come. >> this is not the only water main and not even close. baltimore is not alone with this problem. >> a fiscal cliffhanger. we're hearing questions about whether the federal reserve will step in to help the economy grow. >> crank up the a.c. the forecast as we continue. [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. >> it will feel even hotter today? >> yesterday it was hot, we were at 100 degrees. today we figure in the humidity. i feel for the people that have

to work outside. 85 right now downtown. that is not a good sign when we see those 80 degree temperatures first thing in the morning. very hot and more humid. heat index will make it feel like 105 degrees. we could see some thunderstorms this anafternoon. the atmosphere is unstable. >> good morning. let's check on a couple of accidents. we start in phoenix. closes remain in effect as an accident is clearing. a vehicle into a pole and there is one fatality. at garrison boulevard, we have an accident in the city. some closures related to the fire department activity further south in the city.

light street, closures remain in effect because of water main repair. jennifer franciotti will have a live report to tell you about those closures. mount royal is closed from north avenue to charles street. that is in advance of artscape. here's a quick live look at traffic. the beltway at york road is not bad. volume picking up over towards the west side. 795 at owings mills, not seeing any delays. a nice ride down the west side of the beltway. that is the latest on traffic pulse 11. >> that broken water main is the big story in downtown baltimore. there are still a few closures diverting traffic around light street. >> the closure is testing the patience of drivers and business owners. jennifer franciotti is live downtown with that part of the

story. >> good morning. i will step aside. dpw have not started their work. there is a bobcat as a major section of the broadway has been dug up. the water main break was built back in the late 1880's. the department of public works thinks it will take about three weeks to replace the broken pipe. above-ground pipes are providing water to the businesses. seven businesses lost water and it should be fully restored by this morning. there haven't been too many complaints. one salon owner has been concerned about their clients. >> it has been a difficult situation because they are running late and we're trying to fit everybody in. it has been a little bit of a challenge already. >> it has also made deliveries

difficult. and for people used to catching the bus, they have been walking up going, "where do i go?" jennifer franciotti, wbal-tv 11 news. >> this is another example of the challenge of repairing and replacing an aging water system. monday's one man break downtown was the 480th this year a pipe in the baltimore system has broken. baltimore is not alone. it is estimated $1 trillion is needed to update the system. >> there is not likely to be a federal solution to the problem. what it comes down to is water rates as we began to reinvest in the systems. it is likely that water rates will rise over a period of time

and significant in some places. >> the city replaces about 5 miles of pipe each year but hopes to increase that pace to 20miles. >> police say a person is accused of leaving the scene of an accident that killed a man. accident happened back on liberty road. woman is charged with leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death. one man is recovering after being shot in the back in south baltimore. this happened just after 10:00 p.m. last night. paramedics treated him at the scene before taking him to the hospital. >> a massive fire in essex. take a look at the video.

flames ignited the back water treatment plant. you can see the thick black smoke. firefighters got this blaze under control in about 30 minutes. >> some community leaders are addressing a double edge bias. the guardian angels -- an 18- year-old was shot to death last month. witnesses claim the gunman targeted him for no apparent reason. in believed the cross dressing may have provoked the attack. >> as african americans, we were slaves not too long ago. where a victim of this prejudice and we are today. to be a victim and to victimize another group of people is

ridiculous. >> police say they have that charge anybody in the murder nor have they decided to classify it as a hate crime. >> the chairman of the federal reserve is back on capitol hill today. the economy is not what people want to hear. hallie jackson has the report. good morning to you. >> good morning. >> ben bernanke predicts the recovery will be slow-going. he speaks with members of the house today. wall street ended the day on a good note when ben bernanke testified in front of the senate banking committee. he painted a fairly grim picture of the economy, which is growing but slowly. people are not spending as much. the unemployment rate is

stalling above 8%. inflation is not bad but food costs are spiking. the other big message -- >> if the fiscal cliff is allowed to happen, it will have major negative effects on the recovery. >> we could see higher taxes if congress does not find common ground on a budget. the congressional budget office says that could trigger a recession. bernanke said it is their job to prevent that. >> congress is in charge, not the federal reserve. >> senator charles schumer was pushing to do something soon. >> i am afraid the fed is the only game in town. i would urge you to take whatever actions you think would be most effective in promoting a stronger economic recovery. so get to work, mr. chairman. >> any action at the fed takes could happen as soon as its next meeting which begins on july 31 . >> what could the fed do to

help? >> another round with a lower the long-term interest rates. even with that, it will probably not happen at the meeting later this month. probably will happen before the end of the year. >> 6:09. the fda signs off on a new diet drug. big fines to prevent wild fires. >> chances are you want to keep your mileage down. some mistakes you could be making that could be driving up your gas budget. >> just as hot today and more humid. >> a busy morning rush. >> a busy morning rush. an accident and will

