making news in america this morning -- holiday headache. downed power lines covered in ice. it's going on five days with no power for some of the people in the bitter cold. utility crews working overtime to get that power restored. package problem. santa's sleigh was a little light this year. this morning, u.p.s. and fedex explaining why some gifts did not arrive on time. on ice. a cruise ship and passengers spend christmas stranded. new details this morning about their supplies onboard. when will help arrive? dancing queen. a little girl's dream come true. getting on stage with beyonce. good morning.

i'm reena ninan, sitting if for diana perez. >> and i'm john muller. as thousands wait for the power to come back, there's new worries this morning. this family in maine, forced to use a sleigh to deliver the christmas presents. you can see a tree and power lines blocking the street. >> now, power companies say it could be a week before everyone gets back online. with more, here's abc's rob nelson. >> reporter: from michigan to northern new england, thousands of storm survivors are waiting for power to be restored and the christmas lights to come on. tom duquette has not had electricity since monday. he had to pack up and leave home in maine. >> this is challenging. >> this is probably the worst time of year to have something like this happen. but it happened. and there's not a lot you can do to keep mother nature from doing this sort of thing. >> reporter: this week's deadly ice storm also hit the great lakes region, putting hundreds of thousands of people in the dark in toronto, in the height of holiday season before hitting new england. shelters in michigan have been

busy, providing food, warmth and comfort for those lacking heat. also struggling, those utility crews sent to the hardest-hit areas. many repair workers are a long way from home and spent christmas away from their families. >> rough. lack of sleep. the elements are tough. >> reporter: the repair work is now going into its fifth day, after one of the worst storms of its kind since the 1990s. >> much rather be at home with my family and my kids. but there's also kids out here that have no power. my kids are at home in a warm, playing playstation and x-box. these kids up here are just trying to stay warm. >> reporter: and the utility crews say they will stay on the job perhaps until the weekend, until the power comes back on. rob nelson, abc news, new york. and more snow could soon add to the misery of those without the power. >> meteorologist jim dickey joining us this morning from accuweather with more.

jim? >> good morning, john and reena, tracking some snowfall this morning. most of it fairly light. it's moving across lake michigan, continuing to track eastward, as we head on through. these early morning hours, for most of us, just a nuisance event across much of pennsylvania, new york, up into new england. a light snow through the day. a coating of an inch or two at most. into the overnight, that's when things get interesting. this low will strengthen, move up the coast and bring a band of heavier snow to portions of maine. especially along the coast. cities like bangor, portland, augusta. three to six inches through the night. behind this system, fresh arctic air. that's diving into the northern tier of the country. that will move towards the east as we head towards new year's eve. john and reena, back to you. well, hot and dry conditions on the west coast are being blamed for sparking a wildfire burning north of los angeles. new video this morning shows crews trying to contain what's being called the lilac fire. crews say there's plenty of fuel for the fire, which is likely being made worse by the santa ana winds.

temperatures have been at or near record highs for the past few days. this morning, online shoppers slamming u.p.s. and fedex on special media, of they failed to deliver packages on christmas day. the delay is being blamed on a series of factors, including bad weather, overloaded systems and a shorter shopping season. neither company is saying how many packages didn't make it under the tree in time. after a one-day break for the holidays, stores are once again trying to entice reluctant shoppers. some opening as early as 5:00 a.m. most are hoping when you return that unwanted gift, you'll buy something else. abc's linzie janis previews the retail rush. >> reporter: today, america goes returning. taking back all those gifts that don't fit or you just don't want. >> i've seen a move towards return policies over the holidays. that's something that will help us all out this week. >> reporter: before you go to the stores, experts say do your homework. a recent study ranked return policies. among the most lenient, costco,

nordstrom and walmart. the most restrictive, sears and best buy. and another thing to look out for, more megadeals. all you know is you're getting a very good deal. that week after christmas, retailers want to go through merchandise to transition to the next season's goods. >> macy's after-christmas one-day sale thursday. incredible door-busters. >> reporter: amazon.com, offering so-called year-end deals of up to 70%, 60%, 50% off. old navy's after holiday sale, up to 75% off in store. and 60% online. the sales are so good because the pre-christmas shopping season has been disappointing. >> i think we, as consumers, are getting the better end of the deal. i think the retailers are struggling. i think there's a little too much inventory out there. >> reporter: last week, in-store retail sales were down 3.1%. and foot traffic down 21% since last year. as the numbers come in from online shopping, u.p.s. is expecting 15% more returns.

