Too thin . A hidden camera investigation exposing security gaps in schools. Its the middle of the school day and im a stranger walking in off the street. Were Testing School security with hidden cameras rolling. And replacing rg3. A busy day in the news. Good afternoon. Im pat lawson muse. And barbara in for jim handly. And redskins are benches Robert Griffin iii for the rest of the season. Carol maloney is just back with the story. Whats the reason for the move . Reporter hey, pat and barbara, the word is this is to protect Robert Griffin. Tw the redskins out of playoff contention, its better for him to stay out these games so he can be healthy in the off season. He wont even dress in uniform on sundays. Kirk cousins will get the start. Rex grossman will be the backup. For the first time as a redskin, griffins job today was to run the scout team. Teammates say they were impressed with griffin, who brought energy and enthusiasm to his new role. And that seems to contradict how the quarterback is feeling on the inside. I expressed my desire to play. You know, of course, i want to be out there and finish the season with my guys, see it through. And he explained to me his reasoning. And at the end of the day, the coachs decision is where we go with it. You have to take a look at the risk and reward. And with robert, i thought that his hits were piling up on him. And i was afraid that we would set him back, and the only way you realize is if he gets hurt. I said its not worth it right now. I said the best thing to do is give him an opportunity to go into that third year, injury free. Coach shannahan saying its not just the 24 sacks in the last five games, but all those hits that have him concerned. Of course, pat and barbara, you can kind of empathize with griffins frustration, who is probably saying you didnt protect me in seattle last year. You didnt protect me in week one. Ands no last week in the snow. So why now . Diana russini will have more. Now to a developing story. A senators top aide arrested as part of a child pornography raid. His name is ryan and hes the chief of staff for lamar alexander. Our cameras were rolling as he was taken out of his house today. This happened on burk street in southeast washington, not far from the stadium metro stop. This is part of a important investigation. Senator alexander immediately suspended him after learning about the arrest. It reads i am stunned, surprised and disappointed by what i learned. Based on this information, i immediately place him on administrative leave without pay. The office is fully cooperating with the investigation. Chris gordon is following the story. Hell have the latest for us ahead at 5 00. A d. C. Police officer linked to a prostitution ring made his First Court Appearance this afternoon. And we learned hes accused of trying to lure at least two teenagers into that operation. 47yearold Linwood Barnhill was arrested and charged with two counts of pandering a miner. The arrest comes one week after authorities raided his apartment and found a 16yearold girl who had been reported missing. She told police barnhill forced her into prostitution. And during todays hearing we learned a second young girl has also come guard saying he did the same thing to her. His lawyer ask he be sequestered from the rest of the jail population. Mark segraves was in the courtroom. Coming up, he will explain how barnhill allegedly operated this prostitution ring. And were waiting to learn the official cause of death of the d. C. Police officer accused of child pornography. 32yearold Mark Washington died after being pulled from the Washington Channel in southwest washington near. He was arrested and charged with taking nude pictures of 15yearold girl while on duty. The lights are on for the majority of customers that lost power. Novec, pepco, bg e only have a handful of customers without electricity. Right now bone chilling temperatures are on the bway. The cold is taking a toll on us. But you know, our temperatures last night dropped down to the 20s. Wasnt quite as low as i anticipated, and that gave us a higher start for the day today. Weve been in the upper 30s to low 40s across the area. Nonetheless, im expecting some freezing temperatures tonight. Today we started out at 25 degrees throughout the area. Look at the numbers. 19 in leesburg, manassas. Ashburn starting around 16 to 17 degrees this morning. And now for tomorrow morning im forecasting 28 in d. C. , with many locations dropping to the low 20s once again. Our windchills tompl morning will be in the teens. When i return ill show you which neighborhoods will be if coldest tomorrow morning. Concerns about the care of the animals a t the national zoo. Zoo Officials Say the staff is stretched way too thin and thats creating a real challenge for them. The revelation comes on the heels of an internal report following several incidents at the zoo, including the deaths of three animals. Officials say the issues stem from not having enough staff in the number of animals they have, and budget cuts are to blame. Resources are stretched thin. We wont compromise staff safety. They posted more details about the