. >>> i'm tara mergener at the white house. herman cain is pressing ahead with his campaign but as his support slips, which g.o.p. candidate is gaining? o >>> prosecutors in ohio are deciding whether to charge a 16-year-old murder suspect as an adult. rafferty has been accused of luring men with fake help wanted ads on craigslist. in order to kill them. police believe they have found three victims and they say there could be more. rafferty is being held near akron, ohio. his alleged co-conspirator and mentor, 52-year-old rich beazley, is due in court on friday. >>> ringling bros. and barnum & bailey circus has been slapped with a large fine for its treatment of elephants. tells entertainment which produces the shows under the big top is being ordered to pay $270,000. the company is admitting no wrongdoing but has agreed to implement new training protocols for circus employees who handle animals. >>> herman cain is attempting to keep the focus on his plans for the nation rather than the problems that have been plaguing his campa

tara mergener is in washington with more. good morning to you. >> good morning to you, terrell. >> reporter: the former house speaker really stood out last night, taking a softer stand on immigration and breaking with traditional republican thinking. newt gingrich says he is prepared to take the heat for his stance on immigration. >> i don't see how -- the party that says it's the party of the family is going to adopt an immigration policy which destroys families that have been here a quarter century. >> reporter: at last night's debate in washington, the latest gop front-runner risked alienating the core base proposing that illegal immigrants be allowed to stay in the country if they have already laid roots in the u.s. >> i don't believe you would make 11 million workers legal bus that, in effect, is amnesty. >> reporter: his rivals fired back. >> people respond to incentives and if you can become a permanent resident of the united states by coming here illegally, you'll do so. >> reporter: national security and foreign poli

we go to tara mergener in washington with more. tara, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, terrell. they are said to get through all of that bureaucracy in order to get home. in the meantime, the families have been told they could be home by the end of the weekend. it's still unclear exactly when gregory porter, luke gates and derrik sweeney will be heading home. an egyptian court ordered their release thursday, but the three american college students remain in custody. they are accused of throwing fire bombs during this week's demonstrations but the students alledly shown here in a crowd insist they didn't do anything wrong. >> i wouldn't wish this roller coaster ride on my worst enemy. >> reporter: derrik sweeney's mother was elated to hear of their release. >> we can see the light at the end of the tunnel and it's coming to a resolution that we are truly looking forward to. >> reporter: derrik's father say the young men are sleeping in a tile room in a room without furniture. >> we wouldn't do that to ax murderers in our coun

tara mergener reports now from the white house. >> herman cain says an atlanta businesswoman is lying about a 13-year affair with him. ginger white told fox 5 atlanta her relationship with the g.o.p. presidential candidate ended just before he began his run for the white house. >> it was pretty simple. it was uncomplicated. and i was aware that he was married. and i was also aware that i was involved in a very inappropriate situation, relationship. >> reporter: white says cain flew her to cities where he was speaking and bought her expensive gifts. the candidate didn't wait for his accuser to tell the story. he started denying her charges hours before her interview aired. >> i wanted to get out in front of it because i have nothing to hide. i have done nothing wrong. >> cain is the g.o.p. front-runner before allegations of sexual harassment became public in late october. now, with just five weeks left until the iowa caucuses, he could have trouble bouncing back. >> it is a really tough employee for him at the very least, it is a distraction. at the worst, it is deathblow to the campai

tara mergener is in washington with the latest. tara, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, terrell. joy sweeney says her son sounded healthy during their brief conversation, but truce or not, it appear he and his friends may remain in custody for the holiday. protesters fled from an armed vehic vehicleas it tried to chase them down in the city of alexandria. for a fifth straight night, demonstrators clashed with police throwing molotov cocktails. >> it is disgusting! they have to go! they have no right to have any claim on any authority to make any decisions in this country ever again! >> reporter: protesters are demanding an immediate end to military rule in egypt. so far, the country's leaders have only agreed to move up presidential elections. wednesday, one of the candidates called for the violence to stop. >> this has to come to an end. this is unacceptable! >> reporter: the u.s. and the un kr condemned the violence against violators. egyptian police questioned the students again wednesday. one of them, 19-year-old derrick

tara mergener, wbal-tv 11 news. back to you. >> thank you very much. >> jury selection is expected to begin later today in the trial of two men's trying to suppress voter turnout. paul schurick is accused of conspiring with julius henson to keep african american voters home by logic in robocall by telling them the election had already been decided. fire cause a heavy damage to a greenhouse. the flames spread to the greenhouse on sunday afternoon. the cause is under investigation. >> authorities say they did not expect felt like in the death of an inmate. michael malpass was found unresponsive in his cell. he had been at the detention center for about a week. officials have not said how he died. some people in middle river are upset and said their property has been vandalized. kim dacey joins us live in towson with the latest. good morning. >> police think the vandals struck saturday night into sunday on holly grove road. neighbors say it is usually a nice neighborhood and the use it did not have any major problems.

