text red cross to 90999. that's a $10 donation. >> we raise tens of millions doing that. >> call the red cross -- 1-800-red cross. thanks for coming in. jamie costello. >>> we've seen trane crashes but arely near misses. see what happens when people get frightenly close. >> and how they got the snake out of their storage locker. look at that thing. >>> this is what you call a close call. normally we seat aftermath of a train crashes but not near miss. this shows people getting dangerousously close to the rails. you may wonder why they're getting close. they may create an optical allusion. it may look far away but be right on you the next. >>> listen to this. you're going to your storage only to find a boa con stricttor in there. a washington couple discovered a snake in their storage locker. they called animal role control. avs seeing how big it was he had to call for backup. >> how does a boa con stricttor end up in your storage? >>> coming up we'll tell you about a teacher who is being bullied. >> here we a

and i know the red cross has it. >> reporter: even in areas with a greater red cross presence like brooklynthere is criticism. >> they were all saying "too late. way too late. we needed help back then, and now people are sick and people are in trouble." >> reporter: red cross ceo gail mcgovern defends what she calls a massive relief effort. 5,700 volunteers, hundreds of emergency vehicles serving 4.8 million meals and snacks, shelters, clothing, health services. so what grade would you give the red cross so far? >> i think that we are near flawless so far in this operation. i'm just so proud of everything that we are doing on the ground. it is incredible. >> one truck offers sandwiches with a blowhorn? it's disgusting. >> reporter: the red cross also has drawn fire in the past. it was accused of a chaotic and uneven response to katrina. and of being too slow to spend money in haiti. as for sandy, mcgovern says this storm poses unique challenges. the first cold weather hurricane. victims stacked in high-rises. a storm area the size of europe. the red cross promises that 91 cents of every dol

red cross salaries are very high, and their tax filings prove it.ts ceo receives over $500,000 annually. and its top 11 executives get pay packages that begin at $275,000 a year. >> you've got an organization that's in fund-raising mode. they're run by their p.r. operation right now. they're putting on their best face, they don't want to invite scrutiny. >> teaming up with the american red cross. >> all those telethons on abc and nbc have helped raise nearly 120 million in donations for sandy relief. and corporate commitments already pledged will elevate that total to nearly a quarter of a billion dollars. money the red cross says will be spent on the ground. >> we understand that people get frustrated, we understand the criticisms. we know where they're coming from, but by and large what most people say to us is thank you. >> charity ratings organizations give the red cross high marks. on the ground, it's all about visibility. right here in the disaster zone, there are questions as well about the red cross and it effectiveness. are there enough vol

we are teaming up with the red cross and hurricane relief fund. cbs 5's roberta gonzales is downstairs at our cbs 5 call center to explain how you can help and i guess a lot of people already have, right, roberta? >> reporter: absolutely. in fact, we are here right now at the hurricane relief fund telethon. i'm going to be here today from right now all the way to 7:00 tonight so you're going to get to know me a little bit here. but i can't do anything without your help. over here we have liam mayclem from "eye on the bay" and he has plenty of pledges already. and then we have from the san jose sharks, the voice of the sharks, mr. randy hahn who has several pledges over here as well because they have been working since 6:00 this morning. so let me see. ramona, calling up from san jose donating $100. cecilia from san francisco, $1,000. we thank you so much. harry $200. and then we have this particular one, this is aaron who called from long island, new york watching us by satellite. if you can't donate money, donate blankets and coats at the america

i have still not seen the red cross. there has been some assistance from fema, but really, neighbors working together. >> the extent of the damage in red hook, it was underwater. >> yes, for a few hours. it drained away. furniture, flooring, almost everything needs to come down. right across the street from my house, a volunteer center sprung out. i am not clear who is organizing it, but hundreds of people were there. they did not have a printer, so i was pointing out some fires for people to hand out in neighborhoods, whether it was food, medical, whether they needed certain tools. this is all happening without anybody really know who is in charge. >> so you have this quote from the american red cross spokesperson. should we have been there sooner? you bet. we cannot be there that fast and we feel bad about that. >> in the rockaways, we saw the national guard. they were giving away food and water. fema was there, but nobody could really figure out what they were doing. we did until the red cross anywhere. we were there s

