maryland by surprise guest today. we could get heavier rains today. [captioning made possible by constellation energy group] captioned by the national captioning institute --www.ncicap.org-- >> good morning. >> i should have said that some people were taken by surprise. >> you got caught up in it on the expressway. >> i hydroplaned. it is dangerous out there. we have a tropical flora around the eastern shore and ocean city today. it is going to be wet today. a 70% chance of showers and storms of the scattered variety. it is very humid out there. a stick look at our temperatures. a mild start. 81 degrees in central maryland.

82 degrees in ocean city. more clout to night. mid 60's. we need the rain. it looks like we will get it today. let's find out if there are any issues on the road. >> good morning. we are dealing with some problem spots. the accident that we had at will and is now clear. -- will lend woodlawn is now clear. if you are traveling in joppa, we have some traffic lights out at that intersection. be careful as you travel through that intersection. heading out this morning towards the white marsh region, looking good.

that is the latest. back to you. >> our big story this morning, president obama continues his push for health care reform today in a visit to ohio. >> here is a prime-time news conference to talk about the issue. our reporter has more. >> a lot of americans may be wondering what is in this for me. >> he is trying to take control of the health-care debate. he focused on what americans have to gain and lose from the reform. what will they sacrificed? >> you will have to give up paying for things that do not make them healthier. speaking as an american, i think that is the kind of change you want. >> critics were raising questions on cost and timing. >> most americans do not like this health care bill. they do not want it. is going to raise taxes. what is the rush? >> the president says the rush is for release.

>> i get letters every day from families who were being clobbered by health care costs. >> he proposes to raise taxes on millionaires. >> it is time for the president to scrap the plan they have a working lunch in the house. >> the president did not budge on the cost of it. >> health care reform is not going to add to the deficit. it is designed to lower it. that is part of the reason why it is so important to do now. >> he said the window of opportunity will close. >> the stars are aligned. we need to take advantage of that. as for bipartisan, -- the president will go to the cleveland clinic in ohio as proof that americans can get the best health care for less money. >> it the plan is passed, what could it mean for the people of maryland? we talked to some local health

care professionals to get details on what is insured and uninsured people need to know here. >> they believe the president's proposed plan will save money over a long time. there are questions as to whether the health-care system can handle it so quickly. last night, president obama spoke directly to millions of uninsured americans including 824,000 people in maryland. he wants to make sure their future is covered by health insurance. he is pushing congress to act fast on the health care bill saying he loves it will pass in a number of days. have they will pay for it, it requires raising taxes. he will not add to the deficit however. some believe while america cannot afford to pass on health care reform, they are concerned about the speed is going. >> we know right now today in

baltimore and in most parts of the country, there is a significant shortage of primary- care physicians. if they are. to be the first point of access, it will take seven years before we can even begin to see the kind of emerging the primary care needed. >> it is estimated that maryland's billons -- maryland spent $1 billion in health care for the uninsured. wbal tv 11 news. >> the man serving a life sentence for killing the daughter of his girlfriend wants his sentence overturned. he was convicted of killing the daughter. he was originally sentenced to death. in 2007 a jury overturned the sentence given him life without parole. >> some senators defeated a

concealed weapons bill in the u.s. senate. it would have created a requirement that anyone approved of being able to instill a weapon in one state would be able to have the same right in another state. >> would you are really doing is starting down a very slippery slope where every state is going to have to follow what ever another state does. >> the national rifle association has argued in the past that state rights should prevail when it comes to gun laws and preserving the second commandment -- amendment. that brings us to our watercooler question of the day. do you support the senate's decision on concealed weapon permits? email us your response to watercooler@wbaltv.com. >> maryland leaders plan to

hold a meeting in the fall to discuss the juvenile justice system. apparently the facilities are ineffective at rehabilitating the juveniles. some escaped a facility after attacking the guards. the state is unable to monitor the juveniles. >> a sex offender is behind bars after he is spotted with a young child. they arrested charles purdum after a trooper caught him walking to a store with a 10 year-old boy. he was alone with the boy at the shop. he is barred from contact with underage boys. he is being held without bond. >> $280 million, that is how much they will slash from the budget of maryland. it is only the beginning. the board also raised the possibility of increasing college tuition. the governor still least to

find -- still needs to find another $47 million to pet. -- $47 million to cut. >> it is necessary in order to protect the families of maryland and the priorities we have a for all of our kids. >> it will discuss the next round of budget cuts. they will hold an emergency meeting today to discuss the impact of the cuts. >> in the education alert, a school ceo may be in line for a bonus. mr. lantos says he is entitled to a performance bonus -- mr. alonso says he is entitled to a performance bonus due to improvements with test scores. >> that is for the board to decide.

