corinne redman, abc2 news. >>> this just in to the morning show.ur state is getting monies from the federal government to improve schools. 9 states are going to be sharing500 million in grant monies to improve early childhood programs. this is part of the president's education initiative called race to the top. the states compete for the federal education dollars and the goal is for the early learning competition to get more children from birth to age 5 ready for kindergarten. >>> and breaking news. bp will be paid 250 million by the maker of the blowout preventor that failed to halt the oil spewing from bp's busted well in the gulf of mexico. under the agreement the announcement was bit ago. bp and cameron international will drop claims against one another. bp says the money will be deposited into the 20 billion dollar fund set to compensate victims from the april 2010 oil spill the largest in memory. >>> five things to know before heading out the door. barry bonds will be in court. former major league slugger is expected to be sentenced for obstr

reporting live from towson, corinne redman, abc2 news. >>> looks like president obama's a normal guy. he also is waiting for the last- minute to shop. president and the first dog ducked out of the white house to get holiday shopping done. this is for his daughters sasha animallia. president picked up a video game he can play with him. just dance for the wii. >> the girls beat me every time on the various dance gamesyou guys will never get a picture of me doing it. because i get grated f every time. >> so the first leady and her daughters are vacationing in hawaii. the president is still in dc trying to hash out a deal with the house and the senate on when asked by the president if he is going to head to hawaii for christmas, the president didn't answer. >>> the holiday season is more about giving. it's trait digs folklore and myth but which is fact and which are fiction. lamont william went to get to the bottom of the christmas ideas. >> reporter: through the ages, christmas has evolume toughed what we know it as -- has evolved to what we know of today. what is fact you and what are t

corinne redman is live with a preview of what's in store. corinne. >> reporter: well, like you said, mayor stephanie rawlings blake is set to take the first full oath of office here at city hall today. now as you look behind me, you can see all the preps are underway. there are lots of crews that arrived within the last half- hour to set the stage. stage is set here in the center. you can see the bleachers are up and city hall is draped with the city colors and they are flags that line the plaza. now this is the second oath of office for mayor stephanie rawlings blake as you will recall in february 2010 rawlings blake was sworn in after the then mayor sheila dixon resigned after she was convicted on corruption charges. now today, it will be a much different ceremony because this will mark the first elected termfor the mayor. elected officials dignitaries from the city and state as well as community members and citizens all are expected to be in attendance. mayor's speep for inauguration is expected -- speech for inaugust rails is expect-- ina

corinne redman is live at the distribution plant with more on what's a busy monday. corinne. >> reporter: yes, we have beenthrough black friday and today is green monday because of the shipments taking place and this will be the business iest day in fed ex het history. they expect -- history. they expect 17 mill crop shipments the second monday in -- million shipments the second monday in december. they will open the doors soon for us to give us a sneak peek what have's going on behind the scenes. -- what's going on behind the scenes. fed ex brought in additional 20,000 workers worldwide to help with today. the seasonal workers that will work through the holiday season. they say a lot of the shipments are coming from the increased internet sales. tyker monday was a record sales and a can be -- cyber monday was a record sales day and this is going to be one of the bessyest days. they say it's not too -- busiest days. they say it's not too late. you can mail it through the regular post office, but, we are expected to get a sneak peek in about a half an hour. probably in

corinne redman is standing by with more on the developing story. >> reporter: well, many parents say they received a startling phone call on tuesday from school administrators at deal elementary school saying their children's name were on a hit listen titled kill list. the 4th grade here made the list erased the title and changed it to people mean to me. the list included 35 classmatesat deal and celebrity names like justin bieber. only parents of the students on the list were notified by the school. but some parents say that was not enough as school officials should have notified everyone. girl's troupe leader says she is good and loves to learn but has been bullied at times and some parents think the child should be removed from school. and others are offering support. >> this child told my boy she had a killing list and that they were on it. >> the first instinct is to attack and i don't think that is the right thing to do. >> i wish they would a have notified everyone because i know a lot of parents weren't happy finding out from the newspaper. >> now the school has suspend the s

