>> right now, stocks staging a rebound. the dow closing up a little bit. you see the closing bell. we're going to try to get the final numbers for you. they are just doing the closing bell. a little better today after that drop yesterday. closing at 15,925. those numbers continue to move, as i said. u.s. stocks rebounding. wall street, 401(k)s still suffering. the european central banks said

st. pete city council members are hoping to approve a contract with one of the architects designing the peer pier approach. after it moves forward, the public can get in on the debate about what they like. ground breaking will be later this year. looking for love online. the person on the other side might not have the same intentions. county man lured by an and a robbery. >> reporter: laura, this is a scary reminder of the dangers of the dating sites and apps. in this case the 21-year-old fish. the woman reached out to him and they agreed to meet at a

but it went south quickly. the girl asked if they could give her brother a ride. he did. when they did, the brother started attacking the victim, robbed him and they drove off with his car. >> you make that choice to go on a dating site, you take whatever comes your way. and in this case, what came his way was the beat-down and the loss of his car. >> reporter: the victim suffered cuts to his face and spent time in the hospital. it did not take long for investigators to track down the attackers. it turns out the girl in this case used her real picture to website. and deputies knew exactly who criminal history. they went to her house, picked her up and she led detectives to the malia tacker. app for the sole purpose of

talking to ivan cabrera right now. definitely a different story today than yesterday. >> it was so cold yesterday. now we're talking about temperatures in the 70s. we will be tracking the next storm system headed our way tomorrow. the clouds have been rolling in. not raining on us yet. that is going to change in abrupt fashion as we head through tomorrow. temperatures tonight will be back in the 50s. we drop into the 60s before that happens. the clouds are streaming in. and we have a big storm system getting going across louisiana right now. tornado warnings along portions of mississippi as well. all of this is headed our way. yes, there is severe weather potential for tomorrow. we will break down the timing of the storm. it will be a blockbuster snowstorm, one of the worst they have seen in a long time for the mid-atlantic with feet of snow. we will have that in a few minutes.

on how many of you are dealing with car recalls in 2015. the agency in charge of car safety saying 51 million cars were recalled last year. that's a new record. those cars were part of nearly 900 different recalls, like the one we remember with takata air bags. there's another issue here. the u.s. department of transportation saying every year, 25% of recalled cars aren't repaired. so today, it's launching a new campaign, trying to get you to check your car at least twice a year. we will have that link up on our facebook page in a little bit. just search the new tampa bay. right now good news for thousands of diesel drivers here in florida fooled by volkswagen. remember the recent scandal where the company admitted to using software to cheat emissions tests, making the diesel engines appear cleaner than they were. a jupiter man filed a claim against the giant automaker and won. the lemon law allows you to get

there's a problem with it. the florida lemon law board agreed, his car was a lemon and vw should pay him back. he got 15,000 bucks for it. >> this could affect the whole state of florida. >> i'm pleased they ruled in the small guy's favor. it gives me more hope. >> you can file claims as well. now, keep in mind volkswagen can appeal. but so far they're not commenting. well, just this afternoon, publix got the go-ahead to build a new store on campus on usf. it will be the first of its kind in florida. it will be on north palm drive. it will be finished at the beginning of next year. that will be happening soon. right now wal-mart says every employee is getting a raise. sounds great, right? but a group that has been fighting for better employment at the retail giant says the raise thing is for show.

billions in profits every year should pay their workers more than the $10 an hour. instead that group is lobbying for at least 15 bucks an hour. all of this as wal-mart announces it will be closing at least 154 stores, affecting some 10,000 workers nationwide. the raise to $10 an hour is set to take effect next month. well, next here on the new candidates on the campaign don't trust to fix our paychecks.

