>> brian mooar for us there in washington. brian, thanks so much. >>> well, the two-year long story of a missing mother took a horrifying twist yesterday in washington state after a powerful house explosion killed three in what authorities are saying is a deliberate act. more now from nbc's francis kuo very earlier in the day a social worker with child protective services had arrived with powell'sing two sons. the house exploded killing powell and both of the children. police say this is no accident. >> we believe it was intentional start of the fire because it was scheduled visitation. >> reporter: this is just the latest twist in a two-year long saga in the search of susan powell, josh's missing wife. she was reported missing. her husband told detectives he had taken the 2 and 4-year-old sons camping. detectives could never approve or dispreev his story and he became a person of in interest in the case. for months on end they searched the powells' neighborhood even isolated areas, hoping to find a trace of the 28-year-old mot

brian mooar is in washington with the details on this. brian, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, lynn. rick santorum is hoping to change the dynamics of this race in a single day and emerge this evening as the conservative choice. if this isn't judgment day for the santorum campaign, it is certainly close. he's running out of time and money. but he's hoping for a strong showing if not a win in minnesota and in missouri, where newt gingrich is not on the ballot and ron paul is hunting for other votes in the caucus states. santorum is hoping for a head to head contest with romney. romney is hoping for a good showing in colorado, hoping to show that he is, in fact, the front runner. as far as gingrich and paul at this point, they are still trying to collect as many delegates as they can and drag out this nominating fight as long as they can. lynn. >> all right. brian mooar for us in washington. thanks so much. >>> meanwhile t appears the economic conditions have bolstered president obama's numbers. a new washington post survey shows for

nbc's brian mooar has the details from washington. >> reporter: rick santorum was talking about president obama's agenda. >> it's not about you or quality of life or your jobs. it's about some phony ideal, some phony theology. >> reporter: that phony theology line has the obama campaign crying foul. >> it's wrong, it's destructive, it makes it virtually impossible to solve the problems that we all face together as americans. >> reporter: santorum says he was not talking about religion. >> i believe the president when he says he's a christian but i'm talking about his world view. >> reporter: social issues have taking the front. >> if any of the three of us lose our home state, if santorum loses pennsylvania, romney loses michigan or i lose georgia, you have a very, very bad week in candidacy. >> reporter: while santorum is surging in the poll, john mccain who won back in 2008 standing behind mitt romney. the 2012 gop nomination still up for grabs. brian mooar, nbc news, washington. >>> international nuclear weapons inspectors are in iran this morning to discuss suspicions that the country

nbc's brian mooar joining us from washington with the latest. brian, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, lynn. newt gingrich pointing out this morning that romney has won fir than 100 delegates at this point. he needs 1,144 for the nomination. but romney's big win over the weekend in nevada proves something. he was able to put together a broad-based coalition of very conservative voters and pull in some very impressive numbers. he's hoping to do the same in the colorado caucuses tomorrow. gingrich, he finished second. that was better than he had hoped. ron paul disappointed to come in with just under 19% of the vote in nevada. but it was a disastrous finish for rick santorum. he's pinning his hopes on the missouri primary. it will be a chance to go head to head with mitt romney and show the voters he's still viable. lynn. >> all right. brian mooar, thank you. >>> well, the two-year long story of a missing mother took a horrifying twist yesterday in washington state after a powerful house explosion killed three in what authorities are saying

brian mooar has more. >> mitt romney edged out run sack torm in straw poll saturday as the conservative public action conference in washington. newt gingrich and ron paul finished a distant third and fourth. it's completely unofficial, but could telegraph an important signal to voters in upcoming contests. the results were announced as maine republicans wrapped up their caucuses. cpac wound down with an appearance by sarah palin. >> we aren't red americans, we're not blue americans, we're red, white and blue, and president obama, we are through with you. >> but the biggest draw was the presidential candidates, romney argued his conservative credentials. >> i was a severely conservative republican governor. >> gingrich and santorum were preaching to a choir that knows them well. >> it's about government control of your lives and it's got to stop. >> this administration is waging war on religion. but so are the courts. >> after weeks of action, there is a lull until the end of the month primaries. a chance for the candidates to retrench, but not rest. brian mooar, nbc news, washington. >>

>> brian mooar in washington, thank. >>> a two-year long story of a missing mother took a terrible twist. more now from nbc's francisco. >> reporter: firefighters sift through the litter that is now the home where josh powell lived. earlier in the day, a social worker arrived with his two young sons. later, the house exploded. >> we believed he intentionally schedule the fire. >> reporter: this is the latest twist in the two-year long saga. susan powell was reported missing in 2009. her husband had told detectives he had taken their 2 and 4-year-old sons camping. detectives could never disprove or corroborate his story. he became a person of interest in the case. for months on end searchers combed the powell's utah neighborhood, even isolated desert areas, hoping to find any trace of the 28-year-old mother. her husband's family told investigators and press that susan may have run off with another man. but her family called those accusations ludicrous, saying she'd never leave her children. last september, josh powell's father, steven, was arrested on several charges, including vowierism

