extra at checkout -- sales tax. details are coming up. >> looks like the days of the occupied wall street movement may be numbered. that is not the correct video. >> it feels like december this morning. [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. >> good morning. i am mindy basara. >> i am jennifer franciotti. thank you for joining us this morning. >> all the senate, winter -- of a sudden, winter. >> it will be a bit of a shot with temperatures in the 30's in some neighborhoods. there could be some frost in the pennsylvania line. the skies are clear. 37 at the airport.

it feels even cooler. lots of sunshine in the forecast. high temperature near 53. we'll come back and check the forecast for the weekend. >> good morning. the harrisburg expressway is clear. that is the good news. it was a nightmare yesterday. a smooth ride on the north side as you make your way toward the harrisburg expressway. 55 on the west side. 54 on southbound 95. problem free at the fort mchenry and the harbor tunnel. a closure at charles and cathedral in advance of the monument lighting. five minutes on southbound 95 toward the fort mchenry. 11 minutes on the outer loop west side. so far so good.

this is the harrisburg expressway down from york road. we're clear down to the beltway. southbound 95 at 32, looking good down to the capital beltway. that is the latest on traffic pulse 11. >> prosecutors have wrapped up their case against an 84 bob ehrlich in the robocall case. >> paul schurick is accused of using the calls to suppress the african-american vote. kim dacey is live downtown with the details. >> yesterday, jurors heard from a key witness in paul schurick's case, the woman who actually recorded the call. rhonda russell is the voice on that election-day robocall that prosecutors say was intended to keep baltimore city and prince george's county voters at home. she was given immunity to testify. russell worked for political consultant julius henson, who had been hired by the ehrlich campaign. she said henson wrote the text

of the call, but she's the one who picked the list of voters to call and simply didn't take the time to include republicans and independents. prosecutors showed jurors a note she wrote after a conversation with julius henson. it read -- "suppress turnout in the black community, 100,000 votes." but russell denies the calls were an attempt at voter suppression. rather, they were reverse psychology. >> the call was literally meant to stimulate voters that would not have been in support of o'malley or the democratic administration. this would stimulate the voters to say, "hey, my vote was going for ehrlich. he is down and out. i'm going to go out and vote for ehrlich after i heard this call." >> julius henson is also facing charges in the case. his trial is set for early next year. as for paul schurick's trial, the defense is set to begin their case today. kim dacey, wbal-tv 11 news.

>> thank you. three people are behind bars, accused of going on a crime spree that included armed robbery and kidnapping. police caught the suspects after their vehicle crash. the suspect targeted at least a dozen people. this pre include the armed robbery of seven people -- the spree. >> they have to establish criminal records. one has a violent history. we're focused and we are collectively using our resources to make our society is safer place to live. >> police have not identified any of the suspects. the shooting victim is being treated at shock trauma this morning. >> a mother is in police custody.

police say officers arrested the 26-year-old after she led police on a chase down the capital beltway. we were told she pulled a knife on a good samaritan turne. >> a former rock climber has struck a deal. michael lyons says the sex with a 14-year-old girl was consensual. he will be sentenced next year. >> a wanted fugitive finds himself in handcuffs. the man was driving a stolen cab of a tractor-trailer when officers tried to stop him. he refused and drove into prince george's county where he was arrested. he is wanted by authorities in mississippi. the days of the occupied

baltimore protest may be coming to an end. a request to stay in mckeldin square has been denied. they had wanted to stay through april. protest organizers say they have assured the city the clashes with police will not happen in baltimore. >> the point of protest has to be peaceful. either way, the lot is going to win. keep it peaceful and there will not mess with you. >> request to set up four tents has been denied. >> should consumers have to pay sales tax on all internet purchases? some say the time has come. a move is underway in congress

to level the playing field. >> so called main street retailers say they are at a disadvantage, forced to charge sales tax while they're on-line competitors are not. the frenzy of cyber monday is over. and the goodies are now on their way. but if some lawmakers have their way, all online retailers will soon be adding something else to your shopping cart -- sales tax. lawmakers are divided over whether web consumers should have to pay it. >> the obligation to pay exists today. >> online retailers have, let's face it, an unfair advantage over local and small businesses who are required to collect sales taxes. >> under current law, traditional brick-and-mortar retailers must charge customers sales tax in their stores and online, while most web-based businesses don't. >> to have that additional 6% sales tax differential is something that just creates an

unlevel playing field. >> several bills now pending on capitol hill are aimed at leveling that field, while requiring all online retailers to charge sales tax. >> we want to stand with the little guys because small businesses are the engine for the american economy. >> online giant amazon says it is happy to comply. >> we have long supported federal legislation. >> while others say it's not their job. >> we oppose the bills now pending in congress that would empower states to conscript remote retailers to become sales tax collectors. >> one of the bills would allow some smaller online retailers to remain exempt from imposing the sales tax. tara mergener, wbal-tv 11 news. >> that brings us to our water cooler question of the day. do you think congress should impose a tax on sales made online? you can share your response at wbaltv.com and on our facebook page, or send us an e-mail to watercooler@wbaltv.com.

