more than # million in job training for people with disabilities. and $23 million in temporary assistance for low-income families. doreen gentzler has just returned from the white house a couple of hours ago getting an exclusive one-on-one with the president. >> you asked about the federal government workers in the region who say they've been dismissed and disrespected. >> we have 380,000 federal government employees in our region, and they are feeling disrespected. president obama says he doesn't appreciate that. he sent federal employees a letter to thank them for their hard work and patriotism under the pressure they're facing now. his message was clear. >> i have been distressed when i hear the way federal workers are dismissed or disguarded. i think a lot of the rhetoric is damaging and destructive.

>> we'll have a lot more from our interview with the president, including what he says to people in the district. they're feeling a disproportionate share of problems because of the shutdown. that's coming up later on news 4 at 6:00. congratulations. we look forward to that. >> much more of doreen's exclusive conversation coming up at 6:00. the shutdown triggered a face-to-face confrontation today. both lawmakers held news conferences today on the steps of the u.s. capitol. when gray approached reid to ask about the city's finances, our cameras were rolling. >> i'm on your side. don't screw it up. i'm on your side. news 4's tom sherwood right in the middle of it all when the confrontation unfolded. he'll have much more, including what the mayor said after the faceoff coming up in the next

half hour. >> what did you mean by "don't screw it up?" the remains of four service members killed in afghanistan are back on u.s. soil. the ceremony took place this morning in delaware. defense secretary chuck hagel was there with family members. and the families have not yet gotten any death benefits to help with travel expenses or funeral arrangements or other costs. now here are more details about the plans under way to change that. the pentagon has reached an agreement with the fisher house foundation. this charity will pay the $100,000 benefit to each family out of its own funds. the defense department will reimburse the foundation when the shutdown ends.

this is a nonprofit group that works with veterans and military families. aur coverage continues at the washington bureau. peter with house democrats at the white house. house republican leaders will be there tomorrow. is this a sign of possible progress? >> a grood way to describe this will be like ground hog day. it's unclear exactly what the path forward is. we know there have been conversations about a shorm-term deal to kick this can down the road, to refund the government perhaps to avoid the potential for a debt ceiling issue or default. but there's been no agreement on things. we're approaching one week away to run out of money. there's a meeting as you know taking place right now. the president with members of the house, democratic caucus. that's important. tomorrow there's a meeting with republicans. they can't agree on the guest list.

the president invited all 232 republicans. so, peter, gainsmanship. is this what we're see sng. >> it's definitely been a lot of gainsmanship. both sides are trying to express the fact that it's the other person's fault and saying if it weren't for them we would have this over with. the president trying to make the point clear that the republicans can solve this overnight. they're trying to find items to end the problem. we're not going to prioritize on the biggest headlines, the programs that are the most popular. we need to clear it off the table, to fund the government across the board so all americanscan get the programs the way they're used to receiving them. >> are they feeling a lot of pressure because the ceiling deadline is just a few days

away. >> there's a variety of reasons they should be feeling the pressure. the president acknowledges he's nervous. a small group of congress, specifically tea party conservatives, who believe this is all hype, the idea that the government could default. i just spoke to a federal budget expert who said this is the equivalent of going up to the nuclear button and pressing it to see what happens. this is real stuff with real consequences. although most people assume it would never happen, the assumption creates concern. there may not be the pressure on politicians to make sure we don't get to that place. >> thanks, peter. and we're following a developing story out of northern virginia. investigators are trying to figure out what led to a deadly crash. a driver of a pickup truck hit a woman crossing the street.

this happened this afternoon near commerce street in springfield. the truck driver did stay on the scene. we're told the woman was not in the crosswalk. twin brothers died in a crash over the weekend. the two men died when their vehicle ran off evergreen mills road and struck a tree. police tell us the victims were 26-year-old twins aaron and vincent henry of leesburg. they say speed was a factor. a former d.c. corrections officers will spend more than three years in prison after he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bribery. prosecutors claimed he received a bag of drugs, a cell phone charger and $400 in cash. a local boxing coach will spend the knicks two and a half years behind bars. he admits he diverted thousands