for me, it is about the kids doing better. that is the bottom line. if they do not improve, i am out of a job. >> they could give him a 12,000 bonus for management efficiency and another 0for a grant. >> baltimore city has been the owner of a theater. our reporter explains what happened at the highly contentious sale of it yesterday. >> for whatever reason they have decided to change the venue from inside the theater to outside. this is a court-ordered sale. >> please go inside the theater and sit down and let everyone chill out a little bit. >> longtime senator said of a podium inside with and not so hidden message.

the auction officials insisted it be held outside leading to some confusion and argument. >> it will be held inside the theater as it was agreed to. >> if you intend to bit, you better be outside. the auction will be held outside. >> a private bid for $800,000 was countered by a winning height a bit of the city itself. >> anymore? thank you for your attendance today. >> the option should of been inside. >> some were still upset. >> what is next is they may put out a request for proposal. they have had a draft circulating among members of the community and businesses that will probably go out within the week. people will have 60 days to respond to the proposal. >> it is very upsetting that

this has turned into this. >> we appreciate your patience. >> wbal tv 11 news. >> 74 degrees on tv hill. coming up, the financial news in the bloomberg financial report. >> the government is starting its cash for clunkers program today. >> showers and storms around the lower eastern shore. i will tell you what the forecast looks like as we head into the weekend. >> we will update you on some t

>> a good morning. the sun is up. we will see a limited amount of it. a lot of cloud cover out there. 74 degrees downtown right now. it is while -- mild.

showers are percolating to our south. a shower is entering the mouth of the chesapeake bay. a couple of storm cells associated with a semi-tropical system that is offshore. to our west, we have some spotty shower activity. it will deteriorate once it hits maryland. we have a chance of showers and storms because we are in between these systems. you can see all of the rainfall. let's take a look at our current temperatures. we are in the low 70's across most of the area. the humidity, that is. to be the biggest change for us today. we have been very dry. we are dealing with an dewpoint all july. -- dewpoint ottawa.

now it is very high. it is very sticky of high. -- dewpoint all july. now it is very high. it is very sticky today. 72 degrees in the high elevations. ocean city will be washed out today. on chesapeake bay, not the best because of all the tropical showers. 1 foot waves. 88 degrees is our normal high. we will be below that today with the cloud cover. we are not near the record high of 102. overnight tonight, we will keep the cloud cover around. it will be unsettled and humid out there. a low pressure to our west. it is approaching s. we have this nice tropical flow

streaming in from the atlantic. it is very unsettled. here's a look at the forecast for tomorrow. 4% chance for some more hit and miss storms. -- 40% chance for some more hit and miss storms. saturday will be very hot. sending we bring back the storms. how is traffic? >> it is kind of busy for this hour. we ras some accidents to look at along with a water main break. near rte. 1. an accident coming there. and an accident in the joppa region. there is a water main break in one area. watch out for washington bulls roared -- boulevard.

a 10 minute ride to get you to i-95 south. we will let you know when the delays start to form. let's check on what is happening in hard for. not much. so far so good on the 83. that is the latest. back to you. >> anticipating the swine flu virus to make a comeback in the flaw -- fall -- the university of maryland is doing research and leading the way on it. participants will get two doses of vaccine for the swine flu. flames broke out in modesto at this industrial facility. the buyer may have been started

by arson and could last for several days. law officials in nevada do not plan to look into criminal investigation for ben roethlisberger and him committing sexual assault against an employe the at warner harrah's. he says he is innocent. >> americans are handling the economy better. stress associated with debt is 12% lower this year than last. analysts say because people think the worst is behind them. the treasury department's believes the deficit is topping

$1 trillion for the first time. some cities are more proposed -- prepared for the uptick than others. some cities will see little change in the unemployment rate. some cities are destined for a rebound whether high-tech capabilities. if you're holding onto an old car, the federal government is giving you a new reason to turn it in. you can get the older cars off the road and stimulates new car sales. you trade in has to be less than 25 years old and has to get fewer than 80 miles per gallon. in return, you get a $3,500 voucher -- 18 miles per hougall. in return, you get a $3,500 voucher toward a new car. the new car must have a better gas mileage.

