minutes. but it was long enough to tell the jury the high opinion he has for his former campaign manager and good friend. >> i'm not pleased to be here. but it's the right thing to be here. >> reporter: former governor bob ehrlich, the last in a parade of character witnesses, cawed to testify on be-- called to testify on behalf of his 2010 campaign manager, paul suric, a man he called a good guy, someone he trusted with all of his important decisions. suric, facing charges that he and campaign consultant julius henson, intended to suppress voter turnout with the 2010 robocalls that suggested they didn't need to go vote because democrats had already won at the polls. >> i hired him. i represented a majority democratic district. and we formed an employer- employee relation at the time.

>> the first character witness called by the defense, ehrlich's lieutenant governor, michael steele, who called suric an honest man, of high integrity, a straight shooter. they also heard from former governor marvin mandell. >> straightforward. honest, never had a problem under any circumstances. >> reporter: the day for paul suric, started with a minor victory early this morning. the judge decided to throw out one of the criminal charges against suric, the obstruction of justice charge. the judge said in this case, the prosecution did not present enough evidence to prove the obstruction of justice. derek valcourt, wjz eyewitness news. >> derek, thank you. campaign consultant julius henson goes on trial for similar charges in february. gunshots fired at the pentagon and other military targets. and now, a judge orders an exmarine with ties to baltimore to remain behind bars. weijia jiang is live in the newsroom with the latest on this high-profile case.

>> reporter: prosecutors say jonathan milacku is a high flight risk and a danger. he is accused of a string of military targets in and around washington, d.c., including the pentagon and the marine corps museum. he was arrested in june, when he was spotted in the arlington national cemetery. police say his backpack had 20 pounds of potentially explosive material and notes about jihad and osama bin laden. denise? >> all right. thank you, weijia. he was once assigned to a marine unit based here in baltimore. only man suspected in the disappearance of a maryland man and a woman in aruba, finally talks about the day she vanished. mike hellgren has more on what gary giordano has. >> there were reports they were drinking heavily when she disappeared. he now claims they were not drunk at the time. and he says she may have been captured by a human trafficking ring. >> reporter: in his first

interview after being released from an aruban jail, gary giordano refused to answer questions about how robyn gardner disappeared. the two were on vacation when she vanished. >> i'm not going to sit her and answer something i've answered repeatedly. >> what does he think happened? he thinks it is likely she was a victim of human trafficking. >> wherever you were, it takes half hour to venezuela. >> they want to know if you had anything to do -- >> absolutely not. >> reporter: and he bought travel insurance on both of them. in short, for his kids. >> if i go traveling and i disappear, i want to be covered. i can't unselect robyn. >> giordano also spoke about his reportedly suspicious behavior after robyn vanished, including whether before his arrest, he tried to flee the airport. he said robyn's mom told him it was okay to go home, but he

didn't get far. >> the head detective said, we're arresting you for the murder of robyn gardner. >> robyn's family is devastated. her brother wrote this on facebook. i feel depressed and angry. the nightmare is waking up to another day and facing reality. i miss you, i need you, i love you, please come home. >> reporter: when giordano was asked what he would have done differently, he said he would have never gone to aruba in the first place. reporting live, mike hellgren, wjz eyewitness news. vic? >> mike, thank you. giordano's lawyer says his client will go back to aruba if he is needed in the investigation. and he will not run from authorities. a former maryland man kidnapped. and tonight, al qaeda says they have him. he was ashuct -- abducted by armed men. in a just-released video, al qaeda leader ayman al-zawahiri says he will be released.

feen stein is from -- feinstein is from howard county. but spent the last five years living and working in pakistan. campaign to get another maryland man set free moves in another direction tonight. mary joins us with the latest on this ongoing international drama. >> allen gross has been behind bars for two years in cuba. his family says on and off talks have failed. so they are appealing with their hearts. >> reporter: saturday marks the second anniversary of the arrest and imprisonment of allen gross in a prison. as the anniversary approaches, his family is increasing pressure on the castro family to reunite them. >> and i know allen must be suffering more than i am. >> reporter: allen gross's 89- year-old mother makes an appeal to raul castro. she has terminal lung cancer ask is afraid she will die before he is released. >> i get up in the morning, first thing on my mind is allen. last thing when i go to bed is

allen. i can't be without him any longer. it's not fair for him or his family or me. >> reporter: gross is serving a 15-year sentence in cuba, accused of smuggling illegal communications equipment in the country. gross claims he was only trying to help what zanna -- havana's jewish community to connect to the internet. dr. michael kinman says his health is worsening. gross has already lost more than 100 pounds. the photo shows his changed appearance. >> we have concerns for his health. but he's in good spirits. and we had a good conversation. >> reporter: his family maintains gross entered cuba in 2009 with government customs approval, to bring cell phones and laptops with him. >> thank you, mary. and maryland senator barbara mikulski just released a statement, saying if cuba wants to improve relations with the united states are they need to release allen gross now. clear but cold night.

