nearly a quarter million jobs last month. >> with the unemployment rate falling to 8.3%, how will this play out in the race for the white house? nicole killian joins us from washington with more. >> good evening. in a race all about the economy, many wonder if the new jobs numbers could be a game changer. as president obama unveiled a new veterans job initiative in virginia, he taught at the latest job report -- talbot the latest job report. >> i want to send a message to congress, did not slow down the recovery. keep it moving in the right direction. >> the unemployment rate in january dropped to 8.3%, the lowest level since the beginning of his presidency. >> if it continues, he will have a lot of wind in his sales in november. >> and there is plenty of reason

of caution. >> it is still a bad economy for a lot of people. >> the republicans have staked the economy as their first issue in their bid to defeat the president. am i the president did not cause this downturn, this recession, but he did not make it better, he made it worse. >> it only took four years to overcome. >> though they are not likely to stray from that message, they say the gop should tread carefully. >> i have to be careful with economic policy. there is a real risk they will look like they are obstructing economic recovery for political gain. >> some of the gop candidates weighed in on the jobs number, saying they were not good enough. nicole killian, wbal tv 11 news. >> break down what is inside the president's jobs plan with the

proposal and pictures on wbaltv.com. also learn how to get organized and get a job. wall street responded very positively to the good news on the jobs front, almost giddy, with the dow jones finishing higher than its highest point in 2008, the nasdaq reaching numbers and has not seen since 2000. governor o'malley has yet to introduce a proposal of and causing a new sales tax on the price of gas, but lawmakers are making moves. david collins has learned some members of the house and senate want to make sure that any increase goes towards fixing roads. he joins us live from annapolis. david? >> this is been a very popular reservoir of money to borrow from, but the legislation is designed to stop that. maryland law mandates that your gas tax dollars go to the state's transportation trust fund, used to pay for roads,

bridges, and mass transit. in reality, the fund is often used to help balance the state budget. governor o'malley has yet to submit his plan outlined the state sales tax to gasoline. earlier this week, he says he supports a mechanism to keep the funds from being used for other purposes. members of the house and senate did not want to leave anything to chance. bills designed to protect existing and future transportation funding are in the mix. david brinkley is taking an ironclad approach. under no circumstances will transportation money be used for other purposes. >> right now, the taxpayer can look at it as a transportation mistrust fund. >> under certain circumstances, the governor puts it forward, if there is a catastrophic thing that occurs, those are the type of circumstances where you might be able to borrow the money. >> the exemptions for using the trust fund money for other things include a mitigation --

an invasion of maryland, a major catastrophe, a state governments, the media preservation of public health and safety, or in case the governor proposes a plan to repay the money transferred within five years after the use of those funds. senate leader say that any tax increase will be a tough sell. some believe the lock box approach may get a super majority of votes, making it unnecessary to put the issue on the november ballot. >> people did not understand the ramifications of what we use the money for. people want to know those things before they vote for something. >> there will be a fire wall, saying that the money will be used for transportation. >> similar legislation failed last year. the state has a huge backlog of transportation projects. they say it would cost $12 billion to fund the top priority in each jurisdiction.

live from annapolis, david collins, wbal tv 11 news. the much anticipated delivery of the new state police helicopter is on hold. an unexpected modification needed to be done before the helicopter can be put into service. we have learned one of the problems has to do with the position of the helicopter search light. it is not conveniently located for single pilot use. >> there are certain things that you need to change for the law enforcement function and search and rescue in homeland security functions. to make it adaptable for one pilot. and that taxpayers paid on hunt $20 million for the helicopters. -- >> the taxpayers paid $120 million for the helicopters. no word on how much of the modifications will cost. a maryland state trooper suffered minor injuries after a high-speed chase after midnight on route 152 in harford county.

