Transcripts For WBAL Today 20100306

>> good morning. warning signs. the trail of the pent gon shooter. mental illness, anger at the government and warning from his parents. how did john patrick bedell go as far as he did and could he be stopped? >> unemployment held steady with only 36,000 jobs lost. is it a sign that the economy is turning a corner towards recovery. chelsea's legacy. san diego's remembers a teen killed by a sex offender. chelsea's parents vow to change the system while mourning the loss of their angel today, saturday, march 6th, 2010. >> announcer: from nbc news, this is "today" with lester holt and amy robach live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. >> welcome to today on this saturday morning. i'm lester holt. >> i'm amy robach. nice to be sitting next to you. it has been five or six weeks. >> you went to get married and i went to the olympics. the things we do to not be together. you could have done something else. it's good to be back. we had a good time. like a lot of people, i am going through olympics withdrawal. i miss it. >> it was warm. you get back in the bitter cold of the east. >> we have a lot to get to. it's a busy weekend. what joef john patrick bidell to open fire on the pentagon. that's a question. family and friends are painting a portrait of a troubled man who sanction deep into mental illness and anti-government rants. we will look at his and the warning signs that might have prevented this tragedy. a public memorial to honor the memory of chelsea king who was allegedly killed by a convicted sex offender. chelsea's parents said they will fight for changes in the laws and we will find out what the changes are and why her alleged killer was released from jail. airport security. travelers will get a good look at new safety measures. the full body scanners we heard a lot about are set to go into service monday, part of a push to improve airport security and what to expect when you are traveling. a good reason to go to the gym. >> they are fail revealing. it's not an extra. you are seeing real outlines. >> i will be sucking in my gut now. >> as will the rest of america. >> let's talk about the shooting outside of the pentagon. a picture emerges of the man who wounded two policeman before he was shot and killed. we have a report. >> reporter: the attack occurred long after most pentagon employees had cleared out for the day. the gunman was 36-year-old john patrick bedell described as troubled, disturbed or deranged. he various experience theories claiming that the u.s. government was behind the terrorist attacks on september 11. in holster, his parents reported their son missing in january and they were concerned about his mental state and dropped the case after he returned home. >> when the family canceled the missing persons report, anything after that you have to refer to the fbi. >> they said bedell never appeared in the database. richard keville said when he shot two police officers, he appeared strangely in control. >> it's hard to judge what causes a person to snap like this. in addition to the fact that he came here prepared to hurt people, he brought a lot ammunition. >> reporter: he walked to the security check point and as he passed, he pulled a pistol and shot one of the guards and then the other and started running towards the pentagon. although wounded, they turned and fired six shots at the suspect and a 3rd officer opened fire. the suspect now hit multiple times stumbled over a barrier and fell to the ground, fatally wounded. >> list of a woman in front of me and i was asking her if she was okay. she was down on the ground. she was crying. then one of the officers told me to get down. >> the decision to use deadly force had to be decisive. it was over in less than a minute. >> reporter: the two police officers survived with minor wounds. bedell's parents issued a statement of remorse for his actions. >> one thing is certain. his actions were caused by an illness and not a defect in character. >> they are convinced he acted alone and no indication it was an act of terrorism. nbc news, the pentagon. >> clint van vandt is an analyst and profiler and joins us this morning. it's great to see you. >> thanks, lester. >> we have been down this road so many times before. the ft. hood and airplane bomber. there seem to be black and white ept warning signs that nobody picked up on. whether or not it is the story? >> there always warning signs. the challenge is when is that person going to cross the line? as you recall, the shooter at the holocaust museum, that guy was 89 years old before he acted out with a firearm. this guy was in his mid 30s. even though we get the rhetoric and the conversation and this paranoid delusional system, it doesn't mean every person is going to get a gun and act out. we have a hard time determining when the line will be crossed. >> he was a conspiracy theorist and that does not make him a potential shooter. he believed that 9/11 was a government conspiracy and he was bipolar and had been stopped by police who were considerate enough to call his parents. why wasn't he given treatment? >> the biggest challenge for your audience out there, the adult parents out there that have challenged children, mental illness may start to manifest in their early 20s into their 30s. if you are the parent of an adult child who is challenged, there is only so much you can do for them. unless a person presents a physical threat to themselves or someone else, you may be able to, like this guy, he was in and out of mental institutions three or four times, but to hold them unless they present the threat, they put them back on the street. as a parent, all you can do is try to help and know it may be a ticking bomb. >> if you were giving therapy to a person like that, what are the tip offs that their behavior could become violent? >> that's a good question. it's where are the 9/11 conspiracy and he hated bush and hated the military. when all that comes together and it's not just rhetoric, but when he says and i'm going to do something about it. when you know he's bought a gun and talking about doing something and he travels in furtherance of this delosing. when you put that all together, that is someone on a course. when he did the shooting, he looked calm. he made up his mind. he knew what he was going to do and in his challenged, twisted mind he had a sense of peace that he was going to go in like with ft. hood with guns blazing and shoot everyone he could to make a twisted statement to the world. >> what an awful outcome it had. thank you very much for talking with us. appreciate it. >> thank you. >> quite a week in politics with the white house weighing in on trials of terror suspects. turmoil in u.s. politics and a push on health care reform. we have joe scarborough, host of morning joe on msnbc. let's talk about the white house. they are reevaluating to try khalid shaikh mohammed in civilian court in new york city. they are weighing the possibility of putting them in a military tribunal and he will anger the conservatives or the liberals. is he in a no win situation? >> the best thing he can do is convince the american voters he is more interested in keeping america safe than symbolism. the attorney general went out and said we are going to do this for symbolic reasons. mayor bloomberg said okay, but you are putting new yorkers at risk and it will cost us $1 billion. scott brown was elected. we were talking about sarah palin's big line where she said we need a commander in chief and not a law professor. scott brown said we need to spent millions of dollars convicting the terrorists and hunting them down and killing them and not giving them lawyers. this is an example where the president and eric holder are out of touch from where middle america is right now. >> speaking of out of touch, some would say governor paterson is. >> he is out of touch with reality. >> he has no plan to resign. i'm sure that's what you are referring to. he said he would run for reelection and then not so much. what do we expect? will he stick had his guns? >> i don't know how he survives. this is a guy who used state troopers to intimidate a woman who had been beaten up allegedly by a member of his staff. he two staff members go and intimidate the woman and then made the phone call the day before she was going before a judge. you have a very powerful group of new york politics, the new york chapter of now saying he has to resoiigresign? they will say this man cannot continue. >> and the yankees ticks issue as well. >> you talk about clumsy, the guy predated a check to try to prove he had an intention of paying for it. he is probably going to be guilty of lying under oath on this matter. he does. i think his days are numbered and for the democratic party and actually for the woman that he picked to be senator, it would be best for him to leave. >> let's talk about john mccain. he is in the primary challenge of his live and calling out the big guns for help. he campaigned with the aforementioned massachusetts senator scott brown. he will be campaigning with sarah palin. how much trouble is he in? >> i don't know that he is in a great deal of trouble. john mccain made a career of sort of putting a sharp stick in republicans's eyes. he mocked the right wing time and time again and picked fights with the christian establishment and the republican party. he has reason to be concerned. for a lot of different reasons, not just because of his past record, but also right now there is just an anti-incumbent fever. 