scott rapoport, cbs 2 news. >> all right. stay warm. thank you. >>> and now over to alex denis with how the weather is affecting the commute. >> thank you. so i want to echo what elise has been saying all morning, that wet precipitation is freezing in some areas causing for a messy ride. in jersey city, an accident that has route 1 and 9 closed. kennedy boulevard is the alternate but it's already typically slow so just plan and east brunswick, the southbound side of the new jersey turnpike in the truck an accident. we have an alert in the car lanes northbound, some flooding blocking the right lane there. and a live look, 35 miles per hour speed restriction at the tappan zee bridge due to the sleet and rain and slick and on the hudson river, all of the hudson river crossings are clear as far as delays go but be careful. alternate side of the street parking rules are in effect city-wide. and remember, be safe, don't text and drive. and if you are traveling to the airport today, the faa is now reporting dozens of cancellations at all area

scott rapoport with eye-opening statistics. >> reporter: bold graffiti lines the walls here at the lirr train station. >> it's awful. >> most of the time, it's ignored. >> reporter: the new york city councilmember says it's been this way since the summer. and that she's been repeatedly in touch with the mta to get rid of the graffiti but says in the ensuing months, things got worse. it's not an isolated occurrence. city-wide, some say graffiti appears to be more and more prevalent. according to the nypd, the number of complaints city-wide year. this while arrest for graffiti year. and while perhaps a far cry from the out of control '70s, all of this is getting noticed. >> this is scribble and nonsense and it's ugly. >> reporter: we asked mayor mayor about the situation -- >> some of those statistics are very much of the moment and shouldn't be overweighted. the nypd has some sophisticated tools for going at it. so i expect you will see continued enforcement efforts in that area. >> reporter: meanwhile, back at the forest hills train station, the mta is promising to remove all graffiti b

cbs 2's scott rapoport "demanding answers" and getting action. [ music ] >> reporter: hidden away fence -- enormous blue fence is an owner of a bodega losing business. >> they think we are closed. >> reporter: the owner says his business flatlined ever since the mta started since construction five months ago to repair subway staircases. this construction fence hides his store wrapping around the block. the only way in is this little entrance off bushwick avenue. the fence was scheduled to come down last week. but the mta says unforeseen construction delays prevented that and now says it won't come down for at least six more weeks. the owner says he is running out of time and money. how much business have you lost? >> 60%. >> reporter: after our story aired, we reached out to mayor de blasio's office to see if there was anything the city could do to help the owner. this afternoon, representatives from three city agencies, small business services, community affairs and the department of transportation met with the owner and his lawyer to help. cameras all week had a rep show up. he refuse

scott rapoport reports. >> reporter: okay. now about times square and the ball drop. you and a million other people crammed together in the world's largest sardine can. there's always drink, dancing and dinner. >> i usually cook duck and champagne. >> reporter: we wanted to know >> i grow my beard starting at thanksgiving every year and i shave it off on new year's day. >> another weird tradition take an onion hang it over the door. and then if you have a young kid in the morning, you just strap him in the back. that's how you wake him back with the onion. >> reporter: sounds like trouble. >> our new year's resolution go to bed early, get a good night's sleep, get up tomorrow and hope i can live another year. [ laughter ] >> reporter: food plays a big part of new year's eve traditions and superstitions in many cultures. black eyed peas, collard greens and grapes. i'll let them tell you. >> we have 12 grapes. >> latinos like grapes when it hits 12:00. >> if you eat grapes on the new year it means wealth and travel. >> what's yours? >> it's pork, black eyed peas >> repo

cbs 2's scott rapoport demanding answers. behind an enormous blue fence along grand street in williamsburg is a bodega owner trying to make a living and fearing he is going to lose his business. >> the people think we close. >> reporter: ishmael is the owner of the grocery a business that's been all but eclipsed by this mta construction fence which wraps around the block. there's no way in, no way out save for this little entranceway off bushwick avenue. he says the lack of access is cripple. how much business have you lost? >> 60%. 60%. like what i used to make 100, now i make 40. >> reporter: he says it's been this way since july when the mta began work on staircases leading into the grand street subway station including the one in front of his store. he says he was told the fence would be taken down by early december. that has not happened. the site has been left blank. he says there's no relief in sight. >> it kills all my business. >> reporter: the owner says he pays $9,000 a month in rent for the store. because of all t

