what is next. >> welcome to news 4 today for this tuesday, march 29, 2011. at 5:00, it is 37 degrees. every day we are looking at tom saying, when is the warm up coming? >> when will it stay? we keep getting teased. >> you are sick of it yet? >> yes. >> take your dramamine, there is more to come. the chilly pattern continues, i say unfortunately for those who are summer lovers. perhaps next week. patience is a virtue, i am told. 34 at reagan national. into the rural areas, in the suburbs, neert bay, in the 30s. away from the waters, down belefreezing, in the teens in many locations, the mountains of wnch maryland and west virginia. high pressure has been pushing down from eastern canada, that is giving us the cold chill. there is the washington monument. now, a crescent moon in the eastern sky. by seven clock, the sun will be up. by 9:00, upper 30 its, with sunshine. mostly sunny, in the upper 40s, near 50. clouds close in, and it looks like precipitation. i tell you what kind. coming up at 5:11. >> little volume here, 270. fredrick to rockville. go to virginia, on the beltway south of town. the overnight road work, springfield and telegraph road. and on the rails, no issues to report. >> three little girls taped behind nailed up dry wall. this morning, their parents are in jail. tracee wilkins has the latest. >> police say the children were trapped behind the dry wall. the oldest of the three children was able to climb over that wall. get out. get some help. 33 year-old john michael robby and 26 year-old christina don moore are charged with three counts of child abuse and child neflect. the 4-year-old escaped from the home on saturday, while her parents slept. she was able to make it to a neighbor's house. that neighbor came in and helped. >> three children, ages 4 months, 1 and 4, were in a bedroom, that had dry wall five feet high, nailed to the door way, preventing the children from leaving. one of the children, the 4-year-old was able to get to a neighbor's house and police were called. >> the neighbor went into the house and rescued the other children. police say the room was filled with urine and feces. neighbor reaction to what was going on in the home behind me from neighbors, and the mother's history of child neflect. >> tracy, thank you. >> out of japan this morning, crews say they have no choice but to keep pouring water on the reactors, making matters worse, highly toxic plutonium is seeps from the plant. it is a strong sign that the cores may have melted in the crisis in japan. could the end be near for muammar gadhafi? world powers, putting pressure on the leader to step down. they are talking about an exit plan for muammar gadhafi. and president obama is make his case for why the american military is involved in libya. a look at the president's televised speech. >> in that televised address, president obama, speaking at fort mcnair in washington, laying out the arguments, the president said that town was on the vernal of a massacre that u.s. could not wait another day to strike libyan regime forces. nato is said to take over operations in libya tomorrow. president obama said that u.s. will continue to support efforts to protect the people of libya. the president said that the u.s. could not turn a blind eye to what was happening in lib ya, but that our involvement would be different than in iraq. this time, president obama said he would not put troops on the ground. >> to be blunt, we went down that road in iraq. thanks to the extraordinary sacrifices of our troops and the determination of our diplomats, we are hopeful about iraq's future. but regime change there took eight years, thousands of american and iraq lives and a trillion dollars that is not something we can afford to repeat in libya. >> the president will be sitting down for interviewos three major networks including nbc. back to you in the studio. 5:06, a wake will be held for geraldine ferraro today and tomorrow. her funeral is thursday. she was the first woman to run for vice president when walter mondale selected her as his running mate. she died sunday at the age of 75. >> a tough question facing the supreme court that could end up costing wal-mart billions. >> yet missing cobra at the bronx zoo may be in hiding for a while. >> how warm will it get today. >> h[ coach ] in albuquerque,. citi pre-approved my mortgage. [ whistle blows ] all right, layups, guys. let's go. in sioux falls, i locked in a rate. coach, you get that house yet? working on it. [ coach ] the appraisal? ...springfield. wherever i was, my citi mortgage consultant had me covered. [ crowd cheering ] and 500 miles from home... [ cheering, cellphone beeps ] ...we finally had a new home. [ male announcer ] from pre-approval to closing, citi is with you every step of the way. what's your story? citi can help you write it. ♪ ♪ [ male announcer ] with amazing innovation, driven by relentless competition, wireless puts the world at your command. ♪ tom kierein. there is the live picture of the cherry blossoms . dawn is a great time to see the blossoms, they are at peak now. it is cold. near 30s in the suburbs, and the view from