tax. >> as a state, we have the longest average daily commute in america. >> governor o'malley made it clear, in his opinion in the gas tax is not passed, it could lead to catastrophe. >> none of us want to look back and tell our kids we could have done something, but we chose not to. we chose instead to simply kick the can down the road. >> the governor is proposing a tax.gher rat gas >> this is getting more than people can afford. >> outside on lawyers small, angry protesters rallied against the gas tax.

>> with these numbers we should have the greatest roads in the nation without having a tax increase, but they go and siphon money out of the trust fund and spend it to cover the budget someplace else. this is just so wrong. >> these are small businessmen and women. it is hurting their employees and all of us. >> the governor told legislature's he knows the pain wthey will feel, but will remain the infrastructure remain sound. >> none of us wants to pay more at the pump, but you know if we do not, we will pay for that, too. in action, especially in this case, it does have a cost. tax ishe governor's

approved, it will go into effect july 1st of this year. however, there does seem to be some opposition from both sides of the aisle when it comes to the gas tax, including max miller, who said it might be in the interest of everyone to hold a special session. >> also, advocates for missing children. what a change the way state conducts research is for them. they are pushing for felicia's law. this is the 17-year-old teenager who met with -- who went missing and was later found dead in baltimore. >> felicia disappeared in baltimore in 2010. her body was found months later. >> we need this to happen before we start missing more and more children. >> the family supports a new

bill called felicia's law. > >> the shined a light on what is lacking with experts and volunteers. what this bill would do is require an immediate action plan, up resumption there is a need to act quickly enforce collaboration between local states and national law enforcement. >> the bill would raise the age from what is considered critical missing from 14 to 17. and make it available to local to restrictions who would have the option to maintain primary control of the investigation. >> the maryland state police are subject to any investigation, by legislation we do not feel you should mandate and take it from locals. >> maryland state police in

russell barnes and testified at a house judicial hearing on wednesday. they hope the bill will pass and hope other families in a terrible situation. to go i hope to help families not be so lost -- >> i hope oto help other families not feel so lost. it should take one call really. >> undercover operation involving police and mta security landed several people behind bars on drug charges. waslace shawn cauteonery arrested for trying to sell drugs to undercover officer. the fourth man was caught carrying marijuana during the bust. during operation authorities say they picked up dozens of pills, more than 7.5 grams of pot and

cash. >> in a joint news conference, president obama and david cameron spoke out on a wide range of common concerns. despite weeks of violence in afghanistan, they get out similar goals for the war. >> with pomp and pageantry, president obama welcomed british prime minister david cameron to the white house. but they shared some sobering challenges, perhaps none more pressing today than afghanistan. >> this is hard work. >> recent days have the minded -- reminded us just how difficult the mission is and how high the cost of the war has been. >> leon panetta was on a surprise visit to afghanistan where he reminded troops this war started with 9/11. >> the reason you are here is to make damn sure that never

happens again. to go there was a security breach them in these warriors surrendered to use their weapons. weeks of violence have this country on edge and the objective in doubt. back in washington, the leaders were in lockstep on the 2013 transitional power, in 2014 pullout. >> we will not give up on this mission, because afghanistan must never again be a safe haven for al qaeda to launch attacks against us. >> we will complete this mission, and we will do it responsibly. >> cameron in obama on a common finish thisng to fig vowing to war.

brian moore, wbal-tv 11 news. >> another summer-like day here towards the end of winter. not even spring yet. spring is about six days away. we're still six days away from the start of spring, and it is already feeling like summer, but you cannot tell that to the folks in northern england. temperatures in the 20's. winter is hanging on in the far northern tip of maine, but everyone else has jumped from winter to summer. upper 70's to around 80 in baltimore. 80's go all the way back to chicago. 86 degrees right now in st. louis. intrench been unseasonably warm air. 80 downtown baltimore right now.

