East at suddenly road. Also looking great at spout run parkway. Its about a 12minute ride on eastbound 66 from the Fairfax County parkway to the beltway at 55 miles an hour. A deal is in place. The house voted in favor of a measure late last night. Taxes will not be going up for 98 of americans. Were talking tax hikes for some and still a lot of unanswered questions, especially when it comes to spending. Those making more than 400,000 a year and households pulling in more than 450,000 will see a 15 to 20 tax increase. As for the income tax cuts for everyone else, those will continue. The bill extends jobless benefits for the longterm unemployed for another year impacting an estimated 2 million americans. 109 billion worth of across the board cuts to domestic and defense budgets, theres still a sticking point. The deal delays pending cuts to the pentagon for another two months kicking the issue of sequestration down the road. Its not a perfect bill but the timing was crucial as a new congress is set to be sworn in on thursday. Thanks to the votes of democrats and republicans in congress, i will sign a law that raises taxes on the wealthiest 2 of americans while preventing a middle class tax hike that could have sent the economy back into recession and obviously had a severe impact on families all across america. Now, while the tax package passed will protect 98 of americans from income tax increases, most of you will still end up paying more in federal. Thats because a temporary cut in the Social Security payroll tax just expired. At the live desk, angie goff, news 4. 5 03 now. Markets are reacting positively to the fiscal cliff vote. Stocks are up 2 . European stocks are also up right now. This congressional term will end without the house voting on a bill to help victims of sandy. New york area lawmakers from both party are furious over House Republicans leaders decision not to hold the vote. This Congress Term end at noon tomorrow. House speaker John BoehnersSpokesman Says the congressman is committed to getting the bill passed this month. That isnt good enough for some of his colleagues from new york. Absolutely inexcusable. We have a moral obligation to hold this vote. The people who are out of their homes and who are cold and without food, the people who lost their jobs. They dont have the time to wait. We cannot walk away from our responsibilities. It is our obligation not as democrats, not as republicans but as americans to make sure that we come to the aid of americans. More than 2 billion of federal money has been spent so far on relief efforts. Fema still has more than 4 billion in its Disaster Relief fund to cover costs until early spring. Montgomery county courts will begin holding their first public samesex marriages. Since midnight yesterday, gay couples around the state have held private ceremonies. The courts reopen for the first time in the new year and the Circuit Court clerk says she already has four ceremonies lined up. Maryland is the ninth state to legalize samesex marriage along with d. C. Also this morning, the d. C. Council will hold an inauguration for six members marking the start of their new session. Independent david gros owe is the only new face on council. He beat out Michael Brown in november. Reelected Council Members, orange, evans, bowser, alexander and miriam barry will begin new terms. Theres an organizational meeting assigning Council Members to committees later today. The governor will file a federal lawsuit challenging the stiff sanctions against penn state. They were handed down in the wake of Jerry Sanduskys child sex abuse scandal. The penalty includes a 60 million fine against penn state. It would be used to finance child abuse prevention efforts on a national level. State lawmakers object to that money being spent outside pennsylvania. It is coming up on six minutes after 5 00. Trying to get life back to normal. Well tell you what the children of sandy hook elementary can expect when they return to the classroom. Also ahead, the brazen crime that left a apple store cleaned out of merchandise. Despite what your mom told you, theres no direct link to winter. Well show you why, though, the flu bug always strikes at this time of year. Bundle up this morning, dont catch the flu. Get ready when you head out to work. How long this chilly weather will stick around with weather and traffic on the 1s, next. I i got it, i got it made i got it made, i got it made i got it made fresh at subway breakfast made the way i say [ male announcer ] at subway, you got it made. Try a steak, egg white cheese, tricked out any way you want. Subway. Eat fresh. Welcome back at 5 08. Engineers at Virginia Tech figured out why the flu is seasonal. In lab studies, they found the virus flourishes when humidity levels are below 50 . When the humidity rises, the virus is not able to infect as easily. However, that doesnt mean that you cant catch the flu in the summer. Engineers found the virus can thrive when humidity is close to 100 . You catch a cold when its really, really humid or less than 50 humidity, which is more likely to be the case in the winter months. But you can catch it any time, really, right . Because the kids are bringing it all the time. There you go. I was watching that video, oh, my god, please stop coughing on me. You can catch it just watching. There is the sky over washington now. Thats a live view from the nbc4 city camera. All is calm and quiet. As we get back to work and school on this wednesday morning, there may be a few scattered flurries in the air. If youre about to step out the door, you may have a few flurries floating down. These are passing to the