thank you for joining us this morning. tony pann has a quick look at today's forecast. >> is cold out there this morning. this will be a cold stretch of winter. right now, it is called. temperatures are in the teens and lower 20s. -- right now it is cold. it is 21 degrees at the airport right now. it feels like 7 at the airport. the wind chill is one at westminster. 2 in hagerstown. when you dress the kids this morning, that is what you want to prepare them for. high temperatures will make it into the upper 20's and low 30's, but it will feel like it is in the teens for most of the day. we will check the seven-day forecast coming up in just a few minutes. for now we say good morning to sarah. >> you are going to need some extra time to warm up your car. we have some fire activity in

the city at st. ann's avenue that is causing some closures there. a problem at president, another accident just coming into us. the major roadways are doing quite well. there are wind warnings on the area bridges. the rest of the major roadways are doing ok. this is a to 95 just north of the harbor tunnel. this is 95 at the fort mchenry. not bad at all. the toll plaza is looking good. no problems on the north side. east -- west side is equally good. 83 is also in great shape. that is the latest on traffic pulse 11. >> good morning. the tax-cut compromise president obama negotiated is one step closer to becoming law. >> it passed the senate with strong bipartisan support. kate amara is live with more

details. good morning. >> it is like an episode of " deal or no deal." this tax bill is set for final approval and it could happen as early as today. a big boost for president obama and his tax-cut deal with republicans. the bill sailed through a test vote in the senate on monday night. members ofnt urged the house to quickly pass the legislation. >> if there is one thing we can agree on, it is the urgent work of protecting middle class families, for america's businesses, and giving our economy a boost as we head into the new year. >> the deal extends the bush-era tax cuts to everyone for two years and extends jobless benefits for another 13 months.

>> it is only a first step. unless we use it to pivot to the deficit and the debt, we will have only pushed the larger problem down the road. >> but some house democrats have warned they will fight for changes. other democrats argued the bill would not create more jobs. >> economists of all stripes are telling us to extending tax cuts for the wealthiest is one of the least effective ways to create jobs and build the economy. >> once approved by the senate, the measure moves over to the house. house democrats have indicated they will not block this bill. kate amara, wbal-tv 11 news. >> we know where lawmakers stand. what about regular folks ta? >> a new poll found seventh and 10 support this deal. that is apparently according to

this poll a majority of republicans, too. >> kate amara, thank you. >> several groups have filed a federal lawsuit saying the pentagon has failed to turn over records documenting sexual harassment and rape in the military. the rabin some form of -- a new court challenge of "don't ask, don't tell." three veterans have sued the government. they want the ban to be declared unconstitutional. they are hoping lawmakers will repeal the law before the new congress is sworn in. the search is on for three people that they say kidnapped a pharmaceutical driver. >> jennifer franciotti is live at police headquarters with the latest. >> police are still looking for

the suspect in this case and the drugs. police say the suspects have a well orchestrated plan. now the fbi is joining in on this investigation. this began yesterday when a delivery driver was approached by three suspects as he was attempting to drop off a large load of drugs at the westside pharmacy and wellness center. police say the men kidnapped the driver and drove off. it all ended up in westport. the suspect's transfer some 87 acres of assorted narcotics and left the victim behind. >> we assume they're going to sell them illegally and on the streets. these are dangerous substances. if you sell them without consent and without going through the medical process, people are going to get hurt. >> of police are saying this is worth a significant amount of money.

