Are contracted to handle baggage or check in customers curb side. As wusa9s hilary lane explains, employees say they arent making enough money to make ends meet. Reporter this is the first time workers from both reagan and Dulles International airports have gone on strike on the same day. These are the workers, their baggage attendants and wheelchair attendants and they just want to make enough money to live comfortably they say. Terrible life. What do we want it . Reporter a terrible life. Thats how he describes it. Hes a baggage attendant here at Reagan National airport. He makes 8 an hour. But thats not enough to support his three children. What do we want . Reporter so he took on a second job at avis at the airport. He cleans the rental cars. But he sleeps in his own. In my car in the fire station in this airport. Reporter he works 16 hours a day. At the airport, handling baggage from 4 00 a. M. To 12 00 p. M. Until 1 00 a. M. He says he doesnt have time to go home during the week to see his family in silver spring. This is a sacrifice he makes. I dont have a choice to cover my bills. Reporter thats why he was the very first person out here at Reagan National this morning. Fighting for 15 an hour. I need to have a time to visit my family. And to take raise. Reporter he says he would go back to school and learn trade because at the end of the day theres just one thing that matters to him. To help my family. To get to help my kids. Reporter and airport officials here tell me they dont expect any disruptions to their service today. At Reagan National airport, hilary lane, wusa9. The strike is expected to last 24 hours. The workers are contracted by a Company Called hunt lee, usa. Union workers vent heard back from the havent heard back from the company and have not heard back from them. Gun control advocates mark a somber anniversary in front of the National Rifle associations headquarters in fairfax. The mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School happened four years ago today. 20 children and six educators were killed that day. Supporters of gun control regularly hold demonstrations outside nra offices. Investigators could charge a truck driver as early as today for this deadly crash on i95 near laurel. Authorities say the rig slammed into a minivan and killed a 13 yearold boy and critically wounded the driver. Two others involved in last nights crash suffered minor injuries. It was barely 24 hours old and now the cease fire brokered by turkey with russia for eastern aleppo has collapsed. Syrian fighter jets resumed bombing raids over remaining rebel held areas trapping thousands of civilians. The Syrian Regime has won back most of aleppo from the rebels of the country with the backing americas ambassador to the United Nations says those behind the conquest and carnage should be ashamed and bear responsibility for the atrocities. The crisis in aleppo is one of the Big International issues president elect donald trump will face when he takes office next month. But right now, mr. Trump is quickly filling his cabinet. Hes announced former Texas Governor and president ial rival rick perry as energy secretary. And his choice to head the interior department is montana congressman ryan zinc. As Kenneth Craig reports today mr. Trump meets with some of the big names in the Tech Industry for a discussion about jobs. Merry christmas. Reporter president elect donald trump had a Little Christmas cheer as he touted his pick to be secretary of state. Mr. Trump says Rex Tillersons rapport with World Leaders like russian president putin is an asset. Rex is friendly with many of the leaders in the world that we dont goat along with. T that. Reporter his close relationship with putin will certainly be a focus during the Senate Confirmation hearings. This is a bipartisan corn that reflects the fact concern that reflects that for decades the American People have correctly viewed russia as an adversary not a close ally. Reporter take just one republican member on the Senate ForeignRelations Committee to vote with democrats to block tillersons nomination. Shift his focus to jobs when he hosts a summit this afternoon featuring legallers from some of the worlds biggest tech companies. The true giants of Silicon Valley were going to talk about how to grow jobs. Were going to talk about how they can stay on top. Were going to talk about a lot of great things. Reporter among the guests are facebooks Cheryl Sandberg and amazons jeff bezos. Apples tim cook, and teslas elon musk. Kenneth craig, cbs news, new york. Not everyone invited to todays tech summit with the president elect showed up. The new york the leaders for uber and the Home Rental Service airbnb declined their invitations. It was almost two years ago when flames gutted a mansion in annapolis killing four children and their grandparents