involving kidnapping and robbery. details are next. >> the economy may be the number-one issue among voters but the buzz over president on same-sext marriage continues. >> another management group takes the will for baltimore's grand prix. >> will the weather -- will the weather be like for the mother's day weekend? [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. i'm mindy basara. >> and i'm stan stovall. thanks for joining us for 11 news today. >> we are starting out cool today. >> it is still cool overnight. the warm spot is downtown.

53 degrees. upper 40's around cockeysville. keep that in mind. you'll need some kind of light jacket. you may be shedding those layers this afternoon. 68 at lunchtime. 72 at 4:00 p.m. with full sunshine today. temperatures will warm even more into the day. >> there is an accident in towson at loch raven boulevard. otherwise, looking pretty good. no delays to the park filled region. 65 down throughout shawan road. problem free out of owings mills on 795 with speeds around 57 miles per hour. eastbound 70 checking out fine towards the beltway. so far so good out there. this is 295 southbound.

traffic is building just a bit down towards 32. the j.f.x. running smoothly. no problems to report down towards the construction zone. that is the latest on traffic pulse 11. >> police are looking for a pair of suspects after a second kidnapping and robbery in three months. >> jennifer franciotti is live. there's a similarity in these cases? >> there is. the most recent case happened early saturday morning. police have a vague description of the suspects. this could be connected to a similar case that happened around three months ago. police say two suspects approached the victim on pennsylvania avenue and york road. the men forced the victim to hand over money. it did not end there.

>> at that point they forced him at knifepoint to go to an atm and asked him to take out more money. >> the suspects on saturday used a knife. three months ago, the suspects used a handgun. at this point police are working on a description. these are two men that are african-american, about 20 to 25. they both have a muscular build. anyone with information is asked to call baltimore county police. jennifer franciotti, wbal-tv 11 news. >> a man fell to his death in ocean city. police say eric allen fell onto on atlantic avenue. he was taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead. police say a pair of men posing

as a plainclothes police officers. two men posed as officers convinced him to look for counterfeit cash. police are looking for two african american suspect that were dressed in suits. every officer carries a bench to identify themselves. dge. carries a band police >> say jefferson shot -- police say jefferson and shot two men. the other shooting victims have been released. life behind bars is a sentence for a man. a judge sentenced williams to life without parole for the shooting death of wesley brown in 2010. brown was working at part-time

officer. williams came back letter and shot him. >> the search for fred bealefeld will begin with a panel of experts. fred bealefeld will be involved in the search for his replacement. the mayor says she would like to see a successor chosen prior to his departure. back to work for the jury deliberating the future of julius henson. he is accused of trying to suppress the african-american vote by issuing robocalls. >> finding a group to organize the baltimore grand prix. a new deal was announced on thursday led in part by michael andretti. the city will bring in more money than last year's event.

>> it is an exceptional deal with a good promoter. you have a legitimate chance of success at this point. >> the city council must still sign off on the deal. >> a massive marijuana growing operation goes up in smoke. an anonymous tip led detectives to a basement with a found 341 marijuana plants worth more than five letter thousand dollars -- $500,000. manoj unni faces several counts. >> he had air filters, water pumping system, a ventilation system. this was a sophisticated grow operation. >> police contend manoj unni

work there but left the department in 2005 and has been released on $25,000 bail. a suspected prostitution ring has been broken up. police say two people posted ads in order to set up their dates. >> president obama and mitt romney are trying to get back to the issue on the minds of millions of americans -- the economy. both are having trouble as other topics seem to dominate the conversation. >> good morning. the president's endorsement of gay marriage is still drawing strong reaction from both sides. on election day, it will likely be the economy that makes all the difference. six months before the general

election, americans are growing more pessimistic about the economy. a new poll shows 52% of those surveyed are disappointed with the president's handling of it. >> hello, seattle! >> during a campaign stop in seattle, president obama urged voters to keep the faith. >> we're making progress. are we satisfied? of course not. too many of our friends and our families are still out there looking for work. >> mitt romney is using the president's vulnerability on the economy to his advantage. >> we don't have to bump along the bottom. we don't have to settle in america. >> they both realize the economy is the number-one issue. the president's endorsement of gay marriage will likely set the tone for days. hoping to galvanize supporters, a new ad claims mitt romney's

