necessary with what he believes are a new set of challenges. >> more and more of the homeless are family members, not single adults. more and more of our homeless are homeless for economic reasons, not because of substance abuse or mental health problems but because they are having trouble making ends meet. >> reporter: announcing the resignation of gilbert taylor, mayor de blasio is calling for a 90-day review of the city's efforts which will be headed by steve banks and deputy mayor anthony shores. >> some of the new tools are working but we have to improve upon them, look for new solutions to figure out the best organizational structures to make it all work. >> the mayor and his administration have been cried sizeed for the -- criticize the for the handling of the problem. his previous deputy mayor resigned and he must find a new

services. >> we are highly committed. >> reporter: the mayor points out the need for restructuring because it has been in place 20 years and does not meet the current needs. reporting live, tim fleischer, channel 7 eyewitness news. >> tim, thank you. we are following breaking news right now. two big problems for long island railroad commuters. westbound service is temporarily suspended on the babylon branch because of signal problems in freeport. on the ronkonkoma branch, a truck hit a vehicle near the bethpage station there. commuters should expect disruptions there as well. we received a someone on board the train struck. no injuries to report. we are continuing to monitor the situation and we will keep you posted on the delays. now the terror threats against the school system of new york and los angeles. lots of second guessing of officials in l.a. that got virtually the same e- mail as officials in new york

threatening an attack on the schools but it was apparently a hoax. the nypd figured that out early on. mayor de blasio criticizing the man that succeeded him as chief of the lapd. >> it's very easy in hindsight to criticize a decision based on results that the decider could never have known. it's easy to criticize a decision when you have no responsibility for the out come of that decision. >> to be sure, new york has more experience dealing with terror threats than l.a. but l.a. on edge because of what happened in san bernardino. eyewitness news reporter n.j. burkett in the fort greene section of brooklyn with the story. >> reporter: a tale of two cities and two different reactions to the same threat, a threat that was so present poster rouse, patently absurd experts say it had to be a hoax but some parents are questioning the city's decision to keep the schools open.

met did not spend the day worrying about the threat because they hadn't even heard about it. although they were relieved to hear it was dismissed as a hoax, many were surprised at the mayor's decision to keep schools open. >> they should have closed the schools. you never know if it's true or false. >> they said they knew. >> how do they know. >> if they know i guess they know but i don't think they should have let the schools stay open. they should have closed them in case of an emergency. >> reporter: the threat was dismissed long before new york city schools opened their doors this morning. nypd commissioner bill bratton. >> we do not see it as a credible terrorist threat and we are investigating it as a hoax. we believe that the e-mail originated overseas. the language in the e-mail would lead us to believe that this is not a jihadist initiative. >> reporter: once more, the

claimed that every school in the city was somehow riding to about employed. an adapted version of the same e-mail was apparently what prompted authorities in los angeles to close schools there. the resulting chaos is precisely what mayor de blasio was determined to avoid in new york. >> we have come to out conclusion that we must continue to keep our school system open. it's very important not to overreact in situations like this. >> reporter: many security experts tonight praised his decision and accused school officials in los angeles of giving in needlessly to panic. >> to make that kind of sweeping move absent very specific clear, compelling evidence is not a good idea. kids will start throwing e- mails in. if that happens, you can disrupt virtually every segment of american life. >> reporter: school officials

closely with the nypd but have announced no changes, no increase in security at any of the public schools. of course detectives say the investigation into the source of the hoax is not over tonight. n.j. burkett, channel 7 eyewitness news. >> thank you. police are searching for the bandit that pulled off a wild armored car robbery in the bronx. surveillance video shows innocent bystanders running for cover as bullets went flying in the soundview section. police say a gunman dressed in a business suit exchanged gunfire with armored car workers making a scheduled collection on west chester avenue. the thief made off with $78,000. it's not known if he was shocked. we know what sparked a six alarm fire in the bronx that left 89 people homeless including 15 children. investigators blaming a carelessly discarded cigarette. flames tore through a row of homes before midnight last friday.

spread quickly because of the wood framed homes. three residents and six firefighters suffered minor injuries. a scary day for a high school on long island. classes dismissed after a chemical leap. what happened and will classes resume tomorrow at west babylon high school? eyewitness news reporter stacey sager is at the school with the latest. >> reporter: police want help from anyone that knows what happened at the school. they have been unable to figure it out. they can't say if the school will reopen tomorrow. more than 30 people were transported to the hospital just before noon today. the evacuation was swift and at least seven different fire departments transported 35 students and faculty members to the hospital today but questions remain at west babylon high school as to what caused their symptoms.

