on the consumerwatch, julie watts tells us that's because the old chain is getting a new look and a new pricing strategy. julie. >>> reporter: the man who launched the apple retail stores is now revamping j.c. penney. he started with a new logo and a new in-store look but the key to the relaunch is a new pricing strategy which some aren't so sure will work. >> reporter: this is penney's new commercial pointing out the pain of missed sales and coupon clipping. as part of the relaunch, j.c. penney says it plans to get rid of sales altogether and slashing prices permanently up to 40%. >> their pricing strategy has always been dependent on discount. >> reporter: a consumer psychologist isn't so sure that discount strategy will work without sales. >> only one out of 500 products sold at penney's are sold at full price. that tells you that the customers are really accustomed to waiting until there is a discount. >> reporter: while the new strategy promises year-round discounts, yarrow says when it comes to consumer psychology, that may not work. >> consumers look at discounts as an opportunit

at sfo, julie watts, cbs 5. >>> coming up, your child's lunch at school about to get healthier. the new standards that have just been announced. >>> a possible breakthrough in the fight against cancer. how a freak accident may have actually led to a vaccine. >>> and we have a mix of sun and clouds across the bay today and temperatures reaching above average by this afternoon. how warm and is there rain in our seven-day forecast? i'll have it all for you coming up next. ,,,, >>> good morning. if you stepped outside today, you may have noticed it's kind of nice outside. we have partly sunny skies all across the bay area. your weather headlines kind of a mix of sun and clouds out there right now but looks like we are staying dry for the next few days. and low clouds and fog moving in tonight. right now we have temperatures in the 50s and reaching near 60 in a lot of spots. these temperatures are going to continue to climb this afternoon. 56 in oakland and check out santa rosa already coming in at 63 degrees. so yeah, we have a warm one on tap for being the end of janneyway. we saw

on the consumerwatch, julie watts has a warning about door- to-door sales pitches that fail to deliver. >> reporter: it's been 15 months since the magazine saleswoman knocked on sandy's door. >> they market themselves as recruiting and trying to help kids. >> reporter: sandy bought three-year subscription to vegetarian times and weight watchers and a two-year subscription to mac life paying $134 cash to freedom sales. she says she confirmed the order over the phone but never got a magazine. and now the houston-based company won't return her calls. >> we just feel like we have been burned, you know, by someone that we were trying to help. >> reporter: so when someone knocks on your door, how do you know if you can trust them? >> look at the reputation. seller. >> reporter: a simple online search should reveal the company's reputation but it was too late by the time sandy found hundreds of online complaints and noticed a strange wording on her receipt. if you do not receive delivery within 120 days, please contact freedom sales, which she did. it then says, you will be compensated but re

julie watts on the change travelers can expect. >> we hate the most about booking a ticket?baggage fees. >> actually not being able to change my flight. >> well, starting today, many of those common airline complaints won't be an issue, thanks to new government rules. you can hold a reservation without payment or refund. and they must promptly notify you if a flight is canceled or delayed more than 30 minutes and they are not allowed to raise fares after you purchased without your written consent. >> that's nice. >> there is another common complaint. >> taxes and charges that come after you get your initial quote. >> starting thursday, all published fares will have to include taxes and fees and the airline industry is fighting back. >> this rule allows the government to hide the massive amount of fees and taxes that it places on an airline ticket. >> harry flint of the association -- >> when you ordered cob salad, is the tax on there? >> you don't have 80 pages of terms and conditions. >> these regulations are long overdue. >> consumer haves been complaining for years. we ca

on the consumer watch, julie watts says, that may soon be a thing of the past. >> we all have them. receipts. stashed in your wallet. and shoe boxes. jump drawers. and when it is time to make a return, file taxes, fill out an expense report, we go digging. but one day, we may not have to. since all those receipts will be right on our phone. >> we pass the data from our device, straight to your phone. >> stores like apple, gap and nordstrom already e-mail receipts but the mountain view startup proximan allows companies with nfc enabled phones to get receipts sent from the register right to their phone. and for those without nfcs, like i-phones, you can use one. these free key ring tags. receipts can then be pulled up at any time. with the app. >> will it catch on? that's something that it is too early to see. but i think it has a good chance. >> experts say the receipt technology is similar to that used by google wallet. which allows to you tap your phone to pay for purchases. >> as with any new technology, there are a lot of players who are fighting to be the first to do it and in t