stance against gay marriage would turn the country backwards. mitt romney is apologizing for actions in his past. a report says he pinned down a student and cut his hair. that happened back in high school. mitt romney will be discussing the economy again today in north carolina. the president will be in nevada. he will be talking about the housing market. i am tara mergener. >> steny hoyer says he has shifted his position from supporting civil unions to a full-fledged endorsement of same-sex marriage. said it will not undermine the institution of marriage. >> 6:09. tires for mom on mother's day? >> sterling statistics when it comes to retirement --still

early statistics. >> a controversial cover hits the newsstands. >> a cold front is moving offshore. we have clear skies moving in for the weekend. >> we will detail your morning commute. we will update you on at progressive, you can bundle your home and auto policies and save. don't worry, tiny people. flo is a gentle giant. bundle home and auto at progressive.com.

>> welcome back to 11 news today. 6:13. 53 degrees downtown. we have a school closing to announce. beach field elementary school in baltimore city is closed because of a water main break. the kids get a day off. let's look at the temperatures. 40's at the airport. 43 in frederick. a few areas are waking up to some chilly temperatures. we have the sunshine out. no major problems with the win ds. mostly, down towards hagerstown ly calm towards

hagerstown. maybe if you wind gusts -- maybe a few wind gusts up to 20 miles per hour. the sunshine is helping it feel warmer outdoors. a small craft advisory in effect. waves around two feet. the skies will stay mostly clear tonight. we will drop into the 40's. the weather pattern is pretty quiet. hardly any clouds. the radar is clear across the mid atlantic. dry weather to start out this friday. high pressure is building in from the west. then we're waiting for the next storm system. a cold front coming out of the planes and some heavy showers and thunderstorms from texas --

a cold front coming out of the plains. the next storm system tries to take shape. a slight chance for showers late on sunday. mother's day is expected to be mostly dry. 72 today with sunshine. 77 tomorrow. mid 70's towards mother's day. a light chance for showers late in the day. look at the seven-day forecast. we'll be in the 70's the entire week. >> that sounds fantastic. not bad on the roads. the harrisburg expressway, 66 miles per hour. problem free on the west side, a 50 miles per hour down at baltimore national pike. eastbound 70, no delays. 100 looks good to and from 95.

no delays on 95 toward the fort mchenry. 62 on the north side. up to speed. 295, southbound traffic down towards 32, building in volume but not back down towards the capital beltway. a smooth ride to the construction zone at the j.f.x. off the 41st street bridge. an easy ride of towards the beltway. that is the latest on traffic pulse 11. >> a pair of kidnapped sisters are save this morning after the accused kidnapper takes his own life. adam mayes shot himself in mississippi on thursday night. he was charged with the murders of jo ann bain and her daughter age year. the younger sisters, alexandria and kyliyah bain, were taken to a hospital to be checked out.

time for the defense to portray their case in the john f. edwards trial. a say that he knowingly used campaign funds to cover up an affair. no word as to whether edwards will testify. the cover image of "time" magazine shows a mother breast feeding her son. some say the cover goes too far. that brings us to our water cooler question of the day. do you think a photo depicting a mother breast-feeding a 3-year- old child is an appropriate image for the cover of "time" magazine? you can share your response on wbaltv.com, on our facebook page, or send us an e-mail to watercooler@wbaltv.com. >> when it comes to saving for

retirement, many americans are not doing it. 49% of americans are contributing to a 401(k) or an ira plan. the largest age group not saving is between 18 and 34. it is critical that young people start saving. the largest trading bank has lost $2 billion. is is an embarrassment. company stock plummeted 7%. other bank stocks suffered heavy losses as well. would you give a set of tires for mother's day? some mothers are ok with that. jane king has the bloomberg business report. >> good morning.