>> a busy morning rush. an accident and will we gotta sell the car. where would we even start? get the car. hi howard. get in. hi, good to see you. start with an actual written offer when selling your car, no strings attached. carmax. start here.

>> welcome back to 11 news today. 6:12, 85 degrees downtown. you can see just how hazy it is outside. notice the dew point temperatures. this is an indication of the moisture in the atmosphere.

69 is the current dew point temperature at the airport. 70's across the lower eastern shore. we expect the dew points to climb into the 70's. that is a big issue when you factor that in with the heat. humidity makes our body feel hotter. the evaporation does that happen as efficiently when it is more humid. this will be the hot pattern at least for one more day. we have the possibility for a strong thunderstorm this afternoon. heat advisory in effect from frederick county to the maryland-delaware line and heading down to the lower eastern shore. could be up todex 105 today.

large area of high pressure in control. the cold front is up to our north and getting nearby. this will cause a big change in our temperatures for the next couple of days. it could spark off a thunderstorm later today. a slight risk for severe weather. it does include any storm that could be on the strong side later today as the answer is the most unstable with all the heat building in. 99 this afternoon. thunderstorms possible this afternoon, tonight, and into tomorrow. thursday is your best chance to see any storms. may 80's this afternoon with sunshine. -- mid 80's. >> tracking a few accidents. baltimore county, we have a

crash. another one, a serious accident at old mill road in the phoenix region. lexington street in the city, you may find some closures because of fire department activity. light street remains closed for the next few weeks. artscape closures in effect for the weekend. mount royal is closed from north avenue to charles street. here's a quick live look at traffic. right now looking pretty good on the harrisburg expressway. no delays from the maryland line all the way to the beltway. 295 shows building volume in the southbound direction. no official delay as you approached 32. that is the latest on traffic pulse 11. >> a suspect in a colorado springs steals a plane and kills himself. he was a pilot and jumped over a

gate on tuesday and stole a passenger jet. police say he clipped a wing before crashing into cars in a parking lot. a police officer and later found him inside. he was wanted in connection with the stabbing death of a former girlfriend. the fda gives approval to a new diet pill. the drug will not be sold as qsymia. more than half lost 10% of their body weight in trials. indiana drivers could see a new fund for throwing a burning cigarette out of the window. there have been a number of brushfires because of drought conditions. there could be fines up to $10,000. the goal is to cut down on the number of fires are popping up

all along highways. that brings us to our water cooler question of the day. taking into consideration the recent drought condition, would you support a fine for drivers who throw a lit cigarette out a window? you can share your response on wbaltv.com, on our facebook page, or send us an e-mail to watercooler@wbaltv.com. >> some common mistakes that guzzle your gas. you pay an extra 26 cents per gallon for every 5 miles per gallon you go over 50. too much luggage in and on your vehicle. adding an extra one under pounds in the trunk reduces fuel economy -- adding an extra 100 pounds in the frontrunk.

the toyota prius tripled its sales. walmart wants to make the back- to-school shopping season easier for you. maryland could be hit hard with some job losses. ellen braitman has more in the bloomberg business report. >> good morning. there will be cuts in january. maryland stands to lose more than 113,000 jobs, according to a report commissioned by george mason university. 1/3 of those jobs would come from the department of defense. more americans are snagging jobs as temps.

the number of people on payroll work 11% in june -- were 11% in june compared to a year earlier. the bloomberg maryland index got a boost on gains for w. r. grace. walmart launching a program representing schools nationwide to make it easier to get what you want and to draw shoppers into stores. moms are looking to save more money and the retailer is offering 100 items at 88 cents . i'm ellen braitman for wbal-tv 11 news. >> 79 degrees on tv hill. you'll be able to watch the olympics beginning next weekend. >> the orioles look to pick up

the pieces after a big time lost in minnesota. saccharin has first start of the season. >> here is a look at last night's winning maryland lottery numbers. -- zach britton had his first of the season.sstart

