>> live, local, late-breaking, this is wbal-tv 11 news today in hd. >> good thursday morning. i am mindy basara. >> and i am sarah caldwell. thank you for joining us this morning. >> sandra shaw has a quick look at the forecast. we're talking about some snow. >> there is a winter storm advisory for the entire area occurred will policy about an inch around baltimore. bring it on. it has been cold enough. low pressure system will be skirting to our south. it is over west virginia and virginia. from noon on, we will see the snow beginning to fall. it is still frigid and dangerous out there. it feels like 9 at the airport, up 14 downtown. snow showers developing at noon and lasting through the early evening hours. 27 ton, 27 to 30 -- callold,

30 will be the high today. more on this developing storm coming up. kim dacey checking on your morning commute. >> just a couple of water main breaks to watch for in the city. one is on north and calling olllington avenue. 11 on the outer loop topside. no problems to report there. this is the west side of the beltway. very light volume. this is a live view of the harrisburg expressway at shawan road road. very light volume in both north and southbound. that is the latest on traffic pulse 11. back to you. >> the new details in the investigation of the photo op

fire that swept through the part of downtown known as the block. >> fire officials are getting close to determine a cause. george lettis is live with more on that story. >> more than a week after the fire ripped through several buildings, the atf is providing answers on what caused the fire. the fire was set by someone. that does not mean somebody intentionally set the fire. there is some human involvement. those who work on the block want closure on this soon. >> it could be anything from a homeless person moving up there or somebody getting up where it was closed off. if it was arson, i have to punish them to the full extent. there are dozens if not 50 families right now because of

the fire whoo have nothing around the holidays. >> investigators estimate the damage will top $3 million. they're passing out fliers hoping somebody will provide some tips. there is a $5,000 award for anyone who provides information that will help solve the case. george lettis, wbal-tv 11 news. >> the fire at the procumbent mount vernon has been deemed electrical in nature. it quickly shot up the building's ventilation system and spread to the roof. a homeless man is being treated it after somehow catching on fire outside of it canton grocery store. some of his possessions were left outside of the fire. witnesses were horrified by what they saw. body ands burning shivering. people must have seen this. people and say fight were bring bottles of water and dumping

them on them. his body was washed with water and he was put in the ambulance. >> he is said to be in serious condition. officials are concerned about how that fire was started. the white house releases a long awaited review of the u.s. war strategy in afghanistan. >> is expected to outline progress. kate amara is in our washington bureau with more of this morning. >> good morning. this yearlong assessment of the war will address the fight against al qaeda and the success of the troop surge in afghanistan. the obama administration releases its latest report card on the war in afghanistan today. according to the white house, the review will show the u.s. and nato allies are making

progress, halting the momentum of the taliban. >> we have seen through counterterrorism success and degrading senior al qaeda leaders. >> the report comes and more than a year after president obama authorize the deployment of more troops to afghanistan. >> we will send an additional 30,000 troops to afghanistan. >> this is a concern of the president's own party. >> the american people deserve to know -- is to lie, 2011, still a realistic time from? >> the war review will not change plans to begin a troop withdrawal next july. the document will identify challenges that remain, namely insurgent safe havens inside pakistan and that pose a major threat to security. >> the only way you will get a stable solution that will not

just collapsed the minute we removed our security forces is if we can create an alternative to the taliban. >> the u.s. is expected heavier fighting this winter as more taliban fighters stay in afghanistan instead of slipping into pakistan. kate amara, wbal-tv 11 news. >> thank you. the house has voted to repeal the ban on gays serving openly in the military. barney frank announced the vote to repeal the "don't ask, don't tell" policy. the president wanted congress to act on the congress so the courts will not get further involved. further debate now goes to the senate. it is up to the house when it comes to the new tax bill. it passed in the senate yesterday. most democrats are still not happy with the compromise. they think it is too generous to the rich. >> a philadelphia quarterback

says he wants a dog. he served 23 months in prison on dog fighting charges. he fills having a dog will help him serve his rehabilitation. these are his latest comments. >> i would love to have another dog in the future. i think it would be a big step for me in the rehabilitation process. i miss having a dog right now. my daughter's miss having a dog. that is the hardest thing is to tell them we cannot have one because of my actions. >> he is not supposed to have a dog. that brings us to our water cooler question of the day. what do you think about michael vick's statement that he would like to have a dog as part of his rehabilitation? you can share your response at wbaltv.com, and on our facebook page, or send us an e-mail to watercooler@wbaltv.com. >> 22 degrees on tv hill.

new details surrounding the school board meeting that turned violent in florida. >> this is a live look of traffic on 95. we will get a closer look of traffic with kim.

