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. >> >> tony pann has a check of today's forecast. >> it is a little better than yesterday. it is not completely clear. upper 40's and low 50's in most spots with a touch of cloud cover. a front is coming through later today. a slight chance for a rain shower. in the mid 50's. >> we have picked up another problem spot at liberty with possible lane closures.

this is southbound at the harrisburg expressway. 60 miles per hour. inner loop west side, 11 minutes. six minutes and 95 southbound in howard county. 895, 17 minutes. yet.elays just sai both loops look fine at baltimore national pike. a little bit of haze. could be some fog leftover but nothing that will affect your visibility. that is the latest on traffic pulse 11. >> this will be a difficult morning as students in newtown return to school since friday's shooting massacre.

>> we get the latest from danielle leigh in newtown. >> each day, long lines bring thousands of tearful mourners to this little town. they are carrying candles, letters, and stuffed animals and laying them at this christmas tree. anything to honor the victims. >> we felt like we needed to do something. >> something to help out. >> students go back to class. but not sandy hook. police have locked down the school while the investigation continues. the district is preparing a middle school in a neighboring town. >> whatever we can do to head that way, we want to do now. >> today marks another round of grief, as families continue to bury their loved ones.

the will be a viewing for the teacher who died shielding her students. >> what does anybody say? it is extremely difficult. >> the shooter had visited multiple gun ranges ahead of the massacre. they say he went with his mother, the legal owner of the guns. police obtained a broken computer found in his home. determine the motive may still be tedious. >> we will do everything it takes to ensure we uncover every bit of evidence. >> so this community comes together and waits for answers. >> that the town comes together like this is amazing. i'm proud to say that i am from here. >> hoping their loss will not be in vain. the school can be ready for sandy hook residents in about a day.

it is not clear when those students will return to class. danielle leigh, wbal-tv 11 news. >> school officials are taking steps to reinforce the safety plans in howard county. sarah sampson has more about the safety questions. >> the tragedy in connecticut has schools across the country are taking a hard look at safety. howard county is no different. ken ulman announced the county will be forming a joint task force. he will address school safety concerns. the group will be looking at the present situation to determine what is being done well and what could be done better. they want to identify students that might need help. or might become a threat to themselves or their classmates. >> most of these reports on these school shootings are mass shootings over the last several years and have some common traits.

and i think one of them is that people say, he was acting a little odd right before the event. it is getting the public comfortable with reporting that. >> the first meeting is set for later this week. they hope to have a report in the next few weeks. police presence at schools is being stepped up. sarah sampson, wbal-tv news. >> thank you. school officials are examining -- are not alone in examining their school procedures. there was a shooting at perry hall high school on the first day of classes. that is a nightmare come to life. >> making sure that we have said every crisis plan and to make sure principals work with us so we can make it safe.

making sure our kids have access to per nasa know that they can talk to -- making sure our kids have access to personnel that they can talk to. to make sure they're sharing those situations. >> our coverage continues online on wbaltv.com. you can recount the timeline of friday's tragic events and see how the tragedy has affected businesses and media. >> a man was shot in a neighborhood east of mondawmin mall. officers responded last night. the victim was seriously wounded. nobel for the man accused of firing shots into a crowd of people at towson.

police say francis kang was intoxicated in towson just after 2:00 a.m. on sunday. he refused an offer by two taxi.to: a ta call him a >> the suspect was knocked to the ground. he fired several shots at the bystanders. one person was struck in the hand. >> police say francis kang legally owns the gun but doesn't have a permit to carry it. >> the assault of an mta bus driver. russell thomas and sabreena clemons were picked up on friday afternoon. they have been taken into

custody on multiple charges. hasnd man's act of kindness cost him his life. police say john scott was helping a driver change a tire in joppa on monday morning when another driver hit scott, who died at the scene. >> it is one of those crashes that investigators are not sure what happened. how did that car hit the disabled vehicle? >> a technician was also injured and is listed in stable condition this morning. >> 50 degrees at the airport. is a new deal in the works in the fiscal cliff negotiations? >> looks like a white christmas is in store for folks in the midwest.

