it comes to keeping residents safe. i will tell you what it is coming up. >> senators are finishing their work before their august break. on the agenda is cash for clunkers and voting for judge sonia sotomayor. >> jay leno gives us a sneak peek at what we can expect for his new prime-time show. we will take a look. >> rain is passing through our area right now. how long will it last? we will tell you as "11 news today" continues right now. [captioning made possible by constellation energy group] captioned by the national captioning institute --www.ncicap.org-- >> good morning. >> thanks for joining us. >> we will get to a big story in just a minute. first let's check with sandra shaw on the forecast. >> a friend is making its way through in the area. a batch of showers is moving

through this morning. we will have a brief break and then another round. mainly on the eastern shore and southern maryland today. there may be some showers passed through baltimore until 4:00. in the front will clear and we will be cold. -- cool. 78 degrees-83 degrees. we are ready for the weekend. what is going on a the roadways? >> good morning. let's check what is going on up there. the rain is impacting the committee. we had this accident on the outer loop of the beltway. two right lanes closed their. the delays will get worse before they get better. southbound on 295 we have some delays as well. westbound no. at roland, still in right lane closure. if you're heading out in

baltimore county, mccormick and chess club, an accident being worked out. it is rough out there. lanes are developing volume at liberty and white marsh. >> there are some important issues on the to do list for the senate. >> the vote of the supreme court nomination and the continued funding for the cash for clunkers program. >> supporters for sonia sotomayor came out in force as the vote nears. >> this is a boat that will matter and will be remembered by our butts in a community. >> union, civil rights, and hispanic groups tried to brush aside the criticism. >> i am not convinced that the judge sonia sotomayor will put aside her personal views some

republicans will break ranks and vote yes. >> my vote for her confirmation will be based solely on her relevant qualifications. i will support her and be proud for her as a sheet shows the american dream is possible. >> also on the agenda whether to keep cash for clunkers alive. president obama wants it. >> we have sinned greatly improved sales in showrooms and trade tend-ins have improved ful efficiency per vehicle. >> the billions of dollars we are spending on cash for clunkers, we do not have. >> i am not going to pass a bill for $2 billion for people to buy a car today. it is not fair to our children.

>> democrats say they have a majority ready to pump more cash to dealers and buyers in cash for clunkers in the process. >> senators will debate possible changes to cash for clunkers including one idea that would limit eligibility to low-income buyers. in washington, wbal tv 11 news. >> the newest indictment against baltimore mayor sheila dixon will push her corruption trial out later in the year. the trial date of september has been rescheduled to november 9. it will give attorneys more time to prepare their case. she is accused of theft and perjury. she allegedly stole fifth cards that were supposed -- gift cards that were supposed to be used for needy families and were used for personal use.

>> i anticipate that the defense will bring up any motion they can. it is not surprising. >> do they have until september 30 to file a motion to dismiss the charges. >> no word on who shot a man in baltimore last night. the victim was shot in the upper body. it occurred last night. he is listed in stable condition. no word on a possible motive for the shooting. >> baltimore county is taking a new strategy towards fighting crime. our reporter joins us live to explain the latest high-tech strategy that is yielding some positive results. >> police are happy with this new program. it is dated driven approaches to crime and traffic safety. they are cross referencing and finding correlations between high crime and traffic accidents. they have identified 15 hotspots

at least one in each precinct. baltimore county is one of several agencies trying this new technology across the country. >> we have significant results. >> coming up, we will take a look at some of those numbers. the results show a lot of promise for the future and only saving money and resources but lives as well. reporting live in the studio. back to you. >> that brings us to our watercooler question of the day. do you think the baltimore county crime mapping strategy could be successfully implemented in baltimore city? email your response to watercooler@wbaltv.com. >> corrections officials are one step closer to getting the tools they need to keeping prisoners from using smuggled a cell phones. it would enable states to gm itself on signals and side of prison. -- jam cell full signals -- cell

