santa cruz following the partial collapse of the city's wharf. good evening. on this christmas eve, i'm greg lee, ktvu south bay reporter jesse gary returned to santa cruz today for a look at the cleanup and challenges facing some mariners. jesse. >> greg, good evening to you. hundreds of boats are docked here at the santa cruz harbor, but they remain in harm's way tonight. now, this looks very picturesque, but let's take a 20 foot walk across this pier where you can get a better look at the damage. this is what i'm talking about. large pieces of debris still floating in the water, which can literally torpedo a craft. the work on the dock by the bay in santa cruz tuesday is salvaging vessels tossed like toys from the water by a strong storm surge. >> i don't think the damage was too bad. i think everything is mostly just scratches, you know, with the help of all the people from yesterday and all of sean's friends that came out and helped us, i think we dodged a bullet.

>> those bullets are literally torpedo sized pieces of debris that are washing ashore. >> the whole front just fell off. there's somebody on it. >> monday, a 150 foot section of the iconic santa cruz wharf sank into the pacific due to large swells. >> we are currently assessing and working towards understanding what structural integrity metrics need to be evaluated. as we work with our consultants and our contract engineering firms. >> debris from the wharf now floods surrounding waterways and has washed up onto some roadways. >> these pilings are really long. they're large, they're heavy. if we have another surge or, you know, storm system that comes through, the surge can actually carry those pilings. and if they hit a boat the wrong way, that boat can sink and go down. >> harbormaster blake anderson says over a dozen boats now sit at the bottom, and 200 have sustained damage. so it's all hands on deck to clear debris and safeguard the roughly 900 remaining vessels. >> if we can get some of these

pilings from the wharf that are that are floating around in the harbor out to prevent damage to other boats, were were prioritizing that right now. >> three men sent into the frigid water when the wharf collapsed have recovered from their minor injuries. their rescuers are said to be with family for the holiday. in an emailed statement, the santa cruz fire marine unit says two of its lifeguard lieutenants witnessed the wharf collapse from their patrol point, called it in and started to initiate rescue efforts. they removed the victims from harm's way and visually cleared the debris field. back at the harbor, boaters continue checking for damage. >> i won't know for sure until we pull it out of the water to make sure there isn't any damage under the hull. >> it's a race against time, as the next surge could send more obstacles their way and more boats to the bottom. >> we're resilient. humans are great species, and we keep on trucking. >> we've talked a lot about the damage from this storm, but there is one fatality, possibly

a second to report tonight. first, a man down at sunset beach was crushed by debris. he was. they tried to revive him, but he did not make it. so the debris literally landed on him, and he was crushed to death. and then a second man, this is down in monterey county, swept out to sea at at a local beach down there, marina state beach. his body has not been recovered. search and rescue operations have been called off. we're live in santa cruz county. jesse gary, ktvu, fox two news greg will head back up to you in oakland. >> all right, jesse, thank you. three people are safe tonight after they were rescued by members of the sonoma county fire district who were in the right place at the right time. the fire district posted this video of the rushing water at scotts creek near bodega bay on monday. a wave swept the three people off the edge, carrying two of them about 150 yards up the creek. the third holding on to a rock nearby. two deputy chiefs who were dropping dinners

off to the bodega bay station, responded to the call and helped pull everyone to safety. let's give you a live look now at pacifica. that high surf advisory is slated to expire within the hour. you can see the winds blowing in those flags and a beautiful sunset here, but the weather is expected to make for less than ideal conditions in the water. meteorologist rosemary oroczo is here now with a look at what's ahead. rosemary, a short break from the storm here. >> you're right. and it will last at least through christmas day and hanukkah, with dry conditions expected. giving you a look there again, outdoors, where it is like night and day compared to what we had this morning when it was really pouring over the bay area. even a few thunderstorms out there. and tonight we are dry with mostly clear skies with that clear sky out there, temperatures are already cooling off and we have a frost advisory to talk about here. coming up, the high surf warning as greg talked about continues. it will expire at 6:00 this evening. a subtle improvement expected for