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>> good morning. this is a live look outdoors. 54 degrees downtown. expect those temperatures to fall before we bounce back in the afternoon. i am live at the maryland spca. we have an animal hiding behind me. such a sweet dog. a lot of the dogs are under some kind of stress. that is something you have to work with. you are collecting presents for the pets. >> she is a great girl.

she was scared by the camera. she would make a great addition to a family looking to adopt a pet. ts thathave presen you're hoping to collect. what are you looking for? >> each year we adopt out 3000 pets. we're looking for a toy and donations.nati like durable togys. some y toys.e stuff the toy >> very good.

you are hoping this will help all year long for the animals. we will go back to tony in the weather center. she may be came from a hunting background. nothing like a camera to scare them. >> involved all these lights coming on and it is kind of scary. that is a great program. you can drop off a toy and take home a pet. there's still some patchy fog out there. 49 at the airport. 46 in parkton. a mild start for us. there is a front cutting through the state right now. we will have that stabilizing effect on the temperatures this

morning. mid 50's this afternoon. there is a piece of energy that we're watching it come across ohio and west virginia. some of that could make it into baltimore. a slight chance for a rain shower. big changes coming up by the timely hit the weekend. the jet stream will dip way down south and that will allow arctic air to spill down into the mid atlantic. temperatures will drop into the 30's. breezy and mild today. high temperatures in the mid 50's this afternoon. it will be a nice day tomorrow, 52. thickening clouds on thursday as a cold front approaches. the front will go through on sunday morning. that will usher in the cold air.

the wind chill will be in the 20's. 6:16. >> good morning. one problem spot in the parkton area. we have a crash at liberty road and a possible lane closures. 55 on the west side of the beltway. 55 on the topside of the beltway. southbound 895, 45 miles per hour. no delays there. 83 north of the beltway is looking good. southbound traffic is moving just fine and increasing in volume. 95 in howard county, moving just fine. that is the latest on traffic pulse 11.

>> thank you. more encouraging news on the so- called fiscal cliff negotiations in washington. president obama has made an offer to change the threshold on tax increases. also calls for spending cuts. speaker boehner is expected to brief house republicans later today. daniel inouye died on monday of respiratory complications. he was the longest serving current senator and third in line to the presidency. harry reid made the announcement on the senate floor on monday evening. a storm system is now headed east. flooding and snow for denver and kansas city.

even in mexico is expecting a few inches. the city of chicago is expecting a slight accumulation. >> if you drink diet pepsi, you may notice a bit of a change. they have added a second diet sweetener to the mix. the sweetness change is only intended to help prevent the taste from degrading overtime. are you feeling stressed or scrooge-ish? is that a word? americans list crowding as the biggest haul the pet peeves. that was followed by the how

early holiday displays start. that brings us to our water cooler question of the day. which aspects, if any, of the holiday season can turn you into a grinch? you can share your response at wbaltv.com and on our facebook page, or send us an e-mail to watercooler@wbaltv.com. the easy bake oven campaign pressures hasbro to revamp one of their best selling toys. jane king has the bloomberg business report. good morning it to you. >> good morning. home buyers are more confident these days. 5% of respondents said they are concerned with the possible changes the cliff could make to possible mortgage deductions. if you travel out of bwi, here

is something to think about. airlines generated more than $1.5 billion in passenger fees. this includes feeds from checking extra bags to changing reservations. delta raked in the most. there was some progress on the fiscal cliff talks. we are looking at a higher start for things. the easy bake oven has come night long way. there was a campaign to make an oven that appeals to all kids. she has support from celebrity chefs. hasbro will create a gender neutral of thoven. at the new york stock exchange, i'm jane king, bloomberg news, for wbal-tv 11 news. back to you. >> 6:20.

48 degrees at the airport. looking for the bright side of the ravens. >> here is a look at last night's winning maryland lottery numbers. hope you have them.

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

>> good morning. kim dacey checking on your morning commute. we have one problem spot to talk about in the parkton area. there is a crash at liberty road. the major roadways are checking out ok. five minutes on 95 northbound between the fort mchenry to 895 on the north side. we're looking good all the way around. this is the harrisburg expressway north of the beltway. no delays north or southbound. same story on 95 in howard county. that is the latest on traffic pulse 11. >> good morning. a little better start this morning. there is a touch of fog. 48 at the airport.

high temperatures into the mid 50's. a mixture of sun and clouds. breezy and mild. we will check the seven-day forecast coming up in just a few minutes. stay with us. >> the ravens found out on sunday that they had advanced to the playoffs for a fifth straight year after the steelers lost to the cowboys. all those numbers are great. that is not what fans want to focus on during a three game losing streak. there are massive injury issues and some personnel issues. right now the focus is on getting better as a team. >> there are many things to

improve upon and many things to build on. that is what i'm excited about. we do find a way to get a little bit better. that is the goal right now. >> monday night football last night, the jets and the titans. check out mark sanchez. this is one of four interceptions. and a bad game and a bad season. here's a great play off of left tackle and into the end zone. 14-10 tennessee. the jets catch a break. this sets up terrific field position. a fumble by sanchez.

the jets were eliminated from the postseason for a second consecutive year. the titans win 14-10. >> thank you. 6:27. one republican is doubling down on guns. >> using concern to take control. the deadly school shooting has reignited the gun debate in d.c. >> what one local school district is doing to keep kids safe. safe. >> the spca is hoping

safe. >> the spca is hoping wooohooo....hahaahahaha! oh...there you go. wooohooo....hahaahahaha! i'm gonna stand up to her! no you're not. i know. you know ronny folks who save hundreds of dollars switching to geico sure are happy. how happy are they jimmy? happier than a witch in a broom factory. get happy. get geico. fifteen minutes could save you fifteen percent or more.

