stephanie rawlings blake remains the front runner, but there are few candidates who hope to swoop in for a come-from-behind victory. we're joined live from city hall with more on that. >> the race is on so to speak as six democrats and two republicans are making a run for the city's top spot as the primary candidates list of revealed by the state canada list. there are many issues at hand. experts feel that incumbent stephanie rawlings blake has the best chance of winning right now, given her recent endorsement and the fact that she has so many people standing behind her. >> you would think the election that could change the guard and baltimore city would generate a lot of excitement, but according to political experts like donald norris, this year's 2011 election is turning out to be our real snooze there. >> other candidates have generated a lot of excitement. primary ballot will consist of six democrats and two republicans running for president -- for my year. they include frank conway, katharine q., stephanie rawlings blake, otis riley, and republicans also griffin and vicki hard

they will join a host of candidates seeking to unseat mayor stephanie rawlings-blake. cattle in a bird is running as an independent. leslie johnson has resigned from the prince george's county council. she admitted she destroyed a $100,000 check from a developer to her husband, and stuffed nearly $80,000 in cash into her underwear. she faces up to one year and a half in prison. casey anthony's fate rests in the hands of a florida insurer. they began -- jury. they began deliberating monday. terry sanders has the latest. >> closing arguments lasted two days. >> any way you slice it, anyway you put it together, casey antony is guilty of murder in the first degree. >> on sunday, and the july 4 holiday, prosecutors tag-team the case, ripping the claim that the daughter drowned in the backyard pool. >> if this truly was an accident, she would have been found floating in the pool, not a swamp down the street. >> in closing -- >> fantasy searches, fantasy francis -- forensics -- this is outrageous. >> he argued the case was flawed. >> let's make up our mind. >> the only thing

now supporting stephanie rawlings &blake..fx 45 news at 5:30.3 3 3 3 3 3 a four year old is recovering this mrning, afttr being hit by a stay bullet at the inner harbor, after the fireworks display on the fourrh..- fourthh kkaii benson was shot ... here at jull.. whee a bullet pierced & his upper thigh. police don'' know where the bullet came from.the at the sceee heard a ggnshot.. p. and surveillance cameras don't show any signs of someene firing a gun nnarby... & but police arr continuiig to inveesigate. 3 in another case of holiday violence ... policc arr releasing picturess f wo people they wwuld llke to &pspeak to about a áátabbingá at restaurant around 10-o'clock 3 a fight.. and a man was ptabbed n theeneck. 26-year old joe calo from say... a man with a bbard is a posssble suspect and the other man may have witnessed the atttck. police are looking aa what ... haveedone differeetly. 3 thii holiday violencc... brings the issue of safety into question.safety for our visitors and our city's ressdenns.and pooice are now speak

baltimore city council members will publically announce their endorsements for current mayor stephanie rawlings-blake and the campaign to keep her job. conference will be at war memorial plaza. it begins at 10 this morning. >>> and we know who will officially challenge mayor stephanie rawlings-blake, the deadline to file was yesterday and there was one surprise carl stokes will not run. instead, he is going to concentrate on his 12th district. but frank coniaway will challenge the current mayor and joey landers otis rolly, al griffin vikki ann harding, catalina bird, and just before the deadline craig williams. city primary election is tuesday, september 13th. >>> the mayor's going to make her way to join the councilman and the department of transportation officials to discuss ways to improve roadways throughout the area. it's part of operation orange cone. stay tuned for five this morning for a live report on exactly where the work is going to be and how it will affect your commute. >>> with gas prices, the stress on our wallets, consumers need all the help they can get. well the group environment m

while stephanie rawlings blake remains our front runner, there are a few candidates that roving juice we've been for a come-from-behind victory. >> the race is on so to speak. six democrats and republicans are making a run for the city's top spot as the primary candidates list was repealed by the state board of election earlier this morning. while there are many issues at hand, experts feel that right now the incumbent may have the best chance of winning, given her recent endorsements and the fact that so many people are running against her. >> you would think the election that could change the guard in baltimore city would generate a lot of excitement, but according to political experts like donald norris, this year's 2011 election, at least in the city, is turning out to be a real snooze there. -- real znoozer. -- snoozer. they include frank conway, joseph jody landers, kathrin pew, stephanie rawlings blake, otis riley, wilson, and republicans all been griffin and the key in harding. at this point the incumbent has generated the most money and received the most endorsements from the