86% of americans told the poll they think washington is broken. 56% of americans think that the federal government is agreeing at such a rate that it poses a direct threat to their rights. this is not a good time to run as an incumbent. >> thanks for your insights. here's lester. >> thanks. now to the economy and jobs. a glimmer of good news with the release of february's job numbers. here is cnbc's senior economics reporter, steve leaseman. >> i hate to call it good news when 36,000 people lose jobs, but it's still at 9.7%. officially it's unchanged. the government put a spin that said the snowstorms of the past month may have dampened. >> that's a big debate how much the snowstorm is affected. usually when you have 6.3 million american who is didn't go to work or worked part-time because of the weather. we have a spike like that, the number of people tends to be below trends. there economists that think next month we could get a pop in job growth both from the rebound from the snowstorms and the census hiring. the government will hire 1.2 million workers to do the census. >> right now we consider the numbers flat? >> flat to middling. >> sorry that good news given where we have been? >> flat is good news. we were losing 750,000 jobs a month almost a year ago now. it's come back to flat. not good enough for where we need to go. when you think of the enormity of the number of people who are unemployed or underemployed and people who have dropped out of the workforce because they are discovered by their job search that they stopped looking. it will be many years and perhaps decades before we can put them back to work. >> the stock market took a swing upward. that's not a barometer of the health of the economy, but what does it tell us? >> retail has been surprisingly strong. consumers are saving, but they seem to be finding enough pennies to be spending a bit more. the retail reports has been out and we have seen and had a bounce up in the car purchases. we have toyota in there and that shifted over to the american manufacturers. consumers seem to be finding their way and at 3:00, we had an announcement that consumers starred borrowing for the first time. it was about a year they had been reducing the consumer credit out stand spg when it made a blip up. >> sorry that a good thing to borrow again? >> you want a normal number. you don't want them in double-digits or the indebtedness that got us here. 2%, 3% or 4% growth. >> i want to ask you about toyota. the head of the company said they have a fresh start. yet there reports that the fix of the acceleration problem maybe hasn't done what they hoped. what is the future? >> i think they can say fresh start, but they have a long way to go. the fix may not work and there is a story lawmakers are demanding information on the electronics because nobody is convinced it wasn't electronics. they have a long road back. like i said earlier, i believe that has been to the benefit of the american car manufacturers. >> thank you so much. let's go to the news desk for the rest of the morning's headlines. >> good morning, everyone. we begin in iraq where a car bomb killed and injured at least 54 others in the holy city on the eve of national elections that servants have vowed to disrupt. live in baghdad with more. good morning, richard. >> reporter: good morning. it's good to join you from here in central baghdad. iraqi police tell us it was shiite pilgrims targeted in the holy city and four of the pilgrims were killed. in many ways this election is a critical test not only for the iraqi security forces, but also for american troops on bases like this one and across iraq. if the election goes well and it's relatively stable and iraqi security forces are able to maintain control in this volatile period after the elections while a new government is being seated, then u.s. commanders say they can go forward to drawdown american combat forces by this summer. in one way this is the last hurdle after seven years in iraq. >> richard engle, thank you. the investigation continues into a horrific bus crash that killed people outside phoenix, arizona friday. 16 others were injured and nine critically when the charter bus hit a pick up and rolled over on interstate 10. that buzz was headed from mexico to los angeles and operating illegally. eric massa will resign as he faces a complaint from a male staffer who said he was leaving with a profound sense of failure and a deep apology. massa said he would not seek reelection because of health problems, but his language could have made the staffer uncomfortable. quick thinking heroes. a man who appears to be drunk falls on to a light rail track. two police assistants ran in and pulled the guy out of harm's way. the train stopped in the knick of time. all three are okay and the officers are being considered for an award. we would all vote for them. that is the news. lester and amy. that's amazing. >> it's amazing how quickly they got to the scene. >> thank you very much. >> the weather channel's jim cantore is here for the forecast. >> the water temperatures, you think we could get away and escape the cold. guess what they are from miami to key west. in the 60s. they should be about 75 degrees right now. no fishing trips either. another chilly morning across florida. look at the temperatures. in orlando and 51 in miami. that's even 30s around jacksonville. a hard freeze again. this is not good for florida. another morning and we will gradually modify. most of the east is looking good. when we get the march sun up, the temperatures are going up. a weak storm and minneapolis that means mostly rain because of the warm air and a >> good morning. some shun this morning. an area of high pressure keeps the storm away from us. -- somes. we will keep an eye on that. as we look at los angeles, 59. amy and lester, back to you. >> jim, thanks so much. now to the continuing challenge of airport security. on monday, full scanners will go into service, part of a push by the obama administration to improve security. jay gray has more. >> reporter: the latest line of defense is moving into place at airports across the country. three new full body scanners were wheeled into boston's logan airport this week. >> more wave of security that helps deter bad people from doing harm. >> reporter: they will go online monday in boston. the transportation safety administration plans to have in airports by june. they allow agents to see through clothing to identify hidden objects. the new technology provides blurry black and white images of the passenger's body raised questions about privacy. >> the officer attending the passenger will not view the image. the officer viewing the image will be remotely located and the image will not be stored. >> it will increase lag times, but many travelers welcome a closer look. >> whatever it takes to keep us safe and make everything right for us, i'm for it. >> i think we should go along with it. no one needs another 9/11. >> that are effort and many airports have a hands on check. they began to begin random tests swabbing hands for trace aims of explosives. jay gray, nbc news, dallas. >> we will be back with more, but first this is "today" on nbc. still to come, important tips that could save you money on your taxes. >> up close and personal with gentle giants of the sea. but first, these messages. >> good