temperature fire starletted from a dry the fire started from a dry Christmas Tree and bad plug. Today Fire Protection experts at the university of maryland are sending out a loud message reminding people about the importance of taking care of your Christmas Tree. Mikea turner shows us what can happen if you dont. Reporter its a holiday nightmare. Your Christmas Tree dressed in flames and everyone in your home put in danger. This is what can happen if you dont cope your natural tree watered every day. And heat sources away from it. Anything that might get hot or might be you know able to ignite that tree. Keep it three feet away and you should be okay. Reporter Isaac Levinson showed three demonstrations on wednesday. Compared to a dry natural tree seconds. A Sprinkler System made a big difference in this tree demonstration. Every day if youre keeping one at home make sure its well watered and refill the base at the bottom and when you start seeing discoloration in the pine needles and things are falling down as you move it its really time to consider getting it out of there. Reporter five times more deadly than the average house fire. Dry natural trees like this one are most vulnerable. According to the national Fire Protection association, 230 house fires that start with Christmas Trees are reported each year. One of every 31 reported fires are deadly. You cant put them out once they get started. Reporter thats professor jim mielke who says the key to safety is preventing the ignition from happening. Making sure you have approved and acceptable lights and keeping space heaters well removed. Reporter a few tips to keep you and your family safe. Reporting from prince georges county, mikea turner, wusa9. More fires happen after chris to take care of their live trees. Typical weather today. But brace yourselves. Its going to feel like were in the Single Digits and soon heres Howard Bernstein with the first alert forecast. Remember when it got cold last week . That was a modified arctic air mass, this one will be a pure arctic air mass and going to be colder and drier eventually. How the humidifiers going and you can help just keep the static as little static shocked down. We have some sunshine but look at the clouds and let me get out of the way and you can see it better. From the west and southwest i expect us to be mostly cloudy later on and the cold has really taken told. Not so much here, well into the 0s. Other side of the 40s. Other side of the mountains, detroit, chicago, indianapolis, muff of ohio now in the teens. These are air temperatures and windchills are even worse. Theyre going to be in the Single Digits in fact our windchill starting tomorrow will be in the Single Digits most of the day maybe getting into the low teens. So get ready for that. Enjoy this afternoon. Its a good looking one. 45 at 3 00. Upper moving in until overnight when we could have a snow shower tomorrow ill give you the three day forecast. That 31, thats going to be like a midnight high. We will be in the mid and upper 20s for temps. Windchills tomorrow, 0 to 15 and we might even see a few snow showers lighter winds increasing clouds friday. Upper 20s. Because friday Night Saturday morning, we could have a wintry mix and well talk more about that coming up in a few minutes and i just want to remind you, you can always get the latest forecast and watch us live on the wusa9 app. Its a free download. Andrea . Thanks howard. We just lost an iconic tv mom, now a tv dad has died. Actor and song composer alan thicke died tuesday at 69 years old from a heart attack. He penned several popular tv theme songs including diffrent strokes. The facts of life and even the wheel of fortune hes probably best known for his role in the 80s sitcom growing pains. Also on the harden core writes a saddened day and a reminder that life is shortlived and live each to the fullest. You chocolate girl writes alan thicke you will truly be missed. I grew up watching you on growing pains, god bless the family. And finally susie writes he was one of my favorite comedian actors. Loved him in growing pains and sending many love and prayers to his family my love and prayers to his family. Alan thicke. Log on to my of the social media pages to share your thoughts and join the conversation. Next, new hope for people paralyzed because of spinal cord injuries. A new device could help get them moving again. In todays health alert. Imagine not being able to grip a pencil, put on socks or hold a cup of coffee. Its a frustrating reality for some of the nearly 300,000 americans suffering from spinal cord injuries. But researchers at ucla are using an implantable device to reroute brain signals arnold damaged areas of the around damaged areas to have spine and of the spine and improve hand function. Ryan gomez is building a coffee roasting business. And hopes one