>> you're watching wbal-tv 11. live, local, late-breaking. this is 11 news today at 6:00 a.m. >> good morning.

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. >> good morning. a better start this morning than yesterday. thick.g isn't as affe about a 20% chance for a rain shower in the forecast. high temperature near 56. big changes coming up in the seven-day forecast. >> the tragic events in connecticut has reignited the national debate on gun control. >> lawmakers of looking to tackle the issue. hallie jackson joins us live with the latest. good morning. >> good morning. the senate, complex and he ated.

there is no easy solution to prevent something like sandy hook from happening again. but, the white house will try to do something. >> we ask all present to rise and to observe a moment of silence. >> a moment of silence on the house floor, which precedes what may be a vocal debate. >> we believe enough is enough. >> senator dianne feinstein will re- introduce a ban on assault weapons. it was first enacted in 1994 and expired 10 years later. >> politicians are dusting off 20-year-old proposals that did not work. >> a group wonders if tougher laws will help. >> lift the prohibition so that those who want to, those who are able to carry legally in the state, they can. >> the majority of americans believe the shooting at sandy hook was not just an isolated

incident reflects broader -- but broad problems in society. >> we are not doing enough to protect our citizens. >> no single piece of legislation or action will fully address the problem. >> a comprehensive change will need to include a look at mental health care issues, according to the president. >> can you give us more specifics on the ban? >> this would call for 100-plus automatic weapons banned but it would exempt several hunting weapons. it will ban magazines, drums, strips that have more than 10 rounds of ammo.

the president said he would support a ban on assault weapons. >> hi jackson, thank you -- hallie jackson, thank you. rick perry is pushing in the opposite direction. advocated arming schoolteachers on campus. >> if you have been duly background and trained and you are a concealed handgun license caring individual, you should be able to carry your handgun anywhere in the state. >> he called the connecticut shooting event evil but said major gun-control legislation is not the answer. >> school systems are taking a

look at their safety procedures. sarah sampson is live with more on that. >> the goal is to identify with day are doing well and what they can improve. like many parents, renee sends her own children off to school thinking about their safety. >> something needs to be done. i don't know. i'm not sure what measures need to take place. but something needs to be done. >> officials are taking the first steps to figure that out. ken ulman announced the creation of a joint task force, bringing police and health officials together. >> we will look at what we're doing well and what we can do better in the security of buildings and facilities to the broader community issues that we need to approve upon. >> one issue is identifying

students who need help. they might be a threat to themselves or their classmates. that means helping them recognize warning signs. >> getting friends and police officers to recognize and taking the next step, getting them comfortable to report that. >> measures that are bringing some parents some comfort. >> if it hadn't been that quick, i think i would have demanded it. it makes me feel good that everyone is coming together so quickly. >> the first meeting is set for later this week. they hope to have a report in the next few weeks. officials are stepping up police presence at schools. sarah sampson, wbal-tv 11 news. >> thank you. the holidays will be hard for one family after a fire ripped through their home. this video was sent in by a viewer.

the flames shot up through the night sky. it took about an hour to get everything under control. >> now insta-weather plus and traffic pulse 11 together. >> good morning. kim dacey checking on your morning commute. we are problem free for the moment. that is some great news. we're starting to see some slowdowns in the northwest corner near 795. some delays southbound as you come towards the beltway. pretty typical delays for that time of the morning. 80 minutes on the west side down towards 95. -- 18 minutes on the west side down towards 95. we're looking at ok on the rest

of the major roadways. this is the harrisburg expressway. things are moving fine. 95 in howard county, things are picking up in volume. that is the latest on traffic pulse 11. now we go back out to ava marie who is live at the spca this morning. those dogs are so adorable. >> we are now showing a cat that is up for adoption at the maryland spca. there's no place like home for the holidays. you're trying to collect presents for them to keep the pets happy and healthy. you can donate to the maryland spca or maybe taking a pet home for the holidays.

let's get a check of the seven- day forecast. temperatures may be in the 50's today. temperatures will drop down for the morning and then rise this afternoon. more rain thursday into friday. >> thank you. 48 degrees at the airport. a hope for a new start for a new species of turtles. >> it is not too late to show us your holiday decorations. send us a picture of your decorations.

