u.p.s. the shipping problems will forever be remembered as the grinch that stole christmas 2013. over the past few weeks, executives had promised that they were going to be ready for the big holiday season. u.p.s. ceo kirk coon back on december 2nd. >> we continue to be efficient and routing on the ground so we can meet increased demand. >> that was then. diana olick has the now. she's in washington with the latest. good to see you, diana. >> reporter: you no, sara, it was a major miscalculation, but we've just a few moments ago gotten a new statement from u.p.s. they said u.p.s. apologizes to both shipping and receiving customers who may have delays. we have additional sorting problems at the international air hub in louisville, kentucky, on christmas and are making deliveries and pickups today. customers should continue to access u.p.s.com for the most updated information. so here's what happened. an unexpected surge in online sales that u.p.s. simply couldn't handle. they had pictured 7.7

u.p.s. drive calls it the worst picture ever, u.p.s. and fedex trying to make good with angry customers after mailing to deliver thousands of packages. according to both shipping giants, and increases shipping demands from online orders that overwhelmed the systems, many are turning to social media to complain saying "thanks for ruin ing christmas." >> it is terribly disappointing. we order these things december 1st for the people in the building say they can not fine them because this are a thousand packages can they can not find our packages. >> u.p.s. and fedex are apologizing for the delays and officials will not say the exact number of packages that did not make it on time but it did impact people across the country. >> in the bay area, our reporter is at the u.p.s. distribution center in south san francisco. he will have an update in the next half hour including what amazon doing to make it up to the upset customers. >> a shelter that helped homeless teens in san francisco if a dozen y

online. >> u.p.s.for undelivered parcel shipment. >> how do you tell a 6-year-old she's not going to get her present for christmas? >> that's tough. >> these are the nature of private sectors. >>> good to have you with us tonight, folks. thanks for watching. republican house oversight committee chairman, darrell issa, has made a complete fool of himself again. in his lacest witch hunt. issa is the most outspoken critic of the white house's handling of the 2012 attack on the american consulate in benghazi. a "new york times" report concluded that the raid was, by local militants, not by al qaeda or any other international terrorist group. on sunday, congress and issa stuck by his claim that al qaeda was involved. >> al qaeda is not decimated, and there was a group there that was involved, that is linked to al qaeda. >> darrell issa consistently wrong, again and again and again. his arguments are never based in facts, yet he never gets called on it by the conservative media. issa is strictly agenda-drive

u.p.s.in full damage control mode as irate gift givers take to social media. we're covering both stories for you this morning. margaret conley is outside of macy's harold square in new york eyeing those deep discounts. nick valencia is eyeing the deep outrage. margaret, lots of people in the stores? >> reporter: carol, today is the day for deals and discounts. christmas sales were down about 3% compared to last year, but that hasn't stopped a lot of stores from extending their hours and offering more discounts. you mentioned a few of them. toys"r"us, they're open for 14 hours today. walmart, they're offering sales 25 to 50% off and jcpenney, they're giving out could you pongs. macy's right here in harold square, they were open at 6:00 this morning. here's what the shoppers had to say. >> we're here to do a little bit of shopping and feel the tourist attractio attractions. we're going on a helicopter flight over new york. >> we're from sweden and we're going back home today. we had one shirt

u.p.s. and fed. say they expect to have all packages delivered today, tomorrow, but definitely by the weekend. >> thank you, nick. if you are waiting for a package or if the delay impacted christmas, we want to know at facebook.com/abc and let us know what is going on as you can see, the delay has a lot of people talking already this morning. >> happening now, bargain hunters are out shopping for the 56 christmas sales and stores are hoping to get rid of their left over inventory. amy hollyfield is in pleasant hill. what do you see, aim? >> the crowds are not too bad. we are at ko hl's open for 108 hours straight headed into christmas eve and open again this morning but the people are not here. if you are thinking of shopping today and worried about the crowds don't think twice. >> they barely took a break for christmas opening back up at 5:00 a.m. this morning although there wasn't a huge crowd here. those who did show up looking for bargains had the store to themselves. >> the parking lot is...spar

thanks for ruining my christmas, u.p.s." u.p.s. social sentiment measured on a scale from negative 100 to positive 100 collapsed on christmas day from negative 28 -- excuse me, from 28 to negative 41. the fall fueled by a 40% volume spike over the previous day lifting u.p.s. social mentions to a level four times higher than just ten days before christmas. now fedex thus far hasn't been dinged at all according to this data. social sentiment remaining flat through christmas day without a material uptick in volume. we might not see a lot of movement in stock, but social sentiment, that's a metric to watch. >> everyone wants to have a little outrage and have their voice, don't they? i wonder if this will speed up the argument to keep on testing those delivery drones. >>> u.p.s. and fedex woes are turning their attention to brick and mortar retailers. coast to coast they're flooded today with shoppers. many are armed with gift cards and many armed with returns. julia boorstin is at the grove in los angeles. what are you seeing, julia? >

