>> your taxes, one step closer to staying put in the new year. i have what is next on the president's tax-cut compromise. >> it was another close call for the ravens as a pullout a victory from the jaws of defeat. >> how much longer we will be in the grips of these cold temperatures tax the forecast as we continue right now. [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'm mindy basara. >> and i'm lisa robinson. thank you for joining us this morning. >> tony pann has a quick look at today's forecast. bundle up. >> it is brutal cold this morning. those kind of philip in minnesota morning with the wind chill near zero in some places. the wind is gusting over 30 miles per hour. at the airport right now, it is 20 degrees. the wind is gusting to 25 or 30 miles per hour. we have a steady wind at 12. it feels like 8 at the airport. it feels like four in westminster. it feels like 5 in parkton. that is what you want to dress for this morning. windy and cold is the major weather headline. high temperature in 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. first we say good morning to sarah. >> good morning. an early start out there in the city. there are some problems but said st. ann's avenue because of fire activity. fleet street, that accident is gone. the major roadways are faring quite well. talk minutes on the west side outer loop. tall minutes to travel south on 95 from the beltway down to 32. wind warnings are in effect at the area bridges. at old court, running without delay. volume is building on the northwest corner. this is outer loop traffic. 95 at joppa road building in the southbound direction down towards the beltway northeast. that is the latest on traffic pulse 11. >> we want to update you when

breaking news. fire crews are on the scene of a fatal fire in east baltimore. >> is started just before 5:00 a.m. we have learned that five people have been found dead inside one of the homes. we have a news crew heading straight to the scene. >> i firefighter is among four people recovering from injuries suffered during an apartment fire in harford county. this was on franklin street in how the degrees. it began in a third-floor unit. a volunteer firefighter was able to rescue one person. two others jump. no word on their condition. the tax-cut compromise president obama negotiated with republicans is one step closer to becoming law because it passed procedural vote with strong bipartisan support. kate amara joins us live with more. good morning.

>> good morning. this tax bill is now set for final approval in the u.s. senate. it could happen as early as today. a big boost for president barack obama and his tax-cut deal with republicans. the bill sailed through a test vote in the senate monday night. >> on this vote, the yeas are 83, the nays are 15. >> after the vote, the president urged members of the house to quickly pass the legislation. >> because if there is one thing we can agree on, it is the urgent work of protecting middle-class families, removing uncertainty for america's businesses, and giving our economy a boost as we head into the new year. >> the $858 billion deal extends the bush-era tax cuts to everyone for two years and extends jobless benefits for another 13 months. senate minority leader mitch mcconnell called it a step in the right direrction. >> but it's 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. and on the senate floor, other democrats argued the bill would not create more jobs. >> economists of all stripes are telling us that extending tax cuts for the wealthy is one of the least effective ways to create jobs and build the economy. >> that was kate amara reporting live for washington. health care reform is getting its first federal challenge. a judge in virginia has struck down a key provision. the individual mandate requiring all americans to purchase health insurance was found unconstitutional. virginia said it conflicts with a state law that said residents cannot be forced to buy insurance. >> president obama called him a true giant in american foreign policy. richard holbrooke died yesterday

at the age of 69. he was a special presidential envoy to pakistan and afghanistan. he underwent emergency surgery to repair a tear in his aorta. there was a robbery of a pharmaceutical salesman. jennifer franciotti has more. >> 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. thee're still away before mega slots parlor is open for business. but there is another step in -- the slots commission gave the green light to the cordish

company for their plan to open a temporary slot machine facility within a year. it will operate on will be the garage of a final facility. >> we would have liked to look been under way before this, but we hope that you can move forward without further interruption and delay. >> officials hope to start construction on phase one of the slots parlor surely after the new year with a temporary casino opening in late 2011. >> the ravens on not making it easy on the parts of their fans. their fate was decided in the final seconds of the game. the ravens had a big lead in the game. the defense allowed the texans to gain more than 300 yards to tie the game at 28. there was another overtime. jacoby jones sealed the win,

