what to watch out for in day 13 of the summer games. >> we could see some storms as we head into the weekend. the forecast as we continue. [captioning made possible by constellation energy group] captioned by the national captioning institute --www.ncicap.org-- >> you're watching wbal-tv 11. live, local, late-breaking. this is 11 news today at 6:00 a.m. >> good morning. i'm mindy basara. >> and i'm stan stovall. thanks for joining us for 11 news today. >> we will state dry for the morning commute. a 30% chance that you'll see a thunderstorm this afternoon. take an umbrella just in case. 71 at the airport. the dew points are near 70. the relative humidity is in the 90% range. scattered thunderstorms this afternoon with a high near 91

degrees. we will check the seven-day forecast going all the way into the weekend. >> good morning. a couple of problems on the inner loop of the key bridge. there was an accident and still some delays. the accident is gone. you might want to take the fort mchenry or the harbor tunnel. it sounds like everything is moving well. light street is closed between baltimore and lombard. closures in effect because of the water main repair in the city. a new accident in the glen burnie area. delays may be forming. not a lot in the ways of delays on 95 south down towards the fort mchenry. 11 minutes on the outer loop west side. a nice start with the exception of those problems. here's a quick, live look at traffic. this is broening highway. watch for delays on the inner loop of the key bridge.

all lanes are open. this is 295. southbound traffic is not bad at all. that is the latest on traffic pulse 11. >> maryland lawmakers return to annapolis for the second special session of the year. >> the main issue is expanded gambling. jennifer franciotti is live with a preview. >> at good morning. the governor will be meeting later today with senate democrats to talk about whether to allow table games at area casinos and the building of a new casino in prince george's county. lawmakers will also discuss certain tax breaks that would be extended to casino operators whose business could potentially be impacted by increased competition. the governor says the expanded gaming bill would generate a ton of money for the state, create jobs, and it would make maryland competitive with neighboring states that do have

gambling. >> i do not think it was necessary to be called. obviously, the last special session was unnecessary. >> i just think gambling is the way to get revenue, and as long as they put the money towards education and things like that, then i'm in favor of it. >> under discussion is legislation that will do with recent rulings that will deal with pit bulls. reporting live, jennifer franciotti, wbal-tv 11 news. >> maryland residents can register to vote online. the new on-line registration is now up and running. you need a valid state driver's license or identification card. you can check online to see if your registration has been approved. >> you can go online now and you can see if you are registered to vote. if you have to change

information, you can do that. you can find that we're polling place is early. >> officials say so far about 250 people have registered to vote online. there is a link on our website, wbaltv.com. >> soccer takes center stage today in london. the u.s. women go for a threepeat. >> a boxing start is looking to make history. tracie potts has a look at today's events in london. >> after multiple track and field wins and a gold medal in beach volleyball, the spotlight today is on soccer. the u.s. women's team faces

japan in the final. a rematch of last year's world cup. >> this gives us even more passion. >> also the last half of the men's decathlon. ashton eaten is leading after five events. >> usain bolt is off the trading blocs again. an american is confident he will catch them both. >> in the first round i was a little nervous. >> a 17-year-old is open for a knockout punch to her russian opponent. the women's water polo team is facing spain today in the final. >> we still have one more battle to go. >> diane out lopez hoping to -- dianaer medal

lopez. tracie potts, wbal-tv 11 news. >> preseason football picks up in the states. the ravens will play the falcons in their first preseason game. you can watch tonight in atlanta at on our digital channel. the pregame coverage begins tonight at 7:00 live from the georgia dome. that brings us to our water cooler question of the day. with the ravens' super bowl aspirations and the orioles' surprising season, how excited are you about baltimore sports right now? you can share your response at wbaltv.com and on our facebook page, or send us an e-mail to watercooler@wbaltv.com. >> 6:06. 72 degrees on tv hill. police arrest and indiana man.

>> you might be thinking about what you might want to eat for breakfast this morning. >> an accident to watch for in a glen burnie. and will check for delays around the area. >> ava marie getting ready to show you my final olympic adventure.

