is in store for the bay area, and a warning to those headed for the water. why officials say you should stay away. >> and a high surf advisory. fox two news this is the four. >> yeah, that high surf advisory in effect for communities up and down the coastline. welcome to the four. >> i'm christien kafton and i'm jana katsuyama. first responders are saying that they want to warn people to avoid the water. ktvu joey horta joins us live now from pacifica. with the waves that are rolling in now. hi, joey. >> hey, guys. we're seeing some rough surf out here at times today. the national weather service is predicting it could get a lot worse. wave heights reaching up to the height of a three story building. powerful waves churning off the bay area coastline. the national weather service predicting waves reaching 20 to 30ft high through

sunday. >> that's horrifying. get to high ground. >> they look pretty rough. i've seen them pretty bad before, and it's good just to kind of stay away. >> a couple dozen surfers off pacifica taking advantage before the bigger waves roll in. >> pretty gnarly, but not i mean, i've been i've been out in worse. it's like smashing into a wall. you definitely feel the water. you feel the force out there. if you're fighting the ocean, you're duck diving. it's a lot of effort. >> experts warn dangerous waves can strike without warning. roman romero grew up here and takes in the views at pacifica pier every week. respecting the ocean by watching the waves from higher ground, they explode over the railing here. >> it's quite amazing. you don't want to play on the beach, that's for sure, because people, you know, get swept away every year. >> while the larger waves may be further off the coast, the churning can quickly hit the rocks and beaches, pulling people out to sea. first responders are warning never

turn your back on the ocean. >> once you get in, it's like a sudden shock and chill to your body. >> the result, experts say, can be dramatic increases in breathing, heart rate and blood pressure, accelerating the risk of drowning. >> people have died at this beach because of rip currents. people's unfamiliarity with the water and what it does. >> the spectacle drawing in curious beachgoers, admiring the view from a safe distance. >> mother nature's you know she's trippy. >> i feel the power of nature. and when i feel that it, i feel humble. because i am looking at something so powerful, so dangerous, but so beautiful at the same time. >> and we're still seeing people out here today soaking up the views. some brave surfers out there still who say that they

are familiar with this water. now pacifica pier is closed until further notice because of this dangerous surf. guys. >> all right. joey. i was just wondering how long the threat of those large waves. how long is that going to stick around? >> so they're saying now through sunday. that's because that's the length of time that we could see these waves reaching all the way up to 30ft. possibly. back to you. >> all right. thanks so much, joey. live in pacifica tonight. >> okay. checking out the surf. i mean, it has been a story. this is lynn nima. this is where joey is. this is pacifica. the pier is. well, that is actually the pier, isn't it? that's sharp park right there. okay, so you can see the pier. you can see the big waves. listen, the swell has been giant now for about two weeks, and the surf is going to continue big for at least the next 3 or 4 days. and then it kind of pulses in and out. so we're going to continue to see large, large surf off the coast intervals on these waves. that pier you're looking at or we're looking at is about 20ft high.

so when you see a wave just breaking whitewater under that pier, you've got yourself a very, very large wave. so the surf is about as big as it gets. yeah. we're back at the pier. thanks, guys. just because it's ongoing, right? i mean, a lot of folks on vacation, a lot of folks going out to look at the ocean. it's not that big today. believe it or not, tomorrow it's going to be bigger. and the swells continue to grow right through saturday and into sunday as we set ourselves up for some significant coastal concerns. one of the big things we have is the swell that's out of the west, right? so it's coming from the west. the coastline, our coastline face west. so usually big swells, not usually, but often are northwest. this is a westerly swell. so it's coming in. it's t-boning the coast, pacifica pier, ocean beach down in half moon bay mavericks. and so it really accentuates the wave. and so these are the forecast swells right through saturday and even into sunday. it's going to be big. but then it comes down. but it's still 10 to 12ft and then it comes back up. so what's it all mean. it means stay clear of the ocean. don't go out on the ocean. the

bay is gnarly right now, but don't go out in the ocean. we've had a lot of surf this year, probably one of the biggest surf years i can remember. there have been, i think in the 80s i remember something like this, a run of this kind of surf. so the swells are still being generated from up here from the aleutian island chain. this is our next weather system right here. you can see it coming in a warmer system that's going to send snow levels up. we've got a sierra snow advisory. snow levels will get high, but it will be a problem traveling up there. and we're going to see some rain. when i come back. we'll time it all out with the latest computer model. >> all right bill, thank you so much. debris still scattered all over the beaches near santa cruz wharf. >> high waves this week destroyed areas around the pier and the beach, and those are now closed off as the city examines the damage to determine when they can reopen safely. >> ktvu james torres, reporting from santa cruz. >> monday morning, waves battered the santa cruz wharf enough that a 150 foot chunk of it broke off into the ocean. and now that piece is lodged into a