morning, everyone. here's a look at our top stories. a $60 million lawsuit against baltimore county has occurred after the death of a mentally ill man. parents called police regarding a dispute between this man and his brother. police taser demand, and he died. -- tasered the man, and he died. >> he was not a threat to themselves or to citizens. they observe that. >> the question remains whether or not the officers should have entered the home let alone a taser to the man who suffers from bipolar disorder. and a third grader is facing criminal charges this morning after he bought a loaded handgun to school. teachers notice the boys acting suspiciously. they found a gun in his backpack. investigators are trying to figure out where he got the weapon and why he brought it to school. his suspension or expulsion is dependent upon the investigation. police say a suspect broken to a restaurant on glenmount avenue. detectives say the same man tried to rob an atm. then at the same man allegedly robbed a boutique. stay with us. we wi >> take a look at our hd doppler rate cut this morning. lots of sunshine around us. this high pressure will keep it there for a while. this storm to the west will not be able to move in any time soon. some chilly air, but mild air beginning to come in. temperatures will be driven up. we expect a high of around 50 degrees in baltimore. a little warmer down to the south. the sunshine is the key. as we look ahead over the next seven days, sunday and monday look nice. wednesday, thursday, and friday, a rain chance comes into the forecast. >> thanks for joining us. check the bottom of your screen for updates news. in other update at 7:55. we are back on this saturday morning, the 6th day of march, 2010 with this happy group of people on the plaza. we will join them in a little bit. meantime inside studio 1a i'm amy robach and this is left lester holt. could the murder of chelsea king have been prevented. >> chelsea's parents said they will fight for change as a result of their daughter's murder. we will find out what the changes are and if the suspect can be linked to other attempted kidnappings in the area. >> we will look at something called chat roulette. a new fad that pairs you with a random chat partner and that person can be anywhere around the world. apparently for those who have done it, it's addictive and unfiltered, but is it safe. we will tell you. >> there is a lot of bad behavior going on. >> i can only imagine. >> that's one of the points that internet security people are worried about. tacks and a year of job losses and foreclosures and cash for clunkers. all factors that matter in your taxes. if you haven't thought about filing, we have tips that will help you through this difficult and frustrating period. >> if you were amazed by the scenery of avatar, wait until you see how the mountains of pan dora are. we will take you to the real life inspiration. that is beautiful. >> i expect they are not floating. that was probably a little bit of animation there. first to the story that shocked so many of us, the murder of 17-year-old chelsea king on friday. her parents spoke out about their daughter, her alleged killer and the changes they hope to make in registered sex offender laws. lee cowan has the story. >> she is my angel forever. >> reporter: in san diego where the wound is still fresh with the rape and murder of 17-year-old chelsea king, anger is beginning to replace grief as the overwhelming emotion. the suspect, john gardener, a convicted sex offender pleaded not guilty. although investigators say dna could land him on death row. chelsea's parents say the system didn't act soon enough. >> it let our daughter down and let every child in this country down terribly. >> reporter: news that he served just years for assaulting a 13-year-old girl in 2000 brought angry residents to the courthouse. some went further and spray painted a warning on the home where his parents live, ending with the phrase move out. police are investigating if he is connected with other assaults including the disappearance of another young girl, amber dubois. for chelsea's parents, hope ended when her body was found in a shallow grave in a park where she loved to run. the task is to fill in whatever crack there is may be in a system that coo could have allowed a sex offender to slip through. >> we want to assure that kids can be kids and be safe. predators shouldn't be allowed to be within reach. >> reporter: chelsea once wrote an essay about the future she promised lay ahead. >> i am myself and this will not change. today is my day and i'm on my way. >> her parents hope she is now on her way to paving a path for other children to live life without having to look over their shoulder. nbc news, los angeles. >> for more on whether this tragedy could have been prevented, we are joined by pat brown, the author of the profiler. good morning. >> good morning, amy. >> john gardener was a registered sex offender and registered 55 miles away from where the attack occurred. there some who believe he was living with his mother nearby. is that a loophole? he was being monitored and may not have been living where he said. >> what are is being monitored mean? we are not talking about the parole officer watching him diin and day out. even if he knows where he is living, he didn't know where he is going from the time he gets up to the time he goes to bed. it's ludicrous to think we can put a wolf out and check up on him and see if he is in the cage 8:00 in the morning. what does that mean? >> this is not the first time we heard about a registered sex offender recommitting horrific crimes. phillip ga riddo was able to hide it despite home infections. 11 bodies found despite being monitor monitored. does this system give us a false sense of security? >> i think so. it means not a lot to most of us. first of all, you look at the map and you see dots. we don't know where the guys are and what level they are. a lot of times they plea down from something bad like in this particular case. he ended up with lewd and lascivious when he attacked her and choked her. she not listed correctly. we don't know what's out there and where they are at all times. we think they are being monitored which is ridiculous. we need to realize someone like garr i.d. o who raped a woman and he came out and is rehabilitated? you can't be and who cares? if you have this creep in society, he doesn't belong in it. put him away for life. >> let's talk about the plea bargains. he was only given five years after being convicted of mo lefing a 13-year-old. he was a continued danger to underage girls in the community. the plea bargain. do you think this is the biggest part of the problem? >> it's a huge problem. we have prosecutor who is say this is a difficult case to try so i will just plea it down. they have so many of these creatures that come through, they get used to it and don't pay much mind to it. i will give him this and let him go. we need to separate sex offenders, violent sex offenders from everybody and look at them in a group and have the most maximum we can put out there and have a special task force to make sure when they come into the system we go after them with everything we have got. >> john gardener has not been charged in the disappearance of 14-year-old amber dubois who lived close to his mother's house and they are looking into the possibility. do you think we will find out what happened to amber? >> i don't think we will find out. i don't think he will tell us if he had anything to do with it. he has no reason to it unless they have another deal. you tell us what happens to amber and we won't give you the death penalty. he needs the death penalty. we need it on all the violent sex offenders and we have to stop feeling sorry and thinking they deserve another chance. this prison does not do much to these guys. they get well treat and get girlfriends and get married and have sex in prison. it's ridiculous. they can have a life and they shouldn't because the victims don't. >> we appreciate your time. thank you. >> thank you. >> now for a check of the weather let's go to jim cantore. good morning. >> a chilly start to the day. temperatures in the 30s, but eventually that storm will do its job. a nice weekend in new york city and boston. 