>> brian mooar for us in washington. thanks. >>> it appears that improving economic conditions have bolstered president obama's chances against the current top two presidential contenders. a new "the washington post"/abc news survey finds for the first time if the election were held now president obama would beat mitt romney 51% to 45%. his margin widens against newt gingrich as the gop candidate with 54% of those surveyed to picking the president to 43% in favor of the former speaker of the house. >>> president obama's campaign is now asking wealthy democratic donors to contribute to super pacs that support his re-election and a reversal of his long-held position on super pac positions. while the president has raised the most money for the 2012 campaign he is facing a deep disadvantage in money raised by priorities usa action. as seen in this year's republican caucuses and primaries the so-called super pacs can spend unlimited amounts of cash and negative ads while shielding the candidates for direct responsibility. >>>

brian mooar live in washington.ack to you. >> thanks. >>> let's turn our attention to the bay area forecast with meteorologist christina loren. low cloud cover over the bay area today. >> we did have a little bit of precipitation. nothing measurable, but a little bit of rain passed through areas north of the golden gate bridge. you can see clouds starting to break apart. we showed you this shot about five, ten minutes ago. you can see offshore flow kicking into high gear. that's going to clear out our cloud cover. we'll see patchy fog in the north bay tomorrow morning. overall, the general description for the bay area as you wake up tomorrow, mostly clear conditions. we saw the clock on futurecast take to you noon. low cloud cover over the bay. by 2:00, almost completely clear. highs of the results will end up in the 60s today holding on some inseasonably warm weather. we'll just warm up more so as we take you into the upcoming super bowl weekend. 63 in los gatos today. 64 in danville. 65 in blackhawk. san francisco

as nbc bay area's brian mooar reports, each hopes that being at the race will play well voters where the auto industry means just about everything. >> reporter: michigan and arizona are on the line on tuesday but mitt romney spent sunday with his eyes on another ray the daytona 500. >> the couple things i like best, cars and sport. >> reporter: even as he mingled with nascar fans, romney was trying to outrunt image of a rich guy whose wife -- >> drives a couple of cadillacs, actually. if people think there is something wrong with being successful in america, then they better vote for the other guy. >> reporter: romney is leading in arizona and his campaign got a boost with the endorsement of governor jan brewer. >> i think he is the man that carried the day. >> reporter: romney is in danger of losing michigan, his native state, to rick santorum. both attacked each other and each slammed president obama's apology for a koran burning that set off violence in afghanistan. >> we have a president who is uniquely weak in the face of evil. >> reporter: while santorum was in michigan, he was

brian mooar, wbal-tv 11 news. >> and we have a programming note to pass on.gressman dutch rufesberger will be our guest later on 11 news. if you have a question e-mail us at sundayquestions@wbaltv.com. >> get your tickets ready. it is time to check last night's powerball drawing. the jackpot stands at $325 million. local convenience stores were busy yesterday with people filing in to buy tickets. 1, 10, 37, 5 , 57, and the power -- 1,10, 37, 52, 57 and the powerball number is 11. good luck. you never know, the winner could be here in maryland. >> the time is 6:08. i think it is 25 degrees downtown. maryland's motor vehicle company trying to save hundreds of thousands of dollars. >> and what could put an end to you getting a notice in the male to re-- mail to renew your registration. >> i'm kim dacey. i will introduce you to someone -- >> ava has your insta-weather plus forecast after the break. don't go away. >> we don't have to tell you how cold it is outside. the winds could bring power ounls. -- outages. >> sheldon dutes checked on the progress. >> the wea

i'm brian mooar in washington. is forecasting snow and every place except nepos and every place except nepos homindy's you know what's exciting, graduation. when i look up into my student's faces, i see pride. you know, i have done something worthwhile. when i earned my doctorate through university of phoenix, that pride, that was on my face. i am jocelyn taylor, i am committed to making a difference in peoples lives and i am a phoenix. low detergent gasoline. while the car on the right was filled up with bp gasoline with invigorate. which helps clean and protect its engine so it can get a few more miles per tank than the car on the left. go a little farther with bp gasoline with invigorate. >> now traffic pulse 11 and insta-weather plus together. >> good morning. sarah caldwell checking on your morning commute. we are tracking one problem in the city at ramsey street. possible closers in effect because of fire activity. moving well down towards 95 in the southwest corner. 89 on 95 south of the white marsh area tra

