klm could see an uptick in bookings in the new year. nina, i'm sure it will provide us lots of story opportunities. >> i find it interesting that someone is defending that move. interesting move there from the dutch airline klm. >>> 'tis the season of good will and still to come here on "world business today," we have a heartwarming tale from the u.s. state of nebraska. >>> from cnn london, i'm nina dos santos. >> and i'm manisha tank in hong kong. a warm welcome back to "world business today." >>> we're about 19 minutes into the trading session here in europe. let's take a look at how the markets are faring. at the moment we seem to be holding on to the positive momentum we saw yesterday but only just. already, as you can see, some of the euro zone markets feeling the bite of credit rating downgrades for some of the biggest french and german banks. >> here in asia as you can see, all the major markets ending the session higher. >>> in the u.s., the leading indices all set for a higher open when trading gets started later on, following

klm is teaming with up facebook and linked in to give that idea a try. the carrier calls it social seating. klm says the goal is to help travelers book a seat next to a friend or someone they think may have similar interests. the launch is expected next year. no word on exactly how much the cost of that would be. >>> now lynette charles, i know. >> right. >> you want to fly with me. >> i would, charley. >> you would take my candy and toys and ipad. >> i would. >> give me all that. >> you got it right. so that could be a good thing. only if i could sit next to you. weather wise for today, the big story, the first story is the fact we are very windy this morning. we have sustained wind now close to 20 miles an hour into baltimore. and hagerstown around 13. starting to die down a little bit in hagerstown. about 23 a little earlier. and 15 in winchester 13 in washington and 14 in easton and all the winds now out of the northwest. so you can see that the front has passed and that's how you know the front passed because the winds will turn to the north and nor

the program is set to begin next year and klm says they are not sure if they will charge us for it or not like most things right now at the airport. >> that could be very interesting. >>> still ahead, why the area's biggest wildlife center is being forced to move. that an accord -- that includes hundreds of sick animals. >>> it's the end of an era for one of the largest hotel chains in the world. >>> she died trying to help someone. >> a local >>> tonight, the leasing county sheriff's department has one less member on their force. >> mary -- maggie that canine the bloodhound is dead and after a pit bull attack her. the entire community is in mourning. >> the shares department has never lost an officer in the line of duty but tonight, a loss is great. it's 7 officer everyone loved. >> she loved to work and that's what she was here for. >> she was a valued member of the shares department, killed this week in the line of duty. >> she died serving the citizens of the county and gave her life helping someone who needed help. >> maggie was attacked while tracking a suicidal man in the woods

. >>> klm royal dutch airlines wants people to be able to talk to the person who sits next to them on long flights. so next year, they are launching what they call meet and seat service. travelers will be able to link facebook and linked-in profiles to their log in check-in information as you can see what other passengers are interested in. klm says passengers can also choose not to make their profiles publicly available. >>> as the last of american troops move out of iraq, some major hotel chains are moving in. best western, hilton and mare preyut are just some of the hotels that have broken ground in northern iraq. hotel expects say that -- executives say that area attractive because of the oil reserves. they say that area is safer now and it's been named one of the best trips to take by "national geographic." >>> we're less than three weeks away from the iowa caucus. and donald trump makes an announcement that he's not totally out of the race yet. jameny joins us via skype from washington, d.c. with all of the political maneuvering. >> reporter: let's start with donald tum p. he wa

klm is not the first to link seating and social media. they launched one for buddies. >>> the war in iraq is over but what's next for maryland troops serving overseas? that story is next on abc2 news at 6 which starts right now. >>> maryland competes for and gets a fairly large education grant from the feds. what they plan on doing with that money coming up next. >>> new charges against a man accused of promising the ravens and not delivers. tonight on joce sterman's investigation. >>> forget black friday. today is free shipping day. first, tonight maryland is one of nine states to get a windfall of money. it's part of the race to the top program. maryland is using the money on children before they even get into the classroom. >> in the race to the top, maryland placed, giving the state the resources to focus on early childhood development. >> what we want to accomplish is the conditions of learning in the early years are going to be better in four years than they currently are. >> an assistant state superintendent said that will happen w

travelers will be allowed to opt out of the program. >> online dating in the air. >> klm? >>> after more than nine months there's a sign of greater stability this morning at japan's crippled fukushima nuclear power plant. we'll explain coming up. >>> plus the clean-up of a fiery crash in the los angeles suburbs could be a long-term nightmare for commuters. >>> and in sports the scoring didn't start in last night's capitals' game until they were less than two minutes left in regulation. we'll let you know how it ended up. >>> 5:08. i'm olga breese in for howard bernstein in morning. we have balmy conditions out there right now. temperatures for most of us stayed in the upper 50s to 60 degrees. that's where we're sitting right now for reagan national airport but we have a conference coming through. that's going -- cold front coming through. that's going to clothings down. by the 9:00 hour we're in the middle 40s and rebound a little bit under mostly cloudy skies to 50 degrees by noontime and then we slide back down overnight tonight. i'll have details on your seven day forec

