>> a nice start on the major roads. we have some problems because the roads or wet. >> i was driving to work as said, thank goodness all the temperatures are above freezing. >> we got lucky. most people are starting above freezing. we still have to be cautious.

the temperatures are closing to the freezing mark. 33 in sykesville. 37 at the airport. raods to start the day -- wet roads to start the day. >> wet right now. >> right now volume is on the light side. we have wind warnings at the bay bridge. it is a little extra 20 this morning. 95 checking out ok at o'donnell and down to the fort mchenry toll plaza. this is just approaching the beltway. no problems on the j.f.x. at ruxton road.

95 at the fort mchenry, 55 miles per hour. pretty much the same at the harbor tunnel. we will keep you posted. the roads are wet. >> the maryland live casino whenever have to open its doors again. that is because they were never close. they have expanded hours for the hanover casino. it will remain open 24/7. only maryland live will remain open around-the-clock. the other casinos in maryland are now open nonstop on weekends only. that brings us to our water cooler question of the day. will you be more likely to visit a maryland casino now that some are open 24/7? you can share your response on wbaltv.com, on our facebook

page, or send us an e-mail to watercooler@wbaltv.com. >> still no bail for the 20- year-old accused of killing his infant son. dion ware was indicted on child abuse. city police arrived on 22nd street to find dion ware holding the body of his son, kearri. he said the child was having problems breathing. examiners say the child's injuries were more severe than could be accounted for by just dropping him. >> police were called mayor, street on christmas night when the parents called to report their son had been drinking and smashing windows with a hammer.

edward becker jr. reported commands to put the hammer down. >> he got within arm's length of an officer and raise the harbor. the officer discharged one round, striking him in the upper torso. >> becker later died at a hospital. still no word on a suspect into a shooting in east baltimore. officers found a man who had been shot in the stomach. he had been transported to the hospital. >> yesterday's winter weather was not severe but just enough to wreak havoc. a number of accidents were reported from the western suburbs to the western maryland mountains.

travelers at the airport experienced delays about 1-2 hours. 1500 flights were canceled across the country because of the storm. >> we are happy to be on the ground. we're grateful to be here. >> we get pushed back and it will probably go back to 10:00. >> grocery stores were packed with people. a frightening moments after a tree fell on a home. this happened 7:00 p.m. last night. no one was hurt. jason was playing his xbox when the home show ok. >> i thought it was an

earthquake. >> you can track storms on your iphone and android and see interactive radar wbaltv.com. just click on whetheather. >> there will be a bunch of new laws in maryland. kim dacey has more with what we can expect. >> on tuesday, a dozen new state laws will go into effect. some were highly discussed. others you might not know about. one allows gay couples to marry as of january 1. another new law states baltimore city elections will now be held in the same cycle as the presidential elections. that means current officials will get an extra year in office. for veterans, the department of veterans affairs will be required to give out their status.

another new law will make it easier to protect kids and disabled adults from identity theft.. a parent or guardian can freeze their credit report. advocates say they hope it will protect foster children. they are especially vulnerable. >> we are hoping that the credit bureaus and the department of human resources will be able to get to some data sharing so they can freeze them or stall them as well as help them to get access to their credit report. >> maryland is the first state to pass a law allowing minors the ability to freeze their credit reports. kim dacey, wbal-tv 11 news. >> you can call the double deadline. hoping to get a deal in the next few days to avoid going of the fiscal cliff.

hallie jackson has more. >> the treasury is making moves. otherwise we have the debt limit on monday. that is the last day of fiscal cliff talks. the president departed hawaii to return to washington, where it is not just the temperature that is chillier. talks cooled over the holidays over how to avoid the massive tax hikes. they are set to begin in just a few days. >> taxes are going to go up no matter what. they could go up a lot more, and that is where the political hit comes. >> house republicans point the finger at the other chamber, saying the senate must act on a bill to avoid the fiscal cliff. a spokesman for harry reid some

are blaming the gop for the holdup. no further legislation can move unless republicans drop their knee-jerk obstructionism. if the country falls off the fiscal cliff, it may feel gradual at first, except on wall street. >> the reaction from the financial markets and the stock markets -- you could see something quick. >> a top ceo is hoping to jolt them into action. he wants employees to write " come together" on the coffee cups. >> i am maintaining my optimism that we will see the republicans and administration come together and do what is right for the country. >> starbucks has a message for the players in washington and is taking out an ad in "the washington post" featuring a quote from lincoln. will it work? we will see. hallie jackson, wbal-tv 11 news. >> 6;09.