this evening. better improvement along the coastline expected for tomorrow. here's a look at some of the storm reports from the system that came in fairly rapidly and moved out fairly rapidly. but at 5:00 this morning, you can see flooding reported here in santa clara. three lanes of the northbound 880 blocked there as we head into santa rosa, where windsor, we've got chp reporting roadway flooding here. and the east bay had several reports of flooding across the area. and we've got a number of areas still still seeing a little bit of standing water, but the system is moving out. we continue with some snow in the sierra. and an advisory here continues until 7:00 this evening. once that expires, the sierra is expected to remain dry for christmas day as well as hanukkah. but again, temperatures at this hour already running colder. we've got ten degrees cooler in livermore, half moon bay down by five, where most of us are in the low to mid to upper 50s. i'll have a better look at what

we can expect for your holiday, including the frost advisory for the north bay and what we can expect in the extended forecast coming up. all right, rosemary, thank you. >> soon. a ski lift at heavenly mountain resort in south lake tahoe remains closed after an accident that injured five people. they were heading up the mountain for another run yesterday, when something caused a pair of chairs to collide. witnesses took these photos. they told us a chair on the comet express lift slid back into another. that caused several riders to fall to the ground. >> we could see about 15. quite a few emt are all the medics that were there surrounding someone. >> another witness told us he saw what looked like to be a pile of bodies beneath the chair. at least one victim had to be taken to a hospital by helicopter. heavenly mountain resort still hasn't said what caused this incident. the resort did release a statement that said, in part, the safety of our guests is our top priority and the resort is investigating this incident. new at five. the last

group of striking san francisco hotel workers today voted to approve a new contract, ending a 93 day strike for hilton employees. the union says the new four year contract includes an immediate $3 an hour pay increase, with more raises throughout the life of the contract. it also has added protections against understaffing and workload increases and preserves health insurance. we interviewed one worker who says she's thrilled that after more than three months on the picket line, she and her colleagues could soon return to work. >> my husband worked in the same hotel, too, so both we are on strike and we have to take a time to drop my kids to school and then pick it up. but we win. that's it for today. very excited. christmas eve now. and that's the best gift for everybody. >> the deal with hilton covers roughly 900 workers, most of

them at the union square location. marriott and hyatt workers have also ended their strikes after reaching deals with management. a spokesperson for hilton released a statement reading in part, quote, we believe this agreement is beneficial to both our team members and our hotels. we look forward to welcoming our team members back to work and continuing to provide our guests with our signature hospitality. christmas and hanukkah are almost upon us, and san francisco's union square is filled with holiday cheer tonight. ktvu christian captain joins us live. and christian, big crowds are already out getting ready for the holidays. >> yeah, absolutely big crowds. union square is absolutely packed. and i'll tell you, it seems like there's something for everyone. [music] in the holiday spirit filled the air around san francisco's union square, just doing some last minute shopping for christmas. >> get some gifts for my mom, my sister, him as well. >> yeah, i mean, supporting san francisco retail. and, you know,

there's a bunch of stuff online, but it always comes later than you think and you just want something under the tree. >> some said rather than just celebrating one holiday, they're taking more time to enjoy fun with the family. >> we are here. family. we're here as a family. a group of 30 of us. we just had lunch upstairs and yeah, upstairs. we're all staying at the saint francis and we're spending the whole weekend here. >> yeah. even recycling, matching holiday appropriate outfits. >> we signed up for the run. this was actually for last is last year, and we didn't wake up in time. we didn't wake up in time. but we got the shirt, we got the shirts, and we thought it was great. yes. >> while a white christmas may be a bit of a stretch that didn't stop skaters from taking to the ice and getting into the holiday mood. >> well, we had band practice yesterday and we slept over and we decided to go out and do something fun and festive for christmas eve. >> it was super fun. i really enjoy ice skating. it's just it feels really like whimsical. i think when you do like some

whimsical, like some jolly fun stuff to like kind of get you in the setting, it does really add to the vibe. i really like it. >> the union square alliance said that shoppers and holiday revelers are looking for something genuine that you simply cannot get online. >> well, i think people realize that you can't click and get all this. this is the experience. this is what it's all about. this is our union square for bay area residents, northern californians, visitors from all over the world. >> and union square says this is just the beginning. they say they're planning on hosting 200 events here next year. we're live in san francisco at union square, christien kafton, ktvu, fox two news. >> nice to see the city. so festive. christian, i'm going to put you on the spot. do you have to run into one of these stores and finish up your shopping tonight? >> i'm going to plead the fifth on that. yes, i have, i will. i will say that i have completed my shopping and santa's elves are hard at work. >> all right, there's still time for you and everyone that is lying to me tonight. christien

kafton in the city for us, christian. thank you. the glide foundation in san francisco's house of prime rib held their annual special christmas eve brunch today. 3,000 pounds of prime rib and side dishes were served up this afternoon in glide's dining room in the tenderloin. volunteers also delivered 200 meals to encampments across the city to serve 1800 meals inside this building, and serving out to people who are in need. >> we're so excited about it. i think what's different this year is the joy and the passion our volunteers have. more people are coming out. more people are in our line. we know that hunger doesn't go away because it's a holiday glide's holiday generosity does not end with today's meal. >> volunteers will also be serving 2400 meals tomorrow on christmas day. coming up here at five games. cash and eggs. burglars crash and grab a series of stores overnight. the