klm will offer a meet and seat early next year. it will i-5 lou passengers to link social media profiles to the airlines' website and pick their seat mates. you know how many of those profiles will not be the person -- >> in that seat next to you. >> good call. >> they may live in the most prestigious address in america but the first family likes to sit down and watch tv like most families. they say their favorite tv is the comedy "modern family." when he is not watching sports, the president watches the darker dramas. they only recently got a dvr. >> i can dig it. >> and the kids probably know how to work it better than the parents if their family is like mine. >> of course. >>> we got changes coming our way? >> and there are big changes. we have had a quiet stretch of weather. the changes though for the most part are good as the temperatures will rise. some areas close to 60 degrees tomorrow. but you may want the umbrella as we have will see a chance for shower activity. look at the live shot of las vegas, nevada. that's national

klm are starting to let passengers select their seat mates according to facebook. and the facebook seating policy will access other social media information when they check in to find the neighbor with similar interests. and you'll also be able to opt out of the program if you so choose. what do you think? >> well, we have some upsides and the downsides. like anything else. it might work. >> yeah, i would want somebody to sit next to that likes 50- degree weather in the middle of december. do you know anyone like that? >> well, not me. but most of you do like temperatures in the 50s and the 60s. we like 63 degrees today. and still, you know, a treat for mid-december. all right, we'll start with the bigger picture. the frontal system is still to our west. we have a second of the wave of the lower pressure on this front that will develop and roll south of us tomorrow. and first, there will be clouds our way tomorrow afternoon, that will keep the moisture hire just south of us as you are headed to richmond. it will be raining down there. the front is just about to ent

a dutch airline klm has created a social seating policy. it allows passengers to choose their seat mates based on their social networking profiles. the new seating policy could take effect as early as next year. >>> 20% of more americans are saying no to marriage. that's according to a new study from the u.s. census bureau. during the 1960s, 72% of americans were married. but as of 2010, only 51% of adult americans were married. clinical psychologist jeffrey garrdeer joins us. a big drop in marriage. what's going on? why is it fallen favor with people? >> fredricka, we think there are a couple things going on. first and foremost, the economy. a lot of people are saying that they just can't afford to either get married or that they have to cohab tate even if they want to divorce. the economy is certainly a factor. the second factor is, we're seeing that young people, 18 and over, really do want to pursue their education and want to pursue a career first before getting married and finally, we know that a lot of these kids are scared to death

. >>> klm royal dutch airlinesteaming up with facebook and linkedn to choose where they will sit and who they will sit with. the goal is to help travelers book a seat next to a friend or someone with similar interesting. there's no word on how much that service is going to cost. >>> they are known for revealing lingerie and exotic mold and million dollar bar. victoria's secret under fire -- bobt builder going high tech with toys. what gifts many are asking for. it's 5:21 on this friday, december 16th. a live look at downtown baltimore. good morning, maryland. look what denny's left for my dad, santa! christmas cookie pancakes. milk & cookies shake. i think santa needs a helper. come try arthur christmas's favorites. only at denny's. and see arthur christmas only in theaters. ♪ i must have the wrong house. sister? we missed you. they waited up all night for you, you know. it's a long way from west africa. ahh...coffee. [ inhales deeply ] he's here. i brought you something. [ chuckles ] really? ♪ [ chuckles ] what are you doing? you're my present this year. ♪ the best part of wak

he's claiming that delta and air france-klm were negligent, by allowing abdulmutallab on the flight. >>> a judge in new york has signed off on a virtually meaningless judgment that finds that al qaeda, the taliban and iraq were liable for the 9/11 attacks. the ruling came in a $100 billion lawsuit, brought by family members of victims of the attacks. >>> and lots of changes apparently need to be made on what is probably the nation's most hallowed ground. congress says one-quarter of the headstones in arlington national cemetery need to be replaced or added to accurately account for the dead. a cemetery official says a full review continues. and that it is premature to estimate how many headstones should be replaced. >>> and up next on "america this morning," why best buy may not have been the best place to get your christmas gifts this year. >> a lot of folks not happy about that. >>> and also this morning, a breakthrough in the search for the geezer's bandit. how the nickname may have thrown investigators off the scent.wl @@qh$ ú hey, your high speed internet here, at home... ...a

they are trying to start something new at the airline klm. they want you to select who you sit next to. you will know a passenger list, which is a little weird. you can go online and figure out who they are and pick to see if you want to sit next to them. >> what if that person doesn't want to sit next to you? >> i don't like the idea of it, do you? >> we are all control freaks. let life happen to you, you know? >> yes. >> what are you going to do? if you find somebody you don't like you're not going to take that flight? >> what if someone is not attractive or freaky looking even though they are nice people and you go, i don't want to sit next to that person and you don't know what you're missing. we're against it. >> the other thing that does not exist in life except for hoda, mr. perfect does not exist. another study. >> most women say their guy is about 69% perfect. >> i think it was chris rock or a median having a show. he said ladies, guys, i want you to think about this. you are not your woman's first choice. that's what he said. >> rea