37 degrees at the airport. >> former president george h.w. bush is transferred to intensive care. we will have an update. >> i giant aquarium suddenly collapses. >> everyone has that fear when they stand by it. it is terrifying. the wind is picking up today. >> this is a live picture of the qtw=!n

>> welcome back to 11 news today. 6:13. 41 degrees downtown. see that spotlight above the city? that is the moon. it is almost a full moon. the roads are wet rather than a sheet of ice. there are a few sprinkles in delaware. york county is seeing some

flurries at this hour. nothing major but a few flurries are possible. a few flurries could show what been garrett county. a lot of problems in upstate new york because of the heavy snow. there could still be some delays in new york, boston and with strong winds. the temperatures are above freezing. the roads are mainly wet. county and thes patuxent river. 33 the wind is picking up out of the northwest. 13 in westminster.

25 miles per hour over at the eastern shore. the temperatures will pretty much hold steady for the day. 45 in ocean city. a coastal flood advisory in effect along the western side of the bay. it could be up above two feet above normal. havre de grace approaches their high tide around 10:00 a.m. partly sunny skies and 40 degrees. a wintry mix is possible again on saturday. the second half of the weekend looks mostly dry. >> we are glad we are not dealing with ice this morning. wind warnings in effect at the bay bridge.

295 in great shape at this hour down towards 100. 55 on the north side of the beltway. this is the key bridge. traffic is flowing pretty well at the moment. like traffic down to the beltway. this is the north side. although the traffic is building just a bit. 55 at the fort mchenry tunnels. that is the latest on traffic pulse 11. >> thank you. george h.w. bush is said to be alert and talking after being moved into the intensive care unit. he has been hospitalized since november 23 with bronchitis and has since developed a fever.

he has been put on a liquid diet. nelson mandela has been released from hospital after almost three weeks. so thatsent home wher doctors can continue to treat him. he was being treated for a lot infection -- for a lung infection and also gallstones. the moment the glass shattered was caught on video. three sharks and some small fish were killed. they have no plans to rebuild the aquarium. >> not so fast numbers on

holiday retail sales. sales were up 0.7% this year. there was economic uncertainty. pizza hut is offering a chance for a gift card. they are giving a $10 gift card to the first 100 people that are tweeting pictures of their least favorite gifts. customers do not have to send their unwanted presents. netflix wants to get friendly with you on facebook. a strike is averted for now involving dockworkers. good morning, ellen.

>> a deadline for workers at our nation's ports. a total of 15 ports. they have agreed to mediation. the bad news is that 3000 dockworkers in the pacific northwest have rejected a contract proposal that management called its final offer. this is something we are continuing to watch. it could impact the overall economy. stock futures are pretty quiet. there was a down day yesterday. also concerns about the fiscal cliff. the president and congress return to d.c. retailers are doing a much

better job of controlling inventory. muchstores don't have so merchandise left over that they need to clear out. netflix will introduce social features next year. a bill that would move restrictions on companies sharing customers rental histories. netflix customers can share which movies they watch an facebook. i'm a ellen braitman from bloomberg news. >> thank you so much. >> 37 degrees at the airport. keith mills will have sports coming up. >> don't forget to e-mail us your response to our water cooler question of the day. will you be more likely to visit a maryland casino now that some are open 24/7?

you can share your response on wbaltv.com, on our facebook page, or send us an e-mail to watercooler@wbaltv.com. >> here is a look at last night's winning maryland lottery numbers.

>> now insta-weather plus and traffic pulse 11 together. >> time to take a look at your

morning commute. we are dealing with what roads -- wet roads. wind warnings are in effect at the bay bridge. 55 miles per hour on 295. 55 miles per hour on the north side. 295, southbound traffic is starting to build. the harrisburg expressway, 55 miles per hour. this is 50 at sandy point. a little delay at the toll plaza. watch for some slow going in general around the area. that is the latest on traffic pulse 11. >> you mentioned that the roads are wet.

the temperatures are above the freezing mark. that means it is not a sheet of ice. be careful. 37 degrees at the airport. 34 in gaithersburg. closer to the freezing mark in westminster. north and west of the city, the potential for some black ice. near 40 degrees today. temperatures will basically hold steady. flurries ending in southern pennsylvania. increasing wind. >> good morning. how many players will play this weekend at how many will not? there is a misconception among the fans that they all will sit.

they will play to win because they live for the competition. john harbaugh will sit some of his starters. there is a playoff berth on the line. >> once you start something, you have to finish it. our goal was to control the division. we did our thing with cleveland and split with pittsburgh. you want to sweep them and you are 2-0. >> ray rice 1 of 6 ravens to play in the pro bowl. we know who and where they will play next year. just not when. against the jets, green bay,

minnesota, and houston. none divisional road games against buffalo, miami, chicago, detroit, and denver. you play houston and new england because you are the afc north winner. it is hard to do year after year because you play a first place schedule. >> thank you. 6:27. much more ahead. >> all eyes are now on the senate. >> the new year will bring

