taylor.thanks for 3 3 3 3 millions of americans are hitting the road or taking to the skies today... it's expected to be one of the busiest travel days of the holiday season. instead of snow... though... as c - b - s news correspondent don champion shows us... a lot of folks along the eastern part of the country could be delayed by severe thunderstorms . 3 (pkg) -nats-beep from the roads... -nats- ...to the friendly skies... people across the u-s are making their way home for the holidays: (sot mos) ?? for the first time-- triple-a predicts -- the number of people making a journey 50 miles or more between christmas and new year's --- will top 100 million... marking it the growth. (sot mos) (standup: don champion/ cbs news/ new york, ny) the holiday rush comes as severe thunderstorms and tornadoes threaten parts of the south to the ohio valley. (sot eric fisher/ meteorologist) we've got cold dry air coming down across the plains and very unusually warm moist air that's being lifted up out of the gulf of mexico so we're really watching this area in particular (shows area on map) storms grounded several flights at san francisco international airport tuesday. cristina durana and her kids were on their way to disneyland: (sot cristina durana) it's their christmas gift from their aunt in san francisco and it's the first time we are supposed to be together for christmas. rounds of heavy rain are expected across the eastern half of the country ahead of spring-like weather christmas york. 3 3 the busy travel season is being fueled... at least a little bit by renewed confidence in the economy... and low gas 3 authorities in northeast nebraska are investigating the deaths of *two* people whose remains were found in a burnt - out pickup monday afternoon.the truck was found still burning in a field nine miles north and one mile west of pierce just after 3 o'clock monday afternoon.once firefighters put the fire out... they found the remains of two people.the nebraska state patrol says they've made a preliminary identification of the bodies... they think those people died because of a murder - suicide.both are believed to be from northeast nebraska... but their names are *not* being released at this time. 3 no one is hurt after a trailer fire in milford, iowa.the milford fire department was called out just before three o'clock monday afternoon. the trailer was fully engulfed in flames. it took firefighters half an control. no one was inside the trailer at the time... it's considered a total loss. investigators are still trying to figure out what caused this... but that's going to be hard because of the extensive damage. 3 a man who was born in northeast nebraska was killed in a suicide attack in afghanistan.45 - year - old joseph lemm... who'd been a new york city police detective... died in afghanistan when a suicide bomber rammed a motorcycle full of explosives into a patrol.this video shows lemm when he returned home in 2013 from his *first* tour in afghanistan... surprising his teenage daughter brooke... his son ryan... and his fiancee christine. his mom... shirley lemm of wisner... tells the omaha world - herald that after graduating from beemer in 1989... lemm joined the air force... then he eventually became a new york city police officer. after the september 11th terrorist force reserves. he was serving his *second* deployment to afghanistan. 3 a high - speed chase crossed the border from nebraska into iowa yesterday morning.just after 11 a - m... police in dakota county nebraska started chasing a reckless driver in a black s - u - v. the chase eventually wound through south sioux city... across the vets bridge... and onto wesley parkway before ending with the vehicle stopping at west 3rd and perry. the person inside the vehicle ran away. so far... he hasn't been located. 3 sioux city fire rescue is honoring the memory of the city's first female firefighter.(jean - ee) jeanne (vuh - kul - skus) vakulskas joined the department in 19 - 85... she retired on her 55th birthday in 2007. she passed away sunday at her home. her fellow firefighters remember her as "one of a kind"... and say she'll be missed. 3 "she did so much to help us that the more diverse we can be as a department, the more we can look like our community, the better we can serve our community. so, we appreciate everything jeanne did for her whole career and our thoughts are with her family at this time."(jean - ee) kull - skus) vakulskas was 63 - years - old. her funeral will be this morning at 10 - 30 at saint joseph's catholic church in sioux city. visitation was at the meyer brothers funeral home's morningside chapel last night. 3 the man who was convicted earlier this year of rigging an iowa lottery game to win a multi - million dollar jackpot is now facing *similar* charges in other states. reporter kim saint (ong) onge has more. 3 former security director for the multi-state lottery association, eddie tipton, is now accused of rigging 2 lotteries in kansas back in 2010 -- totaling 44-thousand dollars!that's on top of allegations he also rigged the computer system to win lotteries in colorado, oklahoma and wisconsin. tipton's brother and friends claimed the multi-million dollar jackpots, then paid tipton half the earnings. [duration:0:04]2750, 34:55- 34:59/kevin johnson(des moines) lottery players i talked to... want the book thrown at tipton. sot/kevin johnson/des moines"i play powerball once in a while but it's right up at like $200 million right now so like everybody's out playing it, but that hot lotto? no, i haven't played it since."sot/deb grenko/des moines"it's ridiculous. i hope they prove it and i hope he goes to jail."tipton was already found guilty of fraud in october and sentenced to 10 years in prison.jurors says he rigged the system to buy a 14 million dollar wining hot lotto ticket... right here in des moines.i spoke exclusively to tipton as he was leaving the polk county courthouse after that sentencing and asked for his reaction. sot/eddie tipton/convicted of fraudfile"shock, that's it." now, tipton's facing even more charges-- including ongoing criminal conduct and money moines"people pay into the lottery to play to win and where's that money now? it went to shouldn't have had it." 3 there's no word yet on *when* tipton will stand trial on any of these new charges. 3 a guy from iowa man could be the oldest pilot in the united states. he just celebrated his 98th birthday the only way he knows how... by flying. 3 ernie smith's first pilot's license proudly hangs on the wall of the red oak iowa airport... it's dated september 15th 1942. smith says people ask him all the time what attracts him most about flying... he says you only need to look at the sunrise over the horizon to find the answer.smith rents a plane at the red oak airport and tries to fly a few times a week. he plans to keep flying even when he hits 100. to keep flying... ernie has to pass an aviation medical exam every two years. he says he 3 3 3 satellite and radar are showing clouds and winter weather on their way to siouxland. details on your forecast next. 3 3 coming up... passengers on a bus in kenya are being called heroes. we'll show you how they protected their fellow passengers when terrorists attacked. 3 "you're watching siouxland meteorologist cat taylor"3 3 "weather on the ones, brought to you by siouxland federal credit union" 3 rain chances will continue through the morning and into the afternoon hours, as temperatures cool expect a wintry mix. afternoon highs will top out in the middle 30s. for thursday, things should be a bit quieter with mostly cloudy skies. temperatures will make it just above freezing on an otherwise very quiet day.christmas day will be mild with temperatures reaching near the 40 degree mark, but as night falls look for a little rain eventually changing over to snow, and that snow chance should linger into the first part of the weekend. sunday looks quiet, but we are keeping our eyes on a potential storm system that will impact the area monday and tuesday of next week. stay tuned. 3 3 3 3 here's what we're talking about on facebook this morning... the last morning... facebook this about on we're 3 3 3 we're talking about on facebook this morning... the last surviving trans am from smokey and the bandit is going car?3 3 an airplane manufacturer has to pay a multi - million - dollar settlement... and a new business is trying to keep drunk college students safe. marlie hall is in new york with our c - b - s moneywatch. 3 the federal aviation administration says boeing must pay 12 miilion dollars for failing to submit service intsructions to airlines in a timely fashion - among other violations. those instructions would help carriers to reduce the risk of fuel tank explosions.boeing has agreed to pay the fine.