on the consumerwatch, julie watts, cbs 5. >>> today's tip of the day is jalapeno peppers. i use them when i cook mexican food, i use it in a lo of dishes. if you take away the seeds and add it to sauces or something to give it a little bite, you just can't miss. but take out the seeds and just use a little bit. let's talk about selection and storages. when you buy the jalapeno peppers, i like them like this. see this color? beautiful all the way around, nice and green, free from any shriveling on the skin whatsoever and the stem is attached and firm. jalapenos have to be firm. if not, you know what's going to happen. they will lose that bite and flavor. when you bring them home, in the refrigerator right away. they store for four to five days. they are healthy in the refrigerator. won't hold them for too long. the longer you hold them the more the nutritional value and flavor deplete. try a little bit in certain stuff for a little kick. you'll enjoy it. i'm tony tantillo, your fresh grocer. and always remember to eat fresh and stay healthy. or just eat it like this. i ain'

on the consumerwatch, julie watts, cbs 5. for eyewitness news at 6. idea at >>> i'm dana king. here's what we're working on for the 6:00 news. seemed like a good idea at the time but now the only thing moving forward with california's high-speed rail is the price tag. last ditch proposal to save it and the staggering amount of money taxpayers stand to lose if it fails. we'll have that and more at 6:00. >> 30 minutes away. we'll see you then, dana. >>> that's it for us at 5:00. we were just looking at what a beautiful evening in san

on the consumerwatch, julie watts, cbs 5. >>> it's decision day in iowa. we are live in des moines with the latest on the caucuses and what it will all mean for the race for the white house. that's tonight on the cbs evening news. news at 6. he >>> and here's what we're working on for eyewitness news at 6:00. troubling new details in the murder case involving an east bay nursing student. how the prime suspect allegedly stalked the victim and the disturbing texts she is accused of sending. >>> all eyes on iowa tonight. but one local politician sees the way this california to play a huge role as republicans try to win the white house. those stories and much more tonight at 6:00. >>> and that does it for us. thank you so much for watching. of course, scott pelley is next from iowa with the caucuses right now. >> and remember, the latest news and weather, always on cbssf.com. >> caption colorado, llc cots

as julie watts on the consumerwatch reports, they are producing fake ads to help them find victims. >>> reporter: >> it is a beautiful craftsman style home built in 2007. >> reporter: it's the kind of ad that almost makes you wish you were looking for a place to live and she found it on craigslist. a three-bedroom house in a good neighborhood with reasonable rent and fruit trees nearby. >> sounds very just like, you know, my neighbor's house or something. >> reporter: so the stanford employee responded and got an email back saying she needed to provide her credit score. it instructed her to click on athrane took her here. >> it was a -- click on a link that took her here. >> it was a company website that lured to you subscribe to the service and then they will monitor your credit report. >> reporter: but the website wasn't exactly free. it turns out there was no rental. the ad disappeared the next day and the more than placed it never responded again. >> this is a complete scheme in order to generate income for the person placing the ad and running the website. >> reporter: jerry detw

julie watts, thank you. >>> how about helping take the stress out of flying? >> how a airport is making things more zen-like. >> walmart plans to open stand- alone grocery stores in areas where other retailers have closed. i'll have reaction. >>> looks like more sunshine coming our way, temperatures could soar near 70 this week. we'll tell you when coming up next. mitt romney released his tax returns. and no big surprise. he's got money. >>> facing pressure from his rivals, mitt romney released his tax returns. and no big surprise, he has money. he campaigned in florida today after releasing his returns which show he made more than $40 million over the past two years. he paid about $6 million in federal income taxes. most of his income is from investments so his effective tax rate is much lower than the average rate f millionaires. >> but i pay all the taxes legally required not a dollar more. >> he gave $7 million to charity including at least $4 million to the mormon church. the gop presidential hopefuls square off for another debate tomorrow ahead of next w