and speaking of returns, look for extended hours at many stores during this postholiday rush. linzie janis, abc news, new york. breaking news this morning. more about the fate of kidnapped american warren weinstein. al qaeda just released a video of weinstein. the first proof since 2012 that he is still alive. in the video, he wears a gray jumpsuit with a thick beard, saying he feels abandoned and forgotten. he appeals directly to president obama, saying his captives have agreed to let his family visit him if the u.s. releases some al qaeda members being held. new numbers from the white house on obamacare. 2 million people visited the health care website on monday. it's a record. experts are warning, those who signed up to call the new insurance company to make sure they're covered for january 1st. it's become a holiday tradition for president obama. he and the first lady took a break from their family vacation to visit a marine corps base in hawaii. he spoke for a few minutes.

and he met with and posed for photographs with some of the troops. it was one of the few public moments during his vacation. but he's been at the base every day to play golf. pope francis delivered his first christmas message as leader of the world's catholics. while it is traditional for the pope to speak in several languages, francis stuck to italian. he prayed for protection for christians under attack, battered women and trafficked children. and u.s. troops in afghanistan had a traditional meal and exchanged gifts. today marks the first day of kwanzaa. and celebrations are being held across the country. the week-long holiday honors african-american heritage, as well as family, community and culture. the name kwanzaa is derived from a swahili phrase meaning fresh fruits of the harvest. it is based on seven, core principals. and was celebrated first in 1966. to a blast from the past. >> a crowd gathered for a firsthand look at george washington's trip across the delaware river. it was the 61st re-enactment of the 1776 crossing that turned

the tide of the revolutionary war. >> men crammed into boats to make the trip from pennsylvania to delaware. new this morning, some doctors are saying a popular surgery could be unnecessary. nearly 1 million americans get this procedure every year. plus, stuck at sea. a cruise ship stranded in the middle of nowhere. when will help arrive? and lucky find. a shopper discovers something she never expected in her bag. and returned it to the rightful owner.

welcome back. the u.s. financial markets reopen today after the christmas break. they've been rising steadily since the federal reserve

announced last week that it would cut back on its measures to prop up the economy. the dow is on track for its best year in a decade. nearly 1 million hyundai and kia owners in the u.s. could soon be getting checks. the two south korean automakers admit they exaggerated gas mileage claims for the last three model years. when the proposed $400 million settlement is finalized, hyundai owners will get about $350 each. kia owners twice that. they the take a lump sum or get a credit. one major bank is worried that data thieves also got the p.i.n.s of customers. that information was not part of the haul of data breach involving 40 million debit and credit cart accounts. if the thieves got the personal identification numbers, they will be able to pull money out of bank accounts. satellite tv prices are about to take off. dish network and directv are notifying subscribers of price increases. most plans are going up $2 to $5.

that increase comes at a time when many tack savvy viewers are opting for online video streaming services. and is this proof that print is not dead? the popular new york city bookstore, strand, tweeted this picture, showing wall-to-wall customers before christmas. the caption said, bookstores are not dead. the 86-year-old store enjoyed record sales this holiday season. >> good to see. >> yeah. >> even though i have a kindle now. >> i do, too. special delivery. one little girl will have wild christmas stories to tell about her birth when she gets older. and hero of the day. how a four-legged friend helped save this skier from a certain death.

