tara mergener has the latest. >> reporter: thousands of afghans took to the streets. launching a fourth day of deadly protests over the burning of korans at a u.s. military base. afghan security forces fired their guns into the air in kabul trying to get the crowds to break up. they were on high alert. dressed in riot gear, and expecting angry crowds after friday prayers. some of the demonstrations happened outside the air base, that's where the korans were burned tuesday. an afghan soldier killed two american soldiers. the top u.s. commander in afghanistan visited that base telling u.s. forces that now is not the time for revenge. and he asked afghans to exercise restraint and patience. >> we admit our mistakes. we ask for forgiveness. we seek to move on. >> reporter: the president also apologized for the incident in a letter to afghan president hamid karzai. the white house says president obama's main concern is the safety of americans in afghanistan. u.s. officials insist the copies of muslim holy books for prisoners at the air base were sent by mistake to a place

tara mergener, wjz, eye witness news. >> ron paul has a rally scheduled for tonight in minnesota. he has pumped time and money in to the state hoping for his first win there. >> still to come on eye witness news at noon, details about the case of a rutger student accused of spying on his roommate during a sexual encounter. why prosecutors want to upgrade the charges. >>> high flying circus act goes horribly wrong, the details coming up. >>> another sunny day out there. that could change, your forecast is coming up. ♪ ♪ we were skipping stones ♪ and letting go ♪ over the river and down the road ♪ [ female announcer ] at nature valley, we know nature comes together in amazing ways. that's why we bring together natural ingredients, like dark chocolate with toasted oats, or sweet golden honey. perfect combinations of nature's delicious ingredients, from nature valley. ♪ ♪ i was thinking that i hope this never ends ♪ [ female announcer ] nature valley granola bars, nature at its most delicious. >>> murder-suicide involving two boys and their father. josh powell used a hatchet on his so

as tara tara mergener reports he spent most of the day under attack. >> he talked up his plan to them. >> instead of having a president that bows to special interests, in this case union interests, that we have a president that bows to the interests of the american people. >> he is trying to lock in a win there. rick santorum has captured the lead in several polls. he and romney battled it out side by side wednesday. >> and the government take over healthcare. >> wait a second. >> and there was a study -- >> wait a second. >> they faced off in their 20th debate. the other candidates each took aim at santorum during the debate, putting him on the defensive about his record in washington. >> i was the most fiscally conservative senator in the 20 years i was there. >> that is always a cop out when you compare yourself to the other members of congress. >> paul has yet to win a contest and gingrich is essentially skipping next week's primaries, focusing instead on washington state and the south. santorum is on the hunt for cash, holding a pair of fund raisers in texas, hopping for wins in

tara mergener, wjz 13. >>> ron paul is still in the hunt as well. his campaign is focusing on caucus states hoping to pick up enough delegates to allow him to play a role in the convention in tampa. >>> things are warming up in our area today. taking a live look outside, not a lot to to complain about. if you like the weather today, there is more good news on the horizon. marty is outside enjoying the weather, soaking it up to bring it inside. bernadette woods is in the first warning weather center. good afternoon, everybody. cleared out, we are beginning to warm it up. we will show you the graphic here, 43 degrees baltimore. look at the 40s, couple of 30s, they are on their way up. high pressure in control. clear skys and pumping up warm air behind it. that's important. the warm air is going the factor in to the forecast the next couple of days. out to marty in the outback. >> reporter: good afternoon, everybody. yeahs i guess we survived the storm i'm calling the mouse that roared. it's well off the coast. it took clouds with it. look at the natio

tara mergener for cbs news, the white house. >>> 40 states have already given it the green light. why california still hasn't signed on for a deal to help homeowners. >> and another strike sweeps across greece. why protestors are taking to the streets again. >> a last-minute stroller save. the shocking surveillance video as a baby goes over the edge at a train platform. we have it coming up. >>> hi, i'm meteorologist lawrence karnow in the cbs 5 weather center. so nice to have the rain back in the bay area! are there any more storms on the way? we will talk about that coming up. >>> all right. take a look. a cautionary tale for you parents out there. an australian mother looks away for a few second, watch as her baby stroller rolls over on the train tracks passing several bystanders. the mother quickly jumps on the tracks. she does manage to rescue the baby. the baby and the mother are going to be fine. scary stuff there. >> close call, sure. >>> now to the european debt crisis. protestors clashed with greek police outside parliament in athens. riot police fired tear gas into the