space, showing a clear sky here. we have clouds on the increase, from the midwest. that is a storm system that will be affecting our weather here beginning by this time tomorrow morning. right now, there is the live view from the city camera. there is the jefferson memorial, and the washington monument, in hd. you will see that by sev7:00, aa here is your night planner. big changes on the way tonight. cloudy by late evening, by down, chilly rain in the upper 30s, maybe wet snow flakes west and north of washington. that will be early tomorrow morning. more big changeos the way for the rest of the week and the weekend. >> the construction zone on the beltway, northern virginia t it looks like most of the major construction has been picked up. the outer loop, the inner loop continuing up to 66. travel lanes are available. clear, dry road surfaces. rhode island avenue, and new york avenue, light traffic so far. on the rails, no delays. >> 5:12, 37 degrees. the sports icon who announced he is leaving the sidelines. >> and a scare right on the national mall. national mall. i can't say enough about them. i can go in, get the things i need, and i know i'm saving money. why would i shop anywhere else? at giant, we want to thank you for making us the store you love to shop for over 75 years. this week, look for savings in every aisle, just for you. like super g boneless chicken breasts, $1.99 a pound. and pepsi 2-liters, just 10 for $10. i pay for my groceries, and i look at the bottom of the receipt, i'm like, "yes! i did it!" that works for me. more savings every time you shop, with your giant card. if you are just joining us, here are the top stories. a mother and father from virginia are facing felony child abuse charges. they are accused of locking their children in a room covered with feces. >> and more information about the partial melt down of the power plant in japan. a small amount of plutonium is leaking from one of the reactors. >> president obama will have three major views today, saying the u.s. seized the opportunity to stop muammar gadhafi forces from killing civilians without putting troops on the ground. the largest lawsuit in history, against the largest retailer in the world. 1.5 million are suing the chain for wage and gender discrimination. at issue, if the lawsuit should have been filed in the first place. lawyers for walmart said the sheer scope makes it impossible to lodge a defense. >> the plaintiffs tried to put one claim into every person, every class, every store. >> either class action lawsuits would be no more, or it could be open season against big corporations in this country. the county executive will deliver the state of the prince george's county economy address. >> let it be said that we met the challenges at one city. >> mayor gray. he received a standing ovation. during his speech, the mayor did not address any allegations, but said he takes the trust seriously. it happened at 5:00 last night, between the smithsonian castle and the museum. two masked men pushed down a 50 year-old man and rifled through his pockets before running away. >> you always have to, with myself, i am always aware of my surroundings. >> police say the men were last seen running down independence avenue. if you saw anything suspicious, police would like to hear from you. >> because of the cold weather, a bit of snow on sunday. it has been tough for the cherry blossoms. tom kierein said they have little coats and hoping to hang on. >> absolutely gorgeous down here at the tidal basin. look at the blossoms. this is the time, the bloom period is shorter this year, today, through friday, today is your best bet in terms of the weather. we might see a couple of snow flakes mixed in on wednesday. we are expecting sunshine. it is just beautiful down here. peak is when 70% of the blossoms are out. it is a sight to behold. if you want to go out before you head to work today, an excellent time to come down to the tidal basin, as the sun is coming up, the jefferson lit up in the background, everything is framd by the beautiful trees, a terrific time. you will beat the traffic, if you get congested during the day. a lot of folks headed on metro headed down to the area. if you are an early bird, you want to see the blossoms and the sunrise together, spectacular, the morning is your best time to come out down. there is a beautiful crescent moon out today, too. a good opportunity here. if you want to see them during the peak, today is your best bet, tomorrow, wednesday, the weather is not cooperating. because of the weather, it will extend, not the peak tigers but the overall bloom time. we will see the cherry blossoms out well into the weekend. that will help in the long run, in terms of extending the bloom time. not the peak. >> they look good out there, despite how cold it is. >> the overall bloom time. i like to hear that. >> when you put flowers in the refrigerator, they tend to last longer. >> you can't enjoy them when they are in the refrigerator. >> trying to bring out the bright side of things. >> the man talking about snow flakes tomorrow. >> this will be the morning to get down there. under a clear sky there now it is cold. mid 30s in washington, there at the tidal basin. elsewhere, it is below freezing to near 30 degrees, upper 20s. we do have a clear sky, with a crescent moon right now. the clouds are in the increase from the midwest there. is the jefferson memorial. a live picture from the city camera. the sunrise a little bit before 7:00. plan accordingly. then, by noon, we should shoot into the mid 40s, a lot of sun thnchlt clouding up by late afternoon. 