we spoke to several students as they left the hospital. >> i started hyperventilating and they put me on oxygen. >> i'm noxious, light headed. >> reporter: it's a police investigation. it started in a front hallway near a home he can room. fire marshals and police investigators don't know if it was deliberate or accidental. >> the school district is viewing the cameras to determine if there was anything that went on in the hallway at that time. >> paramount importance that we get to the bottom of what happened and preserve the integrity of the investigation. i would ask anyone with information please contact the suffolk police department. >> reporter: as students and teachers remain unclear if there will be school here tomorrow and if they feel up to going back. >> just getting weaker. i'm not feeling well.

i can barely talk like this. >> reporter: now, the good news is that most if not all of the students were treated and released from the hospital. the school district did a great job of getting the students out quickly and getting them the help that they needed. school officials are unclear if this school will reopen tomorrow. they are hoping, hoping to inform parents via e-mail, phone or facebook by 9:00 tonight. live in west babylon, stacey sager, channel 7 eyewitness news. >> stacey, thank you. in connecticut, new court documents are confirming a teenager's possible motive for fatally stabbing a classmate. christopher plaques exxon made a brief court appearance today. a friend told police he was upset that 16-year-old march ron sanchez wouldn't -- marion with him.

discussed at a hearing in january. a judge refusing to dismiss the murder and kidnapping charges against pedro hernandez, accused of murdering etan patz in 1979. the prosecution wanted the jury to do a walk through of the neighborhood in soho where patz the judge denied the request. both sides will be back in court tomorrow. hernandez's first trial ended with a hung jury. a big night for the hopefuls. they are taking the debate stage. the debate featuring four lower polling candidates is underway now then at 9:00 p.m. the front runners take the stage in las vegas. all eyes are on donald trump and ted cruz sparring most in recent days. as we continue with "eyewitness news at 6:00" on this tuesday night, three lives saved. three families linked forever.

a heartwarming gathering of people meeting for the first time. >> do you think your commute is the worst? which buses earned the award for the slowest an least re -- and least reliable in new york city. >> wind was anything but slow today. gusts pushing 40 miles per hour in a couple of spots. we hit record highs. holiday season's just like football season... you got your big games... ...and regular games. get it all at a great price... ...and the holiday season is won. everything in one place.

holiday season's just like football season... you got your big games... ...and regular games. get it all at a great price... ...and the holiday season is won. everything in one place. my stop & shop. new at 6:00 the gift of life. those who gave and those who received kidneys from strangers.

changed forever. three recipients meeting three donors. or gone donor programs do work. >> at the reunion, here is toni yates. >> reporter: three families. >> nice to meet you. >> reporter: one member of each needed a kidney. one member of each gave a kidney. joe needed a kidney. his mother joan gave a kidney to ken. ken's wife donna gave one to art to art's daughter karen gave one to joe. by the way, father and daughter were a match but they joined the circle to complete it for more. there are people in the world that are able to do that. >> his mom included. >> he is so healthy now.

>> i was going to give my kidney to my dad anyway. when i you knew this would work out it made sense. >> in my life this is probably one of the most emotional moments i had. my life has been saved by this woman. >> reporter: that would be ken's wife. >> go back and have him join me at the gym and share my trainer and go out and do all the things that we can do together. >> play with my grandkids. >> reporter: st. barnabas do about 30 donor chains like this every year. the program is the second largest in the nation. >> we have compatible pairs, matching them can be complex. one of the interesting things we find is how generous people are. >> their lives are forever intertwined. toni yates, channel 7 eyewitness news. >> amazing. a dubious honor for an mta

slowest, m 66 crosstown bus. the recipient of the pokey award. it is the slowest bus in the entire system. others include the b 35, the b ex 2, the q 58 and s 4898 on staten island. other buses recipients of the sleepy award, bx 15 in the bronx. all that information is on our web site. you don't want to be that. >> you don't want to. >> not at all. still to come, we hope you enjoyed the warm weather. meteorologist lee goldberg said there is a big chill on the way. i mean big for us around here