>> welcome back. it's 22 degrees downtown. the wind chill at the airport is only 9 degrees. we're expecting snow, one to 3 inches. the snow is moving in. low pressure is moving near the virginia/north carolina border. snow is developing in virginia and is heading in our direction. we'll see some pretty decent snow showers. a light dusting is expected.

this encompasses all of our viewing area until 9:00 p.m. tonight. areas south could see one to 3 inches, maybe even three to 5 inches in the extreme southern area in a purple. we have another chance for snow over the weekend. stay tuned. >> a man accused of kidnapping a 12-year-old girl earlier this month and taking her to san francisco is now back in virginia. the girl was not hurt. police say the man is a suspect in the death of her broad front, tina smith. he will be arraigned today. >> mike jones is a security chief and a former police officer. tuesday night, after clay duke fired shots at school members, jones exchanged gunfire with

them. jones was not shot. his wife is still calling her husband a hero. >> it is 22 degrees. coming up, the morning's financial news in the bloomberg business report. >> mcdonald's finds itself in the middle of a lawsuit. >> a couple of water main break to watch for. we will get you up to date.

[ female announcer ] safeway talks gift ideas. music makes a great gift. i like rock, hip-hop, country... and you are telling me this, why? i...uh...thought you might be my secret santa? no. i'm giving for skunk. uh, i can hear you. no. not you. the other skunk. [ female announcer ] safeway is the place to stock up on itunes gift cards. right now, save $6 on a $40 4-pack. keep 'em on hand. only at safeway. ingredients for life. >> now traffic pulse 11 and insta-weather plus together. >> the weather is already

causing some issues. >> we have some icing conditions around the. and some wind warnings around the key bridge. bossism water main breaks. those could ice over and cause some dangerous situation kurt one on south highland. the other is on north avenue and blocking the center lane north and southbound para eastbound 50, icy conditions. we have some salting conditions. just be extra careful out there and all the major roads this morning. this is the west side of the beltway. things are moving fine. road conditions are looking good. this is the harrisburg expressway at shawan road. north and southbound moving freely. 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 the 13 bus with a diversion at north and chester.

light rail and metro subway are operating on time. there is a 15 minute delay on the marc trains. the camden and 10 trains are on time. >> we have breaking news just developing. charles county schools are closed today. nor reason was given. we know we have this upcoming weather. maybe three to 5 inches of snow down in charles county. we have all this snow that is associated with this area of low pressure. it will be skirting past virginia and north carolina at today. it is already trying to infiltrate extreme western maryland and west virginia today. we'll see visible accumulation today. as far as what is taking place as far as the advisory, it is in

effect until 9:00 p.m. tonight. basically up until cecil county, probably less than an inch up there. areas south of baltimore, you are in the zone for getting about 3 inches today. only about an inch for baltimore and areas north and west. we will see this around midday and into the early evening hours. it is still frigid outside. we are 22 downtown. 18 at the airport. it is the wind. the wind chill is not at bwi marshall. 14 downtown. six in parkton. stock in the 16-degree range. it will be a bitterly cold day today. snow in the mountains and 20 degrees there. three to 5 inches in western maryland. we will say one to three in

maryland did -- in baltimore. only 29 degrees. the snow is starting around midmorning and midday. 33 degrees in the lower eastern shore. 46 is our average high this year. 27 is art normal low. we have been well below that. there is no relief in sight for those of low temperatures. mostly cloudy tonight. snow will be tapering after 9:00 p.m. or so. light wind out of the northwest. it is all about this area of low pressure. it is a fast-moving low pressure. it is going to get through here quickly. here is the timetable. by about noon, we are seeing first bands coming through. it will last for a different time. there will be some kind of the

snowfall. one to 3 inches, tapering off overnight after 9:00 p.m. then the bitter cold. another system offshore. next chance is late saturday into early sunday. temperatures remain in the mid 30's through the middle of next week. that is it for now. over to you. >> more than 11,000 drop side cribs made in china are officially being recalled. the quilt can break or be assembled incorrectly and create a gap. a child can suffocate in that gap. for more information, go to wbaltv.com and click on consumer alert.

