tara mergener is in washington with more. good morning, tara. >> good morning to you, randall. >> reporter: the race is clearly entering a new and more aggressive phase. one inviting direct comparisons between the candidates. >> i think people understand that i'm a man of steadiness and consistency. >> reporter: mitt romney doesn't mention newt gingrich in a new ad airing in new hampshire. >> i've been married for the same woman who -- consuexcuse me same won for 40 years. >> reporter: romney isn't the only one trying to catch up with the gop front-runner. rick perry reaches out to evangelicals. gingrich rise in the polls has surprised the white house. president obama's advisers now think there is a realistic chance gingrich could win the gop nomination. >> eight years of obama will truly make the country dramatically more difficult and have dramatically greater problems. >> reporter: gingrich and his rivals blasted the president on wednesday. hours later, occupy wall street protesters took turns attacking the gop candidates.

tara mergener is in washington. she's here with the latest. >> reporter: so far, there is no indication they are coming back either. neither side at this point seems willing to -- and congress is running out of options to keep this tax hike from kicking in. president obama is calling out house republicans. >> we have more important things to worry about than saving face. we have people who are counting on us to make their lives a little bit easier. >> reporter: he wants them to reconsider -- the gop rejected the senate measure tuesday following heated debate. >> this new year's gift we are going to give to the american people? that their taxes are going to be raised? >> give the american people a year! not two months! >> reporter: republican leaders now want president obama to call the senate back to washington to work out a one-year extension. >> i need the president to help out! all right? [ laughter ] >> reporter: but senate democratic leaders are digging in their heels refusing to return until house members pass

tara mergener, wbal-tv 11 news. >> police are warning residents in howard county to keep a close eye on those last-minute gift deliveries. this video shows a woman at grabbing a parckage off of a porch and driving off. >> i understand that i will be keeping my eyes out more likely. >> we have had a lot of packages delivered.d to be >> the package had been on the porch about an hour and a half before the theft. have packages shipped to your place of business. the holiday travel rush begins today. nearly 92 million people will hit the roads today or catch a plane to visit family and friends. that is an increase of 1.5% over last year. that brings us to our water cooler question of the day. what are your holiday plans? are you going somewhere? are you stay home? you can share your response at wbaltv.com and on our facebook page, or send us an e-mail to watercooler@wbaltv.com. the baltimore police department is making the holidays brighter for some families this year. 350 holiday baskets were distributed yesterday to families in need. there were filled with donated toys and canned goods

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tara mergener joins us live this morning with that story. good morning. >> good morning. what a week. after nearly one week of wrangling, it looks like millions of americans will not be seeing that tax increase on new year's day. today, congress is expected to accept a two-month extension of the payroll tax cut. >> while everyone asks for a full-year extension of these programs, a lot of people were not willing to put the effort in as the holidays were approaching to get it done. our members were. >> house republicans were demanding a one-year extension, but gave into growing pressure from their senate counterparts to go along with the short-term deal. if not, 160 million americans would have seen their paychecks shrink january 1. >> this is about the american people and whether they win. this is not about a contest between politicians. >> the bill is similar to the bipartisan one passed by the senate, but eases the administrative burden on small businesses. the house speaker says holding out may not have been a good political move, but it is time to move on. >> we fought

. >> i'm a tara mergener door. over keeping more money in your paycheck could bring down the rest of the government. >> the weather is pretty quiet but we have some rain in the forecast. >> looking pretty quiet on the major roadways. we will update you on one problem in harwood this morning. some >> live, local, late-breaking, this is wbal-tv 11 news today. >> good morning. welcome back to 11 news today. i'm stan stovall. >> and i'm mindy basara. thank you for joining us this morning. a pretty mild morning. >> temperatures are in the 40's. we have been going up about 10 degrees each morning. it is relatively mild. 46 degrees at the airport. that is the average high temperature for this date. we will make it up to 56 or 57 today. we do expect some rain to move in late this morning or this afternoon. take an umbrella with you. you may need it on your way home. we will check the seven forecast in a few minutes. >> the morning commute looks great. one problem in harwood. we have a closure because of a downed pole and w

tara mergener reports from the white house. >> president obama sat down with iraq's prime minister at the white house to talk strategy. the two leaders are discussing security concerns and how iraq will maintain stability without the help of u.s. military forces come the first of the year. hundreds of u.s. troops in armored vehicles are streaming out of iraq every day. many of the nearly 6,000 who remain are packing up three u.s. bases. one officer tells cbs news the massive logistical operation is going smoothly. >> for me and my soldiers, it gives me great pride to be able to be a part of something as big as this. >> reporter: the deadline for u.s. forces to be out of iraq is december 31st. president obama wanted to leave some troops there to help with training but the deal fell apart when iraq refused to provide the soldiers with legal immunity. sunday, the military officially turned over control of a base south of baghdad to iraqi security forces. taking down the american flag is another sign the change of power is on track. >> right now, we're on schedule to be able to make it ou