anyone with information is asked to call police. reporting live, jennifer franciotti. >> the pillar of the man plotting to blow up the recruitment center in catonsville said his client was induced to go for it with a plot he could not have carried out on his own. antonio martinez was arrested last week. he is charged with use of attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction. >> we have breaking news. fire crews are on the scene of a two-alarm fire in east baltimore. it broke out just before 5:00 p.m.. is spread through one other house. there are no reports of injuries. we will bring more information as becomes available. a firefighter is recovering after suffering injuries in a

fire in the house on franklin street in havre de grace. the fire began in a third floor unit. one person was rescued. two others jumped 3 to three people were taken to the hospital. no word on their conditions. a real nail-biter of a game last night. the ravens came out on top but it was not an easy win. the ravens led 28-7 in the first half. but the texans tied the game and pushed it into overtime. the texan quarterback felt the pressure. josh wilson intercepted. the ravens win. keith mills will join us later with reaction. that brings us to our water cooler question of the day. does a win like last night's make you more or less optimistic about the ravens' playoff chances? share your response on wbaltv.com and on our facebook

page, or you can send us an e- mail to watercooler@wbaltv.com. coming up, some surfers hang 10 in the ice. we'll show you the pictures of. >> a rescue ended up in the cold waters. >> this is 95 just short of 195 in the catonsville area. in the catonsville area.

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>> welcome back. it is 23 degrees downtown. the actual temperature to not mean anything this morning. wind is gusting close to 30 miles per hour. look at the current wind chill. the wind chill at the airport is 7. five in frederick. be prepared for an arctic chill this morning. windy and cold is the forecast

for today. a high of only 31. we will check the seven-day forecast coming up in just a few minutes. for now, over to the news desk. >> the so-called honeymoon killers has an appearance scheduled in an alabama court. there's a bond hearing. he waived extradition two weeks ago. he has already served 18 months in an austrian prison for manslaughter. his wife drowned while scuba diving. prosecutors say he plotted her death and double jeopardy does not apply. >> a dramatic rescue was caught on camera. a woman was freed from her sinking eschews the. she was apparently backing the vehicle up when she went into the pond. rescue crews moved in and brought the woman to safety. she is said to be ok this morning. meanwhile, there are surfers in

lake michigan. this is on the eastern shore. temperatures were in the teens. some surfers took to the waves. they describe what they were doing as an unexplainable feeling. now they cannot feel anything. temperatures are expected to remain in the teens and 20s all week. backing up into the pond, that is something i am afraid i may do. >> coming up, the morning's financial news in the bloomberg business report. >> mcdonald's says some customer information has been stolen from their database. >> we are off to a pretty good start on the major roadways. there is some fire activity.

>> now traffic pulse 11 and insta-weather plus together. >> a few things in the city on this cold morning. >> you'll need some time this morning to warm up your car. we start at st. ann's avenue, some fire activity shutting down some lanes. we have an accident at president street and fleet street. overall, doing quite well on the major roadways. from the beltway southwest down to the 32, a nine-minute ride. only 12 minutes today from 75 down to a 95 on the outer loop west side. this is the key bridge. so far it is running smoothly. wind warnings are in affect

their and the rest of the area bridges. this is traffic at the beltway at york road. the north side looks good. 95 running smoothly out of the white marsh area. that is the latest on traffic pulse 11. now let's get the latest on the buses and the trains. for that we go to kurt kronke of the mta system. >> good morning. we have a delay on the light rail right now. it has a 20-minute delay. marc trains looking very good. no delays on the penn, camden, and brunswick lines so far. the hbos has a 50-minute delay appeared to 36 and 90 buses are diverting at baltimore and light streets. now back to tony pann. >> the wind and cold are making the major weather headlines this morning. upper teens and lower 20s, 21 at the airport. 18 in westminster. the wind is gusting already up

over 30 miles per hour. we just had a 30 mile per hour gusts at the airport. what does that do to the temperatures backs it takes off almost 15 or 20 degrees. the wind chill at the airport right now is seven. this is what you want to dress for as you step out this morning. if the kids need to be out there for a long time, it is brutally cold. have a wind advisory for most of the state. the wind could be gusting close to 40 miles per hour all day long. it will feel like it is in the teens for most of the day. we have the lake effect snow machine going to our north. we could see some snow showers and flurries across from the ridge tops. the jet stream deking way to the south. it will give us a chance for snow off and on for the next couple of days. the next chance will come in on