on the consumerwatch, julie watts tells us in one of those cases, the pharmacy just couldn't get it right. >>> reporter: mary caught it. her online pharmacy sent her the wrong drugs. >> they sent me 40 milligrams of lipitor. >> reporter: she notified the company she was supposed to get the cholesterol drug zocor and sent back the lipitor only to get wrong prescription sent again. >> they kept saying the same thing and i said wait a minute, you don't understand. i do not take this medication. >> you can get very seriously injured by taking the wrong drugs. >> reporter: the state board of pharmacy says it's harder to follow up with online pharmacies when things go wrong. while they are required to have toll-free numbers to answer questions, mary says it was no help. >> if you are in a pharmacy, yukon firm with the pharmacist what is this drug for. >> reporter: this pharmacist admits doctors and pharmacists are human and mistakes happen. and while online pharmacies can be cheaper, he warns you give up that face-to-face consultation which can catch mistakes. >> part of being a pharmacist is y

on the consumerwatch, julie watts cbs 5. >>> all right, pop open those umbrella, huh? >> how about that. do you even know where yours is? >> i am sure i could find one. >> next to the dust buster in the closet. >> we haven't used an umbrella not once this year. it hasn't rained once. once it starts, it's going to be a good nine days until we see sunshine again. good evening, everyone. let's go ahead and head out live. this is our cbs 5 weather camera looking towards the 580 heading east and west on this clear crisp evening. temperatures trailing off into the 40s after highs today only 50 to 56 degrees. warmest location gilroy at 56. san jose at 29 degrees, a record low. oakland 28 at the airport. tonight we have a freeze warning in effect for the santa clara valley. protect the pipes, the pets and also the plants. we're still going to be subfreezing in the tri-valley. 30 in santa rosa but increasing cloud cover so not as frigid as it was last night. but needless to say, the chill is in the air for one more night and say so long to the sunshine because the sun won't rea

on the consumerwatch, julie watts, cbs 5. >>> sending an sos to the world. how a california hiker was saved by a lot on his cell phone. >>> the last big stunt was a can nol ball through the house. what do the "mythbusters" guys want to do with a jumbo jet? ,,,,,, safe, thanks to the light fm his cell phone. duncan smith got stranded we hiking last ni >>> a hiker who got lost at lake berryessa is safe. he used his phone to call for help and then flashed its light to guide rescuers to him. >> without it i would have had to spend the night up there. it was cold and i had no food. >> the chp says it can spot a cell phone up to 8 miles away with night vision. smith is actually the 12th stranded hiker rest scud from lake berryessa in the past two weeks. officers think the unusually high number could have something to do with recent dry weather. >>> do you happen to have a large aircraft? i'm flying around checking my pockets. if you do, "mythbusters" would like it borrow it. you remember, they are the folks who accidentally shot a cannonball through a dublin home

on the consumerwatch, julie watts, cbs 5. >>> definitely a chill in the air tonight. good evening, everyone, from the cbs 5 weather center. it's okay to burn tonight, but not so much tomorrow. it is a "spare the air" day. we'll pinpoint the areas adversely affected with your pinpoint forecast but first, hey, kim, you haven't been too busy today or anything, have you? >> not at all! another shake-up in alameda. the raiders fire hue jackson. why he was let go and we'll hear from the new man -- the new man calling the shots, coming up in sports. closer look at a south bay compan >>> okay, now that we have greener cars on the road, is it possible to have a greener bicycle? tonight a closer look at a south bay company proving that recycling is where the rubber meets the road. but what's being recycled and how it's being used may surprise you. bikes are made out of all sorts of high-tech materials but now you can have a bike made from mostly recycled wood. bill holloway owner of master works wood and design says he got tired of seeing good wood go to waste as landfill and m

julie watts on the changes travelers can expect. >> the price. >> not being able to change my flight. >> starting today, many of those common airline complaints won't be an issue thanks to new government rules. you can now hold the reservation without payment or cancel for a full refund within 24 hours. if the reservation is made at least a week in advance. airlines must now disclose baggage fees within one click of your quote. they must promptly notify you if a flight is canceled or delayed more than 30 minutes. they're not allowed to raise fares after you purchase without written consent. >> reporter: starting thursday, all published fares will have to include taxes and fees and the airline industry is fighting back. >> this rule allows the government to hide the massive amount of fees and taxes it places on an airline ticket. >> perry flint argues the dot is unfairly penalizing the airline industry. >> when you go to a restaurant and you order the cob salad, is the tax there or not >> you don't have 80 pages of terms and conditions. >> consumers have been complaining for years. we

