>> helen holton makes a plea deal and loses a key leadership role. details are next. >> a terror alert for americans overseas. officials are tweaking that message. >> two best friends will rest in peace side-by-side. details, straight ahead. >> this is a look outside. it is cloudy with some drizzle here and there. some of you may be tempted to turn up the heat. the forecast as we continue. [captioning made possible by constellation energy group] captioned by the national captioning institute --www.ncicap.org-- >> live, local, late-breaking, this is wbal-tv 11 news today in hd. >> good tuesday morning. i am mindy basara. >> and i am stan stovall. thank you for joining us this morning. >> tony pann has a quick look at today's forecast. >> the space heaters abound in

the newsroom. kim dacey sits next to you. you have the fan blowing. it should be trading between those desks. >> it should be a tropical storm. >> some people think it is chilly and some think it is comfortable. it is 50 degrees right now at the airport. there is some drizzle out there this morning. it should be easier than yesterday. it is not a steady rain. we have a chance for some showers. high temperature only in the upper 50's and low 60's. we will check the seven-day forecast coming up in just a few minutes. much better news by the end of the week. first we say good morning to sarah. >> i brought my blanket today. let's check the roads. there is a problem that seminary avenue, a downed tree.

all lanes are closed at that intersection. 55 on the north side as he approached the harrisburg expressway. problem-free on the west side. a pretty smooth ride so far this morning. seven minutes down to the harbor tunnel. 11 minutes on the north and west sides this morning. this is the key bridge. the east side looks good in both loops. the other bridges look equally smooth at this hour. we are starting to see more volume, but no official delays. we'll update you when the delay happens. that is the latest on traffic pulse 11. >> helen holton loses her spot as a committee chair after pleading no contest to campaign finance violations. >> jennifer franciotti is live with the details. >> that plea is the same as a

guilty plea. by making that plea, holton is acknowledging that she asked two developers to cover the cost of a public opinion poll. the cost of the poll was $12,500. she made no mention of that cost. the two pleaded guilty. holton was fined $2,500. she is spirit a criminal conviction that could force her from office. she was charged with bribery. the state appealed the decision of the appellate court is still pending. >> these for campaign finance violations. in the grand scheme of things,

these were minor charges. we think the case needs to be resolved as the bribery case in front of the court of appeals. >> at the city council meeting, helen holton was stripped of her title as chair of the tax, finance, and economic development committee. that decision was made by jack young. we'll have more coming up for have at6:30. jennifer franciotti, et wbal-tv 11 news. >> martin o'malley is joining the fight for a moratorium on foreclosures in maryland. elijah cummings wrote a letter calling for the moratorium. he cited numerous sites that said lenders may have acted fraudulently. some families may have been wrongly convicted. they should report back to the state but october 18. >> president obama announces a

new initiative that matches the need of american businesses. it is being called skills for the future. the goal is to develop highly skilled work force for the future. the president takes aim at republicans who want to cut funding for education. >> our businesses will be more successful if they can find skilled workers right here in america. our future will be more secure if anyone willing to work hard is able to achieve their dream of getting a college education. >> the president has set a goal of five people getting graduate certificates. >> the supreme court is not hearing an appeal for relatives of 9/11 victim relatives. a proper burial for material taken from the world trade

center site. the city acted responsibly, moving 1.6 million tons of material to wait landfill and sifting through the material for human remains. >> the defense department says a maryland soldier has been killed fighting in afghanistan. lance vogeler died last week. he served in the army for nearly nine years. he leaves behind a wife and two children. brendan looney was killed in afghanistan last month. he was buried behind his friend. there were roommates at the naval academy. family had his remains