bluff right under where we're standing. debris scattered all over the beach near the santa cruz boardwalk. it's now closed, along with the wharf full of caution tape and now missing a big piece. >> last year it was capitola, and i mean, it took the wharf down there. >> now this. >> a pair of surfers say they were here monday morning when a bathroom building washed off the santa cruz wharf. >> we were surfing that morning, and the waves just kept getting bigger and bigger and bigger and unmanageable. >> those waves carried that building to a bluff right next to the boardwalk, entirely in one piece. >> it's very odd. it's really weird to see it. just. we don't have much control over nature. we really don't. and this is just something we've lived with for a long time. and yet, there it is, right there. so i can't imagine how they're going to get it cleaned up. >> it makes you think about how how powerful mother nature is. i mean, we just had a tornado in

scotts valley. >> city leaders now working to get engineers and consultants to the wharf to check out its structural integrity. they hope to create a damage report that can help decide how long until the wharf and beach can reopen to the public. >> safety and priority of asset protection is guiding those goals. when we start to talk about future plans for the wharf and what decisions will be made, we'll really be utilizing that data and also our engineering reports to have informed decisions as we meet with our local and regional partners. obviously, lots of community outreach and lots of process to develop those answers. >> reporting in santa cruz i'm james torres, ktvu, fox two news. >> most of the sierra saw a white christmas thanks to a storm that passed through the mountains. now more snow is moving into the lake tahoe region just in time for post holiday skiing and snowboarding. >> and we have a live look at the conditions at palisades tahoe ski resort. now, we saw

some snow falling all afternoon and people out on the slopes got to enjoy a little bit of that fresh powder. we'd like to bring in maddie condon now who is live for us at palisades. thank you so much for joining us on this day after christmas. >> thank you for having me. it's snowing me and it's an absolute winter wonderland right now. >> it looks beautiful. and, you know, we were just showing a little bit of the road conditions at night last night. so tell us, for people who might be trying to head up for this holiday weekend, how are the roads right now? >> i'm not too bad, but i always do say check with caltrans. they are the road experts, but you know that that's always where you should check. if you're trying to plan a drive up from the bay area. >> and. absolutely, maddie, you've been talking about that light snow. we can see just a little bit of it there around you right now. wondering how the current conditions are. we looked up a little bit earlier. it looked like you guys received about an inch of snow over the last 24 hours. >> yeah, we got an inch of snow over the last 24 hours and 11in. over this past week. we've had

119in of snowfall this season, which has allowed us to open up a ton of our terrain. in fact, only three chairlifts at palisades tahoe are not open right now, so it's pretty remarkable for this time of year. >> that is amazing. and we saw some snow early on. i'm hoping that you're having a good season. one of the things i want to ask you about is, you know, we had heard earlier that palisades tahoe is going to be having a $1 billion expansion in the future. can you tell us when is that set to begin, and what will that mean for the visitors? >> there's still some more, you know, steps we have to go through in order to have that happen. but the biggest impact is just the footprint of the village. it's going to be taking over 90% disturbed land already, so it's going to be built on top of parking lots as well as other paved areas. so the village itself will have more condos, workforce housing, as well as mountain adventure center where hopefully we can be training our world class athletes. and we'll also be restoring the wasichu creek. so it's a really big project. not sure when it will begin, but it's something that we're really excited about because we hope it will just help the community and help north lake tahoe. >> yeah, something for skiers

and snowboarders to look forward to. meanwhile, wondering how we're looking today. obviously yesterday was christmas. today, the day after christmas. we're in hanukkah right now as well, wondering what the crowds are like right now. what's the wait like there at the chairlifts? how's it looking? >> i went skiing today and i didn't have to wait in any lines. it was fantastic. every skiers dream great. yeah, we have the most uphill lift capacity of any resort in north america, meaning we can move more people uphill than anywhere else. so that being said, even with people coming, we're expected to have, you know, be able to spread people out and have some really great skiing. >> and one thing you know, that always comes up every season is safety. you know, when you get layers of fresh snow coming down, the concerns around avalanches or other kinds of safety. what has your team been doing up there to make sure that the people who do make it up there have a really enjoyable time and are safe? >> well, so right now our base area is the layer of snow right now is wet and it's sticking to the ground. so it's really dense. and so all the snow that's falling on top of it is