of u.p.s. spoke early this month about the decision not to increase the number of seasonal workers from last year's 55,000. >> we are more efficient and use technology on the ground for routing and scheduling so we can meet increased demand with fixed amount of resources. >> both companies say the normal delivery schedules will resume in full force this morning. in a statement u.p.s. said that the volume of air packages in our system exceeded the capacity of our network preceding christmas so some shipments were delayed. >> an official blamed "a perfect storm of factors." that did little to soothe irritate the customers would felt the pinch before christmas. >> i have been waiting since christmas eve and i expected the gifts to get here. nothing is under the tree. >> in the bay area, nick smith is at the distribution center in south san francisco and he will have an update in the next half hour including what amazon is doing to make it up to customers. >> shelter that helped hopeless for a doze

u.p.s. can't deliver on them. why u.p.s.' backlog may be delaying your christmas gift. >>> and the u.s. postal service just announced the cost of your stamps going up. >>> i'm lieutenant commander dave hack stationed in stuttgart, germany. i want to wish my mom and dad a merry christmas and a happy new year and to all you sun devil fans, go devils. >> go devils! ♪ i wanna spread a little love this year ♪ [ male announcer ] this december, experience the gift of true artistry and some of the best offers of the year at the lexus december to remember sales event. this is the pursuit of perfection. because you can't beat zero heartburn. woo hoo! [ male announcer ] prilosec otc is the number one doctor recommended frequent heartburn medicine for 8 straight years. one pill each morning. 24 hours. zero heartburn. >>> the price of a u.s. stamp is going up 3 cents. it will now cost 49 cents to mail a first class letter. they approved the rate hike yesterday to offset masses losses incurred in the 2008

huge delays for fedex and u.p.s. sipmen sipments. u.p.s.ing it on bad weather, increased online sales and a shorter shopping season. a number of retailers say we'll give you gift certificates. we had a mom talk about how do you explain your kid santa didn't show up? >> you take a pill, america, and say, we are having a second day of opening presents. how about we stop pointing fingers and deal with the reality? there was a perfect storm of weather, the delayed shopping season. when it comes to americans they waited until the last paycheck because paychecks are tight. there was a surge at the end they couldn't meet. amazon is doing the wrong thing pointing fingers at u.p.s. saying they will re assesassess. t not everything in life comes on time. make it into something fun with the kids for another day. say we'll have a second christmas. stop pointing fingers and accept the reality. this happens when you have a crushed season. >> the wet wither delayed santa. >> that's the truth. the weather delayed santa and norad couldn't get him through. >

u.p.s. and fedex explaining why some gifts did not arrive on time. >>> on ice. a cruise ship and passengers spend christmas stranded. new details this morning about their supplies onboard. when will help arrive? >>> dancing queen. a little girl's dream come true. getting on stage with beyonce. >>> good morning. i'm reena ninan, sitting if for diana perez. >> and i'm john muller. as thousands wait for the power to come back, there's new worries this morning. this family in maine, forced to use a sleigh to deliver the christmas presents. you can see a tree and power lines blocking the street. >> now, power companies say it could be a week before everyone gets back online. with more, here's abc's rob nelson. >> reporter: from michigan to northern new england, thousands of storm survivors are waiting for power to be restored and the christmas lights to come on. tom duquette has not had electricity since monday. he had to pack up and leave home in maine. >> this is challenging. >> this is probabl

u.p.s. and fedex. thousands of christmas gift givers are furious. instead of presents, there were empty places under their tree. nick valencia is at the cnn center in atlanta. >> reporter: thousands of you are waiting at your front doors and looking out your window for your u.p.s. driver to finally christmas gifts that never arrived. the company is apologizing this morning but say it's not all their fault. u.p.s. trucks are back out in full force this morning, trying to deliver packages that were supposed to be delivered by christmas morning. >> i waited around for hours and hours for it to show up and it never did. >> reporter: thousands of gifts not delivered on time, waiting in u.p.s. warehouses to be shipped. u.p.s. says they've delivered an estimated 132 million packages in the last week alone. blaming the backlog on an unprecedented surge in online sales and bad weather. u. punch s. released a statement saying in part, the volume of air packages in our system exceeded the capacity of o