>> good morning. this is a view from skycam. you can see the letter of pays. -- haze. i am live this morning as i continue my final olympic adventure. it has been quite a journey. today i will show you how a struggle at the sport of badminton. >> i had my work cut out for me. >> there many different levels to badminton. >> in badminton, racket position is everything. >> you hold it like you're shaking hands.

the grip with the bottom two fingers. but the thumb around so you have a v. >> it was a lot to think about and we have not gone to the dirty yet. >> these are the shuttlecocks. >> the offenders provide more control. it was hard to tell with me at the racquet. they showed me how to hit the birdie over the net. he made every shot and i did not. air ball. >> a whiff. >> that is the ready position. link right above your right shoulder and follow-through. the shoulder along with the wrist. present players commit these

over 240 miles per hour. >> i had a long way to go. >> it takes a while. do not worry. >> when it came time to play, i did do a little better. i made it over the net and even scored some points. have to admit, my teammate most of the work. i was the weakest link. our opponents put up a good fight. in the end, we won the game. good game. wow. i was playing with all children. it is not impossible to play this sport. i think it was amazing how much

technique is to look at how difficult it was to master this sport. 240 miles per hour. >> that is amazing. a good tennis serve is 115 miles per hour. 240 is on reunreal. those 10-year-old were taller than you. >> i was going to try in the studio but all we have our fly swatters. thank you. we'll talk to next half-hour. she is wrapping up her olympic sports coverage with bad edmonton this morning. that is how you say it -- it's minton. ernesto is in the southern part of the gulf of mexico. it is still a tropical storm.

it will come on sure later this afternoon than dissipate and ernesto will be off the map later today. 69 in parkton. it is a warm and muggy star appeared the hemisphere will create a couple of hit and miss thunderstorms later this afternoon. we could see some rain along the lower eastern shore counties. i do believe it will state dry for the morning commute. maybe take an umbrella in case we get a thunderstorm this afternoon. a series of fronts off to the northwest and this has to come through. with the front up there, we could see some strong thunderstorms. severe weather bank is a possibility friday evening. i don't expect any severe weather today. a mixture of sun and clouds. high temperature between 88 and

93 degrees. watch for lightning to if you take the boat out today. a southeast wind about 10 knots. we take the chance for rain up to 60% tomorrow. some of the storms could be strong. high temperature near 90. a couple of leftover showers on saturday. it will turn cooler and less humid with high temperatures in the mid 80's and overnight lows in the 60's. 6:15. >> good morning. we start in glen bernie. we are tracking a motorcycle accident. there could be some closures. things have thinned out on the key bridge. everything is clear. if you're heading out in cockeysville, watch for a downed tree. everything moving well on the harrisburg expressway.

five minutes to go south on 95 from a split down to the fort mchenry. 10 minutes to go south on 95 from the beltway to 32. here's a quick, live look at traffic. this is southbound traffic. still very light down to the beltway. 795 a little bit heavier. building closer to the beltway. that is the latest on traffic pulse 11. >> thank you. a man accused of one of the worst mass murders will be back in colorado today. james holmes is accused of opening fire in a crowded movie theater, killing 12 people. today attorneys are arguing about the release of information in the case. police arrest a man and accuse him of using a home day care center to deal drugs. he lived at this home and his

girl's mother runs a day care center out of the home. the owner of home said he has nothing to do with her business. penn state university will unveil their new football uniforms this morning. the program is making slight changes to its iconic jerseys which are synonymous with the joker turner era. blue ribbons will be worn on the front to bring awareness to victims of child abuse. first preseason game will be tonight. beer production is at an all- time high. for bigger appetite hit a new high last year with nearly 51 billion gallons produced. there production has increased.

china is the world's largest producer. you could get some breakfast at mcdonald's. they are testing breakfast after midnight. mcdonald's is testing the idea in ohio in restaurants that are open 24 hours. walmart is offering the best back-to-school deals. jane king has the bloomberg business report. >> good morning. college debt hitting the upper middle income families in a big way. households of incomes between $95,000 and $250,000 had the biggest increase. some are bypassing top-rated universities. walmart has reclaimed the crown

when it comes to smart shopping. wal-mart's prices were lower than target when buying identical items at both stores. walmart also be staples and kmart. the first day of school approaches. wells fargo controls 33% of the market. that is raising some red flags. they're looking at whether there is growing risk to bar was and tax payers. a mixed close for stocks yesterday. the dow was up for a fourth straight session. the bloomberg maryland index was down a touch on losses for jos. a. bank. at the new york stock exchange, i'm jane king, bloomberg news, for wbal-tv 11 news. >> 6:20.