sticking really nicely. we have some of the most professional ski patrol and mountain operations team here of anywhere in north america. so we're doing our standard protocol and procedures. but on top of all of that, it's honestly looking just incredible skiing wise. in terms of skiing safely, i always recommend skiing within your ability level. and if you're a beginner and haven't ever skied before, we have a really amazing program called the perfect progression program, where you take three beginner lessons and then you have an unlimited season pass to palisades tahoe for the rest of the season. so you can go from absolute never ever skier to expert by the end of the year. >> get lots of practice. yeah, exactly. >> get it all in at once. maddie condon from palisades ski. thank you so much for joining us. >> thank you for having me. >> happy holidays. >> well, moving to politics now, president elect trump is preparing for his return to the white house. >> what he says about his priorities on day one and hints about foreign

a busy holiday week. he signed 50 bills into law on monday and confirmed his 235th federal judge. >> now, as he wraps up his time in the oval office, the transition process for president elect donald trump is starting to take shape. >> fox's grady trimble shows us where that process stands tonight. >> president biden and his family arrived in saint croix thursday, his final holiday before leaving the white house next month. in the new year, biden will return to washington with just days until president elect trump is inaugurated on january 20th. already 25 days out from that day, speculation is mounting as to what the incoming president will prioritize, particularly after russia launched a christmas day strike on ukraine, putting added pressure on the incoming trump administration to put an end to the ongoing war in eastern europe. >> the big question is what is our position? what's our plan? what's the objectives?

>> for his part, trump does appear focused on overhauling u.s. foreign policies. on christmas day, the president elect narrowing in on panama, repeating threats made over the weekend that the u.s. should regain control of the panama canal. >> this complete rip off of our country will immediately stop. >> but with the start of a new year around the corner, americans appear to be heading into it, exhausted by political news. a new national poll showing a majority have felt the need to step back and take time off from their news intake. 7 in 10 democrats taking a break, as well as 6 in 10 republicans. still, with a new year comes a new congress and a busy schedule in 2025. >> i do think when congress is involved, we're going to see more policy stability for the decisions that president trump can make on his own. i think that's where we're going to see more instability and a lack of predictability. >> on his first day in office, president elect trump is

planning a flurry of executive orders and directives. but those can be subject to court challenges. at the white house, grady trimble, fox business. >> a nationwide day of mourning in azerbaijan for the 38 victims of a deadly plane crash. the aircraft was en route from the city of baku to the russian city of grozny when it crashed attempting an emergency landing in western kazakhstan. 29 survivors, including two children, were pulled from the wreckage. russian state media reports the plane was rerouted due to heavy fog, but at this time there is still no official word on the cause of that crash. >> president biden is condemning a russian christmas day attack on ukraine. he's vowing to stand with ukraine until the end of his term. fox's alexandra hoff has the details. the sechele was not even a war could dampen the holiday spirit. >> gasia ukrainian soldiers spreading holiday cheer on the front lines, while ukrainian

president volodymyr zelensky celebrates the first night of hanukkah in the country's capital. a festive spirit for many despite ukraine's continued war with russia, attacks continued even on christmas day, with a massive russian missile and drone barrage targeting a thermal power plant. >> this is vladimir putin targeting ukraine's energy infrastructure. it's not a military target, it's ukrainian civilians. >> zelenskyy described the attack as inhumane, and president biden said in a statement, the ukrainian people deserve to live in peace and safety, adding that he directed the pentagon to continue its surge of weapons deliveries. but that strategy could change when donald trump returns to the white house. >> president putin said that he wants to meet with me as soon as possible. so we have to wait for this, but we have to end that war. >> trump has called for a negotiated settlement to the war and is tasked his special envoy for ukraine and russia, retired general keith kellogg, with bringing about that end. kellogg condemned the christmas day

attack and added, quote, the world is closely watching actions on both sides. the u.s. is more resolved than ever to bring peace to the region. >> hanging in the balance is u.s. national security. the last thing we want is for vladimir putin to cast a shadow over europe. >> general kellogg plans to visit ukraine and other european countries in january, but will not travel to russia. in washington, alexandria, hoff, fox news. >> memorials were held today in several countries hit by the devastating tsunami that struck 20 years ago in the indian ocean. in thailand, crowds gathered for a candlelight vigil vigil in the village of ban nam khem. the tsunami killed more than 8000 people in thailand. now, 20 years later, about 400 bodies remain unclaimed. the tsunami was triggered by a powerful earthquake off the indonesian island of sumatra. about 230,000 people across a dozen countries were killed. >> japan airlines is back in operation following what it says was a cyber attack. japan's