we begin our coverage with tara mergener in washington this morning. >> reporter: the white house says it is watching developments in korea very closely at this point, and that is efforts to get north korea to abandon their nuclear ambitions may have to be delayed. north koreans openly went over the death of their long time leader kim jong-il. both men and women broke down after hearing he died of a heart attack while on a train on saturday. it's urging its people to rally behind his third son and heir-apparent kim jong-un. >> he apparently studied abroad in switzerland in his early years so he has kind of a western education but we don't know what kind of leader he is going to be and what direction he is going to take the country. >> reporter: immediately following news of kim's death, japan set up a crisis deem while south korea put its military on high alert. president obama called south korea's president overnight. he reaffirmed the commitment to south korea security and the overall stability to the region. kim's death comes just days after u.s. and north korean officials discussed

tara mergener is in washington this morning. good morning, tara. >> good morning to you, drew. both sides continue to insist they want to extend this initiative. but with just 11 days left in the year now, hope is fading fast. house republicans won't settle for the senate's short-term fix. >> i think it's time to do the right thing for the american people. let's solve the problem now. >> reporter: they emerged from a closed door meeting last night ready to shoot down a two-month extension of payroll tax cuts and unemployment benefits later today. >> we believe that a much better path forward is uncertainty. and that is a year's extension of the payroll tax holiday. >> the bill breezed through the senate over the weekend, even gaining the support of house minority leader mitch mcconnell. house speaker boehner seemed on board until he discussed it with fellow republicans. >> it is the radical tea party republicans who are holding up this tax cut for the american people and jeopardizing our economic growth. >> reporter: gop leaders now want the senate, which has gone home for the

tara mergener for cbs news, capitol hill. >>> president obama has already said that he is willing to skip his christmas vacation to hawaii until congress comes up with an acceptable agreement. >>> coming up on 9news now, police arrest three students after another hazing incident involving florida a&m band members. >>> good news for people looking too job. more employers say they'll be hiring in the new year. the hiring firm manpower, says 9% of employers will bring on new employees in the first quarter of 2012. that's the highest rate in three years. >>> the survey also shows which fields would do the most hiring. mining is number one on the list followed by hospitality, professional and business services followed by retail. >>> a d.c. initiative to get more residents back to work is in its second phase. d.c. mayor vincent gray launched the one higher campaign back in september. the program encourages local businesses in the d.c. metropolitan area to hire qualified, unemployed d.c. residents. mayor gray says the one hire campaign is showing great promise. >> which is designed to begi

tara mergener for cbs news, washington. >>> many working americans are fed up with congress. the fact that the senate has left town and house republicans are expected to reject the measure. and all voters and working americans can do is just watch as we get closer to seeing our taxes go up. >> yeah, the frustration level is incredibly high. >> frustration level with congress from 0 to 10, 10 being the highest? >> 11. >> 10. >> between -- somewhere between the 9 and the 10. yeah. easily. >> it's purely political. and it doesn't make sense. >> they don't have any problems with their health care. they don't have any problems with their pensions. they don't have any problems with their taxes. we elected them to work on our behalf and they just seem to be working on their own behalves. >> the senate is not expected to resume legislative work until january 23rd. >>> one of the businessmen caught up in the jack johnson corruption case will be sentenced later today. mahi admitted to buying untaxed alcohol from prince george's county police officers. mahi then sold the alcohol at his

tara mergener with the future of the troops as they return home. >> reporter: defense secretary leon panetta arrived in baghdad to preside over the official end to the u.s.-led war in iraq. in a solemn ceremony, soldiers wrapped the flag design for the war around its staff and put it inside a sheet. that flag will be brought back to the united states but will never fly again. the moment marks the official end to the mission. secretary panetta paid tribute to the men and women who served. >> your dedication, your commitment to this mission, has been the driving force behind the remarkable progress that we've seen here in baghdad and across this country. >> reporter: about 4,000 american forces remain inside iraq. they are packing up and ready to hand over the remaining two military bases. the nearly nine-year-long war cost more than $800 billion and killed 4500 americans and left more than 30,000 troops wounded. the secretary says that sacrifice was not in vain. veterans groups point out even though the war is ending for some troops the battles continue. >> don't turn the page on iraq

