are to be branded with the sort of messaging of occupy. and assuming we lose the camp you know we will still take some collective actions but i think there also just be a sort of mushrooming of lots of different limited limited patients but i think what you've seen in what has happened in oakland and in other cities isn't a typical that you know after losing a park people try to move on take an abandoned building and use that as a staging ground for a sort of spring campaign let me just ask you about i guess what could be seen as a sort of housekeeping matters and that is i'm sure you've seen this over the last couple weeks and

is the first elected d.c. official convicted of crimes committed while in office. >> i think sadly that i don't think that there's a lot of credibility regarding ethics with d.c. council right now. >> reporter: to him me wells had these comments about harry thomas trying to recapture his seat on the d.c. council. >> in d.c., we really don't want to limit voters choices, but in a case where someone has so violated the public trust with a criminal enterprise to take public funds and utilize the office seemingly for that purpose, it really gives you because to say that maybe this is a case where we need to revisit that loss. >> reporter: meanwhile 9 news now learned that ward 5 democratic leaders held their first meeting today to discuss the thomas scandal and map out a strategy to field a candidate to replace him in a special election to be held in 114 days. >> that special ward 5 election is open to all political persuasions. he will serve the final three years of harry thomas, jr.'s term. depending on the sent

group our d.c. certainly let pepco know they are unhappy about the proposed $42 million rate increase. what did you think when you heard they wanted to do a rate increase? >> i thought it was preposterous because they made $800 million in profits and we think that's too much. we want them to take that $42 million off the table. >> it was disrespectful and it's unfair. i have to choose whether i want to keep my lights on for my children or buy food for them. reporter: the original plan is for the protesters to go right inside, but if you look over here, you can see what stopped them, a rove mpd officers. they -- a row of mpd officers. they say their message is still being heard. >> more of us together make us have more power, so i think something can happen if we keep doing what we're doing. reporter: protesters brought pennies saying it's all they have left. think say considering the long outages after big storms pepco has a lot of nerve. >> pepco has the worst customer service in america. >> corpor