reburied at arlington cemetery. this was one of the wishes of brendan looney. >> we all learning more about the travel alert for americans in europe. there were fears that militants may be planning terror attacks in major european cities. kate amara has more. good morning. >> the u.s. government is clarifying its message while targeting these suspects overseas. a u.s. drone strike in northwest pakistan. the area is considered a hotbed for the taliban and al qaeda. according to intelligence officials overseas, the attacks killed a group of german militants believed to be linked to a european terror plot, a plot that prompted the u.s. state department to issue a travel alert for americans in europe. >> be cautious and be aware that we are following multiple

streams of threat information. >> information, officials say, that al qaeda may be plotting commando-style attacks in europe like this deadly rampage in india in 2008. >> our guard remains up. our attention remains focused on the united states, as well. there is a good basis for that. >> but u.s. officials say there is no definitive information about when, where, or how it could happen. analysts say without specifics, it's a tough call to make. >> this is the ultimate "darned if you do, darned if you don't," because if they didn't issue this warning and something heaven forbid occurred, then you have a lot of fingers pointing. >> the fbi and homeland security issued a bulletin asking u.s. law enforcement to be vigilant. live in washington this morning, i'm kate amara, wbal-tv 11 news. back to you. >> there are reports that mass

transit is on alert. >> amtrak is heightening security starting on friday. it is not because of these suspected to terror plots in europe. this was a planned exercise, planned in advance, something as part of operation will save, something that happens every holiday weekend. >> kate amara, thank you. have a good day. that brings us to your answers to our water cooler question of the day. how will the terror alert affect your travel plans? e-mail your response to watercooler@wbaltv.com. again, that is watercooler@wbaltv.com. it is 49 degrees on tv hill. coming up, the morning's financial news in the bloomberg business report. >> a man goes on a shooting rampage in florida. what his family is saying about his pass.

>> the miners trapped in chilly could be freed within days. there is reaction outside the mine. we're getting ready for baltimore beer week. check it out. here we go. baltimore beer week is coming up. stay tuned. >> we have a downed tree. we will let you know how the road is affected.

>> a very good morning. live temperature is 52 degrees. it is chilly again this morning. we had 55 degrees yesterday. we will warm up by thursday when baltimore beer week kicks off. we're here live at the pratt street alehouse. you were telling us about all the different events. there are 300 separate events. us we have 330-pplullus eave vents. bars, museums. >> local beers, as well. they grew their own beer here. it is a passport -- they brew

their own beer here. >> you can get a passport and get it stamped at certain events. is a keepsake to let everyone know you attended. >> the first event is this thursday. >> it is at the museum of industry. we will tap a beer. >> what is the deal behind this? >> go back to hundred years. this was made out of wood. by gravity, there was not a co-2 force line. >> you can tap that. there are still some showers possible. he did not take off my finger. there are showers right now over west virginia and ohio. the next couple of days will be cooler than normal with cloud

cover. it looks like it will be improving by thursday, the start of baltimore beer week. did you know about tapping the beer and the colt mallets thing? that is a class i wish i had taken in college. >> there was plenty of homework you probably did not mind having. thank you. we will talk to more next half- hour. beer week coming up in baltimore. we have a couple of things going on. low pressure is off the coast. an area of low pressure in the upper atmosphere. this will become the dominating factor, the one off to our west. more rain will catch up to us. other spots have some drizzle, but nothing of any consequence

this morning. we do know there are some patches of drizzle because we can see it on the surface observations. eventually, some of that will catch up to us during the day today. upper 40's and low 50's. take a light jacket with you and probably an umbrella. variable clouds today. there could beat a peek at the sun. there is the chance for a few rainshowers. we should be in the low 70's. a chance for some rain showers. temperatures will drop back into the 40's. we will have the chance for a shower into one state with a high temperature of only 59. 68 on thursday. back into the 70's over the weekend. this weekend looks like it will stay dry.