barry simms has the latest on the investigation and the suspect the police have in custody. >> maryland state police say the trooper was trying to make a traffic stop. the suspect took off and became a chase. the windshield of this unmarked state police car shows how close a wooden fence posts came to seriously injuring senior trooper jon sawa. >> it was aimed at his head. our information initially is that his hand may have helped deflect it. it may have struck the radar unit in the vehicle. in some providential way, that fence post just missed his head. obviously, if it had not, the situation would be more different today. he was very fortunate. >> now, 22-year-old john nussle v is charged with assault and destruction of property. what is left of his vehicle sits

in the police impound. just after midnight friday morning, the trooper was on patrol near stockton road in shot up. the state police say that nussle's vehicle came behind him flashing his lights. the trooper pulled to the side and a car pulled beside him. >> the driver looked at the trooper, revved his engine, and proceeded down the road. the trooper initiated a traffic stop. the suspect fled. >> that led to a three-mile high-speed chase. investigators are trying to determine if nussle hit the patrol car. the cruiser hit a fence post on old joppa road. crashed in abingdon. he was not injured. court records show in 2010, he pled guilty and was given probation for driving under the influence. in 2000, he pled guilty to driving with a suspended registration and received

probation for speeding and drug possession. trooper sawa joined the state police in 1998. he is on the left of this picture, flanked by family members, including his grandfather and two uncles were both troopers. his father was killed in 1997, and he was also a police officer. them a very tragic situation. one that really impact the maryland state police family. yet, from that, this young man decided to follow in his father's footsteps and his grandfather's footsteps. >> trooper sawa was taken to shock trauma in baltimore, where he was treated for minor cuts and bruises and released. barry simms, wbal tv 11 news. new information concerning the first-degree murder case of george huguely, accused of killing uva lacrosse player yeardley love in 2010. his lawyers were back in court this afternoon. lowell melser will be covering

the trial next week, but joins us live from the newsroom with the latest. >> his defense team called for a special hearing this afternoon to try to get a couple more motions in this case, highlighting last-minute housekeeping before the trial starts monday. university officials are also preparing students and staff for the onslaught of media coverage and opening of old wounds. the nightmarish and to stand at lacrosse player 22-year-old happened inve's livfe 2010 when it remained on her face down in a pool of blood in her off-campus apartment to the university of virginia. the police arrested her 24-year- old ex-boyfriend and men's lacrosse player george huguely and charged him with murder. with his trial a few days away, university officials are warning students and staff of the emotional toll the case could present to the university and its community. in an e-mail to students and

staff, the uva president said in part, "details emanating from the courtroom may create or compound emotional distress for our students, faculty, and staff, and demonstrating support for one another will be especially important." university officials have confirmed more than 150 reporters have registered to cover the trial, and law professors have offered crash courses on criminal law systems will have an easier time understanding the trial. friday afternoon, huguely's defense team presented a couple motions, the first asking for a gag order so that all people involved in the case would not be it to comment to the media until the trial was completed. this was granted, and the judge went further, saying that no pictures or video could be taken of huguely until the jury was seated. the said motion concern showing 15 graphic photos to the potential jury pool. this was denied, so the pictures

can be shown. as far as the potential jury is concerned, more than 160 notices went out on february 1. that does not necessarily mean it will be questioned for the trial. defense attorneys are hoping for a jury of 12, with three alternates. jury selection will begin monday morning and is expected to last into tuesday. lawyers from both sides say they hope to have the jury seated by midafternoon. opening arguments on tuesday. live in the newsroom, lowell melser, wbal tv 11 news. there is much more ahead on 11 news at 6:00, including the lineup of infield entertainers. >> headlines appearing at this year's preakness coming up. >> too soon to look ahead for next ravens season, but will you pay more next season to see the games? >> a big blizzard in colorado moving to the east, it will have a major role over the weekend. right now, not bad.

46 at the airport, 50 downtown.

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major breaking news on i-95. we go to captain roy taylor and sky team 11. >> northbound i-95, south of the fort mchenry tunnel, this was a car, now completely engulfed in flames. the fire department has not arrived yet. the police have closed two lanes

of northbound i-95. at the traffic is backed up all the way to kidnap the day. -- cayton avenue. marron 5, one of two acts announce that will be highlighting the preakness. they were nominated for "moves like jagger," and the lead singer is also a coach on the hit nbc talent show " the voice ." >> i am so ready for baltimore, i cannot even stand it. >> when you take into account. this is one of the greatest crisis in the world today and factor in the other things, it is a can't miss. if you are in baltimore or in the mid-atlantic, you should not miss this. >> wiz khalifa will also be

