megan gilliland joins us now with the latest on the proposal, good morning, megan. >> reporter: with the $121 million budget deficit something has got to give. the mayor says the city's budget has got to be balanced. in order to do that, many priorities will take a huge hit and no one has been spared. the city's department of finance released the budget proposal filled with drastic spending cuts including more than 600 layoffs. the police say the mounted units would be gone. 7 fire companies shutdown, 90 firefighters out of jobs and 29 out of city's 55 recreation centers closed. >> if the rec centers are closed they have nowhere else to go. the gang leaders look at this as an opportunity to recruit these kids. >> what we did was try to look at the money that we have, look at the priorities and act accordingly. >> now the proposal also cuts down on bulk, trash pickups and dries up funding for the preakness parade and 4th of july fireworks. in order to raise revenue the mayor says they're looking at everything, from a tax on nonprofits on raising energy and telecommunication tax rates.

i'm megan gilliland.he graphic details revealed on the stand.. >> reporter: he is credited with taking the schools to brand new >>> welcome back to fox 45 early edition 5:28 is the time. i'm pa fris harris. -- patrice harris. let's check in with meteorologist steve fertig and see what we can expect.

i'm megan gilliland. why his defense attorney says he can prove his client didn't do it. >>> i'm joel d smith, the city is looking everywhere to try to

megan gilliland joins us live from the mitchell courthouse. good morning , megan. >> reporter: these three defendants chose to represent themselves in court. yesterday they walked wearing white, blue, and khaki, the royal colors for one mind ministries. queen antoinette, and travia williams and markus cobb stand accused of starving hav javon thompson to death for not saying amen after meals. the state called on the doctor who performed the autopsy. he told jurors that gentlema jas mummified and decomposed, no doubt difficult information for the victim's grandmother to hear in court. >> to hear them try to justify and try to say that is not the cause of his -- i don't care. the fact is that he is dead. you all put him in the suitcase and they did it all. >> reporter: it is expected that the defendants will point the one mind ministries during closing arguments today. after that it's up to the jurors to decide if these three people are guilty of murder. live from the mitchell courthouse, downtown this morning. i'm megan gilliland. fox 45 early ed

megan gilliland joins us live from the mitchell courthouse with the latest, good morning, megan. >> reporter morning, patrice. as we have been telling you these three defendants have chosen to represent themselves in court. yesterday two of them walked inside of this courthouse wearing white, blue, and khaki. those are the royal colors for one mind's ministries. qean antoinette, travia williams and markus cobb stand accused of starving 1-year-old javon thompson to death for not saying amen after meals. at court, the defense rested without calling any witnesses but the state rested on its case by calling the doctor who performed the autopsy on the child. he told jurors that javon's body was mummified. a difficult information for the grandmother here in court. >> to hear them try to justify and try to say that is not the cause of this, i don't care. the fact is that he is dead. and you all put him in the suitcase. they did it all. >> reporter: it is expected that the defendants will point to one mind mine industries during closing argue -- ministries during closing arguments. after that it's u

megan gill lan. we hav-- gill lan. gillilandan exciting show including a financial expert. >> who doesn't have money problems this morning write in our facebook. it's a new month, march. i'm hoping for better weather. >> the sun came out this morning peeking through the clouds. >> is this a tease. >> no, i think he should open his eyes completely. temperatures will feel cooler because it's breezy nothing like last week when we had the strong winds, though. >> we should a chance for snow midweek. >> he threw it in. >> what did you say, you ruined the whole thing? here is what we have in terms of temperature, 41 degrees in baltimore, and 40 degrees in hagerstown. temperatures look pretty good but there's a bit of a wind, breezy but it will feel chillier. cooler skies in the central counties and up to the north and east that is where the snow is right now. that is the snow from last week. that is not coming our way. that is leaving in fact. that upper level low is coming our way and the coastal low comes into play. this time around