south and east. Southern maryland, Northern Neck and virginia, lower part of the eastern shore, thats where most of the flurry activity is. May be a few scattered flurries due to much colder air beginning to push on in. These areas, you see in the lighter lavender are in the teens from northern pennsylvania all the way into ohio and indiana. This is going to be our source direction of our wind today. Drawing in that cold air, on a northwest breeze, right now around the metro area, were generally in the mid 30 eads. But our northern western suburbs are down to near freezing. That includes leesburg by 6 30 this morning at freezingment maybe a few breaks in the clouds by then. And then by noontime, partly sunny but only in the mid to low 30s there and Holding Steady in the mid 30s there through the rest of the afternoon. Farther south and east, in the metro air rah by mid afternoon. The northwest wind blustery into the afternoon and evening hours. The wind will diminish a bit. But a cold night tonight and a cold pattern continuing. The latest on that, your sevenday outlook, thats coming up in about ten minutes. Now a look at traffic. Danella is off today. We have Mike Cremedas in. Good morning, tom. Still looking good on the inner and outer loop of the beltway. We have a small issue before glebe road. A right lane shut down. Not in camera, but not causing a serious delay right now. Also looking great at the 14th street bridge. Thats northbound side. Its 12minute right on northbound 395 to the 14th street bridge at 55 miles an hour. Well take a look at 50 next. All right. Thank you, mike. It is now 5 11. Why the popularity of the bieber is being blamed for an accident in california. Also ahead, lingering problems. Why athletes could be at further risk for injury even after their ri[ female announcer ] there are lots of different ways to say get well to your loved ones. This came for you, mommy. [ female announcer ] but it takes the touch of kleenex® brand, americas softest tissue, to turn a gesture into a complete gift of care. [ barks ] send your own free kleenex® care pack. Full of soothing essentials at kleenex. Com. Kleenex®. Americas softest tissue. 15 after the hour now. Today the survivors of the School Shooting in newtown, connecticut, will attend an orientation at their new school. The classrooms at the Chalk Hill School in connecticut were redone to look just like the rooms at sandy hook elementary. School officials home a familiar environment will help the kid make a smoother transition to the new school. Sandy Hook Elementary School became the scene of a crime on december 14th when adam lanza killed 27 people before killing himself. Meanwhile, the connecticut lawyer who filed a 100 million lawsuit on behalf of a surviving student has withdrawn that claim. He is evaluating new evidence. The lawsuit was filed last week on behalf of a 6yearold girl claiming the state failed to adequately protect the students. He may refile in the future. Stafford county public schools. The Sheriffs Office plans to have daily patrols following the shooting in newtown, connecticut. Its the first time the county called for daily Police Patrols at schools. The Sheriffs Office says its a precautionary measure and not in response to any threat. The parents of a first grader suspended for pointing his finger like a gun. The boy is a student at roscoe nix Elementary School in silver spring. The familys Attorney Says the 6yearold was playing with friends, not making any threats. Keep in mind that a 6yearold is presumed not to be able to form the intent to commit a crime. The School System will not comment on individual disciplinary matters. However, a spokesman tells news 4, generally with younger students, they make sure that children and parents know about behavior that meads to change and understand the consequences if it does not. Were following a developing story right now out of alaska. Strong winds and high seas preventing crews from assessing the damage to an oil drilling ship. It ran aground. That ship is carrying more than 140,000 gallons of diesel fuel. Some other fluids as well. It broke away from a tow line on monday and ran aground near an unpopulated island. A coast guard plane and helicopter were able to fly over the ship yesterday. At this point, it does not appear that the ship is leaking any fuel. 5 17 now. New this morning, a paparazzo was hit by a car and killed after taking photos of Justin Biebers car in los angeles. Detectives say the pop star was not inside the White Ferrari at the time of the crash. The sports car was parked on the side of the road. The photographer was crossing the street when he was hit. No charges are expected to be filed against the driver. In the day ahead, some survivors of a bus crash that killed nine people in oregon are expected to head back to canada. However, some of them do not want to ride another bus. Yesterday, they collected their passports and other property that was spread across a rural highway. The tour bus carrying 49 people was headed back to British Columbia from las vegas sunday when the bus hit a guardrail and flew down an embankment and rolled over at least once. At least 14 people remain in the hospital. 