that is what the va is supposed to be doing. somewhere along the line they lost sight of that. >>> taxpayers spent $1 billion to come to the conclusion that it is too hard to have a common computer system linking the va with the department of defense. he reje veterans started at the department of defense to begin with. >> i just think people aren't thinking clearly up there. >> no. we have a lot of them. what about the backlog on these cases? what is the plan? >> he proposes to temporarily higher -- temporarily higher retired va judges. e-filing cases making the tracker -- and get things right the first time. he told me that in 70 percent of these cases they are kicked back to the va because of mistakes made by the agency. that is unacceptable. >> will the bulldog is on it now. >>> if you have a problem that you would like steve to investigate you can call target 8. the helpline one 800-3380 8. the helpline 1-800-338-0808. >>> a little bit warm for this time of year but we're certainly not complaining. other than that picture-per

the va is not an entitlement. the choice act makes it a virtual entitlement. that's a good thing, but it's time to step back and figure out whether va should be the primary pair and whether we ought to think about as a motion that loads who served our country the way veterans did have the right, first right, to an entitlement because a lot of things would end up in a very different place were that the case and most of their care is actually financed by the federal government so that would be a challenge to some former colleagues and those that followed me as a staffer. lastly i would say this is about teamwork. so again i come to the city of phoenix, that's where the inferno started. on monday this billboard was put up in phoenix, it replaced a billboard that was right outside the va that said the va is lying. for nine months the staff that were driving to work saw that every day they went in. there are people that are dishonest, they happen to be in the private sector, they are also in the public sector, but not everybody is dishonest and the fact of the matte

veteran struggle with the va drags on for nine long years. a sebring man faces serious health issues and he's asking the department of veterans affairs to 0 get it right. for whatever reason the va listed his marital status as single. >> turns out he's been married for more than 30 years and for the last 9 of those years his pleas to set the record straight fell on deaf ears he reached out to target target 8 seen senior investigators report er steve andrews. >> this veteran is looking out for his wife he's trying to in casey passes away. the va's -- hold on here one second. not only did the va have his marital status wrong it was the va's mistake that dragged things out. keith and debbie addis took a short stroll before he checked into a hospital for a heart procedure. >> i don't know what's happening with this congestive heart failure. >>reporter: keith is trying to tie up loose ends with >> she can apply for my benefit if something happens to me, there's one small snafu. >> they have got me on single status, he served in the air force in the

all it required was for someone at the va to do their job. keith and debbie said their idus in the 80s but for the last nine years he has tried to convince the va that he is married. >> i was starting to think they are not going to do anything. >> we were watching news channel 8 and we saw your story where you had hoped another set of says, we need to contact this guy. >> reporter: he served in the air force in the 70s, suffered a service-connected injury and he now receives a small disability check. i met with them in bradenton before he underwent a heart procedure. >> it has become urgent since i came to this heart failure situation. >> reporter: if something happens, keith wants to make sure debbie receives his benefits but for nine years, >> all this time i said there is a problem. i asked what was the problem and they would never tell me. >> reporter: someone wrote down the wrong initial for debbie's middle name. keith turned to congressman tom rooney for help. >> he said the va does what it wants to do when it wants to do it. that is rea

coming up target 8 investigate a new case of incredible incompetence at the va. also ahead winner winner chicken wing dinner. how you can enjoy endless chicken wings from th after thanksgiving until the end of the year. o deposit, zero due at signing, and zero first month's payment on select volkswagen models. this black friday at the volkswagen sign then drive event. hey! is this enough? a little more... grandma! there you go... there's no more room. i know i had one more... hmmm... more. how's it looking? 20 more minutes... 8, 9... we need 1 more yes... let's enjoy. we need more rolls there was a little girl, and she became friends with every animal she met. in the end, all we really need more of, is each other. happy thanksgiving from publix. . >>> on wall street today the dow dropped 35 points the s & p 500 lost 5 the nasdaq was down 12. fiat chrysler is recalling nearly 8,902,016 vehicles for two separate problems. the first recall involves nearly 35,000 jeep grand cherokee suvs and dodge durango suvs worldwide. a fuel problem could catch fire. dodge dart com

leading the va's office of community care. one of the key pieces about my journey with va, is that i trained in va. i was a medical student in gainesville, florida, and then a fellow at the university of pennsylvania at the philadelphia va. and as many of you may know, 70% of all america's doctors at some point interact with the va. that's another key feature of the system. not only taking care of our veterans, but also training the next generation of nurses, doctors, and other healthcare professionals that will take care of all americans. to sherman's point at the end of the day what we want to see as a vision for a va and va healthcare, is what we call an integrated healthcare system. it's a system that includes va healthcare providers and clinics as well as expertise from the private sector. unlike many other healthcare entities in the united states that are limited by their geographic markets. if you're starting a clinic, it's -- you actually do is patients come to you. va is completely opposite. we go to where the patients