scott rapoport, cbs 2 news. >> scott did talk to a lot of people and he says he found more people like the christmas music than dislike it. >>> nypd officers are playing santa to make sure some very children have a happy christmas season. officers at the 19th precinct raised money to help raise spirit for kids staying at the ronald mcdonald house while they are being treated for their illnesses. the funds were used to buy gift. this year, officer pj connolly was in charge of the shopping. he says he filled five carts. so why did he do it? >> they are going through so much with chemotherapy. they are getting poked and prodded all day. and just the fact that we could bring a smile to their little faces, it's magical. >> officer connolly says santa had a few helpers as well with parents and friends hinting what the children might want. this year's hottest item, shopkins. he says he doesn't know what they are but he hopes they spread joy. maybe this dad of two little ones might know. because i don't know either! great photos. >>> lonnie quinn is here now. do you know what that is? >> i'm s

here's scott rapoport. better watch out, better not cry >> reporter: the sounds of the season are wafting in astoria. >> what do you think of the music? >> beautiful. >> reporter: it's been a holiday tradition here for 20 year, christmas music being piped in from loud speak areas tached to street lamps and even trees, here between 28th and 35th avenue during the christmas shopping season. >> because it just puts you in the spirit completely. >> reporter: seems lovely, right? well, not everyone here is saying ho, ho, ho. >> no. >> no. >> no. more time, i'm going to freak out. >> reporter: yep, seems not everyone is crazy about classics like these being played here on a loop every day non-stop from 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. >> the music is a little much. overpower, it's too loud. >> reporter: the astoria partnership says they used to play the music until 9:00 p.m. but found more than a few of the residents living above the to the that so they cut back the hours. as for grinches -- >> i try to tell them, get in

scott rapoport, cbs 2 news. >> police say that uber driver was also robbed and forced to give up his identification. >>> dozens of westchester homeless. they say they are being forced out of their homes in white plains so developers can apartment. cbs 2's brian conybeare spoke to some who say they won't go without a fire. happy that only five months after moving in the blind 91- year-old is being forced to move out of the esplanade a senior living complex on south broadway in white plains. >> the moving process is expensive. and, um, never racking as -- nerve-racking as you can elderly. >> reporter: the owner sent this letter to 150 residents in late november evicting them by mid 2016 so the 15-story building can be turned into luxury apartment. >> i think it's a shame. >> reporter: harold gillette is the 90-year-old president of the esplanade residents association. >> there are a lot of sick people here who came here figuring this is the last stop for them for their lives and it's destroying them and their families. >> reporter: while scaffolding is already up around the building, t

scott rapoport, cbs 2 news. >> mm-hm. as for anytime limits on regifting, he says if it's a timeless gift, five years is not too long. but he points out if you wait too long you might give it back to the person who originally gave it to you. [ laughter ] >> my favorite receiving regift was a bottle of champagne signed to somebody he feels. >> oh. >> with all our love. >> not cool. >> but was it good? >> it was great. fine. oh, my gosh. >>> that's it for us here at 5:00. we'll see you again at 11:00. the news at 6:00 starts right now. captions by: caption colorado comments@captioncolorado.com >>> your realtime captioner is linda marie macdonald. >>> a shotgun versus a shoe. a store owner fights off a robber with guts and a rubber sole. >> put the money in the bag, i shoot you. when he hurled his shoe at the would-be gunman. >> also a stowaway snake a venomous reptile found on a ship in the tri-state area. >> hours after our report revealing people bathing in bathrooms and sleeping at laguardia airport, the port north annou

cbs 2's scott rapoport shows us how some are preparing and [ music ] >> reporter: at the synagogue on the upper east side the children are getting ready for chanukah. [ music ] >> reporter: chanukah commemorates the rededication of the temple in jerusalem more than 21 centuries ago and how a small amount of oil meant to provide light for one day burned for eight. the festival of lights doesn't start until sunday night but the kids here are getting a head started lighting the menorah and spinning the dreidels eating chocolate coins wrapped in silver. >> yeah. >> why? >> because i get presents. >> reporter: meantime, here at the kosher market on the upper west side, shoppers are picking up food for the holiday including a tradition chanukah staple, latkas, potato pancakes. >> at some point i'll have latkas for sure. >> reporter: because if latkas are important. >> i'd say they are probably parts of the holiday. >> reporter: why? >> it's an excuse to eat latkas. >> reporter: all of which brings us to little miss party planner who says she is going to show us the secret to making the perf