allowing ravens' defense to finally x help. the ravens won. 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? you can share your response at wbaltv.com, and on our facebook page, or send us an e-mail to watercooler@wbaltv.com. >> 21 degrees on tv hill. coming up, the morning's financial news in the bloomberg business report. amtrak workers demand a pay raise. >> michael steele is causing controversy as head of the republican party. does he wants another term next hear what he has to say. >> find out how this home became a real life ice palace. >> we will check the seven-day forecast when i come back in just a few minutes. >> not a bad ride out there

other than some fire activity in other than some fire activity in the

>> welcome back. 23 degrees downtown. the actual temperature does not mean all that much because the wind is gusting close to 30 miles per hour. it is 20 at the airport. 18 in westminster. 20 and parkton. we're having wind gusts between 25 and 30 miles per hour per it would set a 30 mile per hour wind gusts at bwi and the 25

mile per hour wind gust in westchester -- in westminster. it feels like 8 at the airport, for in westminster, five in parkton. -- 4 in westminster. major the kids are prepared for arctic conditions. some of these like effect streamers will cross over the ridge tops and make it into maryland this morning and this afternoon. there could be a few areas that a coating, kind of like yesterday. most of you will see snow flurries at the worst. we have the jet stream taking with south into florida. temperatures below 32 degrees all the way into central florida this morning. we have these rebels in the jet stream. there is another -- which of these ripples in the jet stream. we could see some light snow on

thursday. this cold set up will stay with us for the next several days. windy and cold today. high temperature in the upper 20's and low 30's. it will feel like it is in the teens for most of the day. the wind may gust close to 40 miles per hour. overnight, breezy and cold and a chance for snow flurries. temperatures will drop into the mid teens. the wind may diminish a little bit late tonight and especially during the day on wednesday. it will be cold. it will not feel as bad on wednesday. a high near 34. a chance for some light snow on thursday. we will watch that system. quite going into the beginning of the weekend. saturday might be the warmest day of the next seven. expect a high of only 40 degrees. a chance of light snow perhaps on saturday night into sunday.

let's see what is happening on the roads. >> good morning. not a lot happening right now. that is a good news. you will need some extra time to warm up your car. st. ann's avenue, we have continued closures in effect because of fire activity. looking good on the harrisburg expressway. 63 miles per hour at shawan road. no major problems on the the slow spots developing on the outer loop just beyond 795. one more speed sensor to check. this is in glen bernie, running very well at 56 miles per hour per it wind warnings in effect at the area bridges. use caution that the area bridges. this is old court as volume builds on the northwest corner. this is traffic on 95 picking up in 5 heading southbound down towards the beltway northeast.

that is the latest on traffic pulse 11. >> there is a new court challenge to the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy. three veterans have sued the government. they want the ban on openly gay troops to be declared unconstitutional and they want to be reinstituted. despite wishes of critics, michael steele says he wants to remain on the job. he plans to tell the republican national committee he will seek a second term. he has lost significant financial support for allegations of financial mismanagement. ever have the task of defrosting a freezer desk one homeowner will have that experience and then some. after a water main spring water high into the air and high into this home, encasing in ice.

he needed a blowtorch. the house was sealed fairly well. aside from some water in the basement, everything is ok. >> the nation's airlines have made banks of money off of your baggage. airlines made nearly $1.5 billion in baggage and reservation fees in the third quarter. fliers trying to save money should only take one carry-on bag and don't change or cancel reservations. credit-card companies do not seem to of learned the lesson from the credit crunch. they are making offers to boris with less than perfect credit. -- they're making offers to borrowers with less than perfect

credit. workers at amtrak are seeking pay raises. most americans are not aware of product recalls. jane king has those stories and more in this morning's bloomberg business report. >> there is a good chance you have the recalled product some more in your home, with the exception of cars. 80% of americans are not aware that a product may have been recalled in the past three years. americans fail to fill up registration cards. on wall street, investors turned their focus on some economic reports. we will get reports on inflation. the fed holds their last meeting of the year. weakness in tech stocks dragging the nasdaq lower. bloomberg news has a union-led coalition that amtrak is seeking higher pay.