the average time to close a workplace complaint through of the va is 459 days. less than 4% of the complaints result in a finding of discrimination. employees can then go to the equal employment opportunity commission. that takes on average another 419 days, just over 5% of those complaints resulting in findings of discrimination. that's about 2 1/2 years on average for the complaint process, but banger says in many cases it's even longer. >> there is no real method of getting immediate relief. >> reporter: what effect does that have on the people who are timing a claim? >> i think the effect is that whistle blowers are discouraged. >> reporter: and not just discouraged. in her client's case? >> immediately after reporting the assault and the harassment the va initiated a campaign of retaliation and harassment. >> reporter: that's what becky says happened to her. she got written up for 11 incidents in the week following her first complaints to management for things like patient scheduling error and allegedly being late. she eventually got demoted. her disabled co

the phoenix va still cannot get veterans timely appointments. more than 200 patients have died while waiting for specialty consult appointments this the last two years. >> every day, it's pandemonium. it's reactionary every single day. we have providers that are doing double duty. >> luis was not only a veteran. he was also a lab technician at the phoenix va, and he would tell his wife what it was like >> he would talk about how a lot of employees are overworked. >> it's really daunting that two years after the original scandal, things have not changed. >> since the phoenix va director in charge at the height of the scandal was fired, the hospital has gone through about a half dozen directors in the last few years. the latest appointed a couple of months ago. >> that whole culture is still happening, that kind of corruption, not wanting to be held accountable and trying to sweep things under the >> so i, you know, like i said, the culture of safety and one equality, it also involves access, is really the one that we are focusing on and making sur

the va for all these years would tell me, you're not a veteran. then they'd want to see my actual paper work. they see the hard copies in front of them and then tell you, okay, but my computer says it's not, sorry, you can't come in. disgrace is the biggest under statement ever for that. >> if someone comes to us who served in the military who's a than honorable discharge, we're by law not allowed to treat them. congress sets the terms on who we're allowed to treat and what the eligibility criteria are. >> they volunteered to serve. they didn't volunteer to get ptsd. >> i feel like we're doing that. he may look okay. but they don't know what we deal with. i had faith that as an american, our soldiers would be treated. and that their injuries would be compensated for. i was naive. because i believed in the system. the system doesn't work. it's a broken system. i miss that carefree, happy, intelligent, fun loving son that has been take and i miss that. >> when you got word that it would be upgraded, how did you find out? >> by letter. i wanted to cal

. >> the va for all these years wouldn't tell me you're not a veteran. >> the push to help those who say they are now dealing with a disaster at home. >> amazon ordered to pay back millions to customers over something parents thought was child's play. >> and the city of denver is behind the city of denver's instagram account, right? no, not the case. now we're trying to figure out who is. 9news starts now. >>> anti- trump protesters in denver appear to be taking friday night off. sky9 was following thousands of people last night moving through downtown denver and a smaller group that managed to shut down i-25. tonight only a small group of protesters outside the state capitol and a small group of counter protesters. he's saying about obamacare suggesting to the wall street journal he's considering keeping parts of it. he expanded on those thoughts in his post election interview with 60 minutes. >> reporter: are you going to make sure people with preexisting conditions are still covered? >> yes. it seems to be one of the strongest assets, also the children living with their parents, v

now we find the va is as much to blame as anyone for slow payment. this 300 page report president states "the va has an antiquated, slow, and inefficient claims processing system. >> it seems like the problems are not getting fixed. >> reporter: the report also found the design and execution of the choice program are flawed. high reached out to healthnet today. it responded promising to check into the situation to determine why the delay in paying doctor providers a little quicker but they are not paying them in a timely fashion. what happens if you don't pay your doctor? >> i was thinking the same thing.>> that was a pretty blasting report on the commission of care. are they offering any ideas?>> reporter: it did. these are changes that don't need to be approved by congress. the commission on care recommended the va establish high-performing, integrated health networks that included both the va and community-based providers who meet stringent criteria whether the president for prest- and not everybody is on board which is always the case. >> just an

we need leaders in the va, we need leaders in the va that are willing and committed to a cultural change. the military, if a general says wear a pink shirt on friday, that happens all around the world, we can't get two regional offices on the same page. and that is the kind of changes that we need. we need a change where they take pride in their job and in the fact that you're not just providing a quantitative service, but you're providing a service that needs to be qualitative. a way that is a better quality of life. currently some of the metrics from hillary clinton and the other administration talk about the amount of veterans treated. handing painkillers to a veteran that is hurting is not a cure. it doesn't help them get a job, be a contributing member. that's the kind of cultural change. we have to pick the leaders outside of the va, bring them in and see the culture change. >> we're waiting to see who president-elect trump will tap for that job. >> i have spoken to a number of people including frank corvino. he said this starts at the top, starts with leadership. from there down,

they say they will have a hard time getting to the new va hospital in aurora. they want to see a pedestrian rail stop to the hospital. the new hospital in aurora is expected to open in 2018. >> that will be years behind schedule and the project is hundreds of millions of dollars overbudget. dillon thomas is checking in from aurora. we know the new light rail stop is a pretty good hike from the hospital. >> reporter: well, if you are a disabled veteran who plans to come to the hospital using the r line, you have yourself coming down the staircase traveling along colfax avenue, across potomac. a distance of two football fields just to get to the front door of the hospital. we spoke to a veteran's advocate saying there is a more simple and safeway to do the trip and the proposal is being ignored. the korean war veteran bernie, building awareness around a fully function a is is a top priority. >> access is number one. getting the patient in. getting them to be able to >> reporter: but doing just that is panning out to be a big challenge. veterans could one day use t

