. >>> speaking of giving, julie watts is at whole foods in cupertino. >> the supermarket chain is collecting donations to feed bay area families. hey, julie. >> reporter: yeah, they are partnering with us, all the food here is actually going to second harvest food bank and i'm here with whole foods nate kauffman, you have had an impressive drive so far, you are not just looking for food but cash as well. >> we are looking for everything that makes a difference in this holiday season, cash donations are especially needed, a dollar goes pretty far for some of these food banks, a dollar buys $6 worth of food, we are taking nonperishable items. >> reporter: the drive tops at christmas. if you are interested in giving and they really could use it, you can buy food and drop it off here in a basket, there is a list of most needed items or write a check which as you just heard goes farther than some of these canned items will. the drive ends here on christmas day. coming up though in just a bit we are going to be showing you a pretty impressive check donation guide. so hang in there, we've -- second

julie watts, kpix 5. >> a christmas feast for the bay area homeless. see who lent a helping hand. ,, ,,,,,,,,,, doctors were able to save h from a rare and life- threatening >>> a new york city dancer has a lot to celebrate this christmas. reporter marlie hall shows house doctors were able to save her from a rare life- threatening blockage in her brain. >> reporter: when alana chan takes the dance floor every move is a celebration of life. >> i'm just really lucky to be here. >> reporter: after suffering migraines, the 24-year-old dancer was diagnosed last february with an arterial venous malformation. >> it's like brain. this is a big deal. what's wrong with it. >> reporter: avm is a abnormal tangling of blood vessels in the brain that blocks the flow of blood. >> there is something in the back of the brain that you don't see on the other side. >> reporter: doctors at lennox hill hospital in new york knew if alana's large avm was left untreated it could burst causing brain damage, stroke, even death. they decided surgery was the best but riskiest trea

julie watts, for cbsews, julie watts, for cbs news, san francisco. we're getting an up-close look at one of the planet saturn's moons. moons.nasa's cassini spacecraft took this picture of the "prometheus" moon earlier this week.you can make out details of the moon's pock-marked d surface here ... ... as well as one of saturn's iconic rings streaking across the top of the photo.this is one of cassini's highest resolution views yet of prometheus. "how much credit card debt americans are racking upmove over google... there's a new best place to work! i'm jill waer at the nyse, i'lhave those ories and more coming g the best places to work are revealed, according to e survey!and the result might surprise you.jill wagner reports in today's moneywatch. moneywatch. two of america's biggest and oldest companies could be joining forces.dow chemical and du pont are reportedly in talks to merge - creating the second largest chemical company in the world.they're worth nearly 120 billion dollars combined.yahoo is *not* selling its stake in chinese e commerce giant

julie watts tells us how to make sure your tv isn't spying on you. >> reporter: whether it is sports, cartoons, what you watch may not stay so private if you are watchingoon smart tv -- watching on a smart tv. smart tvs are recording and sharing data about what you watch. >> what we believe is, it is widespread. >> reporter: he says internet connected tvs are capable of collecting a lot. including what you watch, when you watch it, how often you change the channel and which commercials you watch, data that could be combined with other information. >> part of a larger profile that these companies are selling to. >> reporter: a lawsuit was filed for violating user's privacy. lawyers contend the tracking feature is turned on by default and collects data. turning tracking off is different on every tv and -- on this samsung, tools, settings, then terms and conditions and sync and marketing and uncheck agree. people who buy smart tvs should get smart. >> people should learn thew opt opt -- how to opt out. >> reporter: they say their tv dos not collect personally identifiable information. ju

i'm julie watts. mollie: let's check back in with jason to find out how cold it would get today and tomorrow. jason: it is certainly going to be cold. we have chills in the teens right now. we are heading towards the middle the day. we are cooling off and if you look at the windchill map you can see all the warmth hasn't pushed eastward. -- has been pushed eastward. some of us in the low 30's. this will be the case the whole day is we continue to punch down the cooler air and the gusty windss. sustained winds in the 20's. bundle up if you're heading out today. it is bound to be chilly in earlier on some of the saw a little bit of fog. a mysterious look at downtown. if you are heading up in the fall today, hope you made it where you were going safely. we do chill out quite a bit again. 25 degrees by 6:00 in the morning. we give the cloud cover all day long, into the evening and throughout the day tomorrow as well. we do have some sunshine of the forecast. this system is nagging us with cloud cover and

julie watts puts them to the test. >> reporter: you may have seen them online. skin creams marketed as better than botox or products claiming to eliminate wrinkles using a popular gel instead of injections. who doesn't want to look younger? >> how many years are we going to take off here? >> oh, maybe 10. >> reporter: how well do these products work? we decided to put a couple to the test. consumer watch volunteer shelly is 81 years young and hopeful the answer is yes to the question can you really look visibly younger in just 60 minutes? she applied it to the bottom left side of her face and the other product, pure eternal to the top left, slathering a little extra on what she calls her problem spots. then we waited one hour in our studios. before heading down to stanford hospital's laser and aesthetic dermatology center where the doctor examined shelly's results. his assessment -- >> those wrinkles on her left cheek are a little bit less subtle. >> reporter: he notes some skin smoothing but not much change with the pure eternal which advertises an instant face