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

>> good morning. sarah caldwell checking on your morning commute. we have a couple of accidents we are tracking in baltimore county. there is one of old york road at paper mill road and we hear that is a fatal accident, a vehicle into a pole. lexington street in the city, fire department activity. continued closures along light street between baltimore and lombard. those delays are expected again today. mount royal is closed from north avenue to charles street. here's a quick live look at traffic. 95 from route 24 in harford county. so far so good. this is 295, outbound traffic building down towards 32 as you make your closer to the capital beltway. that is the latest on traffic pulse 11.

>> thank you. another day with the extreme heat. 103 yesterday at the inner harbor. even more humid today. 80 this morning at the airport. 85 at the inner harbor. the record today is 102. highs will get out into the upper 90's. people to stay cautious today in the extreme heat. drink plenty of water and stay in the shade. now let's head to sports. >> you're on. >> thank you. i cannot escape being caught on camera. he calls himself the youngest

escape artist. he did not necessarily win over the judge's last night. uck.ish him good loc >> the opening ceremonies for the olympics begin next week. stx has signed not to create a limited edition hockey stick. you can register online and have a chance to win a stick. there is a form you need to fill out and we have a link to it on our website, wbaltv.com. just click on tv. >> the orioles' season at the crossroads. the loss to the twins last night, 6-4. their defense remains poor.

they bullpen is showing signs of wear and tear. an early lead for the orioles courtesy of nick markakis and a wild pitch. 1-0 orioles. zach britton makes his first start for the orioles. j.j. hardy. zach struggled with his control. he did have a 4-1 lead. adam jones, opposite field. he has been outstanding all year. birds up 4-1. zach britton leaves. this time as ies it. the orioles out of second place

as the rays pass them by. the u.s. placed england to mark in basketball in the third olympic tuneup. jeremy lin plus a three-year contract with the rocket's worth $25 million. the new york next refused to match the offer appeared german league went from sitting the bench last year to the most googled person on the planet in about a month and the parlors that into a big-time contract. he went to harvard so i guess he will put is a harvard degree to work managing his money. >> 6:27. 79 degrees on tv hill. johns hopkins has a bit of a fall from grace.

they are no longer on the top looking down. >> a major water break downtown. >> the i-team spend some time with the wrong guy. the latest on his stressful situation. >> word of an accident in westminster and will check on

>> 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. it is already in the 80's. >> we are at 85 downtown. 80 degrees at the airport. we're off to such a warm and muggy start. we expect a high temperatures near 100 degrees and the downtown area could be in the low 100's.

it feels like 105 later today. we have a chance for a thunderstorm with all of this heat. >> thank you. the big story is the broken water main in downtown baltimore appeared there are a few closures directing traffic around light street. >> the closures are testing the patience of drivers and business owners. jennifer franciotti is live downtown with the very latest on that part of the story. >> good morning. although dpw was expecting to have the water back on because of the above pipes, we know this morning there are still some businesses close. they're being affected by the water main break along with the road closures in the area. light street is shut down between baltimore street and lombard. drivers have been forced to take

alternate routes. that is creating gridlock traffic downtown. >> normally it is fine. this is ridiculous. >> they try to go down and there's a traffic jam. utt.s a pain in the b >> the water main that broke was built in the late 1880's. >> as an older east seaboard city, that is one of the things that we have to deal with on a regular basis. >> the department of public works thinks it'll take about three weeks to replace the broken pipe. in the meantime, above-ground pipes like this are providing water to area businesses. in all seven businesses were affected by the water main break. so far the downtown business partnership has not received too many complaints. some business owners worry about their clients who drive in. >> it has been a difficult situation because they are running late and we're trying to fit everybody in. knowing that they are dealing

with the situation. it has been a little bit of a challenge already. >> the heavy equipment does remain in the roadway. we can see piles of dirt and they will try to get to the water main break as soon as they can. this man expects work to begin at 7:00 a.m. jennifer franciotti, wbal-tv 11 news. >> thank you. when you see breaking news, you can share your pictures and videos on our u local page and you can send pictures like this one directly to the 11 news room. >> the governor believes there's a strong opportunity to work out expanded gaming sooner rather than later. house members have resisted the idea.