perfect night for lighting of the washington monument. you can see, hundreds of people are gathering in mount vernon for the big event. let's check in with bob now to see what the conditions will be like, if you're planning to head out to the lighting. >> perfect night. snow rain, no snow. hardly a drop of wind now. take a look at the current temperatures. they have dropped down to 42 degrees. if you're heading out, definitely take a winter coat, gloves, scarf. whatever. now, if you thought november was warm, take a look at the temperatures that we came in for this warm november. our normal high would be 56.4. this month, it was 62. our normal low would have been 36.5. it came in at 39. that means for the month, we were four full degrees above normal. rainfall, shows slightly below normal. looks like we're starting december on a nice, dry normal note. denise? >> nice to be normal. let's head to mount vernon right now, where jessica

kartalija is among the people for the lighting ceremony. what's the mood like? >> it's so great out here. this is one of my favorite stories to cover. it is the unofficial, official kickoff to the holiday season, here in charm city. and we have been out here when it has been so cold and we have been chilled to the bone. not the case tonight. it is absolutely beautiful. the festivities are already under way. they started singing and dancing at 5:30. you still have some time to get down here. because the fireworks start at 7:45, or, of course, you can watch them from the comfort of your own couch. here it -- here is what it looked like earlier today. >> the stage is set for the 40th annual lighting of the washington monument. >> this started out with just a few local neighbors holding hands around the monument with candles candles and candles and eggnog and singing carols. and it's become a regional event.

>> we have christmas classics from all the way back to the 40s. all the way up to modern twists with techno-style music. >> reporter: with perfect weather and an even longer fireworks display, it's setting up to be a monumental occasion. >> it's the kind of thing where, people and families, rich or poor, old or young, everyone comes here. and everyone feels part of the community. >> stan, have you been real busy lately? >> actually, we have. and we were able to get a break from the elves. that's why we were able to talk to the people. see how they were doing. >> we have pastries. wheat, cream puffs, cookies, brownies. >> it's really great holiday feeling. >> reporter: and there is no better place to be if you can find a parking spot. now, just to remind everyone, mount vernon is completely closed to traffic tonight. if you are going to head down here tonight, you need to find

a spot a few blocks away and head over. as i was saying, it is an absolutely gorgeous night. fireworks again at quarter to 8:00. you can come down here get some hot coco, soup, bundle up and listen to live music. >> and if you see santa again, ask him if you got my list. >> he said he did, denise. but he said he was trying to determine which list you were on. >> you mean like naughty or nice? >> tell him i'm always on the nice list. >> i will. i will. >> thank you, jessica kartalija. >> one thing to tell him. and another thing for him to say well, yeah. >> that's right. you don't tell santa anything. that's true. >> i've tried. trust me. still to come tonight on wjz eyewitness news. drug tunnel discovery you have to see to believe. the elaborate secret passage being used to smuggle drugs into the united states. can we get a facelift? and why it's not just the baseball comubilities looking forward to an update next.

i'm alex demetrick. coming up, modern weapons celebrate a war fought 200 years ago. that story as eyewitness news continues. and a clear start to december. stick around for the updated first warning forecast coming up. ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

a major facelift in the work for camden yards. nearly $2 million is being spent for improvement in the ballpark. >> reporter: it's not just a baseball community.