i know the red cross has it. >> even in areas with a greater red cross presence, like brooklyn, thereiticism. >> they were all saying too late. way too late. we needed help back then, and now people are sick and people are in trouble. >> red cross ceo gail mcgovern depends what she calls a massive relief effort. 5700 volunteers, hundreds of emergency vehicles serving 4.8 million meals and snacks. shelters, warm clothing, health services. so what grade would you give the red cross so far? >> i think that we are near flawless so far in this operation. i'm just so proud of everything that we are doing on the ground. it is incredible. >> one truck offered sandwiches with a blow horn? it's disgusting. >> the red cross has drawn fire in the past. it was aaccused of a chaotic and uneven sfons to katrina and being too slow to spend money in haiti. as for sandy, mcgovern says it poses unique challenges, victims stacked in high rises, a storm area the size of europe. now, we asked mcgovern why if her dwrup is doing such a great job so many are upset with the red cross. she says there are a lot

volunteers, as soon as red cross shows up people standing in lines hoping to get supplies that the red cross has to hand out. hurricane sandy has kill more than 100 -- has killed more than 100 people in 10 states so many people without power, so many lost their homes. the red cross is estimating this is going to cost tens of millions of dollars. i'm joined live at pier 54 by jim mallory, a spokesperson with the red cross. people might feel nervous as they hear about huge corporations they may wonder what kind of a difference their donation can make. >> every little bit helps. the people are so appreciative of the fact we are there they get some place to stay where they are safe, warm, hot meals. working with our partners we can provide them with hot meals every day. some of our emergency vehicles are out looking for people that they can assist. >> reporter: what if i only have $10, $2010 -- -- $20, $50, should i bother? >> it is really important every dollar we get helps $50 would cover food, shelter comfort kits, blankets, for one person for a day. $150 would cover a family of four fo

the president of the red cross was out here today. the the red cross has met with all the elected officials on staten island and they have said to us they are going to be here 100%. they have had numerous trucks here from the red cross. i was in a neighborhood today where the trucks were giving out food and blankets to folks who don't have heat or electric and it's safe to say that the red cross has been a supporter here on staten island and we see them being a supporter in the future. >> new york assembly man michael cusick. thank you very much for joining me tonight. >> thank you, lawrence. >>> coming up, four days to go. the campaign's sprint to the finish. karen finney is here for that. and in the rewrite tonight, what was the biggest lie republicans told this year about something president obama said. tweet me your guesses on that one. the answer will be in tonight's rewrite. >>> and, some of the craziests republicans in congress. that's coming up. with my friends, we'll do almost anything. out for drinks, eats. i have very well

plus, an "outfront" investigation into the red cross response to sandy.re the millions of dollars donated to the charity, the ones every time you see online, donate to the red cross, are they getting to victims and how will the president, congress, ignore the cliff. ime of year ag. time for citi price rewind. because your daughter really wants that pink castle thing. and you really don't want to pay more than you have to. on citi price rewind automatically searches for the lowest price. and if it finds one, you get refunded the difference. just use your citi card and register your purchase online. have a super sparkly day! ok. [ male announcer ] now all you need is a magic carriage. citi price rewind. buy now. save later. 100% new. ♪ 100% greek. 100% mmm... ♪ oh wow, that is mmm... ♪ in fact it's so mmm you might not believe it's a hundred calories. well ok then, new yoplait greek 100. it is so good. ♪ bp has paid overthe people of bp twenty-threeitment to the gulf. billion dollars to help those affected and to cover cleanup costs. today, the beaches and

think about blankets the red cross has shipped 80,000 to the east coast.f you donate $10 it will buy three of thees. a little goes a long way. the red cross has already served one million meals to storm victims on the east coast. the agency needs your help to keep providing relief. >> sometimes, people have the perception that the red cross may not need any more donations, they are so big and there's the misconception that perhaps we are funded by the government, which we are not. we are funded by the generosity of the public. >> reporter: that's why abc has teamed up with the red cross for a day of giving. a phone bank on "good morning america" kicked off the day, different shows will ask for donations throughout the day and the company is donating two million dollars and will match donations from its employees with >> 90 within cents out of every dollar is going -- 91 cents out of every dollar is going to those in need. >> reporter: five from the bay area have traveled east to help, they have meals, snacks and water on pwofrpltd donations pay for hygiene

