instead. look at me. give me my one-shot. northwest wind at 10 miles per hour. mostly sunny skies. it will not be as warm as yesterday. a high temperature near 53. rain is in the forecast for the middle of the week. sarah has a nice 1-shot. >> good morning. a nice start on the roads. 62 making your way through the park filled region. problem free on the west side. 54 past 70. if you head out this morning on the harrisburg expressway, a 58 traveling southbound. the rest of the major roadways are cooperating. this is 795 at franklin boulevard.

southbound traffic is problem free at the moment. this is 95 near mountain road. southbound traffic is running smoothly at this hour. that is the latest on traffic pulse 11. back to you. >> thank you. the jury in the case of men convicted of killing a corrections officer is expected to hand down a sentence today. lee stephens was found guilty. the same injury is eligible for the death penalty. stevens.king about lawmakers are trying to repeal the death penalty in maryland. >> if mayor stephanie rawlings- blake has her way, you'll be paying more for sodic in baltimore. she wants to raise the bottle tax. kim dacey has more. >> the new bill was introduced

last night and then there were rallies in support of and in opposition to this new proposal. folks in the beverage industry gathered to voice disdain about the proposed bottle tax hike. they say the tax is hurting their business. the mayor wants to raise the tax from 2 cents to 5 cents and make the tax per minute. she wants to improve the city's schools and is willing to look at other revenue streams. >> we sat down and we talked to the industry about alternatives. i have not gotten any -- >> cui recognize that the mayor and the city council have serious problems to solve regarding our city schools. in unfair tax on beverages is not the way to resolve this issue. >> there's no timeline on when

the city council will take a final vote on this measure. it appears the mayor has enough votes to make a pass. kim dacey, wbal-tv 11 news. >> it appears maryland educators want to drop the no child left behind education law and are expected to apply for a waiver. the application says schools should cut achievement gaps in half during the next six years. stephanie rawlings-blake is heading down to washington, d.c., to testify about waste water infrastructure needs. the mayor is giving a capitol hill wish list. she said she is seeking money to help train police officers and resources to help turn abandoned

properties into occupied homes and businesses. >> a news conference will be held about new legislation to make state legislations more accountable. too many agencies are being cited for problems that were already identified in earlier audits. two firefighters remained in critical but stable condition this morning following a house fire in riverdale. they are both exhibiting signs of progress. one of the men underwent skin graft surgery. the suspect in a weekend home invasion in towson remains behind bars this morning. the incident happened early on sunday morning. he forced the victim into the basement and shot him in the neck as he was going down the stairs.

he fled the scene. an officer spotted him and made the arrests. he faces burglary and assault and attempted murder charges. >> classes are canceled at an ohio high school where four students were shot and one was murdered. we have more from j. gray. >> the high school is still on lockdown this morning. >> we have an active shooter at the high school. >> that shooter was 17-year-old t.j. lane. >> he had no demotion on his face. he was just shooting. >> he surrendered without incident a few blocks away. hundreds gathered at several officials searching for some kind of relief by being together. >> shocking to the committee.

i am so amazed. >> classes have been canceled today as investigators continue to search for clues about how this happened. they admit there are still more questions than answers. one thing it does seem very clear. >> i hope every parent, if you have not hugged or kissed your kid, take that time. >> because they are now painfully aware that time can be ripped away. jay gray, nbc news. >> 40 degrees on tv hill. another hearing on the controversial issue of contraception. >> corporations or people -- the subject of our water cooler question of the day. >> this is the beltway at 295.

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>> welcome back. 5:09. 44 degrees downtown. a few clouds. we don't expect any precipitation. 41 at the airport. 36 in jarrettsville. mostly sunny skies today. maybe a few more clouds late in the day with a high temperature near the 53. we'll come back and check the forecast going into the weekend.