by u.p.s. and fedex. what one retailer is doing to try to make it right. >>> edward snowden's new christmas message invoking george orwell and the danger of unchecked government surveillance. >>> thousands are still in the dark and cold waiting foe power to come back on days after a big ice storm. >>> plus, a skier's camera captures terrifying moments in colorado. >>> mcdonald's takes decisive action against its own employee site. >>> and how texting might actually help strengthen the family bond. it's thursday, december 26. "early today" starts right now. >>> and a very good morning to you. i'm kristen welker. hope you had a great holiday. for some the grinch came in two forms. first stubborn weather left hundreds of thousands in the dark and thousands more woke up without their gifts. nbc's ron mott has more on the holiday that wasn't so jolly for all. >> reporter: near grand rapids, michigan, weather made for treacherous driving. at least a dozen accidents on i-96. crews there and in maine spent christ

u.p.s. backlog meant thousands of presents didn't make it under the tree in time for christmas. the bad weather and an explosion online shopping and last-minute orders are being blamed. u.p.s. says the system was overwhelmed. >>> i'm cate caugiran live at the serramonte mall in daly city, where it's expected to be another good day for shoppers. economists predict the day- after-christmas deals will be better than last year. we'll have more on the push to get shoppers to spend. >>> good morning, i'm ryan takeo live at sfo. airliners are working on customizing a plan that would determine how much you would pay. wait until you hear the upon factors. >>> and we are getting another check of your "kcbs traffic" all clear now in santa rosa after an earlier crash northbound 101 at todd is now gone. all lanes are open. so everything looks good in both directions of 101 all the way down through petaluma, san rafael, and it's a quick trip down into san francisco if you are heading towards the golden ga

u.p.s. to pay up to give refunds to thousands whose packages did not arrive on christmas. retailers that count on u.p.s. make deals to make it up to shoppers. here is alex perez. >> reporter: two days after christmas, u.p.s. says they are still making those late deliveries. mrs. burns never got the dolls she ordered to put under the tree for her 7-year-old sister. you expected guaranteed delivery before christmas. what did you get instead? >> a bunch of run around. >> reporter: u.p.s. coming under fire from connecticut senator, richard blumenthal, who is demanding the shipping giant refund all customers affected by the delays. >> i'm asking, in fact demanding that u.p.s. and fed ex both commit they will make full refunds by december 31, end of the year. >> reporter: u.p.s. said it would only reimburse customers and retailers who paid for guaranteed delivery by air. and we're learning more about what created the delivery debacle. u.p.s. says the problem began when their fleet of planes was ov

you didn't buy anything or enter into any agreement with u.p.s. however, u.p.s. in nil real proceeding is going to be responsible. the retailer is going to say hey u.p.s. i trusted you to make these deliveries on time and you didn't make them. if i'm responsible for these customers for their christmas gifts not getting there on time it's because of your wrongdoing not mine and you should have to reimburse me or pay the customer directly. that's the way it would play out in a lawsuit type scenario. >> yeah so everybody is going to be blaming everybody else. i want to come back to the customer who didn't get their package in time for christmas. now, you hear from amazon and other retailers oh we are going to give you a gift card. oh we are going to make it up to you in some way. we are going to give you a discount in the future. is that sufficient or should people really push the limit here and say we are going to go to court and we want some compensation situation, nolan? >> well, look, my opinion is if you are in a state that has a statute that provides for statu

we'll have more inside u.p.s.ket makers" here on bloomberg tv. ♪ > breaking news, everyone, the federal deposit insurance corporation is the first to officially pass the volcker rule. the final version we saw earlier this morning with a unanimous vote. we're still waiting for the four other bank regulatory agencies, the s.e.c., the fed, the o.c.c., and scarlet, i'm mitsing one, the cftc. the ctfc canceled its vote because of a snow day in washington. all it takes it 3-5 inches -- >> it was working before it began falling. >> perhaps they were shamed into it when the other agencies said they'd vote, the cftc said we'll vote electronically. we're waiting for the four others to vote on the volcker rule and will be put in action and the enforcement beginning in 2015. moving from volcker to this, everybody. all day today we're taking you inside u.p.s., the world's biggest packaging delivery company this year sbrounsed orion, a system that crunches data to save a fraction of a mile on a driver's daily route. our chief c

u.p.s. is apologizing for a christmas nightmare. presents sitting in warehouses instead of under christmas trees. they're basically saying you sent too many gifts. >>> and he's the man that senators turn to for advice and they got an earful from him during the government shutdown. we'll introduce you to senate chaplain barry black. >>> hi there and merry christmas. i'm brianna keelner washington. wolf blitzer is off today. a merry christmas message from the president. he offered a heartfelt thanks to the troops overseas but also offered this nugget. >> here's the good news. for many of our troops and newest veterans, this might be the first time in years they've been with their families on christmas. in fact, with the iraq war over and the transition in afghanistan, fewer of our men and women in uniform are deployed in harm's way than at any time in the last decade. >> and that's something that we all can be thankful for and with more and more of our troops back here at home, now it's our tu