cooler in the mountains. 60's.d in ovethe upper sells very, very comfortable 77. plans to be outdoors this evening? pretty nice-looking future cast right into tomorrow morning. tomorrow we will keep an eye on the sky. a couple of isolated showers. that is the first side of unsettled weather coming our way for the end of the week. >> in tonight's education alert, a baltimore city school officials now expect a smaller, $20 million debt as the next year instead of 35 million. >> the district says it is prepared to give them more money to operate next year. >> some school administrators are still crunching the numbers. they say the deficit figures change because they will now be able to transfer savings from this year's budget, and that is

good news for students. school officials say it is all about the students, and based on new budget efforts they are promising to increase the amount spent on each student from $5,000 apiece to $5,155, and that is why school principals are taking a second look at the budget. >> i can outfit the entire computer lab, hire another teacher -- i can do things that will make a substantial difference. >> here is why, the $155 times students would add up to 60,000 more. >> the attention would not be so divided. the extra attention will help. taking get extra help from the second teacher. >> the district financial

adviser agrees. >> so we're not making decisions for 200 schools and north avenue. the school can make the best decision. >> that means fewer dollars will be spent at school board headquarters. the school system has scuttled a number of public hearings between now and when the budget is approved next month. >> thank you. the national cathedral is in crisis tonight, at least financial crisis. to go after last summer's earthquake and already mounting structural problem, how much that they are dealing with. >> if women and one to make more money, they might consider moving to maryland. why this is a better state to live in poor women, with one minor exception. >> the first slot machines are

switching to progressive could mean hundreds more in your wallet year after year. feed me! saving you money -- now, that's progressive. call or click today.

>> the washington national be cathedral needs 30 million more to repair a pre-existing preservation needs.

still, officials said they are determined not to close the church and will work on repairs as the funds become available. it was already dealing with economic hardship before the earthquake in august. >> of women in america one to make more money, they might have more luck if they move to maryland. the city took a look of the best dates in the nation for women to live when it comes to salary and politics. it turns out maryland is right up there on the list. in fact, one-third of businesses in this state are owned by women. but that is not all -- >> you are at the highest level when it comes to median earnings, plus average median earnings in your state, a 36% are college graduates. you might say with those numbers, why are we not number one? pulling you down a couple of notches when it comes to healthy lifestyle. >> that is why maryland is below

connecticut and hawaii, largely because of the women that are oveoverweight. they will list the five worst states for women to live later this week. >> now your 11 insta-weather forecast with tom tasselmire. >> sunny and warm temperatures across the atlantic. if you look north, you will see snow falling from parts of northern new england. a little bit of rain and snow mixed in new hampshire. a lot of snow in the northern sections of maine. they started the day with 16 inches of snow on the ground, and they are expected to get several more today. that is not the only winter to be found here in these last few days of winter. around here lots of sunshine in is tosterly breeze

warm things up. the air is compressed on the downward slope. the compression of the air warms it up even more. to the east of the mountains, you get a warm day like today, especially with the sunshine we have seen. 78 degrees at b.w.i. marshall. 82 around charlottesville. you do notice the cooling effect of the chilly ocean water, 69 new york city. boston is 42. they are on the edge of the winter weather in northern maine. everyone else, unseasonably mild. 80 in downtown baltimore. temperatures are well into the 70's in the interior eastern shore. cooler on the bay but the naval academy. the ocean city, much cooler at 62 degrees. tonight with high pressure or

the region come clear sky and nearly calm winds. beautiful evening ahead of us. low temperatures may be mid to upper 40's in the coolest temperatures. below is closer to what you would expect during an afternoon high temperature the time of year. we still have some time to enjoy this beautiful day out across the mid-atlantic. there is the leading edge of the warm air. the warm front slicing through upstate new york. agusta, maine is at 33. scattered isolated storms result pop-up are cutting across the atlantic are around this area of low pressure that is pushing out to sea, but for the most part the review the height is stretching all the way back to the gulf coast. -- the bermuda high is stretching all the way back to the gulf coast. tomorrow just as warm if not warmer here as this next front makes its approach. it will get here is we get into