tara mergener reports. >> reporter: president obama and the first lady took off for fort bragg, north carolina. they're welcoming members of the military home from iraq and honoring the nearly 4500 who lost their lives in combat. >> we've given the iraqis an opportunity to have a democracy and to be successful. it is now time for us to bring all of our troops home. >> reporter: the president's trip comes as the nearly 9 year long war draws to a close. some 6,000 u.s. forces left in iraq will be out by the end of this month. but in meetings with iraq's prime minister earlier this week, the president promised the u.s. will help with security issues, fighting terrorism and training iraq's military. about one million american troops have served in iraq since the war began with a conflict officially coming to an end, the white house is pushing hard to help veterans get the help and the jobs they need on the homefront. >> we have a moral obligation to all of them, to build a future worthy of their sacrifice. >> reporter: the unemployment rate for veterans is higher than the overall rate nat

i'm tara mergener on capitol hill. more on the congressional showdown coming up. >>> and we have a little holiday cheer for you travelers. what skype is doing to make your trip a little smoother. >>> and you can see we still have a little bit of low clouds and fog over mount vaca but we're starting to clear up, expecting sunshine for this afternoon the how warm it's going to get coming up. keurig has a wide variety of gourmet coffee and tea to choose from. keurig is the way to brew fresh, delicious coffee in under a minute. way to brew. so with keurig, every cup tastes like it's brewed just for you. because it is. xxx germ >>> let's go live to wall street. stocks surging following encouraging signs out of europe. the dow way up 238 points well above the 12,000 mark. jeremy's business leaders are more confident, apparently. according to a survey the spanish government pulled off a successful debt auction and the investors like it. >>> house republicans rejected a two-month extension. payroll tax cut, this could trigger

tara mergener is in washington with more this morning. >> reporter: newt gingrich admits his campaign is pretty far behind but he says that does not mean romney is a more viable candidate. newt gingrich is scrambling to meet virginia's filing deadline. >> with your help, we are going to get in the ballot. >> reporter: he fired up voters at a last-minerally wednesday night and will continue campaigning in the state today. the former house speaker must turn in 10,000 voters signatures to qualify for virginia's primary. he says he'll have more than enough. instead, he is staying focused on his biggest rival. >> i've challenged governor romney to meet me for 90 minutes in iowa next week, anywhere, any time, timekeeper, no moderator. >> reporter: gingrich dared romney to a one-on-one debate after he slammed into new hampshire for complaining about negative ads. >> if you can't stand the relatively modest heat in the kitchen right now, wait until obama's kitchen shows up. >> reporter: romney has already turned in 16,000 signatures to get on the virginia ballot in march, but he and fellow co

the house has just approved a bill to step the expiring payroll tax cut but tara mergener tells us it doesn't have a chance in the senate. >>> reporter: the house approved legislation tuesday night to extend a payroll tax cut and jobless benefits that expire at at the end of the year sa we have passed a large bill that contains many of the priorities of our caucus and the white house. we have worked to find common ground. >> reporter: now the bill heads to the senate where democrats say it's dead on arrival because it includes a controversial oil pipeline project and asks too little of the wealthy. >> really wasting time catering to the tea party folks over there when they should be working with us on a bipartisan package that can pass both houses. >> reporter: if congress doesn't reach a compromise, 160 million workers could see their paychecks shrink. the white house says lawmakers need to stay in washington until they roach a deal. >> there is simply no excuse for congress to leave on vacation until the american people know that they have been taken care of. >> reporter: to put pre

. >> as tara mergener tells us, republicans and democrats are at odds over how to pay for the extensionf cuts which will expire at the end of the month. >> reporter: president obama heads to america's heartland to continue fighting for an extension of payroll tax cuts. he'll visit kansas where he's expected to call this a make-or- break moment for the middle class. >> my message to congress is this, keep your word to the american people and don't raise taxes on them right now. now is not the time to slam on the brakes. now is the time to step on the gas. >> reporter: monday, the president urged republicans to extend the popular cuts before they expire at the end of the month. the white house says the average family would have to pay another $1,000 a year in taxes if congress doesn't act. >> there are many folks either in the middle class or those trying to get into the middle class who can afford to give up $1,000. >>> president obama supports democrats who want to scale back part of the proposal but he insists the nation's wealthiest americans should help pay for it. >> it is bad econo

tara mergener is in washington with more on all of this. good morning, tara. >> good morning to you, betty. republicans are trying to keep the president on the defensive over the weak u.s. economy. in the meantime, mitt romney is ramping up his campaign as newt gingrich surges in the polls. mitt romney is battling to take back his lead in the gop race. >> now it's time to make our case to the american people and to the people in iowa, new hampshire, south carolina and florida. >> reporter: in arizona tuesday, he promised a more aggressive campaign ahead of next month's iowa caucuses, including a new wave of tv ads and appearances. the former massachusetts governor is trying to catch up to newt gingrich who now holds a double digit lead in iowa in a cbs news/"the new york times" poll. >> this election is really going to be a fundamental choice about what path america is going to take during this century. >> reporter: today, romney will join his rivals in washington for the republican jewish conference. he'll argument he is the best candidate