. >>> abc7 and parent company abc tell teaming up with the red cross to help in the aftermath of sanindictment. we begin with -- sandy. we begin with amy hollyfield in san francisco. >> reporter: abc is asking today be a day of giving. they want to you know your money goes toward supplies that the red cross can hand out such as toiletry kits, basic items, toothbrush and toothpaste, the red cross hits the ground there and hands these out immediately. they also hand out meals they supply 128,000 saturday. they give out water and they help provide shelter. 100 volunteers from the bay area have traveled to the east coast to help. we've also sent five vehicles from the bay area. they need money that's why abc has decided to dedicate this day as a day of giving. they are encouraging to you think about what you can give, every little bit helps. if you give $50 that supplies three meal force one person and shelter and toiletries for one day. -- if you can give $150 that takes care of a family of four for one day. abc the company is going to be giving money to the red cross and is encouraging

and if they bother to check with the red cross, the red cross doesn't actually want and they don't want this behavior for what the red cross wants. the red cross, for the record, does not want your cans. they want your money and your blood donation. if you do actually want to help. >> don't miss her show week nights at 9:00 eastern only on msnbc, the place for politics. >>> just ahead on "first look," this maryland man knows exactly whether to hold them and when to fold them. in fact, he has over $8 million reasons to prove it. [ male anno] free data transfer at home. you just deleted all the photos! you did! no you did! [ male announcer ] or free data transfer when you buy a windows 8 computer at staples. another way staples makes it easier to upgrade. can you help me with something? nope! good talk. [ male announcer ] or free windows 8 training when you buy a computer at staples. another way staples makes it easier to upgrade. >>> four people were shot late last night on the campus of the university of southern california. one of them is in critical condition. the shooting reportedly

for victims of the storm since saturday, tuesday night more than 9,000 people in 100 someone to red cross shelters across 13 states, joining us now, senior vice president of disaster trading for red voss -- red cross, charlie, give us an estimate to how many people remain homeless and evacuated. how many are in setters? your best estimate. >> we know that 9,000 people spent last night in american red cross shelters, 13,000 in shelters all over states red cross and independent shelters, but how many people are out displaced, that number is in tens of probably hundreds of thousands, many stay with families or are staying in hotels, probably a quarter million, really big numbers in terms of displaced. you already mentioned in terms offed size of this event. lou: hardest hit region has to be south shore of new jersey where the storm hurricane force made landfall, correct? >> certainly new jersey, new york, hardest hit in terms of number of people. but as you mentioned we're working across 16 states because we're not just dealing with storm surge but damage from wind, from rain, and flooding,

disney kicking it off with two million dollar donation to the american red cross. samsung matching contributions up to three million dollars. help by texting abc to 90999 to give $10 to the relief effort. you can call 1-800-help-now or go online to redcross.org/abc. >> some of our colleagues are manning that hotline, you might talk to barbara walters or chris cuomo, they are standing by, so join us. >>> traffic and weather together, next on the abc7 morning news. >>> here's a live look outside, see that sun getting ready to rise in the east, also continuing to follow a "sig alert" on 101 we'll check in with sue hall. and meteorologist mike nicco has your forecast. >>> facebook wants to teach its users something new. the lesson the website is$x >>> good morning. "sig alert" in san francisco north 101 at candlestick park two right lanes blocked pick-up truck slammed into the back of garbage truck and caught on fire. this is your waze app traffic bagging towards bay shore boulevard, major accident, "sig alert" in effect -- you might want to consider 280 looking good.

the red cross is putting them up in nearby rooms. only two apartments were damaged thanks to the quick work of the dredging crew. >> did an amazing job getting as close as they did with the dredgers they had and actually get something water on there. they did a great job. >> we do it all. >> when we talked to the guys on the barge they were nonchalant about their efforts. >> all i can say i'm glad we were here and able to help. >> when it was all over, they went back to dredging the canal, and carting out the sludge, but the neighborhood gave them a round of applause for their efforts to help put out the fire. >> he and his guys are awesome. it's very traumatic. >> now, the timing for the crew is actually also pretty good because they wrapped up their dredging job today. so if that fire would have broken out anytime thereafter, they may not have been here and things may not have turned out so well. report leaving in san rafael, abc-7 news. >> ama: that's incredible. thank you. a livermore art teacher has been arrest for indecent expo

the red cross is here to help and we're going to help too. anybody who calls up for $500 you mention my name say you want to take my tour of the station, for $500 donation, i will take you personally around the station, show you mobile5, show you the anchor desk, everything. >> reporter: he is trying to up my game! >> you got it. >> they could be celebrity weathercaster if they drop my name. right now the total so far, drum roll... $105,000! wow! and we still have until 7:00. please keep calling. >> that's so awesome. you know, roberta i had a woman call me, she said, i have $30 in my bank account. and i'd like to donate 10. is that okay? i said, that is -- she could have given me $100,000. that amount of money is so important. every penny that comes in makes a huge difference. the red cross takes that money and they spend it in the location where people are hurting giving back not only to the people but to the economy. they buy food there, supplies, they buy heat and gas and it's an amazing, amazing gift. if you can give anything, it goes di