thursday. windy and cold today with a chance for snow showers and flurries. it will feel much colder than the actual temperature. breezy and cold tonight. temperatures dropped into the teens and lower 20s. i think the wind will die down on wednesday. it will not feel as cold, a high of 34. saturday may be the warmest day with a high of only 40. a chance for some light snow on sunday to close out the weekend. >> there has been a debtor breach report at the golden arches. mcdonald said a third party was able to work their way around security measures. the access e-mail address and other contact information. customer financial information or social security numbers was not access. the company said it is working

with law enforcement. the press been reported breach within walgreen's. spam in may of sent that to enter personal data into outside websites. you can get top dollar gift cards less than face value. the sites by them from consumers who don't have any use for them. if a card you buy has an amount left on it, you can use the card itself. holiday deals making easier for consumers to buy on a whim, and they are. 55% of respondents say they find deals to be better than last year. the report and how much the airline industry has racked up on baggage and registration fees is sen.

-- is in. numbers show airlines made nearly $1.5 billion. for $9 million came from reservation change fees. airlines make 1.4 $8 billion on these fees. >> another round of job cuts could be coming. wall street shifts its focus to the federal reserve today. jane king has a look at today's bloomberg business report. good morning. >> loss streak on fed watch today as the governors held their last meeting of the year. ben bernanke and policy makers may be ready to buy even more treasury bonds in a move to further stimulate the economy. it would be beyond the $600 billion they have previously announced they would buy. we checked the pulse and economists expect strong sales

are expected for a fifth straight month. we have stock futures a low but positive. a mixed close yesterday. the markets have not moved much. the tech stocks were the weak ones yesterday. from new economy too old. two companies looking to reduce their head count. yahoo! intends to cut 5% of their workforce. the shake-up could happen as early as today. job cuts have been swirling around the tech blogs for the last few weeks. general motors offering a $60,000 buyout package to about 2000 of their workers. the use buyouts to trim their work force. at the new york stock exchange, i'm jane king reporting for wbal-tv 11 news. back to you. >> where most of these cuts for

gm expected to be made? >> most will be in michigan. there are 14 plants affected and eight of those are in michigan. there are some assembly plants in delaware and georgia. gm looking to trim its skilled work force. those that need special training, they tried to readjust their work force over the past couple of years. >> thank you. 21 degrees on tv hill. coming up, we'll get another look at your morning commute with traffic and weather together. >> the holiday time is a time for giving. what about your four-legged friends ta? >> don't forget to e-mail us your response to our water cooler question of the day. does a win like last night's make you more or less optimistic about the ravens' playoff chances? share your response on wbaltv.com or send us an e-mail to watercooler@wbaltv.com.

>> many people are shopping for their pets. >> we see some popular items. >> two-legged animals love their four-legged friends. >> people tended to spend money on their pets because they care about them. >> a hot gift this year is the jolly egg. you never have to buy a new one. >> if you have a dog that can destroy anything, this is the one thing they can't. >> there are snacks for pets and the humans to share. there are many locally made products.

some share profits with charities. you can get the custom outhit made here in north texas. t and the this have light bulb you can fill with treats. a day at the pet spa can do the trick. if you're not sure what to get them, take them shopping and listen to what they want. >> it is not exactly a common gift, but it could be a great one for a fashion guru. vintage clothes made out of recocards. this year is their 100th anniversary. they are not budget friendly. many find the display very entertaining.

>> the dresses are very eye- catching. people say, oh, look addresses. very cool. >> project was so big that the credit other decorations from old christmas cards. very creative. it is 21 degrees on tv hill. coming up -- >> police are looking for suspects in a truck -- and a truck full of drugs. >> slots could come sooner than later to arundel mills. >> we have a brutal cold spell out there this morning. it's all coming up in just a few minutes. >> we have a pretty nice ride on the major roadways. we will upda [ female announcer ] safeway talks holiday favorites. i think there are eggnog people and non-eggnog people. and which are you? i'm a fish. on a tree.