the brotherhood of maintenance employees say workers got pay hikes of about 18% over five years. amtrak lost at least $1 billion a year for 10 years and received $1.5 billion in federal aid. at the new york stock exchange, i'm jane king reporting for wbal-tv 11 news. >> sickle cell disease is a genetic disorder that is extremely painful and dangerous. pregnancy can make sickle cell worse. doctors say close monitoring the proper prenatal care, a successful pregnancy can be managed. >> they should be placed on higher dosage of folic acid. they should take good care of

themselves and try to reduce the incidence of their circling. >> a woman should see their ob/gyn to get the best outcome. >> 21 degrees on tv hill. another check on weather and traffic straight ahead. >> fourth quarter lead evaporates in the final second. last night come the ravens rewarded those fans. keith mills has highlights. >> 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, and on our facebook page, or send us an e-mail to watercooler@wbaltv.com. >> here is a look at last night's winning maryland lottery numbers. good luck.

>> now traffic pulse 11 and insta-weather plus together. >> good morning. sarah caldwell checking on your morning commute. if you're heading out in the city, one street remains shut down because of fire activity. southbound 95, there is an accident just coming in. we'll let you know in terms of lane closures. same answer in the city, all lanes closed because of fire activity. 45 miles per hour on the west side outer loop. that is our one sluggish spot.

the jfx is running smoothly. 795 looks good from owings mills. this is old court. this is out of the -- this is outer loop traffic. this is traffic on 95 just south of the beltway northeast. running smoothly down to the fort mchenry. things are starting to slop in the white marsh area. that is the latest on traffic pulse 11. >> the big weather story is the wind and the cold. wind chill are running in the single digits. it is 20 at the airport. with winds gusting over 25 miles per hour, this is what it feels like outside. six in westminster. five in parkton. that is what you want to dress for if you're just stepping out. it is going to be windy and cold all day with a chance for some flurries. it will feel like it will be in the teens for most of the day.

we will check the seven-day forecast coming up in just a few minutes. first we send it over to the man with the good news. here is keith mills. >> just when you think you have seen it all with the ravens, you see one of the most bizarre endings in their 15-year history. 34-28, the ravens beat the texans in overtime after giving up a 21-point second-half lead. another monday night game. the ravens dominates the first half. joe flacco, a bullet to derrick mason. he keeps his feet down. we will see it again after the chest bump with anquan boldin. he had dropped 80 pass early in the game when he was wide open. he had two touchdown passes. joe flacco likes that one. david reed in the second half. the third quarter kickoff. he runs through three defenders and alludes another one and then he is gone.

103 yards and a 28-7 ravens lead. you think this baby is over. wrong. texans come back. matt shaub to jacoby jones. six minutes left. 21 seconds left. the owner looking on. matt shaub hits andre johnson in the back of the end zone. he tiptoes in. the two-point play is good. we go into overtime. texans. matt shaub from his own end zone. jacoby jones reads it and scores the game-winners. the ravens win. wilson with a much-needed big play from the defense. >> it was strange, strange, strange. you know, the defense to come up with a place like that. it is a great feeling.

a win. that is all that matters. at the end of the day. it is a key win. >> that is what they did as jacoby jones comes up with a big play in the ravens history. they are 9-4, one game behind pittsburg. matt shaub, unbelievable moment for him. the new york giants are 9-4 after beating the vikings last night in detroit. the game marked the end of brett favre's consecutive game streak. he did not play against the giants. 19 years. he is 41 years old trick you have to wonder if we have seen the last of him on the playing field. the giants just ran all over the vikings last by. 21-3. brett favre's streak is over. it looks like cliff lee is heading back to the philadelphia phillies. if writing of sources say he has

agreed to a five-year deal worth $100 million. the yankees and rangers appeared to be the front runners to sign him. looks like he is heading back to philadelphia. three players have signed $100 million deals. kind of what you guys make. >> close. that is what you get your own chair. >> i was willing to improvise. >> thank you. 21 degrees on tv hill. much more to come in our next half-hour. >> tragedy in east baltimore. on the scene of breaking news where five people are dead after an overnight fire. details are next. >> a man accused of being a homegrown terrorist act appears in court. was he a victim of entrapment taxt? >> we have some closures in

effect and talk about an accident on southbound 95. >> it is an arctic morning out there. we'll look of the windshields