tara mergener, wbal-tv 11 news. >> is he in or is he out? that is the question that herman cain's staff does not have the answer to. the reallocations of a 13-year affair. he has been dogged by accusations of sexual harassment by four women. he said he will reach a decision in the coming weeks. that brings us to our water cooler question of the day. do you think it's time for herman cain to bow out of his presidential campaign? you can share your response at wbaltv.com and on our facebook page, or send us an e-mail to watercooler@wbaltv.com. >> 6:09. good news for a subway sandwich fans. a special deal today. >> memories of 1979 are being revived. >> a judge sends them to four years but conrad murray's stay behind bars could be cut in half. >> ava marie any bed and breakfast. >> sarah caldwell checking on your morning commute. a problem of the tunnel tolls and some problems elsewhere. good morning. we're back with a live view of the skycam. 45 degrees downtown. a cold start to the day. i'm live in federal help at the scarborough fair bed and

tara mergener joins us live with the latest on the story. good morning to you. >> herman cain is striking back against his accusers and says he has no intention of quitting the race. presidential candidate herman cain faced reporters, hoping to keep a lid on allegations of sexual harassment. >> the charges and the accusations i absolutely reject. they simply didn't happen. >> cain's denial came as the name of another accuser was disclosed. karen kraushaar worked at the national restaurant association in the 1990's when cain was ceo. >> she's unhappy that her name has come out, but she realized in today's day of instant communications, it's very difficult to stay private. >> so far four women, including sharon bialek, claim they were victims of unwanted sexual advances by cain. >> my first response in my mind and reaction was, i don't even know who this woman is. >> women have a right to be free of sexual harassment, and that is why sharon is standing up to fight back. >> while cain has repeatedly tried to put the matter to rest, analysts say

tara mergener has where they stand on this. >> it is not a done deal, but both parties to agree this tax cut could be good for the economy. they disagree on how to foot the bill. in a move that helped avert another battle on capitol hill, republicans announced they may support an extension of the payroll tax cut. >> we will agree to the current payroll tax relief for another year, but we believe it should be paid for. >> leaders will unveil -- there will not impose a surtax on wealthy americans. >> this is a 3.25% tax on people who make more than $1 million. we don't tax the first million dollars. i think it is fare. >> this would keep cuts in place for another year and produce the payroll taxes by another 1%, giving middle-class families up to $1,500 more in their paychecks next year. >> hoping to prevent against possible shocks. >> the extension could boost the economy up to 2%. can lawmakers agree on how to pay for it? >> in the end, will have to be worked out between the democratic senate and republican house. >> president obama travels to pennsylvania to date to make a case for

tara mergener has the latest. >> herman cain is striking back against his accuser and says he has no intention of quitting the race. herman cain faced reporters, hoping to keep a lid on allegations of sexual harassment. >> the charges and accusations i absolutely reject. they simply did not happen. >> his denial came as the name of another accuser was disclosed. karen kraushaar worked in the 1990's when cain was ceo. >> she realizes it is difficult to stay private. >> sow for four women including sharon bialek claim they worked on wanted victims of sexual advances. >> i don't know who this woman is. >> women have a right to be free of sexual harassment. >> cain has tried to put the matter to rest. allegations will no doubt loom over tonight's debate. >> there will be an outrageous elephant in the room. >> the debate should focus on the economy. in washington, i'm tara mergener, wbal-tv 11 news. >> the ongoing sexual abuse scandal at penn state university has brought joe paterno under scrutiny. penn state students are rallying in support of paternal. trusty's-- paterno. that brings us