scott rapoport has more. >> reporter: bright orange flames lit up the early morning sky over new jersey. behype the fence of the insurance auto auctions lot, firefighters are trying to douse a massive blaze involving 82 cars, they say. the manager of the business telling me he's still trying to make sense of it all. >> we're not sure exactly what happened. >> reporter: firefighters say the blaze broke out shortly after 2:00 a.m. here at this business that takes in and auctions off damaged cars. at this hour, there's no word on what caused the fire and the fire chief could not say if it was suspicious. despite the damage which is being described by firefighters as considerable, the manager here tells me, there is a silver lining. >> we know that for sure, no injuries. >> reporter: investigators are now left to determine how and why this happened. >>> in new jersey, a phony cop was arrested after pulling over a real police officer. richard goldrick is charged with impersonating a police officer. police say he activated emergency lights and turned over a car last week. turns out, the car b

scott rapoport, cbs 2 news. >>> now, experts also say it's okay for parents to show emotion. it allows children the opportunity to express themselves and not repress their feelings. >>> and we have much more coverage on the deadly shootings coming up at 6:00 including one local sheriff who is making a request of all registered gun owners. >>> campaign 2016. donald trump is invited to jersey city after saying people celebrated on september the republican front-runner said thousands of muslims in new jersey celebrated the terrorist attacks. but that never happened. and today the council on american-islamic relations relations made this statement. >> he is putting people's lives in danger. >> reporter: trump's campaign had no comment. >>> the new jersey assembly is postponing a vote to override governor christie's vet tow of a gun control bill. it makes it harder for someone with a mental health history to buy a gun. it requires police be notified when a prospective gun buyer asks the judge as to expunge their commitment to a psych hospital from their record. >>> in football on

scott rapoport, cbs 2 news. [ laughter ] >> that was fantastic. >> that's a new york christmas. the doorman. [ laughter ] >> great. >> only in new york city. >>> well, up next, did steve harvey make another mistake? how he is poking fun at his miss universes gaff. >> see the traffic stops that ended in smiles. >> also ahead -- >> we came here looking for nice colder weather. >> but these tourists from miami got a surprise in times how long with this record warmth will it stick around? >> and coming up at 6:00, home for the holidays. a local firefighter prevents a christmas tragedy. how he was able to put a teenager from a fire in yonkers. >> and lost and found a new jersey man reunited with his a deep sea adventure. >>> even with the record- breaking temperatures this christmas, there's a snowman upstate. a gas station attendant in syracuse has been dressing up as olaf from the movie "frozen." >> just so much fun. and the children absolutely love this. >> oh, that they do. today's high in syracuse is about 49 degrees. way above the threshold for a real snowman. >> if you can't m

live in bryant park, scott rapoport, cbs 2 news. >> thank you. >>> and this unusually mild weather it smashed records across the area. cbs 2's erica martin in for lonnie quinn joins us in the i feel overdressed with long >> i had my shirt sleeves on right now. conditions for today certainly abnormally warm. live shot outside empire state building seeing some gorgeous colors out there. also seeing some thick clouds. current temperatures low temperatures in the city about 70. high temperature for today we topped out at 72 degrees. that's normal for may. right now. unusually so. monticello 57. white plains 6. notice that scattered showers. and you can see just how thick and soupy the atmosphere is so lingering. gusts. temperatures cooling down by sunday. day in the forecast for tomorrow. so keep that in mind. temperatures in the pacific northwest, cooler there. billings, montana at 29. cheyenne at 27. bismarck at 21. so locally, it is certainly a lot warmer and that's the story at least through tomorrow. a change in the forecast by sunday. another record run until sunday. back to you. >>

scott rapoport, cbs 2 news. >> and to see more pictures of teresa guidice's release from prison, visit people.com. >>> a grand jury has indicted the truck driver that plowed into comedian tracy morgan's limo last year. kevin roper is charged with manslaughter and vehicular homicide. he was severely injured in the crash. his passenger james mcnair was killed. he was driving for walmart at the time of the accident. morgan and mcnair's family settled their lawsuit against the retail giant this year. >>> a woman accused of driving into a crowd of people in las vegas was in court today. 24-year-old lakisha holloway faces murder charges for killing a 32-year-old woman walking on the strip. dozens of other pedestrians were hurt. prosecutors charged holloway with child abuse because she had her 3-year-old daughter in the car with her at the time of the crash. >>> saved by a door. that's what rescuers are saying about a man trapped after a landslide crushed a mountain of construction debris toppled dozens of buildings sunday. today rescuers pulled a 21- year-old man from the rubble in shenzhen.

