51 degrees at the airport. a couple of clouds are hanging around. we should make it up to 79 this afternoon. maybe some rain out of the mountains later today. we will check the seven-day forecast in just a few minutes. first we say good morning to sarah. >> good morning. a nice start on most of the major roadways. one problem on southbound 295. there is an accident. 95 looks good north and southbound through howard county. you can take that as an alternate to 295. 54 on the west side outer loop. 62 on southbound 95 out of the northeast. this is 295 at 32. no sign of any significant delays. we will keep you posted.

north side of the beltway looks fine. no problems at york road. that is the latest on traffic pulse 11. back to you. >> session 2012, a final vote could come as soon as today on the maryland budget. >> jennifer franciotti is live with the latest on the budget battle. >> the senate had preliminary approval of the budget yesterday and they agreed on one issue. agencies affected will be losing some of their funding based on their inability to provide certain reports. some include the department of agriculture, juvenile services, the chesapeake bay and the department of general services. the democratic majority rejected several amendments. one would freeze funding.

eliminating some tax credits and across-the-board cuts. >> all it is is paring back the increases for this year. i think that is part of what maryland's families of looking to see us accomplish. they are having to do it with their personal budget. >> the senate approved legislation to raise the income tax on all personal income on those to make more than $500,000 a year. a vote today will send that measure to the house. >> the governor tries to sell his 6% gas tax to state lawmakers. he said it could lead to catastrophe down the road if the tax is not passed. it would increase at a rate of 2% a year for three years. >> when the gaskets up like this, the only people that make profits are the big oil

companies and the credit card companies. not the distributor and not the gas station owner. >> we should have the greatest roads in the nation without having a tax increase. they siphon money out of the trust fund and cover -- this is just so wrong. >> the governor insists the revenue raised will be enough to make sure the infrastructure remains sound. state senators sign off on a new bill prohibiting drivers to smoke in a car if there is a child under the age of eight inside. opponents say this oversteps the boundaries of government. is it bad to about smoke in a car with your kid? it is. it'd be a reason for a police officer to pull you over? >> we're talking about people's

rights. we're talking about police intrusion. i don't believe this should pass because the bill will move to the house of delegates for further consideration. >> blackjack and other card games are on the table as lawmakers consider expanding gambling in maryland. mike miller once slots and table games at rosecroft raceway. one casino already in the works is starting to fill up. the first 100 slot machines arrived at the casino on wednesday. nearly 5000 machines in all as well as electronic table games. the grand opening is slated for june. that brings us to our water cooler question of the day. how often, if at all, do you plan on visiting the slots parlor at arundel mills? you can share your response at wbaltv.com and on our facebook

page, or send us an e-mail to watercooler@wbaltv.com. >> it is back to the campaign trail for the men looking to be the republican nominee for president. the candidates are looking towards the next round of upcoming races. tara mergener joins us live with our report. good morning. >> good morning. at this point, this is essentially a two-man race. rick santorum was onto puerto rico. after surprise wins in alabama and mississippi, the former pennsylvania senator is scoffing at the claim he needs an

impossible number of delegates to take the lead. >> it is pretty bad when all you have to do is do math instead of going out and winning on substance and what americans want to hear. >> what happened in alabama and mississippi? >> mitt romney remains the front winner. >> mitt romney still is the guy with the most votes, the most delegates, the most money, the biggest organization. >> newt gingrich has some republicans calling on him to quit and rally behind rick santorum. >> a look for to getting to tampa -- i look forward to getting to tampa. >> ron paul is in missouri. another round coming. >> do some math for us. how does that look?