ready to embrace renovation. many nearby business owners say an update will boost their bottom line. >> reporter: even on a sunny december day, there's no baseball or players to see at oriole park. but die-hard made a road trip to new jersey. just to visit camden yards. doesn't have much company during the off season. but soon, she might. the maryland stadium plans to turn the street-level picnic area into a park, featuring new concessions, a rooftop viewing area, and retail space. >> if they're going to be down here, travel, or going to d.c., hopefully, the local people will come in and enjoy it, too. >> the way it is, it's the way it has always been. and like to make changes sometimes, not good. but then again, if it's going to bring more to the stadium, you know, it would be well worth it. >> reporter: the $1.8 million project aims to make the park a year-round destination. neighboring business owners hope that means a financial

boost for them. >> joining more people for the area. and if there were, definitely bring more bodies, more to the city. >> the cluster of downtown hotels stands to benefit, too. >> having additional venue, where people can enjoy, close to the center, close to light rail, and being part of camden yards, i think, is a great part of our identity. >> reporter: perhaps a new identity. just in time for the 20th season next spring. >> reporter: the project is not a done deal yet. next week, the city's board of public works will vote on the contract. reporting live at camden yards, weijia jiang, wjz eyewitness news remember. >> and developers plan to unveil more specifics of the new park next week. bringing more bang to the bicentennial. the navy has now committed to the war of 1812. alex demetrick reports, that expands the draw of events on the water to the skies over baltimore. even when it's just one of the blue angels, excitement on

the ground. >> i think it will be tremendous. >> i want to see them come in. >> reporter: the navy fighter that dropped into martin state airport was on a promotional mission today. next summer, the entire group will be coming. >> i can't tell you how pleased we are that the navy's premiere flight demonstration team will be part of the star-spangled 200 air show. >> the navy has already committed ships to the 200th an anniversary of the war of 1812. and the largest collection of tall ships since the nation's bicentennial will be coming to baltimore. its weaponry, unimaginable in that fight. but they could have come in handy. >> well, i don't want to think back going back and changing history at all. but you know, we're thankful to have them today in service to our nation. >> reporter: between fighter jets and tall ships, the bicentennial is expected to draw big crowds and their money. >> well, we'll take their money. we appreciate all of that. but for all of the residents if they want to just look up in the sky and see the planes,

that's a good thing. >> reporter: and it's always something to see, although the pilots say, it really just showcases training. >> and there are neither stunts nor daring feats. this will be the first time in the baltimore area. especially with such a unique setting as right on the waterfront of fort mchenry. we can't ask for a better venue. it's going to be spectacular. >> no question about it. alex demetrick, wjz eyewitness news. >> i can do that. blue angels display over fort mchenry, except next june. will coincide with an airport at martin state airport. >> well. >> let's hope it's nice and sunny and not too hot. >> or cloudy and rainy. let's take a look. a beautiful day to start this one. just clear. not a cloud anywhere. down to 42 now. humidity at 62%. very light winds on the barometer. way back up. looking at a nice, sunny friday and a great weekend after this. and you're looking live at the national tree lighting. in washington. ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

hello again, everyone. jessica kartalija, live in mount vernon. i am listening to a beautiful version of crafts for christmas. it is so nice out here if you're going to head on down. so will the weather cooperate for the fireworks show that is about to start in about an hour

and a half? here's bob with the details. bob? >> thank you. well, it's a perfect night, really. not wet out there. it's normally seasonally cool for this time of year. but nice and dry. and no wind right now. take a look at temperatures around the area. it has dropped about 5 or 6 degrees. we're down to 42 now. the cold spot, oakland there. ocean city airport there away from the ocean at 39 degrees. warm spot, still over in washington, at 48 locally. temperatures dropping now. back in the low to mid-40s. still close to 50 in kent island. and annapolis by the way. bay. today's high, get up to 53. so far, the low, 37. now, our average high is 50 now. average low is 32. today, we'll get slightly below that. and the records, 2006. 75 degrees. but in 1967, whoa. 12 degrees above zero on this date. right now, the winds are very,

very light. so we're not dealing with the wind chill or anything like that. a slight west wind chill. most places tonight will be dead calm. and with clear skies and no wind to speak of, temperatures will be dropping back into the upper 20s to low 30s. now, it's already in the low 30s with snow across wisconsin, michigan area. a little minnesota, and further south and west. colorado, denver, which was sleeping in the 60s today at 21. with 4 to 6 inches of snow. and that snow extends into southern portions of utah. l.a. now, with the winds, 20, 30, 40 miles an hour. right now, they're around 61 degrees. north of that area, this is where the cold air is. temporarily, we're still in this very pleasant, normal kind of air mass. no super cold air headed our way. there's a weak cold front headed north. that will cross the region with maybe a cloud or two tomorrow night. saturday, a little cooler. and by the end of the weekend, this comes close. and southwest winds, with more mild air for the entire east coast once again. and it stays dry.