. >>> new light being shed on the growing graffiti problem in the city after scott rapoport's eye- opening report this week. >> this morning, scott has a follow-up report. >> reporter: graffiti is now seemingly on the rise again some 35 years later. >> it's everywhere. >> you see it? >> yeah. >> all over manhattan. >> reporter: as we reported monday, nypd statistics show graffiti complaints this year are up 15% over last year while arrests in 2015 are down 10%. >> and let me tell you, people >> reporter: our story struck a nerve on our facebook page, fed up folks like harold writing, sentence the people to clean it up. and jason said, nyc is graffiti, why do you people keep trying to change this place? just leave. walls, windows, mailbox, seems anything sprayable is a potential canvas in all five boroughs. >> looks like somebody just defamed somebody else's property. >> reporter: the lirr, sunset park brooklyn, one of the heaviest graffitid areas in all of the city. complaints have nearly double here since last year. >> reporter: take a drive along expressway. the mayor says his office and

scott rapoport, cbs 2 news. >> police stay uber driver was also robbed and forced to give up his id. early sent out a tweet last night thanking fans for their thoughts and prayers. >>> coming up, a possible new benefit of vitamin d. >>> plus, legal trouble for spotify. why they are being hit with a $150 million lawsuit. >>> and a popular spot in times good. >>> time for traffic and weather and traffic never more than seven minutes away on the 2s. >> well, good morning everybody. things are looking up for the end of 2015 with regards to the forecast. we still have some fog out there this morning. it is patchy but it is present. chase has 42 degrees in yonkers. and they have some clouds and she is reporting just over a tenth of an inch of rainfall overnight. and temperatures well to the north and to the west are close to that freezing mark. for example, let's see here, 36 degrees says chris in rockhill. and that's not freezing but there are other locations that are close. please be on the lookout for patchy black ice as well. for the most part, most of us are well above freezing this m

scat rapoport, cbs 2 news. >> -- scott rapoport, cbs 2 news. graffiti or possession of graffiti instruments are punishable with a fine and up to a year in jail. >>> the governor recentlier to a long islandment after playing basketball with his brother. a source says he is not expected to miss much work. >>> actress lindsay lohan's father michael was in a florida courtroom yesterday on battery charges. he is accused of hitting his estranged wife in front of their two young children in october. the case remains open but for now, the judge gave him a supervised released. the children are in the care of a grandparent. >>> the reality star teresa giudice is set to be home for the holidays. a lawyer for the real housewives of new jersey star says she will be out tomorrow. she has been locked up at the federal correction institution in connecticut since january on a fraud conviction. she will be under house arrest until february 5th. >>> up next, the punishment >>> and keeping holiday rage in check. what the experts say to do in order to keep the stre

. >> here's scott rapoport with more. >> reporter: the sounds of the season are wafting over the street. >> what do you think of the music? >> beautiful. i love that music. >> reporter: it's been a holiday tradition here for 20 years. christmas music being piped in the from loud speakers attached to street lamps and trees. here between 28th and 35th avenue during the christmas shopping season. >> because it just puts you in the spirit completely. >> reporter: seems lovely, right? well let me tell you, not everyone is saying ho, ho, ho. >> no. >> no. >> no. >> if i hear jingle bells one more time -- the. >> yeah? >> i'm going to freak out. >> reporter: yep, seems not everyone is crazy about classics like these, just to name a few, being played here on a loop every day non-stop from 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. >> the music is a little much. it's overpowering, too loud. >> reporter: marie of the partnership says they used to but found more than a few of the residents living above the stores were saying bah humbug to that so they cut back the hours. for grinches -- >> i try to tell them get in