>> mitt romney now has 495 delegates. he would need about half of the remaining delegates to clinch the nomination. rick santorum would need about 66% to clinch the nomination of those remaining delegates. a very high bar. >> tara mergener, thank you. >> a former governor is supposed to be in colorado to begin a prison sentence. >> a virginia jury reaches a verdict against virginia tech university. its decision when we cover the nation. >> this is the b-w parkway at maryland 32. more on weather and traffic when we come back

>> welcome back. 5:10. 58 degrees downtown. we don't expect any trouble for the morning commute. the could be some thunderstorms later tonight. 51 at the airport. 48 in parkton. a mixture of sun and clouds. high temperature, 79. after 5:00 p.m., there is a chance we could see some storms pop up. will check the forecast for the rest of the weekend when i come back in just a few minutes. >> rod blagojevich is expected to begin his prison term in

colorado today. he spoke to supporters outside his chicago home yesterday. he was sentenced in december after he was found guilty of corruption. it remains defiant over his conviction. a jury finds a virginia tech was negligent for the shootings that took place in 2007. a jury found the school negligent after the first shooting. a wrongful death suit was brought by parents of two students that were killed. >> a new campaign highlighting smoking. it will show people in a number of diseases. the campaign is the largest anti-smoking push by the cdc. >> 5:11. 51 degrees on tv hill.

tax season can be nerve wracking time. keeping your information safe should be your top priority. >> electric co's are offering people a chance to get more by using less. >> a few more accidents in the past few minutes. another problem on 295

>> now traffic pulse 11 and insta-weather plus together. >> good morning. sarah caldwell checking on your morning commute. we have a few problems already. we start on 295 in the

northbound direction. a vehicle into the woods. it was originally reported southbound. in the city at northern parkway, we have an accident wrapping up. another one on the east side. long view avenue, another crash. several things to get to. be careful. in terms of delays, not seeing a whole lot. we start on the b-w parkway at 32. no sign of delays. that is good news. on the north side, problem free at york road. traffic moving very well towards the west side. that is the latest on traffic pulse 11. now let's get the latest on the buses and the trains. here's kurt kronke. >> 8 few bus delays. the 52, 54, 61 buses are operating with delays.

the 30 bus is diverting at edmondson and swann. light rail and metro subway both on schedule. no delays on the penn, camden, and brunswick lines. now back to tony pann. >> thank you. it has been an impressive stretch of weather over the last couple of days. we have the jet stream up in canada. warm air is being drawn from the southern plains states. the same basic setup will be with us for the next several days. you can see the change of the temperatures on the other side of the jet stream. 68 in chicago. it drops down into the 30's across the rocky mountains. that is the difference in the temperatures on both sides of the country. we will be on the warm side for the next several days. there will be some impulses in

the jet stream that would give us some chances for rain. some thunderstorms are developing just to the east of columbus. they should fall apart by the time they get over to us. we have a slight chance for a shower or thunderstorm in the forecast for later today appeared a very comfortable morning. 51 at the airport. 52 in rising sun. a mixture of sun and clouds. we have a chance for a thunderstorm late this afternoon or this evening. high temperatures in the upper 70's to around 80. the average high is only 53. the record is 82. we will be in that neighborhood. we'll keep an eye on that. a chance for a shower or thunderstorm tonight as temperatures drop back into the 50's. there is rain in the forecast tomorrow.

50% chance for a shower. the could be some lingering showers on saturday. only a 30% chance. most of the weekend will be dry. we will stay in the 70's to the beginning of next week. >> some electric companies are rewarding their customers for using less energy. they are offering loyalty programs for taking the proper steps to cut their energy bills. from inside your home to outside. about 2700 lunch tractors are being recalled -- lawn tractors. it involves certain cub cadet

tractors. you must file your tax returns. it is important to protect your personal information. we have some steps on how to stay safe. >> it is easier than ever to prepare your tax return on the go. available personal information can go to. >> the main pieces of identification are your date of birth, social security number, name, and telephone number. those are the keys to the kingdom. >> if you use your laptop, make sure it is secure. never use an open a wireless network like at an airport or edit coffee shop -- or at a coffee shop.