tara mergener for cbs news, the white house. >> the obama team is raising money as well. the president is visiting florida. the first lady is in ohio and also kentucky. and vice president biden is rallying the democratic base in the northeast. >>> members of the u.s. senate are watching their mail for a potential threat. letters were sent to several lawmakers' district offices, including speaker of the house john boehner. investigators say the letters contained harmless powdery substances but letters sent to comedy show host stephen colbert and john stewart have messages that warned every senator would receive a letter that macon obtain.son. the threats brought back memories of the november 2001 incidents when anthrax was mailed to two senate office buildings. four people were killed. >>> coming up next, howard has the forecast and a friend to introduce to you. >> that's right. this is chika, our feature dog. it's so nice outside. going to be nice for a little while longer. look at these temperatures as we go to break. upper 50s in the shenandoah valley already. 63 here i

tara mergener has more. reporter: celebrities and dignitaries including president obama gathered inside a tent on the national mall to mark the start of construction on the smith sonnian's newest edition, the national museum of african- american history and culture. >> this is a milestone moment not only for the smithsonian, but for the united states. reporter: lonnie bunch is the museum's director. >> it really has been an opportunity to make sure that my ancestors and all our ancestors are remembered. reporter: the new museum is slated to open on the national mall in 2015, but it already has a staff raising money and collecting artifacts. smithsonian officials say they already have more than 15,000 items on hand that will be part of the african-american museum's collection. they're working to find more material on popular culture, music and military history. they're hoping this kickoff will also help jump start fundraising. congress pledged $250 million for the museum which will cover about half the cost o

tara mergener is in washington with that. good morning, tara. >> reporter: good morning, betty. mitt romney is still trying to explain what he meant by that comment. then came this high-profile endorsement even he may not have expected. at a packed rally in reno, mitt romney called on voters to help keep his momentum going. >> would be helpful if mef nef did the same thing florida did and give me a boost going on. get out there and caucus. >> the former massachusetts governor heads into tomorrow's caucuses with a solid double digit lead and the backing of donald trump. >> he's smart. he's sharp. he's not going to allow bad things to continue to happen. >> reporter: romney seemed almost surprised as he accepted the real estate mogul he is endorsement thursday. >> there are some things you can't imagine happening in krur life. this is one of them. >> earlier, newt gingrich's campaign suggested the former house speaker would be the one getting trump's support. a majority of republicans polled last month say trump's endorsement would have no impact on their decision. instead, most v

tara mergener is in washington with details on all of that. good morning, tara. >> reporter: good morning, betty. donald trump is expected to give gingrich the nod today, which will no doubt bring a blitz of immediate attention in time for the contest saturday. newt gingrich and donald trump could soon be teaming up on the campaign trail. sources tell cbs news the billionaire businessman is expected to endorse the former house speaker in las vegas today. the two met in new york city last december, but it was one of several meetings the reality tv king had with with candidates. trump's backing before the caucuses could help gingrich bounce back from his florida loss. gingrich will continue courting voters in nevada today but he won't be the only one. >> i'm so happy to be back in nevada. >> front-runner, mitt romney, is also in the state and trying to recover from comments he made wednesday about the poor. >> i'm not concerned about the very poor. we have a safety net there. if it needs repair, i'll fix it. i'm not concerned about the very rich,

tara mergener for cbs news, washington. >>> and here's somebody else that wants to be president.eann barr best known for her embarrassing rendition of the national anthem with a sitcom, too, she has submitted paperwork to run for the green party's nomination. she says it's not a joke claiming long-time support for the green party. she says democrats and republicans have not been working for the best interests of the american people. >> never a dull moment in this race. >>> america's cup may be hitting patchy waters. only three challengers have signed up for next year's event. five other teams have expressed interest but haven't signed up yet. america's cup spokesman says she is not worried because entry fees aren't due until june. the regatta director told new zealand media that the race format might have to be scaled back to accommodate fewer teams. >>> you may have seen something different on the golden gate bridge. digital sensors center been added to let cyclists know how fast they're going. the west sidewalk is temporarily closed. the bridge district said the new equipment i