///u-s stocks rallied tuesday.the dow gained almost 166 points.the nasdaq added 32.///b-m-w and nissan have teamed up to install 120 fast-charging stations for electric cars in 19 states. drivers can charge their electric vehicles up to 80 percent in 20 minutes enabling stations are available now and you can find them in both automakers' mobile apps./// sober xpress could soon be at a campus near you.the ride- booking business caters to college students who want to get to and from parties and bars on weekends.the service costs 8 dollars for one-way for rides within 5 miles of campus.the sober express started at the university of connecticut and will soon expand to the universities of massachusetts and rhode island. ///that's your money watch. for more log on to cbs money watch dot com. in new york im marlie hall. 3 3 in kenya... muslim bus passengers are being called heroes for banding together to save the lives of christians during an al - shabaab attack. c - n - n's david mckenzie 3 --reporter pkg-as follows-- (david mckenzie, cnn correspondent) "their aim is to cause terror and division, but al-shabaab gunmen in kenya came up against a extraordinary show of defiance and unity."on monday, more than a hundred passengers were crammed on this bus traveling to mandera on the chronically insecure border with somalia. when bullets ripped through the side of the bus in an ambush.(bus attack survivor) "there were about ninetwo groupsthey told us that, those who are muslims, to come out go back to the bus."a man on that bus told cnn that there were 12 christians on the busthe gunmen wanted to identify them and execute them.he says muslim passengers helped hide some on the busand they gave the women christians head-scarves...befor e the gunmen made them line up on the road.they stood strong, said the witnesstelling the terrorists quote 'if you want to kill us, then kill us. here,"al-shabaab then fled. (joseph nkaissery, kenyan interior cabinet secretary) "we are all kenyans, we are not separated by religion, everybody can profess their own religion but we are still.we are one country we are one people as a nation.and that is a very good message."civilians have suffered through countless al shabaab attacks in the porous border region of kenya and somaliaearlier this year al shabaab attacked garissa university killing 147 innocent students.they again singled out christians..more than 20 were killed in a shocking bus ambush last year. (david mckenzie, cnn correspondent) "tragically, a man who fled the scene and a passerby were killed by the gunman, but the death toll could have been that much higherand kenyans are praising the acts of these citizens who stopped this terrible attack. david mckenzie, cnn, nairobi." 3 after the break on siouxland news at sunrise... there's a search going on for a mother and son... we'll show you what federal agents are now learning about the "affluenza" teenager and his mom. 3 no delays at the moment across the region, but expect delays and tuesday.3 3 "first alert weather with meteorologist cat taylor" 3 rain chances will continue through the morning and into the afternoon hours, as temperatures cool expect a wintry mix. afternoon highs will top out in the middle 30s. for thursday, things should be a bit quieter with mostly cloudy skies. temperatures will make it just above freezing on an otherwise very quiet day.christmas day will be mild with temperatures reaching near the 40 degree mark, but as night falls look for a little rain eventually changing over to snow, and that snow chance should linger into the first part of the weekend. sunday looks quiet, but we are keeping our eyes on a potential storm system that will impact the area monday looking for 18 - year - old ethan couch... he vanished this month. the texas teenager is on probation after killing four people in a drunk driving crash. the tarrant county district attorney says they're following hundreds of leads all over the country. c - b - s news correspondent omar villafranca shows us why the teenager's mom has now also been added to the national missing persons databases. 3 pkglocating this 2011 black ford pick-up *could be* the key to finding ethan couch. tarrant county authorities say the truck belongs to couch's mother tonya. they believe the mother and son may be on-the-run together. (nats) tarrant county sheriff, dee anderson . (sot 11:17:08 sherriff) "there's a possibility that she or they may be in that truck, we don't know that for a fact." over the weekend, a family member listed the 48-year-old as a missing person...but authorities haven't listed her as a suspect in the investigation. "i think they would have to have specific evidence that she is intentionally hindering his apprehension luke williams is a criminal defense attorney in fort worth. (sot 21:16:39 //21:17:28 luke williams intv hrem30)that could be a number of things from hiding him, from purchasing tickets or physically transporting him." (nats youtube video) earlier this month video emerged online that appears to show 18-year-old couch at a party with drinking- possibly violating his probation. a few days later, he disappeared. (sot sheriff 11:27:37) or attorney sot. "i think once that video was made public that they felt like he was very likely going to be at some point locked up." (nats 2013 courtroom walk-in) a texas judge sentenced couch to 10 years of probation after he killed four people in a 2013 drunk driving accident.his suffered from a controversial condition called affluenza - and blamed his irresponsible behavior on his wealthy, privileged upbringing. now authorities say, its time for him to face the consequences of his actions.(sot presser wilson)turn yourself in. (sheriff anderson) it would be mean we're not quit looking for him and the longer he's 3 still to come this morning... there's a new last - minute option for some procrastinator s who haven't finished their holiday shopping. we'll show you how some amazon prime customers can get certain items and have them delivered in hours. you're watching 3 sunrise on kmeg 14" for starting your morning with us.i'm jacob heller...and i'm meteorologist cat taylor.3 3 rain chances will continue through the morning and into the afternoon hours, as temperatures cool expect a wintry mix. afternoon wintry mix. afternoon highs will top out in the middle 30s.for thursday, things should be a bit quieter with mostly cloudy skies. temperatures will make it just above freezing on an otherwise very quiet day. christmas day will be mild with temperatures reaching near the 40 degree mark, but as night falls look for a changing over to snow, and that snow chance should linger into the first part of the weekend. sunday looks quiet, but we are keeping our eyes on a potential storm system that will impact the area monday and tuesday of next week. stay tuned. 3 if you procrastinated and haven't finished your holiday shopping... there's a new last - minute option for you. amazon "prime" customers in quite a few cities can order certain items and have them delivered in *hours.* reporter demarco morgan went inside an amazon fulfillment center to see how it's done. 3 (vo)while crowds of holiday shoppers on 34th street dart in and out of retail stores... five floors above.... employees bring some of the season's yuletide joy to your door in two hours or less. (nats)"one-hour!" using the 'prime now' app, last minute shoppers can choose from over 4000 items. amazon guarantees delivery of gifts , pantry items and electronics through chistmas eve until the clock strikes midnight. (sot-demarco and landry)(demarco)"so we're talking about one-hour, two- hour delivery. how does this change a retailer like amazon and also the competition? changes the game for customers, being able to get stuff delivered to you in an hour is a huge advantage. but it also is changing the game for our company too. we're adding more shopping days to the holiday season."urban fulfillment centers, (gfx in) now available in more than 20 cities including places like san francisco, houston, miami, and atlanta, are purposely centrally located. (gfx out) (sot- stephanie landry) "there's no way that we can get things to people in an hour if we weren't in the center of the city." as soon as the order arrives, it's processed, bagged and handed off to a delivery associate. amazon prime customers willing to shell out an extra 8 bucks will have their order in an hour. for those willing to wait two hours, the service is free. sylvester alderman will work from 6am to midnight on christmas eve - despite his family's wishes. (sot-sylvester alderman/amazon) "i told them i will do work, and i will get off when i can, and i will see them when i get home."demarco morgan, cbs news, new york. 3 the salvation army of siouxland delivered *christmas cheer* to some of those who need it the most.yesterday... hundreds of children got toys from the salvation army during its annual christmas distribution day. distribution christmas annual salvation army toys from the children got hundreds of yesterday... most.need it the cheer* to some *christmas delivered siouxland army of the salvation 3 the salvation army of siouxland delivered *christmas cheer* to some of those who need it the most.yesterday... hundreds of children got toys from the salvation army during its annual christmas distribution day. volunteers also handed out more than 500 food baskets with all the fixins for a christmas dinner of turkey or ham. 3 "over a thousand children are going to have a merry christmas and over 500 families will settle down to nice christmas meal this christmas season. so we really appreciate folks who have supported our efforts this year and for the last 127 years."kids at yesterday's event also got a chance to to pick out a winter coat that was donated during this year's "coats for kids" campaign. 