. >> early the va for all these years would tell me you're not a veteran and then they want to see my actual paperwork and so they see the hard copies in front of them and tell you okay sorry you can't come in. disgrace is biggest understatement ever. >> if someone comes to us serve in the military veteran have other than than honorable discharge we are by law not allowed to treat them. the congress sets the terms who we're allowed to treat and eligible criteria are. >> they volunteered to serve they didn't volunteer to get ptsd. >> i feel like that we're just battling the military and he may look okay and he may function okay, but they don't know what we deal with. >> i had faith that as an american our soldiers would be treated and that their injuries would be compensated for. i was naive because i believed in the system. the system doesn't work. >> i miss that carefree happy intelligent fun-loving son that has been taken from us. and i miss that. >> when you got word that it would be upgraded how did you find out? >> by i wanted to call everyone and brag. and then strangle those th

>> the feeling is that the va has been around for a long time and they know what they should be doing and daniel was going there. the presumption was that he was going to get better. >> reporter: on memorial day weekend 2013, daniel and his wife came to coronado, california to visit his his parents believe he put everything he had left into that trap. >> we feel that it was his goodbye. >> there is no question that it was. we tried contacting him and he never ever responded. i told jean, i think we have a problem. >> we thought he had put into words probably how so many of those people felt that we felt we would be remiss if we did not do it. we didn't want any other family to go through what we went >> reporter: daniel's note started the investigations that led to the phoenix va scandal, firing and resignations of the top staff. howard and jean have become advocates for helping veterans return home. >> when the doj starts giving up, you have to give money to the va. there is no way they were prepared for these guys coming back.>> he was carried it during a combat mission. >> reporter

the military was their job and when they come back they're lost. barbour is a va whistleblower who worked at bay pines. he's also a veteran who's wrestled with the mental challenges of coming back from war himself. and he turned to 10investigates earlier this year after he says va supervisors were allowing uncertified counselors to work with veterans suffering from p-t- s-d. we need to have the best care for these individuals they sacrificed a lot for us. the va has a program called "peer specialists," where veterans who have recovered from ptsd themselves are trained to help their peers still struggling with it. it's such an important program that president obama signed an executive order in 2012 expanding it...and improving oversight. but 10investigates discovered the va wasn't following guidelines, failing to confirm counselors' certifications, as well as their federally-required continuing education. they don't check. they take my word for it that i have these certificates the va denied multiple interview requests.... and it wasn't terribly forthcoming with ou

you're welcome. >>> now, a target 8 investigation >> a veteran's struggle with the va drags on for 9 long years. a man facing serious health issues is asking the department of veterans affairs to get it right single but he's been married for more than 30 years for the last 9 of those years his pleas to set the record straight fell on deaf ears. . >> keith and debbie took a short stroll before he checked into the hospital for a heart procedure. >> i don't know what's happening. >> so keith is trying to tie up loose ends with the va. >> she can apply for my benefit if >> but one small snafu preventing that from happening. >> they got me down in a single status. >> he served in the air force in the '70s, they married in the '80s. he receives a small disability check for an injury. he's tried for 9 years to get the va to change his marital status. >> honestly when you call if you thank you for your service we're not going to do anything for you. >> he provided them with his >> they said her middle initial is not right. well, they made out the form? >> 5 months ago he asked a congressman f

whatsoever. >> and now is the chairman of the board for the bay pines va and their effort to bring in more vets. >> not taking advantage of the benefits the country wants them to have. >> this va was one of the first in the nation to start my va community a program working with county leaders and veterans to spread the word of the services offered, changing negative perceptions. >> there is at first nist toward the government. >> leaders plan to start the by the end of the year. harris thinks he is better off now. >> i am happy that i did. i am meeting more people than i used to. >> he hopes more of his colleagues can join in. >> we have come a long way. we need really good people in the office or in congress and the house to come forward and help us. >> brendaliss gonzalez abc action news. >>> the streets for the ninth annual tampa veterans day parade . it is at the veterans hospital, more than 40 veterans and civic groups marched in the parade.>> that bay pines va healthcare system hopes its annual ceremony people gathering for the event, david jolly was also there to honor those wh

he talked about wanting to make big changes when it comes to the va. of the things talk about en sure vets get the care they need. meet the needs of the female vets and fire corrupt va execs. how tough is it going to be for him to do these things in>> it will be tough because the va unions will fight back against him. he has made it a priority. he has to hire an aggressive va secretary. they need to fire employees at any level. ultimately the most important aspect i think is giving veterans a choice go to a private provider if they need to. that creates competition a hospital like this will need if they treat veterans like customers as opposed to numbers. they are caught in a burr rock see that are faesless. you talk to veterans they are optimistic he will change the culture of the va. >> how long will this take in they have been waiting too long for these changes already. >> it will take a while. you have got -- it's a 340,000 person bureaucracy, 160 hospitals. it is a single payer government healthcare. until you have leadership willing to claen hous