performing at the preakness at this year. now your insta-weather forecast with chief meteorologist tom tasselmyer. >> a couple days ago, the temperatures and low 70's, 20 degrees cooler today, still 8 degrees above normal. 51 at the inner harbor. the morning low was cold. a 31 at bwi-marshall. on the almanac, the record low, 4 degrees, 1961, almost 10 inches of snow that day. single-digit cold that day. almost 10 inches of snow, coinciding on the same day, two records on the same day. 43 in delaware. southern delaware 43, hancock, western maryland 43, oakland 37. overnight, clear early, clouds

arrive. thin clouds are arriving, then the western blizzard comes in tonight. 25 in the suburbs, 32 downtown. the sun set at 5:29. the high pressure produced a beautiful friday. slipping off the coast, opening the door to the blizzard that pounded denver. 10-20 inches in the lower elevations. the system is moving over the plains. severe storms on the south side. the storm tracked looks like it will head for the virginia-north carolina border. winter storm warnings to the north of that. the rain will continue to produce heavy thunderstorms in the south, snow falling from northeast colorado, parts of nebraska. another band of heavy snow will push in the general direction of the morning, toward chicago. we are on the northern fringe of that. most of the precipitation will be arraigned starting tomorrow evening.

light rain. tomorrow night, the rain could mix or change into wet snow. that will be north of baltimore into seven parts of it tomorrow night, sunday morning before it moved to the south. if it stays on its current track, a light accumulation of snow is possible north of town, a couple of inches in the western maryland mountains. the insta-weather seven-day, 47 tomorrow, rain/snow mixed sunday. temperatures climb into the low 50's tuesday. update on the bricky ms. -- on the breaking news from captain roy taylor. >> they have shut down all lanes of northbound i-95, to allow the fire trucks to try to get to the fire scene to extinguish the fire. a couple of small explosions from the vehicle, but right now the traffic is totally closed northbound i-95, while the

baltimore city fire department deals with this fire. it will not make you feel better about this weekend possible, braden stands like the news when their ticket invoice for next season arrives. the ravens have announced they will not raise ticket prices next season. that is the third consecutive season without a price hike for the tickets. the schedule does not come out until april, but we know the team's the ravens will play at home next season. among the group, tom brady and the new england patriots. the nfl commissioner said in his state of the game press conference today he does not expect expansion to show up on the owners agenda this year, but indicated a steady and becomes viable in los angeles, he would favor to teams expansion of relocating current teams. sunday, the giants tried to repeat history, upstaging the super bowl.

tom coughlin plans to work right up until kickoff preparing his players for the game. he will rest after the game, not before. in the process, he offered one of my favorite phrases -- >> coached them right up to the kickoff. i have never been a believer -- i don't like that phrase, the haze in the bar, that is not the case at all. you coach them, talk to them, work with them. there is always something that can be talked about. >> i am not offended, i will still cheer for the giants. today's text question, which teamed do you think will win sunday? centre text to 88509 -- a for the giants, b for the p atriots. standard text messaging rates

apply. 74% predict a giants win, or patriots lost somehow or you choose to look at. mark turgid will face one of the man that he considers a mentor, north carolina coach roy williams. the terrapins would like to avoid a repeat of the last game. managers had to bring him up its after he was kicked out of the game. an emotional turgeon talked about how much to rally meant to him. >> i said it may not be my stuff. the players came back, they kept bringing managers back to the locker room, said, coach, we are into it. and -- excuse me. it meant a lot to me, because i

knew they were really trying for me. it made me feel good. lance armstrong can say case closed. prosecutors close their investigation of whether he used performance enhancing drugs without charging him. he has long maintained he did not use performance enhancing drugs. drugs. the thomas bhi. welcome to carm.

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at 11:00, out rate after a number of deaths from cars -- outrage after a number of

dthefts from cars.

a little bit of rain tomorrow night, changing into wet snow saturday night. accident sunday evening. another warm-up. -- that will be sitting sunday

evening. then we have another warm-up. >> thank you for joining us. >> nbc nightly news with brian williams i b

the car on the left was filled up with low detergent gasoline. while the car on the right was filled up with bp gasoline with invigorate. which helps clean and protect its engine so it can get a few more miles per tank than the car on the left. go a little farther with bp gasoline with invigorate.