of dollars in government grants to pay for his gambling habit. he was a professional boxer during the '80s and '90s. tonight dan schneider is speaking to fans directly for the first time about the issue of the team's name. admitting he does hear the critics. in a letter to season ticketholders, he laid out his reason for the name. shamari? ? >> reporter: dan schneider details why he will not change the name in this letter. he said he listened compaarefulo perspectives on both sides. in this two-page letter to the washington redskins neigh, for the first time, heresponding to

the fans commanding a team name change. a team that began in 1932. schneider says i respect the opinions of those who disagree. i want them to know that i do hear them, and i will continue to listen and learn, but we cannot ignore our 81 year history, or the strong feelings of most of our fans as well as native americans throughout the country. after 81 years the team name redskins continues to hold the memories and meeting of where we came from, who we are, and who we want to be in years to come. we are redskins nation and we owe it to the fans and coaches and players past and present to preserve the heritage. yesterday i asked commissioner roger goodell about his take on the issue. >> do you feel it's a racial slur and should it be changed? >> well, i said repeatedly and i had this discussion for six or seven months. by no means growing up in

washington and being a redskins fan have i ever considered derogatory as a fan. >> now goodell says he's open to listening to critics he is expected to meet with critics next month. you can read the full letter on our website. nbcwashington.com. >> more than two dozen computers stolen from an elementary school in d.c. tonight police are trying to figure out who did it. it happened earlier this week in the capitol hill neighborhood. this isn't the first time a school has been targeted for electronics. pat collins is live outside the school with details. >> reporter: jim, it's happened again. thieves breaking into a d.c. public school stealing kpaurts. this time the hole is sizable. the target school this time, maury elementary in the 1200 block of constitution avenue

northeast. some time over the the weekend someone or someones came into the school and made off with 25, 25 laptop computers from the library. >> that was tragic and terrible. why would you steal from a school? that's crazy. >> reporter: look at the official police report. it lists all the stolen item ls. laptop, laptop, laptop. just this year volume indicates it took many hands and possibly a vehicle to pull this off. >> i think it's horrible that they would steal computers for the kids who need them desperately. >> this is not the first time this sort of thing has happened. in september burglars broke in to mckinley tech and made off with electronic devices. last march thieves hit the elementary school. 12 imac computers taken there.

back at maury elementary, parents wondering what kind of person would steal from these little learners? >> what sort of person would do that? steal from kids? >> sounds like it's probably somebody pretty young themselves. i don't know. it's disappointing. >> so far no arrests in that mckinley case. no arrests in the maury school case. live in northeast, pat collins, news 4. a wild crash on the track lgs. find out what led to this dramatic train collision. plus a fight over abortion clinic restrictions takes a new turn. why there is new hope for women who want to ease the rules. and we revealed that the exclusive gym for members of congress is still open during the government shutdown.

now there's a new call for action. >> we're getting a weather workout there. >> we sure are. the rain continues to move on in.

victory tonight for opponents of virginia's new rules. >> kritings say the stricter

standards could force many out of business. >> reporter: a celebration outside the arlington county courthouse by supporters of the health care center. a facility that performs abortions. they chaired a judge's ruling to move ahead with the lawsuit against new regulations on abortion providers. the state lawyers had asked that the suit be dismissed rosemary is the center's director. >> it's a turn of the time. it's been such an oppressive environment for three years for women's held. this is an immense and spiritual lifting. >> the targeted regulations were approved by the general assembly in 2011. they are required to meek hospital like standards. the cost of making the changes would drive most out o of business.

initially the state board of health chrks applies the rules, was not going in with existing clinics. >> when we were debating this, we were told you shut down all abortion clinics and shut off abortion availability in virginia. we ubs that. >> today state lawyers argue the law was properly followed, that the suit should be tossed out. lawyers will continue to press their case that the way the regulations were written, they should apply only to new clinics. and the attorney general trying to apply a different shat chut. the decision made by this court will not be the final say.

this case will likely be decided by the virginia court of appeals. lawmakers from the district, montgomery and prince george's county introduced a new bill to raise the minimum wage. the regional minimum wage would be $11.50 an hour. in d.c. it's a dollar more. if the regional minimum wage is passed it would go into effect within a couple of years. >> aids walk washington is only a few weeks away. today volunteers were posted at 12 different metro stations in the city spreading the word about the epidemic and a fund-raiser. the walk is scheduled for october 26th at freedom plaza in northwest. doug is joining us now. you had down days. now you are the busy day in.