reporting live, corinne redman, abc2 news. >>> what length would you go to to hold onto your job. 2/3f surveyed workers buy a staffing company said they would give up vacation time. and nearly a quarter of them said they would give up their annual bonus and work longer hours without a pay increase or september cape reduction in deb -- accept a reduction in benefits but many draw the line at taking a pay cut or relocating. >>> paris jackson will play in the film longedeen bridge and the three keys. accord -- london's bridge and the three keys. she joins the cast of larry king and his wife and ted lang and and there's no word on a release date for the film. >>> five things to know on this monday. funeral services today being held for a virginia tech police officer. police say ross ashley shot crouse before killing himself. >>> funeral for a girl abducted and killed near her north georgia home will be held in puerto rico. her community came together to say bye. a maintenance worker is charged with the child's murder. >>> live picture of the white house where later today president obama w

corinne redman, abc2 news. >> and charm city is not the only place where the murder rate is down. the nation's capital has the lowest homicide rate in nearly 50 years. dc police report 108 murders as of thursday. and homicide rate has not been this low since 1963. >>> the number of traffic deaths in our state is dropped significantly in 2011. that number is down more than 10%. nationwide, the national highway traffic safety administration says the number of traffic deaths is at the lowest level in more than 60 years. >> we are seeing safer cars and less impaired driving and certainly better enforcement and better equipment and safetyequipment and vehicles and all those factor contribute to the reduction that we are seeing. >> changes in maryland's drunk driving laws may help lower the numbers because more people will be required to use the breathalyzer interlock devices in the cars keeping the number of impaired drivers off the road. >>> the latest in the case of two doctors charged with murder for performing botched abortions. it is a case for police in cecil county dating back t

abc2 news corinne redman is at one of the stores with details on what to know and statistics because this is something retailers are starting to explore more and more. >> reporter: yeah, it is charley. this is the first year it's been happening where retailers are pushing up to the last- minute until christmas. as the christmas deadline nears we have three days until christmas. stores like macy's are staying open 24 hours trying to lure shopers in to get the last- minute deals. on friday stores like toys r us, old navy will stay open for 24 hours. and they will close at 10 p.m. on christmas eve. other stores like kohl's j.c. penney's and sears will stay open until midnight on friday. and many retailers say they decided to extend the hours in hopes of pulling in the last- minute profits. according to one report by december 14th, consumers on average completed 46% of their holiday shopping. now that's down from last year. also, this year, many shoppers bought gifts for themselves on black friday putting off the holiday shopping until now. so, the customers that we spoke with have mixed

corinne redman, abc2 news. >>> police say officers from baltimore and anne arundel county shot a teen who pointed a gun at them after a high- speed chase. 19-year-old can't to -- didn't stop when officers tried to pull him over. led them on a chase through the county. the driver -- he led them on a chase through the county. he hit police cars injuring one officers e got out of the car -- he got out of the car and pointed the gun at himself and pointed the weapon at officers when they opened fire. teen is in the hospital this morning. >>> a big bust at dulles airport a woman from the congo was trying to sneak in 50,000 dollars into the u.s. custom agents says she stashed it inside envelopes, a book and even a cell phone holder. court documents show she lied three times about the amount of money she was carrying. there's no limit to how much money you can bring into the u.s. you have to report it truthfully. now she is charged with violating federal currency reporting regulations. >>> well, fiction may be something in the jetsons a new car technology could make driving that experience f

corinne redman is live where the preps are underway for the big ceremony and this is her first full term as mayor. >> reporter: yes, she is set to report in as the first full term as mayor. look at city hall behind me it is draped up and represents are underway for the inauguration. the stage has been set and the bleachers are up and you can see the draping and there's a sign that says baltimore is a great place to grow. this is the second oath for the mayor. the first time she was sworn in, it was in january 2010 shortly after mayor dixon resigned after being found guilty of embezzlement. rawlings blake was a city council president and automatically second in line for the mayor. today she was elected and an easy victory for her during the election. and this will be her first time serving a four-year term as mayor. the mayor -- the ceremony will get underway at 11:30 a.m. this morning. they are expecting a lot of people and elected officials to come down. many people from the community are as well. it's expected to get underway at 11:30. it will take place rain or shine. if it rains ever