>> right now, we're checking in on the presidential campaign trail. donald trump is in las vegas right now. let's listen in. >> this is the basketball arena. big arena. beautiful arena. and it's packed, packed. so many -- i mean thousands of people -- i'm sorry, you can't come in. they're going crazy. the place is packed. not one shot from these sleeze

not one shot showing the crowd. now, think of it. not one single shot. i tell you, they're the worst. i guarantee you one thing, if it were empty, they would be showing those seats all over the place. they would be showing. and the problem -- and the thing i like, when we have the protesters, the only time that the camera moves is when there's a protesters. that's like a negative thing. i love protesters. but the reason i like them is because these guys operating -- i watched yesterday. but i don't know. they were just fixated on me. look at all those cameras back there. like the academy awards. hey. every time i make a speech. when my competitors come in, up and down the line, including hillary clinton. when she comes in, there's like 38 people. very boring.

if one of the other folks were here, what do you have like 59 people and they use a conference room. yesterday in particular, so we have this arena. it's full. and i'm telling them, turn your cameras. i see the cameras never move. their bosses, i don't blame those guys. the bosses tell them don't move it. you go home and you want to see. i didn't see one shot. now, you heard the -- like michael jordan or lebron playing basketball. you hear this purr. it's not like a 200-person crowd. we have this arena packed and not one single camera shot of the arena. it's disgusting. and they do it. and then this guy, this whacko bernie sanders who wants to -- by the way, he wants to bring your taxes to 90%. okay. he says everything is free. everything is free. the only problem is you're going to pay 90%. it's free except when you have to pay your taxes. he had 3,000 people in a

and they said he had a massive crowd. 3,000 people. it was unbelievable. and i have the arena packed and they don't mention it. it really is unfair. >> ted cruz as well as marco rubio are also campaigning today. again, you're listening to donald trump live in las vegas. this is all ahead of the iowa caucuses. in just a couple of days. donald trump is actually polling lower in that state. part of trump's appeal is that he's a businessman. a lot of people want to make more money. jackie callaway is here to talk about whether the government involvement is the answer to closing the income gap. >> a hot topic with so many people. earlier this year we talked about in florida the income between 2009 and 2012, only the top 1% are making money. everyone else in florida, you and i, their income is going down 7%. now, more than half of us believe the government stepping in to boost the economy is not the solution.

survey today that is out from reports. this hasn't changed from last year when the same number of voters didn't think the government could help either. why are we so down on lawmakers. a lot of the problem is we are suspicious much government's motivation. 66% feel that the federal government has become a special interest group that looks out for its own interest. and get this, laura, the survey out shows as many government workers are just as suspicious of government's motivations. >> so many people just want to make more money for their families. >> take a look at this picture. it's from time magazine. the cover of the magazine. it looks like a child in a third world country. instead, that's a child from flint, michigan where the ongoing water crisis has become a national head line. the cover reading the poisoning of an american city. toxic water, sick kids and incompetent leaders that

is being given to people living there and the national guard is working with fema right now which has 30 trucks in the area. in the meantime the governor has released hundreds of e- mails to show who knew what, when they knew it about this problem. one of them is from his former chief of staff that wrote it's a city problem, not a statewide issue. well, right now michigan state legislators are working to approve $28 million to help we're going to check out this next video. this is from the los angeles zoo. a zoo employee fell into the morning. now, in the video you can see stretcher. zoo officials are trying to figure out how this happened. the gorillas were in their thankfully there was no attack. they're carrying him out now. the zoo keeper reportedly broke

well, it's an expensive miss refor the military. expensive mystery for our military. what is happening to their drones. the u.s. air force is crashing more and more drones and no one knows why. there were 20 crashes last year that resulted in complete destruction of a drone or more than $2 million in damage to it. an all-time high according to the "washington post." the reaper drone is the one that most commonly falls out of the sky. there is a problem with the starter generator but they're not sure about the specifics. the reaper was supposed to be the most advanced model. it can travel farther at models. any impact to day-to-day operations from the crashes is barely noticeable. the real problem may be finding enough drone pilots. the air force is having trouble filling the positions that