. >>> and u.p.s. and fedex scrambling to deliver packages who angry customers who did not get their gifts in time for christmas. what the companies say went wrong, next. >>> tens of thousands left without power. after christmas, before christmas as well. because of that vicious ice storm, downed trees and power lines from michigan to maine. those folks, many are still in the dark. as of this morning more than 140,000 households are waiting for the lights and the heat to be turned back on. crews have been working frantically, but frigid temperatures are making it rough. some are calling this the worst christmas week weather in 100 years. nbc's meteorologist dylan dwyer has more on that. >> throughout the midwest and northeast, downed trees and power lines and ice that shows no sign of melting in freezing temperatures. all fallout from last weekend's brutal ice storm still wreaking havoc. worst hit, michigan, many more than 150,000 remained without power christmas day. george and his wife and dog shep l

u.p.s. customers may not get the gifts. thousands did not make it in time. the company says that was because it was simply overloaded with high demand. margaret conley is following the story. a lot of unhappy customers today. tell us, what exactly happened here? >> pam, there may be some ious under the christmas tree. u.p.s. is backlogged means some won't be delivered in time. the company issued this tame -- u.p.s. is experiencing heavy holiday volume and making every effort to get them to the destination, however the volume of air packages in our system exceeded the network, so some shipments were delayed. cnn spoke with a u.p.s. spokeswoman. she apologized, said some of the factors were between thanksgiving and christmas, that period was shorter this year. she also said the trend of consumer shopping online more contributed to this. u.p.s. did consider doing deliveries today, but ultimately decided to not ask their drivers to come in to work. all of this has had an impact on companies as w

fedex and u.p.s. the packages on time. tweet us @squawkstreet. we'll read some of the answers of this quick break. [ male announcer ] here's a question for you: where does the united states get most of its energy? is it africa? the middle east? canada? or the u.s.? the answer is... the u.s. ♪ most of america's energy comes from right here at home. take the energy quiz. energy lives here. at bny mellon, our business is investments. take the energy quiz. managing them, moving them, making them work. we oversee 20% of the world's financial assets. and that gives us scale and insight no one else has. investment management combined with investment servicing. bringing the power of investments to people's lives. invested in the world. bny mellon. you'd do that for me? really? yeah, i'd like that. who are you talking to? uh, it's jake from state farm. sounds like a really good deal. jake from state farm at three in the morning. who is this? it's jake from state farm. what are you wearing, jake from state farm

u.p.s. and fedex, say the ownness is on them, and they're rushing to get packages delivered today. >>> a mystery deep below the streets of seattle and it stopped the world's largest tunnelling machine in its tracks. >>> hello, everyone. i'm pamela brown in today for ashleigh banfield. it is thursday, december 26th. welcome to "legal view." up first today, an american held hostage by al qaeda for more than two years says he feels abandoned and forgotten. warren weinstein was kidnapped in pakistan in august 2011. in this new video you see here out today says weinstein, his health is failing. the statement appears to be made under duress and cnn cannot confirm the authenticity of this video. elise labott is following this story for us. tell us who this is and why he was kidnapped. >> he is a 72-year-old development expert, contractor for usaid from right here in the washington area, kidnap ped by l qaeda militants in lahore, pakistan, where he was working. they broke into his house, overpowered

and u.p.s.trying to deliver those late packages and try to calm angry customers. now, both companies are blaming bad weather and increased demand due to soaring online sales. but that explanation isn't sitting well with a lot of customers. many of them sounded off yesterday on social media. one of them calling u.p.s. standing for undelivered parcel shipment. many saying it ruined christmas for them and their families. other customers are throwing their support behind u.p.s. and fedex saying the employees for those companies are working very hard in the days leading up to christmas and they don't blame the companies at all. but this is also taking a bit of a hit on online retailers. amazon.com is saying that it processed all orders on time and basically pointing the finger at u.p.s. also, amazon is compensating customers, some customers with $20 gift cards and refunds on shipping charges. as for u.p.s. and fedex, both are apologizing for this delay. fedex is calling the increased demand due to th

the u.p.s.nd was much greater than first alert forecast.all percentage os were delayed. they didn't say what percentages of packages were delayed. goes back to first alert forecasting. there were some things that were kind of unique to this year that thanksgiving did fall a little bit later so some people were doing their holiday shopping a little bit later. only 26 shopping days and there are usually a few more. and then the other thing, the popularity of online shopping, right? a lot of people doing that more and more every year. and you're rewarded until waiting for the last minute because of the deeper discounts. >> planning, planning, planning on all levels. >> coming up, president obama promised the most transparent administration of all time, so why is the white house blocking a law that would expose the flaws in healthcare.gov? >> and are you heading out to spend your christmas gift cards? your guide to today's best deals and the coupon code that you need to cash in coming up. heart heal