california's bill to forbid perspective employers about facebook pass rates would follow a maryland law. the bill now heads to the senate. it joins three other states which are considering similar bills. facebook is seeking as much as $96 billion in an ipo. some say it is overvalued. 7% of those surveyed said wasbook's ipo value just right. the bloomberg maryland index was up. sunday is mother's day.

how about a pair of tires? some said they would love it. some would like a family road trip. they did not indicate whether mother would be driving the car not. at the new york stock exchange, i'm jane king, bloomberg news, for wbal-tv 11 news. .> something tells me not >> they can think about driving a car with no tires. >> 6:20. >> keith mills will join us live for sports. >> here is a look at last night's winning maryland lottery numbers.

>> now traffic pulse 11 and insta-weather plus together. >> it is friday and the roads are clear. not dealing with any delays. 63 on southbound 95 out of white marsh. 61 traveling down towards the towson region. 55 on the west side. problem free it down towards edmondson.

97, 62 miles per hour. 295, problem free at the moment. this is 50 at sandy point. the eastern shore, everything running smoothly at this hour. a nice start heading into the toll plaza. this is 95 from white marsh. southbound traffic running smoothly down towards the beltway. that is the latest on traffic pulse 11. >> it sounds like the roads are doing ok. not bad in the weather department. we will see lots of sunshine. sunny skies and a little bit on the chilly side. 48 degrees. maybe a light jacket. 68 and sunshine at lunchtime. 72 into the afternoon. breezy conditions today.

we can seem to warm up into the weekend and towards mother's day. keith mills has sports. >> good morning. a showdown for first place tonight at camden yards. the orioles open up a three-game series against tampa bay and first place is on the line. the orioles split double header last night. the birds won game one. they hit three straight home runs to start. 1-0. j.j. hardy, and number 8. call below was retired 18 in a row but not before nick markakis stays fair. back to back to back -- first

time that's happened to start a game. wei-yin chen was terrific. trouble in the ninth. three-run home run. 6-5. the orioles win. chen is 3-0. tommy hunter to start in game two. josh hamilton -- i thought that would hit the warehouse. it came close. sixth home run in the series by josh hamilton. a bad catch, a bad throw. the pitching staff could not hold it. elvis andrus. los angele

i'll have another remains the focus for everybody at pimlico. the trader said his colt looks fantastic. he deflected talk about winning triple crown. bodemeister was the favorite to win the derby. minicamp for the ravens today. >> 6:20. 49 degrees on tv hill. new construction project that drivers need to know about. >> police are looking for suspects in a disturbing string of crimes. >> the biggest fundraiser ever. we'll talk about the president's

was coast torque and new allegations that mitt romney was

>> 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. thanks for joining us for 11 news today. we deserve today's sunny weather. >> we had cloudy weather for about a week. we see clear skies all across the east coast. it will take a time for the clouds to return. 46 at the airport with full sunshine. breezy today with winds out of the northwest. fault sunshine across the state. temperatures around 70 in central maryland. we will continue this sunny weather for at least the first half of the weekend. >> police are on high alert after two armed robberies and kidnappings. >> in both cases the victims

were forced to withdraw money from atm's. >> the latest case happened on saturday morning. police do have a vague description of the suspects. this case may be related to one that happened three months ago. the suspect approached the victim near pennsylvania avenue and york road on saturday morning. according to the police, the men took out a knife and forced the victim to hand over his money, but it did not end there. >> at that point they forced him at knifepoint to go to an atm and asked him to take out more money. >> the second location was near washington and allegany avenues. >> police are still looking for the suspects and are investigating a possible connection to another robbery and kidnapping. that one happened about three months ago. two suspects with a handgun forced a suspect to go to an atm.

then they drove to baltimore city. >> when we have these kinds of crimes, detectives look at all those angles and they look to see if there's any relation between any of them. >> police are not saying if either case was caught on surveillance camera. people are growing concerned. >> i think it is awful. i hope there's more done about protection for local businesses and anybody in the area who frequents the area. >> police only have a vague description of the suspects. they are african-american males in their early to mid 20's with a muscular build, approximately 6 foot tall to 6'3". jennifer franciotti, wbal-tv 11 news. >> was mitt romney a prep school bully? the president's support is betting big money to his campaign.