. >> reporter: i am tara mergener in washington, mitt romney picks up a big endorsement in las vegas, the latest coming up. >> reporter: the few animals that survived a case of animal hording are up for adoption. i am monique griego and we will have the latest into the investigation into animal abuse. >> reporter: good morning, i am andrea fujii live outside towson town center. gunned down right before christmas, how police say they caught the men responsible for killing a 19-year-old outside the mall. details ahead. >> reporter: and sharon gibala here with wjz traffic control, everything still running smoothly on your morning commute but we will let you know if anything changes. right now over to marty. >> all right, coming up on coffee with, donnie wahlberg is joining us, he and tom selleck star in blue bloods, this run away hit. 13 million people watch it. he throws much respect to raven nation on this super bowl weekend. coming up on 6:45 as the morning edition continues with the sunrise making its appearance over the inner harbor. we will be right back after this. ,, i hear you'r

tara mergener, wjz eyewitness news. >> they are both rallying support today there.hey both trail in the polls. >>> the state of washington is on the verge of becoming the 7th state to allow gay couples to marry. the senate passed a bill there. the measure heads to the washington house where it is exhibited to pass. maryland lawmakers are currently considering a similar measure here. >>> also in annapolis the state delegate from baltimore city wants to create a missing children plan for maryland. the bill for delegate joe carter is aimed at improving the cooperation between state agencies and advocacy groups and would include more resources for police. >>> a normally quiet baltimore city community is in the news this morning after two women are robbed outside a well-known shopping center. wjz and andrea fujii live in roland park. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, don. and good morning, everyone. roland park is a community that is not familiar with violent crime but now police are stepping up patrols as they try to put the man responsible behind bars. an unfami

tara mergener has more on what is at stake. >> mitt romney is expected to do well in arizona. in michigan, the outcome is less certain and could change the game. >one day left for hopefuls to sway voters in michigan and arizona. >> we're planning on winning the. >> mitt romney picked up an endorsement from jan brewer, said the former massachusetts governor has the best chance of beating president obama. >> the country is in terrible shape. we need a leader who can make a difference. >> mitt romney has a comfortable lead in arizona. michigan is emerging as a showdown between mitt romney and rick santorum. in and holdingg our own. >> newt gingrich trails far behind and is banking on a strong super tuesday performance in georgia and tennessee to revitalize his campaign. >> is the wildest nominating process i've ever seen in modern times. >> meanwhile, ron paul is trying to accumulate delegates so we can make impact at the republican convention in august. between michigan and arizona, a 59 delegates are up for grabs. tara mergener, wbal-tv 11 news. >> you can keep track of the can

tara mergener is live with this morning's report. good morning. >> good morning. 59 delegates are at stake today between the states. the big question -- who takes the prize in the state where mitt romney was born and raised? the two gop presidential front- runners trade insults'. >> he is a nice guy but he has never had a job in the private sector. he has worked as a lobbyist. >> to be attacked on television by massachusetts governor is a joke. >> mitt romney is expected to capture all of arizona's delegates. but michigan, once considered romney territory, is now up for grabs after a relentless pursuit by rick santorum. >> please welcome rick santorum. >> his campaign is urging michigan democrats to vote against romney in the primary. >> welcome governor romney! >> a win by santorum could have enormous implications. >> mitt romney had a good night and both of them will be going after it began with gingrich and ron paul still in a picture on super tuesday. >> newt gingrich and ron paul r. looking ahead and spending their day campaigni

tara mergener burke, wbal-tv 11 news. back to you. >> 6:08. 40 degrees on tv hill. shoppers, listen up. there are plenty of deals to be had. >> a school clothes and a community in mourning -- a school closed. >> what about a free breakfast? where you can get some free pancakes today. >> a brand-new restaurant is opening downtown in a restaurant. will taste the food when we come back -- we will taste the food when we come back. >> we have some accidents and we will take a live view from skyteam 11. we're seeing a buildup of volume approaching the beltway. hi. we're spreading the word about new honey bunches of oats fruit blends and their unique taste combinations. like peach/raspberry. with one flavor in the granola bunch and one on the flake. two flavors. in harmony. honey bunches of oats. make your day bunches better. >> good morning. we're starting you off with a live view from sky team 11. it is 43 degrees downtown. i'm downtown and talking about a brand new restaurant that is opening this friday on the corner of pratt street and calvert street and across from th