nbc's brian mooar has a look. >> reporter: mitt romney ended a disastrous week with symbolic victoriesine caucuses and an influential conservative conference straw poll that rick santorum hoped to win. >> governor romney does a couple of points better. >> reporter: santorum suggests romney's camp stacked the audience. >> well, talk to the romney campaign and how many tickets they bought. we've heard all sorts of things. >> reporter: not true says romney's campaign which notes romney edged out santorum in a related phone survey. the presidential contest slows down until the arizona and michigan primaries at the end of the month. but in washington, there is no end in sight to the fight over church-related contraceptive coverage. the white house had hoped it ended the fight with a compromise, making insurance companies pick up the cost. >> there's a broad consensus that this is the right approach. that doesn't mean everyone agrees with it. >> reporter: the offer is being rejected by catholic church leaders and congressional republicans. >> it's an accounting gimmick or fig leaf. it's not

brian mooar has the story. >> reporter: mitt romney ended a disastrous week with symbolic victories inhe main caucuses and an influential conservative conference straw poll that rick santorum had hoped to win. >> but governor romney does a couple of points better. >> reporter: now santorum suggests romney's camp stacked the audience. >> well, you have to talk to the romney campaign and how many tickets they bought. we've heard all sorts of things. >> reporter: not true, says romney's campaign. which notes romney also edged out santorum in a related phone survey. the presidential contest slows down until the arizona and michigan primaries at the end of the month. but in washington there is no end in sight to the fight over church-related couldn't r relt coverage. the house had hoped they'd ended the controversy with a compromise, making insurance companies make up the cost. >> there's a consensus this is the right approach. that doesn't mean everybody agrees with it. >> it's an accounting gimmick or fig leaf. it's not a compromise. the president's doubled down. >> reporter: and house go

lynn. >> all right, brian mooar for us in washington.hanks so much. >>> elsewhere, the nation's largest breast cancer charity is facing a lot of backlash over cutting money to planned parenthood to pay for breast screenings for low-income people and those without insurance. yesterday, new york city mayor michael bloomberg announced he will donate up to $250,000 in matching funds to planned parenthood to replace that money. critics accuse komen of caving into pressure from anti-abortion groups. nbc's leisa meyers has more. >> it was really awful. they should be ashamed of themselves. >> reporter: the komen ceo struggled to contain the damage. first on msnbc. >> it's not true. >> that's not true. >> reporter: there's an explosion of anger. >> there's a tremendous amount, lisa, of emotion. whenever you're dealing with issues of vulnerable populations, whenever there's the idea of a change. >> a lot of folks see this as a craven political decision. >> we're not a political organization. >> reporter: she said they've stopped grants to planned

brian mooar, nbc news, washington. >>> gas prices continue their rapid rise to $4 a gallon. the national average right now is at $3.69. that's up 37 cents since the beginning of the year. now, some parts of the metro area actually seeing prices higher than that, though. in virginia you'll find the average for regular is at $3.61 right now. that's actually the lowest in the metro area. a different story, though, if you head over into maryland. right now the average for regular unleaded there, a little bit higher at $3.67 a gallon. the highest price, though, in the metro area is in the district. probably no surprise there. people in washington paying upwards of 3.86 -- 83 cents a gallon, that is. aaa says we can see prices here rising even faster than in other parts of the country. that's because two philadelphia area refineries have been taken off line, shut down for the year. prices are higher despite lower demand than we had last year at this same time. >>> and the gulf oil spill trial will not start tomorrow after all. both sides of the multibillion-dollar suit trying to k

brian mooar, wbal-tv 11 news. >> it looks like there could be a winner in last night's powerball drawinge winning ticket worth an estimated $325 million. local convenience stores were busy with people coming in to buy their tickets. here are the winning numbers. according to reports, that winning ticket was sold in rhode island. shucks. not here. >> i haven't checked my numbers, but that definitely means i wasn't lucky. >> the time is 9:09. it is 28 degrees downtown. we talk about the economy and more in this morning's "q & a." >> and how to transform your bad animal into a well behaved companion and win cool prizes at the same time. that's coming up. >> what about husbands? [laughter] >> just kidding. he's probably watching right now. in the northeast we have bad weather out there. big flurries coming down from the great lakes. we'll talk about whether those could reach our area w >> good morning. we are seeing snow showers to our north. near cleveland and ski country south of buffalo, new york, buffalo getting its own taste of new york as well. the lakes are not cold enough for the sno