>> president obama's $40,000-a- plate dinner appears to be the biggest fundraiser ever. more than mitt romney raced in an entire month. donations are pouring in since the president announced his support for same-sex marriage. >> making sure that everybody is treated fairly. >> vice president biden has apologized for forcing the president's hand. he announced his support days earlier. republicans say they will use this as a key difference between mr. obama and romney. for now, romney is apologizing after a report said he bullied a gay student in high school. pitting him down and cutting his hair -- pinning him down. mitt romney said he does not remember. >> i did some stupid things in high school. if i hurt anybody, i apologize for it. >> voters had mixed reaction. >> if he was a bully then, he probably will be a bully now.

>> look at somebody who did something 45 years ago. >> will that have an impact in november? >> not much different than somebody in their youth getting drunk or smoking marijuana. >> i think mitt romney did not handle it particularly well. >> the economy is still the number-one issue. 2/3 polled do not like how the president is dealing with gas prices. 53% approved of him overall. from washington, tracie potts, wbal-tv 11 news. >> a new program is helping it easier to assist autistic children. the information is placed in this system and helps the first responders better handle emergency calls. >> we are not asking them to give an exhaustive list but some key information that a 911

-- for more affirmation, you can go to our website, wbaltv.com. >> or construction on a section of the beltway -- more construction on a section of the beltway at exit 8. the right lane will also be closed. there will be a bridge work on the overpasses and the work will take place from 5:00 saturday morning until noon. >> now traffic pulse 11 and insta-weather plus together. >> we will enjoy a quiet ride at the moment. no delays or incidents at this hour. in down on 395, 54 in towards conaway. 43 on the west side at baltimore

national pike. 55 traveling south on 83 down towards padonia. this is franklin. 795 southbound traffic building. nothing major delay-wise. we had some major delays yesterday. no construction on that ramp. everything moving well to and from the beltway. that is the latest on traffic pulse 11. looking sunny outside. >> we expect the sunshine to last for the next couple of days. temperatures in the upper 60's to low 70's. a cool breeze out of the west. sunshine should help but feel pleasant. a big weekend coming up for all moms. mother's day on sunday. a chance for a shower late on sunday. ms. 70's as we head into early

next week. we have if you rain chance is next week -- we have a few rain chance as next week. >> the nation's biggest talent scout. what howard stern says you can expect when he slips into the judge's chair. >> we are still taking your answers to our water cooler question of the day. do you think a photo depicting a mother breast-feeding a 3-year- old child is an appropriate image for the cover of "time" magazine? you can share your response on wbaltv.com, on our facebook page, or send us an e-mail to watercooler@wbaltv.com.

> "america's got talent" returns on monday. >> howard stern joins the judges. >> why should someone have to be censored? i am blunt to the point. >> he goes a long standing ratio adio show and is now the newest judge on "america's got talent." >> i did not want to turn this

into "the howard stern show." >> some are already concerned. look for a sharp increase in adult contact. >> will advertisers feel comfortable? >> he knows the rules of broadcast television. there is a preconceived notion of what he does. that may keep people from turning in. >> i think you'll see sides of him that you have never seen before. he is edgy and honest. >> this could be hit. >> i think you'll see somebody who is a lot more reasonable

than they imagine. >> it will be a season where stern may be judged as much as any contestant. >> that should be interesting. 6:42. 49 degrees on tv hill. >> we will check on the area roads and we will update you on any problem spots to avoid. >> we will look at the forecast going into a mother's day weekend. this is a live look outdoors. this is in ocean city. beautiful. blue skies and the blue ocean.