julie watts will have the details in just a bit. >>> alleged chinatown crime boss raymond "shrimp boy" chow said he didn't have a hand in two murders. yesterday he was cross-examined by the prosecution in his racketeering trial in san francisco. chow said undercover agent tried to drag him into conversations and force [ indiscernible ] on him. his lawyer argued government agents entrapped him. >> he said in two words, i would have never taken any money if it was connected to any criminal activity. he said love and respect. >> a government agent posing as an east coast mobster testified that chow gladly accepted lavish bribes. prosecutors also allege that chow either ordered or gave permission for the killings of two chinatown rivals. >>> a pot club will not be added to fisherman's wharf area. the proposal would have allowed a marijuana dispensary on a busy stretch of taylor street. but san francisco's planning commission voted it down after hearing concerns from business owners who are worried that a dispensaries could attract the wrong crowd. >> a christmas favorite will be missing f

consumerwatch reporter julie watts compares your options. ,,,,,, . >>> so the fbi says bank robberies are down this year in the bay area. however, the couple guys they really want to catch. this is from campbell last month. two men burst into a wells fargo carrying guns. they forced employees open the vault made off with cash. and there is the notorious droopy faced bandit because of his cheeks. investigators say he has been pulling off heists in the area since at least 2007! >> he is believed to be responsible for as many as 10 bank robberies in the san francisco area. he appears to be targeting banks predominantly in asian communities. specifically, um, chinatown and the clement street area. >> do you have if i idea who the guys are? -- do you have any idea who the guys are? if so, there is a reward. >>> the san mateo county sheriff's office is trying to find two men caught on surveillance monday night robbing the valero gas station on el camino in millbrae. they were wearing masks and one had a semi-automatic handgun. the sheriff's office released sketches. the clerk said they stol

on the consumerwatch, i'm julie watts. >>> so keeping track of all your passwords can be tough. >> how google says it plans to get rid of them completely next on kpix 5 news at 5:00. >> but first, stocks were up today for a third day in a row. every once again taking their lead from oil prices. here's a look at the closing numbers from wall street. season. ,,,,,,,,,,,, it's estimated more than on million people in the ates will give or re >>> drones will be a popular gift this holiday season. it is estimated more than 1 million people in the u.s. will give or receive one in the next few days. earlier this month the faa cited hundreds of close calls between airplanes and drones announced most recreational drones must be registered. today the city of hayward issued its own warning saying there had been an increasing number of drone sightings by pilots including two in the past year in the vicinity of hayward executiv airport. register by february 19 or face steep fines and penalties. >>> passwords could be a thing of the past if google has its way. the mountain view-based tech giant says

consumerwatch reporter julie watts with a warning for homeowners thinking of renting out their homes for the big game. ,, ,, ♪ life... is unpredictable. life is deaths. and births. sickness and health. love and heartbreak. and covered california is there for it all. not just to help keep you well. but to make sure the cost of being unwell doesn't ruin this whole life thing. because it's more than just health care. it's life care. the u-s and evaded authorit nearly two weeks ago are in custody tonight. ethan couch was convincted in a 2013 deadly >>> the so-called "affluenza" teenager and his mother are in custody tonight. ethan couch was convicted in a 2013 deadly drunk driving crash. he was only given 10 years of probation. cbs reporter omar villafranca tells us if prosecutors get their way, he and his mother will face jail time. >> reporter: mexican authorities apprehended ethan couch and his mother tanya in puerto vallartata . of the 18- year-old had apparently tried to disguise himself. his blonde hair was brown when he was caught. the pair disappeared this month after couch misse

i'm consumerwatch reporter julie watts. why the post office said it couldn't deliver. >> and some new clues in a disturbing case of animal cruelty. what investigators hope will help convict a suspected cat killer. ,,,,,,,, sheared-off fire hydrant crd a 30-foot geyser near the oakland-alameda border this afternoon. no wd on how much water was lo >>> thousands of gallons of water down the drain. a geyser near the oakland- alameda board they are afternoon. no word on how much water was lost but at peak flows a hydrant can pump out over 1,000 gallons a minute. >>> new clues made public to help make the case against a suspected cat killer. santa clara investigators releasing pictures of two collars found inside the car of suspected catnapper robert farmer. 23-year-old man was arrested on felony animal cruelty charges after surveillance cameras caught him snatching a cat on a san jose street. besides the collars, the investigators are trying to find the owner of an orange tabby found dead in farmers car. >> this is an extremely