on the bay tomorrow, i a northwest wind at 5 to 10 knots. bay temp, stuck at around 50 degrees. tonight, clear. it will be cold. with light winds. a lot of frost in the morning. 28 degrees. maybe 33 downtown. tomorrow, lots of sunshine, really. just like today. except tomorrow evening. some of those clouds come over that weak front. a high of 54. we're talking above average once again. then it drops just a little bit on saturday and warms up again on sunday and it will stay dry all weekend long. so this is another beautiful weekend headed our way. >> okay. >> several in a row now. >> thank goodness. >> nice start for december. thank you, bob. in the three decades since the hiv and a.i.d.s. epidemic began in in america, baltimore has seen their rates climb to among the worst in the nation. today, on world a.i.d.s. day, mike schuh reports from coppin state with one large group trying to make a big difference. ♪ [ music ] >> reporter: at coppin state, the louder, the better. the drum beat for a.i.d.s.

awareness is heard loud and clear. seen in vivid red on a green canvas. >> i'm here to celebrate. >> and to stand together to raise awareness to try to form the world's largest living red ribbon in a city with the fifth worst new infection rate in the country. >> nobody -- it is totally preventable. >> reporter: the red ribbon, as you may remember, is the first of many ribbons for a cause. and now, these awareness raisers, hope that renewed focus on the red ribbon, will translate into action. >> it matters because every life matters. >> the urgency around it, has kind of dissipated a little bit. i think it's important that we keep the awareness and the importance of it, particularly in this community that is so disproportionately impacted, alive. >> the current record is 3,000. they're attempting to get 4100 out here. they're just a little short. but they say it doesn't really matter.

>> a thousand people, though, are enough, as seen from chopper 13 to make an outline from the red ribbon that dominated the football field at coppin. >> that we were able to raise awareness. the fact that you're here, covering it, gets the word out and reminds people that it's something that you know, they should do and should know their status on. >> reporter: at coppin state, mike schuh, wjz eyewitness news. back to you on tv hill. >> and that ribbon was organized by three groups that help with food, housing and healthcare for those with a.i.d.s. in our region. >> still to come tonight on wjz's eyewitness news. operation dancing bride. federal agents raid an underground immigration ring that stretches from the u.s. to russia. sex abuse scandal. the man at the heart of an investigation speaks out on the charges against jerry sandusky. and wild weather. and it is far from over. ,,,,,,,

we're about a minute or so away from 6:30. it's 42 degrees and clear. perfect head downtown to the washington lighting ceremony. good evening, everyone. thanks for staying with wjz. here are some of the stories people are talking about tonight. blown away. some of the worst santa ana winds in years are blasting

parts of california, toppling trees and downing power lines. in fact, as bigad shaban reports for wjz, pasadena has declared a state of emergency and closed schools. >> reporter: powerful winds pushed around this trailer with ease. gusts of up to 100 miles per hour in utah also knocked over more than a dozen tractor- trailers on i-15 ask shut down the highway for hours. the worst santa ana winds in years have led to warnings and advisories in six western states. schools are shut down in many communities. and hundreds of thousands are without power. this southern california gas station was mangled, after hurricane strength winds toppled a nearby tree. >> looking at it now, what goes through your head. >> thank god nobody got hurt. >> reporter: roger ferodge opens the business and estimates his damage will top $200,000. >> for us and everybody else in the holiday season, of course, it will be closed and we'll lose a lot of revenue. >> reporter: the base of the

tree here really tells the story of the strength. it tears the tree in two. >> reporter: courtney ramirez and her family woke up to down trees, all over their southern california neighborhood. >> it was insane. and it was really very frightening. we haven't had winds like this ever that i can remember. >> reporter: roger ferodge has temporarily lost his livelihood but is trying to keep his sense of humor. >> this is my divorce. other than that, no. this is unbelievable. >> reporter: meteorologists say it isn't over yet. powerful and dangerous gusts are expected to continue in several states until friday. in pasadena, california, bigad shiban, wjz eyewitness news. >> first warning weather coverage continues with bob turk with more on the santa ana winds and why they're flaring up now. >> take a look at southern california. we're still looking at winds over 35, almost 45 miles an hour. big area of high pressure.