>> make sure you have a service that allows you to wipe that device. if someone does get their hands on it, but they cannot get into your information. >> be mindful of somebody looking over your shoulder. use a password that is tough for to crack.ersr to >> big payday for apple investors. an update on the nation's foreclosure problems. jane king has the bloomberg business report. good morning to you. >> good morning. the most recent data on foreclosures is out. filings fell 8% in february. that is the smallest decrease since the halt in october of 2010.

filings in baltimore shot up 41% in february. the number of foreclosures will get worse in the wake of the settlement reached with the banks. these government programs to help struggling homeowners -- seven out of 10 americans are not aware of them. lots of anticipation over the new ipad which a big released tomorrow. shares hitting all-time highs every day this week for apple. shares expected to reach $700 or more. it was at $21 higher in the pre- market. we had a mixed next for) goldman sachs has seen better days. shares jumping more than 3%. goldman taking a hit after an executive made a public resignation, slamming the firm.

more than $2 billion has been wiped out after taking steps at their moral fiber. coleman responded -- goldman resonded. >> google is making some changes to its search engine. >> people usually hate changes when it comes to things they use a lot. these changes have to do with artificial intelligence in making the search results more accurate. like interviewers are more inclined to stress resonates on laninkedin. >> thank you. 51 degrees on tv hill. everyone has different eating habits.

other factors may determine how you eat. >> don't forget to e-mail us your response to our water cooler question of the day. how often, if at all, do you plan on visiting the slots parlor at arundel mills? you can share your response at wbaltv.com and on our facebook page, or send us an e-mail to watercooler@wbaltv.com. ♪

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>> when it comes to eating, we all fall into different patterns. >> a study from the american heart association has identified five different eating patterns of adults in the u.s. what you eat may depend on where you live and income and education level. here are the different patterns. 7, consisted of fried, processed

meats. convenience, pasta dishes and soup. healthy, fruits, vegetables, and grains. alcohol, which includes moderate alcohol consumption and salads. research ask more than 21,000 adults how frequently they ate food from a list of choices. people who 87 die or more likely to live in the southeast -- people who ate southern, were more likely to live in the southeast. blacks tended not to fall into the alcohol category. next up is to see how the eating patterns affect a person's risk for stroke.

>> interesting findings. >> 51 degrees on tv hill. a plan to help educate maryland's inmates. >> the maryland senate will vote on its version of the budget. >> new details in the push to get the same-sex marriage issue on the november ballot. >> if you're a summer weathered fan, you'll like the seven-day forecast. >> we are tracking several accidents in the city and a new accident on 895

>> 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. the hits keep on coming. >> sunshine yesterday, 79

degrees. the average high is 53. we will do it again today temperature-wise. we will see a few thunderstorms pop-up today. 51 at the airport. no rain expected for the morning commute. you will see if you more clouds build in. some thunderstorms may come out of the mountains late this afternoon or this evening. we will check the forecast going through the weekend when we come back in just a few minutes. i did not think the temperatures will change for the next seven to 10 days. >> one problem on 95. travel southbound near pulaski highway, there is an accident. there was one reported on 895. no longer the case. everything running smoothly. northbound 295 at 32, watch for

a crash. northern parkway, tracking an accident in the city. another accident in this city. further south at bel air road. we will update you on some of our cameras starting with 895 at o'donnell street. everything running smoothly. no problems at the fort mchenry. a nice start on 97 through the glen burnie area. that is the latest on traffic pulse 11. >> the main event in session 2012, the maryland state budget. >> they could vote as early as today on the latest version. jennifer franciotti has the latest. >> the senate approved legislation to raise the income tax on personal income for those who make more than $500,000 a year. they agreed to halt state agencies accountable.

>> we're serious about the reports. this is one way of getting their attention. >> holding state agencies accountable. the senate agreed to withhold some funding from departments that failed to submit required reports. affected agencies include the health department, the maryland technology corporation, a juvenile services, and the department of general services, which has not provided a report to prince george's county. >> they had done nothing in giving the information we requested. that is what we're withholding $500,000 from their budget. >> several budgets -- what would balance the spending plan. eliminating some tax credits. and across-the-board cuts. republican efforts to amend the proposed cost of teacher -- that

failed. >> all it is, is paring back the increases for this year. and i think that is part of what maryland's families are looking to see us accomplish here. they are having to do it with their personal budget. >> the full senate will vote today on the legislation and they will send it to the house for full debate. >> thank you. there is a new movement for maryland residents who oppose the state's same-sex marriage law. the site was launched recently. people will get a petition in the mail to be signed and returned. organizers are planning other grassroots efforts to get the signatures needed to get their bill on the november ballot. >> we want to make sure we keep that between one man and one woman. we have a value about where marriage should be and what is in our state. >> i believe we will get the