kpix 5's consumerwatch reporter julie watts is live at one of those stores in walnut creek. julie, are these the new chip readers? >> reporter: no. they're not. you know, banks gave retailers all retailers an october deadline to installing the new more secure chip card readers but safeway is still using the old readers which are more susceptible to skimmers which can steal your information when you swipe. they are supposed to be more secure. the new chip cards and readers that use a unique transaction number each time you dip. instead of the stripe used to swipe that are easily duplicated. but in spite of an october deadline the nation's largest grocery store chain has yet to transition to the new card readers and admits store employees discovered credit card skimmers at stores in dublin and walnut creek back in september and october. but only publicly acknowledged them today after online report of compromised cards at other safeway stores. >> doesn't make you feel good. >> the public needs to know right away. >> reporter: it's important to note that customers are not respons

i'm consumerwatch reporter julie watts.oming up, how millennials are impacting the way we're all giving gifts this holiday season. >> and it's happening more and more now that christmas is almost upon us. 10 days what? hear from two bay area women who chased after a package thief. that's next. ,,,,,, ♪ great change comes from doing the right thing. like the radical idea that health isn't an industry. it's a cause. so we do things differently. we combine care and coverage. and believe prevention is the most powerful of cures. so forgive us for not going with the flow. we just think the flow should go with us. which makes us rebels with one cause. your health. crooks in their south bay neighborhood. they said no way... when they spotted a >>> only on "5" tonight, two women standing up to crooks in their south bay neighborhoods. they said no way when they spotted a pair of package thieves. kpix 5's maria medina on what the determined women did. >> reporter: two suspects sit behind bars tonight because two women decided to foll

julie watts explains how to make sure your tv isn't spying on you. >> whether it is sports, cartoons,the cards ash yan's, what you watch in the privacy of your own home may not stay so private if you are watching on a smart tv. at least according to consumer reports. it is findings revealed smart tv's like samsung, lg and advice yo, are recording and sharing data about what you watch. >> what we believe is that it is fairly widespread. >> and parker higgins, of electronic frontier foundation, says internet connected tv's are capable of collect ago lot. including what you watch, when you watch it, how often you change a channel, and which commercials you watch. data, he says, that can be combined with other information about you. >> it can be part of a larger profile. kind these companies are data brokers these companies are selling. >> earlier this month the class action suit filed against vizio for violating privacy, lawyers contend their tracking feature is automatically and i will legally turned on by default, and collect very specific viewing data that, quote, can be used to gener

. >> thanks. [ laughter ] >>> i'm consumerwatch reporter julie watts. you may think scoring a hotel room right before christmas is expensive but that's not necessarily the case. i'll explain how to score a last-minute hotel deal, easy for me to say, crutch. today... you,, you never really know what's coming. life just... happens. just when you think you know where it's going sfx: (ambulance sirens) it takes you someplace else. and that's why covered california is here. to help californians who need health insurance get it. so you'll be ready next time life happens. because it's more than just health care. it's life care. six-s for just one dollar. best buy will also give you 200-dollar gift card for trg >>> today you could score a brand-new iphone 6 for a dollar. now, best buy is also going to give you a $200 gift card for trading in a working iphone 5. so what is the catch? well, you're going to need to sign a two-year contract with either verizon or sprint. apple ceo tim cook says the company expects to sell a record number of iphones this holiday sea

julie watts, kpix 5. >>> as many people stay home to enjoy christmas dinner with family and friends,ight we venture out to see what others are doing. dinner and a movie anyone? bay area nightbeat; come join us at 10:00 on our sister station, kbcw 44/cable 12. >>> talk about an unusual phone call. >> how a woman got called by accident from somebody in outer space. it really happened and it's coming up. >> all right. i got some numbers for you that we're happy to dial up for the sierra. look at these numbers. 2 feet of snow at bear valley. 28" snow yesterday at northstar and kirkwood more than a foot and a half. they are rejoicing. it's been a great start to the ski season. it's going to stay cold around here. look at that. the christmas full moon. the first one since 1977. we have your forecast next. >> here's another reason for you to stick around. lebron james and the cleveland cavaliers got their final rematch at oracle, unforgettable night for a future hall of famer. and i thought i was happy today? until i ran into this guy. santa x is back. you can't miss that. dialing the wrong

julie watts reports. pkg she's not due for three more months, but jeanine bran can't wait for her delivery.... of maternity clothes. "that's a nice shirt" every month - the expectant mom gets a box from "le tote," an on-line clothing rental start-up. that's just branched out into maternity le tote co- founder rakesh tondon - says "sharing" pregnancy clothes just makes sense... (rakesh tondon/le tote co-founder) "each month you're changing sizes -- you don't want to invest in clothes you're just going to wear a couple of weeks." for 59 dollars a month: le tote sends customers three items of clothing -- sized to belly... as well as two accessories... and of course they're thoroughly cleaned in house... before getting sent out again... jeanine works for the p.r. company that represents le tote - but they're not the only ones catering to this crowd. "it's a growing busniess." borrow for your bump..... offers "boxes" and "one-time" rentals..... including formal and outerware. mine for nine lets you browse its