in between, you get that pressure gradient. in other words, it's like squeezing a water pressure hose. they still expecting to see these winds through tomorrow morning, with downed trees possible. more power outages. dust blowing. and also, we mentioned those high-profile vehicles being able to be turned over. looks like that will probably continue until tomorrow afternoon, when that low moves finally out of the region. things will begin to calm down. around here, beautiful start to the month. denise? >> reporter: all right, thank you, bob. new developments in the penn state sex abuse scandal. jerry san dunky's lawyer -- san dunky's lawyer is speaking out. >> reporter: joe ama dolla says sandusky is not considering a plea deal because he maintains he is innocent of the charges against him. the former penn state assistant coach is charged with abusing eight boys and there may be other victims. amadola says he may have to talk to sandusky and discuss the possibility of a plea deal if more victims do come

forward. also tonight, penn state university officials say they will donate $1.5 million in bowl proceeds to sex crimes advocacy programs. denise? >> that money usually goes to the athletic department. a hydraulic lift, rail carts and even an electric stair case. an underground tunnel being used to smuggle drugs from mexico to the united states. so far, six people are facing charges for the multimillion dollar operation. >> reporter: it's being called the most elaborate and sophisticated drug tunnel ever on the u.s. and mexico border. a 600-yard passage way, linking tijuana and san diego. >> it goes all the way back to tj. >> reporter: it's equipped with lighting and ventilation. hydraulic lift and rail cars. >> all considered, a highly-

efficient means to move things underground. >> reporter: authorities recovered a total of 32 tons of marijuana. on the streets, that's worth about $53.5 million. it's one of the largest pot busts in u.s. history. >> all of these are full of marijuana. >> reporter: half of that haul was found right in the san diego warehouse, packed in boxes. >> some of them had markings, indicative of produce. >> we are able to shut this tunnel down as soon as it became operational. >> reporter: increased border security has forced drug cartels to come up with other ways to move their illegal merchandise. >> reporter: if they can't cross the border above ground, they attempt to tunnel underneath it. >> reporter: u.s. officials say the message to the cartels is clear. >> if you build it, we'll find it. and when we find it, we'll destroy it. >> reporter: prosecutors say the real work begins now, as they link the tunnel to a drug organization and move to dismantle it.

manuel gallegus, wjz eyewitness news. >> this is the third year in in a row that an elaborate tunnel has been released just buyer the -- before the holidays. congress is now looking into the mishandling of the remains of fallen soldiers at dover air force base. a house panel, which includes maryland congressman elijah cummings, is requesting documents on the incident. the community is asking for records going back to 2002. the deadline is december 9th. vice president biden was at a symbolic ceremony in iraq today, marking the handover, as danielle nottingham reports for wjz, from the white house, one month from today, u.s. troops will leave for good. vice president joe biden and iraqi prime minister nouri al-maliki, were at a special handover ceremony at camp victory, one of the last american bases in iraq. biden thanked u.s. troops for their service and sacrifice. >> to say that because of you

and the work of those of you in uniform have done, we are now able to end this war. >> reporter: the u.s. flag was lowered for the final time at a naval base in southern iraq. nearly nine years after u.s. forcein vaded -- forces invaded, 13,000 u.s. troops are scheduled to leave at the end of the month. >> honestly, it's time for us to go home and let them take care of their own. >> reporter: u.s. troops were due to leave by the end of this year, under an agreement the bush administration negotiated in 2008. president obama wanted to leave some troops behind, but the iraqi government wouldn't agree to give them legal immunity. >> reporter: iraqi troops still face big security challenges. a car bomb exploded at a produce market near baghdad today, killing at least 13. >> reporter: despite the instability, military analysts believe iraq can move forward. >> iraq has oil. iraq has an extremely educated

work force. >> reporter: almost 4500 u.s. troops have died in iraq. vice president biden told american forces thursday that the u.s. takes pride in what they have done and that they are leaving with their heads held high. >> danielle nottingham, wjz eyewitness news. >> now, thousands of u.s. combat troops will remain in kuwait, which is, of course, just south of iraq. which are the best-run and worst-run states in the u.s.? an analysis, by a nonpartisan group by a number of factors, including the unemployment rate. crime statistics and graduation rates. at the top of the list, wyoming, which has low unemployment, low poverty rate. nebraska was second. maryland came in at 11th. against positive marks for a low rate. this carries a huge debt and has the nation's worst unemployment rate. time now for a quick look at some of the stories you'll find in the baltimore sun.