second largest air carrier says the attack was launched against its operations earlier today. the incident delayed some domestic and international flights and temporarily halted ticket sales for same day travel. the airline says its systems later returned to normal, with same day ticket sales resuming. ana, japan's other major air carrier, says its airline systems did not see any signs of an attack. there are changes on the way for social security recipients. why you might see bigger che s in 2025

san francisco ballet's nutcracker, a cherished tradition set in 1915 san francisco. delight in a fun-filled holiday experience. ♪ tickets on sale now at sfballet.org

expected for the new year, and for some it could mean more money. >> fox's kennedy hayes looks at who might stand to see more amid the series of modifications. >> while those holiday shopping expenses may be adding up but timely boost in pay is on its way to millions of americans come 2025, the social security administration announced in october. the cost of living adjustment, known as cola, will be 2.5% next year, meaning for the more than 72 million people receiving social security checks, their monthly payments will soon be going up by that amount. >> it's not all that much. i mean, for a lot of people, we're talking, you know, maybe 50 bucks a month. it's not likely to make a big difference in in how much you're getting, which is a pain point. >> still, it's an increase. some say couldn't come soon enough. >> i mean, cost of living is

getting so expensive, so adjusting it is always great. especially i mean, i have some elderly relatives who live off social security. >> financial experts say the new year also marks an opportunity to reassess personal finances. >> despite the underwhelming cola adjustment, it's important that seniors focus on things that they can control, and one of those things is their budget. >> for those looking to cut back, suggestions include scaling back on eating out, looking for deals, particularly on utilities, or taking advantage of cashback or rewards cards. >> another tip for seniors or people who are receiving benefits is to look at reentering the job market. so it might be looking at exploring a part time job, starting a side hustle, or even starting up a small business just to give you flexibility as well as help you generate that extra income. >> for those wondering when the new cola adjustment will hit checks, the change technically goes into effect this month, december, but will be reflected in payments received come january. in denver, kennedy,

hayes, fox news. >> the starbucks strike is expanding to hundreds of stores nationwide. about 5000 employees at more than 300 stores across 45 states are now on strike, demanding better pay and working conditions. it's believed to be the biggest walkout to hit the coffee giant. workers united says starbucks backtracked from prior commitments. they say the company is proposing a wage increase that would amount to less than $0.50 an hour for most baristas. >> starbucks is bringing proposals that are not worth having a conversation about. they suggested a 1% raise, which is pretty disgraceful. kind of a slap in the face. doesn't even meet inflation. >> for its part, starbucks says it offers a competitive average pay over $18 per hour and benefits including health care, free college tuition, paid family leave and stock grants. the company also says they are ready to continue negotiations when the union comes back to the table. >> the head of in-n-out burger is explaining the decision to

close its only restaurant in oakland. the company shut down the restaurant near oakland international airport last january. the in-n-out president, lynsi snyder, recently appeared on a show on a conservative radio network and told the host of the show that crime was the reason the restaurant operator decided to close at that site, even though it was profitable. >> car burglaries, violence, fights, theft, you name it. i mean, there was a lot. there was actually gunshots went through the store. there's the stabbing. there's a lot. >> and you've never shut a restaurant down before. so this must have been pretty huge. hard. it was huge. >> but we, you know, for the safety of our associates, we just felt like this is. this is not okay. >> on the show, snyder also said that it took too much time for police to respond to the calls. she described it as alarming. >> well, if you thought christmas shopping was over, welcome to the mall the day

after christmas. i'm jeff flock with the fox business network in wayne, new jersey. i'll have the story on christmas

behind us. the number of people returning those gifts is also slated to soar. >> fox's jeff flock explains the numbers behind the record returns that are expected this year. >> we are walking the mall, the willowbrook mall, here in wayne, new jersey, with ryan hidalgo, who is the general manager of the mall. i was surprised to see

how many people out. this is a big day for returns. it's a big sales day for you. >> yeah, it's a huge day everyone was giving before to others. today is the day they give to themselves, right? >> because they're returning something that maybe they can get. put the numbers up 890 billion with a b dollars. that's 17% of everything that was bought last year. got returned. and it's actually a in a way, it's not a bad thing because people come in sometimes they spend more money after they return something. no, absolutely. >> between the gifts they're bringing back and gift cards that they've gotten, it combines to make like almost like a nice coupon to buy something for themselves that they really wanted. >> in terms of the way people look at returns, 90 plus percent say they want to return to a physical location like the mall. most people do return in the first week, most people less than 100 bucks, and most people hate restocking fees. interesting. no restocking fees