52 degrees and 50 on sunday and 52 on saturday in d.c. and 58 potentially on sunday. we will be looking good. east coast is fine. a low pressure system will sneak in and rain for >> good morning there is sunshine out this morning. the storms will stay to the rest of us. our forecast, sunny skies, in the air, but all in all, not too bad. all right, guys. birthdays today. celebrating 50 and 26 degree. you don't know each other. >> no. >> happy birthday, none the less. back to you. >> thank you. coming up, the new internet phenomenon created by a 17-year-old high school student. what you need 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[ male announcer ] have a heart to heart with your doctor about your risk and about lipitor. tax day is just around the corner and 95% of americans get a tax break. joining us with that information is bertha coombs. nice to have you when you have good news. >> with the stimulus a lot of people are getting more generous tax breaks. the tax credit for individuals earning up to $95,000. they can get up to a $400 credit for couples and $170,000 and earned income tax credit for families who are more generous. a couple earning up to $45,000 will get a more generous credit if they have two children or more. a lot of levels have been stepped up. that was part of the end of the stimulus bill. >> good things to know. let's talk about people whose status changed because they lost their job. what should they know as they file taxes? >> your unemployment compensation is taxable, but this year because of the stimulus and because of the economy, congress said the first $2400 is exempted. you get that exemption. if you lost your job and looking for work, expenses you use to look for work like resumes and letters and thing like that. those are deductible. if you are fortunate enough to find a job that is 15 miles away, the moving expenses are going to be deductible as well. if you had a hardship this year because of unemployment, you had to tap into the 401(k), normally there is a penalty. if you are over 55%, you don't have to pay the penalty. if you are under 55, you can make it for medical expenses. you have to pay the tax, but not the penalty. >> what about the foreclosures? we saw a lot of foreclosures. what does that mean? >> under federal tax law, through 2012, that debt forgiveness in terms of if your mortgage was $500,000 and the house is now worth $300,000, the extra $200,000 from the bank or if the house is foreclosed is considered income and you have to pay taxes. for a primary home you don't have to through 2012. you have to check your state. california, for example, that exemption used to go with the federal law and expired in 2008. >> if you filed for bankruptcy, does that ab solve you of tax liability? >> if you file for bankruptcy, you should file with a professional tax attorney or preparer because there complications. on the home front, if you bought a home, let's not forget the new home buyer credit through december 1st, if you are doing that, you can't file electronically. you have to have more paperwork to show that you actually qualify and it was legitimate. you have to have a paper filth and irs said it will take four to six weeks to do the reports. if you bought it under the extended tax credit and if you are a homeowner who boughta i new home, you get up to $6500 if you meet income criteria. you can file even if you bought after december 1st and you buy before you file your taxes this year, you can count that towards 2009. if you bought in january, you can count it towards 2009 taxes. again, you cannot file electronically because there is a lot more paperwork involved. >> i will give you my receipts. >> one thing you should do and it's fwlin plain english, irs.gov. they have all the special things and all of the credits and it's in plain english. you can understand it. >> thanks so much. up next, amy swims with the fishes. well, sea turtles. close enough. her adventures after this. can paperless billing get me paid faster? how can i keep my best employees? how can i bring down my insurance costs? and while at american express open we may not have all the answers, we know who does. other owners. that's why we're helping business owners connect. together, we're building a community for them to talk, share and help each other. a place called openforum.com where owners can swap ideas and ask questions. will tweeting get me more customers? how can i make my business green? and one question seems especially popular. how can i get paid faster? how can i get paid faster? i was about to ask you the same thing. and they're inspiring ideas like acceptpay. a new tool from open that lets owners invoice digitally and helps them get paid faster. ask a question. find an answer. join the conversation at openforum.com. i make my efforts count... so i switched to the freestyle promise® program... a unique program that gives me... the support i need, free. free access to a certified diabetes educator... so i can ask about diet and the insulin i use. i got a free meter. and test strip discounts. so i can spend more on what i really want. i count on the freestyle promise® program. make it count for you! only the freestyle program gives you discounts, support, and more. enroll today. scientists are studying sea turtles to find out how they existed for so long and i had a chance to is swim with them. swimming on the warm waters and these beaches are the most important in the caribbean for sea turtles. and they keep surprisingly busy as i experienced on a turtle tour with james blades, the founding member of the barbados marine trust that works to preserve and study marine life. >> any rules when it comes to swimming with the turtles? >> we don't want people to hang on to them for fear they will take the foot out of the hands of the features. you can put your handout and allow the turtles to swim through your hand. >> in the water, a wonder world of ocean life and turtles. >> do they have good dispositions. there is not reason to be scared of them. they don't have teeth? >> they have a beak. they can give you a nasty bite, but they tend to stay away. >> there he is. >> some of these turtles weigh more than 400 pounds, measure 3 1/2 feet long and can stay under water for more than an hour. unlike land turtles, they can't hide their head ors under their shell. david gill is a marine biologists who study sea life. >> turtles are endangered because of the development going on and a lot of beach space being taken up and turtles are used for food. >> it is estimated 1 uh of 1,000 harshlings survives to adulthood why it's illegal to catch them or take their eggs. >> they seem friendly when you have food. >> because they are being fed every day. they look forward to seeing us in the water. >> it was a rough assignment i must say. >> barbados. uh-huh. >> they have a tourism around these turtles because people don't get to interact with them in many places, but the ocean is the perfect place for them to be. >> you are not a big ocean person, but you weren't afraid of them? >> once they said they don't have teeth, i felt better. >> a lost other things have teeth in the water. coming up, the new internet phenomenon you probably don't want your kids to lose. >> the disagreements between husbands and wives when buying a house. first these messages. # >> good morning, everyone. here's a look at our top stories. there is breaking news. baltimore city public works trying to figure out because of a large water outage. between 75 and 1000 customers are without water in reisterstown over to the gritty road. crews are -- liberty road. customers are being asked to conserve water in the area. the mayor is proposing not to fill 85 positions in an era -- in annapolis. 