the recent animal deaths on their website. Nelson mandela was honored and remembered today with a National Memorial service here in washington. The service at the National Cathedral commemorated mandelas life and legacy. And mourned the loss of an International Icon for dignity, equality, and human rights. Many protested three decades ago, demanding that mandela be released from prison. Mande mandelas body will lie in state in the South African capitol for three days. This is the same amphitheater where mandela was sworn in 19 years ago as south africas first black president. Mandelas widow and former wife both paid their respects. And thousands of South Africans from all walks of life are standing in line to bid fairwell to the man who changed their country forever. The South African government says it is looking into questions about the sign Language Interpreter at mandelas memorial service. The interpreter was seen around the world on tv as president obama and other World Leaders spoke. Critics blasted the interpreter as a fake and said his hand motions had no meaning. The Deaf Federation of south fr africa was one of the first agencies to call out the interpreter as a phony. Stay with news 4 as the world bids farewell to Nelson Mandela. Jim vance is covering to south africa to cover the funeral. A sneak peek at the White House Christmas card. Plus, the future of metro. New stops and a proposed loop around the downtown d. C. What it would look like and how to how it will feel to commuters. Plus, elementary School Security. How easy is it to walk in off the streets. Nbc were following new developments out of prince georges county. Police say 18yearold Ronald Haynes jr. Turned himself in today. He allegedly sped away from a shooting scene on walker mill road saturday night with his lights off and then struck a van at hill road and Central Avenue in capitol heights. 23yearold Britney Everett was killed along with 21yearold Britney Quinn who also says she was ten weeks pregnant. Well have more coming up at 5 00. The defense rested in the murder trial of an arlington sheriffs deputy. Craig patterson shot and killed Julia Dawkins back in may. He said in court he intended to arrest him during the altercation but patterson may had inadvertently hurt his own defense. David culver is workingen story to explain how coming up on news 4 at 5 00. New video just released of the airlines crash. Plus, metro maps out a new way to get around d. C. And why president obama is ending the year on a bad note. Testing could begin as soon as this weekend. For the First Time Ever a steet car will be moved from a testing facility to h street this friday. The streetcar will be placed near the hopscotch bridge at union station. Testing will start this saturday or on monday. Passenger service is not expected to begin until next year. It may take a couple of decades, but you could take the metro to georgetown in the future. They are proposing to build a new metro there. Adam tuss takes a closer look at the the whole plan. Reporter take a close look at this new map circulated by metros planning department. A new loop around the core of d. C. It promotes more business. This isnt immediate. Metro is looking to the future. This is part of the plan for 25 years from now, but its still being drawn up. It could be helpful. Were sort of on an island out here. It would be great. Charlie would love to get off the streets a enonto a train. I have to take the bus every day to work. It gets snarled in traffic. I would love a metro station out here. And trains could constantly circle the Downtown Core of d. C. Without having to go to the end of the line. Chicago has a very similar system in place. Metro says this line would relieve crowding. Back here on the street, some not so sure that the city and georgetown specifically needs the line. I also think theres tons of buses and other ways to get around. Im not sure if im for or against it. Reporter now this new line would cause a lot of money. But transit planners say with the way the system is crowded now, something has to be done. In georgetown, adam tuss, news 4. Check out this pretty wild video out of dallas. We told you people in texas are experiencing danger from falling ice. This is from sunday. All the ice on the roof broke apart and crash landed in front of the buildings main entrance. No one was hurt, but Authorities Say this could be a real problem for another couple of days. Well, pats snowman challenge is over. We are hours away from revealing the winner. We issued a challenge to build your best snowman. We got dozens of entries and you definitely rose to the occasion from the traditional to the minimalist to the off the wall and everything in between. The person who made this snowfalls most creative will be recognized with an official snow measuring stick. Well introduce you to the top five finalists on news 4 at 5 00. I have my favorites, but i cant say. Great. I think they have too much time on their hand. Do we have a chance at snow soon . I think we like the way we get through the rest of the week. Were getting a break from all the mess after yesterdays mess. But talk about a