at the mall. >> no restocking fees here at the mall, and a great selection of retailers and the ability to take that thing home today. >> a lot of people these days order online multiple sizes of something, but they can then return that here to the mall. yeah, they definitely can. >> or they can also likewise come to the mall and find that perfect size from the start. >> people like me have my age. there was no other way to do it. but now of course there is. but maybe old things are new again. ryan hidalgo, thank you so much for the time on what do you call this return thursday. it's not going to catch on. i'm jeff flock with the fox business network at the willowbrook mall in wayne, new jersey. >> well, retailers say that package theft is a factor in higher prices that many people are paying for shipping. according to the wall street journal, thousands of retailers across the country are adding what they call package protection fees or shipping insurance. the platforms, which are separate from the shipping

company, promise to make it good if deliveries don't complete because of a theft. the wall street journal says that certain retailers now are making the changes charges mandatory, so that they can spread the cost of that theft protection across all consumers. >> people in san francisco can do their part to keep the holidays green this year. you see it there. public works and recycling officials announced the city's christmas tree recycling schedule at an event in civic center plaza this morning. the 2025 recycling schedule runs from january 2nd to january 17th. recology crews will pick up christmas trees on your regular pickup day. just put them next to your trash and recycling bins. >> we're going to take it up to our original composting facility up in vacaville, where we've been composting for 28 years, and we're going to grind them, and then the smaller pieces will get fed in with the other food

scraps and sticks and leaves get fed into the composting process. >> now, this is a free service for san francisco recology customers. and as a reminder, crews are asking you to remove all tinsel, decorations, tree stands, and of course, lights before you put your tree out by the curb. residents and other east bay counties can also recycle their christmas trees. people who live in santa clara and san mateo counties can place their trees on the curb for pickup. in west contra costa republic services, customers can put cut up trees into their green waste bins, and berkeley residents are also being asked to cut up their trees and put them into their bins in the city of alameda. the boy scouts will continue their annual fundraiser of tree pickup across the island on january 4th. >> well, this is also the season to consider. sustainability. the environmental protection agency says that americans produce 25% more trash between thanksgiving and new year's day. fox's

caroline shively tells us the best tips for recycling all of that holiday waste. >> after all, the gift opening, the celebrating and the eating, it's time to think about recycling. >> americans consume a lot more material between thanksgiving and new years, as much as 25% more than average. a lot of that material. the good news is, is recyclable holiday items that are recyclable include plain gift wrap, cardboard boxes, packing materials and more. >> but recycling services say there are still some items that are a no go. >> obviously, anything that's got foil or glitter, anything that's got bows or any kind of other kind of embellishments, that material should not go in the recycling bin. >> and those chop down christmas trees can also be turned into mulch or compost, and they should be free of anything like ornaments, lights, hardware like stands and nails that could damage recycling equipment. and it's not just the trees that should be prepped for recycling. >> anything that's large, either you cut it up, fold it up, make

sure it goes into the recycle container because that service is automated. >> as for additional food waste, there are ways to cut down on piling up the trash bins, including buying and cooking just what's needed or freezing leftovers quickly. plus, food banks accept unopened donated food or shelf stable ingredients. >> now, over the years, so many programs have developed where we're able to donate all this food. >> still, some say there are ways to skip the holiday waste altogether. >> we used to call it dad wraps, where you just put it in the bag that you bought it from the store. you know, maybe tied the top of the plastic bag or the paper bag that it came in. >> as for those holiday lights, some cities and organizations have started holiday light recycling programs. so if you look to see what's offered in your area, you may be able to get rid of those broken, burned out, or unwanted string lights and still reduce landfill waste. in washington, caroline shively, fox news. >> a new state law will remove medical debt from credit reports. backers say the measure

will ensure that people are not penalized for the high costs of necessary health care. the new law prohibits medical debt from being used as a negative credit factor, and gives people more room to address their medical bills before a debt collection can take place. that law takes effect january 1st. >> on wall street today, stocks were mixed. on a light day of trading. the dow was up 28 points, the nasdaq lost ten and the s&p was down two points. shares of tesla fell nearly 2% today. honda and nissan were both higher after the announcement that they are in merger talks. our own pam cook talked with a financial expert about how americans are feeling financially going into 2025. >> as we wrap up 2024 and head into the new year, there is a lot of discussion and concern about economic recovery. joining us now to talk about that and some financial strategies for consumers is michelle ranieri, vice president and head of u.s. research for transunion. thank you so much for joining us.