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this christmas eve, leaving business owners scrambling. ktvu joey hoard is live in san leandro, where police are connecting two of the break ins to the same group of suspects. joey. >> yeah, greg. and in each case, the suspects are caught on camera here at this restaurant. they busted open the door and told the employee to get out. a brazen start to christmas eve at elio's family restaurant, where surveillance video captures five suspects in three different vehicles. breaking in. >> pried the officer open and proceeded to cut into the safe. >> second generation owner james iliopoulos tells us the team of suspects surprises the cook and tells him to get out. they get away with $3,000 tequila and

several cartons full of eggs, which are now hard to come by. >> gets under my skin. no one. no one likes this. you feel violated. someone comes in, they break in your door. it's your house. basically. i grew up here. >> san leandro police say the same group of suspects later crashed their vehicle right through the front door of the gamestop at fashion fair place just after 6 a.m. employees now dealing with what they say is their third break-in in two weeks. >> they knew what they were doing. they immediately went to the back, and they used a handsaw to cut the lock off the doors, and then they grabbed whatever they could. all the a lot of ps5's nintendo switches. >> san leandro police would nab two of the suspects at the store, while two others lead officers on a car chase before crashing, where one suspect is caught and another gets away in nearby hayward. repairs are underway after lego retailer brick by brick gets hit twice on the same day. two different groups of people within a three hour time span rammed their cars

into michael baranski's business. >> it just sucks. like, it just it makes me feel less safe. and it's a place where i want people to come and feel safe, and a place where i want people to come and share their passion that they have. >> the loss about $10,000 worth of damage and merchandise. it's not the first smash and grab here, and shoplifting is becoming common. >> it just makes it more difficult to keep going, keep running into things and support a family off of it. >> adding to the loss, he's missing out on last minute shoppers. now, if convicted, the suspects could be looking at longer sentences because of prop 36. one of them ended up in the hospital after that car chase with police ended in a crash, and all three businesses are now looking at improving their security systems. back to you. >> certainly frustrating for all these business owners. joy, i have to ask you, you talked about the eggs for helios. how much did that set them? back on a day where they may have seen a

lot of business? >> yeah, they're talking thousands of dollars here, greg. and, of course, those eggs are not cheap. they had them boxes of eggs and several cartons in each box. so, as you know, going to the grocery store right now, that's not cheap to buy. >> josé horta live for us tonight. joey. thank you. the legal battle over actor alec baldwin's role in the death of a cinematographer on a new mexico movie set is officially over. prosecutors decided to drop the appeal of the dismissal of involuntary manslaughter charges against the actor. baldwin's lawyers say the dropped case is final proof that he did not commit a crime. but attorneys for the parents and sister of halyna hutchins, the cinematographer who died, said today the family is devastated by the decision. >> the sudden dismissal, with prejudice of the criminal case by the court, has left the family reeling from what they feel was an unjust outcome and a denial of justice in the criminal justice system. >> the attorneys say they plan

to continue with a civil lawsuit against baldwin and the rust production team in new mexico. all right, let's give you a look now at the travel conditions along the east shore freeway 880 and sfo this evening. the east shore freeway is lit up like a christmas tree. lots of people trying to get to their destinations. 880 moving along and sfo. things look calm at this hour. the chp maximum enforcement period will go into effect within the hour. officers on the road will look out for signs of people driving under the influence, speeding or driving. distracted drivers could also be ticketed for not wearing seatbelts, the chp says. last year, officers arrested more than 900 people for driving under the influence over the three day christmas weekend. heightened enforcement ends midnight on christmas day. the bay area's airports are busy today. travel experts are predicting record breaking travel this holiday season. but as fox's danamarie mcnicholl tells us, for thousands of people across the country, air travel today got off to a bit of