dannon will pay a fine over claims it made on some of its products. this helped to boost immunity. the federal trade commission said there is not enough evidence to back up those claims. a california mother is suing mcdonald's over happy meals. the lawsuit says mcdonald's uses kids and parents toe their restaurant. mcdonnell said it will defend its brand and its food. >> major carriers are ready to increase ticket prices. wall street turns its focus back on housing this morning. jane king has more in the bloomberg business report. >> good morning. housing is still the weakest part of the economy. there are a few signs it is

regaining its footing. we will get a report on housing starts. it tells us what the builders are doing and their activity. it is expected to show a rise for the first time in three months. a separate report not building permits. that should show an increase as well. fannie mae has its analysis on home ownership. my new orders -- minorities still of strong aspirations to own a home. fannie mae says these groups could drive future purchases. so far this morning, we're looking pretty flat for the start of things today. we have had a couple of weeks with little direction in stocks. a slight pullback with the s&p falling from its two-year high. lockheed martin and boeing says aerospace sales may rise next

year. military orders, under pressure because of federal budget deficits. american airlines will boost the prices of domestic flights $10 roundtrip. most of its competitors have matched those fare increases. that increases the likelhoo lihood that they will stick. i'm jane king reporting for wbal-tv 11 news. back to you. >> what is on tap for your next ?eport taxpaye >> it is not such good news for holiday shoppers. i will have that story coming

up. >> thank you. 22 degrees on tv hill. coming up, we'll get another look at your morning commute with traffic and weather together. >> maybe a surprising take from the ravens' wind over the texans. >> don't forget to e-mail us your response to our water cooler question of the day. what do you think about michael vick's statement that he would like to have a dog as part of his rehabilitation? you can share your response at wbaltv.com, and on our facebook page, or send us an e-mail to watercooler@wbaltv.com. ♪electronic santa song

♪electronic santa song >> good morning. a tough test for the ravens' defense. the texans put up 28 points.

the quarterback threw for almost full hundred yards. the secondary played very well. josh wilson made the play that won the game. he went in for the game-winning touchdown. breaking up passes and covering much bigger receivers. the tenant will no doubt need that same level of effort against the saints on sunday. john harbaugh expects it. >> josh has good speed. he made some good plays on some deep balls. i thought both of those guys on the outside played very well. the sake, how could that be the case? it was good to see. >> we need to see that again. the chip -- match of the tournament began wednesday in the players' locker room.

joe flacco against sam cook. he has taken the first two games in the best of five series. the title will be determined later today after practice. that is sports. have a great day. >> it is 22 degrees on tv hill. coming up and our next half-hour -- >> i'm a george lettis. the big fire on baltimore's block -- officials now say they are closer to finding it would cost it. >> we track snow showers heading to our area. >> a couple of problem spots on the

>> live, local, late-breaking, this is wbal-tv 11 news today in hd. >> good morning. welcome back. i am sarah caldwell.

>> and i'm mindy basara. thank you for joining us this morning. we do have some snow to talk about. >> we have a winter weather advisory through tonight. we should see the first snowfall started about noon and persisted throughout the afternoon. 1 inch around the city. then maybe heavier amounts well down to south of the city and the lower eastern shore. in the meantime, snow right now is still to our south and west, over west virginia and virginia. the low pressure will be skirting to our south. we will see some snow today. winter storm advisory today. it is bitterly cold again. teams from the -- temperatures from the upper teens to the low 20s. 14 downtown. six up near the state line. it will be a real winter day

today. winter does not start until next week. girl power this morning. i am representing the burn runettes. as far as traffic, nothing major to talk about. a few water mains to talk about. south highland street between bank and pratt street. for his another on collins in st. -- there is another at collington street. be careful around those water main breaks. that water can freeze over quickly. this is the west side of the beltway. the west side is checking out ok. this is the harrisburg expressway at shawan road. things moving just fine both

north and southbound. >> there are new details of the five alarm fire that swept through the block. >> george lettis is live downtown with that story. >> the atf has announced that someone set the fire. they're not calling it a arson. more than a week after fire ripped through several buildings on east baltimore street, the atf is prodding inches above the five alarm blaze that live up the block. it's on debris indicate the fire was set by someone. >> it does not necessarily mean we're dealing with the crime of arson. that means there was human involvement the played a part in this fire that may have not been with intent. >> people who work in that zone want answers about what triggered all the destruction,

especially mike holland, who co owns the corner building that was gutted by fire. >> it could be anything from a or somebody getting up where it was closed off. if it was arson, i hope they punish them to the full extent because there is dozens if not 50 families right now because of the fire who have nothing around the holidays. >> he said he spent $500,000 to permit popeye's french shares to the block. that is now on hold. the business with the fire started, gayety show world, remains shuttered. investigators estimate the damage will top $3 billion. agents are passing flyers out in hopes of getting tips. they are offering a $5,000 reward for anyone who can help solve the case. it could be several weeks or months before some of these clubs reopened.