epilepsy experts warn parents about possible seizures, brought on by a scene in the new twilight movie. previews in the new high school state championships. for today's stories and much more, read tomorrow's baltimore sun. and remember to look for the updated forecast from wjz's first warning weather team. right now, hundreds of people are gathering in mount vernon, getting ready for the annual washington monument lighting ceremony. and wjz is there live. jessica kartalija has more on the festive mood. jess? >> well, denise, can you believe it has been 40 years that they have been doing this? joining me now, steve and gary. you guys come every year. what do you love about being down here so much? >> what i love here is really the festive mood, which makes me feel like it's officially christmas. >> do you have your shopping done yet? >> never. never until the day before. >> you know, we were talking about how usually it is so cold out here. you dress for the weather. but were you pleasantly surprised? >> yeah. it's nice out. more people should come down.

>> you had the best seats in the house. what is your favorite part of the show? >> the fireworks, of course. and of course the coffee around. >> all the food smells so good. all right. well, i'll let you guys get back over there. thank you so much. merry christmas to both of you. your habits are wonderful. >> thank you. >> thanks, guys, on tv hill. i have one of those hats. thank you very much, jessica kartalija in mount vernon. where they're going to light that tree in the next hour. >> i always wonder about hat etiquette. do you wear it on this side? >> depends on your mood. a car crashes into a police car. was the officer hurt? new details on the death of a florida college student. more sunshine on tap. i'll have the exclusive first warning five-day forecast. and here are the top stories on wjz.com. we'll be right back. ,,,,,, [ male announcer ] are you paying more and more for cable

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florida a&m university. the death of drum major robert champion had has been linked with hazing. but the school did not specify what role the four students played.

champion was found uh responsive on the university bus, following a football game on november 19th. >> two small planes are destroyed when a training exercise goes wrong. witnesses a say opportunity and an instructor were practicing takeoffs when they crashed into a cargo plane on takeoff. the collision sparked a fire but it was quickly brought under control. the fire department says both people on the plane escaped with nonthreatening injuries. well, it's a freak accident in kansas, when a tree branch smashes a patrol car. video captures the drive. the car was severely damaged. it was dented in the crash. but the officer was not harmed. >> reporter: new york city police say 20 mafia members illegally brought members to the u.s. some were even forced into fake marriages. kathryn brown reports for wjz, from manhattan. >> reporter: federal authorities carried out boxes of evidence from this midtown strip club, during an early- morning raid.

they say the club, cheetah's, is one of several at the center of an underground immigration ring that stretches from times square. they say russian and italian mobsters were working together in the elaborate scheme that bring women to the u.s. and funnel them into strip clubs. >> control of the labor, so to speak, on the organized criminal entities who were in russia. and there was control in the marketplace, with respect to the banano and gambino crime families. >> reporter: federal investigators arrested more than two dozen men today, described as ring leaders of the operation. they say these men would pay people to marry the women on paper, making them legal, then use the women as their personal profit machine. >> per dancer, per night, could have been hundreds of dollars. >> reporter: it's unclear whether the women involved knew what they were getting into. federal authorities expect at

least some will face charges. but sonya asorio, with the national organization of women, suspects many will take advantage of t. >> they come here. they don't speak the language. they don't have a network of anyone. and they're surrounded by very scary, intimidating thugs. >> reporter: as federal teams cast a wide net around strip clubs and their owners, attorney david david carlback, who represents the cheetah club, insists their hands are clean. >> there is absolutely no connection. >> those arrested are charged with a variety of crimes from visa and marriage fraud to racketeering and extortion. scott pelley has a preview of what's coming up tonight on the cbs evening news. u.s. troops are in the final stages of leaving iraq. we discovered many iraqis are worried about what happens next. that story tonight on the cbs evening news.

and here's a look at tonight's closing numbers from wall street. ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

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sire s. welcome back, everyone. a beautiful look at mount vernon. we're here for the 40th annual lighting of the washington monument. one of my favorite stories to cover. and the unofficial kickoff to christmas here in baltimore. bob turk has your forecast. >> it's chimmy. if you're headed out there tonight. take a wrap for sure. take a look tomorrow morning. it will be cold. temperatures in the upper 20s to low 30s. lots of frost. upper 40s to low 50s by late afternoon. for a high off the day, getting up to probably 54. a little cooler on saturday, down to 49. but a warmup again on sunday, with a lot of sunshine. 56. partly cloudy monday. 60 degrees. maybe some showers back on tuesday with a high of mild 56 degrees. denise? >> okay. thank you, bob. still to come tonight. the ravens get ready to face one of the most powerful runners in the nfl.