as tara mergener reports, the questions about his behavior with women are costing him at the polls. >> reporter: a friendly crowd welcomed herman cain to dayton, ohio. the presidential hopeful focused on his 9-9-9 tax plan, steering clear of the personal problems, plaguing his campaign. >> reporter: the establishment does not want herman cain to get this nomination. the liberals do not want herman cain to get this nomination. but i happen to believe that the american people have a different idea about who out to get -- ought to get this nomination. >> reporter: cain is rethinking his strategy, following accusations from ginger white. the atlanta businesswoman claims she had an affair with herman cain that lasted more than a decade. >> reporter: campaign aides call it a reassessment. cain's campaign says cain is not dropping out of the run for the white house. >> reporter: this comes amid sexual harassment allegations that pushed him out of the first place position at the polls. newt gingrich is gaining momentum. the former house speaker is wrapping up a swing through south carolina. p

tara mergener for cbs news, washington. >>> all right. an annual holiday tradition gets underway at the national zoo today. that story is coming up. >> plus, nasa scientists are getting much time off this thanksgiving weekend. they are getting ready for a launch and a scientific mission to mars. >>> we have some chilly conditions. as you step out this morning, you might want to grab a pretty good coat with you. you won't need it by later on in the day. will you need the sunglasses. we have mainly clear skies this morning. that has led to the falling temperatures. right now, looking at about 38 degrees in arlington. 41 in the city center. even those 30s out toward sterling, reston below the freezing mark. definitely, you want to dress for that. we're looking at a weather planner today that's not too bad. we'll start off this morning with temperatures in the 30s and 40s. we'll hit the 50s by noontime. we'll take it all the way up into the 60s by later on today. satellite and radar will keep us quiet for the short term. in fact, most of the

tara mergener for cbs news, the white house. >> cain told cnn his main concern is how the accusations will affect his family. >> i can take the lumps. i expected this kind of stuff when i made the decision to run for president of the united states of america but i'm worried about the impact on my wife and family because they should not be subjected to false accusations that cannot be proved. >> cain gave a foreign policy speech at hillsdale college in michigan today and did not address the accusations. >>> michael jackson's former doctor was given the toughest punishment possible today along with a verbal lashing from the judge. the los angeles judge sentenced conrad murray to four years in prison, the maximum for an involuntary manslaughter conviction. during today's hearing the judge called murray, quote, a disgrace to the medical profession. >> he has absolutely no sense of remorse, absolutely no sense of fault, and is and remains dangerous. >> due to the new state laws aimed at reducing prison overcrowding, the l.a. sheriff says murray will serve about two years behind bars in the

as tara mergener reports, this time, the focus stayed mostly on foreign policy and national security. >> reporter: newt gingrich said he's prepared to take the heat for his stance on immigration. >> i don't see how -- the party that says it is the party of the family is going to adopt an immigration policy which destroys families that have been here a quarter century. >> at last night's debate in washington, the latest g.o.p. frontrunner risked alienating the core conservative base, proposing that illegal immigrants be allowed to stay in the country if they've already laid roots in the u.s. >> i don't agree that you would make 11 million workers legal because that, in effect, is amnesty. >> his rivals fired back, calling gingrich's proposal a magnet for illegal aliens. >> people respond to incentives. if you can become a permanent resident of the united states by coming here illegally, you'll do so. >> national security and foreign policy dominated the agenda but the candidates discussed congress's failure to reach a deficit reduction failure this week putting the blame on president o

tara mergener, cbs news, the white house. >>> a second company that received government loans has gonekrupt. beacon power corporation has filed for bankruptcy protection. the massachusetts-based company received $43 million in energy department loans last year. similar to solyndra here in the bay area, that money was spent to build a new plant in upstate new york. this past friday, the white house ordered a review of the energy department's loan program. meantime, the bay area's bankrupt energy company will begin auctioning off some assets, desks, computers, and buildings will be sold off. you can attend in fremont or do it online. the solar panel manufacturer still seeking a buyer for the entire company or, at the very least, its specialized equipment. >>> a shortage of medicine for those who need it the most was the focus of action at the white house today. the president signed an executive order addressing shortages and drugs used in cancer treatment, emergency medicine and anesthesia. dwindling stocks of these medicines have forced hospitals to buy the supplies from retailers at su