>> andy harris is endorsing newt gingrich in the republican presidential primary in maryland. he says harris will co-chair gingrich's maryland team. maryland voters will have to the poll in april. >> 6;09. 36 degrees on tv hill -- 6:09. you take plenty of precautions against your home computers. what about your smart phone? >> it looks like the weather will stay pretty quiet over the next several days. >> we're keeping tabs on the major roads. major roads. we will update you on any

>> welcome back. it is much cooler in the northern and western suburbs. this is a live shot at 625 at putty hill road. nothing going on weather-wise this morning. that is a good thing. 37 at the airport. 32 in parkton. up near the pennsylvania line, you may have some frost on your windshield. we will see plenty of sunshine. the nearest cloud cover is up near state college in pennsylvania. we will wind up with mostly

sunny skies. there could be some cloud cover at north and west of baltimore. there is a system that is producing some light snow around minneapolis and wisconsin. this is a cold front that will come through maryland tomorrow. this high pressure will slide off the coast. this will come through tomorrow. there might be a couple of clouds from time to time. most of the precipitation since stay north of us on friday. sunshine today. it will be a little cool. high temperature between 50 and 55. if you get in the breeze, it will feel even cooler. temperatures drop back into the 30's tonight. the seven-day forecast -- not a lot going on. the front will come through

tomorrow. sunshine on saturday with a high near 50. up to 59 or 60 on sunday. a chance for showers on monday, tuesday, and on wednesday. it should cool off into the 40's by then. 6:14. >> good morning. nothing much to complain about. no significant delays. we're watching volume building around the area. 52 miles per hour on the west side outer loop. looking good on the northeast corner appeared the j.f.x. in good shape into town. problem free at the tunnels. a smooth start at the area bridges. at 9:00 a.m., not vernon will close at charles and cathedral in advance of the monument lighting tonight. -- mount vernon will close.

not bet on the inner loop towards the 83's. 95 at -- 295 southbound, and you can see traffic is building. this is putty hill avenue. out of the traffic is not bad at all as you make your way towards the harrisburg expressway. >> thank you. an alleged victim in the jerry sandusky case has filed the first lawsuit. the suit names and state and the second mile cherry alleges sandusky produced a boy more than 100 times over a four-year period. legal observers believe this could be the first of many lawsuits as a result of the scandal. montgomery county native gary

giordano is back in the u.s. prosecutors say he remains the prime suspect in the presumed death of robyn gardner. he says she disappeared during a snorkeling trip. the national christmas tree lighting ceremony will take place in washington, d.c. this is video of the lighting last year. the tree was planted on the ellipse in march of this year after the original blue spruce was damaged earlier this year. joining me tonight on the square in mount vernon for a monumental occasion, the lighting of the washington monument. you can watch it on tv 11 at 7:00 p.m. after nbc nightly news. >> new consumer protection regulations on a gift cards

could make them a more popular option. they can no longer expire until five years after they are issued. there are some pitfalls. some are not subject to those regulations. if it retailer closes, consumers can knows the value of the card altogether. the irs is looking to return money. the checks were returned to the irs because of mailing address errors. the irs demands filing electronically and using direct deposit. jane king has the bloomberg business report. -- the ira's recommends filing electronically. >> hospitals to adopt more

electronic records. the frequency of data breaches jumped 32% so far this year, costing more than $6 billion. nearly half say lost or stolen devices were to blame for the bridges. jos. a. bank reported a profit on strong sales. they kicked off the holiday season with a slower start than they had hope. a major rally on wall street yes it. the dow surging nearly 51 dew points. banks made a coordinated effort to take action on europe's debt crisis -- the dow surging nearly 500 points. starbucks launching holiday giving. this ranges from sweet treats to holiday mougs on sale.

mcdonald's offered the biggest ever national fast food daily deal. the voucher book is redeemable for five big macs and five large fries. >> smart phones are as powerful as orur pc's at home. >> this is a story about our phones. they are computers that fit into our hands or purses. they're powerful and convenient and are susceptible to viruses. >> we don't think about that when we think about our phones. >> a study claims mobile viruses are at an all-time high with an phones targeted

the most. we're not as protected as our phones and tablets. >> somebody create a free version that was loaded with now wmalware. so you download it and it is sending out information from your phone. >> private information. how to protect yourself -- watch your apps and not click on anything too good to be true. ug at yournt to tel heart strings. make sure the links you are going to our legitimate links. >> the data you save may be your own. >> another thing to worry about.