>> mark has the latest next in sports. ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

sunday football returns. mark is here with the wjz the fan sports report. >> ravens got wake-up calls am i think they stopped hitting

the. >> butt -- the snooze button. yes, all of baltimore has reminded the ravens about those upset losses earlier in the season, when they were favored at tennessee, jacksonville and seattle. how bad are the browns? well, on offense, they're about the worst in the league. but it doesn't matter. ravens are getting ready in owings mills. they're going to face a powerhouse in cleveland. cleveland's most reliable weapon on offense is big running back payton hillis. and the ravens are familiar with hillis, after he hammered them for a big game in baltimore last year. hillis has been hurt this year. but he's back. and he's coming off a strong performance in cincinnati this past weekend. the ravens' defense expects to have his hands full with hillis this sunday in cleveland. >> reporter: he's a really aggressive runner. you know, everybody knows it's payton hillis. and he likes to have good games against, you know, good defenses.

so i expect, you know, for the juggernaut to be up there and try to run some walls. >> a lot of pride, a lot of heart. a the loof fight is going to come out of that man. it will be war. he knows it, we know it. the best thing to do is to go out there. and stop it. >> and when hillis isn't running the ball, browns' qb colt mccoy is throwing it or at least trying to. and it's not a pretty sight. cleveland's pass attack runs near the bottom of the league. they've lost the last six meetings they've had with the ravens. as we know, upsets happen. we have seen the ravens get surprised those three times on the road. you can see the game here on we'll. coverage comes your way at 4:00. other nfl news, veteran qb donovan mcnabb was cut loose by the minnesota vikings today in what the team calls a mutual decision. he played just six games with

the vikings. struggling minnesota has turned a rookie qb, christian ponder. and now, they are running another down the stretch. chicago and houston are possible candidates to go after them. and if you need a baseball fix to warm up on during this cold baltimore winter, the orioles have announced their fan fest date. saturday, january 21st at the convention center. orioles players, past and present will be on hand. tickets will be available. and the team picked up a backup catcher today. taylor tegarden comes to baltimore. in exchange for minor league pitcher randy henry. tegarden has played with the rangers. he will be the backup to catcher matt wieters. and finally, the first signs of life in pro basketball. the washington wizards held their first pro ball today. exactly one month after the regular season was supposed to start. players are allowed to practice while that new collective

bargaining agreement is being finalized. training camps could start next friday. and an abbreviated season would tip off on christmas day. and it will be a gift for many. >> that's pretty bad. >> a little rock out. a little rusty. still basketball. when the lights come on, i think they'll be okay. >> i don't know about the wizards. but the rest. >> thank you, mark. we'll be right back. ,,,,,, ,,,,,,

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and don't forget your special bonus -- $300 back. hurry, offer ends soon. go to verizon.com/superoffer. contact the verizon center for customers with disabilities that's verizon.com/superoffer. at 800-974-6006 tty/v. fios. a network ahead. and a final look at washington, d.c. tonight, where the no -- christmas tree lighting just wrapped up. beautiful tree. and don't miss the lineup tonight at 10:00. that's it for us tonight at 6:00. back at 11:00, i'm denise koch. >> for bob and mark, i'm vic carter. don't go away. there's much more ahead on the cbs evening news with scott pelley, including a live report from baghdad, as u.s. forces are in the final stages of leaving iraq. we n >> pelley: tonight, the

beginning of the end. the u.s. returns iraq to its people. jim axelrod in baghdad reports at the close of nine years, the future is uncertain. >> we are now able to end this war. >> pelley: should congressmen profit from shady stock trades that would put anyone else in jail? nancy cordes reports they're taking action after a "60 minutes" expoas a. homes are crushed in los angeles. lee cowan tells us the worst santa ana winds in years hit with hurricane force. and death exposes hazing at a top college marching band. did a drum major die at the hands of his fellow students? mark strassmann has the story. captioning sponsored by cbs this is the "cbs evening news" with scott pelley. >> pelley: good evening. it began nine years ago with what the pentagon called shock and e.