>> the house judiciary committee will hold a hearing on the obama administration's contraceptives mandate. witnesses will include a catholic bishop. an earlier hearing it was criticized because only men testified about birth control. a convenience store lot to go some renovations after it monday morning accident. .his happened in springfield at least one person was treated for some minor injuries. >> the u.s. supreme court takes a look at whether corporations are people. the court ruled that corporations are like people when it comes to free speech. this morning the justices will hear an appeal of a lawsuit.

that brings us to our water cooler question of the day. do you agree with the supreme court ruling that corporations should be treated like people in the courts? you can share your response at wbaltv.com and on our facebook page, or send us an e-mail to watercooler@wbaltv.com. 5:11. 40 degrees on tv hill. identity theft has always been a problem. >> pancakes are always a breakfast favor. or you can find free flapjacks today -- where you can find free flapjack today. >> right now a nice start. we will update you on some of we will update you on some of

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>> now traffic pulse 11 and insta-weather plus together. >> good morning. sarah caldwell checking on your morning commute. right now we're looking at speeds around 58 on the north side of the beltway. moving well around 70, 60 miles per hour. 60 of the j.f.x. as well just below the beltway. five minutes to go from the 895 split down to the toll plaza. 10 minutes to travel south to 95 from the beltway down towards 32. we will update you on 97 in the glen burnie area. north and southbound, no delays or problems.

this is 83 at padonia road. southbound traffic is running smoothly from the maryland line down to the beltway. 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. >> good morning. moving along nicely with no delays on the penn, camden, and brunswick lines. light rail and metro subway on schedule. 52 and the 54 buses operating with delays. 30 bus diverting at edmondson and swann. now back to tony pann. >> thank you. a few scattered clouds to start the day. 41 degrees at the airport. 36 in parkton. the temperatures will jump pretty quickly. it will not be quite as warm as it was yesterday. right now if you scattered clouds up north of the border and in central pennsylvania.

what we're watching is this storm system is gathering strength in the midwest. it is in two pieces. one is heading towards chicago. they will come together and give was a good chance for rain by the middle of the week. the weather will be most find before that. cooler today than yesterday. high temperature between 50 and 55. sunrise this morning at 6:41. chilly tonight. temperatures drop back into the 30's. i think the rain may hold off until the drive time tomorrow morning. low pressure will come together and develop a warm front just south of us. this will be the trigger for the rain in baltimore. the temperatures will stay chilly. we will make it into the 40's

for a rise. maybe the early part of the drive time will be okay -- will make it into the 40's for the high. 45 tomorrow. maybe some leftover rain on thursday. friday, a thickening clouds. it would get warm again to start the weekend. maybe some thunderstorms. temperatures drop off into the 40's and there could be a mix of rain and snow showers into monday morning. a sign that spring is just around the corner when you're bouncing around with the temperatures. >> it is national pancake day will offer a free short stack of buttermilk pancakes for customers from 7:00 a.m. until 10:00 a.m. consider leaving a donation for

children's miracle network. the latest attempt to raise fares by airlines has failed. united airlines will back its prices on some routes. airlines drop back prices. identity thieves are fully the tax man these days. chris clackum has the details. >> you might want to file for one of the 3 credit reports you are entitled to get every year. >> making sure there are no errors and no accounts that you have not opened up that are now on your report. you want to address that immediately. >> go to the equifax or

transient. --transunion. people are filing more tax returns online. >> it is quicker and you could have your return in two weeks. >> and id theft can get a refund using the social security numbers of somebody else's children. shred documents regularly, those that may have a social security numbers on them. keep your mailbox clear. >> monitor your mail. make sure it doesn't sit there overnight. >> the irs never initiates contact with taxpayers by e-mail to request financial

information. chris clackum, wbal-tv 11 news. >> and iris crackdown resulted in over 100 rarrests. >> prisoners will soon be allowed ipods. jane king has the bloomberg business report. good morning to you. >> good morning. a nonprofit group said thousands of adults and children are injured when a car accidently backs over them. regulators are expected to send a final version to congress to do something about that. this would require all vehicles to have backup cameras by 2014. cameras could anywhere from $58

to $200 to the cost of a car. futures look a little bit higher. we hardly moved yesterday. a strong report on pending home sales. a hearing about the state of the u.s. housing market. the actor chairman of the federal housing financing is expected to testify. there could be revised plan for freddie mae and fannie mac. prisoners will soon be allowed to use mp3 players for the first time. the inmates will have access to a restricted song list. the program is being tested at a women's unit in west virginia and may expand to the rest of the present system by the end of the year -- the rest of the prison system.