day soon, he can actually hold and drink a cup of his own coffee. In 2011, ryan suffered a dirt bike accident that broke his neck, leaving him in a wheelchair with limited use of his hands. The haroldest thing to learn hardest thing to learn is putting on your socks. Learning how to eat. Like this things that you wouldnt think would be hard at movement is rare but today things are Getting Better for brian thanks to a surgery and a doctor that saw the potential for recovery even five years after his accident. Spinal cord is a very plastic and very smart organ that can be the circuitry can be rewired. Which is what dr. Daniel lieu was hoping to do. He performed the first surgery in the world that uses a 32 electrode stimlator. A 32 [ no audio ] other devices have been tested in animals or have been shown to help patients move robotic limbs. This procedure is unique because its implanted in the spine. Instead of the brain and is designed to help patients move their own hands. Three other patients have gained 30 of the use of their hands because of this procedure. A sixth grader is being heimlich. Wayne norris of chesterfield, virginia says he was eating lunch in the cafeteria at school when he noticed another student with a panicked look on his face. Norris wasnt sure at first if the kid was joking but then he realized he was choking and jumped into action. Teachers call norris hero but the 11yearold on the so hour about it. Isnt so sure about it. Im not big on being labeled a hero. Dont call me a hero. I just try to help. The boy says he learned the sleeving technique from an lifesaving technique from an unlikely place. Watching tv. Dolly parton called on her friends to lend their time and talent to an allstar concert for the victims of the tennessee wildfires. The Smoky Mountains rise telethon raised millions for dollys my people fund. Among the performers, ken any rogers, amy grant, and reba mcentire. No word yet on how much money was raised but the presentations totaled 2. 1 million through the broadcast. It was really devastating whats happened to so many of these people that are fametous family to us. Theyre all our people and im just so happy that it turned out where i could be here to do this. Parton will be visiting gatlin burg in the coming weeks. It will provide 1,000 each month to family whose homes are uninhabitable or were completely destroyed in the Smoky Mountain wildfires. Temperatures plunged overnight and millions of people face dangerous cold as arctic air blankets the northern half of the country. The cold weather is expected to spread towards the northeast. In chicago where the windchill dropped to negative 8 overnight, crews lit tracks on fire to keep them from freezing over. And in minneapolis, contractors are spending up to ten hours a day outside in single digit temperatures. The National Weather service says much of the northern mid atlantic aor and so do i. You say it and were in that group. We are. And just a footnote on the tennessee fires, i was reading yesterday. 500million in estimated damage. And i know insurance covers some of that but there are people there thats kind of a rural poor part of appalachia that dont have insurance. So with Dolly Partons doing with her foundation 1,000 a month. That will help a lot. But anything you can also obviously contribute would be a great. Great thing to do. Weatherwise, get ready. Coldest air weve seen in december . Six years coming tomorrow in six years coming tomorrow and friday. Yeah cold stuff coming. Temperatures this afternoon enjoy it. Its balmy compared to whats coming. Mid and upper 40s this afternoon for the temperatures and fall into the 30s this evening as the clouds will thicken up some ahead of the arctic front. That will come overnight. With a threat far couple of snow showers and were still looking at some very cold air from eastern alaska into northwestern minus 350 to minus 40. Hey it could be worse always and that cold is across parts of North Central canada and also dipped down you can see the real cold stuff in the northern u. S. Great falls 4 below. Bismarck, 0. 6 below in International Falls and while chicago is 16. So when you look at 47 in National Airport . Low to mid40s, wherever you may be, yeah its not so bad. Little bit colder though in the higher elevations. The snow guns are blazing by the way wisp is opening friday and i think Liberty Mountain i was talking to a friend of mine, theyre opening friday as well. Sunshine now but the clouds are coming through the afternoon. Weve got 47 on the michael son weather camera. But even a feel like temperature of 41 is nothing compared to thats headed our way. So were pretty much at the high for the day. We may squeeze out another degree or two. Low 40s on the east coast but madison 14 and detroit 21. This is the source region for the air thats coming our