corinne redman is standing by live with the latest. >> reporter: the scandal facing injury sandusky is growing. this morning, he is in jail after being arrested on two new sexual abuse charges. sandusky seen here was in handcuffs wearing a penn state track suit when he was taken from the home charged with 12new counts based on a grand jury testimony from young men referred to as victim 9 and 10. sandusky was arraigned yesterday on the new charges and unable to post the 250,000 dollars bail. the two new accusers say they were molested or raped by san dust yike over a period of years starting when they were young boys but it is believed the boys met him through the charity the second mile which was for underprivileged children. >> jerry is saying what's next and i said don't ask that question. you know, don't ask can it get worst because it can. >> reporter: victim 9 that is 18 says sandusky began molesting him at age 11 allegedly occurring in the basement of sandusky's house. he says it stopped after he refused to perform a sex act in a car and it is believe he met sandusky through the

corinne redman, abc2 news. >>> clashes have broken out on k street in the nation's capital. they are calling it march on corporate greed. some from the occupy d.c. and others with a similar movement take back the capitol. police took issue with protesters and they began to -- as they began to occupy intersections. police warned them to move and they refused and police arrested 62 people and some police are saying they were assault in the effort. >>> make news around the nation we are getting more information on a deadly helicopter crash in nevada. pilot and four passengers were killed at a luxury sunset tour. >>> a pair of suspected thieves made a grand entrance to a criminal scene crashing an suv through the front door of an indiana gun shop. for them, it was not much of a score. most of the merchandise was locked away in a safe. the damage to the store is estimated around 35,000 dollars. the rifle, handgun and silencer the two made off with, that's going to be around 10 grandch federal investigators are -- grand. federal investigators are trying to track down the crooks. >

corinne redman is live with a preview of what we can expect and that is tradition for our shippers. this is their big day. >> reporter: this is a very big day for shipping. this is fet ex -- fed ex busiest day. they expect to ship 17 million packages worldwide today alone just today. we are here live at the golden ring fed ex where you can see there are tons of trucks about to get packed up and pretty soon the place will be full of people and employees and loading up trucks and everything. but we have diane with us live who is with fed ex he and will show us how to pack boxes to get -- fed ex and will show us how to pack boxes. we have a blast glass item and fragile item and food how do we pack something up like this to get it safe to the destination. >> the motion important thing is there's cushioning to protect them from banging around and possible damage. so, we sell and you can bring in bubble wrap and we would want you to carefully have the item completely encased or covered in the bubble wrap both ends and any items you put in the box, you want to have them with bubble wrap as

corinne redman joins with us more on what's in store for the mayor today. corinne. >> reporter: well, charley, this is the mayor's first time being sworn in for her full term as mayor. city hall behind me is fully decorated for today's inauguration ceremony. there's draping and bleachers are out and the stage is set and city hall is preparing to have a great inauguration this morning. now this is the second oath of office for the mayor. first time around she was sworn it was in january 2010 shortly after then sheila dixon resigned after being found guilty of embezzlement. rawlings-blake stepped in to the mayorship because she was the city council president and she was automatically second in line for mayor. this is the first time she serves as an elected official as mayor. today will mark a different type of ceremony for the mayor. she is elected into office. and today the mayor is expected to talk about how she plans to lead the city over the next four years. >> the theme of the speech the inauguration is baltimore a great place to grow. my administration i

reporting live, corinne redman, abc2 news. >>> 6:08. and talk about defense the ravens look like a superbowl team against the colts. suggs had 3 sacks and forced three fumbles. indianapolis goes to 0-13. >> we are clicking on all cylinders and ran when -- run when we need to run. >> it's great we can be on the field and we are rested that's when we can go out and play as fast and hard and hunt really. >> the ravens pull back into a tie with pits bring atop the afc north but baltimore does have the -- pittsburgh atop the afc north but baltimore does have the -- >>> it's one stop shop when it comes to picking up holiday gifts. scammers are tracking down tracking you down trying to get your hands in your pockets when you are shopping online. >>> after 40 minutes of college basketball, they weren't done. where things got out of hand this weekend and suspensions that follows justin. >>> you mention hand. rub the hands blow on them or keep them in your pocket. we patched yesterday's temperatures in the 20s. coldest we have been since last feb

