i'm mitch blacher with nbc. we have serious questions for the head of the housing authority after the nbc 10 investigators found families living over the limit in public housing. >> there are 13 people moo make over $100,000 in public housing. should they be in public housing? >> i think we offer a host of programs for them. >> facing a 10-year waiting list and limited options families like this end up homeless. >> first i tried it on my own. the bills was too crazy. i couldn't afford it. >> today the nbc 10 investigators question why pha allows more than 100 over the limit families to live in public housing while those on the waiting list wonder where they are going to sleep. >> it would break your heart. seriously. it will crush you. >> for the investigators, mitch blacher, "nbc 10 news." >> now to a family emergency at the king of prussia mall. a 3-year-old boy was accidentally locked in a van, wait until you hear why it took 45 minutes to free the child. next, holiday shopping without hear expert advice on o

nbc 10 investigative reporter mitch blacher shows us the new strategies you can take to protect yourey and your identity. >> reporter: whether you shop in person -- >> i got to get my stuff. >> reporter: or online, american consumers are expected to spend $1.5 billion in the next four days. according to consumer protection experts, as many as 60 million americans will become identity theft victims. >> we all have day jobs and the people that we're going to find ourselves up against, the identity thieves and the scammers, we are their day job. >> reporter: adam levin is the former director of the new jersey division of consumer affairs. he says you can do simple things like checking your receipts to make sure the price offered is what you pay. online, make sure the website you're using is secure. look for the lock in the upper left-hand corner of the screen. and above all -- >> people should be checking their bank accounts on a daily basis and their credit card accounts to make absolutely sure that every transaction they see is theirs. >> reporter: you may have also noticed retailers

for the investigators i'm mitch blacher, "nbc 10 news." >> 4:21 now. the number of kitchen fires triples on thanksgiving. the experts say to cook your turkey safely avoid long clothing near owe vens, watch children closely so they don't come in contact with hot stoves and turn pot handles toward the back to avoid spilling hot contents. if you are cooking in a turkey fryer do it outside and not in the garage or porch. >> 4:21. eagles fans the first to tell you there hasn't been much to cheer about at the linc lately. and that chorus of boos. what he said about the fans and how they are reacting. also, all about the planning. what you should do to make sure you are prepared to get the best deals that black friday has to offer. dayquil liquid gels and go. hey buddy, let's get these but these liquid gels are new. mucinex fast max. it's the same difference. these are multi-symptom. well so are these. this one is max strength and fights mucus. that one doesn't. uh...think fast! you dropped something. oh...i'll put it back on the shelf... new from mucinex fas

the investigators i'm mitch blacher, "nbc 10 news." >> from the roads to a scare in the air, skydiverets caught up while jumping from a plane and ends up dangling 10,000 feet above ground. >>> the strategy against isis. why there is new criticism over the president's plan for taking on the terror organization. >>> this morning a video released by isis claims to show the militants beheading two syrian activists. nbc news interviewed one of the victims last year and exclusively spoke with his brother after the attack. the two men were members of a group of activisactivists. one of the victim's brothers is offering a possible answer how isis found the activist. he says that an old friend that defected to isis moved next door and was able to lure them into the apartment before they were killed. in the middle of the interview the brother says he even got a text from the suspect saying he did it. >> admits it. he says i did it and we're coming for you. >> he said just wait, your turn is coming in a matter of days he says. >> despite the attack the group says it will continue its fight again

investigative reporter mitch blacher has a preview of a story you'll see at 4. >> excuse me. how are you. i'm mitch black wer nbc. we have serious questions for the head of the philadelphia housing authority after the nbc 10 investigators found families living over the limit in public housing. >> there are 13 people who make over $100,000 in public housing. should they be in public housing? >> i think we offer a host of programs for them. >> facing a 10-year rating list and limited options. families end up hopeless. >> i tried it only my own. the bills was too crazy. i couldn't afford it. >> today the nbc 10 investigators question why pha allows over 100 over the limit families live in public housing, those on the waiting list wonder where they are going to sleep. >> it will break your heart. seriously. it will crush you. >> i'm mitch blacher, "nbc 10 news." >> let's get you to work on this tuesday morning. >> jessica boying on the has got a look at 95. >> 95 right now. we have a disabled vehicle over into the work zone. this is right around cottman avenue. i wanted to show yo

mitch blacher, nbc 10 news. >> before you hit the stores for the holiday shopping, check out nbc 10'soliday gift guide, all kinds of gift ideas plus the first alert forecast for the weekend. how your rain could impact your holiday shopping. you can find it all on nbc10.com and the nbc 10 app. >>> pope fran sills is continuing his first visit to africa where he's warning about the health of our planet. the pope spoke to united nations employees in nairobi, kenya yesterday. he warned that world leaders face the stark choice to improve or destroy the environment. he says an agreement must be reached. at the talks in paris, that two-week climate summit begins on monday. >>> time 6:17. time to check in with jessica boyington. >> so far roads have been pretty clear for black friday shoppers out early. how does it look now? >> still looks really good. in terms of volume on a lot of the majors. we're still moving along. a few problems, a disabled vehicle and reports of the vehicle being off of the road so not exactly sure if that means the shoulder is blocked. it's in robinsville on 195 westb