>> hi. thanks for having me. >> so tell me, first of all, tell us what does this study show? >> the study shows that we're heading into a time of stability. we looked at for context before the pandemic and going into the pandemic, that at first people were on lockdown in 2020, which was five years ago, which is hard to believe. but during that lockdown, they weren't able to buy anything, were unable to travel and got stimulus money that helped them pay down some of their credit. so balances went down and delinquency went down. but then as we emerged from that lockdown, people had that fomo fear of missing out where they wanted to travel, wanted to buy things, wanted those experiences that they had missed. and then we started to experience the inflation times. during those times, we saw higher delinquencies. and so we had a lot of fluctuation in the

market. and now we're starting to see a leveling off, a moderation and a stability of delinquencies for 2025 that we feel like is kind of putting an end cap on this period that that influenced so much of consumer credit for those people who are struggling, they have kind of a high credit card debt, a low score. >> maybe they don't have access to an equity line or something. what are some advice that you have going into the new year of maybe how to improve their financial situation? >> yeah, so i think the biggest thing is to pay off your your credit for the minimum that's due every single month. sometimes that's difficult, but you don't want to miss a payment and you don't want to just do a partial payment because that looks like a missed payment. that's the biggest contribution to your score. going down is when you miss one of those. the second thing that contributes to a lower score is a high utilization rate. what that means is that you're maxing out

your credit card. you don't want to max out that credit card. you want to stay more like the 20% or below 50% on that credit card, so that you can get a higher credit score. the reason that that's really important is that in the next year, as we see interest rates start to float down, that you're going to want to take advantage of that. and if you have high interest rate credit, you might be able to refinance it. >> okay. michelle ranieri, thank you so much. great advice. some encouraging news in your research from transunion. thank you so much. thank you. >> where will you be going next year? we have the hottest travel trends and we can tell you what is inspiring travelers looking to get away in 2025. >> and we are tracking what's left of the holiday week. we've got more to come. we've got some rain showers out there that are going to light up later on tonight into tomorrow morning, and then some more on saturday and a little more after that. it's a busy week ut

this year, with the tsa reporting several record days for screening. >> that's right. the end of the year number. still a week away, but it is expected to push the all time record. >> fox's connor hanson has a look at travel trends for the new year that you may want to consider before you make your plans. >> the holidays are among the

busiest for travel, but what happens once we flip the calendar to 2025? >> we are seeing four key trends that we anticipate will define travel. >> research by airbnb revealing four trends taking off as we head into the new year. with the pandemic in the rearview. people globally are picking destinations further from home. soft travel trips focused on simplicity that are less stressful and more beneficial to one's mental health, such as the beach group getaways, specifically family and multigenerational trips. and lastly, experiential travel destinations that are hosting major events. >> so things like sporting events, concerts, as well as cultural festivals. >> as in recent years, many travelers will be turning to social media for location and itinerary inspiration, which is helping to keep trends going strong into the new year. including destination dupes and traveling during shoulder season

to avoid overtourism. >> guests are really more so looking for places that are a bit off the beaten track, or places that are less touristed to get that, more that slower travel, that more immersive experience that they might not feel like they're getting if they're traveling to like a big city. >> during peak travel season, with all the different types of getaways, one of the hardest parts is deciding where to go and to help. nat geo released its best of the world 2025 list, hoping to inspire travelers to seek out new adventures. >> some highlights include raja ampat in indonesia, a divers paradise with unmatched marine beauty and biodiversity, and guatemala, which invites visitors to immerse themselves in centuries old traditions and epic backdrops of volcanic peaks. we also have american cities, everything from boise, idaho, with a surprising european flair in the american west all the way to los angeles. >> it also points to another trend expected to carry over into the next year regenerative

travel, focusing on improving the travel experience for the traveler. host local community and environment. >> this 2025 list really reflects a growing desire for meaningful and responsible travel, and so we would say travelers really want to immerse themselves in the local communities, but also, how can they contribute positively to the environment? >> travelers will also be saddling up for frontier tourism in the new year, visiting remote locations and hoping to connect with nature in new york. connor hansen, fox news. >> all right. a surfer in hawaii is calling it one of his biggest wipeouts that he's ever experienced. after surviving a collision with a monstrous wave. take a look. i was just talking with bill about this wave here. ty simpson cain was surfing off maui's north shore in hawaii when he was met with that supersized wave. in the video, you can see him flip several times before disappearing under that wave. thankfully, he came out alive and was brought back

