[captioning made possible by constellation energy group] captioned by the national captioning institute --www.ncicap.org-- >> live, local, latebreaking. this is wbal-tv 11 news at noon in hd. >> good afternoon. i am mindy basara. with at least some support for his health care reform plan winning, president obama puts on a full-court press tonight, holding up prime-time news conference where he intends to defend his plan once again. >> president obama senses that his health care reform plan might be in trouble, given reluctance by some democrats to pass it by the august deadline. >> i think it is not a useful way to proceed.

>> but proceed that way mr. obama will bring his prime-time news conference tonight is a direct-to-be-public approach. >> we are going to get the job done. >> his cabinet is taking the fight on how best to provide health care around and outside congress. >> the president is committed to offering coverage for all americans and lowering costs for everyone. >> i do think we need to stop the president on this. >> up carolina senator jim demint deflected criticism that he politicize the debate when he said that the plan would be mr. obama's waterloo. >> the president wants to push it through before we are able to take a look at what is really in it. >> tonight is the president's fifth news conference and might be the most contentious since taking office.

>> again, the president will address the nation tonight at 8:00. you can watch the health care reform pitch right here on a wbal-tv 11. gov. martin o'malley is expected to announce $280 million in budget cuts today. he is looking to slash about $700 million. a reduction in spending will impact college and health care. also among the plants, closing the state print shop, rebidding energy contracts, renegotiate office space, and using less expensive drugs in state hospitals. >> paradoxically, because of the unemployment numbers in our state, we qualify for additional help from the federal government. >> the governor says he plans to slash the state's lottery advertising budget and will propose a $34 million reduction in state medicaid payments. we expect to learn more about the plan today, and you can read more by logging on to

our website, wbaltv.com. a final push to sell baltimore's historic senator theatre. baltimore purchased the mortgage to auctioned off, but it seems the city may be stuck with it. >> as with all things having to do with the senator theater, it was a circus atmosphere here today. even before the auction started, there is a spirited argument about where to hold the auction. >> in order to bid to date, you must show proof of deposit or forever hold your peace. >> we all agree upon to advertise in the theater. >> we have a people with issues with the heat out here. >> the auction will be outside. >> if you intend to bid, you

better be outside. the auction will be held outside. >> please go inside the theater and sit down and let ever wanted to allow a little bet and let the auctioneers to what they have agreed to do and what the city agreed to do prior to changing at the last minute for some reason i have yet to hear. >> the auction was held outside the theater, and there was one bit from a private individual or company is undisclosed as to actually do it was. the city was displeased with the $800,000 number print the city did $810,000, and so the city owns it this morning. >> in the education alert, the state education department has announced its annual list of dangerous schools, and eight schools in baltimore city made the list, three of which have been closed. the remaining schools are garrison and hamilton middle,

homeland security high school, this is of entrepreneurship, and dunbar middle. the number of students were either suspended or expelled for a series offenses, and with arson, firearms charges, or sexual assault. students attending any of these schools will not the option of transferring to another school if they wish. -- have the option of transferring to another school if they wish. elementary school math scores rose by 25 points over the past five years. reading scores jumped by 22 points. mac increased by 32. but more needs begun to close the achievement gap between minority, special education, and white students. >> we still have challenges getting students receiving services, those who might receive multiple services, to proficient levels on our tests, especially when they are in middle school. >> more than 355,000 students

took the test the spring. advice from the i-team this afternoon, do your homework when you hire a contractor to work on your house. barry simms explains. >> it is a serious problem. maryland has seen a significant increase in the number of complaints against unlicensed contractors. they can cost you thousands of dollars and put your safety at risk. >> i am embarrassed, humiliated, because i was so stupid. i am hers. >> she spent all thousand dollars for a two-bedroom addition to her mother's home. the back part is open and exposed to the only protection is a piece of plastic left by the contractor. >> i gave him $6,030 for nothing. she >> claims this man did a poor -- >> she claims this man

did a poor job on her home. when he calmed down, he said he did not do anything wrong. tonight at 11:00, both women's stories, and why getting a license number it just is not enough. for the i-team, i am a very simms. >> how officials think that this shark caught in the street. and cash for clunkers -- is the program right for you? >> hopefully it will inspire people and see if it makes a difference. >> how church is using its conservation to pass on the blessings. >> are we going to get any showers today? it is definitely more humid outside today. i will look at the inpa

>> investigators in south florida want to know how this six-foot long shark ended up in the middle of this 2009. the fish may have been dumped by two people who tried to sell the protected species to local restaurants. wildlife officers said that the suspects could face misdemeanor charges for killing the shark and additional ones for selling without a license. workers are accused of

reselling burial plots. the fbi says it has uncovered 200 pieces of human bones at this historic cemetery investigators say that cemetery employees and one suspect guided them to where the bodies may be hidden. >> we found no more pieces today, and trying to separate these pieces and make matches to people is almost impossible. >> the cook county board of commissioners says it will sue the cemetery owners to recoup money spent on the investigation. a vaccine for the swine flu is being tested on humans could find out how soon it could hit the market. >> if you want to know how soon we will see showers and storms, by the afternoon, most likely clouds are infiltrating the area right now. as far as we can expect, 83 at the b.w.i. marshall.

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>> it is a program designed to get old cars off the street and stimulate auto sales. cash for clunkers provides credit to buyers who want to lease or purchase a new vehicle. but who really qualifies? >> many would consider owning a car part of the american dream. the average age of cars on the road, 10 years old, and it is time to change out the fleet. >> the original intent was to get the car or truck off the street. >> this dealer says that there are questions about purchasing a more fuel-efficient automobiles. >> the one that people are most surprised by is that they get their money instantaneously. >> the amount of money depends on the type of vehicle approaches and the difference in fuel economy between the purchase vehicle and a trading vehicle. there are several websites to help calculate that.