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a bit of wind and a bit of cooler temperatures tomorrow. >> 40 miles per hour winds, what i guess the windchill? 55. outside we hit 60s. record highs in many spots. wind is gusty. camera is bouncing. temperature 58. high of 68 after midnight good enough for a record high. 25 degrees above the normal high. we should be hitting freezing at night. forget about that. over the weekend, feels like 30s on saturday. 46 sunday. then another warm up. patchy clouds. gusty breezes then back off. mid- to upper-40s by morning. some 30s in the suburbs. 30 miles per hour gusts this evening. 35 by dawn. calmer but cooler.

soaking on the way for thursday. 45 monticello. 54 armonk. long island in the middle 50s. same thing in northern new jersey middle 50s. 58 in the park. patchy clouds early then clearing. notice the winds as they back off through the night. 6 to 12 miles per hour. partly to mostly sunny skies and highs in the lower 50s. speaking of clouds, a few to the north and west. not a big deal. as this storm moves away, the winds get lighter overnight. a great day tomorrow, 9 the best of the rest, 54. look at the clouds late day, drizzle in the evening hours. rain returns on thursday. could be get heavy late afternoon. late day tomorrow, partly to mostly sunny. have the umbrella. a little drizzle could break out later in the evening hours. drizzle for thursday morning commute.

but the instead diker at noon. heavy during the afternoon and early evening. clear and cooler overnight. high of 52. sunny to partly cloudy. calmer and cooler. low clouds moving in. a shower or drizzle tomorrow night. on the seven-day forecast day, after a sunny tomorrow, thursday half inch to over an inch of rain in spots. friday lingering rain, especially at the coast. chilly saturday with windchills in the 30s. sunday chilly then the big i can't remember up. 58 tuesday. maybe in the 60s christmas eve and christmas day. breaking news. two big problems for commuters on the long island railroad. there they go. westbound service temporarily suspended on the babylon line. that is the first one. the second bethpage, a truck on the tracks at broadway and bethpage and a train hit that

no injuries but there are delays as well. of. >> we will have much more on that later on. before we go to break, a message from a member of the military that can't be home for the holidays.

i like the way you put it it wasn't a must win but they couldn't lose. >> one you better win. they win, good for them. giant play-off hopes alive and

south florida with a win over the dolphins. big blue's biggest players stepped up for a huge win. last night's game was pretty much a must win. he lie man 27 of 31, four touchdowns highest passer rating for him in six years. best completion percentage ever. two touchdowns went to odell beckham. he blew up the miami d on an 84- yarder for the go ahead score. what a monday night for the giants. >> to be able to go to those and the adversity that we went through, it enables us to know what to do in situations and capitalize. >> we won't get another close game, a fourth game, tight game. tight in the fourth quarter and you have to make plays. >> unusual workday for the jets. tuesday generally an off day

cowboys saturday in dallas so the work rolls on. jet play-off push continues as well. they aren't scoreboarding watch. they hope they keep winning them starting saturday in dallas. >> obviously you see the play- offs at the end of the tunnel. in the short area, it's the dallas cowboys. >> the only thing you can control is your job. that is something that we are talking about is everyone believing and doing their part and focusing on the next play. pete rose wants to be in the baseball hall of fame but it is a tough road toho after he was refused. rose is on the outside looking in. his reaction today? >> i look forward to some day being friends of baseball. i want baseball and pete rose to be friends.

>> the throne of hit king. did you see that. mets resigning jerry levens to a one year contract. baseball opening day 110 days away not that anyone is counting except the mets. they held the annual holiday party at citi field. 135 new york city school kids had lunch, gifts, santa claus stopped by. amazing how much he resembles mets player. >> i feel good about what we accomplished. we are going to be hungry this year for sure. >> baseball is never far away. the newest mets, neil walker was one of santa's helpers today, aims to help the mets return to the world series sooner than later. >> i felts this would happen, the transition at some point, last year, next year, this year but i couldn't ask for a better place to go. >> we liked the moves we made. i don't think we are done yet.

>> baseball's hot stove will heat up. mets have done plenty of work knowing it continues. >> baseball, a lot of things happen fast. the one thing you can't do is panic. >> it's funny here it is mid- december talking baseball. >> getting to the world series. >> expectations. >> see you at 11:00. speaking of, time to look at some of the stories we are working on. sade has a preview. >> a pint size thief. a young boy targets an man. wait until you see what he does the second he jumps off his bike. shingles virus linked to increased risk of heart disease. those stories and more on "eyewitness news at 11:00". >> the latest on the republican debate that airs tonight. political reporter dave evans with that coverage. that's it for us for now. thanks for watching. i'm bill ritter. eyewitness news with david muir is up next.