to safety with the help of the emergency personnel. but boy, bill, i'll tell you, those waves are no joke. that might be jaws. yeah, we were trying to figure out where it might be on maui. that might be. yeah, just. just on the north side of on the north side of the island. >> and they do a move to that when a wave gets that big. the physics of catching it with your arms, paddling with your arms, you can't do it. so they tow in. yeah. when you get a wave that big and you just to be able to catch the wave. so in this week last two weeks, this last month, this last almost two months has been seen a lot of really really large surf. we talk about it here talking about almost every night for the last month and a half about, you know, we had those those issues out at bodega bay. we've had big, big surf. and it's not just here, it is hawaii. it's northern california, it's north pacific northwest, it's southern california. this is just a big, big swells being generated by big storms. and this storm coming in now is, you know, a little bit of atmospheric river to it. but all we're saying when we talk about atmospheric rivers, we're just talking about subtropical moisture. so see that plume of subtropical moisture right there. it's going

to increase the snow levels. they're going to come up. the snow levels are going to be above 6000ft by tonight. probably be raining or at the lake level. snow will fall aggressively at the higher elevations. but still, you know you're going to be melting a lot of that lower elevation snow. this is some of the rain. just light accumulations over the last 24 hours. your house, you probably got trace amount. here's the light. scattered showers. now what's happening is the dynamics within that blob of moisture. i showed you not all that aggressive. there will be some wind, especially in the mountainous areas. but in terms of the lift for the getting this to rain right now, not happening. the dynamics will move in later tonight. and that's when the wind shows up. we would could easily see some kind of wind advisory go into effect for the higher elevations of the bay area. and it's just one of those days. it's one of those last few days. we've had a bunch of these, right, but kind of hazy, drizzly kind of days. this is the model. this is going to go through pretty quick. so here, here we are now. and then there's tonight goes through

quickly. and then i just wanted you to see see him just kind of tweaking by most of this activity is in the north of us northern california. so in this scenario of this model, it's going to be, you know, maybe five inches of rain in that russian river drainage basin, which is enough to tweak the russian river at healdsburg, bring it up a little bit. but for most of us south of the drainage basin of santa rosa, it's going to be rain, maybe an inch, inch and a half overnight tonight into tomorrow in marin county, san francisco, maybe a half inch san jose, maybe a quarter of an inch. so that's the satellite imagery. and then we look at the rain again. you can kind of see where it is and nothing really defined except up here. that's when the stronger dynamics get here. and those stronger dynamics will produce some significant winds, probably up to 40, 45 miles an hour up around lake tahoe. they could go up to 5560 miles an hour. and then tomorrow, after those showers move out quickly, you get a pretty darn nice day. it's not going to be bad. tomorrow looks pretty good. and then we'll get back into a little something on early friday rain

and then a little something on saturday morning. but saturday is not a washout either. get some pretty nice weather sunday, monday and into tuesday and then looks like we might see a little something on wednesday. so we're getting away with it. we're getting a lot of rain or a lot of wet days, but not any issues. it's all been sort of beneficial rainfall. >> it's a good way to spend the holiday week. thank you so much bill. >> all right. thanks, bill. we have more news headed your way. but first taking a look at traffic conditions along the east shore freeway, you can see traffic looking thick. it is moving pretty packed, but it is looking pretty packed. at this ur. we wi ave

the annual celebration of african-american culture. the celebration lasts seven days through january 1st, and each day is dedicated to a principle. today's principle is umoja, which is the swahili word for unity. tonight, san francisco city hall will be lit up in the colors red, green, and black. each has a meaning black representing the people, red for their struggle and green for the future and hope that comes from that struggle. city leaders in hayward also are hosting their own celebration of kwanzaa at city hall this coming sunday. >> and of course, the lighting of the world's largest menorah taking place in new york on wednesday. the 36 foot menorah is part of the festival of