sunshine and 75 on sunday if you are going to the ravens game. >> it got busier in the past few minutes. we have two accidents on the beltway. one is near liberty and causing some delays. it is down to 21 miles per hour. the other is near delaney valley. it is an overturned vehicles. we will let you know which lanes it is blocking. at 7 are, watch for closures because of a downed tree in lutherville. everything looking good on the northeast outer loop. starting to see some delays out of the northeast on 95 in the white marsh area. this is delaney valley. we are searching for the overturned the vehicle. more information is coming. this is the west side.

the outer loop accident is taking up the left lane. that is the latest on traffic pulse 11. >> looking at our top stories. a man went on a shooting spree in florida. a relative said clifford miller shot himself in his driveway after police say he shot six others, one fatally. friends say miller killed his father and targeted man who had picked on him in the past. miller's fella said he suffered from schizophrenia. the trapped miners could be freed in days. they took to the streets and demanded wages that had not been paid. more than 260 people have been out of work. the miners could be out before october 15. the engineer said eight crew was

not take any unnecessary risk to free the miners. >> toyota has more than 5 million vehicles since the original recall was announced. sticking gas pedals, problematic floor mats, and brake system updates. those we the main problems. the military is going green. a favorite doughnut chain is available now for fliers. jane king has more in the bloomberg business report. theunkin' donuts coming to air mall at bwi. travelers can now pick up breakfast on the go. it is accessible to airport visitors and ticketed visitors. it will be open 24 hours a day.

we did have a low close on stocks yesterday. there were additional comments on microsoft and macy's. investors are looking to report on the services industry. this covers 90% of the u.s. economy. there could be a pickup. it probably was not strong enough to boost the recovery. as a tax on -- pushing aggressively to deploy it renewable energy. fossil fuel accounts for as much as 80% on convoys into afghanistan. that is business. i'm jane king reporting for wbal-tv 11 news. >> it is 49 degrees on tv hill.

another check on weather and traffic is straight ahead. >> here is a look at last night's winning maryland lottery numbers. hope you have them. if you've got pain? you need the patch. (announcer) icy hot patches. targeted no-mess relief. icy to dull pain. hot to relax it away. pain's no match for the icy hot patch.

i need a home performance with energy star audit. this sensor will show why my living room gets too hot and too cold! get up to $2,450 dollars in rebates and keep saving with home performance with energy star. get started at bgesmartenergy.com. >> now traffic pulse 11 and insta-weather plus together. >> good morning. sarah caldwell checking on your morning commute. it is a busy morning rise.

youmiles per hour as approach liberty. there is an accident. you can see the backup as you head down towards the beltway. another problem near delaney valid. there are reports of an overturned vehicles. -- delaney valley. use york road as an alternate. no sign of delay. perhaps the accident is not quite at delaney valley. it is reported in the inner loop. the left lane is still closed on the west side outer loop at liberty. that is the latest on traffic pulse 11. now tony has a check of your forecast. >> the weather is a little bit better than it yesterday. there is a touch of drizzle out there. that should help with the rest of the morning commute.

you may need a light jacket. we will make it to around 60 today. we have a 30% chance for a shower. it will not be steady rain that we saw yesterday. we have better news in the seven-day forecast. but first it is time for sports. >> good morning. with the ravens victory on sunday, they are the toast of the nfl. joe flacco is on the verge of stardom. he did not care about the loss to cincinnati. his execution backs it up. he had a game-winning drive on the road against an arch rival. he fondly let us see through the -- joe cool facade.

>> it is a little uncomfortable. >> no great comeback on monday night football. the patriots bill to too great of a lead. they moved to 3-1 on the season. it was 7-6 at the half. opening kickoff of the second half, there goes branded tate, -- brendon tate, and off to the races he goes. the patriots take the lead. the patriots are piling on. it gets worse for miami. a blocked punt. tom brady had to do very little

for the patriots to get the win. new england scores five different touchdowns, five different ways in the second half. it had never been done in the nfl. you never know what will happen. >> the patriots cheerleaders even scored last night. it was bad. >> let's move on. >> 50 degrees on tv hill. much more to come in the next half-hour of 11 news today. >> helen holton makes a plea deal. find out how it affects her role on the city council. >> we have two accidents on the beltway, one having a major impact on the west side. >> we're hanging at at the pratt street alehouse, giving you a street alehouse, giving you a preview of