mitch blacher joining us now. h, this is now the most expensive judicial election in american history, is that right? >> that's right, nearly $60 million spent, some say it's 60 million reasons to get money out of judicial elections. the seven candidates vying for a seat on the state supreme court have already won the distinction of being the best funded judges in american history. according to campaign finance disclosures and fcc records, $15.8 million have either been contributed directly to candidates or spent to run tv d ads on their behalf. laurie kinney is with the nonpartisan nonprofit court watch dog justice at stake. >> this race has a potential to have a profound impact on the lives of pennsylvanians and how they live and work, and that's why it attracts money. >> reporter: the nbc 10 investigators first revealed two political groups behind at least $3 million of outside media buys, the candidates themselves raised at least $12.8 million, and most of that money went to the tv ads plastered across the stat

for the investigators, mitch blacher, nbc 10 news. >>> good morning. temperatures today starting off on the cold side. plus, you have to factor in the winds, and there's wind chills today. that's going to be true as we head into tomorrow indefinitely into monday morning. a live look outside now, the sun is coming up, cold start, that's the first headline, an then we have a chilly eagles tailgating forecast for you, and warm eer temperatures closer to thanksgiving. right now, philadelphia, 4 it degrees, winds from the north at 6 miles per hour. that feels like temperature close to the 38 degree mark. not too bad out there, but definitely chillier. our wind chills, our feels like temperature for the rest of the area in the 20s for the poconos, 28 degrees in allentown, 28 in dover, 3 1 in wildwood, and feeling like 31 degrees in millville. here's the actual temperatures. it's 39 degrees in wilmington, 34 in dover, 37 in mount holly, and 39 degrees in northeast philadelphia. colder than what we saw yesterday. temperatures anywhere between 10-20 degrees coo

mitch blacher joins us live from the nbc 10 kitchen as he continues his reporting. tch, people shouldn't miss this. this is important information. >> technologies to see which gives you the best chance to escape. friday in north philly, fire crews went door to door. they are handing out and hanging smoke alarms. the reason they are here is across the street from sarah bell's house. it was philadelphia's 13th deadly fire of the year inside a home with no working smoke alarms. days before the north philly fire, the nbc 10 investigators, with the help of a delaware county emergency service training center, tested two of the leading types of smoke alarm technologies, ionization and photo electric. >> ionization actually takes smoke in. the photo electric works on a principle of locking light. >> reporter: the more expensive alarms detected smoke without much flame fastest. >> now have flame, flame and combustion. >> reporter: the more common smoke alarms gave us a 50-second head start to escape this hot smokey fire. >> once the fire started to flame, it was off to the ra

mitch blacher continues his coverage from the nbc 10 kitchen. mitch? >> hey, guys, so statistically speaking more than 40% of home fires start right here in the kitchen. it's why it is so important to have working smoke alarms. this one uses ionization technology, one of the most popular in the united states, but the experts that we talked to say there's another option that may help protect your family. it only takes minutes for fire and smoke to consume a room. thursday fire and smoke killed for the 13th time this year. the home had no working smoke alarms. >> there you go. >> friday philadelphia fire crews installed dozens in this neighborhood. >> we installed the ionization smoke detectors. >> the most common and in 90% of american homes. the nbc 10 investigators showed you this week the difference between the two most common types of smoke alarm technologies, ionization and photo electric. >> ionization takes smoke in, the photo electric works on a principle of locking light. >> reporter: the training center tested the alarms. >> we now have flame,

. >> that's right, the nbc 10 investigators have been looking into this and mitch blacher joins us nowou found allegations bmw has a design flaw in some of its most popular cars. >> guys, drivers and three independent mechanics say the problem is in the trunk in some bmw models. the car's electronics are in the lowest part of the vehicle. normally that wouldn't be an issue, but the same models can be prone to water leaks. >> i just smelt the smoke, like an electrical fire type of situation. >> reporter: walt says he was driving his car last spring in north philly when it filled with smoke. >> if i had anything combustible in the trunk, this car would have gone up in flames. >> reporter: a repair bill shows a water leak fried the electronics, you can still see the charring on the trunk. >> the smoke was coming from this area. >> reporter: similar incidents have been reported across the country. lawsuits filed in federal courts in new york and california say in part certain bmws were designed so certain vital electrical components are located in the lowest part of the vehicle's trunk and