cold one for tonight. Arctic air is going to move in. Lets see whats going on right now. Sunshine, yes, and our temperatures, hey, they helped us out today. Into the low and mid 40s across the area. Take a look at your evening planner forecast. Were at 42 degrees. By 9 00 we drop to 34 degrees. Heres why on storm team 4 radar. We got quiet scanning the area. Picking up snow to the north and west. And its in line from buffalo to ohio just north of cincinnati right now. And thats a weather front that will be making its way t et ougg the overnight period. So its going to get gusty late. Were not going to pick up snow showers here. A few clouds around. Calling tomorrow a partly sunny day. Look at the windchill readings across the area. This is at 7 00 a. M. , what it will feel like throughout montgomery county, columbia, gaithersburg, 14 degrees is the start. Sterling at 13, what it will feel like. Around burk it will feel like 16 degrees. Cold . You bet. A lot of folks saying i really didnt need the coat, the heavy coat this morning. They will start to ease up in the afternoon. And then look what happens on saturday. I think Early Saturday Morning as snow, light snow, there will be some locations around here that seem more troubles than others. Im going to show you in just a little bit coming up before the newscast is over. A time line of who gets what and when. An early look at that. Things could still change. Were days out here. Colder for tomorrow. Were at 31 for a High Temperature. Yes,re going to be rising. Right now 44 degrees expected on sunday and monday with a 50 chance of seeing Early Morning showers on sunday. Barbara . All right. Thanks vj. Former president george bush just joined twitter. He sent his first tweet expressing regret he could not make it to Nelson Mandelas memorial service. Hes only sent one tweet so far, but he already has more than 50,000 followers. And a peek at this years christmas card. A popup miniature of the white house with tie any versions of first dogs sunny and bo. They adopted sunny back this august. The card is signed by every family member, including paw prints from the pups. The message reads as we gather around the season, may the warmth and joy of the holidays fill your home. Thats a cool card, isnt it . It is cool. Is it real popup . It is. So, how did the much buzzed about movie 12 years a slave hold up today . And new promises from casino owners in maryland may change the game in prince georges county. And a family of six survive two days in the its often a sign of whats to come for the oscars. And so the nominations for the Screen Actors Guild is getting a lot of attention. Survival is not about certain death. Its about keeping your head down. 12 years a slave leads the way with four nominations. Including two best supporting nominations. American hustle, august osage country, leed daniels the butler. Awards are handed out january 18th. The university of North Carolina chapel hill is the best value for a college. The university of virginia comes in second followed by the yooufrtd of florida, and the university of california at los angeles. Kiplinger provides the quality of education with a price to arrive at the the annual list. A quay see know is in the running for gaming rights, and theyre making a last ditch effort to stay in the race. The parks casino group was all but out of the running. The new plan goes from paying 100 million for roads to 200 million for reconstructing bridges on the road. It would be located at indian head highway. Tracee wilkins will have more at 5 00 with the companies they hope will put them back in the competition. Lines are forming for the biggest megamillions in a year. No one matched the numbers last night. The lottery expects to sell herely 2 million tickets for fridays drawing. This is the second largest jack pot in megamillions history. Last year one was worth 656 million. How dirty is your kitchen sponge . Its bad. A nasty. Just a few dozen customers remain without power from the storms yesterday and sunday. Crews have been working around the clock to get the lights and the heat back on around the region. Many problems came from tree limbs falling onto power lines. Robert griffin iii wont play again this season. The redskins quarterback has been benched. The coach say this is a move to protect griffin with a team out of the playoff. Kirk kcousins will get the star. The house is expected to vote on the budget compromise reached just ahead of yesterdays deadline. It removes the possibility of another Government Shutdown for two more years. President obama has already expressed support for the measure. Today john boehner blasted conservative groups for pushing lawmakers to oppose the deal. He says they are using the American People to further their own goals. Now to the battle over the Affordable Care act. Today Kathleen Sebelius said shes requested an investigation into the botched rollout of healthcare. Gov. She says shes asked the Inspector General to investigate the development of the website. And the performance and payment of the sites contractors. And the battle over healthcare. Gov is driving the Approval Rating to a record low. A new wall street journal poll shows 54 of americans disapprove of the job performance. Thats the worst rating of his presidency. Nearly 16 of the people polled say the single factor affecting their opinion is health care. A new poll suggests Hillary Rodham clinton and new Jersey Governor Chris Christie are deadlocked in a hypothetical matchup in the 2016 president ial race. The poll puts christi ahead of clinton by three points. 