3 and dozens more kids will stay warm this winter thanks to a big donation from morningside college... and a shopping trip.cat and i went shopping at the shopko store on hamilton boulevard yesterday morning. we bought a few dozen new coats... thanks donated to "coats for kids" by the faculty and staff at morningside college. if you don't have a new coat to give... you can donate a "gently - used coat. it'll be cleaned... then given to kids in need. you can donate until january 3rd. for a list of donation sites go to the "coats for kids" page on our website... siouxland news dot com. 3 drivers in nebraska can now proudly display one of the state's main exports on their cars!for an extra 70 dollars a year... now you can buy a specialty plate for your car showing off an ear of corn... set against a ready - to - harvest field and a bright blue sky. the new plate was developed by the nebraska corn growers association. the nebraska d - m - v says it won't make and distribute any of the new plates until they get 500 applications. the new plates are available for cars... pickups... farm trucks... semis... motorcyles... trailers... and r - v's. 3 florida senator and republican presidential candidate marco campaign stops in iowa next week... he'll even be stopping in sioux city.rubio will hold a town hall meeting at the holiday inn on gordon drive next tuesday. the doors open at 6 - 15... with senator rubio expected to speak at 6 - 45. the event should last about an hour. 3 3 the next day... former pennsylvania senator rick santorum will hold a campaign event in siouxland. santorum will hold a meet and greet at the leonard (limousine) *lemousin (limousine) and angus farm* north of holstein wednesday december 30th. the event starts at noon... there'll be a free light lunch... too.later in the day... santorum will be in sioux center for a house party. that event will start at 7 - 45 p - m. 3 if the song "i want a hippopotamus for christmas" describes your holiday wish list... get ready to get jealous. visitors at omaha's henry doorly zoo are actually getting one! a was born in october... but yesterday... she took to the water. reporter lindsey (thees) theis was there. 3 --reporter pkg-as follows-- the henry doorly zoo got a hippopotamus for christmas. mabel, the two month old pygmy hippo flopped a little on the rocks before a big dive in front of visitors.the baby got some swimming lessons before coming out tuesday.(christie eddie, zoo curator) "the water is very deep so we don't want to have a baby born on exhibit, and hippo calves actually have to learn how to swim, they don't know how to swim when they are first born, and so obviously in the wild the mother would gradually take it, you know, wading in, while we have to control our level because we don't have the river's edge. so we do the swimming lessons in holding." mabel was born october first, weighing 19 pounds.just a few months old, zoo staff says she's already weighing 76 pounds.this hungry hungry hippo will get very very big. when she's fully grown, mabel will weigh between 350 and 600 pounds.that's still about one- eighth the size of the common her time between swims and head bobs and resting on the rocks with her mother, chomel, for the next year or so.zoo staff says after a couple of years its rare to find mother and calf together in the wild. pygmy hippos are pretty seclusive, independent mammals. mabel is one of 26 pygmies in u-s zoos.they're considered endangered because of habitat destruction, but in her habitat today, it's all smooth swimming, something that had kids like owen neilsen transfixed.(amanda neilsen, visitor) "they were entranced, they just couldn't leave watching her swim by, waiting for her to swim by, waiting for her to swim by again." 3 a male pygmy hippo born at henry doorly in 20 - 13 now lives at a zoo in jackson mississippi. 3 some last minute gift ideas now... for your pets. yeah... some people do 3 the nebraska humane society in omaha held a holiday party yesterday afternoon for dogs in their shelter... complete with easy to make presents. about 100 volunteers spread peanut butter in boxes... wrapped them... then gave them to the animals in the kennels. organizers the idea when trying to think of inexpensive ways to keep dogs from chewing up furniture while they're stuck inside during the holidays. 3 this is the first year the humane society has hosted this "paw - ty". they also made toys with seeds for birds. 3 3 3 3 3 used to talking to your tech. we'll show you how to get the most out of your devices... next... in your c - net tech update. 3 "you're watching siouxland meteorologist cat taylor"3 3 "first alert weather with meteorologist cat taylor" 3 rain chances will continue through the morning and into the afternoon hours, as temperatures cool expect a wintry mix. afternoon highs will top out in the middle 30s. for thursday, things should be a bit quieter with mostly cloudy skies. temperatures will make it just above freezing on an otherwise very quiet day.christmas day will be mild with temperatures reaching near the 40 degree mark, but as night falls look for a little rain eventually changing over to snow, and that snow chance should linger into the first part of the weekend. sunday looks quiet, but we are keeping our eyes on a potential storm system that will impact the area monday and tuesday of next week. stay tuned. the big trend 3 the big trend these days is tech you can talk to. here's your c - net tech update. 3 "it's time to get used to talking to your tech. i'm bridget carey, this is your cnet update.***"if you have a techie gift giver in the family, there's a good chance someone in the household is getting a gadget that you can talk to -- and it will talk to seeing people talk to their phones with siri or google now, but are you ready to converse with other devices? here's a quick primer on what to expect when you start carrying on coversations with your new gadgets."for starters, don't expect perfection. although at times it is impressivly accurate, it won't always pick up on what you are saying. these systems tend to have the most trouble with names. so when you try again - don't start talking slower with exagerated pro-nun- ciation. it won't help. you don't need to become a robot to talk to a robot, speak naturally. in settings you can tell these systems if you speak with a dialect, like british engligh but it's not great with all accents:how to get to disney world***""a very popular product this year answers to the name alexa. it's amazon's echo smart speaker. (source: amazon: 01:14:32 - 01:30:37)she answers questions, can control some smart home devices and play news reports or stream music. but she isn't the most loyal of assistants. unlike other systems, she will take orders from anyone that whispers in her ear. that can kids that tell her to play the same song over and over and over again.