>> we all this program will bring new people to the market. >> chrysler says it will match the government's offer of up to $4,500 towards the purchase of a chrysler jeep model. if you like to learn more about the program, go to our web site at wbaltv.com and click on consumer. >> apple is teaming up with a telephone giant. michelle has more in the bloomberg business report. >> at&t will arelease its quarterly resorts -- results this morning. it will offer a monthly subscription to its mobile network which allows its devices to connect to the internet. u.s. stocks declining as there

are higher loan-loss as. we saw some buying on the nasdaq. the bloomberg millan index rises thanks to lockheed -- maryland index rises thanks to lockheed martin. consumers' appetite for online commerce may be starting to recover. the world's biggest online store, amazon.com will report its numbers today. it may buy zappos.com. i am at the new york stock a change. reporting for wbal tv 11 news. >> 74 degrees sunday the hill. another check of weather and traffic is straight ahead. >> do not forget to e-mail us

your answers to the watercooler question of the day. do you support the senate's decision on concealed weapon permits?

>> the morning. we are checking on you morning commute. there are problem spots to look out for. delays are not a problem yet. we are looking at some accidents. we have an accident in the job area. another accident on bellinger road. -- bell a road. bel air road.

volume continues to build in the white marsh area. we are looking pretty good. you will see a slowdown there and should get closer to the 7:00 hour. volume is building on i-70. that is the latest. over to you. >> very humid out there. we are tracking some activity. to the south of annapolis and towards the mouth of the test of a bay, a lot of shower activity. you will get wet on the eastern shore. keep the umbrella handy. another batch of showers and storms in western maryland. we have a cold front and the precipitation in front of it. 81 degree is the high -- degrees is the high for central

maryland. we will be about 66 degrees-69 degrees tonight. we need the rain. we have been very dry so far this month. i have more on your seven-day in a bit. >> if you are taking a vacation and thinking about travel insurance, that may be a good thing. there is a policy exclusion you may not be aware of in your claim could be denied. here is our report appeared >> a maryland woman is battling an insurance company. she believes they should have been reimbursed for when she was forced to cancel a trip to hawaii. when her father became ill, she thought she would get the cost of the airline tickets back because she played -- paid hundreds asher for travel insurance. >> we thought it would be a relief that we would not lose thousands of dollars on the airplane tickets. >> she says her claim was

rejected. >> it is the number one reason for declines on the policy. >> white plains are being denied and the exclusion you need to know about when you buy travel insurance. >> the time is 6:27. there is much more to come this morning in the next hour. -- half hour. >> health officials say the plan will save money in the long term by getting people to get to preventive health care ahead of time. >> we are checking on a busy morning rush as volume has picked up around the area. we will update you on accident coming up. >> i have your full forecast coming up. stay tuned. >> here is a look at last night's lottery numbers. there was no green ball double draw yesterday.

>> good morning and welcome back to 11 news today. >> thank you for joining us. sanders saw -- sandra shaw has a quick look at the forecast. >> we saw some heavy downpours is today which were very brief. we only recorded a trace amount of precipitation. we are already seeing showers and storms right around annapolis and southern maryland and along the eastern shore are ready. another batch of showers to our west with an approaching front. your forecast for today is 70% chance of scattered showers and storms. mostly cloudy skies. it is very humid out there. i have more news 7 they forecast later. >> and restore this morning is president obama continuing to push for health-care reform.

he is in ohio. he addressed the nation last night saying reform is necessary. >> the plan will cost about $1 trillion over 10 years. the president expressed support for a surtax on families making more than $1 million a year to help pay for it. he vows to reject any measure that would require taxing middle-class families. under its proposal, those with health insurance would have the option of keeping their current insurance. >> it will prevent insurance companies from dropping coverage if you get too sick. it would give you the security of knowing that if you lose your job, move, or change your job, you will still be able to have coverage. >> the president wants congress to pass health care legislation by august. if it is passed, what did it mean for the people of maryland? we spoke to local health care providers about what people here

should know. our reporter has more. >> the state spends roughly $1 billion a year in health care for the uninsured. they believe the health care plan could save money in the long term. if you are sick and uninsured, your options are limited. >> they have to seek care in an emergency room setting. urgent care is often too late to really be helpful. >> the president wants congress to act fast to improve the health care bill that will help the uninsured. some of the lead america cannot afford to pass on health care reform. >> the concept is great. a lot of details must be worked out. i am concerned that removing them -- that we are moving too