today, mayor stephanie rawlings- blake, along with those from the lock raven community and the head of the transportation authority gathered to show off a new paving machine. it will show neighborhood streets. cuts have forced the city workers to work more and cutting down on the cost of what the contractors have done in the past. >> this is from the efforts of the maintenance division focus on being more effective and efficient. we're doing what families are doing. that's doing more with less. >>> and the mayor says that the city's doing 98% of work on baltimore city's main streets. >>> if you have a smart phone with a data plan, get ready for a change. coming up, very rising is -- verizon is changing how much you have to pay on the data plan. >>> how much do you pay on your pet? we have tips to save your money while pampering your pet. >>> and this all star home is almost the top moment in the game's history. how you can make it number one. >>> 89 degrees at bwi. record high on the day, 105. that was this day last year. you'll get an idea. 92 is the guarantee. we were 3 degrees off.

. >> reporter: mayor stephanie rawlings-blake wins an endorsement from baltimore city council today. >> we don't always agree. but it's just like being in a family. you might have disagreements or squabbles but at the end of the day, it is the love that binds you. and for us, it's the love of the city. >> reporter: endorsement did not come from councilman karl stokes who has decided not to run for mayor and will run for his council seat instead. leaving us for her own choice, caghtsd rin-- katherine pew. >> we have a lot of the same ideas. and again, i think his stance, as it relates to the city's budget, his issues as it relates to property tax are very, very similar to mine. so again, i really look forward to working with him. and if people will agree with those kinds of ideas, i think they'll agree with me, too. >> katherine pew, for example, may benefit, from his dropping out. but the benefit is going to be, i think, relatively small. >> that means one less seat at these forums and debate tables. >> reporter: jody landers is looking forward to forums and debate tables that includ

they join others and they're all challenging mayor stephanie rawlings-blake. on the republican side there's one, vicki ann harding. gas prices still creeping lower. right here in baltimore, we're paying about $3.50 a gallon. according to the l.a. times, analysts say the prices will continue to drift lower over the summer. most of the declines are likely over. so don't forget. you can keep an eye on gas prices. just click on the traffic section of your website. we'll put you right in time for it. >>> netflix is extending its service to 43 latin and care boon countries. the markets will be streaming only and offer content in spanish and portuguese. >>> smoking on the job can cost you. if you light up, some companies could make you pay up. others say smokers need not apply. >> we see sprains, cuts, bruises. >> with all the running and hiking, we'll fell you in on the little things you can pack in your child's the bag. >>> hot days for summer camp, 92 at bwi. just 10 degrees off the record. we have a winner from abington. congrats to you. head to abc2news.com. you

mayor stephanie rawlings-blake opens up the festival at 2:30 at m&t bank stadium. 500,000 people are expected to attend. best part is it's free to get involved. >>> the hot bed of lacrosse plays host to some of the best players in the weekend. also, why the players think it's important to play the game in maryland. >>> there's no one here that isn't amazing. >> and the best players in the country are in buoy. we'll introduce you to the maryland connection. >>> i'm here live at heresy park usa. it's about chocolate, roller coasters and alligators. we're back with more in a few minutes. denny's new tour of america menu. 50 star cuisine. the new tour of america menu. starting at $4.99. only at denny's. america's diner is always open. >>> you are looking live at sandy point state park. a lot of people took off yesterday and they're getting down there early and a lot of folks had to fight the big lines. a lot of folks are down the shore to have a good weekend down there. a good, safe weekend, we all hope. >>> so, the orioles are out of town and you need too get your baseball fix. how abou