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with flooding from the snow melt and rain. many roads are blocked. even walking can be a problem. overnight, many of those flooded areas refroze into ice. and driving today will be a problem. most highways near the great lakes. roads may be wet in parts of new england, florida and south texas. highways should be dry nearly everywhere else today. >> and across most of the country, it's dry today. we're not expecting any significant delays at any of the major airport hubs today. hasn't been smooth sailing for dozens of would-be antarctica explorers. they spent christmas going nowhere. their cruise ship, stuck in the ice. it will be days before a rescue ship from australia can reach them. 74 people are onboard. >> they have plenty of food, water and supplies. but not enough diversions onboard to keep them busy. one passenger tweeted that they are in good spirits. authorities in the turks and caicos islands do not expect to find anymore victims from a capsized boats today. at least 17 haitians immigrants

died when their sailboat overturned. it was being towed to shore. the boat apparently capsized and some passengers jumped off to avoid being detained. more than 30 of the immigrants survived. in california, the man accused in the los angeles international airport shooting spree that left the tsa agent dead will be arraigned today. paul ciancia, facing a first-degree murder charge and ten other accounts. tsa agent her geraldo hernandez was killed, two others wounded. ciancia was allegedly carrying a note about killing tsa agents. he may face the death penalty. major medical news for millions of americans who are arthroscopic knee surgery. a new study finds that fake surgery is just as good as the real thing when it comes to relieving pain and other symptoms. researchers in finland found no difference in patients a year after those who had had the surgery. and those who only thought they had it. earlier studies have found that physical therapy works just as well as surgery for knee pain. now, to a special christmas eve delivery that took a new york family by surprise. >> karen hollander was out shopping for car seats for an

unborn child when she went into labor in the parking lot of a bank. the ambulance arrived to take her to the hospital. but the baby was apparently in quite a rush. the e.m.t. had to pull over and deliver baby alexandra right there on the side of the road. dad didn't even know his daughter was born until he got to the hospital. >> people were saying congratulations. and i didn't know what for. and i ran into the emergency room and saw karen holding baby alexandra. and about 50 people around her. and i almost fainted myself. >> you see her yourself. there's little alexandra doing just fine. her four big brothers couldn't wait to welcome her, either. >> they'll have stories for a lifetime about this day, won't they? >> great christmas. >> oh, yeah. a dog in colorado is proving that she is man's best friend by saving the life of her owner after a skiing accident. >> leonard somers says his husky named juneau came to the rescue when he tumbled into a ravine and couldn't move anything except his arms. juneau dug away snow from his face.

stayed by his side for nearly and hour and then ran for help when she heard other skiers passing by. >> i looked at her and said, go get them. she ran off. and they had a dog with them. and she somehow or another, brought the dog back. >> both dogs stayed with somers until the skiers turned back to see what was wrong. juneau's actions have earned her a heroic dog award. >> way to go, juneau. hope she got some biscuits or treats for christmas. a look at sports now. several christmas day nba games. we start with the oklahoma city thunder, delivering the most dominating performance ever by a road team on christmas. they humiliate the new york knicks, 123-94. >> the knicks were playing without carmelo anthony. and they've lost all seven games in orange uniforms this year. new york's other team isn't having a good season in any uniforms this year. the brooklyn nets were routed by the chicago bulls. 95-78.

brooklyn native taj gibson was one of the six chicago players in double-digits. >> the nets now lost four-straight. the fans booed them on the court. and afterwards in the locker room, first-year coach jason kidd let them have it, too. los angeles clippers star, blake griffin had harsh words for golden state warriors after his rejection. ejection, that is. several scuffles during that game. the warriors finally edged the clippers, 105-103. it was an emotional game when klay thompson blocked a layup with a second left. and stopped a three-pointer by jamal crawford. so, a little mixing and matching have led to a rare delivery in oklahoma. >> meet the country's first-ever liliger. cubs, all three of them, born a month ago at the g.w. zoo. their mom is a liger, a cross between a lion and a tiger. their dad is a lion. so, it makes them liligers. >> based on their genetics, they could become the largest cats ever seen. getting up to 800 pounds. >> it's amazing. the mix of the lion and the tiger is larger than the lion or the tiger. >> 800 pounds. >> 800-pound cat.