a rocky start. >> whether it's by plane, train or automobile, millions of americans are packing up and heading out for the holidays. >> there's also a magic about the holidays that makes it exciting to travel. >> triple a says nearly 120 million people will travel 50 miles or more from their homes between december 21st and january 1st, which is on pace to narrowly beat the travel record set back in 2019 pre-pandemic. >> not everybody leaves at the same time at the end of the year, and that's what makes this year end travel period a little bit trickier. it's good to prepare and plan ahead for the worst case scenario. >> some american airlines travelers saw their worst case scenario tuesday morning. a nationwide ground stop, more than 1400 flights were delayed due to a technical issue. flights were grounded for about an hour before the all clear was given. american airlines apologized in a statement, adding it's all hands on deck as our team is working diligently to get customers where they need to go as quickly as possible. >> if america has this under

control, then i got to go with american and believe them. >> the other thing to be mindful of weather. while many hope for a white christmas snow could cause some travel delays in the northeast. snow is also in the forecast for the mountain west, while other areas of the west coast and south could see rain. >> so be flexible. if you're going on a road trip and you see that there's severe weather coming, adjust your time. >> experts say the least busiest time to travel this year is on christmas day. in atlanta, i'm dana marie mcnicol, fox news. >> in vatican city, the pope leading christmas eve mass. [music] miroslav. traditionally, the service starts around midnight, but due to the pontiff's age, today's ceremony began at 7 p.m. in rome. it's around 10 a.m. pacific time. the pope turned 88 a week ago. this service also launches jubilee 2025, a year of catholic celebrations set to draw more than 30 million

pilgrims to the vatican. he's expected to call for peace worldwide, particularly in the middle east. after this mass, pope francis will deliver his christmas day blessing. tomorrow, churches in the bay area are holding special holiday masses today. grace cathedral in san francisco is set to hold a service beginning at 1030 tonight. it starts with the music prelude, featuring the cathedral choir of men and boys and a full orchestra. the actual service will go from 11 p.m. to 1230 wednesday morning, and will be simulcast on grace cathedral's web page. tis the season for scams. thieves now phishing for information at your

companies that built america. after a national security committee failed to reach a consensus on whether u.s. steel could be purchased by a japanese company. fox news alexandria hoff has the details from washington. >> u.s. steel has been a cornerstone of american industry since 1901, but a proposed sale would see the company taken over by japanese giant nippon steel. it's a deal that has the support of some in the industry. >> i think nippon is the best deal for u.s. steel, but the sale needs approval from the federal government. >> and on monday, the committee on foreign investment in the united states, which reviews potential foreign takeovers of u.s. companies, failed to reach a consensus on whether the sale of u.s. steel to nippon posed a national security risk. it's now up to president joe biden to

make the final determination on a deal. he has publicly opposed. >> u.s. steel has been an iconic american company for more than a century, and it should remain a totally american company- [applause]. american owned american operated by american union steelworkers. >> under the terms of the nearly $15 billion all cash offer, u.s. steel would keep its name and headquarters in pittsburgh, but become a subsidiary of nippon. the combined company would be among the largest steel makers in the world. some union workers say they are concerned about the future of their jobs, but others say the sale would provide a much needed investment. >> they're promising to put billions of dollars into our facilities. our facilities are all down here. they need updated. they need upgraded. >> president elect donald trump also opposes the sale of u.s. steel, and said he would block it from going through. in washington, alexandria, hoff, ktvu, fox two news. >> nearly 1 million taxpayers could soon be receiving rebate checks for as much as $1,400

from the irs. to receive the rebates, taxpayers don't need to take any action. the irs will send out the payments later this month. the payouts are going to those who did not claim federal stimulus checks on their tax returns. for 2021, they are still eligible for now. in a recent interview, treasury secretary janet yellen credits the continuing covid relief efforts, including the recovery rebate credit, for helping tax years today. >> we acted very quickly to alleviate the suffering the pandemic had caused and to support the economy, and the consequence was that we enjoyed the fastest and strongest recovery, really, of any advanced nation. >> just how much money taxpayers get depends on a variety of factors, but the maximum payment is $1,400. police departments are warning about a rise in so-called brushing scams targeting holiday shoppers. fox's brooke taylor is in dallas

