>> frigid cold out there, tom. >> the area that is got the most snow in maryland, there, they have temperatures down into the teens. closer to washington, there is notas much snow, under a clear sky. low to mid 20s. there is some cloud cover over virginia. the cloud cover does extend near fredricksberg, well out of the mountains there, cloudiness as well, near thirlt. central west virginia. and northern west virginia is clear, so is western maryland. and temperatures there are in the low 20s. there is the view from space. can you see the gray area, the cloud cover over much of virginia and west virginia that should be receding to the south today. there is the the washington monument under a clear sky. it will number the 20s by 9:00, by the afternoon, sunshine, with temperatures in the upper 30s to near 40. a look at your night planner forecast. coming up in ten minutes. >> how is traffic? >> not too much to worry b refreezing, remelting. not much melted yesterday. smooth sailing off i-95. headed up to fairfax, inside the beltway, 395 in fine fashion. and i-270. south of town to the woodrow wilson bridge, lanes are open. southeast and northeast washington starting off in fine shape. >> thank you very much. >> well, today, you will have the chance to drive the intercounty connector. kimberly is waiting to be one of the first drivers to drive the highway. >> reporter: good morning, we are starting where you noted on georgia avenue. we are told that the icc is already open. you are ride wg us for the first time on the icc. we are approaching the entrance here just shortly. this is something that has been in the works at least under construction since 2007. the opening day was supposed to happen yesterday, because of the snow, we showed you from the same mobile position, they had to delay the opening. now, the opening is happening today. we were told it would happen before 6:00 aimpt we believe that it is open. at this hour. if you can hang with us for a minute, we are about to pop on it here. this is the first seven-mile segment of the icc connector. and officials are saying it will cut 70% of your traffic time off. that will be a welcome change for many people. there will be no toll booths on the icc connector. you have to use an ez pass. for the next few weeks, the next month, there is a forgiveness, test drive period. you are allowed to drive the icc for free. here we are. some of the pieces of construction pushed off to the side. not much traffic on the icc right now. can you get used to this morning commute, couldn't you? we are going to drive t tell us how long it takes us to drive it and get back to you on what that experience is like. here we are, on the brand new icc connector. it will be an 18.8 stretch of road through maryland, at a total cost of $2.6 billion. you can see the cones on the road. freshly paved, freshly lined road. right now, not a car in sight. reporting live on the icc, back to you in the studio. >> i look forward to hearing how long it takes to get from 270 to georgia avenue, that is a route they go all the time. thank you very much, kimberly. >> not everybody is thrilled about the icc opening. >> many people who live along the highway say this is what they have to look forward to. we took desbill readings, and found the noise level to be comprobably to the direct flight path of reagan national airport that has residents concerned. >> from the beginning, it was very, very loud. a lot of sleepness nights. >> at first, i was concerned about the noise. after we put up the wall, their trucks were moving across it, and their stuff moved, i didn't hear anything. it has been okay. >> many parts of the icc have sound walls protecting neighborhoods from the noise. several factors determine where the walls are. and thinking of getting an ez pass for taking the icc, if you order it through maryland there, are fees you should worry about. each account have a fee of $1.50, and a one-time fee of $21 to purchase the ez pass transponder. >> kwame brown is no longer driving an suv that cost $2100 a month. after public outrage, he returned it. d.c. taxpayers may still have to pay for it. jackie benson explains. >> reporter: he may have returned the luxury suv, d.c. taxpayers may be expected to pay the lease on not one but two lincoln nav gators. the first one didn't have the interior color that brown requested and remains part of the city fleet. he issued the following statement. reached at his home on monday, he told tom surewood he intends to reimburse the money. >> we will contact the leasing company. >> news of the pricey leases didn't sit well with other council members. >> do we need this expense? it raises the issue of who needs to have a car. city administrator, the council chair or the head of schools. everyone else under that. >> community reaction was about the same. >> i am just not sure that a vehicle at the rate of $2000 a month is warranted. even if we weren't in a budget crisis. >> we are told that d.c. attorney general has been asked to find a way to modify or terminate the leases. that can be difficult. >> you may soon start costing you more to take a taxi in the district. mayor gray ordered them to lift a $19 cap on fares, that was supposed to be removed in october, the new rule will not take place for another 30 days it is estimate thad removing the cap will allow drivers to make an extra two to five dollars per trip. >> we should know by the end of the week if the district's so-called shotgun stalker will be released from a mental hospital for a day. a series of shooting left five dead and four injured. he requested a 12-hour release from the hospital to spend his birthday with his father. the judge hearing that request expects to issue a ruling by friday. 