48 to 45 . If christi were to sit out of the race, clinton would be a shoe in. She has a doubledigit lead over other potential challenger. In january few people had heard of the man named as the Time Magazine person of the year. This years choice is pope francis. In january he was the archbishop of buenos aires. In march he was elected pope. Time says francis stepped out as someone who changed the tone of the church in an extraordinary way. New york cardinal timny dolan says pope francis has captivated the world with his humble ways and simple lifestyle. Going to check in with Veronica Johnson to find out about our weather and how cold it will get tonight. Okay. I have to think about that one for a while. It is going to be cold again. Getting close to sunset here. And its what you may say is a cold sunset. We have clear skies right now. 36 degrees to north gaithersburg. 39 in reston. You folks around camp springs coming in at 40 degrees this evening. Going to watch the temperatures drop off. As they do, the winds are going to pick up. Were at 32 degrees, the freezing mark at 11 00 p. M. So tomorrow morning is cold. Gusty, some sunshine, but with windchills in the teens as we head on down to the 20s again. All right, thanks, vj. Some corporate finger pointing at a hearing in julys deadly passenger jet crash in san francisco. This as new video is released showing the asiana flight 214 crash that killed three people and injured more than 80 others. Chris clackum reports. Reporter new crash video shows asiana flight 214 clipping a sea wall while landing, instantly breaking apart with most of it tumbling down the runway at san franciscos airport last july. Shortly after, investigators concluded it was flying too low and too slow. But at a hearing on the crash on wednesday, ntsb chairman said she wasnt interested in assigning blame. We do have the opportunity today to ensure the lessons of this event are well learned, and that the circumstances are not repe repeated. Still executives from boeing were quick to defend the jet they designed and manufactured. And suggested the pilot may have relied too much on automated landing aids. We try not to put in Design Elements that can override the pilot. Executives were on the the defensive, too, over their pilot, who was landing the 777 for the first time in san francisco. Captain lee is a very well experienced pilot. There were 307 passengers and crew on board. Including a chinese girl who survived being thrown from the aircraft but killed when run over by a responding fire truck. Chris clackum, nbc news. New development fls the George ZimmermanDomestic Violence case. Wendy rieger has details at the live desk. This is just coming in from florida prosecutors. They will not press charges against zimmerman for Domestic Violence incident that occurred with his girlfriend last month. Zimmerman was facing assault and battery charges after his girlfriend called police. Last week she took back the story and also she refused to cooperate with prosecutors. So again today prosecutors are saying theyre not going to press charges because they cant make a successful case against zimmerman. Celebrating the life and legacy of Nelson Mandela. How to take this moment in history as an opportunity not to be wasted. Its the talk around town today with whor radios troy johnson. And security gaps in schools exposed by hidden cameras. How easily can someone walk into the school off the street . Since dawn today thousands of people have filed past Nelson Mandelas casket now lying in south africa. The mood was somber. Many people left in tears, clearly overcome after saying goodbye to the man who ushered their country into a new era. The viewing will continue through friday. Mandela will be buried in his home country on sunday. Mandelas legacy is the talk around town today. Whor radios troy johnson is here, and troy, your listeners really see all of this as an important history lesson. Absolutely. Tell us about that while we look at video from the National Cathedral memorial service. Mel son mandela is an important piece of our history. And a lot of listeners were saying its hard to wait until february to reflect on black history when its happening all the time. The celebration of mandelas life creates opportunity to create teachable moments about forgiveness and compassion. They were in south frek and how they impacted the rest of the world. And Nelson Mandela wasnt widely known in the United States until the 80s. For most people in america, he had already been in jail for decades by that time. Whor listener said she learned of mandela first on campus. I was most impacted by Nelson Mandelas life and observing him being gracious in a way that many of