neither u.p.s. nor fedex said exactly how many packages were delayed. but careful not to suffer any backlash, amazon.com is compensating some customers with gift cards and refunds on shipping charges. natalie? >> gabe gutierrez in atlanta for us. thank you, gabe. >>> it's been an ice christmas for folks in parts of the midwest and northeast still in the dark and cold and still dealing with misery following the sunday ice storm. and tonight it appears for some the situation could get worse. nbc's kevin tibbles is in east lansing, michigan. kevin, good evening. >> reporter: natalie, it's going to be another miserable night for thousands after all this ice has brought down trees, damaged homes, and left a lot of families in the dark for christmas. on the second day of christmas, all more than 100,000 people want is their electricity back. across the midwest and northeast crews have been scrambling to restore power to those who lost it during last weekend's massive ice storm. >> blitzing the area and going along. >> reporter: in lansing michigan, the danzig

u.p.s. has put out a statement as of yesterday say they apologize for the clog in the systemz that because of volume of large volume of air packages exceeding the exact tisty that today they have teamed and truckle scrambling to try to get them to these people that placed the orders. let me point out that amazon.com, they have a system set up, it's called amazon prime. it's been very successful, but many the past week, the week before christmas, they had about 1 million new members sign up for unlimited two day shipping. now last thursday, a week ago, they decided to halt those new members anyone else wanting to sign up because they felt like it might create fed ex, and u.p.s. to have a problem getting those deliveries to people on time. and indeed that did occur p playering even some people with the companies. hooser what a u.p.s. driver. he said i am a driver. i got off at 10:10, i am tired. mother nature, booming economy, and no one visiting malls. are all the cause of this. so it seems l

u.p.s. calms angers after the christmas delivery mess. and the dallas cowboys quarterback throwing his money away and why his hometown couldn't be happier. >> a look at today's eyeopener. your world in 90 seconds. >> a strong explosion shook a lebanese capitol sending smack smoke into the city center. >> a suspected car bomb. >> among those killed former ambassador to the u.s. >> a ship stuck in ice since christmas eve will get help from a chinese ice breaker today. >> we are not guaranteeing it but u.p.s. and fedex said the christmas gifts should be there by today at the latest. >> from michigan to maine, tens of thens for people wait if are power to come back on. >> snow conditions blamed for a massive pile up in california. a small plane crashed in the front of a home killing two people going down near fresno's chandler executive airport. >> the dow climbed 122 points closing at the record high this year. >>or track for the best year since the mid 90s. >> new video was released at sky har

. >>> amazon, u.p.s. and fedex are in damage control mode after failing to deliver all packages by christmas. target admitting p.i.n. numbers were stolen and what you think they should make it up to customers. best tweets. you are watching cnbc, first in business worldwide. for a university endowment. it funds a marine biologist... who studies the peruvian anchovy. invested in the world. bny mellon. (vo) you are a business pro. seeker of the sublime. you can separate runway ridiculousness... from fashion that flies off the shelves. and you...rent from national. because only national lets you choose any car in the aisle... and go. you can even take a full-size or above, and still pay the mid-size price. (natalie) ooooh, i like your style. (vo) so do we, business pro. so do we. go national. go like a pro. >>> welcome back. it's been >>> welcome back. it's been a big year for ipos. that could carry over into 2014 because of a potential flood of chinese companies in particular that could list on u.s. exchange

"u.p.s. ruined my son's christmas." u.p.s. blames bad weather and an overwhelming number of packages for the delays. fedex officials say their service didn't experience any major disruptions in the week before christmas. they describe any late packages as isolated incidents. fedex driver scotty law says this was one of the busiest holiday seasons he has ever seen. >> it was insane. i been working for fedex almost 20 years. so this is the biggest i ever seen it. >> reporter: internet sales are a major reason why. amazon.com is reimbursing shipping fees and offering customers a $20 gift card. but victim madsen says she would rather have -- vicki madsen says she would rather have seen her daughter open gifts on christmas morning. >> i couldn't wait to see her face. it didn't happen. [ pause ] >> so i was disappointed. [ crying ] >> reporter: the shipping giant expects to get any late packages before the weekend. tara mergener for cbs news, washington. >> u.p.s. says that air and international customers who didn't receive packages