julie watts reports. julie: when jessica barthelow drives her son and his friends to football, she plays defense. >> we can't bring extra people. julie: the mom recently found out, her pontiac vibe is takata airbags. but as this letter states, parts to repair the vehicle are not currently available. g.m.'s solution? don't use the front passenger seat. a tough call for the carpool mom. >> i now have a car that only fits 3 people, plus me. alyx: julie: so, barthelow asked her dealer, to provide a loaner car . >> they said no, they didn't have the authorization to give me a loaner. julie: safety consultant sean kane says says while federal law requires car makers to either buy-back the car. or replace a vehicle they can't fix. they're not required to offer a temporary replacement car. in the case of a recall. so what's your advice to consumers who want a loaner car? >> the people who are squeaky wheels are getting loaner cars. get in there and complain to the manufacturer that you can't use the car for its in

it's estimated the "average" pregnant woman spends at least 400-dollars on ternity clothes.now, as julie watts found, companies have come up with an alternative - renting maternity clothes. clothes. she's not due for three more months, but jeanine bran can't wait for her delivery....(nats)of maternity clothes.(nat sot)"that's a nice shirt"every month - the expectant mom gets a box from "le tote," an on-line clothing rental start-upa& that's just branched out into maternity(nats)le tote co- founder rakesh tondon - says "sharing" pregnancy clothes just makes sense... (sot-rakesh tondon/le tote co- founder)"each month you're changing sizes --) you don't want to invest in cloloes you're just going to wear a couple of weeks." for 59 dollars a month: le tote sends customers three items of clothing -- sized to accomodate their growing belly... as well as two accessories...anof course they're thoroughgh cleaned in house... before getting sent out again...jeanine works for the p.r. company that represents le tote -but they're not the only ones catering to this crowd. (natsot-rakesh)"it's a growing busn

reporter julie watts shows reporter julie clothes. maternity *renting* alternative... with an have come up now companies clothes. maternity dollars on at least *average* it's estimated 3 it's estimated the *average* pregnant woman spends at least 400 dollars on maternity clothes. now companies have come up with an alternative... *renting* maternity clothes. reporter julie watts shows us this plan. 3 she's not due for three more months, but jeanine bran can't wait for her delivery....(nats) of maternity clothes.(nat sot) "that's a nice shirt"every month - the expectant mom gets a box from "le tote," an on-line clothing rental start- up that's just branched out into maternity(nats)le tote co- founder rakesh tondon - says "sharing" pregnancy clothes just makes sense...(sot-rakesh tondon)"each month you're changing sizes -- you don't want to invest in clothes you're just going to wear a couple of weeks." for 59 dollars a month: le tote sends customers three items of clothing -- sized to accomodate their growing belly... as well as two accessories...and of course house... b

in san francisco, i'm julie watts. >> that is really cool.eally smart too. >>> off speed holiday tradition has gone main stream. did you know tomorrow is national ugly sweater day? either did i, until just a couple hours ago. outrage as you parallel has become a multi million-dollar business,es specially around the holiday. whether you are pulling one from the depths of your closet, maybe your mom's closet in my case or shopping for perfect sweater, just remember nothing is too tacky. >> you really have to own it. you cannot just wear it, you have to own it, you have to be committed fully. >> committed fully. >> uglier the the better. i talk to the experts and i'll show what you makes a great ugly sweater, basically the more repulsive the will polyester the better the buy. tomorrow morning on "eyewitness news". >>> if you are cruising your mom's closet she might take offense to it, be careful. >>> coming up next on "eyewitness news" fed raises interests rate. >>> plus a nice peaceful protest after a mistrial was declared in the trial of one o

if you are concerned about the foam in your car seat, any car program that will test it for julie watts. >>> story caused a national out cry and now lunch lady who was fired forgiving a student in need of free meals has been offered her job back. she was terminated after she gave a tray of food to a 12- year-old student, the school says employees must follow proper procedures because it puts their funding at risk. now it has offered boden her job back in the spirit of the holidays but she has not yet accept glad ladies, we do do just about anything for the perfect hair, would you use bubble wrap? >>> show and tell. >>> he is bringing a lot of smiles to people in massachusetts this year. >>> i love grumpy cat. >>> they are not lost, santa's >>> deployed air base yacht tar, family and friends back in massachusetts, i miss you all very much and i can't wait to new england's energy comes from a pool of energy producers. eversource buys it at a set market price and delivers it to you. but that pool is shrinking, causing energy supply rates to go up and down. so we're working with partners ac

