[captioning made possible by constellation energy group] captioned by the national captioning institute --www.ncicap.org-- >> good afternoon, everyone. the state house of delegates passes a bill to legalize same- sex marriage but there are several hurdles left for advocates to jump. >> the bill is expected to head

to the senate for debate this week. supporters are confident it will pass, but they know the fight is not over yet. fred mason and philip london were married in canada six years ago, but the state house of delegates passage still has special meaning for them. >> it shows legislators, ever since the bill was introduced. >> same-sex couples would have the same protection under the law as their heterosexual counterparts. state senators are expected to begin debating the bill this week. >> keep the pressure on. keep calling, a write-in, keep showing up, keep testifying. >> this is such a vicious, a political fight, one that i have

not seen before and one that i do not understand. >> lt. gov. anthony brown supports the bill but knows the fight is not over. >> it is likely marriage equality will be on the ballot in november. those who have opposed it say they will bring it to referendum. >> and gov. mallees signs the bill into law, maryland will become a eighth state to approve same-sex marriage. >> good afternoon. it is 43 degrees at bwi. the sunshine is out, just a little bit gusty out there. when gusts up to 22 miles per hour right now. expecting highs in the upper

40's today. plenty sunny, breezy. that will cut away at the temperature of a little bit, and we expect it to feel like the lower 40's even though the water will feel higher than that. increasing clouds this week. >> a baltimore city firefighter recovers after being injured battling a fire in northeast baltimore. the firefighter was injured falling through a hole in the floor and opened up all try to put out a fire. after 2.5 hours, the blaze was under control, but not before the damage to the home next door. family members gathered in part bill to remember a 13-year-old boy killed over the weekend. michael thomas trulock had been drinking alcohol and caffeine drink called four loko with a friend before being picked up by

his stepfather. michael opened the door of a moving car when he became sick and fell out. he was struck by an oncoming car. >> some adults out there purchased it and i am -- i have lost a son and i will ever have. it is really sad. i do not want to see another family go through this. >> so far, no files have been charged. the incident remains under investigation. city police continued to look for a suspect in a dead the stabbing downtown. the victim was found on sunday. he was taken to a hospital but did not survive. no word on what may have prompted the attack. baltimore county police make an arrest in roseville. maurice white of powerball shot and killed a 35-year-old just

after 2:00 saturday morning. white is being held on charges of first-degree murder. a bail hearing is set for tuesday. the trial continues for george huguely, accused of killing his girlfriend yeardley love. it will be another two days before deliberations. tuesday, because of the grand jury proceeding, jurors will have to decide whether george huguely went to love's apartment with the intent to kill her or if the accident was brought on by all call in an already volatile relationship. >> as republican presidential hopefuls continue to pound the campaign trail, rick santorum is leading the latest mission in polls, but it is not all good news. he is on the defense has after

comments he made this weekend. >> last night, rick santorum seemed to compare president obama to hitler. >> he may not be the best guy but after awhile you found out things about this guy in europe. >> this, after another controversial comment on saturday. >> it is not about you or your quality of life. it is about some phony ideal, some phony theology. >> he is questioning the president's pay off. that is a new low in american politics. >> santorum says he was not talking about the president's fate. >> the president says he is kristin. i am talking about his world view. >> he has criticized obama for having a churches pay for birth control.

despite his comments, santorum is leading the latest michigan poll by 3 to 10 points. new gingrich sees opportunity. >> if santorum loses pa., from the losers pennsylvania, we could have a bad result. >> it has become a bitter republican race. >> you can follow the candidates in the race for the white house and keep track of who is in and out, and who is leading the pack all on our website, wbaltv.com. coming up at noon, many had their minds set on spring, but we will tell you what may limit those getaway plans. and how you can still take adva

>> the remains of a teenage girl missing since 1999 have been found. the call cobbler disappear nearly 13 years ago. earlier this month in the demolition of her home, her remains were uncovered. the home belonged to a man who wears a suspect in her

disappearance. he later killed himself. police every open the investigation into her death. an avalanche kills three skiers in seattle. the three men who died were skiing in and out of bounds area yesterday, described as expert skiers. the men are believed to be in the third's and 40's. heavy snow had fallen in the area an avalanche warnings were issued. family and friends gave a final goodbye to whitney houston on sunday. she was laid to rest next to her father. still to come, what the irs is doing to further protect your name, and while most of us are enjoying this month winter, some of us may end up paying for it this upcoming spring. the forecast for the allergy season. >> temperatures are looking up

as we go into the seven-day. 50's, 60's. now, a live look out doors. sunshine and bwi. ns