with the latest on what consumers should know. >> not every holiday package received in the mail is legit. that's the warning being issued by police departments nationwide, cautioning of a so-called brushing scam. >> so a brushing scam is when you receive a package with like a small item in it that you didn't order, but it is addressed to you and you're not sure where it came from. >> so how does the scam work? the better business bureau says the unexpected packages typically come with an item and a qr code. some packages even suggest that's how you can find out who the package is from. but for some scammers, consumer advocacy groups warn the qr code is actually a ploy to fish for personal information such as bank account details, credit card numbers and login credentials. >> so we just tell people to, you know, if you don't want it, throw it away. but the biggest thing to remember is don't get really curious about it. say if there's a qr code, don't scan

that because you don't know where it's going. >> the surge in brushing scams comes as the u.s. postal service is also sounding an urgent warning about smishing, another scam on the rise this holiday season. according to postal officials, cell phone owners receive a text saying a package can't be delivered because of missing information, but in reality, it's another scam to get consumers to divulge their personal information. >> the postal service does not solicit any information from its customers. >> so while this may be a week full of unexpected texts and packages, holiday revelers are urged to be extra vigilant. >> i think the worst part is not knowing if it's real or not, and feeling like you have to validate it. >> and if you do receive a suspicious package, the better business bureau recommends alerting the shopping site or the company. in dallas, i'm brooke taylor, fox news. [music] tonight we played music to make you merry.

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[music] we pay our last. will show. this. dream. he. has. each try still he's in reaching their crescendo with the bay area's go

to radio station for holiday music. >> our christien kafton takes us behind the scenes at 96.5 kete. spreading cheer for more than 20 years. [music] >> like trees and wreaths, the holidays aren't complete without the perfect playlist. that's where 96.5 kete comes in, with christmas music filling the airwaves. >> we are the bay area's official christmas music station. >> afternoon drive dj maurice knight says listeners start asking him when the christmas music will start. >> long before thanksgiving, folks are calling me on the radio on the request line, asking about when we're going to start playing christmas music. as early this year was as early as halloween. it was in halloween, yes. i've got it on my foxpro somewhere behind me where they're like, when are you guys going to start playing the christmas music? and i'm like, can we get through trick or treat first? >> for 22 years, 96.5 kete has switched over to christmas classics 24 hours a day from the friday before thanksgiving, all the way through 2 a.m. the day

after christmas. the station says it's incredibly popular. by christmas week, nearly one quarter of the bay area population will have tuned in. this year, the christmas music kicked off with a big voice for the holidays, who has her own christmas album this year? >> it's kelly clarkson and this hour i'm taking over the station. [music] merry christmas! >> 96.5 koat programing director brian fargo says it's the time of year when deejays can play classics like sinatra. >> since we've no place to go. let it snow, let it snow, let it snow. >> the roots of christmas music are traditional. crooner frank sinatra, bing crosby. that's the that's the base of christmas music. >> still, today, those classics can be played back to back with new classics from artists like kelly clarkson. [music] i'm only needing one thing. >> a thousand colorful lights. >> we know that listeners want

to hear the songs from the 40s and 50s and 60s, and that's the majority. and then from there, it's some of the new stuff sprinkled in. from kelly clarkson and josh groban. >> knight said music has the power to bring people together and spread joy. [music] >> there's no big grab behind it other than this is what we know that that brings happiness to people immediately as soon as you hear it. >> listeners tell him christmas songs have the power to transport them back in time. >> it always takes you back. so folks will share with us those stories of when they first heard those songs or, you know, hey, you know, i remember my mom used to always play this song for us, you know, on christmas morning, and it takes me back because, you know, she's no longer here with us anymore. and whenever i hear that christmas song, it just brings so much joy in my heart. >> and for many families, the music reaches a crescendo on christmas morning as they gather together to open gifts, with holiday music filling the air. >> it feels so good to be doing what we're doing, not only playing all this uplifting music, but be a part of christmas day when people have the holiday. log on on ktvu plu,

or you know, kids are up for opening that first gift that they will have at their first christmas and it's on in the background. >> you're a mean one, mr. grinch. >> the holiday music is a tradition that will be the soundtrack for the season for years to come. christien kafton ktvu fox two news. >> some oakland families received a special holiday visit today from oakland police officers. members of the oakland police union helped santa deliver toys and food to families in need. the union's christmas basket program is part of a 30 year old tradition. the families were picked by the officers themselves. they loaded their police vehicles with food and toys and are delivering them across the city. san francisco fire department celebrating the holidays in a vibrant way. firehouses all across the city were decked out with holiday lights and decorations. san francisco mayor elect daniel leary was on hand as the fire crews showed off their handiwork. ktvu own sal castaneda was also there as the