friday. scattered showers and thunderstorms will pop up in our region. for tomorrow, a nice day. bright and sunny in the morning. partly cloudy afternoon. we will watch the showers pop up during the heat of the afternoon. him a drift towards the bay during the overnight. the main threat is on friday. -- it may drift towards the bay during the overnight. most of that will be out of here in time for the weekend. partly cloudy skies tomorrow. another one day. 76-81. southwest winds at 5-10. 20 percent chance of a late afternoon thunderstorm. they water temperatures are right around 50 degrees. the for the west, a better chance of showers and storms tomorrow and into friday. on the eastern shore, all-out sunshine today. tomorrow a few clouds. 20% chance of late afternoon

thunderstorm. most of that would be in the western shore of the bay. friday the eastern shore will get a better chance for showers and storms including the lower eastern shore. inland locations close to 80. seven-day forecast on 80 tomorrow. 73 on friday. st. patrick's day is mostly cloudy. sunday, partly to mostly cloudy with highs in the upper 60's. >> still ahead come in the race for gop nomination, a southern sweep for rick santorum. >> mitt romney who took on the most delegates. most delegates. what last

girl: i want to tell you about my friend. his name is ben. ben learned about a homeless boy who had an infected tooth,

and the boy died. that made ben really sad. he wrote a law so every kid can see a dentist. we have special dental van that goes from school to school. he even helps make sure we learn how to brush our teeth. he's my friend, ben. i hope he's your friend, too. i'm ben cardin, and i approved this message. >> in tonight's medical alert, remember the old saying, home is where the heart is? it has been confirmed in a new report. researchers at northwestern

university studied more than 6000 adults and found people are more likely to be an ideal help when they live near recreational areas with safe and easy access to walking trails in parks. the availability of nutritious food is also a big heart-healthy factor. community gardens at to the physical activity of the neighborhood. signing off on a bill from prohibiting drivers to smoking in a car with children in the vehicle. under the proposed legislation, drivers could be fined up to $50 is thick -- if they get caught doing it. opponents argue it oversteps the boundary of legal government by t behavior. >> the question is, should it be illegal? should it be a reason for a police officer to pull you over? >> eventually it will be only a small step to say you should not

smoke in your car with kids, we will not use smoke in your home either. >> this is not about big brother, it is about little brother. >> when we're talking about people's rights, we're talking about police intrusion, i do not believe this should pass. >> this will move to the house of delegates for further consideration. women no longer need an annual pap smear. now they can extend testing to every three-five years in women under the age of 21 or over the age of 55. eric edwards has more. >> my sister was an amazing sister, mother, a friend. >> lorene was just 37-years-old when she lost her battle with cervical cancer. >> even though she got annual

pap smears, doctors say her case was aggressive and of exception to the rule. >> it really does take years to seek changes. it is highly unlikely to see changes from year to year when you have had a negative pap smear already. >> we are recommended ages 21-65 under a screening every three years and not shorter intervals. >> the guidelines also suggest women under 21 and over age 55 not be tested at all. women in the 30's, '40's, and 50's have an option to which every five years if they combined them with an hpv test and welcome back negative. >> the issue with false positive

test is it exposes women to further testing, and also, the potential of over treatment. women may undergo a procedure or treatment for a lesion that would not otherwise progress to cancer. >> experts say women with concern should talk to their doctor about their individual risk. eric airports, wbal-tv 11 news. -- erica edwards. >> when it comes to building a replica, organizers say they will be ready in november. 90% of the money has been raised. the new white house is being built at the cambridge city marina where it will be accessible to the public. it is expected to cost more than $600,000. the original light post -- white house stood for more than 80 years. -- light house. >> it each of the city's 13,000

employers hired just one teenager, baltimore could be making a major investment to the future. >> we will tell you have the may year end. businesses plan to make that happen. >> still employment opportunities of the casino. more on that coming up here th. >> we are