gail mcgovern of the american red cross. still ahead, what is shaking the confidence of american consumers? find out, next. americans are giving the economy a push with holiday spending. and yet, many are also choosing to save money for a rainy day. greg mcbride of bankrate.com joins us this morning via skype. good morning greg. > > thank you angie. great to be with you again. > what is your latest survey showing about savings in america? > > savings remains a very high priority among consumers. about one-in-five say that is their top financial priority right now. paying down debt also very popular. but, the most common response among consumers is that their top financial priority is either getting caught up or just staying current on the bills. and angie, that right there in a nutshell shows why this economy is stuck in first gear. > are they concerned about rising household expenses, for instance? > > absolutely. so many households are dealing with stagnant incomes, but yet, household expenses continue to creep higher, par

so we're driving up and down to deliver the food. >> people want to donate cash to the red cross, howo they do that? >> you can go to red cross.org or call 1-800-red cross and we sure do appreciate it. all these efforts are made possible by the volunteer spirit of everyday people. over 4,000 people volunteeng their time and the donations and generosity of everyday people. >> 1-800-red cross. >> or redcross.org. >> congratulations on all you do. so, as a city man, how do you feel about this citizen outpouring of compassion and concern? >> this is what makes the city, and by them coming out here tonight, families -- some of them lost their homes, and they're here to help others. that shows you the spirit of new york city. that ex-emme identifies what -- exemplifies what this city is about and what these people are about. >> i noticed there was a girl here before that lost her home, and she is here. she is in her car getting warm. my goodness. where is she going to stay tonight? >> staying at her mother's house and she's going through a lot. all her kids are staying with different people

so we're driving up and down to deliver the food. >> people want to donate cash to the red cross, howll 1-800-red cross and we sure do appreciate it. all these efforts are made possible by the volunteer spirit of everyday people. over 4,000 people volunteering their time and the donations and generosity of everyday people. >> 1-800-red cross. >> or redcross.org. >> congratulations on all you do. so, as a city man, how do you feel about this citizen outpouring of compassion and concern? >> this is what makes the city, and by them coming out here tonight, families -- some of them lost their homes, and they're here to help others. that shows you the spirit of new york city. that ex-emme identifies what -- exemplifies what this city is about and what these people are about. >> i noticed there was a girl here before that lost her home, and she is here. she is in her car getting warm. my goodness. where is she going to stay tonight? >> staying at her mother's house and she's going through a lot. all her kids are staying with different people, and just -- i'm glad i have helped out. my husba

think about blankets the red cross has shipped 80,000 to the east coast.f you donate $10 it will buy three of thees. a little goes a long way. the red cross has already served one million meals to storm victims on the east coast. the agency needs your help to keep providing relief. >> sometimes, people have the perception that the red cross may not need any more donations, they are so big and there's the misconception that perhaps we are funded by the government, which we are not. we are funded by the generosity of the public. >> reporter: that's why abc has teamed up with the red cross for a day of giving. a phone bank on "good morning america" kicked off the day, different shows will ask for donations throughout the day and the company is donating two million dollars and will match donations from its employees with >> 90 within cents out of every dollar is going -- 91 cents out of every dollar is going to those in need. >> reporter: five from the bay area have traveled east to help, they have meals, snacks and water on pwofrpltd donations pay for hygiene

the red cross pulled out.r diplomats were begging for more security and that consulate had been attacked twice, once with a hole 12 feet wide. what else did the president of the united states need? did somebody have to bang him on the head? what did he need to go in there and make sure that our people were properly protected? this is what happens when you elect someone president of the united states who isn't ready to lead. who wants the lead by following. >> do you believe as some republicans do that the white house or certainly people close to the white house were aware of what was happening on that fateful night and decided not to do anything? >> they either were aware of it and decided not to do anything or they were asleep at the switch. either one leads to incompetence. it didn't have to happen. it's a tragedy that could have been avoided with proper leadership which is now lacking in the white house, and mitt romney would bring the kind of leadership i believe that would stay on top of something like th