tara mergener has more about what is at stake. >> mitt romney is expected to do well in arizona. the outcome is less certain in his home state of michigan. one day left for gop presidential hopefuls to sway voters in michigan and arizona. >> we're planning on winning. we're making -- obviously the momentum is in the right direction. >> on sunday, romney picked up an endorsement from arizona governor jan brewer, a tea party conservative who says the former massachusetts governor has the best chance of beating president obama. >> the country is in terrible shape. it's upside down, and we need a leader, somebody that can go out there and make a difference. >> polls show romney with a comfortable lead in arizona. but michigan is emerging as a showdown between romney and rick santorum. >> here we are being badly outspent again by his super pac and his big-dollar friends, and we're hanging in there, holding our own. >> newt gingrich, who trails far behind, is banking on a strong super tuesday performance in georgia and tennessee to revitalize his campaign. >> this is the wildest, stran

a big relief this morning for mitt romney. >> tara mergener, thank you. one of the few among republican voices in the senate said she will not return to washington -- one of the few moderate republican voices. blow toher retirement is a republican hopes of gaining control of the senate. stephanie rawlings-blake has lost her top i.t. official at city hall after an audit of its previous work for the state of new york revealed allegations of misconduct. investigators alleged he negotiated a contract with a security firm while securing a job for is girlfriend with that company. the contract was later terminated costing the state $1.5 million. robert miner will serve as baltimore's acting director. >> a late-night shooting in west baltimore. 7 on norno word as to a suspecta possible motive. police say they have a person of interest in connection with the death of a girl in northwest baltimore. we do know the child was found monday night in the 3400 block of calloway avenue. she did not survive. no word on the exact cause of death. a baltimore man will spend th

. >> tara mergener has the report this morning. good morning. >> good morning. michigan and arizona were crucial primaries for mitt romney whose campaign not get some momentum. a relieved mitt romney squeaks' out 8 win in michigan. >> we did not win by a lot but we won by enough. >> mitt romney needed victories in both states to boost his campaign. >8 rick santorum wind would have raised more questions about its ability to attract the conservative vote. rick santorum said to keep the faith. >> a month ago they did not know who we are but they do now. we came into the backyard of one of my opponents in a race that everybody said, just ignore and you have no chance. >> thank you very much. >> newt gingrich and ron paul are focused on super tuesday. >> the primaries next tuesday really matter. >> they keep asking about one in particular states in this campaign but guess what -- we're still winning a lot of delegates and that is what counts. >> the next contest is saturday in washington state where 40 delegates are up for grabs. >> what tipped the scale in michigan?

and as tara mergener reports from washington, a new national poll gives rick santorum, an 8- point lead over mitt romney. >> reporter: supporters in susanville, ohio, gave rick santorum a huge ovation. sounding like a front runner, santorum never mentioned his gop opponents. instead, he blamed rising oil prices on president obama. >> because of the mismanagement of the president's policies overseas, because of his mismanagement of the persian gulf and our friends in the state of israel, we see a tension in rising prices. >> reporter: santorum also said the president is pushing an environmental agenda that limits energy production. mitt romney also began his campaign day in ohio, where 66 delegates will be up for grabs on super tuesday. >> i would love to have the support of the people of ohio. and so i'm here today, saying thanks to the innovators that are here and asking you to innovate one one more time and vote for a republican. >> reporter: ohio is crucial for republicans. no gop candidate has ever made it to the white house without winning the ohio primary. >> reporter: newt gingri