u.p.s. failed. the u.p.s. customer twitter account tried to put out as many fires as possible and u.p.s. apologized explaining there were more deliveries than expected. the weather back east did not help either. gallagher said she thought amazon and u.p.s. would honor the guarantee. she defended her sunday purchase for the tuesday deadline. it's kind of last-minute. some people would say it's your own fault. >> i decided on sunday to order it because, you know, christmas can be costly so i just, you know, i was trying to watch my pennies and then i decided last minute oh, it's going to be worth it. we'll have a great time. >> reporter: they are lucky actually. >> i got a gift card. >> reporter: the two girls still had presents to open this morning. >> a starbucks gift card. >> reporter: more than some families can say. >> santa was way more organized this year than, you know, u.p.s. >> ryan takeo, kpix 5. >> amazon is offering $20 refunds and shipping charges on orders that were late. >>> ch

customers, saying u.p.s. is experiencing heavy hole lay volume and making every effort to get packages to their destination. however, the volume of air packages in our system exceeded the capacity of our network immediately preceding christmas so some shipments were delayed. in fort worth, a few people left empty-handed. >> they made me drive down here for no reason. they're telling me it's not here. >> reporter: social media became a sounding board. "it's their christmas, too. let them have their day." "i waited at my house all day for nothing." in virginia, sara's presents didn't arrive. she, too, left empty-handed after a drive to a u.p.s. facility. >> i was frustrated because i paid additional shipment to be rushed. >> reporter: the day was filled with tradition and good tidings. the uso greeted traveling service members in atlanta. reunions in indianapolis. volunteers served hot meals in d.c. >> this is a place where you can come, talk and feel like a family, yes. >> reporter: in california, let there be

i think it's u.p.s. getting overloaded it seems like. >> the u.p.s. spokeswoman says that while the company gave drivers christmas day off, it is all hands on deck behind the scenes in those processing centers so that when the drivers show up for work tomorrow, they can deliver that log jam of holiday gifts and other packages that were missing the target. the spokeswoman said the company would honor the obligations of its own shipping and you have to check your receipt if you shipped via u.p.s. fedex also suffered from some of the same circumstances as u.p.s. the volume, the weather, the shorter shopping season, but they opened up some of their processing centers so some of the packages they were not able to deliver, people could pick them up in person themselves. however, none of those centers were available and open here in the bay area. so, again, expect a greater volume of folks delivering packages tomorrow and hopefully your christmas gifts will get there eventually. in san jose, kris sanchez. >> thanks very much. >>> now to continuing coverage o

both u.p.s. and fedex have apologized, blaming the delays on a perfect storm of bad weather, high demand, and the shorter delivery season. but that's little comfort to people who counted on those companies to make sure santa's gifts showed up on time. >> they know it's going to happen every year. they know it's going to be heavier volume of shipments. and also, they anticipate they know the weather's not going to be the best. >> reporter: one of u.p.s.'s biggest customers, amazon, says it will refund shipping charges an all of those late packages. a senator from connecticut is now urging u.p.s. to do the same. and that might not be such a bad idea. john and reena? >> kristin, live in washington. thank you so much. >>> new this morning, a diplomatic breakthrough in japan over the fate of a u.s. marine base on okinawa. the local governor has signed off on the relocation of the base from a congested part of the city to a remote area, ending a simmering dispute between the u.s. and japan. the deal wi

. >>> u.p.s. and fedex are playing catch-up after they were overwhelmed by the last-minute christmas rush. because of the backup, a lot of gifts didn't arrive all across the country in time for the christmas holiday. more now from kpix 5's joe vazquez. >>> reporter: >> in 20 years, this is the worst i have seen it. >> reporter: she is carting nearly 2 dozen boxes into the potrero hill u.p.s. freight center. the boxes contain gift orders elena's company billed and sold through online retailers like amazon and overstock.com to customers in the u.s. way too late to be standard under a tree. >> drivers weren't showing up or they were coming and saying they were too full, they couldn't take our orders. >> reporter: jeff's grandmother went home to ohio without her gifts. >> you can't recapture that wow factor. that's gone. >> reporter: u.p.s. in a statement earlier this week said, the volume of air packages in our system exceeded the capacity of our network immediately preseatedding christmas so some sh

shipping giants u.p.s. and fed-ex now scrambling tonight with extra fervor to clear a heavy backlog caused by flight delays from the recent storms and the sheer volume of the truncated shopping and holiday season. parents had to explain you see sometimes reindeer get tired, sometimes the elves have to prioritize. elena machodo, any explanation? >> reporter: a lot of explanations here from parents in terms of what happened to those christmas presents. >> and do we know how many numbers were affected by this? are they giving out how many customers were affected? >> reporter: we don't have those numbers just yet, bill. u.p.s. has said that what happened was kind of a perfect storm of sorts. remember that ice storm that hit dallas a couple of weeks ago? that created a backlog. and then came the shorter shopping and shipping holiday season. there were fewer days between thanksgiving and christmas this year. that means that there was a higher volume. and then the unprecedented surge in the online shopping. now, u

