important thing to me at this moment is it is done. >> after five years of litigation, exxon gets an expense of punishment for that 2006 underground gasoline. that is the big story tonight. punitive damages are likely to be the largest in state history. >> exxon will have paid out more than $1 billion. live with reaction to this judgment. >> the judge got very emotional in court as he told jurors he was proud of their dedication and hard work during this six month trial. there was a lot of crying outside the courthouse as the plaintiffs celebrated. >> i really hope that the world has learned to do not do this to people and get away with it. >> susan has waited patiently for this day. ever since the underground gas leak near her home left her

worried and angry. >> we did not know. we thought you could not drink it. we learned it goes through your skin and becomes absorbed. you can breathe it in. >> jurors provided 150 families compensatory damages totaling $496 million. attorneys do not have the figures but they are in the hundreds of millions. our preliminary look found damages for one household totaling more than $50 million. >> it was a proper verdict on the punitive damages and the evidence supports it. the conduct is not only wrongful but fraudulent. >> attorneys say they are disappointed and disturbed by the ruling on punitive damages and there will be an appeal. >> we did not engage in fraud. we were willing to pay reasonable compensatory damages to those people who were damaged by the spill.

we are not willing to own up to something we did not do. >> while the plant is hugged and celebrated outside the courthouse, susan said she is happy about the ruling but knows it will not erase years of stress. >> we still live there. would you buy my house? that is the thing. >> she told me the planets have not been told exactly how they are for -- how much they're getting in their individual judgments. representatives said they do not have a clear time line for their appeal. >> tonight opponents of a bill allowing in-state tuition for undocumented workers are claiming a victory. >> the final count for tonight is 74,980 signatures. >> more than 55,700 signatures were needed to send that message referendum by midnight tonight. as you heard, leaders of the

drive say they have exceeded the number. the state board of elections needs to verify the signatures by opponents -- but opponents are convinced it will be overturned. >> the people of maryland have spoken. they said no more will we allow the liberal establishment to rollovers and not listen to what we want. >> the deadline to certify the signatures is july 22. voters will have the last say on the 2012 general election ballot if they have their say. >> leslie johnson is convicted but no word if she will resign from her post. the wife of former prince georges county executive jack johnson pleaded guilty. she admitted to flushing a $100,000 check from a developer down the toilet and said she tried to stuff $80,000 in her underwear. >> i made a mistake for which i today accepted responsibility for my conduct. >> last month her husband

pleaded guilty to accepting more than $400,000 in bribes. leslie johnson faces up to 18 months in prison when she is sentenced in october. the associated press reports that tim geithner may be on the verge of resigning. a source close to the president's top economic adviser says no decision has been made. that source claims he may leave after the president reaches a deal with congress over raising the debt limit. they have until august 2 before the nation defaults on its loans. we have learned senators will work through the holiday ways -- recess to hammer out a deal. one day after the president called on congress to work harder. to the republicans fired back using the president's fundraiser in philadelphia as ammo. >> the president said he wants to get working. he wants us to get working. i cannot think of a better way than to have him come over today.

we're waiting. >> the point of contention comes down to taxes and spending. the gop said it will not raise the debt ceiling unless the president agrees to budget cuts but democrats argue the way to save money is to end talks cuts for the wealthy. >> a big sendoff and surprise for robert gates. the commander in chief awarded gauge the presidential medal of freedom. the highest honor a civilian can receive. >> today you are not only one of the longest serving secretaries of defense in american history, but it is also clear that you have been one of the best. >> military pomp and circumstance was on full display at the pentagon. gates made history when he became the first defense secretary to work for a republican and democratic president. he thanked those who served and the men and women who served under him. >> the will think of these young warriors, the ones who fought, the ones who keep on fighting, the ones who never made it back.

till the end of my days. >> kids term as defense secretary and when leon panetta is sworn in tomorrow. today the senate confirmed the general david petraeus to take over leon panetta's its spot as cia debt -- director. he is expected to complete in afghanistan before starting in september. he is credited with leading the search that saba's the u.s. war in iraq. -- salvaged the u.s. war in iraq. >> jack young may have a challenger in the upcoming election. the former owner of the center theatre said he wants to be the city's second in command. we have to night's commitment 2011 report and joins us live from city hall. sheldon? >> we are in the process of forming the necessary paperwork but announced his intent to run earlier this afternoon. even though he has been escorted out of city twice in last week and a half he hopes to occupy an

office in this building. no visible supporters at his side, he announced his candidacy from north baltimore. >> by tuesday at 930 i will file to run to -- i will file for the privilege of being the next city council president in the great city of baltimore. >> although he did not lay out in a campaign or platform ideas he said he would not take money from developers. the former owner of the signature theater distinguished himself from current and past administrations. >> i am not a politician -- a politician or part of the machine. i have a lot to say and i have a lot of knowledge. i run the theater across the street for close to 30 years, that gave me a unique perch with every administration. to me these things -- people and to know them and be appalled on a regular basis. >> you are out of order. you have to leave this chamber.