brian mooar, wbal-tv 11 news. quite coming up, if you are planning a summer vacation and you have travel insurance, and you feel like you're covered for anything, right? >> not so fast. what the 11 news and team uncovered ahead at 5:30. >> we are not going to rollover for this mean spirited style politics that mr. christie practices. >> chris christie and martin o'malley trading punches. ♪ let me get that door for you... [ man ] i loved my first car... sometimes the door gets stuck... oh sure. ooh! [ man ] ...and then, i didn't. um... [ sighs ] [ man ] so, i got a car i can love a really, really long time. [ male announcer ] for the road ahead, the all-new subaru impreza®. ♪ experience love that lasts. >> to have a person so fiscally irresponsible lending troubles all over the country doing this stand-up routine demeaning women, the bombast is entertaining but it does not make for good government. >> taking strike set new jersey gov. chris christie after appearing on nbc's "face the nation. upon leaving the interv

brian mooar has that story from washington. >> mitt romney celebrated a big win in nevada. >> i have to take it to the white house. >> it is his third victory in the primary season. a week in which his form -- former primary opponent commented on the poor. >> unlike romney, i care about the poorest americans. >> if you can't tell the truth as a candidate for president, how can we expect you to lead as president? >> paul is still counting on the caucus state. >> because if anybody is energized like our supporters are and it costs a little less money, then you have to motivate people. >> rick santorum finished fourth, and he's looking ahead. >> we're down to the four candidates, three of which have won a state. >> a nomination which shifts to colorado and minnesota. brian mooar, wbal-tv 11 news. >> and police arrest one of their own after learning he tipped off a group of suspects that were about to be raided. this morning he is facing a handful of charges. >> corporal rick alexander is on the other side of the law. he's accused of telling a group that his fellow police officers were g

with more on that and the ongoing fight over health care coverage for birth control, nbc's brian mooaroins us from washington. brian, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, lynn. mitt romney's most conservative supporters have been urging him to step up his game. today is his chance. ♪ >> reporter: before the gop presidential hopefuls address a big gathering of conservatives here in washington today, former candidate rick perry set the tone. >> if it's halftime in america, i'm fearful of what the final score is going to be if we let this president start the second half as the quarterback! [ cheers and applause ] >> reporter: it is a critical chance for rick santorum to build on his big primary season wins earlier this week. and make the case he is the conservative candidate who can win. it's a chance for newt gingrich to rally his supporters. but it may be mitt romney who has the most riding on his c-pac appearance. >> it's an incredible opportunity for mitt romney to speak to the conservatives. >> reporter: he is struggling with conservatives and expected to explain his time as mass

brian mooar live on capitol hill for us. brian, thank you. >>> members of congress may also be a battle to save their jobs. 77% of americans rate congress's job performance as poor. that's just a point lower than the highest level ever measured. just 5% of people surveyed rate the job congress is doing as good or excellent. >>> this morning a paramedic is in the hospital after falling from an interstate 395 your pass. about two stories into a creek. paramedics were responding to a three-car crash and a car fire along the highway in alexandria near the shirlington road exit. one of the men on the scene, 33-year-old joshua weissman somehow fell from the overpass 20 feet below into four mile creek. alexandria's fire chief praised weissman saying he put his life at risk for his job. >> yes. josh, like all of our medics, firefighters and marshals and colleagues do thaefr day, 24/7, 365. we hope it never happens but unfortunately it does. >> weissman was taken to the washington health center. it's not clear why he fell. the georgia

nbc's brian mooar joins us from washington with the details. ian, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, lynn. santorum had been hoping for a good night. he got better. gop presidential hopeful rick santorum had hoped to win in minnesota and missouri, but his apparent victory in colorado is nothing short of an upset. perhaps even a game changer. >> i don't stand here to claim to be the conservative alternative to mitt romney. i stand here to be the conservative alternative to barack obama. >> reporter: it was a gut shot for newt gingrich. he is collecting delegates and has all been given up on outright win. santorum is now claiming four, including the iowa caucuses. mitt romney is still the front-runner, though, and he is the man to beat. >> this was a good night for rick santorum. i want to congratulate senator santorum, wish him the very best. we will keep on campaigning down the road, but i expect to become our nominee with your help. >> reporter: ron paul isn't giving up. >> we did very well tonight and have a very, very strong second plac

. >> as brian mooar reports now, they hope to determine if enough is being done to protect passengersng from u.s. port. >> reporter: the wreck of the "costa concordia" off the italian coast in january turned a dream cruise into a nightmarish struggle for survival. >> currently in the black, our technicians are working to resolve the situation. >> reporter: bewilleded cruise members and terrified passengers were literally and figuratively in the same boat. >> with he saw the crew members amongst us running around panicked, frustrated and clueless. >> reporter: this couple told their harrowing survival story to washington lawmakers investigating cruise line safety. >> when we went onto this cruise, we trusted the crew members and the captain that they know what they are doing. nobody deserves to die on their vacation. >> reporter: the "costa concordia" is registered in italy and being investigated by italian authorities with american help but the u.s. cruise industry says it immediately adopted new rules. >> safety is this industry's number one priority. >> reporter: that includes passe