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>> live, local, late-breaking, this is wbal-tv 11 news today in hd. >> good morning and welcome back. i'm lisa robinson. >> and i'm mindy basara. let's get a track on weather and traffic. >> is cold out there. it talks about maryland not getting very cold. this is cold for anywhere. the wind chills are in the single digits. the actual temperatures to not mean very much. it is 21 at the airport. northwest wind at 16. it feels like 7 at the airport. three in westminster. that is what you want to dress for this morning. the kids that have to stand at the bus stop. that is tough to do. windy and cold this afternoon. there is a chance for a couple of snow flurries. we'll take a look at the seven- day forecast and see if we can

break out of this forecast any time soon. probably not. >> what about kids at the bus stop with short son. >> i saw that yesterday. thing? a stock-indetyle those are tough kids if they are wearing shorts. >> i am not tough. anyway, as far as your morning commute, so far so good. a couple of problems in the city. we continue to do with fire department activity, so watch for fire equipment in the road and closures. for his an accident at fleet street appeared to major roads are in great shape. the one sluggish spot on the outer loop west side just past 75. running smoothly on southbound 95. 55 on the north side. this is a live view in a couple of spots. this is the key bridge.

most directions moving very well. wind warnings are in effect. use caution. harrisburg expressway is checking out fine here at shawan road. that is the latest on traffic pulse 11. >> the search is on for three people who police say kidnapped a pharmaceutical driver. >> it happened yesterday morning. jennifer franciotti is live at police headquarters with the latest. >> police are still looking for the suspects. they believe the suspects have a well orchestrated plan, this morning the fbi is joining in the investigation. a delivery driver was approached by three suspects as he was attempting to drop off a large load of drugs to pharmacy on west pratt street. the men kidnapped the driver, put him in the back of his own

truck, and drove off. the suspect and victims ended up in westport. this is video of investigators at the scene yesterday morning. the suspects transported the drugs to their vehicle and left the vehicle behind. >> we assume that they're going to sell them illegally and sell them on the streets. but, you know, obviously, these are narcotics. these are dangerous substances. if you sell them without consent -- without going through the medical process, people are going to get hurt. >> the fbi is helping with the investigation. police are saying the suspects got away with a variety of drugs with significant street value of. >> we're optimistic that we will recover the drugs and prosecute the individuals. >> the dea is also getting involved. jennifer franciotti, wbal-tv 11 news. >> the president of plots the senate for a test vote.

this as the senate surpasses the threshold needed to advance the legislation towards a final passage. a vote to the house is expected later today. the job -- the bill have 13 months of jobless benefits to the unemployed. the president said this is a great sign for things to come. >> this proves that both parties can work together to grow our party and looked out for the american people. a recognize that both parties or unhappy with certain parts of the package. >> the compromise was reached after republicans insisted all bush-era tax cuts cuts would be extended. the will continue for two years. >> a federal judge in virginia strikes down a key provision in that law. it requires americans to buy

insurance and virginia challenge that and set it conflicts with the state law. the obama administration is expected to file an appeal soon. if you have medicare, now is the time to sign up for additional coverage. the program pays up program $35 a month for eligible seniors. the doughnut hole coverage -- counselors will be at five locations this week to enroll thousands who are eligible. we have those locations on our website, wbaltv.com. >> a plan to bring slots to anne arundel casino got the green light. kim dacey has more about that hearing in annapolis. >> a casino could be coming to anne arundel county much sooner than expected. the plan is to open a temporary

facility within the year. the commission gave its blessing to the project. >> we would have liked what been underway prior to this. but we certainly hope that you can't move forward without further interruption and delight. >> the temporary facility is the first phase of a permanent facility. the building of a parking garage -- they are building the parking garage first. it would operate that way for about a year until phase two is finished. >> so that we can get the revenue flowing quicker to the states. it seemed to be a logical way to approach the project. >> there was hope to bring a slots parlor to baltimore city. that issue is tied up in court. the chairman wants to move forward. he needs to meet with city officials first about what terms