tara mergener has the latest. >> reporter: it's still unclear exactly when gregory porter, lou gates and derek sweeney will be heading home. an egyptian court ordered their release thursday but the three american college students remain in custody. they are accused of throwing firebombs during this weak's demonstrations. but the students allegedly shown here in a crowd insist they didn't do anything wrong. >> i wouldn't wish this roller coaster ride on my worst enemy. >> reporter: derek sweeney's mother said she was elated to hear news of their release and hopes the throw will be freed by sunday. >> we can all see the light at the end of the tunnel and it will be -- it's coming to a resolution that we are really looking forward to. >> reporter: derek's father says the young men are sleeping on a tile floor in a room without furniture. >> we wouldn't do that to axe murderers. it's appalling that they would make kids sleep on the floor. >> reporter: the state department is work closely with egyptian authorities to bring the students home. u.s. officials are also urging all americans to

tara mergener for cbs news, washington. >>> a hearing on media ethics is underway in england's highest court. it was triggered by the phone hacking scandal at rupert murdoch's "news of the world" tabloid. the mother of a missing girl felt mentally raped when the paper published part of her personal diary. >> i felt so violated. you know, i had written these words, i thought at a very desperate time of my life. >> the photograph of madeline with the headline, she's dead. >> celebrities like hugh grant and author j.k. rowling are testifying about their battles with the british press. a judge will issue a report next year which could change the way the media operates in the future. >>> in other news today, it is thanksgiving. but for millions of americans, thanksgiving means more than turkey. >> yeah, for them, it is time to get the so holiday shopping list out. why, i don't know. many families are struggling financially this year, of course. experts say most of us will start looking toward practical gifts like clothes. electronics are also expected to be big as they are every year. so, g

tara mergener for cbs news, washington. >>> while the g.o.p. presidential candidates are debating inside constitution hall, demonstrators from d.c.'s occupy movement were demonstrating outside. they left mcpherson square and marched along 17th street northwest. d.c. police were on hand to make sure the protestors didn't cause any problems. surprisingly, they didn't stay long and headed back to their camp shortly after getting there. >>> now to cairo where tensions remain high where people took to the streets to protest the country's military rule. during the protest, three american college students were arrested for allegedly throwing firebombs at security officers. 19-year-old derek sweeney, 21- year-old luke gates and 19- year-old gregory porter are spending a semester abroad at the american university in cairo. sweeney who is to the far right in the video is currently enrolled at georgetown university. last spring, he interned for missouri congressman lane who called him a great worker and a real good kid. the congressman has been in touch w

tara mergener, wbal-tv 11 news. >> continuing coverage on our website. you can follow the candidates and keep track of who is leading the pack. does go to wbaltv.com and click on -- just go to wbaltv.com and click on politics. >> survivors continued to be pulled from the rubble of an earthquake in turkey. >> a rude awakening for one family. a police corps in the up inside a home -- a police car ended up inside a home. >> where is ava? i think i just saw edgar allan poe. >> 88 mess and other -- ♪ >> good morning. we're live this blame. we are playing "where is ava?" i'm inside the westminster hall catacombs. edgar allan poe is buried outside. poe.on i saw a bronedgar allan here he is. >> i'm here to express my gratitude for the good people of baltimore for the support they have shown for my home. for all the nice donations they of made. >> you wrote your first horror story here. >> i am honored beyond all measure to notice fine team of athletes, so powerful, such prowess and super bowl winning -- >> you follow football. >> it is an extraordinary achieveme

tara mergener joins us live with that story. >> good morning. lawmakers are all the way to capitol hill. that means more haggling over some pressing economic issues. congress returns to work this week. >> it would give middle class families about $1,000 extra in their pockets. >> the measure reduces the employee share of the social security tax peril by 2%.-- tax 2%.l bayroll by >> the middle class families will get hit by tax increase if congress fails to act. >> many republicans are against it, saying americans will get little bang for the buck. >> we do not think that is a good way to do it. >> democrats want to raise taxes on the nation's top earners. >> help those who are struggling paycheck to paycheck. >> the idea this not sit well with republicans. >> by taxing the people who provide jobs come you put off the day we have economic recovery in this country. >> congress must also decide whether or not to extend jobless benefits for the nation's long- term unemployed. >> both parties at odds over what to do. what to the experts say is the im

