We look at whether uber took advantage of its riders. Youre watching a special edition of reality check. Good evening. Thank you for joining us. Im sam broke. We use Data Research and expert analysis to separate the truth from the bunk. Lets begin this evening with a pocketbook issue that is impact impactingimpact ing virtually all americans, which is gas prices. Gas prices have been plummeting for months, but the oil industry is warning california drivers not to get too comfortable. They say prices are going to soar in 2015 because of a new law. California drivers are accustomed to high prices at the gas pump, but the oil lobby is sounding the alarm claiming they could skyrocket in 2015. Is this true . This is very much an extreme and very unlikely scenario of the gas prices would go up anywhere near that much. Reporter he is an Energy Policy expert at Stanford University who believes gas prices will go up modestly in 2015 thanks to californias landmark cap and trade program. You see so far the program is taxing producers we commonly think of as polluting the air, Energy Companies like pgne and industrial plants. But the largest source of greenhouse pollution comes from the Transportation Industry and kicking off on january 1st fuel production will be capped as well in california. Well see an increase at the pump if the Climate Change law isnt modified. 76 cents a gallon jump mentioned on this campaign fed up at the pump organized by the oil industry is borderline ridiculous and heres why. That would be associated with about 95 per ton of co 2 price on carbon. Right now its 12 . Right now it is 12 per ton in california. Reporter it would have to go up eight fold for this claim to turn out to be true. Survey says i think theres a bit of a scare mongering effort to make this seem like its going to be much more impactful to californians than it really will. What can of boost can you expect . A 10 to 12 cent increase per gallon. Thats money lost out of your pocket, but it is not 76 cents a gallon which would be more like 40 a month. Cheaper fuel impacts a list of industries. Not least among them, the airlines. If youre traveling this Holiday Season you might be wondering why am i paying the same amount or more for flights. Theres a rhyme and reason. Drivers often have to look long and hard, but not these days where no manic search is necessary. The average gas price in the u. S. 2. 48 2. 48 a gallon. Something consumers havent seen in more than four years. Every penny dropped in gas prices leads back to a billion dollars pumped back into the economy. Reporter this Holiday Travel season many people will cough those savings back up in the form of pricier plane tickets. We asked fare compare to crunch the numbers. A flight from detroit to San Francisco costs on average 591 compared to 508 a year ago. Seattle to dallas was up to 403. Why is the cost to fly moving in one direction and the price of fuel moving in the other . The reason is quite simple. The industry is flying full at these prices. It could not generate more revenue by reducing prices. He spoke with us by skype. He says we live in an era of consolidation. There are only three main carriers. Instead of usinge inging savings from lower fuel those companies are adding planes and compensating employees better and rewarding shareholders. You expect us to reinvest in the product and thats what airlines are doing. Reporter airlines couldnt keep prices propped up if the consumer didnt have the money to spend. Whats different every time is customer goes and fills up the car, they have an extra 10 in their pocket. Every time they fill up their heating oil tank this winter theyll have an extra 100 in their pocket. Some of that translated into increased air travel. Many airlines bought their fuel contracts before gas prices fell meaning theyre not saving as much money. Still some members of congress remain unconvinced. Earlier this month Chuck Schumer called for a federal investigation into the high cost of flying. We have much more Fact Checking on the way, including recent reports that oakland remains californias crime capital, but what do the facebook numbers suggest . What i have in this stack are bills that could make a difference to a struggling economy today. 300 bills have been bottled up in the senate a historic roadblock. Is that true . Well be right back. Welcome back. Republicans launched an entire ad Campaign Around the idea that a democratically controlled senate stopped more than 300 bills from being signed into law. Should we expect a more productive senate . History reveals a surprising answer. Take a look at history over the last couple of years. The house was extremely productive in passing legislation. Bills just started to stack up in the senate. Reporter these remarks on meet the press mirror a National Campaign run by republicans. It blames democrats for holding up some 300 bills passed by the gop led house. What i have in this stack are bills that could make a difference to a struggling economy today. Reporter that number might be lowballing it. Youll find 387 bills. So whats in there . We poured through the documents to find out what future laws are getting trapped in legislative limbo. Theres this measure to stop the smuggling of contraband cigarettes, a