. >> brian mooar in washington, thank you. >>> the u.s.ombat role in afghanistan will end next year. defense secretary leon panetta says american and other international forces in afghanistan expect to end their combat role in 2013 but continue training and advising afghan forces. on his way to a nato defense ministers meeting in europe, he says the goal is to have the afghans take the lead role in fighting the taliban. panetta says the reduced role for combat troops will then be followed by a withdrawal of american troops through 2014. >>> at least 74 people died last night in a politically-motivated soccer violence. fans rushed the field after the home team topped the top club from cairo. fans of the losing team began taunting the home crowd accusing them of not supporting last year's populous revolution. players were swarmed and attacked but none of them were killed. government riot police stood in line doing seemingly nothing as the fans ran wild, hundreds were injured. >>> here is a look at some of the other stories making news "early

at the supreme court in washington, brian mooar, nbc news. >>> some breaking news, the jury in the murderrial of a university of virginia lacrosse player may be getting close to reaching a verdict tonight. julie carey is live with an update. jew julie? >> reporter: this jury deliberating nine hours now and gave the judge their latest update. they told the judge they need another 30 to 60 minutes to deliberate. they told the jim, for now, they are declining dinner that could mean one of two things. it could mean that they are closing in on their verdict and expect to have it soon or it could mean they are getting weary and when they report banks backe to the judge the next time, they may say they want to call it quits for the night. the jim talked to the prosecution and the defense team in the courtroom and asked them, hypothetically, if the jury does reach a verdict in the next 30 to 60 minutes works they be willing to begin the sentencing hearing tonight. in virginia, once a verdict is render, then the jury starts to hear witnesses in the sentencing hearing and later comes back for a dec

brian mooar, wbal-tv 11 news. >> once again we are looking at unbelievably warm temperatures for the month of february. first day of february, we are clocking in at 64 degrees. winds out of the southwest at 8 miles per hour. we are expecting to at least get into the upper 60s. i bet that some places reached the 70-degree market this afternoon. sunshine today, increasing clouds into the night. we see a new chance for rain beginning after 11:00 p.m. rain chance is all the way through tomorrow morning. after that, the front passes and we see a big drop in temperatures. enjoy the last day of mild weather while we have it. >> meantime, police in prince george's county have a 49-year- old man under arrest in connection with a body found in fort washington in a well over the weekend. we are told that the victim, 53- year-old lenny harris, was a community activist. he had been shot in the head police identified the suspect as linwood johnson and that the two men knew each other. a maryland man who pleaded guilty to the stabbing of a pizza delivery driver will spend 20 years in prison. tavon

candidates, brian mooar, nbc news, washington. >> nevada is set to release the results any minute now. we will bring the updates to you at 6:00 and 11:00 as well. >>> half way around the world in syria the violence continues. more than 200 people were killed during an attack on the city of homs. women and children were among those killed in a mortar shelling. the government denies being involved in that assault. here is the report from the egyptian capital. >> reporter: it is described as a massacre, the deadliest day in the uprising against the syrian president. activists say this footage which has not been verified shows the aftermath of a barrage of shells falling on the city of homs. hundreds were killed and 1300 injured in the overnight attack. that number is expected to arise. it is not clear what triggered the effectlation of violence. but homs has seen some of the most intense is righting. on saturday the free syrian army reportedly carried out attacks in and around homs that may have instigated the onslaught. the violence and the wounded seen on the video were caused by terro

nbc's brian mooar is live on capitol hill with more. morning, brian. >> reporter: good morning, joe. mitt romney's most conservative supporters have been urging him to step up his game. today, it's his chance. he'll be speaking before 10,000 rock-ribbed conservatives. this is a critical chance for rick santorum. he wants to build on the big primary season wins he had earlier in the week. he and newt gingrich are really battling to prove themselves as the most viable conservative in this campaign. romney, he's the one with the most riding on today. he's been struggling to connect with conservatives, and he's expected to explain today a lot of questions about his time as massachusetts governor, his policies in terms of health care and other issues. ron paul, interesting, will not be at the conference. he, you might recall, was the winner of the strong poll the -- straw poll the last two years running. the straw poll this time around is going to be a critical test. new rules. it's interesting to see how santorum is going to come out of thi