>> the turtle hatchlings were released in bolivia earlier this week. it wants to release 3.8 million turtle's back into the wild. look at all those turtles. overhunting in recent years has threatened their numbers. >> young lovers puckered it up

in a special kissing competition. each man had to kiss his girlfriend while their feet or off the ground. then the men had to carry the girlfriend what kissing her. happy to celebrate the love in front of so many people. that is a different. [laughter] all right. >> 6:42. >> a good time for joe flacco. >> which aspects of the holiday season can turn you into a grainch? >> i think you two could win

that contest. things are pretty quiet right now. we hav

>> welcome back to 11 news today. 6:44. richard engle is safe after being kidnapped in syria. overnight, nbc released the following statement -- he has covered many of the

world's most dangerous places including cairo and the chaos in somalia. a man was shot in the neighborhood east of mondawmin mall. officers responded about 7:45 last night. no details about the gun man. yesterday, public aid was approved for carroll county and montgomery county for the repair of public property and roads. merced county can apply for assistance. is an garrett county still remain denied assistance. -- those in garrett county still

remain denied assistance. >> we know how important pap tests are in the screening for cervical cancer. women should not panic if they have abnormal pap tests. >> sometimes is a yeast infection. of the time it is the human papilloma virus that is causing the abnormal pap. >> it is important to rule out cervical cancer. results can come in in about a week. >> now insta-weather plus and traffic pulse 11 together. >> good morning. kim dacey checking on your morning commute. one problem spot to talk about. a crash in northern baltimore county in the parkton area.

delays forming around the area. 16 miles per hour on the northwest corner of the area near reisterstown road. you can see it brake lights. that is the outer loop at reisterstown. it is backing down in the northeast corner. otherwise, 95 that the for mackenzie toll plaza, -- 95 that the fort mchenry toll plaza looks fine. that is the latest on traffic pulse 11. ava marie is glad that the spca -- is back at the spca. >> you're hoping to get a lot of pets to homes the holidays. >> we have so many homeless dogs and cats in our adoption center.

for folks that are staying local, we're open during the holidays including christmas eve for limited hours. we hope folks can take home a new family member. >> you guys are collecting toys for your animals. >> each year we adopt approximately 3000 pets. is getting full. to filloking to collect the sleigh so we'll have toys throughout the year. we have some of the rawhide -- >> they can work on that for some time some of the durable

balls. the dogs like the stuffed toys. we cannot forget our felines. there are some nice toys. that has been keeping them occupied. >> how can people donate? >> they can come down to our adoption center. we're open 12:00 until 5:00 p.m. for the rest of the week. >> people can find that out on our website. >> for people that would like to donate, they can visit our web site and we have a wish list and make an order off of amazon. >> that makes it convenient.

izzy has been so occupied with the microphone. is happyt think izzy with being on camera. is it a he or her? >> it is a he and he is four months old. >> he is going through is? phase.ofy thank you, ava. 46 in parkton. we have a front going through this morning. 40's in the western suburbs. this front is going through without any activity. there was some pretty thick fog

yesterday. visibility is better than it was yesterday. it drops off into the 40's on the other side of the mountains. that cold air will get locked up on the other side of the mountains. it is waiting for the piece of energy to come through. there could be some sprinkles later this morning. most of you will not see any rain. it will be a pretty decent day. cold air will spell lead from the southern part of canada. today, a mixture of sun and clouds. breezy and mild. high temperatures in the mid 50's this afternoon. nice day tomorrow with

sunshine, 52. an arctic cold front approaches. rain early friday morning. high temperatures in the 40's this weekend and maybe some snow showers and flurries on saturday. >> 6:53.

>> time to get to your answers to our water cooler question of the day. >> this morning we asked, which aspects, if any, of the holiday season can turn you into a grinch?

>> rick keeps the spirit up. we will post more answers on our website, wbaltv.com. >> here are some stories you'll find at 7:00 a.m. on wbal plus. major league baseball takes action to protect pitchers. we will show you what they have in mind. >> those stories and the latest traffic and weather updates. >> what is with the faces/ you're scaring me. >> people taking off because it

is a week until christmas. we have a problem spot in a parkton, a crash to watch for. there are some delays on the northwest corner of the beltway near reisterstown road. you can see the brake lights and that is the outer loop that is backing down. the northwest corner is backed up. 95 at the toll plaza is looking good. >> those temperatures are going to start to dip. >> mid 50's this afternoon. 52 tomorrow. -- 30's the weekend over the weekend. >> thanks for joinin