30 jobs will be laid off next week. and a shooting has occurred where they found a man shot in the upper body. he was taken to shock trauma where he later died. there are no suspects at this time. a baltimore man was pinned time in prison for rape. he broke into a woman's apartment and assaulted and raped her. he also burglarized the home. this was in 2007. dna identified him to the crime. a collection of coins decommissioned by saddam hussein will be available and it will go to help war veterans. s >> good morning. high pressure, sunshine, great weather for the weekend. storms out to the west. they will not have much luck breaking through this. it will try to come in on monday, and it will be broken up for the most part. let's take a look at what the forecast is calling for during the day today. lots of sunshine, cold in the mountains where temperatures will be in the 40's. about baltimore, temperatures right around 50 degrees. today we will see more sunshine than yesterday. the seven day forecast, we expect a high of 45 degrees tomorrow. monday looks good but only with more cloud. the storm does begin to approach an increase rain chances beginning wednesday through friday. >> thanks for joining us. we will see you back here in 25 minutes. >> good morning. warning signs and the troubled path of the pentagon shooter including a warning from his parents and a history of mental illness and anger at the government. how did john patrick bedell go as far as he did and he he have been stopped? >> an internet chat that pairs with you a random partner called chat roulette. we have this digital roll of the dies. >> magic mountains. we saw them in the movie "avatar," but what was the real live inspiration for pan dora? we will take you this march 6th, 2010. >> announcer: from nbc news, this is "today." here again are lester holt and amy robach. welcome back to "today." i'm lester holt. >> i'm amy robach. happy to have you back as well. we welcomed you back in the first hour. it is nice to be back with my partner at the desk. >> nice to be back and not wearing a ski jacket. i looked in the mirror and think i clean up well. >> do all of your clothes smell of that smoke? >> that's what we talked about. our dry-cleaning bills. it was a lot. it was a nice place to be. >> glad you are back in new york. i was there in august. >> it's great. it felt like august there. that was the problem. it's great to be back. we have a lot coming up. what drove john patrick bedell to open fire outside the pentagon. family and friends are painting a portrait of a troubled man who sanction deep into mental illness. the warning signs that could have prevented this tragedy. >> the new social networking website. it's called chat roulette.com and created by a 17-year-old high school student who wanted to chat with people from around the world. as you will soon see, a lot can happen when you find yourself randomly connected by video with a complete stranger. >> a producer saw a lot more than anything. a bit later on, buying a home is one of life's biggest decisions, but men and women think about it in different ways. how to get on the same page to get the house of your dreams, coming up. first the warning signs about the man who opened fire in front of the pentagon this week. our correspondent has the story. >> reporter: the suspect came to the attention of california law men two months ago, but authorities insist there was no way to believe he would come here to the pentagon, shoot two police officers and he himself die in a hail of gunfire. the attack occurred long after most pentagon employees had cleared out for the day. the gunman was 36-year-old john patrick bedell of holister, california described as troubled, disturbed or deranged. >> i hope you will visit my website. >> reporter: frequent rants included conspiracy theories claiming the government was behind the terrorist attacks on september 11. in holister, curtis hill said his parents reported their son missing in january and they were concerned about his mental state. he dropped the case after bedell returned home. >> when they canceled the missing persons report, you have to refer to the fbi. >> bedell never appeared in the database. in an interview, police chief richard keville said when he shot two of his police officers, he appeared strangely in control. >> it's hard to judge what causes a person to snap like this. in addition to the fact that he came here to hurt people and he brought a lot of ammunition. >> reporter: armed with two pistols, he walked cause yultly. as he passed, he pulled a pistol from his coat, shot guard and then the other and started running towards the pentagon. the two officers turned approximate fired at least six shots at the suspect. at the same time, a 3rd officer opened fire. the suspect now hit multiple times and stumbled over a portable barrier and fell to the ground, fatally wounding him. here's an eyewitness. >> i was asking if she was okay. he was on the ground and crying. then one of the officers told me to get down and the decision to use deadly force had to be decisive. it was over in less than a minute. >> reporter: through sheriff hill, bedell's parents issued a statement of remorse. >> one thing is certain. his actions were caused by an illness and not a defective character. >> reporter: police and the fbi believe he acted alone and his actions were not an act of terrorism. we want to head to the news desk. we have more of the morning's headlines. >> good morning, again. we begin in chile where strong aftershocks continue a week after the massive 8.8 earthquake. a 6.6 magnitude jolt sent people into the streets. it is the number of people confirmed dead is up to 150. following criticism that the response has been too slow. president obama said the jobs report released friday was better than expected, but unemployment is higher than should be tolerated. the latest numbers show the jobless rate held steady at 9.7%. 36,000 jobs were lost last month. good news for some gm dealerships told they were going out of business. the company said they can stay open if they want. originally 1100 dealers were told they were closing as part of a restructuring. the letters will go out on monday and about half can rae remain with the company. an investigation into the horrific bus crash that killed people in arizona friday. 16 were injury and nine critical when a charter bus hit a pick up and rolled over on interstate 10. the buzz headed from mexico to los angeles was operating illegally. pittsburgh steelers quarterback ben roethlisberger is investigated for alleged sexual assault in georgia. the accusation comes from a 20-year-old college student who claims the football star sexu sexually assaulted her in a nightclub early friday. no changes have been filed. the super bowl champ faces a lawsuit from a woman who claims he raped her in 2008. an allegation he denies. can you say the first lady bens it like beckham. mrs. obama brought together soccer players and kids as part of the let's move program that highlights the importance of exercise. she launched her campaign to help in the fight of childhood obesity. you have a game going and you have to pick somebody, go for the first lady. she should not sit on the bench with those moves. lester, amy and jim. >> we have a check of the forecast. >> one storm coming into the west and that is the weather maker all week. not a single tornado, the first time since 1950. we will see if this produces a tornado on monday. it will roll through san francisco and showers today in los angeles, san diego and these are going to stay around through sunday afternoon. if you are heading out to the oscars or the party out there, you could get wet. bring the umbrella. rain into minneapolis and >> good morning. some shun this morning. an area of high pressure keeps the storm away from us. -- some we work our way in and slight chance at severe weather. that's a look at the national forecast. back to lester. >> thanks. a new social networking site caught fire called chat roulette.com and pairs you randomly with a video chat partner from anywhere around the world. the combination of chance and anonymity and has some very worried. >> it was created as a game. >> all you need is a web cam and you are face-to-face with a stranger around the world. >> when people play, there is no telling who they'll meet or what they will see. >> is this a weird one. no logging on to the site. participants click only once. the screen tells them it's looking for a random stranger. to move on, players just click next. >> next, i'm sorry. >> combination of chance and anonymity draw curiosity seekers and those looking for something else. >> there have been forever things online to go and share and vent and do whatever you want on the internet. what made this different is it's so easy to do. >> it's a virtual gamble as to whose face appears on the computer screen. when staffers connected to the site, it was only 68 seconds before a player exposed another body part. >> you will run into all kinds of people on chat roulette. >> the creator told the "new york times" in e-mails posted here on the blog he created it for fun so he and his friends could randomly connect with people around the globe. since inception, site usage has soared generating coverage and late night jokes. >> a