lights celebration. those in attendance celebrated with dancing and music, and it is rare that the first night of hanukkah falls on the same day as christmas day. it's only happened four times in the last century, the most recent occurrence back in 2005. >> many people make plans for the new year. you might be planning a new venture and if it includes entrepreneurship, you are not alone. sarah dillard and her husband turned the discomfort of a twin pregnancy into a business inspiration. dillard says she had severe sciatica and lower back pain, which led her to making a product called the embrace. it is a maternity belly band that helps support a mother's back and her growing baby bump. >> don't have to find this brand new revolutionary idea. as we look at a lot of products that disrupt the market, they're really just an improvement or something that's better than something that's already out there existing. >> rejection from retailers i would try and block out, but the feedback that i would get from my customers, i wanted all of

it. >> some good advice. dillard used her own experience to design the product, so it would completely cover a mother's growing bump and be worn under clothing by using clasps instead of velcro. experts say sometimes firsthand understanding of a need that is not filled in the marketplace can be turned into an advantage in making a successful product. >> well, a christmas miracle still possible as the mega millions lottery tops $1 billion. no one hit the jackpot on christmas eve, and now the jackpot has soared. to get this, a $1.15 billion. the numbers collected on tuesday were 11, 14, 38, 45, 46 and the mega ball number three. now the next drawing is tomorrow, which would make it the largest prize ever offered in the month of december. if the winner chooses the cash option, they will get an astonishing $516 million. >> that's a lot of money to

decide what you're going to do with. >> so i was going to say, first off, we definitely need the pool, right? we need to pool our money and make sure we get a ticket. i talked with a mathematician years ago who told me that the best option for buying lottery tickets is to buy exactly one. oh, because your odds go up infinitely from buying the one ticket. yes. and then after that, it's low, low barrier to entry. >> and some people say that it's better to get the cash option. i think it's if you think of it as being something that you're just going to do for fun, have your limit and then wait and see. sounds like it could be kind of a fun thing. we have amy in our newsroom who's one of our producers who really enjoys some of that. so we'll see if amy if amy gets lucky, we might not be seeing her later on in this year. >> and we'll keep it like we'll make like a family plan or a business plan

valley is waiving adoption fees for all animals starting today. that's because adoption fees at the milpitas shelter are temporarily covered through a large donation. while the shelter is dealing with fire damage. that means all adoptions are free. part of the shelter's goal to get all of those animals adopted so the facility can be renovated. that means dozens of dogs and cats, including puppies and kittens, are available right now.

>> some good hearted donors right there. well, pet owners may be looking forward to ringing in the new year. many pets do fear the loud noises that can come with the annual celebrations. >> that's right. fox's olivia combs looks at how to protect your four legged friends. >> the holiday season isn't over just yet, with the start of the new year just around the corner, pet owners are being warned. those fireworks and other loud, celebratory noisemakers can cause our four legged friends quite a bit of stress. >> the fireworks are really scary. like anything, loud noises and whatnot are so scary for the pups. >> it's why some pet owners say they've started taking extra precautions before the clock strikes midnight. >> i've started trying to give her a pill. she'll usually just shake and hide in the bathroom, so usually we don't do much to keep pets safe during festivities. >> the u.s. humane society suggests staying indoors, closing windows and playing music or a tv show to distract. even wearing out your pets during the day can help them get

through those loud nights more peacefully. >> i don't think any animal really likes it, to be honest with you. >> and if you haven't already, experts suggest this may be the time to safeguard your pet with a trackable id tag. >> make sure that your pup is chipped, any local shelter or your veterinarian can do that and keep up with your address change as well. that's really important. >> and if you have the option. animal welfare groups suggest laser shows or drone displays as quieter alternatives to fireworks. in saint louis, missouri, olivia calmes, fox news. >> ktvu fox two news at five starts now. >> now at five. another oakland business burglarized in the middle of the night. the violent smash and grab at a lucky supermarket. catching an entire neighborhood off guard. >> they need to have more police up here. you would think because this is a peaceful area, you know? but it doesn't matter where you are. it's not safe. nowhere. >> oakland's montclair

neighborhood not known for having a high crime rate. good evening, everyone. i'm frank mallicoat. oakland police say the suspects used a vehicle like a battering ram, smashing through the entrance of that lucky supermarket store and stealing an atm. ktvu is jesse gary live in montclair? in the neighborhood there tonight. and, jesse, people living there are pretty stunned by all of this. >> that's right. frank. i can tell you, in 20 years of reporting on the east side, maybe this is the second time i've been montclair clear for a crime. the contractors have spent the better part of this day boarding up one of two entrances to this lucky store here on mountain boulevard in montclair. this after this store was targeted for the second time this week in the predawn darkness thursday, a cleanup on aisle one and elsewhere inside and outside this montclair grocery store, there's usually a door with a ramp, an escalator ramp, and