***""but all this listening might make you feel creeped out. the new hello barbie got a bunch of attention this year for being something that listens to your children, and maybe it can be hacked. well it only sends what you say to a server for processing when you press her button. and even on the rare chance some demented hacker is set on stealing your barbie's data from the cloud, what info are they going to get? your kid's favorite food? you don't even give the account your name or address. mattel worked with the company toytalk to develop the conversations with barbie, and they offer monitary rewards for anyone that finds a flaw, and they quickly patch any possible problems. so the voice part shouldn't be what bothers you about hello barbie. what's upsetting is the fact she cannot change her outfits, and she cannot sit down -- these legs don't move! they put her batteries in the legs - and although i can relate to a woman with powerful thighs, what's the point of a $75 dollar doll that can't sit? compare her to this barbie -- had since i was 6 years old, and not only can she sit down, but she can also wear this rockin outfit i picked out for her.***""i hope these tips have been helpful. just whatever you do, don't let one of your gadgets start talking to another gadget. what do you want to be when you grow up? ""sometimes i dream of killing all humans""""what have i done? from our studios in new york, i'm bridget carey. ****""" 3 3 the holidays are supposed to be the happiest time of year for kids. we'll show you how some volunteers are making sure it really *is* for military families that have lost the most. it's (time) this morning. thanks for 3 satellite and radar are showing clouds and winter weather on their way to forecast next.3 3 good morning, (downtown sioux city)... it's (36 degrees) outside at (time)... as we take a look from our (j - c roofing and insulating) camera. 3 we always call the holidays the happiest time of year... and some volunteers in dallas are making sure it really *is* for families of deceased military members. reporter chip reid takes us on the "snowball express." 3 more than a thousand kids were in dallas this month for four days of non-stop joy. there was no limit to the games ... (nat) light sabers up!and it was all free.(people clapping etc)if you're wondering why these kids -- and their parents -- were treated like such heroes -- well, they earned it -- the hard way. every child here lost a parent in the military. every parent lost a spouse. (playing air hockey, if you haven't exhausted that shot above) chase sullivan is 7, his brother jake is 5. their mother bree can't remember the last time they were this happy. (sot bree sullivan 11:58:00) they get to be with other kids who get it, who understand, what it's like to lose a parent, so they don't feel so alone.michelle karnoski brought her 13 year old daughter sammie.(sot michelle 12:01:00)it's heartbreaking to know that all these kids have lost a parent while on active duty military. it's hardit's the 10th anniversary of the snowball express, a non-profit charity named for an old disney movie. some families return every year -- like amelia.(sot carol 11 24 4)you don't have to justify tears. her husband john did two tours in iraq.(sot carol 11:26:20)he had a larger than life personality. and when he came back from his second tour that personality had changed. suffering from severe post- traumatic stress disorder, two days after christmas in 2007 he took his own life.(sot amelia 11:21:31) around christmastime, a classmate will complain about a present their dad gave them that they didn't like. and it's kind of frustrating. because i'd do anything to get a bad present from my dad.snowball express is always held during the holiday season because for many here it's the most difficult time of the year. (sot amelia 11:40:43)i can't ever imagine not having this in my life.chase and jake sullivan feel pretty much the same way.(sot chip and jake and chase )12:03:00 chase: i just wish we could stay here for a year. a year? jake: i wish we could stay here in a place where everyone understands. chip reid cbs news dallas 3 "weather on the ones brought to you by window world" 3 rain chances will continue through the morning and into the afternoon hours, as temperatures cool expect a wintry mix. afternoon highs will top out in the middle 30s. for thursday, things should be a bit quieter with mostly cloudy skies. temperatures will make it just above freezing on an otherwise very quiet day.christmas day will be mild with temperatures reaching near the 40 degree mark, but as night falls look for a little rain eventually changing over to snow, and that snow chance should linger into the first part of the weekend. sunday looks quiet, but we are keeping our eyes on a potential storm system that will impact the area monday and tuesday of next week. stay tuned. 3 3 3 time for a trip to the sunrise watercooler...the only trans am to survive the filming of 'smokey and the bandit' will go up for auction early next year. the car... next year. auction early the bandit' 'smokey and the filming of am to survive the only trans 3 3 time for a trip to the sunrise watercooler...the only trans am to survive the filming of 'smokey and the bandit' will go up for auction early next year. the car... owned by burt reynolds until a year ago... was used for a promotion and didn't appear in sequels. it fetched 450 - thousand - dollars at auction last year.the barrett - jackson auction house says the other four 19 - 77 pontiacs were so damaged in filming that they were destroyed. the surviving car hadn't been driven in almost 30 years... so the current owner ordered a full restoration. 3 3 coming up this morning... recruiting rookies for the cockpit... we'll show you how a major airline will now train students with no experience to become commercial pilotsplus your morning news, weather and sports are all coming up.it's now (time) as we take a look outside (xxx) on the (xxx) cam.keep it right 3 3 here's a look at your weather to go ... 3 3 go ... 3 3 donald trump is defending himself after using a vulgar yiddish term to describe hillary clinton's loss to president obama in 2008. in a tweet tuesday night, trump said the word just meant clinton fired back saying "we his way to the presidency."a weather pattern partly linked to el nino is still turning winter upside - down across the united states. so far... the system has blanketed parts of the northwest in snow... and brought higher than normal temperatures... as well as steady rain... to the eastern half of the country. a larger storm is forecast to bring severe thunderstorms ... even tornados... from the deep south to the ohio valley today.the wacky weather threatening the east comes on what's expected to be one of the busiest travel days of the season. according to triple - a... the number of people making a journey 50 miles or more between christmas and new year's is expected to top 100 million for the first time on record. experts say the increase is being fueled... in part... by low gas prices and renewed confidence in the economy. 3 and be sure to check out siouxland news dot com all day at work and home for the latest news, weather and sports. 3 and here is what the folks in studio 57 are working on that you'll see in an hour on cbs "this morning".i'm norah o'donnell... coming up, kennedy center honoree seiji conductor... that's coming up, on cbs this morning...3 3 "this is siouxland news at sunrise on kmeg 14" 3 good morning everyone and welcome to siouxland news at sunrise.thanks for starting your morning with us.i'm jacob heller.and i'm meteorologist cat taylor.3 3 rain chances will continue through the morning and into the afternoon hours, as temperatures cool expect a wintry mix. afternoon highs will top out in the middle 30s. a bit quieter with mostly cloudy skies. temperatures will make it just above freezing on an otherwise very quiet day.christmas day will be mild with temperatures reaching near the 40 degree mark, but as night falls look for a little rain eventually changing over to snow, and that snow chance should linger into the first part of the weekend. sunday looks quiet, but we are keeping our eyes on a potential storm system that will impact the area monday and tuesday of next week. stay tuned. 3 3 3 3 3 3 almost 18,000 airline pilots will reach the mandatory retirement age over the next seven years... but finding replacements is becoming a very big challenge. after the deadly 2009 crash of a commuter plane near buffalo new york... congress raised the requirements to fly... increasing the training cost to more than $100,000 dollars a pilot. c - b - s news correspondent kris van cleave shows us how jetblue is exploring a controversial 3 (natsound/kvc jetblue simulator)(kvc 15:33:59) "so basically just keep the airplane..."