72 degrees on tv hill. the ravens' first preseason game is set for tonight in atlanta at. >> keith mills has more in sports. here is a look at last night's winning maryland lottery numbers. [ mom ] dear chex cereal,

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>> now insta-weather plus and traffic pulse 11 together. >> good morning. sarah caldwell checking on your morning commute. a few problems. an accident involving a

motorcycle inin glen bernie. we have a downed tree and lane closures in cockeysville. you'll find some delays. 60 on the north side traveling near dulaney valley. the promise on the west side at 795. here's a quick, live look at traffic. an update at greenspring is in a live traffic. very light towards the j.f.x. on to the j.f.x., this is northern parkway. problem free collegetown towards 28th street -- problem free all the way down towards 28th street. >> a mixture of sun and clouds. 30% chance for a shower or thunderstorm. high temperature between 88 and

93 degrees. we will check the seven-day forecast going all the way into the weekend. here is keith mills. >> thank you. good morning. the orioles keep on rolling. they sleep the mariners. they take aim at the kansas city royals. what a night for steve johnson. 10 years ago, he took the mound at camden yards and won the high school championship. his first major-league win last night. he got plenty of help. mark reynolds, opposite field home run. what a bonus. nick markakis is smoking high. number 12 for nick. matt wieters drove in five runs.

a double right here. 9-2, the orioles win. still tied for the wild card. manny muchado brought up. on to the ravens in atlanta this morning. they play their first preseason game tonight against the falcons. sergio kindle has been cleared to play. the topic in the 2010 draft. terrell suggs is out. john harbaugh looking for a pass rusher. time will tell if sergio kindle can handle it. >> he would give laissez-passer rise. he is playing very well. >> he is playing very well. game time at 7:35 tonight.

>> team usa climbs back into the top spot. china drops to second but still leaves the gold medal count. great britain is in fourth with 48 overall medals. 48 overall medals.

>> you're watching wbal-tv 11. live, local, late-breaking. this is 11 news today at 6:00 a.m. >> 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. >> tony pann has a check of today's forecast. kind of steamy out there . >> there could be some scattered thunderstorms later this afternoon. you might want to take an umbrella just in case. high temperature around 91.

we will check the seven-day forecast coming up in just a few minutes >> thank you. the second special session of the year begins later this morning in annapolis. >> the main focus will be expanded gambling. jennifer franciotti has a preview. >> good morning. this is a special session that governor o'malley pushed hard for. approving expanded gambling is far from a done deal. right now the state's casino's only have slot machines and electronic games. the governor's expanded gaming bill would allow table games to be played at casinos across the state. state lawmakers will consider other aspects of the governor's bill which includes whether or not prince george's county will have a new casino by 2016 and whether tax breaks would be extended to casino operators whose business could potentially be impacted by increased competition. as lawmakers get ready for this

special session, ome are -- some are questioning its merits. >> in the end, what we have is taxpayers that have been swindled in the name of more money for education. but that is what the last tax increase was supposed to go for. >> the governor says the expanded gaming bill would generate a lot of money for the state, create jobs, and it would make maryland competitive with neighboring states that do have gambling. lawmakers have expressed their disdain for the bill and the fact that a special session is being called in the first place. it appears voters are torn on the issue. >> if it ends up on the ballot in november, how would you vote? >> i would vote no. >> why is that? >> i'm not a big believer in gambling. i don't believe in it. >> i just think gambling is a way to get revenue. as long as they put the money towards education and things like that, then i'm in favor of it. >> also on the agenda is

legislation that would deal with several court rulings that would deal with pitbulls. roll animal rights groups will be in annapolis today for a rolley. >> to see what is at stake at this special session, you can see the governor's gaming bill on our website. >> some are upset because the sparrows mill plant was put up for bid lower than what they expected. they had hoped that two steel companies would enter a bid. the the sale must be approved before it is finalized. >> now insta-weather plus and traffic pulse 11 together. >> good morning. sarah caldwell checking on your morning commute. a new accident on southbound 95

as you make your way out of the white marsh area, just past the beltway. it is starting to clogged traffic in that area. in glen bernie, we haven't accident at furnace branch road and point pleasant road and it does involve a motorcycle. no problems to report on the west side. increased volume at baltimore national pike. a down treat to watch for in a cockeysville. the harrisburg expressway looks good all the way down to the beltway. this is a live view of the accident scene. folks are able to exit at the beltway. it is not blocking any lanes of travel. here's a quick, live look at traffic. this is the j.f.x. at northern parkway. new reports from the beltway down into town. that is the latest on traffic pulse 11. ava marie joins us live as he