phone signals inside of prison. >> a man accused of killing a woman in a random attack at a liquor store has been committed to a mental institution. last november, the woman was standing in line at a link -- a liquor store where this person stepper in the neck. >> a high school rivalry is believed to be the reason behind a vandalism of a high school. some of the seniors from brunswick high are accused of setting fire to the football field of middletown high school. that cost $20,000 worth of damage. the repairs are expected to be

repaired in time for practice next week. >> more deadly boating accident on record this year than all of 2008 in maryland. 10 people lead died in maryland waters. the majority of victims were not wearing life jackets. several factors contributed to the debts including poor judgment and weather. this could be the deadliest year since 2005. >> and baltimore city complex has been given the all clear after a carbon monoxide scare. the source of the the remains unclear. no one had to be taken to the hospital. >> some have given up their lawsuit to keep this will open next school year. they have agreed to dismiss the lawsuit after their attempt at a restraining order to keep the

archdiocese of risk of closing the school was denied. >> a woman's hopes of installing a wind turbine on top of her home is gone with the wind. it would set required an exemption from the current law. some say the size would have posed a safety risk. >> coming up, a financial news in the bloomberg business report. >> the news is that if for some u.s. carmakers. the details are up. >> new details in the shooting tuesday night at a health club that left three women dead. find out about the troubled mind of the gunman. >> an active hd doppler this

morning. we will show you where the showers will be coming up in your forecast. >> because of the showers, it looks like we are in for a rough ride on the roads. details are coming up. are coming up. from that first dollar forward, cash flow isn't just an important thing to small business. it's everything. that's why pnc is introducing your new cfo, cash flow options

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those umbrellas handy. check out the current temperatures. the mountains of western maryland, upper elevations, 74 degrees with partly cloudy skies there. the front in the low pressure -- and the low pressure as storms intermittently. 79 degrees in ocean city. the waters of chesapeake are bombing. when -- balmy. take a look at the almanac information.

we are nowhere near the record high or the record low. are the club is skies tonight. clear after midnight. a beautiful profession night ahead. looks like a stabilization in the forecast for tomorrow. los the senate skies later on this weekend. -- mostly cloudy skies later on to itthis weekend. by the weekend, we go back up into the 80's. 95 degrees on sunday. >> we already have a few new problems to get to.

here is a check on the absolute. in left lane closure due to the accident. another one involving a vehicle at cold spring. that may have an impact on traffic there. you are looking at problems in poor false. water main break repairs going on. -- port falls. water main breaks are being repaired. 11 minutes, you're a low drive time -- how loop drive time. we will keep you posted on the west side problems. here is a letter to view the impact is having on traffic now. we will switch over to a live in view of what march.

that is the latest -- of white marsh. that is the latest. >> the death of three women are being mourned after a gunman shot in a health club in pittsburg pennsylvania. the gunmen chronicled his lacking success with women. he wounded nine others. they all appeared to be random victims. a man was sentenced to life in prison. he has been eligible for parole. he is set to be released august 16.

one person has been convicted of bribery, racketeering and money- laundering charges. he added 16 counts facing him. they held over $90,000 in his home when they rated it. -- rateided it. >> lenders are lagging when it comes to helping struggling homeowners in modifying their mortgages. all nine% of eligible borrowers have seen their mortgage payments reduced would modify the loans. some of the lenders have not changed a single mortgage. bankamerica and wells fargo fall behind the expectations of the government.

the bumpers dropped to a poor rating. the bumpers on the chevy malibu remained in the poor category. about 200,000 black and decker tremors of being recalled because they are a bird hazard. pieces of the tremor can'immer n break off and be released into the air killing birds. >> good morning. watch for another drop in home prices. they may fall an average of 14%

more by the first quarter of next year. that means over half of the homeowners are likely to end up telling the banks more than what their homes are worth. that means another wave of defaults is right around the corner. job losses and the service industry came in worse than expected. ubs cut in its ratings on shares from neutral to buy. here is one group not happy with the government cash for clunkers program. as more klunkers are taken off of the road, -- [unintelligible]

