really disturbing video tonight. a brazen burglar breaks in to a home as a family is sleeping as he creeps around. the whole caper caught on

camera. >> first, stepped up security tonight as the balloons get thanksgiving day parade. evening at 11:00. baderinwa. security already tight will be even tighter tomorrow. those balloons inflated tonight for the parade but the celebration at a time of increased awareness about possible terror attacks. >> eyewitness news reporter aj ross has more on the balloons and security. and meteorologist jeff smith is outside our studios with the thanksgiving forecast. >> we'll begin with the parade itself which will start on upper west side and make its way southward to herald square. >> aj ross is on the upper west side. >> it's truly amazing to witness the awe and sheer delight that overwhelms kids' faces as they get an up-close and personal look at these enormous show stopping balloons. it's an amazing tradition that draws families far and wide to the heart of new york city and as you mentioned security is going to be tighter this year but people say the hope, peace,

and joy that comes with the holidays overshadows any fear. >> reporter: for 89 years the macy's thanksgiving parade has captured the hearts and imaginations of generations. magnetically drawn to central park by a variety of larger than life balloons, floats, and entertainment. with an estimated crowd of 3 million, some families opted to get a sneak peek wednesday night. >> we've been coming here 15 years. >> it's wonderful. >> he's been coming since he was a little boy. it's really fun. >> reporter: from hello kitty and the kool-aid man to a familiar face from the film ice age. there's something to appeal to the kid in all of us. >> i wonder how they make that. and if you can go inside them. >> probably spongebob if i had to choose one. >> that one. >> why is that one your favorite? >> because he's from ice age. >> reporter: for many, this is more than balloons and fanfare. it's a timeless tradition that kicks off a fun filled day spent eating good food with loved ones.

>> we're going to have ice cream. >> that sounds like a plan. can i have some ice cream too? am i in vited to your house? >> no. >> reporter: and to ensure these traditions carry on without any fears or interruptions, the nypd is dedicating additional specialized units around the parade route including up to 500 heavily armed and highly trained officers, bomb sniffing dogs and teams with radiation detection devices throughout the city. >> there are some in the world trying to stir fear. they're trying to make us afraid. they're trying to make us change our lifestyle and change our values, lose our spirit, lose our values. we refuse to do that. >> we certainly do refuse to do that. make sure you tune in to cham -- channel 7 eyewitness news for all our parade coverage. we have street closures posted on our website, abc7ny.com. aj ross, channel 7 eyewitness news. now that the balloons are

ready, what can we expect in lining the parade route? meteorologist jeff smith is in side. >> to put it in a few words, as quiet as it it get this time of year. a lot of times we're worried about the wind for the safety of the balloons, but this year the wind is nearly calm. it's a cool, crisp and calm evening as is typical for thanksgiving eve. temperatures around 44 in the city, 20s in the outlying area. a lot colder what we're watching is the prospect of some day tomorrow. high pressure offshore with a return flow coming in behind from the east and southeast is going to take some of these low clouds which are currently over eastern long island but mainly over the waters of the atlantic ocean. it's going to bring those clouds to the west onshore during the day tomorrow. won't be a completely sunny day. you might get brightening at the beginning then the clouds start rolling in. 7:00 in the morning, 44. 9 a.m., up to 48

despite the cloud cover, we'll have more clouds than sun. despite that, temperatures getting up to 55 by noon and topping off in the upper 50s by later on in the afternoon. we'll up the ante on black friday for all the bargain hunters out there. temperatures 15 degrees above average. we'll detail that plus the weekend forecast looking a little shaky at this point. we'll talk about that in your 7-day forecast coming up in a little bit. nearly 47 million americans are expected to travel this most are hitting the roads, taking advantage of the lowest 2008. newscopter7 was over the afternoon as backups began building up. at the airports there were long lines at all clear at the port authority bus terminal now but what a mess it was earlier tonight. a bomb tonight. the bomb squad was called in after suspicious package was found on 8th avenue. the port authority's north wing was evacuated.