>> in this afternoon's consumer alert, you still have time to get deals on energy appliances. until the end of the day, maryland residents who purchase energy star products and not have to pay the 6% sales-tax. these offer savings on energy bills without sacrificing performance. appliances include washing machines and even some light

bulbs. the irs is adding more secure if filters to its arsenal of anti theft weapons. i did make that has surged with the increase of e-filers. first colon names and social security numbers, thieves are able to file bogus returns and have the refunds sent to them. the irs has led more than a quarter million. it is not even march but it appears spring fever has arrived for many, and many are making plans for spring break, but there is something that may limit how far you will go for this year's getaway. >> it is the usual hot spot destinations for spring break travel this year. miami, las vegas, cancun, orlando. as painful as the sun burned is you might get, is the pain

travelers are facing this year. gas is already $3.57 a gallon in chicago. in charlotte, n.c., $3.64. >> you have less money for everything else. >> 1 website predicts the national average of $3.95 before memorial day. and it is hitting the major airlines, too. airfare is up about $10 to cover increased fuel costs. so, getaways are going to cost more, too. >> we had the exact same concerns. rising gas prices. >> travel experts say people will adapt. >> 81% of people told us, i do not care, i am taking my vacation. i will find a way to do it. >> that is why they are emphasizing cost saving tips this year. >> if you eat one meal a day in your room, if you eat breakfast,

that will save you big. if you buy air, car, hotel together instead a stand alone, you will save money on the trip. >> saving money and a rise of staycations, or at least staying close by. >> this week, you have a chance to win tickets to the screening of "the lorax." fill out the entry form on wbaltv.com/contest. good luck. >> good afternoon. we are taking a look at your forecast as we wrap up president state and head into the rest of the workweek. hd doppler is looking clear, not a single book showing up. dry conditions right now and skies are just as clear.

we will take a wider view and see how temperatures are fairing this afternoon. 43 at bwi marshall. 44 at the inner harbor. 45 in frederick, but still in the 30's and 20's in the western part of the state. temperatures above normal this afternoon, and they will keep on warming. tonight, dropping into the 30's in the evening hours. expecting los between 20 and 36 degrees. mostly clear skies and a bit on the chilly side. breezy this afternoon, and that will make it feel slightly cold as a step outdoors. things are improving as a look at the seven-day. high pressure building in across the east. that is bringing us dry conditions and sunshine. a new system approaching from the west. this will bring us the chance of rain but will also bring in mild

air. temperatures will continue to climb. let's look at the temperatures across the nation. 40's in the mid-atlantic, near 50 in atlanta. getting ready for mardi gras in new orleans. 55 in dallas, texas. this warmer air is definitely starting to push east, and it is headed our way. as for futurecast, we mentioned the chance of rain. clouds start to push our way as we look at tuesday. a slight chance of seeing showers. the back end of this could even give the showers on wednesday. slight chance for showers, not looking for a complete washout, but there is the possibility. showers possible tomorrow afternoon as well, and then temperatures warm into the mid 50's. i would not be surprised if we started to inch up on thursday's temperature. as the head into the rest of the week, another chance of showers

on friday. a high of 50 degrees. this upcoming weekend, a powerful front comes in, which means we are back into the 40's on saturday and sunday. we will keep you updated as the forecast changes. >> in this afternoon's medical alert, brothers and sisters often share toys, but a study find that kids who play with opposite gender toys are at risk of abuse. researchers examined the results of 9000 questionnaires completed by young adults. those who did not have interest in games typically play by their own gender were more likely to be physically and sexually abused, most often by their parents or relatives. researchers also found most abuse were heterosexual. most teenagers can sleep for hours on end and what federal guidelines recommend teenagers get nine hours of sleep a night,

a groundbreaking study says that could be too much. they studied the sleep habits and scholastic performances of students. seven hours is the optimum amount of sleep for most teenagers. any more could hurt their grades. many students, teachers, and parents remain skeptical. the mild winter has its perks, but springs early arrival can be ugly for allergy sufferers. >> the daffodils are already blooming. other plants and bushes are also faring. >> two to three weeks than normal. it is much earlier than we have seen. >> it may be particularly ugly for allergy sufferers. this alder tree is putting pollen into the air big time. >> on a bright, sunny day, when the wind is blowing, you can see pollen flying around through the

air. this is what causes problems for people. >> 1 allergist says the unusually warm winter is definitely making for an early and troublesome allergies season. with lots of sniffling, sneezing, and its key allies. >> sinus problems, headaches, postnasal drip. i have even seen folks with asthma problems. >> those with asthma problems usually do not see problems until march or april. he believes this will be a long allergies season. >> we have not had the cold that kills off the mold. in addition to that, the tree season and grass season will be prolonged. i think we will be suffering from now until the first or second week in july. >> up next, your maryland lottery pick 3 and pick 4 numbers. another check on the forecast as

well with ava. first, a look at how a

>> thousands of schools around the state costume start serving breakfast in class, and the man behind the plan is a top chef. the lifelong athlete within hours of losing his life gets a

last minute game changing hail mary. rod daniels wraps up his week in rome. hear from the leader of the catholic world and those who decide track policy and the doctrine. now your maryland lottery pick 3 and pick 4 numbers. >> happy presidents day. sarah fleischer with your pick 3 numbers. 7. 0. final number is 5. pick 3 is 7, 0, 5. you can instantly when $50,000, or apply on-line for even more chances to win. moving right along to pick 4.

8. 7. your next number is 4. final number is 6. pick 4 is 8, 7, 4, 6. the maryland lottery, let yourself play. >> it is looking good out there. slowly but surely making our way through winter without even feeling like winter. 48 and sunshine. it is breezy out there, so keep that in mind. chance for showers later in the day. we even have a slight chance of showers every day this week. temperatures in the 50's. thursday will be the warmest day. >> that is all for us. thanks for watching.