tara mergener for cbs news, washington. >>> in the presidential race newt gingrich is suggesting that fellow republican mitt romney is running a smear campaign against him. in iowa yesterday, he suggested romney is behind negative attacks funded by political action committees. romney denies he or his campaign are involved saying that the commercials are out of his control. a new poll shows gingrich and romney are tied nationally among republican voters at 20% each. ron paul is in third at 10% and has gained significant ground in iowa, the site of the first caucuses 13 days from today. >>> giselle esteban is under indictment now for the murder of michelle le. it lets the judge skip a preliminary hearing. she is scheduled to enter a plea january 20. >>> monta ellis is being sued for sexual harassment. an attorney and his client say they will file the suit against ellis and the warriors this morning. he is accused of sending text messages to the accuser starting in november of last year. the warriors are also accused of covering up ellis' actions after they fired the woman in august. >>>

tara mergener for cbs news, washington. >>> eight u.s. soldiers now face charges in connection with a fellow soldier's suicide in afghanistan. 19-year-old army private daniel chen apparently shot himself to death in october. his family says he was hazed and bullied because he is chinese. the charges range from dereliction of duty to involuntary manslaughter. the next step is a hearing to determine if there is enough evidence for court-martial. >>> and a wave of bombings killed at least 60 people today in baghdad. no one claimed responsibility. but the coordinated nature of the 14 attacks suggests that planning by "al qaeda in iraq." the bombings are probably not a direct response to a confrontation that's been going on all week between sunni and shiite political leaders but will likely increase tensions just days after the final american troops left. >>> on a happier note, two california women are making military history. it is navy tradition for sailors to kiss loved ones when return from sea. for the first time they are both women. they

tara mergener, wbal-tv 11 news. >> you can fault our coverage on line. you can follow the candidates in the race for the white house on the politics page of wbaltv.com. >> 40 degrees and foggy on tv hill. >> more than a dozen college football fans are hurt after a big oklahoma state whin. >> this is southbound 95 at 32. watch out for the fog this watch out for the fog this >> welcome back. 47 degrees downtown at the maryland science center at the queenstown can schools are opening 90 minutes late because of the fog with no pre- kindergarten. you can get those delays on the bottom of your screen. visibility down to 1/4 of a mile in some spaces. 45 in westminster. the fog will burn off and we will have sunshine to sneak through and it will be a mild the day. rain will catch up to us tonight and tomorrow. now to the news desk. >> a threat note is found on a plane. the flight attendant discovered the plant referencing a bomb in the bathroom. the flight landed at logan. the plane was searched. investigators do not believe the threat was credible because the n

time is running out. 11 news reporter tara mergener live in washington with the latest. good morning, tara. >> good morning to you, mindy. yeah, and congress actually making progress at this point. how about that? there is a deal now to avert a government shutdown. they're also getting closer to a plan to extend the payroll tax holiday and unemployment benefits. compromise -- >> we're confident, optimistic we'll resolve both on a bipartisan basis. >> instead of confrontation. >> there's an agreement on a bill that we keep the government open. they worked out all the details and shook hands. >> congressional negotiators signed up on a $1 trillion spending agreement, narrowly averting a government shutdown. it provides full funding for the government through september of 2012. the house could ok the measure friday, sending it on to the senate. the payroll tax issue remains the final sight of the session. >> congress should not and cannot go on vacation before they have made sure that working families aren't looking for work don't see their unemployment insurance expire. >>

tara mergener is live in washington with that story. >> so-called main street retailers say they are at a disadvantage, forced to charge sales tax while they're on-line competitors are not. the frenzy of cyber monday is over. if some lawmakers have their way, all online retailers will soon be getting something else to your shopping cart -- sales tax. >> the obligation to pay exists today. >> online retailers -- let's face it, an unfair advantage over local and small businesses who are required to collect sales taxes. >> traditional brick and mortar retailers must charge customers sales tax in their stores and online. >> to have that additional 6% sales tax differential is something that creates an unlevel playing field. >> requiring all online retailers to charge sales tax. >> we want to stand with the little guys. >> amazon says it is happy to comply. >> we have supported federal legislation. >> we oppose the bill that would empower bills to conscript remote retailers to become sales collectors. >> one of the bills would allow some smaller online retailers to remain exempt from impo