us wouldnt have responded to injustices. I protested, but i was too chicken to get arrested, but at least i was aware and it felt like the Civil Rights Movement particularly on the university campus. Those are many of the stories i was hearing. People with that early on connection in college or in high school, when they first heard about free Nelson Mandela. And then they learned much more about a man who has impacted bin laden for the last few days. And kevin said Nelson Mandela is a true catalyst in his life. Mandela still serves as a symbol of consensus. Truth and reck sigsuation is important. He is taking those and working on a law degree enand working to become a minister. And yours as well. I had the opportunity to visit him now. And its interesting. In america were an arms length away from history. But you can walk directly up as you see on the video right to his cell. Its only six feet wide. You think about the accomplishments that that manmade from the small space. Didnt have Internet Connection or a stof to help him. And its just amazing to be in the presence. Absolutely. Troy, thanks so much. Thank you. And one note for our viewers. Jim vance is on his way to cover the funeral. How easy is it to walk in right off the the streets . Nbc reporters go undercover with hidden cameras. Plus, the number one source of germs in the entire house. Now, this one is pretty gross. Veronica . Its another cold and windy night for us, barbara, with sub freezing temperatures tomorrow. And look at this. Were already tracking saturdays storm system. Ill give you the very latest time line as i zoom down to the counties, the cities, the neighborhoods. Im here to honor my daughter lauren, who was a substitute teacher at sandy hook Elementary School, killed last year. Saturday marks one year since the tragedy in newtown, connecticut. And some families of those killed are in d. C. To honor those lost with acts of kindness. The Newtown Action alliance along with supporters and other families who lost loved ones to gun violence will be volunteers in d. C. Today and tomorrow to mark the anniversary of the sandy hook shooting. The honor with Action Initiative will culminate with a at the National Cathedral tomorrow. And now to a hidden camera investigation. Looking to School Security. This was the First Anniversary of the New Town School shooting later this week. They will protect children and teachers from any kinds of violence and crime. Nbcs jeff rossen tells us what he found. Its the middle of a school day and im a stranger walking in off the street. Good morning. We are Testing School security in new jersey with hidden cameras rolling. At this Elementary School theres a buzzer. Hi, my name is jeff. Want to make an appointment with the principal. They let me in. But before you get to classrooms, theres another locked door. A staffer has to physically escort me to the office. You cant walk around this School Without getting signed in first. So pretty good. At the next School Security is even tighter. A guard intercepts me before i get to the door. Im going to need it . Yeah. Reporter we were encouraged at four out of five schools we visited. We were kept far from kids and classrooms. But whaatch what happens at thi Elementary School. Hi, good morning. They dont ask for my name and no one is here to escort me. The schools policy is for visitors to go to the office. I turn down this hallway looking for it and within seconds there are classrooms on every side of me here. There is a classroom here. Another classroom over here. Im still looking for the office and stop for directions. If you go down the hall and turn to the right, all the way to the end of the hall to the left. No questions asked about who i am. After two full minutes no one stops me. Only when i get to the office does a staffer flag me down. The schools pta called the results a wakeup call. What do you make of this . This is incredibly problematic. Two minutes of not being challenged. Theres just too much harm that you could have caused. Reporter but hes more trouble by what wnbc found when they went undercover in new york city. The reporter got right into seven out of ten schools. Zbr i have a harder time getting to my friends apartment building. Here he is roaming the halls and getting to a gym full of kids. Later a guard is approached. The nypd helps train the guards and vows to investigate. The citys School Chancellor reacted on camera to all the video. We have probably around 15,000 staff that work with us. Some need trained better. Experts say until all schools have robust security, parents should be concerned. Visitor security is absolutely critical. And you need the first line of defense at the first door. Now this is a sensitive issue in some of the schools visited are concerned. For parents here is the bottom line. When visiting your childs school, pay attention. Can you just get in easily . What kinds of questions are nay asking you . Is there someone in to escort you . And if they arent doing it for you, chances are they arent doing it for anyone. And we are getting ourselves bundled up tonight. I hope so. The chill in the air. Will it be colder tonight than last night. I think well have temperatures slightly higher tonight. Heres what will get us tonight. The wind. Talking about very low windchills for tomorrow morning. All that as arctic air moves in. And away from us. Theres a look at our virginia live camera. Look at this blue sky. We have just a few clouds out there right now around the area. That is a weather front. Western pennsylvania right through ohio. That will drop you to 28 degrees inside metro. 