>> i agree. watch your apps. some downtown road closures will snarl traffic. >> the ravens say the past is the pass. pass is the pass. keith mills will have sports. >> here is a look at last night's winning maryland lottery numbers.

>> now traffic pulse 11 and insta-weather plus together. >> good morning. sarah caldwell checking on your morning commute. a nice start. nothing like yesterday morning. we checked the harrisburg expressway. no delays down to the beltway. in the city along mount vernon, closures will go in effect along charles and cathedral at 9:00 a.m. so far so good in that area at the moment. you'll see closures along charles in advance of the monument lighting. 49 on the west side outer loop. moving well on the north side. moving well as shawan road, 58. this is 795. building volume coming down from franklin. this is 97 at 100. that is the latest on traffic pulse 11.

>> good morning. not a lot going on in the weather department. the skies are clear. 32 in frederick. 37 at the airport. you'll see sunshine and it will be on the cool side. a high near and 53. we will check the seven-day forecast in just a few minutes. here is keith mills. >> we begin with college basketball. not much of a challenge. 10 did not win last night in chapel hill. north carolina playing wisconsin. that is harrison barnes. the tar heels with a two-point deficit.

they could not shake wisconsin all night. check this out. jordan taylor watches one from halfcourt and banks it in. that lowered the margin for victory. roy williams -- 10 wins for the big 10. the ravens head to cleveland -- they go to cleveland, the mistake on the lake. another key game against the struggling cleveland browns. ray rice looking to get the football. the ravens ran 28 times against cincinnati. cleveland's defense ranked first in the pass.

ray rice could see the ball a lot on sunday. >> we know what is ahead of us. i want to elevate my game. this is the fourth quarter of our season. it is time for our veteran players to lead us to the next level. >> ray lewis did not practice yesterday. he has a sprained toe. >> 36 degrees on tv hill. the receipts are in for the baltimore running festival. >> bob ehrlich could take the witness stand in the robocall case. >> did the schoolteachers have >> did the schoolteachers have buyer's

>> live, local, late-breaking, this is wbal-tv 11 news today. >> good morning. welcome back to 11 news today. i am jennifer franciotti. >> i am mindy basara.

thank you for joining us this morning. >> kind of cold this morning. a bit of a shock. this is nothing unusual for the beginning of december. we will see plenty of sunshine. it might be on the breezy side. 53 isn't that bad for this time of year. we will come back and check the forecast into the weekend. >> the prosecution has rested in the trial of paul schurick. >> he is the eight accused of using robocalls to suppress the african-american vote. kim dacey is live at mitchell courthouse with more on a key witness in the case. >> jurors did hear from a key witness, the woman who recorded the call. rhonda russell is a key witness in the case against paul schurick. she is the voice on the

election-day robocalls that prosecutors say were intended to keep voters in baltimore city and prince george's county at home. but russell denies the calls were an attempt at voter suppression. rather, she says, they were reverse psychology. >> the call was literally meant to stimulate voters that would not have been in support of o'malley or the democratic administration. this would stimulate the voters to say, "hey, my vote was going for ehrlich. he is down and out. i'm going to go out and vote for ehrlich after i heard this call." >> russell worked for political consultant julius henson, who had been hired by the ehrlich campaign. henson, she says, wrote the text of the call, but she's the one who picked the list of voters to call, and simply didn't take the time to include republicans and independents. >> i used lists from previous clients because i was being lazy. it was not out of anyone's asking or anyone being duplicitous. it was my decision to use the list. >> prosecutors showed jurors a note she wrote after a

conversation with julius henson. it read -- "suppress turnout in the black community, 100,000 votes." russell was given immunity to testify. henson is set to go on trial early next year. the defense will begin their case today. former governor bob ehrlich could be called as a character witness for schurick. kim dacey, wbal-tv 11 news. >> thank you. police have identified a man shot and killed tuesday night. kenneth davis was rushed to shock trauma after being shot in the head. so far no rest in that case. >> police have put an end to a rash of robberies of senior citizens at a shopping center. henry sanders approached three elderly men in silver spring and