5:00, in the upper 40s, by dawn tomorrow, we may have wet snow flakes as well as rain. it will be above freezing, mid and upper 30s, any wet snow we do get will be a brief dusting on grassy areas only. chilly rain throughout much of the day on wednesday. thursday, cloudy in the morning, maybe rain in the afternoon. highs in the upper 40s. lingering showers, then drying out friday with a high near 50. we will have a warming trend into the weekend. highs, 50, saturday and sunday. maybe some showers in the 60s on monday. jerry, how is traffic? >> good morning. germantown, the intersection, 118. moments ago, authorities were dispatched to reports of an accident. i didn't see it in the traffic cameras, it could be off 355. if you don't normally travel south from 27, heading down toward 118, down to middlebrook on 355, head's up, a report of an accident there. you can see the construction barrels, in the process of being picked up. one travel lane was open, crews are picking up barrels as we speak. 66 inside the beltway. and starting off quietly. metro, vre and marc, no delays. >> with six games left in the regular season, and an injury-plagued couple of games, alex ovechkin is back on the ice. the star, sources say had a medical procedure, most likely on his knee. >> a local high school football ledge send stepping down after 39 years, including the last 29 as a head coach. mcgregor lead them to three championships, 350 of his players have gone on to receive division i football players. outside of a semester spent his entire career coaching. >> the stamps feature two official engagement portraits of the couple. buckingham palace. staff members, polishing the glasswa glassware, and bringing in art. and the bride-to-be had a bachelorette party. prince william's bachelor party was apparently a tame event as well. when the royal couple ties the knot, wendy will be there. live reports, the reptile is no threat to the public. and they are confident the cobr hasn't gone far. they expect it be reappear. a fake twit snake twitter accous been made. >> i am not confident that we are all safe. i am scared. >> a major decision in fairfax county. where local lawmakers are considering a crack down on ♪ [ male announcer ] america's beverage companies are working together to put more information right up front. adding new calorie labels to every single can, bottle and pack they produce. so you can make the choice that's right for you. ♪ some nations may be able to turn a blind eye to atrocities in other countries. the united states of america is different. >> the message to america, president obama offers explaining and lays out his plan. >> and welcome to news 4 today it is tuesday, march 29th. as bee look outside, we are reminded that despite what it says on the calendar, it sent spring yet. >> winter is holding on. >> the blossoms and the flowers are out, continuing to show us it is spring, this morning, look off to the east, under a clear sky. the cheshire cat crescent moon there. near 30 in the western suburbs. prince george's county, mid 30s now. and away from the waters in anne arundel, it is near freezing. temperatures in the 20s. clouds on the increase. there is the live picture. the cherry blossoms are in peak, and sunrise, 6:58. it looks like wintery precipitation tomorrow morning. i will show you that and the night planner coming up. ten minutes. >> increasing volume. the overnight road work, picked up. 395. all the way to the 14th street bridge. the exit up on the gw parkway is open, and traffic moving along well. lanes are open, activity here on the shoulder. >> good news here, metro, vre and marc. no delays. >> secretary of state clinton is in london this morning to talk about the crisis in libya. she is scheduled to meet with 40 government organizations to lay the groundwork for libya without leader muammar gadhafi. they plan to open a more direct line with rebel groups. president obama defended military action in libya, saying it has prevented the killing of civilians. >> we were faced with violence on a horrific scale. we had a unique ability to stop that violence. a mandate for action, a broad coalition to join us, support of arab countries and a plea from the libyan people themselves. >> at no point did the president specifically mention the rebels. he is scheduled to do interviews with three major networks, including nbc. >> to japan, another dangerous development overnight, crews said they had no choice but to keep pouring water into damaged nuclear reactors, despite the fear that it could cause leaks. water is the only thing preventing the major meltdown and there is more. >> good morning, making