(simulator 15:34:05) "yes, just keep flying it..." usually when someone makes it into cockpit of one of jetblue's multi- million dollar simulators he or she is already a seasoned pilot... or the occasional reporter. (natsound/kvc jetblue simulator)(instructor 15:34:35) "this is looks good." (kvc 15:34:40) "we aren't on the ground yet." but that is about to change as the airline is experimenting with a new way to hire pilots. (take gfx) calling the program gateway 7, jetblue will soon accept 24 people with little-to-no aviation experience and train them to be a co-pilot by 2020. (end gfx) (christie sot) (14:37:04) "it doesn't how many hours of pilot time you have or - thousands and thousands or a few, the standards are the same, you have to meet the proficiency standards to be qualified and have the faa certification or certificate." we visited the jetblue training center earlier this year. senior vice president of safety, security and training warren christie. (christie sot)(14:36:27) "it's we use to train. we collect a lot of data on pilot training performance along with all of our other groups, so we know where additional emphasis is required." the airline says these pilots will meet the f-a-a's mandated minimum 15- hundred hours of flight time to start work as a commercial pilot while going through an unpresidented level of screening. (elwell sot) (11:14:41) "it's almost like a stem program, and it's going to attract young people in to a profession possibly that they had not considered before, and getting them when they're just starting flying i think is a good idea." and comes at a time when smaller airlines are already having trouble finding enough pilots. dan elwell is an aviation consultant, a former airline pilot and faa official. (kvc/ elwell exchange)(kvc 11:19:19) "is it really necessary to look at alternative ways to train pilots? is this pilot shortage a real deal?"(elwell) "there has been a reduction of young people that are getting in to flying, um, and there are tremendous amount of uh, people that are retiring from flying at the same time, so it's kind of losing it on both to find more innovative ways to get young people flying." the regional airline association - which presents smaller carriers is hoping to create a faster path to the cockpit - its new proposal calls for a program run by the airlines to train pilots (take gfx)...saying in a statement it "contains substantial enhancements that reach a higher level of safety than current flight training pathways...and offers a meaningful and measure of experience for pilot training." 3 authorities in northeast nebraska are investigating the deaths of *two* people whose remains were found in a burnt - out pickup monday afternoon.the truck was found still burning in a field nine miles north and one mile west of pierce just after 3 o'clock monday afternoon.once firefighters put the fire out... they found the remains of two people.the nebraska state patrol says they've made a preliminary identification of the bodies... they think those people died because of a murder - suicide.both are believed to be from northeast nebraska... but their names are *not* being released at this time. iowa.the milford fire department was called out just before three o'clock monday afternoon. the trailer was fully engulfed in flames. it took firefighters half an hour to bring things under control. no one was inside the trailer at the time... it's considered a total loss. investigators are still trying to figure out what caused this... but that's going to be hard because of the extensive damage. 3 a man who was born in northeast nebraska was killed in a suicide attack in afghanistan.45 - year - old joseph lemm... who'd been a new york city police detective... died in afghanistan when a suicide bomber rammed a motorcycle full of explosives into a patrol.this video shows lemm when he returned home in 2013 from his *first* tour in afghanistan... surprising his teenage daughter brooke... his son ryan... and his fiancee christine. his mom... shirley lemm of wisner... tells the omaha world - herald that after graduating from beemer in force... then he eventually became a new york city police officer. after the september 11th terrorist attacks lemm joined the air force reserves. he was serving his *second* deployment to afghanistan. 3 a high - speed chase crossed the border from nebraska into iowa yesterday morning.just after 11 a - m... police in dakota county nebraska started chasing a reckless driver in a black s - u - v. the chase eventually wound through south sioux city... across the vets bridge... and onto wesley parkway before ending with the vehicle stopping at west 3rd and perry. the person inside the vehicle ran away. so far... he hasn't been located. 3 sioux city fire rescue is honoring the memory of the city's first female firefighter.(jean - ee) jeanne (vuh - kul - skus) vakulskas joined the department in 19 - 85... she retired on her 55th birthday in 2007. she passed away sunday at her home. her fellow firefighters remember her as "one of a kind"... and say she'll be missed. 3 "she did so much to help us that the more diverse we can be as a department, the more we can look like our community, the better we can serve our community. so, we appreciate everything jeanne did for her whole career and our thoughts are with her family at this time."jeanne (vuh - kull - skus) vakulskas was 63 - years - old. her funeral will be this morning at 10 - 30 at saint joseph's catholic church in sioux city. visitation was at the meyer brothers funeral home's morningside chapel last night. 3 the food and drug administration has lifted its lifetime ban on accepting blood donations from gay and bisexual men. 3 now... gay men *can* donate... but only after 12 months of celibacy. the lifetime ban of blood donations from gay and bisexual men was implemented by the fda in 1983 at the start of the aids crisis. the new rule comes after quite a few years of scientific research and consultation. the human rights campaign called the change a "step in the right direction"... but quote... "still falls short of a fully acceptable solution." 3 if you saw something suspicious while traveling... at work... on your street... would you ignore it? or report it? as our national correspondent jeff barnd shows us... a nationwide campaign has re - emerged in wake of the california killings... encouraging americans that if you *see* something... *say* something. 3 /nat - highway?/if you're a frequent traveller, you've likely seen these signs practically everywhere. "see something, say something" a national law enforcement campaign that stresses the importance of the public reporting suspicious activity to authorities./sot/sot- jeh johnson "so if you see something suspicious while travelling that doesn't look quite right, say something to away."/vo/and that proper authority is your area police force/sot/sot first sgt. jeffrey linger/maryland state police"we have manpower up there and just waiting.. we want to be proactive and try to eliminate a crime or a crash before it occurs."/vo/ trooper linger says police are the first line of defense in the fight against terrorism if any suspicion turns out to be legit he says police would alert the fbi and homeland security./sot/sot linger "police can't be everywhere all the time, so we ask for the publics assistance."/vo/it appears the public is *all* too willing to help./sot/mos: "i would just call the police .. not at the emergency number but their regular number and report what i see.. absolutely i would."/sot/mosneed our help .. so i certainly would report /bridge/"law authories get thousands of random calls everyday.. as tedious as that sounds, information *can* to develop into a *that's* what police are looking for."col tony shaffer/former engage in it.. not be afraid of either political correctness else that might restrict them.. if you say something."/vo/program tailor made for uncertain /sot/mos age i just think we can't take any chances."i'm jeff barnd reporting. 3 the "see something, say something" campaign originally started with the new york city metropolitan transportation authority. now it's licensed to the homeland security department as a nationwide campaign. 3 with winter weather comes great beauty... and little weird.like this rotating circle of ice on minnesota's upper south long lake. the ice disc forms as flowing water creates an eddy where ice is forming.3 after word got out about this one through social media... people who live around brainerd minnesota came out to watch the spinning circle of ice. according to a climatologist... the water that is moving faster doesn't freeze... so you end up with a big pancake of ice circle.3 3 3 3 3 a wide reciever is winning praise from the pros while he's setting records. up next... we'll meet the high school football player who dominates on the gridiron... even with a disability. 