. >> the va does a lot of good for a lot of veterans and a lot of families. but a recent mistaken and attempted cover-up cast a shadow. we investigated the direction of an incident earlier this year when an elderly ventolin passed away and as his body was prepared for the morgue was forgotten and a shower room for nearly 10 hours. a va reviewing it concluded negligence but a lack of respect for the deceased veteran. even though all names and titles, improve much everything else was redacted from this report those employees privacy we also found concerted efforts by employees to hide the mistakes through false reports. that only did they act inappropriately, they knew they did, and tried to cover it up. >> we honor american veterans. we view this as unacceptable and have taken appropriate actions >> the va confirms employee discipline but we will never that from the report two. a spokesman tells us that they have since adopted new policies and procedures to make sure this kind of dishonor never happens again. >> obviously it is not an outcome we would have want

the va. secondly, training we train about 70% of the doctors in the country and we are the largest employer of nurses. third is the clinical work and this is the clinical work that our doctors and residents of nurses do with our veterans and veterans are the best patients in the world. we wonder what will happen to the american medical system without the nobel prizes or the oscar awards are the training of the doctors. that is why i think the va is essential, not just for veterans but also for american medicine in the american public. >> good conversation and there is a lot of work to do but they have made a lot of progress over the last few years.>>> thanks ted. a sports personality is completely done with colin kaepernick, what the 49ers quarterback did or did not do that lead in the espn analysts to say that he'd prefer to never see kaepernick again. >>> parents of a high school say their daughter was targeted and assaulted because she is a donald trump supporter, we will speak with the st

. >>> coming up 10:00 in arizona soldiers suicide note that went viral and sparked the va scandal. was booked his parents about the lasting impact of his life and death. >> thank you. >>> now to decision 2016 and this is just coming and. the ap has officially called arizona for donald trump. he has officially when our state. it was a big day for donald trump money went to the white house for his first face-to- face meeting with resident there was a wide-ranging air from the white house. he wants to reach out to donald trump to help america. donald trump said he welcomes the presidents advice. >>> since trump was announced as the president of the united states massive protests have been breaking out all over the nation from the west coast to the east coast people unhappy with the trump presidency have been taking to the streets. they are chanting things like traffic and declare that they refused to accept trump's victory so you want to know what you think. is unpatriotic to protest the results of the election? you can vote yes or no on 12news.com. actually have some early results. 65

>> well, there's a lot of pause right now and i'm standing this morning outside the phoenix va medicalhere the scandal started over two years ago where secret wait lists were exposed and veterans died while waiting for care. unfortunately the culture at the va since then has changed very little at the very facility, the office of inspector general continued wait times that it was still with cover-ups despite billions of dollars more spent. the reaction of washington was to spend more money when what is actually needed at va is accountability for employees that are failing, a culture change and choice for veterans. if they can't get into a facility, they need to go to private provider. nicole: thoughts on the wait times and we know that some of them are actually been fatal in the end? >> yeah, wait times -- the reports released just last month exposes that wait times here have continued to lead to a loss of life. daytimes are reflection of bureaucracy. so when you have a limited number of choices and there is no transparency on the number of appointments, appointments can be canceled or

. >>> a w the va. that's massachusetts senator scott brown. >> the former senator is now in the running. we know this from him that he has met with donald trump and interested in running the va. what is interesting here when donald trump months ago skpw-d a running mate long before mike pence the first name was scott brown. we know that they liked each other. a role in the administration. he wants to run the va, we know a florida politician is up for the gig and wants it as well. >> that's jeff miller. miller has competition and this an area where of all of the picks could be the most contentious given the problems at the va and the promise to reform it. we may find out in a matter of hours, we know that you are watching and let us know. >>> a record breaking market. the dow passed the record and rose 80 points. and the nasdaq rose 80 points and the s&p closed 16 points up. >>> and three days from the holiday and firefighters were handing out free turkeys with all the trimmings. they tid it at christ ca