complained of being overworked. aircraft can be, drones have a spotty record at best for the military, with 400 reported crashes since 2011. remember wash newsy on your tv device. ivan, some areas in the 70s >> yes. this. this is a problem. in fact, they're getting ready for the big storm tomorrow in d.c. this was a clipper system that moved through with just an inch of snow and it paralyzed d.c. drivers there stuck for hours. we're talking about some accumulations that some parts were just half an inch. this will be a problem. now the mayor is getting a lot of, as you can imagine, complaints with these abandoned cars. and he is promising that things, well, are going to be improved as they get ready for

drop a couple of feet of snow. >> we are very sorry for inadequate response. we will treat this event as a homeland security and emergency management event in the >> yeah. and schools have already closed for tomorrow in d.c. in preparation for the storm. people obviously are being advised to stay home. the governors of maryland and north carolina declared states of emergency actually. north carolina getting rid of the weight restrictions for trucks. they will be needed to deliver emergency supplies as well. >> also want to show people something like this. this is a picture of washington, d.c. right now, courtesy of our a about. c station there. it looks nice to me. but you can't tell how cold it is in a picture. >> well, and the fact that the storm is still over texas and louisiana. they are getting ready for a big snowstorm. this will be one of the biggest

a couple of feet. perhaps as much as three feet in some areas there. we do know some workers by the way are on the way there, here from tampa. they are there to assist with what will likely be massive power outages this coming weekend. this will start tomorrow. >> like you were telling people, if you're planning to go there or somebody is coming here to meet you, that's probably not going to happen. >> not happening. >> go ahead and plan for that now. >> absolutely. no question. guess what, that storm system has to roll through here, laura. it will be coming in with showers and thunderstorms as we head through tomorrow. quiet now. we have nice weather out there right now with just a few clouds. get ready for tomorrow. this will be a quick-moving system. this is the storm that will eventually get up to the mid- atlantic. where is it? right now it's over louisiana with tornado watch boxes and warnings under those as well. severe weather there. all of this will push to the east. let's plan this out hour by hour and show what you is happening.

here comes the boundary with the showers and storms approaching our area by 9:00, 10:00. then they roll through here. showers and storms with the passage of the front. behind it, we will hang on to showers friday night into early saturday. and then turning windy and cold coming up for the weekend. a bit of a close-up as we take a look. there are the storms beginning to move in. some will have the potential to be strong if not severe as they push through quickly and everything moves out by 3:00, 4:00. that is the main line because the showers on the back end of the front will still linger friday night into saturday. the storm prediction center has upgraded our area to a slight. we're now at level 2. that's where you see the yellows. that includes citrus, pinellas and parts of hillsborough county. we're talking about the potential for damaging wind.

thunderstorms. that means tornadoes. the storm crashes into the mid- moisture. winter storms flying from kentucky to the mid-atlantic. blizzard watches and warnings for washington, d.c. metro. they will pick up one to two feet easily. some pockets of three feet of snow. laura, that will take a long time to clear out. >> thanks, ivan. still ahead, the car maker claiming they're only years away from a vehicle so safe there will never be a fatal crash in their cars again. we will be back in three

>> welcome back to the now tampa bay. if you've ever been in an

you wouldn't be hurt or killed, who wouldn't want that? that is the promise that volvo making right now. in the next four or more years, no one will be killed in a car or suv that they're making. they continue to make crash technology by tracking crash fatalities. this ties into developing self- the insurance institute for highway safety says there are nine models of cars, including one made by volvo, where no one has died in four years. the most recent year data available now. well, even though we see a lot of sunny skies here in florida, there's still a lot of people that like to use tanning beds. now we're learning about another dark truth about it. i'm not just talking about cancer. now the problem is addiction. researchers are saying they're seeing a direct link between

abuse, both releasing endorphins. >> i started probably 14 or 15. i was a cheerleader in high school. so i tanned every lunch hour i could. when i was younger, i didn't worry about it at all of course. now as a mom, it's been something that i have been concerned about for, you know, i want to be healthy for my children. >> and the problem isn't just for women but men as well. researchers are finding a strong association between steroid use and indoor tanning. it's that desire to look good that can lead to problems later on. we all want to know why he did it. but the former drug company ceo who is pushing against a subpoena against congressional investigators next tuesday. you will recall that he raised the price of a drug used by