>> i had my delete up for three or four weeks. we are waiting for the weather. did we get it or what? >> it's going to continue. i don't think this is going to stop any time soon. the rain and the wind all beginning out there towards union station. the winds are not gusting too much. as we look at the radar, storm team 4 radar showing heavy rain down to the south. the lighter green, that's the light rain. the darker green, that's the moderate rain. that's what we're seeing come right on through down the i-95 corridor. and then you get to the yellows and oranges. this is where you start to see the heavier rain come through. and that's the way this plays

out as this is yet another coastal storm that we're watching move down the coast ofcare loo na. the center is still way down to the south. and you know we are in for a lot of rain. take a look at this. areas of low pressure to the south. high pressure to the north. that what will keep this system together. it's also going to keep it here. possibly five or six days of the on shore flow. this is friday afternoon. more rain on friday. probably right on through the weekend and early next week. right now it's 60 degrees. winds out of the east/northeast gusting to 2. and winds will be a factor. not talking about winds that will take down trees, but it's going to make things feel cooler. right now a 30-mile-per-hour wind gust in washington.

tomorrow morning, we're still dealing with the wind. annapolis is 39. and this is the area that will get hit hardest. steady rain. heavy at times. with potential for coastal flooding. winds gusting 30 to 40 miles an hour. still, winds of 25 to 30 miles an hour during the day tomorrow. cool, windy and rainy. 63 on your friday. 66 on saturday. 68 on sunday. and we've got a chance of rain. one, two, three, four, five, six days out of the next seven. keep the umbrellas handy. i'll show you what to expect west of the i-95 corridor and

let you know what to expect with this wind. driving and using a hand held cell phone is now illegal in maryland. but are drivers adjusting to the new rules of the road? that story is coming up. all of this was once a massive rail yard. massive rail yard. now as you can see,

for the first time ever, i am supporting a democrat for governor. i am proud to support terry mcauliffe because he's focused on creating jobs for the commonwealth. i hope you'll join me and vote for terry mcauliffe for governor.

a truck driver pulls out of his cab just seconds before a train slams into his truck full of lumber. he pulled across the tracks and couldn't move because of traffics. >> frightening picture there. the washington redskins have the past sunday off from game action, but the team is now all about prepping for the dallas cowboys. you may remember this team turned it around after their bi week. diana racini is here. >> today the nose tackle said during the biweek last week a redskins fan walked up to him and said beating the cowboys was way more important to redskins fans than having a winning season. these players know the meaning of this game and for rg3 who

took off after last week's biweek, sunday could shift the team into another gear. >> i just wanted to get away and go spend some time with my wife and just relax and it worked. >> a weekend off from playing a game equals a refreshed redskins team. >> i felt like i was recharged. the batteries got juiced up, and i'm ready to get back to work. >> getting away from distractions while remembering what the theme is as they get ready to face the dallas cowboys this sunday. that's the only thing. everybody is giving a hard effort. >> we did not expect the year to start off the way it did as far as going 0-3. it was not up to our standards as a team.

so that was disappointing. but you always got to move on from that. >> it may give him time to rest. more importantly rest his knee. getting back at it? more like jumping back into it. the redskins play at dallas, perhaps the biggest test for the team this season. >> i don't think it really disappointed anything anybody more than ourselves the first four weeks of the season. i don't think any of these guys are up to their standards. we'll see if they can start a few story. they are currently third and will play at dallas stadium this sunday. there's still more to come here.

plus what rg3 did to recharge his battery. >> right now tensions are rising. a dramatic confrontation for d.c. mayor gray. >> it was a faceoff between major gray and the senate majority leader. >> i'm on your side. don't screw it up. >> find out what led up to this clash on capitol hill. and some members of congress are now calling for another kind of shutdown. >> and people are

take a look now. eastward we're seeing heavy rain. all i have to do is move a little bit out to the east and notice a lot more rain is on the way. not to mention the facts that the winds continue to increase. what happens if you live towards the mountains? we'll talk about that too in just a minute. >> fast forward through the