delivery giants u.p.s.erloaded systems and more buying online contributed to what may be their worst christmas ever. it's comfort to customers locked out in the cold. >> i was expecting my husband's big christmas gift at my office and, you know, today is the last day before christmas. i waited around for hours and hours for it to show up. it never did. >> u.p.s. isn't saying exactly how many packages failed to make it in time for christmas, but they did issue a statement saying u.p.s. understands the importance of your holiday shipments. the volume of packages exceeded the capacity of our network proceeding christmas. some shipments were delayed. >> we need a bigger plane is what they need to say. >>> now to more post christmas madness. a grand new shopping frenzy begins today. >> that leads to the next question, is this when you will find the real holiday bargains? we have seen good ones. >> things are discounted more. retailers want to get the inventory out. the new stuff is coming in. if you thought the

u.p.s. said that the volume of air packages in the system exceeded the capacity of our network so shipments were delayed. they say they trying to fix the problem. they were not the only shipping giant expensing problems. u.p.s. says they are working average the clock to resolve the issue but did not deliver packages on christmas upsetting customers when u.p.s. and fedex were asked why they underestimated the number of christmas packages they said the backlog from snow and ice and ice storm that hit dallas 2 1/2 weeks ago. that added to the high valve packages in an overloaded system. customers waiting for packages from u.p.s. were left frustrated and disappointed. >> i have been waiting since christmas eve. nothing will be under the tree. >> we are more efficient and using technology on the ground so we can immediate increased demand with fixed amount of resources. >> the problem affected many areas of the country from california to alabama. neither u.p.s. or fedex are saying how many packag

u.p.s. says the majority of packages will be delivered today. how did the delays impact your christmas at all? e-mail us at "fox frien -- fox s foxfriendsfirst@foxnews.com. >>> 72-year-old warren wine sfeen is the government contractor kidnapped by al qaeda mill panitants in pakistan in 2. he urged president obama to step up efforts to get him released. >> you are in your second term as president of the united states. that means that you can take hard decisions without worrying about reelection. >> in december of 2011 al qaeda said weinstein would be freed if they released all members of al qaeda and the taliban. >> president obama and the first lady taking time off from a christmas vacation to visit troops stationed there. >> michelle and i know we wouldn't enjoy the freedoms we do if it wasn't for the dedication and work you do. the least we can do is let you know we are grateful to you and we are thankful. >> about 580 troops and their families were on hand to meet the president. the obama family is expected to be in hawaii through the beginn

u.p.s. said today they will issue refunds to some customers who paid for delivery by christmas but didn't get their packages on time. the delays also affected fedex and led to anger from shoppers. manuel bojorquez found some people in texas still waiting. >> reporter: u.p.s. said it was making deliveries in every zip code in the u.s. today but still experiencing heavy volume. stephen cullen is waiting for four packages in keller, texas. he said he paid extra for u.p.s. to deliver them by christmas eve. >> and they did not keep their promise. they still have not told us when they will deliver our products. >> reporter: you're frustrated. >> of course i am. i'm angry! >> reporter: icy weather and a shorter holiday shopping season were already pushing u.p.s. and fedex to the limits. but it was a record rush of online orders last weekend that made the difficult impossible. >> it will be months before it's picked up. >> reporter: bernard weinstein teaches business economics at southern methodist

u.p.s. promises to refund shipping costs to some customers. amazon one of u.p.s.'s biggest customers, says it's refunding shipping charges to affected customers and giving them a $20 credit. >>> 2014 will bring a laundry list of new state laws for motorists. starting january 1, the law enforcement will be required to issue amber alerts when a child has been abducted by anyone, including a parent or guardian. another new law prohibits drivers from passing cyclists if there is less than 3 feet between any part of the car and any part of the bicycle. it will also be illegal for drivers under 18 to use any electronic communication devices while driving even with hands-free equipment. >>> a new federal judge has ruled that the nsa's massive phone tracking program is legal. the ruling goes on to say that the surveillance is a critical component of the country's effort to combat terrorism. the ruling contradicts that of another federal judge who held the program likely violates the constitution's ban on an unreasonable search. legal experts say the conflicting rulings mak