>> tomorrow is a leap day and companies are using it to their advantage. >> some are using it to promote products and to give away freebies. >> a new holiday. >> stan is having a leap day party. >> thank you. >> 40 degrees on tv hill. some information you need to know about asthma attacks. >> don't forget to e-mail us your response to our water cooler question of the day. do you agree with the supreme court ruling that corporations should be treated like people in the courts? you can share your response at wbaltv.com and on our facebook page, or send us an e-mail to watercooler@wbaltv.com. what are your monthly expenses?

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>> deadly asthma attacks are something to be aware of. >> what you need to know about the chronic disease. >> i grew up with a brother who had asthma. every family vacation, every time the weather changes, is seemed like we were always in the emergency room. >> a long growing season means some trees are already pollinating. allergies can lead to as much issues. >> we're seeing a lot of colds, pneumonia. >> there are exposed to a viral infections. >> triggers include aspirin, your own pets.

as for prevention, be aware of long acting medications. they can cause quick onset asthma attacks. >> the information gets worse and worse and worse and then you have a severe asthma attack and you are wondering why. be symptoms may th masked. >> doctors say it is critical to get on an asthma medication if you need it. >> 40 degrees on tv hill. here is what is coming up. >> the controversial beverage tax could be going up. >> republican voters head to the polls in two states today.

the latest on the showdown coming up. >> the weather is nice and quiet this morning. we have some rain in the seven- day forecast. >> a bit of a problem near the fort mchenry.

>> live, local, late-breaking, this is wbal-tv 11 news today. >> good morning, everybody. welcome back to 11 news today. i'm stan stovall. >> and i'm mindy basara. thank you for joining us this morning. it is starting at pretty nice this morning. >> it is in the 40's. it will be about 10 degrees cooler this afternoon. don't expect any rain for the morning commute. 41 degrees at the airport. mostly sunny skies today. i think we will make it into the low 50's. we're shooting for a high of 52.

we do have some rain in the forecast. we will check the seven-day forecast in just a few minutes. >> no delays. that is good news. we had a disabled vehicle southbound 95 at the fort mchenry toll plaza that was just cleared. up to speed on the north side through the parkville region. 57 on 70. 295, 65 miles per hour. everything checking out fine on the rest of the major roadways around the airport. this is 95 at the fort mchenry. it is flowing without delay. everything checks out fine on the harrisburg expressway around padonia road. pretty light volume from the maryland line. that is the latest on traffic pulse 11.

>> it is decision date in michigan and arizona. >> the outcome could have an impact on the race going forward. tara mergener is live with this morning's report. good morning. >> good morning. 59 delegates are at stake today between the states. the big question -- who takes the prize in the state where mitt romney was born and raised? the two gop presidential front- runners trade insults'. >> he is a nice guy but he has never had a job in the private sector. he has worked as a lobbyist. >> to be attacked on television by massachusetts governor is a joke. >> mitt romney is expected to capture all of arizona's

delegates. but michigan, once considered romney territory, is now up for grabs after a relentless pursuit by rick santorum. >> please welcome rick santorum. >> his campaign is urging michigan democrats to vote against romney in the primary. >> welcome governor romney! >> a win by santorum could have enormous implications. >> mitt romney had a good night and both of them will be going after it began with gingrich and ron paul still in a picture on super tuesday. >> newt gingrich and ron paul r. looking ahead and spending their day campaigning in super tuesday states. >> where do we stand on the delegate count so far? >> mitt romney has 123 delegates