bored guy. next. whoa! okay. awareness grows and so does concern that the site needs to be regulated. playing roulette can be risky business. >> for more we are joined from san francisco by perry, a lawyer who specializes in internet privacy and the director of wired safety.com, an online safety and help group that works closely with agencies worldwide. good to see you. >> good morning, lester. i know this doesn't make you happy, but part of me thinks we are there with the internet and nothing left to shock anymore. >> in this case you are looking for new faces and a lot of new body parts at the same time. it's not the site that makes me unhappy, but the rules and they are not doing what they are supposed to be doing. the parents don't know it's around. >> it's created by a 17-year-old. you are talking about age verification with adult sites with a credit card or some way of verifying the age. is there anything here that stops anyone from getting on? >> absolutely not. his rules in terms of service say if you are 16, it's okay. with what we are seeing, we have a 20-1 ratio of people exposing body parts to people who are trying to share fun stories. >> this is an appetite and what do you think drives it? >> people are looking to be exhibitionists. i think they want to show things off to people and others are looking for excitement. i'm talking about it on the "today" show. it's a new site people will be going to. parents need to be aware of the web cam issue here and even more than chat roulette. our kids are doing lots of things online through web cams they shouldn't be. >> a lot of computers come with the web cams built in. what can a parent really do. >> a lot of them have a parental control built into it. apple has to allow you to turn it off. there parental controls to get for the kid who is are younger to not allow them to use a web cam. 71% of 1,000 girls said they used their web cam in their bedroom and 22% said they regretted what they had done. take the laptop and the computer away and know that xbox has a web cam and park it somewhere else when they are getting into trouble. >> tlhere is no recording feature, but does that worry you that it could be recorded? >> clearly. even though it doesn't have a recording feature, your computer does. you can log the pictures that you are taking and that you are streaming and capture them. you don't know what's out there. i can tell you a lot are men looking for young girls or boys to interface with and it's quick, but quick is enough for them. >> is there an area of law that regulate this is sort of thing? >> yes. in the united states a lot of it has to do withes enning obscenity to a minor and a lot has to do with what you are doing that may be obscene on its own. i don't expect a lot of action because there is a lot of obscenity on the internet. my concern is people are getting what they don't think they are getting. kids 16 and older shouldn't be useing it and parents may think it's fun without realizing what it really is. >> thank you for talking about this. we appreciate it. >> always a pleasure. >> more to come on today. he said, she said. surviving as a couple when it's time to buy a home. a journey to the real life mountains that inspired the movie, "avatar." oh, my. [ male announcer ] gym membership for april: $68. ♪ finally convincing your boyfriend he should go with you: priceless. mastercard makes it easy to pay gym, cable, utility and other monthly bills online. visit priceless.com to find out how. two of nature's sweetest wonders growing together under the same sun. and now for the first time in new sun crystals, the only 100% natural sweetener made with pure cane sugar and stevia. ♪ finally, all the sweetness of nature and just 5 calories a packet. ♪ nature gave us the recipe; we just gave it a name. new sun crystals all-natural sweetener. two natural wonders. one sweet taste. you've got things to do. we've got the tools and hardware to get 'em done. and with new, lower prices all through the store. so you can do more fixing... replacing... fastening... and updating... for less. more saving. more doing. that's the power of the home depot. right now, get a ryobi 18volt starter kit, with drill and circular saw, for the incredible price of just $99. i've got good news. you need more fiber. huh? don't worry, it tastes great. froot loops now with 3 grams of fiber. fiber makes your tummy happy so it can absorb the good stuff you need, which your mom is gonna love. it does taste great. fiber is a great way to start your day. i can never read these things. kellogg's froot loops, apple jacks, and corn pops! cereals, now provide fiber. kellogg's makes fiber fun. if you have seen the film "avatar," you know the majestic peaks that form the backdrop of another world. they were very much inspired by our world. the journey to an exotic corner of china to show us. >> reporter: audiences swooned at the landscapes of james cameron's "avatar," especially at this vista. >> the hallelujah mountains, the legendary floating mountains of pan dora? heard of them? >> reporter: some mountains almost float in a magical region of china where the filmmakers found inspiration. welcome to a natural forest of stung sandstone peaks weathered by the elements for 380 million years. their shapes shrouded in mist, earning them exotic names like 48 generals peaks or the imperial board. only about 100 have names, but this one over 3,000 feet high has at least three. the southern sky column or the pillar of the universe. now it's got another one. after "avatar" became china's biggest grossing movie of all time in just two weeks, local tourism officials saw an opportunity. >> translator: we renamed it mount hallelujah. he and other operators hope to tie in would boost tourism. it's the same name as the floating mountain on the fictional planet of pan dora in "avatar." much to the amusement of the creator. >> it's a life-imitating art deal. it's the same mountain. because the film is so popular in china, they renamed which is a trip. >> reporter: back in china, the the mountain ran into a mountain of problems. >> oh, my god! >> reporter: for one thing, there was a rival. officials at yellow mountain claimed that the hallelujah peaks were modelled after theirs. they cited a newspaper with james cameron last december saying the mountains of pan dora were inspired. can cameron himself settle the dispute? sort of. >> we used records from a number of sources from venezuela and the yellow mountains and the south pillar of heaven. they can all be right. >> reporter: they get a new branding with a new slogan. for "today," in the mountains of china. >> it's so nice to see the real story. that was one of the things i remember is the floating mountains. >> everyone in the studio is booking the flights. it could boost tourism. that is a spectacular place on earth. still ahead, last minute getaways finding the best deal this is spring. first, this is "today" on nbc. >> still to come, weekend getaways and everything you need to know from great deals and avoiding hidden fees and packing. >> agreeing and disagreeing. what couples need to know before buying a house. first these messages. is it dominates your life, and it dominated mine. i honestly loved smoking, and i honestly didn't think i would ever quit. it was very interesting that you could smoke on the first week. 