18 after the hour. Police in france say four Armed Robbers made off with quite a haul from an apple store on new years eve. The mass thieves broke into the paris store three hours after closing time. They made off with more than a Million Dollars worth of items. An apple spokesperson says the company is still trying to figure out how much was lost. Doctors expect secretary of state Hillary Clinton to make a full recovery from a blood clot. Shes been in the hospital since sunday when an mri revealed the potentially dangerous clot behind her right ear. Clinton got the tests done after fainting last month and suffering a concussion. Doctors gave her blood thinners to help shrink the clot. Her husband and daughter chelsea were both visiting the hospital. This morning, we are learning a little more about the condition of venezuelan president hugo chavez. Vice president ma dur a told Cuban Television that chavez has the same strength as always. Chavez is recovering from cancer surgery in havana. Hes suffered several complications since then including a respiratory infection and its unclear when he will return to venezuela. For the first time a study shows a certain type of sugar can lead to overeating. Scientists at Yale University said mri testing showed fructose can trigger changes in the brain making patients not recognize had they are full. Its the sugar found in processed foods and soda. When test patients drank similar sugar, their brain recognized the intake of calories. This test is small bnd and more Research Needs to be done. One teens medical case raises new concerns about Young Athletes returning to sports too soon after a head injury. Doctors called it second impact syndrome. Researchers at Indiana University treated a 17yearold Football Player who suffered a head injury even though his ct scan was clear, he still had headaches and dizziness. Despite the symptoms, he returned to the field and they found blood filling his brain and it caused damage when he was hit again. The teen spent 100 days in the hospital and is still in a wheelchair. Time for weather and traffic on the 1s. Tom kierein telling us if the cold weather will amount to anything else. Youll need your warmest winter coat this morning. Theres a live view from the nbc4 hd city camera showing a calm condition this morning. Dry pavement much of the region. Although, there are a few scattered flurries trying to reach the ground. This area in lighter gray, we have a few flurries in Fairfax County, southern loudoun and northern Prince William. Southern montgomery, the district and northern Prince Georges County anne arundel county. This is drifting off to the south and east and behind that drier, colder air is beginning to push in. In fact, we may have the cold weather with us. Watch out for students at the bus stops. If youre waiting for very long, you definitely need your winter coat. Down to 30 degrees at gaithersburg. At or below freezing to hagerstown and cumberland. The panhandle of West Virginia and the Shenandoah Valley near the freezing mark. Most locations under the thicker clouds are above freezing from manassas to culpeper, fredericksburg and la plata. Its generally in the mid 30s, as well as on the eastern shore, mid 30s. Thats where theyre getting a few scattered sprinkles and flurries begin to dry out as they head off to the east. Heres the fourday forecast. Some sunshine breaking out later this morning, after the morning sprinkles and flurries. N. Ghs only reaching upper 30s not much of a warmup. And that blustery northwest wind will settle down, down to the low to mid 20s much of the region. Partly sunny on thursday with an afternoon high around 40. Upper 20s on friday morning. Mostly sunny on friday. Afternoon highs mid 40s. Another cold morning on saturday. Partly sunny saturday with highs mid 40s. Partly sunny for the skins game on sunday. Should be up around 50 degrees midafternoon. Then Late Afternoon when theyre playing, back down to the 20s and 30sment sunny monday and partly cloudy tuesday. Highs 40s monday, near 50 on tuesday. Ill be back in ten minutes. A look at traffic now. Mike cremedas in for danella. Good morning, tom. Things are looking good on the inner and outer loops. An incident on the eastbound side of 50. Richie highway, the eastbound side during the morning rush hour. No serious backups there. Westbound 50 in maryland looking good as you head towards the beltway. Lets take a live loob at the scene of the accident where no serious backups at ritchey road heading west. The approach to the beltway, a sevenminute ride from 301 to 495 at 64 miles an hour. Youre also looking great on the metro, the marc trains and the Virginia Railway express. Eun . Mike, thank you. 5 23 now. Good news for cats fans. The nhl could move closer today to ending their month long lockout. The league and Players Association have exchanged several new collective bargaining proposals and both sides are said to have made concessio concessions. Theyre scheduled to meet again to go over the latest counteroffer. The nhl commissioner gary bettman is entering the talks with guarded optimism. The fact that were involved in a continuous process is something that im glad to see. But were clearly not done yet. A possible hiccup in the talks could come at midnight tonight when the Players Association has to decide approximate they will disband and File Lawsuits against the league. The nhl hopes to avoid that and start a shortened 48game season by january 19th. It looks like the wizards are making little progress in the win column in the new year. They fell to the Dallas Mavericks last night 10394. Rookie bradley beal led the team with a career high 22 point, helped washington to a 14point lead in the second quarter. But the wizards couldnt hold on. It is their 25th loss this season. All right. The redskins get back to work today as they prepare for their first playoff game in five years. Theyll practice for the First Time Since clinching the nfc east by beating the cowboys sunday night. Doesnt that sound good. Still sounds good. Today is also your first chance to get your h