grand judge of the holiday event, and the winner was station 18 on 32nd avenue. this is the festive scene at that firehouse. lots of lights, christmas trees, and even a flurry of snow. station 39 on portola drive took second place, and station seven on folsom street was third. hundreds of thousands of eggs from costco have been pulled from store shelves over salmonella concerns. hundreds of thousands of eggs under the kirkland brand have been recalled since last month in some southern states. stores in the west are not impacted. the distributor, handsome brook farm, says the recalled eggs had the wrong packaging and were not meant to be sold. there have been no reports of any illnesses so far. the cold medicines actually work to relieve your worst symptoms. the fda says no and is moving to phase out one of the major ingredients from hundreds of over-the-counter medicines. fox's anna iliopoulos reports feeling under the weather and

can't get any relief. >> your nasal decongestant may be to blame. u.s. officials are looking to phase out the leading decongestant found in the majority of over-the-counter cold and sinus medicines, because researchers found it isn't actually effective at relieving symptoms of nasal congestion. >> phenylephrine, as a medication taken orally, is absorbed through the gut or gi, or in this case, what the fda found was it really wasn't absorbed very well at all. >> in november, the fda formally proposed eliminating the use of phenylephrine in oral medications after extensive review. >> i feel that this drug and this oral dose shouldn't should have been removed from the market a long time ago, but the removal process could take a while to finalize because drug makers and government regulators can potentially go back and forth for years. >> right now, oral phenylephrine medicines account for more than $1.6 billion in sales each year and are still considered

effective in nasal sprays, although doctors say nasal decongestant sprays shouldn't be used for too long. >> the warning is you can only use them for 2 or 3 days because if you use them for longer, they can actually cause a rebound or cause more swelling than what you than what you had started with before. >> experts recommend alternative therapies, including saline drops and rinses and over-the-counter nasal steroids, but only after you have consulted a doctor. anna iliopoulos, fox news. >> with many americans turning to weight loss medications like ozempic, an emerging trend has been has been companies increasingly including coverage for the drugs as part of employee health plans, but including weight loss drugs and employee benefits, could result in increased health costs for employers. still, industry experts say a significant number of employees surveyed said they would consider changing jobs to access such benefits. one expert on employee benefits says including weight loss drugs could play a big role next year,

with company retention. >> we're just going to see a growing trend of people being able to go and seek out workplace benefits that really cater to their individual needs, not just the blanket benefits that we've seen for the past few decades. >> and as more companies start covering weight loss drugs in employee benefit plans, experts suggest reading the fine print is. companies also add more caps or limits to cut down on costs. tracking santa's the jolly old man is making his way around the world tonight. how the folks at norad are keeping tabs on his location this christmas eve. >> and a live look outside our doors where we have dry conditions settling in for the rest of the evening and the big holiday. but we have a frosty start expected for most. i'll have a look at what you an expect

journey from the north pole to children's homes across the globe with the santa tracker from norad. fox news rebecca kessler has more about the decades long tradition. >> no, that's not a drone. norad is watching for the 69th year, the north american aerospace defense command is tracking santa's sleigh. >> santa just left kyrgyzstan. >> it's a tradition that started

by accident in 1955. a department store misprinted a phone number in a newspaper ad for kids to call santa. instead, it was the number for the continental air defense command, norad predecessor. and that christmas eve. officers took dozens of calls from kids asking the same question where is santa and when will he arrive at my house? >> he generally tends to start just to the west of the international dateline and work his way around the globe, generally moving north to south. >> now norad gets hundreds of thousands of calls every december 24th, and it takes a large team of volunteers to keep the magic alive. >> it is something that brings real joy to the members of norad and norad is everyday mission is to track everything that flies in the sky over the u.s. and canada. >> so they have the best technology and qualifications to keep up with santa and his reindeer. >> we have a network of

satellites that orbit about 23,000 miles above the earth, and they are aided by the heat from rudolph's nose that helps them be able to see where where the sleigh is. >> kids and the young at heart can go to norad santa's dot org to see where santa is right now. in washington, rebecca castor, fox news. >> and we'd like to do that. give you a live look now at santa's progress somewhere over the north atlantic ocean, heading his final descent into greenland. looks like he's already delivered more than 5 million gifts. might be time for folks on the east coast to start getting ready for bed, so santa can come and deliver those presents. all right. locals and tourists celebrated an annual event in oaxaca, mexico, this week. noche de romanos, known as the night of the radish, a holiday tradition that dates back 127 years, taking place before christmas eve. artists. cut, peel, carve and grate radishes, creating famous characters and religious scenes.