the package and gave the all clear a short time later. the nation might be in a state of heightened alert but president obama tonight insisting that should not get in the way of enjoying thanksgiving. >> as americans travel this weekend to be with their loved ones i want them to know that our counterterrorism, intelligence, homeland security, and law enforcement professionals at every level are working overtime. they are continually monitoring threats at home and abroad. >> president today emphasizing there is no specific or credible intelligence indicating a terrorist plot on the u.s. at this time. meanwhile, the heads of the nypd's biggest unions tonight getting land basted by the police commissioner by claiming new york police are not prepared for a paris-style attack. patrick lynch says every patrol car should be made in to some kind of mini counterterrorism unit. he says there's a soft

he says cops on patrol aren't trained nor equipped to be the first officers to engage terrorists during an attack. police commissioner bratton says that's not true. >> i'm sorry to hear they're demeaning their own membership by basically saying they're not capable of handling i'm sorry, i disagree very strongly with them. >> thousands of patrol officers are in the process of getting trained to deal with active possible shooters. many are being outfitted with enhanced equipment and heavier vests for long gun attacks. new revelations tonight about the man allegedly spotted with one of the paris attackers days before the massacre. belgium authorities say muhammad albridi was caught on surveillance video at a gas station driving the same car two days later used by the

this time in brooklyn, this time the pedestrian is dead. it happened in the midwood section. eyewitness news reporter cefaan kim at the scene with the latest. >> just hours from now, so many of us will be gathering with family to remember all that we're thankful for. for this family, they'll be gathering for a different reason. in this case a tragedy bringing them together after a mother and a wife was mta bus steps from her home. >> i don't know what to say. i'm just shocked and feel sorry for the family. >> reporter: friends say every time they saw her she always had a smile on her face. a sweet woman who they say was kind and friendly. just before 5 p.m. police say that woman was struck and killed by this mta bus in midwood, brooklyn. we obtained this surveillance video too graphic for tv. appearing to try to beat the bus across the street but tragically she does not make it in time. dragged several dozen feet after being

area hospital where she later died. the driver's side headlight on the bus showing the force of the impact. these men say they're family friends and neighbors worried about how often they say they see speeding on this stretch of ocean avenue. >> if you see the bus, you can see how hard it was. [ indiscernible ] we are not feel safe. >> reporter: the bus driver remained at the scene and an investigation is underway. police say the woman was in her 40s. friends say the victim was married and had several children from middle school to college age, killed right in front of her home, her tragic death still hard for friends to wrap their minds around. >> she was a very beautiful lady. i'm shocked. i'm shocked. our kids went to the same school. she was a good lady. i don't know what to say. i'm just shocked . >> police have not released the victim's identity. this is the

an mta bus this month alone. three of those have been deadly. cefaan kim, channel 7 eyewitness news. new tonight, protests on the streets of chicago right now following the release of a chilling video showing a white police officer shooting a black teenager 16 times. protesters say they plan to send a message by shutting down chicago's famous magnificent mile shopping district during black friday. it shows officer van dyke firing an entire magazine in to 17-year-old laquan mcdonald. here in new york city demonstrations across manlike this one through macy's department store. organizing an emergency rally in solidarity with minneapolis after a black man was shot and killed by police there. the mother who abandoned

her newborn at a church in queens tonight has been found and within the hour, the queens district attorney says the mother will not be charged. the mom seen holding her baby in this video followed the spirit if not the letter of the safe haven law. we've learned she returned to the church the next morning to make sure the kid had been found. baby boy found with his umbilical cord still attached in a nativity display is okay and now in the care of child welfare. dramatic dashcam video of a dangerous police chase from new york to new york. officers are pursuing a murder suspect as he weaved in and out of traffic, at one point driving on the wrong side of the palisades parkway. oncoming drivers were forced to swerve out of the way. driver made his way on to route 46 and then the new jersey turnpike, eventually getting stuck in traffic. that's when police surrounded the car and arrested the suspect. imagine sleeping with a burglar just a few feet away. as we continue with this

wednesday night, a bold burglar breaking in to a home with a man and his children sleeping inside. tonight we're hearing from one >> will we be giving thanks for another mild november day?