>> live, local, late breaking. you are watching wbal-tv 11 news in hd. your insta-weather-plus forecast

with tom tasselmire. 11 news at 5:00 in hd continues now. >> and up says weak in the deep south. rick santorum polls of major victories in tuesday's primaries, which has analysts securely.mitt romney's rick santorum does not -- did not gain ground in the delegate count. >> mayor ronnie did. he also picked up votes in hawaii. -- mitt romney did. >> this is essentially a two-man race now. while rick santorum can claim momentum, the romney's campaign campaign has been pointing towards the delicaegate lead. >> for someone who thinks this race is inevitable, he spent a

whole lot of money against me for being inevitable. >> rick santorum spent wednesday campaigning in pr. newt gingrich who took second about to stay in the race. -- vowed to stay in the race. >> mitt romney spent the day fund raising in new york. he still have more delegates than rick santorum. he hailed the winds in a statement and said it is time for republicans to join together and focus on our central challenge, which is defeating barack obama. >> it is very hard to see this race not continuing at least through california and early june the primaries. it is well within reason to think no one will clinch the nomination before we get to tampa in august. >> the missouri caucuses are on saturday. >> ron paul is campaigning in beillinois this evening.

there are more than 60 delegates at stake. >> how is the race in illinois shaping up at this point? >> the last pulling there was conducted last week, and it showed mitt romney with a very slight edge over rick santorum. his campaign failed to file some of the necessary paperwork, so he will not be eligible for some of the delegates in those districts. >> here is a look as some of our other top stories at this hour. reports from afghanistan indicate a man crashed a stolen truck into the ditch as leon panetta's plane was standing nearby. the defense secretary was not in any danger. his trip was to let afghans know that u.s. military will carry out justice in the case of the 16 civilians who were murdered. we're told late this afternoon

the american soldier accused in the incident has been flown out of the country. gov. martin o'malley said failing to enact his gas tax proposal could mean greater cost to the state down the road. he testified before the maryland house of delegates in senate wednesday afternoon asking lawmakers to sign off on his proposal to apply a 6% sales tax to gasoline. opponents of same-sex marriage have launched an online position in their fight to get the issue in the november ballot. it needs to collect more than 55,000 verified signatures to have the measure voted on by the public this fall. as part of their collection effort, boaters can request petitions on line. they are promising massive grass-roots efforts at churches and other locations. >> that is the sound of moving in day for 100 slot machines at maryland live casino. it marks the first phase of

opening the $500 million facility in june. >> for maryland live at casino, today was a big day. they got their first slot machines. >> the maryland casino will be one of the largest gaming and entertainment facilities in the country. today they moved in the first 100 slot machines. when it is all said and done, there will be 4750 slot machines and electronic table games. >> we probably have the best assortment of slot machines in the country. one of the largest floors for sure, but the newest of the greatest. some of the old classics along with electronic table games. really anything you are looking for that you would expect to find anywhere, plus. >> there will be all types of restaurants and entertainment . >> we are world-class

entertainment event. we have some of the nationally- recognized restaurant brands. we have hour buffet. add on top of that the entertainment, and you will find something for everybody. >> meanwhile, they are still looking for applicants for 1500 jobs that need to be filled before opening day. >> at the job fair saturday we have an environmental service, food and beverage jobs, slots, marketing. all of the people who will be doing the work, dealing with the customers, providing the experience. >> meantime, a blackjack, poker, and other card games could soon be available in all maryland

casinos. the state house is considering several gambling bills, including one that would allow a new casino in prince george's county. mike miller wants them at the raceway. >> coming up, it is being called one of the did list -- the latest highway accidents in switzerland history. >> nearly two dozen people dead, nearly all of them children. a ski trip that turned tragic. >> new questions tonight for a maryland lawmaker already facing two criminal indictments. this time it is about her driving privilege. that story at 6:00.

>> a jury found you diversity -- at virginia tech university necklet in not telling students soon enough. two students were killed in the

dorm room and went on to kill 30 more people including areas peterson and julia pride whose families sued the school. in a written statement, the spokesperson said police in the administrator did their best with information available on april 16, 2007. >> police have one man in custody after the the courthouse shooting in southeast texas. the suspect opened fire in beaumont, texas. the suspect was going to court with family members when he began shooting. one person was killed. the suspect and another person were also wounded. rod blagojevich has one more night at home. he will step outside the chicago home to address the public one last time before heading to prison following his conviction on corruption charges. he was found guilty of try to sell the u.s. senate seat that barack obama vacated when he became president.