clubs on the other side of east baltimore street reopened. george lettis, wbal-tv 11 news. >> we now know the names of the victims who died in the carbon monoxide leak on monday. police say the man found dead are enael lemus and nelvy salguero. both were found in the basement of the home want colby road on monday morning. police were told there were having problems with the furnace. we'll tell you later help you can keep you and your family safe from carbon poisoning. >> a man was rushed to hospital after 7:00 p.m. last night. this wasn't east baltimore. the man was shot in the chest. his condition is not known at this time. the incident is currently under investigation. a west baltimore man was taken into custody after barricading himself inside a home.

police were called to the home. the man was inside the house. these swat team moved in and he walked out. police have not found a weapon. >> a case of animal cruelty has people looking for answers. a female pit bull was found in park felt tuesday night. police say the dog was innourished aand covered scars and bites. she underwent several surgeries. >> puncture wounds, abrasions, scars. very sweet, very sweet. she let us look at her. >> despite the severity of for wounds, doctors say they are optimistic about her recovery chances. >> now to the war on terror.

a man is indicted on additional charges. he was arrested after a failed attempt to block the plane from amsterdam. an indictment carries you charges including conspiring to commit an act of terrorism. investigators believe he received training from al qaeda. he is slated to appear in court later today. >> a government official will face life in prison after charting an attack at jfk airport. a former parliament member was convicted earlier this year. he was invested in 2007 after an informant infiltrated the plot. >> the senate moved ahead on eight u.s.-russian nuclear arms treaty. it would lower the number of nuclear warheads both countries

can possessed and established a verification system. the senate will soon begin debating the treaty. it is 20 degrees on tv help. men with type 1 diabetes may soon be treated with cells from elsewhere in the body. don't forget to e-mail us your response to our water cooler question of the day. what do you think about michael vick's statement that he would like to have a dog as part of his rehabilitation? you can share your response at wbaltv.com, and on our facebook page, or send us an e-mail to watercooler@wbaltv.com. >> those cold temperatures are >> those cold temperatures are causing some icy

>> a very good morning.

22 degrees downtown. the wind chill is in the teens. the big story today is visible accumulation with snowfall part about an inch from the baltimore metro area is expected. around the southern area, generally 1 to 3 inches, maybe even heavier bands. this affects virginia, north carolina, and west --. the timetable, 11:00 a.m. and noon on. but some of the winter weather advisory. we're going to see our first visible accumulation. the forecast does call for snow showers and bitter cold once again. our next chance for snow is this weekend. more on that, just ahead. >> man with type 1 diabetes may one day be treated with cells from their testicles. a 10 of stem cell can morph into

insulin-producing cells, like those in the pancreas. cells or able to decrease glucose lawless. it can last more than a week. >> interesting study. scientists take the for step for a test for prostate cancer. it is reported that not all men who have a high amount of psa will need one. some men have higher psa levels. researchers hope to develop a test for those genetic markers as early as late next year to prevent unnecessary biopsies. >> 22 degrees on tv hill. we will get to "time" magazine shows for its person of the year.

>> this is a live look over the baltimore area. there is snow in the

>> now traffic pulse 11 and insta-weather plus together. >> good morning. kim dacey checking on your morning commute. a couple of water main break to watch for. one is on south highland. the alternate will be clinton street. another on north avenue, blocking the center lane. only one lane of traffic getting by in each direction. there are some wind warnings of the key bridge. 11 minutes on the inner loop west side. 95 south, 11 minutes from the beltway to 32. no delays there at all. this is the west side of the beltway of baltimore national pike. picking up just a tad in volume. no reports of delays right now.

this is 50 near the bay bridge. reports of some icy conditions and some salting operations going on there. 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. >> with a light rail delight, southbound running about 20 minutes late. metro subway is on schedule. brunswick -- the pan and camden trains are on schedule. the 27 and 40 buses have 15- minute delays. there is a delay at north and chester. now back to sandra shaw. >> we are expecting snow today. it is moving into west virginia and parts of north carolina. it will be arriving in baltimore around noon or so. one ends generally around the

city. one to three to be safe -- 1 inch generally around the city. winter weather advisory is up for the majority of the area. this will be our first visible accumulation for this part of the season. as far as temperatures, it is cold enough for snow. 22 of downtown. 18 at the airport. it is kind of dry out there. it is good that it is dry. it should not accumulate as much. it should be quite generally. the wind chill is still an issue. it feels like 9 degrees at the airport. 21 is the real feel temperature on the eastern shore. the forecast today -- mostly cloudy, snow. three to 5 inches around the mountains. it will be cold in the mountains, and much colder than