>> he talked about this outburst that got him kicked out of last week's city council meeting. >> a spontaneous citizen reaction. enough is enough. it was like switching on the light in a crack house kitchen. people scattering, freaking out. shut him up and that is with a way the city government works. >> last week he was asked to leave again. he was escorted from a board of estimates reading. >> four large armed security guards surrounded me. you need to leave now. >> the mayor's office would not comment other to say that his recent behavior was unacceptable and the law department is reviewing the matter. he plans to focus on his campaign. >> we're going to put the group together and take back our city and i look forward to working with each and every citizen in the city of baltimore. all the neighborhoods, but no -- the ones i know well and the ones i need to learn.

>> he said the next event on his agenda will be in a bid to kick off his campaign. we spoke to jack young earlier and he said he had no comment on the candidacy. we're live in downtown baltimore at city hall. >> also tonight, jody lambers is diving into his campaign. just last week, he resigned after 14 years of service. >> many people are getting ready to hit the beach and tonight we're learning how clean maryland beaches are. and the report found several had a little too much bacteria. >> as you head to your favorite beach this holiday weekend, the national resources defense council has the information you will want to know about.

as part of a 30 state study of beach water quality, they tested all 70 of maryland's beach is lining this atlantic ocean and chesapeake bay. according to a report in 2010, they looked at monitoring samples that exceeded the state pose a daily maximum bacteria standards. among the state. the worst beaches, in kent county. north east river. as far as exceedance rate, cecil county at 22% and worcester at 3% and baltimore county, 2%. >> we're working hard to he beaches and swimmers safe and healthy. >> they have looked at the study and said the state's storm water management act of 2007 which helps control drainage in the largest counties is helping someone but should get better

with time. >> we have new storm water regulations that apply to development and redevelopment. forave new primitive -a permit construction as it relates to storm water. >> sandy point state park in annapolis got two stars and gunpowder state park, two stars and elk neck, two stars. point lookout state park, four stars. and ocean city beaches, four stars. officials feel ocean city should have received 5 stars like its delaware neighbors did. >> we think there is what law -- what appears to be an error. the fifth star is for frequency of sampling. if you sample more than once a week.

the ocean city beaches sampled more than one so it should have five stars. >> the report goes over all 70 beaches all over the state and we provided a link on our website. wbaltv.com. >> a new decision could get more than 12,000 federal inmates are released. >> president obama has talks around the idea of extending the school day. why he wants students in the classroom on saturday. >> the defense rests. >> jurors in the casey anthony murder trial one step closer to ending the case. her father's alleged mistress had a lot to say. >> an unusually comfortable air mass to wrap up june but jul comes in with changes on the way. the insta-weatherplus forecast

ahead. 67 at the airport but much 67 at the airport but much

lax we were over an intense seen in west baltimore. we brought you these pictures of the fire. officials say they do not know tonight what sent this abandoned building in flames. no injuries were reported but a nearby lawn was lost. look at what we caught over the water. a plane floating in broad creek. it went down after noon today. the pilot was trying to take off from the bay bridge airport. despite what may look, he made it fine. the plane's engine failed but that crash is under investigation. >> baltimore city officials are considering extending the school to six days a week for some students. school of ministers said they are considering all options. a few city schools already

followed a six day week schedule. this could lead to more success. >> for many of our kids, you need to stretch time in a way that would allow us to dive deep into what some of the barriers to success might be. >> no details have been worked out but the new schedules would target eighth grade students. >> after six weeks of testimony in the murder trial, the case is one step closer to going to the jury. the defense has rested. the defense has now answered one of the biggest questions in their trial. >> do you know george anthony? >> they closed with a flurry. >> did you develop a relationship with him?