four years ago, bob ehrlich got fired as governor of maryland. for good reason. first, he protected tax loopholes for giant cable cable companies. then, he let utilities jack up our rates 72%. and for the last four years, he worked as a hired gun for big corporations, even a bank that took billions from a taxpayer funded bailout. ehrlich sides with corporate executives again and again and again tell bob ehrlich big banks and billionares don't need help. middle class marylanders do.

>> live, local, late-breaking, this is wbal-tv 11 news today in hd. >> good morning, everybody. welcome back. i am stan stovall. >> and i'm mindy basara. thank you for joining us this morning. tony pann has a quick look at today's forecast.

>> good morning. we are a little bit better than yesterday. we have some drizzle. we have a 30% chance for a shower opportunity in the forecast. we're in the upper 40's and low 50's. for now, over to the news desk. >> helen holton of pleads no contest to campaign finance violation. >> she has been stripped of her leadership role as chairperson of a major committee. jennifer franciotti has more details. >> that police is essentially a guilty plea that helps holton avoid trial. it cost her her leadership role on the committee. >> it makes it necessary for me to remove her as chair of the

taxation, finance, and economic development committee. >> a reluctant decision by jack young on monday. in july, she asked two developers to cover the cost of a public opinion poll. the cost was $12,500. she made no mention of that at the time. the two pleaded guilty to campaign finance violations last year. holton was fined $2,500 and was given probation before judgment. bill cole agreed with the decision to remove her as chair. >> i appreciate that there had to be a change.

it was a tough position to be in. i admire the fact that he stepped up and did something for the group as a whole. >> not everybody supports that decision. >> she is a big help to the city of baltimore and the city council. she has my support. >> holton's legal troubles may not be over. she was originally charged with bribery. now there is a decision awaiting by the appellate court. jennifer franciotti, wbal-tv 11 news. >> you may remember that holton's legal trouble came to light when the conduct of sheila dixon was being revealed. she was forced out of office by embezzling gift cards. she took a plea deal. to see the entire timeline, you can go to our website,

wbaltv.com. >> jury deliberations will continue to decide the fate of three men accused of gunning down ken harris. gary collins, charles mcganey, jerome williams all face robbery and murder charges. the jury asked the judge how many guns were used in the robbery. none of the guns used have been recovered. for more on this case, you can visit the website, wbaltv.com. >> police should be required to turn over documents related to racial profiling allegations. the court ordered police department to handover about 10,000 documents relating to the driving while black the case. the naacp wants to inspect the documents to see if police are properly looking into this.

these documents are confidential police records. >> now traffic pulse 11 and insta-weather plus together. >> good morning. we have a busy start to your morning commute. we have some good news on the west side at liberty. the accident has now been cleared from the left lane. 7 miles per hour as you approach liberty. watch for slow spots there. another area where you might find delays, seminary avenue because of a downed tree. york road is a better bet. another accident at delaney valley. we will let you know when we can confirm that. the j.f.x. looks great. this is delaney valley as we search for that reported accident. no sign of delays in either loop.

you can see the accident is not clear but the delays are in place all the way down towards edmundson. that is the latest on traffic pulse 11. now let's get the latest from sandra shaw. she is downtown. beer is involved. >> we are talking about baltimore beer week. we're hanging here at the pratt street alehouse. they brew their own beer. steve jones joins me now. what about your beer? >> oliver eales. we focus on traditional english ales. >> very cool. beer week, you have a special event, more than 300 total. >> the cornerstone is a festival. we will have about 40 different

beers from local and national destinations. it is a growing and is a niche market. it will be premier event. >> brewing your own beer is a hard process. >> it is a laborious. yeast, hops. it is very old school the way we do it. we're not like a big box brewery. we are very hands on. >> and you're the master craftsmen. you do this all day and then you are here at night.