4:39 is your time. lawmakers from a second state fleeing a budget fight. >> you may work hard to keep your facebook account private, if you work at one agent, you have to hand over your pass medterian. time to get up, get dressed, and get out. it is a cold start mid and upper 20s in virginia, closer to washington, the low 20s, the snow pack was deeper, it is only in the teens under a clear sky there. clouds in virginia and west virginia this morning. there is the washington monument under a clear sky. in the mid and upper 30s, here is your night planner forecast. clear, throughout the evening. in the 30s, then, partly cloudy by dawn on thursday. big changes, tomorrow, friday, into the weekend. details coming up. how is traffic? >> 3:55, at icc, we will hear what it looks like. >> and overnight road work, around tyson's corner, there is a bit through one more stop, out with the west, dulles airport, looking good so far. our time, 4:43, 27 degrees. when you get your hands on the next generation ipad, still to come. >> and how cell phones are changing our brains. >> and crime on the metro i. >> 4:45, is your time. crime is on the rise on the metro system, more were mugged, raped than in the last five years. crimes were reported. two rapes are linked to the same support in a parking garage. one victim was a 13 year-old girl, and one was carjacked and assaulted. no homicides were reported. there will be no orange line between stadium armory and new carrollton. the five stops between will be closed. >> 4:46, virginia governor mcdonald asking congress to consider spending cuts to take money away from metro. the funds were going to be used to replace the series 100 train cars involved in the metro crash in 2009. sharon bulava said it could be riders at risk. >> and the budget battle in wisconsin is getting uglier by the day. taking to the air waves f the budget isn't passed, notice i will go out. the plan prompted thousands to storm the capitol in madison for more than a week. the senators who left, denying republicans a forum won't get a paycheck until they return to the floor. >> in indiana, lawmakers are boycotting until they assure them they won't debate education and union matters. >> president obama will spend part of his day with injured troops and their families in bethesda, his first visit there since 2009. the white house said the president will spend about an hour there. and the the former chief of staff rahm emanuel is the mayor-elect in chicago this morning. there is no need for a run-off election now. he called the victory, quote humbling. he will take over for richard daly on the 16th rob will be a terrific mayor for chicago. >> and according to amazon, he has been accused of helping to leak the draft of an unpublished book by one of palin a former aids. >> a massive earthquake rocked new zealand. it hit the second largest city, christchurch. hundreds are dead. right now, a curfew is in place, police say there are too many weak buildings that could topple over at any time. anyone seen out past 6:30 p.m. will be arrested. >> does a cell phone cause brain cancer? there has been fear that holding a cellphone up to your ear can lead to brain cancer. for the first time, scientists have measured changed in the brain caused by radiation from cell phones, they say that brain activity did increase, no more than if the brain was doing any other function like thought or moving a toe, for example. >> there is nothing in this paper that suggest that is cell phone have any harmful effect on the brain. >> the cell phone doesn't emit enough power to be damaging to the human body. >> the cellphone injury claims there is no danger. the director said she changed the way she used her cellphone, using an ear piece. >> could you get that toe, please? i hear the ringing. >> increased brain activity. you are on the phone, speaking. >> hearing something, reacting to it. >> that is not new information, is it? >> we try to make it new. >> the study itself, i guess it shows it doesn't cause brain damage. >> doesn't cause brain cancer. >> tell us about this. >> my frontal lobes are glowing, we are now picking up areas of teens being reported. down into the teens north of washington, where that snow is deeper from the storm. right now, it is in fask, seven above zero in maryland. most closer to washington, a lot of it melted yesterday afternoon, in the mid 20s right now. prince george's county, fair fax, and northern montgomery county near 20. elsewhere, in the rest of virginia, and the shore, in the 20s, to low 30s in southern virginia. much of west virginia is below freezing, southern part is a little above, down in the teens in northern west virginia. clear in the district, most of maryland and pennsylvania, here is cloudiness, that should break up as the day progresses. here is the washington monument in washington, starting off this wednesday morning. by 9:00, below freezing, sunrise, 6:49. by mid afternoon, in the upper 30s to near 40 degrees. sunset at 5:54, moving back into the mid 30s, hold steady in the low to mid 30s. and by dawn, upper 20s to near 30. during the day on thursday. increasing clouds, rain likely late in the afternoon, and through the night on thursday, milder temperatures and breezy friday night into early saturday. highs in the mid 40s, and milder on sunday. rain, late on sunday. off and on on monday, and drying out tuesday. how is traffic? >> doing well. northeast washington, kenilworth, new york avenue, moving along nicely. along new york avenue, minimal delays, getting to the northeast on route 50, no hang-ups to report. check things out over the top side of the capital beltway. all the way to the american legion bridge, travel lanes are open. heading to virginia, update you on 395. overnight road work, crews are still working on the left side of the roadway. the overnight the lights were turned off, power was down. it looks like the lights are back on. keep you updated. no hang ups on the 14th street bridge. >> thank you very much. >> a maryland agency, department of corrections officer robert collins raced the issue when he applied for another job within the department, they demanded his facebook account. >> he went through my posts, my messages. my wall, my pictures, things like that i think that is totally wrong. inappropriate and illegal. >> the department said the policy was put into place to make sure that officers didn't have gang affiliations. the policy is under review for 45 days now. >> why clark police hit a lincoln impersonator with a fine. >> and a hound found. looking for a new . 4:57 is the time. ipad fans, listen up, good news, several reports say that new ipad will be unveiled on march 2nd. the i pad 2 is said to be lighter, and have a faster processor. a camera on the new model and talk of an improved screen. apple has not confirmed this news. a mystery in virginia, a driver in prince george's county found a dog wandering, a bassle hound puppy near a rest stop. the driver stopped. scooped up the puppy and brought her home for safe keeping. the dog doesn't have a collar. nobody bes where she came from. the dog is doing well. dog world rescue is working to find a home for the hound. what a cutie. >> don't be surprised if you see an unusual. event is part of civil wars to civil rights series. >> a nation of the people by the people, and for the people. >> let's hope today's lincoln impersonator has better luck. phil howell recited the getsburg address he was a hit, he collected $25 in just a few minutes. that is $25 more than he should have collected. the u.s. park police cited him and his friend for what was quote a vending violation. police say he was essentially panhandling. he didn't know what he