tara mergener reports from the white house with more from the campaign trail. >>> mitt romney hit the campaign trail in arizona, ready to hit his chief rival's record. speaking to a group of builders and contractors, romney slammed rick santorum's votes as senator. >> he voted to fund planned parenthood, even though that was against his principles. he voted for no child left behind, even though that was against his principles. >> reporter: romney is trying to take back the lead. a new poll shows romney and santorum virtually tied. santorum has launched a new tv ad in romney's home state. it attempts to show that the governor is not a true conservative. >> reporter: santorum is trying to raise money at fundraisers. all four gop candidates went to different parts of the country after squaring off in what could be their final debate. >> governor romney voted to raise taxes and fees. >> during your term in congress. the years you have been there, the government has doubled in size. >> reporter: newt gingrich is essentially skipping the round. president obama has set his sights on a southe

tara mergener reports, it is because the country is charging a dozen americans with funding violent protests. >> reporter: egyptian protests ran from tear gas cannisters. police have been firing on crowds, taking to the streets near tahrir square. the demonstrators are demanding military leaders hand over power to a government. they have now charged 43 international workers with using foreign money to encourage uprisings like this one. 19 of them are americans, including sam lahood. charles dunne is another american charged. he's living in washington, working for a group called freedom house. he insists his organization was not using his money to encourage protests. >> i'm very worried about the future of the country, when they're shuting down egyptian and american ngos that are involved after all, with trying to do the things that the military says it wants to. >> the state is pushing leaders to drop the charges and allow americans still there to return home. secretary of state hillary clinton warned, if it doesn't happen, egypt could lose more than $1 billion in aid. >> reporter: president

tara mergener reports for wjz, from washington, d.c. >> reporter: president obama and the first lady joined celebrities and dignitaries, marking a moment the president said was a long-time coming. >> great ground. >> reporter: construction is now under way. on the national museum of african american history and culture. >> should stand as proof. but the most important things in life really come quickly or easily. it should remind us that although we have yet to reach the mountain top, we cannot stop climbing. >> reporter: tasha coleman was one of the first people hired to work for the museum. >> i mean, it's really another way for us to tell the whole american story through an african american lens. >> reporter: the museum's site is near the washington monument on the national mall. and even though the building won't be ready until 2015, its exhibits are already taking shape. >> reporter: staff members have gathered more than 15,000 artifacts for the african american museum's collection. some are temporarily on display at the american history museum, until their permanent home is rea

tara mergener has the latest from the house. >> reporter: rick santorum is campaigning in ohio and gaining momentum across the country. >> this race is about freedom. economic freedom and the opportunity to grow our country. >> reporter: the latest survey shows santorum heading the pack of presidential hopefuls. he is focusing his attacks on president obama. one remark about the president's environmental policies has stirred up controversy. >> it is not about your jobs. it is about some phony ideal, some phony beliefs. >> reporter: the obama campaign cried foul but santorum said he wasn't questioning the president's faith. >> the president says he is a christian, i believe he is a christian but i am talking about his world view. >> reporter: santorum is also fighting to hold his lead in michigan. he is hoping to defeat romney in his home state next week. >> reporter: but the former massachusetts governor is trying back. he is heading there tuesday for a speech on the economy. romney is hone gaining ground. newt gingrich is looking to the south if a comeback on super tuesday next month. >>

tara mergener, wjz eyewitness news remember. >> arizona and michigan hold primaries on february 28th.>> the food and drug administration is moving forward on an investigation into caffeine inhalers. the biggest concerns are how it mixes with alcohol and its effects on teenagers. the inhaler sends 100 milligrams of powdered caffeine into your body. the fda does not oversee supplements. but is looking to see if it falls under its guidelines. >>> new research to show women should watch their heart health later in life if they have complications in pregnancy. >> reporter: laura lee davidson, delivered her son oliver, earlier than expected. >> i was diagnosed with high blood pressure, preeclampsia toward the very end. >> reporter: shehad a c-section at 37 weeks because doctors were worried about how her condition could affect her and the baby. >> it was very scary because everything is completely out of your hands. >> reporter: now a new study finds the complications davidson developed during her pregnancy could be a predictor of her risk for cardiovascular disease later. >> if you have ha

tara mergener has the latest for wjz from the white house. >> reporter: mitt romney hit the campaignrail in arizona, ready to hit his chief rival's record. speaking to a group of builders and contractors, romney slams rick santorum's vote. >> he voted to fund planned parenthood, even though that was against his principles. he voted for no child left behind, even though that was against his principles. >> reporter: a new poll shows romney and santorum, virtually tied. santorum has launched a new t ad in romney's home state. it shows quotes from the governor, in an attempt to show he is not a true conservative. >> santorum is raising cash at a fundraiser. all four gop candidates went to different corners after squaring off in what could be their final debate. >> governor romney raised taxes and fees in massachusetts. >> during your term in congress, the years you've been there, the government has doubled in size. >> reporter: nutenewt gingrich instead is focusing on washington state and the south. president obama has set his sights on a southern state, too. he visited florida thursday.