>> 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. tony pann has a quick look at today's forecast. thank you for joining us this morning. >> the wind chills are running between zero and 10 degrees right now. the wind is gusting over 25 miles per hour. windy and cold is the forecast for the rest of the day. the wind may gust to over 40 this afternoon. 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, to the news desk. >> breaking news treat a deadly fire is raging on the east side of baltimore city, claiming the lives of five people. >> jennifer franciotti joins us live from the scene with the latest. >> the fire broke up just

before 5:00 a.m. on homewood avenue. will step aside so you can take a look of the side. this is just past agreement on the east side of baltimore. fire crews are here on the scene. looks like they have this fire in control. the fire started on the end unit. the wind played a factor in pushing that fire into the adjacent row home. it spread the fire damage to the one next to that. we have three damaged units. the conditions were so severe that fire crews had to be evacuated from the building. they had to fight the fire from the outside. in search and rescue teams discovered the bodies of five people. right now the ages are not known. the gender of the victims is also not known. we have seen some family members, possibly loved ones and

friends show up. the screams we have heard from them have been heartbreaking. there are just now learning of the victims death. we hope to have more information as it becomes available. we have the chief from the baltimore city fire department joining us. we have laid out the scene and we told people there are five victims. it is too early to determine the cause of the fire. >> very early at this juncture. there is a lot of damage inside. to brief the route. we have are some detectives on the scene awaiting to make entry to make some assessments as to the cost. >> did this reach become the alarm stack? >> second alarm. we have over 50 firefighters commending and support staff on the st.. >> the wind played a role this morning. >> when companies arrived, there

was heavy smoke and fire conditions from one dwelling that extended into a second drilling. firefighters entered the towing. fire conditions worsen. they had to evacuate. we had to suppress the fire from the exterior. we were able to pre-enter and to continue extinguish the fire. five bodies were uncovered inside. >> it has been a rough two weeks for the fire department. >> we have had our challenges as it relates to fire. this is what we do. we will continue to do that to the best of our capabilities. >> kevin, thank you so much. we will bring you more information as it becomes available. jennifer franciotti reporting live. >> new details about the alleged plot to blow up a military recruiting center in catonsville.

a detention hearing for antonio martinez. jim miller has more from federal court downtown. >> that is not him. that is not him. i just don't think it was sent. >> the mother of suspects antonio martinez today said her son was brainwashed by his religion. he left his family and friends in a state of shock and disbelief. martinez is accused of setting off a car bomb in catonsville last wednesday. he described this as a counterattack to what he believes is america's war on islam. there was no real bomb. he was nabbed in a government sting. his lawyer said in troubled will be the defense strategy. while we have is a government sting. there is no question the government induced mr. martinez to be involved in an act that

was the design of the government. >> the arguments we're making today are designed to make the best position we could with regard to what he should not be detained because the government argued the plot was real. they say he parked the vehicle right in front of the recruiting center to do what he thought would be maximum harm. prosecutors say it is all on tape. if you look at the tape, it is like an everyday routine. there is no remorse, no nervousness. he is about to kill people. judges -- the judge said he will remain in detention. prosecutors say the day before the bomb was to golf, martinez sent a facebook message saying they would be victorious. he also admitted he faced two options -- to be successful and

to get locked up. >> a health inspector hoax is being carried out on the fault and baltimore county. somebody has been calling businesses claim to be a health inspectors. they can request information over the phone that could be used to defraud business. review tips on our website. go to wbaltv.com and click on consumer the >> one of the top power brokers in washington is finished slinging pizza. jack a. barack has completed his work as part of his work on construction charges. he will now serve the next three years on probation. >> now traffic pulse 11 and insta-weather plus together. >> good morning. sarah caldwell checking on your morning commute. an accident on southbound 95 approaching 198.