attendees were also treated to music, dance and a fireworks show. the tradition began when farmers began decorating their vegetable stands with figures of carved radishes to attract customers. pretty amazing. and it's beginning to look a lot like christmas in tahoe city. a fresh dusting of snow this morning. let's bring back meteorologist rosemary oroczo with our full forecast. rosemary, it could be a real gift for skiers and snowboarders up there. >> yes. starting tomorrow. greg, tonight, the snow still falling. and we do have a winter weather advisory that goes until 7:00 this evening, so still a bit treacherous getting up over those passes outside our doors here at home. the rain has moved out and we are left with mostly dry conditions at this time. as we take a peek there at the golden gate bridge with the clear skies overhead. do expect to settle in for a chilly night. 24 hour rainfall amounts as expected, coming in with almost an inch of rainfall for many spots, including the north bay and mill valley, ben lomond and the santa cruz mountains, mount

diablo all ranging from 8 to 9 tenths of an inch. ben lomond just shy of one inch there. storm tracker two we are looking at quiet conditions for tonight. do expect to have some patchy fog in addition to the cold conditions, as a residual of all that moisture. still will be with us. and you can see here over the sierra, the snow continues to fall, at least for now. as the storm is moving off to the east. tomorrow is going to be a dry day, but we can already see the next storm on the approach by wednesday night into thursday. looking at scattered showers. here's tomorrow morning. we're off to a partly cloudy, sunny start, and then as we get into the afternoon hours, we're going to notice an increase in clouds. and by tomorrow night, scattered showers do begin to fall. it's a late night event, but for lake county in the north bay, it could come before midnight. thursday morning we wake up with mostly cloudy skies and scattered showers once again. looks like thursday night into friday. another round of

rainfall coming our way for the start of friday. at the moment it looks soggy, but for the afternoon it looks like we will be dry. think about these systems. they can move up, slow down by just a few hours or so. so as we move forward, we will be tracking the storm with each passing day. meanwhile, for tomorrow morning, the frost advisory begins at midnight. we'll go until 9 a.m. for our north bay locations, our valleys, our hills, all areas away from the coastline and the coastal range. there, temperatures could fall to even below freezing for some isolated areas, so a chilly start to the day. patchy fog expected as well. and then for the afternoon, a mix of sun and clouds and 50s in the forecast, perhaps even a tad below average for some temperatures in the san francisco for tomorrow morning. 45 degrees to start your day in the north bay near freezing, and santa rosa for the inner east bay. upper 30s expected in concord. san jose 43 to start your morning. so for kids that

want to maybe get to those new toys outdoors, going to need a bundle up at least for the start of the day by the afternoon. sunshine. mid to upper 50s in the forecast for most of us. your extended forecast here. temperatures thursday, friday and into the weekend. we see just a gradual modest warm up there. but again it's just going to be the soggy weather that continues as we roll into thursday, friday, saturday and sunday. ha - man, i need some serious help with this health insurance stuff. - check out covered california. it's a free service from the state that helps you get health insurance. millions of people have used it. - wait, for real? - mmm hmm, they even offer financial help to lower the cost. - nooo... how you know about all this? - that's how i got my insurance.

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pups have now taken over the shoreline of the farallon islands national wildlife refuge. this video from the u.s. fish and wildlife service shows the spectacular sight 30 miles west of san francisco. biologists say this is a sure sign that the once endangered sea lions are making a comeback in numbers never seen before. the first seals are also prompting thousands of comments on instagram and facebook. users are referring to the phenomenon as seal pup day care and nature's mosh pit. 49ers- [music] superstar star christian mccaffrey made the holiday season a little bit brighter for some children in the hospital over the holidays. the all-pro running back recently paid a visit to lucile packard children's hospital in palo alto. mccaffrey handed out footballs and other gifts to the children. the hospital later posted the video on social media. mccaffrey said it's an emotional day for him. >> it's really humbling coming over here because, you know, you realize how many of these kids

and young adults are fighting so hard and especially over the holiday, and to see them to see their families all together with them and just to be able to spend a little time with them is really inspiring. >> this holiday visit to the hospital is part of the work done by the christian mccaffrey foundation. the 49ers star founded a group that works year round to bring smiles to children undergoing medical treatment. a new study says that some parents should be on the christmas naughty list for how they manage their kids behavior. a survey found that about one quarter of parents threatened to take toys or gifts away to keep their 3 to 5 year olds in line. many parents say they do so to prevent a public meltdown. researchers say parents need to be on the same page with discipline strategies and balanced correction with positive praise and rewards. all right. someone could be in for a very merry christmas. tonight is the next drawing for the mega millions, which currently is sitting close to $1 billion. right now. the jackpot is at