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new at 11:00, we're hearing tonight from one of the people asleep in a home in queens where a burglar broke in, all of it caught on camera. and this video you'll find very disturbing. eyewitness news reporter jim dolan talking with one of the victims tonight with one caveat, that we not show his face because three kids were in the house and the burglar is still on the loose. >> reporter: cameras outside catch the burglar on the street before he enters the house in flushing and one in the home's living room sees him as he enlters the house around 2:30 this morning. it took about a half hour going around the house before the burglar is seen on his hands and knees with a knife in his mouth in the homeowner's bedroom.

>> they just got in to bed. they were still up. >> reporter: the resident of the house didn't want us to show his face but he says the owner of the home and his wife were still awake. that surveillance camera outside is for security but the one in the bedroom is actually a baby monitor. the parents use it to keep an eye on the children after the children have gone to bed. there are three kids sleeping in that room. at 2:30 in the morning, the parents were in bed as well and they heard someone moving in the room. >> he thought they might be running off with the keys. then he said no, it looked much bigger than the keys. >> reporter: much bigger. police say the burglar is 6 feet tall, 200 pounds. he was wearing all black that night but the ski hat he's wearing has the word diamond on it. the owner shouted and the burglar ran away. the whole thing has made residents wonder if they're as safe here as they >> we have to be more alert and more vigilant. we have to check all the doors, all the windows.

>> reporter: police are hoping someone recognizes the man and calls them before he breaks in to someone else's home. in flushing, jim dolan, channel 7 eyewitness news. also new at 11:00, casey kasem's widow, the target of a lawsuit filed today by his children and brother. they say her actions led to the radio personality's death. the lawsuit accuses jean kasem of elder abuse and inflicting emotional stress by restricting access to the top 40 host. kasem suffered from dementia and developed a severe bed sore before his death at the age of 82. frank gifford donating his brain to science because they discovered he suffered from a progressive brain disease. cte linked to traumas common in football. now tonight the nfl weighing in saying it appreciates the gifford family's desire to help the medical community but insists it has

changed several rules to make the game safer. gifford died last summer of natural causes. he was 84. new tonight, unofficial right of passage for cadets at west point officially banned after the pillow fight turned bloody ending with broken noses and concussions. an investigation found contrary to rumors that hard objects were placed in pillows, many injuries were result of cadets being hit by elbows and for being knocked to the ground. their names are honest and abe. two turkeys spared tonight, the fate of becoming thanksgiving dinner. >> i confess that honest looks like good eating but this is a democracy. abe is now a free bird. he is totus. the turkey of the united states. >> presidential pardoning means they'll live in a farm in

the white house on turkey hill. totus. that's funny. >> must be a twitter handle by now. >> probably is. and trending i'm sure. we see so many people outside there for the balloons. really mild night. >> such a nice night out there. it could be a whole lot worse this time of the year. remember last year? we had some snow during the balloon inflation. that was proceeded by rain. what a difference a year makes. empire state building lit up in those fall thanksgiving colors. temperatures 44. wind is dead the high on the day getting up to 50 after a morning low of 36. temperatures were pretty much right on target our in 1979. sun rising tomorrow morning at 6:54. here's what to expect. a milder day tomorrow but a cloudier day. it will be 48 at parade start but i think we rise in to the upper 50s during the afternoon. down right balmy on friday. we'll get some sun returning. mid 60s for highs. could be