and conditions and exactly what land is available. >> we have said that we like to have all of those lots and all those parcels that the city owns to be clearly identified and the requirements be clearly identified. >> the commission will continue to bring these casinos to maryland's. >> the goal is to move these facilities forward as soon as possible and to generate income for the state of maryland. >> kim dacey, wbal-tv 11 news. >> there is a few more steps to take before it becomes official. they're hoping to start of construction on phase one surely after the new year. >> 21 degrees on tv hill. coming up , details of how more cancer patients are turning to

alternative patients. >> acupuncture could help treat a comment by condition. >> don't forget to e-mail us your response to our water cooler question of the day. does a win like last night's make you more or less optimistic about the ravens' playoff chances? you can share your response at wbaltv.com or send us an e-mail wbaltv.com or send us an e-mail to

>> welcome back. it is windy and cold. pay no attention to the actual temperatures. this is what you want to pay attention to. these are the correct wind chill spirit it feels like 7 at the airport. to in hagerstown. this is what you want to dress

for -- 2 in hagerstown. the wind will continue to gust over 30 miles per hour all day. an arctic day here in maryland. we will check the seven-day forecast coming up in just a few minutes. for now, to the news desk. >> we have breaking news. baltimore city fire crews are on the scene of a fire in east baltimore. five bodies have been found on the second floor. it happened just before 5:00 a.m. it spread to other house. we are sending jennifer franciotti to the scene. we'll give you more information when we get it. >> a study shows more and more brain cancer patients are looking to alternative therapy in an attempt to cure the disease. researchers studied more than

600 adults with incurable cancer. a majority of patients were happy with the conventional care they were receiving, but wanted something more. it is important doctors realized the importance of the other methods. >> acupuncture may help treat older children with a lazy eye. contact lenses and eyeglasses or only marginally helpful with people with myopia. recent has found children who have gone acupuncture saw a huge increase in their condition. that is interesting. >> it is 21 degrees on tv hill. city officials have a new place to get in shape. >> this is a live picture of looking over the downtown area.

up next, an update on weather and traffic pulse 11. stay wpuywood" test.

test. test. "access hollywood" test. test test. "access ho

>> now traffic pulse 11 and insta-weather plus together. good morning. sarah caldwell checking on your morning commute. we do have wind warnings at the area bridges. you will need extra time to warm up your car. all lanes are closed because of fire activity reported as breaking news. jennifer franciotti will have more surely. there is an accident in a city at fleet street. 45 miles per hour on the west side outer loop. northeast side looks great. 50 miles per hour on southbound 95 coming out of the northeast. right now, not battle. a quick live look outside and 50. -- right now, not bad outside.

we switch over to a live view of traffic, 70 at 29. east and westbound running smoothly. that is the latest on traffic pulse 11. now let's get the latest on the buses and the trains. for that we go to kurt kronke of the mta system. >> we have a southbound delay of 20 minutes. marc trains looking very good with no delays on the penn, camden, and brunswick lines. the 23, and 64 buses are 15- minute slide. the 40 and 91 buses are diverting a baltimore and light streets. now back to tony pann. good morning. >> the wind and the cold of the major weather headlines for today. these temperatures i'm showing you mean nothing. the actual temperature at the airport is 21. it is 18 in westminster. the wind is gusting over 30

miles per hour. these are the plots of the current wind gusts. we just had a gust of 30 at the airport. the wind was just gets stronger as we head through today. right now, you have to chop off almost 15 degrees to calculate the wind chill. the wind chill at the airport is 7. 2 in hagerstown. that is what you want to just four. we still have the lake effect snow machine going to our northwest. some of these streamers will make it down over the ridge tops into maryland. to not be surprised if you see a light snow flurries today. the jet stream is going way down to the south. temperatures below freezing in central florida right now. we have in polls in the jet stream and the next impulse to come through will be on thursday -- we have impulses in the jet stream. high temperature this afternoon only in the upper 20's and low