. >> reporter: mayor stephanie rawlings-blake wins an endorsement today. >> we don't always agree. but it's like being in a family. you might have disagreement or squabbles. and at the end of the day, it's the love that binds you. and for you, it's love of the city. >> reporter: councilman stokes has decided not to run for mayor but rather to run for his own council seat instead. >> i'm l -- >> we have a lot of the same ideas. and again, i think his fans, as relates to the city budget. his issues as it relates to property tax, are very, very similar to mine. i think if people will agree with those ideas, they'll agree with me as well. >> reporter: observers can see the impact. >> the benefit is going to be i think relatively small. >> that means one less seat at these forums and debate tables. >> reporter: jody landers is looking at forums and debate tables that include stephanie rawlings-blake. >> i think at this point, the mayor has chosen not to participate. and i think that's a mistake. and i think it short-changes the voters. i think voters want to hear what all of the candida

it goes back to criticism over mayor stephanie rawlings-blake's budget, which calls for more police in viewer recreation centers. >> until we have a mayor who knows how to do that, we will have the type of violence we had not just downtown, but the uptick of violence northeast and spreading throughout the city, not just in traditional violent places. >> families and parents know the violence that exists in their homes and they know they need to get help, and i want to provide assistance. >> in her press conference this week, the mayor highlighted thousands of people party peacefully at this week's african-american festival. president obama's proposal to fix the budget deficit. and it falls in love. meet the 90-year-old navy veteran who jumped out of an airplane to impress his wife. >> take a look at this wall of dust that swept through central arizona tuesday evening. it forced officials to close the sky harbor airport and severely reduced visibility on. runways. the national weather service says that the dust was being pushed by 50-mile per hour winds. they brought down several power

another endorsement for mayor stephanie rawlings-blake is causing one of her rivals to take on the city's religious leaders. following yesterday's endorsement of the mayor by the interdenominational alliance, catherine pugh issued a scathing response, saying that she and other candidates did not have an opportunity to present themselves in a forum and accusing the ministers of " backroom deal making and questionable behavior resulting in a tainted endorsement." the father dies after a fall at a baseball game. predicting miscarriages -- the new research testers are using. and prince william and catherine in los angeles. your home and auto policies and save. don't worry, tiny people. flo is a gentle giant. bundle home and auto at progressive.com. >> out of texas, a 39-year-old firefighter fell 20 feet attempting to catch a foul ball at rangers games it. he was conscious after the fall, but he died last night at the hospital. this is the second deadly fall at a major league stadiums this season. investigators in michigan have identified several people killed in a shooting rampage. the man sh

. >> reporter: yeah, this morning baltimore city mayor stephanie rawlings-blake wants to work on cleaningthe neighborhood roadways. she is working to improve them. today at 11:30, the mayor will team with up councilman and the department of transportation officials to us imprt. is is a part of operatio orange cone. it's a city wide project to expand the number of lane miles resurfaced in baltimore city. this project also highlights and showcases construction projects around the city. now the projects include bridge construction, road construction, and paving projects. operation orange cone is making it easier to get around baltimore city roadways for many of the drivers in the city. reporting live in downtown baltimore, sherrie johnson, abc2 news. >> gl a crofton man accused of breaking into women's homes and videotaping them as they change clothes is expecteded to plead guilty today. charles know -- expecked to -- expected to plead guilty today. charles novak was arrested. they searched his home and found evidence linking hem to other burglaries including the theft of girl's underwear. h

. >>> mayor stephanie rawlings- blake will announce a program designed to putunemployed people back to work. she is expected to sign a executive order encouraging companies to hire locally. and she can't require the contractors to do so. ed order aimed at trimming the 10-- the order is aimed at trimming the 10% unemployment wait. >>> the coast guard is reminding boaters about safety on the water. they are going to talk about wearing hive jackets not drinking and boating and make smart choices over the weekend. 12 people have already died in our state from boating related accidents. >>> travel will be a little easier for motorists heading through the delaware area. the network toll plaza, if you are going through there, the highway speed ez pass toll lanes will be open for testing. two lanes in each direction lay lou drivers with ez pass trance ponders to pay without -- transresponders to pay without slowing down. >> the n -- >>> the nfl and nba are locked out. players and owners couldn't reach a new contract. and the two sides are far apart on just about every issue. especially revenue

mayor stephanie rawlings-blake is focusing on neighborhood roads. the department of transportationpaving efforts jumped 60% year over year. >> doctors and nurses hit the johns hopkins children's centerwill spend time for the babies in the neo natal intensive care unit. nicu looks after nearly 600 babies every single year. >>> frederick mayor wants you and more people to visit the city. his city and the director of economic development agrees with that. and this evening, city leaders will ask the board leaders for $30,000 in a grant to be used to study to see how big the hotel would be and what businesses they could bring in for certain conferences. >>> it's time for five things to know before heading out the door. just about two hours, a judge will sentence casey anthony. a jury found her not guilty of killing her daughter caylee. they did find her guilt every lying to authorities. she may be released this morning for time served. >>> and democrat and republican congressional leaders will be on the president's front doorstep later today. they are su