u.p.s. and fedex, there are new promises of refunds but the anger directed at the shipping companies isn't going away. nick valencia has more details this morning. >> reporter: two days after christmas and some of you still don't have packages. u.p.s. says the issue was so widespread, even some of its employees didn't get their gifts on time. the world's largest package delivery company today still dealing with the fallout of its broken promises. better late than never? >> it says it hasn't been processed yet. >> reporter: not quite, especially when it comes to christmas gifts. >> i can't tell you how many countless hours we have spent on the phone dealing with this issue. >> reporter: fedex and u.p.s. are delivering normally today, after delays in christmas shipments. neither company has released any numbers but it's estimated thousands were affected. both companies have apologized but a u.p.s. spokesperson couldn't even guarantee all delayed packages would be delivered by thursday. >> they

u.p.s. and fedex saying this morning a perfect storm of problems made them miss their christmas deadline for thousands. angry customers are lashing out about the broken promises that left empty spaces under trees. ♪ i'm a survivor >>> and dream come true. the amazing moment beyonce makes this little girl's wish for a song with the queen a reality. the emotional moment that brought the superstar to tears. >>> and a good thursday morning to all of you. we do hope for those who celebrate it, you had a wonderful christmas yesterday. as robin and george enjoy some well-earned time off. many happy faces there, under the tree for me, including sarina, who may still be opening presents, very well. >> a great day for my family as well. merry christmas, everybody. >> thank you. merry christmas. >> it's like a birthday, all week. >> let's keep it going. >> it's certainly not over for the millions who now may be trudging back to the stores with returns this morning because they don't want to regift. mor

many venting on social media with twitter followers using the hashtag u.p.s. fail. online retailers who used the shipping giants aren't happy either. amazon is offering many customers a $20 gift card and refund on some shipping fees. tara mergener for cbs news, washington. >> today the companies have another issue to deal with. people sending their gifts back. we'll have more on the scramble tonight at 5:00. >>> right now fire officials in monterey county are meeting with people affected by the big sur wildfire. the 900-acre fire destroyed 34 homes and 4 buildings. it began december 15th in los padres national forest. it was fully contained earlier this week. but crews remain in the area watching for flare-ups. >>> right now in ventura county, firefighters are mopping up after a 10-acre brush fire. the fire started late last night the city of simi valley. a combination of dry brush and 40-mile-per-hour santa ana winds helped flames move fast. crews have the fire almost fully contained. no homes were in immediate danger. >>> 'tis the season of giving but for some, th

u.p.s. trucks are rolling as they try to make up for missing so many christmas deliveries. other companies pitching in to lessen the blow to customers. >>> retailers in colorado getting licenses in the mail and those businesses could start selling pot as early as next week. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com >>> i'm brianna keilar in washington. wolf blitzer is off today. start with the next chapter in the target hacking drama. a report that pin numbers are at risk, possibly letting thieves directly into your bank can account. zain asher joining me on this story. this is scary, if you think you might be vulnerable here. we knew that 40 million customers could be vulnerable but this takes it to a new level of true, right. >> reporter: absolutely. according to a reuters report. about does, if it's true, it does open a whole, new can of worms. a thief gets access to your atm pin number, it means they can go directly into your account and steal money. it goes beyond using your credit or debit

customers saying "u.p.s. is experiencing heavy holiday volume and making every effort. however, the volume of air packages in our system exceeded the capacity of our network immediately preceding christmas." in fort worth, texas, a few people tried picking up their packages but left empty-handed. >> they made me drive down here for no reason. they even told my husband it was here and it's not here. >> reporter: social media became a sounding board. one woman writes, "it's their christm christmas, too. if things are late, things are late." "i waited at my house all day for nothing." in virginia, sara's presents didn't arrive. she, too, left empty-handed after an hour-long drive to a u.p.s. facility. >> i was frustrated because i paid extra for the shipment to be rushed. >> reporter: missing pack aages aside, the day was filled with glad tidings. reunions in indianapolis. volunteers served hot meals in d.c. >> this is a place where you can come, talk and feel like a family, yes. >> reporter: in california, let

u.p.s. was overwhelmed and unable to get all packages to their destinations as scheduled. the company says there was a very high volume of packages in those final days many ordered from online retailers. >> santa was way more organized this year than, you know, u.p.s. >> u.p.s. doesn't deliver on christmas day. but more employees were called to work overnight so more packages can be delivered come today. fedex also missed some delivery deadlines. meanwhile, online retailer giant amazon is offering gift cards and refunds to customers whose orders did not arrive as promised. >>> well, now that christmas day is over, you can expect crowds of passengers to grow again at the bay area's three major airports. meanwhile, airlines are considering a new airfare system based on individual passenger travel history. kpix 5's ryan takeo joins us from the san francisco airport with more on this pricing plan known in the industry as resolution 787. >> reporter: hi, mark. good morning. yeah, some are creeped