24 in fredricksburg. 27 degrees for an overnight temperature at pax river. Tomorrow mornings overnight temperature, yeah, youre looking at them. They look like low temperatures. We are breezy and cold for tomorrow. Especially to the west. Look at morhill. 27 for a High Temperature tomorrow. Shenandoah at 28 degrees. And 25 is the High Temperature in petersburg. I do think our highest winds will come from early in the morning. Those winds will be bitding around sunrise, and then theyll start to ease by the afternoon. But am sot point cold, and partly sunny sky. I told you i would take you hour by hour and zoom in on the snowfall. Here we are at 8 00 a. M. Saturday. Winchester especially and lorain, too. So i do think this is going to be a medium impact storm with some accumulation in these areas. Martinsburg, hagerstown, winchester, thats 10 00 a. M. Showers looking as though theyll stay to the south. But the system starts really nudging in during the afternoon. So for areas like leesburg and down towards culpeper, you may start to see some accumulating snow. And those snowplows will probably be deployed. I think at one point were going to switch over to rain showers right into sunday morning. The possibility of rain showers with High Temperatures at least rising to 41 degrees for saturday. Snow and rain likely. For sunday, we should see those showers clear. Turn over to partly sunny sky with a High Temperature of 44 degrees. So cold, cold for tomorrow. Theres the arctic air. As we get into the remainder of the workweek, quiet, but a little bit of a messy weekend. If you havent gotten the christmas tree, i would say wait until sunday afternoon, if you can. In news for your held, taking pictures may affect your memory. Researchers followed a group of adults as they toured a museum. They were told to photograph or look at a few dozen. One researcher later asked them about questions about the museums and objects they had seen a day later. They had a tougher time remembering details about the pieces they had taken pictures of. Experts say they suggest that relying on a camera to capture moments may make it harder to remember those moments. And for Health Reasons you may want to toss your kitchen sponge. A new report claims a kitchen sponge harbors 10 million bacteria per square inch and can be 200,000 times dirtier than a toilet seat. There are simple ways to kill potentially harmful bacteria, including just washing it with soap and hot water. You can put nit the microwave for a minute after wetting it or run it through the dishwasher. Just to be safe, you should probably replace that sponge two to four times a month. Found alive in sub zero temperatures. A missing family of six getting out of the hospital today after two days stuck in the nevada wilderness. What they did right to stay alive. The chief of staff of the u. S. Senator is taken into custody by police as part of a child pornography investigation. It happened here in a family of six is safe today after spending two days and nights stuck in the nevada wilderne wilderness. Leanne gregg reports how search teams tracked them down. Reporter a remarkable rescue. A family of six found, what friends and relatives had parade for. Im relieved that god answered our prayers. They just told me they found them. Thats all i wanted to hear. Theyre alive. Reporter james and his girlfriend christina, their two children, along with a niece and nephew, ages 3 to 10 had been missing since sunday. Thats when they took a drive to an old mining town near nevada for a day outing. A rugged remote area where temperatures can be more than 15 below. During the drive their jeep rolled off a dirt road. When they failed to return home, the National Guard launched helicopters. Glanton, a 34yearold mine worker and hunter built a fire near the jeep where the family took shelter. He was putting big rocks in the fire and getting them hot so the heat would come off the rocks and warm up the inside of the jeep. On day three a team on foot spotted a hopeful clue. We found a bunch of footpr t footprints in the snow from the kids. So we knew we were on the right track. The family was found in Good Condition suffering from only slight exposure and dehydration. I remained optimistic. But the weather conditions were drastic. And its a miracle. An adventure with an incredible end that defied the odds. Leanne gregg, nbc news. Right now a senators top aid escorted out of his own home in handcuffs after a child pornography raid. Rg 3 on the bench. Washingtons star quarterback is taken out of harms way for the rest of the season. You have to make sure to take care of the best players in a situation like this. And a man hunt comes