>> apparently they take courtesy very seriously in city hall in florida. one employee was suspended for not saying hello to the mayor. she claims it was innocent. she had never met the mayor so she did not know what the mayor looked like. her boss suspended her saying she was disrespectful. when the mayor heard the story, she ordered that the suspension be suspended. >> that is very strange. you better say hello to me. >> i do, every morning. another check on weather and traffic straight ahead. >> a few days before jay leno returns to abc in a new show that is shaking up prime time.

what can you expect? we will hear from him. >> do not forget to e-mail your answer to the water cooler question of the do you think the baltimore county crime mapping strategy could be successfully implemented in baltimore city? email your response to watercooler@wbaltv.com. day. this is another. new total blueberry pomegranate cereal

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>> a busy morning rush thanks to the rain. you are heading to the outer loop west side, there is a delay due to the accident.

if the state to the left, you can get by. there will be heavy delays approaching that area. with a level that that area in a moment. a vehicle went into a tree in one area. water main break repairs are causing some lane closures. here is a quick live look at the west side. we are picking up in volume in white marsh. that is the date this. >> there are martyr -- there is some moderate to light rain across the area. southern maryland getting a few showers. we will remain unsettled. a lot of the showers are near this boundary. bob an area of low pressure has

developed. 73 degrees downtown. 71 degrees at the airport. a cold day for august. more under weekend weather forecast. >> chris brown will wait three more weeks before learning his punishment for beating his previous girlfriend rhiannon. he agreed to one count of assault back in february. he could get five years' probation and six months for community service. they are trying to determine if he will serve his sentence in los angeles or virginia. >> the role of jake leno at nbc has become bigger. he has a new show coming up this fall. we have a snake pit at what the

show will involve. >> thank you for watching. >> action may, in general said his tonight show farewell. >> i will see you in september. >> he is preparing to move into prime time next month with the jay leno show. >> how many stars on that flight? >> to many to count. >> we have a lot of correspondence and some young comics. we hope we can make some stars on this show. >> he is talking up his new show. >> governor schwarzenegger had to take a second job. >> it will be an alternative to drum was on the other network. >> the 10:00 hour is now murder and mayhem.

>> nbc has a lot writing on the new show. >> find out what people are really saying. >> he may not be his drama competition at the start, but he expects to compete in the long run. >> the jay leno show debuts monday in september. >> it debuts monday, september 14 at mtm right here on wbal tv 11 news. wright joked, tell a joke, get a check. -- write joke, tell joke, get check.

>> we are dealing with some heavy delays on the west side early this morning due to an accident. we will update you on closures. details next. >> a wet start to the day. a bullet to know if showers are in your extended forecast. >> to take a look at this. who do you think this is that it may not be to you think it is. we will have the answer coming up. >> here is a look at the winning lottery numbers from last night. shh. shh! [ chattering ] delicious authentic iced lattes from dunkin' donuts. made with real espresso, milk, and whipped cream, to help you take a break from reality. treat yourself today. america runs on dunkin'.

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>> good morning, everybody. welcome back to 11 news today. >>for joining us. >> be careful on the roadways this morning. we are seeing is a moderate rainfall in the area. a low pressure is developing a long with eight stalled out front.

-- a long witlong with a stallet front. >> gov. martin o'malley is taking all ideas as to have to cut millions of dollars from the state's budget. >> he is turning to maryland residents. they have been soliciting budget cutting ideas from the public. there is an electronic suggestion box. >> we are starting to get back to everyone who walked in. there are some things we decided not to do. there are other things that we never thought of before. >> the ominous suggestion box is open for business until august 10. there is a link to the page on our website at wbaltv.com. click on project economy. >> there is some good news for

some in white marsh. federal stimulus money is on the way. our reporter explains. >> general motors is receiving millions of dollars in federal stimulus unfunds. the money will fuel production at the baltimore county facility. >> it provides some stability for white marsh. many are looking for stability in this economy. >> there is lagging demand for truck parts. vice-president joe biden predicts that this will help revitalize american automakers. >> electric cars relies on