votes we need just as i believe will get the vote we needed in the house and we did. i think we'll get the votes we need in the state of maryland. >> all the petitions must be turned in by the end of june. for more on the provision, you can go to our home page, wbaltv.com. the first group of slot machines have arrived in arundel mills. the first 100 machines were delivered to the facility on on wednesday. there will have nearly 5000 machines in all as well as electronic table games. the grand opening is slated for june. that brings us to our water cooler question of the day. how often, if at all, do you plan on visiting the slots parlor at arundel mills? you can share your response at wbaltv.com and on our facebook page, or send us an e-mail to watercooler@wbaltv.com. >> the maryland house of delegates will decide the fate of a bill that would allow

inmates to shorten their sentence with education. they can earn academic degrees or certificates. opponents say certain criminals should not be allowed to reduce their sentences this way. inmates can already earn credits for good behavior and special projects. protesters in downtown baltimore rallied for a withdrawal of all u.s. troops. protesters gathered on wednesday to demonstrate against the war in afghanistan. they heard about the 16 afghans killed over the weekend and that is why they were moved to protest. demonstrators field money to go to get more americans working. >> if they can spend trillions of dollars for these wars and occupation, then that needs to be spent right here in baltimore

city. over 50% of our young people are without jobs. >> the president says the u.s. is making progress in afghanistan. >> 5:36. 51 degrees on tv hill. exercise is a key to a long and healthy life. even a walk a day can help curb family genes. >> sleeping and snacking -- doctors are studying this trend. >> sarah caldwell checking on your morning commute. we are tracking a few problems. several accidents in the

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.

>> welcome back. 58 degrees downtown. unlike yesterday, there could be some rain moving in late this afternoon or this evening. no weather problems expected to start today. 42 in york. 54 degrees in annapolis. a mixture of sun and clouds. high temperature at this afternoon, 79 degrees. after 4:00 p.m., we could see a few scattered thunderstorms. only a 30% chance that could happen. will check the forecast going into the weekend when i come back in just a few minutes. >> and our walking each day could be enough to cut your risk of obesity. >> researchers collected data on more than 12,000 adults. people who took walks for least an hour a day or able to cut the

risk of obesity by half. a sedentary lifestyle increase the genetic influence by 50%. the average american watches four to six hours of tv a day. >> it turns out a lack of sleep might lead to overheating. a small study found when the participants were sleep deprived of what they ate an additional 5.2 50 calories a day. sleep research may be an important part of weight-loss. some adults say they get less than six hours of sleep each night. >> does that sound good to you? 51 degrees on tv hill. the madness has already started. keith mills has a preview of the

opening round game of loyola. >> next week is a great week and we're giving you a sneak peek -- greek week. >> there is some rain on the horizon. tony was your forecast when we tony was your forecast when we come back

>> now traffic pulse 11 and insta-weather plus together. >> good morning. sarah caldwell checking on your morning commute. we are tracking if you problems in the city. we start at northern parkway and greenspring avenue. another problem and so use caution. for the south, watch for an accident wrapping up. the j.f.x. in great shape into town. we're getting word of a possible accident on 895. southbound in the area of

moravia road. you can see there is an accident and in looks like it is off to the left shoulder. delays are in place behind it. watch for those delays to grow. looking good on the harrisburg expressway at shawan road. problem free 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. a delay on the brunswick lin running 5 to 10 minutes late, 870. light rail and metro subway on time. 52, 61, 64 buses operating with delay. i'm kurt kronke. now back to tony pann. >> thank you. good morning. we will check the forecast going through the weekend in just a few minutes. first we say good morning to ava marie, and she's previewing

greek week. >> we need you down here. we're live at south pointe and we're excited about greek week. you will be the spokesperson for this event next week. all of baltimore getting evolves. >> baltimore greek week begins on sunday and the grand finale is a parade in greek town. >> the 191st celebration of greek independence. >> it was in 1821. we're very proud to be americans and we are proud to be greeks. we like to share our culture and our food. you can go to baltimore greekweek.com. there are tons of specials. when you come to the parade on