>> stephanie rawlings-blake wants to fix it and it is part of a new initiative focused on paving andfocused on neighborhood roads. the city now has a new paving machine which will make streets better and safer. the mayor says the transportation department is jumping 60% of their budget and it jumped 60% from last year. >>> a special reunion at johns hopkins children's center. patient who is graduated from the neo natal intensive care unit will be reunited with the doctors and the nurses and the staff members that cared for them during the most vulnerable first months of life. it's a video of a similar reunion that happens every year at the university of maryland medical isn'ter in april. >>> if you are on twit -- center in april. >>> inform you were on twitter, you had a chance to let the president know what was on your mind. he had the first twitter town hall meeting and answered questions to the white house. this happened in the east room. 29,000-- 25,000 tweets were submitted almost focused all over on jobs and the economy, taxes as well as the budget. >> what mistakes have you ma

..and hee ppponents...are ffcusiig on the issues.jjhn rydell tells & about.... p3 "mayor stephanie rawlings-blakeee)." she's been ennorsed bb aa majooity...of tte bbltimore & city council.now...maayr ptephanie rawlings-blake...is &pprommttng her accomplishments. (mayor) "ww closed he worst bbdget eficit in modern historrywittout raising property taaes bb ne single penny."but the mayor's many &pppponentt...areenowwtaking & aii...at he incuubant.they'rr reflecting...on he weekend violencee..and whaatcan be done...toreverse the problem. (pugh) "we'veegot toocreett yeer rounddoppportunities for our young peoole and et a handle on our crrme iisues aa 3 particciation."former reeter baltimooe board ofeerealtorss executive jooy landers....ants to ccnvvne a summitt f community leaders....lergy...a nd even gang members.. (landerr) "you cannt be closing reereation ceeters and -3& not havvnggactiviiies for kids to be involved witt and then expect that they're not bee involved in streettactivities." otis rolley...is blaming the more... to improve the citt's quality of life.(rolley) "we have a city hall that do

. >>> today stephanie rawlings- blake will get a big endorsement in the race to be mayor. of the council led by president jack young will throw their support behind the city's current leader. there's quite a few contenders. the deadline to file for the ballot was yesterday. there are 11 people who filed the paperwork. for the list of all of those contestants or contenders, go to abc2news.com and the city primary election day is set for tuesday september 13th. polls on that day will open at 7 a.m. and will close at 8. >>> 6:52. five things to know before heading out the door this morning. a accused mob boss james whitey bulger due back in court today. he was arrested last week after 16 years on the run. -- years on the run. bulger faces charges in 19 mob related murders. >>> in court today, jury selection begins in the perjury trial for the rocket, roger clemens. he faces federal charges he lied when he denied using performance enhancing drugs. the trial is expected to last up to six weeks. >>> something awesome is what facebook is promising to deliver. facebook scheduled a

and joins a host of others including otis rolling and stephanie rawlings-blake. >>> history is going to mix with technology as nasa gets ready for the final shuttle launch. >> a handful of computer nerds were selected to -- selected to tweet history. >>> new allegations against the dominic strauss-kahn. why he is under fire again. this time in his home country of france. you are watching "good morning maryland" first and only at 4:30. a live look at downtown atlanta. i am sure they had a good 4th of july as well. ÷x# >>> now "good morning maryland" at 4:30. >>> 4:38. scientist have come up with a explanation for why the earth's rise in temperature paused a bit in the 2000s saying it was connected to coal burning during china's economic expansion. chinese coal burning doubled between 200 # and 2007 -- 2003 and 2007 and sulfur particles in the air from the coal deflected the sun's rays causing the temporary cooling. chinese leaders says there was a problem and are working to counteract it. >>> now, maryland's most powerful doppler radar and the forecast certified most accurate by weath