julie watts with what travelers can expect. >> but the date of the most about looking at ticket cracks the. >> baggage fees. >> many of those common airline complaints will not be an issue thanks to new government rules. you can now older reservation without payment or cancel within 24 hours at the reservation is made of week in advance. airlines must also disclose that hp's they must promptly notify you that the flight is canceled or delayed more than 30 minutes and they are not allowed to raise fares after you have purchased without written consent. but there is another common plate. >> the taxes and charges after you get your initial quote. >> starting thursday all publishers will have to include taxes and fees and the whole airline industry is fighting back. >> these rules allow the government to hide the massive amount of fees and taxes. >> they argue that dot is unfairly penalizing the airline industry. >> when you go to the restaurant and ordered top salad, as the tax on there? >> on the menu you don't have 80 pages of terms and conditions. >> they have been complaining for year

julie watts on why many lucky customers are being told they are out of luck. >> i discovered there was a $500 transaction. >> my phone alerted me that $500 was not many my account. >> they use different banks, but they have two things in common. both men are victims of the highly publicized skimmer scam at some lucky supermarkets and both men say they were victimized again when their banks refuse to reimburse the money stolen from their accounts. >> i couldn't understand why they wouldn't reimburse me. >> they didn't give him much explanation, but the excuse higher one gave him is a common one. >> withdraw money from my account. >> it's a typical knee jerk reaction that the payment would be the victim who committed the crime. >> but the identity theft network says it's been widely reported that hackers did obtain pin numbers along with pin information, as well as in many of the similar data breeches alone. >> their reaction -- initial reaction is deny, deny, and hope they can make the victim go away. >> he received numerous complaints from consumers who didn't realize the zero liabilit

on the consumerwatch, julie watts explains the tough transition now facing former walgreens customersn the bay area. >>> reporter: >> when it was time for me to pick up my prescription, i went to the window and a woman grabbed me saying i was cutting in line. >> reporter: he says he couldn't really blame her. everyone at the safeway pharmacy was frustrated by the chaos caused from thousands of walgreens customers being forced to switch pharmacies because the nation's largest drugstore chain no longer accepts the nation's largest prescription insurance manager. >> the line grew longer and longer and longer, and there were a lot of disgruntled people. >> reporter: safeway is not alone. you will find signs like this outside almost every pharmacy these days welcoming express scripts customers from walgreens but it hasn't been a warm welcome in cities like san francisco where walgreens has four times as many stores as the other pharmacy chain and some pharmacists are saying that's not the only reason they are overwhelmed. a pharmacist says walgreens is promising to transfer prescriptions i

julie watts explains why many banks are telling lucky customers, they're out of luck. orter: it turns out many identity theft victims are getting no relief when it comes it their banks as some are finding out the hard way zero liability credit cart protections don't extend to debit and atm cards necessarily. >> i discovered that there was a $500 transaction. >> my phone alerted me that $500 was missing out of my account. >> reporter: they live in different cities and use different banks. but they have two things in common. both are victims of the skimmer scam at some lucky supermarkets and both men say they were victimized again when their banks refueled to reimburse the money stolen from their accounts. >> i couldn't understand why they

on the consumerwatch julie watts explains what 24 million victims need to do to protect their information reporter: that's a lot of people. i just got the email. we're all victim. zappos is just the latest company to fall victim to cyberattack urging customers to reset log-in information not only for its site but for other sites, as well. when users log on today they will find a password reset button at the top of the zappos homepage but it won't keep them from falling victim to other scams. the good news, hackers didn't get full credit card numbers. the bad news, they did access the name, addresses, e-mails and partial credit card numbers of more than 24 million account holders. not only can they use that for phishing e-mails asking you to verify your sensitive information but the more serious risk is to customers who use the same password for different accounts. hackers may be able to access your email, even banking accounts with the information they obtained. >> so what -- you got the email. what are you going to do? >> reporter: well, i'm smart. [ laughter ] >> i don't use the same pa