for the investigators, i'm mitch blacher, nbc 10 news. >>> back now to our continuing coverage of thatstate trooper shot in philadelphia. nbc 10's deanna durante now getting new information on the suspect involved in all this. >> deanna joins us live from belmont with an update. what did you find out? >> reporter: one of the suspects that we can now keep in mind originally investigators say there were four men inside that car when it was originally stopped and we've been given a picture just now of a man police want to identify. take a look at this picture, police don't have a name but they want to track him down. they say he's an hispanic male between 18 to 20 years old, he's got a dark blue cast on his right arm and on his left arm he has a tattoo sleeve. we're also told he was wearing a dark blue hat with a light blue star on it. again, this is the fourth person that police are trying to track down after this morning's shooting that injured a state trooper. this is the aftermath that tied up traffic for hours. pennsylvania state police say a 17 year old is responsible for shooting a

for the investigators, i'm mitch blacher, nbc 10 news. >> we want to mention, too, the story came from a tip from a viewer. if you have something you want the nbc 10 investigators to look into, e-mail them at the e-mail address on your screen. nbc10investigators@nbcuni.com. >>> still ahead, why philadelphia is making some of its bathrooms gender neutral and the group celebrating the decision. >>> all new at 5:00, a philadelphia adult film star is suing josh duggar. we'll tell you what she accuses the disgraced reality tv personality of doing. >>> changes now are coming to restrooms throughout philadelphia. >> it means many of the men or womens signs you're used to seeing will come down. >> it is now the law of philadelphia. >> mayor michael nutter signed a bill today that makes gender neutral bathrooms more accessible. the law requires all single occupancy restrooms to have labels as gender neutral. single occupancy meaning not those with multiple stalls. it is a step long sought by transgender advocates. the signing was followed by a changing of the restroom sign. >> our goal is for p

mitch blacher joins us. mitch, what can we do to make sure our money goes to a good cause?, between now and new year's day, americans will give between $75 and $100 billion to charity. experts say before you give, you should know exactly how your money is spent. throughout the year it could be a hurricane or a flood that motivates us to give to those who need it most. but the next month it is likely the spirit of the season. >> there's a difference between a great cause and a great nonprofit. >> reporter: she directs penn's center for high impact philanthropy, analyzing nonprofit organizations, connecting what is given to what is achieved. >> a great organization does as much good as it can with whatever it spends. >> reporter: with so many charities with names that sound good, it's important to know what you're giving to. nonprofit watch dog charity navigator tracks charities on the amount of money going to the cause. take the disabled police officers of america. charity navigator claims 92% of the money it raises goes to raising more money. also pay attention to administr

mitch blacher put the most common alarms to the test. >> it could be hard to tell the difference, but should know what type of smoke alert you have and how it works. we are looking at ionization. eÑ few have both. >> rodney knows how fire can devastate. >> this is pretty much where the kitchen was. >> today his mother's house is gone and replaced by pin wheels and rows of flowers. >> my mom, that was her worst fear. if i have to go, i don't want to go in a fire. >> in 2012 his mom and niece died in this fire, and fire crews found them together. >> they were holding each other. >> he told us he bought and tested four ianization detecters. >> every day i have to live with it, because i am the one that purchased them and put them in their house. >> fires, every second matters. >> it showed us how different alarm technologies are different at detecting different fires. >> one is going to be a smoldering fire and the other will be a flaming fire. >> kirky kerrber and his team put two of the most common smoke alarm technologies to the test. ianization and photo electric. >> ianization takes

talking about it publicly for the very first time and he spoke exclusively to nbc 10 reporter mitch blacher. he had quite the story to tell. >> yes. 12 years ago he was asked to bug a sitting mayor's office. the fbi wanted to know if bribes were being used to get city contracts. the fbi got more than they bargained for. the scandal stole the headlines away from a close mayoral race. less than one month before the election, mayor john street was down in the polls to republican sam cass, then tipped off by a source, the mayor's staff had philly police sweep his office. they found a bug. what few knew in the fall of 2003 was the fbi worked for months to listen into conversations inside street's office. >> our ruse, if you will, was we were doing a security survey post-9/11. >> reporter: fbi special agent j.j. klaber was tasked with putting the bugs in place. he toured city hall in august 2003 under the pretense of national security. >> i wanted to see what did the mayor's i was look like, did it have a drop ceiling, what was the furniture? what were the locks on the door, did we see any alarms

for the investigators i'm mitch blach blacher, "nbc 10 news." >> the honeymoon is over before it even got started. house speaker paul ryan has been in office less than a week and already he is refusing to work with president obama on a highly controversial topic. dear fellow citizen, i know what it's like to buy a house. i know how it feels to be stressed about money. i understand what a scary word "retirement" is, and i can help. because i'm not just a fellow dad, fellow mom, fellow saver, i'm a fellow citizen. who gets up every day and tries her best. just like you. sincerely, elizabeth trackler samantha parke robert kennedy deanna morrison jared duemling alex payne >> the eagles are tackling hunger in philadelphia with their third annual healthy food drive. this is video of past year's events. the birds are teaming up with the coalition against hunger to help bring healthy foods to families in need. some eagles players will make a delivery to a food bank today. for information on the healthy food drive and how you can donate visit our website at nbc10.com. another sign the holiday