tara mergener is live in washington with the latest. good morning. >> just six days left until the iowa caucuses. the race is on to grab those undecided voters. >> i will ask you to be with me. >> gop hopefuls fan out across iowa. >> this marks my 350th town hall meeting. >> 12% of iowans still have not made up their mind. but today, all but one major candidate will be crisscrossing the highways, showing up in local diners while their tv ads take up the airwaves. the last week has brought little change in the standing. ron paul and mitt romney are the top two. >> i'm tired of the president who is proud to announce it could be worse. >> newt gingrich continuing to slide. >> he has not fare so well under the limelight. people are having second thoughts. >> all are hoping going the extra mile in i will will pay off. rick perry is running fourth in polls. walpiowa the race is on. >> traditionally the candidates that end up at the bottom are the ones that are leaving. >> a lot of analysts are saying that michele bachmann and rick santorum, i

tara mergener joins us live with more on the story. >> good morning. a new name is now made it to the top tier, a signed by what voters -- iowa voters are still making up their minds. another surprise just ahead of the iowa caucuses. after months of placing near bottom of the standings, rick santorum has jumped to third place. >> people like us. i hear this all the time. you know, "we really like you." >> analysts say a barrage of negative ads aimed at newt gingrich, who had been surging in the polls -- >> politicians who supported bailouts and mandates, serial hypocrites and flip-floppers. >> cost him support, some of which appears to have gone to santorum. a new cnn/"time" magazine poll shows santorum now with 16% of the vote. mitt romney still leads the pack -- >> this is an election about the soul of america. >> with ron paul a close second. >> it does look like there are more cameras than there used to be. [laughter] >> but with days to go and the race still fluid -- >> you don't have to have a nasty, negative, mud-slinging, consultant-driven camp

tara mergener has more on the story from washington. >> a short break for christmas and now gop hopefuls are going full steam ahead to iowa voters. a week before the first nominating contest, polls show ron paul at the top of the pack, with newt gingrich and mitt romney, who just released a new ad. >> i'm going to do something to government. i'm going to make it simpler and smaller and smarter. >> but some experts think a core of loyal supporters in the hawkeye state could seal the deal for paul next week. that's not stopping the other candidates from pulling out all the stops. >> thank you very much. thank you. >> michele bachmann, who won the iowa straw poll last summer, is hitting the road on a bus tour. so are rick perry, gingrich, and romney, each hoping to sway undecided voters. on monday, rick santorum was in town, hunting for votes and pheasants. >> it was an opportunity for me to get out and participate in a sport that i know is a popular one here in the state of iowa. bird shooting. we did some bird shooting today. >> jon huntsman, who is lagging far behind in the polls, is not

i am at tara mergener, wbal-tv 11 news. >> state school officials say the girl who was found murdered in indiana lived in hagerstown earlier this year. officials say she attended winter street elementary school from january to june. a neighbor has confessed to killing the girl and dismembering her body. county is offering grief counseling to any member who knew her. a man was murdered in west baltimore. he was shot wednesday night on west garrison avenue. two masked man pushed the victim into his home and demanded money. police are hoping more witnesses will come forward. >> due to the time that this occurred, we're hopeful -- we have spoken to some individuals concerning this incident. there are more that witnessed this and will come forward. >> the victim was well-known to city police officers. his death marks the 196th side in the city this year. >> there was a fire at a south baltimore grocery store. this was on south hanover street on noon on thursday appeared the building was fully engulfed in flames when firefighters arrived on the scene. they were able to bring it under contro

tara mergener joins us live with more. >> there are just six days left until the iowa caucuses. the race is on to grab those undecided voters. >> that's why i will ask you to be with me. >> gop hopefuls fan out across iowa to woo potential caucus- goers. >> we've been to every county in the state so far. this marks my 350th town hall meeting. >> a reported 12% of iowans still have not made up their mind. >> we're within a week of the caucus, and i've not gotten to that point where my head and my heart come together. >> but today, all but one major candidate will be crisscrossing the highways, showing up in local diners while their tv ads take up the airwaves. >> if washington's the problem, why trust a congressman to fix it? >> still, the last week has brought little change in the standings, with ron paul and mitt romney in the top two -- >> i'm tired of a president who wakes up every day, looks across the country, and is proud to announce it could be worse. >> and newt gingrich continuing to slide. >> gingrich has not fared so well under the limelight, and i think caucus-goers

as tara mergener reports for wjz from the white house, many iraqis are glad to see the americans go. but some have mixed feelings about the withdrawal. >> reporter: the iraq war has come to an official end, with a small, solemn ceremony. soldiers rolled up the flag u.s. forces flew during the military campaign and put it into a sheath. it's headed back to the united states, a symbol of the nearly nine-year war that killed 4500 americans and injured more than 30,000 others. defense secretary leon pineta was in baghdad for the ceremony. he paid tribute to america's fighting forces. >> your nation is deeply indected -- indisebted to you. you have done everything your nation asked you to do and more. >> reporter: president obama has said u.s. troops will be home by christmas. but commanders say thousands of them will have to stay in kuwait for a few more months. >> reporter: about 4,000 forces remain inside iraq. they're packing up the last two u.s. bases there. some have mixed feelings about leaving. they're happy to head home, but concerned about iraq's future. >> i really do hope the