delays are showing up on our map already. this is just south up 32. we will keep you posted on that. no word on which lanes are closed. homewood avenue remains closed at the scene of the fire. loch raven is a much better bet if you normally takes homewood avenue through the city. beginning around liberty and the rest of the major roadways, looking at some minor delays on 95 coming out of the northeast. 95 near 198, going away from losses in northbound traffic. southbound delays is for the accident is approaching 198. this is 95 south of the beltway northeast. looking heavy and all the volume-related. that is the latest on traffic pulse 11. >> thank you. first we check the current

conditions. it is 20 at the airport 318 in westminster. the wind is gusting up near 30. -- 18 in westminster. eight in annapolis. that is what you want to dress for this morning. there could be some snow showers and flurries today. the wind may gust close to 40 this afternoon. we will lose the wind tomorrow. take up to 34 and maybe some light snow on thursday. not a big deal. >> frederick county schools, to our delight. woodlawn high school is closed because there is no heat. that would be a problem. -- frederick cannon schools, two-hour delay. >> is there a secret code painted inside the famous "mona ?isa" masterpiece ta

>> we are still taking your answers 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, and on our facebook page, or send us an e-mail to page, or send us an e-mail to watercooler@wbaltv.com.

>> information from an antique book has art experts re- examining the masterpiece, "the lisa."a tiny numbers and letters can be

seen inside the eyes. no word on what the letters and numbers may mean. >> sometimes it pays to not be the first in line. a man was waiting in line for a lottery ticket. it will cut in front of him. you know how that feels. he let her go ahead. both use the lucky pick method to place their bets. emancipations paid off. his random ticket was the winner. he made $70 million. >> that is good karma. "you first." coming up, we'll check the morning headlines. >> tony always has to be in the studio for spurred an accident coming in on 95. a problem in the city. >> that is because it is cold

outside. it will stay that way all the way through this morning and for the rest of the week. here's a peek outside. 20 degrees at the airport. it feels like it is

>> welcome back. a firefighter is among four people recovering from injuries suffered in an apartment house count in harford county. fire broke out on franklin street in havre de grace. it began on the third floor units. one person was rescued. three people and a firefighter were taken to a hospital. no word on their condition. we are a long way away from the anne arundel county parlor slots. on monday, the slots commission

gave the go-ahead to the cordish company to open a facility within the next year. it will operate a will be the garage level of the final facility. the ravens and not making it easy on the course of their fans. the ravens had a 21-point lead. defense allow the houston texans to gain more than 300 yards to tie the game at 28. it went to overtime. on the first overtime position, jacoby jones sealed the win, allowing the ravens fans 2 xl. the ravens won. >> that brings us 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?

>> we will post more of your answers on the front page of wbaltv.com. >> paying for prescription drugs is a struggle for many marylanders. many senior citizens are eligible for benefits. george lettis takes us through several workshops designed to get seniors signed up. >> i looked and try to get prescriptions filled and they

would not fill them anymore. i had to pay $4,000 upfront. i did not have the kind of money. >> he has to pay the full cost his pills. he has not been able to afford pills for three months. >> i cannot sleep. anxiety. >> easing that pain is the goal of free workshops in baltimore city. starting on monday, counsellors are signing people off to plants because drug assistance in the state has gone up. thousands eligible are not taking advantage during the current enrollment period. >> we're trying to reach out to thousands of others who would qualify but have not come to a workshop yet. >> for seniors who are eligible, the program will pay up program $35 per month in premiums.