30's. but it will feel like it is in the teens later today. breezy and cold tonight. temperatures drop back between 15 and 24 degrees. seven-day forecast stacks up like this. i think the wind will die down a little bit tomorrow. chance for some light rain work flurries on thursday. we could see more light snow saturday night or on sunday. temperatures staying well below average all the way through the beginning of next week. >> there is a new state-of-the- art fitness facility now open in baltimore city. is that the baltimore safety training center. fire officials of law enforcement officers. a plaque was unveiled yesterday to honor the foundation for making the new facility reality. >> we depend on our police and firemen to be the best of the best and they need to be able to be trained and physically fit

and the need to have the conditioning that will help them to stay the best. >> the new gym features a variety of exercise equipment, from treadmills to punching bags. towson universal -- towson university kicked off a new food drive. they collected enough food and toys to fill two campus buses. drop-off boxes located on every building in campus through thursday. >> we may have met the enemy and he is us. that is the conclusion the u.s. army has come to in the ongoing fight against obesity. we have more. >> the mess hall in the ozarks. new recruits, new rules. and in new enemy -- fat. the bacon is baked.

doughnuts are banished forever. >> that is a problem i have. donuts is one of my favorite things to eat. >> that is a problem, according to the army. >> the kind of a soldier would get nowadays, they are not coming in in as good a shape as they should be. >> gone are french fries, fried chicken, fried everything. soda machines spit out sell gatorade. fort leonard wood is the first of five basic training camp overhauling food. as the army takes aim at better fitness, this is the first substantial change to a training regimen in decades. the morning workout has a yoga feel. more corps exercises, fewer pushups. training soldiers like elite athletes. only they are getting ready for war.

it targets army recruits. it is being looked up by the air force, navy, and the marines. >> hopefully it will change the culture they have brought into the service, the fast food, the notches, doritos, tacos, and oreos. >> chocolate. i crave chocolate the most. no chapa. >> napoleon once said an army marches on its stomach. in today's army, the newest worry is the size of those stomachs. >> 5:51. 21 degrees on tv hill. keith mills joins us with highlights from last night's ravens when. >> here is a look at last night's winning maryland lottery numbers. good luck.

>> now listen to one of your answers to our water cooler question of the day. >> this morning we asked -- does a win like last night's make you more or less optimistic about the ravens' playoff chances? >> keep sending us those

responses. we will post more of your answers on the front page of wbaltv.com. here's a keith mills with the latest on last night's game. >> that was mindy new rockthe sh that description. the ravens come home with a 9-4 record thanks to an unbelievable game last night. they win in overtime after watching a 28-7 lead vanished in the second half. ray lewis back on the monday night stage. he and his teammates dominate. the ball is baubles -- bobbles. see it again after the chest bump with anquan boldin derrick is a time stamp. the second of two for derrick mason. 21-7 at the half.

david reed, the kickoff of the third quarter, a tremendous effort. he runs through three defenders. and he is gone. 103 yards. did you think it was a blot tax yes. matt shaub did not. texans come back. matt shaub to jacobi jones. 28-20. the texans get it back. matt shaub to andre johnson tied the game. 20 seconds to go. it goes to overtime. houston gets the ball back. matt shaub from his own end zone. there is some pressure. josh wilson winds it just like that. the ninth win for the ravens. josh will some the hero. -- josh wilson, the hero.

>> for the defense to come up with a plug that packs a great feeling. a win. that is all that matters. at the end of the bayport is a key win. that is what we did. >> that is what they did. next half-hour, brett favre's consecutive game streak ends. a huge win for the ravens last night. i'm all for that. >> here's a look ahead -- >> mn defrosting his home. -- a man defrosting his home. sickle cell disease. >> want lottery winner has -- one lottery winner has a woman

to thank for his fortune. >> the wind chills are in the single digits. >> we're taking a look of the area roads. looking pretty good so far. wind warnings in effect at the area bridges.