3 3 we're checking up with moose again on this thursday morning. what's up moose? to you by siouxland federal credit union" 3 rain chances will continue through the morning and into the afternoon hours, as temperatures cool expect a wintry mix. afternoon highs will top out in the middle 30s. for thursday, things should be a bit quieter with mostly cloudy skies. temperatures will make it just above freezing on an otherwise very quiet day.christmas day will be mild with temperatures reaching near the 40 degree mark, but as night falls look for a little rain eventually changing over to snow, and that snow chance should linger into the first part of the weekend. sunday looks quiet, but we are keeping our eyes on a potential storm system that will impact the area monday 3 kris (sil - bah) 3 kris (sil - bah) silbaugh was born without his left hand. he was raised in the erie pennsylvania foster care system. but he didn't let his physical challenges stop breaking his school's all - time receiving yards and touchdown records. c - b - s news met (sil - bah) silbaugh at the new york giants' training center where the pros threw admiration his way. reporter don dahler has his story. 3 (our high school playoff game footage)kris silbaugh is cambridge springs high school's star wide receiver. (more playoff game footage + kris in action)the 18-year-old 6 foot 3 senior runs a 4.4 second 40-yard dash (football catch nat) and broke his school's all-time receiving yards and touchdowns records. (kris) "i always believed i could do whatever i put my mind to. some things may be harder than others but if i work at it i always believed that i could do it."(more high school playoff footage and locker room tying shoe -- the big reveal!)and he does it all - with only one hand. (don: 10:40) "you're obviously an over achiever. you're an honor student, you're homecoming king, you've broken school records. do you think that that drive comes from trying to prove something or are you just living life?"(kris) "i would say starting off as a kid i was trying to prove something but as of now i'm (sweet childhood photos) silbaugh was born without his left hand and raised in the erie, pennsylvania foster care system. (don: 09:28) "have you had a hard life?"(kris: 09:31) "yeah i'd say it's been hard in some parts of it but it's better now so that's all that matters."(don: 09:36) "you're sitting here with a smile on your face. (kris) "yeah." (smiles)(mary + frank in the stands at kris playoff game -- nat from frank, "let's go blue!")three years ago, frank and mary tipping took him in. (don: 01:48) "it strikes me that he doesn't for one second think of himself as being disabled..."(mary) "oh no. not at all. not at all. in fact (insert 3 family photos here) he's had to (in sports) check off if he's had any disabilities at all and he always checks "no" which i think is awesome // we've never seen anything in him - in three years - that he hasn't been able to do."(don: 03:40) "when i was telling my 10-year-old son about you, he wanted to meet you. do you recognize that you're an inspiration to people?"(kris) "yeah i recognize that. i've been getting contacted by different people around saying i've inspired them and stuff so it's a pretty amazing feeling."(don) "but does that come with its own responsibilities?"(kris) "yeah keep track of what i'm doing and make sure i'm being a good role model for people looking up to me."(beckham making great catches - nfl clips)like *he* looks up to new york giants wide receiver odell beckham jr., (two nats "that may be the greatest catch i've ever seen!" + "you have got to be kidding me!") famous for his astounding one-handed catches. (don: 00:49) "so when you see all of the attention that odell beckham jr. for those one handed catches that he does. do you think like, what's the big deal?"(kris: 00:56) "no not really because some of the catches that he made were really amazing. i don't think i made a one hand catch like *that*, i mean i do it but not as spectacular as his was."so silbaugh was thrilled to meet beckham recently.(beckham + kris -- nats, "it's amazing bro... all you need is one (hand)") (odell) "pleasure meeting you, keep it up."(kris walking on practice field with the giants, walks into team huddle with coach -- the epic moment!) (coach: 00:24) "nice to meet you kris."(kris) "nice to meet you." (shake hands)giants coach tom coughlin took the opportunity as a lesson... (coach) "come on in guys! ...and a chance to inspire his own players. (coach) "there are millions of people who tell you all your life "no" of people who tell you you're not good enough, you can't do this, you can't do that. this is why this is such a great story. he just broke the all- time receiving record at his high school."(coach/team cheers)(coach) "let's end with team 1, 2, 3 team!" (all the nice player nats, big/punch nats section)(player #1) "nice to meet you man."(player #2) "congrats dog!"(player #3) "anything's possible man." (nats)(don: 09:02) "when you talk to kids, what do you tell them? i mean is there a message that you've learned through your life?"(kris) "i tell them you can do whatever you put your mind to so if there's somewhere you want to go, do (back to kris high school playoff game footage) that you're not sure about, you think you can do, if you believe and you're positive i tell them that they can do anything."(coach nat: "i don't know if you want to talk to the guys.." "uh, hi" -- cute moment)silbaugh has already fielded some college offers. he'd like to continue his football career. (nat break) for this scholar-athlete, the sky's the limit.(more congrats nats)for cbs this morning, don dahler, east rutherford, new jersey.> 3 3 it's been out less than a awakens has already earned a best picture nomination. it's (time)... your sunrise it's (time)... nomination. picture earned a best already awakens has but the force week... it's been out 3 3 new jersey.>rutherford, new jersey.> 3 3 it's been out less than a week... but the force awakens has already earned a best picture nomination. it's (time)... your sunrise entertainment is after the break. christmas eve 3 forecast. 3 "first alert meteorologist cat taylor" 3 rain chances will continue through the into the afternoon hours, as cool expect a wintry mix. highs will top out in the middle 30s.things should be a bit quieter with mostly temperatures will make it just above otherwise very quiet day. christmas day with temperatures the 40 degree mark, but as night falls little rain eventually changing over that snow chance should linger into the the weekend. sunday looks quiet, but we our eyes on a potential storm system impact the area monday and tuesday of next week. stay tuned. 3 3 jennifer lawrence and bradley cooper reveal their holiday plans... and "stars wars: the force awakens" is up for the critics' choice awards. reporter danielle nottingham has those stories and more in today's eye on entertainment. ((narr-1))"star wars:the force awakens" eeked out a best picture nomination for the critics' choice awards....after an unprecedented special vote. board members were unable to see the film before their ballots were due, so they added the star wars nomination a week after the deadline.the awards will be handed out january 17th.(nats hamilton) ((narr-2))the smash hit musical "hamilton" reached another milestone - this one, on twitter.it surpassed one million tweets - thanks to its popularity in hip hop circles and video of impromptu performances outside the theater.((narr-3))jennifer jason leigh says she had one of the best times of her life making the latest quentin tarantino film, "the hateful eight."she is celebrating her golden globe nomination:((sot jennifer jason leigh/actress)) :51 "you get to make a movie that you love and are so proud of...and to be recognized for that and be a part of this group is incredible for me. it really is."((vo))you can catch "the hateful eight" in theaters friday.((narr-4)) "joy" co-stars bradley cooper and jennifer lawrence shared their plans for christmas cheer:((sot jennifer lawrence/actress)) @1:09 "kentucky. rest, alcohol, cookies!"((sot bradley cooper)) @1:12"we're gonna go back to los angeles. i haven't time."(nats joy)((vo))"joy" is out in theaters christmas day. and that's your eye on entertainment. danielle nottingham, cbs news, los angeles. 3 here's what we're talking about on facebook this morning... the last surviving trans am from smokey and the bandit is going on sale. 3 3 still to come this morning... harsh weather in the west has left communities buried in snow... soaked by heavy rain... and battered by powerful wind. we'll show you how el nino is causing a wet and stormy christmas.it's now (time) as we take a look outside (xxx) on the (xxx) cam.your weather and morning news are all ahead. siouxland news at sunrisisiskmeg 14" 3 good morning everyone,thanks for starting your morning with heller...and i'm meteorologist 3 cat taylor. 