>> i did. >> and was it an intimate relationship. >> yes. >> contradicting earlier testimony from george anthony and telling the jury he had shared information about his granddaughter's death. >> he said was an accident that snowballed out of control. but i was caught off guard with it and by the time i looked up, he had tears in his eyes and i did not say anything after that. >> in cross-examination, prosecutors pushed to establish that was george hansen -- george anthony's thought at the time. he did not claim that he was there or knew that. >> you're right. i agree. he did not. >> her father, mother, and brother were called back to the stand. the line of questioning centered on how the pets were buried. >> putting them in plastic bags

and wrap them with packing tape. >> the obvious correlation as to the items found with the remains. prosecutors filed back. fired >> i take you did not use or pat with chloroform. did you ever take your pet android in the swamp? >> only when anthony was left to take the stand. in the case with some any lingering questions, that was one of the biggest -- a that was answered this afternoon. >> it was your decision not to testify. >> the defense rests. >> and the decision by the u.s. sentencing commission could mean the release of more than 12,000 federal inmates. they're serving time for crack related charges. a new law could bring charges more in line with those of

powder cocaine. the sentencing guidelines were sentenced for -- were criticized for being discriminatory. >> now, your 11 insta- weatherplus forecast with chief meteorologist tom tasselmyer. >> june 2007 will go on the books as one of the warmer months but not quite as hot as last year. that was amazing heat we had last june. this year averaging four degrees above normal. this was typical. right on the button at 86 degrees. a couple degrees warmer downtown. it is safe for another year and goes back to 1959. nothing in the rain gauge. it was a dry month for most of the region. one heavy thunderstorm got them close to normal and the rest of the regent drying out and you can see not much cloud cover. this patch of clouds that cut across northern virginia, southern maryland is about to

move off the coast. clear skies and dry air. the temperatures are dropping from the mid to the upper 80's. we are going to end with 50's in the cooler suburbs. seasonably cool friday with light wind and clear skies thanks to my pressure coming in across the region. it is center to the north and will dradrift off the coast. some of the heat and humidity will move back in. scorching hot out here. temperatures 104 and 105 through kansas and oklahoma and west texas. there will not get that, but we will feel the humid air. this front over the northern plains will bring the possibility of a thunderstorm as we head towards sunday and monday. the first tropical storm of this system is now winding down as the tropical depression and that should do it for the first storm of the season.

we have high pressure keeping our skies mostly clear through saturday. saturday into sunday, the next front starts dropping in. a line of showers and storms that may reach a sunday evening. friday is warm but like today, the humidity levels will stay down. comfortable 84 degrees to 89 degrees. waves around 1 foot. and 80 degree water temperature. 79 tomorrow after a chilly morning. a beautiful afternoon and partly cloudy saturday. maybe a thunderstorm on sunday. sunny skies and 87 with light northerly breezes on the open waters and if you are headed for the beach, it looks pretty good through the first couple days. 86 inland but comfortable at 80 degrees. that front arriving. it looks like thunderstorms will hold off until the evening hours at the beach. the woman begins.

lo 90 and humid on sunday. a slight risk for evening thunderstorms. >> the mysterious case of bryan maddis. the orioles accept the present reality. that is next in sports. >> this is matt davis. will to match jackpot has an estimated the new debt of $800,000. here are the numbers for tonight. 14, 38, 3, 22, 29, and 36. if no one matches all six numbers on one line of a ticket, that jackpot climbs up

to $850,000. next drawing monday night at 11:22 p.m. for the latest, visit our website. the maryland lottery, let yourte

>> the first two games of the inaugural trip to camden yards salt baltimore scored three total runs. they're hoping to avoid the sale was sweet. - he did not struggle. the first of two on the night. top four, john jay ends the night. a three run shot and madison has 22 runs. buriedon the bench for weeks, a three run shot. reynolds had a fine months. the gidp four times.

he did have three hits. cards win 9-6. >> i am not mad or unhappy. i am frustrated for him. we know he is capable of better and that has not happened here right now with the environment he has to pitch in. it would be different if we had never seen it before. i have seen better. >> the orioles on the road for 10 straight. we near a deadline. that the players are frustrated that the owners have reneged. the nba ready for a lockout of its own starting at midnight. the claim two-thirds of the franchises livlose money.

the players do not believe it. >> it is a negative view. what can you not work this out? i do not expect anything good. -- good to come out of this. this is what happens in labor disputes when there are lockouts and strikes. >> that was a glum man right there. the pga hits philly. hosted by tiger woods but not played by tiger woods. justin rose -- hlove to see that guy do well. nestling thatn,

approach. a tie for the lead. the inevitable happened when athletes gathered on a tv set read ready to demonstrate. i do not know what he was trying to show but burns went full tilt. not injured but he did not see that coming. the 7 day forecast after this.

as

>> the humidity in july will be on its way back. >> it will. we will get the first day in with not much humidity. tomorrow is a nice day. so it isthe morning a comfortable star. hot and humid weather leads to a chance for a thunderstorm, especially sunday night. most areas will be ok for the fourth of july fireworks displays. to the south there may be some clouds. >> i think it is time to go. jay leno is next.