matters worse, highly toxic plutonium is leaking from the fukushima plant. top government officials called the situation grave this morning. that plutonium and contaminated water offers signs that one or more of the cores may have partially melted. the earthquake destroyed the power system to cool the rods, three of six reactors have believed to have parentally melted down. emergency crews dealing with dangerous spikes in radiation. if plutonium makes contact with the skin, can be cause dna damage, and cancer. the country is on maximum alert. >> the pentagon is apologizing after the disturbing photos taken allegedly by soldiers. in all, 17 graphic fotose that show some of the soldiers posing with dead bodies. >> don't ask, don't tell, gay rights group is hoping to have the policy repealed faster. don't ask, don't tell was repealed in september the until the pentagon recognizes it, gays can still be discharged by the military. >> many lawmakers fear that one larger bill wouldn't gain traction, because private lenders are scared to pick up the slack of fannie may and freddie mack. real tors, home builders are opposed to doing awith the mortgage giants. they will approve bonds that provide 225 million for the construction. they will decide whether or not to buy a trash plant. many opposed to the county buying a private sbrmpt enterprise. >> a deadly shooting in the northeast. officers responded to bryant and downing streets at 10:15. they found the victim outside the apartment there. they took him to the hospital where he died. we are waiting to hear what sparked a fire in washington overnight. california street around midnight. there were no reports of injuries or extensive damage. >> straight ahead, pizza, wings and $13 that is what police say a local father was killed over. we will hear from the heartbroken family. >> and jaw dropping allegations of child abuse. where a local [ female announcer ] why is travel these days about what you give up, and not what you get? like electricity, for gadget power at your seat. room to stretch your legs, and your wingspan. food when you're hungry. and taking off your shoes, only if you feel like it. these aren't 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[ male announcer ] amtrak guest rewards members earn up to triple points this spring. visit amtrak.com for details. good morning, time for weather and traffic on the 1s, another cold start. now, 34 at reagan national, and it is just near 30, many of the rural areas, down in the upper 20s. and clear skies. off to a sunny start. we will have a lot of sunshine, a live view. the tidal basin. overnight tonight, changes on the way. a few snow flakes west and north of washington. we will talk about how that will last. along the 270 corridor. we are loading up rapidly. toward the beltway in germantown, authorities on the scene of an accident. 118 and middleburg, west of i-270, right now, a lot of fire and rescue equipment on the scene. going to the center, you may be detoured briefly because of that accident. 66 westbound, construction barrels in the roadway, toward falls church. keep an eye out for that so far so good. no early delays. 5:42, a d.c. staple, turning the page. soon to be under new ownership. >> and a d.c. plane inspection. ♪ ♪ ♪ [ male announcer ] with amazing innovation, driven by relentless competition, wireless puts the world at your command. ♪ i am a sneeze whisperer. wireless puts the world i am an allergy analyst. bermuda grass. ragweed. willow. i am a dander decoder. chihuahua. i am a target pharmacist. ask me about allergy relief. a disturbing story in virginia. parents are in jail, accused of locking their children inside a dirty bedroom. >> the parents had nailed dry wall to the door of the room, the dry wall was five feet high. somehow, the eldest of the three was able to climb over and get help. 33 year-old john michael robby, and 26 year-old christina moore are being held for neflect. the parents slept, she made it to a neighbor's house who came to rescue her sisters while the parents slept. in 2005, moore was charged with felony child neflect. the boys were found wandering, and were put in protective services. neighbors they there was something wrong inside the home. >> never had proof to call anybody. the police have been out before. this isn't the first time. >> the children have now been placed with child protective services. coming up, what that room was like. police have details. back to you in the stereo. >> two are in the hospital after a violent start to the week in prince george's county. someone shot two men on southern avenue on the county line. one of the victims was shot in the foot, the other in the side. both are expected to be okay. police have no word for a motive or look out for suspects. this was the fourth and fifth shootings in prince george's county in 24 hours. it started sunday night with the death of a pizza delivery man. we learned his murder was a set up. police say they believe the killers waited for him to get off the car and shot him. took the pizza, the wings and $13 in cash. his mother said she knew something happened to her