julie watts on the consumerwatch with the look at what's behind some of the delays. >> reporter: this appears to be a major bureaucratic blunder. counties are being overwhelmed with a record number of people in need of food stamps while at the same time, there's a new system for those processing the food stamp applications. >>> applications. [ pause ] >> reporter: well, obviously we don't have that story for you right now but, of course, -- oh, we have it coming up in just a minute. and here you are. >>> reporter: she doesn't want to show her face on tv. but this woman we'll call susan does want you to know what it's like to be unemployed and hungry. >> when you don't have food, you don't have any energy. so i did a lot of sleeping. >> reporter: and waiting. for santa clara county, the process for application for food stamps. susan emailed consumerwatch last week saying she applied for benefits four months ago. but she couldn't get through on the phone. >> i would get stuck on hold for hours at a time. >> it's been tremendously difficult. >> reporter: the county's department of benefi

on the consumerwatch, julie watts with a new trend that women call, the perfect fit. >> reporter: samantha has always loved shoe shopping. >> i have been a big shoe addict probably since high school. >> reporter: but the way she shops has changed significantly since then. forget crowded malls. samantha belongs to two shoe clubs. and she shops at home for just $40 a pair. >> i was worried at first about the quality because of the price range usually when you get a cheaper shoe, the shoe tends to not be a good quality. >> reporter: but she says that's not the case with her shoe club just fabulous and shoe dazzle and even better, these shoes are only sold here so it's unlikely she will see them on someone else. >> i definitely get a lot more compliments on my shoes than in the past. >> reporter: samantha gets an email every month with a selection of shoes that match her style and if she likes a pair shipping is free. >> sometimes i'm good and i only buy one or two and sometimes i buy five or six. >> reporter: but if she doesn't see anything she likes, she only has a few days to opt out or she

. >>> travel websites are a great way to book a last-minute trip but on the consumerwatch julie watts tells us the story of one traveler who is in for a big surprise when he tried to check in. >>> reporter: >> i love mendocino because of a lot of the b and bs and the hotels, they are dog-friendly. >> reporter: so in search of the perfect bed and breakfast he turned to hotels.com a website he used many times. >> they advertise themselves as being able to get you last- minute rooms. >> reporter: and that's what he got paying a total of $423. but when he arrived at the b & b he got a surprise. >> well, we get to the place and oh, yes, we have your reservation, but there's a glitch. the room's already filled. and occupied. >> reporter: even worse, he was told there were no other dog- friendly rooms available. the b & b found him another hotel down the street and gave him a partial refund of $298. the room rate for the day. but he was told he would have to collect the difference from hotels.com and when he tried, he says he got the runaround. >> i in good faith handed over my money and exp

on the consumerwatch, julie watts tells us in one of those cases, the pharmacy just couldn't get it right. >> reporter: mary caught it. her online pharmacy sent her the wrong drugs. >> they sent me 40 milligrams of lipitor. >> reporter: she notified the company she was supposed to get the cholesterol drug zocor and sent it back and got the wrong prescription again. >> they kept saying the same thing and i said wait a minute, you don't understand. i do not take this medication. >> you can get very seriously injured by taking the wrong drugs. >> reporter: the state board of pharmacy says it's harder to follow up with online pharmacies when things go wrong. while they are required to have toll-free numbers to answer questions, mary says it was no help. >> if you are in a pharmacy you can confirm with the pharmacist what is the drug for. >> reporter: doctors and pharmacists are human and mistakes happen. while online pharmacies can be cheaper, you give up the face- to-face consultation which can catch mistakes. >> part of being a pharmacist is you take responsibility with people's lives. >> r

on the consumerwatch, julie watts explains the battle is over the chemicals that manufacturers put inroducts so they don't catch fire. julie. >> reporter: yeah, allen. california law requires that the foam inside all furniture sold in the state be fire resistant. but consumer and environmental groups say the current set of rules is actually doing more harm than good especially to children. >> okay. >>> reporter: it looks soft and cuddly and the label sounds reassuring. >> this article meets the flammability requirements of california bureau of home furnishings. >> reporter: but what's inside this nursing pillow could keep a parent awake at night at least according to environment scientists and a new study. a washington, d.c.-based consumer group tested 20 padded pieces of baby furniture currently on the market. items like car seats, nursing pillows and mattresses. it found the foam in all but three contained chemical flame retardants known to be toxic. >> it worries me quite a bit. >> reporter: the health director of contra costa county says the chemicals are there because of a califo