brandished a box cutter and have the victim take him to an atm or they would withdraw money. sanders is charged with multiple counts of kidnapping among other offenses. >> one year into the new contract, teachers are getting a better look at the fine print. the new agreement is not perfect. they say it is a significant improvement. critics say it is a deal filled with broken promises. >> we have to prove that we did what we said we would do. they made a contract seem big. we did that. 299 other teachers and we still do not know. >> officials are still trying to work out a teacher evaluation system that is tied into student

performance. >> we know how much money the baltimore running festival pond umped into the economy. $30.5 million. participation is up for a ninth consecutive year. the inaugural grand prix event brought in a $25 million from patrons. >> now traffic pulse 11 and insta-weather plus together. >> good morning. sarah caldwell checking on your morning commute. we're starting to see some delays on 895 southbound. they are doing a traffic drag. that is a technical term. they are cleaning up some debris. you can take the fort mchenry as alternate. an accident at fayette street.

some closures at 9:00 a.m. this morning because of the monument lighting. the north and west side checking out fine. there is that delay on southbound 895 as they try to clear some debris from the tunnel. north and southbound traffic in good shape on 97 through the glen burnie area. that is the latest on traffic pulse 11. >> traffic drag? really? weather-wise, it is chilly. 37 at the airport. a bit of a breeze at 12. sunshine is our forecast today. tomorrow, a mixture of sun and clouds. 59 on sunday. the weather turns on settled

next week with a chance of rain. not a bad forecast. >> thank you. 6:36. 36 degrees. surfers on the beaches of sydney. >> we are still taking your answers to our water cooler question of the day. do you think congress should impose a tax on sales made online? you can share your response at wbaltv.com and on our facebook page, or send us an e-mail to watercooler@wbaltv.com.

>> an amazing winter wonderland is on display in germany. ice artists helped put together this presentation. they use 400 tons of ice to carve up the presentation. they are gorgeous. show is open to the public until january 29. >> down on the come out there hitting the surf. they wired their wet suits and tried to hang 10.

they used custom-made boards and braved the storms. had to ride the waves based on feel. looks pretty cool. neat. i could not do that. >> 6;40. -- 6:40. >> $1,000 in your pocket due to payroll tax cuts. the showdown begins on capitol hill. >> heading for the tunnels, consider the fort mchenry. we have some delays at the harbor tunnel. >> no weather problems expected this morning. we have a beautiful sunrise in just a few minutes. that is what it looks like at the beach. stay tuned. stay tuned.

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>> welcome back to 11 news today. a mother who was been preying on the kindness of strangers to carry out carjackings is now in police custody. police say stephanie lynn schwab was arrested after leading police on a chase down the capital beltway in a stolen car. her crime spend virginia, baltimore city, and baltimore county. three people are behind bars, accused of going on a crime spree that included armed robbery and kidnapping. police called the suspects after their car crash. they targeted at least a dozen

people. was the armed robbery of seven people and one victim was shot in the leg and the eye. lawmakers are squabbling over whether online retailers should be forced to pay sales tax. online giant amazon says it is happy to comply. other on-line businesses say it it is not their job. >> that brings us to your answers to our water cooler question of the day. >> this morning we asked -- do you think congress should impose a tax on sales made online?

>> we will post more of your answers on the front page of wbaltv.com. it is december. congress has a few weeks to decide whether americans will get another pay cut. republicans have other plans. >> your peril dropped 2% this year -- your payroll tax dropped 2% this year. >> a typical millhouse family will see $1,000 tax increase at the worst possible time for the economy. >> democrats want to pay for it by taxing millionaires. >> a payroll tax cut to millions of working families.

>> republicans say they will block the millionaire tax. >> it is ok for them to extend their tax cuts. when it comes to middle income families, there always seems to be an exclusive. >> republicans want to freeze pay for federal workers, raising medicare premiums for the rich, and making sure millionaires cannot get food stamps. >> we can find common ground. they will be paid for. >> tell them, do not be a graninch. don't vote to raise taxes on working americans during the holidays. >> the rest will be added to the deficit. tracie potts, wbal-tv 11 news.