he will spend the next 14 years behind bars. >> an investigation is under way tonight into what caused one of the deadliest highway accidents switzerland's history. the children were returning to build them up for a school ski trip when their bus crashed into a tunnel wall near the border between switzerland and italy. 24 more children were injured and taken to hospitals nearby for treatment. the cause of the crash is still unknown. a strong earthquake rattled northeastern japan today. the 6.9 magnitude earthquake was centered off the east coast of japan. 456 miles northeast of tokyo. while there were no immediate reports of danger, it did cause with their capitals to shake. a tsunami advisory was initially issued but later canceled. they have recorded four other

earthquakes in the and around the area. >> still had tonight, buick is recalling tens of thousands of cars because of a problem that could lead to a high gust risk crash. >> what you should look out for and what the company plans to do about it. >> from dangerously delicious pies, it is all about the number. 3.14. march 13. pie day. we are exploring it here at the maryland science center. >> for much of the nation it is feeling like summertime. we will see how long it hangs around the baltimore area. sunny skies and warm temperatures. 80 at the inner harbor with light winds.

>> in up tonight, she is already accused of two crimes, and now it appears he is abusing her driving privileges. plus, gas prices continue to climb all across the country. now maryland lawmakers are looking into making you pay more at the pump. the battle over the budget continues, but there is one thing members of the s

>> march 14, and that means it is pi day.

today's science center kids are all about the numbers. >> it is what i think of when you say pie, but from the dangerously delicious treats, to the italian pi, the bases is the same. pi day is an excuse to have a party, and it is fun. math is exciting. at the maryland science center, it is a day dedicated to the irrational number, activities to show why it = circumference /diameter. >> we will do activities to show what the relationship is. we will have the pi olympics. how far can you run and 3.14 seconds? >> what we have here on display are the first 10,000 digits of

pi in a magnificent spiral. >> the first 10,000 of the infamoinfamous #. >> after a while you start to see patterns whether they are rational or not. there are segments of multiple members. there is a sequence of six 9's. >> what i know is it keeps on going longer and longer and never ends. >> it is a fun thing to learn about. >> how many numbers do you know? probably not as many as nine- year-old noel. >> 3.1492 and that'[inaudible] . >> now your 11 insta-weather-

plus forecast with chief meteorologist tom tasselmire. >> it has cooled off a little bit today. guest today downtown baltimore hit 83. today 82 degrees. b.w.i. marshall will be the official number, 79. we did hit 80 at the airport yesterday. the boundary that went through and kicked up isolated showers and thunderstorms did technically bring in slightly cooler air, but only technically. the record will stand for another year. across the mid-atlantic, it is still warm. you have to go to northern maine to find the last bits of winter hanging on. we have 80's all the way back to chicago. mid to upper 80's around st. louis. we will continue in this very warm air mass for another day or so before the front tries to push through here on the day friday. that will bring a chance for showers and storms.

in the north still dealing with snow. it is dry under the high- pressure all across the great lakes, ohio valley and mid atlantic. isolated storms try toing to get going. you can see that on our satellite raider composite. basically clear skies. cooling off very slowly through the evening. off the coast, winds coming in off the ocean. higher up in the mountains, temperatures cool a little bit due to the elevation. in some of the valley's it is warm up like petersburg, va. dear dea in 46-54 for the low tonight. sunsets at 7:13. it will be a beast that warm again tomorrow because of the mild flow of air coming from the south and southwest pushing the warmth of the jurors all the way to michigan. that is where we will be

tomorrow. the front and area of low pressure in the rockies moves through on friday with showers and thunderstorms. tomorrow should be beautiful for most of the day. isolated showers or storms may pop up. temperatures in to the low 80s. western maryland has the best chance of that tomorrow. on friday showers are more widespread and significant. the temperatures will drop a little bit. 76-81 tomorrow. sunrise at 7:17. on the day tomorrow, southeast wind at 7-10 knots. temperatures will be above normal, does not quite as warm as we work into the weekend. st. patrick's day, 70. 69 sunday and monday. los 70's next tuesday and wednesday. -- low 70's next tuesday and wednesday. >> 2 days away from the new