tries batmadminton. good job. >> i was horrible at it. it was a lot of fun. the keys to an appreciation. i visited the regional recreation center where learned the ins and outs of the game and all about the history of the game because it is a unique sport. it is made from goose feathers. a lot of technique goes into this and you need to know how to position the racket and to hit the different moves that you need to do. we'll talk more when we come back. temperatures are near 90 degrees today. there's a chance for thunderstorms. this is more of the pop up variety. thunderstorms become much more

likely tomorrow and they could be on the strong side. we cooldown this weekend. mid 80's into sunday. it will feel cooler and drier once the storm system passes through. >> practice makes perfect. thank you. 6:34. 72 degrees on tv hill. when you go on vacation it is usually to get away from mit all. >> one family might have encouraged this kid to keep up texting. >> we are still taking your answers to our water cooler question of the day. with the ravens' super bowl aspirations and the orioles' surprising season, how excited are you about baltimore sports right now? you can share your response at wbaltv.com and on our facebook page, or send us an e-mail to watercooler@wbaltv.com.

>> live, local, late-breaking. you're watching wbal-tv 11 news today with stan stovall and mindy basara, double-team insta-weather plus with tony pann and ava marie, and sarah caldwell with traffic pulse 11. wbal-tv 11 news today continues in a moment. in a moment.

better schools. that's what a world-class resort casino at national harbor would mean for maryland. but it won't happen if the special interests get their way. with thousands of local jobs and millions for maryland's schools on the line. we need to fight back. call your lawmakers and tell them to put national harbor on the ballot this november. because it's not up to the special interests, it's up to you. >> if you stay in a hotel, you

probably would not want to see a bear going through your lobby. this is what happened in a mexico hotel. a bear was going to the lobby of the hallway. signing here."he he checked out before police arrived. >> i'm sure you have seen teenagers texting. this 70-year-old won -- this 17- -old won the texting tournament. he won $50,000. >> what? look of that period ended be

check. and a big check. 6:38. >> there is a creature in london that has ever by asking what are they? meet the olympic mascot. 95.there is an accident on a 9 >> that would take me an hour and half for texting. we do have some thunderstorms to talk about this week. we'll talk to ava in just a few minutes. 71 degrees at the airport.

>> now insta-weather plus and traffic pulse 11 together. >> good morning. sarah caldwell checking on your morning commute. tracking a few accidents. we start on 95 in the southbound direction. it is off to the shoulder. we have an accident in glen burnie at furnace branch road and point pleasant road. 62 on the north side. moving well on the west side, 40 miles per hour just past 70. we have some closures in cockeysville because of a downed tree. 795 is moved down towards the west side. here's a quick, live look at traffic. 95 at the beltway and you can see one vehicle remaining. we switch over to 83 at northern

parkway. southbound traffic up to speed on the j.f.x. into town. that is the latest on traffic pulse 11. ava marie has been such a great sport. you are doing a fantastic job. >> good morning. it has been a lot of fun. my latest adventure took me to the sport of badminton or learned the purpose of the shuttlecock. >> it is a tricky sport. you have to get the name right. >> people tend to say the word wrong. >> how do you pronounce the word? >> badminton. b-a-d-m-i-n-t-o-n. >> playing the game was even harder. >> it is easy to pick up but hard to master. >> part of the difficulty comes from the shape of the shuttlecock, also known as a birdie. most sports have a round ball.

>> this originated from a game in india. there was a rubber ball that the fedathers into it. i >> from there, the game was brought into england, where it was played with rackets at a place called badminton. and the rest is history. the shape of the fedather helps it to land. you have to wait for it to turnover. >> are you going to the u.s. the differential equations that goes along with that? the park and the trajectory -- the arc? >> maybe i was overthinking it. >> i posted what you said

online. people were saying the 'min" was silent. >> originally it was supposed to be pronounced with that in. >> thank you. you did very well playing badminton. i will say it like that from now on. againtalk with a live -- we will talk with ava again at 7:00 a.m. on the digital channel. ernesto is getting a little bit stronger. it will come on shore in southern mexico later today. then it will be off the map by the seating. 71 at the airport. you'll notice the difference in the humidity. the hemisphere is trying to use the humidity to create some scattered showers and

thunderstorms. a shower northwest of hagerstown. i think will state dry in baltimore this morning. take an umbrella just in case. there is a series of cold fronts off to the northwest. this will come through on friday evening. we could see a line of strong thunderstorms. that will get rid of the humidity over the weekend. it will feel much better on saturday and sunday. a mixture of sun and clouds. 30% chance for a thunderstorm this afternoon. the chance for rain goes up to 60% tomorrow. some storms friday evening could be strong. a few leftover showers on saturday. it may benight, dry enough for you to open the windows and turn the air

conditioning off. that would be a rare treat for this time of year. >> time for this morning's olympic performance you can count on. misty may-treanor and kerri walsh jennings win their third straight gold medal. they'll lost one out of a possible 33 sets. misty may-treanor will be retiring. >> you're guaranteed to find interesting mascots. >> london is no exception. people are asking about the mascots. >> i understand these characters are the talk of the town. >> some people are left scratching their heads.