better batteries. by reducing carbon emissions and making alternative energy more available, these batteries are a good environmental investment as well. >> cheaper fuel prices may not translate from having more of the strick fuel-efficient cars. >> as demand picks up, the price of energy goes higher. >> a big move that cross purposes high crime areas with high traffic accident areas may lead to more arrests and a drop in crime in baltimore. our reporter has more on this story. >> the name of the program is data driven approaches to crime

and traffic safety. police are concentrating enforcement in areas of high crime and high traffic accidents. there are 15 hotspots, one in in each precinct. baltimore county is one of seven police agencies trying this new technology. >> we got significant results. >> when comparing traffic crashes from previous years, they decreased. burglaries, robberies, and ought not also decreased -- autos set also decrease. traffic stops increased. >> of those incidents that affect the safety of our citizens went down. >> the results show a lot of promise for the future, saving

money and resources and lives as well. >> more praise is coming in as this is being called the wave of the future. back to you. >> thank you. the senate is hours away from conforming judge sonia sotomayor to the u.s. supreme court. our washington bureau reporter is live this morning with more on the story. >> the morning. lawmakers set to make it official later this ethanim. it is a bold being played out along party lines. sonia sotomayor should get the nomination even with critics. >> she does not believe the second amendment right is an individual right. my fear is that she is unable to separate her personal belief

system from that of the letter of the law. >> appearing before the committee last month, she tried to soften her most controversial remarks that a wise latina with the richness of our experience would reach better conclusions than a white male who has not live that life. >> my personal and professional experience helped me to listen and understand what the law always commending the result. >> supporters say her 17 years as a lower court judge bear that out and call her one of the most qualified supreme court nominees in the case. >> real-world experience with awareness of the real-world consequences of decisions from those who violate the law. >> republicans are breaking party ranks to supporter. >sotomayor will replace justice

david souter. they will vote at 3:00 this afternoon. >> how much will her appointment change the ideological makeup of the high court? >> not much. davis said -- david souter was appointed by a republican president, but his decisions are more liberal. they expect sonia sotomayor to follow a similar pattern. >> problems continue on the roads up there. we have an accident coming up southbound on the j.f.x. we will let you know if we have any lane closures. this is a speed sensor of the absolute west side 11 miles per hour. the right disclosed so stated

that if you have to travel on the west side this morning. this is slick out there. there are water main break repairs causing some delays. 25 minutes, your outer loop delay. that is as you make your way from 795 to 95. here is a live view of what is going on because of one accident. here is a live view of the fort mchenry where we have some delays forming in. that is the latest on traffic posted 11. -- traffic pulse 11. >> expect showers to hang around for most of the day. your official for as high today is between 78 degrees at 83 degrees.

mostly cloudy skies. tomorrow will be lovely. 84 degrees. mostly sunny skies. comparable for this time of the year. saturday 89 degrees. -- comfortable for this time of year. saturday 89 degrees. sunday 95 degrees. >> find out the story behind this incredible video. this incredible video.

>> a dramatic scene is caught on video in israel. the horses ran around the accident. one decided to go over it and did not make it. it smashed into the windshield of the vehicle. the driver of the car and the horse suffered minor injuries. >> says his death last june, there have been countless tributes to michael jackson. one sculpture seems to predate his arrival centuries before he was born. take a look at this ancient egyptian limestone bust is on display in chicago. there is an uncanny resemblance to the center. -- optionedsingto the singer. >> 69 degrees on tv hill.