check this out. i have constitutional rights. no matter why trust in the u.s. government is at an all-time low. one of the investigators says that he wants to explain how drug pricing works and this would be the chance. questions from congress aside saying that he also faces charges for securities fraud in a federal criminal case. well, there's one ingredient in a cough syrup causing it to be pulled from the shelves today. we will tell you about that coming up next. and helping our tampa bay veterans get back to work after putting their lives on the line for our freedom.

>> breaking news. take a look at that video. finally back on u.s. soil. he is actually from michigan. so he is going back home. united states marine who was arrested for allegedly spying for the cia in iran. at one point he was sentenced to death in iran and waiting on a new trial. of course this month he was set free as a prisoner exchange deal between the united states and iran. well, right now check those medicine cabinets. a recall on herbal cough medicine. the makers have found morphine and the fda is saying that just wasn't one of the listed ingredients. licorice coughing liquid has been voluntarily pulling this off the shelves for some ingesting morphine without knowing it. it could be life-threatening. it's only sold in six states. florida is not included but they're putting out the warning to everyone just in case you bought it somewhere else.

member who has some of it. we posted the recall on our website. people in the midwest and northeast are literally freezing their pants off. go ahead. you're welcome. >> apparently. i have seen this before. this is in minneapolis. folks having a good time with clothes and cold weather. how about that. >> the things people think about. >> but they're okay. they're not going to be in this big storm we're tracking here. do we have live pictures from d.c.? they're getting ready for what will be a blockbuster of a storm. some areas getting over 30 inches of snowfall. as we talked about that, system will be a mess. their emergency preparedness has already been declared up there. something to watch. no question. for us, also something to watch. the clouds that you see, high clouds ahead the storm.

the area and head up and a coastal low will begin to form and things will get interesting for the mid-atlantic and northeast. it looks good. 6:01, temperatures in the 60s with a few clouds. we don't rain yet. even tonight we're okay. 60 degrees with partly cloudy skies. getting ready for tomorrow. that's when we have the chance of thunderstorms. in fact it will rain tomorrow. no question about that. just a matter of if these thunderstorms get to the threshold of severe criteria, which would be 60 miles per hour that could cause wind damage here. we will be watching that closely and keep you posted. i will be back with the timing of the storms and what to expect. and then the weekend, some changes in the extended forecast. we will have that in a few minutes. >> thank you, ivan. veterans across florida looking to reinvent their careers have another free resource to do it with. hillsborough community college is offering courses on how to start their own business.

veteran helping to lead the way. >> i had no interest in being from the army. >> reporter: it's only been a year and a half since she retired from the arm i now the ceo of her own business, a staffing agency called veterans to corporate. >> i help companies hire veterans. skill set of being disciplined pressure. hillsborough community college's program and quickly got her business running. now hcc has recruited her to help veterans start their own businesses, working with a group of folks from the college to kick start the program. this program isn't for college credit, it's just free training. a veteran comes to the table with their idea. they're then taught how to get it off the ground and how to make sure that it's successful. paid for through a grant through the veterans florida organization, five state colleges are participating.

>> reporter: beth curly is a business professor with hcc and explains the program is three phases. >> the first phase of the training is online. >> reporter: and it covers the basics. the second phase is on campus, where travel, lodging and meals are all covered. the final phase is ongoing mentorship and follow-up support. >> therefore we're helping support the entrepreneur after the training so that a business can be viable and very, very productive. >> reporter: while making sure that veterans have the jobs they want. for the new tampa bay, i'm clifton french. >> have you had your hug today? it's national hug day. ivan will not come over here and hug me. it's bothering me. new numbers suggest that hugs are in. >> hug. there you go. >> even in the workplace, hugs are in. we sent andre choi to find out who is embracing who. >> reporter: it's national hug day. who is ready with open arms? we're going to find out the only way we know how.