couple bills to strike commemorative coins. It contains media issues too. This 300 bill number, is it fair, inflated or a little bit of both . There are a lot of different kinds of pieces of legislation that have been stuck in the senate. Some of them are substantive. They are quite important whether it is issues jump starting Economic Growth like the Keystone Pipeline and then there are others that are less significant naming post offices battlefields. Hes a policy expert. He helped us grapple with this question. What does 300 bottled bills mean, especially when the Washington Post of the last 20 congresss 11 of them have left 300plus bills awaiting action. Part of it is the tone and the nature and the way in which the senate has been run. People attribute that to harry reid. He bears some responsibility for the tone of the discussion. Its not historically significant that 380plus bills went unaddressed in the senate. Some of those congresss were controlled by a single party which you would think would make it easier. Speaking of immigration, its been at the center of political bickering since the election. President obama followed through on a promise to delay deportation. Critics say he has used his executive power and violated the constitution. It has lit a fire across both sides of the political aisle. Republicans had more than two years to draft a bill and i do not see one scheduled today tomorrow, or next week. I cant think of anything more discouraging than what the president of the United States could do and that is to threaten to issue this amnesty order. Reporter whether you think the president has overstepped his bounds and the congress has failed to act, here are the facts. I believe in the idea of amnesty for those who have put down roots and have lived here even though sometime back they may have entered illegally. Reporter three decades ago, our government passed a sweeping Immigration Reform law. 3 million undocumented immigrants gained legal status, but not many of their family members. Reagan took executive action to protect those families. Our nation is the enduring dream of every immigrant whoever set foot on these shores and the millions still struggling to be free. This idea called america was and always will be a new world our new world. Reporter george h. W. Bush picked up where the president left off. Bush shielded 1. 5 Million People from deportation, again mosts kids and spouses of those seeking status under the law. Now fast forward 25 years to present day. If in fact congress failed to act i would use the Lawful Authority that i possess to try to make the system work better and thats a fact. Reporter the president will grant deferred action up to 5 Million People largely parents on behalf of their kids. That figure represents 45 of the immigrant community. Almost the exact same number as bush. Republicans and democrats using executive order to make immigration changes. As we just showed you this kind of executive action on immigration is not unprecedented. Some republicans are threatening to shut down the department of Homeland Security which oversees immigration issues. All Homeland Security employees kept working during the Government Shutdown because protecting the homeland does considered quote, essential. Its not clear if the republicans plan would even work. This special edition of reality check is far from over. Oaklands reputation as the most crimeridden city in california is put to the test. We are being watched pretty much all the time. If it seems like you cant escape tracking anywhere these days, youre right. Is it possible to go a single day without leaving a digital footprint. Were going to give it our best shot coming up. The 2014 fbi crime report is out and its spawned headlines from news outlets all over california claiming that oakland claims the title of most crimeridden city. For some these are the sounds and images that come to mind when thinks of oakland. Violent crime is going down across the country but not in oakland. Reporter it likely surprised few when news outlets labeled Oakland California most crimeridden city but do headlines tell the real story . We jumped into the real figures to find out exactly what crime looks like in oakland and the rest of the bay area. When it comes to Violent Crime rate, oakland does rank first in california. It starts to look like a regional trend. The top ten cities in the bay area with the highest Violent Crime rate are all situated in the east bay with two exceptions, east palo alto. Emeryville comes in tops of the state with oakland ranking eight and San Francisco 12th. Bottom line, there are a lot of numbers and criteria to take in here, so we decided to add up Violent Crime data and property crime data to figure out which city contains the most crime overall in the state. Emeryville is above and beyond the most crime ridden city in the state. So while oakland does grab the headlines emeryville sees the most criminal activity. For a look at the crime rate in your city head over to nbcbayarea. Com realitycheck where we have compiled a more detailed list. To say that oakland doesnt have a crime problem would be far from accurate. It came in third. When it comes to total crime it does not have the worst problem at least per capita. That goes