julie watts on why some east bay homeowners are questioning pg&e. >> they have a lot of work to do toust. >> reporter: melinda has a hard time taking pg&e at its word so when the u it the informed her it was upgrading the gas pipes in her neighborhood from copper to plastic, she was alarmed. >> my understanding is that copper is safer than plastic. plastic would be more brittle in earthquake country. >> reporter: she thought back to the faulty plastic pipeline responsible for this cupertino condo explosion last august. >> the plastic piping that's being laid here in concord is not the same as the plastic piping that was

but on the consumerwatch, julie watts shows us the cost of those so-called free miles. julie. >> reporter: citibank is creating quite a stir telling customers they now have to pay taxes on the free miles earned when signing up for new credit cards. not are they sending 1099 tax forms but is value 29,000 airline miles as $645 twice the industry average. >> citibank is valuing these miles as highly as possible. the number of i hear most often is one-cent a mile and it's often far less. i mean, for some frequent flyers, the actual value of a mile is much less than a penny. it may even have a negative value. >> reporter: now, irs policy in effect since 2002 states it will not tax frequent flyer miles. but citi says it's following codes that it will tax prizes and rebates over $600. if you are in the 22% tax bracket those free miles would cost you nearly $150 in taxes. and while experts doubt the irs will reconsider its no tax on air miles policy, you may want to reconsider the perks of opening that new account. >> i think people are going to have to think twice before they s

on the consumerwatch, julie watts explains how a south bay man is saving thousands of dollars a yeary borrowing instead of buying. >> there you go. through the tunnel! >> reporter: neil enjoys sharing, so much he turned it into a lifestyle. >> i think everyone shares, maybe not aware of it but i have done it a little more consciously so it's integrated in my work and at home. >> reporter: for instance, instead of renting an office in san francisco to run his online magazine, neil shares an office for $195 a month. and when it comes to driving, you wouldn't catch neil behind the wheel. >> i just decided to do without a car. and last year i calculated that it saved me $4,000. >> reporter: and if he foods a car for something, he rents one -- if he needs a car from someone he rents one from a neighbor. >> it's more convenient. >> reporter: neil shares his wi- fi service, kids' clothing and his nanny. rather than paying $16 an hour for a private nanny, he pays 10. at 32 hours a week, that saves hundreds. >> it's expensive and we wanted to raise our son with other children. and so we nanny

have very few restrictions attached and promises that you can't be turned down for coverage but as julie wattsxplains, those policies don't always pay off. >> reporter: for a san francisco mother who invested in one for her brain damaged daughter, it didn't pay off. she says it was the celebrity commercial that told her. >> for less than a quart a day, just $6.95 per month, colonial penn offers life insurance. >> reporter: she purchased a policy for her daughter last year, hope, who suffered from brain damage and epilepsy. all she had to do was answer four yes or no questions. >> answer these questions on the application, fill it out, have it signed, send it back. >> reporter: but when hope unexpectedly died three months later, the grieving family got something else they didn't expect, a check from colonial penn for $42. not the $20,000 they had been expecting to pay for hope's funeral. >> i felt like somebody had just slapped me in the face. >> they look for anything they can to deny the claim. >> reporter: lawyer jerry goldshaw is the chair of the life insurance subcommittee of the state bar

julie watts, thank you. >>> a leak online forces the governor to release his budget plan five days early. in that plan are some drastic cuts. the good news is the governor says the state is recovering. koula gianulias with what's behind the numbers. >> we can't spend what we don't have. >> reporter: after it was accidentally posted on the web, the governor released his budget plan ahead of schedule this afternoon proposing $4.2 billion in cuts, $4.6 billion in voter-approved tax increases and a $1.1 billion reserve. >> we're cutting welfare by almost a billion and a half dollars, same for the elderly, the blind and disabled, child care cuts. this is not nice stuff. >> reporter: it gets worse firefighter the tax plan fails. trigger cuts will slash $4.8 billion in education equivalent to the cost of three weeks of school. $200million from the uc and cal state system. and courts would be slashed by $125 million. adding up to three court closures each month. >> that's why i am proposing the half cent sales tax temporarily and the tax on millionaires temporarily on the high income tax earners