headlines. the fisher house foundation will provide $100,000 in death benefits to the fallen troops. this norng the remains of four soldiers arrived at dover air force base. >> the house passed today. they are meeting with house democrats at the white house right now. a very tense face-to-face conversation between d.c. mayor vin soent gray and majority reeder harry reid. when he approached reid about it directly the senator shut down gray. >> yes, jim, this was unusual. the mayor of washington crashing a press conference by the leader

of the senate. >> with liberty and justice for all except the people of the district of columbia. >> mayor grey led a spirited protest asking the senate to back a republican move to free the district from the budget retrixs. a move they so far should dismiss as a ploy for democrats. when grey learned senate majority leader harry reid was standing nearby holding his own press conference, gray left his own event. he pushed into reid's and stood right by him. a rare disruption. then grey confronted reid on his lack of support. in response, reid didn't sound please. >> i'm on your side, don't screw it up, okay. i'm on your side. the majority leader abruptly left, leaving grey to explain his actions. >> what i wanted to hear said is that we're going to go in there and vote to be able to allow the district of columbia citizens to

spend its own money. they stepped in trying to calm the situation. >> we cannot expect the leader to negotiate with us or speak with us in detail. >> the majority leader said -- mr. mayor,. >> the mayor returned across the plaza to greet citizen who is applauded his move. but it's unclear if he made things better or worse for d.c. on capitol hill. now the mayor is keeping the city open during the shutdown. but d.c. is running short of all the money it needs to keep the city open. >> they say they have no idea. don't mess it up. they're trying not to peace meal pass things to get the budget moving, and the republicans are trying to throw several things at them. it makes it difficult for the

senate to act if the mayor is saying fix the city, fix the city. don't mess with our strategy to ge this settled. we haven't heard a word yesterday. if the shutdown lasts until late october, it could have a huge impact on the veterans. it would stop disability pay for 3.8 million vets and stop pension payments for half a million veterans and surviving members. the shutdown is adding to a massive backlog of claims at the v.a. the backlog has grown by 2,000 claims in the last week. zbr it is day nine of the government shutdown. which means federal workers are going on two weeks without pay. but that doesn't stop the bills

for coming in. mark segraves talks to two federal employees who are struggling to survive during the this. >> the bills are piling up. having to choose which bills get paid and which don't. >> i can't pay my mortgage. unfortunately i'm living paycheck to paycheck. all my savings are in retirement. >> if she doesn't go back to work soon and get back pay, she'll be forced to take money out of her retirement fund. she says that would be a major setback for her. >> i would have to take it all out, suffer the penalty that you'll get, and the extra taxes for that. but i can't. and then of course i would have to start over again. >> while caruthers worried about losing her home, jerome is trying to find a home. >> i'm confident i'll find one.

but i don't know when. he says landlords are reluctant to rent to a federal employee, even a vet. >> i keep pushing. i keep pushing. i have hope. i have faith. >> in who? >> myself, god. >> congress? >> no. no faith in congress. >> coming up at 6:00, why this vet feels he would be better off staying in a combat zone than coming home to the shutdown. new details about shots fired outside the federal building in west virginia. let's get an update from barbara harrison at the live desk. >> pat, we just got new information a while ago. the u.s. marshall service confirming a man with an assault rifle fired 15 to 20 shots at the federal courthouse in downtown wheeling. security officers returned fire and injured the man. the marshal service says one officer was hurt by shattered glass inside the courthouse. but no other injuries were reported. the alleged shooter was take on

the the hospital in critical condition. from the live desk, i'm barbara harrison. still ahead, our cameras go deep underground to show you a side of the metro system you've never seen before. and live, we're monitoring the slow moving rainstorm just arriving. and doug tells us it's not going anywhere

our wednesday's child this week may seem shy at first, but he's a great kid when you get to know him. >> he hasn't had the easiest life and would be helped by having a loving family. barbara harrison introduces us to matthew. >> sometimes it's not that easy to gain a child's trust. especially one who has had very few positive experiences when it comes to trusting adults. i want you to meet matthew. >> hi, matthew. >> matthew at 15 now has been in foster care more than half his life. he's interested in video game design, so we came to meet a game design professor at the university.