3 rain chances will continue through the morning and into the afternoon hours, as temperatures cool expect a wintry mix. afternoon highs will top out in the middle 30s. for thursday, things should be a bit quieter with mostly cloudy skies. temperatures will make it just above freezing on an otherwise very quiet day.christmas day will be mild with temperatures reaching near the 40 degree mark, but as night falls look for a little rain eventually changing over to snow, and that snow chance should linger into the first part of the weekend. sunday looks quiet, but we are keeping our eyes on a potential storm system that will impact the area monday and tuesday of next week. stay tuned. 3 harsh weather 3 stay tuned.next week. 3 left communities buried in snow... soaked by heavy rain... and battered by powerful winds. c - b - s news correspondent john blackstone shows us the bad weather stretches from seattle washington to mojave california. 3 (take video)1--harsh weather in the west has left communities buried in snowsoaked by heavy rainand battered by powerful wind.in portland oregon today crews were cleaning up trees blown over in the storm.(sot sherri johnson/tree fell in backyard) i heard a loud boom and the whole house it was like it was on a trampoline, everything bounced, the cookies went flying.2-the power was still out today for thousands in the portland area. a line come down near heather kurmas. (kurmas) the power lines were turning green, blue, orange and everything was shaking3-- at snoqualmie in the mountains outside seattle deep and heavy snow stopped traffic. a search for a missing back country skier resumed today after being called off yesterday because of the weather. alan labissonier of king county search and rescue. (labissonier)11;41;21;04 al: factor wise- avalanche danger, i mean you see the conditions, it's bad. avalanche danger's really extreme.4--the same storm buried the town of kamas 40 miles from salt lake city under a foot of fresh snow.in california, on the road to lake tahoe mountain traffic came to a near standstill as plows worked to clear the snow. bill brown/ truck driver: on his cb radio"5-on these roads trucker bill brown is in no hurry.truck driver: my only concern is a guy driving a four wheel drive doing 50 mph dodge him 6--in southern california's mojave more than 15 tractor trailers were blown over by winds gusting 60 to 80 miles an hour. in the mountains east of los angeles enough snow fell to open the slopes for night skiing.live tag:another cold storm from up in the gulf of alaska is heading toward the west coast. it could bring snow on christmas eve to seattle and portland, places that don't usually get a white christmas. and norah we may even get some snow on high hills here in the san francisco area. 3 the salvation army of siouxland delivered *christmas 3 area. 3 3 the salvation army of siouxland delivered *christmas cheer* to some of those who need it the most.yesterday... hundreds of children got toys from the salvation army during its annual christmas distribution day. volunteers also handed out more than 500 food baskets with all the fixins for a christmas dinner of turkey or ham. 3 "over a thousand children are going to have a merry christmas and over 500 families will settle down to nice christmas meal this christmas season. so we really appreciate folks who have supported our efforts this year and for the last 127 years."kids at yesterday's event also got a chance to to pick out a winter coat that was donated during this year's "coats for kids" campaign. 3 and dozens more kids will stay warm this winter thanks to a trip.cat and i went shopping at the shopko store on hamilton boulevard yesterday morning. we bought a few dozen new coats... thanks to more than 800 dollars donated to "coats for kids" by the faculty and staff at morningside college. if you don't have a new coat to give... you can donate a "gently - used coat. it'll be cleaned... then given to kids in need. you can donate until january 3rd. for a list of donation sites go to the "coats for kids" page on our website... siouxland news dot com. 3 drivers in nebraska can now proudly display one of the state's main exports on their cars!for an extra 70 dollars a year... now you can buy a specialty plate for your car showing off an ear of corn... set against a ready - to - harvest field and a bright blue sky. the new plate was developed by the nebraska corn growers association. the nebraska d - m - v says it won't make and distribute any of the new plates until they get 500 applications. the new plates are available for trucks... semis... motorcyles... trailers... and r - v's. 3 florida senator and republican presidential candidate marco rubio is planning to make some campaign stops in iowa next week... he'll even be stopping in sioux city.rubio will hold a town hall meeting at the holiday inn on gordon drive next tuesday. the doors open at 6 - 15... with senator rubio expected to speak at 6 - 45. the event should last about an hour. 3 3 the next day, former pennsylvania senator rick santorum will hold a campaign event of his own in siouxland. santorum will hold a meet and greet event at the leonard *lemousin (limousine) and angus farm* north of holstein wednesday december 30th. that event starts at noon... and will also feature a free light lunch.later that day... santorum will be in sioux center for a house party. that event will start at 7-45 pm. 3 christmas came early for some panda lovers. the newest panda cub won't make his first public appearance until january 16th... but as c - b - s news correspondent (we - juh) weija (jang) jiang shows us... some panda fans got an early introduction. 3 (pkg)nats bei beifive million people have clicked on the panda-cam to watch bei bei since he was born four months ago.so when the national zoo ran an instagram video competition for a chance to get up close to the zoo's biggest star nats.the response was overwhelming.sot pamela baker-masson/associate director of communications, smithsonian national zoo) "it was really heartening to know that we struck a chord." (stand-up bridge weijia jiang/cbs news/washington, dc) "not only did the videos show people's passion for pandas - but also why saving this endangered species is so important." the 25 winners came from across the country. (video from heather widney via instagram)"everyone knows i like panda's but my husband thinks i'm obsessed." heather widney says she went a little nuts when she found out she us oh)"i was freaking out i was at costco and i'm looking at my email like aaaa i won i won."the winners had the opportunity to go inside the panda habitat. they met the zoo keepers, operated the panda cam, and watched the pandas paint. and when they laid eyes on the main attraction,nats - gasp - it was panda-moniumthe bartunek family drove from michigan when their 13 year old daughter olivia made the cut. (sot james bartunek/lake orion, mi)"we had to wait a long time and then she was so excited it was beyond belief jumping up and down."(sot olivia bartunek/lake orion, mi) "it's one of my bigger christmas presents i've ever gotten."the zoo hopes the winners will become digital ambassadors for the they expect many more to cause after bei bei makes his first public next month.weija jiang cbs news 3 3 a total of 12 hot spots have been found in north saint louis county... where nuclear waste was improperly stored in the 1960's and 70's up next in your healthwatch... we'll show you why they're being blamed for thousands of illnesses. christmas day.3 3 "you're watching siouxland news at sunrise, with jacob heller and meteorologist cat taylor" 3 "first alert weather with meteorologist cat taylor" 3 rain chances will continue through the morning and into the afternoon hours, as temperatures cool expect a wintry mix. afternoon highs will top out in the middle 30s. for thursday, things should be a bit quieter with mostly cloudy skies. temperatures will make it just above freezing on an otherwise very quiet day.christmas day will be mild with temperatures reaching near the 40 degree mark, but as night falls look for a little rain eventually changing over to snow, and that snow chance should linger into the first part of the weekend. sunday looks quiet, but we are keeping our eyes on a potential storm system that will impact the area monday and tuesday of next week. stay tuned. 