so far. rick santorum, 72. after arizona, most of the remaining states will split their delegates based on the popular vote. that will make it more difficult for the candidates to shut each other out of the race. >> tara mergener, thank you. >> after implementing a controversial bottle tax, mayor stephanie rawlings-blake is proposing to raise it and make it permanent. kim dacey joins us live from city hall with the details. good morning. >> the new bill was introduced to city council last night and there were rallies yesterday, both in support of and in opposition to this new proposal. folks in the beverage and grocery industry gathered to

voice disdain about the mayor's proposed bottle tax hike. >> this tax is having a devastating impact on our members. lost sales mean reduced hours and mean reduced jobs. >> the mayor hopes by raising the tax and making it permanent, the city can collect $23 million and secure more than $300 million in bonds to secure -- to improve city schools. >> if there are ways we can strengthen the legislation to help level the playing field, i'm willing to take a look at those things. >> the proposal exempts milk and juice. employees say they fear for their jobs. >> we all recognize that the mayor and the city council have

serious problems to solve regarding our schools. an unfair tax on beverages is not the way to resolve this issue. >> there is no time line for when this bill will come up for a final vote. it appears the mayor has enough votes to get this passed. >> spending time on my mind not always be a bad thing. residents can report minor crimes on the internet. there's a new online crime reporting tool. you can report a variety of minor crimes like abandoned vehicles. after answering a few questions, your online complaint is reviewed. you can find a link on where you can report a crime on our website, wbaltv.com. just click on "local news."

george huguely faces 26 years in prison for killing his ex- girlfriend, yeardley love. joe ehrmann hopes her death will help those -- he was hired to counsel the men's and women's lacrosse teams. >> you cannot have that kind of power and platform and position and not utilize that to eradicate some of these problems. >> he is advocating that maryland schools including gender training in health classes. >> the supreme court looks at whether corporations are people. it was ruled that corporations are like people when it comes to free speech. that brings us to our water cooler question of the day. do you agree with the supreme court ruling that corporations

should be treated like people in the courts? you can share your response at wbaltv.com and on our facebook page, or send us an e-mail to watercooler@wbaltv.com. >> interesting question. 5:36. 40 degrees on tv hill. quite a few people need some help to get some rest at night. >> we have details in our medical alert. >> we will let you know if we find any problems during your

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pretty nice for this time of the year. 41 at the airport. 36 in westminster. mostly sunny skies. maybe a few clouds late in the afternoon with a high temperature near 53. we will come back and check the forecast going into the weekend. >> certain factors can pull you at a greater risk of violence. >> adults with disabilities and mental almost already greater risk than the general population. 26 studies and found that the prevalence of any recent violence was at a 24% -- that number was 6% with those for -- sleeping pills might be associated with a risk of an early death. >> more than 10,000 patients had

been prescribed sleeping pills. there was an association between common sleep aids and early death and an increase in early cancer cases. the risk for early debt held. this does not prove sleeping pills lead to health problems. >> 5:41. 40 degrees on tv hill. a late night finish from the day's top 50tona 500. >> a brand-new restaurant opening up at the inner harbor. >> a little cool this morning. tony says it will be another mile day. [ male announcer ] at green giant we know nature

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>> now traffic pulse 11 and insta-weather plus together. >> good morning.

sarah caldwell checking on your morning commute. a look at our speed sensors not indicating a delay on the northeast corner approaching belair road. moving well in the southwest corner. moving well on southbound 295 just beyond 100. a live view of traffic and will update you in the area of the key bridge. so far running smoothly through the construction zone. two were from the eastern shore, this is 50 at sandy point and not a bad start a the bad y bridge. 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. >> moving along nicely despite a few delays on the buses. 30 bus is diverting at edmondson

and swann. marc trains looking good at this hour. no delays on the penn, camden, and brunswick lines. i am kurt kronke. >> thank you. the weather bank is nice and quiet. we have some rain in the seven- day forecast -- the weather is nice and quiet. ava marie joins us live. where are you this morning? >> i picked a great assignment. a british restaurant is opening at the inner harbor -- a brand new restaurant is opening at the inner harbor. i'm here with chef bryan. a new restaurant. this is a nationwide chain.