. >> klm royal will allow to you choose who you want to sit next to. you can choose someone with general interests or someone who is goodlookinging. the service is optional. 2,007 miles are not enough to keep a dog away from a family. the family was devastated when they lost petunia. they let her outside and she simply vanished. that was 8 years ago. then petunia showed up in california in a wildlife area. a woman took petunia to a clinic and workers used the microchip to track down the owners. petunia is now back home in virginia. it is not paul revere's ride. but it does grab your attention. three people sat on horse back and rode through a colorado town and made several stops through a grocery store and several bars. they were kicked out of a supermarket, but they continued on. the journey ended in a pub. the woman on the horse got into a bar fight over a beer. one rider was arrested. and the others rode off into the sunset, of course. thru have it, the best of the rest. it is not donald trump. but it's close. a tv star endorses a presidential candi

klm says service is optional. 2,700 miles aren't enough to keep a lucky dog away from her family. members of the family were devastated when they lost their dog petuna. they let her outside the home and she vanished. that was eight years ago. recently, petuna showed up in california. a woman walking her own dog, spotted petuna in a wildlife area. they took her to the clinic and they used a micro chip to track down owners and she is now back home in virginia. >>> not quite paul revere's ride but it does grab your attention three. people set out on horseback and rode through a colorado town. they made several stops riding a horse through grocery store and several bars. they got kicked out of the supermarket but continued on. it ended at a pub. the woman on a horse got in a bar fight over a beer. police were called and arrested one of the riders. the others rode off in the sunset, of course. there you have it. the best of the rest. coming up, it's not donald trump, but it's close. tv star endorses a presidential candidate. that's next. guided only by a dream. i'm embarking on a journ

dutch airline klm has modern day solution to avoid sitting next to the chaty traveler or the big drinker. passengers share the facebook or link in profile with the rest of the flight passengers and then choose their own seat mate based on whoever seems to be the best match. l they say the idea could spread to all airlines. >>> spencer always an excellent seat mate on an airplane back with the forecast. fichlts hoping would you say that. didn't have to pay much to say it. time lapse view from south beach camera lacking out over the bay this afternoon we have breaken clouds manufacturing in the rainfall and fewer fewer clouds and more and more blue sky. lots of blue sky state wide tomorrow from top to pwop. nice pleasant dry day as in the bay area with high pressure in the upper 50's to low 60's. very pleasant weather for december 16. here's accu-weather 7 day forecast. dry pattern. unusually dry pattern issued add continues all the way through the 7 day forecast period and by the way, winter officially arrives next wednesday night at 9:30 pacific standard time. >> okay. still spring like.

the dutch airline klm has a new service that lets you select your seatmate by looking at their facebook profile first. [ laughter ] that's weird, right? when you sit down, he's like "hi, i'm gary. like, yeah, i also think "forrest gump" is my favorite movie. how's kate?" [ laughter ] "how's kate? is it still complicated?" [ laughter ] check this out. this week, a designer in new york unveiled a bottle of perfume that costs $1 million. yeah, 1 million bucks for a few ounces of liquid, which explains its name -- starbucks. [ laughter ] [ cheers and applause ] this is crazy. dr. phil just revealed that he helped perform his own vasectomy 30 years ago. [ laughter ] in related news, never make small talk in an elevator with dr. phil -- "i have more stories, jimmy." [ laughter ] i've got to get off, i've got to get off now. this is interesting. there's a cookbook coming out that's actually inspired by "lord of the rings." and no surprise, all the recipes call for olive oil that's virgin or extra virgin. [ laughter ] hey, this month marks the 19th anniversary of the text message. man, i can't

so klm airlines is is offering this service where if you've a passenger, you can use facebook to book your flight. the airline says the idea, interest and pick a seat. they say this could help you in business and sort of business friendly conversations and just it also takes out the creepy factor because they can't go on facebook and say, look, brooke baldwin, she's going to be flying on this flight. i want to sit next to her. it will take that out of the picture because both passengers have to agree for it to work. as far as the dating as pegt that you mentioned, okay, you never know what happens up there in the air, that mile high club. >> i'm not speaking in that way. i met a pretty fascinating woman. you never know who's sitting next to you. someone's sitting there with ear bud's in the whole time, i guess they're sending you a message. >>> on a much more serious note, today is a day, one of many, that really is going down in history. this is the day that the u.s. is officially ending the war in iraq and after nine year, u.s. troops are coming home and who better to help us unders

klm is going to start it next year, actually. the other airline, molaegz airlines will launch a facebook service whether you can identify if your friends are on the same flight as you and that way you know them and someone you can hang out with on the plane. i would rather just be left alone, t.j., but with you, i would be very happy. >> we all know, it depends on who you get stuck with sometimes whether or not you feel like talking. we'll talk to you here, again, soon. >>> 24 minutes past the hour now. we'll check in with alison kosik who is looking into one california school that are taking unprecedented steps when it comes to students getting an education. at the new york stock exchange for us, we're talking about uc berkeley here, what are they up to? >> when is the last time you heard this from a top school? uc berkeley, t.j., is planning to increase the amount of financial aid. that means for families who have annual incomes between $80,000 and $140,000. here's why it is unheard of. the school is putting a 15% cap on how mu