corinne redman is standing by live at a distribution sent wert latest. corinne. >> reporter: yeah, we are here live at fed ex and this center is huge. they are gearing up to pack up the fed ex trucks and this is the busiest day in history. they expect to ship more than 17 million packages today and have over 90,000 fed ex trucks on the road today. joining us live is don who is with fed ex today. tell me about what's going to go on here behind the scenes this morning. >> well, shortly after 6:00 we will get our belts rolling and conveyor belts will roll and the couriers will sort out what pee longs to their route and we will try to get everybody on the road as soon as possible. >> how -- >> reporter: how fast do things move do you know what to expect for today? we know what to expect and we planned for it today. everybody is pretty much geared up this time of year. it's a lot of excitement and energy. and everybody knows what to expect. and we are excited about it. >> reporter: how many trucks do you have going out this morning or today overall do you know

corinne redman, abc2 news. >>> one of the men who says he was sexually abused by a syracuse university basketball coach had his own day in court. zack tomaselli is look to get a more than 3 hour recorded interview with police scratched from the evidence for his trial. he is charged with sexually assaulting a 13-year-old boy. his attorney says the incriminating statements made by him more than 2 1/2 hours into the interview were not voluntary and the detective misquoted the law. he says his client is innocent. right now, he is balancing two worlds that of victim and that of defendant. >> i hope you know in the end that you know i can get through this and move on with my life and have a future and a life without this haunting me the rest of my life. >>> former syracuse asociety head basketball coach bernie fine admits innocence amid the allegation of child molestation. >>> ael a new iphone 4s is a hit with consumers and siri can help you find almost anything. but it draws a blank when asked about abortion or contraception. >> where can i find an abortion clinic. >> sorry i couldn't find

so for a preview what have toexpect let's go to live abc2 news corinne redman. >> reporter: the mayor is expected to be sworn in today. this is the first full inauguration sworn in as mayor to serve the first 4 year term. you can see city hall is decorated. you can see that the stage has been set. the bleachers are up and city hall is draped in the city's colors and flags line the plaza where the inauguration will be taking place. now this is the second oath of office for stef tbri wry any rawlings-blake. in january 2010 she was sworn inafter the -- stephanie rawlings-blake. in january, 2010, she was sworn in after the previous maine resigned. this is the first elected term for the mayor. officials from the city and state and community groups are expected to be here today in attendance. the mayor's speech is set to talk about her leadership for the next four years in the city and it's making city government more efficient and bidding stronger communities -- building stronger communities. >> the theme of the speech the inauguration is baltimore a great place to grow. my administration

corinne redman, abc2 news. >>> three, two, one. >> gearing up for the holidays president obama and his daughters flipped the switch last night on the national christmas tree. this is a new tree planted on the ground of the capitol in march. the predecessor was blown down as part of a storm. >>> it's part holiday and part memorial for men and women who protect us and our country every day. linda so is live in cockeysville with more on the annual tradition and tonight this is a biggy, linda. >> reporter: it is. we are going to have all the members from the military represented tonight to tell us more about it, rob you have really been behind this. this is 59th annual tree lighting ceremony -- this is the 5th annual tree lighting ceremony. >> what it is is we are celebrating the 5th annual military tree lighting ceremony. it's the honor ace said earlier, the sacrifices that have been given throughout the military throughout the world. however, we take time every year to have a candlelight vigil honoring those who have fallen within the state of maryland. we take the time and read off the

corinne redman, abc2 news. >>> if you want to give a gift early head to the inner harbor. it's dollar days in baltimore and this means you can see some of the city's biggest museums and attractions for a buck. this includes places like the national aquarium and marylandscience center and port discovery. dealfor visits saturday and sunday. for more information or to find participating place head to abc2news.com and click under baltimore cities. >>> time for five things you need to know this morning. the government is going to release unemployment figures. economists predict november numbers will stay around the same somewhere in the 9% range and the economists surveyed believed employers add about 125,000 jobs last month. >>> and a live picture of the u.s. capital. democrat and republicans planning to extend a cut the social security and payroll taxes now the issue goes to the house. we will keep you on this event and the critical vote as it happens. >>> and senators unanimously approved an amenment insisting on tougher sanctions against iran. lawmakers want to punish iran