>> brian mooar reporting live. you very much. >>> this morning, two prince george's county police officers are suspended for allegedly lying about a police-involved shooting. the shooting happened friday at this gas station in brentwood. corporal donald taylor fired his weapon when the suspect went for his gun. however, a police spokesperson says video evidence does not support that claim. an officer who witnessed the shooting is also suspended. no one was hurt. >>> two occupy d.c. protesters face felony assault charges after raids this past weekend. according to court documents, the man threw a glass bottle hitting a u.s. park police officer in the face. initially police said sousa threw a brick. the officer could have permanent eye damage. according to the "washington post," another protester was charged with assault after police said he threw a bamboo stick at an officer. 12 people were arrested this past weekend when police raided the mcpherson square and freedom plaza locations. >>> this morning, motel 6 is re

nbc's brian mooar joins us from washington with the latest. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, lynn. the white house says the president is trying to protect women but republicans say he's gone too far. congressional republicans are vowing to roll back the obama administration's controversial policy forcing religious groups with insurance plans to cover birth control. >> this attack by the federal government on religious freedom in our country must not stand and will not stand. >> this is not a women's rights issue. this is a religious liberty issue. >> reporter: the catholic church had hoped to get a waiver but didn't. >> the mandate is actually government imposing upon the church requirements that would be against our conscience. >> reporter: now the issue is a talking point on the presidential campaign trail. >> this president who is deliberately undermining religious liberty in this country. >> this is wrong. if i'm president of the united states, i will restore and protect our religious liberty in this great country. >> reporter: the

brian mooar live in washington with what this means for the race now. good morning, brian. >> reporter: laura, i can't say that. that's for sure. rick santorum was hoping for a big night. goat a lot better than that. he was hoping to win minnesota, he was hoping to withn missouri. but colorado, that was an upset. that is nothing short of a game-changer in some people's eyes. rick santorum saying now he doesn't want to be the conservative alternative to mitt romney. he wants to be the conservative alternative to president obama. and he now has four primary season wins under his belt. he is behind in the delegate count. newt gingrich and ron paul are hoping to play catch-up with mitt romney, who is still the man to beat. but this race yesterday showed that romney is still vulnerable when it comes to conservatives, and now santorum is talking about taking on romney on his home turf in michigan at the end of the month. laura? >> all right, brian mooar, thank you very much. >>> san jose police need your help finding the man who robbed a downtown convenience s

brian mooar joins us from washington. good morning. >> reporter: from the candidate who made a $10,000 bet and said he likes to fire people, another potentially costly error. >> the success of some does not make the rest of us poorer. >> reporter: beginning today, gop presidential candidate mitt romney has the official protection of the u.s. secret service. but not before he got glitter bombed by a gay rights activist and he hurt himself. while talking to cnn about protecting the middle class. >> im50 not concerned about the very poor. we have a safety net there. if it's broke, i'll fix it. >> reporter: instead of savoring his florida primary win, romney was playing defense. >> no, no, no. >> what did you mean. >> reporter: romney was taking fire from both sides 'wasn't spared on the campaign trail. >> the founding fathers met the very poor who they called americans. >> reporter: today newt gingrich is reportedly picking up the endorsement of donald trump. rick santorum says if trump cares about jobs he's endorsing the wr

the primary there is in three days, and as nbc's brian mooar shows us, even though romney is from michigan, he didn't draw the crowds today. >> three days before the next presidential primaries and all eyes are on michigan. it's mottny's home state. but if the polls are right, it's within rick santorum's grasp. >> it is absolutely laughable to have a liberal governor of massachusetts suggest that i am not the conservative in this race. >> well thank you so much. >> romney reminded voters that santorum supported him back in 2008. >>. he said he is the clear conservative candidate. he's right, i'm the conservative candidate. and what we need in the white house is principled conservative leadership and i bring it. >> romney is under fire in michigan and he's turned up the heat on himself. holding an event in a near-empty stadium and trying to woo detroit with this ad-lib. >> i drive a mustang and a chevy pickup truck. ann drives a couple of cadillacs, actually. >>> in afghanistan, a gunman killed two u.s. military officers today inside a secure command center. there's late word that the gunma

brian mooar, wbal-tv 11 news. >> that brings us to our water cooler question of the day. what do you think of the mandate that all employers provide access to birth control in their health care coverage? you can share your response at wbaltv.com and on our facebook page, or send us an e-mail to watercooler@wbaltv.com. the city of annapolis is mourning the passing of the former mayor, dennis callahan. he served until 1989. flags in annapolis have been ordered to fly at half staff until he is laid to rest. he was 70 years old. >> two people are recovering after an accident in southwest baltimore. the officer suffered minor injuries when his cruiser hit a pall on wednesday night. a civilian was also hurt. that person suffered non-life- threatening injuries. there was a deadly crash on wednesday afternoon. one person was ejected from a vehicle in perry hall. another person was rushed to the hospital in serious condition. 33 degrees on tv hill. a change in the rule when it comes to where women can serve in the military. >> and attempted kidnapping and were the mother was at th

