As he decides to step down from his senate seat. I, of all people, am aware there is some irony in the fact that i am leaving while a man who has bragged on tape about his history of sexual assault, sits in the oval office. And a man who has repeatedly preyed on young girls campaigns for the senate with the full support of his party. That last reference going to Alabama Senate candidate roy moore who is facing allegations from at least nine women, including one who says that moore molested her when she was just 14 and he was in his 30s. The rnc announced this week it would again back moore in the special election. Doreen, erika . Leon, thank you. There are mixed feelings here in washington about senator frankens resignation. We sent our what people are thinking and how they are feeling. She continues live coverage tonight. Amee . Reporter yeah, erika, a lot of people we talked to tonight were surprised by the news. Most told us they were in favor of al franken stepping down. They told us they thought it was the right thing for him to do. A lot of women told us they feel a sense of solidarity with the accusers. However, others told us they thought al franken was a good senator and they were disappointed to see him stepping down. I think women have been discriminated against from time in memorial. You have to stick up for yourself. Its not acceptable. He did it and glad hes stepping down before anybody else has to call him out about it. Reporter why are you bummed . I think franken has been an Effective Member of the senate and i think hes, generally speaking, a great guy. We have to stand up and start looking out for more women and let this abuse go on. Reporter now, al franken continues to deny all the allegations against him. Again, in this speech today, he called it ironic that he is stepping down while other politicians facing similar accusations are not. Doreen . Amee cho, thank you, amee. We want to know what you think. Do you agree with senator frankens decision to resign . So far many of you on our nbc washington Facebook Page say yes, you do agree. And with the senate so narrowly divided, what happens to senator frankens seat . Well look ahead to the potential power struggle with nbc news senior Political Editor mark murray. That comes up in about ten minutes. A mothers heart break, we are learning new details tonight about the youngest victim yet of the ms13 Gang Violence in our area. It is a story youll see only on news4 about those two bodies discovered last spring in fairfax bureau chief julie carey joins us with why he and the other victims were killed. Reporter you remember that day, it was a chilling discovery when those two bodies were found back there in the park. It came during a surge in gangrelated violence. Now these newly unsealed Court Documents reveal the detectives probably had a pretty good idea of who they were going to find even before they started digging back there. Thats because two teenagers went missing in the fall of 2016 and detectives learned that word on the street was they had been killed and buried by ms13. Late february and early march, this was the sooep as Fairfax County police and the fbi joined in days of digging in holmes run park. Two bodies discovered, but their identity was kept under wraps. This mother whose 14yearold son had been missing since fall told news4 at the time she feared the worst. Heron night and never came back. Translator very much sadness. Waiting to hear something about my son. Reporter now news4 has learned those fears were confirmed. Authorities have notified her that her son, sergio, was one of the two victims. The other young man killed, 17yearold edmond escobar mendez. These just unsealed Court Documents reveal why the teens were targeted. Mendez disappeared in late august. His family reporting him missing days later. Then in late september, Facebook Information led his brother to seek out a friend, sergio tremenio. He gave him bad news saying he had been abducted or killed because ms13 members thought he was a spy for a rival gang. Just two days later, on september 27th, tremenio also disappeared. His worried mom contacted police to report him missing. Then in december, new information. Detectives learned the teens had been killed and members. But it wasnt until february they got the tip that led them to this wooded burial ground. Now, since then the fbi has taken over this case. So, when any charges do come, they will be in federal court. No word yet on whether any arrests have been made. It is likely if there have been indictments at this point, they are still under seal. Reporting live from Fairfax County, im julie carey. Scott macfarlane at the live desk with breaking news. The u. S. House has just voted to avert a Government Shutdown and the furlough of many thousands of local federal workers, but they have vote today do so for just two weeks, passing a twoweek continuing resolution. The spending plan to keep the government open to december 22nd. So that negotiations can continue. The house vote is complete, 235 yeses on that vot the president must sign it. All indications that will happen. But again, just for two weeks so a budget stalemate can be worked out. At the live desk, im scott macfarlane. Scott, thank you. Some breaking news now from out west. This is a new look at that big fire fight taken from a fire helicopter in southern california. Fire fighters there are battling the ferocious thomas fire. They are getting a tiny bit of good news today. The National Weather service saying the winds did not reach those historic levels today as had been predicted. But it is still an uphill battle. Hundreds of homes are gone. Tens of thousands of people have been forced to leave. Coming up well bring you some of the harrowing stories from people who escaped with just the cloel clothing on their backs. New criticism over the sometimes astronomical tolls on i66, a big group of local lawmakers now says a 40 toll for a oneway trip is unacceptable. Now they are calling for the tolls to be temporarily i66 in