fast and are trying to get it done quickly rather than getting it done right. >> their 47 million americans uninsured. the plan will require raising taxes, but it will not add to the deficit according to the president. >> we are trying to do it without feeling any financial pain and this country. i am not convinced that we can do it. >> but some have concerns. >> it does not do much good to have additional coverage of people when you do not have enough providers to provide coverage to those people. in the rural areas particularly maryland, we have significant doctor shortages. >> and other person said it will take years for the hospitals to catch up with the influx of new patients. >> today in baltimore there is a significant shortage of primary-

care physicians. if they are going to be the first point of access to this population, it will take us seven years before we can begin to see the kind of emergence of primary care needed. >> president obama says he hopes to have a bill passed in a matter of days. wbal tv 11 news. >> baltimore city continues to celebrate an increase in test scores on the msa's. tim tooten has details on this. >> good afternoon. >welcome to this elementary school what excellence is the expectation. -- where excellence is the expectation. >> disco is located in northeast

baltimore. almost 100% of the student body -- the school is located in northeast baltimore. almost one of the present one of the student body has received certain things. >> we are committed to everything each day which has paid off. >> the school the not improved by accident but by commitment. >> in our principal -- our prints of all told us we needed to come to school every day in uniform with a positive attitude to learn. >> governor o'malley should be hearing footsteps. we have a future governor here. >> we are proud of our school and our community. at this time, we say welcome.

>> tim tooten, wbal tv 11 news. >> elementary students got top scores on the state's math test. you can log onto our website at wbaltv.com and click on education to find out more. >> good morning. let's see what is going on the roads. we have an accident clearing at sunshine avenue and route 1. and 162 and mountain road, traffic lights out. treated like a stop sign. be careful getting through there. water main break repairs are going on in the city. there is an accident in the halethorpe area. 11 minutes on the absolute west side. five minute ride on southbound

i-95. we are saying delays in white marsh. we will be monitoring that for you this morning. some delays on the absolute at liberty. >> it feels almost tropical outside. it is very sticky. some heavy showers around the south of annapolis. it looks like it is moving up towards baltimore. it the umbrellas handy throughout the day. scattered showers throughout the day. a chance of rain of about 80%. it is very humid. tomorrow, 83 degrees. some more sun. by saturday, plenty of sun. a high of 89 degrees. by sunday, another shot of showers and storms. we are more than 10 inches below

normal from the first rainfall in july. >> 74 degrees on tv hill. we are investigating a shooting -- police are investigating a shooting at a texas southern university. >> i have information on where president obama plans to take his health care message today. >> we're still taking your answers to the watercooler question of the day. do you support the senate's decision on concealed weapon permits? email us your response to watercooler@wbaltv.com.

>> six people were shot during a rally on the texas southern university campus. police say people gathered for a voter registration rally last night. there were nonthreatening injuries. police believe it may have been gang-related. >> the nation is -- saying goodbye to a respected newsman. walter cronkite died last week. he was 92 years old. los angeles police raided the houston texas clinic of dr. conrad marie yesterday. he was the doctor at the home of michael jackson when he went into cardiac arrest. his attorneys say they took a forensic image of the hard drive of a computer. >> it is 74 degrees on t.v. kill. we will take a look at the headlines coming up. >> we will check on several

accidents around the area coming up. >> and we have tended weather systems. i will tell you more about them -- we have two weather systems. i will tell you more about them coming up. 71 degrees at the airport. 74 degrees downtown.

authentic iced lattes from dunkin' donuts. made with real espresso, milk, and whipped cream, to help you take a break from reality. treat yourself for just $1.99 today. >> welcome back to 11 news today. the man serving a life sentence for killing the daughter of a girlfriend wants his conviction overturned. he was originally sentenced to death, but a jury overturned that sentence giving him a life without parole in 2007. they will hold meetings in the fall to discuss the juvenile justice system. it turns out that one of the

facilities is an effective in rehabilitating juveniles. in the past, some of the juveniles have escaped after attacking a guard. senators had defeated a concealed weapons bill in the senate. it would create a national requirement that anyone approved of caring a concealed weapon in one state should get the same right in another state. that brings us to your answers to our watercooler question of the day. >> we ask you about the decision on the concealed weapons permit. one person says they should complete a very detailed questionnaire as well as being fingerprinted to get the permit. this would include count -- crossing state lines.