ii veteran is still trying to figure out how she's going to pay the government back $26,000 after the va said they overpaid her. she admits she made a mistake. news 3's antonio castelan has the followup. >> reporter: it's still a big bess -- mess, the $26,000 debt has not been sure she's not kicked out of her retirement home. >> i didn't think about reporting it. that's why i got in trouble. >> reporter: this 95-year-old world war ii veteran, irene miller, is dealing with a $26,000 problem. she says for the past 12 years, the va was paying her a small amount about $20 extra per point from her dead husband's federal her, she would not get her pension check. >> you can't double dip. you know, she's getting social security, plus she's getting his survivor benefits, plus her own benefits. >> reporter: now with the money owed miller faces the threat of getting evicted from her retirement home. if she could again, she would do things differently. >> i didn't mean to keep it secret. >> reporter: but she didn't report it. unsure, she says of who she would even call. still a potentially costly mi

is made possible through the hard work of the va staff and hard-working volunteers. cleveland raising money to help veterans returnin from war.r.nd she started the battle saints project to raise money for clinics to help veterans adjust to civilian life. >> to be in battle and to go through what they have gone is horrific. they need these clinics. i have everyone tell me that it isis literally save their life. >> va's is thousands struggle with combat stress and injuries, so they work with the intrepid fallen heroes fundss to build centers for veterans suffering would you say no to a lot more money? [excited scream] you just won a million dollars! no thanks. nice balloons, though! or no to more vacation days? janet, i'm giving you an extra week's vacation! oh, ah... nooo. what? no way. who says no to more? time warner cable's all about giving you more. like the most free hd channels and virtually unlimited movies and shows on demand, so you can binge all day. call now. and don't forget the free tv app. get ultra-fast internet with secure home wifi to connect all your

graf sat down with brandon coleman looking to the new administration to make sweeping changes to the va. >> he wants the new president veterans and who better to weigh in than someone who helped expose the broken system in the first place. >> they found people stealing and found people that are dishonest. they can't get rid of them. all of that's going to change. >> brandon is counting on it. he's remained vocal since outing the va on abc 15 for mishandling suicidal veterans. >> he jumped off of a rooftop. programs canceled. still he feoffed. >> but he says -- still he testified. >> but he says veterans are waiting and dying. he's ready to take the issue to the top. >> i want the decisions to stop being made by men in suits with good healthcare or men and women who didn't serve. i never saw a four star general who needed care at the va. >> he's calling for bonuses to cushy pensions taken. >> change is coming. time to drain the swamp. >> graph grafr abc 15 news. -- nohelani graf abc 15 news. >>> the newest pictures. this a protest in los angeles right now. as you can see protesters there

now it's time for the va to prove their commitment to our soldiers. >> secretary mcdonald what are you doing to reduce that way time? >> no separation from the time the individual leaves ti duty and becomes a full-fledged veteran. we want that to be seamless. that is what we are working toward. >> actually think i found some things. 1978. they stay in the study members left with honorable discharge negatively affects them from getting benefits and employment. it says that in here. it's the same thing. there was a warning. >> absolutely. >> the government could finance mental health treatment not only in veterans hospitals but a veterans who can't get immediate care in a veterans hospital, let them have the funds to the veterans administration to go to private psychiatrist. >> you shouldn't have to wait weeks, you should get the services the very same day. >> they are not democratic veterans and republican veterans. they are american veterans. americans who volunteered to put their lives on the line for us. parties should never get in the way of benefits we promise veterans. we should g

the men and women at the va medical center who gave so much for their country will be showered with basic personal and household items - 'what it is we helping people out and showing them that we care and that we love them no matter who he or she may be and thats what its all about.' veteran gray wetzel says the things so many take for granted mean the world to our veterans. 'and not only them but maybe their children are in need of help and we can guide them and help them in program only works through the generous donation of the community. 'its important that we as citizens of this nation, citizens of this community do everything we can to recognize them and to thank them.' county executive chris abele also started a 25- thousand dollar challenge to

the rest of their lives. here's a problem for those who advocate for complete privatization, yet agree that va should retain theunction of providing specialized services. i keep hearing them say that va can do what it does best and privatize the rest. that will not work. and here's why. having a spinal cord injury or poly trauma doesn't mean that i won't get cancer, have a heart attack, develop diabetes or suffer depression and need what's referred to as tertiary care. which augments and sustains those specialized services that va does well. within the va system veterans access those services oncology, surgery, neurology and are still closely followed by a specialized care team because of the interdisciplinary framework that's unique to va. that's why you cannot separate them. specialized services should demand tertiary services be driven completely to the private sector. so with this busy slide in front of you, we'll turn to the discussion on the attributes that make va health care unique based on my 14-year experience as a user of their health care, that's my focus here today. the e

the va confirms employee discipline.... but we'll never know. they redacted that from the report too. but a spokesman procedures to make sure this kind of dishonor never happens again. "obviously, it's not an outcome we would have wanted, but it's something that, in the va, when we identify an issue, we use it as an opportunity to learn and move forward." we can't expose these problems and push for fixes without your help.... this story came to use via viewer email..... you can do the same, confidentially.....at tips@wtsp.com. noah pransky, 10 investigates. tuesday evening- a memorial was held for the victims of the "ohio state university attack." 11- people were hurt -- when a man plowed his car into a group of people and began stabbing them with a knife. all but three of those hurt-- are now home from the hospital. the attacker was shot and killed by a the attacker was shot and killed by a campus police officer. when he came to ohio state 3-months ago -- he told the student newspaper-- campus. investigators believe he was likely inspired by "is