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(announcer) talk to your doctor to find out if prescription chantix is right for you. ♪ a little encouragement changes everything. molly es muy muy intelligente. and right now, hallmark's got a whole new way to do it. new gifts and cards to cheer on kids of all ages. come in and pick up a free card today. nine to choose from. only at your hallmark gold crown store. >> good morning, everyone. here is a look at some of our top stories. there is breaking news. baltimore city public works is trying to figure out the cause of a large water outage. between 75 and 1000 customers do not have water near reisterstown road. crews are trying to find the source of that problem. residents are asked to try to conserve water in that area. and three police officers are in question this morning after the death of a mentally ill man in 2007 where the parents of that man called police because of the situation with his brother. the man died and the family believes the death could have been avoided. >> he was not a threat to the law enforcement offices, citizens, where his family. they observed that. >> officers did see the man through the window holding a baseball bat when they arrived. the question remains if they should have entered the home alone use a taser on him. he suffers from bipolar disorder. a third grader is facing criminal charges this morning after he brought a loaded handgun to school. he was taken into custody after a staff member noticed the boy acting suspiciously. police were called to the school and a staff member found a gun in his backpack. investigators are still trying to figure out where he got the weapon in why he brought it to school. he faces suspension or expulsion pending the outcome of >> good morning, plenty of sunshine in enough on our hd doppler radar. this area of high pressure and dry air will hold the storms to the west of us during the day today and tomorrow. it will also be for the early part of the week. not much change for this evening. dry air and high pressure. mild air is coming in. the storms will stay out to the west. plenty of sunshine. temperatures today up around the seasonal normal. an 40's in the mountains to the west. there will be sunshine during the day today. beach areas will be a little bit cooler. another good day on sunday. monday pick up a few scattered clouds. by wednesday and thursday at the storm kicked in and it is likely to be a rainmaker. >> thanks for joining us. we will see you back here at 8:55. >> we thank our crowd for sharing their morning with us. lester holt is back from vancouver and he spent a month away from us. >> i missed you guys too. you know what i don't miss is the satellite delay where you talk and then -- that's right, amy. >> awkward, right? >> nice to talk to you. you think that's funny. >> it's not funny when you are doing it. >> it is fun to be back here on the plaza. i want to talk about this half hour is buying houses. it's a he said she said thing. men and women have a different take on their likes and dislikes. they can make the process of buying a home difficult. we will work through the disagreements and you what you need to look for. >> it's a long snowy winter for all of us. what a way to get away from the cold than plan a weekend get away. >> where to get away. everything from where to find the best deals and how to avoid the unwanted and costly fees and even how to pack for the weekend get away. >> first let's get a check of the weather from jim cantore who is out on the plaza with us. >> i forgot my hat. that will be okay. we watch temperatures. now that the sun came out, it's gorgeous. temperatures will get up into the 50s believe it or not. we are watching the system into the west and as the storm comes in, it moves across the country. this may be the first time we have to deal with severe weather, one of the things we see with spring. the weather didn't have a tornado at all in february. low pressure produces rain around minneapolis, but look at the east. nashville in the 50s. what a difference a week makes. sunshine and even florida which wa >> good morning there is sunshine out this morning. the storms will stay to the rest of us. our forecast, sunny skies, 59 t angeles. we have birthdays and anniversaries. everyone is happy to see the sunshine. happy 46th to mom and dad. >> they live in florida. we are from connecticut. >> fantastic. nice to see you. >> south carolina. >> big weekend in charleston for the food and wine festival. for all your weather needs, go to whether.com. >> this morning on he said she said, the stresses of buying a home. it's one of the biggest decisions some couples will make and from budgets to bedrooms, many have different opinions and priorities. . >> i want a larger kitchen. >> i want a lot of cabinet space as well. >> i will have to say one of the thing would have been a basement. a nicer basement. the man cave as we call it. >> a man cave. >> for albert and linda and mark and elizabeth, finding a deal on a home included plenty of deal breakers. >> we did not want to go through that process over again. >> debate about taking the leap or to keep looking. >> linda basically said she wanted this place. i had to come back a couple of times. >> you are more logical. i fell in love with it. >> like linda, 70% of women know it's the house they want after one visit. >> the home shows well, that is just what takes precedence when they walk in the door. >> and location? >> women tend to want to be closer to the family and men want to be closer to their work. >> in the end, buying a home can mean selling a compromise. >> they had to see that we want to start a family, we needed the room to do that. i'm glad she was able to convince me this was the right place. >> he was able to get me on board for the process and getting him to understand that it wasn't such a far-fetched dream. we could make it work. >> here with more on how couples can navigate the home buying process is real estate contributor barbara corcoran. there a lot of differences of opinion, but major thing that couples need to agree on. what is that? >> setting the budget on the front end. most people go over by a good 15%, that's okay, but you have to agree on it on the front end and it avoys a lot of arguments. >> to avoid the conflicts that will take place, what are the things that couples should have squared away before they get ststarted? >> they should go out and get the financing from the bank. it is not only smart business to know how much money you have in hand, but it's a great tool when you are shopping for the home. >> once the budget is set and it's about what kind of house you buy and where you buy it, what do couples need to discuss that could be deal breakers in the end? >> you need to sit down and make a dream list of what your priorities are. what your must haves are. when that's down on paper, you compare and agree on what you must have. you sure have to agree on the major items you want in the moment home. >> what role does the broker play? marriage counsellor, deal negotiator, what is the role? >> almost always a marriage counsellor. they have a lot more to do with people than anything about the house. if you are open with the real estate broker and discuss what you want, a good broker will not on show you what you can afford, but they will suggest things you never thought about. having that open dialogue is really where you get the most money and bang for your money. >> you suggest couples go to open houses as a trial run for what they may be looking at down the road. why? >> you use the open houses. you can walk in as many as you want and compare notes and see where your points of differences are. if you wait until you find the real deal, the house you want and you start arguing or debating about that, the next couple walks away with the house when you decide you want it. >> i love what the surveys showed. women make the decision as to whether or not they want the house quicker than men. 70% made up their mind the day they walked in. i am that kind of a person. that's probably not a good idea. you should go for a 2nd showing. >> a 2nd and a 3rd. you go a different time of day and you discover things you hadn't seen the first time. where the morning garbage route is or the noisy neighbor or what the neighborhood looks like at rush hour. most people return the same time of day out of habit. >> this is an important thing. the perfect house for both the man and the woman probably is not out there. how do you know when to settle and when is it worth it? >> settle is a bad word. it sounds like you are going home disappointed. whether you have $200,000 to spend, no one ever gets the perfect house. what's important is you find a house you feel you can make a home. the number one thing that most first time buyers have is they think they will make an improvement in a house that they make it a dream house, but they never bring a contractor in to tell them what it's going to cost. reality is helpful. >> thanks so much. we appreciate it. coming up next, if you are looking for a weekend get away, the steals and deals you need to know, but first these messages. fruit - we all know it's good for us, but most of us find it hard to get as much as we need or want. try del monte fruit naturals. these portable cups of pre-cut, chilled fruit are ready-to-eat, so the only thing you need to peel is the lid. you'll never be disappointed with fruit that's unripe or spoiled every mouthful is just right, and bursting with flavor. enjoying a delicious