julie watts shows us how to beat the feature that's tracking our every move. locations enabled on your phone? >> i don't know. reporter: they are not new but most people don't know exactly what they are or how to find a week and locations. settings, privacy, location services, scroll down to the bottom. system services. at the bottom you see frequent locations. once there, most are shocked by what they find. >> i feel a little bit sick. >> this is everywhere you have been. reporter: kids even labeled your assume and home -- assumed home and work locations. >> it's a little creepy. >> i don't like them doing give without my knowledge. reporter: >> this is hidden from you. reporter: privacy experts have long been concerned about the implications of this hidden information. >> this could be used by abusive partners, police in an they can be used by your boss or company if you give them access to your phone, if your using a work phone. reporter: cell phone data can be subpoenaed for criminal and civil cases. apple says the data is stored only on your device unless

julie watt says this is not over yet. >> reporter: many of you are seeing it right now. we had several impressive cells, embedded thunderstorms here. the most significant band right along the i-80 corridor. let's move to 580 where we saw our first lightning earlier today. right now, moderate rainfall. the band of showers pushing east. rio vista. lodi. get ready for it. it is headed off through the east bay. we will see more of the same. i have your full forecast coming up in a bit. first, a quick look at what we have seen over the last 24 hours. really rainfall amounts varying near three inches up north to not even four tenths of an inch in san jose. not a whole lot more. getting more tonight, we will update these soon. i have your full forecast coming up. >> thanks julie. >>> you need an umbrella in santa clara this evening. it was pouring buckets. our photographer jim flannigan shot this video. the storm did damage in guerneville. the tree came crashing down on a parked car and brought down power lines. part of highway 116 was shut down for about two hours because of a

julie watts? [ laughter ] >> i was just waiting for toss. we currently have some clearing although there is more trouble ahead. the answer to the question is all of the above, brian hackney. take a look at hi-def doppler. here's what you're looking at now. we have scattered showers throughout the bay area. some of them actually moderate to heavy rainfall. this one over the south bay, loss al forecasts sunnyvale, you're getting rain -- los altos, sunnyvale, you're getting rain. 15 minutes ago we saw showers over san jose. that cell has moved south. we are seeing moderate rainfall in los gatos at this hour. in fact, if we take a live look at san jose right now, you can see still raindrops on the lens. we have picked up about .18" in san jose. pretty good for san jose. and we are going to get more throughout the day today. three-tenths for dublin hayward. about a quarter redwood city and mill valley. this is just the beginning. we anticipate scattered showers throughout the day possibility of some thunderstorms and, yes, brian hackney, you ment

in walnut creek, julie watts, kpix 5. >> customers who are concerned should check their bank account for september and october. >>> tonight comcast has agreed to pay $26 million to settle an illegal dumping case. a former technician blew the whistle after watching the cable giant ship recyclable e-waste off to landfills for years. everything from telephones and old remotes to circuit boards and batteries. prosecutors say comcast dumped close to 7 million electronic devices in to california landfills over the last decade. >>> we've seen it again and again and again, thieves coming up to houses and stealing packages right off the porch. tonight kpix 5's andria borba shows us how one shipper is fighting back. >> reporter: just like the grinch stalked hooville, it's the giving season and package thieves are stalking your porch. in surveillance video after surveillance video, you can watch anti-santas swipe the christmas gift. enter a new solution from ups. pick up your drone or sweater while you get your dry cleaning. it's called access point. and while it wasn't designed strictly to pre

. >> consumer watch reporter julie watts on why some security experts are advising parents to steer clear of so- called smart toys. >> what sort of riding helmet are you going to wear? >> pink. >> reporter: 6-year-old charlotte and hello barbie can talk about anything, but what they say may not stay just between friends. >> a lot of the information that the child is providing is going to a server where it's stored and then processed. >> reporter: hello barbie is one of the moltest toys this holiday and part of -- hottest toys this holiday and part of a new generation of toys that are wi-fi enabled, but that means theoretically they can also be hacked. the toys send information to the company's serve are. while mattel says its security are top notch, critics say their promises aren't exactly reassuring. >> where they say kid safe check mark, that's completely marketing. >> reporter: already on the v tech inno tab tablets it was found hackers were able to look inside family homes. >> for example, this device might be a recording device that's in your home hanging out with your child all day

julie watts, for cbs news, san francisco. now they were made for now they were made for a purpose. frequent locations are meananto provide you with personalized services, like predicting traffic routes. your location with apple when you first set up your phone using its maps app. it's coming up next... next...the social media campaign trying to link up of the biggest music stars -- and one of her biggest fans. the hashtag delaney meet taylor is trending today. course we're talking about taylor swift...but the more is.when she was 8 years old, delaney was diagnosed with a form of leukemia and she has been fighting now for several years.she's 13 y yrs old today and will soon be old today and will soon be put into hospice care.her dream is to meet taylor swift and her friends and family are trying to help by using that hashtag! hashtag!g!checked taylor swifts accounts today and so far, it seems like she hasn't responded. it's coming up... up...why one of the most popular holiday gifts this year might quickly be falling off many people's shopping anncr: when the attacks come here... ..