3 3 3 3 3 a new study finds women taking blood thinners can safely take hormones without an increased risk of blood clots or uterine bleeding. a lot of health care providers avoid prescribing hormone - replacement therapy or estrogen - containing contraception to women who take blood thinners. but researchers in italy found *no* significant increase in clots or bleeding among women who took the hormones and those who did not. 3 3 a large... comprehensive surgery patients are 70 percent less likely to have a heart attack. researchers in london also found those patients with type 2 diabetes were nine times more likely to see major improvements in their diabetes. the study also finds that gastric bypass leads to the most weight loss among the different types of surgery. 3 3 and in - vitro fertilization is usually limited to 3 or 4 treatment cycles... but a new jama suggests extending the number of i - v - f cycles could be beneficial. researchers in england found 65 percent of women achieved a live birth by the sixth cycle... although the percentage decreased among women 40 and older. 3 the c - d - c has opened an investigation in north saint louis county... where a total of twelve sites have been found to have low levels of radiological contamination. reporter vanita (nigh - er) nair shows us how folks who live there believe the hot spots are making them sick. spots" - areas of low level nuclear contamination, were discovered as crews tested the creek this summer. the new sites include four commercial properties and three homes. add in the 5 sites already slated for clean up, and that's 12 places in the area with contamination. sot: 54:23 they found a tumor the size of a golf ball (narr) last fall, angela powers lost her 9-year-old grandchild jordan to a brain tumor that is rare in children. sot: if it came from this, wow, we want some answers..it's making me angry - she was my only grandchild (nat at computer) it was a variety of rare illness that caught the attention of jenelle wright and her neighbors. (gfx in) four years ago, the group created a facebook page that has since logged 27-hundred cancers and autoimmune conditions. they begged federal health authorities to investigate. (gfx out) sot: we've had to go thru many battles, i don't even know if i can count the agencies, and gatekeepers to different agencies - to even have our phone calls returned, literally calling an agency thirty times and not having them return your phone call. (nats from health meeting) (narr 3) this month, they finally got results. the centers for disease conrol sent a health assessment team stories, which could confirm a link between radiation and the illnesses. mary has stage four lung cancer and blames it on the contamination. sot: vinita: why is the government getting involved now?mary: (shakes table) do you notice that the table is shaking?? if i shake the table enough, you can't eat your meal off of it// -- if i make enough noise, you'll want to listen to me -- and we are now starting to make enough noise - we're standing up and saying "hi - i'm mary. i'm dying of cancer.(tag: residents are hoping the health study might result in compensation for their medical bills and their homes. - but norah, the assessment could take two years, and some folks like mary oscko are worried they 3 3 it's time to get used to talking to your tech. we'll show you how to get the most out of your devices... next... in your c - net 3 good morning, (sioux city)... it's (37) outside at (time)... as we get a rainy look from our (jc roofing and insulating) camera. 3 the big trend these days is tech you can talk to. here's your c - net tech update. 3 "it's time to get used to talking to your tech. i'm bridget carey, this is your cnet update.***"if you have a techie gift giver in the family, there's a good chance someone in the household is getting a gadget that you can talk to -- and it will talk back. ***by now you are used to seeing people talk to their now, but are you ready to converse with other devices? here's a quick primer on what to expect when you start carrying on coversations with your new gadgets."for starters, don't expect perfection. although at times it is impressivly accurate, it won't always pick up on what you are saying. these systems tend to have the most trouble with names. so when you try again - don't start talking slower with exagerated pro-nun- ciation. it won't help. you don't need to become a robot to talk to a robot, speak naturally. in settings you can tell these systems if you speak with a dialect, like british engligh but it's not great with all accents:how to get to disney world***""a very popular product this year answers to the name alexa. it's amazon's echo smart speaker. (source: amazon: 01:14:32 - 01:30:37)she answers questions, can control some smart home devices and play news reports or stream music. but she isn't the most loyal of assistants. unlike other systems, she will take orders from anyone that whispers in her ear. that can be interesting if you have kids that tell her to play the over again.***""but all this listening might make you feel creeped out. the new hello barbie got a bunch of attention this year for being something that listens to your children, and maybe it can be hacked. well it only sends what you say to a server for processing when you press her button. and even on the rare chance some demented hacker is set on stealing your barbie's data from the cloud, what info are they going to get? your kid's favorite food? you don't even give the account your name or address. mattel worked with the company toytalk to develop the conversations with barbie, and they offer monitary rewards for anyone that finds a flaw, and they quickly patch any possible problems. so the voice part shouldn't be what bothers you about hello barbie. what's upsetting is the fact she cannot change her outfits, and she cannot sit down -- these legs don't move! they put her batteries in the legs - and although i can relate to a woman with powerful thighs, what's the point of a $75 dollar doll that can't sit? compare her to this barbie -- this is my barbie that i've had since i was 6 years old, but she can also wear this rockin outfit i picked out for her.***""i hope these tips have been helpful. just whatever you do, don't let one of your gadgets start talking to another gadget. what do you want to be when you grow up? ""sometimes i dream of killing all humans""""what have i done? from our studios in new york, i'm bridget carey. ****""" 3 "weather on the ones brought to you by window world" 3 rain chances will continue through the morning and into the afternoon hours, as temperatures cool expect a wintry mix. afternoon highs will top out in the middle 30s. for thursday, things should be a bit quieter with mostly cloudy skies. temperatures will make it just above freezing on an otherwise very quiet day.christmas day will be mild with temperatures reaching near the 40 degree mark, but as night falls look for a little rain eventually changing over to snow, and that snow chance should linger into the first part of the weekend. sunday looks quiet, but we are keeping our eyes on will impact the area monday and tuesday of next week. stay tuned. 3 we'll take a look at your news and weather to go coming up after the break...you're watching siouxland news at sunrise. 3 it's now (time) as we take a look outside (xxx) on the (xxx) cam.(xxx) on the as we take a it's now (time) 3 sunrise.siouxland watching you're after the coming up 3 stay tuned.next week. 3 stay tuned.3 3 we'll take a look at your news and weather to go coming up after the break...you're 3 it's now (time) as we take a look outside (sioux city) on the (j - c roofing and insulating) cam. 3 3 here's a look at your weather to go ... 3 3 3 here's a look at your news to go ... 3 3 donald trump is defending himself after using a vulgar yiddish term to describe hillary clinton's loss to president obama in 2008. in a tweet tuesday night, trump said the word just meant clinton got beat badly. clinton fired back saying "we shouldn't let anybody bully his way to the presidency."a weather pattern partly linked to el nino is still turning winter upside - down across the united states. so far... the system has blanketed parts of the northwest in snow... and brought higher than normal temperatures... as well as steady rain... to the a larger storm is forecast to bring severe thunderstorms ... even tornados... from the deep south to the ohio valley today.the wacky weather threatening the east comes on what's expected to be one of the busiest travel days of the season. according to triple - a... the number of people making a journey 50 miles or more between christmas and new year's is expected to top 100 million for the first time on record. experts say the increase is being fueled... in part... by low gas prices and renewed confidence in the economy. 3 and be sure to check out siouxland news dot com all day at work and home for the