>> and i lingered a bit. >> a little long. >> how long is too long to linger. >> that was probably too long. no. >> for real. >> come on. come on. >> reporter: but most people were pretty cool with our warm embrace. thank you. >> i'm not the strongest hugger let's do it. >> reporter: eric kimball's company conducts office surveys and say 54% of coworkers hugging in the workplace is common. >> we're seeing it more and more with our clients. more of a casual business environment. >> you guys are coworkers. >> yes. >> do you hug at work? >> sometimes. yeah. >> yeah. >> more people are hugging at work now. >> not in our office. >> i appreciate it. >> reporter: it seems we all could use more hugs these days. some just more than others. >> i probably have to go. >> reporter: so hugs aren't for

but on a day like today, it's best to just bring it in. just don't linger. for the now, i'm andy choi. >> thanks, andy. whiteness history month. it's a new effort to diversify and fight racism. where it's all happening.

>> well, we hear all the time about efforts to diversify and fight racism. well, here is one that caught our attention. whiteness history month. that's what portland community college in oregon is planning for april. the idea is not to celebrate being white, but rather to change the campus climate by examining racism through an

origins and heritages of being white. the school is planning a month- long project to inspire practical solutions for community and social issues. 70% of the students at the college are white. technology that could change the way that you shop. do you really want stores to know your every move? rite aid is now the latest company to roll out beacons in all of its stores. you can also find them already in some target and macy's stores. it's technology that you likely don't know about. the beacons are small. about the size of an egg. they transmit a bluetooth signal that your phone can pick up. then you will be sent coupons and promotions targeted to you based on where you are in the store. they don't do this automatically. you have to download an app and have your bluetooth turned on. companies are hoping you opt in because it lets them track how

similar to how they can already track how you shop online. well, ahead here on the new tampa bay, where more construction along 275 is coming and who is losing their homes and businesses because of it. the story behind the american hero that will lead this year's parade of pirates. >> we have our trials. i just have a few more than others. >> how he is changing the lives

>> welcome back to the new tampa bay. new toll lanes and new problemsment right now there's

billion tampa bay express project planned to go along 275 and i-4. so the florida department of transportation is buying properties all over the area. the blue shaded area is representing what they have already bought. the red is still what they need to buy. this is all the red i'm talking about. can you imagine buying all that area. the new tampa bay's christie post is introducing us to the people caught up in it all. >> reporter: putting his pedal to the pavement, jordan miller, a tampa heights business owner, is showing the toll the new express lanes are putting on the community. >> you drive down the interstate and you don't realize how big it is. >> reporter: going street by street, revealing a handful of the 100 homes and businesses the florida department of transportation plans to buy and eventually tear down.

apartments. 200-plus families are going to be displaced. they're going to have to move somewhere. it definitely won't be in tampa heights. there's not room for something like this. >> reporter: fdot has not bought the apartments yet but plans to. they have been sending out letters to residents, but not everyone is in the know. >> i think it's a travesty. number one, they really didn't inform us. >> reporter: the owner of cafe hey is saying what is going on. he knows his building along 275 may be purchased, but doesn't know when. >> as much as i think we could make a difference in fighting it, if that does not come to a positive outcome for me, i have to be ready. >> reporter: on the other hand, charlie's steak house also on the interstate is ready. operating on a lease until the demolition say is set. right now fdot does not have