consumer watch reporter julie watts those you how. >> my cuticles are a mess right now. >> despite having two appointments in april, she said the sears repairman stood her up twice. nancy was forced to drive a total of 352-mile back and forth from stockton for nothing. she estimates she lost 16 hours plus gas and miles on her car. >> i've lost my time. i've lost money. i've lost -- had the headache. >> you can actually sue for damages. >> reporter: california civil code allows you to collect up to 600 bucks if companies with 25 or more employees don't show up during a promised four hour window and many companies pay additional penalties for no show. comcast customer service guarantee is a $20 credit for a service person that's late or doesn't show and verizon offers similar compensation, though california law goes a whole lot further to make you whole. >> if you stayed home from work to wait for the person, you could recover lost wages. >> reporter: sears did fix the washer and sent an apology for the missed appointment offering her a $75 gift card for her troubling but nancy says no than

kpix 5 consumerwatch reporter julie watts live at a kohl's in colma where they will cater to last-minutehoppers by staying open for 170 hours straight. >> reporter: that's right. i'm assuming you haven't done all of your christmas shopping yet. i have to tell you, online shoppers are running out of time. in fact, the standard mail christmas deadline has passed so more brick and mortar stores like kohl's are trying to cash in and cater to those consumers who are used to shopping in that 24/7 online world. the sights and sounds of the holidays. cash registers and gift receipts. and once again, kohl's is hoping to cash in by catering to busy last-minute shoppers and staying open 24 hours a day through 6 p.m. christmas eve. >> very convenient. >> it's amazing. >> feel bad for the employees but it's a good idea. >> more demanding than it used to be. they want what they want when they want it. and stores are willing to accommodate it. they have to accommodate. >> reporter: consumer psychologist kit yarrow says thanks to the internet consumers have a 24/7 shopping mentality even in the purchase

here's consumer watch reporter julie watts. >> reporter: from a cracked tv screen to a faulty refrigerator, there are a number of things that can go wrong after purchasing pricey consumer electronics or appliances this holiday season and while many shoppers are out searching for deals and considering warranties, there may be another way to save. >> really where consumers can save money is by knowing their rights. >> reporter: this consumer attorney says those rights include lemon law protections for any electronic or appliance over $100 for at least seven years after the purchase whether or not the item is still under warranty. now she explains neither the retailer nor manufacturer has to actually fix the product out of warranty, but they do have to provide you or a service facility with the parts to fix it even if you're the one that broke it. >> and if the manufacturer doesn't provide those parts, then you are entitled to a replace. >> reporter: and at the rate technology is advancing odds are parts for a 7-year-old product will be hard to find. >> the manufacturers don't necessarily wan

julie watts shows how to beat the feature.. that's tracking your 3 (sot -sequence julie)(julie) "do you have frequent locations enabled on your phone?" (mos) " i'm not sure" (mos) "i don't knowthere not new, but most people dont exactly know what they are... or how to find their frequent locations. (natsot)"click setting, privacy, location services, scroll down, system services, then frequent locations." frequent locations." and once there, most are shocked by what they find. (natsot)"i feel a little bit sick" "this is everywhere you've been, the time that you left." it even labels your assumed home and work addresses based on the amount of time you spend there. (sot) (julie) "you arrived last night at 6pm and left your house this morning at 8am." (mos) "yes i did." (sot-mos) "this is a little creepy""i don't like that it's doing it without my knowledge"(sot-noah swartz/electronic frontier foundation)"one of the concerning things is, this is hidden from you in your phone." and privacy experts like noah swartz of the electronic f

but there may be one way to get them as julie watts explains. >> reporter: when she drives her son and friends to football she plays defense. >> we can't bring extra people. >> reporter: she found out that her pontiac vibe is included in the huge recall, but parts are not currently available. their solution? don't use the front passenger seat. a tough call for the car pool mom. >> and so naturally she asked her dealer to provide a renter car. >> reporter: and while they require you to buy back the car or replace the vehicle, they are not required to offer a temporary car. >> those people are getting loaner cars. >> the car maker agreed to give her the loaner car and rush ordered the parts, good news for the busy mom and the kids she drives. >> yes, but the weekend? >> it will be great. we mean it, but also the 20s and the 30s tonight. >> yes, that cold air. we have a perfect recipe, clear skies, low humidity, light winds. i did mention the hits on the twitter account that the sunsets at 4:46 as early as it goes down. but at least that's as early as it will set now. go to our website. w

but investigative reporter julie watts found test results that might show parents aren't getting what they paid for. 3 (narr 1) car seats are supposed to keep little ones safe in the car... the foam underneath them is key to absorbing energy and protecting a child in an accident. but federal law mandates seats be made with y of which are linked to cancer, neurological disorders and developmental delays. (sot arlene blum ) the ones that have been studied have been found to be associated with cancer. they're neurotoxins; they're really not good chemicals. (narr 2) scientist arlene blum is the executive director of the green science policy institute. she says the chemicals in the foam can break down into dust which kids then inhale or ingest by putting their hands in their mouth. natsot - from online orbit ad (narr 4) the bay area company "orbit baby" introduced the first car seat that claimed to contain undetectable amounts of the most concerning chemicals including chlorinated tris, which is listed as a known "to cause cancer" by the state of california. as the gold standard in green c