tara mergener r, wbal-tv 11 news. >> barney frank says he does not plan to see reelection -- seek reelection in 2012. frank decided to retire after his congressional district was redrawn. joins a growing list of retirements. >> 60 degrees on tv hill. protecting your child from certain smart phone apps. >> dr. conrad murray heads back to court today for sentencing. his lawyers are asking the judge to do. >> a shocking scene. the victims include a one-year- old boy. >> how you can help make the holidays more special for children. >> a problem on the harrisburg expressway. we will check >> good morning. a very mild 63 degrees downtown. colder weather is on the way. we're talking holidays and we're talking a toy drive. you guys collect toys all throughout the year. helping children make it that much more special. you are the volunteer coordinator. your toy drive is this sunday. what are the details? >> our building will be open on sunday from 10:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. people in the committee, individuals, agencies, congregations, even churches bring tollways and we receive them all day on sunda

. >> tara mergener, wbal-tv 11 news. >> thank you. you can follow the candidates on our website.go to wbaltv.com and click on politics. >> a big thank you to viewers who doted halloween candy to our troops overseas. three under pounds of candy and dental supplies were collected for operation gratitude. -- 300 pounds of candy. you can learn how to doted on our website, wbaltv.com. click on "as seen on wbal.' 50 degrees on tv hill. a new drug is helping a chunky monkey. >> a woman with cancer is still alive. the result of a new study. >> a very foggy start for your morning commute. morning commute. we have several accidents [ male announcer ] want to achieve more with your money? pnc virtual wallet gathers your spending and saving in one place. credit and debit purchases, checks, bills, and other financial information. it lets you see the details as well as the big financial picture. so you can do more with your money. see what a complete view of your money can do for you at pncvirtualwallet.com. ♪ pnc bank. for the achiever in you. >> welcome back. 5:40. the fog is the big story t

cbs' tara mergener has our report. >> reporter: a web cam trained on the mountain recorded the moment of impact. seconds later, there was a larger plogs. >> explosion. >> i looked up and i saw this fireball and it rose up. all of a sudden, boom. and that is when it spread whatever fuel and everything all over the place. >> reporter: witnesses say they heard a plane revving its engines in an attempt to clear the 5,000-foot mountain peak. rescue crews found several parts on the jagged mountain. >> the way the debris was strewn and the fire was burning it didn't look like anybody could survive anything like that. >> reporter: the plane left stafford, arizona. it took off only to crash in the mountainsside about 40 miles east of phoenix moments later. it's reported that the fuselage broke into larger pieces in an area that is particularly hard for investigators and recovery teams to reach. tara mergener for cbs news. >>> an american airlines jet made an emergency landing last night in los angeles. minutes after the 767 took off from los angeles headed to new york, the crew smelled somethi

at the white house, tara mergener, wjz eyewitness news. >> in one of his south carolina appearances, gingrich said if he is the gop nominee, he will follow president obama around on the campaign trail, until he agrees to debate him, seven times with no moderator. >>> the maryland woman who is forced to cancel her dream vacation after she was diagnosed with cancer, will get a full refund after all. >>> shortly after lynn mccain booked a trip to the caribbean, she was diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer. her doctors told her to cancel the trip immediately. the airlines refused to refund the money, but after thinking about it, they decided to make an exception for mccain. >>> best-selling drug is going generic today. what this means for the millions who take lipitor. >> reporter: since her heart attack four months ago, 83-year- old audrey salzman has been taking lipitor. with insurance, it cost her about $40 a month. >> i still pay quite a bit with it. >> reporter: now, lipitor is going generic, which means salzman and three others in the u.s. won't have to spend as much money for the

at the white house, tara mergener, wjz eyewitness news. >> meanwhile, mitt romney calls it a badge ofor to have the democrats target being him. he dismisses gingrich's rise in the polls, calling him a lifelong politician, not the best choice to run the country. >>> john hinckley shot and wounded president reagan. a hearing began today to see if he should be allowed additional visits at his mother's home in virginia, with the goal of living outside the facility at some time. today is also the anniversary of the signing of the brady bill, which puts restrictions on people asking for handguns. >>> kai has new developments in a case. >> military judge is hearing arguments on several pretrial motions, including whether major nidal hasan should face. he is charged with 13 counts of premeditated murder. and 33 counts of attempted premeditated murder. u.s. officials believe it was inspired by a radical u.s.- borne muslim cleric. he also asked to recuse himself. >> he earned his medical degree in bethesda. his trial is expected in march. >> reporter: a former rock climber pleads guilty today t