corinne redman, abc2 news. >>> similar situation underway in a new york prosecutors says believes the claim by a former ball boy who says he was sexually assaulted by former assistant coach at syracuse bernie fine. the tough part is that the case and the second accuser are now too old to prosecute. however the case involving the third accuser is pending. >>> next time you head to washington you can may want to make a pit stop. where you will find your online history and how it's stored. you don't want to miss this. that is great story. >>> and a man gets 100 years for double shooting. we will check this out and let you know more on what he available on abc2 news -- what's available on abc2news.com. the sign says police are out in westminster. live reports from sherrie johnson is and you are watching "good morning maryland" first and only at 4:30. get up to a one hundred percent scholarship to college. and up to sixty-thousand dollars in assistance. get paid to learn valuable job skills. maybe make an extra twenty grand when you join. all while you serve your community and your country

corinne redman, abc2 news. >>> we are asking you to sound off on this our hot topic. did the church go too far? go to our facebook page or website the official wmar facebook fan page and leave your thoughts. >>> don't just look at inner harbor for the bicentennial war of 1812. blue angels will fly the second weekend of june. they will be here for four days to survey flights and low jestics with two air shows. -- logistics with two air shows. >> people can come and take a look at the planes. and we also will make arrangements to have some of the blue angels themselves come visit some of the community events. >> the blue angels had to cancel the annual show ona -- and the flyover for the naval graduation due to a near accident. they will do a flyover at the naval graduation coming up this year. >>> a special tree lighting ceremony honors military men and women. linda so is live in cockeysville with more on what's going to be an annual tradition now five years strong. >> reporter: it'd will happen at the deer -- it's going to happen at deer tree community. the tree is no

corinne redman, abc2 news. >>> the body of a missing man was found in a reservoir on thursday. charles was missing since december 2nd from middle river and a sanitation work mer d.c. police say there are no signs of trauma or foul play and an autopsy will be conducted. >>> a man is expected to survive after being shot in the legs by police. he led more than a dozen officers on a high-speed chase. police tried to stop the car because it smatched the description of another -- matched the description of another car in a robbery. it started yesterday morning in anne arundel county. the driver took off down 97 and the car crosses into baltimore county and baltimore city. by the time it reached landsdowne witness saw more than 20 police cars. -- witnesses saw more than 20 police cars. >> we saw them coming one after another. oh, my gosh. >> you see cop cars everywhere. >> oh, yeah. following each other like oh, my lord. >> we heard the boom boom boom and we went back in. >> like three shots. >> it was about three? about three. >> the suspect hit two cruisers before he stop and got ou

and this morning, abc2 news corinne redman is live with the homecoming and what's happening and what's planned against corinne we are two hours away from their arrival. >> reporter: yeah, we are about two hours away from their arrival. they are set to arrive here at bwi. around 8:00 this morning. and they are getting set inside. they will going to be greeted by operation welcome home and u.s.o members as well. and family members will be here to welcome them. right now, we have major -- sorry major matt warner who has been with us all morning. he will tell us about what it has been like for those airmen returning home this morning from iraq. >> that's right. so they probably have been traveling it can vary but probably from 12 hours to a day or so waiting to get back home. so they are a little fatigued and tired but as you get closer to being back to the united states of america you get the good feeling and can't wait to get your feet on the soil. >> reporter: the anticipation and some are coming through germany, kuwait to make the trek home and they have been flying for hours to get he

corinne redman, abc2 news. >>> we brought you update for the plan b pill now. a ruling hand down about that drug over-the-counter future. >>> and no significant accumulation across the met he row area but further north, they are clearing the road. we will take you there when "good morning maryland" continues on this thursday, december 8th. thank you for starting your day off with us. (phone ringing) hey college girl. hey mom. i just got your package. great. yea, mom you're the best. i thought you would like it. so, how are your classes, are you enjoying them? (announcer) it's more than just that great peanut taste, choosing jif is a simple way to show someone how much you care. we can't wait to get you home. i love you mom. i love you too. we'll see you soon. choosey moms, choose jif. >>> now "good morning maryland." >>> not much in terms of accumulation from the snow here in baltimore. but they are clearing the roads across pennsylvania. this is what it looked like in fayette county. roads in higher elevations were covered but state police say drivers treaded