Northern Virginia with their message to virginias governor and vdots response. Derrick . Reporter well, good evening. Youre looking at i66 here. It is a road that is indeed steeped in controversy these days. Four days into this new tolling system, with those prices like you saw, a lot of folks are saying that its a bit costlier than was expected. Now, they went to vdot headquarters today to send a message to the state department of transportation, to the secretary of transportation, to put the brakes on this until they can get a handle on it because for a lot of these representatives, its just too expensive for their commuters. Take a listen. And lets call this plan what it is the way that its been rolled out. Its highway robbery. Reporter commuters we spoke to are mixed about the system. Sure, first i love the new tolling system because i understand that its expensive to go from the beltway into d. C. However, we couldnt do it anyway beforehand. So now it gives us the option if we want to pay then we can still without being reporter the closer you get the less popular the tolls are. I dont think people in arlington should have to pay any of the tolls. Ru route 66 is our internal highway. Reporter vdot put out numbers on the first day of the toll lanes. The average price was 14. 50. Less than the toll lane inception. Now, those representatives that went to vdot today were mostly democrats, but this is a bipartisan issue. There are a lot of folks on the other side of the aisle that dont like it as well. Caucus chairman, Republican Caucus chairman timothy hugo said the exorbitant toll prices on i66 is unacceptable. No word back from the state department of transportation as to whether or not they will put the brakes on this. And thats very unlikely that they will cause an immediate end of this which is what those delegates wanted. Well have more about the story coming up later on news4. Now were live in virginia, derrick ward, news4. Ck derrick, thank you. Turning now to storm team4 and the forecast that is about to get really chilly and really fast. Doug is coming to us from burke, virginia, where an entire neighborhood is joining forces to spread some holiday cheer. And, doug, it looks like you have a lot of new friends out there. Yeah, apparently people couldnt come out to see me live today. They couldnt make it out today. Weve got a ton of people out here today. And you mentioned the neighborhood. There are seven houses here. This neighborhood so much bigger than this. Thats why they love doing this on this street. We are on Marshall Pond row. This is one of the pipes that they have here. That means seven houses, you can see those houses decorated so nicely. When the sun goes down, what a different view we have from just an hour ago. Now you can really see the lights in all their glory across the yard. Take a look. This is a different vantage point. This shows you down the road from our mass cam. This shows you what were looking at that is new. Were going to talk to the guy that put that up in a minute. He didnt know that. Im going to talk to you in a minute. I see you over there. He had to do some work on that. Well talk about the work he had to do. Lets talk first about the weather that weve got out there because its a little bit on the cool side but not bad out here at all. As a matter of fact, temperatures still in the mid to upper 40s in the d. C. Metro area. Temperatures will be going down. 30s back to the west. Much colder air moving in. Again, colder air tomorrow. The chances of snow continue to increase with every model run over the last 12 hours or so. So, yes, we have a much better chance for snow and winter sticking around. The cold and a few more chances of snow, too. Were going to send it back inside. You guys, i think i have some more people that are excited and anxious to talk. You guys want to talk a little bit . Yeah not right now. Well send it back to you. Somehow i just you know, bad idea to give the kids the mic. I saw that earlier. I dont think hell let that happen again. All right. Were going to switch gears stepping down. So, what happens next . Could make for a power struggle here in washington. Well talk about it with nbc news Political Editor mark murray. 76 years and the stories of heroism from that day are just chilling. Meet some of the brave men who survived the pearl harbor attack and made their way to washington today to pay tribute. And its so much more than just a stained grass window in a local store front. Its become a Community Landmark to remember a young woman who was murdered on the job. Now that store is closing. What wi happen to this ll see holiday tradition in a whole new light. Join in the joy of Christmas Town at Busch Gardens. With over 8 million twinkling lights. Enjoy coasters and thrills. And celebrate with Holiday Shopping and shows. Bring your family to Busch Gardens and you would even say it glows. Christmas town. Where christmas shines brightest. Were back now with a closer look at what al frankens resignation will mean for congress. The minnesota democrat announced that he will step down in the coming weeks over Sexual Harassment claims, some of which he disputes. I know in my heart that nothing i have done as a senator, nothing, has brought dishonor on this institution. Franken went on to say that while he is leaving the senate, his voice will not be silent. Joining us now, nbcs senior Political Editor mark murray. Hi, mark. Hi, doreen. Lets look at what franken had to say today. At one point he took aim at the president and at Alabama Senate candidate roy moore. Withr the senate, one in the house, stepping down, what does this mean for democrats and republicans . What was interesting about al frankens speech, it was almost a political attack on republicans, almost making the point that democrats including him are stepping down. We saw john conyers, the longserving democratic congressman from michigan, also step down. And the complaint that youre hearing on capitol hill from democrats is why arent republicans who have been