fire where &pthere'ssheavy damage to the 3 pavv more details as thhyy -&pdevelop. 3& ayor stephanie rawlings blakee is there for todaas openiig of &ppestival....the aaor cut the - pibbbn for todays oppning at m and t bank stadium.she led the proceesiinal and enjoyed tte performances with other festival-goers. 33 knights of columbus in eldersburg raased a new flag holiddy.they raisee he nnw american flaagover a church at todays ceremony.it belongs o world wwa 2veeeran ed bbdelis --- and is tte same flag thht plew ovee the u-s-s rrzona memorial.it will fly until thh - enddof the holiday weekeed. 3 and when it comes to news in your & neighbbrhooo... see it.. shoot pt.. send it. you can upload ppotos and videos to our websitee goott foxbaltimore dot ccm and click -3 on the "see it, shoot it, send it icon. you can also send phoooss directly fom your cell phone to "pics at & foxxbltimore dottcom." 3 it's an annual ourth of july tradition that dates back years ... in catonsville, they're already gearing up for monday's fourth of july parade. olks are -3 staking tteer claimmbyylining pu lawn chairs and pla

. >> baltimore city mayor stephanie rawlings-blake picks up another endorsement. members of the religious organization made the announcement at a church. catherine pugh released a statement saying, "i would have expected them to operate in order. instead they succumbs to backroom deal making and questionable behavior. this is a tainted endorsement. they decided to support her in june of last year. >> the new maryland state all alone in their state tuition breaks will not go into effect this morning. more than 63,000 signatures have been certified to put the measure on the 20's " the general election ballot. supporters want voters to overturn the law. >> the petition drive is over. now we'll have to fight the allies and the frivolous lawsuits that might be coming by the opposition. other state money. when this goes on the ballot in november of 2012, the people once again are going to win a. >> this was the most successful petition drive in state history. >> the battle remains over raising the nation's debt ceiling. republicans and democrats will work to fix divides

among those who filed are mayor stephanie rawlings-blake, frank conaway, and jody landers. as plus catherine pugh. one expected candidate, carl stokes, did not filed by the deadline. alfred griffin has filed on the republican side. for a complete list, visit our website, wbaltv.com. roscoe bartlett is planning to file for reelection in the sixth congressional limit. he hopes to win an 11th term representing western and north central maryland. another has filed for the seat . no word on how that seat will be affected by redistricting. the murder trial of casey anthony ends. >> a massive sandstorm in arizona. we have more on the damage it caused. >> u.s. 50 at 97. there are a few roads to avoid this morning. >> welcome back. beautiful shot of the downtown area. 79 degrees at the maryland science center. it is a muggy start on this wednesday morning. this afternoon, we could see a few thunderstorms pop up. to 9 in taneytown. 76 in annapolis. a slight chance for a shower this morning. scattered thunderstorms will develop this ever to go. high temperature expected around 91. we

. >>> a challenge for mayor stephanie rawlings-blake, she's proposing a series of challenging debates. the would be challenger would be taking part. charles stokes vowed out of the race. he didn't file the paper work by the dead line last night. >>> the slot machine gambling has taken a second hit. that's according to the baltimore sun. in perryville and ocean downs, they took in $12 million. that's down 5% from may. >>> this nation's ballooning deficit is at the forefront of everyone's mind. the president decided to get the ball rolling, once again. >> reporter: president obama wants congress to strike a deal on raising the debt limit. >> we've made progress and i believe a greater progress is within sight. i don't want to fool anyone. we have to work through differences. >> reporter: he's invited leaders to the white house tomorrow. the president is urging lawmakers to leave their differences at the door. he's rejecting any talk of a short term agreement that would raise the debt ceiling. the president insists that any deal has to include spending cuts and the tax hikes for the weal