>> welcome back to 11 news today. 6:45. a warning for residents of southwest baltimore. police looking for a pair of men they say impersonated police officers to gain entry into a man's home. police want to remind everybody that every officer carries a badge to identify themselves. jury deliberations continue today in the trial of julius henson. democrats had already won hours before a winner was declare. the baltimore grand prix -- a new deal with a group led by

michael andretti. the city will bring it more money under the new bill but the city council must still sign off on the deal. >> now traffic pulse 11 and insta-weather plus together. >> good morning. a couple of accidents in the city. one at what bausch avenue -- one ash avenue. 40 miles per hour down baltimore national pike. 67 on southbound 83. just fine on the north side of the beltway. this is 795 at franklin. no delays are showing. this is 50 at 97. to and from the bay bridge, a nice start. no problems east or westbound.

that is the latest on traffic pulse 11. >> people are coasting into the weekend. we're starting off on a chilly note. 53 downtown. in the 40's everywhere else, especially north and west. 50's along the eastern shore. we have plenty of sunshine up and down the eastern seaboard. some cloud cover and showers in a new wing them. high pressure will bring some nice weather. high pressure will hold true through most of the weekend. the next storm system could affect us by sunday night. the start is out in the plains. an area of disturbed weather bank in texas. we could see rain chance as sunday night into early next week. high pressure bring lots of

sunshine today. temperatures should be in the 70's in central maryland. mid 60's in the mountains. sunshine for much of the day. maybe some clouds arelong the coast. near 74 downtown this afternoon. a light breeze out of the northwest could make it feel a little cooler. a bit of a concern by the wind on the bay. a small craft advisory in effect. mostly clear skies tonight. down into the 40's for the overnight lows. saturdayper 70's on and sunday. a few more clouds on sunday as the next storm system approaches. mother's day should be mostly

dry. rain chance as early next week. not a major washout expected. 74 on monday. 70's through the entire seven- day forecast. >> time now for a last look at one of our big stories. a series of abductions in baltimore county has police and residents on alert. jennifer franciotti joins us live with more. >> good morning. the most recent case happened early saturday morning. police have a vague description of the suspects. this could be connected to a similar case that happened around three months ago. police say two suspects approached the victim on pennsylvania avenue and york road. this happened early on saturday morning. the men forced the victim to hand over money. the suspects on saturday used a knife. three months ago, the suspects

used a handgun. they are concerned about this information and police are asking for the public's help and if they saw anything suspicious to give them a call. >> do police have leaked description -- have a description? >> these are two men that are african-american, about 20 to 25. they both have a muscular build. anyone with information is asked to call baltimore county police. >> here is ann curry with a look at what is coming up next on the "today" show. >> good morning. a dramatic end to -- the girls were found alive after their kidnapper took his own life. that man's mother a lot speaks out in a live interview. more on the controversy over a

lottery ticket found in the trash. the judge told the woman that the money was not hers. treat formother's day the mother who lost her legs shielding her children from the tornado. the controversial "time" magazine cover that has everybody talking. >> 6:51. 49 degrees on tv hill. still ahead, some of your answers to our water cooler question of the day. >> coming up, we'll take a last look at weather and traffic together before you head out to start your day.

>> time to get to your answers to our watercooler question of the day. >> this morning we asked -- do you think a photo depicting a mother breast-feeding a 3-year- old child is an appropriate image for the cover of "time" magazine?

>> we will post more of your answers on the front page of our website, wbaltv.com. it looks a lot better than yesterday morning. >> so much better. just a couple of accidents. a crash at cold spring. 32 on the west side. we're starting to see those delays. watch for an accident in laurel. this is the j.f.x. at coldspring. southbound traffic moving well through the construction zone. this is the west side at

security boulevard. traffic is building. >> very nice. >> you are out yesterday with the big balloons. did you ever go up? >> it was too windy. spectacular. humidity 70's tomorrow with a .ew clouds -- mid 70's tomorrow mostly dry on sunday. >> let her pick out her own tires, right? [laughter] >> tires are so expensive. >> if you're looking for more weather and traffic together, be sure to join us this morning for 11 news at 7:00 a.m. on wbal

plus. >> there you'll find more local news as well as up-to-date traffic and weather information. you can find it on comcast channel 208, verizon fios 460, and 11-2. >> i hope all mothers have a wonderful mother's day. >> thanks for joining us for 11 news today. >> we will be back with a live update at 7:25. >> have a great day.

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