>> now traffic pulse 11 and insta-weather plus together. >> good morning. sarah caldwell checking on your morning commute. we are attracting a few problems. the latest on the inner loop on the topside of the beltway -- we're attracting a few problems -- we are tracking. a vehicle lost a tire and it was barking. all in a loop lanes approaching greenspring have been shut down. we're looking at delays as you make your way towards 895 at the harbor tunnel. we will keep you posted. fayette street, an accident. some residual to delays on to895. they were clearing some debris. everything is now clear. not front will close at 9:00 a.m. between charles and cathedral in advance of the

monument lighting. that is the latest on traffic pulse 11. -- mount vernon will close. >> i have gone out on a limb this year and made an attempt to forecast the exact dates we will get significant snowfalls to the entire winter. the exact dates. this is probably the smartest thing i have ever done. if you want to see it, go to our website, wbaltv.com. click on the insta-weather blog or go to the facebook page. carlotta is saying that is not smart. nothing going on at weather- wise. 37 at the airport. it is a cold start for us. the skies are clear. we will see plenty of sunshine.

there is some light snow in minnesota and parts of wisconsin. that is a cold front that will move through maryland on friday. we will have a front coming through, i think we will wind up with a few clouds and some preconditions and we should stay dry through the weekend. sunshine is our forecast for today. high temperature between 50 and 55. a bit of a breeze from the northwest. temperatures into the low 30's tonight. the seven-day forecast -- the front comes through tomorrow with a few clouds, a high near 55. chilly and sunday on saturday. into the upper 50's to around 60 on sunday. a chance for rain on monday, tuesday, and wednesday.

back to the news desk. >> the defense will begin defending its case in the robocall trial involving a rate -- an aide to bob ehrlich. kim dacey has more. >> yesterday, jurors heard from a key witness in paul schurick's case, the woman who actually recorded the call. rhonda russell is the voice on that election-day robocall that prosecutors say was intended to keep baltimore city and prince george's county voters at home. she was given immunity to testify. russell worked for political consultant julius henson, who had been hired by the ehrlich campaign. she said henson wrote the text of the call, but she's the one who picked the list of voters to call and simply didn't take the time to include republicans and independents. see denies the calls were an attempt at voter suppression. trial is set's

to begin early next year. kim dacey, wbal-tv 11 news. >> thank you. here is matt lauer with a look at what is coming up next on the "today" show. >> good morning. ann goes one-on-one in baghdad with vice president joe biden. are we leaving too soon? the vice president opens up. the primary suspect in the disappearance of a mother wins back custody of her children. we will take you inside the auction house in new york for an exclusive look at elizabeth taylor's magnificent collection of jewelry before it hits the auction block as we get started

on a thursday morning. >> i cannot wait to see that. 36 degrees on tv hill. >> we will come back and check the weather and traffic together before you head out to start your day.

>> better morning this morning? >> we have word of some police activity on the inner loop just prior to the greenspring exit. you can see the delay at park heights. two right lanes are blocked.

we will keep you posted on that. getting reports of an accident southbound 795 near the beltway. that could tie things up. an accident at fayette street. not vernon -- mount vernon will close at 9:00 a.m. in advance of the monument lighting. >> you guys do not trust me. weather to the insta- blog. we have clear skies and it will be callold. chilly on saturday and warmer on summit with highs near 60 -- warmer on sunday.

the exact dates of what it will snow through the winter. >> crazy man. >> oh, no! forget.ever go to the blog. >> looking for more weather and traffic together? be sure to join us this morning for 11 news at 7:00 a.m. on wbal plus. >> you'll find more local news as well as up-to-date traffic and weather information. you can find it all on comcast channel 208, verizon fios 460, and 11-2. >> i do not want to do this next show with you guys.

>> this is a wbal-tv 11 editorial, from president and general manager dan joerres. >> since its inception in 1979, the salvation army's angel tree program has helped to brighten the lives and holidays of thousands of children and families throughout the greater baltimore area. we at wbal-tv 11 are proud media sponsors of this campaign to provide clothing, toys, and other special gifts for our most disadvantaged children. in addition to the lights and ornaments on dozens of beautiful christmas trees in area malls and corporate offices, there are also 6,000 angels bearing the names of local children and families. last year, angel tree gift donations provided 24,000 gifts. you can brighten the season for a less fortunate family by selecting an angel of your choice from a tree, purchase an item listed on the angel, and return the unwrapped gift to the mall or site where the angel was selected.

the salvation army will ensure your gift reaches the intended child by christmas. you can make a monetary donations at the site or by calling 1-800-sal-