the governor is calling for a special session to allow special gains and to push for a new casino in prince george's county. from first to second, johns hopkins hospital drops out of the top spot. two, pped to number falling this behind massachusetts general in boston. hospital officials are disappointed but say they will work to be the best. >> work to provide the finest patient care available. that is what we do here. that has not changed today. it is the same as the week before and the year before. >> the rankings are based on hospital performance. >> residence in a howard county

resident said a certain street sign has an offensive connotation. this side sits on a street in colombia and is called coon hunt court. homeowners felt uneasy about the interpretation the sign could have. the sign has been stolen numerous names over the years. >> i know how people might say it is just a word but the way it is expressed toward black people. i know my father and my grandfather what they went through and try to explain to my kids about that. >> the homeowners have given their unanimous consent to the change. final approval on the name change is expected anin septembr . >> david has been detained

because people thought he was a wanted man. the confusion has caused tremendous stress. >> i woke up and i see officers running out and they were pulling their weapons. as said, something is going down. >> i said, they are coming after me. update coming up at 11 :00. >> now traffic pulse 11 and insta-weather plus together. date."s get you up to there are some accident to watch for appeared old york road is shut down, so avoided. it will be shut down for some time because of a serious

accident. middletown road, and a crash in westminster along market street and malcolm drive. election districts in the city, enclosures in effect because of fire department activity. light street is shot down between baltimore and lombard. this is 95 every 24. moving well all the way down towards the white marsh area and the fort mchenry. some volume building up down towards 32. that is the latest on traffic pulse 11. ava has a check under forecast. >> another hot day today. temperatures likely to be in the low 100's in downtown d.c. and baltimore.

a chance for a thunderstorm today. it could be of the strong side. we have a slight risk for severe weather bank and that includes baltimore, d.c., and northern portions of maryland. thunderstorms are possible tomorrow and even on friday. it will be beautiful this weekend. sunshine and high in the mid 80's. >> 79 degrees on tv hill. as a keeper in norway adopts an unusual pet. >> how this female became top cat in one of alaska town. >> we are still taking your answers to our water cooler question of the day. taking into consideration the recent drought condition, would you support a fine for drivers who throw a lit cigarette out a window? you can share your response at wbaltv.com and on our facebook page, or send us an e-mail to watercooler@wbaltv.com.

>> we have seen people be friend animals before. his mother abandoned him in the woods. he showed up and the zookeeper took care of the moose.

it is one of the best things that's ever happened to her. >> on a most to a cat -- from a most to a cose to a cat. job is more symbolic than functional. they said the mayor is very demanding. >> he has an attitude. i love it. he sleeps a lot. 6:42. 79 degrees. >> we have a closure to report in phoenix that is due to a serious accident and will check on the major roads for delays.

>> the heat will break soon. details in the forecast. this is ocean city. it will heat up, mid 90's this it will heat up, mid 90's this afternoon ♪ ♪ [ male announcer ] everyone likes a bit of order in their life. virtual wallet helps you get it. keep track of spending, move money with a slide, and use the calendar. all to see your money how you want. ♪

>> welcome back to 11 news today. 6:44. police charged a woman in a hit- and-run that killed a pedestrian. she is accused of leaving the scene of an accident that killed a man. the accident happened on liberty road. her car was found in woodlawn a little later.

a man is recovering after being shot in the back in south baltimore. city police responded just after 10:00 p.m. last night and they found the victim suffering from a gunshot wound to the back. officials continue their investigation into what started this big fire at a treatment plan to in essex. you can see the thick smoke rising into the air. firefighters brought the blaze under control in about 30 minutes. >> the highest civilian award for a veteran of the baltimore city police department. sergeant james dixon is the first african-american in the u.s. marine corps. he brought his congressional gold medal back to the police department to celebrate with family and friends. >> i wanted to say thank you for

all that you have done. [applause] >> he served in the baltimore city police department from 1954 to 1987. that is the highest civilian medal that the government bestows. >> now traffic pulse 11 and insta-weather plus together. >> we are tracking some closures in baltimore county. watch for closures of old york road in phoenix. take jurors will pike as your alternate because it will be closed for some time. -- take jarrettsville pike as your alternate. in once mr., watch for closures related to an accident at malcolm drive -- in westminster, watch for closures.