way. Over the next and you can certainly see the clouds that are moving in advance but you cant see is the arctic front a little bit of snow shower activity but the arctic front is right about there. Not quite to chicago yet but its getting closer. And its moving quickly. So as i show you the futurecast clouds increasing this afternoon and this evening as the front gets closer some up slope snow showers on the west side of the divide. Mostly if youre traveling into western maryland or parts of West Virginia or even up toward pittsburgh, be on the lookout for that. As we get toward the midnight hour, the front gets close to us. Some snow showers may be a rain shower but i think its cold enough for all snow showers actually out of this. So we may see a few. Best chances will be east of us. But not going to discount it entirely. Now tomorrow morning, 7 00, that front is well east of us. Well have a ripping northwesterly wind 15, 20, gusting to 30 with the arctic air the snow showers and the mountains and with this sort of flow, we may actually get a few snow showers to come toward us. High pressure builds in by friday. So the winds will be lighter. Looking at increasing clouds friday ahead of the next which by friday night, may have some wintry weather with it in towards saturday morning. This could start midnight or later. May even start as soon as 8 00, 9 00 were watching this carefully. But what you need to know is this will all turn to rain. As far as the windchills want to show you this before we get to the rest of the forecast. By tomorrow morning, looks like our forecast windchills will be somewhere in the Single Digits to maybe 15. But during the day, they actually drop as the colder air moves in. 12 by lunchtime. Flush in town. Were sitting at 10 by 4 00 and look at the low single digit windchills tomorrow. This is serious stuff. Please if you keep your pets outside, why dont you let them inside or do something for them. Get them a heater. Three day forecast, weather wise. Today 47 late night snow shower. 20s tonight. 31 tomorrow. Thats actually a midnight high. Well be in the mid to upper 20s for temps during the day. Friday 28 increasing clouds and friday night early saturday well have some wintry mix to rain. We warm up that 50 is a late night temperature. 55 sunday is an Early Morning temperature and we could quail see this wail and actually see this rain and the snow sunday afternoon. And then monday and tuesday, temperesatur a mone hundredts thousand times a day, sending oxygen to my muscles. Again so i can lift even the most demanding weight. Take care of all your most important parts with centrum. Now verified non gmo and gluten free. Its just a cough. Our cough, sfx woman coughing youd see how often you cough all day. And so would everyone else. That lasts up to 12 hours. Robitussin 12 hour cough relief, because its never just a cough. Some santas dont wear red suits and sport beards, instead they have on military uniforms. Theyve been deployed on whats known as Operation Christmas drop. Their c130 cargo plane took off from Anderson Air Force base in guam. The mission is to drop critically needed supplies and Holiday Gifts in the fa sick ocean to the Pacific Ocean to the islands there. Its really cool for them to get a toy. In addition to the packages that are airdropped out of the back of the c130 this year the navy and coast guard are supplies by ship. The air force base holds fundraisers throughout the year to pay for the gifts and supplies. One final look at the forecast when we come back. Tonight on wusa9 news at 5 00, well learn more about a 13yearold boy killed in that crash on i95. A proposal to bring a multipurpose arena to silver spring. And were answering your questions about the crisis in syria. Hey weatherwise, mild today. Frigid tomorrow and friday. Windchills Single Digits and teens. Could see a snow shower tonight. Friday night overnight into saturday morning, some wintry mix will go to rain and more rain sunday may end as snow and then back to monday and tuesday. The scarf the heavyweight gloves and coat. Thats it for wusa9 news at noon. We will be back at 5 00. Until then, have a great afternoon. Well see you tomorrow. [ captions by caption colorado, llc 8007757838 email comments captioncolorado. Com ] sharon ouch. Didnt the ice help at all last night . Mariah yeah. No, it definitely did. You can barely tell that i faceplanted in front of the world. Sharon do you want me to do your makeup for you . Mariah do you have a trowel or maybe a paper bag that i can put over my head . Sharon stop. Let me. Mariah and maybe after were done, we can surf the internet for any cool new names that theyve come up with for me. Like miss fall fashion or my personal favorite, hell of heels. Sharon which is why no more surfing until all this is over. Just let the public turn on soon