brian mooar, wbal-tv 11 news. >> governor o'malley is spending the weekend in washington, d.c.ecting maryland and states across the nation. o'malley joined colleagues at the national governor's association winter meeting. one issue on the agenda is the use of renewable resources. o'malley said maryland has a big role to play in pushing energy forward. >> in these states we are pursuing renewable energy sources up and down the atlantic coast. all of us have a role to play in creating a cleaner, greener, and more energy-independent future for our country. >> the time now is 6:06. 33 degrees on tv hill. adult harry potter fans can rejoice. the wizard isn't back but j.k. rowling is. >> i'm rob roblin. he's beaten unbelievable odds. now he's written a book about it. that story coming up. >> first, a live picture outside. ava has your insta-weather plus forecast after the break. stay with us. >> good morning. we'll start you off with a live view from our sky cam. 34 degrees at b.w.i. p 33 at the inner harbor. our sun will rise this morning :44. right now winds northwest at 10 miles p

brian mooar 11 news. >> governor martin o'malley joined his colleagues at the winter meeting. the use of renewable resources. he has a big role to play in pushing energy policies for. >> he has stayed in states like mine and in maryland. we are pursuing the renewable energy source offshore, wind. all of us have a role to play in creating a cleaner and more energy independent future for our country. >> the conference also includes sessions with the president and members of the cabinet. >> 40 degrees in tv help. how they can do it. >> the stars will shine brighter than ever tonight because we are heading to los angeles for your oscar preview. and the sun is shining bright up there. hardly a cloud in the sky. temperatures arming of today. details coming up in the ♪ [ female announcer ] there's no right way or wrong way. every baby plays by his own rules and they need a diaper that lets them do it. pampers cruisers with 3-way fit adapt at the waist, legs and bottom ♪ with up to 12 hours of protection, for all the freedom to play their way. ♪ pampers. it's time to play. >> now, tra

brian mooar live in washington with details of a proposed health study. orning, brian. >> reporter: groundhog day, talking about the scanners again. this time talking about a specific group of them. if you have seen the ones like a glass wall action those are radio frequent scanners. we are talking about explay back scatter scanners. we can't tell you how many use them because the tsa will not tell us. there are concerns about potential radiation exposure, bipartisan group of senators calling for an official nonpartisan study about how dangerous these are and figure out whether people are getting a dose of radiation that is more than they should be getting. but there are proponents of these who say right now people who walk through these are getting no more radiation than they would on a flight. >> you can always opt out, right? >> reporter: you can opt out. of course the tsa is more than willing to grope you for free. >> thank you very much. brian moor, live from washington. >> mitt romney leading the pack but his recent comments may be catching up to him

brian mooar tells us more about. orning, brian. >> reporter: well, the white house says the president is just trying to protect women, but republicans on capitol hill say the president has gone too far and they are threatening to roll it back, legislatively if they have to. house speaker john boehner says this is nothing short of an attack on religious liberty that must not and will not stand in his words. what exactly he can do isn't clear. any legislation the house puts forward would certainly be blocked in the democratic controlled senate. they wouldn't even bring it up for a vote. the white house says that the president is basically trying to come up with a policy that is pro woman, not anti-religion. but of course this issue is catching fire on the campaign trail. mitt romney, rick santorum, newt gingrich, it's turning into a free for all and here on capitol hill there is plenty of talk. hhs secretary kathleen sebelius is expected to testify on the hill on march 1. i think we can safelying spekt fireworks. >> alw

brian mooar live in washington with the latest in the race to become president. ng, brian. >> reporter: good morning, laura. rick santorum is hoping to emerge from this day as the conservative choice, he is hoping to change the dynamics of this race. he is polling very well in minnesota, he is within distance of winning that. also missouri. there are no delegates at stake in missouri but this is about with bragging rights, a chance for rick santorum. ron paul is concentrating on the caucuses. as far as mitt romney he is running strong in colorado. but santorum is hoping to come in second there, hoping to make that argument that he is the person to go ahead. he is the non-romney choice. >> very interesting. thank you very much, brian. >> the time 6:43. coming up, a federal court delivering a ruling on proposition eight. a live report coming your way. >> a new add causes all kinds of attention. ♪ beth! hi! looking good. you've lost some weight. thanks. you noticed. these clothes are too big, so i'm donating them. how'd you do it? eating right -- whole grain. [ femal