$3 billion project. still it's planning to start construction in five to ten years. express lanes to keep traffic moving, but lanes miller promises he won't be taking. >> $2 a mile at a maximum is insane. >> reporter: for the now, i'm christie post. >> christie, thank you. here is something that you don't see every day. >> hopefully not. >> this is somebody's pool. that is a crocodile. >> unbelievable. how about that. this is coming out of the keys there. the sheriff's office says they got the call around 7:30. hi, there's a crocodile in my pool. apparently it's just taking a dip. >> how do you think that conversation goes. >> i'm sure we will hear about it. guess what, the crocodile -- fish and wildlife were able to get the crocodile out safely. just so you know the american

endangered species. if you want one removed, call denis phillips. no, don't do that. >> call the authorities and they will take care of it. >> this is really awesome. you can't tell what it is until we tell you. those are manatees. because it's so cold outside -- well, not anymore, but it was cold outside and they were trying to move to warmer water. >> it looks like rocks. >> bill logan went out there to look at the numbers how many of the manatees are gathering. we will see that story at 5:30. >> we're also going to see storms tomorrow unfortunately rolling through here and cold air. the manatees won't like that by the time we get to saturday and sunday. chilly temperatures over the next few days. we have to get through the storm. it arrives tomorrow. we're in the pattern. the potential for severe weather. i showed you the maps earlier. i'm going to show you again because it's important that we track the storms for tomorrow. these are tornado watch boxes

all of this will push to the east. now, conditions are going to be more favorable for severe weather the further north you go, the closer to the low. but our area is not out of the woods. from citrus all the way down to portions of hillsborough county we're under a slight risk. that is level 2 for tomorrow. it would be between 9:00 and the hours of noon. that's when the line moves through. let's put this into motion and show you what happens. not much between 6:00 and 7:00 a.m. by 10:00 a.m., seeing a line of showers and storms approaching rain heavily. and then watch this, as they roll through, between 10:00 and 12:00, this will be screaming to the south and east. then we break out into clear friday. good chunk of clearing here. but on the back side of it, we have such a strong northwesterly wind that it will pick up the gulf moisture and deposit it along our area in the form of clouds and the form of showers which will linger

so stormy tomorrow. no question about that. we will be here through the morning to keep you posted if there are any tornado watch boxes that are issued. we will track that all the way with you. and then windy and cold for saturday. big event going on. of course gasparilla kids fest will be going on. we clear out with sunshine on sunday. heading into monday with a gradual warm-up next week. >> thanks, ivan. right now a look at the democratic presidential candidates on the campaign trail. hillary clinton is in iowa. right now you're looking at bernardo sanders in -- bernie in new hampshire. let's listen in. >> so what this campaign is about really can be summarized i think in one story that i'm going to tell you. and it has to do with the development that just took place last week.

the implications of that story, it tells you everything that you need to know about why we need fundamental changes in the way our country is working. all of you are aware that the agreed and recklessness and illegal behavior of wall street drove this country in the worst economic downturn since the great depression. i know because you work with low-income people, you know the suffering that that crisis brought to so many americans. you know that millions of people lost their homes. they lost their jobs. they lost their life savings because of the agreed, recklessness and -- >> what you're listening to is bernie sanders, one of the candidates. as i said before, hillary today. caucuses in just a few days. we are just a little more

as always excitement is but there is one man out there excited for that year's parade than anyone else. will understand why. >> reporter: the word impossible is not in this guy's >> we all have trials. everybody else. warrant officer romy. >> everybody knows me as romy. >> or a hero. >> no. >> reporter: don't call him an personally roast he says it was his honor to serve the country for two decades. a tour in afghanistan confining his body to this wheelchair but not his kind heart. >> it's gratifying when somebody comes in here with a spinal cord injury and works out in the center and comes back and tells me, man, that was a good workout. >> reporter: romy and his wife opened this facility called

to change lives. dealing with the reality of paralysis himself, shot in the neck during an amberg in 2008 now he tweets facebooks, sends battlefield. ironically was there, giving romy life-saving care right after he was shot. his peers call him an inspiration. his wife calls him the love of her life. title sponsor hard rock casino saying this year's choice was easy. >> super excited. the gasparilla gets crazy over there. and i like to have my drinks too. i didn't want to get crazy. >> so you would say that you're a bit of a party animal. >> i like to -- i like to get down a little bit. >> reporter: and when he is not getting down, he is also raising money for the