tara mergener for cbs news, the white house. >>> newt gingrich is taking a shot at president obama's energy policies while rallying gun advocates. >> what liberals don't get is that you cannot put a gun rack in a volt. >> the former house speaker was referring to the chevy volt when he addressed the oklahoma state legislature this morning. he went on to criticize what he called the president's outrageously anti-american energy policies. >>> and new at 6:00 a new movement is under way in oakland to overturn the controversial system that elected jean quan as mayor of oakland. today opponents launched a petition to end ranked choice voting that allows voters to rank up to three candidates in order of preference. the goal is to prevent a runoff but some say the system is flawed. >> we have a mayor who in reality got 45% of the vote and majority is more than 50%. and that in itself is a fundamental problem. >> the group, moving oakland forward, is hoping to get 30,000 signatures in order to have voters make the decision about ranked choice voting this november. >>> california homeowners a

tara mergener reports for wjz, leaders are urging calm. >> reporter: protesters torched this nay to convoy coast as demonstrations rage ed across afghanistan. it's been the most violent day so far as outraged protesters -- despite a written apology from president obama, the protests show no sign of easing. at least 20 have been killed. including two u.s. soldiers. the top u.s. commander in afghanistan made a special trip to the forward operating base where an afghanistan soldier turned his gun on american troops. general john allen offed condolences and urged constraint. >> now is not the time for revenge. now is not the time for vengeance. look deep inside your soul, remember your mission, remember your discipline. >> reporter: u.s. officials promised a full investigation in to the koran burning incident and confident it won't have a long lasting impact on the mission there. the up tick in violence is concerning the u.s., and it's nay to allies, who are working to withdrawal all troops from afghanistan by the end of 2014, it's gratified the afghanistan president called for calm pending th

at the white house, tara mergener, wjz eyewitness news. >> and the next primaries are in arizona and michigan on february 28th. >>> the south begins cleaning up from a weekend winter storm. in virginia, northbound lanes are shut down following a clash that critically hurt one person. sunday alone, they responded to more than -- listen to this. 700 accidents. now, that storm missed maryland, fortunately. and today, we're enjoying sunny, clear skies with seasonal temperatures for the end of february. wjz has weather and traffic together. meteorologist bernadette woods is here with the updated numbers. >>> yes, that is history. just a little bit of light snow, southern parts of the eastern shore. and southern parts of maryland. but that's about it. with the sunshine out, though. take a look at what we've got going on. nothing over the entire northeast. and as far as temperatures go, that sun is starting to warm us up. and this is just the beginning. we are already up into the upper 40s. we are going to switch it over and show you this graphic here. we've got upper 40s for a lot of us. a

at the state department, tara mergener, wjz eyewitness news. >> the top elected official in egypt isg to calm the protest by announcing the process to elect a new president. we'll have him sooner than originally planned. amid the chaos in syria. according to the state department, the 11-month uprising against president hassad has led to a deteriorating. it was only a matter of time. the u.n. says more than 5400 people have been killed during the uprising. >> a new look to the occupy d.c. movement, after u.s. park police take action over the weekend. crews and hazmat suits accompanied by s.w.a.t. teams moved on mcpherson square. they cleaned out all of the tents that have been set up for months. the protestors are no longer allowed to camp overnight. but they say the police action has not deterred them. >>> well, the republican presidential hopefuls turn their attention to colorado and minnesota. those states hold their caucuses tomorrow. and as edward lawrence reports for wjz, mitt romney is adding to his lead, ahead of those contests. >> reporter: a small crowd cheered as newt gingr