brian mooar is live in washington. he has the latest in the race to become president. good morning. >> reporter: good morning. all eyes today on rick santorum, if this isn't judgment day for him it is certainly close. he's hoping to change the dynamics of this race today and emerged this evening as the conservative choice more so than it new nooxt rick santorum is hoping to pull off a win in minnesota but also in the primary in missouri which is a beauty contest, there are no delegates at stake. but more importantly mitt romney did not make the ballot so this is rick santorum's chance to make the argument we can compete toe to toe with romney, that he is the conservative anti-romney. if conservatives are going to rally it should be him. gingrich and ron paul hope to collect as many delegates as they can to keep the nominating race running. mitt romney, he looks like he is in good shape in colorado for the caucuses there. it looks like the next couple of weeks as they slow down will be mitt romney's as front-runner. jon. >> extremely busy day on the gop side. what do yo

brian mooar is live in washington where gop lawmakers right now gearing up for a fight with the whitese. good morning, brian. this has a lot of layers. >> absolutely, jon. and this is not going to go away quickly. the white house says the president is trying to protect women, gop lawmakers say the president has clearly gone too nar on this one. this is a controversial plan that would force religious affiliated groups like hospitals and universities, to provide contraceptive services for patients as part of the health care plan. speaker john boehner says that this is nothing short of an attack on religious liberty and he says this will not stand. he is threatening to bring up some sort of legislation, not exactly clear what, but senate democrats are saying that they will fight right back on this one. the white house is arguing that this is a policy that is pro women, not anti-religion. but this has become a talking point on the campaign trail. newt gingrich, rick santorum, mitt romney all attacking the president's stance. jon. >> brian, thank you for that. >> 5:43 now. women will soon

brian mooar is live in washington with details on what is happening now this morning.: hi, laura. breaking news, we're hearing that the white house is going to address the issue today, that there may be some sort of change or tweak in the policy but whether it goes far enough to satisfy critics that's something we're going to have to see. kristen welker is saying that the white house after this is announced according to outside sources is going to have a policy that will still cover all women, make sure that they get contraceptive coverage without a co-pay. this has been a raging issue in washington at the cpac political action conference for conservatives, about 10,000 gathered, expecting to hear from three of the four presidential candidates. mitt romney, rick santorum and newt gingrich. mitt romney has the most riding on this. he has been having trouble catching fire with conservatives. rick santorum hoping he can capitalize on what he's done, these three primary wins, newt gingrich hoping he can keep things going with his conservative base. ron paul, he isn't here.

today in the bay's brian mooar is live in washington.rick santorum coming off a triple win may be a critical showdown between he and mitt romney. >> reporter: absolutely, laura. all eyes on this cpac conference. we'll pull off on a side street and talk about one of the hot topics at this conference, it is the obama administration's controversial contraceptive policy. we learned in the last minutes nbc news reporting that the white house will address the issue today, politico.com suggesting there could be a compromise in the works, so that will be a subject that will be center stage. also center stage, mitt romney. it is his biggest chance to date to try to pave over his problems with conservatives, to try to win them over. but it's also a wonderful opportunity for rick santorum who just has three big primary season win this is week to make his case that he is the conservative candidate. newt gingrich is going to try to make his case as well today. noticeably absent ron paul, two-time winner of the cpac straw poll, the rules have changed,

nbc's brian mooar is live on capitol hill with more on this.rning. >> reporter: good morning, joe. well, storm was hoping for a good night. he did one heck of a lot better than that. he was hoping to win minnesota and missouri. the polling looked good. there pulling off a win in colorado is better than an upset. that might well be a game changer. it was a gut shot for newt gingrich who like paul, ron paul, has been checking delegates and has -- collecting delegates and has given up on outright wins at this point. santorum is now claiming four primary wins including the iowa caucuses. [ applause ] >> i hope you have been listening to our message because if you -- you listened to our message and you found out that on those issues, health care, the environment, cap and trade, and on the wall street bailouts, mitt romney has the same positions as barack obama. and in fact would not be the best person to come up and fight for your voices for freedom in america. [ applause ] >> reporter: mitt romney congratulated santorum, but he said that he does be

"today in the bay's" brian mooar steps in on this and surprised more than a few people out there, huhbrian? >> reporter: probably including rick santorum himself. he was hoping for a big night. this was huge. this was an earthquake. not just minnesota and missouri, but also colorado, which was widely believed to be romney's to lose. he won it back in 2008. but something big seems to have happened, at least yesterday for sure. and this could be a game-changer. it is a gut shot for newt gingrich. and for ron paul, it's now this long slog to try to collect delegates, stay in the race as long as they can. but for mitt romney, this is really bad news. once again, this shows the starkest of terms that he is just not connecting with the most conservative in his party. and his camp is trying to play it off this morning. they say that john mccain lost 18 states back in 2008. that this is about collecting delegates, that this is about stamina. this is about the kind of infrastructure that the romney campaign has built. but rick santorum certainly in good shape. he's got two weeks essentially un