give you some big delays in the city. we saw them yesterday along fayette. 30 miles per hour on the west side outer loop and that begins around security down towards edmondson. here's a quick live look at traffic. ellicott city, moving well north and southbound. a bit of a delay on southbound 295 from just past 175 down towards 32. that is the latest on traffic pulse 11. ava has a check on the forecas t. >> warm start to the day. 85 downtown. downtown areas and of the water tended to stay warmest overnight. we have so much humidity and that capped the temperatures from falling. 70 in oakland. the humidity is on the rise.

the dew points are starting off in the upper 60's. the dew point temperatures in baltimore will increase by a couple of degrees. dew point temperatures in the water in the mid 70's right now. 77 is the ocean city dew point temperature. the combination of the heat and humidity are making for a dangerous conditions. the heat index makes it feel like it is 105 degrees and that is prompting a heat advisory. a cold front will be inching our way as it enters into this hot and humid weather pattern and that puts us in a slight risk for severe weather. this does include the threat that any thunderstorm could be on the strong side with damaging

wind and maybe some hail. the thunderstorms are scheduled to be isolated. a few thin clouds and the radar is looking dry. this cold front will move in and is already sparking some thunderstorms back in michigan and wisconsin. the front will give was a chance for rain for the next couple of days and it will bring a drop in the temperatures. 99 today with a chance for thunderstorms into the afternoon. the chance for thunderstorms to more and on friday. mid 80's this weekend. >> the ongoing effects of the water main break in downtown baltimore. jennifer franciotti joins us live with the latest. >> it is become a hotbed of activity.

we have doubled our work force. there are now two dpw workers on the scene. they expect to get back to work at 7:00 a.m. this morning. you can see the bobcat and the dirt from the roadway that has been dug up. they will work on the broken water main. it did happen at the corner of lombard and light street. the department of public works thinks it will take three weeks to repair the broken pipe. above-ground pipes are providing water to nearby businesses. several businesses do remain shut down because of lack of water. some folks are not able to get into their building until 7:00 a.m. and are expressing frustration they cannot get into the building because it is a

fire safety hazard. the sprinklers are affected so have to wait until a certain number of people are in the building in order to start work. some guys say, "i have too much work to be doing to be standing outside this building." >> how are people reacting? >> only some complaints so far. dpw has worked to get water on to some business. the 7-eleven is open but the mcdonald's is shut down. it is affecting foot traffic. people used to getting buses are having to find other locations to get their bus. >> here is savannah guthrie with a look at what is coming up next on the "today" show. >> we have new details on the murder suspect who attempted to

steal and a passenger plane at an airport in utah. he was later found dead inside the jet. we'll have a report from the scene. kerry kennedy speaks out for the first time about her crash on a new york highway. the sporting her explanation for what caused that accident. then a in the exclusive. the former teacher and schiller charged with sexually abusing a teenage boy. she opens up about the charges against her in a first television interview. and then we will reveal 5 sigrid's to looking younger and feeling fabulous as we age and that is all with a start on it was the morning right here on "today." >> the nine degrees on tv hill. coming up, we'll look at your answers to our water cooler question of the day. >> plus, we'll take a last loo

>> time to get to your answers to our water cooler question of the day. >> this morning we asked -- taking into consideration the recent drought condition, would you support a fine for drivers who throw a lit cigarette out a window? >> will post more of your answers on our website, wbaltv.com. >> we have closures to the next three weeks along light street.

we start in baltimore county in phoenix. a fatal accident over towards carroll mill. be careful and bel air, traffic lights on flash at 543. light street is closed between baltimore and lombard. here's a quick live look at traffic. this is the west side at baltimore national pike. the pace of things is normal and a nice start on 95 at white marsh. >> one more day then we will start to see a cooldown. >> extremely hot and a chance for a thunderstorm this afternoon. more thunderstorms thursday and friday. >> thanks for joining us for 11 news today. >> we will be back with a live update at 7:25. >> have a great day.