fox5's abby theodros was in pahrump where the va opened a community outpatient clinic today- she talked to veterans about what a trump presidency means to them. these local veterans are celebrating the new v.a. out patient clinic in pahrump - but theyre still election tom waters, veterans: (black man, glasses, hat) he made some promises, but no i was not supportive of donald trump 14:17:29:17 don mccollum, vet: (white, hat, transition glasses):i think trump is probably going to be going to be the most amazing president we've had in this country donald trump elected president on a platform heavily supporting veterans. so what does that mean? in his 100 day plan- trump outlined a ten point program to reform the v.a. at the top of the veterans the ability to "choose public health care or attend a private doctor of their choice" tom waters, veteran: it's easier to fix what we already have and i see in southern nevada we've already done that tom waters is a vietnam veteran who says adding private care to the va is an expensive solution. instead trump should improve the existing system 13:58:

we understand it's important for us to work collaboratively with the va. so we're hoping the administration will help to continue that. >> is it, though, a nervous time for those of you who work in the have a new administration coming to town and maybe different budget priorities? >> so i think it may be somewhat of a little nervous time for people because of the process may change a little bit. but overall, i think we have a mission, and we know what that mission is, and that's to support wounded, ill and injured and we pretty much stay focussed on that mission whether i'm here or someone else is in this seat, support our men and women who need these programs. >> you will be making a transition, though. >> i will. >> tell us what your plans are. do you know yet? >> i don't know. i'm in the process right now like a lot of our service members, figuring out what is best for me, and the role i can continue to serve. >> continuity is important. standpoint, we have phenomenal commanders at the ground level that are in charge of transition units from all of our s

agency needs to work with the defense department to transition military members out of duty to get the va programs they need. brown doesn't expect a decision until after thanksgiving. also thisee governor mitt romney according to vice president-elect mike pence, romney is under serious considering for the role of secretary of state. in the newsroom, mark ockerbloom, fox25 news. >> heather: thank you for that. stay with fox25 and fox25boston.com as donald trump continues to put his transition team together. we will update you as soon as cabinet members are named. >>> and the driver involved in a hit-and-run crash is being held on $200,000 bail. arnold hernandez was arrested toward leaving the scene of an accident and leaving the scene of an accident without a license. was captured on surveillance video. you see a minivan running into a 72-year-old woman and driving off. the woman who was hit is said to be okay. hernandez is due back in court december 22. >>> a new hampshire father is in jail tonight and they found his two children covered in human waste inside an apartment in deplorable co

. >> the va said that in december. nearly a year passed. veterans are left still waiting. >> we're waiting to see who the next secretary of veterans affair will be. miller from florida. ams looking into problems of the va for years. check out forgotten heros and the war at home. catch up on prior investigations of money and politics. our youtube channel. search for craig patrick money, power & politics and click subscribe at the top of the page. merissa, what is coming up? >> a messy transition for president elect. >> a closer look at the mrars in washington, prodecember or thes in the street and what invite who you want, not who you must. serve a turkey, don't serve a turkey. bring classic flaky crescent rolls, or not so classic pizza sticks. and don't forget something sweet, and golden brown fresh from the oven. set the table, set the coffee table, set no table at all. the only rule to follow on friendsgiving... is make it your own. elect donald trump took to twitter >>>president elect trump took to twitters to set the record straight as h

thn there's the va imposter scam. i know a lot of you have been waiting for cals back from the -- calls back from the va. verify who they are. number. contact the number you already have and check them out. it's a hassle, but better to be annoyed than scammed. bogus military charities. coming at you by phone, email, or a knock at the door. it's easy to give money to the wrong people. there are websites that can let you know who they really are. bottom line, research anybody who comes asking for your money. and thank you for your service. head to let joe know for always the information on where to start. i'm investigator joe ducey. you got a problem, let me know. >>> a beautiful weather day across the valley for veterans day. if you have plans outdoors this evening maybe dinner or the patio 79 in phoenix. 80 in tempe. overnight lows on the cool side as you head out tomorrow morning. 50s for goodyear. os. above -- 80s. above average high temperatures heading into tomorrow afternoon. if you're heading to nascar weekend, 8