>> 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 am jennifer franciotti. >> thanks for joining us for 11 news today.

ava marie has a quick look at the weather. >> temperatures are starting off above the freezing mark. basically near 40 degrees. 41 downtown. the roads are wet rather than a sheet of ice. the wind is starting to pick up. 16 miles per hour at the airport. watch out for the increasing wind today. >> president obama and lawmakers return to washington today with five days left to avoid the fiscal cliff. >> danielle leigh reports on the scramble to come together fast. >> as president obama leaves hawaii for washington, tension on capitol hill is on high.

>> i don't see how you could handle a large plan involving tax reform in a matter of days. >> serious doubt is setting in. even starbucks is getting involved. john boehner said is sitting this round out. he failed to get enough house republicans to support his own plan just before christmas. >> i think that john boehner is being controlled unfortunately by the right wing. >> that leaves it up to harry reid and the rest of the senate to find a solution. aides say the plan would avoid tax increases and would eliminate some big spending cuts and restore unemployment benefits. >> you are likely to see a two- step process. dealing with the immediate dynamics so you can set up a situation where you can do with the larger situation. >> without a deal, bush-era tax cuts will expire on january 1. congress set up the deadline

hoping it would force a compromise. so for that has backfired. also flying will be brian schatz. he will be replacing daniel inouye and will likely be sworn in later today. danielle leigh, wbal-tv 11 news. >> another day and another standoff. -- we're moving on to another story. police are searching for a suspect in connection with an assault in randallstown. a man has been pistol whipped and was treated at a hospital. a boy remains in critical condition after a car crash. police say the boy was in the front passenger seat that struck a parked tow truck appeared the driver had been drinking and was drowsy. >> january 1 will start the

enforcement of several new laws in maryland. kim dacey is live with more on what you need to know. >> good morning. about a dozen state laws will go into effect next tuesday. we have highlighted just a few. some have been highly publicized but others you might not know about. with any new year comes new opportunities and of course new laws. after a battle, gay couples will be able to say "i do" on january 1. another new law changes the election cycle. they will be held in the same cycle as presidential elections. current officials will get an extra year in office. in the new year, the department of veterans affairs will be required to give veterans something to prove their status. a new law will make it easier to protect kids and disabled adults from identity theft. a patient or guardians can

freeze their credit report. >> we know it will take some time. do they have the right to freeze it? >> i hope it will help foster children. >> we are hoping that the credit bureaus and the department of human resources will be able to get to some data sharing so they can freeze them or stall them as well as help them to get access to their credit report. >> maryland is the first state to allow minors to be able to freeze their credit reports. kim dacey, wbal-tv 11 news. >> now insta-weather plus and traffic pulse 11 together. >> the roads are still wet and we are dealing with some wind. wind warnings in effect at the bay bridge. 55 on southbound 295 down

towards 100. this is 50 in the annapolis region. 83 at 55 miles per hour all the way down to the beltway. 50 at sandy point looking good on the span of the bridge. 57 miles per hour in the white marsh area. that is the latest on traffic pulse 11. >> strong winds will keep the temperatures pretty much steady. 45 in ocean city. 30's in southern pennsylvania. everybody else has clouds with increasing winds. 17 miles per hour in baltimore.

expect wind gusts up to 45 miles per hour. another storm system is moving in on saturday. snow accumulation is still possible. saturday is the day to watch out for travel concerns. >> 6:36. a light show in thailand. we will see the detail of the beautiful patterns. >> we are still taking your answers to our water cooler question of the day. will you be more likely to visit a maryland casino now that some are open 24/7? you can share your response at wbaltv.com and on our facebook page, or send us an e-mail to watercooler@wbaltv.com.

>> and then finds something valuable in the snow -- somebody's wedding ring. was installing chains on a tire when he discovered a rain along the roadside -- he discovered a ring. he wants to find the man that lost it. >> thailand celebrating the new

year with a light show. this is a lantern festival. the theme was colors of the south. thousands of people are expected to visit the display. the exhibit is expected to be open through april 30. >> we can get skyteam 11 to fly over there. we will check your morning commute. this is a live picture at the key bridge. >> temperatures are above freezing. the roads are wet rather than icy. 37 at the airport. the wind gusting

>> welcome back to 11 news today. 6:44. still no bail for the man accused of murdering his infant son. it was november 26 when police arrived to find dion ware on the front steps holding the body of his son, kearri. he told police the child was having problems breathing. medical examiners said the child's injuries were more severe. a confrontation has ended with

fatal consequences. there were reports that edward becker jr. was smashing windows with a hammer. an officer fired a fatal shot. still no word on a suspect this morning into a shooting in east baltimore. officers found a man who had been shot in the stomach. he was transported to the hospital with non-life- threatening injuries. >> now insta-weather plus and traffic pulse 11 together. >> that stake in the can your morning commute -- let's take a look at your morning commute. one accident just past eastern. you may start to see some delays. wind warnings remained in effect at the bay bridge.