thank you, julie watts. >>> there is that old saying that you can't go home again. that may be the case with retail giant williams-sonoma which got its start by a man named williams in sonoma. the company wants to open at its original broadway location but ann notarangelo shows us, the city isn't rolling out the welcome mat. ann. >> reporter: there are so many people here in sonoma who want to preserve the town's charm which keeps the tourists coming back especially to this historic plaza and there are many people who feel that chain stores don't fit. >> i think it's very charming. the ambience is fantastic. >> reporter: jack hartman brought his visitors from chicago to historic sonoma plaza. >> you know, some of the older shops are what make it, you know, more classy. >> smaller shops and boutiques. i check out things that you hadn't seen maybe in your town. >> reporter: people like the idea that sonoma isn't a cookie cutter version of the town next door. one way to preserve that is to make sure chain restaurants and businesses don't take over. >> we fought hard to

julie watts with a look at what's behind the delays. >> reporter: it appears to be a major bureaucraticc blunder. >> reporter: this appears to be a major bureaucratic blunder. counties are being overwhelmed with a record number of people in need of food stamps while at the same time, there's a new system for those processing the food stamp applications. >> reporter: well, obviously we >>> reporter: she doesn't want to show her face on tv. but this woman we'll call susan does want you to know what it's like to be unemployed and hungry. susan emailed consumerwatch last week saying she applied for benefits four months ago. but she couldn't get through on the phone. >> i would get stuck on hold for hours at a time. >> it's been tremendously difficult. >> reporter: the county's department of benefits services says part of the problem is a flood of new food stamp applications. the other part? the county switched to a new way of processing those applications last may. >> been a very huge learning curve for clients and staff. one of the most challenging aspects of this is the uncertainty of the

on the consumerwatch, julie watts tells us a major airline will soon be putting the squeeze on its passengers. >> reporter: so southwest airlines has unveiled a new ecofriendly upgrade for the fleet that also allows the airline to add an extra six seats and that has some frequent flyers a little concerned. >> i don't think the seats recline enough to begin with. >> reporter: passengers are frustrated the airline will soon be shaving off an inch from the recline and pitch of their seats but others are still trying to figure out what it means. the pitch is the distance between a point on your seat and the same point on the seat in front of you and the recline is how far you can lean back. on southwest not much. virgin america seats have a 32" pitch and a 2 to 5" recline. and jetblue has a 34" pitch with a 4" recline. compare this to southwest's new seat which now has a pitch of just 31" and recline of just 2. some say southwest is sacrificing comfort for economy and some aren't concerned. >> short flights doesn't make a difference. >> reporter: southwest says it's not sacrificing comfort as the

july. firefighters say any with have -- would have been here two -- firefighters say they would have been here sooner. >>> 8:03. wattlle -- a watsonville man was the victim of a vicious attack. this happened in monterey county. the sheriff's office says the victim was -- was stabbed several times and then beaten with baseball bats. right now he's being treated at a trauma sent he. >>> richmond police played for his sooting -- shooting -- shooting mere railroad tracks. richmond police say a 43-year- old map flagged down a passing bmsf train and toll the cop ductors someone shot him from a rooftop. he also says he saw a -- conduct ears someone shot him from the rooftop. >>> according to the "sacramento bee" the sharp golf course is one of the areas part of a controversy. superiorers, including the natural areas program, want to roo move more than 18,000 trees pause they are non-native eucalyptus trees. >>> there will be a shakeup on the council members. two dis agowns -- announced they will not seek reelection. several candidates have lined up to replace the current counselmember. >>> the 49ers will host its first nfc

july of 2008. i have two witnesses. rick lazio, chairman of the housing committee and congressman j.c. wattseddie mac watch committee for seven years. both of them had said flatly they were never approached by me. so his charge, it's untrue. he knows it's untrue. and he's saying it out of pure desperation. i find that sad as a way to run for president. >> you know the format of our show. we're up against a break. real quick, do you think this was mitt romney's night last night? >> not much. i think watching some desperate guy throw wild punches doesn't get him close to the prz -- presidency. people want stability. a people who will lie to you to get a job will lie to keep the job. people got a see to see how desperate mitt romney is. >> we'll get to see another debate coming up thursday night before everybody votes in florida. thanks for being here this morning. >> good to be with you. >> the florida primary is one week from today. >> january 31st. coming up, though, senator rick santorum was also pretty good last night. he'll join us in a few minutes. >> plus the secret government plan to a