tara mergener, 9news now. >>> the president is also asking congress to extend long- term unemployment benefits. they're set to expire december 31st as well. >>> all right. howard bernstein is standing by. we call this extra big weather today because word has a big coat on, too. >> where are you? >> i'm at the ice exhibit. this is the seasonal exhibit at the gaylord national. i'm in the nativity room. it is gorgeous. it is all clear. it is crystal clear ice here. as you look around the exhibit, the nativity scene, we have workers actually touching up the scene because this place is open how many days? >> through january 8th, over 50 days. >> the exhibit has to be maintained. >> right. it is on a show. this is one of our chinese ice carvers. they do this daily. they'll come in and retouch the sculptures to keep them crisp looking. >> there is a word that happens. >> subligation. >> -- sublimation. over time, the sculptures will start to melt and evaporate into the air. they'll come every single morning before we open the attraction and retouch each of the carvings. >> i love here in the

tara mergener reports for wjz, the visit comes as the iraq war enters its final stretch. >>> folders -- soldiers at fort bragg cheered president obama and the first lady as they paid tribute to troops returning from iraq. >> as your commander in chief, and on behalf of a grateful nation, welcome home. [ applause ] welcome home! >> reporter: the last 6,000 u.s. forces are packing up. they'll be out of iraq by the end of this month. it's the final chapter in a nearly nine-year war that has killed nearly 4500 americans and injured tens of thousands more. >> all the fighting and the dying and the bleeding and the training and the partnering, all of it has led to this moment of success. >> reporter: the president recounted the challenges u.s. forces faced during the course of the war and thanked the families who stood behind their loved ones deployed to the front line. >> every military family that has carried that load over the last nine years, you, too, have the thanks of a grateful nation. >> reporter: and he renewed his pledge to support veterans on the home front and helped them find

as tara mergener reports for wjz from washington, a controversial provision could mean the bill will die in the senate. >>> republican leaders say they're confident legislation extending the payroll tax cut and unemployment benefits will clear the house with bipartisan support. >>> we've got a reasonable, responsible bill that really will help the american people. really upon will help create jobs. >> reporter: the payroll tax cut expires at the end of the year, unless congress acts, 160 million workers could see their paychecks shrink. both parties have said they support an extension, but they disagree on how to get it done. they call the house bills dead on arrival. because of fast track approval of an oil pipeline project. >> they're really wasting time to people catering to the people. when they should working with us on a bipartisan package. >> the white house says president obama would veto house bill. and that lawmakers needle to stay in washington until they find a compromise. >> there's simply no excuse for congress to leave on vacation, until the american people know that t

-led war in iraq officially ends, tara mergener reports for wjz, some u.s. have mixed feelings about the end of the war in iraq. >> they have come to a solemn end. soldiers rolled up the flags u.s. forces flew during the military campaign and put it into a sheath. it's headed back to the united states, a symbol of the nearly nine-year war that killed 4500 americans and injured more than 30,000 others. defense secretary leon pineta was in baghdad for the ceremony. he paid tribute to america's fighting forces. >> your nation is deeply indebted to you. you have done everything your nation asked you to do and more. >> president obama has said u.s. troops will be home by christmas. but commanders say thousands of them will have to stay in kuwait for a few more months. >> reporter: about 4,000 forces remain inside iraq. they're packing up the last two u.s. bases there. some have mixed feelings about leaving. they're happy to head home, but concerned about iraq's future. >> i really do hope the best for the iraqi people. this has been really hard. >> many iraqis ar

at the white house, tara mergener, wjz eyewitness news. >> the final u.s. troops are supposed to be out of iraq by december 31st. coming up all new tonight at 5:30, we will hear from two maryland soldiers who are still there. >> no turns to yes. an agreement with the state allows a proposed merger between constellation energy and exelon to move forward. wjz is live. pat warren explains the potential benefits for bge customers. >> hi, kai. governor o'malley said he first opposed the deal because he didn't think it was in the best interest of the state. now he says there is a new and better deal. >> reporter: constellation and exelon enter into agreement with maryland to invest in renewable energy, to harness the power of the sun and wind, burn natural gas and chicken poo, and pass on the savings to you. >> it's 10 times more generation than originally posed. >> reporter: these mergers are legally required to do no harm, to benefit reality payer -- ratepayers and be in the public interest. the deal benefits ratepayers with a $100 credit on their bge bill, ass

tara mergener for cbs news, the white house. >>> when it comes to marriage, more americans are saying i don't. what's driving couples away from the aisle? >>> i'm in here for criminal threats. >> yeah, but these are santa's elves behind bars. how bay area inmates are making christmas brighter for kids. ,, ,, ,,,,,,,, from 20 leading brands, including barista prima. it's the way to brew everyone's favorite cup in under a minute. way to brew. the number of people getting rd low: last >>> fewer americans are saying i do. the number of people getting married is at a record low. last year, just 51% of adults had a ring on their finger according to a new pugh research study. that's down 5% from 2009. a big factor, the bad economy. other reasons? couples are living together longer without getting married. and they are putting off college, which further delays marriage. >>> well, they are not the typical workers you'll find in santa's workshop. but these men have quite a bit of time on their hands have worked all year to make christmas wonderful for needy children. anne makovec has the story.