you can also donate to the red cross by calling 1-800-help now or by going on-line to red cross .org/abc. >>> the presidential candidates are trying to assess the impact of super storm sandy on their campaign efforts. with just two days remaining until election day, president obama and mitt romney are concentrating on the battleground states. the latest abc news washington post tracking poll shows the race is tied at 48%. here is abc news reporter with a look at the final push. >> the countdown is on. president obama and mitt romney traveling from one swing state to another for a battle of votes and victory on tuesday. >> four more years! four more years! >> the last leg means large rallys and the president has some star power. katy perry warmed up the crowd in wisconsin. sounding raspy the president asked for more time to finish the work he started. >> we made real progress these past four years. but wisconsin, we are all gathered here today because we have more work to do. >> mitt romney made his final stop of the day in colorado. he says the progress so far isn't enough and it is t

the red cross is putting them up in nearbyms. ents were damaged thanks to the quick work of the dredging crew. >> did an amazing job getting as close as they did with the dredgers they had and actually get something water on there. they did a great job. >> we do it all. >> when we talked to the guys on the barge they were nonchalant about their efforts. >> all i can say i'm glad we were here and able to help. >> when it was all over, they went back to dredging the canal, and carting out the sludge, but the neighborhood gave them a round of applause for their efforts to help put out the fire. >> he and his guys are awesome. it's very traumatic. >> now, the timing for the crew is actually also pretty good because they wrapped up their dredging job today. so if that fire would have broken out anytime thereafter, they may not have been here and things may not have turned out so well. report leaving in san rafael, abc-7 news. >> ama: that's incredible. thank you. a livermore art teacher has been arrest for indecent exposure. police sa

. >>> and red cross relief heads east. what the organization is asking people here to do to lend a hand. >>> it is a rare case to prosecutor. robert honda was in the court as a school principal accused of violating a school law of reporting possible child molestation. >> reporter: a school principal went on trial today. charged with failing to report a teacher who may have molested a student one year ago. that teacher, is now awaiting trial for molesting five children. according to police report, an eight-year-old child who took the stand told the principal he had blindfolded her and touched her as part of a hellen keller report. >> she needs to contact law enforcement and let them do their jobs. >> reporter: detective is took the stand and tved he acknowledged her notes indicated misconduct by chandler. >> she said the notes look bad, don't they. >> the detective said yes. >> he and did she said i should have called the police and our whole point is yes, you should have. >> her attorney says the principal was fooled by a

text "90999", the word "red cross," and that actually will help. you can go to redcross.org and donate through their website. and you can donate blood at a blood drive in your local hometown. this is a real disaster. this is not a plot in a sitcom about how to run for president. this is a real disaster, an ongoing, affecting millions of americans. and real help really is needed. and that is not the same thing as using the suffering of millions of americans as an occasion to accrue political capital for yourself by trying to create the appearance that you are helping when you are not bothering to actually try to really help. that is something very different. >>> this is quite a time for the country, as you know. we're going through trauma in a major part of the country. the kind of trauma you've experienced here in florida more than once. and it's interesting to see how people come together, in a circumstance like this. now, people coming together, is also what's going to happen, i believe, on november 7th. >> pretty much equivalent. helping people

but the american red cross is one agency that sent members to help out in the wake of hurricane sandy. >> some remaining staff members could soon be going on strike. >> they are working to negotiate a new contract, but a red cross spokesman said if the staff does decide to strike, it would be terrible timing. he said the red cross has already lost 370 blood drives because of hurricane sandy, and the need for blood is even higher because of the storm. new york and new jersey continued to deal with the aftermath of hurricane sandy, and the red cross is one of many organizations that has stepped in to help. >> a lot of staff members have volunteered their time. >> now 50 staff members in the baltimore area are prepared to go on strike if a deal for a new contract is not reached. a red cross spokesman said on tuesday his office received a letter from the teamsters local 311 saying the union could strike in 10 days. a notice is required by law when dealing with health care providers. >> it comes at a really unfortunate time. we are trying to work together with the community and put our arm

of give weerg in that location for american red cross. it's important. we're shocked by what we can see from the east coast. there is critical assistance needed to rebuild skm that is what the red cross and you can do. more than $10 million has been raised so far today with more still to come. this is a disaster vehicle. that is where they will be in an emergency. a number of them in new york and new jersey. >> we have six in the bay area back ee. we have hundreds back east right now. about 106 residents from the greater bay area who are also. >> they're doing things like mental health counseling and providing health services and trainers and they're providing food and case work. >> so what you can do is help and be generous for our fellow americans you can text abc at 90999 to donate $10 or call 1-800-help now or go to their web site red cross.org-abc. the need is critical. kids need help. disney providing this guy to all children back east as the red cross stops by. your generosity on this day of giving is appreciated. >> don, thank you