that's kinda scary. up next, "the pulse." social media is a-buzz with who might be playing lex luther in the upcoming "batman vs. superman" movie. and beyonce makes a little girl's wish come true.

all right. time to check "the pulse." and the new buzz about who might play supervillain lex luther in "batman vs. superman" movie. >> hollywood rumors say denzel washington is a favorite for the role.

washington has played larger-than-life roles. he was a bad guy in "training day." winning a best actor oscar. stay tuned. >> he was great in "american gangster." he was a bad guy. >> is that right? it was walmart customers. now, it's a cancer patient. beyonce made a girl's dream come true when she sang and danced with her at a recent concert. 12-year-old taylon davis has an inoperable tumor in her brain. >> beyonce sang "survivor" a hit from her destiny's child days. taylon couldn't believe it. she was shaking. but she managed to sing and dance with beyonce. a christmas miracle for a walmart checkout clerk in omaha, nebraska. >> you could say that. ethel perkins didn't notice when her diamond ring slipped off when packing a customer's bag. the customer, didn't notice, either. luckily for perkins his wife found the ring ten days later, on christmas eve. and took it back to the store.

>> hi. >> oh, you're going to make me cry. >> my wife cleaned it up for you last night, too. >> i cleaned it for you. >> thank you so much. >> you're welcome. >> surveillance video showing the moment that the clerk put her hand in the bag with the ring on her finger. and pulled it out with no ring. >> i lose a pen and i get upset. can you imagine a diamond ring? >> do you have your ring glued to your finger? >> yes. you have a feeling that you're going to lose your diamond ring. doing dishes. >> if you were a man, you'd have to buy another one. that's a great thing. >> that's a good story. i always get nervous with rings, yeah. do you, with jewelry? or anything personal? your iphone? >> i worry about my wallet. that's about it. >> really? >> yeah. >> that's it? guys have it easy. for some of you, the local news is next. >> for everyone else, we'll be back with a christmas fit for those glorious royals. look at that little baby.

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live from the kgo-tv broadcast center this is abc7 news. >> good morning. i am matt keller here for kristen sze. >> i am eric thomas. >> get everything you wanted? >> everything. >> we got mike nicco back for christmas with the forecast. >> did you get a lump of big coal. here we go on live doppler 7 hd: it is clear. most of the clouds are on the coast. the forecast could be a fifth consecutive day with a record high and our 19th "spare the air" day of the winter season. low-to-upper 60's inland and mid-to-upper 60's around the bay and mid-to-upper 60's at the coast. is anyone out there for bargains? >> the bay bridge toll plaza has more traffic than usual.

toward santa rosa we have a big accident involving overturned vehicle northbound 101 at todd road and it is on the roof. it sounds like a person is trapped in the vehicle and c.h.p. is headed out there. hopefully everyone is okay. 580 tracy to dublin is 23 minutes, highway 4 westbound from antioch to concord is 15 minutes southbound through san rafael is 15 minutes we have extra cars from the maze to the city, more than yesterday. eric and matt? >> 4:29. the two biggest package delivery services have hired extra workers to help with the backlog spoused to be delivered by christmas. they are also taking a beating on social media. nick is at u.p.s. facility in south san francisco. nick? >> yes, u.p.s. said that the

volume of air packages in the system exceeded the capacity of our network so shipments were delayed. they say they trying to fix the problem. they were not the only shipping giant expensing problems. u.p.s. says they are working average the clock to resolve the issue but did not deliver packages on christmas upsetting customers when u.p.s. and fedex were asked why they underestimated the number of christmas packages they said the backlog from snow and ice and ice storm that hit dallas 2 1/2 weeks ago. that added to the high valve packages in an overloaded system. customers waiting for packages from u.p.s. were left frustrated and disappointed. >> i have been waiting since christmas eve. nothing will be under the tree. >> we are more efficient and using technology on the ground