the billboards in colorado are about three and a half miles from the va hospital. tonight, one veteran told me the exact words lying and dying before even showed him a photo of the billboard. another touted the care he received after a sudden spinal gardner, recently called for, and is getting investigation into the va's weightless. more than three dozen veterans died waiting for a point was in where the billboards originated. it is unclear if that is the message behind these billboards in colorado. >> a spokesman tells marshall they have never been approached by people associate with these billboards. if they come forward they can set up a meeting with executive leadership. >>> president-elect trump released a message today asking for the country to come together as >> it is my prayer that on this thanksgiving we begin to heal our divisions and move forward as one country, strengthened by shared purpose and very, ery common resolve. >> thanksgiving brings together family, friends, some of whom didn't vote how you voted two weeks ago and they are sitting at the same

and that lucky old sun keeps rolling around our skies. ,, ,, ,, ,, ,, >> this affect patients of the va eastern colorado system. an employee e-mailed incrypted documents to a personal e-mail account. those documents had the veteran's names, last four digits of their social security numbers. and their diagnosis. the va is working on notifying each affected veteran right now. >>> new at 6:00, keystone resort is hoping the third time is the charm. the resort has delayed opening day twice now. there you see why. it is too dry. it will try again though. november 18th. right now, our matt kroschel shows us the early season has >> reporter: snow cats finally pushing around enough manmade snow for loveland to open tomorrow morning. >> our workers are hard at work today. some of them are working around the clock to get those final jobs completed. >> reporter: loveland along with all of the other usual early season openers, except for arapahoe basin, have been struggling to make snow in near record breaking heat. >> we are going to have a top to bottom run. a thousand vertical feet. >> reporter:

administration was paying her sign seen 20 extra a month from her dead husband's federal benefits the va stated they over paid her and would not receive a pension check. heads elder help lv an organization that helps the rights to benefits. >> you can't double dip. plus her own benefits. >> now with the money she face the threat of getting evicted if she could coit all over she would do it different. gi would tell hem them about it. >> i didn't mean to keep it a skreet. >> who she would call. potentially costly mistake. it is hard to fault a 95 y know. she achieved have not broken a law. >> since the story many reached out to help the veteran. >> makes me feel good there are so many people and most are veterans. >> we reached out to the va and they have not returned or calls. many called and e mailed how they can help irene. >> reporting live, news three. >> the response has been overwhelming and it was last week. >> this is one that come out and helps when you see a mead and obviously the need is there. >> jim: to the weather and no tricks for the ghosts and gob lynnes out for the yearl

he will be making big decisions, among decisions is a look at the va as well. t veteran aaffairs. hello, i'm jenna lee. jon: made it a center piece of the campaign, take care of our veterans. i'm jon scott. mr. trump sitting with president obama, the first of many, many steps in the transition of power, one of them is to assemble a cabinet. among the most powerful conditions really in the world not only the white house. a name floated for that post is republican national committee chairman reince priebus. here is what he had to say about that idea on fox and friends. >> number one, that's not my job, number two, i don't have any updates for your on transition. i'm sitting here at the rnc and it's a great job and that's the one -- >> if the president elect calls you, asks you to be the white house chief of staff, yes or no? >> it's not something that i'm talking about right now. jon: peter ducey not being considered -- jenna: you never know. jon: he's live in our dc bureau. >> right. we do. the president elect is at his office in manhattan trying to fill out his

before when they left and that sacrifices dealt with daily.a >> there also facing financial hardship, the va has indicated that his disability benefits ar being cut. might present you with a $5,000 gift card for free the family is presented with a helping handnd that i appreciated.th >> reran a battle of the va about losingg some raging and that bit of money helps us to offset costs and , we have to least we have that covered. >> this is one of those things that isis kind of feels like someone is watching out for us and sought out theret there aree other people who struggle and it doesn't matter whereho they are ads, it gives hope that there are people out there.s >> jack shea fox 8 news. is giving back, he is studying therapy andnd to use t to help others dealing with ptsd. last night's loss brings the start and longtime fans are getting to where they just don' want to watch,, dave nethers talked to some of the biggest fans about how they are feeling and joins userg. >> it is not pharmacies and sessions you have season ticket you have spent a lot of money for tickets that many people litera

. >>> plus at the va people without medical backgrounds decide whether veterans medical issues qualified them for benefits. one person after the agency's top job says that has to change. >>> on this thanksgiving there are so many reasons to be grateful and this is one of them. ten-month old marissa recovering from a heart transplant. chemical are making this family's dreams come true on a day of getting think -- thanks. we will have the story coming up . >>> dose tories plus your forecast coming up on news channel 8, the station that is >>> let the holiday shopping begin: stores and malls are open . what items are hot and what shoppers are after. >>> giving back, former all- star tackles a thanksgiving meal for dozens of families in need of a break on this thanksgiving day. >> plus major changes at the va. we talked to one man that could shake things up if he is thanksgiving. >> thank you for joining us tonight. and so it begins. bargain hunters are in search of the best deals in town. we're joined live inside the best buy on gun highway in tampa. i know it is loud so that means a lot is