>> this is our first one in the city location. we have one in annapolis and in bethesda. >> tuscany sounds exotic. maybe not all just pasta. >> we of seafood, steaks, lamb chops, posture, brush jeddasta. this is where we cook our flat bread piecezzas. >> kind of unique for a restaurant. >> this is kind of something that we can showcase at the bar. >> we have a couple of dishes. >> this is our grilled salmon with asparagus and shoestring

potatoes on top of a bed of tomatoes. >> shoestring potatoes. i love it. lots of different types of meats and salads. >> our drinks are fresh squeezed daily. >> very good. very nice to me you. t you.y nice to meet they have different menus for lunch and dinner. let's get a quick check of the forecast. we will see some changes on the way. a storm is coming in for the midweek. shoestrings but dinner, i love potatoes, i love it.

>> baltimore has some great restaurants and i'm glad you're highlighting some of them. thank you. weather-wise, not a lot going on this morning. 34 in taneytown. we have clear skies. you might see the cloud starts to thicken up. we will see plenty of sunshine. we're watching a couple of different storms. one is out towards denver. these will produce a bigger storm. i think it will mean a cold rain for us. mostly sunny skies this afternoon with a high temperature a little cooler than yesterday. today between 50 and 55.

the average high is 48. tonight, the clouds will thicken up and temperatures will drop back into the 30's. tomorrow, those storms will come together. there will be a big storm in the midwest that will produce a lot of snow. a warm front will extend into the carolinas and up into virginia. it will not be cold enough to snow but the temperatures will withstuck in the 40's on and off rain showers. this could be a good soaking rain. high temperature of 45 tomorrow. back into the 50's on thursday and friday. upper 50's on friday. back into the 60's on saturday.

we drop back into the 40's on sunday and monday. maybe some light snow on sunday into monday. bouncing around with the temperatures. >> 40 degrees on tv hill. coming up, we'll look at one of your answers to our water cooler question of the day. >> here is a look at last night's winning maryland lottery numbers. hope you have them.

>> time to get to one of your answers to our watercooler question of the day. >> this morning we asked -- do you agree with the supreme court ruling that corporations should be treated like people in the courts? >> keep sending us those

responses. we will read more of your responses in the next hour and post all of them on the front page of our website, wbaltv.com. >> good morning. a race that was supposed to start sunday afternoon ended early this morning. the 54 daytona 500 was won by matt kenseth. rain postponed the start until 7:00 p.m. last night. there was a spectacular fire. jimmie johnson nailed into the wall. the number 10 car is danica patrick who squeezes between two cars. watch her slide across the track. would come back to finish 38th. that was nothing compared to this. juan pablo montoya driving under caution.

something snapped in his car. he goes sliding into a truck and that triggers a wild explosion and fire. he walked away. urt myer said, i hear foot. incredible scene last night. finally, matt kenseth wins the daytona 500. second dale earnhardt jr.. the orioles are getting ready for their first exhibition game. he is hitting in the prime of his career. starts spring training with a ton of questions. can the pitching staff holdup?

adam believes he can be that leader. >> i want to lead by example. i have your back. i will be with you. let's come on here and play the game every single day a respect of this game and be able to sleep at night knowing we played the game as hard as we could. >> that sounds like ray lewis. ray rice will probably get the franchise tax on him. >> a push to raise the bottle tax. how it could affect your pocketbook. >> some tips to try to stay healthy. >> participants lineup for a very unusual race. we'll tell you the even stranger

top prize. >> weather-wise, things are quiet but we do have some rain in the seven-day forecast. >> most of the major roads are pretty quiet with the exception of route 70. we have captain roy flying above the roads all morning long.

>> the plan to raise the city's bottle tax is meeting with opposition again. >> republican voters head to the polls in two states today. the latest on the showdown coming up. coming up.