accused of this or even things worse arent stepping down or why even republicans are embracing them . So, that was part of al frankens remarks. The other thing that struck me today was just how he was not apologetic. He was in some ways kind of defiant about the accusations against him. But said that he was stepping down because he couldnt do his job at the same time the Senate Ethics committee was looking after him and said it was better for the people of minnesota for him to step down because he couldnt do his job any more. There was a line in frankens speech, mark, that stood out to us. We have that queued up. Lets listen to it then get your minnesota ans deserve a senator who can focus with all her energy on addressing the challenges they face every day. Mark, let me ask you. Do you take anything away from frankens use of her . And do we know what happens next with his seat . Why use that . Im not going to go into the pronoun pronoun usage. Some of his speech was he was a big advocate for Women Empowerment issues when it comes to gender equity. Look at my record of voting on those types of issues. That is the one thing when it comes to democrats on this whole story, a lot of them might say they have the Higher Ground by these exits from al franken and john conyers. On the other hand, you just see so many more women in the democratic ranks that democrats say they are the party representing women, wanting to empower them. And so in some actually extra pressure on them when they are faced with these kind of stories to react and react quickly. Mark, one of the draw backs for al franken, as he leaves the senate, they dropped their investigation of this. He gets no real chance to defend himself in an investigatory situation. Yet congress is having hearings about how it handles Sexual Harassment claims. Where does that go from here . Yeah, you know, it was very interesting on how defiant al franken was, but then you mention by stepping down it pretty much ends anyway for him to be skuexc ulpated from all o this. This story is not going away and i wouldnt be surprised if we see more and more from this in the coming weeks and months ahead. All right. Nbcs mark murray. Thank you for joining us and we invite you to keep it here for all the latest involving al franken and the other big thats ahead on nbc nightly news with lester holt. December 7th, 1941, 76 years ago today, the day the japanese launched a sneak attack on pearl harbor. The attack on world war ii, here in washington, veterans pause to honor the memory. A sailor played taps. Breathes were laid. Washington redskins band with many veterans among its members played god bless america. Veterans from several american wars were here to honor those at pearl harbor like vietnam veteran bubba owe enof rou of r hill, virginia. From front royal, a veteran from two tours of duty in afghanistan here to honors veteran grandfather, who never spoke of it until the end of his life. Some are proud and you have the other guys who dont want to talk. They are still proud, but it just haunts them. Reporter what are you thinking and feeling . Every year i come, the last couple years ive come to drop off my own wreaths and every year i cry. Very touching to hear these guys life stories. Reporter a dairy farmer from horford county, maryland, read a poem he wrote about pearl harbor and president roosevelt. Fdr called for thousands, millions joined the throng. Remember pearl harbor became the battle song. Reporter and these and other veterans get their way, pearl harbor, december 7th, 1941, always will be more than just another day in history. Tom sherwood, news4. Which cars have the best safety features for you and your family . Safety experts are putting them to the test fashion. Were going to tell you whether theyre up to the challenge. And doug joins us from one of the most festive neighborhoods weve seen. Hes got a look at the changes as the theme song cheer, doug. Hes live in burke where an entire neighborhood is shining brightly tonight. Hey, doug. Uhhuh. Yeah, hey, doreen. Really a great night out here. Its not too cold, is it, guys . No. Not at all. We are i want to show you first, i want to take a mass camera shot. This is such a great shot. Our truck is at the top of the hill here. And take a look at what weve got. Just a beautiful neighborhood. There are seven houses, every single one of them lit up. I have rich with me right now. Rich, whats your last name . Kavanagh. Rich, they moved in 3 1 2 years ago. When they moved in, you put up some lights. I put up one strand, maybe two. And the neighbors said . You better step it up. Yeah. And thats exactly what he did. He not only stepped it up, but him and his son ian and ian wanted to make sure we got his good side. Yes. [ laughter ] yes. Want today make sure we got his good side. They put up that Merry Christmas sign you see there. You saw that on thes a second ago. You had a little mishap with that. That was hard to do. It took two weeks to build that thing. Two days after the garbage truck hit it. We had to figure out how to raise it up a couple feet. You did it. With a cherry picker. With the cherry picker. You did step it up big time. I want to show you whats going on weather wise. We have some cold and some snow coming in. Lets take a look and show you what were talking about here. Right now, first off around our area, again, this is so cool, brandnew here. This is our green screen were going to be bringing out across the region. 46 degrees, winds out of the south at 9 miles an hour. Its cool but not too bad this time of year. Temperature wise the rest of the area already down to 39 in winchester. Were 43 right now gaithersburg. Down towards Fredericks Burke 43 as well. Lets talk about the chances for snow. Nothing out there right now. Storm team4 radar is dry. Its going to be dry right on through the next 24 hours, but thats when were going to start to see moisture making its way up our a lot of moisture down to the south. Look down towards new orleans, look toward the southeast. You see