approaching records in some areas. showers do show up i think late friday night lasting in to saturday morning and i think now the clouds might hang around for much of the weekend as a stationary front sits off to our south and it's close enough to give us that cloud cover. 43, newark. 39 at teterboro. farther out in to the suburbs and it gets sussex, morristown and toms river all sitting at 27 degrees. just barely above freezing. where you have more cloud cover acting like an insulator in the atmosphere, we're sitting at 52 at montauk. speaking of the cloud cover, you can see it here on the satellite picture. eventually some of the clouds are going to work their way in to the city. probably start off fairly bright then clouds increase during the course of the parade. nationwide there's a big storm over the rocky mountains providing delays over salt lake city. that's going to be moving in to denver, kansas city.

tomorrow, core travel for last minute travelers. major hubs along the east coast looking a-okay. variably cloudy tomorrow. high getting up to around 59. sunshine fairly limited during the day friday, breezy, warm. high getting up to 64. accuweather forecast overnight, clear, partly cloudy. 30s in many of the burbs. down to 41 in midtown. variably cloudy. limited sun tomorrow. milder. 59 . temperatures in the upper 40s at parade start time. mild tomorrow night. could be late fog north and west of the city. balmy breeze on friday. maybe early morning fog north and west. then quite warm, the high getting up to 64. a little bit of rain to start saturday. then remaining cloudy, 54. mainly cloudy sunday. there's a shot at getting rain especially south of new york city. we'll be watching that carefully. highs only in the upper 40s. a lot of sunshine on monday before potentially some unsettled weather returns by tuesday in to wednesday. amy freeze in for bill evans for thanksgiving morning. coming up next, new help to

try to prevent the flu. a new vaccine just approved for people over 65.

pope francis began his first ever visit to africa today with a plea for kenyans to work toward peace. he arrived to a throng of traditional dancers and singers. asked if he was concerned about his own safety, he responded he's more worried about the mosquitos. the six-day pilgrimage will take him to uganda and the central african republic. a potentially life saving vaccine made specifically for people over 65. the food and drug administration approving the first of its kind for older people. it provide as special boost to the immune system. up to 90% of flu-related deaths

occur in that age group. rob powers, always young, up next with sports. >> busy, busy night. straight ahead, a game in orlando. the rookie tries to lead the way but it stands to reason some teams are going to test him. we have highlights from that game, plus the rangers riding high, then

the knicks did not see the balloon inflation today? they weren't around for that? >> you're pointing your arms. mr. muscle. they're coming off their worst offensive output of the season. four wins in five games, they'll take it. they'll take it much better if they can bounce back tonight in orlando. the porzingis family made the trip tonight. rookie chrisops, not a great offensive line but did have some blocks. oladipo pumped in 24. carmelo anthony, 28 points. knicks try to rally on the road. watch jason smith get in to it a bit with porzingis. says hey, stop pushing me. nobody happy.

except the manage -- the magic. knicks lose. against miami. the nets in oklahoma city for a date with the thunder. how about kevin durant? he scored 30. russell westbrook scored the game is tied at 85. they're in the 4th it was a back and forth game all night till that point. oklahoma city then rips off a 9-0 run and poured it on. 110-99 nets go down in this one. the garden. top two teams in the east. rangers came in with nine straight wins on home ice. good match-up. should have been the best of the night. devonte smith had other ideas. rangers able to make it a one-goal game later. on the power play. but henrik lundqvist would give up five goals on 24 shots. lundqvist was pulled.

carey price left with an injury. most this year. the islanders at home in 1-0. 1st period shorthanded but they get the equalizer anyway. period. kyle okposo, a lot of hard work for kyle. isles win it 3-1. they come from behind to get this one. to cap off this hockey the jackets. devils lose at they've lost 3-4. in hawaii this afternoon the st. john's red storm and the maui classic, a 7th place game against chaminade. struggling season. not today. the italian freshman lights out with a season high 24 points. st. john's as a team hit 103-pointers and it's a win in

maui 100-93.