29555, miles per hour down towards 100. the west side looks great -- 295, 55 miles per hour down towards 100. 55 on the harrisburg expressway down towards the beltway. 95 from cecil county at the tydings memorial bridge is checking out ok. more of volume southbound in the havre de grace region. 57 on 95 in white marsh. that is the latest on traffic pulse 11. >> the temperatures are starting off mostly above freezing. we can see the storm is pushing out to the east. this is mostly rain along the 95

corridor. we are seeing wet roads. 37 at the airport. 34 in gaithersburg. northern baltimore county, the temperatures are closer to 32 degrees. there could be some black ice because of the melting snow and the rain from last night. 24 mile per hour wind in ocean city. anywhere from 26 at the airport. 33 right now in frederick. 45ese cgusts could be up to miles per hour this afternoon. be careful on the roads today. partly sunny across the state.

light flurries in the mountains, mainly in garrett county. ocean city, 45. the storm system is impacting travel along the northeast coast. parts of new england are still getting pounded by heavy snow. it could change over to snow in boston tonight. things get even more quiet tomorrow. partly sunny with less wind. by saturday, another storm system is coming this way. it could start out as snow and then changeover to rain. 38 to the high temperature on

saturday. maybe another storm moves in it for the holiday. a slight chance for a wintry mix. a lot of people may be making plans for the new year so i would keep that on the back burner. >> new laws will take place in maryland. kim dacey has all the details. >> on tuesday, a dozen new state laws will go into effect. some were highly discussed. others you might not know about. one allows gay couples to marry as of january 1. another new law states baltimore city elections will now be held in the same cycle as the presidential elections. that means current officials will get an extra year in office. for veterans, the department of veterans affairs will be required to give out their

status. another new law will make it easier to protect kids and disabled adults from identity theft. a parent or guardian can freeze their credit report. maryland is the first state to allow minors to do that. kim dacey, wbal-tv 11 news. >> how did the credit bureaus verify the child can freeze their credit reports? >> each credit bureau will have their own process for doing that. >> kim dacey, thank you. >> here is savannah guthrie with a look at what is coming up next on the "today" show. >> good morning. the winter storm that hammered the midwest is now pounding the northeast this morning. thousands of flights have been

canceled or delayed. we will tell you what to expect. the privacy settings on facebook. decaprio opens upio capp about his new movie. the top internet sensations when we get started on a thursday morning. >> that should be fun to watch. 37 degrees at the airport. coming up, we'll look at your answers to our water cooler question of the day. >> 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 water cooler question of the day. >> this morning we asked, will you be more likely to visit a maryland casino now that some are open 24/7? >> we will post more answers on our website, wbaltv.com. >> people were going somewhere

this morning. >> we are dealing with wet roads. we are tracking an accident 95 at o'donnell. another accident near eastern. up to speed and moving well at the key bridge. no problems near any of the area bridges. on to the j.f.x., southbound traffic without delay down towards 28th street. this is 95 and southbound traffic into a harford county looking good down to the fort mchenry and into howard county on 95. 95 in the white marsh area, 57 miles per hour. >> we saw the storm in the

northeast. why did we get all that snow? >> we didn't have enough moisture. problems in the northeast. the wind will be picking up today. highs near 40 degrees into the afternoon. watch out for the strong winds. we do have to watch out for the possibility of saturday a wintry mix. >> how about new year's? >> another wintry mix. these are just possibilities. >> we're off to a quick start to winter. >> thanks for joining us for 11 news today. >> we will be back with a live update at 7:25.

we want to show you a special symphonyugh columbia's of lights. >> have a great day. ["jingle bells" plays]

>> this is a wbal-tv 11 editorial with president and general manager dan joerres. >> we think of our loved ones who are sacrificing their lives for us. for that reason, we share greetings from those in the military to families here in maryland. these will also be available on wbaltv.com. click on editorials. from our family to yours, happy holidays. >> hi. we want to take this opportunity to tell you we love you and with this you. we want to say hi to our family. we love you. we say -- >> merry christmas and happy new year. >> i'm stationed in south korea. to my mom and dad and sister, i miss you and have the holidays.

>> i would like to wish my wife and my daughter and my son happy holidays. i miss you guys and i will see i miss you guys and i will see you soon