julie watts shows us how. >> reporter: it's estimated hundreds of thousands of drones will be given as gifts this holiday season. now the government is trying to keep track of those flying toys and hold owners responsible for any trouble they might cause. owners must file their names, street and email addresses. they also have to pay $5 with a credit card. that's intended to help verify your identity. in return, drone owners get a registration certificate that they'll need to carry with them when they fly their drone. they'll also get a registration number to mark on their aircraft so if there is a problem authorities can track them down. >> it's smart because there are going to be people opening up their christmas gifts and flying and crashing. watching youtube videos and try to mimic people that have experience. >> reporter: not all commercial drone pilots are on board with the regulations. the academy of modern aeronautics are telling users not to register their airplanes. failure to register a drone can land you three years in prison. whether you do or don't send your drone -- make

julie watts has the details. >> reporter: from a cracked t.v. faulty refrigerator there are a number of things that can go wrong after purchasing pricey consumer electronics this holiday season and while many shoppers are out shopping for deals and considering warrantees there may be another way to save. >> by knowing their right. >> reporter: attorney says those rights includes lemon laws for any electronic appliance for seven years after the purchase whether or not the item is still under warrantee. she explains neither the retailer nor the manufacture has to actually fix the product out of warrantee, but they do have to provide you or a service facility with the part to fix it even if you're the one that broke it. >> if the manufacturer doesn't provide the parts then you are exiled to a replacement. >> reporter: something to consider before adding a new t.v. or appliance to your christmas list, your manufacturer may owe you a replacement for free. >> it's a good thing to keep in mind if you haven't thrown out your garbage yet. save the receip

julie watts is here! >> really brian? you can just take it away!mes i feel silly when i look at brian and i'm giving the forecast. but now this already. >> nobody else does, though. [ laughter ] >> we are going to share it with you. heavy rainfall right now in san leandro. this is just one cell within this band ai

. >> reporter: julie watts for cbs news, san francisco. >> i just now opted out. >> yes.w me how to do it. >> it is tphaoepbt provide you with predebted traffic -- it is there to provide you with predicted traffic. >>> right now at 6:00, the five- year long investigation into vincent gray's 2010 campaign ends with no charges. i will have reaction to the stunning news. . >>> after 14 years of saving lives, prince george's county firefighter is fighting for his own life. we will tell you how his colleagues are coming to his aid. >>> good evening, thanks for joining us. >>> the new u.s. attorney in a statement says he is looking into the probe for vincent gray's campaign. >> that is right. the officer reviewed all of the evidence and conclude today is not enough to get a criminal conviction. the news paves the way for gray to re-enter dc politics. >> reporter: vincent gray said from the beginning he was innocent. several others involved in his campaign did take felony pleas. they have been talking about a political comeback and associates say the former mayor has been listen

now our julie watts has a plan that would put a lot more scrutiny on these buses. >> reporter: it was one of the worst bus accidents the city has ever seen. a double-decker side seeing bus careened past union square on a busy friday afternoon blowing through barriers sideswiping cars dragging a bicyclist crashing into scaffolding and ultimately injuring 20 people. six critically including the driver who says the brakes failed. >> this could have been prevented if there had been better coordination between a number of governmental agent us is. >> reporter: state senator jerry hill announced legislation today that he thinks may do that following a kpix 5 investigation. we were first to reveal that this bus started out as a regular transit bus on the streets of our nation's capital, not a double-decker. it was part of a fleet with a troubled history including problems with braking and hydraulic systems and multiple fires. eventually washington, dc's metro bus decided to get rid of the whole fleet but two years later, this one was modified into a double-decker and put back on the streets

[ laughter ] >> julie watts. [ laughter ] >> i should say the regulars are off. >> i'll be your fill-in this morning. [ laughter ] >> a stellar forecast. >> there you go. >> good work. >> we are getting a break in the rain this morning. temperatures cool out the door. cooler than we have seen lately. current temperatures in the 40s and 50s areawide. no umbrella needed today but you will tomorrow. keep it handy. cooler start, breezy, 10- to 20- mile-an-hour winds in many locations this morning. we are getting a dry break but more wet weather is coming. if you are heading out to visit relatives today good news. no arrival delays at least right now at sfo. however, we're going to see delays at some of your major hubs. thunderstorms anticipated in atlanta and chicago today, showers houston, rain in new york. so we could see some delays if you are heading out to visit relatives today. we'll talk more about the road delays we'll face tomorrow with a winter storm warning on the way. that's coming up. but first, how are the roads looking locally? >> the roads are good locally. we have this mino