this starts on thursday and last until the 17th. more than 300 separate events including a beer passport. we will tell you more about it coming up. the seven-day forecast has somewhat cooler than normal weather. we are stuck under the upper level low. rainy and damp but slowly improving by the end of the week. a beautiful weekend is in store for us. >> thank you. 49 degrees on tv hill. coming up, baltimore city is not the only location with a ban on k2. >> recommendations for the upcoming flu susan. >> we are still taking your answers to our water cooler question of the day. how will the terror alert affect your travel plans? e-mail your response to watercooler@wbaltv.com.

>> we look at whether genetic testing or mammograms are best at detecting breast cancer. if you have a family history, you may want to consider genetic testing. a doctor suggests a genetic testing for those with family history. it should not stop there. >> women with breast cancer to do not have a family history.

we have a family history and you think you're off the hook, you are not off the hook. >> when it comes to annual mammograms, it is better to take extra precaution. >> the start of the flu season is just about here. now is the best time to get vaccinated. it was recommended children and the elderly get vaccinated. this year everyone should get a flu shot. loesser, two shots were available. this year, you only need one. clinics will fl be giving out free flu shots. you can go to our website for more information. 50 degrees on tv hill. >> we will check your morning

commute. things are getting busy on the west side. details are coming up request we still have some rain and cool temperatures in the forecast for the next few days. here's a peek outside. there is some drizzle downtown. there is some drizzle downtown.

two governors, two different approaches. even in good times bob ehrlich didn't make education a priority. he increased college tuition by 40%, cut school construction by $200 million, and ehrlich voted to eliminate the department of education while serving in congress. but in the toughest of times, martin o'malley has made record investments in public schools, new school construction, and o'malley froze college tuition four years in a row. with martin o'malley, our children always come first.

eaks to send jobs over seas. i think we need tax breaks to send kids to college. so i worked for a $2,500 tax credit to help pay for college. fought to get pell grants expanded and insisted that college loans go directly to kids instead of through banks. i'm barbara mikulski. i approve this message. because it's not about the next election, it's about the next generation. right? yeah!!! >> welcome back. governor o'malley is joining the fight for a moratorium of foreclosures in maryland. there was a letter by elijah cummings calling for a moratorium. lenders may have acted fraudulently went forclosing on some homes. many families were wrongly evicted.

the lending companies should do their reviews that report back to the state. people will no longer be able to purchase spice or k2 in baltimore county. it was -- officials say that it could produce a high when smoked similar to that of marijuana. some said the terror warning for europe will not hinder their travel plans. officials say this is the most significant threat in the past five years. it could be similar to the jihad attack in india. similar warnings have also been issued. that brings us to your answers to our water cooler question of the day. >> this morning we asked -- how will the terror alert affect your travel plans?

>> >> we will post more of your answers on the front page of wbaltv.com. >> we know what you mean. >> now traffic pulse 11 and insta-weather plus together. >> we are tracking a couple of accidents on the outer loop west side. an accident has been cleared from the left lane near liberty. we will show you what is going on. we have delays that extend down towards reisterstown, 14 miles per hour through that stretch. southbound 95 is starting to be affected. looking at some slow spots on the west side. this is near delay any valid. the accident is reported in the

outer loop -- is near delaney valley. 23 miles per hour at that spot. all lanes are closed at seminary avenue because of a downed tree. 15 on the outer loop north east side. here's what looks like at delaney valley. some delays are forming. this is liberty, where it is just inching along heading down towards seven. now we get the latest from sandra shaw. she is talking here. >> -- she is talking beer. >> baltimore beer week kicks off on thursday. it is the second annual. tell us about the different events. there are some mayn't events. >> this thursday kicks off with