waiting for medical care at the va hospital in phoenix, the u.s. department of veterans affairs comes up with an apps for vets to get them the medical attention that they need. 6 million veterans will soon be able to use an app on their phones, tablets or computers to schedule appointments with their primary care doctors. taking the scheduler out of the picture here, the va plans to debut online appointment scheduling starting in january. >>> the trump train is in motion >>> fox 10 news is back. >>> the tabulations are finally done and certified in new hampshire, where hillary clinton won the state's four electoral college votes. clinton won by about 2,700 votes, less than 1 percent. only michigan is still to be called by the associated press. >>> president obama comments on the transition process as the success, president elect donald trump. >> donald trump will be the next president, the 45th president of the united states. and it will be up to him to set up a team that he thinks will serve him well and reflect his policies, and those who didn't

brown said the secretary of the va is the toughest job in the cabinet because of the number of problems they face. >>> hundreds of people showed up to the steps of the massachusetts statethousand rally against hate crimes. >> all p equal. >> daniel: many of the people at the rally feel there has been a rise in hate crimes and harassment since the election, but several local lawmakers say the issue much bigger. >> here is what is nonnegotiable, everyone in this country deserves dignity. everyone in this country deserves respect. >> daniel: in the weeks since maura healy set up a hotline, they received 200 calls statewide. terrorist suspect is held without bail. he tried to join isis and considered carrying out an attack in new york city. he wanted to carry out a vehicle attack with a garbage truck crushing residents. police arrested him at his apartment. he traveled to turkey and yemen last year in hopes of joining isis, but the terror group didn't take him. >>> new this morning, the man accused of ambushing and executing a san antonio police crime. police arrested otis tyrone mcclain ye

th the va indicated that his disability benefits are being cut.. i >> like to present you with a $5,000 gift card for free groceries.h and may veterans day surprise, the family is presented with a helping hand. y we are in a battle of the va about losing some raging so tha bit of money helps, costs because we had to eat so at least we have that covereded. >> this is one of those things that justst kind of feels like someone is watching out for us and someone sees that there are people who are struggling it does not matters where they're at, but it gives you more hope that there's good people out there..t, he is taking classes on art therapy, and place to help othe veterans, i think we call thatr that was the final story shot by photographer russ herbruck who is retiring today. that is a sample of the kind of quality work he has done for 36 years. man behind the counter that story,y, russ herbruck has been with fox 836 yearss and with two other amazing photo journals are calling it quits, the last two years, russ herbrucks has teamed up with ja shea

there is a town hall from six to -- five to 630 at the va center. white house and mortgage rates continue to edge higher following the election. the average rate for a 30 year fixed mortgages closing in on 4%. those rates have shifted up .5% in the last week. >>> there is a new rules for hybrid and electric cars traveling at low speeds. those quiet cars are now required to make noise when moving forward and in reverse while driving up to 19 miles per hour. federal safety regulators hope the change will present 2400 injuries per year.>>> a theater teacher is getting the a-list treatment over in hollywood. >> jack sparrow and edward scissor hand are doing a little trimming on montoya's hair before she catches the late show. >> she just one to share when sweepstakes getting the she entered the contest for her sister. >> a year ago my sister passed away. she had lots of ideas and plans and i am just dedicating my life center passing to really enjoy everything. try new and different things. >> tonight on the late late show, >> people asked me what to we

. >>> a veteran fought the va for nine years over his benefits. >> it was the va's mistake. >> reporter: she had to pay a medical bill that should have been covered by school insurance until mark douglas, in the case. >> thank you for being on my side. >> reporter: i hospital makes up for make it right until you got involved. >> all november long, news channel 8 was on your side, getting results. zero really can be a hero. get zero down, zero deposit, zero due at signing, and zero first month's payment on select volkswagen models. this black friday at the volkswagen make your holidays more delicious. right now, when you buy $20 in gift cards... ...you get a $5.00 gift certificate for yourself. >>> right now on news channel 8 at 5:30 pm: >> a changeup and leadership in the catholic ur one diocese in florida. >> i am jennifer leigh and i'm josh benson. thanks for being with us. >> after serving the pensacola- tallahassee area, pope francis called bond bishop gregory parkes to come to the bay area and service senior bishop of the second largest diocese in the state. anthony allred joins us

but the va insists this veteran is not married. target 8 investigates. >>> good evening i'm keith cate. >> i'm stacie schaible. we grin with breaking news. fire fired for using excess sir force at a traffic stop then the job tonight after the sheriff tells us he fab ate cateed events about the march night that he pulled a woman over. and news channel 8' peter bernard is live at the he sheriff's headquarters in largo with more on this story. >>reporter: deputy wayne wagner is the dispute involved here. he is no longer on the force. he had been on the force for just over two years and he's no longer employed here. the sheriff tells me wagner pushed page paige taylor into ground violently. it was all caught on tape it now we have that tape. dash cam video and surveillance video from a mobil gas station fourth street north in st. petersburg shows what happened. deputy wagner pulled a woman over paige taylor was arrested her for battery on a law enforcement office every recessing arrest with violence empty wrote in a report a woman