. >> during a news conference at police headquarters, mayor stephanie rawlings-blake and others responded in 26-year-old was killed. police believe a fight between two groups led to his death. >> moments later, the victorian gauges the suspects and the fight resumes. whereby, the suspect, who was armed with shattered glass bottle salaam the bottle and struck the victim in the neck. >> investigators say they released this picture. they're asking for the public's health and believe he may have been involved in the stabbing. >> and people do not want to come to a place if flights are going to break out. that is why we have focused our efforts on deployment. >> 600 officers from various jurisdictions were in the inner harbor during a celebration. police are using the camera system to divine evidence of what how the boy was shot and to determine from where. they're asking anyone with information to call this #1-866- 7-lockup. this has become a political issue in the mayor's race. for more, let's go to my colleague, jayne miller. she is live in the newsroom. >> the shooting of the 4-year- old g

. >> stephanie rawlings blake picked up another endorsement for mayor reelection today. members of the ministerial alliance are standing behind the mayor in her quest to keep her job. lt. gov anthony brown was also in attendance. there were talks at the white house today that lawmakers will try to reach a deal on raising the nation's $14.3 trillion debt ceiling, reducing the deficit, and keeping america from heading into another recession. the president met today with top democrat and republican leaders. while there was some progress, there's still no agreement. >> raising the stakes, but still no deal on raising the nation's debt ceiling following president obama's meeting with house and senate leaders today. the president said republicans and democrats will work through the weekend. >> everyone will it knowledge -- acknowledged that there will be pain involved on both sides, but our biggest obligation is to make sure we are doing the right thing by the american people. >> lawmakers have until august 2nd to keep the government from defaulting on loans. house speaker joh

the two join an already crowded field with mayor stephanie rawlings-blake and four others. >>> still ahead on wjz-13 at 4:00. see the rescue of a raging flood water. >>> the man that police say killed a local professor. we'll explain. >>> lower back pain. can massages really help? >>> and it's a warm, sunny afternoon and a bit sticky outside. we'll update the forecast, coming up. 50 star cuisine. the new tour of america menu. starting at $4.99. only at denny's. and enjoying it less and less? stop paying for second best. upgrade to verizon fios and get tv, internet and phone for just $99.99 a month for a year. want to save even more? call now and we'll add over 60 premium channels, including showtime, starz, epix, and more for 12 months. fios is a 100% fiber optic network. it delivers superior picture quality, the best channel lineup, more hd, plus america's fastest, most consistent and reliable internet. and there's no annual contract required. why keep paying for cable? move up to the best. get fios tv, internet and phone for just $99.99 a month for a year, plus over 60 premium chan

mayor stephanie rawlings-breaks will -- blake will make an announcement. so far, they have made 635 arrests with this. >>> carroll county sheriff's office is taking the law enforcement lead in the county. the deputies were proafl handled by state police. under the deal the sheriff office will be responsible for licensing and maintaining the property information data base and sexual president tourings. they will monitor the incidents on state and federal highways. >>> investigators will try to figure out what caused a fire in downtown bolt that -- baltimore that broke out in a garage right around dinner time. it was close to patrick's pub on pratt street. we understand there was trouble first getting the fire hydrants to work properly. no one was injured in this fire. >>> now maryland's most powerful doppler radar and the forecast certified most accurate by weatherate. >> yesterday's high temperature on target with our two degree guarantee. 86 degrees and oh did it feel nice with the low humidity and mostly sunny skies. and light breeze out of the north. it

mayor stephanie rawlings-blake wants to use 98% of it to go to homeowner. the mayor's proposal is for people who only live in their homes. commercial and businesses would also be left out. mayor stephanie rawlings-blake says that the 8 year relief that august the country thinks that the co58% of the country thinks that the the washington coand hat president isn't abnew the fight against violent crime. none of the things by themselves will turn the city around. it's working toerand fountion growth. shows that coseeing a lot of things. isn' shows that 58% of the say coming president isn't compromising enough shows that 58% of the unwe tha thinks new washin president isn shows that 58% of that the the the new same for republicans. >>> the country thinks that the president isn't co77% say dead line, the washington post poll 58% of >>country thinks at the 77% say new co and this. of the for putha im about the shows that 58% of the country thinks that the president isn't compromising enough and 77% say about the same of the country thinks that the president isn't