son. >> i saw the news flash. and somebody got killed delivering pizza. as a mother instinct, i had no doubt in my mind. i felt it. >> he leaves behind a son that turns one friday. >> johnson was charged in federal court last week with conspiracy to commit evidence and witness tamering. witnesses say she destroyed a $100,000 check. the charges are an investigation of her husband. leslie johnson would have to give up her seat if convicted of a felony. >> soon it could be ilwilling to smoke in residential areas. a ban that would ban lighting up in common areas, hallways, lobbies, and landry rooms. from the vineyard to your door step, wine shipments are one step closer to becoming legal in maryland. the house already approved a similar bill. it goes to the governor, who has said he plans to sign it. >> virginia governor mcdonald, a new office building, a new 45,000 square foot office building that will accommodate employees. president obama is heading to new york city. attending a dedication for a u.s. delegation. president obama is expected to speak at two events in harlem tonight. one is a fundraisers expected to race $1.5 million. >> the white house unveiled the souvenir egg for the 2011 easter egg roll. it includes the stamped signatures of the president and first lady. this year's egg comes in purple, pink, green and yellow and they are made from a certified hard wood. the eggs will be given to all of the children who attend the easter egg roll. eun yang will be there with 12 of her kids in it. ow. >> i don't have tickets yet. craig. >> that is what i keep saying, hopefully, the white house will send over tickets. >> i could use five, maybe not 12. >> it is projected to last until friday, the festival isn't over until april tenth, the popular festival will take place on saturday, april 9th. will we have cherry blossoms in bloom april 9th? >> probably not. today is the day to get out and enjoy it. the weather is going down hill as we get into tomorrow and thursday and friday. right now, off to a clear start. we have a crescent moon rising higher in the sky. the live picture from the sky watcher camera. above freezing at the tidal basin. around the bay. farthest west and north, upper 20s to near 30 degrees. western maryland. west virginia, many locations in the teens this morning. high pressure from canada, all the way down to the carolinas, giving us a chill in the air. clouds in the inside, producing snow. i talk snow at the steadwicke elementary school and talked to the first graders there. they are so smart and so funny. we had a lot of fun. i want to thank their teacher stacey lynch for the invitation in montgomery county in montgomery county village. don't adjust your set. this is the t-shirt i got from those students. this will wake you up. if you are not awake yet. check this out. show it to you. this t-shirt is a throw back. there it is. there is capital hill. bright and sunny, in the upper 30s. sunrise before 7:00, and a few flakes, maybe tomorrow, western, northern suburbs, we should be above freezing elsewhere. off and on chilly rain, maybe snow flakes. maybe more chilly rain thursday afternoon and into friday morning. drying out for the weekend. sunrise returning. we could get showers. >> far out, man. some volume now, good news, lanes are open and dry this morning. the the trip downtown, doing all right. route 118, and middlebrook road, be careful if you are headed through the german town area. >> 5:54. those of you who use the circularity buses may be soon paying double. considering increasing the fare from one to two dollars a ride. it could bring in an extra $1.2 million a year. >> a new study show that is going through new full body airport scanners doesn't pose a radiation risk. a new study shows people would have to go through 50 body stans to get the same radiation you would get from a dental x-ray. some researchers said they would be glad to send their children through the x-ray. another thousand are said to be installed by the end of the year. >> the the fbi and u.s. air ways are trying to determine what caused a hole in an airport. a pilot found the hole on a preflight inspection. the hole is in the plane's main body holding the passengers and crew. it is not clear when it appeared. a new chain of stores selling the ipad 2. radio shack will soon start carrying the device. the chosen stores will be getting the device, no word on when they will get the device. >> the store current owners will sell to two this local journists to take over in the spring. the two are marry and spent years working for the "washington post." quote, we will do whatever we can do preserve the process and. the michigan -- the commission banned the sale of a specific type of beer because the name could be considered offensive. it is a morning show. there could be kids in the room it. includes the five-letter b-word. they say the label is detrimental to the public welfare. the lawsuit seeks damages from the loss of the sales from the ban. >> the beer he said has bite to it. >> now i want to try it. >> the big sale in the district many women look forward to every six months. >>