i'm megan gilliland.l that spares no one, coming up. >> reporter: i'm joel d smith, live in hambden, where they have a lot of re saving money on cereal. - bread. - laundry detergent. even paper towels and toothpaste. at safeway, we've made a promise to lower the prices... on thousands of everyday items throughout the store. and, with our club card specials like lucerne yogurt, only 40¢, and 12-pack pepsi or 7 up, buy 2 get 3 free, safeway is keeping that commitment. so you'll always get what you want, when you want it, - at the price you need. - today and tomorrow. that's our promise. that's ingredients for life. safeway. that's our promise. that's ingredients for life. >>> welcome back to fox 45 morning news. 6:30 is the time. i'm patrice harris. let's get a check of today's forecast. meteorologist steve fertig is here with a bit different outlook than we had yesterday. >>> things have changed. clouds on the way and it's going to bring with it a chance of some rain. 50 degrees right now with the cloud co

megan gilliland with more. good morning, megan. >> reporter: good morning, patrice. the reality is it's not over just yet until the senate a bill and fixes some the promises that the democrats has been making will not happen. the process of reconciliation is not an easy one, and the republicans are searching the bill for violations that could raise unlimited objections. gop senators can also slow things down by offering amendments. >> amendment after amendment and it any of these amendments pass, then it goes back to the house. >> so you can see that's a nightmare scenario. >> now most of the bill does not take effect until the year 2014. however, there are some things that will change today when the president signs this bill including temporary coverage for the uninsured with preexisting conditions. coverage for older children, a drug discount for seniors and the elimination of annual and lifetime caps. several state attorney generals say they will file a lawsuit after this bill, 2400 pages of it is signed and ready to go. they say it's unaffordable and unconstituti

megan gilliland, fox 45 early edition. >>> as megan mentioned the budget cuts could affect the public safety services. under the proposal nearly 200 positions would be cut from baltimore's police department. the fire department stands to lose around 100 firefighters and 7 fire companies would close. this is in the city that is among the deadliest in the nation. >> almost horrified, because the police have hard enough job as it is and the fire department. really those two things we have to find money from someplace to keep them here. >> the police department would also lose the only helicopter under the plan and the marines that patrol the inner harbor would be eliminated along with the mowned unit. stay tuned with fox 45 morning news for the continuing coverage of this story. we will talk to former police commissioner ed norris about the public safety. that is coming up in the next half hour and the president of the fire union will be here to talk about the budget cuts. i will at this time sown with him durin-- i willsit down withe 7:00 hour. >>> it happened at the corinthian lounge i

megan gilliland is live at city hall with the latest. porter: good morning, patrice. that transition team is reporting back with many examples of waste and mismanagement from the trash programs to vacant homes across the city. in the report the 150 member transition team singled out the housing and parks department in particular recommending that the mayor create a program to get rid of the vacant homes across the city. >> we're taking a very comprehensive look. we're looking at the homes, the property that is owned by the city. we are looking at where they are in the city. is there any other investment that is going on. is there any other development that is going on. >> reporter: among other ideas, the transition team also recommended to privatize trash collection and also to consider extracting property taxes from nonprofits like hospitals and schools. now these are ideas that the mayor is expected to again, take into consideration before she releases her budget plan with cuts today. right now the city is facing a $121 million budget d

as megan gilliland reports, health reform also includes sweeping student loan reform. >> the reform plan would cut out the middle man. leaving more money for grants to low income students and making it easier for students to pay back their loans. but opponents question putting the government in charge of the entire student loan system, and now the fate of the reform is in the hands of the senate. >> when the house passed a health care bill, it also rescued a major source of funding for low income students. the federal pel grant. >> the pel grant used to cover up to 72 percent. now, it only covers about 30 percent of the cost of education. >> under the student aid and fiscal responsibility act. the pel grant program is getting a cash infusion. right out of the pocket of big student lenders like sallie mae. >> it looks as if it will be includeed and past. without any debate. that is a sad statement for, i think, the economy, and for students and families. >> sally mae and other private leners currently get federal money to provide low cost student loans. they also keep the profits from int