>> an active hd doppler a. showers and storms to begin your thursday. i will have the weekend morning forecast coming up. hum ♪

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>> welcome back to 11 news today. the corruption trial of mayor sheila dixon will be pushed towards the end of the year in november. that will give attorneys more time to prepare their case. the defense has until september 30 to file a motion to dismiss the charges. officials are getting closer to keep inmates from using cell phones. it would enable states to jam

cell phone signals inside a prison. parents and students at a catholic high school had given up their fight to keep the school open next year. they had agreed to dismiss a sueit. they did not want to leave the students fate in limbo so close to the new school year. >> we have a bit of a mess out there for motorists on the west side. our live delays are growing. -- of the loop delays are growing. 11 miles per hour is your average speed. southbound on the j.f.x., there is an accident. a crash westbound on hopper northern.

-- westbound online northern. take it slow this morning. over to you. >> we have had an active morning as far as hd doppler goes. and i suspect of showers moving through. -- a nice batch of showers moving through. some moderate to steady rain in the area. keep your umbrella handy. 73 degrees downtown. 71 and bwi marshall. a different story in western maryland. it is a gorgeous day care. partly cloudy skies. -- it's a gorgeous day there. partly cloudy skies.

we will see showers and storms for a good part of the day as well. 81 degrees. temperatures will be cooler than what is normal for the year. a good chance of showers in various areas. waves are 1 foot and went out of the northeast. take a look at the almanac information. we will be nowhere near the record high for the record low. 57-66 degrees tonight. it should be clearer after midnight. the front will push through.

futurecast breaks it down. the majority of showers around 2:00. we start to clear out by the later on evening hour. by tomorrow, we will be on the good in the things. 89 degrees on saturday. 95 degrees on sunday. it will hold steady with a 95 degree forecast thai for monday as well. >> thank you. baltimore county is going high tech with a new strategy to combat crime. our reporter joins us live in the studio with that story. >> for the technology of cross referencing, police were able to

find correlations between high crime and traffic accidents. they have identified 15 hotspots, one in each precinct. they say it is working. results show a lot of promise for the future and only saving money and resources, but lives as well. >> thank you. that brings us to your answers to the water cooler question of the day. >> we asked if the new crime fighting strategy is good for baltimore city? >> any information provided to these police to help make the community safer is good. but property values could go down if areas of high crime are located on a map. >> we will pose more of your

answers on the front page of our website at wbaltv.com. >> coper takes a look at some amazing animals. -- oprah takes a look at some amazing animals today at 4:00 on her show. here is a look on the today show for this morning. >> good morning. the latest on the deadly health club shooting, including the disturbing blog that behind from the dead man. the parents of kasey anthony b. forced to testify against their own daughter? -- casey anthony forced to testify against their own daughter? the bus from hollywood on wide paula abdul really left

"american idol." >> it just ahead, another look at weather and traffic together before you head out for this th.

>> it is a little without side. >> the west side outlook is not moving along very well. the accident is in the right

lane. you can get by it using the left lane, but it will take a while. it will take you extra time to get to where you need to go this morning. we are getting word of a crash southbound on the j.f.x. and another possible accident on the j.f.x.. it is very slick out there. we are checking your drive times. 25 minutes to get down towards security which is the accident scene of this area. a lot better in harford. >> things will be coming up over the weekend. >> tomorrow it will be courted.

-- gorgeous. take a list of showers and thunderstorms during the afternoon. keep the umbrella handy. tomorrow, mostly sunny skies. saturday 89 degrees. 84 degrees by sunday. 95 -- 95 degrees on sunday. >> thank you for joining us for 11 news today. >> we will have another update at 7:25. have a good one.

question is a -- >> this is an editorial. >> maryland a summers have usually been hot and humid. last week a small tornado went through one county leaving homes damaged, trees uprooted and power outages for many. less than 24 hours later, a tornado warnings were issued on the eastern shore in another county. in recent years, we have seen an increase in tornado warnings to rid this is because of improved technology in providing early warnings. the advances in hd doppler radar are able to spot tornado activity easily in provide our

viewers with increased warnings. the technology also helps. storms -- pinpoint storms. we may interrupt programming, but we believe is more important to prepare viewers for storms if necessary. wbal tv news is committed to providing the best weather coverage in your area, helping you and your family be prepared for what ever summer surprises mother nature has in store.