>the supreme court has ruled may times that each state has the power to regulate guns within their own territory. in a result by the senate would be overturned by the supreme court. the freedom to bear all rights is dealing with very them openly not hidden. thanks for your responses. >> we are checking on a morning commute. hopefully you are having a good morning. let's see what is going on as far as traffic. starting in joppa, there is an accident and traffic lights out with a downed poll. it will be a while before they clear the intersection. use caution. an accident being cleared in halethorpe. at liberty and southbound on i-

95 -- just south of the white marsh area, we are seeing a bright lights, but nothing major. once you get 24 mechanic, you are in great shape. it delayed developing on the outer loop at liberty. that is the latest, over to you. >> a lot going on with two systems. we are in the middle. we will get some showers and storms. a cell as approaching annapolis and the ocean city. to our west, there is precipitation ahead of a cold front. it will be unstable as there is a system of the great lakes. we will get showers and storms the route from both sides. you can see the counterclockwise rotation of low pressure.

it feels humid because of this tropical-like system. this is a typical july start for us. we are in the lower 70's across the board. york, pennsylvania is at 69 degrees. we have a 69 dewpoint reading. we have a sticky air mass. there is a tropical flow from that system. it will be quite humid out there. it may feel worse to you because we have been so dry all month long. 81 degrees is the forecast rise in central maryland. the normal is 88 degrees. we will remain in the low 80's across the state. weights only 1 foot on chesapeake bay. keep your eyes of the skies for lighting up there. 102 is the record high set in

1991. 57 degrees is the record low set back in 1977. 64 degrees-68 degrees is our low overnight. there is low pressure to our west. it will be a prejudiced today in bringing all of those showers with it. -- it will be bringing those showers today with it. tomorrow, 40% chance of showers and storms. it will be clear on saturday. a high pressure moves in. a-89 degrees. by sunday we are in the mid 80's with a chance of scattered showers and storms. >> president obama takes his health care message on the road. he travels to cleveland today for a town hall meeting.

his plan faces opposition in congress and a skeptic public. nikole killion, our washington bureau reporter has the details. >> president obama is visiting the cleveland clinic which he says is the role model for some of the health-care changes he would like to see. he pushed for them last night. >> with all the criticisms that are being thrown around in washington, a lot of americans may be wondering what is in this for me. >> the president laid out his card in a prime-time news conference. >> the plan we are proposing will provide you with more security and stability giving you the option to keep your insurance if you are happy with it. if you do not have health insurance, you can choose a quality, affordable health plane -- plan. >> it would cover up to 98% of americans. he says the time to act is now. >> this has to get done.

>> by august? >> if you do not set deadlines in this town, things do not happen. >> regarding the $1 trillion price tag -- >> i will not sign a bill that will add to our deficit. >if i say a proposal that is funded primarily through taxing middle-class families, i will be opposed to it. >> reaction was mixed following his comments. many democratic leaders were balance to get the reform path. a republicans want the president to start with a new plan with more bipartisan input. in morganton, nikole killion, wbal tv 11 news. -- in washington, nikole killion, wbal tv 11 news. >> our reporter joins us with the impact locally on this bill.

>> health officials with spoke to says this bill could save the state millions of dollars by getting people into hospitals before they need that very expensive emergency care. that night, president obama spoke to 47 million uninsured americans. he says it will help make their future better by having health insurance. he says it will require raising taxes, but it will not add to the deficit. some say what they believe america cannot afford to pass on health care reform, they are concerned that this bill could lead to a shortage of a positions. president obama says he hopes to have this bill passed in a matter of days. wbal tv 11 news. >> thanks. now with a look on what is coming up on the today show.

>> good morning. all the highlights from president obama's prime-time news conference including his controversial remarks that police acted stupidly during the arrest of a black scholar in massachusetts. we will get the latest as federal agents raided the office of the doctor found with michael jackson when he died. >> the time is now 6:53. it is 74 degrees on t.v. hill. >> we will have another look on

>> it is kind of busy on the roads. >> it has been kind of busy this morning since very early. let's talk about the accident in joppa. lights are out at the intersection. there is a tough ride there. watch for delays there. we are looking at other delays. new liberty, it has traffic slowing at 795. it extends down to edmonson. we are starting to back up at white marsh. >> we are getting some rain today. >> that is right. from both sides. from the east and the west, it

is bringing showers and storms already this morning to ocean city. there are some strong/form cells with a strong storm cells approaching annapolis. high 80s today and tomorrow. best chance of showers today. a slight chance tomorrow. by saturday, a hot day with 89 degrees. >> thanks for joining us. we have a live update later. >> have a good day.