sunday, he will see dancers, the u.s. naval academy marching band. we hope everybody comes out for all this. >> it sounds like a great week of great food. >> we want to share our culture with everyone. it is family friend. there are restaurants in baltimore city, rosedale, towson, great town, so they're all over the place. >> it starts on sunday and runs to the end of the week. the website or people confine the biz's. >> baltimoregreekweek.com. >> we were talking -- you mentioned how the greeks how they were inspired by the american revolution. >> and the war of 1812 which is why i am carrying the flag that

flew over fort mchenry. our ancestors were inspired by americans and the declaration of independence and the declaration of independence was inspired by eek ancestry. >> it starts next week. you can get all the information. it sounds like a great time. it is beautiful. maybe a little chilly if you don't have a jacket. we have mostly clear skies. this is too much fun. i want to know if you can greek dance? >> i can, you need more than one person. now they're coming. [laughter] monitor. have a much the steps.

there you go. it is kind of like the chicken dance. think of the chicken dance in greek. next you'll ask me to speak greek. i only know the bad words. she has to bring back some food. this is the setup. we have the jets streaming into the southern part of canada. it means more of the warm weather we have been enjoying for the last several days. i did nothing this will change until the end of next week. the temperatures will stay in the 70's. winter conditions across the northern rockies and back into the pacific northwest. we will be on the war side for the next several days. some clouds are moving across ohio. that is traveling eastbound.

those storms would come to maryland after 4:00 p.m. or 5:00 p.m. today, if they stay together. most of the day will be as nice as yesterday. 51 at the airport. 47 in taneytown. a mixture of sun and clouds. a chance for a shower or thunderstorm this evening. high temperature between 76 and 81 degrees. the average high temperature, 53. we're a good 25 degrees above the mark. the record today is 82. that was set back in 1990. mostly cloudy tonight. a chance for a shower or thunderstorm. temperatures drop back into the 50's. 50% chance a for a shower or thunderstorm on friday. high temperature of 74. maybe a couple sprinkles on st. patrick's day with a high

temperature of 70. mid 70's by the beginning of next week. >> it didn't know we were lords of the dance. >> you were outstanding. >> i am better eating the food. >> 55 degrees on tv hill. keith mills looks that the matchup between loyola and ohio state. >> here is a look at last night's winning maryland lottery numbers.

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.

hundreds more in your wallet year after year. feed me! saving you money -- now, that's progressive. call or click today. >> time to get to one of your answers to our watercooler question of the day. >> this morning we asked -- how often, if at all, do you plan on visiting the slots parlor at arundel mills? >> 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. withfield of 64 is now set t 16 games today. there was a play-in game last night. loyola is in pittsburgh getting ready for the game with all have stayed. the buckeyes are one of the best teams in the country. >> they like to grind it. we have to play our style. we're not afraid. have a little better athletes than us. >> loyola trailed kentucky by just four points back in

december before losing by 20. all estate is favored by 70 and a half -- all i estate is favored by 17 1/2. ravens lost a popular player. he started 80 straight games and played in 129 straight games. he said, no hard feelings. the ravens let him know it was time to go. cory redding also signed with the colts as the ravens lose two starters. the orioles and tigers today. the bird was taking a snooze yesterday. reynolds hit his first home run this spring. the orioles hit three doubles including one from adam jones. nick markakis played in his first game. the orioles scored five runs but

gave up 11 and lose to the pirates. jarret johnson, consummate professional and he will be missed. no question about it. >> gas prices continued to soar across the country. what residents in one maryland county might soon see their water bill rising as well. >> do you think your paying a lot to live in baltimore or maryland? how much it costs to live in some of the most expensive places in america. >> find out whose life charlies heron will be starring in. >> not so quiet on the roads. we are tracking a few accidents. we will check for problems in the city.

>> the full senate will vote on its version of the budget today. >> the list of places smokers can light up can get even smaller if the bill passes the house. >> if they build it, will you come? we want to know if you'll be playing along. that is today's water cooler question of the day. >> we have one thing to say about this weather -- more, please. [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. >> good morning.