the opening celebration. saturday we have the big octoberfest. monday there is a beer luncheon. we have the first ever baltimore beer festival at the park. lots of big defense. dinners, tastings, lots of great stuff. >> even a beer crewuise. >> a pirate ship coming out of fells point. a lot heavy seas beers. >> it is going to be wild. it kicks off this thursday. there are some tickets available. we are looking at an active hd doppler just to our west or the upper level low is circulating. we will have a cooler than normal conditions for the next couple of days. we will rebound just in time for

baltimore beer week. >> you can get a beer passport so you can navigate your way through. >> without a problem. the more, the better. >> thank you. beer week coming up in baltimore. by that time, the weather is going to improve. by the tail end of this week, i think the weather will be better. there is still an area of low pressure. also one in the upper level off to our west. this will become a major player. some of the rain will catch back up to us. there is some cloud cover and some drivel -- drizzle. as the low pressure drifts towards baltimore, we will increase the chance for rain today and tomorrow. upper 40's and load 50's right

now. 50 at the airport. 50 degrees in rising sun of penn cecil county. we have variable clouds. mostly cloudy. a chance for some rain showers. high temperature is well below average. we should be around 72. we will make it up into the low 60's today. upper 40's tonight. this system will start to move to the northeast. high pressure will move in from the plains states. denver was in the mid 80's yesterday. some of that warmth will work its way to the mid atlantic region. a very nice weekend looks like coming up for us. kind of chilly tomorrow with a chance for a rain shower. upper 60's tomorrow. mid 70's this weekend and in looks like it will be dry all

three days. sunshine and 75 degrees for the ravens game on sunday. now back to the news desk. >> thank you. the corruption case involving helen holton. she pleaded no contest to campaign finance violations. she lost a leadership role. jennifer franciotti is live at city hall with more details. >> that plea is essentially the same thing as a guilty plea. she has acknowledged that while chairing the council committee that oversees the development project, she asked two developers to cover the cost of a public opinion poll. that cost was $12,500. she made no mention of that cost at the time.

in return for holton her agreementfor was fined $2,500 and was given probation. last night, jack young stripped her of her title as chairman of the tax, finance, and economic development committee. she will remain on the city council. carl stokes has been appointed to our previous position. reporting live, jennifer franciotti, wbal-tv 11 news. >> thank you. martha stewart drops by to share her wisdom on making creative crafts. we look inside her main the state -- estate. join in every day. here is meredith vieira for a look at what is coming up next on the "today" show. >> some of the most controversial candidates are looking to reshape their images. we will have details about that. we will speak with carl palin do

you know -- carl paladino. a woman will speak o about being attacked by a pirate ship in a live interview. sex in america. what it is like to be inside a boiling volcano. that is when we get started on a tuesday morning right here on the "today" show. >> 49 degrees on tv hill. >> we will check weather and traffic together before you head out to start your day. out to start your day.

>> what is going on on the west side? >> there was an accident earlier. all lanes are now open. we are looking at 12 miles per average. those delays will stretch down to edmundson. it is impacting traffic on southbound 95. we have speeds around 24 miles per hour protein delay any valid. there is an overturned vehicles that is off the road. -- 24 miles per hour at delaney valley. have a down the street at seminary avenue. take york road as an alternate. nothing major on the rest of the area roads. 18 minutes on the west side. 15 on the northeast outer loop. like athat looks

liberty. it is just inching along. that is where we had a left lane closure. that is now gone. now you see the impact. we're also seeing delays on 95 out of white marsh. >> today will be better than yesterday. there is still some drizzle. we have 30% chance for some rain showers. by the end of the week, 70's. a very nice weekend. do not forget, tune into am 1090 to get weather and traffic on the fives all day long. >> thanks for joining us for 11 news today. >> we will be back with a live update at 7:25. >> bye-bye. >> follow breaking news and weather any time at wbaltv.com, and stay connected with us on facebook and twitter.