tara mergener for cbs news, washington. >> the senate will also vote on two balanced budget amendments today. both of those are expected to fail. >>> well, uncle sam is going to stop making those dollar coins. vice president joe biden says 40% of them that are made each year wind up in storage because nobody wants to use them. the treasury department says the move will save $50 million a year. however, get this! dollar coins last a lot longer than the paper dollar bills and if we made the switch to using just the coins, the estimate is the government would save $5.6 billion over the next 30 years. >> i juster got them yesterday. i use them. people look strangely. >> i don't get it. >> in five minutes, we're talking about protecting your ears. hearing loss isn't just a problem for seniors. we'll get advice for all ages. >> that's a fact in my house. >> howard says we're heading to the 50s today under partly sunny skies. however, showers will be rolling in. he'll tell you when. keep it here with 9news now. >>> we have partly to mostly cloudy skies. this morning. mostly cloudy today. high

tara mergener for cbs news, capitol hill. >>> a majority of american adults say that president obama does not deserve a second term. but they are evenly divided on whether he will be reelected. this is all according to a new "associated press" poll that shows although the public would prefer mr. obama out of office, they say he fares well against potential matchups mitt romney and newt gingrich. >>> six former top executives with freddie mac and fannie mae have been charged with civil fraud. the securities and exchange commission says the executives misled the government and taxpayers about risky subprime mortgage the company held during the housing bus. they own or guarantee about half of all u.s. mortgages. that's about 31 million loans. >>> glimmer of hope for the california job market. at least on paper. statewide, the unemployment rate dropped again to 11.3% last month. that is down from 11.7% in october. in santa clara, alameda and contra costa counties, the unemployment rate also fell slightly. but our unemployment numbers are still quite a bit above the national average and t

as tara mergener reports, a new deal is unlikely because senators are already on christmas vacation.>> reporter: president obama is calling out house republicans. >> we have more important things to rory about than saving face of. we have people who are counting on us to make their lives just a little bit easier. >> reporter: he wants them to reconsider a two-month extension of payroll tax cuts and unemployment benefits. the gop rejected the senate measure tuesday following heated debate. >> is this the new year's gift that we're going to give to the american people that their taxes are going to be raised ? >> give the american people a year not two months. >> reporter: republican leaders now want president obama to call the senate back to washington to work out a one- year extension. >> i need the president to help out. all right? >> yeah! >> reporter: but senate democratic leaders are also digging in their heels refusing to return until house members pass the two-month measure. >> the clock is ticking. time is running out. >> reporter: congress has just 10 days to reach a deal or 1

tara mergener reports from washington. >> reporter: president obama and nouri al-maliki stood side by side, laying a wreath at the nearly 4500 military members who died fighting the war in iraq. al-maliki visited washington as the u.s. prepares to withdraw all remaining fighting forces. president obama is keeping a pledge to end the almost nine- year-long war by the end of this month. >> the last american soldiers will cross the border out of iraq, with honor and with their heads held high. >> reporter: at a joint news conference, the president and the prime minister praise the relationship between the two countries and promised continued cooperation. >> reporter: but some u.s. officials are concerned, neighboring iran will step up influence on iraq, once american forces leave. president obama is confident that won't be a problem. >> i have absolutely no doubt that these decisions are being made, based on what prime minister maliki believes is best for iraq. not based on considerations of what iran would like to see. >> reporter: on the battlefield, u.s. forces are taking part in what

tara mergener has the latest from wjz. >> this video shows robert levinson, a retired fbi agent, who disappeared inside iran. >> i have been treated. well, i need the help of the united states government. to answer the requests of the group that has held me for 3 and a half years. >> reporter: levinson's son, david, is sending his own video message to his captors. >> we want to know what you want our family to do so that my father can come home safely. >> reporter: the 63-year-old father of 7 went missing nearly five years ago. he was working as a private investigator to iran. the u.s. intelligence officials believe iranian officials ficked -- picked him up. but they never had solid evidence of where he was. >> a series of photographs but they prompted state department to launch discreet talks to find him. >> we have been sharing relevant information we have about his case, with many governments to see what we can do. >> reporter: iran's government denies it had anything to do with levinson's disappearance. has family hopes their new video message will reach his capt aror -- captors