apple ipad hitting stores. developers are reaching -- working overtime to create new apps. the new ipad goes on sale friday at stores, and on a first-, first-serve basis. online orders sold out within two days of the unveiling. there are obviously more and more now where attacks on the devices. a new mobile direct research report shows a tax on bones and tablets have more than doubled in the past year. most of them came in the form of spy where designed to capture your information and send it on to someone else. the bottom line, phones and tablets are just like smaller computers, a lot like the one sitting on your desk. the advice is to not do any private business on a public network and be careful about the applications. >> when apps allow you to use

information, you may think twice. can use the sensors inside the ipad to determine where you have touched and steal your password that way. they also use smudges from the screen to give away your password. general motors is recalling nearly 37002012 buick regal sedans. the parking light fails to engage. 1800 children's dramatic theater play toys are being recalled. it can unexpectedly tip over and they chose an entrapment hazard to some young children.

one child suffered contusions and abrasions. various catalogs and other internet retailers sold those toys. to receive a refund or replacement product, consumers should contact guide aircrafcar. craft. >> tonight city officials are hoping to get more teenagers working this summer. ones all part of the hire on youth initiative, and operates with no federal funding. the 13,000 employers are pushed to higher at least one person between the ages of 14-21 in a six-week summer work program. the idea is for perth of future work force by providing a productive summer experience. -- the idea is for them to hire

the future work force by providing a productive summer experience. >> if you would like to become a part of the program, there is still time to sign up. go to our web sites wbaltv.com and click on project economy. a new plea tonight to raise the price of gas. martin o'malley addresses the it isature in says it and saysf not passed, it will pay down the road. this poor puppy travels 8,000 miles to his new home.

girl: i want to tell you about my friend. his name is ben. ben learned about a homeless boy who had an infected tooth, and the boy died. that made ben really sad. he wrote a law so every kid can see a dentist. we have special dental van that goes from school to school. he even helps make sure we learn how to brush our teeth. he's my friend, ben.

i hope he's your friend, too. i'm ben cardin, and i approved this message.

>> a story of survival from the war in afghanistan. >> one i think you will like. a pup be caught in a battle and rescued by american soldiers. >> if he looks like he is enjoying the good life, he is. this fund-loving puppy is enjoying his new home in alexandria after being rescued from the streets of afghanistan. >> several of the soldiers had spotted a little stray white puppy that was bleeding from the nexneck.

this photograph shows him fighting from an infection after a calller became embedded in his neck. american soldiers notify the afghan stray animal league, an arlington non-profit leap that works to rescue dogs and cats. it helped arrange the 8,000 mile journey. touching down a reagan national airport shortly after noon on tuesday and into the arms of his owner. to have been t through what he has been through, he came out of the creeks and was such a happy dog. >> now there is a whole new world to explore and people to meet. his first few hours have been one of wonder. >> fascinated by toys. running on the floors downstairs. fascinated with the grass. >> he still has a few more trips to the vet to heal the scars,

but his heart is 100 percent here in america. >> pretty good looking dog. but the dog. -- lucky dog. >> we have a link on our website to the organization. >> here is a look at what is coming up as 6:00. >> new questions for a maryland legislature. how come she is driving? >> gov. martin o'malley makes a desperate plea for his gas tax. a live report. >> a budget option that holds state agencies accountable. taxpayers will like this one. details straight ahead. >> live, local, late breaking, this is wbal-tv 11 news at 6:00. >> tonight there are new questions about a maryland legislature already accused of crimes in two different cases. now we are asking if she is also

a breezing hurt privilege to drive? jane miller has the export. -- now we are asking if she is also of using her privilege to privilege to drive? saw tiffanyy resulted in we alston driving her to work. a copy of her records shows her driving privileges suspended and has been for almost a year since april 8, 2011. why? the records said she failed to appear at a hearing for driving on suspended tags. >> can i talk to you for a second? >> we first approached her as she arrived at the state house yesterday morning. when she did agree to speak