fruit snack can be this easy. look for del monte fruit naturals chilling in your produce section now. brand power. helping you buy better. lipcolor like you've never felt before. new revlon colorburst lipstick. impossibly light feel, intensely rich color. together at last. revlon colorburst lipstick. it's love at first swipe. this morning it's all about a spring weekend get away with a winter taking its toll. >> we're brought experts to take us through the steals, deals and packing frenzy. we begin with finding the best dales. from travel and leisure magazine, good morning. we will start with a place you haven't been in days. vancouver. >> a lot of people are caught up in the olympic fever and the skiing was fantastic. if you want to get on the slopes like the real olympians did. you are going to have fun and they have receptions and trainers. you are that much closer to it. they have fireworks and a parade and the japanese beer gardens and it's based on the hotel and you will get the combination all day and all the sites and even a cherry tree. >> is las vegas still the speed it has been. >> in the spring and march and april, it's about the tower. it's $125 a night. you can save money and it's better to get $12 a night. >> and to get a bargain. >> there. it is beautiful and breakfast every day and for about $500. a deluxe property has a lot. a perfect trip. >> now from baggage fees to leg room, what are the hidden fees you need to look for? "today" show contributor is here to save you money as always. >> several airlines are charging now more for extra leg room, i think it's unbelievable. it goes up to $55 and announced if you want the premium seats, you want to have to stay. >> the ordinary seats. you would be lucky. you have high profile and extra add on. $59 that will add on. >> also for add ones, you have l.a. and flight for six hours and i didn't get a bag for the pretzels. nothing, nada. pack your snacks. you can buy a cookie for $350. >> it is outrageous. hotels, there could be several hidden fees. what are the major things people forget to think about? >> wi-fi. interesting at the cheaper hotels, they throw it in for free and you need to check that before you book. for that. >> they have a sander, but if you are not usinging it, you can deduct it. many people are traveling with their family and you say it's cheaper at home. you need to find out if they accept your pet. they have several websites to check to find out if they are pet friendly. it might be cheaper. >> not everybody. >> finally. >> in this economy they should be getting plenty. they should be giving you something. ask the hotel. my kids eat free? can you throw in the parking and the car rental and can you give us upgrades. they need our business you don't ask, you don't get. throw in something that you get all the time. >> i like it. thank you. now here's lester. >> amy, thank you. you found your destination and now how and what should you pack? good to see you. >> i had hi, lester. how are you? >> i'm well, thanks. >> i'm good. tips for you. the first thing to do is lay out everything you need. we have these great destinations and you take away half of what you need. the biggest mistake is overpacki overpacking. >> everything you need. >> you don't need four pair of jeans. cut it in half. the next thing is your jeans and your cottons, you roll them up like this. >> do you roll your clothes? you have so much more space when you do. >> your second layer? you will put that like that? >> exactly. the second layer will be the button down shirts and things that wrinkle more. before you put those in, you will take a dry-cleaning bag and place it along the bottom of your base layer and then like this. >> it will be folded. >> you will fold these and they will bounce a bit, but you can get creases. you will find the toiletries and the underwear and the socks. pull up your bathing suits and inside your suitcase. >> i have done that. >> your shoes take up so much space in your bag. you are going to put those in and last, but not least, jewelry. you want to wear the most expensive jewelry on you. you don't want to lose it in the luggage. you put your earrings and necklaces in there. >> what about wearing the largest shoes? >> you want to wear the largest shoes on you. that creates more space in the bag. all the places to go. we will be back in a moment. 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'cause actually, i'm from - anncr: geico. save even more with our new multi-policy discount. you spent the last three weeks in vancouver covering the olympics, but i guess you had amazing moments. >> i always people it's my 5th olympics. the best part when you are interviewing the young people with the medals, one of them with steve and his bobsled team, so exciting to watch and spend time on the show, these are the guys who have given me a ride a few weeks before in park city. first time they won a gold in like 60 years. great, funny guys. the other one was in the crowd the night that ohno got his 5th. >> i like that. >> we talked and being in the crowd watching him and the team finish and get their medals. >> he seems like a great guy and he makes it look easy. >> he does and after the interview, i sat down and said you have to explain the sport. in torino, i got hooked on a short track. it is the most amazing sport and the relay is just chaos out there. >> thou comes up from behind is spectacular. he glides right past. >> never looks like there is an opening. all these guys find one. it's a plus. >> i like the way you both did this. we'll be right back. >> he has a medal and i don't. we'll be right back after these messages. that five servings a day if you don't always like the taste of vegetables. good thing v8 v-fusion juice gives you a serving of vegetables hidden by a serving of fruit. v8. what's your number? we went into the game with one goal... and unfortunately that's how we finished the game -- with one goal. but i'm proud of ya. you played with heart. you played like olympians. so today, we eat like olympians. 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[ female announcer ] new moisture wrap body lotion. neutrogena skin care. #1 dermatologist recommended. that does it for us this saturday morning. thanks to everyone for joining us. cong up tomorrow, the winner is we take a look at hollywood's biggest night as oscar rolls out the carpets. >> a passion for exotic pets turns unsafe. see you back in the meantime tonight for nbc nightly news. so long, everybody and have a great day. >> live, local, latebreaking. this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. >> here is a look at our top stories. breaking news this morning out of baltimore county water main break in the pikesville area has left thousands of people without water. officials are working to pinpoint the location of the break. about 75 to 100,000 people do not have water. people who are in the area who still have water are being told to conserve as much as possible. we will have more information coming up. city police are investigating a homicide in northeast baltimore. the 23 year-old victim was found lying in the street. police say he had been shot several times. the victim was pronounced dead at the johns hopkins. right now, police say they have no suspects. we now know what caused the deadly fire in west baltimore, an overheated extension cord. the victims have been identified as 19 year-old and 41 year-old and 61 year-old. all three were unable to get out of the burning home. the extension cords caused nearby combustibles to catch fire. damage to the home is estimated at $50,000. >> up next on 11 news, dr. kim hammond has answers to your pet questions. >> we're talking about money. does -- do you control it or does it control you? >> spring is in the air. can you feel it? we're going to the home and garden show. >> you'll feel that spring in the air today because the temperatures are warming up. your >> live, local, latebreaking. this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> top stories in just a moment. first to want to take a look outside. we want to go out there. t>> the sun is out. there were -- it was a little chilly this morning. we did about two additional minutes of sunshine each day now. sunset is at 6:00 02. that is a big difference. we will feel it today and this weekend because it will drive the temperatures up a bit. yesterday, we made it to 54 the high. there were some clouds, a f