tara mergener reports for wjz. robert leavenner's family released a video of their own. >> reporter: this video shows hostage robert levinson, a retired fbi agent, who disappeared inside iran. >> i have been treated well. i need the help of the united states government to answer the requests of the group that has held me for 3 1/2 years. >> reporter: his family is releasing the tape it received last november. and levinson's son david, is sending has own video message to his father's captors. >> i am sending this message because you need to know what you want our family to do, so my father can come home safely. >> reporter: the 63-year-old father of 7, went missing nearly five months ago. he was working as a private investigator when he traveled to iran. the u.s. government believed iranian intelligence officials picked him up. but they never had solid intelligence on who had him or where. >> they raised more questions about who was holding levinson hostage. but they prompted the state department to launch the talks

tara mergener reports. >> reporter: house lawmakers approved a trillion-dollar plan, funding the federal government next year. >> the conference report is adopted. >> reporter: leading senators say they'll follow suit, heading off a government shutdown this weekend. but lawmakers are still battling over a bill that would extend a popular tax cut and unemployment benefits. >> putting this money in the pockets of the american people who need it so desperately, and need to spend it on necessities, will inject demand into the economy and create more jobs. >> reporter: the payroll tax cut put an extra $1 million into the hands of 160 million americans this year. if not renewed, those workers will take home less manny -- money in the new year. >> reporter: the two are divided over how to cover costs. republicans want to add language that will speed up the construction of the oil pipeline. >> reporter: it's a project running from canada to texas that is unpopular with democrats. >> if that bill comes over to us, we will make changes to it. and i will guarantee you that the keystone pipeline wil

. >> i'm tara mergener in washington. four days to go on to the iowa caucuses. try to win over voters -- trying to win over voters. >> an early-morning problem on 95 in havre de grace. you can see lots of activity. [captioning made possible by constellation energy group] captioned by the national captioning institute --www.ncicap.org-- >> live, local, late-breaking, this is wbal-tv 11 news today. >> good

at the white house, tara mergener, wjz 13. >> the troop withdrawal will mark the end of a 9-year war at the height of which in 2007, 170,000 u.s. troops were serving there. >>> still to come on eye witness news at noon, the suspension. fallout from the basketball brawl. occupiers pick a series of targets out of the west coast. details of the newest plan to combat corporate america. >> it's cloudy and chilly. first morning forecast is coming up. ,,,, [ male announcer ] are you paying more and more for cable and enjoying it less and less? stop paying for second best. upgrade to verizon fios and get tv, internet and phone for our best price online -- just $79.99 a month for two years with a 2 year agreement. it's an amazing holiday deal. but don't wait. it's only available for a limited time. so go to verizon.com/superoffer to sign up. act now and we'll add a special bonus -- $300 back. fios delivers the best picture quality, plus america's fastest, most consistent most reliable internet. spend the holidays saving money. switch to fios and get our best price online -- just $79.99 a mont

tara mergener reports. >>> president obama and iraqi prime minister nouri al-maliki stood side by sidearlington, laying a wreath for those who died fighting the war in iraq. al-maliki visited washington, as the u.s. prepares to withdraw all remaining u.s. fighting forces. president obama is keeping a pledge to end the almost nine- year-long war this month. >> the last will cross the border out of iraq. with honor and with their heads held high. >> reporter: the president and prime minister praised the cooperation between the two countries. >> reporter: but some u.s. officials are concerned, neighboring iran will step up influence on iraq, once american forces leave. president obama is confident that won't be a problem. >> i have absolutely no doubt that these decisions are being made based on what prime minister maliki believes is best for iraq. not based on considerations of what iran would like to see. >> reporter: on the battlefield, u.s. forces are taking part in what one military officer called the biggest logistical operation since world war ii. they're handing over bases and mov

tara mergener, wjz eyewitness news. >> this was president obama's first visit to fort bragg. special forces station there were among the first soldiers to enter iraq at the start of the war. >>> an ugly brawl at a college basketball game will not result in criminal charges. saturday's game between xavier ended with punches and shoves and one player getting kicked on the floor. prosecutors decided not to press charges, after reviewing the tape and interviewing several players. eight player were suspended. >>> forced to face the victim's clegs and family members in court. derek valcourt reports on the large show of support for a fallen officer. >> reporter: the lock of -- look of a suspected cop killer. stone faced. hardened, shackled, before a courtroom filled with grieving nypd officers. in the lobby, standing room only, as police absoluted arriving family members. including two daughters ever fallen officer, peter figowski. shot dead in a drug robbery. the judge refusing to set suspected killer lamont pride free. >> police officer's figowski's handcuffs were on these perps t