it did not take long for a counselor to write cliff to let him know he is eligible. there are four more workshops like this across the state this week. log onto wbaltv.com for more information or you can try to sign up over the phone. in baltimore city, george lettis, wbal-tv 11 news. >> now traffic pulse 11 and insta-weather plus together. >> good morning. your morning commute is getting busier. we have a new accident in have a degrees. traveling along pulaski highway, an accident involving an overturned vehicle, shutting down those lanes. watch for delays there. meanwhile, homewood avenue remains shut down because of fire activity we have been reporting is breaking news. we have some problems southbound

on 95 approaching 198. we're down to 27 miles per hour beginning near 32 and we're still awaiting word on which lanes are closed. it is affecting southbound traffic. another problem in the northbound direction at the howard county line. you saw pulaski highway. here is the big problem. 95 in howard county. northbound traffic at a standstill heading towards that accident scene. that is the latest on traffic pulse 11. >> good morning. there is an arctic chill out there this morning. the actual temperatures are pretty much meaningless to start the day today. they are meaningless because the wind is gusting between 25 and 30 miles per hour. we just had a gust of 30 at the airport and 26 in westminster. take-off maybe 15 or 18 degrees.

this is what it feels like out there this morning. 8 at the airport. five in parkton. that is what you want to dress for this morning. especially the kids. the half -- they have to stand at the bus stop. some of these streamers will make it across the ridge tops into the baltimore area. we could see snow showers and flurries flying around. the jet stream is dipping way to the south. temperatures below 32 degrees as far south as central florida. one of those ripples may pass by south of us on thursday with another chance for some light snow. windy and cold today. the wind may gust close to 40 miles per hour this afternoon. chance for some snow showers and flurries. it will feel like it is in the teens and single digits for most of the day. breezy and call today. temperature drops between 15 and

24 degrees tonight. we will lose the wind tomorrow. it will still be called with a high of 34. chance for some light snow on thursday -- it will still be caold. another week the system comes through on saturday night and sunday with a chance for some light snow. that is an arctic seven-day forecast. >> thank you. a deadly fire in east baltimore claims five lives. jennifer franciotti joins us live with the latest. good morning. >> it happen before 5:00 p.m. this morning on the 2300 block of homewood avenue here in east baltimore. this is off of north avenue. fire crews are on the scene. this fire is out. cleanup and investigation are going on. it happened in an end unit. because of the heavy wind, it quickly spread.

firefighters had to remove themselves from the situation and fight the fire from the outside because of dangerous conditions. they went back inside and they found the bodies of five people. the ages and genders of the victims are not known. fire investigation is underway. they have arson investigators on the scene. crews are trying to do cleanup. family members have arrived and they have been devastated by this situation. they have tried to get a grasp of what has happened here. no one has felt well enough to speak to anyone from the news. it's a very devastating situation here in east baltimore. reporting live, jennifer franciotti. back to you. >> a very sad situation. 21 degrees on tv hill. >> we will come back and check the weather and traffic together before you head out to start your day. your day. stay with us.

>> 95 in howard county, not a good place to be. >> we have delays in both directions. we're focusing northbound towards the howard county line. there is also a southbound accident approaching 198. traffic is backed up back to 32. watch for delays in both directions. havre de grace, pulaski how is shut down because of an overturned vehicle. we also have a problem on the inner loop approaching 95. down to 15 miles per hour.

homewood avenue shutdown because of fire activity. we will keep you posted on all of these problems at. >> and some delays in closing. school isawn high closed because there is no heat. >> the winds will gust close to 40 today. it will not be a pretty day. a chance for some snow showers and flurries. the actual temperature make up to 31 today. but it will feel like the teens all day. we lose the wind tomorrow. there could be some light snow on thursday. tune to am 1090 to hear traffic and weather together on the fives. >> don't forget to put on the key theat. >> thanks for joining us for 11 news today. >> we will be back with a live update at 7:25. >> have a good day. >> follow breaking news and

weather any time at wbaltv.com, and stay connected with us on facebook and twitter.