>> press the submit button, and you qualify for a $4,500 voucher. >> your trade-in must be less than 25 years old, have a combined city-highway fuel economy of 18 miles per gallon or less, b drive a ball, and continuously in short and registered to the same honor for 12 months. >> has to be your name. it cannot be mom or dad's car. >> it includes foreign and domestic makes. one of the things he likes best about the program, with a lot of stimulus money ending up on wall street, cash for clunkers puts money on the main street. the price of the new vehicles -- the combined fuel economy value must be 22 mpg. >> in any case, it was somebody not on the market.

because of that, this program is going far. >> chrysler announced this morning that it would double its cash for clunkers incentive program and offer up to a $4,500 cash and 0% financing for six years. you can find out more by logging on to our website, wbaltv.com. >> now the 11 insta-weather-plus forecast with sandra shaw. >> as we look at hd doppler, no showers and storms over maryland. we have only recorded trace amounts of rainfall all week long. there is a nice line of showers and storms to our west, but this is not going to be really affecting us today. if we do see anything, it will be because of the inflow of moisture from the atlantic today. not a great chance this afternoon, but we cannot rule it out. 83 downtown, 81 at the airport. in contrast, much cooler to our north.

71 in york, pennsylvania, now. the dew points are elevated. a stop as the mountains of western maryland, only about mid-70's. central maryland, baltimore, looking at about mid 80's before it is all over. 85 to 87 is the forecast high for today. we will get a few degrees warmer in ocean city with a chance of the late afternoon, a slash-and- a-pop thunderstorms possible. winds at the south at 10 to 15 knots. we will see more of a southeasterly flow as the afternoon progresses. we are dealing with yellow categories in baltimore and the eastern shore. if you are sensitive to pollutants or you have young children, not a great day to be out and about doing things.

aand as we look at the almanac information, to 101 is the record high. record low is 53, set back in 1966. kept above normal. at normal from 66, 64 to 69. more clouds rolling in tonight, with the approach of affront to our west. here is what we have in place today. not too much, other than the fact that there is a tropical slow coming in from the atlantic. the premier high will increase in its strength and pull in more moisture as we headed towards the end of the week and the entire weekend. it looks like that we have a better chance maybe late tomorrow afternoon and evening with the approach of a cold front. slight chance of showers early on friday. much warmer into the upper 80s

on friday. by saturday, the triple-h threat. hazy, hot, and he made. high of 91. >> university of maryland medical center says it will participate in trust for swine flu vaccination. trawls have begun in australia. the trials will take about half a year to complete. it is scheduled for distribution by the government as early as october. >> we have a specific vaccine that we believe will be able to detect millions of -- protect millions of people against this new h1n1 flu. but what we have to do before this is made generally available is it some appropriate testing. >> australia's government has ordered 21 million doses of the vaccine, if it proves to work good paying attention in english class help you defeating

all time is disease -- help you to defeat alzheimer's disease? subject with no member problems at the time the death sked -- scored higher on the language skills. some had brain patterns common with alzheimer's patients and yet had no signs of the disease when they died. money is being handed out to accommodation with the caps that they can spend it on themselves. they are being told to pay it forward. >> contradiction numbers were stunned when each member received on follow up with cash , at $10, $20, even $100 in size. >> they got a big laugh out of it. >> the mission is to pay for it, passing on the cash to someone who needs it. >> i had started to explain what

our church was doing, and before i could even give it out, she said, "is it that baptist church in the middle of town?" "yes, how did you now?" "i already had two people give me money because of what your churche is doing." >> her eyes and very big and she started smiling and was trying to give her co-workers attention. >> a chance meeting outside of the church led his men to give $20. others are waiting for the right moment. she the church hopes that these random acts occur -- a massive kind is will blossom beyond. >> that is a nice idea. the plan started on june 28. first baptist has about five dozen members. up next, the maryland

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>> ♪ happy birthday >> birthday celebration for this client, who made headlines a few years ago. he was rescued from a life of abuse and malnutrition while traveling with the circus. he is living at a shelter in columbia. coming on "oprah," she goes inside the polygamist ranch. unprecedented access that no one has been granted. at 5:00, a debate on allowing

guns across state lines. hear from leaders on both sides. and alerts on wind speed traps and cameras are located. that is tonight on 11 news at 5:00. and now the maryland lottery numbers. >> it is a green ball double draw, now for august 16. >> you have a chance to win nine two pick 3 drawings. we will drop as set of pick 3 numbers. your pick three numbers for today are -- now it is time for the green ball double draw.

if a green ball comes up, we will do a bone is a drawing. before the next drawing, we will remove all white ball. now, micki in may with an important to lottery message. >> are you ready to in cash and prizes? by a living lucky scratch-off, and entered the wbaltv.com /lucky. -- mdlottery.com/lucky. i am right and this is on obama saying hey, maryland, -- i am

brian and this is bob's saying let yourself play. >> sandra has a final look at the weather. a little more timid. >> the normal high as 88 degrees. we are not going to raise that today. we have been a little spoiled this month. [unintelligible] slight chance for showers. popup nature. tomorrow, a better chance of widespread shower activity. more humid tomorrow and friday. slight chance of showers, the hazy, hot, humid on saturday. sunday, we come back with a high of 88. >> we have been a little spoiled with the lack of emitted egret -- lack of humidity. watch tonight at 5:00 with donna hamilton and stan stovall.