corinne redman is here with new reaction on how it happened. >> reporter: well, this story is making head he lines this morning. that's because a small -- headlines this morning because a small church is banning interracial couples from the church. the church voted 9-6 on sunday to ban interracial couples from church services and function with the exception of funerals. a couple are the couple -- the couple met at a georgetown college in kentucky where they both went to school and are scheduled to marry in july 2012. woman's parents had been church members for decades and her mother a sunday schoolteacher and father deacon twhresm shocked and stunned when they were told they would be banned from the church. -- deacon. they were shocked and stunned when they were told they would be band from the church. >> -- banned from the church. >> he said they are not allowed. susie can take her fella where she found him at. >> as it stands now the policy is not sitting well with a majority of the community. so farther church has not responded to calls over the interracial policy. >>> well a man

reporting live from bwi airport, corinne redman, abc2 news. >>> if you are heading to the airport for the holiday weekend, get ready to have your patience tested. what causes frustrations when it comes to air travel? we will take a look. >>> and joe paterno resting at home this morning. we have an update on his health after what has proven to be a rough several weeks. you watching "good morning maryland" what's new now and next and everything to get your tuesday started off right. >>> now "good morning maryland." >>> and welcome back on this tuesday morning. this could be some dreaded news come the holiday season. drivers in five states are being forced to clear the roads after a heavy storm pumpels the area with snow. who will -- pummeled the area with snow. companies are too risky across nevada and new mexico and highways are not an option. winds and snow put brutal factor for the storm and blizzard warning in effect overnight for those along northeastern new mexico and northwestern texas in the panhandle. also, in the oklahoma panhandle as well but forecasters knew the storm was co

. >>> i'm corinne redman, a massive scam now facing new charges this morning. i'll have the latest coming up. >>> and a georgia woman gets creative using her holiday tradition and shopping herself for a new career. we'll give you the details on this friday, december 23rd. good morning, maryland, i'm charley krauss. just two days until christmas, two shopping days left. guys, if you haven't started, now would be the time. how's the weather going to be? let's check in now and say good morning to meteorologist justin justin burk. >> quorng, charley. 5:29. want to show you the national picture here, storm departing, snow in northern new england. we're also watching this little piece -- well, we were watching that little piece of energy across the northern plains. we've got ourselves this frontal boundary that's trying to clear the coast. we had on average an inch and a half of rainfall. in fact, some of the weather net locations showing that this morning and we can highlight 1.67 inches in churchville, hartford county leading the charge there. we've got 1.19

here's corinne redman with more. >> reporter: well, police commissioner fred bellefield is proud of the -- bealfield is proud of the work they did. brian kuebler spent a few hours with the commissioner explaining why they reached the low in murder. he says the focus on programs of illegal guns to gun offender registry and retraining of the police force. he believes the plan is beginning to net serious gains for the city and illegal guns and the bad guys that carry them off the street. they will stin to see a -- and they will continue to see a slide in homicides and crimes. >> we are incredibly proud that we could take a strategy just the same as coach harbaugh could draw up a play on a chalk board before a game and say this is how we are going attack and they run out and execute the play. i am just gleesed that -- shall blessed we drew up the play at 3,000 of them went out and executed it. >> reporter: but the commissioner says there's plenty work left to do. check back with us on the evening and 11 p.m. newscast to hear all new details on who and what else he credits for the murder dro

coren ridman -- corinne redman. >>> 1978 was the last time baltimore's murder rate was below 200. 2011 city has a very good chance of marking the 33 year low on homicides. baltimore city police commissioner made getting the guns the singular focus of the administration and is proud to say it's working. baltimore stands at 196 murders so far this year. and that number if it holds true through the weekend, it will be the first time in a generation that charm city has seen a number like that. >> the fact that we are making a difference, it is an enormous amount of pride to us. but, are we satisfied with that? and if i said yes, the mayor should yank me out of the store. we can't be satisfied i can't be satisfied we have one murder last year. we have a long way to go. >> and coming up throughout the day here at abc2, we will have much more on the story as brian kuebler interviewed the police commissioner and what's in store for 2012 to keep the numbers droning. >>> numbers dropping significantly and people died on maryland roadways. but there's no doubt last few days have been bad statewid