normal. the normal high is 46 degrees. a lot of clouds around. snow started about noon in central maryland. it will be heavier at the lower eastern shore. the center of the store will be moving near the virginia border. two to 4 inches around the ocean city. we're generally below the normal highs and lows as we continue our string of unseasonably cold. a chance of snow until about 9:00 p.m. then we will see it taper. a good day on friday before another chance of seeing some more snow over the weekend. this low pressure has the wintry precipitation. more moisture. this is a fast-moving system. it will not sit over us and accumulate. it should be out by 9:00 p.m.

tonight. at 1:00 p.m., we are in golfed in some pretty moderate snow over the area. engulfed in somef pretty moderate snow. the center of the storm is south of us. the next shot of snow showers will be late saturday night into early sunday. coastal storms will probably be more off shore. we are tomorrow but in the upper 30's, 10 degrees above normal. -- below normal. >> this time of year, santos mailbox -- santa's mail box is filled. >> somebody is giving old st. nick a hand.

>> kids who write to santa might think he lives in a place like this. many letters come through here. the bins are bursting. $2 million will pass through this room. some are addressed to santa claus at the north pole. some are just addressed to pete. many now no pete. he has been running operation santa and is retiring after the holidays. the letters keep him focused. >> "that is why i need socks, boats, pajamas." "all i want for christmas is for a kiss for mommy in heaven."

>> every letter is read. then the helpers' go to work. choose whichns stories they can fulfill the " i grew up f. >> i grew up poor. >> it is about people looking beyond themselves this holiday season. >> pete seized the gifts pouring in as a kind of magic. >> -- pete sees the gifts pouring in. >> there is a force here that be seen.

so santa claus will do the >> facebook founder markets are zuckerburg is "time's" person of the year. one in 10 people around the world have an account with facebook. the announcement was made yesterday on the the "today" show. he was called one of the most influential people in the world. >> good choice. >> influential and rich. >> so much more ahead in our next hour. here is a look at last night's winning maryland lottery numbers. maybe you will get rich.

the moment you feel run down or achy nip flu-like symptoms in the bud, with oscillococcinum. get oscillo and feel like yourself again.

oscillococcinum, nip it in the bud.

>> some annapolis middle schools have their sights set on my war climate. there will be there in a few when they dance their way into the orange bowl. >> i knew we would have commitments like festival performances and spring festival. i had no idea i was going to take my dancers to a bowl game.

>> the orange bowl, that is for the dance team will go for a seven-minute retain the >> and then you are going to turn to the circle. go inside. >> 5, 6, 7, 8. >> the excitement has been hard to contain. >> this is the chance of a lifetime. >> we will do everything we can. >> it is awesome. >> 5, 6, 7. >> it was our first year in dance company per it means we have accomplished a lot. >> practice does add to improvement. >> we need to make sure we do our best. >> practice is important at this stage. wanted to make sure we try to do our best. we will have smiles on their face. >> it is evident that what she's

doing here is deeper than dancing. >> i went into teaching dance so that i could give back to dance education what has been so graciously given to me through public education. >> we have all been happy. we have gone through a lot. going to the orange bowl is a big deal. i'm not nervous at this point yet. i'm a lot more excited. i am counting down the days until we get there. >> tim tooten, wbal-tv 11 news. >> congratulations to them. these tunes will leave for florida on december 31. there will also attend a dance conventions while in florida. their parents must be excited. >> bud selig one of your answers to the water cooler question of the day. >> this morning we asked -- what do you think about michael vick's statement that he would like to have a dog as part of his rehabilitation?

>> keep sending as those responses. more issues at the metrodome in minneapolis. will have more. >> school officials are giving lawmakers a crash course on the ins and outs of public education. >> the latest on maryland's economic status. find out where we stand. >> we are tracking some snow showers. one to 3 inches expected. advisories are up. >> a few lingering problems on the area roads. we will give you some live drive times. times.

you don't love me anymore do you billy? what? i didn't buy this cereal to sweet talk your taste buds it's for my heart health. so i can't have any? if you can deprive me of what can help lower my cholesterol... and live with yourself. right. mmm, i worry about your mother. cry herself to sleep every night over my arteries, but have yourself a bowl. good speech dad. [ whimper ] [ male announcer ] honey nut cheerios tastes great and its whole grain oats can help lower cholesterol. bee happy. bee healthy.