>> it is creepy-looking. >> they are certainly eye- catching. >> what do you think of the eye? they are all over london. >> i think it is weird. >> they are a hit with kids. >> i know he has more followers than me on twitter. >> michael phelps does not know what to think. >> i'm not sure what they represented. >> the top of their heads represent the london taxicabs. >> one has on a cycling helmet. >> you see them all over the

place. >> you never know where or when you run into the olympic mascot spirit look at this video. an olympic press conference and everybody is trying to be serious. all a sudden, they pop into the scene, high-fiving reporters, creating chaos. i had my picture taken with one. i told him and he was excited. >> you have to get that photo op in. thank you. >> here is savannah guthrie with a look at what is coming up next on the "today" show. >> good morning. a thrilling night in women's beach volleyball. misty may-treanor and kerri

walsh jennings and in a third straight gold medal. they will be here live along with jenn kessy and april ross. team usa dominates that on the tracks. we'll talk with allison felix. an inspirational story from back home. an athlete who was badly injured when she walked into a plane propeller. that is when we get started on a thursday morning. >> 6;50. 72 degrees on tv hill. coming up, we'll look at your answers to our water cooler question of the day.

>> the water cooler is all about sports this morning. with the ravens' super bowl aspirations and the orioles' surprising season, how excited are you about baltimore sports right now? > >> i guess she is from boston.

>> how generous of her. i think i'm supposed to sing this. >> go, mindy. >> we will post all answers on our website. i cannot carry a tune. >> a few problems. furness branch and point pleasant, watch for the accident wrapping up. the ramp to 175. we have some delays out of the northeast leftover from an earlier accident.

here's a quick, live look at traffic. this is 95 at the beltway northeast. this is the west side. a nice start down towards 70. >> accepted ideal weather for playing outdoors badminton. [laughter] >> you should be saying that with respect. it will be warm and humid. scattered thunderstorms are possible. 30% today. 60% tomorrow. maybe some severe weather but the weekend is looking ok. >> which is more awkward to say, badminton or special session? [laughter] >> they are having an extra meeting. >> 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. >> you'll find more local news as well as up-to-date traffic

and weather information. you can find it all on comcast channel 208, verizon fios 460, and 11-2. >> thank you for joining us for the special session. >> we will be back with a live update at >> this is a wbal-tv 11 editorial from president and general manager dan joerres. >> in the most hotly contested bidding process in the history of the international olympic committee, the baltimore- washington region lost its bid for the 2012 olympics. however, the dream remains alive, especially for dan knise, the ceo of the 2012 coalition, who appears to be up for the task again. knise is now setting his sights on the 2024 games, and testing

the waters to determine whether the civic and financial support is as optimistic as he is. with the belief that the region still has what made it attractive in the previous bid, including the largest sports infrastructure in a 40-mile radius, some supporters believe a bid is possible. baltimore mayor stephanie rawlings-blake said she sees the olympic games as a phenomenal opportunity to showcase the region. the dollar signs are big on both sides. a 2000 study projected it would cost $2 billion to build and run the games, but it would return more than $5 billion and create about $70,000 between concept -- 70,000 jobs between concept and the games. the united states olympic committee has indicated they are willing to bid again, despite losing to london for the 2012 games. the 2016 games are scheduled for brazil, and the finalists are already decided for the 2020 games. in 2017, the ioc will next choose the host city for the 2024 games. the bidding process is a marathon that starts with a five-year proposal period, and it concludes with a seven-year building period that includes preparation time for the host city. the decision to bid will be made locally over the next year.

the exposure the olympics would bring to baltimore and washington would be a win-win for both cities and the entire region. hmm, it says here that cheerios helps lower cholesterol as part of a heart healthy diet. that's true. ...but you still have to go to the gym. ♪ the one and only, cheerios

better schools. that's what a world-class resort casino at national harbor would mean for maryland. but it won't happen if the special interests get their way. with thousands of local jobs and millions for maryland's schools on the line. we need to fight back. call your lawmakers and tell them to put national harbor on the ballot this november. because it's not up to the special interests, it's up to you.