to emeryville. Coming up, we look into the story that struck a real nerve with bay area riders. Did uber fail to uphold the definition of emergency and take advantage of its riders . Plus going off the grid for a day. We tackle the challenge of trying to live datafree. Well be right back. Ring ring . Progresso its ok that your soup tastes like my homemade. Its our slow simmered vegetables and tender white meat chicken. Apology accepted. Im watching you soup people. Make it progresso or make it yourself some people think vegetables are boring. But with green giants delicious seasonings and blends, we just may change their minds. Ho ho ho green giant a 16 hour hostage situation in sydney a few weeks ago rattled nerves, but it cast a light on uber. That is an extreme example. It was by nearly all accounts an unusual bay area weather event. Trucks flushing through Swimming Pool highways. Residents displaced from their homes and emergency . The Ride Sharing Company didnt think so allowing prices to jump up to more than four times the normal rate. The higher prices attract cars during time of need in line with the companys business model. But whos driving you slammed uber for allegedly breaking its promise to shut down surge pricing during local emergencies. So who is telling the truth . Heres the reality. Following uproar over uber surge pricing, the Company Announced a new National Policy shown right here on his blog that outlines uber algorithms will be caps during relative states of emergency. To be clear dozens of School Districts closed school the day before. Major roadways shut down. Companies cancelled work. All activity that californias office of Emergency Service tells us is indicative of emergency. Quote, the uber app was created to give riders a safe, reliable apgs to move around town and dynamic pricing makes it possible for uber to meet that standard for reliability even during times of high demand like inclement weather. Uber did strike a deal with the state on what constitutes an emergency. To use uber and other apps you need a smartphone. Were leaving behind a digital footprint that companies can trace. Can you go a day without being tracked . We decided to give it a try. In a year dominated by revelations from Edward SnowdenOnline Privacy a top concern for many. With the infusion of smartphones the lines have been blurred between convenience and big brother. We are being watched pretty much all the time. The phone we carry the Online Service we use, especially if it is free. We pick up cookies. Anytime we use our credit card, that activity is tracked. Reporter in 2015, what does a datafree day look like . First step, driving to work. As long as you dont use gps or satellite radio for entertainment entertainment entertainment, youre off the grid. Key cards are sometimes required for entry. Thats just the start of the work related data minefields we encounter. The Standard Office tools are just the beginning. When it comes to all the things we use our smartphones for photos texting facebook all of those create data trails that get sent back up to the cloud. Dont use your credit card at all. Every swipe translates to a new data footprint. The digital extends far into our personal life. Netflix and rentals require personal information. A datafree day in 2015 looks like a day without communication, work, or the basic aspects of life we can become so accustomed too. And the idea of constant tracking is actually spawned a movement where groups are encouraging people and families to carve out time and put away their smartphones. If youd like to see more of our stories, please visit our web page nbcbayarea. Com realitycheck. That concludes this special edition of reality check. Well see you next time. Enter the sleep number bed. Save 300 on the final closeout of the c3 Queen Mattress set. Hes the softy. His sleep number setting is 35. Youre the rock, at 60. And snoring . Sleep numbers even got an adjustment for that. Only at a sleep number store, find the lowest prices of the season, with the c3 Queen Mattress set only 1199. 98. Plus 24 month special financing on all beds. Know better sleep with sleep number. Who caused the biggest scandal in hollywood . Kim and kanye Million Dollar wedding. Celebrity split and who has already moved on. 2014 was a very busy year. Hi everybody. Welcome to access hollywood. And our special 20 hollywood. And our special 2014 year in review round table wrap up. Im shaun robinson. Lets start with the scandal and controversy that dominated the news and here to discuss i have my friends brian and cheryl lee we are going to start right away. Just right into this with the story that keeps getting worse. And that is bill cosby. First of all, is bill cosby. First of all cheryl let me start with you. Where do you think this is going . Permanently permanent tarnish bill cosby legacy i think in many ways yes and its very sad. Exactly one week before this big story broke we were together with mr. Cosby. Reporter you and your husband. My husband senator hughes and i veterans day couldnt be more kind more gracious on top of the game i look at him thinking hes older and hes pwlichbilityd it can not get worse than this. A week later. Story broke. And it is dishart engine. It is sad. And all you can do is say