matthew is a bright kid, but shy, and really wasn't sure he wanted to be here. >> matthew came into care in 2008 with his three siblings. and all the children had very difficult behaviors as a result of their neglect and trauma they suffered in their birth family. >> she says while matthew's sister and two younger brothers found adoptive homes, he has been left to move from one foster home to another. >> as you get to know him, he will come out of his shell a little bit. >> what is the most important thing about you that i should know? >> my personal. >> your what? >> my personal. >> well, tell me about your personality. how would you describe you? >> i'm nice. i like video games. and to help others. >> even in the short time we were together, matthew did begin to relax and shared his feelings about not being adopted like his siblings. are you angry? >> no. >> sad? >> no. >> but anxious maybe to also have a good life like they seem

to have. >> yeah. >> there's a special person here just waiting for a family to discover. barbara harrison, news 4 for wednesday's child. >> if you have room in your home and your heart for matthew or another child who is waiting, call our special adoption hot line. the number is 1-88-to-adopt-me. or you can search wednesday's child on nbcwashington.com. the news 4 i-team is back on capitol hill today. find out how some members of congress are reacting to our report about the exclusive gym that is still open for lawmakers during the shutdown. and drivers can get pulled over in maryland just for talking on a hand held cell

fallout from a news 4 investigation. some members of congress calling for the shutdown of the exclusive u.s. only house gym. >> scott mcfarland was the first to reveal it remains open even though the house leaders said it will be closed. >> this group said the fitness center is a perk.

they drafted former legislation to ask legislators to close the place until the shutdown is over. >> no cameras or reporters. not even staffers. the private gym in the rayburn office building. so exclusive the members of congress are banned from snapping photos inside. it's more than just fitness equipment. but a pool, sauna and basketball court, too. hours later they reveal the gym remains open even after house leader announced it will remain closed. >> some of the most fanatics about inflicting unnecessary pain on the american public are regulars. enjoying hour house gym. >> congressman bill foster of illinois, and patrick murphy circulated legislation ordering the speaker of the house close the gym until the shutdown is over. yesterday they captured a parade of house members walking in and out of the fitness center. some of whom defended doing so. >> it's a comfort at a time when so many people are not

comfortable. >> it's not a comfort to me. all i do is take a shower. >> on social media the news 4 story triggered a string of responses. one saying regular peshs for government employees. we asked the governor what he thought of his colleague's answers. >> he said it's not important. it's not a big deal. people shouldn't be worried about it. >> then why don't we shut it down. it is a benefit. it doesn't cost much. but the towels and the hot water don't come from the gym fairy. the taxpayer. it's not essential. it should be shutdown until the madness is over. members pay more than $200 a

year. it has just two sponsors we found. staffers tell me it is headed nowhere. >> thank you, scott, let's turn to the weather now. look at the soup behind us. it is thick today. >> i don't know who ordered it. but that soup will be here for some time. just light rain moving on through here. this is an hour ago towards national harbor. the clouds, a breeze, a like breeze, you can see the flags blowing in the wind. but not too bad. here is your evening planner as we take a look at temperatures down to 60 degrees. now. cool rain across the region. 57 by 7:00. 54 by 11:00. rain, rain and rain. and we can continue that right into towards tomorrow morning. temperatures around the region or actually winds around the region, gusting to 23 miles an hour around the airport. 35 towards ocean city. so a lot more the further east you get.

back to the west, not much of a wind at all. not much of a gust at least. and i don't think we're going to see too much west of i-95 from this as far as winds are concerned. just going to be a bit breezy. this is not a very strong storm, it's just going to be persistent. we're talking persistent rain right across the ocean and in towards our area. if you're back towards winchester or martinsburg, you haven't seen any rain yet. i do think the rain will move in as we move through the overnight hours. here's future weather taking you through tonight. some of the heavier rain may be over the mountains. breezy. friday, breezy and rain continues. that's going to be scenario as we move on through. not only the next couple of days but in through the weekend. now the you're back to the mountains, these are wind gusts

early tomorrow morning. we may get 25 to 30 miles an hour wind gusts but winds 10 to 15 miles an hour. not that bad there. half inch to an inch total. very low flood threat. winds gusting 10 to 20 miles an hour. only had to say it three or four times. but rain, rain, rain, rain. >> get used to it. right now police in montgomery county are cracking down on drivers using cell phones. the number of tickets handed out is up dramatically since the law went into effect last week. news 4 chris gordon road along with officers enforcing the new cell phone law. he's live in gaithersburg with what he saw. chris? >> good evening. montgomery county police have assigned special teams to write tickets. and in the nine days since the new law took effect, they handed out 150 citations. that's an average of one ticket every ten minutes while they're on patrol. >> it's amazing, but yet they'll