making sure that people who need care won't be turned away because of an inability to pay the rehab bills. >> i'm blessed to be alive another day and contribute to the community. >> reporter: so here is where i call him an american hero again. not just for his service but proving that word impossible just doesn't exist. >> and if you or someone you know wants to help the rehab facility financially we have a link to their website on the now tampa bay's website. don't forget the gasparilla parade is next weekend. islamic centers around the country continue to be targeted against crime. this latest one in tucson. it's not the first time that they have been targeted. check out this crazy surveillance video you're about to see from 2014. you can see people dropping things from the highrise, landing in the center's parking lot. now, two years later, people

the center saying their parking lot was covered with alcohol bottles. back in 2014, students were the culprits and evicted because of it. so far nothing or any consequences have been issued. seeing red and blue lights in your rear view mirror usually doesn't mean you're going to have a good day. but for a florida man, it changed his life. the now has his journey years in the making. >> reporter: this video is from march 14th, 2014. it shows john in the passenger seat after bar hopping. his friend is driving. >> i was behind the vehicle going south on dixie. it hit the curb. i initiated a traffic stop and pulled the vehicle over. made contact with the occupants in the vehicle, which there were two, a driver and a pass judger. >> reporter: both john and his friend were drunk. the officer says the driver blew two times the legal limit. >> thank god for that moment.

my wake-up call and i was able to clean up my life. >> reporter: john hit rock bottom and went back to college. he documented his journey in this photo album and sent it to officer dillard. >> this is the photo album that was sent to me by john. >> reporter: the photos show john going through school and attending an aviation conference in the middle east. >> and the -- here is his trip to dubai. >> i took the initiative to create the photo album for officer dillard because i wanted him to see the amazing things that happened in my life. >> that is the best reward in any accommodation or award that you can get from your bosses, the city or anything. actually seeing somebody's life change, that is the most rewarding thing to me. that's how i feel. >> reporter: two lives forever changed. >> i'm a firm believer that everything happens for a reason. and without officer dan pulling my friend over and without me

of humiliation and just kind of like anguish, i don't think that i would be sitting in this chair right now. >> reporter: for the now, i'm rachel jeantel. >> john graduated in the top of his class from the aeronautical university in december. he also interned for a major airline traveling around the world and now works in manhattan. in his free time he helps young people get clean, build resumes and get back into school. he says it's the most important part of his day. it's wild to see all of these guns together. these are just some of the ones that the tsa discovered in carry-on bags last year. the agency revealing today that it found a record number, more than 2600. 49 in tampa. that's 7 a day. up 20% from last year. oil prices may be bad for the economy. let's be honest, it's good for your wallet, both at the pump

the average cost of a flight out of tampa is $322. that number could be dropping soon. >> reporter: there's no hesitation to fill up these days. the price of gas is dropping, fast. thanks to the price of oil. >> i saw a meme on facebook that it's cheaper than a bucket of chicken at kfc. >> reporter: we may have our head in the clouds when it comes to airline prices which have also dropped 15% in the last year. the government just released the latest numbers. it's staggering. right now we are nearing levels we haven't seen since 2008. that was during a recession. >> it makes the phone ring. >> reporter: here at red carpet world travel, their job is to get customers the best possible prices. >> i can see what their base fares are. >> reporter: the airlines fuel savings don't always trickle down to you, the consumer. >> i fly all the time.

markets to go places. >> the key is you don't get any savings if you wait until the last minute to travel. >> reporter: but if you book ahead, agents say you can capitalize on some of the lowest flights in decades. >> travel no longer is a dream. it's something that is affordable. >> reporter: for the now, i'm ann mcnamara. live from the station taking action for you >> a faulty appliance. one that is not typically known to cause fires. we have the latest details. ambushed inside of his own home. the search for a dangerous man. lured by love but robbed instead. the warning to those looking good evening. i'm jamison mueller. >> and i'm laura harris in for wendy tonight. thank you for joining us. polk county investigators are saying a couple used a dating