cbs 2's julie watts explains how to beat the feature that is tracking you. >> do you have frequent locations enabling your phone. i am not sure. i don't know. >> reporter: they are not new but most people don't exactly know what they are or how to find their frequent locations. >> so settings, privacy, location services. we're going to scroll all the way down to the bottom of your app. system services. at the bottom you see here frequent locations. >> reporter: and once there, most are shocked by what they find. >> i feel a little bit sick. >> this is everywhere you've been, the time that you arrived and you left. >> reporter: it even labels your assumed home and work addresses based on the amount of time you spend there. you arrived last night at 6 p.m. and you left your house this morning at 8 a.m. >> yes, i did. >> a little creepy. >> i don't like that doing it without my knowledge. >> the concerns thing is this is hidden from you in your phone. >> reporter: and privacy frontier foundation have long been concerned about the implications of this hidden information. >> this could be used by

julie watts is here! >> really brian? you can just take it away!etimes i feel silly when i look at brian and i'm giving the forecast. but now this already. >> nobody else does, though. [ laughter ] >> we are going to share it with you. heavy rainfall right now in san leandro. this is just one cell within this band of rain that's falling right now. this is the cold front passing through moving from north to south through the bay area. behind it continues scattered showers as brian mentioned. that cold, unstable air could spark some thunderstorms later on today and, yes, by tonight we do see a dusting of snow on some of our local peaks. right now, temperatures are chilly. not freezing but chilly nonetheless. we are topping out currently in the 40s in most places, san francisco 51 thanks to the moderating effect of the bay. weather headlines for the day, a wet start to the day. we say unsettled over the next 24 hours. showers likely continue into christmas morning. cold temperatures moving in a freeze watch in effect for tomorrow night friday night an

julie watts reports that may no longer be the case. >> reporter: google orbit baby and a virtual celebritying the high-end carseat stroller system costs twice as much as others but folks who buy it aren't just trying to keep up with the kardashians. >> there were no chemicals in the foam and we thought it was worth paying more for. >> reporter: her children's boutique only stocks items free of known toxic chemicals, something orbit is known for. its website claims all fabrics and foams are tested to ensure below detection limits of some of the worst chemicals but that's what a study from the ecology center found in an orbit this year. >> the concern is that it's associated with cancer, it's similar to neurotoxin. it's not a good chemical. >> reporter: they got two forms of it banned from pajamas in the 70s and are carcinogens. her reaction when we told her another form of the chemical is in the car seat? >> i was surprised but not that surprised because manufacturers can't even find out what's in their products. i think orbit actually means well but they don't know what's in their products

cbs news correspondent julie watts. >> reporter: report she's not due for three more months but jeanie brand can't wait for her delivery of maternity clothes. >> it is a shirt. >> reporter: every month the speccing mom gets a box from le tote a on-line clothing rental start up that branched out in maternity wear. the co founder say, the the pregnancy clouts, just makes sense. >> and you don't want to, bring in clothes thaw will wear for just a couple of weeks. >> reporter: for $59 a month, le tote send customers three items of clothing size todd accommodate their growing belly as well as accessories. of course they are thoroughly cleaned in house before getting sent out again. jeanie works for pr company that represent le tote but they are not only ones tait catering to this crowd. >> growing business. >> reporter: bureau for your bump offers boxes and one time rentals including formal and outer wear. mine for nine lets you browse its maternity closet and pick out exactly what you want. swap.com is an on line consignment store for man maternity clothes, prices there are cheaper then re

that was julie watts reporting. odds are neither the store nor the the manufacturer is likely to be aware of your rights. your best betties to contact your manufacturer. now you may also need to have a repair or service facility perform that work contact the manufacturer on your behalf. a couple of steps but all and all a good bit of information there. >>> let's send it over to justin and talk about the fog and temperatures today. >> we're talking about temperatures and record highs once again but fog will make it dreary. we will call this a dirty warm up because we just don't have have have sunshine, cloud and fog and mist. do you like that? >> yes. >> that is a realtime, i'm telling you. i'm not making this stuff up. fog, it the is looking better at the shore. live look at ocean city, it is a morning jog or walk, on the boardwalk, it will turn into a nice a afternoon. let's check out visibility, now again, it is less than a mile in a lot of locations but moving through next couple of hours things will get better b

investigative reporter julie watts from kpix uncovered test results that may indicate parents are not getting what they expect. >> here we go. >> car seats are supposed to car. the foam underneath them is key to absorbing energy and protecting a child in an accident. but federal law mandates seats be made with fire retardant materials, many are which are linked to cancer, neurological disorders and developmental delays. >> the ones that have been studied have been found to be associated with cancers. the neurotoxins, they're not good chemicals. >> eileen bloom says the chemicals in the foam can break down into dust, which kids inhale orrin gest by putting their hands in their mouth. >> now i'll show you some of the safety features. >> orbit baby introduced the first car seat that claimed to contain undeetectable amounts. as the gold standard in green car seats, orbit quickly became a hit with health conscious pay a premium to protect their kids. >> orbit marketed it as the first green car seat and didn't use the fire retardant chemicals and we believed that and told our customers that