drive down the road at 60 miles an hour in heavy traffic and talk on the phone like it's nothing. >> he has been a cop 29 years. he took me along in an unmarked cruiser as he issued tickets to drivers he caught behind the wheel with their cell phone in the hand. >> i sit there and watch them texting with one hand and not looking at it. it's every intersection. >> until october 1st distracted driving while holding a cell phone had been a secondary offense. meaning police needed another reason to stop you and give you a ticket. montgomery county has cracked down. and there's been a dratmatic increase in tickets. >> put your window down. pull right over here. >> so far 150 citations by montgomery county police have been issued between october 1st and 9th compared to 533 citations they issued during the entire year of 2012. >> we know that distracting

driving was the number one cause for crashes. we're monitoring the number of crashes to see if the numbers start declining. it will take us two or three months before we will confirm this for a fact. >> in a half hour during our ride along. corporal lewis handed out tickets to three drivers. >> i think it's really good. especially a lot of younger people, more inexperienced drivers on the roads. >> i have a hands-free. if i use it at all it's hands-free. >> corporal lewis has investigated 900 fa call crashes and hopes the new law helps. >> the message is minor compared to the one of uh-oh, i've missed one that i've seen. now i'm in a serious wreck where i killed somebody because i wasn't paying attention to what i was doing. >> montgomery county police tell me they are closely watching what the drivers are doing behind the wheel. that's the latest.

chris gordon, news 4. big plans are in store for potomac yard. why this neighborhood could be the next big hot spot in our area. and with the government and with the government shutdown stretching into week

february, 2013. a landmark transportation bill is up for consideration. even though it's backed by republican governor mcdonnell... ken cuccinelli joins tea party republicans to block the plan. but terry mcauliffe believes it's time to break through the gridlock in richmond. mcauliffe presses democrats to support the bill. and the bill passes. terry mcauliffe. putting virginia first. "i'm terry mcauliffe, candidate for governor, and i sponsored this ad."

a once desolate park of alexandria is now getting a major facelift. city officials unveiled their plans for the exchange at potomac park today. >> it's located at the intersection of east glieb road. david culver was at the ground breaking. he's now live at the site with more on what's planned down there. >> for those like me who live in northern virginia, many have noticed a trend in the town center like designs popping up. now the exchange at potomac yard right here in alexandria. take a drive down this stretch of route one and you cannot miss the towering cranes or the constant flow of dump trucks. >> it's really noisy.

>> i take the baby for a walk. we come to the shopping center. we visit the bookstore. we pass the construction on a daily basis. >> potomac yard yard is home for amanda's family. >> you know, we wonder about the traffic coming through here. pushing a baby stroller every day, you know, you hope there are not many cars on the road and the speed limit stays fairly low. >> all this is part of potomac's yard second life. 300 plus acres once a busy rail yards. >> it started declining, it sat here desolate for many, many year years. >> it gives it an industrial modern look with a unique feel. >> we introduced affordable

housing as our commitment to that and our plan with alexandri alexandria. >> but amanda is most excited about the metro stop that will come right to the town center. >> that will be a lifesaver for us. now having to get a ride to catch the metro, it's an inconvenience. >> and you can probably see behind me yet another crane being constructed right now. it's going to be the third one in the area. the metro stop is supposed to open in 2017. i asked the developer about the entire project. he said it will be several years before it's completed. >> right in and out at 6:00, a number of developments for the white house to capitol hill. president obama sat one on one with doreen today. we'll report what the president has to say to people in the district about the goth shutdown. >> i'm on your side.

don't screw it up. >> an unusual confrontation between mayor gray of the district and the senate majority leader. >> and we're tracking an awful lot of rain in the area. shouldn't expect to get dry any time soon. the federal government shutdown reached day nine today. and as we head into double d digits there was not much progress in ending the shutdown. i was invited to the white house for an exclusive interview with the president. the significant impact the shutdown is having on people living here in our area. i have to ask what you would say to people in the district who pay taxes, don't have a representation in congress and are feeling the effects of the federal shutdown in very painful ways. possibly facing interruptiin