$970 million, which works out to about $440 million cash if you take the lump sum. no one has won the jackpot since september 10th, and it has been growing ever since. in mega millions history, the jackpot has only been won once on christmas eve. still to come behind the scenes at the ballet, a holiday tradition near and dear to san francisco. a look at the s ried history

well underway for a big new year's eve bash at a popular san francisco restaurant earlier today. celebrity chef and restaurateur behind wayfare tavern in san francisco, tyler florence stopped by the ktvu studios. he gave us a preview of the new year's eve celebration planned for the restaurant. florence says this is the last new year's celebration at the current location on sacramento street. the restaurant is set to move to a new building just a few blocks away. tickets are $300 per person. it's all you can eat and drink. you can get more information at wayfare. tavern.com. holiday treats and traditions are in full swing this week. the san francisco ballet's nutcracker marking some big milestones. our betty yu takes us behind the scenes at the war memorial opera house.

[music] >> the san francisco ballet performed the first nutcracker in the united states in 1944. this year, the company is celebrating its 80th anniversary. >> my family has this term called nerve side, and it's a mix between nervous and excited. so i'm feeling nerve excited. >> 12 year old stella seek performs as a butterfly in the nutcracker. dancers have been rehearsing for the production since october. this holiday season, the company is marking its 20th year of helgi thomason's nutcracker. [music] the former artistic director set this production in san francisco, inspired by the panama-pacific international exposition, a world's fair held in 1915, thomasen led the sf ballet for 37 years. the nutcracker is his tribute to san francisco. >> it means so much to the city and the audience how they bring

their children and their grandchildren, and it has become a real tradition, and they have taken an ownership of this nutcracker. and i'm very proud of that. >> grace manuel holmes first danced in sf ballet's nutcracker in 1979, performing in upwards of 350 shows. today, she's the sf ballet school director. >> i hope that they're not just enjoying their time on the stage as performers, but also having a look at the teamwork that it takes to put on a production of this professional level. i think it's so important for these students to see that it's not just about class, it's not just about performance, but it is a huge group of people that takes a huge group of people to put something on. like this. >> we were with stella as she prepared to go on stage. >> i start like this. >> she normally trains 6 to 7 days a week throughout the year, and hopes to join the company one day. >> it's such an honor and i'm so grateful to be in a production like this one. and there are so many amazing dancers like, i'm

standing here, an incredible dancer stood here before me. we make people happy, so i love making people happy because i know when i dance, i'm bringing joy to other people. [music] >> this season, the san francisco ballet is putting on more nutcracker shows than ever. the final day of performances will be december 29th in san francisco. betty yu, ktvu, fox two news. >> this is ktvu, fox two news at six. >> supporting san francisco retail. and you know, there's a bunch of stuff online, but it always comes later than you think. and you just want something under the tree. >> holiday revelers have just hours left to get the gifts, the food and get where they need to be for christmas. it is 6:00 on christmas eve. good evening, i'm ali rasmus. while some people rushed to union square for those last minute gifts, others were there to soak up the holiday spirit. that's where we find ktvu christien kafton christian. did you see a lot of folks out tonight? >> ali i will tell you right

now, it is absolutely packed here around union square. tons of people. and it seems like there's something for everyone. [music] the holiday spirit filled the air around san francisco's union square. >> just doing some last minute shopping for christmas. getting some gifts for my mom. my sister as well. yeah. >> i mean, supporting san francisco retail. and, you know, there's a bunch of stuff online, but it always comes later than you think and you just want something under the tree. >> some said rather than just celebrating one holiday, they're taking more time to enjoy fun with the family. >> we are here. family. we're here as a family. a group of 30 of us. we just had lunch upstairs and yeah, upstairs. we're all staying at the saint francis, and we're spending the whole weekend here. >> yeah. even recycling, matching holiday appropriate outfits. >> we signed up for the run. this was actually for last is last year, and we didn't wake up in time. didn't wake up in time. but we got the