corinne redman is standing by with more. >> reporter: this is a special homecoming this morning. we are waiting the arrival of the 300 airmen who will be be coming home from iraq -- will be coming home from iraq. they served and marked the end of the war in iraq. joining us live is major matt warner who is with the u.s. air force. tell me, what was your role? you spent time in iraq with some of the men and women coming homing. what was your role. >> i spent about a year in iraq and i'm pilot by trade but while i was in iraqi was on the ground with the iraqis to help them rebuild the air force and provide advice to the air star on items to buy to rebuild the air force. >> reporter: tell me about this sense of relief about coming home and the war being over and not facing another tour of duty in iraq. >> well, obviously not going back to iraq is fantastic. that's clearly -- that's clear but we are deployed in afghanistan so there is a chance the people can come back and redeploy to afghanistan at some point in the future. but it is good to know iraq is finished up. >> reporter: now

corinne redman is standing by with the very latest details on what could be happening today. >> reporter well, it's make it or break it today. congress has until midnight to pass the spending plan or face a partial government shut down. there's a vote needed to pass the payroll tax doubt ensure millions don't see smaller paychecks but a last-minute deal. deal is in the works to avoid a shut down. democrats say an agreement was struck on a spending bill to fund the government through october of next year. democrats had been pressuring republicans to attack -- to tax millionaires so it could be cut by extnding into the government spending pack -- extending into the government spending package. law makers are aiming to past the spending bill and extension on the payroll tax cut before that happens. deal to extend the tax holiday would include an extension of unemployment benefits and despite clock ticking congressional leaders say they can get the job done. >> i think everyone needs to step back and take a deep breath. i think there's a easier way to untangle all this. >> i hope we can come

corinne redman, abc2 news. >>> teen is in the hospital after being shot by officers following a chase. authorities say the 19-year-old didn't stop when officers tried pulling him over. he led them through a chase through baltimore city and baltimore county. the driver pulled no a neighborhood in highland area and hit two police cars injuring one officer e then got out of the -- he he then got out of car pointed a-- he then got out of the car pointed the weapon at himself and then at police and that's when they opened fire. >>> police are -- 35-year-old charles ductett's body was found in the reservoir e was a sanitation worker in washington, d.c. montgomery county police say there are no signs of trauma nor any signs of foul play. >>> a woman arriving at dulles airport is accused of trying to sneak in close to $50,000 in the u.s. custom agents say the 52-year-old stashed the money inside envelopes and a book and cell phone holder along with several other small items. court documents shows she lied three times to authorities about the amount of money she was carrying be a she is -- and

. >>> and i am corinne redman. crime in baltimore going down. that's what the numbers say. hear firsthand from the police commissioner on what's working. >>> and so do you have your beer goggles on? we will a little later. how to prepare to stay safe without ending up in the slammer. those stories straight ahead on this friday, december 30th. we are a few days away from new year's eve celebrations. hope you have plans with friends and loved ones and if you do, be safe. time for a check of the forecast. for that we say good morning to meteorologist justin berk who is grinning from ear to ear. >> i saw snow. many you did. it i was happy to see how many other people were happy to see the same things. on this 30th of december we are down to 25 and high of 42. yesterday because of that surprise burst of snow temperatures were held lower but we are running above normal and i think we will get our pay back. we still have a long shot of winter left in front us. 3 below is the record in 1880. 68 in 1990. yesterday mount airy you can see the snowflakes there. not much showing up stic

rotting live, core -- can reporting live, corinne redman. >>> the hot topic on official wmar facebook fan page. the first comment from alan saying i doubt the sales between midnight and 6 a.m. will just fight inconvenience this is causing the store's employees that. came in from alan and by contrast the article says they are staying open before christmas. doesn't say they will be open christmas day so i don't know what the big fuss is about. that came in from mckinley. hop on and join the conversation and let us know what you have to say. >>> well, they say it's about the thought that counts in the holiday season but sometimes you receive gifts we know we are never going to use. abc2 is working with tips to ensure you many, many happy returns. literally. if you plan to take something back, it's best to have a receipt. that way you will get a gift receipt or a regular receipt so you are return the purchase. if you don't have the receipt your store will give you a store credit for the lowest amount for which the eye at the . was sold. if you plan to take something back, doesn't destroy